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Seeing out Graeme Cremer and staying positive will reverse a little pressure and bring a mammoth 388 target within reach, according to Dimuth Karunaratne

Andrew Fidel Fernando17-Jul-2017Seeing out Graeme Cremer and staying positive will reverse a little pressure and bring a mammoth 388 target within reach, according to Dimuth Karunaratne. The opener made 49 to help set the tone for the innings.Zimbabwe claimed his wicket and two others with balls that took substantial turn. The delivery that dismissed Karunaratne spun more than any other in the match, hitting the fast bowlers’ footmarks and darting alarmingly into his offstump. Kusal Mendis, who had also been positive at the crease, and Angelo Mathews, are the overnight pair.”I do think we can make it,” Karunaratne said. “We have already scored 170 for three wickets and we need only 218 more. We’ve also batted out the period when he ball is hard and does a little bit more. All Zimbabwe have now is the support from that rough.”Angie and Kusal are set now. If those two guys keep on batting for an hour or more tomorrow morning, they can get set again. If that happens, I don’t think it’s easy to get them out unless we do something silly.”Mendis, whose 60 has come off 85 deliveries, was busy at the crease, and used his powerful flat sweep shot to good effect. Mathews has already used the reverse-sweep himself, during his 33-ball 17. Both those options may be key to manipulating the field.”They’re bowling on the leg side with more fielders. So we need to have a plan to change that field may be playing a reverse sweep,” he said. “If we do that, we will be able to put some runs on the board quickly.”If we just to survive, we’re losing the opportunity to win the match. We need to be positive. When another 60 to 70 runs are scored, I think they will spread out the field. Then we can get the single and have a chance. We have to put them under pressure.”Cremer, who had claimed a five-wicket haul in the first innings, appears the key figure in the opposition attack. He has already bowled 58.3 overs in the match, however, and Sri Lanka may have hopes of tiring him out, as they had once done with Yasir Shah, in Pallekele. Sean Williams was the other wicket-taker on Monday.”Cremer is bowling in good areas and turning it well. As a wrist spinner, he gets a lot out of the surface. What Sean doing is that he pegs the batsman down and forces him to commit a mistake against Cremer. Other than those two, I don’t think there will be a huge threat. The reality is that those two cannot keep bowling right throughout the day.”

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Bayer Leverkusen gem Moussa Diaby, as Unai Emery and Monchi get to work this transfer window.

The Spanish duo is due to have a busy summer as they bid to get the squad up to par to compete in the Premier League and Europe next season.

Monchi could provide his second masterclass in signing Diaby, with Pau Torres set to become the first big signing of his reign.

Could Aston Villa sign Moussa Diaby?

As reported by the Daily Mail earlier this week, Villa were named as one of the clubs interested in the Bayer Leverkusen winger.

The report claimed that the Villans had joined the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle in the race for the 24-year-old.

Contracted to the German club until 2025, Leverkusen would expect an offer in the region of £50m for the Frenchman.

Where could Moussa Diaby play at Aston Villa?

Making a name for himself in Paris Saint Germain’s academy, the Paris-born gem has sparkled in Germany, cementing himself as a favourite in Leverkusen.

In 172 total appearances for the Bundesliga side, the 24-year-old has contributed to 97 goals, scoring 49 and assisting 48 from the wing, seeing him described as “electrifying” by journalist Aaron Stokes.

With the ability to play on either side of the pitch, Diaby has proved to be a constant threat from the flanks, as highlighted by his 24 goal contributions in all competitions last season.

While many know of the wide players’ talents, not many are aware of his expertise on the level of former teammate Leon Bailey, who caused havoc playing alongside the Frenchman at Leverkusen.

The once frightening duo could be an incentive for Emery to hire Diaby, with the possibility that he could uncover the Jamaican’s form prior to his move to the Premier League along with the potential addition.

Across 119 Bundesliga appearances, Bailey contributed to 49 goals, scoring 28 and assisting 21 to highlight the threat he can pose on the flanks.

His skills have not yet been transferred to Villa Park, with him scoring just five Premier League goals in 51 appearances so far for the Villans.

Hailed as having “deadly wings” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Leverkusen were once spoiled by the riches of Bailey and Diaby, who as highlighted by the scout contributed collectively to 51 goals in 2020/21.

Emery could reignite where the duo left off, bringing a once-threatening combination back to life in the Midlands in the bid to improve the form of their winger as well as the overall form of the club.

Averaging 1.70 successful take-ons and 4.17 progressive carries per 90 in the Bundesliga last season, Diaby could be the perfect outlet on the flank to liven up the play in the wide areas at Villa Park.

The French "demon" – as lauded by The Athletic's Alex Barker – is also a strong figure in his playmaking efforts, averaging 1.93 key passes per 90, being a prominent presence in the final third for those around him.

Monchi could deliver Emery a masterclass in giving the Spaniard a chance at re-coupling the two wingers, in the hope to re-spark the chemistry once loved in Germany.

Durham got their Royal London Cup campaign up and running in emphatic style with a 72-run victory over Warwickshire in a rain-reduced match at Edgbaston

ECB Reporters Network01-May-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Keaton Jennings made a career-best List A score•Getty Images

Durham got their Royal London Cup campaign up and running in emphatic style with a 72-run victory over Warwickshire in a rain-reduced match at Edgbaston. Durham were lifted to a hefty 313 for 5 from 39 overs by Keaton Jennings’ career-best 139, scored off just 101 balls, supported by Stephen Cook, who made 60 off 57, and Michael Richardson’s 49 off 44.Chris Rushworth and Mark Wood then shared three wickets in eight overs to inflict crucial early damage upon Warwickshire’s reply. From 43 for 3, there was no way back for the Bears who mustered only 241 all out despite Jonathan Trott’s 92 – his sixth 50-plus score in eight RL Cup innings.James Weighell, a 23-year-old seamer playing only his second one-day game for Durham, ended with 5 for 57 as batsmen holed out under pressure from the escalating required run-rate.Put in, Durham prospered on a good batting wicket as openers Jennings and Cook added 129 in 19.1 overs before the latter skied young seamer Aaron Thomason to wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose.Jennings and Richardson kept the scoring rate high with a stand of 123 in 13.4 overs. After Thomason knocked out Richardson’s leg-stump, Jennings advanced to his second one-day century before lifting a catch to long-leg off Thomason.On a chastening afternoon for Warwickshire’s bowlers, only 19-year-old Thomason took more than one wicket. In only his third one-day game, he ended with 4 for 64 after Ryan Pringle lofted to mid-on. The only other wicket-taker was Grant Thornton, whose first wicket in county cricket arrived when he trapped Graham Clark lbw.Durham inflicted rapid blows on Warwickshire’s reply as Rushworth’s fourth ball forced a skied pull from William Porterfield and his 22nd trapped Sam Hain lbw. An impressive spell from Mark Wood then gained reward when Ian Bell edged to wicketkeeper Stuart Poynter.Trott and Tim Ambrose added 79 in 12.4 overs but Weighell struck with his fifth ball which Ambrose edged to the keeper. Weighall also dismissed Rikki Clarke, caught at point, and although Trott and Thomason added 52 brisk runs, with 124 required from ten overs, something spectacular rather than brisk was required.When Trott lifted Weighell to long-off, Warwickshire’s last hope went with him. All that remained was for Weighell to complete his maiden List A five-for as Thornton and Jeetan Patel sent up catches.

A round-up of the Group B matches of the Vijay Hazare trophy held on February 26, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2017Prashant Chopra’s career-best List A score of 159 helped Himachal Pradesh thrash Delhi by 185 runs in Bhubaneshwar. Chopra, whose third List A century included 24 fours and three sixes, took HP to 339 for 8 before their bowlers, led by debutant spinner Dheeraj Kumar (5-24), bowled Delhi out for 154.Chopra had scored 159 of HP’s 233 before he was dismissed, putting up partnerships of 81 for the first wicket with Ankush Bains (21) and 115 for the third wicket with Paras Dogra (77 off 65). After Chopra fell in the 39th over, before HP scored 106 runs off the remaining 71 deliveries. While Navdeep Saini and Kulwant Khejroliya took three wickets each, all seven Delhi bowlers went in excess of six runs per over.Chasing 340, Delhi lost opener Gautam Gambhir (0) and captain Rishabh Pant (2) early. By the 14th over, they were struggling at 53 for 4 with Pankaj Jaiswal collecting three early wickets. A fifth-wicket partnership between opener Sarthak Ranjan (37) and Milind Kumar (29) took Delhi past the 100-run mark, but Dheeraj struck regularly to bowl out Delhi 185 runs short of HP’s total.Tamil Nadu completed a seven-wicket win in Cuttack after their bowlers dismissed Uttar Pradesh for 159. Half-centuries from Dinesh Karthik (56*) and Vijay Shankar (58*) took them past the target in the 28th over.UP’s innings was made up of two batting collapses sandwiched between a 59-run fifth wicket partnership between Sarfaraz Khan (31) and Rinku Singh (37) that took their team past the 100-run mark. They lost their first four wickets for 66 runs while the last five fell for 34 as they were bowled out inside 36 overs. While M Mohammed (2-34) troubled UP’s top order, Aswin Crist (2-38) and Rahil Shah (2-25) chipped in with crucial lower-order wickets.TN lost three early wickets in their chase, but an unbroken 101-run fourth-wicket partnership between Karthik and Shankar meant their team crossed the line with 22 overs to spare and complete their second win in as many days.Half-centuries from Ruturaj Gaikwad (79), Naushad Shaikh (57) and captain Kedar Jadhav (71) helped Maharashtra defeat Kerala by 122 runs in Cuttack. Defending 312, Maharashtra’s Pradeep Dadhe (4-33) and Shamshuzama Kazi (3-25) took regular wickets to bowl Kerala out for 189 in the 40th over.Kerala’s openers gave their team a strong start to the chase, but constant dismissals, including three top-order wickets from Dadhe, saw them collapse from 49 for no loss to 61 for 5 in the space of eight overs. Mohammed Azharuddeen (50) and Iqbal Abdulla (60) added 109 runs for the seventh wicket, but it was all in vain as Kazi ran through the lower-order to skittle Kerala out for 189.Earlier in the day, Maharashtra overcame an early wobble to post 311 in 50 overs. Gaikwad and Jadhav put together 104 runs for the third wicket, while a late surge from Shaikh, Shrikant Mundhe (31) and Kazi (27) ensured a strong finish to their innings. Jalaj Saxena took wickets in the latter half to finish with figures of 4 for 51 off nine overs.

According to Turkish outlet Sporx, Rangers have tabled an offer to sign Fenerbahce defender Bright Osayi-Samuel this summer.

Who is Bright Osayi-Samuel?

Currently plying his trade in the Turkish Super Lig, Osayi-Samuel made 37 appearances in all competitions for Fenerbahce last season, as his side missed out on the title by eight points to Galatasaray.

After joining the Turkish side in January of 2021, the defender is reportedly set to move on this summer, with a move to Rangers on the cards.

Having started out at Blackpool in 2015, before making the move to Queens Park Rangers in 2017, Osayi-Samuel has proven his quality in the past, and could make the step-up to a side of Rangers' calibre this summer.

Still only 25, too, the Nigerian has plenty of time to improve even further with a move elsewhere.

During his time in England, Osayi-Samuel made 79 appearances for Blackpool, before going on to make an impressive 115 for QPR – even scoring 13 and assisting another 13 goals during his time at the London club.

Could Osayi-Samuel improve Rangers?

The Gers are reportedly not alone in their interest, however, with Bournemouth and Leeds United also reportedly pursuing a move for the Fenerbahce defender. Given Osayi-Samuel's Championship experience, Leeds' interest may be particularly tempting for the Nigerian.

Statistically speaking, when compared to current Rangers fullback Borna Barisic, initial questions may rise whether the Scottish Premiership side would be signing an upgrade.

Barisic outperformed Osayi-Samuel in goals and assists, crosses per-90, and tackles won per-90, as per Fbref.

There were some positives, however, with the Fenerbahce man outperforming Barisic in interceptions and shots on target per-90.

The shots per 90 stat is particularly promising and suggests that goals could unexpectedly come from the full-back, who has been unlucky not to find the back of the net more times, considering the stat.

Meanwhile, Rangers would be getting themselves a player more than capable defensively, looking at his 0.97 interceptions per-90.

If not necessarily a starter, Osayi-Samuel would at the very least provide extra competition for the likes of Barisic, and add some squad depth to Michael Beale's Rangers side.

It'll certainly be interesting to see whether Rangers win the battle against the likes of Leeds and Bournemouth to sign the Fenerbahce full-back this summer who has previously been hailed "very talented" by his ex-manager Mark Warburton.

The Gunners are crazy to be spending up to £65 million on a dire finisher who is nowhere near as good as any of their starting forwards

About halfway through last season, Andy Townsend was asked about Chelsea's goalscoring problems during an interview with and confessed that he didn't "quite get" Kai Havertz. It was a wholly understandable admission. The Germany international is one of the European game's most curious players.

We're talking about a 24-year-old who has already scored winning goals in the finals of both the Champions League and the Club World Cup – and yet is renowned for his poor finishing and lack of a fixed position. Nobody seems very sure of what kind of player Havertz, or whether Chelsea's £75 million ($96m) signing from Bayer Leverkusen is even any good.

And the debate over the attacker's true value has only intensified in recent days, after it emerged that Arsenal are about to commit to spending up to £65m ($83m) to sign him.

Getty ImagesArsenal's more pressing concerns

A small section of supporters called for caution, arguing that Mikel Arteta has clearly seen something in Havertz that many others have not. Others were outraged, though, wondering what on earth Arsenal are doing even entertaining the idea of signing a player who has scored just 19 times in 91 Premier League appearances. The one thing that united the fanbase was a sense of shock, though, because nobody saw this coming, and it's easy to understand why.

Arsenal's brave bid to dethrone Manchester City as the champions of England didn't collapse because of a lack of an attacking threat from midfield or out wide. They scored 88 goals last season – just six fewer than Erling Haaland & Co.

No, Arsenal were ultimately punished for their defensive deficiencies, which were brutally exposed following William Saliba's season-ending injury. The Frenchman's absence, coupled with the mental and physical fatigue caused by trying to fend off City, resulted in costly draws and losses down the home stretch.

So, Arsenal's determination to sign a centre-back and a right-back this summer makes perfect sense. As does their interest in a winger to provide back-up for Bukayo Saka, who tired during the closing stages of the 2022-23 campaign, a replacement for Granit Xhaka and a top-class defensive midfielder to provide the back four with great protection.

AdvertisementGettyHavertz any better than Smith Rowe?

The hope is that the latter role will be filled by Declan Rice. Given the England international is held in the highest esteem, not only at West Ham, but also in Manchester, Arsenal are likely to have to pay around £100m ($128m) for the 24-year-old. Is Rice really worth such a fee? Maybe not, but he would be to Arsenal – and that's all that matters at the end of the day.

However, given it's going to take a colossal amount of cash to make that transfer happen, Arsenal's willingness to pay even £50m ($64m) – their opening bid – for Havertz is utterly baffling. The Gunners are not backed by a Gulf state, meaning that the eventual fee that they will pay for a player who would not walk straight into Arteta's starting line up is astronomical.

Indeed, the question has to be asked as to whether Havertz is as good as any other attacker that Arsenal presently have at their disposal. How much would he actually add to this team? Emile Smith Rowe couldn't get in the side last season – would Havertz fare any better?

GettyHavertz the new Zidane…

There is no doubting Havertz's potential. It's been obvious since he broke into the Leverkusen line-up at 17 and began breaking one club record after another. There was huge and wholly justified excitement surrounding a kid that missed the second leg of a Champions League last-16 tie with Atletico Madrid because he had to sit a school exam.

Lothar Matthaus, arguably the most complete midfielder in football history, called Havertz the most talented player to emerge in Germany for decades, even going so far as to compare him to the great Zinedine Zidane.

"He has set the bar very high – for me he was the player of the [2018-19] season," Matthaus told magazine. "If Havertz can maintain this high standard, with his natural talent, cleverness, presence on the pitch, and goal threat, then he could someday follow me as world footballer of the year."

Five years on, though, he looks nothing like a Ballon d'Or winner.

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GettyAdmired by Madrid

There was a brief spell in March and April of last year when it appeared as if Thomas Tuchel may have successfully unlocked Havertz. He netted five goals in five Premier League games, and also scored against Real Madrid in the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti was certainly impressed, as he asked Florentino Perez to try to sign Havertz last summer.

Talk of a transfer to Santiago Bernabeu resurfaced following Karim Benzema's shock exit, but it is believed that Madrid were put off by Chelsea's asking price – and Arsenal should be too.

Aston Villa qualified for the Europa Conference League on the final day of the campaign with a 2-1 win over Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.

Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz both got on the scoresheet to ensure that the Villans finished seventh in the top flight, which means that European football will be coming to Villa Park next season.

Unai Emery must now use that to his advantage by bolstering his squad with new signings in the upcoming summer transfer window to make sure that his team is ready to compete on multiple fronts in 2023/24.

The Villans were linked, in April, with a possible €30m (£26m) swoop to sign Valencia central midfielder Andre Almeida and the gem could be a long-term replacement for current captain John McGinn.

Who is Andre Almeida?

He is a combative 23-year-old maestro who could come in as competition for the spots in the middle of the park with a view to him taking the skipper's place in the future.

McGinn turns 29 later this year and the Valencia star could come in to put pressure on the Scotland international before eventually taking his starting berth.

In La Liga this season, the youngster has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.96 across 33 appearances and made 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game.

McGinn, meanwhile, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99 and made 2.6 tackles and interceptions per match across 34 outings in the Premier League for Villa.

These statistics suggest that there is not much to separate the pair from a defensive perspective as they are both capable of winning the ball back for their side multiple times throughout clashes at the top level.

Almeida, who journalist Zach Lowy once described as one of the Portuguese top-flight's "breakout" stars, is also able to provide creativity in possession. The former Vitoria maestro has created 1.3 chances per game and registered four assists in the top tier of Spanish football.

He has also racked up 9.71 progressive passes and carries combined per 90 over the last 365 days, which places him in the top 15% of players in his position in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions, and this means that the ace regularly progresses the ball up the pitch with his passing and dribbling qualities.

Whereas, the Villa captain produced 0.6 key passes per match for Emery's side in the Premier League and has managed 5.82 progressive carries and passes combined per 90 over the last 365 days, which leaves him in the bottom 50% of players in his position.

This indicates that the Valencia ace would offer more quality on the ball than the Scotsman in terms of being able to open up the opposition's defence and drive his team forward.

Therefore, Almeida could be a dream replacement for McGinn as the Portuguese dynamo has plenty of years left ahead of him to develop and could grow into being a midfielder who can offer as much as the Villa ace defensively whilst being able to provide more in possession.

Aston Villa have reportedly made Sporting CP attacker Pedro Goncalves a transfer priority this summer.

What’s the latest news on Villa and Goncalves?

A new striker is thought to be of interest to Unai Emery ahead of his first season in charge; however, Goncalves, primarily a left-winger, is also a target.

The 24-year-old recently scored an "outrageous" goal against Arsenal in the Europa League and has been linked with a move to the Midlands. Reports suggested last month that Villa are set to make a move for Goncalves who was viewed as a sizeable upgrade on Philippe Coutinho, and a further update has now emerged.

Sport Witness relayed an update from Portuguese newspaper Record regarding Goncalves in the last 48 hours, claiming that Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur are in a new chase for his services.

However, they add how Villa ‘were the first’ to show their interest and ‘intensify observations’ over him, saying he is ‘considered a priority’ for Emery and Villa.

Goncalves has an €80m (£70m) release clause in his current contract, something which may need to be triggered for a potential deal this summer as Sporting owe fellow Portuguese side Famalicao 50% of any transfer.

Should Villa push through a move for Goncalves?

Goncalves would offer plenty of versatility at Villa Park, playing in a variety of central and wide roles during his career so far. He also has an eye for goal, scoring 56 times and registering 31 assists in 120 appearances for his current employers.

The player even has experience in the Midlands after spending two years in the academy at Wolverhampton Wanderers before leaving in 2019, so could be keen on a return to England, looking to prove himself in the Premier League.

Villa and Emery do not actually have a senior attacking midfielder on the books at this moment in time, while there are four wingers alongside strikers Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran.

Therefore, Goncalves could be viewed as the creative spark needed in the final third to take Villa to the next level, with the player topping the chart for Sporting when it comes to shot and key passes per 90, as per WhoScored.

It could cost big money, however, owners NSWE are seemingly ready to back Emery in a 'huge' spending spree this summer, so Goncalves could become the club's record signing, should a fee get anywhere close to the attacker's release clause.

Aston Villa are planning to move on midfielder Leander Dendoncker this summer, according to Football Insider.

What’s the latest news on Dendoncker’s Villa future?

Unai Emery’s side recorded another Premier League win on Saturday afternoon, defeating Nottingham Forest 2-0 at Villa Park. Goals in the second half from Bertrand Traore and Ollie Watkins sealed the three points to take Villa up into sixth place.

It is now an impressive 11 wins from 17 for Emery in the Midlands, and it looks as if the Spaniard is already preparing for his first full season in charge.

Recent reports have claimed that Morgan Sanson will be allowed to leave on a permanent basis in the summer, and it looks as if Dendoncker could be given the same treatment despite signing from Wolves just last year.

Football Insider reporter Wayne Veysey shared a story in the last 48 hours regarding Villa and Dendoncker. He revealed that the club are willing to listen to offers and plan to accept a move away, with Dendoncker not viewed as a key part of Emery’s long-term plans.

Villa have already told Dendoncker that he is free to find a new club after the green light from Emery ahead of the summer window.

Will Villa need to replace Dendoncker?

Dendoncker, hailed as a “top player” last year by former Wolve boss Bruno Lage, has started just three Premier League games for Villa this season, one of which came in Emery’s first game in charge against Manchester United.

However, the 27-year-old has seemingly fallen out of favour in recent months, playing less than 100 minutes of top-flight action since the turn of the year. Dendoncker did feature in yesterday’s win, coming on for Emiliano Buendia in the final 15 minutes.

Should the midfielder move on alongside Sanson as expected, Emery will be left with just one out-and-out defensive midfielder in Boubacar Kamara, as per Transfermarkt, so you’d expect that a replacement would be required to bolster the squad.

Villa also paid around €15m (£13m) for Dendoncker’s services, so it’ll be interesting to see how much of that figure the club can recoup ahead of what looks set to be a busy summer.

Joe Denly made his first century of the season but four wickets after tea left the opening day between Northamptonshire and Kent quite even

ECB Reporters Network15-May-2016
ScorecardMonty Panesar celebrates his first Northamptonshire wicket since 2009•Getty Images

Joe Denly made his first century of the season but four wickets after tea left the opening day between Northamptonshire and Kent quite even, with the visitors closing 300 for 7 after winning the toss. There were also two wickets for Monty Panesar – his first for Northamptonshire since 2009 – on his return to the county where he started his career.Denly’s only previous innings of note was a half-century against Glamorgan but here he looked assured, drove the ball smartly, and went through to three figures in 207 balls with 12 fours.He might have departed for 26 had Panesar, on his comeback, claimed a sharp caught-and-bowled chance; one of three missed chances for the hosts in the morning session. But Denly took advantage and, having resumed 92 after tea, drove Panesar for four in the second over after the break and was soon celebrating a third Championship century back in Kent colours, having rejoined at the start of last season.Panesar’s return was for the most part less noteworthy, wheeling away for 31 overs on a docile wicket, but he did claim a second caught-and-bowled opportunity, this time offered from Sam Northeast on 49, that he took low down by his left boot, before having Calum Haggett caught behind four overs from the close. It was a fair return, seven years on from his last appearance for Northants.”I’ve really enjoyed my first day back,” Panesar said. “It was nice to get a good workload in. I was nervy first thing but I got some rhythm going. The first chance came at me harder than expected but the second chance was one of my best catches.”Northeast’s wicket was the first of several tame dismissals that saw Kent fail to take full advantage of their strong position. At 202 for 2 they were in control of the day but after Northeast departed, no other partnership breached 30.Sean Dickson tried to lift Rob Keogh – also making his first appearance of the season – down the ground, only for Alex Wakely to leap to his right from mid-off and claim a stunning one-handed catch. The celebration was surely learned from Shahid Afridi in his time at Wantage Road last season.Darren Stevens fell in the first over of the second new ball, clipping Rory Kleinveldt straight to square leg. Adam Rouse fell in similar fashion looking to hit Kleinveldt through the leg side, only to get a looping leading edge to cover giving Wakely a much easier catch.Northants should have been in a much better position earlier in the day, having broken Kent’s opening stand in the fifth over, Wakely helping to run out Tom Latham.Panesar’s miss of Denly was the second of the three early chances to go down. Richard Levi twice spilled Daniel Bell-Drummond in the slips, first on 9 and then on 26. But Bell-Drummond couldn’t take full advantage as Northants finally did hold a catch after lunch with Kleinveldt taking Bell-Drummond for 47 at first slip. By then he had helped Denly put on 85 for the second wicket as Kent made a solid start.