Scott Borthwick’s high-class 134 and Paul Collingwood’s 85 not out gave Lancashire’s attack one of its first pick, shovel and prop days at cricket’s coalface this season

Paul Edwards at Chester-le-Street15-May-2016
ScorecardScott Borthwick made his 13th first-class hundred•Getty Images

To die wondering might actually be rather pleasant, though it is not something that either Jack Burnham or Neil Wagner is likely to experience.Drifting away while contemplating pleasant paths, albeit that they have not been walked, may, at most rates, be preferable to mulling over one’s earthly demise and pondering what, if anything, is next on one’s dance card. However, as Wagner and Burnham went at it hammer and tongs in the first major duel of this game, it was most apparent that their labours were unsparing and that conserving energy had no place in them.The pair began their battle in the second hour of the morning. By that time both Keaton Jennings and Mark Stoneman had been dismissed, the Durham openers nicking catches off the excellent Tom Bailey; and towards the close, home supporters at a sun-embraced Riverside were applauding Scott Borthwick’s high-class 134 and Paul Collingwood’s 85 not out, fine innings which had given Lancashire’s attack one of its first pick, shovel and prop days at cricket’s coalface this season.Yet it was 19-year-old Burnham who helped take the battle to Lancashire’s bowlers, cover-driving Wagner easefully to the boundary in the 25th over and then attempting a rather wilder repeat off the next delivery, only to edge the ball over a leaping Liam Livingstone’s outstretched fingers at first slip. In response Wagner sent down a couple of precisely targeted bouncers, although he is not a bowler for whom that over-used tactic is a default position. The second bumper whacked Burnham somewhere in the vicinity of his helmet and it was followed by a discussion between the pair in which Wagner seemed to take the leading role.He is a curious fellow, Wagner. Off the field he is affable, peaceful, serene. Although he admitted a few weeks ago that he might have to “eliminate” Stuart Broad, he did so with the courteous regret of a James Bond villain. Out in the middle, mind, Wagner spits vengeance and bowls some of the most unsparingly aggressive spells one might see. The history of fast bowling has thrown up similar examples, of course, but rarely is the contrast between the Quaker and the Visigoth as sharp as it is with Mr. Wagner and “Waggy”, his on-field persona. Robert Louis Stevenson knew a thing or two.All the same, Burnham won their battle. At lunch he was 35 not out and had helped Borthwick revive Durham’s innings after their early losses. Wagner’s seven wicketless overs had cost 32 runs. For his part, Borthwick was batting with gentle ease and his glide though gully off Procter was as well-timed and graceful as anything we saw all day. Neither a cut nor a drive, it seems something of a signature shot for Borthwick and few batsmen play it as well. It will be a stroke for us to play once more when May is a memory.Having established himself at the wicket and properly gauged the pace of a pitch from which Bailey extracted most bounce, Borthwick unfurled an even greater variety of shots in the afternoon session. There was the precise cover drive which took him to his fifty off 81 balls and the calculated sweep off Simon Kerrigan, which took him into the nineties.Between those strokes, however, Borthwick lost Burnham, who was caught at slip by Livingstone off Bailey for 44, and Richardson, who edged Kyle Jarvis to the same fielder seven overs later. Both these dismissals bolstered the view that while this is a good batting wicket, it is also a pitch on which seamers can bowl with the hope that their efforts will receive recompense. Certainly home supporters seem likely to rue the absence of Chris Rushworth, whose hip injury prevented his playing in this match.Richardson was replaced by Collingwood, whose 123-run fifth-wicket stand with Borthwick was clearly the home side’s best period of the day. Durham’s skipper was confident and assertive against Wagner from the outset, cover-driving his fifth ball to the Lumley Castle boundary and swivel-pulling his next to square leg. A few overs later Collingwood came down the pitch to Kerrigan and hit him sweetly and straight for six, as if confirming home ascendancy. Borthwick responded with similarly assured strokeplay and reached his century off 158 balls with a cover drive off Wagner. Durham took tea on 213 for 4, emboldened in their belief that the next session would belong to them.So it more or less proved, despite Lancashire’s attack sticking to its disciplines and taking two wickets. Borthwick and Collingwood took the score to 274 before Borthwick, in one of his rare miscalculations, tried to hit Kerrigan over long-on but only found Alviro Petersen five yards inside the boundary. Ryan Pringle then batted well enough for his 25 before giving Bailey his fourth wicket when he gloved a pull to Livingstone who dived forward from slip to take the catch.But by then one’s attention was taken by Collingwood, who was batting with ever more circumspection as close of play approached. James Weighell whacked Wagner’s last ball of the day over square leg for six but Durham’s skipper ended play by patting back a maiden from Kerrigan. His forward defensive shots were as resolute and brimming with resistance as his boundaries had been. Late Collingwood: a cricketer phrased like a vintage.

Leeds United fell to a second successive heavy defeat on Monday night, as they were thrashed 6-1 by Liverpool at Elland Road to increase their relegation fears.

Shipping 11 goals in their last two games now means that Javi Gracia's side officially have the worst defence in the division and with just seven games to go, the Yorkshire outfit must improve at the back if they are going to avoid a return to the Championship.

Fingers were naturally pointed at Leeds' defence after they were carved open again and again on Monday night against a seemingly revitalised Liverpool side, and it was arguably Rasmus Kristensen who was the worst performer in the embarrassing defeat.

How did Kristensen perform against Liverpool?

As per Sofascore, the Danish defender would earn a woeful 5.3 rating for his performance at Elland Road, which was the joint worst of any outfield player to feature in the game.

The right-back position has been a problem all season for Leeds and after Luke Ayling was culpable against Crystal Palace last time out, Kristensen was given the nod to start but found himself tormented throughout by the Liverpool attackers.

Three of Liverpool's goals on the night would come down Kristensen's side, with the 25-year-old failing to track the runs of Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota for the second and third, with Yorkshire Post writer Leon Wobschall lamenting his "appalling" defending, before he was left in the dust by Andrew Robertson who crossed for the fourth.

During the game, the defender, who earns £40k-per-week, was dribbled past three times and won just six of his 14 duels, which suggests that the Liverpool attackers well and truly had the better of him, as he has only been dribbled past 1.1 times on average in the Premier League this season.

Kristensen's passing was also disastrous throughout, as he completed just 19/36 passes with a success rate of 53%, which again is significantly worse than his average of 64.8% in the top flight.

All six of the summer signing's crosses and long balls would fail to find their mark, and he was guilty of giving the ball away a remarkable 24 times, which just invited the pressure from Liverpool and was clearly a factor in them dominating proceedings on Monday night.

Since signing from Red Bull Salzburg in a deal worth £10m last summer, Kristensen has done little to justify Jesse Marsch's decision to bring him in, and it would be a surprise if he was trusted again by Gracia in the remaining fixtures after another horror show against Liverpool.

Manchester United make their return to Premier League action away to top-four rivals Newcastle United this afternoon, with Erik ten Hag's men set to kick off what will be a hectic month of fixtures across all fronts.

Today's trip to St James' Park will be the first of three top-flight games in the space of a week for the Red Devils, with the Carabao Cup winners currently on a run of just three wins from their last eight matches in the competition.

If Champions League qualification is to be secured come the end of the season, then United will certainly need to improve upon that rather patchy recent record in the league, with a strong performance against the Magpies likely to be a perfect way to get April underway.

Ahead of the crucial meeting later today with Eddie Howe's men, Ten Hag has revealed a notable piece of positive injury news, with striker Anthony Martial set to return to the match-day squad for the first time since early February.

While it does appear that the Frenchman could be sold this summer after almost eight years at the club, in the short-term the Old Trafford outfit are certainly in need of a more natural, goalscoring presence in attack, with fellow forward Wout Weghorst netting just twice in 18 starts for United to date.

With Ten Hag previously suggesting that his side play their "best football" with Martial leading the line, it could be a real lift to see the 27-year-old return to the fold, particularly with doubts over teammate Marcus Rashford's fitness.

The forward line could also be bolstered by the inclusion of summer signing, Antony in the starting lineup, with the Brazilian "baller" – as hailed by journalist Sacha Pisani – having sparkled off the bench in the FA Cup triumph over Fulham last time out.

Will Antony start against Newcastle?

There's no denying that the £86m man has been a polarising presence since his arrival from Ajax – having been branded a "clown" by club legend Paul Scholes – yet when at his best it is hard to ignore the impact that the 23-year-old can have on the side.

The fleet-footed maverick was particularly impressive against the Cottagers prior to the international break, having simply "changed the game" following his introduction in the second half, according to former Manchester Evening News writer Hesham Bilal-Hefiz.

That 'game-changing' impact was evident as it was Antony's threaded pass that teed up Jadon Sancho in the build-up to the eventual penalty decision that flipped the tie on its head, with the visitors subsequently imploding to allow United to romp to victory.

Such a dazzling cameo also saw the mercurial talent register two key passes and also win five of his nine ground duels as a marker of his ability to make an impact both in and out of possession, having been a real livewire down the right flank.

The hope will be that the 5 foot 9 ace can replicate that display up against Newcastle later today, having previously 'toyed' with his opposite man Dan Burn when the two sides last met at Wembley, as per MEN correspondent, Samuel Luckhurst.

Although the £200k-per-week man will need to begin to provide a regular end product to mirror the notable flicks and tricks, on the evidence of his performance against Fulham last time out, he could well be the man to terrorise the opposition this time around.

Amid the prospect of having both the 16-cap dynamo and the aforementioned Martial in the attacking trio, Ten Hag could finally see things begin to truly fall into place with regard to the forward line.

Steven Finn has recovered from injury and is primed to make an impact when England begin their three-Test Investec series against Sri Lanka next week

Alan Gardner14-May-2016″Use your frustration as motivation.” That was the simple advice Trevor Bayliss emailed to Steven Finn last month. Finn had received what might be described as a mild ECB ticking off for talking about missing the World T20 despite being, in his opinion, fit to play and England’s head coach was keen to channel it into a positive response.Finn’s publically expressed disappointment barely qualified as an outburst but he has had his share of frustrations over the last few years, starting with the problems surrounding his run-up and action and then more recently through injury. Having made a triumphant comeback during last summer’s Ashes, he was forced out of the UAE series with a foot problem, missed the final Test in South Africa with a side strain and then suffered a calf strain leading up to the World T20.Instead of being part of England’s run to the final in Mumbai, Finn was left to do pre-season with Middlesex, where he offered his thoughts in a couple of press engagements. He has since spoken to the “medical people, selectors, the people who made the decision” to clear up the matter and Bayliss will hope to have a bowler primed to make an impact when England begin their three-Test Investec series against Sri Lanka next week.”I shouldn’t have been as vocal as I was when I came out and said those things. I’ve accepted what’s happened, I’ve had conversations with the people that I mentioned in that interview and it’s all fine,” Finn said. “I missed the World Cup because I was injured, you’re disappointed when you miss out on world tournaments … I was in the wrong, I’ve accepted that, I’ve spoken to the people who were affected by the interview and everything is fine now.”Trevor actually sent me an email, he said ‘use your frustration as motivation to take wickets in the Test matches this summer’, which I think was the perfect response to it. You can channel your frustration into the wrong avenues and it can affect you. If it’s used in the right manner it can be a positive thing as well.”Taylor retirement ‘very sad’

Steven Finn has said that James Taylor’s successor at short leg will have “a lot to live up to”. Taylor took two brilliant catches – the second off Finn’s bowling – in England’s Johannesburg Test victory in January but has since been forced to retire at the age of 26 after the discovery of a life-threatening heart defect.
“Whoever fields in there now has got a lot to live up to,” Finn said. “It’s just very sad, we’re all saddened by what’s happened, I think the solace that we can take is he’s still with us. It’s a shame that we’ll never see him on a cricket field again because he had so much to give, but we’re glad he’s alive, glad he’s fit and well.”

Despite a call-up for the uncapped Jake Ball, Finn seems set to return to the third-seamer’s berth that has been his on a timeshare basis only since his debut six years ago. While Ball is the joint-leading wicket-taker in Division One of the Championship, with 19 at 21.15, Finn’s 12 wickets have cost more than 30 apiece and he admits that it has taken a while to get his “competitive head back on” after a three-month lay-off following the Johannesburg Test in January.”I’ve bowled some good spells this summer, I’ve bowled some not-great spells this summer,” he said. “I know it’s in there.”Finn’s eight-wicket haul at Edgbaston last summer, having not played a Test in more than two years, was one of the highlights of England regaining the Ashes, as well as vindication for his own hard work with Richard Johnson, Middlesex’s bowling coach, and the ECB’s Kevin Shine. Further sessions with Johnson beckon before Finn joins up with England next week, as well as work at Loughborough with Raph Brandon, the ECB’s head of science and medicine and the man who played a vital role in helping to re-groove Finn’s run-up.”I’ve learned a lot about myself over the last couple of years, I know a lot more,” Finn said. “I’m more in tune with my game and what I’m trying to do to get people out, and with my action, etcetera, so I feel in a good place.”Headingley has not been an auspicious venue for England in recent times – they have won only once in their last six Tests in Leeds – and it was there, against South Africa in 2012, that Finn’s habit of kneeing the stumps in his delivery stride became a problem that was soon to escalate. It is a ground where it can be “hard to find your rhythm” due to the slope but also offers extra pace (bowling downhill) and bounce (uphill) once mastered.Steven Finn has taken 12 wickets in four matches for Middlesex so far this season•Getty ImagesThose are the qualities Finn has always sought to bring to England’s attack, while the addition of an outswinger has not harmed his cause. Even if there have been a few too many four balls in his early season outings for Middlesex, he appeared relaxed about everything clicking into place again.Ball’s elevation keeps the pressure on – Mark Wood, Chris Woakes and Liam Plunkett will all hope to provide further competition over the course of seven Tests against Sri Lanka and Pakistan – but, as Bayliss’s email hinted, Finn remains the preferred candidate to support England’s senior new-ball pair. This will be the latest in a succession of big summers as he tries to nail down his place for good.”I think I went a little bit of a way towards doing that in South Africa, but unless you are a Stuart Broad or James Anderson you are never settled in that line-up,” Finn said. “It’s a big summer for me to try and cement that spot in the team but it’s something that I’m not putting too much pressure on myself. If you put pressure on yourself it won’t come, if I relax, play with a smile on my face and let the ball do the talking, it will look after itself.”Investec is the title sponsor of Test match cricket in England. For more on Investec private banking, visit www.investec.co.uk/banking

No team has won two games in a row in the tri-series so far, and they are all tied on points. Australia and South Africa will want to be the ones moving ahead

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale18-Jun-2016

Match facts

Sunday, June 19

Start time 1300 local (1700GMT)1:15

South Africa riding high before Australia game

Big Picture

The points table for this series would be best read by Richie Benaud: 2-2, 2-2, 2-2. That is to say, Australia, South Africa and West Indies have each won two and lost two. Not only that, but after the first two legs of the series in Guyana and St Kitts, every team has beaten every other team once and no more. That will change in Barbados on Sunday, when either Australia or South Africa will jump ahead on the points table and give themselves a strong chance of qualifying for the final.South Africa enter this match buoyant after posting 343 for 4 in their most recent match, a thrashing of West Indies at Warner Park. It was a win centred around Hashim Amla’s century, although Imran Tahir ended up Man of the Match for his seven-wicket haul. Australia are coming off a loss to West Indies in St Kitts. During that match the captain Steven Smith tweaked his quadriceps, and he did not train on Thursday or Friday in Barbados. However, the Australians are confident Smith will be available for Sunday’s game.As a side note, remarkably this is the first ODI to be held at Kensington Oval for more than five years. The most recent was played on May 2, 2011, when West Indies beat Pakistan in a rain-affected game. In fact, if you were to look at the results of the five most recent ODIs at Kensington Oval, Australia’s World Cup final win over Sri Lanka in 2007 would be part of that list. Only four ODIs have been played in Barbados since that final nine years ago. This is Australia’s first one-dayer at the venue since that final with its bad-light fiasco.

Form guide

Australia LWLWL (last five completed games, most recent first)
South Africa WLWLW

In the spotlight

It is only this year that Usman Khawaja has finally been given a decent run at ODI cricket, and his numbers keep growing. A maiden 50 came in New Zealand in February, then 59 against South Africa in St Kitts, then 98 against West Indies at the same venue. Opening in the absence of the injured David Warner, Khawaja has the perfect opportunity to build innings of substance. He just needs to shake off the fielding woes that afflicted him in the previous game, when he dropped two straightforward chances in the first 10 overs.Imran Tahir not only claimed the best figures by a South African in an ODI on Wednesday, he also became the fastest South African to reach the milestone of 100 ODI wickets. Nobody in world cricket has taken more ODI wickets in the past three years than Tahir’s 91 at 24.60, and it is perhaps surprising that he is not ranked higher than No. 5. Given Australia’s well-documented struggles against spin, Tahir will fancy his chances of adding a few more victims to his collection in this game.

Team news

Nathan Coulter-Nile will make way for Mitchell Starc, as Australia continue to manage his workload. Glenn Maxwell, too, is set to return after he was picked in the 12-man squad on the eve of the game in place of Travis Head. Maxwell was dropped for Australia’s two matches in Basseterre after scores of 0 and 3 at the start of the series. The Australians appear confident that Smith will play but if he were to miss out, George Bailey would likely captain the side.Australia (possible) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Usman Khawaja, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 George Bailey, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 James Faulkner, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodSouth Africa’s bowling coach, Claude Henderson, floated the idea of playing three spinners in Barbados, but after their comprehensive win in the previous match they may wish to use the same XI.South Africa (possible) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Chris Morris, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Imran Tahir

Pitch and conditions

There was some grass evident on the Kensington Oval pitch in the lead-up to the match, but it is expected to be a good batting surface. The players will also need to adjust to the bigger boundaries after the much smaller Warner Park in St Kitts.

Stats and trivia

• No team in this tournament has yet won consecutive matches
• Mitchell Starc needs five wickets to reach 100 in ODIs, and if he does so in his next four games he will be the quickest man in history to the milestone

Quotes

“I know it’s all precautionary and he’ll be ready to go for Sunday’s clash. I’m sure he’s raring to go and to hit a few cricket balls.”
“Barbados, I’ve been told, is a better batting wicket with a bit more bounce. I also believe the boundaries are also a bit bigger. Who knows, do we go in with three spinners, is that an option?”

Liverpool are one of the clubs that appreciate the Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch ahead of the summer transfer window.

Have Liverpool lost hope of signing Bellingham?

The Reds were believed to be one of the main clubs in the race to sign Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund in the summer alongside Manchester City and Real Madrid.

That is seemingly no longer the case with Liverpool believed to have pulled out of the race as a result of the finances involved in bringing Bellingham to Anfield.

However, the Liverpool midfield is one that has been criticised enormously this season with the Reds falling massively short of the expectations put on them.

Despite the clamour around Bellingham, there have been reports suggesting the Reds are working on identifying other midfield targets ahead of the summer.

One of them being the Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher who alongside Mason Mount is believed to be on the radar for the Reds this summer.

However, it seems as if there is another midfield candidate on their list who may come from further afield than the Premier League.

Indeed, speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Reds are big fans of Gravenberch with his time at Bayern under serious speculation:

(5:20) "But for the summer, Liverpool appreciate the player but not only Liverpool also other clubs in Premier League are following the situation of Ryan Gravenberch. So let's keep an eye on the Dutch midfielder."

Is Gravenberch a good fit for Liverpool?

The Dutchman is suffering from a serious lack of opportunities in the Bayern side this season with only one of his 18 appearances in the Bundesliga this season coming from the starting XI (via Transfermarkt).

But this is a player who arrived in Munich on the back of an impressive time at Ajax where he rose through the ranks at the club to become a regular in the starting XI.

Hailed as "sensational" by Andrew Cesare, the Bayern midfielder is someone who could certainly offer Jurgen Klopp with an option to bolster his midfield.

Comparing Gravenberch's 2021/22 campaign to Gallagher's current season, the Dutchman provided (4.82) significantly more shot-creating actions than the Chelsea man (2.88) (via Fbref).

However, defensively, the Englishman came out on top with Gallagher (2.64) offering slightly more tackles per. 90 minutes than Gravenberch (1.92).

But this is a Liverpool midfield which could potentially see a lot of change over the coming months and perhaps this is a midfield pairing which could work together at Anfield.

There is a case to be made that Liverpool's current midfield lacks a powerful player who can break through the lines, but that could certainly be something which the £155k-per-week Gravenberch could add.

In comparison to Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, Gravenberch offers significantly more take-ons with the Dutchman potentially able to provide Klopp with something this midfield lacks massively (via Fbref).

Chaminda Bandara has been called in as a replacement for the injured Dushmantha Chameera in Sri Lanka’s squad for the third Test against England at Lord’s

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2016

Uncapped left-arm seamer Chaminda Bandara has been called in as a replacement for the injured Dushmantha Chameera in Sri Lanka’s squad for the third Test against England at Lord’s. His selection follows Chameera’s lower-back injury, which ruled him out for the rest of the England tour.Bandara, 29, will leave for England with Kusal Perera, who replaced injured seamer Dhammika Prasad; both players will be available for selection for the Lord’s Test, which starts from June 9.”Bandara has been performing well domestically and he is the best choice available at the time for the English conditions,” chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya said.Sri Lanka will also wait for the results of tests on Shaminda Eranga’s bowling action, which will take place on June 6. Eranga’s action had been reported after the second Test, at Chester-Le-Street. If the tests conclude that Eranga’s action is illegal, he will barred from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect.Bandara was not in the preliminary squad for the tour, but leapfrogs Vishwa Fernando and Kasun Rajitha into the Test squad, thanks largely to his domestic experience. He was also the most successful seam bowler in this year’s first-class tournament, taking 33 wickets at an average of 26.30 for Ports Authority Cricket Club. He has played 51 first-class matches in all, taking 141 wickets at an average of 29.85.

Bangladesh Women coach Janak Gamage has resigned from his job following an extended period during which, he said, he worked with the team without the BCB extending his contract

Mohammad Isam30-May-2016Bangladesh Women coach Janak Gamage has resigned from his job because he found out that the BCB wouldn’t be extending his contract for a third time later this year. His next assignment, he said, will be with Thailand Women.Gamage, a former Sri Lanka fast bowler, was appointed by the BCB in August 2014 on a one-year contract, and he was given a second one-year contract last year after which he took the team to the Women’s World T20 in India earlier this year.”I am leaving Dhaka tomorrow,” Gamage said. “I will work with the Thailand women’s team from now. I did not get any offer for extension from the BCB. There is a tournament coming up in Thailand and they have called me. I have resigned because the BCB has not shown any interest in retaining me.”Despite being a foreign coach, Gamage had the added advantage of knowing the Bangla language; he picked it up having played in the Dhaka leagues in the 1980s. During his stint as coach, however, Gamage’s only success was in the form of a 2-0 series win over Zimbabwe in unofficial T20s in November 2015, after which Bangladesh ensured qualification to World T20 in India by finishing runners-up in the qualifying tournament in Thailand. But, in India, they lost all their group matches.Gamage said that the team has the talent, but it needs to be developed better. “I enjoyed working here,” he said. “Always felt like home.”The team has come a long way and can go further if it can overcome a few things. The other teams practise throughout the year but the Bangladesh team does not get that chance. They need to overcome this issue. I believe this team has a good time ahead.”

Tottenham Hotspur survived VAR controversy to seal a vital 2-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday afternoon, with the Lilywhites moving to within just three points of fourth-placed Manchester United as a result of that narrow victory.

While there may be a sense that the Seagulls were "robbed" due to some "horrendous" officiating – as per pundit Chris Sutton – the home side held their nerve to snatch victory, with talisman Harry Kane netting his 23rd top flight goal of the season with a typically clinical finish late on.

The north London outfit had initially gone ahead through milestone man Heung-min Son – who became the first Asian player to reach 100 Premier League goals in the process – before Lewis Dunk headed home a bullet header just before the break, after Kaoru Mitoma had seen his earlier effort disallowed for handball.

The away side were again denied by handball after the interval as Danny Welbeck thought he had completed the comeback, while the aforementioned Mitoma saw his appeals for a penalty waved away despite a potential foul on the Japanese winger by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The south coast side's frustration was ultimately increased as that man Kane swept home, with the England skipper having warranted that strike as a result of his all-round display, notably winning eight duels and providing two key passes on the day.

The 29-year-old – who recorded a stellar 7.9 match rating, as per Sofascore – was not alone in having impressed earlier today, however, with January arrival Pedro Porro having also been something of a shining light at right wing-back.

How did Porro perform against Brighton?

The Spain international – who is currently on loan at Spurs with an option to buy of around £39m – is beginning to adjust to life in English football, having showcased real signs of his quality down the right flank against Roberto De Zerbi's men.

The 23-year-old provided 'lots of attacking intent' throughout the contest, according to 90min's Jude Summerfield, having notably headed wide from an Ivan Perisic cross after showcasing a real desire and willingness to get involved in the final third.

That forward-thinking approach was also lauded by football.london's Alasdair Gold, who awarded the Sporting CP loanee an 8/10 match rating, while also writing that: 'A bright first half and sent a header on to the roof of the net at the end of it. Worked hard in the second half defensively down the right-hand side and little got past him.'

That hard-work ethic against the lively Mitoma was showcased by the fact that Porro won seven of his 11 duels and was not dribbled past at all in his 90-minute outing, having emerged from the battle with the in-form winger 'without too many bruises', as per Summerfield.

While the one-time Manchester City asset did lose possession on 12 occasions from his 43 touches, he is clearly seeking to make his mark in his new surroundings, with the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick hailing him as looking 'technically sound and impressive at attacking the back post.'

That promising performance should well be of encouragement to Cristian Stellini and co, with the hope being that Porro can continue to go from strength to strength over the coming games.

Celtic will be hoping to continue their bid for a domestic treble with victory over rivals Rangers this afternoon, with the Old Firm foes set to go head to head in a mouthwatering, Scottish Cup semi-final showdown at Hampden Park.

Ahead of that pivotal encounter, Ange Postecoglou has provided a real lift to Hoops supporters after confirming that the likes of Liel Abada, Jota and Reo Hatate will be in contention to feature, with the star trio having been absent through injury in recent games.

The return of those key figures could well be bad news for those who have been part of the starting lineup in recent games, with versatile winger Sead Haksabanovic one such asset who could seemingly give way, with Jota likely to take his place on the flanks.

The summer signing has started the last two Scottish Premiership games although has not totally taken the chance to impress, having failed to provide a single goal involvement in either of those appearances.

While the forward's work ethic was 'notable' – according to Glasgow World's Lewis Anderson – in the recent draw with Motherwell after winning nine total duels, he did lose possession 19 times in that 65-minute showing, having also been dribbled past on two occasions.

The Montenegro international has hardly disgraced himself, although he perhaps cannot match the stellar quality of a player such as Jota, with the Portuguese having laid on 21 goals and assists in just 29 league games this season.

Haksabanovic may not be alone in dropping out of the side, however, with the return of Hatate also potentially set to ensure that compatriot Tomoki Iwata is also ousted from his starting berth.

Will Iwata start against Celtic?

The Yokohama F Marinos loanee – who is set to sign for the Bhoys on a permanent deal worth just £828k – has made an encouraging start to life at Parkhead, with pundit Frank McAvennie suggesting that the Japanese ace is now "ready to flourish".

Previously hailed as an "unbelievable athlete" by former boss Kevin Muscat, Iwata was also the recipient of significant praise from the aforementioned Anderson for his display last time out, having produced an 'outstanding performance' in the centre of the park.

Despite having now started three of the last four games in Hatate's absence, it is perhaps telling that the one game that the 26-year-old was on the bench for was against today's opponents, with that perhaps a sign that Postecoglou will not rush him into action in such a pressurised clash.

The 5 foot 10 ace has shown signs of promise of late alongside Callum McGregor at the base of the midfield – having been hailed as a "tank" by teammate Matt O'Riley – although for a man who has made just 11 appearances for the club to date, it may be wise for him to sit out the meeting with Michael Beale's men.

With O'Riley himself also bang in form – having recorded three goal involvements in his last three games – it would be no surprise to see the Denmark U21 international lining up alongside Hatate and McGregor, ahead of the unlucky Iwata.