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Kemar Roach chips in with three as Sri Lanka collapse around Lahiru Thirimanne’s battling 70

Madushka Balasuriya21-Mar-2021Kemar Roach and Jason Holder combined for eight wickets between them as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 169 on the opening day of the first Test in Antigua. Lahiru Thirimanne top scored for the visitors with a hard-fought 70 off 180 balls, but only three other Sri Lankan batsman would get to double digits, as they crumbled against a disciplined bowling performance from the hosts.While it was Roach that was arguably the more impressive of the two, with his impeccable lines and lengths, it was Holder that would reap the benefits of the pressure created, picking up his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests. Roach, meanwhile would finish with figures of 3 for 47. John Campbell and Kraigg Brathwaite saw off an hour without any hassles, with West Indies ending on 13 without loss.While Holder had been tight throughout the day, it was in an uninterrupted spell after tea that he burst into life. He picked up four of his five wickets during this spell, including the wickets of both Dickwella and Thirimanne – Sri Lanka’s last two recognised batsmen – just as the pair would have been harbouring hopes of fashioning an unlikely rearguard salvo, having put on 58 for the sixth wicket.The first to go was Dickwella, who up until that point had played an uncharacteristically reserved innings. Having left several wide outside off alone, and having flayed a couple somewhat fortuitously backward of square on the offside, Dickwella finally produced the edge he had been teasing as Rakheem Cornwell completed a comfortable take at slip.That would put a considerable dampener on an already slow scoring rate, the pressure of which would tell a few overs later as Thirimanne played on to his stumps, to one that was angled in from around the wicket – a tactic that the West Indies had employed across the board to Sri Lanka’s left-hand batsmen.Holder would then have Suranga Lakmal out caught in his next over before trapping Lasith Embuldeniya lbw to close-out the innings, either side of Roach producing an absolute ripper to oust Dushmantha Chameera’s off peg.Roach had undoubtedly been the standout performer until that point, exemplified by his spell after the lunch break, when he picked up the wickets of both Dhananjaya De Silva and Pathum Nissanka.His first victim was De Silva; having got a few to move away past the outside edge of the right-hander, he eventually got his man, luring him into the drive but this time seaming the ball back in past the inside edge to clip the top of off stump. It was a well setup wicket, and one that was just reward for a consummate Test-match spell.And it was more of the same for Roach’s second. Immediately after the drinks break, he would get another good length delivery to move ever-so-slightly away from the batsman – this time Nissanka – whose gentle defensive prod could only find its way to first slip.Much of the damage for the visitors however took place in the morning session when they yet again lost their top-order for barely 50 runs on the board. Cornwall and Holder had picked up a wicket a piece, while Kraigg Brathwaite had effected a splendid runout.

There has now been a new update on Crystal Palace’s pursuit of a “true warrior”, with it being revealed a “good value” January deal is possible.

Palace on course to push for Europe

Palace remain in a strong position to push for European qualification, having taken 20 points from their opening 13 Premier League games this season, although they will be frustrated about Manchester United coming from behind to win at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

The Eagles fell to a 2-1 defeat against Ruben Amorim’s side, but they will have the opportunity to put things right tonight, when they travel to Turf Moor to take on an out-of-form Burnley side, who have lost their last four Premier League matches.

However, with the likes of Sunderland, Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion all in European contention after impressive starts to the campaign, it is getting congested at the top of the table, and Oliver Glasner’s side are now looking at new additions for the January window.

Last week, it was revealed that a concrete offer had been made for Bayern Munich’s Sacha Boey, who Glasner is a big fan of, according to a new update on their pursuit of the defender from TEAMtalk.

In an interview, journalist Dean Jones said: “Palace have been made aware that there could be a possibility for this one on a permanent deal and it actually could be a good value one. I’m told that is the preference at the moment.

“They [Bayern] don’t have much interest in letting him out on a loan. In the case of a loan offer they may well just hold on to him until the summer instead.

The journalist also went on to clarify that negotiations aren’t currently at an advanced stage, saying: “At this stage I think Palace are just feeling out the terms and understanding the player’s situation.”

Crystal Palace star who "they don't want to lose" now has his agent testing an exit

The Eagles must look to keep hold of their star striker.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 25, 2025 "True warrior" Boey could be exciting addition for Palace

The right-back certainly caught the eye during his time with Galatasaray, having been hailed as a “true warrior” by members of the Turkish media, and he is very assured in possession of the ball, as displayed by his performance across some key metrics over the past year.

Sacha Boey’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Passes attempted

73.18 (97th percentile)

Pass completion %

90% (99th percentile)

Progressive passes

6.31 (95th percentile)

That said, the 25-year-old, who rakes in £80k-a-week should probably seek a move this winter, given that he has fallen down the pecking order considerably, being benched for the last three Bundesliga games.

With Palace competing in Europe this season, it would be a smart move to bring in additional strength in depth at right-back this January, and a long-term replacement for Daniel Munoz may be needed regardless, amid interest from Chelsea and Barcelona.

As such, Glasner’s side should make a move for Boey, and it is promising news that a deal could be possible for a reasonable price.

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2016He added 57 for the opening wicket in the company of Kane Williamson•Marty Melville/AFP/Getty ImagesPakistan, however, clawed their way back with two quick wickets•Marty Melville/AFP/Getty ImagesNew Zealand were dealt another blow when Ross Taylor retired hurt for 6•Marty Melville/AFP/Getty ImagesCorey Anderson, though, launched a counterattack that featured six fours and four sixes•Marty Melville/AFP/Getty ImagesGrant Elliott provided him support in an 80-run stand for the fourth wicket before getting run out in the 18th over•Marty Melville/AFP/Getty ImagesAnderson remained unbeaten on 82 off 42 balls to propel the hosts to 196 for 5•Marty Melville/AFP/Getty ImagesPakistan made the worst possible start to their big chase when Mohammad Hafeez was dismissed in the second over•Marty Melville/AFP/Getty ImagesWickets continued to tumble freely, as the visitors struggled to muster even a single meaningful stand•Marty Melville/AFP/Getty ImagesAnderson followed up his blazing half-century with the key wickets of Ahmed Shehzad and Shoaib Malik, as New Zealand eventually wrapped up the match and series by 95 runs•Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images

Jose Mourinho wants to bring glory back to Fenerbahce next season and plans to overtake Galatasaray by acquiring Ederson from Manchester City.

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Fenerbahce eyeing City GK EdersonBrazilian's future uncertain at Etihad StadiumMourinho wants to strengthen squadFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mourinho is currently overseeing a season at Fenerbahce that hasn't met expectations. The 'Special One' is already planning for next season to supersede rivals Galatasaray and has reportedly asked for the shock signing of Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson, according to .

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The ongoing 2024-25 season is arguably one of the worst of Ederson's eight-year spell at the Etihad Stadium. The Brazilian has lost the total confidence of manager Pep Guardiola, with backup Stefan Ortega often receiving the nod in some of their bigger games. Given the uncertainty surrounding Ederson's future at City amid rumours that the Cityzens are eyeing Porto's Diogo Costa, Mourinho and Fenerbahce are reportedly keen on making a summer move for the 31-year-old goalkeeper.

DID YOU KNOW?

While Mourinho might already be planning for the 2025-26 in advance, he hasn't shied away from hinting at a future away from the Sukru Sarakoglu Stadium. Earlier this month, he affirmed his interested in managing a Scottish Premiership side one day.

"Why not in the future? People say that the Scottish league is a league of two teams, but it is a league of passion and passion in football is everything for me," said Mourinho ahead of his side's Europa League exit to Rangers. "To play in empty stadiums or where there is not that fire of the passion, for me that does not make any sense. Celtic and Rangers are big clubs with big fanbases, big emotions, big responsibilities and big expectations, so why not?"

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR FENERBAHCE?

Fenerbahce will take on Bodrum in their next Super Lig encounter, slated to be played on Friday, March 28, before taking on Galatasaray in the quarter-final of the Turkish Cup next Wednesday on April 2. Mourinho's men are currently in second place in the Turkish top-flight, a massive nine points behind Galatasaray, although with a game in hand.

There is a certainty to his big ODI hundreds, a clear awareness of the match situation, and an innate skill that allows him to not panic when there are slow periods

Gaurav Joshi at the WACA12-Jan-2016Four out of Rohit Sharma’s last five international hundreds have been part of heartbreaking scripts for India, but on an individual plane he might just be on his way to scripting the book on how an opener should bat ODIs. There is such a certainty to his big ODI hundreds, such situational awareness and that of the fields, that it leaves you totally confounded with his Test form. From the first ball he faced in Perth to the last, Rohit’s unbeaten 171 was scored with hardly a shot hit in anger.Even as the clutter of clapping got louder and Josh Hazlewood ran in for the first ball of a series hugely anticipated by the Aussie population of Indian descent, there seemed to be a certain calm to Rohit. He portrayed that by easing the first ball with a straight bat past mid-on for a couple. Early in the innings the focus was on decisive footwork, soft hands and a perpendicular bat. The principle was to be patient early and then cash in. It might sound simple enough but executing it to perfection is an art very few have mastered.It was as if Rohit had the innings already mapped out in his mind. When Joel Paris attempted a bouncer, he rocked back and dispatched it under the electronic scoreboard 85 meters away. When Hazlewood pulled his length back to restrict his scoring opportunities, he waited for the right ball and then put it away with ease. It was a sign Rohit had enormous self-belief and those doubts that might creep into his mind in Test cricket were non-existent in the 50-over format. Lesser batsman panic and look for the big shot. Rohit trusted his game to capitalise when the loose ball would later arrive.Almost without noticing he raced away to 36 from just 34 balls. It was like he had got through the traffic and then slipped into cruise control. For the next 29 balls, he hit only one four as he dabbed and glided the ball to reach his fifty. The first objective had been reached. It was time to revaluate the situation.The next phase demanded the odd big shot with focus still on rotating strike. So Rohit did just that for the next 23 balls. He hit a couple of glorious, and well calculated, sixes against the weaker bowlers in Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell. The shots sent the crowd into raptures, and you could sense their expectation increasing.Rohit was 23 away from a century, but focus had shifted to batting for far longer. As Smith brought back his most experienced pair in Hazlewood and Faulkner, he treated them with respect rather than contempt knowing his time would come. It was imperative for the sake of the team to bat through the innings.Once again he turned into the accumulator as he went from 77 to 100 in 36 balls, with just one boundary. As he moved to 99, the crowd once again started the clatter of clapping, but just like he had been during the first ball of the day, Rohit remained calm to bring up his ninth ODI century, off 122 balls with seven fours and three sixes.But Rohit doesn’t only score hundreds; he scores big hundreds and it was time to entertain in a manner only Rohit can.As he took guard once again, it seemed like the sound of ball hitting his bat got softer and softer and yet it travelled further and further. Some that looked like perfect yorkers were deposited over long-on. The short ones were just caressed on either side of the wicketkeeper depending on the field placing. In between the deft touches, he ensured good balls still leaked runs. Rohit was at his skilful best as he moved from 100 to 171 in just 41 balls.MS Dhoni summed it up in the best manner: “Whenever a batsman plays a long innings, the most important thing there is how he carries on once he gets to 50, then how he carries on once he gets to 100. Most of the times, when Rohit crosses 100-110 he scores quite big and that’s always good. He is one of the players in the team who can play all the shots, exploit the field well, and hits effortlessly”It is no wonder Rohit’s last five hundreds have been 171, 150, 137, 138 and 264. He has perfected a formula that works for him in the one-day arena. Since the Champions Trophy in June 2013, Rohit has seven hundreds and 14 fifties in 55 innings. He has gone past fifty in 21 out of these 55 innings, a formidable 38%.Often the finishers such as Dhoni and Michael Bevan are credited for calculative minds to finish an innings but to sustain and constructing an innings across the duration of 50 overs is a skill just as important. It needs a calculation of its own. Rohit is setting a template for that.

The Saudi Pro League has not reached out to Vinicius Junior in an attempt to sign him from Real Madrid, one of the division's chiefs has said.

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Vini Jr linked with €1bn Saudi moveReported to have met with league officialsSPL chief sets the record straightFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Executives from the Saudi top-flight reportedly met with the 24-year-old in 2023 to discuss a transfer that would see him sign a deal worth a potential €1 billion (£840m). He continues to be linked with a move to Middle East, though Madrid hope to convince him to sign a new contract.

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The reports say that the SPL leaders are acting on behalf of clubs to bring in the two-time Champions League winner, but the division's general manager of marketing communications, Mohammed Basrawi, says otherwise.

WHAT BASRAWI SAID

Asked about the possibility of signing the Brazilian, he told : "A sensitive issue. Honestly, as a league, we don't get involved in the signings each club intends to make. Would we like to have him here? Of course we would, but we, as a league, don't choose the signings; they depend on each club."

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS?

Vinicius remains tied to Madrid until the summer of 2027 and will hope to end the season with La Liga and Champions League winners' medals before he considers moving to another club.

It’s been an encouraging but nonetheless up-and-down start to Premier League life for Ipswich Town this season.

Kieran McKenna’s side might still be in the relegation zone due to another defeat yesterday afternoon, but there are undoubtedly reasons to be optimistic for the Tractor Boys.

For example, they have already played four of the traditional big six, beating Tottenham Hotspur before the international break and then claiming a point at home against Manchester United in their first game back.

Moreover, several of the club’s summer signings have started to show that they can hack it in the top flight, including Omari Hutschibson, and based on reports from last month, the powers that be could be about to repeat the trick that landed them the talented 21-year-old in the first place.

Hutchinson's recent form

Now, we know that some of you may point out that Hutchinson first joined Ipswich last summer, but he didn’t put pen to paper on a permanent deal until this summer.

McKenna and Co were understandably impressed by the 21-year-old’s stellar performance on loan, which saw him rack up 11 goals and six assists in 50 appearances, and opted to splash £20m on him in June, which is starting to look like excellent business.

The Redhill-born maestro didn’t start the campaign in the same form he ended the last one in, but the previous few gameweeks have seen him return to the sort of form that convinced the Tractor Boys to sign him in the first place.

Appearances

50

13

Goals

11

1

Assists

6

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.34

0.15

For example, while he didn’t score or provide an assist in the win over Spurs, it felt like everything the team did well flowed through him, leading to the East Anglian Daily Times’ Alex Jones awarding him a 9/10 match rating on the day.

Then, against United, in Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge, the former Blues gem opened his goalscoring account with a spectacular curling effort from outside the box.

On top of being able to make things happen on his own, the left-footer is more than capable of playing in multiple positions and doing so to a good standard.

Last season, McKenna opted to start him more often than not off the right, whereas this season, he’s been playing in the middle and doing so with aplomb.

In all, it would be fair to describe Hutchinson’s transfer to Ipswich as a success, and if reports are to be believed, the club could be looking to repeat it in January.

Ipswich target another young talent

So, to get straight to the point, the player Ipswich could look to repeat their Hutchinson masterclass with is Carney Chukwuemeka.

The link comes from journalist Simon Phillips’ Substack late last month, where he revealed that the Tractor Boys are one of several sides interested in the young talent, who is currently earning £100k-per-week in West London following his £20m move from Aston Villa in 2022.

So then, why would a move for the midfield gem be akin to the transfer of Hutchinson? Well, there is one primary reason, and it’s a big one.

Were McKenna able to get his hands on the 21-year-old, then he’d be another young and highly thought-of talent making his way to Portman Road from Stamford Bridge in as many years, and while he’s not had a great time in West London, he is certainly highly thought of.

For example, talent scout Jacek Kulig described the Eisenstadt-born dynamo as a “top talent” as well as a “superstar in the making” in the summer of 2022 due to his incredible performance for England at the U19 European Championships.

It’s not just scouts that see a future star in the young Englishman either, as his former manager Steven Gerrard described him as possessing “big potential” and, while his time in the dugout didn’t quite go as planned, the former Liverpool legend probably knows a thing or two about midfielders.

Lastly, while he hasn’t been prolific at the senior level just yet, in part due to multiple injury issues, the former Villa prospect was sensational for the club’s junior sides.

For example, in just 26 appearances for the U18s, he scored ten goals and provided eight assists, while in 29 games for the U23s, he scored three goals and provided five assists, which isn’t too bad considering his primary position in his career so far has been central midfield.

Ultimately, it could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, and one that may even raise some eyebrows for how he’s gotten on at Chelsea.

However, there can be no mistake, Chukwuemeka is a serious talent, and based on how well Hutchinson has developed at Ipswich following his move from Chelsea, there’s no reason he couldn’t do the same.

Forget Delap: Remarkable Ipswich star must be on Tuchel's England radar

The “remarkable” talent will be vital to Ipswich’s survival this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 28, 2024

Smith, Starc, Henry and Boult have gained at the end of the Australia vs New Zealand ODI series

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Sep-20222:05

Arthur: Hasaranga is reliable, incredible and loves playing on the big stage

Wanindu Hasaranga, Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are the big movers in the latest ICC T20I rankings for men, following strong performances at the recent Asia Cup in the UAE.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

Click here for the full player rankings

On the bowlers’ table, Hasaranga has moved up three places to sixth after finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker, behind Bhuvneshwar, in Sri Lanka’s sixth Asia Cup triumph. Hasaranga, who was named Player of the Tournament, picked up nine wickets at an economy rate of 7.39.He also made important contributions with the bat, including a 21-ball 36 in the final, which helped Sri Lanka get to a strong total, which they defended successfully. That helped him move up seven spots to No. 4 on the allrounders’ chart – Shakib Al Hasan is at the top there.Kohli, meanwhile, has risen 14 places to slot in at No. 15 on the batters’ table. His rise came on the back of a good Asia Cup, where he scored 276 runs in five innings – at an average of 92.00 and strike rate of 147.59.Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar had a good time of it at the Asia cup•Associated PressHe also scored his first T20I century during the tournament, an unbeaten 122 against Afghanistan, which brought an end to a century drought across formats that had run for 1020 days. Kohli’s tally of runs was only behind Mohammad Rizwan’s 281, and Rizwan held on to the top spot on the batters’ table. Babar Azam, who had a forgettable Asia Cup with the bat, lost his No. 2 spot to Aiden Markram.Bhuvneshwar, the highest wicket-taker at the Asia Cup with 11 strikes, also made notable progress, moving into the top ten among bowlers, jumping from 11th to seventh.In ODIs, Steven Smith, after his starring role in Australia’s 3-0 sweep of New Zealand at home, jumped 13 places to move to tenth among batters. Mitchell Starc, after picking up six wickets in three games, broke into the top ten among bowlers, moving up three places to ninth.Matt Henry also jumped one position to take the eighth spot after picking up five wickets in two games, while Trent Boult continued to lead the list after finishing the series as the top wicket-taker, with ten strikes.

Stats highlights from another day when Australia were utterly dominant, with both bat and ball

S Rajesh06-Nov-20154.26 Australia’s run rate through their innings of 556 for 4 declared – they got there in 130.2 overs. Among the 105 innings that have lasted at least 100 overs at the Gabba, only one has a higher run rate: last year against India, Australia galloped to 505 off 109.4 overs, a rate of 4.60.4 Instances that Australia have declared their innings, out of the last six times that they have batted first at the Gabba. This innings was similar to their effort against Sri Lanka in 2007, when they declared at 551 for 4; they then bowled Sri Lanka out twice to win by an innings and 40 runs.1993 The last time Australia’s first four wickets added more than 556 runs in a Test innings; that was in the Ashes Test at Lord’s, when the top three all got hundreds, and Nos. 4 and 5 passed 75. Overall, this is only the 12th instance of Australia’s top four wickets combining to score 500-plus runs.174 Usman Khawaja’s score, which is more than twice his previous-best in Tests; in 17 previous innings, he had never made more than 65. This century has lifted his career average from 25.13 to 34.43.5 Instances of a No. 3 batsman scoring more than 174 in a Gabba Test. Three of those innings were by Don Bradman, who also has the highest score here by a No. 3 batsman – 226 against South Africa in 1931. The last time a No. 3 scored more at the Gabba was nine years ago, when Ricky Ponting made 196 against England.1 Fifty-plus scores for Kane Williamson in Tests against Australia. Before this innings, his best in four innings against Australia was 34, and he’d scored 72 at an average of 18.2 Spinners whose economy rates in Test cricket are worse than Mark Craig’s 3.66, among those who have bowled at least 400 overs. The only ones are Moeen Ali (ER 3.90) and Ian Salisbury (3.70). In the Australian innings, Craig’s economy rate was 5.03, which is already the fourth time in his 11-Test career that he has gone at five or more runs an over (when he has bowled 15 or more overs in an innings).31.75 Ross Taylor’s average in 12 Tests since the beginning of 2014: in 22 innings during this period he has only one century. In the two previous years – 2012 and 2013 – he had averaged 62.40 in 20 Tests, with six hundreds in 35 innings.

Nuno Espirito Santo was delighted after a hard fought 1-0 win for his Nottingham Forest side over Premier League champions Manchester City

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Forest four points clear of City in the tableHudson-Odoi's late winner the differencePep's men boss possession but can't convertFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Callum Hudson-Odoi's 83rd minute strike was enough to take all three points in a game which could have significant ramifications for Champion's League qualification. The game appeared destined to end in a stalemate until the winger neatly controlled a cross-field pass from Morgan Gibbs-White before cutting inside and beating Ederson at his near post.

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Third-placed Forest now sit four points ahead of City in fourth after Saturday's result. Chelsea can overtake the champions if they beat strugglers Leicester City on Sunday.

AFPWHAT NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO SAID

The Forest boss said: "It was a tough game, everybody saw how good Manchester City are, they had us on the ropes but the boys worked very hard. Of course they were going to have chances, but it was then about us taking ours.

"[Beating City] shows the progress but there is so much football still to be played. Let's focus on the journey and move on to the next one."

DID YOU KNOW?

City bossed possession but couldn't find the opening they desperately needed at the City Ground. Pep Guardiola's side enjoyed 69 per cent of the ball, and strung together 603 passes, more than doubling Forest's output of 262.