Paceman impressed on Test debut against Australia in 2024

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Mar-2025Ben Sears, the New Zealand fast bowler, has signed for Yorkshire for the 2025 season, and will arrive in time for their second County Championship game of the season, against Worcestershire at Headingley.Sears, 27, has impressed with his raw pace for New Zealand, including in his only Test to date, against Australia in 2024, when he claimed five wickets at Christchurch, including 4 for 90 in the second innings. He had previously made his T20I debut against Bangladesh in 2021.He will be joined at Headingley by his fellow New Zealand quick Will O’Rourke, who has signed for the T20 Blast, while the club has also drawn comparisons with his compatriot, and former Yorkshire overseas player, Lockie Ferguson.”I can’t wait to get over to Headingley and start playing with the guys,” Sears said. “Some of the signings made already are exciting and I hope I can add to that.”It’s important to set the tone early in any season. We have some big games in that first block, and I’ll be ready to get the team off to the best start possible.”Head Coach Anthony McGrath said: “Ben is a real talent who can get some extra bounce when he bowls. In that early section of the year when pitches can be greener or slower, he’ll be a real handful and I’m excited to get him over and start working with him.”Gavin Hamilton, General Manager of Cricket added: “To attract such talented bowlers like Ben to the club is testament to the lure of Yorkshire across the globe. Ben is an exciting talent and will provide the squad with an extra element that will be crucial this season.”We’re thrilled he has signed and look forward to welcoming him to Headingley in April.”

Sunderland are on the hunt for some late deals and have submitted an enticing proposal to land a creative operator in the engine room, according to a report.

Sunderland continue mission to recruit late arrivals

The Black Cats have made quite the impression in the transfer window and don’t look to be done yet as they aim to give themselves a fighting chance of Premier League survival.

Aside from recruitment, Regis Le Bris made it clear that his side’s home form over the coming months will be critical if they are to stay in the top-flight for the foreseeable future, urging his players to feed off the energy of a raucous support.

He stated: “They are a key pillar of our identity. Sunderland is made with this support. If we don’t use it properly then it doesn’t make sense. If our fans recognise this identity, the willingness, the togetherness – they are happier when we win and that is fair, but we know this won’t be possible every time. If we are connected with this ambition and commitment, it will be a massive strength for us.”

Of course, enticing stars to play in front of faithful supporters is half the battle, though it appears they are doing a fine job, given Bologna defender Jhon Lucumi is set to join Sunderland in the coming days.

Furthermore, Juventus star Lloyd Kelly has been linked with a surprise move to Wearside, though they will also face competition from Crystal Palace for the former Newcastle United man.

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The Black Cats are on fire this summer.

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Driving some hard bargains between now and Monday will be essential for Sunderland to maximise strength in depth, and they could now be set to complete another landmark capture if reports are to be believed.

Sunderland submit considerable Joey Veerman bid

According to De Telegraaf via Transfer Feed, Sunderland have submitted a bid worth over £26 million for PSV Eindhoven midfielder Joey Veerman and the Netherlands international could now be in line for a late move to the Stadium of Light.

In response, the Eredivisie outfit have identified Anderlecht star Mario Stroeykens as a replacement that they want to bring in urgently due to the time of the window.

Offering a creative presence in the engine room, Veerman fashioned 71 chances on league duty for his teammates last term, per Fotmob, and netted once, alongside providing 12 assists in 40 appearances.

Continuing on a similar path, he has struck once and laid on two more efforts inside three outings across 2025/26, illustrating a level of vision that would help Sunderland carve out opportunities in the top-flight.

With a deal looking somewhat likely, Veerman would add to a new-look midfield at the Stadium of Light this summer that already includes the likes of Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki, albeit it may be intriguing to see exactly where he fits in.

Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi urged Mason Greenwood to match the intensity of Raphinha after showing the Englishman footage of the Barcelona winger to highlight his consistency. The Italian stresses he wants to see Greenwood replicate the Brazilian's level in "every game" as the Ligue 1 side look to challenge Paris Saint-Germain to the title.

Greenwood urged to emulate Raphinha’s intensity

De Zerbi’s message to Greenwood was clear that he wants the English forward to show more consistency and intensity in his game. To make his point, the Italian coach drew on an example from Barcelona, showing Greenwood footage of Raphinha’s tireless work. 

"I showed him footage of Raphinha. He had a great game on Monday, he even made a run in the second half and got fouled. You have to do that in every game, not just one in five. When he runs, everyone follows him," the coach said at a press conference.

Raphinha is widely regarded not just for his technical ability but for the relentless energy he provides down the flanks. At Barca, he has carved a reputation as a forward who presses aggressively, tracks back to help his full-back, and makes repeat runs in behind defenders, even if only one or two of them lead directly to chances. This persistence, De Zerbi believes, is the difference between a talented player and one who can dictate games at the top level.

AdvertisementAFPGreenwood also urged to blend talent with consistent intensity

For Greenwood, the issue has never been raw talent, his left-footed finishing and vision remain standout qualities, but rather sustaining influence across 90 minutes. De Zerbi referenced his team's recent 1-0 win against PSG as a case in point. Greenwood, who has two goals to his name this season, produced a superb early cross that led to Nayef Aguerd’s goal and later made a powerful run that drew a foul. Yet those moments were sporadic, not sustained. 

“You have to do that in every game, not just one in five,” De Zerbi insisted.

Injury concerns for Marseille squad amid coach's mea culpa

Marseille’s squad depth will be tested as Geoffrey Kondogbia and Ahmed Junior Traore remain sidelined. The absences come at a critical juncture of the season as Marseille seek to build momentum domestically and in Europe. De Zerbi, who has emphasised the need for defensive discipline and intensity, acknowledged that squad rotation will be essential to manage the growing demands across competitions.

Furthermore, the Italian will not be in the dugout for Friday's game against Strasbourg after he was shown two yellow cards in quick succession for arguing with the referee at the end of the recent win against PSG. De Zerbi admitted his error, even while stressing he had not insulted officials. 

“I’m very unhappy about it. I made a mistake, not in what I said because I didn’t offend anyone,” he said. De Zerbi added that his suspension means assistant staff will step up, though he remains confident in the players’ ability to adapt.

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AFPStrasbourg and Ajax tests await

After the clash against Strasbourg, De Zerbi's side then host Ajax in the Champions League on September 30, with their coach returning for the European night. 

“There’s no better way to prepare for Ajax than by focusing on tomorrow’s match,” he stressed stressed. This run of fixtures could define OM’s early-season ambitions in both Ligue 1 and Europe with a lot of responsibilities on English international Greenwood.

Everton are having a busy final month of the transfer window in the hopes of having more success in the Premier League than they did in pre-season. David Moyes’ side were winless across their friendlies and the Premier League summer series despite a strong finish to the league last season.

The latest arrival is England winger Jack Grealish, who has joined the Toffees on a season-long loan. If Grealish manages to revitalise his career on Merseyside, then Everton will have the option to make the signing permanent for £50 million next summer.

Off the back of signing Grealish, Everton have been heavily linked with signing Ipswich’s Omari Hutchinson. Hutchinson has been known to feature in attacking midfield and on the wing, both areas that Everton need to reinforce, and has been notably absent from Ipswich’s recent fixtures.

However, another player might be through the door before Hutchinson, as the Friedkin Group has reportedly bid to sign a new striker for Everton.

Everton make £37m bid to sign Ukrainian striker Dovbyk

Football Insider has exclusively revealed that Everton have submitted a bid for Ukraine forward Artem Dovbyk from AS Roma, who are also owned by TFG. The bid is reported to be worth £37 million, and the player is open to a move to the Premier League.

However, Everton aren’t the only club interested in Dovbyk. The reports also list Leeds United, West Ham, and Sunderland as interested parties, but they are yet to place a bid. Earlier in the window, Dovbyk had been linked with Arsenal, but the London side eventually opted for Viktor Gyokeres.

Dovbyk first gained international recognition after a stellar 2023/24 campaign that saw him lead Girona to European qualification. During that season, Dovbyk registered 34 goals in 39 appearances, and he was picked up by Roma the following January.

The Ukrainian number 11 currently earns £41,000 a week at Roma and might be expecting a pay rise to leave Rome. Any wage demands may be worth meeting, considering he has been described as a “powerful target man” and compared with Dusan Vlahovic and Santiago Gimenez.

Dovbyk and Beto's reliability

If Everton completes the deal for Dovbyk, then they will have two reliable strikers on their hands.

Dovbyk has a slightly better goals-to-game ratio than Everton’s current main striker, Beto; however, both have reasonable rates that are close to or just over a goal involvement every other game.

Both strikers’ Xg difference shows their reliability as well. Beto marginally underperforms his Xg, and Dovbyk marginally overperforms. What this means is that both players take their chances when they are provided with them. They won’t score many unexpected worldies, but if Everton can provide them with chances, they will convert them.

New striker Thierino Barry is more of an unknown quantity. His numbers don’t match Beto and Dovbyk’s, but he is younger and has plenty of time to improve. With two experienced strikers ahead of him, Barry will have less pressure to be an instant success, as when he struggles, the team will still have two reliable strikers.

يستعد منتخب مصر الثاني تحت قيادة مديره الفني حلمي طولان، لمواجهة البحرين، في ثاني وديات المنتخب استعدادًا للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العرب التي ستقام في قطر ديسمبر المقبل. 

وكان منتخب مصر قد تعرض للهزيمة أمام المغرب في الودية الأولى ضمن برنامج المنتخب الاعدادي لبطولة كأس العرب المقبلة في دولة قطر.

وتمكن منتخب المغرب للمحليين من الفوز على منتخب مصر الثاني وديًا بهدفين عن طريق الثنائي أمين زحزوح ومحمود بنتايج. 

طالع.. عصام الحضري يحدد حارس منتخب مصر الثاني أمام البحرين.. ويهنئ حسام حسن

جدير بالذكر أن قرعة كأس العرب كانت قد أوقعت منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثالثة والتي تضم، الأردن والإمارات والفائز من مواجهة الكويت وموريتانيا.

ومن المقرر أن تنطلق بطولة كأس العرب في نسختها الجديدة في الفترة من 1 إلى 18 ديسمبر المقبل، في قطر.  موعد مباراة منتخب مصر الثاني والبحرين 

وسيواجه منتخب مصر الثاني نظيره منتخب البحرين مساء اليوم الأحد، في تمام الساعة الثامنة مساء بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية.  القناة الناقلة لمباراة مصر والبحرين اليوم

تنقل المباراة بشكل مباشر عبر قناة البحرين على القناة الرسمية عبر يوتيوب طالع القناة من هنا

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــــا

Newcastle United have finally found their reinforcements to spearhead their attack, having signed both Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, but they looked at another target who was desperate to leave his club on deadline day.

Newcastle United's striker situation in focus

The transfer window eventually drew to a close on Monday night after months of drama, capped off by Alexander Isak joining Liverpool after not being involved for the Magpies during their opening Premier League fixtures.

His absence from Saturday’s goalless draw away to Leeds United led to fans making their voices heard surrounding his absence, though after Fabrizio Romano cleared up some details on how much his late transfer to Anfield is worth, fans may feel a little more positive about the ordeal.

He stated: “Alexander Isak arrives in Liverpool to sign a six year deal valid until June 2031. The deal will cost £125m to Liverpool as Newcastle will get £130m — including solidarity payment.”

Searching for his replacement, Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Jorgen Strand Larsen was on the Magpies’ radar despite seeing several bids for the Norway star turned down. Vitor Pereira was said to have demanded £65 million for his star man.

In the end, Yoane Wissa joined Newcastle for a fee worth around £55 million, bringing the curtain down on a long search for an Isak replacement.

Ultimately, the Geordies were linked with a multitude of strikers to replace Isak and whittled down a long list before coming to a conclusion on who would arrive at St James’ Park.

While Newcastle fans rejoice at Wissa and Woltemade’s arrival, their window could well have been different if eleventh hour events didn’t move things in an alternative direction.

Nicolas Jackson was Newcastle's Wissa alternative

According to The Sun, Newcastle were in talks to sign Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson if they could not agree a deal with Brentford for Wissa. Incredibly, the Senegal forward refused to come back to Chelsea when called back to cover Liam Delap’s injury, and ended up forcing through his loan move to Bayern Munich at the 11th hour.

Marc Guiu has been recalled to Chelsea to take Jackson’s place instead, allowing him to move to Germany on loan with a buy obligation.

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The Magpies had multiple plates spinning, but the 24-year-old was deemed to be near the top of their wishlist and for a price of £60 million. Labelled “fantastic” by Joe Cole, Jackson registered 13 goals and six assists in 37 appearances across all competitions last term, though Newcastle opted to conclude a deal for Wissa, who retained a superior record of 20 strikes in 39 outings.

After months of chaotic action on the market, Howe will feel happy with the options at his disposal in light of losing Isak to Liverpool.

New South Wales (NSW) have given themselves an outside chance in their match in Tasmania as they try to pull off a massive run chase and reach the Sheffield Shield final. With NSW needing 529 to win, Test opener Sam Konstas and Blake Nikitaras reached 71 for 0 at stumps on day three at Bellerive.If NSW win it would be the second-highest score this Shield season, behind South Australia’s 614 for 7 dec. in their current match against Queensland.Related

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While NSW require a mammoth 458 on the last day for victory, in their favour is that the Bellerive pitch yielded 373 for 3 on Monday in the pink-ball game, so the Tasmanian attack will likely have to work hard for wickets. Konstas (34) and Nikitaras (31) have given them the perfect springboard for the day-four run chase.In setting the target, opener Jake Weatherald top-scored for the home side with 145 and Caleb Jewell made 100 not out before Tasmania declared at 383 for 4.Jordan Silk backed up his first-innings ton with 65 and Tim Ward contributed 52, while Tanveer Singha took 2 for 106 from 30 overs.The NSW attack lost Jack Edwards to a knee problem in the second innings, but he will bat on Tuesday if needed.

Sussex skipper finishes 181 not out as newcomers make solid start to life in Division One

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay05-Apr-2025

Warwickshire 223 for 3 (Yates 113*, Davies 66) trail Sussex 528 (Simpson 181*, Bamber 4-105) by 305 runsBowlers continue to suffer in the Birmingham sunshine as an opening-round runfest unfolds between Warwickshire and Sussex in the Rothesay County Championship Division One at Edgbaston.Sussex have returned to the top tier in style by amassing 528 all out after captain John Simpson added a superb unbeaten 181 from 262 balls to Tom Clark’s opening-day century. Warwickshire’s injury-hit attack, led by debutants Ethan Bamber and Tazeem Ali, plugged away nobly but found the going tough in good batting conditions.Sussex’s hopes of turning that strong total into a victory were then held up by the home batters who responded with 223 for 3. Rob Yates closed the second day on 113 from 148 balls after captain Alex Davies launched the reply with an aggressive 66 off 65.Edgbaston pitches in recent years have tended to flatten out as matches lengthen, so it is difficult to see either side forcing a victory. Both would probably be happy enough with a solid draw from their season-opener.Sussex resumed on the second day on 386 for 5 and were given early impetus by Jack Carson’s punchy 28 before he lifted Ed Barnard to deep square leg in pursuit of his fourth boundary of the over. Fynn Hudson-Prentice was soon lbw to Bamber but the implacable Simpson was joined by Danny Lamb in a stand of 85 in 25 overs.Lamb and Ollie Robinson fell lbw to successive balls from Tazeem and Simpson’s hopes of challenging his career best 205 ended when Jayden Seales scooped Michael Booth to midwicket.Warwickshire opening batters Davies and Yates enjoyed their moments of good fortunes against the new-ball attack of Robinson and Seales but batted positively and the score advanced briskly as soon as the ball softened. Davies hit 11 fours on his way to a 48-ball half-century as his side eased to 112 without loss from 21 overs at tea.They reached that point without taking risks, which made Davies’ departure, slashing the third ball of the evening session, a wide, short offering from Seales, to third man all the more strange. Hamza Shaikh helped the steady Yates to add 56 in 14 overs but was undone by a lovely ball from Carson. Having seen a flighted delivery driven for four earlier in the over, the offspinner looped up another which turned sharply to bowl the batter through a drive.That left Warwickshire, needing 379 to avoid the follow on, 172 for 2 with 17 overs left in the day. Yates chugged on to a 132-ball hundred but the departure of Sam Hain, who edged Seales to slip with 17 balls remaining, sent Sussex off the field with a spring in their step and feeling that a strong third morning could keep the door open to them returning to Division One with a very impressive win.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has now personally opened talks with an “incredible” manager to replace Nuno Espirito Santo.

Marinakis searching for Nuno replacements

Marinakis has been left baffled by Nuno’s recent comments about their relationship, with the Portuguese manager saying: “I always had a very good relationship with the owner, last season was very close. This season, not so well. No, it’s not [good].

“I don’t know exactly, but I’m being honest with you. I cannot say that is the same, because it’s not the same. The reason behind it, I don’t know. I always believe that dialogue and what you say or your opinion, is always valid, because my concern is the squad and the season that we have ahead of us, but our relations have changed.”

It is a bizarre situation unfolding at the City Ground, especially considering the Tricky Trees have had a very good summer transfer window, retaining Morgan Gibbs-White and bringing in additional depth ahead of an exciting European campaign.

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However, the relationship between the chairman and the manager has now deteriorated, with Marinakis actively searching for replacements, and talks have been held with a former Premier League boss.

That is according to a report from talkSPORT, which states Marinakis has held direct talks with former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou, who is keen to return to Premier League management.

The Australian is high on Forest’s wanted list as a replacement for Nuno, as he has a personal relationship with Marinakis, having been pictured together at an awards ceremony in Greece earlier in the summer.

Nuno’s poor relationship with Edu is also cited as an issue, as the manager is not in full agreement with the sporting director on issues like the recruitment strategy and playing style, and there is a strong chance the 51-year-old departs after this weekend.

"Incredible" Postecoglou could lead be solid appointment for Forest

It would be extremely disappointing if Nuno’s recent comments lead to him being sacked, given that the Forest boss has overseen a remarkable turnaround at the City Ground, transforming his side from relegation candidates to Champions League-chasers.

However, if the relationship with Marinakis is broken beyond repair, it is difficult to see a way back, and things must be very strained, as Nuno was willing to risk his job by talking about the issues publicly.

That said, there are some signs Postecoglou could be an exciting replacement, given that the 59-year-old received high praise for the work he did at Tottenham.

Not only that, but the ex-Spurs boss led his side to a Europa League triumph last season, and that experience could be very useful, with the Tricky Trees about to embark on a European campaign of their own.

LSG head coach is hopeful the express fast bowler will be fit soon and join the LSG squad as Avesh Khan and Akash Deep have done

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Apr-2025Mayank Yadav, the express Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowler, is “up and running” and bowling at “90 to 95%” at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (earlier the NCA) in Bengaluru, the team’s head coach Justin Langer said after the thrilling win over Mumbai Indians (MI) on Friday night, an outcome scripted by the depleted bowling attack.Langer said he had seen a video of Mayank, who is recovering from back and toe injuries, bowling in Bengaluru, but while hopeful of having the quick in the squad soon, didn’t have a timeline to share.”What I do know is he’s working very hard at the NCA, and I saw some video of him bowling yesterday [Thursday] and he was bowling at about 90 to 95%,” Langer said at the press conference. “So Mayank’s up and running, which is really great for Indian cricket, for IPL. We saw the impact he had last year. I don’t think there’s been a bowler in India who’s bowled faster than Mayank Yadav. That’s why there’s so much talk about him.”He’s up, he’s keen to get going. He bowled really well in Bangalore yesterday at the NCA. I think you have another couple of bowls and hopefully… NCA, to their credit, have obviously done a very good job because they’ve got Avesh Khan back for us, they’ve got our Akash Deep back for us. So we really appreciate the work they’re doing to get the boys back playing and now hopefully Mayank as well.”1:07

What role can Akash Deep play for LSG?

The last time Langer gave an update on Mayank, he had expressed hope the bowler would be available for the “back-end” of the tournament. Mayank had been recovering from a back injury at the time, but his return had been pushed back by “a week or two” when he stubbed his toe against his bed and subsequently picked up an infection in the toe.LSG had a severely depleted bowling attack at the start of IPL 2025, with Mohsin Khan, Mayank, Avesh and Akash Deep all recovering from injuries. They brought in Shardul Thakur once Mohsin was ruled out before their tournament opener, and have since had Avesh and Akash Deep also join the squad one by one.Thakur has already played a crucial rule in both their wins. He has picked up seven wickets in four games, and bowled a game-changing 19th over against MI where he conceded only seven runs when 29 were needed from 12 balls with Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma batting.Friday was Akash Deep’s first game on return from his back injury and he finished with 4-0-46-1, while Avesh has played three matches, but has been expensive and picked up only two wickets.