Cape Cobras consolidated their position at the top of the standings with a comfortable six-wicket win over Lions in Paarl.Lions, who were sent in to bat, were shot out for 133. Save Dominic Hendrick’s unbeaten 44, there was little of note in the innings that lasted 40.3 overs. Beuran Hendricks, the left-arm seamer, returned figures of 3 for 18 off eight overs, while Dane Paterson, Wayne Parnell and Dane Piedt had two scalps apiece.The Cobras stuttered at the start by losing Parnell and Omphile Ramela early, but Andrew Puttick ate into the target with an unbeaten 63. He was helped by Stiaan van Zyl, who made 35, as Cobras won with 16.5 overs to spare.An unbeaten century from opener Rudi Second, followed by three-wicket hauls from Mbulelo Budaza and Michael Erlank, sent Knights to a 74-run win over Warriors in East London.The bonus point win meant that Knights were dragged from the bottom of the table, with 13 points, five behind the Warriors in the final play-off spot with two rounds to play.Having elected to bat, Knights lost Reeza Hendricks and Michael Erlank early, but Second and Botha drove them forward with a brisk 100-run partnership. Botha was aggressive, striking 63 off 54 balls, including seven fours and a six. Second’s century,which contained only four fours, was a measured effort. Werner Coetsee strengthened Knights’ advantage with a cameo lower down the order, as they finished with 258.JJ Smuts was the pick of the bowlers for Warriors, claiming figures of 2 for 49. He then gave the chase early thurst with his 21st List A fifty, but the rest of the batsmen fell away. Budaza, playing only his 10th List A game accounted for Smuts,Jerry Nqolo, and Yaseen Vallie to finish with career-best figures. Erlank then wrapped up the tail to dismiss Warriors for 184 in 43.3 overs and seal Knights’ third win of the tournament.
This isn’t true, of course, but this summer, the Reds signed Giovanni Leoni from Parma for a £27m fee, and the 18-year-old became only the second permanent senior signing since Virgil van Dijk’s record-breaking transfer in January 2018, the first being Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig in 2021.
With Leoni out for the season after rupturing his ACL on his Reds debut, Arne Slot’s side have been left frustrated, with defensive issues forming the crux of Liverpool’s wider struggle this season.
Despite fierce speculation over Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo’s future – Liverpool have been in the mix but Manchester City look set to win his signature – the need for a new centre-half remains great.
Liverpool lining up winter Guehi alternative
Guehi, 25, is one of the best defenders in the Premier League. One of the best players. With Van Dijk turning 35 next summer and the error-riddled Konate soon out of contract, FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes are sure to contest for the Crystal Palace captain’s signature.
But Guehi is a free agent himself by the end of the term, so Liverpool may have to play the waiting game. Even so, the need for a new centre-back is great, and if the right opportunity emerges in the New Year, the Merseysiders must pounce.
Well, as it would happen, such a shot has materialised, with Bolavip confirming Liverpool’s interest in Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez ahead of the January window.
With Chelsea dropping out of the race, the suggestion is that the Reds are the frontrunners having been given a clear route to securing his signature, albeit with Serie A side Inter Milan also now in the mix.
Ordonez, 21, is considered one of the most talented up-and-coming centre-backs out there, and it would take a Belgian-record fee of €40m (converting to about £34m), to prise him away from Bruges.
Why Liverpool need to sign Ordonez
Make no mistake, adding a forward like Semenyo to Slot’s squad would mark an improvement for Liverpool. But, having phoned the Ghanaian’s reps in November, FSG have opted against matching the intensity of Manchester City.
Why is this? Semenyo has been one of the finest players in Europe this season, after all, with nine goals and three assists spread across 17 games in the Premier League.
Could it be because Liverpool have instead decided to prioritise a defender? There is a stronger case to be made for a centre-half, with Liverpool’s leaky backline causing so many problems this season, and Konate and Van Dijk depicting cracked shells of their usual selves.
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Ordonez is young, but he’s gained experience in the Champions League and as a top talent in the Belgian top flight, with talent scout Jacek Kulig even hailing him as “something remarkable”, with “an impressively complete profile” for such a young defender.
The Ecuador international, moreover, ranks among the top 9% of positional peers across divisions relevant to the Belgian Pro League for passes attempted and pass completion, the top 16% for progressive passes and the top 2% for carries per 90, as per FBref.
This natural ball-playing ability is something that would serve Liverpool well, providing Slot not just with the defensive depth he needs but a more important cog than a wide forward like Semenyo, who would be more expensive besides.
With Florian Wirtz coming into his own, Cody Gakpo an experienced member of the squad and Rio Ngumoha billed as one of the most exciting talents in the country, it might just be that an up-and-coming defender like Ordonez proves exactly the player the Anfield side need.
Mac Allister upgrade: Liverpool could sign "best CM prospect in the world"
Liverpool are weighing up a winter move for a new centre-midfielder.
The coroner’s inquest into Bob Woolmer’s death is set to start in Jamaica on Tuesday, five months after the Pakistan coach died in the hours following his team’s World Cup exit. The inquest aims to determine whether anyone is responsible for Woolmer’s death, which was initially the subject of a murder investigation.The case sparked a media frenzy with police suggesting Woolmer was strangled in his Kingston hotel room on March 18. Detectives from Scotland Yard and Pakistan were brought in and Jamaican police said nearly 400 people had been interviewed.However, after consulting independent pathologists and viewing the toxicology report, Jamaican police in June admitted Woolmer died of natural causes. The inquest is intended to clarify the situation once and for all and the coroner will issue the official cause of death following the inquest.”There was a lot of speculation, and as a result of that speculation we are having the inquest,” Sergeant Dwayne Jex of the Jamaica Constabulary Force told . Jex estimated the process would take more than two months and at least 50 people were expected to testify.
Scorecard Tasmania gained six points after beating Queensland by seven wickets inside three days in their Pura Cup match at Brisbane. Set a target of 47 in their second innings, Tasmania lost three batsmen in an attempt to finish off the game within ten overs. Michael Di Venuto, the opening batsman, top scored in both innings, although Adam Griffith was chosen for the Man-of-the-Match award for taking six wickets for 76 in the match.Queensland resumed batting on day three at 3 for 54, trailing Tasmania by 84. Things just got worse from there as James Hopes fell leg before to Griffith on the eighth ball of the day. Chris Hartley, the wicketkeeper, managed to hang around for 51 balls before nicking one to Sean Clingeleffer and giving Griffith his second wicket of the day. Matthew Hayden pushed the score closer to the 150-mark batting with an injured finger, but the collapse could not be stopped and the last three wickets fell for 35.Tasmania made a mess of an easy chase and Hopes was on a hat-trick when he snaffled up Michael Bevan and Travis Birt in successive balls. But in the end Di Venuto, along with George Bailey, secured full points for Tasmania. Queensland, the defending champions, will hope to redeem themselves when they host New South Wales on October 27.
Scorecard Don Maxwell cracked a boundary-laden 114 and Nicholas Ifill contributed 83 as Canada overcame a poor start to pile up 340 for 9 declared on the opening day of the Intercontinental Cup game against Cayman Islands.Canada were reduced to 83 for 4 earlier in the day but Maxwell received some good support, first from Sunil Dhaniram, who made a rapid 37, and then from Ifill to help Canada post a healthy total. However, Ryan Bovell, who ended with three wickets, pulled it back for the Cayman Islands towards the end of the day.The Cayman Islands had to bat just three overs before stumps were drawn but lost Ainsley Hall for a duck and finished at 5 for 1.
Enamul Haque Junior, the young left-arm spinner, and the allrounder Manjural Islam Rana have been awarded “rookie contracts” by the Bangladesh Cricket Board.”This will encourage talented youngsters in the future,” the BCB’s cricket-committee chairman Mahbub Anam told the Dhaka Daily Star. “They will get a basic salary per month which will be less than a senior player’s scale in the payroll. But all contracts are valid for six months. We will evaluate their performance during the next six months and, if they do well, they might be included under our regular payroll.”Enamul made his Test debut against England late last year, and went on to be the highest wicket-taker in the Under-19 World Cup. Manjarul is also a left-arm spinner, but has made his mark in one-dayers with his aggressive batting.Mahbub also confirmed that Mohammad Ashraful, the youngest player to score a Test century, has also been given a contract, having returned to form after something of a slump. The BCB now has 12 players under contract.
Shane Warne has been offered the chance to roll his arm over for theself-proclaimed “Harlem Globetrotters of Cricket” the Lashings club inEngland.The Kent-based club, basically a glorified social side paying good moneyto attract outstanding players, confirmed it was chasing the signaturesof Australia’s suspended leg spinner Warne and Zimbabwean runaway HenryOlonga, who is in hiding in South Africa.”I can confirm that Lashings Cricket Club has made direct approaches toboth players and we are at present awaiting responses from the agents ofOlonga and Warne,” said Lashings’ spokesman David Folb.”Our desire to sign Olonga is self-explanatory given his stance againstthe oppressive regime of his home country, Zimbabwe.”As far as Warne is concerned obviously we are aware of the delicateposition that he is in with regard to world cricket and understand theimplications of the ban that the player has received from the AustralianCricket [Board].”He will serve his ban from international cricket and this club cannever condone the misuse of drugs in any walk of life let alone cricket.However, his contribution to world cricket outweighs by some margin themore recent misdemeanour that has been committed and this is the reasonbehind our approach.”During his absence from Test and county cricket Warne would be aconsiderable asset to us not only from a playing perspective but also interms of coaching and other work within the community.”By playing for ourselves, he will still be able to retain involvementin the game while at the same time keeping himself in shape for some ofthe demanding challenges that he will face upon the cessation of hissuspension.”Warne is serving a 12-month ban for testing positive to a banneddiuretic.It remains to be seen whether Warne’s suspension will prevent him fromplaying for Lashings.Folb said feedback had been positive, not the least because Warne’sformer Australian Test and one-day team-mate Mark Waugh was due torepresent Lashings soon.Lashings – named after the English pub and the beach-bar in Antigua thatWarne and all the Australian players visit on tours of the Caribbean -have lured Sir Vivian Richards, Brian Lara, Richie Richardson, CurtlyAmbrose, Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram into their team in the past.Meanwhile, Olonga said he would remain in hiding in South Africa becauseof threats to his safety.The fast bowler, who made World Cup protests with team-mate Andy Floweragainst human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, said he could not confirmreports that the Zimbabwean secret police were searching for him.”I don’t know what the facts are,” he told the South Africa BroadcastingCorporation.”I must be wise about my movements, about my location, you can’t ruleanything out.”I’m keeping low. It’s hearsay but they are warnings and I have takenthem seriously.”
Cricket administrators may be worried that the major rugby season in NewZealandis now stretching from late February to early November — perhapssqueezing cricketout of its traditional share of grounds that cater for the two sports.This year the national rugby championship will go into the first week ofNovember.One scenario for next winter has rugby starting with the usual Super 12from mid-or late-February, a longer mid-season period for internationalmatchesand theconsequent stretching of the NPC into mid-November.This would cause, at least at Eden Park, something of a log-jam withboth sportscompeting for playing and/or training facilities.Lindsay Crocker, the Auckland Cricket Association chief executive, isaware of theproblems — but he wants to regard them as challenges, and notnecessarily as yetanother case of big-brother rugby competing for the big prizes, andshovinglittle-brother cricket out of the way.”We feel it is our job to react to these problems, and we are,” saidCrockeryesterday.”It is probably a fact of life that rugby is making more demands on theplayingfields. That is happening at Eden Park, and at other grounds round thecountry.”We must accept that as a challenge.”In fact, when these problems have risen at Eden Park before crickethas been thebody that suggested the possible solutions. We have been the dynamic,the majorimpetus.”Crocker said that cricket had led the way to developing the portablepitch, and wastaking a leading part in the possible re-development of the Eden Parkouter oval tomake it suitable for international cricket.The main action would be to shift the southern boundary ( and with itthegrandstand and indoor school ) back into the car-park to give a longerstraightboundary. More spectator seating and amenities would also be required.The eventual follow-on to that would be to have test matches on theouter oval andone-day internationals on the main field.”We are working through the Eden Park board of control in thisdirection,” saidCrocker.”We regard the matter as being urgent, we would like to think we shouldbe close tothe target in a couple of years, but we still have to find out whetherthe up-gradingof the outer oval is physically and financially practicable.”In the meantime, the ACA is ear-marking grounds for possible use duringthe YouthWorld Cup tournament to be held in New Zealand in January-February.One new ground which could come into service for that World Cup event istheexpansive field at the North Harbour stadium, which will be used by theACA nextsummer.The pitch has been laid, sand-slit drains installed (regarded as betterthan those onEden Park No 1) and the North Harbour field may soon join Eden Park,CornwallPark and University Park, as the big-match centres in Auckland.These should serve Auckland well until rugby takes the ultimate step,cancelssummer and turns its sport into a 12-month enterprise.
The Athletic’s Crystal Palace correspondent Matt Woosnam has been reacting to details regarding the club’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea next month.
The Lowdown: Palace’s road to Wembley
The Eagles booked their place in the last four of the competition with an impressive 4-0 win over Everton prior to the international break.
Patrick Vieira’s side have also defeated Millwall, Hartlepool United and Stoke City en route to Wembley, avoiding Liverpool and Manchester City in the semi-final draw.
Palace still have two Premier League fixtures to fulfil before thinking about the meeting with Thomas Tuchel’s side, with full details of the semi-final now confirmed, as per the Eagles’ official website.
The Latest: Semi-final details
Woosnam took to Twitter on Friday morning, relaying the date and kick-off information for supporters.
Palace will take on Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday 17 April at 16:30, with Woosnam labelling the kick-off time as ‘appalling’ for Easter Sunday.
The Verdict: Not ideal
It would make sense for the game to commence earlier due to travel on what will be a busy day, but that won’t be the case for Palace fans making they way across Londin.
Liverpool and Manchester City meet on Saturday 16 April in a 15:30 kick-off, with both clubs also unhappy about having to play the semi-final in the capital due to travel restrictions from the north-west.
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Hopefully, no Palace fans wanting to go to the game will miss out, with season ticket holders set to get first choice when tickets go on sale.
In other news: Another Palace star now wanted by Eddie Howe this summer; has same agent as 6 Newcastle players
A ninth wicket partnership of 82 runs between Avinash Yadav (60 notout) and Praveen Gupta (44) helped Uttar Pradesh to gain the firstinnings lead on the second day of their four day Vijay Merchant Trophy(under-16) final against Delhi at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta onSunday.Resuming at 42 for two in reply to Delhi’s 155, UP lost wickets atregular intervals. Aris Alam batted doggedly for 226 minutes and faced180 balls in compiling 39. He hit seven fours. Taheer Abbas, who hadretired hurt on Saturday, resumed at the fall of the first wicket onSunday but was out for 33. The middle order offered little resistanceas Kuldeep Rawat and Abhinav Bali got among the wickets. At 127 foreight, UP were still some distance away from the Delhi total.However, Yadav and Gupta put up some stout hearted defence and alsokept the score moving. Even the second new ball, taken after 90 overswith the score at 143 for eight, did not disturb their composure. Thepair took the score to 209 before Gupta was out to Niraj Sharma. Hefaced 102 balls and hit eight fours. The partnership lasted 31.5overs. Last man Devendra Singh then helped Yadav add a further 28 runsoff 17 overs before he was out for ten. Yadav remained unbeaten withan invaluable 60. He faced 163 balls and hit eight fours. The bowlinghonours were shared by Kuldeep Rawat (4 for 48) and Abhinav Bali (3for 45). Delhi, facing a deficit of 82 runs will start their secondinnings on Monday.