All posts by h716a5.icu

Daniel Vettori embellished his record against his favourite opponent with a fine to lift New Zealand to 356, before Pakistan’s top order put up a determined reply to leave the game evenly balanced

The Bulletin by Nitin Sundar16-Jan-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDanie Vettori’s innings took New Zealand from a dodgy position to one of comfort•Getty ImagesDaniel Vettori embellished his record against his favourite opponent with a century that was exemplary for the smoothness of its gear-shifts and guided New Zealand from their dodgy overnight position to a score of 356. New Zealand’s progress centred around the 138-run stand between Vettori and Reece Young, who made his maiden half-century, as Pakistan’s attack played into the home side’s hands with an unimaginative approach during the morning session. Their batsmen, however, showed more enterprise, with Taufeeq Umar and Azhar Ali making half-centuries to lead a strong response. Taufeeq’s late exit left Pakistan at 134 for 2, and the game evenly balanced going into the third day.New Zealand’s seamers came out with purpose after Vettori’s heroics, and plugged away on a length outside off despite not getting much help from the wicket. Bowling into the wind, Tim Southee got one to nip away from Mohammad Hafeez, who hit his pad with the bat as he shaped to drive. Umpire Rod Tucker upheld the appeal, triggering another round of debate around the inconsistency in the implementation of the UDRS.Having found his bearings in the session leading up to tea, Taufeeq checked in with two delectable shots in Southee’s first over of the final session, driving square when he was offered width, and straight when he wasn’t. When the seamers angled into his pads, he made them pay almost every time, while also leaving well throughout his innings, both on line and length.Azhar was more subdued and survived a couple of outside edges, the second of which carried low to a late-reacting Ross Taylor, standing wide at first slip. Despite the odd stutter, Azhar showed glimpses of the determination that marked him out in the tours of England and South Africa. The highlight of his effort was a back-foot square drive off Southee, so delicate that it wasn’t noticed by an unfortunate pigeon in the deep-point area that had its feathers ruffled.With the fast bowlers struggling for impact, New Zealand turned to their captain for inspiration once again, and he nearly intervened in his first over, the 26th of the innings. Young appealed without conviction after juggling a thin inside edge from Taufeeq, which no one else seemed to have noticed. Unperturbed by the reversal, Vettori settled into a searching spell, getting the ball to misbehave occasionally from the rough outside Taufeeq’s off stump. Without the aid of the bowlers’ foot marks, he set up a fascinating tussle with Azhar, testing him with flight and drift, and it was down to the batsman’s fortune that he managed to survive Vettori’s best.When Vettori threatened to tie him up with his variations, Azhar stepped out to launch him inside-out over long-off for his first six in Test cricket. The respite was temporary, and Vettori nearly accounted for him twice, beating him through the air with subtle variations in flight, inducing a couple of miscues that landed safely. Taufeeq was easily the more assured of the two, but succumbed with stumps in sight, jabbing Vettori into the slips for 70. His dismissal reignited New Zealand’s hopes, which had flagged a touch after a dominant morning.Pakistan’s early woes were exemplified by Gul, who showed little of the craft and presence of mind he had displayed on the first day. Then, he had used the wind behind him to hustle the batsmen, while getting the ball to deviate disconcertingly from a length. Today, his average length was at least a foot shorter, and he wasted the new ball with a slew of bouncers and wide deliveries. Vettori and Young were happy to stay back in the crease and pick gaps in the field when they were forced to play. With Wahab Riaz indisposed, Abdur Rehman took over duties at the Scoreboard End and got several deliveries to drift prodigiously into Vettori, but did not have enough spin to work with.Vettori mastered the conditions and the one-dimensional line of attack, to set himself up for a rich harvest. He steered one of Gul’s many harmless, short deliveries for four through the off side, and off the next ball, brought up his first half-century in nearly 10 months, shuffling across to off stump and turning round the corner. When Gul made way for Tanvir at the Vance End, Vettori welcomed him with a crisp on-drive for four more.At the other end, Young showed enough poise to promise a long stint in the national side. He survived his only error in the first hour, top-edging a pull off a Tanvir bouncer behind the wicketkeeper’s head, and brought up his fifty with a thick edge through gully for four more. His dismissal, with lunch round the corner, gave Pakistan an opening, but Vettori was not done with them yet. He seamlessly shifted from the initial brief of crease occupation and produced a raft of innovative strokes to swell New Zealand’s score.Tanvir followed up the ball that dismissed Young with a sharp bouncer that rattled Southee’s helmet, and there were a couple more bumpers from Gul after lunch. Southee did not last long, falling to a fuller one, but Vettori’s innovation earned New Zealand 34 from their last two wickets. He moved across to off stump to nudge Gul’s lifters to the leg side, trotted out of the crease to launch Rehman straight for six, and later reverse-swept him against the spin. Vettori had reached 96 when Gul snaked an incutter through Brent Arnel’s defences. Martin survived four deliveries in fortuitous fashion, working the home crowd into a frenzy of applause, and they soon repeated the routine for Vettori’s well-deserved ton. His batting put New Zealand on top in the morning, and his bowling refused to allow Pakistan to dictate terms thereafter.

Newcastle United have been handed a bleak injury update on Kieran Trippier and his chances of potentially returning before the end of the Premier League season…

What’s the story?

The full-back underwent an operation on his broken foot after picking up a metatarsal injury in a 1-0 win over Aston Villa earlier this calendar year, and now, injury expert, Ben Dinnery, has cast serious doubt about him returning this season.

He said: “We need to understand that this is a serious setback. Yes, he went under the knife early and the surgery went well. That’s all true. But it doesn’t matter about the advances in technology, we’re still looking at an eight to 10-week period before the bone begins to heal.

“Typically, the data indicates that the return date is between 80 and 85 days. There are very few instances in which players return in a 70-day period. That shows that we’re looking at the higher end of the return-to-play timeline. By then, we’ll be approaching May.”

Body blow for Newcastle

After signing from Atletico Madrid in the January transfer window, Trippier quickly set about leading the Magpies away from the relegation zone and dragging them to some much-needed, morale-boosting victories.

His trademark free-kicks have already made him a cult hero at St James’ Park, and journalist Pete O’Rourke recently admitted that being without the England international for a significant amount of time would be a major blow for the Magpies.

He said: “I think it would be a big blow to Eddie Howe. Trippier has come and really slotted straight into the team. He has been a big improvement on what they’ve got.”

One man who’s a big fan of the 31-year-old is Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate himself, who has said previously: “He (Trippier) is a very underrated player. People are still looking at the player from a few years ago and not at the one who is at Atletico Madrid and playing like a warrior in the last few seasons. He is a big part of what we’ve done over the last few years and he gave a really good performance.”

News that Trippier may only be able to come back in May – at which point the Magpies will only have three games remaining in the Premier League – is a body blow for Newcastle and Howe, and one that will surely leave them gutted after seeing him get off to such a good start.

Meanwhile, Newcastle could find their Shelvey heir in this star…

Former Scottish Premiership striker Noel Whelan has made a claim involving Celtic’s Giorgos Giakoumakis following an impressive start to life in Glasgow. 

The lowdown: Big miss

Currently sidelined with a hamstring issue, the 27-year-old was sorely missed by Ange Postecoglou’s side as the Hoops fell to defeat in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-3/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

In the Greek ace’s absence, it was left up to Daizen Maeda to spearhead the attack at Hampden Park with Kyogo Furuhashi left to watch on from the bench.

Despite the wealth of centre-forward options at Postecoglou’s disposal, none of them can match up to Giakoumakis, as Chris Sutton bemoaned the lack of a focal point up front.

The latest: Whelan rates Giakoumakis

Speaking to Football Insider, former Aberdeen man Whelan, who is now an ambassador for Premier League club Leeds United, has suggested that the ‘amazing’ Greece international is clear of the alternatives after ‘what he’s seen’ at Celtic Park.

“He’s by far the best striker Celtic have at the moment.

“He gives you the work rate, the stature, and the physicality which can really trouble teams. We saw that during the last Old Firm game. They couldn’t handle him.

“That’s what Celtic were missing on Sunday. Someone a little bit more robust, who can really work the two centre-halves into areas they don’t want to go into.

“I think with the way he’s playing, it’s hard not to miss a player like that – he gives you such a focal point and he’s not a bad goalscorer either.”

The verdict: Impressive beginnings

Since signing for the Hoops from Dutch side VVV-Venlo for a reported £2.5million (Sky Sports), Giakoumakis has scored 13 times and provided one assist in 24 outings for the club.

However, it’s not just the goal output that has made the striker stand out from the rest as the ex-AEK Athens man also boasts an impressive 72% passing accuracy and 54% aerial duel success rate (Sofascore), proving to be the focal point Sutton referred to.

As the end of the campaign looms large, Postecoglou will want his talismanic star back up and running as quickly as possible to help fire the Bhoys over the line and with it, secure UEFA Champions League football for next term.

In other news, former Celtic striker Chris Sutton worried over injury woes. Read more here.

Somerset’s weary troops might have benefited from the chance to put their feet up but the loss of all but 21.3 overs to bad weather here has left them needing to advance the contest apace on the third day if they are to force the positive result their tit

Jon Culley10-Aug-2010
ScorecardSomerset’s weary troops might have benefited from the chance to put their feet up but the loss of all but 21.3 overs to bad weather here has left them needing to advance the contest apace on the third day if they are to force the positive result their title prospects need.After a morning of sustained rain gave way to brighter skies at lunchtime, groundstaff had to suffer an afternoon of dragging plastic sheets on and off and mopping up hopefully only for a run of showers to frustrate their efforts time and again.Once play did begin, at five o’clock, Somerset’s bowlers did at least make short work of what remained of Hampshire’s first innings, with the last five wickets falling for 32 runs in the space of 37 balls as the pace of Alfonso Thomas and Charl Willoughby combined to share the spoils.Somerset’s quartet of senior seam bowlers are all 33 years or older, which is one of the few weaknesses in the current line-up being steered through a successful season on all fronts by skipper Marcus Trescothick.The punishing schedule set down by this season’s confused and overburdened fixture list has pushed them to the limit at times but this was a good response by Thomas (33) and Willoughby (35). They took the new ball as soon as it became available, three overs after Hampshire had resumed on 217 for 5, but Sean Ervine and Dan Christian had the better of things to begin with, the former collecting consecutive off-side boundaries when Thomas strayed off line. Christian survived a confident appeal for as leg-side caught behind off Thomas but then drove Willoughby handsomely through the covers for four to bring up the 250.Things began to go wrong, however, when Christian, pushing forward confidently, was bowled off an inside edge by the left-armer Willoughby, who struck again four deliveries later, beating Michael Bates’ defensive prod.Thomas, who had bowled well without success to that point, was rewarded at last when Ervine, who had hit six fours, miscued a hook to be caught by Jos Buttler, and gained his second wicket from the next ball as James Tomlinson was leg before, beaten for pace.Dominic Cork, who had jokingly turned his bat to face handle downwards after making several air shots against Willoughby, did connect with a couple but then holed out to James Hildreth at long off as the innings closed, Willoughby finishing with 4 for 80.Another shower arrived at this point, suggesting that Somerset’s innings might not start. But the rain relented quickly, leaving Somerset to negotiate seven overs – and not without an important casualty as Trescothick fell to a slightly freakish return catch, a thick inside edge sending the ball ballooning into the air off a pad, allowing Tomlinson time to wheel off to the left in his follow through and make an easy take.Despite their players complaining off tiredness lately, Somerset have put their weight against any moves to reduce next year’s domestic Twenty20 competition from this season’s expanded version.Trescothick, who leads his side on finals day on Saturday, said that the schedule of 16 group matches suited his team perfectly, while chief executive Richard Gould says that a reduction from eight to five home games could cost the county £250,000 in revenue and might lead to redundancies.While some grounds have seen numbers decline at the gates this year, Taunton’s crowds have held up well, the eight games attracting almost 50,000 spectators in total.

Manchester United have seemingly leapfrogged Aston Villa in the race to sign Marseille midfielder Boubacar Kamara.

That’s according to Italian news outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, and, as to be expected, a number of United fans have been reacting to the update on social media.

Kamara appears to be a player in demand, with the holding midfielder’s contract set to expire at the end of the season.

The 22-year-old is on Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa wishlist, with United, Villa and Leeds all talking to the player’s agent ahead of a possible £10m transfer.

And now, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, United have overtaken all competitors when it comes to Kamara and are leading the race to secure his services.

United fans react

@utdreport relayed the update regarding Kamara on Twitter via GIFN (Get Italian Football News). This is what these United supporters had to say in reply, with many hoping to see a move materialise in the final days of the January window.

“We’re alive”

Credit: @BigTeezo

“Never heard of GIFN but let’s go”

Credit: @utd_victor_

“PLEASEEEE”

Credit: @hhhhmmmm_

“I hope this is true”

Credit: @I_am_lakes

“Definitely a better option defensively when compared to Zakaria.”

Credit: @TheUnitedLink

“SIGN HIM PLS IMMEDIATELY PLS”

Credit: @kurtbuckerfield

In other news: ‘Finished’ – Many MUFC fans react as Spurs make move for ‘amazing’ ace. 

Alexei Kervezee defied Derbyshire’s bowlers for the second time this season when his career-best 155 helped Worcestershire to safety at Derby

24-Jul-2010
Scorecard
Alexei Kervezee defied Derbyshire’s bowlers for the second time this season when his career-best 155 helped Worcestershire to safety at Derby. Opener Daryl Mitchell also kept the home attack at bay with a five-and-a-half hour 71 out of a fourth wicket stand of 181 in 54 overs with Kervezee, who scored his maiden first-class century against Derbyshire at New Road in May.The pair batted well into the afternoon and although Mark Footitt removed Mitchell with the second new ball, Worcestershire were 125 runs ahead by then and the teams later shook hands on the draw with the visitors 328 for 6, a lead of 202.It might have been different if Derbyshire captain Chris Rogers had not dropped Kervezee at slip off Greg Smith when the 20-year-old Dutchman was on 39. At that stage, Worcestershire had only just wiped out the arrears of 126 and were three runs in front but Kervezee did not give Derbyshire a second chance.He had twice driven Robin Peterson’s left-arm spin for two sixes in an over on his way to a 75-ball fifty which he reached by clipping Smith to the midwicket boundary. Derbyshire rotated their bowlers in search of the breakthrough but with Mitchell playing the anchor role and Kervezee dispatching anything loose, Worcestershire sat down to lunch with a lead of 39 and seven wickets still standing.The home side had to strike quickly to have any chance of forcing victory but they did not bowl well enough and Kervezee pulled Smith over wide long on for his third six on his way to an excellent hundred which contained 11 fours. Derbyshire’s last hope was the second new ball and although Tim Groenewald rattled the side of Kervezee’s helmet with a short delivery, they only took the wicket of Mitchell in the afternoon.He had faced 181 balls when he edged Footitt low to first slip where Rogers this time hung on but the game had all but gone and by tea, Worcestershire were 148 runs on at 274 for 4.After a short shower briefly delayed the start of the final session, Kervezee straight drove Peterson for a big six and hit Garry Park’s medium pace for three fours in an over to bring up his 150 which had come from 204 balls.There was at least some belated success for Derbyshire as Shakib Al Hasan fell hooking before Kervezee’s superb innings was ended by Chesney Hughes who celebrated his maiden first-class wicket thanks to a well-judged diving catch by Footitt at deep midwicket.Rogers gave his legspin a rare outing before Worcestershire declared with the home side banking nine points and the visitors collecting seven.

Andrew McGlashan provides the Plays of the Day from the second day at Old Trafford

Andrew McGlashan at Old Trafford05-Jun-2010Ball of the day
Old Trafford has a decent history of spinners producing some special deliveries. Shane Warne tops the list in 1993, but Ashley Giles’ ball to Damien Martyn in 2005 wasn’t too shabby while Monty Panesar has managed a few good ones as well. However, Shakib Al Hasan’s delivery to remove Ian Bell can stand proud among the best as he turned one from leg stump to take the top of off against a batsman well set on 128. For a moment it was unclear what had happened because Shakib, in complete contrast to when he removed Kevin Pietersen on the first day, barely acknowledged the dismissal after being frustrated by his team’s bowling during the morning.Sequence of the day
Tamim Iqbal was at it again. Not content with his memorable display at Lord’s he again put England’s attack to the sword with another hundred of the highest quality. He probably wishes he could play England all the time because his current sequence stands at six scores over fifty in seven innings. When he passed fifty he became the first Bangladesh batsman to make five half-centuries in consecutive innings. But he wasn’t finished there and when he cut Graeme Swann through point to reach three figures he became the first to hit back-to-back Test hundreds as well. Only two of his countrymen have managed two hundreds in their entire careers.Stand of the day
Century opening stands have been like London buses for Bangladesh.Wait ages for one, then two come along at once. They have only had four in their Test history, but the last couple have been back-to-back (unsurprisingly for the first time) after Tamim and Imrul Kayes followed their 185 at Lord’s with 126 at Old Trafford. They are a highly contrasting pair – but the best opening combinations so often are – with Kayes happy to follow in Tamim’s slipstream.Plan of the day
England, though, are convinced that Kayes doesn’t play the short ball well. The idea was set in their mind when he was bounced out on a shirtfront by Stuart Broad at Chittagong and they continue to bang the ball in. And even though Kayes has been tough to shift, he has fallen to the short-ball plan in all three innings of this series. At Lord’s he fended to slip and short leg and here, against Steven Finn, he picked out long leg with precision as he top-edged a hook. It was again impressive execution from Finn, in the first over of his second spell, and a vital breakthrough for England who were really struggling.Relief of the day
It was a rare wicketless Test for Graeme Swann at Lord’s, but having seen Shakib and Abdur Razzak turn the ball square expectation was squarely on his shoulders this time around. However, his barren spell went on a little longer still as Tamim and Kayes played him well during their opening stand and it was delight mixed with relief when he got one to take Junaid Siddique’s edge through to Matt Prior. Swann was then back in the groove and produced a lovely ball to remove Jahurul Islam. By the close he had another five-wicket haul.Spell of the day
A 12-ball 5 and an opening spell of six overs for 35 meant a quiet start to Ajmal Shahzad’s Test career, but that didn’t last. Recalled late in the day with the ball reverse-swinging he showed what has caught the eye of Andy Flower as he ripped out three wickets in 16 balls as Bangladesh crumbled. His first Test wicket didn’t come from his best ball, as Mohammad Ashraful cut to backward point, but the two deliveries to castle Mahmudullah and Shafiul Islam were high-quality late swingers that would have dismissed many batsmen.

A major update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Burnley central defender James Tarkowski…

What’s the talk?

Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards has claimed that the defender is keen on a switch to the club, but there is still a stumbling block in the club’s path.

He Tweeted: “I wouldn’t get Trippier printed on the back of any #nufc shirts just yet but this looks like a goodbye to me. As for Tarkowski, he’a not exactly playing his best games for Burnley at the moment. I’m told he also wants to come to #nufc but Burnley very reluctant to sell.”

Buzzing

Newcastle fans will surely be buzzing with this claim from Edwards irrespective of the Clarets’ desire to keep him this month.

The news that he is keen to join the Magpies will get the fans excited as it shows that there is an interest from the player and he is out of contract in the summer, which means that he could join on a free if he does not arrive in the next few weeks for a transfer fee.

They will also be delighted as he could be an excellent signing for the side. In the past four full Premier League seasons, he has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.02 or higher, showing that he has performed to a high standard in the top-flight over a long period of time.

Meanwhile, no Newcastle centre-back has averaged a score higher than 6.42. This suggests that Tarkowski could vastly improve the standard of Eddie Howe’s options in that position.

His teammate Ben Mee previously lauded his professionalism, saying:

“Obviously there was a lot of talk around Tarky. I’ve said to him, ‘I’m glad you’ve stayed.’ He focused really well and he showed that on Saturday.

“He had the attitude of what will be, will be. He never once stepped out of line. You see other players at other clubs, you hear about something and they can go a bit off the rails. He’s stuck to it and trained really well and stuck with the group. He’s fully focused on playing for us.”

This suggests that he is a player who is able to cope with the speculation over his future, which is good news for Newcastle as it means that he could have a seamless transition into playing for the Magpies. He will not allow a big move to get to his head and will be able to come straight in and perform well.

The key question is whether or not he will join now or at the end of the season. Either way, Edwards’ update provides the exciting prospect of him joining the club and fans will be buzzing with it, regardless of when it happens.

AND in other news, Contact made: NUFC can kickstart PIF era with a bang in £20m deal for “phenomenal” gem…

A round-up of the last five rounds and the final of the Bangladesh National Cricket League’s one-day competition

Rabeed Imam15-Nov-2010What was originally a hastily taken decision proved to be a lifeline for a number of cricketers as this season’s NCL one-day version brought out the best in the World Cup hopefuls. The competition only got going after the weather had conspired to put the first class tournament off track after just one completed round of matches. The BCB then decided that in the interest of preparation for the World Cup, the four-dayers would be put on hold and the limited overs matches finished within a three-week period. Eventually, it was the overall class of Dhaka that triumphed in the final against a spirited Barisal. When curtains fell it was the lasting memories of an exhilarating climax with four teams neck and neck going into the final round, and the continuous domination of national team players that stood out.Phase 1 – Round 4With the 20 top players unavailable for this round because of a preparation camp for Zimbabwe’s tour next month, the runs suddenly dried up. Dhaka collapsed against the steady Barisal attack at Mirpur, and were all out for 170 with Mehrab Hossain Jr. making 59. With such a paltry target unbeaten Barisal must have fancied a fourth straight win, but veteran Mohammad Sharif took a wicket in each of his first three overs, finishing with five for 20, while legspinner Nur Hossain nipped out the middle-order, taking three for 22, as Barisal were shot out for 136.Plagued by injuries to key players and short on spirit, Sylhet were already out of contention for a second phase spot. In a game reduced to 45 overs due to rain at Bogra, they were scuttled for 94 by a ruthless Rajshahi, who won by ten wickets, with makeshift opener Farhad Reza hitting an unbeaten 77.In another rain-shortened match, Chittagong could manage only 121 for eight in 23 overs against Khulna at Rajshahi. At 106 for 8 in the 21st over, Khulna appeared to have made a hash of the chase, before Ziaur Rahman (24 not out) carried them home. With four teams moving into the second phase, Chittagong’s chances evaporated with this loss.Phase 1 – Round 5With qualification more or less ensured for both, the Barisal v Rajshahi clash at Mirpur was more about regional pride. Rajshahi’s innings never took off as they laboured to 221 for nine. Anisur Rahman top scored with 61. Once again Barisal’s bowlers all chipped in. When they batted, openers Hannan Sarker (58) and find-of-the-season Fazl-e-Rabbi (50) promised a hammering for Rajshahi, but once they got out the bowlers tightened the noose, and it took a boundary off the last ball by Arafat Salauddin to ensure victory by three wickets.Paceman Mahbubul Alam blew Khulna away with four wickets in his two opening overs, and despite half centuries from Tushar Imran (53) and Sahagir Hossain (54), the total of 170 was never really going to challenge Dhaka, who crossed the target in the 36.5 overs with six wickets in hand. The big-hitting Anamul Hoque was unbeaten on 64.In the contest of no-hopers, Chittagong finally gave a batting performance where all key men contributed. Nafis Iqbal hit 69, Faisal Hossain 58 and Aftab Ahmed struck 52 in their total of 251 for seven at Rajshahi. After his effort with the bat, Faisal proved even more destructive with the ball as his left-arm spin claimed five for 28. Sylhet went down by 121 runs.Phase 2 – Round 1As the stars returned after a two-round break, so did quality. Mohammad Ashraful’s chanceless 111 not out off 103 balls and Uttam Sarker’s 66 took Dhaka to a seemingly comfortable 271 for six against Khulna at Mirpur. Imrul Kayes (108) and Mohammad Mithun (59), however, kept Khulna in the game with a 140-run stand for the second wicket. When the last power play was on, Ziaur Rahman did what he does best and his unconquered 41-ball 42 saw Khulna home with four balls and four wickets in hand.Mohammad Ashraful was Dhaka’s batting linchpin and earned the player-of-the-tournament award•BCB MediaWith Dhaka losing, Barisal had the chance to go atop the points chart at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium. With leading batsman Roqibul Hassan out with a groin injury, Fazl-e-Rabbi gave them the single-innings inspiration they needed as he batted the entire 50 overs in a run-a-ball knock of 148 that had 16 fours and two sixes. Nasiruddin Faruque gave good support with 68. For Rajshahi wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim had put his side on course by sharing 45 for the eighth wicket with Mohammad Sohrawordi. But when Sohrawordi perished for a quick 32 off 25, and Rahim followed an over later for 114, Rajshahi wound up eight runs shortPhase 2 – Round 2The world’s number one allrounder Shakib Al Hasan hasn’t been as awe-inspiring in domestic cricket. But against Barisal he was his usual self. Having taken three for 34 to restrict them to 213 for eight, Shakib was also influential in the chase, making 35, but it was Nazmus Sadat’s 71 that eased the nerves as Khulna secured a three-wicket victory. The win allowed Khulna to keep their hopes of a top-two finish alive.Rajshahi powered to 276 for 8 on the back of Shabbir Rahman’s 74 and Zunaed Siddique’s 60 against Dhaka who floundered against the slow bowlers and were bundled out for 197.The results in this round meant that three teams – Dhaka, Rajshahi and Khulna were on eight points going into the last round. Barisal were on 10 points, but all four sides were still fighting for a place in the final.Phase 2 – Round 3Khulna were the first team to be omitted from the race to reach the final when they were thrashed by Rajshahi at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium. Mohammad Mithun’s 54 was their only innings of substance, as Khulna crashed to 118. Rajshahi were convincing winners by six wickets, with Siddique making 47.With 10 points and level with Barisal, Rajshahi’s eyes were now on the happenings at Mirpur where Dhaka made a fighting 242. Shamsur Rahman and Shuvagata Hom both scored 54. A loss for Dhaka would have given Rajshahi a berth in the final, but Barisal’s usual tenacity with the bat went missing in this match as they lost the plot and went down by 79 runs. As three sides had 10 points, it was then left to the tournament laws to ascertain that by virtue of head-to-head results Dhaka and Barisal were the finalists.The FinalDrama preceded the final with Barisal’s prolific opener Nasiruddin Faruque getting suspended for the match for showing dissent and abusing the umpires in the game before. Then it was learned that Tamim Iqbal, who had recovered from hand surgery but has not featured in a competitive match for months, had sought a no-objection certificate from his home division Chittagong to play in the final for Dhaka. In the end though, Chittagong decided against giving the NOC as that would have robbed them of their prized batsman for the four-day games later on.Barisal opted to bat, but failed to get a decent run-rate going even though they had wickets in hand. With the openers departing inside 15 overs, Asif Ahmed (48) and Shahin Hossain (40) dug deep but it was left to a 19-ball 35 from Ariful Haque to get them past 200. Fast bowler Shahadat Hossain, another Bangladesh player desperate to impress the selectors with the World Cup clock ticking, returned figures of four for 39 to follow up his three for 23 in the previous game. Set 222 to win Dhaka had five of their top six back in the dressing room with the score on 79 at the half-way point. However, Mahmudullah and Elias Sunny kept their cool and dealt mainly in singles and twos, with the occasional boundary thrown in. Mahmudullah fell for 53 but Sunny, who is more renowned as a left-arm spinner, continued batting like a man possessed. With the lights fading, Sunny found the extra cover boundary off three consecutive balls to seal a third one-day version title for Dhaka.PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT – Mohammad Ashraful (Dhaka)With a hundred, two fifties and a couple of decent cameos, Ashraful was Dhaka’s batting mainstay and for a change thrived in that role consistently. He also backed himself with the ball and made breakthroughs when his team needed them. More than anything it was his calmness at the crease that warmed the heart of his admirers. When he is in that frame of mind it is very difficult to dislodge him and majority of his innings were chanceless.FIND OF THE TOURNAMENT – Fazl-e-Rabbi (Barisal)Only batsman in the competition to score two hundreds and the only man apart from national team players to make a century. With a stand-and-deliver style that brought out a comparison with Chris Gayle from former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mashud, the left-hander impressed everyone with his aggression and hand-eye coordination. He only took the game seriously in 2005 and had never batted for 50 overs before his epic 148 against Rajshahi. The fact that he is local product of Barisal, where the infrastructure is still in its infancy, and had never received any specialized coaching, speaks a lot about the perseverance and talent of this lad.

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has been mentioned with a potential overhaul of his squad during the upcoming summer transfer window.

The previous January window saw numerous players not only make moves to Villa Park but also saw some other figures wave goodbye to the club as they left on loan deals.

Looking ahead to the upcoming summer transfer window, it seems as though one current Villa figure could be set to have his bags packed and bring his time at the Midlands club to an end.

What’s the news?

According to a recent report from Football Insider sources, French club Marseille are interested in re-signing Villa midfielder Morgan Sanson this summer.

Villa signed the Frenchman back in the 2021 January transfer window in a deal worth a reported fee of £16m.

Since then, the midfielder has only made 20 appearances for the Villans across all competitions, failing to score even one goal or provide one assist, making him somewhat of a flop considering what they paid for him.

Get rid of Sanson

Having suffered from injury and illness issues when he first arrived at the club, which was described as “frustrating” by former Villa manager Dean Smith, the 27-year-old has found it hard to get regular game time under Gerrard in this campaign.

Since the turn of the year, the £59k-per-week disappointment has only appeared in six league games, starting just two of them.

It’s hard to determine what exactly the Frenchman offers the team considering how, from an attacking point of view, he’s only been able to make three shot-creating actions in the league.

From a defensive standpoint, he’s only made eight tackles for his side, which is lower than the likes of Leon Bailey, Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins.

His performances throughout this campaign haven’t done much to convince the current Villa boss that he deserves to be in the squad next season.

According to WhoScored, the former Marseille star is listed as the lowest-rated Villa player currently in Gerrard’s squad to have started more than one league fixture, with an overall rating of 6.34/10.

With that in mind, if Gerrard doesn’t have Sanson in his long-term plans for the future beyond this season and Marseille are willing to make a suitable financial offer for their former midfielder, then selling him would be the best option for all parties this summer.

In other news: “Gerrard wants..“: Journo drops teasing transfer claim, AVFC supporters surely buzzing