ScorecardBen Raine picked up three wickets as Durham’s batsmen struggled (file photo)•Getty Images

Leicestershire’s bowlers were at their best as the Foxes completed their second T20 victory of the season, beating Durham by six wickets.Asked to bat after losing the toss, Durham made a bad start when the in-form Phil Mustard edged Clint McKay’s first delivery to wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien, the ball leaving the left-hander off the pitch.In the next over Mark Stoneman missed a full toss from Ben Raine and was bowled, and Durham did not help themselves when Michael Richardson played a McKay delivery straight to Raine at short extra cover and called Graham Clark for an unlikely single. Raine’s direct hit left the unfortunate Clark well short of his ground.Richardson’s short innings came to an end when he lifted Kevin O’Brien gently to Leicestershire captain Mark Pettini at mid-off, and when Ryan Pringle was bowled by Raine, missing an airy drive at a delivery which went on to hit the off stump, the Jets were 26 for 5.In the circumstances Keaton Jennings and Callum MacLeod could not afford to take risks as they looked to rebuild the innings, and though they added 58 runs for the sixth wicket, they did not increase the run rate to more than six an over.MacLeod, feeling the pressure, tried to switch hit the medium pace of Neil Dexter and top edged an easy catch to McKay at short fine leg, and Kevin O’Brien calmly held two catches on the boundary to see the end of Scott Borthwick and Barry McCarthy, in between those two dismissals running out Jennings with a direct hit as the batsman tried to regain his ground after being sent back.Required to defend a total of just 120, Durham needed early wickets, and Chris Rushworth picked up two to give them hope, first ripping out Mark Cosworth’s off stump with the ball of the match, and then squaring up Pettini and inducing the opener to offer a simple caught-and-bowled opportunity.Kevin O’Brien pulled a short ball from Borthwick high to Richardson on the midwicket boundary, the delivery staying a little low, and when the left-handed Raine pulled another Borthwick short ball straight to MacLeod at short midwicket, the visitors were still in the game.The pitch was essentially good, however, and without the pressure of needing to score quickly, Umar Akmal (26 not out) and Niall O’Brien (33 not out) calmly steered their side to victory.

Former India captain Anil Kumble and former cricketers Pravin Amre and Lalchand Rajput are among some of the applicants who will make presentations to the BCCI’s three-member cricket advisory panel that will pick India’s head coach

Nagraj Gollapudi and Gaurav Kalra 20-Jun-2016Former India captain Anil Kumble and former cricketers Pravin Amre and Lalchand Rajput are among some of the applicants who will make presentations to the BCCI’s three-member cricket advisory panel that will pick India’s head coach. The presentations and interviews will be conducted in Kolkata from Tuesday.It is understood that Kumble and Amre will meet the panel, comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, on Tuesday afternoon. It is not yet known whether Ravi Shastri, who was India’s team director until the end of the World Twenty20, will also make a presentation. Shastri, who confirmed his application in early June, did not respond to the query sent by ESPNcricinfo.Sandeep Patil, the chairman of selectors, has reportedly not yet received any communication from the BCCI. Patil had stated earlier this month that he had applied for the job.Last week, the BCCI had trimmed the list of 57 names to 21 but clarified that the advisory committee could be given the entire list if required. The committee is expected to submit its choice by June 22. If it does so, the BCCI could announce the appointment at the working committee meeting in Dharamsala on June 24. In an interview with , Ganguly did not divulge the names of the shortlisted candidates but said that the committee was hopeful of finalising a coach by June 24.”The interviews will start from tomorrow. We know the candidates, we’ve shortlisted the candidates but unfortunately I cannot tell that to you. So please pardon me from doing that. Yes, as you said, the interview is tomorrow and hopefully by June 24 you will get to know the name of the Indian coach,” he said.According to a BCCI official, the advisory panel – which was appointed in June last year – has already met a few times to discuss procedures before it meets shortlisted candidates. It is also understood that the panel, including coordinator Sanjay Jagdale, has done “thorough homework” on the applicants who will travel to Kolkata on Tuesday. When asked whether the interview process will extend to Wednesday, the official said that a decision on that would be taken on the basis of what happens tomorrow.The BCCI is seeking a coach for the India team after Shastri’s contract expired at the end of the World T20 earlier this year. The board opened the process on June 1, with an advertisement on its website, and had set June 10 as a deadline for candidates to apply for the role.Apart from Shastri, Patil and Kumble, current selector Vikram Rathour, Venkatesh Prasad, Balwinder Singh Sandhu and former Bangladesh coach Stuart Law also applied for the job.Among the key qualifications stipulated by the BCCI was that candidates should have coached at the international or first-class level. It was also mentioned that “it is preferred that the candidate should be qualified through a certification/assessment program conducted by any of the Full Member countries, and currently possess such a valid certification.”

Fans online have been left stunned after Bernardo Silva nutmegged multiple players in one run for Manchester City in their most recent outing.

What’s the latest on Man City and Bernardo Silva?

On Tuesday night, the Cityzens gave their hopes of securing a first-ever Champions League title a huge boost as they cruised to a 3-0 win at the Etihad.

Coming up against Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich in the first leg of their tantalising quarter-final clash, a well-fought first half saw City go in 1-0 at the break thanks to a stunning long-distance effort from Rodri.

Pep Guardiola and co were then able to dominate the later stages of the game as two goals in the space of six minutes from Silva and then Erling Haaland sealed the 3-0 victory.

While the Portugal international scored that vital goal, he also worked hard defensively to help nullify the potential attacking threat of Bayern wingback Alphonso Davies.

This was something noted by his manager after the game, with Guardiola telling Sky Sports: “He is a player who you say is going to play in that position and you do not have to say anything else.

“I have been lucky to coach some very good players for Barca and Bayern. He is one of the best players I ever trained in my life, ever. He is something special as a football player.

“Bernardo is a football player, he can play everywhere because he understands the game perfectly and every action with and without the ball.

“When Davies starts to go you cannot stop, Bernardo has the ability to read the positions, give us an extra pass. He is so important in these types of games, he can play holding midfielder. He is so, so important and lately he is scoring goals, which he lacked a little bit. Now he is being decisive.”

Perhaps Silva’s most jaw-dropping moment, however, came on the hour mark when the score was still only just 1-0.

Indeed, seemingly trapped in a cul-de-sac, the £150k-per-week star jinked forward, pushing the ball through Davies’ legs, then Leon Goretzka’s, before then doing the same to Davies once more (potentially twice, actually) before teeing up a shot for John Stones.

BT Sport shared the footage on their Twitter feed and it’s safe to say a number of fans were stunned by the skill.

The praise just kept on coming with some onlookers on their knees at what they had just witnessed…

And some suggested, he actually got four nutmegs as he seems to beat Davies on three occasions, with two coming right at the end.

Jack Taylor, the Gloucestershire offspinner, has been banned from bowling due to a suspect action

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2016Jack Taylor, the Gloucestershire offspinner, has been banned from bowling due to a suspect action. Taylor was previously reported in 2013 and had to remodel his action.The news comes less than 24 hours after Taylor scored an unbeaten hundred to help Gloucestershire to a remarkable Championship victory over Worcestershire at New Road. He underwent independent testing last week and was found to have a bowling action that exceeds the permitted 15 degrees of elbow extension.He has therefore been suspended from bowling in county cricket with immediate effect, as per ECB regulations, until his action has been re-tested and found within the limits.Taylor has taken 53 wickets at 39.39 in first-class cricket – where he also has four hundreds – but his all-round ability was important for Gloucestershire in limited-overs cricket. In the club’s 2015 Royal London Cup success, Taylor was named Man of the Match after scoring 35 from 26 balls and taking 3 for 43 in the final against Surrey.After being called in 2013, and missing the rest of the season to undergo remedial work with Gloucestershire and at the ECB’s national academy in Loughborough, he was cleared to resume bowling in February 2014.He has been an ever-present in the Championship this season, taking 14 wickets and averaging 52.40 with the bat, as well as featuring in Gloucestershire’s one NatWest T20 Blast game to date.

Crystal Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic's time at Selhurst Park is "probably up", according to journalist Matt Woosnam.

What's the latest on Milivojevic's future?

The Eagles have ten players out of contract at the end of the season, with the 32-year-old being one of them, and his future is uncertain having fallen significantly down the pecking order under former manager Patrick Vieira and current boss Roy Hodgson.

The SE25 captain has made just five top-flight starts this term, and considering that he's not getting any younger, whoever is in charge next season is likely to want to build a team for the future rather than holding on to veterans.

The Serbian arrived in the Premier League back in January 2017 and has been a "brilliant servant" during his 196 appearances to date, as lauded by the i News reporter Daniel Storey, not to mention the leadership qualities he's provided as skipper – but there appears to be a growing feeling that he won't be extending his stay beyond the upcoming window.

Taking to Twitter on Wednesday following the Eagles' defeat at Wolves, Woosnam delivered his verdict on Milivojevic's future at Crystal Palace and admitted that he thinks he'll be on his way out of the exit door upon the conclusion of the 2022/23 campaign.

He wrote: "Last night may have been Luka Milivojevic's last start for Palace. Out of contract in the summer on a hefty salary, increasingly on [the] fringes of the team. Was an important player for several years & shouldn't be forgotten. But his time is probably up."

Should Crystal Palace sell Milivojevic?

Crystal Palace will know what a wonderful character Milivojevic is to have both on and off the pitch, and he's certainly played his part over the years, having posted 35 goal contributions (29 goals and six assists), but we think now would be the right time to allow him to depart.

The Kragujevac native has been an unused substitute on 15 occasions in the top flight this season, as per Transfermarkt, so it's clear that he isn't viewed as part of the club's long-term plans moving forward.

Milivojevic also currently pockets £75k per week, making him the joint-fifth-highest earner on the books, so moving onto pastures new would majorly help free up the wage bill and put funds towards new signings in the summer – and if he'd like to go elsewhere to receive more game time, this is an agreement that would perhaps be best for both parties.

Newcastle United are interested in signing Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele this summer after talks were held with the player’s representatives.

What’s the latest news on Newcastle and Dembele?

Eddie Howe is looking to bring Champions League football back to St James’ Park, with the Magpies in a solid position in the Premier League to finish in the top four in the final.

The club are three points clear of fifth place Tottenham with a game in hand, and qualifying for Europe’s biggest club competition could help them in the transfer market when it comes to bolstering Howe’s squad with proven quality.

One player who has been heavily linked with a move to Newcastle is Dembele, with interest dating back to last year when reports suggested that personal terms had been agreed with the winger.

As we know, a move failed to materialise last summer, but it looks as if the Magpies could go back in for the France international, who is currently on around £200,000-a-week at the Nou Camp.

90min reporter Graeme Bailey shared a story he's heard in the last 48 hours regarding Newcastle and Dembele. He stated that the club, and by extension owners PIF, once again hold an interest in the winger, adding that Magpies intermediaries met with the player’s camp during his recent trip to England.

It is believed that ‘brief contact’ was made between the player's representatives and Newcastle chiefs, with Dembele, who went to watch Sunderland, ‘attracted by the prospect of playing in the Premier League’.

Should Newcastle sign Dembele?

Dembele, hailed as a ‘special’ player by Xavi Hernandez, has been out of action with a hamstring injury since February. The 25-year-old in fact has an extremely long injury history during his career, missing more than 100 games for Barcelona with various problems.

Therefore, you could say that moving for the forward would be a gamble, but provided he can stay fully fit, may prove to be an excellent signing. He had contributed to 15 goals in 28 games for Barcelona this season, averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.23/10, a higher score than any Newcastle midfielder or attacker.

Hailed as a two-footed player who can penetrate defences by Didier Deschamps, Dembele would provide an option on either wing for Howe, and with the player about to enter the final 12 months of his Barcelona contract, he could be available for a cut-price fee.

Sri Lanka captain, Angelo Mathews, said Kusal Mendis’ batting and Rangana Herath’s “all-round” performances constituted the positives from the 2-0 Test series defeat against England. He was, however, non-committal on the struggling Lahiru Thirimanne’s continued place in the Test XI.Herath claimed seven wickets at an average of 43.28, and also hit 109 runs from No. 8 in the series. “Herath was superb,” Mathews said. “He is 38 and he has backed the team with his all-round ability. He is even throwing himself all over the field. It was good to see the oldest man diving around and stopping boundaries.”Mendis made the team’s lone half-century at Headingley, and hit 156 runs at an average of 31.20, with a strike rate of 65.27, through the series. Mathews said Mendis had earned a long run in the No. 3 position.”If we pick someone, we need to give him a fair opportunity and be patient with him. We don’t want to chop and change people. We need to find the best possible combination. When you identify a guy with skill and talent you need to persevere with him.”Thirimanne, meanwhile, had only hit one fifty in his previous 12 innings before the tour, but played all three Tests in England – perhaps on the strength of domestic performances, which have been consistently excellent. However, he mustered a highest score of 22 in five innings in England, and now averages 24.00 after 50 Test innings overall.Mathews had described him as the “best batsman” in the team before the tour, but said “we haven’t decided on certain positions” when asked about Thirimanne’s performance in the series.”This is a challenging tour for all the batsmen,” he said. “I don’t want to mention one particular player. We all have to take responsibility. Apart from Chandimal, no one was able to score a hundred here, and I don’t want to let anyone down. We have to be a close unit and we have to keep working hard. We haven’t made a decision on the No. 4 position.”Having folded for 91, 119 and 101 in the first three innings of the series, Mathews lauded the top order’s relative return to runs in the second innings at Chester-le-Street, and then at Lord’s. Sri Lanka’s highest score of the series was the 475 in the second innings of the second Test, and though they lost five wickets for 43 runs on the third day at Lord’s, managed totals of 288 and 78 for 1.”This was a good learning experience for all of us,” he said. “We are a young team and we don’t have much experience. The way the guys fought facing Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad in challenging conditions was good to see. The way they batted and they showed lot of guts – it was brilliant. If we play together as a unit we can improve further. We played pretty well in the second innings in Durham. At Lord’s, too, we were sitting pretty and then lost a heap of wickets on day three.”Mathews also echoed coach Graham Ford’s words on day four, and said Sri Lanka would have attempted to chase down the target of 362, had the weather allowed a full day’s play on Monday.

Russell Domingo, South Africa’s coach, has blamed heavy workloads and jaded players for his team’s failure to reach the final of the tri-nation series in the West Indies, but insisted the below-par performance would not push him to resign. Instead, Domingo called on Cricket South Africa to look into managing players’ workloads outside the international schedule to ensure they are hungry enough to perform for their country.”This loss comes on the back of our top players playing too much cricket,” Domingo said on his arrival in South Africa. “It’s a big concern for me. It’s one of the points I need to highlight with my superiors when I get time to sit down and chat to them.

‘De Villiers’ workload is a concern’

On the possibility of resting AB de Villiers for the Tests against New Zealand:
“He’s the captain, he’ll be the first name down on the sheet to play Tests against New Zealand. I spoke to him two days ago planning the workload. It is a concern. Some players around the world play all these tournaments but don’t play all the formats. Our players – Hashim, AB, Faf, Quinton, Morne, JP – they play all the formats and then play a lot of outside leagues as well so that is a big problem for us. But if AB is fit, he should be good to go for the Test series.”
On Dale Steyn being rested for the tri-series but being allowed to play in the NatWest t20 Blast:
“A lot of that thinking was that Dale did need some cricket. We sort of knew that spinners would play a big role in West Indies. Having him sit around, not doing too much was not going to benefit him too much. He would probably have gone to the West Indies and been in a similar position to Morne Morkel. He would probably have only played one game and done a lot of time in the nets. Five games of four overs wouldn’t have hurt him. It would only have benefitted him. I am glad he has gone and played some cricket.”
On the upcoming South Africa A matches in Zimbabwe and Australia:
“The South Africa A side allows you to broaden your base a bit and give some fringe players game time against quality opposition. There are some players in our Test side that will be playing for them like Dean Elgar, Stephen Cook, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt.”

“Think about our seriously long tour to India, long tour against England, then straight into the World T20. Then players stayed behind, played the IPL and flew straight to Caribbean. Some players arrived two days before our first game in Guyana and now some are staying another four weeks in the Caribbean, some are playing county cricket, then home for two weeks, then a series against New Zealand, then go and play a mini IPL, then straight into a tour against Australia. Those are challenges that the coaching staff and the players are sitting with at the moment. When you are playing that amount of cricket for that period of time, it’s difficult to maintain the standards consistently.”Of South Africa’s 15-man squad for the tri-series, nine (including Dean Elgar, who came in as an injury replacement) are Test regulars, eleven were part of the World T20 squad, ten played at the IPL, six are staying on for the CPL, two are headed for county stints and the rest will play for the A side. That means none of the players who are part of the current national set-up have had any time off since October last year and Domingo believes the fatigue is starting to show.”The desire and the hunger levels when you are playing day in and day out will wane at some stage. There’s no doubt about that. You can’t give 100% to ten different teams for ten months. Something’s got to give,” he said.The something, according to team manager Mohammed Moosajee, could be the no-objection certificates (NOC) CSA issues to players, which allows them to spend what should be time off playing in foreign leagues. “CSA management will need to look at the process going forward, how they release NOCs, taking into account the long international season,” Moosajee said.But the declining Rand has made it difficult to deny NOCs because CSA cannot match the amounts players earn overseas and this has left Domingo and his management team with a problem. “The big challenge for me is making sure that international cricket is still the main priority for our players. There are lot of tournaments, a lot of money to be made, a lot of opportunities for players to get out there and market themselves so I need to be making sure we focus really hard on our No.1 priority and that is representing our country,” he said. “Sometimes, if you have done it for a long time, you can take it for granted maybe. There is a lot happening outside international cricket. Making sure guys are fresh and hungry to perform for their country is of utmost importance for me.”Despite admitting he has not been able to do that in the last six months, and that the “sharpness and effectiveness” of the side is “lacking”, Domingo remained confident he and his management team are the right people to try and turn things around.”I’ve got to sit down with my management team and the board members and the CEO and the guys who make those decisions and plan the way forward. I’ve got 10 months left on my contract and the last six months haven’t gone according to plan. I am not a guy who wants to give up or quit so I need to discuss what their thoughts are,” Domingo said. “I’ve got a few days at home now to just mull over things and see where things are going. I feel that the management team we’ve got in place have ticked a lot of boxes and provided the players with as much support as we can. We’re still very motivated to do well. We feel we can take the team forward. That decision doesn’t always lie with us but that’s the way it is.”Domingo will take heart from the knowledge that he has one of the most important people in the set-up in his corner. AB de Villiers threw his weight behind the coach after the team’s loss in their final round-robin match when he said the players should take responsibility for their own shortcomings. Domingo, however, does not feel the players have let him down.”I wouldn’t say the players have let me down. I’m not a coach who is going to sit here and blame the players for lack of performances. Coaches have to front up and take the brunt of it when performances are not there,” he said. “I don’t feel let down by players, I feel let down by performances. The results haven’t been as good as what we’ve wanted. I feel the players gave it as much as they possible could.”The coach put South Africa’s early exit from the tournament on two moments in particular but stressed this does not mean they don’t have what it takes to perform under pressure. “The one was where we needed 96 runs off 15 overs against Australia we were three down and we lost. The batters let us down. Then, in the last game, we had West Indies 21 for 4 after 5 overs and our next 12 overs were very average. We bowled really poorly and allowed West Indies to get some momentum and establish a partnership. Those two phases probably cost us getting into the final and possibly winning the tournament,” Domingo said. “But I definitely think the team has got big-match temperament. This team has managed to win some must-win games in ODI and T20 cricket over the last two or three years.”He cited examples like their Mumbai win to take the series against India and their three victories in succession against England at home earlier this year, but acknowledged that those count for nothing because South Africa’s cabinet is missing a major trophy.”Until we win a world event, people will always question us,” Domingo said. “There’s another opportunity next year. There’s a Champions Trophy. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done in our one-day side to get us to be contenders for that but, with the players within our ranks, if we can manage them properly and make sure when the time comes they are all fully fit, all swimming in the same direction, we’ll be one of the teams to beat there.”Domingo’s contract expires before that tournament but if South Africa are to replace him, it is likely they will do so fairly soon to allow the new coach time in charge. With that in mind, has he come home feeling the heat? A little.”There’s always pressure. We know that playing for your country is the ultimate. It’s representing the people back home and we want to represent them well. We know how passionate our supporters are and how much time and money and effort gets put into our cricket. Management and players are under pressure to perform at all times.”

Northants Steelbacks confounded the sceptics yet again with a third Finals Day appearance in four years as Adam Rossington led them to victory against Middlesex

Vithushan Ehantharajah09-Aug-2016
ScorecardAdam Rossington saw Northants to Finals Day•Getty Images

Northamptonshire Steelbacks sealed the second Finals Day spot with a commanding seven-wicket win over Middlesex. “No one likes us and we don’t care” rang out from a few in the Ken Turner Stand, as they rose to embrace more Twenty20 success.While the sentiment seems a tad forced, there is a feeling in this part of the world that many take delight in shedding light on their faults, while applying the dimmer when success comes their way. For the third time in four years, they will command the Edgbaston spotlight.It was a game that boiled down to how both sides operated outside the Powerplay overs. And even that can be caveated by the fact that the Steelbacks, who were all for chasing before Dawid Malan won the toss and opted to set a target, knew they didn’t have to break sweat.That Northants were led to victory by a measured and unbeaten 67 from Adam Rossington will have stung Middlesex supporters. Rossington used to be theirs: a plunderer of runs in the Middlesex second team while the first XI stuttered, hammering away at a door that, ultimately, never fully opened for him.Opportunities came with the white ball, but Middlesex’s ambivalence to limited overs cricket at the time, coupled with John Simpson’s desire to play all forms, meant he was beginning to exist in a void. The cheers of six-and-a-half thousand filled every bit of air above Wantage Road when he helped the final ball of the match around the corner for four.So much of the occasion spoke of being Northants’ night. Two hours before the start, Abington Avenue was at a standstill as members were turned away from the car park as Sky set-up their various trailers across most of the Wantage Road car park behind the Pavilion. “That’s why we don’t invite ’em round,” snarled an attendant.Sky’s cameras, or rather their absence, has been a point of contention in these parts. Despite reaching Finals Day twice in the previous three seasons and starting the 2016 campaign with a bang, this quarter-final was only their third televised match of the season.Originally scheduled for just one – at home against Birmingham Bears – a second came due to a last minute switch, when Yorkshire Vikings needed a win to guarantee a quarter-final spot (or at least that was the Northants slant). It did not take long in this broadcast for viewers to figure out what happens next.Malan, who rattled off an unbeaten 185 off 126 balls for the England Lions in his last innings at Wantage Road, was dismissed for a two-ball duck by Rory Kleinveldt, before Nick Gubbins followed in a similar manner to Richard Gleeson to reduce Middlesex to 10 for 2 in the second over. As a pair, it Kleinveldt and Gleeson’s opening spell, hitting just back of a length with all they could, that scuppered Middlesex’s chances of posting a competitive total.Paul Stirling’s natural instincts were reined in and, when he departed, thoughts turned to George Bailey, who they restricted to a run-a-ball 46, for Gleeson’s second wicket of the innings. Legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna’s 2 for 20 from his four in the middle of the innings – accounting for Stirling and the destructive John Simpson for eight – and regular bowling changes eventually saw Middlesex stumble to 132.It meant that when pressure was built during the opening six overs of Northants’ innings, through dot balls and a packed and expectant off side, it was easily relieved with a six over midwicket from Richard Levi, an exquisite swing into the stand at extra cover from Rossington or consecutive fours muscled down the ground by Josh Cobb.If there was one moment that might have turned the game, it was when Ben Duckett, Northants’ leading T20 Blast run-scorer, was dropped on three after driving aerially to Gubbins stationed at cover to Nathan Sowter, at the end of the eighth over. It was hit low and hard to Gubbins’ right and, given the measly target, the quality of the batsman and the importance of the match, it simply had to be taken.With the first ball of the very next over, Duckett stepped down and flicked James Franklin over midwicket for four to bring up 2,000 runs in all competitions. He would go on to make 29 in a 58-run partnership with Rossington that effectively sealed Northants’ passage to their fourth Finals Day.Given the uncertainty that exists at the club, that is a remarkable feat. Middlesex were shorn of Brendon McCullum, Eoin Morgan and James Fuller through injury. But Northants, too, have had a plethora of ailments to such an extent that they have spent as much time at a nearby sports therapy clinic as they have in the nets recently. That they have only used 16 players this season is remarkable. “We don’t have any more than that,” remarked Northants skipper Alex Wakely.No doubt some will insist on labelling them as “outsiders” in the lead-up to Edgbaston. But this will be their third appearance at Finals Day in the last four years, winning the competition in 2013 and finishing runners-up in last year’s showpiece. That is far beyond the work of “underdogs”. That’s what you call pedigree.

Scottish champions Celtic are a club famed for their production of young talent, having churned out notable key figures from the academy ranks throughout their illustrious history, stretching back to the Lisbon Lions right through to the more modern examples of James Forrest and Callum McGregor.

It does appear that current boss Ange Postecoglou is keen to continue that tradition of promoting from within, with the 57-year-old having tipped a handful of youngsters – including promising left-back Matthew Anderson – to go on to make their mark in the senior ranks, having stated back in January:

"Over the course of the next six to 12 months they’ll start beginning to make an impact at first-team level. I really believe that."

Just a matter of months on from that statement, the Greek-Aussie's prophecy has already come to fruition, with Rocco Vata, in particular, having become a more prominent member of the first-team squad of late.

The highly-coveted 18-year-old – who has attracted significant interest from clubs across Europe – has now featured off the bench in three of the last four Scottish Premiership games, having previously been described by talent scout Jacek Kulig as a player who has an "exciting future ahead".

The Republic of Ireland youth international is the latest example that there is a pathway between the youth ranks and the first-team for those who are deserving of a promotion, with the hope being that others will begin to follow in his footsteps.

There has, of course, already been a debut outing for Ben Summers in recent weeks, although the midfielder is not the only talent who could well emulate Vata in the near future, with young Adam Brooks having the potential to be the club's next sensation.

Who is Celtic's Adam Brooks?

The teenage starlet is among those who are still waiting for a first-team bow, although the versatile asset – who can feature in an attacking midfield role or as a centre-forward – can hardly have done much more to stake his claim following what has been a scintillating campaign for the club's 'B' team.

The 19-year-old dynamo has so far scored 15 goals and provided two assists in just 26 games across all fronts this season, notably bagging a standout haul of 13 goals in only 19 Lowland League appearances.

It would appear that the Scotland youth international is continuing the standout form that he showcased last term, having been praised for his impactful performances by youth coach Darren O'Dea, who stated back in January 2022:

"Adam is one at the minute that’s in really good form, he’s scoring goals, he’s created a lot of goals, he’s trained particularly well. But he’s also developing the other side to his game."

The free-scoring talent may be hoping to emerge as a possible competitor to the likes of Oh Hyeon-gyu and Kyogo Furuhashi in a central role, with O'Dea having suggested the latter man is a perfect example for young Brooks to follow:

"And for Adam, someone like Kyogo is who he should be watching all the time. As much as Kyogo is known for how sensational he is in possession, he’s as good out of possession."

The aim for the £600-p/w teen will be to make the step up over the coming weeks if Postecoglou's men are able to swiftly wrap up the title, with the case of Vata having shown that the Celtic boss is willing to give opportunities to the club's sparkling youngsters.