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High-profile South African advocate Dali Mpofu will represent Kagiso Rabada as he tries to overturn his two-Test ban

Firdose Moonda16-Mar-2018High-profile South African advocate Dali Mpofu will represent Kagiso Rabada in his appeal against an ICC Level 2 code of conduct sanction handed down earlier in the week.Mpofu, a former member of the ruling African National Congress party and a former CEO of the national broadcaster SABC, is well known for his work in dealing with significant cases such as representing miners injured by police six years ago and is understood to be one of several advocates interested in this case.”We have appointed Advocate Mpofu to handle Kagiso’s case,” Thabang Moroe, CSA’s Acting CEO said. “He is a highly experienced advocate who was appointed by the President to serve on the Judicial Service Commission last year.”The ICC has yet to announce a Judicial Commissioner for Rabada’s appeal hearing, which must be held on or before March 23. Mpofu’s first task will be to try to convince the judicial commissioner to put Rabada’s two-Test suspension on hold to enable him to play the Newlands Test, which starts on March 22.Rabada is currently on nine demerit points after picking up four demerit points in total during the Port Elizabeth Test. He is only attempting to be cleared of three of those points, picked up when he made contact with Steven Smith’s shoulder when Rabada dismissed the Australian captain in the first innings. Rabada went into the fixture on five demerit points and reached the threshold of eight which equates to a two Test ban.

While Everton will be firmly fixed on steering away from relegation danger in the Premier League and returning to prominence after a tumultuous few years, manager Sean Dyche would also be wise to keep the faith with the club's prestigious Finch Farm academy.

The outfit has brought through numerous high-profile talents over the years, notably Wayne Rooney, who burst onto the scene as a prodigious teenager and earned a £27m transfer to Manchester United in 2004.

More recently, the likes of Anthony Gordon and Ross Barkley have risen through the youth ranks on the blue half of Merseyside, and the Toffees might have the latest member of an illustrious belt of talent in teenage full-back Mathew Mallon.

Who is Mathew Mallon?

The Liverpool-born defender joined the Goodison Park side's academy at the age of four, since rising the ladder and has now made his debut for the U21s, where he clinched an assist against Arsenal for David Unsworth's side.

Listing his 'pace, strength, defending and crossing' as his standout attributes, Mallon has now chalked up 43 appearances for Everton's respective youth outfits, scoring twice and supplying three assists, with Liverpool Echo reporter Sam Carroll stating he's "impressive every time I've watched him,"

The 19-year-old is yet to make his senior debut for his Premier League side, but given the right-back's dynamism and blend of qualities, he could soon wedge his way into Dyche's first-team plans.

In 2022, there were rumours that Mallon was poised to make a permanent switch to Blackburn Rovers, but soon after the ace penned his first professional contract with Everton, with Director of Football Kevin Thelwell saying:

"He has a strong mix of strengths that are needed in the modern-day full-back and we look forward to him continuing his progression on the next chapter of his journey."

Everton's right-back department currently boasts Nathan Patterson and club captain Seamus Coleman as the first-team candidates, but given the latter is approaching the twilight phase of his career, Mallon could soon earn the opportunity to impress.

What has Seamus Coleman achieved at Everton?

Coleman might be approaching his 35th birthday and playing a remarkable 15th season in the Everton shirt, but he is not done yet and earned a new contract with the club this summer, keeping him on the books until the end of the season.

The stalwart has made 409 appearances and has contributed 28 goals and 32 assists since joining from Republic of Ireland side Sligo Rovers in 2009 under the management of David Moyes.

The 68-cap international has been hailed for his performance against title-chasing Arsenal only last season, with FourFourTwo's Mark White saying the 34-year-old "locks up every left-winger Arsenal ever throw at him."

As per WhoScored, the £55k-per-week right-back has averaged an impressive career pass success rate of 79.9% across the duration of his professional career for Everton and Ireland, also making one interception, 1.7 tackles and 1.9 clearances per game.

Also still ranking among the top 7% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year, as per FBref, Coleman is a tenacious and composed presence at the back, excellent at sweeping away danger.

Big boots to fill, but Mallon is embracing the all-encompassing role of a full-back and will now be pushing to take the veteran's baton and cement a starting berth in Dyche's team in the future.

He's very much in the maiden stage of his career, but Mallon could be a shrewd, homegrown option to lead from the back at Goodison Park for years to come, emulating club icon Coleman who very much boasts similar traits.

At 12 for 3, South Africa were looking for some calm, for someone to absorb the pressure and block out a few overs. But AB de Villiers had other ideas

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town05-Jan-20181:19

Cullinan: India batsmen should come out with an attacking mindset on day two

At 12 for 3, South Africa were looking for some calm, for someone to absorb the pressure and block out a few overs, for a little bit of good, old-fashioned Test defense. AB de Villiers was not in the mood for any of that and he used the ninth over, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s fifth as he claimed three top-order wickets, to show it.In five balls, de Villiers drove Bhuvneshwar through the covers twice by smothering the movement with aggression and tucking into the full length. Then, he slashed a pair of short balls through point. With that intent, de Villiers grabbed momentum by the throat, flung it up against a wall and told it, “You are going to turn around.” And it obeyed.”Luckily our phones get taken away otherwise I would have been looking for an Uber to get back to the hotel,” South Africa’s batting coach Dale Benkenstein said. “They are a quality bowling attack and that stage I was sitting there wondering how we were going to score a run. The genius of AB de Villiers and the tenacity of the captain, that partnership got us back in the game and got that belief back in the change room. I think it was just one over where AB just changed the game. He made the bowlers have to worry about their lengths.”BCCIDe Villiers started striking at over a run a ball after that over and continued playing aggressively, finding the boundary often and forcefully. He had the perfect foil at the other end in Faf du Plessis, who set up his typical rearguard action and bedded in. Between them, South Africa benefitted to the tune of 104 runs and quickly went from being dominated to dominating. De Villiers’ ability to single-handedly change matches is well-documented, but now he seems to be doing it at will in the longer format, where South Africa are trying to play a more proactive brand of cricket.That much was evident in the way all their batsmen played. Quinton de Kock, Vernon Philander and Keshav Maharaj all looked to get quick runs, not just because South Africa wanted to get India in as soon as possible, but also because they perhaps decided the best form of attack is to simply attack.”As a general philosophy, as a batter you go out there to score runs, and on a wicket like that you’re not going to get many opportunities to, so I would rather they are looking to score and then your last mindset is to leave or defend. They did that well,” Benkenstein observed.This aggressive thinking extended even towards team selection. They opted against the security of seven batsmen, by playing four quicks and a spinner in Maharaj. This meant Temba Bavuma, who has strung up gritty middle-order performances, had to miss out. Benkenstein admitted it was a difficult decision to leave him out, and by extension one of Chris Morris and Andile Phehlukwayo, but explained the need for experience swung the decision that way.”With AB and Faf back, you’ve got your top six that all average over 40 in Test cricket,” Benkenstein said. “We wanted to go with a strong bowling attack and our best batters at this time. As a group it was felt that was the best team.”

Reliable football.london journalist Alasdair Gold has shared a transfer update on Tottenham Hotspur as they eye Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

Who will Spurs sign next?

New manager Ange Postecoglou, after an entertaining pre-season where Spurs supporters caught a glimpse of his free-flowing, attack-minded style, could now lose star striker Harry Kane.

Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, after weeks of pushing for the England superstar, have agreed a deal worth over £86 million to sign Kane this summer – giving Postecoglou a major headache ahead of Brentford on Sunday.

Kane had entered the final 12 months of his Spurs deal, leaving chairman Daniel Levy with a huge decision to make in regard to the player's future. Indeed, it appears the north London club have opted to sell before he can leave as a free agent next year.

Attention may now turn back to incomings at Tottenham, given the £86m financial windfall which may be heading their way, but replacing Kane will be a near-impossible task.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Postecoglou, speaking to the media recently, hinted at the possibility of another centre-back signing after Spurs completed a deal to sign Micky van de Ven from Wolfsburg.

Meanwhile, in the event of midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's possible departure to Atletico Madrid, there have been reports that Tottenham could target another midfielder.

Chelsea's Conor Gallagher, who Tottenham have reportedly held talks for, is one name to have been mentioned – with reliable reporter Gold sharing an update on Palace's attacking midfield ace Eze.

The 25-year-old dazzled under both Patrick Vieira and Roy Hodgson last term, alerting Spurs, as they're apparently monitoring his situation at Selhurst Park.

This is especially due to midfielder Bryan Gil's injury, with the Spaniard recently undergoing surgery on a groin problem which could keep him out for the foreseeable.

As well as Eze, Gold shares to football.london that Tottenham's late-window shortlist contains Gift Orban, Brennan Johnson, Perr Schuurs and Gallagher.

Interestingly, Eze is a CAA Base client, an agency which represents the likes of Richarlison, Son Heung-min and new summer signing James Maddison.

How good is Eberechi Eze?

The attacker seriously impressed as, arguably, Palace's standout performer over the 2022/2023 season.

As per WhoScored, Eze was a mainstay for the Eagles, featuring in all of their top flight encounters whilst finishing the campaign with 14 goal contributions (10 goals, four assists).

The former QPR star also ranked in Palace's top two for attempts at goal, key passes made and successful take-ons per 90 in the final third – showcasing his real creative talent (WhoScored).

Former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor, speaking to Football Insider after Newcastle United were previously linked with Eze, claimed he would be a "fantastic" signing.

"It would be a really good signing," said the pundit.

“He’s completely different to Conor Gallagher – he’s a million times better.

“He can run with the ball at speed, change direction with skill, he’s adding goals to his game, can play in the number ten or off the wing – it’s a fantastic signing.

“If I’m Newcastle, I’m going for him and Maddison. You’d then have competition that can take Newcastle to another level. I love Eze and I think there’s going to be a lot of clubs after him.”

Chelsea will take on Liverpool in the opening game of their Premier League season. This is arguably the most mouth-watering clash of the first round of fixtures, with the rivalry heightened by both clubs' joint pursuits of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.

It will be Mauricio Pochettino’s first domestic game as the new manager.

Last season, Chelsea endured a dismal season as they finished 12th, only winning six of their 19 home games. They also netted just 38 goals in as many league games, as their dysfunctional and misfiring attack plagued their campaign.

But, it is a new era as Pochettino is armed with a fresh set of players, who have been tasked with wrestling the club back from midtable mediocrity.

What’s the latest Chelsea team news?

The West Londoners will be without summer signing Christopher Nkunku, who could be out until January with a knee injury. Wesley Fofana is also a long-term absentee, whilst the game comes slightly too soon for Benoit Badiashile, who is still recovering from a hamstring issue.

Pochettino has reacted to the massive change that has occurred, preparing the fans for an exciting season, saying: “When change is big people need time to settle at a big club like Chelsea. Now it is about working to create a different vision and for the people to trust in the club again. To get the results and try to play good football for the fans because we are selling entertainment and they come here to enjoy the team.”

In pre-season, one of the brightest Nicolas Jackson, who looks set to be handed his competitive Chelsea debut…

Will Nicolas Jackson start for Chelsea?

The 22-year-old, who has been described as "extraordinary" by Jacek Kulig, featured prominently during Chelsea’s tour of the USA, scoring once and creating three assists in five games, as per Sofascore.

Whilst there is the caveat of it ‘only being pre-season’, the striker demonstrated an electric turn of pace, physical dominance, and an ability to link the midfield and attack – three traits that the Blues desperately lacked last season.

His role as a dynamic and unselfish focal point was displayed in the victory against Brighton last month, in which he deliciously linked up with Mykhailo Mudryk for the second goal and battled in the box to tee up Conor Gallagher for the third.

In the next match against Newcastle, he showcased his blistering pace to latch onto a perfectly weighted through ball from Ian Maatsen, in which he coolly finished the chance.

It was an impressive sign of what could follow and was a replica of the form he displayed at Villareal. Last term, in 26 La Liga appearances, he recorded 16 goal contributions and was the club’s top scorer, as per WhoScored.

As well as this potency, the 6 foot 1 phenom also ranks in the best 21% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for assists per 90, progressive carries per 90, and successful take-ons per 90.

Chelsea fans have been dreaming of possessing a consistent and loveable focal point, having been disappointed by a series of underwhelming attackers. With Nkunku and Armando Broja not fit, it leaves the door wide open for Jackson to announce himself to English football and become the new blue-blooded god in West London.

Luis Reece has had a fine T20 season and Derbyshire needed him again after an uncertain display against Durham

ECB Reporters Network15-Aug-2017Luis Reece carried Derbyshire Falcons to the brink of the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals with 66 from 49 balls that sealed a three wicket win over the Durham Jets at Derby.Reece scored his fourth T20 fifty as the Falcons survived a late wobble inspired by Durham skipper Paul Coughlin to chase down 162 with three balls to spare. Derbyshire go second in the North Group with two matches to play.Stuart Poynter had made a competition best unbeaten 61 from 32 balls as the Jets recovered to 161 for 7 but Reece again played a decisive hand to turn the game.Durham’s innings began badly with Keaton Jennings run out by a direct hit from midwicket in the first over and Graham Clarke lbw going back to Wayne Madsen in the third.Michael Richardson went for a duck in the fourth when Hardus Viljoen side-footed the ball into the stumps in his follow through and although Tom Latham twice pulled the South African for four, the Jets hopes of a substantial total were dented when he swung Matt Henry into the hands of deep midwicket in the last over of the powerplay.Jack Burnham and Paul Coughlin added 38 before the Jets skipper was caught behind trying to pull Ben Cotton and the Falcons looked in control when Burnham was caught at third man in the 17th over.Luis Reece has had a fine NatWest Blast tournament•Getty Images

But Poynter had already lofted Imran Tahir for six and he drove and pulled two more from Cotton in the 19th over to reach 50 from 28 balls.A full toss from Henry was dispatched over deep point for his fourth six and when he late cut the last ball for four, 35 had come from the final two overs.The Falcons lost Billy Godleman in the second over despite replays showing James Weighell was perilously close to a no ball and after Matt Critchley pulled Chris Rushworth for six, he miscued to midwicket to reduce the home side to 33 for 2 in the 5th over.As one of the leading batsmen in the competition, Madsen’s wicket was key and he moved smoothly to 24 but then swung Ryan Pringle to wide long on.Reece, badly dropped at deep cover on 21, pulled Jennings for six but the Jets were building pressure which told when Alex Hughes top edged a pull in the 15th over.Reece took two fours from Weighell as 16 came from the 16th over, Henry pulled Usman Arshad for six, and although wickets fell in the closing overs, they had done enough.

Crystal Palace can take 'advantage' of the likes of Arsenal not being keen to take their interest in Perr Schuurs to the 'next level' by signing him at Selhurst Park, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Which clubs have showed interest in Perr Schuurs?

According to DAZN Italia via Italian Football TV, Crystal Palace have submitted a bid worth €35 million for Schuurs and are ready to offer him a four-year contract at Selhurst Park.

Football Insider report that Liverpool have identified the £29k-a-week as a 'top target' at Anfield and Schuurs is seen as a budget-friendly option for the Reds as Jurgen Klopp eyes defensive reinforcements.

Sporting Clube De Portugal central defender Goncalo Inacio and Micky van de Ven have also been linked with Liverpool, which could make the prospect of them agreeing a deal with Schuurs more complicated.

Arsenal have scouted Netherlands international Schuurs in the past and could look to land him in a surprise swoop this window, as stated on GIVEMESPORT, which read: "Torino’s Perr Schuurs is a left-field name to look out for if other plans do not work out, as they scouted him from a while back. He’s already been linked with a few clubs ahead of the window"

Last term, the 23-year-old made 36 appearances in all competitions for Torino, registering one goal and two assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Crystal Palace could steal a march on some of their rivals to entice Schuurs to Selhurst Park.

Jones stated: "For some teams, certainly in the sense of Arsenal, I've just got a feeling that they haven't quite been willing to go the extra step to take their interest to the next level and if that's the case for Liverpool too, then Crystal Palace can take advantage of their situation. He is very highly-rated and also there's an opportunity here for Torino to make quite a big profit."

Who else is on Crystal Palace's radar this summer?

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson will be keen to strengthen his squad to equip them with the tools to enjoy an exciting 2023/24 campaign and help to build on the positive momentum generated in the second half of last term at Selhurst Park.

According to The Sun, Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun has emerged as a target to strengthen the Eagles' forward line; however, he will cost in the region of £35 million to prize away from the Emirates Stadium.

Italian journalist Daniel Speranza has claimed that AC Milan midfielder Charles De Ketelaere is another name who has been mentioned in connection with a move to Crystal Palace, detailing on Twitter: "After West Ham and Crystal Palace, Everton have also conducted a poll for Charles De Ketelaere in the last few hours," he tweeted. "The Milan is firm on its requests: about 30 million are needed. Reflections in progress by the English clubs."

Manchester United forgotten man Donny van de Beek has been linked with a host of clubs this summer as he looks to revive his career and Crystal Palace have been mentioned as a potential destination for the Netherlands international, as per 90min.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their pursuit of additions to Michael Beale's defensive options in the summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Jonathan Panzo to Rangers?

Scottish Express journalist Scott Burns has revealed that the Light Blues are still eyeing a deal to sign central defender Jonathan Panzo ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

They have not advanced in their efforts to land the Nottingham Forest player's signature, despite knowing what it would take to sign him, and are now facing competition from multiple teams.

The reporter Tweeted: "Been told by sources on all sides that a move for Jonathan Panzo to Rangers is not any closer. Rangers remain interested. They know the fee and wages but have yet to trigger the deal. German and English clubs also remain actively in talks with Panzo's camp."

Football Insider previously reported that it would take a fee in the region of £2m to secure his services, although it remains to be seen how much he is demanding in wages.

Where would Jonathan Panzo fit in at Rangers?

The left-footed defender could slot in as competition for Ben Davies on the left side of the back four, whilst also being able to fill in as a full-back when needed to cover for Borna Barisic and Ridvan Yilmaz.

His arrival, therefore, could be terrible news for current Gers centre-back Leon King in the short-term as it may leave the academy graduate in need of a move elsewhere to find regular game time.

The 19-year-old talent only made four competitive appearances for the club after Beale took the job during the break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Two of them came from the start – against Hibernian and Hearts in May – on the left of a central defensive pairing, which is where Panzo would likely feature.

Experienced campaigners Connor Goldson and John Souttar are in the squad to compete for a place on the right and the manager would then have Davies and the current Forest ace to battle it out for the second spot.

Panzo, was once praised as being "outstanding" by former boss Mark Robins, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 across 29 Championship appearances for Coventry last term. He made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per match – more than any Rangers centre-back managed in the Scottish Premiership – and won 58% of his individual duels.

King, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.89 over 15 league outings – lower than Davies, Souttar and Goldson – alongside 1.6 tackles and interceptions per clash for the Light Blues.

These statistics indicate that the Scotland U21 international will find game time hard to come by next season with the competition for positions that would be created by the signing of Panzo.

As a result, it could lead to him needing a loan move in the coming weeks.

The last ball of the fourth day’s play at P Sara Oval was eventful. Bangladesh appealed confidently for a bat-pad catch against the no. 10 Suranga Lakmal, hoping to end the day with their ninth Sri Lankan scalp. Umpire Aleem Dar nodded more than once, and even brought out his hand to his side, but eventually gave it not out.Mosaddek Hossain, the bowler off whom Sabbir Rahman had caught Lakmal at short leg, said after play that Bangladesh reviewed the decision because they had interpreted Dar’s reaction to mean the batsman had edged the ball, despite the umpire refusing the appeal and following up with gestures that indicated not out.

Commentary for 99.6

Mosaddek Hossain to Lakmal, no run, oh, gone! What’s going on here? They appeal for a bat-pad and Aleem Dar nods his head before saying not out. Now, they have gone for a review. Lakmal walked away towards the pavilion and Dar probably went with that. He nods first and then takes his hand out and brings it to his side but all of a sudden stops. Bangladesh look a tad confused and Aleem Dar says not out. Coming to the delivery, it is on a length and Lakmal is looking to tuck it away. The ball goes off the front thigh to short leg. Question is if there is an inside edge. This is going to be a hard one for the third umpire. It seems unlikely that there is an edge on that. Erasmus concludes that there is nothing conclusive to overturn, the not-out decision stays. Bangladesh lose their review

“The review that was taken in the last ball, we became more certain after seeing the umpire that it was out,” Mosaddek said. “We were confident so we took the review. He [Dar] nodded his head affirmatively first and then we thought it was out, and at the time we thought that there is a chance to get the decision if we took the review.”In the absence of HotSpot, Ultra Edge or the Snickometer for this series, however, all the TV umpire had to go on were slow-motion replays, which did not indicate an edge. As a result, Dar’s on-field decision of not out stayed.Lakmal had appeared to walk during the appeal, but Sri Lankan batsman Dimuth Karunaratne clarified after play that Lakmal had walked because he thought it was stumps and not because he edged it.”What happened was that since it was the last ball Suranga [Lakmal] came towards the dressing room as it was the last ball. He didn’t nick it. He was coming back to the dressing room as it was stumps.”ESPNcricinfo learned that Bangladesh were not going to press the issue because ultimately they also felt that there had been no edge.

Following a terrible 2022-23 campaign in which Liverpool failed to seriously challenge for any silverware and finished fifth in the Premier League, the Reds have conducted some shrewd transfer business early in the summer window.

Alexis Mac Allister is already on board and Dominik Szoboszlai looks set to follow, while Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone could be next to arrive at Anfield in time for pre-season.

Who is Liverpool target Manu Kone?

According to Ouest France, Liverpool are very interested in Kone and a move for the 22-year-old could even be wrapped up in the coming days.

Kone boasts plenty of experience of top-level football, having spent two seasons in Ligue 1 with Toulouse and the past two seasons as a regular for Gladbach in the Bundesliga.

Sky Sport Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg recently suggested Kone is valued at a reasonable €30m (£26m) by the German side, despite having two years to run on his contract.

Is Manu Kone a good option for Liverpool?

That valuation seems very small when you consider there are plenty of similarities between Kone and Brighton and Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo, who Chelsea are reportedly willing to pay £80m to sign.

Indeed, Kone completed a very similar number of passes to Caicedo last season (86.2% v 88.5%), as per FBref, while they won a similar number of tackles per 90 minutes (1.34 v 1.43) and recovered the ball at a similar rate (7.62 v 7.11 per 90).

Even when it comes to the more attacking metrics, there is also nothing between them as Kone scored 0.03 goals per 90 minutes and assisted the same number, which is exactly the same for Caicedo (one goal and one assist each in 2022-23).

Described as an "absolutely immense" player by football writer Josh Bunting, Kone ranks in the top 11% of all midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for possession won last season, as per The Analyst. Caicedo, for what it is worth, is in the top 12%.

There are still areas in which the France U21 international can improve, ranked as he is in the bottom 57% for interceptions among midfielders in Europe's top five leagues, as per FBref.

But at around a third of the cost of Caicedo, and with Gladbach seemingly prepared to let the player go if his valuation is met, Klopp could land himself a proven player to complete his midfield transformation.