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Sunderland are yet to pick up a win during their pre-season outing to the Algarve, but there have been promising signs aplenty anyway.

Indeed, the Black Cats have faced some formidable opponents out in Portugal in the form of Sevilla and Sporting, meaning a 1-1 draw and a 1-0 loss aren’t disastrous outcomes, when you also consider a large chunk of the first team personnel selected by Regis Le Bris are still getting used to one another as brand new recruits.

In particular, Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki caught the eye of Sunderland spectators watching on, with the skilful midfield duo set to be joined by another impressive body in the middle if emerging reports are correct.

Sunderland agree terms with £17m battler

Of course, Sunderland fans will take any progressing deal with a pinch of salt until it’s officially over the line, having been burnt recently by Armand Lauriente’s deal falling through at the last minute.

Lauriente was even pictured jetting off to the Stadium of Light to complete a move, but the wheels unfortunately came off the deal in the end.

Hopefully, any last-minute mishaps are out of the Wearside outfit’s system, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein dramatically revealing via X that Sunderland have now agreed personal terms with long-term target Granit Xhaka.

The exclusive development by Ornstein reveals that Xhaka is only considering the newly promoted side as his next onward destination, with the hope on his end that the deal can be tied up rapidly for him to return to the Premier League.

In a window where Sunderland have already made a few statement deals a reality, this could well be the pick of the bunch, with the deal for the Swiss international – who is said to be valued at €20m (£17m) – a far more exciting signing to seal than Lauriente’s ever was.

Why signing Xhaka would be more exciting than Lauriente

Lauriente no doubt would have made his presence known donning Sunderland red and white, off the back of an explosive campaign in Serie B.

After all, the silky Frenchman wasn’t labelled “amazing” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig just by fluke, with a stunning haul of 18 strikes last season for Sassuolo clinching a glorious promotion up to the Italian top-flight.

Xhaka also has a sumptuous rocket up his sleeve, yet the seasoned 32-year-old would pick up his impressive tally of two strikes and seven assists in the far choppier and intense terrain of the Bundesliga last campaign, with the Bayer Leverkusen number 34 elevating his game to the next level in Germany.

From 174 games in the top division – with 66 of those coming about for Leverkusen – the midfield enforcer would collect 11 goals and ten assists, 12 of which were registered at the BayArena, as his side were even crowned champions of the usually Bayern Munich-dominated Bundesliga during his two-campaign stint.

Games played

225

Goals

17

Assists

25

Completed passes

14,865 (88%)

Tackles

368

Duels won

1001

On the contrary, Lauriente only has 133 games next to his name in total when plying his trade in Serie A and Ligue 1, with Xhaka’s expertise of the taxing Premier League also making him a far more worthwhile signing to pursue, away from festering in any lingering disappointment of the Frenchman’s deal collapsing.

Whilst he did experience many bumps along the way at Arsenal, Xhaka – in retrospect – is now viewed as a cog that allowed the Gunners to tick during testing times, as seen in his impressive 17 goals and 25 assists from a mammoth 225 top-flight appearances.

On top of that, he also battled away valiantly for the Gunners’ cause time after time, with 1001 duels being won in total, gaining him the label of a “monster” by Arsenal-based writer Connor Humm.

With the necessary grit required for a relegation battle, on top of possessing the quality to try and push Sunderland away from that mire, this really would be a standout addition to make for a £17m star also lauded as a “technician” by Chelsea great Joe Cole.

Lauriente might well have developed into a dazzling attacker under Le Bris’ wing, but if it’s readymade Premier League performers the ex-Lorient manager is after, he should ensure this move is sealed.

Adingra will love him: Sunderland in talks to sign "sensational" £22.5m ace

Sunderland is continuing to negotiate a deal to snap up a £22.5m star

ByKelan Sarson Jul 22, 2025

Surrey close with lead of 133, after seven wickets for spinner Will Jacks

ECB Reporters Network31-Aug-2024

A maiden century in only his third first-class innings from the 19-year old, locally raised left-hander Freddie McCann helped take Nottinghamshire’s reply to 405 at Trent Bridge despite a caree-best seven for 129 from Surrey spinner Will Jacks. Batting again, Surrey ended the third day of their Vitality County Championship match 133 ahead on 13 for 1.Play was soured in the afternoon, however, when Jacks, selected in both England’s white-ball squads for their games against Australia in September, smartly fielded a pull on the bounce at short mid-wicket and threw the ball hard and high towards the wicketkeeper causing McCann to take evasive action.Umpires James Middlebrook and Paul Pollard immediately summoned Surrey skipper, Rory Burns, and applied five penalty runs under Law 42.3.1 for “throwing the ball at a player in an inappropriate or dangerous manner”. The matter will also now be referred to Surrey for any further disciplinary action they deem condign.Half an hour later McCann became the fourth victim in the innings of Jacks’s off-spin, slog-sweeping to long-on for 154. And Jack Haynes soon went for 68 to the same all-rounder but the follow-on target of 376 was passed just after tea with six wickets down.On 144 for 3 overnight after the nightwatcher had gone to what proved Friday’s final ball, the home side lost Joe Clarke in the morning’s fourth full over when, rashly, he advanced to launch a straight drive at Jacks only to be stumped as the ball spun sharply out of the rough trough thew gate. Clarke, gone for four, was Jacks’s third success in 11 balls after his breakthroughs the previous evening.He remained a threat at the end from which fellow off-spinner Farhan Ahmed had taken seven wickets on the opening two days. But, with Haynes surviving an early alarm when edging a Cam Steel leg-break between wicketkeeper and slip on three, resistance of some character brought lunch at 231 for 4.The partnership had added 154 when McCann departed after 268 balls of high application straight after Haynes had posted a sixth fifty in his 15 innings since joining from Worcestershire. None of these though has passed 77 and the pattern continued when, glancing, his thin legside edge was taken behind.Kyle Verreynne, the South Africa wicketkeeper in his maiden county innings after arriving as Nottinghamshire’s third overseas player this season, was joined by Lyndon James to see the innings to 369 for 4 at tea. But two overs after they had averted the follow-on, James, slicing a drive to backward point for 23, gave Steel his first success in completing 22 of the 110 overs.With bonus points decided as five to Surrey, four to Notts, Liam Patterson-White was leg-before, one run later, giving Jacks his only six-wicket bag since his success at Rawalpindi in the first of his two Tests, against Pakistan in 2022. He had bowled a mere six championship overs hitherto this year.Rob Lord, on debut, came and went for 10 to Steel and Ahmed to Jacks without score as the final four fell for 21 in 30 balls, leaving Verreyyne unbeaten on 50 from just 60 balls. Leading by 120 on first innings, Surrey then faced spin at both ends from the off.It took Ahmed eight balls to add to his match tally when Dom Sibley clipped to mid-wicket but after seven overs bad light intervened with eleven of the day’s quota left unbowled. Surrey’s pursuit of an eighth win in nine games and a third successive championship title was put on hold for the night.

Kent have signed Melbourne Renegades seamer Tom Rogers for the second block of Vitality T20 Blast group games.Rogers, 30, has several years’ experience in the Big Bash League with Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes but this will be his first stint in county cricket. In all T20 cricket, Rogers has taken 60 wickets at 24.78 with an economy of 8.38.”We’re pleased to have got Tom on board to sure-up our bowling options going into the ‘business end’ of this South Group stage,” Kent’s director of cricket, Simon Cook, said. “He has a lot of experience and has skills that will be useful to us with both the ball and the bat, too.”Rogers will reinforce Kent’s bowling in the Blast, with Xavier Bartlett having only been made available for the first eight group games and Wes Agar returning to Australia early due to a shoulder injury.Kent are currently second from bottom in the South Group, having won two games, but could still fight their way into contention for a top-four spot.”I’m grateful for the opportunity to play in the Vitality Blast and I’m excited to be joining Kent,” Rogers said. “We know that every game is vital for us now, and I want to do my part in getting results as a Spitfire in the near future.”

Manchester United’s attack has carried them to countless trophies in recent history, allowing the club to sit on 20 league trophies – the joint most in English history.

Sir Alex Ferguson won a staggering 13 Premier League titles during his spell at Old Trafford, subsequently cementing himself as one of the best managers to grace England’s top flight.

He utilised players such as Wayne Rooney, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo during his 26-year tenure at the helm, with the latter winning the Ballon d’Or in such a period.

However, in the modern day, boss Ruben Amorim doesn’t have the luxury of such talents, having to rely on the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho, who netted just 10 league goals between them in 2024/25.

The manager has the potential to change such a situation this summer, that’s if the hierarchy are willing to back the 40-year-old in the transfer market in the coming months.

The latest on United’s hunt of new additions this summer

After securing a deal to sign Matheus Cunha over the last couple of weeks, it remains to be seen how much the board are set to hand Amorim to make the changes he desires.

Viktor Gyokeres is one player who’s been on their radar, with the Red Devils battling Arsenal over the 27-year-old’s signature ahead of the reopening of the window on June 16th.

However, the Swede isn’t the only star on their radar ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo a huge target, according to journalist Ben Jacobs via CaughtOffside.

He confirmed that the Red Devils are leading the race for the 25-year-old’s signature, after Spurs entered the race following Thomas Frank’s agreement to take over in North London.

However, any deal for the attacker could prove to be an expensive one, with the Bees demanding a fee in the region of £70m after rejecting the Red Devils’ opening offer of £55m.

Why Mbeumo could be United’s answer to Wirtz

Florian Wirtz has been a man in demand throughout the summer window, with Manchester City and Bayern Munich two of the sides interested in his signature.

However, the 22-year-old looks set to move to Premier League rivals Liverpool this summer, after Arne Slot’s side agreed a €150m (£127m) transfer with the Bundesliga outfit.

Such a deal looks certain to break the English transfer record currently held by Moises Caicedo, after the Ecuadorian joined the Blues in a £115m deal back in the summer of 2023.

The German has registered 30 combined goals and assists across all competitions this campaign, massively bolstering the Reds in their ambitions of retaining their title.

However, Amorim’s side could be about to land their own version of the attacking midfielder with Mbeumo matching Wirtz in being the major attacking addition for the Red Devils.

Like the soon-to-be Liverpool signing, he will be tasked with improving the current situation, with the Cameroonian having more of an opportunity given the difference in stats produced this season.

Mbeumo, who’s been labelled “sensational” by Sky Sports’ Mark McAdam, has registered more combined goals and assists, along with a better goal per shot on target rate – showcasing his clinical nature when finding himself in front of goal.

Games played

38

31

Goals & assists

27

22

Goals per shot on target

0.4

0.2

Take-on success

50%

49%

Aerials won

32%

20%

Crosses completed

5.3

3.8

Carries into final third

2.8

2.7

He’s also been impressive when getting at the opposition, completing more of the take-ons he’s attempted, whilst also managing more carries into the final third – evidently getting the ball forward at any given opportunity.

The Bees star’s dominance doesn’t stop there, completing more crosses, subsequently being able to hand other players around him the chance to improve their own tallies.

Whilst the fee touted for his services seems slightly inflated, it will be worthwhile, handing Amorim the top-level talent he needs to take the side to the next level.

The battle between him and Wirtz could well prove to be an exciting one, with the pair trying to lead their side to different achievements, but it remains to be seen which will have the most impact in England’s top flight.

Amorim's own Carrick: Wilcox preparing Man Utd move for £20m "monster"

Manchester United appear to be making a move for a player who could emulate Michael Carrick’s achievements.

ByEthan Lamb Jun 11, 2025

It’s been a rough ride for the Lilywhites this year. The end of the 2024/25 campaign is just one month away, but despite the pain that Tottenham Hotspur have endured, there may yet be light at the end of the tunnel.

Ange Postecoglou made a big claim in the early stage of the season, suggesting silverware may be on the way. Well, even though Spurs are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League with just a few years of the term left to play, they have one foot in the Europa League final.

Despite his polarising time at the helm, Postecoglou may yet leave an unforgettable legacy down N17.

Postecoglou's Spurs legacy

Tottenham have fallen by the wayside this season, of that there is no doubt. However, they could yet pick themselves back up, with Ange’s attacking philosophy looking to dig its claws back in ahead of the penultimate hurdle in the Europa League.

He’s received a lot of stick for his team’s issues across the term, but Postecoglou’s reign has unfortunately been characterised by persistent injuries.

Even so, he’s managed to create a semblance of offensive quality that was vacant in the years preceding his tenure, those post-Mauricio Pochettino years when things went awry and Tottenham regressed away from their staple flair and fearlessness in the final third.

And it’s remarkable that he’s achieved this. Long gone are the days of Harry Kane, who joined Bayern Munich in an £86m deal two years ago. The Three Lions skipper became Tottenham’s record goalscorer when netting against Manchester City in February 2023, scoring 280 goals across 435 appearances.

His partnership with Dele Alli and Heung-min Son was truly a thing to behold, but Son, now skipper, is the only one still kicking around down N17.

Dele might have endured his share of off-field issues in recent years but he will always be remembered for his prodigious start to life in the Premier League, scoring 37 goals and supplying 27 assists across his first three top-flight campaigns alone.

Son, meanwhile, has long been regarded as a “world-class” forward, as has been said here by former boss Jose Mourinho, with his 127 goals in England’s top flight placing him joint 16th in the all-time scoring charts.

Dele and Kane’s brilliance felt irreplaceable, and Son’s influence and longevity in the Englishg capital too, but Postecoglou’s formula appears to have found a new generation of forwards capable of collecting the torch from their Tottenham predecessors.

Postecoglou took on quite a weight when replacing Antonio Conte, but he’s succeeded in restoring Spurs’ attacking quality, their flair. In fact, he’s even moulded the Londoners’ frontline back into top shape, with three current stars looking like the next version of the iconic trio.

Spurs' new attacking superstars

Though this has been a campaign fraught with peril, Postecoglou has still managed to keep his attacking identity somewhat intact, with the 16th-placed Premier League side still among the division’s top goalscorers.

1

Liverpool

1st

80

2

Man City

3rd

67

3

Newcastle

4th

65

4

Arsenal

2nd

63

5

Tottenham

16th

62

This is largely down to Dejan Kulusevski, whose energy and creativity have been an invaluable source of respite for a sinking ship. However, he’s not done it alone; Brennan Johnson has hit 16 goal contributions in the Premier League alone, despite only starting 23 times throughout an injury-affected year.

Then there’s Dominic Solanke, Kane’s belated replacement as the focal frontman. Injuries have been the crux of Tottenham’s struggle this year, and their club-record signing has very much been a victim of the blows. Even so, he’s been a worthy presence at number nine, notching 22 goal involvements across just 34 starts.

The trio, whose combined wages total some £270k per week, have definitely staked their claim for central roles over the coming years, be that under Postecoglou’s wing or in a different manager’s system.

Having each registered over 20 goal involvements across all competitions, they’ve proven their attacking credentials, with Son and James Maddison also hitting that mark.

But Son is indeed approaching his twilight in the Premier League, and Ange and co will be well aware that Tottenham need a new attacking lifeforce, one which could revive the feeling that the South Korean provided when alongside Dele and Kane.

Of course, these were attacking superstars capable of firing their way to lofty hauls every year, actually becoming the first trio to hit 20 goals each in a campaign back in the 2016/17 year, when the Pochettino era was in its heyday from an attacking standpoint.

Now, Postecoglou has found new players capable of breaking such records, and though there’s been plenty to be desired this year, this certainly bodes well for the years ahead.

Three of Tottenham’s brightest stars of the modern age, they may well be reborn through this new batch of talent, one which might just go one further and end this ceaseless wait for silverware.

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The sensational international would be perfect for Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 3, 2025

The last few weeks of the 2024/25 campaign are vital for Chelsea. The Blues are pushing for a top-five finish, which would see them return to the Champions League.

However, they are currently just outside the top five on 54 points, one point behind Manchester City, who occupy the final fifth spot.

Of course, after the league is done, the Blues will travel to the United States of America for the Club World Cup, where they are one of 32 teams vying for the illustrious prize. It will be interesting to see if they look to make any new signings before the competition starts.

There is a special transfer window open for the first 10 days of June, where Chelsea could make a move for Liam Delap.

The latest on Chelsea’s move for Delap

One of the most intriguing transfer sagas that seems set to develop this summer involves Ipswich Town striker Delap. He has been sensational for the Tractor Boys this term, which has attracted the attention of several elite clubs.

One of those sides is Chelsea, with a recent report from TEAMTalk explaining the situation. The Blues are reportedly ‘very keen on bringing Delap to Stamford Bridge to be the new focal point of their attack’ this summer.

However, they will face competition from several Premier League rivals. Manchester United reportedly lead the race, and Chelsea’s London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are also interested in Delap.

The striker has a relegation release clause worth just £30m, which seems like a steal. The 22-year-old has 12 goals and two assists in 31 Premier League games for a side that has just 33 goals this season.

Delap is an exciting market opportunity for Chelsea, and for just £30m, seems a bargain. However, they have an attacker who is worth more than the Ipswich star.

The Chelsea player worth more than Delap

Enzo Maresca is not short of wide options at Stamford Bridge, given the amount of money Chelsea have spent in recent seasons. One of the most exciting at his disposal is arguably Noni Madueke.

It has been an impressive season for the 23-year-old, whose performances have seen him become a full international with England. Madueke, who has recently recovered from a hamstring injury, has managed ten goals and four assists in 32 appearances this term.

Of those goal involvements, ten have come in the top flight, with perhaps his best performance in the same competition. Madueke scored a fantastic hat-trick in a 6-2 away win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the start of the campaign.

The right-winger is an exciting player, confident in taking on players one-vs-one and unleashing a shot on his stronger left foot. In fact, football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as someone with “enormous potential”, and Chelsea fans have certainly been privy to that at times during his Blues career so far.

The underlying stats, courtesy of Sofascore, show just how well Madueke has performed this term. For example, this season in the Premier League, the Blues’ number 11 averages 1.7 key passes and the same number of completed dribbles per game.

Shots on target

27

1.5

Key passes

30

1.7

Successful dribbles

30

1.7

Tackles and interceptions

27

1.5

Expected goal involvements

10.6xGI

0.59xGI

With that in mind, it might not be a surprise to learn that Madueke is valued even higher than Delap, according to Football Transfers. He is thought to be worth £44.8m, almost £15m more than the Ipswich striker’s relegation release clause.

Chelsea fans must be licking their lips at the thought of Delap and Madueke potentially linking up at Stamford Bridge next season. There is no doubt that the England international is an exciting player, who they will hope can continue to develop into an elite winger.

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Also: how often has a batter been stumped in both innings of a Test?

Steven Lynch03-Sep-2024Gus Atkinson just scored his maiden first-class century in a Test match. How rare is this? asked Jamie Willows from Ireland
Gus Atkinson clearly has a liking for Sri Lankan bowlers: his previous highest score in first-class cricket was 91, for Surrey against the touring Sri Lanka Development XI in Guildford in 2022. Jamie Smith, now an England team-mate, was also playing for Surrey in that game; Nishan Madushka, who also played in the Lord’s Test, was among the opposition.Atkinson’s accomplished 118 at Lord’s made him the 46th player to have scored his maiden first-class century in a Test. Only four players from that list had done it for England before Atkinson – three wicketkeepers, plus Stuart Broad, with 169 against Pakistan in 2010, also at Lord’s. The keepers were Henry Wood (134 not out against South Africa in Cape Town in 1891-92), Billy Griffith (140 against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 1947-48) and Jack Russell (128 not out against Australia at Old Trafford in 1989). Here’s the full list of players who made their first first-class hundred in a Test .In only his second Test at Lord’s, Atkinson made sure his name was on all three honours boards there (centuries, five-fors, and ten wickets in a match): earlier this summer, on his Test debut against West Indies, he took 7 for 45 and 5 for 61. He’s only the sixth man to have scored a century and taken ten wickets in a match in Lord’s Tests. Four others have made a century and taken five wickets in an innings.Joe Root just scored another Test century at Lord’s. Is that the record there? What’s the most on a single ground? asked Derek Mills from England
Joe Root followed 143 in the first innings against Sri Lanka last week at Lord’s with 103 in the second. The first hundred was his sixth in Tests there, equalling Graham Gooch and Michael Vaughan, and the seventh gave him sole possession of the ground record. Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen both hit five centuries at Lord’s. The most by a visiting player is three, by India’s Dilip Vengsarkar.The most on any ground is 11, by Mahela Jayawardene at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, where he played no fewer than 27 Tests. Jacques Kallis scored nine hundreds in 22 matches at Newlands in Cape Town, but Don Bradman made nine in only 11 appearances in Melbourne, where he averaged 128. A later Australian captain, Michael Clarke, scored seven centuries in only ten Tests in Adelaide.Bangladesh hold the record for the highest declared first-innings total in a defeat – 595 for 8 in Wellington in 2017•Getty ImagesPakistan lost to Bangladesh after declaring with only six wickets down in their first innings. How many teams have declared in their first innings but lost? asked Tariq from Pakistan
Pakistan’s defeat to Bangladesh in Rawalpindi last week turns out to be the 26th time that a team has declared their first innings in a Test match but gone on to lose. Six of those involved higher totals than Pakistan’s 448 for 6: highest of all is Bangladesh’s own 595 for 8 declared against New Zealand in Wellington in 2016-17.However, only two other teams have lost after declaring their first innings with only six wickets down: England (551 for 6) against Australia in Adelaide in 2006-07, and India (306 for 6) against West Indies in Kingston in 1975-76 (a controversial match in which several Indian batters were injured).Saud Shakeel was stumped in both innings in the Test against Bangladesh. How often has this happened? asked Ayan Ghosh from India
The double stumping of Saud Shakeel during Pakistan’s defeat by Bangladesh in Rawalpindi last week was the 24th time this had happened in a Test. Shakeel was the first Pakistan player to suffer this fate, although as it happens, the previous man to be stumped twice in a match was born in Pakistan – Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe, who suffered this fate against Sri Lanka in Harare in 2019-20.When Brian Lara scored his quadruple-century, which bowler conceded the most runs? It looks like Gareth Batty, but that’s not certain… asked John Hastings from England
When Brian Lara amassed 400 not out – still the highest individual score in Tests – in St John’s in Antigua in 2003-04, 130 of his runs came off the bowling of England’s offspinner Gareth Batty, who finished with 2 for 185. Lara scored the following off the other bowlers – Simon Jones: 83 runs, Matthew Hoggard: 50, Steve Harmison: 38, Andrew Flintoff and Michael Vaughan: 36, and Marcus Trescothick: 27.According to the indefatigable Australian statistician Charles Davis, Batty lies third on the list of runs conceded by one bowler to a single batter in a Test innings. He’s behind the Sri Lankan offspinner Suraj Randiv, who leaked 143 runs while Chris Gayle was running up 333 for West Indies in Galle in 2010-11; and the Australian slow left-armer Chuck Fleetwood-Smith, who conceded 136 to Len Hutton during his 364 in the Ashes Test at The Oval in 1938. Fleetwood-Smith finished with 1 for 298, still the most expensive figures in Test history.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

The Australia quick is expanding his skillset for flatter surfaces, but says “being consistent and bowling accurately is the key on any wicket”

Tristan Lavalette06-Dec-2022After a strong start to the Sheffield Shield season marked by menacing swing and unwavering accuracy, seamer Michael Neser could be forgiven for looking ahead to the middle of next year.That’s when, of course, Australia will tour the UK as they bid to win an away Ashes series for the first time since the middle of their golden era in 2001. It’s still some time away, with Australia in the early stages of a long Test haul before then, but the Queensland quick is widely tipped to be part of Australia’s touring squad if he can stay fit.Related

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With a strong wrist action, likened to former Australia paceman Ryan Harris, and having studied closely Jimmy Anderson, Neser’s expertise at conjuring movement – with the kookaburra or Dukes – makes him an irresistible option for traditionally bowler-friendly conditions in the UK.A couple of eyecatching seasons with English county Glamorgan have added to his case.”I’m not thinking about the Ashes,” a typically unflappable Neser told ESPNcricinfo ahead of being drafted into Australia’s squad for the second Test against West Indies as injury cover for Pat Cummins. “If I’m taking wickets for Glamorgan at the time then hopefully that will take care of business and I can make the squad, but it’s a long way off right now.”His selection into the Test squad, having recently spearheaded a strong Prime Minister’s XI attack against West Indies in Canberra, is instructive of his place in Australia’s congested pecking order of quicks. Outside their trio of Test frontliners, 32-year-old Neser has been on the fringes in recent years. His sole Test match was almost exactly 12 months ago against England in Adelaide, where he claimed two wickets including a debut scalp of Haseeb Hameed off his second delivery.With Australia’s selectors contemplating managing the Test workload of the quicks amid a brutal schedule, Neser could be given an opportunity although Scott Boland, following his heroics in the Ashes last summer, has moved to next in line. “It was really tough the last couple of years when I was part of extended squads and wasn’t able to play much,” Neser said. “That was the way it was because of Covid and you just had to get on with it. But I’m glad that big squads aren’t required right now.”Neser took the wicket of Haseeb Hameed with his second ball in Test cricket•Getty ImagesAfter a lengthy stint as a reserve following the Adelaide Test, Neser returned to the field lacking match hardness and was promptly ruled out of the tour of Pakistan earlier in the year with a side strain sustained during a Marsh Cup 50-over game.”It was devastating when I got the news and found out I would miss Pakistan,” Neser said. “I wasn’t quite bowling-fit at the time, so it was a tough setback but you just have to move on.”Emerging from the disappointment with the help of Queensland’s physio team, Neser crafted a rehabilitation routine to better help his body recover from the rigours of bowling. It mostly consists of daily stretching – something similar to yoga, he says – and he’s stuck by that ever since amid a gruelling return spanning the English County Championship and then the first half of the Australian domestic season.”I’ve had issues with my back and had some niggles over the years, so I’ve just been trying to be really disciplined with my rehab,” Neser said. “I feel like if I keep sticking to it then the body should hold up. I feel really fit and strong right now.”Burly and rugged, Neser looks like someone who doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty and he’s certainly capable of producing indefatigable spells. Much like Glenn McGrath and Courtney Walsh, Neser is a bowler who prefers being wound up and let go.”The more I bowl, the better I feel,” he said. “I’m a bowler who really needs to play a lot of matches to get into bowling rhythm and feel good.”But Neser hasn’t generally needed to bowl for the long haul during this Sheffield Shield season, where he’s claimed 24 wickets at 14.50 in five matches – figures slightly tarnished by going wicketless in the rain-affected draw last start against Western Australia at the Gabba.Neser’s improved batting has earned him a promotion to No. 7 in the Queensland line-up•Getty ImagesHe’s formed a deadly tandem with fellow quick Mark Steketee, who replaced him on the Pakistan tour and has been on the Test fringes himself for some time. They could be viewed as something like friendly rivals, both vying for higher honours, although Neser said the pair don’t discuss their Test pursuits.”We’re focused on winning matches for Queensland. We complement each other really well and just really love bowling together, ” Neser said of Steketee, who has taken 25 Shield wickets at 15.52. “He’s been really excellent for a while. We learn from each other.”Neser has undoubtedly benefited from spicy pitches at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field and the WACA; he has taken 19 wickets in three matches at the two venues, at the remarkable average of 10.37.But if he’s to emerge from Australia’s reservoir of talented quicks – with WA tearaway Lance Morris becoming the new sensation and joining Neser in Australia’s second-Test squad – Neser will have to add tricks to counter more benign surfaces. He’s been working hard with Queensland bowling coach Andy Bichel on finding ways to stay in the contest when conditions aren’t conducive to his strengths.”Working out when the right time to effectively use bouncers is important, especially on flatter wickets,” Neser said. “Reverse swing is also a weapon for me and means I can be dangerous with the old ball. It is something I’m trying to always get better at.”Ultimately, I think being consistent and bowling accurately is the key on any wicket. I don’t think I’m someone who should be pigeonholed as an English [conditions] specialist just because I have certain strengths.”Reinforced by a brilliant century against New South Wales, combining with opener Matthew Renshaw in a 257-run sixth-wicket partnership, Neser’s improved batting has earned him a promotion to No.7 in Queensland’s batting order. “You’ve just got to keep improving in all aspects of the game and I’ve put in a fair bit of work with my batting,” said South Africa-born Neser, who was a gifted batter through junior ranks before focusing on fast bowling. “The more strengths you have, the better.”But, ultimately, his intoxicating skillset with the ball will determine whether he can crack Australia’s powerful attack. “I had a taste of Test cricket 12 months ago and it was an amazing experience,” he said. “Hopefully the work I’ve put in will help me add another.”

It’s 7am, and your telly has already been hijacked for the day. And no, you’re not getting the remote control

Andrew Miller05-Feb-2021If you are old enough to plough your mind back through the mists of time – to the days before WiFi, before dial-up internet connections, before even satellite TV – then you’ll just about be able to remember what it was like to have no say in what you were force-fed on the television.You might remember how each of the UK’s four TV channels (three or fewer if you’re truly ancient) had its own distinctive, and distinctly dysfunctional, personality.The BBCs were a pair of nerdy twins, all preachy and proper, hellbent on telling you everything they thought you ought to know, generally when you least wanted to hear it.Related

• Channel 4 secure free-to-air UK coverage of England-India Test series

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ITV was achingly nouveau, and considered vulgar by your parents, but it was secretly your favourite, mainly because it showed and the on a Saturday night.And as for Channel 4, we’ll come to its original cricket-rights era in a moment but, from inception, it was a strange assemblage of… well, not sure what exactly. Endless episodes of and (the soap that not even your grandmother watched), as well as , a music show that was obviously way cooler than , and considered off-limits for precisely that reason.But the point is, that was your lot. Take it or leave it, and don’t blink or you’ll miss it. There was no streaming, no surfing, no pausing, certainly no second-screening. The TV listings ruled supreme.There was, however, one option for binge-watching, and in a sign of the times for future generations, it’s why so many middle-aged tragics will have fallen out of bed at 3.55am in the UK this morning, to relapse into a few bad old habits.And, with apologies to C4’s cruelly short preparation time, there will have been more than a little Pavlovian slavering when the old guard flicked on the telly to be greeted by the lo-fi witterings of two men in a dimly-lit broom cupboard (one of whom was making his first free-to-air appearance after 12,472 runs and 161 Tests behind a paywall).For there is a tendency in English cricket circles to view the free-to-air era as some sort of long-forgotten land of milk and honey, when the sport was nurtured in the bosom of munificent Auntie Beeb and everybody in the land revelled in shared ownership of their national pastime.The reality was somewhat different – certainly in the BBC days (wait for it, Channel 4, wait for it…) when the unsurpassed glory of theme music was frankly the high point of the coverage.Yes, there was Richie Benaud, but let’s face it, Test cricket on the BBC was grudgingly presented at best, by stuffed-shirts with opinions aplenty but barely an insight between them, and invariably weaved into the schedule with just the right lack of finesse to wind up absolutely everyone.

.@Channel4’s #IndvEng rights coup is genuinely exciting for cricket in this country. Nothing quite like a captive audience for the purposes of indoctrination…

I look forward to scores of early-morning parent-child conversations along these lines in the coming weeks..! pic.twitter.com/upFaVuwH3n

— Andrew Miller (@miller_cricket) February 3, 2021