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Sussex have signed South African allrounder Stiaan van Zyl on a three-year deal

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2016Sussex have signed South African allrounder Stiaan van Zyl on a three-year Kolpak deal. Van Zyl will still play at the Cobras but cannot play for South Africa for as long as he contracted to the county.Van Zyl, 29, will arrive at Hove next season after first completing the South African 2016-17 domestic season.Sussex’s head coach Mark Davis said, “We are delighted to have Stiaan joining us at Sussex Cricket. He is an established first-class cricketer of immense talent and has also represented South Africa in 12 Test matches.”Stiaan brings a wealth of experience to the team, which is a crucial ingredient to our young developing squad. His medium pace bowling should also not be underestimated.”To have a top order batsman who is able to bowl seam is a very important element in balancing our team for next season. He is a player who plays all formats of the game, which is another crucial part of our strategy moving forward.”Van Zyl’s last Test came against New Zealand in August this year. He has played 12 Test matches for his country and made an unbeaten century on debut in 2014, as South Africa beat the West Indies by an innings and 220 runs at Centurion.The left-hander has played 132 first-class matches, scoring almost 8000 runs, including 18 centuries and averaging 42.55. His medium-pace has also yielded over 50 wickets in first-class cricket.

Heart of Midlothian are keeping tabs on defender Morgan Feeney as they look to strengthen their defence ahead of next season.

What’s the latest on Morgan Feeney to Hearts?

According to the Daily Record, Hearts are eyeing up a move for Feeney, who is set to become available on a free transfer after his current contract at Carlisle expires this summer.

They could face stiff competition from League One teams along with Premiership outfits Hibernian and Aberdeen in order to secure the former Everton youth starlet.

Could Morgan Feeney sign for Hearts?

They will need to beat off competition from their arch-rivals, however, with the club aiming to get their managerial appointment spot on, his signing could very well depend on who becomes permanent manager.

The Tynecastle side had the fourth-best defensive record in the Premiership last season, conceding 57 goals in 38 matches, however, improvement will need to be made if they are to finish higher than fourth next term.

The club are currently thin at the back, with Kye Rowles, Tony Sibbick and Craig Halkett their only senior centre-backs, and Feeney could give them a boost in that area.

Having played over 60 matches for the youth sides at Everton, the 6 foot 3 gem made his senior debut aged just 17 back in 2017, however, he failed to make the grade at Goodison Park, turning out for Tranmere Rovers and Sunderland before finally establishing himself at Carlisle.

Across two seasons with the club, Feeney has featured 76 times, and despite missing the playoff victory that saw them win promotion to League One through injury, he was solid throughout the 2022/2022 campaign.

The 24-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.96/10 across 31 games in League Two, helping his team keep 13 clean sheets while winning 62% of his total duels, making 2.8 clearances, 1.3 interceptions and 0.6 tackles per game, showcasing his defensive abilities.

Following his season-ending injury in April, the Bootle-born ace was praised by journalist Nathan Ridley, who said: “A real shame if Morgan Feeney's time at Carlisle ends like this. He's more than capable of playing in League One.”

The defensive titan could be an ideal signing for Hearts as they head into pre-season looking at reclaiming third spot next season. They wouldn’t have to spend a penny on the centre-back, and it could represent a solid investment from the club as they look to also improve other areas of the side in what could be a busy summer transfer window.

Aston Villa want to sign Pau Torres this summer, with Unai Emery personally trying to convince the Villarreal centre-back to join, according to recent reports from Spain.

What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?

Villa are keen on strengthening at centre-back in the upcoming transfer window, despite the fact Diego Carlos is set to play a "big part" next season, according to transfer insider Dean Jones, and they have set their sights on a number of key targets.

According to reports from Italy, the Villans have started to move for AS Roma's Roger Ibanez, with the Italian club said to value the defender at around €35m – €40m (£30-£35m), amid interest from a number of Premier League clubs.

Back in May, it was reported that Emery was considering a move for Barcelona's Andreas Christensen, and the Dane is not the only target from La Liga, as Torres has been heavily linked with a move in recent weeks.

According to reports from Spain (via Sport Witness), Emery is now personally trying to convince the Villarreal defender about a move to Villa Park, hoping that he will be enticed by becoming a part of the "ambitious project."

The Spaniard has a €60m (£51m) release clause included in his contract, although this is unlikely to be triggered as he has just one year remaining on his current deal, which means the two parties will need to negotiate.

Given his contract situation, the 26-year-old is one of the main players that Villarreal could choose to cash in on this summer, but they do intend to offer him a contract.

Who is Pau Torres?

It would be a big decision if the Spain international were to decide to leave this summer, as barring a loan spell with Malaga, he has played for Villarreal for his entire professional career, having come through the youth ranks at his hometown club.

It is no wonder Villa are so keen on signing the 6 foot 3 colossus, however, as he is a very impressive modern-day centre-back, as highlighted by how composed he is on the ball, ranking in the 98th percentile for successful take-ons, and the 96th for progressive passes.

With a 7.06 average Sofascore rating in La Liga this season, Torres is ranked as Villarreal's fourth-best performing player, while he has also been hailed as "fantastic" by Owen Hargreaves, indicating he could be an excellent signing for Aston Villa.

The Supreme Court has accepted the majority of the Lodha Committee recommendations covering wide-ranging aspects of Indian cricket at the central and state level. It has given the BCCI between four and six months to implement the recommendations and appointed RM Lodha, the former chief justice of India who was the architect of the report, to oversee the transition.The order was delivered on Monday afternoon by the two-judge bench, comprising Chief Justice of India TS Thakur and Justice Ibrahim Kalifulla, which has been hearing the case since January.

Highlights of the court order

Recommendations that were accepted
♢ Each state will have only one vote at BCCI elections
♢ Ministers and civil servants cannot hold BCCI offices
♢ BCCI and state office bearers must not be over 70 years old
♢ No person can hold office at the BCCI and state association simultaneously
♢ No person can hold more than three, three-year terms as a BCCI official, and no official can serve consecutive terms
Recommendations that weren’t imposed
♢ Bringing the BCCI under the Right to Information Act
♢ Legalising betting in India
♢ Limiting TV advertisements during the broadcast of matches
♢ Making the BCCI fund the proposed players’ association

“In the result, we accept the report submitted by the [Lodha] Committee and the recommendations made therein with such modifications and clarifications as have been set out by us in the body of this judgement,” the bench said in its order. “The transition from the old to the new system recommended by the Committee shall have to be under the watchful supervision of this Court.”The supervision of the transition can, in our opinion, be left to be undertaken by the Committee not only because it has a complete understanding of and insight into the nature of the problems sought to be remedied but also the ability to draw timelines for taking of steps necessary for the implementation of the proposed reforms. We are conscious of fact that the process may be time consuming but we hope that the same should be completed within a period of four months or at best six months from today. We, therefore, request the committee headed by Justice Lodha to draw appropriate timelines for implementation of the recommendations and supervise the implementation thereof.”With these observations we dispose of the matter finally placing on record our deep appreciation for the commendable work which the Committee has done in a short period.”The BCCI counsel KK Venugopal told the court that his client “will show greatest respect in implementing the judgment”. BCCI president Anurag Thakur offered no comment because he said he wanted to study the order first, but IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said the BCCI would respect the judgement and discuss the procedure for implementation at a meeting.Reacting to the court order, Lodha said he hoped it would be a positive influence on the game. “Great day for Indian cricket and Indian sport, think cricket fans should rejoice the verdict of Supreme Court,” he told ANI.The panel – comprising Lodha and retired Supreme Court judges, Ashok Bhan and R Raveendran – had been formed in January 2015 to determine appropriate punishments for Rajasthan Royals official Raj Kundra, Chennai Super Kings official Gurunath Meiyappan and their respective franchises, and decide on Sundar Raman’s role in the IPL 2013 scandal, and propose changes to the BCCI’s functioning to streamline its functions and prevent sporting fraud and conflict of interest.The most important set of recommendations announced by the Lodha Committee in January this year were accordingly aimed at transforming the BCCI’s power structure. The court accepted the committee’s recommendation of giving each state only one vote in the BCCI’s elections and and removing the vote from associations without territorial definitions (Railways and Services, for example).The court also approved of recommendations that sought to define stringent eligibility criteria for the board’s office-bearers and set limits to their time in office. Ministers and bureaucrats currently holding office will not to be allowed to hold BCCI positions, neither would those officials holding office in their state associations or those above 70 years of age.The committee’s recommendation that there be five elected office-bearers – president, secretary, one vice-president instead of the current five, treasurer and joint-secretary – but that they serve no more than three three-year terms across positions was also accepted by the court; as was the motion to have a “cooling-off” period between terms to prevent an official from holding high BCCI office for several years at a stretch.The Lodha’s report had also recommended that the Working Committee, the BCCI’s highest decision-making body, be replaced with a nine-member Apex Council, which will include representatives from the players’ community – including one woman. There should also be a nominee of the Comptroller and Auditor General to keep an eye on how the board’s vast resources were being utilised. The BCCI was asked to implement all these recommendations.There were three major recommendations made by the Lodha Committee that the Supreme Court did not direct the BCCI to implement. The court did not accept the recommendation to impose restrictions on television advertisements during the broadcast of matches, and it said that the matters of bringing the BCCI under the Right to Information Act and legalising betting in the country were matters for the Indian legislature.

Liverpool have placed goalscoring midfielder, Jesper Lindstrom, on their wishlist for the summer transfer window.

The priority for FSG and Jurgen Klopp this summer is to invest wisely in new midfielders at the end of the season after a dreadful 2022/23 campaign. At the time of writing, Liverpool are fifth in the Premier League and have very little chance of qualifying for next season's Champions League.

While it's true that there are a myriad reasons why things have fallen apart so spectacularly for the Reds, negligence on the part of FSG has brought these circumstances about.

Will Liverpool sign Jesper Lindstrom from Eintracht Frankfurt?

It's too early to say whether a deal to sign the 23-year-old will happen but Liverpool are interested. According to SportBILD, via Sport Witness, Jurgen Klopp has placed the attack minded midfielder on his wishlist for the summer. Frankfurt are in massive financial danger and need to sell players to balance their books, with Lindstrom valued at over €30m (£26.2m).

Competition for his signature is significant with Arsenal and Napoli also said to be investigating recruiting him this summer – it's easy to understand why he is a sought after talent, putting up 14 goals and assists this term. However, the player is allegedly a lifelong Liverpool fan.

He is by no means prolific but for a team like Liverpool, whose midfielders seem afraid of shooting, increasing attacking output from the centre of the park is important. Only six goals have been scored by Liverpool midfielders this season. The likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago, James Milner and Naby Keita have failed to score a single goal.

Could Liverpool poach Eintracht Frankfurt's sporting director?

Not only are Liverpool interested in Jesper Lindstrom but they have also been investigating recruiting Frankfurt's sporting director, Markus Krosche. In February, it was reported by the Athletic that after Paul Mitchell was ruled out, attention turned to Krosche. The 42-year-old has built a stellar reputation for himself and could land a prestigious job with Liverpool if all goes well.

Current sporting director, Julian Ward, took over from Michael Edwards but despite not yet completing a year in the new role, will move to Ajax in a similar capacity. Liverpool's future is unclear on the pitch and off – fans will be hoping for some more clarity on both fronts after a very disappointing season.

Liverpool will be fully aware of the fragile state this Tottenham Hotspur side is in. The Lilywhites may well have battled back from two goals down against Manchester United, but they remain with just one win since early March.

With Ryan Mason now in the dugout, there are sure to be tactical limitations to his ability given his youth and inexperience in such a role. Jurgen Klopp will seek to exploit this today, in a clash where anything less than a win could hand further impetus back to Spurs as they enter the run-in.

The defensive failures of today's visitors will be a particular point of interest, as somewhere that the German can exploit in front of a raucous Anfield atmosphere.

The support from the stands will likely play a big role not only to boost the hosts but to unnerve the visitors. Cristian Romero, in particular, is someone who could well feel the effects, should this famous stadium reach the levels it has shown it can do.

If so, it would help to employ an agent of chaos on the field to disrupt the centre back further. From within the Reds' squad, few fit that bill as perfectly as Darwin Nunez.

Will Darwin Nunez start vs Spurs?

Lauded as a "handful" by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, the Uruguayan striker has endured a mixed debut season on Merseyside, filled with goals, cards and everything in between.

However, amongst all the unpredictability, he has actually become something of a fan favourite for his wacky yet often effective exploits; even without mentioning the 15 goals in all competitions that the £140k-per-week maverick already boasts.

Although the £85m paid in the summer might have been far too much money, the potential is clearly there that suggests one day this might not seem like such a ludicrous fee.

Willing to run all day and shoot whenever the opportunity presents itself, when compared to other strikers across Europe, the "insane" Nunez – as dubbed by journalist Casey Evans – actually stands up quite well. He ranks in the top 1% for total shots and non-penalty goals, as well as the top 6% for progressive carries, via FBref.

Given the rivalry he will seek to spark up with Spurs' fellow South American defender, the 23-year-old could terrorise Romero with or without the ball at his feet.

Against Newcastle United, the Argentine failed to deal with numerous lofted balls in behind, scrambling to thwart the threat that Alexander Isak posed with little success. Now, with the improved quality of delivery from Virgil van Djik or Trent Alexander-Arnold to feed Nunez, this could be further exacerbated.

Although the former Benfica striker might have been relegated more recently to cameo appearances from the bench, there is arguably no better time to reinstate him into the starting lineup when his pace and physicality can prove so devastating for Spurs' star centre-back.

West Ham United were on the wrong end of a 4-3 scoreline in a thrilling clash away at Crystal Palace this afternoon, as they were drawn back into a relegation dogfight with just a few matches of the Premier League season remaining.

The game at Selhurst Park was delayed by 15 minutes due to a technical decision, however, when it finally did start, West Ham took just minutes to score through Tomas Soucek. David Moyes’ side were then hit with three goals in quick succession and despite a Michail Antonio goal just before the break, they were losing 3-2.

Eberechi Eze scored a penalty to extend their lead before Nayef Aguerd set up a tense finish, however West Ham couldn’t score an equaliser, and they had a lot of poor performers throughout.

Pablo Fornals was given a start yet clearly didn’t take his opportunity, playing just 45 minutes while taking only 22 touches, completing 12 passes, winning one duel and losing possession seven times and not having the desired effect that Moyes was expecting, especially following his Scorpion kick heroics last weekend.

His replacement, Said Benrahma, wasn’t exactly much better, in fact, his performance was probably the most disappointing out of the whole squad during their defeat.

How did Said Benrahma perform for West Ham United against Crystal Palace?

Guardian reporter Jacob Steinberg wasn’t enthralled by the Algerian’s performance, tweeting: “A special mention for Benrahma. That miscontrol on the edge of the Palace area in the 93rd sums him up. It’s just a constant lack of discipline and focus. Such an underwhelming player, not worthy of the hype he gets.”

Scathing criticism indeed, although his performance was woeful against Palace as he received a Sofascore rating of 6.2/10 while he completed only four passes during his 45 minutes on the pitch, a shocking statistic.

His attacking contribution didn’t exactly mount to much either, succeeding with zero of his three dribble attempts, having no shots on target and failing to deliver either of his two crosses, proving that he was a passenger throughout the match.

Winning just two duels from nine suggests he was far from in the mood to make an impression on the game, with Palace easily able to nullify anything that he did, and his terrible display will ensure he likely won't be starting a match for the foreseeable future.

With a European semi-final tie coming up shortly, Moyes will need to manage his squad if he looks at achieving both success on the continent and retaining West Ham’s place in the Premier League.

Newcastle United are still monitoring Real Valladolid defender Ivan Fresneda ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Fresneda to Newcastle?

The Spaniard joined the academy ranks at the Jose Zorrilla Stadium on a free transfer back in 2020 and has since worked his way up to the senior team, having made 11 La Liga starts in his debut season.

Sky Sports reported in January that the Magpies were in talks regarding a deal for the 18-year-old and had even watched him live on several occasions, but they weren’t the only club hovering, with the teenager also being tracked by Juventus and Borussia Dortmund.

As per the same outlet, it was stated that Eddie Howe's target was flattered by the interest from the north-east and would have been open to making a move, and despite a deal failing to materialise before the deadline, it sounds like the Magpies now want to take a second bite of the cherry in the summer.

According to Italian outlet Inter News (via Sport Witness), Fresneda is being “followed” by Newcastle and Manchester United, with Inter Milan the latest to be “testing the waters” ahead of a potential move. The admiration from St James’ Park is claimed to be “nothing new” considering the strong affiliations at the start of the year, while a price tag of €25m (£21m) has now been mentioned.

Should Newcastle cash out on Fresneda?

Fresneda has been lauded for his “beastly ability” by presenter Juan Arroita – and it seems as though he has the potential to be a great player in the future, but he’s perhaps not yet at the required level to step up and join Newcastle.

Whilst the Madrid native is pretty strong defensively, where he’s currently averaging 2.4 tackles and 2.3 clearances per league game (as per WhoScored), he is yet to record a single goal or assist since the start of his career, so is lacking the attacking prowess that Howe may be looking for, considering the contributions of current right-back Kieran Trippier, who has ten to his name this term.

Fresneda also failed to play a single minute of league football throughout the whole of February, where he was benched on four occasions by his manager Juan Jose Rojo Martin, so has been lacking consistent game time.

The youngster could potentially benefit from a loan to develop himself a bit more before thinking about making a permanent move elsewhere, so the Magpies may be better off waiting for a couple of seasons until they need to find a more able successor to Trippier.

Sunderland bounced back from three straight defeats in the Championship with an impressive 1-0 win away at Norwich at Carrow Road on Sunday.

Abdoullah Ba's early goal from distance was enough to secure all three points for Tony Mowbray's side as they dealt with a number of injury issues.

Amad Diallo, Corry Evans, Dennis Cirkin, Ross Stewart, Aji Alese, and Alex Pritchard were all unavailable for selection on the day and Luke O'Nien was pressed into service at left-back for the afternoon.

It was recently revealed that Alese is set to be out for the remainder of the campaign after suffering a thigh injury and this news comes as a big blow to the Black Cats as the youngster has been in terrific form this term.

The 22-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.96 across his 20 appearances in the Championship after joining the club from Premier League side West Ham United last summer.

Alese, who created 0.6 chances per game, made 3.1 tackles and interceptions per outing and won 54% of his individual duels in the division before being hit with this setback.

Against Norwich, Mowbray called up academy full-back Ellis Taylor to the bench and the U21s defender could be the club's Alese 2.0 if given the opportunity to impress in the coming weeks and months.

Who is Ellis Taylor?

The 19-year-old is a Sunderland U21 left-back who has been converted into a defender after previously playing further up the pitch as a winger and attacking midfielder.

He spent the first half of the campaign on loan with Harrogate Town in League Two and mainly featured as a number ten or on the left wing but has since been utilised at left-back since returning to the Academy of Light.

Taylor has started in defence in his last five appearances in the Premier League 2 for the U21 side and chipped in with two goals and one assist, which shows that the gem has been able to use his attacking strengths to impact games from a full-back position.

In the EFL Trophy last term, the teenager made 1.7 key passes and 1.7 tackles and interceptions per game across three appearances – averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.97 – and this suggests that the dynamo has the potential to contribute at both ends of the pitch by winning the ball back for his side while also creating opportunities for his teammates.

The battler, who Kristjaan Speakman claimed has a "bright future", has shown promise in his early time as a left-back and clearly impressed Mowbray enough to be entrusted with a place on the bench against the Canaries last weekend, which indicates that the manager sees potential in him.

Therefore, Taylor could be the next Alese to breakthrough as a young, English, left-back and make an impact on a regular basis in the Championship, if he is given the chance to do so.

Liverpool have struggled to maintain their high standards and expectations so far this season and Jurgen Klopp will surely be preparing for a busy summer transfer window to make much-needed improvements in midfield.

The centre of the pitch has been a cause for conversation over the poor Premier League campaign with the Reds currently six points adrift from a Champions League qualifying spot at present and after failing to secure a permanent midfield signing since the arrival of Thiago Alcantara in 2020 the scrutiny has been focused on the lack of quality in midfield.

Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner will all be out of contract in the summer, whilst Thiago and club captain Jordan Henderson are well into their 30s, picking up knocks regularly and ultimately are surely not long-term prospects for the future.

As a result, an overhaul of the midfield personnel should be the top priority in the summer with the club already linked to a number of talented players including Jude Bellingham, Mason Mount and Matheus Nunes.

Despite FSG potentially needing to invest heavily in the summer to get Liverpool back on track, there has been one new addition to the team this season that has been a shining light in midfield with academy graduate Stefan Bajcetic becoming a first-team regular and consistent performer for the Reds – playing 17 times this term.

Now Klopp could repeat his Bajcetic masterclass and save millions this summer by unleashing academy talent Bobby Clark, a young player who has been a standout in the youth set-up since joining the club from Newcastle United back in 2021.

Could Bobby Clark be Liverpool’s next Bajcetic?

There is no doubt that Liverpool will need to invest in experienced players to provide the quality needed in the centre of the pitch, however, bringing through another young talent like Bajcetic to add depth would be massively beneficial to Klopp next season.

Clark signed his first professional contract with the Merseysiders in February 2022 after joining just a few months before and has made an instant impact in the youth teams since his arrival.

The 18-year-old son of former Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark, has made appearances in the U18s, U21s and the UEFA U19s squad – tallying up 53 appearances, 15 goals and nine assists, as well as making two appearances in Klopp’s first team.

He earned his seven-minute Premier League debut in the mammoth 9-0 victory over Bournemouth earlier this season and was given a second 66-minute opportunity to impress against Derby County in the League Cup, but has not been seen in the first team squad since.

The Chronicle’s chief Newcastle United reporter Lee Ryder told the Liverpool Echo via the Blood Red Club Podcast:

“Bobby was Newcastle’s most promising youngster,”

“He is a really exciting player with bags of skill and talent. He could have lit up the stage at St James’ Park but now he has gone to Liverpool and that is a real kick in the teeth.”

With that being said, it is clear that Clark is one to watch and is a player who has already captured the attention of Klopp so it would not be surprising to see more from the youngster in the near future, especially if he continues to thrive in the U21s.

The central midfielder has also been called up by England at U15, U16, and U18 level and this suggests that his country also view him as a player with big potential, which is another reason why he could be the next Bajcetic to make the breakthrough at Anfield.