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ScorecardWilliam Porterfield held the top order together with 46 to lay the platform for Ireland’s victory•AFP

John Mooney’s allround effort helped Ireland seal a 20-run consolation win in the third one-day international against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club.Zimbabwe wrapped up the series with a three-wicket victory in the second ODI on Tuesday but Mooney starred first with the bat – making 55 to help Ireland recover from 128 for 6 to post 244 – and then by taking two wickets to give the tourists a token win. On the cusp of victory Ireland were given a scare through an entertaining final-wicket stand between Shingirai Masakadza and Ian Nicolson but it proved not quite enough for the home side.For the third time in the series Elton Chigumbura won the toss and inserted Ireland into bat and it again looked the right move when Ed Rainsford burst through the top order – removing Paul Stirling, Andre Botha and Niall O’Brien in his first four overs to leave Ireland tottering on 40 for 3.Among the wreckage Ireland captain William Porterfield stood firm and found support from Kevin O’Brien to halt the slide. Zimbabwe, however, kept control through their spinners Graeme Cremer and the impressive Prosper Utseya, who finished with 1 for 26 from his 10-over spell.Cremer removed O’Brien before Porterfield was run out four short of a deserved half-century to leave Ireland in trouble. In keeping with the fluctuating nature of the series, Ireland fought back with Andrew White partnering Mooney in a 66-run stand for the seventh wicket as Ireland scrapped towards a competitive total.Rainsford, who was man-of-the-match in the opening contest, returned to break the stand before trapping Albert van der Merwe in front to finish with 5 for 36 but Mooney held firm until he was last man out in the final over, finishing with two fours and two sixes in his 55.Zimbabwe would have felt confident at the half-way stage having twice chased similar totals in the previous games but perhaps with the series in the bag the batsmen weren’t as switched-on as they should have been.Kevin O’Brien completed a miserable series for Hamilton Masakadza, dismissing him for a fourth-ball duck to go with his 8 and 0 in his previous two innings before trapping Brendan Taylor in front in his next over.Sean Williams and Tatenda Taibu threatened a comeback with an enterprising 70-run stand but Mooney made the key break through, castling Taibu for 22. Thereafter the Ireland spinners took control. Van der Merwe had Williams caught by fellow spinner George Dockrell for 74 off 86 balls before Dockrell ran through the lower order, picking up 3 for 41 to leave Zimbabwe 164 for 9.What looked like a formality for Ireland suddenly became a struggle as Shingirai Masakadza found support from No. 11 Ian Nicolson. The pair added 60 at better than a run a ball before O’Brien returned to remove Nicolson and leave Masakadza stranded unbeaten on 45 off 49 balls.

Shane Watson, who reported two approaches by an illegal bookmaker in England last year, said he was in “complete shock” at the allegations levelled at Pakistan. Watson and his team-mate Brad Haddin confirmed they were spoken to by the Indian man during the tour and immediately told Australia’s manager Steve Bernard.It has also emerged that Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson were approached during the England tour. Bernard has referred two other bookie-instigated conversations to the ICC during his term as manager.Watson was invited for drinks by the bookmaker, who the allrounder initially thought was a fan. “I didn’t think too much more of it until I found out a bit more information and that he was actually one of the illegal bookmakers,” Watson said in Sydney. “It was just a little bit different to what normal fans are.” The approach occurred at the Royal Gardens hotel in London, which was the venue of a complaint reported by Cricinfo last year.Haddin said the man had knocked on his door in the hotel asking if he wanted to go to his room to have a drink. “I quickly rang Steve Bernard and John Rhodes [the ICC’s security manager] just to tell them something weird had just happened,” Haddin said.”You don’t usually get a knock on your door with someone asking you to come across to your room for a drink and then go out for dinner with someone you don’t know.” Footage of the person was checked and it was a figure familiar to investigators.Watson was stunned by the revelations from the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at Lord’s. “When I first heard about it I was in complete shock, there’s no doubt about that,” Watson said. “If the allegations are true then they will unfortunately get a lifetime ban.”The claims surrounding the no-balls delivered by Mohammad Amir, the 18-year-old fast bowler, surprised and upset Watson. “I probably feel for him more than anyone because he’s only a young, naive and innocent young guy,” Watson said. “Unfortunately he’s caught up with something.”Whether it’s in their culture I don’t know, I don’t know how deep it runs, but it’s unfortunate that someone of his skill has got tied up with something that is damaging to cricket and to the individuals. I found him to be a brilliant competitor on the field.”

Bangladesh have called up batsman Mohammad Ashraful, allrounder Naeem Islam and wicketkeeper Saghir Hossain to their squad in England

Andrew Miller at Trent Bridge08-Jul-2010

Bangladesh have called up batsman Mohammad Ashraful, allrounder Naeem Islam and wicketkeeper Saghir Hossain to their injury-hit squad in England. Their first-choice keeper Mushfiqur Rahim has been ruled out for a week after taking a blow in the face and their top-scorer in the first ODI at Trent Bridge, Raqibul Hasan, is out for the rest of the tour after fracturing his toe.Mushfiqur was struck in the face while standing up to the left-arm spinner Faisal Hossain and had to be stretchered off the field. X-rays showed there was no fracture, but he is being kept in hospital for observation. Raqibul, meanwhile, was struck on the boot by a James Anderson yorker and run out without facing another ball for 76 after his recall to the side following “retirement” earlier in the year.It is the loss of Mushfiqur that will be the biggest blow to Bangladesh’s hopes, however. He is one of the lynchpins of their side – reliable with the gloves and combative with the bat, as he showed with two big sixes off Anderson towards the end of the Bangladesh innings. With no reserve keeper in the squad, Bangladesh face the prospect of having to use Jahurul Islam, who missed the Trent Bridge match with illness, at Bristol if Saghir doesn’t arrive in time for Saturday’s game.”Ashraful left home this morning while Naeem will also fly out on the next available flight as Raqibul and Mushfiqur will not be available in the remaining two matches of the series,” chief selector Rafiqul Alam told . “Saghir will join the squad as soon as possible subject to visa approval. Until he reaches England, batsman Jahurul Islam will handle the job of wicketkeeper.”Bangladesh have not won a single international match in 2010, and morale in the squad is low, a fact that Mashrafe Mortaza did not try to disguise on his return to the captaincy for the first time in 12 months. “I think we need some belief, definitely,” he said. “Hopefully we will find it next game.”It’s very difficult to beat a team like England in England,” he added. “They beat Australia and they are in really good form. Also, we have lost two key players in the side so it’s not easy. Hopefully the boys that are are experienced will show some good batting. But the team is definitely under pressure now. We have lost 20 games in a row, and as a captain I have to lift the other 14 guys.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Na próxima rodada do Campeonato Carioca, o Botafogo enfrenta o Macaé, no Moarcyzão, no Norte Fluminense. A partida será na quinta-feira, e o Glorioso está oferecendo um pacote de ingressos e traslado para os sócios.

Confira a nota na íntegra:

“O Botafogo enfrenta o Macaé nesta quinta-feira, 25 de janeiro, às 19h30, no Moacyrzão, pela terceira rodada da Taça Guanabara. Para facilitar o acesso do torcedor alvinegro ao Estádio, o Programa Sou Botafogo está oferecendo translado de ida e volta para Macaé.

Sócios com a assinatura mensal básica BNC e dependentes podem adquirir seus lugares por R$ 50 com direito a um ingresso para a partida. Associados também podem comprar lugares para até 3 acompanhantes (não-sócios) por R$ 60 cada, sem direito a ingresso.

A saída do transporte será impreterivelmente às 15h, de quinta-feira, no Portão Norte 2 do Estádio Nilton Santos, localizado na Rua das Oficinas.

A aquisição pode ser realizada de forma exclusiva pela Loja de Vantagens site www.botafogo.com.br/soubotafogo somente por cartão de crédito.”

Sobre a venda de ingressos para os alvinegros:

Nesta terça e quarta-feira, das 10h às 17h, em General Severiano.
Quinta-feira, só no Moacyrzão.

Preço: R$ 40 (inteira) / R$ 20 (meia)

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Ed Cowan and George Bailey slammed centuries to give Australia A an overwhelming advantage on the second day at Townsville

Cricinfo staff26-Jun-2010Sri Lanka A 78 and 32 for 0 trail Australia A 402 (Bailey 154*, Cowan 126) by 292 runs
ScorecardGeorge Bailey made an unbeaten 154 with 14 fours and six sixes•Getty ImagesEd Cowan and George Bailey slammed centuries to give Australia A an overwhelming advantage on the second day at Townsville. It was hard work for the Sri Lanka A bowlers as the hosts stretched their lead to 324 before declaring.The day began with Usman Khawaja getting to a half-century. Khawaja and Cowan made steady progress before the former was dismissed for 69 by Sachithra Senanayake, nearly 23 overs in to the day’s play. The pair had added 141 for the second wicket, and that was followed by another century stand, this time between Cowan and Bailey. Cowan was eventually dismissed by Nuwan Pradeep for 126, caught by the wicketkeeper. Bailey and Peter Forrest added 94 in quick time to take the score past 350. Bailey scored in fifth gear, smashing 14 fours and six sixes in his 154 off 138 balls. He declared at 402 for 4, leaving the visitors to bat out 11 overs till stumps.The opening pair of Lahiru Thirimanne and Tharanga Paranavitana ensured they didn’t lose a wicket. The Sri Lankans will face a test of skill and character as they look to save this game with two days remaining.

With the news of Theo Corbeanu’s departure from Sheffield Wednesday after he was recalled by his parent club Wolves and then sent back out on loan to MK Dons now confirmed, it seems as though there has been a claim made regarding the future of another figure at the Yorkshire club which will interest a lot of Owls fans.

What’s the news?

In a recent Q&A on the Yorkshire Live website, Wednesday journalist Dom Howson was asked if he thinks Josh Windass will still be at the club by the time the January transfer window closes after being linked with numerous Championship clubs in recent weeks.

In response, Howson had this to say on the matter: “Yes, but things can change quickly in football. If a big offer comes in for Windass or another player between now and January 31, then Wednesday would be foolish not to consider it. But Windass is under contract until next summer and is seen as a key component of what Moore is trying to build at Wednesday.”

Windass originally joined Wednesday on a loan deal from Wigan Athletic back in January 2020 before signing for the Owls on a permanent deal the following September.

Overall, the 27-year-old – who is currently valued at £1.8m by Transfermarkt – has made 57 appearances for Wednesday across all competitions, chipping in with 15 goals and seven assists along the way.

Despite only making three appearances for Darren Moore’s team this season in League One, mainly due to injury issues, Windass has still managed to show how useful he can be for the team by scoring two goals and providing one assist.

With this in mind, it’s easy to see why Howson has said that the 27-year-old is seen as a “key component” for Wednesday, and why fans will be delighted to hear that the journalist thinks the player will still be at the club beyond this transfer window.

Moving forward, if Windass can maintain his fitness for the remainder of the season, he could well help the Owls to push for a promotion place if they can go on a run of positive results, which in turn should ultimately improve their chances of keeping hold of the player if they can get back to the Championship next season.

In other news: Howson has dropped another exciting transfer claim at Hillsborough which will surely have fans buzzing

Fabrizio Romano has delivered a huge update on the future of Raphinha at Leeds United this week…

What’s the word?

The Brazilian winger has regularly been linked with moves away from Elland Road following his fine form for the Yorkshire giants over the past 18 months or so, with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Premier League rivals Liverpool just two of the teams mooted with interest.

For now, though, he isn’t leaving Leeds during the January transfer window but that could change in the summer.

“Everything is in place. [Kingsley] Coman is prepared to stay at Bayern and it means that, first of all, that Raphinha from Leeds to Bayern was fake news because it was never a done deal between Leeds and Bayern. The reports on Christmas Day were not true,” the Italian journalist told his ‘Here We Go’ podcast.

“And also about Raphinha, keep an eye on other English clubs for the summer – not for [the] January window but for summer – English clubs are interested in Raphinha and I’m not so sure he is going to extend his contract at Leeds.”

His final season?

This update will come as a double-edged sword for many United supporters.

On the one hand, it’s a massive, massive boost to keep hold of him for the remainder of the season, especially as they are by no means clear of a relegation dogfight.

Yes, Marcelo Bielsa’s side sit eight points above the drop zone but that could quickly change, with multiple teams possessing several games in hand due to postponements over the festive period.

Raphinha has been vital for the Argentine this season as he tops the charts for goals scored (eight), key passes (1.8 per game), dribbles (2.4 per game) and shots (3.1 per game), via WhoScored. He leads in pretty much every attacking aspect, so Leeds would be in a tricky spot without his goals and creativity.

However, Romano’s claim suggesting that the 25-year-old dynamo will not sign a new contract is hugely worrying, even more so as his failure to join Bayern this month will open up the possibility of him going to one of their top-flight rivals instead, just in the summer rather than now.

That would be a devastating double blow.

Instead, those around Elland Road will have to watch their former favourite continue to light up the English game but for another team in the league.

All in all, it’s hard to imagine that many fans will be thrilled by this news. The information surrounding his long-term future and his contract is certainly going to leave a lot of supporters angry.

AND in other news, Marcelo Bielsa dealt another cruel Leeds United injury blow…

Paul Collingwood declared that he was “excited” by the manner of England’s seven-wicket victory in the first Twenty20 against Pakistan in Dubai

Andrew Miller in Dubai19-Feb-2010

Paul Collingwood declared that he was “excited” by the manner of England’s seven-wicket victory in the first Twenty20 against Pakistan in Dubai, a statement which might ordinarily be regarded as an over-reaction to a fairly meaningless victory in a hastily arranged two-match series.Nevertheless, with the World Twenty20 now little more than two months away, and with Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan combining in a purposeful 112-run stand for the fourth wicket following a committed team effort in the field, the skipper has plenty of reasons to be cheerful going into Saturday’s series decider. It’s far too early to claim that England have cracked the shortest format of the game, but they outplayed the reigning world champions in their own home from home. And there has to be some sort of significance to be taken from that.”It was an exciting victory because of the way we played,” said Collingwood. “The bowlers set the tone at the top of the innings with early wickets, and we didn’t let them back into the game. The fielding was exceptional, we looked really sharp and saved plenty of runs, but the bowlers were brilliant because they bowled to their plans and put [Pakistan] under pressure. We had a little bit of a blip, but magnificent innings from KP and Morgs saw us home.”If Morgan’s batting was a continuation of the cool and collected form that he has displayed since his breakthrough performances at the Champions Trophy in September, then Pietersen’s unbeaten 43 from 43 balls was quite possibly the most important innings he has produced all winter. From an uncomfortable 18 for 3, he turned down the temptation to belt his way back to the form that has eluded him since the tour of the Caribbean 12 months ago, and settled into a holding pattern that guided England to an ultimately comfortable victory.”It was an important innings, because he used his head,” said Collingwood. “We were in a sticky situation – three-down early doors – and really it was kind of an anchor role, unlike a KP innings, but a very important one. It’s great that he can use his head in that way and see the boys home. He looked very composed out there which is a great thing because he looked confident at the crease and struck the ball well. He played within his limitations, because the main thing for him was to see the boys home.”The Pietersen of old might have been tempted to hog the limelight – especially once the back of the run-chase had been broken – and seek the glory shot to seal the victory and the headlines. This time, however, he was quite content to be lapped by the imperious Morgan, whose range of strokes in the closing overs were exceptional, even against the renowned master of Twenty20 bowling, Umar Gul.”I like batting with Kev, because of the ability and the power the guy has,” said Morgan. “His destruction capabilities are endless, so I think we suit each other. One of us can sit in if the other is in form or fancies a particular bowler, so I enjoy batting with him.”It was a difficult wicket to get in on, but once we got in, we were able to force the occasion and put the pressure back on the Pakistani bowlers. And we were able to do that because of the short total we were set. It was a magnificent effort from the bowlers.”Shoaib Malik, Pakistan’s captain, agreed with that point, after Pakistan had been restricted to 25 for 2 in their Powerplay overs – their slowest start in 20-over cricket. “I think we were 20-25 runs short because England bowled really well, especially with new ball,” he said. “We didn’t start well and in the Twenty20 format, you have to utilise the first six overs.”Nevertheless, if England are tempted to get carried away by their success, then they should be warned that a familiar foe will return to the fray for Saturday’s rematch. Shahid Afridi has now served his two-match ban following his ball-biting antics at the Waca earlier this month, and his peerless power-hitting and aggressive legspin will add an extra dimension to Pakistan’s tactics.”[After] one match you can’t change everything. You should give chances to your player, some proper chances,” said Shoaib. “But Afridi is back tomorrow and that gives us confidence. He’s one of the best allrounders in the world and, automatically, him being at the ground gives us confidence. I’m sure he will play tomorrow and do well for the country, his team and for himself.”

As per Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge (speaking to GIVEMESPORT), Tottenham defender Cristian Romero has suffered a ‘serious strain’, rather than a tear to his hamstring, as first thought.

The Lowdown: Spurs’ injury woes

Argentine defender Romero is not the only injury Tottenham are currently dealing with. Central midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, once hailed by teammate Harry Winks as ‘a technically gifted player’, has been sidelined for a long period after suffering a knee injury, which has meant missing the last five matches.

Emerson Royal also missed the recent 3-0 win over Norwich as he was unavailable due to an unknown injury. This was a blow for Spurs, as he currently leads the team in tackles, with 3.6 per game.

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Romero sustained his injury whilst on international duty with Argentina last month. Unfortunately for Antonio Conte, this will continue to affect Tottenham’s defensive stability, as his average of 1.3 blocks per game is the highest at the club by a fair margin.

The Latest: Bridge gives Romero update

Conte had recently stated that Romero’s injury is ‘serious’, but has thus far failed to go into any details. However, Bridge has confirmed that the 23-year-old has not torn his hamstring.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “I kind of thought the worst when Conte said we will know more in seven to 10 days, but I’m told it’s not a tear, it’s a serious strain. So, is that January? He did say January or February.”

The Verdict: Not as serious as first thought

To Spurs fans’ relief, Romero’s injury is not as bad as first thought. Bridge has shed light on the fact that the Argentine has not torn his hamstring – an injury that can keep a player out of action for over three months.

It is still unclear as to when he will return, but it sounds like best case will be January, a potentially massive relief to Conte and co coming off the back of the hectic Christmas fixture period.

Romero has been regularly applauded since moving to Spurs from Atalanta earlier this year, even drawing praise from Brazil legend Cafu, who admitted that he had a ‘very good game’ in the Copa America final. The Lilywhites faithful will surely be counting down the days until his return.

With 18 games played in the Premier League so far this season, Wolves have managed to rack up an incredibly mixed bag of results with seven wins, four draws and seven defeats under their belt.

Taking this into account and the fact that the January transfer window is close to opening, this could give the Midlands club a good opportunity to complete some business deals that could benefit the Old Gold on a short and long-term basis.

Moving forward, it seems as though a clue has been dropped on one particular deal that could be done at Molineux next month.

What’s the news?

In a recent transfer mailbag report for The Athletic, Wolves journalist Tim Spiers had this to say about the January transfer window and what business could take place in it for Bruno Lage’s side.

He said: “If The Athletic was a betting man they’d say Hwang Hee-chan’s loan from RB Leipzig will probably be made permanent this month and that’ll be Wolves’ major financial business.”

Since joining Wolves from the German club back in August, the 25-year-old has managed to score four goals in 14 Premier League appearances, four more goals than Adama Traore has managed to score in the league this season and one more than Raul Jimenez.

With this in mind, it would seem likely that the Wolves fans would be happy to see Hwang’s loan move made permanent in January, especially if he were able to add some more goals to his tally before the end of the campaign and potentially end his debut season with Wolves as their top scorer in the league.

Although, if the club were able to bring one or two new faces in as well next month, this would be a big boost for Lage and his chances of securing a European place in the league table by the end of the campaign.

With only Norwich City (8) having found the back of the net on fewer occasions than Wolves (13) so far this season, it could be worth trying to add a new attacker to the club in January to spark a bit of life into their frontline.

Also, with Traore being linked with a move away from Molineux, his potential exit would only further increase Wolves’ need to sign another attacking player.

In other news: Luke Hatfield drops teasing transfer update that will surely leave Wolves fans furious