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Leila Ouahabi, Laura Blindkilde Brown and Jess Park were also on the scoresheet on a day where injury to the Jamaica star was the only real negative

Khadija Shaw shone as Manchester City secured a comfortable 5-0 win over West Ham to return to the top of the Women's Super League table on Sunday, though the Cityzens will be sweating over her fitness after the striker was withdrawn at half-time. Shaw pulled up towards the end of the first half and needed assistance leaving the field, that the real disappointment of an otherwise brilliant day.

There were just 24 seconds on the clock when Leila Ouahabi broke the deadlock, and that set the tone for a dominant first half, with two great finishes from Shaw putting City in a commanding position. However, West Ham grew into the game, especially as their hosts dropped their level in the second period. Khiara Keating made a superb stop to deny Viviane Asseyi and the Frenchwoman was one of three Hammers to also be denied by the woodwork, while Riko Ueki will feel she should've done better with an opportunity one-on-one.

Just as the game looked to be petering out, there was time for the home fans to get excited again when Laura Blindkilde Brown, picked up for a bumper fee in January, scored her first goal for the club in the latter stages of the second half. That appeared to spark City back into life, and Jess Park added some further gloss in the final moments with a wonderful finish.

It gave the league leaders a real boost to their goal difference, something which this title race with Chelsea could well come down to over the next few weeks, though any prolonged absence for Shaw could well dent that challenge.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Joie Stadium…

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Khiara Keating (7/10):

Made an especially brilliant save to deny Asseyi in the first half.

Laia Aleixandri (7/10):

Another classy and near-faultless display.

Alanna Kennedy (7/10):

Good on the ball and relatively solid in her defensive work.

Alex Greenwood (7/10):

Made an outstanding challenge to thwart Ueki at the end of the first half.

Leila Ouahabi (7/10):

Superb strike to break the deadlock.

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Yui Hasegawa (7/10):

Dictated play well and was her usually disruptive self when City didn't have the ball.

Laura Coombs (6/10):

Could've had a goal before half-time but struck the ball right at Arnold. That was the highlight of a quiet hour or so on the pitch.

Jess Park (8/10):

Lively performance which started with a silky assist on 24 seconds. Really deserved her goal and took it well.

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Mary Fowler (8/10):

Not as overtly effective as Hemp on the opposite flank but played some nice passes to build attacks, especially when she darted inside.

Khadija Shaw (8/10):

A real handful for West Ham's centre-halves in the first half, as shown by her two goals. Will be a huge miss if her injury is serious.

Lauren Hemp (8/10):

Whether on the right or on the left, the Hammers didn't have an answer for her direct and positive wing play in a devastating first half.

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Chloe Kelly (5/10):

Replaced Shaw at half-time but struggled for service or to get involved as City's performance fell flat.

Laura Blindkilde Brown (6/10):

On just past the hour and initially had a similar problem to Kelly, but she took the one opportunity that fell to her to net her first City goal and spark the team back into life.

Gareth Taylor (8/10):

A starting XI with few surprises dominated the first half and gave his team a huge lead. His decision to introduce Blindkilde helped spark the team back into life when they were in a lull, too. Difficult to grumble at a 5-0 win, though Shaw's injury is a concern.

Next summer’s ninth edition of the Big Bash League may be pushed back to start as late as Boxing Day

Daniel Brettig22-Jan-2019Next summer’s ninth edition of the Big Bash League may be pushed back to start as late as Boxing Day, while Cricket Australia is also considering a shift of the limited-overs domestic competition away from the early season carnival format it has occupied since 2013.Amid a season in which players, broadcasters and the Australian public have been forced to make some large adjustments, particularly for the major increase in the length of the BBL from 43 games to a full 59-game home and away schedule, ESPNcricinfo understands the governing body is considering numerous tweaks to the calendar for 2019-20.Though CA and the broadcasters Seven and Fox Cricket are wholly committed to the full home and away BBL format, there has been discussion of whether to move the starting point of the tournament to later in the summer, packing more games into January before building up to the mid-February finals series that is being tried for the first time in 2018-19.Such a move would follow common complaints by BBL teams and state associations that the pre-Christmas landscape is a challenging one for attracting supporters relative to the January school holiday period. Previous discussions of BBL matches being scheduled on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day led to two matches being scheduled on December 24 this tournament, but the BBL chief Kim McConnie has always made clear that organisers were learning what works and what does not as they go along.”We don’t [have set expectations]. It’s the first time we’ve ever done it,” she told in December. “The beauty of the Big Bash is it paves the way in many areas. We like the idea of ‘we’re going to try and see and learn along the way’. We don’t have any expectations other than learning on what works and doesn’t work.”At the same time, CA is considering a move away from the September-October carnival format for the domestic 50-over tournament for the first time in six years. That move, made in 2013 at the start of the previous broadcast deal cut with the Nine and Ten networks, squeezed the premier state-based white-ball competition into a few weeks, in a marked departure from the traditional format that had Sheffield Shield and limited-overs games interspersed evenly across the season.A shift back to scheduling state matches of either format during the months now occupied by the BBL appears close to impossible, but moving the domestic limited-overs tournament into shared windows with the two halves of the Shield rounds would allow players, coaches and selectors the chance to make assessments of their white-ball skills in a far more expansive way across a season than is currently the case.After Australia won the World Cup at home in 2015, the decline in the national team’s 50-over fortunes has coincided with the continuation of the tournament format, which was adopted for reasons including its closer resemblance to an ICC event and also the easier task it created for physical management of fast bowlers in particular over the course of a season.Pat Howard, the former team performance manager, was a noted advocate of the carnival format, which has divided opinion amongst players throughout. This season saw a trade-off between the abandonment of the experimental inclusion of a CA XI for younger players in the tournament with a format that meant that every team would play in the play-off matches, regardless of how many qualifying matches they won.Howard’s departure, alongside that of the former chief executive James Sutherland, is believed to have helped open up broader discussion about the state competition, even as the tighter tournament structure continues to have numerous vocal advocates within the system. Other factors in decision-making will also include logistical concerns for state teams and the preferences of Fox Cricket for broadcasting the 50-over tournament.

Cole Palmer's hat-trick ball was tarnished with "sh*t player" comments yet again after the Chelsea star's incredible performance against Everton.

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Palmer scored successive home hat-tricksFired Chelsea to a massive 6-0 win over EvertonBut saw his hat-trick ball defaced with 'sh*t player' commentsWHAT HAPPENED?

Palmer kicked off the scoring with a breathtaking solo effort that left Everton's defence scrambling. Continuing his dominance, Palmer notched a header and capitalised on a blunder from Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to complete his treble, before adding a second-half penalty to cap off a stunning performance. His stellar contributions, coupled with strikes from team-mates Nicolas Jackson and Alfie Gilchrist, ensured a comprehensive 6-0 victory for Chelsea, leaving Everton trailing as mere spectators in a disappointing outing for Sean Dyche's men.

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This remarkable performance marked Palmer's second consecutive home hat-trick, following his exceptional display against Manchester United earlier in the month. However, his night had one downside when he found that the Chelsea ball prankster had returned. After the game against United, one of his teammates wrote "sh*t player" on his hat-trick ball. Now, after his heroics against Everton, the message was reiterated: "I told you, you are a sh*t player."

DID YOU KNOW?

With his hat-trick against Everton, Palmer joins Erling Haaland at the pinnacle of the Premier League's goalscoring charts with 20 goals to his name. Notably, Palmer's feat makes him the first Chelsea player since Eden Hazard in 2018-19 to reach this milestone and the first Englishman for the Blues since Frank Lampard's tally of 27 goals in the 2009-10 season.

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Palmer's exceptional form has propelled Chelsea up the league standings, positioning them within touching distance of sixth-placed Newcastle United with a game in hand, reigniting hopes of securing European qualification.

With crucial fixtures against fourth-placed Aston Villa, fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, and eighth-placed West Ham United on the horizon, Chelsea's destiny lies largely in their own hands. However, their immediate focus shifts to an FA Cup semi-final clash against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on April 20, where Palmer will aim to continue his stellar form and lead his team to further success.

After finishing last in the last three editions of the PSL, Lahore Qalandars have turned to Hafeez in a bid to improve their record

Umar Farooq09-Dec-2018Lahore Qalandars have appointed Mohammad Hafeez as captain for the fourth season of the Pakistan Super League. Fakhar Zaman and Yasir Shah had also been considered, but Qalandars went with the more experienced captain.In the last three seasons, Lahore Qalandars went with the Pakistan Test batsman Azhar Alias captain, followed by Brendon McCullum for the following two seasons. Azhar, their first captain, was removed from the job and never played again even though he was initially retained for the 2017 season, before being released. Two seasons with McCullum as captain did not help improve their fate either, with the side finishing bottom every year since the PSL’s inception. Over the three seasons, they lost 18 out of 26 games.Since the first season, other teams retaining their local captains had left the Qalandars short on options. But for the upcoming fourth season, they had a wider pool of Pakistan players to pick a captain from, with Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi all in the draft. They went on to pick Hafeez as their platinum player last month, believing a local captain would bring better results.Both Yasir and Fakhar were considered for the top job, with the proposition never quite materialising. The release of Hafeez from the Peshawar Zalmi roster this year made Hafeez the favoured pick.Hafeez, 38, retired from Test cricket after the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand in UAE in a bid to focus on his limited-overs career. He has played 248 T20 matches, scoring 5244 runs at a strike rate of 122.35. He captained Pakistan in T20Is between 2012 and 2014 before stepping down just days after the team’s exit from the group stage of the 2014 World T20 in Bangladesh.During his stint as T20I captain, he led Pakistan to the semi-finals of the 2012 World T20 in Sri Lanka. However, the team exited at the group stage of the 2014 edition, after losing to West Indies by 84 runs. It was the first time Pakistan had failed to progress to the semi-finals in five editions of the tournament. Hafeez’s overall T20I record stands at 18 wins (one via a one-over eliminator) and 11 losses from 29 matches.

The tunnel clash involving Lionel Messi and Monterrey coaching staff has landed Inter Miami a fine and the threat of “more severe sanctions”.

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Herons suffered Champions Cup defeatTempers boiled over after final whistleMLS side accused of having 'lack of security'WHAT HAPPENED?

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi did not take to the field during the first leg of the Herons’ CONCACAF Champions Cup quarter-final meeting with Mexican opposition. He was, however, involved in angry exchanges afterwards with match officials and members of the visiting team.

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Monterrey coach Fernando Ortiz had helped to light that fuse with pre-game comments regarding favourable refereeing, while his assistant, Nico Sanchez, has apologised for branding Messi a “possessed dwarf” during unsightly scenes in the tunnel.

WHAT CONCACAF SAID

The Liga MX outfit requested that CONCACAF carry out an investigation into what happened, and the results of that are that Inter Miami have been hit with a financial penalty. An official statement read: “After considering the documentation and evidence gathered during their investigation, which included requesting written statements from both clubs and thoroughly reviewing the reports submitted by the match officials, and based on the competiton’s regulations and the applicable Disciplinary Code, the Disciplinary Committee has fined Inter Miami CF an undisclosed amount for lack of security in their stadium,” said the Concacaf statement. Furthermore, the Committee has warned Inter Miami CF that more severe sanctions could be taken should incidents occur during their future matches in Concacaf club competitions.”

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Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Tata Martino were also involved in the post-match skirmishes, as they questioned some big decisions. Inter Miami would go on to lose their tie with Monterrey 5-2 on aggregate, with Messi unable to inspire them to victory when playing the full 90 minutes of the second leg in Mexico.

Thomas Partey has addressed "speculation" surrounding his Arsenal future after being handed a rare start in the Gunners' 2-0 victory over Luton Town.

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Partey returned from injury on WednesdayWas handed a rare start against LutonInsisted that he remains committed to the GunnersGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Partey, whose contract expires at the end of the next season, has been grappling with limited playing time amidst an injury-ridden campaign. However, the Ghanaian midfielder dismissed swirling rumours and reaffirmed his commitment to Arsenal after helping Mikel Arteta's men claim top spot in the league table with a comfortable victory over Luton on Wednesday.

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Speaking after the match, Partey said: "My head is always here. This is where I choose to play, I'm really happy every time I'm on the field. I know a lot of speculation has been going on, but for me, I'm really happy to be here and to continue playing for this club. With my contract, I still have to the end of the season, I think. I have to do my best and try to perform at the highest level and I think the most important is to be available every time.”

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The Gunners' recent spree of contract extensions, including agreements with Ben White, Takehiro Tomiyasu and several other key players, underscores the club's commitment to tying down its core talent. Partey's resurgence from injury could also potentially help him earn an extension at the Emirates, and he added on his return: “It’s good to be back. I feel really good, it's been a while. I've been trying to work a lot on my fitness and I’ve been through a lot of work. I’ve done all I can and I’m really happy to be back and I feel really good. I think I've improved a lot on my fitness, and I'm trying my best to keep on going at this level and keep giving my best.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

Manager Mikel Arteta has lauded Partey's potential partnership with Declan Rice, envisioning a formidable midfield duo going forward. While this pairing is yet to materialise in a Premier League fixture, the statement in itself is an indication of the Spaniard's unwavering faith in Partey's abilities.

Partey added on that prospect: “I think everybody is working hard, we have a lot of great players Jorgi’s (Jorginho) there, Dec is there and I think Mo (Elneny) as well and we have a lot of players in that position and I think it's good to have everybody ready this time of the season and from the beginning when I tried everything I can to be available. But I have to keep on working and at the end, they really did well."

The Ashes series against Australia will once again contested on a points system across all three formats

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2018England women will host West Indies next summer as part of their build-up to the Ashes, with the series against Australia once again contested on a points system across all three formats.Taunton is set to host its first women’s Test since 2006, while the Ashes will begin on July 2 at Leicestershire’s Grace Road ground, venue for the first two of three ODIs. Canterbury will be the location for the third ODI, while the three T20Is will be held at Chelmsford, Hove and Bristol.Women’s fixtures 2019

Thursday June 6 – 1st ODI v West Indies, Fischer County Ground, Leicester

Sunday June 9 – 2nd ODI v West Indies, Blackfinch New Road, Worcester

Thursday June 13 – 3rd ODI v West Indies, Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford

Tuesday June 18 – 1st IT20 v West Indies, County Ground, Northampton

Friday June 21 – 2nd IT20 v West Indies, County Ground, Northampton

Tuesday June 25 – 3rd IT20 v West Indies, County Ground, Derby

Tuesday July 2 – 1st Women’s Ashes ODI, Fischer County Ground, Leicester

Thursday July 4 – 2nd Women’s Ashes ODI, Fischer County Ground, Leicester

Sunday July 7 – 3rd Women’s Ashes ODI, Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury

Thursday July 18 – Women’s Ashes Test, Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton

Friday July 26 – 1st Women’s Ashes IT20, Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford

Sunday July 28 – 2nd Women’s Ashes IT20, 1st Central County Ground, Hove

Wednesday July 31 – 3rd Women’s Ashes IT20, Brightside Ground, Bristol

Sunday September 1 – Kia Super League Finals Day, 1st Central County Ground, Hove

The West Indies visit will feature three ODIs – which will form part of the ICC Women’s Championship and go towards qualification for the 2021 World Cup – and three T20Is, starting on June 6 at Grace Road. Worcestershire’s New Road ground will host the second ODI, before the series moves to Chelmsford. The teams will then play two T20Is at Northampton, before concluding with a game at Derby.The Kia Super League, the ECB’s domestic women’s T20 competition that is set to be replaced by The Hundred from 2020, will take place in August, with Finals Day at Hove confirmed for September 1.Clare Connor, the ECB director of England women’s cricket, said: “As we have just seen in front of record crowds at the ICC Women’s World T20 in West Indies, both West Indies and Australia will be sure to provide a great challenge for us as well as skillful, entertaining cricket for the growing fan-base for the women’s game.”Every Ashes summer is a privilege for us all to be part of and we’re looking forward to collaborating with all our venues to ensure we deliver high quality match-day experiences throughout the summer of 2019.”England, who finished as beaten finalists at the Women’s World T20 for the third time in four editions of the competition, are also due to play series in Sri Lanka and India before the 2019 home season.

Raphael Varane sent out a strong supportive message for Vinicius Junior after the Brazilian broke down in tears during a press conference.

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Varane sent a strong message to ViniciusBrazilian winger in tears during press conferenceVinicius has been the subject of several racist attacksWHAT HAPPENED?

On Monday, the Real Madrid star was addressing a press conference when he suddenly broke into tears after being asked about the constant racism he has faced in Spain. Now, Manchester United defender and Vinicius' former team-mate Varane has backed the Brazilian by sharing a strong message on social media.

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Taking to X, Varane wrote: "You are powerful. You are special @vinijr. Your dreams and inspiration are stronger than any words that can ever be used against you."

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Since moving to Spain in 2018, the winger has had to face countless racist attacks from rival fans and in some cases from leading figures within Spanish football and the media. It has certainly taken a toll on the 23-year-old.

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The Los Blancos player will be next seen in action on Tuesday at Real's home Santiago Bernabeu stadium as Spain host Brazil in an international friendly.

Having become the first South African sportsperson to be criminally convicted for match-fixing, he faces a potential 15-year sentence

Liam Brickhill04-Nov-2018Former South Africa and Lions batsman Gulam Bodi has pleaded guilty to eight charges of corruption and begged for clemency in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court. On Friday, Bodi became the first South African sportsperson to be criminally convicted for match-fixing and is facing a potential 15-year sentence.Bodi is being charged under the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004, which makes match-fixing and spot-fixing in sport a crime in South Africa. The act was introduced after the Hansie Cronje match-fixing saga in 2000, and this is the first time it is being exercised.In 2016, Bodi was banned from taking part in any activities relating to cricket for 20 years by Cricket South Africa for his part in contriving to fix, or otherwise improperly influence aspects of the 2015 Ram Slam T20 tournament. Six other players – Alviro Petersen, Thami Tsolekile, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Jean Symes, Pumi Matshikwe and Ethy Mbhalati – were also implicated.CSA handed their evidence over to the South African police services, who launched their own investigation culminating in this case.”It has been a very tough few years,” Bodi told reporters outside the courtroom. “I’ve been banned for 20 years. That’s already a long sentence. So for me not to be able to do something I loved my entire life has been terribly hard. I haven’t really settled in the last three years. It’s been a constant battle.”Just recently I managed to get a job, and after three years of running around and struggling, things started slowly looking a bit better, and now this comes up. It’s completely shattered me.”They pulled me out of school when I was just 16 and put me in a cricket academy. I don’t even have an education background to fall back on, so it’s been a real battle. This is going to greatly affect my job and my family, because nobody wants to be associated with a criminal.”Sinenhlanhla Mnguni, Bodi’s legal representative, said his client acknowledged his wrongdoing and pleaded for the court’s mercy. The state and defence legal teams both asked for more time in order to prepare for a sentencing, and Magistrate Nicola Setshogoe agreed to a postponement, acknowledging that as a first-time offender Bodi had handed himself in and co-operated fully with authorities since being arrested in July.”Before this whole thing transpired, my client was offered a job at a cricket academy and had also been commenting with SuperSport,” Mnguni told . “The fact that the ban he received meant he couldn’t be involved with cricket took away any form of income he would be able to earn because in essence this man only knows cricket. He doesn’t have an academic background.”I’m hoping that when we bring forward all these issues to the court, in addition to the fact that he’s got three very young children and he’s got an elderly unemployed mother, whom he financially supports.”I feel for my client because I know he’s been through a lot. He’s made a mistake and I won’t say he’s been punished enough, but he has been punished and he suffered a lot going through this process, and he obviously feels very sorry for what he’s done and the harm he has caused to CSA and the damage that they suffered in the public for what he’s done.”Bodi will return to court on 28 January next year for sentencing.

Xabi Alonso will stay with German champions-elect Bayer Leverkusen next season, in a crushing blow to former clubs Bayern Munich and Liverpool.

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Alonso to stay at LeverkusenSpanish head coach confirms decisionBlow to suitors Bayern & LiverpoolWHAT HAPPENED?

The Spaniard had been considered the priority candidate for the soon-to-be vacant managerial roles at both the Allianz Arena and Anfield, but having guided his side to within touching distance of a first-ever Bundesliga title amid a remarkable unbeaten season, he has announced he will stay with Leverkusen this summer.

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As expected, Alonso communicated his decision in a press conference on Friday, with suitors Bayern already informed of his choice. It emerged on Thursday that Liverpool had given up hope of bringing him in to replace outgoing stalwart Jurgen Klopp in the belief that he would stay at the BayArena, and that has proven to be the case.

WHAT ALONSO SAID

Speaking to reporters, the coveted head coach said: "We have had a lot of speculation regarding my future. I wanted to use the international break to reflect and take a decision. Last week, I had a very good meeting and informed the club my decision to continue being coach.

"My job is not over here. I feel this is the right place for me to be and develop as a coach."

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getty imagesDID YOU KNOW?

Incredibly, Bayer Leverkusen are still unbeaten in all competitions this season under the 42-year-old's tutelage and are on track for an unprecedented treble, if they can continue that run. The Werkself are 10 points clear in the Bundesliga and remain in contention in the latter stages of both the DFB-Pokal and Europa League, where they are set to face Dusseldorf and West Ham respectively.