Squads begin to take shape after latest batch of domestic signings announced
ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2020Squads for the women’s Hundred are starting to take shape after each team announced four new domestic signings on Wednesday.There is a local flavour to the latest round of signings, with county captains Marie Kelly (Warwickshire) and Naomi Dattani (Middlesex) joining Birmingham Phoenix and London Spirit respectively.Each new team has now announced the signing of at least eight of their eventual 15 players. The window to complete new signings will remain open until May 30, with the tournament starting on July 22 with Birmingham Phoenix’s game against Manchester Originals.Trent Rockets look set to field a spin-heavy team, with England T20 World Cup squad members Sarah Glenn and Mady Villiers joining Australian allrounder Sophie Molineux.Three of the best young seam-bowling prospects in the country have also been picked up: Issy Wong will play for Birmingham Phoenix, Lauren Bell for Southern Brave, and Tash Farrant will represent Oval Invincibles.Full squads to date:Birmingham Phoenix Sophie Devine, Georgia Elwiss, Ria Fackrell, Kirstie Gordon, Amy Jones, Evelyn Jones, Marie Kelly, Isabelle WongLondon Spirit Tammy Beaumont, Aylish Cranstone, Naomi Dattani, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Deandra Dottin, Hannah Jones, Heather KnightManchester Originals Georgia Boyce, Kate Cross, Mignon du Preez, Sophie Ecclestone, Alex Hartley, Emma Lamb, Lizelle Lee, Ellie ThrelkeldNorthern Superchargers Alice Davidson-Richards, Georgia Davis, Helen Fenby, Alyssa Healy, Bess Heath, Katie Levick, Linsey Smith, Lauren WinfieldOval Invincibles Georgia Adams, Hollie Armitage, Tash Farrant, Rachael Haynes, Laura Marsh, Rhianna Southby, Dane van Niekerk, Fran WilsonSouthern Brave Suzie Bates, Lauren Bell, Sophia Dunkley, Fi Morris, Paige Scholfield, Anya Shrubsole, Stafanie Taylor, Danni WyattTrent Rockets Katherine Brunt, Kathryn Bryce, Sarah Glenn, Beth Langston, Sophie Molineux, Natalie Sciver, Elyse Villani, Mady VilliersWelsh Fire Lauren Filer, Katie George, Alex Griffiths, Georgia Hennessy, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning, Sophie Luff, Claire Nicholas, Bryony Smith
Tottenham Hotspur are in a pretty good situation heading into the final phase of the campaign, the last international sojourn before this summer's country-contested tournaments is now concluded.
The London-based club are fifth in the Premier League, right behind fourth-placed Aston Villa, having built from the rubble of the 2022/23 term to hand a hopeful club the cherished seed of optimism, at the dawn of a promising new chapter.
Tottenham players celebrating.
Faint heart never won fair athlete, and Ange Postecoglou knows that his team must indeed ramp up the gas to succeed against the likes of Villa and Manchester United, with the latter creeping closer to Champions League security.
Recruitment has been shrewd and calculated but there is work to do and centre-forward will be a priority during the summer.
Spurs' transfer targets
According to reports over at Sport BILD in Germany – via Sport Witness – Tottenham are one of the main contenders for Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush, with the German outfit even expecting Spurs to make a bid.
The Egypt international has been in fine form for Die Adler and while they would agree to a sale, a lofty price tag approaching €60m (£51m) may well dissuade suitors.
Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy.
Dynamic and increasingly deadly, Marmoush is not the conventional striker but then when's Ange ever been averse to plucking players of a more positionally-flexible style?
Omar Marmoush's style of play
Frankfurt have not had Marmoush, aged 25, on the books long, signing him from Bundesliga rivals VFL Wolfsburg on a free transfer last summer.
No wonder manager Dino Toppmöller is happy to cash in; Frankfurt would make an astronomical profit, and given that his squad is nine points behind fifth-placed RB Leipzig, investment might not be a bad shout.
Omar Marmoush for Frankfurt.
A versatile forward, two-footed and impressive across both flanks to complement his favoured central placement, Marmoush has been praised by his manager, who said: "He brings a completely different energy to our attacking play through his penetrating runs and tireless work rate."
Marmoush has made quite the impression since switching shirts in 2023, having posted 15 goals and six assists from 33 matches – 29 starts – finding prolific form in a principal deployment as the focal frontman.
The 6-foot Egyptian ranks among the top 7% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 8% for progressive carries and the top 12% for interceptions per 90, as per FBref, with his clinical, creative and all-producing performances leading to comparisons with some exciting strikers.
1.
Edin Dzeko
Fenerbahce
2.
Alexander Isak
Newcastle United
3.
Memphis Depay
Atletico Madrid
4.
Rasmus Hojlund
Manchester United
5.
Angel Correa
Atletico Madrid
"He works extremely hard and is hard to defend against," said the ever-vocal Toppmöller, delighted with his acquisition's progress. "His pace makes him an awkward opponent for defenders when he runs in behind them. I like that he is very diligent and always listens. His goals are a reward for his effort."
The £26k-per-week talent might not be the typical centre-forward but he's proving himself to be a solid marksman with a skill set that stretches far further.
With his array of abilities, it's surely worth a punt, especially given the murmurings concerning Richarlison in the transfer market.
According to reports in Italy – via Caught Offside – Richarlison could be tempted to abandon ship this summer following interest from the Middle East despite going from strength to strength under Postecoglou's leadership, with the Australian manager a big admirer of his Brazilian sharpshooter.
Still, Richarlison is probably aware that Tottenham plan to invest in a forward this summer, he likely knows that Heung-min Son will remain an intrinsic, untouchable member of Postecoglou's project. Perhaps he's attuned to the fact that a lucrative move elsewhere could be worthwhile.
Why Omar Marmoush could replace Richarlison
Richarlison joined Tottenham from Premier League rivals Everton in a bumper package rising to £60m in 2022, with the 26-year-old enduring a torrid time last season and scoring just one league goal from 27 outings.
However, Postecoglou's appointment has been a providential move for the menacing forward, having overcome early-season injuries to plundered nine goals from ten Premier League matches, albeit returning to the injury front for three recent fixtures with a knee issue.
He ranks among the top 11% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 5% for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 16% for tackles, the top 9% for interceptions and clearances and the top 1% for blocks per 90.
Matches played
21
23
Starts
19
17
Goals
10
10
Assists
6
3
Pass accuracy
72%
70%
Key passes per game
1.4
0.7
Dribbles per game
1.1
0.4
Recoveries per game
2.9
1.8
Tackles per game
0.8
0.7
Duels won per game
5.1
3.1
As the table above projects, both Richarlison and Marmoush have been in the same ballpark vis-a-vis goalscoring in their respective divisions, with the Frankfurt man adding double the assists and proving to be a more creative and multi-functioning player.
Both forwards are comparatively combative and chalk up pretty high tackling averages for those of their position, but Marmoush is demonstrably more energetic and tenacious, reflected through his superior metrics.
Moreover, the Egyptian is far more progressive with his play, evidenced by his earlier FBref statistics, and offers abilities that could be translated across myriad positions for Postecoglou's side, perhaps forming a wonderful partnership with the also dynamic Son.
Given that Spurs' South Korean skipper is one of the finest finishers that the Premier League has ever seen and that exciting young centre-forwards such as Alejo Veliz, Will Lankshear and Dane Scarlett are pushing for spots in Postecoglou's set-up in the years to come, adding Marmoush might be the perfect move to make.
Especially if Richarlison is sold; the forward's recent purple patch has been quite the spectacle but Marmoush appears to offer the goalscoring prowess and much more.
Manchester United have struggled for consistency this season, with only an FA Cup and a top-four spot up for grabs.
Although change has been occurring behind the scenes, Sir Jim Ratcliffe is keen for the squad to push for those goals, with some players and staff jobs under inspection.
However, there are new aims from an off-field perspective, with incoming CEO Omar Berrada being set the challenge of managing player wages.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a player who’s cost the club millions despite barely stepping foot on the pitch.
Tom Heaton’s salary
Tom Heaton joined Man United from Aston Villa on a free transfer after the end of the 2020/21 season, with the experienced shot-stopper signed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as a backup to David De Gea and Dean Henderson.
The England keeper was third choice in between the sticks, and seeing as the position is hardly rotated, his involvement over the years has been far from frequent.
According to Capology, the "outstanding" Heaton, as per creator Liam canning," is currently earning 45k-per-week, which is £5k less than Alejandro Garnacho and just over four times more than young Kobbie Mainoo.
This means that the 37-year-old will have cost the club around £7m in wages over his three year contract, which is set to expire this summer.
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ByTom Lever Feb 29, 2024 What Heaton earns compared to other PL back-up goalkeepers
De Gea had been the number one keeper at Old Trafford for the past decade, but in the summer, United decided to let the Spaniard leave on a free, as Erik ten Hag looked to complete an overhaul of the department.
Due to the exit of De Gea and Henderson moving to Crystal Palace, Heaton enjoyed his best spell in a United shirt, playing four games in pre-season and even captaining the side against Athletic Club.
However, the Dutch boss brought in last season’s Champions League runner-up, Andre Onana, to be the new number one while also signing Altay Bayindir to be his backup, which has meant Heaton hasn't been seen on the pitch since.
The veteran's lack of involvement this season has kept his total competitive appearances to three since 2021, making only two starts, both in the EFL Cup last season. This equates to over £2m earned per appearance and approximately £3.5m per start.
Caoimhin Kelleher
£10k
Djordje Petrovic
£25k
Altay Bayindir
£35k
Tom Heaton
£45k
Stefan Ortega
£55k
As can be seen in the table above, when compared to other second-choice keepers in the Premier League – bearing in mind that Heaton is third-choice – he is far from the highest earner, but he’s also not exactly the lowest either.
Furthermore, the likes of Ortega, Kelleher, and Petrovic all play important roles for their team, with them featuring in nine, 17, and 17 games, respectively. Even Bayindir earns less than Heaton, which could be looked at as a positive due to the fact that United seem to be working on reducing player wages, which is certainly a step forward.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
Overall, Heaton hasn’t really offered much to warrant a £45k-per-week contract, but in fairness, he’s not really been handed an opportunity to prove his worth.
In hindsight, it's pretty easy to hyper-analyse a football club's transfer activity, the ins and outs, the rights and wrongs, but after Daniel Levy appointed Ange Postecoglou as Tottenham Hotspur manager last June, it was clear that there was a new, focused vision.
And it was a good thing too, with Spurs fighting for success in the Premier League once again after missing out on continental qualification entirely; further issues might have been detrimental, with the likes of Aston Villa, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion all equipped to fight against the established 'big six'.
Ange Postecoglou and Daniel Levy.
And with these aspiring outfits fighting tooth and nail to knock the Premier League scales off-kilter, Postecoglou's early workings down at N17 hardly received the momentum boost needed when club record scorer Harry Kane decided that he'd done his duty and completed a transfer to Bayern Munich.
Still, the recruitment strategy since Postecoglou's arrival has been a far cry from the misfiring, rueful approach that has precluded silver-laden success for over 15 years.
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Sure, Tottenham have enjoyed some sublime talents over the years but too many have fallen flat or slipped away.
Keeping hold of Kane and unleashing him at the spearhead for the best part of a decade, while it didn't bring silverware, is without question one of Tottenham's biggest success stories of recent history, the Three Lions skipper cemented as a Premier League great.
Harry Kane's Spurs career
Kane might have left Tottenham without any major honours, but he's cemented his name in the club's history books and is undoubtedly one of the Premier League's finest-ever goalscorers, behind only Alan Shearer in the scoring charts and with a superior rate of scoring.
1.
Alan Shearer
260
0.59
2.
Harry Kane
213
0.67
3.
Wayne Rooney
208
0.42
4.
Andy Cole
187
0.45
5.
Sergio Aguero
184
0.67
After an itinerant opening to his professional career as he leapt from loan spell to loan spell, Kane eventually earned an opportunity in the closing stages of the 2013/14 Premier League season and announced himself with three goals and two assists from six matches at the end of the year.
The rest is history and all that; everyone knows of Kane's prowess as an elite centre-forward and he completed his Tottenham career as the club's record scorer, with a healthy haul of 278 goals and 64 assists across 430 fixtures, praised as a "supreme professional" by The Times' Henry Winter.
Harry Kane scores for Tottenham.
Having now made the move to Germany, Bayern Munich might be enduring a torrid domestic season but Kane has been typically imperious in his striking quality, posting 33 goals and eight assists from 33 outings thus far.
As mentioned, he is undoubtedly Tottenham's shining star of modern history, possibly the greatest player in the club's modern history, and keeping hold of him for all those years was truly momentous work from Levy and co.
Interestingly, as everyone knows, Kane was plucked from Arsenal in his formative years, with former academy coach Roy Massey revealing to talkSPORT that Kane "didn't have" what it took to rise through the Hale End ranks at the time.
A staggering mistake but a forgivable one in the circumstances; it would quite literally require impeccable prophetic thinking to ensure that every aspiring hopeful avoids the dreaded release.
And, while Tottenham can revel in that victory, they failed to convince Kane's fellow England international several years later, with Bukayo Saka – who is now valued at £90m by Football Transfers – rejecting the north London club as a boy in favour of the Emirates Stadium.
Why Bukayo Saka chose Arsenal over Spurs
Back in 2022, the man himself revealed that Arsenal's London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham had pursued his signature as a youth before he emerged as one of the Premier League's standout stars.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "I remember one session, and I don’t think I went to another one. But, yeah, I think it was just to go and try different clubs but we always had Arsenal in our hearts.
Bukayo Saka.
"There was Arsenal, Chelsea I was at for a bit, there was Watford, there was Tottenham. I think there was maybe two more but those are the ones that I can remember from the top of my head.
"Arsenal was the one I always wanted to go to. It seemed like they had a lot of faith in their youth and there was a clear pathway.
"You could see the players coming up from Hale End to London Colney, and my dad also really believed in the project and he loved Arsene Wenger a lot."
Arsenal are riding the crest of a wave at the moment, and that crest is golden. A stunning run of form in the Premier League has kept Mikel Arteta's side apace with indomitable champions Manchester City and resurgent table-toppers Liverpool.
Declan Rice has been the general in the engine room, William Saliba the rock at the back. Saka, though, is a prodigious attacking force capable of unlocking the sturdiest of defences with his pace and energy and invention.
Bukayo Saka celebrating for Arsenal.
As per FBref, the 22-year-old ranks among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, assists and shot-creating actions, the top 16% for progressive carries and the top 7% for tackles per 90.
Regarding the current campaign, just the 16 goals and 15 assists across all competitions with nearly three months of action still to go, averaging 2.5 key passes, 4.8 ball recoveries and 5.9 successful duels per game in the Premier League, as per Sofascore.
One of the best in the world? It's been a matter for debate over the past several years but Saka is still so young and, as Arsene Wenger recently said, he is not unequivocally "world-class" – it would be a brave objector to call that one into question after his recent emphatic exploits.
There's no question that Saka would be the star of the show at Tottenham and would blend superbly with Heung-min Son on the alternate flank, offering a more versatile and creative style to the prolificness of the South Korean.
And indeed, extracting his impact and influence from Arsneal clutches over the past several years and placing it at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium would have only served to swing the stones of power in Spurs' favour, perhaps providing a foundation for illustrious heights that certainly have not been recently.
Em entrevista coletiva após a eliminação da Copa do Brasil, otécnico Marcelo Chamusca revelou que o Botafogo busca um centroavante mais experiente no mercado. Para a partida diante do ABC, o Alvinegro Carioca não pode contar com Rafael Navarro, que estava com dores na coxa e sequer viajou ao Rio Grande do Norte. Dessa forma, Mateus Nascimento, de 17 anos, ao lado do jovem Gabriel, de 19, foram as únicas opções para o treinador na posição.
>Matheus Babi se despede do Botafogo: ‘Fui muito feliz’
Na última temporada, o Botafogo contava com quatro centroavantes: Pedro Raul, Matheus Babi, Rafael Navarro e Matheus Nascimento. O primeiro foi vendido ao Kashwia Reysol, do Japão, enquanto o segundo, recentemente, rescindiu para acertar com o Athletico Paranaense.
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– O clube tem um planejamento, e a gente já está no mercado trabalhando para buscar um 9, um 9 experiente, mais maduro, mais preparado, com um conhecimento maior da competição que nós vamos disputar para que a gente tenha ali na posição um jogador mais experimentado.
– E existe também a possibilidade, de depois, da gente analisar e entender que mais um jogador na posição é interessante pelas questões de lesões e de sequências de jogos, a gente vai fazer, mas o planejamento foi feito para que a gente oportunizasse os jogadores jovens, já que há uma cobrança geral em cima dessa situação.
A eliminação fez com que o Botafogo deixasse de arrecadar R$1,7 milhão em premiação por chegar até a terceira fase da Copa do Brasil. Agora, o Alvinegro volta as atenções para o Campeonato Carioca. O próximo adversário será o Fluminense já neste sábado, às 16h, no Maracanã. O Glorioso precisa obrigatoriamente da vitória para ter chances matemáticas de se classificar para a fase semifinal da competição.
On the pitch, it's been an impressive season for West Bromwich Albion, who are on course to secure a place in the Championship play-offs come the end of the campaign. Away from the Hawthorns, however, the Midlands club have been in a constant saga over the potential sale of the club by current owner Lai Guochuan – a saga which is now reportedly a step closer to coming to an end.
West Brom takeover news
Carlos Corberan deserves more credit than ever for how he's guided the current West Brom side into the top six, given the financial restraints that he has faced. The Baggies haven't spent a single penny this season, be it in the summer transfer window or in the recently closed winter window, whilst also selling key man Dara O'Shea for a cut-price to Sheffield United before the campaign got underway.
Yet, even amid those problems, Corberan and his side could find themselves in the Premier League come the start of next season in what would be a sensational achievement. If they can secure promotion and finally enjoy an end to Lai's tenure, then this year will be considered the ultimate success in the Midlands.
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According to The Athletic's Matt Slater, the takeover is now a step closer after Lai agreed a deal to repay a loan he secured on shares in the club's parent company. He will now repay local entrepreneur Alex Hearn in instalments after racking up a reported debt of over £4m, which will go hand in hand with the payments coming in from Shilen Patel.
This should clear one of the obstacles standing in the way of Florida businessman Patel's takeover, in what could be the beginning of the end of Lai's nightmare ownership at the Hawthorns.
End of Lai's tenure finally be on the horizon
Given West Brom's form on the pitch, fans may not be able to cast their minds to an alternate reality in which Corberan is backed by financially secure owners. It doesn't seem a stretch of the imagination to say that they would be competing for automatic promotion in that reality. Now that Lai's tenure is seemingly coming to an end, however, that concept may not be a dream for too long, should everything fall into place.
There's no doubt that Corberan should be the man to take charge in the next era at West Brom, despite rumours that Patel is planning on making a move for Torino manager Ivan Juric. Corberan has more than earned job security in the Midlands and a chance to welcome fresh faces in the summer with added financial power.
علق هيثم فاروق، لاعب منتخب مصر الأسبق بعد فوز الزمالك بلقب السوبر الإفريقي على حساب الأهلي في مباراة الليلة التي جمعت بينهما على أرضية استاد المملكة آرينا بالسعودية.
وتوج الأبيض، ببطولة كأس السوبر الإفريقي للمرة الخامسة في تاريخه، بعد الفوز اليوم على الأهلي، ومن المقرر أن يعود للمنافسات المحلية بمواجهات السوبر المصري.
فيديو | بركلات الترجيح.. الزمالك يهزم الأهلي ويتوج بالسوبر الإفريقي الخامس في تاريخه
وقال هيثم فاروق في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس”: “مبروك لكل جماهير الزمالك، و(هارد لك) لـ وائل جمعة وأبو تريكة، مباراة كبيرة، الزمالك توج مجهوده بالفوز بالسوبر الإفريقي الخامس”.
وأكمل: “الحمد لله، الشوط الثاني الأهلي لم يذهب لمرمى عواد إلا في كرة وحيدة، ولأول مرة أرى الأهلي (منكمش)”.
وأضاف: “الأهلي فقد اثنين من أهم نجوم خط الدفاع، معلول ومحمد عبد المنعم، وكل لاعبي الزمالك كانوا متألقين وأهنئهم”.
وواصل: “جوميز من المدرسة البرتغالية، الوحيد الذي استطاع التفوق على مارسيل كولر الذي لم يفز عليه أي مدرب في إفريقيا”.
واختتم: “وأقول لجماهير الفريقين لا تجعلوا مباراة تفقدكم المودة والرحمة، كل بيت مقسوم بين من ينتمي للزمالك ومن ينتمي للأهلي”.
O Botafogo está bem vestido. Pelo menos essa é opinião da torcida do clube de General Severiano. Em enquete realizada no último fim de semana, os botafoguenses aprovaram, em imensa maioria, o novo terceiro uniforme da equipe, de cor branca, produzido pela Kappa.
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Em votação realizada no último sábado nas redes sociais do LANCE! – com um total de 1.117 votos -, 90,6% dos internautas afirmaram que gostaram da nova camisa do Botafogo. Por outro lado, 9,4% colocaram que não curtiram o uniforme.
Nas redes sociais em si, a maioria dos comentários foi de elogios para os novos uniformes. Além da terceira camisa, a Kappa também lançou uma roupa de goleiro, em tom amarelo/dourado.
CONFIRA A TABELA DO CAMPEONATO CARIOCA
O Botafogo vai estrear os novos uniformes já nesta quarta-feira, diante do Boavista, às 18h, no Estádio Nilton Santos, pela primeira rodada do Campeonato Carioca. Será a estreia da equipe na temporada.
Você gostou do novo uniforme (branco) do Botafogo?
— Botafogo – LANCE! (de 🏠) (@lance_botafogo) February 27, 2021
New Zealand have almost everything in place in Wellington to wrap up the Test series against Bangladesh. They have the pace attack, which has already sent a stern message across to the visiting batsmen. They also have the firepower in batting, the record-setting 715 for 6 in the Hamilton Test proving to be the difference between the two sides. They will, however, be wary of rain in the forecast, and the possibility of a Bangladesh fightback.Bangladesh took three positives from the Hamilton Test. Tamim Iqbal scored 200 runs in the game, which included his first century in New Zealand. It was an instructive effort from the senior batsman who decided to duck under Neil Wagner’s short-ball bombardment in both innings.Mahmudullah and Soumya Sarkar also batted admirably in the second innings, which was a corrective measure after their soft dismissals in the first. Mahmudullah was more of a support act during the 235-run fifth-wicket stand with Soumya, who attacked as soon as he figured out how to avoid getting hit on the body.ALSO READ: Walsh urges patience with Bangladesh’s fast bowlersOtherwise, Bangladesh didn’t have much to cheer for. Their rookie three-man pace attack conceded 369 runs in 87 overs, taking just one wicket. Mehidy Hasan had a particularly poor outing, his 2 for 246 the worst figures by a Bangladeshi bowler in a Test innings. There will be a lot of improvement needed from the bowling attack if they are to at least challenge the New Zealand batsmen.At the same time, the batsmen – particularly Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mohammad Mithun and Liton Das – will have to withstand Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner.The New Zealand trio took 19 out of the 20 wickets that fell in Hamilton, mostly with short-pitched deliveries that rattled the Bangladesh batsmen. Whether Wagner, especially, us able to do it again in Wellington is something everyone will have an eye on.
Form guide
New Zealand: WWDWL (Last five completed matches, most recent first) Bangladesh: LWWWL
In the spotlight
Given the nature of the Wellington pitch, the Bangladesh batsmen will be wary of Neil Wagner‘s bouncer barrage, especially after he picked up a five-wicket haul in Hamilton. Wagner’s energy levels are unusually high, which is bad news for the visitors.Soumya Sarkar‘s maiden Test century came nearly four years into his Test career, and it was almost as promised: filled with attractive shots. The spotlight will be on Soumya to see how he follows up the 149 in Wellington.
Team news
If New Zealand go for an all-pace attack, legspinner Todd Astle may have to make way for Matt Henry, although Kane Williamson may opt for a bit of variety.New Zealand (probable): 1 Jeet Raval, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Colin de Grandhomme, 8 Todd Astle, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Trent BoultTamim is currently nursing a groin niggle, but Bangladesh are unlikely to tinker with their batting line-up, mainly because they don’t have a spare batsman. Mustafizur Rahman will be coming in, possibly in place of Mehidy Hasan.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Shadman Islam, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Mohammad Mithun, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Liton Das (wk), 7 Soumya Sarkar, 8 Khaled Ahmed, 9 Abu Jayed, 10 Ebadot Hossain, 11 Mustafizur Rahman
Pitch and conditions
Basin Reserve is – quite literally – a green strip in between three brown pitches, which is likely to help the fast bowlers. Rain has also been forecasted for four of the five days.
Stats and trivia
With his 146 in Hamilton, Mahmudullah now has three centuries in Bangladesh’s last three Tests.
Boult’s 5 for 123 was the most expensive among his eight five-wicket hauls.
Quotes
“We haven’t batted first a huge amount this summer so if we do I’m certainly looking forward to doing that and taking that challenge on.”
England’s World Cup selection puzzle just got harder, given some of the individual performances in the T20I series sweep against West Indies, Trevor Bayliss says.Bayliss said England’s selectors were closer to deciding their squad of 15, due to be named by April 23 but which can be changed up until May 22, eight days before the tournament starts. However, he believed their job had been made more complicated following a comprehensive 3-0 series victory over the T20 World Champions, who were bowled out for 45 and 71 in the last two matches.”It is, which is fantastic, that’s exactly what we wanted,” Bayliss told Sky Sports. “Long-term for England the more players and the more depth that we’ve got, that’s just good for England cricket. It puts a little bit of pressure on from within.”Bayliss was particularly pleased with how some players had responded to talk of Jofra Archer’s possible selection once the Barbados-born bowler qualifies to represent England under ECB residence rules.Before doing his best to press his case by taking 4 for 7 off three overs to lead England to an eight-wicket rout of West Indies in the final T20 match, David Willey had questioned whether Archer’s inclusion could destabilise a squad which had been together for some time.”Just recently there’s been a bit of talk about Jofra Archer playing and it’s great to see two or three of our guys that are in the team respond positively to that challenge,” Bayliss said.”I think we’re getting down fairly close to that 15. It’s going to make our job just that little bit harder with some of the performances in this T20 series. Obviously the World Cup is a 50-over competition, but we’re going to have to have a good, hard, long chat about that World Cup squad.”Bayliss said one-dayers against Ireland and Pakistan before the World Cup would be pivotal in finalising selection and presenting an opportunity to rest some players who were assured of a berth.Also thrusting himself into the spotlight during the T20s against West Indies was Chris Jordan, who took 2 for 16 and 4 for 6 in the first two matches and whose athletic fielding proved highly valuable.Bayliss rated Jordan’s performance as “fantastic” and said the door had not closed on the 30-year-old’s career in ODIs or Tests despite not having played an ODI since 2016 and the last of his eight Tests in 2015.”He’s played both before so he’s certainly got it within him and if he takes some confidence away from the way he’s bowled in these T20s there’s no reason he can’t [return],” Bayliss said. “He’s been a good player for us in the T20 cricket for a while now, not just his bowling but his fielding, he’s probably our best fielder and he’s shown throughout these three T20 matches that catches can win matches for you.”Bayliss said while he was comfortable with England being branded favourites for the World Cup, his side still had plenty of work to do.”The bouncier wickets are probably our biggest challenge at the moment,” Bayliss said. “Our batting has been our strength over the last three or four years. Our fielding has improved, but I always think we can get better as a fielding team.”Our bowlers, I think, have been unheralded. The batters have taken a little bit of the spotlight away from the bowlers but as a group of bowlers I think they’ve done fantastically well. It’s good to see during this T20 series it’s the bowlers who have been the ones that have actually set it up for us.”