Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has cooled any talk of a move for Tottenham star Niko Kranjcar Sky Sports reports.

It’s been suggested that the Croatian was on Bruce’s hit list after he recently confirmed his admiration for the midfielder.

His agent Adrian Aljai suggested earlier this week that a deal between the two clubs could be imminent but the Black Cats boss has poured cold water on that.

“I don’t know where that’s come from.” Bruce told Sky Sports.

“As I have said repeatedly now for a couple of weeks, I am very, very pleased with what we have done and if we don’t do another thing, I will be delighted with what we have done.

He added: “I don’t know where the Kranjcar thing came from. I have seen quotes from his agent – certainly, I have not spoken to Kranjcar’s agent, so I don’t really know where that has come from.”

Bruce has bolstered his squad extensively this summer with 10 new faces moving to the Stadium of Light and it now seems Kranjcar won’t be making the move North.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

He is surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane after starting just two Premier League games last season.

Manager Harry Redknapp is looking to raise funds for new recruits meaning the Croatians time in North London looks numbered.

A century by one-drop Kashinath Khadkikar helped hosts Maharashtra to301/7 at stumps on the opening day of their Cooch Behar Trophy prequarter final game against Karnataka at the Nehru Stadium in Pune onFriday.After winning the toss and electing to make first use of the wicket,Maharashtra lost opener SK Kamathe to left arm seamer Steve Lazarus inthe third over of the innings for nought.Off spinner Mulewa Dharmichand scalped the next two wickets as thehosts slipped to 80/3 before Khadkikar and RR Dharwat (37) launched arecovery, compiling 119 runs for the fourth wicket. Both weredismissed in the space of four balls at the same scoreline of 199.Khadkikar had made 123 of those, in 175 balls with 22 boundaries. Thelower order chipped in with useful contributions and at stumps APThakur (25) and KR Adhav (20) were holding sway. Dharmichand finishedwith the best figures of 3/96.

Aftab Habib, the England batsman who recently bought out the last year of his contract with Leicestershire, has signed a new three-year deal with Essex.Habib made his debut for Middlesex in 1992 but was released at the end of the 1994 season. He had trials with Somerset and, ironically enough, Essex, but spent 1995 playing Minor Counties cricket with Berkshire. During that season he also had a trial with Leicestershire, when he played in three first-class matches and averaged 76.66. That was enough to earn him a contract.He was awarded his county cap in 1998, and the following summer was selected by England for two Tests against New Zealand, without conspicuous success.Nevertheless, he continued to score prolifically for Leicestershire, helping the county to two championship titles in 1996 and 1998 and earning two England A tours. By the end of the 2001 season, his first-class average stood at 44.77 after 150 innings. He has scored 15 first-class centuries.Once he had concluded his contract buy-out negotiations with Leicestershire, Essex were widely tipped as being his destination, and the 30 year-old is delighted with the move.”I am truly excited by having signed for Essex and can’t wait for the season to start. Essex is a big club, having enjoyed a lot of success over the years. Obviously another attraction of the club is its ambition, demonstrated by the signing of Graham Gooch as coach. One of my goals is to get back into the England team, and I am looking forward to working with Graham and my other new team-mates in an effort to get as many runs as possible for Essex.”

ICC Test Championship table

1. South Africa 130
2. Australia 111
3. Pakistan 101
4. New Zealand 99
5. India 97
6. England 97
7. Sri Lanka 92
8. West Indies 81
9. Bangladesh 41
10. Zimbabwe 5

Pakistan have catapulted from sixth place to third in the ICC Test rankings after centuries from Younis Khan and Shan Masood in the Pallekele Test helped them wrap up the series against Sri Lanka 2-1 with a record chase.Pakistan, who had begun the series with 97 points, bagged four rating points from the win and steered clear of England, India and New Zealand. On the other side, Sri Lanka lost four points and retained their spot at No. 7 with 92 points. Pakistan now lead New Zealand by two points while trailing second-placed Australia by ten.Meanwhile, India and England are caught in the mid-table jam with 97 points each. England will break away and vault to second place if they win the Ashes by 3-0 or a better margin. South Africa top the table with 130 points.

ScorecardBilly Godleman’s first Championship century of the season helped Derbyshire set Leicestershire 273 to win•Getty Images

Sixteen wickets fell and over 300 runs were scored during a frenetic day’s cricket at Grace Road which finished with Derbyshire strong favourites to complete a fourth Championship win of the season.When Leicestershire’s seamers picked up five wickets in seven overs after tea, reducing Derbyshire from 212 for 5 in their second innings to 241 all out, it left the Foxes needing 273 to win, and their first Championship victory at Grace Road since September 2012 appeared a distinct possibility. But Debyshire’s attack responded in kind, and on a wicket of increasingly variable bounce, Angus Robson, Ned Eckersley, Mark Cosgrove and Lewis Hill were all dismissed leg before wicket to leave the home team in desperate trouble on 56 for 4 at the close.Leicestershire’s overseas player Clint McKay was the instigator of Derbyshire’s collapse, picking up the wickets of Harvey Hosein, leg before leaving a ball that came back off the seam, Tony Palladino, caught at second slip off bat and glove from a delivery that rose sharply from not much short of a good length and then Wes Durston caught behind. Ben Raine then had Billy Godleman caught behind the ball after the Derbyshire opener had gone to his century, his first of the Championship season, made off 165 balls, before McKay dismissed Ben Cotton with another lifter.Earlier, Godleman and Ben Slater had scored quickly in compiling an opening partnership of 57 when Derbyshire began their second innings with a useful lead of 31. It was a good morning for the visitors, who began the day by picking up the two wickets they needed to end Leicestershire’s first innings for the addition of just 10 runs. Rob Sayer pushed forward at a Tillakaratne Dillshan delivery and edged a low catch to Wayne Madsen at first slip, before McKay edged an attempted defensive shot at Mark Footitt into his stumps, giving the left-arm quick bowler his fifth wicket of the innings, for just 53 runs – consolation of sorts after being left out of the England squad for the fifth Test at The Oval.Goldleman and Slater then scored at four runs an over before the left-handed Slater, on 17, was bowled by a Charlie Shreck in-swinger for the second time in the match. Madsen, who scored a superb unbeaten 172 in Derbyshire’s first innings, looked in understandably good touch in going to 22, but Raine lifted Leicestershire’s spirits by bowling the South African through the gate with a delivery that did just enough to beat his defensive push.Tillakaratne Dillshan went quickly, looking to drive the young Leicestershire offspinner Rob Sayer, and edging a low catch to Robson at first slip. At 117 for 3, Derbyshire’s lead was only 148, but Alex Hughes joined Godleman in adding 56 for the fourth wicket before pulling a Sayer long-hop straight into the hands of Mark Cosgrove at midwicket.Shiv Thakor, formerly of Leicestershire, made just 10 before gloving a Raine delivery down the leg side to wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien, but Hosein and Godleman saw the visitors through to tea, though few would have predicted what was to come after the break.

ScorecardBilly Godleman scored his second hundred in as many matches•Getty Images

Matt Hunn led a spirited Kent fightback after opener Billy Godleman’s second century in successive matches threatened to put Derbyshire in control on an eventful opening day of the LV= County Championship Division Two game at Derby.Kent lost wicketkeeper and England batsman Sam Billings with a dislocated finger in the third over and the decision to bowl first looked questionable when Godleman’s 108 put the home side in a strong position shortly before tea.But Hunn, with 3 for 45 from 21 overs, started a collapse that saw Derbyshire lose their last seven wickets for 75 and in reply, Kent were 27 without loss at stumps.The day started on a worrying note for Kent and England when Billings hurt his left hand taking the 13th ball from the excellent Hunn and was taken to hospital where x-rays confirmed there was no break.Daniel Bell-Drummond deputised until England Under-19 wicketkeeper Ryan Davies arrived mid-afternoon to take over but, by then, a Kent attack minus the rested Matt Coles and Darren Stevens had allowed Derbyshire to prosper against bowling that offered too much width.Godleman was particularly severe on Ivan Thomas, taking five fours from 13 balls, on his way to a half-century as he dominated the opening stand with Ben Slater who was bowled by a ball from Hunn which seemed to swing late just before lunch.Kent at least struck early after the interval when Chesney Hughes’ unconvincing innings ended. He edged Calum Haggett to second slip where James Tredwell held on diving to his left but Godleman and Wayne Madsen reasserted Derbyshire’s dominance with a stand of 62 in 21 overs.Tighter bowling had slowed Godleman’s progress and he needed 85 balls to complete his second fifty but when he edged Haggett to second slip, Derbyshire should have capitalised on his efforts but instead the innings fell away.Hunn found more late swing to bowl Madsen after tea which sparked a collapse in which five wickets fell for 23, three of them in ten balls without a run scored.With Shiv Thakor unable to resume his innings after he was struck second ball on the helmet by Hunn, it needed some uncomplicated blows from Ben Cotton to secure Derbyshire a second batting point which was a poor return after they had been 178 for 2.But it left Kent with a tricky 11 overs to negotiate and there was an absorbing duel between Bell-Drummond and Mark Footitt before the visitors closed 226 behind.

ScorecardAnisa Mohammed took two wickets and then steered West Indies home with the bat•WICB Media/Ashley Allen

An unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 44 between Kyshona Knight and Anisa Mohammed helped West Indies level the series at 1-1 against Pakistan.Left-arm spinner Anam Amin’s four strikes had reduced the hosts to 106 for 7 in the 34th over. Captain Stafanie Taylor had contributed 49 before becoming Amin’s second victim.Player-of-the-Match Anisa, however, backed up her 2 for 24 with an unbeaten 19 off 42 balls, while Kyshona Knight made 28 off 65 as West Indies reached the target of 150 in 46.5 overs.Earlier, Mohammed and Hayley Matthews’ offspin had fetched two wickets apiece in a disciplined bowling effort after West Indies chose to field. Taylor chipped in with an economical 1 for 25 in ten overs as well. Nain Abidi made 48 and Bismah Maroof scored 28, but the innings failed to kick on after the latter retired hurt on 81 for 2 in the 24th over. Pakistan were eventually dismissed for 149 in 46.1 overs.

A comprehensive bowling performance from Dolphins saw the side kick off their Momentum One Day Cup 2015-16 campaign with a bonus-point, 76-run win over Knights in Pietermaritzburg.Opting to bat, Dolphins lost Morne van Wyk in the third over but a brisk 71-run, second-wicket partnership between Cameron Delport and Vaughn van Jaarsveld lifted them to stability. After Delport fell, van Jaarsveld was involved in another fifty-plus stand, this time with Andile Phehlukwayo, giving the side a strong platform going into the final leg of the innings. Once van Jaarsveld fell, however, after top-scoring with 82 off 112 deliveries, Dolphins lost wickets in a heap and were eventually dismissed for 246 in the final over.The pace trio of Craig Alexander, Robbie Frylinck, Ryan McLaren and left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj ensured that the poor finish with the bat did not have too much bearing on the result. Frylinck struck off successive deliveries in his first over and by the 26th over of the innings, Knights had lost half their side, including opener Reeza Hendricks, who top-scored with 38. Malusi Siboto, at No.8, was the only other batsman to score more than 30 as Knights folded for 170 in the 47th over. Frylinck and Maharaj finished with three wickets each while Alexander and McLaren chipped in with two apiece.

Rory Kleinveldt starred with bat and ball to lift Cape Cobras to a bonus-point 64-run win over Dolphins in Durban. After Cobras chose to bat, Kleinveldt chipped in with an unbeaten 36 off 23 balls at No. 9 to drag the side to 235 for 8. He then took two of the first five wickets in the chase, with his eight overs going for only 22 as Dolphins were dismissed for 171 in the 46th over.Andrew Puttick made 68 off 104 to revive Cobras from a disastrous start of 6 for 2. He had fifty-plus partnerships with Justin Ontong (45) and Lesiba Ngoepe (39) but Cobras slipped to 196 for 8 in the 45th over, Craig Alexander (3 for 41) and Robbie Frylinck (2 for 41) doing most of the damage. Kleinveldt then hit three sixes and a four to give Cobras a decent finish.Dolphins never got going and were reduced to 44 for 4 in the 21st over. Only four of their batsmen managed double-digit scores, Frylinck top-scoring with 72 off 80 at No. 6. Four Cobras bowlers took two wickets apiece.Rudi Second’s 83 laid the platform for Knights‘ successful chase of 243 against Titans in Kimberley. Second and Diego Rosier (35) put on 70 for the second wicket, while Patrick Botha (31) helped Second add 71 for the fourth. Botha and Second fell within four deliveries but Werner Coetsee swung his way to 34 off 23 to put Knights back on track. Malusi Siboto hit a six and a four to seal the win in 48 overs.Siboto had earlier taken 3 for 43 from nine overs as Titans were bowled out in the 49th over after being asked to bat. There were several starts but only Heino Kuhn (55 off 56) went on to get a half-century. Titans were placed strongly on 105 for 2 in the 24th over but slumped to 179 for 7 in the 41st. Albie Morkel (40 off 29) and Marchant de Lange (21 off 17) produced some late runs but their dismissals off successive balls in the 47th over ended Titans’ chances of pushing past 250. Shadley van Schalkwyk and Coetsee picked up two wickets each for Knights.Warriors and Lions split points after their game was rained out in East London with only 28.3 overs possible. The game was halted first with Warriors on 132 for 3 in the 28th over after choosing to bat. The interruption meant the match was reduced to 33 overs per side but only eight deliveries were sent down after resumption before a washout resulted. Colin Ingram stayed unbeaten on 55 off 52 with six fours and a six.

Jacob Martin gave a timely reminder to the selectors that his appetitefor runs remains undiminished as Baroda secured a 139 run firstinnings lead over Punjab on the third day of their Super League tie atMohali today. By stumps Punjab had wiped off 84 runs from the deficitin 33 overs.Martin and captain Tushar Arothe took their overnight stand for the4th wicket to 139 before Arothe was sent back for 61. Atul Bedade didnot last long and Martin himself followed soon after for 118 (262balls, 14 fours). AP Bhoite and M Mewada put on 60 but when Mewada wasseventh out at 380 the innings entered terminal decline. The last fourwickets were snapped up in the space of 15 balls for the addition ofonly four runs as Baroda folded up for 384. Punjab’s new ball bowlerGagandeep Singh returned figures of 4-65 and Harbhajan Singh claimed3-101.Although Ravneet Ricky (2) was leg before to Zakir Khan in the thirdover, Vikram Rathour (46) and Reetinder Sodhi (30) prevented anyfurther anxiety for Punjab with an unbroken stand of 72.