Manchester United’s central midfield hunt feels as though it has lasted for many months, with no number one target appearing ahead of the January transfer window.

Bruno Fernandes, who has operated in such a role this campaign, looks set to miss the next few weeks, after limping off with a hamstring issue against Aston Villa.

As a result, Manuel Ugarte, Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo remain as the only senior options available to Ruben Amorim in his push to claim a top-four spot in the Premier League.

INEOS will no doubt want to invest further into the playing squad to bolster the options at the 40-year-old’s disposal, but it remains to be seen who they go after.

One player has been strongly linked over recent months, but it’s currently unclear if the Red Devils can convince his current employers to part ways with him this winter.

Man Utd could see £35m bid accepted for LaLiga star

Over recent months, Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton has emerged as a key target for United, with the youngster seen as an immediate and long-term solution.

The 21-year-old has made himself a full-time England international over the last few years, which has no doubt increased the fee the Eagles can demand for his signature.

It’s been reported that Oliver Glasner’s side are demanding at least £75m to part ways with the youngster, a fee which could prove to be outside the Red Devils’ price range.

However, he’s not the only Englishman currently in their sights ahead of the January window, with Atlético Madrid star Conor Gallagher another option they’re considering.

According to talkSPORT, the LaLiga side would be willing to offload the 25-year-old this winter, should they receive an offer in the region of £35m for his services.

It also states Amorim’s side would prefer a loan deal instead of a permanent one during the upcoming window, but it remains to be seen if such could be reached.

Why Gallagher would be United’s very own Wharton

There’s no doubt United need a huge overhaul of the central midfield department, with the current options at Amorim’s disposal, unfortunately, not at the level required for success.

However, given the huge investment over the summer, numerous temporary solutions will no doubt be needed in January to provide a short-term fix until the end of the season.

The summer will be the time when the board can once again invest and complete an overhaul to help achieve the success the fanbase have been starved of in recent years.

Wharton will no doubt be one of the main targets the hierarchy decide to pursue, with the 21-year-old a player who could feature in the role for at least the next decade.

However, Gallagher could be the perfect short-term solution if a deal can be agreed, with the Atlético star potentially being their own version of the Palace sensation.

He has previously played for the Eagles, like Wharton, with such a move being the perfect stepping stone to establish himself in the Premier League.

Gallagher is also a box-to-box option, just like the youngster, with the pair being ranked as similar players for their performances in England’s top-flight a few years ago.

However, when delving into their stats from the ongoing season, the 25-year-old has also produced numerous figures which are better than his fellow big-money target.

The Atletico star, who’s been dubbed “sensational” by scout Felix Johnston, has completed more of the passes he’s attempted, whilst also registering more progressive carries per 90.

How Gallagher & Wharton compare in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Gallagher

Wharton

Games played

18

15

Goals & assists

2

2

Pass accuracy

87%

85%

Progressive carries

2.7

1.1

Tackles won

1.7

1.2

Tackle success rate

47%

42%

Interceptions made

1.6

1.1

Blocks made

1.6

0.7

Aerials won

53%

45%

Stats via FBref

Such numbers showcase his incredible ability with the ball at his feet, potentially offering the side an excellent ball-playing option within the heart of the midfield.

Subscribe to our newsletter for Man Utd midfield insight Gain deeper transfer context – subscribe to our newsletter for expert coverage of Man Utd’s midfield hunt, head-to-head stats, tactical analysis, and negotiation context that clarifies potential moves and helps you weigh the options. Subscribe Subscribe to our newsletter for Man Utd midfield insight Gain deeper transfer context – subscribe to our newsletter for expert coverage of Man Utd’s midfield hunt, head-to-head stats, tactical analysis, and negotiation context that clarifies potential moves and helps you weigh the options.

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Gallagher has also dominated without the ball, as seen by his higher tally of tackles won, whilst also managing to make more interceptions than per 90 in Spain’s top-flight.

His quality over his compatriot is further demonstrated without the ball, as the former Chelsea star has made more blocks, whilst also coming out on top in more aerial battles.

From such numbers, it shows that the 25-year-old is an excellent option in and out of possession, but it’s unclear if the player would be open to a move to Old Trafford.

Wharton will certainly still be the supporters’ first choice to fill the void at the heart of the side, but Gallagher will no doubt be the perfect immediate option this winter.

However, if it is to be completed, the two clubs need to find an agreement in the weeks ahead to get the best possible deal in place for all of the parties involved.

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	“I was looking for a slower ball, a wide ball, I was looking for whatever Vaas had up his sleeve. I didn’t have to do all that” © AFP

Shivnarine Chanderpaul credits a little bit of divine intervention and some brute force for his last-ball six which won West Indies the first ODI at Queen’s Park Oval.”I’m happy, I’m very, very happy. I prayed and prayed and asked God to give me the strength to hit that ball out of the ground,” he said after the nail-biter. “The plan was to fire as hard as I could.”West Indies, chasing 236, needed ten from the last two deliveries of the game. Chaminda Vaas had done extremely well for the first four balls of the 50th over but Chanderpaul drilled the fifth for a straight four and walked down the track to loft the last over midwicket.”I watched the ball until it went over, then I was able to jump up,” said Chanderpaul, who was recently named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year. “When it dropped over the rope then I was happy to celebrate. I was looking for anything. I was looking for a slower ball, a wide ball, I was looking for whatever Vaas had up his sleeve. I didn’t have to do all that. He sent down a full toss and I just had to fire and fire hard.”The second last ball I knew I just had to hit. I was looking to get under it but I then had to hit it straight and hard. I timed that one very well.”Chanderpaul’s unbeaten 86 helped West Indies level the two-match Test series with a six-wicket win at the same venue earlier this week. He went into the first ODI with a bit of flu but was thrilled to have sealed another win.”I am still suffering a bit, but I knew with God’s help it could happen for us today. I have not recovered from the flu properly,” he said. “I was shaking out there all day and I was feeling weak. When I went to bat I was trembling and I was still struggling, but it worked out for me.”The second ODI is also at Port of Spain on April 12.

Faf du Plessis has been ruled out of the ODI series against New Zealand and will be out of action for at least four weeks due to a knee injury. Du Plessis did not play the T20s after picking up the injury during training ahead of the series. He should recover in time for South Africa’s tour of India, which starts in October.”It’s frustrating for me because I feel good and in form,” du Plessis said while doing a commentary stint during the first ODI. “Brandon Jackson, the physiotherapist, said I will need about three or four weeks of no running at all and then can get back into training.”This is the second injury du Plessis has had in the last few months after he suffered a broken finger during IPL 2015. Du Plessis played in the final despite the finger injury; he took the injury into South Africa’s tour of Bangladesh but did not miss any matches. “At Chennai, my nickname is Ferrari because everything looks pretty good on the outside but there’s not much going on on the inside.”Du Plessis’ absence means that South Africa are without a third senior player after JP Duminy and Morne Morkel were given time off from the series for paternity leave. Rilee Rossouw will bat in du Plessis’ place at No. 3 with Farhaan Behardien included in the lower middle order. Dean Elgar has been added to the squad as cover.

ScorecardArun Harinath: a career-defining season?•PA Photos

The boisterous rendition of Surrey’s team song – a legacy of Mark Butcher’s time as captain – spoke of a deeply contented squad. They had much to be contented about. Surrey had just won their fourth consecutive game, lifting themselves 54 points clear of third-placed Glamorgan with four games left to play.Although three late wickets gave Surrey’s run chase an ostensible tension, they chased down 313 with a palpable swagger befitting a vibrant young team who will soon leave Division Two cricket behind.In a side not lacking for razzmatazz, Arun Harinath and Gary Wilson are two undemonstrative cricketers, eschewing histrionics but identified by dependability. They rarely feel compelled to match more belligerent teammates stroke-for-stroke, but, as they proved here, it is not because they are entirely incapable of doing so.Harinath has enjoyed a career-transforming season. First given an opportunity when Rory Burns was knocked unconscious during a horrific collision with Moises Henriques at Arundel, Harinath responded with a pair of centuries against Glamorgan.His progress – adhesiveness married with newfound assertiveness – has delighted many, Kumar Sangakkara included. In , Sangakkara recently praised Harinath’s aggression as befitting “a good, old-fashioned Sri Lankan brand of cricket”, lamenting “what an opportunity it would be for Sri Lanka if he was over there and playing.”Building his innings diligently after Surrey lost Burns and Davies in consecutive overs, Harinath’s 87 provided ample evidence of his shot-making ability. When he crunched Jamie Porter to the point boundary he did not even deign to move. The nimbleness of his footwork as he lofted the ball down the ground against spin was also delightful.Together with Gary Wilson, Harinath forged the decisive partnership of the match: 92 in 16.5 overs. Wilson oozed intent from his arrival, his cries of “push, push” booming around Castle Park whenever a gap was located. He was particularly adroit against Monty Panesar, heaving him for an emphatic six over long off and then deftly reverse-sweeping for four in the same over.”I just knew that when it got down to a one-day scenario that we could probably put on the gas with him, because he does tend to bowl at that one pace and when we got a few shots away off it he might not be able to have the change-ups that perhaps the others guys might,” Wilson reflected.After 750 runs at 46.87 apiece last year Wilson would not have been the first to take umbrage after not being retained as captain (partly due to his Ireland commitments), but he is not the sort to do so: his fourth half-century of the season lifted his average above 45 once more.As Surrey built their chase upon another innings from Burns that oozed assurance, it had seemed as if their chase was set up for Jason Roy, who promptly slog-swept Tom Westley for a four and six in consecutive balls. With Surrey needing 150 from the final session with seven wickets in hand, Roy gave note of his intensions by thumping a straight boundary in the first over after tea. “He’s going for it,” Essex’s Jamie Porter could be heard muttering.So Roy was, and, as he followed a pristine offdrive off Panesar with a late cut of finesse for another boundary three balls later, Essex has good reason to fear. He smeared another slogsweep off Westley to the square leg boundary, but this time Matt Salisbury parried the ball, tumbled over the boundary edge and then returned to pluck the ball out of the air.It was the sort of moment that deserved to be match turning, but Surrey hurtled over their target with the force of a runaway train, even promoting Sam Curran from No 10 to No 7 to speed up the time before they could bring out their team song.Division One is coming, and Surrey think they are ready. “Division One cricket is a step up but it’s still Championship cricket and we’ll be confident that we can step up,” Wilson reflected. “The good thing about this team is it’s a really young squad. There’s going to be years of learning but we’ve got so many players that have got to be on the England radar.”That the game finished with 17 scheduled deliveries remaining was testament to the outstanding work done by the ground staff at Castle Park. While the pitch did not deteriorate in the way some envisaged – after day two Burns said that he would not like to chase more than 250 – it produced four days of engrossing cricket.Ultimately the superiority of Surrey’s spinners proved decisive. While Panesar had bowled encouragingly in the first innings, he was too predictable, too fast and too flat on the final day, until a rank longhop to Gareth Batty was dispatched to secure Surrey’s win.It did not speak well of Panesar’s performance that he was out-bowled by not only Aron Nijjar, a 20-year-old left-arm spinner, but also Westley, who had not taken a Championship wicket all season until this game. Panesdar finished with 1 for 88 and went at nearly five an over. Nijjar and Westley took 6 for 158 and conceded 3.5.”We never really got control of the game,” admitted Essex coach Paul Grayson. “We were leaking runs a bit too easily and couldn’t really sustain pressure for any period of time.”In many ways Essex’s day was defined in the first over of the day. Westley, who had the capacity to dominate Surrey’s attack, was dismissed to his second ball of the day, a flick to the legside freakishly ballooned off Roy at short leg, who caught the ball on the rebound.”Above all, he believes in getting things done,” wrote the journalist Simon Heffer of ‘Essex Man’ when he christened the term 25 years ago. For much of Essex’s second innings Heffer might have thought that his opinion needed revising.Essex failed to even score at three an over which, even allowing for the nous of Surrey’s spin twins, seemed to betray a curious lack of urgency considering the side began the match 56 points behind Surrey. and a win was essential. Besides Westley, who failed to add to his overnight 90, Essex’s top order gave the impression their feet were chained to he ground.At several occasions on the final morning all 13 players on the pitch were united in looking up towards the pavilion to see if James Foster was calling his team in. But Essex batted on and then batted some more – and rather lethargically in the circumstances – even as their lead cleared 300.Still, Gareth Batty was not complaining, his perseverance and skill rewarded with a five-wicket haul to match Ansari’s in the first innings: Surrey’s two spinners shared 15 wickets in the match, the last coming from a superb Jade Dernbach catch at fine leg, catching a ferocious sweep from Kishen Velani on the rebound.

ScorecardChris Jordan demonstrated his outstanding reflexes to remove Jack Leaning•Getty Images

A year ago Gary Ballance and Chris Jordan were toasting the crowd after the Oval Test. Both had been integral in the turnaround series victory against India: Ballance with his adhesiveness and bottom-handed accumulation; Jordan with his sprightly pace bowling and vivacious presence in the field.They have not had much cause to cheer in the 12 months since. A side strain rendered Jordan unavailable for the Ashes, though he had already lost his Test place after underwhelming performances in the Caribbean. Ballance’s descent, from phlegmatic No.3 to Ashes discard after two Test, was altogether more surprising; his only part in the celebrations after the urn was regained was speaking to the squad on FaceTime.Less than four months ago, Ballance scored 331 runs in six Test innings in the Caribbean. But the pace and late swing of Australia and New Zealand combined to slice and dice his technique open; a compact and well-organised Test match game gave way to porous defence and ponderous foot movement.The upshot was a return to Yorkshire – not at 3, but in his old county position at No. 5. In the month since trudging off at Lord’s, Ballance has made two half-centuries in the Royal London One Day Cup, but his return to first-class cricket against Durham at Scarborough brought only 11 runs across two innings.So it would have been cathartic had Ballance reached his 26th first-class century in the final over of the day at Hove. It looked as if he would have five balls to do so, but a routine misfield at mid-off allowed Tim Bresnan to return for two, and deprived Ballance of a chance to add the two runs he needed to bring up his first century in any cricket since making 122 at Antigua in April.No matter. If Ballance’s was an imperfect innings with rather jittery beginnings, it was also testament to the resilience and tenacity of this cricketer. After being dropped by England he had vowed that he would have the confidence not to remodel his game. He has remained true to his word and, in an era of stultifying over-analysis, that shows a certain courage.It was an innings defined by the usual Ballance trademarks: leaving diligently outside off stump, and shuffling across his stumps to chisel anything straight through the leg side. His drive was kept hidden away, like a very expensive wine, but was uncorked as his confidence grew in the evening sunshine.Ballance had earned the right to showcase his more expansive side after withstanding a ferocious spell from Jordan at the start of his innings. When England completed their victory over India at The Oval last year, Ballance scored 64, and Jordan took 7 for 50 in the game. Now both were attempting to remind the selectors of their merits ahead of the trip to the UAE.Jordan resolved to remind Ballance of his travails against Antipodean opposition, harassing him outside off stump and throwing in bouncers and several yorkers in an attempt to disturb his equilibrium. Several times Ballance was late on the ball, but just about managed to protect his stumps from harm. With his feet stubbornly refusing to move, Ballance did not resemble a man who should be playing a higher level of the game.Yet what mattered is that, somehow, he survived. After taking an hour to score his first boundary, a shovel through the covers off Steve Magoffin, Ballance surreptitiously gained fluency. And Yorkshire, too, highlighted why they are sauntering to the title: reduced to 22 for 2 after Jordan’s athletic caught-and-bowled off Jack Leaning and later 134 for 4, they ended the day with Ballance and Tim Bresnan looking utterly unperturbed.While Jordan posed a regular threat, albeit a wayward one – a ten-ball over included Adil Rashid edging an away-swinger behind – Oli Robinson was no less testing. He bowled with hostility, bounce and swing up the slope, and managed to eschew Jordan’s erraticism: the two both returned figures of 3 for 67, but Robinson bowled nine more overs. He even had time to showcase two overs of very passable offspin. More importantly, Robinson earned the respect of his old team.”He can bowl this fella. He’s got some pace I tell you,” Yorkshire President Dickie Bird purred watching Robinson in action. “Why did we let him go?”A year ago Robinson, the stepson of Paul Farbrace, was sacked by Yorkshire on account of “a number of unprofessional actions”. He was reckoned to have a slack attitude: he had missed too many training sessions and been too slapdash in his timekeeping. Once, selected for a T20 game at Chesterfield, he turned up at Derby instead.Evidently the geography of the South coast has proved less of a challenge. Like Chris Jordan, James Anyon and Mushtaq Ahmed before him, Robinson has been reinvigorated at Sussex: 44 Championship wickets at just under 25 apiece have emphatically vindicated Sussex’s faith.

Ben Stokes is ready to take on greater responsibility with the ball if that is the role handed to him for the Test matches against Pakistan in the UAE.England will spend the first two weeks of the tour – which includes two two-day warm-up matches in Sharjah – fine-tuning the make-up of their side for the first Test in Abu Dhabi, beginning on October 13, and some of the decisions they face are not simple.Alastair Cook lauded England’s adaptability as the team travelled to the UAE, pinpointing the phalanx of allrounders at his disposal. Stokes is central to that, along with Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Samit Patel while Joe Root’s offspin could also see greater service on this trip.Although the prevailing feeling is that Moeen is favourite to open the batting ahead of Alex Hales, which could pave the way for a six-man bowling attack including four quicks, there remains a chance that England could go with three fast men, which would bring Stokes’ all-round role even more to the forefront of the team. In his 16-Test career to date he has only ever been one of four fast bowlers.”There will be a lot more responsibility on me when I come on to bowl,” Stokes told ESPNcricinfo. “I might not bowl as much as I have in the summer, because it’s more friendly to spinners out there, but when I do get the ball I’ll have to realise how much expectation there is on me as a third seamer because it’s hot, hard conditions to be a seam bowler in the UAE. I like added responsibility and think it brings the best out of my cricket.”Stokes began the last English summer in dramatic style with an all-round display against New Zealand at Lord’s that went down as one of England’s finest. He scored 92 on the opening day after England were tottering on 30 for 4, then struck the fastest hundred on the ground in the second innings, before a thrilling burst with the ball on the final day when he removed the lynchpin pair of Kane Williamson and Brendon McCullum in consecutive deliveries.His next four Tests only brought three wickets before he produced a dramatic display in the second innings at Trent Bridge, claiming 6 for 36 to help England secure the Ashes in barely more than two days. The eye-catching feature of that performance was the prodigious swing, and though it was conventional movement on that day Stokes is also capable of reversing the ball when conditions allow, which is something that could come into play on this tour.”We do a lot of work with reverse swing leading up to tours where it can reverse so we will probably be doing quite a lot of work on that leading up to the Test series. Most of us know the characteristics and skills of reverse swing.”For Stokes, this will be his first taste of Test cricket against Asian opposition in their conditions and even though the prospect of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel looms over Christmas and New Year he believes the first phase of England’s overseas travels will be the most daunting.”We’ve had two series at home in our conditions which we all know, so the big thing for us is we are going to play in foreign conditions,” he said. “UAE will be the most challenging one, last time we didn’t do very well, but you want to test yourself against the best in the world in the hardest conditions.”

ScorecardFile photo: Ravindra Jadeja’s bowling figures this season – 6 for 27, 5 for 45, 6 for 71, 7 for 55, 6 for 75 and 7 for 60•AFP

Three matches, 37 wickets, two fifties, and six successive five-fors. After driving Saurashtra to an innings win against Tripura and then toppling Jharkhand inside two days, Ravindra Jadeja continued his Ranji season to remember by picking up 13 wickets against Hyderabad to maintain his team’s winning start.Saurashtra, having already conceded the innings lead, began the second day at 10 for 0. However, just like in their first innings, they lost wickets in a bulk and soon found themselves floundering at 68 for 6, staring at a big loss. However, Chirag Jani, the No.8 batsman, scored a counterattacking 65 and battled with the tail to lift Saurashtra to 215. His knock set Hyderabad a target of 170 and gave Saurashtra something to defend. Mehdi Hasan was the pick of Hyderabad’s bowlers, taking his second five-for of the match (5 for 69).With figures of 6 for 27, 5 for 45, 6 for 71, 7 for 55 and 6 for 75 already under his belt this season, Ravindra Jadeja went about adding to that tally by dismantling Hyderabad’s batsmen for the second time in two days. He collected 7 for 60, and in the process equaled the record held by Australia’s Charlie Turner for most consecutive five-fors in first-class cricket. Bavanaka Sandeep top-scored for Hyderabad with 46, but received little by way of support from his team-mates, as Ravindra Jadeja bundled the team out for 134 in 40 overs to seal a 35-run victory.
ScorecardJammu & Kashmir took control of their Ranji clash against Tripura in Agartala, as the visitors amassed a first-innings total of 428, and then removed two Tripura batsmen before stumps. J&K, who began at 303 for 4, were dealt an early blow on day two when Parvez Rasool, the overnight centurion, was dismissed five overs in. Tripura clawed their way back with three more quick wickets, but a 76-run partnership for the ninth wicket between Bandeep Singh (63) and Umar Nazir Mir (36) lifted J&K past the 400-run mark. Manisankar Murasingh, Rana Dutta and Abhijit Sarkar claimed three wickets apiece for Tripura.The hosts began their reply poorly, as the opener Arindam Das was bowled by Ram Dayal in the very first over, but Rajib Saha and Udiyan Bose led a recovery, putting up a 79-run stand. However, Tripura suffered another setback towards the end of the day, as Dayal struck again to trap Bose lbw. Tripura were 85 for 2 when stumps were called.
ScorecardA middle and lower-order slide prevented Kerala from putting a stronghold on their Ranji clash against Services in Delhi. Kerala, who began at 198 for 2, were buoyed by Rohan Prem’s century (101) and Sachin Baby’s fifty (51), but from a strong position of 242 for 2, the team lost its last eight wickets for just 80 runs, being bowled out for 322. Offspinner Rajat Paliwal was the pick of Services’ bowlers, taking 3 for 33, while Diwesh Pathania and Muzzaffaruddin Khalid claimed two apiece. Services began their reply brightly, as a 66-run opening stand between Anshul Gupta and Soumik Chatterjee ensured the hosts were still in the running for first-innings points.
ScorecardParas Dogra’s 18th first-class ton kept Himachal Pradesh on course to collect a vital first-innings lead against Goa in Dharamsala. Goa, who began the day at 265 for 7, ended with 324. Their overnight centurion Sagun Kamat went on to make 163, but did not receive any substantial support from the tail, as Rishi Dhawan snared 6 for 108 to bundle Goa out in 104.4 overs.HP began their innings brightly as Ankush Bains and Prashant Chopra put up an opening stand of 51, but both batsmen were dismissed in quick succession by the 11th over. Dogra, though, coming in at No.4, was resolute, remaining unbeaten on 139 with 18 fours and three sixes. He added 119 for the fifth wicket with Nikhil Gangta, who scored 47 before being dismissed off the last ball of the day. HP were 298 for 5 when stumps were called.

After being dismissed for 206, Uttar Pradesh hit back to takefour Saurashtra wickets for 89 runs by close of play on theopening day of their Ranji Trophy Super League group C matchin Rajkot on Saturday.UP lost four wickets for 58 runs but Pervendra Singh (59)and S Shukla (26) added 49 runs for the fifth wicket. Pervendrawho faced 112 balls, hit four boundaries. Then Md Saif, at No 7,hit a valuable 31. Niraj Odedra (4 for 56) and Hitesh Parsana(3 for 36) were the main wicket takers.Saurashtra in their reply lost wickets at regular intervalswith Gyanendra Pandey picking up two of the four that fellfor 24 runs.

Warren Hegg may be something of a forgotten man in English cricket but thatfailed to stop him from playing an innings to remember at Headingley thisafternoon. Against a persistently accurate Yorkshire attack, Hegg was theone batsman to capitalise on a good start, his innings the differencebetween mediocrity and competitiveness as Lancashire’s soared to a mark of267 – against Yorkshire’s 4/0 – on another two-paced Leeds pitch.It was Hegg’s chanceless 75, spiced as it was with nine well struckboundaries, which proved the defining factor in a fightback much needed bythe visitors. With only a solitary half century to show from nineteenprevious appearances at the crease this county season, the former England’keeper chose an opportune moment to turn his form around in what shapes asone of the most crucial matches of the summer. Stern late resistance alsocame in the form of a painstaking 19 in a shade under two hours from GlenChapple (whose concentration on occupation of the crease enabled him toshare in a vital 88 run stand for the seventh wicket with Hegg) and a handyunbeaten 29 from number nine, Richard Green.Undone by some excellent bowling, principally from the redoubtable MatthewHoggard (4/70), the Lancastrians had looked to be tumbling deep into themire as they surrendered five wickets for fifty runs to find themselvesteetering at 128/6 an hour after lunch. Enter their enterprisingwicketkeeper-batsman, whose ability to tuck and chip the ball into gaps notonly slowed Yorkshire’s momentum but also evinced increasing signs offrustration. Michael Atherton (21), John Crawley (23), Sourav Ganguly(28), and a characteristically aggressive Andrew Flintoff (28), had allmade decent enough starts to raise hopes of a solid top order performance,but they failed to a man to continue on with a job that, in the end, was byfar best left to Hegg.

Superb spin bowling performance by Harbhajan Singh (5/40) and SandeepSanwal (4/41) helped Punjab score a convincing victory of an inningsand 166 runs over Services in the fourth round of Ranji Trophy NorthZone League on sunday.Services started the third day of the match at 69/1 needing another274 runs to make Punjab bat again. Deepak Sherawar who had compiled ahalf century (56) was caught by Vikram Rathour off the bowling ofGagandeep Singh at the score of 97. Sandeep Sawal with his leg spinhad the following three wickets to finish with a tally of 4 for 41 of19 overs. After the fall of the fifth wicket, India test discardHarbhajan Singh came into his elements as he removed all the remainingfive wickets. The latter half of Services had no answer to the guileof Harbhajan Singh’s off spin.The Services innings collapsed like a house of cards and came to anend on 177. This enabled Punjab to notch up their fourth straightInnings victory of the season. The other highlights of the match werethe wonderful bowling performance by the Punjab seamer Bharat Bushan(8/51) who ran through the Services first Innings and the brilliantcentury by Punjab’s Pankaj Dharmani (128).