All posts by h716a5.icu

Ipswich Town’s rise to the Premier League over recent years has been nothing short of remarkable, securing back-to-back promotions from League One – a feat unheard of in today’s game.

Boss Kieran McKenna is the man to thank for the club’s recent success, coming into Portman Road during a tricky spell on the field, before galvanising the first team, instilling belief into the players which led to their phenomenal achievements.

A season in England’s top flight would’ve been a distant dream to many supporters, but after McKenna’s magic, a generation of supporters will enjoy a season of a lifetime in 2024/25.

Unsurprisingly, the hierarchy had to splash the cash this summer to give the Tractor Boys a fighting chance of securing survival this season, with over £100m spent on new arrivals during the recent transfer window.

One signing in particular has caught the eye after his recent move to East Anglia, taking the Premier League by storm during his first full season at this level.

Liam Delap’s stats for Ipswich Town

After joining the club in a deal rising to £20m this summer, eyebrows were raised by many over a deal to sign striker Liam Delap from champions Manchester City.

The 21-year-old had spent last season on loan at Championship side Hull City, whilst only making two brief substitute appearances in England’s top-flight during his time at the Etihad.

However, the youngster has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water, making an immediate impact in the final third for McKenna’s side.

Delap has already notched four goals in his opening seven league outings for the Tractor Boys, currently sitting joint fourth in the top goalscorer charts.

His two goals against Aston Villa are undoubtedly the highlight of his time at the club so far, with his double securing a huge point against a side who finished within the top four during the 2023/24 campaign.

The striker backed up his brace with another goal in his most recent outing, against West Ham United, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to secure any points as they fell to a 4-1 defeat.

There’s no denying that this season will be tricky for Ipswich, but their chances will do no harm if the striker can keep up his excellent form in front of goal.

However, despite his stellar start at the club, one other first-team member earns the same as him per week, but it’s safe to say his wages don’t reflect his importance to McKenna’s side.

The man who earns just as much as Delap

Despite the influx of new additions during the transfer window, there are numerous first-team members still at Portman Road who secured promotion from the Championship last season.

One of those is goalkeeper Christian Walton, but the 28-year-old did only make a single appearance in the league last season, mainly utilised as a back-up to Vaclav Hladky.

However, despite his lack of minutes during the 2023/24 campaign, he did start the season opener against Liverpool before new addition Aro Muric took over the reins as the club’s number one between the sticks.

As a result, Walton is yet to feature since, taking his place on the bench as backup, but still pocketing a small fortune in the process.

The shot-stopper currently earns a reported £20k-per-week, a figure the same as starman Delap, with his huge earnings not reflected in his importance to McKenna’s squad.

2021/22

38

34

15

2022/23

47

35

24

2023/24

4

6

0

2024/25

1

2

0

Total:

90

77

39

Given his hefty wages, the club could look to offload the ‘keeper and allow for youngster Cieran Slicker to gain valuable experience as second-choice to Muric.

There’s no denying Walton is a capable talent, but given his current salary and lack of first-team action, it could see him offloaded at the next opportunity in January.

Ipswich let a "great" player leave for £0, now he's outscoring Szmodics

This former Ipswich Town player continues to shine away from Suffolk.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 9, 2024

England slumped to an abject 8 for 5 after being asked to bat first at Adelaide. Here’s how the carnage unfolded

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2018Not for the first time in their recent ODI history, England’s power-packed batting line-up came a spectacular cropper in the fourth ODI against Australia at Adelaide. After losing the toss and batting first, they ran headlong into Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins at their most incisive. Here’s how ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary team covered the carnage0.2 overs, 0 for 1
Hazlewood to Roy, OUT, got him, slashed to point – Roy goes second ball! Full and quite wide but there was swing for Hazlewood and Roy was reaching for a loose drive without having got his bearings, Smith snaffles the low catch and Australia have nipped out an early one again3.2 overs, 4 for 2
Cummins to Hales, OUT, bowled ‘im! Superb ball from Cummins and England are two down for spit! There’s been some nip off this fresh surface and Cummins locates the perfect length, it jags back appreciably as Hales presses forwards, flicks the front pad before rattling the off pole
4.2 overs, 4 for 3
Hazlewood to Bairstow, OUT, pitched up, finds the outside edge – another one goes! England are tottering like aunty on the gin… Hazlewood went wide on the crease and slid the ball in, enticing the drive but there was just enough seam movement to shift the line and kiss the edge of the bat. Bairstow slopes off in the fifth over for a nine-ball duck
5.3 overs, 6 for 4
Cummins to Root, OUT, dug in, Root wafts at a pull, gets a big, ballooning top edge… and Hazlewood pockets the catch at fine leg! Root bags a duck and England are four down! Good pace and bounce, the bumper got too big for Root and he sent it right down the fielder’s gullet. This could get ugly
6.2 overs, 8 for 5
Hazlewood to Buttler, OUT, zips off a length, grazes the outside edge! ENGLAND ARE 8 FOR 5!!! (Or 5 for 8, if you’re that sort…) Brilliant ball from Hazlewood, not too much fault with the batsman here: perfect length, seaming a fraction as Buttler felt for it in defence, flicks the bat and Paine swallows another!

There is little doubt that Tottenham Hotspur are in need of some added firepower before the end of the summer transfer window at the start of next month.

Who have Tottenham signed in attack this summer?

Ange Postecoglou has bolstered his forward options with the signings of attacking midfielder James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski on a permanent basis after his 18-month loan from Juventus.

19-year-old striker Alejo Véliz has also joined from Rosario Central but is yet to play a career game outside of Argentina.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

They recently lost star striker Harry Kane to German giants Bayern Munich for an initial fee of £86m, which has come as a huge blow after his 30-goal haul in the Premier League last season.

Who could replace Harry Kane at Tottenham?

It will be difficult for Spurs to get a direct replacement for the England captain, as Manchester City star Erling Haaland (36) was the only other player to reach 30 in the top-flight.

However, Postecoglou could find a new lethal partner for Heung-min Son in attack and a player who could develop into a Kane-esque figure further down the line by signing Evan Ferguson from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Spurs are reportedly interested in signing the Ireland international and his impressive start to life in senior football suggests that he has the potential to be an exceptional striker for the club.

The 18-year-old has scored an excellent 11 goals in 30 first-team matches for the Seagulls, which includes seven goals in 21 Premier League games despite only starting ten times.

This means that Ferguson, who has reportedly been valued at £120m, is currently on an average of one goal per 0.7 top-flight starts, which would work out at between 26 and 27 goals over a 38-game season.

Of course, there is no guarantee that he will be able to develop to the point where is able to sustain that over the course of an entire Premier League campaign, but the scope is clearly there for him to turn into a lethal centre-forward.

This could make the teenage ace, who was once described as "incredibly prolific" by Jacek Kulig, a superb partner for Son if he is able to fulfill his potential.

The Spurs skipper has hit double figures for goals in each of the last seven Premier League seasons and won the Golden Boot with 23 strikes during the 2021/22 campaign.

He has also racked up 36 assists over the last four top-flight terms combined and led the club in key passes per game in each of the last three seasons, which shows that the South Korea international carries a significant threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

These statistics suggest that Son is an outstanding creative talent who could form an excellent link-up with Ferguson to provide the Irish marksman with plenty of chances in front of goal to hit the ground running in north London.

Kane and Son hold the record for the most joint-goal involvements in Premier League history and this shows that the ex-Bayer Leverkusen star is capable of thriving alongside an excellent number nine, which could be the case with the £120m-rated starlet.

“It’s a bit over the top,” Australia’s captain said. “We obviously had a plan from the start of the series that we were going to bowl a lot of short stuff to those guys, much like we did back in 2013”

Daniel Brettig21-Dec-2017Australia’s captain Steven Smith has rebuffed the suggestion of the former England captain Mike Atherton that the umpires in the Ashes series need to be more proactive in protecting the visiting tail-enders from the bouncer barrage they have faced at the hands of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.There has been nothing subtle about the way Australia have targeted England’s bowlers when they bat, sending down repeated short-pitched deliveries, though adhering to the umpires’ definition of only delivering two balls over shoulder height per over. It is within the power of the umpires to warn and even ban a bowler for “dangerous and unfair” short-pitched deliveries by taking into consideration the “skill of the striker”, and Atherton has written that the umpires in this series should use the laws at their disposal.However Smith, who has marshalled his bowlers most effectively in securing an unbeatable 3-0 Ashes lead after three Tests, was dismissive of the notion that Australia had overused the short ball against the England tail. The tourists had complained to the umpires about the proliferation of bouncers during the Gabba Test, and James Anderson was struck a sickening blow on the side of the helmet during the closing stages of the Perth match.”It’s a bit over the top,” Smith said at a New Balance event in Melbourne. “We obviously had a plan from the start of the series that we were going to bowl a lot of short stuff to those guys, much like we did back in 2013. No doubt if they had the kind of pace that our bowlers can generate, they’d probably do the same thing. So I think it’s a bit over the top.”

You have the unusual situation where someone who is totally useless in one area, can face a world-class performer in another — with potentially harmful consequencesMike Atherton in

Writing in , Atherton used ESPNcricinfo ball-by-ball commentary to highlight the repeated used of the short ball to Jake Ball in Brisbane, and observed that all bowlers have varying degrees of skill that should be taken into account by the umpires. “I did wonder aloud at the time why the umpires were so reluctant to act to protect Ball,” Atherton wrote. “Test cricket or not, the Law and the playing conditions are there to protect batsmen incapable of protecting themselves.”Cricket is an odd game in that it has three distinct disciplines and, within that, you have the unusual situation where someone who is totally useless in one area, can face a world-class performer in another — with potentially harmful consequences.”Batsmen who cannot bowl are not required to bowl to great players, but the opposite is obviously the case — precisely why the Law is framed as it is, as built-in protection for the incompetent. No one wants to see the game sanitised, but the Law is there for a reason. The umpires should make use of it.”Atherton’s words also caught the attention of Mitchell Johnson, spearhead of Australia’s similarly brutal pace assault on England in the corresponding series four years ago. Johnson said it was a case of the visitors needing to become more capable batsmen, much as Australia’s bowlers had done.”I don’t think it’s a fair comment [from Atherton],” Johnson told Fox Sports. “Isn’t it two short balls in an over? That’s the rule. If it’s not over their heads or the shoulder restriction, how is it dangerous? I’d be very disappointed if it [the law] got changed. Because wickets are flat in general, and the bowlers need some sort of assistance. If they take everything away from the bowlers we’re just going to see bowling machines. I wouldn’t go into a game and be told ‘well you can’t bowl two bouncers now, it’s one’. And if they change it to that, then what? You can’t bowl above waist-height? How far do you go?””I don’t see the issue with it — yeah, some guys struggle to hold the bat. But whose fault is that? That’s not the fault of the Australian quicks. They should be working on their batting. They’ve all got the opportunity to. Our quicks have learned how to bat. We grow up on bouncy wickets. We’re taught how to bat all the way down the order.Associated Press”How I see it is if the ball is not over the shoulders, why is it dangerous? You can still play a shot or move out of the way. It is pretty aggressive if you look at it from the outside point of view and it’s obviously something that’s affected England.”Smith was appearing at Melbourne Park alongside the world’s No. 24 ranked tennis player Milos Raonic and, when facing some 180kph serves from the tall Canadian, quipped “now I know how James Anderson feels”. Looking across at the England camp, Smith said he was sympathetic to the visitors’ coach Trevor Bayliss, who has previously coached New South Wales and been the lightning rod for much of the criticism directed at the touring team.”It’s always tough for an opposing coach or captain when you’re away and you’re 3-0 down and having lost the series already with two games to play,” Smith said. “No doubt he’ll be disappointed but knowing Trevor he’s a terrific guy and a very good coach. I enjoyed working with him at NSW and the Sydney Sixers a couple of years back, he’s a great fellow.”Sometimes it’s a bit harsh to lay a lot of the blame on the coach. In the end they’re not the ones out there playing, it’s the players and they have to take some responsibility as well.”

The squads of all the PSL franchises after the player draft on November 12 in Lahore

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Nov-2017Chris Lynn was the first pick at the PSL draft•IDI/Getty Images(players in italics were picked today)Multan Sultans: Shoaib Malik, Kieron Pollard, Kumar Sangakkara, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Irfan Khan, Kashif Bhatti, , , , , , , . Supplementary players: , , , .Peshawar Zalmi: Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz, Shakib al Hasan, Kamran Akmal, Darren Sammy, Hasan Ali, Haris Sohail, Chris Jordan, Mohammad Asghar, , , , , , , . Supplementary players: , , , Karachi Kings: Shahid Afridi, Usman Khan, Usama Mir, Khurram Manzoor, Ravi Bopara, Imad Wasim, Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, , , , , , , . Supplementary players: , , Lahore Qalandars: Umar Akmal, Sunil Narine, Brendon McCullum, Fakhar Zaman, Yasir Shah, Cameron Delport, Aamer Yamin, Bilawal Bhatti, Sohail Khan, , , , Raza Hasan, , , . Supplementary players: , , Islamabad United: Mohammad Sami, Andre Russell, Rumman Raees, Shadab Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Samuel Badree, Iftikhar Ahmed, Amad Butt, Asif Ali, , , , , , , , Supplementary players: , , , Quetta Gladiators: Sarfraz Ahmed, Kevin Pietersen, Rilee Rossouw, Mohammad Nawaz, Anwar Ali, Mahmudullah, Umar Amin, Mir Hamza, Asad Shafiq, , , , , , , , Supplementary players: , , ,

Mikel Arteta may have previously stated that it is unlikely that “any more business will be done” but he still has interest in other players. Journalist Paul Brown told GIVEMESPORT that the Arsenal hierarchy “quite like” a high-profile player.

Could Barella be on the move?

Nicolo Barella, who has been valued at £50 million, reached the holy grail of club football with Inter Milan last year in the form of the Champions League final, where they came up just short against Pep Guardiola’s inevitable Manchester City side.

The Italian midfielder, who has been hailed as "top-class", played a key role in the aforementioned campaign as well as making a huge difference when the Nerazzurri lifted the Serie A title in 2020/21.

His form with Inter has garnered a lot of interest from across the continent, a lot of this recently stemming out of England. Not only are Arsenal keeping tabs on the 26-year-old but Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur too.

Jurgen Klopp has missed out on Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo to rivals Chelsea in the last week or so which could spur the Reds on to go hell for leather for the signature of Barella as they look to further strengthen their midfield following on from the arrivals of Alexis MacAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Major money issues still loom over Internazionale, as can be seen from the high-profile departures from San Siro this summer. Most notably, Cameroonian goalkeeper Andre Onana has made the move to Manchester United and stalwart defender Milan Skriniar joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. Such issues could see the Italian side reluctantly let Barella go despite his importance to the team as the financial landscape of European football continues to struggle when compared to the Premier League.

What is Paul Brown's update?

Journalist Paul Brown dropped the latest on Arsenal’s potential pursuit of Barella to GIVEMESPORT.

“Arteta told us on Friday that he wasn't expecting any more business to be done, unless something unforeseen happens or a player leaves the club.

“So I think another midfield signing entirely depends on whether a midfielder is sold really, or if an offer comes in and Arsenal decide that it's right for them to take it.

“I don't think that they're close to signing Barella, I don't think they're pushing very hard really for that one.

“But he is someone I think they quite like and someone who's on their list. But like I say, I think any more incomings rely on outgoings now at Arsenal.”

Which player is coming to Arsenal?

A pair of wingers have been earmarked this week as players who could make a move to the Emirates before the transfer window slams shut on September 1st.

Barcelona’s Ansu Fati is one of the two in question- the Blaugrana have financial issues of their own to contend with and even though Ousmane Dembele has departed for the French capital, Fati still doesn’t seem any higher up in the pecking order.

Brighton and Hove Albion’s Karou Mitoma is the other following his breakthrough season last year. The Seagulls have no need to sell their key assets following the huge fees they have received for Caicedo, MacAllister and Marc Cucurella recently.

Mitoma is a tricky winger with a clinical edge to match but the links to two left-wingers may fall on deaf ears with Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard currently occupying that flank.

Crystal Palace began their Premier League season in ideal fashion – they left Bramall Lane with a clean sheet and three points thanks to Odsonne Edouard’s second-half strike.

However, there still remains much work to be done in the transfer window.

The club needs to pinpoint experienced and quality-infused replacements for Wilfried Zaha, who left for Galatasaray, and Michael Olise, who is supposedly on the verge of joining Chelsea.

Therefore, Palace are keen on signing in Issakau Fatawu to reinforce their attacking options.

Who could replace Michael Olise at Crystal Palace?

According to Record (via Sport Witness), Palace are chasing the Sporting winger, who is also attracting interest from Real Valladolid.

Sporting are aiming to acquire €15m (£13m) from his sale and the south Londoners have opened talks over the transfer.

Roy Hodgson is in the market for an attacker with Michael Olise reportedly close to a £35m switch to Chelsea.

Who is Issahaku Fatawu?

In 2019, the-then 15-year-old started his career with Ghanaian second-tier club Steadfast FC and recorded 13 goal contributions in 12 games before the league was halted due to the pandemic.

In his second season, the frontman scored 12 goals and crafted 12 assists in 14 league outings.

This scintillating form meant he was selected for his homeland’s 2021 Africa U20 Cup of Nations squad, and he played in every game, scoring twice to help his side win the title.

That year, the dynamic technician was included in The Guardian’s ‘Next Generation 2021’ and they wrote:

“Arguably the best African prospect of his generation. The Tamale native is an all-action midfielder who can play behind a striker or on the right wing, where he cuts on to his powerful left foot and plays incisive passes. He was especially electric at the 2021 Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations where he was named player of the tournament, despite being younger than the vast majority of the players.”

As a result of his glimmering potential, Fatawu has 14 caps for his nation and secured a move to Sporting in April 2022.

Upon his sudden explosion into European football, Sporting manager Ruben Amorim feels he is a “great talent” and Palace’s interest is an indication of his frightening trajectory.

Palace have seemingly initiated a transfer strategy of targeting young, exciting teenagers from all corners of the world having already completed the signing of Matheus Franca at the beginning of the month.

However, whilst the Brazilian predominantly operates in central and will be viewed as cover for Eberechi Eze, Fatawu is almost exclusively a right-winger, who could certainly soften the blow of Olise’s impending exit.

The former Reading sensation was unplayable for the Eagles last term, notching 11 assists, the fourth-highest total in the division, and became the first Palace player to claim double-digit assists in a single top-flight campaign.

The possible addition of Fatawu is not an expectation for him to emulate Olise’s numbers – as he has only made 12 appearances for the senior side – but it could be an important source of depth for a depleted attack.

Upon Franca’s arrival, chairman Steve Parish said he would be a ‘popular addition to the nucleus of this young and entertaining squad’ and Fatawu’s potential introduction would surely follow suit.

The Western Australia captain stitched three solid partnerships to steer the total past 300 on the opening day in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2017
ScorecardMitchell Marsh guides one onto the leg side•Getty ImagesCaptain Mitchell Marsh’s 141 propelled Western Australia as they posted a solid 355 for 7 against Queensland on the opening day at the WACA.The hosts lost their opener Jonathan Wells for a duck in the second over to seamer Luke Feldman, after having elected to bat first, but the 72-run second-wicket partnership between William Bosisto (60 off 131 balls) and Hilton Cartwright (42 off 45 balls) put them in a strong position. With Brendan Doggett breaking their stand, it was Mitchell Marsh at No. 4 who stitched three solid partnerships to further bolster his side – 92 runs with Bosisto, 56 runs with Ashton Turner and 98 runs with D’Arcy Short – to steer Western Australia past 300, before Feldman struck again to dismiss him.Shortly before stumps, Short (59 off 88 balls) and Andrew Holder lost their wickets in the space of four overs to Jack Wildermuth, who finished with 3 for 69 on the day.

Pakistan cruised to their seventh straight win, while Sri Lanka slumped to their tenth successive defeat after yet another one-sided clash

The Report by Danyal Rasool18-Oct-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHasan Ali exhibits his trademark celebration•Associated PressAlbert Einstein believed doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results was the definition of insanity. As such, it seems to be insane to have organised five ODIs between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. They’ve done this three thrice so far, and a different result is nowhere in sight.This match was the most decisive of the lot, an all-round masterclass from Pakistan helped them ease to a series win over Sri Lanka by seven wickets, with more than seven overs to spare. Hasan Ali’s five-for helped bowl Sri Lanka out for 208, before a debut century by Imam-ul-Haq – just the second Pakistani to achieve that feat – made this game a heavily one-sided affair. Pakistan cruised to their seventh successive ODI win, while Sri Lanka slumped to their tenth straight defeat.Not my fault I am Inzamam’s nephew – Imam-ul-Haq

When Pakistan’s squad for the ODI series was announced, Imam-ul-Haq’s selection came under scrutiny given he is chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq’s nephew. Imam was given a debut in the third ODI on Wednesday and after becoming the second Pakistan batsman to score a century on debut, the 21-year-old said performances were the best way to answer any questions over his place in the side.
“It’s not my fault that I am his nephew,” he said. “The only thing I can do is try. I am not answerable to everyone for this. The best way is to perform. There will be some failures, and I am not afraid of that because failure is a part of every cricketer’s life.
“It doesn’t make a difference to me. I have a lot of self-belief. I have domestic performances and an Under-19 World Cup to back me. People talk, and in some ways they are doing their job and I respect them but one has to go out and perform. If I don’t perform in the next game, this kind of criticism will be leveled again, so I don’t pay it much attention.”

Pakistan needed no more than sober level-headedness in their modest chase. Fakhar Zaman and Imam provided more than just that. Imam looked unperturbed by the enormity of the occasion and wasn’t afraid to hit in the air. Although he was uncomfortable against offspinner Akila Dananjaya at times, it was a generally chanceless innings that would have undoubtedly eased some pressure on his uncle and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq.Zaman was stumped attempting a wild heave over midwicket after the openers added 78. But the hosts did not collapse like Sri Lanka after their opening partnership was broken. Imam simply grew in confidence, coming down the wicket to neutralise the spin, and continued to take the attack to the opposition.Babar Azam added 30 and went, but there was no twist in the tale. The outcome was a forgone conclusion long before the winning stroke was played. The only excitement towards the end was the wait to see the 21-year old Imam complete his debut hundred. And he nearly didn’t.In the 37th over, a peach of an indipper from Dushmantha Chameera took his inside edge, when he was on 89, and settled in the wicketkeeper’s gloves. Imam whipped around to watch it happen and began shuffling off the field well before he was adjudged out. The on-field umpires, however, asked him to wait as he made his inconsolable trek back to the dressing room, saying they wanted to check the legality of the catch. With each passing replay it seemed a little bit of the ball had touched the ground before Niroshan Dickwella had taken it. The big screen finally flashed “not out”. Both the Abu Dhabi crowd and Imam himself heaved a sigh of relief. And he knocked off the remaining 11 runs without further trouble to soak in all the emotion.Earlier, Sri Lanka started brightly, as if liberated by not having a target to chase. Upul Tharanga’s touch looked to have never left him since he carried his bat in the previous game. He drove Junaid Khan and Rumman Raees regularly through the offside, his timing allowing him to score regular runs past mid-off.He put on 59 with Dickwella in 10.5 overs – it was the first fifty partnership at the top of the order for Sri Lanka in seven games – but Hasan broke through just as it began to look ominous. He bowled Dickwella, who was slightly unfortunate considering the ball had kept low.That, right there, was the end of the good times for Sri Lanka. They slowed down considerably, the new batsman Chandimal needing to settle and the set batsman Tharanga beginning to stutter. It seemed that Sri Lanka, having seen clumps of wickets fall early in the first two games, made a point of prioritising wickets in hand over run rate.The result was a familiar sight. Pakistan’s spinners wrestled control of the middle overs and began to asphyxiate the batsmen. Chandimal made a painful 19 off 49 balls, and there was a sense of inevitability when he was out lbw after misreading a Shadab Khan googly.Sri Lanka’s run rate, once over six, had dipped below four. Tharanga, not having played an aggressive shot for the best part of 20 overs, pulled a long hop from Shadab straight to deep square leg. With a dull sense of familiarity, the visitors began falling apart, again. No one was able to get used to the slowness of the Abu Dhabi pitch or throw the Pakistan spinners off their nagging lines and lengths.The fast bowlers were back to finish off the middle order, with Chamara Kapugedera, Milinda Siriwardana and Jeffrey Vandersay all falling within 12 balls. Hasan and Junaid were the men responsible, making all three batsmen mistime their shots. Suddenly, Sri Lanka were 141 for 6 in 36 overs, and even 200 seemed an eternity away.Hafeez got rid of Thirmanne – a particularly unfortunate dismissal as he cut a ball onto his boot which then ballooned into the wicketkeeper’s gloves. Hasan removed Akila Dananjaya to wrap up his third five-wicket haul of the year and leave Sri Lanka reeling at 163 for 8.A late flurry from Thisara Perera, finding five fours in his 37-ball 38 dragged Sri Lanka past 200 even as Pakistan’s fielding disciplines fell apart. Several mistakes on the boundary allowed ones and twos to be turned into many more. Hasan restored the upper hand, snuffing out the resistance of tailender Dushmantha Chammera and ensured Sri Lanka couldn’t put up a total closer to what they would have aimed. Thisara was the last man dismissed, run-out while trying to look for a non-existent second run. Pakistan had knocked Sri Lanka over within 50 overs again. In a few hours, they had knocked them out of the series.

Tottenham Hotspur and Ange Postecoglou have finally been dealt the unenviable task of replacing one of the best strikers in the world. Already the countdown has started regarding finding someone to stand where he stood, with one outstanding target surely the obvious candidate.

Who could replace Harry Kane?

It is a saga that has dominated the whole summer window, but in the end it always felt like this window would be the one where Harry Kane finally left north London.

A true servant of the club, the England captain featured 435 times for the Lilywhites, remaining as professional and prolific as ever. He certainly came a long way from being branded a 'one-season wonder'.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

But with the vast funds they are set to secure, and the time frame they have been handed to secure the man to step into the striker role, the north Londoners need look no further than a target of the past.

Whilst it was only reported late last month, perhaps now they could rekindle their interest in Eintracht Frankfurt forward Randal Kolo Muani. After all, the reported €80m (£68m) price tag would mark but a fraction of what they will earn from the Kane departure.

How many goals did Randal Kolo Muani score last season?

Firstly, to lose a player of his calibre is to also lose an obscene amount of goals.

Last season saw the England captain notch 30 in the Premier League alone despite all their struggles, breaking Jimmy Greaves' record to become Spurs' all-time top scorer, and moving to within 47 of Alan Shearer's all-time Premier League record. Had he stayed at the club, it was expected he would reach the latter with ease.

So, whoever is enlisted must at least offset that huge vacancy left with a few strikes of their own, even if they aren't an exact copy of Kane.

After all, who is?

He could score, create, drop deep and hold the ball up, with Steven Gerrard lauding him for these qualities: "He’s relentless, and people will always speak about his goals, but the reason why I admire him so much is every part of his game is strong.

“His hold-up play – it's not easy playing with your back to play when you’ve got big defenders breathing down your neck, but he’s so strong. His touch is fantastic.

"He's one of the best passers of the ball in the Premier League, and in world football."

However, in the touted France international, they would be swapping out his ability to hold up the ball for speed and willingness to stretch defences in behind or down the channels.

After all, with 23 goals and 17 assists across all competitions last season, he could more than makeup for what they are set to lose.

In fact, his quality in front of goal has been outlined by none other than German legend Lothar Matthaus: "He has remarkable technical ability, he's ice-cold in front of goal and he really throws himself into challenges. The most impressive thing is that he's performing in every game. I can't remember a match where he's played badly. That's the mark of a future superstar."

With the ability to play on either wing, but a preference to star through the centre, his athleticism and dynamic play style will offer a refreshing change of pace to align with Postecoglou's all-action philosophy.

That versatility is best outlined through the claims of his special teammate Kylian Mbappe, who noted: "He is a striker who offers different game options to our team. He is very complete and has an impressive volume of play."

Should he translate his form and willingness to work into new surroundings in north London, it could take fans no time at all to move on from their legendary marksman and begin heralding a new hero in N17.