Although there is interest in Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, there is nothing concrete yet in terms of a move away, journalist Charles Watts has claimed.

Could Thomas Partey leave Arsenal?

The 30-year-old has been a key performer for Arsenal, but amid links with Declan Rice and Romeo Lavia, he could be shown the exit door if a suitable offer arrives.

Partey has two years left to run on his deal, and given that there is reported interest from Saudi Arabian clubs, as well as Juventus, Mikel Arteta could be open to letting him go.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts claimed that whilst Juventus are interested in the Ghanian, nothing concrete has yet developed.

"Lots of people, myself included are a little bit confused as to why exactly Arsenal would consider selling Thomas Partey this summer, but they are open to letting him go if a good move can be secured for him," he stated.

"Interest is growing in Thomas Partey, we know about the interest from Saudi Arabia. There's lots of talk at the moment about Juventus as well, moving for Thomas Partey.

"My understanding is that Juventus have stated they are interested in Thomas Partey, but I was told yesterday by someone that it is not yet hot. So interest there, but they've not yet really ramped it up or made a decision on whether they're really going to push for it, but it is a situation they are monitoring.

"The one that seems to be certainly gathering pace is Saudi Arabia."

Where could Partey end up this summer?

Given his status as an important first team member, it may take a sizeable offer for Arsenal to let the £200k-per-week midfielder leave, and this may give Saudi Arabian clubs an advantage over Juventus.

Juventus now appear to be keeping Adrien Rabiot, who was otherwise set to leave for free, and this could alter their transfer plans with regard to their midfield.

Partey is reportedly happy to stay at Arsenal should no move materialise, and if no sizeable offer comes in, it seems unlikely that the Gunners will heavily push for an exit, even if Rice and Lavia arrive.

The defensive midfielder has made 99 appearances for Arsenal since joining from Atletico Madrid in 2020, and whilst he has performed to a top class level at times, his poor fitness record has meant that he may no longer be seen as a figure to rely on for a whole league campaign.

The West Indies batsman said his match-winning 91 off 58 balls played out according to his plans in the first ODI against Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-20171:40

‘Wanted to play myself in’

A better understanding of his own game and knowledge of coping with specific match situations has helped Jason Mohammed transform his game over the last year, leading to a knock like the unbeaten 91 off 58 balls in the first ODI against Pakistan on Friday. Mohammed’s half-century, his third of the year, was the bedrock of West Indies’ record chase of 309, as they rallied from 158 for 4 in the 34th over to complete a four-wicket win with an over to spare.West Indies were brave in chase – Arthur

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said West Indies’ come-from-behind win in a record chase of 309 was very brave but conceded his team should have been able to defend their total.
“I think we should probably have got 20 more, with the bat,” Arthur said. “But, saying that, we should be defending 308 or whatever it was. But, you know, credit to West Indies; I thought they played really well. They took their time and they chased beautifully, they put us under pressure at the back end and then got over the line.
“I think from about 35 overs – that’s when West Indies put us under serious pressure. I thought they were brave: they took the game on and hit the ball extremely well, put us under pressure in the field took the game away from us. It was disappointing that we couldn’t close it out. Really disappointed we couldn’t execute properly there. Some of our main bowlers fell short of the mark today, and that’s the disappointing thing.”

“Starting from CPL [2016] with Guyana Amazon Warriors, my whole game has changed a lot,” Mohammed said after the match. “I have really gained a lot of confidence and momentum and I did well with the A team as well. I think I just know my game a little better now, in terms of maturity, and knowing how to play certain situations has definitely brought me a long way.”With 287 runs in 12 matches, Mohammed was the second-highest run-getter for Amazon Warriors after Chris Lynn, and played a few key knocks in the side’s successful chases during the tournament. Last month, in the home series against England, he played his first ODI in a year and a half, and was one of the few bright spots in West Indies’ 3-0 defeat, scoring fifties in the first two matches.On Friday, West Indies needed 128 off 13 overs with Mohammed batting on 15. He quickly switched gears, bringing up his fifty off 31 balls, and dominated the 70-run fifth-wicket partnership with Jonathan Carter, which revived the chase. That was followed by an unbroken 50-run partnership with Ashley Nurse for the seventh wicket.Nurse, who took 4 for 62 in Pakistan’s innings, slammed 34 off 15 balls, while Mohammed ended the match with 11 fours and three sixes. Mohammed said he was a momentum player, who needed to settle in before going for the big shots.”It was a very good innings. Coming in to bat early, there was a little bit of pressure in terms of strike rate and stuff but I knew that I had to play myself in and rotate the strike and gain momentum, and take it down to the end as much as possible. That’s exactly what we did as a team.”As I always say, I tend to start off a little bit slower. I am a momentum player and I know that so long as I get my game right, it’s going to come off. Try and work the ball around till I get a start and then I can hit the ball when I get in. That was my plan today and everything worked out excellently.”Nurse was pleased that three of his four wickets came in the last 15 overs of Pakistan’s chase, with the opposition looking for big overs. “My job first and foremost is to bowl and get people out so I was very happy with the wickets,” Nurse said. “I won’t say I was happy with the bowling because I bowled some bad balls in between but it was nice to get the Pakistan wickets when they were really going helter skelter at the back end, and it was nice to come back even in the last 10 overs and get some wickets.”Coming in to bat with West Indies needing 50 off 33 balls, Nurse went after Pakistan’s quick bowlers in the end overs, buoyed by the fact that he had been striking the ball well in the nets.”Jason was hitting the ball really nicely and he came out to rotate the strike,” Nurse said. “I was hitting the ball well in the nets so I knew my form was good and I just kept trying to hit the ball nice and straight and I backed myself to get the ball past the boundary and also give him the strike.”The second ODI will be played in Providence on April 9.

James Sutherland, in a letter forwarded to all players, said CA won’t offer payment to players if an MoU isn’t reached by June 30 with the ACA

Daniel Brettig13-May-2017Australia’s players have been threatened with unemployment by the Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland, in what amounts to a declaration of war on the Australian Cricketers Association.In a letter forwarded to all male and female contracted players on Friday and seen by ESPNcricinfo, Sutherland stated that the board and state associations plan to present contract offers to CA and state players before the expiry of the current MoU on June 30. Terms of the contracts are to be in line with the current pay proposal, which was rejected by the ACA two weeks ago.Should no MoU agreement be reached by the deadline, Sutherland wrote, the board will not be offering payment to players under any alternative model, whether it be a rollover of the current MoU or the use of tournament-by-tournament contracts.Delivered to the ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson on the same day its president Greg Dyer requested independent mediation to end the present stand-off, Sutherland’s message constitutes a major escalation of the conflict between the board and the players, heightening the likelihood of industrial action. Australia are scheduled to tour Bangladesh and India, prior to next summer’s Ashes series, after the MoU expires.”In the absence of the ACA negotiating a new MoU, players with contracts expiring in 2016-17 will not have contracts for 2017-18,” Sutherland wrote. “Players with existing multi-year State or BBL contracts that expire after 2017 will be required to play in 2017-18 and will be paid the retainer specified in their contract, regardless of whether a new MOU is in place; and in the absence of a new MoU, the Australian Women’s World Cup Squad will be paid in advance of the June/July World Cup and will be employed until the end of the event.”To be very clear, in the absence of a new MoU, CA is not contemplating alternative contracting arrangements to pay players beyond 30 June if their contracts have expired.”Also attached to the letter is a list of CA rebuttals of the ACA’s alternative pay proposal, which featured a “win/win” split of the game’s revenue with 22.5% to go to the players, 22.5% to go to the game’s lower levels, and the remaining 55% left to CA to run the game. Sutherland wrote the ACA response “seeks to inappropriately expand its role as a players’ representative body into that of a de-facto administrator”.In maintaining CA’s view that the current MoU model is outdated and limiting the board’s ability to adequately fund the development of the game around Australia, Sutherland also claimed that some players have expressed unease about the ACA’s unwillingness to look more closely at the new pay offer. On Thursday, fast bowler Mitchell Starc stated that none of the nation’s top players would contemplate a contract offer until an MoU deal is reached.”In its defence of the status quo, the ACA’s narrative about the history and supposed sanctity of the existing pay model has unfairly placed current players in a difficult position,” Sutherland wrote. “I understand that some have been made to feel that accepting the relatively minor but necessary changes to the existing pay model, while being paid more, would somehow be ‘letting the side down’.”This is nonsense. Nothing decided by today’s players binds future generations, just as nothing decided by past players should govern current players’ decisions concerning their own careers and welfare. Future players will have their own opportunities to negotiate an MoU that suits them and the circumstances of the game at the time.”Relations between the board and the ACA have been deteriorating for some years, dating back to the 2014 departure of the former chief executive Paul Marsh to take up the equivalent role with the AFL players association. The AFL is set to announce its own pay deal, placing pressure on cricket to reach a similar point of agreement.”For at least five months, Cricket Australia has been unambiguously clear that the twenty-year old pay model needs to be adapted in the next MoU to reflect the changing landscape of the game,” Sutherland wrote. “In particular, CA has identified the need to significantly boost funding for grassroots cricket.”CA firmly believes that the proposal is a fair deal for all players. It is therefore surprising and regrettable that the ACA is yet to engage in negotiations on any element of it. Instead, the ACA spent weeks developing a response which merely seeks to defend and entrench the status quo.”It is clear to me that the only way forward is for the ACA to engage in focused and constructive negotiations based on the proposal put forward by CA in March. With 30 June now only weeks away, the ACA is fast running out of time to engage with CA’s proposal and optimise the outcomes for players.”

West Ham United will 'test the water' to see if they can land Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha this window as David Moyes looks to replace Declan Rice, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Joao Palhinha?

According to The Daily Mail, Fulham have slapped an incredible £90 million price tag on Palhinha this summer as they look to ward off interest from suitors in the £50k-a-week ace.

West Ham United are believed to be one side that are keen on the Portugal international; however, Fulham are said to have benchmarked their demands against the Hammers' £100 million asking price for club captain Rice.

Football Insider have claimed that Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich have all monitored Palhinha following his impressive debut campaign in English football, though they are looking towards alternative targets.

The Sun via TEAMtalk indicate that Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is an admirer of Palhinha and has urged Spurs' chiefs to make a move to acquire the former Sporting Lisbon man.

Palhinha was an influential figure for Fulham during last term and was the most frequent tackler in the Premier League, winning 147 challenges in total.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that West Ham United will try to test Fulham's resolve to see whether a swoop to try and land Palhinha is attainable.

Jones told FFC: "They'll go and test the water for Palhinha as well, I fully expect them to go and do that, but Fulham, if they do that, will give West Ham a taste of their own medicine. West Ham have just held out for £105 million for Declan Rice and Fulham are not going to cave in on Palhinha's valuation and that's why there's little leaks that they'll look to for £90 million and it was just to know to West Ham that you've lost your best player, we're not about to lose ours."

Would Joao Palhinha be a good addition for West Ham United this summer?

In light of West Ham captain Rice closing in on a move to Arsenal, the Irons will need a suitable replacement and bringing in Palhinha would be an exciting addition at the London Stadium.

Last term, the 27-year-old made 40 appearances in all competitions for Fulham, registering four goals in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored show how monstrous Palhinha was in the tackle during 2022/23, winning an average of 4.2 challenges per match in the Premier League.

Intriguingly, the Portugal international also excelled aerially in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions, coming out on top in around 2.06 duels per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the eighth percentile for this metric, as per FBRef.

Consistent displays on the field for Fulham throughout the season earned Palhinha a SofaScore average match rating of 7/10 in the English top flight, signifying that he could be the man to fill Rice's large boots at the club in the engine room if the Hammers were to land Palhinha this summer.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Bayer Leverkusen gem Moussa Diaby, as Unai Emery and Monchi get to work this transfer window.

The Spanish duo is due to have a busy summer as they bid to get the squad up to par to compete in the Premier League and Europe next season.

Monchi could provide his second masterclass in signing Diaby, with Pau Torres set to become the first big signing of his reign.

Could Aston Villa sign Moussa Diaby?

As reported by the Daily Mail earlier this week, Villa were named as one of the clubs interested in the Bayer Leverkusen winger.

The report claimed that the Villans had joined the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle in the race for the 24-year-old.

Contracted to the German club until 2025, Leverkusen would expect an offer in the region of £50m for the Frenchman.

Where could Moussa Diaby play at Aston Villa?

Making a name for himself in Paris Saint Germain’s academy, the Paris-born gem has sparkled in Germany, cementing himself as a favourite in Leverkusen.

In 172 total appearances for the Bundesliga side, the 24-year-old has contributed to 97 goals, scoring 49 and assisting 48 from the wing, seeing him described as “electrifying” by journalist Aaron Stokes.

With the ability to play on either side of the pitch, Diaby has proved to be a constant threat from the flanks, as highlighted by his 24 goal contributions in all competitions last season.

While many know of the wide players’ talents, not many are aware of his expertise on the level of former teammate Leon Bailey, who caused havoc playing alongside the Frenchman at Leverkusen.

The once frightening duo could be an incentive for Emery to hire Diaby, with the possibility that he could uncover the Jamaican’s form prior to his move to the Premier League along with the potential addition.

Across 119 Bundesliga appearances, Bailey contributed to 49 goals, scoring 28 and assisting 21 to highlight the threat he can pose on the flanks.

His skills have not yet been transferred to Villa Park, with him scoring just five Premier League goals in 51 appearances so far for the Villans.

Hailed as having “deadly wings” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Leverkusen were once spoiled by the riches of Bailey and Diaby, who as highlighted by the scout contributed collectively to 51 goals in 2020/21.

Emery could reignite where the duo left off, bringing a once-threatening combination back to life in the Midlands in the bid to improve the form of their winger as well as the overall form of the club.

Averaging 1.70 successful take-ons and 4.17 progressive carries per 90 in the Bundesliga last season, Diaby could be the perfect outlet on the flank to liven up the play in the wide areas at Villa Park.

The French "demon" – as lauded by The Athletic's Alex Barker – is also a strong figure in his playmaking efforts, averaging 1.93 key passes per 90, being a prominent presence in the final third for those around him.

Monchi could deliver Emery a masterclass in giving the Spaniard a chance at re-coupling the two wingers, in the hope to re-spark the chemistry once loved in Germany.

Manchester United are yet to conclude any business during the transfer window, although the feeling is that something is close at Old Trafford.

Man United transfer news – Red Devils interested in Aurelien Tchouameni

While much of the early exchanges of the window have been with regards to signing Mason Mount, United are looking to spend even more money if reports are to be believed.

On Saturday, news broke from reports in Spain (via Football 365), that France international Aurelien Tchouameni was on the club's radar.

In fact, it's even suggested that Erik ten Hag has instructed United directors to fly to Spain in order to have a face-to-face meeting with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez so they can conclude a deal.

Ten Hag views the midfielder as an ideal option with the player looking likely to leave the Spanish capital following the arrival of Jude Bellingham.

That said, Madrid won't settle for anything less than a fee of €80m (£69m).

Who does Tchouameni compare to in Europe's top five leagues?

The Frenchman has been one of the most promising young midfielders in Europe for some time now and was totally deserving of a big move to La Liga last summer.

Having scored a quite delightful goal against England at the World Cup, the 23-year-old has only been going from strength to strength, playing a whopping 50 times at club level last term.

He may not have scored, but Tchouameni's primary function is to dictate and break up the play from the middle of the park.

With that in mind, it's perhaps no surprise to see FBref suggest that Arsenal-bound Declan Rice is one of his most 'similar' players.

Rice was a target for the Red Devils this summer but looks set to sign for Arsenal in a mega £105m deal next week.

Ten Hag, therefore, will have to seek alternatives and there are few better than Tchouameni, a player branded "extraordinary" by fellow countryman and ex-Man United star Paul Pogba.

Over the last 365 days, both Tchouameni and Rice have had a similar level of impact in the final third, with the former registering an expected goals per 90 of 0.08 compared to the latter's xG of 00.07. Furthermore, the Irons star posted 2.75 shot-creating actions to the United target's 2.67.

Tchouameni tends to play longer passes more regularly, spraying the ball on average 332.9 yards per 90 to Rice's 259.8 but this success rate of passes over a medium distance is very similar; 94.2% to 93.2% in favour of the Frenchman.

Their creativity is remarkably alike with the West Ham skipper averaging 1.02 key passes per 90 to the Real Madrid star's 0.94 while there is just 0.33 between them when it comes to passes into the final third.

Not just confident in possession of the ball, both are capable of doing the dirty work with Tchouameni amassing 2.72 tackles per 90, while Rice is only slightly behind with 2.17.

Whether it's creating chances or tracking back to win the ball for their side, the two players in question have a host of similar qualities. Rice has already shown that they are more than a match for the Premier League so his positional rival should have no problems settling in.

You only need to look at how Casemiro has fared since making the move to realise it can be done swiftly and to great success. Alongside Mount, this would be a superb signing for Ten Hag and Co.

Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion are now "speaking about Moises Caicedo" as the clubs get closer to reaching an agreement around the player's possible transfer to the Blues, claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Chelsea transfer news – What's the latest on Moises Caicedo?

After a January transfer window that saw the club spend a record £323m and bring eight new faces into the club, it looked incredibly unlikely that the west Londoners would have the ability to go big again only six months later, or at least that's what then manager Graham Potter thought, saying in a press conference:

"I don't think the spending will continue as it has. There was a regeneration [of the squad] and I think we have to say the next window and the window after will be different, that's for sure."

It certainly looked like the ex-Brighton manager was right in his assessment after The Athletic revealed in April that the side were set to make significant losses last year, losses that would only be mitigated if the club were able to make significant player sales by July 1st – which is exactly what they have done.

The bulk of player sales have come thanks to the free-spending Saudi Pro League, with the likes of N'Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Edouard Mendy all leaving for the Middle Eastern state.

These deals have once again allowed the Blues to flex their financial powers and target some of the league's most sought-after stars, notably Caicedo.

Last week The Athletic reported that Chelsea had officially registered their interest in the Ecuadorian dynamo.

However, things now look to have advanced beyond that point, with the clubs being in direct and constant communication over a deal, per Fabrizio Romano.

He explained the current situation on his YouTube channel:

"I can confirm that Chelsea and Brighton are speaking about Moises Caicedo. There is direct contact, as already explained a few days ago in a video. This is not an old-style negotiation like 'I sent a bid submitted waiting for an answer', this is a bit different. Chelsea are having direct contact with Brighton, trying to find a way together, common ground to make it happen also because the player is very clear in his communication to Brighton.

"Roberto De Zerbi told him in February that is possible for him to go in case they receive a proposal, so there is almost a green light from Brighton to let him go, but they also want the right proposal. So now the conversation Brighton Chelsea is ongoing and next week is going to be an important moment for Moises Caicedo deal because there will be new contacts between Chelsea and Brighton."

Would Moises Caicedo be a good signing for Chelsea?

Kante's departure from Stamford Bridge has left the team somewhat light in the defensive midfield department, a problem that would be solved with the addition of the brilliant Caicedo.

With the amount of attention the 21-year-old received last season, it should come as no shock that he had an unbelievable year on the south coast.

According to WhoScored, the "special" midfielder averaged an impressive rating of 6.92 across his 37 Premier League appearances last season, scoring once and providing one assist along the way.

His underlying numbers are, once again, unsurprisingly outstanding.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the "physical monster" – as labelled by sports scientist Dr Rajpal Brar – sits in the top 6% for pass completion, the top 11% for interceptions, and the top 13%, all per 90.

The only problem the Blues could face with this deal is the price tag, with The Athletic reporting that the Seagulls are monitoring the price of Declan Rice as a guide to how they should price their own prized asset.

That said, with the exodus of players from the Bridge so far and the money they will have surely brought in, Todd Boehly should be doing all he can to get this deal done.

An ice-cool unbeaten 84 from Steven Smith steered Rising Pune Supergiant to a seven-wicket win against Mumbai Indians at the MCA Stadium

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy06-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
4:20

Agarkar: Pollard can’t be banked on as a bowler

One over can often change the course of a T20 game, and on Thursday it seemed as if Ashok Dinda had bowled that over. It was the most expensive 20th over in all IPL matches, and it cost Rising Pune Supergiant 30 runs. On another occasion, it could have cost them the match as well. On this occasion, however, Pune had already done just enough good work with the ball to keep Mumbai Indians, despite that 30-run over, down to a total of 184.On a good batting pitch that seemed to quicken up under lights, it tested Pune’s batting, but proved just short of a winning total. Ajinkya Rahane set the chase up with 60 at a strike rate of 176.47, and Steven Smith steered them home with an ice-cool, unbeaten 84 off 54 balls. The equation came down to 10 off three balls, but Smith wasn’t going to be beaten – he finished the match with successive sixes off Kieron Pollard.If there was one decisive factor that separated the two sides, it may have been the compositions of the two bowling attacks. Pune went into the match with two legspinners in Imran Tahir and Adam Zampa and a purveyor of stump-to-stump slow-medium cutters in Rajat Bhatia. These three ended up with combined figures of 6 for 68 in 10 overs. In the other ten overs, Pune’s three faster bowlers – Dinda, Deepak Chahar and Ben Stokes – combined to take one wicket and concede 114.Tahir and Bhatia, in particular, had profited from the slightly two-paced nature of the pitch, where they got some balls to skid on and others to stop on the batsman. When the quicker bowlers bowled, however, the ball came on to the bat far more uniformly. Mumbai had an attack full of quicks and short on bowlers who could take the pace off the ball. They had left out Harbhajan Singh, their most capped player, and picked only one frontline spinner in Krunal Pandya. Buttler opens for MumbaiMumbai sprang a surprise after being sent in, promoting Jos Buttler to open alongside Parthiv Patel. Pune probably didn’t expect this – before this, Buttler had only batted in the top three positions seven times in a 163-match T20 career, and in the IPL, he had only batted four times in the Powerplay.Buttler made an immediate impression with his unpredictable movements around the crease and deft hands, spooking the raw Chahar in particular. There were three fours and three sixes in the Powerplay, the most eye-catching of them coming off successive balls from Stokes – a six shovelled down the ground and a six in the opposite direction, scooped over the wicketkeeper.With Parthiv profiting from some loose bowling from Dinda at the other end, Mumbai raced to 61 for 1 in the Powerplay.Tahir turns itThat one wicket came in the fifth over. With Buttler going the way he was, Smith, as he would later reveal at the presentation ceremony, brought Tahir on “earlier than he would have liked to”. Having just swept his first ball for four, Parthiv tried again, missed, and was bowled around his legs by a googly.In his next over, Tahir dismissed Rohit Sharma and then Buttler – one bowled, one lbw, one with a googly, the other with a slider, both with balls that pitched on a perfect length – both batsmen were pinned to the crease – and skidded on. There was a bit of luck involved too; umpire S Ravi failed to spot a big inside-edge onto pad and sent Buttler on his way.That immediately brought the run rate down. Nitish Rana found the leg-side boundary every now and then with pulls and slog-sweeps, but there was little else by way of boundary-scoring as Mumbai scored only 66 in the ten overs after the Powerplay. There were three more wickets too – two to Bhatia and one to Zampa. overBefore this match, Ashok Dinda had bowled the 20th over on 19 occasions, for an overall final-over economy rate of 12.8, the worst among all bowlers with a minimum of 10 final overs. He had conceded 25 or more in the 20th over on two previous occasions. When Steven Smith handed Dinda the ball to deliver the 20th over of Mumbai’s innings here, therefore, he must have done so with a certain amount of trepidation. For one, he had already conceded 28 from his first three overs.Dinda had a field set for the wide yorker, and kept trying it and missing either the line or the length. It still needed a quality hitter to take four sixes off that bowling, and Mumbai had one in Hardik Pandya. He slapped a wide full-toss over the point boundary, held his shape for an extra fraction of a second to launch a back-of-the-hand slower ball over long-off, and whipped a straight, full ball over long-on. Then came another wide length ball – this one flew past the keeper off the edge – and a short ball that Pandya swatted over cow corner.By the end of the over, 154 for 7 had become 184 for 8. Mumbai had never before lost while scoring 184 or more.Rahane times itNow, though, they ran into Rahane. He’s not the quickest scorer across conditions, but give him a pitch where the ball comes on to the bat and he can pepper the boundaries. He seemed to be carrying on from the form he showed in India’s small run chase in the Dharamsala Test, driving, chipping inside-out, and pulling with abandon. The surest sign of his form came when he came down the track to Krunal Pandya, found himself not close enough to the pitch of the ball to loft with a full extension of his arms, and checked his shot. The ball still managed to clear a leaping Kieron Pollard at long-on.With a bit of help from Mumbai’s seamers, who offered him width too often for their own good, Rahane ended up scoring quicker than he has done in any of his previous IPL innings. By the time he was done, Supergiants were 93 for 2 in 10.1 overs.Smith does the restWhen Rahane was caught on the square-leg boundary, Pune needed 92 from 59 balls, and when Stokes, their No. 4, fell for 21 off 14, they needed 42 off 28. By then, Smith had already reached his fifty, managing to dispatch any length and any line from any bowler into his favourite leg-side spots. He had also been dropped once, on 36, Rana putting down a fairly straightforward chance at deep square leg when Smith pulled Mitchell McClenaghan in the air.Given all that, it should have been a canter, particularly with MS Dhoni walking in at No. 5, but it wasn’t. The ghost of Dinda’s over stretched this match into some pretty uncomfortable territory for Pune. Jasprit Bumrah and McClenaghan almost bowled the perfect 17th, 18th and 19th overs, cramping Dhoni with back-of-a-length bowling angling into him, but Smith and Dhoni managed to find late boundaries in each of those overs, capitalising on the smallest error.Pollard, defending 13 off the last over, began by conceding just three singles. With 10 required off three, Smith manufactured an astonishing hit; getting on the front foot to a short-of-good-length slower ball and launching it, baseball-style, over long-on. The next ball was full and at his feet, and he whipped it effortlessly over deep midwicket.

Hibernian manager Lee Johnson is "likely" to re-sign defender Will Fish on another loan from Man United, according to journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

Who will Hibs sign?

Hibs have been fairly busy so far this transfer window as they build a capable side for the 2023/2024 Scottish Premiership campaign and their foray into Europe.

The Hibees qualified for the Europa Conference League play-off rounds at the end of last season after finishing fifth, and are still awaiting who they will face off against in the first leg of their second qualifying round on July 27th.

In the meantime, Johnson's side have looming friendlies against Bournemouth, with kick off later today, and FC Groningen next Friday.

So far, they've prepared well this summer in terms of incomings, having already sealed deals for Elie Youan, who joined from Swiss side St. Gallen for around £496,000, and Dylan Levitt from Dundee United for £299,000.

The aforementioned duo join striker Adam Le Fondre, left-back Jordan Obita and goalkeeper Maksymilian Boruc who have signed for Hibs on free transfers.

These additions could do wonders to fill the gaps left by star departures, most notably striker and top scorer from last season Kevin Nisbett, who joined Millwall last month for a "significant" seven-figure fee.

The 26-year-old departed Hibs alongside Marijan Cabraja, Mikey Devlin, Maciej Dabrowski, Kyle Magennis and Aiden McGeady – with Johnson seemingly orchestrating a major rebuild (Transfermarkt).

However, according to reliable reports in the English press, they may not be done there as young centre-back Fish could re-join Hibs on loan from Man United.

Journalist Luckhurst co-wrote a piece for the Manchester Evening News, sharing it on Twitter, whilst claiming Fish's reunion with Hibs is "likely" as the player agrees to make another season-long loan move.

The 20-year-old has been named in Erik ten Hag's recent friendly squads and will be again for their match against Lyon in Edinburgh next week.

He's then expected to remain in the Scottish capital and begin preparations with Hibs boss Johnson as he looks set to make the move back up north.

Fish was attracting attention from rivals, like Aberdeen, as well as clubs in the English Championship and League One. However, it is Hibs who have seemingly won the race for his signature, with the youngster keen to re-join and build upon his brilliant end to the 22/23 campaign.

How good is Will Fish?

The starlet seriously impressed towards the back end of last season with Hibs.

Indeed, Fish ranked among their top five best-performing players per 90 according to WhoScored, with the Englishman even chipping in with three league goals going forward.

He was also an indomitable presence at the back for Hibs, averaging more clearances and blocks per 90 than any other player in Johnson's squad (WhoScored).

Johnson, speaking to BBC Sportsround (via Football Scotland), heaped praise on Fish for his contribution in green and white.

"He's been fantastic. I've said before if you could build a centre-half, you'd build Will Fish," exclaimed Johnson.

He's a great student and a great lad and he's had to up his gravitas levels for this league and his on-pitch personalities.

"He's trusted by the boys, trusted by the staff and it's a great sign."

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:30

Hogg: Bamboozled by Lynn’s six-hitting

Kolkata Knight Riders took down a target of 184 without losing a single wicket – a world record in T20 cricket – and the man that did the heavy lifting was Chris Lynn.Promoted to open the batting for only the second time in 86 T20s, he equalled the franchise’s second-fastest fifty – off 19 balls – put on the IPL’s highest opening partnership – 184* – with Gautam Gambhir and finally secured victory with 5.1 overs to spare.The result – as emphatic as it was – highlighted Gujarat Lions’ weak bowling attack and the mistake they made by choosing four opening batsmen as their overseas players.Lynnsanity – 93 not out off 41 balls, eight sixes, six foursMaking Lynn bat as high as possible makes sense. He smacks fast bowling at an average of 43.10 and at a run-rate of 10.19 an over. At his most recent T20 tournament – the Big Bash – he hit a boundary every four balls.Brendon McCullum, his captain at the Brisbane Heat, told the commentators that the idea of bowling a good length to Lynn was a non-starter. The very length that makes Praveen Kumar and Dhawal Kulkarni potent. As a result, Gujarat Lions’ best bowlers were used for only three out of the first six overs.Left-arm wristspinner Shivil Kaushik, in only his second season of the IPL, and Manpreet Gony, playing in the tournament for the first time since 2013, were asked to pick up the slack in the fielding restrictions. It led to a Knight Riders record as they made their highest score in the Powerplay – 73 runs.Gambhir’s rage – 76 not out off 48 balls, 12 foursGambhir actually outscored Lynn at the start, so much that he made his best score after six overs in the IPL. Of the 40 runs he made in this period, 16 came in a single over off Kaushik, whose unorthodox bowling action tends to affect his control.Kaushik was perhaps introduced into the attack to mess with Lynn’s timing, but Gambhir, being an excellent player of spin, took charge. The head-to-head on the night read 23 runs off 13 balls with five fours.With both ends leaking runs, Lions were simply unsure of what to do. And that was all dandy for the Knight Riders captain, who racked up his 32nd IPL fifty, two short of David Warner’s record.Lions’ bowling woesChasing teams had won four out of five IPL matches in Rajkot before Friday, but Lions would have fancied their chances, all the way up to the point where five of their six bowlers conceded economy rates of 10 and more. Kulkarni was smashed for 42 in 2.5 overs, Gony 32 in two, Kaushik 40 in four , Dwayne Smith 23 in one and Shadab Jakati 30 in three.Two of their first-choice picks – Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja – are injured. Their eight overs were sorely missed. Considering the team management would have known that going into the game, it was a surprise that James Faulkner and Andrew Tye were ignored. Their ability to change the pace and bowl yorkers would have been useful in throwing off Lynn and Gambhir, who were basically pressing forward, lining the balls up, and golf-swinging them for six.Whens Lions had it goodFifty three runs in the final four overs. That’s the high Lions were brought down from. Their batsmen had done well to not buckle under pressure through the middle overs. Not even when they made only 39 runs in six overs between the 10th and 16th.Suresh Raina had never made a fifty in his first match of an IPL season. He corrected that with an innings that wasn’t always perfect but pretty useful. If people wanted to point out his four mis-hits fell between fielders, two dropped catches and the missing of an easy run-out chance, he can point to the scoreboard and say he made 68 off 51 balls.Dinesh Karthik was the other batting mastermind. He hit 11.28 runs per over – his second-highest in an innings of 25 balls or more. His 47 was the cameo Lions needed especially after their openers fell after helping put on 52 runs inside the Powerplay.Brendon McCullum smashed Kuldeep Yadav for a six and four before hitting across the line and falling lbw. It was the 21st time he has fallen to left-arm spin in the IPL and now averages 17.80 against it. Jason Roy was undone by Piyush Chawla, which brought his tally against legspin in T20s to 48 runs off 47 balls and five dismissals.