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Ashleigh Gardner took flight with the bat before Sarah Aley ushered a staggering collapse with the ball as Sydney Sixers set up a final clash with Perth Scorchers again

The Report by Daniel Brettig02-Feb-2018Ashleigh Gardner goes on her toes during her vital half-century•Getty Images

Ashleigh Gardner took flight with the bat before Sarah Aley ushered a staggering collapse with the ball as Sydney Sixers advanced to their third consecutive Women’s Big Bash League final with a 17-run win over Adelaide Strikers. The defending champions’ win gained them the chance to vie for a second title in three editions of the tournament.While the Strikers began tightly with the ball and were kept in the contest until late by Tammy Beaumont, Gardner’s 45-ball 72 and then Aley’s burst of 4 for 1, amid the Strikers’ loss of six wickets for a mere three runs, were obstacles too great for the home side to overcome. The leading team of the qualifying rounds has thus made the final, and will take on Perth Scorchers after they dumped Sydney Thunder from the tournament on Thursday.The Schutt shieldAs befits her consistent place taking the new ball for Australia, Megan Schutt made life difficult for the Sixers after Ellyse Perry chose to bat on a sunny Adelaide afternoon. Across the tournament, Schutt had bowled her overs at a cost of a mere 5.85 runs per over until the semi-final, and she raised her game to more miserly levels this time around.At the other end, Sophie Devine was also effective, and gained the first wicket of the match in the form of the Sixers and Australia wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy. After four overs, the Sixers were a decidedly wobbly 1 for 9, with the clamps seeming to have been placed well and truly on their innings by Schutt in particular. The Sixers needed a way to supercharge the innings – fortunately they had just the power player for the task.Gardner goes bangEarly in the season, Gardner had played a pivotal role in securing a nervy chase for Australia in the opening Ashes ODI at Allan Border Field with a vital burst of hitting opposite Alex Blackwell. In Adelaide, she had the task of batting for longer and setting up the Sixers’ tally after their early struggles, and did so in a fashion that remained true to her heavy-hitting ways. While Perry played a sensible supporting hand, rotating the strike and finding gaps, Gardner set about clumping the Sixers’ scoring rate into healthy territory.Schutt, Devine, Suzie Bates and Amanda-Jade Wellington were all hoisted for at least one Gardner six, several of which carried the men’s boundary as well as the women’s. The most intriguing battle was between Gardner and Wellington, who spun her legbreaks teasingly, and came close to ending Gardner’s innings on 46 when a high ball swirled over Bridget Patterson on the midwicket boundary but burst through her hands while carrying for the six that took Gardner over 50. Wellington would eventually deceive and dismiss Gardner, stumped off a wide, but by then the allrounder had carved out 72 and ensured a decent Sixers total.Aley’s avalancheSliding the ball on with enough pace to punish any misjudgements, Aley has long been one of the more challenging customers in the WBBL. She does not generally need the help she got when coming on to bowl in the fourth over of the Strikers’ chase, with Devine and Bates seemingly traveling well in pursuit. Aley’s first ball was a little short, and hurried onto Bates just enough to have the New Zealand captain pulling straight into the hands of midwicket. Very next ball, Tahlia McGrath sized up another delivery that dropped short and also wide of the stumps. Her attempt to cut was airborne, and straight at Sarah Coyte, who celebrated enthusiastically with her team-mates at putting Aley onto a hat-trick.While the rest of the over was safely negotiated by Beaumont, the collapse would be maintained in Aley’s next over, when she snared a couple of wickets in more typical fashion – Wellington and Tabitha Saville both pinned lbw by balls delivered stump to stump. Patterson and Devine fell in the same period at the other end, meaning the Strikers lost 6 for 3, of which Aley’s haul was a remarkable, and decisive, 4 for 1.Making them work for itAt 6 for 23, the Strikers were every chance of folding in the manner of the Scorchers’ men’s team on Thursday night, but Beaumont was able to stem the bleeding for a time with ardent help from Schutt. Though they let the required run rate balloon into two-runs-a-ball territory, the pair importantly guided the Strikers past 70, and so when Schutt fell lbw to Erin Burns, the game was not quite done for.Beaumont made it to a meritorious 50 and cut the equation to 44 from 22 balls. But she was to be dismissed the next ball after reaching her milestone, lbw trying to reverse sweep Coyte, and from there the match petered out, albeit rather later than it had earlier seemed likely to. The Strikers’ streak is over, ended by a pair of explosive passages of play from the most consistent force in the league.

The Zimbabwe captain also believes the conditions in Bulawayo will negate the threat posed by West Indies’ pace attack

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo20-Oct-2017The Zimbabwean Test side had a torrid 2016, losing three matches by over 200 runs and a fourth by an innings. This year, they have witnessed something of a turnaround. After winning the ODI series in Sri Lanka, captain Graeme Cremer’s Zimbabwe side nearly caused an upset in the Colombo Test. Cremer believes the team that will take on West Indies in Bulawayo in the first Test from Saturday is even better than the one that pushed Sri Lanka hard.”I feel that we’ve probably got an even better team than we had in Sri Lanka,” Cremer said on the eve of the first Test. “We’ll take that confidence from Sri Lanka, but we know we can perform even better than that.”Zimbabwe have been buoyed further by the return of batsman Brendan Taylor and seamer Kyle Jarvis to international cricket, and Cremer’s confidence was echoed by his coach, Heath Streak. “They bring a lot in terms of experience, and we know what they’re capable of,” Streak said. “And we’re focusing on playing our own brand of cricket and backing ourselves, rather than looking at the reputations of the opposition. With the ability that we have in our changeroom, we genuinely can go out and win.”Though the conditions may suit Zimbabwe’s batting and spin-bowling strengths, both Streak and Cremer insisted Zimbabwe are wary of a West Indies side short on experience but having found some grit on their recent tour of England.”We respect West Indies,” Streak said. “We saw what they were capable of in England, winning that Test. Despite that, we feel we’ve got the resources and the personnel to be able to win against these guys in a Test match in Bulawayo.”West Indies have an advantage over Zimbabwe in terms of the pace of their seam attack, but Cremer pointed out that a traditionally sluggish Queens pitch may well blunt the likes of Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel. As well as that, a slightly older, wiser Zimbabwean batting unit will have a little more to offer in terms of experience than the visitors.”We feel that their seam attack is probably one of their strengths, but the Bulawayo pitch will negate that a bit,” Cremer said. “I think the pitch will be a little slow. Hopefully it will take some spin as the Test match goes on.”They’ve got some good batters too, although they’re a little inexperienced. Our team is probably a little more experienced than they are. So we just want to play good consistent cricket over the five days. In Test cricket, even one bad session can hurt you.””We also obviously know the conditions ourselves, so all those things are factored in when we’re looking at the balance of our side and how might exploit any weaknesses in the opposition,” Streak added. “At the end of the day, it comes down to how well you execute those plans on the pitch. Being able to adapt, to think quickly on your feet, to adjust and adapt our strategies will be key.”

Manchester United were slammed by Sky Sports pundits Jamie Redknapp and Gary Neville following their defeat to Nottingham Forest.

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• United suffer defeat at City Ground
• Pundits slam disappointing performance
• Ten Hag under increasing pressure

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils suffered their ninth Premier League loss of the season at the hands of Nuno Espirito Santo's side on Saturday. Nicolas Dominguez netted the game's opening goal at the City Ground, with Marcus Rashford equalising 12 minutes from time. Unfortunately for the under-pressure Erik ten Hag, Morgan Gibbs-White would later earn Forest all three points with a fine finish from the edge of the box.

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  WHAT JAMIE REDKNAPP SAID

  Analysing the game for Sky Sports after the final whistle, Redknapp revealed that he was not impressed with United's performance. "Manchester United are so inconsistent. They are horrible to watch. They have no real appetite, desire, it looks like they are playing under duress. There's not enough ambition or desire," the former Liverpool midfielder said.

• WHAT GARY NEVILLE SAID

  Neville, who was commentating on the game, was equally unimpressed. "Manchester United are back to what they are – inconsistent and awful. They walk off the pitch a defeated bunch. United fans behind the goal will go off so disappointed. But let's not forget about Nottingham Forest who have been absolutely wonderful today," he said.

  He added: "I'm not really sure what this Manchester United team is.' He continued. 'It's a very difficult watch. I think everyone accepted that Erik ten Hag did a very good job in his first season. With the new ownership, Sir Dave Brailsford's going to be on a watching brief, week in, week out now. We're going to see him appear there in the directors' box. He's going to look at what this club is, on and off the pitch. What he's seeing at this moment in time he isn't going to like, along with all the fans behind the goal who travelled to Nottingham today.

  "Ten Hag needs his players back – [Lisandro] Martinez, [Harry] Maguire, Casemiro, [Rasmus] Hojlund, Luke Shaw… and he needs to somehow finish the season strongly. But it's been a really up-and-down season. It's more down than up. Some of these performances are really, really poor. Well below anything that should be required at this level."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The result leaves United in seventh heading in 2024. They are nine points adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal – and that gap will increase if the Gunners gain a positive result against Fulham on Sunday. Perhaps more worrying has been the team's startling lack of goals, with struggling Luton Town netting once more than the Red Devils this season.

Normally the season-opener, the tournament has been deferred to the beginning of next season because of a cramped international calendar

Arun Venugopal25-Aug-2017The Duleep Trophy doesn’t find a place in the 2017-18 domestic calendar that kicks off with the Ranji Trophy on October 6. Normally the season-opener, the tournament has been deferred to the beginning of next season given the cramped international calendar that has India playing 20 limited-overs games from September to December.A BCCI official said the Duleep Trophy was conducted in a year-and-a-half cycle and not necessarily on an annual basis. The Duleep Trophy featured three teams – India Red, India Blue and India Green – last year and was played with the pink ball under lights. The official said the tournament, which would continue to be played with the pink ball, was better suited to be played at the beginning of the season than in the middle or the end.Ranji Trophy groups

Group A: Karnataka, Delhi, Assam, Maharashtra, Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Railways
Group B: Jharkhand, Gujarat, Kerala, Saurashtra, Haryana, Team Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir
Group C: Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Baroda, Tripura
Group D: Himachal Pradesh, Vidarbha, Punjab, Bengal, Services, Goa, Chhatisgarh

“If you remember, ahead of the World T20 year [in 2016], we didn’t have the Duleep Trophy because there was no relevance in holding it when we were looking at selecting a T20 side,” the official told ESPNcricinfo. “Last year, we had a 13-Test season, so starting the Duleep Trophy before the Tests had greater relevance and we had time to do it. The Duleep Trophy takes 24 days [to finish], and with such a long season and with all venues being occupied – obviously we can’t do it in June or July – we had only September.”And, this year we are starting the international season on September 17 which means the team would assemble on September 10 or 11. That’s the reason we decided to defer it to the beginning of next season, which is again a Test season with India playing West Indies and touring Australia and New Zealand. The Duleep [Trophy] will then form the basis for selection in the longer formats.”New BCCI tournaments

One-day tournament for the Under-23 age group

Under-16 zonal women’s inter-state tournament

Under-19 women’s inter-state and all-India T20 tournament

In line with the same principle, the Vinoo Mankad Under-19 50-overs tournament will precede the four-day Cooch Behar tournament, with the Under-19 World Cup being scheduled for January-February next year in New Zealand. Despite India playing a number of limited-overs games in the next few months, the Vijay Hazare 50-overs senior tournament hasn’t been advanced.”The thing is even if Vijay Hazare starts in October-November it will spill over into December,” the official said. “However, even the knockouts of Ranji Trophy will be over before India go to South Africa. That way everyone can participate in these games before the South Africa tour begins.”The quarter-finals of the Ranji Trophy are scheduled to be held from December 7 to 11, while the semi-finals will take place from December 17 to 21. The final will be held from December 29 to January 2.In a letter to all the member units, BCCI’s general manager (cricket operations) MV Sridhar wrote that pitch-preparation would be overseen by a curator of the board’s grounds and pitches committee. Sridhar also wrote that the central curator’s decision in the overall preparation of the pitches would be final. “This decision is more to ensure that the wickets are standardised as per the directions of the technical committee.”The Ranji Trophy will also revert to the home-and-away format for league fixtures in accordance with the recommendations of the BCCI’s technical committee which decided to shelve the neutral-venue experiment after just one season. In another significant change to the structure of the tournament, the 28 teams in the competition have been split into four groups of seven each. They have been grouped based on their average points in the last three years.Karnataka and Delhi will headline the matches in Group A, which will also see an interesting tussle between Maharashtra and last year’s quarter-finalists Hyderabad. Group B’s marquee encounter will feature Gujarat and Jharkhand, who clashed in the last four in 2016-17, while Mumbai and Tamil Nadu will resume their rivalry in Group C. The game between Punjab and Bengal is expected to be the highlight of Group D.The new group format means that with a maximum of six games, each team will play at least two fewer matches in the league phase than in the previous years. While a few coaches expressed concerns over fewer opportunities for players, the official defended the decision and said that there was a bigger gap between games now. According to the BCCI’s schedule, a copy of which is with ESPNcricinfo, there is a minimum of four days between each round, with a week’s break during Diwali.”This is something we discussed in the captains’ and coaches’ enclave with everyone,” the official said. “There were in fact complaints that there was no gap between Ranji Trophy matches. There was only a gap of three days earlier and in that your travel takes up one day. Even in Vijay Hazare, the gap between one-day games was very less. At times, we were forced to play two or three matches in a row which is not correct. We could never give that gap because we had to complete our entire schedule in a span of six months.”These are healthy changes. The bowlers had to be given relief. In current-day cricket, with so many formats, spacing [out games] and managing bowlers’ workloads is important. For batsmen it is never a problem, but we are seeing a burnout of bowlers because playing three formats has a very big impact on your body.”With balls frequently going out of shape in the Ranji Trophy last year, the quality of the SG Test balls was a major cause for concern. The official said that a new variety of ball called the SG Test LE would be introduced in the domestic season and will be used for the home Tests against Sri Lanka.”This is imported leather being used on Indian cricket balls for the first time,” the official said. “There have been many trials over the last one year in smaller games and side games and even in Test conditions with the manufacturer. We saw the reports and obviously it looks like a much-improved product. Too many balls were losing shape and not surviving long enough, but we are confident that this ball will remain durable.”

Arsenal have done well to strengthen their squad early in the transfer window, with Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber soon set to follow Kai Havertz in signing on the dotted line in big-money transfers, but the Premier League heavyweights also appear to be on the lookout for a bargain or two.

Who are Arsenal signing?

According to Radio Guaiba reporter Rafael Pfeiffer (via Brazilian outlet Correio do Povo), the Gunners sent a representative to watch young midfielder Bitello in action for Gremio against Bahia on Wednesday.

It is claimed that Arsenal are readying a bid for the 23-year-old, who is valued at around £8.5m, and Gremio are already on the lookout for a replacement as they accept he will soon depart.

Should Arsenal indeed agree on a fee, Bitello would likely become Arsenal's fourth signing of the summer after Havertz, Rice and Timber, with deals for the latter two close to being made official.

Who is Gremio midfielder Bitello?

Bitello can play in a number of positions, but it is in central midfield that he has excelled.

The Brazilian, who has yet to be capped at senior level by his country, has seven goals and four assists in 33 appearances for Gremio this season.

As per FBref, Bitello is just as strong defensively as he is in terms of the attacking metrics, as he ranks in the top 2% of attacking midfielders across the eight leagues most similar to Brasileiro Serie A in quality for interceptions per 90 minutes (1.12)

The former Cascavel player is also in the top 5% for blocks per 90 (1.59), top 14% for tackles per 90 (1.91) and top 5% for pass-completion percentage (81.9), showing he is also capable of linking play.

While Bitello may be unknown to many outside of South America, Arsenal have had plenty of good experiences when it comes to buying similar players from Brazil.

The likes of Edu, Sylvinho, Gilberto Silva and, more recently, Gabriel Martinelli have all joined the Gunners from Brazilian clubs, with each making an impact in North London.

Gilberto may not be a like-for-like comparison for Bitello in that he was a defensive midfielder, yet there are other similarities to be made. For example, Bitello turns 24 next January – hardly an up-and-coming gem – but Gilberto was himself 25 when making his Premier League debut.

Bitello has never played outside of Brazil, which was also the case for Gilberto, while the latter also spent time on Gremio's books – albeit after his time at Arsenal had come to an end.

But Bitello is his own man, and it may well be that he challenges for a first-team spot should he arrive this summer.

As pointed out by football writer Johannes Skiba, Bitello is a "flexible" player who is good at winning the ball and also strong in terms of passing, suggesting he could come in handy for Mikel Arteta.

Many Brazilian gems have tried and failed to make an impact in the Premier League, but if Arsenal's success rate is anything to go by, there is no such risk of that being the case with Bitello.

Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray has around two months left to build a squad capable of going all the way in the Championship next season after failing during the semi-finals of the play-offs earlier this year.

One area in which the former Blackburn Rovers head coach is seemingly looking to strengthen in is the forward department, as Ross Stewart is the only senior No 9 in the squad as it stands.

The Sunderland Echo recently reported that the club are 'obviously' interested in a deal to sign Ellis Simms from Premier League side Everton.

He spent the first half of last season on loan at the Stadium of Light and Kristjaan Speakman is now eyeing a second swoop for the attacker, who is said to be keen on returning to Wearside.

Although, they must first wait for the Toffees to green-light an exit for the centre-forward after Sean Dyche called on him for 11 Premier League matches this year.

Would Ellis Simms be a good signing for Sunderland?

The 22-year-old has the potential to be an exceptional addition to the squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign due to his previous form for the club.

Simms' impressive performances in the first half of the last term indicate that he would be a huge upgrade on Joe Gelhardt, who spent the final few months of the season on loan with Mowbray from Leeds United.

The Whites attacker averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.82 across 16 Championship starts and contributed with three goals alongside three assists, whilst the former Wigan man also created two 'big chances' for his teammates.

He ranked 12th among the squad for Sofascore ratings and did not crack the top three performers for Sunderland for goals or assists in the division.

These statistics suggest that the 21-year-old marksman endured a fairly average spell at the Stadium of Light as he was unable to provide quality on a regular basis.

Simms, however, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 across 14 league starts for Sunderland and chipped in with seven goals to go along with two assists and five 'big chances' created.

Only Ross Stewart (7.40) averaged a higher rating than him in the Black Cats squad, which suggests that the English hotshot was one of the team's top performers during his time at the club.

The £3.3k-per-week finisher, who was dubbed an "absolute nuisance" by journalist Phil Smith, has already proven himself capable of delivering excellent performances and consistent end product in the final third under Mowbray's management with the likes of Stewart and Jack Clarke alongside him.

Therefore, Simms could be an exceptional signing as he is a player who could hit the ground running to make an instant impact next season while being a big upgrade on Gelhardt.

Newcastle United supporters will be eagerly anticipating the club's transfer activity this summer after ending a two-decade absence from the Champions League and years of malaise under the ownership of the despised Mike Ashley.

Now, a Saudi-backed consortium have pumped fresh, lucrative life back into St. James' Park, making impressive moves on the transfer front, impressive decisions in appointing Eddie Howe as manager and Dan Ashworth as technical director, and achieving a major confluence as the facets combine.

A fourth-placed Premier League finish illustrates the meteoric ascent, but this is the most important phase of the process thus far, as the side must now demonstrate their calibre is perpetual and they will not be knocked from their pedestal among the division's elite, instead rising closer and closer to the creme-de-la-creme of European football.

By Howe's own admission, several 'marquee' moves might be taken this summer to cement the high-fliers' new position, but one which might just go under the radar is the attention on Wolfsburg's Felix Nmecha.

According to the Telegraph, the 22-year-old is attracting the Magpies' attention and could join the fold for around £15m, with Howe keen to bolster his thriving midfield with one or two astute options.

Should Newcastle sign Felix Nmecha?

Nicolo Barella and James Maddison are both making the headlines right now as the Toon look to please their fans with an established phenom, but signing Nmecha could prove to be a prudent move as Ashworth looks to craft lasting success.

The notion that Newcastle boast a bottomless pit of plunder has left Howe guffawing; the 45-year-old has always maintained that the diligence permeating through the outfit since the takeover will not crumble away, and Nmecha would be unlikely to cement a starting berth with regularity in his maiden season in England, instead absorbing the fruits of his peers' labour and creeping towards a standout role.

He has been in fine fettle in the Bundesliga this year, though, starting 19 times, scoring three goals and registering six assists after playing a peripheral role across past terms.

Niko Kovac said: "Previously, he never got into a rhythm. He played in so many different positions. Now he's playing in midfield and you can see his technical ability. He has [also] improved physically."

He would be the perfect partner for someone like Barella, who is reportedly closing on a £50m move to Tyneside this summer and is undoubtedly one of Europe's first-class midfielders, with the box-to-box midfielder one of the most impressive around, especially from an offensive standpoint.

The Italy international has been in scintillating form this term, registering 19 direct contributions, winning the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, and being hailed as a "genius" by journalist Mike Piellucci.

Given that Nmecha has been dubbed "intelligent" himself by journalist Josh Bunting and already ranking among the top 22% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of non-penalty goals and the top 4% for rate of assists, as per FBref, he might just be apt for moulding into a prolific star of Barella's ilk.

Considering the various elements, Nmecha could be a shrewd signing to make, bolstering the ranks and ensuring the ambitious squad is layered with quality as it continues its soaring ascent.

He may not be an instant hit on Tyneside but rest assured a genius duo lies in wait, ready to dominate the domestic and continental stage with swashbuckling ease.

Cristiano Ronaldo showed his appreciation for Al-Nassr fans after he helped fire them to a comeback victory against Damac on Saturday.

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• Ronaldo helped Al-Nassr to win
• Scored free-kick in league match
• Thanked fans for tribute

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Riyadh club went a goal down late in the first half on home soil in the Saudi Pro League clash, but came back to secure a 2-1 victory, with Anderson Talisca equalising before Ronaldo smashed home a free-kick.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The win came after Al-Nassr fans put on an awesome display in honour of their star player. The Portuguese attacker made his 200th appearance for Portugal in midweek and the Saudi supporters displayed a huge banner depicting him as a superhero to commemorate the milestone.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Ronaldo expressed his gratitude with posts on social media, saying: "Incredible atmosphere in the stadium tonight. Happy with the win and we keep working hard every game. Thank you to the fans for such a lovely tribute also."

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Ronaldo will be in action again for Al-Nassr when they take on Qatari side Al-Duhail in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday.

Edu Gaspar will be hoping to bolster Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal squad during the summer transfer window, especially with the club qualifying for the Champions League due to their second place finish in the Premier League.

There will be a big jump in quality and signing players who could not only add depth to the Arsenal side, but who could also improve the starting XI, will be deemed a priority ahead of 2023/2024.

With this in mind, Arteta must surely reignite his interest in Bayern Munich forward Serge Gnabry, especially with the recent developments to emerge from Germany.

According to German outlet Sport BILD (via football.london), the Bavarian giants have placed Gnabry, as well as Sadio Mane and Leroy Sané, up for sale as they look to rejig their attack ahead of next season.

The Gunners were linked with the player last summer, however, he signed an extension to his contract at the Bundesliga side and all hopes of a potential move were quashed. The recent news however could certainly give Arteta the green light to have a second bite of the cherry.

At the time, Bayern Munich were reportedly asking for a fee in the region of €40m (£35m) and it remains to be seen if that number has budged over the past year.

Would Serge Gnabry be a good signing for Arsenal?

Since joining Bayern in 2018, the former Hale End talent has offered a reliable goal threat, netting 81 goals and registering 51 assists in just over 200 matches, an excellent return, while he has also won five league titles along with a Champions League title, meaning he could bring an elite winning mentality to the Gunners, who are certainly on the cusp of glory.

The German whiz is valued at €47.4m (£41m) by Football Transfers and Arteta could form a scary attacking duo with him and Bukayo Saka next term if he managed to lure him back to the Emirates, where he spent six years during the early stages of his career.

The England international notched 11 assists from 38 league matches last season, and he ranks in the top 10% across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries per 90 (5.04) and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (6.75), suggesting he gets into key attacking positions often and this could present Gnabry with plenty of goal scoring chances throughout the season.

The Arsenal winger also ranked fourth for assists and eighth for key passes per game (two) in the Premier League, further demonstrating his attacking qualities in a wide position and there is no doubt Gnabry could thrive by having a player of Saka’s quality bursting down the right wing and into the box on a regular occurrence.

The 27-year-old was described as someone who “has everything” by former Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic and if Arteta can sign him this summer, they would certainly bolster their attacking options that’s for sure.

Ravi Jadeja struck with the final ball of the fourth day – trapping Alastair Cook lbw for a 188-ball 54 -to leave England 87 for 2 as they attempted to save the second Test

The Report by Andrew Miller20-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:15

Compton: Umpire’s call leaves too much to debate

In an era of faster, harder, shorter – when the virtue of a young batsman is increasingly judged by strike-rate rather than overs endured – Haseeb Hameed produced a throwback innings to match that produced by his captain and opening partner, Alastair Cook, as England launched what already counts as a heroic rearguard, irrespective of what may come to pass on the fifth and final day at Visakhapatnam.While Cook and Hameed were in harness, calmly withstanding India’s best efforts throughout a magnificent opening stand of 75 that spanned 50.2 overs (which is longer, incidentally than four of Australia’s last eight completed innings), survival had seemed very much within England’s grasp – much as it had done for South Africa in similar circumstances 12 months ago, when AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla came together for another mighty blockathon in Delhi.But, in a devastating denouement in the final half hour before stumps, England lost both of their incumbents to a pair of memorable lbws – Hameed for 25 from 144 deliveries, pinned on the shin as R Ashwin grubbed an unplayable offbreak along the deck in a manner utterly reminiscent of Nasser Hussain’s shooter against Carl Hooper in 1997-98.Then, in the final over of the day, Cook, the rock of England’s resistance, played once too often across the line to Ravi Jadeja, and Kumar Dharmasena raised his finger. The umpire’s judgment was spot on on this occasion, for the ball was heading straight for middle and leg, but with India already out of reviews and Dharmasena’s relationship with DRS at an all-time low, he deserved credit for trusting his judgment at such a critical juncture.That late strike allowed India to leave the field with the spring back in their step, and Virat Kohli took the chance to gather his men into a huddle before they returned to the dressing room. India remain strong favourites on a surface that will compromise the more stroke-based techniques in England’s middle order – not least that of Ben Duckett, who is next man in to join Joe Root when play resumes tomorrow – but if any further proof were needed that this five-Test series will be a fight to the finish, this was it.Not for the first time in this match, England’s determination with the bat had been replicated with the ball. With Stuart Broad in another of his rhythmic moods, and with Adil Rashid mixing it impressively to claim four wickets in the morning session, including the prize scalp of Kohli for 81, it required a spiky tenth-wicket stand of 42 between Jayant Yadav and Mohammad Shami to revive India’s second innings, as they slipped from their overnight 98 for 3 to 204 all out on the stroke of a delayed lunch break.Of course, England’s success with the ball wasn’t entirely encouraging, given what it implied about the challenge of batting last, but they were happy to settle for pyrrhic victories wherever they could find them.Broad was particularly eager to strike some psychological blows. He may not feature in next week’s third match in Mohali but, buoyed by the confirmation that his foot injury was not as severe as he might have feared, he produced one of his most skilful spells of a stellar year, manipulating the old ball with cut and cross-seamers alike, and a variety of angles on the crease. He deserved more than just the scalps of Ajinkya Rahane and Ashwin for his morning efforts, as he finished with figures of 4 for 33 in 14 hard-pounding overs.Broad’s success was a reminder that seam, as well as spin, can play a part when surfaces start to crumble, and Hameed received a similarly timely reminder from the very first ball he received in England’s rearguard – a skiddy bouncer from Shami that rapped him on the glove as he took his eyes off the ball. But, when tea was taken 28 overs later, he was looking settled and solid, 12 not out from 84 balls, and oblivious to the attentions of up to four close catchers round the bat.It was a staggering display of technique, resolve and stamina way beyond his tender years, and further enhanced the impression that he is The One, as far as England’s long-term opening ambitions are concerned.However, Hameed could have asked for no better role model in his defiance than Cook, England’s past master in the art of batting time, whose long strides have been so adept for so long at smothering the attentions of Asian spinners.Kohli shuffled his pack largely in vain for the first 33 overs of England’s innings, resuming after tea with his seamers reunited but still no way through England’s defiance. But, then, suddenly, he hit upon the right formula, bringing Jadeja on at the Subba Rao End to target the footholes outside Cook’s off stump, with Ashwin handed the duties from the Vizzy End where Broad’s cutters had found their purchase.The heightened threat to both batsmen’s outside edges prompted a more proactive response, with Cook lining up a series of cuts and a well-placed drive through the covers for four to combat Jadeja, before Hameed responded to an Ashwin drifter that beat the bat by walloping his next ball hard and flat through mid-off for his first boundary in 80 deliveries from the spinners.On 45, Cook survived a reviewed lbw against Jadeja that was adjudged to be turning down the leg-side, although had umpire Rod Tucker raised his finger, it would have stayed up. One over later, he was living dangerously again, when Ashwin implored Kohli to take a second look at another lbw that he was convinced had squeezed pad before bat. Ashwin was right, but the impact was adjudged to be umpire’s call. India, somewhat disbelievingly, had burned through both of their reviews in the space of five balls.But then, with England’s thoughts just beginning to drift towards stumps, came the brace of body blows that undermined so much of their good work. All is not yet lost, with Root in a mood to atone for his wasteful first-innings dismissal, and Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow already attuned to the challenge of batting long on this surface. But as Hameed’s demise showed, accidents can and will happen in the fourth innings. India will believe victory is only a matter of time.