An “unbelievable” Premier League player is reportedly interested in sealing a move to Liverpool in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool eyeing attacking reinforcements

The Reds may have won the league title at a canter, but there has been flaws within Arne Slot’s squad throughout the season, not least in attack. Mohamed Salah has carried the troops at times, and while Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo have contributed, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota have struggled and there is feeling Salah needs better running mates.

For that reason, at least one new face is needed in Liverpool’s attack this summer, if not two, with both central and wide options being linked with moves to Anfield alongside a potential move for Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz.

Diaz continues to be mentioned as an option for Barcelona before next season, and Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams has been backed to join the Reds, perhaps being seen as a direct replacement for the Colombian, should he depart.

Meanwhile, centre forwards continue to be linked with Liverpool, too, with talks reportedly taking place with Eintracht Frankfurt ace Hugo Ekitike. The 22-year-old could be seen as an alternative to Newcastle United marksman Alexander Isak, who is arguably the dream signing for the Reds, but likely to be out of their price range.

Liverpool boosted in pursuit of £100m winger

According to a fresh claim from Football Insider, Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon is on Slot’s “radar” at Liverpool, as the champions weigh up a summer move for him.

A move to Anfield almost happened last year, at which point the England international was said to be “very keen” on a switch, but he stayed at St James’ Park instead. As a boyhood Red he is once again keen on a move though, with the 24-year-old valued at approximately £100m.

It is certainly easy to see Gordon flourishing in a Liverpool shirt, given the pace he possesses out wide, as well as end product, bagging 11 goal contributions (six goals and five assists) in the Premier League this season.

Last term, the Englishman got 21 overall in the competition – 11 goals and 10 assists – so he has proven himself in a top-level player, and Bruno Guimaraes has heaped praise on his teammate.

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It would only make sense for Liverpool to move for the £150,000-a-week Gordon if Diaz leaves, though, with Slot unlikely to be able to keep three left-sided players happy next season.

Tourists have avoided defeat at Lord’s for 33 years and counting. Can they rise to the occasion again?

Andrew Miller28-Aug-2024Big picture: Sunny weather, sunny times?Is there a danger that a competitive Test series might break out in London over the coming fortnight? This is a city where Sri Lanka, remarkably, have not lost a single Test in six visits since August 1991. Admittedly, five of those have been draws at Lord’s, although next week’s return to The Oval for the first time since Murali’s match in 1998 will be a reminder that one of the more disparaged of touring teams have long had the ability to confound expectations on their infrequent England visits.Related

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Switch Hit: UnBazballian

Which is, to a greater or lesser extent, what Sri Lanka managed to do over the course of four improbably competitive days at Emirates Old Trafford. England eventually landed their fourth Test win out of four this summer, but not before they’d been made to struggle for the upper hand with ball and, latterly, bat, as Joe Root dropped anchor in a distinctly unBazballian 62 not out from 128 balls to oversee a taxing 205-run chase.The subplots along the way were many and varied. What might have happened on the first evening, for instance, if England hadn’t bowed to the umpires’ assertion that it was too dark to bowl their quicks, and simply gone off for bad light instead of offering Milan Rathnayake 12 overs of spin in which to move towards the highest score by a No.9 on Test debut?England assemble for their team photo at Lord’s•Getty Images

Conversely, what might have happened had England not managed to wrangle a ball-change after 41 overs of Sri Lanka’s second innings, by which stage Angelo Mathews was channelling his 2014 glory days while Kamindu Mendis was on course for his third Test hundred in the space of four calmly authoritative Test appearances?As had been the case in the Oval Ashes Test 12 months earlier, England had made their bed and deserved to have to sleep in it with their treatment of their original ball. They had sacrificed new-ball swing in the quest for a scuffed-up surface and some of the prodigious reverse that Asitha Fernando in particular had harvested. And even if their replacement ball was the same age as the original, it was like comparing a 41-year-old Hollywood actress with a vagrant who’s lived his adult life in a ditch. Dhananjaya de Silva, Sri Lanka’s captain, confirmed he had spoken to the match referee about the ball-change after the Test, and with such issues an increasingly frequent aspect of the English Test summer, this is clearly a loophole that deserves to be tightened up for future engagements.All things being equal, however, it was hard to argue that Sri Lanka were robbed in the course of the first Test. Few sides that struggle to 6 for 3 in the first innings, then 1 for 2 in the second, can expect to get away unpunished, although seeing as one of the reasons for those scorelines was a notably fallow display from the otherwise sturdy Dimuth Karunaratne, who averages a tick below 41 in his 92 Tests, and who made 87 runs for once out on his last trip to Lord’s in 2016, there is reason to believe that history won’t repeat itself this week.For starters, the team as a whole are now better acquainted with English conditions. Their preparation prior to the Old Trafford Test had been a low-key warm-up against England Lions in Worcester, which unsurprisingly proved insufficient to get them fully up to speed. And, after an intermittently damp experience in Manchester, the weather for London over the coming few days should be distinctly sunnier. There is no proven correlation between warm weather and heightened Sri Lankan performances, but anecdotal evidence from the past 40 years would tend to back up the suspicion that they tend to like it hot.Either way, Sri Lanka have been granted the window in the calendar that they have been crying out for since their first forays to England in the 1980s. Here we are, in the thick of a full Test series at the sharp end of the English summer, as opposed to a one-off afterthought, as was the case from 1984 to 1998, or an early-season trial by seam and swing, as per 2002 onwards. The onus is on the class of 2024 to live up to the billing they’ve been afforded. And in spite of most expectations, that’s more or less what they managed in the first match of three.Dan Lawrence, Brendon McCullum and Harry Brook arrive at practice•Getty Images

Form guideEngland WWWWL (last five Tests, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LWWWLIn the spotlight: Ollie Pope and Asitha FernandoOllie Pope has made a winning start to his Test captaincy career, which is not to be sniffed at – many great leaders, including his England predecessor, didn’t manage that feat. But when it comes to his day job as England’s No.3, Pope’s main challenge is compartmentalisation, and two glaringly sub-par performances reinforced the sense that his game isn’t quite where he wants or needs it to be. In the first innings he was bowled neck-and-crop by an admittedly excellent ball from Asitha; but in the second, his tendency towards skittishness in the early stages of an innings resulted in an ill-conceived reverse-sweep to slip – the very same shot that underpinned his GOAT-contender innings at Hyderabad in the winter. On the face of it, he’s still in credit this summer, with 251 runs at 41.83 after four Tests. However, there’s been something intangibly unsettled about his batting post-Hyderabad. Whether it’s a mindset or technical issue, only he can truly say, but he won’t get a chance to focus fully on a remedy in his current stand-in role.Asitha Fernando was phenomenally good at Old Trafford. He led the line for Sri Lanka in each innings, easing past 50 Test wickets in the space of 15 Tests as he mixed conventional seam and swing with prodigious amounts of reverse – which in itself was quite the feat given how lush the outfield had been all match long. His challenge now is to back that performance up at Lord’s (and The Oval) in the coming days. England will no doubt be better prepared for his unassuming threat, having had a good sighting of his probing methods, but Aaqib Javed, Sri Lanka’s bowling coach, likened his effortless each-way movement to that of Pakistan’s Mohammad Asif, and for Test cricket’s connoisseurs, there really is no higher praise. Just ask Kevin Pietersen. If he can keep England guessing with new ball and old, so much the better for Sri Lanka’s hopes of keeping the series alive.Team news: Stone in for Wood, SL consider KumaraAs ever, England were proactive in their team announcement, confirming on Tuesday that they would be making one enforced change to their XI from Old Trafford. Mark Wood is out of the series with a thigh strain, so Nottinghamshire’s Olly Stone slots back in as the like-for-like option, ahead of the uncapped 20-year-old left-armer, Josh Hull, who will be using this week to soak up the international atmosphere. Stone hasn’t played a Test since 2021, having since had two screws inserted in his back, but he’s been fit and firing across formats all summer long, and has tended to look the part in his limited England appearances to date. In three Tests since 2019, he’s picked up ten wickets at 19.40.England: 1 Dan Lawrence, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Ollie Pope (capt), 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jamie Smith (wk), 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Matthew Potts, 10 Olly Stone, 11 Shoaib BashirSri Lanka have also confirmed their playing XI ahead of the game. They had put up a good fight in the end, of the first Test with Kamindu and Asitha their stand-out performers, but their main issue came right at right at the top of the order. Nishan Madushka has retained his role as opener but could muster only four runs across both innings in the first Test. Pathum Nissanka will slot in at No. 3 as Kusal Mendis lost his place despite deputising well in England’s second innings. Dinesh Chandimal has recovered from a gruesome blow to the thumb at Old Trafford to retain his spot. On the bowling front, Lahiru Kumara has been recalled to provide some extra muscle, at the expense of the left-armer, Vishwa Fernando.Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Nishan Madushka, 3 Pathum Nissanka, 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Dinesh Chandimal, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva (capt), 7 Kamindu Mendis, 8 Milan Rathnayake, 9 Prabath Jayasuriya, 10 Asitha Fernando, 11 Lahiru KumaraSanath Jayasuriya talks to his Sri Lanka team before the second Test•Getty Images

Pitch and conditions: Sun set to shineThe weather is set fair, and Lord’s in the sunshine can be tough place for a bowler. There have been some formidable snore-draws in the County Championship this summer, with Middlesex passing 600 twice and 550 once and Glamorgan’s Sam Northeast surpassing Graham Gooch’s 333 as the highest individual scorer at the venue. That said, West Indies didn’t detain England’s bowlers for long in their visit in July, thanks to Gus Atkinson’s 12 wickets on debut. Pope noted that the pitch had a grassy tinge to it on the eve of the match, but expected to play pretty slow while the sun was out.Stats and trivia This will be Sri Lanka’s ninth Test at Lord’s since 1984, which will draw the ground level with Harare as their most frequent overseas venue. They have played at least that many Tests in six home venues, with the SSC in Colombo top of the pile on 45. Sri Lanka have never won a Test at Lord’s … but they very rarely lose at the venue either. They famously drew on their initial visit in 1984, while the most recent of their two defeats came in 1991, at the hands of Graham Gooch, Phil DeFreitas and Phil Tufnell. Since then, Sri Lanka have secured draws in all five of their visits to Lord’s, with their defiance in 2006 and 2014 proving critical in landing a series draw in the first instance, and a series win in the second. Despite his second-innings century at Old Trafford, Kamindu’s average has slipped from its previous heights … though not by much. His mark at the start of the series was 107.00 from three Tests; it is now 92.16 from four, with three hundreds and two further fifties in his seven innings to date. Dimuth Karunaratne needs 72 more runs to reach 7000 in Tests.Quotes”It’s good we’re getting pushed. Sri Lanka were impressive last week, especially the way they batted. When you come to England, you expect different conditions and the conditions weren’t your classic English-style pitches but at the same time, for the guys to go and put together some good scores and set us a chase from a hundred deficit is a credit to them.”
Ollie Pope expects England to come out on top but respects the challenge that Sri Lanka have posed “Overall, Pathum is the best batter in the country at the moment. He has a good mindset and he has a good technique. If we can get him into the team, that’s great. I have been talking about it for a while now. I think he will adjust to any format.”
Dhananjaya de Silva is all confident about Pathum Nissanka’s skills

Arsenal have now joined the race for a “dangerous” £35m Premier League forward, who could go on to “reach Sadio Mane’s level”, according to a report.

Gunners set sights on new winger

There have been calls for the Gunners to sign a new winger this summer, amid concerns over some of Gabriel Martinelli’s performances in the 2024-25 campaign, with former defender Nigel Winterburn suggesting a replacement may be necessary,

Winterburn said: “That performance against Liverpool was better, but his form has been a bit erratic this season. He definitely needs to get back to the consistent levels of performance that we’ve seen in the past that we know he can produce.

“However, it wouldn’t surprise me, if I’m honest, if Arsenal brought someone in on that left-hand side to be a challenge and eventually replace Martinelli next season.”

Since then, Mikel Arteta’s side have identified a number of wingers as potential summer targets, including Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz, who is now believed to be a prime target, and Bayern Munich star Leroy Sane.

However, with Tottenham Hotspur considered the favourites to secure Sane’s signature, Arsenal could move on to alternative options, and a report from Spain has now revealed they have joined the race for Brighton & Hove Albion star Yankuba Minteh.

Minteh is attracting widespread interest ahead of the summer transfer window, with Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United also closely monitoring his progress, and he could be allowed to leave Brighton for a fee of around £35m.

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None of the aforementioned clubs have submitted a formal offer as things stand, but the Seagulls could find it difficult to retain the forward’s services if they receive a significant bid, and there is certainly no shortage of interest.

"Dangerous" Minteh "can reach Sadio Mane's level"

Prior to the 20-year-old’s move to Brighton last summer, a Serbian football scout suggested the youngster “can reach Sadio Mane’s level”, which is high acclaim, given how important the Senegalese winger was to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side for several years.

Since then, the Gambian has gone on to establish himself as a key player for Fabian Hurzeler’s side, picking up six goals and four assists in 32 Premier League matches during his debut campaign in England.

Former Feyenoord striker Pierre van Hooijdonk has also lauded the young forward as “extremely dangerous”, which is underlined by his performance on some key attacking metrics over the past year, while some of his defensive showings indicate that he is a well-rounded player.

Statistic

Average per 90

Successful take-ons

2.25 (85th percentile)

Touches (Att pen)

7.15 (93rd percentile)

Tackles

2.35 (96th percentile)

Clearances

1.52 (97th percentile)

Minteh is yet to establish himself as one of the Premier League’s top wingers, but he is certainly exhibiting very promising signs at Brighton, and at £35m, he could be a savvy signing for Arsenal this summer.

Courtney Webb and Hannah Baker impress but Sparks come up short in first semi-final

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2024The Blaze booked their place in a third consecutive regional women’s final as they defeated Central Sparks by five wickets with two overs to spare in the first of the two semi-finals on Charlotte Edwards Cup Finals Day at Derby.Sparks England Under-19 legspinner Hannah Baker took 3 for 24 but the experience of England opener Tammy Beaumont (39 off 31 balls) and Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce (44 off 39) put The Blaze in control before a cameo 14 off four balls by Baker’s international captain Josie Groves saw last year’s runners-up across the line.Australian Courtney Webb rescued the Sparks innings from 93 for 6 with an unbeaten 45 from 31 balls after Davina Perrin (32 from 17) and Ami Campbell (21 from 14) had helped put on 54 in the powerplay after legspinner Groves, taking responsibility in the absence through injury of England’s Sarah Glenn, had taken 2 for 16 and left-arm pace bowler Grace Ballinger two for 34.Having been put in on a pitch that looked quite green, the aggressive approach adopted by Sparks openers Campbell and Perrin paid off with runs on the board, although neither survived the opening six overs.Blaze skipper Kirstie Gordon conceded 14 in her opening over but continued to toss the ball up to Campbell, who followed a six and two fours by being caught at long-on. And with the last ball of the sixth over, having been made to suffer as Perrin crashed her for three fours, Ballinger found the right line and length to bowl the 17-year-old.The Perrin dismissal signalled a switch of momentum, Sparks slipping from 75 for 2 in the 10th to 93 for 6 as skipper Eve Jones fell to a good low return catch by Lucy Higham, Kathryn Bryce ran out Abbey Freeborn off her own bowling and Groves bowled Katie George before having Charis Pavely stumped.Em Arlott hit Heather Graham straight to extra cover to make it 114 for 7 but Sparks finished well as Ballinger conceded 13 off her final over despite having Grace Potts caught at mid-off before a last over in which Webb was dropped on 41 and should have been run out on 43.The Blaze plundered 51 from their batting powerplay, putting them well on track despite the loss of Marie Kelly, who hit an unbeaten 89 against Sparks in their final points table match last Wednesday, fell for 8 to a catch at mid-off. By the halfway point, the Beaumont-Kathryn Bryce partnership had added 57 to take their side to 78 for 1.Sparks then made a second breakthrough as seamer George induced a low return catch to dismiss Beaumont for 39 off 31 before Jones’ team temporarily dried up the flow of boundaries, removing Sarah Bryce via a smart catch behind the wicket. But a huge six by Graham off Potts left The Blaze needing just 33 off the last five overs.Graham’s stay was short, perishing to a well-judged catch by Arlott at long-on off Webb, and Baker picked up her third wicket to keep Sparks in the hunt as Kathryn Bryce miscued to mid-on, but Groves crushed any hopes they might have had with three fours off the reel off George to seal victory with two overs to spare.

Mascherano’s team reached 41 points, climbing to fifth place in the Eastern Conference

Messi scored another braceThe Argentine played the full 90 minutesThey will face Cincinnati next SaturdayGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

After Lionel Messi had two goals and two assists to lead Inter Miami to a commanding 5-1 win over the New York Red Bulls, manager Javier Mascherano said the forward is in rare company and pointed to the fan appreciation shown in Harrison, N.J., for the Argentine.

“I was with him for eight years at Barcelona, with the national team, at airports, hotels – especially in places he hasn’t visited often, people go crazy," Mascherano explained. "He generates all of this. I think the admiration is total, but it’s not just because of the kind of footballer he is. I think he’s a role model, someone who transcends the sport. Any sports fan feels admiration for athletes like Messi, Michael Jordan, Rafael Nadal — people who have made history in their sport. We are very privileged to witness this up close.”

The manager was relieved after the victory saying the upcoming full week without matches will be key for players to recharge after a demanding stretch. Mascherano is well aware of the marathon run of games ahead following their Club World Cup participation.

“This was a difficult period with all the travel and little rest – the match against Cincinnati reflected our fatigue. Now we have a long week, and we’ll use it to let the guys who are most tired get some rest,” the coach said.

He admitted there are defensive issues that still concern him:

“If you want to be competitive, you have to be very solid defensively. We've been okay, but we need to improve.”

The Herons thrashed the New York side on the road thanks to braces from Messi and Telasco Segovia, along with a goal from Jordi Alba – securing their sixth win in their last seven MLS matches.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT TELASCO SEGOVIA SAID

The Venezuelan, who scored twice on the night, expressed his excitement: “I’m happy for the goals – even more for the win. We want to win everything: MLS, Leagues Cup. We’ll fight for both. We have the greatest player in history on our side, and with him, anything is possible.”

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

Messi extended his tally to 18 goals this season and has now contributed to 25 of Inter Miami’s goals. He also recorded his sixth brace in the team’s last seven games.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

The Herons will take a short break due to the MLS All-Star Game, especially after a stretch of midweek matches following their Club World Cup participation. The not-so-great news is that Messi has been called up for the All-Star event, meaning he won’t get the rest Mascherano would have preferred. Even so, Inter Miami will return to action next Saturday at home against FC Cincinnati — the team that defeated them 3-0 last Wednesday.

Senior seamer and star allrounder lead way in England’s comeback, while openers were also on song

George Dobell29-Jul-20209Stuart Broad (73 runs at 73.00; 16 wickets at 10.93)
It speaks volumes for Broad that a campaign which started with him being omitted from the team for the first Test, ended with him named Player of the Series. After producing a match-turning spell in the second Test, he came up with a match-winning one in the third, achieving his best bowling performance since January 2016 and a first ten-wicket match since 2013. He also thrashed 62 – his highest score for seven years and the fifth quickest half-century in England’s Test history – in the process and became just the seventh man to reach the 500-wicket milestone.8.5Ben Stokes
Although England lost his maiden Test as captain, Stokes took some brave decisions over selection and the toss in Southampton which might have been vindicated if his side had batted better. Spurred on by his own failure to convert two starts in that match, Stokes was outstanding in the second Test. After producing a disciplined century in the first innings – his longest innings in first-class cricket – he thumped the fastest half-century by an England opener in Test history in the second to set-up the declaration. He also claimed some key wickets in filling in for Jofra Archer as England’s middle-order enforcer. Played the third match as a specialist batsman.7.5Chris Woakes (1 run at 0.50; 11 wickets at 16.63)
Sharp, skilful and consistent, Woakes would have taken the new ball for years in another playing age. But, destined to spend much of his career in the shadow of Broad and Anderson, he has to be content with a supporting role and occasional days in the spotlight. In this series, he generated bounce and lateral movement and claimed a five-for in the final innings of the series. His grim form with the bat continues, though: only once in his last nine Test innings has he made more than 6.Dom Sibley (226 runs at 45.20)
In reaching 50 three times in five innings, Sibley demonstrated the solidity and consistency for which England have been looking for some time. Yes, there were two ducks as well, but occasional failures are probably inevitable for an opening batsmen. His century in Manchester went a long way towards laying the platform for his side’s victory. Since he came into the side in November, England have registered 400 four times (and 391 for 8 declared on another); before that, they had only managed it once since the start of 2018. His partnership with Burns looks as though it’s here to stay.Dom Sibley is congratulated by Ben Stokes after reaching his hundred•Gareth Copley/Getty Images7Rory Burns (234 runs at 46.80)
By reaching 30 in four of his five innings this series, Burns played his part in seeing off the new ball and the bowlers at their freshest. While he may be frustrated at not going on to make a significant score, he showed a welcome ability to accelerate when required in Manchester. He scored two half-centuries in the match and was part of England’s first century opening stand at home in four years.6James Anderson (5 wickets at 30.00)
Looked England’s best bowler in the first innings in Southampton and, after being rested for the second Test, bowled nicely without reward in the third. Is it relevant that he didn’t take a second wicket in either Test? We’ll see. The skills and control remain as good as ever but it could be he takes just a little longer to recover between spells these days.Dom Bess (83 runs at 83.00; 5 wickets at 41.60)
England are asking a lot of Bess to front their spin attack at such a young age (he celebrated his 23rd birthday during the series). Bowled nicely enough without enjoying much fortune. The batting average is boosted by three not-outs, but he showed both ability and selflessness in batting with the tail and accelerating to set-up declarations. And, as his final day run-out showed, he is excellent in the field.Jos Buttler (151 runs at 30.20; 12 catches)
Buttler went some way towards repaying the faith of the England selectors with an innings of 67 – his first half-century in 15 innings – in the final Test. He had looked relatively comfortable with the bat in previous games, but twice fell in the second Test as he tried to increase the rate of scoring. Dropped one chance in Southampton, but generally kept tidily.Ollie Pope (134 runs at 33.50)A match-defining innings of 91 in the final Test was the highlight of a slightly disappointing campaign. Before that, his highest innings in the series was 12. But expectations probably have to be tempered by the memory Pope is just 22. He impressed in the field and took an excellent catch at short leg to clinch the second Test.Joe Root (130 runs at 43.33)
A series in which he was dismissed three times between the score of 17 and 23 – twice run-outs – can only be described as frustrating. But while Root missed out on a major score with the bat, he will have been pleased by the way his team responded to going 1-0 down after he missed the first Test on paternity leave. He looked in decent touch in hitting an unbeaten 68 while setting up the declaration in the third Test, too.Joe Root talks to head coach Chris Silverwood during a practice session•Getty Images5.5Sam Curran (17 runs at 17.00; 3 wickets at 33.33)
If Curran had to be content with a supporting role in his only Test of the series, his angle and variations contributed three wickets and sustained his remarkable record: England have won all eight home Tests in which he has appeared.5Jofra Archer (4 wickets at 50.50)
Bowled a little better than the figures suggest. Archer produced a couple of really impressive spells at Southampton and fulfilled the role of enforcer in the final Test. He may remember the series most, however, for his unauthorised trip home between the first and second matches and the disciplinary action than ensued; he’s lost a mark here for making himself unavailable for the second Test. It need not be anything more than a footnote to his career.Zak Crawley (97 runs at 24.25)
An innings of 76 in Southampton helped Crawley win the battle for selection ahead of Denly. He was unable to take advantage, however, with two cheap dismissal in the second Test – he fell attempting to set-up the declaration in the second innings – and he was left out to make space for another bowler in the final Test. Still best placed to bat at No. 3 in the Pakistan series.Mark Wood
Preferred to Broad and Woakes in Southampton, Wood bowled with impressive pace on a slow wicket passing 90mph as often in his 20th over as he did in his first. The pitch probably didn’t suit him and the wickets didn’t come, but Wood will have days when he is the key man for England.4Joe Denly (47 runs at 23.50)
There was never any doubting Denly’s determination but, after a weakness against the ball nipping back through the gate was exposed once more in the first Test, he was the one to pay the price for England’s defeat. By then he had played 15 Tests without a century, and his average had dropped below 30. Despite adding some grit to England’s top order, he had been unable to register the significant personal score which would have cemented his place.