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Manchester United have now entered the race to sign a “deadly finisher” who’s been dubbed “England’s Ousmane Dembele”.

Man Utd keen on new forward despite impressive Brighton showing

Man United invested heavily in their frontline during the summer transfer window, and they have now started reaping the rewards, picking up all three points courtesy of a fantastic attacking display against Brighton & Hove Albion last time out.

Ruben Amorim’s side ran out 4-2 winners against the Seagulls, and their new-look front three were on top form, with Matheus Cunha scoring his first goal since arriving from Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Benjamin Sesko grabbed an assist.

Bryan Mbeumo was undoubtedly the star man, however, picking up a brace and creating one big chance in what was an extremely encouraging performance, not long after being described as United’s “best player” so far this season by Wayne Rooney.

The Red Devils must err on the side of caution, but recent results mean there is plenty of cause for optimism heading into November, moving up to sixth in the Premier League table.

Despite their attacking prowess, Man United have now joined the race to sign another winger, according to a report from The Boot Room, which credits them with an interest in Leicester City’s Jeremy Monga.

Having emerged as a first-team regular for Leicester, the forward has started to attract attention from a number of top Premier League clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United, but Manchester City are currently leading the race for his signature.

Transfer expert Graeme Bailey provides further information on the situation, saying: “Interest remains high, and there is a belief that by January he could be ready to make a move.

“Leicester are hoping that giving him regular first-team opportunities will convince him to stay until the summer, when he can sign a professional deal. At that point, the club could either sell him or at least secure a fee, rather than risk losing him for minimal compensation.”

"Deadly finisher" Monga could be "England's Ousmane Dembele"

There are few greater compliments than being compared to a Ballon d’Or winner, and Ben Mattinson has likened the Leicester youngster to the most recent winner of the prestigious award, while also praising his finishing.

Just 16-years-old, the teenager has already made 19 senior appearances for Leicester and grabbed his first senior goal, which showcases just how much potential he has, so it is little wonder Man United are in the race.

Cunha, Sesko and Mbeumo are currently looking like an exciting attacking trio, but it is always worth planning for the future, and if Monga continues receiving first-team football with the Foxes, it may not be too long before he is capable of starting for a top club.

There’s no place for Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi in the 16-man squad for the three T20Is

Mohammad Isam21-May-2025Sahibzada Farhan has been rewarded for his sterling form in the ongoing PSL 2025 with a recall to the Pakistan T20I side for the three-match series against Bangladesh later this month. Farhan is among eight changes to the side that toured New Zealand in March.Also returning to the side are Hasan Ali and Saim Ayub.Ayub was out of the national side since picking up an injury in South Africa in January during the Test series. He missed all the cricket between that series and the PSL, including the Champions Trophy, and makes his comeback despite average returns for Peshawar Zalmi – 174 runs in ten innings at an average of 17.40 and strike rate of 125.17.Hasan was in the team last in May 2024, and has now forced his way back with 15 wickets in the PSL for Karachi Kings, which places his joint-second with Abrar Ahmed and Jason Holder, and only behind Abbas Afridi, who has 17 wickets. Abbas, meanwhile, is one of the players to have been dropped.ESPNcricinfo LtdFarhan pretty much forced the selectors to recall him after last playing a T20I in December last year. Playing for Islamabad United, he is currently the PSL’s top scorer with 394 runs at a strike rate of 154.50, and has hit a century and two half-centuries.Also back are Fakhar Zaman, Hussain Talat and Faheem Ashraf, apart from Mohammad Wasim and Naseem Shah, giving the side an experienced and solid appearance.However, there is no place for Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi. Babar and Rizwan were dropped from the T20I series in New Zealand earlier this year, when Salman Agha was unveiled as the new T20I captain. Afridi played the T20Is on that tour, but has now been left out.Pakistan squad changes

IN – Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub
OUT – Abdul Samad, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Omair Bin Yousuf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan

Pakistan’s three-match series against Bangladesh is also going to be Mike Hesson’s first assignment as the Pakistan white-ball head coach after he joined them earlier this month.The three T20Is will be played on May 28 and 30, and June 1.Pakistan squad for T20I series against Bangladesh
Salman Agha (capt), Shadab Khan (vice-capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Wasim, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub

تحدث كلينتون موريسون، محلل قنوات سكاي سبورتس البريطانية، عن فوز ليفربول الكبير على آينتراخت فرانكفورت ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وواجه ليفربول نظيره فرانكفورت الألماني مساء أمس الأربعاء، في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة من مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وحقق ليفربول فوزًا مهمًا على نظيره الألماني بخماسية مقابل هدف جعلته يستعيد ثقته مرة أخرى بعد عدم الفوز في 4 مباريات متتالية.

وكان آرني سلوت قد اتخذ قرارًا بجلوس محمد صلاح على دكة البدلاء أمام آينتراخت فرانكفورت للمباراة الثانية على التوالي بدوري أبطال أوروبا، بعد جلوسه أمام جالطة سراي في المباراة السابقة.

وقد دفع المدرب الهولندي بالنجم المصري محمد صلاح في الدقيقة 72 من زمن الشوط الثاني، وحاول لاعب ليفربول أن يسجل أو يهدد مرمى آينتراخت فرانكفورت ولكن دون نجاح.

اقرأ أيضًا | تقارير: سلوت اتخذ قرارًا شجاعًا بشأن محمد صلاح.. ولاعب ليفربول قد ينقذه

وقال موريسون، في تصريحات له عبر “سكاي سبورتس”: “ليفربول لم يبدأوا المباراة بشكل جيد، حيث تقدم آينتراخت فرانكفورت لكن الفريق الألماني كان فريقًا قويًا بالنسبة لفريق سلوت”.

وأكمل لاعب آيرلندا السابق: “سيطر مهاجمو ليفربول على مجريات وأحداث اللقاء وكانت ليلة مريحة للغاية بالنسبة للريدز”.

وأوضح: “ربما كان بإمكانهم تسجيل المزيد من الأهداف لكنها كانت ليلة إيجابية للريدز، هذا يُنهي حالة التراجع ويمنحهم الثقة قبل رحلتهم إلى برينتفورد يوم السبت”.

واستطرد: “لقد فعلوا ذلك أيضًا بدون صلاح لكنني أتوقع عودته بداية من نهاية الأسبوع وإلا فسيتعين عليه القتال لاستعادة مكانه وهذا ما يُريده سلوت، وهو المنافسة بين اللاعبين”.

وأتم قائلًا: “الآن ليفربول ليس فريقًا يعتمد على لاعب واحد فقط أو نجم أوحد لكن لديه خيارات عديدة في كل المراكز”.

Newcastle United have had a rough start to the Premier League season as they are one of only four winless teams and are only outside of the relegation zone on goal difference.

This season has already seen them lose their star striker to Liverpool on deadline day, although the British record transfer fee may go some way to soothe that pain, as well as seeing midfielders Joelinton and Sandro Tonali having to go off injured against Liverpool with what have now been revealed to be serious injuries.

However, in his last press conference before the international break, Eddie Howe was looking ahead to the rest of the season and the club’s return to the Champions League:

“We’re just going to try to attack the fixtures in the best way we can. I believe we are more ready than we were last time because there is more experience in the squad and we have been through more together.”

With the manager looking forward to European fixtures, the club, and by extension owners PIF, are looking forward to the January transfer window and another striker signing.

Newcastle eye Mateta as third new striker

Newcastle United are still eyeing up yet another striker in the January transfer window as they contemplate a move for Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Magpies are exploring this deal despite already having signed both Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade as Isak replacements in the final days of the transfer window.

Caught Offside have reported that Palace could be willing to let the French striker go for £40 million, and Newcastle, alongside Leeds United and Aston Villa, are the most interested parties and plan to make formal offers in the New Year.

Former Newcastle United and England striker Alan Shearer has previously praised Mateta when he bagged a brace against West Ham in the 2023/24 season:

“A centre-forward masterclass, scoring two terrific goals that any striker would be proud of. What a revelation he’s been under Oliver Glasner.”

Mateta followed that performance up with another brace, this time against Newcastle in what turned out to be his only goal-scoring performance in nine attempts against the Magpies.

Newcastle's moneyball replacement of Isak

The term “moneyball” gets thrown around a lot in football, but Newcastle, in their handling of the departure of Isak, are enacting the transfer strategy in its truest form.

The initial concept of Moneyball came from Billy Beane’s management of the Oakland Athletics, where, in an off-season where major players departed the club, he tried to replace them not with another superstar but with several players who, aggregated, could reach the same level of output.

Spending the money they received from Liverpool for Isak on Wissa, Woltemade, and now potentially Mateta as well, it seems like they are trying to make up Isak’s goal contributions in the aggregate.

Goal Involvements 24/25 Season

Striker

G+A per 90

Isak

0.95

Mateta

0.54

Woltemade

0.78

Wissa

0.71

Neither of their new strikers nor Mateta on their own match Isak’s output, but they all still have individually impressive returns. All three of them together would almost certainly make up the deficit that Isak leaves behind, but the difficulty for Howe would be managing the three strikers’ desire for game time.

Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson looks set to extend his stay in Germany after Bayern Munich reportedly reached an informal agreement with the Senegal international over a permanent deal. Jackson only joined on loan in the summer following Chelsea’s busy attacking rebuild, but strong early impressions have convinced the Bundesliga champions to plan beyond this season.

• Jackson's camp agree five-year deal with Bayern?

  Jackson completed a loan move to Bayern Munich on deadline day despite several complications due to Chelsea looking to cover Liam Delap's injury. The 24-year-old has made three appearances so far, including his first start in a 4-1 win over Hoffenheim. Reports from German outlet now suggest Bayern have already thrashed out the terms of a five-year contract with Jackson's camp.

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  Bayern are keen on signing Jackson

  While Jackson's loan deal contains a €65 million (£54m/$71m) purchase clause triggered by 40 starts with the Bavarians, Bayern officials are expected to renegotiate with Chelsea as per the report. Uli Hoeness previously dismissed the possibility of a permanent switch, but Der Rekordmeister's growing confidence in Jackson's development has shifted their stance. For Chelsea, this could present a chance to cash in on a player surplus to requirements.

• Bayern yet to approach Chelsea for Jackson move

  According to , Bayern have moved quickly to secure Jackson's personal commitment, preventing rival clubs from entering the race. But, although Chelsea are yet to be formally approached, the groundwork has already been laid for talks next summer. Jackson's current contract at Stamford Bridge runs until 2033, meaning negotiations could hinge on Chelsea's valuation.

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  Jackson hoping to start against Werder Bremen

  Jackson will be hoping to retain his spot in Vincent Kompany's starting XI when Bayern face Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Saturday, September 27. Bayern, meanwhile, must balance squad rotation with long-term planning as they push on multiple fronts. Chelsea's response to Bayern's pursuit will likely define whether Jackson's stay in Munich becomes permanent.

Khulna Tigers roared to a nine-wicket win against the star-studded Rangpur Riders in the BPL’s eliminator match. The victory puts them in the second qualifier to face the losing side from the first qualifier later on Monday. Khulna’s spinners helped bowl out Rangpur for 85, before needing just 10.1 overs to knock off the target.Rangpur, who decided to bat first, couldn’t get going despite a stronger batting line-up than their previous outings. Khulna’s captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nasum Ahmed took three wickets each, opening the bowling quite successfully. Rangpur were in danger of posting an even lower total after being 52 for 9 at one stage.

Rangpur’s big guns misfire

The image of Andre Russell, James Vince and Tim David walking through the Dhaka airport on Monday morning was a sight for sore eyes in the Rangpur camp. They had lost their way in the latter part of the BPL, falling to four defeats after winning eight in a row. Rangpur needed this boost from their big guns coming in after their stints in the ILT20. But it didn’t quite pan out the way they would have hoped.Vince got into a mix-up with his opening partner Soumya Sarkar off the second ball of the match, resulting in the latter being run out for a duck. Vince himself got caught and bowled in the second over. David was the next one to go, falling to a catch in the deep for 7 off 9 balls. Mohammad Nawaz clean bowled a slogging Russell in the 12th over, the last nail in the coffin for Rangpur.

Khulna spinners shut down the locals too

Having handled the recently arrived big-hitters very well, Khulna were also relentless against the Rangpur locals. After Soumya and Vince departed, Nasum removed Mahedi Hasan before Saif Hassan slogged Mehidy to no avail. When Mehidy removed his opposite number Nurul Hasan for 23, Rangpur were reduced to 52 for 9. It was only thanks to Aakif Javed’s intervention from No. 10 that they scored a few more runs.

Khulna glide in smooth chase

Mehidy’s wicket in the first over was the only blip in Khulna’s reply. Mohammad Naim continued his great form of the last two months, striking three fours and four sixes in his 33-ball 48 not out. It took him top of the BPL run-getters’ chart. Alex Ross added 29 runs off 27 balls, hitting four boundaries.Khulna have returned to form in the right time in the tournament, having won three matches in a row. They finished fourth in the league stage, equal on points with Durbar Rajshahi, qualifying only through a better net run-rate. Now, they have a chance to reach the BPL final. It is however the end of the road for Rangpur this season, having come into the BPL with the Global Super League title under their belt.

Birmingham City spent their brief time in League One building a Championship-quality squad, but now that they have secured promotion, they are investing further to ensure they can look upwards rather than over their shoulder.

The club have spent big on Japan centre forward Kyōgo Furuhashi, who has arrived from Stade Rennais in a deal that could reach £10.3 million. This has made the former Celtic star the third most expensive player to ever join the club.

Due to these new signings, the Blues have had to shift a number of players, including Romelle Donovan, Ayumu Yokoyama and Alfie May, and they aren’t finished just yet.

Birmingham City make 50% profit as Bielik moves on

Football League World have reported that Birmingham City centre-back Krystian Bielik will complete a transfer to West Bromwich Albion “in the next 24 hours”. Bielik had served as club captain from last season, and manager Chris Davis had previously described him as “a really important player, a good captain and a good leader”.

Birmingham will make 50% profit on the transfer as they will receive upwards of £1 million for Bielik after only paying Derby County £500,000 in 2023. A number of clubs were reportedly interested in signing Bielik, including south-coast Championship side Portsmouth, but he is reportedly settled in the Midlands, and the less-than-7-mile swap from St Andrews to the Hawthorns was the easiest option.

Ryan Mason was eager to sign Bielik, given West Brom’s centre-back situation. Torbjørn Heggem is on the brink of completing a £10 million switch to Serie A side Bologna, and Kyle Bartley has called time on his career following 232 appearances for the Baggies.

The emotional challenges that come with Birmingham's ambition

Bielik was a favourite among fans and was praised for his loyalty in not only staying with the club following relegation to League One on the final day of the 2023/24 season but also taking over as captain and ensuring that they secured promotion back to the Championship.

The player was clearly settled at Birmingham as his new club seems to have been decided primarily over West Brom’s short distance to his current home. Fans have taken to social media to express their sadness at Bielik’s departure.

While it seems all parties are saddened by Bielik’s departure, it is a clear example of the cost of the club’s ambition. After a rocky first season under new ownership, Birmingham City now seem to be on an upward trajectory. They were promoted to the Championship after heavy investment, so much so that their gross transfer spend was higher than all of the other clubs in League One combined.

With figures like serial winner Tom Brady at the forefront of the new Birmingham leadership, the club clearly has Premier League ambitions, and the cost of that will be players like Bielik, who are well regarded among the fans and happy at the club, having to move on as the team outgrows them.

The batting came unstuck in the T20 World Cup final, but du Preez says the team will continue playing the same way and “become more used to it”

Firdose Moonda22-Oct-2024South Africa’s interim coach, Dillon du Preez, who oversaw the team’s run to the women’s T20 World Cup final, is unsure if he will continue in the role because he feels “the team needs a little bit more”.Du Preez has been in the job since May, when long-serving coach Hilton Moreeng chose to step away. Moreeng has since been appointed the coach of USA women’s senior and Under-19 teams. The timing of Moreeng’s departure – five months before the World Cup and with only one scheduled series (South Africa later added a short tour to Pakistan) – meant CSA promoted his assistant, du Preez, instead of looking to hire someone new. Though du Preez had been working with Moreeng since September 2020, he was hesitant about stepping into his shoes.”That was quite a stressful month or two,” du Preez told ESPNcricinfo in Dubai before the World Cup final, where New Zealand beat South Africa by 32 runs. “We just found out that CSA were looking to extend us and then I heard Hilton had moved on. The DOC [director of cricket Enoch Nkwe] asked me to take the team to India. It was nerve-wracking because it’s the build-up to a World Cup and I didn’t want to be the guy that throws the cart off the mountain or whatever.”Related

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Pain of expectation weighs heavy as South Africa fall short again

Du Preez approached the task by discussing the situation as transparently as possible with the players and was helped with the addition of extra resources. CSA appointed a full-time batting coach for the team, Baakier Abrahams, and sent their new spin lead, Paul Adams, in the touring party so du Preez could focus on bowling. “We’ve been working on the team culture and the most important thing for me is that the buy-in is there. When Enoch said we’re going to the World Cup and he wants me to still run the show, I got really nervous. And then he said he would send Paul Adams with and it’s been magical.”The one promise we made to the team was because we don’t have a head coach, we will make it work. They understand me. They understand my limitations as well. So we just told them that, listen, we will make this work, don’t panic, don’t worry, just focus on the game.”The team has done better than just that. Despite only winning one of seven series before the tournament – it happened to be one of the two du Preez was in charge for – South Africa reached the final in a second successive T20 World Cup. Their coup de grace was beating defending (and six-time) champions Australia in the semi-final by chasing 135 inside 17 overs.In that match, they played a brand of brave cricket that they were unable to repeat in the final, as their batting faded away. But it is the way they aim to play going forward, according to du Preez. “We always knew it’s a bit more high-risk and it might be that in the beginning, we’ll pull off maybe two of five wins. But eventually, with the way we prep and the way we think – the blueprint – we’ll become more used to it.”But I already think you can see the results. There’s no fear of failure. You’re either on the bus or you stay behind. That’s the way to play the game.”It was a second successive T20 World Cup final for South Africa, and a second successive runners-up finish•ICC/Getty ImagesAfter the final, du Preez was asked again whether he had any clarity on his future and he maintained that it was a conversation he would have with Nkwe on his return home. Given the schedule, it is likely he will stay on until the end of the year. South Africa host England in November-December for an all-format tour, which includes their first home Test in 22 years.Du Preez’s hesitation comes from limited experience of high-level coaching. After a 14-year provincial cricket career, which included an IPL stint with RCB, du Preez coached at the University of the Free State. When posts for the academy and women’s team in Bloemfontein came up, he and fellow bowler Quinton Friend put their hands up and agreed that Friend would go to the academy and du Preez would “move into the women’s space”. He describes it as an “opportunity that came up at the right time”.While Friend went on to spend several years as Imraan Khan’s assistant and has since taken over the Dolphins head job, du Preez’s path has been slightly different, which might explain his reluctance to continue at a high level immediately. He is, however, developing a coaching style of his own, based on a combination of experience and knowledge. “I’m more on the technical side of things. I think what’s helping me at the moment is the fact that I have been playing cricket, obviously not at a massively high level, so there are some things in matches which the team goes through which I understand.”

Everton are now reportedly leading the race to sign a Champions League-level winger who will be allowed to leave his current club this summer.

What Everton could do next after signing Travers

After confirming the arrival of Mark Travers from Bournemouth, Everton still have unfinished business in the summer transfer window. Ahead of their first season at The Hill Dickinson Stadium, the current transfer window reflects an opportunity for The Friedkin Group to make an impressive statement and set David Moyes up with a squad capable of more than just survival.

After Travers, Thierno Barry and the permanent arrival of Carlos Alcaraz, the Toffees still have plenty of work to do and that work could be done to reinforce their midfield.

Having lost Abdoulaye Doucoure following the end of his contract at the end of last season, Moyes is arguably lacking a physical presence at the heart of his midfield. But that’s where a familiar face in Tomas Soucek could arrive. The Czech Republic ace thrived under Moyes at West Ham and is now reportedly set to be the subject of an imminent £12m bid from Everton.

Appearances

207

Goals

32

Assists

11

It should come as no surprise that Soucek is now keen to reunite with Moyes after such a successful spell together the first time around. And for just £12m, Everton wouldn’t exactly be breaking the bank.

That said, Soucek isn’t their only reported target in midfield. The likes of Jacob Ramsey have also been mentioned in recent headlines, as Aston Villa continue to struggle on the PSR front. Like Soucek, the England midfielder would be an excellent addition.

Ndiaye 2.0: Everton pushing to sign 'the 2nd best dribbler in the world'

David Moyes wants to add some more attacking quality at Everton this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 15, 2025

The same can be said for a La Liga winger, as the Toffees aim to send a transfer statement.

Everton now in pole position to Samuel Lino

According to reports in Spain, Everton are now leading the race to sign Samuel Lino from Atletico Madrid this summer. The winger is reportedly free to leave the Champions League side and several sides have enquired about his availability as a result. Whether Everton are among those sides remains to be seen, however.

Starts

21

24

Goals

3

1

Assists

4

0

Successful Take-ons

27

24

Previously described as “interesting” by scout Jacek Kulig, Lino would be an instant upgrade on Jack Harrison, who has been linked with a permanent move to Everton this summer.

The Atletico Madrid man was involved in more goals in fewer games last season, whilst also enjoying more take-on success. In every key department, Lino should be preferred over the Leeds United man.

At 25 years old, Lino should be at the peak of his powers if he discovers his most clinical form. Reportedly in pole position, Everton should kick on and sign a player who has Champions League experience and outperformed other targets last season.

Ben Stokes unable to stem progress as visitors seal six-wicket win

ECB Reporters Network02-Jul-2024Half-centuries from Kashif Ali and Adam Hose led Worcestershire to a six-wicket win against Durham at the Seat Unique Riverside, their first win of the Vitality County Championship season.Ali (76 not out) and Hose (50) came together when the visitors were 65 for three and combined for a partnership worth 129, which took the game away from the hosts, who will be left scratching their heads after they were firmly in the ascendancy prior to the lunch break on day three.Worcestershire wrapped up the Durham second innings early on, with the Pears needing 231 to break their winning duck.Gareth Roderick batted positively early on and set a platform for Ali and Hose to guide the visitors to a vital win in the Division One relegation battle.Ali, a graduate of the South Asian Cricket Academy, has been a bright spark in a difficult season for Worcestershire and picked up his second half-century of the match to give his side that all-important first win of the season, while Hose, who has now got fifties in back-to-back matches, was also imperative to the win.For Durham it is a first home defeat in the County Championship since April 2022, but it drags them back towards the bottom end of the table, with the North East county now just 11 points ahead of today’s victors, who occupy the second relegation spot.Resuming on 148 for nine, the job for Bas De Leede and Ben Raine was to get as many runs as possible for the hosts, but they only added four to the total, as Ben Allison got De Leede for three when the Dutch international edged to second slip.Beginning their chase of 231, the Pears’ opening duo of Roderick and Jake Libby had the job of giving the visitors a good start with a difficult chase on their hands, as the pitch had given the bowlers plenty of assistance in the previous two days.While Roderick initially struggled against Raine, he started to go through the gears and punched one from Matthew Potts down the ground for four, which was followed by a glorious cover drive in Ben Stokes’ opening over.Despite the visitors making a good start to their chase, there was a sense that a wicket was coming as Libby survived an LBW appeal from Peter Siddle and Roderick nearly chopped a Stokes delivery onto his stumps.Durham then made the breakthrough with Stokes getting Roderick for 38, as he attempted a pull shot from a short ball but he feathered it through to Ollie Robinson behind the stumps.Wickets came like buses for Durham as a second arrived soon after as Libby went for 19 after he whipped a Siddle ball to mid-wicket to swing the momentum back to the hosts. Stokes then dismissed Rob Jones with an absolute beauty as he bowled him for one to leave Worcestershire 65 for three.First innings top scorer Ali and Hose then came together and saw the visitors through to lunch without further loss.Ali and Hose looked to consolidate after lunch and withstanded a lot of short-pitched bowling from the Durham attack.The pair then took 12 from a De Leede over to reach the 50 partnership, with Ali taking a liking to the all-rounder’s bowling.The number three then followed this up with a perfect cover drive for four from a Potts ball and then former Warwickshire man Hose played a great straight drive for four.Ali survived an LBW shout on 33 as Siddle was convinced he had his man, but the umpire thought there was an inside-edge, while an erratic over from Stokes went for 15 to only add to Durham’s woes.Hose continued to cash in on the England captain’s bowling and got back-to-back fours including a delightful cover drive.Ali then reached his half-century from 77 balls, with Hose reaching his milestone soon after from 86 balls.Raine finally broke the partnership when Hose was caught behind for 50, but the excellent Ali finished unbeaten on 76 and guided his side home.