Australia’s vice-captain David Warner was involved in a heated exchange with a spectator as he walked off the ground after his dismissal by Kagiso Rabada on day two of the third Test in Cape Town.In the latest unsavoury episode of an eventful tour, Warner responded to his individual baiting from the spectator in scenes reminiscent of Merv Hughes’ infamous confrontation with a fan at the Wanderers in Johannesburg in 1994, for which he was given a suspended fine by the then Australian Cricket Board after bashing his bat against the barrier the spectator was behind.Warner’s exchange was less violent but more prolonged, immediately after he had lost a gladiatorial bout with Rabada. Bowled by Rabada after a frenetic innings of 30 from 14 balls in which he struck the Proteas spearhead for 4-4-4-6-4 in the five balls before his dismissal, Warner found the middle-aged male spectator waiting for him as he commenced his walk from the boundary to the Australian dressing room, greeting him with sarcastic applause and plenty of words.As the verbal barbs continued, Warner stopped to respond to the spectator, who was seated in the Members enclosure of the Western Province Cricket Club, before a security guard moved to intervene. Nevertheless the pair kept on exchanging words as they made their way up the stairs on either side of the fence separating the players from spectators – the incoming batsman Usman Khawaja walked past the two adversaries on his way to the middle.Australia’s security manager, Frank Dimasi, subsequently made his way down to the area and spoke with both the security guard and the spectator. Warner’s “baiter”, who was the guest of a member of WPCC, was later ejected from the ground. Several fans were also kicked out of Newlands for singing songs about Sonny Bill Williams. Numerous members of the Australian side, in addition to Warner, had been subjected to abuse from spectators concerning their wives and partners while in the field at Newlands during South Africa’s first innings.Australian touring teams have long acknowledged that they receive some of their harshest treatment from spectators in South Africa, although up to this point Warner’s tour had involved more exchanges with opponents than fans.In Durban he was captured on CCTV cameras exchanging words with Quinton de Kock, then responding angrily to the response from the South Africa wicketkeeper and needing to be physically restrained by team-mates as he climbed the stairwell at Kingsmead. That incident saw Warner fined and handed three demerit points under the ICC code of conduct, meaning he is one further disciplinary infraction away from a ban. De Kock was also fined over the episode, albeit on a lesser charge.Warner has alleged that his aggression was sparked by de Kock making personal remarks about his wife Candice. Between first two Test matches, offensive masks were distributed by fans in reference to her brief bathroom encounter with the rugby league player Sonny Bill Williams years before she and Warner became a couple. Two Cricket South Africa officials, Clive Eksteen and Altaaf Kazi, have been suspended by the home board after allowing fans wearing the masks to be admitted to St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth and then posing with them for a photograph.

Barring a glitch or two, both teams are extremely well balanced, and the quality of resources at their disposal should mean that Eden Gardens is in for a top-notch contest

The Preview by Akshay Gopalakrishnan13-Apr-20183:08

Dasgupta: Gill better than most Indian batsmen in KKR squad

Big PictureForty-eight hours. After barely surviving a rollercoaster against the defending champions Mumbai Indians, that is the time Sunrisers Hyderabad have to recuperate and be back in full swing. It’s another reminder of how punishing the IPL can be, and the challenges teams face in staying fresh through two whole months in the peak of the Indian summer. Moreover, Sunrisers will have to switch cities, as they step out of home into the bastion that is Eden Gardens.With 41 victories, Kolkata Knight Riders are the third-most successful home team in IPL history. That trend extended with a dominant win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening game. Knight Riders are among the most well-balanced teams. Their batting order is full of firepower, and they bat very deep. It came to the fore against Chennai Super Kings, when Andre Russell shellacked an unbeaten 88 off 36 balls to power them to 202, after they were 89 for 5 at the halfway stage.Knight Riders’ only concern at the moment is with the domestic fast bowler’s slot. Vinay Kumar, who is their senior-most player in that department, has fallen flat, having gone at 2.82 runs per ball in the two games so far. After their failure to defend 202 against Chennai, the bowling coach Heath Streak called for better execution from the players. And while Streak placed emphasis on a change in approach over wholesale changes to the XI, Knight Riders may consider testing the Under-19 duo of Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti in place of Vinay.Like Knight Riders, Sunrisers have a wonderfully-balanced side. Shikhar Dhawan has done his best to make up for the absence of David Warner with a pair of belligerent knocks. Sunrisers’ middle order has never looked stronger, after the acquisitions of Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan. And Shakib Al Hasan has added teeth to an already potent bowling attack. However, Sunrisers lack a quick striker to complement Dhawan at the top. T20 cricket has often shown us that having one partner buckle down while the other tees off isn’t necessarily a winning strategy. And assuming that Kane Williamson will be largely responsible for holding his end up to build the innings, Sunrisers cannot afford to have two slow scorers in their top three.In the newsMitchell Johnson was rested from Knight Riders’ match against Chennai Super Kings due to a “slight niggle”, but Streak confirmed that the left-arm pacer had recovered, and was hopeful of his return. Streak also said that Lynn’s shoulder problem shouldn’t be a concern. On the eve of the match, captain Dinesh Karthik confirmed the same but also said that team decisions would be made on the morning of the game.Bhuvneshwar sat out the Mumbai game due to a sore back. While he is their spearhead, Sunrisers wouldn’t be sweating too much in case Bhuvneshwar doesn’t recover, seeing as Sandeep Sharma, his replacement, fared well with returns of 2 for 25 in four overs.The likely XIsKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Chris Lynn, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Dinesh Karthik (capt, wk), 6 Rinku Singh/Shubman Gill, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Shivam Mavi/Kamlesh NagarkotiSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Deepak Hooda, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Siddarth Kaul, 10 Sandeep Sharma/Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Billy StanlakeESPNcricinfo LtdStats that matter Of the 48 balls that Siddarth Kaul has bowled this season, batsmen haven’t been in control of their shots against 25 of them. The numbers are identical for Kaul’s teammate Rashid Khan. Kaul has taken a particular liking to the short delivery. He has bowled 11 of them so far – the second-most this season – and to great effect, giving away just nine runs, including a solitary boundary, and picking up a wicket. Sunrisers have never beaten Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. Of the five matches these two sides have played here, the home team has won all of them. Among players with at least 600 career IPL runs, Andre Russell’s Smart Strike Rate of 220.40 is, by far, the best. No other player even touches the 200-mark. Glenn Maxwell is a distant second, with 1245 runs at a Smart Strike Rate of 194.79. Contrary to the norm this season, four of the last five meetings between these two sides have been won by the team batting first. Robin Uthappa has an excellent record against Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the IPL. Off the 53 balls he has faced from the bowler, Uthappa has scored 65 runs, and is yet to be dismissed.Strategy puntUse your fast bowlers against Narine. Royal Challengers did the mistake of bowling Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar at Narine upfront, and he sunk them with a 17-ball half-century. Chennai, too, turned to Harbhajan Singh for the second over with Narine at the crease. While the move paid off for them, the contrast is telling. Since the 2015 IPL, Narine has averaged 29.7 and struck at 240.5 while being dismissed thrice in nine innings against spin. Against pace, he averages 18.6, while the strike-rate drops to 156.9, and he has got out to them 11 times in 19 innings.Fantasy picksBatsmen at the top are most likely to score the big runs, which makes Chris Lynn an automatic lock. Even if he does end up being dismissed for a low score, Lynn is unlikely to scratch around, which will make the loss of points minimal. Likewise, Narine would make a safe pick, given his batting position and utility with the ball. Since the previous season, Narine has averaged 19.06 with the bat and struck at 186.92; with the ball, he has conceded just 6.85 runs an over: as fantasy as it gets.Quotes”Yes, we’ve got to be careful. He’s not the first bowler, and he won’t be the last bowler who won’t defend 17-20. We’ve seen (Dwayne) Bravo – what he can do. We’ve seen Andre (Russell) hit quite a few overs for those sort of numbers, like 20-plus. It’s tough when you’re defending the last one, but we did the same thing: hit their bowlers for 20-plus.”

Manchester United have previous for leaving things late in the transfer window and it looks like it could be yet another hectic period for the club ahead of Friday's looming deadline, with a number of issues still to resolve.

As Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst revealed earlier this week, there could still be multiple new signings made over the coming days, with the addition of a new left-back a particular priority following the loss of Luke Shaw to injury.

There is also a belief that United could target another midfield signing despite already bringing in the club's new number seven, Mason Mount, earlier in the summer, with various reports indicating that a late move for Tottenham Hotspur's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could be the on the cards.

What's the latest on Hojbjerg to Man United?

As 90min's Graeme Bailey revealed on Tuesday, the Red Devils are said to have been offered the chance to sign the Denmark international from their Premier League rivals, with the 28-year-old set to be allowed to leave if a suitable offer were to arrive from a potential suitor.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

The former Southampton man has been of interest to La Liga side Atletico Madrid throughout the summer window, although a possible £30m switch to the Spanish capital failed to pan out, thus opening the door for United to pounce.

The suggestion is that Erik ten Hag and co are considering midfield alternatives to Fiorentina ace, Sofyan Amrabat, hence the interest in prising Hojbjerg from north London in what would be a surprise, last-gasp approach.

How good is Hojbjerg?

There may be those of a United persuasion who would be concerned at the prospect of signing a player who is seemingly surplus to requirements at one of their rivals, although such a move could well prove particularly astute if Hojbjerg – who has been described as a "warrior" by Sky Sports reporter Nubaid Haroon – is to hit the ground running at Old Trafford.

One particularly intriguing factor regarding the £100k-per-week Dane is the comparison that can be made between himself and Arsenal's recent £105m addition, Declan Rice, with the pair said to share a number of stylistic and statistical similarities, according to FBref.

That likeness between the Spurs destroyer and Rice – who had been a reported target for the Red Devils prior to joining the Gunners – can notably be seen by their forward-thinking approach from midfield, with the Gunners ace averaging 6.84 progressive passes per 90, while Hojbjerg is only just behind as he averages 6.51 in that regard, across the last 365 days.

The pair are also both seemingly adept at dictating the tempo in the centre of the park as the latter man ranks in the top 8% among his European peers for pass completion, while the England international ranks in the top 16% for that same metric.

It is the duo's ball-winning prowess that particularly catches the eye, however, with Hojbjerg having averaged a solid three tackles and interceptions per game last term, while Rice was only just ahead after averaging 3.8 tackles per game in the 2022/23 campaign.

Equally, much like the former West Ham United man – who chipped in with six goals and assists in the league last season – the Tottenham titan can also impact proceedings in the final third, having registered ten goals and assists for the Lilywhites last term in the top flight.

With Rice evidently a highly-rated talent – as his lofty transfer fee would attest to – for Ten Hag to find his own version of the 24-year-old for potentially a fraction of the cost could well be an exciting prospect.

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has been spotted posing for photos with rapper Central Cee and actor Barry Keoghan at London Fashion Week.

• London Fashion Week in full swing
• Arsenal's Bukayo Saka in attendance
• Martin Odegaard joins his team-mate

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Saka has been enjoying some rare time away from the football pitch at London Fashion Week in Victoria Park. The Arsenal star was been hanging out with rapper Central Cee and actor Barry Keoghan, who has shot to fame with roles in 'The Banshees of Inisherin' and 'Saltburn'. Saka swapped his usual red and white Arsenal shirt for a chunky sheepskin coat to deal with the London chill.

  Central Cee Instagram

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• THE GOSSIP

  Saka wasn't the only footballer to be spotted at the event. Team-mate Martin Odegaard was also in attendance along with Tottenham's Hueng-min Son, Dele Alli, Ben Chilwell and former Real Madrid ace Gareth Bale. The players mixed with a host of celebrities including supermodel Naomi Campbell, actor Olivia Coleman and rap star Dizzee Rascal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Saka is a brand ambassador for Burberry but told GQ several of his team-mates would also be keen on the job. He said: "There are a lot of fashionable players. I don't want to say too many and end up missing people out. At Arsenal, Reiss Nelson for sure, and Julien Timber. Me and Martin are coming tonight, but there are a lot more players that have an interest and good style."

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• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR SAKA

  Saka will be back in his Arsenal kit on Wednesday in the Champions League. The Gunners take on Porto in the first leg of their last 16 tie.

Nottingham Forest are now set to sign Odysseas Vlachodimos from Benfica, with reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano sharing a deadline day update.

Who are Nottingham Forest signing today?

The Reds and Steve Cooper have really stepped up their transfer activity in the final days of the window, with a number of players set to join in the final hours of the window.

Prior to deadline day, Forest had brought in Chris Wood, Anthony Elanga, Murillo, Matt Turner, Ola Aina, Andrey Santos and Gonzalo Montiel. Those signings ranged from permanent deals, free transfers and loan moves, with Forest spending around £46m.

In the last few hours, a move for Arsenal’s Nuno Tavares has been announced by those at The City Ground, with the left-back joining on a season-long loan.

Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi is expected to be the next through the door on Friday, whereas Bologna defensive midfielder Nicolas Dominguez is also set to undergo a medical at the Midlands club in a deal that will see Remo Freuler head in the other direction on loan with an option to buy.

Forest won’t stop there, though, and by the looks of things, Vlachodimos is also on course to arrive. Romano took to X in the last few hours to share what he’s heard on Vlachodimos and a move to Forest. The transfer expert said that a deal has been agreed, with the goalkeeper on his way to the UK.

“EXCL: Odysseas Vlachodimos to Nottingham Forest, here we go! Deal agreed with Benfica right now, it’s all sealed between clubs.

“Player now travelling to the UK for medical tests later today. New goalkeeper for Forest.”

Who is Odysseas Vlachodimos?

Vlachodimos, who has a £51m release clause in his Benfica contract, is 29 years of age and has been on the books with the Portuguese giants since 2018.

A 33-cap Greece international, Vlachodimos began his career in Germany coming through the ranks at Stuttgart and made just three senior appearances for the club before moving to Panathinaikos.

He turned out on 63 occasions for the Greek outfit, keeping 34 clean sheets and then made the move to Benfica. Since then, Vlachodimos has gone on to make more than 200 appearances for his current employers, regularly featuring in the Champions League.

However, he admitted earlier this summer that he wants to move, saying:

"I'm ready to move on. It's something I want now. I established myself, won titles, experienced great successes, played in the Champions League and the Europa League. Benfica gave me a lot, it helped to develop me, but I think that the conditions are met to take the next step."

It looks as if he will get his wish, and it’ll be interesting to see who Cooper’s number one will be between Turner and Vlachodimos as the season goes on.

Celtic have now been provided with an update regarding when Oh Hyeon-gyu is set to return from his recent injury setback by manager Brendan Rodgers.

When is Oh Hyeon-gyu back from injury?

Oh is yet to make an appearance for Celtic in any competition so far this season as a result of the calf injury he sustained in pre-season, with Rodgers confirming he was set to miss up to six weeks of football, after initially playing through the injury:

"Oh will probably be out for a few weeks, he hurt his calf against Athletic Bilbao but he trained on. No one knew and he trained on.

“He was involved in the game at the weekend and then he trained on the Sunday. Afterwards, he spoke to the medical team to say that he'd felt his calf and it's ended up that he's got a calf problem which might put him out for four to six weeks."

However, despite initial fears about the forward potentially spending a considerable amount of time on the sidelines, there has now been a promising recent update, with the Hoops boss confirming he will be available for selection against Rangers tomorrow.

As relayed by The Glasgow Times, Rodgers said: "Oh is back in training so he will be available. The guys who were out slightly longer term will be back after the international break."

Speaking more broadly about how he is feeling at this early stage of the season, the 50-year-old said: "I'm just excited by the games. The players worked very hard last year to win the title and earned the right to be in there.

"I have absolutely no doubt, I know how to win and I know what it takes to win and I'll show the players how to win."

How good is Oh Hyeon-gyu?

Last season, the South Korean made a decent impact after arriving from Suwon Samsung Bluewings, scoring four goals in five games after the Scottish Premiership's top-six split, indicating he was just starting to find his form in a Celtic shirt.

As such, it is frustrating the 22-year-old was injured when he was, but it is positive news that he is now set to return from injury a little ahead of schedule, particularly heading into such an important match this weekend.

Kyogo Furuhashi has started the season very well, scoring two goals in his first three league games, but the Hoops were held to a 0-0 draw against St Johnstone at home last time out, so Rodgers will be pleased to have another attacking option back.

Oh is unlikely to start against Rangers tomorrow, but his form at the end of last season indicates he could make an impact if brought on as a substitute.

A lip reader has claimed Kyle Walker threatened to "knock out" Neal Maupay after taunts about his children during Manchester City's win at Brentford.

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Lip reader claimed Walker threatened MaupayMaupay allegedly taunted WalkerWalker recently separated from his wifeGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The two players got involved in a heated confrontation towards the end of the Premier League clash on Monday. According to the , a professional lip reader has now revealed that the Cityzens defender threatened to "knock out" Maupay, after claiming that the Brentford striker had been taunting him about his children.

AdvertisementWHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Speaking to , the expert lip reader said: "Walker approached the 4th official and shouted: 'I'm gonna knock him [Maupay] out'. To which Stuart Attwell replied: 'Shush'."

However, Walker refused to back down and said "Wait there" – pointing to the tunnel – before walking back over to Gillet. The England international is said to have continued: "Ref he spoke about my kids, he spoke about my kids, not once, but twice." Maupay then interrupted by saying: "I didn't, it's OK."

Gillet attempted to calm things down by saying "Let's deal with it at the end" before facing Maupay and adding: "Now, now, just calm down, listen to me… think about it, think about it." Maupay then responded: "'That's a lie, that's not fair, I promise you now.'"

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

As reports, Walker split with his wife Annie Kilner in January and is currently living alone in a rented property away from all five of his children – with Annie expecting another in March. Walker admits that he has brought those problems on himself, with divorce now a distinct possibility.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR KYLE WALKER?

The defender will be next seen in action on Saturday as Pep Guardiola's side take on Everton in another important Premier League fixture. City are now up to second in the table, two points behind Liverpool with a game in hand.

West Ham United have not always had the best of luck, or judgement perhaps, with their dealings in the transfer market over the years.

Who are West Ham's biggest signings?

The Hammers have not been afraid to splash out the cash to bolster their squad, particularly over the last five years or so, in an attempt to push on in the Premier League.

Player

Fee paid

Sebastien Haller

£43m

Mohammed Kudus

£37m

Lucas Paqueta

£37m

Edson Alvarez

£32.7m

Felipe Anderson

£32.7m

Fees via Transfermarkt.

Haller and Anderson, of the five most-expensive signings in the club's history as shown above, did not enjoy the best of times at the London Stadium and David Moyes could be on course to oversee another expensive disaster with Pablo Fornals.

The former Villarreal whiz, Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal, Michail Antonio, and Aaron Cresswell are among the players who are out of contract next summer and will be free to leave for £0.

What's the latest on Pablo Fornals' future?

It was recently reported that Spanish side Sevilla are eyeing up a swoop to sign Fornals from the Hammers as their sporting director Victor Orta, who was previously at Leeds United in England, is keen to secure a deal for him in 2024.

The report stated that the attacking midfielder is free to speak with other clubs from January onwards and that a move to Sevilla would be among his preferences if the option arises.

He is allowed to sign a pre-contract with another team in January ahead of a free transfer next summer due to his expiring contract, which is why West Ham must get him to put pen to paper on an extension.

Football Insider claimed, prior to the news of Sevilla's interest, that the Hammers are planning to sit down with Fornals, along with Coufal and Soucek, to discuss a possible contract extension.

They also revealed that teams from Saudi Arabia were showing an interest in the ace, although nothing came of that before the Saudi Pro League transfer deadline earlier this month.

How much did West Ham pay for Pablo Fornals?

In the summer of 2019, West Ham completed the signing of the then-23-year-old wizard from Spanish side Villarreal for a reported fee of £24m, which made him the second-most expensive player in the club's history – behind Felipe Anderson at £33.5m – at the time.

Fornals arrived at the London Stadium after two impressive campaigns in LaLiga, following on from his move to the club from Malaga in 2017.

The creative Spaniard enjoyed a fantastic 2017/18 campaign with Villarreal as he racked up an outstanding 12 assists and created 15 'big chances' for his teammates across 30 league starts, to go along with three goals, as per Sofascore.

His teammates then let him down throughout the 2018/19 season as the technical ace produced ten 'big chances' for his fellow attackers over 28 LaLiga starts and was only rewarded with three assists. This suggests that his teammates did not make the most of the opportunities that he created for them.

The talented whiz's performances were impressive enough to convince West Ham and then-manager Manuel Pellegrini to splash out £24m to secure his services.

How well has Fornals performed for West Ham?

Fornals has been a solid performer for the Hammers over the years as he has racked up 184 appearances in all competitions and played 141 times in the Premier League to date.

He has featured in at least 32 top-flight matches in all four of his seasons with the club so far, which speaks to his reliability in terms of his performance level and durability. Managers have rarely not selected him to play, whether that is from the bench or within the starting XI, and he has not had any major injury lay-offs.

His best season in a West Ham shirt to date arguably came during the 2021/22 campaign. The Spanish maestro provided a consistent creative threat and added goals to his game as he delivered brilliant Premier League performers week-in-week-out.

Fornals averaged an excellent Sofascore rating of 6.94 across 36 league appearances for the club and contributed with six goals and ten 'big chances' created from midfield. He also showcased his defensive quality with 2.3 tackles and interceptions per game to win the ball back for his side.

The former Villarreal star, who was once dubbed "unbelievable" by journalist Karl Matchett, was the team's outstanding creator as he averaged 1.3 key passes per match throughout the season, which none of his teammates were able to better.

More recently, Fornals caught the eye in the Europa Conference League last term as the club went on to win the competition. He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.13 over 12 appearances as he scored three goals and created two 'big chances' from the middle of the park.

What's next for Fornals?

The report of Sevilla's interest and the player potentially being keen on the move is worrying for West Ham as it suggests that there is chance that he will sign a pre-contract with the Spanish team to join them for nothing next summer.

This would mean that the Hammers would not get back a single penny of the £24m that they initially paid to secure his signature back in 2019, which would be a disaster when you consider that he will be 28 and in his prime years ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

FootballTransfers currently has his Expected Transfer Value at €22.2m (£19.1m) and this is an indication of the kind of fee that the club are set to miss out on if they do not tie him down to an extension.

Moyes and West Ham have allowed him to enter the final 12 months of his contract before sitting down to have talks over a new deal, as per the aforementioned Football Insider report, and this has allowed Sevilla, and potentially other teams, to show an interest and possibly sway Fornals' thinking.

The situation should have been dealt with before the recent summer transfer window as they could have been able to cash in on him this year if he refused to put pen to paper on an extension.

Therefore, the Hammers are currently on course for a howler with the Spanish magician unless they are able to convince him to turn down Sevilla and remain at the London Stadium beyond the end of this season.

Alex Davies, Jordan Clark and Joe Mennie all threatened match-winning hands, but all fell to Porter as the defending champions held on by 31 runs

Alan Gardner at Chelmsford22-Apr-20182:57

Defending champions Essex off the mark

ScorecardThree times during this third and final day at Chelmsford, Lancashire began to seriously raise hopes of pulling off a chase for the ages. Three times Jamie Porter thundered in and found the ball to quell Essex fears. Alex Davies, Jordan Clark and Joe Mennie each scored valiant half-centuries but all three were victims of Porter’s indefatigable seam bowling, as the defending champions claimed victory in the sort of hard-fought, sun-drenched contest after which victory beer slips down like ice water.It can’t be long before they start serving pints of Porter porter at the Spinner’s Bar. The 24-year-old collected 9 for 80 to continue the form that saw him lead the Division One wicket-taker’s list in 2017, celebrating the dismissal in particular of Davies with a throaty roar. That left Lancashire 139 for 5 and although Clark took them to within 77 of victory with three wickets still standing, Porter speared a delivery into his pads to ease the tension.Still Lancashire kept coming, with zombie determination, as the Australia seamer Mennie clubbed his way to fifty, bringing the requirement down to 38 with the arrival of the second new ball. Eight deliveries was all it took for Porter to rattle the stumps and finally end Mennie’s resistance.”He digs in and has a crack,” was the assessment of Porter’s team-mate, another Australian, Peter Siddle. “That’s what you want from your main fast bowler. Coming off a big year last season, needed to come out here and start well, and he was tremendous. He tries hard and deserves every wicket he gets.”Lancashire have now lost two from two but certainly found some fibre to fortify their batting, after failing to reach 200 in three previous innings. They had been left with too much to do, stretched out of shape by the eighth-wicket stand of more than 100 between James Foster and Simon Harmer on the second evening. Keeping Harmer to just a single wicket in the fourth innings on a wearing pitch was little consolation.Davies could have been accused of giving his wicket away in the first innings, chipping tamely to mid-off having faced 17 balls, but he was the only member of Lancashire’s top order to demonstrate the required graft second time around. There was plenty of class on display, too. Porter was thrashed for three successive fours – two pulls and a drive – and Davies also played Harmer deftly, using his feet to cut the spinner with regularity.Lancashire had given themselves a solid platform, reaching lunch on 82 for 2 with Davies playing beautifully and the captain, Liam Livingstone, reining in his attacking instincts. Those Essex supporters sitting in the Tiptree jam stand could be forgiven for feeling a bit sticky around the collar, with the sun shining and the pitch having eased after 18 wickets fell on the opening day.There was also a suspicion that Essex were a little light on bowling beyond the frontline three of Porter, Harmer and Siddle, with the tall left-armer Paul Walter only in the side after Sam Cook fractured a finger in training the day before the game. Walter was unused during the morning session, but he needed only three ball to break the third-wicket stand: a bouncer and a gentle half-volley pushed for two was followed up by good-length ball that drew another drive and a thick edge from Livingstone.Walter made it two in as many overs when he won an lbw decision against Shivnarine Chanderpaul, not quite such an eternal presence at the crease these days, and the main scoreboard promptly broke down – something Chanderpaul refuses to do, although he has now collected scores of 11, 0, 8 and 1 this season.In the dark about the score, the muttering from the home fans increased as Davies coasted to his half-century and began to open up. He had laced 38 from 30 balls faced after lunch and was looking to be the pivotal figure of the chase, only for Porter to produce a thunderbolt of a yorker that knocked Davies off his feet and sent him back for a fine 71.Dane Vilas fell soon after, a second wicket for Siddle, who then produced a marvellous bit of fielding to leave Lancashire seven down. Having been denied an lbw appeal against Clark, Siddle hurtled across to his right and threw down the stumps with Tom Bailey a yard short having been sent back. Clark might have fallen on 19, but Varun Chopra was unable to hold a fast edge off Ravi Bopara.The morning began with Lancashire required to make the highest score of the match – and significantly more than they had managed in three previous innings this season – in order to inflict Essex’s first defeat since September 2016. The mantra at Essex over the last two seasons is that “no one gets through the new ball” and Porter ensured that held true when he flattened Haseeb Hameed’s off stump in the third over. It was a good enough strategy come the end of the day too.

Megan Rapinoe says those who celebrated her career-ending Achilles injury have a "special place in hell".

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Rapinoe's career ended with Achilles injuryBrought down glittering spell in footballSlams those who laughed at her injuryGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The 38-year-old suffered the injury early in the NWSL Championship game between her OL Reign team and Gotham FC last November – with the latter running out victors. Now, the former USWNT international has hit out at those who laughed at her misfortune.

AdvertisementUSA Today Sports WHAT MEGAN RAPINOE SAID

"It is sad, like I wish that didn't happen. I'm just thinking about my teammates coming over, of course it's sad. … it's kinda just life," she said on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast.

"We want these perfect stories and I'm a controversial figure, and having people celebrate it – but then also be so disingenuous about it, that that part is kinda funny too. I'm like, wow you guys are in a special place in hell that you're celebrating this."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Rapinoe played more than 200 times for her country, won the World Cup twice in 2015 and 2019 for the United States of America, was the leading figure in the USWNT's equal pay complaint for many years, and an LGBTQ+ icon. Not many can claim to have such a legacy.

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WHAT NEXT?

Following her retirement from football, after a long and glittering career, Rapinoe said she will continue "banging the drum for a thousand years" when it comes to promoting the women's game. She also said she would like to play some role at her former team, OL Reign, but doesn't want to be a coach or "locked in one job". It remains to be seen what will happen next.