Bankstown will go into tomorrow’s concluding day of Sydney Grade cricket’s Round 7 with first-innings points already wrapped up, after rookie Speedblitz Blues paceman Aaron Bird demolished a Manly-Warringah batting line-up sorely missing stars Shawn Bradstreet and Michael Bevan. Bird finished with seven wickets as the Sea Eagles scraped past the one-hundred mark, a score that the Bulldogs overtook last Saturday for the loss of only one wicket. Elsewhere, competition leader Eastern Suburbs again surpassed 400 runs in a day, while Blues opener Greg Mail scored 137 for UTS-Balmain.A recent graduate of the Australian Under-19 team, Aaron Bird (7/35) further impressed State selectors with his match-winning haul at Manly Oval. Bankstown replied to its host’s score of 109 with 1/171 by stumps, Peter Dugmore (70no) and James Allsopp (66no) leading the charge for outright points.At Village Green, home side University of NSW must chase close neighbour Eastern Suburbs’ 6/414. Andrew Jeffery (108) and Mark Patterson (87) starred for the Dolphins. Unfortunately for the Bumblebees, an injured Michael Slater will be unable to assist his club in its daunting local derby.Greg Mail, Slater’s Speedblitz Blues opening partner, displayed his class at Hurstville Oval last week, recording 137 in UTS-Balmain’s 6/364 against St George. He was well supported by Jason Krejza (81), who is in fine early-season form. Saints’ best bowler was again 16- year old Moises Henriques (2-51), who eventually claimed Mail in his second spell.In other matches- Blacktown 179 v North Sydney 4/150 at Joe McAleer; Campbelltown-Camden 334 v Sutherland at Raby 1; Fairfield-Liverpool 294 v Gordon at Rosedale; Mosman 321 v Northern District at Rawson; Parramatta 8/266 v Penrith at Howell; Sydney University 8/247 v Randwick Petersham at University; Western Suburbs 151 v Hawkesbury 2/42 at Pratten.
Manicaland needed a total of just 30 overs to destroy MacDonald Club of Bulawayo by ten wickets last Sunday at Alexandra Club, Harare. Andy Flower was available but was rested by Manicaland after recently arriving home from Zimbabwe’s campaign in Sri Lanka. Batting first, Mac Club managed only 63 in 23.5 overs with Andre Soma taking three for 14, Richie Sims three for 7 and Justin Lewis three for 13. Alistair Campbell demoted himself to number 11 to watch Taffy Madondo (36) and Neil Ferreira (12) finish the job in six overs.Manicaland are back on top of the log and with two to play seem certain to win their first league title. This carries prize money in the region of Z$500 000 (US $1500). They are already guaranteed a top-four place that puts them into a separate knockout competition that carries further prize money.Andy Flower plays his first home game in Mutare on 3 February prior to departure with the national team to India a week later. Former Test stars Campbell and Whittall also play in the season-closer in Mutare against high-riders Takashinga (formerly Winstonians). Campbell will know by then if his Test career is definitely over, having recently flayed Gauteng B with big centuries in Zimbabwe B’s eight-wicket win in Kwekwe. If he isn’t on the plane and the selectors still claim he has been dropped for cricket reasons, he will know all he needs to know. Another Manica to flourish in that game was Richie Sims, whose 88 will surely be the start of big things.The second team continued their losing streak at Mutare Sports Club on the same day. Set a gettable 217 by under-strength Alex II, they fell 36 short in a puzzling display of nerves. For the Harare visitors Quibich Nkala top-scored with 63 whilst captain Dave Tones (30) and Callum McCormick (39) added useful runs. Manicaland II bowled without discipline to give their opponents a total of six extra overs through 28 wides and 9 no-balls. Only captain Dion Yatras (two for 3), who brought himself on in a late spell of desperation, bowled with any purpose. When Tino Mawoyo lost his stumps first ball he started a slide only briefly halted by a battling 36 from Keegan Taylor. For the visitors Anthony van Greunen took four for 33, Mluleki Nkala three for 41 and Tones two for 31.The second team is determined not to embarrass the sponsors by winning the league (no club can have two teams in the first league). They should have cruised their last two games to win the league – meaning the runners-up would have had to be promoted above them into next season’s first league. To compound their problems, in an administrative oversight they failed to select ex-Zimbabwe Under-19 player Jan Oosterhuisen who reportedly arrived at the ground expecting to play. First-team captain Neil Ferreira does not intend to repeat the mistake and has already drafted Oosterhuisen into the Logan Cup squad for next month’s four-day first-class fixture.
Veteran left arm spinner Venkatapathy Raju and youthful mediumpacerMohd. Ghouse had Goa struggling at 174/9 as hosts Hyderabad tookcontrol of the South Zone Ranji Trophy league match at the NationalFuel Complex ground in Hyderabad on Thursday. Earlier in the morningHyderabad had terminated its first innings at 315 after the tail wasallowed to wag generously.Resuming at 247/7, Shivaji Yadav was dismissed off the day’s fourthball without adding to his overnight score of 39. This brought Ghouse(25) and Raju (24 not out), later to enact a lead role with the ball,together in a brief supporting role with the bat. The former fell at273 after which last man NP Singh struck a breezy 23 in the course ofa last wicket stand of 46 in just over nine overs. Seamer Aware addedtwo more wickets to his tally to finish with 5/92.Goa openers YC Barde and Satyajit Medappa got off to a fine start,putting on 64 for the first wicket before left arm seamer Ghousestruck first blood, removing the former. Off spinner Shivaji Yadav nowgot into the act, striking twice in successive overs, one of hisvictims being Medappa who eventually topscored with 36. Ghousefollowed up with the prize wicket of skipper Pravin Amre whodisappointed again, failing to reach double figures in a brief stay atthe wicket.Raju proceeded to slice through the lower middle order, grabbing fourof the next five wickets as Goa closed out the day at 174/9, still 145behind. He finished with 4/15 in 16 probing overs while Ghouse pitchedin with 3/38.
It’s been another rollercoaster of a year for Manchester United, having flattered to deceive under Ruben Amorim’s management.
In the annual Premier League standings, the Red Devils are 13th, with 12 wins and 46 points across 36 matches. It hasn’t been good enough, but there’s no doubt that we have seen signs of progress over the past month or two.
Bruno Fernandes, as ever, has been the club’s shining light, but it’s disappointing to see that his 2025 has been curtailed early, sustaining a rare injury during the recent 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa.
Might this have altered United’s transfer plans? A deal for Manchester City-bound Antoine Semenyo has been in the works, but it wouldn’t be outrageous to suggest that the middle of the park is the priority position for INEOS as we head into the January market.
Man United's January transfer plans
Fernandes’ hamstring injury will have shifted Man United’s winter transfer strategy. Granted, the 30-year-old skipper isn’t expected to be sidelined for an extended period, but it’s unlikely we will see him again until the new year.
Perhaps this is the opportunity that Kobbie Mainoo has long been waiting for, though the 20-year-old talent has suffered a calf injury in training and may miss the next few weeks himself. Just his luck.
According to talkSPORT, United technical director Jason Wilcox has already turned toward an alternative to Semenyo, with a move for RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande in the pipeline.
Diomande, 19, has turned out to be quite the rising star, having enjoyed a prolific start to life in Germany. His talent is undeniable, and his employers have transfer-listed him at a whopping £87m.
He’s arguably got an even higher ceiling than Semenyo, and given the circumstances, he might prove to be Amorim’s own Fernandes signing at the Theatre of Dreams.
Why Yan Diomande would be perfect for Man Utd
Diomande is a two-sided winger who has established himself as one of the most clinical teenagers in Europe this season. He joined RB Leipzig from Leganes in Spain this summer, and last year, he only featured ten times in La Liga, scoring twice.
With seven goals and four assists already this term, the “special, special footballer”, as he has been called by journalist Antonio Mango, has the potential to become a superstar suggest he could become United’s new version of Fernandes, talismanic.
This argument is strengthened by the fact that he would arrive in January, as the Portuguese did when moving from Sporting Lisbon for an initial £47m fee in 2020.
Diomande is dangerous and direct. He is not stylistically similar to Fernandes, but his prolificness and ability to offer something distinctive does suggest that he could enjoy a similar impact. This is, after all, one of the most exciting attacking talents in the world.
Premier League 25/26 – Most Chances Created
Player
Apps
Chances created
Bruno Fernandes
17
51
Jeremy Doku
15
36
Mohamed Salah
14
33
Dominik Szoboszlai
17
31
Jack Grealish
16
30
Declan Rice
17
30
Data via FotMob
Moreover, he ranks among the top 6% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 3% for progressive carries, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 12 for tackles per 90, as per FBref.
There’s no question that Diomande has superstar potential, and given United’s vested interest in Semenyo over the past several weeks, it’s clear that he fits the mould that has been set by Amorim’s long-term plan.
The Ivory Coast international has quickly established himself as an elite talent, and while he would cost a pretty penny to bring over to Old Trafford in 2026, there’s no question that Man United would receive bang for their buck.
Insider Manchester United transfer analysis — subscribe Subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth Manchester United transfer coverage — scouting dossiers on targets like Yan Diomande, tactical fit breakdowns, and data-backed performance insights that explain why specific signings matter for the squad. Insider Manchester United transfer analysis — subscribe Subscribe to the newsletter for in-depth Manchester United transfer coverage — scouting dossiers on targets like Yan Diomande, tactical fit breakdowns, and data-backed performance insights that explain why specific signings matter for the squad.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Just as they did with Fernandes.
He can get Sesko firing: Man Utd making calls to sign £100m star
Manchester United appear to be making progress on one deal ahead of the January window.
West Indies women will tour Netherlands for four one-day internationals and two Twenty20 games between July 1 and 9. This series follows their tour of Ireland in June.They will open with a Twenty20 on July 1 and play two ODIs before breaking for another Twenty20 on July 6. The last two ODIs will be played on July 7 and 9. After that West Indies will travel to England for two ODIs on July 11 and 12.West Indies last toured Netherlands five years ago for the International Women’s Cricket Council Trophy and they won four out of their five matches there. Their last international outing was the World Cup 2005 in South Africa. Netherlands are better prepared for the series, having played the World Cup qualifiers in February.West Indies in Netherlands schedule July 1 – 1st Twenty20 July 2 – 1st ODI July 3 – 2nd ODI July 6 – 2nd Twenty20 July 7 – 3rd ODI July 9 – 4th ODI
Shoaib Malik has threatened to sue an Indian family for alleging that he married their daughter in a ceremony conducted over the telephone five years ago.In a hurriedly-arranged press conference in Lahore on Tuesday, Malik confirmed he had a relationship with the girl, Ayesha but denied a (wedding ceremony) ever took place. “I liked Ayesha and I told my family about that,” Malik said. “Elders of both families discussed the matter but the chapter was closed after they couldn’t agree on certain things. I can never think of cheating on a girl and since it was something that disturbed me, I am here to clarify the matter.”Ayesha’s father, Mohammed Ahmed Siddiqui, claimed last week that Malik married her on June 3, 2002 before all but abandoning her and should be punished for it. “There should be a fatwa (legal religious announcement) against him. My demand to him is to accept the marriage and divorce my daughter. She does not want to go back to a cheater like him. And we want our life back,” Siddiqui told an Indian newspaper.Siddiqui claims that Ayesha met Malik in 2002 during a cricket match in Dubai, where she was working as the vice-principal of an international school. “It was Malik who called me up and asked for my daughter’s hand. Although I had objections to my daughter marrying a Pakistani boy, I agreed because both of them were keen,” Siddiqui said.Siddiqui said the couple married over the phone after a two-month courthship, with witnesses from both sides. “I have the (proof of marriage) issued by a judge in Sialkot,” he said. Siddiqui, however, was not willing to produce that proof of marriage: “I will not give it now because my lawyer has asked me not to say anything about it as my case might not succeed.”Malik’s camp, however, insist they were lied to over the identity of the girl and that the family is exploiting Malik’s fame and status as Pakistan captain. “We are not denying the fact that Malik had an affair with a girl named Ayesha on the internet almost six years ago,” Imran Zafar, Malik’s brother-in-law, said.”He had planned to marry her and Mohammad Siddiqui claimed she was his daughter. But the photographs they showed of Ayesha to Malik were not those of their real daughter. They had been cheating Malik.”He added that Malik will go to India soon to file a case for fraud against the Siddiqui family. “We cannot allow anybody to defame Malik like this,” he said.
Silver League finalBuoyed by Bhilal Khilji’s 132, Multan made full use of the absence of Rao Iftikhar and allrounder Azhar Mahmood from the Islamabad line-up, as they posted an impressive 326 for 4 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Both Iftikhar and Azhar are with the Pakistan squad in South Africa, thus denting Islamabad’s chances to get promoted to next season’s Gold League.Khilji’s knock came off 218 balls with 22 fours and a six. Opener Usman Tariq chipped in with 56. Bilal was joined by Kashif Naved in a 134-run stand for the fourth wicket. Naved’s 72 came off 109 balls with 11 boundaries.Gold LeagueFawad Alam hammered his second century of the tounament, as Karachi Harbour ran up an impressive total of 323 for 6 against Faisalabad at the National Stadium in Karachi. The 21-year-old, who was tipped earlier in the season to at least make Pakistan’s preliminary World Cup squad but eventually didn’t, came in at number five with his team at 140-3 and proceeded to score his third first-class hundred.Fawad faced 149 deliveries to make 103, that included 15 boundaries. He dominated the 132-run fifth-wicket partnership with Fahad Iqbal. Karachi Harbour, led by Danish Kaneria, won the toss and decided to go in first. Khalid Latif and Wajihuddin got off to a good start, adding 53. Wajihuddin scored a resolute 67 off 121 balls with nine fours and a six and his second-wicket stand with Akbar Rehman was worth 85. Seamer Asad Ali bowled usefully for Faisalabad with figures of 3 for 97 from 27 overs, although he conceded 13 no-balls and a wide. Ahmed Hayat picked up 2 for 57 in 16 overs.Sialkot took a step closer to toppling Karachi Urban from the top of the Gold League table, as they dismissed their opponents for just 164 at the Jinnah Stadium on Wednesday. By the close of play, the Sialkot openers batted out the remaining overs, adding 53.Seamer Kashif Daud, playing his first match for Sialkot after having captured 21 wickets for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) in the Patron’s Trophy earlier in the season, picked up five wickets for 54 runs in 11.5 overs. Only wicketkeeper Amin-ur-Rehman reached 30 for the visitors. Four others got good starts but couldn’t go beyond that. Sialkot’s in-form paceman Tahir Mughal struck three times before Daud took over.Mohammad Wasim and Babar Naeem scored half-centuries as Rawalpindi compiled 330 in the opening day against Lahore Shalimar at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. At stumps, the hosts lost opener Ashfaq Ahmed for a third-ball duck, finishing at 15 for 1.After being put in to bat, Rawalpindi lost two early wickets before Naeem smacked 63 runs off just 77 balls with five fours and five sixes. Wasim was joined by Awais Zia in a 69-run sixth-wicket stand. Wasim’s 75 came off 119 balls with 10 boundaries. Four more wickets then fell for an addition of 59 runs to make it 264 for 9. Yasim Murtaza and Najaf Shah proceeded to add 66 in a rollicking last-wicket partnership that took the score to 330 in less than an hour.Yasim made 42 off 54 balls with five fours and a six while Najaf remained unbeaten with 31. Mohammad Khalil returned figures of 3 for 57 in 19 overs.
Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh stadium has emerged as a leading contender to host the ICC Champions Trophy matches following commercial glitches at the venues originally selected for the tournament. Maqbul Dudhia, the ICC representative, and Rick Jamieson, a Global Cricket Corporation (GCC) official, inspected the venue which hosted a one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka in October 2005.According to the host nation agreement of the ICC, the venues chosen must be free from ground signages and other sponsorship obligations. Nagpur, Mohali and Hyderabad are the other centres in the running to host the matches. Subhash Joshi, secretary of the Rajasthan Cricket Association and former Ranji cricketers Taposh Chatterjee and Shamsher Singh met with the ICC and GCC officials.”We shall submit our report to the ICC and the final decision will be taken. We will be visiting Nagpur, Mohali, Kolkata and Hyderabad to look at alternative venues,” said Dudhia. Joshi said Jaipur had a better chance of being awarded matches as neither the association nor the venue had any kind of sponsorship contract.New Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata were the venues originally identified by the ICC, but all these cities have pre-existing contracts with various corporates, which goes against the ICC’s sponsorship policies.
Rahul Dravid has urged Indian fans to treat the Pakistan side well when they tour India soon, in order to reciprocate the warmth Pakistani fans had given Indian players and fans last year. Writing in his column in the , Dravid wrote: “[I] hope we will watch, cheer and support the teams in the spirit in which the game must be [played]. The home team will appreciate and be inspired by your support, but we would also hope that our opponents and their fans are respected.”Remembering past encounters between India and Pakistan, Dravid wrote that India’s “most cherished memories” were “outside the field of play. The standing ovation of the Chennai crowd. The spontaneous applause of the people at Karachi airport. Watching Indians fans with Indian flags and facepaint walking along with Pakistani supporters on the streets of Lahore. The people have made these series as memorable as the players.”India-Pakistan matches also played a big role in the evolution of all the players who took part in them, he said. “No-one who has played in any of these contests can claim to come away from them unaffected. They help you grow as a player and as a man. They have inspired the players to produce some magical moments.”
Sourav Ganguly has renewed his contract with Percept D’Mark for the next five years and the deal is believed to be in the region of Rs 50 crore. The agreement meant that Percept D’Mark will take care of Ganguly’s endorsements, appearances, interviews and promotional campaigns till 2008.The finalisation of the deal ends a contractual row between the Ganguly and the company that cropped up during their three-year association from 2000.Percept D’Mark’s CEO, Sanjay Lal, declined to share financial details of the agreement in the course of a conference at Bangalore. However sources said the deal is in the region of Rs 50 crore.Ganguly admitted that Nimbus had approach him with a deal, but conceded “we decided to continue with this commitment. This association till 2008 will be till I finish my career." This however was not a reference to his retirement and Ganguly pointed that even in 2008 he could renew the contract.