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A new play on the tragic decline of former England and Northamptonshire batsman Colin Milburn will visit all 18 county cricket clubs in November

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2016A new play on the tragic decline of former England and Northamptonshire batsman Colin Milburn will visit all 18 county cricket clubs in November. is a one-man show that has been written by James Graham-Brown, the former Kent and Derbyshire all-rounder turned playwright, and is being produced by Live Wire/Roughhouse Theatre in association with the Professional Cricketers’ Association.The play is set in the North Briton pub in Newton Aycliffe in County Durham on February 28 1990, the last day of Milburn’s life and the end of his performance as ‘Jolly Ollie’, the character he had developed to conceal his insecurities and suffering.Milburn, whose destructive career was cut short by the loss of the sight in his left eye in a car accident in May 1969, died in the North Briton car park aged 48 after he drifted into chronic alcoholism.All county clubs have agreed to support the PCA in putting on the play around the country, partly with the intention of helping current players appreciate the importance of planning for life after cricket.”This new, exciting initiative focuses on what can happen when a playing career suddenly ends and a player struggles with a difficult transition,” said Jason Ratcliffe, PCA Assistant Chief Executive. “Ollie’s story puts this into sharp focus.”, which is also supported by the Arts Council, will begin its nationwide tour at Somerset’s Taunton headquarters on November 1 and will visit all 18 county grounds before the final performance at Wantage Road, Milburn’s old Northampton stamping ground, on November 24.Auditions for the role of Milburn have just taken place and the identity of the actor who will play the role will be announced shortly.Graham-Brown, who writes under the name Dougie Blaxland, has written 32 plays, 14 of which have been produced in professional theatre.When the Eye Has Gone’ is the PCA’s 2016 initiative to promote mental health and wellbeing.Dates:October: 28 & 29: Lansdown CC, Bath, 30 Dorchester Arts.November: 1 Somerset (The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton), 2 Gloucestershire CCC (The Brightside Ground, Bristol), 3 Glamorgan (The SSE SWALEC, Cardiff), 4 Worcestershire (New Road, Worcester), 7 Warwickshire (Edgbaston), 8 Lancashire (Emirates Old Trafford), 9 Derbyshire (The 3aaa County Ground, Derby – TBC), 10 Yorkshire (Headingley Carnegie), 11 Durham (Emirates Riverside, Chester-le-Street), 12 Burnopfield CC, 14 Essex (The Essex County Ground, Chelmsford), 15 Kent (The Spitfire Ground, Canterbury), 16 Sussex (The 1st Central County Ground, Hove), 17 Surrey (The Kia Oval), 18 Middlesex (Lord’s), 19 Teddington CC, 21 Hampshire (Ageas Bowl), 22 Leicestershire (Fischer County Ground, Leicester), 23 Nottinghamshire (Trent Bridge Inn, Nottingham), 24 Northamptonshire (County Ground, Northampton), 25 West Hallam CC.More information: www.ticketsource.co.uk/the-professional-cricketers-association

Rangers' move for Los Angeles FC midfielder Jose Cifuentes is "starting to progress", according to an update from transfer expert Dean Jones.

Is Cifuentes thriving in the MLS?

The 24-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to Ibrox this summer, as the Gers look to make significant inroads in the transfer market. He has enjoyed a good spell in the MLS with Los Angeles, making 111 appearances in total since arriving from Universidad Catolica in 2020, and chipping in with 14 goals and 19 assists.

Cifuentes has also won 15 caps for Ecuador, making two substitute appearances at the 2022 World Cup, and he is clearly someone who Rangers believe could be a shrewd addition to their midfield. It could be that a move to Europe appeals to the player himself, given the step up in quality, and his current deal expires in December of this year, means Los Angeles could be willing part ways and receive a fee in the summer.

Could Rangers be set to sign Cifuentes?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that talks over a move for Cifuentes are progressing well, suggesting that other deals are also being worked on:

"We're starting to hear quite a few rumours about transfer deals that are starting to progress. They're linked with José Cifuentes from MLS, and deals like that one starting to progress just make me feel like there are a few of the old faces that aren't going to be around for much longer."

Cifuentes could be an ideal summer signing for Rangers, at a time when Michael Beale will be aware that the gap on Celtic needs to close as soon as possible. Granted, they have still had a decent season overall, but silverware has evaded them, which has to be the benchmark every year.

The Ecuadorian could add a mixture of quality and bite to the Gers' midfield, having registered two assists and averaged 1.7 tackles per game in the MLS this season, and at 24, he is at a brilliant age to come in and develop as a player, enjoying his peak years into his mid to late 20s.

It certainly feels as though a move is likely at this point, and as Jones alludes to, this could hopefully be the start of an influx of signings in the summer transfer window, with fellow midifelder Kieran Dowell already acquired from Norwich City earlier this week.

South Australia squandered a strong position in their chase against Western Australia as the Matador Cup match at the WACA ended in a thrilling tie

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2016
ScorecardOpener Alex Carey hit 75 off 86 balls, but South Australia lost their last six wickets for 38•Getty ImagesSouth Australia squandered a strong position in their chase against Western Australia as the Matador Cup match at the WACA ended in a thrilling tie.Pursuing 243 for victory after a disciplined bowling effort from a young attack missing Daniel Worrall, Joe Mennie, Adam Zampa and the state captain Travis Head, SA cruised to 4 for 204 in the 39th over, needing a mere 39 from 66 balls at the moment Alex Ross fell.SA had been pushed that far by the debutant Jake Weatherald’s fluent start and then a composed hand by the wicketkeeper Alex Carey. However, SA proceeded to toss away their carefully constructed position, losing their last six wickets for 38 to leave the match tied.WA’s fightback had been driven by Nathan Rimmington, who claimed four wickets including the key figure of Jake Lehmann when SA were within three runs of victory. The final wicket of Nick Benton fell to Jason Behrendorff the following over.WA’s innings had been characterised by a series of starts. The captain Adam Voges top-scored with 51, but he will be hoping for bigger scores from the top six in future assignments.

Aston Villa are "quietly confident" of completing the signing of Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes this summer, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

Is Barnes leaving Leicester?

The Foxes have had an extremely tough season in the Premier League, with a number of key players underperforming compared to their previous level.

Barnes is arguably one of the few who has remained at a high standard, however, scoring 12 times in the league, despite Leicester's struggles in the relegation battles. It looks unlikely that the £40,000-a-week Englishman will stay put at the King Power Stadium beyond the summer, with a new challenge coming his way.

Villa have been linked with a move for the 25-year-old, whose current deal expires in 2025, and he is someone who could prove to be a shrewd acquisition, ahead of what could be a pivotal transfer window at the club.

Could Villa seal Barnes signing?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs gave an update on the situation, saying that Villa believe they could seal a move for Barnes this summer:

"Aston Villa, I think, are the most aggressive of the Premier League suitors at this point. Spurs have taken a look in the past as well.

"I think there's going to be a fair amount of competition for Barnes. I think that Villa are quietly confident that if they advance things at the end of the season, they will stand a very realistic chance of getting Barnes. Also, the asking price will be very beneficial to them if Leicester go down."

Barnes could be a really strong signing for Villa before the start of next season, with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp once describing him as an "unbelievable" footballer, which says a lot about his ability.

He possesses the speed, direct running out wide and end product in the final third that could all help take Villa up a gear, having racked up a total of 59 goal contributions (34 goals and 25 assists) in the Premier League. The player himself would surely jump at the chance to move to Villa Park, considering what a healthy situation they find themselves in, so it could be a match made in heaven.

At 25, Barnes is in the sweet spot in his career where he is now an experienced top-level player, but also someone who should only mature further over the next five years or so, potentially pushing himself into the England reckoning even more.

Western Australia beat Tasmania by four wickets to pip New South Wales and move to third place in the Matador Cup standings

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2016
ScorecardAdam Voges struck an unbeaten 90 to lift his team to third place in the Matador Cup•Getty ImagesWestern Australia beat Tasmania by four wickets in Sydney to pip New South Wales and move to third place in the Matador Cup points table. Captain Adam Voges scored his third fifty of the campaign, an unbeaten 90, as he saw his team through in a 268-run chase.Voges’ decision to put Tasmania in seemed vindicated when Jason Behrendorff, the left-arm fast bowler, and part-time offspinner Ashton Turner, accounted for both the openers’ wickets, while also keeping things.Tasmania were 36 for 2 at the end of the 12th over, when Alex Doolan joined Dom Michael to lift them out. The pair put on 148, before Michael was dismissed for 89 in the 39th over.Tasmania struggled to get a move on, as the next 8.2 overs fetched only 39 runs with the loss of four wickets, including Doolan for 93 and James Faulkner for 13. However, a late flourish by Beau Webster and Xavier Doherty, where they took 27 runs off Andrew Tye in the 49th over, saw Tasmania finish on 267 for 8. Tye ended with 2 for 83 as a result. Ashton Agar was the pick of the bowlers, with 2 for 46.Western Australia started with a 58-run opening stand between Hilton Cartwright and Shaun Marsh. Medium-pacer Hamish Kingston removed Cartwright and quickly followed it with Cameron Bancroft’s wicket to reduce Western Australia to 64 for 2. But Marsh, who scored 70, and Voges steadied the innings with a 69-run stand for the third wicket.Tasmania managed to take four more wickets in the game, but couldn’t do so regularly as Voges took his team along steadily. The defining partnership was the 71 he added for the sixth wicket with Turner, who scored 42 off 30 deliveries, which took them to within 20 runs of victory. Kingston broke that partnership as well, but his 3 for 44 wasn’t good enough, as Western Australia won with 9 balls to spare.

Tottenham Hotspur are likely to keep Harry Kane this summer despite transfer interest, Fabrizio Romano has claimed.

What's the latest on Harry Kane?

The England captain has had yet another stellar season for Spurs, scoring 30 goals, but with his side failing to qualify for European football, there has been intense speculation that he could depart this summer, with just one year remaining on his contract.

Manchester United and Real Madrid have been linked, but a deal could prove difficult to do, with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy wanting to do everything to keep the 29-year-old.

It has now been announced that Karim Benzema will leave Madrid this summer with the Spanish giants believed to be eyeing a move for the England captain.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano claimed that Spurs fans can relax for now, as any deal will be tough and will take time to complete.

"I wanted to clarify one thing, relax around Harry Kane, because I see many reports about Real Madrid as we had about Bayern, and Bayern are now not going for Kane. We heard many stories and of course about Man United but nothing will happen this week, next week. It will take time," he stated.

"Why? Because of Tottenham. I think many times in this Harry Kane situation, his name is everywhere, but many people forget about Tottenham. The player is a Tottenham legend.

"He has a contract and I think Daniel Levy was showing in a very clear way a few years ago, how strong he is in the negotiations for Harry Kane. He said no to a big amount of money from Manchester City. It was of course a few years ago, but the feeling remains that Daniel Levy will fight to keep Harry Kane at the club.

"He will try again to offer him a new contract. He will try to present the project with a new manager who is going to arrive very soon."

Should Kane stay at Spurs?

The £200k-per-week star is yet to win any major honours, and with Spurs in their current state, it seems unlikely that he will be able to compete for trophies next season should he stay.

Spurs failed to qualify for Europe, and are currently operating without a sporting director or a manager. It could take some time to rebuild the squad after a disappointing season, and Kane may have to move on to compete at the top level again.

Given the difficulty in negotiating with Daniel Levy, as well as the fact that he reportedly wants to become the Premier League's leading goalscorer, means that staying for one more season before departing for free could suit Kane.

There will seemingly be a lot of interest in Kane next year if he does not extend his deal, and he could easily pick his next destination, whether in the Premier League or abroad. Staying for one more year may definitely suit him, but it is clear that in the long run, he should move on to a club more likely to win major trophies.

Kent’s chairman, George Kennedy, has confirmed that the club is seeking arbitration with the England & Wales Cricket Board after being overlooked for a place in Division One

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2016Kent’s chairman, George Kennedy, has confirmed that the club is seeking arbitration with the England & Wales Cricket Board after being overlooked for a place in Division One of the County Championship in the wake of Durham’s post-season relegation.Kent finished as runners-up in Division Two this season, which would ordinarily have been sufficient to earn them promotion. However, with the Championship moving to an eight-team top flight from 2017 onwards, the only spot available went to the champions Essex.However, Durham’s 48-point penalty for financial issues, and subsequent relegation, led to suggestions that Kent ought to have been invited to take their place in Division One. Instead, the ECB confirmed that Hampshire, who finished second-from-bottom in the table, would be allowed to stay up.In a letter to the ECB seen by The Times, Kent described the decision as “prejudiced, perverse and contrary to natural justice,” and even went so far as to claim that Durham officials had been told in May that they would be relegated.””We have [sent the letter] – they would have received it yesterday,” Kennedy told PA. “We have asked for arbitration in the situation, and we’ll see what comes of that.”Kennedy added that he had met with Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, last week to discuss the issue.”It was an amicable meeting – we were able to exchange opinions. One or two things have come to light since then, so we thought we would bring it to a head – and that is exactly what we’ve done.””We can confirm receipt of a letter from Kent county cricket club regarding the issue of promotion and relegation,” said an ECB spokesperson.”Last week’s decision to relegate Durham – with Hampshire remaining in the first division of the Specsavers County Championship – was in line with the two-down, one-up relegation and promotion rules for this season’s county championship which were notified to all counties and published prior to start of the 2016 season.”We are currently considering our response to Kent’s letter and will reply to them in due course.”Durham issued a statement denying the details in the Times report: “Contrary to today’s press report, Durham county cricket club can confirm that they were not told in May that the club would be relegated at the end of the season.”

Chelsea endured a dismal campaign and are mired in a 12th-placed finish, but that has not stopped the rumour mill linking the prestigious Premier League outfit with Real Madrid prodigy Vinicius Junior.

What's the latest on Vinicius Junior to Chelsea?

That's following reports from Spain late last month, who claim that the Blues – alongside Manchester United and Newcastle United – are interested in luring the Brazilian phenom away from the Spanish capital for a staggering €150m (£129m) fee.

The forward has been one of the central figures behind Real Madrid's success over recent years, and new Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino could craft one of football's greatest strike forces by clinching Vinicius.

Madrid signed the 22-year-old from Brazilian outfit Flamengo for £38m in 2018, when he was just 16, but he has dispelled any doubt over his calibre and the feasibility of paying such a sum for a youngster with an ascent to the forefront of the game over the past few seasons.

How good is Vinicius Junior?

Vinicius has steadily ascended to prominence among Europe's very best over the past few years, and over the past two terms has exuded confidence and swagger at a level to reflect his placement as a first-rate member of an illustrious Real Madrid outfit.

Last year, when Los Blancos won both LaLiga and the Champions League under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti, Vinicius plundered 22 goals and 20 assists; this season, with the Copa del Rey gleaned, the £348k-per-week star has scored 23 goals and supplied 21 assists from 55 games.

It is this level of breakneck brilliance that places him among the very best the game has to offer, with his manager hailing him as "the best in the world" after his outfit dumped Liverpool out of the Champions League this season.

Predominantly a left-winger, he could prove to be the heir to Eden Hazard's throne at Stamford Bridge, with the deft Belgian scoring 110 goals and providing 92 assists from 352 games for the Blues – notably winning two Premier League titles, two Europa Leagues and one FA Cup – before departing for Madrid for a staggering £130m in 2019.

The 21-cap Brazilian phenomenon could most certainly replicate Hazard's feats, ranking among the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers over the past year for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 9% for rate of assists, the top 10% for shot-creating actions, the top 1% progressive carries and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Back in the day, more specifically the 2018/19 campaign, Hazard also ranked highly in these metrics, sitting in the top 2% for rate of assists, and the best 1% for both shot-creating actions and progressive carries compared to positionally similar players in the Premier League.

Praised as the "catalyst" for his club by Daniel Sturridge, Vinicius is still comfortably outside the prime years of his career, and with a move to Chelsea, he could prove his worth on English shores and serve as the focal point for a new era in west London.

Chelsea appear to have moved closer to resolving a troublesome position in what could be Mauricio Pochettino's first signing as head coach of the Premier League side.

Kepa Arrizabalaga has enjoyed the odd high point in a Chelsea shirt but has certainly not provided enough moments to justify the substantial record-breaking £72m fee the Blues splashed out to buy him from Athletic Bilbao in August 2018.

Edouard Mendy was brought in as a stopgap of sorts but he was ousted as number one again by Kepa last season and both goalkeepers' futures seem uncertain.

Amid some suggestions Chelsea could be in for Leeds United stopper Illan Meslier – statistically the weakest 'keeper in the Premier League last season in terms of goals conceded – a name has emerged that makes far more sense.

Chelsea have reportedly been boosted in their pursuit of Inter Milan's Andre Onana after the Champions League runners-up moved for Guglielmo Vicario from Serie A rivals Empoli.

According to The Sun, Pochettino is a big fan of the £55m stopper and is 'eager' to bring him to London with Chelsea allegedly open to possibly offering Romelu Lukaku and Kalidou Koulibaly to Inter to help push through a transfer.

Is Andre Onana an upgrade on Kepa Arrizabalaga?

Onana's final involvement as an Inter player may well be keeping Europe's most prolific striker quiet in Saturday's Champions League final, but while Erling Haaland was unable to find a way through, Rodri's strike proved enough for Manchester City to prevail 1-0 in Istanbul.

The former Cameroon international was superb throughout Inter's impressive European run, keeping the most clean sheets (eight) and making the most saves (47) of any goalkeeper in the competition.

Given he is not talked about as highly as some goalkeepers on the continent, LiveScore described Onana as being "underrated" for the way he has gone about his business.

The 27-year-old is not just a great shot-stopper, either, with his progressive passing distance of 8,251 yards – the distance he moved the ball towards the opposition's goal – the highest of any player in this past season's Champions League.

It is clear that Onana is strong in more than one area, then, as he showed in club football's most prestigious competition, but just how does he compare to Kepa, who is currently in possession of the gloves at Stamford Bridge?

As per FBref, the "elite" Onana – as dubbed by Zach Lowy – outperformed Kepa in a number of key metrics last season, albeit across different leagues, including save percentage (77.8 v 73.8), clean sheet percentage (46.3 v 30.8) and completed passes per 90 minutes (33.6 v 28.5).

As Man City boss Pep Guardiola previously said in praising Onana, the former Ajax 'keeper is "exceptional with his feet", best reflected by his 100% completion rate in terms of short passes – defined as being between five and 15 yards – with all 308 passes finding a team-mate last season.

Onana was also able to change it up and play the ball long, with 0.78 completed passes into the final third per 90 minutes, which is a much higher figure than the 0.19 Kepa averaged.

Kepa has his own qualities, not least his ability to sweep up danger – the Spaniard outperformed Onana in that department with 1.63 defensive actions outside the penalty area per 90 minutes last term, compared to 0.35 for his possible future rival.

But the negatives outweigh the positives when it comes to the £150k-per-week gloveman, and Chelsea's need for a new goalkeeper is clear. In Onana, they can sign a player who is equally as good at playing out from the back as he is at saving shots, making him an obvious upgrade on what they currently have.

The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has promised a “neutral pitch” for Visakhapatnam’s Test debut

Arun Venugopal15-Nov-2016The Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) has promised a “neutral pitch” for Visakhapatnam’s Test debut a day after K Sriram, the BCCI curator who has been overseeing the pitch preparation at the venue, was quoted by as saying it would turn from lunch on the second day. Sriram’s comments came a day after Virat Kohli had expressed displeasure at the amount of grass on the pitch for the first Test in Rajkot, which ended with India having to fight out a draw.G Gangaraju, the ACA secretary, said there was no request from the Indian team management for a rank turner. “They didn’t ask for anything,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “We [also] don’t entertain anything like that. It’s a neutral pitch for both the teams. Both the teams have seen the pitch, and they are very happy. Both the curators – the board curator Mr K Sriram and our ACA curator Mr K Nagamallaiah – have done a very good job.” Ashish Bhowmick, the BCCI curator from the East Zone, is also at the venue to oversee preparations.India coach Anil Kumble, though, said at a press conference before the team’s training session that he hadn’t seen the pitch yet. “Whatever pitch we get, we will make our strategy around it and select a team accordingly,” he said. “We play to take 20 wickets and win the match.”The pitch in Visakhapatnam has been under scrutiny lately after 17 wickets fell on the third day of a Ranji Trophy game between Assam and Rajasthan last month. After Assam were bowled out for 69 inside 21 overs, their coach Sunil Joshi took to Twitter to slam the “unpredictable” pitch. Gangaraju, though, played down the controversy, and said the pitch to be used for the Test was different to the ones that staged the Ranji Trophy game, and the fifth ODI between India and New Zealand, where the visitors slumped to 79 all out chasing 270. The pitch used for the ODI was slow, batsmen struggled to time their strokes, and there was appreciable turn for the spinners, with Amit Mishra picking up 5 for 18 in six overs.An ACA official, who is closely involved in the preparation of the pitch, said the bounce was likely to remain consistent throughout the Test.”The pitch has very less grass. It won’t be to the same extent as in Rajkot, where there was not much turn even on the fourth day,” he said. “There was some uneven bounce on the fourth [third] day of the Assam-Rajasthan game, but here I think the bounce will remain consistent all the way. It is something we have worked a lot on.”He said conditions in Visakhapatnam wouldn’t allow for the ball to turn right from the first day as had been the case in some of the Tests against South Africa last year, but would remain good for batting for the most part.”The pitch is a mixture of 50% black soil and 50% clay,” the official said. “The cracks won’t open up here too much; the clay is different [to pitches seen against South Africa], and the climatic conditions are different.”