All posts by h716a5.icu

Manchester United are 'one step away' from announcing Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount as their first summer signing, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Mason Mount?

As per Sky Sports News, Mount is undergoing a medical ahead of his move to Manchester United in a deal that is worth in the region of £60 million.

The Red Devils has three bids turned down for Mount in the process of trying to secure his signature; however, the £80k-a-week ace now looks set to swap Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford in a high-profile summer signing for Erik Ten Hag's men.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Mason Mount has completed his medical ahead of signing for Man United.

According to The Manchester Evening News, Manchester United midfielder Fred could be shunted out of the exit door at Old Trafford once Mount finalises his move to the Premier League giants, with Fulham believed to be keen on his services.

Donny van de Beek and Scott McTominay have also been linked with moves elsewhere this summer, though there is pessimism that another midfielder besides Mount would be affordable for Manchester United.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones has detailed that Manchester United are nearly there as they prepare to officially capture Mount from Chelsea.

Jones stated: "An announcement is prepped and soon he will be getting the 'Here We Go' treatment. This is a very good signing, a player with pedigree at every level on the elite stage and still only 24.

"As an 8 in this United team, he will really thrive. I’m told Erik ten Hag can’t wait to work with him."

Will Mason Mount be a good signing for Manchester United?

Mount is a hard-working, quality individual who has possibly become a victim of circumstance at Chelsea and joining Manchester United under Ten Hag may be the best move for him, as the Dutch boss will have detailed plans to help him rediscover the consistency of his earlier career at the Blues.

In total, the England international has made 195 appearances for Chelsea, notching 33 goals and 37 assists in total, as per Transfermarkt.

Last term, Mount also showed his credentials as a creative force in midfield, racking up 1.3 key passes per match in the Premier League, as per WhoScored.

FBRef display that Mount recorded 83 successful shot-creating actions during last campaign, showing sparks of what he is capable of despite an underwhelming time of things across the board at Stamford Bridge.

With the right stewardship, Mount could be a key asset for Manchester United and form an exciting midfield alliance with the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro.

The West Indies bowling caoch has urged his bowlers to take more responsibility for bowling with discipline, after the side lost two wicket-taking chances due to no-balls

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-20172:02

We were sloppy between lunch and tea – Estwick

Twice during the second session in Bridgetown on Monday, West Indies were denied the wicket of Ahmed Shehzad on account of a bowler overstepping. In the first instance, Shannon Gabriel struck Shehzad plumb in front of the stumps, only for a review to show it was a no-ball. Shehzad was on 21 at the time and that delivery was Gabriel’s sixth no-ball of the innings. A few overs later, Roston Chase, bowling off spin, would have had Shehzad out stumped for 32 had he not overstepped. Overall, West Indies conceded nine runs in no-balls in Pakistan’s innings on the second day, eight from Gabriel.It was the kind of performance that West Indies’ bowling coach Roddy Estwick said was a sign of “ill-discipline”, and prompted him to suggest some sort of penalty so that bowlers would start taking responsibility for these mistakes on the field.”We have to make sure there is some kind of action starting from the nets, people have to be penalized for it,” Estwick said. “Because you can’t continue at the international level to be bowling no-balls. For me, it’s ill-disciplined because you can go through ODIs and T20Is and not bowl no-balls, and then you come into Test matches and you are bowling a cluster of them. To make it even worse, the spinners are bowling no-balls and that is not acceptable at all.”They could be fines, they could be any punishments – for every no-ball that you bowl, you have to do 10 sprints, whatever. But there must be some way that people will take accountability for what’s happening. You have to accept the responsibility, it’s you bowling no-balls. I can only help you prepare but when you go out in the middle you have to be as disciplined as possible.”Just like, if a person plays a bad shot, there is nothing a batting coach can do about it. If someone drops a catch, they blame the fielding coach but I think it’s all down to discipline, everybody making sure that on the field of play he is as disciplined as possible. I will try and correct it in the nets but it is up to the players to take ownership when they walk out on the field.”The no-ball issue isn’t a new one facing the side. In the first Test in Jamaica, West Indies gave away 12 runs in no-balls in Pakistan’s first innings, six from Gabriel. Although there were no wicket-taking chances squandered because of overstepping in that innings, West Indies still ended up conceding 27 runs in extras in Pakistan’s total of 407.West Indies did fight back in the final session in Bridgetown on Monday, taking three wickets in a space of five overs, but Estwick said the team would have to lift their game considerably given the lack of assistance for seamers on the track and Pakistan’s score of 172 for 3 at the end of the day, 140 runs behind West Indies’ first-innings total of 312. Estwick stressed they couldn’t allow Pakistan to run away with a big first-innings lead.”We were very sloppy between lunch and tea,” he said. “That’s the area that we have got to improve. We dropped one or two catches. We got wickets off no-balls. That’s the focus we have to try and improve on because you can’t afford, on an unresponsive pitch like this for seam bowlers, to make the kind of mistakes we did during lunch and tea. We came back nicely between tea and close of play but before tea it was disheartening to see the performance.”We have to correct it and correct it quickly because we can’t allow Pakistan to get a lead. Because once they get a lead, going into day three or four, that is going to be very, very difficult.”

Arsenal are interested in Bayer Leverkusen wing-back Jeremie Frimpong, but the imminent signing of Jurrien Timber could stop a move from materialising, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Jeremie Frimpong?

Frimpong began his career in the youth setup at Manchester City, where he spent nine years before moving to the Scottish Premiership with Celtic. In his short spell in Scotland, the 22-year-old made 51 appearances and scored three goals, winning the only league title of his career so far. The right-back received lots of interest whilst at Parkhead and in January 2021 sealed a move to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen.

Frimpong enjoyed his career breakthrough at Leverkusen, where he has made 95 appearances and scored 11 goals whilst providing 20 assists, becoming one of the most highly coveted young defenders on the planet.

Premier League sides Arsenal and Manchester United have been reported as having an interest in the defender, though the Red Devils' next steps in their pursuit are dependent on their ownership situation.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that whilst Arsenal do hold an interest in the former Celtic man, the recent signing of Timber by the Gunners may stop them pushing on with a move.

"We had some rumours about [Frimpong] that Arsenal are not in an official negotiation with Bayer Leverkusen for Frimpong.

"From what I understand, Bayer Leverkusen want at least around £35m for Frimpong, so at the moment, Arsenal are very happy with Timber who can help in different positions.

"Then, we will see if they attack the Frimpong situation or not. But at the moment, just some preliminary talks a few days ago and weeks ago, but not something advanced for Frimpong."

Would Frimpong be the right signing for Arsenal?

The signing of Frimpong would bring a different aspect to the Gunners' current full-back situation.

As it stands, the club's most natural right-back is Cedric, who is third-choice behind natural central defenders Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu. Whilst the duo have performed admirably in the position across the past couple of seasons, they do have a couple of issues.

The Japan international has struggled with injuries since arriving at the Emirates, missing 24 games through injury, whilst White, although defensively sound, leaves something to be desired from an attacking end.

That is where the Dutchman from Leverkusen comes in. He is statistically one of the best attacking full-backs on the planet, sitting in the top 5% in categories such as progressive carries, successful take-ons, touches in the attacking penalty area and non-penalty goals per 90 (as per FBref). His 0.21 assists per 90 ranks him in the top 10%, which makes it clear to see the dynamic he could offer Mikel Arteta and why the north London side are so interested.

The attacking threat that the wing-back carries could also be beneficial to Bukayo Saka. Opposition teams often try to man-mark Saka out of the game or commit two to three players on him alone, sometimes even resorting to kicking and fouling him. However, the threat that Frimpong poses means that defenders cannot simply leave him unmarked to focus on the Englishman, which in turn creates more space and more threatening possibilities for the current England Player of the Year.

Should Arsenal decide to push on in their pursuit of Frimpong, the different dynamic he offers could be the deciding factor in the success they achieve this season.

As Ange Postecoglou kicked off his Tottenham Hotspur tenure with a pre-season defeat to Premier League rivals West Ham United, it was perhaps clear as to why the Greek-Aussie has been looking to strengthen his defensive unit, in particular, this summer.

While it is often wise not to read too much into these warm-up encounters, the ex-Celtic boss may have still been concerned at seeing his side ship three times against the Hammers in Perth, with David Moyes' men surging into a two-goal lead inside 23 minutes.

Having endured the sixth-worst defensive record in the division last term, the Lilywhites will desperately need to improve next season if they are to have any hope of regaining their place in European competition, hence why a string of centre-back targets have been named.

What are the latest Tottenham transfer rumours?

Much of the speculation at present appears to be surrounding the north London outfit's interest in Bundesliga duo, Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van den Ven, with Daniel Levy and co said to have been engaging in talks with Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg, respectively, regarding the two central defenders.

That German-based pairing are not the only figures whom Tottenham are targetting, however, with The Sun having reported last week that Postecoglou is also showing an interest in Crystal Palace rock, Joachim Andersen, with Levy said to have been tracking the Denmark international since his prior stint on loan at Fulham.

While any deal for the former Lyon ace certainly won't come cheap – with the 27-year-old set to command a fee of £50m – his strong showings at Selhurst Park of late would suggest that he can be the defensive solution that Spurs are craving.

What is Joachim Andersen's style of play?

The 6 foot 4 powerhouse offers the benefit of being able to provide a towering, physical presence at the heart of the defence, while also having the quality to play out from the back when required, with that combination of qualities ensuring that the one-time Sampdoria man could be able to thrive at one of the Premier League's elite clubs.

That was the verdict of pundit Robbie Earle during Andersen's days at Craven Cottage, with the former Wimbledon midfielder discussing the defender's suitability to life at Liverpool:

“Right now, he would be a perfect fit for Liverpool Football Club, by the way. Good size, can play, looks commanding, looks like he can organise, he’s 24 years of age."

Those at N17 will also be intrigued by Andersen's apparent likeness to Manchester City's treble-winning ace, Ruben Dias, with the pair said to share a number of statistical and stylistic similarities, according to FBref.

That is shown by the two men's desire and willingness to get on the ball, with the Palace gem notably ranking in the top 20% among his European peers for attempted passes, while Dias ranks in the top 1% in that regard.

Equally, the pair are also able to offer a real threat at the other end of the pitch, with Andersen ranking in the top 13% for touches in the attacking penalty area, while his Portuguese counterpart ranks in the top 18% for that same metric.

That likeness can also be seen by their leadership qualities, with Andersen having been named captain during his temporary stint with the Cottagers, while Dias has also taken on the armband at times at the Etihad, having been dubbed a "leader of men" by Sky Sports pundit, Jamie Redknapp.

That comparison to the latter man is of interest such has been the 26-year-old's impact in Manchester over the last three years, with the former Benfica man having been hailed as a "man mountain" by pundit Michael Ball due to his standout showings under Pep Guardiola.

For Spurs to then snap up their own version of the 6 foot 1 titan in the form of Andersen could prove to be just what Postecoglou is searching for.

A round-up of the DPL matches on June 6, 2017 as Gazi Group Cricketers won their first DPL title

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jun-2017Gazi Group Cricketers were crowned Dhaka Premier League champions in 2017 despite losing to Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club in their last Super League game by six wickets at the BKSP-3 Ground in Savar. With both these teams and Abahani Limited on 24 points each, the winner was decided through head-to-head matches between the three sides. Gazi Group had won three of those matches while Doleshwar had won two and Abahani one.Top performers of DPL 2017

Highest scorer: Liton Das (Abahani) – 752 runs

Highest score: Raqibul Hasan (Mohammedan) – 190 off 138 v Abahani

Highest wicket-taker: Abu Hider (Gazi Group) – 35 wickets

Best bowling figures: Tanvir Islam (Khelaghar) – 6 for 18 v Partex

This was Gazi Groups’ maiden Dhaka Premier League title while Doleshwar ended runners-up for the third consecutive season. The Gazi Group players had started celebrating their triumph on Monday after Abahani had defeated Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club at the adjacent BKSP-4 Ground.The Gazi-Doleshwar match had originally started on Monday but incessant rain left the outfield wet, so it was continued on Tuesday with Gazi Group on 142 for 5 in 33 overs. They were eventually bowled out for 222 in 49.1 overs with Jahurul Islam top-scoring with a run-a-ball 87 that included seven fours and two sixes. Farhad Reza took three wickets while there was two each for Delwar Hossain, Arafat Sunny and Sharifullah.Later, Puneet Bisht’s unbeaten 89 helped Doleshwar cruise to their target. He struck 11 fours in his 91-ball innings, and added 59 for the fourth wicket with Marshall Ayub and 119 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket with Sharifullah who made 51 off 78 balls. Bisht was later declared the Player of the Match.Prime Bank Cricket Club signed off their campaign with a six-wicket win over Mohammedan Sporting Club in Fatullah.Batting first, Mohammedan were bowled out for 215 in 49.4 overs after resuming the reserve day on 187 for 6 in 43.3 overs. Nazmul Hossain Milon struck a run-a-ball 53 with two sixes and as many fours. Al-Amin Hossain wiped out the tail and finished with 4 for 35.Prime Bank lose two early wickets in the chase, being 24 for 2, before Mehedi Maruf and Rafatullah Mohmand added 78 runs, but Maruf walked off with an injury. He scored 57 off 65 balls with four fours and three sixes. Rafatullah continued, scoring 88 off 129 balls, adding 64 runs for the fourth wicket with Asif Ahmed who finished the chase off with 37 balls to spare.

Cricket’s world body is considering scrapping the event in favour of two expanded World T20 tournaments in a four-year cycle

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-2017The ICC is once again mulling over the prospect of scrapping the Champions Trophy, in favour of two expanded World T20 tournaments in a four-year cycle. Talk of the impending demise of the tournament has become almost a ritual. And with the next edition tentatively inked in for 2021, in India, David Richardson, the ICC CEO, said the body is considering scrapping the event to capitalize on the popularity of the T20 format to open the tournament up to more teams.”It’s always been quite difficult to distinguish or differentiate between the two 50-over global events,” Richardson said. “With the World Cup becoming a ten-team event, it’s almost like the World Cup is becoming more like the Champions Trophy, which I think is a good thing.”I think it (World Cup) will still be a longer event. The World Cup format will allow the best chance for the best four teams to get into the semifinals. So it takes away the risk of maybe a rain-affected game or one poor game having a huge impact on the tournament like it can be in this tournament (Champions Trophy). But still, highly competitive matches hopefully.”And then, whether the Champions Trophy in 2021 stays a Champions Trophy, or we move to two World T20s – that still needs to be discussed and settled. It’s a possibility, yes. I wouldn’t say it is categorically going to happen because, as we’ve seen, the Champions Trophy on its own is a very good event and very well-supported, particularly in the UK, where you get support for all teams. So let’s not be too hasty in writing it off, but to be honest and frank, there is consideration for moving towards two World T20s in a four-year cycle.”Two World T20s in a four-year cycle, Richardson said, gave the ICC a chance to open the tournament to more Associate teams, a balm to the decision to curtail the number of teams at the 2019 World Cup to ten. That decision drew flak from Associate players, with Ireland and Scotland cricketers quite vocal.”Having two World T20s in a four-year cycle gives us an opportunity to globalise the game to a great extent, open the tournament to more teams – 16 or maybe even in a longer term to 20 teams,” Richardson said. “It’s easier to be competitive in that format, and thus easier to accommodate more teams.”Richardson’s thoughts will hardly come as a surprise. In 2012, it was decided that the last edition of the tournament would be held in 2013, as the ICC sought to introduce a World Test Championship from 2017, and there was talk of scrapping it even as long ago as the time of the 2009 event. However, the significant commercial success of the tournament in England in 2013 – a short, sharp competition that featured eight teams – led to its retention at the expense of a World Test Championship.The ICC, however, is discussing the idea of a two-year Test league, with a 9-3 format – the top nine Test countries compete among themselves and against the three lower-ranked teams comprising Zimbabwe, and most likely Ireland and Afghanistan (depending on whether they earn Test status), which could also put some strain on the international calendar.The 2017 edition, Richardson said, highlighted the importance of context, and the ICC CEO was happy with the success of the tournament.”Overall, very satisfied with the Champions Trophy (2017). Across all aspects of the event, really, from the enthusiasm of the volunteers – cricketeers, as they were called – to the broadcaster viewership, the digital content that we put out, umpiring, player behaviour, pitches … everything went well. The cricket has been great. It shows that if you’ve got context and competitive teams, you will have a great event.”

Leeds United have been linked with West Bromwich Albion star Grady Diangana and he would be an 'unbelievable' capture at Elland Road, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Is Grady Diangana going to Leeds United this summer?

In conversation with West Brom News, former Baggies frontman Kevin Campbell has backed his old side to net a decent fee for Diangana this summer, stating: “I could see him leaving and I think there’s an opportunity for him to leave. He’s a good player, but he could be leaving.

So obviously, Corberan, who’s a good manager may be going in a different direction and there’s going to be a deal and with a good fee that can be negotiated. I’m not sure what he’ll be, but, he’s a good player. There’ll be a good fee but the amount I have no idea."

These comments come in light of interest in Diangana's services from Leeds United, Southampton and Leicester City; however, West Brom won't sell the Lumbumbashi-born winger unless they receive a considerable outlay for his services, according to the Express and Star.

Sunday Mirror journalist Darren Witcoop has also confirmed that Diangana has eyes on his situation, stating on Twitter: "Cardiff City chasing a loan deal for West Brom forward Karlan Grant. Albion looking to shift players to save money this summer. Interest elsewhere for Grady Diangana and Darnell Furlong. Cedric Kipre’s future also up in the air."

Last term, Diangana made 35 appearances in all competitions for West Brom, registering four goals and three assists in total, as per Transfermarkt.

Contractually, the 25-year-old is tied to his current employers on a deal that runs until June 2025 and is said to pocket £20,385 per week at the Hawthorns Stadium, as per Capology.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones thinks that Diangana is an 'unbelievable' player that would make 'defenders dizzy' at Elland Road.

Jones stated: "The potential availability is there given West Brom's situation. He would be such a good player for whoever can get him. He makes defenders dizzy and some of the things he's capable of doing in tight spaces are unbelievable. If Gnonto does end up leaving Leeds, this would be someone new that can dazzle and excite. It'll be interesting, though, to see if they have the capacity to actually get a sale going."

Who else are Leeds United keen on bringing in this summer?

Leeds United are closing in on their first signing of the summer in the form of Chelsea defender Ethan Ampadu according to The Athletic's Phil Hay, who referenced the Evening Standard's initial report of a £12 million bid for the Wales international on Twitter, stating: First signing close for Leeds United (as reported by Nizaar Kinsella) – centre-back Ethan Ampadu lined up to join on a permanent deal from Chelsea. Terms still to be finalised but well advanced."

Football Insider claim that Leeds United have been given a shot in the arm regarding their attempts to sign Nottingham Forest striker Emmanuel Dennis, who has been given the green light to leave the City Ground to find a new club.

The Athletic cite that Swansea City frontman Joel Piroe has emerged as another target to bolster Daniel Farke's forward line as they prepare for life in the Sky Bet Championship.

In the next few weeks, Leeds United will likely firm up interest in key targets as they aim to get into the best shape possible before their first game in the English second tier against Cardiff City on August 6th, as per Sky Sports.

The India captain feels development of a tight-knit team is the biggest success of his captaincy apart from the rise to No. 1 on the rankings

Sidharth Monga in Galle25-Jul-2017On the eve of India’s first Test series since an acrimonious coach swap, Virat Kohli spoke of a tight-knit team as the biggest success of his captaincy apart from the rise to No. 1. He spoke of the “outstanding bond” when asked what satisfied him most apart from the obvious winning feeling.”Just to see the responsibility taken by such a young bunch of players; to go out there and make a difference for the team,” Kohli said. “Even the substitutes that sit on the sidelines, their efforts, their energies, their concerns for the team when they are running in to provide to with the essentials… It’s great to see them also almost feeling like they are part of the playing XI that’s on the field.”That’s the kind of culture that has been created. It’s taken a while. Whoever steps into the dressing room, immediately feel comfortable because of the way they are embraced and how people are taking responsibility to maintain that culture. The bond within the team is outstanding and that is something that makes me really proud that we are all really close to each other and really enjoy playing alongside each other. That for me stands out the most because that shows on the field. Even in the most difficult of situations all guys believe that we can do it together and we have been able to overturn situations more often than not just because of that belief and the trust that we have between the players. So, that for me is most special thing apart from cricket performances.”That is perhaps why Kohli sees not many weaknesses in his side. “Well I don’t think there are any massive areas of concern for us,” he said. “We’ve been looking to fine-tune smaller areas during the course of the games, which probably people might not be able to pick up. [Areas] that can lead us into a situation which is not ideal. We have given responsibility to the players to identify those areas and work on those areas themselves. We have been able to put ourselves in a position in games, 80-85% of the games, where there’s only one winner left.”That’s the kind of sustained pressure that we’ve been able to build. But the key, as I said, is to go out there and repeat those things again and again. You can’t expect things to happen by themselves. You need to work hard every ball that you play on the cricket field and that applies to batsmen and bowlers collectively. So, the smaller areas we keep identifying and keep working on them.”With the confidence running that high, there is an obvious danger of letting the guard drop against Sri Lanka, who have not had the best of time in Test cricket of late. “For us we are playing a game of cricket, it doesn’t matter which opposition we are playing against,” Kohli said. “For us it’s all about identifying the players that they have, their strengths, their areas of weakness and focussing really on our performances and what we can do as a team. The moment you start focussing on the opposition and try to adjust your intensity according to who you are playing against, then that’s a very dangerous thing to do because if you don’t respect the game the game will sort you out and expose you.”We totally respect the game, we totally how hard we need to work to win every Test match, every situation, every session and every ball is an event for us. So we are willing to put in the hard yards for that and something that everyone in the team respects. As I said it’s something that is built as a culture and I am proud of it and the whole team is proud of it. We take a lot of pride in playing Test cricket for India and doing the hard yards that win the games.”

Manchester City star Kyle Walker could make a move to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich this summer as the Germans are willing to offer him a contract for "two years plus an extra year", whereas the Citizens are willing to offer just "one further season", claims Sky Sports reporter Mark McAdam.

Is Kyle Walker leaving Manchester City this summer?

It was truly a season to remember for the blue half of Manchester last year. Not only did they win the first treble in the club's history, but they did it while beating local rivals Manchester United in a tightly contested FA Cup final.

In many ways, it felt like the culmination of everything that Pep Guardiola and the City Group had been working towards since the Spaniard's arrival back in 2016, and for one of the club's longest-serving players, it seems like it's the perfect time to bid farewell.

According to The Athletic, England and City star Kyle Walker has courted the interest of German behemoths Bayern this summer and has now reached a verbal agreement with the side for a two-year contract.

While an agreement between the two clubs has yet to be formally agreed, it's expected that the treble winners could make upwards of £15m.

Reporter Mark McAdam explained the situation live on Sky Sports News (via Football Daily), saying:

"He's currently going into the last year of his contract at City. Now, there are talks that they would be willing to extend that, but only for one further season, whereas Bayern Munich are offering him two years plus an extra year – so he would extend his career at the very highest level for another three seasons, in theory.

"There is no agreement in place between Bayern Munich and Manchester City, but talks continue between the two clubs – and this is fascinating because it's always the way with these situations: guess who's playing each other next week in Japan on a pre-season tour? It's Bayern Munich and Manchester City.

"So that's the latest with that situation, but again, would Bayern Munich be making these noises publicly about Kyle Walker if they hadn't been given an indication that he would be interested in talking to them, should the two clubs agree a fee?"

How good was Kyle Walker last season?

Despite starting just 29 times across the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League last season, it was yet another campaign in which Walker demonstrated to the world just why he is so well thought of by Guardiola and why he'll go down as one of the most successful English full-backs of all time.

According to Sofascore, the Sheffield-born dynamo averaged a match rating of 6.74 in the Premier League and a seriously impressive rating of 6.96 in the Champions League, where he was included in the Team of the Week twice for his efforts.

As you'd expect for a full-back in a Pep system, his underlying offensive numbers are brilliant.

According to FBref, which compares players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the dynamic defender sits in the top 3% for attempted passes, the top 5% for progressive passes, and the top 6% for pass completion per 90.

That said, for as "exceptional" as Walker is, he is now 33 years old, and having won everything there is to win at the club, a move away to prolong his career at the very highest level could be what's best for everyone involved.

Yorkshire Diamonds kept alive their hopes of qualifying for Finals Day in the Kia Super League with a 17-run victory over Loughborough Lightning

ECB Reporters Network18-Aug-2017Yorkshire Diamonds kept alive their hopes of qualifying for Finals Day in the Kia Super League with a 17-run victory over Loughborough Lightning at the Hazlegrave Ground in a match reduced to 13 overs a side after a delayed start.It spelled the end of the road for Lightning, who have lost all three of their matches in the round-robin phase of the women’s twenty20 competition.For the second time this week, one big innings by an international opponent gave Lightning too much to chase. After New Zealand skipper Suzie Bates put Southern Vipers out of their reach with a brilliant 119 not out in Derby on Tuesday, it was the Sri Lankan Chamari Atapattu who enabled Diamonds to set them a challenge that was just beyond them.Lightning skipper Georgia Elwiss hit 41 off 28 balls in reply and a partnership of 48 for the fifth wicket with Sonia Odedra kept the home side in with an outside chance. But a target of 111 to win proved too much in the end as Atapattu followed her match-winning innings with 2 for 11 off her three overs, crucially conceded just two singles in the penultimate over of the match, in which she also dismissed Elwiss.Atapattu’s 66 not out off 40 deliveries helped Diamonds to 110 for 5 in their 13 overs after heavy rain and hail had delayed the start by almost an hour and a half.The left-hander, whose 178 not out against Australia was one of the highlights of the Women’s World Cup, gave one chance on 47 when she was put down on the boundary by Beth Langston off Ellyse Perry’s bowling but otherwise batted superbly, hitting nine fours and two sixes, the second of them a wonderfully timed flick over the leg side off the medium pace of Elwiss.The only real blot on the innings was a horrible misjudgement when, needing one to reach 50, she went for a single off a calculated push into the off-side off Kristen Beams but gave partner Katherine Brunt no chance of completing the run.Brunt, who struck two significant blows with the ball when she dismissed both opener Amy Jones and Australian allrounder Perry in single figures, was going well at the time with 21 off just 10 deliveries.