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There's no denying that Leeds United have started the new year with a bang, romping to three successive 3-0 victories across the Championship and FA Cup, with even the returning Patrick Bamford now fit and firing again with a goal in each of those triumphs.

For all the positivity surrounding Elland Road at present, amid those statement showings, manager Daniel Farke is seemingly aware that there is still room for improvement with the club still seven points behind the automatic promotion places.

In order to bridge that gap over the coming months, the Whites must surely act decisively this month in order to strengthen their ranks, with recent reports indicating that the Yorkshire side do have their eyes set on one intriguing target, in particular.

Leeds eyeing Premier League talent

According to respected insider Phil Hay of The Athletic, Farke views the full-back positions as particular priorities this month, having only recently allowed the likes of Djed Spence and Luke Ayling to depart.

While that has heightened the need for reinforcement at right-back, it is on the opposite flank where the promotion hopefuls could also bolster their ranks, with Hay naming Luton Town's Ryan Giles among those to have been linked with a move to Elland Road.

The 23-year-old only joined the Hatters from Wolverhampton Wanderers on a permanent deal over the summer, although having started just five Premier League games this season, the Englishman may potentially be on his way.

Having previously shone on the last of several loans away from Molineux at Middlesbrough last season, the Telford-born gem – who is valued at €5m (£4m) by CIES Football Observatory – could again wreak havoc in the Championship for Leeds over the coming months.

How Ryan Giles would fit in at Leeds

While the former England U20 international has typically operated as a wing-back in recent seasons with both Luton and Boro, he could well offer a real attack-minded presence at left-back for Farke's side, as showcased by his stellar form last season at the Riverside.

That 2022/23 campaign saw Giles register a remarkable haul of 12 assists in all competitions – 11 of which came in 45 outings in the second tier – ensuring he could offer a real creative outlet for the likes of Bamford, Georginio Rutter and Joel Piroe to feed off.

As new Birmingham City boss Tony Mowbray previously stated, the 6 foot ace has "got fantastic talent, brilliant speed, amazing technique on his left foot", ensuring he could also strike up a devastating partnership with Crysencio Summerville down the left flank.

45 games (43 starts)

11 assists

23 'big chances' created

2 key passes per game

1.9 tackles & interceptions per game

52% total duels won

7.07 avg. match rating

Stats via Sofascore

The young Dutchman has emerged as a real talisman this season with 12 goals and seven assists in just 24 league outings while typically operating down the left, with overlapping runs from the forward-thinking Giles only set to allow him more space to thrive in.

The Luton man would also be able to provide quality service to Summerville down that side having created 23 'big chances' last season while averaging an impressive two key passes per game – further evidence of just what an attacking weapon he is with his wand of a left foot.

Aside from being able to flourish alongside Leeds' number ten, Giles also has the flexibility to be able to feature on the right-hand side if required, with Mowbray hailing his ability to "dance inside like Riyad Mahrez" when operating in that role.

As Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola stated back in 2021, Mahrez is a player of "special quality" who "dances on the pitch", having contributed 82 goals and 61 assists in 284 Premier League games during his time at the Etihad and for Leicester City.

While Giles won't be tasked with operating in quite such an advanced role as the Algerian winger, the fact he has been spoken of so highly should be music to the ears of those at Elland Road.

Southampton are now thought to be "closer than ever" to completing the signing of an "electric" attacking player in the coming days, according to an update from reporter Sacha Tavolieri.

Southampton transfer news

The Saints are riding high at the moment, finding some excellent form that has seen them really crank up the pressure on Ipswich Town in the Championship promotion battle. That's not to say that Russell Martin won't want another new signing to arrive at the club during the January transfer window, giving his team the best possible chance of going up to the Premier League in May after landing Joe Rothwell on loan.

A recent report has suggested that Southampton are winning the race to sign Burnley attacker Manuel Benson before the end of the month, with Leeds United also keen on him. He has found himself out of favour under Vincent Kompany this season, with a new challenge potentially appealing to him.

The club have also reportedly submitted an offer for Coventry City midfielder Callum O'Hare, and promising Liverpool right-back Calvin Ramsay is being looked at as a loan signing between now and the end of the current campaign.

Now, a fresh update regarding one big Southampton target has dropped – one that suggests he could be plying his trade at St Mary's in the very near future.

Southampton close to signing Manuel Benson

Taking to X on Sunday morning, Tavolieri claimed that Southampton are close to securing the signing of Benson, with big progress made regarding their interest in him.

This is great news for Southampton, considering Benson has seemingly emerged as a primary transfer target for them in January. The 26-year-old will surely like the idea of joining a new club, rather than consistently warming the substitutes' bench at Turf Moor – he has a total of just 74 minutes of Premier League action this season – and Saints could be perfect for him.

The attacking midfielder enjoyed a strong campaign for the Clarets in the Championship last time around, leading to pundit Sam Parkin waxing lyrical about him: "He was electric. Six attempts, Benson was far and away the most by any player."

Southampton submit offer for "incredible" Championship ace

A Premier League side are also interested.

ByHenry Jackson Jan 27, 2024

Benson has proven Championship quality, meaning he could arrive and hit the ground running immediately for Southampton, giving them extra firepower in their pursuit of the automatic promotion spots. 12 goals in 33 appearances in the competition is a solid return for a striker, let alone a winger, so everything points towards him being a roaring success if the move is completed.

The fact that they could sign him over Leeds could make it extra sweet, strengthening their own promotion chances and ensuring their rivals don't snap him up at the same time.

Allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin is also out with a recurring back injury

Mohammad Isam19-Jul-2019Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has been ruled out of Bangladesh’s tour of Sri Lanka after hurting his hamstring on Friday, the third and last day of training before the team departs for Colombo. Tamim Iqbal will lead the side in his absence.Allrounder Mohammad Saifuddin has also been ruled out due to a recurring back injury. Fast bowler Taskin Ahmed and seam-bowling allrounder Farhad Reza will replace Mashrafe and Saifuddin in Bangladesh’s squad.The injuries mean Bangladesh will be without four of their starting players from the squad that played the World Cup, with Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das also out of the tour for personal reasons. With Shakib, the regular vice-captain, also out, the BCB has turned to Tamim to lead the side.Mashrafe’s injury is a grade 1 strain in the left hamstring, BCB’s senior physician Dr Debashis Chowdhury confirmed. “It is a recurrent injury that could take around three to four weeks to recover from. Therefore, he is ruled out from participation in sporting activity for a month.”Bangladesh play their first ODI in Colombo on July 26.Tamim Iqbal plays a shot•Getty ImagesJust before sustaining his injury at training, Mashrafe had addressed a press conference where he had spoken of the importance of the ODI series against Sri Lanka in rebuilding Bangladesh’s confidence after their eighth-place finish at the World Cup.”I don’t think too much has changed between just before the World Cup and just after the World Cup,” Mashrafe said. “If there was a good young player available, who performed exceptionally, we would have most likely taken him to the World Cup. I think we have to prepare at least some cricketers at the highest level, over the next two years. Give them enough opportunity, so that they can serve us well in the next World Cup.”But this ODI series is important for Bangladesh cricket. Given our circumstances, we need to win this series, so we have to keep this in mind as well.”There will be a big difference in intensity between a World Cup and a bilateral series. But we have to absorb it like a professional side. Our reality, given how we did at the World Cup, however doesn’t allow us to have less intensity. This is an opportunity for us to take a positive turn, so I am sure everyone has the mindset to make a comeback.”Mashrafe, however, didn’t ignore the need for long-term planning, pleading for more focus on the pipeline leading up to the senior team. He felt most of the current squad could still be part of the set-up in four years’ time, but added that it would be crucial for Bangladesh to make the next rung of players ready for international cricket.”Apart from me, the rest of the side is capable of playing in the next World Cup,” he said. “But I think it is more important to focus on the Under-19s, HP (high performance) and A team, if we are to do well in the next four years. We must have players who become stable in international cricket during this time.”Focusing on just one team of players makes life difficult at the highest level. We don’t have Shakib [Al Hasan] for this tour so we have to look for two options. It is a great opportunity for those replacing him.”Bangladesh rejoice following their win•NurPhoto/Getty ImagesAlthough Sri Lanka hold an overwhelming 36-7 head-to-head record in matches between the two sides, recent history has been a lot closer, with Bangladesh winning three of the last six completed ODI meetings. There has been on-field friction too, exemplified by the ‘Nagin’ dance that both teams taunted each other with during last year’s Nidahas Trophy. Mashrafe felt the upcoming series would continue the growth of the rivalry between the two teams.”I think we will start on equal footing,” he said. “They are playing at home where they always do well. They have been playing together for a while too. They are becoming a balanced side. They have some good memories from the World Cup, particularly beating England and pushing a few sides. There’s been a bit of excitement between the two teams since the Nidahas Trophy and that will play a part too.”Mashrafe said he was disappointed with his own performance at the World Cup, where he took just one wicket in eight matches. But he said that given his experience of playing at the highest level for two decades, he is equipped to deal with pressure and knows how to turn his form around.”I have to take responsibility as a player and when I took over the captaincy four or five years ago, I had a similar feeling as well,” he said. “I know it very well, having played for Bangladesh for 18 years, that our people raise questions quite quickly.”I am personally disappointed with how I did at the World Cup and it will be a shame if I am not hurting. I am in a “nothing to lose” situation. But I also have the mentality to turn around, and coming towards the end of my career, there’s no need to take pressure.”GMT 1600 The story was updated with the news of Mashrafe and Saifuddin’s injuries.

Manchester United are unlikely to meet Everton's huge asking price for English defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

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Man Utd could pull out of Branthwaite transfer raceUnlikely to meet Everton's asking priceRatcliffe won't overpay for transfersWHAT HAPPENED?

United made the 21-year-old England international their primary defensive transfer target in the upcoming summer window, however, reports that the club could now consider pulling out of the move as they consider Everton's asking price for the player extremely high.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The report claims that the Toffees are demanding a fee in the region of £70m (€83m/$89m) which the Red Devils' new co-owners Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group are unlikely to match. It is believed that Ratcliffe is against continuing the club's old tradition of overpaying in the transfer market.

DID YOU KNOW?

Other than Branthwaite, the Manchester-based club have also included Nice and France defender Jean-Clair Todibo in their shortlist. They reportedly held talks with Tosin Adarabioyo's representatives before he completed a free transfer to Chelsea.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Erik ten Hag's side will be back in action towards the end of July as the English giants are all set to travel to the US for pre-season. They are scheduled to face teams like Arsenal, Liverpool and Real Betis in America.

A wonderful century from the former captain lifted Australia from the tatters of 122 for 8 on a dramatic opening day to the Ashes

The Report by Andrew McGlashan01-Aug-2019Steven Smith finished the last Ashes series having scored 687 runs in seven innings so, really, there was little surprise that he began the next contest in similar vein. Except, of course, for everything that has happened since. He marked his return to Test cricket after 16 months with one of his finest hands, lifting Australia from an almost down-and-out 122 for 8 – with considerable help from the tail – to a position from which they could consider themselves ahead of the game, psychologically if nothing else.Having gone to 98 with a six off Moeen Ali then tucking a single, a drive through the covers against Ben Stokes from his 183rd delivery brought up his 24th Test hundred – and it was no ordinary milestone. The emotions came flooding out as he celebrated then tried to compose himself with a few deep breaths and a look to the sky, taking in the applause along with a few remaining and largely foolish-sounding boos.He had been beaten early on by the excellent Stuart Broad – most batsmen would have been – but once he settled there was barely a moment when he did not look in control despite the many problems of his team-mates, although was thankful for the DRS on 34 when he was given lbw playing no shot at Broad. By the end he was flaying England’s bowlers to all corners of (Fortress) Edgbaston including a monstrous, dismissive swing over the leg side off Broad three balls before he finally missed to end one of the great Test innings.Away from the personal landmarks and epic backstory he had turned around Australia’s day in partnership with Peter Siddle, who earned the final place in the XI ahead of Josh Hazlewood, and Nathan Lyon. The last two wickets added 162 with Siddle contributing a superbly constructed 44, in a stand that firstly frustrated England and then began to deflate them, before Smith dominated the last-wicket alliance of 74 in 13 overs with Lyon which left them looking forlorn.While Broad and Chris Woakes had done so much to put England in command, the absence of James Anderson to a recurrence of the calf injury he sustained in the lead-up to the series hurt in the final session. Anderson only managed four overs before leaving the field for the first time and by lunch was already off for a scan. With Stokes below his best, Joe Root suddenly didn’t appear to have many options to turn to. It was probably not Plan A, B, or C to use Joe Denly’s legspin with Australia eight down.Root had not been unhappy to lose the toss and the challenge to Australia’s top order was clear inside the first couple of overs. While Smith’s Test comeback would go on to take the headlines, David Warner’s stay was a bizarre affair. He edged his first ball from Broad down the leg side but it wasn’t spotted by umpire Aleem Dar (the first of a host of errors for the on-field officials) and England didn’t review. Then they did review for an lbw that was going over before Broad won a decision off Dar that was missing leg stump. And that was all before the end of fourth over.Cameron Bancroft, who was handed a nine-month ban compared to the year for Warner and Smith, was worked over by Broad before edging low to first slip and when England successfully reviewed for a thin edge by Usman Khawaja shortly after drinks it was 35 for 3.Travis Head enjoyed a promising first season in the Test side as the post-Newlands rebuilding began and looked in good order as he made the bowlers come to him before working off the pads. However, five overs after lunch, Woakes swung one back to win a leg before and did the same to end Matthew Wade’s first Test innings in two years – although the latter, again, needed recourse to the third umpire.England, and especially Broad, could not believe their luck when Tim Paine pulled a short delivery straight to deep square leg – it wasn’t quite 60 all out or Stokes’ Trent Bridge catch, but the #Broadface made an appearance – and two balls later James Pattinson was given lbw to one which replays showed was sliding down leg. By then it was hard to keep up with what should and shouldn’t have been out.When Pat Cummins offered no shot to a booming Stokes inswinger Australia had lost 5 for 23 in 11 overs and were heading for something very similar to the 136 they were bundled out for in the 2015 Test at this ground. That was the point in the series, level at 1-1, where it swung England’s way with considerable haste. Being skittled out early this time could have opened up some old wounds.Smith hadn’t even reached fifty by this point and when he quietly acknowledged that milestone off 119 balls it seemed like being not much more than a face-saver in the bigger picture. But Siddle, who has averaged over 30 for Essex this season, showed that he has learnt about batting against the moving Dukes ball (Paine will hope the bowling follows tomorrow) having been saved by the DRS before scoring when he was given lbw to Woakes despite a thick inside edge.At times early on he scored more freely than Smith, who was intent on seeing through the innings, and showed some deft placement until he lunged forward at Moeen and inside-edged to short leg. For a few balls it appeared Smith would try to slog his way to a century, but Lyon has a solid technique and did not let his former captain down.The timing of Smith’s dismissal meant two overs for England’s openers to face. With no nightwatchman this time, Rory Burns and Jason Roy got through but Australia were the buoyant side with plenty more plaudits for Smith as he left the field again. There is one indisputably great Test batsman on show in this series. It’s very early days, but he could be the difference.

Manchester United and Liverpool have reportedly joined the race to sign Lille starlet Leny Yoro – although Real Madrid is his most likely destination.

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Yoro, 18, starring for LilleLinked with Madrid and PSGMan Utd and Liverpool join raceWHAT HAPPENED?

The Athletic reports the 18-year-old is one of the most 'coveted' players in Europe, with Liverpool, United, Madrid, and Paris Saint-Germain keen on recruiting the centre-back. The 6ft 3in teenager, who played a key role in Lille having the joint third-best defensive record in Ligue 1 (34 goals conceded), is out of contract in 2025 and he is not expected to sign a new deal.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

One major stumbling block, however, is that Lille reportedly have an asking price of €100 million (£84m/$107.m) – despite the France Under-21 international having just over 12 months left on his deal. The Athletic adds a move to Los Blancos is the most likely option, with the Spanish side seeing him as a 'generational talent'.

DID YOU KNOW?

Lille president Oliver Letang confirmed on Wednesday that Yoro, as well as Canada striker Jonathan David, will be allowed to leave the club.

Fabrizio Romano relayed his comments, which read: “Leny Yoro and Jonathan David can leave the club this summer. Both have the ‘exit voucher’ due to their contract situation."

But it is unlikely Madrid will stump up £84m to recruit the youngster.

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WHAT NEXT?

Lilly academy product Yoro, whose representatives are understood to have met with Madrid, is likely to be the subject of a bidding war this summer. Where he goes remains to be seen.

Whatever Mikel Arteta had Arsenal doing in Dubai, it worked.

The Gunners have looked like a team reborn since returning from their midwinter break, and with four impressive wins on the bounce, they have well and truly reentered the Premier League title race.

The north Londoners' frontline are firing once more, although as deadly as they are starting to look, there is a former Gooner who left the club as a youngster who's looked even better this season.

Gabriel Jesus

Gabriel Martinelli

Leandro Trossard

23

28

28

8

7

9

5

3

2

In fact, this player has outscored Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard this campaign while equaling Gabriel Jesus' tally across all competitions, having been sold for a cut-price fee.

Donyell Malen's time at Arsenal

The man in question is none other than Borussia Dortmund's red-hot Dutchman, Donyell Malen.

Now, there might be quite a few fans out there who had no idea that the Wieringen-born dynamo was ever even an Arsenal player to begin with, and considering he never made a competitive first-team appearance, that'd be understandable.

Malen joined the Gunners' youth setup from Ajax's academy in July 2015 and made 57 appearances across the U23, U18, and UEFA Youth League sides, scoring 18 goals and providing nine assists along the way.

He made a couple of appearances in friendlies when Arsenal toured Australia in the summer of 2017, but with no clear way into the first team, he was sold to Dutch side PSV, with The Athletic later revealing that he was sold for just £200k.

Donyell Malen's European adventure

Malen spent most of the 2017/18 season plying his trade with PSV's youth sides, but he did make four short cameos that year, with his first coming in an Eredivisie game against PEC Zwolle on February 3rd.

However, he'd finally get his chance in the first team the following season as he scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 42 games, which he then followed up with 44 goals and 19 assists in 70 appearances across the following two campaigns.

Unsurprisingly, with form as impressive as this, the "sizzling" forward, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango, was starting to turn heads in Europe's top five leagues, and so in the summer of 2021, German giants Borussia Dortmund signed him for a fee of around £26m.

Unfortunately for the talented forward, his first two years in Germany, while not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, were slightly underwhelming, and he returned just 19 goals and 14 assists in 73 appearances. However, this was also partly due to the 18 games he missed for club and country through injury during those seasons.

Club

PSV

Dortmund

Appearances

116

101

Goals

55

29

Assists

24

17

However, this season has seen the "unstoppable" 25-year-old, as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, return to the sort of form that earned him his move to Signal Iduna Park to begin with, as he has already racked up ten goals and three assists in just 28 appearances, with nine of those goals coming in just 20 Bundesliga games.

In comparison, Trossard has just 11 goal involvements in 28 appearances, Martinelli has ten, and Jesus equals Malen's 13, although he has scored fewer goals.

What likely frustrates the Arsenal board more than anything, though, is that since selling the Dutchman for just £200k, his valuation has skyrocketed 25400%, as according to the CIES Football Observatory, the former Gooner is now worth around €60m, which, is roughly £51m, or £50.8m more than the north Londoners sold him for almost seven years ago.

Arsenal's next 'Ronaldinho' left Europe with just 12 goals in 11 years

The teenager was supposed to be the next big thing.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 16, 2024

Ultimately, while he might not have been the leading man in Arteta's current side, his apparent talent would've surely been valuable in what looks like a nail-biting title race.

Hungary international Barnabas Varga has been pictured for the first time since suffering horrific facial injuries in a Euro 2024 clash with Scotland.

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Striker clattered when competing for high ballWas knocked unconscious & required lengthy treatmentHas undergone surgery & now on road to recoveryGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The 29-year-old forward clattered into Angus Gunn during the second-half of that contest, with medical staff rushing onto the field from the moment that he hit the turf and lay rigid in the penalty area. Varga was knocked unconscious, with team-mates such as Dominik Szoboszlai left in some distress as they saw a close friend and colleague tended to.

AdvertisementWHAT DOCTOR SAID

Varga was taken to hospital for treatment, with Gergely Panics – the team doctor of his club side Fenencvaros – revealing the full extent of the damage suffered. He told : “Barni suffered a concussion during the collision and lost consciousness. By the time he reached the ambulance, he had already regained consciousness, after which he was taken to the clinic in Stuttgart, where, after the examination, a therapeutic plan was drawn up, according to which he would be operated on. Our striker suffered multiple facial skull fractures, several smaller and larger bones were broken in his face, and some were even dislocated. After the operation, he will be kept in for two days. If everything goes well, he will be released on Wednesday.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Varga has now been visited in hospital by Hungarian team-mates and coaching staff, with the first images emerging of him looking battered and bruised. He had previously posted an update to concerned supporters through the social media account of partner Laura Skrapits that read: “Thank you for your kind, supportive messages. Barni is over the surgery. A little rest is waiting for him but he'll be fine!”

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WHAT NEXT?

Varga has now given the thumbs-up to those monitoring his recovery from a scary situation, with it possible that he will be cleared to head home in a matter of hours. He will play no further part at Euro 2024, but Hungary are hoping that Kevin Csoboth’s 100th-minute goal against Scotland may yet see them through to the last-16.

Worcestershire fall well short in chase of 219 despite Ross Whiteley’s unbeaten 89 from 40

ECB Reporters Network25-Aug-2019Lancashire 218 for 5 (Croft 94) beat Worcestershire 193 for 7 (Whiteley 89*, Maxwell 3-23) by 25 runsLancashire Lightning secured a top two spot – and a home quarter-final – in the Vitality Blast North Group with a 25-run victory over holders Worcestershire Rapids at Blackfinch New Road.Steven Croft hit a career equalling 94 as the Lightning totalled a formidable 218 for 5 after being put into bat. Saqib Mahmood then pressed home Lancashire’s advantage by removed Rapids openers Hamish Rutherford – the overseas replacement for Martin Guptill – and Riki Wessels in his first two overs.The game was effectively ended when Rapids captain Moeen Ali became the first of two wickets to fall in spinner Glenn Maxwell’s first over and the Australian ended with the excellent figures of 3 for 23 from four overs.Some typical hitting by Ross Whiteley – including his 100th T20 six for Worcestershire – kept the capacity 4500 crowd entertained. The Rapids are still very much in contention to reach the knockout stages but now face a crucial game against Notts Outlaws at Blackfinch New Road on Wednesday.The Rapids opted to field first and struck an immediate blow with Alex Davies top-edging the first delivery of the game from Dillon Pennington to keeper Ben Cox.Wayne Parnell shared the new ball and Steven Croft helped his first delivery over the fine leg boundary for six. Liam Livingstone collected four boundaries in Parnell’s second over and the Lightning half-century came up in 4.1 overs.Croft raced to his half century off just 24 balls with four sixes and four fours. Livingstone helped him add 83 in eight overs before he lofted Ed Barnard straight to Whiteley at deep midwicket.Maxwell flicked Pat Brown over the fine leg boundary for six but tried to repeat the shot from the next ball and was pouched by Pat Brown. Captain Dane Vilas made a quickfire 23 before he cut hard at Barnard and picked out Rutherford at third man.Daryl Mitchell bowled a tight mid innings spell and his four overs cost only 26 runs. But Croft continued to blaze away and hoisted Brown for two sixes in an over costing 22 runs. He moved onto 94 before attempting a slog-sweep in the final over from Moeen Ali and was stumped.Croft faced 55 balls and struck six sixes and six fours and his fifth wicket partnership with James Faulkner was worth 60 in five overs.When the Rapids launched their reply they were immediately on the back foot as Rutherford lobbed a Mahmood delivery to mid-on and Wessels perished at deep midwicket. Tom Fell was taken at long on – a fine low catch by Croft – off legspinner Matt Parkinson and then Maxwell’s introduction to the attack paid double dividends.Moeen was bowled by his first delivery and then Parnell perished at long-on. The Rapids lost half their side for 59 and required 151 from the final 10 overs.Whiteley reached a 20 ball half-century, which included 26 from an over by Richard Gleeson. It included two sixes and seven fours.An entertaining stand of 86 in eight overs with Cox ended when the keeper provided Maxwell with a third scalp with Davies this time holding onto the chance at deep midwicket. Whiteley ended unbeaten on 89 from 40 balls as the Rapids closed on 193 for 7.