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Tottenham are being threatened with legal action by Nottingham Forest for their conduct over a potential deal for playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White, and while Spurs are still hopeful they can strike a deal, it is wise for chairman Daniel Levy to weigh up alternatives.

Tottenham hold talks with £166k-a-week star as Yves Bissouma told to leave

The Mali international is facing his final summer in north London.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 18, 2025

Fabrizio Romano and other reliable media sources claim that Gibbs-White to Spurs is still on, and the north Londoners are optimistic of concluding a deal for the England international soon amid a “tense” situation.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Gibbs-White was on the verge of joining Spurs midway through July, with a medical scheduled around nine days ago and Levy poised to trigger his £60 million release clause.

However, Forest then blocked his move to N17, citing what they deem to be an ‘unlawful’ approach for Gibbs-White with confidentiality around his clause allegedly breached and the Lilywhites accused of tapping up the player.

“Spurs have received communication asking them to cease contact with Gibbs-White,” said journalist Ben Jacobs.

“Forest declined to comment, but sources say the club believe Spurs tapped up Gibbs-White and could challenge the manner in which the £60m clause was learned of. The Premier League will now investigate leading to the deal being delayed.”

While there is still an expectation that Forest will eventually be powerless to stop Gibbs-White’s move to Tottenham from going through, the length of this delay is still unknown, and Levy won’t want to spend too much time on this as pre-season gets underway.

Thomas Frank has already led Tottenham out for a friendly against Reading, and they’ll take on Luton Town next Saturday before a tour of Asia. Frank will ideally want as many summer deals as possible completed ahead of their UEFA Super Cup clash against PSG, and certainly before Spurs’ first Premier League game of the season at home to Burnley.

Xavi Simons begins talks over joining Tottenham via representatives

According to CaughtOffside, Spurs could now have an alternative to Gibbs-White in the form of RB Leipzig sensation Xavi Simons.

The Dutchman spent a year and a half on loan at Leipzig before signing for them permanently in January, but widespread reports indicate he’s now prepared to leave the Bundesliga side this summer – potentially for England.

It would take a minimum £56 million, plus add-ons, to prise Simons away from the Red Bull Arena before deadline day, with Arsenal and Chelsea both keen on the 22-year-old (Ben Jacobs).

However, they’re not the only London clubs who are contending for his services.

According to CaughtOffside, quoting one of their sources, Simons has “begun talks” over a potential move to Tottenham via his representatives, alongside Arsenal and Chelsea.

There is also a word of caution, though, with insiders expressing concerns over the attacking midfielder’s attitude and professionalism behind-the-scenes. Since initially joining Leipzig on a temporary deal, Simons has managed a total of 21 goals and 23 assists in 76 outings, so there is little denying his quality, but Frank and Levy may have to tread carefully here.

Gibbs-White also boasts proven Premier League experience in comparison to Simons, even if the saga surrounding his future shows no sign of ending soon as things stand.

Seamer claims four wickets alongside Douthwaite, as Ingram and Carlson build stand

ECB Reporters Network29-Aug-2024

Timm van der Gugten was the pick of the Glamorgan bowling, grabbing the first four Leicestershire wickets to fall, while Dan Douthwaite also chipped in with four wickets to justify the decision to bowl first.Leicestershire fast bowler Chris Wright made his first-class return from a drugs ban to help his side to a batting bonus point, his side recovering to 251 all out on a hybrid pitch in Cardiff.Wright, who was banned for nine months but found not to be at fault after a banned substance was contained in a fruit supplement, combined with debutant Sam Wood and Tom Scriven as the last two wickets added 75 runs.Glamorgan lost both openers early in reply, but moved onto 114 for 2 at the close with Colin Ingram, 63 not out, and Kiran Carlson, 42 not out, putting on an unbroken partnership of 87 to put their side in the driving seat.After winning the toss and inserting Leicestershire in overcast and drizzly conditions, Glamorgan would have been hoping for an early breakthrough, which was delivered from a familiar source.Van der Gugten has been the spearhead of the Glamorgan attack this season and he delivered once again, taking all three wickets to fall before the lunch break with arrow-like accuracy.He bowled opener Rishi Patel for 7 with a delivery which clipped the top of off stump, then fellow opener Ian Holland played on with one which jagged back slightly when on 13.The Dutchman returned to have a spell just before lunch and added a third, this time LBW as captain Lewis Hill did not get far enough forward to depart for 25.Ned Leonard, on loan from Somerset, should have had a wicket when Indian star Ajinkya Rahane top-edged a pull shot, but deep midwicket Douthwaite was slow coming forward and ended up spilling the low chance.It was the ever-reliable van der Gugten who brought the downfall of Rahane, finding the outside edge after lunch and helped by a sharp catch at second slip by captain Sam Northeast.After looking good, England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed gave things away when he lifted a short ball from Douthwaite straight to Billy Root on the deep square leg boundary.Then out of the blue Australian Peter Handscomb went for 46, trying to dab Douthwaite down to third man but instead just feathering a catch to wicketkeeper Chris Cooke.Then New Zealander Fraser Sheat got into the act with his first wicket in county cricket, a rather tame dismissal of Liam Trevaskis who chipped the ball to mid-on.The tame-ness was copied by Louis Kimber who also chipped the ball in the air, aiming a leg side half volley at catcher Asa Tribe off the bowling of Douthwaite.That brought Sam Wood to make his debut in confident style as he and Scriven put on a half-century partnership, Wright and Wood doing the rest to reach the first batting bonus point.Glamorgan’s innings could not have got off to a worse start, captain Sam Northeast promoting himself to open and then departing first ball of the innings, caught behind by Handscomb from the bowling of Holland.The same bowler accounted for debutant Asa Tribe, who played on for 4. Ingram and Carlson saw out the rest of the day’s play to put Glamorgan in a strong position.

South East Stars restricted their opponents to 84, knocking off their target with 29 balls to spare

ECB Reporters Network16-Jun-2024

South East Stars will fancy themselves to lift the Charlotte Edwards Cup for a second time after an emphatic five-wicket victory over erstwhile favourites The Blaze at Derby.Bryony Smith’s 2021 champions shot out the East Midlands team – runners-up last year – for just 84, a first defeat in 16 points-table matches in the competition for Kirstie Gordon’s team since they changed their name from Lightning to The Blaze two years ago.The two could meet again in next Saturday’s Final on the same ground, both having already qualified for the semi-finals, to be played on the same day.On a used pitch, left-arm seamer Alexa Stonehouse took 3 for 13, with Ryana MacDonald-Gay and spinners Dani Gregory and Tilly Corteen-Coleman claiming two wickets each, England’s Sarah Glenn top-scoring for The Blaze with 21 from 24 balls.Leg-spinner Glenn took 3 for 14 with the ball but with Emma Jones striking an unbeaten 30 from just 25 balls, the Stars were home and dry with 29 balls to spare.After skipper Gordon had opted to bat first, The Blaze innings could hardly have started less auspiciously, with three wickets lost in the first two overs and a fourth in the fifth.Corteen-Coleman, the Stars’ 16-year-old left-arm spinner, had England opener Tammy Beaumont leg before with her fourth ball, before Stonehouse hit Marie Kelly in front and had Sarah Bryce caught behind in a double-wicket maiden.Three for three became 12 for four in the fifth over as Australian international Heather Graham was bowled off an inside edge.Kathryn Bryce missed a straight one from Jones and Ella Claridge hit a Gregory full toss straight to deep midwicket, leaving The Blaze 40 for 6 just past the halfway stage, after which a mini-recovery ended with leg-spinner Gregory catching a skied leading edge to dismiss Josie Groves off her own bowling to make it 66 for 7.Glenn, playing on her home ground, stuck around long enough to drag the total into the 80s before she was bowled by Corteen-Coleman, having lost two more partners in Gordon and Lucy Higham, who both holed out to mid-on.The Blaze have a good record defending small totals, but even with leading run-getters Paige Scholfield and Sophia Dunkley missing, it never seemed likely that the Stars would miss out.They lost Smith caught at mid-on as left-armer Grace Ballinger opened with a wicket-maiden and were two down in the powerplay after Phoebe Franklin cut Glenn straight to backward point, with Aylish Cranstone caught at mid-off in the 10th.Yet they were always comfortably up with the required rate and after Jones hit Kathryn Bryce for three boundaries in the 14th over, just nine were needed in 36 balls.Glenn picked up her second wicket with a fine return catch to deny Georgia Redmayne (23) the chance to be there at the finish and a third when Alice Davidson-Richards drove to mid-off for a two-ball duck, but Jones hammered the ball back over bowler Gordon’s head to win the match with a six in the next over.

Chelsea have now hatched a plan to win the race for a “powerful” Paris Saint-Germain player, amid rival interest from fellow Premier League clubs, according to a report.

Blues stockpiling talented youngsters

Under BlueCo ownership, Chelsea have implemented a model of buying talented youngsters before shipping them out on loan to sister club Strasbourg or elsewhere, and it looks as though they are set to adopt a similar strategy in the summer transfer window.

The Blues have already sealed deals for Sporting CP duo Dario Essugo and Geovany Quenda, with the latter recently helping the Portuguese side clinch the Liga Portugal title on a dramatic final day.

Essugo, on the other hand, has spent the current campaign on loan at Las Palmas, whose relegation from La Liga has now been confirmed, but Chelsea will be happy their new signing has gained some experience in a major league, having made 25 league appearances this term.

Quenda is set to spend the 2025/26 season on loan at Sporting, while a number of other youngsters could follow a similar route to the likes of Djordje Petrovic, Andrey Santos and Diego Moreira by joining fellow BlueCo-owned club Strasbourg to develop their game.

According to a report from Sports Zone (via Sport Witness), that is exactly the future plan for Paris Saint-Germain defender Axel Tape, should Chelsea be able to lure the 17-year-old to Stamford Bridge in the summer transfer window.

The west Londoners are said to value Tape highly, and they have now hatched a plan to beat their Premier League rivals to his signature, with two other unnamed English clubs in the race for the youngster, who is set to be available on a free transfer upon the expiration of his contract.

Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen are in pole position for the defender as things stand, however, with the teenager planning to leave PSG this summer, despite the French club’s eagerness to keep hold of him.

£172k-per-week star keen to join Chelsea regardless of Champions League race

He’d want the move to Stamford Bridge no strings attached.

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By
Emilio Galantini

May 17, 2025

"Powerful" Tape could be exciting long-term signing

Given his age, the Frenchman is yet to make a real name for himself at first-team level, featuring just twice in Ligue 1 during the 2024-25 campaign, but there are indications that he could go on to achieve big things.

Football scout Ben Mattinson singled out the starlet for praise on X back in April, saying: “When at CB, he’ll make powerful marauding runs through the middle third to break through the press.”

Mattinson also goes on to describe the PSG ace as “physically strong in duels” and a “progressive passer through the lines”, so there are clear signs that he could be a well-rounded modern-day centre-back.

As such, Tape could be an exciting long-term addition to the squad, but Chelsea should also look to bring in a centre-back capable of immediately slotting into the starting XI this summer, with Axel Disasi in talks to join Aston Villa.

There is just a month left of the season, and as such, transfer rumours have started swirling around clubs in the Premier League, although for Tottenham Hotspur, those rumours concern the manager’s position.

Ange Postecoglou might be two games away from a Europa League final, but as things stand, he’s overseen 18 league defeats and has a real chance of leading the North Londoners to a 17th-place finish.

So it’s not surprising that the last week or so has seen a number of top coaches in England and abroad linked with taking over his job in the summer.

One of the most prominent candidates at the moment seems to be Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, although based on recent reports, the club might have just identified an even better option.

Tottenham's manager search

Before we get to the manager in question, it is worth looking at some of the other potential candidates who have been linked with the jobs over the last week or so, such as Marco Silva.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

The Fulham boss has done an incredible job in West London since being appointed in 2021, leading the Cottagers to promotion and turning them into a solid mid-table side who have beaten Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United this season.

Another impressive coach linked with the job in recent days has been Brentford’s Thomas Frank.

According to the Telegraph’s Matt Law, Lilywhites technical director Johan Lange is a big fan of the 51-year-old, and it’s not hard to see why, as, like Silva, he’s led his side up to the top-flight and turned them into a solid team that can give anyone a game, despite losing star striker Ivan Toney in the summer.

However, another name has also popped up as a potential replacement for Postecoglou, a manager who could also be a better option than Iraola: Roberto De Zerbi.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss is a ‘name that some at Tottenham appreciate.’

Known for being something of a passionate character, it could be the perfect match to get Spurs firing again in the summer and a better hire than the Bournemouth man.

How De Zerbi compares to Iraola

So, if Spurs are looking at De Zerbi and Iraola as potential replacements for Postecoglou, how do they compare to one another?

Well, from a basic stylistic point, both managers prefer to use a 4-2-3-1 formation when possible, which may be ideal for the North Londoners, as that could see the backline receive more protection and allow James Maddison or Dejan Kulusevski to flourish as the most attacking midfielder with pacey widemen on either side and Dominic Solanke leading the line.

Moreover, while the Italian likes to play a high line, he prefers to play two holding midfielders, per the football analyst, which could help stop said line from being exploited as often as it has under Ange.

With that said, how do the manager’s recent records look when compared?

Well, during his time with Brighton, the “genius” tactician, as dubbed by analyst Statman Dave, won 38 games, drew 20 and lost 31, which resulted in him averaging 1.51 points per game, whereas the Cherries boss has won 33 games, drawn 19 and lost 30 on the south coast, resulting in an average of 1.44 points per game.

However, something to consider is that on top of securing the Seagulls European football in the 22/23 season, the Brescia-born boss is now managing one of the two biggest clubs in France, Olympique de Marseille.

He’s averaging 1.81 points per game on the French Riviera, so, unlike the former Rayo Vallecano man, he knows what it is like to take charge of a massive institution and all the intense pressure and scrutiny that comes with it.

Ultimately, De Zerbi and Iraola would almost certainly improve the football and results at Spurs next season, but the former has the experience of leading a ‘big club’, which might just make him the better candidate for the North Londoners.

Their answer to Yamal: Spurs are brewing "one of England’s best talents"

The incredible youngster looks destined for greatness with Spurs.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 24, 2025

Leeds United seemingly never do things the easy, well-planned out way, with another promotion collapse spectacularly playing out in front of their very eyes.

The Whites are now disastrously out of the automatic promotion spots in the Championship due to yet another late season drop in form, with Daniel Farke’s men only picking up one victory from their last six second-tier outings.

Not all hope will be lost that the West Yorkshire outfit can still get over the line and triumphantly go up automatically, however, with Sheffield United also showing chinks in their armour in second place, having succumbed to a surprise 1-0 loss to Oxford United recently.

Therefore, everything will remain crossed that Farke’s men do return back to the promised land of the Premier League, and if they were to get there, a small clear-out would likely need to take place at Elland Road to prepare for the unforgiving step-up in quality.

Illan Meslier could be out of the side for good in the daunting top-flight, with a whole host of other players – who have a combined wage cost of £150k-per-week including Meslier – needing to be ditched if Leeds want to solidify themselves as a Premier League capable outfit.

1 Illan Meslier

The easiest place to start when it comes to those who could be ditched in the near future is the scapegoated Meslier, with the French goalkeeper already finding himself out of Farke’s starting lineups.

Indeed, the ex-Lorient ‘keeper was dropped for Leeds’ most recent league clash away at Luton Town and for many a valid reason, considering the 6 foot 5 shot-stopper has tallied up three errors this campaign that have resulted in opposition goals.

He has picked up an impressive 72 clean sheets for Leeds away from this growing back catalogue of errors, but Meslier’s future at the promotion chasers looks to be on extremely thin ice, especially with fresh reports that new ‘keepers are being targeted ahead of the Whites’ potential return to the top division.

2 Patrick Bamford

Alongside the £30k-per-week stopper, Patrick Bamford might well find he’s ditched permanently ahead of Leeds voyaging back up to the Premier League.

The £70k-per-week centre-forward wouldn’t be able to grumble for too long if he was let go of for good, considering the veteran attacker has made himself available for just one appearance this year so far for Farke’s men.

Games played

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Wage per week

£70k-per-week

Wage costs over a season

£3.6m

The numbers above do make for some worrying reading – with the highest earner in the Whites camp goalless throughout 2024/25 to date – meaning the plug must be pulled soon.

3 Maximilian Wober

Much like Bamford, Maximilian Wober will surely want his up-and-down spell at Elland Road to end very soon.

The £35k-per-week centre-back has been sparingly utilised this campaign, much like the goal-shy centre-forward, having made just seven league appearances, with the likes of Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk way ahead of the Austrian as defensive stalwarts.

Wober’s miserable Premier League past with the Whites also works against him wanting to prolong his stay in West Yorkshire, with the 27-year-old already notching up a relegation on his Leeds CV when he collected a pitiful two clean sheets during the 2022-23 season.

4 Ilia Gruev

Lastly, Ilia Gruev could be swapped out for some new midfield talent if promotion is reached.

After all, the Whites already boast the likes of Ao Tanaka and Ethan Ampadu in the holding midfield positions away from the conversative number 44, alongside the fact Kalvin Phillips might well be up for a dramatic Elland Road reunion if his ex-employers jump up a league.

Much like Meslier before him, Farke has also been dropping Gruev here and there in recent games, with the German perhaps wanting better reinforcements over the Bulgarian down the line.

Leeds want "brilliant" £60k-p/w star who has same agent as Rodon and Bogle

Leeds are eyeing statement signings should they claim promotion.

BySean Markus Clifford Apr 6, 2025

As England begin search for new white-ball coach, they should examine what support captain needs

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Jul-2024″That didn’t interest me because the team is flying,” Brendon McCullum told New Zealand’s SENZ radio back in May 2022 after being appointed as England Men’s Test coach. “I wasn’t interested in a cushy kind of gig.”The “gig” in question was the England white-ball job, one McCullum was touted for but neither applied for nor was offered. It was instead given to Matthew Mott. And as Mott leaves his post on Tuesday, two years into a four-year contract, he will be the first to tell you it has been anything but “cushy”.When Mott took the reins, England were indeed flying – to a point – in limited-overs cricket. They held the ODI World Cup and finished the 2021 T20 edition as disappointed semi-finalists. Mott would add the 2022 men’s T20 World Cup to a crowded mantlepiece after a hugely successful time leading Australia Women. But the sands were shifting as Test cricket became England’s outright priority after years of underperformance in whites.That manifested itself in different ways. Mott rarely had access to his full squad, meaning continuity and defining roles were left to the eve of major tournaments at a time when personnel shifts should have been constant given the age profiles and trajectories of established and establishing talent. A dire defence of the ODI title last winter showed that did not happen fast enough.Related

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Morgan denies England white-ball coach link with Mott under pressure

On three occasions – his first engagement in the Netherlands, a ludicrous series against Australia a week after the 2022 T20 World Cup and an inconvenient three matches against Ireland at the end of the 2023 summer – he was essentially working with a second/third-string hybrid squad. Even when he did have a full deck, external awkwardness brought its own challenges.The contract stand-off at the end of last summer, as the ECB introducing new multi-year deals spilt over into the start of the 50-over World Cup, created an awkward mood in the England camp. While the conversations with players began during the summer, by the time the contracts were officially announced at the end of October, the defending champions had lost three of their first four group matches. David Willey, one of the few players to perform in the first four weeks of that tournament, was the only member of the squad without one of the 26 deals. Announcing his retirement while voicing his displeasure at the decision was indicative of a sour atmosphere.Managing director Rob Key is right to state the team “needs a new direction”. But Mott certainly did not have full control of the wheel or the pedals. The key event of his tenure, one which will also influence the question of who takes charge after Marcus Trescothick sees out the summer as interim, was set in motion on June 20, 2022.That Monday morning, Eoin Morgan woke up in the WestCord Fashion Hotel, Amsterdam, and decided to retire, 33 days after Mott had singled out his “astute leadership” as a key reason for becoming white-ball coach. Mott was intended as a facilitator as Morgan continued to drive the agenda. With Jos Buttler taking over, the job spec had changed dramatically.Individually, Mott and Buttler worked well. Mott maintained calm within the dressing room, most notably during the recent T20 World Cup when rain and a defeat to Australia put England on the brink of another failure. Buttler has long emboldened those around him, both as a conscientious person and one of the best limited-overs batters on the planet. But as a combination, blindspots emerged.1:57

Roller: Buttler captaincy a bigger issue than the coach

By and large, Buttler’s instincts are sound, but they could be stronger. At times, he was too rigid in the field, sticking too long to plans even as they started to unravel. His decision to field first against South Africa in the sweltering Mumbai heat at the 2023 World Cup was followed at the T20 World Cup by bowling Will Jacks to Australia’s left-handed top order, with a short leg-side hit made to seem even shorter by the wind blowing across the Kensington Oval.Unlike Morgan, Buttler wears disappointment visibly. A byproduct of always being locked into the game as wicketkeeper? Buttler continues to insist the all-compassing nature of his work behind the stumps does not affect his captaincy. But at times, he could have done with a stronger, disagreeing voice in his ear. Mott was never that.Ultimately, Mott makes way because it is easier to replace a coach than a captain, particularly with a leadership void in the white ball set-up. Key’s priority is finding a seasoned coach with strong franchise and international groundings, with no desire to restrict the search to identifying an English candidate. But working with Buttler means there are parameters to instill. Whoever comes in needs to be a counterpoint to a captain who, at 33, is entering his endgame.England will not opt for a contrarian – Key dislikes the idea of “good cop, bad cop” pairings believing it only promotes disagreements, which is hardly conducive to a healthy dressing room – but they do need a firm hand.Of the names linked so far, Kumar Sangakkara could offer that given his pre-existing relationship with Buttler as Rajasthan Royals head coach, and wealth of experience as Sri Lanka captain. Ricky Ponting, let go last week by Delhi Capitals, also fits that bill. Andy Flower has gone on to be regarded as one of the best short-form minds on the circuit without totally losing the strict demeanour that oversaw the kind of success with the England Test team that McCullum is desperate to replicate.England ran out of road at the T20 World Cup against India in Guyana•CREIMASMahela Jayawardene is arguably the most standout candidate, encompassing every facet of playing experience and franchise success. But he would take some turning to depart Mumbai Indians, where he is head of global cricket with further expansion of the Ambani family’s reach – notably into the Hundred – on the horizon.Though lacking coaching experience, Mike Hussey impressed while on deck with England for the 2022 World Cup win, unafraid to challenge batters while also offering reassurance by way of insight. If a lack of international playing experience is no barrier, Mike Hesson is another name to consider – one who does not seek the limelight but has no problem pulling up those in it.Undoutedly a few will have spotted the scrutiny Mott faced and wonder if it’s worth the hassle. It would take a lot for them to turn their back on whatever plum gigs they have, particularly as franchise owners seek greater loyalty from their employees.The ECB is willing to exercise a degree of flexibility, appreciating the very best coaches are ones in demand in world cricket’s ever-changing landscape. Mott was understood to be on around £200,000 a year – a figure not set in stone and likely to be greater for a higher profile applicant – and there will be chunks in the calendar available for other opportunities.The risk here is if a coach does not give as much of themselves to it, that ‘England white-ball coach’ just becomes another job on their docket. It could also lend itself to conflicts of interest, though that is not restricted to this particular avenue, or cricket as a whole. Morgan, who dismissed talk of replacing Mott last week but is still thought of as a great option, is close to Buttler. Andrew Flintoff, popular with this group of players and currently in his first head coach role with Northern Superchargers, is a long-time friend of Key, but is unlikely to be considered this time around.There is much to consider, though time for consideration. The new coach will ideally begin from the end of the summer onwards, with a white-ball series in the Caribbean followed by the 2025 Champions Trophy in February. It is an ideal opportunity to start again, albeit with the same captain and similar challenges in the immediacy given that West Indies series is sandwiched by Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand.If the “gig” seemed “cushy” back in 2022, it certainly is not in 2024. Nor is the job of identifying and convincing Mott’s replacement.

And how often have both captains produced double-centuries in a first-class cricket match?

Steven Lynch14-Feb-2023Both captains scored double-centuries in a recent Ranji Trophy match. How often has this happened in first-class cricket? asked K Lokaraj from India
The match you’re talking about was last week’s Ranji semi-final in Bengaluru, when Mayank Agarwal scored 249 for Karnataka, and his opposite number Arpit Vasavada responded with 202 for Saurashtra, who eventually won by four wickets.There have been only five previous instances of both captains scoring double-centuries in the same first-class match. The first was by Clyde Walcott (209 for Barbados) and Jeff Stollmeyer (208 for Trinidad) in Bridgetown in 1950-51. It didn’t happen again for more than half a century, until 2001-02, when Carl Hooper made 222 for Guyana and Stuart Williams 252 not out for Leeward Islands in a West Indian domestic semi-final in Albion (Guyana).The next instance – the only one in Tests – came in Karachi in 2008-09, when Mahela Jayawardene scored 240 for Sri Lanka and Younis Khan 313 for Pakistan. In a Ranji Trophy match in Delhi in 2016-17, Deepak Hooda hit 293 not out for Baroda and Yuvraj Singh 260 for Punjab. And in a County Championship game at The Oval in 2021, Chris Cooke made 205 not out for Glamorgan, and Ollie Pope 274 for Surrey, an innings which raised his first-class average on the ground at the time to a Bradmanesque 99.94.Is it true that Glenn McGrath took a wicket with his last ball in all three international formats? Has anyone else done this? asked Martin Harrison from Australia
Actually the great Australian seamer Glenn McGrath did not quite complete this impressive treble. He did dismiss England’s Paul Collingwood with his last ball in a T20I (in Southampton in 2005) and Jimmy Anderson with his final delivery in Tests, in Sydney in 2006-07. But in his last one-day international – the 2007 World Cup final in Bridgetown – the wicket of Russel Arnold came from his penultimate delivery. McGrath bowed out with a ball that Chaminda Vaas pushed away for a single.The data is not quite complete, but it looks as if only two other bowlers have taken wickets with the last balls they bowled in two of the three international formats: the Bermudian seamer Stefan Kelly, and Scotland’s slow left-armer Mark Watt. Both of them appeared only in ODIs and T20Is; Watt will probably play again soon.With Tagenarine Chanderpaul passing 200 the other day, are there any other father-and-son pairs who have scored double-centuries in Tests? asked Leon Ben-Lambrecht from South Africa
The new West Indian opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul scored 207 not out, in only his third Test, against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo last week. His father, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, made 203 not out against South Africa in Georgetown in 2005, and repeated that score against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2012-13.The only other father and son to score Test double-centuries are a proud Pakistan pair. Hanif Mohammad made 337 against West Indies in Bridgetown in 1957-58, and also scored 203 not out against New Zealand in Lahore in 1964-65. His son Shoaib Mohammad emulated Chanderpaul senior in twice making 203 not out: against India in Lahore in 1989-90, and New Zealand in Karachi in 1990-91. There are ten further father-and-son combinations who have all scored Test centuries, including the Indian Amarnaths and the Australian Marshes, where two sons followed their father into three figures.Hanif (left-most) and Shoaib Mohammad (right-most) are the only other father-son pair besides Shivnarine and Tagenarine Chanderpaul to both have scored double-centuries in Tests•Shoaib MohammadKuldeep Yadav has a ridiculously low ratio of white-ball internationals where he has gone wicketless. Does anyone have a better record? asked Choyon Sen from India
India’s left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav has so far bowled in 103 innings in ODIs and T20Is, and taken wickets in 82 of them – that’s 79.61%. Counting only bowlers who have also bowled in 100 or more innings in white-ball internationals, he comes in eighth overall: on top is Rashid Khan, who has struck in 132 of the 155 innings in which he has bowled (85.16%). Also ahead of Kuldeep are Brett Lee of Australia (82.64% from 242 innings), the South African pace pair of Dale Steyn (81.29% from 171) and Allan Donald (80.25 from 162), New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond (80% from 100), Sri Lanka’s Muthiah Muralidaran (79.89% from 353) and Kuldeep’s current team-mate Mohammed Shami (79.82% from 109).If you reduce the qualification to those who have bowled in at least 50 innings, there’s a new leader: the Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane has struck in 65 of 73 innings, or 89.04%. Kuldeep Yadav is 15th by that reckoning.My friends and I have been trying to think of allrounders who have the best positive difference between their first-class batting and bowling averages. After the first Test against Australia, Ravi Jadeja reached +22.50, surpassing Jacques Kallis at +22.42. Who are the top performers in such a list? asked David Moore from England
You’re right that Ravindra Jadeja has just inched past Jacques Kallis on this particular list. They are actually 11th and 12th overall, given a minimum of 100 first-class matches and a reasonable number of wickets. On top is another Indian, possibly an unexpected name: the former Test captain Vijay Hazare averaged 58.38 with the bat in first-class cricket, and 24.61 with the ball (595 wickets), a difference of 33.77. Next come Garry Sobers (27.12), Warwick Armstrong (27.11) and Keith Miller (26.60).Sobers leads the way in Tests with 23.75 (57.79 vs 34.04), a little ahead of Kallis (22.71). Jadeja (12.70) is currently fifth, behind Imran Khan (14.88) and Miller (13.99). There are 74 players who have completed the Test double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets: bottom by this measure is Bangladesh’s Mohammad Rafique, with minus 22.19 (18.57 with bat, 40.76 with ball).Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Openers shed their conservative approach by going hell for leather in the powerplay

Deivarayan Muthu05-Oct-2020The Chennai Super Kings kept piling up pressure on their rusty middle order through dozy starts in the powerplay. Another start of this kind on Sunday may have pushed them closer to panic stations. However, finally, their openers shed their conservative approach that helped the Super Kings mow down 179 with plenty to spare, allowing them to break a three-match losing streak.Shane Watson had managed only 52 off 48 balls across his first four innings in IPL 2020. The chorus for Imran Tahir’s inclusion kept getting louder. After all, he was the highest wicket-taker last season. The Super Kings wanted to accommodate both Sam Curran and a fit-again Dwayne Bravo in their XI along with Faf du Plessis. All along, however, they backed Watson. Stephen Fleming, their head coach, kept saying Watson was hitting the ball well in the nets, even though he couldn’t quite replicate the same in a game scenario.Consistency in selection has been their hallmark. Bloodied knee and all, Watson had nearly carried them to back-to-back IPL titles. The Super Kings had backed him in 2019, and they continue to do so. And Watson just showed why in Dubai.After defending a brace of inswingers from Sheldon Cottrell, he planted his front leg and went downtown for boundaries. This was, as per him, a result of a technical adjustment, of getting his head over his front leg for better transfer of weight into his shots. The tweak was on bright display as he resolutely defended those inswingers and then punished those full deliveries from Cottrell.At the other end, Du Plessis’ aggressive intent was on bright display too. He shuffled around the crease and threw Chris Jordan off his lines and lengths. While he didn’t quite middle the balls, the reward for his intent was four fours in five balls.The first four was a funky scoop off a slower delivery over the keeper’s head. The next ball was slower and wider, but du Plessis reached out, had a crack at it, and carved it over the covers for a double. Jordan then hit a heavy length, but Du Plessis swiped this between midwicket and mid-on for another four. He threw his bat outside off next ball and sliced it off the outside half between backward point and short third man. Jordan turned to the slower ball once again, but Du Plessis unleashed a devil-may-care swat that even put Watson in the firing line.After their safety-first template had failed them, the Super Kings’ openers traded it for an attack-first one and rushed to 60 for 0 in the powerplay. Earlier in the evening, when some of Super Kings’ fielders were lax on the field, the usually unflappable Fleming was visibly upset. When du Plessis – arguably Super Kings’ best fielder alongside Ravindra Jadeja – couldn’t get to skied hit sprinting in from long-off in the eighth over, Fleming was very animated. But the refreshing approach of Du Plessis and Watson in the powerplay, however, put a smile on Fleming’s face.”We don’t want to shrink back in T20 or search too much,” Fleming told host broadcaster Star Sports during the Super Kings innings. “You actually want to get even more confident and positive. And I think you can create luck by doing that and a few things went our way today – balls were flying over the top of fielders whereas [the] last couple of games it may have gone off to hand. “Sometimes, a positive attitude can be the key to that. All we are trying to do is to give a little more surety around their positions and then ask them to be confident and play naturally.”Even after the field restrictions were relaxed, Watson and Du Plessis kept going after the Kings XI attack and kept pinging the fences. In all, there were only three boundary-less overs in the chase before the Super Kings openers sealed it in the 18th over. It made sense, given the Super Kings bat so deep that they have Piyush Chawla, Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur at Nos. 9, 10, and 11. All three players had made match-winning contributions with the bat in the IPL in the past. The return of Bravo from a knee injury has also spruced up their batting.Fleming hailed the Super Kings’ furious pursuit of what initially looked like a challenging target. He also conceded that the Super Kings are “nowhere near where they want to be” in IPL 2020, but said the return of Watson to form and Shardul Thakur’s variations at the death buoyed the side.”Again, that’s where confidence comes up,” he said. “If you can get a win, you’re going to have players who have performed and done personally well. And we’d just lacked that. As a team we’ve been toiling away, but we haven’t had any individual star power do anything of note apart from Faf. So, [it] would be nice to get a bit of individual success and team success for that.”Having cracked a winning formula, can the Super Kings now get on a roll like they’ve done several times in the past?

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery made a stark transfer admission about out-of-favour Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott as the January transfer window looms. Elliott was sent out on loan to the Villans in the last window after the Reds bought Florian Wirtz, breaking the British transfer record. His journey, however, has not gone as planned as he has struggled for minutes at Villa Park.

Elliott's struggles at Aston Villa

Villa are facing a crucial call over Elliott's next steps after the Liverpool loanee slipped further down the pecking order in recent weeks. The 22-year-old has made just one Premier League start since arriving in the summer and has been left out of the club's last seven matchday squads in the Premier League. His lack of involvement has heightened speculation that the Reds will recall him in January, especially with a mandatory £35 million ($47m) purchase clause activating if he reaches 10 appearances.

The structure of the loan had originally been viewed as a chance for Elliott to accelerate his development in a high-level environment, but the early months of the season have told a different story. The Villans' form and the emergence of other midfield options have severely limited the opportunities available to him. As a result, both clubs now find themselves needing clarity ahead of a decisive mid-season transfer window.

AdvertisementAFPEmery makes Elliott transfer admission

Just weeks before the January transfer window opens, Emery told reporters: "We are speaking with him and about his situation. He is not here with us. Hopefully we can get the best for him and the best for us. I respect him as a player and as a person. He is training well, but we have one circumstance with him.

"Hopefully, we can get a solution for him to try to play consistently and try to continue in his career with us or not. I have spoken with him two or three times about the situation we have with him. Firstly, my decision and also the situation. He is on loan playing with us, but he is not definitely adding to us with a permanent contract."

Will Elliott return to Liverpool?

With the January transfer window fast approaching, Elliott's future at Villa Park now hinges on what happens over the next several weeks as the club navigate a congested fixture list in December. Increased rotation in domestic and European competitions could offer the midfielder a chance to re-enter Emery's plans and influence the club's decision, although the manager's words suggest his days are numbered.

Should Elliott continue to miss out, Liverpool are expected to explore bringing him back early to avoid stagnation in his development. The Reds remain invested in his long-term trajectory, and the lack of minutes at Villa may prompt a reassessment of the loan strategy altogether. A recall would also reopen the possibility of integrating him into Arne Slot's plans as the Reds continue to toil, or arranging a new temporary move with guaranteed playing time.

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Getty Images SportLiverpool want to solve Salah issue first

Before thinking about bringing back Elliott from his loan spell, Liverpool are currently focused on resolving the Mohamed Salah issue after the Egyptian winger vented his frustrations against the club and the manager in front of the media after being left out of the starting line-up by Slot for the third consecutive Premier League game against Leeds..

Salah has even hinted that he could leave the Merseyside club in the upcoming January transfer window and has already been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League. In fact, the SPL chief executive Omar Mugharbel has confirmed that the Liverpool talisman is a transfer target amid uncertainty over his future at Anfield.

Speaking to reporters, Mugharbel said: "Mohamed Salah is welcome in the Saudi League, but it is the clubs that are responsible for negotiating with players. For sure, Salah is one of them [a target]."

After a morale-boosting win over Inter in the Champions League on Tuesday, Slot's men will be back in action with renewed energy on Saturday as they host Brighton in a key Premier League fixture at Anfield.