Tag Futebol

Miles Hammond, James Bracey score fifties before late scare as result puts Middlesex promotion hopes in peril

ECB Reporters Network12-Sep-2024

Miles Hammond scored 78•Getty Images

Tom Price and Zafar Gohar held their nerve to steer Gloucestershire to a tense victory at Lord’s and deal Middlesex’s Vitality County Championship promotion hopes a severe blow.The visitors appeared to be cruising to their target of 234 after Miles Hammond and James Bracey both struck half-centuries in a fourth-wicket partnership of 113.But a three-wicket burst for off-spinner Joshua De Caires in the space of nine deliveries hauled Middlesex back into contention before the seventh-wicket pair steered Gloucestershire over the line with an unbroken stand of 54.It was Gloucestershire’s second successive red-ball win at Lord’s, lifting them to fifth place in Division Two, while the home side drop to third and trail Yorkshire, in the second promotion spot, by 15 points.Middlesex applied pressure during the early stages as Toby Roland-Jones opened up with a maiden and Ryan Higgins struck with his fourth delivery, searing back down the slope to trap Ben Charlesworth in front for a duck.Opening partner Cameron Bancroft soon followed suit, lbw to a ball that Higgins moved the other way, but Hammond started to score freely against the change bowlers, pulling Tom Helm over the short boundary for six.The left-hander added a valuable 41 in tandem with Ollie Price before Helm made the breakthrough, having the latter caught low at first slip to bring Bracey to the middle on a pair.Bracey banished that prospect by carving Henry Brookes for successive off-side boundaries and added two more off Helm’s next over as Gloucestershire started to settle down again, going to lunch at 101 for 3.There was a scare for Bracey soon after the interval, when he slashed outside off stump at Helm and the ball flew fast and high to Robson at slip but, despite getting both hands to it, the fielder was unable to cling on.It was Hammond who won the race to 50 with his partner, reaching the landmark from 100 balls by drilling Higgins to the cover fence and Bracey was not far behind, using up 20 fewer deliveries in posting his half-century.Having swept Luke Hollman for successive fours to raise the century partnership, Hammond (78) looked on course for a ton of his own until he attempted a repeat of the stroke to De Caires and skied to mid-on.With Graeme van Buuren given out caught behind two balls later and Bracey sweeping into the hands of deep midwicket for 56, Gloucestershire suddenly found themselves six down and under renewed pressure.De Caires (3 for 45) continued to test the batters with flight and turn, but Price eased the tension by on-driving Roland-Jones to the boundary to take Gloucestershire beyond 200 and he and Zafar advanced steadily towards the finish line.Zafar, who had top-scored with 86 in the first innings, applied the finishing touch as he struck a De Caires full toss to the fence to finish unbeaten on 19, with Price alongside him on 34.

Southampton are now in advanced talks to sign an international striker who is represented by the same agency as midfielder Flynn Downes.

Southampton are expected to lose one or two key players over the coming months and therefore will have to enter the market to find replacements as they bid to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking under Will Still.

Done deal: Southampton have "agreed" £6.8m exit of "incredible" attacker

He has played his final game for the club.

ByHenry Jackson Jun 20, 2025

Defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis could be considered their most important player, as he managed to stand out last season in what was a diabolical campaign for the club. His performances for the Saints earned him a call-up to the England national team, and that has now earned him the attention of Portuguese giants FC Porto.

According to Sky Sports’ Lyall Thomas, Southampton have turned down a bid worth £19 million for Harwood-Bellis from Porto. Despite being under contract until 2028, the Saints are open to selling the defender in this transfer window, but they believe he is worth much more.

Southampton paid £15 million to sign the player from Manchester City last summer, so the likelihood is they’re going to want closer to double that price.

Southampton in advanced talks to sign £7m striker

But while Harwood-Bellis may eventually be on his way out of St Mary’s Stadium, Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg reports some good news – Southampton are closing in on the signing of Damion Downs from FC Köln.

The 20-year-old is considered to be a top target for Saints this summer, and they have submitted a bid worth €8 million, which is roughly £6.85 million, to the German side. Downs is currently away with the USA for the Gold Cup, so a deal for the forward is likely to be completed once that competition is finished.

Downs, who has earned two caps for the USA national team, has been at FC Köln since 2020, when he joined their under-17 team. The young forward worked his way through the age groups and was finally promoted to the first team during the 2023/24 season, where he played 10 Bundesliga games. Downs became even more of a regular last season, as he played 29 games, this time in Bundesliga 2, and scored an impressive ten goals in the process.

Apps

42

Goals

13

Assists

6

Downs has just one year remaining on his contract, and Saints will be hoping that can work to their advantage, as the German side are likely to want to sell the player before he leaves the club for nothing in 12 months.

They may hold another advantage in the race to sign Downs too, as the striker is represented by agency Wasserman, who also represent current Southampton midfielder Downes, perhaps smoothing negotiations when it comes to agreeing personal terms.

Burnley have “entered the fray” in the race to sign a young midfielder in the summer transfer window, according to a new update regarding the Clarets’ upcoming business.

Burnley preparing for Premier League return

After the joy of sealing promotion from the Championship back to the Premier League this season, Scott Parker will know the importance of the club bringing in top-quality players ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

In fact, the Burnley manager has gone into some depth as to how he hopes the summer window will pan out, with the club needing to be shrewd in the market:

“We’d like to be, of course. We’ll be searching, we’ll be in the market. At the same time, we’ve got an incredible squad here that has absolutely given me and this football club absolutely everything. We’ll try and be clever, we’ll try and improve where we can improve, but again, we probably won’t really have a clear idea until we actually know what the market is and where the market is for everything.”

The fact that all three promoted sides have gone straight back down to the Championship in the past two Premier League seasons highlights the gulf that now exists between the top flight and the second tier, again highlighting the need for reinforcements at Burnley.

Burnley enter race to sign 18 y/o winger

According to Africa Foot [via Sport Witness], Burnley have “entered the fray” to sign TP Mazembe winger Faveurdi Bongeli this summer.

The 18-year-old is a wanted man currently, with Crystal Palace among those named as possible suitors, and the report states that talks have intensified, albeit not stating which exact clubs are in discussions with him.

Bongeli isn’t yet a household name, considering he is such a young player and isn’t plying his trade in one of Europe’s top leagues, but that’s not to say he won’t be a strong addition for Burnley.

At just 18 years of age, the winger has already won three caps for DR Congo’s Under-20s, ahead of what could be a good international career at senior level, and he has made four appearances for the first team at his current club.

Burnley need to be focusing on both long-term signings and immediate additions in the summer, with Parker knowing that he needs some individuals who can go straight into his squad as proven Premier League footballers.

That said, it is also vital that the Clarets don’t simply focus on the present and ignore young talent, which is where Bongeli coould come into play.

Parker could sign Burnley's next Barnes in swoop for "unique" PL star

Scott Parker could unearth Burnley’s next Ashley Barnes in a move for this Premier League striker.

ByDan Emery May 24, 2025

The teenage attacker clearly wouldn’t be signed as someone who would be in the starting lineup on the opening day of next season, but he could develop into a top player over time, either enjoying time in Burnley’s youth team to begin with, or potentially even heading straight out on loan for a year.

Leeds United’s frontline has played a huge role in their success throughout the Championship in 2024/25, undoubtedly contributing to their ability to claim the title.

The Whites registered a staggering tally of 95 goals in their 46 league outings – the highest tally in the division, scoring 24 more than the next highest team in Norwich City.

Joel Piroe was the club’s highest goalscorer during the title-winning campaign, with his tally of 19 goals also the most of any player in the second-tier, claiming the Championship’s Golden Boot award.

However, if the club are to survive in the Premier League next time around, they will need added reinforcements to hand boss Daniel Farke with the tools to improve the squad.

With the transfer window just around the corner, work has already been done behind the scenes to ensure a quick start is made this summer, leading to numerous names linked with a switch to Elland Road.

The latest on Leeds’ move to sign Callum Wilson this summer

Over the last couple of days, Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson has been the latest name linked with a move ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

The 33-year-old, who’s out of contract this summer, has spent the last five years at St James’ Park, registering 49 goals and playing a key role in their transformation over recent seasons.

However, they don’t appear to be alone in their chase for the former Bournemouth star, with West Ham United also said to be in the race for his signature.

His goalscoring record in England’s top-flight would undoubtedly be a key point for Farke in their pursuit, but Wilson has endured a torrid run with injuries that has restricted him to just two league starts this campaign.

Such a deal would likely be a risk, with the centre-forward likely to command a hefty wage given his experience, which could result in the Whites targeting other attackers this summer.

The former Leeds star who is now way better than Wilson

Undoubtedly, despite Piroe’s success in the Championship this campaign, Leeds will be targeting a talisman who is capable of stepping up to the plate in the Premier League.

The Dutchman has never featured in England’s top-flight, leading to question marks whether he will be able to cut it and be a success in such a division.

Wilson could be an attractive option given his current contract status, but his injury record should see the hierarchy steer clear of any potential move this summer.

They may have been better off keeping hold of Spanish talent Rafa Muijca, with the 26-year-old taking his career to the next level after departing Elland Road back in 2021.

He spent two years in Yorkshire, linking up with the youth setup after joining from Barcelona B, but was unable to break through the ranks and subsequently joined Las Palmas.

Fast forward to 2025, the striker is currently plying his trade for Qatari outfit Al-Sadd, currently enjoying one of the best goalscoring patches of his career – showcasing what the Whites are missing out on.

Mujica has registered 20 goals in his 27 appearances for his new outfit, offering a clinical edge that could’ve been of use to the Whites had they kept hold of him.

When comparing his stats from the current campaign, he’s massively outperformed transfer target Wilson, highlighting how big of a mistake the hierarchy made in allowing him to depart.

The Spaniard has not only massively outscored the Englishman, but has managed more shots on target per 90 along with a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate – such a record that would’ve bolstered Farke’s attack.

How Rafa Mujica compares to Callum Wilson in 2024/25

Statistics (per 90)

Mujica

Wilson

Games played

18

17

Goals scored

18

0

Shot-on-target accuracy

44%

17%

Shots on target per 90

1.8

0.3

Pass accuracy

79%

75%

Take-on success

41%

14%

Aerials won

31%

11%

Stats via FBref

He’s also managed to complete more of the passes he’s attempted, as well as more aerials won, with his skillset potentially offering an all-around option in the final third had they kept hold of him.

Undoubtedly, it’s frustrating that the club made such a mistake in allowing the talisman to depart, with their loss now appearing to be Al-Sadd’s gain in 2025.

Whilst they won’t be able to get him back this summer, other targets will need to be explored, but given Wilson’s measly record and injury history, the Whites should be steering clear of a move for the Magpies star.

Related He's shades of Kalvin Phillips: Leeds plot move for "phenomenal" PL star

Leeds United are set for a big summer as they return to the Premier League ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Posts ByEthan Lamb May 20, 2025

For the second Premier League season in a row, Arsenal look set to have the best defence in the competition.

However, as they did last year and the year before that, Mikel Arteta’s side have failed to get over the line, with Liverpool being the ones to deny them this time.

The Reds have conceded four goals more than the Gunners but, as things stand, have scored a whopping 17 goals more than them.

Premier League’s top five

#

Team

GF

GA

Pts

1

Liverpool

81

35

82

2

Arsenal

64

31

67

3

Man City

67

43

64

4

Newcastle

66

45

63

5

Chelsea

62

41

63

It’s no secret, then, that the North Londoners desperately need some attacking reinforcements this summer, and it’s not hard to see who they are taking inspiration from, as reports have linked them to a player compared to Mohamed Salah.

Arsenal transfer news

With the gap in attacking output as vast as it is, Arsenal are understandably on the lookout for some serious game-changers, like Florian Wirtz and Viktor Gyokeres.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

The former would reportedly cost the club a whopping £111m, but given his tally of 29 goal involvements this season and the fact he’s only 22 years old, it’d be hard to claim he’s not worth it.

Likewise, while the £70m price tag for Gyokeres is undeniably steep, it’s also undeniably fair enough, as in just 49 appearances this season, he’s scored a staggering 52 goals and provided 12 assists.

However, if the Gunners are after a Salah-esque player, he’s got to be a winger, which would explain the interest in Bryan Mbeumo.

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Arsenal are determined to bring in another winger this summer, and one of Andrea Berta’s most significant targets is the Brentford man.

The Cameroon international has been on the club’s shortlist for months now, and while the Bees are after around £51m, there is hope in North London that they’ll be open to negotiating.

It might end up being a rather costly transfer to get done, but given Mbeumo’s superb output, it would most certainly be worth it, especially as he’s won comparisons to Salah.

Why Mbeumo is like Salah

So, when it comes to winning comparisons to first-class players, there aren’t much more flattering than Salah, so where does Mbeumo’s come from?

Well, in this instance, it was TalkSPORT’s Jason Cundy, who was full of praise for the Brentford star and called him “a mini-Salah” following his brilliant performance and goal in the Bees’ 4-2 win against Newcastle United in December.

Now, it’s important to note the “mini” part of that compliment, as, at the end of the day, nobody is suggesting that the former Troyes star is on the same level as the league-winning Egyptian, but there is no reason he couldn’t fulfil a similar enough role in N5.

After all, despite playing for a team who are generally mid-table at best these days, the often “unplayable” winger, as dubbed by manager Thomas Frank, is nothing short of prolific.

For example, in just 27 appearances last season, the 25-year-old managed to score nine goals and provide seven assists, which came out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.68 games.

Mbeumo’s recent form

Season

23/24

24/25

Appearances

27

39

Minutes

2079′

3307′

Goals

9

18

Assists

7

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.59

0.66

Minutes per Goals Involvement

129.93

127.19

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Then this season, he’s found the back of the net 18 times and provided eight assists in 39 appearances, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.5 games.

Finally, another valuable trait the Avallon-born monster possesses is the ability to play up top and as a second striker as well as off the right, meaning he’d provide Arteta with even more attacking options – something he desperately needs.

Ultimately, Mbeumo is a Premier League-proven goalscorer, and while he might not be as prolific as Salah, he’s still an incredible attacking talent and someone Arsenal should sign.

Related Arsenal line up move for PSG star who'd be a big upgrade on Martinelli

The incredibly entertaining international is just what Arsenal need this summer.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes May 8, 2025

He has paid SRH back more than the INR 20 lakh they got him for, and is more than likely to get a bigger payday come the next IPL auction

Vishal Dikshit15-May-2024Nitish Kumar Reddy wasn’t expecting to be retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) before the last IPL auction. Can’t blame him – he featured in just two games in IPL 2023 in which he didn’t get to bat and leaked 54 runs in five wicketless overs.”Even I thought no one is going to pick me and suddenly SRH retained me,” Reddy says in a chat with ESPNcricinfo on the sidelines of IPL 2024. “I was like, ‘I have to work a little more’.”While some of the top allrounders earned massive deals in the IPL 2023 auction, Reddy, hardly a big force in the IPL circuit, was signed for his base price of INR 20 lakh, picked primarily as a bowler who can bat a bit.Related

• Nitish Reddy flexes his seam-bowling all-round credentials

He displayed his bowling prowess earlier this year for Andhra in a Ranji Trophy game, when his 5 for 64 had Mumbai in trouble at one point. Reddy bowled with a fairly new ball, removed Ajinkya Rahane for a golden duck, swung the ball both ways, and later also dismissed Shreyas Iyer from around the wicket with the old ball.The SRH think-tank would have patted themselves on the back for investing in a teenager who would become Andhra’s top wicket-taker in the last Ranji season with an average of just 18.76. But that’s not all there is to him as we have discovered more recently.Reddy, who calls himself a “genuine allrounder”, got his IPL opportunity of this IPL season when Mayank Agarwal was unwell, against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). In the eight balls he faced in that game, Reddy showed glimpses of his temperament, reverse-sweeping Ravindra Jadeja for four and the completing SRH’s victory with a straight six off Deepak Chahar.A much bigger test, however, awaited Reddy in the next match when the Punjab Kings (PBKS) quicks reduced SRH to 39 for 3 in five overs, the trio of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma and Aiden Markram gone.SRH typically want Henrich Klaasen to walk out in the second half of the innings for the big hits, and for that they needed someone to steer the ship for a few more overs. Reddy moved along to 14 off 17 balls, with Rahul Tripathi falling on the way, to rebuild for his team. It was one of those occasions when SRH’s high-risk-high-reward batting approach at the top didn’t work.

“I don’t really feel satisfied when the team scores 270 and I score 50 or 40 runs of those. But when the team really needs me, like when we are 4 for 10 or something like that, and I can go there and take the team till the end or the last over… I want to showcase that because that’s what my role is”

“We know it’s not going to work every time. It’s not like we will go hard on opponents all the time, but one bad game, one bad ball, such things happen and we have to be prepared for early wickets,” Reddy says. “You can see at first we scored huge runs and after that we collapsed. So I’ve been thinking at the back of my mind for this situation that if the team is going to collapse, I have to be ready for that situation.”Once Reddy had set his eye in, he figured out that the fast bowlers were getting more out of the fresh pitch in Mullanpur, so it was better to go after spin. He soon laid into Harpreet Brar for a 15-run over that turned the tide of the innings. From 66 for 4 after ten, SRH went on to post 182, despite losing Klaasen for just 9, because Reddy slammed 64 off 37 – including 22 more off Brar in the 15th over. Reddy’s maiden T20 fifty had come in the IPL, that too in a rescue act.”I just love playing these kinds of innings,” he says. “I don’t really feel satisfied when the team scores 270 and I score 50 or 40 runs of those. But when the team really needs me, like when we are 4 for 10 or something like that, and I can go there and take the team till the end or the last over… I want to showcase that because that’s what my role is.”A few games later, SRH were under the pump again. They had lost back-to-back games to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and CSK, and then got to 37 for 2 after six overs, their poorest powerplay of IPL 2024, against Rajasthan Royals (RR), who possess one of the best bowling attacks in the competition.With Head for company, Reddy went back to his template of building a base and then identifying a bowler to take on, no matter how high profile. Once he was on a comfortable 22 off 19, he tore into Yuzvendra Chahal to change the momentum of the innings. Two sixes over the bowler’s head and two fours on the off side meant Reddy had smashed the star legspinner for 20 in an over.He finished on 76 not out in 42 balls. Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the Player-of-the-Match award after SRH’s win for his 3 for 41, but Reddy was ESPNcricinfo’s MVP.Nitish Kumar Reddy has held his own in a team of superstars•AFP/Getty ImagesReddy, however, rues the losses to RCB and CSK before that. In both those games, SRH were chasing 200-plus totals and were 56 for 4 and 40 for 3 respectively within the powerplay. The stage was set, but Reddy couldn’t capitalise on his run-a-ball starts, and SRH slipped down the points table.”I loved the Punjab innings but after that against CSK and RCB, I wanted to take the team till the end,” Reddy says. “I was very disappointed for those two innings, and I was thinking if we have to be on top of the table, I have to take the team till the end when the team collapses. That’s what my role is. So ,when I didn’t do well in those two matches, I felt really bad and I feel winning those [kind of] games will be more satisfying for me; I wasn’t satisfied at all.”Coming back to this game with RR, winning like that with a crucial knock after two early wickets, that knock really boosted me.”While being the SRH crisis man, Reddy has so far scored 239 runs from seven innings while striking at 152.22 and averaging a formidable 47.80, with more sixes (17) than fours (12). The highlight has been his ability to change the course of a game with one big over, even if a big-name bowler is against him.He has scored 23 off ten against Chahal, 21 off eight against R Ashwin, 19 off ten against Avesh Khan, and ten off five against Kuldeep Yadav. Reddy attributes this largely to match awareness and some homework.”I just watch a couple of videos and variations of bowlers before going into the match,” he says. “And, according to the field, you will get to know what ball [the bowler] is going to bowl. It’s just that the starting phase of batting will be a little difficult to get boundaries or to get that opportunity to get the gaps. But once you cross 20-30, you will feel like you know what the bowler is going to do next, and you will have a good idea of what the pitch is also behaving like.3:18

‘Time to start investing in Nitish Reddy the allrounder’

“I would take some time in my innings and after that I accelerate. I will choose a bowler or someone who is good to strike against.”Reddy relies a lot on his base of solid technique to score in the ‘V’ in front and to pull the short balls, options that have helped him score a lot this IPL. He was also aware before the season that he had to raise his batting, especially against spinners, knowing that he would largely bat in the middle overs. One shot he worked a lot on was the reverse sweep, which has earned him 22 runs off just ten balls this IPL.”Spinners mostly keep three fielders around point area [cover point, backward point, and short third] and one sweeper cover, so it’s really hard [to score],” Reddy says about his reverse sweep. “You have to time the ball, otherwise you’ll be out. So I just practice the reverse sweep; it’s easy to score over [the three short fielders off side].”A habit Reddy has developed over time is visualising such situations when in his hotel room, plus shadow batting, which he often does during training sessions at the ground as well. It’s this hunger “to always improve” that has brought him quick success in the IPL, which he wants to build on to become a gun allrounder like his idols Hardik Pandya and Ben Stokes.”I want to take it to the next level, there are not many people like that [proper allrounders],” he says. “Maybe in half a year I might become the allrounder [I want to be]. I guess in bowling I need to be more specific also. Like I know I’m not getting the chances, but I have to read the game. I’m not getting that experience in bowling as of now, I am just bowling one or two overs.

“I feel being an allrounder is a difficult job. At the same time, we are the match-winners. It’s not easy to take the recovery part properly to maintain your body, like you have to make sure you’re in a good space”

“It’s okay, but I can learn something from T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar, they all are doing good so I want to gain that experience through watching them and I want to practice a little more because you can see in India A and B levels there is no impact rule. There I can get my bowling chances and improve.”Reddy admits “it’s really hard” being an allrounder because of the different demands and the toll it takes on the body.”I feel being an allrounder is a difficult job,” he says. “At the same time, we are the match-winners. It’s not easy to take the recovery part properly to maintain your body, like you have to make sure you’re in a good space. So you have to recover, look after your body or maintenance, your fitness so that’s where your performance will be connecting. If you miss even one or two sessions, it will affect you on the ground, so it’s really hard to be an allrounder.”But, as I mentioned, I always love to be a match-winner, so I don’t have any choice. I have to be an allrounder and I will work on my fitness and everything.”Reddy has taken the first few steps towards it.He was named the best cricketer in the Under-16 category by the BCCI at their annual awards function in 2018. Six years on, he has become a vital cog between the hard-hitters at the top and in the lower order for SRH.He probably shouldn’t blame himself if he is not retained by SRH after IPL 2024, as that will be the big one, but if he is let go by them and picked for a much bigger amount than the INR 20 lakh he currently gets, he can claim to have earned it.

Still only 31, he has a realistic shot at Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record for most runs in Tests

S Rajesh05-Jun-2022When Joe Root clipped Tim Southee for a couple in the 77th over of England’s chase at Lord’s, not only did he reach his 26th Test hundred, he also became only the 14th player to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket. The 10k milestone came in his 218th innings, which means there are nine others who have got there in fewer innings. The quickest is 195 innings – by three batters – while Steve Waugh’s 244 is the slowest.