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It was Evin Lewis, though, who laid a platform for Dhaka Dynamites’ big win, with 64 off 38 at the top of the order

The Report by Mohammad Isam18-Nov-2017
BCBDhaka Dynamites went to the top of the points with a crushing 68-run win over Rajshahi Kings in Mirpur. Evin Lewis was adjudged Player of the Match for setting up their big score but there were also meaningful contributions from Kieron Pollard, Shahid Afridi and Abu Hider.Dhaka racked up 201 for 7 in 20 overs after being put in to bat, the first 200-plus score in the Dhaka-leg of the tournament this year. Rajshahi in reply were bowled out for 133 runs in 18.2 overs, sinking to fifth place following their fourth loss in six outings.Lewis quickly off the blocks
The first wicket partnership lasted just 4.1 overs but Afridi and Lewis added 53 runs in that short time. Afridi made 15 off eight balls and then Jahurul Islam, promoted to No. 3 after his heroics in the previous match, struck a four and a six in his six-ball 13. But it was Lewis who kept up the scoring rate soaring with his 38-ball 65 that had ten fours and a six. He fell in the tenth over and at 99 for 3, Dhaka were set for a big score.Pollard finishes in style
Rajshahi took some wickets in the middle but their fielding let them down. They dropped four catches in total, Nadif Chowdhury and Pollard being the beneficiary twice each. While Nadif didn’t capitalise, Pollard did, big time. Two of his sixes went high over long-on and the third over midwicket, which gave him his 500th six in T20s. He also struck five fours in his 25-ball 52 and shared a crucial 62-run sixth wicket stand with Kumar Sangakkara, who contributed 28 off 22 balls.Afridi and Hider trip up Rajshahi
There was no respite for Rajshahi even when they batted. Left-arm pacer Hider removed Rony Talukdar and Samit Patel early, and while Zakir Hasan and Mominul Haque looked to get the chase back on track, Afridi stepped in; he ended a 49-run third-wicket stand for his first scalp of the afternoon – Mominul. Zakir, who top scored with 36 off 23 balls, was Afridi’s second wicket before he also added Mushfiqur Rahim and Mehidy Hasan Miraz to his haul to complete his second four-for in the tournament in three games. Shakib Al Hasan took two wickets and Mohammad Saddam had one before Hider came back to finish off Rajshahi.

Liverpool are close to smashing their transfer record with an incredible signing, and a fresh report has revealed all the details behind the deal for Moises Caicedo.

Are Liverpool signing more players?

The Reds have had an intriguing summer transfer window to date – one that has seen two players come in and numerous heroes head the other way.

The arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai from Brighton and RB Leipzig represented a strong start to the summer, with James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all leaving when their contracts expired, allowing the clubs to dispose of some dead wood.

Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…

Fabinho and Jordan Henderson both left for Saudi Arabai in surprising fashion, however – Roberto Firmino also headed there – and it has left them looking light in the middle of the park.

With Sunday's Premier League opener away to Chelsea nearly upon us, there has been much frustration from the fanbase, with Liverpool not having a single out-and-out defensive midfielder to call upon.

Southampton youngster Romeo Lavia has seemingly been the front-runner to come in and fill that role, but things have taken a dramatic twist, with Brighton star Moises Caicedo now looking like he is on his way to Anfield.

Will Liverpool sign Moises Caicedo?

Taking to Twitter in the early hours of the morning, journalist David Ornstein provided a hugely exciting update regarding Liverpool's pursuit of the Ecuadorian, saying they are close to agreeing a move and revealing the British record fee as well as when the medical is booked:

"Liverpool reach agreement with Brighton to sign Moises Caicedo for British record £110m. Brighton held auction using midnight deadline. Liverpool highest bidder, Chelea at £100m. Personal terms a formality + medical planned for Friday in Liverpool."

Meanwhile, Sky Sports reporter Melissa Reddy echoed that sentiment on Twitter, claiming the deal is a little bit more at £111m and revealing a sell-on clause:

"Liverpool's British transfer record bid for Moises Caicedo is actually £111m, with Brighton having sell-on clause."

Should Liverpool get this deal over the line, it genuinely has the potential to be an absolute game-changer, turning them straight into Premier League title challengers. The importance of bringing in an elite No.6 cannot be overestimated, as Fabinho showed during his peak, and while Lavia is an exceptional young player, Caicedo is someone who will immediately be one of the first names on the team sheet.

A relentless presser who covers ground, bite into tackles and also uses the ball well, the 22-year-old could compliment Mac Allister and Szoboszlai to perfect, proving to be the perfect option in front of the defence, having averaged 2.7 tackles per game last season.

While FSG has deservedly received criticism of late, considering the lack of business, if they get a record-breaking deal for English football over the line, they will deserve enormous praise. Another midfielder and a new centre-back still wouldn't go amiss, but bringing in Caicedo solves so many issues, especially as he can also play at right-back, allowing him to fill in for Trent Alexander-Arnold at times.

This is precisely what Liverpool needed heading into the new campaign, considering there has been some negativity in the air, and it is now a case of getting the deal over the line and securing the services of someone who Jamie Redknapp has hailed as "magnificent".

Scorecard and ball-by-ball commentaryMoeen Ali is used to dealing with a certain amount of confusion about his role in the England team. He started this series as England’s designated “second spinner”, when Liam Dawson (remember him?) was drafted in to shore up their options for Lord’s and Trent Bridge. And Moeen started this match by coming in at No. 9, after Toby Roland-Jones’ peculiar promotion as a non-batting nightwatchman in England’s first innings.But the confusion, on this final day of the Investec Test series, was all in the minds of South Africa’s middle and lower order, as Moeen first broke the spirited resistance of their senior batsman, Hashim Amla, before ripping through the defences of Quinton de Kock and Theunis de Bruyn in the space of 10 innings-wrecking deliveries. He then put the seal on an emphatic 177-run victory at 5.35pm, with the back-to-back scalps of Morne Morkel and Duanne Olivier, who was caught at slip for a golden duck to complete Moeen’s innings figures of 5 for 69, and a phenomenal haul of 25 wickets at 15.64 – the most by an England spinner since 1961.Add to that his impressive haul of 252 runs – including his onslaught on the third evening of this match (he eventually finished 75 not out as England were bowled out for 243 in the space of 17 more deliveries this morning) – and Moeen, second spinner or not, has marched unequivocally into the annals of the game’s most telling allrounders.England’s victory had never really been in doubt, given how daunting South Africa’s target of 380 had been on an increasingly spiteful pitch. But while Amla and South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis were adding 123 for the fourth wicket in a skilful and determined stand, the prospect of the match spilling over into a fifth day had been a growing possibility – and given that today’s play featured an hour-long delay for rain, that might have elicited one or two anxious glances through the curtains.But in the end, it was all academic, as England racked up a comprehensive 3-1 series win, their first at home to South Africa since 1998. Moeen, to no-one’s surprise, was named both Man of the Match and the Series, having set it all in motion with ten wickets at Lord’s in the opening Test, while Joe Root had the honour of lifting the Basil D’Oliviera Trophy to mark a successful start to his era as Test captain. Or rather, his deputy, Ben Stokes did – Root’s hands were already taken up by the official Investec Trophy as the champagne began to flow.It was comfortable in the end, but it would not have been greedy of England to expect an even more comprehensive win, given how dominant their senior seamers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, had been at the start of South Africa’s chase. Exploiting every vagary in a pitch that had been juiced up by an hour of rain, the pair accounted for both openers, Dean Elgar and Heino Kuhn, in a peerless display of new-ball aggression, before Toby Roland-Jones popped up on the stroke of lunch to extract Temba Bavuma with an edge so thin that he hadn’t even heard it himself.Moeen Ali made the key breakthrough and then ran through the rest•Getty Images

And so Amla and du Plessis were brought together immediately after lunch, knowing that, at 40 for 3, any hope of survival realistically rested on their shoulders. Both men had proven track records when it comes to batting long and digging deep. Amla, whose national-record 311 not out came on their last tour of England in 2012, was the obvious focal point of South Africa’s resistance, while du Plessis made his name as a Test batsman in his very first innings, against Australia at Adelaide in November 212, digging in for 376 deliveries to produce a series-turning draw.But, far from embarking on a blockathon, both men displayed improbable fluency throughout what had been anticipated as a fraught and attritional session. Amla had been intent on little more than survival at the outset of his innings, needing 18 deliveries to get off the mark, but he set about loosening the shackles as the hardness went out of the new ball and the spite in the wicket was tamed.Roland-Jones, his nemesis in his previous three innings, was carted for three driven fours in a single over – the first a touch streaky, the rest a stamp of class – while a willingness to work on a new trick, even at the grand old age of 34 and with more than 8000 runs in his 107 Tests, showed that there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet.Facing up to Moeen, who was extracting some prolific turn back into the right-hander, Amla thrust his pad, with the bat as an afterthought, at a delivery that was almost certainly heading for middle stump but umpire Aleem Dar understandably accepted that he had been playing a stroke. Replays might have argued otherwise, and Amla, on 12 at the time, perhaps realised that to repeat that tactic would invite retribution. So he opted instead to unfurl the reverse sweep – a shot he had played, by some estimations, on just three previous occasions in his Test career.It was an emphatic, and effective, means of combatting Moeen’s wiles. And with du Plessis providing a durable foil at the other end, England were obliged to tinker with their fields and tactics, with Joe Root bringing himself on to bowl what were only his third and fourth overs of the series.The pair had extended their stand across 31 overs, which would ordinarily have allowed them to bat clean through the session. However, the rain delay in the morning meant an extra half-hour had to be shoehorned in before tea, and that window eventually proved decisive.The crucial breakthrough came when Moeen switched to the James Anderson End after being negated by Amla’s reverse tactics, and tweaked a sharp offbreak into Amla’s pads. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena turned down the initial appeal, but Joel Wilson the TV umpire confirmed that the ball would have been crashing into leg stump, in spite of a clear spike on the snickometer that did not appear to have been caused by an inside edge.And Moeen was back in action in his very next over as well, when the left-handed de Kock was lured into a loose drive out of the rough, and was snaffled low at second slip by Alastair Cook as the ball bit and turned. De Bruyn was next in Moeen’s sights, and he wasn’t there for long, suckered by the one that skidded straight on, and playing back to fatal effect as Stokes this time was the slip catcher.South Africa went to tea on 182 for 6, their hopes in tatters, and the finale was a formality. Anderson returned after the break to account for the obdurate du Plessis, caught behind off a loose drive for 61 to confirm a telling new record for a completed Test series – with 25 fifties but only three hundreds, this was the lowest conversion rate of all time, and spoke of both the dominance of the ball and a general lack of application with the bat.Anderson added his third of the innings, and seventh of the match, when Kagiso Rabada stabbed to cover, and looked for a moment ready to snaffle that elusive home five-wicket haul. Moeen, however, had other ideas, luring Morkel with a slap to mid-off and Olivier one ball later, to cue England’s celebrations.

Natalie Sciver converted her maiden ODI century into a blistering innings of 137 from 92 balls, and Heather Knight, the captain, also passed three figures for the first time in limited-overs cricket

The Report by Andrew Miller27-Jun-2017England 377 for 7 (Sciver 137, Knight 106) beat Pakistan 107 for 3 (Ayesha 56*) by 107 runs – DLS
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNatalie Sciver brought up her maiden ODI century off only 76 balls•PA Images

Natalie Sciver converted her maiden ODI century into a blistering innings of 137 from 92 balls, and Heather Knight, the captain, also passed three figures for the first time in limited-overs cricket, as England dusted themselves down after their opening-match defeat against India to rack up a formidable total of 377 for 7, and a commanding if rain-interrupted 107-run victory over Pakistan at Grace Road.England’s total was their highest in a World Cup match, and second only to Australia’s tournament record of 412 for 3 against Denmark in 1997. But it didn’t seem entirely on the cards during a cagey first ten overs, in which England lost both of their openers, Sarah Taylor and Tammy Beaumont, to the erratic but occasionally penetrative swing bowling of Kainat Imtiaz. At 42 for 2, the hosts still appeared to be suffering from a certain degree of stage fright.Sciver and Knight, however, took it upon themselves to stamp their authority on the innings. In June last year, Sciver had played an integral role in England’s last great statement performance, against the same opponents at Worcester, by smashing 80 from 33 balls to apply the finishing touches to what remains, by one run, England’s highest total in all ODIs.On that occasion, Sciver had arrived at the crease in the 39th over, with full licence to have a swing, following a formidable opening stand of 235 between Beaumont and Lauren Winfield (who was once again missing from today’s match with a wrist injury). This time, although she turned on the after-burners late in her stay with three consecutive sixes off Asmavia Iqbal, her initial duty had been one of consolidation. Steadily at first, but with increasing intent, she and Knight bent England’s innings back into shape, and Pakistan’s prospects decisively out of kilter, with a stand of 213 in exactly 30 overs.Sciver’s poise at the crease is the source of her formidable power, and two brusquely dismissed straight drives in her first six balls were an ominous sign for Pakistan, whose impact faded as the new balls lost their shine and the change bowlers their lines and lengths. The left-arm spinner, Nashra Sandhu, was treated with disdain as Sciver helped herself to four consecutive fours – including one off the toe of the bat through third man – to rattle through to a 35-ball fifty, and having nudged calmly through the nineties with a diet of singles, she drilled Sadia Yousuf into the covers to bring up her maiden hundred from 76 balls.Knight, whose 46 against India had given her team a glimmer of hope in their opening defeat against India, nailed an early drive through the covers to settle into her new day’s work, but she stepped up the ante when Sana Mir entered the attack with her offspin. Using her feet with good intent, she dumped a lofted drive through long-on for four, before picking off two more fours in her next over, with a paddle behind square and a thump through point.And, just as she had done against India, Knight also led the way in clearing the ropes, cracking a brace of sixes over cow corner en route to her own century from 105 balls. She fell one over later, caught in the deep for 106 as she launched Asmavia to wide long-off, but Danni Wyatt was on hand to keep England’s impetus going. She finished unbeaten on 42 from 27 balls, with five fours and a six over midwicket, although Pakistan saved themselves from conceding a new record total by chiselling out Fran Wilson and Jenny Gunn in consecutive deliveries in the penultimate over.In reply, Pakistan battled hard but were unable to make much headway in the face of England’s towering total. Katherine Brunt, who had born the brunt of Smriti Mandhana’s onslaught in the India match, settled much more quickly into her day’s work by extracting two early wickets – Nahida Khan, caught pulling a long-hop to midwicket for 3, and Javeria Khan, brilliantly bowled by devious slower ball for 11.Ayesha Zafar refused to be cowed, and kept going for her shots, cracking eight fours in total in reaching a 67-ball fifty. But Alex Hartley pinned Asmavia Iqbal lbw as she danced down the crease and missed a hoick across the line, and the contest was dead in the water long before the Grace Road rains applied a literal interpretation.

An update has emerged on Southampton and their plans to bolster their attacking options ahead of the 2023/24 Championship campaign…

What's the latest Southampton transfer news?

According to Wales Online, the Saints are one of a number of clubs eyeing up a swoop to sign Swansea centre-forward Joel Piroe during the summer transfer window.

The report claims that enquiries have been made over the Dutch finisher's availability, as he has one year left to run on his current contract with the Swans.

Russell Martin worked with the prolific marksman during their time together in Wales and is now looking to reunite with the exciting talent over the coming weeks.

However, they will face competition for his signature as Leeds United, Leicester City, and Atalanta are also said to be keen on acquiring the 23-year-old ace's services.

How many goals did Joel Piroe score last season?

The left-footed dynamo plundered an impressive 19 Championship goals for Swansea throughout the 2022/23 campaign and could come in as a dream heir to Che Adams at St. Mary's.

Martin's current number nine has been linked with a return to the Premier League as Crystal Palace and Fulham are both reportedly interested in signing him.

His departure would be a blow to Southampton as it stands. He has been the club's top-scoring striker in each of the last two top-flight seasons and has previously showcased his ability as a prolific second-tier forward.

Adams struck an eye-catching 22 times in 46 league games for Birmingham during the 2018/19 campaign, which convinced the Saints to snap him up. This suggests that the potential is there for him to be a lethal player at that level.

The Scotland international also created six 'big chances' for his teammates as he displayed a willingness to link up play as well as being a goalscorer.

Piroe, on the other hand, is coming off the back of two exceptional seasons at Championship level with Swansea and his pre-existing relationship with Martin suggests that he would be able to carry that form over to Southampton.

The terrific hotshot is a proven performer in the Scottish head coach's system and his statistics over the last two years indicate that the quality is there for him to be a dream heir to Adams.

Last season, Piroe scored 19 goals and created five 'big chances' in 43 league appearances. That came after a tremendous return of 22 strikes and six 'big chances' produced across 40 Championship starts throughout the previous year.

These statistics prove that the Dutchman, who was once hailed as "clinical" by Martin, knows how to find the back of the net on a regular basis at that level.

The £12k-per-week talisman would come in as a player who can hit the ground running due to his experience with the Southampton manager and in the Championship. This could make him a better option than a signing from abroad who may need time to adapt to English football.

Therefore, the Saints would be signing a ready-made replacement for Adams by swooping for Piroe, which is why this could be a phenomenal piece of business by the club if they are able to beat off stiff competition to land his signature before the deadline.

Glasgow Rangers are lining up a move for Feyenoord striker Danilo if they are unable to get a deal for Cyriel Dessers over the line in the coming weeks.

What’s the latest on Danilo to Rangers?

A move for Dessers has stalled as Cremonese’s value of the player is too high an asking price for Michael Beale and this could mean making a move for an alternative.

According to Mail Plus, Rangers are looking at sealing a loan deal for Brighton and Hove Albion player Abdallah Sima, while Danilo has been touted as a potential alternative to Dessers during the summer transfer window.

Will Rangers sign another striker during the transfer window?

Beale has already lured Sam Lammers to Ibrox from Atalanta for a fee of around £3m as he begins to rejig the Gers’ attack, as Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos departed the club following the expiration of their contracts while Antonio Colak is being linked with a move away.

Dessers certainly has the attributes to fill the void left by Morelos, netting 30 goals over the previous two seasons, and in leagues such as the Eredivisie and Serie A, the Nigerian has proven he can cut it in some of the best divisions on the continent.

If Beale fails to secure his signature however, Danilo would be an ideal alternative, and he is coming off the back of a stunning campaign for Feyenoord, having scored 14 times across all competitions, including ten in the top flight as the Dutch side claimed their first league title since 2017.

The Brazilian only departed Ajax last summer, and he was praised by former manager Erik ten Hag, who said: “Danilo is the best finisher we have in the squad” and if he moved to the Light Blues, the club would be acquiring someone who certainly has a keen eye for goal.

Indeed, Danilo offers a more out-and-out scoring threat than Dessers, evidenced by the fact he scored more goals (12 to ten), had more shots on target per 90 (3.76 to 3.01) and took more touches in the opposition penalty area last term, suggesting he could be a more dangerous asset in the box.

Ultimately, missing out on Dessers might not be the end of the world for Beale if a player like Danilo is available.

Judging by the statistics, the £5.5m-rated Brazilian could replicate the goals of Morelos, while also offering the direct approach taken by Colak and with international recognition at U23 level, the Feyenoord hitman could take his game to the next level should he move to Glasgow.

With HotSpot absent, India were “surprised” by the third umpire’s decision to uphold the on-field lbw verdict, by Nigel Llong, that signalled Virat Kohli’s wicket

Daniel Brettig06-Mar-20171:36

‘HotSpot can be difference between out and not out’ – Hazlewood

Virat Kohli’s distress at his lbw dismissal was mirrored by “surprise” within an India dressing room still getting used to the concept of the DRS. Yet to make a score of note this series, Kohli was stunned to be sent on his way after unsuccessfully reviewing an lbw decision given by the umpire Nigel Llong.Llong had raised his finger quickly even as the bowler Josh Hazlewood pulled out of his own appeal in the apparent belief that Kohli had hit the ball. Other Australians behind and square of the wicket were, however, more vociferous. The TV umpire Richard Kettleborough told Llong he could find no definitive evidence that the ball had struck bat before pad, so as per current DRS protocols it left him no choice but to stay with the original on-field decision. Kohli made his unhappiness clear as he walked off the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.Australia pacemen ‘too wide’

Josh Hazlewood has admitted he and Mitchell Starc have been outbowled by their Indian counterparts Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav in the second Test, conceding the visiting duo did not land enough balls on the line of the stumps to make best use of the variable bounce on offer.
While Hazlewood claimed three wickets and at one stage had India effectively 33 for 4 in their second innings, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane guided India to safer ground. This was possible, Hazlewood said, because he and Starc had not challenged the stumps often enough.
“The quicks were still too wide, I think with the odd ball shooting through and that up and down bounce you need to be a bit straighter,” Hazlewood said. “I think the spinners bowled really well again and Garry (Nathan Lyon) was quite unlucky in terms of a few of those balls around the gloves.
“The plans are pretty simple but sometimes they’re hard to execute. You’ve got to bowl stump-to-stump, the Indian quicks bowled really well for the majority of yesterday and I think we can still improve on today.”

His mood cooled as Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane guided the team to stumps, but India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar said the hosts were united in their surprise at the lbw verdict being upheld on review. Their consternation formed another episode in their familiarisation with a system the BCCI had long barred from use in their bilateral series. “We all are a bit surprised by the call the umpire eventually did,” Bangar said.”In terms of was there conclusive evidence or not, that’s something that definitely the match referee will look into and they’ll have a chat about it. Obviously Virat was really pumped up, he’s a big match player, and he wanted to succeed very badly in this innings. It was a very normal reaction from a batsman in the dressing room when he gets out cheaply.”We are new to DRS and the rules have also been tweaked a bit, so it is very much the umpire’s call has become really crucial, and we haven’t really sat down and evaluated but that is the way it is, it’s new to us and we are learning from the number of games we are playing with DRS, we are in the learning curve.”Replays available to Kettleborough included super slow-motion and UltraEdge cameras – the version of Real-time Snicko developed by the HawkEye ball-tracking inventors – but not HotSpot, which uses infrared cameras to pick up heat signalling from balls striking bat or pad.Hazlewood said HotSpot, which is part of the full suite of technology available for use in Tests in Australia, would have been a welcome addition and can make a difference in similar circumstances. “Yeah I think so, it’s obviously a massive series and you want to have all the technology you can if it’s available,” Hazlewood said. “HotSpot works really well sometimes, we use it in Australia and it can be the difference between a not out and and out. If it’s there, it’s there.Virat Kohli wasn’t pleased after his review was struck down•AFP”I think initially I just heard a bit of wood so I pulled out of the appeal but the guys behind the wicket and square of the wicket were pretty confident and obviously it got given out. I think after looking at the reviews you could see it just touching that pad before the bat so you had to stick with the on-field call.”Though the BCCI has shown interest, they has been unable to use HotSpot in a bilateral series so far. The board had contacted the operators of the technology about having it in place for the England series last year, only to be informed that the cameras would not be able to arrive until after the series had begun and perhaps even later.When HotSpot’s use for the Australia series was discussed, the board decided against it. Those talks took place during a complicated period, around the time the Supreme Court of India had removed senior board officials and frozen BCCI bank accounts.There remains hope, however, that the technology will be available when India next plays a home Test series later in 2017.

رد جناح أيسر الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ميلان، رفائيل لياو، على اهتمام برشلونة وباريس سان جيرمان بضمه في الميركاتو الصيفي المقبل.

وارتبط اسم لياو في الفترة الماضية بإمكانية الانتقال إلى برشلونة أو باريس سان جيرمان خاصة الأخير الذي يرغب في التعاقد مع بديل كيليان مبابي.

ولكن البرتغالي الدولي يمتلك عقدًا مع ميلان طويل الأمد مستمر حتى 4 سنوات وأكثر حتى 30 يونيو 2028، وبالتالي، فاللاعب لن يرحل إلا بموافقة الروسونيري.

اقرأ أيضًا | تقارير: مستقبل ثيو هيرنانديز في خطر مع ميلان.. وناد كبير السبب

وقال لياو عن اهتمام الأندية الخارجية في تصريحات عبر شبكة “CorSera” الإيطالية: “مستقبلي واضح جدًا وهو استمراري مع ميلان”.

وتابع: “لا يزال في عقدي 4 سنوات مقبلة، ميلان دعمني وساندني في العديد من اللحظات الصعبة ولن أنسى ذلك لهم”.

وأتم: “أريد الفوز مرة أخرى بالبطولات مع ميلان، كل تركيزي في المستقبل على أدائي في المباريات مع الفريق”.

Bangladesh claimed ten wickets in an electric final session to secure an historic first Test victory over England and a 1-1 share of the series

The Report by Alan Gardner30-Oct-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBangladesh claimed ten wickets in an electric final session to secure an historic first Test victory over England and a 1-1 share of the series. That it came after England’s openers had put on a century stand was the final twist in a remarkable match and only heightened the sense of their achievement. The crowning moment was delivered by the teenager Mehedi Hasan, who finished with another six-wicket haul, 12 in the match and the best figures by a Bangladeshi to spark scenes of jubilation at Mirpur.The result provided atonement after Bangladesh had gone so close in Chittagong, finally giving them a win over one of the major Test nations: in 94 matches previously they had only beaten West Indies and Zimbabwe. It also posed fresh questions for England, who went from 100 for 0 to 164 all out in 22.3 mesmeric overs as Mehedi and Shakib Al Hasan claimed all ten between them.At tea, England had edged the equation back in their favour, knocking the requirement from 273 down to a seemingly more manageable 173 thanks to their best opening partnership of the tour. But from the very first delivery after the interval, Mehedi speared the ball into Ben Duckett’s stumps and England’s dream start became a waking nightmare against spin, a Halloween horror show in which every wicket was greeted with ghoulish glee by the Mirpur crowd.Moments later Joe Root, already zombified by illness, stumbled from the field after a two-ball 1 and although Alastair Cook followed Duckett in reaching fifty, England were about to enter a death spiral. From 122 for 2, Bangladesh claimed 4 for 15 in 38 balls, England’s middle-order guts ripped out as Mehedi completed a ten-wicket haul in only his second Test. After Duckett and Cook, only Ben Stokes managed double-figures.Gary Ballance’s tortured series ended with a misbegotten leading edge to mid-off and Moeen Ali was lbw to Mehedi in the same over but Bangladesh must have truly believed when Cook popped a catch to silly point – a superb take from Mominul Haque standing as close to the cut strip as he dared – to leave England five down. The sense of grievance Bangladesh apparently felt after Cook had overturned an lbw decision off Mehedi a few overs before, Hawk-Eye projecting the ball to be missing leg stump, was immediately forgotten.From that point, the ending was inevitable – it was merely a question of when. Jonny Bairstow became Mehedi’s 11th victim when an inside edge ballooned to leg slip and although Stokes attempted to hold back the tide, smiting Mehedi for a towering, defiant six, he was bowled playing inside the line of a delivery from Shakib, who claimed three in four balls to put Bangladesh on the brink of a victory that had repeatedly threatened to squirm from their grasp.Few could have foreseen quite such a dramatic finish at the start of the day. Having been well placed on 152 for 3 overnight, Bangladesh’s batsmen resolved to play positively and they succeeded in almost doubling their score. Stokes and Adil Rashid claimed six of the seven wickets to fall, keeping the target below 300, but 273 was still significantly more than England had previously achieved in Asia – coincidentally their 2010 pursuit of 209 at Mirpur, which was also the record on the ground.They were given the perfect start, however. Cook and his latest partner had a previous best of 26 together and, given England’s propensity to go from one to three down (or, in this case, all out) in short order, it was a timely improvement. Duckett’s penchant for the reverse-sweep was well known in domestic circles but he unwrapped it for the citizens of Dhaka in the fourth over of the innings, striking back-to-back boundaries off Shakib.There were one or two misjudgements, a top edge from a cut bursting through the hands of slip, while Kamrul Islam Rabbi could not get his hands under a wild slice running in from cover, but living dangerously was at least living. Duckett went to his maiden Test fifty, from just 61 deliveries, with a swept four and he brought up the hundred with a fierce pull of Mehedi’s next ball to further quieten a nervous crowd – at least until the resumption after tea.A chaotic morning session had seen four wickets, as many catches go down, a couple of reviews wasted and 116 runs added to the Bangladesh total. No batsman was able to survive for long but they successfully staved off the outright collapse England had hoped for, as tempers began to fray.Stokes was at the centre of trying to lift England but his approach seemed to draw comment from the umpires, who approached Cook to try and calm things down. Stokes was unhappy at Sabbir Rahman advancing down the pitch during a brisk seventh-wicket partnership that repelled England once again and frustrations mounted after they lost their second review seeking a caught-behind decision against Bangladesh’s No. 7, who was eventually lbw to Rashid from the last ball before lunch.England created chances from the outset but Bangladesh’s batsmen kept pushing the scoreboard on. Imrul Kayes swept and nudged while the more adventurous Shakib rode his luck to add 48 together inside the first hour and although the wickets did eventually come, England’s hopes of running through the middle- and lower-order for a second time in the match were stilled.Imrul had two let-offs before finally falling for 78. In the sixth over of the morning, on 67, a leg-side flick off Zafar Ansari went quickly to the right of Cook at leg slip and the England captain could only palm it away; then on 74, a simpler chance off the bowling of Moeen was put down by Root, going one-handed to his right at slip.The Bangladesh opener fell shortly after, lbw to Moeen attempting to sweep, and Shakib might have been stumped in the following over, charging at Ansari, only for the ball to explode off the pitch and clear Bairstow’s right shoulder. Ansari should certainly have had Shakib’s wicket on 23 when a slog-sweep picked out Duckett at deep midwicket but he made a complete hash of the catch and the same bowler then saw Mushfiqur survive a mistimed chip to Steven Finn running back at mid-off.England’s use of technology was also erratic, failing with one DRS attempt against Mushfiqur – Ansari’s delivery pitching outside leg – but opting not to review a pair of lbw appeals from Moeen’s bowling, once each against Shakib and Mushfiqur, that would likely have been overturned.Shakib’s innings was cut short on 41 as Rashid ripped a legbreak in from round the wicket and Stokes had Mushfiqur taken at slip in the following over but by then the lead was above 200 and England’s task on a surface that continued to assist spin bowling was looking a daunting one. This time, Bangladesh would not let them off the hook.

Chelsea are closing in on their first major signing of the forthcoming summer transfer window, with RB Leipzig star Christopher Nkunku's move to Stamford Bridge edging towards completion.

What's the latest on Christopher Nkunku to Chelsea?

The Blues' interest in the French phenom grew to something more concrete in the early phases of the current campaign, with The Athletic reporting way back in October that he had penned a pre-contract agreement with owner Todd Boehly's outfit.

And now, according to Fabrizio Romano, the 25-year-old is "set to be unveiled" soon, providing Chelsea with a first-rate new forward after a dismal campaign, largely due to the absence of offensive cohesion.

The Leipzig gem's release clause was believed to be £53m but Chelsea actually added a further £10m when negotiating with the Red Bulls to conclude the deal swiftly, and the £63m man could catalyse the club's much-needed resurgence.

How good is Christopher Nkunku?

After finishing 12th in the Premier League and scoring just 38 goals – a tally bettered by two of the three relegated sides – new manager Mauricio Pochettino will welcome the arrival of such a superlative and dynamic striking option in Nkunku.

This season, the eight-cap international has scored 23 goals and supplied nine assists from 36 matches and has now won the DFB Pokal for successive seasons, having sensationally plundered 55 direct contributions from 52 matches last season.

At Chelsea, who are yearning for some newfound offensive impetus, Nkunku could adopt the mould of his imperious countryman Kylian Mbappe and play a role to mirror that of Paris Saint-Germain's sensation, who is arguably the best forward in the world.

Nkunku certainly boasts the prolific credentials to mirror the 24-year-old Mbappe, who has scored 41 goals and supplied ten assists from 43 matches this season, as well as wreaking havoc in the 2022 World Cup, scoring eight times from seven outings – including an incredible hat-trick in the final against victorious Argentina.

Pochettino also knows the striker well from his time with Les Parisiens, where Mbappe scored 67 goals and supplied a further 34 assists from 75 games under his tutelage.

FBref also illustrates the semblance between the respective forwards, with Mbappe Nkunku's number one 'similar player' on the site.

Indeed, the £167k-per-week Leipzig gem ranks among the top 10% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, the top 3% for pass completion, the top 7% for progressive passes and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Mbappe, comparatively, ranks among the top 2% of forwards for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 4% for shot-creating actions, the top 7% for pass completion, the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 1% for progressive carries and the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90.

The way in which the £1.2m-per-week sorcerer plies his trade as a blistering and inexorable talisman is something that Nkunku is most certainly displaying signs of emulating, and he could hammer that point home with a veritable hammer by reinvigorating Chelsea.

This is underscored by the words of former Die Roten Bullen assistant coach Achim Beierlorzer, who spoke last term after the player's two-goal and one assist demolition of Club Brugge in the Champions League, waxing lyrical over the burgeoning rise of the former PSG prospect.

He said: "Christopher is having an exceptional season. Without doubt, he's in the form of his life and his qualities are incredible.

"This season, in the space of just a few weeks, he has taken several steps forward, which means he can now be considered as a world-class player."

Let's be completely candid, Nkunku is not quite on the level of PSG's prodigious phenomenon, but he boasts a similar profile and a prolificacy in front of goal to match, and with Pochettino already managing Nkunku's superlative compatriot in the French capital, he might just know the blueprint to unlock the full potential of the Blues' destructive imminent arrival.