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Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten 93 took Australia Women to a tense two-wicket win in the first ODI against South Africa in Canberra

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2016
ScorecardEllyse Perry struck a boundary to win the game for Australia with one ball remaining•Cricket Australia

Ellyse Perry anchored a tense chase of 227 with an unbeaten 93 to help Australia beat South Africa by two wickets in the first ODI in Canberra. Perry, who walked out to bat with Australia at 39 for 2 in the 10th over, held the key for the home team throughout the innings, and succeeded in taking them across the line off the penultimate ball.She struck six fours and two sixes in her 107-ball knock. That was after Australia’s bowlers had combined to keep South Africa down to 226 for 5 at the Manuka Oval.After Australia fell to 49 for 3, Perry began rebuilding with a 52-run, fourth-wicket stand with Alex Blackwell. South Africa hit back when legspinner Suné Luus had Blackwell caught for a 51-ball 25. Jess Jonassen got going in a hurry, slapping two fours and a six, before Luus struck again, ending her innings on 21 off 17 balls.Wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy and Perry then shifted momentum towards Australia with a 48-run partnership. South Africa, though, chipped away and left Perry to get 32 with the lower order. Perry added 28 with Megan Schutt in an eighth-wicket stand off 20 balls, reducing Australia’s target to just four off the last five balls. Schutt was stumped off the legspin of Dane van Niekerk, the South Africa captain, in the first ball of the final over, before Perry struck a boundary four balls later to seal the game. Luus finished with three wickets, but was expensive, leaking 52 runs in seven overs.South Africa’s innings was built on the back of a combined team effort. Openers Lizelle Lee and Luus got off to a start, putting on 52 at a run-a-ball. Lee was dismissed off legspinner Kristen Beams for a 29-ball 38. Luus added 67 more for the second wicket with Mignon du Preez, before she was caught behind off Perry, having top-scored with 52. Contributions from du Preez (37), Marizanne Kapp (29 not out) and Chloe Tryon (25 not out) helped South Africa add quick runs in the end overs.Perry shone with the ball too, finishing with 2 for 33 in eight overs. Beams and Grace Harris were both economical and took a wicket apiece.

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.”

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?”

Cricket fans who complain vociferously about the absence of live cricket on free-to-air TV might find mild consolation in Sky TV’s launch of a new channel to showcase their live sports to all their subscribers

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2016Cricket fans who complain vociferously about the absence of live cricket on free-to-air TV might find mild consolation in Sky TV’s announcement that they intend to launch a new channel to showcase their live sports package to all their subscribers.Sky have confirmed that live cricket will occasionally be among those sports made available to all their 12-million plus subscribers. Slightly less than half take out a sports package for an additional fee.Sky Sports Mix is seen as offering an extra inducement for its subscribers not to leave Sky in favour of rivals such as BT Sport or Virgin.Most attention has been given to Sky’s promise that it will air a number of live Premier League and Championship matches free of charge, but it is the mention of cricket that will interest the ECB as it pursues TV rights negotiations for the period beyond 2019.Sky announced: “For the first time, millions more Sky customers will be able to watch a mix of live sport – including football, golf from Europe and the US, international cricket and much more – as part of their basic subscription packages.”Women’s cricket will also be included.The ECB remains committed to a future where most international cricket remains behind a paywall, adamant that the revenue gained is necessary to sustain the game, not just at first-class level but in terms of the women’s game and recreational cricket.Nevertheless, there is unease about the fall in numbers in recreational cricket, which seem to signal lessening interest in the game, and which will tempt the ECB to explore the possibility of some live cricket being viewed free to air, beyond the England international highlights that are already available.Discussions will centre not just upon England cricket, but on the availability of England’s domestic T20 tournament – in whatever form it takes from 2020 onwards.Sky Sports Mix might become a useful bargaining chip as negotiations continue. It could not count as free-to-air for all, but any increase in cricket’s reach will be regarded as something worth talking about.

Tottenham Hotspur are suffering something of an inquest following their midweek misery and will be hoping to bounce back today as they host Nottingham Forest.

The clash marks an important Premier League game for both involved and could have huge ramifications at both ends of the table. Whilst the hosts remain on the hunt to retain Champions League football, it is the Tricky Trees who are still fighting for their lives despite a recent resurgence.

Steve Cooper has improved form, yet their 14th-place position somewhat hides the fact they are just four points from the drop zone.

With the Lilywhites still reeling from their recent draw with AC Milan, in which their offensive inadequacies resulted in their exit from Europe, it is expected that Antonio Conte will react with fury.

That side let him down badly, and as such, we can expect to see a host of changes in a desperate attempt to freshen up a tired-looking outfit. Arguably the microcosm for all things toothless in north London, Heung-min Son must be the first to lose his place.

Should Heung-min Son be dropped vs Nottingham Forest?

If the Italian is basing his lineup for today solely on the performances in midweek, then the south Korean does not stand a chance of starting.

His 6.3 rating from that result was only outdone by Cristian Romero for the worst performance, who was sent off, as the 30-year-old continued his aimless form. Despite playing the full game, he could only amass one blocked shot from his 38 touches. He was also wayward with all four of his attempted crosses and won just two of the 11 duels he competed in (via Sofascore).

Not only that, but again when the team needed someone to step up he shrunk. It marked yet another game without a goal, as Son has now scored just nine goals in 35 games across all competitions; a far cry from the 24 he scored last season, or the 22 with 17 assists provided the campaign before even that.

The £190k-per-week speedster used to be the club’s talisman alongside Harry Kane, but whilst the Englishman has continued his blistering form his teammate has been stopped dead.

Confidence is at an all-time low, and former Hibernian striker Tam McManus has already called for him to be dropped in a scathing assessment of his form:

“Everything he touched went in the back of the net and this season couldn’t be more different. He is so far off the pace. Not only is he not scoring but his general play just isn’t there either.

“Performances are well below par and Son kind of sums that up. He’s an unbelievable player on his day but we haven’t seen that all season”

Perhaps an elongated spell out the team could do him good, or at the very least show him that his starting place is far from secure. Wednesday’s disappointment was just the tip of the iceberg of Son’s recent underperformance, but will likely frustrate fans more than usual due to the fine opportunity they had to progress in the competition.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a tough start to their 2023/24 campaign, as issues from last season and the summer break have tarnished Gary O’Neil’s plans with his squad.

The Englishman took charge of the Old Gold just four days before their Premier League opener, following Julen Lopetegui’s departure due to worries about the size of his squad due to the club’s financial restrictions.

After making sufficient sales without room for replacements, O’Neil admitted that his side is “£80m short” of players this term, which is unfortunately reflected in the level of performance so far.

Losing star names such as Ruben Neves, Raul Jimenez, Joao Moutinho and Matheus Nunes got Wolves off to a difficult start, resulting in the need for other players in the squad to step up and attempt to contend in the league.

What does Gary O’Neil have to improve at Wolves?

In their opening six Premier League fixtures, the Midlands side have recorded one win, one draw and four losses, where they have conceded 12 goals which stands at the third-highest number of goals conceded so far.

Only newly promoted Sheffield United and Burnley have let in more goals from the opposition than Wolves, hinting that O’Neil may have to go back to basics to ensure his side can improve.

Speaking of the basics, the Molineux outfit have scored the joint-fourth lowest number of goals so far, with six in six games, with the common narrative of their games being that they didn’t take their chances.

The 2022/23 campaign saw Wolves end the season as the Premier League’s lowest-scorers with just 31 in 38, and with no fresh firepower in their arsenal, history could repeat itself if changes aren’t made.

O’Neil may not need to look far to seek a goalscorer, with one academy player showing just how clinical he can be in the final third during his time at the club, as Nathan Fraser has shown signs that he could be nearing a breakthrough.

What could Nathan Fraser offer to Wolves?

A product of Wolves’ academy, Fraser worked his way through the ranks at his boyhood club over the years to make his senior debut earlier this campaign in the Carabao Cup.

It didn’t take long for the Wolverhampton-born starlet to showcase what he’s capable of, as he scored and assisted in the 28 minutes that he featured in the 5-0 win over Blackpool.

The 18-year-old was handed another senior appearance earlier this week during Wolves’ defeat to Ipswich Town in the cup, suggesting that O’Neil may be tempted to hand him a sporadic role in the first team as time passes.

Previously lauded as “dangerous” by analyst Mark Broomy, Fraser has what his club desires, which is the ability to score goals.

Last season, the youngster played in the Premier League 2 as an integral part of the U21 side, where he scored seven goals and recorded two assists in 23 appearances in the level above his age group.

This term has started swimmingly for the striker, who has already scored five from seven appearances in all competitions, including his senior goal that had people gushing over his talent.

If O’Neil can integrate the academy star into his plans going forward, the manager could significantly improve Wolves’ fortunes in the final third, in a player that is both well-equipped and hungry to succeed for the club.

Tottenham Hotspur's possible move to re-sign Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet looks like it could seriously intensify this week, following a report from Spain.

Who will Spurs sign?

The north Londoners could make further signings before September 1, even despite already sealing deals for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, youngster Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, playmaker James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon and striker Alejo Veliz.

Spurs have started the new campaign very brightly, remaining unbeaten under new head coach Ange Postecoglou, who has also successfully implemented his brand of high octane, attacking football so far.

The Lilywhites opened their account for 2023/2024 with a 2-2 draw away to Brentford before sealing a very impressive 2-0 home win over Man United last Saturday, courtesy of goals from Pape Matar Sarr and Lisandro Martinez (OG).

However, there are still key areas to address, as Tottenham have lost former star striker Harry Kane to Bayern Munich and Postecoglou has previously admitted he wants another new defender as well.

Spurs leaked a woeful 63 league goals in the English top flight alone last term, more than any other side above 15th in the table, which will come as an alarming stat for Postecoglou and his backroom staff.

Following the arrival of van de Ven, Tottenham have been linked with the likes of Torino defender Perr Schuurs and Bayer Leverkusen's Edmond Tapsoba to plug the gaps.

Another centre-back option is Lenglet, who already has Premier League experience with Spurs after spending the whole of last season on loan at N17.

The Frenchman has been repeatedly linked with a return to the club, but the prospective move may intensify this week, as reported by Sport.

The Spanish news outlet claims Barca are "open to negotiating the transfer of Lenglet to Tottenham", which comes as his transfer to Saudi Arabia falls through.

Spurs, meanwhile, are willing to re-sign the Lenglet on another loan deal – and the Catalans are eager to resolve his future by the end of this week.

This is because his exit is absolutely necessary to free up space for Joao Cancelo's arrival from Man City.

What's been said about Clement Lenglet?

Over his 26 league appearances for Tottenham last term, Lenglet averaged a cool 87.5% passing accuracy out from the back, making him a potentially good candidate for Postecoglou as he looks to play out from the back (WhoScored).

The former Sevilla star is already familiar with the demands of high-intensity English football, with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris heaping praise on his compatriot last summer.

"He's a modern defender," said Lloris.

"Comfortable to be able to play from the back. He has a great left foot and can be very strong in one v one and he's strong in the air.

"Even if it's never easy when you arrive in the Premier League and he will have to adapt to the intensity of the games but he is a high level player, with experience."

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

If Barca are willing to let the 28-year-old make a comeback to the club on loan, it could be an astute option for Tottenham who quite simply need more reliable options in that area of the squad.

Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta by extension are "expected" to battle for a "unique" player who's already professed his admiration for the club.

Who have Arsenal signed 2023?

Edu and Gunners transfer chiefs sought to bring in a quartet of new arrivals over the 2023 summer transfer window' spending north of £200 million on the signings of club-record capture Declan Rice, defender Jurrien Timber, forward Kai Havertz and goalkeeper David Raya

It was a real statement of intent and show of ambition as Arsenal seek to challenge last season's treble-winners, Man City, for the Premier League title once again. The north London side came pretty close last term, but injuries to the likes of William Saliba resulted in a drop-off as City eventually ran away with the domestic crown.

Folarin Balogun, Granit Xhaka, Matt Turner, Auston Trusty, Pablo Mari, Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, Nuno Tavares, Marquinhos, Nicolas Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Albert Sambi Lokonga all made way to balance the books, with the aforementioned departing either temporarily or on a permanent basis.

While Arsenal have started the season with some promise, Arteta will be unhappy to have dropped points in two of their opening six matches already. 2-2 draws at home to both Fulham and arch rivals Tottenham mean Pep Guardiola's imperious City side currently sit four points above them in the table.

However, Arsenal do remain unbeaten; joining Spurs, Liverpool and Man City as the only top flight sides who are still yet to suffer a single defeat.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

While the club significantly invested in bolstering their squad ahead of this season, Arsenal didn't manage to secure the services of a world class centre-forward. Havertz was instead brought in as a makeshift option but hasn't quite done enough to impress on-lookers thus far, having been subject to fierce criticism at times.

As a result, it is believed they're eyeing up a new striker for the winter window, and one player to be repeatedly linked is Brentford's Ivan Toney. The Englishman, who is currently serving a ban for gambling breaches, is on Arsenal's radar with a report from broadcast giant ESPN sharing the latest.

According to their information, Arsenal are "expected" to test Brentford's resolve in keeping Toney this January. Edu and co are believed to be real fans of the forward as they weigh up mid-season attacking options.

ESPN add that Toney could cost as much as £80 million, but the player has previously lifted the lid on his admiration for Arsenal."The next club I go to, if I was to move, would be the right club," he said to the Diary of a CEO podcast last month. "I've been a Liverpool fan my whole life… But from young, I've liked Arsenal. I've liked watching Arsenal and how they play and how passionate their fans are."

Toney scored 20 league goals in 33 appearances last season, with Brentford boss Thomas Frank also calling him a "unique" and "amazing" player.

“Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects,” Frank said. “The way he copes with pressure and distractions is amazing. He’s been scoring goals, performing for the team and driving the team. He’s remarkable. I can only talk about the Ivan that I see every day around the place and he’s a fantastic person around the group. He’s got that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of all the players, and every staff member."

With the summer transfer window nearing its end, Tottenham Hotspur could yet welcome more reinforcements, especially after the exit of star man Harry Kane.

So far in the current window, the North London side have welcomed eight reinforcements in total, with the likes of James Maddison, and Manor Solomon making the switch.

Now, they have reportedly turned their attention to strengthening their attack even further.

What's the latest on Ernest Nuamah to Tottenham Hotspur?

According to Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke, Spurs are very keen admirers of Nordsjaelland winger Ernest Nuamah, but face competition for the 19-year-old from West Ham United, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Burnley, with the Hammers reportedly placing a bid.

With that said, if the North London club do want to welcome the young winger to the club this summer, they may need to act fast, and potentially match West Ham's offer before the end of the window.

The last thing that Spurs will want to do is miss out on a potential future star to their London rivals. From Nuamah's perspective, he seemingly has the world at his feet, and could face an important decision in the next week or so. It's certainly one to keep an eye on.

Should Tottenham Hotspur sign Ernest Nuamah?

Welcoming a young winger who appears to have the potential to go on to achieve great things could represent a superb piece of business for Spurs, who would have the added bonus of beating West Ham to his signature.

Of course, game-time may be difficult to come by for Nuamah, but learning from the likes of Heung-min Son could be a crucial stage in his development as a player.

The left-footed attacker has already left many impressed with his performances at Nordsjaelland, earning deserved praise, including from manager Flemming Pederson, who said, via Breaking The Lines:

"Ernest is first and foremost a dribbler. He is incredibly fast, has a huge acceleration, and a good agility. He is primarily left-footed, but can also use the right. He is a great individualist with tremendous power, who has great potential to also become a skilled team player."

With that said, everything is pointing towards a player who has the ability to star for a side such as Spurs on the biggest stage.

If the Lilywhites managed to fend off interest from elsewhere to secure the services of Nuamah prior to the end of the summer transfer window, they may see it as a solid coup.

Spurs, of course, have a long way to go under Ange Postecoglou, but have shown plenty of signs of turning it a side to watch out for in England's top flight.

The former Celtic boss started his reign with an end-to-end 2-2 draw against Brentford, in a game that showed both the strengths and weaknesses of his new side. Spurs were then at their best against Manchester United, defeating the Red Devils 2-0 in comfortable fashion.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

The North London side will now hope to use the result as a foundation for success in the coming campaign, with or without any further reinforcements in the remainder of the summer window.

The Wanderers pitch has by no means given an all-clear even though the Test is set to continue after the umpires took the teams off 19 minutes before stumps on day three. The umpires will remain on alert for any other behaviour they might consider dangerous to the safety of the players.The pitch has had extravagant bounce and seam movement throughout, but on day three the umpires were worried about players’ safety. After meetings between the match officials and the captains, and possibly consultation with the ICC, the match referee decided to continue play on day four. ESPNcricinfo understands this was more deferring the decision to the next morning so they could sleep over the decision, understand the ramifications of it, including other sanctions and the fact that India had already courageously fought their way with the bat on this pitch, and hope the pitch settles down on day four. Despite all these considerations, the match referee will not compromise the safety of the players. If it continues to behave dangerously, the match could still be called off.The officials could afford to buy the overnight time because they were losing only 19 minutes. There’s no telling how it might have panned out if a batsman had been hit on the head at, say half past three and not 11 minutes before 5pm. The delivery that led to the suspension of play was a short-pitched delivery from Jasprit Bumrah, which hit Dean Elgar on the helmet, but the umpires had been concerned all day with balls rearing off a length and hitting the batsmen in the ribs, gloves, and thighs.The first time the match officials spoke to the teams about the state of the pitch was during the tea break on day three. According to India’s manager Sunil Subramaniam, the umpires’ concern was that the new ball could behave dangerously. While India’s second innings lasted only one ball with the second new ball, Elgar was hit four times in 8.3 overs of bowling with the new ball in South Africa’s innings.In the captain’s meeting with the match referee, India – in a great position to win the Test and after having braved this difficult pitch – made it clear there was no way they wanted the match to stop. The South Africa manager said they told the match referee they were not going to comment whether the pitch was safe or not, but they were happy to play if the officials deemed the pitch to be safe. The eventual decision still rests with the match referee. There is provision in the law that they could attempt to repair the pitch, if possible, to see if the match can continue, but it can’t be done if it disadvantages one of the teams, which in this case will be India’s fate. So that route is unlikely to be taken.The pitch has come in for harsh criticism from experts and former cricketers covering this series, with Michael Holding calling it a “s**t pitch”, one he would rate 2 on 100.