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At the start of last season, the thought of Danny Rose following Kyle Walker out of the Tottenham exit door would have filled the club’s fans with dread.

Now, as Manchester United reportedly circle again, ready to offer the man valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, the chance to join Walker in the north-west, the prospect appears distinctly more palatable to their fanbase.

The England international is sweating on his World Cup place and has been usurped in the pecking order in North London by Ben Davies.

The downfall began after a brutally honest interview Rose gave the Sun just days before the start of the season and the Spurs fans are now rather more non-plussed about his rumoured departure.

Rose was once a popular figure as Spurs waited a fair while for him to come good but the tide has turned now and we’ve taken a closer look at the best of the reaction…

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Harry Kane has nabbed all the limelight for young English strikers this season, but Danny Ings’ form should not slip under the radar.

In a Burnley side assembled on a shoestring budget with a fair amount of Championship standard players, the 22-year-old has notched an impressive nine Premier League goals in his debut season in the big time – including a lovely diving header at Old Trafford in a 3-1 loss.

Manchester United are believed to be leading the race for his signature this summer as a free –albeit compensation will have to be paid to the Clarets – transfer at the end of his contract awaits, but Spurs are also lingering in the background. The lure of the Theatre of Dreams and working under Louis van Gaal may be tempting, but we at FFC Towers thing White Hart Lane is the right place for the marksman… and here are FIVE reasons why.

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Greater chance of first-team football

At 22, Ings needs to play football. His development at Burnley has been excellent due to regular minutes on the pitch, and the only way he’s going to get better and establish himself in the Premier League is by playing games. Although Tottenham have Kane, the England U-21 star does have a good chance of getting regular minutes at White Hart Lane, with the Lilywhites likely to be balancing domestic and European football again next season – so long as they can sneak into a late Europa League spot.

Spurs need a centre-forward

Coinciding with the regular football angle, Spurs are short on attacking options. Kane’s rapid rise to become the club’s key centre-forward shows how poor Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado have been, and with reports suggesting they may be shipped out this summer, Pochettino may find himself with only one genuine striker.

Ings would surely benefit from this and be given the chances he needs.

Is he good enough for Man United?

Manchester United have title aspirations and dreams of Champions league glory. Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie are strikers at Old Trafford. The pressure is massive and top players in the past have struggled. Is Ings up to it? Maybe not. We shouldn’t forget that this is the Burnley man’s first season in the top tier, and although he’s netted nine goals, the leap from playing alongside the likes of Sam Vokes and Ashley Barnes to linking up with Angel di Maria or Rooney is massive.

Pochettino good with young players

His work at Southampton with Jay Rodriguez, Calum Chambers and Luke Shaw was impressive and Pochettino has built on that at White Hart Lane by transforming Kane from an also ran into potential Premier League Player of the Year. All of the aforementioned players are at the starts of their careers, and with Ings being 22 he still needs nurturing.

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Harry Kane may be a one-season wonder

Battling Kane for first-team action in a one-striker system – as it stands – may not be entirely appealing for Ings, but the fact that this was the Spurs man’s breakthrough campaign offers some encouragement. Kane has been good, but there’s no getting away from the feeling that he’s not amazing technically, not overly fast in a straight line and, in general, not a brilliant player.

This season could prove to be a flash in the pan, and should his form and confidence dip next term, Ings could find himself leading the line for a team with genuine top four ambitions.

After the exploits of Marcelo Bielsa’s team last season, Athletic Bilbao found themselves rising up the status ladder in European football. The performances were stunning at times, but the romance of an all-Basque team really does catch the imagination. From the side that fought all the way to two cup finals last season, are there really any names currently housed at San Mames that wouldn’t be welcomed in the Premier League?

There’s being prudent and keeping the good of the business at the fore of your mind, and then there’s being extremely clever with limited resources in the transfer market. Arsenal’s public pursuit of Athletic Bilbao’s Fernando Amorebieta could potentially be a very smart move with the player’s contract coming to an end this summer.

Some supporters might be concerned that Amorebieta is similar in stature to Per Mertesacker. To those who are sharp enough to look beyond the stupidity of “one of the league’s worst defenders,” the German centre-back is exactly what Arsenal have been in need of, and Amorebieta is more of the same. The Bilbao defender, who currently represents Venezuela, comes equipped with an increase in pace over the German, while the same sense of defending first, messing around later is prevalent.

While Arsenal are more than set with a defender who knows how to play the ball out from the back in Laurent Koscielny (and Thomas Vermaelen if he remains at the club beyond the summer), the team have been in need of a throwback to the traditional styles of defending. Technical ball players with plenty of mobility is a plus for those who use a high defensive line and an assured presence in midfield, but there now needs to be an overwhelming sense that the team will and can hold a position of strength for a significant period during a game.

It doesn’t always need to be the big names on the continent. I’m certain that there isn’t a real issue with how much money Arsene Wenger spends at Arsenal, rather the concern being with what he does with it. A good number of transfers in England and across Europe in recent windows have provided evidence that spending big doesn’t always guarantee success, while the business of clubs like Newcastle and Swansea have been praised league-wide.

Amorebieta fits the mould in terms of being relatively unknown, yet who has enough experience in one of Europe’s best leagues to allow for a smooth transition to Arsenal. The player is a perfect counter for Arsenal against the physical sides in the north of England. Coupled with his height, notable power and fearless approach to a heated battle in the penalty area, there is very little to doubt from Amorebieta and what he could offer to Arsenal.

The stumbling block, however, is that Amorebieta could fall into the trap of looking worse than he actually is. Buying good players is one thing, but it absolutely needs to be married with strict defensive coaching and a clear understanding between the back four and goalkeeper. The arrival of the Bilbao defender would be a promising step in the right direction, but it’s essential that Wenger continues with his newly-adopted sense of defence.

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The Arsenal manager is often criticised for not being decisive with potential signings, even for players available on a free transfer. Yet the signing of Amorebieta will prove to be a one of Wenger’s smarter moves of recent summers – provided, of course, he seals the deal.

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Left-arm quick Spencer Johnson is likely to be out of action until early next year

Andrew McGlashan02-Sep-2025Marcus Stoinis has a chance to push his claims for a place in the T20 World Cup after earning a recall for the three-match series against New Zealand, but Spencer Johnson’s prospects of emerging as a replacement for Mitchell Starc appear slim with the quick bowler unlikely to be fit until early next year.Stoinis came to an agreement with the selectors to miss the recent series against West Indies and South Africa in order to feature in the Hundred, but remains in the frame for the World Cup. He comes back into a squad that will be without Cameron Green, who instead will play in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield as he progresses towards a bowling return.Nathan Ellis, who has become a fulcrum of the T20I pace attack, will also miss the New Zealand trip with wife Connie expecting their first child. Although Ellis is a very different type of bowler to Starc, he is now set to be a certain starter at the World Cup following the latter’s T20I retirement.Related

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Stoinis will likely be vying for a middle-order finishing role if he is to make the World Cup squad, although his medium pace also provides a handy option and has been used with the new ball.Starc is a major name who definitely won’t be at the tournament. Johnson, another left-arm quick, had been earmarked as a successor particularly in white-ball cricket – he has taken 14 wickets in eight T20Is – but a back injury sustained at the IPL will keep him sidelined for the rest of the year. Johnson was initially named in the squad for the West Indies in late July before being withdrawn.”The latest update for Spencer is that it’ll be sometime in the new year that he’ll start to come back online again,” chair of selectors George Bailey said. “What that looks like and at what point, I don’t think there’s anything definitive on that, still hoping that he can have an impact both domestically and potentially internationally towards the back end of the year.”Matthew Short is back from injury for the New Zealand tour in what shapes as an important series for him to find a spot in a power-packed batting line-up after having missed the West Indies and South Africa series with a side strain.The three matches in New Zealand take place across four days on October 1, 3 and 4. Australia will play a further five T20Is against India at home which will be their last series before selecting the World Cup squad, although the BBL may provide a late opportunity for fringe players to stake a claim. Australia are set to prepare for the tournament with three matches in Pakistan in early February.

Australia T20I squad vs New Zealand

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Grace Scrivens anchors chase with unbeaten 63 as Sunrisers start campaign with victory

ECB Reporters Network20-Apr-2024Jodi Grewcock and Nicola Hancock claimed three wickets apiece as Sunrisers launched their Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy campaign with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Western Storm at Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens.Seamer Hancock took 3 for 15 in 5.4 overs and teenager Grewcock bowled unchanged for 10 overs to return impressive figures of 3 for 28 with her legbreaks as Storm were dismissed for a wholly inadequate 114 in 30.4 overs.Offspinner Mady Villiers weighed in with 2 for 36, while Esmae MacGregor took a wicket and contributed a run out as Sunrisers produced a disciplined performance in the field after winning the toss. Only Nat Wraith offered meaningful resistance with the bat, top-scoring with 42 as Storm opened this campaign as they finished the last, by suffering heavy defeat.Sunrisers skipper Grace Scrivens then led by example, compiling a composed innings of 63 and sharing in a reassuring partnership of 59 with Cordelia Griffith for the second wicket as the visitors comfortably overhauled their target with 16.2 overs to spare.Victorious in their final four matches of last season, Sunrisers have picked up where they left off and will go into their next match against Thunder at Sale in confident mood. For their part, Storm have now been beaten in their last five outings in the 50-over competition and will need to find improvement ahead of their trip to play Northern Diamonds at Headingley on Wednesday.Put into bat, Storm were unable to recover from the loss of early wickets and were shot out inside 31 overs, only three batters managing double-figures in an innings which the home side will no doubt want to forget in a hurry.Hancock produced a probing new-ball spell to remove Alex Griffiths for 2, but fellow opener Sophia Smale responded in positive fashion, helping herself to three leg-side boundaries to advance her score to 16. Calamity then struck, Smale clipping Villiers behind point and setting off for a quick single, only to collide with partner Sophie Luff halfway down the track and be run out by MacGregor while getting back to her feet.That unfortunate mishap sparked a dramatic collapse which saw five wickets fall in just 8.1 overs as Storm subsided to 64 for 6, their top and middle-order batting undermined by spin. Luff played and missed at a delivery from Grewcock that nipped back and was adjudged lbw for 7, while Dani Gibson was also undone by the England Under-19 legspinner, playing back to a ball that struck her on the pad and departing for 3.Plying her offbreaks at the other end, Villiers trapped Katie Jones in the crease and then struck a telling blow, inducing former England international Fran Wilson to drive straight to Jo Gardner at mid-on. Wilson had made 18 and with her went Storm’s best chance of posting a competitive total.Fearing she might run out of partners before she was able to do anything to remedy a parlous situation, Wraith adopted a forthright approach and dominated stands of 24 and 26 with Niamh Holland and Amanda-Jade Wellington for the seventh and eighth wickets respectively. But Holland eventually offered a return catch to MacGregor and Wellington miscued a drive to extra cover as Grewcock continued to deploy clever variation in flight to strike again in her final over.Attempting to take matters into her own hands, Wraith plundered half a dozen boundaries in carrying the fight to the Sunrisers bowlers, her luck finally running out when she hoisted a ball from the returning Hancock to deep midwicket. Her combative innings of 42 spanned 52 balls and at least enabled embattled Storm to realise three figures.Hancock required just four deliveries to wrap-up the innings, having Chloe Skelton caught at the wicket, the seventh Storm player to perish either in single figures or without scoring.Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Storm’s bowlers did their utmost to build pressure and new overseas recruit Wellington provided a silver lining when gaining an lbw decision to remove Ariana Dowse with the score on 21 in the eighth over. Making a good first impression on her debut, the Australian international spinner finished with 1 for 24 from nine overs and discomfited the top-order batters sufficiently to suggest she is going to make a positive impact in Storm colours this season.But the implacable Scrivens overcame all attempts to unseat her, playing a captain’s innings to ensure her team reached their target without enduring any undue dramas. She found the perfect partner in Griffith, who adopted the role of chief support in an innings of 28 that spanned 48 balls and included a quartet of fours before she holed out to Holland in the deep off the bowling of Skelton.Unperturbed by that setback, Scrivens went to 50 via 65 balls with her ninth four, a fluent cover drive plundered at the expense of Griffiths. Perhaps fittingly given her performance with the ball earlier, Grewcock hit the winning runs as she finished unbeaten on 15.

Though Tamim and Taskin are missing, Litton has Shakib, Mushfiqur and Mahmudullah to rely on in three-ODI series

Mohammad Isam03-Dec-20225:33

Jaffer: India need to stick with 12-13 players going into ODI World Cup

Big picture

Cricket-mad Bangladesh is currently football-mad. The ongoing World Cup is not just watched in this country, but also celebrated in every corner, dominating most conversations. The visiting Indian players were welcomed by flags of Brazil and Argentina in the buildings overlooking their training ground in Dhaka. There’s little cricket paraphernalia for what is the BCB’s first marquee home series this season. International cricket, even if it is India’s first ODI in Bangladesh in seven years, will have to jostle for space.Bangladesh have qualified for the ODI World Cup next year, but they will not want to take the foot off the gas. India, with their first-choice players back in the squad, would want to start well, and lead into their home World Cup in October next year strongly. This series, remember, is not part of the World Cup Super League, but that shouldn’t reduce the intensity.Related

• Rohit on the ODI World Cup: We can't think so far ahead

• Litton to lead Bangladesh in ODI series against India

• Many contenders but little opportunity as India ring in changes

• Injured Shami ruled out of ODIs against Bangladesh

• 'It's not the ultimate goal' – Tamim on World Cup qualification

Rohit Sharma is back as India’s ODI captain, with KL Rahul his deputy. Virat Kohli has also returned to the side. The star players’ comeback in this format indicates India are starting their preparation for the next year, after sending a second-string side to the recent tour of New Zealand.However, this also means the likes of Ishan Kishan, Rajat Patidar and Rahul Tripathi might not get as many opportunities, as the top and middle orders are loaded with big names. With Mohammed Shami ruled out of the ODIs, and several allrounders like Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar in the mix, it will also be interesting to see how India balance their side with the match being played on the slow Shere Bangla National Stadium pitch.Bangladesh will be missing the services of two star players: Tamim Iqbal, the regular ODI captain, who had earlier pulled out of the series because of a groin injury, and Taskin Ahmed, who was ruled out of the series because of a back injury.Both players have been in good form in ODIs. Tamim has led the side to direct qualification for the World Cup while scoring important runs, and Taskin is seen as the lynchpin of the pace attack these days. Litton Das, who will lead the hosts, has a major role to play with the bat, too, opening against a solid Indian bowling attack.Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli are back in the ODI side•AFP/Getty Images

Litton will have seniors in Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah to bank on, while the likes of Afif Hossain, Yasir Ali and Anamul Haque will be expected to step up in their respective roles.Mustafizur Rahman, who broke through in India’s last ODI series in Bangladesh in 2015, has to lead the attack now, sharing the duties with Hasan Mahmud and Ebadot Hossain. Mehidy Hasan Miraz has risen to the challenge this year, often proving handy when the chips are down .India would not want to take Bangladesh lightly this time, particularly at home where the hosts have not lost a bilateral ODI series since the defeat to England in October 2016. Meanwhile, Bangladesh will rely on their experienced players to get them through.

Form guide

Bangladesh: WLLWW
India: LWWLW

In the spotlight

Virat Kohli is 30 runs short of becoming the second overseas batter to get 1000 runs in ODIs in Bangladesh, where he averages 80.83. In good form in T20Is of late, there couldn’t be a better place for Kohli to get back into rhythm in ODIs after averaging 21.87 in eight games in the format this year.Litton Das has been in excellent form this year•Getty Images

Litton Das has scored 500 runs in ODIs this year while averaging 62.50. But there is an added responsibility this time, leading the side in Tamim’s absence. How he responds to the new test will be interesting to see. The Bangladesh captaincy has, of late, been quite a story.

Team news

Shakib batting at No. 3 should mitigate Tamim’s absence. It would also allow Bangladesh to play an extra batter, which will likely be Yasir Ali. Taskin is also missing, which means Ebadot could get the nod for his pace.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Litton Das (capt), 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Yasir Ali, 8 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 9 Hasan Mahmud, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Ebadot HossainWith Shami ruled out of the series, young quick Umran Malik has been called up. Unless India decide to give Kuldeep Sen a debut, it is likely that both Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar will play.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul, 6 Rishabh Pant (wk), 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Mohammed Siraj

Pitch and conditions

It is going to be a typical Mirpur pitch but not the raging turner we see often in Test cricket. The Shere Bangla Stadium last hosted an ODI in May 2021, and the pitch has mostly produced scores on the higher side for the teams batting first. Dhaka is cool this time of the year, with no rain forecast.

Stats and trivia

• Litton now has the most runs (1703) in a calendar year in all formats for Bangladesh, and is the second highest in 2022 behind Babar Azam.
• Bangladesh have won only five ODIs against India since 1988. They beat India the last time when the two teams met in 2015.

Quotes

“This format is such that we play well each time at home. We’ll miss two of our main players, but we still believe that who we have with us are very capable”

Young Yorkshire bowler lost footing on damp ground while fielding, slid into concrete base of Western Terrace

Paul Edwards13-Jul-2021
Nobody who has lived through the past 18 months needs to be reminded that there are times when cricket doesn’t matter a damn. All the same, anyone at Headingley on the third afternoon of this Roses Match were reminded of that truth in the most brutal fashion when Yorkshire’s Dominic Leech suffered a horrific injury to his left leg when he lost his footing on damp ground and slid into the concrete base of the Western Terrace.Leech had been chasing round the boundary from long-on to deep midwicket to stop a four and had slapped the ball back into play when the accident occurred. The 20-year-old was immediately in agony and was attended by medical staff from both Lancashire and Yorkshire for 15 minutes before being taken from the stadium on a stretcher by paramedics and thence to hospital in the car of Yorkshire’s physio, Kunwar Bansil. At 2.35 the players left the ground to take an early tea and shortly afterwards a statement was issued saying areas of the playing surface had been deemed unfit and unsafe.As it turned out the umpires, Ian Gould and Nigel Llong, made two inspections before play was eventually abandoned at 4.25. During the time between Leech’s injury and the abandonment questions were raised as to why the umpires had deemed the ground fit for play to start at noon and why an injury beyond the boundary had prompted the decision that the playing area was unfit two hours after precisely the opposite judgement had been reached.But in a month when simplicity will become a dull watchword this was an example of one of cricket’s unavoidable complexities. Although rain had fallen for twelve hours with barely a break on Monday, Headingley was ready for a twelve o’clock start, only for the seam bowlers’ boots landing on the same spots in their run-ups to bring up water, especially in the area that lies in the shadow of Emerald Stand. To link Leech’s injury to the decision to come off the field is a good illustration of the problems encountered when one applies the principle of “post hoc, ergo propter hoc” too rigidly. Apparently Llong had already raised the issue of the footmarks with his colleague and the situation was being carefully monitored when the injury occurred.It was also significant that the judgement of the umpires was firmly supported by the both counties’ head coaches. Although delighted that his team are dominating this match – visiting teams do not get to 411 for 2 too frequently at Headingley – Lancashire’s Glen Chapple endorsed Gould and Llong’s judgement.”We had a lot of rain yesterday and we got here this morning and the ground was still wet,” he said. “The best I can give you is that maybe the heat has brought more moisture up and it’s gone from being just playable to not playable. It’s disappointing for the players and supporters but unfortunately the ground’s not fit at the moment.”The umpires are doing their job and it’s their call to make. None of us have been down the end that’s causing the problem and I fully trust the umpires to make the right call. The players and our supporters will be very disappointed but the main thing from all this is that you don’t want to see someone injured badly and we all hope he recovers quickly.”Related

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• Dead game, and dread circumstances, haunt final throes of Durham bore-draw

Like his Lancastrian counterpart Andrew Gale’s first thought was for Leech, who had received his second-team Yorkshire cap before yesterday’s play and whose bowling was being watched by his father and girlfriend. However he also understood the nuanced judgement that the umpires had had to make”You have to feel for the lad,” he said. “It’s the first game he’s played in the first team this year. But Dom’s a tough cookie – he’s from Middlesbrough – and he was in a lot of pain. It was sad to see. Hopefully he’ll be ok.”You have two of the most experienced umpires in the country, so whatever decision they make is what’s right by the game. They felt that as the day went on and there was more traffic on that side of the pitch and the run-ups, it was bringing water up. Umpires with their experience probably didn’t want a situation where someone like a Jimmy Anderson runs in and rolls his ankle. They didn’t think it was fit for play and fair play to Lancashire because they’re bossing the game and they seemed okay about it.”Yorkshire have encountered problems at the Emerald Stand End of Headingley before, most notably in April 2018 when the game against Essex was abandoned without a ball being bowled, and yesterday’s events will clearly stiffen the intention to get the problem solved. Shortly after the abandonment the Club issued a further statement which ended as follows:”Analysis of the outfield at that end has previously taken place and has identified issues with a layer of thatch that can cause a build-up of water on the surface following heavy rain-fall. The Club had originally planned to get the outfield re-laid prior to the 2021 season but unfortunately difficulties arising due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in this being delayed. The Club intend on completing this work at the end of this season.”All of which leaves us with the Roses Match, the details of which are rightly overshadowed on days such as this. But it should perhaps be noted that Luke Wells and Josh Bohannon extended their third-wicket partnership to 156 in the 23.2 overs we were allowed and that both batsmen looked in almost complete command. True, Bohannon was dropped on 11 by Harry Brook at first slip off Leech but he later slapped Jordan Thompson over cover for six and pulled the same bowler for four a few balls later, shots which not only took the Boltonian to his half-century but also raised the remote chance that Lancashire might pick up a fourth bonus point.As it was Lancashire had to settle for a score of 342 for 2 after 110 overs. It is the first time since the game in 2011 at Hove that Yorkshire have gained no bowling points from a match in which they had inserted the opposition and bowled their full ration of overs. If this gave Steve Patterson something to ponder, he soon had something else on his mind when Gould warned him for running on the pitch. By the end of the day, though, such cautions were as nothing when set against the health of a fine young cricketer.

Her one-time coach Muslim Uddin passed away soon after the team had arrived in Australia

Annesha Ghosh in Melbourne29-Feb-2020Tears streamed down Bangladesh medium-pacer Ritu Moni’s face at the Junction Oval’s press conference room as she took her mind back to where her journey began – Bogra – and to Muslim Uddin, the man who helped her live her dream.It is in Bogra, a northwestern city in Bangladesh, that the dreams of many of the team’s current women’s cricketers started taking shape under local coach Muslim. As Moni, one of Muslim’s students, reflected on the career-best 4 for 18 – also the best so far at the ongoing T20 World Cup – she picked up against New Zealand on Saturday, memories of a personal loss – Muslim’s death on February 10 – left her sobbing inconsolably.ALSO READ: The toilet leading a women’s cricket revo-loo-tion“I started training under him and I am here today because of him,” Moni said after Bangladesh’s 17-run loss. “He passed away soon after we arrived in Australia for the World Cup. It is a big loss for all of us, considering how he helped so many of us to realise our dream of playing for Bangladesh. He was a great person, and has played a big part in my life.”We were to play a practice match a few days after his death, and it was quite difficult for me to get over the shock. But I told myself, ‘Muslim sir showed a lot of confidence in me. I must try to do my best in the tournament because it would be the best I can do for him.’ If he were alive today, he would have been able to see this day in my life.”In an international career spanning nearly eight years, Moni, now 27, has made 45 international appearances, scoring 292 runs and taking 17 wickets across the white-ball formats. The defining moment of her career, though, arrived on Sunday, her maiden four-for orchestrating New Zealand’s biggest collapse in T20Is – 8 for 25 – from the fall of the third wicket.By the innings break, Moni’s exploits, complemented brilliantly by captain Salma Khatun’s 3 for 7, had begun inspiring hopes of an unlikely upset in Group A as New Zealand set Bangladesh a modest target of 92.New Zealand’s slide began with the dismissal of Suzie Bates, their leading run-scorer in the format. Hurled at a gentle pace hovering just above 90kph, Moni’s inswinger on off had enough benignity to lure Bates to aim towards midwicket, only for her to lose her middle stump. Bates’ wicket in the 13th over was followed by Katey Matin’s in the next as she holed out to point, in a bid to force some pace on a slow, sun-baked Junction Oval track. It wasn’t long before Moni’s control and slowness through the air earned her two wickets in her fourth – and the innings’ 19th – over, with Fargana Hoque taking a stunning catch diving forward and Fahima Khatun gobbling up Amelia Kerr’s square drive with ease.”I didn’t do much, to be honest; just maintained my line and length,” Moni said, praising the role played by head coach Anju Jain and assistant coach Devika Palshikar, both former India players, in her growth as a medium-pacer. “Devika ma’am has been of incredible help. She makes sure that at the nets I am focused on my line and length. She asks me to bowl in, say, one area over after over.”And Anju ma’am says the same thing about bowling in my block, you know, to not try anything fancy. Sometimes simple and uncomplicated bowling can get you wickets, break partnerships, so that has been one instruction from our coaches I have tried to respect.”And Javed Omar [the former Bangladesh men’s Test cricketer, who was appointed manager of the women’s team last year] has also encouraged me to believe in myself. I hope that the confidence I have got from today’s performance takes me ahead in the future.”

England coach declares Jonny Bairstow No.3 experiment is ‘over’

George Dobell13-Feb-2019England’s top-order struggles could make it very difficult for Ben Foakes to win a Test recall, Trevor Bayliss believes.While England have attempted, at various times, to mould Joe Root, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow into a Test No. 3, the team management have now accepted that all of them belong in the middle-order. As a result, there seems to be no room for Foakes who made a Test century in Galle in November and was later named man of the series.So, while England’s hunt for a settled top three continues, Bayliss said they had decided not to weaken a strength and to stick with their middle-order – from No. 4 to No. 8 – and not try to adapt them. That means their Ashes line-up – injuries notwithstanding – is likely to see Root at No. 4, Jos Buttler at No. 5, Ben Stokes at No. 6, Bairstow at No. 7 and keeping wicket and Moeen at No. 8.”We’ve known for a while what our best four to eight is,” he said. “But we make no apologies for trying to fit our best eight batters into a team. That meant trying to find a No. 3 out of those guys. Obviously it hasn’t worked for one or two reasons but four through to eight has been successful in the past and we’ve gone back to that.”Yes, that means the experiment of batting Jonny at No. 3 is over. And yes, that is unfortunately bad news for Foakes.”While Bayliss believed Foakes could force his way into consideration as a specialist batsman – by the time the last Ashes series ended in Australia, Foakes was considered first batting reserve, ahead of Gary Ballance – he would also keep pressure upon Bairstow for the gloves. For now, though, it seems it has been decided there is no place in the side for both of them.”Foakes is obviously a very good keeper,” Bayliss said, “but I think we’ve also discovered someone who can put pressure on that middle order from a batting point of view.”Although Bayliss accepted the struggles of England’s top three were “well documented” he insisted all of them retained a decent chance of playing in the Ashes. Not only are they “the incumbents”, in Bayliss’ words, but it would require county batsmen to score heavily to displace them.”The struggles of the top three is well documented,” he said. “They’ve all shown what they can do but it’s about doing it more regularly. Those three guys are incumbents in those positions, I suppose. If they come out and score as heavily as they have done in the last few years in county cricket, then it might be difficult to look past them.”That definitely includes [Keaton] Jennings. He’s made two Test hundreds and has been one of the heaviest scorers in county cricket. If he comes out and scores a lot of runs in the early matches of the season and no-one else does, then there might not be a decision to make.”We’ve seen what he’s capable of but at the moment he’s lacking some confidence. It’s not easy when everyone is talking about your position and he’s coming to terms with that as well.”Hopefully there are some names out there who can score heavily in the county season to give us a choice to make.”Among those names could be Jason Roy, though he will be in IPL and World Cup action for much of the time, as well as Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and James Vince. The chances of a recall for Ian Bell seem more remote.Jason Roy shapes for the slog sweep•Getty Images

“Roy could be a Test player, yes,” Bayliss said. “He’s one of the names that’s been spoken about [by the selectors] over the last six to nine months. James Vince is another one. Ian Bell not as many times.”There’s a couple of names who’ve done well in county cricket over a number of years that have been spoken about. If those two guys come out and score runs they’ll be in the mix as well.”The younger guys, too, are starting to put their names up in lights. There were a couple on the Lions tour: Pope, who’s obviously played before, and Duckett have done well.”With county cricket failing to produce the top-order batsmen required for the Test game, Bayliss also became the latest to question the domestic schedule. He suggested it may make sense to start the Championship season a little later.”In early season it is very difficult to produce flatter wickets,” he said. “So it’s not easy for batsmen.”It doesn’t necessarily help the good fast bowlers or the spinners playing on softer, greener wickets, either.”Maybe you should play some one-day games in the first few weeks of the season just to put the start of the four-day competition back. One day wickets are normally flat and they use a kookaburra ball in that format.”England took the day off on Wednesday. The limited-overs squad fly to Barbados on Thursday, while most of the Test squad will go home.

There was no victory for England, but Joe Root could at least take consolation from a side that had finally competed with Australia

George Dobell in Melbourne30-Dec-2017Joe Root believes England “outplayed” Australia in Melbourne despite being unable to force victory on the final day.Thwarted by a lifeless pitch and another outstanding display of batting by Steve Smith, in particular, England had to settle for a draw at the MCG. But while that result at least ends talk of another whitewash, Root admitted to some frustration at not being able to clinch a win.And while he accepted that England had been outplayed in the first three Tests, he hoped that the improved showing in Melbourne would provide the injection of confidence which could help them win the final Test in Sydney.”I thought we outplayed them this game,” Root told BT Sport. “I know it’s a draw but it’s something to move forward with and come away from Sydney with a win. We have to go one better there.”It’s been a tough tour and we’ve been outplayed in three games. But to come off three very difficult games and put in a performance like that is very pleasing. It’s a fairer reflection of where we are as a side.”Finally, we’ve proved, more than anything to ourselves, that we are a good enough side to compete over here and it’s such a shame that it’s taken until now. But we’ve always known there wasn’t much between the sides and that’s the really frustrating thing for me. We are a better team than we have shown on this trip”It is frustrating that we have not managed to force a win. We did everything we could on a very flat wicket that was not offering the bowlers very much at all. There was no pace and no spin and if we played for another four days it would be exactly the same. We exhausted every option.”Root was particularly pleased with the character and effort shown by his team. After the disappointment of relinquishing the Ashes at Perth, England saw Australia rush to 122 without loss not long after lunch on the first day in Melbourne. It seemed, at that moment, as if Australia might steamroll England over the last portion of the tour.But instead, England took a first innings lead as Alastair Cook emphatically returned to form. And while the bowlers had little job in the fourth innings, Root could not fault an effort which saw James Anderson deliver 59 overs in the match.Joe Root looks pensive as a draw beckons•Getty Images

“On that wicket to get them 327 all out in the first innings was a great effort from our bowlers,” Root said. “After the start Australia had, to get back into that first day and produce the two sessions we did showed real courage and skill.”I’m very proud of the way we went about it. There was obviously a lot of disappointment leaving Perth. We knew we had underperformed and a lot of guys had points to prove.”But I would never question the character of our squad. The way we apply ourselves, the application and attitude is always there. To put in a performance as good as that is extremely pleasing for me as a captain. You can see the desire is there and knowing we can make big scores and bowl Australia out on an unresponsive wicket will give the guys a lot of confidence.”Root was especially pleased with the return to form of Cook. Cook bounced back from a grim run which had seen him fail to reach 40 in 10 Test innings by becoming the first England player to carry his bat in a Test this century and registering the highest score in history by an overseas batsman at the MCG.”He’s looked as good as I’ve seen him for a long time,” Root said. “He’s renowned for his concentration but the way he struck the ball, especially down the ground, that’s as good as he plays. At no point did he look flustered or out of control. That is as well as I have seen him drive the ball for a long time.”Root also had encouraging words for Moeen Ali who is now averaging 135 with the ball and 19.42 with the bat in the series.”Moeen has struggled this week but he is a fine player,” Root told the BBC. “Like other guys, he has proven before when it is not going his way he is able to wrestle it back in his favour. He will have a big future for England. It is important that everyone knows that.”