Leon Johnson will lead the WICB President’s XI against the touring Indians in a two-day practice match at Warner Park in St. Kitts on July 9 and 10

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2016Leon Johnson will lead the WICB President’s XI against the touring Indians in a two-day practice match at Warner Park in St. Kitts on July 9 and 10. Johnson, who has scored 275 runs in four Tests at an average of 39.28, is one of six Test players in the 12-player President’s XI squad, the others being Jermaine Blackwood, Rajendra Chandrika, Shane Dowrich, Shai Hope and Jomel Warrican.Rayon Griffith has been named manager-coach of the team, and Henderson Springer the coach.India will play two warm-up games against the President’s XI before their four-Test series against West Indies. The selectors have not yet named the President’s XI squad for the second warm-up game, a three-day match that will also be played at Warner Park from July 14 to 16.The first Test starts on July 21 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.WICB President’s XI squad: Leon Johnson (capt), Jermaine Blackwood, Rajendra Chandrika, Roston Chase, Jason Dawes, Shane Dowrich, Shai Hope, Damion Jacobs, Keon Joseph, Marquino Mindley, Vishaul Singh, Jomel Warrican

Aston Villa have five fixtures remaining of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign as they look to secure as high a finish as possible in a bid to nail down a place in Europe ahead of the new term that is set to get underway in August.

The Midlands outfit have experienced nothing short of a remarkable turnaround since the arrival of Unai Emery who has won 13 of his 22 games in charge, the most recent being the 1-0 victory over Fulham on Tuesday night. The Spaniard has also become the first manager in English top-flight history to have seen his team score in all of their first 20 games under a new boss, further highlighting the incredible impression he's made since taking to the dugout.

The Villa Park side absolutely have the right to get excited about what next season could look like under the stewardship of the 51-year-old, but even in the immediate short-term, they are currently in contention to seal qualification to the Europa League which is surely something that supporters would never have expected to be competing for if you would have asked them at the start of the term, so with that being said, here’s how we think their remaining handful of games will pan out.

Aston Villa fixtures

• 30 April: Man United (a)

• 6 May: Wolves (a)

• 13 May: Tottenham (h)

• 20 May: Liverpool (a)

• 28 May: Brighton (h)

Man United v Aston Villa

Following the 1-0 win over Fulham last night, the Villans will be pumped up, ready and raring to go when they make the trip to Old Trafford to take on Erik Ten Hag’s side on Sunday, with another three points for the visitors potentially definitive in the race for European football.

Emery has to ensure that his outfit maintain their confidence and positive run of form that they produced in midweek, and whilst they will be hoping to replicate their 3-1 victory from the reverse fixture in November, it won’t be an easy task to do the same in front of the United crowd.

But with this being an important match to Champions League-chasing Man United, they will not be able to take an in-form Villa lightly, and with an FA Cup final on the horizon, Villa may yet be able to land a psychological blow.

Prediction: Man United 1-1 Aston Villa

Wolves v Aston Villa

The Premier League fixtures are coming thick and fast for Aston Villa, whose next away game after United is versus Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Old Gold were in a vulnerable position and in danger of relegation but have since secured a much-needed victory over Crystal Palace, creating distance between themselves and the drop zone.

From a Villa perspective, this is likely to be considered a very winnable match against an inconsistent side, and another three points would allow them to continue their momentum and gain ground on their competitors around them in the table – which is what we expect on Saturday week.

Prediction: Wolves 1-2 Aston Villa

Aston Villa v Tottenham

On paper, Aston Villa facing Wolves, you’d expect to result in a comfortable victory, but the difficult tests return when they host Tottenham Hotspur in their next game back at home. Ryan Mason’s side will be desperate to change their fortunes after the heavy 6-1 defeat to Newcastle United as they compete to secure a top-four finish, so they could come out fighting – and with a completely different mentality.

The Midlands crowd are sure to be in great voice and prepared to get behind their team as ever, but this could prove to be the possible banana skin of the remaining fixtures during the run-in.

Prediction: Aston Villa 1-2 Tottenham

Liverpool v Aston Villa

Following what is sure to be an exciting and fast-paced contest against Spurs, Aston Villa hit the road once again, this time travelling to Anfield to face Liverpool who could still potentially qualify for some kind of European competition should they start picking up results.

Back in the reverse fixture in December, the Reds secured a 3-1 win, so Emery will be hoping that his side can head to Merseyside and gain revenge by turning the tables and picking up all three points, which on their day they are more than capable of doing.

And given the Reds' inconsistent form and that Villa may well have more to lose as they seek a first European berth in over a decade, Emery's men may yet spring a surprise.

Prediction: Liverpool 2-3 Aston Villa

Aston Villa v Brighton

Aston Villa’s final home game, and indeed the last fixture of the 2022/23 season, sees them come up against Brighton and Hove Albion who will also be hoping to secure a qualification spot in the Europa League, therefore making them one of their biggest rivals.

The Seagulls, however, could experience a lack of confidence during the run-in after crashing out of the FA Cup semi-final on penalties against Manchester United, so this is something that the Midlands outfit need to capitalise on, with the result likely to prove definitive when it comes to final standings for Emery.

Prediction: Aston Villa 1-1 Brighton

• Predicted run-in points: 8/15

• Predicted total points: 62

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner has said scoring over 200 was the key in the IPL final against Royal Challengers Bangalore

ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-2016Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner has said scoring over 200 was the key in the IPL final against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Warner had opted to bat in Bangalore and helped his team put up 208 for 7 with his ninth half-century of the tournament, which they won for the first time in their fourth season.”We knew we had to get 200 against these guys, they have a phenomenal batting line-up,” Warner said. “We knew we had to win three games to win this tournament. To come here and beat Bangalore in front of this crowd, we were true underdogs. But we executed our skills, we batted well, bowled well, and fielded well. For us, the key was team effort all the way. [Time to put my feet up] for 24 hours and then I’m off to the Caribbean. But the guys will well and truly celebrate this and it’s time to have a beer.”[It’s a] fantastic team achievement and for me personally it’s overwhelming. To lead this side and the support these players gave me to lead by example and me pulling my weight with the runs…Obviously all the other guys doing their job. But look, it’s been fantastic, it’s been a hard journey for the last two years. From my experience as captain, the credit goes to all the guys.”You need to get a lot of individual players to step up, players need to gel together and get the combinations right. For us the key was to try and emulate with our fielding, that part towards the end here.”Warner did not hesitate to praise the efforts and form of his counterpart, Virat Kohli, who scored 54 off 35 and was part of a rapid opening stand of 114 in 10.3 overs with Chris Gayle, before quick wickets dented Royal Challengers’ chase and they never recovered.”What a leader, Virat Kohli,” Warner said. “I can’t take it away from him. He set the benchmark for all batsmen this tournament and they are a fantastic team.”Kohli, on the other hand, was aggrieved after the eight-run loss and even though he ended as the tournament’s highest run-scorer, a half-century in the final was not enough.”We are really proud of the way we played as a team,” Kohli said. “I mentioned before the finals this was for the people of Bangalore. We wanted to do it for them because of the continuous support we have had. Even when we had the worst of seasons, they have come out to support us. I feel gutted that we were not able to cross the line for them. All the guys have been wanting to cross the line, we reached the finals twice and once in Champions League as well.”We were walking around thanking the crowd and Dan [Daniel Vettori] mentioned to me, ‘we got 200 and we lost.’ So that felt a bit weird that we were short by eight runs. We knew one big partnership would set the tone for us but me and AB [de Villiers] getting out quickly was a big blow. I knew I had things under control and we could achieved the target had I stayed with AB a little longer. They got a bit of luck and then they capitalized, that’s why they are the champion side.”Why Sunrisers won was because they have a strong bowling attack. I knew I was hitting the ball well and I just wanted to keep contributing. If you try to do things for your team, you end up doing special things along the way. That’s a lesson for me as a batsman and everyone around the world. I surprised myself there [with four hundreds in the tournament] little bit, to be honest. I opened the innings as well, we have to consider that someone batting at No. 3 or 4 will not be able to get as many runs so I don’t take these things for granted.”It (orange cap) is a nice incentive with the way we have gone about this season but it doesn’t feel really nice to be at the other side of the result. As a personal achievement this is very special knowing that we have eight teams with world-class batsmen. It feels nice to have scored more than anyone else more importantly so that we reached the finals and it gives me more pleasure than it would have otherwise.”Bhuvneshwar Kumar played a crucial role once again in the end overs and bowled accurate yorkers, which he said are the key in T20s to stem the flow of runs. “I just had to keep myself composed in the end,” he said. “I knew if I would get it right, they wouldn’t be able to score runs. That’s the demand of this game…If you get the yorkers right it’s the best way to stop the runs in the death overs. Warner just said to keep my yorkers right, he asked me to keep myself composed.”Shikhar Dhawan, Warner’s opening partner admitted that even though their batting order didn’t fire at the beginning of the tournament, the side gained more balance once they started posting better totals. “It has been a great season for me and the team,” he said. “Davey led from the front from the first game and hats off to him. It has been a great journey. I feel our team is balanced. Initially we didn’t click as a batting unit then as the tournament went ahead, we started putting more runs on the board. The way [Ben] Cutting has got into the side and he played just two or three matches, but has performed really well.”

Former Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Francisco Trincao has spoken out on his recent upturn in form, after his hugely disappointing form in England last season.

What did Francisco Trincao say?

The 23-year-old expressed his happiness at this current time with perhaps a disguised swipe at Bruno Lage for how he was managed last term.

Speaking to Sport TV, related by O Jogo, he said:

“It’s like the manager has said about me, I need the consistency that I haven’t had in recent years. I feel good here, I’m happy. I hope to gain this consistency to be able to give more and be better.”

What went wrong for Trincao at Wolves?

The Portuguese joined Barcelona on a five-year deal in January 2020 and was handed his debut in October later that year.

Over a year later, the winger netted his first goal for the Catalan Giants in a 3-2 away win at Real Betis in the Spanish League. The following weekend, he then recorded two assists in a 5-1 thumping of Alaves, which included some delicious link-up play with Lionel Messi.

Due to the incredible competition at Barcelona and with an obvious talent that needed some more regular minutes to be developed and nurtured, the attacker joined Wolves on a season-long loan with an option to buy in the summer of 2021 and was tipped to become a real force within English football.

However, the playmaker endured the least productive campaign of his career and only registered four goals in 30 appearances in all contributions.

It was an incredibly disappointing return, heightened by the fact that he was a player who obviously had an oozing attacking flair but a damaging lack of end product – a painfully similar trend to what compatriot Goncalo Guedes experienced in the Midlands.

The fellow Portugal international has endured a comparatively dismal spell in England. Signed last summer, he has only scored twice and registered a solitary assist in 18 appearances. A better rate than Trincao, but still far from mindblowing.

Like the former Barca man, he is already elsewhere – on loan at Benfica.

After Trincao's disastrous spell, the £13m-rated man has also returned to his homeland, signing on loan for Sporting CP. Across 45 appearances for the Lions, he has contributed 15 goals and assists in a season where Ruben Amorin’s side has defeated Arsenal in the Europa League and Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League group stage.

In a recent league match, the former Braga man netted a hat-trick against Casa Pia and also recorded two key passes, two successful dribbles, and a monstrous 9.3 rating, as per Sofascore.

Trincao opting against signing permanently for Wolves emerged as the best option for parties, his short spell in England will be one he'll swiftly forget.

Nick Compton has admitted he is playing for his future in the final two Tests of the Investec series against Sri Lanka.Compton has scored 15, 26, 0, 19, 6 and 0 in his most recent six Test innings and accepts that, with a Test batting average of 30.16, he hasn’t, to date, taken his “chances with two hands”.But while he concedes he wouldn’t necessarily want to watch himself bat if he were a spectator, he insists he has the skills to contribute to a successful England side and will continue to play his natural game in an attempt to prove it.”Sure, definitely,” Compton says when asked if he is playing for his international future. “You’ve got to score runs. It all comes down to weight of runs and performance. I’ve just got to do it better.”We can talk beyond that about certain things but, fundamentally, if I do my job as well as I can and score the runs I know I can, I can contribute to this England team.”Compton’s skills are somewhat out of fashion. At a time when the world is becoming accustomed to men thrashing centuries in little over 40 deliveries, Compton is offering somewhat more old-world fare: he is offering to see the shine off the new ball and draw the sting from the bowlers. But while he admits his style may lack “glamour”, he still feels it has value.”The way the game’s going, I think people are drawn towards a certain glamour,” he said. “Some players provide that and people want to see more of that.”That’s great, we’re in the entertainment business. It’s about getting bums on seats and I suppose watching Ben Stokes’ 200 is better than watching Compton’s 80. If I’m honest with you, if I was sitting on the couch I’d rather watch Brian Lara, or my late grandfather, or Stokes. That’s what people want to see. I’m by no means unaware of that.”But when you look at it, my job is possibly a little bit tougher, it’s quite an intense role. The new ball is tough when you go in there and the way that I play doesn’t always look that pretty. But I feel like I have made the best of what I’ve been given.”In truth, Compton is an elegant player. It’s just he is, by current standards, a relatively slow scorer. But for those who still take pleasure in a perfectly played forward defensive – and such folk appear to be a dying breed – there is a certain beauty in his batting. He can cut, drive and pull nicely, too, and promises that, given a chance, he will show that he has another gear to his batting.”I don’t want to change my style,” he says. “When you’re not playing well your style doesn’t look so great. It can be really hard work. But we’ve an exciting team of stroke-players and it’s my role to get myself in and try and shield some of those players from the new ball.”I know deep inside me there’s a player in here who could change all those opinions very quickly. I’ve got shots. I’ve got things that I can do and I’ve got to allow them to come out.”But you can’t force that. I’ve tried it before. You need to earn that right. As with any batsman who goes in against the new ball, it’s always a vulnerable time.”Unfortunately, until you do it and people see it in real life there’s no point in me saying anything else. Words are cheap and until you do it consistently there’s not much to be said.”Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For more on Investec private banking, visit investec.co.uk/banking

West Indies coach Phil Simmons lauded the side’s top order for driving their four-wicket win over Australia in the ODI tri-series match in Basseterre

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-20162:36

Top four have been asked to put their dancing shoes on – Simmons

West Indies coach Phil Simmons has credited the side’s top order for driving their four-wicket win over Australia in the ODI tri-series match in Basseterre. Marlon Samuels led the 266-run chase with an aggressive 92, after West Indies benefited from a brisk opening stand of 74 between Johnson Charles and Andre Fletcher, and Darren Bravo’s 39 at No. 3.Charles and Fletcher took advantage of the short boundaries at Warner Park to collect six fours and three sixes in the first seven overs. Their swift partnership also allowed Samuels and Bravo to settle and forge an 82-run stand for the third wicket. Once Bravo was dismissed in the 31st over, Samuels opened up to attack the Australian bowlers and helped ensure a comfortable victory for West Indies.”The pressure has been put on the top four to make sure that they set up whatever we have to do at the bottom,” Simmons said. “We know how devastating we can be at the end of an innings with the players we have, so the top four have been asked to put their dancing shoes on and make sure that we are in a position where the latter part of the batting can do what they do, and they’ve done that today and they’ve seen us through.”The 87-ball 92 was Samuels’ second fifty across formats in 2016, after his match-winning 85 not out in the World T20 final against England in April. He had a poor tour of Australia in December-January – scoring only 35 runs in five innings of the three-Test series – and copped heavy criticism, and one of his critics was former Australia legspinner Shane Warne, with whom he had an infamous run-in during the Big Bash in 2013. After his Man-of-the-Match winning knock in the World T20 final, Samuels made a reference to those comments and dedicated his award to Warne. Simmons, however, believed Samuels had left those feelings at the World T20.”I think the fact that he has taken us to victory in the game will be enough for him. I don’t think he’s still worrying about what some people in Australia said,” he said. “I think he answered that in the World T20 final. I think he’s left that there. He’s just happy to score the runs and help the team win.”The West Indies coach stressed the importance of the experience that Samuels and Kieron Pollard brought to the their line-up. Charles and Fletcher have opened in only six ODIs so far and with a young captain in Jason Holder, Simmons believed Samuels and Pollard were important to the side.”In every team you can see there’s experience. You have to have experience all through the team,” he said. “Most of the teams in the world, you have young guys coming in, but only one or two [youngsters] and the rest of the team is experienced veterans, you would call them; after five years, you are a veteran. It’s great to have him, it’s great to have Pollard back because he’s experienced in limited-overs cricket, young Bravo is getting there. So it’s great to have that sort of experience especially where Jason is a young captain and Carlos [Brathwaite] is young.”Despite the victory, Simmons had an area of concern he wanted the side to address, specifically the importance of set batsmen carrying on and finishing the game.”Marlon and Bravo finishing off the game rather than somebody getting out. It’s a case where we have two guys who have put us in a position and they need to carry on. I think there can be a little bit of improvement,” he said. “We are always looking to improve our fielding, which I think today was as good as it has been. And I think we are looking to improve on where we bowl in the first 10 overs and things like that.”

Tottenham Hotspur have 'explored' making a move for Burnley boss Vincent Kompany as Spurs weigh up replacements for Antonio Conte, according to Alasdair Gold.

What's the latest on Kompany to Spurs?

The Belgian has been mentioned as a fairly new target by the press in recent weeks, with a report by The Sun even recently stating that he is one of the favourites.

Kompany's name is just one of many to have been linked with a move to Spurs as quartet Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique and Zinedine Zidane stand out as the most elite options.

Of course, there will be much competition to appoint the aforementioned quartet, especially considering Chelsea are now also on the hunt for a new manager after sacking Graham Potter. There have also been murmurs that Carlo Ancelotti could leave Real Madrid, potentially opening up yet another job for the likes of Pochettino and Nagelsmann.

That could come as a worry for Spurs with more left-field options like Roberto De Zerbi (Brighton) and Fulham boss Marco Silva are also attracting chairman Daniel Levy's interest. Indeed, Kompany may well also fit into the mould of a solid candidate close to home.

Now, reliable journalist Gold has shared what he knows on the matter, writing in a piece for football.london.

He claims that Tottenham have 'explored' making a move for Kompany, who is currently in pole position to clinch the Championship with Burnley. Interestingly, the 36-year-old's 'trusted colleague' Simon Davies is already at Spurs and making a positive impact as head of coaching methodology.

What could Kompany bring to Spurs?

The former Man City captain and Blues legend has already been praised for his attacking brand of football with Pep Guardiola even tipping him for the Etihad hot seat.

Kompany's Burnley side have taken England's second tier by storm, scoring more goals and winning more games than any other side in the division.

It's little surprise top Premier League clubs like Spurs are taking note of his exploits, especially since this is only Kompany's first full season managing in England.

Called an 'incredible' figure by Guardiola, the former Anderlecht boss' career is one to watch with great interest, but we believe his lack of experience could also count against him.

Amid what is a very turbulent time at Spurs, with sporting director Fabio Paratici also taking a back seat until his appeal hearing, a safer pair of hands like Pochettino would come as far less of a gamble.

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Test between England and Sri Lanka

The Preview by Alan Gardner18-May-2016Match factsMay 19-23, 2016
Start time 11am local (1000 GMT)Big PictureAfter a three-month break, in which the upstart T20 has held court, Test cricket is back. We hope you have a good appetite. In late February, Brendon McCullum signed off his international career by slamming the fastest-ever Test century in Christchurch. What does Headingley, one of England’s most-storied grounds, have in store?There was an almighty tale to be told the last time Sri Lanka were in Yorkshire, England’s cricketing heartland but not one which bestows easy favours on the home team. Angelo Mathews’ masterful, career-best 160 helped set up a dramatic victory, spearheaded by Dhammika Prasad’s 5 for 50 and sealed from the penultimate ball of a pulsating match. Those Headingley heroics secured Sri Lanka’s first (multi-Test) series win in England, as well as a clean sweep in all three formats on their 2014 tour.As Sri Lanka’s players cavorted, and James Anderson shed a tear, England were left contemplating another fresh low. Much has changed since then. Alastair Cook, his face set grimly against the wind and rain, slowly turned around the listing vessel under his command, heaving the ship’s wheel with all his might. Two years on and England are sailing with the breeze at their backs again, negotiating some choppy waters to record significant wins over Australia and South Africa in their last three series. Cook himself is about to crest 10,000 Test runs, uncharted territory for an Englishman.That doesn’t mean they can’t be knocked off course again, however. Headingley was again the scene of an England defeat last summer, as New Zealand squared the two-match series, and it is the venue where they have had least success over recent years. The decision to retain Alex Hales and Nick Compton in the top three, after poor and indifferent returns respectively in South Africa, gives Sri Lanka a couple of obvious pressure points to probe, while there will also be a debutant in the top five, due to James Taylor’s forced retirement.But Sri Lanka have their own areas of concern and it would be a truly remarkable achievement if they were to repeat the feats of 2014. The squad has not changed much but Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene will only contribute from the sidelines – they tallied 516 runs in two Tests last time – while only Mathews and Rangana Herath have more than 50 caps. Prasad has been ruled out of the first Test, and Shaminda Eranga has not played in 18 months; Dushmantha Chameera’s pace will catch the eye but he has to learn to catch the edge in conditions of which he has little knowledge.England will hope that this all amounts to a perfect storm for them. Carlos Brathwaite rained on their World T20 parade but international cricket rarely stops moving and series wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan this summer would mean they hold all nine Test trophies – the first team to do so since Australia in 2008 and giving further heft to their status as a coming team under Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace. As if to further chill the Sri Lankans, the weather in Leeds has become decidedly mucky. Test rewards don’t come easily and it is time for these two teams to get their hands dirty again.Alastair Cook and Angelo Mathews pose with the Investec trophy•Getty ImagesForm guideEngland: LWDWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)

Sri Lanka: LLWWL
In the spotlightStepping in to the spot sadly vacated by Taylor is the elegant, unflappable Hampshire batsman James Vince. Marked out as a future international since being compared to Michael Vaughan as an 18-year-old, Vince’s cover drive ought to be classified as an addictive substance but he has learned that there are times when he must overcome his urges to succeed, as a gutsy hundred against Yorkshire demonstrated last month. That innings won over the selectors and he will be back on the same ground looking to prove himself the man to shore up England’s slightly mercurial batting order at No. 5.Big Foot would have a job filling Sangakkara’s boots but it seems like that is just what Kusal Mendis will be asked to do. Experiments with Upul Tharanga, Udara Jayasundera and Lahiru Thirimanne at No. 3 have all been short-lived and Mendis, who made his debut there last year before opening the batting in New Zealand, has had an encouraging start to the tour, with fifties against Essex and Leicestershire. Sangakkara has said he believes the 21-year-old former Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year will be “a very good player as the years go by”; Mathews must be hoping that the future isn’t all that far off.Teams newsAlastair Cook confirmed his XI on Wednesday and there are just two changes to the England team that was roundly thumped in Centurion at the end of the South Africa series, with Vince making his Test introduction and Steven Finn fit to reclaim his place from Chris Woakes. That means no debut for Nottinghamshire’s highly rated seamer Jake Ball.England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Nick Compton, 4 Joe Root, 5 James Vince, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 8 Moeen Ali, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Steven Finn, 11 James AndersonThe major question marks for Sri Lanka hover over No. 7 and the make-up of the pace attack. Kaushal Silva will return to opener, after missing the New Zealand tour, while Dinesh Chandimal looks likely to keep the gloves and bat four. Dasun Shanaka’s century against Leicestershire, and his ability to bowl seam-up, may win him a Test debut in the allrounder’s spot; Prasad’s injury reduces their bowling options, with the four other seamers in the party having played once each so far, to underwhelming effect.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Kaushal Silva, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Shaminda Eranga/Nuwan Pradeep 11 Suranga LakmalPitch and conditionsHeadingley is likely to be as capricious as ever over the next few days, with rain showers set to break up play while providing longed-for cloud cover for the bowlers. The pitch had a green tinge to it one day out but, if the sun shines, it should still be good to bat on, as Root and Bairstow proved during their record-breaking 372-stand during the last Championship match held there.Stats and trivia Alastair Cook needs 36 runs to become the 12th player – and first Englishman – to 10,000 in Tests. If he gets there in this Test, he will be the youngest to do so. England’s only victory in their last six Tests at Headingley came in 2013 against New Zealand. They have lost four and drawn one. Rangana Herath needs three wickets to become the third Sri Lankan to 300 in Tests. If Sri Lanka’s last tour had been played using the proposed multiformat points system, they would have won 14-6 (with four points for a Test win, two for a draw, two for a limited-overs win).Quotes”Sri Lanka have got a history of punching above their weight and are really, really competitive, no matter what’s gone before.”
Alastair Cook suggests he won’t be taking the opposition lightly“When you have 20-odd thousand runs in your team it is a great advantage, but unfortunately we don’t have them any more.”

Derbyshire responded to the shock resignation of elite performance director Graeme Welch by beating Leicestershire by four wickets in a tense T20 Blast game

ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2016
ScorecardChesney Hughes dives full-length for a catch to remove Niall O’Brien•Getty Images

Derbyshire responded to the shock resignation of elite performance director Graeme Welch by beating Leicestershire by four wickets in a tense T20 Blast game at Derby.Only hours after Welch’s departure was announced, Derbyshire bowled the Leicestershire out for 119 and then survived a top-order collapse to get home with two overs to spare.New Zealand allrounder Jimmy Neesham, who followed figures of 3 for 26 with an unbeaten 29, and acting skipper Alex Hughes, 27, shared a sixth wicket stand of 49 in eight overs to swing the game in the Falcons favour.Former Leicestershire allrounder Shiv Thakor took 3 for 17, and although Neil Dexter made 34 from 33 balls and then claimed two wickets, it was not enough to deny Derbyshire a second North Group victory.Derbyshire also went into the game without injured skipper Wes Durston but Alex Hughes made an inspired move after winning the toss by opening with Wayne Madsen’s offspin.Madsen struck with his fourth ball, beating Mark Pettini’s attempted sweep, and in the next over, Mark Cosgrove was bowled for 1 driving at Neesham.The Kiwi struck again in his his next over when Kevin O’Brien skied a drive to mid-on and then took a stunning catch at cover to remove Umar Akmal for a duck.When Ben Raine swept Matt Critchley to deep square leg and Niall O’Brien was brilliantly caught on the run by Chesney Hughes at long-on, Leicestershire were in desperate trouble at 53 for 6 after 10 overs.Lewis Hill pulled Andy Carter for 6 and with Neil Dexter, took the score to 84 before Thakor struck twice to put Derbyshire firmly in control.Hill chipped tamely to mid-off and Tom Wells had his middle stump uprooted three runs later before Neesham returned to have Dexter taken at deep midwicket and end Leicestershire’s hopes of a late flourish.Leicestershire had to take early wickets to have any chance of defending a modest total and they were back in the game when Clint McKay and Raine reduced Derbyshire to 14 for 3.Hamish Rutherford edged a drive at Raine to slip and then McKay had Billy Godleman caught behind and Neil Broom taken at slip first ball.Chesney Hughes struck two sixes and with Madsen, put the Falcons back on course before Dexter removed them both in four balls in his first over.Hughes was bowled trying to drive and then Akmal leapt to take a stunning catch at point to send back Madsen for 23 to reduce Derbyshire to 54 for 5.But Neesham and Alex Hughes batted well under pressure before Thakor finished the contest with three fours in four balls.

Tottenham Hotspur are now expected to make a move for Lille striker Jonathan David this summer, according to recent reports from France.

Will Tottenham need to sign a striker this summer?

There is every chance that Tottenham will need to bring in a new striker in the summer window, as Harry Kane's future remains up in the air, amid interest from the likes of Manchester United, Bayern Munich and even Chelsea.

Spurs have already started to run the rule over potential replacements for the striker, with Brighton & Hove Albion forward Evan Ferguson believed to be of interest, while they have also kept tabs on Brentford's Ivan Toney.

The Lilywhites have been linked with a move for David in the past, and given the uncertainty surrounding Kane's future, they are considering whether to launch a summer bid.

According to a report from L'Equipe (via Sport Witness), Tottenham are expected to make a move for the Lille marksman as soon as they appoint a new manager, and his current club are resigned to losing him in the upcoming window.

The report details that Spurs have started to look at a number of options to replace Kane, and the 23-year-old fits the bill, although there will be stiff competition for his signature, with a number of Premier League sides also plotting moves.

Chelsea and Manchester United are listed as potential suitors, while there is also a possibility the Canadian could remain in Ligue 1, given that Paris Saint-Germain are named as an interested party.

Should Tottenham sign David?

Priority number one for Tottenham should undoubtedly be to get Kane to sign a new contract, given just how important he is to the team, scoring 24 Premier League goals this season, the second-highest amount in the league.

However, if Spurs are forced to enter the market for a new forward, David could be a fantastic replacement, having enjoyed a fantastic season in Ligue 1, scoring 21 goals, second to only Kylian Mbappe in the French top flight.

The £36k-per-week marksman has been hailed as "one of the best strikers in the world" by members of the media, and his goal return in France indicates he could go on to be a top Premier League striker.

At 23 years old, the Canada international also has plenty of time to develop even further, though it may be very difficult to win the race for his signature if Tottenham do not have Champions League football to offer next season.