A round-up of the NCL games played from December 20

Mohammad Isam23-Dec-2016

Rajshahi Division fought back from a first innings deficit to beat Sylhet Division by 151 runs in Bogra.Abu Jayed’s six-wicket haul helped Sylhet bowl out Rajshahi for 204 in the first innings, after which they took a 15-run lead through Abul Hasan’s 59 at No 9. Farhad Reza took five wickets while Mamun Hossain took four for Rajshahi, who in reply batted much better in the second innings.Farhad Hossain struck his 12th first-class century to help Rajshahi to 344. Farhad, who struck nine fours and four sixes in his five-hour effort, added 90 runs for the fourth wicket with Junaid Siddique, who struck 78.Tasked with 330 to win, Sylhet were bowled out for 178 on the fourth afternoon. Only veteran Rajin Saleh remained steadfast, unbeaten on 75 as the rest collapsed around him.Left-arm spinners Sunzamul Islam and Saqlain Sajib took three wickets each for Rajshahi. Farhad was adjudged the Man of the match.Rangpur Division dismantled Chittagong Division by 10 wickets after Suhrawadi Shuvo’s all-round show put them ahead in Sylhet.Rangpur posted 450 batting first, with Shuvo’s 121 helping them recover from 190 for 6 on the first day. He added 102 for the seventh wicket with Ariful Haque, who chipped in with 52, and another 130 for the eighth wicket with Alauddin Babu, who made 64. Shuvo made 121 off 204 balls with 14 fours, lasting more than four hours at the crease.Shuvo then took three wickets to help Rangpur bowl out Chittagong for 182 in the first innings. Seamer Mohammad Saddam also picked up three wickets while offspinner Mahmudul Hasan took two wickets.Rangpur enforced the follow-on, after which Chittagong made 297 in the second innings, leaving Rangpur with just 30 to win. Seamer Ariful took four wickets while Babu and Shuvo took two each. For Chittagong, Yasir Ali scored their only fifty of the match, an 86-ball 58.Rangpur took just 5.2 overs to knock off the target.

Arsenal are "progressing" in talks to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia and are "close" to an agreement on personal terms, according to reports.

Who will Arsenal sign this summer?

The north Londoners have their eyes on multiple additions this summer as they look to strengthen Mikel Arteta's ranks and challenge again for next season's Premier League title.

Central midfield is the position to really look out for, as a wide variety of sources claim they're stepping up their pursuit of West Ham star Declan Rice and have already had bids rejected for the England international.

They're apparently "serious" about signing Rice and remain confident of doing a deal, having already agreed personal terms, while the likes of Man City star Ilkay Gundogan and Lavia are also being repeatedly linked.

Further forward and in defence, Gunners supporters could see the likes of Kai Havertz join from Chelsea with talks advancing and terms also agreed there, and Ajax defender Jurrien Timber is at the centre of real interest.

Following Southampton's relegation from the top flight, Lavia is a player who could well be on the move, as he attracts interest from Arteta, Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool (The Independent).

Arsenal have been in talks for the 19-year-old, as reported elsewhere, but Football Insider have a really promising update on their efforts to sign him.

According to their information, Arsenal are "progressing" in negotiations for Lavia, with personal terms "close to agreement". This is part of a potential quadruple spending spree and Arteta could see as much as £300 million spent in total this summer.

As well as Lavia, it is believed Rice, Havertz and Timber are all still in ongoing discussions to make a move to the Emirates Stadium.

How has Romeo Lavia done at Southampton?

Having signed for the Saints last year on a deal from Man City, Pep Guardiola has since been very impressed with his efforts at St. Mary's.

Speaking to City's official website, Guardiola held special praise for the Belgium international, who has gone on to make 29 league appearances.

“I am really impressed with what Romeo has done and is doing,” said the City boss.

“(It’s a) good experience to go to the Premier League and play at this early age. So important.”

Lavia also averaged a higher pass accuracy (86.4%) than any Southampton player in the Premier League last campaign.

Glasgow Rangers reporter Jonny McFarlane has been reacting to a transfer twist involving loanee Malik Tillman.

What’s the latest Rangers transfer news involving Tillman?

Rangers brought in Tillman last summer on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich that included an option to buy at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

The 21-year-old featured heavily under both Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Michael Beale, making a total of 43 appearances in all competitions, scoring 12 goals and registering five assists.

The attacking midfielder picked up the men's Young Player of the Year at the PFA Scotland's awards as a result of his impressive year in Glasgow, and it looked as if a permanent move was on track to materialise earlier in the year.

However, recent reports have revealed that Bayern Munich have cancelled Rangers’ £5.8m option to make a move permanent for Tillman in what is a transfer twist.

As a result, Rangers will receive £1m from the German giants as well as 10 per cent of any future sell-on for the American. Taking to Twitter to react to the news, Rangers review journalist McFarlane labelled it as “big news” with a “lucrative twist”.

“Big news. Tillman WON'T be signing for Rangers, but there's a lucrative twist to the tale…”

Who else could Rangers sign this summer?

Beale and Rangers may well see this as a transfer blow involving Tillman, however, they have already made a positive start to their summer business with four new faces.

Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell and Jack Butland have left their English sides to move to Ibrox on free transfers, whereas Rangers officials have paid a fee to sign Sam Lammers from Atalanta.

It has previously been reported that Rangers could sign up to 10 new players ahead of Beale’s first full season in charge, so it could still be a busy few months for those at Ibrox.

One player who could be next to sign on the dotted line is Los Angeles FC midfielder Jose Cifuentes. The Ecuador international is ready to complete a move to Rangers despite interest from a Premier League side, so he could be one to watch.

Unfortunately, Tillman won’t be joining him, so it’ll be interesting to see if Rangers go after another young attacker ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The commentator was taken back to hospital shortly after resuming broadcasting duties on day three

Daniel Brettig in Melbourne28-Dec-2016

Mark Nicholas, the Channel Nine commentator and ESPNcricinfo columnist, has been taken to hospital for a second time during the Boxing Day Test, only hours after he resumed his broadcasting duties following a similar episode on day one.Once again in considerable pain, Nicholas was attended to by paramedics before being taken from the broadcast area. “Unfortunately Mark has taken ill again,” a Channel Nine spokesperson said. “He has been transported back to hospital for further tests.”On the first day, Nicholas had complained of severe abdominal pain and been taken to hospital shortly after lunch, and spent most of the evening in hospital. He had rested through the second day before returning to duty on the third morning.However the recurrence of the symptoms, whose origins have not been publicly released, have forced a return to treatment and further examination. It may also mean a longer period of convalescence this time around.Earlier this summer, Nicholas released the book , reflecting on his time as a cricketer, writer and broadcaster on cricket.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their attempts to bolster their attacking options ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign…

What's the latest on Abdallah Sima to Rangers?

According to the Scottish edition of the Daily Mail, Michael Beale is closing in on a deal to sign winger Abdallah Sima on loan.

The report claims that the Scottish giants are currently leading the race to secure the Brighton youngster's services on a temporary basis for next season and that the switch could be wrapped up in the coming week.

It states that Feyenoord's Danilo and Beni Traore of Hacken are alternative options that the Gers could turn if a swoop falls through at the last hour.

Where would Abdallah Sima fit in at Rangers?

Sima, who was once described as a "complete" player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has spent the majority of his club career as a right winger, meaning that his arrival would spell bad news for Scott Wright at Ibrox, who could now be on his way out of the club.

Since making the move to Rangers from Aberdeen in 2021, the 25-year-old has failed to nail down a regular place in the team and has been unable to make a significant impact in the final third.

Wright played 23 Premiership matches, including five starts, in 22/23 and contributed with one assist and zero goals, whilst the dud also featured in four Champions League games without being directly involved in a single goal.

His dreadful form came after the Scottish winger scored four goals and provided one assist in 19 league outings for the Light Blues in the previous campaign, which shows that he has offered very little in the final third over the last two years in Glasgow.

Sima, on the other hand, is coming off the back of five goals and two assists in 19 Ligue 1 starts on loan at Angers in 22/23 and previously showcased his attacking quality with Slavia Prague before his move to Brighton.

The £8.5k-per-week earner plundered 16 goals and seven assists in 38 outings for the Czech side, which included four goals in ten Europa League clashes in 20/21.

These numbers suggest that Sima, who the aforementioned Kulig once hailed as a "fantastic prospect", has the potential to offer far more than Wright at the top end of the pitch.

The current Gers forward has been touted with an exit this summer and the arrival of the 22-year-old from Brighton could be the final nail in the coffin for the ex-Dons dynamo.

Spider-Man actor and Tottenham Hotspur supporter Tom Holland has urged both Harry Kane and Son Heung-min to join Real Madrid this summer.

What’s the latest Harry Kane and Tottenham transfer news?

The England captain is entering the final 12 months of his contract this summer, so there has been plenty of talk about his future.

For instance, the likes of Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have all been linked with his name in the press of late.

However, it remains to be seen if he will push for an exit and whether chairman Daniel Levy would even be open to selling the club’s prized assets.

Well, it appears that even Spurs’ own supporters would happily see their key men leave this summer if it meant they finally had the opportunity to go and win something.

Indeed, while speaking recently to the press (via @thfc_co on Twitter), Hollywood star Holland urged Kane and Son to both move to La Liga in order to fulfil their potential.

What did Tom Holland say about Spurs?

“Tottenham have never won anything, and supporting them is incredibly difficult,” he began.

He went on to explain what he’d tell Kane if he had the chance to speak to him, saying: “I’d say go to [Real] Madrid. Go and be the best football player in the world, that you deserve to be.”

On his favourite player Son, Holland added: “I’d say go with him, go together, go win the Champions League together, please.”

Evidently, the Spider-Man actor has had enough of his team’s persistent failures over the last number of years, and seeing as they haven’t won a major trophy since 2008, it’s not hard to see why.

This, of course, means both Kane and Son haven’t won anything for Tottenham. To make things worse, neither man has even won any domestic silverware during the course of their club careers.

Despite Holland’s warning, however, it at least seems that the South Korean will be sticking around in north London for the foreseeable future.

When quizzed about his future, he recently told the press: “I have many things to do in the Premier League and the pride of playing football, to play in my favourite league is important.

“I want to play more for Tottenham in the Premier League. I’ll prepare well when I’m back to Spurs.”

“Money doesn’t matter to me now.”

سقط أحمد رفعت لاعب فريق فيوتشر على أرض الملعب خلال مباراة ناديه أمام الاتحاد السكندري ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري.

وانتهت مباراة فيوتشر والاتحاد السكندري بالتعادل السلبي في المواجهة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات الجولة 16 من المسابقة المحلية.

وشهدت الدقيقة 88 سقوط أحمد رفعت على أرض الملعب مغشيًا عليه دون التدخل معه في أي كرة مشتركة.

وحاولت الأجهزة الطبية في فريقي فيوتشر والاتحاد السكندري فحص اللاعب، وسرعان ما نزلت سيارة الإسعاف إلى المستطيل الأخضر من أجل نقل اللاعب إلى أحد المستشفيات القريبة. سقوط أحمد رفعت على أرض الملعب في مباراة فيوتشر والاتحاد السكندري ونزول عربة الإسعاف

وبهد التعادل في مباراة اليوم وصل رصيد الاتحاد السكندري إلى 24 نقطة محتلًا المركز الرابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري.

أما فريق مودرن فيوتشر فقد ارتفع رصيده إلى 17 نقطة محتلًا المركز الحادي عشر في ترتيب المسابقة المحلية.

A lethal bowling attack makes Peshawar Zalmi serious title contenders. But can a batting line-up well past its collective prime provide it enough support?

Danyal Rasool08-Feb-20171:04

How far will heavyweights Zalmi go?

Inaugural season results
Along with Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi were the most prolific team in the group stages. They lost only two games in the preliminary round, both close encounters, and went through to the next round top of the table. It was there, however, that their season unravelled. They lost to Quetta in the first qualifier by an agonising one run, a team they thrashed just five days earlier chasing a near-identical total. In the must-win second qualifier, they fell victim to the innings-of-the-tournament from Islamabad’s Sharjeel Khan, his 62-ball 117 ending their challenge.Team assessment
All but one of Peshawar Zalmi’s 16-member squad have international caps to their name. Their bowling catches one’s eye at first glance, with last year’s second-highest wicket-taker Wahab Riaz leading the attack. Specialist death-bowler Chris Jordan, Pakistan front-liners Junaid Khan, Hasan Ali and Imran Khan, and last season’s find Mohammad Asghar, are all useful options for Peshawar, with Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez and Darren Sammy providing depth to the point of luxury.Their batting stocks have taken a hit, though, even before a ball has been bowled. Alex Hales and Mohammad Shahzad will miss the entire tournament, while Eoin Morgan and Tamim Iqbal are will be partially unavailable due to international commitments. Kamran Akmal, who appears to have hit a purple patch domestically, could find the league a useful launch pad for a possible return to international cricket, nearly three years after he last played for Pakistan in any format.Sammy, who gregariously embraced the PSL more than perhaps any other foreign player – so much so that Afridi handed over the Peshawar captaincy to the West Indian – will have to play an important leadership role in a side that, including him, contains six players who have captained internationally. His firepower with the bat lower down the order was essential for the side last season, 140 runs at a strike rate over 152 turning many decent scores into match-winning ones. With Afridi regressing rapidly and his place in the side no longer guaranteed, Sammy’s contributions may be even more vital this time around.Tillikaratne Dilshan, who was brought in for Shakib, is the wrong side of 40, making it difficult to predict what to expect of him. That places a lot of pressure on Zalmi’s Pakistani batsmen, particularly Sohaib Maqsood – drafted in from Lahore Qalandars – and Hafeez, who was last season’s seventh highest scorer.Key foreign player
Pakistani fans are well aware of the destruction Tamim Iqbal can cause, particularly since the hiding their side received in a 3-0 ODI whitewash in 2015, where the left-hand opener scored two hundreds and a half-century in a Man-of-the-Series winning display. He may not be available for the entire duration of the PSL, but his franchise T20 form, particularly over the last year, has been outstanding. He was the highest scorer in last year’s Bangladesh Premier League with 476 runs at an average of 43.27. At the PSL 12 months ago, Tamim was Zalmi’s most prolific batsman, boasting an average of 66.75. He looks set to be available from February 15-28, which means he will miss the knockout stages. However, he could do an awful lot to make sure his side gets there in fine form.Peshawar Zalmi were dominant in last season’s group stage but faltered during the qualifiers•Chris WhiteoakUnder the radar local lad
Mohammad Asghar is the only player in the Peshawar Zalmi’s main squad not to have tasted international action, but he wasn’t far off from it. The 18-year-old, who travelled with the Pakistan side to Australia, impressed Misbah so much that he was reported to be in-line for his debut in the Sydney Test earlier this year. He emerged from complete anonymity at last year’s edition of the PSL, becoming the joint fifth-highest wicket-taker at the tender age of 17. That led to a contract in the Bangladesh Premier League, where, in the two matches he played, his economy rate was 4.50. Should he have a similar tournament this year, that international cap is surely a question of “when” rather than “if”.Availability
Marlon Samuels has replaced Alex Hales, who is nursing a fractured hand, albeit as a supplementary player. Mohammad Shahzad is out since the PSL runs parallel to the Afghanistan-Zimbabwe limited-overs series. Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal and Eoin Morgan all have international commitments, but Peshawar Zalmi have only traded Shakib out, bringing the experienced Tillakaratne Dilshan in his place. If Peshawar make it through to the next round, they will also have Samit Patel’s services available.Coaching staff
Mohammad Akram (head coach), Younis Khan (batting coach/mentor), Grant Luden (fielding coach/fitness trainer), Ibrahim Qureshi (assistant trainer), Bradley Ian Robinson (physio).Squad
Darren Sammy (capt), Shahid Afridi, Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Wahab Riaz, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Mohammad Hafeez, Chris Jordan, Tamim Iqbal, Kamran Akmal (wk), Sohaib Maqsood, Junaid Khan, Imran Khan Jr, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Asghar. Supplementary players: Marlon Samuels, Andre Fletcher, Irfan Khan, Khushdil Shah

Tottenham Hotspur forward Dejan Kulusevski may have to win over new manager Ange Postecoglou who, as things stand, is "not too convinced" by him.

Who could leave Spurs this summer?

Chairman Daniel Levy finally landed on Postecoglou to replace Antonio Conte last week, after over two months of searching for the Italian's replacement.

The 57-year-old set to officially start work on July 1, and Levy has explained exactly why he opted for the ex-Celtic boss in an interview with the club's official website.

“Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play," said Levy.

"He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our Club. We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead."

Tottenham are now tasked with backing Postecoglou in the transfer market whilst reshaping the team in his image, with the club identifying targets for their goalkeeping, central defensive and attacking midfield positions.

However, there are a few faces who could also depart N17 to make way, and it will be very interesting to see who Postecoglou does and doesn't fancy.

Hugo Lloris, Ivan Perisic, Davinson Sanchez, Ryan Sessegnon, Lenglet, Eric Dier and Ben Davies have all been tipped for the axe. Meanwhile, Spurs are also thinking of selling Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon and Harry Winks with Tanguy Ndombele's future uncertain (The Telegraph).

According to a new report by 90min, they are not the only ones, with defender Eric Dier's talks over a new deal stalling. As well as the Englishman, there is a very interesting line concerning Kulusevski, who starred under Conte during the 2021/2022 season.

As per their information, the Sweden international "may have to win over Postecoglou", with the Australian "not too convinced" by him right now.

Kulusevski's loan-to-buy deal from Juventus is still yet to activated and the 23-year-old is still very much there on a temporary deal.

Who is Dejan Kulusevski?

The forward, despite a mixed 22/23, seriously impressed under Conte the season prior after signing in January of that year.

From February 2022 onwards, Kulusevski chipped in with five goals and eight assists as Tottenham secured Champions League qualification.

The former Parma star has showcased his serious ability on more than one occasion and we believe he'd be a useful asset for Postecoglou.

Even last season, talkSPORT pundit Ally McCoist was blown away by some of his showings, even calling Kulusevski "absolutely different class" after a performance against Chelsea in February.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe Hobart Hurricanes batsmen, save George Bailey, failed to help themselves at a raucous Bellerive Oval•Cricket Australia

Before this tournament, the Sydney Thunder general manager Nick Cummins indicated that the defending champions needed to attack BBL06 as though they were the bottom team.Having started with four consecutive defeats, they had no choice but to follow this dictum. Two wins later, the Thunder will have a few other sides looking over their shoulders.This was a comfortable victory over the Hobart Hurricanes at a raucous Bellerive Oval, made all the more significant for the identities of the principal contributors: Fawad Ahmed, Carlos Brathwaite, James Vince and Shane Watson.Containing interestsLegspin is an inherently attacking art, devised to fool batsmen and harvest wickets for the price of a few boundaries. However, the truncated nature of T20 means economy can be as valuable as incisiveness, as Fawad amply showed on the same ground where he prospered for Victoria in the 2015 Sheffield Shield final.Conceding just 19 from four overs, Fawad sapped much of any potential momentum from the Hurricanes’ innings, following up from the early wickets procured by Clint McKay and Pat Cummins in the first two overs of the innings. His accuracy also meant a rare expensive outing for Chris Green was not overly damaging, and kept George Bailey from spreading his wings too far in the most spinal innings from among Hobart’s batsmen.Carlos Brathwaite contributed to Sydney Thunder’s win with two wickets on debut•Getty Images

Taking chargeWatson is the only man left from the powerful Khawaja-Kallis-Hussey-Watson quartet that drove the Thunder so far towards a maiden BBL title last summer. Early in this tournament he was absent through injury, much as the Thunder themselves were unable to offer the sort of presence expected.But a superb return catch to account for Kevin Pietersen in the narrow home win over Melbourne Stars marked Watson’s first major contribution to the campaign, and here he followed up with an innings to not only secure victory but also add to the Thunder’s problematic net run-rate. In the space of 31 balls he struck five sixes, a haul not quite in Chris Lynn territory but still two more than the Hurricanes managed in their entire innings.New dogs, old tricksHaving lost Eoin Morgan and Andre Russell to England and injury respectively, the Thunder needed swift returns for their investments in their replacements James Vince and Brathwaite; both came to the party in welcome ways.Brathwaite’s fast medium lacks Russell’s potential for the explosive, but he made up for the pace differential with canny slower balls to deceive first Dan Christian and then Jon Wells. Vince then put together a smart introductory innings, helping to pile up 58 without loss from the opening Powerplay and effectively muting the Hurricanes and their decidedly partisan crowd. The Thunder are still in with a chance, and Brathwaite and Vince did plenty to keep them there.