James Vince and George Bailey will share Hampshire’s captaincy responsibilities for the 2017 season

George Dobell24-Mar-2017James Vince and George Bailey will share Hampshire’s captaincy responsibilities for the 2017 season.Vince, who was appointed Hampshire captain in 2015, will remain as club captain and continue to lead the side in limited-overs fixtures but Bailey, who returns to Hampshire on a two-year deal this year following a previous stint in 2013, will captain the side in the County Championship.A club statement said: “The move will allow both batsman an opportunity to focus on their own games during a busy campaign, whilst still affording them the opportunity to contribute across each format with their leadership skills.”Vince is highly-rated as a captain, having led England Lions and The South in the pre-season competition in the UAE. But a disappointing 2016 season – both personally and for Hampshire – left him jaded and Hampshire have taken the decision to ease his workload a little while retaining his position within the club. He retains realistic England ambitions, too, despite a tough start to his international career and this decision may allow a little more time to concentrate on his own game.Bailey, meanwhile, has captained Australia at international level and continues to lead Tasmania. Experienced, relaxed and at the stage of his career when personal ambitions are less likely to burden him, he should not only ease the burden on Vince but provide advice and support when appropriate.”We are fortunate to have two excellent captains within the squad and a split between the formats seems a sensible option for us,” Hampshire Director of Cricket, Giles White, said. “James will captain the white-ball teams and George the Championship side; this will allow them to channel their focus in the different formats which should benefit the squad as it looks to compete across all formats.”Bailey will not be available all season, though. He is expected to captain for the first time at Chelmsford on Friday 19 May and could also be absent in June when he could be involved in the Champions Trophy with Australia.

Manchester City are interested in the services of West Ham United captain Declan Rice, per reports.

Manchester City transfer news – What's the latest on Declan Rice?

According to Sky Sports Italy reporter and transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, Rice is "getting closer to" signing for Manchester City, who now have "confidence to reach a final agreement with West Ham."

The update comes after David Ornstein broke the news yesterday morning that the Citizens were "expected to submit an offer" to "rival Arsenal" for the England international.

The Premier League champions entering the race for Rice's signature has been an unexpected development.

Following David Sullivan's confirmation that his skipper would be leaving in the summer, it appeared that Mikel Arteta's side had been in the driving seat.

However, disagreements over fees and payment structure for the £120m-valued star seem to have left the door open for other teams to enter the race, and with the departure of Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona this week, midfield reinforcements will be needed at the Etihad.

Could Declan Rice be the next Sergio Busquets under Pep Guardiola?

It's a massive question to ask of the 24-year-old.

Sergio Busquets is considered by many pundits and fans alike to be one of the best, if not the best defensive midfielder of the last two decades.

He was certainly a key figure under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola for four years, with the City boss being the man to unearth him from the famed La Masia academy back in 2008. Now, the Spaniard could find his next version of the colossal defensive midfielder in Rice, given the aforementioned reports.

With the massive potential West Ham's "monster" has, as once described by ESPN's David Cartlidge, Rice could certainly get close to emulating Busquets at the Etihad.

Former City legend Sergio Aguero believes the Hammers "destroyer" – who Paul Robinson previously hailed – is already at the level of the legendary Barcelona man.

Speaking to Stake (via football365), he said:

"For me, he is a great player and is at the same level as the best midfielders like Busquets, Rodri and Casemiro. But he has proven himself and I think he is one of the strengths of the England team at the World Cup."

His supporters also seem to think there is more than a passing similarity, dubbing him 'Basmati Busquets.'

The first comparison to make between the players is their physical characteristics.

There is little between them in terms of height, with West Ham's gem coming in at 6 foot 1, whereas the Spanish icon is ever so slightly taller at 6 foot 2. However, when it comes to their weight, the Kingston upon Thames-born titan has a slight advantage, coming in at 80kg compared to between 76-78kg for Busquets.

That may not seem like a massive difference, but it certainly helps in the more physical Premier League.

There is little to separate their seasons last year, either.

According to WhoScored, the Sabadell-born midfielder averaged a rating of 6.99 across his 30 La Liga games, whereas Rice averaged 7.01 across his 37 games.

What about their underlying numbers? Can we differentiate them that way?

Well, according to FBref, despite the La Masia graduate carrying the ball 52.6 times per 90 to Rice's 35, it's the Englishman who consistently moves the ball further into the oppositions half, averaging a progressive distance of 112.7 yards per 90 compared to Busquets 97.6.

It highlights one of the differences between the players, a contrast dictated by the system in which they have played most of their football.

Barcelona have always been more expressive, more about passing and moving, hypnotising the opponent with a dizzying array of passes, whereas, under David Moyes, the more rigid east London outfit have been far more direct, even counter-attacking at times, which Rice to be less expressive with his passing and instead focus more on driving at opponents to unsettle them.

That's not to say he couldn't work in a quick passing system as also, per FBref, he sits at a pass completion rate of 86.9%, just slightly behind Busquets on 89.3%.

The dynamic midfielder has also made no secret of his admiration for the World Cup winner, saying:

"Busquets is the one I've watched since I was a kid. He doesn't move from the centre circle. He plays with 360 vision."

Whether Rice comes to emulate Busquets completely or not, under Guardiola, he would certainly become a scary proposition for opponents.

Chris Liddle’s five wickets turned Gloucestershire’s Royal London Cup tie against Kent on its head as they claimed an unlikely win over Kent by 12 runs in glorious Bristol sunshine

ECB Reporters Network10-May-2017
ScorecardChris Liddle’s five wickets stymied Kent’s run chase•Getty Images

Chris Liddle turned Gloucestershire’s Royal London Cup tie against Kent on its head as they claimed an unlikely win over Kent by 12 runs in glorious Bristol sunshine.Michael Klinger’s 134 looked to have paved the way for a challenging Gloucestershire total after they have been asked to bat first. But a flurry of late wickets saw Matt Coles finish with 4 for 57 and hosts restricted to 275 for 8, no more than a par score in the conditions.It didn’t look like enough as Daniel Bell-Drummond followed up his tons against Somerset and Sussex with 90 off 108 balls. With Sean Dickson and Sam Northeast lending good support, Kent looked to be cruising.But Liddle had other ideas and, from 200 for 2 in the 39th over, he bowled a telling spell from the Ashley Down Road End as the visitors collapsed spectacularly, closing on 264 for 9.The win was Gloucestershire’s second in the competition and kept alive their slim hopes of a top three finish in the South Group, while Kent must accept elimination before the knockout stage, having won only one of their first five games.Gloucestershire head coach Richard Dawson said: “It wasn’t until late in the day that I felt we had a chance of winning. I’ll take the victory even though I’m not quite sure how it happened.”It was a battle and Chris changed the game with one spell. He varied his pace really well was smart in how he bowled his cutters.”We kept going and once we got a sniff we were good enough to capitalise on it. It keeps us in the competition and makes Friday’s home game with Somerset even more appetising.”Klinger could hardly have done more, reaching his 16th List A hundred off 123 balls to help take the home side’s score to 260 for 3 before he was out.The 36-year-old Australian hit three of his sixes into the flats at the Ashley Down Road End of the Brightside Ground, his favourite one-day shot at the venue, and progressed with increasing assurance on an excellent batting pitch.Chris Dent and Ian Cockbain shared useful partnerships, but when Klinger was caught at deep mid-wicket off Joe Denly it signalled a rapid transformation in fortunes.Far from building on their captain’s efforts with some big hitting at the end, Gloucestershire lost five wickets in less than two overs as Coles and James Harris put themselves on hat-tricks.With the sun still shining in a cloudless sky, a target of 276 did not appear looked likely to test Kent’s strong batting line-up.They lost Joe Denly to a careless shot off Liddle with the total on 64, but Bell-Drummond, who survived a couple of early scares, and Dickson then put together a stand of 89 in 17.3 overs.Dickson perished the ball after reaching a 62-ball half-century, picking out George Haskins at deep mid-wicket to give left-arm spinner Tom Smith a wicket. By the time Bell-Drummond was brilliantly caught low down by Klinger at extra-cover off Liddle, Kent had posted 200 and needed a further 76 from 11.4 overs.Northeast was established and playing well. His fourth six, over long-on off Jack Taylor was one of the biggest of the match.Darren Stevens was visibly angry with himself when caught behind off Liddle trying to run the ball down to third-man and at 217 for 4, Kent were suddenly far from comfortable.Soon it was Northeast trudging back to the pavilion having smashed Liddle straight to long-on where Jack Taylor took the catch. From looking in total command, the visitors were suddenly under pressure at 220 for 5.More poor shots accounted for Matt Coles and Alex Blake and Gloucestershire sensed their chance. The Kent tail-enders flailed wildly without success and the game headed for an unlikely outcome.

Macaulay Langstaff considers being told to “f*ck off” by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, while also being called “handsome”, to be a compliment.

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• Notts County striker claimed Golden Boot in 2022-23
• Threatened to dash Red Dragons' promotion dreams
• Hollywood stars aware of the threat that he poses

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The prolific Notts County striker threatened to be a serious thorn in Wrexham’s side last season as a thrilling promotion race unfolded in the National League. Langstaff hit 41 league goals for his side, pipping 38-goal Paul Mullin to the Golden Boot, and netted a match-winning effort when County played host to the Red Dragons.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham would get their revenge later in the season at SToK Racecourse, but Langstaff’s efforts were impossible to ignore. Reynolds and McElhenney were certainly aware of him, with the pair telling the Welcome to Wrexham documentary as title rivals refused to go away: “Macaulay Langstaff, he can f*ck off.” Reynolds reacted to McElhenney’s joke by adding: “Yeah, God that guy is good. He's handsome as f*ck. He looks like he could be in Peaky Blinders.”

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Langstaff has not seen the episode in which he starred, but has told of being made aware of comments from two Hollywood superstars: “When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are calling you handsome and saying you should be on Peaky Blinders, how can you not be complimented by that! It was brilliant. I haven’t actually watched the documentary, I don’t think I can watch it because of what happened last year – obviously losing out to them in the end. I don’t think I can bring myself to watch it, but I’ve obviously been sent the video by numerous people and when I saw it, it was really funny. It looks like a good documentary. It looks like it’s really light-hearted, so really enjoyed that 20-second clip of me!”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Both Wrexham and Notts County posted more than 100 points in 2022-23, with the Magpies eventually securing promotion through the play-offs. The two sides are back in direct competition this term, as they fly high in League Two, and Langstaff has been back on the goal trial after registering 11 efforts through 17 appearances.

Mikel Arteta's side were well beaten at the London Stadium as they fell to their first domestic defeat of the season

Arsenal slumped to a miserable 3-1 defeat at West Ham on Wednesday night as they crashed out of the Carabao Cup in tame fashion. Mikel Arteta made six changes from the team that saw off Sheffield United 5-0 at the weekend, but his fringe players were unable to make any sort of impact during a hugely disappointing evening in east London.

The visitors probably just about shaded the first half, but went into the break a goal behind after Ben White headed into his own net. Arteta's side were abject after the interval, however, as strikes from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen saw the Hammers stretch their advantage.

Substitute Martin Odegaard did pull a goal back for Arsenal in stoppage-time, but but by then the damage had been done.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from the London Stadium…

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Aaron Ramsdale (4/10):

Unlucky with the own goal as he was clearly having his shirt pulled. Looked edgy with the ball at his feet and West Ham tried to target that. Made a good save to deny Bowen early in the second half, but should have done better with the third goal despite the deflection.

Ben White (5/10):

Got his near post header all wrong as he gifted West Ham the lead with an own goal.

Gabriel Magalhaes (5/10):

Could have done better with the second goal in terms of trying to block the shot. Turned his back a bit for fear of handling the ball.

Jakub Kiwior (6/10):

Started the game well and was always looking to defend on the front foot. Had a good battle with Bowen.

Oleksandr Zinchenko (3/10):

Not at his best. Switched off in the passage of play that led to the corner that saw West Ham go in front. Defensively he still looks suspect, which showed on the second goal as well.

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Jorginho (4/10):

It always looked like he might find himself a bit isolated in this starting XI. Got caught on the ball a few times, with very little support. Looked very sluggish. No surprise when he was replaced early in the second half.

Fabio Vieira (3/10):

Disappointing. He would have been hoping to make an impression having been handed a rare start, but had no real impact on the game. It just passed him by completely.

Kai Havertz (4/10):

Actually started the game well and looked hungry to make his mark. Went close with an early header which was saved, but faded as the match wore on. Another lacklustre display.

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Leandro Trossard (4/10):

Couldn't get into areas that could really hurt West Ham. Was often getting the ball wide out on the touchline and couldn't really impact the game like Arsenal would have wanted.

Eddie Nketiah (4/10):

Couldn't repeat his heroics from the weekend. Sent one header wide in the first half and scooped another effort over just before half-time. Barely touched the ball after half-time.

Reiss Nelson (6/10):

Probably the brightest of the three Arsenal attackers who started the game. His trickery caused West Ham some problems and he saw a couple of shots blocked.

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Declan Rice (5/10):

Was the pantomime villain on his return to the London Stadium. Brought on at 2-0 and could do little to turn things round.

Takehiro Tomiyasu (5/10):

Brought on to replace the struggling Zinchenko. Looks a certainty to start at Newcastle on Saturday now.

Bukayo Saka (5/10):

Felt like a risky decision to send him on at 3-0 down. Did nothing to alter the trajectory of the contest.

Gabriel Martinelli (5/10):

Similar to Saka. The game was done when he was introduced. Would have been better to give him the night off completely.

Martin Odegaard (6/10):

On for the final 10 minutes and scored a consolation in stoppage-time.

Mikel Arteta (3/10):

Made plenty of changes as expected and they didn't work out. Midfield always looked a bit lightweight at that's how it proved. Felt like a strange decision to risk Saka and Martinelli when the game was already over at 3-0.

Tottenham Hotspur have “asked to be informed” on the situation of PSV Eindhoven forward Xavi Simons as Spurs eye a move, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Who will join Spurs this summer?

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has many plates spinning at N17 as the official arrival of new manager Ange Postecoglou is imminent, with the Austrailian set to start work on July 1.

Despite this, it has been reported that Postecoglou has already held transfer strategy meetings with Levy, where they have discussed potential targets for the summer window.

Of these possible signings, it is believed that Tottenham are chasing a new goalkeeper to succeed Hugo Lloris, with the north Londoners apparently close to signing Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Meanwhile, the capture of a new centre-back or two is seen as a top priority, and there are reports of Tottenham advancing in talks to re-sign Clement Lenglet on a permanent deal from Barcelona.

However, as Spurs hold a serious interest in Leicester City star James Maddison, supporters could well expect a few additions in more attacking areas of the pitch.

Lucas Moura will leave the club and Arnaut Danjuma has returned to parent club Villarreal, meaning the Lilywhites need more forwards.

As a result, alongside Maddison, reliable journalist Romano has shared news on Twitter of Spurs’ fondness for PSV forward Simons.

The 20-year-old has been in really good form in the Eredivisie, prompting Tottenham to make contact over a swoop for Simons.

Postecoglou’s side, like Man Utd, Arsenal, Brighton, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, have “asked to be informed” of his situation as Paris-Saint Germain still haven’t made moves in activating their cheap buy-back clause for Simons.

Who is Xavi Simons?

The Netherlands international has been pivotal for PSV, averaging more attempts at goal and successful take-ons per 90 than any member of their current squad (WhoScored).

Chipping with 19 Dutch top flight goals and eight assists last season, former Spurs star Rafael van der Vaart has also tipped him to be a worldbeater.

“When I look at his potential, I see that he can become the best soccer player in the world,” said van der Vaart.

“Believe me: In a few years we’ll all be saying: ‘It’s good to be able to have this kid in our national team.’”

Steve O’Keefe has been banned from this year’s domestic limited-overs competition by New South Wales and fined for the second time in eight months

Daniel Brettig07-Apr-2017Steve O’Keefe has been banned from this year’s domestic limited-overs competition by New South Wales and fined $20,000 by Cricket Australia for making highly offensive comments while intoxicated at the after-party following the Steve Waugh Medal presentation.In what was his second alcohol-related offence in the past nine months – he was fined $10,000 and handed an infringement notice by NSW Police for an incident at a Sydney pub last year after returning home injured from the Test tour of Sri Lanka – O’Keefe is believed to have made a string of offensive remarks after the awards ceremony, which was held at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney on Saturday night.Having performed so well for Australia on the recent tour of India, O’Keefe now finds himself on exceedingly thin ice with both his state and the national team. O’Keefe said he would seek specialist counselling in the wake of the episode.”At an official Cricket NSW function I became intoxicated and made highly inappropriate comments. There is no excuse for this and I take full responsibility and offer an unconditional apology,” O’Keefe said in a statement. “I accept the sanctions imposed by Cricket Australia and Cricket NSW and welcome the chance to receive specialist counselling.”I have a big challenge ahead and I am determined to meet it with actions, not just words. To all of the members of the cricket family I love and respect so much, again, apologies for letting you down.”Senior officials from both Cricket NSW and CA were furious at O’Keefe’s behaviour, particularly after he worked assiduously and well to prepare himself for the India tour, where he was among Australia’s most accomplished performers.”Stephen has not upheld the standards expected of a NSW and Australian cricketer in the aftermath of the India tour where he proudly represented his state and country,” NSW chief executive Andrew Jones said. “As this is his second recent offence we believe a strong penalty is appropriate. At Cricket NSW, we want all our people to achieve their potential on and off the field and Stephen needs to refocus himself on that task.”Pat Howard, the CA team performance manager, said the incident overshadowed what had been a most productive season for O’Keefe. “There is no time or place for unacceptable behaviour from any of our players in Australian Cricket, and we continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to this,” he said.”We’re extremely disappointed this situation occurred, particularly on the back of a previous incident, and it now overshadows Stephen’s on field performance on the recent tour of India.”

Worcestershire have signed Nathan Lyon, the Australia offspinner, as a replacement overseas player to cover for John Hastings during the Champions Trophy.Lyon, who is Australia’s most successful finger-spinner with 247 wickets from 67 Tests, will also provide a frontline spin option in the absence of Moeen Ali who will be with England.”If you look at top international bowlers who are available while the Champions Trophy is going on – plus those with West Indies and Afghanistan – you don’t seem to see many who are available,” Steve Rhodes, the Worcestershire director of cricket, said.”Nathan has never played county cricket and I really try to get overseas players who are looking for a challenge and are hungry to succeed. He is a great competitor and to get someone like Nathan is really important for Worcestershire.”Rhodes also sees Lyon playing an important role with Worcestershire’s young spinners. “Nathan is also a very committed dressing room man and our young spinners like George Rhodes and Ben Twohig will have the opportunities to pick his brains over that period. That will be fantastic for them and a big boost to those two players.”

Wrexham's Tom O'Connor admits that his club's high profile means opponents are often extra motivated, but insists his side are up for the challenge.

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• Wrexham beaten in feisty Accrington encounter
• O'Connor admits Dragons are a prized win
• Urges team to rise to challenge

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wrexham went down to a testy 2-0 defeat at Accrington Stanley last weekend. Accrington's wild celebrations at the final whistle and the tense exchanges between the clubs before and after the game gave a glimpse that not everyone in football is delighted by Wrexham's Hollywood-powered revival. But according to O'Connor, that is nothing new.

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  WHAT O'CONNOR SAID

  "There are no easy games in League Two, everyone is going out there to win," the Irishman told Wrexham's newspaper. "But I think everyone is looking to take a scalp when they come up against Wrexham as well. Wrexham have been a scalp as long as I have been here. Partly because of the documentary and the fanbase as well, it is a big game for whoever is playing us and they are looking to turn us over but we are used to that. We just have to rise up to it and enjoy it, and I think we have done that for the majority."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While some lower league fans are happy with the glamour and profile that owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds have brought, others are less enthused and arguments about ticket prices and streaming rights have bubbled below the surface. Whether loved or loathed, Wrexham are undoubtedly one of the first names opponents look out for when fixtures are announced at the start of the season.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR O'CONNOR AND WREXHAM?

  Wrexham's defeat at the Wham Stadium last week snapped a three-game winning streak and saw the Dragons drop to fourth. O'Connor and company will be hoping to get back to winning ways and climb back into the three automatic promotion spots with a win against Morecambe on Saturday.

Usman Khawaja will captain Australia A’s four-day team and Travis Head will lead the one-day side for a series of matches in South Africa in July and August

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2017

Usman Khawaja will captain Australia A’s four-day team and Travis Head will lead the one-day side for a series of matches in South Africa in July and August. Glenn Maxwell, who scored his maiden Test century on the recent tour of India, will be vice-captain to Khawaja in the first-class games and will have the chance to push his case for retention in the Test side when Australia next play.Moises Henriques was initially named in the one-day squad but the selectors later stated that the allrounder will continue his county stint with Surrey, instead of playing the tri-series.* CA said the selection panel had “considered both Henriques’ experience along with future Australian tours in making this decision”, and that a replacement player will be named in due course.South Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey has been chosen in both squads after a remarkable summer in which he broke the record for most dismissals in a Shield season, while also scoring nearly 600 Shield runs. Queensland allrounder Jack Wildermuth has als been named in both squads, his first call-up for Australia A, while New South Wales batsman Daniel Hughes has the chance to debut for Australia A in the one-day format.The selectors decided against choosing the experienced batsmen Ed Cowan and George Bailey, who were two of the top three Shield run scorers last summer, as well as Cameron White, who topped the Ryobi Cup run tally. However, national selector Trevor Hohns said that while some senior players had missed out, it would “certainly not detract from their chances of representing Australia in the future”.Also absent from the squads were the opener Marcus Harris, who had a prolific Shield season for Victoria and finished fourth on the run tally with 808 runs, and the spinner Jon Holland, whose 50 Shield wickets placed him second only to swing bowler Chadd Sayers on the competition list. Ashton Agar and Mitch Swepson, both of whom toured India with the Test squad this year, were preferred as spin options in both formats.”We have opted for a well-balanced squad featuring some experience blended with younger players, with an emphasis on building our depth for the future,” Hohns said. “This is a great chance for these players to experience foreign conditions against a quality international sides and really test their skills.”With an upcoming Test Series in South Africa early next year it is also an opportunity to impress with their performances and put their names forward for consideration. Khawaja is a proven leader and has captained Australia A before, he will gel nicely with Glenn who recently had some captaincy experience in the IPL and we believe will respond well to this extra responsibility.”Australia A will play two four-day games against South Africa A from July 12 to 22, and then a one-day tri-series involving South Africa A and India A from July 26 to August 8.Four-day squad Usman Khawaja (capt), Glenn Maxwell (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Jackson Bird, Alex Carey (wk), Hilton Cartwright, Travis Head, Kurtis Patterson, Chadd Sayers, Mitch Swepson, Chris Tremain, Jack Wildermuth.One-day squad Travis Head (capt), Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Hilton Cartwright, Sam Heazlett, Daniel Hughes, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Swepson, Chris Tremain, Jack Wildermuth.*Friday, May 19 0759 GMT. This copy was updated to reflect a change to Australia A’s one-day squad