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Josh Cobb and Adam Rossington eased Northamptonshire back to the top of the NatWest T20 Blast North Group with a six-wicket waltz over Leicestershire at Wantage Road

ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2016
ScorecardJosh Cobb’s half-century sank his former team-mates•PA PhotosJosh Cobb and Adam Rossington eased Northamptonshire back to the top of the NatWest T20 Blast North Group with a six-wicket waltz over Leicestershire at Wantage Road.Chasing just 150 after Mark Pettini’s 56 for the visitors, Cobb and Rossington knocked off the bulk of the chase with a partnership of 89 for the second wicket in 9.4 overs. Northants cruised home with three overs to spare and now, with 11 points on the board, just two more wins from their final seven matches should be enough for a quarter-final place – a home tie is very much in their sights.Rossington arrived in superb touch after a career-best 138 not out in the County Championship during the week and here made his third T20 fifty and second for Northants in 29 balls with nine fours. His timing was exceptional with some clean striking down the ground and also showed a clever touch with two late cut fours – the second of which during a over from Jigar Naik that went for 12 to leave only 57 needed from the final 10 overs.Cobb has relished the number three role and was again in excellent touch. He began by cutting Rob Taylor for his first boundary and he lifted another over midwicket. Kevin O’Brien was introduced and his first ball was heaved over mid-on. His third half-century in four inning was raised in 40 balls with four fours and a six. He chipped Cameron Delport to extra-cover for 57 when two were needed to win.Northants didn’t need a contribution from Richard Levi, in his first game back after a shoulder injury. He took 12 from the opening over – two leg side flicks and a straight drive – but edged Clint McKay to third man. His failure mattered not. There was time for Ben Duckett to lift Mark Cosgrove down the ground and wide of midwicket for boundaries as he and Cobb took their side home.Leicestershire’s total was well below par. Their 149 for 5 was built around a partnership of 74 in 8.1 overs for the third wicket between Pettini and O’Brien. They recovered the innings after the early loss of Mark Cosgrove for 2 and Cameron Delport for 6 – both bowled by Richard Gleeson, whose opening two overs conceded only seven runs.But Pettini clipped the first ball of Azharullah’s spell for six over midwicket – an over that yielded 17 runs and injected momentum into the innings. Petting swung Azharullah to long leg and deftly cut Steven Crook for four en route to a half-century in 31 balls with six fours and a six.Cobb ended the stand with the second ball of his spell – O’Brien chipping him into the hands of Graeme White at long-on – and three overs later Pettini also fell, trying to paddle sweep White and being plumb lbw for 56. It left Leicestershire 111 for 4 with five overs remaining.Paul Horton, playing his first T20 of the season, was left to try and provide the late-innings power and he twice classically drove through extra-cover for four. But facing the first ball of the final over, was struck in the ribs by a Gleeson beamer and retired hurt for 29. Only six runs came from the final over.

Chelsea are still reportedly interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain superstar Neymar this summer, in what could be an audacious swoop.

Is Neymar leaving PSG this summer?

The 31-year-old is one of the most celebrated footballers of his generation, enjoying great success at both club and international level down the years. He is Brazil's all-time record goalscorer, netting 77 times for his country, and he has also won one Champions League title and six league crowns in his career, during spells at Barcelona and PSG.

It could be that Neymar leaves his current club at the end of the season, however, with supporters recently gathering outside his house to call for his exit. His current deal expires in 2025, and with the Ligue 1 giants potentially look to change their approach and bring in younger talent moving forward, it could be that the Brazilian leaves, along with the likes of Lionel Messi and Marco Verratti.

Chelsea are one of the clubs who have been linked with an eye-catching swoop for the £606,000-a-week attacker, and now a fresh update emerged regarding his future.

Could Chelsea seal audacious Neymar swoop?

According to UOL journalist Bruno Andrade [via Sport Witness], Neymar is willing to leave PSG this summer, having initially not wanted to move on. A move to the Premier League seems to be the most likely outcome, with Chelsea potentially the front-runners to acquire his services.

It doesn't look as though the forward will be a target for Newcastle United, further clearing the Blues' path, although Manchester United are providing competition.

While Neymar is an outrageously talented footballer – one who has been called a "genius" by Brazil legend Roberto Carlos in the past – there does feel like a lot of risk behind Chelsea signing him at this point in his career. Firstly, his price tag and wages will likely be eye-watering, while the fact that he is now 31 means that the Blues wouldn't be signing him at the absolute peak of his powers.

Whether he would have the work ethic and desire to be a success under Pochettino remains to be seen, and while he flourished with him in charge at PSG, the Premier League is a very different challenge. Chelsea need to be signing players who are willing to fight for the cause week in, week out, and they arguably wouldn't be getting that with Neymar, considering he has averaged just 0.1 clearances and 0.2 interceptions per game in Ligue 1 this season.

West Indies have made an unpromising start to their preparations for the tri-series with Australia and South Africa, as they were beaten twice in the space of three days by Barbados Select in a pair of practice matches

Daniel Brettig28-May-2016West Indies have made an unpromising start to their preparations for the tri-series against Australia and South Africa, as they were beaten twice in the space of three days by a Barbados Select XI in a pair of practice matches.Thrashed by 50 runs in a day-night encounter at the Kensington Oval on Wednesday, West Indies lost again by four wickets in Cave Hill on Friday. These were the first fixtures for the team since their World T20 victory in India, with the squad comprising of some T20 players mixed with younger names.While the main priority for the team was to gain match practice in a variety of conditions ahead of the tri-series, the fact that they were unable to defeat a side composed of some players with limited international experience and Barbados’ fringe players does not bode well for harder assignments ahead.In the first match, half-centuries from Shai Hope and Omar Phillips led the way for Barbados Select in compiling a tally of 290 for 8 from 50 overs. Offspinner Hayden Walsh (3 for 17) and seamers Kevin Stoute (2 for 28), Tarik Shorey (2 for 33) and Dario Seale (2 for 50) then rounded West Indies up for 250 in 47.1 overs.Conditions were lower and slower in Cave Hill, and West Indies scrapped their way to 200 for 9 from 45 overs after choosing to bat. No player was able to make a half-century, while medium-pacer Kyle Mayers scooped 4 for 47.In reply, Barbados Select cruised to the target with seven overs to spare, helped by 49 from Aaron Jones and 48 from Hope. West Indies’ opening match of the tournament is against South Africa in Guyana on June 3.

Chelsea need to find a way to get Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of the club following his terrible display away at his former club, Craig Burley has claimed.

How did Aubameyang play against Arsenal?

The striker made a surprise start as he returned to the Emirates for the first time since he left in 2022, and was completely anonymous before being substituted at half-time.

He made just nine touches of the ball as per SofaScore, and four of these were from kick-off as Arsenal found themselves 3-0 up and cruising at the break.

The 33-year-old failed to make any sort of impact, winning no duels, and failing to complete a single dribble, and Chelsea fell to their sixth defeat in a row under Frank Lampard.

Speaking on ESPN FC, former Chelsea star Burley claimed that Aubameyang's selection will have annoyed other players, and that the club need to part ways with him as soon as they can.

"He should not wear a Chelsea shirt again, he should not even be allowed at the training ground" he stated.

"I don't know how long he's got left in his contract, is it this year or is it next year? I don't know. Whatever it is, do a deal and get him out.

"It's not the service up to him. I watched him, his attempts at shutting the ball down, he walked around for 45 minutes. It was embarrassing, as was Sterling, as was the midfield and the defending.

"Quite frankly, if I'm on the bench and watching Aubameyang in his current guise, and he's been a good player but he's not now. He's milked it, he doesn't care, he's a liability and that showed again.

"If I'm on the bench and I'm not playing because of him, what's that telling me, because I'm thinking about a different sport. That's embarrassing."

What should Chelsea do with Aubameyang?

With one goal in 15 Premier League appearances for the club, Aubameyang's signing has been nothing short of a disaster.

It is clear that the club need to part ways with him, and given that there have been links with Barcelona, they will hope that there is enough interest in the attacker so they can make a sale, rather than having to terminate his contract.

Chelsea have nothing left to play for this season, and there is simply no benefit to having Aubameyang in the team now. Younger players such as Mykhailo Mudryk and David Datro Fofana should be given opportunities to impress ahead of next season, and they may have watched on with confusion as Aubameyang failed to contribute as he was handed a start ahead of them.

Aston Villa reporter John Townley has name-checked Lyon striker Moussa Dembele as a player who Villa could sign for free this summer.

Have Villa been linked with Dembele and what’s Townley said?

Unai Emery is leading the club in a late push for European football on the pitch in the Premier League, while preparations for his first full season in charge appear to be underway in the background.

Reports have suggested that NSWE will back the Spaniard with a ‘huge’ summer budget which could see the club’s transfer record being smashed.

However, despite the finances available, Villa could also look at the free agent market. Dembele was linked with a move to the Midlands back in January and an approach was even made over a potential deal.

Emery is thought to be a ‘big fan’ of the 26-year-old, who has been described by journalist Bertrand Latour as a ‘scoring machine’, and with Dembele out of contract in the summer, speculation over a move to Villa Park has returned.

Townley shared a story for Birmingham Live in the last 48 hours, looking at ten free agents Villa could target this summer. One of those is Dembele, with the reporter saying that Villa did express an interest in the New Year and that the Frenchman is on the hunt for a new challenge.

Ideal competition for Watkins?

Emery has reportedly pulled the plug on signing a new marquee first-choice striker due to the impressive form of Ollie Watkins in 2023. However, another forward could still be of use in the Midlands, with Jhon Duran currently the only competition to Watkins at this moment in time.

Cameron Archer could well be knocking on the door next season after his successful loan spell with Middlesbrough which has seen him contribute to 15 Championship goals in 17 appearances, but signing someone like Dembele for free may prove to be a wise move.

The Lyon man netted a career-best 21 times in Ligue 1 last season and has scored 140 career goals for his current employers, Celtic and Fulham.

You’d like to think he still has plenty left to give at the highest level at the age of 26, so a move to the Premier League could well be of interest to Dembele after making just two appearances in the top flight before moving to Celtic, and who knows, Villa may be able to offer European football as well.

Chelsea may have spent millions in the transfer market over the previous few windows, however, this doesn’t always guarantee success.

Having spent close to £200m on Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk during January, the Blues find themselves on their fourth manager of the season and are currently outside the top half of the Premier League table.

It’s not just incoming transfers that the Stamford Bridge outfit have had problems with over the previous few years either, with a succession of managers selling players far too soon.

The likes of Tammy Abraham, Timo Werner and Billy Gilmour were perhaps sold a little too hasty by Thomas Tuchel; however, it was the sale of Fikayo Tomori which has turned into a particular head-scratcher, especially considering his success in Serie A.

What is Fikayo Tomori up to now?

The Englishman emerged through the Chelsea academy before making his first team debut in the 2015/16 campaign and this was followed by a series of loan moves to Championship clubs, with his most productive stint coming at Derby County under Frank Lampard in 2018/19.

The former Blues midfielder took over the club the following summer and Tomori enjoyed moderate success under him, featuring in 22 matches that term, although he would soon fall out of favour.

He secured a surprising loan move to AC Milan in January 2021 and this soon turned permanent for a fee of £25m that summer, as new manager Tuchel clearly didn’t envision the defender in his future plans.

Selling him two years ago was arguably his biggest mistake during his time managing the club, with Tomori going from strength to strength in Italy over the previous two seasons.

He played an integral part in Milan winning the Scudetto for the first time in 11 years last term with GOAL even claiming that the defender was “living the dream” out in Italy.

He has continued his rich vein of form into this season, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.17/10 across 26 league appearances which ranks him as their second-best player in Serie A.

In the squad, Tomori ranks in the top five for tackles, interceptions and clearances made per game while he has also won a staggering 68% of his total duels, clearly proving that he is one of their best defenders.

Tuchel had a major blunder in selling the defender when he did, especially when he failed to even give him a chance in the team and the 25-year-old is currently proving him wrong.

Arsenal are believed to be one of the clubs who are eyeing the possibility of signing Declan Rice in the summer and it is said he would be keen on a move to north London.

Will Rice leave West Ham in the summer?

The future of the England international has been up in the air for a number of months now with the midfielder having reportedly turned down a number of contract offers.

Indeed, it is believed the 24-year-old has snubbed three improved deals to remain at the London Stadium as the club's relegation woes continue into the business end of the campaign.

And reports would suggest the midfielder is not short of potential suitors ahead of the summer window with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea offering him the chance to stay in London.

Whereas, a move up north could potentially be on the table for him with the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle United both credited with interest.

However, speaking on the Chasing Green Arrows show, insider Dean Jones has suggested the London-born midfielder would be keen to join the league leaders over the summer:

(31:10) "Declan Rice, obviously the big name they want to check out early in the window to see what the pricing is going to be around that.

"They're not just going to pay whatever it takes to get Declan Rice, but they do want him and he's very interested in going there."

Would Rice be a good fit for Arsenal?

Rice has established himself as one of the standout midfielders in the Premier League over the years and has received a lot of praise in doing so.

ESPN writer David Cartlidge took to Twitter back in 2019 to praise the £60k-per-week ace as an "absolute monster" and that can be seen through his number of interceptions made which has him ranked inside the top fourth percentile (via FBref).

Another midfielder in which the Gunners have been linked with is Moises Caicedo of Brighton & Hove Albion after a failed pursuit of the Ecuadorian in the January window.

In comparison to the Brighton ace (3.07), Rice has provided fewer tackles (2.21) per 90 minutes but he has been able to tackle a higher percentage of opposition dribbles (via FBref).

Mikel Arteta's side will also have to contend with Champions League football next season and will, therefore, be forced to meet a homegrown quota which Rice would contribute towards.

Having also offered more progressive yards per game, it could be argued Rice may provide Arsneal with a more dynamic option to Caicedo who has scored one goal fewer than the Englishman this season (via FBref).

But the money involved is likely to be significant with David Moyes already telling the media that the Irons will be looking for in excess of £100m for their prized asset.

Journalist Ryan Taylor of The Daily Express has shared his own update on Tottenham Hotspur and their links to Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner.

What's the latest on Glasner to Spurs?

The Austrian is one of many names to have been mentioned as a possible Antonio Conte replacement at Spurs. Indeed, Glasner comes as another managerial candidate who is reportedly attracting chairman Daniel Levy's interest.

The 48-year-old joins many prestigious coaches currently on the Lilywhites' managerial wishlist, with Mauricio Pochettino, Luis Enrique, Julian Nagelsmann, Zinedine Zidane and even Brendan Rodgers among those wanted in north London.

Levy has many pressing issues to contend with at the club – most notably their hunt for a new boss, sporting director Fabio Paratici's worldwide footballing ban and star striker Harry Kane's contract situation. It is the job of Spurs' eventual next manager to steady the ship and potentially sway the likes of Kane to commit themselves – a tall order given the situation at Hotspur Way right now.

Glasner, according to recent reports, may well be a possible nomination to help move Tottenham forward – with reporter Taylor now sharing what he knows about the former Wolfsburg manager.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, backing other claims, the Express journalist says Spurs admire him and is one of a few 'interesting' names to have emerged. This comes after reliable reporter Alasdair Gold reported that Tottenham actually interviewed Glasner to replace Jose Mourinho in 2021.

Taylor said:

"You've got Oliver Glasner at Frankfurt, who seems to be admired by the club. Even Ange Postecoglou as well at Celtic. I think he deserves a crack at a job in the Premier League.

"But yeah, there are some interesting names out there. So it's certainly something for Tottenham to get stuck into because there are so many candidates."

Could Glasner get the Spurs job?

While big-name options like Pochettino and Enrique come as, arguably, far more tantalising given their status – we believe Glasner could also be a fairly solid move.

Having guided Frankfurt to a Europa League triumph last year, the 3-4-2-1 manager has been praised for his pre-game preparation and attention to detail.

Niko Kovac, speaking to the Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung (via Bundesliga.com), shared his opinion on Glasner whilst seriously endorsing him, explaining:

“He’s very structured, very well organised, meticulous, observes the opposition very closely and prepares the team very well for them."

This could be music to the ears of Tottenham chiefs who must weigh their next manager carefully, and if they decide to formally move, there is apparently an exit clause in Glasner's current contract.

Liverpool were thrashed 4-1 in their Premier League clash with Manchester City at the Etihad stadium earlier today and Jurgen Klopp will surely be massively disappointed with the performance his team put on.

The Reds looked uninspired and at times, uninterested in the meeting with their former title rivals, but the scoreline would've come as no surprise to the Anfield faithful following a season full of lacklustre displays from the Merseysiders.

Liverpool's lack of effort was reflected massively in their overall statistics throughout the game with just 31% possession, one shot on target, over 400 fewer accurate passes completed, and zero big chances created which ultimately led to the visitors being punished by Pep Guardiola's title-chasing side.

Indeed, the inevitable goal machine Mohamed Salah did secure the lead in the 17th minute with his sublime finish, however, the rest of his team did not look to be up to the occasion and carelessly allowed the Egyptian's strike to become a consolation prize when the final whistle was blown.

It way one-way traffic as Manchester City cut through Liverpool's midfield and defence like butter on many occasions with Trent Alexander-Arnold's position, in particular, being exploited over and over again which led to BT Sport commentator Darren Fletcher claiming that the right-back was "dominated" by Jack Grealish.

However, luckily for the boyhood Liverpool ace there weren't many other players who offered much better over their individual performances, with midfielder Fabinho also struggling to make a positive impact and ultimately became the villain at the Etihad.

How did Fabinho get on vs Manchester City?

The £180k-per-week midfielder has been a shadow of his former self over the season so far and has often come under scrutiny for his drop-off in quality in the centre of the pitch and today's display was another sobering realisation that Fabinho may never return to his once-influential presence.

Over his 90-minute performance, the Brazilian dud – dubbed "criminal" against Man City by Kenn Leandre – was dribbled past three times, lost six duels and conceded two fouls, proving that he lacked focus and caused more problems than he solved over the fixture.

The former Monaco man – who earned a lowly 6.2 match rating, as per Sofascore – was also the subject of criticism from GOAL's Neil Jones, with the journalist stating that the 29-year-old 'looked a yard off the pace throughout'.

These horrendous midfield performances have been nothing new for Fabinho and pundits have been bewildered by his rapid decline with former Chelsea full-back Scott Minto claiming earlier this season:

"You talk about (Jordan) Henderson, yes, but you talk about Fabinho at the moment. Who is he at the moment? I don’t know who he is, it’s like his twin brother playing at the moment. He’s certainly not the player that he has been in recent years."

With that being said, it puts a huge question mark over Fabinho's future at Anfield if FSG are willing to heavily reinvest and refresh the midfield this summer but there is no doubt something needs to change and fast.

A report by The Telegraph and journalist Matt Law has shared an update on Antonio Conte’s future at Tottenham and the prospect of Ryan Mason as interim.

The Lowdown: Conte future debate…

The future of Conte is still very much up in the air and central to serious debate given Spurs still haven’t officially announced their managerial plans.

Speculation has been rife as to who could succeed the Italian if he is in fact sacked before the end of the season, with many candidates making their way onto Fabio Paratici’s managerial shortlist.

Mauricio Pochettino, a Lilywhites fan favourite and free agent, is seen as one of the favourites but Roberto De Zerbi, Luis Enrique, Marco Silva and Thomas Frank are also being considered according to Sky.

Chairman Daniel Levy is now unlikely to get his hands on Thomas Tuchel given reports highly suggest he’ll be joining Bayern Munich to replace Julian Nagelsmann.

Another option is appointing Mason as temporary head coach until the conclusion of this Premier League campaign, with Law sharing what he’s heard on that possibility.

The Latest: Mason update at Spurs…

According to the reliable reporter, writing in a report for The Telegraph, Levy has personally ‘given consideration’ to appointing Mason on an interim basis.

This would apparently be as the Spurs chief continues his search for a permanent manager off-the-field as a more long-term solution heading into next season.

The north Londoners are also believed to have ‘held talks’ over Conte’s future this week and Spurs could potentially sack the former Chelsea coach and agree to pay the remainder of his contract in one lump sum – which would amount to £4 million.

The Verdict: Good option…

Deciding Tottenham’s next manager comes as a very crucial decision and one which needs serious consideration.

Levy planning ahead on a permanent head coach while Mason takes charge in the mean time could be an efficient solution, especially considering the 31-year-old has previous experience in such a role.

Mason took temporary charge when Spurs dismissed ex-boss Jose Mourinho in 2021, overseeing their last seven games of the 2020/2021 season and winning four of them.

He lead Tottenham out for their 2021 Carabao Cup final against Man City, and while that ended in defeat, Mason did help to orchestrate impressive wins against the likes of Sheffield United (4-0) and Leicester City (4-2).

Praised for his ‘unbelievable’ work in the post by former Spurs star Toby Alderweireld, it would be a slight gamble in Spurs’ race for the top four, but the plan would have it’s merits.