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Hold the pose and watch the ball disappear down the ground high into the crowd. Such was the perfect manner in which Chris Woakes settled a wonderful one-day series

The Report by David Hopps12-Oct-2016England 278 for 6 (Duckett 63, Billings 62, Stokes 47*) beat Bangladesh 277 for 6 (Mushfiqur 67*, Sabbir 49, Imrul 46, Tamim 45, Rashid 4-43)
Scorecard and ball-by-ball updatesHold the pose and watch the ball disappear down the ground high into the crowd. Such was the perfect manner in which Chris Woakes settled a wonderful one-day series. Little speaks more highly of England than the fact they turned up in Bangladesh the first place but, having turned up, they fulfilled their aims on the field as they ended Bangladesh’s run of six successive series wins in ODIs on home soil.Bangladesh have an impressive lists of conquests to their name, but they have still not beaten England in a bilateral series, losing this one 2-1 as they went down in Chittagong by four wickets with seven balls to spare. Their 277 for 6 looked formidable on a slow pitch that turned substantially for Adil Rashid as he took ODI-best figures of 4 for 43. But the pitch quickened slightly as the dew fell, their finger spinners failed to find the same purchase and England met the run chase with imagination and maturity.When Eoin Morgan and Alex Hales withdrew from the Bangladesh tour because of safety concerns, England made it clear that there would be no retribution, while stressing that nothing could be taken entirely for granted: life has a habit of moving on was the gist from Andrew Strauss, MD of England cricket.Life has moved on, not enough to exclude them – Morgan will skipper on the ODI leg in India – but after this victory it will be enough for England to contemplate their deepening batting options with mounting excitement as they prepare to host the Champions Trophy and World Cup in forthcoming years. They won not just without Morgan and Hales, but without Joe Root and the injured Jason Roy, too, a first-choice top four whose absence was survived.Ben Duckett and Sam Billings, two batsmen to benefit from others’ absence, were prominent figures in England’s successful chase. Both lodged half-centuries that represented their best England ODI scores. Duckett’s, his second of the series, again built on a county season that brought him player-of-the-year recognition, while Billings played with zest as he capitalised on Jason Roy’s absence from the top of the order because of injury.Considering the shenanigans in the second match in Mirpur, after which the match referee doled out two fines and a reprimand, it was perhaps fortunate early in England’s run chase that it was Billings who collided with Mashrafe Mortaza, the bowler, who wandered into his path as he sought a second run. Some well-modulated, polite protest sorted that one out. A swept six against Mashrafe announced that he was set and the shot continued to sustain him until, on 62, it also brought his downfall when he top-edged Mosaddek Hossain to deep square.Billings has dash; Duckett scores quickly without you entirely noticing. He is an inventive cricketer, able to expose the field with a mix of sweeps, ramps and inside-out drives; a stout batsman with a permanently puzzled expression that might have been sketched for Toy Story. In one-day cricket, perhaps in Tests too, he can become a favourite. He perished to a ramp shot against Shafiul Islam, an alert keeper’s catch for Mushfiqur Rahim.With James Vince having fallen lbw in Nasir Hossain’s first over and Bairstow bowled by Shafiul, misjudging the length as he tried to pull, England were 99 short with 19 overs by the time Jos Buttler reached the crease. A slower ball from Mashrafe silenced him, then Moeen Ali chipped him feebly to mid-on. But Ben Stokes played with restraint and, only when Woakes was put down by Imrul Kayes at first slip off Taskin Ahmed – a head-high catch with 21 needed from 21 balls – did England feel that momentum was with them.Ben Stokes eased any tension towards the end of England’s chase•Getty Images

Perhaps influenced by the heated exchanges in Mirpur, even if only sub consciously, England had recalled Liam Plunkett, their most aggressive fast bowler, as a mid-innings enforcer. It was the wrong call. The Chittagong pitch was so slow that it was no time to be The Enforcer – even Dirty Harry would have taken the day off – but it turned from the outset. Liam Dawson, the Hampshire allrounder, must have rued a missed opportunity to bowl his left-arm spinner on a surface like this.Fortunately for England, Rashid had the sort of day when the heavens bestowed kindness upon him. Two long hops and a full toss accounted for three of his wickets and, on each occasion, his raised index finger looked like an exercise in positive thinking rather than a gesture of unadulterated triumph. But he turned the ball bigger than anybody and that contributed to his sense of threat, enough to take the Man-of-the-Match award. And he is England’s leading wicket-taker in ODIs this year.By the time that England had dispensed with the openers, Imrul and Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh would have felt quite settled at 106 for 2 in the 23rd over. Tamim became the first Bangladesh batsman to reach 5,000 ODI runs with a collector’s item – swatting a bouncer from Woakes in front of square. But reputations shift and it was the wicket of Imrul that England most hankered after, illustrated by a wasted review when he was 31 as they searched unsuccessfully for a hint of glove as he reverse swept Moeen. Stokes broke the stand, Imrul clipping him to square leg.Rashid then took four of the next five wickets to fall, repeatedly stymieing Bangladesh’s ambitions. Tamim, reaching for a short ball, got it as far as Vince at cover; Mahmudullah hit another long hop in the same direction. Sabbir Rahman, at least, received the high-class kill his sprightly innings deserved as Butter held an edge off a fierce leg break. Nasir Hossain was Rashid’s last victim, this time courtesy of a full toss sinking faster than the pound.Moeen wicket also possessed fortune as he defeated the left-hander, Shakib Al Hasan, on the outside edge and was stumped by Buttler who inadvertently flapped the ball onto the stumps and was fortunate that the bails fell off before he crashed his gloves into the timber.Bangladesh held their nerve as 10 overs elapsed without a boundary and by the end of the innings Mosaddek and Mushfiqur had been rewarded with an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 85 in 12 overs.Mushfiqur’s unbeaten 67 from 62 balls was his first half-century in 21 knocks, with England blowing two good chances to remove him. He might have been run out on 26 when Mosaddek sent him back but Bairstow missed. Then on 44 he struck Woakes down the ground but Stokes, having made good ground for the catch, had four bites before putting it down. With a bat in his hand, and a series to win, Stokes was to allow no such liberties.

Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey could leave the club during the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Dean Jones.

Has Bailey had a good season for Villa?

The Villans' fortunes have turned around so much this season, with things looking bleak earlier in the campaign when Steven Gerrard was in charge. Since Unai Emery has come in as manager, however, they have been transformed, with results and performances going up a significant gear.

So many individuals have improved under the Spaniard as the season has gone on and Bailey is one of them, because a more consistent and dangerous presence in Villa's attack. The £100,000-a-week attacker has scored and assisted four times apiece in the Premier League in 2022/23, with his most recent assist coming in the 2-1 win over Tottenham earlier this month.

The 25-year-old's current deal at Villa Park expires in the summer of 2025, however, and while there is still a couple of years left on it, there is the possibility that the club decides to potentially accept an offer for him at the end of the season.

Could Bailey leave Villa this summer?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Bailey is someone who could possibly depart once the summer window opens:

"I think there will be a market for him. He's the type of player that will always attract a certain level of club. I would be surprised if he was at Villa next season, even if he was to have a banging last game of the season."

This is a tricky one for Villa, with Bailey's displays much improved in recent months and his age meaning he could improve further in the coming years. That being said, he does arguably feel like someone who could both be improved and who Villa could receive good money for, so it is a key decision to make in the coming months.

The key ultimately depends on whether Emery sees the 19-cap and three-goal Jamaica international as an important figure moving forward, or if he believes there are stronger options out there.

Granted, he has got better after some questionable form in the past, but a more prolific wide man could help take Villa to that next level this season – someone who can deliver more relentless numbers than eight Premier League goal contributions in 32 appearances.

If Bailey stays, it is unlikely that many supporters will be complaining, but equally, there would be logic in letting him go, helping boost Villa's summer transfer kitty in the process.

Presenter Dan Lawless has slammed West Ham United January signing Danny Ings after his full transfer fee and wages were reported.

What's the latest on Danny Ings and West Ham?

This winter, it looked as though striker Michail Antonio was potentially on his way out of the Premier League club with Chelsea even linked with a loan move.

Perhaps with that in mind, David Moyes didn't want want to risk being short of options up top and the Hammers pounced in the market.

Indeed, they landed Ings from Aston Villa for £15m on a two-and-a-half-year deal. Since then, however, he has failed to impress – scoring just three times in 16 outings.

It's since been reported that the Englishman earns a whopping £125k-p/w. After learning of this, West Ham Fan TV man Lawless outlined how "baffling" the transfer has been

On Twitter, he wrote: "Still an absolutely baffling signing to me, doesn't suit us at all and is now one of our highest earners. Madness."

Who earns the most at West Ham?

With Ings being paid so much, it means only Lucas Paqueta currently earns more (£150k-p/w) than him within the West Ham squad – while the striker sits joint level with Kurt Zouma.

However, when you look at his recent performances, you can't really argue that the 30-year-old has been one of Moyes' better players.

After all, he has scored just twice in the Premier League since joining, has zero assists, and hasn't netted in his last eight league appearances.

What's more, when you look at average league ratings on WhoScored, Ings has managed a 6.32 score in a West Ham shirt. This ranks him 19th out of 25 players in the senior squad.

Worryingly, even Moyes doesn't seem to be entirely convinced about just how to get the best out of his new signing. When asked if Ings looks too isolated up front when playing for the club, the manager told recently reporters (via 6foot2): “Yes, but we’re only just getting to know him. He’s someone who probably might need more people around him.

"We’re not playing at our best and the Nottingham Forest game showed, Danny is a penalty box striker, if we can get the ball more to Danny and give him opportunities, he can score. His record and his history will show that, but we’ve not really been that far up the pitch often enough to sustain pressure which would maybe mean more opportunities are coming."

All in all, this deal is looking more pointless by the day.

أنهى مسؤولو نادي الزمالك أزمة مستحقات نادي كاراكاس الفنزويلي والخاصة بـ ضم سامسون أكينيولا مهاجم الفريق الكروي.

وكان أكينيولا قد انضم إلى صفوف الزمالك خلال صيف 2022 من أجل تدعيم صفوف الفريق إلا أنه لم يقدم المطلوب منه حتى الآن.

ويسعى مسؤولو الزمالك لحل أزمة إيقاف قيد النادي وتدعيم صفوفه في فترة الانتقالات الشتوية الحالية.

طالع | أحمد سليمان: بعض لاعبي الأهلي يريدون الانضمام لـ الزمالك

وعلم “بطولات”، أن الزمالك اتفق على دفع قيمة صفقة سامسون كاملة والبالغة 450 ألف دولار.

وذلك يأتي من أجل إنهاء القضية الخاصة برفع القيد، لتتبقى قضية سبورتنج لشبونة فقط الخاصة بـ شيكابالا.

ويستعد الزمالك للمشاركة في بطولة نادي الوحدة الإماراتي الودية بأبو ظبي والمقرر إقامتها خلال الفترة 18 وحتى 24 يناير الجاري بمشاركة أندية الوحدة الإماراتي والاتفاق السعودي وأم صلال القطري.

وبعدها سيشارك الزمالك في بطولة كأس دبي للتحدي خلال الفترة من 26 وحتى 28 يناير، بجانب أندية الرجاء المغربي والأهلي السعودي ووهان ثري تاونز الصيني، على أن تقام المباريات على استاد آل مكتوم.

Newcastle United will head to Merseyside for their Premier League clash with Everton at Goodison Park this evening and Eddie Howe will surely be going into the game with confidence.

The Magpies were back to winning ways at St James’ Park last weekend, delivering an incredible 6-0 thriller against top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur and are now six points clear of the north Londoners.

The dream of Champions League football is looking more and more likely to become a reality for Newcastle and they could even further cement their spot by taking another three points away from home tonight.

Unfortunately, Howe has had some injury issues to contend with over the last few weeks, with key players like Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron sustaining issues.

Now, Fabian Schar could be set for a spell on the sidelines too, after sustaining a fresh hamstring concern in the latter stages of the Spurs game.

Howe took to his pre-match press conference to reveal an update on the centre-back’s condition yesterday, confirming that he remains a doubt: “Fab is one we have to check on and make a late call.”

As a result, it could be the perfect opportunity for the Newcastle boss to unleash club captain Jamaal Lascelles in place of Schar.

Will Lascelles start vs Everton?

There is no doubt that Everton have played their best football at Goodison Park this season with five of their six victories secured on home turf.

However, the Toffees have struggled to trouble their opponents in front of goal, with only two scored in their last four games, as well as having the lowest goal tally in the entire Premier League at present.

Under those circumstances, it would seem that losing Schar for the outing on Merseyside tonight may not be the worst outcome, as Lascelles should be able to use his experience and 6 foot 1 presence to handle Everton's goal-scoring talisman, Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The £40k-per-week titan – hailed as “heroic” by Howe – ranks in the top 9% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for aerial duels won, blocks, clearances and touches, proving that he has some of the best physicality on offer when it comes to defensive play.

Not only that, the Newcastle boss has previously heaped praise on Lascelles for the importance of his leadership skills on and off the pitch, despite only making two Premier League starts this term so far:

“His attitude has been spot on. He’s obviously our captain and he’s led like a captain even in a difficult moment for him because he would want to play every game.

“I always think that’s a true test of a leader is in the difficult moments and I think Jamaal has been absolutely superb – he’s been positive in the changing room before the game, during training – I cannot speak highly enough of his reaction to that.”

With that being said, there is no doubt that Lascelles can comfortably work alongside Sven Botman to form a brick wall against Everton tonight and will deservedly earn some much-needed minutes in the starting XI.

Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed that interim Chelsea manager Frank Lampard will revert to a back three in the club's next game.

What's the latest on Frank Lampard and Chelsea?

The 44-year-old has a big task on his hands right now as he looks to steady the ship with former head coach Graham Potter now fired.

Things under Lampard didn't get off to a good start as the Blues lost in the Premier League against Wolves, but he must put that disappointment behind him quickly.

Indeed, Chelsea now face a season-defining quarter-final clash with Real Madrid in the Champions League and travel to the Bernabeu on Wednesday for the first leg.

Naturally, the coach will have to think long and hard about his team selection. But it also seems as though Lampard is yet to decide what formation to play.

In a new article for GiveMeSport, Phillips revealed that the Englishman nearly played a back three against Wolves and may yet play it against Madrid.

He wrote: "Lampard changed the formation to his preferred 4-3-3, but I understand that him and his team had also heavily considered sticking with a back three and I'd be very surprised if they don't revert to that for the Real Madrid game on Wednesday night.

"After only having two training sessions, it was tough for Lampard to get his ideas across, and also he has yet to really assess his entire squad. Whilst he did work with some of them the first time around, there are also many new faces in a massively changed squad. Lampard has admitted that he hasn't had enough time to watch all of Chelsea's games this season, so he is very much giving them all a clean slate. This brings pros and cons, and some Chelsea fans have already been left frustrated by his first team selection back."

He added that the interim manager was "annoyed" during and after the Wolves game and won't be afraid to drop players once he's fully assessed the squad.

How will Chelsea line up against Real Madrid?

Against Wolves, Lampard did play a 4-3-3, as Phillips points out. But when in charge of Everton earlier this season, he was flexible enough to play a back five – or a back three depending on how you see it.

What's more, under Potter, Chelsea often abandoned the traditional back four. And so the current set of players should be well-equipped to go to either formation.

In potentially big news for the Blues, Thiago Silva returned to training Monday and so he is now in contention to play against Real Madrid, while N'Golo Kante and Mason Mount could also both feature.

No doubt this could have major impact on Lampard's plans. With Silva, for instance, he may feel as though his defence will have another quality without having to play that extra defender.

It will certainly be interesting to see how things play out.

Leeds United trio Robin Koch, Illan Meslier and Jack Harrison will all leave this summer if the Whites suffer relegation from the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Whites battling relegation

The Elland Road faithful are experiencing another taxing season in the top flight, having avoided a return to the Championship by the skin of their teeth last term.

Leeds find themselves hovering above the relegation zone as the business end of the campaign arrives and results need to improve hugely in order to pull away from the drop zone.

Going down would clearly be a disaster for Javi Gracia’s side and an exit update has now emerged.

The Latest: Trio planning to quit

According to Football Insider, Koch, Meslier and Harrison will all move on at the end of the season if Leeds are relegated, in order to remain at a higher level.

They are already ‘planning to quit’ and find a new club if Championship football comes the Whites’ way.

The Verdict: Disappointing

In truth, it would be no great surprise to see Koch, Meslier and Harrison all depart if Leeds are relegated, considering the trio are all arguably too good to be playing in the Championship.

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That being said, the hope is that they all knuckle down and ensure that doesn’t happen in the same way Raphinha did, with all three of them not having their best season individually.

Koch has picked up five yellow cards in the league and been part of a defence that has conceded comfortably more than a goal per game, and the same applies to Meslier in that respect.

Meanwhile, Harrison hasn’t offered anywhere near enough in an attacking sense, scoring just once in 23 league outings, so he needs to find another gear.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have made contact to sign Espanyol defender Cesar Montes this summer, according to reports.

The Lowdown: Montes’ admission

The Mexican only made the move to the RCDE Stadium from Monterrey in January but has instantly helped Diego Martinez sure up his backline.

The Midlands outfit are long-term admirers of the 26-year-old, who has previously admitted that he thinks the Old Gold are a ‘great club’.

Now, Julen Lopetegui sounds keen to bring the centre-back to Molineux but is set to face competition from one of his Premier League rivals.

The Latest: Wolves make contact

According to Spanish outlet La Grada (via Sport Witness), Wolves and Nottingham Forest both ‘have asked’ about the availability of Montes ahead of the upcoming window.

Wanderers have ‘not increased’ their interest as of yet with there still being several months to go, but their target does have a €30m (£26m) release clause included in his terms.

The Verdict: Ideal reinforcement

Montes has been hailed a ‘powerful’ defender by Barcelona manager Xavi, and despite Wolves already having Craig Dawson, Nathan Collins, Max Kilman and Toti as centre-back options, he would be an ideal reinforcement, especially with Kilman linked to clubs like Liverpool.

The 6 foot 3 giant currently averages 5.5 clearances and 1.8 aerial wins per game in La Liga, highlighting his physical presence at the heart of the backline (WhoScored).

Montes also knows Raul Jimenez being his international teammate for Mexico, so this existing connection could help Fosun get a deal over the line ahead of their competitors should an offer be made in the months ahead.

Manchester United will face familiar foes in Leeds United this afternoon as they hope to exact revenge following their failure to secure all three points in midweek against the same opposition.

Erik ten Hag’s side failed to win for just the third time this year, and with Arsenal and Manchester City recently slipping up in their chase for the Premier League title, could United launch a surprise challenge?

The fixture congestion that is slowly building may disrupt any ambitions they have of a sustained challenge, although a victory this afternoon would offer a boost in confidence.

Ten Hag welcomed back Jadon Sancho in midweek for his first Premier League appearance since October, and the 22-year-old marked his introduction off the bench by scoring United’s equaliser in the 2-2 draw.

Will Sancho be unleashed against Leeds?

Since arriving in Manchester in the summer of 2021, his spell at the club hasn’t exactly lived up to the dizzying heights that some might have expected following his £73m move from Borussia Dortmund.

His first season at Old Trafford saw him score just five goals, which was some way down on his 16 in the previous campaign for Dortmund, which made him arguably one of the most highly-regarded youngsters on the continent.

The 22-year-old was expected to kick on this season under Ten Hag, but it hasn’t quite worked out that way, despite an encouraging start in August which saw him hit the winner against Liverpool in a 2-1 victory.

He trained away from the first team between November and January, with the manager wanting him to regain full mental and physical fitness, and it appears to have worked.

Substituted on for the final half-hour in midweek, Sancho not only managed to score but also made three key passes, had four dribble attempts and completed 92% of his passes in a rather successful cameo, and Ten Hag should duly unleash him from the start today.

He was once hailed as “robust” by Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc and “flamboyant” by ex-England youth coach Dan Micciche, and if he can get back to the form he displayed in Germany, he could become a formidable player for Ten Hag and United.

If given a start today, he could terrorise a Leeds defence which couldn’t stop his attacking prowess on Wednesday, and the Red Devils boss could use that to his advantage today to great effect.

Tottenham Hotspur sporting director Fabio Paratici could be set to utilise his Serie A connections once again, amid reports that the north Londoners are eyeing a summer deal for Inter Milan maestro, Marcelo Brozovic.

What’s the word?

According to InterLive.it, the Lilywhites’ transfer chief – who previously snapped up the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski from Italy – appears to be intent on landing the Croatia international at the end of the season, with the 30-year-old having been deemed ‘expendable’ by those at San Siro.

The report suggests that Spurs are the club who have been ‘most interested’ in signing the 83-cap rock in recent times, albeit with La Liga giants Barcelona also said to be in the mix for his signature.

The piece goes on to add that those at N17 are considering two potential approaches for the Zagreb native, with a straight offer of around €25m (£22m) having been mooted, as well as a proposal of around €10m (£9m) plus academy graduate, Japhet Tanganga.

Imagine him and Hojbjerg

The addition of Brozovic – who still has just over three years left to run on his existing deal in Milan – would provide both quality and experience to Antonio Conte’s midfield ranks, with the 5 foot 11 maestro having been a standout figure for the Nerrazzurri over the years.

The former Dinamo Zagreb man has scored 30 goals and provided 37 assists in 303 games for the club to date from his defensive midfield berth, notably playing his part in the side that won the Scudetto under Conte back in 2021.

That glorious campaign saw the “irreplaceable” gem – as previously lauded by ex-Inter star Gianfranco Matteoli – average an impressive 1.6 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game from his 29 league appearances, as per WhoScored, with that an illustration of just what an effective screen he is in front of the backline.

Although he has gone on to feature just 13 times across all fronts this term – making only nine starts – the long-serving warrior still compares favourably to those in his position in Europe, as he ranks in the top 12% for non-penalty goals as a marker that he can also make a difference in the final third if required.

The hope would be that Brozovic would be able to form a menacing midfield partnership with current Tottenham regular, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, with the Danish machine also offering a perhaps unsung attacking quality with four goals and three assists from his 21 Premier League appearances this season.

Like the Inter star – who averaged 2.2 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game last season in the Italian top-flight – Hojbjerg is also truly effective due to his ball-winning prowess, as he averages 1.5 tackles and 1.5 interceptions in the league this term.

The two men’s progressive midfield approach is also illustrated by their willingness to make things happen for their respective sides, with the latter man ranking in the top 9% for attempted passes and the top 9% for pass completion, while Brozovic ranks in the top 4% and the top 9%, respectively, in those same two metrics.

That should indicate that the addition of the experienced asset would provide competition as well as also a potential partner for Hojbjerg in the centre of the park, with that a truly mouthwatering prospect for both Conte and Paratici.