Opener walks and paddles all comers but admits reservations about doing so against Pat Cummins and co

Vithushan Ehantharajah20-Apr-2023

There is never a bad time to score your first century at Lord’s. But with a couple of big-ticket events here over the next couple of months, Ben Duckett chose wisely.The opener peeled off a crisp 119 not out on the opening day of Nottinghamshire’s Division One clash with Middlesex. Crisp for its execution rather than cleanliness, what with the two let-offs contained within the 176 deliveries and counting. It was productive, too, given that it allowed Duckett to acquaint himself with these surroundings better, while establishing a firm footing for his county, who closed Thursday on 252 for five after being asked to bat first.Duckett’s June will be bookended by Tests here, first against Ireland, then Australia in the second Test of the Ashes. The one-off fixture with Ireland will be the first time he sets his bag down in the home dressing room.The 28-year-old’s three previous Championship matches at Lord’s – two for Northamptonshire – have resulted in just 86 runs from five innings, averaging 17.20. That he was eyeing up about that much in the evening session alone – “I kind of grafted for two sessions, and my idea was to potentially get 80 or 90 runs to finish the day on 200 or something” – speaks of the belief and form he is operating with at the moment. A shame, then, for Nottinghamshire and the neutrals, that the final 27 overs were lost to bad light and then rain.Nottinghamshire say they, too, would have chosen to bowl. You wonder how much of both decisions pertained to wanting to protect/expose a Middlesex top-order that registered 4 for 4, 15 for 3, 11 for 4 and 44 for 3 in their first four innings of the campaign.That is no such problem the visitors have, and there was an element of rubbing it in when Duckett and Haseeb Hameed made 117 between them, following up last week’s 125 opening stand against Somerset. It should, however, have ended on three, and Duckett’s knock on nought.Just 15 deliveries into the day, Ethan Bamber found an edge from around the wicket, which wicketkeeper John Simpson and first slip Stevie Eskinazi watched pass them by. Off it went for the first of Duckett’s 12 boundaries.That the first four wickets fell for just 35 runs created a sense of “what might have been” while enhancing the value of Duckett and Hameed’s start. Middlesex’s attack had recalibrated in the middle session, with Bamber setting that cascade off by snaring Hameed via a catch to Eskinazi, before removing Matthew Montgomery with one through to the Simpson. Lyndon James’ 41 was the only other score of note, outscoring Duckett before the fifth-wicket stand was broken on 73 by Martin Andersson.That in itself spoke of Duckett’s motivation. He scampered to a half-century off 69 deliveries with a six into the shorter Grandstand boundary, lunching on 60 from 80. He advanced down the track and was particularly keen on lapping Ryan Higgins around the corner – doing so twice for four. “I said to Hass I was going to do it,” he said of the shot. “He laughed as if I was joking.”Then came caution. As much as the collapse lent itself to that, conversion was high on the agenda. Duckett started the season with scores of 51 against Hampshire and 75 against Somerset. Moreover, as well as the resumption of his Test career went this winter with 508 in five matches across tours of Pakistan and New Zealand, it grates the left-hander that only one of his five fifty-plus scores was a century (107 in Rawalpindi). Such was his desire to make this count, he stopped himself from reverse-sweeping leg spinner Luke Hollman to the short side, which is a bit like a dog passing on a bone.”Over the past six months, I’ve probably scored five or six fifties and only converted once,” Duckett said. “So to get over the line early on in the season is nice.”As per those numbers, and being the opener not called “Zak Crawley”, he is guaranteed a full run at the summer, barring anything dramatic. Nevertheless, he wanted to set a marker down.Having spent 20 balls in the nineties – 15 between 95 and 99 – Duckett dropped one knee to paddle a Hollman full toss around the corner to move to a crisp 100 from 152 deliveries. By his own admission, he got bored.Upon getting to the other end, a subdued punch of the air, like a man who had completed today’s Wordle at the first attempt, then looked to the heavens relieved like a man who had completed today’s Wordle at the sixth attempt.Duckett did not hide the fact that as much as he has helped fill Nottinghamshire’s plate, loading up on runs will help him come June. Even opening this season after scoring his 1,012 Division Two runs last year at No.3 was down to preparing for England duties.Over the winter, Test head coach Brendon McCullum told him he’d rather he opened. Having thought about it, Duckett decided to put in that request with Nottinghamshire’s head coach Peter Moores on the eve of the season opener against Hampshire. It meant Ben Slater dropped to three, and there was a cruel irony in him being run out today at the non-striker’s end via a straight drive from Duckett deflected onto the stumps by Roland-Jones. As it happens, it was just as bitter a pill for Roland-Jones, who missed a catching opportunity off Duckett on 70 in the process.Two drops takes a bit of gloss off this first hundred of the summer. But in moving on from the first error, the end result makes them inconsequential in Duckett’s mind.”Scoring a hundred for the team is the priority, but the fact that it’s here at Lord’s is even more special,” Duckett said. “Thankfully, I’ve had an opportunity to play here and have another knock, and I’m obviously going to get another one batting with the slope and different things.”Obviously it’s 20mph slower than what it will be at the end of the summer, but it’s always nice gaining that experience. If I get the nod, I can think back to this and having a hundred here is nice confidence.”On the subject of pace, he does note that doing as he has done today – advancing down the pitch or getting down on one knee – against Australia’s pace attack probably won’t fly.”I don’t think I’ll be walking at bowlers as much or paddling Pat Cummins. But it was probably more prep for the Ireland Test!”That pace is going to come on a bit nicer; if it’s flat, it’s going to come on and sometimes pace is nice here in England. Actually, it can be more tricky facing someone more like Bamber, who’s around the knee-roll at 75mph – it could be 80mph, or whatever it is. Sometimes I find that harder – to sit in and back your defence and play in a different way. I know they’re (Australia) one of the best attacks potentially ever, so it’s going to be tough but an enjoyable challenge.”Josh Little might have something to say about that Ireland comment. But evidently, Duckett is so sure of himself right now that it doesn’t matter how much motivation bowlers have. His drive and self-confidence are as high as they have ever been. Just as well at the start of the biggest summer of his career.

Mark Chapman had been threatening to do this all series, and with the stakes at their highest, he went out and did it. A breathtaking display of magnificently clean hitting against some of the best bowlers in T20 cricket saw the 28-year-old score an unbeaten 57-ball 104, chasing down 194 to mount a comeback for the ages to stun Pakistan. It is the second-highest total ever chased against Pakistan in T20s, and also means New Zealand finish the series level despite trailing 2-0 after two games. It is also New Zealand’s 100th T20I win, one that will take pride of place in New Zealand T20 folklore.Few would have given them hope of achieving this when they rocked up in Pakistan from halfway across the world and had just one practice session under their belt when the series began. The task was made even stiffer by the depleted nature of their side, with eight first-team players missing owing to IPL duty. Even on the day, victory looked particularly improbable when Imad Wasim struck to remove Daryl Mitchell, leaving New Zealand tottering at 73 for 4 at the halfway mark.

Chapman and Neesham turn tables

But Pakistan hadn’t yet accounted for Chapman, and in a series he finished with 290 runs having been dismissed just once, that made the world of difference. He smashed Faheem Ashraf for 14 in the 11th over to fire a shot against Pakistan’s bow, warning them the game – and series – wasn’t done yet. It was a warning they would have done well to heed, but were rendered powerless against Chapman’s onslaught. With James Neesham’s unbeaten 45 off 25 a more-than-able supporting act, Chapman took apart each Pakistan bowler, quick and slow, right-arm and left-arm.The next five overs saw 71 runs scored, and New Zealand had turned the contest on its head. By now, Chapman was nearing his hundred, but continued to attack. There was some luck against Shaheen Shah Afridi; Shadab Khan dropped an easy catch before Afridi dropped him off his own bowling on 98. That sloppiness allowed him to race back for two, and complete the 100 he so richly deserved.By now, it was a run-a-ball equation for the last two overs, and for Chapman in this form, it was a cakewalk. A little nudge into the on side sealed the deal with four balls to go, giving Pakistan a reality check – and a bloody nose – before the five-match ODI series begins later this week.Mark Chapman and James Neesham stunned Pakistan with their century stand•Associated Press

The triple-strike

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan might have got Pakistan off to a great start, but much like New Zealand have done in almost every match this series, the bowlers hit back strongly once more. An off-colour Babar was the first to fall, in the final over of the powerplay, as he miscued an on-side slog. Mohammad Haris came in with two balls left of the powerplay and was eager to make up for lost time, only to misread an offcutter from Blair Tickner and attempt to lap over short fine leg off his first delivery. Ish Sodhi took a comfortable catch before coming on and dispatching of Saim Ayub with a wrong’un for another duck. Pakistan had suddenly lost three wickets for one run in five balls, and a good Pakistani start had been laid to waste.

Rizwan’s 98* – and Pakistan’s weird slowdown

It’s perhaps churlish to nitpick a T20 hundred, but there’s no way to avoid it. Rizwan has been a run machine for Pakistan in T20Is since 2021, as well as one of their most potent matchwinners over the years. Despite a relatively lean run by his high standards, he began with the truculence befitting the format, hurtling along even as Babar struggled and wickets tumbled at the other end. He provided the start, he held the innings through the middle, and arguably merited the century at the end.But T20 centurions are like presidents – if you really want to be one – you probably don’t deserve it. Had Pakistan continued to attack the death overs like any side maximising their run-scoring potential should, Rizwan’s hundred might have come organically. Instead, he opted for relative caution, and the final few balls were almost wholly geared towards getting Rizwan those final few runs rather than giving Pakistan every extra run they could scrape.Imad was run out trying to scrape a bye, even though he was the batter in better striking form, and because that didn’t get Rizwan on strike, Faheem Ashraf took just the single rather than the two that was on off the penultimate ball. Rizwan didn’t get to three figures anyway, but that had more to do with him scoring just one boundary off his final 13 balls.Chapman, by contrast, barely seemed to register what score he was on when batting on 98. Afridi had just one ball left, and could have been milked for a single or seen off. Yet, the batter tried a high-risk jab into the on side only to see the ball fly straight up. The century didn’t matter, and yet Chapman got it – and his side the win – anyway.

Shaheen Afridi’s first over

Ahh, how we’ve missed this. Afridi didn’t have a first-over wicket to his name all series, but on Monday in Rawalpindi, it was as if that most captivating ability had never been away. It began with a first-ball wicket – not quite the inswinger tearing through a right-hand batter’s defences, but one that moved away from left-hand batter Tom Latham, who spliced it tamely to Shadab at point. A few testing inswinging deliveries to Will Young set him for the one that angled away, kissing the outside edge and carrying through to Rizwan. New Zealand were two down in an over, and Afridi was back, but only to see a remarkable comeback from New Zealand’s Nos. 5 and 6.

Amid concerns over Tom Fellows’ future, West Bromwich Albion have reportedly joined the race to sign a rising star who could eventually replace their talented midfielder.

West Brom battling to sign Fellows heir

As the Baggies continue to battle for a place in the play-offs, they’ve been forced to turn their attention towards the summer transfer window amid interest in Fellows. The midfielder is once again on the radar of those in the Premier League – Everton in particular – in what could yet see him jump up to the top flight without his boyhood club.

As much as those at The Hawthorns would be left frustrated by his exit, there’s no doubt that Fellows deserves to be playing in England’s top tier. The 21-year-old has been excellent once again in the current campaign, assisting an impressive 11 goals whilst getting on the scoresheet twice himself in the Championship. If West Brom do achieve promotion, he will undoubtedly be at the centre of that success.

West Brom must rue losing amazing loan star who's now outperforming Fellows

This former West Bromwich Albion loanee has come on leaps and bounds since his days at the Hawthorns.

ByKelan Sarson Mar 19, 2025

Losing such an important player this summer would instantly redirect the Baggies’ transfer plans and it looks as though they’re already preparing for the worst in the coming months.

According to Football Insider, West Brom are now battling to sign Bobby Wales ahead of Blackburn Rovers this summer in what could be a free deal following the end of his contract at Kilmarnock. The young striker is one for the future and one who could become West Brom’s new talisman in Fellows’ absence, having already scored five goals for Kilmarnock’s senior side this season.

Given the potential that the teenager has, West Brom could be landing one of the bargains of the summer by signing Wales on a free deal. To do that though, they will have to fend off competition from fellow play-off hopefuls Blackburn.

"Fantastic" Wales is a future star

It looks more and more likely that Wales’ future will be away from Kilmarnock, perhaps allowing West Brom to make their move. If there’s any concerns that the 19-year-old would struggle at first-team level then his goalscoring exploits in Scotland should put those doubts to bed and leave the Baggies desperately chasing his signature.

With Wales’ great form throughout the current campaign has come the praise of Derek McInnes. The Kilmarnock manager told reporters after his young forward equalised against Dundee in December: “When we’re looking for a bit of calmness, quality and a bit of composure, I thought Bobby Wales gave us that.

“It’s a fantastic finish and good on him. We tried to be brave and keep as much attacking threat on the pitch as possible.”

West Brom have already benefitted from one young attacker bursting into their best side in Fellows. Now, if the 21-year-old leaves this summer, they could land an instant replacement for his output by signing Wales. Whether promotion to the Premier League players a part in either of those deals will certainly be interesting too. Sat fifth, West Brom will have all eyes on the play-offs as the Championship campaign comes to a close.

Birmingham Bears secured a place in the Vitality Blast quarter-finals with a thumping 53-run victory over arch-rivals Worcestershire Rapids at Edgbaston.Put in, the Bears started strongly and never lost momentum as they totalled 228 for four thanks to half-centuries from Rob Yates and Dan Mousley and Glenn Maxwell’s 20-ball 44.Mousley then continued his brilliant Blast by adding 4 for 41 to his half-century as the Rapids totalled 175 for 9, Mitchell Santner top-scoring with 56 from No. 3.One more win from their last two games will secure Bears a home tie in the last eight while, though the defeat is a setback for Rapids, they remain in the thick of the qualification race.Related

• Buttler joins 10k club as Lancashire close in on quarter-finals

• Hampshire gun down 210 target to leapfrog Essex

• Blistering Bell-Drummond fires Kent to sixth straight win

• Leicestershire 'investigating allegations' amid Nixon's sudden departure

• Lynn, Zaib put crisis-hit Leicestershire to the sword

The Rapids chose to field but Bears openers Yates and Alex Davies put 50 on the board in 30 balls. England’s most recent debutant Josh Tongue suffered a tough first over with three successive wides, but hit back well in his second over, beating Yates with three successive balls without getting the edge.After a strong powerplay (66 without 0), the Bears lost Davies for 29, caught behind off Santner’s second ball but Yates galloped to his second Blast fifty in 24 hours before skying a return catch to Dillon Pennington.Maxwell’s departure, well-held by Pat Brown at long-off off Santner, brought together two of English cricket’s most vibrant young talents – Mousley and Chris Benjamin. They crashed 60 from 30 balls to leave the Rapids needing to score at 11.40 an over.Glenn Maxwell got into his groove•Getty Images

They received a perky start from Brett D’Oliveira and Jack Haynes before the former tried to swat Mousley’s first ball to leg and was bowled. Haynes then swung Danny Briggs over mid-wicket for six but drilled the next ball to Yates at extra cover.The Rapids had to go for broke and that pressure cost wickets. Briggs struck a big blow by luring former Bears team-mate, and fellow Ventnor product, Adam Hose to his doom, stumped by Davies. Kashif Ali smote Mousley far into the Hollies Stand but then dragged a swinging yorker from Hasan Ali on to his stumps in a superb over which cost three runs and sent the required rate into the stratosphere.Santner landed some clean blows in his fifth T20 half-century off 27 balls, but Mousley bowled Ben Cox and Usama Mir with successive balls to leave the Rapids needing 96 from five overs. When Mousley had Santner stumped to complete his four-for, the Bears were home, hosed and in the quarter-finals.

Glasgow Rangers closed the gap between themselves and their rivals at the top of the Scottish Premiership table to 13 points with a 3-2 win on Sunday.

The Light Blues secured all three points in a dramatic afternoon in Glasgow to ensure that they did not go 19 points behind Celtic, even if another league title for their local rivals feels inevitable still.

Goals from Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande gave the Ibrox giants a commanding lead at the break, in front of the away fans at Parkhead, but it all came crumbling down at the start of the second half.

Daizen Maeda pulled one back just after the break before Reo Hatate eventually found an equaliser to make it 2-2, slotting past Jack Butland with relative ease.

Up step Hamza Igamane, though, to win all three points for Barry Ferguson’s team with a thunderous volley past Kasper Schmeichel in the 88th minute.

Whilst the Morocco international stole the headlines with his sensational winning goal at Parkhead, it was central midfielder Raskin who deserves most of the praise for the club’s performance.

Nicolas Raskin's performance against Celtic

The Belgium international started at the base of the midfield for the Light Blues, with Diomande and Connor Barron alongside him in the middle of the park, and he bossed the first-half.

It was his terrific header from James Tavernier’s corner that opened the scoring for the Gers after just four minutes, as he got the run on Jeffrey Schlupp to glance his effort into the far bottom corner.

Raskin, then, played a vital role in the second goal for Rangers by making a well-timed run into the box to flick on a cross that teed up Diomande to slot the ball into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.

The Belgian dynamo, therefore, was the key figure behind the 2-0 lead at the break thanks to his direct involvement in both of the goals from a midfield position.

As you can see in the table above, though, Raskin’s play out of possession was just as important for the Gers, as he constantly closed down and pressed the Celtic players to ensure that they could not dictate the flow of the game.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

It was a stunning all-round performance from the 24-year-old central midfielder at Parkhead, and one that proved that he is undroppable for the Light Blues.

Why Nicolas Raskin is undroppable

The former Standard Liege star has started 22 of his 26 appearances in the Premiership so far this season, and should start whenever he is available to do so.

Raskin’s qualities in and out of possession make him such a vital part of Ferguson’s side, as they did when Philippe Clement was in charge, as he has the ability to break up play and offer a physical presence in midfield, whilst still having the technical skills to control a match.

Of all current Rangers players, the Belgian star is averaging the most tackles and interceptions (3.8) combined per match in the Premiership this season. This suggests that he is the best player in the squad at winning challenges to prevent opposition teams from creating chances.

Raskin has also created six ‘big chances’ and registered five assists in the top-flight to date. Only Tavernier (seven) has recorded more assists than the midfield star, which shows that he is also an influential player on the ball for the Scottish giants.

He is not the only Rangers star who should be deemed undroppable by Ferguson after his showing against Celtic, however, as central defender Dujon Sterling put in a noteworthy performance.

Why Dujon Sterling should be undroppable

Ferguson has lined Rangers up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in the last three matches, in both legs against Fenerbahce and against the Hoops, and that has opened up an opportunity for the English defender to stake a claim for his position in the team.

The Light Blues signed Sterling from Chelsea in the summer of 2023, under Michael Beale, and he has yet to nail down a main role in the side to date.

As you can see in the table above, the versatile defender has been utilised in a multitude of positions by previous Rangers managers, but Ferguson may have stumbled upon the best role for him.

Sterling played the right-sided centre-back role in the back three of the manager’s 3-4-2-1 system, which is essentially a combination of playing right-back, centre-back, and right midfield at times – hence why it suited him so well.

The 25-year-old star provided a dominant presence out of possession in that set-up, as he won 83% (5/6) of his defensive duels throughout the match.

Sterling ended the match without being dribbled past a single time by a Celtic player, whilst the former Chelsea man also made three tackles, one interception, one block, and three clearances.

The Rangers defender also had the best defensive moment of the match, for either side, when he unbelievably flicked a goal-bound effort from Maeda up and over the bar. He readjusted his body brilliantly to turn and make a last-ditch intervention to stop the Celtic man from scoring.

With this fantastic performance in mind, and how the right-sided centre-back position seems perfectly suited to his versatility, Sterling should now be undroppable in Ferguson’s new system moving forward for the rest of the season.

The right-footed titan must, now, ensure that he can continue to deliver quality performances in that position to ensure that he finally finds a regular home on the pitch at Ibrox.

Available for £0: Rangers targeting an "amazing" Igamane replacement

Rangers could be looking to sign a Premiership striker this summer.

By
Ross Kilvington

Mar 15, 2025

كشفت تقارير صحفية إنجليزية، أن نادي ليفربول الإنجليزي، قد حدد سعر بيع لاعبه في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية.

وارتبط لاعب ليفربول بالمغادرة هذا الصيف، مع فقدان إمكانية الحصول على مقعد أساسي في تشكيل المدرب آرني سلوت.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بايرن ميونخ يستهدف التعاقد مع مهاجم ليفربول

وذكرت صحيفة “ذا أثليتيك”، أن فريق ليفربول يتطلع إلى بيع لاعب وسط الفريق، هارفي إليوت، في الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.

وتابعت الصحيفة أن ليفربول مستعد للتخلي عن خدمات إليوت البالغ من العمر 22 عاماً، بمبلغ 50 مليون جنيه إسترليني، أو بمبلغ يتجاوز 40 مليون باوند مع وجود خيار إعادة للشراء.

ووضع لاعب الريدز شرطاً في حال رحيله، بأنه يرغب في المشاركة مع فريق متواجد بدوري أبطال أوروبا، بهدف اللعب بانتظام في أعلى المستويات.

ويحظى اللاعب الإنجليزي باهتمام عدة أندية من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز والدوري الألماني، وعلى رأسهم توتنهام وبرينتفورد ولايبزيج.

ويرتبط إليوت بعقد ممتد مع ليفربول حتى موسم 2027، بعد أن وقع عقداً لمدة 6 سنوات في صيف 2021.

وشارك إليوت في 28 مباراة مع ليفربول في الموسم الماضي بجميع المسابقات، وتمكن من تسجيل 5 أهداف وصناعة 3 أهداف.

وتمكن إليوت من قيادة منتخب إنجلترا تحت 21 عاماً من الفوز بكأس الأمم الأوروبية ضد ألمانيا، حيث نجح في إحراز 5 أهداف في خلال 6 مواجهات.

Manchester United are eyeing a move for a Championship player in the summer with Ruben Amorim keen to add strength in numbers to his team, according to a new report.

Neville slams Onana as United hold Arsenal to 1-1 draw

United extended their unbeaten run in the top flight to three games on Sunday as they held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, edging themselves further away from the Premier League’s bottom three and all but ending their rivals’ title hopes.

Amorim’s side took the lead on the day through a superb Bruno Fernandes free-kick on the stroke of half-time, and they had chances to extend their lead in the second period, but were punished for their wastefulness in the 74th minute when Declan Rice stroked home the equaliser from the edge of box.

Nevertheless, the result was a huge scalp for United, who have been desperately struggling this season, and Amorim was full of praise for his side afterwards.

One man who couldn’t escape critcism, however, was goalkeeper Andre Onana, who was slammed by former United defender Gary Neville for a save he made late on, which saw him parry the ball straight into the path of Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli to present the Brazilian with a clear chance at goal, which luckily, he spurned.

“Gabriel Martinelli hangs his head but he will be happy the offside flag went up. But that was really poor goalkeeping from Andre Onana,” said Neville on Sky Sports.

Amorim must now axe 5/10 Man Utd dud who lost the ball every 3 touches

Ruben Amorim has a number of issues to fix at Manchester United.

2 ByKelan Sarson Mar 10, 2025 United eyeing move for Blackburn goalkeeper Aynsley Pears

This isn’t the first time Onana has been criticised this season, with the former Ajax and Inter Milan having faced the wrath of both the media and the United fans on a number of occasions following several mishaps between the sticks.

Currently, there is only Turkey international Altay Bayindir to provide him with competition for the number one jersey, but according to journalist Alan Nixon, Amorim is keen on bringing in more competition for him in the summer in the form of Blackburn shot stopper Aynsley Pears.

According to Nixon, United want “a home grown keeper to join their squad” for 2025/26, and Pears is currently on their shortlist. The Red Devils have already sent former goalkeeper and specialist scout Tony Coton to watch Pears in action, as they hope to identify a “seasoned professional” who can “compete for the number one slot” at Old Trafford.

Pears, whose father, Stephen Pears, played for United between 1979 and 1985, has started all but one of Blackburn’s 36 Championship games this season, keeping 13 clean sheets.

For United fans hoping that Pears will be less error-prone than Onana if he completes a move to Old Trafford, however, they may want to think again. Back in April of last year, the Englishman scored a quite comical own goal in a 3-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, slicing a clearance into the back of his own net.

Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown claims the club have "missed" Marcus Rashford and hopes he can be reintegrated back into the squad.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Rashford left United on loan in January
• Still has two years on Old Trafford contract
• Brown hoping for reconciliation

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former United and England defender Brown has admitted he still hopes head coach Amorim and Rashford can resolve their differences so the England forward can continue playing at Old Trafford. Rashford left the club on loan in January to join Aston Villa, with Amorim revealing he struggled to get his ideas across to the 27-year-old.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rashford faces an uncertain future, with Villa yet to take United up on the £40m option-to-buy clause that was included in their loan agreement. Barcelona have also been touted as his next club, though sporting director Deco didn't let much on when recently asked about a potential deal.

• WHAT BROWN SAID

  Brown told , who offer the latest Club World Cup odds: "Marcus Rashford is going to have to start playing really well wherever he goes, first of all. He's done well at Aston Villa, he's got his head back in the game. But he still has two years on his contract at United.

  "If he is looking to move, he would obviously want a big club and Barcelona would be ideal. But it's a lot of money. If the club is looking to get rid of him, they're probably wanting to get paid as well.

  "It's not an easy one to sort out, talking from my heart, I think it would be brilliant if Ruben Amorim and Marcus could sort things out.

  "When he's on form, it's a player United have really missed. I hope they can sort it out in a way that everybody gets what they want. For Marcus personally, he just needs to get his head down and play some football now.

  "Hopefully this gets sorted out sooner rather than later."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD AND UNITED?

  Rashford is one of a number of players expected to leave United in some capacity this summer as Amorim plots an overhaul to the squad that could only finish 15th in the Premier League during the 2024-25 season. They are thought to be targeting a new striker and are said to have made contact with Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

Composed Durham strengthen quarter-finals credentials with fourth win of season

ECB Reporters Network06-Jun-2023

Durham 162 for 6 (Clark 55, Heldreich 3-36) beat Northamptonshire 161 for 7 (Gay 53, Sowter 4-14) by four wicketsNathan Sowter and Graham Clark haunted Northamptonshire Steelbacks for the second time in the Vitality Blast this season after guiding Durham to a four-wicket win at Seat Unique Riverside.Sowter followed his figures of 5 for 15 against the Steelbacks in the reverse fixture with another brilliant spell of 4 for 14 to limit the visitors to 161 for 7 from their 20 overs. Emilio Gay top-scored with a career-best 53, but he lacked support from the rest of the line-up to produce a daunting total for the hosts to chase.Clark delivered an emphatic performance at the top of the innings against the Steelbacks following his century from the opener. His knock of 55 provided the foundation for the chase that was threatened by three wickets from Freddie Heldreich. But, Durham held their composure to strengthen their credentials for a quarter-final place with their fourth win of the season.The visitors solidly started in the powerplay without dominating the Durham attack. Gay was the early pacesetter, impressing with his striking down the ground, including back-to-back boundaries against Luke Robinson. Chris Lynn made a slow start to his knock but brought up the fifty stand with a fine cut behind point to the fence.After clearing the rope for the first time, the Australian was starting to find his range, only to fall for 24 to a brilliant diving catch from Liam Trevaskis at long-off to hand Sowter the breakthrough. Sowter was then responsible for the second wicket as Josh Cobb got himself in a mighty tangle after surviving an lbw shout and was run out by Ashton Turner.Gay continued to play the anchor role and brought up his maiden T20 fifty from 38 balls to position his side for a late surge over the 150-run mark. But Sowter continued to torment the Steelbacks line-up after taking five wickets in the reverse fixture.He prised out David Willey and bowled Saif Zaib to put the clamps on the visitors. The leg-spinner ended his spell with his fourth scalp as Gay was caught on the boundary for 53, taking his ninth wicket in two games against Northants for the cost of just 29 runs.The Steelbacks scrambled to a competitive total of 161 for 7 courtesy of useful late cameos from AJ Tye and Tom Taylor.Northants missed a golden opportunity to set the Durham chase back in the second over when Taylor put down a simple chance at short midwicket to dismiss Alex Lees. The Durham skipper and Clark surged past their fifty partnership at the end of the powerplay, moving ahead of the required rate courtesy of a huge six by the latter.Heldreich earned brief respite for the visitors by breaking the stand with his first ball, pinning Lees lbw for 30.Clark followed in the footsteps of his team-mate Sowter by defying the Steelbacks again. After scoring his maiden T20 century at Wantage Road in the first match of the competition, he proved equally destructive on home soil, powering his way to fifty from 25 balls.Heldreich kept the visitors in with a shout of hauling back the hosts working in tandem with a miserly spell from Saif Zaib, removing Michael Jones and the key wicket of Clark for 55. Zaib then cranked up the pressure when Ollie Robinson was caught on the fence, ending his four-over spell for one for 17.Turner eased the tension for the hosts and all but carried them over the line with a vital knock of 31 from 18. Liam Trevaskis wrapped up proceedings by smashing Tye over the rope before the contest was ended by a wide.