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Mark Boucher had taken over as Titans coach in August last year, with his initial tenure extending until the 2017-18 season

ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2017Former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher will remain Titans coach until the end of the 2019-20 domestic season, after signing a two-year extension with the franchise. Boucher, who was recently named CSA Coach of the Year, mentored Titans to both domestic limited-overs titles – CSA T20 Challenge and Momentum One Day Cup – while the team finished a close second in the Sunfoil Series first-class competition.Boucher, who has a Level 2 coaching qualification, had a stint as consultant with the national side ahead of their Test series last year against New Zealand, before joining Titans as a replacement for Rob Walter. His initial contract had extended until the end of the 2017-18 season.Assessing his performance over the past 12 months, Boucher was quoted as saying by : “It’s great to have done well in my first year. The culture in the team is one I’ve always looked up to as a player, and when I stepped into the role as coach, it was one of those ‘wow’ factors.”Titans’ assistant coach Mandla Mashimbyi, who has been in the role since 2013, has also extended his tenure until the end of the 2018-19 season. Mashimbyi is also the assistant coach of the South Africa A side and will tour with the squad for the series against England which begins on June 1.Heading into his second season with the franchise, Boucher acknowledged Mashimbyi’s role in helping him ease into the Titans’ scheme of things.”It’s a very successful set-up. I’ve related to the players really well and, thankfully, they accepted me in a very good way. Working alongside Mandla, with all his experience and knowledge of the franchise, has helped me fit into the structures and processes that were already in place.”Meanwhile, Mark Charlton has stepped down as Northerns Seniors coach, and been roped in as the High Performance Manager for Titans Cricket. In the newly-created position, Charlton has been tasked with the responsibility of coordinating the franchise’s pipeline structures in terms of player development.

The PCB is looking to build upon the momentum of a successful and incident-free Pakistan Super League (PSL) final in Lahore on Sunday, by hosting a T20 series in the country against a team of foreign players in September this year.It is unclear currently what the nature of the touring side will be. A senior PCB official said it would be a “commonwealth XI” but a report in the Guardian referred to a World XI.Giles Clarke, the ECB president, and head of the ICC’s Pakistan Task Force, is a driving force behind the venture. He visited Pakistan in January and was given briefings on security arrangements for visiting sides. It was his first visit to the country as head of the Pakistan Task Force and he met with senior officials of the Punjab government to assess the security arrangements. He then gave a presentation on his visit at the ICC board meeting soon after.On Monday, he congratulated PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan on the “successful staging” of the PSL final, calling it a “tremendous achievement”. Referring to the series, he said: “Very well played. We will be there in September.”According to the Guardian, the team that will visit Pakistan is expected to assemble in Dubai on September 17 before flying to Lahore for the matches on September 22, 23, 28 and 29.Among the international players to play in the PSL final were Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Chris Jordan and Morne van Wyk, who travelled in bullet-proof buses to the ground amid high security.Sammy, who captained Peshawar Zalmi to a 58-run win in the final, spoke in glowing terms about the experience.”To me it was more than just a game,” he said after the match. “When you have not been in a place you always have your doubts. You get different views, different opinions. But I spoke to Javed [Afridi, the Peshawar team owner] and Shahid Afridi and they influenced my decision to come here.”The fans here deserve to see their players playing as they haven’t seen it for quite a while. I am glad I came here. Being here felt like playing in St Lucia, playing in India or anywhere else in the world. And like I said at the toss, today I felt cricket was the winner.”

Everton are unlikely to complete the signing of Burnley striker Wout Weghorst this summer, according to a key update regarding his future.

What next for Weghorst this summer?

The 30-year-old joined Manchester United on loan during the January transfer window, but it was a move that ultimately failed to work out. He failed to score a single goal in 17 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils, and it became clear that he was not at the level required.

That's not to say that Weghorst didn't have the odd moment to cherish in 2022/23, however – Erik ten Had hailed his "great personality" at Old Trafford – scoring twice for the Netherlands in their World Cup quarter-final clash with Argentina, including a last-gasp strike that took the game to extra-time.

With United not deciding to sign the Dutchman permanently, though, and his Burnley contract expiring in the summer of 2025, his future could be up in the air this summer.

Everton have been linked with a move for the towering striker, with the Blues potentially seeing him as an effective addition to their attack before the start of next season, but a new claim suggests that such reports are wide of the mark.

Are Everton expected to sign Weghorst?

According to Football Insider, Everton are "not in the race" to snap up Weghorst in the summer, with the report stating that a "well-placed source has told this site that the Merseysiders will be in the market for a new forward – but the 30-year-old does not figure on Sean Dyche’s wanted list."

While he "doesn’t figure in the plans of Vincent Kompany at parent club Burnley", it seems highly unlikely that Goodison Park will be his next destination.

In truth, Weghorst would feel like a risky signing by Everton this summer, considering the struggles he endured at United, lacking ruthlessness in the final third and looking too one-dimensional, given his height and lack of pace.

The Blues need to be bringing in someone who can guarantee a more regular stream of end product, not to mention an individual who possesses more pace and trickery, ensuring the Merseysiders become a more potent attacking force next season.

Just 34 goals in 38 Premier League games in 2022/23 sums up their struggles in that area, and if at least one top-quality striker isn't added, they could again find themselves in trouble towards the bottom of the table.

The Brazilian winger showed glimpses of his electric best as Los Blancos came from 2-0 down to secure victory in Pasadena

Much of the talk this summer around Real Madrid is focused on a wide forward that they don't own, but perhaps they don't need Kylian Mbappe immediately. Perhaps they have a more impactful winger already. Vinicius Jr. suggested as such with a stellar 45 minutes against AC Milan on Sunday, with the Brazilian scoring the decisive goal in a 3-2 win.

But this wasn't a simple one for Madrid. Milan broke the deadlock, with Fikayo Tomori nodding home a free header from a Christian Pulisic corner — an assist that was met with delight from the American crowd. The Rossoneri added a second shortly before half-time, as teenage substitute Luka Romero found the top corner with a lovely curler from the edge of the box.

Madrid enjoyed a lot of promising moments in between, with Jude Bellingham functioning as the apex of a restructured midfield. But despite all of his powerful strides and deft flicks, Los Blancos were held scoreless at the break.

The introduction of Vinicius changed things, though. The Brazilian started the move for Madrid's first, linking play as they sprung on the counter — a sequence Federico Valverde ended after a blunder from Marco Sportiello in the Milan goal. Valverde added a second three minutes later, with a well-placed shot from the top of the box.

And Vinicius eventually provided the winner, darting in behind the Milan defence before rolling the ball into the bottom corner with less than 10 minutes remaining.

GOAL looks at what we learned during the clash at the Rose Bowl…

• The Brazilian magician returns

  Madrid would, of course, like to have hung on to both Vinicius and Karim Benzema. The dynamic duo have been vital to this side's success for the last three years, the two combining regularly to make Los Blancos one of the best attacking sides in Europe.

  But Vinicius proved that he has a lot to offer alone here. Operating as more of an inside forward than a touchline winger, the Brazilian was deadly when Madrid sprung on the break. He ran in behind with regularity; he came short and scampered at defenders; and his tricks and flicks earned him an obligatory couple of kicks from frustrated defenders. This was Vinicius showing mere glimpses of his best, in 45 very promising minutes.

  There is no replacing Benzema — although Madrid will certainly spend a lot of money trying. But Vinicius might just have been the more crucial player for this team. It could be a scary season for opposing right-backs yet again.

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• A new formation for Madrid

  Manager Carlo Ancelotti promised Madrid would play around with a new set-up, and it was on full display here. Los Blancos started the contest in 4-4-2 diamond, with Bellingham as a No.10, and a trio of others rotating behind him.

  And it wasn't always the most effective of systems. Although Madrid were composed as ever in the middle of the park, things weren't quite as smooth in the final third. Joselu and Brahim Diaz made for an odd attacking pairing in the first half. Rodrygo and Vinicius weren't firing for the first few minutes of the second, either.

  The goals inevitably came, with Valverde and Vinicius leading the charge. But the new system, if this is to be the one, will take some getting used to for Ancelotti's men.

• Bellingham bosses it

  Ancelotti is tinkering a bit with this Madrid side, and it will take time to sort everything. But Bellingham was the clear focal point from minute one, occupying the space between the midfield and defensive lines.

  And it looked like a dream role for the big-money signing. He had plenty of time to dribble and create, forcing the Milan defence to drop deep into their own box. There were some chances created for others here, too. He set up Eder Militao with a neat flick while he linked up with Diaz inside the box.

  Bellingham will not be expected to score goals — although a few would certainly be nice. Instead, he will be a creative presence, the one to make things happen as Madrid glide forward. All he lacked on Sunday night were the finishing touches from those he passed to.

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  Pulisic enjoys the spotlight

  Pulisic never really managed to piece together an extended run of form at Chelsea. His best spell came at the end of the 2019-20 season, when the winger helped carry the struggling Blues to the Champions League during the strange Covid-altered period, and he hasn't hit those heights since. Sometimes distrusted by managerial chages, other times simply injured, Chelsea fans never really got to see what the American is capable of.

  But now, he's been given a chance by Milan. Pulisic was impressive here, running at the leggy Lucas Vazquez, and causing problems down the left. He had a proper impact, too, assisting Tomori's opener with a fine delivery.

  This wasn't a complete showing — Pulisic's influence waned at the end of the first half and into the second. Still, it was a promising sign that a change of scenery might have been exactly what the United States star needed.

Leeds United could lose Wilfried Gnonto this summer, amid interest in the winger from a number of top clubs, according to recent reports from Italy.

Which Leeds players are leaving?

Leeds may be forced to rebuild their squad this summer, as a number of players could be on the move, with defender Robin Koch recently being linked with a switch to Tottenham Hotspur, in a deal that could be worth around £15m.

Fellow defender Max Wober will have to consider his future following the relegation from the Premier League, while the new manager will probably have to bring in a new option between the sticks, as Illan Meslier has been widely tipped to leave.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has now confirmed that loanee Weston McKennie "won't be back at Elland Road", and Jack Harrison could also be on the move, for what could be a cut-price fee.

Another winger that the Whites could have a difficult time trying to keep hold of is Gnonto, as according to CalcioMercato (via Sport Witness), big Serie A sides are keen on signing the 19-year-old alongside Arsenal and Manchester City.

The interested clubs are waiting to see what Leeds decide to do with the youngster, as other reports have indicated that it is not far-fetched for him to be playing in the Championship next season, with Phil Hay stating the attack is a player Leeds want to keep.

Given that the Italian is contracted until 2027, there is no pressing need to sell him, but it remains to be seen whether his head is turned by one of the numerous top clubs circling.

Should Leeds sell Wilfried Gnonto?

The starlet is already a ten-time Italy international, and he has been impressive at times for Leeds this season, picking up four goals and four assists, so it is no wonder that several top clubs are vying for his signature.

It is not detailed in the report what kind of fee the West Yorkshire club could command for the winger, but given that Harrison is already expected to leave, it is probably worth keeping hold of him unless a huge offer is received.

At 19 years of age, the £20k-per-week ace could still develop considerably, but he is already showing promising attacking signs, and he is also capable of pitching in defensively, ranking in the 94th percentile for blocks and 81st for tackles per 90 in the past year.

Hailed as "fantastic" by Jesse Marsch, Gnonto has a lot of potential, and Leeds should keep hold of him this summer, if they are able to do so.

Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver displayed all of their international experience in steering Surrey Stars to their first Kia Super League victory

ECB Reporters Network04-Aug-2016
ScorecardTammy Beaumont struck 47 in Surrey Stars’ chase•Getty Images

Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver displayed all of their international experience in steering Surrey Stars to their first Kia Super League victory, chasing down the 135 set for them by Yorkshire Diamonds with six wickets in hand and 11 balls to spare.In front of 2250 people at The Oval, England opener Beaumont compiled an assured 47, contributing to stands of 65 for the first wicket with Bryony Smith and 57 for the third with Sciver, who was unbeaten on 29 when clobbering the winning runs behind square leg.Earlier, Alex Hartley was crucial with the ball. The visitors had gotten off to a flyer, 72 without loss at the half way mark with Hollie Armitage and Lauren Winfield batting with ease. It was the left-arm spinner who removed them both in the space of three balls, Winfield caught and bowled for 29 then Armitage bowled for 43.It was the catalyst for an excellent second ten overs for the hosts, restricting the Diamonds to 5 for 62 in that period. Hartley was the clear stand out with 2 for 18 from her four overs without conceding a single boundary, while seamers Sciver and Rene Farrell bowled with considerable control at the death of the innings.Surrey’s fielding also improved dramatically, after twice dropping early chances Sciver executed a superb direct hit run out of dangerous Australian Beth Mooney, her throw released in one motion after completing a diving stop.In reply, Surrey’s innings followed in a similar fashion to the first, the openers able to see off the initial threat from England spearhead Katherine Brunt before 19-year-old Smith took the quick for three consecutive boundaries in the fifth over to turbocharge the chase.Her 50 stand with Beaumont was raised in 35 balls, and the score was 65 before Yorkshire made their first breakthrough when Smith was deceived one of Jenny Gunn’s myriad slower balls, a top edge taken at short third man.A sharp stumping from Mooney, also off the bowling of Gunn, removed No. 3 Cordelia Griffith shortly thereafter, bringing Sciver to the crease to join Beaumont with a further 62 needed at just under a run a ball.But it was the pace of Brunt that again helped the batting side when it mattered most, 13 taken from the 14th over (including three wides) to take Surrey score beyond 100, making the final result a relative formality.After the hard work was done Beaumont holed out with five required for victory, appropriate reward for offspinner Steph Butler who impressed in her first game of the tournament.With two losses to start the start their season, Yorkshire now have no margin for error. Their next fixture is at Southampton on Monday against the Southern Vipers.Meanwhile for the winners, after squaring their ledger at one and one they play the Western Storm on Sunday at Bristol.

ScorecardSam Billings•Getty Images

Unbeaten centuries from Kent’s Sam Billings and Joe Denly counted for nothing as Colin Ingram’s ice-cool unbeaten 95 steered Glamorgan to a thrilling three-wicket win over Kent in a rain-affected Royal London One-Day Cup south group clash in Canterbury.In a game reduced to 42 overs per side following the loss of 90 minutes to drizzle mid-way through Kent’s innings, Ingram proved the immovable bedrock of the Welsh reply, hitting four fours and six sixes to clinch victory with seven balls to spare.Chasing a revised target of 293 from their 42 overs, Glamorgan openers Jacques Rudolph and David Lloyd took a sensible and pragmatic approach as they pursued at an asking rate of almost seven-an-over.With the floodlights on in relative gloom, the pair played themselves in before pressing the run-rate accelerator toward the end of their nine-over powerplay.Lloyd, the right-hander with an unfeasibly wide stance, was quick to straight-drive Matt Coles, then pulled viciously for another boundary when the Kent paceman dropped short.Rudolph (24) was caught on the sweep at deep square leg from James Tredwell’s second delivery of the day to make it 63 for 1and Tredwell should also have removed Will Bragg without scoring, only for Billings to miss a sharp stumping chance.Lloyd moved to a 48-ball 50 with a pulled four off David Griffiths and Bragg upped the tempo further with a 56-ball half-century with five fours and a six.The pair added 86 before Lloyd (65), in attempting a flat-bat pull against Coles picked out Latham at square leg then, two balls later Bragg (52) was caught at mid-wicket when attempting a reverse lap against Tredwell.Tredwell took a third wicket having Aneurin Donald (9) caught at long-off but Glamorgan’s fifth-wicket partners Ingram and Chris Cooke combined to rekindle the run chase and, with 10 overs required, had reduced their victory target to 86 runs.Ingram, the elegant left-hander, continued to show consummate timing in reaching a 30-ball 50 with three sixes but, with 55 needed Cooke (21) needlessly heaved across the line to be bowled by Coles then, with the target reduced to 36, Graham Wagg (8) was run out by Coles’s under-arm shy to the non-striker’s end after Ingram demanded a single.With three overs remaining Craig Meschede (8) ran himself out attempting two to deep cover, but Griffiths’s over ended with Ingram clubbing four over point and a six into the building site.In the penultimate over, Ingram steered another brace of boundaries to third man leaving Timm van der Gugten to win it.Batting first on a slow pitch that had had the sting taken out of it by Saturday’s thunderstorms, Kent’s openers Tom Latham (9) and Daniel Bell-Drummond posted a half-century first-wicket stand, only for both to fall in quick successionLatham flicked lazily off Wagg to be caught at long leg then Bell-Drummond nicked to the keeper after Michael Hogan got one to seam away using the Canterbury slope.Denly might have joined them back in the hutch when, with his score on 11, he sliced to point where Dean Cosker downed a tough overhead chance.Sam Northeast (26) pulled a length-ball from Van der Gugten straight into the hands of deep mid-wicket just before Denly posted a 64-ball 50 with four fours and a six.Rain arrived just before 1pm, leading to the loss of eight overs, forcing Kent to up their tempo after the 2.30pm re-start.Billings also enjoyed a let off when, on 27, Hogan dropped a skier at mid-off off the bowling off Meschede and took advantage by scampering to a 36-ball 50 with a six off Cosker that flew onto the Kent players’ balcony.The milestones continued when Denly moved to the fifth List A hundred of his career with eight fours and a brace of sixes.Billings continued to show why the Delhi Daredevils invested in his services in the 2016 IPL with a stunning display of clean, inventive hitting. His 53-ball 100 came with a the biggest six of the day off Hogan and took just over an hour.The pair went on to add 170 off 92 deliveries coasting past Kent’s previous List A fourth-wicket record against Glamorgan of 146 set by Alan Ealham and Chris Tavare at Swansea in 1980 as the hosts scored at 14 an over from the final five overs. In the end though, it all proved to no avail.

Everton have been made to deal with their relegation battles over the past two seasons with Dominic Calvert-Lewin facing regular spells on the sidelines, and as the season approaches the business end the fight to preserve top-flight status might feature the towering talisman on the periphery once again.

Last season, a late burst of form propelled the relegation candidates away from the danger zone, concluding the term four points and two places above relegated Burnley.

But with the bottom three looming once again, manager Sean Dyche will be hoping that the recent purple patch that followed his January arrival will be maintained and the two-point gap to 18th-place West Ham United can be stretched further still.

Calvert-Lewin has scored just once from 11 league outings this season to complement a similarly uninspiring preceding year that landed just five strikes from 17 appearances, and with the 26-year-old missing the past seven matches in the Premier League, Dyche has been forced to utilise Demarai Gray in a dynamic striking role.

Gray has held his own, but against Chelsea in the club's last encounter, it was 22-year-old forward Ellis Simms, recalled from his loan spell at Championship outfit Sunderland, who burst past the hapless Kalidou Koulibaly in the dying embers of the contest to fire the ball home and restore parity, earning an invaluable point to maintain distance above the depths of the division.

How good is Ellis Simms?

Simms' goal at Stamford Bridge was his first for the Toffees since rising from the club's youth ranks and spending a string of spells out on loan.

For the Black Cats this term, the ace plundered seven goals and two assists from 14 starts, impressing the newly-appointed Dyche and earning a recall to aid his parent outfit in the fight to preserve top-flight status.

Simms has made just one starting appearance since his return to the fold, but he could indeed start to see opportunities increase after demonstrating his clinical edge against Chelsea, hailed for his "superb" maiden strike for his Premier League outfit by writer Peter Guy.

Also praised for being an "absolute nuisance" by Phil Smith, the £7k-per-week star ranks among the top 15% of forwards across Men's 'Next 8' divisions – the leagues preceding the established big five – for rate of goals and the top 14% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, illustrating a growing prowess as a lethal force and as a transitional cog to whir Everton into life.

Calvert-Lewin, in retrospect, is mired in woe and ranks only among the top 84% of forwards across Europe's major leagues for rate of goals and the top 78% for progressive carries per 90, highlighting the stark plummet from prominence that saw him bag 21 goals across all competitions during the 2020/21 campaign.

Simms is raw but he is a brute in his powerful and imposing offensive play, and this level of gritty tenacity is exactly what Dyche needs to bully opposition into submission and secure yet another Premier League year for this proud Merseyside club.

Should the youngster achieve that for his outfit, then the former Clarets boss may well discover that he can finally cash in on Calvert-Lewin, a beleaguered striker who is now a shadow of his former self.

Former Scottish Premiership striker turned pundit Frank McAvennie has slammed the ‘bad’ recruitment and business he has seen at Glasgow Rangers.

The Lowdown: Contract crisis

Rangers currently have as many as eight players going out of contract in the summer, as well as Malik Tillman set to return to Bayern Munich after his loan spell at Ibrox ends.

They include the likes of Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Jack, Scott Arfield and Allan McGregor, who have all had regular minutes so far this season, and at this moment in time will all be allowed to leave on a free transfer.

In terms of recruitment, the Gers have made valuable additions this term in the likes of Antonio Colak, Nicolas Raskin and Todd Cantwell, but others have failed to impress like injury problems.

With outgoings, the likes of Leon Balogun were allowed to leave on a free transfer last summer, while others like Calin Bassey and Joe Aribo were sold to balance the books.

The Latest: McAvennie slams ‘bad’ business

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie has slammed both the Light Blues’ recruitment and business as ‘bad’, and claims that things could get ‘worse’ for them next year:

“I can’t believe Ross Wilson.

“How would he let all of those players come to the end of their contracts? There is a lot of good players whose contracts are coming up. It is going to be very interesting to see how this goes.

“But it is bad recruitment and a bad bit of business. If you are letting players go for nothing then you don’t have the money to buy new players. So it could be worse for them next year.

“They will need to get loan deals for players which is not always good because players who are not playing are the ones who go on loan.

“It is a strange situation over there but nothing surprises me.“

The Verdict: Wilson must do better

Sporting director Ross Wilson must do better in terms of the business decisions that he is making at the club, after travelling Teddy Bears supporters held up a banner that red ‘time for change’ as well as banners with the faces of Wilson and managing director Stewart Robertson crossed out before kick-off in their 4-2 win at Motherwell on Saturday.

They are still nine points behind Celtic in the title race, and look like they will surrender another trophy to their bitter rivals after losing the Scottish League Cup final 2-1 to them in February.

Nonetheless, with so many first-team players going out of contract, supporters will worry if Rangers will have the money to compete with the Hoops in the next window, as they will be losing a lot in potential transfer fees.

Stats highlights from the third day’s play between South Africa and India at Johannesburg

S Rajesh17-Dec-2006

0 & 0 – Herschelle Gibbs’s score in the innings at Johannesburg. It’s the first time he has bagged a pair in 80 Tests.39 – Jacques Kallis’s aggregate in this match. It’s his lowest in a Test against India, against whom his average has now dropped from 82.71 to 68.67.8 for 87 – Sreesanth’s match figures so far. The only Indian bowler to take more than eight wickets in a Test in South Africa is Venkatesh Prasad, who took 10 for 153 at Durban in 1996.54* – Ashwell Prince’s score at the end of the third day. All his three previous half-centuries in Tests have been in matches South Africa have lost. Of his four hundreds, though, South Africa have won one, drawn two and lost one.5 – The total of the first-wicket stand in two innings for South Africa. India were marginally better with the openers adding 14 and 20 in the two innings.37 – Zaheer Khan’s contribution with the bat, which is his fourth Test score of more than 35, all of which have come overseas. Zaheer averages 15.11 when batting abroad; at home his average drops to 9.28.48.50 – VVS Laxman’s Test average in South Africa. His 73 at Johannesburg was his second half-century there in eight innings.