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West Ham United have been named as a possible destination for wantaway AC Milan striker Divock Origi.

What’s the latest on Divock Origi to West Ham?

According to Antonio Vitiello, the Hammers are set to be rivalled by Aston Villa for the signature of the 28-year-old.

Indeed, the Italian journalist took to Twitter on Sunday to report: "Premier League teams interested in Divock Origi at Milan. West Ham and Aston Villa are inquiring. He is also popular in Turkey. Rossoneri looking for a striker for the summer."

Would Divock Origi be a good fit at West Ham?

During an eight-year spell with Liverpool, the Belgian engrained himself into the folklore of the Merseyside outfit.

In the 2018/19 season, the Reds were emphatically dispatched 3-0 by Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.

The ever-present and ruthlessly efficient pairing of Roberto Firmino and Mohammed Salah were ruled out of the return leg, but Origi was drafted into devastating effect.

Unbelievably, the £8m-rated forward netted twice in an awe-inspiring 4-0 comeback victory over the Catalan giants and then scored in the final against Tottenham Hotspur to secure his side their sixth European title.

Unsurprisingly, Jurgen Klopp has only had positive things to say about his former player and described Origi as an “outstanding player” and a “Liverpool legend” ahead of his move to Italy.

However, his transfer hasn’t materialised in the expected fashion and has only found the net twice in 35 appearances in all competitions. Although, he has only started ten games and has been restricted to extremely limited minutes.

These statistics translate into extremely tough reading, but his legacy at Liverpool and the plethora of important goals remain and a return to the Premier League may ignite the forward who bagged 41 times for the Reds.

From a West Ham perspective, signing a player with the 32-cap international’s experience could be an intelligent and safe move – a vastly different alternative to the tumultuous and damaging transfer of Gianluca Scamacca who would no doubt be further ditched from Moyes' plans should another attacker arrive.

The Italian’s debut season in England has been blighted by injury and inconsistency. He arrived with huge expectations but has cut a dejected, uninvolved, and frustrated figure in the capital.

The former Sassuolo man has been "woeful" in front of goal this term – as per journalist Toby Cudworth – scoring only three goals in the Premier League this term.

The 11-cap international is ruled out for the rest of a campaign after undergoing knee surgery, but prior to this, Moyes questioned his “physical data”, while urging his “output to be bigger.”

It seems that Scamacca’s Irons career has plateaued into irrelevancy and after just one year, it may be the most sensible decision to offload the striker.

Whilst this situation is getting resolved, Origi will be patiently waiting in the wings and his reliability will be an extremely attractive prospect to the Hammers hierarchy.

Gareth Berg took his first five-wicket haul in five years as Hampshire’s attack made the best of favourable conditions to reduce the champions to 275 for 9

Freddie Wilde at the Ageas Bowl31-Aug-2016
ScorecardJake Lehmann anchored Yorkshire’s first innings (file photo)•Getty Images”Don’t look down, look up” goes the old Yorkshire adage about whether to bat or bowl first at Headingley. A few hundred miles south at the Ageas Bowl the proverb is ever-more appropriate, as overhead conditions appear to be shaping the game at Hampshire’s ground with increasing regularity.Upon winning the toss in this crucial match, with repercussions for the top and bottom of the Championship table, Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale looked up, saw a cloudless blue sky and opted to bat. With the two most recent first-innings scores at this ground being 637 for 7 and 548 for 6 Hampshire would have been forgiven for preparing themselves for another long stint in the field, having last week been run ragged for 137.4 overs in their most recent Championship match at Taunton.In a season in which fortune has frequently frowned on Hampshire, with injuries and illness robbing them of some of their best players, they could probably hardly believe their luck when after just 20 minutes of play, in which Yorkshire’s openers had looked relatively untroubled, the sky was suddenly choked by dense and leaden clouds. Five minutes later the floodlights were on, a couple of balls jagged sharply past the outside edge and the whole feeling of the occasion had been transformed.’Family comes first’ – Gillespie

Jason Gillespie has reiterated that his decision to leave his position as Yorkshire head coach was due to a desire to spend more time with his family.
“This decision hasn’t come around as quickly as it may have seemed. It’s been in the pipeline for a little while,” Gillespie said. “I didn’t want to make any snap decisions but considering all things I’m sure it is the right time. Family is the most important thing and the brutal reality is that seven or eight months away from the family just doesn’t work. And that’s just the honest truth. It was a difficult decision to stand down because I love it.
“I feel that we have made some great strides and there is more for this group of players to achieve but it’s time for someone else to take the team further forward.
“My main job is as a husband and a father. Cricket’s my hobby and my second job so to speak. I have to be true to that, and that’s why I’ve made this decision.”

What followed was an engrossingly competitive day that ebbed and flowed as readily as the clouds rolled in and out, in which ball dominated bat for large swathes of it and ended with Hampshire in a decidedly better position than perhaps even they would have envisaged at 11am.If Hampshire are indeed relegated this season, which remains likely, the locals are unlikely to see cricket bearing the intensity and meaning of that which they witnessed in the morning session for some time. The air was heavy with import as Ryan McLaren, Brad Wheal and Gareth Berg stared the top order of county cricket’s northern powerhouse straight in the eyes and matched them blow for blow, beating the edge by getting the ball to spit, bounce, seam and swing.As well as Hampshire bowled in that opening session it was the catching of Will Smith that could be largely credited with the wickets of Yorkshire’s left-handed openers. Both Alex Lees, against McLaren, and Adam Lyth, against Wheal, tried to force balls through the off side delivered from round the wicket that were arguably not wide enough to do so too, and on both occasions Smith, diving to his right at a wide gully, first with two hands and then spectacularly with one, was there to intercept the ball inches above the turf.The brilliance of Smith did not rub off on to James Vince, whose catching struggles continued as he dropped England team-mate and possible rival for a winter tour spot, Gary Ballance, twice in less than 15 minutes at third slip. It was third time unlucky for Ballance however when wicketkeeper Lewis McManus did not make the same mistake as his captain when a hint of swing extracted a fine edge to leave Yorkshire teetering at 57 for 3.It was then that the pendulum began to swing back towards Yorkshire as Gale and Jake Lehmann combined in a 62-run partnership either side of lunch that arrested their slide. Lehmann’s counter-attacking innings of 58 from 73 balls made for enjoyable viewing. He is a punchy player, unafraid to play his shots and his quickness to pick up length is an enticing trait.After Gale was squared up by McLaren and Lehmann brilliantly caught by Jimmy Adams playing one cut shot too many, the game swung towards Hampshire again only for Tim Bresnan to wrest it back with a typically tough fifty from No. 6.It was after tea with the floodlights on and dark skies above that Hampshire built on the foundations of their strong first two sessions. A superb spell by Berg, in which he took 3 for 13 from five overs and got the ball to move wickedly off the pitch, gutted Yorkshire’s lower order, instigating a dramatic collapse from 212 for 5 to 234 for 9. The three wickets sealed Berg his first five wicket-haul since September 2011. He, like Hampshire more generally, were assisted by the conditions but it took skill to utilise them.Just how important Yorkshire’s unbeaten tenth wicket partnership of 41 between Jack Brooks and Ryan Sidebottom was will become apparent after Hampshire have batted. This felt like a good day for Hampshire, especially after being put into the field, but batting was not easy and Yorkshire have the bowlers to cause real damage if helpful conditions persist.

And so, after six months and 16 games, after memorable fightbacks and outstanding performances, it goes down to the last day of the season

George Dobell at Lord's22-Sep-2016
Scorecard1:34

A draw no good at Lord’s

And so, after six months and 16 games, after memorable fightbacks and outstanding performances, it goes down to the last day of the season.There were moments on the penultimate day when it seemed both Yorkshire and Middlesex were falling back into the pack. But while Yorkshire emerged just about on top – Nick Gubbins’ sustained excellence continues to keep his side’s head above water in this game – it is not impossible to envisage a scenario whereby Middlesex could still win.If they are able to bat until tea – and somehow score some runs against an unrelenting attack – and set a demanding target (perhaps 220 off 32 overs), Yorkshire will have little option other than to pursue it. Neither of these teams has come this far to be consoled by prize money and both these teams know that a draw is no use to either of them. It is all or nothing now.If Yorkshire do go on to clinch their third successive title – the first team to do so since the Yorkshire team of 1968 – they will owe a huge amount to Tim Bresnan. When he walked to the crease on the second afternoon, Yorkshire were 32 for 3 with their title hopes hanging by a thread. By the time he was done – seven-and-a-half hours later – he had not only helped his side to the vital fourth batting bonus point they required to ensure they could finish ahead of Somerset, but earned them a 120-run first innings lead.Bresnan is a pretty decent embodiment of Yorkshire Man. His batting is pragmatic rather than pretty; his bowling is relentless rather than flash. He could hardly be more no-nonsense, quietly reliable and undemonstratively excellent. In this game, when his side needed it most, he has bowled better than anyone – largely without reward – and produced the innings that could prove crucial.It was surely fitting that it was a partnership with Ryan Sidebottom, another man steeped in Yorkshire cricket, that took their side to the crucial fourth batting point that kept their hopes alive. By the time the ninth-wicket fell – Jack Brooks chipping to mid-on – there were still 16 runs required.But, single by single, scamper by nudge, they inched Yorkshire ever closer. There were many nervous moments. Twice Sidebottom jabbed his bat down to keep out well-directed yorkers from Tim Murtagh; twice he edged short of the cordon; twice he survived huge appeals for leg before. One of them, against Toby Roland-Jones, looked dead for all the world but replays vindicated umpire Rob Bailey’s decision by showing a thin edge.It was a brilliant, breathless passage of play. Even the rain that kept the teams off the pitch for around an hour with Yorkshire one run short of that bonus point only added to the drama: the cliff-hanger at the end of an engrossing serial.On the resumption, Ollie Rayner beat Bresnan twice in successive deliveries – once as he attempted to cut a long-hop and once when one left him down the hill – before Sidebottom (who had faced 51 balls for his 7 at the time) was finally given one on his legs which he tickled to the fine-leg boundary. The roars from the stands – this match has attracted around 15,000 spectators over its first three days – and punched fists in the middle told the story of how vital it could prove to be.”When we came off last night knowing exactly what we had to do, it kind of made it a bit easier,” Bresnan said. “We needed someone to do that and luckily enough it was me. 350 to keep the dream alive: getting there was a massive effort.”Might Middlesex have missed a trick, though? Had they allowed Yorkshire to race to 350 – very much against the grain of play might they not have allowed themselves more time to score the runs required to have an opportunity to bowl out Yorkshire in the fourth innings and ensured Yorkshire had an incentive to chase? The passage of play, though enthralling, probably benefited Somerset more than Yorkshire or Middlesex. If this match is drawn, Middlesex will be the first unbeaten (top division) side not to win the Championship since Lancashire (who were eighth) in 1974.With their primary target reached, Bresnan and Sidebottom allowed themselves some more aggressive options. By the time Sidebottom skipped down the pitch and was bowled, the Yorkshire lead was potentially match – and competition – defining. It was all a long way from 32 for 3 or even 53 for 4.Middlesex, however, will surely rue two more dropped chances. Having reprieved Andrew Hodd on the second day, Nick Compton then put down Azeem Rafiq on 33 before Rayner and Sam Robson combined to put him down again on 38. While neither chance was easy – Compton had to run in from short third man and dive in an attempt to take the upper-cut off Steven Finn, while Rayner deflected the ball out of Robson’s path off an edge from James Franklin – Middlesex would have expected both to be held.Rafiq, – who would probably have missed out had Adil Rashid felt able to play, finished with a priceless 65, surviving a hostile spell of short bowling from Steven Finn by a mix of pluck and good fortune and taking a blow on the helmet from Toby Roland-Jones. On such moments are Championship campaigns decided.”I was an absolute nervous wreck up there in the dressing room,” Sidebottom said afterwards. “I think I was averaging two this year so to go out and get those runs was really nice. We all stuck at it.”Bressie was absolutely brilliant. That was arguably his best innings. His batting has come on so much the last two years and that innings typified it.”It’s been such a long season and to go down to the wire on the last day is amazing. It’s great for the County Championship and for everyone watching.”When Middlesex subsided to 2 for 2 within the first four overs of their second innings, it seemed a three-day victory was possible. Robson, perhaps inconvenienced by the hand he hurt while dropping the Rafiq chance, hung his bat out at one he could have left before Compton was punished for some slow footwork by a peach of a ball that left him just a touch to hit the top of off stump.But Gubbins, not for the first time, stopped the rot. While progress was at time torturous – punctuated by a pull for six when Brooks dropped short – he has kept his side in with a chance of earning the title on the final day. “Even if it’s 200 off 10 overs we’ve still got to swing and get them,” Bresnan admitted. “So the ball’s in their court.””It was important that we got through two down,” Murtagh said afterwards. “But the catches we dropped were costly. That last-wicket partnership was frustrating having got ourselves in a good position. It’s been a draining three days.”We’re a little bit confused up there as to the options and what we want to do. We obviously want to win the game and try and win the title; that’s a massive thing. But we don’t want to just hand it to Yorkshire and set them something ridiculous. So who knows what might happen tomorrow?”Indeed. And while agony awaits for two clubs – all three of the sides still in contention would be worthy champions – it reflects well on this great competition that, going into the final day of the season, six teams are still fighting for either silverware or to avoid relegation.It is here the skills, the resolution, the experience is learned that has helped England to victory in five of the last seven Ashes series. It is here England’s Test team is forged. But it’s not just about being worthy: it’s also wonderful entertainment. Cricket, any form of cricket, doesn’t get much better than this.

Tottenham Hotspur manager candidate Ange Postecoglou is a 'concrete option' for the Lilywhites in their hunt for a permanent successor to Antonio Conte, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest news involving Ange Postecoglou?

As per The Sun, Tottenham look likely to announce Postecoglou as their new manager and could do so by early next week, bringing their long search for a new boss to an end.

The report states that Celtic are 'resigned' to losing the 57-year-old and have already started to look at potential replacements, with West Ham United coach David Moyes said to be 'a likely front-runner' for the position.

talkSPORT have also chimed in and offered an update on the future of the former Australia boss, detailing that Celtic are 'bracing themselves' for Postecoglou to take up the vacant role at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Talks are set to ramp up following the Hoops' Scottish Cup final clash with Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday where Postecoglou could lead his side to a domestic clean sweep of trophies in 2022/23.

Sky Sports revealed on Wednesday that Postecoglou was now Spurs' 'preferred candidate' for the job after they failed in their pursuit of Feyenoord's Arne Slot.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Romano has detailed that Postecoglou is a 'concrete option' to step in as manager in N17.

Romano said: "Postecoglou is a concrete option, for sure. He's on the list, but he is not the only one.

"After what happened with Arne Slot, Tottenham want to be careful and also have different options."

What has Ange Postecoglou achieved in his managerial career?

Interestingly, the Celtic boss, whose side play some "beautiful" football, recently broke a record at Parkhead as his side recently netted an 114th goal, which is the highest total seen from the club since the 1937/38 season.

A shed load of trophies, to put it bluntly. Postecoglou is an experienced figure in football management and has achieved remarkable success at both club and international level, making it no surprise that a club like Tottenham would be interested in his services.

In his time at Celtic, the 57-year-old has won consecutive Scottish Premiership titles and two Viaplay Cup trophies. At the same time, he will have the chance to add the Scottish Cup trophy to his lengthy list of honours if Celtic can defeat Inverness at Hampden Park on Saturday evening.

Before crossing into Europe, Postecoglou raked in trophies in both Asia and Oceania, racking up four A-League titles, One J-League triumph, one OFC Champions League and winning the Asian Cup with the Australia international side, among other impressive achievements, as per Transfermarkt.

His distinctive brand of high-intensity attacking football has caught the attention of Premier League and other English clubs and Chelsea, Brighton & Hove Albion, Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United have all tracked his progress across the last year.

Postecoglou is a man in demand and it looks as if fans of both Celtic and Tottenham won't have to wait too long to find out where his future lies.

Leeds United attacker Brenden Aaronson could seal a quickfire exit from Elland Road in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh update.

How has Aaronson performed for Leeds?

The 22-year-old joined the Whites last summer, coming in from RB Salzburg and being considered an exciting signing, with Jesse Marsch knowing him well from their time together at the Austrian club.

As it turns out, Aaronson has endured a really tough first season in a Leeds shirt, though, never really coming close to matching to expectation levels of him. In 36 Premier League appearances, 28 of which were starts, he scored just one goal, with a further three assists coming his way.

The £45,000-a-week American has seemingly struggled with the pace of English football and he ended up being powerless to prevent the Whites from being relegated to the Championship last weekend, after the 4-1 loss at home to Tottenham.

While the deal he signed last year runs until the summer of 2027, the idea of playing second-tier football is unlikely to appeal to him ahead of next season, leading to serious doubts surrounding his future at Elland Road.

Could Aaronson quit Whites this summer?

That certainly seems to be the case, with Football Insider reporting that Aaronson is "set to quit the club this summer", and that a "move to Germany could be an avenue available to the 22-year-old following his impressive spell at Red Bull Salzburg in neighbouring Austria."

He is thought to be "highly regarded" by a number of Bundesliga teams, with a return to the Premier League with a different club not looking likely, following just one year in the division.

It is hard to see Aaronson still being a Leeds player when the 2023/24 campaign gets underway in August, in what has ultimately been a hugely underwhelming transfer.

Despite being called "impressive" on his debut by Steve Nicol, he hasn't had anywhere close to the impact so many hoped he would, having registered 28 goal contributions (13 goals and 15 assists) in 66 appearances for Salzburg, and he should shoulder some of the blame for the Whites' relegation.

The key now is to ensure that Leeds earn as much as possible for the 29-cap USA international's signature – his contract situation does at least put them in a strong bargaining position – in order to use the funds for new signings in the summer, boosting their chances of returning to the top flight in the process.

After finding themselves on the wrong side of a thriller in Chittagong, Bangladesh will look to their top order to deliver redemption in Mirpur

The Preview by Mohammad Isam in Dhaka27-Oct-2016Match factsOctober 28-November 1, Dhaka
Start time 10.00am (0400GMT)3:40

Isam: Bangladesh have self-belief

Big pictureThe fluctuating fortunes of the Chittagong Test will be a hard act to follow but, if Bangladesh continue to chase a win, the Dhaka Test could be another interesting affair. Having been beaten in an ODI series at home for the first time in two years, salvaging a drawn Test series with England would be the suitable finish for the home side.For that to happen, though, they need to do a few things properly. Bangladesh’s top seven is the strongest they have had in their history, which puts a lot of the onus on putting together a 400-plus total in the first innings to set up the game. It is an effort that is well within their grasp, particularly with their openers Tamim Iqbal and Imrul Kayes showing good form.Both will be expected to put up at least one big partnership in this game, with Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim asked to make big on their starts, while Shakib Al Hasan must find a way to curb his recklessness. Sabbir Rahman, meanwhile, has recovered from stomach pain and can be expected to take on the second new ball while batting at No 7.England have also stuck with the top six that played in Chittagong. Ben Duckett is yet to show his wide-ranging skills while the more experienced Alastair Cook and Joe Root will expect to make runs in Dhaka. Gary Ballance could be a tense presence, fighting to extend his run in the side, but there won’t be the same issues with Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes, who had a brilliant game in Chittagong.Stokes’ ability to reverse the ball could sway the game towards England, though he will need support from Chris Woakes and Steven Finn, who has been confirmed as a replacement for the rested Stuart Broad. England’s spinners will ultimately have to do the bulk of the bowling, especially Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid. Zafar Ansari has been confirmed for a Test debut, replacing Gareth Batty.The Bangladesh bowling attack will bear a similar look in Dhaka too, with Shakib leading the pack. He will be glad to have the support of Mehedi Hasan and Taijul Islam, though the pace bowling department looks bare. Shuvagata Hom, for once, seems like a better choice as a spinner.The batting skills to tackle spin and reverse swing, and DRS, could be the theme of this Test match too, though rain, thanks to Cyclone Kryant over the Bay of Bengal, could cause interruptions. If there’s a full game, the hope is that it pans out to be another good contest.Mushfiqur Rahim discusses the pitch with Mirpur curator Gamini Silva•AFPForm guide (completed matches, most recent first)Bangladesh LDDDL
England WLWWLIn the spotlightMehedi Hasan left a mark on his Test debut by finishing the game with seven wickets. His first-innings performance was immense as he showed his ability to turn the ball at great lengths, as well as bowl the one that goes straight with the arm. Mehedi, however, would like to contribute more with the bat.The Chittagong Test ultimately belonged to Ben Stokes, who came of age with a superb all-round performance. His use of reverse swing and his footwork and patience when batting against spin were particularly encouraging. England are certainly a more powerful line-up with Stokes.Team newsBangladesh will be looking at three different options to replace Shafiul Islam. They could still go with a two-man seam attack by picking Subashis Roy, who would be making his Test debut. But the place is also open for Soumya Sarkar to play as a second seamer though his variety would be of less quality, or they could go for Shuvagata, who hasn’t had a great Test record.Bangladesh (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Imrul Kayes, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mahmudullah, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim (capt/wk), 7 Sabbir Rahman, 8 Soumya Sarkar/Shuvagata Hom, 9 Mehedi Hasan, 10 Taijul Islam, 11 Kamrul Islam RabbiEngland are set to hand a Test debut to Ansari, while Finn will take Broad’s place – meaning he has to wait to make his 100th Test appearance. Ansari is replacing Batty as England look to give Rashid another chance despite his indifferent performance in Chittagong.England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Joe Root, 4 Gary Ballance, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Zafar Ansari, 9 Chris Woakes, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Steven FinnPitch and conditionsAfter the Chittagong pitch was hailed for challenging the batsmen and bowlers, there is much interest in the darker surface in Dhaka, which has traditionally favoured the batsmen. Even if it helps the spinners, there won’t be the dramatic turn and bounce of Chittagong. There is some rain in the forecast on the second and third day.Stats and triviaMushfiqur Rahim will become the third Bangladeshi after Habibul Bashar and Mohammad Ashraful to play 50 Tests.Mushfiqur will also become Bangladesh’s most experienced wicketkeeper, beating Khaled Mashud who kept wickets in 44 Tests. Mushfiqur will be keeping in his 45th game in Dhaka.Jonny Bairstow now has the most runs for a Test wicketkeeper in a calendar year, beating Zimbabwe’s Andy Flower who made 1045 runs in 2000.A 2-0 series win for England would lift them above Australia to No. 3 in the ICC rankings.Quotes”The Dhaka Test will be played on a different soil altogether. We don’t know how it will behave but I just want our spinners to take advantage from the wicket and for the batsmen to be more responsible.”
“It was always the plan to play Ansari in one Test here. He has the ability to take the ball away from the right-handers and I’ve seen in the nets is he can bowl at good pace with good control. He can also bat as well, which is good.”

Mumbai Indians will have a new coach for IPL 2017 as former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene will take over the role from Ricky Ponting

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-20161:01

Quick Facts: Mahela Jayawardene in T20 cricket

Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has been appointed head coach of the Mumbai Indians franchise. Jayawardene will replace former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, whose two-year contract in the role will expire soon. Jayawardene’s contract is reportedly for more than one year, but the franchise did not reveal the details.”Mahela Jayawardene’s appointment has come in the wake of Ricky Ponting – coach for the previous two years – contract coming to a close,” the franchise announced in a media release issued on Friday.Jayawardene has played for three franchises in the IPL since the tournament’s inception in 2008. He began with Kings XI Punjab (2008-2010), before switching to Kochi Tuskers for one season (2011), followed by two seasons with Delhi Daredevils.After retiring from international cricket in 2015, Jayawardene has featured in T20 leagues around the world, with teams hiring him as a mentor-cum-player. This will be the former Sri Lanka captain’s first stint as a coach.”I am very excited by the appointment and glad that the Mumbai Indians management appreciated my presentation and ideas,” Jayawardene said. “In what is a new chapter in my career, I will be striving hard to bring them [Mumbai] more on-field success and joy.”The franchise did not explain why Ponting’s contract was not being renewed, and did not reveal whether this decision was taken by the management or Ponting. Having won their second IPL title in 2015, Mumbai failed to make the knockouts, finishing fifth in IPL 2016.Ponting, who retired from all forms of cricket in 2013, was bought by Mumbai for his base price of $400,000 in the IPL 2013 auction. He was appointed captain for that season but stepped down midway through the tournament due to bad form. Mumbai eventually went on to win their first IPL title that season under Ponting’s replacement, Rohit Sharma.Ponting was appointed in an advisory capacity for the 2014 season and signed a two-year contract as coach the following year.

Rangers are set to make a bid for Atalanta's Sam Lammers, having stepped up their pursuit of the forward, according to a report from The Sun.

Which strikers could Rangers sign?

In light of Alfredo Morelos' departure, Michael Beale will need to find a replacement for the Colombian, and a seven-figure bid has been submitted for Cremonese striker Cyriel Dessers, with the manager pushing to get a deal done.

HNJ Rijeka marksman Matija Frigan has also emerged as a target for the Gers, with a recent report detailing they will have to pay £5.2m to prise him away from the Croatian club, amid interest from Dinamo Zagreb.

Ike Ugbo is another player who has been tracked, and the Troyes forward could cost around £3.5m, with Premier League side Burnley interested, while Utrecht's Anastasios Douvikas has also been linked with a move to Glasgow.

The Scottish Premiership side have identified a number of key targets, but they appear to have their sights firmly set on signing Lammers, having been alerted to the Atalanta striker's availability when he was on loan at Sampdoria.

Beale was impressed by the 26-year-old during his loan spell, and Rangers are now set to make a move, with Atalanta set to hold out for around £3m to part ways with the player they signed for £8m three years ago.

The manager is keen to bolster his attacking options, following the departure of Morelos and Ryan Kent, while Kemar Roofe has had a tough time with injuries during his three years in Glasgow.

Who is Sam Lammers?

The Atalanta forward has been sent out on loan on a number of occasions over the past few seasons, and he was actually on the bench for Eintracht Frankfurt against Rangers during the Europa League final in the 2021-22 campaign.

However, the Dutchman has not been prolific in front of goal in recent times, registering just one league goal for Frankfurt during his time in Germany, while he also found the back of the net once for Sampdoria in his most recent loan spell.

In fact, the Tilburg-born attacker has not been prolific since the 2018-19 campaign, during which he scored 19 goals for Heerenveen in all competitions, so the Light Blues' pursuit of him is a little unusual.

Lammers does have some impressive attributes, having been hailed as "perfectly two-footed" by football scout Jacek Kulig, however he has been very poor in front of goal for a number of seasons now, and Rangers should pursue other targets.

Leeds United ended their 2022/23 campaign in disappointment as they were relegated to the Championship on the final day of the season with a 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Whites must now prepare for at least one season in the second tier of English football, and Angus Kinnear and the rest of the board need to use the summer transfer window wisely to piece together a team capable of achieving promotion at the first time of asking.

One position that needs to be improved on is centre-forward after Patrick Bamford's struggles this season. The English striker ended 22/23 with four goals and two assists in 28 appearances in the Premier League, after managing two in nine outings in 21/22.

Who could replace Patrick Bamford at Leeds?

Kinnear could allow the next head coach to finally ditch the ex-Chelsea man after his poor form in front of goal in recent years by sealing a swoop for Coventry City star Viktor Gyokeres, who is a reported €13m (£11m) target for the club.

21-year-old striker Joe Gelhardt may have been viewed as Bamford's successor but the youngster failed to make a significant impact in the final third during his loan spell at Sunderland in the second half of this season. The forward scored three goals and provided three assists in 18 outings and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.82 in the second tier – ranking as low as 12th in the Black Cats squad.

Gyokeres, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across 46 appearances in the division – joint-6th in a high-flying Coventry side – and plundered an eye-catching 21 goals and ten assists, which shows that the dynamo is able to finish and create chances on a regular basis in the Championship at a greater rate than Gelhardt in the same league.

The 25-year-old, who was hailed as "powerful" by Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray, has proven himself to be an exceptional player at that level and someone who can change and win matches with his ability at the top end of the pitch. He can punish the opposition with his deadly finishing and quality on the ball to split open the defence for others to score.

Whereas, Bamford and Gelhardt have not shown similar qualities over the last year or so across the top two tiers, which suggests that the Sweden international would come in as a huge upgrade on what Leeds currently have in attack.

Therefore, Kinnear could strike gold by securing a deal to sign Gyokeres, who is a proven, in-form, performer in the division that the Whites will be playing in next term, while his arrival would allow the next manager to brutally ditch the underperforming Bamford from the team.

Victoria reached 6 for 263 on the second day at the MCG in reply to South Australia’s 405

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2016
ScorecardAaron Finch has made county hundreds in the past few years, but had not scored a Sheffield Shield century since March 2010 (file photo)•PA PhotosAaron Finch scored his first Sheffield Shield century for six and a half years as Victoria moved to 6 for 263 on the second day against South Australia at the MCG. At the close of play, teenage wicketkeeper Sam Harper was at the crease on 55 and John Hastings was on 5, and the Bushrangers still trailed by 142 after the Redbacks were earlier bowled out for 405.The day began with South Australia on 5 for 360 and they lost their final five wickets for just 45 as Chris Tremain, wickteless on the first day, ran through the lower order to finish with 4 for 91. Tom Cooper began the morning on 93 but added only four to his score before he was caught behind off Tremain for 97.In reply, Victoria lost two early wickets to Test discard Joe Mennie, before Glenn Maxwell edged Chadd Sayers to slip on 3. Opener Travis Dean was lbw to Adam Zampa for 46 and Cameron White was bowled by Kane Richardson for 18, before Finch and Harper combined for a 119-run partnership that steadied the innings.It was a notable hundred for Finch, who remarkably had only ever scored one previous Sheffield Shield century. That came back in March 2010, and this was his 35th Shield game since that time. Although it was just Finch’s second Shield ton it was his sixth in first-class cricket, others having come in county games, tour matches or for Australia A. He was caught behind off Richardson for 102.