The latest from the mid-week action in the WBBL with the Perth Scorchers digging deep

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Nov-2019Ellyse Perry was in the runs again as her unbeaten 70 anchored the Sydney Sixers to a 39-run victory against the Hobart Hurricanes in Launceston. The Sixers only used four batters as Perry and Alyssa Healy (39) – who launched into Nicola Carey’s first over which cost 26 – added 72 for the first wicket before Ash Gardner (28) joined in a 51-run stand for the second followed by Erin Burns’ cameo of 26 off 16 balls to help round off a total of 2 for 172. Carey came back well from the early onslaught, bowling Healy and conceding 26 off her next three overs – which included the final ball of the innings being hit for six by Perry, her fourth of the innings. The chase proved well out of reach for the Hurricanes as they slid from 3 for 92 to 133 all out. Marizanne Kapp did early damage with wickets in her first two overs and Burns wrapped up the match with 3 for 5.Ellyse Perry flicks the ball away•Getty Images

Defending champions the Brisbane Heat produced an excellent chase led by the prolific Beth Mooney as they knocked off 167 with three balls to spare in a nine-wicket win against the Melbourne Stars who remain bottom after their seventh defeat in eight matches. Mooney, who finished unbeaten on 70 to stretch her lead as the top run-scorer of the season, added 92 in 10 overs for the first wicket with Maddy Green who hit 56 off 33 balls. However, neither was player of the match with the award going to Mignon du Preez who made 88 off 51 balls after the Stars had lost both overs inside three overs to be 2 for 12. Du Preez, who hit 12 fours and two sixes, added 102 with Annabel Sutherland, but although the Stars stretched the chase to the final over the result was rarely in doubt.November 12The Perth Scorchers produced an impressive display with the ball as they defended 116 against the Sydney Thunder at the WACA to lift themselves towards the top of the table. Ireland seamer Kim Garth took 3 for 21 as all the Scorchers bowlers got among the wickets. The Thunder were two down without a run on the board as Nat Sciver and Taneale Peschel struck in their opening overs and the slide continued. Pakistan allrounder Nida Dar did her best to keep the Thunder alive with 43 off 39 balls but was the last batter out in the final over having run out of partners. She was comfortably the top scoring the contest, with Sciver and Heather Graham both making 27 for the Scorchers, after a juggle to the batting order saw Georgia Redmayne fall for a duck having been promoted to open in place of Meg Lanning who struck the only six of the match in her 25 off 29 balls.

With Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side pushing for the Premier League title this year, they are relying on some of their biggest stars to help get them over the line, especially considering some of the crunch games they have coming up.

Bukayo Saka, although struggling with injury at the moment, has been superb so far in 2023/24 – contributing to 29 goals – and Declan Rice, who is fresh off the back of captaining England on his 50th cap, has lived up to his large price tag of £105m including add-ons.

It has been a less smooth ride for Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli, one of Arsenal’s most important players.

So far, he has just ten Premier League goal involvements, although his form has picked up of late, registering an assist against Newcastle and then a goal and assist away to Sheffield United.

With trophies to push for in the coming seasons under Arteta, there is no surprise that rumours have spread of late linking the Gunners to a new option out wide, with their apparent interest intensifying in recent weeks.

Arsenal 'like' Premier League winger

The player in question is Wolverhampton Wanderers and Portugal winger Pedro Neto.

The West Midlands outfit has made some excellent profit in the last year from sales, and Neto could be next in line to earn them a big payday. Indeed, according to Fabrizio Romano, Arteta's side are interested in bringing Neto to The Emirates.

The reporter revealed in his Daily Briefing on Wednesday: "Pedro Neto is a player Arsenal like and have looked at before, but we have to wait for Wolves to decide initial price tag to understand what Arsenal, Tottenham and more clubs will decide to do."

Gary O’Neil’s side could charge Arsenal upwards of £60m for the Portuguese winger, according to Nizaar Kinsella of The Standard. Neto could be one of a few big departures from Molineux, with Rayan Ait-Nouri another player of interest to Premier League clubs this summer.

This could be seen as a risky move on the Gunners’ part, considering Neto’s frustrating injury record. The 24-year-old has missed 109 games for club and country since joining Wolves from Lazio in 2019.

Arsenal will be one of many sides challenging for Neto’s signature this summer. The winger, who has five caps and one goal at full international level for Portugal, is also said to be piquing the interest of North London rivals Tottenham, and fellow title challengers Liverpool, ahead of the summer transfer window.

How Pedro Neto compares to Gabriel Martinelli

There is little doubt to Arsenal fans and neutrals alike that Arteta needs to recruit out wide, to give himself better options and allow Bukayo Saka to rest.

The 22-year-old has played 2275 minutes in the Premier League this season, according to WhoScored. William Saliba (2520) and Declan Rice (2399) are the only Arsenal players to have played more.

Neto could certainly be the answer to their depth issues. The 24-year-old has lit up Molineux this season, with two goals and nine assists to his name in just 18 Premier League starts. Despite his lack of game time, he is one assist away from joint-topping the list in the top flight this season.

Stylistically, Neto is very similar to Martinelli, so much so, that football analyst Ben Mattinson described him as ‘a right-sided Martinelli’ on X. He is a quick, direct winger who is a superb ball-carrier and a huge threat in transition, exactly like Martinelli.

Both Neto and Martinelli’s standout skillset is their ball-carrying, and they have very similar numbers per 90 minutes, according to Fbref. Neto averages 5.30 progressive carries per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 12% of positionally similar wingers in Europe, with Martinelli averaging slightly more, 5.46 progressive carries per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 11%.

The word ‘direct’ was mentioned earlier, implying their willingness to run at defenders and drive into the penalty box. This is reflected in both players’ numbers, as per Fbref.

Neto averages 2.34 carries into the penalty box per 90 minutes on average, placing him in the top 17%. Martinelli is even better, averaging 3.35 carries into the penalty box per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 4%.

Where Neto excels over Martinelli is his creativity. Aside from his nine Premier League assists this season, the 24-year-old averages 0.83 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes this season, placing him in the top 3%. In comparison, Martinelli averages 0.68 goal-creating actions per 90 mins, enough to place him in the top 15%. Neto’s superb creativity will only enhance the threat of the Gunners’ attack.

There is little doubt that Neto would improve Arsenal. He would offer something different to Saka on the right wing and would be able to come into games where Arsenal may have space in behind and be a huge threat. For the fee of £60m he could cost, it would be a smart move for Arsenal, although risky given his injury record.

Arsenal have an "unplayable" teen who could end up replacing Martinelli

The incredibly talented youngster could soon be fighting for a spot in the first team.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 11, 2024

Aaron Anselmino will have to travel to the United States to finalise his summer transfer to Chelsea from Boca Juniors.

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• Chelsea close to Anselmino signing
• Defender will have medical in USA
• Teenager to be loaned back to Boca

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The centre-back is on the verge of joining the Stamford Bridge club in a £17 million ($22m) transfer from Argentine giants Boca. However, he will have to fly to the USA to get the deal over the line, according to Marcos Bonocore, as the Blues are in Atlanta, Georgia to continue their pre-season preparations.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 19-year-old will be one of the most expensive sales in Boca Juniors history when he completes the move. Even though he will undergo his medical and sign a contract in the United States, Anselmino is expected to return to Boca on loan.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Anselmino came through the Boca youth academy to make his senior debut in June 2023. He has only made 10 appearances for Diego Martinez's team, but has shown enough promise to convince Chelsea to snap him up.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  After Anselmino completes his move to Chelsea, he will likely head back to Argentina to resume the current campaign with Boca. The Premier League side, meanwhile, will continue preparing for their friendly against Celtic on Saturday.

Erling Haaland presented fellow “Viking” Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a special shirt ahead of Manchester City’s friendly date with AC Milan.

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Premier League giants in the United StatesRossoneri also enjoying summer tourSerie A heavyweights prevailed in New YorkWHAT HAPPENED?

Norway international Haaland met up with former Sweden star Ibrahimovic prior to a contest at Yankee Stadium in New York. City’s superstar striker was on target in that game, as he broke the deadlock inside 19 minutes.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

City, though, were to slip to another high-scoring defeat. Having already gone down 4-3 to Scottish giants Celtic, the reigning Premier League champions found themselves on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline when gracing a purpose-built pitch at an iconic baseball venue.

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GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Pep Guardiola will not be reading too much into results at this stage, with pre-season all about getting minutes into legs. Haaland has been among the goals and was all smiles when linking up with Ibrahimovic – who is now a special advisor at AC Milan.

لا شك أن موسم عمر مرموش مع آينتراخت فرانكفورت لافت للأنظار بشكل كبير للجميع من حيث الأهداف وكذلك صناعتها ومناطحته للكبار في بطولة الدوري الألماني.

يحتل مرموش المركز الثاني في ترتيب هدافي الدوري الألماني برصيد 10 أهداف خلف هاري كين مهاجم بايرن ميونخ، الذي تفوق عليه في الجولة الماضية ووصل إلى هدفه الحادي عشر.

اقرأ أيضًا | الصراع يشتعل على المصري.. مانشستر سيتي يرصد مبلغًا ضخمًا لضم مرموش بسبب هالاند

ولكن هذا لم يجعل مرموش يستسلم، فاسمه بالفعل بات يتردد بقوة في أكثر من نادٍ إنجليزي وعلى رأسهم ليفربول، مانشستر يونايتد، وست هام، برينتفورد، آرسنال، توتنهام وغيرهم.

ولهذا قمنا بالتواصل مع واحد من اللاعبين أصحاب الخبرات والمهاجمين المميزين في الدوري الألماني ألا وهو، إيفيكا أوليتش، الذي مثل أيضًا منتخب كرواتيا.

لعب أوليتش في أكثر من نادٍ في الدوري الألماني مثل بايرن ميونخ، فولفسبورج، هامبورج ويدرب في الوقت الحالي منتخب كرواتيا تحت 21 عامًا.

وتحدث الكرواتي عبر “btolat.com” عن مرموش خاصة وأنه ارتدى قميص فولفسبورج مثل أوليتش قبل الانتقال إلى آينتراخت فرانكفورت.

أعلم أنك تتابع الدوري الألماني، كيف ترى موسم عمر مرموش، خاصة وأنه سبق له اللعب مع فولفسبورج مثلك؟

وأجاب: “لقد قدم عمر مرموش موسمًا رائعًا، وكان تطوره منذ أن كان لاعبًا في فولفسبورج ملحوظًا، فقد أصبح أكثر ثباتًا وتأثيرًا في المباريات، وأظهر إمكانات كبيرة كمهاجم في الدوري الألماني”.

لماذا تألق هذا الموسم، ما الذي يميز هذا المهاجم؟

رد: “أظهر مرموش هذا الموسم مهارات فنية ممتازة وقوة بدنية أمام أقوى المدافعين، وقدرته على اتخاذ القرارات السريعة في الثلث الأخير من الملعب ومرونة تكتيكية للتواجد في أدوار هجومية مختلفة تميزه، فهو يجمع بين السرعة والحس العالي لاستغلال الفرص وتسجيل الأهداف، وهو ما ساهم في نجاحه”.

اقرأ أيضًا | عمر مرموش: شعرت بقدرتي على التسجيل أمام بوخوم.. وأمر بحالة جيدة للغاية

هل تتوقع رحيله عن فرانكفورت؟ هناك العديد من الأندية الإنجليزية التي تريد ضمه مثل ليفربول؟

أجاب: “من الصعب التنبؤ بمستقبله، ولكن مع مستواه الحالي، لن يكون من المستغرب أن يجذب اهتمام الأندية الكبرى، بما في ذلك تلك الموجودة في إنجلترا، إذا استمر في الأداء على هذا المستوى، فقد يكون الانتقال وشيك بالتأكيد”.

هل ترشحه لناد مثل بايرن ميونخ أم أن أسلوبه لا يناسب الفريق، خاصة أنه يميل أكثر نحو المهاجم الذي يتواجد فيه هاري كين؟

أضاف: “في حين يتمتع مرموش بالموهبة التي تسمح له بالتأقلم مع نادٍ كبير مثل بايرن ميونيخ، فإن طريقة الفريق الحالية، وخاصة مع وجود هاري كين في مركز المهاجم، قد تشكل تحديات كبيرة بالنسبة له، ومع ذلك، تميزه بالوجود بأكثر من مركز قد يسمح له بالمشاركة مع الفريق”.

إذا كان اهتمام ليفربول حقيقيًا، فهل سينجح ويكون أفضل من داروين نونيز؟

أجاب: “إذا كان ليفربول مهتمًا حقًا، فهذا يُظهر أنهم يرون إمكانات فيه، من الصعب القول ما إذا سيكون أفضل من داروين نونيز، يتمتع كلا اللاعبين بصفات فريدة، سيعتمد النجاح في نادٍ مثل ليفربول على مدى تكيفه مع أسلوبهم ومتطلبات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز”.

هل تتوقع أن تستمر المنافسة بينه وبين هاري كين على لقب هداف الدوري الألماني طوال الموسم؟

رد: “نعم، أتوقع أن تستمر المنافسة، يتمتع كلا اللاعبين بموهبة لا تصدق ومستوى رائع، مما سيجعل المنافسة مثيرة على لقب هداف الموسم، سيكون من المثير للاهتمام أن نرى كيف يؤدي كل لاعب مع استمرار الموسم”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ردود أفعال جماهير فرانكفورت على أداء عمر مرموش أمام بوخوم: نسخة ميسي والملك الجديد

هل الدوري الإنجليزي أفضل له أم أن الدوري الإسباني قد يكون أفضل كتطور؟

أجاب: “سيكون أمامه تحديات كثيرة في كل دوري وفرص فريدة للتطور، الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز تنافسي للغاية ويتطلب جهدًا بدنيًا كبيرًا، في حين يركز الدوري الإسباني غالبًا على الأداء الفني والمهاري، يعتمد الأمر في النهاية على أسلوب لعبه والمكان الذي يشعر أنه يمكنه التألق فيه أكثر.

هل تعتقد أنه يمتلك صفات تشبه محمد صلاح هداف ليفربول ويستطيع تعويضه إذا رحل؟

رد: “لا شك أن هناك صفات في أداء مرموش يمكن مقارنتها بصلاح، خاصة من حيث سرعته وقدرته على مواجهة المدافعين، ومع ذلك، فإن كل لاعب لديه نقاط قوته الخاصة، إذا انضم مرموش إلى ليفربول، فسيكون ذلك لإضافة قوة جديدة لخياراتهم الهجومية بدلًا من أن يفكروا في أنه يعوض محمد صلاح بكل بساطة”.

Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have “agreed” terms over a new off-field Old Trafford move, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Ratcliffe making his mark at Man Utd

It has been a busy start to 2024 for Ratcliffe and INEOS after taking control of sporting decisions in Manchester from the Glazers. The co-owner, alongside Sir Dave Brailsford, has already brought in Omar Berrada as CEO from rivals Manchester City, whereas Newcastle United’s Dan Ashworth is wanted as sporting director.

On the manager front, a plethora of names have been linked to possibly replace Erik ten Hag, including Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi, England boss Gareth Southgate, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil.

Man Utd could move to sign £80m star with same agent as Mainoo

This claim comes from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

ByCharlie Smith Mar 28, 2024

Ratcliffe has also addressed his likely transfer policy, hinting that he wouldn’t be splashing the cash. When asked about Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe, he said:

“He’s a great footballer (Bellingham) but it’s not where our focus is. The solution isn’t spending a lot of money on a couple of great players. They’ve done that, if you look at the last 10 years. The first thing we need to do is get the right people in the right boxes, managing and organising the club. We must make sure we get recruitment right, such a vital part of running a football club is getting recruitment right, finding new players.”

On the idea of signing Mbappe, who is on course to join Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain over the summer, Ratcliffe then added:

“I’d rather find the next Mbappe, rather than spend a fortune to buy success. It’s not that clever to buy Mbappe, anybody could figure that one out.”

The Red Devils and Ratcliffe will be gearing up for the transfer window, and to do that, it looks as if they are on course to land a new technical director.

Wilcox to join Man Utd

Southampton’s Jason Wilcox was linked with a move to Manchester last month, and now there has been a significant development over a deal.

There were a number of updates from Romano on Monday, who said that the 53-year-old had resigned at St Mary’s and is set to join Man Utd.

The transfer expert later posted that Wilcox has also “agreed terms” with the Red Devils over an Old Trafford move.

It looks as if Ratcliffe’s team behind the scenes is being bolstered with the arrival of Wilcox, with the former Man City head of academy highly rated.

For example, Saints manager Russell Martin praised Wilcox when he heard of the rumours of a move to Man Utd last month.

“I’d like to think he would have a chat with us if anything was in it. He’s so honest, he’s so open, he’s been such a big driver of the culture here, he’s enabled us to do the work that we want to do.

“He’s supported me incredibly well and the staff so I’ve got nothing but praise on the impact he’s had on us and what he’s allowed us to do.”

One pundit has made a £60 million claim this week as Tottenham Hotspur reportedly consider cashing in on one of their stars players.

Spurs players up for sale before next season

Ange Postecoglou's successful debut season has also marked the rise of some now-key squad members, like Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma, who were previously outcasts under Antonio Conte.

Related Ange hands Tottenham employees transfer mission now star could leave

Postecoglou has gave clear instructions ahead of the summer window.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Apr 11, 2024

However, the Australian's tenure has seen previous Conte favourites relegated to lesser roles. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was a mainstay under Tottenham's former coach, though Postecoglou's arrival resulted in the Dane becoming an impact bench player instead.

Hojbjerg's featured very regularly as a substitute this season, but he's confirmed a level of dissatisfaction after starting just six Premier League games all season.

“Of course I’m not happy with what’s going on at the club. It’s not a secret, but it’s not something I make a fuss about either," said Hojbjerg on his limited game time to Danish media recently.

Senior Tottenham players with fewest league minutes this season

Number (via WhoScored)

Bryan Gil

191

Manor Solomon

198

Radu Dragusin (January arrival)

229

Giovani Lo Celso

459

Oliver Skipp

572

“I can put my head on the pillow knowing that I’m giving it my all to show the coach that he should believe in me. This is not the case at the moment, and it’s the coach who has to explain why.”

As a result, reports suggest Hojbjerg could be up for sale this summer, and especially since his contract expires next year. Meanwhile, the likes of Giovani Lo Celso and Bryan Gil are being linked with Spurs exits as well.

Right-back Djed Spence isn't part of Postecoglou's plans either and could be allowed to leave permanently, with the Englishman currently on loan at Genoa in Serie A. There is also the conundrum of what to do with Tottenham's plethora of senior players out on loan right now, but it is likely Joe Rodon will be up for grabs when the window reopens after his excellent temporary stint at Leeds.

Perhaps the most surprising exit link is Richarlison, who has bagged 11 goals in all competitions and looks rejuvenated under Postecoglou. There is apparently doubt over the Brazilian's suitability to lead the line moving forward, despite his fine form this term, with reports claiming Tottenham could consider cashing in on Richarlison this summer.

Pundit makes £60 million claim as Tottenham consider Richarlison sale

Speaking to Tottenham News, pundit John Wenham has expressed his disbelief at news that they could offload the former Everton star. Wenham also says that Spurs would want more than £60 million for Richarlison if they're going to sell.

"For Tottenham just to break even on Richarlison, they would need to fetch a fee of £60million, it is a ludicrous amount of money,” said Wenham.

“Richarlison should be right down there on the list of priorities when it comes to transfers.

“Spurs have so many players out on loan and a few still at the club who don’t contribute anything, and they need to be sold before a decision can be made on whether or not players who are still contributing should be sold.

“Richarlison is a player who contributes, he has been a key player this season and even to be offered £60million, that is just what Spurs paid for him, so they would probably want to see a higher offer from any of the Saudi clubs.”

Former India women’s batsman Sulakshana Naik also likely to be part of the panel

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Jan-2020

Three former India cricketers – Gautam Gambhir, Madan Lal and Sulakshana Naik are in the running to be part of the next cricket advisory committee (CAC). The CAC has been dormant since the previous panel, led by former India captain Kapil Dev, resigned last October.ESPNcricinfo understands Gambhir has given his consent to be appointed to the panel, while Madan Lal confirmed that he had given it the nod. Naik, the former Mumbai and Indian batsman, said to wait for the news to come out officially. The BCCI is yet to make an announcement on the matter.It is not clear whether the BCCI will appoint the CAC formally just yet, or wait for the Supreme Court to hear its pending plea on the conflict of interest rules and other amendments it has proposed to the board’s constitution. The court was scheduled to hear the case on January 14, but it is yet to list it as part of the next week’s roster.Lal, the former India fast bowler and a 1983 World Cup winner, told ESPNcricinfo: “I was approached in the last week and I gave my consent. I have received no guidelines yet.”Both Gambhir and Lal work as cricket experts for television but they and Naik are not part of any other state association or IPL franchise. Gambhir had stepped down from the Apex Council of the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association after he was elected as a Member of Parliament last year.The formation of the CAC was a foremost priority, Sourav Ganguly had said soon after taking charge as BCCI president on October 23 last year. The CAC’s primary role is to pick the men’s selection panel as per the constitution. But previous CACs have picked the head coaches of both men’s and women’s teams and Ganguly said the next CAC would carry out that role too.However, as the weeks went by, Ganguly said that his administration was finding it hard to find suitable candidates for the CAC, a panel which he himself was once part of before being forced to stepped down after being found to be in conflict of interest.The same conflict of interest issue, Ganguly said, had dissuaded many former players from applying to be part of the CAC and other cricket committees, which, as per the Lodha Committee reforms, need to be made up of cricketers. Even Kapil Dev and his panel members – former India batsman Aunshuman Gaekwad and former women’s captain Shanta Rangaswamy – stepped down in reaction to the conflict of interest charges against them.The charges against the previous CAC members barring Ganguly came from the same complainant – Sanjeev Gupta, a life member at the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association. In all instances, Gupta said that each of the CAC members was holding more than one position in Indian cricket, which was a clear violation of the conflict of interest rule that permitted only one post per person.

Nortje batted for three hours and 11 minutes and faced 136 balls, more than South Africa’s top three combined, to score 18 runs

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth18-Jan-2020What are the characteristics of a “proper Dutchman”, the term of endearment South Africa’s bowling coach Charl Langevedlt used to describe Anrich Nortje?”It’s a sense of trying to go out there and fight, and come hard and be aggressive, with a lot of heart,” Nortje explained, happy to hear that the nickname that has been attached to him for a “quite a long time” was on air for the first time on day one.Langeveldt was describing Nortje’s back-bending efforts in the field but the man himself would like to apply the terms to all aspects of his game. “It’s something I try and pride myself on. When conditions get tough, when it’s 40 degrees, I try and be the guy to run and come hard,” Nortje said. “I try and make things happen with the ball in hand – not really with the bat but if I get an opportunity, if I have to take a few blows I am willing to do that.”ALSO READ: Cricket is a finite game and du Plessis’ finish is in sightFor the second time in the series, Nortje’s rearguard as nightwatchman has put South Africa’s top-order to shame. At SuperSport Park, he spent two hours and seven minutes in the middle and faced 89 balls for an accomplished 40, which included a match-winning partnership of 91 with Rassie van der Dussen. At St George’s, Nortje batted for three hours and 11 minutes and faced 136 balls, more than South Africa’s top three combined, to score only 18 runs. When he was dismissed, he sunk to his haunches in disappointment, knowing how close he was to putting in a double shift on overnight watch.”It’s trying to stay there for as long as possible. It’s not really about scoring runs for me, it’s about facing a few balls, as many as possible,” Nortje said.Nortje faced more balls from Dom Bess than any other South African batsmen in this innings so far – 59 – and four fewer than Dean Elgar did against Mark Wood – 19. He saw Bess outfoxing the top five as they looked to take the English spinner on more than they did at Newlands. Nortje was not privy to the strategy but saw South Africa’s eagerness backfire on them.”I’m not too sure how they (the top order) want to play it. I am not in the batting meeting, I can tell you that,” he said. “So I’m not too sure what they want to do but maybe one or two things could have gone differently, whether it’s taking him out the attack or just playing him positively and better, I don’t know.”What Nortje does know is that it’s not helpful to weigh his efforts up against the specialists’ because their job descriptions are so different. “There’s a little bit of a bigger battle between them and the bowler rather than me. Even if I get a half-volley sometimes, I still block it,” Nortje said. ” For them, it’s about playing naturally as well in stages. You can’t really compare.”Instead, what Nortje is interested in is measuring is his performance against Wood’s, the fastest bowler in the opposite camp. “I saw they had a comparison on the big screen and I was more interested in that when I was batting than anything else,” he said, although evasive action was also on his mind. Wood targeted Nortje’s rib-cage and later, his head, giving Nortje first-hand experience of what it must be like facing himself. “I haven’t really had to deal with that before in my career. It gives me a bit of confidence that I can do it. But it’s not the nicest thing, I am not going to lie,” he said.Asked if the experience of facing Wood has made Nortje more sympathetic to batsmen who have to front up to him, he had a one-word answer: “No.”That’s the answer a “proper Dutchman,” would give, that embodies the attitude South Africa have to adopt if they are to give themselves a chance of going to the Wanderers all-square. They are 92-runs away from avoiding the following-on and even if they get there, there are still two days left, some of which could be lost to rain. South Africa will be under the pump for most of that time but Nortje is up for it.”We are positive we can save the game,” he said. “If we have to fight and we have to do what we have to do then we do that. We are not going to be worried about if there is weather around. We are going to come out here and focus on the next two days, fighting. Whatever we have to do to draw this Test match we are going to be up for that. We believe that.”

Imposing defender Dan Scarr has left Championship side Plymouth Argyle to sign for Wrexham, a move that sees him move down a league in the pyramid.

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Defender leaves Plymouth to join WrexhamSpent three seasons at the Championship sideSigns three-year deal with Parkinson's menWHAT HAPPENED?

The 28-year-old centre-back has left Wayne Rooney's side to play for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Red Dragons in League One, dropping down a division after helping Plymouth survive relegation from the Championship last term. He has put pen to paper on a three-year deal that will run until the end of the 2026-27 season.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Sarr, who joined Plymouth in 2021, was part of the squad that gained promotion to the Championship in 2023. Last season he appeared in 31 matches across all competitions, including 28 in the league, while he scored one goal for Argyle.

WHAT DAN SARR SAID

After signing for the Welsh club, the defender told their official website: "It’s a unique club for this day and age, but the main thing that drew me in was that I want to get another promotion and be a part of history. I’ve had good experiences that put me in good stead to go and help the team and help the players around me. I got promoted out of League One with Plymouth, and those sorts of experiences I hope will help me have a good season here too."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Phil Parkinson's men had a successful pre-season in the United States where they remained unbeaten, including an impressive draw against Premier League side Chelsea. They will play their final friendly match on Saturday against Fleetwood Town at SToK Cae Ras before their League One campaign begins with a home clash against Wycombe on August 10.