Chelsea remain keen to get a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo over the line as quickly as possible.

What’s the latest on Moises Caicedo to Chelsea?

According to Football Insider, Caicedo has verbally agreed terms with the Stamford Bridge side and an official bid is expected to now be on the way from the club as Mauricio Pochettino aims to wrap up a deal.

The report claims that Chelsea are now the only club in discussions with the 21-year-old due to Arsenal withdrawing their interest – a deal is set to be in excess of £80m.

The Argentinian will be hoping to clear out some of the deadwood in the squad, as a move will go through once several more outgoings are confirmed, with the likes of Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Hakim Ziyech looking set to move to Saudi Arabia.

Will Moises Caicedo be Pochettino’s first Chelsea signing?

With the new manager looking to quickly assert his authority on the squad, getting a deal over the line for the Ecuadorian is surely a priority ahead of next term.

It would also signal a major statement of intent by showing the rest of the Premier League that last season was merely a blip and they could well make a challenge for silverware next season.

Caicedo was outstanding for Brighton during 2022/23, ranking fourth in the overall squad for average rating (7.08/10) and accurate passes per game (53), while also exuding his defensive qualities by ranking first for tackles (2.7) and interceptions per game (1.5), showcasing his tenacious attributes.

He didn’t just impress across the Brighton squad, with these statistics turning the player into one of the finest midfielders on the continent. Indeed, across the big five European leagues, Caicedo ranks in the top 13% for interceptions and tackles per game, while his passing ability is one of his biggest strengths. With his record of 88.5% pass success rate, he ranks within the top 6%, and there is no doubt he could be a major asset for Chelsea.

Ecuadorian footballing historian Enrico Castro-Montes has waxed lyrical about the young talent, who could turn out to be one of Ecuador’s finest-ever players, as he lauded Caicedo as being a “crown jewel of a new generation” – high praise indeed.

His success, not only across the Brighton team, but also in comparison to his positional peers in Europe, suggests that Caicedo could be a dream signing for Pochettino, who may well give him a starring role in the Chelsea midfield that could help supercharge his game to the next level.

Tottenham Hotspur could sign centre-backs Edmond Tapsoba and Micky van de Ven this summer, according to Alasdair Gold.

What's the latest on Tottenham's transfers?

Having recently made two new additions to their squad this summer in the form of Guglielmo Vicario and James Maddison, attention has shifted to bolstering the centre of Spurs' defence.

Ange Postecoglou will be keen to improve a backline that conceded 63 Premier League goals last season and will have to explore the transfer market to make that happen.

Tottenham have been strongly linked with a number of defenders, but the most concrete of those surround Bundesliga pair Tapsoba and Van de Ven of Bayer Leverkusen and Wolfsburg respectively.

According to Alasdair Gold, both centre-backs are appreciated by Spurs' hierarchy, and the journalist believes that there is a possibility of both of them arriving in north London.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Gold stated: "Obviously defence has to be dealt with now. The feeling that I get is that Edmond Tapsoba is the main target, as the top target at centre-back."

"But, you know, there's two ways of looking at this. There is one aspect of, a little bit like David Raya and Vicario himself, that if they can't get the price down on Tapsoba, then Micky van de Ven is a very, very good young centre-back on the market, the Wolfsburg defender. So, you could say if they can't get him [Tapsoba], they turn to him [Van de Ven]."

He added: "Depending on the departures at Spurs, there's no reason really, if they were able to make sure to get players out the door, of going for both."

Gold went on to reiterate that Tapsoba is indeed Spurs' "top target" but a deal may hinge on the potential transfer fee of the 24-year-old. He suggests that he has heard the Burkina Faso international valued at £25m, but also at a much larger figure, creating an element of uncertainty.

Meanwhile, Van de Ven has been valued closer to the £26m mark, making him a much cheaper alternative should Tapsoba's fee rise closer to £50m.

Spurs would need to move on several defenders to make all of this possible, with Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez already linked with moves away.

Would they improve Spurs?

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that Tapsoba would significantly improve Spurs but Van de Ven remains a slightly more unknown quantity.

While the Dutchman was just dumped out of the U21 Euros at the group stage, the 22-year-old still put in a respectable performance at the tournament. He has also been repeatedly praised for his Bundesliga performances this term.

One of the key attributes Van de Ven possesses is his ability on the ball. Compared to centre-backs in Europe's top-five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League last season, the Wolfsburg man showcased his quality in possession.

He has a solid average of 87.7% pass accuracy, putting him in the top 27% of centre-backs, while he was also in the top 10% for progressive carries, carries into the final third and successful take-ons, highlighting his ability to step out of defence when required.

The former Volendam man also boasts tremendous pace, as has been shown in a widely-circulated clip on social media.

Manchester United are yet to conclude any business during the transfer window, although the feeling is that something is close at Old Trafford.

Man United transfer news – Red Devils interested in Aurelien Tchouameni

While much of the early exchanges of the window have been with regards to signing Mason Mount, United are looking to spend even more money if reports are to be believed.

On Saturday, news broke from reports in Spain (via Football 365), that France international Aurelien Tchouameni was on the club's radar.

In fact, it's even suggested that Erik ten Hag has instructed United directors to fly to Spain in order to have a face-to-face meeting with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez so they can conclude a deal.

Ten Hag views the midfielder as an ideal option with the player looking likely to leave the Spanish capital following the arrival of Jude Bellingham.

That said, Madrid won't settle for anything less than a fee of €80m (£69m).

Who does Tchouameni compare to in Europe's top five leagues?

The Frenchman has been one of the most promising young midfielders in Europe for some time now and was totally deserving of a big move to La Liga last summer.

Having scored a quite delightful goal against England at the World Cup, the 23-year-old has only been going from strength to strength, playing a whopping 50 times at club level last term.

He may not have scored, but Tchouameni's primary function is to dictate and break up the play from the middle of the park.

With that in mind, it's perhaps no surprise to see FBref suggest that Arsenal-bound Declan Rice is one of his most 'similar' players.

Rice was a target for the Red Devils this summer but looks set to sign for Arsenal in a mega £105m deal next week.

Ten Hag, therefore, will have to seek alternatives and there are few better than Tchouameni, a player branded "extraordinary" by fellow countryman and ex-Man United star Paul Pogba.

Over the last 365 days, both Tchouameni and Rice have had a similar level of impact in the final third, with the former registering an expected goals per 90 of 0.08 compared to the latter's xG of 00.07. Furthermore, the Irons star posted 2.75 shot-creating actions to the United target's 2.67.

Tchouameni tends to play longer passes more regularly, spraying the ball on average 332.9 yards per 90 to Rice's 259.8 but this success rate of passes over a medium distance is very similar; 94.2% to 93.2% in favour of the Frenchman.

Their creativity is remarkably alike with the West Ham skipper averaging 1.02 key passes per 90 to the Real Madrid star's 0.94 while there is just 0.33 between them when it comes to passes into the final third.

Not just confident in possession of the ball, both are capable of doing the dirty work with Tchouameni amassing 2.72 tackles per 90, while Rice is only slightly behind with 2.17.

Whether it's creating chances or tracking back to win the ball for their side, the two players in question have a host of similar qualities. Rice has already shown that they are more than a match for the Premier League so his positional rival should have no problems settling in.

You only need to look at how Casemiro has fared since making the move to realise it can be done swiftly and to great success. Alongside Mount, this would be a superb signing for Ten Hag and Co.

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.”

Mitchell Starc has been ruled out of the remainder of the Test series in India due to a stress fracture in his right foot

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2017Australia’s hopes of retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy have been dealt a major blow, with fast bowler Mitchell Starc flying home due to a stress fracture in his right foot.Starc suffered the problem during Australia’s loss in the second Test in Bengaluru and after the pain failed to disappear in the days following the match, he was sent for scans on Friday, which revealed the fracture.”Mitchell experienced some pain in his right foot during the second Test in Bangalore which unfortunately had not subsided a few days after the Test as we had hoped,” team physiotherapist David Beakley said.”We made the decision to scan his foot in Bangalore this morning and unfortunately it has revealed a stress fracture. Subsequently, this means Mitchell will be unavailable for the remainder of the tour of India and will return home to Australia to start his rehabilitation.”Australia’s selectors are yet to name a replacement player for Starc, but as the backup fast bowler in the squad, Jackson Bird looms as the most likely inclusion for the third Test, which begins in Ranchi next Thursday.Starc will be the second player to fly home in the wake of the Bengaluru Test, after allrounder Mitchell Marsh was ruled out of the remainder of the series due to a shoulder injury. Seam-bowling allrounder Marcus Stoinis will join the squad as a replacement for Marsh.Although spinners have been more successful than fast men so far in this series, Starc picked up important wickets in both Pune and Bengaluru. He also showed his value in Asian conditions on last year’s tour of Sri Lanka, when he claimed a remarkable tally of 24 wickets at 15.16 from three Tests.Australia’s selectors have plenty of options to replace Starc, including the leading Sheffield Shield wicket-taker of the summer, Chadd Sayers, the in-form Western Australia left-armer Jason Behrendorff, and Pat Cummins, who this week took eight wickets in his first Shield match for nearly six years.It is expected that Starc will be available for the Champions Trophy later this year.

James Ward-Prowse and Amadou Onana would make "a really interesting combination" in West Ham United's midfield next season as potential replacements for the departing Declan Rice, believes journalist Paul Brown.

West Ham United transfer news – what's the latest on James Ward-Prowse and Amadou Onana?

West Ham are set to cash in on club captain Rice, with chairman David Sullivan confirming earlier this month that the player would be allowed to leave the London Stadium in the summer.

Arsenal look set to sign the midfielder having agreed a fee, it's just the structure of the deal that has been causing issues.

That kind of money will be necessary to help the Hammers rebuild their midfield for next season as one of their potential targets, Southampton captain Ward-Prowse, is reportedly valued at €60m (£52m) by his club, per transfer expert Ekrem Konur.

Another target, Everton's Onana, is reportedly worth £55m, according to Belgian newspaper Le Soir.

However, the publication has also reported that the 6 foot 4 monster has made his desire to leave clear, telling the club he 'absolutely wants to leave', which could help bring the price down somewhat.

What did journalist Paul Brown say about Amadou Onana and James Ward-Prowse to West Ham United?

Brown explained that the club would be looking for a replacement for the departing Rice and that the possible combination of Ward-Prowse and Onana was particularly interesting to him.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "I don't think he's high on their list as a midfield replacement for Declan Rice, but they are looking for two midfielders, and if they were to get Ward-Prowse and someone like Onana, that would be really interesting as a little combination."

Who is the better player out of James Ward-Prowse and Amadou Onana?

While both players have demonstrated their ability to play in the Premier League this season and would undoubtedly add something to West Ham's midfield, which one edges it in terms of quality?

According to WhoScored, the Englishman had a better overall season last year, averaging an impressive 6.95 across his 38 games, whereas the Belgian fell just short, averaging 6.71 across 33 games.

However, the 21-year-old shines far brighter than the competition in the defensive side of the game.

According to FBref, the Dakar-born machine makes 2.61 tackles per 90, winning 1.56 of them, compared to Ward-Prowse's 0.99 tackles won per 90, making it clear that in the defensive side of the game anyway, Onana is streets ahead.

That said, there are some, such as football scout Jacek Kulig that see the player as so much more than just a great defensive player, calling him a "one man army" for his impressive "work rate & determination" and "above-average technical skills."

Add to all that the seven-year age difference between the two players, and Onana certainly starts to look like a player with an awful lot of upside going forward.

However, with the sale of Rice looking certain, a summer window that sees a double swoop for both players would be a great way to start a midfield rebuild.

Mohammad Irfan, Zulfiqar Babar and Shahzaib Hasan have been questioned by the PCB’s anti-corruption unit as part of the ongoing investigation into alleged attempts to corrupt the Pakistan Super League. Unlike Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif, however, these players have not been provisionally suspended and are free to continue playing the tournament.PSL chairman Najam Sethi revealed the three new names on his Twitter handle, while stressing the league would continue to remain vigilant against the “menace of corruption”.In his tweet about Irfan, Sethi said: “Inquiry will continue. He does not face any immediate suspension.” About Zulfiqar and Shahzaib, Sethi said: “They will continue to play.”Sethi later tried to draw a line under the issue, adding on Twitter: “No more player suspensions are envisaged during PSL PROVIDED there is no NEW cause for action. Failure to promptly report any attempt to corrupt and subvert PSL will be cause for action.”Like Sharjeel and Latif, fast bowler Irfan, 34, also plays for the defending champions Islamabad United in the PSL, while left-arm spinner Zulfiqar, 38, represents Quetta Gladiators and Shahzaib, 27, plays for Karachi Kings.Shahzaib’s questioning, according to his team Karachi Kings, was the result of his reporting an approach to the PCB.Sethi had informed Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi of the developments concerning Sharjeel and Latif before their game on Friday. At that point the Kings owner, Salman Iqbal, sought permission from the organisers to address his team.”I took permission from PCB to allow me to brief my players and I reminded them to be aware about these things,” Iqbal told ESPNcricinfo. “I insisted to all my players to report anything you feel odd around you or if anyone approaches you for wrongdoing. Then later I came to know that Shahzaib had reported an approach to the PCB and he was investigated about everything he knows. He has been cleared and will play the tournament.”It is understood that after Zulfiqar’s name came up in speculation surrounding the developments, Quetta Gladiators volunteered him for questioning in a bid to clear his name.Irfan, Zulfiqar and Shahzaib are all experienced domestic cricketers and have represented Pakistan. Irfan has played four Tests, 60 ODIs and 20 T20Is for his country, Zulfiqar 15 Tests, five ODIs and seven T20Is, while Shahzaib has played three ODIs and ten T20Is.The news of alleged attempts to corrupt the PSL broke on Friday, when the PCB announced that it had provisionally suspended Sharjeel and Latif and asked them to return home.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are “ready to push” to bring Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres to the Premier League, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Is Viktor Gyokeres leaving Coventry?

The Sky Blues' forward’s contract is set to expire next summer meaning that this window will present Mark Robins with his final big opportunity to cash in on his prized asset, which shouldn’t be too difficult considering that he was his top-performing offensive player last season.

Back in May, TalkSPORT reported that the Old Gold were preparing an approach for the Sweden international, who has had a £25m price tag placed on his head, as Julen Lopetegui looks to bolster his attacking ranks.

On the same day, Football Insider stated that the Molineux outfit were the one suitor trying the hardest to sign the 25-year-old despite interest from the likes of Everton, Burnley and Leeds United, with his club resigned to losing him having failed to achieve promotion to the top-flight.

Are Wolves signing Gyokeres?

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Wolves are prepared to fight for Gyokeres and are willing to do whatever it takes to secure his services ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. He wrote:

“Viktor Gyokeres future, key hours/days ahead. Decision has not been made by player and his camp — potential free transfer in 2024 being discussed. Coventry owner, asking for huge amount with just 1 year left on contract. Fulham, Wolves, West Ham & Sporting are ready to push.”

Should Fosun table a bid for Gyokeres?

Wolves lacked any kind of firepower and were missing a prolific out-and-out centre-forward last season so it’s easy to understand why they want to add to their attacking department, and having been dubbed “unplayable” by his former teammate Maxime Biamou, Gyokeres is 100 per cent a player worth submitting an offer for.

The Building Society Arena talisman clocked up 31 goal contributions (21 goals and ten assists) in 46 Championship appearances during the previous term, with this outstanding form seeing him receive ten man-of-the-match awards, so it really is no surprise that he's in such high-demand.

Gyokeres, who also recorded 191 shot-creating actions – higher than any of his fellow peers – is additionally a versatile operator having been deployed in six various positions since the start of his career, including everywhere across the frontline and even in the midfield, so he possesses all the qualities that would make him the perfect candidate to slot into Lopetegui’s squad.

Liverpool are reportedly interested in completing a sensational move for Kylian Mbappe in the summer transfer window, according to new report from Spain.

What next for Kylian Mbappe?

The 24-year-old has arguably taken on the mantle from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the biggest footballing star of his generation, already achieving so much in his career, despite his age.

Mbappe won the 2018 World Cup with France, immediately gaining legendary status, and he has scored 212 goals in just 260 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain, cementing his status as possibly the world's best player currently, along with the likes of Erling Haaland and Vinicius Jr.

It looks as if the French superstar could leave PSG before the start of next season, however, with Real Madrid possibly the favourites to snap him up for an eye-watering sum of money.

Liverpool have been linked with Mbappe in the past, however, and it looks as though they are still eyeing an incredible swoop for him.

Are Liverpool keen on signing Mbappe?

According to Marca, Liverpool have "also thrown their hat in the ring" to sign Mbappe this summer, with Jurgen Klopp keen on the move coming to fruition. It is even stated that the Reds, and by extension owners FSG, are "willing to pay more than $300m (£235m)", which would obliterate the club's transfer record.

In truth, it is difficult to see the PSG icon heading to Anfield this summer, simply because of the amount of money being talked about, for starters. Liverpool reportedly have a £200m budget to spend on several players, namely midfielders, so it is impossible to see them being able to fund a move.

The Reds also don't have Champions League football next season, which Mbappe surely wants to be playing in, even scoring at Anfield in the competition back in 2018, so that is another reason why a transfer ambitious. That being said, if the move did miraculously happen, it could be one of the most exciting in Liverpool's history, considering what a special talent he is, being hailed as "world-class" by Argentina and Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

He has every chance of going down as one of the greatest players in history, should he continue at his current level for another decade or so, and joining the Reds would make the rest of world football sit up and take notice. For now, though, it looks like little more than a pipe dream, unless Liverpool gets an enormous injection of cash from somewhere before the end of the summer transfer window.

Andrew Birch conceded only four runs to clinch a final-over finish for Warriors against Knights at St. George’s Park, where JJ Smuts scored his second consecutive century in the tournament.Needing 11 off the last over while chasing 285, with Aubrey Swanepoel on strike on 73, Birch denied Knights any run off his first delivery. Three singles off the next three balls brought the equation down to eight off two. Seeing a fullish fourth delivery from Birch, No. 9 Merchant de Lange holed out to long-on, effectively securing the win for Warriors, as Swanepoel only managed to squeeze a single off the last ball, with Knights ending on 278 or 8.Birch, who finished with 3 for 45, had earlier accounted for opener Rudi Second in the second over of the Knights innings, and bowled David Miller for 18 in the tenth, reducing the opposition to 48 for 4. Captain Pite van Biljon then resuscitated the innings with a 104-ball 84 and two consecutive 80-run partnerships with Luthando Mnyanda (43) and Swanepoel (76) for the fifth and sixth wickets respectively, to guide his side past 200 in 39 overs.Earlier, having elected to bat, Warriors captain Smuts bludgeoned eight fours and five sixes on his way to a 144-ball 132, his sixth List A hundred, and strung a third-wicket stand of 151 with Colin Ackermann, who scored 86 off 96 balls, to take his side to 214 for 2 in 43 overs. Smuts, the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament with a tally of 453 in seven innings, added 52 off only 28 balls with Lesiba Ngoepe (12) for the fourth wicket, before both fell off consecutive deliveries in the 48th over to left-arm fast bowler Mbulelo Budaza, who returned 4 for 69, the best figures for Knights on the day. Three quick wickets in the last two overs meant Warriors could squeeze in only another 18 runs, finishing on 284 for 8.File photo – Aiden Markram smashed a 138-ball 183, his highest List A score•Getty/ICC

Centuries from Titans openers Aiden Markram and Henry Davids handed Lions a 169-run thrashing as records tumbled in Johannesburg. Titans had amassed 415 for 3, their highest one-day score, on the back of Markram’s 183, the highest in South African one-day matches, supported by Davids’ 128 before Lions were bowled out for 246 for the visitors’ bonus-point win. Titans are now placed third behind Dolhpins and Warriors while Lions are second from bottom with five losses from eight games.Titans cashed in on their decision to bat as Markram and Davids hammered 222 for the opening stand, studded with 21 fours and seven sixes. They brought up the century stand in the 20th over before hitting the pedal to push the run rate. While Davids brought up his hundred off 94 balls, Markram took 99 balls for his third List A century. Once Davids fell for 128 off 108 in the 34th over, Markram and Heino Kuhn (34 off 23 balls) charged them past 300 by smashing 21 runs in the 41st over off Carmi le Roux. Markram raced past 150 in the next over and soon surpassed Reeza Hendricks’ record of 181 for the highest one-day score in South Africa domestic matches. Titans were 387 for 3 when Markram was caught for 183 off 138 balls, that featured 18 fours and five sixes, and Farhaan Behardien’s half-century that was scored at a strike rate of 200 – 62 off 31 – took Titans over the 400 mark for the second time this season.Beuran Hendricks (10-071-1) and Nono Pongolo (3-0-23-0) were the only two Lions bowlers to concede at less than eight runs per over.In reply, Lions could not recover when they lost the openers in the first seven balls, leaving them on 4 for 2. Wicketkeeper-batsman Mangaliso Mosehle scored a rapid fifty – 74 off 44 balls – but he fell at the team score of 112 in the 16th over, becoming Tabraiz Shamsi’s second victim. Markram chipped in with a wicket too before Shamsi took three more to finish with 5 for 74, his maiden List A five-for. Even though the hosts score at close to eight per over through the chase, they were dismissed in 33.5 overs.