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Harvey White could make his Tottenham Hotspur breakthrough this season, having sat on the periphery of the first-team for a large part of 2022.

The 20-year-old midfield gem is yet to make a senior appearance under manager Antonio Conte, who took the reins back in November, but has been a regular part of his Premier League matchday squads, featuring in 18 of their final 19 matches of the 2021/22 campaign.

Spurs’ young dynamo could be in line for some pitch time during their pre-season training camp in South Korea ahead of the new season, in which the north London outfit will be battling a homegrown quota problem.

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It is why reports have linked them with a move for free agent Jesse Lingard, who left Manchester United this summer after two decades at the club. Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace and Middlesbrough’s Djed Spence are other English names to have been mooted with a switch to N17.

However, in White, Conte could already have a bargain solution to the problem and one that could save the club’s owners, the ENIC Group, millions of pounds in transfer fees and wages.

The young Hotspur Way talent was a regular for the U23s in the Premier League 2 last term and was quickly drafted in for three of their Europa Conference League matches.

Conte’s engine room is a pretty stacked armoury right now but White offers that homegrown status that perhaps someone like Pape Matar Sarr doesn’t.

He was held back from going out on loan again after a successful stint at Portsmouth following Oliver Skipp’s season-ending injury last term, so it’s clear that the current managerial staff rate him highly – enough for him to replace the presence of his fellow countryman in the squad.

According to his former boss at Pompey, Danny Cowley, White is a “dream” to work with.

“Harvey is going to be a good player and got real maturity beyond his years. He’s a really intelligent footballer. He watches loads of football, understands it and gets it,” he claimed (via The News).

“You only have to tell him an instruction once. He’s like a sponge and you’ll tell him something once and then he’ll be doing it. He’s so easy to coach, a coach’s dream.”He’s got a great attitude, good pitch coverage now we’re trying to get him used to the combative nature of the transitional game in League One he’s probably not used to in development football.”His stint in League One saw him average 3.4 successful tackles from 5.1 total attempts, as well as 0.7 interceptions and 1.3 blocks every 90 minutes, via WhoScored, which is pretty good going for his first full taste of the men’s game.So, on the above evidence, Conte would be wise to turn to the 20-year-old prodigy in a bid to solve Spurs’ problems with their homegrown quota. White is clearly trusted, so now it’s time to rely on him, especially with so many games on the horizon.

AND in other news, “Spurs want to..”: Fabrizio Romano drops big update that’ll leave supporters buzzing…

Newcastle United have seen an opening offer for Porto’s Pepe rejected, according to ge.globo. 

The lowdown

Pepe has only spent one season in Europe so far, having moved from Gremio to Porto just last summer in a £13.5million deal.

The 25-year-old made 42 appearances for Sergio Conceicao’s side, scoring six goals and providing as many assists.

Predominantly a left winger, he’s also capable of playing on the right side, even featuring as a right-back on five occasions.

The latest

ge.globo ‘found out’ that Newcastle have submitted a €35million (£30.2million) bid for Pepe, but it falls some way short of Porto’s asking price. They want as much as €60million (£51.8million) to let him leave the Estadio do Dragao.

Despite the gulf, Newcastle haven’t walked away, and negotiations are ongoing.

Pepe has a release clause of €70million (£60.5million) in his contract, which runs until June 2026.

Porto would ideally like to keep him longer and drum up his value, but they’re not ruling out a sale this year.

The verdict

Luis Diaz had bagged 14 Primeira Liga goals in 18 appearances before he moved from Porto to Liverpool in January, and that deal was worth around £50million too.

Pepe’s involvement actually increased significantly following Diaz’s departure, and journalist Zach Lowy reckons he ‘has everything it takes’ to replace the Colombian long-term.

So his numbers would probably have been more impressive had he been first-choice for the whole season, and if Newcastle can talk Porto down to a more reasonable fee, then you could make the case that it’s decent business.

Leeds United target Tyler Adams is considering a move away from RB Leipzig this summer, according to German outlet Kicker, cited by Derek Rae. 

The lowdown: Whites interested

Recently, reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed that Leeds are interested in Adams and said that the ‘relationship is great’ between the defensive midfielder and Jesse Marsch.

The American pair were together at the New York Red Bulls in the MLS and German Bundesliga outfit Leipzig, with the 23-year-old making 71 appearances under the now Elland Road head coach.

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Following the initial tentative links last week, now it appears that the USA international could well be open to the idea of a change of scenery…

The latest: ‘Considering a change’

As per Kicker, cited by ESPN’s Bundesliga commentator Rae on Twitter, Leeds could be boosted by Adams’ plans in the coming weeks.

The report claims that the 28-cap USA star is ‘considering a change’ having fallen down the pecking order at Leipzig and Marsch is ‘said to be interested’ in making a move – they do not name any other interested suitors.

Rae’s tweet reads: “Kicker reporting on Leipzig’s central midfield “Baustelle” (building site) & only Kevin Kampl’s future appears clear. USMNT’s Tyler Adams, who has ceased to be a regular under Domenico Tedesco, giving thought to a move. Apparent interest from Jesse Marsch & Leeds Utd.”

The verdict: More the merrier

With former Marsch charges Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen already through the entrance door at Elland Road, it should come as no surprise to see yet more players already associated with the 48-year-old being linked with a Yorkshire arrival.

Predominantly operating as a defensive-minded midfielder, there will be concerns as to whether Adams is being looked upon as a potential Kalvin Phillips successor as the England ace continues to be extensively indexed to Premier League champions Manchester City.

However, a top-class operator in his own right, the combative American was heralded as a ‘remarkable midfielder’ by journalist Jeff Reuter recently, starring in the 2021/22 German Cup campaign with a 7.40 Sofascore rating and a staggering 7.80 duels won per game.

Already an experienced operator at the top level, regardless of Phillips’ future at Leeds, Marsch and Victor Orta should be pushing Andrea Radrizzani to sanction the funds required to make this deal a reality.

In other news: Leeds now eyeing move for ‘lethal and sublime’ gem, read more here

Newcastle United supporters ‘will be disappointed’ with the news that the Magpies were the only Premier League club to have claimed furlough money two seasons running, claims football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

The Lowdown: Newcastle’s finances

On 16 May, Newcastle submitted a report on Companies House which showed that the club’s turnover had fallen from £153m to £140m in the year ending on 30 June 2021.

The Tyneside outfit attributed £40m of the lost income to the damaging effects of the Covid pandemic, with home supporters unable to attend matches.

The report also highlighted how the Magpies claimed £900,000 through the furlough scheme that year, with a further £1.15m claimed in 2019/20.

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The Latest: Maguire’s claim

As a result, Maguire, featured on Sky Sports, has now asserted that Newcastle fans will not be happy with the club’s actions.

Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed:

“A lot of people will be surprised and fans will be disappointed that they took advantage of the coronavirus job retention scheme in both of the last two years.

“I certainly haven’t seen any other Premier League club take this route.

“We have seen the fans of certain clubs kick up a bit of a fuss about the owners trying to take advantage. But Mike Ashley was an immovable object.”

The Verdict: Under Mike Ashley…

Many Magpies supporters will be livid with the club’s actions, whereas others would have become so desensitised to Ashley’s actions whilst in charge, this sort of behaviour would have been expected.

Especially now with the colossal investment made by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, these actions may seem worse than ever.

Either way, Magpies fans’ opinion of Ashley will likely remain unchanged, and they can look to a brighter future under Eddie Howe, who has helped completely transform the mood on Tyneside.

In other news: Newcastle United: Magpies are already ‘looking’ at three ‘quality’ signings, claims pundit

Tottenham Hotspur will look to solve Antonio Conte’s wing-back woes with Joakim Maehle this summer…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the north London outfit are lining up a move for Atalanta star, who is viewed as a perfect fit for the Italian head coach and after striking success with Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski, sporting director Fabio Paratici could return to the Serie A for another signing.

It remains to be seen how much the 24-year-old would command, though CIES Football Observatory value him at €50m (£45m).

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Dream Conte wing-back

Conte has endured a torrid time with his wide options this campaign.

On the left, injuries have seen both Sergio Reguilon and Ryan Sessegnon struggle to sustain a consistent run in the side, both also lacking in form, whilst on the right, Emerson’s maiden campaign in the Premier League has largely been woeful with Matt Doherty’s season ended by an MCL injury.

The Denmark international first caught the eye of many during Euro 2020 as he impressed at left wing-back on their way to the semi-final, where they were defeated by Harry Kane’s England.

He has delivered nine goals from 25 caps at international level.

Meanwhile, a career average of 0.9 key passes, 0.9 shots and 1.1 dribbles per game, via WhoScored, further highlights his attacking credentials as a marauding wing-back.

Maehle is capable of getting into the final third often but that doesn’t come at any defensive expense, having also averaged 1.4 tackles and 1.1 interceptions throughout his career.

Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has been impressed by his De Rod-Hvide counterpart, once describing him as a “machine” after their 4-1 win over Russia at last summer’s major tournament.

If Conte wants to land an upgrade on the left or right side of the pitch, then they should look no further than the Danish dynamo, who ranks inside the top 10% of all players in his position for progressive passes received (3.67 per 90), thus making him something of a dream option for the Tottenham head coach.

Paratici and co must look to seal Maehle this off-season.

AND in other news, Forget Son: “Sensational” Spurs titan who had 11 clearances stole the show at Anfield…

With the series already won, it is significant that Quinton de Kock was chosen above other candidates in the current squad. It is, perhaps, a peep into the post-2019 World Cup future

Firdose Moonda07-Aug-2018Quinton de Kock does not immediately come across as a leader or a deep thinker or anything other than incredibly instinctive. However, it is that natural cricketing nous that has seen him elevated to South Africa’s stand-in captain for the remaining two ODIs against Sri Lanka.Broadly speaking, with the series already won and the opposition barely proving a challenge, it should not matter much who captains South Africa but it is significant that de Kock was chosen above other candidates in the current squad. It is, perhaps, a peep into the post-2019 World Cup future.If all South Africa wanted was to go through the motions, they could have asked former captain Hashim Amla to step in. Though Amla’s reluctance to lead is well-documented, it’s unlikely he would have said no to filling in as an emergency replacement and his seniority would have ensured a smooth transition.If the next two matches are nothing more than a formality, JP Duminy, who will captain in the lone T20, could have taken over. Duminy has captained at both franchise and at international level before, and is finally batting like a man in charge, so he would have been a welcome choice. And if South Africa wanted to do something different and give a future leader the chance to get some experience in the role, they could have gone back to Aiden Markram, who took over when du Plessis was injured against India. But Markram’s white-ball game has gone backwards since the 1-5 defeat to the extent that he was dropped from the third ODI, and so the succession plan may not be as clear cut as it seemed. De Kock, therefore, has a real opportunity over the next five days; an opportunity to show he could be next.”Aiden captained against India and he is not currently in the team, he has had some struggles on this Sri Lanka tour so far. We thought we would have a look at Quinton for the next two games, which will give Aiden time to settle himself,” Ottis Gibson, South Africa’s coach, said. “He is a fine player and we are confident he will find form and there will be other opportunities for us to continue to grow that side of his leadership.”Markram may still be the long-term choice but de Kock could be on trial to take over if du Plessis does indeed use the 2019 World Cup as a swansong, which he has suggested in the past, and there is evidence to suggest de Kock is not a bad choice. Scant evidence, but evidence nonetheless.BCCIDe Kock’s only previous captaincy experience came more than six years ago when he captained the South African Under-19 team in a triangular series involving Zimbabwe and Pakistan in 2012. De Kock was in charge for nine games, of which South Africa won five and lost four. Importantly, de Kock scored three hundreds in that series. More recent evidence came last Sunday, when de Kock took over after du Plessis left the field in the 10th over of the Sri Lankan innings.At that stage, Sri Lanka were 73 for 3, scoring at 7.30 to the over, just above their requirement of 7.28. Although the sense was that South Africa only needed a wicket or two to swing the advantage their way, the situation still needed careful management. Two overs later, de Kock provided that when he decided to review a catch down the leg side off a Wiaan Mulder slower ball. Umpire Nigel Llong decided it was not out but de Kock was convinced otherwise and replays proved him right. Thisara Perera was out and with him, a significant chance of Sri Lanka staying in the series.In the 42nd over, when Dhananjaya de Silva was threatening an unlikely coup, de Kock reviewed again when an Andile Phehlukwayo ball appeared to go under de Silva’s bat. Llong said no again but replays showed a thick under edge, ending Sri Lanka’s challenge.While those are two small examples, they prove de Kock knows more than he sometimes lets on. “I have always found Quinton to have a good cricket brain, he understands the game,” Gibson said. “With Faf [du Plessis] injured, it seems like a good opportunity and chance for him to show that side of his game as a leader for the next two games. He is someone who understands the game, he is constantly helping the captain on the field, he shows good leadership on the field even as a normal player.”In typical de Kock fashion, the man himself expressed some reticence over the magnitude of the role. “To be honest, I am feeling quite nervous,” de Kock said. “It is an honour to be given this responsibility of captaining the Proteas. I want to carry on where Faf has left off and to continue with his legacy. As a captain, I will try to stay true to myself and stay true to what I believe it takes to be a good leader. I will strive to help others going forward, just to be there as a captain.”De Kock’s task will be a little harder than du Plessis’, and not just because he is new to the job. South Africa are committed to experimentation in the last two matches which could see them bench their most experienced seamer, Kagiso Rabada, and include some younger batsmen. But that also means the outcomes will not be used to judge de Kock completely and so, he will have a certain freedom for the next few days, which is exactly what he most enjoys.

This was Australia’s fourth consecutive Test defeat. History tells us that Australia’s cricket system can only take so much strain before it breaks.

Daniel Brettig at the WACA07-Nov-2016There’s no other way to say this. Australia’s cricketers are presently in the grip of the kind of slide that has historically ended careers.A fourth consecutive defeat, sealed with more than a session to spare by a South Africa side minus AB de Villiers and Dale Steyn, is Australia’s worst run of losses since six in a row in 2013. The coach Mickey Arthur was sacked by Cricket Australia between the fourth and the fifth.To find another instance of four or more consecutive losses the clock must be wound back all the way to 1984, when the Australian Cricket Board (in its infinite wisdom) scheduled 10 consecutive Tests against West Indies at their mightiest. Kim Hughes led Australia through five straight defeats before resigning in tears at the Gabba. Allan Border’s first Test as captain was a sixth loss in a row.Venture further still into the past, to the divisive days of the World Series Cricket split, and another loss of five Tests in a row – four to Mike Brearley’s England and one to a Sarfraz Nawaz-inspired Pakistan in 1978-79. Graham Yallop – having predicted a “six-nil” Ashes victory – was relieved of his command after a 5-1 series defeat. Hughes was duly in command for the Pakistan loss at the MCG, during which time Kerry Packer and the board chairman Bob Parish met to discuss a much-needed truce in the cricket war.What does all this say? That the system can only take so much strain before it breaks. Another recent example of course is the summer of 2010-11. Three innings defeats in the one Ashes series, while not consecutive, humiliated Australian cricket at home. those results ushered the end of Ricky Ponting’s captaincy, Tim Nielsen’s coaching tenure and the breaking up of the selection panel chaired by the part-timer Andrew Hilditch. Those changes were wrought by the Argus review, a major undertaking that enshrined numerous alterations to how the national team was run.Five years on, and that document still takes pride of place in the personal collection of the team performance manager Pat Howard, among others. But as already discussed, the mixed priorities illustrated by the move of the first Test of the summer from the Gabba to the WACA, and the scheduling of a solitary Sheffield Shield match – under lights with a pink ball at that – place fresh scrutiny on decision-making in the halls of CA’s Jolimont headquarters.Intriguingly, the CA board recently hosted a presentation by the New South Wales chairman John Warn and chief executive Andrew Jones on how they turned around the fortunes of the game’s most populous state. Independent governance at director level should ensure CA’s CEO, James Sutherland, is kept on his toes. So too should a mood for change at senior executive level – Kate Banozic and Mike McKenna have gone, while the former board director Kevin Roberts has come in, alongside a newly promoted head of finance in Todd Shand.Australia fell to another Test loss on the final day in Perth•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesPressure, too, must fall on the coach Darren Lehmann, despite his recent signing of a renewed deal to see him through to 2019. Earlier in this match, he offered up familiar homilies to ABC Radio about the quality of the individuals currently in the dressing room, how hard they were working and how great their attitudes were. This extended not just to the players but also to support staff including David Saker, Graeme Hick and Lehmann’s old state team-mate Greg Blewett – nominally the fielding coach.”They do all the prep, they’re great young men, they’re trying to do as well as they can for Australia each and every time, it’s just a case of making little mental lapses at times,” Lehmann had said. “Collectively we’re always pretty positive, but stats will show we haven’t batted as well as we would have liked the last few Test matches. There’s no hiding the fact we’ve got to bat better.”There’s always pressure when you’re coaching your country or playing for the country, that’s why the guys have got to where they’ve got to. They’ve been brilliant doing all the work behind the scenes and playing at the level below, now they’ve got to do it at this level.”True as this all is, the fact is that the Australian team is not a club side defined by how well everyone gets along with each other. It is a representative team brought together to win matches. As one former captain said recently: “If you ask me to choose between a happy team and a winning one, I’ll take the winning one every time.”Australia have passed the point where they can keep whistling merrily towards defeat. There should be consequences, and soon.

Stats highlights from the fifth ODI between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in Bulawayo, where the visitors created history by becoming the first Associate team to win an ODI series against a Full Member

Shiva Jayaraman24-Oct-20150 Number of times before Afghanistan that an Associate had won a bilateral ODI series against a Test team. Kenya had come closest to doing this in a five-match series in 2005-06, but the final match of that series was abandoned.1.0 Afghanistan’s win-loss ratio in ODIs; no other Associate has a better record from three or more ODIs. Afghanistan have won 28 of the 56 ODIs they have played, the most any Associate has won in their first 56 ODIs. Before Afghanistan, Ireland had registered 27 wins in their first 56 ODIs.6 Number of times Afghanistan have now won against Test teams from 20 ODIs, the most any Associate has won in their first 20 ODIs against Test teams. Kenya had won five of their first 20 matches against Test teams, which was the previous best. Afghanistan’s win-loss ratio of 0.428 against Test teams is the best among Associates.1.25 Afghanistan’s win-loss ratio in ODIs against Zimbabwe. They are the only Associate to have won more than they have lost against any Test team.41.90 Mohammad Nabi’s batting average against Test teams in bilateral series. No other batsman from Associate teams with at least 200 runs has a better average against Test teams. Nabi has scored 461 runs in 11 ODIs and has made one hundred and two fifties including his 53 in this match.6 Fifty-plus scores by Afghanistan’s top-three batsmen in this series; Zimbabwe’s batsmen managed only two. While Afghanistan’s top-three batsmen scored 607 runs at an average of 40.46, Zimbabwe managed just 339 runs at 24.21.23 Number of fifties Sean Williams had hit in ODIs before his hundred in this match, the fifth-highest number of fifties by any batsman before his first hundred in ODIs. Arjuna Ranatunga leads this list: he had hit 29 fifties before his first century.96 Williams’ highest score in ODIs before his 102 in this match, which had come against Ireland in the 2015 World Cup. The century today was Williams’ seventh fifty-plus score in ODIs this year, the most he has hit in any calendar year. He has made 802 runs this year at an average of 40.35. Overall Williams has 2589 runs at an average of 33.62.4 Number of wins for an Associate against a Full Member that have come with a bigger margin than Afghanistan’s 73 runs in this match. Afghanistan themselves had beaten Zimbabwe by 100 runs at the same venue in an ODI last year, which is the biggest by an Associate over a Test team.7 Times a Zimbabwe bowler had taken 10 or more wickets in a bilateral ODI series before Wellington Masakadza, who took 10 wickets at an average of 18.80 and a best of 4 for 21 in the first ODI. Graeme Cremer’s 15 wickets in a five-match ODI series against Kenya are the highest by a Zimbabwe bowler in such series.9 Wickets taken by both Amir Hamza and Dawlat Zadran in this series; there are only three other instances of a bowler from an Associate team taking nine or more wickets in a bilateral series. Nehemiah Odhiambo’s 12 wickets in a series against Zimbabwe in 2009-10 are the highest.223 Runs by Nabi, the highest in this series by any batsman and the third highest by any batsman from an Associate team in a bilateral ODI series. Khurram Khan’s 270 runs in a three-match series against Afghanistan are the highest. Noor Ali Zadran also made 200 runs in this series. Besides Nabi, Khurram and Zadran, only three other batsmen – Paul Stirling, Nawroz Mangal and Steve Tikolo – have aggregated at least 200 runs in a bilateral series.0 Four-wicket hauls Dawlat Zadran had taken in ODIs before this match. His 4 for 22 in this match was the third best figures by an Afghanistan bowler in ODIs. There are only six other instances of bowlers from Associate teams returning better figures in an ODI against Test teams. Zadran has 47 wickets from 34 matches at an average of 30.46.

Shaun Tait likes to keep an eye on the speed gun, makes no-bouncer pacts with other fast bowlers, and loves him some TV

Interview by Jack Wilson01-Feb-2014You’ve played 19 T20Is for Australia. Do you still hold hope of adding to that number?
If Australia wanted to select me for T20s, I would play.There’s a T20 World Cup around the corner. Any chance the call might come?
I don’t think that will be happening now.Tell us about the fast bowlers’ union. Have you heard or made a pact not to bounce someone?
I’ve made pacts with a lot of bowlers around the world about no bouncers. Never with a spinner, though!You’ve bowled the quickest ball ever in Australia. What’s the secret to bowling rapid?
I don’t know what the secret to quick bowling is. It’s one of those things where you can either do it or you can’t.Do you keep an eye on the speed gun during games?
I sometimes keep an eye on the gun, but they don’t always show it.Which batsman from the past would you have loved to have had a bowl at?
I would have loved to have bowled to Viv Richards. They say he took it to the bowler, which would have made for a great, aggressive contest.You have played T20 cricket over the world in all the big leagues. Where’s the best?
I think the IPL is the best competition, followed by the Big Bash in Australia. The IPL stops a nation of a billion people. Playing with Indians and other players from different countries has been the best experience of my career.Which one thing could you not live without on a desert island?
Pay TV.Who’s been the toughest batsman you’ve ever bowled to?
My good mate Brad Hodge.Which of your team-mates – past or present – has the worst dressing-room banter?
James Faulkner.Are you a fast bowler who enjoys his batting?
Yes, but only when facing spin!Are you big on keeping mementoes from different teams through the years?
I’ve kept a playing shirt from every team I’ve played for. The cupboard is getting full.Give us one name to look out for who’s destined for a big future.
Travis Head from South Australia. He’s an attacking young batsman.

Stats from the fourth day of a spin-dominated first Test in Galle

Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan29-Mar-2012 Sri Lanka’s win is their seventh against England and their fifth against them in home Tests. Their last defeat against England at home came at the SSC in the 2001 series. Sri Lanka’s win is only their second since Muttiah Muralitharan’s retirement and their first at home. England have now gone on to lose four consecutive Tests. This is the first such sequence for them after the 0-5 whitewash in Australia in 2006-07.Rangana Herath’s performance is his best in Tests. His 12-wicket haul makes him only the fifth Sri Lanka bowler to pick up ten wickets in a match. Muralitharan has picked up 22 of the 27 ten-wicket hauls by Sri Lanka bowlers. There have been only seven previous occasions when a spinner has achieved better match-figures in a Test against England. Herath’s 12 for 171 is second only to Muralitharan’s 13 for 171 among best bowling performances in Galle. Herath’s match-figures are also the second best for a left-arm spinner against England, after Vinoo Mankad’s 12 for 108 in 1952.Jonathan Trott became only the fourth England batsman, and the first since Nasser Hussain (in 2001), to score a fourth-innings century in the subcontinent. His century is also the seventh by an England batsman in Sri Lanka. The previous one was scored by Alastair Cook in Galle in 2007. Trott also joins Cook and Marcus Trescothick on the list of 15 England batsmen (17 instances) to score a century in a defeat in the fourth innings.Galle once again proved to be a result-oriented venue. Six out of the last seven matches there have produced a result. Overall, Galle stands joint-second with Kandy among Sri Lankan grounds with the lowest draw percentage (minimum five matches played) since 2000. England’s total of 264 is the highest fourth-innings total in Galle, surpassing the 253 made by Sri Lanka in their loss to Australia last year. It is the fourth-highest fourth-innings total in a defeat in Tests played in Sri Lanka since 2000. Twenty-eight wickets fell to spinners in the match. This is joint third-highest on the list of most wickets falling to spinners in a game in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka spinners, led by Herath, picked up 18 of the 20 England wickets. There have been only three previous occasions (two in Galle) when Sri Lanka spinners have picked up more wickets (19) in a match.From a total of 233 for 4, England lost their last six wickets for just 31 runs to be dismissed for 264. Only once before against Sri Lanka (Galle in 2001) have England aggregated fewer runs (22) for the last five wickets. Their lowest aggregate in an innings for the last five wickets in Tests since 2000 is 14, in Mohali in 2001.