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Aston Villa are reportedly interested in a Premier League gem, as Unai Emery aims to bolster his side this summer.

The transfer window is set to be a busy one for the Spaniard, who has already surpassed expectations in less than a year in charge, booking Villa’s place in Europe after a scintillating recovery of their season.

News emerging this week has placed a Manchester United defender as a potential target, in a player that could be rejuvenated by Emery.

What’s the latest on Harry Maguire to Aston Villa?

As reported by Football Transfers, Aston Villa are interested in United centre-back Harry Maguire.

The Englishman will reportedly be available this summer for a fee in the region of £35m after a tough few years at Old Trafford.

The report states that Tottenham and Everton are eyeing the 30-year-old along with Villa.

What could Harry Maguire bring to Aston Villa?

The last few years have been tough for Maguire, who has been shunned multiple times for poor performances attributable to a lack of confidence.

The 30-year-old has made just eight starts this season in the Premier League, being phased out of the picture at Old Trafford due to the emergence of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane.

While his performances have not inspired much to be celebrated, the Englishman was not long ago one of the country’s best centre-backs, signed by United back in 2019 for £80m after displaying monstrous performances for Leicester City.

With his time in Manchester reportedly coming to an end, Villa could find themselves with an experienced England international in their ranks and a defender that can compete with the best on his day.

Hailed as “tremendous” by Premier League ace Pascal Gross via GOAL, Maguire could become an anchor in Emery’s defence, and could add a magnitude of experience playing alongside Diego Carlos.

The Brazilian who suffered a traumatic Achilles injury shortly after arriving in the Midlands, has been tipped to be in the Spaniard’s plans for the future, and as shown through the duo’s statistics, could be a force to be reckoned with alongside Maguire.

Going back to the season that inspired United to snatch the Englishman from Leicester, the Sheffield-born ace was operating as one of the league’s best, likened to Virgil Van Dijk for his numbers accumulated that term.

As per FBref, Maguire’s most impressive tool that season was his ability to play out from the back while maintaining defensive stability, averaging a huge 6.59 progressive passes and 1.84 progressive carries per 90.

The Englishman could compliment the defensive attributes of Villa’s “monster”, as lauded by Ollie Watkins, who won a dominant 62% of his total duels in La Liga last season with an average of 4.0 per game, via Sofascore.

It’s integral to have the balance between a ball-carrying centre-back and one that lavishes the nitty-gritty elements, which is what Emery could have in pairing the two giants with heaps of experience under their belts.

The main element to Maguire’s potential re-emergence is his confidence, which could be restored by the Spaniard who has worked miracles on firing Tyrone Mings to reach ultimate highs again in a Villa shirt.

With the transfer window fast approaching, only time will tell if Emery can get his man.

Referee Robert Jones and his VAR team may have made a big mistake in the recent Manchester United win as they didn't send off Aleksandar Mitrovic for a headbutt.

What's the latest on Manchester United vs Fulham?

Having already secured Champions League football, the Red Devils were looking to finish third in the Premier League as they took on Fulham.

Marco Silva's men were destined to end the season in a very responsible tenth, easily smashing their pre-season aim of avoiding relegation.

Despite having nothing beyond pride to play for, though, the away team still played well and took the lead in the 19th minute as Kenny Tete headed in Willian's corner at the near post.

However, Man United hit back before halftime as Jadon Sancho finished from close range. A second-half strike from Bruno Fernandes was then enough to seal a 2-1 win at Old Trafford.

In the 79th minute, with Fulham now chasing the game, they came forward with an attack which saw Mitrovic grappling with Tyrell Malacia to get on the end of a cross.

The opportunity came to nothing as the ball bounced out of a play but that didn't mean the two players were happy to let go of one another.

Indeed, with the pair on the ground, as Mitrovic tried to get back to his feet, he appeared to flick his head forcefully in the direction of Malacia – as seen in the Match of the Day highlights (1:21:49).

Did Mitrovic deserve a red card?

The Fulham striker was ultimately booked on what was a difficult afternoon as he also had a penalty saved by David de Gea. However, it's safe to say he was lucky to avoid a red card for this headbutt on the Man United left-back.

Seeing as though Mitrovic has only just returned from an eight-match ban after pushing referee Chris Kavanagh – incidentally in another defeat at Old Trafford – he would perhaps be wise to learn how to control his anger a little better.

On this occasion, it really does feel as though he got away with one, but evidently, the VAR assistant didn't believe it was quite bad enough for them to get involved and overrule the initial decision by referee Jones.

The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell took to Twitter to comment on the situation, noting how it had been "another bad day at Old Trafford" for the striker as he was subbed immediately after "shoving his head at Malacia".

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made a rare appearance from the bench in Chelsea's 2-0 defeat against Brentford on Wednesday night and failed to win over the fans with his performance, heading over from the Blues' best chance of the game.

How has Aubameyang performed at Chelsea?

The Gabon international has been completely ostracised since his £12m move from Barcelona last summer, with attitude and performance issues seeing him dropped by Graham Potter, and completely left out of the Champions League squad for the knockout stages.

However, Todd Boehly could still recoup some of his money on the former Arsenal man, as despite a record of three goals in 20 appearances for the west London outfit, Barcelona are said to be interested in bringing him back to the Nou Camp this summer.

Chelsea have struggled desperately in front of goal this season, with just 30 goals in 32 Premier League games, and while the 33-year-old was signed for his experience and goalscoring record, the blame cannot be solely put on him.

He has featured in one of the worst Chelsea sides in recent memory whereas the failed strikers of old, notably Andriy Shevchenko and Romelu Lukaku, have struggled to succeed in a time of relative success.

However, in terms of value for money, it is arguably Fernando Torres who must be considered the worst striker of the Roman Abramovich era at Stamford Bridge.

Why did Chelsea sign Torres?

Torres was one of the biggest names in the Premier League, having performed superbly for Liverpool following his arrival from Atletico Madrid in 2007.

He would go on to contribute 81 goals and 20 assists in just 142 appearances for the club, with a memorable performance in a 3-0 thrashing of Real Madrid seeing him earn "world-class" praise from teammate Steven Gerrard.

Spain won the World Cup in 2010, but it was a 'dreadful, scoreless tournament' – as per journalist Ian Ladyman – for the attacker. Sadly, his form post-South Africa wasn't great either, managing just nine goals in the first half of the 2010/11 campaign, with Jamie Redknapp less than impressed with his form at the time.

He said: "Fans will suffer to a certain extent when you give the ball away, but they won't suffer a lack of effort. Out there for 45 minutes today, he (Torres) has been terrible. He hasn't got hold of the ball, he hasn't chased, he's got frustrated, he could have been booked, he's been diabolical."

It was perhaps made it even more surprising that Chelsea were so keen to sign him in January 2011, as the Blues shelled out a British record transfer fee of £50m to sign the clinical forward, with chairman Bruce Buck, who worked alongside Roman Abramovich during his time as owner, singing the striker's praises upon his arrival.

He said: "This is a very significant day for Chelsea, capturing one of the best players in the world with his peak years ahead of him.

"We have long admired the talents of a player who is a proven goalscorer in English football and Fernando's arrival is a sign of our continuing high ambitions. I hope every Chelsea fan is as excited as I am with this news."

While £50m seems like a drop in the ocean for Boehly given the money he has spent since taking over at Chelsea, in today's money that would equate to around £70m due to inflation.

How did Torres perform at Chelsea?

Unfortunately, Torres was never able to replicate the form he showed at Liverpool and endured some awful moments in a Chelsea shirt, with his notable open-goal miss against Manchester United perhaps symbolic of the low-confidence player that he had become at Stamford Bridge.

In total, the Atletico Madrid academy graduate would manage just 45 goals in 172 appearances for Chelsea, never reaching double figures in the Premier League again.

Although he did enjoy some success with the Blues, winning the Champions League, FA Cup and Europa League, contributing the famous breakaway goal against Barcelona, he certainly wasn't able to justify his price tag or eye-watering £175k-per-week wages in his time at the club.

Eventually, Chelsea would lose faith in Torres and he was sent on loan to AC Milan, before his move there was made permanent without the Serie A side having to pay a fee in January 2015.

The Spaniard was contracted at Stamford Bridge for 205 weeks, meaning that the club paid him £35m in wages in his four-year stay, well and truly rinsing the club of around £85m, before eventually leaving for nothing.

Therefore, while Aubameyang has been the scapegoat in a poor season for Chelsea, he cannot even be compared to Torres when it comes to value for money at Stamford Bridge. His move was the very definition of a financial disaster.

Scarborough’s restorative properties have long been proclaimed by many who love nothing better than to holiday in this grand old seaside town

David Hopps at North Marine Road03-Jul-2016
ScorecardGary Ballance scored his first Championship century of the season•Getty Images

Scarborough’s restorative properties have long been proclaimed by many who love nothing better than to holiday in this grand old seaside town. Considering the state of the pound, they might soon be joined by a few more converts. Certainly there is a good case for using Gary Ballance on their advertising material after he reacquainted himself with the form that has largely eluded him since he was dropped by England.Ballance is habitually listed as those in the running to replace Nick Compton as England’s No. 3 in the first Test against Pakistan. That he is on the shortlist – albeit a little lower down at the moment – owes as much to his Test average of 48 as much as recent form, but his unbeaten 106 against a reputable Middlesex attack, his first of the season, will do him no harm.”It has been a long time coming, this century, and it was a great feeling,” Ballance said. “I have felt it good nick this season but have not been getting the big scores. It was not so much the nervous 90s as the nervous 80s where I was stuck for about half an hour and thinking about a century but I eased my nerves by getting through the 90s quickly.”I would love to get back into the England team but every cricketer will tell you that you start struggling if you start thinking about it. At the moment I am just concentrating on playing for Yorkshire and not worrying about England: the rest will happenHistorians might feel this latest Scarborough miracle was appropriate. Scarborough’s claim to be the world’s first seaside spa report goes back as far as 1626 when it was affimed that the town’s spring water possessed medicinal properties. Such optimism was badly needed at the time because in June of that year King Charles I dissolved the English parliament. These days, parliament is not dissolved, merely in chaos. You don’t know you’ve been born.Scarborough’s effect was far from instantaneous – they even use Harrogate Spa bottled water in the dressing room – and Ballance’s hundred was hard earned, more a statement of determination and desire than an immediate clicking of form.He confessed in April to undergoing a mental battle after his back-foot technique was analysed and this innings seemed to illustrate that. Like a well-done steak, his presence was forever imposing, but not easily digestible. He was rewarded for his determination, beginning with conscientious leg-side tucks, reaching a sedate half-century in the last over before tea and interspersing some more confident cuts as life became a little easier under blue skies in the final session.Two successive clipped boundaries off Tim Murtagh brought up his first Championship century since his 165 against Sussex at Hove last August – his only Championship hundred last season.Scarborough, holiday town or not, knew the importance of that. Like an annual elephant gathering at a favourite water hole, Yorkshire cricket fans are drawn to North Marine Road by faith and tradition, watching intently, whether the cricket is grim or adventurous, sitting in familiar seats, resuming conversations, warily looking around for signs of change and grateful not to find evidence of many – apart from the seaside landladies, who reputedly are far more genial these days.This is the chattiest of county crowds, social mistrust broken down by the sense that everybody is on vacation for an identical purpose. There was a stall here promoting the good work done by the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation, but a brief walk along the popular banking is enough to soak up the essence of cricket throughout the county.”I’ve retired. They asked me back but my knees are knackered.””You’ve not got more than six all season? You’re kidding.””Can’t believe they called it off – it stopped raining at one o’clock.”It is a soulless cricketer who does not love the chance to play at Scarborough. Strange things can happen on this intimate patch of green. Mike Selvey, the correspondent, watching his beloved Middlesex on a ground he had not visited for many years, recalled dismissing Geoffrey Boycott first ball as the old curmudgeon charged and slogged him to mid-on. Research revealed it to be a 10-over Fenner Trophy match in 1979, but it sounded outlandish all the same.The sun beamed down at the start of play, but this has been the grouchiest of summers and nobody was about to be fooled. All season, coats have been donned as automatically as shoes. For everybody braving a t-shirt, there were half a dozen protected in three or four layers. The Championship table, at the mid-point of the season, remains sketchy and unformed: Yorkshire nine points behind Lancashire with a game in hand, Middlesex in third, a further two points behind.Yorkshire lost two wickets to attempted leave-alones in the morning, both of them bringing catches to the wicketkeeper, John Simpson. Adam Lyth fell first ball of the day to a seemingly innocent, wideish delivery from Tim Murtagh, the home-club boy out before many spectators had adjusted their cushions. Kane Williamson, who needed 36 balls for his first run, erred in similar fashion to James Franklin, although on this occasion against a ball of tighter line.Alex Lees brought up an attractive half-century with a six over long-off against Ollie Rayner which was confidently caught by a spectator with enough theatrical aplomb to win a walk-on part in a holiday show. Remarkably, it was his best score on home soil since September 2014.Batting first was not entirely automatic. A sluggish pitch possessed just enough encouragement for the Middlesex seamers and there was some swing, too, whenever the cloud thickened. Murtagh made best use of that in a probing post-lunch spell, having Lees caught at second slip for 63, and when Andrew Gale followed lbw to a fullish lbw from Toby Roland-Jones, Yorkshire were anxiously placed 131 for 4. “It’s Not Very Promising,” said one woman peering out of the Ladies Toilet, although she could have been talking about the weather. People usually are.Ballance rediscovered that promise, as did the day itself. Tim Bresnan helped him shore up the innings with a sturdy half-century in a partnership that reclaimned Yorkshire’s authority before Murtagh, the pick of Middlesex’s attack, bowled him with a decent delivery.Driving back from Scarborough across the Yorkshire Wolds on a glorious evening – and there have not been many – the landscape beyond Garrowby Hill was dazzling, and bright white clouds were interspersed so gloriously across a fresh blue sky that it was possible to imagine that no clouds of quite that form had ever been made before. “Cloud-puffball, torn tufts, tossed pillows,” as the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins had it, and many more shapes besides.It was as if the Yorkshire landscape had turned on a show to mark the end of some difficult times.Ballance’s time will come again. But perhaps not quite yet.

Despite Royal Challengers Bangalore losing their sixth game of the season, batsman KL Rahul has said the team was peaking as the 2016 IPL approached its business end

Deivarayan Muthu in Bangalore12-May-20161:22

Road ahead for us is very clear – Rahul

Despite Royal Challengers Bangalore losing their sixth game of the season, and needing to win their remaining four to possibly make the playoffs, batsman KL Rahul has said the team was peaking as the 2016 IPL approached its business end. RCB were sixth in the standings after their six-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians at home on Wednesday.”The plans are clear, we need to win all our games,” Rahul said. “I honestly believe that the team is peaking – the batting has come together, we’re fielding well, we’re taking some good catches, the bowling is getting better and better with each game. We need to win four out of four. We’re going to go out there and play fearless cricket.”Rahul was pushed down the order against Mumbai, in spite of enjoying success as an opener in previous games, to accommodate the returning Chris Gayle, who was out for 5. Gayle has been dismissed for less than ten in all seven innings since his century against England in the World T20, but Rahul urged support for the West Indies batsman.”Chris is dangerous up the order and we all know if he fires he can get us to 200-250 on any wicket, on any ground,” Rahul said. “You back a guy like Chris Gayle to go out there and give his best for the team. You can’t always expect him to deliver; sometimes it doesn’t happen.”The ball did not come onto the bat on Wednesday night, as it usually does at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, forcing the batsmen to manufacture shots. After Virat Kohli stabbed Mitchell McClenaghan to fly slip and Gayle toe-ended Tim Southee to mid-off, left-arm spinning allrounder Krunal Pandya suffocated RCB further with the joint-second best spell – in terms of economy (3.75) – by a spinner bowling a full quota at this venue.”After losing Virat and Chris early, we had to obviously change plans,” Rahul said. “The wicket was sticky, it was a bit damp, and it wasn’t easy to start hitting the ball right away. That’s what me and AB discussed – to take our time initially and if we batted out ten overs, then we could look at a target after that.”Rahul had come in to bat at the fall of Gayle’s wicket in the fourth over and went on to make his fourth half-century – and best score – of the season: 68 off 53 balls. He and de Villiers added 43 in 6.3 overs for the third wicket before Krunal dismissed de Villiers for 24 off 27 balls. Rahul also overcame an ankle niggle to ramp up the pace in the end overs, leading RCB to 151, which he thought was an “ideal score”.”After the loss of the first two wickets, we decided to get around 140-150, which was an ideal score,” Rahul said. “150 was what we discussed during the strategic time-out. We were happy with what we got. In the second innings it got easier to bat.”Mumbai’s chase boiled down to them needing 55 off the last five overs and then they lost Ambati Rayudu for 44 off 47 balls. Kieron Pollard and Jos Buttler, however, ran down the target with eight balls to spare.The RCB captain Virat Kohli, who had been dismissed for his first single-digit score of the season, said his team had been about 20 runs short, and that he would relish the pressure of the remaining matches. “We will literally play knockouts now and I love this situation,” he said.

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota leaving to join Premier League rivals Newcastle United is ‘out of reach’, according to journalist Jacque Talbot.

The Lowdown: Magpies interest

The Portuguese forward only put pen to paper on a new deal last summer, meaning that his contract at Anfield isn’t set to expire until 2027, but he’s recently been linked with an exit having struggled to find form since returning from injury.

Football Transfers revealed earlier this month that the Magpies are considering a move for the 26-year-old later in the summer having identified him as someone that Eddie Howe would like to bring to St. James’ Park.

The Reds, however, do not wish to lose their attacker to one of their top-four chasing rivals as stated by the same outlet, but it appears that a move is off the cards anyway.

The Latest: Talbot’s verdict

Speaking during an exclusive interview with LFC Transfer Room, Talbot confirmed that Newcastle do indeed hold an interest in Jota, but suggested that any kind of deal is unlikely to happen due to a £70m price tag:

“He (Diogo Jota) is liked by the club (Newcastle) but it is probably out of reach. You can see why (Newcastle target him) he ticks a lot of boxes in terms of versatility, Premier League proven. It will be around £70m for that to happen.”

Expanding on his comments, the reporter continued to state that a move is ‘not going to happen’ as a result of Jurgen Klopp not wanting to let any other of his attacking options leave alongside Roberto Firmino at the end of the season.

The Verdict: Keep hold of him

Jota has been hailed a ‘superb player’ by journalist Josh Bunting and Liverpool need to do everything they can to keep hold of him beyond the upcoming summer window.

The Adidas-sponsored star has clocked up 49 goal contributions in 101 appearances since joining the Merseyside outfit, helping them get their hands on both the FA and League Cups along the way.

The Massarelos native also currently ranks in the 99th percentile for total number of assists and the 97th percentile for most touches in the attacking penalty area, showing just how much he contributes in the final third (FBRef).

Jota’s versatility to operate in five various positions and the fact that he’s comfortable being fielded anywhere across the frontline will be an attractive attribute to Klopp, and is yet another reason why the Reds shouldn’t let him go.

Manchester United have enjoyed an impressive resurgence under manager Erik ten Hag this season, with the Dutchman having already guided the club to Carabao Cup glory, with further honours still potentially on the cards.

One member of the first-team squad who has largely been a bystander to proceedings at Old Trafford of late, however, is academy graduate, Brandon Williams, with the versatile full-back having fallen way down the pecking order in recent years.

While still only 22, it remains to be seen if the Englishman has a future under the former Ajax boss having made just a solitary, five-minute appearance this season in the League Cup triumph over Burnley back in December.

Although injury has hampered the youngster's involvement throughout the campaign, the fact that the Manchester-born menace has rarely featured in the matchday squad when he has been fit is telling of his woes, with it having been no surprise that the defender was seemingly open to a loan exit in January.

Despite such a move having failed to pan out, it would seemingly be wise for Ten Hag to allow the forgotten figure to move on at the end of the season, with it looking unlikely that Williams will be able to dislodge either Tyrell Malacia or Luke Shaw at left-back any time soon.

What salary is Brandon Williams on at Man United?

In truth, if the former England U21 international is now surplus to requirements at the Theatre of Dreams, it should well be something of a priority to move him on come the summer, with United currently having to fork out to pay his reported £65k-per-week salary.

That is a rather hefty amount for a player who appears unlikely to get a look in this term, with Williams set to have cost the club roughly £10.1m in wages by the end of the current campaign, as per FBref.

On recent evidence, that simply appears money wasted due to the defender's lack of action, with the 5 foot 7 man having also struggled somewhat on loan at Norwich City last season, with talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino stating that the full-back had "gone backwards" after his initial promise.

The peripheral dud had previously burst onto the scene under former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during the 2019/20 campaign, racking up 17 Premier League appearances in that breakthrough season, notably scoring in exquisite fashion in the 3-3 draw away to Sheffield United.

Despite also emerging as a regular fixture in both domestic and European cup competitions that season, Williams was unable to build on that early success in the following campaign, having made just four top-flight outings in total.

The player himself suggested that the lack of crowds during that Covid-19 impacted year was a contributing factor in his struggles, although his subsequent form for the Canaries – where he provided just one assist in 26 league appearances – was also rather uninspiring.

As such, it must surely be time for the former youth star to be moved on by Ten Hag sooner rather than later, with it looking increasingly unlikely that Williams will be able to ever establish himself back in the side.

Vinicius Jr. claimed he has become 'unstoppable' due to a small tactical tweak at Real Madrid.

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Vinicius claimed he is 'unstoppable'Ancelotti's tactical change made it possibleHas scored 16 goals for Real Madrid this seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

The Real Madrid star claimed that opponents face difficulty while defending against him as he credited manager Carlo Ancelotti for a tactical shift that has made it possible. The Brazilian, who predominantly plays as a winger, has scored 16 in 27 matches across all competitions in this season and has provided eight assists.

AdvertisementWHAT VINICIUS JUNIOR SAID

Speaking in an interview with the club's official website, the Brazil international said, "I'm trying to help as much as I can, changing my game. I'm unstoppable because when I'm not playing well as a winger I go central and the opponents don't know how to defend against me."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Los Blancos have been a force to reckon with in the current 2023/24 season. The club have already bagged the Spanish Super Cup where they beat Barcelona 4-1 with Vinicius scoring a hat-trick. They are also leading the Spanish top-tier title race by seven points and have made it to the quarter-final of the Champions League. Their only setback this season came against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey round of 16 where they lost 4-2.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Ancelotti's side will be next seen in action on Saturday as they take on Osasuna in a crucial La Liga clash.

Seamer managing “chronic” problem and won’t return before India series but Ben Stokes is progressing well after a hamstring injury

George Dobell18-Jun-2018

England have confirmed that Chris Woakes will take no part in the limited-overs series against Australia as he deals with a “chronic” knee injury. Ben Stokes is also not expected to play in the three remaining ODIs but could return in next month’s T20 series with India.Woakes sustained a tear in his right quad during the second Test against Pakistan in Leeds, but a statement released by the England management now suggests it was caused in part by “a flare-up of a chronic right knee problem”. He was given an injection in the knee a week ago and has begun a rehabilitation and conditioning programme.England are putting no date on his return to action, but he will not feature in any of the games against Australia or the T20s against India. He will be reassessed ahead of the ODI series against India that starts on July 12.”I’m aiming for the India ODIs and fingers crossed I can play some cricket before then so I’m ready,” Woakes said. “Whether it’s for Warwickshire or England I’m not sure. The word chronic makes it look like it’s drastic but the knee is not something I’m worried about.”Woakes’ absence has been felt keenly by England in recent days. As their top-ranked ODI bowler, and easily most impressive white-ball seamer in Australia and New Zealand, he has the responsibility for bowling at the start and end of the innings; areas that have been exposed a little in the defeat against Scotland and, at times, during the victory over Australia in Cardiff.Woakes missed almost the entire Champions Trophy in 2017 after sustaining a side strain during the opening moments of the game against Bangladesh. He has managed the knee problem for several years, having had surgery in 2015.”I’ve had the same problem for about eight or nine years and it’s been niggling away at me but I’ve got on with it and put up with the odd niggle because it’s not the sort of thing that will get better overnight,” he said.”With the quad injury it was a good time to get a jab in there and settle it down. I don’t know what the definition of chronic is but it doesn’t really stop me from playing cricket. It just flares up and during Headingley it felt sore but compared to a couple of weeks ago it feels like a million dollars.”There may also be some concern at Warwickshire. The county felt that Woakes required more bowling before returning to Test cricket following his spell in the IPL. To go from bowling a maximum of four overs to bowling in a Test, they felt, required more time and conditioning work. It will have been noted that both England seamers who went from the IPL to the Test team – Woakes and Stokes – without a warm-up match sustained injuries.With the World Cup looming as England’s priority for next year, Woakes suggested he would consider whether managing his fitness might mean missing out on the IPL.”IPL is a great thing for players to have the opportunities to improve themselves, at the same time as earning a hell of a lot of money, but I think next year will be tricky,” he said. “If I don’t get retained that’s when I will have to ask myself whether it’s worth going in the auction again, with such a big summer ahead. It’s something I’ll know nearer the time, especially going into what could be the biggest summer of my career. You want to make sure you’re in tip-top condition for a home World Cup.”There is better news of both Stokes and Eoin Morgan. Morgan, who missed Saturday’s game in Cardiff due to a back spasm, took part in training at Trent Bridge on Monday morning and hopes to play in the third ODI against Australia on Tuesday, while Stokes is said to be “progressing well” after sustaining a torn left hamstring a couple of weeks ago. His batting is unrestricted and he is able to run at 90% capacity so will begin a “return-to-bowling programme” this week.Stokes will be with the squad for the fourth and fifth ODIs in the hope that he is fit to play in the T20s against India in July.

The start to his career had not always been easy, but Tom Maynard’s development hinted at a future at the top level

George Dobell18-Jun-2012Sometimes it is in the most emotional moments that a man’s character is most apparent. Returning to Cardiff in April 2011, just months after he and his father, the former England and Glamorgan batsman Matthew, had departed under acrimonious circumstances, Tom Maynard recorded his maiden first-class century.While some may have taken the opportunity to settle scores, Tom Maynard took the chance to praise his family and build bridges. “I’d like to dedicate that innings towards the family rather than anything malicious towards the management,” he said. For a 22-year-old bristling with emotion and pride, it was a remarkably gracious reaction. It was telling, too, that even in the aftermath of Maynard’s departure, no one at Glamorgan uttered a negative word about him. He had handled an impossible situation perfectly: with honesty, loyalty, firmness and restraint. In a situation from which few emerged with credit, Tom Maynard shone.Maynard was, no doubt, as flawed and confused as any young man finding his way in the world. Only fools and obituary writers look for perfection. But he also had bountiful positive qualities, and as that innings and his reaction afterwards showed, innate class on and off the pitch. His loss casts a long shadow over English and Welsh cricket.Tom Maynard, who has died aged 23, was born to play cricket. Steeped in the game from birth, just nine months after his father’s Test debut, he used to accompany his dad into the Glamorgan dressing room from his early years, and progressed smoothly through the club’s youth system to earn his place in that same dressing room through talent. He attended Millfield School, played county 2nd XI cricket at 16, first-class cricket at 18, and on List A debut, thumped a run-a-ball 71 against Gloucestershire. He hit the ball hard, cutting and pulling with the same panache as his father, but was perhaps blessed with an even better ability to play straight. He was brilliant in the field.His progress was not always as smooth – he averaged just 19.16 in first-class cricket in 2009 and 27.50 in 2010 – and struggled, initially at least, in alien conditions on last winter’s England Lions tour to Bangladesh.But having left Glamorgan for Surrey at the end of 2010, when his father’s position as coach was rendered untenable after the club management imposed a new captain against his will, he began to add consistency to his undoubted flair. It was no coincidence that Surrey won County Championship promotion and the CB40 title in his first season. Like a seed transplanted from rocky ground to rich, he soon excelled on the better pitches and in a high-achieving environment. His final first-class average – just 32.65 – may look modest on the surface, but it is surely relevant that his first-class average for Surrey – 42.48 – was almost double that for Glamorgan – 21.38. This season, on testing pitches and against Division One attacks, he increasingly displayed the calm shot selection and the calculated aggression of a special talent. His was a life and a career just about to flower.Maynard passed 1000 first-class runs for the first time in 2011, scoring a match-winning century in the final Championship match to help his side secure promotion. He was also the club’s leading scorer in T20, with 392 runs at a lofty average of 43.55 (only two men had higher averages in the country) and he replaced Mark Rampakash in the Surrey one-day side. He flourished in all three formats of the game.His future would, no doubt, have been filled with the highs and lows, the triumphs and disappointments that make up any life. Young people do not come with guarantees, but Maynard had everything it takes – the talent, the temperament, the technique and the environment – to have played for England with distinction for many years. It seemed he had a golden future.It was not to be. While the details of Maynard’s death remain unclear, it may prove, in time, that the tragic circumstances of the final chapter in his life and the somewhat prurient reaction to it in some circles, reflect more on our society than they do on the deceased. A 23-year-old man may want for many things; hope should never be one of them.The cricket community is not large and the pain of this loss will be felt widely. Not just at Surrey and Glamorgan but in the England set-up and beyond. The tragedy seems all the more acute for the contrast with Maynard’s obvious vitality: his youth; his potential as a sportsman and a man. Put simply, he seemed so full of life. So full of potential.Some in the dressing room at the time felt that the shock and grief of Ben Hollioake’s death in 2002 was a huge contributory factor in Surrey’s subsequent struggles. It was not spoken about publicly for fear that cynics might presume it was being used as an excuse. But the Surrey and Glamorgan dressing rooms of 2012 will also struggle for equilibrium. They will want the world to stop for a while. They have lost a team-mate and a friend.More importantly, a family has lost a son. You don’t need a weatherman to tell you, this has been a bitterly harsh summer.