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ESPNcricinfo previews the first Test between England and Sri Lanka

The Preview by Alan Gardner18-May-2016Match factsMay 19-23, 2016
Start time 11am local (1000 GMT)Big PictureAfter a three-month break, in which the upstart T20 has held court, Test cricket is back. We hope you have a good appetite. In late February, Brendon McCullum signed off his international career by slamming the fastest-ever Test century in Christchurch. What does Headingley, one of England’s most-storied grounds, have in store?There was an almighty tale to be told the last time Sri Lanka were in Yorkshire, England’s cricketing heartland but not one which bestows easy favours on the home team. Angelo Mathews’ masterful, career-best 160 helped set up a dramatic victory, spearheaded by Dhammika Prasad’s 5 for 50 and sealed from the penultimate ball of a pulsating match. Those Headingley heroics secured Sri Lanka’s first (multi-Test) series win in England, as well as a clean sweep in all three formats on their 2014 tour.As Sri Lanka’s players cavorted, and James Anderson shed a tear, England were left contemplating another fresh low. Much has changed since then. Alastair Cook, his face set grimly against the wind and rain, slowly turned around the listing vessel under his command, heaving the ship’s wheel with all his might. Two years on and England are sailing with the breeze at their backs again, negotiating some choppy waters to record significant wins over Australia and South Africa in their last three series. Cook himself is about to crest 10,000 Test runs, uncharted territory for an Englishman.That doesn’t mean they can’t be knocked off course again, however. Headingley was again the scene of an England defeat last summer, as New Zealand squared the two-match series, and it is the venue where they have had least success over recent years. The decision to retain Alex Hales and Nick Compton in the top three, after poor and indifferent returns respectively in South Africa, gives Sri Lanka a couple of obvious pressure points to probe, while there will also be a debutant in the top five, due to James Taylor’s forced retirement.But Sri Lanka have their own areas of concern and it would be a truly remarkable achievement if they were to repeat the feats of 2014. The squad has not changed much but Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene will only contribute from the sidelines – they tallied 516 runs in two Tests last time – while only Mathews and Rangana Herath have more than 50 caps. Prasad has been ruled out of the first Test, and Shaminda Eranga has not played in 18 months; Dushmantha Chameera’s pace will catch the eye but he has to learn to catch the edge in conditions of which he has little knowledge.England will hope that this all amounts to a perfect storm for them. Carlos Brathwaite rained on their World T20 parade but international cricket rarely stops moving and series wins over Sri Lanka and Pakistan this summer would mean they hold all nine Test trophies – the first team to do so since Australia in 2008 and giving further heft to their status as a coming team under Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace. As if to further chill the Sri Lankans, the weather in Leeds has become decidedly mucky. Test rewards don’t come easily and it is time for these two teams to get their hands dirty again.Alastair Cook and Angelo Mathews pose with the Investec trophy•Getty ImagesForm guideEngland: LWDWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)

Sri Lanka: LLWWL
In the spotlightStepping in to the spot sadly vacated by Taylor is the elegant, unflappable Hampshire batsman James Vince. Marked out as a future international since being compared to Michael Vaughan as an 18-year-old, Vince’s cover drive ought to be classified as an addictive substance but he has learned that there are times when he must overcome his urges to succeed, as a gutsy hundred against Yorkshire demonstrated last month. That innings won over the selectors and he will be back on the same ground looking to prove himself the man to shore up England’s slightly mercurial batting order at No. 5.Big Foot would have a job filling Sangakkara’s boots but it seems like that is just what Kusal Mendis will be asked to do. Experiments with Upul Tharanga, Udara Jayasundera and Lahiru Thirimanne at No. 3 have all been short-lived and Mendis, who made his debut there last year before opening the batting in New Zealand, has had an encouraging start to the tour, with fifties against Essex and Leicestershire. Sangakkara has said he believes the 21-year-old former Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year will be “a very good player as the years go by”; Mathews must be hoping that the future isn’t all that far off.Teams newsAlastair Cook confirmed his XI on Wednesday and there are just two changes to the England team that was roundly thumped in Centurion at the end of the South Africa series, with Vince making his Test introduction and Steven Finn fit to reclaim his place from Chris Woakes. That means no debut for Nottinghamshire’s highly rated seamer Jake Ball.England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Nick Compton, 4 Joe Root, 5 James Vince, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 8 Moeen Ali, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Steven Finn, 11 James AndersonThe major question marks for Sri Lanka hover over No. 7 and the make-up of the pace attack. Kaushal Silva will return to opener, after missing the New Zealand tour, while Dinesh Chandimal looks likely to keep the gloves and bat four. Dasun Shanaka’s century against Leicestershire, and his ability to bowl seam-up, may win him a Test debut in the allrounder’s spot; Prasad’s injury reduces their bowling options, with the four other seamers in the party having played once each so far, to underwhelming effect.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Dimuth Karunaratne, 2 Kaushal Silva, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Dushmantha Chameera, 10 Shaminda Eranga/Nuwan Pradeep 11 Suranga LakmalPitch and conditionsHeadingley is likely to be as capricious as ever over the next few days, with rain showers set to break up play while providing longed-for cloud cover for the bowlers. The pitch had a green tinge to it one day out but, if the sun shines, it should still be good to bat on, as Root and Bairstow proved during their record-breaking 372-stand during the last Championship match held there.Stats and trivia Alastair Cook needs 36 runs to become the 12th player – and first Englishman – to 10,000 in Tests. If he gets there in this Test, he will be the youngest to do so. England’s only victory in their last six Tests at Headingley came in 2013 against New Zealand. They have lost four and drawn one. Rangana Herath needs three wickets to become the third Sri Lankan to 300 in Tests. If Sri Lanka’s last tour had been played using the proposed multiformat points system, they would have won 14-6 (with four points for a Test win, two for a draw, two for a limited-overs win).Quotes”Sri Lanka have got a history of punching above their weight and are really, really competitive, no matter what’s gone before.”
Alastair Cook suggests he won’t be taking the opposition lightly“When you have 20-odd thousand runs in your team it is a great advantage, but unfortunately we don’t have them any more.”

A round-up of all the news coming out of the IPL, on April 13, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Apr-2016

Ashish Nehra will miss Sunrisers Hyderabad’s next two matches, against Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians at home, due to a groin injury. Nehra picked up the knock during Sunrisers’ 45-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore on Tuesday, hobbling off the field after just 2.1 overs in the first innings.”Nehra has hurt his groin. He will be out for a couple of games,” David Warner, Sunrisers’ captain, said after the game. “We have to look back and look at positives and turn it around. We have a good batting track at Hyderabad. We should not lose wickets in clumps.”When you look at the outcome of the game, it really hurts when the bowler goes down. You have to reassess you plans and when two batsmen are going hard here, it’s very difficult to stop them. One bowler going down really hurts and you plans are thrown off the track.”Nehra was one of India’s standout performers at the recently-concluded World T20, picking up five wickets from five matches at an impressive economy-rate of 5.94.’I regret retiring’ – HoggChinaman bowler Brad Hogg has said he regrets having given up international cricket in 2008, just when it looked like he might have a good run in Test cricket given Shane Warne’s first-class career was at an end then. Hogg gave up ODIs and Tests in February 2008 soon after his 37th birthday due to issues on the personal front, before making a T20I comeback in early 2012 at 40.”I do regret retiring back in 2008. I had a Test berth for Australia at that stage but I had some personal issues with family and yes, I retired there,” Hogg was quoted as saying by PTI, on the eve of Kolkata Knight Riders’ game against Mumbai Indians. “I wish I didn’t, because the marriage did not survive. Luckily it did not, because I met a new partner and she’s someone who supports me. There’s talk about me when I’m going to stop and she just says play as long as you possibly can. We’re going to try get there to fifty.”Hogg said he still looks forward to playing every game, and that keeps him going at 45. “I think it’s just having the passion of wanting to play. Everyone knows I retired in 2008, had about two-three years out of the game. To have an opportunity [to do] what you love, I don’t take it for granted. I just love it, I still have the passion of a five-year-old kid, when I first had that dream of playing for Australia. The game has changed, it has evolved. It has given a new lease of life to cricket and it has given a new lease of life to me.”Kings XI co-owner keen to help out drought victims
Ness Wadia, one of the co-owners of Kings XI Punjab, has said he is willing to shift his franchise’s matches out of Maharashtra, given the drought issues in the state. He also said he was willing to help out those affected by the drought, if directed how to.”IPL is about enjoyment and fun. But where’s the fun when there’s death and malnutrition and basic facilities like water are unavailable? The IPL is important in its own way, but the matches can always be shifted,” Wadia told the . “If we’re told in whichever way we can contribute, we’re willing to participate. Whether it’s contributing to the chief minister’s fund or adopting villages in the region or anything else that would help us do something to help.”The case relating to holding IPL games – which require large amounts of water to maintain the grounds, etc – in the drought-hit Indian state is ongoing in the Bombay High Court, with the court yet to make a final ruling.

Everton are a club that have been steeped in mediocrity for years now, with many players deemed rather average tied down to long and ludicrous contracts on big money.

Whilst this has left them financially hoodwinked for years now, there could be something of a mass exodus this summer as nine players are out of contract. Then, in the season following, plenty more big earners are set to follow suit.

Whilst most will be waved off with little resistance, the recent resurgence of Abdoulaye Doucoure has caused some debate amongst fans as to whether a few months of impressive displays should merit a new deal despite his numerous years of disappointment previously.

Many believe he still has something to offer, yet it could just be the case that he is in fact just playing for another payday.

Either way, perhaps this could mark an opportunity for Sean Dyche to provide a show of faith to the youth, allowing the £120k-per-week titan to leave in favour of an academy starlet like Isaac Price.

Who is Isaac Price?

The 19-year-old has been at the Merseyside outfit since the age of seven and made his first team debut on the final day of the 2021/22 campaign.

Since then, he became well-liked by former boss Frank Lampard and was included in the senior squad on many occasions. The 44-year-old even handed Price his Premier League debut; an experience the youngster branded "one of the best days of my life".

The inclusion of the teenager in their mid-season friendlies during the World Cup saw the former Chelsea midfielder vocalise this praise, as he claimed: "I suppose it gives an opportunity to Isaac Price who was the best player on the pitch.”

Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic echoed this sentiment, as he suggested that: "Isaac was outstanding".

Having made three senior appearances for the Toffees, Price is an all-action midfielder who clearly has an eye for creativity too. Across his 57 appearances for the U21s side, he has notched five goals and four assists.

His former boss David Unsworth has also been a big fan of the maestro's, labelling him "terrific" after one display in particular where they defeated Arsenal's U21s.

For comparison, Doucoure has only scored six goals and recorded eight assists in 87 games for the club, despite initially signing as a goalscoring midfielder from Watford.

A few months of impressive displays should not cloud what has been a poor signing for Everton, who cannot afford to have their judgement impaired too.

The future is bright in their youth setup, and they should finally start to utilise it. This opportunity to ditch the Mali international for Price could be a landmark moment for the future of this club, and outline the strategy they intend to take to return it to the pinnacle of English football.

Arsenal sporting director Edu appears to be already plotting to strengthen in the summer window, amid reports that the Gunners are eyeing a deal for Real Valladolid sensation, Ivan Fresneda.

What’s the latest on Fresneda to Arsenal?

According to the Evening Standard, the north Londoners are currently part of a ‘four-way fight’ to land the 18-year-old this summer, with Borussia Dortmund, Newcastle United and Juventus also currently in the running for the Spaniard’s signature.

The report suggests that Edu and co have been ‘scouting’ the teenager in recent times and will continue to keep a close eye on his progress between now and the end of the season, while the player himself – who is said to have a £26.5m release clause in his existing deal – is set to ‘assess’ his options once the current campaign is over.

This follows previous reports during the January window that claimed both Arsenal and Dortmund had reached an agreement with the right-back for a fee of around £13m, albeit with no move ultimately coming to fruition as the youngster opted to stay put with the La Liga side.

Could Fresneda be the next Trippier?

That scramble for Fresneda’s services has not been without merit, with the 6-foot starlet having enjoyed a promising start to life at senior level thus far, despite having made just 14 first-team appearances for his current side to date.

Even with that relative inexperience, the exciting full-back has clearly caught the eye of clubs across Europe, having been branded “remarkably complete” by Spanish football expert Matt Clark earlier this season.

Also lauded by Clark for having shackled Real Madrid dynamo Vinicius Jr. back in December – making eight tackles and winning ten duels in that 2-0 defeat – the Spain U19 international is evidently making a big impression, with those back at the Emirates likely to be desperate to get a deal over the line.

Any potential fears that Mikel Arteta’s side may have over the teen’s ability to adapt to life in the Premier League can well be eased by the defender’s apparent likeness to Newcastle star, Kieran Trippier, with the two men seemingly able to flourish at both ends of the pitch.

That comparison is best illustrated by the duo’s defensive strength as Fresneda has averaged 2.9 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game from his ten league outings this season, while Trippier has averaged two tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game – albeit while having made 23 top-flight appearances.

Equally, the latter man is clearly a real threat in an attacking sense as he ranks second in the division for big chances created (18) – behind only Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne (24) – while young Fresneda has been lauded for his “beastly ability” to provide quality service from the flanks, as per journalist Juan Arroita.

To be able to land their own version of the Magpies machine would represent a true masterstroke for the Gunners, with the Englishman having been a “revelation” in recent times at St James’ Park, in the words of talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan.

The 32-year-old has been instrumental in helping to steer Eddie Howe’s men into the mix for Champions League qualification, with his average match rating of 7.83 the highest of any player in the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore.

As such, to have found a potential Trippier 2.0 in the form of Fresneda would certainly help to bolster Arteta’s squad for next season, particularly with the Spaniard currently deploying Ben White in something of a makeshift role at full-back.

There will, clearly, be a real battle to be able to snap up the Valladolid gem, although if Edu can strike a deal he could well be able to land a possible long-term fit at right-back who can nail down that role for years to come.

Jurgen Klopp provided an injury update on Trent Alexander-Arnold after the assist king was taken off at half-time despite bossing it against Burnley.

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Alexander-Arnold set up Jota to create PL historyWas subbed at half-time after discomfort in the kneeKlopp assured that it is "nothing really bad"GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

In an unexpected turn of events during Liverpool's 3-1 win against Burnley the England international saw his afternoon cut short raising concerns about his fitness. Alexander-Arnold played a crucial role in Liverpool's early success in the match, setting up the opening goal for Diogo Jota with a precise corner kick, that saw him set a new Premier League record for most assists (58) by a defender surpassing team-mate Andy Robertson.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Klopp opted to replace Alexander-Arnold as a precautionary measure and put on Harvey Elliott, who put in an inspired performance with a couple of assists. This substitution reshuffled the team's formation, with Curtis Jones stepping into an unfamiliar role at right-back in the absence of Conor Bradley, who is in Northern Ireland mourning the loss of his father.

WHAT KLOPP SAID

Speaking after the match, Klopp revealed: "Same area in the knee. Nothing really bad but he felt it again. We have to see. We were made aware of it so thought 'what can we do' then Trent said 'no it's fine'. But it's not as he feels it so we had to be careful."

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LIVERPOOL'S GROWING LIST OF ABSENTEES

Alexander-Arnold's recent injury setback adds to Liverpool's growing list of absentees, including key players like Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker, Thiago Alcantara, and Joel Matip, who are sidelined due to various short and long-term injuries. The club's medical team is likely to conduct further assessments, including scans, to determine the extent of Alexander-Arnold's injury and establish an appropriate course of action.

Tottenham Hotspur’s striker search continues despite claiming their first win under Ange Postecoglou, with one recurring name sure to have fans worried…

Who else are Tottenham signing this summer?

With Harry Kane having starred on his Bundesliga debut for Bayern Munich, scoring and assisting, the Lilywhites’ clash with Manchester United drew added pressure as they sought to build on their opening-day draw at Brentford.

It’s fair to say that they more than dispelled the frustrations regarding the sale of the England captain, with an emphatic 2-0 win in front of a rampant home crowd.

However, the clash was marred by the underperformance of RIcharlison, whose anonymity has seemingly spurred them back into the market. His 6.4 Sofascore rating was the lowest of any starter from Postecoglou's side.

As such, Italian outlet Calciomercato even suggested on Friday that they have entered talks to sign Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

It is expected that the west London outfit will command a fee of just €45m (£38m) for his services, which marks a monumental loss that the Blues are set to make, given he was signed for £97.5m back in 2021.

How good is Romelu Lukaku?

Whilst there are numerous reasons to avoid the potential acquisition of the hulking Belgian, there is one comparison that can be made which would turn fans away from this swoop.

Despite being contracted to Chelsea, the 30-year-old has most recently spent a year on loan at Inter Milan, having only recently moved to Stamford Bridge from Italy.

Given that Antonio Conte had impressed at the Nerazzuri before joining Spurs, this link will be a frightening reminder of a torrid era and one of the club’s darkest years in recent history.

With their abysmal football aside, it was the Italian’s tendency to lash out in press conferences that truly led to the end of his stay in north London.

The former statement is supported by pundit Danny Murphy, who lambasted his style back in March: “It’s time now. He has been overpaid and underachieved. He hasn’t delivered. They sneaked into the top four last season because Arsenal threw it away. Tottenham have been in the top four many times, so that’s hardly an overachievement.

“They’ve gone out of the League Cup to Forest, FA Cup to Sheffield United, he’s causing chaos at least two or three times a season with his attitude. The football’s generally turgid, and nobody’s enjoying watching it”.

In fact, the sacking of the 54-year-old only came after one such explosive interview, where he took issue with the club, the players and the hierarchy.

One particularly damning quote from that press conference read: "They don't want to play under pressure, they don't want to play under stress. It is easy in this way. Tottenham's story is this. 20 years there is the owner and they never won something but why? The fault is only for the club, or for every manager that stay here? I have seen the managers that Tottenham had on the bench. You risk to disrupt the figure of the manager and to protect the other situation in every moment.”

Worryingly, Lukaku has also had a penchant for these outbursts in high-profile settings, first pushing an exit from Everton before lambasting Manchester United years after his exit.

Then, most recently, whilst still employed by Chelsea he admitted he would have preferred to have stayed at the San Siro that summer he made his switch.

It is this history of jumping ship that led to journalist Ben Grounds outlining his reputation as a “mercenary”, as a similar troublemaker to how Conte was.

Even with his off-field antics aside, it could be argued that his best days are way behind him now anyway, with little reason for his purchase.

He only scored ten Serie A goals last season, having been forced out on loan after notching just eight Premier League goals upon his return to west London.

Given how vocal Postecoglou has remained with his admiration for Richarlison, despite his failures in front of goal, there is even less reason to make such a lucrative risk:

“He works hard for the team and a lot of what he does, does not get seen. His pressing, his runs. Sometimes he does not get the ball but he is always making those runs and he is a constant nuisance for defenders. I have said before that I really like Richy”.

With a preference for a hard worker, alongside Lukaku’s similarities with the villainous Conte, there is seemingly little reason to bring in the underwhelming forward.

Cameroon's goalkeeper, Andre Onana, and the nation's legendary striker, Samuel Eto'o, have supposedly not spoken since the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

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• Cameroon goalkeeper and great feud deepens
• Cameroon AFCON hopes hang in balance
• Onana was sent home from World Cup by Eto'o

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The cloud that has been hanging over the Cameroonian side refuses to clear as the feud remains unresolved according to Chris Wheeler of the . Eto'o, elected as the Cameroon Football Federation President in 2021, has had a number of arguments with Onana and the player was sent home for disciplinary issues at the 2022 World Cup. Onana retired from international duty before being recalled, yet he has since been further accused of disrespecting his national team after arriving at AFCON late in order to minimise the Manchester United games he missed.

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  WHAT WHEELER SAID

  Posting on X, Wheeler said: "There doesn’t appear to be any change in Andre Onana’s feud with Cameroon FA president Samuel Eto’o. It’s said they haven’t spoken since the World Cup in Qatar, and their relationship is broken and irreconcilable. Onana could be back [at Manchester United] this week if Cameroon go out of AFCON on Tuesday."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The rift between Onana and Eto'o does not appear to have an end in sight. The disagreements between the nation's star goalkeeper and president will only serve to hamper Cameroon's chances of victory at not just this year's AFCON, but in future tournaments as well.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ONANA?

  Onana's Cameroon are on the brink of elimination from AFCON. They sit third in their group behind Senegal and Guinea having accrued just one point. They face Gambia on Tuesday knowing qualification is only possible if they better Guinea's result against Senegal.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:00

Knocks like this don’t come every day – Miller

David Miller smashed the fastest T20I century off 35 balls, beating countryman Richard Levi by 10 deliveries. In doing so, Miller took South Africa to a series win and a historic clean-sweep across formats against a visiting team, the first such instance in 17 tours in which they have played an opposition in all three formats. As a result, Bangladesh leave the country empty-handed, defeated in the Tests, ODIs and T20Is, with Miller’s mauling being the final nail in the coffin.South Africa, with new coach Ottis Gibson at the helm, aimed to be as ruthless as possible in this early-season series, and underlined that intention with this performance, in their 100th T20 international.Hashim Amla set the tone with his 85 off 51 balls and seemed set for a century but was dismissed in the 17th over, attempting to clear the midwicket boundary. Miller was on 42 off 20 balls at the time, with 21 balls left in the innings. Miller, however, needed only 15 of those to get the 58 runs that took him to a hundred, including five sixes in succession off Mohammad Saifuddin in the penultimate over of the innings.Bangladesh had reason to rue that assault, for they could have dismissed Miller early in his innings, even before he had a run to his name. The second ball Miller faced was short from Rubel Hossain and he gloved it down the leg side. Mushfiqur Rahim, the wicketkeeper, dived one-handed to his right, got to the ball but could not hold on. In the next over, Miller charged Saifuddin and lofted a drive over the covers. Three fielders converged on the ball but the ball landed between them.At that juncture in the game, Bangladesh were more concerned about Amla, who was timing the ball well and had sauntered to his fifty off 32 balls. He held together the first half of South Africa’s innings, in which the visitors kept them fairly quiet. Shakib Al Hasan bowled both Mangaliso Mosehle and JP Duminy for single-digit scores and AB de Villiers holed out to long-off for 20. South Africa were 78 for 3 at the halfway stage when Amla began to up the ante.He took on the short ball, which Bangladesh offered in abundance, and allowed Miller ample time to settle. Miller seemed to need it and could have been out a third time when he came out of his crease and edged Mahmudullah in the 15th over, with the ball rolling towards the stumps, but missing it eventually. Miller made it back in time and avoided being stumped. That was, however, the last of the nerves shown by him.Miller slammed the next ball over long-off for the first of his nine sixes. There was much more to come. He dispatched Rubel to cow corner for four in the next over, then sent him over long-on for two sixes in the next three balls. By the time Amla was dismissed, Miller had got his eye in. He reached his half-century with a top-edge off a hook and followed that up by smashing a Taskin Ahmed full toss over long-on before the showstopper.Saifuddin, who had figures of 2 for 22 from his first three overs, started his final over with a full, slower ball. Miller clobbered it for a six. Then, he went quicker but still full, outside off. Miller went inside-out over the covers for six. The third ball was also full, Miller shuffled across and flicked behind square leg for the third six. Then Saifuddin darted the next one full down the leg side and out came another flick for another six. It was only after he had been hit for four consecutive sixes that Saifuddin received some advice from his captain but to no avail. He went short and Miller pulled. For six.AFP

Only two other players have hit six sixes in a row in an over in international cricket, one of them a South African – Herschelle Gibbs – and Miller was on the cusp of joining them. The final ball was full and wide and Miller went down on one knee but drove it along the ground for one. He was disappointed but kept strike, which enabled him to go for a hundred in the final over.Miller fell over as he reached for a full Rubel delivery that he sent for four and then under-edged a full toss for four more before a brace of twos took him to the fastest hundred in this format. Farhaan Behardien, the non-striker, was as much a spectator as the beleaguered Bangladesh attack. While Shakib conceded only 22 runs off his four overs, the other five bowlers gave away 201 runs off 16 overs at 12.5 an over. Saifuddin’s 31-run fourth over meant he finished with 2 for 53 but Miller could be heard commiserating with him as the teams left the field.”Tough luck,” Miller said. For Bangladesh, it only got tougher.They have never scored over 200 in a T20 and needed 225 this time. They started well, with 17 runs off the first over but South Africa had a trick up their sleeve. Duminy brought himself on in the second over and should have had a wicket immediately. Soumya Sarkar took him on and sent the ball straight to Robbie Frylinck at mid-on, who had to take a simple catch but could not hold on. Duminy kept Sarkar quiet for the rest of that over and on the last ball, he was desperate to get a move on and called for a suicidal single after belting the ball into the covers. Miller collected and threw the ball wide of Mosehle, who had to move to his left but had enough time to gather and run Imrul Kayes out.Rather than see himself as a novelty, Duminy continued and in his next over, struck the killer blow. Shakib made room and Duminy aimed at the stumps and bowled him. In the next over, Mushfiqur edged Frylink to Mosehle; Bangladesh were 32 for 3 before five overs were up and they had little opportunity left to stage a comeback. It was only a matter of time for them and all of South Africa’s bowlers enjoyed some reward as they wrapped up a professional, clinical victory.

KL Rahul’s promotion up the order prompts questions over his role with India, but he delivers with half-century

The Report by Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai17-Oct-2017AFPA 147-run stand – featuring near identical fifty-plus scores off two distinctly unlike innings – between KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw set up a 30-run victory for Board President’s XI in the first warm-up game against a full-strength New Zealand side in Mumbai. A brisk 78 from Karun Nair set up the total of 295 for 9 despite a blistering five-wicket haul for Trent Boult. Captain Kane Williamson and Tom Latham made gritty contributions, but three-fors from Shahbaz Nadeem and Jaydev Unadkat restricted the visitors’ chase. ESPNcricinfo takes a look at the highlights from the tour opener:The Rahul rejigFor someone who has opened in 41 out of 47 innings in his international career, a slew of failures – scores of 7, 17 and 4 against Sri Lanka in the ODIs – as a middle-order batsman came at a price for Rahul: non-inclusion in the XI through the home series against Australia followed by omission from the limited-overs squad against New Zealand. However, if a belated inclusion to the Board XI squad for the warm-ups came across as an oddity, having him to open the innings in the first practice game was even harder to comprehend.At a time when the national side already has three batsmen earmarked for the opening slots, Rahul’s taking up the opener’s role – despite the half-century – leaves questions to be asked what role he is expected to play in India’s limited-overs campaigns.’Outplayed by a quality Indian side’ – Boult

Trent Boult was not beating himself up over the defeat in the tour game, although he did credit the opposition. “It’s seven or eight degrees back in New Zealand at the moment,” Boult said. “A bit of a shock for the system to come here. It’s a big challenge, but I think we were outplayed nicely by a quality Indian side today.”
Boult said you can take away more than just results from warm-up games. “These [the warm-up games] are good opportunities to try out different tactics, in terms of a bowling plan, to come here and just try and bowl good lines and lengths against some of the best players in the world .It [bouncers] is probably not the best recipe to getting them out. I think they negated it nicely, played some very good shots. Probably today it wasn’t successful, but a lot of credit is due to their openers especially , they set a good platform for rest of the batting line-up to propel off.”

The Shaw showRight from the first ball of the tour opener, New Zealand’s quicks threw everything they had at the 17-year-old: searing yorkers, waist-high short balls, deceptive outswingers. And then, there were the bouncers – a barrage of them, angled into the body, outside the off stump, down the leg side. He delivered by leaping, cutting, pulling, and even took evasive action when needed.In the 19th over, when the infielders appealed for a caught-behind, Shaw nonchalantly drowned New Zealand’s protracted celebrations with a quiet stare at the bowler even before the umpire turned down the appeal. “I heard he’s 17; [I] couldn’t quite believe it,” Boult said of Shaw. An 80-ball 66 against the simmering New Zealand pace battery did lend credence to Boult’s confession of ignorance.Boult from the blackThat New Zealand waited until the tenth over to introduce a spinner, can be reasoned by the bounce and carry offered by what otherwise wore the look of a uni-dimensional flat pitch. More than just the surface, it was the accuracy and lateral movement generated by Boult’s left-armers that applied the choke on President’s XI in the latter half of their innings. Used in three spells, Boult breathed fire every time Williamson brought him on even as the sweltering Mumbai heat began to tell on the hosts. The second and third spells, comprising three and two overs near the close of the 40th and 50th over, accounted for four of his five wickets, triggering a collapse in which the home team lost five for 23.Taking turnsA major part of the build-up to the tour has revolved around New Zealand’s preparations – both technically and mentally – about rising to the challenge of spin. Accordingly, the Board President’s XI bowled 24 overs of spin at them, taking five wickets for 115 runs. However, Colin Munro, Williamson and Latham, in particular, appeared to be adroitly warming up to the spinners before Karn Sharma and Shahbaz Nadeem began extracting more from the surface.New Zealand’s own spinners didn’t have a particularly bad day, although Todd Astle’s walk-off with a groin injury, having bowled just three balls, might worry them. Two other frontline spinners – Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi – oversaw the undoing of the well-set President’s XI openers, after they began operating in tandem from the 26th over. Their partnership helped wrest control in the middle overs, and they took 3 for 94 in the 18 overs between them.

Leeds United could finally be set to kickstart their significant summer spending, as they close in on a man capable of ushering in Daniel Farke's new era.

Is Ethan Ampadu still a Chelsea player?

That's according to journalist Phil Hay, who took to Twitter to confirm Nizaar Kinsella's earlier claim that they will make Ethan Ampadu their first senior signing of the summer.

He would write:

"Leeds United and Chelsea reach agreement over a deal for Ethan Ampadu. Initial fee of around £7m with add-ons attached. Clears the way for a medical and for Ampadu to become the club's first signing of the summer."

With the 22-year-old having failed to establish himself as a first-team member since joining the Blues in 2017, this move could finally mark an opportunity for the defender to reignite a career that once promised much.

The 6 foot 1 ace has just one year left on his £37k-per-week deal.

What position is Ethan Ampadu?

One of the outstanding qualities of the Wales international is his impeccable versatility, given his ability to star in a number of roles.

Across a tumultuous career, where he has ventured out on four separate loan moves since moving to Stamford Bridge, he has featured at right-back, defensive midfield and his preferred centre-back.

Of those spells, whilst the two in Italy did allow him to impress, his year at Sheffield United will likely be of most interest to fans seeking to get a taste of his qualities within English football.

Featuring 25 times in the Premier League during the 2020/21 season, in which the Blades finished rock bottom, he would maintain a 6.95 average rating massively boosted through his two interceptions, 2.3 tackles and 3.3 clearances per game, via Sofascore. This made him their highest-rated player that year.

Even before this, Ryan Giggs had sought to praise him by claiming: "He’s a future leader and it’s great to see him get minutes on the pitch. It’s my hope that he’ll get more games and he’ll get better."

To pair such imperious solidity with the equally staunch Max Wober, it could pose a frightening prospect for the rest of the Championship.

Few strikers would relish facing a pairing boasting this much quality.

After all, the Austria international, who only moved to Elland Road in January, took no time at all to acclimatise to the physicality of English football.

His 6.84 average rating made him the club's third-best performer of those who started five or more games, as he too would record 1.7 interceptions and four clearances per game, via Sofascore.

From conceding the most goals in the division last term, such a signing would go a long way towards rectifying the fragility that has plagued the club for some time.

With Ampadu yet to realise the immense potential that he commanded when bursting onto the Premier League scene as a 17-year-old, perhaps the alleviated pressure that a permanent move down the football pyramid would bring could prove vital in revitalising a career still very much in its infancy.

After all, former professional football Paul McVeigh had noted back in 2016: "Footballing world, take note of this young player. Ethan Ampadu. He's going to be very special."

His experience is vast compared to most others of his age, and under the stewardship of promotion-specialist Farke and alongside Wober, all the facets are in place for him to finally start playing the way many know he can at a consistent level.