​​​​​​Chinese investment group Fosun International completed their takeover of Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2016 whilst they were in the Championship and have since established them as a Premier League club with significant investment.

Who have been Fosun's most-expensive signings for Wolves?

They have been willing to splash the cash to build a team that is capable of competing in the top-flight to avoid being relegated back to the second tier.

During the Fosun ownership of Wolves:

Most expensive signings

Fee paid

Matheus Cunha

£42.8m

Matheus Nunes

£38.5m

Fabio Silva

£34.3m

Raul Jimenez

£32.5m

Goncalo Guedes

£27.9m

Fees via Transfermarkt.

However, former owner Steve Morgan also invested money and helped the club enjoy several seasons of Premier League football during his time at the Molineux.

He was willing to splash the cash at times in order to bolster the squad when needed and one of his best pieces of business was the addition of Steven Fletcher.

How much did Wolves pay for Steven Fletcher?

Back in the summer of 2010, the ex-Old Gold chief sanctioned the club-record signing of the centre-forward from Burnley for a reported fee of £7m.

Fletcher began his career with Hibernian in Scotland and enjoyed a terrific spell there with 43 goals in 161 appearances after coming through the academy set-up.

He then moved to the Clarets and caught the eye in his first Premier League season with the club. The Scottish ace plundered eight goals and four assists in 35 top-flight outings during the 2009/10 campaign and that was enough to convince Mick McCarthy and Morgan to swoop to secure his services.

Fletcher, who scored 12 goals in all competitions for Burnley, had proven himself to be capable of scoring goals in the top division of English football and Wolves splashed out a club-record fee in the hope that he would be able to be their reliable scoring option at the top end of the pitch.

How many goals did Fletcher score for Wolves?

The Scotland international turned out to be a fantastic signing for the Old Gold as he carried on his form in front of goal and delivered double figures for goals in each of his two seasons with the club.

He ended up with 24 goals in 67 matches in all competitions and caught the eye with 22 goals across his two Premier League campaigns with Wolves.

Fletcher produced an impressive ten goals in 15 top-flight starts throughout the 2010/11 season after his move to the club from Burnley, which was three more than any of his teammates managed.

The former Hibernian star followed that up with 12 goals in 26 starts during the 2011/12 campaign, which was four more than any other player within the squad was able to produce in the final third.

These statistics show that Fletcher was a superb signing by Morgan and McCarthy, who hailed him as a "terrific" player, as he provided a regular goal threat for Wolves in the Premier League.

He was the club's outstanding goalscorer in both of his seasons at the top level for the Old Gold and did what was expected of him after a club-record move from Burnley.

How much did Wolves sell Fletcher for?

Wolves eventually decided to cash in on the Scotland international in the summer of 2012 after their relegation to the Championship and Sunderland secured his signature for a reported fee of £12m with £2m in add-ons.

This means that the club made a minimum profit of £5m from the initial £7m that they paid the Clarets to snap him up in the summer of 2010, after just two years at the Molineux.

It was a gamble to spend a club-record fee to sign him from Burnley after he had played just one season of football in England but it certainly paid off for McCarthy.

Fletcher delivered superb performances with his consistent ability to find the back of the net and secured Wolves a nice payday to soften the blow of their relegation.

Therefore, McCarthy and Morgan hit the jackpot on and off the pitch with the 6 foot 1 finisher and that signing should be looked back on as a massive success, given his record on the pitch and the significant fee that they received from the Black Cats.

Where is Fletcher now?

The 37-year-old marksman, 11 years on from his Wolves exit, currently plays in the fourth tier of English football with Welsh side Wrexham, who are famously owned by Hollywood pair Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.

He joined them from Dundee United over the summer and has failed to score in his first two League Two matches of the 2023/24 campaign so far.

The veteran striker, who scored nine Scottish Premiership goals last season, has enjoyed a solid, if unspectacular, career since moving on from Molineux.

Fletcher racked up 23 goals in 108 matches for Sunderland, which included 11 goals in his first 28 Premier League outings, before a move to Sheffield Wednesday in 2016, which came shortly after a loan spell with Marseille that resulted in three goals in 18 appearances for the French side.

The Scottish ace produced 38 strikes and nine assists in 136 clashes for the Owls as he hit double figures for goals in three of his four Championships seasons with the club.

These statistics show that Fletcher never improved upon his 12-goal Premier League season with Wolves as he ended up in the Championship with Sheffield Wednesday, and Stoke, before moving to Scottish football and now League Two with Wrexham.

This suggests that the £14m package that they were able to agree for his sale to Sunderland was a masterclass by the Old Gold as his career has been on a downward trajectory since his first season with the Black Cats.

In total, the Scottish forward has scored 165 goals in 653 matches throughout his club career, which is one every 3.96 games on average. Whereas, he plundered a goal every 2.79 outings on average for the Old Gold with his aforementioned 24 in 67 games.

Therefore, Wolves time with Fletcher was a masterstroke from start to finish. He proved his worth to them on the pitch after a £7m move, raked in a big fee after two years, and then failed to improve after moving on from the club.

Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 2016/17 season after a fifth-place finish last term, and it gives Jurgen Klopp a chance to perhaps blood a few youngsters in the Europa League.

This will allow the German to divert his attention to securing a top-four finish in the Premier League and they have started the 2023/24 campaign brightly, recording four wins and a draw thus far.

It took two late goals to see off Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend however, with a particularly shady first-half performance threatening to cost the Reds all three points.

The defence weren’t quite up to the standards expected during the opening 45 minutes, and Joel Matip could well be replaced ahead of this evening's tie against LASK.

How did Joel Matip perform vs Wolves?

The defender did look assured on the ball, taking 111 touches while completing 91% of his passes, yet he lost possession 11 times during the tie while winning just one of his three ground duels against the Old Gold.

The Cameroonian was even dribbled past once while making just one tackle during the game and as a result, Klopp could potentially make a change ahead of the European tie.

Indeed, the defender didn't appear to be at his best, with Reds journalist James Pearce even suggesting that Matip was simply "miles off it" during the opening half.

The German may decide to unleash someone with a bigger physical presence at the heart of his defence and this could mean Ibrahima Konate gets the nod over Matip on Thursday night.

Will Ibrahima Konate start for Liverpool vs LASK?

The £70k-per-week Frenchman was signed two years ago from RB Leipzig and made an instant impression on Klopp, who lavished praise on him after his debut.

He said: “You can see he is incredibly talented. The potential is outstanding. He is used to winning challenges easy. He is young and he played a really good game. Massive. First home game for him.”

The 6 foot 4 brute has made 56 appearances so far for the Anfield side and although last season was disrupted by injury, missing 15 games in total during the campaign, he still impressed when getting a chance in the starting XI.

According to FBref, when compared to positional peers throughout Europe's top five leagues, Konate ranked in the top 10% for tackles per 90 (2.3), while showcasing his attacking mindset by ranking in best top 9% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.59), indicating that not only was he keen on winning the ball back often, but the defender could also drive forward with it and take players on.

The 24-year-old has started twice this term, averaging a 90% pass success rate along with winning 5.7 total duels – at a success rate of 65% – and making 2.3 tackles per game, clearly demonstrating his defensive abilities while showcasing his physical nature.

This could be vital against LASK tonight and while Klopp will want another victory, he will perhaps be more concerned about how several of his players perform on the night ahead of tougher challenges.

Konate should be unleashed from the beginning, and he could make a big statement of intent with a solid performance against the Austrian outfit.

MatériaMais Notícias

Seguro na defesa, decisivo lá na frente: assim é a atual fase de Iago Maidana. Na medida em que o Sport evoluiu e subiu na tabela do Brasileirão, o zagueiro tornou-se um dos destaques da posição no torneio. Nesta quarta, às 19h15 no Maracanã, o confronto com o Flamengo – também em crescente no campeonato – colocará à prova o bom momento de Maidana e do Leão da Ilha.

Mesmo com desfalques, o técnico Dome Torrent poderá escalar um setor ofensivo com Bruno Henrique, Pedro, Vitinho, Diego, Gerson… Ciente da qualidade do adversário, Maidana projeta o duelo e mantém a confiança.

-É um grande desafio. É uma equipe que não começou tão bem, mas já vem voltando a ter confiança e bons resultados. Vamos jogar na casa deles, obrigação é deles, mas estamos nos defendendo bem e creio que será um grande jogo. Esperamos anular as estratégias para que a gente consiga surpreender. Sabemos da dificuldade, da qualidade de todos jogadores do Flamengo, mas nada é impossível. Temos um grande jogo, um grande desafio pela frente – afirmou o zagueiro Iago Maidana, destaque do Sport, ao LANCE!.

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Com o mal início do Sport no Brasileirão, a chegada de Jair Ventura, que assumiu o time na sexta rodada, foi um divisor de águas para o time de Recife. São cinco vitórias, um empate e duas derrotas desde então, o que levou o Leão à quinta posição da tabela, com 20 pontos – um a menos que o Flamengo.

De acordo com Maidana, o impacto do técnico foi além das quatro linhas e, diante do crescimento imediato, o zagueiro ainda vê margem para evolução.

– Conseguimos entender rápido o trabalho do Jair. Isso foi fundamental. Nossa adaptação foi muito rápida e nos ajudou a ter resultados mais rápidos. E não só em campo, mas fora também. É um cara que gosta de ouvir o jogador, o que pensa, em qual posição se sente bem. É uma confiança fundamental que ele nos dá. Não é a toa que o trabalho vem dando certo e acredito que ainda temos muito a evoluir. Ainda não está bom, precisamos jogar mais, ter mais posse de bola e, com o tempo, isso vai melhorar – projetou o defensor do Leão, que já marcou quatro gols no Campeonato Brasileirão e é o artilheiro do Sport.

Confira outras respostas do zagueiro Iago Maidana, do Sport, ao LANCE!:

Não costuma-se esperar de um clube que veio da Série B brigue por uma classificação para a Libertadores, por exemplo. Contudo, o Sport está em quinto neste momento. Quais resultados o time espera alcançar ao fim do Brasileirão?

Estamos fazendo um ótimo trabalho, mas tem muito campeonato pela frente. Não tem como falar nada hoje, sobre objetivos. Vamos buscar uma vitória a cada jogo. No final do ano, o que conseguirmos, com certeza, será muito bacana. Buscamos o melhor, quando estamos em uma equipe sempre queremos ir bem pois pode nos abrir mais portas lá na frente. Não tenho como falar pelo que vamos brigar lá na frente, mas vamos brigar cada jogo por uma vitória, para somar pontos, e acabar na melhor classificação possível no campeonato.

Titular absoluto do Sport, você está entre os destaques da posição, mas também tem contribuído muito na parte ofensiva. Como está vivendo isso? É uma responsabilidade a mais?

Na minha carreira, sempre tive certa intimidade com o gol. Não sei se porque já fui centroavante na base, mas sempre tive essa intimidade. Está sendo muito importante. Foi assim nas temporadas passadas. No Paraná tendo uma sequência de jogos, isso é fundamental, e fiz cinco gols em 24 jogos. É uma média muito boa. 2018 não tive tanta sequência, joguei só no final e não pude ter um aproveitamento melhor. 2019 também não joguei tanto. Em 2020 posso novamente mostrar que realmente tenho essa intimidade. Além de ajudar atrás, consigo ajudar meus companheiros na frente e isso está sendo fundamental para a minha confiança, para ter segurança lá atrás. Gols nos deixam mais confiantes e seguros para realizar o trabalho. Não só para mim, mas para o grupo do Sport também.

E quanto ao seu desempenho individual, qual sua avaliação sobre seu desempenho neste Brasileirão?

Estou muito feliz com o meu desempenho e o da equipe. Vejo que eu trabalhei muito para que esse momento se concretizasse. Abri mão de ficar um pouco mais com a família na quarentena para treinar, para chegar bem, e estou colhendo os resultados. É fruto do meu trabalho. Estou fazendo uma grande temporada. Quando abrimos mão de algumas coisas a gente colhe os frutos. Estou muito feliz com o momento, principalmente com o da equipe. Futebol é assim. Estamos vencendo e isso é muito importante para a minha confiança e dos meus companheiros.

Glasgow Rangers head into the international having endured a tough start to the 2023/24 campaign.

Michael Beale has led the Gers to just four wins from nine matches so far this term, while also failing to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League following a 7-3 aggregate demolition by PSV Eindhoven.

The pressure was ramped up after that defeat last week heading into the first Old Firm game of the season and a win would have allowed the Light Blues to leapfrog Celtic and secure the first blow of the campaign.

It wasn’t to be in what can only be described as a lacklustre performance, not helped by poor refereeing but there wasn’t a single standout performer across the 90 minutes.

How did Rangers perform vs Celtic?

The Parkhead outfit had failed to score in four hours prior to arriving at Ibrox for the match on Sunday and having drawn with St Johnstone along with being knocked out of the League Cup by Kilmarnock the week before, Brendan Rodgers was perhaps under some undue pressure already.

This should have given Beale a huge confidence boost, yet despite having two goals ruled out in the first half, the Gers simply couldn’t create any meaningful scoring chances.

Rabbi Matondo was unleashed from the start and his pace did cause trouble to the Celtic defence, yet he failed to make a key pass or have a shot on target throughout his 64 minutes on the pitch. Old Firm debutant Dujon Sterling was also underwhelming at left back and failed to add any attacking impetus to the starting XI as he replaced Borna Barisic.

The former Chelsea youth gem succeeded with zero of his three dribble attempts and lost possession seven times during the game before he was replaced by Ridvan Yilmaz.

Before the crunch tie, it remained to be seen who would be deployed to lead the line against an inexperienced defence, and it was Cyriel Dessers who once again got the nod, leaving £6m man Danilo on the bench yet again.

Did Cyriel Dessers play well vs Celtic?

The Nigeria international has endured a fairly uninspired start to his Rangers career thus far, scoring just twice and registering three assists for the club across eight matches.

One of those goals was a penalty against Greenock Morton, while grabbing an assist in the same game and in four Premiership matches, the striker has yet to record a goal contribution, with his performance against Celtic suggesting Beale may need to make a change for their next match.

He missed a big chance during the tie while having a grand total of zero shots against Celtic while drifting offside a frustrating three times across the 76 minutes that he was on the pitch.

The 28-year-old also failed to demonstrate his physicality as he lost 75% of his ground duels along with losing possession 12 times, and it’s clear that Beale needs to tinker with his tactics during the international break in order to get the best out of the former Feyenoord player.

Indeed, the Gers may well be ruing not signing someone who could have offered a greater threat in front of goal during the summer transfer window. One such option was Anastasios Douvikas.

How many goals has Anastasios Douvikas scored?

According to Greek outlet Nova Sports in June (via The Daily Record), the Ibrox side were gearing up to launch a bid of around £7m for the striker as they were looking to bolster their attacking options following the departure of Alfredo Morelos.

Celtic were also showing interest in the player and there is no doubt he was one of the better strikers that Beale was keeping tabs on throughout the window.

Last season, he finished as joint top scorer in the Eredivisie with 19 goals, a tally that would have also seen him finish as the highest scorer in the Rangers side, indicating that he could have vastly improved Beale’s frontline while being a better option than Dessers too.

Indeed, Douvikas, when compared to positional peers across the eight most similar leagues to the Dutch top flight, ranked in the top 8% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.55), the top 19% for progressive carries (1.69) and successful take-ons (1.1) per 90 while also ranking in the top 8% for tackles per 90 (1.14), demonstrating his abilities across a range of metrics.

In comparison, Dessers failed to rank in the top 25% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.43), while ranking outside the top 40% for progressive carries (1.22) and successful take-ons (0.79) per 90 along with finishing among the top 50% for tackles per 90 (0.5) when compared with positional peers in Europe's top five leagues.

Of course, Dessers was playing in Serie A, which is a trickier league to score in compared to the Eredivisie, yet it is evident that the sheer volume of goals Douvikas scored demonstrates he would have been a much better option for Beale this term.

The 24-year-old netted 22 goals across all competitions for FC Utrecht while Dessers scored only seven goals for Italian side Cremonese, further evidence that Douvikas should have been a higher transfer priority for the Gers.

Where is Anastasios Douvikas playing now?

They failed to lure him to Glasgow and following weeks of speculation, the striker eventually moved to La Liga and joined Spanish side Celta Vigo for a fee in the region of €10m (£8.5m), signing a five-year deal in the process.

Lauded as “sharp” by journalist Josh Bunting back in 2021, it appears as though Douvikas has really hit his stride over the previous 12 months and secured a richly deserved move to Spain.

He will certainly be one that got away for Beale, particularly if Dessers fails to improve in the subsequent matches following the break.

The last few weeks should have been the perfect time for the 43-year-old to get his new signings settled in and performing well while claiming a place in the Champions League.

It hasn’t worked out so far and much is down to just how poor the new signings have been, notably Dessers.

Douvikas may have cost more, yet his goal tally in recent seasons suggests he would have been a major upgrade on the 28-year-old.

South Africa’s head coach Ottis Gibson was steadfast in his defence of Quinton de Kock ahead of an ICC code of conduct hearing on Wednesday

Firdose Moonda07-Mar-2018

South Africa insist Quinton de Kock only acted on provocation in the Durban stairwell dispute, even though he has been found guilty of breaching the ICC’s code of conduct.De Kock did not contest the charge at a hearing on Wednesday evening, though he aimed to lessen the sanction that applies to a Level 1 offence. Although he was unsuccessful in the endeavour and admitted he had said “something” to Warner, the South Africa wicketkeeper maintained he was not the instigator.CCTV footage of the passageway leading to the dressing rooms showed David Warner being physically restrained and shouting at de Kock, who did not respond. Warner was charged with a Level 2 offence on Tuesday evening, and fined 75% of his match fee. Though he has accepted those sanctions, Australia claim Warner was responding to a jibe from de Kock, and they say it was “personal.”South Africa, however, have denied de Kock provoked Warner in any way. “We are appealing Level 1 because we think Quinny didn’t do anything,” the head coach Ottis Gibson said. “Quinny wasn’t aggressive. You saw some footage, and the footage showed Quinny walking up the stairs and somebody else being restrained, and then Quinny gets a Level 1. That doesn’t seem fair.”Gibson would not comment on whether de Kock was entirely silent, and neither would several team sources, only for the man himself to admitt he had answered back.”Quinny would not have said anything had something not been said to him in the first place. But I wasn’t out there. Faf was there. Faf probably knows what was said,” Gibson said. “But there’s one guy walking up the stairs going back to his dressing room, there’s another guy having to be restrained. If I am walking, trying to get back to my dressing room and somebody is being restrained, how can you fine me for something?”Asked if de Kock said anything about Warner’s wife, which is what Australia are alleging, Gibson chose to focus on the undefined line and called for clarity. “I wasn’t there. I can’t categorically speak for another person. There’s this thing and I have seen it recently now about the line. They are saying they didn’t cross the line, but where is the line, who sets the line, where did the line come from? When you are saying you didn’t cross the line but we didn’t cross the line, you went very close to the line… whose line is it?”South Africa would really like the umpires to start answering that question. Du Plessis called for them to step in immediately after the end of the first Test. But Kumar Dharmasena and S Ravi have made no reports of anyone breaking the code of conduct and Australia subsequently used that as part of their defence. Gibson, however, believed that the umpires must have heard something.”The match officials are there to do a job and to govern the game on the field, and off the field I guess,” he said. “If they hear things on the field, they should clamp down on it. It becomes unfortunate when everybody else hears stuff and the match officials say they haven’t heard anything. They are there to do a job and they must do their job.”If things are happening in the game and things are being said, and if it’s within earshot – if the player is standing at point or wherever he is fielding, surely the umpires can hear. Maybe the umpires need to stand up and take control of the game.”Unhappy might not be the right word. We just feel that the umpires are there to do a job and they must do their job. When they hear things, they must take charge and don’t leave it to: ‘oh, we didn’t cross the line.’ Can you say whatever you want, and then when something is said, it’s offensive. You didn’t tell us where the line was. Let’s be clear where the line was.”With tension escalating on both sides, the umpires’ roles will be in sharp focus once again in Port Elizabeth. Dharmasena will be the on-field official again on Friday and he will be joined by New Zealand’s Chris Gaffaney.”I am happy with aggression being shown on the field if it’s coming from the bowler,” Gibson said. “If a fast bowler is bowling bouncers and trying to intimidate batsmen, to me that’s aggression. When everybody else is chirping or sledging the batter as he is trying to bat, that’s not aggression in my book. That’s how I grew up, playing the game in the Caribbean. But, obviously, things change.”Gibson recalled the West Indies greats of the past, who “didn’t have to (say anything) because they were aggressive with the ball and their body language, and that’s what aggression is. When a batsman is trying to take his guard and people are standing around and saying whatever they want to say, I’m not sure that it’s necessary.”If a bowler has tried everything he can to get a batsman out and he can’t get him out because a batsman is playing well, and then they have to revert to that, then is it aggression? I don’t think that it is.”That was the case at Kingsmead, where de Kock scored 83 and partnered Aiden Markram for a sixth-wicket stand of 147 which stalled Australia’s victory push and dragged the match into the fifth day. De Kock had not struck a half-century in 15 Test innings before that, and there were questions over his form. But Gibson believed the Durban knock showed what de Kock is capable of, both with bat and in his conduct.”It takes a strong character to stand up and bat for three hours when everybody on the field is saying whatever they want to say to you. But then, as soon as you respond, then it’s a different thing. The game should be about cricket on the field. I feel like everybody needs to focus on cricket. Calm down and get back to cricket.”

Manchester United’s poor start to the 2023/24 Premier League season continued over weekend with a 3-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford.

If Erik ten Hag was feeling the heat before the international break, this result will surely have piled even more pressure on the Dutchman ahead of their Champions League clash against Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

This tie comes at precisely the wrong time for United as yet another loss could be catastrophic for the former Ajax boss, and he may well change some of his starting XI from the loss against the Seagulls.

What is Man United's record against Bayern Munich?

The two teams have endured contrasting starts to their respective campaigns. Bayern have won three of their four Bundesliga ties so far and are currently level on points with Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the table.

United, on the other hand, have won just two of their first five league games, sitting in 13th position in the table and it’s evident who is entering the tasty clash in better form.

Indeed, since that dramatic Champions League final in 1999, where United scored twice during injury time to claim the trophy, the club have defeated Bayern only once in the competition – a 3-2 win in the 2010 quarter-final home leg.

Could Ten Hag vary up his starting XI and include a few academy starlets? Step forward Hannibal Mejbri.

Will Hannibal Mejbri start against Bayern Munich?

Alejandro Garnacho has played a part in four of United’s five league fixtures so far this term and with Jadon Sancho and Antony still absent, he could certainly come into the side and make an impression.

The 19-year-old looked like he had netted the winner against Arsenal a few weeks ago, however, it was ruled offside. Such a clinical finish means there is certainly no doubting his abilities on the wing.

Hannibal is another academy product who looks like he could go on to have a positive career at the club. The youngster spent last season on loan at Birmingham City, making 38 appearances while grabbing five assists along with creating six big chances.

This senior experience will have done him the world of good, and it now looks like he is ready for the challenge of first-team football at United.

Lauded as “phenomenal” by Birmingham boss John Eustace last year, the Tunisian came off the bench against Brighton to make his first appearance of the season, and he grabbed his opportunity with both hands.

During his 26 minutes on the pitch, the 20-year-old not only scored, but also completed 100% of his passes, succeeded with his only dribble attempt, made one tackle and won four out of his seven ground duels.

With the majority of the United team looking lost, Mejbri came on and showcased his abilities and this could give Ten Hag some food for thought, especially with a plethora of fixtures to come in the next few weeks.

Garnacho will likely play a part in these ties, but after his impressive cameo, the young Tunisian sensation certainly deserves some more minutes too. Should he be named in the XI, it would incredibly be just his second start for the club.

Matt Renshaw subbed out under the concussion rule following a head knock during warm-ups; move made as a precaution, despite the blow not being too severe

Alex Malcolm16-Mar-2018Marnus Labuschagne works the ball to leg•Getty ImagesMarnus Labuschagne and Charlie Hemphrey have combined to steer Queensland out of trouble on day three of the Sheffield Shield match in Wollongong.The day started poorly for the Bulls with in form opener Matt Renshaw subbed out of the game under the concussion rule following a head knock during warm-ups. He was substituted as a precaution despite the blow not being too severe.Renshaw’s replacement, Lachlan Pfeffer, and Joe Burns fell early to Trent Copeland to leave the Bulls 2 for 53 in their second innings, needing a further 102 runs to make New South Wales bat again.Labuschagne and Hemphrey then combined for a 246-run partnership that steered the Bulls to safety. Labuschagne posted his fourth first-class century and his highest score of 134 before he became Copeland’s third victim in the 81st over.Hemphrey moved to 95 not out at stumps to give the Bulls a lead of 156 runs with seven wickets in hand heading into the final day.Earlier, Michael Neser and Mark Steketee ensure the Blues lead did not blow out beyond 200. They took the last three wickets of the Blues first innings at a cost of just 20 runs. Sean Abbott failed to add to his overnight score of 79 while Peter Nevill managed just five before he was bowled by Steketee for 57.

كشف مصدر مسؤول برابطة الأندية المصرية المحترفة، عن وجود عدد كبير من الفرق على رأسها الأهلي والزمالك وبيراميدز استفسروا في اتصالات ودية مع مسؤولي الرابطة بشأن موعد انتهاء بطولة الدوري.

وكان أحمد دياب رئيس رابطة الأندية المصرية، قد أوضح في تصريحات تلفزيونية في وقتٍ سابق أن الدوري سينتهي منتصف شهر أغسطس المقبل.

وقال المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لـ”بطولات”: “تتواصل شركات التسويق مع ثلاثي القمة من أجل التنسيق معهم لفترة الإعداد للموسم المقبل، ولكن الأندية لا تستطيع الرد أو تنسيق المواعيد بسبب عدم معرفة موعد انتهاء الدوري”.

طالع أيضاً.. بيراميدز يقضي على آمال الزمالك في المشاركة بـ دوري أبطال إفريقيا حال اللجوء لنتائج الدور الأول

وأضاف: “عرضت الشركات على أندية القمة إقامة معسكرات في أوروبا ولعب وديات متدرجة القوة مع الأندية، ولكن لا تستطيع الأندية حسم موقفها بشكل نهائي بسبب عدم التعرف على موعد انتهاء الدوري المصري”.

وأتم: “لذلك يتم التواصل مع الرابطة من أجل التعرف على موعد انتهاء الدوري”.

The ICC gave a stern rebuke to plans announced by USACA earlier this month to host men’s and women’s tours of a visiting “Cricket India” squad for what the expelled governing body had labeled a pair of T20 bilateral series, stating that neither event is recognized by either the ICC or the BCCI.”Two bilateral series being planned by former ICC Member United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) would constitute unsanctioned events within the ICC’s regulatory framework,” stated an ICC press release. The announcement is noteworthy considering that the ICC has not made similar determinations on events organized by Cricket Council USA and American Cricket Federation, two other governing bodies who had been contesting national-governing-body status prior to USACA’s expulsion.”In accordance with the ICC’s regulations on sanctioning events, no person affiliated to a National Cricket Federation is permitted to participate in any disapproved cricket. This prohibition applies to players, match officials, coaching or management staff affiliated to a National Cricket Federation or any team affiliated to a National Cricket Federation.”The announcement for the men’s matches stated a team would be picked by a selection panel chaired by former USA player and coach Clayton Lambert, who coached USA from 2008 to 2011 until he was dismissed in favour of Robin Singh following USA’s relegation from WCL Division Three. The other members of the USACA selection panel include two men regarded as long-time allies of president Gladstone Dainty, former captain Steve Massiah and former coach Charlie Javed, as well as former USA player John Reid.Javed was also named to the USACA women’s selection panel, headed by Dr Ahsanuddin Ali Khan, along with Shahnaz Rehmani and former USA women’s coach Linden Fraser. The women’s tour is being spearheaded by former USACA president Masood Chik Syed, another long-time ally of Dainty designated as the “USACA director of cricket operations” in the release, while former USACA tournament umpire Babu Venkatachalapathy has been appointed the USACA tournament director for both planned events.The women’s tour had been announced to take place in April and the men’s tour in May, though exact dates were not specified by USACA in either announcement with solicitations made for interested parties to host the matches. Both announcements ostensibly are targeted at drawing players away from the USA Cricket Combines which began earlier this month in North Carolina and run through June at eight regional sites organized by the ICC Americas caretaker administration.

An update has emerged on Aston Villa and their transfer plans as they attempt to seal a last-gasp deal before the summer transfer window slams shut…

What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?

According to Real Betis reporter Pepe Elias, Monchi has been in late talks with Barcelona over a deal to sign Morocco international Ez Abde before the deadline passes.

The journalist has claimed that Unai Emery is also trying to convince the player to accept a move to Villa Park, after his proposed move to Real Betis broke down.

This comes after Mundo Deportivo recently reported that the Villans and Bayer Leverkusen were both keen on the attacker and that the Spanish giants want a fee within the region of €30m (£26m) for the talented youngster.

How good is Ez Abde?

Aston Villa have already bolstered their squad with some superb additions that have helped them to enjoy a strong start to the season and they could now end the window with a bang by signing Abde as he is a player with huge potential.

Emery has brought in Moussa Diaby, Nicolo Zaniolo, Clement Lenglet, Youri Tielemans, and Pau Torres so far and some of them have helped the team to win four of their first five competitive games of the campaign.

Abde could now supplement that by arriving as a player who would not have the expectation to make an immediate impact, as a 21-year-old prospect, but one who could be a star for the club further down the line.

U23 scout Antonio Mango once hailed him as a "majestic" creator who is "unpredictable" at the top end of the pitch and he showcased his ability to open up the opposition's defence on a regular basis during his time in Barcelona's B team.

Abde racked up seven assists, alongside three goals, in 21 appearances for the club's reserve side, which shows that he has the potential to consistently set up his teammates for chances in front of goal.

Jacob Ramsey (seven) was the only Villa player, in any position, who managed more than six Premier League assists for the club last season, and Abde could, therefore, be an excellent creative threat for Emery if he is able to translate that form over to the English top-flight.

The Barcelona magician also showcased his quality at the U23 Africa Cup of Nations for Morocco over the summer with an outstanding three goals and three assists in just four appearances at the tournament.

Abde spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Osasuna in LaLiga and produced four goals and two assists in 19 starts for the Spanish side, which shows that there is still work to be done with him before the exciting gem is able to deliver the attacking consistency that he displayed for club and country at youth level.

However, at the age of 21, there is plenty of time left for him to develop and grow as a player and that is why he could be an excellent long-term addition to the Villa squad, with Football FanCast recently publishing an article explaining how he could develop into a Jack Grealish-esque figure.