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Manchester United's efforts to land Kim Min-jae this summer have been handed a boost with Il Mattino in Italy reporting that the Glazers are prepared to pay the player's release clause – and that the defender has said yes to a move.

Are Man United signing Kim Min-jae this summer?

The Premier League outfit have been linked with a move for another midfielder and striker mainly this summer, with reports suggesting that a player in each of those positions is a transfer priority for manager Erik Ten Hag.

However, the Red Devils have also been linked with a swoop for another defensive reinforcement during the summer transfer window as well. Whilst the club already have a number of options to choose from in their backline, that number could decrease when the season comes to a close. Harry Maguire has been linked with an Old Trafford exit for example, which would free up some space in the centre-back positon and so has Victor Lindelof. Further to that, some depth will be created by the departure of Phil Jones, who is likely to leave as a free agent this summer.

It means that United want to sign a defender and the most heavily linked name is that of Kim Min-jae from Napoli. The Red Devils have been keen to do a deal for the Napoli man and it appears that their chances of getting one over the line have been boosted today.

That's because a report from Il Mattino in Italy states that the side's owners, the Glazers, are prepared to trigger the player's release clause of 56 million Euros (£48m). The centre-back himself is also believed to be up to an Old Trafford move, with the report adding that he will say yes – especially when his salary is likely to be quadrupled if he completes a move over to the Premier League. A deal then looks like it is moving along nicely and could soon be completed for the club.

Who is Kim Min-jae?

The Napoli defender has caught the eye with some superb performances for his club in Serie A and in Europe over the course of the current campaign. Marshalling the backline, he has managed a WhoScored rating of 7.10 in the domestic league, which marks him out as one of the better options in his position in the division.

In addition, his performance level increases when given the chance to perform on the big stage. In the Champions League, that WhoScored rating increases to 7.20 for example and with 2.4 interceptions per game in that competition, it shows his adept ability to read opposition play and break it up to help his side start attacks of their own.

Further to this, former Premier League and Man United man Park Ji-Sung has heaped the praise on the defender. He called the centre-back "extraordinary" and added that he is a "technical leader" too.

United then would be getting a standout player in Kim – so if a deal does get done, it would be good business from Erik Ten Hag's side.

Frank Lampard has re-arrived at Chelsea and been thrown in at the deep end without much hope of swimming.

Indeed, Lampard may well sink when the Blues take on Real Madrid this evening, with the Spanish giants easy favourites to take a win.

Carlo Ancelotti's men may well be off the pace in La Liga – sitting second to Barcelona – but in Europe they are the dominant force we have all come to expect. As such, Chelsea's hopes of sealing a place in the semi-finals are slim.

They have scored just 29 times in 30 Premier League outings while their interim boss lost his first game in charge at Wolves last weekend. All things point to a straightforward victory for Madrid, therefore.

That said, Lampard could boost his side's chances of securing an unlikely result by dropping Marc Cucurella to the bench.

How has Cucurella played this season?

The Spanish wing-back arrived in west London after Chelsea paid Brighton a fee of a whopping £60m.

The curly-haired sensation is often a marvel in offensive areas, using his immense energy to burst forward in search of crossing positions down the flanks.

It's an impressive aspect of the £175k-per-week defender's game, with Cucurella ranking in the top 13% of positionally similar players in Europe's top five leagues for passes into the final third.

Yet, despite ranking in the best 3% of full-backs for tackles per 90, it is in a defensive sense where the former Barca man is "completely out of his depth", as per writer Zach Lowy.

The fact of the matter is that the 24-year-old has very quickly become a liability at the back for Chelsea, with his performances at Stamford Bridge a "shadow" of what he produced on the south coast – in the words of content creator Sripad.

Indeed, the 5 foot 8 full-back has now been at fault on several occasions this term, most notably in the recent defeat to Aston Villa.

His "schoolboy defending", as pundit Lee Hendrie called it, ensured that he simply gifted a goal to Unai Emery's men with Cucurella's errant back pass finding Ollie Watkins who then scored.

Crucially, the ex-Getafe man also left Matheus Nunes unmarked in the build-up to his stunning winner at Molineux a matter of days ago too.

That type of form simply has to see him dropped, with Lampard surely better off settling for Ben Chilwell at left-back instead.

Although the 26-year-old has been injured for much of the campaign, he is a crucial cog in Chelsea's system and notably 'attacks space off-the-ball better than any full-back or wing-back in the game', as per BBC Sport's Raj Chohan.

Of course, Cucurella is also good in attacking areas but Chilwell offers that extra reliability and composure in the backline. That will undoubtedly be needed against Karim Benzema and co on Wednesday evening.

ScorecardBen Sanderson gave Northamptonshire a boost•Getty Images

An extraordinary day’s cricket saw 21 wickets fall and Leicestershire, having declined to enforce the follow-on, close with a lead of 313 with four wickets remaining in their second innings.Captain Mark Cosgrove’s decision not to ask the visitors to bat again surprised many after the Leicestershire seamers occupied only 46.3 overs in dismissing Northants for 151. But Cosgrove felt the pitch – quick, with some nip in it for the seamers, but no minefield – might deteriorate sufficiently to make batting last a difficult prospect, however small the target.”With the pitch nipping around, and the occasional ball starting to keep low, making it tough to bat last, I felt it was more valuable to have the runs on the board,” said Cosgrove. “We’re 300 ahead, which is a good position to be in, hopefully we can get another hundred and get bowling at them again. The pitch isn’t a minefield, but if you keep putting the ball in the right area you’ll get enough chances to win the game.”Northants opener Jake Libby  said they were not surprised not to be batting again.”We thought we’d be back in the field, because of the amount of time left in the game and I guess their theory is the wicket is going to go a bit up and down.”There’s always going to be enough in the pitch to keep the bowlers interested, but there’s pace too, the ball comes on to the bat nicely, so you can get your runs too. We feel we’ve clawed our way back into the game, and if we can take their last four wickets quickly tomorrow, anything is possible.”Northants had begun the day well, picking up Leicestershire’s five remaining first innings wickets for just 21 runs, with Olly Stone and Ben Sanderson benefitting from bowling line and length, something the visitors signally failed to do on the first day of the game.Leicestershire’s bowlers picked up where their opponents left off, taking three wickets before lunch. Ben Duckett went leg before to Ben Raine, hit in front by a delivery that swung back in to the in-form left hander. Alex Wakely never looked comfortable before losing his off stump to the same bowler, but Libby had been batting well when he was unluckily caught down the leg side on 32 by wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien in Wayne White’s first over.The afternoon session was a procession. Northants quickly lost Josh Cobb who, having looked in good form, threw the bat at a wide delivery from Clint McKay and edged a catch behind. Richard Levi had struggled to 19, made from 61 balls, when he too fell to a wide delivery, edging Neil Dexter’s loosener to O’Brien.Dexter’s relatively gentle medium pace continued to prove effective as two balls later, Steven Crook pushed hard-handed at a straight delivery and edged to gully. Rory Kleinveldt also came and went  in short order, edging a Dexter out-swinger to first slip.Stone was bowled by a White delivery which stayed low, and Azharullah and Sanderson also fell to the allrounder, the former caught at first slip, the latter leg before.Leicestershire’s second innings batting proved equally fragile. Horton may have been a touch unfortunate to be given leg before to Kleinveldt, the ball striking the pad well above the knee roll, but Dexter was comprehensively bowled by Stone.Sanderson, formerly of Yorkshire before a four-year spell out of the first-class game, then picked up three quick wickets, including that of Cosgrove leg before with a delivery which stayed low, before O’Brien and Aadil Ali took the lead past 300 with a stand of 53 for the sixth wicket.Even then there was to be drama, with Ali edging the last ball of the day from Sanderson to wicketkeeper Adam Rossington.

West Ham United proved that they are very much still in a relegation battle this season as they were thumped 5-1 at home by Newcastle United on Wednesday night, in a game which could potentially spell the end for David Moyes.

The pressure will surely now be ramped up on the Scottish manager after an embarrassing home defeat which leaves the Hammers only out of the bottom three on goal difference.

How did West Ham against Newcastle play out?

Although West Ham could have opened the scoring early on when Bruno Guimaraes hit his own post, it was one-way traffic for most of the 90 minutes.

Callum Wilson headed in from Allan Saint-Maximin’s cross to continue his fine run of form against the Hammers before Joelinton made it two after exploiting a Sunday League-esque defensive line from Moyes’ side.

Kurt Zouma gave the home side hope just before half-time after heading in Jarrod Bowen’s corner but any dreams of a comeback were quelled by Nayef Aguerd as he miscontrolled a simple pass, with Jacob Murphy robbing him of possession and squaring for Wilson for his second.

West Ham weren’t done there as Lukasz Fabianski gifted Alexander Isak the fourth.

The Polish ‘keeper made an inexplicable howler as he unnecessarily came flying out of his goal, only to fluff his lines and present the Swedish forward with an empty net to find.

That was before Joelinton compounded the home side’s misery by firing in a fifth, which the Hammers shot-stopper arguably could have kept out.

Who was West Ham’s worst performer against Newcastle?

There are plenty of names to choose from when deciding upon the Hammers’ worst player against the Toon, as individual errors from Aguerd and Fabianski were crucial in the visitors taking all three points.

However, there was another completely anonymous display from Tomas Soucek in West Ham’s midfield, with the Czech Republic international barely touching the ball in his 65 minutes on the pitch.

As per Sofascore, the former Slavia Prague man would earn a woeful 6.3/10 rating for his performance, with only Emerson, Bowen, Fabianski and Aguerd rated lower from the West Ham players to feature in the game.

Despite his role as a midfielder, the 28-year-old simply let the game pass him by, as he managed just 13 touches of the ball and eight passes in his time on the pitch, with Fabianski managing 31 touches by comparison.

This has been the story of Soucek’s season as he possesses the 16th-best pass average in West Ham’s squad, but he has averaged 27 passes per game in the top flight, which emphasises just how little influence he had against a dominant Newcastle side on Wednesday.

Unsurprisingly, the £65k-per-week midfielder’s woeful display caught the eye of journalists on Twitter, with Barry Collins writing:

“What the hell has happened to Tomas Soucek? An absolute shadow of the player that arrived. Has zero presence.”

David Rivers suggested that Moyes’ faith in Soucek was a stackable offence in itself, suggesting that his decision to keep playing the out-of-form West Ham man was “becoming comical.”

Although fingers will naturally be pointed at Fabianski and Aguerd for their shocking mistakes, Soucek completely went missing again. Indeed, he simply isn’t fulfilling his role as a midfielder, as a return of no shots, no key passes, no dribbles and no tackles represents a horrific all-round display.

Leeds United are back in Premier League action today as they travel to Chelsea, a side they dismantled earlier in the season and one which is certainly there for the taking once again.

It marks Javi Gracia’s third game in charge, as he looks to maintain his unbeaten start to life in the league with another big result to move them further from the relegation zone. The Whites sit just one point away from 18th-place Everton, meaning that avoiding defeat against Graham Potter’s stumbling outfit could be imperative to them remaining out of the bottom three.

The Blues have won just one game in all competitions since the turn of the new year, and having recently handed three points to Southampton, who the Yorkshire outfit beat last weekend, there is cause to believe that they can now do the same.

To give themselves the best possible chance of disrupting the rhythm of the hosts, perhaps the Spaniard could look to employ a tactical twist in starting two strikers and reverting to the 4-4-2 system he had employed at Watford.

This would therefore allow the lively Georginio Rutter to retain his spot, and for Patrick Bamford to return to hopefully terrorise the opposition’s back line.

Will Patrick Bamford start vs Chelsea?

There could be an expectation that the 29-year-old will be recalled for this clash, given his experience and undeniable quality despite his struggles in front of goal this season.

Should he return to his “dangerous” best, for which he has been lauded in the past by Darren Bent, he could cause untold issues for Wesley Fofana who could replace the injured Thiago Silva.

The Frenchman has made just six league appearances this season due to injury, and Bamford could capitalise on the possible rustiness and inexperience he could bring to their defence.

Also, with their heights being essentially the same, the Englishman offers a fine physical presence to more than compete with the 22-year-old.

This will in turn allow Rutter additional space to utilise his trickery, of which he has only shown brief glimpses since his January move, in the final third.

Whilst it has been a while since the former Chelsea striker has been in hot scoring form, a good performance today could be the kickstart he needs to recapture his form from the 2020/21 campaign. Scoring 17 and assisting a further eight, the lethal marksman was branded a “Leeds legend” by journalist Jake Winderman.

Should the £70k-per-week finisher now step up to help them avoid the drop once again, he could further cement this statement as a general consensus around Elland Road.

For now, Bamford must recapture his best form, having already proven that he has the quality to be an excellent Premier League performer, and help the Whites to the win by dominating Fofana this afternoon.

Nottinghamshire’s delight in pulling off one of the transfer coups of the season when they signed the Durham allrounder Paul Coughlin has been marred by the news that he will miss much of his debut season because of a shoulder injury.Coughlin will have an operation on Wednesday in Manchester to repair the right shoulder – his bowling shoulder – that he damaged while on England Lions duty.He joined Nottinghamshire on a three-year deal in September amid an outcry from Durham, whose president, Sir Ian Botham, called for greater compensation for counties losing players produced by their academy system.Notts hailed Coughlin’s international potential and that immediately became evident when he won England Lions recognition and impressed on tour in Australia before Christmas and in the Caribbean in February and March.But in the Lions’ final unofficial One-Day International against the West Indies, he was forced off the field after diving for the ball and landing awkwardly and dislocating his shoulder.Notts’ head coach Peter Moores conceded that Coughlin will now miss “a big chunk” of the season. It is a blow for Notts, who won both limited-overs trophies last season and regained their First Division status in the Championship and had regarded Coughlin’s all-round talents as important in re-energising a squad hit by several batting departures in the past year.”He has been assessed and is going to have an operation on Wednesday,” said Moores. “It’s obviously a very serious injury and we are not going to see him for a while, but in physio James Pipe and all the medical staff he’s in the best hands, and hopefully the surgery goes well.”He’s got a fairly long journey back to fitness and we all feel for him because he’d just joined a new club and made a really good impression in terms of his ability and how he’s been around the other lads.”I’m sure he will commit everything to the rehab which he will have to do, and realistically there is going to be a big chunk of the season which he is going to have to miss.Moores said of the injury: “He’s gone full length to try to get to a ball and with sport there’s always a chance of an injury. The commitment he showed in going for that ball is the way he plays his cricket – and why we were so excited to get him.”

Ramith Rambukwella is back playing domestic cricket after being released on bail on Saturday, with SLC yet to make a decision on what disciplinary measures – if any – will be imposed.Arrested on Friday night for assault and drunk driving, Rambukwella has since had the assault charges dropped, having come to a settlement with the complainants. The drunk driving charge remains however; he is due in court on Tuesday.Although initially an SLC official told ESPNcricinfo that the board had only found out about the incident “through the media” and that it had “not had any official reports of the incident”, Rambukwella’s behaviour is set to be discussed at a manager’s committee meeting on Tuesday. As such his contract with SLC may be under review. His ongoing participation in domestic cricket – he played a one-day match for Tamil Union on Monday – is less likely to be affected, but may also be under scrutiny.Of particular concern to the board will be Rambukwella’s history of disciplinary issues. He was arrested in 2016 under another drunk driving charge after he crashed his car into a wall. In 2013, he had also caused mild panic onboard a flight, when he attempted to open a cabin door at 35,000 feet while returning from a tour with the Sri Lanka A side.A tall offspinning allrounder, Rambukwella played two T20 internationals for Sri Lanka, the most recent of which was in July 2016.

Chasing 287 on a pitch with treacherous low bounce, India ended day four of the Centurion Test 35 for 3, with both their openers and Virat Kohli back in the dressing room

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy16-Jan-20180:58

Holding: ‘India have an outstanding chance of chasing 270-280’

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsWith one day left to play at SuperSport Park, South Africa are seven wickets from taking an unassailable 2-0 lead, and India are a distant 252 runs from levelling the Test series. Having bowled South Africa out for 258 in their second innings, India were left with the task of chasing 287 with the best part of four sessions remaining. They ended day four 35 for 3, with two of their top-order batsmen already lost to treacherous low bounce, and another out to a loose shot.The new ball had shown a definite tendency to keep low at the start of South Africa’s second innings on day three, and Jasprit Bumrah had removed Aiden Markram and Hashim Amla with shooters pitching short of a good length. India lost M Vijay and Virat Kohli in the same manner; Vijay played on to one from Rabada that shot through at just above ankle height; Kohli was lbw to a nip-backer from Lungi Ngidi that went through at knee height.Given that the older ball did not misbehave quite as much in South Africa’s innings, India might have accepted it if they had only lost those two wickets in the 23 overs they played until stumps. They lost one more, however, to a ball that didn’t deserve a wicket; Ngidi bowled it short and wide, and perhaps it stopped slightly on KL Rahul – he shaped to cut, checked his shot as he played it, and ended up slicing it straight into backward point’s hands.At stumps, Cheteshwar Pujara was batting on 11 and with him was Parthiv Patel – promoted ahead of Rohit Sharma to No. 5, possibly since he’s the only left-hander in India’s XI – on 5.BCCISouth Africa were bowled out in the tenth over after tea, with Mohammed Shami’s four wickets playing a key role in keeping India in the contest. Shami’s key interventions came when he took three wickets in a seven-over spell before lunch, after AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar had put on 141 for the third wicket.Bumrah and Ishant Sharma were also among the wickets, finishing with 5 for 110 between them, while R Ashwin toiled wicketless for 29.2 overs before ending the innings by getting last man Ngidi caught in the deep.Thanks to the slowness of the pitch, low bounce was a manageable threat for South Africa’s batsmen once the ball became older and softer. Even so, de Villiers breathed a sigh of relief when Bumrah got one to keep low in the fourth over of the morning as well, but this time the line was just outside off stump.Conditions were otherwise reasonably good to bat in, and with India also offering de Villiers release balls every now and then – width the most frequent culprit – South Africa’s lead was beginning to trouble India, and their worries were compounded by Elgar’s stay. He never looked comfortable at the crease, particularly against Ashwin’s offspin but kept fighting cussedly, bringing up his half-century with a drive through extra-cover off Ishant.The breakthrough arrived thanks to extra bounce, Shami getting one to rear at de Villiers in the corridor to find a bit of glove through to Parthiv Patel. Then, Shami dropped one short to Elgar, who had pulled a similar ball to the boundary at the start of his spell, but this time he hit it in the air and within range of KL Rahul patrolling the square-leg boundary.Ashwin, who kept getting the ball to dip into awkward areas and turn sharply, nearly had a wicket in the over after Elgar’s dismissal. Faf du Plessis, stretching forward, failed to get to the pitch of an offbreak and flicked it in the air. Rahul, diving full-length to his right at leg gully, only got his fingertips to it.There was more frustration waiting for India in the next over. Shami kept hitting a good length outside off stump, and finding just a bit of seam movement. De Kock, seemingly unaware of the option of leaving the ball, kept throwing his hands at it. Three successive edges flew to the boundary, two wide of the slips and one just beyond Parthiv’s reach as he dived to his left. The next ball produced another poke from de Kock; this time, it was close enough to Parthiv for him to take the catch.The game had rattled along in the morning session; it nearly came to a standstill after tea, with both sides sitting back and waiting for a mistake from the other. It was understandable, given how delicately poised the Test match was. Bowling in tandem, Hardik Pandya and Ishant kept bowling just short of a good length, often sending down cutters, and conceded only 14 runs in 11 overs, discomfiting both du Plessis and Vernon Philander with movement or inconsistent bounce but without creating a chance.It took a short, harmless-looking ball to end the seventh-wicket partnership at 46, Philander unbalanced on the pull and caught at square leg. Then, in his next over, Ishant got one to lift unexpectedly in the fifth-stump channel, and Keshav Maharaj nicked to Parthiv off the shoulder of the bat.Du Plessis remained at the crease, forever a thorn in India’s flesh; when he pulled the returning Shami for four off the last ball before tea, he had moved to 37 off 122 balls. He survived a dropped chance on 46 when Bumrah put down a return catch, but fell to a near-replay in his next over, two short of his second fifty of the match. In between, Shami sent back Kagiso Rabada with bounce and seam movement in the corridor, Virat Kohli taking a good, low catch at second slip.

The former Zimbabwe batsman believes that at the very least more talent will remain in, and start coming back to, the country

Danyal Rasool24-Nov-2017The celebratory scenes in Zimbabwe following president Robert Mugabe’s resignation this week will rank among the most iconic moments in the country’s history. And there is hope that the feel-good factor may spill over into the country’s beleaguered cricketing landscape.”Just from a general perspective, there’s a huge sense of euphoria,” former Zimbabwe batsman Grant Flower told ESPNcricinfo. “Obviously not everything’s going to go back to how it was [prior to 2003], but it’s a great start.”Flower, who landed in Harare on Friday, had booked his trip to Zimbabwe well before recent political events – an army-forced change of the country’s leadership – plunged the nation in uncertainty.”I’d come just to see friends. It had nothing to do with cricket or anything else,” Flower said. “I was actually going to go to the UK. But the West Indies games (Pakistan’s home series against West Indies) got called off so I decided to come to Zimbabwe a bit early before I went to the UK.”Mugabe, who had been Zimbabwe’s leader since independence in 1980 – first as Prime Minister and then as President – was also ZimbabweCricket’s chief patron. Though Mugabe’s involvement in the affairs of the national cricket team was minimal, the cause of Zimbabwe’s cricketing woes, much like the country’s, could be traced to the political and economic turmoil caused by his regime.Mugabe’s government had begun a controversial land reform plan for the forced redistribution of thousands of farms from white farmers, withconsequences that were at times violent. And during the 2003 World Cup, which Zimbabwe co-hosted, Grant’s brother Andy Flower and bowlerHenry Olonga protested the “death of democracy” in the country by wearing black armbands. Neither ever played for Zimbabwe again. A year later another dispute, this time between several white cricketers and the board, over selection policies led to many first-team players – including Flower – going on strike. Zimbabwe has lurched from one crisis to another ever since.What may the post-Mugabe era hold for Zimbabwe’s cricket? Incidentally, the set-up is perhaps the most stable it has been since 2003. The board’s financial situation appears to be improving under the new head of operations Faisal Hasnain, and Brendan Taylor and Kyle Jarvis, both of whom had left to pursue county careers in England, have returned.”I’ve spoken to a few ex-players and they are not sure what’s going to change,” Flower said. “Faisal [Hasnain]’s head of operations in ZimbabweCricket and I’ve heard he’s doing a very good job. I’m not too sure if there are going to be any changes. Apparently things are going a lot better.”One of the things that could happen is some people might come back here. Maybe some families and younger players who have tried to go overseas, to either SA or England and Australia, they might come back. There might be a bit of talent coming back into the country. If that does happen that can only be a good thing.”When the political crisis began last week, with the army holding Mugabe under house arrest, there was speculation over whether the country was fit to host the World Cup Qualifier in March 2018. But Flower saw no reason for the tournament to be moved.”Not at all. I was at the Harare Sports Club yesterday, and it looked really good,” he said. “Obviously the series that was just played in Bulawayo went well, against the West Indies. I don’t see any reason why the tournament should be affected.”Flower was more concerned about the pressure on Taylor and Jarvis, who had to be offered attractive packages to return from the country circuit in England. With a board as hard up for cash as Zimbabwe’s has been over recent years, missing the 2019 World Cup would be a financial disaster.”Hopefully the home ground advantage will count, but there’s a lot of pressure, especially on the few guys that have come back for big cash,” Flower said. “Zimbabwe are under pressure to win the qualifiers to get through to the World Cup, because if they don’t, they lose all that money for competing in the World Cup. That’s be a huge setback for Zimbabwe Cricket.”But with things looking up of late for Zimbabwe for the first time in years, Flower said the benefits of the political developments over the last week will become apparent in the next few years, rather than the next few months.”If people see and hear there’s a future ahead of them, whether they are farmers or business people or sportsmen, I’m sure there will be some people coming back. That can only help the talent. There’s not a huge player base here anymore in Zimbabwe, so that would definitely benefit the country. If the player base is broadened that will reinvigorate some excitement and create that old structure that’s been needed for quite a while.”

Chris Woakes’ second spell of the day yielded four wickets for 15 runs, and his six-for took his wickets tally in two first-class matches on the tour to 12

George Dobell in Townsville15-Nov-2017
ScorecardChris Woakes doesn’t fit the classic image of a fast bowler.While the newspapers in Australia are full of stories of his counterparts – brooding, menacing types persuaded to stare down the lens like it just took the last pringle – promising to unleash pace and destruction upon England, Woakes responded to another outstanding performance by saying “it was nice”. And then, after a pause, “and pleasing”.Make a headline out of that: “It’s nice,” roared Woakes. “It’s pleasing,” bellowed Woakes. “I’m focusing on my processes,” vowed Woakes.But beneath the bluster, beneath the wearying propaganda that seems to preface Ashes series these days, Woakes is getting on with his job “very nicely” indeed. And while most of the media may be fixated on the damage the Australian fast bowlers are promising to inflict on England and the absence of Ben Stokes, the tourists’ other fast-bowling allrounder is enjoying the opportunity to warm-up for a confrontation that could go a long way to defining his career. And the result of the series.Woakes’ performance is vital. If he can replicate his record in England – where he has 42 Test wickets at a cost of 24.28 apiece – he will have given England a potency that will support James Anderson and Stuart Broad and ensure they have a viable attack. If he cannot improve his overseas record – he has currently taken eight Test wickets outside England (and Wales) at a cost of 63.75 apiece – then too much will be required of England’s opening bowlers and it is hard to see how they win.The key would appear to be movement. If Woakes can persuade the Kookaburra ball (used here) to move laterally as he can the Duke’s (used in England) then his other qualities – his control, his relative pace (upper 80s, you would think) and his bounce – will all be enhanced.So the good news – from an England perspective – from this tour to date is that he is finding that movement and, as a result, proving a tough proposition. Even on these pudding pitches.Getty Images

Woakes, for the second time in successive innings, produced a spell that effectively cut the opposition in half. This time it was four – the first four wickets to fall – for 15 in six overs. Later he returned to claim two more. It means he has, at present, claimed 12 first-class wickets on this tour at a cost of just 10.25 apiece. The opposition is about to get much tougher but the pace he is bowling and the movement he is generating are encouraging.It may be tempting to read some diffidence into Woakes’ softly-spoken manner. To imagine that he will recoil in the furnace of the Gabba.’Getting close to being cooked’ – Woakes

Chris Woakes feels he is coming to the boil nicely ahead of the first Test in Brisbane.
Woakes claimed 6 for 54 on the first day of the match against a CA XI in Townsville and afterwards spoke of his delight at his own rhythm and his ability to move the Kookaburra ball.
“All the numbers are saying I’m getting close to getting cooked,” Woakes said. “I’m pleased with where my body is at and getting overs in the legs is important. You don’t want to go in to the Test series undercooked and I’m pleased with where I’m at.
“We got a bit of shape with the ball, which was nice. There has been a lot spoken about the Kookaburra ball not doing as much as the Duke’s and generally it doesn’t. The fact that we got a bit of movement today is pleasing and builds some confidence with this ball that we are not as used to.
“The most important thing today was that I was pleased with how it came out and my rhythm. Six wickets is pleasing but had I picked up one or two I would still have been pleased.”

Tempting but wrong. Instead his quiet manner reflects a confidence in his own ability, which doesn’t require the layer of bravado others see fit to use. He knows it is performances that matter, not rhetoric. And he knows, if he “nails his processes” he will end the tour in a “very nice, very pleasing” mood. What’s that saying about empty vessels and loudest sounds? Talk doesn’t take wickets.It’s been noticeable in Woakes’ career to date that he has produced some of his most eye-catching performances when his side have been under pressure. How about that 11-wicket haul against Pakistan at Lord’s? England lost. Or that unbeaten 95 in an ODI against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge? He came in when England were 82 for 6 and chasing 287. Both times, the pressure brought the best out of him.His wickets here generally came from deliveries on or around off-stump that either bounced or nibbled away. So once Nick Larkin and Josh Carder’s fine opening stand (they put on 66 in 26 overs as England failed to fully utilise the first new ball) was ended with Larkin slashing to gully, Carder and Ryan Gibson were unfortunate enough to receive balls that demanded a stroke and nipped away just enough. Jason Sangha and Simon Milenko were beaten for pace by full deliveries while Harry Nielsen also pushed one to gully.Broad’s figures, in comparison, were modest. But he bowled fine generally and used this game for the warm-up that it is. He is, in the best sense of the word, something of a show-off. And performing amid the bucolic charm of Riverway Stadium – and a vocal crowd who were never far away from reminding him he remained wicketless for most of the day – was never likely to inspire him.This is another slow pitch, too. Disappointingly slow. England opted to come here over other options (Drummoyne in Sydney and Hobart were mentioned) as the ground had a reputation for pace that was akin to that expected in Brisbane. Instead, they have something more akin to New Road. Mount Louisa, off in the distance, even did a passable impression of the Malvern Hills. For the third time in succession, they surface they have encountered has been markedly different to that expected in Brisbane.The England camp are remaining tight-lipped on their view of the preparation they have been provided. But it will be no surprise if, the next time they are here for an Ashes series, they bring a battery of their own seamers (and perhaps hire their own training facility) to ensure they face more taxing bowling. The likes of Mark Footitt, Stuart Meaker, Olly Stone and Richard Gleeson could all have been employed – fitness permitting – to ensure England experienced some pace ahead of the Ashes.Getty Images

Cricket Australia would have you believe this CA XI represents almost the best opposition available with the Shield in full swing. It’s not entirely true, though. Ed Cowan, for example, says he would have loved to play this game but, having been offered the opportunity to appear only 48-hours ahead of the Adelaide match, could only promise his availability for the second game. Perhaps, with a bit of planning, the likes of Cameron White and Michael Klinger could have been included, too?England experienced a few nervous moments during the day, though. The most serious came when Jonny Bairstow had to leave the field after hurting the middle finger of his left hand in scuffing a delivery off the bowling of Woakes that appeared to bounce just in front of him.While Ben Foakes, who was permitted to take the gloves by the umpires despite not being named in the XI, is a more than capable deputy (and soon had a catch – perhaps the first ‘caught Foakes, bowled Woakes’ of many), the thought of losing Bairstow from England’s middle-order is enough to keep Joe Root up at night. He will, therefore, have been hugely relieved to see Bairstow reclaim the gloves about 50 minutes later having been diagnosed with nothing more serious than a bruise.The cordon remains a bit of a concern, though. While James Vince, so fallible in the slips during his first spell in the side, has taken to the gully position with some class – he held three sharp chances on the first day here, none of them easy – another two or three chances went begging in the region. The most straightforward went to Root, off Mason Crane, when Matthew Short had 36, while Bairstow – leaping in front of first slip – put down another (this time off Woakes) to reprieve Milenko. Another edge, again off Crane, went between Bairstow and Root, while Mark Stoneman dropped a tough chance – he did well to get a hand on it, really – when Short cut Crane on 25.Short took advantage of his reprieves to record a stubborn half-century (51 from 122 balls with just two boundaries) and ensure the CA XI recovered from the loss of four wickets for 25 runs either side of lunch.Craig Overton impressed, too. He has settled into this tour nicely and, with his height and ability to generate movement, has demanded respect from the batsmen. He has conceded almost exactly two an over in the first-class games on this tour so far and has given himself an outstanding chance of a Test debut in a week’s time.There was also good news off the pitch for England. James Anderson, who missed training on Tuesday due to illness, bowled in the nets, while Jake Ball returned to running for the first time since sustaining strained ankle ligaments in Adelaide, and later also enjoyed a gentle bowl.