A batting promotion worked wonders for Moeen Ali as he scored his second Test century, and the fourth-highest score by an England No. 7, to build an imposing total of 498 for 9 before Alastair Cook declared before tea

The Report by Andrew McGlashan28-May-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsTwo men of the day: Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali share a high five•Getty Images

Powered by Moeen Ali’s career-best 155 and three wickets on recall for Chris Woakes, England put themselves in position to push for another innings victory as Sri Lanka produced an insipid display on the second day at Chester-le-Street. The visiting batting subsided to 90 for 8 in reply to England’s 498 for 9, the follow-on surely set to be enforced in the morning, although they at least avoided being sent back in during the evening session, which looked a possibility at one stage.Moeen’s second Test century – his first also came against Sri Lanka, at Headingley in 2014 – allowed England to plunder 188 runs off 42 overs, of which Moeen provided 127, before Alastair Cook declared 40 minutes before tea. One down at the break was a passable start given what happened in Leeds, but things quickly unravelled in the final session, Woakes backing up the early incisions of James Anderson and Stuart Broad by quickly locating a challenging length with some late nip allied to eye-catching pace in the high 80s mph. Broad then returned in the final moments of the day to strike two more blows against the lower order.Regardless of the defences that can be given to Sri Lanka about the challenges of the conditions and the rebuilding phase the side is going through it was woeful performance from them. The tone was set early when, in stark contrast to their excellent catching on the opening day, they spilled two crucial chances in the first session: Moeen was dropped on 36 and Woakes on 8 inside the first four overs of the day, and from then on Sri Lanka were listless in the field.The second of those two chances, a regulation outside edge, was spilled by Dinesh Chandimal who was struggling with a thumb injury and at morning drinks was replaced by Kusal Mendis behind the stumps. It begged the question, given that Graham Ford had admitted the injury concern the night before, why the change hadn’t been made at the start of the day.Given a total of 298 at Headingley overwhelmed the Sri Lankans, 498 must have looked a fearful number looming from the scoreboard even as the sun shone brightly during the evening session. Mendis was again the best of an out-classed batting order, although Lahiru Thirimanne showed some pluck to see out the day, but their desperate state was summed up by Angelo Mathews’ review when he was given caught behind (having declined to review last week when he would have been saved from his lbw dismissal).Anderson picked up where he left off at Headingley when he found Dimuth Karunaratne’s leg stump in the third over when the left hander moved too far across to try and protect his outside edge. Anderson’s first spell, split either side of tea as Cook’s declaration allowed his new-ball pair a breather, also included Chandimal whose forgettable day continued when he edged to first slip with hard hands. Broad claimed Kaushal Silva when Jonny Bairstow took a sharp low catch which was referred to the TV umpire, Rod Tucker, although the on-field officials had given the soft signal as out.Woakes, who had played confidently for his 39 after the early life, was given the ball ahead of Steven Finn and in his second over found Mathews’ outside edge. A bowler who has recently taken 9 for 36 probably does not need much of a confidence boost, but when your Test average was upward of 60 removing the opposition’s best player is a perfect way to start.He then added Mendis, exaggerated lift finding the splice of the bat, and Milinda Siriwardana who edged a delivery that kept down – a pair of dismissals which further highlighted why Cook was happy to bat first. Still, it was not a 67 for 6 surface. Thirimanne and Rangana Herath resisted until the penultimate over of the day when Herath sparred to gully. Shaminda Eranga was then taken on the rebound by Joe Root at second slip after James Vince had done well to palm up a fast nick above his head.England resumed on 310 for 6, talking positively of 450 but probably willing to accept 400. By the time Cook declared, the last four wickets had added 271 runs with Moeen finishing with the fourth-highest score by an England No. 7. He received good support from the lower order, adding 92 for the seventh wicket with Woakes and 98 for the last two wickets combined, reaching three figures from 109 balls with a lofted drive down the ground. His next fifty took just another 43 deliveries, as he cut loose with Finn and Anderson for company, with the 150 being raised by a crunching six over deep midwicket off Suranga Lakmal.Although he made a half-century two Tests ago, against South Africa at Centurion, it has been a largely lean time with the bat for Moeen since last year’s Ashes series where his brisk lower-order contributions were vital at Cardiff and Edgbaston. He has not made any secret that he would prefer to bat higher in the order and in the absence of Ben Stokes he has, temporarily at least, moved up a spot. While not a chanceless innings, he appeared more focused than when he is lumped down with the bowlers.The only high point of the day for Sri Lanka was Herath’s 300th Test which finally came his way in his 28th over when Finn top-edged a slog sweep – Herath was not going to leave the catching to any of his team-mates. He became the third Sri Lankan bowler after Muttiah Muralitharan (light years ahead on 800 wickets) and Chaminda Vass (355) to cross the milestone. He was warmly applauded by the crowd and he raised the ball in acknowledgement, although a touch of reality soon dawned when No. 11 Anderson reverse swept him for four. The fact he had batted, and with more defiance than some, by the end of the day further summed up Sri Lanka’s plight.

The Antonio Conte regime at Tottenham Hotspur was brought to an end last month, with chairman Daniel Levy taking the decision to part ways with the experienced Italian with just a matter of weeks left to run until the end of the season, following a turbulent few months at N17.

Aside from the obvious frustration over results – including tame exits in the FA Cup and Champions League – a further factor in the 53-year-old's dismissal may well have been his inability to hand chances to the club's young talent, with the Daily Mail having reported that the Lilywhites' youth staff had become 'disillusioned' due to the lack of a clear pathway into the first-team.

That bewilderment with regard to Conte's unwillingness to promote from within the club undoubtedly stems from the fact there are a number of exciting gems just waiting for a chance to shine, including clinical marksman, Jamie Donley and fellow teenager, Jaden Williams.

Aside from that notable duo, another youngster who could also be a potential star of the future is 21-year-old, Jamie Bowden, with the midfielder said to be "rated highly" by the north London outfit, according to journalist Adam Millington.

Who is Tottenham's Jamie Bowden?

One of the more 'senior' figures in the academy ranks, there will come a point at which young Bowden may well have missed the boat with regard to earning a regular place in the first-team set-up, having notably endured a campaign hampered by an ankle injury so far this season.

That being said, however, the former Republic of Ireland youth international is clearly well-regarded by those at the club having even been named on the bench for the Premier League clash with Newcastle United just over a year ago, having also scored once and provided five assists in the first half of last season on loan at then-League Two outfit Oldham Athletic.

Club insider John Wenham is among those who have a particular fondness for the midfielder's talents, with the respected source having even likened the Middlesex-born gem to ex-Spurs star Michael Carrick, while also revealing how much the playmaker was admired by former boss, Mauricio Pochettino:

"He’s a deep-lying playmaker. The most similar player I have seen to him in recent years is Michael Carrick. He sits right in that holding midfield role and has a brilliant eye for a pass. Poch loved him and called him up to train with the first team a few times."

That likeness to Carrick bodes well for the impact that Bowden could potentially make for Tottenham in the years to come, with the current Middlesbrough boss having previously racked up 75 appearances for the club after signing from rivals West Ham United in the summer of 2004.

Like the emerging gem, Carrick was a truly gifted operator in a deep-lying role in front of the back four, having been lauded as a "complete" player by Spain legend, Xavi Hernandez, while Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola also previously said of his talents: "He’s one of the best holding midfielders I’ve ever seen in my life, by far."

That comparison between the pair can also be made by the fact that while neither man is prolific, they both also possess the knack for the spectacular, with the former Manchester United man memorably scoring a stunner for the Red Devils against Roma back in 2007, while the current Tottenham ace produced a "world-class" finish for Oldham against Exeter City last season, as per podcaster Chris Cowlin.

To think that Spurs could possibly have a natural successor to the now-retired maestro in the form of Bowden is a truly exciting prospect, with the hope being that the £2.1k-per-week sensation can overcome his previous "bad injuries" – as per Wenham – and earn a chance to shine at senior level.

South Africa need a win to keep pace with the West Indies and Australia as the triangular series moves towards its pointy end

The Preview by Daniel Brettig14-Jun-2016

Match facts

Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Start time 1300 local (1700 GMT)1:06

Confident West Indies take on shaky South Africa

Big Picture

A first-up win by West Indies over South Africa was something of a surprise, but their victory over Australia in St Kitts showed that Jason Holder’s side are genuine contenders for the triangular series title, particularly as injury worries have depleted both opponents. Having squandered a winning position against Australia, South Africa now find themselves in the unedifying position of needing to catch up with West Indies, on a small ground that clearly suits the block-and-bash style of Johnson Charles, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard and others.In defeating Australia, West Indies ran up a mighty differential in fours and sixes – the hosts’ 32 boundaries towered over the 21 managed by the visitors. What’s more, Charles and Andre Fletcher reached the rope seven times inside six overs, before Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch had done so even once. So it is clear that to restrict West Indies, South Africa’s pacemen and spinners need to find the right lines and lengths to jam their big hitters and prevent further barrages.A lack of batting depth and balance has been South Africa’s major worry for quite some time in limited-overs matches. While Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers are undoubtedly world-class players, there is too little behind them to allow for freedom of expression. Amla has been outspoken in stating that the top four need to do the heavy lifting, and it will require partnerships of considerable heft to achieve that against Sunil Narine, who confused South Africa completely in scooping six wickets during their earlier meeting.

Form guide

West Indies WLWLL (last five completed games, most recent first)
South Africa LWLWW

In the spotlight

Even during West Indies’ warm-up matches for this tournament, Darren Bravo was making starts. Scores of 24, 21, 30, 19 and 39 suggest an engine that is revving up nicely without quite hitting the desired gear. Each of the three most recent innings have included the odd glorious stroke, followed by a dismissal at a time when Bravo should have been about to dominate. No one can question Bravo’s talent or commitment to his side but, after Marlon Samuels’ spinal innings against Australia on Monday night, the bar has been set for the kind of performance West Indies need from their left-handed No. 3.Much like Bravo, Quinton de Kock has made a trio of starts in his matches so far, without going on to anything substantial. Given the slowish conditions faced in the Caribbean, it is quite an advantage to be able to get started against the new ball, and a privilege de Kock has enjoyed without making the most of it. Additionally, given that South Africa’s batting lacks the depth of West Indies and Australia, there is more responsibility than usual on the top four to produce.

Team news

The combination that restricted and then defeated Australia on Monday should be set to turn out again, though Sulieman Benn did appear to pick up a niggle while fielding.West Indies (probable) 1 Johnson Charles, 2 Andre Fletcher, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Carlos Brathwaite, 8 Jason Holder (capt), 9 Sulieman Benn, 10 Sunil Narine, 11 Jerome TaylorChris Morris is fit again and may press Kyle Abbott for his place. Morne Morkel is yet to play a game in the tournament.South Africa (probable) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Kyle Abbott, 10 Aaron Phangiso, 11 Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

The Warner Park surface is swifter than that of the Providence Stadium, but it showed signs of tiring during the previous match. It also took some spin in the evening.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies last won consecutive ODIs when they defeated Pakistan and Zimbabwe at the World Cup in February last year
• West Indies haven’t won consecutive games against South Africa since an ODI series in the Caribbean in 1992

Quotes

“As a team we have always backed ourselves for somebody in the top six to take it through and bat as deep as possible. Obviously we are very disappointed after our last game. We got ourselves into a very good position to win it and we didn’t quite take it through.
“I think there can be a little bit of improvement. We are always looking to improve our fielding … and I think we are looking to improve on where we bowl in the first 10 overs and things like that.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:50

O’Brien: Sunrisers bowlers used massive square boundaries well

David Warner’s third half-century of the season paved the way for Sunrisers Hyderabad’s ten-wicket win over Gujarat Lions in Rajkot. Warner, who slammed 74 off 48, combined with Shikhar Dhawan, who struck a fifty of his own, for an unbroken 137-run opening partnership after his bowlers, led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 4 for 29, kept Lions to 135 for 8.Warner began the chase with two fours off Dale Steyn, who was playing his first match of this IPL, and kicked into high gear with three fours off Praveen Kumar in the fourth over. Spin didn’t stem the run-flow either as Warner cut and pulled Suresh Raina to the boundary. The Sunrisers captain brought up his half-century in 29 balls, by which time his team needed less than a run a ball for victory.Dhawan took the opportunity to bide his time and recover some of his form. He wasn’t always fluent, but a paddle sweep off Dwayne Bravo in the 12th over changed that. At one point 25 off 24, Dhawan completed his half-century in 40 balls and though he didn’t indulge in much celebration, he did so a couple of balls later. Warner sealed the victory with six overs to spare and time was ripe for a twirl of the ‘tache.That Lions were tied down, despite Raina’s 75 off 51, was Bhuvneshwar’s doing. He swung the new ball handsomely, as Aaron Finch found out in the first over when his stumps were splayed by an indipper, and when he couldn’t get movement through the air, his mixture of slower balls were hard to put away on a large outfield. Bhuvneshwar took three wickets in the final over of the Lions innings, including Raina’s, to cap Sunrisers’ strong comeback.Mustafizur Rahman played a hand in Lions’ slowdown as well. He was saved for the final six overs again and still gave away only one boundary – when Warner misfielded at long-on. The Bangladesh seamer finished with 1 for 19, the mystery of his cutters no closer to being solved. Sunrisers also benefited from part-time offspinner Deepak Hooda and left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma rushing through five overs and picking up two wickets.Lions, who had raced to 50 for 1 in the Powerplay, only managed 85 runs in the remaining 14 overs.Raina eased his way back to form, scoring his first T20 fifty in 31 innings. On display were his typical shots: lofted drives on the bent knee, firm pushes through cover and wristy flicks off the pads. But the other Lions batsmen struggled for timing. McCullum mis-hit a slog sweep to deep midwicket and fell for 18 off 17 balls, Dinesh Karthik was dismissed for 8 off a full toss and Dwayne Bravo, also on 8, picked out deep square leg after being deceived by a slower ball. Bhuvneshwar’s triple-strike in the final over meant Lions lost seven wickets for 79 runs, and slipped to their first defeat.

Former Spurs employee Ramon Planes 'could be tempted by an offer from Tottenham Hotspur' amid all the noise surrounding Fabio Paratici.

Paratici ban extended worldwide

Earlier this week, Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy were hit with the major announcement by FIFA that Paratici's Italian footballing ban has been extended worldwide. The club chief's alleged involvement in former club Juventus' recent financial scandal resulted in him being slapped with a 30-month Serie A ban but FIFA's message has now confirmed that this applies to the Premier League as well.

This news deeply affects Paratici's role as Tottenham sporting director with the 50-year-old no longer able to negotiate transfer dealings or even get materially involved in Spurs' search for a new manager. The Lilywhites parted company with Antonio Conte earlier this week as the north Londoners begin their quest to hire a permanent replacement.

Cristian Stellini and assistant coach Ryan Mason have been placed in temporary charge until the end of this season but news of Paratici's extended worldwide ban has given chairman Daniel Levy yet another conundrum to solve.

As a result of the Paratici news, some reports have already suggested that Spurs could hire a replacement, with Spanish sources now sharing an update on this front.

According to the report from the continent, it is believed that Tottenham are 'closely following' former Barcelona sporting director Planes, with La Liga side Real Betis also targeting the 55-year-old. It is also claimed that Planes 'could be tempted by an offer from Tottenham Hotspur' with the English side listed as an 'option' for the chief. A man in demand, it is also not completely ruled out that Barca come back in for their ex-employee.

Should Tottenham hire Planes?

The experienced sporting director has worked for clubs across Spain and was even attracting interest from Newcastle back in 2021. Perhaps most interestingly, Planes also held a brief role as Tottenham's technical secretary from between 2014 and 2015 when Mauricio Pochettino was in charge.

Indeed, Planes could be a solid candidate to potentially succeed Paratici if Spurs go down that route, not least because the official is familiar with both Spurs and manager target Pochettino.

As shared by Guillem Balague, both men have also worked together before at Espanyol, so the pair could already have a considerable rapport from their jobs side-by-side in past seasons. He is one who may well be worth considering for Spurs and Levy.

Despite Royal Challengers Bangalore losing their sixth game of the season, batsman KL Rahul has said the team was peaking as the 2016 IPL approached its business end

Deivarayan Muthu in Bangalore12-May-20161:22

Road ahead for us is very clear – Rahul

Despite Royal Challengers Bangalore losing their sixth game of the season, and needing to win their remaining four to possibly make the playoffs, batsman KL Rahul has said the team was peaking as the 2016 IPL approached its business end. RCB were sixth in the standings after their six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians at home on Wednesday.”The plans are clear, we need to win all our games,” Rahul said. “I honestly believe that the team is peaking – the batting has come together, we’re fielding well, we’re taking some good catches, the bowling is getting better and better with each game. We need to win four out of four. We’re going to go out there and play fearless cricket.”Rahul was pushed down the order against Mumbai, in spite of enjoying success as an opener in previous games, to accommodate the returning Chris Gayle, who was out for 5. Gayle has been dismissed for less than ten in all seven innings since his century against England in the World T20, but Rahul urged support for the West Indies batsman.”Chris is dangerous up the order and we all know if he fires he can get us to 200-250 on any wicket, on any ground,” Rahul said. “You back a guy like Chris Gayle to go out there and give his best for the team. You can’t always expect him to deliver; sometimes it doesn’t happen.”The ball did not come onto the bat on Wednesday night, as it usually does at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, forcing the batsmen to manufacture shots. After Virat Kohli stabbed Mitchell McClenaghan to fly slip and Gayle toe-ended Tim Southee to mid-off, left-arm spinning allrounder Krunal Pandya suffocated RCB further with the joint-second best spell – in terms of economy (3.75) – by a spinner bowling a full quota at this venue.”After losing Virat and Chris early, we had to obviously change plans,” Rahul said. “The wicket was sticky, it was a bit damp, and it wasn’t easy to start hitting the ball right away. That’s what me and AB discussed – to take our time initially and if we batted out ten overs, then we could look at a target after that.”Rahul had come in to bat at the fall of Gayle’s wicket in the fourth over and went on to make his fourth half-century – and best score – of the season: 68 off 53 balls. He and de Villiers added 43 in 6.3 overs for the third wicket before Krunal dismissed de Villiers for 24 off 27 balls. Rahul also overcame an ankle niggle to ramp up the pace in the end overs, leading RCB to 151, which he thought was an “ideal score”.”After the loss of the first two wickets, we decided to get around 140-150, which was an ideal score,” Rahul said. “150 was what we discussed during the strategic time-out. We were happy with what we got. In the second innings it got easier to bat.”Mumbai’s chase boiled down to them needing 55 off the last five overs and then they lost Ambati Rayudu for 44 off 47 balls. Kieron Pollard and Jos Buttler, however, ran down the target with eight balls to spare.The RCB captain Virat Kohli, who had been dismissed for his first single-digit score of the season, said his team had been about 20 runs short, and that he would relish the pressure of the remaining matches. “We will literally play knockouts now and I love this situation,” he said.

Gujarat Lions guaranteed themselves a top-two finish on the IPL league table after a 96-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina set them up for an six-wicket win over Mumbai Indians

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy21-May-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDwayne Bravo’s end-overs bowling played a key role in restricting Mumbai Indians to 172 in excellent batting conditions•BCCIBravo fined 50% of match fee

Dwayne Bravo has been fined 50% of his match fee for breaching the IPL code of conduct during Gujarat Lions’ match against Mumbai Indians on Saturday. Bravo has admitted to the Level 2 offence of “inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player in the course of play during a match”.
While the IPL’s media release did not detail Bravo’s code violation, the incident may have occurred during the 14th over of Mumbai’s innings, when Bravo, after fielding a defensive shot off his own bowling, walked up to the batsman, Kieron Pollard, and shoulder-bumped him.
“Ridiculous outcome…!! Again I have seen worst happen obscenities used no outcome but @DJBravo47 fined,” Pollard tweeted, in response to news of the fine. “It’s slowly turning into a robotic game.. No emotions no actions nothing …2020 = entertainment !! Rigorous battles !! Evrything is a fine”.

Gujarat Lions guaranteed themselves a top-two finish on the IPL league table, and earned themselves two shots at a place in the final, after a 96-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina set them up for a six-wicket win over Mumbai Indians. Lions ended the league stage on 18 points while Mumbai finished on 14. To make the playoffs, Mumbai will need Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils – who also have 14 points each – to lose their matches on Sunday, and lose by big enough margins for their net run rates to dip below Mumbai’s -0.146.Rohit Sharma noted, after Raina chose to bowl, that the Green Park pitch wasn’t as green as it had been on Thursday when Lions had restricted Knight Riders to 124. It wasn’t just less green. It was even-paced, with the ball coming nicely on to the bat, and Mumbai’s total of 172 proved well short of challenging as Lions, given a strong platform by Raina and McCullum, and a sure finish by Dwayne Smith – who swapped places in the batting order with Aaron Finch – cruised home with 13 balls remaining.Mumbai got off to an excellent start with the bat, with Rohit enjoying the batting-friendly conditions to move to 30 off 16 balls, with four fours and two sixes, before pulling Dhawal Kulkarni straight to deep square leg in the fourth over. Nitish Rana walked in and pulled his first ball for four.Dwayne Smith had picked up four wickets on Thursday, and Raina tossed him the ball at the start of the fifth over even though the conditions were rather different this time. Martin Guptill, invisible till then, glanced his second ball for four, and should have put away his third one as well. It was shortish, and offered plenty of swinging room for Guptill to flat-bat it anywhere he pleased; he ended up dragging it to mid-on.With Smith’s deceptively quick bouncer consuming Krunal Pandya in the same over, Mumbai were forced into rebuilding mode. Rana and Jos Buttler only scored 27 runs in the first 30 balls of their partnership, and Mumbai were 72 for 3 at the halfway stage.Fifteen came off the 11th, as Rana slogged Ravindra Jadeja over long-on and Buttler chopped him to the backward point boundary. Rana began the 12th over with a four and a six off Smith, and Mumbai were back on track.Rana favoured the pull and the slog-sweep, and those strengths, and his left-handedness, was probably the reason Raina only used Jadeja for one over. Rana hit Shadab Jakati, Lions’ other left-arm spinner, for a six in the 13th over, and three fours – two in the midwicket region – in the 15th.Fourteen came off that over, and with Rana past the half-century mark, Mumbai were nicely placed going into the last five. They had lost Buttler to a reflex caught-and-bowled from Dwayne Bravo, but at the crease was Kieron Pollard, in the kind of situation he enjoys batting in.Rana clubbed another leg-side six off Dhawal Kulkarni in the 16th, going deep in his crease to shorten the length of the ball, but he miscued to deep square leg when he tried the same shot off Bravo in the next over. Pollard cleared long-on with a top-edge in the 18th before swatting a full-toss from Kulkarni straight down long-off’s throat. Suddenly, Mumbai had two new batsmen at the crease with only two overs to go.They would only get 12 from the last two, as Bravo and Praveen Kumar, both going around the wicket, either speared it too full for Hardik Pandya and Harbhajan Singh to get under, or dangled it too slow to line up perfectly. Both batsmen fell in the final over as Mumbai finished on 172 for 8. They had only scored 27 in the last four overs.Finch fell in the first over of Lions’ innings, victim to his tendency to get stuck on the crease early in his innings, but McCullum and Raina quickly got the chase into gear. Bowlers tend to attack Raina’s rib cage early on, but Mitchell McClenaghan overused the short ball in the third over, and the batsman pulled, slapped and uppercut three fours, having already picked up a boundary when Hardik let a drive slip between his legs at cover point.McCullum hit Krunal for two fours and a pulled six in the fifth over, and Lions were already past 50. With the field still in, Raina’s chancy slogs off Jasprit Bumrah’s slower balls proved quite productive in the sixth over – one went to the third man boundary off the top edge, and the other, not quite middled, sailed over deep midwicket. Rattled, Bumrah fed McCullum on his pads and then gave him width; 19 came off that over and Lions’ required rate dipped to 7.35.With the spinners, Krunal and Harbhajan Singh, routinely dropping short, Lions were racing home. This being the IPL, there was a small wobble, as McCullum, Dinesh Karthik and Raina fell in the space of 19 balls to leave 51 needed from 46. Smith, though, conveyed cold authority right from the time he flat-batted the second ball he faced back over Bumrah’s head, and he steered Lions home with a calm, unbeaten 37 off 23.

ESPN journalist Luis Miguel Echegaray has been left in disbelief as Chelsea cool their interest in former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique.

What’s the latest on Enrique to Chelsea?

The 52-year-old has been on Todd Boehly’s radar since the west Londoners opted to dismiss former manager Graham Potter at the start of April.

Enrique is also reliably believed to have even flown to England for talks with Chelsea recently, coming as the club step up their pursuit of a new manager.

Frank Lampard has been placed in temporary charge until the end of the Premier League campaign, a tenure which has gone disastrously thus far with still no victory since taking the hot seat.

Out of the Champions League and with zero chance of clinching silverware, it’s back to the drawing board for Boehly with managers high on the agenda.

Enrique was thought to be among the primary contenders to take over at Chelsea alongside former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, with the latter sacked unceremoniously despite leading his former club to a Champions League quarter-final.

Now, though, according to a report by The Telegraph, Chelsea have apparently cooled their interest in Enrique – with the Champions League winner not among Boehly’s main contenders for the role.

Reacting to this news, Echegaray has been left surprised – explaining that Enrique could be ‘perfect’ for the job.

Taking to social media, he explained:

Instead of the former Spain boss, it is believed that Nagelsmann and former Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino are set for further talks and Boehly has even already been ‘impressed’ with the latter coach.

Should Chelsea turn away?

Enrique has plenty of credentials and arguably far more than some other names to have been linked.

Indeed, the former Celta Vigo boss holds multiple league titles alongside a Champions League winners medal – all while encouraging a possession-based, attack-minded style of football.

His status as a free agent stands out as yet another incentive for Chelsea to make a move for him, so The Telegraph’s update does indeed come as a surprising one.

Perhaps it was Enrique’s lack of experience in England which ultimately lead to this decision, but one way or another, some supporters will be disappointed.

Gary Ballance took his century to 132 on a largely uneventful day at Scarborough

David Hopps04-Jul-2016
ScorecardAndrew Hodd was struck on the helmet by Steve Finn•Getty Images

Shortly after half-past four, bad light at Scarborough brought a sudden exodus. The bulk of the spectators tramped for the exit, in no mood to kill time in the hope of more play. “Seen enough,” said one Yorkshire supporter implacably, a self-appointed spokesman for the determinedly departed. Down North Marine Road they stampeded, faces set, for the warmth of the guest houses or the nearest pub.It has been that sort of summer. It has been that sort of Championship season. The first week of July and it has still to come to life, even in Yorkshire where the White Rose is seeking a hat-trick of titles. Middlesex 130 for 2 in reply to Yorkshire’s 406 and, after Gary Ballance’s century on the first day, not much to reflect upon.First the spectators prematurely called off play for the day, then the Yorkshire PA announcer sounded as if he had done the same. The umpires, stoutly awaiting a break in the weather, must have wondered what was going on. Never call off play while you can still see the Scarborough windmill.A former Yorkshire secretary, Joe Lister, used to make the PA announcements himself, in between fielding correspondence and making his daily run to the bookmakers’ tent. “The umpires have called off play for the day,” he would say, making huge play on the word “reluctantly”, even though everybody knew he wanted rid of the crowd as soon as possible.One day, he inadvertently left his microphone on. Having issued his edict, he added: “Thank heavens for that, time for another gin and tonic.””Gerr’em out there Bird,” came a traditional cry from the tiny minority who were prepared to hang around in the hope of more play: they were rewarded with 21 balls, thoroughly inconsequential.Dickie Bird stood in his last Test 20 years ago, but the call still goes out in Yorkshire in celebration of his well-worn tale about how he was once barracked entering a Headingley Test during a stoppage for a wet outfield, complete with the punchline: “I wasn’t even umpiring”. It is good to imagine that the shout will be heard as long as county cricket is played.The morning had been taken up by the dregs of Yorkshire’s first innings, Ballance, 106 not out overnight, moving on to 132 before a checked drive fell into the hands of the bowler, James Franklin. Azeem Rafiq, caught at the wicket later that over, made nought on his Championship return before a spirited counter-attack brought 72 for the last two wickets in 15 overs.Andrew Hodd, who led the resistance, was struck on the helmet by Steven Finn during Yorkshire’s rally, with no ill effects. Steven Patterson was bowled by Finn stepping outrageously to leg, slapping his bat in the crease in self-admonishment, before last man Jack Brooks gained dressing room bragging rights by hooking Finn for six into the pavilion seats.This is an okay pitch: slow – how can it not be after all this rain? – but with a little in it for the bowlers. For Middlesex, Sam Robson played attractively for his 40 as Yorkshire’s attack began moderately, well enough to believe reports from those who have watched him more regularly that he is a better player than the timid debutant who made the last of his seven Test appearances against India two years ago.Brooks dismissed him attempting a swivel pull, but top-edging to midwicket. Nick Gubbins fell lbw to a fullish ball around leg stump in Will Rhodes’ first over.

Journalist Dean Jones has warned that Manchester United should not rush Bruno Fernandes back from injury too early after hearing how the player wants to play "through the pain".

What's the latest Man United injury news?

The Red Devils battled hard on the weekend to confirm their spot in the FA Cup final after beating Brighton & Hove Albion on penalties after 120 minutes of goalless action.

However, it seems as though that victory did not come without some cost. Indeed, key midfielder Fernandes picked up a knock in the match and has since been spotted in a protective boot.

As a result, the player is now a major doubt ahead of the Premier League fixture away at top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night.

While speaking about the injury on Chasing Green Arrows, insider Jones explained that he'd heard that Fernandes was trying to play on through the pain.

The journalist suggested that could have further aggravated the issue and Man Utd must be careful not to rush him back with an FA Cup final on the horizon to consider as well.

Jones said: "He was actually injured during the game and carried on for, I think, longer than he probably should have.

"I don't know if that's aggravated it or not, but I was speaking to someone who seemed to think that he was just determined not to let the injury get the better of him.

"He doesn't miss games through injury, he plays through the pain.

"And while [Erik] ten Hag will be desperate to give him the benefit of the doubt – like, he needs him as much as he can get him out there – you don't want to make the problem worse.

"You don't want Bruno missing the back end of this season, especially now they've got an FA Cup final to look out for as well."

Will Bruno Fernandes play against Spurs?

The £240k-per-week star is obviously a vital part of the United team having played 49 games in all competitions this term, scoring 10 goals and providing 13 assists.

In the Premier League and the Europa League, in fact, the only time he's missed a game this season is due to suspension – showing just how impressive his fitness record is.

With that being the case, Fernandes will no doubt be desperate to push himself to get back into the starting team against Spurs.

However, as Jones points out, should he come back too soon having not properly recovered, any further aggravation could force him to spend a longer spell on the sidelines.

And with a spot in the top four still on the line, as well as that FA Cup final to come, it may be best if the Red Devils err on a side of caution for now.