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Liverpool are “really interested” in a move for Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips, but a reliable journalist has revealed that a deal taking place will likely depend on one condition.

How much is Kalvin Phillips likely to cost?

According to Transfermarkt, Phillips’ current market value is €32m (£27m), but that appears to be hugely unrealistic considering the little impact he’s made since putting pen to paper at the Etihad Stadium from Leeds last summer.

The Sky Blues’ defensive midfielder was handed just two starts during the previous Premier League campaign, highlighting exactly how out of favour he is, and there’s a chance that he could be about to fall even further down the pecking order with the arrival of Wolverhampton Wanderers star Matheus Nunes imminent.

TEAMtalk recently reported that the Reds have made enquiries for the 27-year-old, and it’s stated by the same outlet that Pep Guardiola’s side would be willing to sanction a loan move so that he can receive more regular game time moving forward rather than being on the fringe of the action.

FSG and Jurgen Klopp continue to be heavily linked with Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch and Crystal Palace’s Cheick Doucoure, but considering the situation he finds himself in, England’s international could turn out to be a much cheaper alternative.

Are Liverpool signing Kalvin Phillips?

Speaking to GiveMeSport, TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook confirmed that Liverpool do indeed like Phillips, but admitted that he’ll only be allowed to leave if Man City definitely secure the signature of Nunes. He said:

“Yeah, Kalvin Phillips is a name that has been mentioned to me in the last couple of weeks as someone that Klopp is really interested in. It might be possible that Manchester City would let him go on loan. I guess that might depend on if City can get the Matheus Nunes deal over the line.

"Ryan Gravenberch as well, I think the interest is genuine. They probably are still one midfielder light. I think that's the priority."

What is Kalvin Phillips' potential?

Liverpool will know that whilst Phillips hasn’t been given a fair chance to show what he’s capable of since joining Man City, he’s still got bags of potential to offer having previously been dubbed a “Rolls-Royce” by journalist Josh Bunting, so he could be an underrated addition for Klopp.

Guardiola’s £150k-per-week earner is extremely calm and composed on the ball where he last season averaged a 92.6% pass success rate in the top-flight which is higher than any of the regular starters managed on Merseyside, via WhoScored, showing he’d be an upgrade on the boss’ current options.

Read The Latest Liverpool Transfer News HERE…

The Three Lions star also posted 27 senior contributions (14 goals and 13 assists) during his time at Leeds, with one of those assists coming when he visited Anfield, so if he can perform well when part of the away side, think of the impact he could have if he was wearing a home shirt.

Furthermore, Phillips shares the same agent, CAA Stellar, as Ibrahima Konate and Caoimhin Kelleher, so his representative will already have an existing connection to the club which could help them get a deal over the line should they try before tomorrow’s transfer deadline.

India’s captain mocked those asking for Rahane’s inclusion in the XI, claiming that “no one” had wanted him to play in the last Test

Sidharth Monga in Centurion12-Jan-20182:23

‘No one expected Rahane in the XI’ – Kohli

To some Ajinkya Rahane was a shock exclusion from the first Test – he has the best overseas record among the current India batsmen – but to Virat Kohli it was no surprise at all. On the eve of the second Test, Kohli actually mocked those asking for Rahane’s inclusion in the XI. Kohli felt “no one” wanted Rahane to play the last Test.”It’s funny how things change in a matter of weeks, or just about five days,” Kohli said on the eve of the second Test. “Before the first Test, no one thought that he should be in the XI, and now suddenly people are looking at the other option. For us as a team, it’s all about finding the right balance. If players fit in in the kind of balance we want to go with as a side, then they will fit in. We certainly don’t go on opinions that are created outside, and ‘talk of the town’, and all those sort of things.”Having said that, Kohli acknowledged Rahane’s importance as a batsman.”He’s a quality player, he’s done well in South Africa. [In] all conditions, actually, away from home,” Kohli said of Rahane. “He’s probably been our most consistent and solid player away from home. I explained the reasons why Rohit [Sharma] started ahead of him. I’m not saying that Ajinkya cannot or will not start in this game. Possibilities are all open at the moment and we shall decide after practice.”One of the left-field options is to make Parthiv Patel open the innings, thus freeing a middle-order slot for Rahane. As things stand, Hardik Pandya has made himself undroppable through his performance, and it will be unfair – now that he has been picked – to drop Rohit after one Test. If Rahane has to play, Parthiv has to be brought in. It is not a fanciful thought: in the lead-up to the Test, the support staff has been putting in a lot of work on Parthiv’s keeping and batting, and the same continued on the eve of the Test.Kohli continued to ask for improvement from his other batsmen as he felt the bowlers had done a decent job of bringing India back into the contest in Cape Town. “We are very happy with the way the bowlers went about the business,” Kohli said. “The batting didn’t come out well so I’m not worried on the bowling front at all. We have been in a very good space, and we believe we can get them out twice again in this game.”You definitely need that to win Test matches but you also need a solid batting performance. Especially when you are playing away from home, you need that 60-70-80 extra runs compared to back home because there your bowlers will be stronger. But the way they (bowlers) showed their skill sets and their character in the first game, it motivated us as a batting group also to support them and play together as a unit and get some good results out there.”One of the things Kohli asked of his batsmen was more intent. He was asked to elaborate what he meant by that.”Intent doesn’t really mean that you have to go out there and start playing shots from ball one,” Kohli said. “Intent is there in a leave. Intent is there in defending as well. Intent is about being vocal out there in calling. All those things count as intent. Just the way your body language, the way you are thinking about the game. It gets portrayed in your body language. People can tell if you are playing with intent or not.”There will be tough moments but I think even the tough moments one needs to overcome through intent. Defending or leaving the ball, you need precise footwork to do that. And that only comes with a clear head and a positive intent in your head. That’s how I look at things. Even if I’m going to leave the ball, I need to do it with intent. My stride should be big enough to leave the ball, or defend it. So in my head I’m feeling positive about those things. Being positive doesn’t mean you are scoring every ball. But it’s understanding that you are in control of what you want to do. That’s how I break down intent.”Kohli said there was no need for panic yet. “I don’t think we need to panic because of collapses,” he said. “People need to apply themselves much better. Whether we are playing five batsmen or six, you still need to apply yourself. It doesn’t mean that if you are playing six batters, you can afford to go out and play loose shots. You still need to have a solid technique and go out there and be ready to face bowling spells which are going to be difficult. We need to embrace that.”

Aston Villa have started their 2023/24 campaign off with a bang, with two high-scoring results coming as both a huge disappointment and a statement of intent.

In the opening game of the Premier League season, the Villans suffered a 5-1 defeat to Newcastle United at St James’ Park, however just a week later, they were 4-0 victors at home to Everton in what was a more familiar display under Unai Emery.

Now, for the first time since 2010, Villa will embark on their European quest in the UEFA Europa Conference league, with the first leg of their play-off against Hibernian coming this evening in an all-British tie.

Speaking on the club’s involvement in Europe, a sector of his managerial career that has been kind to him through his four Europa League titles, Emery echoed the thrill of playing outside of England, dubbing it “always a great moment”.

What is the latest Aston Villa team news against Hibernian?

Injury has struck Villa Park already this term, with Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia being ruled out for the foreseeable future due to serious knee injuries.

The theme seemed to keep running against Everton, as Philippe Coutinho was forced to withdraw after being subbed on in the second half due to a knee injury that is expected to keep him out of action for three weeks.

On a more positive front, Jacob Ramsey is nearing a return after suffering a broken foot on international duty, with the hope that he’ll make a return as explosive as Jhon Duran.

The Colombian returned to training last week after suffering an injury setback and marked his return to the pitch with an instant goal after being introduced to the game against the Toffees, scoring after one minute of his arrival.

The 19-year-old could make an impact against Hibs tonight, with Youri Tielemans and new arrival Nicolo Zaniolo also hoping to get among the action.

Will Jhon Duran start against Hibernian?

Having been lauded as “brilliant” by his manager after scoring his first Villa and Premier League goal on Sunday, Emery must unleash Duran once again, this time against Hibs in what could prove to be a real threat in the final third.

The young striker made an instant impact on his return, showcasing his strengths in a 16-minute cameo in which he scored, won three out of three duels and completed one successful dribble, via Sofascore.

Considering Ollie Watkins’ crucial role in the squad, now could be the perfect time for the Spaniard to unleash Duran in rotation with the Englishman, in a move that could give the teenager more confidence and Watkins some rest.

The Colombian that’s been described as having ‘pace to burn’ by writer Ryan Tolmich and likened to Romelu Lukaku due to his power and stature, could be both a nightmare for the opposition and a tactical strength for Emery to utilise when reviewing Hibs’ questionable start to the campaign.

Lee Johnson’s side have lost their opening two Scottish Premiership fixtures, opening the calendar with a home loss to St Mirren, followed by an away defeat to Motherwell, in which they conceded five goals over the 180 minutes.

With it being a two-legged fixture, and one critical for both sides to win, Emery could cause Johnson nightmares by fielding Duran up top, who is young, hungry and returning to action.

There is a chance that the former Arsenal boss will be more reluctant to hand the Colombian his first start in claret and blue on the European stage, with him adding that the club “have to protect” the youngster on his return from injury, via Birmingham Live.

With other talents lined up to take to the field for Villa, it could be a torturous night for Hibs if the Spaniard decides to unleash some of the club’s top-tier talent this evening.

Josh Hazlewood says Australia’s bowlers are competing for the chance to take down England’s captain Joe Root as they attempt to seal the Ashes in Perth

Daniel Brettig in Perth12-Dec-20171:26

Johnson said bowl fast and short – Hazlewood

Australia’s bowlers are competing for the chance to take down England’s captain Joe Root, and have been heartened by Mitchell Johnson’s views on the touring side’s frail mental state ahead of the Perth Test that may seal the fate of the Ashes.Josh Hazlewood, who bowled the pivotal spell of the Adelaide Test to dismiss Root and Chris Woakes on a tense final day, said that he, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins have been pushing each other on to give England’s leader no respite in this series. Cummins and Hazlewood have alternated taking Root’s wicket in the four innings of the series so far, following Dale Steyn’s oft-quoted line about “cutting off the head of the snake” and ensuring that Root is unable to make his customary fast starts.”All the bowlers want that wicket and there’s obviously a couple of key ones which we’ve talked about,” Hazlewood said in Perth. “Joe is the key, he can hold the innings together and score runs pretty freely when he gets some poor bowling his way, so everyone has to be ready when he comes in and stop that quick 20 or 30 runs early.”It’s obviously a little bit more important, the time of that start of that fifth day when things could have gone either way, so you’re a bit more focused, [there’s] not as much room for error against those better players. Got to be on your game from ball one and he’s obviously going to punish anything that’s not your best ball. Still the key to him is bowling your best ball more often than not and hopefully keep the runs to a minimum and keep taking his wicket.”I think I’m just getting better as time goes on. Probably just my length I think, my length especially on the last day, so obviously be continuing to work on that and I think it’s on the rise so hopefully keep getting better.”Johnson’s presence at training on Monday afternoon was welcomed by the team, and Hazlewood said it had been useful to get the perspective of someone outside the comfortable “bubble” in which the Australians are operating – in sharp contrast to the difficulties being faced almost daily by England. Johnson’s advice on the bowling front was to the point, also: “Bowl fast and keep bowling short. Pretty simple method from Johnno.””You’re in the bubble the whole time. As soon as we got to Brisbane it was all cricket, all business,” Hazlewood said. “You do feel in that bubble, it takes some people from the outside to see things you’re not necessarily looking for. Johnno was good to talk to yesterday not just bowling but the mental side of it. He mentioned he saw a few things similar to 2013-14, those guys are always good to talk to about past experiences.”Josh Hazlewood had Joe Root caught behind for 67•Getty ImagesHaving had the benefit of several days off cricket after Adelaide, Hazlewood said the Australian pacemen were fresh and capable of getting through all five Tests, helped largely by the irrepressible Nathan Lyon. He also said the need for an allrounder, set to be taken up by the recalled Mitchell Marsh, was balanced against the desire for runs from the middle order.”I’ve only bowled under 40 overs in both games so I feel pretty fresh at this time of the year and the other quicks are pretty similar,” Hazlewood said. “They have probably bowled more than me but the way Nathan has bowled has given us the opportunity to sit out one or two spells here or there and him just go from one end.”He’s been bowling beautifully and taking wickets as well as keeping runs to a minimum, still feels pretty fresh at the moment. I think [I can get through five Tests], it’s still a long way off obviously and just got to take it game by game as a fast bowler or spell by spell at some stages, but feel as good as I have.”You always want an allrounder but at the same time you want those runs at No. 6, it would be ideal to have a Jacques Kallis or someone like that but they are pretty special players. I think at this stage the bowlers are pretty fresh and we’ve got another break after this so it’s obviously up to the selectors and what they feel.”The national selectors’ plans for the WACA Ground Test may well hinge on the state of the pitch, for any hint of help for the bowlers could allow Pete Handscomb to earn a reprieve as one of six batsmen. However, if the surface is anything like those prepared recently – it is the same strip used for last year’s Test won by South Africa – then Marsh is set to play. Given recent history, including a high-scoring bore draw with New Zealand in Johnson’s last Test in 2015, Hazlewood was not optimistic.”I usually just look at it when I get out there,” Hazlewood said. “Been pretty flat to be honest, especially the New Zealand game, there were a couple of big scores there. Hopefully it has some pace to it, but over the last few years it hasn’t been too good.”

Steven Smith moved serenely towards a 21st Test hundred as Australia continued the fightback started by taking England’s last six wickets for 35 runs

The Report by Brydon Coverdale15-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFour years ago this week, Steven Smith spontaneously changed his technique while batting against England at the WACA, adding a preliminary movement in an innings that became his second Test century. Back at the same ground, against the same opposition, but now as Australia’s captain and the best batsman in the world, Smith looked impenetrable as he sauntered towards what could become his 22nd Test hundred and dragged his team back into the contest on day two in Perth.England had started the morning in a powerful position at 4 for 305, and an England Ashes record fifth-wicket partnership of 237 between Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow built the perfect platform for a hefty total. Along the way, Bairstow raised his first Test century in 18 months, but when their stand was broken the England lower order collapsed quickly on a WACA pitch offering some of the old pace and bounce, and their last six wickets fell for 35.England were all out for 403 – still an imposing score, but not one that posed an insurmountable object for the Australians. And despite some fine bowling from Craig Overton, who picked off both of Australia’s openers after they made starts, Smith ensured that his side finished the day in a satisfactory position at 3 for 203, trailing by 200 with seven wickets in hand. By the close, Smith was on 92 and Shaun Marsh had 7, having come to the crease after Usman Khawaja was lbw to Chris Woakes for 50.Khawaja had scratched his way to his half-century from 122 deliveries, but his next ball was angled in from Woakes and struck Khawaja on the back leg. Given out on field, Khawaja reviewed the decision: there was more rocking and rolling in the third umpire’s room than at an Elvis concert as Aleem Dar tried to ascertain whether a Snicko spike was ball on bat, but in the end Khawaja was sent on his way. Marsh might have followed him in the closing overs, only for a chance off Moeen Ali, rebounding from the boot of short leg, to somehow evade both Mark Stoneman and Bairstow.Khawaja’s fifty had come about half as quickly as Smith’s, which was fitting for Smith looked about twice as good. There were some cracks in the pitch that provided the occasional spot of uneven bounce, but if it wasn’t a road, Smith enjoyed driving on it all the same, punishing England’s fast bowlers when they overpitched. He also latched on to short deliveries when he could, and dealt prolifically in boundaries on his way to a 58-ball half-century.Steven Smith punches with a high elbow•Getty ImagesEngland were not helped by the absence of Overton for a period during the final session, as he appeared to struggle with a problem in his rib/chest region. He had clearly been England’s most dangerous bowler during the early stages of Australia’s innings, drawing an edge behind from David Warner on 22 from a ball that angled in and straightened, and then trapping Cameron Bancroft lbw for 25 with a delivery angled in from wide of the crease.Overton might have added Khawaja to his wicket tally if he could have held on to a very difficult diving return chance early in the batsman’s innings, and Khawaja had another life on 28 when his edge off Woakes was missed by Joe Root at slip. Khawaja went on to compile a 124-run stand with Smith, but it was barely half as big as the partnership between Malan and Bairstow that set up England’s innings.They broke the 79-year-old England Ashes record for a fifth-wicket partnership, which had been held by Denis Compton and Eddie Paynter, who put on 206 at Trent Bridge in 1938, and along the way Bairstow brought up his hundred from his 185th delivery with a single to fine leg. Fittingly, given the drama that followed the Brisbane Test, he celebrated his first Test hundred since the Lord’s Test against Sri Lanka in June 2016 with an understated headbutt to his own helmetThe 237-run partnership finally ended when Malan was brilliantly caught by substitute fieldsman Peter Handscomb off the bowling of Nathan Lyon for 140. Malan failed to get to the pitch of the ball and in trying to hit Lyon over the top, succeeded only in spooning an edge up into the off side, where Handscomb ran briskly from backward point and took the catch while diving forward at full stretch, the kind of effort that Australia needed to turn their game around.Moeen lasted only two deliveries before the extra bounce from Pat Cummins troubled him and the ball lobbed off his glove to Smith at slip. Another fine catch, this time from Cummins at long leg, ended Woakes’ innings on 8 off the bowling of Josh Hazlewood, before Mitchell Starc curled one in to rattle the stumps of Bairstow, who was bowled for 119.A short delivery from Hazlewood accounted for Overton, who on 2 managed only to fend the ball to Bancroft at short leg, and Starc wrapped up the innings by having Stuart Broad caught at short leg awkwardly swinging at a bouncer. Starc had finished with four wickets and Hazlewood three, and Australia’s quick despatching of England’s tail had kept them in the match. By stumps, England knew they had to find a way through Smith in order to keep their own Ashes campaign alive.

Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku is yet to have even spoken to his current manager Mauricio Pochettino and the reason has now been revealed.

What's the latest on Chelsea and Romelu Lukaku?

The Blues have endured an extremely turbulent period since Todd Boehly completed his £4.25bn takeover of the Premier League club back in May 2022.

Indeed, last season alone, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard all spent time on the sidelines as manager at Stamford Bridge, but now Pochettino has been tasked with steadying the ship.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

Last term, however, Lukaku was able to keep his distance from the chaos as he spent the campaign on loan with Inter Milan, playing 37 times, and scoring 14 goals as the Serie A club made it all the way to the Champions League final.

This summer, though, has been awfully complicated for the Belgian striker. After all, when it appeared as though a move to Juventus could be on the cards, he managed to upset fans of both that club as well as Inter – with some gathering to protest the idea of a transfer.

With that in mind, you'd think perhaps the 30-year-old would be keen to give things another go at Chelsea, especially with new boss Pochettino now calling the shots in West London.

Despite this, it seems as though Lukaku has had no desire whatsoever to try and rekindle the old relationship. Indeed, as per Matt Law of The Telegraph, the striker has "reiterated his desire to leave Stamford Bridge" throughout the summer.

As a result, the forward has been training with the Chelsea Under-21s and has not even spoken to head coach Pochettino – showing both have no desire to see any reintegration.

How many Premier League goals has Romelu Lukaku scored?

Amid all this, it's quite ironic that Chelsea spent a lot of last season in dire need of a proven goalscorer. After all, they finished 12th in the Premier League last term, having scored just 38 goals in 38 games – which is fewer than both Leeds United and Leicester City who were relegated.

For this term, they've signed 22-year-old striker Nicolas Jackson to lead the line but he's failed to score in either of his first two games and at such a young age, he's hardly a safe bet. He has, for instance, only scored 14 senior club goals in his career.

As mentioned before, Lukaku netted that many last season alone. And the Belgian has been banging in the goals for a number of years now.

Indeed, he has a grand total of 121 goals in 278 Premier League appearances – while he also has 35 assists to his name in the competition.

With that being the case, you might have expected Chslea to consider at least getting some use out of the player this season but it appears that Lukaku wanted absolutely no part of things.

It remains to be seen what direction his career will head in next but there has been some talk that he could join London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in what could be an interesting move to say the least.

Whatever happens, it does seem as though we've seen the last of Lukaku in a Chelsea shirt, but perhaps not the last as a Premier League player.

Liverpool's search for a new midfielder in the summer transfer window has made significant progress since the failure to land Moises Caicedo, following an update from journalist Jacob Steinberg.

How old is Romeo Lavia?

The Reds' midfield has undergone a huge amount of surgery since the end of last season, now looking unrecognisable compared to several months ago.

Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have both left for Saudi Arabia in a couple of surprise exits, while James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also departed after their contracts expired. Meanwhile, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have come in from Brighton and RB Leipzig respectively, but it is clear that more signings are needed before the summer window reaches its conclusion.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Lavia has arguably been linked with a move to Liverpool more than any other players this summer, and having missed out on Caicedo to Chelsea, he looks like the next-best option to bring in as the new No.6. It looks as though that could happen now, following an encouraging new update.

Will Liverpool sign Romeo Lavia?

Taking to Twitter, Steinberg claimed that Liverpool have agreed a £60m fee for the signing of Lavia, as the Reds are now on the verge of their third summer signing:

"Liverpool have agreed a £60m deal to sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton. They must still convince the midfielder to choose them over Chelsea. More on @guardian_sport soon.

"Liverpool now the only club with an agreement with Southampton to sign Lavia. Chelsea will have to raise their bid."

This is great to hear from a Liverpool perspective, but it is also clear that Lavia hasn't yet decided who to join out of the Reds and Chelsea. The Caicedo saga is proof that supporters shouldn't get too excited until a move is officially announced, but it would be a surprise if the Southampton star opted for a move to Stamford Bridge, as reports have suggested he has already agreed personal terms at Anfield.

Playing time is surely going to be harder to come by there after the addition of Caicedo, while the west Londoners also don't have European football to offer this season, unlike the Merseysiders.

At 19, it is clear that Liverpool wouldn't be signing the finished article with Lavia, but he is a footballer already playing with a maturity well beyond his years, with his ability to avoid the press labelled "ridiculous" by Saints media members.

It is frustrating that Liverpool didn't simply act quicker and bid a cheaper £50m last week, however, signing him in time for Sunday's Premier League clash with Chelsea, which could have made all the difference. They appear to have been a little slow in their efforts and will end up spending £10m more than they needed to, if he does choose them over the Blues.

The most important thing is that the Reds acquire new signings as soon as possible, though, and if Lavia can come in very quickly and be available for Saturday's visit of Bournemouth in the league, it will stand Liverpool in good stead moving forward. Another midfielder and a left-sided centre-back also have to come in, in order to complete the ideal summer of spending at Anfield.

Things got tighter in a group which presents the possibility of a three-way tie

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2017Unbeaten half-centuries from Manprit Juneja and Rujul Bhatt steered defending champions and table-toppers Gujarat to 262 for 4 in a game they would like to win considering how tight things are in Group B. There is the possibility of a two-way tie, even a three-way tie. So to stay safe in such circumstances six points – or seven if they could manage it – could be vital.Jharkhand chose to bowl on home turf but ran into a very stubborn opening batsman in Samit Gohel, who faced 179 deliveries for his 64. Nevertheless, he struck eight fours and a six. His partner Priyank Panchal, who came into the game with back-to-back hundreds, fell for 33. Bhargav Merai (23) and Parthiv Patel (33) didn’t trouble the scorers too much either and when Gohel fell in the 61st over, Gujarat were 179 for 4. That’s when Juneja and Bhatt (who made 40 of his 51 runs in boundaries) came together to string a stand worth 83 runs in 22 overs.Their regular No. 3 was busy scoring a hundred for India so Avi Barot was left to play the innings Cheteshwar Pujara might have, batting almost the entire day to remain unbeaten on 128 as Saurashtra battled for qualification into the Ranji Trophy knockouts. He came to the crease in the 10th over and, with Robin Uthappa (59) and Sheldon Jackson (54*) for support, took the score to 286 for 3 against Rajasthan in Jaipur.With Saurashtra needing nothing short of a win – and even then they could find themselves out of the title – they could not afford a bad start. But the openers couldn’t get past 20 and it was down to the middle order to regain the upper hand. Uthappa struck 11 fours to bring up his third half-century in as many matches and when he fell, Jackson took over striking seven fours in a 93-ball innings. Left-arm seamer Tanvir-ul-Haq was Rajasthan’s most successful bowler, picking up 2 for 48 in 21 overs.Kerala’s Sandeep Warrier and Vinod Kumar took six wickets between them to reduce Haryana to 207 for 9 in Lahli. The two medium-pacers have kept their team alive in the race towards the quarter-finals, bowling 37 overs between them for only 90 runs.But they had to wrench the upper hand back from Haryana, who at one point were 94 for 1. Then they became 158 for 6 and finally ended the day clinging on to their last wicket. None of the hosts’ batsmen could make a score higher than Rajat Paliwal’s 45. He was dismissed in the penultimate over before stumps, and Kerala received a bigger boost when Warrier picked up a wicket with what became the last ball of the day to push his tally to 4 for 50.

Matty Cash has been a strong performer since joining Aston Villa back in 2020. But, Ryan Taylor of the Daily Express has told GIVEMESPORT as to why everything might not be as it seems with the fullback.

Is Matty Cash surplus to requirements?

On the surface, Matty Cash has been a consistent performer for Aston Villa. He arrived at Villa Park from Nottingham Forest and quickly made that right-back berth his own.

Unai Emery’s management has seemingly taken Villa to the next level though and this may leave Cash behind if reports are to be believed.

European football is now something which this team will have to contend with and with that comes an even more demanding schedule. Where Matty Cash is concerned, Ashley Young joining Everton means there are even more minutes available in his position which could be a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing in that he himself can step up even more whilst as a curse, it could see Villa dip into the transfer market once again.

Sporting director Monchi arrived from Spanish football, as of course did manager Emery so the pair tend to shop in a market which they are very familiar with.

This aligns with a report from Estadio Deportivo that suggests that Monchi could make matters worse for Sevilla and swoop in for Gonzalo Montiel.

What has Ryan Taylor got to say in his update?

“They’re looking at full-backs in general. Konsa has been playing at right-back a little bit. Cash doesn't seem to be 100% fancied by Emery. He's probably the first choice, but I don't think Emery is sold on him.

“At left-back, they’ve got Alex Moreno, who was excellent at points last year. And there is a chance Lucas Digne could leave for Saudi Arabia, so again, the full-back areas are where they're looking at.

“I don't know of any concrete ties from what I've seen. There are a few in Spain that they've been looking at. Monchi is now the sporting director, so I suspect those are targets backed by him.”

The Monchi effect

Monchi is a world-renowned sporting director and his arrival in Birmingham was a real coup.

Links to Montiel make perfect sense when you consider Monchi’s track record and he wouldn’t be the only arrival from La Liga in this window.

Europa League winning centre-back Pau Torres made the move to Villa Park from Villarreal and is set to strengthen that area in the defence alongside Tyrone Mings, Ezri Konsa and Diego Carlos, the latter who is also formerly of the Spanish top-flight.

Monchi is known for his contributions to the sport off of the field more so than his time with Sevilla on the field in the late 1990s. As previously mentioned, he played a huge part for that same club as a member of the hierarchy and he discovered a number of big names, including Jesus Navas, Sergio Ramos and the late Jose Antonio Reyes.

He also left a mark in Serie A with A.S. Roma before making his way to England with a return to Seville in between.

Astle suffered a groin injury during the New Zealanders’ warm-up match against Board President’s XI on Tuesday

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2017A groin strain has ruled Todd Astle out of New Zealand’s squad for their ODI and T20I tour of India. Fellow legspinner Ish Sodhi, who was initially only named in the T20I squad, will replace Astle in the ODI squad.Astle suffered the injury during the New Zealanders’ tour game against Board President’s XI at the Brabourne Stadium on Tuesday, walking off the field after bowling just three balls. According to an NZC release, a scan confirmed Astle had suffered a tear to his right side, which would rule him out for around three weeks.The ODI series begins on Sunday at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.ODI squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, George Worker.