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Liam Plunkett, Dawid Malan, Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim find no takers

Liam Brickhill03-Sep-2019

Hashim Amla uses the straight bat for a drive•AFP

The Mzansi Super League player draft in Soweto has thrown up a couple of surprises, with some big names going unsold and some unknown players getting a look in. Liam Plunkett, Dawid Malan and Imad Wasim were all ignored, but 17-year-old left-arm wristspinner Waqar Salamkheil from Afghanistan was picked up by Tshwane Spartans. Hashim Amla, who had retired from international cricket last month after the World Cup, pulled out of the draft on Tuesday morning.ALSO READ: Paarl Rocks sign on Isuru Udana to replace David WilleyHaving already been allocated both their South African and international marquee players ahead of the draft, the teams made the remainder of their picks from a pool that included 184 foreign players, including South African Kolpak cricketers, a huge increase on the 71 overseas players who applied in the tournament’s first season.The six MSL teams chose 13 players during Tuesday’s draft, and the 14th position – rounding out squads of 16 – will be a wild card to be selected after the Provincial T20 competition. The wild card pick must come either from the main player draft list, or from the Provincial T20 compeititon squad list.Last season’s two most successful teams, Cape Town Blitz and the title-winning Jozi Stars, both retained the core of their squads. Jozi held onto Kagiso Rabada and Chris Gayle, as well as Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks and Dan Christian. They also kept Duanne Olivier who was pivotal to their success last year as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker and is now an overseas Kolpak player.Cape Town’s batting strength will once again be at the top of the order, with the consistent pairing of Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan set to open. Cape Town also retained the services of the big-hitting Asif Ali, as well as fellow Pakistani Mohammad Nawaz, while they will also have what is on paper the strongest pace attack in the tournament. Dale Steyn and Anrich Nortje will likely share the new ball, while Wahab Riaz and Sisanda Magala are expected to provide control at the death. Vernon Philander too returned to Cape Town, having spent the first MSL with Durban Heat.Having finished at the bottom of the points table last year, Durban, unsurprisingly, made a host of changes to their squad. Looking to strengthen their batting, the English pair of Alex Hales and Ravi Bopara were drafted in, with the experienced heads of David Miller and Khaya Zondo retained. Durban also procured the services of Dane Vilas, who captained Jozi to success in the inaugural competition, and is expected to once again play a leadership role under new coach Gary Kirsten.Tabraiz Shamsi brings out another one of his unique celebrations•MSL

There were also several changes to the Tshwane Spartans squad. AB de Villiers remained their South African marquee player, but there was a notable pivot towards out-and-out pace in their squad, with Morne Morkel joining Lungi Ngidi and Lutho Sipamla. The Zimbabwean pair of Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza weren’t picked this time, but Tshwane did look overseas in choosing Roelof van der Merwe, the former South Africa and current Netherlands spin-bowling allrounder, as well as Salamkheil from Afghanistan.Salamkheil made his Test debut against Ireland earlier this year, and in the T20 format has also popped up in the Comilla Victorians and Peshawar Zalmi squads in the Bangladesh Premier League and Pakistan Super League respectively.The two mid-table teams from last year’s competition, Nelson Mandela Bay Giants and Paarl Rocks, retained most of their respective squads. Nelson Mandela Bay picked up Jason Roy as their international marquee player, and also managed to get hold of Farhaan Behardien, who was with Paarl last time around, and Beuran Hendricks, the left-arm quick who was Player of the Match in last year’s final.Paarl’s middle order is packed with experience, with JP Duminy joining Faf du Plessis and Henry Davids, along with Cameron Delport and Aiden Markram. James Vince will also slot into their batting line-up, while Paarl have pace options in Isuru Udana and Hardus Viljoen, and a strong spin attack centred around Tabraiz Shamsi and Bjorn Fortuin.Cape Town Blitz: Quinton de Kock, Wahab Riaz (Pakistan), Liam Livingstone(England), Dale Steyn (retained player), Sisanda Magala, Anrich Nortje (retained player), Asif Ali (Pakistan, retained player), Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan), Janneman Malan (retained player), George Linde, David Bedingham, Vernon Philander, Marques Ackerman, Gregory Mahlokoana, Aviwe MgijimaDurban Heat: Andile Phehlukwayo, Alex Hales (England), David Miller (retained player), Dane Vilas, Ravi Bopara (England), Keshav Maharaj (retained player), Kyle Abbott (kolpak, retained player), Khaya Zondo (retained player), Marco Jansen (rookie), Daryn Dupavillon, Sarel Erwee (retained player), Malusi Siboto, Prenelan Subrayen, Wihan Lubbe, Shaun von BergJozi Stars: Kagiso Rabada, Chris Gayle (West Indies), Rassie van der Dussen (retained player), Reeza Hendricks (retained player), Daniel Christian (Australia, retained player), Temba Bavuma, Duanne Olivier (retained player), Simon Harmer, Ryan Rickelton (retained player), Aaron Phangiso, Lizaad Williams, Sinethemba Qeshile (retained player), Nono Pongolo, Eathan Bosch, Delano PotgieterNelson Mandela Bay Giants: Imran Tahir, Jason Roy (England), Chris Morris (retained player), Jon-Jon Smuts (retained player), Junior Dala (retained player), Farhaan Behardien, Beuran Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Onke Nyaku, Ben Dunk (Australia), Heino Kuhn (retained player), Marco Marais (retained player), Grant Thomson, Akhona Mnyaka, Nandre BurgerPaarl Rocks: Faf du Plessis, Isuru Udana (Sri Lanka), JP Duminy, Tabraiz Shamsi (retained player), Hardus Viljoen, Aiden Markram (retained player), Bjorn Fortuin (retained player), James Vince (England), Dwaine Pretorius, Cameron Delport (kolpak, retained player), Sibonelo Makhanya, Henry Davids (retained player), Mangaliso Mosehle (retained player), Ferisco Adams, Kerwin MungrooTshwane Spartans: AB de Villiers, Tom Curran (England), Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi (retained player), Heinrich Klaasen, Theunis de Bruyn (retained player), Roelof van der Merwe, Lutho Sipamla (retained player), Pite van Biljon, Tony de Zorzi (retained player), Waqar Salamkheil (Afghanistan), Dean Elgar, Wiaan Mulder, Vaughn van Jaarsveld, Corbin Bosch

حسم مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، برئاسة حسين لبيب، صفقة جديدة لتدعيم صفوف فريق الكرة الأول بالقلعة البيضاء.

وكان الزمالك، قد تعاقد مع 5 صفقات لتدعيم صفوف فريق الكرة الأول استعدادًا للموسم الجديد.

طالع.. محمد عواد: رفضت الحصول على “زجاجة ركلات الجزاء” من محلل الأداء.. وميدو صاحب فضل علي

و علم “بطولات” أن الزمالك توصل لإتفاق مع جيفرسون كوستا مدافع منتخب غينيا بيساو للشباب ولاعب أكاديمية كاستلو برانكو، للانضمام إلى القلعة البيضاء.

وحضر اللاعب إلى مصر منذ ساعات قليلة للخضوع للكشف الطبي وتوقيع العقود بعدها، وسيتم قيده تحت السن.

يذكر أن الزمالك، قد توج ببطولة كأس السوبر الإفريقي، يوم الجمعة الماضي، على حساب الأهلي بعد الفوز بركلات الترجيح.

وتعاقد الزمالك في الانتقالات الصيفية مع المغربي محمود بنتايج، والفلسطيني عمر فرج، والبولندي كونراد ميشالاك، ومحمد حمدي لاعب إنبي، والسنغالي سيدي نداي.

Wet area on pitch means no play is possible on day two

ECB Reporters Network28-May-2019No play was possible on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match between Gloucestershire and Lancashire at Cheltenham.Players arrived at the College Ground to find that a fierce storm the previous night had caused some water to seep through the covers, leaving a wet area on a length at the Chapel End.Umpires Jeff Evans and Paul Pollard delayed the start and opted to make an initial inspection at 11.30am local time. Plans for a further look an hour later were abandoned because of a heavy shower and an early lunch was taken with the intention of another inspection at 1.30pm. By then more rain had fallen and play was abandoned for the day at 1.45pm amid continued concern that the nature of the pitch had changed.Lancashire were due to resume their first innings on 47 for 2 in reply to Gloucestershire’s 205.Saqib Mahmood claimed 4 for 48 on the opening day, including the first three wickets of Gloucestershire’s innings to stem a promising start by the hosts. There were two wickets each for James Anderson and Liam Livingstone, while Miles Hammond top scored with 82.By the time bad light brought a close three overs early, Lancashire had lost Haseeb Hameed to a run out and Jake Lehmann, bowled by David Payne during an eight-over opening spell by the left-armer, which saw him concede only four runs.Keaton Jennings remained not out 26 and Rob Jones was unbeaten on 14.

The Premier League's winter break couldn't have come at a better time for Arsenal, as after a positive start to the festive season, the Gunners' form fell off a cliff as they proceeded to lose three games on the bounce, falling to fourth in the league and crashing out of the FA Cup.

While performances have dropped across the team, the biggest problem has been scoring goals, as the front three of Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka have entirely gone off the boil.

That said, Ben White has been very disappointing as of late, with GOAL's Charlie Watts giving him a 4/10 for his display against Fulham, and his total lack of threat has hurt Saka's effectiveness on the right.

Mikel Arteta and co have clearly noticed this as well, as the latest name touted for a move to N5 could replace the converted centre-back and provide the young winger with plenty of offensive help: Galatasaray's Sacha Boey.

Arsenal transfer news – Sacha Boey

According to reports from Spanish outlet AS earlier this week, Arsenal are on the lookout for a new full-back in 2024 and have reignited their interest in French full-back Boey in January.

The bad news for the Gunners is that, according to the report, Galatasaray do not want to sell the dynamic defender this month, but the good news is that they would contemplate selling him should an offer in the region of £22m be made.

While that's an attainable fee for the north Londoners, they will also have to compete with the uber-wealthy Paris Saint-Germain, who the report names as another interested party.

While it might prove challenging to beat the Parisians to Boey's signature, it would certainly be worth trying as his dynamism could see him replace White and help Saka rediscover his goalscoring form at the same time.

Boey could replace White and help revive Saka's attacking threat

Saka registered his sixth goal of the Premier League campaign against Fulham on New Year's Eve, and while that might sound great, he hadn't scored in the previous five, and worse yet, he had only registered one assist in that time as well, meaning that since December 2nd he has just two goals and one assist to his name.

This clearly isn't what is expected of a player as talented as the young Englishman is, but with the rest of the team failing around him and White – who FootyStats have rated as just the 49th-best defender in the league this season – also failing to produce, it cannot be entirely his fault.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion ace has just one assist to his name so far this season, whereas he ended last season with five, so unless he dramatically improves his output, he shouldn't be starting.

In contrast, FootyStats has rated Boey as the 8th best defender in the Turkish Süper Lig, and when it comes to the pair's underlying numbers from the Champions League, there is only one winner.

Stats per 90

Boey

White

Goals

0.17

0.00

Progressive Carries

3.00

1.00

Progressive Passes

6.83

6.25

Shots on Target

0.17

0.00

Shot Creating-Actions

3.67

2.47

Tackles Won

2.00

0.75

Successful Take-Ons

1.17

0.50

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Champions League

The 23-year-old "warrior", as described by Turkish journalist Kaya Temel, scored more goals, produced more progressive carries and passes, won more tackles, produced more shot-creating actions, and was significantly more successful when dribbling past his opponent.

Arsenal can forget about Mayoral by signing "insane" £15m-rated "goal machine"

The 21-year-old could help fix the Gunners’ misfiring frontline.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 12, 2024

Ultimately, White has been a great player for Arsenal, but his recent poor form is hurting his chances and minimising the effectiveness of Saka, so Arteta should be pushing to sign Boey this month, as his performances in the Champions League are evidence enough that he could make a real difference in N5.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are being backed to sign “more great players” at Wrexham, with Elliot Lee excited by potential transfer business.

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• Back-to-back promotions for Dragons
• More recruitment business is expected
• Ready for new challenge in the third tier

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Red Dragons supporters are waiting patiently for another window to swing open, with Phil Parkinson and Hollywood co-owners expected to be busy when put in a position to further bolster a squad in North Wales that has already taken in back-to-back promotions.

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  WHAT LEE SAID

  Wrexham are being linked with the likes of ex-England international Jamie Vardy, and goal-scoring midfielder Lee has said of efforts to get more proven performers on board: “It is a big leap from National League to League Two, it’s a big leap from League Two to League One, League One to Championship and so on. That’s where we want to be. We want to be playing against better players and better teams. We have already got amazing players and without getting too far ahead of ourselves, I am sure we will add more great players in the summer and we will get stronger. The biggest thing we have is our dressing room, we are all so close. It’s full of great lads and the staff are all so close. It’s a big leap but one we are all ready for and looking forward to already.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham have taken increased expectation in their stride since welcoming Reynolds and McElhenney to SToK Racecourse, with Lee among those that has grown accustomed to operating under the brightest of spotlights. He added: “There is more pressure on Wrexham. We go to away games and they fill out the stadium so it gives their players a boost. I think that is something we are all so proud of, that we deal with all that so well and we have had success back-to-back now. We will go at it head-on again in League One, we are a tight-knit group and we will see where that takes us. This season has given us more success and we will have the same mindset going into next season.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  The Red Dragons have enjoyed a second promotion party in Las Vegas since finishing as runners-up in League Two and will be returning to North America for another pre-season tour this summer – with there every chance that new recruits will form part of that travelling party.

أعلن الألماني ماتياس يايسله، المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي، عن تشكيل الفريق الرسمي لمواجهة الفتح، في المباراة التي تقام اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري السعودي.

الأهلي يلاقي الفتح، ضمن مواجهات الجولة الثانية من عمر مباريات بطولة دوري روشن السعودي للموسم الحالي 2024-2025.

طالع | موعد والقناة الناقلة لـ مباراة الأهلي والفتح اليوم في الدوري السعودي

وكان الأهلي فاز في الجولة الأولى على حساب نادي العروبة، في مستهل مبارياته بـ الدوري السعودي، بينما تلقي الفتح الخسارة من نظيره القادسية. تشكيل الأهلي اليوم أمام الفتح في الدوري السعودي

حراسة المرمى: إدوارد ميندي.

خط الدفاع: علي مجرشي، إيبانيز، ديميرال، بسام الحريجي.

خط الوسط: جابري فيجا، كيسيه، زياد الجهني.

خط الهجوم: رياض محرز، روبرت فيرمينو، عبد الكريم دارسي. بدلاء الأهلي أمام الفتح في الدوري السعودي

عبد الرحمن الصانبي – عبد الباسط هندي – فهد الحمد – سعد بالعبيد – علي الأسمري – هيثم عسيري – سميحان النابت – فراس البريكان.

The club's statement in the wake of their damaging defeat to Everton was completely misguided, as they are not the only victims

In the opulent world of Premier League football, it takes something quite extraordinary to provoke genuine shock and surprise. Nottingham Forest surpassed that high bar on Sunday afternoon, releasing a quite extraordinary statement following their 2-0 defeat to fellow relegation candidates Everton.

"Three extremely poor decisions – three penalties not given – which we simply cannot accept. We warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game, but they didn’t change him. Our patience has been tested multiple times. NFFC will now consider its options," they wrote on X.

At the time of writing, that post has been viewed almost 40 million times, and reaction to the statement has been vociferous. Shortly after it went up, pundit Jamie Carragher responded strongly, deriding it as sounding like a "fan in the pub" sounding off.

"It tells us where we are with the Premier League and the clubs. (VAR) Stuart Attwell and (referee) Anthony Taylor have had a horrific day, awful, and they should be rightly criticised for that," he said. "And that could have real implications for Nottingham Forest. I get the frustration. But what I’ve just read on social media – that’s like a fan in the pub. I get the frustration. Rubbish. ‘The VAR is a Luton fan’ – don’t get involved in that. You’ve got to show a little bit of class. That’s nonsense."

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  Right to be fuming

  This unbelievable statement was forged in the fires of righteous condemnation sparked by a trio of extraordinary refereeing decisions at Goodison Park that all involved Ashley Young. The first came in the 24th minute, when Young lazily swung his 38-year-old leg in the direction of Gio Reyna. The United States star unsurprisingly darted in before the former Manchester United man and soon hit the deck. It certainly looked like a penalty, but VAR Attwell confirmed Taylor's on-field decision after a brief check.

  Not long after Idrissa Gueye opened the scoring for Everton, there was an even more controversial incident. Morgan Gibbs-White floated a ball to the back post, spotting the run of Callum Hudson-Odoi. The winger took a nicetouch, but the ball's trajectory was blocked by Young's arm. Despite the defender's arm being away from his body, once again both the referee and VAR refused to award a spot-kick.

  Bad news comes in threes, and Forest's misery was compounded in the second half when Young again got himself in a spot of bother. This time the defender clattered into Hudson-Odoi from behind, though Forest would find themselves frustrated again. Everton would then put the game beyond all doubt through Dwight McNeil.

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  Not the first time

  To make matters worse, Sunday's farce was only the latest instance of Forest being on the wrong side of refereeing controversy this season too. All the way back in August, the Trees were denied of a famous point at Old Trafford when Marcus Rashford went down under minimal contact from Danilo in the penalty box, with Bruno Fernandes converting the resultant penalty.

  Then, in December, Willy Boly was handed a second yellow 23 minutes into Forest's Premier League clash with Bournemouth. It was, to put it mildly, a rather baffling decision, with the centre-back cleanly winning the ball. And there's no doubt that playing with 10 men for so long contributed to the Cherries' scoring a sickening 94th-minute winner at the City Ground.

  Nuno Espirito Santo was seething after the game, saying: "Our fans deserve better decisions. They come here to see football and suddenly they see something which really changes the game. The frustration is huge. All of us are upset."

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  Incidents rack up

  Nuno was similarly befuddled after his side's clash with Brentford the following month. In that one, Ivan Toney controversially moved the position of a first-half free-kick, providing the England striker just enough room to curl home a low effort.

  "Everyone in the room will have seen the ball displacement and the law is clear. Every goal must be checked. Every situation must be checked, when it leads to a goal," Nuno said at full-time, with Forest later lodging a complaint to the Premier League about the decision to allow the goal to stand.

  Taiwo Awoniyi likely should have won a penalty against Newcastle in February too, with Martin Dubravka clipping the centre-forward's heels as his raced through to score. Scoring the resulting spot-kick would have earned Forest a precious point.

  Then, in March, there was the Liverpool controversy, with the Reds being given possession back following a collision in the box despite their visitors having the ball when play was stopped. Jurgen Klopp's side would score their winner shortly after wrongly regaining possession.

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  Anger understandable – but not justified

  With this additional context, Forest's fury in the wake of the Everton game makes far more sense. But is their righteous anger justified?

  Yes, the sheer volume of refereeing decisions that have gone against them is pretty staggering. However, by veering into conspiracy-theory territory with their dig at Attwell's apparent Luton allegiances, they have surely gone too far. A statement simply saying they were unhappy with the decisions and planned to raise this with PGMOL would have been more palatable, though no less pointless in the grand scheme of things.

  But by veering into extremes – questioning the integrity of an official – it makes one wonder if it was an attempt at deflection. For all of their refereeing misfortune, Forest have performed well below par this campaign. Even with their four-point deduction added back on, they would still be just barely hovering above the drop zone.

  This is despite eye-watering investment in the first team since their promotion in 2022, with Forest reportedly possessing the 11th-highest wage bill in the entire Premier League.

  Evangelos Marinakis is hardly the perfect owner, either. His spending may have got Forest up, but it has also earned them a points deduction and left manager Nuno with an imbalanced squad. He's also made the controversial decision to hike up season-ticket prices by an average of 24 percent recently. Of course, these facts will now be lost in the news cycle, with the focus squarely on the fallout from the statement.

Emiliano Martinez will not be available for selection during the first leg of Aston Villa's Europa Conference League semi-final with Olympiacos.

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Martinez saved two penalties in victory over LilleWas flashed a yellow card for provoking the home crowdBut has accumulated too many bookings which keeps him suspendedWHAT HAPPENED?

The Argentine shot-stopper played a pivotal role in Villa's journey to the last four of the competition with a standout performance coming in the quarter-final shootout victory over Lille where he saved two penalties. However, amidst the triumph, Martinez found himself embroiled in controversy for his gamesmanship by provocating the home crowd, which forced the referee to show a yellow card.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

UEFA's regulations mandate a suspension for players accumulating three bookings throughout the competition, provided they do not result in a red card. Consequently, Martinez's indiscretions during the two-legged quarter-final tie against Lille have led to his suspension for the upcoming first-leg encounter with Olympiacos. He was warned in the first-leg clash against Lille on April 11 and twice during the second-leg encounter on April 18.

WHAT MARTINEZ SAID

Martinez launched a staunch defence of his actions after the match and stated to TNT Sports: "It’s been a hell of a ride all my career. I’m a believer and I’m a hard worker and it was my destiny to win here again. I’ve got a reputation for time-wasting because the other goalkeeper was doing the same but I got booked for time-wasting. Then again there was no ball on the penalty spot so I was asking the ballboy for a ball. I don’t understand the rules. I always say all my career, my team needs me. We were watching Real Madrid against Manchester City yesterday and the manager was saying we might go to penalties.”

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As Aston Villa prepare for the Europa Conference League semi-final showdown, Martinez's absence poses a significant setback for the team. However, they remain determined to overcome this obstacle and secure a favourable result in the first-leg encounter against Olympiacos at Villa Park on May 2. The keeper will be back between the sticks for the second leg on May 9 and if the game requires a shootout after 120 minutes of action, Villa can count on Martinez once again.

In any other Championship season, Leeds United would currently find themselves in the automatic promotion spots.

Unfortunately for Daniel Farke's men, Ipswich Town and Leicester City are light years ahead of the promotion pack early into this campaign – both teams in question only losing one match so far, with the Foxes picking up a staggering 13 wins from their first 14 to mount an instant return straight back to the Premier League.

The incredible achievements of their second-tier rivals shouldn't detract from the fact Leeds have bounced back from their early campaign woes tremendously, not registering a win in the Championship until the fourth match of the season with grumbling voices at Elland Road growing in volume.

Now, Leeds find themselves in third spot after that momentary early season blip with their eyes firmly back on the ultimate prize of promotion come May.

Crysencio Summerville has stepped up to the mark as a key performer for Farke's side in this turnaround, but he could be missing for Leeds' trip to the Foxes.

Replaced by Wilfried Gnonto last time out versus Huddersfield – coming off with a suspected knock – it could be touch-and-go whether or not the Dutch superstar features in a tantalising top-of-the-table battle against Leicester City.

Summerville's numbers this season

Summerville has been instrumental in Leeds rising to third spot in the Championship standings, scoring six times this season from 11 appearances with the 22-year-old also adding four assists to his individual tally.

His electric form has even seen him pick up a flawless 10/10 Sofascore rating from Leeds' West Yorkshire derby versus Huddersfield, Summerville unstoppable all match as the Whites ran riot in a 4-1 drubbing.

Accurate with all of his crosses in that contest – including his passing accuracy coming in at a high of 87% – Summerville could not be contained by Darren Moore's side no matter the Terriers' attempts to stifle him.

Farke spoke about the Dutchman making improvements to his game to Sky Sports after the 4-1 victory, overjoyed that his number ten is beginning to add more goals and assists to his arsenal.

The popular German head coach said: "I think he was already playing on a top level but it is necessary for a young player to develop so that he is getting goals and assists."

He could be a big loss therefore if he is ruled out for the away game at the King Power Stadium, but Gnonto will be waiting in the wings to seize his opportunity after nearly departing Elland Road this summer if Summerville is absent.

Gnonto's numbers this season

Once a beloved figure, Gnonto has some making up to do when it comes to his relationship with the Leeds fanbase – the Italian attacker handing in a transfer request at the start of the campaign to pressure his employers to sell him to Everton.

It backfired on the 5 foot 7 attacker immensely, with his spot in the starting eleven insecure ever since.

Playing only two full games for the Whites so far this season in the second tier, the 19-year-old could be unleashed from the start versus Leicester

Scoring only once for Farke's men in the Championship – helping himself to a goal in an action-packed 4-3 victory at Ipswich Town two months ago, in late August – the teenager's rapid pace and tricky feet could catch Leicester off-guard who could be potentially complacent at home versus Leeds.

Gnonto will likely be raring to go if he is selected ahead of Summerville, keen to shrug off any prior unhappiness and perform again for the Whites to the best of his abilities.

They could be helped by a batting-friendly pitch in Bloemfontein, where England smashed 399 for 9 in February 2016

The Preview by Liam Brickhill02-Oct-2018

Heinrich Klaasen works one on the leg side•AFP

Big PictureSouth Africa’s bowlers did a sterling job in the series opener and the hosts are 1-0 up, but there are questions over their batting. In Bloemfontein’s Mangaung Oval, they may have the perfect stage to set right some of their batting errors and get the middle order flowing smoothly.An untested middle order clearly got the memo about playing aggressive cricket, but in the first ODI their application in conditions that made strokeplay dangerous went awry. Only Heinrich Klaasen seemed to have figured out just how to be positive against the extra bounce in Kimberley.South Africa’s bowling, meanwhile, appears in starkly fine fettle. Kagiso Rabada bowled a little within himself on Sunday, but was still effective, while Lungi Ngidi showed that he could be a menace even on a fairly slow pitch. Andile Phehlukwayo and Wiaan Mulder did exactly what was asked of them in backing up the new-ball pair, while Imran Tahir whizzed through his variations to clean up the tail.Zimbabwe’s batsmen will also be pleased that South Africa’s attack might be defanged a little by batting-friendly conditions in Bloemfontein. The visitors do at least also have a little more experience of Bloemfontein than they had of Kimberley before the series opener.The Mangaung Oval is one of the few grounds in South Africa where Zimbabwe have a history in all three international formats. Almost twenty years ago, this was the ground where Zimbabwe played their first Test match on South Africa soil, and more recently Zimbabwe’s batsmen had left with happy memories of T20 and ODI cricket here. Eight years ago, Brendan Taylor cracked a career-best 145* here under lights. Hamilton Masakadza, Sean Williams and Elton Chigumbura were all also part of the XI in that game, and Masakadza has a particular connection to the city.Sixteen years ago, Masakadza enrolled at the University of the Free State to study for a Bachelor of Commerce degree at their Bloemfontein campus, and must have cut a somewhat unlikely figure at his Afrikaans hostel, Vishuis. But by all accounts he enjoyed his time here, studying with the help of a cricket bursary organised by Ewie Cronje, father of Hansie, and when he returned to the city for the first time since finishing university with the national side in October 2010, he cracked 72 in a T20I against a bowling attack that included his old university team-mate, Ryan McLaren.Zimbabwe desperately need Masakadza to rekindle some of that varsity sparkle at the top of the order. South Africa, too, need more out of their batting unit.Form guideSouth Africa WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe LLLLLBrandon Mavuta celebrates his maiden ODI wicket•AFP

In the spotlightSouth Africa’s middle order is under more than a little pressure to perform after a lull in their last three ODIs. Reeza Hendricks has just seven runs from his last three ODI innings, while Dean Elgar and Christiaan Jonker are yet to show whether they can fill in for the injured Hashim Amla and the absent David Miller. Klaasen helped South Africa overcome a wobble against Zimbabwe in the opener, and the batting hopefuls will be desperate to impose themselves a little more second time around.Zimbabwe have some middle-order issues of their own, but their batting malaise is a little more widespread and of particular concern is their ability to absorb pressure by turning the strike over with singles. This was particularly apparent in Kimberley, when 153 of the 205 deliveries bowled at Zimbabwe were dots. They’ll have to find a way to run South Africa a little harder with quick singles.Team newsSouth Africa coach Ottis Gibson spoke about giving extended opportunities to those in the starting XI ahead of this series, and it’s likely that the South African think tank will want to have another look at their combination in different conditions. South Africa’s bowling attack gelled very nicely in the first game, and their top six should have another chance to do the same.South Africa (possible): 1 Dean Elgar, 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Reeza Hendricks, 4 JP Duminy (capt), 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Christiaan Jonker, 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Andile Phehlukwayo, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Imran TahirWith Brendan Taylor keeping wicket, Zimbabwe’s combinations are also likely settled for the moment. The value of playing Elton Chigumbura as an extra batsman at no. 7 was demonstrated in the first ODI, when he top-scored with 27, and with Sean Williams and Solomon Mire filling in the fifth bowler’s position, the visitors have plenty of options with the ball.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Hamilton Masakadza (capt), 2 Solomon Mire, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Brendan Taylor (wk), 5 Sean Williams, 6 PJ Moor/Ryan Murray, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Wellington Masakadza, 9 Brandon Mavuta, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Tendai ChataraPitch and conditionsUnless the pitch plays completely out of character, as was the case in Kimberley, there should be plenty of runs on offer. Unless there is a grass on it, the Mangaung Oval track is as flat as any in the country, with some franchise coaches even criticising the extent to which bat dominated the ball in some games last season.Just to make things a little more comfortable for the batsmen, the weather should be temperate on the day, with plenty of sunshine and a light breeze.Stats and trivia Batsmen usually enjoy Bloemfontein. England smashed 399 for 9 at an ODI here in February 2016, and five of the six 300-plus scores at the ground have come since 2003. The last time South Africa played Zimbabwe here, Amla and Colin Ingram cracked hundreds as the hosts reached 351 for 6. Zimbabwe responded through Taylor’s ton, but fell well short as he was given little support.Quotes”I’m looking forward to going back home. It’s been a long time coming, I haven’t played there for a while.”
“I am still under pressure of securing a spot in this team so, for me, every game I play in I need to do well.”