Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has described his fifth yellow card of the season as “mind boggling”.
The Everton midfielder will miss Sunday’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace after reaching the threshold for a one-game suspension after only six Premier League matches.
Dewsbury-Hall’s latest yellow card came in Monday night’s 1-1 draw against West Ham for a challenge on Kyle Walker-Peters where he appeared to clearly get the ball. Writing on X, the 27-year-old said:
“Forgive me if I’m wrong, and I might be, but some of these decisions are so hard to take. Mind boggling.”
Everton 1-1 West Ham
6.43
Liverpool 2-1 Everton
6.86
Everton 0-0 Aston Villa
6.72
Everton 2-0 Brighton
6.75
Leeds 1-0 Everton
6.77
Dewsbury-Hall has impressed for the Toffees since making the move from Chelsea this summer, scoring his first goal against Wolves last month. Everton boss David Moyes agreed with the midfielder’s assessment, saying:
Pep Guardiola has revealed "the truth" about Arsenal, with the Manchester City boss admitting that the Gunners may become "impossible to catch" in the Premier League title race. The Catalan coach has, however, pointed out that "now the real season starts" as a flurry of international breaks have been completed and full focus becomes locked on the pursuit of precious points.
Arsenal lead the way: Can Man City chase down the Gunners?
City sit second in the table as things stand, four points behind leaders Arsenal through 11 fixtures. That gap is not too big to be bridged at present, but the Gunners have lost just one game so far this season. They also boast the best defensive record in the division, having only been breached on five occasions.
City have found form again, winning their last four games across all competitions – including a 3-0 victory over defending champions Liverpool immediately prior to the November break – and have star striker Erling Haaland in red-hot form.
AdvertisementGettyTitle race: Guardiola sounds Premier League warning
Guardiola does, however, concede that Arsenal are making life difficult for the chasing pack. He said ahead of a testing trip to Newcastle on Saturday for his City side: "The truth is a team as strong as Arsenal I have a feeling they will not drop points, so if they go further ahead it will be impossible to catch. Arsenal are an impeccable team. If they manage to take some distance in points, it will be difficult to catch up. Just like how it went with Liverpool."
The English top-flight crown headed to Anfield last season as Liverpool eased over the line, with there never any threat of an early lead in the standings being surrendered. Guardiola knows what it takes to get over that line, having led City to six titles – including a historic run of four-in-a-row between 2020 and 2024.
He has pointed out that there is still a long way to go in another battle for domestic supremacy, with it always about how you finish. Guardiola added: "We are in November, and in November in this league nothing is final.
"What happens in February or March, be careful. But the season starts now. The first start is when the transfer window is over in the summer. And now again when the international breaks are over.
"Now until March we see each other every three days. Now the real season starts. It is important to be there and to arrive at the end of the season with a chance to fight. Winning (in Newcastle) would be an important step for us."
Red-hot Haaland: Shearer record set to be broken
Guardiola is preparing to unleash Haaland again when heading to St James’ Park, with the prolific Norwegian hitting 32 goals through 20 appearances for club and country this season. He sits on 99 total efforts in the Premier League and is preparing to smash a record held by Newcastle legend Alan Shearer when it comes to reaching a century in the fewest number of games. Haaland is preparing for outing 109, while Shearer took 124 to reach 100 goals.
Guardiola said of his talismanic No.9, who has helped Norway to their first World Cup since 1998: "He’s incredible this season. He’s breaking all the records, personal and individual records, Premier League records, records for Norway. I’m happy for him, his national team.
"I saw that many of the squad for Norway weren’t even born the last time Norway were in the World Cup. As a football player, a world-class player, he deserves to play a World Cup and live the experience. I’m so happy for him."
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Getty ImagesMan City fixtures: Next up for Guardiola's side
While Haaland is raring to go, Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is not yet ready to make his latest return from injury – having been sidelined since early October. Guardiola said of the Spain international midfielder: "Rodri is making good steps. It’s almost three weeks since the last step back. He knows that he has to take the real time to recover mentally and especially physically with the problems that he’s had, to be consistent from now until the end."
After facing Newcastle, City will return to the Etihad Stadium for a Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen and a Premier League home date with Leeds.
The home side were in trouble on 74 for 6 but Tim David constructed a superb innings then the bowlers were impressive
Firdose Moonda10-Aug-2025
Tim David was left needing to repair the damage, which he did magnificently•Getty Images
by 17 runsAustralia extended their T20I match-winning streak to a record nine games and pulled off their lowest successful defence against South Africa despite losing six wickets inside the first eight overs. Amid an explosive start, Australia stumbled to 75 for 6 before Tim David’s superbly-constructed 52-ball 83 and seventh-wicket stand of 59 with Ben Dwarshuis took them to a match-winning total. Mitchell Marsh has now won 22 out of 25 matches as T20I captain.As much as South Africa were blown away by Australia’s ultra-aggressive batting approach they also have themselves to blame for letting their hosts get away. South Africa dropped four catches – including David on 56 – though they bowled Australia out for the first time in 26 T20I meetings. The biggest positive was the performance of left-armer Kwena Maphaka who, at 19 years and 124 days old, became the youngest bowler from a Full Member country to take a T20I four-wicket haul. It was not enough to limit Australia to a chaseable score.Related
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South Africa’s downfall was their lack of power hitting. They struck only two sixes compared to Australia’s 13 (and David was responsible for eight on his own) and appeared to be specialist batter short. By the time George Linde arrived at the crease at No. 6, South Africa needed 59 runs off 33 balls and Josh Hazlewood had broken the game’s best partnership of 72 between Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs. He would also end Linde’s stay to finish with 3 for 26.Adam Zampa took two wickets in two balls and South Africa lost four wickets for three runs in the space of 10 balls to all but end their chase. Rickelton batted until the last over, when South Africa needed 21 runs to win, and was stunningly caught by Glenn Maxwell on the boundary. Dwarshuis also picked up three wickets as South Africa finished 17 runs short.Australia’s rollicking startAustralia batted first for the first time in seven T20Is and wasted no time showing their intent. Marsh slammed Lungi Ngidi over long-off to mark only the second time Australia have started a match with a six. Ngidi’s opening over cost 14. Their big test was always going to come against Kagiso Rabada, who only conceded one run off his first four balls, then had Head dropped at point and caught at short third to win the opening exchange. Josh Inglis was out for a duck as he tried to slice a square drive over point off Linde, who was then taken for 14 runs off three balls. The best was yet to come.When Marsh skied Rabada to deep backward square, David hit him for six down the ground. Corbin Bosch’s first over was the most expensive of his short T20I career so far and Ngidi was taken for 10 in two balls before he took pace off and removed the in-form Cameron Green off the penultimate ball of the powerplay. Australia had accumulated 71 by then: their second-highest in a powerplay against South Africa and the highest in their last six matches, which includes the five in West Indies.
GLENN MAXWELL DOES IT AGAIN #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/FQkfbqLzpB
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) August 10, 2025
Muthusamy reels them inMaphaka quietened things down after the powerplay with an over that went for four and brought the wicket of Mitchell Owen and had excellent support from left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy. Maxwell, batting at No. 7, tried the reverse sweep, the flick and drive before he sliced Muthusamy to deep cover where Linde took an excellent running catch. Muthusamy’s second over was just as good as he maintained a tight line to Dwarshuis and David and conceded only one. After two overs, his analysis read: 2-0-2-1 and he finished with 1 for 24 off four overs.David stands aloneAt 75 for 6 in the eighth over, Australia were in danger of not batting out the innings but David not only ensured they did but that they got to a defendable score. David’s six-hitting against the short ball was particularly impressive, from his flat-batted pull off Maphaka in the ninth over to the swivel-pull off Bosch in the 13th, which came two balls before he smoked Bosch through the covers to bring up 50.But it was the way he made South Africa pay for dropping him that stung most. David was on 56 when Stubbs put down a skier at long-on and went on to hit Muthusamy for massive back-to-back sixes followed by another against Ngidi’s slower ball. Seven of his eight sixes were scored in front of square and four in the ‘V’. David added 27 runs after he was put down. He was in sight for a second hundred before he was caught at long-on with 10 balls left in the innings.Josh Hazlewood produced a superb over to change the game•Getty ImagesMaxwell makes his mark with the ballFrom opening in West Indies, Maxwell found himself at No. 7 but played a vital role in the field. He shared the new ball as a match-up against the left-handed Rickelton and caused problems. He convinced Marsh to review an lbw call against Rickelton off his fourth ball when he beat the outside edge but the batter survived on umpire’s call.When Maxwell changed ends, Rickelton still could not get him away (two runs off six balls against him) and he also had a plan against another left-hander, Lhuan-dre Pretorius. Maxwell had a long-off in place and dished it up full, Pretorius went inside-out and picked out the fielder. Maxwell bowled his full quota of four overs, finishing with 1 for 29, and took two decisive catches to cap off a good performance.Hazlewood has the (almost) final say but Maxwell adds the full stopHazlewood, back in the side after missing the West Indies series, took the first wicket when Aiden Markram, who hit three boundaries off his first five balls, drove him to cover and then made the breakthrough that all but won the game. He was brought in the 15th over when South Africa needed 60 runs to win and with a partnership that was threatening.Rickelton and Stubbs had put on 72 off 52 balls when Hazlewood bowled a cross seam delivery to Stubbs, who tried to pull but bottom-edged through to Inglis. Australia inserted a slip and three balls later, Hazlewood ended a game-changing over when he bowled it back of a length, Linde played across the line and got a thick edge. Maxwell completed the catch at slip but something far more spectacular would follow in the final over.Maxwell was on the long-on boundary when Rickelton, who had given South Africa a glimmer despite battling for fluency, tried to hit Dwarshuis for six but jumped over the rope, parried the ball back in and completed the catch without touching the boundary or breaking a sweat.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is blessed to have an array of exciting talents coming through the Hale End academy right now.
Ethan Nwaneri, Max Dowman and Myles Lewis-Skelly are making waves at N5 right now, with the latter rewarded for his Arsenal form by England boss Thomas Tuchel as he eyes a place in the Three Lions’ 2026 World Cup squad.
Ethan Nwaneri
15 years, 181 days
Arsenal
Max Dowman
15 years, 235 days
Arsenal
Jeremy Monga
15 years, 271 days
Leicester City
Harvey Elliott
16 years, 30 days
Fulham
Matthew Briggs
16 years, 68 days
Fulham
Despite being just 18-years-old, Lewis-Skelly burst on to the scene last season and fought his way into becoming one of Arteta’s first-choice left-backs with Riccardo Calafiori, thereby pushing established Premier League defender Oleksandr Zinchenko down the pecking order as a result.
Nwaneri, meanwhile, became the youngest Premier League player in history after making his debut in a 3-0 win over Brentford in 2022, with the sky appearing to be the limit for him.
Since then, the 18-year-old has racked up nine goals and two assists from 40 senior appearances under Arteta, and Arsenal initially hesitated over a deal for Eberechi Eze due to their desire for Nwaneri to be given more minutes this season (talkSPORT).
Nwaneri signed a new five-year contract at Arsenal in August, keeping him at the club until 2030, but the teenage talent now has another academy sensation to contend with for a place in the first-team.
That man is, of course, Dowman.
The 15-year-old became Arsenal’s second-youngest ever Premier League player behind Nwaneri after coming on in their 5-0 win over Leeds United last month, winning a penalty for summer signing Viktor Gyokeres to smash home.
Understandably, there is a lot of excitement around Dowman right now, and club legend Paul Merson insists he is just a “freak” for his age.
Still barely seen in the first team with just 27 minutes of competitive senior football to his name, former Arsenal keeper Graham Stack has now told Standard Sport that Dowman already reminds him of an England legend.
Arsenal teenager Max Dowman likened to Paul Gascoigne
Stack believes that Dowman has similarities with Paul Gascoigne, with the pundit hailing Arsenal’s “gifted” new teenager when speaking ahead of A Night To Remember.
While this bold statement continues to pile on lofty praise for Arsenal’s latest starlet, it is important not to put too much pressure on Dowman at this very early stage of his career.
The attacking midfielder has displayed real signs of promise, but the GCSE schoolboy is still at a preliminary stage of his development and needs time to grow before being thrust into the limelight so intensely.
That being said, there is still reason to be excited about Dowman, and Arsenal’s work with young players behind-the-scenes is continuing to pay dividends.
Branislav Jasurek, representative of Napoli midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, has clarified the state of the player's relationship with head coach Antonio Conte. Jasurek and Lobotka stole headlines in Italy recently after comments resurfaced of the agent suggesting that his client will leave the club if the coach stays at the helm.
Lobotka's agent raises eyebrows in Italy
Jasurek appeared in a podcast with Slovak website which was recorded in October but gained significant traction in Italy this week. Lobotka's agent's comments sent shockwaves in Naples, as he stated that the combative midfielder could seek pastures new next summer if Conte ended up staying.
"Napoli have invested well in recent times and brought in new players," he said, before questioning Conte's choice to hand Lobotka very little rest amid his struggles with injuries. "That's why I don't understand why Lobotka had to play three difficult matches in eight days before the national team match. They could have given him a little rest and thus he would have been able to play for Slovakia in Northern Ireland. So I'm nervous," Jasurek expressed.
"If Stano wins a third title in Napoli, it will certainly be easier for him to leave, but I don't like to predict these things. He now has a significantly improved contract and could stay at the club for a few more years. But he is already 30 years old and it will be almost unrealistic to physically endure it under Conte. We are still talking about whether it can be managed at all. What Conte requires is brutally demanding. The coach's running requirements in statistics are incomparable."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportJasurek issues clarification, praises Lobotka's dynamic with Conte
Following how big a deal Jasurek's words became within hours of it making the rounds on the internet, the agent was contacted by Jasurek immediately issued a determined clarification, revealing that his words were taken out of context.
"I was very surprised, because the words were taken completely out of context," he assured. "It's true that I participate in a podcast in Slovakia, where we talk about the national team and some players. In that episode I spoke about Lobotka with a lot of appreciation. At the end, I said that it's difficult to work with Antonio Conte, because he's a very demanding coach, but I added that this is positive because he's a winner. Then I joked and said that Lobo might get tired and ask me for a transfer in the summer, but it was clearly a joke.
"Everyone on the podcast understood this, because I am his agent and every transfer is 'work' for me. Anyone who listened to the podcast in the original language would have immediately understood that it was just a joke. I can also assure everyone that Conte is like a father to Lobotka, and this relationship will never change. I am sure they will win many more trophies together."
Lobotka wants to win the Champions League with Napoli
Lobotka, who arrived from Celta Vigo in 2024, has a contract until 2027 with the Partenopei. There's also an option to extend his deal by another year. According to Jasurek, the Slovakia international harbors ambitions of lifting the Champions League trophy with Napoli, drawing parallels between his connection to the club and that of Marek Hamsík.
"Stanislav has the same relationship with Napoli as Marek Hamsik. He sees the city as his second home and has bought a house there. He shows commitment every week, often twice a week, and that's what matters most," Jasurek continued.
"He is already a two-time Italian champion with Napoli and fully believes he can win the title for the third time. He also dreams of the Champions League with this club. He is 30 years old — a time when he wants to lift trophies — and he is at the right club to achieve that."
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Getty ImagesHow's it going for Lobotka and Napoli this season?
The Scudetto holders have been struggling of late, dropping to fourth place after earning just seven points out of a maximum 15 from their previous five league encounters. Per reports, Conte is set to hold talks about his future at Napoli with the club's hierarchy.
As for Lobotka, the 30-year-old has recently returned to full fitness after spending two weeks on the sidelines due to an adductor injury.
Bayern Munich's dominance caught Paris Saint-Germain by surprise, winger Bradley Barcola admitted after his side suffered a 2-1 defeat at home against the German giants on Tuesday. A Luis Diaz double in the first-half put Bayern fully in control of the Champions League tie before the Colombian was sent off. A late goal from Joao Neves pulled one back as PSG pushed for an equaliser, but Barcola says the damage had already been done by their tame start.
Bayern’s 10-man show shocks defending champions
Many expected PSG to be Bayern’s first real test in the European competition, especially with the German side on a 15-game winning streak heading into the tie. But Vincent Kompany's team were ruthless as they tore through the French side’s defence. Even after losing their brace scorer, Diaz, to a red card for a reckless challenge on Achraf Hakimi, Bayern held strong at the back to secure a crucial win.
It was a bitter pill for the defending champions, who also had to cope with major injuries to two of their key starters during the game. Hakimi was left in tears after the ex-Liverpool winger went in late on the Moroccan, catching him on the ankle after losing possession. He was initially shown a yellow card, but it was upgraded to red following a VAR review.
Earlier in the game, the reigning Ligue 1 champions had Dembele limping off just minutes after scoring an equaliser, which was ruled out by VAR. The 28-year-old, who has struggled with a hamstring injury this season, was replaced by Barcola in the 25th minute, who couldn't make much impact in the game.
AdvertisementgettyBarcola admits PSG were caught off guard
The French forward was candid in his assessment after the game, explaining how Bayern’s performance exceeded expectations. "It's surprising," he said.
"We knew it was going to be difficult. We honestly weren't expecting this, but we'll try to take the positives from this match because it was a really tough evening. It's a good wake-up call. They were a very good team we were up against, and we'll try to bounce back as quickly as possible," the 23-year-old added.
The former Lyon player was particularly critical of PSG’s start and the defensive errors that allowed Diaz to score twice in the first half. "We lacked concentration on certain plays, which cost us goals," he analysed. "It wasn't all bad; we did wake up well, but the start of the match was very costly. We weren't fully committed from the outset, and the first half was very average, which is what made us lose the game."
Meanwhile, manager Luis Enrique also rued the poor defending in the first half and admitted that the upcoming games will be tough for his injury-riddled team. He told Canal+: "At 11 against 11, Bayern were stronger, without a doubt. We gave the opposition some very nice gifts in the first half. We could have conceded more. In the second half, it was different because we had an extra player. Consequences? I can't talk about the future. We know our schedule is the worst. The next few will be difficult."
More injury troubles for Luis Enrique
PSG’s injury woes have been mounting since the start of the season, with international breaks proving particularly cruel. Dembele and Desire Doue both missed early matches after picking up injuries during duties with France. While the French forward returned to action, Doue suffered another setback during a Ligue 1 clash against Lorient, where he had to be stretchered off in tears. The former Rennes prodigy now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, according to , Hakimi is expected to be out until mid-December, potentially missing the start of the 2025 AFCON. With Dembele again sidelined, the Spanish manager faces a major challenge in keeping PSG competitive in both Ligue 1 and the Champions League.
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AFPWhat's next for PSG?
The French giants now face a tough few weeks as they try to navigate the season with several key players sidelined. The small silver lining for PSG boss is that despite the injury setbacks, the club still sit atop the Ligue 1 table, with seven wins in 11 matches, just two points ahead of Marseille, who are themselves battling a severe injury crisis. After a tough Tuesday's loss ,the team will now prepare for another tricky game against Lyon.
Rangers’ attacking options at Ibrox look very different now compared to just a few weeks ago.
All of last season’s top three scorers have departed this summer, with Václav Černý not returning following his loan spell, while Hamza Igamane departed for £10.4m, before Cyriel Dessers was sold for £3.5m on deadline day.
To replace them, wingers Djeidi Gassama and Oliver Antman have both arrived at Rangers while, in terms of centre-forwards, striker Bojan Miovski has come in from Girona for £2.6m, thrown in for his debut against Celtic last weekend.
Then, on deadline day, with Dessers Athens-bound, the new 49ers ownership group sanctioned one of the most expensive signings in the club’s history, but would they simply have been better off keeping a “rapid” forward?
Youssef Chermiti's move to Rangers
Last Monday, Rangers signed Youssef Chermiti from Everton in an £8m deal that could rise to £10m with performance-based add-ons.
This makes him Rangers’ most-expensive signing of the post-liquidation era, smashing Ryan Kent’s record, behind only Tore André Flo’s £12m move to Ibrox from Chelsea in 2000.
Well, the 21-year-old’s career on Merseyside does not leap off the page as someone who warrants a record-breaking transfer fee.
Most expensive SPFL signings before the 2025 summer window
Chermiti began his career at Sporting CP, scoring three goals in 22 senior appearances for the Lisbon-based club, but this was enough to convince Everton to pay £11.5m to secure his signature in August 2023.
Well, fair to say this did not prove to be a shrewd investment, given that Chermiti did not score a single goal in 24 appearances for the Toffees, albeit these totalled just 295 minutes, with 22 of them as a substitute, of which 16 were cameos of ten minutes or fewer, in his defence.
Thus, it very much remains to be seen if Chermiti will be a success in Glasgow or not, making him a very expensive gamble.
So, would Rangers simply have been better off keeping hold of their “rapid” forward, rather than selling him for £4m?
Rangers' forgotten forward
Four years ago, Rangers signed forward Fashion Sakala on a free transfer, arriving from Oostende after his contract had expired at the Belgian club.
During two seasons in Glasgow, the Zambian international certainly made his mark, bagging 24 goals for Rangers, registering nine and then 12 during his two Premiership campaigns.
Speaking on Sportscene following Rangers’ 4-1 victory over Hibernian at Easter Road in March 2023, in which Sakala scored and bagged two assists, Steven Thomson praised his “immense” performance, while Leanne Crichton labelled him “rapid”.
Then, somewhat out of the blue, Sakala joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Fayha for a reported fee of £4m and, well, he hasn’t stopped scoring since then.
During his first season with the Orange, he bagged 19 Saudi Pro League goals, a tally only bettered by Cristiano Ronaldo and Aleksandar Mitrović, as the table below documents.
Goals
19
3rd
Assists
6
19th
G + A
25
3rd
Shots
105
3rd
Shots on target
42
3rd
Big chances missed
13
11th
Successful dribbles
84
1st
Average SofaScore rating
7.31
4th*
*minimum 25 apps; among forwards only.
As the table documents, Sakala was outstanding during his debut season in Saudi Arabia, ranking third for goals, shots and shots on target, completing the joint-most dribbles alongside Allan Saint-Maximin.
Last season, his form did dip, bagging only eight times in the Saudi Pro League, but this still means he has accumulated 30 goals across all competitions during two seasons with Al-Fayha, registering an assist against Al-Fateh on the opening day of this season.
During the same time frame, new signing Chermiti has scored, well, zero goals, having bagged just three in his entire senior career.
Thus, all available evidence suggests that the Zambian would certainly be more of a sure-fire thing in attack, rather than the recently arrived, expensively recruited Portuguese U21 international.
Rangers have found the new Cerny in £2m star who Martin thinks is "exciting"
Václav Černý was always going to be a difficult player for Rangers to replace, but could their “exciting” £2.2m signing actually prove to be better?
But it was the SL bowling that laid the groundwork with Shanaka and Vandersay applying the squeeze
Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Jul-2025Sri Lanka 159 for 3 (Kusal 73, Nissanka 42) beat Bangladesh 154 for 5 (Emon 38, Theekshana 2-37) by seven wicketsKusal Mendis smote another half century, Pathum Nissanka crashed a 16-ball 42, and Sri Lanka made light work of a target of 155, strolling home at the end of the 19th over.It was the Sri Lanka bowling that laid the groundwork though, with Dasun Shanaka plying shorter lengths to concede only 22 from his four overs, while Jeffrey Vandersay also kept a lid on the scoring. Bangladesh might wonder if they were not ambitious enough, having lost only five wickets in their innings.Their total always seemed light, but when Sri Lanka thumped 78 runs in the first five overs, losing only a wicket in that period, it felt even more meagre. With Kusal and Nissanka having provided that early explosion, the other batters did not have to strain themselves to prod Sri Lnaka home.Six boundaries in a rowThat entire Kusal-Nissanka opening stand was box office, as they ransacked 78 runs off 28 balls together. But there was one sequence that was utterly unmissable, as they racked up 30 off six balls, between overs 2.4 and 3.3.The first three balls were Tanzim Hasan bowling to Nissanka, who smoked the bowler over cow corner, spanked him over cover, and got a lucky inside edge past the stumps in between. The next three balls were Taskin Ahmed to Mendis, who launched him over the cover boundary, slapped a four behind square on the offside, then in perhaps the shot of the tour, slog-swept Taskin over deep square leg for six.There were other spectacular bursts of hitting in that partnership too – Nissanka starting the chase off with three consecutive fours was especially memorable. At the end of this stand, Nissanka had struck at 263, and Mendis at 233.Bangladesh slow through the middle oversAt the end of the seventh over Bangladesh were 57 for 1. At the end of the 17th, they were 122 for 4. Which means that in 60-ball stretch they scored only 65 runs, despite their batters being at the crease throughout. This is perhaps where that innings lost its way, with captain Litton Das making six from 11, and Towhid Hridoy hitting 10 off 13.No. 5 batter Mohammad Naim also struggled, despite being at the crease for more than 11 overs and finishing not out. He made 32 off 29.Emon, Shamim try to shock Bangladesh to lifeThe only batters who brought serious urgency to the innings were Parvez Hossain Emon and Shamim Hossain. Emon crashed five fours and a six over midwicket in his 38 off 22 balls, even as opening partner Tanzid Hasan was struggling at the other end.Later, Shamim hit two sixes in his five-ball stay, the reverse-swept six off Theekshana in the 19th over a particular highlight. He also took an outstanding overhead catch running back from short cover, to end Kusal’s innings.
The failure of their seamers to provide any control, and the lack of a second spinner, saw England leaning heavily on their premier slow bowler on day one
George Dobell in Ahmedabad15-Nov-2012In the run up to the Test series in India, Graeme Swann gave an interview in which he said England would be “screwed” if they had to rely on just him and Monty Panesar. But a day into the series, Swann’s worst fears have been realised. Perhaps something beyond his worst fears: not only did England lean on him like a pensioner on a Zimmer frame, but he did not even have the support of Panesar’s spin.Swann claimed 4 for 85 on the first day in Ahmedabad. It was not just the fact that he took all four wickets that underlined England reliance upon him, but the fact that he was the only frontline bowler to offer his captain sustained control. Swann delivered 32 overs – more than a third of the overs bowled – and was the only one of the specialist bowlers to concede under three-an-over. Indeed, Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan both went for more than four-an-over.While England’s seamers were never likely to coax much out of a low, slow wicket that offered them little, Swann accepted they had conceded too many runs in the first session and India had earned themselves a strong position in the game. He took some consolation in the thought that England had clawed their way back into things a little as the day wore on. From 120 without loss at lunch and then 225 for 1 not long before tea, England fought back to claim 3 for 59 in 27 overs.”From the first few overs we realised we were in for the long haul over here,” Swann said afterwards. “We realised the ball was not going to swing much but we didn’t expect the pitch to be that low and slow. At lunch we sat down and came up with a new game plan. I don’t think we bowled straight enough in the first session. On a pitch that is low and slow you have to attack the stumps a bit more. I think we did that as the game went on and that’s why we got a couple of wickets and pulled the run-rate back.”The first session they undoubtedly won. Arguably the other two were even. Having lost the toss and bowled first on that pitch we would have liked five or six wickets but we’ll take four. If we had five or six it would have been an exceptional day for us and would have knocked 60 runs off the total.”India have some very destructive players and the way Viru [Virender Sehwag] batted really took the game away from us in the first couple of hours. I’ve been reading in the paper that he hasn’t got a century for a couple of years and he’s been questioned by the local press. Good on him for banishing those doubters.”
“Bowled through the gate is always my favourite way to get a batsman out, especially a player as good as Kohli.”Graeme Swann on his final wicket of the day
The wicket of Sehwag, who was bowled as he attempted to sweep, made Swann the highest wicket-taker of any offspinner to play for England, surpassing Jim Laker’s record of 193. He laughed off the suggestion that he was on course to emulate – or even beat – Laker’s record of 19 wickets in a Test in 1956 and instead chose to focus on two of the more pleasing wickets: Sachin Tendulkar, beaten in the flight and caught at deep mid-wicket, and Virat Kohli, beaten through the gate by an offbreak, certainly delighted him.”I always say I’m not a stats man but when people told me I was near Jim Laker I was genuinely excited,” Swann said. When you’re growing up these are the famous names of the game, you don’t even dream of emulating them, let alone going past them.”I was fortunate with Kohli’s wicket that the ball was changed after the quarter seam exploded on the soft ball. The replacement was a touch harder. No ball spun for three or four overs and then one just hit a pebble and turned square. It’s always my favourite way to get a batsman out, bowled through the gate. Especially when it is a player as good as Kohli.”The noise that erupted in the ground when Sachin walked out to bat… before he even comes out to the middle you know who it is. It’s always nice to get him out, and get him out early. Let’s face it, he’s the greatest player still playing the game.”But Swann knew his success might be something of a mixed blessing. Bearing in mind that India have two frontline spinners in their side and they will after last use of a pitch that seems certain to turn more as the match progresses, then Swann’s early success suggests England’s batsmen could face a tough struggle.”The Indian spinners were probably watching with eagle eyes and looking forward to bowling on that pitch,” Swann said. “It’s still a very good pitch for batting on. It’s only the odd ball that turned. That can pose problems sometimes. I think our batsmen will look at the footage and realise that it’s still a good pitch.”
Hannah Hampton has been ruled out of England's clash with Brazil on Saturday, meaning Sarina Wiegman will hand out a debut to another goalkeeper in the Lionesses squad this weekend. Khiara Keating and Anna Moorhouse are both in contention for that opportunity, as is Sophie Baggaley, who has been called into camp in light of Hampton's injury.
Hampton injury news: Goalkeeper to miss England vs Brazil
Wiegman revealed the news in her press conference on Friday, explaining that Hampton has sustained a "small elbow injury" that doesn't – as of right now – rule her out of England's second fixture on Tuesday, against Australia, or mean she has to leave the camp, but it does leave her unavailable for the game against Brazil on Saturday at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium. "She'll be assessed and we'll see how that goes until Tuesday," Wiegman added.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesEngland debut incoming: Who will Wiegman pick to start in Hampton's place?
It will either be Keating, Moorhouse or Baggaley who gets to stand in between the sticks for the first time for the Lionesses this weekend, then. It would be a particularly sentimental moment for Keating, who plays her club football for Man City and was born and raised in the area. Her selection would perhaps be the most logistical one for the long-term, given she is only 21 years old and seen as an exciting prospect for the future.
Moorhouse, meanwhile, would be seen by some as the safer pick, particularly with Keating sometimes prone to errors amid her youth and experience. The 30-year-old plays her football in the U.S. with the Orlando Pride, who she helped do the double last year by clinching the NWSL Shield and Championship. She's got that experience of big stages in her favour, then.
Baggaley, though an important call-up and a goalkeeper with plenty of high-level games under her belt, would be more of a surprise pick, given she has not been as involved in the England set-up in recent times as Moorhouse and Keating, who were part of the squad that won the European Championships this past summer.
"I have made the decision," Wiegman said of her starting goalkeeper on Saturday. "But, as always, we have to get through this [last training] session and then, of course, I inform the team first before I inform [the media]."
More Lionesses injury news as Wubben-Moy added to list of absentees
Hampton was not the only player Wiegman revealed to be unavailable for Saturday's game either, as she also announced on Friday that Lotte Wubben-Moy has left the camp and is recovering at home after feeling unwell. It is a further blow to a defensive department which is already without captain Leah Williamson, due to injury; Millie Bright, who announced her international retirement earlier this month; and Katie Reid, the talented teenager who was called up after impressing in Williamson's absence at Arsenal, but had to withdraw from the squad due to a groin problem.
It has further reduced Wiegman's options for that right-sided centre-back role, where there is a real opportunity for at least one player, if not two, in this camp. Alex Greenwood has seemingly nailed down the left-sided position and it will likely be either Esme Morgan or Jess Carter alongside her on Saturday, with a safe prediction that one plays against Brazil and the other starts on Tuesday when England face Australia. Grace Fisk was called in to replace Reid earlier this week but she would be a surprise pick given she wasn't in the initial squad and remains uncapped. Maya Le Tissier would be another option but Wiegman has made it clear that she sees the Manchester United captain as a right-back, not a centre-back, in her team.
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Getty ImagesInjuries impact England team selection in several areas as Brazil & Australia visit
It's not just in defence, where Lucy Bronze and Niamh Charles are also only just back from injuries, that the Lionesses have concerns for this camp, either. Jess Park and Grace Clinton have both withdrawn from the squad over the course of the last week, while Lauren Hemp and Lauren James were not included due to injuries. It means there are limited options in the wide areas in particular, though England do still have dependable options such as Chloe Kelly and Beth Mead to call upon.
Still, with so many players missing, it increases the chances of seeing some experimentation from Wiegman across these two friendlies as the Lionesses begin a new tournament cycle, with qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup to start in the New Year.