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Debutant Josh Clarkson took 2 for 24 on debut to keep Bangladesh to 200 for 9

Vishal Dikshit17-Dec-202330 overs A power-packed partnership of 171 for the third wicket between centurion Will Young and captain Tom Latham led the way for New Zealand to take a 1-0 lead over Bangladesh in the rain-hit first ODI in Dunedin. Chasing a stiff and revised target of 245 in 30 overs, Bangladesh had no big scores or partnerships to set up their chase.It looked like they had a chance when they were 80 for 2 in the 12th over but once debutant Josh Clarkson removed the well-set Anamul Haque and Litton Das in consecutive overs, and Rachin Ravindra had Mushfiqur Rahim caught behind, Bangladesh never recovered from 103 for 5 apart from some late fireworks from Afif Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.New Zealand got off to a rocky start after rain had initially reduced the game to 46 overs a side after the toss, when Shoriful Islam found the edges of Rachin Ravindra and Henry Nicholls to dismiss them for ducks in the first over. From 5 for 2, Young and Latham began the recovery but Latham was dropped on 18 when Soumya Sarkar put down a catch above his head at second slip off Mustafizur Rahman. The innings was interrupted twice by rain; first in the 14th over, when it became a 40-overs-per-side contest, and then in the 20th over with New Zealand 108 for 2. Both batters had just opened up with consecutive fours from Latham against Mehidy and Young against Mustafizur that pushed the run rate towards 5.50.As soon as Latham brought up 4000 ODI runs and his 50, off 58 balls, came the longest rain interruption in the 20th over that reduced the game to a 30-over contest. After play resumed, Latham and Young hit Soumya for two sixes in an over and Latham also launched Mehidy into the car park over long-on before clobbering Soumya for three consecutive fours on the leg side. Young, after raising his fifty of 61 balls, accelerated by swatting Shoriful for two fours in an over behind square on the leg side that took them to 159 for 2 with six overs left.Running out of options, Bangladesh brought on Afif but he too got belted for two sixes before Mehidy finally gave them some respite by having Latham chop on for 92 off 77. Mark Chapman attacked from his first ball, hitting two sixes and a four in his first six balls, while Young raced from 72 to 89 in one over with four more fours off Soumya. In a dramatic 29th over from Mehidy, Young smacked a four and a six to get to 99 before Chapman was run out and Young reached his third ODI hundred off just 82 balls. Bangladesh conceded only eight runs and affected three run-outs in the final over, but New Zealand had put up a formidable 239 by hammering 131 runs off the last 64 balls after the last rain break.Josh Clarkson took two wickets on debut•Getty ImagesSet a revised target of 245, Bangladesh lost Soumya for a duck when he was caught behind off Adam Milne in the first over before Anamul and Najmul Hossain Shanto steered them towards 50. Ish Sodhi, however, struck with his fourth ball by bowling Shanto around his legs by going past his reverse sweep, and when it looked like Anamul and Litton were going steady, Clarkson struck with two different kinds of short balls. He first took a return catch off Anamul by inducing a leading edge and then bowled a slower bouncer to have Litton caught behind. Like Shanto, Mushfiqur’s reverse sweep also resulted in his dismissal when his top edge was caught by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell. Bangladesh were reeling at 103 for 5, with the asking rate above 10 an over.Bangladesh were still in the game though, with Towhd Hridoy and Afif adding a quick stand of 56 off 38 balls, but it was still not enough to reduce the asking rate. They slipped further when Sodhi returned and had Hridoy caught at long leg off a wrong’un and Afif lobbed a catch to short midwicket next over. It was a lost cause to get 80 runs from six overs with three wickets in hand, and Mehidy’s blows only ensured that Bangladesh got to 200.

It was his eighth double in the Ranji Trophy, taking him to second spot on the competition’s list of 200s

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jan-2024Cheteshwar Pujara has scored his 17th double-century in first-class cricket, in the opening round of the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season, against Jharkhand. Batting overnight on 157, Pujara went past 200 in the first session of the third day and remained unbeaten on 243 after lunch, when Saurashtra declared on 578 for 4, with a massive lead of 436.Pujara is now level with Herbert Sutcliffe and Mark Ramprakash on 17 first-class doubles and behind Don Bradman (37), Wally Hammond (36) and Patsy Hendren (22) overall. It was Pujara’s eighth double-hundred in the Ranji Trophy, where he is second on the list behind only Paras Dogra’s nine.Pujara also has three first-class triple-centuries, the last of which came against West Indies A in October 2013.ESPNcricinfo LtdPujara will hope his latest double puts him in contention for the five-Test series against England starting on January 25 in Hyderabad. Pujara last played a Test in June, the WTC final against Australia at The Oval, in which he scored 14 and 27 as India went down by 209 runs.India have since played two Test series of two games each, in the West Indies in July 2023 and recently in South Africa. Shubman Gill dropped down to No. 3 in all those Tests with Yashasvi Jaiswal opening the batting.Pujara, meanwhile, played county cricket for Sussex, the Irani Cup (the annual first-class match featuring the Ranji Trophy champions vs the Rest of India) and the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy, but without impressive returns until now.He will probably play at least one more Ranji game – against Haryana at home from January 12 to 15 – before the India squad is announced for the England Tests. Saurashtra’s third fixture is against Vidarbha from January 19 to 22.

Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are expected to splash out more money in a bid to bring a key player to the club this summer.

Wrexham revamping squad over summerPreparing for life in the ChampionshipExpected to bring in Bolton Wanderers captainFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Phil Parkinson's side are hoping to sign Bolton Wanderers midfielder George Thomason but will have to pay a "significant fee" to bring him to the Welsh club this summer, according to BBC Sport. Thomason still has two years remaining on his contract at Bolton but is being tipped to move on and strengthen Wrexham's squad as they prepare for life in the Championship.

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Wrexham have been busy shaping their squad for the new campaign. The Red Dragons have agreed personal terms with former Sheffield Wednesday striker Josh Windass over a move, while New Zealand international Liberato Cacace has arrived from Serie A side Empoli on a three-year deal.

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Bolton manager Steven Schumacher has confirmed that a bid has been accepted for Thomason after he missed a pre-season friendly. He told the : “We have accepted a bid from a club last week, and he's gone this weekend to do his medical there. I don't want to name clubs and all that because it's not confirmed yet. But that's why George wasn't here, obviously. We'll probably touch on that in a bit more detail next week.”

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Wrexham have also targeted a move for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O'Brien before the start of the season to continue their summer revamp. The Welsh side have been in Australia and New Zealand for pre-season ahead of a first Championship game of the new campaign against Southampton on August 9.

David Bedingham counterattacked for South Africa with 87 off 96 balls, but they folded for 247 in pursuit of 529

Ashish Pant07-Feb-20242:36

Bedingham: ‘It was quite gutsy of me to take on the short ball’

Kyle Jamieson’s four-wicket haul backed up by Mitchell Santner’s three-for helped New Zealand record a mammoth 281-run win over South Africa in the first Test in Mount Maunganui – their second highest in terms of runs. The margin of defeat would have been much more if not for David Bedingham’s counterattacking 87 off 96 balls, where he took on the short ball with some aplomb.Jamieson struck twice each after the lunch and tea breaks, breaking important stands as South Africa, who were chasing 529 for a win, folded for 247 in 80 overs. There were good partnerships built, but South Africa lost wickets in clusters way too often to go down. Aside from Bedingham, Zubayr Hamza, Raynard van Tonder and Keegan Petersen all got starts but none of them could go on and get a big one.Earlier, New Zealand expectedly declared their second innings overnight on 179 for 4, setting South Africa an improbable target. Their bowlers Matt Henry and Tim Southee immediately found assistance under overcast skies to leave South Africa at 5 for 2 in the fourth over. While Southee troubled Edward Moore in the first over by curling the ball both ways, Henry seemingly had Neil Brand caught behind with his second delivery, as Tom Blundell took a stunning catch to his left. The South Africa captain, however, was saved on review.Brand’s stay at the crease was short-lived though, as Southee breached his defence with an incoming beauty. He got the ball to jag in from the around-the-wicket angle, and Brand, unsure whether to play at the ball or leave it, was late and saw his stumps in a mess. At that point, with the ball hooping around and the batters unsure, a collapse was on the cards. But Hamza and van Tonder hung around.Hamza, who had looked solid in the first innings, got the first four of the innings in the 11th over – a firm punch through covers off Jamieson – before cutting Southee square soon after. Van Tonder, on a pair on debut, got his first runs in Tests with a push past mid-on. He had his nervous moments though, as an edge fell short of second slip to along with a number of plays and misses, but he kept going. The pair soon brought up the first 50-run stand for South Africa in the Test, and moved to lunch unscathed.2:40

Southee: ‘Test cricket is as exciting as it has ever been’

But having fought hard, debutant van Tonder’s 83-ball vigil ended three overs after lunch when he edged a full-length Jamieson delivery straight into the hands of Tom Latham, who was stationed a tad wide at slips. Two overs later, it was Hamza’s turn to depart when his meek attempt at a pull could only go as far as Southee at mid-on.Bedingham and Petersen joined forces in the 33rd over with the score at 73 for 4, and added 105 for the fifth wicket, with the former doing the bulk of the scoring. Bedingham started nervously, swishing and missing at a couple of balls and then twice edging Jamieson past the lone slip Latham, who was positioned wide. But Petersen, at the other end, looked more solid.For 11 overs from the 35th to the 46th, South Africa could only manage 16 runs, with a single boundary. There were chances created, but none that really went to hand. Then came Matt Henry with a short-ball plan, and Bedingham decided to cut loose. Having decided to take his name out of the SA20 draft in a bid to play this series, Bedingham showed off his T20 ware in this Test – and in style. Henry went short at him four times in four balls, but was carted for a boundary each time by making room and stepping towards the leg side, in an over that went for 19.Rachin Ravindra was then tonked for a four straight down the ground – one that got Bedingham to his second fifty in Tests, before he took a liking to Southee. The fast bowler went short, and Bedingham’s back-away-and-swing-for-the-hills plan was executed to perfection. In the last ten balls that he faced off Southee before tea, Bedingham carted him for 28. In all, South Africa scored 111 off 28 overs in the second session, with 71 coming off the last ten.New Zealand went short at Bedingham for 22 balls, of which he whacked 48 runs, but the shot also brought about his downfall post tea. Not willing to change his approach, he went after Jamieson first over after the interval, but his miscued pull was caught at deep midwicket, with Bedingham falling 13 short of what would have been a maiden Test ton.In his very next over, Jamieson had Peterson caught off a short ball down to deep-backward square leg, with Ravindra taking a good, low catch, and the end was nigh. Clyde Fortuin’s innings was cut short in an unfortunate manner when he pulled a Glenn Phillips long hop straight into the knee of Latham at short leg, with the ball popping up for wicketkeeper Blundell to complete the catch.Duanne Olivier then edged Santner to first slip, before the left-arm spinner ended Dane Paterson’s enterprising innings on 15 to close out the game for the hosts and helped them take a 1-0 lead.Ravindra, for his 240 in the first innings, was named Player of the Match.

Bayer Leverkusen have named Malik Tillman as their successor to Florian Wirtz by officially handing him the No.10 shirt following the German's move to Liverpool.

Wirtz left Leverkusen for LiverpoolTillman brought in to replace midfielderHanded No.10 shirt by Ten HagFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Leverkusen have had some major rebuilding to do this summer after losing Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and head coach Xabi Alonso, and they have put their faith in former PSV midfielder Tillman to take on the former's role under Erik ten Hag.

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The No.10 shirt is symbolic in the game of football and bears a lot of responsibility. That heavy burden will fall onto the shoulders of the USMNT youngster as Leverkusen look to continue on their upwards trajectory, having finished as runners-up behind Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga last term.

DID YOU KNOW?

Tillman came through the Bayern academy but spent time out on loan at several clubs, including Rangers. Last season for PSV, he bagged 21 goal contributions across all competitions on the way to winning the Eredivisie title.

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Having recently returned from Gold Cup duties with the USMNT, Tillman is hoping to hit the ground running at Leverkusen after his move and fans will be behind him all the way, with the club even offering free printing of his name and number for the next few days, in a similar move to Arsenal for striker signing Viktor Gyokeres.

Talks are now underway as Aston Villa look to complete the signing of a “world-class” player this summer, according to a new transfer update.

Asensio happy to stay at Aston Villa

Unai Emery’s side ultimately missed out on Champions League qualification this season, but it was still another productive campaign overall, with loanees Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio making a good impression.

The 29-year-old Spaniard added proven quality and end product to Villa’s attack, scoring three goals in the Premier League and Champions League, and he spoke of his admiration for Emery.

“Unai is a coach that I’ve known for a while. He’s had a great career, he’s a top coach, he’s been key in me being able to come here because of his idea of how he wants to play football. I love it, it suits me perfectly and he’s a really important person as to why I’m here right now.”

Thankfully, Asensio is reportedly open to staying put at Villa and signing for good this summer, which will go down well with many supporters, considering the impact former Real Madrid man has made at times. Now, a new update has provided further news on the situation.

New Asensio to Aston Villa update emerges

According to Birmingham World, Aston Villa have held talks with PSG over the permanent signing of Asensio this summer, in a positive update. The Villans are “eager” to snap him up as soon as possible, no doubt to ensure that another team doesn’t get there first, and it is even claimed that Emery is “obsessed with the idea” of retaining his services.

Villa signing Asensio permanently is a no-brainer, with the Spain international still very much in his peak years, and capable of being a talismanic attacking player moving forward.

The £6m-a-year attacker is a match-winning footballer with a winning mentality, having scored in the 2017 Champions League final and won the competition three times during his Madrid days, and Matthew Upson has heaped praise on him.

“Marco Asensio is clever in where he positions himself. It’s a nightmare really. He comes on the pitch, and he has the knack to pick up the right areas. You need to get yourself in a mentality that, when it’s your turn to play your part, you’re at your best, and you’re delivering. That’s what world-class players do. He’s in that bracket. He’s a great signing for Villa, and he’s going to play a big part in the exciting finish to the season they have ahead.”

Martinez upgrade: Aston Villa eyeing "one of the best young GKs in Europe"

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ByBen Gray Jun 2, 2025

Signing Asensio would feel like a statement of intent by Villa, showing that they are capable of tying down world-renowned players on a permanent basis, even without Champions League football.

Hopefully, he can play a huge part in the next three or four years, potentially even becoming one of the Villans’ best attacking players of the Premier League era.

Australia captain “really easy” about some of the squad arriving late, having taken time off to unwind after the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jun-2024Mitchell Marsh, Australia’s captain at T20 World Cup 2024, will not bowl in the initial part of the tournament but hopes to be able to do so in the latter stages.Marsh, who was ruled out of the IPL midway due to a hamstring tear, has had a much slower recovery than initially expected. He didn’t bowl during Australia’s warm-up matches against Namibia and West Indies either.”Yeah, I won’t be bowling early on in the tournament,” Marsh said on Saturday. “And I always joke as captain – I hope I won’t bowl late in the tournament either. But yeah, I’ll progress that slowly over the next 10-12 days and hopefully be available for them at the back end of the tournament.”Related

Australia down to nine players for T20 World Cup warm-ups

For their warm-up matches, Australia had only nine players available from their 15-member squad. At one stage, they had four substitutes on the field comprising head coach Andrew McDonald, batting coach Brad Hodge, fielding coach Andre Borovec and national selector George Bailey.Travis Head, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green and Marcus Stoinis were the ones who were to join the camp late. Except for Stoinis, all the others were involved in the IPL playoffs. Marsh was asked his opinion on the players having joined the camp late. Australia play their first game against Oman in Bridgetown on June 5.”For me, it’s really easy,” he said. “We really value a bit of family time. The guys have obviously been at the IPL, which I think is great preparation for a World Cup. And then, yeah, just the value of seeing their families and getting them in their own bed for one or two nights is really important. As a whole, we’ve all bought into that and it’s really easy to do.Mitchell Marsh won’t be in action with the ball for a little while yet•Getty Images”We have still got [Mitchell] Starc and Maxi [Glenn Maxwell] to arrive this morning, or lunchtime. But after that we are all here. I think for the guys to get a couple of days at home is really important for us as a group and for them personally. Obviously, it takes a few days to get here from Australia so that adds a few challenges but they’ll be ready to go come the 5th.”Did Australia learn anything from their two warm-up games, having won one and lost the other? “I think we got exactly what we needed to get out of those games,” Marsh said. “Obviously, Hodgey won’t be available for selection, not quite up to it (laughs). So that was disappointing for him, he misses out. But yeah, for the guys who have had time off at home, to come back and get a bit of game time, that’s really all I needed from those practice games. So we certainly feel like we’re ready to go now.”This is the biggest-ever T20 World Cup, comprising 20 teams. And unlike the last couple of editions, there is no qualifying round before the tournament proper starts. According to Marsh, that adds a lot of excitement to the tournament.”I think it certainly feels like a World Cup,” he said. “I got presented a Ugandan playing shirt the other day in our team hotel and that was a really special moment. And it’s things like that, it’s not just about the cricket throughout these World Cups, it’s about opportunity and teams have earned the right to be here. I think that adds a lot of excitement to the whole tournament, so it’s really special, I think.”However, he offered dead defence when asked if there should have been a longer break between the end of the IPL and the start of the T20 World Cup.”I don’t really have an answer to that question and I don’t make those decisions – so as a group we’re here to win. Things may look a little bit disjointed at the beginning and I think most teams are in the same boat with guys that are playing the IPL or coming out of the shop. But that’s the nature of the beast of international cricket these days. We come from all over to tours and we’ll get around each other the next few days and come together and kick off on the field for us.”

Manchester United are set to finish ninth in the Premier League while Arsenal will finish fourth, according to ex-Chelsea star Joe Cole.

Cole predicts full tableExpects United to endure a terrible campaignArsenal tipped to fall out of title contentionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Cole and the rest of his TNT pundits have made predictions for the 2025/26 season, and the ex-Chelsea star is very down on the prospects of both United and the Gunners. Ruben Amorim's side limped to a 15th-placed finish last season and while Cole does expect them to improve, he believes they will once again be marooned in mid-table. 

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Cole has backed Liverpool to win the Premier League title for the second successive year, with Manchester City runners-up and Chelsea in third. Arsenal, he predicts, will finish fourth, potentially falling away from title contention despite them finishing as runners-up last season. 

DID YOU KNOW?

By comparison, his fellow pundits, Alan Shearer and Owen Hargreaves, have predicted United to finish sixth and seventh respectively, while they have both backed Mikel Arteta's side to finish second. All three believe Liverpool will once again be crowned champions. 

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The Premier League kicks off next Friday when Liverpool face Crystal Palace. Arsenal and United kick off their season against each other.

The league announced the 2025 postseason structure on Wednesday, including key dates for each round of the playoffs

MLS announces 2025 playoff structureMLS Cup takes place on Dec. 6Every match to be streamed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Major League Soccer announced its playoff structure and format for the 2025 season on Thursday. Every postseason match will be streamed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+, while select playoff games, including MLS Cup, will be available through FOX Sports in the U.S. and TSN and RDS in Canada.

The key postseason dates are as follows:

ROUNDDATESDecision DaySaturday, October 18Wild CardWednesday, October 22Round One Best-of-3 SeriesFriday, October 24 – Sunday, November 9Conference SemifinalsSaturday, November 22 – Sunday, November 23Conference FinalsSaturday, November 29 – Sunday, November 30MLS CupDecember 6AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Decision Day: All 30 teams will feature in the final regular-season matchday. Eastern Conference matches will start at 6 p.m. ET, while Western Conference games begin at 9 p.m. ET.

Wildcard matches: These matches will feature a single-elimination match in each conference between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds. The higher seed will host. The winners will advance to Round One Best-of-3 Series to face their respective conferences’ No. 1 seeds.

Round One Best-of-3 Series: The top seven teams from each conference automatically qualify for the round. All 16 teams will play at least one home match. Each series will see the higher seed host the opening match, before the lower seed hosts the second game, before, if necessary, returning to the higher seed's venue for the final match. The first team to two wins across the series advances. 

Conference Semifinals: These will be single-elimination matches, with the team with a better regular-season record hosting.

Conference Finals: The winner of each respective semifinal match will advance to the Conference Final, and the winner of this round will clinch a berth in MLS Cup. 

MLS Cup: Hosting rights will be awarded to the team with a better regular-season record.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Los Angeles Galaxy are the reigning MLS Cup champions. They defeated the New York Red Bulls in 2024, winning by a scoreline of 2-1.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MLS?

Regular season play returns on Saturday, with 10 matches on the cards before five games take center-stage Sunday. The Philadelphia Union currently sit atop the MLS Supporters' Shield standings with 50 points. 

Pakistan collapsed around Sidra’s 48 to lose seven wickets for 37 and eventually post 134

Danyal Rasool03-May-2024Hayley Matthews ended her dream tour of Pakistan as she started it, with yet another commanding performance as West Indies coasted to an eight-wicket win in Karachi. Smashing 78 in 59 balls, the West Indies captain made light work of Pakistan’s first innings total of 134, with the visitors getting there with ten balls to spare. West Indies won the series 4-1.West Indies demonstrated Thursday’s indifferent performance was an aberration, and were right on it from the moment they won the toss and put Pakistan in to bat. Pakistan started brightly with a 38-run opening partnership in five overs, and after Qiana Joseph cleaned up Ayesha Zafar following a 16-ball 22, Sidra Ameen and Muneeba Ali went about rebuilding effectively. By the 12th over, the hosts sat pretty at 84 for 1, ostensibly set up for a big finish.But, led by legspinner Afy Fletcher, West Indies engineered an almighty Pakistan collapse. Only Rameen Shamim, whose late unbeaten 11-ball 16 got Pakistan past 130, managed double figures after the top three. Pakistan lost seven wickets for 37 runs as Fletcher, Joseph and Matthews all cashed in, strangling the innings until Shamim’s final-over flourish. Sidra top-scored for Pakistan with a 52-ball 48.But West Indies had the momentum, and never truly ceded it. Matthews started cautiously once more, allowing Rashada Williams to inflict the early jabs. Sadia Iqbal got rid of her in the fifth over, but that brought out Shemaine Campbelle, who, together with Matthews put together a 103-run partnership, terminally ending any Pakistan hopes of another consolation win. Towards the second half of that innings, Matthews seemed to be finding boundaries at will, 11 of them sprinkled throughout her innings as she surpassed 50 and helped her side hurtle towards what suddenly looked like an inadequate target. Campbelle, meanwhile eased along for an unbeaten 33 off 35, happy to play second fiddle at a master in full flow.Pakistan did manage to get Matthews out one final time in the series, Nashra Sandhu knocking her stumps back. But by then, West Indies needed just seven to win, and Matthews’ work was done.