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Arsenal have not made an official proposal for Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Ivan Fresneda?

Fresneda was a key target for the Gunners during the January transfer window, but he turned down a move to the Emirates Stadium, in order to ensure he received regular game time with Real Valladolid.

The 18-year-old has emerged as a key player for the Spanish club this season, after graduating from the youth academy, making 22 appearances in La Liga, and there are a number of top clubs now vying for his signature.

Newcastle United have been credited with an interest in the Spaniard, with the same report from Football Insider claiming that Borussia Dortmund have held talks, while a recent report from Germany indicated that Arsenal have made an offer.

According to BILD (via Football London), a lucrative offer was made for the youngster, with Dortmund also said to be monitoring the situation, however, Romano has since claimed that update was false.

Taking to Twitter, the transfer guru confirmed the Gunners are interested in the right-back, but claimed they are yet to make an offer, saying:

"Arsenal appreciate Ivan Fresneda since January but told they have NOT sent any official proposal, despite reports.

"No concrete negotiation at this stage, race remains open – with Borussia Dortmund interested."

How did Fresneda perform last season?

The starlet has adapted very well to men's football, playing a key role for Valladolid defensively, averaging 2.2 tackles per game, the fourth-highest figure in the squad, while he also ranks very highly for blocks and clearances per 90 over the past year.

Not only is he competent defensively, the Valladolid academy graduate can also pose a threat on the front foot, as highlighted by the La Liga Lowdown's Matt Clark, who said:

"He is a remarkably complete right back despite his young age, balancing his defensive duties with the odd attack too."

Although he has exhibited some very promising signs, the £2.6k-per-week defender is not yet the finished article, and he has struggled in recent weeks, being ranked by SofaScore as the joint-worst performing starter in his side's 0-0 draw against Almeria last time out.

As such, it is vital that Fresneda continues to get consistent game time, and so if Arsenal decide to move for him this summer, it may be wise for Mikel Arteta to send him out on loan in order to continue his development.

It was hard to work out which captain was more stunned after South Africa’s incredible win over Australia in Durban

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Oct-20162:38

We could’ve made Miller’s job easier – du Plessis

It was hard to work out which captain was more stunned after South Africa’s incredible win over Australia in Durban.But it was left to Faf du Plessis to sum up a result that looked highly unlikely when Australia ran up 371 batting first at Kingsmead, and even more so when a middle order stumble left South Africa needing a miracle – duly provided by a thumping innings from David Miller.”To win a game like that when you’re supposed to lose, when you’re down and out then you have someone put their hand up and take you across the line, it’s as good as it gets,” du Plessis said. “I don’t have any words to be honest.”I think there’s a lot of people if you asked them 3-0 to South Africa against the No. 1 team in the world, they would have possibly laughed. It just shows which direction we’re going as a team at the moment, we’ve played some really good cricket in all formats and I’m really excited about what lies ahead.”I’m just out of words, I’m so happy at the moment because I never would have thought 3-0 would have been possible against this Australian side.”Steven Smith bore the thousand-yard stare of a captain who has now lost seven of his past nine matches in charge in all formats. All he had asked for, from his batsmen in particular, had been achieved, still he ended the night in defeat.”I wanted the top four to get the bulk of the runs, someone to go on and get a hundred, we had two blokes do that,” Smith said. “It’s a very tough loss. Today was our quarter-final to keep us in the series and when you get to halfway and you’ve got 370 on the board, you don’t lose too many games with 370 on the board.”For them [bowlers], it’s about trying to bowl their best ball as much as possible…we just haven’t been able to do it as well as we would have liked.”It hasn’t gone to plan so far, that’s for sure. I’m sure the guys will be able to take a lot out of playing against these South African batters. There’s some quality batters in their line-up and you’ve got to learn to play against the best if you want to play international cricket.”1:46

‘Was trying not to show any nerves’ – Miller

Much has been written and said about Australia’s understrength bowling line-up on tour, which again copped heavy punishment throughout. But du Plessis was pointed in stating that could not take anything away from his team’s achievement.”I think as an international team you cannot use that as an excuse, never,” he said. “I’ve been part of a South African team when we had no Dale Steyn and no Vernon Philander in our Test team, and you can’t use that as an excuse.”You have to find a way as a team to try and compete against the best teams in the world and we didn’t in that series against England and it would have been a lot different with the two of them playing.”But you can’t use that as an excuse, you have to find a way as a squad to try and compete. There’s a little bit of inexperience there but they would be the first guys not to blame their weakened attack. They’re the No. 1 team in the world and they know they still have to put up a good fight against us.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the first one-day international between Ireland and Pakistan

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan17-Aug-2016Match factsAugust 18, 2016
Start time 1045 local (0945GMT)Azhar Ali’s ODI form slumped in Pakistan’s most recent series and the results also nosedived•Getty ImagesBig PictureThere is not much time for Pakistan to bask in their Oval victory. They have since hopped on a plane to Dublin as they switch into one-day mode with a two-match series against Ireland.The contrast between their rise in Test cricket and struggles in the one-day game has been stark: they sit ninth in the ODI rankings, outside of the automatic qualification places for the 2019 World Cup.Since the 2015 World Cup they have been captained by Azhar Ali who suffered a 3-0 whitewash at the hands of Bangladesh before two series wins over Zimbabwe – although they lost a match to them in Harare – and one against Sri Lanka. They took the lead against England last year before being comfortably beaten 3-1 and were overturned 2-0 in New Zealand in January.There are three players in this current squad who will have memories of the first meeting between these sides on that famous day in Jamaica: Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik and Umar Gul were part of the three-wicket defeat. Six years later, Hafeez and Malik were also involved in a tie in Dublin.But, like Pakistan, Ireland are struggling in the one-day rankings, currently adrift of Afghanistan and Zimbabwe at the bottom. Their crown of leading Associate has been challenged; they shared their recent series against Afghanistan 2-2. There is a concerning reliance on Ed Joyce at the top of the order – against Afghanistan he was almost 200 runs ahead of Ireland’s next highest scorer – and they need much more from the likes of Paul Stirling and captain William Porterfield.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Ireland WLWLL
Pakistan LLLLLIn the spotlightAzhar Ali regained his form in the final two Tests against England, making a fine century at Edgbaston, a solid 49 after being promoted to open the batting and then finishing the series with a six. Now he has to switch his focus back to trying to find a winning formula in one-day cricket. And he needs to score runs as well. After being appointed captain he enjoyed an early bounce with two centuries in first five games, but has now gone 11 innings without a fifty. His strike-rate, too, has come under scrutiny with the pressure it can put on the rest of the top order.Barry McCarthy, who plays county cricket for Durham, has enjoyed an impressive start to his Ireland career with 14 wickets in six ODIs. He helped cover for the absence of Boyd Rankin against Afghanistan and will be asked to do the same again after Rankin was ruled out of the rest of the season with injury. He can be expected to share the new ball with Tim Murtagh.Teams newsRankin has been ruled out with a stress fracture of the tibia which removes one of Ireland’s senior pace bowlers. But they have not called in a replacement with Craig Young now available after an elbow injury. The batting will be boosted by the return of Niall O’Brien.Ireland (probable) 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Ed Joyce, 3 Niall O’Brien, 4 Gary Wilson, 5 Kevin O’Brien, 6 Paul Stirling, 7 Stuart Poynter (wk), 8 Andy McBrine, 9 Tim Murtagh, 10 Barry McCarthy, 11 Peter Chase/Craig YoungPakistan may need to strike a balance between giving some of new arrivals, and those who have been sidelined during the Tests, some cricket and ensuring they do not take a half-hearted approach to these matches. Sharjeel Khan has been called up after a successful A-tour of England, while Umar Gul has the opportunity to show he can still deliver his pinpoint yorkers.Pakistan (from) Azhar Ali (capt), Sharjeel Khan, Sami Aslam, Mohammad Hafeez, Baber Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Umar Gul, Imad Wasim, Yasir Shah, Mohammad NawazPitch and conditionsThe forecast for Thursday is promisingly dry between two days of significant rain. Of the surface, Ed Joyce said: “We’re expecting two good pitches here as they normally are at Malahide.”Stats and trivia William Porterfield and Kevin O’Brien are currently jostling to be Ireland’s leading ODI run-scorer: Porterfield sits on 2591 and O’Brien has 2561 Sharjeel Khan made 253 runs in four innings during the recent tri-series involving England Lions and Sri Lanka A The overall head-to-head for these sides is 4-1 to Pakistan with one tie.Quotes”In the last few years we haven’t played very good cricket in one-dayers. Our performances are not as consistent as in Test cricket, and we need to really improve our skills.”
“These guys are definitely favourites but we’ve got a good one-day team and are hopeful of giving them a few good games. There’s a lot of guys in good form in England which bodes well for us.”

Manchester United "remain in the race" to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic in the summer transfer window, journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed.

Is Vlahovic having a good season?

The 23-year-old has been a highly-rated attacker for a number of years now, catching the eye with his performances in Serie A, at both Fiorentina and Juve. This season, he has scored 14 goals in all competitions, also netting once at the 2022 World Cup for Serbia.

It hasn't necessarily been the most prolific campaign of Vlahovic's career, but he remains a player who is tipped for big things heading into the future, having already scored 13 goals in only 21 caps for his country. There has been prominent interest in him from Premier League clubs of late, with Chelsea one of the clubs thought to be in the mix to sign.

United are also believed to be eyeing him up as a potential summer addition, however, as they look to recruit a top-quality striker at the end of the season. A move away from Juventus certainly isn't out of the question and a fresh update suggests that the Reds Devils' interest isn't going away.

Could Vlahovic join Man United this summer?

Taking to Twitter, Romano provided an update on Vlahovic's situation, admitting that United still want to sign him this summer and also saying similar about Chelsea:

"Understand Chelsea haven’t sent €80m bid for Dusan Vlahovic, as of now. He’s one of many strikers appreciated at the club but no bid/talks. Bayern and Man United remain in the race for Vlahovic – but still waiting for Juventus decision."

Vlahovic certainly has the ability to be an excellent signing by United in the summer window, having been lauded as a "ridiculous" player by Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards in the past. At 23, the Juve man still has so much more maturing to do as a footballer, but he is already a potent player in his own right, bagging 21 Serie A goals for Fiorentina back in the 2020/21 season.

That being said, Harry Kane should still be viewed as the Reds' primary transfer target prior to the beginning of next season, with the Tottenham legend a truly world-class attacking player who should provide guaranteed goals and assists at a relentless pace from the off, having scored a club-record 278 goals for Spurs.

United need that if they are to become genuine Premier League title challengers again, and while Vlahovic certainly wouldn't be a bad signing in the slightest, there is more of a risk that he will take time to settle, at a time when the club need an immediate hit to come in.

Craig Meschede completed a fine all-round match with bat and ball with a brief attacking innings to confirm Glamorgan’s victory on the fourth evening at Colwyn Bay

ECB Reporters Network20-Jul-2016
ScorecardCraig Meschede had a fine all-round match•Getty ImagesGlamorgan gained their first Championship win of the season as they chased down their target with over 17 overs to spare, in a game that provided splendid entertainment on a good pitch where 1,431 runs were scored and provided a perfect advertisement for four-day championship cricket.Although Glamorgan stuttered in their run chase, losing three wickets in mid innings for 20 runs, skipper Jacques Rudolph patiently guided torwads a victory target of 196 from a minimum of 62 overs, helped by a late flurry by Craig Meschede to complete a fine personal match with bat and ball.Earlier, Derbyshire had taken their second innings score to 536, their highest against Glamorgan, before they were all out at 1.15pm. Billy Godleman and Matthew Critchley put on 113 in 26 overs, with Godleman scoring 106, his sixth century for Derbyshire, before he was well caught by wicketkeeper Mark Wallace down the leg side off Graham Wagg.He was Wallace’s ninth victim in the game, equalling the club record set by Colin Metson in 1995. There was little resistance from the Derbyshire tail, as Glamorgan were left 196 to win from a minimum of 62 overs.Wallace and Nick Selman gave Glamorgan a positive start, scoring at four an over, but Selman was reprieved in Ben Cotton’s second over when he edged him between first and second slip to the third man boundary. Cotton bowled a probing opening spell, but it was Shiv Thakor who made the immediate breakthrough when he trapped Selman leg before with the last ball of his first over with the score on 52.Nine runs later, Glamorgan lost their second wicket when Will Bragg played over a ball from Palladino which hit the top of the off stump. Worse was to follow when Wallace, in the final over before tea, swept Wayne Madsen’s off spin to backward square leg, and in the first over after the interval, Aneurin Donald, the first innings double centurion, chipped Will Davis to midwicket without scoring.Rudolph and Lloyd then settled into a productive partnership, with Rudolph, who has been short of runs this season, playing every ball on its merit, while Lloyd punished the bad ball, once striking Will Davis for three successive boundaries until he was dismissed leg before, sweeping at Madsen.Three runs later, Matthew Critchley dismissed Graham Wagg, and Glamorgan still needed 39 more runs to win, but Rudolph and the rapid intervention of Meschede calmed Welsh nerves – Rudolph scoring an undefeated 51 with Meschede striking 36 from 22 balls, including a six that struck a passing bus. He then struck another maximum to win the game, this time leaving the public transport system unaffected.

When Glasgow Rangers signed defender Connor Goldson back in 2018 during the embryonic stages of Steven Gerrard’s tenure, it was looked upon as a solid signing and one that could significantly improve their defence ahead of a Premiership title tilt.

Fast-forward five years later and Goldson has become a mainstay at the heart of the Ibrox defence, making 261 appearances for the Light Blues, missing only 14 games during that time through injury, proving just how reliable he has been for the club.

The Englishman played a major role in the Rangers side that secured league title number 55 during the 2020/21 campaign, being part of a defence which conceded just 13 goals across 38 matches – and his importance to the side hasn't waned.

Michael Beale will be hoping to secure another defender from England who could potentially have a similar impact that Goldson has had and with the Gers linked with Nottingham Forest defender Jonathan Panzo ahead of the summer transfer window, he could perhaps be that player.

Could Rangers sign Jonathan Panzo this summer?

Having joined Forest for £1.5m in 2022 from French side Dijon, it remains to be seen just how much he could cost the Gers, but if he is available for around a similar sort of fee, it could be a solid investment from Beale.

The 42-year-old could certainly repeat Rangers’ Goldson masterclass by making a move for the young defender, especially following his impressive performances for Coventry City this term during his loan spell.

Being able to play as a centre-back or at left-back is an added bonus for the Light Blues, and Panzo has averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.99/10 across 29 league appearances while making 1.7 interceptions and 1.6 tackles per game along with winning 58% of his total duels, indicating that he is strong in the tackle and these stats are fairly similar to Goldson’s, with the Rangers' defender winning 67% of his total duels while making 1.5 tackles per game, although he has made only 0.8 interceptions in the Premiership.

The 6 foot 2 Panzo was praised by Dave Rogers, his former U21 coach at Forest, who said: "He is a great professional. He's enthusiastic and has got good experience and energy too. He brings a great vibe to the dressing room too.

"It's great to see Panzo getting more game time because he seems to be getting better and better each time he plays. It's been fantastic to have him with us and the boys have really enjoyed having him around. He's been great to coach."

Nearly five years on from signing an English defender who has gone on to become a reliable performer in the first team, could Beale repeat that masterclass this summer? Only time will tell.

Another match, another rout. At least for Pakistan they can leave this one knowing home is not too far away. It has been a tour to forget

Vithushan Ehantharajah at Chelmsford07-Jul-2016
ScorecardLauren Winfield top-scored for England with 63 off 40 balls•Getty ImagesAnother match, another rout. At least for Pakistan they can leave this one knowing home is not too far away. It has been a tour to forget: a sizeable 6-0 blemish on the last six months that saw them turn over India, in India, at the World T20. From their inability to counter England’s top-order assaults, to their oversized playing kit, which billowed with every misfield and misguided hack across the line – this tour has shown they have much more work to do.A fifth won toss in six and Heather Knight had no qualms batting first: England had won all 11 previous matches at Chelmsford and, with that in mind, Tammy Beaumont and Lauren Winfield ensured a 12th was sewn up early with an opening stand of 108.Across the six matches, the first England wicket has been worth 801 – more than half of their team’s runs. When Pakistan do return to their own beds, a few of their bowlers might want to check under them to ensure Beaumont and Winfield are nowhere to be seen. Both their half-centuries were typical of their play over the last month: Winfield willing and on the front foot, Beaumont wristy and devastating.The familiarity spread right through to the game’s conclusion. Pakistan were run ragged in the field and, facing a total they had no intention of chasing – Danni Wyatt pilfered 11 from the first four balls of the final over to help England set 170 – it was just a matter or whether they would be bowled out in the allotted time. In the end, they finished seven wickets down and 57 short.England rang changes with the ball, the most noticeable being left-armer Tash Farrant coming in for Katherine Brunt. Having made her debut at the age of 17, Farrant spent two years on the sidelines from January 2014 to February 2016, when Mark Robinson gave her a run out in England’s final T20I before the World T20.Hers is an example he was keen to address: a player picked young yet too young to cope with being dropped and overlooked for a prolonged period. Now 20, she looked at ease, cycling through her variations and even nabbing the wicket of opener Nahida Khan with a slower ball that was flat-batted back to her. There were first international wickets, too, for Alex Hartley.Talking about how easy you find things is one of cricket’s great taboos, but even Heather Knight, a measured individual who seems to cringe at her own success, might wonder what all the fuss of captaining your country is about.From the early part of Robinson’s tenure as head coach, it was evident that both he and Knight were on the same page. In one of their first coach-player interactions, Knight said she wanted to move away from feeling like the onus is on her to bat for as long as possible. She wanted freedom.As captain, she has been able to afford that to the rest of her team. All this while questions were being asked of whether life after Charlotte Edwards would really be so rosy. Those answers will not be able to be given just yet, but Knight was understandably punchy in the press conference.”There was a lot of noise around the squad before the series and the girls have responded. The cricket we have played has been really entertaining to watch. Everyone is feeding off the success of each other and it’s been a really nice place to be.”That last point is key. Perhaps one of the most noticeable elements of this England side is how much more open they seem. And while players young and experienced have commented on how Robinson has created a relaxed atmosphere, it has been particularly clear to former players no longer in the system.Caroline Atkins, who represented England between 2001 and 2011, was taken aback at how at ease the players were when she was around the team at Taunton as they prepared for the third ODI. It was not an atmosphere she was used to. Isa Guha and Ebony-Jewel Rainford-Brent have also presented caps to debutants during this tour, something that has rarely happened in English women’s cricket. Rainford-Brent, who  presented Hartley with her T20 cap before this match, was even invited into the team huddle – a ringed haven usually reserved for squad members.There are of course elements that still need work. On a personnel level, Kate Cross’ return to international cricket, after an impressive pre-season tour of Sri Lanka with the England Academy, was disappointing, as she took 1 for 56 from the 11 overs she bowled across the first two ODIs. Cross will spend the next few weeks up to the inaugural Women’s Super League fine-tuning some technical aspects of her game, such as her front arm, before leading the Lancashire Thunder in what is hoped to be a testing fortnight of high-level cricket. She will hope her name will be added to the long list of seamers Robinson has healed.Long term, it will be interesting to see whether the confidence gained from these six matches can carry through into something more sustainable. This is not a team that likes to blow their own trumpet. But after six matches of runs, wickets and outright dominance, and given the manner in which they are looking to play their cricket, they might have to get used to it.

Celtic return to action in the Scottish Premiership this afternoon as they travel away from home to face Glasgow Rangers at Ibrox as confirmed champions.

The Hoops are 13 points clear of their rivals in the table and have the chance to extend the gap to a staggering 16 points with three matches left to play.

Ange Postecoglou's side secured the league title last week with a 2-0 win against Hearts and could use these last four games to rotate his side with a view to making decisions on what he wants to do with the squad in the summer transfer window.

How will Celtic line up against Rangers?

The Australian head coach could make three changes to the XI that started against Hearts last time out, with one in midfield and two in attack.

However, the defence could remain the same with Joe Hart between the sticks and a back four of; Anthony Ralston, Carl Starfelt, Yuki Kobayashi, and Greg Taylor.

Cameron Carter-Vickers has been ruled out for the remainder of this season with a knee injury and this has opened the door for January signing Kobayashi to showcase his quality on a regular basis.

In midfield, Aaron Mooy could be brought in to replace Matt O'Riley next to Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate. The 32-year-old has registered four goals and ten assists in 13 Premiership starts this season and the boss could give him an opportunity to add to his tallies against the Light Blues this afternoon.

On the wing, Daizen Maeda could make way for Liel Abada.

The Japan international has one goal in his last seven appearances and the latter has two goals and one assist in the same time, despite only starting once, which could lead to the £15k-per-week "revelation" – as he was dubbed by Alan Hutton – taking the 25-year-old's place this afternoon.

Finally, Kyogo Furuhashi came off with a knock against Hearts and Postecoglou could rest the club's star striker by offering Oh Hyeon-gyu a rare start after his goal off the bench last time out.

Oh has only started once of his 12 Premiership appearances and managed to plunder three goals for the club since arriving on a permanent deal in January and could be given a huge chance to impress whilst leading the line against Rangers today with Abada and Jota either side of him.

Predicted Celtic XI (4-3-3): Hart; Ralston, Starfelt, Kobayashi, Taylor; Hatate, McGregor, Mooy; Abada, Oh, Jota.

Arsenal are hoping to announce Bukayo Saka's new contract before the end of this Premier League season with an agreement "all-but" reached.

What's the latest Arsenal contract news?

The north Londoners could be set for a serious summer of change beyond this campaign as a number of squad members approach the final seasons of their respective deals.

Youngster Reiss Nelson looks set to leave the Emirates Stadium as a free agent this summer, with more players out of contract next year.

Indeed, Saka, William Saliba, Jorginho, Granit Xhaka, Rob Holding and Mohamed Elneny could all depart Mikel Arteta's side on Bosmans in 2024 as things stand, though Arsenal have been making concerted efforts to tie down their key men.

Saliba, much like Saka, has been at the centre of prospective new contract talks – but the negotiations surrounding the latter player have been ongoing for quite some time.

Discussions over an extension for Saka have stretched as far back as last summer with the winger saying he held confidence over an agreement last August.

Luckily for supporters, it appears their prized asset is set to pen fresh terms, with The Independent and PA News Agency sharing an update on the 21-year-old's future.

It is believed an "agreement has all-but been reached" over a new deal for Saka with promotional footage and an announcement video already done behind-the-scenes.

The finer details are still to be sorted, but Arsenal are hoping to officially announce his new contract before the end of the campaign.

The importance of Saka for Arsenal

The Three Lions star has missed just one hour of league football this season, hitting 13 goals and 11 assists in the process to keep Arsenal well in contention for their first title in nearly 20 years.

Saka has quite simply dazzled under Arteta – standing out as the only top flight player to hit double figures for both goals and assists this season.

He also played a pivotal role for England in Qatar, scoring three World Cup goals on their run to the Quarter-Final stage.

Arteta has also praised Saka for his consistency, claiming it is "rare" for a player to perform at such a high level so regularly, explaining to the press:

"First of all, I think you have to recognise what he's been doing. The consistency he's shown at his age and at this level is something rare to see. He's taken it with normality."

Lancashire are unlikely leaders of Division One after promotion last season but in a stop-start season they refuse to be cowed

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge05-Jul-2016
ScorecardStuart Broad clubbed useful runs•Getty ImagesA persistent breeze stiffened enough from time to time to ask less hardy spectators to consider putting on a jacket but at least it was a day that looked like summer. On the field, Stuart Broad worked up a sweat, eager to show his county the commitment that comes naturally to him in Test cricket. But an increasingly benign pitch was giving him very little back.Steven Mullaney, captain against his former county in the absence of Chris Read, was proactive, rotating the bowlers, frequently tweaking his fields, trying to make something happen. Broad ran willingly to where he was directed, chipping in too with suggestions on tactics to try. Deep into the last session, though, Lancashire’s openers had their sights on batting through to the close, determined that their concentration would not crack.They look like a side who believe in themselves. Promoted teams tend these days to find the step up a difficult one but Lancashire have established themselves among the front-runners. It would be a surprise if they are in first place at the end of the season but their players are not easily cowed.Tom Smith, a solid professional in the best traditions of county cricket, turned 30 now and with the wisdom and experience to go with it, locked horns again with Imran Tahir, as he had in the first innings. After a protracted battle, the legspinner had the last word then but this time Smith, so far, has the upper hand.At the other end, moreover, he had an ally who already looks equally at home playing the long game. Haseeb Hameed is not yet 20 in years but temperamentally seems much older, at least with bat in hand. The pair have been Lancashire’s best opening partnership so far this year, the first to put 100 or more on the board.In doing so, they have probably saved this game for Lancashire, who trailed by 198 on first innings, a scenario that looked unlikely after Nottinghamshire had lost half their wickets while still 35 runs behind.Steven Croft, as willing and versatile as he is, is not a wicketkeeper and it is a demanding position from which also to captain a side. Whether he could have done much differently, though, is a moot point, given that of all the things Mullaney tried later, none achieved a breakthrough.It has been a different match for Neil Wagner, who took 11 wickets when Lancashire beat Nottinghamshire handsomely at Old Trafford in May. His reward for 33.1 overs of toil this time was 3-107.”It was hard out there, on an unresponsive and flat wicket,” he said. “I thought we bowled well, we asked questions and we bowled better than we did yesterday, when we did not hit our lengths consistently and got hurt.”We thought if we could get a couple of quick wickets this morning we might be in with a shout but credit to Nottinghamshire they batted very well. Riki and Samit batted really well, as did Broady and the others who came in after. They never really gave us a chance.”But it was a great partnership between Haseeb and Tom and although there is a lot of work to do yet hopefully we are in a good position now to save the game.”Patel and Wessels could not be parted for more than an hour, adding 43 to an overnight lead of 27 before Patel, who had been watchful for the most part, feathered the thinnest of edges to Croft off Smith, who dismissed Wessels soon afterwards. Looking to accelerate the pursuit of bowling points, Wessels went after Smith and picked up his ninth boundary but was undone by the next delivery, which pushed him on to the back foot and took the edge, Liam Livingstone backpeddling from slip to take the catch.Wessels had to leave the field with a finger injury later in the day, handing the wicketkeeping gloves to Brendan Taylor for a period, but was able to resume after treatment.The end of one significant partnership, one that was worth 105 runs, merely introduced another. Broad, who has given good value to his county with the bat as well as the ball this season, combined with Brett Hutton to add another 79 for the eighth wicket, 31 of which came within the space of 18 deliveries, 24 from Broad’s bat, to clinch maximum batting points for Nottinghamshire with just one ball to spare.In an innings notable for unconverted starts – nine players made between 30 and 67 – neither Broad nor Hutton reached 50 but the lead kept stretching. Even Harry Gurney, a genuine number 11, made it into double figures, for only the eighth time in 95 first-class innings.The win that Nottinghamshire need rather more urgently than their opponents seems unlikely, however, unless Tahir can do something remarkable on the final day.