A vital final day awaits for New South Wales after they managed to break through Tasmania’s promising start
ESPNcricinfo staff22-Mar-2019New South Wales’ pacemen bared their teeth to grant the visitors a chance to press for outright victory and a place in the Sheffield Shield final against Victoria with one day of the match against Tasmania remaining.At 2 for 145 on the third morning with Alex Doolan and Matthew Wade well entrenched, it appeared that the Tigers would take some serious dislodging with more than half of the game’s available playing time elapsed while Western Australia, the other team with a chance of the final, were making good progress against Queensland.However, the ever reliable Trent Copeland was able to find a way through Doolan’s defences to open up one end, and when the Blues captain Moises Henriques teased a catch out of Wade, the game had turned.Wicketkeeping debutant Baxter Holt then enjoyed a passage replete with action, snaffling five catches in quick time including two in as many balls twice from Copeland and then Harry Conway. Ben McDermott, lacking support, was last out for 53.In seeking a lead the Blues did not have it all their own way, tied down by the new ball and then losing two wickets in three balls, the second of them the captain Kurtis Patterson, to the swing and seam of Gabe Bell. Henriques was able to reclaim some momentum, leaving the Blues in control of their destiny.
Five potential starters are currently sidelined with fitness issues as the new coach prepares to name her first squad
Nobody ever said Emma Hayes' job was going to be easy. It rarely is with the U.S. women's national team. There are so many expectations, tests and problems to solve, meaning it's never an easy road, even when you win.
Hayes hasn't yet embarked on that road, as she won't take charge of the U.S. for a few more weeks. However, as she looks ahead to the start of her tenure, she'll be walking into a USWNT group with a fair number of injury concerns.
From locked-in starters to valuable depth pieces, the USWNT is dealing with a slew of injuries at the moment. With June friendlies against South Korea on the horizon, followed by the Olympic Games in July it's a real concern, and could be the defining storyline of this 2024 summer.
GettyNew superstar sidelined
Right now, despite her age, there may not be a more important USWNT player than Jaedyn Shaw. The 19-year-old performances have bordered on being unstoppable, and she profiles as perhaps the biggest game-changer for the U.S. when comparing their Olympic line up to that which failed at the Women's World Cup in 2023.
However, Shaw is currently dealing with an ankle injury suffered during the San Diego Wave's draw with Gotham FC. After a clash on a late-game corner kick, Shaw hobbled around for a bit before being subbed off in the game's final moments.
According to San Diego boss Casey Stoney, Shaw is "day-by-day at the minute, so we won’t know [until Friday’s game]". It's a good sign, for sure, considering we're still a little over two weeks away from USWNT camp. Shaw is a superstar in the making, and one that Hayes will be keen to work with the moment she gets into the job.
AdvertisementUSA TODAY SportsMassive blow for Morgan
Unlike Shaw, it still feels like Alex Morgan is on the fringes of the Olympic squad. Her push for a roster spot has been one of the storylines to watch around the USWNT in 2024, but a recent injury is certainly impacting her chances.
Morgan has not played for the Wave in nearly a month due to an ankle injury. That injury has robbed her of key chances to impress Hayes, who will have to make several hard decisions in the attacking positions this summer.
The veteran striker proved at the Gold Cup that she still has a part to play when healthy, whether as a starter or a substitute. However, with rosters restricted to just 18, can Hayes afford to use a spot on Morgan?
The answer to that question would be easy if Morgan was healthy and scoring goals. Her absence, though, makes that decision that much harder, and it appears that it'll go on for at least a little while longer.
“Alex is still out,” said Stoney this week. “She’s been running. She’s been doing technical work this week. She’ll be available when she’s available.”
GettyDefensive disruption
There was, however, finally some good news for both San Diego and the USWNT in recent days, as it was revealed that Naomi Girma is almost back from her own layoff. The defender is probably the first name on the USWNT team sheet right now, but she has missed the Wave's last three NWSL matches due to a thigh injury.
Both Girma and her centerback partner at club level, Abby Dahlkemper, have missed time in recent weeks, and while Girma's spot, when healthy, is a lock, Dahlkemper is currently pushing to play alongside her club teammate at the Olympics this summer.
Both are ready to go, though, for Friday's clash with Bay FC, per Stoney, which is great news for Hayes, who will have been sweating over Girma's fitness in particular. The defender has dealt with two muscle injuries in just a few months after pulling up with a hamstring issue during the SheBelieves Cup, and having her at her best will be key to the USWNT going for gold this summer.
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Getty ImagesCan't catch a break
If Girma is fit, it had been expected that she would be partnered by Tierna Davidson this summer, but the centerback is another player USWNT who is currently dealing with a thigh injury. Davidson has been out since late April after suffering her injury against the Washington Spirit, and has missed each of Gotham's last four games as a result.
Davidson missed out on last summer's World Cup due to an ACL injury, but has been solid since returning to action. She's made quite a case for herself as the second starting centerback, but Girma's SheBelieves Cup injury robbed Hayes of a chance to see that partnership in action.
The hope will be that Davidson recovers in time for the June friendlies so that she and Girma can get reps alongside one another. If not, Dahlkemper could get the leg up due to her club connection with Girma, especially if Hayes isn't keen on having a centerback duo learn on the fly.
Glasgow Rangers don’t return to action until 20 January and Philippe Clement has whisked his squad away to Spain for a midseason training camp.
Having already played 34 times during the first half of the season, the winter break comes at exactly the right time for the Light Blues and will give them a chance to regroup and refocus ahead of the next few months.
With a League Cup trophy secured and progress to the knockout stages of the Europa League, the previous few weeks have been wonderful, but progress never stops, and the Belgian coach will be desperate to win more silverware.
To do this, however, he may need to delve into the transfer market and lure some new players to Ibrox, otherwise his squad may run out of gas towards the end of the campaign.
Rangers transfer news – Josh Doig
Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio (via Toro Goal) announced that Rangers were one of the number of teams keen on making a move for Josh Doig during the January transfer window.
Clement could face stiff competition for the left-back as Torino have reportedly opened up talks to sign the Scot, while AC Monza and Leeds United are two other teams which have been mentioned regarding a potential swoop.
The deal could cost €6m (£5.2m) for whatever team manages to sign him, yet the Gers could perhaps have the upper hand.
Hellas Verona, the team that Doig plays for, are seemingly interested in making a move for Ridvan Yilmaz, according to Di Marzio, and this could play into Clement’s hands rather well this month.
The Turkish defender cost the Light Blues £5m when he arrived from Besiktas during the summer of 2022 and this is around the fee that the Serie A side are wanting for Doig.
Could there be a potential swap deal in the offing should neither side agree on a transfer fee for their respective targets? It might well come down to that, and it could give Clement the perfect opportunity to move the 22-year-old on and bring someone else in.
Ridvan Yilmaz’s Rangers statistics
Giovanni Van Bronckhorst was the manager who brought in the young defender following the 2021/22 campaign as he sought to give Borna Barisic some added competition, especially as Calvin Bassey departed for Ajax.
Upon his arrival, Yilmaz was widely praised by former sporting director Ross Wilson, who said: "Gio and I were clear in our desire to invest in a high potential and high-quality left-back.
"We have now secured that in the signing of Ridvan Yilmaz. He's a talented young player who has been coveted throughout Europe following outstanding performances for Besiktas.”
23.9
24.1
0.7
1.8
1
4
10.8
15.5
2
1
He looked like a wonderful talent and hopes were high that he could eventually displace Barisic and perhaps go down the same route as Bassey and secure the club a major profit in the future.
Unfortunately, his first season didn’t go to plan. The former Besiktas starlet managed to feature just six times before the mid-season break for the 2022 World Cup, while his debut campaign was further disrupted having suffered a hamstring injury in October, and he subsequently missed 29 matches in all competitions.
He finally returned to action towards the end of the season and started all five of their post-split fixtures, thriving under Michael Beale, and it looked as though he could only get better during 2023/24.
The current campaign has seen the 22-year-old start only ten matches and Beale even left him out of the Europa League group stage squad, meaning the Gers had only one senior option at left-back heading into the games.
He has shown glimpses of form under Clement, particularly in the final game before the winter break against Kilmarnock, where he grabbed an assist, created a big chance and provided two key passes in a solid attacking display.
The consistency simply isn’t there, however, and this could give the former Club Brugge coach the licence to ditch him this month and lure Doig back to Scotland, especially as it would boost the homegrown quota for European matches.
Josh Doig’s career statistics
The in-demand talent has plenty of experience in Scottish football, having previously played for Hibernian. The 21-year-old made his debut during the 2019/20 season before firmly establishing himself as a regular the following season, making 35 appearances in all competitions.
His displays convinced Verona to sign him ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, having been given a notable send-off by Hibs hero, Lewis Stevenson at the time, who even likened Doig to a certain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Speaking back in the summer of 2022, Stevenson said: "Josh has potential to go to the top level. He is 6ft 3in, fast, strong. Even just looking at him with his top off – without meaning to sound creepy – he looks like Ronaldo, with that kind of physique.
"He just is an athlete and that is half the battle nowadays. Everyone here wishes him all the best"
Josh Doig
Like the former Juventus man before him, the 6 foot 3 defender is currently shining in Serie A, ranking in the top 7% when compared to players in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90 (1.69) and in the top 21% for total shots per 90 (0.94), certainly proving he is a valuable attacking outlet from the left-hand side of the defence.
His defensive abilities have also improved during his spell in Italy and in the league this term, Doig has only been dribbled past on 0.4 occasions per game while he has won 3.1 total duels per game – a success rate of 53% – and there is no doubt he could be an excellent addition to the current Gers squad.
Josh Doig, Celtic, Hibs, Premiership
Rangers could sign Barisic replacement in Josh Doig
Rangers could sign a dream Borna Barisic replacement in Hibernian starlet Josh Doig.
Young, homegrown and with a wonderfully “high ceiling” – as so dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig last January – the signing makes perfect sense, and he would be returning to Scotland a much better player than when he left in the summer of 2022.
With Yilmaz struggling to gain regular game time combined with Barisic’s contract expiring this summer, the left-back area is one of immediate concern for Clement.
He could solve this problem by allowing Yilmaz to join Verona this month and securing the services of Doig in return, and it would be a piece of transfer business which could go down rather well with the supporters.
There are still a few weeks to go before the window shuts, and it gives the 49-year-old coach a chance to assess his options, yet Doig clearly has the potential to further improve and become a mainstay at left-back in the coming years, that’s for sure.
First target is Michael Burgess from Sussex as new director of cricket launches recruitment drive
George Dobell22-May-2019He may only have been in the role a few weeks, but Paul Farbrace has clearly seen enough.Farbrace, who started his new job as director of cricket at Warwickshire about six weeks ago, is so concerned about the performance of his new side that he is on the search for reinforcements with David Willey and Liam Dawson among the more eye-catching targets. Warwickshire are bottom of the top division in the County Championship and failed to progress from the North Group in the Royal London One-Day Cup.The first player to move to the club is expected to be Michael Burgess, a 24-year-old keeper-batsman who is struggling to break into the Sussex first team with opportunities limited by the presence of Kolpak signing Stiaan van Zyl.Having developed through the Surrey system – he remains close friends with Warwickshire’s Dominic Sibley – Burgess progressed through the MCCU programme (he went to Loughborough) before signing for Leicestershire. He was released by the club in 2016, but quickly joined Sussex, for whom he has made two Championship centuries and kept in their 2018 T20 campaign in which they finished runners-up to Worcestershire.Burgess averages 38.91 in first-class cricket and scored 95 in his opening first-class match of the season, against Cardiff MCCU. He was offered a two-year contract extension at Sussex last year, but choose to let his contract run down instead.He could well play for Warwickshire as a specialist batsman initially, while he would also offer cover – and perhaps succession planning – for Warwickshire’s 36-year-old keeper, Tim Ambrose. Burgess’ arrival – which is anticipated to happen almost immediately – is unlikely to prove especially good news for Warwickshire’s current understudy keeper, Alex Mellor.Other Warwickshire targets are understood to include Willey – who is currently with Yorkshire – and Hampshire’s Dawson. It is unclear, at this stage, how realistic either target may be, though it is understood Dawson has expressed an interest in a white-ball only contract with Hampshire in the relatively recent past.Whether they move or not, the attempt to attract them perhaps shows the calibre of player Warwickshire are after, the budget they have and the acceptance that the current squad requires reinforcement.
After sealing Timo Werner on loan and Radu Dragusin in a £26 million part-exchange move, Tottenham are wasting no time in moving on to the next time on their agenda.
Postecoglou wants early January signings at Spurs
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, speaking before the transfer window even opened, expressed the importance of his side making early January signings.
Sky say Tottenham will look to offload "fast" player after Dier and Spence
The Lilywhites are also looking to offload after sealing two major signings.
ByEmilio Galantini Jan 10, 2024
The Lilywhites head coach was public in his belief that chairman Daniel Levy and the club's recruitment team need to get their business done sharply, so new signings can waste no time bedding into his top-four chasing squad.
"It is challenging, [but] the reason [we want to do business early] is obviously where we're at injury-wise and the players we're going to miss," said Postecoglou on Spurs' January transfer plans.
"We've got some significant games in January and signing somebody late in the month could mean they haven't been able to make an impact in those games.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou.
"We're pushing hard, but you need all parties to agree. Other clubs, particularly if it's players they want [to keep], will be wanting to hold on to them for as long as possible for their own reasons through January.
"It is a challenge, I get that, but everyone at the club is working hard to get the best outcomes for us and we’ll see how it goes.”
Tottenham officially announced the signing of former Chelsea forward Werner on a six-month temporary deal with a £15.5 million buy-option earlier this week, while Spurs have also landed Dragusin for around £26 million plus Djed Spence going the other way on loan (Fabrizio Romano).
The acquisition of a new centre-back in particular is very welcome news for Postecoglou, as injuries and suspensions for both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero over the last few months have seriously exposed Tottenham's lack of depth in that area. Dragusin arrives at N17 with plenty of promise as an in-form 21-year-old who has starred at Genoa under Alberto Gilardino.
Trevoh Chalobah
Jean-Clair Todibo
Morato
Sebastian Caceres
Jarrad Branthwaite
Tottenham now "pressing" to sign new number 8
Recent reports have suggested that midfield is another "priority" for Postecoglou, with The Independent and reliable journalist Miguel Delaney sharing another line on this. Indeed, Delaney writes Spurs are "ahead" in their plans to sign another midfielder on X, while also claiming in his Independent piece that the club are "pressing ahead" for that possible transfer immediately after Dragusin.
The north Londoners are keen to sign a running midfield ace who can alternate with Maddison when required, so it will be interesting to see who they could bring in.
Pep Guardiola has insisted he will still manage Manchester City next season even if they win a fourth successive Premier League title on Sunday.
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City boss will be in charge next seasonRubbishes claim he's made PL uncompetitiveNot planning celebrations before title wonWHAT HAPPENED?
Guardiola will win a sixth Premier League title in eight years if City beat West Ham but the coach has promised he will still be hungry for yet more success next season.
AdvertisementWHAT GUARDIOLA SAID
"I have a contract, I want to be here next season whatever happens," Guardiola told a press conference.
Getty THE BIGGER PICTURE
Despite his incredible success in England since becoming City coach in 2016, Guardiola rubbished the suggestion that no one else can win the league while he is around. "Wrong. The margins, if we win every season by 20 points, I'd say I'm a genius. The Premier Leagues we won against Liverpool, they could have won. Arsenal could have won."
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DID YOU KNOW?
City have won the Premier League title on the final day of the season on five occasions: in 2012, 2014, 2019, 2022 and last season. They won the title with five games to spare in 2018 and with three games left in 2021.
Arsenal are all set to offer a new contract to Mikel Arteta that could make him one of the highest paid coaches in England.
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Arsenal set to offer new deal to ArtetaSpaniard to become one of the highest-paid coachesGunners boss currently earns £9millionWHAT HAPPENED?
The Gunners boss, who enters the final year of his existing contract, is all set to be offered a new long-term deal, according to the . The report further claims that the North London club will substantially increase the manager's wages which will make him one of the highest paid coaches in the Premier League.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola earns a whopping £20m (€23m/$25m) which makes him the highest-paid manager in the English top division. The new deal, however, will see Arteta earning close to the figure which Guardiola currently pockets. The Arsenal coach's present wages stand at £9m a year.
DID YOU KNOW?
The former Spain international has transformed Arsenal into a world-class unit that narrowly missed out on the Premier League title this season, finishing second behind the Cityzens. Arteta was recently named the Best Premier League Coach at the Global Soccer Awards.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MIKEL ARTETA?
The club are yet to hold a formal discussion with the 42-year-old coach but talks are set to begin once he, along with sporting director Edu, return from their holidays.
Responding to Kent’s 309, visitors reduced deficit to 101 on a day reduced to only 71 overs
ECB Reporters Network18-Jun-2019Wily Nottinghamshire veterans Chris Nash and Samit Patel dug in throughout much of the late afternoon gloom in Tunbridge Wells to edge their side into the solid position of 208 for 4 at the mid-point of their Specsavers County Championship match with Kent.Responding to Kent’s first day total of 309 at The Nevill Ground, Nottinghamshire moved on cautiously by adding 178 runs for the loss of four wickets on a day reduced to only 71 overs of action by rain and bad light.Patel reached 42 not out after an uncharacteristic 139-minute stay, while Nottinghamshire captain Steven Mullaney was unbeaten with one having survived the final three deliveries of the day.Kent had winkled out Nottinghamshire’s first-wicket partners during a hard-fought morning of cut-and-thrust cricket as openers Ben Duckett and Ben Slater resumed on their overnight score of 30 without loss.The pair were perhaps fortunate to survive an overcast opening hour as Kent all-rounder Grant Stewart sent down a muscular ‘hit-the-pitch’ stint from the Railway End, while Harry Podmore bowled fuller lengths and swung the ball from the Pavilion End.The two seamers each beat the outside edge on three or four occasions apiece, but the visiting left-handers survived to post their 50-run stand within 17 overs.Kent’s leading wicket-taker Matt Milnes replaced Stewart to breakthrough in the 20th over of the innings by running one back in from around the wicket to trap Duckett on the back foot and flush in front of his stumps.After a useful and luckless seven-over stint, Podmore gave way for third change Wiaan Mulder to strike in his second over by finding Slater’s outside edge for a catch behind the stumps.Just one wicket fell in the rain ravaged mid-session, that of Joe Clarke who fell for a painstaking 12. Fending outside off to a Milnes away-swinger, the right-hander edged low to see Ollie Robinson, the Kent keeper, dive to his right to snaffle a low chance that would not have carried to slip.Patel came in with the game truly in the balance and sensibly kerbed his attacking instincts by taking a more measured approach.The 34-year-old might have gone with four against his name, but, after edging a Mulder leg-cutter to Ollie Rayner at second slip, he was saved by umpire Steve O’Shaughnessy’s call for a no-ball.Patel batted for 62 minutes for five runs when he finally middled a back-foot force through extra cover off Mulder for the first boundary of his stay.Another shower took the players in for an early tea leading to a scheduled 40-over third session during which Nash reached a cautious half-century from 94 balls and with eight fours.Kent hurried through to the second new ball by bowling spinners Joe Denly and Rayner in tandem and, by the 80th over, Nottinghamshire had reduced the match deficit to 102 runs with seven wickets still in hand.The third delivery with the new cherry broke a stand worth 90 runs when Nash, on 67, edged to the keeper off Podmore and marched off in high dudgeon complaining he had been distracted by a white cloth that had fallen from the bowler’s pocket just before his delivery stride.Three balls later, and much to Nash’s chagrin, all the players trooped off for bad light marking the end of a fascinating if rain-interrupted day.
While both Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund got themselves on the scoresheet for Manchester United in the recent draw with Tottenham Hotspur, it has largely been a season of woe for the club's frontline so far – netting just 24 goals in 21 Premier League outings.
Eight goals conceded across their last four top-flight clashes has also exposed United's defensive shortcomings, yet it is in attack where much of the scrutiny has been focused, with Scott McTominay currently the club's leading scorer in the league with only five goals.
With that in mind, quality reinforcements should certainly be on the agenda for Erik ten Hag's side in 2024, either in January or during the summer, with recent reports indicating that one standout target is being monitored by the Old Trafford outfit.
Man Utd want to sign LaLiga sensation
Although they may need to be taken with a pinch of salt, reports in Spain earlier this week suggested that United were willing to work out around €150m (£130m) in order to seal the signing of Real Madrid star, Vincius Jr – a deal that would easily surpass the club's previous record capture of Paul Pogba.
As per Defensa Central – via Sport – the indication is that Los Blancos could be open to cashing in on the Brazilian speedster in order to help fund a deal for Paris Saint-Germain talisman, Kylian Mbappe, with the Frenchman likely to command a hefty wage packet if he is to move to the Bernabeu.
rayan-cherki-vinicius-junior-newcastle-opinion
Whether Vinicius would be willing to trade life in the Spanish capital for Manchester remains to be seen, particularly if Ten Hag's men miss out on Champions League qualification, although it would certainly represent a mammoth, marquee deal for United.
How Vinicius Jr fits into Man Utd's team
At present, Ten Hag has enjoyed early success utilising a forward line of Rashford, Hojlund and young Alejandro Garnacho, with the latter man, in particular, beginning to shine after being moved into a right-wing berth.
A brace against Aston Villa on Boxing Day proved that the teenage Argentine can thrive in that new role, having typically operated on the opposite flank during his embryonic first-team career, as well as in the youth ranks.
If Vinicius were to sign, therefore, it would see him offer another dynamic option on the left wing, with either Rashford finding himself displaced from the starting XI, or forced to operate in an unfavoured striker role.
That may appear a bold move to oust the Englishman, yet the Madrid man is a star who has consistently shone at the elite level in recent years, contributing 68 goals and a further 68 assists in 241 games for the LaLiga giants, including registering nine goals and four assists in just 16 games this season.
11 games (10 starts)
4 goals
1 assist
3 'big chances' created
3.0 successful dribbles per game
0.9 key passes per game
1.9 balls recovered per game
2.4 fouls earned per game
7.19 avg. match rating
Stats via Sofascore
The former Flamengo ace only recently bagged a hat-trick against rivals Barcelona in the Supercopa final, once again living up to the billing as a player who has previously been likened to two Madrid legends – Cristiano Ronaldo and his fellow Brazilian, Ronaldo – having been described as being a "bit of both Ronaldo's" by journalist Guillem Balague.
As Balague noted, the £344k-per-week menace shares a likeness with a young Cristiano due to his ability to terrorise from the flanks, while the "power", "strength", "pace" and "control" that he has makes him "similar" to the great 'R9'.
Man Utd eyeing £69m Maguire upgrade who's "one of the best in the world"
Erik ten Hag is believed to have identified a new leading target to help strengthen his backline.
ByRobbie Walls Jan 16, 2024
To then have such a weapon on one flank, with Garnacho – who has been dubbed "dangerous" by club legend Paul Scholes – on the other would be a dream scenario for Ten Hag and United, with Vinicius the type of player who could be the face of the new Sir Jim Ratcliffe regime.
Davies’ 124 not out glued together the visitors’ reply to 442 as they closed day two at 211 for 4
ECB Reporters Network08-Jul-2019Alex Davies made his first century of the season to provide some much-needed resistance for Lancashire on the second afternoon at Wantage Road. Davies’ 124 not out glued together the visitors’ reply to Northamptonshire’s 442 as they closed day two 211 for 4.Davies’ season has been badly interrupted by a finger injury picked up while keeping wicket in the opening match of the season at Middlesex. This is his fifth match of the summer but he immediately looked in good touch and went on to make a fifth first-class hundred.It was a vital innings with Lancashire forced to battle back after conceding by far their highest total of the summer. That pressure only increased when the Red Rose slipped to 2 for 2 in the fifth over of the reply but Davies found his touch with a smart cover drive against Brett Hutton and then tucked into some loose bowling from Nathan Buck, cutting merrily for several of his 10 fours as he passed fifty in only 59 deliveries.Luke Procter regained control and created a sharp chance from Davies, on 70, who miscued a straight drive back to the bowler but the ball burst through his hands above his head.After tea, Davies was quick to capitalise on anything slightly wide from Rob Keogh’s off-spin and it was a cut stroke against Keogh, his 17th boundary, that brought him a century in 151 balls.For much of the afternoon, Davies had Rob Jones for company. Jones never settled as well and played and missed regularly and was also dropped, on 27, gloving a hook against Procter that Adam Rossington couldn’t gather behind the wicket leaping above his head.Jones did not want Keogh to settle at the start of his spell but in the off-spinner’s second over, advanced down the wicket and dragged a lofted drive to mid-on where Procter dived to his right to take a fine catch. It ended a stand of 127 for the third wicket.Josh Bohannon edged Keogh to first slip soon after as Lancashire slipped to 131 for 4 but Steven Croft arrived to calmly steer his side to the close, unbeaten on 38 in a stand of 80 for the fifth wicket with Davies.Lancashire were plunged into deep trouble at the start of their reply, losing two wickets in the opening five overs. Keaton Jennings edged Ben Sanderson to second slip for a nine-ball duck before Haseeb Hameed fell for an eight-ball naught, dragging Sanderson into his leg stump.It continued an excellent opening period of the day for the home side who took their overnight 334 for 5 to 442 – despite slipping to 352 for 8 – with Procter making 48 not out against his old county as Lancashire missed out on maximum bowling points for the first time in 2019.