Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has said that he will not be distracted by his election campaign in the lead up to, and during the upcoming ODI series against West Indies. After the three ODI series ends on December 14, Mashrafe is scheduled to contest in the Narail-2 constituency elections in his home district, with the polls scheduled to be held on December 30Mashrafe said that he is pursuing the political opportunity considering his open-ended future after the 2019 World Cup which, as he had suggested previously, and also on Tuesday, could be his last international tournament.”My mindset is completely focused on training and the ODI series that’s coming up,” Mashrafe said. I will only concentrate on that [the election campaign] after December 14. If I play till the World Cup, I have about seven or eight months remaining in my playing career. I don’t know what I am going to do in the following four-and-a-half years. The Prime Minister has given me an opportunity to serve the people.”Mashrafe said that he particularly held the press conference a day before the ODI side began training so that it wouldn’t cause a distraction like how it had on the day his nomination was confirmed by the governing party, Bangladesh Awami League.”I don’t want to talk about politics during the ODI series, which is why I held a press conference today. I personally felt that if there are to be questions about my political career, it should be today.”I discussed it with [media manager] Rabeed that I would have to face these questions, so it should be before the series gets underway,” he said.Mashrafe’s fitness had kept him from retiring after the 2017 Champions Trophy, but this time around, he said he would “review” his career path at the end of next year’s World Cup.”My mindset was made up for the World Cup. At one point I didn’t know if I could go further than the Champions Trophy [last year], but fitness kept me going. I will review my decision if I feel differently after the World Cup. My personal goal was to play till the World Cup, which is eight months away. During this time I will be playing within my plan. Whether I will review my decision [to quit after the World Cup] or not, time will tell,” he said.
Leeds United were dealt a blow this week as they are now set to lose one of their highly-rated academy prospects to a Premier League side.
15-year-old prodigy Finley Gorman is poised to join reigning champions Manchester City in a deal that is reported to be worth up to around £5m, if all add-ons and clauses are met.
The Cityzens are said to view him as a "generational" talent, as per The Athletic's Phil Hay, and they now look set to oversee his development after they reached an agreement with Leeds.
However, Daniel Farke should not be overly concerned by this news as there are plenty of other young prospects currently excelling in the academy whom he could unearth over the months and years to come.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke.
One talented prospect who has caught the eye with his performances for the U18s this season is 16-year-old centre-forward Lleyton Brown, who has outscored first-team star Georginio Rutter.
Lleyton Brown's season in numbers
The talented gem, who turns 17 in January, has enjoyed a fantastic start to the 2023/24 campaign and may push for a call-up to the U21 squad if his current output in front of goal continues.
Brown has registered an excellent four goals in eight U18 Premier League appearances for the Whites, which means that he has averaged a goal every other game as it stands.
The young prospect, who is only one year younger than current first-team ace Archie Gray, has developed and improved his performances since the end of last term, in which he managed one goal in seven U18 outings.
Archie Gray (17) in 23/24 Championship (via Sofascore)
Statistic
Performance
Appearances
15
Sofascore rating
6.75
Pass accuracy
81%
Duel success
54%
Dribble success
52%
Leeds and Farke have an exciting prospect on their hands as the 16-year-old marksman has showcased his goalscoring potential so far this season, and his improvement on his output in the 2022/23 campaign shows that he is progressing as a player.
This indicates that Brown is on an upward trajectory and supporters may be hoping that he will be able to follow in Gray's footsteps at some point.
Georgino Rutter's season in numbers
The French centre-forward has been in phenomenal form for the Whites throughout the current season but scoring goals is an area for him to improve in.
Rutter has found the back of the net three times – compared to Brown's four – in 15 Championship appearances for the club since their relegation from the Premier League.
This means that the 21-year-old ace has been outscored by the Thorp Arch academy prospect, albeit at U18 level. However, the ex-Hoffenheim's real strength is in his creative prowess.
Leeds forward Georginio Rutter.
The Leeds star has created a staggering 15 'big chances' for his teammates and registered five assists this term, which shows that he is able to consistently split open opposition defences in order to create chances for others to score.
It is not a major concern, given how often the talented maestro is setting up his fellow attackers, but finding the back of the net on a regular basis could be the next step in his development at Elland Road.
Hopefully, Rutter will be able to find his shooting boots and added a constant stream of goals to go alongside his invention in order to fire Leeds to promotion glory in 2024.
O Palmeiras entra em campo nesta quarta-feira (25), para encarar o Delfín-EQU, em Manta, pelo jogo de ida das oitavas de final da Copa Libertadores 2020, às 19h15 (horário de Brasília). O confronto no Equador marca o retorno do Verdão ao país após pouco mais de três anos, novamente por uma fase eliminatória da competição.
A última vez que o Palmeiras jogou no país foi pela edição de 2017 da Libertadores, contra o Barcelona, de Guayaquil, também em um jogo de ida das oitavas de final. Naquela oportunidade, o time comandado por Cuca perdeu por 1 a 0, com gol sofrido no final da partida.
No Allianz Parque, o Verdão venceu pelo mesmo placar com um golaço de Moisés, mas, nos pênaltis, Bruno Henrique e Egídio desperdiçaram as cobranças. O clube acabou eliminado do torneio.
> Confira aqui a tabela da Libertadores
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O retrospecto do Palmeiras em jogos no Equador não anima. São quatro derrotas e apenas uma vitória em cinco confrontos pela Libertadores.
O único triunfo do Verdão no Equador pela Libertadores foi em 1995, quando o time comandado por Valdir Espinosa venceu o Emelec por 3 a 1, com dois gols de Roberto Carlos e um golaço de Rivaldo.
Já atuando em São Paulo, os números são amplamente favoráveis. Nos mesmos cinco jogos, o Palmeiras tem 100% de aproveitamento, incluindo Palestra Italia e Allianz Parque. Os triunfos foram diante: Emelec, El-Nacional (duas vezes), LDU e Barcelona.
Diferentemente de 2017, quando o maior campeão do Brasil enfrentou o perigoso Barcelona, time de maior torcida do Equador, agora o rival é o modesto Delfín, que fez a segunda pior campanha da primeira fase, só atrás do Libertad.
Abel Ferreira também conta com o ótimo retrospecto do Palmeiras em jogos eliminatórios na atual temporada. Em cinco decisões, o Verdão passou invicto por todas: Santo André, Ponte Preta e Corinthians, pelo Paulistão, além de Red Bull Bragantino e Ceará, pela Copa do Brasil.
Palmeiras e Delfín nunca se enfrentaram na história e entrarão em campo nesta quarta-feira (25), às 19h15 (horário de Brasília), no Estádio Jocay, no Equador.
O Corinthians anunciou nesta quarta-feira o término do acordo de patrocínio com a cervejaria Estrella Galícia, que durava desde 2016. Segundo informações do GE, confirmadas pelo LANCE!, o rompimento aconteceu há dois meses e partiu da empresa, que continuará estampando seu logo nos espaços publicitários até dezembro deste ano. O acordo era de R$ 6 milhões anuais.
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TABELA > Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão clicando aqui
A rescisão acontece pelo fato de o contrato ser válido até setembro de 2021 e ter sido encerrado um ano antes de seu término. Oclube paulista exibia as marcas da bebida em seus uniformes de treino, placas no Centro de Treinamento e backdrops nas entrevistas. A legislação brasileira não permite marcas de bebidas alcoólicas nos uniformes de jogo.
Um dos principais pontos que causaram o encerramento do vínculo foi a crise provocada pela pandemia de coronavírus. De acordo com o GE, a cervejaria pagava um milhão de euros por ano ao Timão, o que na cotação atual significa pouco mais de R$ 6 milhões. Valor esse que também deve impactar no clube.
-A Estrella Galicia agradece o apoio dos torcedores, diretores, atletas e funcionários que fizeram parte desta incrível e histórica parceria. Em razão da pandemia de Covid-19, tivemos algumas mudanças em nossa área de patrocínios – explicou Fábio Rodrigues, diretor da Estrella Galicia na América Latina.
-Agradecemos o apoio da Estrella Galicia, uma cerveja de prestígio mundial que foi uma grande companheira do Corinthians nos últimos quatro anos vitoriosos. Esperamos que um dia as duas marcas possam se reencontrar no mesmo espírito do ótimo relacionamento que foi construído. As portas e os bares do Corinthians estarão sempre abertos à Estrella Galicia – declarou o presidente do clube, Andrés Sanchez.
Arsenal have seen an array of world-class talent make north London their home over the years, with some living up to expectation and some not so much.
The Gunners are in the process of showcasing their new wave of superstars, as Mikel Arteta continues to gun for glory and major silverware with his generation of heroes at the Emirates.
So many with legendary status have come and gone over the years at Arsenal, not helped by their assumed captain's curse, which has seen the best at the time leave soon after taking the armband.
From William Gallas to even Thierry Henry, many have fallen victim to the curse after being handed captaincy, with Arteta hoping that the feat of bad luck will end at Martin Odegaard, who was named skipper last summer.
In recent years, the theme has continued, with Odegaard being selected to take the role from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was ironically handed it from fellow cursed captain Granit Xhaka in 2019.
For whatever reason, there has been a narrative of poor captains at Arsenal, whether it be poor performance, attitude or desire to leave, being handed the armband hasn’t seemed to hold the honour that it does to some.
It would be difficult to discuss the Gunners’ captains of Arteta’s era without delving into the history of Aubameyang at the Emirates, with the striker arriving as royalty and leaving far from his throne.
When did Arsenal sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?
In January 2018, Arsenal unveiled Aubameyang as their new addition, bringing joy to those associated with the club with reference to their lack of presence leading the line for years prior.
Captured for a club-record fee at the time of £60m, the former Borussia Dortmund hero arrived in north London with a stellar reputation due to his goal-scoring proficiency throughout his career, including bagging 141 goals in just 213 games in Germany.
The Gunners had only signed fellow striker Alexandre Lacazette in the summer of 2017, handing those at the Emirates a sense of belief in their squad as the goals looked as though they’d soon arrive.
What was the reaction when Arsenal signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang?
The stage was set for Aubameyang to eclipse those before him, as he took Thierry Henry’s number 14 shirt and scored on his debut in the fashion of a true poacher, resulting in Arsene Wenger expressing his delight with the Gabonese gem’s arrival at his former club.
As relayed by The Guardian, Wenger tipped the forward to follow in Henry’s footsteps, calling comparisons to the French wizard a “good example to follow”.
The undefeated manager of 2003/04 went on to dub the £60m man as “tremendous”, hyping up his calibre by saying, “you don’t score by coincidence for so many years”, which wasn’t the end of the high praise for the new arrival.
A few years down the line, Gary Neville formed another comparison to Henry when analysing a goal scored by Aubameyang, as relayed by the Daily Mail.
“This is Thierry Henry, everything about it. As he went through on goal you just imagined the great French striker sprinting down on goal, setting it out to that far post. It’s Aubameyang now, wonderful.”
All the signs were there that the striker could in some ways replicate the quality and impact of Arsenal’s record goal scorer, and for the majority of his time in red and white, he was adored in a similar sense to the World Cup winner.
How many goals did Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang score at Arsenal?
Aubameyang left Arsenal 136 goals shy of Henry’s record of 228, netting 92 goals in 163 games for the Gunners over his four-year stay.
At the end of his debut half-season, the Gabon international had scored ten league goals in only 13 appearances, which was a subtle sign of things to come as he claimed the golden boot in his first full campaign in 2018/19.
The forward scored 22 league goals that season, a tally that was replicated the campaign after as he scored another 22 in the 2019/20 term to cement himself as one of the top sharpshooters in the Premier League.
Things couldn’t get better for Arsenal and their striker in 2020 as he signed a new three-year deal, after being named as club captain in the winter of 2019 following Granit Xhaka’s stripping of the honour.
How much did Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cost Arsenal?
Prior to signing his new contract, Aubameyang was earning £180k-per-week, amounting to £9.3m-per-year in wages alone.
The sum increased when he penned his refreshed deal, taking his salary to a monstrous £13m-per-year, equalling a weekly wage of £250k.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's career earnings
Club
Year
Weekly Wage
Borussia Dortmund
2014-2015
£40,000
Borussia Dortmund
2015-2016
£55,316
Borussia Dortmund
2016-2017
£79,237
Arsenal
2017-2020
£180,000
Arsenal
2020-2022
£250,000
Barcelona
2022
£41,529
Chelsea
2022-2023
£160,000
All figures via Capology
When adding up his wages over his time in north London, the figure amounts to around £52m, which when you add his transfer fee of £60m, reveals that Arsenal made an expenditure of around £112m to maintain their star striker at the Emirates.
Was he worth it?
Everything was looking rosy for both club and player following his renewal, until it all went very bleak very quickly.
Just two years after he was handed the captaincy due to Xhaka having the privilege revoked, Arteta dealt Aubameyang the same blow, taking the armband away from him due to disciplinary breaches.
The antics between player and manager away from the pitch resulted in a dip in form on the field, as the forward scored just ten goals in the 2020/21 league campaign, followed by scoring four the season after.
There was a clear breakdown in the relationship between Arteta and Aubameyang, which had made fans turn against the striker who seemed to have carried his “crazy boy” image from Dortmund to London, as he described himself in his farewell post to his former club.
In the winter transfer window of 2022, Arsenal mutually agreed to terminate the former captain’s contract, seeing him join Barcelona on a free transfer.
On his departure, Arteta told the media that his former striker’s “trajectory at the club and the importance of his goals was unquestionable”, however, the time was right for him to leave.
Aubameyang gave the Gunners plenty of things to cheer about during his time at the Emirates, reinstating the goals and the thrill of having a capable striker to the fans, yet his exit left a sour taste, with matters made worse by his moves following his exit.
What is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang doing now?
After leaving the club in January 2022, it wasn’t long before the 34-year-old returned to the capital, as he signed for Chelsea in September in a transfer that left followers of the Gunners stunned.
Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
To the joy of those bewildered by his decision, the Gabon international left the Blues after 21 appearances and just three goals, with him now representing Marseille in Ligue 1 with a market value of just €5m (£4.3m) – according to CIES Football Observatory.
From a cherished captain likened to Henry, to a villain representing Arsenal’s London rivals, Aubameyang’s trajectory took a sudden turn at the Emirates, as he failed to live up to the expectations he was showered with when he first arrived on English soil.
Netherland seamer Shane Snater was the star with the ball as he claimed 5 for 60
ECB Reporters Network25-May-2018 ScorecardA monumental innings of 160, the highest List A score of his career, by Varun Chopra helped Essex Eagles revive their Royal London Cup campaign against Somerset at Chelmsford.Chopra’s 149-ball innings lasted from the first delivery of the match to the second ball of the final over, and included nine fours and six sixes. It took his total in the 50-over competition this season to 286 at an average of 71.50.But Essex’s 40-run victory, ending two successive defeats, was also aided by a five-wicket haul from Shane Snater, the Zimbabwe-born Netherlands seamer, playing only his second game after a successful spell in the 2nd XI. Snater broke two promising partnerships that knocked the stuffing out of the Somerset response, and removed their top four run-scorers. He finished with 5 for 60.Chopra shared a 141-run stand for the fourth wicket in 27 overs with Ravi Bopara, who hit 73, and 50 in 28 balls with Ryan ten Doeschate for the fifth wicket.In pursuit of 314, Somerset lost two wickets to Neil Wagner inside the first six overs. Steve Davies fell lbw for two and Johann Myburgh, having hit successive boundaries, flashed at one outside off stump and was caught behind.Peter Trego and James Hildreth settled into a 69-run partnership in 13 overs that righted the Somerset response until three wickets fell in the space of 17 balls.Snater had bowled a succession of wides and long hops, but had the prized scalp of James Hildreth as his first Essex wicket. Hildreth, who had scored 281 in three previous Royal London games this season, chipped the ball up to Ashar Zaidi at mid-on for 24.And Snater had a second wicket seven balls later when Trego got a leading edge and lobbed it back to the bowler. Trego had reached his half-century from 49 balls just three deliveries earlier.The collapse continued when Simon Harmer had Matt Renshaw lbw, and suddenly half the Somerset side had gone for 120 in the 20th over. But 19-year-old Tom Banton posted his highest List A score of 40 in a 65-run stand with Roelof van der Merwe that frustrated Essex for 13 overs.However, Banton became Snater’s third wicket, when he hammered the ball back to the bowler. Wagner’s return accounted for Craig Overton, who played into Harmer’s hands at midwicket for 12.Van der Merwe continued to offer resistance and reached a 47-ball fifty with a six off Ashar Zaidi, but then swept Snater high to deep midwicket on 61. Somerset’s second defeat in a row was confirmed when Sam Cook took a catch over his shoulder to give Snater his fifth wicket with 11 balls to go.Put in, the Essex openers had 33 on the board in six overs when Adam Wheater bounced down the wicket and smashed Craig Overton straight to van der Merwe at cover. The same Overton accounted for Westley for 4 to a leg before that might have been heading down leg side.When Dan Lawrence chipped up Trego’s slower ball tamely to Hildreth at cover, Essex had lost three key wickets in seven overs for 37 runs.Chopra took a liking to Jamie Overton, twice pulling him over square leg for six, one flat, the other long and high and his century came from 114 balls.As the innings entered the final 10 overs, the scoring tempo increased dramatically and ten Doeschate helped himself to 10 runs from two balls by van der Merwe, including a six out of the ground. Chopra followed with two sixes over deep extra cover against Groenewald, the second taking him past his previous best of 124. But on 261, ten Doeschate picked out Jamie Overton at deep midwicket for 23 to spark a tumble of six wickets for 52 runs.Chopra’s fifth six sailed over midwicket off Craig Overton before he passed his 150 from 145 balls and his sixth cleared long-off from the first ball of the last over before he was finally out next ball, caught just behind square.
Former Celtic head coach Ange Postecoglou enjoyed a trophy-filled two years of management during his time with the Scottish giants.
How many trophies did Postecoglou win with Celtic?
The Australian tactician, who joined Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur earlier this year, plundered five pieces of silverware in two seasons with the Bhoys.
Trophy
Season won
Scottish Premiership
21/22
Scottish League Cup
21/22
Scottish Premiership
22/23
Scottish League Cup
22/23
Scottish Cup
22/23
Postecoglou won the league and cup double during his debut campaign in Scottish football before he masterminded a domestic treble throughout the 2022/23 season.
His exceptional ability to pick out gems in the transfer market played a crucial role in that success as the likes of Jota, Kyogo Furuhashi, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Matt O'Riley were all key players who were brought in by the now-Spurs chief.
Jota, in particular, was a masterstroke of a signing by the former Hoops boss as he ended up making the club a significant profit after an impressive two years at Parkhead.
How much was Jota worth at Benfica?
FootballTransfers placed his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at €3.4m (£2.9m) by the time that Benfica decided to send him out on loan to the Scottish giants in the summer of 2021.
He was allowed to leave the Portuguese side after a difficult start to life in professional football as the exciting winger struggled to provide attacking quality on a regular basis.
Jota scored nine goals and assisted eight in 47 games for their B team to earn himself a step up to the senior squad but he then failed to replicate that form. Instead, the young ace managed just two goals and three assists in 34 first-team outings for Benfica, which included zero goals in 23 Liga Portugal clashes.
He then spent the 2020/21 campaign on loan to Real Valladolid and the struggles continued. The 5 foot 9 forward averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.66 and contributed with one goal and zero assists or 'big chances' created in 17 LaLiga outings throughout the year.
How did Jota perform for Celtic?
Despite his poor form for Benfica and Valladolid, Postecoglou opted to snap up the talented whiz on an initial loan deal for Celtic ahead of the 2021/22 season.
This turned out to be an inspired piece of business from the Australian boss as Jota went on to have his breakout season as a professional for the Hoops.
The Portuguese gem averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.56 across 29 Scottish Premiership outings for the head coach, which was the third-highest score within the squad – only behind Ryan Christie and David Turnbull.
Former Celtic winger Jota.
Jota finally proved himself to be capable of scoring and assisting goals on a regular basis from out wide as he contributed with ten goals and ten assists in the top-flight.
Only Giorgos Giakoumakis (13) and Kyogo Furuhashi (12) found the back of the net more frequently than the Benfica loanee and no other player reached double figures for assists, which highlights how important he was to Postecoglou's attack.
His sensational form for Celtic led to the club deciding to activate their option to sign him on a permanent basis for a reported transfer fee of £6.5m, with the exciting ace putting pen to paper on a five-year contract at Parkhead.
How much is Jota worth now?
The 24-year-old sensation is currently valued at £25m as that is the reported fee that Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad splashed out to secure his services from the Hoops this summer.
This means that his value soared by 285% on the initial £6.5m that the Bhoys spent to sign him from Benfica, which shows that Postecoglou hit the jackpot with him as the deal to snap him up ended up making the club a healthy profit after just one year in Scotland on a permanent basis.
Former Celtic winger Jota.
The Australian boss was able to identify a promising young player and used his coaching ability to turn him into a mega-money asset for the Scottish giants, which they cashed in on to fund a summer spending spree under Brendan Rodgers with nine new signings this year.
Why was Jota worth that much?
Al Ittihad moved to sign the Portugal U21 international after he enjoyed a stunning 2022/23 campaign with the Hoops as a consistent threat at the top end of the pitch.
Jota averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.45 and this was the highest score within the squad, which suggests that he was Postecoglou's outstanding performer over the course of the season as he averaged a higher rating than the likes of O'Riley, Kyogo, Carter-Vickers, and Callum McGregor.
The promising phenom once again showcased his ability to score and assist goals with regularity as he plundered 11 goals and 11 assists in 33 Scottish Premiership matches.
Only Kyogo (27) scored more league goals for Celtic and only O'Riley (12) provided more assists than Jota, who produced 1.9 key passes per game and racked up 13 'big chances' for his teammates in total.
The £25m-rated ace, who was once lauded as a "revelation" by former Scotland manager Alex McLeish, also caught the eye with his performances in the Champions League.
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.40 across four appearances in Europe's premier cup competition, which was the highest within the squad, as he chipped in with two goals and 2.3 key passes per match.
These statistics show that Jota was able to provide consistently brilliant performances for Celtic in domestic and European action as a winger who could provide quality in the final third week-in-week-out.
The former Benfica prospect failed to make the grade in Portugal or Spain but Postecoglou's system and coaching clearly got the best out of the phenomenal talent, which allowed him to thrive and develop in Scotland.
This meant that Celtic got two sensational years of excellent from him off the pitch before being able to rake in a significant profit for his services by selling him to Al Ittihad for £25m.
Therefore, Postecoglou hit the jackpot for the Hoops with the initial decision to sign him in spite of his poor form in two countries prior to his move to Scotland.
Hopefully, some of the nine new additions by Rodgers this summer are able to be as successful as Jota was during his time at Parkhead.
A familiar script that had underpinned the one-sided ODI series between the teams in Vadodara played itself out in the T20I tri-series opener, too. Australia romped to a six-wicket win over India, thanks to Beth Mooney’s 45, two wickets each from Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner, and India’s inability to prop up Smriti Mandhana’s third successive half-century.Resuming momentum from her 67 and 52 in the last two ODIs, Mandhana earned herself the distinction of India’s fastest T20I half-centurion. The innings transpired after Australia captain Meg Lanning sent India in, and a maiden over from Megan Schutt greeted Mithali Raj and the 100-odd spectators on Thursday morning at an otherwise empty Brabourne Stadium.Mandhana started off in a manner starkly different to Raj’s. She stepped out to Gardner off the second ball of her innings, and followed it up with a late glide past the wicketkeeper for a second four in three balls in the nine-run over. By the end of the Powerplay, Mandhana had tonked six fours and a six for her 20-ball 33 to help steer India to 47 for no loss, with Raj on 13 off 16.Mandhana brought up her half-century off 30 balls, even as Raj’s bid to break the shackles led Healy breaking her stumps for 27-ball 18 in the tenth over. Soon after, debutant and left-arm spiner Sophie Molineux nearly had Mandhana chop on on the fourth ball off her second over, but the inside edge would only trickle to short fine leg. However, five balls later, she sent Mandhana back for a 41-ball 67 with a catch at mid-on off Gardner.Her dismissal in the 14th over triggered a familiar Indian middle-order wobble and helped Perry snipe out Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur within the first three balls off the next over.India’s labour at 100 for 4 would have soon resulted in an even worse capitulation, had it not been the ingenious striking of allrounder Anuja Patil. During her 21-ball 35, Patil hooked and swept Perry to hammer 14 runs off the 18th over that spoiled Perry’s figures to 4-0-31-2.Patil added 14 more off her next four balls, before a back-of-the-hand full ball on middle from Delissa Kimmince had Molineux pick out Patil at deep midwicket. Veda Krishnamurthy then struck a four and a six in the last over to hoist the hosts to 152 for 5.During Australia’s chase, it took Jhulan Goswami all of five deliveries to make an impact upon her return to the squad from a heel injury after she missed the ODI series. After getting hit for two fours, a seam-up back-of-a length inswinger took the top of Alyssa Healy’s middle stump.Goswami snared Australia with a similar template in her next over. Gardner flayed Goswami through the point region for two back-to-back fours but a missed pull on the next ball cost her the middle stump and ended her eight-ball 15 cameo.Mooney and Elyse Villani subsequently took Australia to 57 for 2 after six overs, after suffering two scares courtesy Patil. Introduced as the first-change bowler, Patil collected a Mooney drive and darted it straight back through the batsman’s legs into the stumps. The replays, however, showed Mooney’s back toe back just in time.Mooney then struck three fours in the next over off Shikha Pandey during her 32-ball 45 and anchored the 79-run third-wicket stand with Villani. The duo, however, fell in consecutive overs, as Mooney holed out to Pandey, handing Goswami her third while Villani offered a return catch to Poonam Yadav in the 14th over.With 41 needed from as many balls, Lanning walked in at No. 5, and hammered four fours and a six. Her 44-run unbeaten stand with Rachael Haynes lent a degree of eventuality to India’s chase with a flurry of fours.The most incisive one came off Rodrigues, as Lanning bisected a near-non-existent gap between point and cover point. Equally authoritative was her lofted drive off Poonam that brought up Australia’s 150th run, before she hit the winning runs off Rumeli Dhar, in the penultimate over, en route to her 35 off 25 balls.
Joe Root, the England captain, was admitted to hospital in Sydney, suffering from severe dehydration
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jan-20181:59
Root showed courage to come out and bat – Smith
Joe Root, the England captain, was admitted to hospital in Sydney, suffering from severe dehydration, amid doubts as to whether he would be fit to resume his rearguard in the fifth and final Test at the SCG.In the end, Root did appear during the morning session, batting for an hour and taking his overnight 42 not on to 58 at lunch. However, he was again unable to continue after the interval and did not attend the post-match presentations after England were dismissed for 180 to lose by and innings.”He’s not had any sleep. He’s not eaten. He’s had diarrhoea and he’s been vomiting, so I guess he’s not in great state,” James Anderson, England’s vice-captain, said. “To get to the ground was a great effort, and to strap his pads on and bat for as long as he did was a brilliant effort and showed exactly what sort of character he is.”He wants to lead by example in this team. He’s been a fantastic captain on this tour and it shows what sort of person he is to make that sort of effort to get out on the field. I just hope it’s not too serious and he can sleep it off now and get better before the one-dayersRoot, who batted for three hours on fourth day, had been in the field for all but six overs of the hottest day on record for a Test match in Australia. Temperatures in some parts of Sydney reached 47.3C, the highest in the city for 79 years.Root succumbed to bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting overnight, and did not arrive at the ground until after the start of play. It was later announced by the ECB that Root was suffering from a viral gastroenteritis bug, rather than the effects of heat exhaustion.A groggy-looking Joe Root takes on fluids•Getty ImagesAlready 3-0 down in the series, England were precariously placed on 93 for 4 overnight, needing another 210 runs to make Australia bat again. Moeen Ali took the field alongside Jonny Bairstow at the start if play but Root was fit enough to resume his innings after Moeen’s dismissal on the hour mark, and soon moved to his fifty.Asked how Root had found the tour, Anderson said: “I imagine extremely difficult. Ask any captain who has toured Australia, it’s not an easy place to come. Especially when on wrong end of results. The way he’s carried himself has been a credit to himself. He’s been fantastic the whole way through, as a guy he’s not looked down at any stage. He’s led the guys brilliantly both on and off the field. He should be very proud of what he’s done on this trip.”Before it was made clear that Root was affected by a virus, there had been speculation about the damaging effects of playing in high temperatures. Dean Jones, the former Australia batsman who famously ended up on a drip after making 210 in oppressive heat during the tied Test in Madras in 1986, stated on Twitter that the sport needs to take the issue of exposure to extreme conditions more seriously.”After speaking to a couple of doctors this morning.. in my opinion cricket should be called off after 41C," Jones wrote. "It’s a workplace issue now.. just my opinion.”
Chelsea appear to be well and truly setting their sights on a Michael Olise alternative as an update emerges on Lyon star Bradley Barcola.
Who have Chelsea signed?
Mauricio Pochettino's side, despite spending over £250 million already this transfer window, could move to strengthen further following their failed pursuit of Olise – with the Frenchman instead signing a new deal at Crystal Palace.
Midfield duo Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia are the first team stars to most recently come through the door at Stamford Bridge, with the former costing a British-record £115 million to prise away from Brighton.
"Moises has proved himself as a standout player in European football over the past 18 months, and we are thrilled to add him to Mauricio Pochettino’s squad," said Chelsea co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley.
"Moises possesses a rare midfield skill set and is a player we've been targeting for some time. We believe he will make a significant impact at Stamford Bridge this season – and in the years ahead."
Meanwhile, Pochettino has expressed his delight at the signing of Lavia from Southampton, with Chelsea's head coach revering the Belgian's quality after they announced a deal.
"We all know Romeo and his quality, his profile," said the Argentine.
"I think he’s a perfect player for this project. We are excited and we are so happy to add him in the squad.
"The club worked really hard on these signings. We have to congratulate the owners and the sporting directors Laurence [Stewart] and Paul [Winstanley], because the job was amazing."
Lavia and Caicedo join the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sanchez, Angelo and young Brazilian ace Deivid Washington in penning deals at the Bridge.
Lyon star Barcola, following Chelsea's summer spending spree, could be another player to make his way to west London as journalist Fabrice Hawkins shares an update for RMC Sport.
Indeed, it is believed Pochettino's side are "fully" chasing the 20-year-old forward and talks have "intensified" very recently following Chelsea's collapsed deal for Olise.
Lyon forward Bradley Barcola.
Lyon have already rejected a bid from PSG for the player, and Man City's interest in Barcola has cooled down as they pursue a move for Rennes winger Jeremy Doku.
This could open the door for Chelsea, but during talks, Lyon have apparently quoted a fee of around £43 million to let Barcola leave.
Who is Bradley Barcola?
Barcola played just 1438 minutes for Lyon over the 2022/2023 campaign, but in that time, he registered an impressive five goals and eight assists.
The Frenchman stands out as an incredibly direct winger, having averaged a brilliant 2.5 dribbles per 90 in Ligue 1 according to WhoScored, with Lyon boss Laurent Blanc heaping praise on the player this year.
Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE..
"He surprises me on a physical level. He doesn't second-guess himself… he scores goals, even though he is not necessarily an out-and-out striker," said Blanc.
"He can easily eliminate his opponents with his technical finesse and speed.
"When he wasn't a starter, I told him to be attentive and serious because he was certainly going to be able to occupy an important position in the team. He must have thought I was crazy not to play him. But I already had a few ideas."