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Chelsea will come forward with a new 'verbal proposal' to try and land Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Has Moises Caicedo signed for Chelsea?

According to BBC Sport, Brighton have rejected a second bid from Chelsea for Caicedo which is believed to have been in the region of £70 million.

The Blues are said to be the 'most interested' side in the Ecuador international, who is also attracting attention from other Premier League clubs. Chelsea face Brighton in the opening game of their pre-season tour in the United States on Saturday and Caicedo could play some part in the fixture.

Personal terms between £60k-a-week earner Caicedo and Chelsea have already been agreed for a while; nevertheless, Brighton are holding out for £100 million and have benchmarked their requested fee against the £105 million that West Ham United accumulated for the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal, as per The Evening Standard.

Last term, Caicedo was in excellent form for Brighton, registering one goal and a solitary assist in 43 appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

As per WhoScored, the 21-year-old maintained a pass success rate of 88.8% during the campaign alongside making 2.7 tackles per match in the Premier League, showing his tendency to perform consistently on a weekly basis.

Chelsea are working on a new bid for Caicedo worth £80 million plus add-ons due to their latest offer having been rejected by his current employers, as per The Daily Mail.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer expert Romano has indicated that the Blues will go to Brighton with a new 'verbal proposal' this week to try and get a deal for Caicedo over the line.

Romano stated: "What we can say is that, more than submitting an official bid, I expect Chelsea to improve their bid verbally in the conversations they're having with Brighton and to arrive to more than £70million. This is what I'm told.

"There are conversations over around £70million as a guaranteed fee, plus add-ons. This is not enough to convince Brighton, so I think Chelsea will go there with a new verbal proposal and they will try to get this deal done this week."

What other areas could Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino strengthen?

Chelsea are considering trying to recruit a central defender this window following the news that Wesley Fofana has been ruled out with a cruciate ligament injury.

Manchester United star Harry Maguire has emerged as a surprise candidate to join the Blues and discussions between intermediaries have already took place regarding a shock deal, according to 90min.

AS Monaco defender Axel Disasi is another name on the radar at Stamford Bridge this summer that could provide some solidity to Mauricio Pochettino's backline, as per RMC Sport journalist Fabrice Hawkins.

The Argentinian coach is thought to be considering a move for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic; however, Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain are also keen to offer the Serbia international an escape route away from Turin.

Montpellier frontman Elye Wahi is 'listening carefully' to an approach from Chelsea in a prospective transfer that would then see him loaned to Strasbourg, according to Foot Mercato.

Nathan Buck took a career-best 6 for 34 for Northants as Durham’s season showed few signs of clearing under heavy Chester-le-Street skies

ECB Reporters Network02-Jun-2017
ScorecardNathan Buck returned career-best figures•Getty Images

Nathan Buck continued his excellent start with Northamptonshire by taking a career-best 6 for 34 as wickets tumbled in the Specsavers County Championship match at Chester-le-Street.Durham, still on minus 24 points at the foot of division two, were dismissed for 166 then had Northants rocking on 28 for 3 before Max Holden and Chesney Hughes steered them to 59 for 3 at the close.At 26, Buck is starting to fulfil his undoubted potential with his third county and is the joint second highest wicket-taker in division two with 27.It was inevitable that Northants would bowl when play began at 1.10 following rain. Heavy cloud persisted for most of the day, and the tinge of green in the pitch could hardly have been intended to suit a home attack shorn of five seamers.Paul Coughlin and Irishman Barry McCarthy opened the bowling for Durham with 22-year-old Scot Gavin Main in support, making his second championship appearance three years after the first.Northants’ four seamers maintained a probing accuracy on a day when no wickets fell in the first ten or the last six overs, with the 45 in between yielding 13, nine of them to edged catches. Northants had five slips at one stage.The going was always tough, but the Durham openers put on 30 before Stephen Cook’s disappointing form continued with an edge to second slip off Rory Kleinveldt.Then Buck struck with his seventh ball, which lifted and left Keaton Jennings for a catch behind.Buck bagged two of the three lbws and the only catch in front of the wicket completed his second successive five-for when extra bounce found the shoulder of McCarthy’s bat and the ball lobbed to mid-off.With 24 overs to bat, Northants lost Rob Newton in the thrid over, when Coughlin’s pace produced a flying edge to first slip.Alex Wakeley and Rob Keogh were both strangled down the leg side off McCarthy, although Keogh’s was more of an authentic glance, brilliantly pouched by the diving Stuart Poynter.Ex-Derbyshire man Hughes, given his chance by the absence of Ben Duckett and the concussed Richard Levi, looked as confident as any batsman in his unbeaten 16. Bad light ended play with eight overs still to bowl at 6.40.

كشف الجهاز الفني لفريق الكرة الأول بالنادي الأهلي بقيادة السويسري مارسيل كولر، عن بدلاء فريقه في مواجهة زد، المقرر لها اليوم في بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلتقي الأهلي مع زد، على أرضية استاد السلام، وذلك ضمن مؤجلات الجولة الثامنة من عمر بطولة الدوري الممتاز.

ويحتل الأهلي المركز العاشر في سلم ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 18 نقطة حصدها من 9 مواجهات، إذ حقق الفوز في 5 مباريات وتعادل في 3، فيما خسر مواجهة وحيدة.

طالع أيضاً.. اتحاد الكرة يعلن حكم مباراة الأهلي وزد في الدوري المصري

أما فريق زد فيحتل المركز الخامس في ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 24 نقطة حصدها من 16 مباراة، إذ فاز في 5 مواجهات وتعادل في 9 وخسر في 2. بدلاء الأهلي اليوم أمام زد في الدوري المصري

محمود الزنفلي، وخالد عبد الفتاح، ومحمود متولي، وأكرم توفيق، وسام أبو علي، وأحمد عبد القادر، وأفشة، وأنتوني موديست، وكريم فؤاد.

West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite and coach Stuart Law have expressed how they were happy to restrict India to under 200, as the 190 total was 20 runs short

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jul-20171:45

Lewis is not conventional – Brathwaite

India’s score of 190 at Sabina Park with short boundaries and a flat pitch was “20 runs short”, according to West Indies T20 captain Carlos Brathwaite, who lauded the efforts of quick bowlers Kesrick Williams and Jerome Taylor. The hosts chased down the total with a blistering 53-ball hundred from Evin Lewis, who hit the winnings runs to seal their nine-wicket win.”It was a very good wicket, but we did very well to keep them to 190, especially after the start they had,” Brathwaite said. “Kesrick [Williams] had two very important strikes in the sixth over and then when Jerome Taylor came back and finished, he brought us back into the game. We all thought that 190 was 20 runs short and then the batters proved their worth.”West Indies head coach Stuart Law was expecting a score of 240-250 from India after seeing a rapid start from their openers. “The way the Indians started their batting innings on a very good wicket with fast outfield and small boundaries, I think we did really well to contain them to 190,” he said. “To be honest, at one stage I was looking at 240-250. We didn’t start very well with the ball but we finished very well. It was very difficult to bowl with the new ball, the spinners weren’t getting much turn with the new ball and it was a very easy-paced pitch. If you slightly missed your line or length, you’d go for four or six. But towards the end of their innings, we saw how well they (West Indies) bowled and managed to contain India. Keeping them under 200 was an outstanding effort.”To only chase 190 on a small ground and flat wicket, it’s going to take some chasing but we saw one of the better innings I’ve ever seen in T20 cricket. Evin Lewis, hats off.”Lewis scored his second T20 hundred against India in only three matches, after he had blasted 100 off 49 balls in Florida last August. His century on Sunday was studded with 12 sixes and six fours, and Brathwaite said Lewis’ unconventional shots make him stand out.”He’s a very positive young man, he hits the ball very very cleanly,” Brathwaite said. “Another good thing about him is once he gets in, he goes all the way. He has two hundreds and a 90, something like that. He doesn’t stop short, he doesn’t make 20s or 30s.”Once he gets in, he’s very difficult to stop and he doesn’t give his wicket away. I don’t know what’s the secret, but looking from the outside, he’s a very unconventional player. There are players who are conventional and hit the ball hard, and he’s the other way around. He hits the ball sweetly and cleanly, he also hits them in some funny areas that fielding teams take a while to get accustomed to. But when they are trying to get accustomed to, he’s already 50-odd and heading to 90 or 100.”1:41

My aim is to perform consistently – Karthik

While Law lauded Lewis’ century too, he also said the batsman – who scored all of 67 runs in four ODIs against India – could have found it easier mentally to play more freely in the T20 format as compared to 50-over cricket.”Just the power hitting – how he picked his targets, he hit with the wind, he played all the right shots, played good cricket shots as well,” Law said. “There wasn’t any mad swings of the bat, they were all controlled and controlled aggression which we know Evin Lewis can do. I’d love to see him do that in the 50-over format, that will be one hell of a way to start a 50-over game as well. But credit to the young man, he hasn’t got a big score yet this summer and to finish it off in style like that was a great achievement.”I try not to talk too much to the players; they know their games. We just try and work out options for them and areas where they are very very strong. Batting for me is all about getting your body in a position to hit the ball in the area you are strong at, and Evin did that today beautifully. It might be [a] mental [shift] to carry that sort of mindset into the T20 game. Also there is pressure if you get out having a big woosh, in a 50-over game, in the first three overs – you look like a fool. I just want him to go out there and play his game and if he does get out in the first five overs, it’s no issue for me because if he gets to a good start he can take the game away.”West Indies, the reigning T20I champions, put behind them a 3-1 ODI series loss and were boosted by the inclusion of star players such as Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine for the one-off T20. Brathwaite said their presence boosted their confidence but they were putting in a lot of hard work in ODIs too, where they are ranked ninth and struggling to gain automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup.”Being able to rub shoulders with them (big players) and being able to ask their opinions, especially in crucial times, even to practice with them is a privilege. It gives the guys a little more confidence but any day with them in the team and not performing, the good thing is they (youngsters) take the mantle upon themselves, be professional – not just off the field but also on it. Whenever we go on the park, we always try to give a 100%.”As a young captain I just want the guys to express themselves. It’s not too many instructions from me; once we have a team plan we go there and try to execute it. The message from me is: always express yourself.”

وصف مارك أندريه تير شتيجن، حارس مرمى فريق برشلونة، ما حدث أمام باريس سان جيرمان في دوري أبطال أوروبا مساء أمس بـ”خيبة الأمل”.

وخسر برشلونة أمام باريس سان جيرمان بنتيجة 4-1 على ملعب “مونتجويك” في إياب ربع نهائي البطولة، ليودع المنافسات.

وقال تير شتيجن في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “أشعر بخيبة أمل كبيرة لأنه في النهاية كان الأمر ممكنًا اليوم، خيبة الأمل هي الكلمة الصحيحة”.

وأضاف: “توقعنا أن يكون باريس سان جيرمان على هذا النحو، كان يتبقى نصف ساعة والفارق هدفًا واحدًا، لا أريد أن أقول إنه كان خطأ، أردت أن أستحوذ على الكرة (الهدف الرابع)”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. إنريكي: آمل ألا يتكرر لي هذا الأمر مجددًا أمام برشلونة.. وأنتظر حديث السيد مبابي

وواصل: “كان علينا أن نخاطر بشكل أكبر عندما استقبلنا الهدف الثالث، في النهاية هم يمتلكون جودة كبيرة في الهجوم، وكل فرصة تمثل خطورة، من الصعب تفهم ما حدث حيث سجلوا أربعة أهداف في المباراة”.

وأوضح: “لقد أتيحت لنا فرصة التأهل إلى الدور قبل النهائي، لكن الحياة تستمر، علينا الآن أن نستعد لمباراة مدريد”.

وأردف: “الآن ليس الوقت المناسب للتفكير في مباراة الأحد، ضد ريال مدريد، علينا أن نرتاح وأن نعيد شحن بطارياتنا حتى نكون في صحة جيدة مرة أخرى ونركز ذهنيًا على ما يتعين علينا القيام به”.

وأكد: “نحتاج إلى الراحة والقتال من أجل تقليص النقاط مع ريال مدريد وجعل الأمور صعبة عليهم”.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti, and the player himself has given the green light to a potential move.

Do Liverpool want to sign Marco Verratti?

The Reds and Jurgen Klopp have already brought in two new midfielders this summer in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai from Brighton and RB Leipzig.

However, a number of midfielders have departed Anfield such as James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita after their contracts came to an end. Jordan Henderson has also left to join Steven Gerrard in Saudi Arabia, and Fabinho could well follow suit, leaving Liverpool on the search for another midfield signing.

Southampton’s Romeo Lavia appears to be one of the top targets on Merseyside, with the Reds even having an opening £40m offer turned down. Reporter James Pearce has said that an improved offer is being prepared, but it looks as if Verratti is another player of interest ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

Paisley Gates relayed an update from Spain in the last 48 hours regarding Verratti, who wants to leave PSG and has contacted many 'top' clubs.

La Liga sides Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are named in the report, as are Liverpool. It is believed that Verratti has very quickly agreed to move to Anfield by giving the ‘OK’, should the two sides agree on a fee, with Klopp also happy with a potential move.

However, since then, Fabrizio Romano has reported that the midfielder is also attracting interest from Saudi Arabia, with PSG wanting more than €30m to sell the Italian.

How good is Marco Verratti?

Verratti has been on the books with PSG since 2012 after leaving Italian side Pescara. In total, the 30-year-old has made 416 senior appearances for the French giants as a central or holding midfielder.

The Italy international has won nine Ligue 1 titles, nine French Super Cups, six French League Cups and six French Cups during his time in Paris. Hailed as "extraordinary" by Thomas Tuchel, the former PSG boss also described Verratti as "one of the best midfielders in the world".

"As I often said, Marco is very important. He's a key player. He's one of the best midfielders in the world.

"There is always room for improvement but he's highly reliable. He has loads of responsibilities inside the group. He always thinks about others and their happiness. He's a team player. Coaching Marco is the best that can happen to a coach."

Verratti has shown that he is still one of the best around over the past 12 months. As per FBref, the £238,000-a-week star has ranked in the top 1% of midfielders in a whopping 10 passing statistics, including passes attempted and completed.

Off the ball, Verratti even ranks in the top 3% for tackles won and dribblers challenged, which shows how he could be a shrewd addition to Klopp’s side. However, with a move to Saudi Arabia being spoken about, the Reds may need to make their move quickly, especially with the player himself being keen on moving to Anfield.

West Indies were aided by rain after putting up a strong batting display against Pakistan which saw Deandra Dottin reach her maiden ODI hundred, supported by Stafanie Taylor’s 90

The report by Varun Shetty11-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Deandra Dottin launched an attack in the back end of the innings to push West Indies to 285•ICC/Getty

Deandra Dottin’s first ODI century lifted West Indies to 285 and did half the job against Pakistan, a team that hadn’t made more than 150 for four innings in a row. And although Pakistan put up a solid response, a combination of rain and quick wickets meant their innings was cut short on 117 for 3 – 19 short of the DLS par score in 24 overs. It was their 13th successive loss in a World Cup match.Pakistan’s revised target was 245 in 38 overs and Javeria Khan was unbeaten on 58 when rain interrupted the game for a third time. She added 80 with opener Nahida Khan before offspinner Anisa Mohammed dismissed the opener for 40. Thirteen balls later, Iram Javed, promoted ahead of Nain Abidi, holed out to extra cover off what turned out to be the last ball of the match.It meant that the fluent stand between Javeria and Nahida, that kept Pakistan close to the DLS par score, went in vain. Pakistan captain Sana Mir admitted to a “lapse” in planning after the match, with the side preferring not to take the batting Powerplay when the drizzle started getting heavy.Earlier, rain had delayed the start of the game by an hour. Stafanie Taylor, who had lost the toss, found herself out in the middle after the end of the first over. Having hustled the openers by utilising the overcast conditions with a couple of swinging deliveries, seamer Asmavia Iqbal floated up an offcutter and had Hayley Matthews chipping a return catch.The left-handed Kycia Knight then threatened to monopolise the cover boundary, striking four dominant boundaries through the off-side belt. But Asmavia was back with another cutter, this one climbing away from Knight whose aimless prod outside off resulted in a outside edge that was smartly taken by Sidra Nawaz low to her left. Asmavia even ventured up the pitch to make the wicket a memorable one – shouting out a clear send-off to the perplexed batsman. By the time Pakistan captain Mir offered her an apologetic pat, she was an amused batsman. But one who was out, nonetheless.Chedean Nation joined her captain in the fifth over. West Indies continued to find the boundary regularly – at one point, 48 of the 63 runs had come in fours – to offset an otherwise tight bowling display from Pakistan. Taylor channeled Knight and was particularly punishing through the off side. She made most of the 87 runs the pair put on for the third wicket before Nation, who has faced some criticism for throwing away starts this tournament, walked across and exposed her middle stump in a bid to sweep. She would be Nashra Sandhu’s only wicket.When Taylor brought up her fifty, it was West Indies’ first of the tournament. There wasn’t a deliberate attempt to accelerate after she reached the landmark. The priority, it seemed, was to build a long innings and take an otherwise fragile batting line-up as deep into the innings as possible. Her own innings pushed into the 40th over, before an attempted drill past Diana Baig was caught by the bowler in her follow through. She missed out on a sixth ODI hundred by ten runs.The acceleration came from Dottin who, in the mid-innings break, acknowledged that she had looked to play straighter. With five fours and a six, she brought up her fifty off 49 balls in the 42nd over. And from there began West Indies’ acceleration. Seventy-four runs came off the last seven overs; 54 of those were pummeled from Dottin’s bat in just 27 balls, including a six that came from a launch over long-on to bring up a 71-ball hundred. She celebrated by flinging her bat to square leg – like someone who should have had a first hundred long before her 99th ODI innings.

طالب البرتغالي جوزيه جوميز المدير الفني لنادي الزمالك، بتجهيز أحد لاعبي الفريق استعداداً لمباراة العودة أمام دريمز الغاني في بطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

الزمالك يحل ضيفاً على فريق دريمز الغاني، يوم الأحد المقبل 28 أبريل، في إطار مواجهة الإياب لدور نصف النهائي من كأس الكونفدرالية.

وكانت مواجهة الذهاب التي جمعت الفريقين، أمس الأحد على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي انتهت بالتعادل السلبي.

وطلب البرتغالي جوزيه جوميز من لويس فيسنتي مدرب حراس مرمى الزمالك، ضرورة وضع برنامج فني مكثف لـ محمد صبحي، لتجهيزه من الناحية الفنية والبدنية بدءًا من مران الغد، من أجل تجهيزه لمباراة دريمز الغاني المقبلة”.

طالع | جوميز: حزنت من لاعبي الزمالك بعد التعادل مع دريمز.. وعلينا القتال لتحقيق الفوز في غانا

ويأتي ذلك في ظل غموض موقف محمد عواد الذي يعاني من آلام في الظهر والتي تعرض لها خلال عملية الإحماء في مباراة أمس.

ويرغب جوميز أن يكون محمد صبحي لائقًا للمباراة المقبلة، خاصة أنه كان بعيدًا عن المشاركة في المباريات في الفترة الأخيرة، بسبب اعتماد الجهاز الفني على عواد، بجانب أن صبحي كان يعاني من الإصابة في العضلة الضامة.

وكان محمد عواد قد شعر بآلام في الظهر خلال الإحماء قبل انطلاق مباراة الزمالك ودريمز أمس، إلا أنه شارك في اللقاء كاملاً.

يذكر، أن الزمالك كان قد تأهل إلى دور نصف النهائي بعد الفوز على فيوتشر في دور ربع النهائي بنتيجة 3-2 في مجموع مباراتي الذهاب والإياب.

Aston Villa are interested in signing Nottingham Forest forward Brennan Johnson this summer, according to reports, as Unai Emery looks to bolster his attacking options even further. Forest have reportedly placed a hefty £40m price-tag on the forward.

What's the latest on Brennan Johnson to Aston Villa?

The Midlands side are interested in making a move for Johnson, with Forest ready to accept an offer of £40m, according to Football Insider.

It remains to be seen whether Villa are willing to pay such a price for the Wales international, though, especially after already splashing out €88m (£75.56m) on arrivals this summer, such as Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres.

The Villans aren't the only club looking to make a move for Johnson in the current window either, with Football Insider reporting that Brentford have had two bids rejected by Forest for their star striker this summer, whilst West Ham United and Everton are also interested in the 22-year-old, according to The Daily Mail.

So, if Villa are to pursue a move, they may have to act fast to fend off any interest from elsewhere – one upper hand that they may have in the race is that Johnson shares an agent with current Villa youngster Jacob Ramsey, as per Transfermarkt, so perhaps the club's existing relationship with the representatives could help proceedings.

Should Aston Villa sign Brennan Johnson?

There's no doubting Johnson's quality, that's for sure. The Welshman was involved in 11 Premier League goals last season in a struggling side, with his eight goals and three assists playing a large part in Forest's survival success.

Still only 22, He'll only get better, too, making a step up potentially vital to realising his potential, and an Aston Villa side on the up under an experienced manager in Emery could be the perfect next move.

Johnson has certainly attracted plenty of praise in the last year or so, too, with Clinton Morrison saying back in April 2022, via the Nottingham Post: "He's a top player. Knowing people at Forest, there were a lot of Premier League clubs after him. You have to credit Steve Cooper because he's going to have told the board that they need to keep Brennan.

"He's got all the ability you want. He makes the first goal for Zinckernagel, the second is a fantastic finish. He makes it look so easy. Everything he does, it's just natural. He slows it down, and the finish [for the third goal] is brilliant."

Cooper will be well aware just how important Johnson is to his side's survival chances next season, even if Forest can fund reinforcements with his exit. Always improving, the young forward plays a crucial part at the City Ground. For Villa, it ultimately comes down to whether they believe £40m for the striker is a deal worth pursuing, with their attacking options already strengthened this summer by the arrival of Diaby.

Meanwhile, Ollie Watkins found plenty of form in the last campaign after Emery's arrival, making his starting place relatively cemented. So, Johnson may not be guaranteed game-time if he did make the switch to Villa Park during the current transfer window.

Dean Elgar said he enjoyed the challenge of being under attack and playing in front of a hostile crowd after his hundred in defeat at The Oval

Firdose Moonda at The Oval31-Jul-2017

Dean Elgar could have been dismissed for a duck off the second ball he faced in the second innings at The Oval. He was rapped by Stuart Broad on the pad, replays showed it pitched in line and was clipping but not enough to overturn Aleem Dar’s on-field decision, had England reviewed. Elgar survived.Elgar could have been dismissed for 9 off the 15th ball he faced. He edged James Anderson to Keaton Jennings at the third slip. The chance was low, Jennings shelled it and Elgar survived.Elgar might have been dismissed for 73 off the 114th ball he faced. He followed a Broad delivery down the leg side and England only half-appealed, though replays seemed to suggest the faintest of edges. Elgar survived. That is how Test cricket goes.Elgar was hurt when he had 33, off the 56th ball he faced, when Toby Roland-Jones hit on him on the hip. He was hurt before that, in the field, when Jonny Bairstow drove a delivery back to him, causing a bleeding and later bruised finger, and he was hurt after that, when he had 77, off the 122nd ball he faced, a short ball from Ben Stokes smashing into said bruised finger.That’s how Test cricket the way Dean Elgar knows it goes. And that is why he could at least reflect with satisfaction on an eighth Test hundred after South Africa’s defeat at The Oval.”I prefer not getting hit, to be honest, but you have to take the blows. It puts me in a different mindset. It’s like the challenge is a little bit more. I guess only an opening batsman could see it that way,” he said afterwards, sometimes looking straight ahead, most of the time staring at the bandaged finger that he will keep covered up until after the Old Trafford Test. “I haven’t taken this off yet and I’m not going to.”He is also not going to have an X-ray on it to determine how bad the damage may be. “That’s a waste of money. Let’s not go that way.”Though the medical committee will have the final word on Elgar’s availability – and they seem to be fairly lenient given the state with which they let Vernon Philander take the field – Elgar has declared himself “ready” for the decider, which is tailor-made for his approach. England’s attack is on the up, South Africa have their backs to the wall and Elgar wants to prop them up just as he did at The Oval. “It’s something that gets me going, chirping and stuff like that that is something that really gets me going. I enjoy that,” he said. “England are a big huff-and-puff bowling attack and when they are on top they are definitely going to bring their mouths as well.”Admittedly, “if the shoe was on the other foot I’m sure we’d be doing the same,” Elgar said. But for now South Africa have to accept their underdog status.It is not just the England team’s on-field chatter that they have to contend with, but partisan crowds, bigger than any South Africa experience at home, who bring all the fun of the fair with them. Despite the vocal support for the home team – and by implication, the joy when the visitors put a foot wrong – Elgar is enjoying the crowds as much as anyone. “It’s brilliant, that’s why you play the game. As a kid you witness that on TV and you hear the crowd singing the person’s name – you have to try and put it on your side as well, get motivated. You almost have to be a little more stubborn, tighter in your game plan, so you can use it in your own game.”The atmosphere was particularly rowdy when Stokes was at his finest, on the fourth afternoon. Stokes took out Quinton de Kock and Faf du Plessis in consecutive ball in a fiery spell which Elgar survived.”It’s a great occasion facing a guy like that,” Elgar said. “He’s a big-match player and he’s going to come hard, it’s a great battle playing against him. That’s what makes Test cricket so special still. People can’t say the game is dying when you have support like that happening, it seems to happen more when two big Test nations are playing against each other. It’s brilliant for the individuals. That’s what makes Test cricket so much better than any other format.”Later Stokes struck the body blow and Elgar survived, then swiveled his way to some of his finest pulls. And much later Stokes was at first slip when Elgar became the first victim of a Moeen Ali hat-trick and though he was both dismissed and hurt, it was still Test cricket the way he likes it to go. “It’s a freaky game, you will never be better than this game. There will always be a script written by someone else.”