استكملت اليوم الأربعاء مباريات الجولة العشرين من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز “النيل”، وذلك بخوض مواجهتين.
واستضاف ملعب استاد الجيش ببرج العرب، مباراة الأهلي والإسماعيلي والتي انتهت بفوز المارد الأحمر بهدفين مقابل هدف.
موعد مباراة الأهلي القادمة بعد الفوز على الإسماعيلي في الدوري
وأحرز ثنائية الأهلي، بيرسي تاو وأمام عاشور، فيما سجل للإسماعيلي عبد الرحمن مجدي.
وفي الوقت ذاته حل فريق بيراميدز ضيفًا على نظيره إنبي، على ملعب استاد بتروسبورت، واستطاع اقتناص الثلاث نقاط بهدف ذاتي سجله مدافع النادي البترولي محمد حامد في مرماه.
ويتربع حسام أشرف مهاجم بلدية المحلة، على عرش ترتيب هدافي بطولة الدوري، برصيد 11 هدفًا. ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري
1- حسام أشرف (بلدية المحلة)- 11 هدفًا.
2- مابولولو (الاتحاد السكندري)- 9 أهداف.
3- أحمد بلحاج (سيراميكا كليوباترا)- 8 أهداف.
فيديو | بمهارة رائعة واحتفال تريكة.. إمام عاشور يسجل هدف الأهلي الثاني أمام الإسماعيلي
Manchester United could well be set to continue their summer spending spree after striking a deal for Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund, with the towering Dane potentially set to be followed to Old Trafford by fellow Serie A star, Sofyan Amrabat.
What's the latest on Amrabat to Man United?
According to reports in Italy, the Red Devils are believed to have already lodged a bid for the Fiorentina maestro, with the 26-year-old potentially set to be up for grabs with just a year left to run on his current deal.
As per prior speculation, the former Club Brugge ace – who previously worked under Erik ten Hag at FC Utrecht – may have already reached an agreement with regard to personal terms with the Premier League side, with a transfer fee of roughly £30m having also been mooted.
Read the latest Manchester United transfer news HERE…
Despite United having already splashed out £55m in order to sign their new number seven, Mason Mount from rivals Chelsea, the club are seemingly set to further bolster their midfield ranks with the pursuit of the Moroccan international.
Who could Amrabat replace at Man United?
Various reports have indicated that Ten Hag and co are set to move for the 6 foot 1 ace once the likes of Fred and Donny van de Beek have been shipped off to pastures new, with the former Ajax boss needing to make space in his midfield department.
Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen.
Those two outgoing figures may not be the only first-team assets to suffer as a result of Amrabat's arrival, however, with the Netherlands-born gem's role as something of a deep-lying playmaker potentially set to spell bad news for Christian Eriksen at the Theatre of Dreams.
The experienced Dane enjoyed a promising debut campaign in Manchester after signing on a free transfer last summer, racking up ten assists in 44 appearances in all competitions, having slotted in nicely alongside Casemiro at the base of the midfield.
Despite that strong impact, the 31-year-old did appear somewhat off the pace after returning from injury in April, with Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst notably writing that the former Tottenham Hotspur man 'could barely keep up' when faced with Manchester City's midfield in the FA Cup final.
Those shortcomings have seemingly continued in pre-season with Luckhurst again writing that Eriksen 'did not have the sharpest of games' in the recent defeat to Real Madrid, with younger, fresher legs, like Amrabat, potentially needed.
Lauded as a "monster" by journalist Carlo Garganese amid his form at last year's World Cup, the latter man is able to provide a greater defensive presence than that of the current United ace, having averaged two tackles and interceptions per game in 29 Serie A outings last term, while Eriksen averaged just 1.2 in that regard from 28 Premier League appearances.
Amrabat's quality and composure on the ball can also be seen by the fact that he ranks in the top 5% among his European peers for pass completion and in the top 8% for progressive passes, indicating that he regularly looks to set up his attack-minded teammates.
While Eriksen is only just behind in that latter metric as he ranks in the top 9% for progressive passes, the one-time Brentford maestro only ranks in the bottom 41% for pass completion, having proven more of a liability on the ball.
That should indicate that if Ten Hag is to bring in another familiar face in the form of Amrabat, then Eriksen could well find himself quickly shunted down the pecking order.
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.”
An update has emerged on Celtic attacking midfielder Jota and his immediate future at Paradise ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…
What's the latest on Jota's future at Celtic?
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Hoops forward is set to move to Saudi Arabia to sign for Al Ittihad to link up with Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante.
The reporter tweeted: "Al Ittihad are closing in on deal to sign Celtic star Jota! Agreement is being discussed between all parties and it’s now very close. Still not signed. Jota, keen on the transfer — waiting to discuss final contract details."
The Daily Record has added that the transfer could be for a fee in the region of £25m. However, the Scottish giants will not see all of that figure added to their budget as Benfica are due 30% of the profit on the £6.5m they received for the exciting gem last summer, which would be roughly £5.5m.
Who could replace Jota at Celtic?
It could be incredibly difficult to find a player who is able to replace the consistent stream of goals and assists that Jota provided for the club, but Brendan Rodgers could dip into the summer transfer window to snap up another winger.
One player with the potential to be a dream replacement for the Portuguese dynamo is LAFC forward Kwadwo Opoku, who is a reported €4.8m (£4.1m) transfer target for the Hoops.
Former Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers.
The 21-year-old has struggled for form in 2023, with a record of two goals and two assists in 17 MLS appearances. However, his performances last year suggest that the quality is there for him to thrive at Celtic as a scorer and creator of goals.
Opoku scored eight goals and created 11 'big chances' in 20 MLS starts in 2022, which works out as a vital attacking contribution every 1.05 starts on average. Whereas, Rodgers' other left-wing option, Daizen Maeda, scored eight goals and made six 'big chances' in 25 league starts for the Glasgow giants last term.
This shows that the LAFC star was able to provide consistent quality from a wide position, as Jota has in Scotland over the last two years.
In the 2022/23 campaign, the former Benfica prospect scored 11 goals and created 13 'big chances' in 26 Scottish Premiership starts for Celtic, which works out as a goal or huge opportunity conjured every 1.08 starts on average.
These statistics suggest that the potential is there for Opoku, whose performances in 2022 were lauded as "magnificent" by journalist Owuraku Ampofo, to be a Jota-esque figure on the wing for Rodgers.
The talented LAFC youngster has the ability to be a threat as a goalscorer and creator like the £25m-rated ace, which is why Rodgers could unearth the dream Jota replacement by signing the MLS gem and helping him to rediscover his best form from last year.
After India’s capitulation in Pune, Virat Kohli said that he had not asked for such a pitch but saw nothing wrong with the track
Sidharth Monga in Pune25-Feb-2017Lowest match total for two all-out innings in India. Quickest end to two all-out innings in India. India’s fourth-lowest match total. The third-quickest they have taken to be bowled out. If India asked for this pitch, they have been hoisted by their own petard. India’s captain Virat Kohli, though, insisted that he had not asked for this pitch, saw nothing wrong with the pitch, and pulled himself and his fellow batsmen up for capitulating for a total of 212 runs in 74 overs.Asked if he or his team had asked for this pitch at a ground with a reputation for flat hard surfaces, Kohli said: “I don’t know. I didn’t speak to anyone.”About the pitch itself Kohli said: “I don’t think it was any different from the turners that we played on in the past. We just didn’t play good cricket. You can ask me any sort of question or any perception about the loss. We know exactly what happened, the mistakes that we made. External perceptions don’t matter to us, they have never mattered to us.”We played good cricket, that’s why we won. We played bad cricket, and that’s why we lost. That’s how simply we look at this defeat. We just want to take the learnings forward, improve and come back stronger in the next game. I can assure you that we are going to come back with more intent for sure, and put Australia under pressure straight from ball one.”Once the pitch was laid out, India had the option of strengthening the batting like they did on a similar pitch in Nagpur against South Africa. Kohli defended the selection. “We wanted to pick up 20 wickets, we did manage to do that,” Kohli said. “I mean, not in time. I would say we did make breakthroughs but we could’ve done it quicker and if you don’t grab your chances in the second innings, if you drop five chances of one batsman, then you certainly don’t deserve to win. If you get bowled out within 11 runs and lose seven wickets, you don’t deserve to win a Test match.”You can speak about combinations… I’m sure you wouldn’t have asked this question had we won the game. The question changes drastically when you win or lose. A lot of things are result-oriented, but not with our team. We focus on what we can do right, and what we need to do right on field, and we don’t drift away from that. Our mindset doesn’t change with the results.”Kohli said Indian saw the defeat as “no big deal”. “It’s fine,” Kohli said of the mood in the dressing room. “It’s just another international game. It’s no big deal. It’s how you should stay calm and composed when you win, how you shouldn’t get overexcited. The same way you react when you lose, something that you take on the chin. We take failures and losses as an opportunity to learn.”The defeat ended India’s 19-Test unbeaten streak, and Kohli looked back to their previous defeat for inspiration. “The last time we had a performance like this [in Galle, against Sri Lanka], we had the most outstanding run after that,” Kohli said. “I would say that we needed something like this for us to get a reality check and understand what are the things we need to work on and keep persisting with it. Not take anything for granted at any stage, especially at the Test-match level.”Kohli blamed his batsmen for not applying themselves, but defended his bowlers, who were outdone by Australia who had little experience of bowling in such conditions. “The way we batted in the first innings, I think we put ourselves under a lot of pressure to be honest,” Kohli said. “Conceding a 160-run lead on that kind of wicket is criminal actually. If we were close enough to their first-innings total, the bowlers’ mindset is different in the second innings. The moment you give away 50-60 runs, the game is drifting away already.”It’s very difficult to pull things back from there, even a single run hurts from thereon. And I would say our batsmen put us in that position where it was very difficult for us to come back into the game. Am not blaming the bowlers at all, they tried their level best, someone like Umesh [Yadav] bowling well in the first innings was great to see on a slowish wicket. They bowled in good areas, they put Australia under pressure, they were going well in the first innings and we pulled things back nicely. A few things we can take away from this game but [only] from bowling aspect. Our batting wasn’t up to standard, and that’s certainly how we shouldn’t bat from here onwards.’When asked what the Australia spinners did right in comparison to India’s, Kohli found no flaw with his unit. “I think our spinners bowled really well as well,” he said. “I wouldn’t say what they did better. As I said, if you don’t apply yourself, any bowling attack can look dangerous. It’s as simple as that. Even a part-timer can get four wickets if you don’t apply yourself. And I certainly would like to think that that was the case with our batting line-up in this game. It rarely happens that four-five batsmen make errors in judgement in both the innings, especially with the way we batted in the last few months. I would say this was our worst batting performance and we need to accept that.”One of the errors was Kohli’s, when he shouldered arms to become one of Steve O’Keefe’s 12 wickets in the match. This image was the most symbolic of all. Ravindra Jadeja had done this to Steven Smith in Delhi in 2012-13, and to Hashim Amla in Mohali in 2015-16. Now Kohli watched in horror as his off stump was laid flat. Kohli was forthcoming about his mistake.”It was a judgement error from my side,” he said. “I left the ball too early. I should have waited for the ball a little more. You can’t say which ball is going to turn or which isn’t. You’ve got to play the line, and I certainly didn’t do that. It was my fault.”
Liverpool's sporting director is interested in raiding his former club in Wolfsburg and snatching dynamic defender Micky van de Ven this summer.
Indeed, the Dutch centre-half has reportedly been on Liverpool’s radar this year, according to Christian Falk, and could be available for £34m as manager Jurgen Klopp seeks assurances over the strength of his defence.
The 22-year-old is a dynamic and versatile defender that the Merseyside outfit have been eyeing of late, according to Fabrizio Romano – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – who said: "Van de Ven is a player they've been following for a long time. Let's see if they decide to enter into it or not. But it's just about following the player nothing else at the moment honestly."
Speaking to ESPN, the 23-year-old claimed that he is "open" to a departure from the Bundesliga this summer amid interest in his services, and given that Romano recently confirmed Jurgen Klopp is after left-footed centre-back to bolster his ranks, this saga is one to keep an eye on.
How would Micky van de Ven perform at Liverpool?
Given that Van de Ven favours his left foot, he could provide the perfect cover for compatriot Virgil van Dijk, who occupies that role in Klopp's team but finds assistance from no teammates who could call the deployment natural.
Van de Ven is a towering titan with remarkable pace, described by reporter Ronan Murphy as "a giant on the pitch, he’s flourishing under head coach Niko Kovac."
Should Liverpool secure his signature this summer, he could be the perfect defender to bolster the centre of the park, which was discernibly lacking in its usual intensity and vigour and was arguably the crux of the club's seasonal demise this year.
This is indeed down to his dynamic defensive attributes and his blistering speed, having captained the Netherlands U21 outfit and racking up a speed of 35.87 km/h; for reference, Mohamed Salah's top speed is recorded at 33.9km/h.
But his prowess is not built solely on his athleticism.
As per FBref, the 22-year-old ranks among the top 10% of centre-halfs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries and the top 7% of successful take-ons per 90; and while there is an argument that his pace is the reason for prowess across such metrics, it only illustrates his intelligence in applying his tools aptly.
He could prove to provide Fabinho with the perfect assurance to get back to his resounding best following a dismal campaign that left Jamie Carragher branding the Brazilian anchor as "awful" after one notable horrorshow.
Coinciding with his club's late-season purple patch, the 29-year-old rekindled some of his former mettle towards the culminating phase of the year, but he was victim of a squad that failed to gel together and protect the defence time and time again, and the Dutchman's lightning gait and success in dispersing danger – averaging 1.4 tackles and 3.1 clearances, as per Sofascore, and winning 64% of his ground duels – would only enhance Fabinho's efforts.
He could channel his energy into holding the centre together and rest assured knowing such a unique defender perches behind him, and it is a move that Klopp has to make to craft an illustrious new chapter into the club's distinguished history.
Tottenham Hotspur have made contact with Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka about a summer move to north London, according to journalist Fabrice Hawkins.
What's the latest Tottenham transfer news?
Incoming Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou clearly has his sights set on a new defender, considering a €22m (£19m) bid has already been launched for Galatasaray defender Victor Nelsson, according to reports from Turkey.
However, with the Turkish side set to hold out for €25m (£21m), Spurs may choose to turn their attentions elsewhere, and they have been linked with a cut-price move for Leeds United's Robin Koch, following their relegation from the Premier League.
With Harry Maguire falling down the pecking order at Manchester United, the Lilywhites have registered their interest in the England international, and the Telegraph report he could also be available for a lower fee in the upcoming window.
Another player who wouldn't break the bank is outgoing Frankfurt defender Ndicka, whose contract with the Bundesliga club is set to expire at the end of the month, and he has attracted the interest of a number of potential suitors.
In a recent update on Twitter, RMC Sport journalist Hawkins confirmed that Tottenham have "had contacts" with the centre-back, however at the moment it appears as though he is more likely to move to Italy.
AC Milan have tabled a contract offer for the 23-year-old, but AS Roma are currently in the best position to win the race for his signature.
Who is Evan Ndicka?
The Paris-born defender came through the youth ranks at Auxerre, however he made just 16 appearances for the first team, before moving to Frankfurt ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, and he has since established himself as a key player.
In the 2021-22 Bundesliga season, the "towering" 6 foot 4 colossus, as dubbed by journalist Jacque Talbot, made 32 appearances, and he averaged a 7.12 match rating from Sofascore, the second-highest figure in the squad.
Eintracht Frankfurt defender Evan Ndicka.
Although his form dipped slightly last season, the former Auxerre man has still managed to impress, ranking in the 83rd percentile for clearances per 90, as well as the 80th percentile for blocks in the past year, when compared to his positional peers.
It appears as though Roma are most likely to win the race for Ndicka, but he could be an excellent signing for Tottenham, should they make a late move, given his stellar defensive attributes, and the fact he is still only 23-years-old.
he ECB’s proposal for a new city-based T20 competition, which had originally be slated for a launch season in 2018, may now be postponed until 2020
ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-2016
Northamptonshire won the T20 Blast this season, which now looks set to be England’s premier 20-over competition until 2020•Getty Images
The ECB’s proposal for a new city-based T20 competition, which had originally been slated for a launch season in 2018, may now be postponed until 2020 to coincide with a new broadcasting deal.The go-ahead to further explore the eight-team proposal was given by a 16-3 vote at the ECB board meeting at Lord’s in September, following discussions between the 18 first-class counties, the Professional Cricketers’ Association, and MCC.The ECB hierarchy, led by chairman Colin Graves and chief executive Tom Harrison, have been keen to push through a new T20 league to rival the success generated by the Indian Premier League and Australia’s Big Bash, despite fears from many counties that it would undermine their raison d’etre.Championship by night
A round of Championship matches will be played under floodlights in 2017 – possibly in late June, the brightest time of the year. The matches will be played using pink Dukes balls, so keeping faith with the make of ball used in the county game. Dukes have yet to be tested under lights with all previous experiments using a Kookaburra.
Surrey, Kent and Sussex were reportedly the three counties who opposed the proposal, although several have since expressed reservations about the lack of detail.The original plan had been for the competition to be shown on Sky Sports for at least the first two seasons, with few England players likely to be involved due to an overlap with international commitments. However, the delayed start may now encourage a terrestrial broadcaster to come forward, in line with the ECB’s desire to use the competition as a vehicle to attract new audiences to the game.In a separate development, the ECB board today ratified a recommendation from the Cricket Committee that the option of allowing the visiting team to bowl first in County Championship fixtures should be retained for the 2017 season.The proposal caused some controversy when it was brought in for the start of the 2016 season. However, the stated aim of encouraging home counties to produce better four-day pitches – and improving the conditions for spin bowlers – were broadly considered to have been a success.The Cricket Committee – which included Yorkshire’s director of cricket Martyn Moxon, Leicestershire’s chief executive Wasim Khan and David Leatherdale, the chief executive of the PCA – studied a range of data that showed, among other factors, that a total of 10,094 overs of spin had been bowled across the season, compared to 8,643 in 2015 – the highest since 2011.Peter Wright, the chairman of the Cricket Committee, told ECB.co.uk: “In many ways the statistics merely reinforced the feeling we had been picking up around the game throughout the summer, that the experiment was working in beginning to rebalance the game.”As we stressed when we introduced the new options for visiting captains, this was not all about spin. We wanted matches to last longer, and to become more thorough preparation for international cricket.”That meant better, four-day pitches, which would mean bowlers had to work harder to take wickets, and would encourage a greater variety of bowling, whether spin in its various forms, genuine pace or reverse swing from more abrasive pitches.
Journalist Beren Cross has slammed Leeds United winger Jack Harrison after he put in a "poor" display on the weekend as his team slumped to another loss.
What's the latest on Leeds and West Ham?
Coming up against West Ham on Sunday afternoon, the Whites were in desperate need of a win – or at least a point.
In the end, though, Sam Allardyce and co came away with neither and so defeat means they now go into the last round of Premier League fixtures inside the bottom three.
Although Rodrigo fired Leeds into an early lead, they let things slip from there as unanswered goals from Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Manuel Lanzini saw the Irons win the match 3-1.
Evidently, it was a difficult afternoon for a number of men in white but it seems as though Harrison was one of the most disappointing performers on the day.
Indeed, in the player ratings for LeedsLive, the winger was slammed by Cross who gave him a lowly score of just 3/10.
The journalist also wrote: "Poor decisions with the ball when it came to him, poor execution when he seemed to make better decisions or simply not involved enough to make decisions at other times."
How bad was Harrison against West Ham?
On the Whites' last league trip to the London Stadium, Harrison stole the show as he netted a hat-trick to help his side take all three points in a thrilling 3-2 win.
This time around, he couldn't repeat the trick and was comparatively woeful when you consider the heights he scaled with that past outing.
Indeed, Cross wasn't the only one to be left hoping for more from Harrison's appearance, as Graham Smyth handed him a 4/10 in the Yorkshire Evening Post and wrote: "Gave some forward impetus but missed a big chance at the end of the first half. Not enough."
Jack Harrison's contract reportedly includes a release clause.
And when you look at his stats on SofaScore, it doesn't make for pretty reading either. Indeed, the £90k-p/w winger struggled with just 35 touches which is six fewer than goalkeeper Joel Robles.
He also lost the ball eight times despite not being that involved and failed to find a teammate with two attempted long balls, while he didn't help out much defensively either as he was dribbled past twice and made zero tackles, interceptions, clearances or blocks.
All in all, a day to forget for the Englishman as his side takes another step towards relegation.
A computerised rankings system has gone where the selectors have been reluctant to tread, by offering Kent’s troubled allrounder, Matt Coles, an opportunity to make his case for England’s one-day squad
ESPNcricinfo staff03-Aug-2016A computerised rankings system has gone where the selectors have been reluctant to tread, by offering Kent’s troubled allrounder, Matt Coles, an opportunity to make his case for England’s one-day squad when the inaugural North v South series takes place in the UAE next March.Coles, who was left out of Kent’s County Championship fixture against Derbyshire in June following a drink-related incident, was suspended by the ECB for two further Championship matches after being found guilty of throwing the ball in a dangerous manner during their victory against Glamorgan in May. In 2013, Coles was also sent home from an England Lions tour of Australia due to excessive drinking (the same punishment also handed to Ben Stokes).However, his recent one-day form has been impressive. He claimed figures of 6 for 56 against Hampshire, his former county, last week, and 4 for 39, with an economy rate of 4.33, against Sussex yesterday, to finish third in the Professional Cricketers’ Association MVP Rankings for the Royal London Cup, the system by which eight of the squad members for the North v South series have been selected.Tim Bresnan, Harry Gurney and Liam Dawson are three previously capped England players to have made the MVP cut, with the England Lions batsman Ben Duckett, the Northamptonshire left-arm spinner Graeme White, and the Somerset pair of Lewis Gregory and Tim Groenewald also in the mix.Duckett has been in prolific form of late, both for Northamptonshire and the Lions, making unbeaten scores of 163 and 220 in the recent triangular series with Sri Lanka A and Pakistan A although it is purely his Royal London Cup form that has earned this selection.”I had been following the MVP for the last few games when I realised I was in the mix and it put a bit more on the games we had left,” said Groenewald, who was born and raised in South Africa but who has lived in England for 12 years. “I’m really happy to be involved in something like this particularly with it being the first one and it should be a really good tournament.The PCA and the ECB’s National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough have worked closely to enhance the PCA MVP formula, which was first introduced in 2007.The rankings system identifies the match-winners and key influencers of matches, using a formula that measures each player’s total contribution by taking into account conditions, quality of opposition, captaincy and strike rates, as well as runs scored and wickets taken.The remaining players in the North v South series will be chosen by the England selectors, who will have not only the 2019 World Cup in their thoughts, but also the 2017 Champions Trophy, which will be hosted in England in June, three months after the UAE series.”It’s brilliant how the system has worked giving an incentive from guys outside the England set-up to work for,” said Groenewald. “I am sure there will be some really good players out there, players who will be playing in the next World Cup so it’s brilliant to be involved in this tournament.””The North v South series is something that there has been a lot of banter about in the dressing room since the start of the competition and as we got close to the end of the group stage I knew that I was there or thereabouts,” said Gurney, who made his last international appearance in December 2014.”It’s a good opportunity for someone like me just to remind the selectors that I can still do it and that I believe that I have still got an awful lot to offer the international game. It’s up to me now to persuade them that’s still the case.”