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Yorkshire Vikings recorded a remarkable victory over Birmingham Bears to keep their T20 Blast hopes alive after the visitors collapsed dramatically in the final overs

ECB Reporters Network08-Jul-2016
ScorecardDavid Willey, seen here on England duty, starred at the death•Getty Images/SportsfileYorkshire Vikings recorded a remarkable victory over Birmingham Bears to keep their T20 Blast hopes alive after the visitors collapsed dramatically in the final overs.Having been set 157 to win by at Headingley, Birmingham looked set to move to within a point of North Group leaders Northamptonshire with victory when they required 16 to win from 13 balls with six wickets in hand.But David Willey and Tim Bresnan bowled superbly at the death before Adam Lyth’s acrobatic fielding on the boundary denied Ateeq Javid the boundary needed off the final ball to tie a topsy-turvy encounter.Despite a huge six from Lyth in Rikki Clarke’s opening over, Yorkshire struggled to find the boundary in their six-over powerplay after winning the toss as the Birmingham seamers restricted them to just five boundaries.The frustration got the better of both Lyth and Willey, with the pair both being caught in the ring off the bowling of former Yorkshire paceman Oliver Hannon-Dalby as the hosts fell to 34 for 2 early on.Captain Alex Lees offered some resistance with 23 before being bowled by leg-spinner Josh Poysden, leaving senior duo Kane Williamson and Gary Ballance to rebuild through the middle overs.The pair added 78 for the fourth wicket from just 59 balls before Ballance – who was celebrating his recall to the England Test squad to face Pakistan next week – was bowled for 33 by Clarke in the 18th over.Williamson followed him back to the dug-out after running himself out for 48 in the final over, but some lusty blows from Bresnan and Jack Leaning lifted the Vikings to a total of 156 for six. Hannon-Dalby proved to be the pick of the bowlers, taking two for 33 from his four overs.Birmingham’s reply got off to the worst possible start as Sam Hain was adjudged LBW after attempting to shoulder arms to Willey’s first legal delivery, but the Bears recovered thanks to a 50-partnership between Ian Bell and William Porterfield.The former hit four fours on his way to 30 from 26 deliveries, but he fell victim to Adil Rashid in the leg-spinners first over as he advanced down the wicket and was stumped by Andrew Hodd.And the England limited overs star was not finished there as he removed Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade for just six on his Blast debut with Lees taking a simple catch at backward point.A stand of 60 between Laurie Evans (37) and Porterfield (48) looked to have swung the game back in Birmingham’s favour, but their departures sparked an almighty collapse that left Javid needing to hit a four from Bresnan’s final ball to force a tie.His aerial drive over mid-on looked to have done the trick, only for Lyth to stretch his body over the boundary to drag the ball back inside the rope and force a run out as Birmingham lost their final six wickets for 13 runs in 13 balls.

Mauricio Pochettino is expected to be named Chelsea's new manager by the end of this week, according to a fresh update regarding the Blues' next boss.

Is Pochettino taking charge at Chelsea?

It is no hidden secret that the 51-year-old will take charge at Stamford Bridge next, following a tumultuous season on and off the pitch in west London. Both Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter have been sacked during the campaign, while Frank Lampard has struggled in a caretaker role since replacing the latter.

He won't be Chelsea manager any longer than the end of this season, with Pochettino picked out as the best possible candidate to come in and turn the Blues' fortunes around. The Argentine did an excellent job as Tottenham boss, guiding them to the 2019 Champions League final, and he also won the Ligue 1 title with Paris Saint-Germain last season.

Now, a new update has emerged regarding when the ex-Spurs man will officially be appointed at Stamford Bridge – it looks as though it will be sooner rather than later.

When will Pochettino be confirmed as manager?

According to Football Insider, Chelsea "will confirm their new manager by the end of this week, with Pochettino "expected to land the role" after a recent "breakthrough". Talks reached their "final stages" during discussions last week and he is "keen to take the reins" in west London. There are talks taking place over "backroom staff and other small, but important, details", but it now appears to be very close to being confirmed.

It will be great to finally unveil Pochettino before the end of the season, giving Blues supporters a renewed sense of hope, following such a taxing campaign. Granted, he may not take over until this summer, but just knowing that the deal is done and dusted will bring some much-needed positivity.

Pochettino looks like a great appointment, even though his stock has fallen a little since leaving Spurs – he didn't do a great job at PSG, failing in the Champions League like so many of their managers – but he is someone who possesses great man-management skills, plays an attacking brand of football and who generally carries himself with dignity.

The pressure will certainly be on from minute one, with so much work to do to get Chelsea back to the top of English football, but if Todd Boehly backs him in the transfer market and allows him to run things his way, the Blues could have a gem on their hands.

Jason Holder has put West Indies’ six-wicket defeat on Sunday down to their shot selection as much as to Australia’s spin bowling on a slow surface at the Providence Stadium in Guyana

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2016West Indies captain Jason Holder put his team’s six-wicket defeat on Sunday down to their shot selection as much as to Australia’s spin bowling on a slow surface at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.West Indies’ innings followed a similar pattern to that of South Africa’s on Friday. The hosts lost ground after reaching 50 for 1 in the 12th over as Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa sent them tumbling to 116 all out in 32.3 overs.”If you went through the dismissals, there were quite a few soft dismissals,” Holder said at the post-match press conference. “The Australians challenged us in terms of building pressure, but I don’t think they got us out with any spectacular balls, per se. We just played some horrible shots out there at a crucial stage of the game which cost us our wickets.”With only 116 to defend, Holder was forced to open with Sunil Narine, his trump card. Narine, who had picked up a career-best 6 for 27 against South Africa, continued his good form since his international comeback, finishing with 2 for 36 in 10 overs. West Indies’ bowlers fought hard, but Holder admitted the chances of successfully defending were next to impossible.”We never really got any partnerships going. Just not enough runs on the board, to be honest. The bowlers didn’t really have anything to bowl at, although we tried really, really hard and did get four of the Australians’ wickets. I thought Sunil Narine came in and did an excellent job for us in the end and we got some wickets upfront.”After the 44-run second-wicket stand between Darren Bravo and Jonathan Charles was broken, the best West Indies could manage was 20 for the ninth wicket, between Carlos Brathwaite and Narine. Holder said a little more application from the batsmen and one good partnership in the middle order could have provided security, with the bowlers carrying confidence from bowling South Africa out for 188. “I think anywhere between 210 and 220, we backed ourselves to defend,” he said. “Previous games we played here, there were not many that were high-scoring. Obviously, the first game we played, one team only got 180-odd and we managed to win the game in the second-last over.”I think we’ve bowled reasonably well for the first two games; the bowlers have really put up their hands. It’s just important for the batsmen to build partnerships, especially up front, and just give ourselves some cushion in the middle and be able to blast at the end with the power we have in the dressing room. But the most important thing for us is to get some partnerships going up front and let the momentum flow through the mid-innings.”

Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount is reportedly edging closer to signing a new deal with the Blues.

What’s the latest on Mason Mount’s Chelsea future?

According to Football Insider, “confidence is growing” within the club that the 24-year-old will commit to a new long-term with the West London outfit.

The impending arrival of former Tottenham Hotspur coach Mauricio Pochettino is said to have boosted the Englishman’s likelihood of staying at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea has been locked in negotiations with Mount and his representatives for a number of months as the midfielder seeks a wage to compete with the club’s top earners.

It has been revealed that Liverpool, Arsenal, and Bayern Munich have been monitoring the situation, but the Blues have promised the star a key role to help the talks.

Why should Chelsea keep Mason Mount?

The 36-cap international broke into the Chelsea team in 2019 and has become one of the club’s most popular and consistent performers since his arrival into the senior squad.

During the 2020/21 season, the playmaker registered 18 goal contributions in 54 appearances in all competitions and was a key figure in the Champions League triumph.

The former Derby County loanee scored in the quarter-final against Porto, in the semi-final against Real Madrid, and provided the tournament-winning assist for Kai Havertz in the final against Manchester City.

The following campaign was even more productive, as the £80k-per-week star recorded 29 goals and assists in 53 appearances.

As a result of this string of magnificent performances, he was named Chelsea’s Player of the Year for a consecutive season, becoming the 12th player to win it more than once, and the first to win it twice in a row since Eden Hazard in 2015.

His old manager Thomas Tuchel showered the attacker in praise and said: “He has the full package, mentally, in terms of talent and physically."

Joe Cole seconded this, telling BT Sport (via the Mirror) that Mount is “unbelievable”, “outstanding” and “one of the most important players in the country.”

Although the 2021 Champions League winner has endured a troubled term, he has still created 39 chances at a rate of 1.11 per 90, as per BBC Sport, the fourth-best rate in the entire squad.

An indication of his quality is apparent by the level of the teams circulating around the £61m-rated talent and the new ownership must keep this academy product to keep the wavering fan support alive.

On the evidence of his displays in the last few years, Mount would undoubtedly flourish at another big club and as such, should Pochettino be able to convince him to reject advances from Chelsea's rivals, it would be an instant masterclass.

Indeed, it would also be a fine message from the Argentine to Boehly and the fans that he is the right man to lead the club forward.

In-form Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins is likely to attract interest from huge clubs as NSWE close in on a new contract, according to an update from transfer insider Dean Jones.

How many goals has Ollie Watkins scored this season?

The Englishman has been in simply incredible form for the Villans of late, playing a key role in their hugely impressive resurgence under Unai Emery. They have won their last five Premier League matches and it has catapulted them to sixth place in the table. It means European qualification is now a genuine possibility, in what is an exciting time for the club.

Watkins has more than played his part, scoring at least once in each of his last four appearances and finding the net 15 times in all competitions this season. Not only that, but he has also got six assists to his name, showing that he is more than just a goalscorer.

The 27-year-old is out of contra

ord starlet is on the verge of finalising an extension.

Will Watkins stay at Villa?

Speaking to Football FanCast, transfer insider Jones shared what he's been hearing on the situation, confirming there are rumblings of a new deal but that there is also likely to be interest from elsewhere:

"When you score goals at this rate, you hit the radar of big clubs naturally. So suddenly, people will be looking at your situation. But Villa have been linked to a new contract for him."

A new deal would be fantastic news for anyone of a Villa persuasion, with Watkins such an integral player moving forward and someone who could yet turn into an even more formidable footballer. At 27, he may only now be coming into his prime and he may feel that he is worth more than the £75,000-a-week wages he currently earns, given his performances this season.

The hope is that he signs a long-term deal that keeps him at Villa Park into his 30s, as he looks to add to his overall tally of 42 goals in 109 appearances for the Villans. Leon Bailey recently claimed that his teammate is "out of this world", which further highlights what a massive player he is moving forward, and why it is essential that the club tie him down to a new contract.

West Ham United have made an approach to bring Lille manager Paulo Fonseca to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Moyes' future?

The Irons recently secured their place in the Europa Conference League semi-finals following their 5-2 aggregate victory over Gent, but David Moyes has failed to replicate this level of success in the top-flight with his side finding themselves in danger of relegation, just four points clear of the drop zone.

The London Stadium outfit are reportedly planning to part ways with the 59-year-old this summer regardless of whether he is able to maintain the club’s league status and there have already been a couple of names doing the rounds as to who his potential successor could be. Italy’s Roberto Mancini, Rafael Benitez and Reims’ Will Still have all been linked with the job that could soon be on offer in E20, but it sounds like the hierarchy may have turned their attention to a different boss in Ligue 1.

According to Foot01 (via Sport Witness), West Ham’s desire to appoint Fonseca is “very real” after “contacting the entourage” of the 50-year-old to discover the possibility of a switch to England. The Irons’ admiration quickly became “concrete through talks with his agent” and the board view him as the “perfect” successor to Moyes, with “further discussions” set to take place at the end of the season.

The Portuguese tactician has made it clear that he is keen to “focus” on seeing out the rest of the term at Lille before making a decision on his future beyond the summer, but regardless, the club still “absolutely want” him.

Would Fonseca be a good fit for West Ham?

West Ham supporters have never seen Fonseca up close in the top flight, but the work he’s doing overseas is impressive, and having been lauded as an “ambitious” coach by AS Roma's former president Jim Pallotta, he would be a great fit at the London Stadium as they aim to jump up a level as a club.

The 4-2-3-1 style coach has won 18 and drawn seven of his 34 games in charge at Lille so far, form which sees his side fifth in the Ligue 1 table and therefore currently earning themselves a place in the Europa Conference League, whilst being just six points away from the Europa League group stage qualification.

Fonseca also knows what it takes to be successful having secured nine trophies since the start of his managerial career with the likes of FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and SC Braga, so this is an attribute that he could bring to the capital to try and get his hands on even more silverware.

Two of Leeds United's biggest transfer sales came in the summer of 2022, as Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha departed for Manchester City and Barcelona respectively.

Victor Orta would oversee both of those eye-watering sales, which overtook Rio Ferdinand as the record departures from Elland Road in Leeds' history, but the Spaniard may be about to seal another transfer masterclass with the sale of in-demand goalkeeper, Illan Meslier.

Could Leeds sell Meslier this summer?

The French shot-stopper recently became the youngest goalkeeper in history to reach 100 Premier League appearances and despite Leeds' disappointing goals against record in the top flight, it seems as if he is attracting bigger suitors ahead of the summer transfer window.

While only Bournemouth have conceded more goals than the Yorkshire outfit in the Premier League so far this term with 57, only five goalkeepers have made more saves than Meslier, so it is perhaps easy to see why the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all been linked with him.

According to Football Insider, the 23-year-old will quit Elland Road this summer should Leeds suffer relegation to the Championship, but the Peacocks are under no pressure to sell after he signed a new five-year deal in 2021, and have planted a £40m price tag on his head.

Considering he was brought to the club from FC Lorient for just £5m after impressing in a loan spell during the 2019/20 Championship title-winning season, his sale could represent a huge profit for Leeds, even if fans are disappointed to see the promising young 'keeper depart.

As both Ferdinand and Phillips would come through the academy at Elland Road, the only comparable sale is that of Raphinha, who joined Spanish giants Barcelona for an initial £49m last summer, which represented a £32m profit on the £17m Leeds had paid in the summer of 2020.

The Brazilian was a sensation in his two-year stay at Leeds, notching 17 goals and 12 assists in all competitions, but Meslier's sale could now surpass the former Rennes man's legacy at Elland Road, as if he were to leave for £40m, it would be the biggest profit on a signing in Orta's time as director of football.

While he has undoubtedly made some top saves in his time at Leeds and can be considered a "rare talent" in the words of Phil Hay, he has also conceded 2.81 more Premier League goals than expected this season, so to sell him for £40m would surely represent an incredible deal for the Yorkshire outfit.

West Ham United are ready to submit an enquiry regarding a potential deal for AC Milan striker Divock Origi, according to reports.

What's the latest on Origi's future?

David Moyes brought Danny Ings to the London Stadium in January, but with Gianluca Scamacca reportedly set to depart at the end of the season should the club get relegated – not to mention Michail Antonio coming close to leaving at the beginning of the year – a reinforcement will almost definitely be needed.

Belgium international Origi arrived at the San Siro on a free transfer from Premier League outfit Liverpool last summer, but he’s not made the impact he would have been hoping for. The Serie A forward has recorded just six league starts this season and is seriously out of favour under Stefano Pioli, who has Olivier Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as his main attacking options.

The Rossoneri attacker’s contract isn’t set to expire for another three years, so a deal probably won’t come cheap given his side’s strong negotiating position – but that hasn’t stopped Moyes from giving it a go.

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato.it (via Sport Witness), West Ham, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace are “ready to believe” in Origi, who could be set to “say goodbye” to AC Milan. The Irons are believed to “appreciate” the 27-year-old ahead of a possible move in the upcoming transfer window.

Meanwhile, Anfield’s former veteran would be “keen” to return to the top flight should the “right offer” come up for him, and it’s stated that he would be “willing to part ways” to receive game time elsewhere.

Should West Ham splash the cash on Origi?

Origi may seem like a player who’s past his sell-by date given the amount of times he’s been around the block, but he is still more than capable of being a top centre-forward when given a consistent run of form.

The Nike-sponsored star already has plenty of experience in the top flight during his time at Liverpool, where he scored 41 goals and provided 18 assists on Merseyside, as per Transfermarkt – form which at the time saw the £87k-p/w talent dubbed a “monster” by his ex-manager Jurgen Klopp.

The 6 foot 2 forward also helped the Reds secure six trophies, including the Premier League and Champions League, so knows what it takes to be successful and what a team has to do in order to compete for silverware at the highest level, so we think West Ham should absolutely make an offer to bring him to E20.

West Ham United have been dealt a blow after learning that summer target Kalvin Phillips isn’t likely to be available for transfer in the next window, according to reports.

What’s the latest on Phillips’ future?

The England international made the initial £42m move to Manchester City from Leeds United back in July 2022 but hasn’t made the start to life he would have been hoping at the Etihad. The Sky Blues midfielder has only made ten appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side since putting pen to paper with just one of those being a start, as per WhoScored, so the fact that he’s out of favour has alerted potential suitors to his possible availability.

The Daily Star recently credited the Irons with an interest in the 27-year-old but claimed that they were set to face competition from his former side and boyhood club in Yorkshire, who are keen to get him back on their books after his exit last summer. However, both David Moyes and Leeds have now been dealt a huge setback in their pursuit if the following update is anything to go by…

According to Football Insider, Man City have “no plans” to sell Phillips during the upcoming window despite him yet failing to make a significant impact on the first team. The Whites’ academy graduate “wants to remain” with the Premier League giants and is “determined” to show the boss what he’s capable of.

Guardiola previously publicly criticised his big-money signing for supposedly returning from the World Cup “overweight”, though this doesn’t seem to have affected his stance on his future at the club.

Should West Ham attempt to sign Phillips?

Phillips is already used to playing alongside Declan Rice for England and he could be an ideal successor should the captain depart, so it could well be worth West Ham testing the waters with an approach regardless of Man City’s viewpoint.

The £150k-p/w talent is solid in the natural defensive aspect of his game, ranking in the 99th percentile for blocks per game and the 97th percentile for tackles per game amongst Europe's top midfielders, noting his desire to get stuck in and win back possession for his team (FBRef).

Guardiola’s number four is also a threat in the final third having posted 28 goal contributions (14 goals and the same number of assists) throughout his career, with this form at both ends of the pitch playing a big part in helping the Whites win promotion back to the top-flight in 2019/20.

A World Cup and Euro’s regular for the Three Lions, Phillips has been dubbed a “Rolls Royce” by journalist Josh Bunting and it would be a coup for the boss should he be able to secure his services to replace his international midfield partner in Rice.

Leeds United have recently handed Archie Gray his first professional deal, but Phil Hay believes he could be offered an improved deal soon.

Why would Leeds offer Gray another deal?

The West Yorkshire side almost immediately tied Gray down to a professional deal when he turned 17 earlier in the year, however, it was only on a two-and-a-half-year deal.

His contractual stay at Elland Road will, therefore, go through until the end of the 2024/25 campaign, but he could be offered another deal in the meantime.

This is because whilst he is under 18, the maximum deal he can pen is up to three years. And because he was signing halfway through a season, Leeds settled for two-and-a-half.

Speaking on his podcast, Hay has suggested when the midfielder turns 18, it is likely the Whites will pounce to offer him an extended deal beyond 2025:

"A few people were a bit surprised that it was only two and a half years, but the reason for that is that while you're below the age of 18, the maximum length of deal you can sign is three years in length.

"Three years would have taken him to the middle of a season, which you never do. So two and a half years takes him to the end of the 2024/25 season and falls in the summer, as contracts have to.

"I don't think it will be long post-18 where there is another offer, or for the talks of whether we turn this into a 20-year deal(!)"

"That will be on their minds, will be to make that more substantial when the rules and the laws allow them to do that."

Should Gray be offered another deal?

It goes to show how highly the Whites think of their young prospect when you consider he is still to even make his debut for the first team.

On multiple occasions, Gray has been involved in the matchday squad in the Premier League, and the summer offered him a lot of hope for the future (via Transfermarkt).

Gray was included in Jesse Marsch's squad for their pre-season efforts in Australia, however, he picked up an injury along the way which halted any chances of involvement in the side.

And the injury in the summer was perhaps foreshadowing for what was ahead of the midfielder this season, with his campaign being riddled with injury issues.

The 17-year-old has recently made a return to action in the Premier League 2 and has made the squad in two of the last three Premier League matches (via Transfermarkt).

However, he is yet to be rewarded with an opportunity in the Premier League with Leeds scrapping away at the bottom end of the table for their top-flight status.

But it is apparent his time will come, with those who have watched him singing his praises, such as the likes of journalist James Marshment hailing the young prospect on Twitter:

"Great to see Archie Gray tied down, an unreal talent who has every chance at making it big. The Gray legacy at Leeds now very much into its third generation."