Arsenal are the 'favourites' to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice and he is 'excited' by the prospect of joining them, according to reports.

What's the latest on Rice to Arsenal?

The north Londoners are reliably believed to be well in contention to sign David Moyes' star man and it has been reported that he is almost certain to leave his current club this summer.

Rice's deal expires in 2024, and while West Ham possess the option to extend his contract by a further year, the player himself has made no secret of his desire to compete at the very highest level.

"Growing up as a kid I’ve seen all these top players win the trophies, win the Premier League, the Champions League," said Rice in an interview with the media last year.

“Me as a football fan and a player I want to win the best stuff, I want to win the Premier League, I want to lift that trophy, I want to win the Champions League, I want to win the FA Cups, League Cups, even with England, I want to win it all."

The England international has been both a star player for Moyes and for Gareth Southgate in a Three Lions jersey, most recently earning rave reviews for his some of his World Cup performances in Qatar. As well as Arsenal, both Chelsea and Man City have been tipped as possible suitors for the midfielder, but it appears Mikel Arteta's side are out in front of them.

According to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook, writing via his transfer column, the Gunners are 'favourites' to sign Rice as they remain in pole position – even despite the outside possibility of an ambitious swoop from Eddie Howe's Newcastle United.

It's reiterated that Rice is 'almost certain' to leave east London this summer with West Ham holding out for a £100 million transfer fee. Chelsea are also still in the hunt, yet Crook claims the 24-year-old firmly has his eyes on a move to Arsenal.

It is believed that Rice is 'excited by the prospect' of joining Arsenal and their interest is 'most advanced'.

Should Arsenal sign Rice?

The homegrown ace has yet again dazzled for West Ham under Moyes, perhaps proving he is ready for a blockbuster move across London to Arsenal. As per WhoScored, Rice stands out as their best-performing player by average match rating, all while making more interceptions per 90 than any of his teammates.

If Arsenal want to reinforce their midfield with real steel, look no further than the 'sensational' Rice, who will most likely be watching their Premier League title race with serious interest.

Yorkshire skipper Alex Lees lambasted an umpiring decision by Martin Saggers as ‘terrible’ as Nottinghamshire all but assured themselves of a last-eight place

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge15-Jul-2016
ScorecardAlex Lees railed at an umpiring decision•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire may be looking over their shoulders somewhat anxiously in the Championship but their white-ball game is gathering momentum, so much so that their place in the quarter-finals of the NatWest Blast is all but assured with two matches remaining.Their last 10 matches in this competition have included four washouts, more than any other side, yet they have won all of the other six, this one added to the sequence with two balls to spare.After Yorkshire had posted an under-par 160, which was in no small part down to the disciplined bowling of Harry Gurney and Luke Fletcher in particular, Samit Patel’s 58, the highest score of the night, was the crucial innings.Even then, however, Patel’s dismissal in the final over after two Liam Plunkett dot balls caused nerves to jangle before Chris Read drew a deep breath and cracked the winning boundary through square cover.It left Yorkshire’s qualification hanging by a thread, with the probability that they will need to win their three remaining matches to be sure to go through, and Alex Lees, in his first season as captain, was in no mood to take the rough with the smooth, claiming that a contentious umpire’s decision cost them the match.It came in the fifth over of Nottinghamshire’s chase for their 161-run target, when umpire Martin Saggers called no ball for a fielding irregularity, namely that Yorkshire had one too many players outside the circle.Plunkett was bowling to Dan Christian, who ran a single off the no ball. Greg Smith then hit a four from the free hit before Christian swung through the last ball of the over – the extra one in Lees’s eyes – to score six.”We could have done with 10 more runs with the bat and saved 10 in the field, and then we’d have won,” Lees said. “But even with that score it’s boiled down to a terrible decision by the umpire. I don’t know how, from 40 yards away, you can tell if someone is in or out of the ring, and it’s cost us 12 runs.”It was judged that I was out of the ring. I wasn’t out of the ring, and it cost us 12 runs. I think even if someone is out by a yard, can you see that from 40 yards? He said that he watched the bowler from his run-up all the way and said he watched me all the way.”I don’t think he’s doing his job properly if he’s looking at me when the bowler’s bowling. I don’t how he can track it. I don’t know how he can track all seven players in the ring.”Sometimes in cricket they go your way, and unfortunately it went for Notts tonight.”Although emotions run high sometimes in cricket, the comments by Lees were unwise and it would be a surprise if he does not have to account for them with the authorities, given their tough stance on dissent.Mistakes are sometimes made. Later in the innings, for example, Nottinghamshire’s Steven Mullaney had grounds to question how he could be given run out with the naked eye – again by Saggers – when he appeared to have beaten Steve Patterson’s direct hit to the non-striker’s end when Patel sent him back.That could have been a turning point. At that moment, Nottinghamshire were 59 short of their target, with 53 balls left and some restrictive overs by the Yorkshire spinners, Adil Rashid and Azeem Rafiq, seemed to be tipping the balance in favour of the visiting team.In the event, Patel and Read stepped on the accelerator when Patterson and Tim Bresnan returned, plundering 39 runs in three overs so that three runs were needed off the final six deliveries, in which Nottinghamshire were always likely to get at least one hit off the square.Read finished on 35 not out and Greg Smith’s 32 off as many balls was essential in providing an anchor after Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels failed. Yorkshire’s fielding, on the whole, was excellent.Yorkshire, who had won their last three matches batting first, again backed themselves to set a target they could defend and although Lees was an early casualty, Adam Lyth was in superb touch, the format requiring a change of gear from his double century against Surrey in the Championship but inhibiting him not one jot.Lyth raced to 39 off 20 deliveries, the last 18 of them coming in one dreadful over from Nottinghamshire captain Christian that also conceded five wides. But then Patel, whose own opening over had cost 12 runs, had some revenge when Lyth tried to clear the rope again in the seventh over but, with the field now back, found Imran Tahir on the cover boundary.The left-handed England batsman, whose form this season is being talked about in selectors’ meetings again, gave way to Travis Head, the 22-year-old Australian left-hander, whose debut innings for Yorkshire looked to have set up his new side for a total perhaps in the 180 to 220 range.Head, who made a T20 hundred off 53 balls for Jason Gillespie’s Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash last December, introduced himself by hitting four sixes in a 25-ball blitz that brought him 40 runs, doing most of the damage between the 10th and 12th overs as he launched in turn into Imran Tahir, Patel and Mullaney.He had some luck. Dropped by Patel at long-on off Mullaney on 30, he was fortunate twice more when steepling top-edges fell safely to ground. His luck ran out when the excellent Gurney returned to have him caught at long-on by Riki Wessels.Head’s partnership with Kane Williamson added 67 in 42 deliveries but with the Australian’s dismissal in 14th over went Yorkshire’s momentum. Indeed, there were only two boundaries scored in the last eight overs of the innings and just 38 runs added after Head was out.Nottinghamshire’s bowling was top class. Mullaney dismissed Williamson when a paddle-sweep from the Kiwi found Imran Tahir lurking round the corner and both Gurney and Fletcher did their jobs superbly at the death, giving away only 13 runs between them in the final three overs. Yet Yorkshire’s batting lacked something in finesse.

With Manchester United's slim title hopes having been well and truly extinguished in recent months, the Red Devils are set to see their decade-long wait for Premier League glory extended by another year, with the club's post-Sir Alex Ferguson woes having continued.

While hope has been somewhat renewed following Erik ten Hag's arrival in the dugout, the former Ajax boss will have to go a long way to getting anywhere close to emulating the success of the legendary Scotsman, with the serial-winning coach having won 13 league titles in a trophy-laden spell at Old Trafford.

A truly seismic figure in the history of United, Ferguson will forever be a name etched in club folklore due to his glittering 26-year stint in charge, with subsequent managers having unsurprisingly found it difficult to live up to such a gargantuan figure of the past.

For all the success that the 81-year-old endured during his lengthy reign at the Theatre of Dreams, however, that's not to say that the one-time Aberdeen boss didn't drop the odd clanger or two on occasion, with the man himself admitting his mistake in notably allowing Jaap Stam to depart in 2001, calling it a "bad decision."

The Dutch colossus wasn't the only centre-back whom Ferguson perhaps moved on prematurely, though, with the Govan-born icon having also endured something of a howler with the sale of Gerard Pique in 2008.

Why did Man United sell Pique?

The Red Devils had initially snapped up Pique from La Liga giants Barcelona back in 2004, with the towering centre-back going on to feature sporadically over the next few years, racking up just 23 appearances across all competitions, scoring twice.

Despite showings signs of promise, one game, in particular, appeared to serve as a real setback in the Spaniard's hopes of securing a regular first-team berth, with the player himself admitting that the defeat to Bolton Wanderers in November 2007 seemingly proved fatal for his United career.

That was also the assessment of teammate Wayne Rooney, with the former England skipper stating that the loss away to Bolton 'more or less finished' the defender's career at the club, as he was simply 'bullied' by the opposition forward line.

That seemingly sparked doubts among Ferguson and co as to the 6 foot 4 man's suitability to life in the Premier League, while Pique also outlined his own concern about dislodging the starting duo of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, stating in 2015:

"The centre-backs, Rio Ferdinand, Vidic. I was really unlucky. They never got injured. Then I left and then they started to get injuries! This is football but I’m not really worried.

"It’s true that I was happy in Manchester even though I didn’t play as much as I wanted to."

As it happened, Pique's old friends at Camp Nou came calling as he ultimately sealed a return to Catalonia after four years in England, with La Blaugrana managing to secure a deal for what proved to be a bargain price of just £5m.

United were almost immediately left to rue that sale as the exciting talent went on thwart them in the Champions League final at the end of the 2008/09 season, before again coming out on top when the two sides met in the European showpiece in 2011.

That was merely just the start of what proved to be a truly remarkable spell at Barca for Pique, with the 102-cap titan having simply "won everything" in the game prior to recently calling it quits, according to former boss Pep Guardiola, having claimed three Champions League triumphs in total with the La Liga outfit, as well as eight Spanish league titles.

On the international scene, the now-retired ace was also part of La Roja's World Cup and European Championship success in 2010 and 2012, respectively, having been hailed as the "best central defender in the world" in the recent past by compatriot, Carles Puyol.

While perhaps Pique simply needed to return home in order to truly flourish, to have allowed such a stellar individual to slip through their fingers will still sting as far as both Ferguson and United are concerned, with such talents rather unique, indeed.

South Africa have confirmed they will play a day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide from November 24, the third match of their tour later this year

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-20161:36

‘Just wanted to make sure we had a fair chance’ – de Villiers

South Africa have confirmed they will play a day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide from November 24, the third match of their tour later this year. The fixture will be the first of two day-night Tests in the upcoming Australian summer, with Pakistan scheduled to play one in Brisbane from December 15.Over the past few months, several South African players had expressed reservations over playing a Test with the pink ball without having adequately experimented with it at lower levels. They will now begin their tour of Australia in mid-October with a two-day match under lights at Adelaide Oval, and will also have another two-day, day-night match before the third and final Test. A four-day fixture on South Africa A’s tour of Australia in August will also be a day-night game.CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said the decision to play a day-night Test had been reached after “careful consideration and engagement” with the players. “Our Proteas were initially hesitant to play such a key Test match without previous experience and adequate preparation, but after working through all their concerns and possible options to prepare sufficiently, there is newfound excitement for this novel Test match,” he said. “Our players deserve credit for the way they have worked through the issues which were clearly not insignificant.”South Africa Cricketers Association chief Tony Irish said the decision had not been made for monetary reasons, but because of the “player’s willingness to take a bold step and play a pink ball match sooner rather than later.””The players looked at all the pros and cons of playing this. There are still legitimate concerns around the ball, as it is fundamentally different to a red ball or white ball,” Irish told ESPNcricinfo. “Some players will find it more difficult to see, it behaves differently and conditions have to be tailored to make it last. So there will be a number of unknowns in what is likely to be a crucial match for the Proteas against a team who has some experience of these conditions”What has changed now, however, is the players’ willingness to take a bold step and play a pink ball match sooner rather than later, given the recent announcements from other countries that they will soon start playing day-night Tests.”This has never been about money. Cricket Australia has not offered the players extra money and we haven’t asked for money.”Among the South Africans who had initially objected to the game were AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada, all citing lack of practice with the pink ball. Though CA had already offered South Africa a warm-up match under lights, Philander said the players would need to have “experimented on the domestic front” and “tested the pink ball properly” before agreeing to play a Test with it. Another likely reason for South Africa’s hesitation was that they are chasing a Test revival after slipping from No. 1 to No. 6 on the ICC rankings.CA chief executive James Sutherland thanked CSA for making the fixture possible. “Nearly 124,000 people attended the inaugural day-night Test match in Adelaide last year and there has been great anticipation about future day-night Tests since … I would like to acknowledge the open manner in which Cricket South Africa and the South African Cricketers Association have worked through this matter with us. We look forward to welcoming the South African players to Australia in late October and offering them the best possible preparation ahead of the series.”

Everton are “interested” in completing a deal to bring Sheffield United forward Iliman Ndiaye to the Premier League, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest on Ndiaye to Everton?

The Senegal international's contract at Bramall Lane is set to expire at the end of next season, meaning that the upcoming window will be Paul Heckingbottom's side's last big opportunity to cash in, and being the Yorkshire outfit's top-performing offensive player with a match rating of 7.16, he isn't short of potential suitors.

The Star reported that the Toffees saw a £25m offer for the 23-year-old rejected in January as a result of the Blades hierarchy deciding that he wasn't for sale, despite the club needing to raise funds after being placed under a transfer embargo by the EFL, but this hasn't stopped Sean Dyche from wanting to take a second bite of the cherry.

The Sun have claimed that the Merseyside outfit have sent scouts to watch the versatile attacker, who can play in five different positions, including anywhere across the frontline, to continue to monitor his situation in the final weeks and months leading to the summer.

Taking to Twitter, Romano confirmed that Everton are indeed keeping tabs on Ndiaye as they weigh up whether to make a second approach during the upcoming window. He wrote:

“Many clubs are following the progress of Sheffield United talent Iliman Ndiaye, expected to get big move in the summer. Everton are interested in Ndiaye, Italian clubs are well informed too.”

Would Ndiaye be a good signing for Everton?

Everton are desperately in need of attacking reinforcements having failed to sign a single player in January, and being dubbed a “FIFA cheat code” by his former teammate Tom Graham, Ndiaye could be just the injection of unpredictability they have been missing.

The World Cup participant has posted an impressive 21 goal contributions (13 goals and eight assists) in 42 Championship appearances this season, form which has seen him receive seven man-of-the-match awards during that time.

Even if he’s not always on the scoresheet, the £3.8k-per-week ace is constantly looking to produce moments of quality in the final third, ranking in the 99th percentile for successful take-ons and recording 121 shot-creating actions since the start of the current term, which is the second-highest throughout the whole of his squad. Should the opportunity to sign him arise once again, this is a no-brainer of a decision for Farhad Moshiri to make.

Journalist Dean Jones has claimed it is "pretty significant" Tottenham Hotspur remain in the hunt for Luis Enrique amid recent links.

What's the latest Luis Enrique on and Spurs?

Things are going pretty badly for Spurs this season and even the exit of former boss Antonio Conte hasn't helped ease any problems on the field.

After all, Talksport pundit Jamie O'Hara slammed interim boss Cristian Stellini recently after the Premier League loss

to Bournemouth on the weekend at home, claiming the Italian "hasn't got a clue".

With that being the case, fans will be desperate for Daniel Levy to get his next managerial appointment spot on. And the club have been linked with Luis Enrique with reports in the media claiming suggesting Tottenham are keen on the 52-year-old.

Now, the former Barcelona boss has been touted in the media as a possible option even before Conte left and insider Jones believes it is "significant" that the rumours have not died down yet.

When talking on Chasing Green Arrows, the journalist said (10:29): “Spurs and Chelsea both want Luis Enrique as manager at the moment, they're both looking into that.

"It's pretty significant that Tottenham [are] still showing interest in him here.”

Does Luis Enrique want to work in the Premier League?

The 52-year-old Spaniard has actually been on the record about hoping to come to England and manage in the Premier League one day.

Indeed, he told Cadena Ser radio (via FourFourTwo): "I follow above all the Premier [League] because I would like to go to England to work.

"I wouldn't go to any team but to one that could do important things, which greatly reduces the number. I don't put my hopes up, really, because there are many candidates.

"I am lucky because my personal life fills me up. That it takes longer, that no offers arrive, well, it is what it is. I would go to a team with possibilities. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't work in Spain."

The only concern for Spurs there is the fact that he says he only wants to go to a team that can do "important things".

With that in mind, he may have looked at how serial winners Conte, Jose Mourinho and others have all failed to lift a trophy during their spells in north London.

However, seeing as the rumours remain, Luis Enrique clearly hasn't ruled himself out of the Tottenham job just yet. And so, it certainly could be significant that he remains a candidate at this stage.

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite has “a lot of the traits” to replace Conor Coady and Yerry Mina at Goodison Park, according to journalist Dean Jones.

How have Coady and Mina been performing?

Coady first arrived on Merseyside on a season-long loan from Premier League rivals Wolves last summer and despite having made 23 appearances since that time, has failed to live up to expectations and is ranked the 16th worst player out of the 25 squad members, recording a match rating of 6.43, as per WhoScored.

Mina, on the other hand, has been extremely injury prone and failed to ever establish himself in the first-team having spent 12 spells on the sidelines since joining, not to mention that he’s made just four appearances across all competitions this season and is yet to feature under Sean Dyche.

The Toffees’ young centre-back is currently out on a season-long loan at PSV Eindhoven where he has been impressing in his 30 senior outings to date so far, and as he’s set to return to the Blues this summer, he could be handed a more senior role heading into the 2023/24 campaign, regardless of the club's league status.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones was asked whether he thought Branthwaite had the required qualities to establish his place in the first-team and succeed the likes of Coady and Mina, to which he replied:

“Yeah, it looks like it. He's certainly got a lot of the traits that you would look for in somebody to not only have the composure and the level headedness to handle the Premier League but the confidence too. So it seems like they've got the makings of a good player there.”

Should Branthwaite be given a chance at Everton?

Branthwaite has already made 13 first-team appearances for Everton so they clearly see the potential that he’s got and considering how much he’s developed at PSV, Dyche should definitely give him the opportunity to prove himself.

The 6 foot 5 colossus is currently averaging 3.5 clearances and 2.1 aerial wins per Eredivisie game, via WhoScored, and has won 12 tackles from 20 players challenged, highlighting the rock he’s been at the heart of Ruud van Nistelrooy’s backline.

Alongside being strong in defence, the £15k-per-week starlet is also capable of contributing to his team’s efforts at the opposite end of the pitch having scored four goals and provided an assist this season with his height being extremely handy when it comes to set pieces, so there's no reason why he wouldn't be able to perform at the same level or even better than the boss' current centre-back options at Goodison Park.

West Indies captain Jason Holder said on the eve of the first Test match against India that he was confident in the abilities of the young group he was leading

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Antigua20-Jul-2016Only three members of West Indies’ 13-man squad for the first Test against India have played more than 20 Test matches. Six of them have either played four Tests or fewer, and two are yet to make their debuts. West Indies captain Jason Holder, who has himself played only 13 Tests, said on the eve of the match though that he was confident in the abilities of the young group he was leading.”Most of these guys have performed really well in the domestic competition,” Holder said. “You’ve got young Roston Chase, who’s in the squad for the first time. He averages around 40 in first-class cricket. You’ve got Shane Dowrich, who’s been doing well over the last few seasons. Leon Johnson had a really good season. Those are just a few names who did well back in the first-class competitions. So I think all of them are really eager for an opportunity and I’m very very eager to go into the competition with them.”The players, Holder said, were hungry to make a name for themselves.”I think what motivates this young group is that everyone is trying to make a mark on international scene. It’s a very young team. Many of us are looking at finding our way in international cricket. I think it’s important for the youngsters to just come in, to make their mark and solidify their place in the team, and to make a name for themselves. You know there is a rich legacy in West Indies cricket. Many of the young players are looking to make a legacy for themselves.”A lot of the inexperience in the West Indies team is concentrated in their bowling, following the loss of their long-time new-ball pair of Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach to retirement and non-selection respectively. Holder said he, as one of the four seamers in the squad, did not feel any specific pressure to step up and lead the bowling attack, but reiterated the need for all the quick bowlers to know their roles and perform them well.”You know, if you look at our side, we’ve got Miguel Cummins who’s come into the side, he’s done really well for the last two seasons in domestic cricket. You’ve got [Shannon] Gabriel, who’s been bowling really well, but has been struggling from injuries. He’s fit and ready to go. Carlos Brathwaite and myself, you know, are the two seamers and we are just looking to do what we’re asked to do.”I think it’s important that each one knows their role. You know Shannon’s obviously a fast and aggressive bowler. Miguel similarly. Myself and Carlos, we’re mainly the workhorses in the unit. You just have to know your role. I don’t think there’s pressure really. Once you know understand your role, you perform your role.”West Indies won the World T20 earlier this year, and were impressive in their recent ODI triangular series that also featured Australia and South Africa, beating both teams in the league stage and reaching the final. They have struggled to match that level of performance in Test cricket, with a number of their star players not featuring in the longest format. Holder said it was important for the team to keep improving steadily, while not expecting too much of them too soon.”You know that’s the ultimate aim [to be equally competitive in all three formats]. We’ve got a young side, and it’s good to see we have some young faces. We’re looking to build something. In the last series we played in Australia, we didn’t start really well. Moving on into the Test series, we got significantly better. All I stress and address with the guys is to keep improving. You can’t expect leaps and bounds, too much from a very young side. Once we get the steady progression in terms of improvement, I think we’ll move forward.”The last time West Indies played in Antigua, in April 2015, they saved a Test match against England courtesy an unbeaten fourth-innings hundred from Holder. Batting remains the second string in Holder’s bow, but in the days leading up to the Test against India, he has batted far more than he has bowled in the nets. Asked about this, he said he preferred to conserve himself for the long spells he often bowls in Test matches.”I’ve played a lot of cricket this year already. As I said, it’s about managing your body to get through a four-match Test series. I am a workhorse, so I don’t particularly like to bowl that much leading into a Test match. I like to save my energy for the Test match because I know I’ll be required to bowl quite a few overs. That’s how my preparation goes in terms of my bowling.”I try to bat a lot because I feel as though I need to pay a lot more attention there. That’s more of my secondary part of my training. I try to work really hard to get my footwork going and my balance going which I feel is the key to my success.”Asked about his team’s preparations to bowl against a batting line-up of India’s quality on pitches that are expected to play on the slower side, Holder reiterated what players and coaches from both sides have already stressed: the need for patience.”The name of Test cricket is discipline, when it comes to bowling,” he said. “Where we fell down in the past is not being as disciplined as we would like. We’ve stressed discipline and being patient for longer periods. We come in and string together a good session but we tend to falter or fall off going deeper into the day. So far, what I’ve seen in the nets I’m really, really pleased. The bowlers look good and we need to transfer that into the game.”

Kent dented Worcestershire’s promotion tilt by mopping up the visitors last four wickets in barely an hour and knocking off the 12 runs required to clinch a 10-wicket win

ECB Reporters Network06-Aug-2016
ScorecardDarren Stevens claimed three wickets to help seal Kent’s victory•Getty Images

Kent dented Worcestershire’s promotion tilt by mopping up the visitors last four wickets in barely an hour and knocking off the 12 runs required to clinch a 10-wicket win in their Specsavers County Championship match.The marquees – bursting and busy for the first three days of the 165th Canterbury Cricket Week encounter – stood empty and silent, all bar the CAMRA real ale tent where a gaggle of happy and hardy Kentish supporters applauded their side’s deserved victory, wrapped up with more than two sessions to spare.Having dismissed Daryl Mitchell’s side for 251 second-time around, Kent openers Sean Dickson and Daniel Bell-Drummond needed only six minutes to knock off the runs to inflict a second defeat of the summer upon Worcestershire.Resuming on their parlous overnight score of 213 for 6 – an overall match deficit of 27 runs – the Midlanders were soon even deeper in trouble.Kent started making inroads as early as the 15th ball of the day when Matt Coles, having just taken the second new ball, struck with his fifth ball of the day.Pushing defensively at one just outside off stump, Ben Cox (39) found a thick outside edge for James Tredwell to claim a comfortable catch at second slip with the visitors still 20 runs in arrears.Without addition to the total Joe Leach (3) sparred at one from Darren Stevens to nick behind and give Sam Billings his eighth catch of the match.Stevens struck again with Worcestershire still six runs in arrears. Having played and missed at one that clipped his front pad, Kyle Abbott lifted his back foot during a half-hearted lbw appeal allowing Sam Billings to whip off the bails for a gift stumping. Billings became the tenth Kent keeper to claim nine dismissals in a match.Ed Barnard struck out lustily to move his side into an 11-run lead before his sliced drive against Stevens flew to Will Gidman at short third man to end the Worcestershire innings soon after noon. Stevens finished with 3 for 31, while Gidman and Tredwell bagged two apiece as Kent banked 23 points for their third win of the summer. Worcestershire went home with only four points.Having enjoyed runs and wickets on his home championship debut for Kent, Gidman, the on-loan Nottinghamshire allrounder said: “To get those two second-innings wickets with a slightly older ball and just as Worcestershire were forming a decent partnership was really pleasing. On the whole I’m delighted with the way the bowling has gone since coming here.”I got slightly lucky with the first wicket. The lad George Rhodes was playing really well, but he started batting way out of his crease and, when I bowled him a really full one, he ended up yorking himself. Then, against Daryl Mitchell, that was one that moved back up the him and hit him full in front.”I’d have loved to have scored a hundred, but batting at No8 it’s the last thing you’re really expecting. I’m more thankful that ‘Tredders’, ‘Colesy’ and Mitch hung around as long as they did and, in the context of the match, formed some vital partnerships with me.”Worcestershire’s head coach said the defeat was simply a blip in an otherwise excellent season for his side. “Kent played really well and the fact that we were a little under par was mainly due to the fact that Kent played some really good stuff over the four days. On this performance they’re becoming a very good side.”Brett D’Oliveira will come back in but it won’t be a case of wholesale changes just because we’ve lost one match. Sport is all about winning and losing and I don;t know many teams who just keep winning all of the time. Sometimes these lads deserve another chance to get themselves into some better form and we’ve played plenty of good cricket already this season to know that we’re capable of producing better than this.”

Mark Davis has spoken about Sussex’s frustration in having to wait for Mustafizur Rahman, one of the club’s overseas signings, to arrive. Mustafizur has been working to regain fitness after the IPL and his stint in England remains uncertain.Davis, Sussex’s head coach, said the club was struggling to find another replacement for Mustafizur, after South Africa allrounder David Wiese departed for the CPL. Wiese was initially signed as cover for two games at the start of June but ended up making four NatWest T20 Blast appearances. Ahead of their game against Gloucestershire on Sunday, Sussex will also be without Chris Jordan who is away on England duty.”We have a couple of people but it is very late in the day so it is very hard to get replacements,” Davis told the Brighton-based . “The top players in the world have been signed, or are playing CPL, or their countries aren’t allowing them to play. That’s the frustration because we have chosen Mustafizur as probably the No. 1 bowler in the world in that format.”On June 9, the Bangladesh physio Bayjidul Islam had said that Mustafizur would take at least two weeks to be ready but last week, trainer Mario Villavarayan said he would require another month to recover from his injuries.Sussex had earlier said they would be happy to wait for Mustafizur, at least until June 10, but that time has now passed. Davis said he had only been able to get advice from Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha but he was confident that Mustafizur would show up for his side.”I spoke to the Bangladesh head coach and he said he would be assessed after two weeks, which is now,” Davis said. “It hasn’t been easy to nail Bangladesh down. Their coach has been the one I have got most direction from. But we are also dealing with physios and trainers who are putting things on the internet. I am sure we will get it nailed down.”