Crystal Palace are tracking FC Koln defender Timo Hubers ahead of a possible summer move, according to The Daily Mail.
The Lowdown: Hubers profiled
Hubers stands at 6 foot 2 and made the move to FC Koln last summer on a free transfer from Hannover 96. The 25-year-old has established himself as a regular in recent months, starting 12 of the last 13 Bundesliga games.
He currently holds a career-high £2.7m Transfermarkt valuation and will be entering the final 12 months of his contract in the summer, with Palace possibly looking at a summer swoop.
The Latest: Palace interest in Hubers
The Daily Mail shared a story on Monday afternoon, name-checking Palace, Leeds, Fulham, Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham with an interest in Hubers.
A £6m fee was mentioned in the report, with a host of Premier League clubs tracking the player.
The Verdict: Possible Guehi replacement?
Palace could well be short of centre-back options ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. Patrick Vieira currently has five at his disposal, although both James Tomkins and Jaroslaw Jach are out of contract at the end of June.
Reports have also recently revealed that Chelsea could re-sign Marc Guehi after a hidden clause emerged in the move which brought the 21-year-old to Selhurst Park over the summer.
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Hopefully Guehi will still be a Palace player in Vieira’s second season, but amid that worrying revelation about his transfer status, it seems as if Hubers could be a name to look out for over the coming months.
In other news: ‘Will get worse…’ – Matt Woosnam fumes as ‘appalling’ Crystal Palace news is now confirmed
Upon promotion back to the Premier League ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, it was vital that the Leeds United board handed Daniel Farke the funds needed to make the changes he craved at Elland Road.
The gap between the two divisions has widened significantly in recent seasons, as seen with each of the last six promoted teams, who all suffered an immediate return to the second tier.
Despite splashing over £100m on new additions during the summer window, many fans had feared that the side would struggle to provide the star quality needed in the final third.
However, after the first 16 league outings of the new campaign, Farke’s men have already found the back of the net on 20 occasions, with six teams in the division currently registering fewer.
Such a record is evidence that the side can produce the goods in front of goal, but that’s not to mention that numerous players haven’t struggled over the last couple of months.
Leeds prepare move for big-money striker
Joel Piroe endured a year to remember during the promotion-winning campaign, as seen by his tally of 19 goals – the highest of any player in the Championship.
However, the Dutchman has featured in eight matches so far this campaign, but has currently been unable to find the back of the net for Farke’s side.
The same could be said for Dan James, a player who ended the 2024/25 campaign with a remarkable tally of 21 combined goals and assists.
Like Piroe, he’s currently been unable to provide a single goal or assist in 2025/26, which has led to rumours over a move for new attacking options in January.
Over recent days, a report in Italy has stated that Leeds chiefs, the 49ers, have already made an approach to Manchester United over a potential deal to land Joshua Zirkzee this window.
The report states that the Whites are just one of a number of top-flight clubs who are interested in a possible move for the Dutchman during the upcoming market. He once cost around £36m but his future at Old Trafford looks over.
The 24-year-old could be open to a move away from Old Trafford in the coming months, after starting just three times this campaign.
Why Zirkzee would be an upgrade on Calvert-Lewin for Leeds
As part of the summer recruitment drive, Leeds landed the signature of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, after the Englishman was released by Everton at the end of his contract.
The 28-year-old spent nine years at Goodison Park before his departure at the end of June, but he’s been in tremendous form in the Premier League during the last few weeks.
He’s already made 15 appearances for the Whites in England’s top-flight, scoring on five occasions, with four coming in each of his last four appearances for Farke’s side.
Calvert-Lewin has arguably cemented himself as the club’s most important player at present, an impressive feat after making the move to Elland Road on a free transfer.
However, that could be about to change after the upcoming January window, especially with a move on the horizon for United star Zirkzee in the weeks ahead.
Whilst the Dutch star has been limited to mostly substitute appearances, he’s still managed to produce some respectable numbers, many of which are better than the current number nine.
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Zirkzee has been labelled “one of the most interesting young strikers” by Mateo Moretti in recent times, with his all-round stats highlighting such a statement.
He’s been outscored by Calvert-Lewin this season, but has posted more shots on target per 90, which highlights the threat he poses within the final third of the pitch.
The Dutch star has also completed more passes this campaign, with more of which per 90 being key passes – which could help provide Farke’s men an added creative option.
How Zirkzee & DCL compare in the PL (2025/26)
Statistics (per 90)
Zirkzee
DCL
Games played
9
15
Goals & assists
1
5
Shots on target
1.2
1.1
Pass accuracy
73%
61%
Progressive passes
2.8
0.9
Key passes
1.8
0.7
Take-on success
50%
33%
Aerials won
45%
38%
Stats via FBref
Zirkzee has also won more of the aerial duels he’s contested in 2025/26, subsequently showcasing his all-round nature, which no doubt makes him a bigger talent than the current Leeds ace.
However, the Man Utd star does love to drop off the centre-back and operate in deeper roles, which could arguably make him the perfect partner alongside the Whites’ talisman.
The prospect of the pair lining up alongside one another at Elland Road is one to get excited about, with such a duo potentially having the quality to save the club from relegation.
Leeds flop is becoming a bigger waste of money than Rodrigo & Sinisterra
Leeds United now has a bigger waste of money than both Rodrigo and Luis Sinisterra in this shaky summer signing.
Arsenal fans have gathered in the Transfer Tavern and are excited to see who new boss Unai Emery may bring to the club this summer.
It seems Arsenal are moving quickly to sign some new faces to the Arsenal squad. Emery has already secured two signatures and is still on the hunt to bring in a few more. In somewhat surprising news, the latest name to be linked with a move to the club is Marseille’s Florian Thauvin.
The Breakdown
The former Newcastle forward has been linked with a move to Arsenal according to Italian publication StadioSport. The report states that Emery is a fan of the 25-year-old French international and wants to make him a central figure in the team following the departures of Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere – both of whom left on free transfers.
During his six-month spell at St James’ Park, Thauvin only managed 16 appearances where he scored a single goal and registered two assists in all competitions for the Magpies. The 25-year-old, who’s valued at £45 million by Transfermarkt, has enjoyed a career rejuvenation since he returned to Ligue 1. Since his return, Thauvin has scored 39 goals in Ligue 1 for Marseille and has helped the club return to prominence.
Although Thauvin has had a career rebirth since his return to the French league, at the price quoted it would seem unlikely that Unai Emery would want to add him to the squad. Moreover, it seems that Arsenal are primarily concentrating on finalising a deal for Uruguay’s Lucas Torreira.
Still, if they can lure Thauvin to North London at a reasonable price, he could prove to be quite a wonderful addition. A thrillingly incisive forward, he’d go some way into converting the Gunners’ mighty possession stats into shots at goal.
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So Arsenal fans – would you welcome Thauvin to the Emirates?
The Western Warriors made light work of KwaZulu Natal in the opening match of the preseason tour with a 79 run win. This limited overs pre-season clash played at the Kingsway ground in a northern suburb of the Western Australian capital city was supported well by the local community. The West Aussies won the toss and elected to bat first.Australian keeper Adam Gilchrist and Wanneroo local Mike Hussey played themselves in on a moist wicket but then hammered the attack. – Gilchrist especially. In the latter half of his innings ‘Gilly’ bolted from 25 to 101 runs before a drinks break was called and both batsmen retired with Hussey on 55 and WA effectively 2 wickets down for 163 from 33 overs.Dighton returned to the pavillion first ball after drinks. Then in his first WA game for quite a while Tom Moody took a few overs to get started but also picked up the scoring pace in the latter part of his innings, supported well by debutant Shaun Marsh. Moody miss cued high into the air and was caught at cover by former West Indian and KZN captain Eldine Baptiste after a flourish and having scored 55 runs just three balls shy of the end of innings. At the close of the innings Shaun Marsh was unbeaten on 22 and Rogers had been unable to score four down for 245.The KwaZulu Natal bowling seemed to be very inconsistent as they struggled with the soft conditions. A stand out performance from John Kent snapping up the only 2 real wickets of the innings. Kent was supported by his captain Baptiste and Veenstra who both bowled without a success.Chasing 245 Brown was very slow, surviving his opening partner Gobind’s early loss but falling in the 18th over LBW to the overlooked Nikitaras with just 8 runs to his name with the team total at just 44/2.Kent came in next and blazed away making 22 runs in a brief spell of 20 balls hitting a ball up for Michael Hussey to catch. Amla’s sheet anchor roll of 31 was useful but too little too late as KwaZulu Natal had floundered to 78/4 in the 25th over. Former South African test batsman Andrew Hudson was brief with 7 trapped LBW to big Jo Angel. Then the only high-light in them that followed was Pietersen with 30 from as many balls including 2 fours and 2 sixes. KwaZulu Natal slumped to be all out in the 47th over with 166 on the board.3 wickets each to Cary, Nikitaras and Harvey will send a strong message to the WA selectors. Angel performed solidly with his solitary wicket and Nicholson bowled freely but not waywardly and was unrewarded.The game was played in warm spirits, WA looked to be very focussed, while KZN were happy to enjoy their first outing inunfamilliar surroundings. Eldine Baptiste seems larger than life – an entertainer he keeps the morale of his troops high. And they will need it. Unlike Yorkshire who toured here for a preseason warm up at the end of the last Australian season, KwaZulu Natal are not being supported by club members and the players families whilst on tour. South African supporters living in Perth (of which there is usually no shortage) are urged to support this team at Kingsway, Wanneroo, tomorrow and at Lilac Hill, Caversham, this weekend, and in Broome on the 24th.
Worcestershire’s batting capitulated in pursuit of 152 at Edgbaston, to hand their Midlands rivals, Warwickshire, a comprehensive 38-run victory. Though none of Warwickshire’s batsmen made much of an individual impression, the top three all chipped in with breezy performances – the best of which was Jonathan Trott’s 37 from 31 balls – while Michael Powell smacked 25 from 19 balls from No. 6 to provide a late impetus. In reply, however, only Graeme Hick – in his 1197th first-team performance – provided any stickability. He made 28 from 23 balls, but of the remainder of the top seven, the next highest contributor was Vikram Solanki with 10. From 77 for 7 there was no way back for Worcestershire, although Kabir Ali’s 23 from 22 balls did at least massage the deficit.Having won their first four games, Northants slumped to their second consecutive defeat in a rain-affected encounter with Glamorgan at Cardiff. The match was reduced to 17 overs a side, in which time Glamorgan made 154 for 6 thanks largely to Robert Croft’s 46 from 29 balls. They were 106 for 2 after 12 overs when rain forced a 75-minute delay, and when Northants began their chase, they were set a revised target of 158. It came down to 23 off the final over, but when Niall O’Brien was bowled by Ryan Watkins, the contest was as good as over.
North Division
Click here for John Ward’s report on a thrilling Roses clash between Lancashire and Yorkshire at Old Trafford.Leicestershire remain rooted to the bottom of the table after their sixth straight defeat, as Durham routed them by eight wickets at Chester-le-Street. After winning the toss and batting first, Leicestershire lost HD Ackerman in Shaun Pollock’s first over, and never gathered any momentum whatsoever. Steve Harmison pinned them to the crease with four superbly economical overs – he took 2 for 12 – while Gareth Breese capitalised on some wild attempts to up the run-rate and finished with 3 for 17. Leicestershire were all out for 119, and it was game over at the halfway mark. In reply, Michael di Venuto and Phil Mustard launched a blistering assault on the new ball, adding 58 runs in 21 minutes before Mustard fell for 42 from 23 balls. Di Venuto finished with 40 from 25, and when Dale Benkenstein wrapped up the match with 21 not out from 13, Durham had sealed their victory with 39 balls to spare.A three-wicket new-ball burst from Darren Pattinson propelled Nottinghamshire towards a thumping eight-wicket victory against Derbyshire at Derby. Paul Franks and Andre Adams chipped in with two wickets each, as Derbyshire slipped to 47 for 6. The wicketkeeper, James Pipes, salvaged the innings with 45 from 38 balls, but a target of 115 was never going to tax Nottinghamshire. Their openers, Will Jefferson and Adam Voges, added 84 inside 13 overs and Samit Patel and Chris Cairns got the team home with 21 balls to spare.
South Division
Middlesex’s six-match unbeaten record came to a soggy end at Beckenham, as a Justin Kemp-inspired Kent overpowered them in a rain-reduced eight-overs-a-side contest. Kemp belted three fours and two sixes in a 10-ball 28, to hoist Kent to an impressive 86 for 7, and thereafter Middlesex were always playing catch-up. Dawid Malan did his best, batting until the final over for 25 from 19 balls, but James Tredwell’s offspin stopped the middle-order in their tracks. He took 3 for 9 in two overs, and from 24 for 5, there was no way back.Somerset’s home encounter with Gloucestershire at Taunton was abandoned without a ball being bowled.Ryan ten Doeschate claimed 4 for 24 as Essex subjected Surrey to a 70-run drubbing at Chelmsford. Ten Doeschate, who had earlier chipped in with 35 from 16 balls to propel Essex to an imposing 164 for 9 in their 20 overs, was superbly backed up by his fellow bowlers, not least Danish Kaneria who claimed 2 for 5 in three overs, and Graham Napier, who trapped Scott Newman lbw for a first-ball duck. Surrey were shot out for 94, with only Ali Brown’s 22 from 19 balls providing any resistance.Chris Liddle enjoyed a dream Twenty20 debut for Sussex at the Rose Bowl, as Hampshire were rolled over for a meagre 85 in just 18.2 overs. Liddle, a lanky left-armer, hit the perfect length for the conditions to claim 4 for 15 in 3.2 overs, and stopped Hampshire in their tracks just when it seemed they were ready to post an imposing target. From 38 for 0 they slumped to 43 for 5, with Michael Carberry, Chris Benham and Sean Ervine all making second-ball ducks, and Nic Pothas was forced to occupy the crease for a 34-ball 19, in a vain attempt to bat out the full quota of overs. It made little difference. Murray Goodwin led Sussex’s charge with 46 from 26 balls, as victory was sealed by nine wickets and with 10.3 overs still remaining.
ScorecardDarren Stevens scored a 61-ball hundred but Kent still lost•Getty Images
Glamorgan were indebted to a brilliant unbeaten 94 from Chris Cooke as they chased down a target of 318 to beat Kent by three wickets in a thrilling Royal London Cup match in Cardiff. Cooke struck eight fours and four sixes in his 54-ball innings as Glamorgan, who required 103 runs off the last eight overs, secured victory with two balls to spare.Cooke did have a life, though, caught on 52 after sending an Ivan Thomas delivery high into the sky, only to earn a reprieve with the Kent seamer having overstepped. The South Africa-born batsman made the most of that no-ball to lead Glamorgan to their opening win in the competition after seeing their first match against Nottinghamshire rained off.Kent’s impressive total of 317 for 7 was built on Darren Stevens’ blistering 110 from only 64 balls, his ton coming after Sam Northeast and Sam Billings had laid the foundations with a partnership of 104 in 18 overs for the third wicket.Prior to Cooke’s late onslaught, his countryman Colin Ingram helped keep Glamorgan in touch with 109 off 106 balls, but after his dismissal with the score on 197 it looked as though the visitors had gained the upper hand. Cooke had other ideas, however, and aided by David Lloyd (21 off 11 balls) he guided Glamorgan over the winning line.Earlier, Glamorgan’s bowlers had done well to restrict Kent to 219 for 5 with less than 10 overs remaining after captain Northeast and England international Billings had set a promising platform. But Stevens ensured the visitors would post a total in excess of 300 as he accelerated over the closing overs before finishing with six sixes and nine fours.He was eventually caught on the long-on boundary by Dean Cosker off Michael Hogan in the final over, with the Australian then dismissing Fabian Cowdrey in a similar manner before Matt Coles avoided the hat-trick.Cosker was the pick of the Glamorgan attack, but the home team surprisingly left out Andrew Salter, their promising offspinner. Instead they opted to give Ingram and Jacques Rudolph three overs which cost 27 runs, while their cause was not helped by some sloppy fielding.Long-serving wicketkeeper Mark Wallace, however, will remember holding an edge from Alex Blake to record his 1000th dismissal for Glamorgan in all cricket – a career that started against Somerset in a Championship game 16 years ago.Glamorgan soon lost Rudolph in the third over, but the left-handed combination of Will Bragg and Ingram counter-attacked with a flurry of boundaries, with Thomas struck for 15 in his first over before he was taken off .Ingram soon reached fifty from 47 balls with the 100-run partnership reached in the 21st over. Bragg, in his first one-day game of the season, also brought up his half-century, and after 25 overs Glamorgan were 121 for 1 – nine runs behind Kent at the halfway stage.The partnership of 136 was eventually ended when Bragg drove a low full toss back to Thomas. Aneurin Donald was sent in with licence to attack but the 18-year-old, after striking two fours, was caught at short fine leg for 12.Glamorgan’s progress was restricted by accurate bowling – especially from Stevens – but Ingram reached his first century in any competition for Glamorgan to keep them ticking over. However, after scoring 109, he was brilliantly caught by Billings leaping to his left behind the wicket.When the players returned after a shower Glamorgan needed 95 from 46 balls and Cooke gave his team hope with fifty from 36 balls. There was still plenty to do, but Cooke played superbly to take his team to victory.”When we came out after the rain, we had the advantage of a wet ball,” Cooke said. “It was especially difficult for the offspinner James Tredwell. This will give us a great deal of confidence for the next two games – against Essex on Friday and Hampshire on Saturday.”
Joe Clarke, the 19-year-old Worcestershire wicketkeeper-batsman, has been included in the England Lions squad for their Twenty20 series against Pakistan A in December. James Vince, who was named in the full England squad for the T20 leg of the Pakistan series, was named captain while five other players from the full side – Sam Billings, Chris Jordan, Stephen Parry, Reece Topley and David Willey – are also included.Clarke, who played in the 2014 Under-19 World Cup, made his maiden first-class hundred against Sussex at the beginning of September following a maiden List A ton against Gloucestershire in August.The five-match T20 series comes at the end of the first part of the England Performance Programme (EPP) schedule for the winter which will include a batting and spin camp in Dubai, which will run concurrently to the main tour, and a fast-bowling camp in Potchefstroom, South Africa.
England Performance Programme and Lions squads
T20 squad for Pakistan A series James Vince (capt), Zafar Ansari, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Joe Clarke, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Stephen Parry, Reece Topley, Tom Westley, David Willey, Ross Whiteley Batting/spin camp Zafar Ansari, Danny Briggs, Joe Clarke, Daniel Bell-Drummod, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Stephen Parry, Tom Westley, Ross Whiteley, James Vince Fast-bowling camp Jake Ball, Craig Miles, Tymal Mills, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Olly Stone
Zafar Ansari, the Surrey allrounder named in the Test squad yesterday, is part of the batting/spin camp and the T20 squad but his participation is subject to fitness after he suffered a dislocated thumb in the County Championship on Tuesday.The pre-Christmas stage of the EPP and Lions programme is a chance for players to push their claims for selection ahead of the World T20 in India next March and for those who have just begun their careers – the likes of Billings, Topley and Willey – to gain further 20-over practice.”With the World Twenty20 in India just six months away, the five-match T20 series for the Lions against Pakistan ‘A’ will form a particularly important part of our preparations for the tournament, ensuring that we can draw on a wider group of players who have recent experience of playing T20 cricket in sub-continental conditions,” James Whitaker, the national selector, saidAs revealed by ESPNcricinfo, Steve Rhodes, the Worcestershire director of cricket, will take an assistant coaching role alongside Andy Flower while Kevin Shine, the EPP’s leading fast-bowling coach, will run the South Africa camp.Alongside Clarke and Rhodes, Worcestershire are also represented by allrounder Ross Whiteley. Tymal Mills, the left-arm fast bowler who has conceded his career will probably be restricted to white-ball cricket due to a back problem, is named in the T20 squad. Overall, there are six left-arm bowlers in: Mills, Topley, Willey, Ansari, Whiteley and Parry.Jake Ball, the Nottinghamshire seamer, has earned his first Lions call while batsmen Daniel Bell-Drummond and Tom Westley, who both hit hundreds against Australia during the Ashes tour, are also included along with Middlesex left-hander Dawid Malan.Also attending the batting/spin-bowling captain Dubai will be Hampshire’s Danny Briggs, the left-arm spinner, who has played one ODI and seven T20s for England. Mills and Ball will attending the fast-bowling group in South Africa along with Craig and Jamie Overton, Northamptonshire’s Olly Stone and Gloucestershire’s Craig Miles. Two allrounders, Jordan and Lewis Gregory, have been included in the Dubai programme.The 12-day batting and spin camp in Dubai will start on November 11 while the 10-day fast-bowling stint in South Africa starting the same day. The fast bowlers will then join the squad in Dubai from November 24 ahead of the T20 series against Pakistan starting on December 7.
ScorecardRod Bransgrove with Hampshire director of cricket Giles White (file photo)•Getty Images
Sports administrators arriving on the field to exhort their teams to do better will always be treading a fine line – think Delia Smith’s much-mocked “Let’s be ‘aving you” at half-time during a Norwich City football match – but there can be no denying that the appearance of Rod Bransgrove on the outfield of the Ageas Bowl on Tuesday coincided with one of Hampshire’s most complete displays of the season.With the bat, they shifted through the gears from safety-first accumulation to all out dashing, as a burst of 77 runs in 6.4 overs carried them to maximum batting points for the first time this season – a feat all the more impressive considering they were 181 for 4 from 69.1 overs at one stage on the first day. They then added a bowling bonus point to their haul by reducing the freshly re-crowned champions, perhaps already mentally on holiday, to 82 for 4 before bad light prevented any further harrying by Hampshire’s pace attack.A forecast for rain notwithstanding, Hampshire are in complete control in this match. Coming as Bransgrove declared his ambition for the team to compete with the likes of Yorkshire for the Championship, this was a serendipitous performance and, given how tight things could become in the shake-up for Division One relegation, one that could have significant bearing on their chances of survival.At lunch, Hampshire announced that the Ageas Bowl pavilion has been named after Bransgrove, the club chairman and former chief executive who has invested much of his own money into developing the ground over the last 15 years. Bransgrove had hinted last year, after Hampshire failed to win a 2019 Ashes Test in the ECB’s most recent major match allocation, that he could reduce his involvement but, while admitting he was “easing back”, he declared there were still goals to pursue.One of those, unsurprisingly, is realising the dream of hosting a Test against Australia, a topic Bransgrove has long been bullish about. The tender process has begun for the 2020-2023 allocations and Bransgrove was positive about Hampshire’s chances; the Ageas Bowl remains the only Test ground in England not to have been awarded an Ashes Test. The other aim, more pertinent to the state of this match, was for Hampshire to challenge for what would be only a third Championship title.”I’m hoping, and quite confident, that in the year 2023, we will stage our first Ashes Test match,” Bransgrove said at the unveiling. “The other ambition I’d like to focus on now for a few years is to have a pop at the County Championship. We’ve been close once or twice, it’s one competition that’s eluded us but I think we’re going to give it a real crack over the next five years.”The completion of the hotel at the ground earlier this year capped a multimillion-pound redevelopment and Bransgrove suggested that a greater focus on results was now in order. Hampshire have been one of the strongest limited-overs sides in the country but their second-place finish in 2005 is the closest they have come to a Championship challenge under Bransgrove.”I do feel as though we’ve got to an end with this journey but it’s the sort of beginning of another one really, because now we’re up there amongst the big clubs in terms of resource, so we’ve got to make sure we compete with the big clubs on the field as well and demonstrate that Hampshire is up there with the Yorkshires, Warwickshires, Notts and others.”The only way they can do that, at least in the short term, is by avoiding relegation back to Division Two after a single season. Should they achieve that, at the expense of either Sussex or Somerset, it would see eight of the nine counties with Test grounds (Glamorgan being the exception) concentrated in the top tier, a situation that would doubtless increase fears about the sustainability of the Championship ecosystem.While financial heft has allowed Hampshire to bring in internationals such as Fidel Edwards – who completed a miserable day for Yorkshire opener Adam Lyth, dropped from England’s UAE squad, by having him caught at slip second ball – Ryan McLaren and Jackson Bird to bolster their Division One campaign, it was a homegrown player who shone on another murky, truncated day on the south coast. Liam Dawson’s seventh first-class hundred was his first in almost two years and it provided the gangplank for Hampshire to storm to 400 and stir hopes of a remarkable victory.Since retaining their title on the first day of their match at Lord’s last week, Yorkshire supporters have had plenty to mither about. Defeated by Middlesex despite taking a 193-run first-innings lead, they have had their noses tweaked again here. Jason Gillespie made his disapproval clear in the changing rooms afterward.A fifth batting point for Hampshire looked about as likely as a calm day’s yachting on the Solent when they resumed on 219 for 4, the start of play having been delayed by almost two hours by further rain. Dawson was the driving force as Hampshire added 73 without loss during the first session; he finished it by taking 11 off an over of spin from Lyth to reach his hundred, having passed 50 with his first scoring shot of the morning.Dawson had not previously made a Championship half-century for Hampshire this season – though he managed 99 when loaned out to Essex to rediscover some red-ball form – but he led the charge after the lunch, too. Soft when playing late enough to make sure edges went to ground (and often to third man), strong when driving down the ground, Dawson’s knock was also long enough to satisfy the Andrex puppy. When he fell for 140, skying a leg-side hoick at James Middlebrook, Hampshire were still 26 shy of their target with 17 balls in which to get there; Gareth Berg biffed four consecutive fours off Middlebrook to ensure they made it with room to spare.Whether Bransgrove’s clarion call had an effect will be something for local scholars to reflect on. The chairman turns 65 on Sunday but Hampshire’s players have so far done their utmost to provide an early birthday present.
Fifties from Colin Ingram and Yaseen Vallie, and three wickets from JJ Smuts gave Warriors their second win in a row when they beat Dolphins by 42 runs (D/L method) in Port Elizabeth. After Warriors scored 276 for 7 in their 50 overs, the target for Dolphins was revised to 273 from 48 overs after rain interrupted play in the 14th over of the chase.Opting to bat, Warriors lost Smuts for a duck in the fourth over before Gihahn Cloete (49) and Ingram put on 89 for the second wicket. However, both batsmen fell within seven overs and Warriors were then led by Vallie, who combined with the other middle-order batsmen to take them past 250. Vallie scored 96 off 78 balls, that featured 11 fours and a six, and was dismissed in the last over by Ryan McLaren. Craig Alexander and McLaren picked up two wickets each.Dolphins also lost an opener – Morne van Wyk – for a duck early on in the innings when he was bowled in the first over. The other four of the top five batsmen got starts but could not convert them into big scores – Cameron Delport (34) and Vaughn van Jaarsveld (28) put on 49 for the second wicket before Jaarsveld was run-out and Dolphins could not get a big partnership going after that. Cody Chetty scored 21 and Tshepang Dithole top-scored with 35 but left-arm spinner Smuts had Chetty caught behind and picked up two more quick wickets to end with 3 for 47. Dolphins were 147 for 8 before Robbie Frylinck (56) and Keshav Maharaj put on 61 for the ninth wicket but were eventually bowled out for 230 in the 41st over.
The quality of pitches in English domestic cricket will have to improve if England are to enjoy more consistent success at international level, and avoid the sorts of spin-influenced defeats that they suffered against Pakistan in Sharjah, according to Andy Flower.Flower, the former England coach who is now technical director of elite coaching at the ECB, feels that too many poor surfaces in county cricket are inhibiting the development of players and creating a greater divide between domestic and international cricket.In particular Flower and the ECB’s head spin bowling coach, Peter Such, fear that the development of young spinners is being impeded by pitches that provide too much assistance to medium-pace bowlers.”The pitches are a real problem,” Flower said. “We have a situation now where dibbly-dobbly bowlers like Jesse Ryder – and no disrespect to him, because he’s a fine cricketer – are match-winners in county cricket.”Spin bowlers don’t develop because the medium-pacers bowl their overs and batsmen are not exposed to quality spin. The necessity for fast bowlers is negated because the medium-pacers do the work but, when you get to international cricket, the pitches are completely different and the qualities that proved successful in county cricket will be of little use. Dibbly-dobbly bowlers are not going to win you Test matches. Their abilities are exaggerated by green county pitches.”You can watch a game in Division Two of the County Championship and not see a bouncer bowler. That’s a problem, because the first thing that a batsman will be tested by in international cricket is the short ball.”The pitches are contributing to the divide between county and international cricket and leaving us – the coaches at Loughborough – needing to bridge a significant gap in standard.”Flower’s comments are timely. It is not just that they were made as England subsided to a 2-0 defeat against Pakistan in the UAE with the level of spin bowling proving the key difference between the sides, but that the ECB are currently conducting a review into domestic cricket that seems certain to bring significant changes.Adil Rashid had a taxing Test debut in Abu Dhabi•Getty Images
The statistics of the series in the UAE underline the current gulf between English spinners and the rest. All told, England’s trio of Moeen Ali, Ali Rashid and Samit Patel, with fill-in overs from Joe Root and even Ben Stokes, claimed 20 wickets at 60.1 in 295.1 overs, only 23 of which were maidens. Pakistan’s trio of Yasir Shah, Zulfiqar Babar and Shoaib Malik bowled exactly that number of maidens in the third Test alone, while also claiming 17 wickets at 18.41.”In overseas Test cricket somewhere between 46-48% of overs are bowled by spinners, but in county cricket that figure is around 20%,” Such told ESPNcricinfo. “The pitches tend to start damp, which makes them seam-bowler dominated and makes it very hard for spin bowlers to break through. We need to do more to encourage spin bowling. It’s a tough gig at present.”The most important thing in the development of spin bowlers is that they get match-play overs, so they can use their skills in match situations. There is some talent out there, but at the moment young spinners are hitting a glass ceiling and it has become very hard for them to progress.”At present, the ECB are sending up to 16 young spinners abroad this winter – some just as net bowlers (Simon Kerrigan is unavailable with a stress fracture) – in order that they can gain experience in different conditions and benefit from the volume of overs denied them in county cricket. It is not a scenario that reflects well on the contribution of the domestic game.To that end, a scenario where the County Championship season starts abroad – probably in the UAE or Caribbean – remains possible. While it would not be a popular solution with county members, it currently seems inevitable that the county schedule will be cut to 14 games per side with two windows for white-ball cricket.Scheduling two games overseas would at least enable the competition to remain at 16 games per side and provide conditions in which spin bowlers might feature more prominently. The defeat to Pakistan may concentrate minds on the need to improve the development of spin bowlers.”County cricket is very much part of the solution,” Such said. “It is the biggest part of the solution. But we need to see young spinners bowling overs in county cricket.”