Category Uncategorized

When his team-mates were a distance from their best, the offie held the fort with a lengthy old-ball spell

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Dec-2021Seven bowling innings, 21 Test wickets, and on a day in which the left-arm spinners went missing in stretches, an outstanding 6 for 70, which brings the average down to 23.52. If you’d followed Ramesh Mendis at first-class level or in the Sri Lanka A side, you might have thought – oh, here’s a decent batting allrounder who can do the job with the ball.But Sri Lanka has a knack of finding spinners in unusual places (though, to be fair it must also be said that Sri Lanka tracks have a knack of making hotshot spinners out of almost anyone – Kraigg Brathwaite has a six-wicket haul at the P Sara Oval). And on Wednesday, Mendis was diligent, where Lasith Embuldeniya and Praveen Jayawickrama had been loose. Where the lefties missed their lengths, letting the batters rock back to crash the ball square too often, Mendis worked the pitch like an accountant with a set of tax forms – his work conscientious, repetitive, light on the glam. Just like this answer to the question, “what is it that brought you success, on arguably the best day of his career so far?”‘The pitch wasn’t turning as much as we thought it would, from even the afternoon yesterday,” Mendis said. “So we got together with the coaches and the plan was to bowl a lot of dot balls, and bowl just to one spot. We didn’t have a lot of runs to defend. I just put the ball in the right place.”If that’s a workaday answer to match a workaday style, the impact of his big spell certainly wasn’t. West Indies were only 24 runs behind at that stage, and had six first-innings wickets in hand. They bat deep, Joshua da Silva coming in at No. 8. How big was the lead going to be? Triple-figures? In Galle, those leads don’t get ate up in the back end of a Test. Sri Lanka had denied West Indies a win on the island for almost 30 years. Brian Lara, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Richie Richardson – they’ve all been here, and not all the Sri Lanka sides they met were strong. If Sri Lanka were going to be decked on their home turf, was it really going to be by West Indies team?But Mendis had been putting in the work. Either side of lunch, he bowled 20 overs unchanged with a barely-responsive old ball, giving only 35 runs away. Just after drinks in the second session, he switched ends, took the second new ball. And just as Veerasammy Permaul and Jomel Warrican had found on day two, if you can blow one batter down, at Galle you could spin yourself to a tornado of wickets. Roston Chase was first to go, the ball spitting more than he expected with its hard new seam, the catch flying to leg slip. Hope went two Mendis overs later, hit in front, clipping leg. And then, two in two (which Mendis had made happen in the first Test of this series as well); Jason Holder hit in front, the doughty da Silva bowled by one that didn’t turn.Four wickets in the space of 17 runs for West Indies; four in the space of 19 balls for Mendis – look, you get it, this spell was not game-turning necessarily, because we don’t know where we wind up on Friday, but it was, at the very least a significant veering away from the set course.If you’re looking for a “the coming of Sri Lanka’s next spin hope” type conclusion, we’re too smart, been burned before, don’t understand the selectors, and so we don’t do that here. (Remember that other Mendis?) But, okay, here are some bright nuggets. Athough West Indies have seven right-handers in their top eight, Mendis, who turns the ball into them, has still been Sri Lanka’s best spinner of the series (all six of his victims in this innings were right-handers). With a tour of India, and home Test series against Australia and Pakistan coming up next year, Mendis is collecting for himself a happy mound of confidence.Plus, he’s got a first-class batting average of more than 40, you know, so it’s possible we have not seen the best of his batting yet. By his own admission, he’s been asked to play more as a bowling allrounder in the national side, and so far, in his four Tests, that is exactly what he has seemed.But Sri Lanka have three young spinners on the go now, and on Wednesday, when two of them were a distance from their best, the offie held the fort with a lengthy old-ball spell, and when the new one was thrown to him, broke through big.

Liverpool were comprehensively beaten by Manchester City on Sunday. That’s five defeats from six in the Premier League for Arne Slot’s side, and the crisis switch has been flicked back on.

As things stand, there are fears that the eighth-place Reds face an uphill battle to seal a top-four (or top-five, depending on UEFA coefficients), much less challenge against Arsenal and the resurgent Citizens for the throne they so spectacularly won last year.

This is a pale imitation of that title-winning team, and though Pep Guardiola tactically dismantled Slot and his men at the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool continue to come unstuck by their own self-destructive tendencies.

So sluggish and limp against City on Sunday. Liverpool’s press was non-existent, and neither has the stable framework of recent years been in sight since the summer.

But, right at the very epicentre of all this is Ibrahima Konate, who was targeted by the Sky Blues at the weekend and it worked out for them and then some as they sent Liverpool packing, having shipped three.

Why Konate is such a big problem for Liverpool

Against Manchester City, Konate took 88 touches of the ball, whereas captain Virgil van Dijk was in possession 58 times, data via Sofascore.

That tells the tale. Guardiola set his side up to put pressure on Liverpool’s France centre-back and he was unable to respond, having been at fault for the early penalty that Giorgi Mamardashvili saved and then again when Erling Haaland rose and scored soon after.

This is a defender whose form has gone beyond out of sorts. Konate is failing to do the basics, and he is now being preyed upon by opposition coaches. Sky Sports fan voice Lewis Anderson commented after the match that the 26-year-old “needs dropping like a hot stone”, given his consistent inconsistency this season.

But who to replace him? In spite of Liverpool’s thrilling transfer window success this summer, the lateness of their concerted effort to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace ended with FSG empty-handed, for the Eagles played hardball after struggling to find a suitable replacement.

Konate is one of the biggest flashpoints within Slot’s squad right now, and he needs to be dropped. Options are slim, admittedly, but there’s one man who will fancy his chances of taking the powerful defender’s place in the starting line-up in the future, albeit not for a while as he recovers from injury.

The teen who can end Konate's Liverpool career

There was a real buzz around Anfield when sporting director Richard Hughes swept over to Italy and returned with one of the region’s most prodigious talents in Giovanni Leoni.

The 18-year-old joined for a £26m and had also been sought after by the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle United.

However, this fairytale move to Liverpool quickly devolved into a nightmare for the Italian centre-back, who ruptured his ACL on his debut against Southampton in September, the severity of which is so great that Slot said afterwards that he would be sidelined for around a year.

From a wider perspective, this has been a damaging blow for a Liverpool backline lacking depth and balance. Moreover, Konate’s abject performances have left him droppable, save for the threadbare defensive line that is now forcing Slot’s hand.

With Konate out of contract at the end of the season and attracting interest from heavyweights such as Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, Liverpool chiefs face a decision as they continue to probe in discussions to try and make a breakthrough, extending the £70k-per-week talent’s stay on Merseyside.

However, could Konate’s departure on a free transfer actually be a scenario that would not prove detrimental? After all, Van Dijk is sticking around for a while longer, and when Leoni returns, he could establish himself as the next big thing.

After all, he caught the eye against Saints before that bitter injury.

Giovanni Leoni vs Southampton
Match Stats	#
Minutes played	81′
Touches	102
Accurate passes	88/91 (97%)
Possession lost	3x
Recoveries	3
Tackles won	0/1
Interceptions	3
Clearances	6
Ground duels	1/2
Aerial duels	3/3
Data via Sofascore

Hailed as a “Rolls-Royce” of a defender who can “be the leader of that defence” in spite of his youth by one content creator, Leoni’s season-ending injury on his senior debut for Liverpool can only be described as agonisingly unfair.

But it has happened, and nothing can change that. The defender’s road to recovery is long indeed, but there remains every expectation on Merseyside that he will bounce back and realise his potential.

And, with the data analysts sure to be mulling over Konate’s future as the end of his contract edges ever nearer, we might even see that stance on the Les Bleus star slacken.

Crystal Palace’s Guehi remains a top target, and Leoni showed a glimpse of his quality in less than 90 minutes of football this season, proving he has what it takes to slip into his struggling senior peer’s seat.

Van Dijk must rally his Liverpool forces across the remainder of the campaign and ensure that this brutal dip in form does not fester and linger as a wider, more damaging issue.

However, this acclimatisation period of new signings struggling to bed into life under Slot’s wing will not go on forever, however interminable it seems right now.

But there’s no denying more is needed, and if Konate cannot bring himself together over the coming months, it’s hard to envisage Liverpool offering new and improved terms.

And given Leoni took to his Liverpool role like a duck to water before disaster struck, there’s every chance he will respond next season in a more stable tactical set-up, quickly vindicating the potential decision to let Konate leave when his contract expires this summer.

As bad as Salah: Liverpool flop who lost 100% duels must be on borrowed time

This Liverpool star who was as bad as Mo Salah against Manchester City must be on borrowed time in the starting XI.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 10, 2025

History is against West Indies – they last won a Test in NZ in 1995 – and they have more questions than answers when it comes to their playing XI

Deivarayan Muthu01-Dec-2025

Kane Williamson has tapered back his international commitments, having also retired from T20Is•Getty Images

Big picture – all eyes on Kane WilliamsonThe Christchurch Test against West Indies will mark the start of New Zealand’s World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle and Kane Williamson’s return to Test cricket.Williamson’s previous Test was in December last year, and quite a lot has happened since.He has tapered back his international commitments, playing more games for others during this period. He has also retired from T20Is, and the entire cricketing landscape seems to be changing in New Zealand as well, with plans being developed for a T20 league in the country in 2027.After the three-match Test series against West Indies, New Zealand fans may have to wait until late 2026 to watch Williamson in Test action at home again (if he continues to play on). This is a rare chance for them, then, as speculation around his international future grows.Related

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While New Zealand have won 11 ODI series in a row at home, their recent home Test record isn’t as formidable. They have won just two of their last seven home series, with one of those coming against a second-string South Africa side. A number of New Zealand players are currently injured – or working their way back from injuries – but despite that, they will start as favourites because West Indies have bigger problems to deal with.Both the Josephs – Alzarri and Shamar – are nursing injuries, and West Indies have sent an SOS to Kemar Roach, who hasn’t played Test cricket since January. They have also called up Ojay Shields, a former high-school PE teacher. While Jayden Seales is available for this Test series, before joining the ILT20 in the UAE, there are serious concerns around West Indies’ depth, or lack of it.John Campbell and Shai Hope offered a sliver of hope with the bat in decent batting conditions against India in Delhi, but can they do the job on potentially green pitches in New Zealand? Who should be their No. 3, Alick Athanaze or Brandon King? Can West Indies relieve Hope of wicketkeeping duties, trust Tevin Imlach, and find the right balance? Johann Layne or Anderson Phillip? The visitors find themselves with more questions than answers.History is also against West Indies: the last time they won a Test in New Zealand was way back in 1995.An on-song Jayden Seales can single-handedly carve up batting line-ups with his swing, bounce and control•AFP/Getty Images

Form guideNew Zealand: WWWLL
West Indies: LLLLLIn the spotlight: Tom Latham and Jayden SealesSince leading New Zealand to a historic 3-0 sweep of India in India in November last year, Tom Latham has endured a difficult time. He oversaw New Zealand’s 2-1 defeat to England at home last December and then missed the Zimbabwe Test series with injury. His last Test hundred came in December 2022, but he has some recent form on his side, having compiled a half-century for Canterbury in the second round of the Plunket Shield. Prior to that, Latham had hit two fifties in three innings in the one-day Ford Trophy, which had kicked off New Zealand’s domestic seasonJayden Seales barely found support at the other end in India, and could face a similar scenario in New Zealand. But an on-song Seales can single-handedly carve up batting line-ups with his swing, bounce and control. His battle against Williamson is one to watch out for – the two have never faced each other in international cricket before.Against West Indies, New Zealand will have to choose between Devon Conway and Will Young•Zimbabwe Cricket

Team news: Devon Conway or Will Young?With Williamson back, New Zealand will have to choose between Devon Conway and Will Young. On the bowling front, they might also have to choose between Jacob Duffy and Blair Tickner. Local boy Zak Foulkes addressed the media on the eve of the game, which was perhaps a hint that he may play. Daryl Mitchell, one of the mainstays of the batting line-up, has recovered from a groin injury that had kept him out of the last two ODIs against West Indies.New Zealand (probable): 1 Tom Latham (capt), 2 Devon Conway/Will Young, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Rachin Ravindra, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Tom Blundell (wk), 7 Mitchell Santner/Michael Bracewell, 8 Zak Foulkes, 9 Nathan Smith, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Jacob Duffy/Blair TicknerWest Indies’ team management had suggested they had picked Alick Athanaze in India for his ability to counter spin. In seam-friendly New Zealand, they might consider bringing back Brandon King, who is proficient against pace, and leaving out left-arm fingerspinner Jomel Warrican for an extra seamer. It remains to be seen if Jamaican fast bowler Shields gets a debut at 29. Captain Roston Chase could pitch in with his offspin when the quicks need a break.West Indies (probable): 1 John Campbell, 2 Tagenarine Chanderpaul, 3 Alick Athanaze/Brandon King, 4 Shai Hope, 5 Kavem Hodge, 6 Roston Chase (capt), 7 Tevin Imlach (wk), 8 Justin Greaves, 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Jayden Seales, 11 Johann Layne/Anderson Phillip/Ojay ShieldsNew Zealand have beaten West Indies in their last five Tests•Associated Press

Pitch and conditionsThe conditions at Hagley Oval aid swing, though New Zealand surfaces are often misleading with the grass at the toss rarely lasting much beyond the first session. The weather is likely to be clear on the first day, but some showers have been forecast for the second in Christchurch.Stats and trivia Matt Henry has a good Test record at his domestic home ground: 36 wickets in seven games at an average of 23.91, including two five-fors. Since his debut in November 2022, Tagenarine Chanderpaul has faced 1564 balls in Test cricket. Only Kraigg Brathwaite (2376) has faced more balls than Chanderpaul for West Indies during this period. New Zealand have beaten West Indies in their last five Tests, including three innings wins at home.Quotes”It’s the purest form of the game, really, and it’s the first Test series for me at home, and I’m really excited. In December, the Test cricket arena is always the best time of the year, and [this is] certainly a format this team prides itself on playing well.”
“Any bowler will want to come in these conditions and bowl because it’s not too hot. So when it’s nice and cool, the fast bowlers like to bowl very long. The ball is bouncing and seaming around, so the guys are very happy about that and ready to bowl.”

Australian has extensive experience playing in UK and joins after successful summer with Somerset

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2025

Amanda-Jade Wellington turned out for Somerset in 2025•Andrew Miller

Hampshire have recruited Australia allrounder Amanda-Jade Wellington as one of their overseas players for the 2026 season.Wellington, 28, has previous experience of playing at the Utilita Bowl with Southern Brave in the Hundred – she is the second-highest wicket-taker across five seasons of the competition – and joins after a successful campaign with Somerset in the inaugural women’s Tier 1 season earlier this year.”I’m really excited to join Hampshire for the upcoming season,” Wellington said. “I had a great time at Utilita Bowl in my two years at Southern Brave and I look forward to catching up with familiar faces and making new memories which will hopefully result in trophies come end the end of the summer.”Related

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An attacking legspinner and capable batter, Wellington has played 23 times for Australia across all formats, but not since 2022. She is expected to be available throughout the summer for Hampshire.Regional director of women’s cricket, Adam Carty, said: “We’re really pleased to secure Amanda-Jade for the whole of next season. She’s a friend of the club and a vastly experienced cricketer, who boasts a fine record with bat and ball in England having featured effectively in the Hundred and in Tier 1.”We look forward to welcoming her back to Utilita Bowl in 2026.”

Chelsea kept their unbeaten November form going in both the Premier League and Champions League with a straightforward 2-0 victory away at Burnley on Saturday lunchtime.

Pedro Neto picked up his sixth goal contribution of the league season when handing the travelling Blues the 1-0 lead, before Enzo Fernandez made sure of all three points late on when he gobbled up a chance on the 88th minute that was all Marc Guiu’s making from off the bench.

Away from the goalscorers mentioned, Andrey Santos also stood out in the midfield ranks, with Enzo Maresca no doubt ready to select the 21-year-old more often, off the back of such an assured showing at Turf Moor.

Santos' performance in numbers

The number 17 was thrown into the starting XI in Lancashire, with Moises Caicedo rested back in Premier League action, after lining up for Ecuador deep into the international break.

Thankfully, Caicedo’s absence wasn’t felt whatsoever, as Santos’ individual showing was described as “outstanding” at the full-time whistle by former Stamford Bridge great Joe Cole.

Indeed, the 21-year-old came into the side and looked right at home in Caicedo’s midfield anchor role, winning seven duels and two tackles to really boost the Blues centrally when Burnley attempted to work openings.

On top of that, Santos looked assured and comfortable on the ball, too, without ever really looking flashy with 34 passes accurately registered.

While Maresca will take plenty away from Santos’ polished showing, with one Chelsea content creator stating that he was “everywhere”, he did need the likes of Neto to come up trumps with a moment of quality in attack to seal the win, away from the Brazilian, allowing the visitors to tick.

While Santos has previously showcased an eye for goal and demonstrated his qualities as a box-crashing 8, he’s not the only Blues star evoking memories of Stamford Bridge royalty in Frank Lampard.

Chelsea star could be Maresca's Lampard

Come the end of his illustrious Premier League career, Lampard would bag 177 top-flight goals, with the former Blues captain having a great habit of sneaking into the box and finishing off chances expertly.

Romelu Lukaku would even hail Lampard as an “unbelievable” finisher of chances when reminiscing about his brief time in the Chelsea first team alongside the modern great.

In the here and now, the aforementioned Fernandez also has a similarly impactful knack to be able to finish off chances, with Guiu playing a late pass into a dangerous space up against Burnley, knowing that his captain could be there to kill the game off.

After all, that’s amazingly Fernandez’s fourth Premier League goal of the season already, meaning the World Cup-winning star is now Chelsea’s joint-top goalscorer in league action for the season with Neto, which is an accolade Lampard would regularly claim during his celebrated stay in West London.

Yet, there is far more to both the Argentine’s game and Lampard’s game away from scoring big goals, with pundit Micah Richards going out of his way to hail the £107 man as having “everything” in his locker now to be a “leader” at Chelsea earlier in the season.

Enzo’s league numbers (25/26)
Stat (* = 90 mins)	Fernandez
Games played	11
Goals scored	4
Assists	1
Touches*	70.7
Accurate passes*	46.5 (85%)
Shots*	2.2
Big chances missed	4
Key passes*	1.8
Big chances created	4
Ball recoveries*	3.9
Total duels won*	3.9
Stats by Sofascore

The table above very much backs up Richards’ assessment of Fernandez being a complete midfield talent worthy of wearing Chelsea’s club armband, with an energy present in his game that matches that of Santos, with 3.9 ball recoveries averaged and 3.9 duels won per game this season in league action.

However, it is his ability to fashion chances galore and score plentiful goals that really does make that comparison to Lampard even stronger, with Fernandez beating the likes of Cole Palmer to the top prize when it comes to most goal contributions tallied up for the Blues over the last year, as the 24-year-old now sits on a weighty 21 goal contributions, next to the Englishman’s 15.

Fernandez also has a taste for silverware now, too, having lifted the Club World Cup in the summer, as he strives to lift Premier League titles like those before him, with Santos also wanting to mature into a consistent first-team star next to him.

Enzo Maresca now driving Chelsea move for "incredible" £79m Premier League star

The Italian is looking to sign a new defender, who is viewed as an ideal fit for his system.

By
Dominic Lund

Nov 23, 2025

Glasgow Rangers decided to part ways with head coach Russell Martin last month after a dismal start to the season, which saw them win five of 17 matches in all competitions.

The Light Blues endured a dismal time on the pitch for the majority of his tenure, losing more than they won and conceding more goals than they scored.

Along with that, several of the club’s signings in the summer transfer window failed to make much of an impact for the former Southampton manager, including Thelo Aasgaard.

Why Thelo Aasgard has not been a successful signing

The Norway international was signed on a permanent deal from Luton Town in the summer, but he was unable to provide a single goal or assist as an attacking midfielder for Martin.

Aasgaard’s only goal in 16 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues so far this season came against Dundee United in Stevie Smith’s match as the interim manager before Danny Rohl arrived at Ibrox.

Hibernian

Danny Rohl

0 + 1

Kilmarnock

Danny Rohl

0 + 0

Dundee United

Stevie Smith

1 + 4

Falkirk

Russell Martin

0 + 0

Livingston

Russell Martin

0 + 0

Hearts

Russell Martin

0 + 1

Celtic

Russell Martin

0 + 0

St Mirren

Russell Martin

0 + 0

As you can see in the table above, the English-born midfielder flopped under Martin in the Scottish Premiership, and has yet to produce the goods for Rohl.

The 23-year-old flop was then sent off against Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup at Hampden Park on Sunday, as he continues to struggle at Ibrox.

After that red card, Rohl should bring another player who flopped under Martin into the side, as Nedim Bajrami could be even better than the ex-Luton man.

Why Nedim Bajrami should be unleashed by Danny Rohl

The Albania international only played 195 minutes of football for the Scottish manager, per Sofascore, and made five appearances off the bench without managing a goal, an assist, or a key pass.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Bajrami was described as “anonymous” in a game last season by content creator Stevie Clifford, and that is exactly what he was throughout Martin’s reign.

However, the former Sassuolo man did show signs of promise when given opportunities to impress in the Scottish Premiership and the Europa League by Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson in the 2024/25 campaign.

Starts

15

8

Goals

2

1

Key passes per game

1.0

1.3

Big chances created

4

6

Assists

1

0

Dribbles completed per game

1.0

1.5

As you can see in the table above, Bajrami created ten ‘big chances’ in 23 starts across both competitions, but was only rewarded with one assist for his creative efforts.

This suggests that he was let down by poor finishing from his teammates, rather than it being a lack of creativity on his part, which is why Rohl should provide him with a chance to show what he can do in Aasgaard’s place.

After the clash with Roma in the Europa League this evening, Rohl should bring Bajrami into the starting line-up for the match against Dundee on Sunday, as he has the potential to provide more creativity than Aasgaard has.

The Norway international has failed to create a single ‘big chance’ in 809 minutes this season, per Sofascore, whilst the Albanian star created 11 in 2,330 minutes in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign.

Rohl can unearth his own Osmand by finally unleashing Rangers' "Boy Wonder"

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This suggests that Rohl could unleash a more effective player than Aasgaard by bringing Bajrami into his XI to feature more prominently than he did under Martin, when he was completely anonymous due to his lack of game time.

After 40 years, it appears a chapter of the Minnesota Twins' history is set to close.

The Pohlad family is exploring the sale of the team, according to a Thursday morning report from Phil Miller of . Per Miller and other reporters, the Pohlads have retained Allen & Company—an investment bank—to that end.

"Our family reached a decision this summer to explore selling the Twins," executive chair Joe Pohlad announced Thursday via Miller.

Minnesota has been in the family since 1984, when financier Carl Pohlad purchased the team from Calvin Griffith for a quaint $44 million; the franchise had been in the Griffith family since 1920, when Clark Griffith bought a controlling interest in the Washington Senators.

The Twins have won two World Series titles under the Pohlads' stewardship, beating the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987 and the Atlanta Braves in 1991. They also survived rumblings of contraction in the early 2000s, ultimately becoming one of that decade's most successful clubs.

Minnesota—valued by at a little under $1.5 billion in March—went 82-80 and missed the playoffs in 2024.

Bangladesh’s batters need to take on more responsibility, according to opener Tanzid Hasan. He was one of two batters to score a half-century against Sri Lanka two days ago, before a dramatic collapse led to a 77-run loss in the first ODI in Colombo.Tanzid said that Bangladesh could have chased 245 – their target on Wednesday – had he and Najmul Hossain Shanto managed to extend their 71-run second-wicket stand. It was Shanto’s run-out, followed by Tanzid’s dismissal later in the same over, that sparked Bangladesh’s implosion: 7 for 5 in just 26 balls.”We had a long discussion about the last match,” Tanzid said. “The coaches told us that on a wicket like this, those who get set need to finish things off since it’s hard for new batters to adjust. They have top quality spinners in their side, so those who are set need to bat as long as possible.Related

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Those words carry extra weight on the eve of the second ODI which will be taking place at the same venue, the R Premadasa stadium. “The way the wicket is behaving, if someone gets set, he needs to play a long innings and take the team home,” Tanzid said. “Shanto and I, the way we were batting at that time, if we had stayed for another 10-15 overs, the match would have been much easier. Just one message for the next match: for those who are new to the wicket, it’s a bit difficult at first, but set batters need to bat long, bat deep, and take the game to the end.”Tanzid said Bangladesh need to be more mindful of individual match-ups. He explained that the left-handers should have taken more of the strike against the Wanindu Hasaranga, who ran riot during the collapse. The legspinner finished with figures of 4 for 10.”The left-hand batters need to take as much strike as possible since he [Hasaranga] is less effective against left-handers compared to right-handers. So, a few pieces of information like that were given to us, which might help us in the next match.”When Tanzid and Shanto – both left-handers – were batting together, Bangladesh looked comfortable. The pair struck 12 boundaries between them, forcing Sri Lanka captain Charith Asalanka to keep Hasaranga out of the attack. Tanzid, however, said he doesn’t rate his 62 too highly.”I don’t think I played well,” he said. “I didn’t fulfill the team’s requirements. If I had, then I would have said that I played well. But there is a chance to make a comeback. It’s a three-match series. One match is done. The next one is important. If we can make a comeback, then , we will still be in contention.”Bangladesh are also under pressure to break a eight-month-long winless streak in ODIs. They have lost seven matches in a row during this time (not counting one that was abandoned to rain in Rawalpindi in February). Additionally, they are missing two of their most experienced batters, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah — a void that was clearly felt in the first game. Bangladesh’s middle order (positions 4 to 6) contributed just one run: Litton Das and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz were dismissed for ducks, while Towhid Hridoy managed just one.This was Bangladesh’s lowest middle-order contribution in ODI history. The last time the middle-order produced a single-digit total was in 2006.

Even in their current state, it’s not often that Manchester United struggle to welcome the world’s best players. Without Champions League football and off the back of finishing 15th in the Premier League, the Red Devils convinced Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens to join in a £200m spending spree.

Manager Ruben Amorim spoke about the attraction that Man United still have during the summer, shooting down any rumours that Cunha and Mbeumo joined the club because of the money offered.

It also almost goes without saying that the Red Devils rarely had trouble convincing players to join the club when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge. United were at the top of the food chain in English football at that stage and even lured the likes of Rio Ferdinand from rivals Leeds United in 2002.

The iconic manager is still seen as a man with influence at the club even to this day. His opinion is arguably the most respected that anyone could find at Old Trafford.

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The history that he created is the reason why Man United are still able to welcome the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo. Amorim even admitted in one of his first interviews after stepping into the technical area that he’d like to have dinner with Ferguson.

He is, in many ways, the ace up Man United’s sleeve that has paid dividends on so many occasions. But that’s not to say it’s worked its charm every time. Not even the Premier League legend could convince one player to join the club back in 2020.

Ferguson and Cantona made Man Utd Jude Bellingham plea

As revealed by the great Bryan Robson, Ferguson and Eric Cantona both pleaded with Jude Bellingham to join Man United in 2020, before he ultimately rejected the club in favour of a £25m move to Borussia Dortmund. Given how things turned out, it’s hard to blame the midfielder for turning the Red Devils down.

Since choosing Dortmund over United, Bellingham has earned a move to Real Madrid and become one of the best midfielders in the world. His debut season for the Spanish giants proved exactly why those at Old Trafford went all out for his signature.

The England star ended the campaign with 15 goals and 15 assists from midfield in all competitions, as he showed the rest of European football that the biggest stage is exactly where he belongs.

Leicestershire’s remarkable season continued apace with victory over Lancashire by an innings and three runs to further reinforce an already formidable lead in Division Two of the Rothesay County Championship.With a 251-run advantage on first innings, brought about largely by centuries from Rehan Ahmed and Lewis Hill, they bowled Lancashire out for 248 to complete a fifth win of the season, all of which have been achieved with a day to spare.Keaton Jennings, who stepped down as captain earlier this month in the light of his side’s woeful start to the campaign, gave his side hope of salvaging something from this match with a characterful 112, but no other batter made 26 in another dismal Lancashire performance.Logan Van Beek was Leicestershire’s most successful bowler with four for 61 and there were two wickets each for Josh Hull, Tom Scriven and Rehan Ahmed.Having watched Leicestershire progress merrily through Saturday at 4.23 runs per over compared with their own 2.65 on day one, Lancashire might have imagined that runs would come more easily to them on day three, yet it took them 29 overs to trim 74 off their deficit in the first session.What’s more, they lost three wickets in doing so, including perhaps critically that of their leading scorer and principal hope of avoiding defeat here, Marcus Harris.The Australian perished in the penultimate over before lunch as captain Peter Handscomb repeated his first-day tactic of bringing back his new ball bowlers for a pre-interval burst. It brought success then and it did again as Harris flashed at a ball outside off stump to be caught behind for 20.It provided a third wicket of the morning for Van Beek, who had been two for nine from six overs after his first spell, having dismissed Luke Wells and Josh Bohannon in the space of three deliveries.Wells deployed an uppercut to lift a short delivery over the slip cordon but did not control the shot and Lewis Hill, with a gusty crosswind adding an extra element of difficulty, took a well-judged catch at wide third man. Bohannon edged to second slip for a second-ball duck.However, the collapse sparked by Van Beek’s breakthrough before lunch on day one was not repeated, thanks largely to Jennings, who showed the strength of his character in a difficult season to guide Lancashire to 209 for five at tea thanks to the 32nd first-class hundred of his career, his 16th for his current county.It was doubtless not the most fluid among them on a pitch starting to produce variable bounce and he survived a chance on 58 when a diving Ben Cox could not get his gloves around a flick down the legside off Hull, but it kept his side in the game.After finding support from Matty Hurst, who was caught behind off a fine delivery by Scriven, in adding 70 for the fourth wicket, Jennings reached the milestone as a meaty pull Van Beek brought him a 10th boundary.The fifth wicket added a further 58, although George Bell’s dismissal off a top-edged pull just before tea detracted a touch from what had otherwise been a solid session for the visitors, who were still 42 behind at the interval.Moreover, the breakthrough Leicestershire craved was not far away, Jennings falling seven overs into the evening session, his demise brought about by a ball that reared up off a length from Scriven and caught the batter’s right glove, Handscomb taking an excellent catch at slip.After that, Lancashire’s downfall came about at pace. Hull brought one back to bowl George Balderson, Rehan Ahmed’s leg spin came into the game to have Tom Bailey caught behind, the England all-rounder following up by trapping Anderson Phillip leg before.Hull then took a splendid catch on the run off his own bowling to remove Tom Hartley and spark Leicestershire’s celebrations in a season in which promotion already looks theirs to lose with the Championship season only at the halfway stage.