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Plays of the Day from the first ODI of the CB series, between India and Australia at the MCG

Sidharth Monga at the MCG05-Feb-2012The dive
In the third over of the Indian innings, Gautam Gambhir drove superbly, but David Warner put in a better dive at cover to save the boundary. However, the ball slipped out and kept going further away. Warner began swimming on the ground to try to keep the ball in his control. He couldn’t stop the single, but his attempt brought out smiles on the other Australian fielders’ faces.The overthrows…
Not. In the second over of the game, Suresh Raina fielded one at cover, ran in towards the stumps, assumed the ball was dead and lobbed it towards mid-on, who was caught napping. Matthew Wade thought of taking the overthrows but stopped, only to see David Warner run towards him. The two went ahead for two overthrows even as India protested. The umpire agreed, and took away the runs. It would have been interesting, though, if there had been a run-out attempt involved.The continuing redemption
R Vinay Kumar continues to get Warner out. On his debut, Vinay was demolished by Warner. Since then, though, Vinay has taken Warner out in one Twenty20 and today’s ODI. Vinay to Warner in Tests: 36 balls, 43 runs, no wicket. In ODIs: eight balls, two runs, one wicket; in T20Is: six balls, 11 runs, one wicket.The miscalculation
With the game reduced to 32 overs, the bowling restrictions were changed to a maximum of seven overs for two bowlers. Everyone seemed to have forgotten that Praveen Kumar and Vinay had already bowled seven each when Rahul Sharma came on to bowl the 32nd over. Two balls later the umpires realised it was Rahul’s seventh too, and had to call MS Dhoni for a conversation before taking the ball away.The adjustment
Australia had their innings interrupted during the 11th over, and came back to end up with 5 for 216. During the break computers and calculators got into action to arrive at the D/L target for India. And in a near-unique instance, they came up with a target of… 217. New cricket fans would have wondered what the fuss was all about.

Forty-eight hours, almost to the minute, after the players and umpires trooped off the field at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, never to return, they emerged from the famous white-washed pavilion at the ARG to huge cheers

Andrew McGlashan in Antigua16-Feb-2009
It was a frustrating day for the bowlers as the ARG showed its true colours© AFP
Forty-eight hours, almost to the minute, after the players and umpires trooped off the field at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, never to return, they emerged from the famous white-washed pavilion at the ARG to huge cheers. Seven hours later they left the field with England on 301 for 3 and it was as if the ground’s three-year exile had never taken place. It’s already become a hopeless task predicting this series, but that scoreline was beyond what anyone had expected in the circumstances – especially Chris Gayle.Gayle perhaps overheard Keith Frederick, the groundsman, declaring before the toss that whoever won was “guaranteed” to bowl first. He’d have been better off taking heed of Frederick’s pronouncement on the eve of the game, when he said that this was “as good as any” pitch that had been produced here. It sounded a fanciful notion after just 36 hours to work on it, but he has so far been proved right. Gayle, though, clearly swayed by all the pre-match talk, was happy to stick England in. He’d also done it two days ago, in a hope to maintain the momentum from Kingston, but at the ARG they struggled to rekindle the Jamaica fire.In the England team of the Duncan Fletcher era a day like this that didn’t go to plan earned the tag a ‘Duncan day’ because the coach would have to front up to the media. The current West Indies team has ‘Dyson days’ and their coach admitted that some of the sting had gone from the victory in Kingston.”With the disruptions of the rain and of course the change of venue, it hasn’t been really easy to keep the intensity that we would ideally like, but that is not to take anything away from the England batting performance today. They batted very well and I think the wicket played extremely well.”However, Dyson said criticism over Gayle’s decision at the toss was based on “hindsight” and that the consensus had been that the surface would aid the bowlers. A few balls misbehaved; Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen both took blows on the arm, while consecutive balls from Fidel Edwards bowling from the Factory Road End scuttled along the deck after landing on the football centre circle that runs across a good length, but they were the exception.”The wicket played exceptionally, we thought it might have something in it this morning, particularly as it rained so heavily yesterday,” he said. “I think if you asked anyone in the commentary position today given the weather conditions in the last couple of days and perhaps the shortness of preparation, they thought there might be something in it. I think it was a risk worth taking, but in hindsight we should have batted.”I reckon it was a pretty flat first-day wicket, you’ve got to expect that a first-day wicket in a Test match, a good wicket, will bounce with a bit of pace and a bit of seam if you are prepared to run in and bowl fast.”Dyson added that Sabina Park had been the “pinnacle” of how West Indies could bowl and that England put pressure on his attack this time. “I think England came out with a positive attitude. They had to bat like that after Jamaica and show that they were going to do something about that innings. Once they realised the wicket is as it is, they went, oh, happy birthday.”The other factor in conditions was the uneven outfield covered in football markings. However, the relaid section held up well and Dyson said it was far better than the pitch they had left two days earlier. “It’s not a perfect Test-match surface but its not too bad. It’s a lot better than fielding at Jolly Beach”.Towards the end of the day Sulieman Benn had to leave the field after twisting his ankle in his delivery stride. It is hoped that he will be fit to resume his duties on the second day as West Indies will need all the bowlers they can muster. This is, after all, the ARG of old.

علق عمرو السولية لاعب فريق سيراميكا كليوباترا، على تسجيله هدفًا أمام إنبي خلال مباراة اليوم التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.

والتقى سيراميكا كليوباترا نظيره إنبي، مساء اليوم الأربعاء، على استاد هيئة قناة السويس، في إطار منافسات الجولة الثالثة من الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وقال عمرو السولية في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “صدى البلد”: “فرحة لا توصف بتسجيل أول أهدافي اليوم، الحمد لله على التوفيق والمجهود الذي بذلناه، وإن شاء الله ربنا يكرمنا في القادم”.

طالع.. فيديو | عمرو السولية يسجل وسيراميكا كليوباترا يهزم إنبي بثنائية في الدوري

وأكمل: “الهدف الذي أحرزته كان نقطة تحول في المباراة، الحمد لله ربنا كرمنا اليوم وفزنا بهدفين، وإن شاء الله هذه النتيجة ستساعدنا في الفترة المقبلة، كنا بحاجة لهذا الفوز لترجمة مجهودنا، سعد سمير بحالة جيدة بعد اصطدام الكرة بوجهه”.

وواصل: “لاعبو سيراميكا مميزون جدًا، أحاول قدر الإمكان مساعدة زملائي، وإن شاء الله يكون القادم أفضل، دوري أنا واللاعبون الكبار في الفريق، نحاول أن نقدم خبراتنا وننقلها لزملائنا، والجميع يسعون للتطور، وأتمنى أن نساعدهم في ذلك خلال الفترة المقبلة”.

وأوضح: “علي ماهر مدرب محترف، يمتلك فكرًا مختلفًا، وقد ظًهر ذلك في الموسم الماضي، حيث تغير شكل الفريق تمامًا، هو يحب كرة القدم والهجوم وتسجيل الأهداف، واللاعبون جميعًا مرتاحون، لأن هذه الطريقة تتيح لهم إظهار قدراتهم بشكل مميز”.

وزاد: “علي ماهر لم يطلب مني طلبات خاصة اليوم، بل طلب من جميع اللاعبين أن يكونوا على قدر المسؤولية وأن نسجل أهدافًا، والحمد لله سجلنا في الشوط الثاني، وطموحنا سيكون مختلفًا هذا الموسم، ففي المواسم الماضية كان الفريق يحقق كأس الرابطة، لكننا تحدثنا معًا، وقررنا أن ننافس على كل البطولات، والمشاركة في إفريقيا أحد أهم أهدافنا”.

وبسؤاله عن مواجهة الأهلي في الجولة السابعة.. ما شعورك إذا سجلت هدفًا؟، أجاب: “ما زال الوقت مبكرًا للحديث عن مباراة الأهلي، بالتأكيد ستكون مواجهة فريقي القديم شعورًا مختلفًا، وإذا سجلت بالتأكيد لن أحتفل، لكنني سأسعى لمساعدة فريقي”.

وأتم: “رسالتي إلى جمهور الأهلي أنه منذ انتقالي إلى سيراميكا وهم يدعموني ويقفون في ظهري، وشعرت بتقديرهم لما قدمته للأهلي خلال عشر سنوات، وأشكرهم على دعمهم المستمر”.

يواصل نادي ريال مدريد إعادة هيكلة صفوفه هذا الصيف، مع استمرار موجة الرحيل التي طالت عددًا من اللاعبين الذين ارتبطوا بالفريق لفترات طويلة أو تدرجوا بين فئاته السنية.

فبعد تأكد رحيل كل من لوكاس فاسكيز، لوكا مودريتش، خيسوس فاييخو وألفارو رودريجيز، جاء الدور على وجه شاب آخر من الأكاديمية ليودع القلعة البيضاء بحثًا عن فرصة جديدة في مكان آخر.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موقف ألابا ورودريجو وميندي وإندريك من الرحيل عن ريال مدريد

Comunicado Oficial: Chema Andrés. — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) July 27, 2025

ففي بيان رسمي، أعلن ريال مدريد توصله إلى اتفاق مع نادي شتوتجارت بشأن انتقال لاعبه تشيما أندريس، الذي انضم إلى النادي الملكي في عام 2018 بعمر 13 عامًا، وتدرج في فئاته العمرية حتى ظهر الموسم الماضي مع فريق كاستيا.

ويُعد تشيما أحد أبرز المواهب التي تخرجت من فرق الشباب مؤخرًا، حيث توج بثلاثية محلية مع فريق تحت 19 عامًا في موسم 2022-2023، وشارك في أول مباراة له مع الفريق الأول في يناير 2025، إلى جانب تتويجه ببطولة أوروبا تحت 19 عامًا مع منتخب إسبانيا في 2024.

وأكد ريال مدريد في بيانه شكره للاعب على التزامه وتفانيه طيلة فترة وجوده في النادي، متمنيًا له ولعائلته التوفيق في هذه المرحلة الجديدة مع شتوتجارت.

وتشير مغادرة تشيما أندريس إلى أن ريال مدريد بصدد الدخول في مرحلة انتقالية شاملة، تتطلب إعادة ضخ دماء جديدة، سواء من داخل الأكاديمية أو عبر السوق، استعدادًا للموسم المقبل.

Bangladesh’s captain scored the only half-century of the match and finished it with a last-ball boundary

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2023A tense Super-Over victory at the Shere Bangla National Stadium kept Bangladesh alive in their three-match ODI series against Pakistan. Captain Nigar Sultana was Bangladesh’s match-winner with the bat, scoring the game’s only half-century before hitting the winning boundary in the Super Over.Chasing eight to win the one-over eliminator, Bangladesh needed two off the last ball, with Sultana on strike for the first time after Sobhana Mostary had been stumped off Nashra Sandhu’s bowling. Sultana stepped out and lofted Sandhu over mid-off for four, bringing the series scoreline to 1-1 with the third and final ODI to be played on Friday.Having chosen to bat first, Bangladesh were in a solid position at 92 for 2 in the 32nd over, with Fargana Hoque having put on 49 for the third wicket with Sultana. Hoque’s run-out dismissal, however, sparked a slump, with Bangladesh losing seven wickets while scoring just 77 runs off the last 18.1 overs of their innings. Sultana was ninth out, in the final over, having scored 54 off 104 balls. Left-arm spinners Sandhu and Sadia Iqbal were Pakistan’s most successful bowlers with two wickets apiece.Pakistan’s chase got off to a strong start with Sadaf Shamas and Sidra Ameen putting on 41, but both openers fell in the 20s. It was a sign of things to come: in all, five Pakistan batters got into the 20s but none of them got to 30, as Bangladesh chipped away at the wickets, legspinner Rabeya Khan leading the way with 3 for 29.In a match of small margins, Bangladesh batted through their 50 overs as well as all six balls of their Super Over, while Pakistan were bowled out in 49.5 overs and lost both their Super-Over wickets with one ball still remaining. The match went into a tiebreaker after Sandhu was run out while trying to take the winning single in the last over of normal play, bowled by Fahima Khatun.

Lionesses star Chloe Kelly has signed for Arsenal permanently after a successful loan spell with the Gunners that ended in Champions League glory.

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Kelly spent second half of last season at ArsenalLionesses star helped Gunners win Champions LeagueNow signs permanently in London after Man City exitFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Kelly spent the second half of the 2024-25 season with the north London club, whose ranks she came through as a young girl. The winger had found herself out of favour at Manchester City, a situation that also led to her losing her spot in the England squad. However, a fruitful few months back in the capital saw Kelly rediscover her form as she played a key part in Arsenal's European triumph and she has now joined the club on a permanent deal, following the expiration of her contract in Manchester.

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That increased game time also paid dividends for Kelly on the international front, allowing her to regain her place in the Lionesses squad ahead of this summer's European Championships. For a while, it looked like a lack of minutes could well cost the 27-year-old her spot, just three years on from her title-winning goal in the final against Germany. But her form with Arsenal changed all of that for the better.

WHAT KELLY SAID

“Putting pen to paper on a permanent contract at Arsenal is a standout moment for me," Kelly said upon the announcement of her permanent return to the Gunners. “Learning from an incredible manager and continuing to build relationships with an excellent team is a journey I’m looking forward to continuing. I’m excited for more silverware at this special club and to bring more trophies back to north London to celebrate with our supporters. I’ve always said that Arsenal supporters are the best and to have them on my side, singing my name, means so much to me."

Head coach Renee Slegers added: “I’m delighted that we’ve been able to make Chloe a permanent signing for us. She had a great impact for us and played an important role in what we achieved here last season, and I know she shares our ambition to compete for more.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

Kelly is Arsenal's first signing of the summer window. The Gunners' transfer activity to this point instead concerned the release of players, with defender Amanda Ilestedt, academy product Teyah Goldie and forward Lina Hurtig all leaving the club upon the expiry of their contracts. Hurtig, who will represent Sweden at the Euros this summer alongside Ilestedt, has since signed for Fiorentina.

“Not just myself, the whole group’s had some stuff spoken about them. But we’re really tight,” says Australia wicketkeeper

Andrew McGlashan15-Jul-2023Alex Carey has stood by his controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow at Lord’s which ignited the biggest uproar of the Ashes and led to what he termed some “pretty nasty stuff” being said about him and the team.Speaking for the first time since the dismissal on the final day at Lord’s, Carey reinforced that Australia had noted Bairstow’s habit of quickly leaving his crease and had been a bit taken aback by the level of reaction.Australian players were abused in the Lord’s Long Room as they left the field at lunch – which has led to the suspension of three MCC members – while Stuart Broad was quick to tell Carey “that’s all you’ll be remembered for.” Ben Stokes responded with a stunning display as he made 155 but Australia were able to win by 43 runs to take a 2-0 series lead, which has since been trimmed by a game following England’s Headingley success.”There’s some nasty stuff been said but…it is the Ashes,” Carey said. “There was nasty stuff said before that as well. I feel really well supported. I think the whole group does. From Australia I still think we’ve got lots of fans and from England, I don’t think we’ve made any, but we probably didn’t lose any.Related

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“It’s one of those things where a stumping that’s given out on field is turned into a massive story. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I absolutely respect that. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion on the spirit of cricket as well. Not just myself, the whole group’s had some stuff spoken about them. But we’re really tight. We understand what’s important and who matters and those guys definitely have our back.”We’re all in it together, we were all out there, all walked through the Long Room together, post-match we all discussed it together. Don’t think the group would do anything differently.”Explaining how the dismissal came about, Carey added: “We were switched on to the fact that it was a bouncer plan and it felt like Jonny was pretty switched on to getting out of the way, he wasn’t playing any shots. When he ducked his first movement was pretty much out of his crease, so I instinctively grabbed the ball, threw the stumps down and the rest is history.”Asked if he would do it again, he said: “If there was an opportunity to get a stumping, I definitely would.”Carey said he had previously tried the mode of dismissal in other matches without being successful, and recalled falling that way early in his grade career for Glenelg in South Australia. He was also stood at the non-strikers’ end when Tom Cooper was dismissed in similar manner during a 2016-17 Sheffield Shield match against New South Wales.”I’ve definitely been out to that a few times and I’ve tried to do it in the past as well. My first A-grade game in South Australia, I was out that way. And when I walked off, I was pretty disappointed. [The] captain came up to me, he said, ‘you’ll remember to keep your foot behind the line next time.'”From my point of view, I wasn’t called [out] on it back when I’d have tried it about the spirit of cricket and when I was given out in the same sort of manner, I didn’t question it either.”1:50

Cummins and Stokes respond to controversial Bairstow dismissal

Until the moment of Bairstow’s Lord’s stumping, all the coverage of Carey had been about his superb glovework – he had four previous stumpings off Nathan Lyon – and vital runs, starting in the World Test Championship final against India where he made 48 and 66 not out, followed by 66 at Edgbaston in a stand with Usman Khawaja which ensured Australia did not concede a hefty lead.Behind the stumps he remained sharp at Headingley, where he was the focus of plenty of attention from the crowd, but the runs didn’t flow with scores of 8 and 5 as he was worked over by Mark Wood in the first innings then played on against Chris Woakes in the second.”Nathan Lyon was bowling beautifully before he got injured and creating lots of opportunities,” Carey said. “Murph [Todd Murphy] obviously didn’t have as much opportunity last game but that will certainly change I think in Manchester.”The quicks have bowled beautifully…[I’ve been] just trying to adapt on the go as well with a little bit of wobble that we haven’t seen. Feeling good, feel pretty solid in front of wicket, the last game wasn’t one that I would have loved, but you can see over here that when the clouds come over it’s a different game.”Still, Headingley was not without one other bizarre situation for Carey when he was the case of mistaken identity over an unpaid haircut stemming from Alastair Cook’s comments on radio.”The hair hasn’t been cut since we were down in Chelsea,” he confirmed. “It’s definitely due for a trim. But, no, I’m not that tight. I have been told I’m pretty tight.”Cook has tried to build bridges. “He reached out and apologised so it was nice to hear from him,” Carey said.One way or the other, it’s a first Ashes tour Carey won’t forget in a hurry.

Earlier, Carey’s 66* allowed Australia to declare on 270 for 8

Karthik Krishnaswamy10-Jun-2023Under bright skies and on an Oval pitch that seemed to ease out against all expectations, India’s batters set up a potentially thrilling final day, racing to 164 for 3 at more than four an over to keep alive their pursuit of a world-record fourth-innings target. Australia remain favourites, with India needing a further 280 on the final day, but they may have a lot of hard work ahead of them to take the seven remaining wickets, with the second new ball 40 overs away.India may have still felt a little cross with themselves at stumps, though, losing perhaps a wicket more than they would have liked by then, two of them to aggressive shots. Rohit Sharma was lbw to Nathan Lyon, missing a sweep from a stump-to-stump line, and Cheteshwar Pujara toe-ended an attempted ramp over the slips off a Pat Cummins bouncer.Both batters will argue, though, that these are shots they usually play well. They will also argue that the same positivity had helped them stitch a second-wicket stand of 51 in 77 balls. The two wickets, however, fell in the space of five balls, turning 92 for 1 to 93 for 3.It was the perfect opening for Australia to bulldoze through, but Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane were having none of it. They ended the day reprising the same positivity that had gone before, putting on an unbroken 71 for the fourth wicket, with both batters looking in excellent ball-striking rhythm. Conditions, too, didn’t seem to test them, with the pitch showing far less tendency to produce inconsistent bounce than it had done through the first three innings of the match. Kohli and Rahane ended the day with control percentages of 93 and 97 respectively.As they safely negotiated the last over of the day, a largely India-supporting crowd was in fine voice, a section of them belting out this number from the 1975 blockbuster : ” [we’ll never break this friendship].” Australia will want to break it as soon as possible when day five dawns.The crowd had been far less pleased some two hours earlier, though, after India lost their first wicket off what ended up as the last ball before tea, following a near-run-a-ball opening partnership of 41. Scott Boland got one to straighten and kick in the corridor, Shubman Gill pushed at it with hard hands, and Cameron Green dived low to his left to pluck out a superlative gully catch, his second of the match. Gill stood his ground, though, and the decision went up to the third umpire. As is often the case with these low grabs, replays seemed inconclusive, but the decision went in Australia’s favour.Chants of “Cheat! Cheat! Cheat!” continued to follow Green through the rest of the evening, particularly when he bowled. A World Test Championship that had been full of quality cricket now had the one ingredient it had been missing: controversy and needle.1:37

Was Green’s catch to dismiss Gill clean?

During the first session of the day, Green had had a far different effect on the crowd, keeping them quiet as he added 18 runs in 87 balls to his overnight score of 7. His dismissal was in keeping with the tone of his innings: he attempted to pad away a Ravindra Jadeja delivery from over the wicket only for the ball to hit his pad and roll onto the wicket.By then, Australia had added 44 to their overnight 123 for 4 while losing two wickets in 19 overs – Marnus Labuschagne the other batter dismissed, nicking Umesh Yadav to first slip. India had bowled with discipline while extracting just enough from the surface to keep the batters vigilant; with Australia’s lead just 340, they may have hoped to wrap their innings up before it got to 400.Alex Carey, however, ensured that it swelled well beyond that figure, scoring an opportunistic 66 to go with his 48 in the first innings, and putting on 93 for the seventh wicket with Mitchell Starc. Both batters began cautiously and had their moments of discomfort, particularly against Jadeja finding sharp turn and bounce from the footmarks outside the left-handers’ off stump, but grew increasingly confident as India’s quicks tired.Mohammed Shami, who had bowled frugally and beaten the bat multiple times without any reward in his previous spells, came back when India took the second new ball and dismissed Starc and Pat Cummins when they were looking to slog for quick runs. Australia declared at the stroke of Cummins’ dismissal, setting India a never-before-achieved 444 to win.It may have been a nostalgia-inducing moment among old-timers at the ground. In 1979, a Sunil Gavaskar double-hundred had inspired India to a thrilling draw at The Oval; they finished on 429 for 8 after being set 438 by England. There’s still a chance that Sunday may bring similar levels of excitement.

Arsenal chiefs have apparently promised to bid for one transfer target this summer, having made this pledge clear to his club, and it is also believed they’re prepared to meet the conditions of a potential deal.

Arsenal eye potential summer rebuild under Andrea Berta

The Gunners are reportedly closing in on the appointment of new sporting director Andrea Berta to replace Edu Gaspar, who left his post in November, with the Italian now available for hire after quitting Atlético Madrid in January.

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Arsenal are in very advanced talks to hire Berta as their new transfer chief, with some reports describing the move as “all but done” (Football Insider). His potential arrival has brought anticipation with it, following 12 successful years at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Despite other media sources claiming that Arsenal held negotiations with Yossi Benayoun over the vacant sporting director post, which is currently being filled by interim chief Jason Ayto, Berta’s looming move to north London is gaining serious traction.

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March 16th

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April 1st

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April 5th

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Mikel Arteta was also rumoured to be pushing for PSG director Luis Campos (Football Transfers), with the official out of contract in Paris this summer, but it appears Berta is firmly in pole position for the job.

Berta’s influence in the transfer market has birthed serious expectations among Arsenal supporters, and he could play a significant role in assisting the club’s pursuit of key targets for next season.

Arsenal are actively pursuing a new striker this summer, while Jorginho and Thomas Partey’s imminent exits have prompted the N5 side to scour the market for a star midfielder.

As well as this, a new defender could also be in the offing, with some reports suggesting that Arsenal are considering Marc Guehi as a centre-back option with Jakub Kiwior also up for sale.

With Kieran Tierney poised to join Celtic, and uncertainty surrounding Oleksandr Zinchenko, that’s three full-back options who could depart the Emirates, including Kiwior.

Arsenal "promise" Flamengo they will bid for Wesley Franca

As a result, they’re also weighing up new full-backs, and Flamengo right-back Wesley Franca has been repeatedly linked this week.

It was first reported by RTI Esporte that Arsenal contacted the representatives of Franca this week, with Bolavip Brasil (via Sport Witness) now providing a further update from South America.

The defender’s contract actually contains a £168 million release clause, but Flamengo are prepared to do business at a starting price of around £29 million. Arteta’s side are apparently prepared to meet this demand, and Arsenal have made a “promise” to Flamengo that they will bid for Franca soon.

The 21-year-old is also on the radar of Tottenham, Chelsea and other English rivals, according to RTI Esporte, so Arsenal could still face stiff competition. Former Atletico Madrid defender Filipe Luis has called Franca an “exceptional” defender.

Labuschagne and Khawaja hit half-centuries on a truncated day before Nortje helped SA claw back

Tristan Lavalette03-Jan-2023

Marnus Labuschagne debates the controversial non-catch with South Africa’s fielders•Getty Images

Stumps Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja hit half-centuries for Australia on a truncated day one before Anrich Nortje helped South Africa claw back into the third Test at a gloomy SCG.After captain Pat Cummins won a crucial toss and elected to bat on a dry surface, Australia reached stumps at 147 for 2 with Khawaja unbeaten on 54 and Steven Smith yet to face a delivery.Labuschagne fell for 79 on what turned out to be the final delivery of the day’s play. Only 47 overs were bowled due to bad light and rain much to the disappointment of the 31,000 crowd in another Sydney Test match affected by inclement conditions.Labuschagne and Khawaja had built a strong platform with a 135-run partnership after the early loss of opener David Warner for 10. There was a delay of more than two hours due to bad light before five overs were squeezed in late in the day and Nortje capitalised with a cracking delivery to remove Labuschagne.Exerting plenty of energy, Nortje conjured sharp bounce and pace on the slow surface to produce an unplayable delivery that had Labuschagne caught behind.After a lionhearted effort in Melbourne, Nortje was again the standout with 2 for 26 from 11 overs having earlier taken the wicket of Warner. He has kept a struggling South Africa buoyant after Australia threatened to grab an early stranglehold of the contest.Labuschagne had been irrepressible until on 70 he appeared to be dismissed out of nowhere when he edged seamer Marco Jansen to first slip where Simon Harmer claimed a low catch.It was given out on the soft signal but Labuschagne stood his ground and it seemed difficult to prove from replays whether Harmer had his hands under the ball close to the turf.Third umpire Richard Kettleborough overturned the decision much to the frustration of South Africa. It only furthered Labuschagne’s reputation as a rather charmed batter but he had played imperiously before that contentious incident with five boundaries in 12 balls to go from 40 to 61.After bowling well before lunch, Harmer trapped Khawaja lbw with the second delivery of the second session only for the decision to be reversed when replays showed the ball hit the glove first.Having revived his career a year ago with twin centuries against England on this ground, Khawaja passed 4000 career Test runs en route to a half-century.Usman Khawaja drives through the covers•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Under-pressure South Africa captain Dean Elgar once again made questionable decisions, including under-utilising Harmer who bowled just five overs even though his off-spin particularly threatened left-handed Khawaja.Elgar, however, backed underperforming left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj who bowled nine overs for 35 runs with Labuschagne and Khawaja sweeping effectively against him.Maharaj has now bowled 52.5 overs without reward in this series.While Nortje toiled, spearhead Kagiso Rabada continued his underwhelming series to finish with 0 for 45 off 12 overs. He unsuccessfully reverted to bowling short against Labuschagne, who counterattacked with ease.Ashton Agar, Josh Hazlewood and Matt Renshaw were named in an Australia team attempting a clean sweep of the series and a spot in the World Test Championship final in June.There was drama when Renshaw, playing his first Test since 2018, tested positive for Covid-19 on a rapid antigen test after feeling unwell before the day’s play, but he will continue to play in the match.With the SCG surface set to play more traditionally, Australia named two frontline spinners at home for the first time in six years with left-arm spinner Agar making his return having not played Tests since 2017.Regular quick Hazlewood returned from a side strain having edged out Scott Boland and uncapped tearaway Lance Morris.Along with Harmer, who replaced Lungi Ngidi, South Africa named batter Heinrich Klaasen in place of Theunis de Bruyn who returned home for the birth of his first child.South Africa still have a slim chance at qualifying for the WTC final with a consolation victory as their spirit lifted after Njorte’s late heroics.