Alviro Petersen, the former South Africa opener, has been banned for two years by CSA after admitting to 13 breaches of the anti-corruption code in relation to the 2015-16 domestic T20 match-fixing scandal

Firdose Moonda21-Dec-2016

Alviro Petersen, the former South Africa opener, has been banned for two years by CSA after admitting to 13 breaches of the anti-corruption code in relation to the 2015-16 domestic T20 match-fixing scandal.’Unusual and pressured circumstances’ – Petersen

Alviro Petersen said on Thursday that the events which gave rise to the charges to which he pleaded guilty took place under “pressured and unusual circumstances”.
In a statement through his lawyer Robin Twaddle, Petersen said that he had “reported his knowledge of the corruption before the events that led to the charges against him took place and that he assisted the anti-corruption officer during the investigation, to the point that he gave him information and details of a possible fix that was going to happen hours before a game”.
He also said that he had approached a player who had received money from the fixers to try and convince him to report his involvement, under instructions from the CSA’s anti-corruption officer.
The statement said that, “Whilst he took part in discussions that were initiated by Gulam Bodi and certain fixers, these discussions took place at a time when Alviro knew that the fixing scandal was under investigation and he (Alviro) was convinced that the fixing operation would be shut down imminently. Knowing that match fixing is controlled by criminal gangs, Alviro feared for his and his family’s safety at the time, to the point where he engaged a bodyguard while playing for the Lions last season.”

Among Petersen’s transgressions are four counts of failing to disclose details of an approach to engage in corrupt conduct; four of failing to disclose evidence of another participant breaching the code; four of failing to cooperate with the investigators by not providing accurate and complete information; and one of concealing and destroying information relevant to the investigation. CSA has withdrawn charges relating to fixing or contriving to fix any matches and accepting or offering any bribes.Petersen apologised for his actions and vowed he had no intention of fixing matches. “I would like to apologise to my family, friends, the public who are fans of the game of cricket, my team mates, Gauteng cricket, Lions cricket and especially to Cricket South Africa for my actions. At the time that the meetings with Bodi and the fixers happened, I never had any intention of fixing matches or taking money,” he said.”I now deeply regret having participated in these meetings and not to have immediately reported them to the authorities as I am obliged to do. I understand that I need to take personal responsibility for my actions and I accept the punishment that CSA has imposed on me. I hope that other players will learn from my experience and be better prepared if they find themselves in the situation that I was in, and that my punishment will serve as a deterrent. I also want to thank my family, friends and my legal team for their unwavering support and guidance during the last few months.”Petersen is the sixth player and third international to be sanctioned after Gulam Bodi, Thami Tsolekile, Ethy Mbhalati, Pumi Matshikwe and Jean Symes were banned for between seven and 20 years for their roles in the saga. The investigation remains ongoing.Petersen’s ban prevents him from being involved in any capacity for any international or domestic match, or having any other kind of function in cricket organised by CSA, the ICC or any other national federation. Most recently, Petersen has played for South African franchise Lions, for Lancashire in county cricket, was employed as a commentator for the public broadcaster, SABC, and ran a charitable foundation. He will be unable to do any of the first three of those until November 12, 2018, two years from the date he was charged.Petersen was formally charged after rejecting a plea bargain from CSA and gearing up to play for Lions in the domestic T20. He issued a statement through his lawyer, Robin Twaddle, in which he admitted to “playing along” with those involved in the scandal but denied any wrongdoing. Petersen claimed the ACSU was aware of his discussions and meeting with the players.Although Petersen’s exact involvement has not been disclosed, CSA indicated his most serious breach was not reporting approaches in full.”He is obliged under the code to have disclosed various approaches that were made to him to engage in corrupt activities,” Haroon Lorgat, CSA CEO, said in a statement. “While having provided certain information to the investigators he had also withheld and concealed certain material information, such as the meetings with Bodi and certain fixers.”CSA has confirmed that Bodi acted as the intermediary for international betting syndicates and approached certain players “with a view engaging in fixing activities”, according to the statement. CSA has maintained no actual fixing was carried out in the 2015-16 Ram Slam.However, it has not been able to declare its inquiry complete. Petersen, in his statement after the charges were made public, said he knew of at least one other player who had not been charged. The independent chairperson of CSA’s ACU, Bernard Ngoepe, a former judge, said the body will continue working to conclude the matter. “We are still finalising certain aspects of the investigation and we will not stop until we are fully satisfied that we have exhausted every lead and scrutinised every aspect relating to this matter. As we have stated previously, any form of corruption in the game will be dealt with severely. We will leave no stone unturned in this investigation.”

A round-up of the first day of Group C matches in the sixth round of the 2016-17 Ranji

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2016Bhavin Thakkar and Rohan Prem scored centuries as Kerala ended the first day on 290 for 2 against Goa at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.Goa’s decision to bowl first might have felt justified when opener Vishnu Vinod was removed in the seventh over with the score on 12. But their bowlers had no success for the next 70 overs, as Thakkar and Prem put on 234 for the second wicket. Thakkar scored 117 off 200 balls, with 14 boundaries, before he was bowled by Shadab Jakati.Prem then took his team to stumps unbeaten on 120 – his fourth consecutive score above 60 – with Sanju Samson at the other end on 28.Nineties from Nitin Saini and Rajat Paliwal helped Haryana reach 295 for 5 at stumps against Jammu & Kashmir in Cuttack.J&K captain Parvez Rasool elected to field and took two early wickets in a first session where three fell. But opener Nitin Saini followed up an unbeaten 152 in his last innings with a 90 in this match, while putting on 94 for the fourth wicket with Paliwal. After his dismissal, Paliwal joined hands with Rohit Sharma (51), and the pair put on 109 for the fifth wicket, before Rasool removed Sharma off the last ball of the day. Paliwal was unbeaten on 99.Half-centuries from B Sandeep (83*) and Mehdi Hasan (61) helped Hyderabad overcome a middle-order collapse to end the day on 303 for 7 against Services at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai.A 105-run second-wicket stand between Akshath Reddy (64) and B Anirudh (49) had taken Hyderabad to 136 for 1 before a spell from medium-pacer Raushan Raj saw them lose 5 wickets between the 47th and 51st overs, to be reduced to 141 for 6. Raushan took four of those wickets, while Services captain Anshul Gupta accounted for his counterpart S Badrinath with a run-out.But the effects of this collapse were negated when Sandeep and Hasan put on 135 for a seventh-wicket stand that took them into the final session without further damage, till Hasan was run out in the 80th over.Andhra‘s opening bowlers took seven wickets between them as Tripura were bowled out for 171 on the first day in Valsad.DP Vijaykumar (4-56) and CV Stephen (3-47) struck regularly after Andhra had elected to field, taking seven of the first eight wickets, to leave Tripura struggling at 107 for 8.Nine Tripura batsmen got into double figures, but the top scorer was Bunti Roy, who came in at No. 10 and put 34 for the ninth wicket with Gurinder Singh (13) and 30 for the last wicket with Rajib Dutta (16*), before he was the last one dismissed for 34.Andhra lost KS Bharat early in their response, but DB Prasanth (19*) and Hanuma Vihari (18*) took them to stumps on 47 for 1.Chhattisgarh lost quick wickets on either side of two half-century stands, to finish the day on 212 for 7 against Himachal Pradesh in Kanpur.Left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma, who took over the captaincy from Rishi Dhawan, was responsible for the second of those collapses. He took the last three wickets to fall on the day, including that of top-scorer Amandeep Khare (85) who had put on 51 for the fourth wicket with Ashutosh Singh (16) and 76 for the fifth with Avnish Dhaliwal (39) to lift Chhattisgarh out of trouble at 39 for 3. Bipul removed Dhaliwal shortly after, and bowled wicketkeeper Manoj Singh (21) in the 88th over to finish with 3 for 37.

Australia have earmarked Dale Steyn as the South African who will pose the biggest threat especially as they know he was recently wounded in the ODI format

Firdose Moonda29-Sep-2016Before the series started Australia had identified AB de Villiers as the man to keep in check but with news that he will be sidelined for the next two months, they have had to turn their attention elsewhere. Now, they have earmarked Dale Steyn as the South African who will pose the biggest threat especially as they know he was recently wounded in the ODI format.”He’s a class bowler and has been for a long time,” Steven Smith, Australia’s captain, said. “I watched the Test series against New Zealand, where he was almost back to his best. I think he’s been left out of their one-day side for a while, so he’s probably out to prove a point.”Officially, Steyn was rested from the triangular series, which also featured Australia, in the Caribbean in June. But he was allowed to play in England’s Natwest T20 Blast so, unofficially, he was left out. Steyn admitted as much during the New Zealand Tests in August. “I can’t even make the one-day team now,” Steyn said, after he had surged back with eight wickets in the Centurion Test.That was Steyn’s first completed Test in more than 18 months, after he was forced out of six of South Africa’s eight matches in the 2015-16 season with injuries that he picked up in the other two. But last month Steyn showed signs of old when he bowled at good pace and swung the ball to finish as the series’ leading wicket-taker. Now, at the same venue, Steyn will make his comeback to the 50-over team and stand-in captain Faf du Plessis is certain he will want to do just as well.”Dale’s personality sometimes is a bit cranky, that’s why you see that fire when he gets a wicket and that’s why we love him like that,” du Plessis said. “I think when he came back, felt like he needed to prove a point. He is the No. 1 bowler in the world. If you don’t produce the goods regularly, people are going to ask questions and that comes with its own pressures. Now he is back in the one-day team and he will try and make a huge impact and try and show everyone that one-day cricket is still a big part of his future.”Steyn has said winning an ICC trophy remains a goal of his and, with the Champions Trophy nine months away, it is within reach. He is expected to play in several ODIs before that – after this series South Africa host Sri Lanka and then go to New Zealand – and du Plessis hopes the mere prospect of Steyn will work to South Africa’s advantage. “The fear that he puts into opposition, just the name itself – you only have a few guys around the world who can do that,” du Plessis said. “His skill and experience is something you can’t get overnight. If Dale is fit and 100% and wants to bowl quick, he is an extremely big asset.”Perhaps more worryingly for the opposition is that the make-up of South Africa’s team, which will now include at least two allrounders, means Steyn can be deployed slightly differently. Instead of merely seeing off Steyn’s opening spell, they may have to contend with him for longer up front because South Africa have several other bowling options to use mid-innings and at the death.”If Dale is bowling well, he can bowl six or seven up front to try and strike whereas in the past, if any one of your opening two bowlers had to bowl more than four overs you are taking those overs out of at the end of the game,” du Plessis said.Kagiso Rabada has emerged as one of the candidates who can operate at the end of the innings while Andile Phehlukwayo, who debuted against Ireland, is another. Kyle Abbott is a third. Then South Africa have Wayne Parnell and Dwaine Pretorius to operate in the middle period along with the spinner and JP Duminy, taking the number of bowlers in their team to seven.It is a balance du Plessis wants applied in the long term, especially as the allrounders develop. “Once you have a six and a seventh bowler in the team, it’s great for a captain. We’ve got Wayne, Andile and Dwaine. Between the three of them, at least two can put their hands up and really become good one-day cricketers for South Africa,” he said. “We’ve been lacking that and so always when we were picking a team, the side was unbalanced. We were either one batsman short or one bowler short. I am hoping two of them will step up in this series.”Du Plessis’ aims for whoever makes the allrounder spot their own is that they will contribute as much with the bat as with the ball, especially because South Africa are also looking to combat another problem: slow scoring rates in the middle overs. The 25-40 over period is where South Africa have sometimes let the game drift but with power-hitting allrounders, du Plessis hopes that will change.”Most of the time, we’ve only had six batsmen and that makes you a little hesitant when you come to those overs,” he said. “You can’t lose wickets because your tail starts at seven or eight and goes down to eleven, so you have to sit a little bit in those periods. With us having a longer batting line-up now it allows us to push a bit harder.”

Tottenham Hotspur are believed to plotting a raid on one of the Premier League's recently relegated sides, amid claims that Leeds United's Jack Harrison is a potential target ahead of the summer transfer window.

What's the latest on Harrison to Tottenham?

According to Football Insider, the Lilywhites are believed to be keen to revive their interest in the Englishman ahead of next season, with Daniel Levy and co having previously been linked with the 26-year-old last summer.

As the report noted, the one-time New York City FC man is set to be available at a 'discounted price' following Leeds' drop into the Championship, with talkSPORT stating that the winger has a relegation clause in his contract which will allow him to leave on the cheap.

The former Manchester City asset – who only signed a new deal with the Elland Road outfit back in early April – was previously the subject of a £20m bid from Leicester City during the winter window.

Would Harrison be a good signing for Tottenham?

There may not be too much excitement among Spurs supporters at the prospect of Levy signing a player who has only just been relegated, although Harrison did at least enjoy a positive campaign on an individual note, bagging five goals and seven assists in 35 league games.

The £90k-per-week speedster notably scored what proved to be a mere consolation in Tottenham's 4-1 win over Sam Allardyce's side at the weekend, having looked 'bright' on an otherwise 'dark day' for the Whites, as per Leeds Live's Beren Cross.

That effort also ensures that Harrison now boasts a respectable tally of 36 goals and assists in 106 top-flight games since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, having initially joined Leeds on loan in the second tier back in 2018.

That record has seen the 5 foot 9 ace dubbed "one of the best wingers" that teammate Junior Firpo has ever worked with, while former New York City colleague Frank Lampard also described his compatriot as "one of the best wingers in the Premier League" earlier in the campaign.

Also hailed as a "revelation" by Lampard during their time together in the United States, Harrison is evidently a player of real talent, with the forward's arrival potentially set to prove a dream addition for current Spurs talisman, Harry Kane.

While the latter man can seemingly deliver the goods on his own having scored 30 league goals this season as part of a struggling side, the 29-year-old may benefit from the capture of a clinical and creative force such as Harrison.

The former England U21 international has proven himself able to provide quality service for his teammates after creating nine 'big chances' in the 2022/23 season, with that more than what both Heung-min Son (eight) and Dejan Kulusevski (seven) achieved for the Lilywhites.

That quality from the flanks was evident in the early season win over Chelsea for Leeds, with Harrison having teed up teammate Rodrigo to score with an "absolutely magnificent" set-piece delivery, as per Sky Sports pundit, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

Such brilliance could well have Kane licking his lips at the prospect of being supplied even more frequently next season, with such a partnership potentially set to blossom at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Chelsea could be set to replace an old favourite by swooping from a fellow Premier League rival.

What's the latest on Moises Caicedo to Chelsea?

That's according to Fabrizio Romano, who took to Twitter to issue an update on the future of Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo.

He wrote:

"Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi told Moises Caicedo in January to stay at the club until June despite huge bids… and then promised to sell him in the summer in case of good proposal.

#BHAFC Pact will be respected; Chelsea are still keen on Caicedo but it’s 3 clubs race."

There has been little indication that the £90m touted fee from March is wrong too, suggesting that this will be a huge first deal for Mauricio Pochettino should he push it through.

Could Moises Caicedo be as good as Nemanja Matic?

Stamford Bridge has been home to some famous holding midfielders, with Claude Makalele, Micheal Essien and more recently N'Golo Kante all shining in a blue shirt.

However, one of the more underappreciated alternatives for that role was Nemanja Matic, who quietly went about his work but was imperative in the success earned during his time in west London.

As a towering defensive option, the Serbian only spent three seasons during his second stint at Chelsea before joining Manchester United, yet won two league titles alongside a League Cup.

The 6 foot 4 maestro was the heartbeat of that side, breaking up the play but using his steady demeanour to always find the right pass. During the 2017/18 term, arguably his apex of that period, the 34-year-old maintained a 7.11 average rating upheld by an 88% pass accuracy, 1.8 interceptions, 1.9 tackles and 1.6 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

Without his calming presence Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte would have struggled to claim such emphatic title victories, with the former even telling The Times: "Matic, I cannot say that I had better guys than him in my career."

Pochettino will be seeking to secure his figure akin to the former Blues favourite, and in Caicedo they could achieve just that.

To first outline this comparison, FBref even notes Matic upon the Ecuador international's similar players list.

However, it is their shared statistics that showcase their true similarities, as a couple of ball-winning gems who are imperative in offering the foundation for success.

For the Seagulls this campaign, the 21-year-old has recorded a 7.08 average rating, with his 89% pass accuracy giving way to 1.2 key passes, 1.5 interceptions and 2.7 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

For what he lacks in height compared to the AS Roma star, he more than makes up for with an added element of energy and creativity that his potential predecessor missed.

To emphasise his defensive excellence, journalist Richie Mills even branded him an "immovable object" in the engine room just last year.

Whilst Pochettino has enjoyed players such as Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele operating in these roles over the years whilst at Tottenham Hotspur, Caicedo arguably represents a combination of them all, with poise on the ball and a decisive nature that feeds into his relentless defensive work rate.

Acquiring him would be a huge step towards taking the west London club back to the pinnacle of English football, where Matic previously led his Chelsea team.

Mark Wood has been ruled out of England’s tour to India after the discovery that he bowled at the tail end of the English domestic season with a broken ankle.It all means that Wood faces a third ankle operation within a year and, however optimistic the prognosis, it is bound to cast doubts on the resilience of England’s fastest bowler and invite concerns about his career both at county and England level.Wood had already been ruled out of the one-day and Test series in Bangladesh and his hopes of recovering in time for the India tour were banished when it was discovered that he fractured a bone in his left ankle when bowling in a Specsavers County Championship match against Surrey in September.With Durham under threat of relegation, he chose to ignore warning signs that something was wrong and battled on gamely. Durham stayed up, but it all came to naught when the ECB relegated them anyway after reluctantly intervening to prevent their bankruptcy.England’s national physiotherapy lead Ben Langley put an optimistic slant on Wood’s recovery, taking comfort from the fact that the injury is different to the one that required two earlier operations.”Woody showed his commitment to Durham with the way he bowled 35 overs in that Surrey game, and we know now that he also showed a hell of a lot of courage and resilience,” Langley said.”His foot and ankle swelled up hugely during the game, which was obviously worrying, and then we were perplexed when nothing significant showed up on the first scan.”It was only when we got him in for a second scan that we discovered he’d been playing on despite having fractured a bone.”So it’s a different injury to what he’s had the previous surgery for, and there’s no reason to think that when he’s had this bone fragment removed, he won’t be able to get back to bowling as well he has for Durham, England Lions and England in the second half of the 2016 summer.”Wood has been awarded a central Test contract by England for 2016-17 – without such an award it would have been questionable about whether Durham could have afforded his salary so soon after requiring a financial bailout from the ECB – but his ability to fulfil a full international summer remains unproven.He made a blistering comeback in the second half of the summer, delivering some of the most potent fast-bowling spells of the season as he helped Durham’s to the final of the NatWest T20 Blast and also featured in England’s 4-1 victory over Pakistan in their one-day international series.He bowled more than 200 overs in all competitions, purportedly without ill effects, but when he pulled out of the Bangladesh tour the problems became evident. Concerns can only have deepened with the latest news.

The Netherlands defender has arrived at Arsenal and signed a long-term contract with the Gunners after moving from Ajax.

Arsenal's summer has got off to a busy start. After missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City last season, it was quickly identified that the first-team squad needed more depth if the Gunners were ever going to return to the summit of English football.

The headlines have largely been dominated by the club's pursuit of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz in recent weeks. However, quietly in the background, Arsenal have been working hard to hammer out a deal to sign Jurrien Timber from Ajax.

That deal has now been agreed, with the Gunners sealing a transfer worth €46 million (£40m/$52m) to bring the Netherlands international to north London and add to Mikel Arteta's options.

The only question now he's officially through the door is how Timber will slot into the Arsenal backline. There are a number of different options, which GOAL takes a look at below…

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  The story so far

  Timber is not a new face on the scene. Despite being just 22 years old, he has already made well over 100 appearances for Ajax and earned 15 caps for the Netherlands.

  Continuing a fine tradition of world-class youth development in the Dutch capital, Timber flew through the age groups at the Johan Cruyff ArenA, before making his senior debut in 2020. He has scarcely been out of the starting XI since, helping Ajax to Eredivisie titles in 2021 and 2022.

  While the 2022-23 season was a torrid one for the Amsterdammers, Timber's reputation remains sky high. No one in the Ajax squad made more appearances than him last campaign, and he was picked in various outlets' Eredivisie team of the season.

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  A blow for Manchester United?

  Timber had long been expected to turn up in the Premier League at some point. However, Manchester United had always seemed like his most likely destination. It was under Erik ten Hag at Ajax that Timber developed into a top-class defender, and the United boss made no secret of his desire to bring him to Old Trafford last summer. “I think that all top clubs in Europe have Timber in their sights," he said.

  This kickstarted a frantic few months of rumours, but in the end the two clubs could not agree a deal. Louis van Gaal, a huge fan of Timber, might have played a role in the move failing to materialise, as he seemed to warn his golden boy off joining the Red Devils in June.

  Regardless of whether Van Gaal influenced proceedings, Ten Hag's hopes of signing Timber have now been extinguished.

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  The details of the deal

  That's because Arsenal have swooped in to secure Timber's services this summer. Personal terms were not an issue, due to the player's enthusiasm for the move and the Gunners' generous offer.

  Reaching an agreement on a transfer fee has been significantly harder, though. Timber has two years left on his deal, so Ajax could feasibly have held onto him for another season before selling him on.

  That is likely why they rejected the Gunners' initial bid of £30 million ($38.1m) in June. However, a deal has now been struck, and Timber has now signed a long-term contract in north London.

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  What will Timber bring to Arsenal?

  So, why exactly have Arsenal been convinced to spend all that money on Timber? His greatest attribute is his zen-like composure on the ball. Following in a long line of Dutch defenders before him, Timber is superb technically, with no Eredivisie player completing more short passes than him during the 2022-23 season.

  For a possession-heavy side like Arsenal, this will be a priceless asset. It's worth noting that Timber's 74.7 completed passes per 90 minutes was comfortably higher than what any Arsenal player managed last campaign too, though this should be taken with a pinch of salt, considering how dominant Ajax are in the Netherlands.

  In addition, his patience on the ball should suit him well to the Gunners' style of play. As Timber is so confident retaining possession he often waits until the opposition has committed as much as possible before firing his pass through the lines.

  Arsenal lit up the Premier League with their lightning-quick transitions last term, and it's easy to see Timber playing a quarterback-like role from the heart of the defence.

Folarin Balogun appears destined to leave Arsenal in the summer transfer window, but how much will he cost and will the Gunners regret selling him?

The United States international striker has attracted interest from across Europe after hitting 21 goals on loan at Ligue 1 side Reims last season. He remains under contract at Emirates Stadium, but is expected to take on a new challenge outside of north London.

He would face competition from the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah at Arsenal in 2023-24, with Mikel Arteta having plenty of attacking options at his disposal. With that in mind, a big-money sale may be sanctioned for Balogun.

What will he eventually go for? Will he make the Gunners live to regret their decision to let him go and should they look to include a buy-back option in any deal? GOAL put those questions and more to former Arsenal star Ray Parlour.

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  Best for everyone?

  Parlour, speaking in association with , told GOAL when asked if a transfer could be the best option for all concerned this summer: “I think it looks like he will be leaving the club, but it’s about the money now and the deal for Arsenal – what sort of money they can get. He had a decent season last year. He wants to play week in, week out doesn’t he? I don’t think he’s going to get that opportunity at Arsenal. The club need a bit of money coming back in. Arsenal probably want x and y, the other clubs that are bidding for him will try and get him on the cheap, and it will end up in the middle. It’s just about when it happens, but I’m sure he will be leaving. Edu wants to get a few players out now because they have spent big money and need to get a bit coming back.”

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  Price tag

  There has been talk of Arsenal demanding as much as £50 million ($64m) for Balogun, with Parlour saying of his potential asking price: “I think he might go for a little bit less than that. I think they will be looking around £40m ($51m). It’s not a bad deal for all parties. He’s probably going to go to a club and play regularly and Arsenal get a good deal with the money coming into the club. I’m guessing it will be around that figure, but it’s all up to the kid. It’s all about now, when he goes to the next club – if he goes to another league – then he has got to prove Mikel Arteta wrong. That’s what you have to do as a youngster, you have to say ‘well, I didn’t fit in at Arsenal, I didn’t get an opportunity, but I’m going to show them how good I am’. Hopefully he can do that because you want to see young players developing and doing better. I’m sure Arteta will hold his hands up if he goes to another club and starts banging goals in.”

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  Second coming?

  Buy-back clauses are popular in modern transfers, with Parlour saying when quizzed on whether Arsenal should look to cover themselves by including an option in any deal for Balogun that could see him return to Emirates Stadium for a second spell at some point in the future: “They are so complicated now, contracts. When I was playing it was very simple – here’s the contract, four-year contract, and you signed it. Now there are so many clauses and different stuff – sell-on clauses and all that. I’m sure the lawyers will be sitting down and trying to get the best deal for both clubs. Maybe they could put that in there, why not? If he does go and start banging goals in then… Strikers are so hard to come by. If you can do that, and he’s only a young man still, then why not try and put that in the contract.”

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  Loan shark

  Arsenal showed with William Saliba that loan moves can be beneficial when it comes to developing young talent, with said players returning to them from spells elsewhere better placed to challenge for a regular starting berth. Parlour said when asked if Balogun could have been talked into treading that path: “I don’t think he wants to go on loan. Sometimes the player makes their own decisions. Maybe he doesn’t want to, he wants to start anew at another club. I’m sure his agent and those behind the scenes will have been tapped up and he might have set his heart on leaving. You can’t stop players these days, they have all the power. All the club can do then is make sure that they get a good deal for themselves. It’s similar to Declan Rice – West Ham knew he was going but they held out for the right money that they felt they deserved, and they got it in the end. Arsenal might be the same with Balogun, say ‘right, we want £45m, if you come up with that money then you can have him’. I’m sure they will be holding out for as much as they can, Arsenal. There is still quite a lot of the window left, so usually people start panicking towards the end of it and come up with a deal.”

Four Sri Lankans made 50-plus scores on day one of their tour match in South Africa

Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Dec-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Kusal Perera’s return to No. 3 suggests the team management is keen for him to resume batting in the top order•AFP

Sri Lanka’s batsmen made a bright start to the tour of South Africa, as Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva hit half-centuries on the first day of the tour match in Potchefstroom. The visitors went to stumps at 328 for the loss of six wickets, against a South Africa Invitation XI consisting of well-heeled first-class players and recent graduates of the Under-19 system.Especially encouraging for the Sri Lankans was the 159-run unbroken opening stand between Karunaratne and Silva, each of whom has struggled at various points during the course of the year. Both men were retired out at the end of the 45th over, Karunaratne with 71 runs to his name and Silva with 80.Kusal Perera only hit 25, but his entry at No. 3 suggests the team management is keen for him to resume batting in the top order as he had done for much of the series against Australia. This would also allow Kusal Mendis to come in at second drop. Mendis, who was in good form during the back end of the ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe, hit 10 fours in his 64-ball 51.Captain Angelo Mathews and vice-captain Dinesh Chandimal, both returning from injury, collected a five-ball duck and 23 respectively, before de Silva ensured the day ended briskly, with five fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 57 off 67.The Invitation XI’s batting appears its stronger suit, so it may be that a more thorough workout awaits the Sri Lankan bowlers than the batsmen, so far, have got. Left-arm spinner George Linde took 2 for 72 in the course of the day. Seamers Duanne Olivier and Jason Smith took one wicket each.

It took Dolphins just 11.5 overs on the fourth morning to take the remaining three Warriors wickets and seal victory by an innings and 70 runs in East London. Fittingly, it was left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj who took the winning wicket to rack up career-best match figures of 13 for 157.The win was set up by a solid batting performance from the Dolphins on the first two days. After losing Imraan Khan on the first ball of the match, Dolphins rebounded strongly courtesy good returns from the rest of the top five. While No. 3 Daryn Smit top-scored with 121, he was well supported by Sarel Erwee (59), Vaughn van Jaarsveld (90) and Khaya Zondo (81). But, coming in at No. 9, it was Maharaj who made the difference between a decent first-innings total and a very good one. He struck 72 off 71, sharing a 108-run eighth-wicket partnership with Zondo, to help Dolphins up to a final score of 478.Then came the bowling heroics. In the first innings, Maharaj took 7 for 89 to spark a collapse from 132 for 1 to 230 all out. Edward Moore (62) and Colin Ackermann (68) scored fifties for the Warriors, but the next highest score was 29 by No. 9 Andrew Birch. Dolphins imposed the follow-on and there was no let-up in Warriors’ second innings. Maharaj collected 6 for 68 as the Warriors crumbled to 178 all out, handing the visitors an emphatic victory to start their season.Test opener Stephen Cook struck an unbeaten 97 in Lions’ successful chase of 160•Getty Images

Lions wrapped up a 10-wicket win against Cobras early on the third day in Johannesburg. Chasing a modest 160, Lions romped to victory, with Test opener Stephen Cook top-scoring with an unbeaten 97.On a spicy surface, Cobras, having been embroiled in off-field issues over the future of their coach Paul Adams, chose to bat and were quickly skittled for 102. None of their batsmen made more then 29 runs while wickets were shared between Lions’ four seamers. Debutant Wiaan Mulder, who will begin his final school examinations shortly, enjoyed the best returns with 3 for 10.Cobras then hit back by reducing Lions to 99 for 8. Dane Paterson and Vernon Philander made the early inroads but it was another youngster, former Under-19 World Cup squad member Jason Smith, who claimed the biggest haul – 4 for 24. Temba Bavuma, who made an unbeaten 76, with support from Nono Pongolo, ensured the Lions gained a 52-run first-innings advantage.Cobras were in danger of another embarrassment when they tumbled to 17 for 4 and then 113 for 7, at the hands of Hardus Viljoen and Mulder. Smith showed his value with 95 while Dane Piedt provided some tail wagging and made 41, batting at No.9. Viljoen finished with 6 for 75 as Cobras managed to eke over 200 in their second dig.It was late on day two that Lions’ chase began and they looked to end the match quickly. They faced 18 overs and racked up 117 runs but bad light dragged the match into a third day. None of the Cobras bowlers enjoyed any success as Cook and Rasssie van der Dussen reached the target to give Lions maximum points: 15.08.Marchant De Lange claimed career-best figures of 7 for 23 in Knights’ four-wicket win•Getty Images

Down the road at SuperSport Park, Mark Boucher’s coaching career did not get off to the start he would have wanted. Titans suffered a four-wicket defeat at the hands of Nicky Boje’s Knights, whose squad had been bolstered by a host of former Titans players.Marchant de Lange’s career-best 7 for 23 gave Knights just 171 to chase. Theunis de Bruyn then stayed unbeaten on 90 and took them to the target.De Lange did not do the early damage, though. That was down to Duanne Olivier and Mbulelo Budaza, who reduced Titans to 97 for 4 on the first morning. Among the early wickets was Dean Elgar, who was making a comeback after an ankle injury. He scored 33 off 71 balls, including five fours. Heinrich Klaasen and David Wiese shared a sixth-wicket stand of 142 to take Titans to a competitive 287, which was made to look even better when they bowled Knights out for 174.This meant Titans gained a first-innings lead of 113 runs, but then they slumped. In 14.2 overs on the second afternoon, de Lange and Olivier ran through them. Titans were bowled out for 57 with just three of their batsmen getting into double-figures. Knights closed the day on 41 for 1, with victory in sight.The third morning brought a thriller as Rowan Richards and Malusi Siboto kept the Knights in check. At 92 for 5, they still needed 79 runs and with a long tail, that was a tough ask. De Bruyn, though, held firm, and found support from Shadley van Schalkwyk, to steer his team home.