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Kumar Sangakkara became the first county batsman to pass 1,000 first-class runs as his prolific season continued at Headingley

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2017
ScorecardKumar Sangakkara became the first batsman to reach 1,000 runs in the Specsavers County Championship this season as his sixth hundred propelled Surrey to 516 for seven declared during a heavily rain affected day two at Headingley.Retiring Sangakkara advanced from 82 overnight to his ton in double quick time as the visitors advanced from 374 for six.He ended with a stunning 180 not out off 183 balls before Yorkshire replied with 27 for one from 10.5 overs.Play did not start until 5pm due to rain and there was no further play beyond 7.10pm. Only 30 overs were possible.When Surrey declared midway through the session, Sangakkara had hit 21 fours and four sixes.The Sri Lanka legend reached his sixth century in only his eleventh innings off 136 balls with 12 fours and a six and his 150 off another 28.He now averages 108.6 this season with 1,086 runs from only eleven innings.The ball after reaching his century, Sangakkara lofted Ben Coad over long-off into the Football Stand for his second six.He later hit big leg-side sixes off the spin of Adil Rashid and Joe Root, who was unbeaten on 12 off 13 balls at close.Sangakkara was helped along by Tom Curran, who made 44, with the pair sharing a record 158 for the seventh wicket.It was Surrey’s best in matches against Yorkshire, while their total was also their best in away first-class matches against the White Rose.Remarkably, Sangakkara scored 91 of 122 runs to come in the first hour of play as Surrey moved to 496 for six. In all, they scored 142 in 19.1 overs from the start of play.Kumar Sangakkara passed another landmark at Headingley•Getty Images

This was the 39-year-old’s second century of the month at Headingley after he scored 121 in a Royal London one-day Cup play-off win here a fortnight ago.The declaration came immediately after Curran had uppercut Tim Bresnan to third-man at the start of the 116th over.Surrey claimed the maximum five batting points, while Yorkshire only finished with two for bowling.Bresnan, Coad and Steve Patterson all finished the innings with two wickets apiece. Jack Brooks and Rashid conceded 109 and 107 from 18 and 16 overs respectively.The Curran brothers, Tom and Sam, kept things tight at the start of Yorkshire’s reply, with the latter getting the breakthrough when he had Adam Lyth lbw for eight in the eighth over, leaving the score at eleven for one.England Test captain Root punched Tom through the covers off the back foot for his only boundary and is unbeaten on 12.Play was abandoned at 8.15pm.Yorkshire teenager Harry Brook will replace Lions bound captain Gary Ballance in the Yorkshire side for the rest of the game.

Allan Saint-Maximin "wants to leave Newcastle this window" amid reported interest from Saudi Arabia and Italy, according to Jacque Talbot.

What has happened to Saint-Maximin?

The Frenchman has enjoyed a positive spell on Tyneside since his move from French side OGC Nice back in 2019

The tricky winger has completed four seasons with the Magpies, making 124 appearances in all competitions and recording 34 goal contributions despite struggling with a number of mainly muscle injuries that have kept him sidelined for 46 games.

When Saint-Maximin has played, he has divided opinion to say the least. Micah Richards lauded him with praise for his performance against Manchester City at St James' Park earlier this season, calling him "class" and saying "Newcastle have a right player on their hands". On the other end of the spectrum, fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp labelling him as a "difficult player to play with". Redknapp was also left disappointed by the winger's performance against West Ham United in Feburary, saying at half-time: "Saint-Maximin has been hugely disappointing".

The Frenchman didn't play as much as he would've liked last season, making just 25 appearances in the Premier League, with only 12 of them being starts as inconsistent form and a recurring hamstring problem kept him out of the side at times.

Due to this, reports have stated that the Magpies are looking to move on from the winger in order to ease their FFP worries and to finance their pursuit of Leicester City winger Harvey Barnes as well as potential defensive reinforcements ahead of their Champions League campaign.

According to Football Insider, Saint-Maximin would be open to a departure this summer, with clubs in Italy and Saudi Arabia interested in the "phenomenal" winger.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Talbot revealed that the Frenchman has asked to leave the club this summer, and would prefer a move to Italy over Saudi Arabia.

"He's not convinced by Saudi Arabia at this moment, but I think his side are trying to push that forward a little bit. He would like to go to Serie A. I'm going to tell you straight that he wants to leave Newcastle this window I believe.

"Again you know the social media stuff and what he's been writing about like being back in training and stuff and I think Newcastle very receptive to offers as well so I think it's both of them really who are sort of pushing for a move away."

Who will replace Saint-Maximin for Newcastle?

Newcastle already have a great in house replacement for the Frenchman and are pursuing a strong replacement in the market.

As stated previously, the Tyneside club are believed to be closing in on a deal for Barnes, with manager Eddie Howe reportedly keen due to the fact that the England international is "tried and trusted" in the Premier League and could be more impactful than Saint-Maximin. The Leicester attacker scored 13 goals last season in the Premier League, the best total of his career so far, and would give the Newcastle attack another strong goal threat.

In house, January signing Anthony Gordon could be set for his breakout in a Magpies shirt. Signed from Everton for £45m, Gordon only produced one goal in his 16 appearances in the second half of the season as he struggled to nail down a regular starting spot ahead of competition from the likes of Jacob Murphy, Miguel Almiron, Saint-Maximin and Joelinton.

However, coming off the back of an incredibly successful U21 Euros campaign with England where they won the tournament and Gordon himself won Player of the Tournament, there should be confidence from all parties that this season is the one for the English winger to kick on in a black and white shirt.

Losing Saint-Maximin from the Premier League will be disappointing for the neutrals, as he was one of the biggest entertainers in the division, but should Newcastle replace him with Barnes, it might be the best case scenario for all parties.

Rangers transfer target Danilo is desperate to make the move to Ibrox as manager Michael Beale personally works to sign him, according to reports.

Who are Rangers signing?

So far, Beale and co have been very busy this transfer window, with the Scottish Premiership giants looking to wrestle back dominance from Old Firm rivals Celtic.

Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell, Sam Lammers and Abdallah Sima have all joined the club in these last few weeks, with the Gers also sealing a deal for striker Cyriel Dessers from Cremonese very recently.

Speaking after the capture of Dessers, Beale raved over the business his club has conducted, claiming the forward will add another dimension of attacking quality to his side.

"He brings a lot of experience from playing in Holland, Belgium and Italy, as well as in European competitions," Beale said.

"At 28-years-old, he is at a good age and will bring personality and leadership to our team."

This summer marks a major Rangers overhaul with Scott Arfield, Filip Helander, Ryan Kent, Allan McGregor and Alfredo Morelos all leaving after their contracts expired in late May.

Following the arrival of Dessers, reports suggest they're not done there, with Beale also personally pursuing a move for Danilo from Feyenoord.

That is according to The Daily Record's print edition (via Ibrox News), who claim the Gers boss is actively chasing a move for the 24-year-old.

In a promising boost for Rangers, the Record also say that Danilo is "desperate" to join the club this summer, with more Ibrox exits on the cards.

Former manager Steven Gerrard, after his move to Saudi Arabia, is apparently targeting fringe squad member Scott Wright as he aims to bolster his squad at Al-Ettifaq.

How many goals has Danilo scored at Feyenoord?

The South American attacker has been exceptional in the Eredivisie, and while he can't quite match teammate Santiago Gimenez's goal return, Danilo did manage 10 goals and three assists in the Dutch top flight last season (WhoScored).

Danilo also racked up three assists and sits joint-fourth in Feyenoord's squad for attempts at goal per 90 over 2022/2023, marking him out as a potentially astute signing for Rangers if they can get it done (WhoScored).

Man United manager Erik ten Hag, during his time at Ajax with the player, even called Danilo the club's "best finisher" before he ultimately opted to join Feyenoord.

Gimenez, commenting on his partnership with Danilo, even hinted that his teammate is the "first striker" of Feyenoord.

"I don’t feel like I’m the first striker,” said Gimenez.

“We are a team and Danilo has his own tasks, just like me. We work for the same team and with the same price in mind. We are not 11, but a team of 25. Together we give everything to win the title.”

As the Rangers revamp continues, with Beale personally chasing Danilo, it would be a great coup for the club to seal a player who looks more than capable for the challenges of Scottish football.

Everton are in desperate need of reinforcements to their attacking threat this summer and now a new update has emerged on a potential transfer target that could finally replace Richarlison.

What's the latest on Everton's interest in Crysencio Summerville?

According to iNews' Northern correspondent Mark Douglas, Everton remain keen on signing Leeds United winger Crysencio Summerville.

As per an article written for the publication, Douglas claims that the Toffees are interested in both Summerville and his teammate Wilfried Gnonto this summer due to growing interest in Demarai Gray, which could further weaken their forward line.

The journalist adds further that whilst Summerville is a target worth chasing, Gnonto is unlikely to be allowed to leave his recently relegated club as Leeds plot to compete well in the Championship next season.

Would Summerville be a good signing for Everton?

Sean Dyche's top priority this summer will be to add quality to the forward line after a struggle in the Premier League relegation battle last season that was mainly caused by the lack of goal contributions from the team.

Only Wolverhampton Wanderers (31) scored fewer goals than the Merseysiders (34) over the 38-game campaign, which ultimately led to them hanging on by a thread to their top-flight status for another season.

As a result, the signing of Summerville – who could cost £10m – would be a valuable asset to Dyche next season and could significantly improve the presence in front of goal if he can continue to develop and polish his skills at Goodison Park.

It is no secret that Everton have been down on their luck when it comes to the final third with both Richarlison and Anthony Gordon making an exit in the last 12 months, whilst Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been in and out of the team with constant long-term injury issues.

Now the former Burnley boss can rectify the issue by taking full advantage of the summer transfer window to bring in attacking-minded players who can make a genuine impact and be trusted to deliver when needed.

Summerville could well be the perfect replacement for Richarlison judging by his dazzling quality.

That said, he was only handed 12 Premier League starts last season but offered four goals, two assists and two big chances created despite only averaging 51 minutes per game, demonstrating a keen eye for goal.

The 21-year-old ace – dubbed "unplayable" by journalist Beren Cross – ranked third for successful dribbles per 90 and was the fourth-highest scoring player in the Leeds squad which is impressive considering his limited game-time at Elland Road, as per WhoScored.

Not only that, Summerville actually outperformed his positional peer and former Toffees talisman Richarlison with his offensive output last season.

The Brazilian only tallied up one league goal, fewer dribbles per 90 (0.4) and the same amount of key passes per 90 (0.6).

With that being said, Dyche could unearth Everton's next Richarlison if they can secure a deal for the talented Leeds youngster this summer and could provide the team with a strong threat to compete comfortably against their Premier League opponents next season.

Burnley continue to be linked with a striker ahead of their first season back in the Premier League, with some faces more familiar than others.

El Bilal Toure is a name that is exciting Burnley fans after starring for Almeria last season, while Coventry City's Viktor Gyokeres – who has lit up the Championship – needs no introducing.

There is potentially another option on Vincent Kompany's radar, as the Daily Mail reports that Metz striker Georges Mikautadze is being considered.

Who is Georges Mikautadze?

Mikautadze may not be a "name" as such, but he is one of the rising stars of European football after scoring 23 goals in Ligue 2 last season to finish as top scorer.

The 22-year-old joins Olivier Giroud in finishing top of the scoring charts in the French second tier, the latter doing so in 2009-10 with Tours when aged two years older than Mikautadze.

Giroud would immediately go on to join Montpellier, where he continued his good form to fire the club to an unlikely title success, before enjoying triumphant spells with Arsenal, Chelsea and current club Milan.

It may well be that Mikautadze is on his own path to the very top, and those who have watched the Georgia international close up certainly seem to think so.

Football author Mohamed Mohamed has described Mikautadze as having a "unique skill set" and the "potential to become the next Ligue 2 starlet who performs well in a big five league."

Burnley may well prove to be a good stepping stone for the Lyon-born attacker, especially as Clarets boss Kompany has previously made his interest in the player known.

While the manager said last summer that Mikautadze was "probably out of our range", that is not likely to be the case this window following promotion to the Premier League.

With a goal return of 0.68 per 90 minutes last season, as per FBref, Mikautadze undoubtedly has the pedigree to make an impact for Burnley. To put that figure in some context, Nathan Tella – Burnley's top scorer last season – scored at a rate of 0.61 goals per 90 minutes.

Mikautadze is not letting the hype get to him, either, as he showed on Saturday when scoring a crucial goal for Georgia in their 2-1 Euro 2020 qualifying win in Cyprus.

With Tella back at parent club Southampton, and Ashley Barnes leaving to join Norwich City, Mikautadze can be an ideal upgrade on both. Indeed, Mikautadze also outperformed Tella last season in terms of assists (0.24 v 0.18) and shots on target per 90 minutes (3.06 v 2.60).

Potentially available for £8m this summer, according to Football Observatory, moving for Mikautadze seems a no-brainer for the Clarets if they are looking for a rising star ready to make his mark in a major league.

Sri Lankan legspinning allrounder Jeevan Mendis has signed for Derbyshire for the first half of the 2017 season

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2016

Sri Lankan legspinning allrounder Jeevan Mendis has signed for Derbyshire for the first half of the 2017 season.Mendis’ arrival continues the emphasis on legspin for next season with Mendis due to be replaced after the ICC Champions Trophy at the end of June by South Africa’s experienced leggie Imran Tahir.He will feature in the first-half of the Specsavers County Championship and also the group and knockout stages of the Royal London One-Day Cup.Mendis has played 70 limited-overs matches for Sri Lanka since making his debut in 2010. Derbyshire’s director of cricket, Kim Barnett, said: “He is an experienced match-winner who will also help our talented youngsters.”Meanwhile, John Sadler, who was Derbyshire coach during a disastrous 2016 campaign, which included a winless Championship campaign in Division Two, has left the county by mutual consent.Sadler’s departure became likely after Barnett announced a comprehensive restructuring of the coaching department. John Wright, the former India and New Zealand coach, has already been named as a specialist T20 coach – the first such appointment in county cricket.

Tottenham Hotspur might well have established a frontrunner for their managerial vacancy, but one respected journalist suggests that the race is far from over.

What's the latest on Luis Enrique to Tottenham Hotspur?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Fabrizio Romano suggested that despite Ange Postecoglou emerging as a fine option for Daniel Levy, Luis Enrique is not one to be discounted.

He claimed:

"I think we have to keep an eye on the situation of Luis Enrique because Enrique is in conversation with Napoli. But the Napoli president confirmed that he has a feeling that, for Enrique, the priority is the Premier League.

"So he is maybe waiting for Tottenham's decision before he keeps going in the conversations with Napoli. Luis Enrique's name is one we have to follow."

With the Spaniard seemingly waiting for a top-flight job in England before confirming his role at Napoli, it seems an opportunity remains for the Lilywhites to hijack this move.

Would Luis Enrique be an upgrade on Ange Postecoglou?

The Spaniard boasts pedigree beyond most who have been linked with the post, namely due to his exploits in Barcelona, as he oversaw one of the greatest club sides in recent history.

With a front three of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, the Catalan giants were led to an unprecedented treble, adding to the numerous other titles he holds.

His counter-attacking 4-3-3 system might not exert the same control over a game that Postecoglou has done in Scotland, but it cannot be faulted for its effectiveness.

Whilst his most recent venture with the Spanish national team was not as successful as he would have hoped, his exit still led writer Muhammed Butt to brand him a "world-class coach", suggesting they were worse off without him.

The same could not be said for the Australian, who could quite easily be replaced at Celtic Park given the ease with which the Scottish giants often dominate their division. Of the last 12 seasons, they have only been dethroned on one occasion.

Across the sprawling 431-game career of the 53-year-old, including spells at AS Roma and Celta de Vigo as well as the two aforementioned, he has lost just 89 games, scoring 935 in the process.

His teams pride themselves on a quick, vertical style that exploits defensive frailties. With the pace at the disposal of the Spurs squad, this also seems far more likely to reap immediate rewards, rather than the many years it would take to convey Postecoglou's convoluted style.

Whether it be the standard of their careers, the trophy cabinet they boast or the aura they command, Enrique stands as a marked upgrade to Levy's current first-choice candidate.

Celtic are once more worrying over the future of boss Ange Postecoglou, with Football Insider reporting that the club are bracing themselves for approaches from a Premier League club this summer.

Will Ange Postecoglou leave Celtic this summer?

The Scottish Premiership side have once more sealed the league title with games to spare. It means that the club have now won back-to-back top-flight trophies, while the side also swooped to bag the Scottish League Cup title, beating their Old Firm rivals once more for that particular piece of silverware – and can complete a treble next week.

It means that boss Postecoglou has now managed to win four trophies in just two campaigns during his time in Scotland. Prior to that, the manager has been an Australian champion on four occasions, won the Asian Cup with Australia and also won the Japanese Championship with Yokohama F. Marinos. It means that he has won trophies pretty much everywhere he has been – and that has now led to reported interest in potentially taking him to England.

According to Football Insider, Wolves' potential search for a new boss could lead them to Postecoglou. The side currently have Julen Lopetegui in charge, but the manager could potentially depart the side this summer with issues over the club's potential spending ability and promises that have been broken over signings being made.

It means that the Premier League outfit could need someone new at the helm in the near future, and Celtic believe Postecoglou could be one of the names bandied around as a potential successor at Molineux. With the boss only having a one-year rolling deal at Parkhead, that also means he is necessarily not committed to the Scottish side in the long term.

Is Ange Postecoglou going to the Premier League?

The Celtic boss has a superb win rate at the side so far, having managed 93 games and won 66. It means his win percentage stands at 71% – an incredible record for any side.

In comparison, Lopetegui has won ten and lost ten of his games with Wolves, leading to a win percentage of just 38%. Whilst he has been able to steer them away from the drop zone, it still remains the worst rate of his career as a boss, and compared to Postecoglou, it pales in comparison – though Celtic are more high-flyers, of course.

The manager is arguably well-deserving of a chance in the Premier League, although Celtic will be desperate to keep hold of him. Current Australia boss Graham Arnold has called Postecoglou "fantastic" in the past, showing that he is also impressing his colleagues and others in the game, and if Wolves did want to try something different this summer, they could do a lot worse than the 57-year-old.

Therefore, perhaps Celtic have every right to have their concerns.

Fans online have been left infuriated after Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar avoided a red card for a bad challenge on Gabriel Jesus.

What happened between Schar and Jesus?

Arsenal travelled away to St James’ Park on Sunday afternoon, hoping to keep their Premier League title hopes alive with a big performance.

And Mikel Arteta can be delighted with his team because they delivered just what was needed to keep the pressure on Manchester City.

Indeed, despite a fast start from Eddie Howe and co, the Gunners took the lead when Martin Odegaard drilled in a fine shot from around 25 yards out.

Then later on in the second half, Arsenal doubled their lead when Gabriel Martinelli showed quick feet on the wing to deliver a low cross that hit Schar and deflected into the back of the Magpies’ net.

Ironically, there are plenty of supporters who actually think the Swiss defender shouldn’t have been on the pitch at this moment in time.

Indeed, shortly before his own goal, the £40k-per-week centre-back charged in to win the ball of Jesus but seemed to deliberately raise an elbow in the Brazilian striker’s jaw.

As you can see in the footage above, the evidence it’s pretty damning but referee Chris Cavanagh didn’t seem to spot it live and even with VAR in use on the day, Schar still somehow avoided a red card.

It’s safe to say a number of supporters were left in disbelief after seeing replays of the incident. Here are some of the best reactions…

The outrage continued…

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that touted Arsenal transfer target Declan Rice may be a better alternative to Granit Xhaka rather than Thomas Partey.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The West Ham United captain is likely to leave this summer as he looks to fulfil his ambition of playing in the Champions League.

Seeing as the Gunners will be playing in that competition next season, and have been linked with Rice for some time now, it feel as though this is one transfer that could happen.

If this move does come to pass, however, there is no certainty on just how Mikel Arteta intends to use the £60k-per-week England midfielder.

Indeed, while discussing Rice on his YouTube channel, Watts enthused about the "fantastic" transfer but accepted that he wasn't sure what his ideal role would be in an Arsenal shirt even after talking to people who know more about the player.

He said: “Do you bring in someone who either replaces Thomas Partey but certainly competes with him? I'm not sure Declan Rice does that, because I don't really know, when I look at Declan Rice, what's his best position.

"I’ve spoken to people who have seen a lot more of Declan Rice than I have. Look, I don't sit here watching West Ham over and over again. Is Declan Rice an out-and-out defensive midfielder in that Thomas Partey role? I'm not sure.

"Or is he more of a sort of Granit Xhaka-type player? He's certainly more box-to-box than Thomas Partey is. He's certainly more of a threat, I would say, in an attacking point of view, than Thomas Partey is.

"Which makes me think maybe he's more suited in this formation to the sort of left-sided No 8 role, potentially, and would just be more of a box-to-box-type player than potentially Granit Xhaka is, although Xhaka has added that to his game, obviously.

"But I just think it'd be a fantastic signing. I think that would just boost Arsenal so much, bringing in a player like Declan Rice."

How would Declan Rice fit in at Arsenal?

When you look at the players' Premier League heatmaps on Sofascore from this season, you can see that Xhaka tends to operate in a central left area, with a licence to get forward. Partey is much more central, tasked with the duty to cover all the space in the middle of the park.

At West Ham, Rice is a bit closer to Xhaka in terms of positioning on the left but tends to sit a bit deeper – so seems to be a mix of the two Arsenal men.

With that in mind, if he's able to do a bit of both, then you can see why it would be exciting to add him into the middle of the park for the Gunners.

After all, he would provide great depth if either Partey or Xhaka got injured but can also replace either man as a regular in the starting team.

If Rice does end up in North London, it really will be fascinating to see how Arteta uses the current Iron.