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Manchester United are open to offers for long-serving stars Scott McTominay and Aaron Wan-Bissaka this summer.

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United willing to sell majority of squadReject initial bid for McTominay from FulhamWest Ham want Wan-BissakaWHAT HAPPENED?

Per the United have rejected a bid for McTominay from Fulham, while West Ham are weighing up a move to sign Wan-Bissaka. United turned down a £30m ($39m) bid for McTominay from the Hammers last summer and Fulham's offer was worth less than that offer.

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Despite United rejecting the initial offer, they are open to bids for the majority of their first-team squad. McTominay also has interest from Galatasaray, while United hold an option to extend the Scotland international's deal by a further year. West Ham, meanwhile, could pay as little as £15m ($19.5m) to sign Wan-Bissaka.

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McTominay enjoyed a productive season last term, scoring 10 goals in 43 games in all competitions from midfield. Wan-Bissaka, by comparison, made 30 appearances in total, although he was limited to just 20 Premier League starts.

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United continue their preparations for the new season this weekend in a friendly against Rangers, having lost their first pre-season game to Rosenborg.

He cautioned that without experienced people, even the richest and most powerful cricket board could fall swiftly

Nagraj Gollapudi06-Dec-2019Even as he waits for the Supreme Court to consider rolling back certain reforms, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has cautioned that without experienced people at the helm, even the richest and most powerful cricket board could fall swiftly.Ganguly said “continuity” was “a very important” yardstick in running a sport and so the BCCI had approached the court in a “common sense” move to consider six amendments that his administration wanted to make to the board’s constitution.One of these concerns the tenures of the BCCI office-bearers. The BCCI has recommended that the president and the secretary be allowed to stay in office for two consecutive terms (six years) irrespective of their past tenure. Except, as per the BCCI constitution, registered last August, an office-bearer who has held any post for two consecutive terms either at a state association or in the BCCI, or a combination of both, has to step away from cricket administration for a minimum of three years. During this period, they cannot serve in any capacity at either the BCCI or state level.If the court allows the BCCI appeal, then Ganguly along with board secretary Jay Shah and the other three office bearers (treasurer, joint secretary and vice-president) can continue in their posts till 2024. If the court disagrees, then Ganguly, who was elected as BCCI president on October 23, as well as Shah will have to step aside in August 2020.”That is what we have asked for in the court because both Jay and I have 10 months of term,” Ganguly said in a chat with on Friday. “Even Jayesh [George], who is the joint secretary, has 11 months. So we have requested on the basis of common sense that at the end of the day you need continuity to run the cricket board and we have just requested the Supreme Court. If they do it, fine, if they don’t do it, then the term is only for 10 months.”On July 18, 2016, the court, in a seminal order, had approved the RM Lodha Committee recommendations which formed the basis for the structural reforms in BCCI. The board and the state associations did not conform to most of them, even after the court relaxed its stance in August 2018.Eventually most of the state associations did fall in line, but questions are still being asked of the board and how it intends to implement all the reforms. Ganguly said the BCCI would take the opportunity at the next hearing on January 14 to explain that inexperience in administration is a factor that is preventing them from functioning as well as they could.”I’ve been in the BCCI working committee for five years now, representing the Cricket Association of Bengal, which has a permanent seat in the working committee. This time when I went to the AGM, there was not one single face who had been there in the last four-five years. Sometimes, you cannot just throw away experience.”It is required because you look at the earnings of the BCCI. They earn about INR 25,000 crores (approx. USD 3.51 billion) in five years. It is a phenomenal amount of revenue which comes in. The game has to be run, your representations with the world body have to be sorted, and to just expect newcomers to come and do it consistently over a period of time, I don’t think is a fair thing. Continuity is important.”Even in state associations when you go, to actually run state associations, the leadership is very, very important. And you have to find the right kind of people to run all these organisations because (there’s) too much at stake is involved in running of these organisations are concerned. And if you don’t get the right people, the entire system will come down.”Ganguly went to on to provide the examples of how struggling administrations in South Africa and West Indies had had a huge impact on their on-field performance. “You look at the other countries. South Africa. When I came into international cricket in 1996, they were probably the best side in the world. A team which had [Shaun] Pollock, [Allan] Donald, [Jacques] Kallis, [Lance] Klusener and you look at the current South African team.”You’ve been following the news for the last two days. They speak about how the relationship with the administration has fallen off, how the sponsors want to back away because cricket is not being run properly. Even somebody like Graeme Smith, who was probably one of their greatest players, doesn’t want to take up the job [as director of cricket] because he feels he won’t be allowed to have a free run.”Look at West Indies – the 1970s, the 1980s, what a force they were. And I feel one of the main reasons of cricket not doing well in those parts of the world is because of administrative failure. And you don’t want to do that in India because India is the powerhouse of cricket in the world, in terms of finances.”Look at our team. The best thing that has happened in the last three years is in spite of what has gone on in the courts, the team has performed fantastically. That’s where the real strength lies of Indian cricket. In any form of work, whether it’s business, running the state, running the country, running the board, you need good people to run it, experienced people to run it. Continuity is very important.”

The Celtic board have backed manager Brendan Rodgers in both transfer windows throughout the season so far to bolster his playing squad at Parkhead.

He was brought in to replace Australian manager Ange Postecoglou last summer, after he moved down south to the Premier League, and made nine new signings ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Nat Phillips, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Hyun-jun Yang, Luis Palma, Odin Thiago Holm, Marco Tilio, Maik Nawrocki, and Paulo Bernardo all came through the door during the summer.

These signings failed to start the season well, however, as Celtic were knocked out of the League Cup by Kilmarnock in August and dumped out of Europe as they finished bottom of their Champions League group during the first half of the campaign.

Nicolas Kuhn was then snapped up from Austrian side Rapid Wien on a permanent deal in January, before Adam Idah arrived on loan from Norwich City on deadline day at the start of last month.

The Hoops boss is now already eyeing up another player to add to his group at the end of the season, as the club are reportedly keen on a Portuguese winger, who could be their next Jota – figuratively and literally.

Latest Celtic transfer news

According to HITC, the Scottish giants are among a clutch of clubs looking at a possible swoop to sign Vitoria Guimaraes forward Jota Silva this summer.

Rodgers is far from the only head coach keeping an eye on the Liga Portugal star as a number of Premier League and Championship teams are also showing an interest in him.

Southampton and Leicester City, who are currently competing to secure promotion to the top-flight, have been keeping tabs on the 24-year-old whiz.

Meanwhile, Premier League sides Bournemouth, Brentford, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Brighton & Hove Albion have also been monitoring his progress with Vitoria.

However, the report does not reveal whether or not any of the aforementioned clubs, including Celtic, are prepared to go in with a firm offer to acquire his services at this moment in time.

HITC also does not mention how much Vitoria would demand from any of the interested teams to cash in on their "star" – as per journalist Graeme Bailey – forward.

Therefore, whilst Rodgers is eyeing up the young attacker, it remains to be seen whether or not a deal for Jota Silva is a viable one for the Glasgow-based outfit at this moment in time.

If the Hoops can strike a deal to sign the Portugal international, though, then they could repeat the masterclass they played with the signing of his compatriot and namesake Jota back in 2021.

Celtic's Jota masterclass

Former Celtic boss Postecoglou swooped to sign the winger on loan from Benfica ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and he hit the ground running at Parkhead with electric performances on the flank.

Jota racked up ten goals and ten assists in 29 appearances in the Scottish Premiership during his first season at the club, along with two goals and two assists in five Europa League outings.

In total, the young whiz produced 13 goals and 14 assists in 40 matches for the Hoops in all competitions, which convinced them to trigger their option to buy him for £6.5m.

Appearances

33

Goals

11

Assists

11

Big chances created

13

Key passes per game

1.9

As you can see in the table above, the Portuguese wizard continued his fine form in front of goal over to the 2022/23 campaign after Celtic snapped him up on a permanent deal.

Jota ended the season with a return of 15 goals and 12 assists in 43 games in all competitions for the Scottish giants, which took his tally to 28 goals and 26 assists in 83 outings for Postecoglou's team over his two years at the club.

His terrific displays on the wing in Scotland convinced Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad to swoop in to complete a staggering £25m deal for the magician, of which £7.5m went to Benfica – thanks to their sell-on clause as part of the move that sent him to Parkhead in 2022.

This shows that Celtic played a masterclass with the signing of Jota from the Portuguese league as they had a superb player on the pitch who went on to make them a mouth-watering amount of money.

Why Celtic could repeat their masterclass with Jota Silva

The Hoops could now repeat that masterclass by returning to Liga Portugal to sign another exciting winger who could catch the eye in Glasgow – Jota Silva.

He has been in impressive form for Vitoria in his breakthrough season in the top-flight of football in his home country, and earned a debut for Portugal against Sweden this week.

Jota Silva has showcased his quality as a scorer and a creator of goals throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far, with a return of 13 goals and seven assists in 32 matches in all competitions.

This has come after the young forward, who can play on either flank, produced four goals and four assists in 40 outings in all competitions last season for Vitoria.

So far this season, the 24-year-old phenomenon has plundered nine goals and five assists, to go along with six 'big chances' created, in 25 Liga Portugal clashes.

Appearances

25

33

Goals

9

11

Goals per game

0.36

0.33

Assists

5

11

Assists per game

0.20

0.33

Dribbles completed per game

1.2

1.5

As you can see in the table above, Jota Silva is similar to the former Celtic star in the sense that they both score goals at a similar rate, both love to dribble past opponents to push their respective teams up the pitch, and can both create for others.

Like the current Al Ittihad whiz, the Vitoria maestro is also a right-footed forward who can be deployed out on the right or the left flank, and still cause chaos on either side.

Therefore, Rodgers could repeat the club's Jota masterclass by swooping for Jota Silva this summer, as the 5 foot 10 gem could be another Liga Portugal starlet who goes on to thrive in Scottish football.

Celtic struck gold selling gem who's worth more than Jota in 2024 money

The impressive midfielder, who was sold in 2006, would be worth more than £30m in 2024.

ByDan Emery Mar 21, 2024

The current interest from Premier League sides also suggests that there could be scope for the Hoops to sell him on for a profit, like they did with Jota, further down the line if he excels in Glasgow.

Manchester City and England star Chloe Kelly has reportedly tied the knot with long-time partner Scott Moore during a low-key wedding ceremony.

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Ceremony took place at Cheshire country estateFriends and family invited along to enjoy big dayCountdown on to WSL season after Euro qualifiersWHAT HAPPENED?

The 26-year-old forward has, according to , exchanged vows with greenkeeper Moore at a lavish country estate in Cheshire. Friends and family were invited to attend the special event at Merrydale Manor in Over Peover.

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The happy couple were spotted in the grounds of the picturesque venue having photos taken, surrounded by wedding guests. Kelly and Moore announced their engagement in December 2023, following a romantic proposal in front of the Northern Lights.

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Kelly said at the time, during a trip to Finland: “The easiest YES. Here’s to forever with you”. The City winger met her partner during a spell at Everton – when Moore was a groundsman for the Toffees. Their first date was a visit to IKEA, as Kelly was in the process of moving house.

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Kelly, who memorably scored the winning goal for England in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley, was joined by guests at her wedding for drinks and canapés served in a stylish bar area before enjoying her first breakfast as a married woman in the swanky on-site Merrydale Suite. She is counting down the days to the start of the new WSL season after helping the Lionesses to qualify for next summer’s European Championship.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has taken in an awkward reunion with Pep Guardiola some 14 years on from their explosive feud at Barcelona.

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Swedish striker clashed with coach at Camp NouDifferent personalities were never going to workInvolved in brief exchange ahead of friendly gameWHAT HAPPENED?

Enigmatic Swedish striker Ibrahimovic moved to Camp Nou in 2009. He hit 21 goals during his only full season in Catalunya – savouring La Liga, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup triumphs – but never saw eye-to-eye with demanding coach Guardiola.

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Ibrahimovic was critical of Guardiola in his no-holds-barred autobiography, with questions being asked of how one of the most decorated bosses in the business handled a larger-than-life character that needed freedom and trust in order to flourish alongside Lionel Messi and Co.

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Ibrahimovic is now retired, with an advisor role being filled at AC Milan. He was at Yankee Stadium in New York for a friendly clash between the Rossoneri and Manchester City – meaning that he ran into Guardiola again for an uncomfortable hug and brief exchange.

Chris Silverwood proud of environment that has allowed young players to thrive

Valkerie Baynes21-Jan-2020You gotta love it when a plan comes together. While Chris Silverwood didn’t even have his A-Team on the park in Port Elizabeth, his players gave their best impression of a formidable outfit that fell off TV screens before many of them had even been born. Either way, their coach could be forgiven for reaching for a cigar and channelling his inner Hannibal Smith.While the protagonists of that 1980s hit show were driven by the desire to clear their names, England’s youngsters, in particular, have looked hell-bent on making a name for themselves in South Africa and Silverwood is proud of the squad environment that has allowed them to play that way.”We saw the template that we are trying to put into place in this game,” Silverwood said after England’s innings-and 53-run victory at Port Elizabeth which handed them a 2-1 series lead with one Test to play in Johannesburg from Friday. “Heavy first-innings run, then scoreboard pressure to try and take 20 wickets. It sounds really simple but there’s a lot of hard work gone into that.”The great thing is we are moving towards the template we want to use in these matches. We are learning, that’s the top and bottom of that. We are assessing conditions really quickly, we have a lot of skills in that bowling attack we can use at any given point. We are learning.”I knew the youngsters were there, that’s the thing. My job is to create the environment that they can thrive in – feel comfortable in, confident in and go out and express themselves.”One of the pleasing things for me is those guys have talked about that in their press interviews so it means what we’re doing behind the scenes is working. It’s still a work in progress, we haven’t cracked everything by a long way and still have lots to learn to get where we want to. But at the same time there’s some real positives coming out.”Chris Silverwood shares a joke with Mark Wood•Getty ImagesThe third Test featured a good balance of success between England’s newcomers and old hands. On the bowling front, Dom Bess’s first-innings five-for was followed by Joe Root’s four-wicket haul second time around (only mildly soured by that record-equalling 28 runs off an over in the closing stages). While England’s solitary innings was underpinned by centuries for Ollie Pope (his first) and Ben Stokes (who passed 4000 runs in the process). In the second Test, another emphatic victory for the tourists after their defeat at Centurion, it was Dom Sibley who stood out with his first hundred in just his fourth match at this level.In a further boost for the good vibes in England’s camp, South Africa appear unsettled, rattled even, with captain Faf du Plessis suggesting the Wanderers Test could be his last on home soil and Kagiso Rabada banned for one demerit point too many after his forceful celebration of Root’s wicket on a frustrating first day in Port Elizabeth.But it may not be all bad for the hosts, who gain strength in the form of Temba Bavuma, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keegan Petersen and Beuran Hendricks returning to their squad from the domestic ranks, where Bavuma struck a first-class career-best of 180 last week.And, as Silverwood is at pains to point out, England are not the finished article.There are question marks over the fitness of Jofra Archer following his elbow injury and fellow speedster Mark Wood’s readiness to play back-to-back Tests will be carefully monitored after Port Elizabeth marked his return to action since suffering a side strain in the World Cup final in July. That said, Chris Woakes is said to be training well and is yet to play a part in this series.ALSO READ: ‘It’s my team, the guys are listening to my message’ – Root”We’ve got a couple of sessions coming up so Jofra will bowl then and if he’s fit that’s another great headache isn’t it? I’ve got to find a way that potentially he comes back in and at the same time we’ve got Woakesy sat there as well. He’s been bowling beautifully,” Silverwood said. “So we’ve got options available to us that is again superb. Jofra today felt good so hopefully he’s going the right way.”You look at the bench we’ve got, they’re working incredibly hard and there’s so much talent there and so much experience. We need that as well. We talk about the youngsters a lot but we need the experience dotted in amongst it as well so they can learn by getting it right rather than making mistakes all the time.”The England bench also includes Jonny Bairstow, dropped after scores of 1 and 9 in the first Test, while Jos Buttler is struggling after failing to reach 30 in five innings this series. So long as the top three can continue to do a job for the tourists, albeit a “boring” one as du Plessis put it, the plights of Bairstow and Buttler are less pressing concerns.”If we keep getting 490 I’m happy with that,” Silverwood said in response to what was actually praise from du Plessis. “They’re picked to play in their way – it’s as simple as that. They don’t get told how to play.”We pick a team that will try and get us big first-innings runs and the top three have laid some fantastic foundations time and time again for us to go on and get the big scores. We’re learning to do that now. As I’ve said before we’re not the finished article by a long way but for them to go out and do it in this game and win will give them a heap of confidence. The team is picked to get us where we want to go.”

Daniel Farke and Co will have plenty of players to ponder over in the summer, including forgotten faces at Elland Road who were loaned out in the direct aftermath of Leeds United's bruising relegation from the Premier League.

The likes of Brenden Aaronson and Maximilian Wober could be welcomed back into the Whites first-team fold after loan spells out in Germany, whilst other fringe figures such as Rasmus Kristensen might well find they have no future anymore in West Yorkshire after being on the books at AS Roma.

Farke won't have to think too hard about one man's future at the club, however, with Robin Koch offloaded to Eintracht Frankfurt permanently in January.

This could be a deal Leeds regret signing off on in the long run, especially with Liam Cooper looking likely to be nearing towards the end of his extensive Whites career, based on some shaky displays this campaign.

Robin Koch's time at Eintracht Frankfurt

After a disastrous third and final campaign in Leeds white, which saw the German defender pick up just five clean sheets from 36 league games for the West Yorkshire giants, Koch has had to go about breathing life back into his stuttering career in the Bundesliga.

The Frankfurt No 4 has managed to do just that, with the 6th-placed club relying on their new recruit for the majority of the season to put in rock-solid performances.

Koch has helped himself to two goals coming up from the back for Frankfurt, alongside accumulating seven clean sheets along the way from 24 appearances.

It's even resulted in the 27-year-old being recalled to the Germany international ranks off the back of his inspired displays in his native country, with his nightmarish three-season stint at Elland Road now very much a thing of the past.

Frankfurt's manager, Dino Toppmöller, even described Koch as "outstanding" just a matter of months following his switch to the Eagles.

Leeds will feel slightly aggrieved that Koch, who once cost the Whites £12m, didn't come back and fight for his spot under Farke instead.

With Cooper's contract nearing its expiration date in June, there could well have been a redemption arc for the Leeds flop if he returned from Frankfurt hungry to try to win fans back over.

Liam Cooper's future at Leeds

The celebrated Whites servant's future remains up in the air, with his torrid display against Watford on Good Friday not exactly making Farke want to reinstate the 32-year-old centre-back into his lineups more regularly.

The Whites No 6 found Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis too hot to handle under the lights at Vicarage Road, bamboozled by the centre-forward's trickery on the ball when the Hornets fired in their second of the night.

Moreover, Cooper failed to launch himself into a single tackle during the disappointing 2-2 draw from a Leeds perspective.

There might well be an element of what could have been when it comes to Koch further down the line for Farke's men, with the Whites in danger of being light at the back if Cooper is let go of and Joe Rodon's deal at Elland Road isn't made permanent.

Leeds will just remain focused on the task of winning promotion back to the Premier League away from any talk of Cooper's standing at the club for now, whilst Koch will just keep brushing off his Whites demons starring for Frankfurt.

As Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw on Tuesday night in the Champions League, the Gunners were stung by two familiar faces among the Bayern Munich ranks, with Serge Gnabry and Harry Kane getting on the score sheet to leave the tie finely poised heading into the second leg.

It was that man Gnabry who drew the visitors level in midweek after latching onto Leon Goretzka's threaded pass, the German winger returning to haunt his prior employers eight years on from having traded north London for Werder Bremen.

A quick turnaround then saw former Tottenham Hotspur talisman, Kane – who was famously once on the books at Arsenal as a teenager – calmly slot home from the penalty spot, the 30-year-old having now netted 15 career goals against the Gunners to date.

Those high-profile figures represent just two of the notable assets that the Emirates side have let slip from their grasp in recent times, with another former academy starlet also now shining closer to home – Leicester City's Stephy Mavididi.

Stephy Mavididi's record at Arsenal

It must be said off the bat that the 25-year-old is not yet of the calibre of the likes of Kane and Gnabry, although he has certainly impressed since departing north London for Serie A side Juventus back in the summer of 2018 for what may have been as little as €1.5m (£1m).

Prior to that, the versatile attacker – who can operate on the flanks or in a centre-forward berth – had been a potent presence in Arsenal's youth ranks, notably netting 21 times in just 41 games for the club's U21 side.

While never afforded a senior outing prior to his exit almost six years ago, Mavididi did catch the eye while on loan at Charlton Athletic in 2017, with then-boss Karl Robinson suggesting that the youngster had a "really bright future" in the game.

That strong impression wasn't enough to secure his first-team future under Arsene Wenger, although the one-time Southend man did subsequently earn notable praise from his idol – and former Gunners youth coach – Thierry Henry, who hailed him as a "hard-working player" back in 2022.

Also lauded by Henry for his improved "finishing" during his time at Ligue 1 side Montpellier – for whom he netted 21 goals in 98 games after leaving Turin in 2020 – the Derby-born gem is seemingly now looking to emulate his hero back on English shores.

Mavididi's record at Leicester

Five years on from leaving Wenger's side, the wing wizard returned to England last summer in order to help Leicester's quest for an instant return to the Premier League, having since dazzled for the automatic promotion hopefuls.

Taking on James Maddison's number ten shirt at the King Power Stadium, the former England U20 international has sparkled for Enzo Maresca's side, scoring 13 goals and providing five assists in 43 games in all competitions this season – ahead of what even Gabriel Martinelli has produced on that left flank, the Brazilian scoring just eight times in all competitions in 2023/24.

Particularly adept at cutting in on his stronger right foot from the flank, Mavididi was hailed for an "Henry-esque finish" by journalist James Benge after netting away at Birmingham City back in December – curling home in exquisite fashion.

That technique was also on display during the Foxes' cruel FA Cup defeat to Chelsea last month, with the 6 foot sensation having drawn the away side level at Stamford Bridge after bending the ball past a helpless Robert Sanchez.

Clearly capable of mixing it with top-flight talent, it may not be too long before Mavididi is plying his trade against Arteta's men if Leicester's promotion push does prove successful, having previously been described as a "Premier League-level player" by former Arsenal youth coach Steve Leonard.

Also dubbed a "nightmare to mark" by Leonard, Mavididi – who once cost the club just £4k as a teenager – is now said to be worth around €15m (£13m), according to Football Transfers, with such a valuation only set to soar if his current form continues.

41 games (38 starts)

12 goals

5 assists

8 'big chances' created

82% pass accuracy rate

1.5 key passes per game

1.6 tackles per game

4.2 ball recoveries per game

1.6 successful dribbles per game

He may be a lesser-known name to some of an Arsenal persuasion, although the club could well be left to rue letting him leave on the cheap.

Perhaps, at a time when the Gunners are seemingly looking at an EFL star in Crysencio Summerville to possibly rival Martinelli, securing a reunion with the Leicester man instead may not be the worst idea this summer…

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Quinton de Kock and Moeen Ali produce brilliant cameos on night of 28 sixes at Durban

The Report by Andrew Miller14-Feb-2020England 204 for 7 (Stokes 47, Roy 40, Moeen 39, Ngidi 3-48) beat South Africa 202 for 7 (de Kock 65, van der Dussen 43*) by two runs
A one-run margin on Wednesday, a two-run margin on Friday. Any chance of your fingernails growing back by Sunday? On an evening that throbbed like a Durban minibus, Tom Curran held his nerve superbly in a death-over scenario that had uncanny parallels with the World Cup final Super Over, as England levelled the three-match T20I series with just the decider at Centurion to come.On an evening featuring 28 sixes – more than had ever before been scored in a T20I involving England or South Africa – the contest came down to the very final over, the very final ball, with Curran defending 15 runs, the same figure that Jofra Archer had had to play with at Lord’s last summer, and then as now, the rollercoaster went to the very final twist.A second-ball slog for six over cow corner? Check. Five runs needed from three balls? Check, as Dwaine Pretorius set himself to be a hero with a lacerating drive through the covers. Three from two? Check, as a canny leg-stump yorker was dug out to midwicket. Only then did the script truly deviate, as Curran showcased that desire to be a hero that sets the very best death-over specialists apart from the rest.Up he popped with consecutive wickets, a pinpoint yorker to trap Pretorius in front of off – a moment that flirted with controversy as Quinton de Kock, the captain, appeared to instigate South Africa’s use of the review with an impassioned signal from the dressing room. And then, the sucker punch. With Rassie van der Dussen stranded at the wrong end after keeping his team alive with 43 from 26, Curran served up a back-of-the-hand slowie to the new man Bjorn Fortuin, who could only flap an attempted ramp to short fine leg.Even then there was an agonised wait for the final, final verdict, as Adil Rashid had been back-pedalling in anticipation of the catch. The umpires again called for the second opinion, but at the moment of Curran’s release, Rashid was not obviously outside the fielding circle. And thus the decision, and the result, stood. Crumbs.Powerhouse cameosThere were contributions all down the order from both teams, but none more thrilling than the efforts of de Kock and Moeen Ali, who exchanged a pair of the most startlingly clean-hitting cameos imaginable to ignite each half of the contest.Building on the earlier efforts of Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow, Moeen made 39 from just 11 deliveries, including three fours and four sixes. At one stage he defied the physics of his midwicket followthrough with an outrageous pat over point off a Lungi Ngidi full-toss.But set an imposing 205 for victory, de Kock responded with the insouciant genius that he has displayed in every format this winter. He blazed his way to a 17-ball fifty – the fastest in T20Is for South Africa – and 65 from 22 all told. His eight sixes all came in a blistering mid-innings onslaught that spanned 15 balls – three in four balls from Moeen, two in two from Curran. There was simply nowhere safe in the ground, least of all for the motionless ball-boy at midwicket, who was all but mown down by a rampaging Ben Stokes, hurtling in vain round the rope.Ngidi poses the Buttler questionIn his previous two white-ball games, at Johannesburg in the final ODI and at Buffalo Park on Wednesday, Ngidi’s returns with old and new ball had been revealing – combined figures of 0 for 72 in seven overs at the top of the innings, and 6 for 21 in six at the death. But on this occasion he needed just five Powerplay deliveries to make his mark, and in so doing, he passed the start-finish question directly across to his victim.Few players in England’s line-up are better capable of mugging the death overs than Jos Buttler … but his innings of 2 from 4 balls in the Powerplay here, coupled with his inconclusive 15 from 10 on Wednesday reawakened the question about where best to use him. A cross-seamer from Ngidi lured a flat-footed nick to the keeper, and for the second match running, England’s ODI openers, Roy and Bairstow were united in the middle before the end of the third over.And for the second match running, neither man died wondering in reprising their iconic 50-over form: 72 from 39 balls at East London, 52 from 25 today. Like Gilchrist and Hayden, or Greenidge and Haynes, perhaps some partnerships are just born to dovetail.Stokes in the spotlight …Remember the build-up to the 2019 World Cup, and the genuine questions about whether Stokes’ place was under threat? (Google the articles, it would be mean to single anyone out…) Well, welcome to the lead-up to the 2020 T20 World Cup, in which the Stokes question is likely to rumble much like his laboured innings of 47 from 30 balls – notwithstanding it surpassed his previous T20I best of 38.It looked all right in the final analysis – though that was more a testament to Stokes’ refusal to surrender despite barely timing a stroke all evening. Indeed, had Beuran Hendricks reacted a touch quicker at long-on, Stokes might have fallen to a slog-pull for the second time in as many innings. But the shot skittered to the rope for his first boundary, instead of sending him on his way for a sluggish 6 from 10.Stokes’ stunning performances in Tests and ODIs of late have stemmed, first and foremost, from a watertight defence and an ability to accelerate into his day’s work. And sure enough, the longer he endured, the more he began to find his range, as the silken timing of Moeen at the other end, let alone de Kock in South Africa’s reply, showed that this was not a pitch on which muscle alone could seize the day……and yet, who in their right mind would take the field without Stokes in their line-up? With David Miller threatening to fill de Kock’s sizeable shoes, Stokes was thrown the ball for a pivotal 13th over. A length ball, wide line but appreciable nibble off the deck, drew a wafty air shot and instantly changed the mood. Another dot followed, again outside the eyeline, and Miller’s only response was a desperate slog to long-on. Van der Dussen and Jon-Jon Smuts exchanged singles but the damage had been done.Pace on, pace off Dale Steyn made his first international appearance in 11 months at East London, but the Durban crowd was treated to a rather lower-octane opening. With the old man resting due to the 48-hour turnaround, in came the offspinner Fortuin, whose ODI debut on this ground last week was obliterated by the rain, but whose 2 for 19 in three overs had been crucial to a series-squaring win against India in his previous T20I in September.His evening’s work was short and to the point – his first Powerplay over was rudely dented by a massive wipe for six from Roy, and his second was self-sabotaged by a spilled return catch as Bairstow battered a drive. He wasn’t seen again after that, not even during England’s fallow middle overs as his fellow spinner Taibraz Shamsi put a check on a rampant run-rate.Bavuma 1 Jordan 0Two of the most outstanding outfielders in world cricket went head-to-head in this contest, and it was South Africa’s representative who stole the evening’s plaudits. Temba Bavuma’s running, stretching, tumbling catch to intercept a bullet of a drive from Chris Jordan at long-off was a stunner … though it would have been surpassed by the oh-so-near miss off Stokes in the same position just two balls earlier. His athleticism couldn’t be faulted, but his 5-foot-nothing frame just couldn’t stretch the distance.A handful of overs later, however, the roles were reversed. Jordan the bowler, Bavuma the hitter … and Jordan the dropper, as he stuck out his left hand in full expectation of clinging onto a regulation blinder, but watched in disbelief as a fierce off-drive thundered out of his fingers. And then, in his final over of the evening, he repeated the dose to reprieve Pretorius. Lesser cricketers would never have reacted fast enough to be deemed culpable.Pace is pace yaarThe decisive moment of South Africa’s innings, and ultimately the match, came from a delivery that de Kock ought perhaps have been rather better acquainted with. At East London, Mark Wood had been extraordinarily lucky not to have been hauled from the attack after consecutive beamers from his first two balls. The second was deemed by the square leg umpire to have dipped below waist-height just in time, though de Kock could hardly have been less fazed. He slapped it for six, having under-edged the former for four to make it 11 from 2.But this evening, when Wood served up another high full-bunger, de Kock’s eye this time betrayed him. Stokes at long-on completed the catch (albeit there was a nervous wait for the third umpire’s verdict), and two balls later, a 92mph lifter strangled Bavuma down the leg side. For bowlers of a lesser velocity, they’d have counted as a pair of pies. On such small margins…

Nico Williams continues to see a transfer to Barcelona rumoured, but Athletic Club have hinted at the winger staying put.

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Winger starring for club & countryLinked with move to CatalunyaHanded new number in BilbaoWHAT HAPPENED?

Williams starred for Spain in their Euro 2024 triumph, with a collection of impressive performances put in while operating on the left wing. At just 22 years of age, there is still plenty of potential to be unlocked in his game.

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Barca are hoping to buy into that, having already acquired Dani Olmo this summer, and believe that Williams would be open to joining fellow hot prospect Lamine Yamal in Catalunya. Athletic would, however, be reluctant sellers.

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GettyWHAT WILLIAMS SAID

They are doing all they can to retain Williams, with it revealed that the youngster has been handed their No.10 shirt for 2024-25 – as he inherits the iconic jersey from legendary forward Iker Muniain. Williams has told the club’s official media: “Very happy to wear Muniain’s number 10 and to make history as he has done.”