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At Manchester United, there is a newfound sense of hope and optimism. Much has changed in recent weeks for Ruben Amorim, who has overseen a five-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and is knocking on the top four door.

The Red Devils have strengthened their spine, core players reborn in an alliance of security and stability stretching down the Old Trafford pitch.

But something is still lacking, and it’s clear that the Old Trafford side need a centre-midfielder to take their resurgence to the next level.

Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is among those at the top of INEOS’s shopping list.

Man Utd's interest in Adam Wharton

The engine room bears one of the most glaring holes in Amorim’s Manchester United squad. Casemiro has been resurgent this season, but the Brazilian is 33 and new deep-lying midfielders must be signed.

That’s where Wharton comes in.

It has been felt for a number of months that the 21-year-old Three Lions star ranks high on United’s list of targets, and he would certainly open up avenues in the middle of the park, ranked among the top 10% of midfielders across Europe for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for through balls per 90, as per FBref.

This is an up-and-coming superstar who is never content with where he is. By completing a transfer to the Theatre of Dreams, he could at least take a giant step toward the very top of the European game.

However, Palace will not let their prized prospect leave easily, and have actually priced him at around £100m as interest continues to swell.

While Wharton would be a credit to the Red Devils project, Amorim actually has his own version of the England international, and he must start unleashing him.

Amorim must unleash his "future £100m" star

If it’s not clear already who the man in question is here, Kobbie Mainoo will no doubt feel that he has what it takes to nail down a regular starting role in Amorim’s Man United project. But he’s got a long way to go.

While the thought of adding Wharton to the ranks is exciting, United might have their own version in Mainoo, with the 20-year-old out of favour right now but having been hailed by former teammate Rasmus Hojlund after winning the FA Cup – and scoring against City in the final – as being a “generational” talent.

Paul Scholes noted that watching the powerful star on the ball and in his groove was “poetry in motion”.

But there’s no question that he has regressed since Amorim took to the dugout, left out in the cold all too often by a manager who has not been won over by his skillset.

Matches (starts)

24 (24)

25 (19)

Goals

3

0

Assists

1

0

Touches*

49.0

46.0

Pass completion

87%

87%

Big chances created

0

4

Key passes*

0.6

0.6

Dribbles*

1.3

0.9

Ball recoveries*

4.0

3.5

Tackles + interceptions*

2.9

2.6

Duels (won)*

5.0 (52%)

4.4 (45%)

This season, the England international’s statistics are not worth collating, having been reduced to seven cameos in the Premier League, averaging out at 22 minutes per match.

Amorim does not have a vendetta against Mainoo, and rather, harbours concerns over the Carrington graduate’s intensity and tactical suitability within the system.

But he’s shown that he has what it takes, and with a little fine-tuning over the coming months, Mainoo’s technical quality and natural athleticism could see him win the head coach over and cement a position of prominence under the Theatre’s spotlights.

After all, the homegrown hero has been hailed as a “future £100m+ footballer”, and so the last thing United want is for him to slip through their fingers.

The new Ronaldo: Man Utd preparing British-record bid for £200m superstar

Manchester United are looking to make further attacking investments after this summer’s spending.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Nov 17, 2025

Victoria allrounder Will Sutherland will join the four-day squad for the second of the two matches in Lucknow

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Sep-2025Allrounder Aaron Hardie has been ruled out of the Australia A tour of India due to a shoulder injury to add to the list of pace-bowling options to be sidelined.Hardie will be replaced by Victoria allrounder Will Sutherland, who was already part of the one-day squad for the tour and will fly out to India in time for the second four-day game in Lucknow. A replacement for Hardie in the one-day squad will be named at a later date.It is hoped that Hardie will be able to recover in time for the early rounds of Sheffield Shield matches – Western Australia’s opening game is against New South Wales at the WACA on October 4.Related

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Hardie featured in the recent T20I and ODI series against West Indies and South Africa but he struggled against the latter and had not been selected for the short New Zealand trip for three T20Is, instead being included in the A squad. Depending on how his recovery tracks, he may come into consideration for the white-ball series against India.Though an allrounder rather than a specialist bowler, Hardie’s injury adds to a growing list of players sidelined heading into the season. Pat Cummins is the most significant with question marks over whether he will recover from his back injury in time for the Ashes.Lance Morris, a team-mate of Hardie’s at WA, has been ruled out for 12 months having undergone back surgery, while promising quick Callum Vidler has been diagnosed with a stress fracture. Morris had been due to feature in the four-day leg of the A tour and Vidler the one-dayers. Brody Couch had initially been Morris’ replacement but he suffered a side injury during the Top End T20 final with South Australia’s Henry Thornton subsequently called up.The first four-day game against India A starts on September 16 followed by the second on September 23. The three one-dayers, which will all be in Kanpur, are on September 30, October 3 and 5.Updated Australia A four-day squadXavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Liam Scott, Will Sutherland (second game only), Henry ThorntonUpdated Australia A one-day squadCooper Connolly, Harry Dixon, Jack Edwards, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Todd Murphy, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Lachie Shaw, Tom Straker, Will Sutherland, Henry Thornton (one to be added)

أفادت تقارير صحفية إسبانية أن برشلونة يواصل متابعته لسوق الانتقالات باستمرار ومن المتوقع أن يتعاقد مع عدة لاعبين في صيف 2026.

ومن الواضح أن برشلونة يرغب بالتعاقد مع مدافع جديد حيث ارتبط بعدة أسماء مثل نيكو شلوتربيك مدافع بوروسيا دورتموند وجونزالو إيناسيو مدافع لشبونة ومارك جويهي مدافع كريستال بالاس ودايوت أوباميكانو مدافع بايرن ميونخ وتايل تاتي مدافع نانت، ويراقب أيضاً العديد من اللاعبين الهجوميين لتعزيز صفوفه.

وبحسب “سبورت” الإسبانية فإن سعيد الملا نجم نادي كولن الألماني، أصبح أحد اللاعبين الذين يراقبهم برشلونة، ويعد أحد النجوم الصاعدة في الدوري الألماني هذا الموسم.

اقرأ أيضاً.. توابع زيارة ميسي لـ كامب نو.. برشلونة يدرس “إجراء تاريخي” لتكريم أسطورته

وكان الألماني سعيد الملا ذو الأصول الليبية قد تألق في الموسم الماضي وأحرز 14 هدفًا، ويواصل أيضاً التسجيل وصناعة الأهداف وحدد كولن تكلفته حيث تبلغ 30 مليون يورو.

ويثير الملا إعجاب هانز فليك وجهازه الفني في مركز الجناح، وقد استحق اللاعب انضمامه لقائمة منتخب ألمانيا ولكنه لم يشارك ضد لوكسمبورج في المباراة السابقة في تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.

جدير بالذكر أن برشلونة ارتبط أيضاً خلال الأيام الماضية بالتعاقد مع توماس دي مارتيس المهاجم الأرجنتيني الشاب صاحب الـ17 عاماً والذي يلعب لنادي لانوس.

Without being guilty of stating the obvious, it’s not a great time to be a West Ham United fan at the moment.

The team looked terrible under Graham Potter at the start of the season, and apart from a brief moment against Everton, they’ve not looked much better under Nuno Espírito Santo.

The Portuguese coach has a tough job on his hands to get the Hammers out of the relegation zone, and things have only just got more complicated.

It now seems that Lucas Paqueta wants to leave the club, although his departure wouldn’t be ideal, West Ham appear to have a player who could step into his shoes.

Latest on Lucas Paqueta's West Ham future

As if Nuno’s task to keep West Ham in the Premier League wasn’t already challenging enough, it now seems that the incredibly talented Paqueta wants to jump ship in the winter window.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

At least, that is according to a recent report from the Times, which claims that, despite a move to Aston Villa not materialising in the summer, the Brazilian ace is still keen to leave the East Londoners as soon as possible.

It is unclear just how much money it would take for the Irons to sell, but given his desire to leave, underwhelming performances and the fact that there are less than two years left on his £150k-per-week contract, it seems unlikely they’ll make a profit on the £51m they paid Lyon for him in 2022.

However, while losing the Paquetá-born midfielder would be far from ideal, it might not be the nail in the club’s Premier League coffin that many might spin it as.

After all, even though his talent is undeniable, has the 28-year-old star actually been as effective for the club as fans hoped he would be when he first joined?

25/26

10

3

24/25

36

5

23/24

43

15

22/23

41

12

Well, across his 130 appearances for the Irons, the former Lyon ace has scored 21 goals and provided 14 assists, which works out to a decent but unspectacular average of a goal involvement every 3.71 games.

Moreover, last season saw him score just five goals in 35 games, of which two were penalties, meaning he averaged a non-penalty goal every 11.66 games, which isn’t good enough for someone meant to be a team’s talismanic number ten.

In short, while the best situation would be one in which Nuno could get the best back out of Paqueta, losing him in the winter might not be as bad as some would have you believe, as he’s barely contributed to the team for over a year now.

Moreover, West Ham already have a creative gem who could potentially prove to be a brilliant replacement in the long run.

West Ham's Paqueta replacement

While there are undoubtedly other ways in which Nuno and West Ham could approach a Paqueta-less side, perhaps the best would be to use Mateus Fernandes.

The former Southampton star joined the club for around £40m in the summer, and while he’s spent more time in central midfield since then, he’s no stranger to playing further up the pitch.

For example, during his time with the Saints, the “exceptional” Portuguese ace, as dubbed by analyst Mattinson, made 21 appearances in attacking midfield.

Moreover, despite playing for a team that were relegated and, for some time, looked in danger of breaking Derby County’s most unwanted record, the 21-year-old still produced six goal involvements in 36 league games.

For comparison’s sake, Paqueta scored just four goals in 34 league games.

Finally, on top of possessing the ability to play “those KDB-type passes,” as Mattinson puts it, the former Southampton ace is also happy to help out all over the pitch, as his underlying numbers show.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League last season for percentage of aerial duels won, the top 5% for tackles and ball recoveries, the top 11% for long passes attempted and completed and the top 14% for passes into the final third, all per 90.

% of Aerials Won

62.5%

Top 2%

Tackles (Def 3rd)

1.39

Top 3%

Tackles

2.75

Top 5%

Ball Recoveries

5.54

Top 5%

Interceptions

0.87

Top 7%

Touches (Mid 3rd)

26.82

Top 9%

GCA (Defensive Action)

0.03

Top 10%

Passes Completed (Long)

3.40

Top 11%

Passes Attempted (Long)

6.06

Top 11%

Dribblers Tackled

1.02

Top 11%

Pass Completion % (Medium)

85.9%

Top 14%

Passes into Final Third

3.03

Top 14%

Shots Blocked

0.25

Top 14%

Total Passing Distance

569.45

Top 15%

Blocks

1.33

Top 15%

Ultimately, in an ideal world, West Ham would keep hold of Paqueta and help him get back to his best this season.

However, if he really is to leave in the winter, then fans should not worry too much, as Fernandes could step in and step up.

West Ham brewing Noble 2.0 who knows "what it means to wear the shirt"

The academy product might be able to add some much-needed fight and heart back into Nuno’s West Ham side.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 28, 2025

Despite not starting the 2025/26 season in perfect fashion, one thing that Manchester City have not had trouble with in their five Premier League games so far is finding the back of the net. According to Understat, there are just four sides that have scored more than City’s nine goals so far this term.

Indeed, Pep Guardiola’s side have been consistent in front of goal this season. The Citizens have the fourth-highest expected goals tally in the English top flight, with 8.8xG. That means they’re exceeding it by just 0.2xG so far, showing extreme consistency.

It is no surprise that City’s goalscoring form has coincided with Erling Haaland’s fine form.

Haaland’s start to the 2025/26 season

There is a certain inevitability about Norwegian striker Haaland. The 25-year-old has been one of the best strikers in the Premier League since he first moved to East Manchester.

His record for City currently stands at 131 goals in just 152 games.

This season, the former Borussia Dortmund star simply cannot stop scoring.

He’s already found the back of the net seven times in just six appearances, which included two goals per game against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United on derby day.

There has been a constant debate over the past 12 months over who is the better striker, Haaland or new Liverpool recruit Alexander Isak. Of course, the Swede scored 23 times in the top flight last season, finishing second in the Golden Boot race behind new teammate Mohamed Salah.

It is not easy to settle. Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones used data to assess the pair. This shows Isak to be “the more complete footballer”, although when he posed the question of who he would want to score a goal for his life, he said it “has to be Haaland.”

Well, in actual fact, City once sold a striker who now ranks close to Isak in numbers and shone in the 2024/25 campaign.

City already sold their answer to Isak

Imagine a team with both Isak and Haaland leading the line. That would certainly be a strike partnership that would be nigh on impossible to stop. Actually, Guardiola had something similar at the club, with a former player.

One of the most exciting duos up front in recent times was certainly Haaland partnered with Julian Alvarez. The Argentine striker was excellent for City before moving to Atletico Madrid last summer, where he has excelled.

During his time at the Etihad Stadium, the 2022 World Cup winner scored 36 goals and assisted 19 in 103 games for the club.

However, he only played 6007 minutes and averaged just 66 full games. That left him with a goals and assists per game record on average of 0.8.

Since moving to the Spanish capital, Alvarez has once again shone. In 63 appearances, he’s found the back of the net 33 times and grabbed a further nine assists. 29 of those strikes came last season, with eight assists also coming in 59 games.

It is for that reason that Argentine journalist Roy Nemer called him “the best forward in the world” back in March. This term, that forward has four goals and an assist in six La Liga games already.

If the stats from the past year are anything to go by, Alvarez really could have been Guardiola’s own Isak.

The pair are deemed to be statistically similar, as per FBref, both averaging 0.2 goals per shot and similar goal-creating action numbers each game, where Alvarez averages 0.49 and Isak 0.45.

Alvarez vs Isak
Stat (per 90)	Alvarez	Isak
Goals	0.64	0.74
Goals per shot	0.2	0.2
Key passes	1.55	1.33
Shot-creating actions	3.92	2.98
Goal-creating actions	0.49	0.45
Stats from FBref

Perhaps, on reflection, the decision to sell Alvarez last summer was one Guardiola regret. Having both he and Haaland in the same side was a luxury they enjoyed for a few seasons, but they could have had their own Isak in the side and been even more imperious.

He really could have been City’s answer to Isak and made them an even bigger threat in front of goal.

Outclassed by Foden: Pep must drop Man City star who "created nothing"

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1

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 25, 2025

With less than 12 months left of his current deal, Liverpool are facing a familiar situation with Ibrahima Konate and one that Anfield chiefs must solve sooner rather than later.

Ibrahima Konate contract latest

Of course, it wasn’t so long ago that Liverpool faced this exact situation with Trent Alexander-Arnold. But as the former Liverpool star is finding out, life at Real Madrid offers no guarantee of game time. As things stand, he finds himself behind veteran Dani Carvajal in the pecking order under Xabi Alonso, which recently cost him his England place.

Whether Konate heeds that warning is the big question. The Frenchman has been locked in talks with Liverpool without the emergence of an outcome that suits all parties. It’s been a frustrating situation for all involved, but one that Konate far from helped on international duty when he joked that Kylian Mbappe is attempting to lure him to Real Madrid.

Had Liverpool signed Marc Guehi on deadline day like it looked as though they would then any concerns around Konate’s future may have been eased. After Crystal Palace pulled the plug on their captain’s late switch, however, Arne Slot has been left with four senior centre-backs, which includes the injury-prone Joe Gomez.

Gary Neville’s incredible Salah claim from 2019 has come back to haunt him

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By
Henry Jackson

Sep 16, 2025

Guehi could still become a Liverpool player at the end of his own contract in the summer, but keeping Konate should still be the priority. After a tough start to the season, the Frenchman has been back to his dominant best in the last two games against Arsenal and Burnley, helping his side keep their first two clean sheets of the season.

Alas, with his contract ticking down, and Real Madrid stepping things up, Liverpool have a big decision to make on Konate’s future.

Liverpool now considering Konate decision

According to reports in Spain, Michael Edwards and Liverpool are now considering selling Konate in the January transfer window. The central defender is reportedly set to be the subject of a winter offer from Real Madrid, who are ready to go all out amid their centre-back crisis.

The Spanish giants are supposedly ready to offer €40m (£35m) in an attempt to sign Konate in January in what is similar to the £20m that they offered to sign Alexander-Arnold last winter. Last time around, Liverpool rejected Madrid’s early attempts. This time, things could seemingly be different.

It’s no surprise that there’s been some added urgency from Madrid in their chase for the Frenchman, either. Dean Huijsen has endured a shaky start to life at the Bernabeu and Antonio Rudiger’s recent injury has once again left them short on options.

Dubbed “fantastic” by Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk, the Reds won’t want to lose Konate on a free like they did Alexander-Arnold, but there’s no denying that he would be a tough player to replace midway through the current campaign.

Trent Boult was the wrecker-in-chief early on, taking the wickets of Abhishek and Head

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Apr-202514:39

What explains SRH’s poor showing this season?

Last week, Mumbai Indians (MI) had straightjacketed Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) batters on an atypically slow surface at the Wankhede Stadium. On Wednesday, they did the same in the reverse fixture at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, sending SRH in and keeping them to 143 for 8. Getting to that total was a bit of an achievement for SRH after they had slumped to 35 for 5, with Heinrich Klaasen hauling them to something like respectability with a superb 71 off 44 balls.The most telling performances of the innings came from MI’s new-ball bowlers, however, with Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar picking up two early wickets each as SRH slumped to the lowest powerplay score of the season, 24 for 4. SRH were in danger of collapsing to a double-digit total when they lost their fifth wicket in their ninth over, but Klaasen and Impact Player Abhinav Manohar ensured that didn’t happen, putting on 99 for the sixth wicket in 63 balls.Klaasen played a number of sensational shots – none better than a reverse-scooped six off Jasprit Bumrah in the 19th over – but thanks to the circumstances SRH were in, his innings was necessarily one of restraint, as a control percentage of 86 suggested. The risks he took were measured ones, off marginal errors in line and length from MI’s bowlers. That he still finished with a 160-plus strike rate was a testament to his quality, with Manohar’s 43 off 37 balls and the scores of SRH’s other batters putting his innings in context.Interviewed during the innings break, Manohar suggested the pitch had been on the slow side, with the ball holding in the surface particularly early on. Despite that, he felt SRH’s score was not nearly enough.The early exchanges set the tone, with both Chahar and Boult swinging the new ball while also benefitting from the grippiness of the surface. Conditions still weren’t as tricky as SRH’s top-order slump made them look, though; both Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma were caught while going hard at the ball, slicing shots they were early on, while Nitish Kumar Reddy chipped a drive to mid-on.The biggest moment of SRH’s powerplay collapse, however, was the wicket of Ishan Kishan, who was out to a leg-side strangle for the second time this season. He began walking even though no MI player made a genuine appeal, and Ultra Edge proceeded to rub more salt in SRH’s wounds, showing no spike as ball passed bat.There was one more unusual dismissal later in SRH’s innings, during a double-wicket final over from Boult, who finished with 4 for 26. He sneaked a yorker past Manohar and hit the stumps, but the batter, sitting deep in his crease, had already disturbed his wicket while trying to bring his bat down to keep the ball out.

Unlike the team he inherited over five years ago, Mikel Arteta could point to a number of world-class players in his Arsenal squad.

From the centre-back partnership of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães to the likes of Declan Rice and potentially Martin Zubimendi, this team is full of talent.

However, when it comes to the most essential player in the North Londoners’ squad, it’s impossible to look past Bukayo Saka.

At just 24 years old, the talismanic winger has already made 265 appearances for the side, in which he’s scored 71 goals and provided 71 assists.

Moreover, it appears that the club have already got another version of him coming up through the ranks, and despite his unreal performances over the last week, we are not talking about Noni Madueke.

How Madueke is impressing fans already

While we do not think Madueke is going to be Arsenal’s next Saka-esque star, that doesn’t mean we think he’s not going to be a success for the club.

After all, the last couple of weeks have more than shown the kind of impact he can have both at club and international level.

For example, even though he didn’t score at Anfield, the former Chelsea ace was undoubtedly the Gunners’ best attacker on the day, completing 100% of his dribbles, registering a shot on target and taking 29 touches on a day when both teams struggled for chances.

Then, over the last week, he has proven that he’s one of England’s most effective wingers by forcing an own goal against Andorra and scoring his first international goal against Serbia.

In all, the former Chelsea ace looks like a player ready to explode and play a crucial role in Arsenal’s title charge this season.

Yet, he’s still not the closest thing the club have to their next Saka, that accolade belongs to another star in the making.

Arsenal's next Saka

Some may point to Ethan Nwaneri as being the closest thing Arsenal have to another Saka in the side, and while that makes sense, it looks like he will be spending far more time in the middle of the park this season.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Instead, the youngster who looks set to battle it out with Madueke on the right is Max Dowman, and, for our money, he is the closest thing Arteta has to another Saka-esque star.

For example, unlike the former Chelsea ace, the teenage sensation is another product of the incredible Hale End academy, and therefore has that bit more of a connection to the team.

Moreover, despite being so young, he has already made himself impossible to ignore.

For example, even though there was talk of easing him in slowly this season, the manager has already given him his Premier League debut and given him minutes away to Liverpool.

Not only that, but he’s also been included in the club’s Champions League squad, and should he get any minutes before the turn of the year, he’ll become the youngest player in the competition’s history.

It also looks like he’s going to share the trait of being constantly fouled with Saka, as thanks to his incredible control of the ball and impressive agility, opposing players often have no option but to bring the youngster down.

We saw this in the pre-season friendly against Newcastle United and then in the league against Leeds United, where his quick movement won a spot kick for the side.

Finally, just as the Gunners’ mercurial number seven has become an output machine for them in recent seasons, the “insane” 15-year-old, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, looks like he could follow the same path.

Appearances

23

Minutes

1945′

Goals

19

Assists

5

Goal Involvements per Match

1.04

Minutes per Goal Involvement

81.04′

For example, in just 23 appearances last season, totalling 1945 minutes, he scored 19 goals and provided five assists, which comes out to an average of 1.04 goal involvements per match, or one every 81.04 minutes.

Ultimately, Saka is a world-class star, and while it is still early in his career, everything we have seen and know about Dowman suggests he has the potential to become world-class in time.

Their homegrown Isak: Arsenal may regret selling "special" Hale Ender

The talented goalscorer could have become something really special at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 10, 2025

Teenage batter takes the attack to CAXI with boundary-laden knock from No.9

ECB Reporters Network23-Jan-20250:33

Rocky Flintoff hits a century for England Lions vs Australia XI

Cricket Australia XI 214 (Hicks 64, Brown 5-21) and 33 for 1 trail England Lions 316 (Flintoff 108, Davies 76, McCann 51, Whitney 4-72) by 69 runsRocky Flintoff struck his first century in an England Lions shirt on the second day of the tour match against a Cricket Australia XI at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.Flintoff, 16, leapt in the air and kissed his bat as he acknowledged the applause of his team-mates after he dominated the home attack, his innings including six sixes, in a 124-ball century.Batting at nine, Flintoff ensured the Lions recovered from 161 for seven before being bowled out for 316. The teen’s second fifty came from just 45 balls and gave the Lions a 102-run first-innings lead before the CAXI reached 33 for one at the close.Skipper Alex Davies hit 76 at the top of the order and Freddie McCann added 51, while Tom Whitney was the best of the home attack with four for 72.Rocky Flintoff keeps a watch on proceedings•ECB via Getty Images

The Lions were in danger of conceding a first-innings deficit after they lost five for 27 when Flintoff strode out to bat.The Lancastrian added 66 with fellow teenager McCann, who struck eight fours in his half-century, before he slapped off-spinner Raf MacMillan to point.Flintoff then took charge, the feature of his innings of 108 the heaved sixes over the leg side that provided more than a striking resemblance to his father’s strokeplay, as the home bowlers had no answer.The comparison with Andrew Flintoff didn’t end there. At 16 years 291 days old, Rocky is youngest player to score a maiden hundred for England A / Lions .. beating 20 yrs 28 days by his father against Kenya at Nairobi in 1998.It was subtlety that took him to his century, however, a dab for two to the offside that immediately prompted him to remove his helmet and begin his celebrations.Sam Cook then reinforced the Lions’ advantage when he nicked off Henry Hunt to wicketkeeper James Rew for one.

Rohit’s big miss on Ranji return

Rohit Sharma’s Ranji Trophy return after nearly 10 years wasn’t as memorable as he’d hoped it would be. His 19-ball vigil brought him 3, and he was out caught off the leading edge while attempting a half-nudge, half-pull into the leg side off a rising delivery from Jammu & Kashmir’s Umar Nazir. It was reminiscent of two recent Test dismissals for Rohit: against Pat Cummins at the MCG, and against Matt Henry at the Wankhede Stadium.Rohit’s dismissal quickly followed Yashasvi Jaiswal’s after Mumbai opted to bat first. Ajinkya Rahane, the captain, and Shreyas Iyer also managed just 12 and 11 respectively in a first innings that lasted just 33.2 overs with Mumbai bowled out for 120. But excellent work with the ball means Mumbai have a chance of limiting their deficit to under three figures.Related

• Kohli available for Delhi's Ranji Trophy game starting January 30

• Fresh off Australia setback, Test stars to add glitter to second leg of Ranji Trophy

• Rohit's Ranji return lasts 19 balls as he falls for 3 against J&K

• Stung by recent losses, BCCI cracks ten-point whip on men's national team

Rohit’s return to the domestic set-up comes on the back of the BCCI’s new guidelines, which have come into force since India’s 3-1 reversal in Australia earlier this month. Rohit’s Test future hangs in the balance after he opted out of the Sydney Test, but he has reiterated that he hasn’t retired and is still hopeful of leading the team in Tests.

Gill and Punjab collapse against swing and seam

In Bengaluru, Shubman Gill’s outing was equally forgettable, not just with the bat but on the field as captain too. Punjab, who were missing Abhishek Sharma, were bowled out for 55 with Gill managing just 4 before nicking behind as swing and seam bowlers ruled on a greenish deck at the Chinnaswamy. By stumps, Punjab were so far behind in the game that they’ll probably need a Gill special to even salvage one point from the match.Gill’s return to domestic cricket presented an opportunity for him to get some match time and confidence back following underwhelming returns in Australia where he featured in just three of the five Tests, while aggregating 93 runs in five innings. His returns outside Asia since the 2021 World Test Championship final have been in particular focus – he averages 17.64 across 18 innings.File photo – Ravindra Jadeja picked up his 35th five-wicket haul in first-class cricket•AFP/Getty Images

Pant misses out; Jadeja takes five on Rajkot turner

In Rajkot, Rishabh Pant lasted just 10 deliveries as he was out to Dharmendrasinh Jadeja. Pant’s dismissal was part of Delhi’s top-order collapse against spin. Ravindra Jadeja, a formidable threat on turners, thrived in conditions tailor-made for him as he picked up his 35th first-class five-for as Delhi were bowled out for 188.In reply, Saurashtra were adrift by 25 at stumps but had lost five wickets, including those of Cheteshwar Pujara and Jadeja, who has top-scored so far with 38. Pujara, who isn’t part of India’s Test plans, made just 6. Apart from the 234 he made against Chhattisgarh, Pujara has endured modest returns so far this season, managing scores of 16, 0, 2, 3 and 14 in his other innings.

Siddarth Desai misses perfect 10

Gujarat left-arm spinner Siddharth Desai picked up nine wickets in the very first session of play against Uttarakhand in Ahmedabad, and was in with a chance of becoming the second bowler – after Haryana’s Anshul Kamboj – to record a perfect 10 this season. That chance ended when Vishal Jayswal picked up the final wicket.Desai ended with 9 for 36, the best figures in first-class cricket by a Gujarat player, bettering the record held by Jasu Patel who picked up 8 for 21 against Saurashtra in 1960-61. Desai who scalped a match haul of nine wickets on debut, against Kerala back in 2017-18, has emerged as Gujarat’s front-line spinner since Piyush Chawla left to return to his home state Uttar Pradesh.

Khaleel takes maiden five-for

Eight years after he made his first-class debut, Khaleel Ahmed has picked up his maiden first-class five-for. This included key Vidarbha wickets including those of Karun Nair who was in prolific form at the Vijay Hazare Trophy. His figures read an impressive 15-5-37-5.Khaleel’s performance coincides with his being on the fringes of the national team, especially with the selectors keen on looking for left-arm seamers, a style of bowler India’s Test attack has missed since Zaheer Khan’s exit. This is only Khaleel’s 17th first-class fixture – three of them have come in the current Ranji season (including this game), and two in August in the Duleep Trophy, in which he took nine wickets at 21.66.