He hit a 39-ball century against CSK in just his fourth IPL match

Omkar Mankame08-Apr-2025.

Chris Gayle – 30 balls

175* vs Pune Warriors India, Bengaluru, 2013
It was the day on which Gayle rewrote T20 record books at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. His unbeaten 175 remains the highest individual score in the format, and his 30-ball century is the fastest in IPL history even after 12 years. After a watchful first over, Gayle took 21 off Ishwar Pandey and 28 off Mitchell Marsh to bring up a 17-ball fifty. Aaron Finch’s 29-run over only added to the charge and Gayle brought up his century in the ninth over. Of his first 103 runs, 98 came in boundaries. He finished unbeaten on 175 and later returned to pick up two wickets, capping off a surreal day.

Yusuf Pathan – 37 balls

100 vs Mumbai Indians (MI), Brabourne, 2010
Pathan teed off when Rajasthan Royals (RR) needed 143 off 57 balls to chase down MI’s 212. He hit 54 off his next 11 deliveries, including three successive sixes off Ali Murtaza and 24 in the following over from R Sathish. The carnage continued as he brought up what was then the fastest century in the IPL with a towering six. He was run out the very next ball, leaving RR with 40 to get from 17 balls – a bridge too far in the end. However, his captain, Shane Warne, described it as the best innings he had ever seen.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

David Miller – 38 balls

101* vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Mohali, 2013Miller’s 38-ball century rescued Kings XI Punjab (now PBKS) from 64 for 4 and powered them in a jaw-dropping chase of 191, with 99 runs coming in the last five overs. It began with a flurry of boundaries off Vinay Kumar before he tore into RP Singh for 26 in a single over. With three runs needed and Miller on 95, he launched a length ball straight over the sightscreen to bring up his century in style. After the match, Miller shared his father’s advice: “If it’s in the V, it’s in the tree. If it’s in the arc, it’s out of the park.”

Travis Head – 39 balls

102 vs RCB, Bengaluru, 2024Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Head had already signaled their intent with a 277-run blitz earlier in the season. In Bengaluru, they went one better. Head had set the tone with a powerplay assault that saw SRH race to 76 for 0, bringing up his fifty along the way. By the time he was dismissed in the 13th over for a 41-ball 102, SRH had rocketed to 165. They eventually finished on 287 – the highest total in IPL history.Priyansh Arya – 39 balls103 vs CSK, Mullanpur, 2025PBKS picked 24-year-old Delhi opener Arya for INR 3.8 crore after a bidding war at the auction and he’s already showing why. After a 23-ball 47 on debut, Arya delivered on his potential against CSK. He began the innings with a first-ball six and didn’t let the fall of wickets at the other end disrupt his intent. He later smacked Matheesha Pathirana for three consecutive sixes and a four to bring up a stunning maiden IPL century in just the 13th over of the innings.

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate admits that transfer speculation has left him in a “tight spot”, with questions continuing to be asked of how long he will remain at Anfield. The France international defender is into the final year of his contract, meaning that he could hit free agency in the summer of 2026. La Liga giants Real Madrid are being credited with interest.

Konate contract: Running down towards free agency

Konate can do little to stop the rumours, with no extension to his current terms being agreed on Merseyside. For as long as his future remains up in the air, the 26-year-old centre-half will find himself at the centre of distracting gossip.

There has been talk of a new deal being agreed with Liverpool, as Konate has been with the Reds since 2021. It has also been suggested that he could tread a similar path to former team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold by swapping Liverpool for Madrid – with no transfer fee needing to change hands.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesKonate reacts to Anfield transfer rumours

Konate is eager to point out that there is no substance to the speculation that he continues to generate, with no definitive decisions being made on his future. His form has dipped slightly this season, with Liverpool enduring uncharacteristic issues as a collective, with the exit rumours doing little to aid his cause.

Speaking to while on 2026 World Cup qualifying duty with France, Konate said when asked about his regular presence in gossip columns: “It’s difficult, we can’t say everything because a lot of things are already being said in the media.”

He went on to say of unwelcome stories potentially casting him in a bad light with loyal Liverpool supporters: “Some of the things that I read, I’m like… oh la la. That puts me in a tight spot with Liverpool fans, and they don’t even know all the ins and outs.”

Konate has previously said of lining up a decision day with Premier League heavyweights: “My agents continue to discuss with Liverpool. I hope my decision will be made very soon so I can announce it.”

Carragher hopes Konate signs new Liverpool deal

Legendary former Reds defender Jamie Carragher is hoping that a deal can be agreed with Konate. He has told the : "I’d like him to stay but if he doesn’t stay, Liverpool will sign someone else. Liverpool won’t fall apart if Konate leaves. He's not Virgil van Dijk. He's a good centre-back who you hope will sign, but if he doesn’t want to sign, Liverpool will be absolutely fine.

“He's a very good centre-back, he's a title winner at Liverpool, he's played in the Champions League final against Real Madrid. He's obviously a quality centre-back. It's not poor management [if he goes for free]. You can't physically make somebody sign a contract. Then it's your decision, do you keep him to the length of his contract or do you sell him?”

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Getty ImagesWill Konate join Real Madrid? Who will Liverpool sign as a replacement?

Liverpool were disappointed to lose home-grown star Alexander-Arnold to La Liga giants in the summer of 2025. A small fee was paid there, with Real prepared to complete a transfer prior to the England international officially becoming a free agent – with the Blancos’ FIFA Club World Cup campaign being factored into the equation.

Konate has revealed that fellow countryman Kylian Mbapppe “calls me every two hours to sign for Real Madrid", with the World Cup-winning forward acting as an agent for those at Santiago Bernabeu.

It may be that Konate ends up joining Mbappe in the Spanish capital. He has taken in 148 appearances for Liverpool across four-and-a-half seasons, registering six goals. Konate has formed part of Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup-winning squads.

While Liverpool would like to retain his services, they were heavily linked with Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi over the summer. He is another that is heading towards free agency in 2026, meaning that the Reds could land themselves a ready-made replacement for Konate. They also acquired highly-rated Italian defender Giovanni Leoni in the last transfer window and are expecting big things from him once a complete recovery from an unfortunate ACL injury has been made.

Yorkshire 314 for 5 (Agarwal 175, Lyth 69) trail Durham 346 (Raine 101, White 5-69) by 32 runsYorkshire had the better of day two of their final-round Rothesay County Championship clash with Durham at Headingley to boost their hopes of avoiding relegation, with Mayank Agarwal’s superb 175 in turn increasing their visitors’ fear of the drop.This was a batter’s day in sunny Leeds, where two men posted centuries. Durham allrounder Ben Raine was the first, advancing from 87 not out overnight to a superb 101. Unfortunately for him, though, Durham could only convert a 322 for 7 score into 346 all out, with new-ball seamer Jack White completing an impressive 5 for 69.Indian overseas batter Agarwal – 20 fours and five sixes in 195 balls – followed Raine to three figures as the hosts then replied with a commanding 314 for 5 from 86 overs. He shared a second-wicket 127 either side of lunch with opener Adam Lyth, whose 69 came on his 38th birthday.Yorkshire started this week seventh in Division One on 146 points, six clear of second-bottom Durham but with a better most-wins tiebreaker record. They needed 10 points to survive. Five of those have been accrued, and a draw will be enough from here.For Durham, although it’s not yet certain, they will likely have to win this game to stay up. Should Hampshire lose to Surrey, a draw would be enough. Hampshire have the advantage in Southampton.Durham’s innings was wrapped up inside an eventful first eight overs of the day which saw White claim all three wickets and Raine reach his second career first-class century.White bowled Matthew Potts and Daniel Hogg in the 100th over, his second of the day. Potts, bowled through the gate, lost his middle stump and Hogg was beaten on the outside edge and lost off. Raine and Potts had shared 87 for the eighth wicket from late evening onwards on day one, aggressively advancing Durham from 245 for 7.Raine reached his hundred off 101 balls as he took the majority of the strike away from last man Shafiqullah Ghafari before top-edging a swish at White to third-man to end the innings.Raine’s influence on the contest was extended amidst a tight start to Yorkshire’s reply, him trapping Fin Bean lbw stuck on the crease as the score slipped to 9 for 1 after seven overs. Potts and Raine started with three successive maidens before the latter’s strike.So, despite good batting conditions, Lyth and Agarwal had to be watchful. They were, but not so much that the runs didn’t come. Lyth was strong through the off side and Agarwal full of touch as he recovered from two ducks in three previous innings for Yorkshire.Touch, yes. But there was also increasing power. Both he and Lyth reached afternoon fifties, the latter first off 102 balls. Agarwal’s came off 84 balls with a six down the ground off Afghan Ghafari’s legspin.Shortly afterwards, Ghafari had Lyth caught at slip by Potts via a deflection off wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson – 136 for 2 in the 41st over. But Durham needed more.Agarwal then took on Ghafari, hitting him for three more sixes before tea – two down the ground in an over and another pulled over midwicket to get him to a 122-ball century.Yorkshire reached the break at 198 for 2. But shortly afterwards, Raine bowled James Wharton and then had Jonny Bairstow caught behind with 203 on the board.Agarwal’s presence was a calming influence, however, and went on to 150 off 176 balls. He pulled Potts for another six. Ghafari did gain revenge for the earlier sixes when the 34-year-old right-hander miscued to long-on at 281 for 5 in the 75th over, Yorkshire’s deficit now 65.Matthew Revis and George Hill whittled that down further to 32 through to close and will begin day three on 28 and 23 respectively.

Pumas are now reportedly happy to let manager Efrain Juarez join Celtic, who could take full advantage of their former star’s secret release clause at the Mexican club.

The Bhoys once again struggled on the European stage in midweek, losing 3-1 against Midtjylland, as Martin O’Neill saw their problems in full for the first time. The interim boss has continued to distance himself from the permanent job, despite recent reports suggesting that he could yet be the next man to take the hotseat.

For now, the 73-year-old is set to remain in the dugout for Celtic’s Scottish Premiership clash against Kilmarnock this weekend, but Parkhead chiefs are continuing their search.

Recent reports have claimed that Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna is now open to joining the Scottish giants, but it remains to be seen whether he’d leave Portman Road in the middle of a campaign which has so far been disappointing.

Meanwhile, Nicky Hayen is also a reported candidate. The Club Brugge manager knows all about beating the top clubs in Scottish football, having smashed Rangers 9-1 on aggregate in the Champions League qualifiers earlier this season and defeated Celtic last season. Now, he could be on his way to the home dugout in Glasgow.

Once again, however, luring him away from Club Brugge will not be an easy task. Instead, the Hoops may have no choice but to turn towards former player Juarez, who has previously shared that he dreams of managing the club.

Pumas happy to let Juarez join Celtic

As reported in Mexico and relayed by Sport Witness, Pumas are now happy to let Juarez join Celtic, who could trigger a release clause that allows the 37-year-old to leave for free when a European club comes knocking.

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It would save Celtic a transfer fee and it would welcome someone who knows the standards of the club, given that Juarez played for the Bhoys between 2010 and 2012. Whether he has the right managerial experience for the role is another question, though, and the Scottish club may find that out after reportedly scheduling an interview over zoom.

The former player, who uses a 4-2-3-1 system, has taken charge of just two sides and is yet to even reach 100 games as a manager. At this point in time, it should be questioned whether Celtic can afford to take such a gamble.

Juarez’s time at Pumas hasn’t exactly been the greatest success, either. The Mexican has lost more games than he’s won and averaged just 1.3 points over 33 games in charge. It suddenly makes the club’s willingness to let him leave make all too much sense for Celtic to make their move.

For the time being, those at Celtic Park should trust O’Neill with the job until a suitable candidate emerges.

Celtic schedule first interview with Efrain Juarez

Manchester City might have closed the gap on Sunday, but this season feels different for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have been almost faultless over the last couple of months, so much so that a point away to the high-flying Sunderland feels like a defeat.

Moreover, while the Gunners finally conceded against the Black Cats, they remain unbeaten in 14 games across all competitions and are still top of the Premier League.

One of the reasons why Arsenal have been so successful is how quickly their summer signings have adapted. However, there are now reports that they could be interested in someone who could be an upgrade on Martin Zubimendi.

Arsenal target world-class midfielder

Since arriving in North London for around £58m, Zubimendi has been an ever-present figure in Arsenal’s midfield.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Spaniard has already made 14 competitive appearances for the side, in which he has scored two goals and provided one assist.

However, his place in the side might not be as secure as it seems, with the Gunners now interested in another world-class midfielder.

At least that is according to a report from Caught Offside, which claims that Arsenal are interested in Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha.

The report has revealed that, alongside Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Juventus, the Gunners are monitoring the midfielder’s situation.

However, in addition to convincing him to leave the reigning European Champions, the North Londoners would have to stump up an enormous fee of around €130m, equivalent to approximately £114m.

With that said, if this is a deal that can be done, it’s one Arsenal should pursue, even if that’s bad news for Zubimendi.

How Vitinha compares to Zubimendi

The first thing to note is that Zubimendi is doing a brilliant job for Arsenal so far this season and could be a key reason why they finally win the Premier League.

However, just because a player is performing well for a side, it does not mean they cannot be upgraded upon, so would Vitinha be that upgrade?

Well, both midfielders are capable of playing in central and defensive areas, so neither one takes the lead when it comes to versatility.

However, when it comes to their output, it’s a different story entirely.

For example, while the Gunners’ ace has two goals and one assist to his name this year, the PSG star already has a staggering tally of two goals and eight assists in just 16 appearances, totalling 1237 minutes.

In other words, he’s averaging a goal involvement every 1.6 games, or every 123.7 minutes, which goes some way to justifying respected analyst Ben Mattinson’s claim that he’s “the Xavi of this generation.”

Unfortunately for the former Real Sociedad star, he also comes out second best when it comes to major honours, as while he has a Copa del Rey and Euros to his name, the Portuguese star has won the Champions League, the Nations League, three Ligue 1 titles, two Portuguese League titles and a plethora of French Cups.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.24

0.13

Progressive Passes

14.7

6.25

Progressive Carries

4.02

1.06

Shots

2.29

0.86

Shots on Target

0.80

0.29

Passing Accuracy

93.6%

88.7%

Key Passes

1.84

0.87

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.84

0.87

Shot-Creating Actions

4.92

2.21

Goal-Creating Actions

0.91

0.29

Tackles Won

0.92

1.06

Shots Blocked

0.23

0.10

Clearances

0.80

1.83

Carries

103.8

42.9

Finally, it is once again the former Porto star who comes out on top when comparing their underlying numbers.

For example, “the best midfielder in the world,” as dubbed by Portugal manager Roberto Martinez, comes out way ahead in crucial metrics such as progressive passes and carries, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions and shots blocked, all per 90.

In fact, the only metrics in which the Spaniard does better are some of the defensive ones, and even then, it’s not by a significant amount.

Ultimately, Zubimendi has been unreal for Arsenal so far this year, but if Vitinha is attainable, the club should do everything possible to bring him in.

Arsenal star set to miss North London Derby and will be last to return from injury

The Gunners have a long list of unavailable attackers.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 11, 2025

Bangladesh failed to capitalise on a strong start provided by Tanzid

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-20252:27

Jaffer: Bangladesh should have stuck to their previous XI

A wicketless powerplay at a shade under 10 an over allied with a Tanzid Hasan fifty gave Bangladesh the ideal platform, but Afghanistan’s death overs mastery restricted Bangladesh to 154 for 5 in Abu Dhabi.The spin twins of Noor Ahmad and Rashid Khan were exemplary once again, the pair sharing four wickets between them, while going for just 49 runs in their combined eight overs.Related

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Their impact meant Bangladesh struggled to effectively utilise the platform afforded them by a strong opening stand worth 63. Saif Hassan, drafted in for this game struck 30 off 28 balls, but it was Tanzid who really propelled the early stages.Of his first 12 deliveries, half went to the boundary or cleared it. He brought up his seventh T20I fifty off just 28 deliveries. At the halfway stage of the innings, Bangladesh were well set on 87 for 1. But the middle overs proved to be their downfall as the Afghanistan spinners took control of proceedings.Four wickets were lost for 65 runs through the middle overs period, while just 30 runs were mustered at the death.

Tottenham Hotspur have been hunting for a new talisman over the last couple of seasons, but none have been able to emulate the incredible levels achieved by Harry Kane.

The 32-year-old rose through the ranks in North London, even being sent on numerous loan spells in the EFL, before making himself a fan-favourite in the Lilywhites’ first-team.

He would spend a decade scoring goals for fun in the Premier League, subsequently achieving a total of 280 strikes for the club – the most of any player in their history.

Such a feat highlights his incredible goalscoring prowess, but his ability to score 30+ goals in 50% of his ten years in North London further showcases his eye for the back of the net.

However, after numerous failed trophy attempts, the hierarchy were left with no choice but to sell Kane to allow him to further his career, with the forward subsequently joining Bayern Munich for £82m in 2023.

In the years since his move, countless options have tried to fill the void, but many have failed, leading to one player assuming the responsibility under Thomas Frank in 2025/26.

How Kolo Muani compares to other strikers in the PL in 2025/26

With Dominic Solanke, Spurs’ club-record signing, struggling with an ankle issue, the Lilywhites hierarchy decided to back new boss Frank with added reinforcements in the centre-forward area.

Richarlison assumed the role of operating as the number nine, but the Brazilian’s injury record ran the risk of potentially having to call upon an academy star to fill the void.

As a result, French international Randal Kolo Muani was signed on deadline day, with the hierarchy securing his signature on a season-long loan from PSG.

A loan fee in the region of £5m was forked out for the 26-year-old’s signature, with the deal appearing as a potential risk-free and bargain deal until the end of 2025/26.

Such a deal generated excitement within the fanbase, after the centre-forward netted 10 goals in just 24 appearances during a separate spell on loan at Juventus last season.

However, a little over two months on from his move, Kolo Muani has struggled with the expectations placed upon him, subsequently only featuring four times in the Premier League and failing to score a single goal.

His underlying figures also highlight the struggles he’s endured in North London, with the Frenchman ranking lowly in numerous key figures for a lone number nine.

He’s only registered a total of 0.47 shots per 90 in England’s top-flight – with such a tally ranking him in the lowest 1% of all other attackers in the division this season.

Kolo Muani’s other tallies of 1.4 touches in the opposition box and 0.4 aerials won per 90 also place him in the first percentile – further highlighting his lack of positive impact to date.

He suffered a broken jaw in the draw with Manchester United last weekend, potentially seeing him spend time on the sidelines – which could give the striker a period to reflect on his dismal start in England.

The Spurs star who could end Kolo Muani’s Spurs career

Kane’s departure, coupled with Kolo Muani’s lack of form, has certainly rubbed salt into the wounds of the Spurs faithful, with their loss now Bayern Munich’s gain.

The Englishman has carried on his tremendous goalscoring form away from North London, with the striker reaching the next level in his career after his big-money transfer.

Kane has netted a staggering 108 goals in his 113 appearances for the German outfit, with his numbers this season simply eye-boggling and certainly leaving the fans wishing he was still on their books.

He’s already scored 26 times in all competitions in 2025/26, with the entire Lilywhites senior squad only scoring 29 times combined during the same period.

Players like Kane don’t come around very often, with their Spurs faithful extremely lucky to have been able to witness his goalscoring antics first hand between 2013 and 2023.

Kolo Muani has so far failed to live up to the heights many expected, with his temporary deal in North London not expected to turn into a permanent one, given his recent lack of form.

However, the club appear to already have the perfect solution to their long-term centre-forward issues in the form of academy graduate Will Lankshear.

The youngster only joined the club’s youth setup back in August 2022, subsequently making the move from Sheffield United at the tender age of just 17.

Upon his switch to the capital, he linked up with the U21 side, but rapidly caught the eye with his goalscoring ability – with his 2023/24 campaign his best to date.

He found the net a staggering 32 times in just 35 appearances, leading to his first-team debut under Ange Postecoglou during the injury-hit campaign in 2024/25.

Lankshear managed to appear in six separate matches for the Lilywhites, half of which came in the Europa League, with the 20-year-old netting his first senior goal against Galatasaray.

However, he’s followed in Kane’s footsteps in moving into the EFL for valuable senior minutes to continue his development, with the youngster spending the current season on loan at Championship side Oxford United.

He’s already made an immediate impact at the Kassam Stadium, scoring four times in his 14 league appearances to date – leading to one analyst calling him a “Harry Kane regen”.

Games played

14

Goals scored

5

Shot on target accuracy

43%

Passes completed

75%

Dribbles completed

50%

Touches in opposition box

2.9

Fouls won

1.5

Chances created

1.2

Lankshear’s underlying stats from the ongoing season highlight his incredible nature in the final third, which could see him be catapulted into the first-team reckoning in 2026/27.

He’s achieved a 43% shot on target accuracy rate and scoring with 50% of the efforts he’s registered – offering the clinical nature that Kane possessed in London.

The youngster is also keen to get on the ball whenever possible, ranking in the 80th percentile for passes completed, whilst also completing 50% of the dribbles he’s attempted.

Whilst Kolo Muani will need to be cut some slack for his lack of impact, he’s ultimately failed to hit the heights expected of him, with other options needing to be considered.

Lankshear will no doubt be chomping at the bit to make an impact in North London, with Frank desperately needing to hand him the chance to impress upon his return from his loan spell in the summer.

Spurs have "one of Europe’s best finishers" & he could end Richarlison's stay

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ByEthan Lamb Nov 14, 2025

Middlesbrough’s search for their new manager looks set to be over, with a significant update emerging regarding the club’s process to replace Rob Edwards.

The exit of Edwards to Wolves has hurt Boro at a key point in the season where they are sitting second in the Championship table and pushing for promotion. He sent a message to the supporters upon leaving for Molineux, wishing the club well.

“This has been one of the toughest decisions of my career. In truth, I wouldn’t have considered leaving Middlesbrough for any other club. Wolves is a special club for me. It’s where I grew as both a player and a coach, it’s still where my family calls home. It has always been my dream to come back and these opportunities do not come around too often.

“Middlesbrough is an incredible club, with a fantastic owner, staff and passionate supporters. I want to thank everyone at the club for the opportunity to lead this squad, it is a great group of players that I genuinely hope and believe will deliver success this season. I could not be prouder of the environment we built together and how it all gelled together so quickly – the players, the staff, and the fans, who drive it all. I sincerely wish everyone at Middlesbrough all the very best for the rest of the season and beyond. Rob.”

It’s now a case of Boro nailing Edwards’ successor at the Riverside Stadium, and it looks as though their new boss may have been found, following a big new claim.

Middlesbrough reach verbal agreement with Kim Hellberg

According to Fotboll Skanalen, Middlesbrough have now reached a verbal agreement with Kim Hellberg over a move to the club, seeing him as the right man to come in for Edwards.

Boro look set to swoop in from under the noses of Championship rivals Swansea City, with the club having a meeting with Hellberg’s representatives in London.

Hellberg may be something of an unknown to some Boro supporters, considering he is only 37 and hasn’t managed in Europe’s top leagues yet, but he looks like an exciting young choice.

IFK Varnamo sporting director Enes Ahmetovic, who worked with the Swede in the past, has said of him: “An incredibly skilled football coach. He spends a huge amount of time on every detail. I’m completely convinced that Hellberg will coach much bigger clubs than IFK Varnamo.”

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The 4-2-3-1-playing Hellberg is something of a gamble, at a time when promotion has to be the aim for Boro, but assuming he is the choice to come in, it will be fascinating to see how he fares.

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Acting captain hails togetherness of club as they secure another notable success after years of fallow fortunes

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025

Ian Holland, Leicestershire’s acting captain, says the club will celebrate their achievement of returning to the top flight of the County Championship for the first time in 22 years, but have already set their sights on cementing top spot and sealing their first piece of red-ball silverware in more than a quarter of a century.Holland was at the crease, on 27 not out, when Leicestershire shook hands on a rain-affected draw with Gloucestershire at Grace Road on Thursday. The result put them more than 50 points clear of Derbyshire and Middlesex in third and fourth place – two teams that had earlier played out their own stalemate at Lord’s – thereby guaranteeing Leicestershire at least a top-two finish. Glamorgan, 25 points behind them in second place, are their only remaining rivals for the second division crown.”There’s a lot of emotion, excitement, relief in the dressing-room,” Holland told the ECB Reporters Network. “We’re savouring this moment to get promoted, but it’s not a full celebration just yet because now we want to win the trophy as champions.”But, yeah, to be promoted is a great achievement for this club. It’s a credit to the people in the club that have turned it around over a period of time.”The result comes just two years after Leicestershire’s remarkable victory over Hampshire in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final – their first List A trophy since 1985 – and continues a steady uptick in the team’s fortunes from the dark days of the mid-2010s, when they had habitually finished bottom of the Championship table, including a near three-year run between September 2012 and June 2015 when they didn’t win a single first-class fixture.”This today isn’t just a six-month thing, it’s been a few years in the making,” Holland said, as he paid tribute to Claude Henderson, the club’s director of cricket, as well as the coaching staff and Sean Jarvis, the outgoing chief executive who oversaw the upswing in fortunes since joining from Huddersfield Town FC in 2020.”The players have been able to go out and play the way we have this year because things are right,” Holland added. “It’s a great feeling. When I first met Claude and [head coach] Alfonso (Thomas), I got a sense of the trajectory that the club was moving in, and that was really attractive. I was always optimistic that we would get promoted at some stage, but I think it’s probably happened a little bit quicker than we thought.”If you’d asked me at the start of the season, are we going to get promoted this year? I wouldn’t have put my house on it, but it’s been great that things have clicked and we’ve played the cricket we have. Getting those wins early on gave us a really good head start, which has paid dividends.”Related

Leicestershire celebrate promotion after 22 years in exile

Holland namechecked Rehan Ahmed, who is currently away on England duty, as one of the stars of their campaign. After initially stepping up as an auxiliary opener, he struck five hundreds in ten appearances, while also claiming 23 wickets at 19.00 with his legspin – 13 of which came in a statement victory against Derbyshire in July.”There have been contributions from everybody. Rehan has got five hundreds, which is amazing, but so many people have stood up. I think just the consistency with the way we’ve played sums up our group.”The club captain Pete Handscomb, who is now back in Australia preparing for his Sheffield Shield campaign with Victoria, was another key contributor to Leicestershire’s season. “He’s been amazing with the way he’s captained the team and the group,” Holland said. “His calmness around the group has been incredible.”Leicestershire were made to battle in their title-seizing contest against Gloucestershire. They conceded a first-innings deficit of 140 despite a century for Shan Masood, but after being set a stiff fourth-innings target of 316, the week’s heavy rain reduced any prospect of a tense finish to the match.”In this game, it’s a real credit to the guys the way we fought back after getting behind the game early on day one,” Holland said. “There were a few niggly moments, but we were able to keep coming back, and just to get the points we needed to get promoted was a great result.”We faced a long chase today if we were to win the game. You can’t go out and go after it gung-ho, but I think you still want to have that positive intent, which we did, to take the game deep, and then whatever happens, happens. It was a good performance today to not be five, six, seven wickets down at the close. To do it the way we did was nice.”There will be a celebration, a few beers tonight. But we want to go on and win the trophy now, that’s very important to us.”

Newcastle United have now reignited their interest in James Trafford, who has reportedly made his feelings clear about a potential move away from Manchester City in January.

The Magpies could certainly do with a lift in the winter window amid their current struggles. Eddie Howe’s side have won just three of their opening 11 games in the Premier League so far this season and are paying the price for a chaotic summer.

After defeat against Brentford, the international break couldn’t have been better-timed. It’s allowed record signing Nick Woltemade to find the back of the net for Germany once again and has granted Howe the time he needs to find a solution for his side’s problems.

The towering 23-year-old has been one of the few bright sparks for Newcastle since arriving in the summer, but Alan Shearer still believes he can still go up a few levels.

Speaking after Newcastle’s loss against Brentford, the Premier League’s record goalscorer said: “I’ve said before that as good as Nick Woltemade is with the ball at his feet, he is a problem for Newcastle because he’s not the quickest, and he can’t press, and he doesn’t run in behind.

“Eddie’s teams have always done that. Look at what Alexander Isak did or look at what Callum Wilson did, they all pressed and ran behind. But this guy can’t do that, and that’s a problem for Newcastle.”

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That said, it would be harsh to suggest that Woltemade is the Magpies’ biggest problem. Before anything, they must address the form of their wingers and perhaps even return for some missed targets such as Trafford from the summer.

Newcastle reignite James Trafford move

According to TeamTalk, Newcastle have now re-opened talks with Trafford via his representatives, as they a January deal with Man City.

The goalkeeper rejected the chance to join the Magpies in the summer, but has since been made to regret his decision after City signed Gianluigi Donnarumma so soon after his return to the Etihad.

Despite interest from Tottenham and West Ham, it is believed Newcastle’s ‘advanced talks’ from the summer, their pull and Saudi-backed ambition hands them an ‘edge’ in the race for his signature — making Howe’s side favourites.

He’s reportedly desperate to leave the Manchester club in an attempt to keep hold of his place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad. Newcastle, as a result, are moving ahead of the winter window.

If the 23-year-old could turn back time, then he could be a Newcastle player right now. He returned to Man City ready to take Ederson’s place, but was simply sold a dream by Pep Guardiola and others who quickly welcomed their true replacement for the Brazilian in Donnarumma.

Now, he arguably needs Newcastle more than they need him. With Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope providing them with solid options, Trafford’s arrival would be more of a luxury than a necessity at this stage.

Nonetheless, having been described as “world-class” by Burnley boss Scott Parker last season, the young shot-stopper is still undoubtedly a player full of potential in the Premier League.

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