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A round-up of the Regional 4 Day Tournament matches that were played between March 10 to 13

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-2017Kemar Roach took match figures of 7 for 47 as Barbados defeated Leeward Islands by an innings and 26 runs at Bridgetown. Leeward Islands batted without their captain Kieran Powell, who was absent hurt, in a match where they managed only six double-digit scores across two innings.Barbados had put on 313 after electing to bat, led by Shamarh Brooks’ 63 and contributions from Roston Chase (49), Jonathan Carter (46) and Kevin Stoute (41). Their innings ended early on the second day when pacer Alzarri Joseph (5-42) took the last two wickets to complete his third first-class five-for.In response, Leeward Islands found themselves on 37 for 6 as Roach (3-29) and Miguel Cummins (3-34) ran through the top order. They were asked to follow on after folding for 163, and the second innings ran a similar script – they were reduced to 38 for 6, before being bowled out for 124. Roach finished with 4 for 18 from 16 overs and took the award for Man of the Match. Nkrumah Bonner’s 70 in the first innings and Keacy Carty’s 79 in the second were the only notable batting performances for Leeward Islands who continue to sit at the bottom of the table.The Chanderpauls, Guyana’s father-son duo, were at the crease together against Jamaica and hit important half-centuries•WICB Media/Ashley Allen PhotoIt was a match to remember for several of the Guyana players at Sabina Park. Fast bowler Keon Joseph picked up his first five-wicket haul and finished with 7 for 53. Not to be outdone, fellow seamer Raymon Reifer claimed 5 for 60 in the second innings. Meanwhile, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and his son Tagenarine hit fifties together to ensure they claimed a slim but vital lead. In the end and despite a century from Chadwick Walton, Jamaica lost by seven wickets.Walton’s knock – 101 off 173 balls – formed the bulk of Jamaica’s first-innings total of 255 after they were asked to bat. Joseph took out for of the top six batsmen to send them on their way to the underwhelming total. In response, Guyana were struggling to push ahead but Shimron Hetmyer’s 74 off 79, Tagenarine’s 58 off 135 and Shivnarine’s 57 off 175 were just about enough. They were the only ones who could properly resist left-arm spinner Nikita Miller (4 for 69) and part-time offspinner Andre McCarthy (3 for 18).Jamaica were able to erase their deficit, which was only seven runs, but were bundled out for 188 with Reifer doing the most damage. The only setback for Guyana was Tagenarine being forced to retire hurt in their chase of 182, which was taken care of in 54 overs thanks to Vishaul Singh’s unbeaten 63.Trinidad & Tobago legspinner Imran Khan picked up seven wickets in the match against Windward Islands•WICB Media/Ashley AllenLegspinner Imran Khan and offspinner Bryan Charles shared nine wickets in the second innings to help Trinidad & Tobago overcome Windward Islands by 175 runs.The victory, let alone the sizable margin, did not seem probable when T&T were reduced to 57 for 5 after being put in to bat. Yannic Cariah, however, produced a career-best 102 not out off 212 balls, wicketkeeper Steven Katwaroo struck 59 and a bonus half-century from left-arm spinner Khary Pierre pushed the total to 275.The bowlers then got to work and by the time they were halfway through the game already seemed in the bag. Windward Islands crashed to 33 for 6 in the 20th over and just about stuttered over 100 before they were knocked out. Left-arm quick Sheldon Cottrell took 3 for 30 while Imran, Charles and Marlon Richards chipped in with two wickets each.T&T had the benefit of another century in their second innings, this time from captain Kyle Hope (105 not out) while Kariah pushed his match tally further by 47 runs. All that meant Windward Islands were looking at a target of 375. They enjoyed a good start, finishing at 61 for 1 on day three, but things took a bad turn thereafter. Imran (5 for 67) and Charles (4 for 79) ran through the side, reducing the score to 92 for 4, then 182 for 8 and finally 202 all out.

Manchester City have reportedly made an offer for Atletico Madrid winger Rodrigo Riquelme.

What’s the latest Man City transfer news?

Those at the Etihad aren’t wasting any time in preparing for the 2023/24 season, looking to carry on the success under Pep Guardiola following a historic treble-winning campaign.

However, City have already lost one of their key players from last season in Ilkay Gundogan, who has left the Etihad on a free transfer to sign for Barcelona.

Mateo Kovacic has been confirmed as the first arrival of the window and looks set to replace Gundogan in the middle of the park, joining from Premier League rivals Chelsea in a deal worth an intial £25m.

Fellow Croatia international and RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol could soon join Kovacic in Manchester, with personal terms already agreed over a potential move.

There has been further rumours of another new midfielder as well, with talks held with the agent of Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga and contact seemingly made for Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada.

Those links appear to be as a result of Bernardo Silva’s future at City being up in the air. Reports have claimed that Guardiola has given the green light to another marquee midfield signing should Silva leave, with the Portugal international having a ‘mind-boggling’ offer from a side in Saudi Arabia.

Therefore, it looks as if it could be an extremely busy few months in Manchester, and another player who appears to be on the radar is Riquelme.

Sport Witness relayed an update from Spanish outlet AS regarding City and Riquelme in the last 48 hours. They claimed that City have made an offer to sign the player, who has a €60m release clause, with a move in the initial stages.

The report adds that Atletico are willing to explore sales for plenty of their players, and they could negotiate a deal with City under Riquelme’s release clause.

Who is Rodrigo Riquelme?

Riquelme is primarily a left-winger who can also play on the right-hand side or in an attacking midfield role. The 23-year-old actually shares the same agency as Jon Stones and Nathan Ake and is valued at a career-high €12m by Transfermarkt.

The Spaniard has come through Atletico’s academy but has made just two senior appearances for his current employers. That’s because he has been sent out on loan on numerous occasions in recent years, including to Bournemouth where he scored twice in 19 appearances.

Riquelme has most recently been with Girona, though, contributing to eight La Liga goals in 34 appearances, with Atletico’s president, Enrique Cerezo, describing the winger’s efforts last season as “magnificent”.

“He had a magnificent season at Girona, and now Rayo [Vallecano] is interested in him.

“He is a great player, and I believe he has a place at Atletico.”

It looks as if a move to the Etihad could be one to watch this summer, and who knows, Guardiola may feel he could take Riquelme’s game to the next level, potentially viewing him as a long-term alternative to someone like Silva.

Charl Langeveldt said South Africa’s bowlers have to be “box smart” and more disciplined than they were on the second day in Dunedin

Firdose Moonda in Dunedin09-Mar-2017Charl Langeveldt, South Africa’s bowling coach, has asked for more discipline from his attack, who he admitted will have to “box smart” on a tricky Dunedin pitch. Although Langeveldt believes New Zealand probably got the best of the surface on the first morning, when there was variable bounce, he believes South Africa could still tighten up and take control of the match.”If you’re going to have attacking fields, you are going to leak runs. In hindsight, we went for too many fours,” Langeveldt said. “Kane (Williamson) put us under pressure, especially against the spinner. He didn’t let the spinner settle down. Just blocking up one end would have been ideal. But Kane was on fire. Jeetan put us under pressure as well.”Not only did Williamson score freely off Keshav Maharaj, but he also took runs off Kagiso Rabada, who struggled with a slight stomach bug. Rabada’s illness was not serious enough to prevent him from taking the field, and Langeveldt is confident he will return with more venom on the third morning, but has invested most of his hopes in the team’s ability to strike early and find reverse-swing.”This is like a Port Elizabeth wicket. At the end there was a hint of reverse, so hopefully that will work in our favour,” Langeveldt said. “We have to box smart and try and contain Kane Williamson. He’s the key. I’m not sure whether Ross Taylor is going to come back but he’s a good batsman and they’ve got a few allrounders coming in. So we still have to bowl well to get them out. Tomorrow morning I feel we’ll have that opportunity, and then we need to box smart after that.”Taylor left the field with a calf injury and had scans at the university hospital. There is no definitive call on his availability for the rest of the match. Whether or not he returns, South Africa still have some big hitters and quick run-scorers to contend with, including Jimmy Neesham. Langeveldt would like to see his bowlers emulate New Zealand and squeeze a first-innings lead. “They bowled brilliantly and built pressure from both ends,” he said.Almost a third (32%) of the 122.4 overs New Zealand bowled were maidens, and they kept South Africa’s scoring rate to 2.51, as part of a plan to frustrate the opposition’s powerful line-up. “We were just looking to grip the ball and ask tough questions and not let them get too far ahead,” Trent Boult explained. “Everyone applied pressure in different stages, so it was easy for Kane to move between bowlers and not let that foot up. Stepping up maidens and dot balls was a big part of our plan, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.”By comparison, South Africa’s maidens efficiency was only 23%, and allowed New Zealand to score at 3.21. Still, Langeveldt believes the bowlers can make something happen, especially because Morne Morkel, who made a return after 14 months on the sidelines nursing a back injury, seems to be making a strong comeback. “His pace was up, he bowled a good amount of overs, he bowled really well and he got the ball in good areas. But the key thing was that Morne Morkel’s pace was up and he was bowling at 100%,” Langeveldt said.

Arsenal will "test the waters" for Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni if they fail to sign either Moises Caicedo or Romeo Lavia, according to reports.

Who will Arsenal sign next?

The north Londoners are believed to have agreed a £105 million (£100m + £5m in add-ons) to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice after weeks of negotiations.

Rice, who looks set to become the most expensive British player of all time, is nearing a move to the Emirates Stadium in a big boost for manager Mikel Arteta.

The England international is now very likely to follow Kai Havertz through the door, with the Germany international's signing already confirmed in a £65 million deal from Chelsea.

Arsenal have been linked with further additions, namely Southampton's Lavia, Turkish wonderkid Arda Guler and even Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven in recent days.

The Gunners could end up spending north of £200 million this transfer window, and after just falling short in last season's title race, it appears they're determined to mount another serious challenge.

It will take a lot to usurp treble-winners Man City, who became only the second ever English side to win the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in a single season.

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are looking to be very ambitious, as they could now make a move for Madrid's Tchouaméni.

The France international, who is on around £212,000-per-week, has apparently been added to Arteta's list of transfer targets this summer.

It is believed Arsenal will "test the waters" for Tchouaméni, which presumably means some form of approach/enquiry, but only on one condition.

Indeed, the north Londoners will only turn to him if swoops for either Brighton's Caicedo or Lavia ultimately fail – with Galacticos president Florentino Perez set to demand at least €100 million (£86m).

Perez apparently views Tchouaméni as the centre piece for Madrid's side next term, so prising him away from the Bernabeu will be a difficult task to say the least.

What's been said about Aurelien Tchouameni?

Called a "sensational player" by members of the media, former Man United star Rio Ferdinand was left in awe of the 23-year-old during his World Cup outings in Qatar last year.

"Listen, Tchouameni is a young kid, he’s going to make mistakes but he’s a superb talent, he produces moments out of nowhere, incredible player," said Ferdinand on the BBC (via This is Futbol).

“Replacing Pogba in a France XI is not an easy task, but so far, Tchouaméni has been superb.

“Tchouameni showed why he plays for Real Madrid. He has the patience, talent, control, he has everything you need.”

New Zealand have to become better at reacting to pressure situations ahead of the Champions Trophy according to their coach Mike Hesson

Andrew McGlashan05-Mar-2017New Zealand have to become better at reacting to pressure situations ahead of the Champions Trophy according to their coach Mike Hesson. In the deciding ODI against South Africa at Eden Park they limped to 149 all out which led to their first home series defeat since 2014.The Auckland performance followed being turned over for 112 in Wellington earlier in the series, and though the collapses came against an impressive South Africa attack, and were balanced against a match-winning first-innings in Christchurch and the Martin Guptill-inspired chase, there was a sense of vulnerability outside of the big three in Guptill, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor.Hesson hinted that there had been an honest appraisal in the aftermath on Saturday’s defeat, but said the fact the team had pushed South Africa, the No. 1 ODI side, close was a commendable effort.”You don’t want to state the obvious but sometimes you have to. When we were under pressure the way we responded wasn’t where were wanted to be,” Hesson said. “I thought we were in a bit clumsy with the bat, some of our decision-making under pressure – from some exceptional bowling – was disappointing.”It was a heck of a series and a bit of a ding-dong battled against the world No. 1. Wellington was quite different in terms of the surface, that was more nip, but we got put under pressure by a good side and weren’t able to deal with that. We’ll need to improve in terms of soaking up pressure which two or three times this summer we haven’t done as well as we’d have liked.”New Zealand had beaten Bangladesh and Australia on home soil this season and their last series reversal at home was against South Africa in 2014. They have now only beaten South Africa in two out of ten bilateral one-day series, but they did bring an end to their 12-match winning run which had been formed on the back of home whitewashes over Australia and Sri Lanka.”This was a lost opportunity, that would be a fair reflection,” Hesson said. “But most people will acknowledge that we’ve gone toe-to-toe with the best side in the world which many haven’t been able to do for a long time. We fell at the last hurdle, but all in all we’ve played some pretty good cricket.”New Zealand’s next one-day cricket is a tri-series in Ireland during May before the Champions Trophy in which they will be missing the IPL-based players. Hesson said that those matches would be important in answering some lingering questions, topping the list being who will take the keeping gloves between Tom Latham and Luke Ronchi.Hesson all-but guaranteed they would both be in the squad, and praised the pair’s work behind the stumps, but there is a curse on New Zealand’s glovemen in terms of runs: not since Ronchi’s unbeaten 170 in early 2015 has their wicketkeeper reached an ODI fifty.”Both Tom and Luke are highly likely to be involved. The series in Ireland will be crucial to get a pecking order,” he said. “I’ve been delighted with the wicketkeeping of both, but no doubt both are short of runs and that’s something Tom and Luke are well aware of, probably more than anyone. It’s not long ago that Tom was a really good performer for us at the top of the order. We know they are high quality players but have had a tough period.”

West Ham United are still basking in their recent Europa Conference League triumph, but they cannot afford to sit still when it comes to adding new players to their squad this summer.

Declan Rice appears certain to leave, while David Moyes could do with freshening up other areas after what was a disappointing domestic campaign, albeit one that ended on the highest of notes thanks to their continental success.

What is the latest West Ham United transfer news?

West Ham could ideally do with bringing in a new central midfielder to offset Rice's departure for a fee of potentially £100m, but that is not to say other players will not be heading to the London Stadium in the coming weeks.

According to Fussball Transfers, West Ham are working hard to bring in Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who is available on a free transfer after being released by Arsenal.

Maitland-Niles is a player who has top-flight experience in the Premier League and also in Serie A with Roma during an albeit forgettable loan spell, while his previous wages of £35k-per-week, according to Capology, should not be too much of a problem when it comes to negotiations.

What could be more troublesome is that teams from the Championship – and therefore more of a guarantee of regular action – plus Germany and Turkey are circling.

What could Ainsley Maitland-Niles bring to West Ham?

First and foremost, Maitland-Niles is a very versatile player, as he showed last season when effectively playing in six different positions during his time on loan with Southampton.

The 25-year-old was used all across the back four, at wing-back, holding midfield and attacking midfield. It is at right-back he was predominantly used, as per WhoScored, and that is likely where Moyes would utilise him at West Ham.

Vladimir Coufal would be the fall guy should that be the case, with the Czech midfielder coming off the back of a rather mixed 2022-23 campaign. After a really tough first half to the season, Coufal improved and helped write his name in club folklore by playing his part in their European triumph.

However, the soon-to-be 31-year-old, who was described as an "old timer" by The Guardian reporter Jacob Steinberg last season, could be one of those in which Moyes is targeting an upgrade.

Maitland-Niles is stronger defensively than Coufal, highlighted by the fact he won more tackles per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season (1.54 v 1.31) and blocked the ball more often (1.79 v 1.01).

While Coufal did come out on top for percentage of aerial duels won (64.5 v 57.7), Maitland-Niles was far superior in terms of successful take-ons (1.09 per 90 v 0.13) and pass-completion rate (79.2% v 62.2%).

Indeed, Maitland-Niles is ranked in the top 17% of all defenders across Europe's top five leagues for defensive actions, as per The Analyst, whereas Coufal is in the bottom 31%.

That is not to say Coufal does not have his own qualities, some of which have already been highlighted, but the former Saints loanees can bring defensive stability while also having the ability to attack and play in multiple positions.

As Arsenal writer Pedro from Le Grove told Hammers News, Maitland-Niles is an "immense" player who was "one of the best athletes at Arsenal".

The England international's two-decade association with the Gunners may have now come to an end, but an exciting new chapter could well await across London at West Ham.

Glasgow Rangers could have found their own version of a top-flight star as Michael Beale's interest in Cyriel Dessers has become well-known in recent weeks…

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

With the Teddy Bears' arch-rivals retaining the Scottish Premiership last season, the Glasgow giants have got their work cut out for them if they're to overthrow the Hoops, so expect a busy summer from Beale's side.

Already, the club has been linked to numerous names as they look to strengthen the squad.

The likes of Lyndon Dykes and Charlie Cresswell are just a couple of the many names that have been linked with Rangers so far this summer.

One other name that the club are reportedly interested in is the Cremonese frontman, whose underlying stats and style of play are very similar to the Premier League star Callum Wilson.

Adding a goalscorer to the side is vital for Rangers, but adding one who so closely resembles a star like the Newcastle United and England man could be pivotal in the club regaining their status as Scottish champions.

How does Cyriel Dessers compare to Callum Wilson?

According to Opta Analyst, the underlying numbers between the duo are very similar. In fact, the player comparison tool gave them a 65.6% similarity score.

The duo take a similar number of shots per game, with Dessers – who is reportedly valued at just £7m – averaging 1.9 shots a game, while Wilson averaged 2.4 and the majority of both forwards' efforts came within the penalty area.

In fact, both men spent plenty of time inside the opposition area, with the Cremona forward among the top 95% of strikers in the top five European leagues for touches inside the penalty box, while Wilson was among the top 89%.

Another similarity the pair share is their aerial ability, with the "phenomenal" and "incredible" Dessers – as once hailed by ESPN correspondent Cecilia Lagos – in the 38th percentile of forwards in Europe's top five leagues in terms of aerial battles won, while Wilson put up similar numbers, with the Newcastle striker in the 40th percentile.

Comparatively, the strikers very rarely showcase a level of ball-carrying ability either, with the Serie A man's average of 0.5 successful dribbles a game almost identical to Wilson's 0.4 successful dribbles a game.

While the Newcastle man enjoyed a much more prolific season last campaign, the attributes and the tools are all there for the ten-goal machine to replicate his success if he were to make a move to Rangers, providing the club with a strong, goalscoring poacher that may help swing the balance of power in Scotland as they chase Celtic again next season.

A hectic last half-hour when Bangladesh lost three wickets in six overs has hurt their standing in the Wellington Test against New Zealand

The Report by Alagappan Muthu15-Jan-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:15

Isam: New Zealand back in it courtesy injuries and collapse

Bangladesh claimed a lead of 56 by bowling New Zealand out for 539 and swelled it to 122 by stumps on the fourth day, but not without casualties. The biggest of them was Imrul Kayes, who was stretchered off the field with what looked like an injury to his upper left thigh. He had kept wicket for 148.2 overs, substituting for the injured Mushfiqur Rahim and the strain of returning immediately to open the batting caught up with him while attempting a quick single in the last half hour of play. He had to dive into the crease, landed awkwardly and just lay there motionless. When the physio made his way out and tried to rouse Kayes up to his feet, he basically buckled. He just could not support his weight on his legs.New Zealand were able to send back three more Bangladesh batsmen in the last half hour to set up a final day for which entry is free at Basin Reserve. They had begun bowling thinking the draw was the only result. With two innings left to pack into a day and bit’s play, not many would fault them for that assumption. But with each wicket, they began planting close catchers and benefited from the opposition batsmen making bad choices.Tamim Iqbal was caught napping by the first instance of sharp turn. A ball spat out of the footmarks in Mitchell Santner’s fourth over and bowled him as he tried playing a cut. Then Mahmudullah tickled a harmless short ball – rare considering it came from Neil Wagner – to BJ Watling behind the stumps. And finally the nightwatchman Mehedi Hasan ran himself out looking for a second run off what became the last ball of the day.The good thing for Bangladesh though was Mushfiqur was seen padded up and they also have first-innings double-centurion Shakib Al Hasan in the shed, who should give them the stability they need when play resumes at 10:30 am on Monday.Imrul Kayes’ record

177 Tom Latham’s score, his highest in Tests. This is the second-highest score by an opener in Wellington. The only higher score by an opener here was Jackie Mcglew’s unbeaten 255 in 1953. Latham’s 177 is also the fourth-highest score for a New Zealand opener at home, and the fourth-highest for New Zealand against Bangladesh in Tests.

5 Number of catches taken by Imrul Kayes – the most by a substitute wicketkeeper in one innings of a Test. Previously the record was Majid Khan’s four catches against West Indies in Kingston.

3 Number of instances where Bangladesh have taken the lead against New Zealand in 12 Tests. This is the first time they have got the lead in New Zealand. The other two instances came in Chittagong in 2008 and 2013.

Nevertheless, it was a disappointing end to the day for the visitors, particularly considering the discipline they showed with the ball. Kamrul Islam Rabbi and his accurate bouncers off his slingy action were particularly hard to deal with. He struck Wagner on the shoulder once, then on the grille, which shifted back to bruise his chin and the back of his neck as well. The batsman required medical attention from the physio multiple times but refused to go off the field until he top-edged a pull to the wicketkeeper. It was Kayes’ fifth catch of the match, the best haul by a substitute gloveman in Test cricket.While everyone knew that wicket was coming, part-timer Mahmudullah’s scalps were huge surprises. He often bowls in limited-overs cricket, especially at home, on slow, turning pitches. But Basin Reserve was nothing like that. The healthy grass cover on the surface made sure it held together well enough that even on the fourth day there was little spin. The bounce and pace was true and the ball kept coming onto the bat, so a spinner had to deceive batsmen in the air.So naturally it was a silly old short ball down the leg that made things happen. Watling, on 49, wound up, trying to pull it to the fine-leg boundary, but all he could do was feather an edge through to Kayes, who had run three feet or so to his left, desperate to stop byes against his name. He had his eyes turned away from the ball when it settled snugly in his gloves.This sequence of pure comedy was so baffling that umpire Paul Reiffel didn’t spot the edge. Shakib, taking over leadership duties briefly with vice-captain Tamim off the field at the time, opted for a review and when confirmation of the nick came the entire team erupted in laughter. Four balls later Tim Southee was trapped lbw by Mahmudullah and Bangladesh were in splits.There was one person who was decidedly stormy at that turn of events. Tom Latham. He was in the middle for 329 balls to make his highest Test score of 177. Since his first-class debut in 2010, only twice had he and the batting crease spent more time together. In 2013, he lasted 423 balls for an unbeaten 241 and in 2014 when a 383-ball investment gave him 261 runs. He fell attempting a shot that contributes a lot to him being an all-conditions batsman – the sweep.Latham misjudged the line as Shakib tossed the ball up on middle and off. There was no room to work with, and it was a tad too full as well, sneaking under his bat to hit his front pad in front of middle stump. His 177 made it to the top 10 scores by an opener in New Zealand and he walked off to warm applause from the Sunday crowd, who at one point might have been wondering if play would begin on time.Steady rain was forecast and it remained overcast in the morning – misty, even. But the umpires thought conditions were still good enough to start play on time at 10.30 am. That had to be pushed back by three minutes considering the New Zealand team was only just getting to the ground.The home fans must have been chuffed with Santner though, who despite being ruffled by a short-ball barrage from the Bangladesh quicks, showed a willingness to fight it out. He took a blow to the helmet from Taskin Ahmed and nearly gloved Rabbi to the wicketkeeper but persevered through troubling times and began smacking the ball around in the final session – his cuts and pulls vicious – until he was last man out for 73 with six fours and three sixes. Bangladesh beat New Zealand to 10 Test wickets in an innings on this tour. Who would have bet on that?While Santner has impressed ever since he was drafted into the Test team in Australia in 2015, Henry Nicholls has been the opposite. The selectors clearly trust his talent; they’ve kept persisting with him at No. 5 despite an average below 30. He had the chance to repay their faith on a flat pitch but, having worked hard to make 53, he tickled a drifter from Shakib heading down leg stump to a gleeful Mehedi at leg-gully. It was like catching practice.Colin de Grandhomme hammered a four and six and then inside edged Subashis Roy to Kayes to give the debutant his first Test wicket.

A round-up of the Super Smash matches held on December 18, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2016Colin de Grandhomme hit an unbeaten 72 off 35 balls to take Auckland to victory against Canterbury, after they had lost half their side within the 12th over of their chase at Eden Park.Auckland were reduced to 75 for 5 after medium-pacer Ed Nuttall ran through their top order with a career-best 3 for 17. What followed was an unbroken partnership of 81 between de Grandhomme and SM Solia (29 off 21), that came off just 42 balls, and took Auckland past their target of 151 with ten balls to spare. 21-year-old left-arm spinner Jeremy Benton was taken for 30 runs in his solitary over during the course of Auckland’s chase.Earlier, Cam Fletcher’s 37 and a 16-ball 35 by Andrew Ellis were the only significant contributions for Canterbury as they folded for 150 after electing to bat. Canterbury lost regular wickets, with legspinner Tarun Nethula returning career-best figures of 4 for 18, while pacers Donovan Grobbelaar and Tymal Mills took three wickets each in an innings where only five batsmen got into double figures.The win – their fourth in as many games – kept Auckland at the top of the table.Tom Bruce continued his fine domestic form with an aggressive 74 off 41 to lead Central Districts to a nine-run win against Wellington in Nelson. Central Districts scored a competitive 181 for 5 before Wellington fell short despite a quick half-century by captain and opener Hamish Marshall.Wellington’s chase saw a strong opening stand of 55 in the Powerplay, between Marshall and Michael Papps before they lost three wickets in the next four overs. Marshall went on to score his 15th T20 fifty, off 35 balls, but the rising asking rate led to his wicket, for 52 off 37, after Luke Ronchi and Grant Elliott fell for low scores. Wellington needed 69 in the last six overs and brought it down to 29 off 12 but Michael Pollard was bowled for 22 and they fell short despite an unbeaten 26 off 17 from Luke Woodcock. Left-arm spinner George Worker finished with a frugal 2 for 25 from four overs.Put in to bat, Central Districts lost Mahela Jayawardene for 5 in the second over before Worker, the other opener, and captain Will Young fell within the space of four balls at the score of 46. However, Bruce and Dane Cleaver revived them with a stand of 61, as Bruce did the bulk of scoring to take them past 100. Cleaver scored 15 and Bruce’s belligerent knock, with eight fours and three sixes, powered them till the last over that helped them go past 180. Elliott took two wickets but almost all bowlers leaked too many runs.Neil Broom celebrated his call-up to the ODI squad against Bangladesh with an unbeaten 54 off 41 balls as Otago registered a thumping eight-wicket win against a Northern Districts side that featured as many as six international players at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.Northern Districts put on 157 after electing to bat, through contributions from Tim Seifert (41) and Corey Anderson (39). The pair brought impetus to the innings that was otherwise kept in check by tight bowling from Anaru Kitchen, Neil Wagner, and Warren Barnes, who took 5 for 46 in the ten overs among them.Otago’s innings wasn’t of the same brand, with openers Kitchen and Hamish Rutherford (39) racing off to a 51-run stand that took just 4.3 overs. Their separation brought a brief halt in momentum, but an unbroken stand of 91 for the third wicket between Broom and Michael Bracewell (41 off 27) took Otago to victory with 15 balls to spare.

Aston Villa are ready to discuss a summer deal to sign Galatasaray star Nicolo Zaniolo, according to reports.

Where is Nicolo Zaniolo?

Zaniolo was linked with all sorts of clubs before he left AS Roma, but currently plays his football at the Nef Stadium having joined from the Italian capital back in February. He’s since gone on to make 11 appearances for Gala, but his game time has been far from regular.

In the Super Lig last season, the 23-year-old was only handed two starts by Okan Buruk so is significantly out of favour despite being one of his manager’s most recent new signings, meaning that he could be looking to complete a move elsewhere to get more minutes under his belt.

The Italy international has been previously linked with a move to the Premier League after attracting significant interest from Tottenham Hotspur in January, and despite a move failing to come to fruition, it turns out a switch to the top-flight could be on the cards after all.

Are Aston Villa signing Zaniolo?

According to Turkish outlet Takvim (via Sport Witness), who name-check Monchi specifically, Aston Villa are “interested” in signing Zaniolo ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Midlands outfit are one of seven clubs to be “sat at the table” waiting to open talks over a swoop for the midfielder, who has had a €35m (£29m) price tag placed on his head.

Galatasaray “do not consider accepting offers below” the specified fee, though at this stage, the player is “thinking of staying” for one more year due to the fact that his side will be playing in the Champions League.

Aston Villa appointed Monchi as their new President of Football Operations earlier this month and he’s clearly wasting no time in getting to work with Unai Emery by identifying transfer targets.

Zaniolo has been dubbed a “monster” by journalist Nick Mercadante, and it’s no surprise that he’s one of the names under consideration given he seems to be somewhat of a mercurial talent who is yet to find a home where he can reach his true potential.

Sponsored by Nike, the attacking midfielder has posted six goal contributions (five goals and one assist) in 11 Galatasaray outings whilst averaging 2.2 shots per league game since joining, showing how much of a prolific impact he can make even on limited opportunities.

Now a Super Lig champion, Zaniolo would also provide the manager with wonderful versatility having operated in six various positions across the pitch since first bursting onto the scene, including everywhere across the frontline, so should the opportunity present itself for a reasonable price, this really is a no-brainer of a deal to complete.