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da stake casino： A new report has claimed that Everton are "nailed on" to receive yet another punishment regarding their financial issues, in what is a fresh blow for Sean Dyche after his side were mauled 6-0 at Chelsea on Monday evening.

A season to forget at Everton

da cassino online： There was hope back in August that the Blues could embark on a season to remember, with Dyche adjusting to life at his new club after keeping them up, some good signings coming in and talk of a takeover going through acting as a taster of better times ahead.

Instead, the 2023/24 campaign has been a nightmare much of the time, with everything seemingly going wrong at the club, both on and off the pitch. Thankfully, results have just about been good enough to stay away from the Premier League relegation zone, but point deductions have seen them in danger of heading to the Championship for the first time, not helped by a truly horrific performance at Stamford Bridge.

It remains to be seen if further financial punishments will come their way in the coming weeks, but for now, supporters just have to desperately hope that as many points are picked up as possible and Dyche can pick his team up after such a timid display.

Meanwhile, the proposed takeover of Everton by 777 Partners also shows no sign of going through, as the Farhad Moshiri era at Goodison Park continues to drag on. There have been some reports suggesting that a deal could be struck in the near future, but similar stories have also emerged in recent months, only for the rumours to cool.

Everton "nailed on" for fresh punishment

According to a new update from Football Insider, Everton are now "nailed on" to receive another financial punishment, this time relating to their new stadium. The Blues are "to be hit with at least a fine over an unresolved matter" regarding their future Bramley Moore Dock home.

It further claimed that "Sean Dyche’s side are currently in a dispute with the Premier League over the status of certain costs associated with their new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock", although any punishment wouldn't be inflicted until next season.

When it rains it pours for Everton, at a time when supporters must just be desperate to hear something even remotely positive emerge at the club. It has been such a grim period in the club's history, having battled to avoid relegation from the Premier League in the past two seasons as well, and happy days still feel a long way away.

As if point deductions for financial breaches weren't bad enough, learning that there are now issues with stadium payments is simply rubbing salt in the wounds, especially as their new home is the one silver lining fans have been looking forward to.

Related Everton eye shock move for Liverpool flop who once cost £62m

This would be a controversial move…

Posts ByTom Cunningham Apr 11, 2024

One day, the hope is that these many issues are dealt with, with new owners in place, a stunning new stadium to enjoy and funds available to sign new players, but those days feel like a long way off currently. For now, it is a case of Dyche and his players ignoring the noise and staying up in the coming weeks, before resetting ahead of next season.

Victor Osimhen has been excluded from Napoli squad for the 2024-25 Serie A season as his shirt number has been handed over to Romelu Lukaku.

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• Osimhen out of Napoli squad
• Shirt number handed over to Lukaku
• Failed to complete a transfer to Al-Ahli on deadline day

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Nigerian forward failed to get out of Napoli before the summer transfer window closed on Friday as his reported move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli collapsed at the last moment on the deadline day after the Italian side demanded an extra €5million (£4m/$5.5m) on top of the €80m (£67m/$88m) that was offered, according to Sky Sports in Italy. Had the deal gone through, Osimhen would have earned €40 million (£33.7m/$44.3m) per season for four years, however, it did not materialise as he stayed back at Napoli.

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• Getty
  

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  After seeing his proposed transfer fall apart, Osimhen and his agent reportedly reacted angrily, with the latter making furious phone calls to club president Aurelio De Laurentiis and sporting director Giovanni Manna. The entire episode has destroyed the relationship between the club and the striker and he has now been excluded from Antonio Conte's squad for the 2024-25 season Serie A season.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  With Romelu Lukaku already having arrived to take his place at the Serie A side, the Belgian has now been handed the No.9 shirt which was previously worn by Osimhen.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR VICTOR OSIMHEN?

  The 25-year-old is now stuck in limbo with no transfer on the horizon and Conte apparently prepared to leave him frozen out of the team. Gli Azzurri will be next seen in action on Saturday as they take on Parma in a league clash.

da betano casino： Aston Villa’s chances of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League took a big hit last weekend as they stumbled to a 4-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.

da esoccer bet： Having just three days recovery between the clash on Sunday and their Europa Conference League tie against Ajax looked as though it caught up with Unai Emery’s men.

While they were 2-0 down to Spurs, John McGinn got himself sent off with 25 minutes remaining and the north Londoners netted another two in added time to wrap up a convincing victory.

Should Villa prevail against the Dutch giants this Thursday, could fatigue begin to set in and derail their challenge for a Champions League spot?

McGinn’s red card on Sunday means he will now be suspended for the next few league matches and combining this with an ever-growing injury list, it looks as though the Midlands side could see their dreams being destroyed.

Emery has formed an excellent starting XI, but his squad depth is a worry, especially in defence.

If Matty Cash gets injured, the only other senior right back in the first-team squad is Calum Chambers, and he has played a grand total of 222 minutes this season, and he is currently earning more than one of their January transfer signings.

Calum Chambers’ statistics at Aston Villa

In January 2022, during Steven Gerrard’s first transfer window in charge of the club, the former Rangers manager lured Chambers north in a move that cost them just £2m.

This was due to the defender having only six months left on his Arsenal contract and, on the surface, it appeared to be a bargain.

Chambers had spent the previous six and a half seasons at the Gunners, making 122 appearances across all competitions, yet his final 18 months saw him feature on just 17 occasions, and it was clear his future was elsewhere.

Gerrard had secured the signing of a defender with plenty of Premier League experience, and he played 11 games for Villa until May 2022, scoring once in the process.

This should have been a solid platform to work with ahead of the following season, yet he started just five matches for the club, including only two in the league.

The right-back ranked in a lowly 17th position in the squad for accurate passes per game (10.9) in the top flight, while finishing in 11th spot for accurate long balls per game (0.6) and 14th for tackles per match (0.6), indicating that he failed to perform when given a chance in the first team.

The 29-year-old has found opportunities even harder to come by this term as Emery prefers Cash on the right of his back four.

Indeed, Chambers has played just 44 minutes of Premier League football during 2023/24 and that came against Nottingham Forest a couple of weeks ago amid the club's wretched run of injuries at the back.

The Englishman still has another year left on his current contract, yet the Spaniard will clearly be looking to move him on this summer, especially considering the wage that he is earning every week.

What Calum Chambers earns at Aston Villa

The defender signed a three-and-a-half-year deal in January 2022, earning a staggering £50k-per-week in the process.

Since he joined, the defender has only played 32 times for the Villa Park outfit, which indicates that he is rinsing the club dry, even if a lavish fee wasn't spent to acquire his services.

Aston Villa's top ten highest earners

Player

Weekly salary

Clement Lenglet

£150k

Boubacar Kamara

£150k

Youri Tielemans

£150k

Moussa Diaby

£130k

Ollie Watkins

£130k

John McGinn

£120k

Lucas Digne

£120k

Emiliano Martínez

£120k

Leon Bailey

£120k

Diego Carlos

£100k

Via Capology

Indeed, combining his £2m transfer fee with the £5.7m he has earned roughly since moving to the club just over two years ago, the total comes to £7.7m, which works out at £240k per game.

While he may be towards the lower end of the scale concerning the highest earners at Villa, he is still earning more than Morgan Rogers, who joined in January, yet the youngster clearly has a big part to play for the club in the coming weeks, unlike Chambers.

How much Morgan Rogers earns at Aston Villa

It was evident during the winter transfer window that Emery was looking to add some attacking reinforcements to his side, while also thinking about the future in the process.

This led him to target a move for Rogers, who had impressed during the first six months of the season for Middlesbrough.

The winger had scored seven goals and registered nine assists for Boro in all competitions and this type of form clearly grabbed the eye of Emery.

A deal was finally announced on deadline day, with Rogers potentially costing the club up to £16m, but his potential ensures this could soon turn into a wise investment.

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The winger was handed a long-term deal while earning a wage of £20k-per-week, which placed him near the bottom of the squad, and this is even £30k-per-week less than Chambers, who has barely featured this season.

The 29-year-old is approaching the last few years of his career and has certainly rinsed the club since his January move in 2022, although Emery will be keen to move him on as soon as possible.

Rogers, on the other hand, has a wonderful future ahead of him. He has yet to open up his account for Villa, but given plenty of time to develop, there is no doubt he can become a shrewd acquisition.

Against Luton Town a couple of weeks ago, Rogers was unleashed in the starting XI and gave Emery plenty to think about while delivering a promising performance.

Not only did he have a shot on target, but the 21-year-old succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts, made two key passes and lost possession on just four occasions, proving that he is ready for the Premier League.

In comparison, Chambers’ last league appearance saw the defender win zero duels, and make zero tackles or interceptions along with succeeding with 0% of his accurate long ball attempts.

Yet he is earning more than Rogers. The summer transfer window simply cannot come quicker for the former Paris Saint-Germain boss as he seeks to improve his squad.

Chambers will surely be one of the first players to depart to free up some of the wage bill.

Manchester United are in the market for new arrivals this window and transfer insider Dean Jones has now given his verdict on links between the Red Devils and one of Europe's finest playmakers.

Manchester United's January window…

January has come at a good time for Erik ten Hag as he looks to give his beleaguered squad a lift following an inconsistent run of form and the Red Devils' support will have an appetite for new arrivals this month.

Manchester United fans may be made to wait on that front, though, owing to football director John Murtough's comments last month suggesting that a quiet few weeks may be in store at Old Trafford.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

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Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

He stated at a Fans Forum in December: "Looking ahead to the January transfer window, we are not expecting it to be particularly busy. There will always be the possibility of deals around the edges of the squad, particularly in terms of finding opportunities for players who are not playing as much football as they would like."

Reports in the last few days have claimed that Crystal Palace playmaker Michael Olise is on the radar at Old Trafford and could be involved in a swap deal with former England Under-21 international Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who could head to Selhurst Park in a player-plus-cash agreement; nevertheless, this pursuit is more likely to develop in the summer window.

Now, journalist Jones has given his thoughts on an alternative Manchester United target who has been linked with an exciting move to Old Trafford.

Dean Jones reacts to Paulo Dybala rumours

According to reports, Manchester United could look to bring in Roma attacking midfielder Paulo Dybala this window. The Argentina international has a release clause worth just around £10-11 million, which could make him an affordable solution to the Red Devils' lack of a creative spark in the engine room.

Paulo Dybala statistics in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)
Appearances	17
Goals	6
Assists	6
Paulo Dybala in-game statistics – Serie A (WhoScored)
Shots per game	2.5
Key passes per game	2.1
Completed dribbles per game	1.2

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones has indicated that Dybala would be a "mouthwatering" signing for Manchester United, and he has gone as far as to label him as "one of the best of his generation" in his position; however, he has also labelled any potential transfer as a "big risk" due to this being another marquee name heading towards the end of their prime.

"We've talked about Dybala coming to the Premier League for years. I resigned myself to the fact that he is never actually going to come last year, yet here we are talking about him again. I just feel like it is a big risk to sign Dybala because there always seems to be something that holds him back from fully fulfilling his potential.

"He is a fantastic footballer – in terms of talent, he is one of the best of his generation – so signing him would be mouthwatering. There is no doubt about it. But Manchester United have signed players like this before, and it hasn't worked out.

"I'd be very careful about targeting somebody like this because the expectations will be so high, and it will be extremely difficult for him to meet them."

Kagiso Rabada shows glimpses of what his side needs in these conditions

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth16-Jan-2020If you want to guess how much goes on in Port Elizabeth, use today’s play as your most revealing clue. With 224 runs scored and four wickets taken, you will conclude that not that much happened and you would not be wrong, on the field and off it.This is the sleepiest of the four venues for this series, a place where life seems simpler. There’s one go-to beachfront strip, one hipster neighbourhood and one team in the premier soccer league. Likewise, there’s one thing to expect from the St George’s Park pitch: it will be slow.That means fielding teams need to think innovatively, especially if they have to make first use of the surface in trying conditions, as was the case today. It was the hottest day of the week, with barely a breath of wind, even though the bowling-friendly easterly was forecast, and South Africa decided an extra bowler was necessary.Dane Paterson, who bowls in the high-130s, became the 109th player to be capped post-readmission and replaced Dwaine Pretorius, whose speeds are in the low-130s. On the face of it, it does not seem like a bad idea. Extra pace, albeit at the expense of an allrounder, could have its uses but not when used the way South Africa did today.Paterson shared the new ball with Vernon Philander, despite the presence of out and out quicks, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje. South Africa’s bowling coach Charl Langeveldt explained the decision as part of a strategy to ensure England’s openers were not allowed to leave too much. “On this surface, we needed to make the new ball count and the captain and management decided we would go with Paterson because he bowls a fuller length and makes the batsmen play more,” Langeveldt said.England left 10 balls in the first eight overs, so perhaps South Africa achieved their aim but Zak Crawley admitted the decision not to use Rabada upfront surprised him. That statement should tell South Africa everything they need to know about the dangers of taking the pressure off the opposition in the opening exchanges, which should be as attritional as possible.It also puts the spotlight on Philander and won’t be amiss to go as far as to question his inclusion in the XI, considering his contribution, or lack thereof, and the conditions. Philander delivered an opening spell of four overs, in which Quinton de Kock was standing up to him, a mid-morning session of four overs and then did not bowl again until the second new ball. He was the least-used seam bowler on the day, delivering only 11 overs, but Langeveldt said team management were not expecting any more from the soon-to-be-retired seamer. “The surface doesn’t suit Vern that much. It’s quite slow so off the wicket batsmen can adjust. Vern is great with the new ball, but we decided to use him sparingly,” Langeveldt said.Would South Africa have got more from Pretorius, in terms of overs or impact? It’s tough to say, especially because Faf du Plessis has previously explained the expectation on Pretorius is to contribute 10-15 overs a day and keep it tight and Langeveldt called Philander and Pretorius “basically two of the same”. So South Africa chose one of them, and may spend the rest of this Test wondering if it was the wrong one.The outcome of all that is that Keshav Maharaj had to put in overtime and bowled 30 overs in succession, from before lunch until before the second new ball, and two overs to close the day. Not only did Maharaj keep England quiet and allow the quicks to rotate from the Park Dive End, but he also created several chances and made the breakthrough that changed the meandering mood of the day into something more meaty. De Kock was the man who spotted that a wicket was on offer when Maharaj struck Joe Denly on the pad, just before he inside-edged the ball. De Kock was the lone voice to appeal and asked for a review; replays showed that the ball was hitting middle and off-stump.Keshav Maharaj impressed in the holding role•Stu Forster/Getty ImagesThat brought Ben Stokes to the crease, to resume a cat-and-mouse game with Maharaj that was evenly poised after the first two Tests. Maharaj dismissed Stokes in the second innings at SuperSport Park and Stokes took Maharaj on at Newlands. Here, they danced again.Maharaj hit Stokes on the back pad and du Plessis reviewed but Stokes survived on umpire’s call on the impact just outside the line and responded with a sweep through midwicket for four. In the next over Maharaj again had a review off Stokes, for a delivery that spun past the inside edge and off the pad, for what looked like a slip catch. Replays showed that there was no bat and no chance of an lbw with impact outside the line. Stokes responded with a cut for four. In the next over, Maharaj kept Stokes on the back foot and set him up for the nudge to short-leg, but the chance fell just short of Pieter Malan. Still, it showed that some parts of the South African attack are working to a plan, specifically the leg-side plan that dismissed Dom Sibley.Du Plessis set 6-3 fields to Sibley, who showed South Africa his willingness to play the ball in the air on the onside. He did it several times in the morning session and one too many in the afternoon, when he steered a back-of-a-length Rabada ball to Dean Elgar at backward square leg.Rabada enjoyed that wicket but not as much as his next one, the England captain Joe Root. Post-tea, after Maharaj’s crucial intervention with the wicket of Denly, Rabada beat Root for pace and pegged back his off-stump. He sent Root off by screaming at the stumps, a celebration reminiscent of his performance here two years ago against Australia. Then, Rabada went full tilt against Steve Smith, with a shoulder charge that almost earned him a suspension. Then was also the last time Rabada took a five-for and the last time he seemed to get properly riled up.Since then, Rabada has looked everything from lethargic to overworked and though he remains South Africa’s most feared bowler, he has not always enjoyed the returns that come with his reputation. Even though Rabada was South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in 2019, it was his Rabada’s leanest full calendar year as a Test cricketer and led to questions about whether he was bowled too much, too soon, and was maybe becoming a little jaded by it all. His reaction to dismissing Root said otherwise. “KG is always looking for a scrap. It gets him fired up,” Langeveldt said.On a pitch like this, that’s what South Africa need: an inspired spell from someone who can make something out of nothing. That doesn’t often happen in Port Elizabeth, but the next four days could be different.

Celtic are on the hunt for a new striker, and one of their targets has left the door very much open ahead of a potential Celtic Park switch.

Celtic being pushed in Premiership title race

Though the Bhoys currently sit atop the Scottish Premiership, they could be dethroned should Rangers win their game in hand by a few goals, and there are clearly problems within Brendan Rodgers' squad. Principally, it appears that the front line needs something of a refresh.

Though they completed a loan move for Adam Idah in January, it remains to be seen whether or not Brendan Rodgers opts to make the move permanent, and with Japanese striker Kyogo Furuhashi persistently linked with a move away from Celtic Park a new striker may be needed even if the Norwich man is made permanent.

One man that they have previously been credited with an interest in is Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski, who is the Dons' top goalscorer. Originally a left-back as a youngster, the reformed frontman has been a revelation at Pittodrie. Starting all of Aberdeen's 23 Scottish Premiership this season, he has returned 13 goals and is largely responsible for keeping them out of the drop zone this campaign.

Scottish Premiership top goalscorers 2023/24

Club

Goals

Lawrence Shankland

Hearts

17

Bojan Miovski

Aberdeen

13

Matt O'Riley

Celtic

10

James Tavernier

Rangers

10

Abdallah Sima

Rangers

10

With Celtic thought to have been interested in the North Macedonian before they moved for Idah, it is thought that they would be keen to return for him in the summer, though Aberdeen will still demand that they make him the most expensive transfer between two Scottish sides (a figure that currently stands at £4.4m from when Scott Brown swapped Hibernian for Celtic Park).

Miovski flattered but determined to remain focused

Quizzed on the links, Miovski left the door open to remain in Scotland and move to Celtic, though he was quick to stress that his focus remained on his career with Aberdeen.

"I'm playing the best season of my career at Aberdeen and I'm enjoying football", he said, via Rangers Review.

"I like Scotland. It has a great passion for football. People love the club, they are with us everywhere. I like Scottish football because it is played very quickly and all the time the balls are put forward towards us strikers. The game is played with a lot of contact, but it's direct and I love seeing this much action in the penalty box.

"I am happy to be linked with clubs like Celtic, Rangers and Southampton because that means I'm making progress. I still have two years left on my contract in Aberdeen, I am focused on the club and on winning a place in Europe like last year. What the future will bring?… I don't know.

"Now I am focused only on my club and that is my goal, to be as good as possible. Aberdeen are in the top three clubs in Scotland. Celtic and Rangers are one thing, Aberdeen is another – our club signs young players for less money and gives everyone a chance."

With a third of the season left to play, there is plenty of time for Miovski to attract even bigger suitors and potentially spark a bidding war for his services come the summer transfer window, with goalscorers worth their weight in gold to any side.

Alexander Isak's agent Vlado Lemic has taken a brutal swipe at Newcastle after helping the striker push through his long-awaited move to Liverpool on deadline day. The Reds broke the British transfer record by paying £125m ($169m) to sign Isak, bringing to an end a transfer saga that dominated the summer window.

Isak's agent aims dig at NewcastleStriker finally completed his Anfield moveLiverpool broke the British transfer record Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Isak spent the entire summer pushing for a move away from St James’ Park. He effectively went on strike at one stage, as he stayed away from training and worked by himself. He even went public with his desire to end his relationship with the Magpies. The move finally happened on deadline day when Newcastle sanctioned the striker's record-breaking transfer to Anfield.

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With the record move now sealed, Isak's agent Vlado Lemic has seemingly taken a brutal swipe at the Magpies over their handling of the entire episode during the summer window. 

WHAT ISAK'S AGENT SAID

Lemic sent a cryptic message to , which was read out by host Jim White on the White and Jordan show. It read: "It's nice when you have someone to be with, but it is even nicer when you know who you will never be with again."

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ISAK?

Right now, Isak is on international duty and set to feature for Sweden in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Kosovo on September 5 and 8, respectively. The striker could make his Liverpool debut once club football returns in a Premier League clash with Burnley on September 14. 

Batsman was part of Test squad for New Zealand tour in 2017-18

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2019Liam Livingstone has decided against entering the upcoming IPL auction in a bid to return to England’s Test squad by impressing in Division One of the County Championship.Livingstone, who is yet to win his Test cap but was part of the squad for the New Zealand series in 2017-18, played four games for Rajasthan Royals last season, but has left the franchise by mutual consent and will not put his name forward for the 2020 edition of the tournament.While it is two years since his only taste of international cricket – a pair of T20Is against South Africa in 2017 – Livingstone is still only 26, and hopes that a strong start to the Championship season will put him back on England’s radar.”I loved the experience of playing in the IPL,” Livingstone said, “but I have decided to put a renewed focus on first-class cricket next summer.”I am committed to improving my game in all formats and I still have hopes of playing Test cricket; the best way to achieve that is by impressing in Division One.”I hugely enjoyed being part of the County Championship side last season. The lads played some exceptional red-ball cricket and I am optimistic about what we can achieve together moving forward.”After a lean 2018, in which he scored just 336 Championship runs at 24.00 and failed to reach 50 as Lancashire were relegated from Division One, Livingstone enjoyed a better first-class season in 2019 after relinquishing the captaincy, making 599 runs at an average of 46.07.”To have Liam available for the start of the season is welcome news,” said Paul Allott, Lancashire’s director of cricket. “He is a senior member of the changing room and undoubtedly improves our side in first-class cricket.”With an enhanced focus on County Championship cricket in the early months of the 2020 season, we need to ensure we hit the ground running on our return to what will be a competitive Division One. Liam’s availability will help us to achieve this.”Livingstone will be available to play for Lancashire for the whole of the County Championship and T20 Blast seasons, though will miss the One-Day Cup due to his commitments in the Hundred. He was widely expected to be picked early in the draft for the tournament by Manchester Originals, but was instead snapped up in the first round by Birmingham Phoenix.Livingstone is currently playing in the Mzansi Super League, South Africa’s domestic T20 tournament, and has entered the draft for the Pakistan Super League. He will also appear in the Big Bash as one of Perth Scorchers’ overseas players, signalling that his hopes of making England’s squad for next year’s T20 World Cup are still alive.

Lancashire go into their quarter-final at Chester-le-Street as favourites, but will be wary of an in-form Essex side

Matt Roller03-Sep-2019

Ravi Bopara has been left frustrated after spending the season at number six•Getty Images

Since the competition changed to a 14-match group stage in 2014, no team has ever qualified for the quarter-finals of the T20 Blast winning as few as five games, but a combination of bad weather and a miraculous set of results have seen Essex manage just that.They go into Wednesday’s quarter-final at Chester-le-Street against Lancashire as outsiders – not least with Mohammad Amir missing having returned to Pakistan – but after three wins and a tie in their last four games, are confident of causing an upset.Before Friday’s win against Kent, captain Simon Harmer told ESPNcricinfo that the tournament had been “frustrating and challenging” for his side, as he tried to “slowly change the mindset and get players to buy in”.One man who he has struggled to convince of his methods is Ravi Bopara, who missed two games earlier in the tournament after what he labelled “some very tough conversations” about his batting position.Of Bopara’s 141 innings in T20 cricket for Essex, only 17 have come at number six of lower, and eight of those have been in this year’s competition.”It’s probably why I got left out in those couple of games earlier in the tournament,” Bopara said. “And if I’m brutally honest, I’m still not happy down there.”But, it’s the role I’ve been given, I’ll give my very best, and hopefully we’ll win games – that’s all I can do.”If Bopara is unconvinced of the logic behind the call – and after liking a tweet from his agent saying “surely you want your best players to face more deliveries”, it seems clear that he is – then it has certainly paid off thus far.His strike-rate 10 balls into an innings over the past three seasons for Essex is only 112.92, but unbeaten knocks of 70 off 35 and 47 off 27 in the must-win games against Surrey and Kent last week demonstrated his ability to ‘catch up’ after slow starts. Ultimately, those innings were what dragged them through to the knockouts.And since 2017, Bopara’s record for Essex suggests that he is much more effective against seamers than against spinners: he has scored at 9.80 runs per over against pace, compared to 7.43 against spin in that time period, lending support to the idea that holding him back for the end of an innings works as a plan.Wednesday’s quarter-final may prove different. Lancashire have been happy to hold their spinners back until the end of an innings, bowling almost as many overs of spin (22.4) as seam (23.5) at the death.ALSO READ: Tracking Blast tacticsOutside of the powerplay, Lancashire’s spinners have bowled almost twice as much as their seamers (88.4 overs to 47.5), suggesting that Dan Lawrence – who has averaged over 50 while scoring at more than 10 an over against spin in the past two seasons – is the key man.”The way Dan’s played in this competition – he’s been a great find,” said Bopara. “We know that he’s been around for a while, and we’ve known that he’s a good player, but I just feel that this year, he’s kind of nailed it – he’s come good.”He’s a strong, powerful guy now – he’s filling out, so he’s able to strike the ball a bit harder, he’s full of confidence and that’s great to see. He’s played a crucial part in our qualification.”If it is less than ideal for their fans, who are tasked with a 275-mile round trip on a work night, then Lancashire’s venue switch to Chester-le-Street should be perfect for their gameplan. Durham’s home games this season have, as usual, been characterised by low scores due to a slow wicket and vast square boundaries, and with Matt Parkinson, Liam Livingstone, Glenn Maxwell and Steven Croft in their side, Lancashire will be more than happy to strangle Essex with spin.But Essex themselves have plenty of pace-off options: between Harmer, Bopara, Adam Zampa and even Cameron Delport, they could bowl as many as 16 overs of spin and medium-pace. It might not be a high-scoring thriller for the neutrals, but it promises to be filled with the tactical nuances that often define modern T20s.Zampa – after an underwhelming World Cup – has had a solid tournament, taking 12 wickets with an economy of 8.02, despite playing his home games on the competition’s fastest-scoring ground, and Harmer suggested that he is a perfect overseas signing.”He’s an intricate creature,” Harmer said. “He’s very different but he brings a lot of energy. He’s a hell of a good guy, always there for you when you need him, on and off the field.”You can throw Zamps the ball [in the] first six, at the death, in the middle – it doesn’t matter, he’s always up for it. As a captain, it’s been really nice having him in the XI.”It is important to remember why Lancashire are favourites. Nobody in their batting lineup has passed 300 runs in the tournament, but any side boasting the mercurial talents of Maxwell, Croft and Livingstone – not least with the competition’s leading wicket-taker in Parkinson to back them up – should win substantially more often than it loses.But despite Bopara’s frustrations, Essex have stumbled across a formula that has started to work for them; if they can bring that into Wednesday’s game, they are not to be written off.

The pink ball gets soft quickly and once that happens, run-scoring becomes easy

Sidharth Monga13-Dec-2020Centuries from Ben McDermott and Jack Wildermuth – first-class averages of 43 and 29 before this game – kept Indians at bay to earn Australia A a draw in the final tour game before the Tests but not before the new-ball bowlers had shot another blow to Joe Burns’ confidence, and possibly the selectors’ confidence in him. Burns now has 62 runs from his last nine innings, leaving the Test team a selection headache for Adelaide but equally India learnt something significant about the pink ball with a whole day spent in the field.The lesson – as has been seen before – is that once the pink ball gets soft it is significantly easier to bat against. It arguably gets softer sooner than the red Kookaburra. On all three days, batting has looked comfortable if you get past roughly 30 overs. India’s all-pace attack, led by Test stalwarts Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami – found little assistance after the three early wickets, all in the bag inside the first 12 overs. Even the fourth wicket – that of Alex Carey – was a gift to the part-time spin of Hanuma Vihari.If the make-up of this XI was an indication that India were thinking of an all-pace attack – overall numbers do back that direction with visiting spinners struggling badly in day-night Tests in Australia – they might go back from SCG with some second thoughts with how dead it became once the ball went soft.In day-night Tests in Australia, teams average 27.25 runs for a wicket in the first 30 overs followed by an average 30.4 in the next 50 overs. The run rate jumps from 2.79 to 3.24. That is a 16% increase in both runs per wicket and per over. In day Tests played over the same period in Australia, the scoring rate remains the same after the 30th over at 3.11 while the average goes up negligibly from 38.22 to 39.05. The sample size for day-night Tests is small, especially when the variables of bowling under lights are high, but paired with visual evidence of how easy batting looked after around the 30th over, it might be safe to surmise wickets with the old pink ball might be hard work if not bowled under lights. Remember Bumrah came to bat in the 31st over in the first innings and looked at ease, confounding those who had seen India collapse to 123 for 9.The day, though, began with questions for Australia. Burns, in what might seem to those on the outside as his last chance to seal his slot for Adelaide, came out with a pretty significant change in his set-up. He stood on off stump, and then made two small movements further across even before the ball was released in order to cover the line just outside off. Pushing at one outside his eyeline is how he got out in the first innings. However, this change left him vulnerable to the straighter one as was visible the moment Shami gave Burns a full straight one, trapping him lbw thanks to a shot across the line as opposed to one with a straight bat.It won’t please Australia that now the favourite for the opening slot, Marcus Harris, walked straight into a trap laid out for him, glancing a straight delivery straight into the lap of the leg gully. That was a fielder India employed against Harris with success on the previous tour.After Carey slogged Vihari straight to mid-on, came together two men who were brought in at the last moment as injury replacements. They were solid against India’s Plan A before Wildermuth went after the short-ball plans, hooking with aplomb even against Shami and Bumrah. McDermott got the worse of the uneven bounce when Indians banged the ball in, but he was lucky none of his aerial flicks landed with the fielders. It will be an especially satisfying finish for McDermott, who had converted only one of 16 previous half-centuries into a hundred.In the end the Indians were happy not to stretch their bowlers for one late push so close to a Test match. The teams shook hands the moment the mandatory overs ended. Last five of those were bowled by part-timers Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal.