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Graham Napier’s big-hitting exploits have been a feature of a long county career and he have his home Colchester crowd a treat with a big-hitting farewell hundred

Will Macpherson at Colchester07-Aug-2016
ScorecardGraham Napier gave his hometown crowd a treat•Getty ImagesThis looked, for a long time, looked like being remembered as or maybe even But Graham Napier was among his people, here at Castle Park, his homeground in Colchester, where he was born.The crowd was sparse, and most of them seemed to be discussing their latest bout of gout or their latest round of bets. Even more of them seemed, in tones sterner still, to believe that they were watching the last day of the Colchester Festival, ever.All the more reason, then, for this to be Napier, by the standards of the shires, has always been a cricketer with a touch of Hollywood about him, so after a typically tenacious five-for in Sussex’s innings and – vitally for a fierce competitor – with plenty still worth fighting for, he made a marvellous draw-securing 124, the seventh first-class ton (and first since 2013) of a career that will be long-remembered in these parts.When that draw – which surely felt like a win, and takes Essex top of Division Two by a point – had been declared and he’d had time to ditch his pads and his whites, he wandered over, shaking plenty of hands on the way, hugged his mother and kissed his wife, all the while smiling wearily; the local lad done good.The most impressive aspect of Napier’s innings was his ability to rein in his instincts for some of his trademark tonk. He was patient, reading the match situation, nudging and nurdling his way to seven from his first 40 balls. Having lost Ryan ten Doeschate for a century every bit as good as his own, Napier continued to accumulate in the company of David Masters, who defended as though his life depended on it during a 28-over partnership that put the result beyond doubt.Only after tea, following 20 overs of graft for the pair and with the game safe, did he open those burly shoulders, punching through mid-on, sweeping the spinners and bunting to cow. Having brought up his century with an ugly top-edged sweep that went through the hands of the running square-leg, he nailed wicketkeeper Ben Brown down the ground for three sixes in four balls, before becoming the wicketkeeper’s first professional wicket – caught at long-on.The bearhug Masters was given up on arrival of the ton appeared as if it might never end. Free from the shackles of that embrace, Masters took 30 from ten Brown deliveries, in his old mate Napes’ spirit.”It’s been an emotional game,” Napier, affable as ever, reflected. “To walk off the field with five wickets and a hundred to my name, at what is just a lovely place to come and play cricket, knowing it’s the last time I’ll walk off on this ground: it’s a fairytale. This is my first club, I’ve played here since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, and in the Colchester area generally.”After lunch was a tough session. The longer we batted, the less we had to bowl, so that was on my mind! I get huge amounts of pleasure from playing that way, batting against my instincts. I think it sums up what four-day cricket is about. This is why we play it and love it; it’s my favourite form of the game. Four days of tough cricket, and it’s going down to two hours before the end before we know what the outcome would be. That’s hugely satisfying.”There was nothing certain, of course, about this being such a happy ending for Essex when Ashar Zaidi, moments after being dropped at long-off, slogged to the man at cow. They were 170 ahead, shortly before lunch, and out ambled No. 8 Napier to join ten Doeschate, who had earlier lost James Foster to the first ball of a new Jordan spell after 45 minutes of resistance.This, from ten Doeschate, was not merely a captain’s innings. It was the sort of captain’s innings a captain plays when the team he captains have just signed another potential captain: Varun Chopra in this case. He made 109, across five-and-a-half hours, a triumph of nose-to-the-ground dogged defence, until he was surprisingly bowled round the legs by Luke Wells.He had milked singles, propping miles forward with soft hands and defending with the splice and only playing strokes – cuts, flicks and jabbed drives – when they were absolutely on offer. He had done brilliantly to survive 27 overs on day three, let alone take the game within 55 overs of its conclusion. Napier, fortunately for him, did the rest.Perhaps Chopra won’t captain Essex next season after all. Ten Doeschate’s side, despite all three of their wins having come with Alastair Cook in the XI, remain very well placed for promotion. Before that, they have quarter-finals – starting on Monday in Nottingham – in both white-ball competitions.There was little more Sussex and Luke Wright, who remained cheerful as ever, could have done. By the end, Danny Briggs was bowling medium pace and the wicketkeeper was being sprayed to all parts, and before then Wright had tried leg theory, spin twins and everything in between. A pitch that had looked ready to break up just remained too true, and the batting too good.As the afternoon drifted on Sussex, just like everyone else, realised a win was beyond them, and they might as well just settle for a part in a day that will live long in the memory.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly already looking to the summer transfer window for squad improvements.

As the 2022/23 season comes to a close, Julen Lopetegui will have the chance to make changes to his team as the transfer window approaches.

When the Spaniard took over from Bruno Lage, Wolves were bottom of the league and in a dire run of form, but with safety confirmed, the former Real Madrid boss is engaging in transfer talk to bolster the club’s squad.

A host of forwards have been identified as potential suitors to Molineux, including Barcelona ace Ansu Fati, in the bid to end the club's goal-scoring woes.

The attack isn’t the only thing Lopetegui hopes to rebuild, but the defence also is an area for improvement with Wolves on average conceding 1.43 goals per match.

There is hope in that department, as news emerging from 90min has revealed that the club are monitoring RC Lens defender Kevin Danso.

What’s the latest on Kevin Danso to Wolves?

The 24-year-old centre-back is a familiar name to some with knowledge of the Premier League, having made six appearances in the league for Southampton in the 2019/20 campaign.

Since his departure from the South Coast, the Austrian has been a key member of the Lens squad battling in Ligue 1 in a competition full of stars.

As reported by 90min, the centre-back has been the subject of heavy scouting from a number of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Wolves.

Scouts from the club were reportedly in attendance to watch Lens trio Danso, Seko Fofana and Lois Openda, who have been star performers this season.

What could Kevin Danso bring to Wolves?

At 6 foot 3, the commanding centre-back has been praised to be a "colossus" by Bundesliga marksman Timo Werner, relating to his time at Augsburg.

With Max Kilman impressing at centre-back, the natural progression for the defence would be to find a suitable long-term partner for the 25-year-old as his current partner Craig Dawson draws nearer the end of his career at 33 years of age.

As per FBref – Danso ranks better than the Premier League veteran in a range of areas this season, including winning aerial duels – 2.22 to Dawson’s 2.07 per game – and maintains a consistently high rate of successful passing – 89.9% to Dawson’s 82.4%.

The £17m-rated defender has a Sofascore average match rating of 7.11, as well as ranking as the fourth-highest Lens performer this season, showing his consistency at the top level.

With a number of clubs hoping to snatch the 24-year-old’s signature in the summer, Lopetegui remains in the race to bring what would be a large upgrade on Dawson to the club.

Aston Villa are eyeing a sensational summer swoop for Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha.

What’s the latest on Joao Palhinha to Aston Villa?

According to Football Insider, Unai Emery’s side are “willing to match” Fulham’s £60m price tag and are prepared to table an offer that would break the club’s record transfer fee.

However, it will be an extremely difficult deal for the Midlands outfit to complete, due to the Portuguese’s insurmountable importance to Fulham and the interest of other clubs including Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea.

Nevertheless, this outlet previously revealed that Villa are confident that they have the financial resources to compete with the Premier League giants.

Emery is understood to be a “huge fan” of the player, who he views as an upgrade to his current starting line up and the board is willing to support the coach with a host of ambitious signings.

Villa are currently on the cusp of European football, and the promise of this and regular first-team action could be enough to tempt the coveted talent to join their ranks.

Although Palhinha is contracted until 2027, the west Londoners have grown “increasingly worried” that the player may be inclined to depart Craven Cottage.

Why does everyone want Joao Palhinha?

The 27-year-old joined the Cottagers from Sporting Lisbon for a modest fee of £20m and has quickly established himself as one of the league’s most commanding and influential gems.

In his debut season in England, the 20-cap international has made 32 Premier League appearances, notching three goals and an average rating of 6.98, which is the second-highest in the Fulham squad.

The powerhouse has emerged as a formidable midfielder and indeed as one of the top-flight’s most effective and authoritative pivots as he has made the most tackles (139) in the division, and is over 40 tackles ahead of Moises Caicedo in second (93).

This has also meant he ranks in the top 1% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for tackles per 90, as well as the highest 8% for clearances and aerials won per 90, according to FBref.

The signing of Palhinha would certainly be a player reminiscent of Idrissa Gueye who was a graceful yet bullish prospect in the middle of the park.

In his one season with Villa in 2015/16, the ex-PSG man averaged a mammoth 4.1 tackles per game, only marginally edged by the former Sporting Lisbon man at 4.3 for the same metric.

Both players occupy a protecting role in front of defences and are widely recognised for their ball recovery and ability to break up play.

Gary Neville has described the titan as “fantastic” and he has emerged as the spearhead of a Fulham side that is massively overachieving in their debut campaign back in the Premier League after their promotion last year.

West Indies captain Jason Holder expressed confidence in his squad and noted that the likes of Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard would want to make a statement on their return to the side

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jun-2016West Indies captain Jason Holder struck an upbeat note on the eve of West Indies’ tri-series with South Africa and Australia, backing returning players like Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard to make an impact.”We’ve got a good squad. Many of the guys were in the World T20 squad and the World Cup, some of whom are carrying very good form from the IPL. We back the guys in the squad,” Holder said. “We’ve got Sunil Narine, who comes back after the problems with his action, and Kieron Pollard, who I’m sure has a statement to make. So, I’m really looking forward to this series.”Both Narine and Pollard had to withdraw from West Indies’ squad for the World T20 in March-April. Narine was still undergoing rehabilitative work on his action after it had been found illegal in November last year. Pollard had not yet recovered from a knee injury that had kept him away from competitive cricket since November. Both players returned to competitive cricket at the recently-concluded IPL.The inclusion of Narine and Pollard in the tri-series squad had been questioned by Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Darren Sammy, all of whom had been overlooked for the squad, presumably due to their non-participation in West Indies’ domestic 50-over competition, which is a criterion for national selection. Narine, who was serving his suspension, and Pollard, who was injured, did not participate in that tournament either. Responding to those questioning his inclusion, Pollard had appeared to imply that he did not know why he had not been selected for ODIs since October 2014.Despite such issues, Holder insisted that the squad was in good spirits and eagerly looking forward to the tri-series. “The mood is very good. Everybody is up for this series. We’ve had a bit of a break between the last one-day series and this one, so everyone is raring to go.”West Indies’ last one-day series was in Sri Lanka, in November; they lost 3-0. The World T20, in which they emerged champions, is the only limited-overs international cricket they have played in 2016. The lack of match practice showed, as they were beaten soundly in two practice matches against Barbados Select XI.”We were a little rusty, probably below par, for the practice games,” Holder admitted. “But we didn’t have the full squad either. We have guys coming back from the IPL, who have been playing cricket, and I expect good things from them.”West Indies’ first match of the tri-series is against South Africa on June 3.

Chelsea defender Benoit Badiashile 'should impress' prospective new Blues' boss Mauricio Pochettino at Stamford Bridge and could go on to have a similar impact that Jan Vertonghen had under the 51-year-old at Tottenham Hotspur, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Mauricio Pochettino and Benoit Badiashile?

As per The Evening Standard, Pochettino continues to negotiate with Chelsea's hierarchy over the possibility of taking over in west London and has made some significant demands to co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.

The report states that the Argentinian coach will ask for four members of his backroom team to link up with him at the Blues, while Pochettino also wants to have a significant influence over the 'direction of the club'.

Chelsea are currently in turmoil at the moment, having lost their last six matches in all competitions under Frank Lampard and sit 12th in the Premier League table on 39 points, just nine clear of the relegation zone with five matches left to play.

In terms of Badiashile, the 22-year-old has struggled to make an impact since joining Chelsea from Monaco for £35 million back in January and has regularly been overlooked by Lampard, who has favoured other defensive options.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones believes that Pochettino could be the man to take Badiashile to the next level at Stamford Bridge and thinks the Frenchman could eventually hold similar status to the 51-year-old to that Vertonghen had at Tottenham.

Jones told FFC: "When Pochettino first arrived at Tottenham he rotated centre-backs to find his most reliable pairings but Vertonghen became the most used Spurs defender during his time at the club.

He is new to the team but has been impressive in the sense of his anticipation and reactions to key moments of danger, but he also has great ball playing ability and a strength of mind that should impress his new boss. A few years ago, when he was at Monaco as a teenager, Spurs were even scouting him as a Vertonghen successor."

Can Benoit Badiashile go on to be a success at Chelsea?

All things considered, there is no reason to say that Badiashile can't go on to be an important player at Stamford Bridge in the coming years and many would argue the 22-year-old hasn't yet been given a proper opportunity to stake a claim for a first-team berth.

As per Transfermarkt, Badiashile has made just nine appearances in all competitions since arriving in west London. WhoScored has also noted that the Limoges-born defender has shown signs of promise in his limited time on the pitch for Chelsea, making an average of 3.2 clearances per match in the Premier League.

FBRef demonstrate that Badiashile also has a lot of potential to become a ball-playing central defender under Pochettino, with the France Under-21 international having made 45 progressive passes in the English top-flight since arriving at Chelsea, bearing a resemblance to Vertonghen in many ways in the manner he was utilised at Spurs.

Major chances will commence at Chelsea in the summer; however, Pochettino should definitely look to afford starting opportunities to Badiashile as he has all the attributes to be a success in his tactical framework.

Aston Villa travel to Brentford this weekend, with Unai Emery's side looking to keep their Champions League hopes alive with another win in west London.

The Villans have been in superb form in recent weeks, winning seven and drawing one of their last eight Premier League fixtures, which has put the Midlands outfit in with a great chance of securing European football for next season.

However, with six points separating Villa and the top four and just seven games remaining, Emery's side could still achieve their Champions League dream should they continue their unbeaten run until the end of the campaign.

Brentford away represents an extremely tricky game for Emery's high-fliers, and the key to picking up three points could be keeping talismanic striker Ivan Toney quiet.

For that reason, we think the Spaniard should consider unleashing Diego Carlos for the first time since August, as the former Sevilla man has not been given a runout since recovering from his long-term injury.

Should Villa unleash Carlos vs Brentford?

The 30-year-old, who earns £100k per week, would join Villa in a deal worth £26m last summer, but disaster struck on his home debut against Everton as he ruptured an Achilles tendon which has kept him out for much of the season.

However, he has returned to the bench in recent weeks and has been left to watch on as the Villans enjoy an impressive unbeaten run, but he could still play his part in helping Emery's side finish the season strongly.

Last season saw the centre-back average a strong 6.75 match rating from WhoScored for his performances in La Liga, with an average of 2.4 aerials won and 3.5 clearances per game.

Neither Ezri Konsa nor Tyrone Mings – who have been part of Emery's preferred centre-back partnership since he took over – can match that from their overall displays this season, while he also beats Konsa for clearances per game, as well as both players for aerials won.

This suggests that in the long term, he could be a better option for Emery at centre-back, and with one of the Premier League's most in-form strikers set to test Villa's defence on Saturday, it might be the perfect time to unleash Carlos.

Toney has contributed an impressive 18 goals and four assists in 29 Premier League appearances this season, while he is also crucial to Thomas Frank's side's build-up play, as he has won the third-most aerial duels per game of any Brentford player.

Carlos is a man who has been dubbed a "monster" by Ollie Watkins, and his physicality and ability in the air could see Villa silence Toney this weekend, so surely Emery must seriously consider giving him his first start since August.

YouTuber Conor McGilligan has claimed that Leeds United shouldn't sign Weston McKennie even if they avoid relegation.

What's the latest Leeds transfer news?

With just six games left to play in the Premier League, the Whites could well go down as they sit only one point above the bottom three.

Manager Javi Gracia has a big task on his hands with the squad he inherited from former head coach Jesse Marsch and it seems as though there are doubts about some of the recently signed players.

Indeed, in light of the 2-1 away loss at Fulham on the weekend, McGilligan has vented his frustration with midfielder McKennie.

The American joined on loan from Juventus in January and there is an option for Leeds to make the deal permanent for an initial £30m, and that could be an obligation if certain criteria are met.

However, while speaking about the player on the One Leeds Fan Channel, McGilligan warned the club against signing McKennie.

He said (11:47): “If we stay up, I don't want him anyway. Because when the chips are down, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. Weston McKennie doesn't fancy it.”

Do Leeds have to sign Weston McKennie?

It seems as though McGilligan isn't the only one who has been underwhelmed by the £75k-p/w midfielder in recent times.

After the loss against Fulham, journalist Beren Cross handed McKennie a 4/10 in the LeedsLive player ratings.

His comments weren't kind either, as he wrote: "Looked like a passenger drifting through the game. Idly trotted up and down the field. Tackles were meek or didn't happen. Failed to bring attacking spark or defensive steel."

And so, interestingly enough, if McKennie can improve his displays he might help keep Gracia and co from going down – which could then trigger his permanent transfer clause.

If not, though, he'll likely return to Juventus while Leeds return to the Championship.

Manchester United are keenly tracking the uncertain future of Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Matheus Nunes.

What’s the latest on Matheus Nunes' future?

According to Football Insider, the Red Devils are very interested in bringing the 24-year-old to Old Trafford this summer as Erik ten Hag is searching to bolster his midfield options.

This outlet previously revealed that Premier League rivals Liverpool are also big admirers of Nunes and it's believed a fee in the region of £50m would be sufficient to persuade the Wolves' hierarchy to sell.

As well as these English giants, Catalan juggernaut Barcelona have also been linked with the Portuguese, who is set to be the epicentre of an enthralling transfer race.

Why do Wolves have to keep Nunes?

The Midlands club were bottom of the league with ten points from their opening 15 league games when Julen Lopetegui took over, but his managerial stint has overseen a tremendous rise to 13th position.

One of the key reasons for the Spaniard’s resurgence has been the incredible form of Nunes, who has been a pillar of energy, calmness, and meticulous technique in the centre of the park.

He has excelled as an imperious ball-carrier and a key contributor to the most threatening phases of Wolves’ attacking play – this is showcased by the fact he ranks in the top 17% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries.

Even more impressively, the 11-cap international ranks in the top 7% for successful take-ons to reflect his ridiculous dribbling ability, which very few central midfielders possess to this extraordinary level.

His Portuguese teammate Bruno Fernandes even hailed the former Sporting CP prodigy as “incredible” thanks to his consistency.

The midfield engine recently netted his first Premier League goal of the season – a sumptuous half-volley against Chelsea to condemn caretaker boss Frank Lampard to a defeat in his first game in charge in his second spell at the Stamford Bridge helm.

In the showdown versus the Blues, the £85k-per-week ace registered a 7.9 rating, had 63 touches, completed 100% of his dribbles, won ten ground duels, and recorded three accurate long balls, as per Sofascore. It was an all-round masterclass from a player that has evolved as one of Wolves’ prized assets.

Much of the attention is rightly focused on the possible departure of club captain Ruben Neves, and he would be some loss. That said, with his exit having been on the cards for some time now, it would surely sting more if they were to lose someone they invested in so heavily a matter of months ago.

Indeed, unlike Neves, the £40m-rated technician offers a higher degree of energy, tenacity, and talented dribbling. He is the more progressive of the two, and crucially, has a potentially higher ceiling given his age of just 24.

Manchester United got back to winning ways with a professional, 1-0 victory over Brentford on Wednesday evening, with the Red Devils ending their three-game run without a win in the Premier League to move back into the top four.

Having started the month on a sour note following the weekend defeat to Newcastle United, Erik ten Hag's men responded in fine fashion with a commanding performance yesterday, securing all three points following a first-half strike from Marcus Rashford.

The England international lashed home from close range following a neat flick-on from January arrival Marcel Sabitzer, with the 25-year-old scoring for the first time in four league games to take his tally to 28 goals in all competitions so far this season.

Having been given the nod through the middle as misfiring dud Wout Weghorst dropped to the bench, the United academy graduate seemed to relish the prospect of leading the line, registering an impressive haul of four key passes as a marker of his playmaking prowess, while also proving a real nuisance for the Bees with his dynamism in the channel.

The Manchester native was not the only figure who looked close to getting back to his best, however, with both Rashford and fellow forward Antony having been "dangerous" in the first half, in particular, as per journalist Matthew Law.

How did Antony perform against Brentford?

There is no getting away from what has been a difficult debut campaign in England to date for the £86m Brazilian, with the 23-year-old having failed to build on a promising start to life at Old Trafford after scoring three times in his first three top-flight appearances.

On the evidence of last night's outing, however, it looks as if the former Ajax boss could be able to replicate or even improve upon that early season form, having been a real livewire down the right flank against Thomas Frank's men.

As Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst noted, the one-time Sao Paolo man 'faded' after the interval, although prior to that he had been 'United's most creative player again', notably racking up two key passes from his 60 touches to illustrate his desire to make things happen for his side.

The £200k-per-week wizard could well have had an assist to his name early on after teeing up Scott McTominay with a clever pull-back, although the towering midfielder could not mirror his goalscoring heroics for his country as he rifled a fierce effort over the crossbar.

Antony was then heavily involved in the game's deciding goal after producing a delicate dinked cross to pick out Sabitzer, with the Austrian in turn managing to tee up Rashford to power past a helpless David Raya.

Those two moments of quality showcased the ability that fleet-footed maverick does possess, albeit with the 5 foot 9 enigma still needing to demonstrate that impact on a consistent basis, having somewhat irked the home crowd after repeatedly curling efforts wide having cut in onto his stronger left foot.

That frustrating knack for wasting opportunities will be held against the marquee arrival, although the win over the west London outfit appeared to illustrate that Antony can have a key role to play in Ten Hag's side moving forward.

Liverpool return to domestic action following the international break with a tough tie against Premier League title chasers Manchester City.

Last season, this matchup was a battle between two sides who were chasing glory across all fronts and while nothing has changed for City, the Anfield side have endured their worst season under Jurgen Klopp, with their sole priority being to secure Champions League football for next season.

The Reds will be hoping to secure their first victory in a month and following their recent Champions League defeat to Real Madrid a couple of weeks ago, Klopp will be keen on making a couple of changes.

The German utilised Cody Gakpo in a deeper position against the La Liga side and although this could be an option for the future, he should deploy him as a central striker against City in order to terrorise their defence.

Will Cody Gakpo start for Liverpool against Manchester City?

The £120k-per-week machine has enjoyed a solid enough start to life on Merseyside, scoring four Premier League goals since joining in January from PSV Eindhoven, and it looks as though Liverpool have struck gold once again when it comes to young attacking talent.

In the Reds' recent 7-0 drubbing of Manchester United at the start of March, Gakpo was sensational as the focal point of their front three.

He received a Sofascore rating of 8.2/10 for his performance which included a brace, one key pass, 42 touches and succeeded with one dribble attempt in what could be the catalyst for him to deliver in the Premier League.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano described Gakpo as “something special” while he was away on international duty for the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup, and he certainly demonstrated his talents to the rest of the world after enjoying a successful tournament on a personal level.

The 23-year-old scored three goals for his country in Qatar, while also averaging two key passes and succeeding with 50% of his dribbles and Klopp will hope that deploying him in a central role will allow the player to replicate these performances.

Liverpool have already beaten City this season, securing a 3-1 win in the Community Shield back in July, however, their paths have diverged into different worlds since then.

Gakpo must start in a front three alongside Darwen Nunez and Mohamed Salah for the Merseyside outfit to have any chance of securing a win.