All posts by h716a5.icu

Can Nottinghamshire mount a challenge in the Championship and will Surrey’s new recruits bring success?

Andrew McGlashan and Sahil Dutta08-Apr-2010Much will be expected of Steven Finn after his England debut•Getty ImagesMiddlesex
Captain Shaun Udal Coach Richard Scott Overseas Iain O’Brien (NZ), Adam Gilchrist (Aus – T20), David Warner (Aus – T20)
Given the docile nature of the Lord’s pitch these days it’s lucky Middlesex possess a potent and varied seam attack. Steven Finn had the pace and bounce to leave optimistic England fans dreaming of Ashes success this winter but he needs to prove himself with plenty of wickets for Middlesex first. Iain O’Brien should offer the smart, whole-hearted support that makes his early retirement from international cricket a real loss for New Zealand. It’s the batting, however, that Middlesex desperately need to shore up and Owais Shah – ruthlessly discarded by England – and Eoin Morgan must fire. The MCC link has helped to attract Adam Glichrist for the Twenty20 Cup, giving the batting line-up an almost IPL glitz. SD
Key man Steven Finn – You only have to look at Steve Harmison to see how devastating height and bounce can be in county cricket and if Finn can stay fit and on the fringes of international duty, his wickets alone could win matches.
Keep an eye on Eoin Morgan – Is now the lynch pin of England’s limited-overs sides and could, alongside Shah and Glichrist produce riches in the shorter formats, but if wants to fulfil his ambitions for Test cricket, he needs Championship runs.
Winter surprise Their attempts to sign Sachin Tendulkar. It didn’t happen. Neither did Yuvraj Singh. Eventually they got David Warner.
Silverware? Promotion is a real chance and they are a decent bet for the Twenty20.Northamptonshire
Captain Nicky Boje Coach David Capel Overseas Elton Chigumbura (Zim)
The smaller clubs with no Test ground to prop-up the balance sheets have a difficult task attracting and keeping star players. Which makes the BCCI’s decision to prohibit Virender Sehwag joining for the Twenty20 all the more gut-wrenching. With Monty Panesar gone to Hove and Johan van der Wath unable to get a visa the bowling resources are looking sparse. Yet David Lucas had a vintage summer with the ball last year and David Sales and Mal Loye, who in another world could have been an England pairing, lend a solid feel to the batting.
Key man David Sales – Missed the whole of last season after knee reconstruction and will be desperate to make up for lost time. SD
Keep an eye on Jack Brooks – A lively and competitive pace bowler who rarely holds back.
Winter surprise Dipping into Zimbabwe to find their overseas player.
Silverware? Going to be very tough and it’s hard to see them challenging for honours.There is still plenty to prove for Samit Patel if he wants his England place back•Getty ImagesNottinghamshire
Captain Chris Read Coach Mick Newell Overseas David Hussey (Aus), Hashim Amla (SA), Dirk Nannes (Aus – T20)
They have been Durham’s closest rivals for the last two seasons – but last summer that was purely a statistic because the gap was too wide to be of significance. The core of the squad remains the same (barring Mark Ealham’s retirement) and this season they’ll want the young pacemen, Andy Carter and Luke Fletcher, to build on the positive impression they made last summer. Stuart Broad will be absent for most of the season – if not all – as will Graeme Swann, but they may seen more of Ryan Sidebottom. The overseas batsmen, David Hussey and Hashim Amla, should ensure decent totals while Dirk Nannes will add to their Twenty20 options. With the canny Chris Read and talented Samit Patel they should be a strong team in all formats. AM
Key man Samit Patel – Still shunned by the selectors he still to convince people that he can turn his career around. And it’s not all about runs and wickets, although plenty of both will go down well.
Keep an eye on Andy Carter and Luke Fletcher – Both were part of the England performance squad during the winter and can help take the burden off Charlie Shreck.
Winter surprise Better than expected financial results thanks to hosting the World Twenty20.
Silverware? Should be safe from relegation (if it matters this season) but may end up short of the top again. However, a one-day trophy is a real prospect.SomersetCaptain Marcus Trescothick Coach Andy Hurry Overseas Murali Kartik (Ind), Cameron White (Aus – T20), Kieron Pollard (WI – T20)
Probably the most consistent team across all formats last season, but couldn’t quite hold on to secure a trophy and had to settle for a trip to the Champions League. It’s something of a new era at Taunton this season with Justin Langer having retired and handed the reigns to Marcus Trescothick, while Andy Caddick has finally called time on his career. They will also have to adjust their one-day plans after Craig Kieswetter’s rapid elevation to England colours, but the appearance of Cameron White and Kieron Pollard will mean no shortage of sixes come Twenty20 time. As ever in four-day cricket the question mark is their ability to take 20 wickets often enough and there will be a heavy burden on Charl Willoughby. But he needs some support; they’ll be crossing their fingers it’s a dry summer for Murali Kartik (if the BCCI allow him here). AM
Key man Marcus Trescothick – This year will have to balance captaincy with his run-scoring duties. Needs a huge season to give his weak attack enough to play with.
Keep an eye on Peter Trego – Enjoyed a decent tour with the Lions and wasn’t far away from a T20 call-up. Another good season and higher hours could still be on the offing.
Winter surprise The departure of Phil Frost, the long-serving groundsman, who was made redundant.
Silverware? Hard to see them dismissing teams twice in the Championship, but if Trescothick, White and Pollard fire they will be hard to beat in Twenty20.Rory Hamilton-Brown has been handed the Surrey captaincy despite just seven Championship matches•PA PhotosSurrey
Captain Rory Hamilton-Brown Coach Chris Adams Overseas Piyush Chawla (Ind), Rao Iftikhar Anjum (Pak), Andrew Symonds (Aus – T20)
It’s been a very busy winter for Surrey as they try to reconstruct the talent and aura that once made them the Manchester United of cricket. With the retirement of Mark Butcher, coach Chris Adams poached 22-year-old Rory Hamilton-Brown from Sussex and installed him as captain. How he handles the big egos in the changing room will be intriguing. The batting has been reinforced with Steven Davies’ arrival, while Piyush Chawla (should he arrive) and Garth Batty give balance to the attack. It’s a long road back for Surrey and Adams needs to see some returns on his vast investments. Can money buy success? SD
Key man Mark Ramprakash – Will always make runs but if he finds support and the rest of the team find inspiration from Rory Hamilton-Brown, Surrey’s revival could be quicker than expected.
Keep an eye on Chris Tremlett – One of the many winter recruitments and after his career stuttered to a halt at Hampshire he arrives with a point to prove.
Winter surprise It was less a surprise and more an elongated public courting, but Hamilton-Brown’s move from Sussex to The Oval as captain filled up the winter’s planning.
Silverware? Perhaps a season too early but there is a chance in the Clydesdale Bank 40.Sussex
Captain Michael Yardy Coach Mark Robinson OverseasYasir Arafat (Pak), Dwayne Smith (WI – T20), Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL – T20)
The twin signings of Dwayne Smith and Tillakaratne Dilshan make Sussex strong contenders for defending their Twenty20 crown but for all their limited-overs success last season, they will be hoping to bounce back in the Championship. Having built their last three successful Championship campaigns (2003, 2006, 2007) on Mushtaq Ahmed’s legspin, they will be looking to new-boy Monty Panesar and young spinners Ollie Rayner and Will Beer to lead them straight back out of Division Two. If Murray Goodwin can improve on a disappointing year last season, where he averaged just 33.33, the batting still has a resilient edge. SD
Key man Murray Goodwin – Carried the batting at Hove for a number of years and it’s no surprise that his downturn in form coincided with a fall in Sussex’s fortunes in the Championship last year.
Keep an eye on Monty Panesar – His star faded last summer almost as quickly as it ascended in the years before. He starts afresh this summer at a county sympathetic to the craft of spin bowling and he should be pushing for a seat on the plane to the Ashes.
Winter surprise Shortly before the season started, Ed Joyce said he was interested in playing for Ireland again.
Silverware? They should be too good for Division Two and know how to win one-day matches. One of the favourites in the CB40 and Twenty20.Warwickshire
Captain Ian Westwood Coach Ashley Giles Overseas Imran Tahir (SA)
A middling team from the Midlands in recent seasons. Solid but unspectacular – much in the mould of their coach Ashley Giles. They look a little short on class to make a tilt at the Championship especially if Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott are both needed by England in Tests. However, if pitches turn Imran Tahir will be a handful – he just needs enough runs to work with. Jim Troughton and Tim Ambrose must average more than mid-30s for that to happen. Darren Maddy’s pre-season face injury was hugely unlucky for a player who missed most of 2009, but he should be back for Twenty20 which rejuvenated his career three years ago. AM
Key man Imran Tahir – Will have a huge bowling burden and county batsmen have had trouble playing him in the past.
Keep an eye on Chris Woakes – Along with Steven Finn he is the most exciting young paceman around.
Winter surprise That they didn’t strengthen the pace-bowling department.
Silverware? Unlikely to be Championship contenders which leaves them another team better suited to the one-day game.How will Shakib Al Hasan take to county cricket?•Getty ImagesWorcestershire
Captain Vikram Solanki Coach Steve Rhodes Overseas Phil Jaques (Aus), Shakib Al Hasan (Bang), Steve Smith (Aus – T20)
They only just avoided the wooden spoon last season and things didn’t improve at New Road during the winter. A glut of senior players jumped ship – Kabir Ali and Simon Jones heading to Hampshire, Steven Davies and Gareth Batty leaving for Surrey and Steven Moore disappearing to Lancashire. Add regular flooding and financial strife and the picture is not pretty at New Road. However in Vikram Solanki and new-man Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh captain, Worcestershire have some hope of reviving their fortunes. They will need ageing seamers Matt Mason and Alan Richardson to stay fit. SD
Key man Vikram Solanki – Captain and the side’s best batsman, he needs a vintage year to give his side anything to bowl at.
Keep an eye onShakib Al Hasan – Impressed everyone with his unnervingly accurate left-arm spin and enterprising batting for Bangladesh against England over the winter.
Winter surprise Worcestershire spent most of the winter watching their players head off to other clubs. They did their best to prevent Kabir Ali from moving, but the paceman promptly boycotted pre-season training, leaving the Worcestershire management no option but to let another man go.
Silverware? The best they can hope for is some decent weather keeping hopes for a flirt with promotion in the Championship alive.YorkshireCaptain Andrew Gale Coach Martyn Moxon Overseas Tino Best (WI, TBC), Ryan Harris (Aus), Herschelle Gibbs (SA – T20)
Andrew Gale is Yorkshire’s sixth captain in 10 years as they continue a rebuilding phase that has gone on for a number of seasons. For the last two summers they have found themselves in the lower part of Division One and a similar fate could await this time. There’s no Matthew Hoggard to pound in with the new ball so much will be expected of Ajmal Shahzad when he returns from the World Twenty20, but the spin department is well stocked with Adil Rashid, David Wainwright and Azeem Rafiq. They have had a rough time of trying to secure an overseas player with Ryan Harris’s successful time with Australia and Daryl Tuffey’s injury meaning plans remain up in the air. AM
Key man Jacques Rudolph – Will be the fulcrum of the batting and his experience will be important to Gale as he learns the ropes.
Keep an eye on David Wainwright – Andy Flower wants a left-arm spinner who can bat. Wainwright ticks both those boxes although remains inexperienced.
Winter surprise Plucking Tino Best out of the Caribbean during their pre-season tour. A rematch with Andrew Flintoff would be fun at some point.
Silverware? Will do well to finish in the top of half of the Championship, but could be an outside bet in the one-day campaigns.

A key claim has emerged on Blackburn beast Joe Rothwell, regarding Glasgow giants Rangers’ pursuit of his services…

What’s the talk?

The Sun journalist Alan Nixon has revealed that he has heard nothing about the club’s interest in the midfielder since Giovanni van Bronckhorst replaced Steven Gerrard at the helm.

It had previously been reported by The Sun that the Gers were leading the race to sign him on a pre-contract deal in January, but this update appears to throw the move into doubt.

Bye-bye Kamara

Van Bronckhorst has enjoyed a near-on perfect start to life at Rangers but this update from Nixon suggests that he could be on the verge of his first disaster at Ibrox.

The Dutchman has won seven of his eight games in charge of the side, conceding just two goals in that time, and is yet to taste defeat on the pitch.

However, he may be about to suffer a loss off the pitch unless he ensures that he carries on Gerrard’s work and secures a deal to sign Rothwell. It would be a disaster to miss out on the midfielder as his form for Blackburn suggests that he could be a superb addition to the squad, particularly on a free transfer.

This season, the 26-year-old has averaged an exceptional WhoScored rating of 7.06 in the Championship. He has chipped in with one goal and seven assists from midfield, averaging 1.4 key passes and 1.9 dribbles completed per game.

Rovers boss Tony Mowbray once heaped praise on the midfielder’s speed as he urged him to get closer to goal, saying: “He’s an exciting talent, he’s exceedingly fast, he keeps the ball really tight. We want him running towards the opposition goal rather than across the pitch.”

James Tavernier (10) is the only Rangers player with more than four assists in the Premiership this term, with Glen Kamara’s tally of three the most out of the midfield unit. This suggests that Rothwell could provide a creative lift to van Bronckhorst’s options in the middle of the park, whilst also being capable of delivering consistently high-quality performances.

With Kamara linked with a move away, it also suggests that the Rovers midfield general could be his perfect heir in the middle of the park.

Therefore, it would be a mistake to pass up on the opportunity to sign him after Gerrard seemingly laid the groundwork for the deal before he departed for Aston Villa. This is why the new Gers head coach must avoid a disaster and ensure that Ross Wilson gets a move over the line in the coming weeks.

AND in other news, Gvb set for major Rangers boost “this week”, fans will surely be buzzing…

MS Dhoni is looking for more improvement from India after they swept past Afghanistan in their opening match of the World Twenty20

Cricinfo staff02-May-2010MS Dhoni is looking for more improvement from India after they swept past Afghanistan in their opening match of the World Twenty20 in St Lucia. India, the 2007 champions, back up against South Africa on Sunday, but are already looking towards the final stages of the event.”We hope to get better and better as the tournament goes,” Dhoni said after the seven-wicket success. “With today’s win we have qualified for the Super Eight stage. That is when we need to play at our best because each of the teams have the potential to win the title.”Dhoni was unbeaten on 15 off six balls when the winning runs were scored in the 15th over, as they comfortably passed Afghanistan’s 115 for 8. “We jell well as a team and the dressing room atmosphere is wonderful,” Dhoni said. “We play and win as a happy family. If we continue in the same spirit, we should be able to do well in this event.”Ashish Nehra led the bowling with 3 for 19 while the debutant Murali Vijay guided the chase with 48 off 46 balls. “Murali Vijay is an asset to the team,” Dhoni said. “We saw during the IPL what he can do with the bat. He is a batsman who looks quiet but is capable of playing big shots when the situation warrants.”Afghanistan did not give up in their first game on the major stage and enjoyed the experience of playing against a high-quality side. “India is one of the best teams in the world,” the captain Nowroz Mangal said. “We were very happy to play our first match against them. Early in the morning the wicket was difficult for us but it was a good experience for our guys.”The opener Noor Ali made sure his side would post a decent total with 50 while Ashgar Stanikzai hit three sixes over midwicket in his 30. They were the only batsmen to reach double figures as the rest struggled with the short balls of the fast bowlers.Afghanistan’s coach Kabir Khan knows the only way they will improve against the quicks is to face them more. “So far they haven’t played fast bowlers of that pace, which normally they would have trouble with,” he said. “I hope after the World Cup we play against good sides so they get used to it.” Their final group game is against South Africa in Barbados on Wednesday.

The January transfer window is fast approaching and Wolves manager Bruno Lage may want to make a few moves to alter his squad.

One player who is reportedly on his winter wish list is Portuguese midfielder Renato Sanches, with the club potentially looking to bring him in from Lille.

Journalist Luke Hatfield recently admitted that the 24-year-old is a more likely target in comparison to Manchester United’s Donny van de Beek. He told GIVEMESPORT when asked about the Red Devils outcast: “I still think someone like Renato Sanches is going to be probably higher on the list for Wolves this winter or next summer.”

In bringing Sanches to Molineux, Lage could brutally axe a current first-team squad member and leave their future at the club in doubt – Leander Dendoncker.

Brutally axe Dendoncker

The £75k-per-week Belgium midfielder, who was previously dubbed “special” by his national team boss Roberto Martinez, has been in dire form this season and could be replaced by the Lille maestro in January. Out of the current Wolves squad, only Fabio Silva (6.08) has averaged a lower WhoScored rating than Dendoncker (6.37), although the striker is yet to start a match compared to the Belgian’s seven starts.

This shows that he has been consistently disappointing in the Premier League and has not been able to perform week in, week out to a respectable level. Therefore, Wolves could improve their squad by axing him and bringing in Sanches.

The Lille gem was once hailed by Niko Kovac, with the former Bayern Munich head coach saying: “Renato has an exceptionally good technique, very good speed and a great body. It’s true that people fly off him left and right – just like they used to do with Lothar Matthaus. I’m delighted for Renato – I said yesterday that he was excellent in pre-season and it wouldn’t be long before he plays.”

This season, Sanches has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.23 in Ligue 1. He has won 59% of his duels and completed 2.6 dribbles per game, whilst also creating 1.5 chances per match. The midfielder has shown that he can perform consistently to a high level whilst making an impact at both ends of the pitch, which is why he could come in and replace Dendoncker, improving Wolves’ team in the process.

If Lage does complete a deal for the ex-Bayern midfielder, ten it could leave the Belgian in a difficult position as his place in the squad could be occupied. This potential brutal axing may not be pleasant for the current Molineux ace, but it could be beneficial for the team moving forward.

AND in other news, Big blow: Wolves suffer huge injury setback which will leave fans fuming…

Lots of Glasgow Rangers fans have been left fuming over some transfer news that has emerged on Borna Barisic.

As per The Scottish Sun, the Ibrox faithful have now rejected a bid worth £2m from Watford for the Croatia international, and have set an asking price of £5m.

The Hornets did go back with an offer of £1.5m in add-ons, but the bid did not impress the Teddy Bears, who have recently sold another full-back in Nathan Patterson to Premier League club outfit Everton for £16m, including add-ons.

Thus, with that kind of money brought in, Light Blues supporters can feel aggrieved with the transfer fee that Watford are offering for Barisic, who is more of a guaranteed starter under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Rangers fans on Barisic transfer news

These Gers were left fuming as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one RFC fan even going as far as to claim that it is ’embarrassing’:

“A joke of a bid that has rightfully been laughed out. Barisic is here for 2IAR.”

Credit: @DrTimSkelper

“This is the type of behaviour from another club which means you simply refuse to do business with them.”

Credit: @CemetryGates89

“Don’t know what’s worse, the “£2m bid” or the “£5m asking price”. What part of his body was the £2m for?”

Credit: @ZambianPrince

“£2m is an absolute insult”

Credit: @AllyT53

“£2m. Presume they either forgot a ‘0’ or they’re only bidding for the right leg.”

Credit: @AMcKellar89

“That’s embarrassing from @WatfordFC. You’d maybe get his right foot for that but you’d need another £6m for the left foot as well.”

Credit: @AngryBuff

In other news, find out what transfer update has Gers buzzing here!

Rain was the only winner on the opening day of Glamorgan’s County Championship match against Surrey at the Swalec Stadium, where only eight overs were possible

29-May-2010
ScorecardRain was the only winner on the opening day of Glamorgan’s County Championship match against Surrey at the Swalec Stadium, where only eight overs were possible.After persistent rain, play eventually began at 4.15pm after Surrey put Glamorgan in to bat. But Division Two leaders Glamorgan, looking to record a fifth successive victory for the first time in their history, had made 19 without loss when rain arrived again and umpires Michael Gough and David Millns took the players from the field.It was Glamorgan’s first significant loss of play to the weather this season. Before today the Welsh county had lost only 90 minutes to the weather in their opening seven matches.

According to Football Insider, a West Ham United source has lifted the lid on some transfer news involving Wolves forward Adama Traore.

The Lowdown: West Ham want new forward…

Manager David Moyes and new head of recruitment Rob Newman have earmarked the signing of a forward as one of their main goals for the January transfer window.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-updates/” title=”West Ham latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Links to out-and-out strikers are prevalent but the Irons have also been touted to swoop for players in a more wide-attacking role as well as through the middle.

West Ham were linked with a move for winger Anwar El Ghazi, for instance, with FI now sharing news on another forward man in Traore.

The Latest: Hammers source makes Traore claim…

As per a Hammers source, speaking to the outlet, West Ham, and by extension their transfer chief Newman, have made a ‘concrete’ move to sign the 25-year-old.

As they join the race with Spurs for signature, it is believed that Wolves could now sell for just £18 million – with his price tag plummeting from £50 million last year.

Amid his £32m drop in valuation, the Irons and Newman have apparently registered their interest.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Despite their need for a more natural centre-forward, Traore could come as astute bit of business and a different option for Moyes in the attacking areas.

Averaging more dribbles per 90 (4.5) than any West Ham player in the Premier League this season, the Spain international is still only 25-years-old with many years left at the top level.

Pundit Paul Robinson is certainly a big admirer, calling Traore ‘devastating’, with it being clear that West Ham may well find him very useful as they continue their chase for Champions League qualification.

In other news: Insider: Moyes tells GSB to sign ‘sensational’ attacker with West Ham now set to move, find out more here.

A round-up of the third day’s action of the ICC World Cricket League Americas Region Division One in Bermuda

Cricinfo staff01-Jun-2010Despite having a squad of just 13 to choose from, Bermuda faced no problems in thumping Cayman Islands by 148 runs. Things started in disastrous fashion for the hosts, as they lost their openers for ducks after being put in to bat. Things went from bad to worse when the captain David Hemp was consumed by Kervin Ebanks in his bustling opening spell. Steven Outerbridge and Janeiro Tucker then adopted contrasting methods to rescue the innings, and the combination worked wonders for Bermuda. Tucker carried on his fine form, striking five sixes and as many fours in his 83-ball 77. Outerbridge adopted a more measured approach, consuming 110 balls for his 65, as the pair raised 109 for the fourth wicket. Irving Romaine and Rodney Trott struck quick twenties in the end overs to lift the score to a healthy 247. Ronald Ebanks cashed in as the batsmen went in search of quick runs, picking a five-for in the end overs.Jordan DeSilva’s opening spell quickly put paid to the visitors’ hopes of launching their chase, sending the openers back early. Sacha De Alwis, the one-drop batsman was out in bizarre fashion, obstructing the field. Jim West shared the spoils with DeSilva, picking three wickets as the chase folded for 99 in the 40th over.Zubin Surkari’s fifty and Khurram Chohan’s three-wicket haul helped Canada trounce Argentina by six wickets at Southampton Rangers Cricket Club. After being put in to bat, Argentina were reduced to 35 for after Chohan’s early burst. The highest partnership was the 46 between Estaban McDermott and Martin Siri for the eighth wicket. Chohan finished with 3 for 32 as Argentina ended on 155. Canada got off to a decent start with the openers adding 42 but suddenly lost three wickets for as many runs. But Surkari and Sandeep Jyoti went on the attack and sealed the game in the 23rd over. Surkari’s 57 came off 49 balls, while Jyoti remained unbeaten on 45 off 40 balls.It was another one-sided encounter at the Somerset Cricket Club as United States of America, helped by a combined efforts by the batsmen and bowlers, beat Bahamas by 115 runs. Half-centuries by Sushil Nadkarni and Aditya Thyagarajan and a quick 48 by Lennox Cush helped push USA to 307. The USA was built around strong partnerships by the top and middle order, the best being 82 for the first wicket between Nadkarni and Orlando Baker. Thyagarajan’s knock was the quickest, his 58 coming off 43 balls with six fours and three sixes. Bahamas on the other hand couldn’t string together enough stands to mount the target and as a result, all the batsmen who made starts couldn’t convert them to fifties or more. Rohan Parks was the top scorer with 39, and for USA, Adrian Gordon, Cush and Muhammad Ghous took two wickets apiece.

Wes Durston, the middle-order batsman, who began his first-class career playing for Somerset, has signed a full-time contract with Derbyshire until the end of the 2012 season

Cricinfo staff22-Jun-2010Wes Durston, the middle-order batsman, has signed a full-time contract with Derbyshire until the end of the 2012 season. He has been a part of the Derbyshire side for the Friends Provident T20 tournament, but is now eligible to play for the county in all competitions.Durston, 29, represented Somerset from 2002 to 2009 in 34 first-class games, averaging 38.35 before being released following the conclusion of the Champions League Twenty20 last year. He made his List A debut in 2000, playing for Derbyshire, before moving to Somerset.Durston signed up with the Unicorns – the ECB’s Recreational XI of the best un-contracted players in the country – and smashed 117 from just 68 deliveries to lead them to a record chase against Sussex in a Clydesdale Bank 40 clash in May this year. He was snapped up by Derbyshire for the domestic Twenty20 tournament and proved his worth, scoring a century against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge followed by an unbeaten 71 against Durham.John Morris, Derbyshire’s Head of Cricket, said of Durston: “The original Friends Provident t20 contract signed by Wes gave him an opportunity to prove himself.”The way he has performed in all facets of the game, as well as his attitude and professionalism both on and off the field, has convinced us that he will be an excellent addition to our squad for all forms of cricket.”

The Athletic’s James Pearce has dropped an update on Liverpool’s plans for the rest of the January transfer window…

What’s the story?

Jurgen Klopp’s side have yet to bring in any new faces this month, and saw their AFCON-depleted squad muster only a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final clash against Arsenal at Anfield on Thursday night.

And, in a post-match discussion with fans, Pearce responded to questions about whether the club would be looking to make any new signings in these final couple of weeks of the transfer window.

He said: “As things stand not expecting any incomings. A year ago that situation changed rapidly towards the end of the window so let’s wait and see. I think we saw enough from Kaide Gordon last Sunday to believe he can have an impact in the coming weeks. I’d definitely have him on the bench for a game like this, especially with Origi still missing.

“Not heard him mentioned (Frenkie de Jong) but it’s certainly an area of the squad I’m expecting to see reinforced next summer.”

Still time left for Liverpool

While Pearce gave a rather disappointing claim that as things stand, he doesn’t expect any new incomings, he did leave the door open for the Reds to come up with a surprise – something that will surely excite supporters.

Liverpool looked a shadow of themselves against Arsenal on Thursday, absent of both Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, while injuries also robbed them of the likes of Thiago in midfield.

It all meant that despite the man advantage following Granit Xhaka’s sending off, they were unable to make it count, and head into the second leg at the Emirates with the tie finely poised.

Bringing in new faces would help alleviate some of the injury concerns they’ve had and also the fact Salah and Mane remain at AFCON, and would give them that extra boost heading into the second-half of the campaign.

As Pearce says, given how things changed so quickly last January, Liverpool fans could still be in for a welcome surprise come the end of the January transfer window.

Meanwhile, this Liverpool star was shocking vs Arsenal…