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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is eyeing a move to sign Bayern Munich full-back Benjamin Pavard this summer, according to reports.

The Spaniard has reportedly identified the Frenchman as a concrete target in the current transfer window, as he looks to strengthen his right-back options in the coming weeks.

What's the latest on Benjamin Pavard to Manchester City?

Guardiola is keen to strengthen his side's right-back options this summer, and Pavard is a target for the Manchester City manager, according to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider.

The Bayern Munich man has been linked with a move away from the Bundesliga champions throughout the summer, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that he is top of Manchester City's list of right-back targets if Kyle Walker decides to go the other way in the current transfer window.

As things stand, Pavard's contract is set to expire next summer, potentially making a deal easier to negotiate for Guardiola and co.

As per O'Rourke, too, City are desperately trying to convince Walker to stay put ahead of the forthcoming Premier League campaign, amid interest from the Bundesliga champions.

Meanwhile, there's still questions over the future of the treble winners' other right-back option, Joao Cancelo, who spent last season on loan at Bayern Munich.

Should Manchester City sign Benjamin Pavard?

If Walker or Cancelo leave this summer, then Pavard would be an ideal option for those at The Etihad this season. Boosted by the fact that the Frenchman can play as a centre-back, too, Guardiola would certainly get the best out of the World Cup winner.

Thomas Tuchel was quick to praise the full-back after taking up the managerial role at the Bundesliga club last season, calling him "underrated" and saying, via Lequipe: “He can adapt to the highest level and he defends rigorously. He is a top team player, he immediately had my confidence and proved to me that I had been right.”

Statistically speaking, too, Pavard outperfomed both Cancelo and Walker in some areas last season. According to FBref, the Bayern man made more progressive passes, won more tackles, made more blocks, and made more interceptions per-90 when compared with the Manchester City full-back. The transfer target was also in the 98th percentile of expected assists, as per FBref, so would provide City with even more chance creation.

So, with that said, it certainly seems as though Guardiola would be upgrading his right-back options this summer if he secured the signature of Pavard.

The Premier League giants have already, of course, dipped into the Bundesliga this summer to complete the signing of Josko Gvardiol from RB Leipzig for a reported £77.6m. And, with time still remaining in the window, they could yet return to Germany's top flight.

Off the back of winning the treble last season, the pressure is on City to perform once more on the biggest stages. Already, they've continued their recent trend of losing the Community Shield, losing for the third consecutive year, and this time against Arsenal.

Guardiola's focus will now turn to his side's opening day clash against Vincent Kompany's newly-promoted Burnley side. It is then that City will hope to hit the ground running, with or without Pavard.

The fast bowler made his maiden first-class fifty and topped it up with two wickets in two overs. Elsewhere, defending champions Gujarat too built a solid case for qualification

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2017

Basil Thampi enjoyed a fine day out in Lahli. It began with his walking out as a nightwatchman, without a single run to his name. It ended with him scoring a maiden first-class half-century and picking up two vital wickets to reduce Haryana to 83 for 5. On the back of that effort, Kerala retained a lead of 98 runs and appear well placed to secure the victory which will seal their progress into the quarter-finals.That may have been timely consolation for Rohan Prem, who had battled for 314 balls in search of a century only to fall seven runs short. His was the first wicket of two wickets to fall in the 101st over bowled by legspinner Amit Mishra but Thampi ensured there was no transfer of momentum, striking 10 fours and a six during his stay at the crease. Although Kerala’s tail folded relatively meekly – medium-pacer Ajit Chahal picked up his second five-for in as many matches – the damage had already been done.It would only get worse for Haryana as they found themselves 6 for 1 in the seventh over. The run-rate remained dismal for the rest of the day – they were 39 for 3 in the 27th – and were hurt further when Thampi picked up two wickets in successive overs to leave the score at 61 for 5.Defending champions Gujarat took a few further steps towards making the knockouts in Ranchi with Kamlesh Thakor, the debutant left-arm seamer, playing a pivotal role. The 25-year old picked up five wickets in the day to ensure Jharkhand were bowled out for 242 and then made to follow on. The hosts could not stand up to scoreboard pressure, with six of the XI falling for single-digits in the first innings. Only opener Nazim Siddiqui (71) and Kumar Deobrat (80) provided any resistance but they were removed by Gujarat’s two most impressive bowlers Thakor (3 for 43) and Chintan Gaja (3 for 49). Deobrat was promoted to open alongside Siddiqui in the second innings, but both batsmen fell to Thakor to leave Jharkhand 106 for 2 in at stumps.As well as Saurashtra fought, making Rajasthan follow-on in Jaipur, their bid to stay alive in the tournament took a hit due to the way the other two matches in group B progressed. A win for Gujarat and Kerala will see them through regardless of what Saurashtra do. Still, captain Jaydev Unadkat (3 for 77), Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (3 for 42) and Shaurya Sanandia (3 for 62) bowled Rajasthan out for 275 and helped secure a lead of 259. Robin Bist (63) and Mahipal Lomror (52) were the only batsmen to put up concerted resistance. There was time for 12 overs in the follow-on innings, which openers Amitkumar Gautam and Chetan Bist safely negotiated.

Leeds United are interested in signing Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara in the summer transfer window, according to an update from reliable journalist Graham Smyth.

How much does Leeds target Glen Kamara earn?

The 27-year-old, who currently earns £21,000 per week, has been an excellent servant for Rangers since arriving at Ibrox from Dundee in 2019. He has made 193 appearances for the Scottish Premiership giants, proving to be an influential performer in the middle of the park.

Kamara also has plenty of success to show for his four-year stay with the Gers, winning the league title under Steven Gerrard back in 2020/21, and also tasting Scottish Cup glory the following season. He has been named Finland's Footballer of the Year in the past too, having won 52 caps for his country.

The midfielder may still be contracted to Rangers until the summer of 2025, but it could be that he is looking for a new challenge before the 2023/24 season gets started, having possibly outgrown the club.

With Leeds preparing for life back in the Championship for the first time since 2019/20, it looks as though the Finn could potentially be on his way to Elland Road.

Could Leeds sign Kamara this summer?

According to The Yorkshire Evening Post's Smyth, Kamara is seen as the next possible addition after the deal for Ethan Ampadu is completed:

"Leeds have high hopes of retaining central midfielder Tyler Adams this summer but need to bolster the middle of the pitch regardless.

"Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara is another potential target they have been assessing in recent weeks. The 27-year-old Finnish international looks set to depart Ibrox this summer and has a number of interest clubs eyeing him."

Kamara could be a perfect summer addition for Leeds, coming in as a player with a huge amount of experience and both club and international level. Signing both him and Ampadu would immediately make the Whites look strong in midfield, enhancing their hopes of a quickfire return to the Premier League. Keeping hold of Adams would only help further, in that respect.

At 27, the Rangers hero is at a great age to come in and make a different from the off, having completed 89.4% of his passes in the Scottish Premiership last season, and also chipped in with 20 goal contributions (nine goals and 11 assists) down the years, despite his fairly defence-minded nature as a player.

Gerrard descibed Kamara as both a "class act" and "superb" during his time as Gers boss, with such praise from a high-profile and legendary figure in the game further outlining what a good footballer the Finland international is, and how he could aid Leeds' promotion push in 2023/24.

The lure of moving to England could be too great to turn down for Kamara, especially as he will be aware that he could even be preparing to play Premier League football this time next year, should the Whites excel under Daniel Farke from the off, and return to the top flight in no time at all.

Arsenal have enjoyed quite the summer so far, welcoming Chelsea’s Kai Havertz, with a deal for Declan Rice also pending. And, now, it seems as though Jurrien Timber is closing in on a move from Ajax, bolstering Mikel Arteta’s defensive options.

After finishing second last season, suffering the heartbreak of missing out on the Premier League title to a treble-winning Manchester City side, Arsenal have picked up where they left off, and then some.

Refusing to stagnate after just one attempt at the league title, the Gunners have headed straight to the transfer window. Their first arrival was a slightly surprising one, given Havertz’s poor form for Chelsea last season – scoring seven times in the league – but such is Arsenal’s attacking style of play (scoring a total of 88 league goals), the German could thrive.

As for Rice, the England international signals an incredible coup for Arteta, after reportedly beating Manchester City to his signature. The midfielder is arguably one of the best in the world in his position, and could help turn Arsenal into winners of major silverware again.

Capping off a superb couple of months off the pitch looks increasingly likely to be Timber, with the defender’s brother dropping the most obvious clue yet.

What’s the latest on Jurrien Timber and Arsenal?

Timber has completed his medical at Arsenal, according to Fabrizio Romano, with the defender set to be announced by the club in the coming days. The deal is reportedly worth £40m, in what could be seen as a bargain in today’s market.

Timber can play both centre-back and right-back, providing cover for both Ben White and William Saliba. When the Frenchman’s season ended early last time out, it derailed Arsenal’s season entirely, knocking them off course in the Premier League title race.

With a player like Timber, however, injuries such as Saliba’s may not have such an impact. Or, at least, that’s what Arteta will be hoping.

What did Timber’s brother post?

Following the reports that the Ajax man has completed his medical ahead of a move to the North London club, Timber’s brother took to social media to celebrate the move, posting a picture of his sibling’s goodbye party, showing him in an Arsenal shirt with a poster saying: “Jurrien’s goodbye party. See you in the streets on London.”

Making 32 appearances for Ajax last season, Timber didn’t end on the high that he had been hoping for after the Eredivisie side struggled for the first time in a number of years, finishing third, and 13 points adrift of eventual champions Feyenoord.

He’ll be hoping to bounce back for the Gunners next season, where he becomes part of Arteta’s ever-improving project.

The Dutchman may be forced to fight for his place, however. The defensive partnership of Gabriel Magalhaes and Saliba has proved to be quite the duo at The Emirates, and will be a difficult one to break up. With former player Martin Keown telling BT Sport (via football.london): “He [Saliba] and Gabriel make for a really good partnership.”

Meanwhile, White unexpectedly slotted in at right-back last season, before going on to do an exceptional job, cementing his place in the side with an average SofaScore rating of 6.91 in the league – so Timber won’t necessarily be able to immediately slot in there either.

Competition for places is only a good thing, however, especially given Arsenal’s place in the Champions League next season, where they’ll look to go deep into the competition.

West Ham United have submitted an enquiry for AZ Alkmaar star Tijjani Reijnders in the hope of bringing him to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Tijjani Reijnders?

Reijnders is naturally a central midfielder who currently plies his trade at the AFAS Stadium having joined the U21s there from PEC Zwolle back in 2017 before getting promoted to the first team the following year, as per Transfermarkt, where he’s since gone on to become a regular feature.

In the Eredivisie, the Dutchman started all 34 games under Pascal Jansen last season and established himself as his side’s third overall best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.26, and David Moyes has already had the chance to assess him live in action.

During the Europa Conference League, the Irons had to face the 24-year-old’s side and will know exactly what he’s capable of having put a goal past Lukasz Fabianski, something which has tempted the boss into trying to entice him to E20.

Are West Ham signing Reijnders?

According to Sport Italia (via Sport Witness), West Ham have made an "in-depth" enquiry to discover the availability of Reijnders in the "past few days" ahead of the 2023/24 campaign. AC Milan and other unnamed clubs are also believed to have "expressed their interest" in AZ Alkmaar's prized asset, but at this stage, there's no indication as to how much it would cost to secure his services.

Should Moyes consider a bid for Reijnders?

Whilst Reijnders is a central midfielder, West Ham will know that he is much stronger in the attacking aspect of his game, and having been dubbed “unplayable” by journalist Josh Bunting, Moyes and the hierarchy should definitely consider tabling an opening offer.

The ESA & GFM client, who earns £8k-per-week, racked up 11 goal contributions (eight assists and three goals) in 34 Eredivisie appearances last season, with this form seeing him collect three man-of-the-match awards, but he’s also a creative threat away from the net.

Reijnders, who has the versatility to operate in seven various positions, including everywhere across the centre and out wide on both wings, ranked in the 96th percentile for progressive carries so loves to push up the pitch but was also calm and composed in possession with an 88.8% pass success rate which was higher than any Irons player, therefore he would be an upgrade on the boss’ current options at the London Stadium.

Tottenham Hotspur have entered talks to sign Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario and could hijack Inter Milan, according to journalist Michele Criscitiello.

Who will Spurs sign this summer?

The north Londoners, buoyed by the arrival of new manager Ange Postecoglou, are seeking to strengthen their ranks in many different areas before next season.

One of the major positions Spurs could reinforce is the goalkeeping position, especially after long-serving number one Hugo Lloris recently declared that he is seeking a new challenge.

The Frenchman, who has been at Tottenham for over a decade since signing from Lyon in 2012, told Nice-Matin that an exit is very much on the cards – a year before the expiry of his current contract.

“We have reached an important moment, whether it be for the club or me,” said Lloris.

“It’s the end of an era. I have a desire for something else. I will carefully study what is possible. However, I haven’t forgotten that I have a year left on my contract at Tottenham, and in football, it’s always hard to predict what will happen."

As a result, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has reportedly been targeting Brentford's David Raya, though despite agreeing personal terms, it is believed there is an impasse on his £40 million asking price.

Alternatives who have been in the frame include Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, but according to reports in the lasr 24 hours, Tottenham have set their sights on a new target for in-between the sticks.

Indeed, Empoli's Vicario is now of serious interest, with Italian reporter Criscitiello telling SICafè on Sport Italia that Spurs are in talks for the 26-year-old.

They could also hijack Inter Milan, who apparently had the 6 foot 4 Vicario "in their grip" but are "wasting time" – meaning Tottenham are swooping in.

"The Nerazzurri had Vicario in their grip," said Criscitiello.

"But now they are wasting time and as a result the goalkeeper has fallen heavily in these hours, with important money, at Corsi's house. Tottenham. Empoli are negotiating with the English, I don't know the figures."

Who is Guglielmo Vicario?

The Italian starred for Empoli last season under Paolo Zanetti, even standing out as their second-best performing player by average match rating according to WhoScored.

Off the back of his national team call-up last year, BBC journalist Moseph Ekine was also effusive in his praise for the shot-stopper, calling him one of Serie A's "very good" keepers who has been "superb" for Empoli.

If Spurs can get a deal done, they may well have an excellent Raya alternative.

Arsenal remain interested in a number of key men, with a fresh update having been dropped on Tuesday…

What's the latest on Moises Caicedo to Arsenal?

Writing in The Telegraph, journalist Sam Dean sought to outline the summer transfer plans of Mikel Arteta and Edu in what could be a groundbreaking window to shorten the gap between them and the treble-winning Manchester City.

Whilst the main information in the report is regarding Nicolas Pepe's supposed exit, as well as the nearing completion of the Declan Rice deal, it does also suggest that once the West Ham United star is welcomed to north London, they will turn their attention towards prying Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion, with an offer being prepared.

Their interest remains from those two failed bids in January, and despite the Ecuador international having signed a new deal since, the Seagulls will reportedly demand at least £70m.

To sign both of these Premier League midfield monsters would be a huge statement of intent from the Gunners.

How good would Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice be together?

With the notion that these two will join as a midfield partnership together, it is easy to see why Arteta sees them as complementary assets who would bring out the best in one another.

As Rice has grown in stature over the years, shining as captain of the Hammers and an instrumental cog in the England setup, his creative qualities have been emphasised this term too.

It is this offensive impetus that would offer a fine balance alongside Caicedo, who would offer a platform for such exploits.

The 24-year-old scored five goals and assisted four more in all competitions as the Irons comfortably avoided the drop and won the Europa Conference League. It seems like the fairytale ending for the England international, who can now depart the London Stadium having truly given his all to the club that first gave him a football career.

However, if he is to shine as the centrepiece of this new-look engine room, bursting forward towards the penalty area with aplomb, the 21-year-old alternative cannot be ignored for the work he will get through behind Rice.

A tireless yet classy presence in the heart of midfield, Caicedo's 7.08 average rating this term gives way to 2.7 tackles, 1.2 key passes, and 1.5 interceptions per game, via Sofascore, with such defensive aptitude potentially allowing Rice to go about his business in the final third.

Such relentless energy even led South American football expert Tim Vickery to brand him a "terrific athlete".

To place these two in midfield would be yet another Arteta masterstroke, pairing hard work and quality with both defensive and attacking boosts.

This is even without mentioning their youth, and the fact they could hold down their spots for the next decade of what could be a dominant period should they topple Pep Guardiola's history makers.

South Africa’s bowlers flexed their muscles with the pink ball the day after the touring batsmen had done likewise to round out the warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI under lights at Adelaide Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2016
ScorecardRilee Rossouw scored a brisk 77 after CA XI were rolled over•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesSouth Africa’s bowlers flexed their muscles with the pink ball the day after the touring batsmen had done likewise to round out the warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI under lights at Adelaide Oval.The local collective lasted a mere 30.4 overs meaning Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada were denied the chance to see how the pink ball would perform after dark.However an even spread of wickets – the aforementioned quartet plus Kyle Abbott all claimed two wickets each – augured well for the South Africa bowlers ahead of the Test series against Australia, even if the CA XI provided modest opposition.Only the CA XI captain Matthew Short was able to resist for any length of time, battling his way to 57 from 61 balls as wickets fell around him. No other member of the invitational side made it to double figures.The swift collapse of the CA XI innings left the tourists with the remainder of the evening for a second innings, in which Rilee Rossouw made the most of his chance to post a swift 77 before retiring.Faf du Plessis, Temba Bavuma and JP Duminy were all able to indulge in some gentle centre-wicket practice before the close. Arjun Nair, the young NSW spinner, was able to put in a second economical display while also deceiving Bavuma.

Delhi coach KP Bhaskar has hit out strongly at the lack of a proper system in Delhi cricket – especially off the field – which is costing the team in the Ranji Trophy

Shashank Kishore in Kolkata22-Oct-2016KP Bhaskar, Delhi’s head coach, has said a systematic overhaul of Delhi cricket is needed if they are to stay competitive in the Ranji Trophy. His comments followed Delhi’s meek surrender to Karnataka inside eight sessions in Kolkata. Bhaskar, who himself had played 95-first class matches over 14 years and was a prolific run-scorer for a strong Delhi side in the ’80s, termed the current system “ineffective”.The chaos surrounding their build-up to the domestic season every year, he said, was one of the reasons why Delhi struggled. The chaos isn’t entirely of the team’s making; administrative hassles, Bhaskar said, couldn’t entirely be looked at in isolation as it impacted both age-group and senior sides competing under the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) banner.This year, the coach’s appointment was made with less than a month to go for the season, and the team didn’t get together until two days before their Ranji Trophy opener against Assam in Vadodara. A two-day practice game that was scheduled for September 26 and 27 against Uttar Pradesh was called off because the DDCA couldn’t find a ground to host the match. This even as curators and ground staff threatened a strike for unpaid wages and bonuses.”I got the team two days before the season started,” Bhaskar said, when asked about Delhi’s preparation when compared to some of the other sides which had pre-season conditioning camps and tournaments. “There was not much of mental preparation. Whatever was happening was whatever they were doing on their own, so I really don’t know. That is something which we need to work on. The system has to fall into place; we have to have more opportunities of playing exposure, and try to build a team before getting into the Ranji Trophy.”Last year, too, the team had to wait till the eve of their Ranji Trophy opener to know who the coach was. Ajay Jadeja, initially appointed head coach, didn’t travel with the team because he felt “his opinions and inputs don’t matter”. He was replaced by Vijay Dahiya. Then there was also the issue of factions within the DDCA naming three different probables lists for the Ranji Trophy. Their pre-season camp was further mired in controversy, with nobody to oversee the initial nets sessions at the Feroz Shah Kotla and no certainty over who was running the team.Expecting the players to perform without a proper system in place, Bhaskar said, was tough. Among the things that needed to change, he said, was the system of merely playing in 40-over games in the build up to the Ranji Trophy. “Look at our batting,” he said. “We don’t have three-day formats; we don’t really play in pre-season tournaments like Buchi Babu or KSCA invitational. So currently we are only finding ways to work around it.”Another aspect Bhaskar wanted looked into was the talent pool; he said it wasn’t being streamlined properly because of selection issues. “Last season, we had 45 different players playing for Delhi Under-23s. So think of it, how long it is going to take for the talented players from there to reach the Ranji Trophy?”Tomorrow, if things don’t improve, we may have 50 players playing across eight games in the Ranji Trophy. Things need to be put in place, but at least we’ve made a start now. Things are looking good. Justice Mudgal has taken the initiative [of cleaning up the DDCA mess]. Let’s hope things improve.”

Yorkshire may learn between now and the end of the season how much they have missed Ryan Sidebottom during the seven matches he has been forced to miss because of an ankle injury

Jon Culley at Headingley05-Aug-2016
ScorecardRyan Sidebottom is back in the wickets after a seven-match lay-off•Getty Images

Yorkshire may learn between now and the end of the season how much they have missed Ryan Sidebottom during the seven matches he has been forced to miss because of an ankle injury. In that time they have won only twice and while there have been other factors at play, not least the weather, it is not unreasonable to speculate that, had he been steaming in, business as usual, they might have created a few more opportunities at the very least.The veteran left-armer will be 39 in January, far too old, you would say, to be doing what he does, yet there has been no evidence during the last couple of years that his powers are waning. Last year he finished top of Yorkshire’s averages with 41 wickets at a stingy 17.9 runs each; in 2014 it was 48 at 18.35.His longevity as a bowler is a wonder, given that he hardly lopes in off a few gentle strides. It would not be Ryan Sidebottom if he were not thundering in, nostrils flaring, that familiar leonine mane adding to the sense of speed and menace. It is a testament to how well he looks after himself, and how well Yorkshire have managed his workload.It was doubtless a little embarrassing, then, that the hairline fracture that has kept him out of action since April had to be put down not to what he did to himself in that match against Warwickshire, but to a mishap incurred subsequently, when he managed to do further damage to the same ankle playing a football game in the dressing room.It goes without saying that the consequences of this could have been pretty depressing. Happily, though, all looks well. Reassuming his customary role as the leader of the Yorkshire attack, he bowled 15 overs, taking the second Warwickshire wicket and the last, either side of the one that happened to be the 400th first-class wicket of his Yorkshire career.”It is a relief to be okay, a huge relief,” he admitted afterwards.”It was one of those stupid accidents that can happen and at this stage of my career, of course there is always that worry in the back of you mind. You wonder what’s going to happen, am I going to be back next year?”But Yorkshire have looked after me well, I’ve played the last three weeks in the seconds to get some bowling under my belt and it is great to be back and to contribute.”We’ve got seven games left and if I can contribute to the team winning a couple we are going to be there or thereabouts again at the end of the season.”There was pride, too, that he had been able to add another milestone, having passed 700 career first-class wickets last season. “Dizzy (Jason Gillespie) congratulated me and announced it to all the lads in the dressing room and that was really nice of him,” he said.The bigger proportion of those Yorkshire wickets – 238 out of 401 now – have come since he returned to his home county from Nottinghamshire in 2011, when the Trent Bridge club decided the three-year contract he wanted was too big a risk. Even he thought it would be the last one he signed. In the event, he has extended it twice, to six years. Moreover, those 238 wickets have come at 20.99 runs each, compared with an overall career average of 23.99. He genuinely has improved with age.The 400th, fittingly, was an important one, prising out Sam Hain on 48 when it seemed the talented 21-year-old right-hander could be set to compensate for the failures of Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell by bookending a string of good performances in white-ball cricket with back-to-back Championship hundreds, following on from his one against Hampshire in early July.Trott, miscueing a pull, gave a return catch to Jack Brooks, another whose return from injury may have come at a timely moment, while Bell, on the drive, sliced a ball from Steve Patterson straight to backward point. With Hain’s demise, Warwickshire were in trouble at 112 for 6.That they managed to scrape their way from there to 179 all out was almost entirely down to Rikki Clarke, another who would argue that age is just a number. At 34 he’s just a young ‘un next to Sidebottom but there are a few miles on the clock. Yet as an all-rounder – batsman, bowler and brilliant slip fielder – he still stands above the rest in the county game.He proved it here, first with the unbeaten 50 that kept Warwickshire in the game and then, in a superb evening’s work, with four wickets, reducing Yorkshire to 68 for 5. He had Adam Lyth and Travis Head caught by Varun Chopra at first slip and later, in consecutive deliveries, bowled Jack Leaning with a swinging full-length ball and had nightwatchman Patterson leg before.”To score an unbeaten 50 and then take four wickets in 15 overs made it an outstanding day for him,” Warwickshire’s director of cricket, Dougie Brown, said. “We needed someone to step forward and do something and that is exactly what Rikki did. He has brought us back into the game and far closer than before Yorkshire started their second innings.”Yorkshire closed on 78 for 5, their lead just 156. The pitch is dry, there is turn and bounce and what Jeetan Patel does on day three could be as important as Clarke’s contribution on day two.