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Australia have packed 10 days of cricket into the last three weeks, and their T20I captain hopes the team can cap a hard month on the road with a title win

Liam Brickhill in Harare07-Jul-2018With one match to go before a well-earned break, Australia captain Aaron Finch is hoping his team will cap a hard month on the road with a victory. “Hopefully leading into this final, we’re saving our best for last and then the boys will get a little break,” Finch said.Australia have packed 10 days of cricket into the last three weeks, and they’ll need the rest ahead of a busy 2018-19 season. After a trip to the UAE for Tests, ODIs and a T20I against Pakistan, the side will play South Africa, India and Sri Lanka over a summer that will also feature an expanded Big Bash League.Australia have also been coming to terms with a new era both on and off the field, with the addition of new faces to their squads bringing with it a general need for recalibration. While there’s still room for improvement, Finch thinks there have been “great developments” in the team.”Slowly we’re starting to find the right balance and a little bit more of an understanding of how each other play the game,” Finch said. “There’s a few new faces around, so as a captain I think it’s important to have more of an understanding of guys strengths and things where there’s room for improvement. There’ve been some great developments over the last few months on tour. We’ve trained hard.”But hard yakka in the nets hasn’t necessarily transmuted into success. Inconsistent results certainly aren’t down to any lapses in their training schedules: Australia have trained for an hour or more after their last two games in Harare, braving plummeting mid-winter temperatures, and several players have spoken about the effect new coach Justin Langer is having. All the same, their last few games have been marked by both record-breaking peaks and repeated blunders.”I don’t know if rusty is the right word,” Finch said. “We’re still just slightly off in our execution with the bat, ball and in the field. Putting down a couple too many chances in the field – well, one is too many. With the ball we’re probably just leaking that one over that’s a real big one. In the past we’ve been really good at, if we’re hit for a boundary early, shutting down the over and getting out of it. Lately there’s been too many 15, 16-plus overs. With the bat, anytime you have to get a new partnership going, it makes it more difficult.”It would have been nice for our in batters to make sure that we got the job done comfortably [against Zimbabwe]. A little too close for comfort, but in the end getting a win is important, leading into the final with momentum.”Finch’s personal returns have also been mixed in the tri-series, with 240 runs (and a new world record) in his first two innings followed by 19 runs from his next two. But such are the vagaries of T20 batting, Finch said, targetting another big knock in Sunday’s final.”I feel like I’m playing very well at the moment. I’m not too bothered by a couple of low scores to be honest. T20 cricket tends to be high risk at the start of the innings and as long as I’m moving well and hitting the ball in the middle of the bat I’m pretty confident. Having played a lot of T20 cricket now, I understand the highs and lows of a batter in this game so it’s just about making sure that you’re giving yourself the best chance, making the right decision under pressure, and I still feel as though I’m doing that. It just hasn’t gone my way in the last two games, but hopefully a big one in the final.”Sarfraz Ahmed and Aaron Finch at the toss•AFPFinch will be up against an attack Australia hadn’t seen much of in T20Is before their trip to Zimbabwe. Australia’s last T20I against Pakistan before the tri-series was at the World T20 in 2016, and while they have played each other in other formats, Australia have had to scramble to adapt their gameplans on a quick turnaround while in Harare.”They’ve got a lot of very dangerous players,” Finch said of Pakistan. “If you look at the stats from this series, Fakhar Zaman has been outstanding and a real thorn in our side for a couple of games. He’s also been really consistent in this format for quite a long time. Obviously [Mohammad] Amir came back and bowled really well in the last game. They’ve got a lot of left-arm options. And then Shadab Khan as well, bowling legspin and spinning it both ways is also a threat. We reviewed heavily after the game against Pakistan and came up with some really solid plans for their bowlers and batters.”The world no. 1 ranking will remain out of Australia’s grasp even if they win Sunday’s final – they needed an unbeaten run through the tri-series to snatch the position away from Pakistan – but Finch said that winning the tri-series, rather than gaining ranking points, was Australia’s goal throughout.”On this tour, there’s been no talk about ‘we have to win this tournament to become no. 1’. It’s about winning the tournament for Australia. We’ve put ourselves in a position to do that, so that’s a real positive. We haven’t played our best cricket in the last couple of games, but there’s room for improvement and come tomorrow I’ve got a real good feeling that we’ll bring our A game.”Though rankings aren’t the focus, a win in the final would mean that Australia’s T20 side would be their top-ranked men’s team in second position (their women’s side is no. 1 overall), and Finch put their climb up the tables from sixth position last year down to the increased number of T20Is on their calendar. Australia have played 17 T20Is since the last World T20 in early 2016, winning 12. Between the 2014 and 2016 World T20s, they had played just 10 games, losing six.”We’ve been really consistent over the years in T20 cricket with some great sides,” Finch said. “In the past there’s been a lot less T20 cricket played as a country outside of the world tournaments. When you’re playing one game generally per series, if that, it can be quite hard to get your ranking up there. I think over the last 18 or 24 months we’ve played a lot more T20; we’ve probably had a lot more settled side over that time as well. I think there’s merit in how we’ve moved up the rankings.”

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No último domingo, após a goleada por 5 a 1 que o Corinthians sofreu para o Flamengo, Cássio desabafou na saída de campo e pareceu bastante incomodado com as críticas e com o momento que o clube passa. Por essas e outras, Fábio Santos, que foi apresentado nesta terça-feira, não fugiu de comentar o assunto em entrevista coletiva virtual que marcou o seu retorno.

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Falando com a propriedade de quem tem quatro anos de convivência e títulos com o goleiro corintiano, o lateral-esquerdo fez questão de elogiar o companheiro como um dos maiores ídolos do clube e entende como algo natural a manifestação do camisa 12, principalmente por se tratar de um jogador tão dedicado e que tem tanta identificação com o Alvinegro.

– Conversei com ele (Cássio). É chover no molhado falar da história dele, é um dos maiores ídolos do clube, uma referência para todos nós. Quanto maior o seu tamanho, maior a pressão em cima de você. Da mesma forma que quando você ganha é elogiado, quando perde acaba sendo mais cobrado.

– Estamos acostumados, vejo também com naturalidade esse desabafo do cara que quer vencer e não está acostumado com essa pressão individualizada. O momento do clube é difícil e essa carga acaba sendo maior nos líderes. Ele sabe da importância dele para o clube, que é um cara amado pelos torcedores. Passando tudo isso, vai voltar a idolatria que o Cássio fez por merecer.

Para ajudar a diminuir essa pressão nas costas dos líderes do elenco, principalmente pelo desabafo de Cássio, Fábio Santos prometeu que buscará compartilhar essas responsabilidades e avisou que aceita ser mais um líder no grupo ao lado de nomes como Fagner, Gil, Jô e o próprio arqueiro, que o lateral entende que já está motivado para buscar uma vitória nesta quarta-feira.

-Falei para o Cássio: “Chegou mais um pra dividir com você, mas não vamos dividir briga, vamos levantar o astral (risos)”. Vejo o Cássio motivado a superar o que passou no fim de semana, e é assim que queremos ver todos os jogadores, já motivados em fazer uma grande partida nessa quarta-feira.

Se tiver condições de jogo, Fábio Santos será relacionado pelo técnico Vagner Mancini para enfrentar o Vasco, nesta quarta-feira, às 21h30, em São Januário, pela 18ª rodada do Brasileirão-2020. Com Cássio como titular, o Corinthians busca se afastar da zona de rebaixamento. Atualmente, o time ocupa a 16ª posição com 18 pontos, dois a mais do que o primeiro clube no Z4.

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A number of journalists were left stunned by the decision to disallow Rangers of a first-half goal in their clash at home to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon.

Did Rangers beat Celtic in the derby?

The Gers had made a solid enough start to the season before the weekend action, picking up six points from their opening three league matches, although their 5-1 thrashing at the hands of PSV Eindhoven in midweek saw them crash out of the Champions League before the group stages.

For that reason, confidence may not have been particularly high heading into Sunday's visit of bitter rivals and reigning Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, with the Hoops one point ahead of them before kickoff. There was the opportunity for them to overtake their adversaries, however, acting as a huge incentive.

Rangers thought they had taken the lead during the first half when Cyriel Dessers robbed Gustaf Lagerbielke of the ball, before squaring to Kemar Roofe to fire into the net and send the home crowd wild. The goal was ruled out, however, with the former adjudged to have fouled the Celtic man when getting to the ball, much to the frustration of those inside the stadium.

Michael Beale's side then found themselves behind seconds before half-time, with Kyogo Furuhashi firing home to emphatic finish to put the visitors 1-0 up, finding himself clean-through and nailing a strike past Jack Butland, a goal which proved to be the winner.

How did the media react to Rangers' disallowed goal?

Taking to X, journalist John Barnes was left shocked by the decision at Ibrox, not holding back on his thoughts on it:

"OMG can’t believe the referee has got it wrong as well as VAR. Lagerbielke kicked Dessers. The goal should have stood. Another shocker this weekend by officials @RangersFC v @CelticFC the head of referees can’t hide any longer he must explain."

Meanwhile, Jonny McFarlane described it as a "baffling" moment in the game on X, proving to be pivotal to the result, too:

"That’s a baffling decision. Totally agree with Kenny Miller. Lagerbielke kicks Dessers."

This was yet another case of VAR proving to be divisive in the modern game, and the decision not to allow Roofe's goal is another where there will be differing opinions.

In fairness, there did appear to be some contact with Lagerbielke, but whether there was enough to actually overrule the original decision is up for debate, and it ultimately cost Rangers at a critical point in the game.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

It further raises question marks over how much VAR impacts the general footballing spectacle as a supporter these days, with the technology robbing fans of celebrating in the moment, instead having to worry about their joy turning to despair once a check has been done.

Granted, it does lead to some correct decisions being made, but it could be argued that it is having too detrimental impact on the all-round enjoyment of football, especially as some of the officiating remains questionable even with VAR in use, as highlighted once again at Ibrox.

Leeds United defender Junior Firpo isn't safe from an Elland Road exit despite reports emerging that he is ready to come back from his latest injury.

What's the latest news involving Junior Firpo?

As per Momento Deportivo RD via Sport Witness, Firpo has spent the last two months sidelined due to injury at Leeds United; however, has now seemingly confirmed that he is ready to return to action at Elland Road soon.

In a recent interview, the former Barcelona man stated: “Right now I feel very good, I am almost recovered from my last injury with a lot of desire to play with the team again."

He also elaborated on his international future with the Dominican Republic national side, saying: “We had a very good talk here in England, very productive in which I could see the direction of Dominican football is in good hands right now and that it has a promising future."

Back in June, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano detailed on X that Firpo looked set to leave Leeds United in search of a new challenge, stating on the social media platform: "Understand Junior Firpo will leave Leeds United this summer as several European clubs are already keen on signing him. The plan is to try a new experience after relegation."

Fotospor claimed last month that Turkish giants Galatasaray had made a loan offer with a buyout clause included to try and land the 27-year-old, who also attracted interest from French giants Marseille, which looks to have since been withdrawn.

Leeds United have very little in the way of natural left-backs and have used Sam Byram in the position in four of their five Sky Bet Championship fixtures so far, as per Transfermarkt.

Could Junior Firpo still leave Leeds?

In all honesty, it remains to be seen; however, a report from Leeds United News has inferred that both the Saudi Arabian and Turkish transfer windows remain open at present, which could well present an avenue for the defender to seek a future away from Elland Road.

In Saudi Arabia, the transfer deadline has been brought forward to September 7th despite previous reports insinuating that it would remain open until September 20th, as per Transfermarkt via TEAMtalk.

The Washington Post cite that the Turkish transfer window remains open until September 15th and it may be feasible that interest re-appears from that market for Firpo before their deadline draws to a close.

Journalist Dean Jones spoke to GIVEMESPORT earlier in the year about Firpo's situation and were 'trying to put the wheels in motion and finding Firpo new clubs to join' alongside sorting out their situation in the left-back position, which has continued to be a bugbear for Daniel Farke since his arrival at the Yorkshire-based outfit.

In his time at Leeds United, Firpo has made 51 appearances in all competitions for his current employers, registering two goals and four assists in total, as per Transfermarkt.

Whether uncertainty over his future has been shelved due to a lack of numbers in his given role is anyone's guess; nevertheless, there is still potential for movement to happen regarding Firpo if the right offer arises for his services.

It was not quicker, bouncier or scarier than Newlands but the uncharacteristic SuperSport Park pitch has not drawn any criticism from the men who have to play on it. At least, not yet.With turn from day one, this usually spin-free surface has done the one thing captain Faf du Plessis did not want and has already brought India’s spinner R Ashwin into the game. Ashwin’s three wickets have already had some impact but exactly how much of a say both he and Keshav Maharaj will have on this game may ultimately affect the assessment of groundsman Bryan Bloy’s maiden Test strip.”I feel the wicket did spin a bit but it was not outrageous. It was very slow and there was bounce, sometimes people watching the game mistake bounce for big spin,” Ashwin said.The bounce will be particularly important to the hosts, who see that as being key in allowing them to exploit home advantage. “In terms of bowling, we have got taller bowlers who are used to the conditions and it would be interesting to see how the Indians bat and make an assessment,” Aiden Markram, who top-scored with 94 said. “We’ve got taller bowlers than what the Indians have. That is the only difference I see.”Markram plays his domestic cricket for Titans and knows the Centurion pitch well. He admitted this strip was slower than usual. “It was a little bit different. Generally, there is good pace and bounce. It is still there but it lacked the extra pace that the usual wicket at Supersport is like,” Markram said. “But there is just about enough in it for both batsmen and bowlers. It is a wicket where the contest is always happening. Ideally, we would have liked to have it quicker but I don’t think it’s something bad.”Markram admitted South Africa “didn’t expect there would be so much assistance for him (Ashwin)”, which made him a tricky prospect first up. “He was difficult to face but he is difficult to face on a flat wicket as well. It will be interesting to see if the pitch does get harder or if it will continue to spin or if it spun like that because of grass covering,” Markram said.Pre-match, both teams considered playing all-pace attacks with Ashwin expecting to be benched until the eve of the match. “Two days from the game, it looked like we are going to play an all-seam attack. And then when we walked into the ground yesterday, it was white in colour, the grass was coming off. All of a sudden I really had to pull myself back and think I am in the game now,” Ashwin said. “Today morning when we came to the ground, it looked like a wicket that was really flat and had to have a spinner in the game. Personally, from my side of it, I was very happy that the grass was taken off, if not I think it would have been all-seam attack.”South Africa were also seriously considering leaving Maharaj out and going all guns blazing with a five-pronged pack. In hindsight, that would have been a grave error, even though Bloy told ESPNcricinfo that he expects the pitch to quicken up on the second and third days, something Ashwin agreed with. “I found it to be a bit damp and it was very slow. The new ball isn’t doing a lot actually and the pitch is actually flattening out and spin is going out of the surface a lot more. I think days two and three will be a very good batting day,” Ashwin said.Because this surface has elements of the unknown, it’s difficult to tell what a good first-innings total will be but Markam would like to see South Africa get at least 70 more runs before bowling at SuperSport Park. “Anything above 350 would be good but we would like to push to 400,” he said.

Everton have been linked with a summer move for Udinese striker Beto numerous times in recent weeks, and a fresh update has now emerged regarding his possible switch to England.

What's happening with Beto?

It has become abundantly clear that the Blues are crying out for attacking additions in the current transfer window, having looked light in that area of the pitch for far too long, not helped by Dominic Calvert-Lewin's ongoing injuries problems.

That was perfectly highlighted on Saturday afteroon, as Sean Dyche's side suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Fulham in their opening Premier League game of the season. That's not to say that they didn't play well, however, and they were instead guilty of missing some huge chances, especially the struggling Neal Maupay.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

One player who has emerged as one of the favourites to join Everton before the end of the month is Beto, who has become a key man for Udinese, scoring 22 goals in 64 appearances for the Serie A side.

Now, another update has dropped regarding the Blues' potential move for the 25-year-old – one that suggests there is still plenty of life in the saga before the summer is out.

According to Il Messaggero Veneto [via Sport Witness], Everton are still "thinking" about making a move for Beto before deadline day arrives, seeing him as a strong option to bring in. Instead of signing him permanently though, the Merseysiders are thought to be considering a loan move for the Portuguese giant, with a viewing to signing him for good for £22m next summer.

In a separate update, Rai claim that there is "still time left" for the Blues to get a deal over the line for the Udinese marksman, although they they believe their valuation is less than what his club want for him, hinting that a permanent switch is the preferred outcome.

Is Beto good?

While Youssef Chermiti has already arrived at Goodison in recent times, bolstering Dyche's attacking options, more faces are needed to truly make a difference in the final third this season and beyond.

In Beto, Everton could have a tailor-made option to come in and be an immediate key player, possessing the physical attributes to be a real handful, having been compared to former Blues striker Romelu Lukaku in the past and standing at 6 foot 4. He has also been spoken of fondly to his face by legendary superstar striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

His aforementioned record for Udinese is an impressive one – a record of 21 goals in 61 Serie A games is strong, considering he is not playing for top club and is in one of Europe's toughest leagues – and a loan move could actually make the most sense, giving Everton a little more leeway if he ends up struggling in his first season at the club.

Either way, it is absolutely paramount that the Blues continue working hard on getting attacking business over the line as soon as possible, with Leeds United star Wilfried Gnonto another potential addition, as well as Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike.

Set to play his first pink-ball match, in New South Wales’ Shield opener, Pat Cummins wants to focus on finding rhythm and learning how to swing the ball consistently

Sam Bruce25-Oct-2017Pink ball experience looms as a firm advantage for Australia in this summer’s Ashes series, but there’s one key member of Steven Smith’s bowling attack who is yet to hurl one down in anger. Pat Cummins, one of the vaunted pace trio alongside Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, will play his first day-night first-class match in Adelaide from Friday for New South Wales against South Australia.In a reminder of how carefully Cummins has been managed by Cricket Australia’s team performance wing over the past few seasons, he has still played a mere eight first-class games aside from his five Tests – four this year in India and Bangladesh – and the Adelaide Oval match will be only his second Shield appearance since the 2011 competition final.Smith will also line up alongside fellow Test stars David Warner and Starc, while wicketkeeper Peter Nevill will be looking to put his name forward for a Test recall. The match will be ideal preparation for the second Test with England in Adelaide in early December, the first ever Ashes Test to be played as a day-night fixture using the pink ball.”It’s my first ever game with a pink ball, so just probably finding a bit of rhythm,” Cummins said, when asked what he hoped to get out of the Blues’ Shield opener. “I’ve played a lot of white ball the last couple months and coming into red ball [or] pink ball, I feel like it takes me a spell or two to learn how to swing the ball consistently. So that’s what I’m probably looking forward to it is having a ball that moves around and yeah, from there, just try and build up really good rhythm and bowl lots of overs.”Asked if the pink ball was hard to control, Cummins said: “I’ve only had a couple of net sessions and no, not really. It’s swung around quite a bit, but pretty consistent swing. I’m just happy to have a ball in my hand that swings.”Looking ahead to the Ashes, Smith has said that Australia’s pioneering role with the pink ball would be an advantage over England, who played their first day-night Test earlier this year against West Indies in Birmingham. “I’ve played in two of them [day-night Tests] now and Shield games as well. It’s a fantastic concept and the crowd there is something different,” Smith said this week.”We’ve probably got a little more experience with the pink ball than the English do as well, so that’s a bit of a plus. And we’ve won our first two day-night Test matches so let’s hope we can make it a third. It obviously plays a little bit different to the red ball and you’ve got to have some tactics in place.”Getty Images

The pink ball will be another unknown for Cummins, who admitted on Wednesday that he was still learning about his own rhythm and how and when he could get to his very fastest – clocked at better than 150kph – ahead of a series in which Smith in particular will want to use Cummins as a shock weapon.”That’s 100% right, there was one day I just felt like I was running in faster and it was coming out really well and I thought that was as fast as I’d bowled in a long time,” Cummins responded when asked to recall one particular day when he was bowling with some heat. “And then that afternoon, the other boys reckon I was bowling a lot faster. It’s just one of those things, some days when you feel like you’re not bowling with too much effort that’s sometimes your fastest days. Sometime it just clicks.”You have a general idea and you try and run in fast in certain spells, on certain days…I hope the more I bowl and the older I get, hopefully I learn those nuances a bit more. But yeah certainly each tour I play, each series I play, I definitely feel like I’m starting to know myself a little bit better and am finding out or learning how little I did know about myself beforehand.”

Champions League finalists Inter Milan are "fighting off" transfer rivals Monaco to secure the signing of Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun.

Who is leaving Arsenal?

Gunners transfer chief Edu Gaspar has done wonders to back Mikel Arteta with a few huge signings, namely Kai Havertz, defender Jurrien Timber and club-record signing Declan Rice for over £200 million.

Brentford goalkeeper David Raya is also on his way to Arsenal, with the club now sealing an alternative to current number one Aaron Ramsdale.

After this serious spending spree, the north Londoners will need to continue balancing their books with more player sales. So far, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Auston Trusty, Pablo Mari, Matt Turner and long-serving midfielder Granit Xhaka come as the most notable departures.

Albert Sami Lokonga, who spent part of last season on loan at Crystal Palace, has also been heavily linked with an exit as league newcomers Burnley attempt to sign him on a temporary deal.

Nicolas Pepe is being chased by Turkish Super Lig sides Besikta and Fenerbache, while Balogun could come as, arguably, Arsenal's most high profile exit of the window.

Balogun enjoyed a prolific spell on loan at Reims last season, which may have significantly raised his stock as some reports suggest Arsenal won't sell for less than £50m.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

Inter and Monaco have both been linked with moves for the USA international as they hope to add attacking flair before the window shuts.

CBS journalist Matteo Bonetti, taking to X recently, says Inter are determined to sign Balogun and are "fighting off" Monaco for his services.

Simone Inzaghi's side believe they have a trump card in the race, as they can offer him Champions League football next season.

"Inter are fighting off Monaco to secure the signing of the American striker Folarin Balogun," said Bonetti.

"The big difference being that Inter can offer him Champions League football. The 22 year old exploded last season with Reims in Ligue 1, where he scored 21 league goals."

How good is Folarin Balogun?

Barring his 21 goals in the French top flight last season, Balogun has been praised by Gunners boss Arteta for his quality and attitude behind-the-scenes.

Commenting on the "special" striker's loan spell at Reims last season, it's safe to say Arteta was very impressed with his efforts across the channel.

“I’m so happy for him,” Arteta said.

“He’s a boy that has a really clear idea of what he wants to do with his career. He’s really ambitious, really committed and really brave.

“When you look at the numbers and what he is doing, it’s just incredible. It’s very rare to see that. But he’s got something special, that’s why we decided to give him a long-term contract and have faith in him and give him the long period that he needs now, because the loan he is having now is really different to the one he had before at Middlesbrough."

Everton have received a boost in their bid to sign Michail Antonio from West Ham United this summer, with Sean Dyche looking to continue the restructuring of the frontline following a subpar season.

What's the latest on Michail Antonio to Everton?

According to Football Insider, the Hammers striker has seen negotiations for a move to the Saudi Pro League collapse, paving the way for Everton to swoop in and offer the 33-year-old a deal to move to Merseyside.

Dyche's side previously pushed for the Jamaica international's signature in January, to no avail, and could now return to add the experience, leadership and winning mentality that was lacking at Goodison Park last term.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

Arnaut Danjuma has already been signed, while Sporting Lisbon's Youssef Chermiti is nearing a £13m move to Merseyside, though aged 19 he is deemed one for the future.

Would Michail Antonio improve Everton?

Having served the Irons over a lengthy period, scoring 75 goals and providing 43 assists from 276 appearances since arriving in 2015 from Nottingham Forest on a reported £7m deal, Antonio has etched his name into West Ham folklore.

Especially after starring last term in the Europa Conference League, scoring six times and supplying two assists as the east London outfit would go on to clinch the European piece of silverware.

And despite his age, Antonio still looks capable of playing a part in an ambitious Premier League outfit, having scored 35 goals across his past four league campaigns.

Antonio, an imposing and "powerful" forward, as stated by personality Godfrey Akoto Boafo, has even been likened to Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku by Brentford boss Thomas Frank, who said:

"He's a handful, very, very difficult. He's a little bit like Lukaku in terms of the power and the speed but also a very good finisher."

He would certainly open up a different dynamic to the Everton attack, ranking among the top 15% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, which underscores the energy and driving presence the £85k-per-week gem brings, belying his age.

Dyche could replicate his move to sign Ashley Barnes, who he signed from Brighton & Hove Albion while at the helm of Burnley in 2014, enjoying great success with the 33-year-old forward.

The 6 foot 1 Englishman, who once played for Austria U20s, scored 42 times from 200 Premier League appearances for the Clarets and embodied the qualities that are so intrinsic to a Dyche system, winning an average 2.8 aerials per game across his career, as per WhoScored.

Antonio has a more robust approach but can match Barnes' physicality and aerial dominance to a tee, having averaged 2.4 aerials won across the duration of his own career.

Having also been praised as "strong" by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, Antonio could be the brutish force Dyche could effectively utilise to provide his squad with something a little different this season, making an impact that will steer the club away from the danger area and toward the stability that the centre of the division provides.

South Africa battled back valiantly on an increasingly capricious pitch to give themselves a fleeting chance of chasing a sub-300-run target, only for Moeen Ali to put the destiny of the series beyond any reasonable doubt

The Report by Andrew Miller06-Aug-20174:02

#PoliteEnquiries: Is Moeen the greatest?

Live scorecard and ball-by-ball commentarySouth Africa battled back valiantly on an increasingly capricious pitch to give themselves a fleeting chance of chasing a sub-300-run target, only for Moeen Ali to throw caution to the wind, and sixes into the stands, in a blistering counterattack that has surely put the destiny of the series beyond any reasonable doubt.By the time a long-threatened rain shower forced an early close, Moeen had overcome a circumspect beginning to clobber his way to 67 not out from 59 balls. It was a remarkable knock in an innings where only Joe Root, with 49, had looked anything approaching fluent, and it had taken England’s overall lead to 360 runs – far beyond anything ever chased on this ground before – with two wickets still standing.However, the early stages of Moeen’s innings had not been entirely promising, in keeping with England’s overall performance in their second innings, which – Root’s effort aside – had showcased all too many of the weaknesses that have prevented them from attaining any real consistency in their Test cricket over the past 18 months. Much of the debate centred around the continued shortcomings of Dawid Malan and, especially, Keaton Jennings, whose latest failure has left his place in the side all but untenable.With 110 runs in his first seven innings of the series, including a highest score of 48, Jennings knew he needed to make an impression to prevent the chorus of doubters from becoming deafening. And hard though he battled in England’s second innings – even with the cushion of a 136-run lead to assuage the pressure a touch – he rarely looked settled at any stage of his 63-ball stay. He was dropped on 0 before he had scored, Dean Elgar leaping to his left at third slip but failing to cling on, and though he found a degree of fluency in reaching 17 not out at lunch, the manner of his dismissal was limp in the extreme.Facing up to the energetic Kagiso Rabada, Jennings lined up the cut as the bowler dropped short, but misjudged the line to catastrophic effect. Hashim Amla accepted a simple looping edge at first slip as if standing in the outfield for catching practice, and Jennings departed with the look of a man who knew that the bailiffs were circling to call in his borrowed time.Moeen Ali struck three sixes as he reached 67 not out before the rain arrived•Getty ImagesMalan scarcely made much more of a telling impression. As the newer selection, he may yet have more time on his side, but his tally after four Test innings stands at a ropey 35 runs, and today’s innings of 6 from 15 balls never convinced. Half of those runs came from a horribly miscued pull against Rabada that could have been caught by a diving Temba Bavuma at backward point, and two balls later, he fell victim to an impressive spell from the left-arm spinner, Keshav Maharaj, who found some sharp turn out of the rough to take the glove, onto the knee-roll and into the hands of short leg.England, by that stage, were 72 for 4, having lost the Essex pairing of Alastair Cook and Tom Westley before lunch, both of them caught in the gully as they aimed loose drives at the hostile Morne Morkel, who finally earned his just desserts after a luckless spell in the first innings.Root, inevitably, made the going look simpler than most, as he chivvied the singles and negated the threat of Maharaj in particular, who found less purchase off the pitch when bowling the straighter line to the right-hander, and was comfortably thwarted by some judicious slog-sweeps when he opted to go round the wicket later in his spell. But, having marched to the brink of his second fifty of the match, Root pushed loosely at Duanne Olivier, and was bowled for 49 via an inside edge.Ben Stokes battled valiantly, channelling his success on the subcontinent to ride out the threat that Maharaj in particular was posing on a pitch with variable bounce. But he led a charmed life in his 23, including a stinging drop from a diving Heino Kuhn at short midwicket and a curious non-appeal from Morkel when he appeared to feather an edge to the keeper on 5. However, with tea approaching, Olivier was rewarded with a second scalp, as Stokes pushed too hard outside off, and was well snaffled by du Plessis at third slip.Enter Moeen, though not the Turbo-charged version of the final hour. He all but chopped onto his stumps first ball, and after tea, England scarcely looked like changing the pattern of their innings. Jonny Bairstow lacked the fluency of his first-innings masterclass, taking 25 balls to get off the mark before holing out to his 30th, well caught at fine leg by Rabada to give Olivier his third wicket of a fine and aggressive spell, and before the new batsman, Toby Roland-Jones had faced a ball, Moeen had survived another near-miss – dropped at slip by Elgar, whose elbows jolted the ball out of his grasp as he dived to his left off Maharaj.But that reprieve appeared to flick a switch in Moeen’s mindset, and his attitude to Maharaj thereafter was one of selective disdain. While mindful of the threat he still posed out of the rough, Moeen trusted his eye and his long levers, sweeping with intent – conventional and reverse – and drilling high and hard with the spin for three vast sixes, the second of which was caught on the player’s balcony by a gleeful Bairstow as he brought up his fifty from 49 balls.Roland-Jones, who has showcased a keen eye in his brief career to date, kept him company in a 58-run stand for the eighth wicket before Rabada induced a top-edged pull to a diving Maharaj at deep midwicket. But Moeen was by now motoring, bashing Rabada back over his head for four off what would prove to be the day’s penultimate delivery. He would have backed himself to keep cracking on, much as he had done in similar circumstances in the first Test at Lord’s, but – with two days to come and South Africa’s heads beginning to droop – his intercession has surely been decisive.