Since promotion in 2021/22 Nottingham Forest have made some excellent signings from Brazil. It has been a smart way for the club to add quality to their side from a market that fewer sides may turn to.

Of course, two of those deals have been particularly inspired. The Midlands club signed midfielder Danilo in January 2023 and defender Murillo just a few months later that summer. They joined from Palmeiras and Corinthians respectively.

Murillo has played 47 games for the club so far and has played in every single Premier League game since his debut. 23-year-old defensive midfielder Danilo has featured 50 times for Forest, scoring and assisting ten times.

However, he picked up a bad injury in the first game of this season and will be out for several months. 6 foot 8 goalkeeper Carlos Miguel is the other addition, also joining from Corinthians.

With the success they have had signing players from Brazil recently, they are thought to be looking to repeat the masterclass again in the coming months.

Forest targeting Brazilian prodigy

The player in question here is 18-year-old Flamengo winger Lorran. The Brazilian has been a target for several of Europe’s biggest clubs over the past 12 months or so and could depart the club that he has represented at age-group and first-team level.

According to an exclusive report from Ontheminute.com, the Midlands side are looking into a deal to bring the teenager to the City Ground in January. They are believed to be ‘keeping an eye’ on the man wanted by Manchester United last summer.

Indeed, Forest would not be the only Premier League side looking to bring the youngster to the club. Lorran is also a target for West Ham United, Brighton and Hove Albion and Aston Villa.

Whichever club attempts to sign the winger will have to pay his reported £41m release clause, although Flamengo could strike a deal at a lower value.

Why Lorran would be a good signing

On the face of things, 18-year-old winger Lorran does not have incredible numbers in professional football. The Flamengo number 19 has played 31 times for the club, with five goal involvements to his name. With that being said, the youngster has played just 1134 minutes, the equivalent of 12.6 full 90 minute games.

Not only that, but the Brazil under-17 international has performed well for the club’s under-20 side and has shown exactly why he is so sought after. In 19 games for the youth team, he has eight goals and two assists, an excellent return.

There are certainly comparisons that can be made between Lorran and another former Flamengo player, Vinicius Junior. The Real Madrid number seven, who finished second in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings, also played for the first team at the Brazilian club.

In fact, Lorran’s stats should not be read into much, given Vinicius’ numbers were also not outstanding, contributing to 19 goals in 69 games.

Despite that, Los Blancos saw obvious talent and paid £38.7m to sign him in July 2018. He is now arguably the “best player in the world”, according to compatriot Ronaldo, despite narrowly missing out on the Ballon d’Or.

Stat

Lorran

Vinicius

Games

31

69

Minutes

1134

3333

Goals

2

14

Assists

3

5

G/A per game

0.16

0.27

Stylistically, the pair are similar, too, and the stats do not tell the whole picture, Like Vinicius, the left-footed Lorran is a direct winger, who can beat players on either the inside or outside, making him unpredictable for defenders.

He is a player who would add that classic Brazilian flair to the Forest squad. The dynamic 18-year-old he averages 3.18 completed take-ons per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 5% of wingers in the next 14 leagues in world football, as per FBref.

Forest’s January target is a player rated highly by the Los Blancos superstar. He called him a “Wizard” on X earlier this year, as translated in an article by beIN Sports.

In terms of attacking talents, he is arguably Flamengo’s best since Vinicius made the move to the Santiago Bernabeu. Forest will certainly be hoping Lorran can have the same impact at the City Ground should they get this deal over the line.

Murillo 2.0: Nottingham Forest can rival Wood by signing £25m sensation

Nottingham Forest could land firm competition for Chris Wood in January

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 15, 2024

West Ham United endured a summer of transition on and off the pitch, with huge changes happening to the playing squad alongside the management team.

Julen Lopetegui was appointed as the Hammers’ new boss after the hierarchy decided to part ways with former manager David Moyes, subsequently handing the one-time Real Madrid boss the opportunity to strengthen his new squad.

Many high-quality European-level talents arrived at the London Stadium during the recent summer transfer window, injecting real promise into the fanbase about their chances in the Premier League.

Centre-backs Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo both arrived in East London aiming to bolster the Spaniard’s backline, looking to improve the defence left by Moyes following his departure.

It appears they are yet to have the desired effect, conceding 15 times in the opening eight league meetings, with only Southampton, Ipswich and Wolves shipping more so far this campaign.

Striker Niclas Fullkrug joined with a European pedigree, scoring three times in the Champions League last season, but he’s yet to demonstrate his qualities under Lopetegui with injuries massively hampering his progress.

However, one other summer arrival has also failed to hit the ground running as many would’ve anticipated him to at the London Stadium.

Guido Rodriguez’s time at West Ham

One of the ten new first-team additions during the summer was midfielder Guido Rodriguez, with high expectations given the speculation surrounding his future before his move to England.

The Argentine international was widely linked with a move to Barcelona upon the expiration of his contract at Real Betis, but, out of the

blue, he completed a move to the London Stadium, bringing about a sense of excitement with his experience on the international stage in recent years.

The 30-year-old was a part of the squad that won the 2022 World Cup alongside the 2024 Copa América, but he’s struggled for form in the Premier League since his move to the club.

Rodriguez has made nine appearances in all competitions for the Hammers, only being on the winning side three times since his move, but his most embarrassing moment undoubtedly came in the 3-0 defeat against Chelsea back in September.

Enzo Maresca’s side were 2-0 ahead before the 20-minute mark, overrunning Lopetegui’s side in the middle of the park, with the Spaniard making the decision to make changes before the interval.

He subsequently replaced the Argentine in the 38th minute, after losing possession five times and often being bypassed by the opposition – leading to his early replacement.

Whilst he’s returned to a regular starting role in recent weeks, he still has yet to live up to the promise many shared upon his arrival, evidently finding it difficult to fill the boots left by one player.

Declan Rice’s time at West Ham

After coming through the West Ham academy, midfielder Declan Rice rapidly integrated himself into the club’s first-team – racking up a huge tally of appearances during his six years as a senior squad member.

The England international first broke into the senior side back in the 2017/18 season, registering over 30 appearances in each campaign he spent at the London Stadium.

The 25-year-old played a huge role in the club’s Europa Conference League triumph back in 2022/23, ending his time in East London on a high before departing to join London rivals Arsenal.

Undoubtedly, no Hammers supporter wanted their side to lose one of their most valuable squad members, especially considering his rise through the youth levels into the first-team setup.

However, the £105m fee they received was far too good to turn down, allowing for investment in various areas to build on their European success the year prior.

Rice has gone on to take his game to the next level at the Emirates, aiming to claim a Premier League title for Mikel Arteta’s side, whilst new boss Lopetegui is still yet to find an adequate replacement for the former fan-favourite.

Given the significant transfer fee, it’s no surprise to see a struggle to replace Rice, with players of that quality a huge miss regardless of how much money they receive for his services.

That could all be about to change, with the Hammers eyeing up a January move for one talent who will undoubtedly improve the Spaniard’s midfield department.

The man who can finally replace Rice and provide an upgrade on Rodriguez

According to Hoy Diario Del Magdalena, West Ham are interested in a move to sign Palmeiras midfielder Richard Rios ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

However, the Hammers aren’t alone in their pursuit of the 24-year-old, with European giants PSG and AC Milan also in the race for his signature.

The report claims that after huge interest over the summer, the Colombian stayed put at the Brazilian outfit, but could be available this winter for a fee in the region of just £12.5m – a bargain for a player of his qualities.

He’s been a crucial figure for Palmeiras in 2024, producing numerous stats that are better than former Hammer Rice and current first-team member Rodriguez.

The “tremendous” talent, as dubbed by commentator Matteo Bonetti, has excelled in possession, averaging more shots per 90, whilst completing more take-ons than the aforementioned pair.

How Rios compares to Rice & Rodriguez in 2024/25
Statistics (per 90)	Rios	Rice	Rodriguez
Games played	17	7	8
Progressive carries	1.4	2.9	0.2
Shots taken	1.6	1.2	0.8
Tackles won	1.6	0.5	1.5
Blocks	1.4	1.1	1.3
Take-ons completed	0.9	0.8	0.2
Stats via FBref

However, out of possession, the Colombian has been just as impressive, completing more tackles and making more blocks per 90 – potentially providing that box-to-box talent Lopetegui’s side have been missing this season.

The £12.5m fee touted for his services would be an absolute bargain, with Rios – who has been dubbed a “ball-carrying machine” by analyst Ben Mattinson – having all the qualities needed to thrive in the Premier League.

They may face tough competition for his services, but given the pulling power demonstrated in the summer, the Palmeiras star could be the next big name to make the move to London in January.

Lopetegui will want to right the wrongs of the club’s early season form, aiming to turn things around in the coming weeks, but more reinforcements may still be targeted despite the summer activity, with Rios undoubtedly a talent who can inject that needed quality.

West Ham flop who left for £5m is now outscoring Bowen & Kudus this season

The former West Ham player seems to have found his shooting boots away from the London Stadium.

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 25, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur are now preparing to lodge a bid for a Premier League youngster who’s “going to be a star”, according to a report.

Tottenham transfer rumours

Speaking to Spurs News, transfer insider Graeme Bailey recently detailed that signing a left-sided defender is likely to be Ange Postecoglou’s main target in the January transfer window, saying:

“From what I’m hearing, I think especially now a left-sided centre-back looks to be the priority because that’s the area they are most short in. They cannot afford another major injury there.”

However, it is clear that Postecoglou is keen to bolster his squad in a number of other areas too, with Manchester City winger Jack Grealish now on the radar, while Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Hugo Larsson has also been linked with a switch to N17.

Related Tottenham plotting January talks to sign "exciting" Bayern Munich target

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 7, 2024

A number of players are clearly being considered by Postecoglou, and one of the Premier League’s breakout stars could potentially be in line for a move to the capital as well if reports from Spain are to be believed.

Brighton’s Facundo Buonanotte, who is currently on loan at Leicester City, has now emerged as a subject of interest for Tottenham, with the club willing to fight to ensure they win the race for his signature.

The report states that a Spurs bid is currently being prepared, with the Seagulls apparently willing to let the 19-year-old leave for a fee of €50m (£41m), amidst interest from several other clubs, including current employers Leicester.

At the moment, Buananotte is enjoying his time on loan at Leicester, and it is clear to see why, given that he has made a flying start to the Premier League campaign, recording five goal contributions in his opening nine games.

Buananotte destined for the top

Some members of the media have tipped the midfielder to go on to great things, with talkSPORT’s Jack Johnson suggesting that he is “going to be a star” after an impressive performance earlier this season.

The starlet’s ability going forward could make him a perfect fit in a Postecoglou system, with Spurs recently being praised for their “entertaining” and attacking style of play by former striker Dimitar Berbatov.

Not only that, but the Leicester loanee is also more than capable of pitching in defensively, placing in the 99th percentile for tackles per 90 and the 98th percentile for blocks per 90 compared to his positional peers over the past year.

Should Buonanotte become available at some point in the future, then Spurs should undoubtedly pursue his signature, however it would not be a surprise if Brighton hardened their stance on letting him leave if he continues to impress in a Leicester shirt.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in signing a “reliable” and experienced defender with 49 caps for his country, according to a new report. The Midlands side finally picked up their first win of the Premier League season last weekend, as they beat Southampton 2-0 to lift them off the bottom of the table.

£90k-p/w Wolves forward keen to leave Molineux in January window

A Wolves player who has hardly featured under Gary O’Neil is keen to leave when January arrives.

ByBrett Worthington Nov 12, 2024 Wolves transfer news

Gary O’Neil will hope that result can be a springboard for their season, but he will always know there is still a lot of work needed to be done if they are to move away from the relegation places.

Therefore, O’Neil may have his eye on one or two players he would like to add to his squad when January arrives. One player Wolves have an interest in is Liverpool’s Wataru Endo, as he is looking for a possible move away from Anfield, becoming unhappy with his game time this season. Endo is valued between £12-14 million, and he could be an ideal addition for Wolves as they look to bring in a bit more experience.

But while O’Neil may have his eye on additions, they also face the prospect of losing one or two players in January. One player who could leave is Goncalo Guedes, as he is keen to leave Molineux in January amid interest from La Liga side Villarreal. The forward spent last season on loan at the Spanish side, and given he hasn’t featured on a regular basis in this campaign, Wolves may be looking to get him off their books.

Guedes’ possible departure in the New Year could allow Wolves to add an experienced international to their ranks, who will likely cost a lot in wages.

Wolves plotting to sign £4.1m-a-year ace who is a free agent in 2025

According to TBR Football, Wolves are keeping an eye on Eric Dier’s situation at Bayern Munich ahead of a possible transfer. The Englishman joined the German giants first on loan in January of this year, and then that deal was made permanent in the summer when he joined on a free transfer.

Dier, who earns 5 million euros a year, which is roughly £4.1 million, only signed a one-year contract with Munich in the summer, meaning his future is up in the air. Munich are under new management with Vincent Kompany and Dier has been affected by that, as he’s not been as regular in the starting XI like he was under Thomas Tuchel.

The 30-year-old, who was labelled as “reliable” under Antonio Conte during his Tottenham days, has started just once in his six appearances in all competitions this season and now his future looks to lie away from Munich, with Wolves, Brighton and Brentford keeping an eye on his situation.

Apps

26

Goals

0

Assists

0

Dier does still have hope that he can get a new contract at the German side, and Bayern are happy with his professionalism and are “open” to talks over a new contract, but there will be no guarantees of increased game time. Therefore, a move away in January could be on the cards or a pre-contract agreement for a free transfer next summer for the 49-cap Englishman.

West Bromwich Albion’s recent form in the Championship makes for some worrying reading, having now gone five games without a win in the division, which is way off what Carlos Corberan will want from his side.

From those five games, the Baggies have also frustratingly drawn blanks in three of them, as Josh Maja now struggles to find the back of the net on a regular basis after opening the campaign with a ridiculous record of seven goals from seven clashes.

Corberan will pray his side can get back on the horse and pick up some positive results soon, away from this serious blow to their confidence, knowing that there is a quality core at the heart of his squad that are homegrown and will be desperate to kick on for their boyhood club.

West Brom's homegrown stars

The first name that immediately springs to mind as being nurtured at the Hawthorns from a young age and is now blossoming into a top performer in the Championship is Tom Fellows, who had really come into his own at the start of the campaign in the men’s game.

The young right winger has a seriously impressive number of assists already in the division, picking up five assists from 11 contests in the second tier to date, and will no doubt be one that the West Midlands club are overjoyed with when it comes to how far he’s managed to develop in such a short span of time.

There is also Alex Palmer in-between the sticks for the Baggies that’s been in and around the Championship club since lining up for the U21s numerous times, before his big senior break.

Now, the confident shot-stopper is Corberan’s first choice week in week out, keeping six clean sheets from the same amount of league clashes Fellows has been present for, only leaking seven goals along the way.

There is obvious pride when it comes to getting the best out of your own pool of players, seen in both Palmer and Fellows, yet other academy talents are plucked before they’ve even had a proper chance to turn out at senior level.

West Brom will no doubt be tearing their hair out over this example, with one academy graduate having been poached from the youth set-up at the Hawthorns, but is now shining in the Premier League for a near neighbour and rival to the Baggies.

Morgan Rogers' value at Aston Villa

Despite his obvious talent, few at West Brom would have anticipated that Morgan Rogers – who is still only 22 years of age – would be dazzling in the Champions League just five years on from his Hawthorns exit, but that is exactly what he is doing.

Rogers was even described as putting in a “box office” performance against Bologna for Unai Emery’s men by Sky Sports journalist David Reed, and it’s hard to argue against that when looking at his sublime numbers from the 2-0 win.

Stat

Rogers

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Touches

59

Shots

4

Accurate passes

28/34 (82%)

Key passes

4

Big chances created

1

Successful dribbles

7/11

Duels won

9/17

Just scanning at the table above briefly gives you a glimpse as to how spellbinding the Villa attacking midfielder was against their Serie A opponents, notching up a ridiculous count of seven successful dribbles when regularly wreaking havoc on the Bologna defence, alongside also setting up Jhon Duran for the contest’s game-clinching second strike.

It now looks very justified from the end of the Premier League titans as to why they forked out £16m for Rogers in January, with West Brom left to lament on what could have been, with a young Rogers allowed to leave West Brom for a reported fee of ‘just’ £4m in 2019 after being picked up by Manchester City.

The rising star – who contributed nine goals and assists in 15 games for the club’s U21 side – had actually made a solitary senior outing for the Baggies back in 2019, coming on as a late substitute at the age of just 16 in an FA Cup clash with Brighton. As can be seen below, he’s blossomed since then…

Rogers' record since leaving West Brom

Fast forward to the present day, Rogers has a promising two goals and two assists next to his name back in league action too, with there a real possibility that the Villa number 27 – who is now valued at €22m (£18m) by Transfermarkt – will only get better with time, to further add insult to injury for the Baggies.

The two teams could face off against each other next season in the top flight if the likes of Fellows and Palmer can come up trumps for their boyhood side, away from a decline in performances.

West Brom thought they had the next Patrick Vieira, now he’s unemployed

West Bromwich Albion thought they had the next Patrick Vieira in their ranks once upon a time.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 22, 2024

Jude Bellingham will miss the first leg of Real Madrid's Champions League round of 16 fixture after picking up a yellow card against Manchester City.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Bellingham will miss Madrid's first leg of round of 16 fixture
• Shown a yellow card for a foul on Foden
• Real Madrid thrash Man City 3-0

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Los Blancos are on course to book their berth in the knockout stages of the Champions League following a thumping win over Manchester City in the playoffs. Riding on Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick, the Spanish giants currently lead 6-2 on aggregate.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite a massive victory over the English champions, there is bad news for Carlo Ancelotti's side as they will miss the services of Bellingham in the first leg of their round of 16 fixture. The England international picked up his third yellow card of the competition after his rough challenge on compatriot Phil Foden in the first half.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Last weekend, Bellingham was shown a straight red card in the first half of the 1-1 draw with Osauna following remarks he made to referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero. The official wrote that Bellingham said "f*ck you" to him, though the midfielder denied insulting him. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) later hit the player with a two-game suspension as punishment for his "disdainful attitude" towards the referee.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  After outclassing City in Europe, Madrid will be back in action in La Liga on Sunday as they take on Girona at home.

Current MLS players dive into the past, experiencing the gadgets and gizmos that defined a generation

Players from various MLS teams were asked to decipher 1990s toysReactions range from nostalgic excitement to bewildered amusementThe responses highlight generational gapGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

MLS stars recently took a trip down memory lane, reacting to popular toys and electronics from the 1990s and 2000s in a special event organized by the league. Young players such as Cavan Sullivan were shocked and amused by relics like VHS tapes, Game Boys, and Tamagotchis, while veterans such as Hugo Cuypers and Marcel Hartel shared nostalgic memories of using them. The event brought together players from different teams to connect over the gadgets that shaped the childhoods of many fans.

AdvertisementWHAT THE MLS STARS SAIDTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The average age of MLS players in 2024 is 26.2 years old, meaning most of the players in the video weren't born when these gadgets were in use. Sullivan is the league's youngest player at 15.

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Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

The 2025 MLS season kicks off on Feb. 22 with the MLS is Back weekend, featuring defending Supporters' Shield champions Inter Miami facing New York City FC. The season will run through the summer and fall, including events like Rivalry Week (May 14-18) and the All-Star Game (July 23). The regular season concludes with Decision Day on Oct. 18, 2025, which is then followed by playoffs.

The ODIs against Zimbabwe are set to begin on January 16

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jan-2022Avishka Fernando is likely to be ruled out of the forthcoming ODIs against Zimbabwe after testing positive for Covid-19.Sri Lanka’s likely squad were expected to enter the bio-secure bubble on Sunday, but Fernando – whose positive test arrived before the bubble was formed – will not join the rest of the team. According to Sri Lanka Cricket’s medical staff, Fernando has received three vaccinations. The booster dose, however, was administered less than two weeks ago. Only Fernando has returned a positive test so far.Fernando’s absence is a significant blow to Sri Lanka’s top order, but the early return of the previously banned trio – Kusal Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, and Danushka Gunathilaka – may help ease the loss. Sri Lanka’s squad for the ODIs has not been officially named, but at least two of those three batters are expected to be in it. Fernando had been in good form, however, having struck 100 off 64, and 63 off 41 in the last two matches of the Lankan Premier League.The ODIs against Zimbabwe are set to begin on January 16. All three matches will be played in Pallekele, with the second and third games on January 18 and January 21. Sri Lanka currently are sixth on the Super League points table after 15 games. However, they have lost ten of those games.

Kirsten was beaten to the role by the under-fire Chris Silverwood in 2019

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2021

Gary Kirsten was beaten to the England job by Chris Silverwood in 2019•Hindustan Times/Getty Images

Gary Kirsten has declared his interest in becoming head coach of England’s Test team, with Chris Silverwood likely to pay for their Ashes debacle with his job.Kirsten, the former South Africa and India coach, has applied for the role twice previously, in 2015 and 2019. He has not coached an international team since 2013, citing family commitments, but has held roles with various T20 teams including Royal Challengers Bangalore, Hobart Hurricanes and Durban Heat.He was the frontrunner to succeed Trevor Bayliss in 2019 but was beaten to the role by Silverwood after underwhelming at interview. He later revealed that he had believed he was attending a “token interview” and that the ECB had already decided to offer him the job.Kirsten is already on the ECB’s payroll in his role as Welsh Fire’s head coach in the men’s Hundred, and said on Thursday that he would be keen to take over as England’s coach on the proviso that the roles were split between red- and white-ball formats.Related

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“Listen, it [the England job] is always a consideration because it’s a tremendous honour,” Kirsten told the newspaper. “I’ve walked this journey twice now and I’ve always made it clear that I would never commit to doing all formats. And when international cricket boards get their head around the fact that they need to split coaching roles, then it becomes a consideration.”Working with a Test side, or working with an ODI side is great. Listen, the England ODI side is set-up, you’re the best ODI side in the world at the moment. It’s a project that has been well-thought-out. You’ve got consistency in the players that have been picked.”Your Test side has battled for a while but it would be a really lovely project to get that going. I think it’s a great project for someone to come in and take that Test side on. There’s a lot that needs to be put in place to build this Test team out.”Two years ago, Ashley Giles, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, opted to appoint a single head coach across formats rather than splitting the role in order to ensure “consistency of communication”, with his own experiences as one-day head coach in 2012-14 playing a part in his decision.But Silverwood has regularly been given leave during limited-overs series due to England’s packed schedule, with assistant coaches Paul Collingwood and Graham Thorpe filling in for him, and the ECB are certain to consider whether it is reasonable to expect one individual to have responsibility for both set-ups.

They won the Boost Point, but there was little else to cheer the Adelaide crowd up on an abject night for the Adelaide Strikers, who slumped to their sixth defeat in seven games. This one – a 22-run loss – came at the hands of a Sydney Thunder side ravaged by Covid-19-related absences, but Jason Sangha made up for all that with a blistering unbeaten 91 off 55 that powered them through to 187. That came despite something of a struggle in the first ten overs, in which they managed just 65, but a stunning onslaught that saw 79 come off the final five redressed the balance.The Strikers began positively enough but lacked the power hitting, both at the top and tail of the innings, to really threaten the target. As such, Thunder appeared to coast to victory almost by default, the bowlers maintaining their disciplines without needing to do anything remarkable. Chris Green did his thing, keeping it tight in the middle overs, while Daniel Sams chipped in with four wickets. At the 15-over mark, the Strikers were still a few runs ahead of Thunder at that stage, but despite the best efforts of Jonathan Wells – who finished with 46 off 25 – they ended up falling comfortably short.Sangha scorches StrikersUntil the final five overs of the innings, there was limited evidence Sangha would set a warm Adelaide evening alight. He’d managed 36 off 34 while Thunder stumbled along at a shade over seven, targeting 150-160 at best. But all that changed when Strikers captain Peter Siddle brought himself back on. Sangha greeted him with a boundary and two sixes off the next five balls, and as the gears shifted, something appeared to click for the 22-year-old. Those final five overs would see Thunder plunder 79 runs, with Sangha contributing 55 of them for off just 22 deliveries.It is a knock reminiscent of the one that Ben McDermott played for Hobart Hurricanes a couple of nights ago, where he bided his time before unleashing at the death. Sangha’s heroics had similarly devastating consequences for the Strikers.He even came on to turn his arm over in the second half of the innings, and took just three balls to pick up a wicket, further making his mark on a night that very firmly belonged to him.Garton’s struggles continueIt’s been a rough few days for English cricketers out in Australia. George Garton found out that wasn’t just limited to those wearing whites in the Ashes. In two of his last three games for the Strikers, the allrounder went for 41 in four and 48 in three, with the trend very much continuing tonight.He went for nine in the second over of the night, but things were going to get much worse than that. When he came on for the 13th over, Sangha had only managed 13 off 20 balls, but Garton found himself dispatched for a pair of sixes at the Australian began to find his feet. By the time he was thrown the ball for another go in the 19th over, Sangha was in full flow, and Garton on a hiding to nothing. Three sixes and a boundary meant his final involvement with the ball was the costliest over of the game, leaking 23 and setting Thunder on course for a comfortable victory.With the bat, Garton never found fluency, and an ugly swipe saw his innings end on 8 off 11.Strikers’ Powerless Power SurgeThe home side called for the Power Surge immediately after drinks, but it happened to coincide with the time Thunder were applying the squeeze especially effectively. Matt Renshaw struck a couple of boundaries off Saqib Mahmood to get things going. But when he chipped the last ball of the over to Green, the Strikers appeared to collapse in on themselves.Jake Weatherald, who had hung around for a pretty, if non-menacing, 31, also found Green at mid-off three balls later. Sangha would nail Thomas Kelly in the over that followed, and Strikers curiously opted against promoting Rashid Khan up the order even as the asking rate ballooned. The Strikers had fallen apart around the Power Surge, and in the absence of a Sangha-like figure, simply left themselves with too much to do at the death.