The U.S. may need some help in midfield, and the answer to the team's problems may lie in Spain
The fear was already there, but Gregg Berhalter's recent comments only added to it. It's been a question that has been lingering for quite some time: what will the U.S. men's national team do if captain Tyler Adams isn't available this summer?
It's a big concern, for sure. The U.S. will play in not one, but two big competitions over the next few months. First will be the Nations League in March and, after that, the big one: the Copa America. As things stand, it's been about a year since we've seen Adams fully fit and, with those games looming, there's no guarantee we'll see the best version of him this summer.
So, with that being the big question, does the USMNT have an answer? It seems so, in the form of two players currently killing it in La Liga. Both Johnny Cardoso and Luca de la Torre could be the natural cover for Adams, and both have stepped up massively for their clubs in recent matches.
There's no replacing skipper Adams; no player in the pool is quite like him. However, a quick glace at what Cardoso and De la Torre are doing in Spain proves that the U.S. has two players that could capably fill in if Adams isn't good to go.
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'Taking it day by day'
By the time the Nations League kicks off, we'll have seen Adams play just one match over the last 12 months. In addition, he hasn't featured for the USMNT since the team's round-of-16 loss to the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup. Yes, it's been that long.
His initial injury came all the way back in March 2023 while at Leeds United. A hamstring injury led to surgery, knocking out for the rest of the season as Leeds fell to eventual relegation. Adams, though, moved to Bournemouth this summer, but saw his debut delayed by that injury. Shortly after his debut, Adams was forced to go under the knife again, in October.
He is continuing to rehab and it seems he may be back on the field soon, but Berhalter says Adams' status isn't totally clear at the moment
“I don’t know,” Berhalter told reporters on Tuesday. “We’re taking it the same way he’s taking it, and that’s day by day. And as we get information, we’ll be able to make decisions, but for us, it’s just supporting him, continuing to communicate with his club, and really not getting ahead of ourselves."
The hope is that Adams can go, giving the U.S. their midfield lynchpin and, more importantly, their captain. If he can't though, a spot in midfield is there for the taking, and both Cardoso and De la Torre look poised to take it.
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Cardoso rewarded for big move
For most of his USMNT career, it's been hard to really figure out what to make of Cardoso. He's earned nine caps, but has started just twice: once in a B-team camp against Bosnia & Herzegovina and then again in a 4-0 beatdown of Ghana in 2023.
With him playing in the Brazilian league on the club level, he felt hard to compare. How did his exploits with Internacional line up with what others were doing in Europe? The Brazilian league is good, for sure, but it's fair to say that it's rarely the focus of American soccer.
In January, though, everything changed. The midfielder made his big move, signing with Real Betis and, just a month into his time with the club, he's already a key player.
He was instantly tossed right into the club's XI and hasn't looked back. On February 9, in just his fourth start, he provided an assist in a 2-0 win over Cadiz to earn man of the match honors. Then, in the Europa League on Thursday against Dinamo Zagreb, he ran the show, leading all players on the field in dribbles and duels despite a 1-0 defeat.
Betis sit sixth in La Liga at the moment and have an outside chance at pushing for a Champions League spot. The signing of Cardoso may just help get them there as the midfielder is raising his level in a big way.
For some time, there have been calls for the USMNT to take a longer look at him, and those calls are growing louder as he's shown the ability to run games in a league as good as La Liga.
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De la Torre as consistent as ever
It hasn't been the easiest season for Celta Vigo. They sit 17th in La Liga, facing a real relegation battle. De la Torre, though, has been one consistent positive as the American has put together a solid second season with the club.
After joining in the summer of 2022, De la Torre became a regular for Celta relatively quickly, playing 30 times in that debut season. He hasn't slowed down in this sophomore campaign, either, featuring 26 times in all competitions for the club to date.
Early in the campaign, he revealed a new nickname: The Aldi Frenkie de Jong; an insult, in one way, but a compliment in others. Like the Dutchman, De la Torre is a player who can contribute in all facets of the game. It's never too bad to be compared to an elite player, even if you are called the Aldi version.
De la Torre recently put in his best performance of the season, leading the way in a huge 3-0 win over Osasuna. After assisting Jorgen Stand Larsen in the 24th minute, he then scored a goal of his own just 60 seconds later.
The strike was his third in five games in all competitions as De la Torre is really rounding into form. In total, he has five goal involvements this season, with four of those coming within the last month. One of those efforts came via an outrageous heel flick – a highlight reel goal, for sure.
Despite his club's struggles, De la Torre's stock is rising, and it's rising at a good time.
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The case for De la Torre
It's safe to assume that Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah will start for the USMNT whenever healthy. But, if Adams can't go in March or, worst case, to the Copa America, who is the third midfielder?
De la Torre could be the guy. He has been before. With 20 caps to his name, De la Torre has filled in plenty of times, playing as both a No.8 and a No.6. He was a member of the World Cup squad in Qatar, too, even if he didn't play.
The Celta midfielder isn't a destroyer like Adams, but rather more of a ball-playing midfielder. He doesn't offer the physicality that Adams does, but what he does offer is significantly more passing range and the ability to move the ball up the field quickly once he gets it.
Statistically, De la Torre is in the elite percentiles of ball carrying, offering a different sort of presence to the midfield. He's the natural replacement for Musah, realistically, but the U.S. could go with Musah and De la Torre in a more progressive role with McKennie sitting deeper. They could also interchange any of those names due to their flexibility.
Against some teams, that type of setup is great, against others, not so much. But, either way, De la Torre has the quality and, now a regular in La Liga, the high-level experience, to step in.
Ex-Chelsea star Diego Costa has joined Gremio on a free transfer after the Brazilian side lost Luis Suarez to Inter Miami.
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Costa joins Gremio until 2024
Striker deemed successor to Suarez
Left Botafogo at end of last year
WHAT HAPPENED?
The 35-year-old signed a contract with Gremio to revive his career in the land of his birth after a brief stint with Botafogo. He has penned a one-year deal until the end of 2024 with the Serie A outfit and will be tasked with filling the void left by Suarez, who chose to reunite with former Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets at Inter Miami in MLS.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Costa had an underwhelming season with Botafogo in the last campaign as he scored just three goals in 13 matches. Over the past three seasons, he managed only 11 goals in 66 matches, including an underwhelming spell at Wolves in the English Premier League.
DID YOU KNOW?
In his prime, Costa was a force to be reckoned with as he netted 52 goals in 83 matches during his spell at Stamford Bridge and played a key role in inspiring the Blues to two Premier League titles and a League Cup. However, he is mostly remembered for his days in Spain with Atletico Madrid where he emerged as a feared striker under the guidance of Diego Simeone, scoring 83 goals in two spells.
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WHAT NEXT?
Costa will land in Porto Alegre in the next few days to undergo a medical examination before putting pen to paper. Fans will be eagerly waiting to find out if the striker can reignite some of his old magic in the twilight of his career in the Brazilian league.
Sri Lanka knew Bangladesh would find it hard to chase down 222 runs on the Mirpur pitch, according to their captain Dinesh Chandimal. He described the pitch as a “tough” one, saying his batsmen understood the importance of sticking around till the 50th over quite early and batted accordingly. That confidence helped them blow Bangladesh away in a 79-run win in the tri-series final, a superb comeback after losing so poorly in the first two matches of the tournament.Chandimal said the competitive total went hand-in-hand with Sri Lanka’s growing confidence. “It was a tough wicket,” Chandimal said. “I prayed before the toss, I need to win the toss. It was a dry wicket. Credit goes to Upul [Tharanga] and [Niroshan] Dickwella, they put on a 70-run [71] partnership. That was a turning point. We knew after 20 overs that if we can get 220-230, that’s a winning total for us.”We all knew, as I said, they are really good, especially playing here. But we had a feeling that we have a good total, and that’s a winning total. As I said we have game plans and we always try to play competitive cricket. And the guys played some outstanding cricket all around – with bat, ball and in the fielding also.”It was a sweet turnaround in Mirpur for Chandimal too, who was standing in in place of the injured Angelo Mathews. Around four years ago, he sat out the World T20 final despite being the captain, eventually seeing Lasith Malinga lift the trophy.It was a happy occasion certainly, and walking around the Shere Bangla National Stadium, trophy in hand, must have pleased Chandimal. He however took little credit.”We are over the moon,” he said. “This is all about working hard, especially after you lose the first two games. It is difficult to get back in this kind of tournament. The guys put their heart and soul in the practices and then when they go to the middle they put their heart and soul. They had the plans and they executed well, and credit goes to everyone who played the series.”Sri Lanka’s tactics to bowl short to the Bangladesh batsmen paid dividends as Tamim Iqbal and Sabbir Rahman fell prey to that length once again. Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said his team knew their opposition would use this length but couldn’t quite stave it off.”We have known in the last 8-10 days that they were bowling short,” Mashrafe said. “We have also spoken about it. But we cannot develop skills over seven days. One has to be mentally prepared. We talked about handling that length. We had the homework but we couldn’t deliver it.”Mashrafe also lamented the lack of support for Mahmudullah, whose 76 took Bangladesh to 142. “He needed support at the other end,” Mashrafe said. “He was the last man out. He had to play shots. If he got support from the middle order, he could have taken the chase deeper. In the Champions Trophy [win against New Zealand from a similar situation], he rotated the strike with Shakib [Al Hasan]. But playing shots and picking singles, all of it can’t be one batsman’s work.”
Haryana secure first-innings lead in Lahli; Parvez Rasool sparkles with bat and ball in Jamshedpur
ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2017Priyank Panchal’s 145 – his 14th first-class hundred – helped Gujarat post a robust response to Saurashtra‘s 570, as they went to stumps on 304 for 4 in Rajkot. Gujarat, however, still trail Saurashtra by 266 runs. Resuming on 45 for 0, Gujarat lost captain Parthiv Patel in the third over of the day after he was caught by wicketkeeper Snell Patel off left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat. Panchal then added 54 runs with Bhargav Merai before the latter was dismissed by left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja. Three balls later, Dharmendrasinh struck again to remove Manprit Juneja as Gujarat slipped to 109 for 3.Panchal, however, took charge and put on a 179-run stand with Rujul Bhatt (75*). During the course of their partnership, Panchal, who had made half-centuries in his last two games, brought up his hundred before tea. He struck 20 fours before he was cleaned up by Unadkat. Dharmendrasinh and Unadkat finished with two wickets each.Haryana secured the first-innings lead against Rajasthan after bowling out the visitors for 150 in Lahli. Haryana then finished the day on 179 for 5 in their second innings and stretched their lead to 252.In the morning, Rajasthan had done well to eat into the deficit after resuming on 74 for 7. Rajasthan’s recovery was thanks to a 61-run alliance between Tajinder Singh (38) and Deepak Chahar (27). However, after Chahar was removed by Ajit Chahal the innings unravelled quickly. While Chahal finished with three wickets, captain Amit Mishra and seamer Ashish Hooda picked up two apiece.Haryana started shakily in their second innings, losing their first three wickets for 62, with seamer Aniket Choudhary accounting for the openers Guntashveer Singh and Shubham Rohilla. The recovery was helmed by Shivam Chauhan (65) and Rajat Paliwal (35). But, their dismissals left Rohit Sharma and Mishra needing to steer the team towards stumps with no further damage.Jammu & Kashmir secured the first-innings lead against Jharkhand after the latter declared their first innings on 292 for 9 at the Keenan Stadium in Jamshedpur. J&K then extended their lead to 330 runs after they went to stumps on 246 for 7 in their second innings.Resuming on 220 for 5, Jharkhand’s push to secure the first-innings lead suffered an early setback after overnight batsman Ishan Kishan was caught behind by Punit Bisht off Mohammed Mudhasir. Kumar Deobrat (34) and Sunny Gupta (31*) played useful hands, but Jharkhand fell behind. Left-arm spinner Aamir Aziz claimed four wickets while Mudhasir and captain Parvez Rasool picked up two and three wickets respectively. Rasool had a pivotal role to play with the bat in J&K’s second dig, as his 74-ball 70 rescued his team from 110 for 5. Along with Owais Shah (50), whose innings comprised three fours and three sixes, he raised a stand of 119 runs. J&K, however, suffered a late jolt when both Rasool and Shah fell just before stumps.
Newcastle United have been considering a swoop for Stuttgart central defender Konstantinos Mavropanos this summer, but will now need to move swiftly to prevent rival Premier League interest.
Who wants to sign Konstantinos Mavropanos?
According to the Sun, the former Arsenal prospect is a target for Eddie Howe's Magpies, though West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers currently lead the race to sign the Greece international.
The report claims that while Newcastle – who are in the market for a right-sided centre-back – are monitoring the situation, they do have other targets ahead on their shopping list.
It's thought the player has a release clause of €25m (£21m) in his contract.
How good is Konstantinos Mavropanos?
The 6 foot 4 "gladiator" – as praised by former boss Pellegrino Matarazzo – did not cut the mustard at the Emirates Stadium and made the move to Germany after playing just eight times for the Gunners, perhaps severing his chances having picked up a red card despite his little time on the pitch.
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But since moving to the Bundesliga, he has gone from strength to strength and now boasts some remarkable metrics to have captured the attention of clubs such as Newcastle and the Hammers, who will both play in European competition this season.
As per FBref, the £13k-per-week titan ranks among the top 4% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues for shot-creating actions, the top 14% for progressive passes, the top 8% for progressive carries, the top 4% for successful take-ons, the top 1% for interceptions and the top 8% for aerials won per 90.
The dynamism and aptitude with both his physicality and technicality is discernible through such statistics, and given that he recorded an exemplary average Sofascore rating of 7.26 in the league last season, completing 86% of his passes, making 2.2 interceptions and 3.5 clearances per game, also succeeding with 66% of his total duels, Newcastle would have a dreamy new addition to bolster the backline.
Newcastle have demonstrated an astute and diligent strategy regarding transfers over the past few years, and this would be a continuation of the club's overall growth, and if Mavropanos is tied up, it could be the second time league rivals Arsenal's loss has been turned to the Magpies' gain.
In August 2021, Joe Willock's impressive loan spell with the Toon was made permanent for £25m, and he has since been an integral part of the club's ascent, having made 35 displays in the Premier League last season, scoring three goals and supplying six assists as Newcastle earned a deserved top-four finish.
Hailed for his "stunning" development by Graeme Bailey, the £80k-per-week Englishman has also been lauded for his “limitless" potential by journalist Simon Collings and looks set for a prominent role as Newcastle continue to improve as a European force.
Signing Mavropanos too would really irk Arsenal, if the pair were able to combine and take even higher than last term's fourth-placed finish, or even further than the Carabao Cup finale defeat to Manchester United, ending a 54-year wait for major silverware.
With Mavropanos' robustness as an all-encompassing modern defender and Willock's creativity and directness in midfield, Newcastle might just elevate their imperious squad even higher, and leave the powers that be in north London watching on with a rueful gaze.
Moeen Ali is prepared for a barrage of short-pitched bowling during the Ashes but believes that could be the opportunity for him to attack
Andrew McGlashan30-Sep-2017Moeen Ali is prepared for a barrage of short-pitched bowling during the Ashes but believes that could be the opportunity for him to attack and feels ready for whatever Australia will throw at him.Moeen completed an outstanding home summer with the Man-of-the-Series award in the ODIs against West Indies after excelling with the bat, making 102 off 57 balls at Bristol and an unbeaten 48 off 25 to take England above the DLS requirement before rain arrived at The Oval.That followed a prolific Test series against South Africa were he became the first player to score 250 runs and take 25 wickets in a four-match series. Overall in England’s seven-Test season he scored 361 runs at 32.81 and took 30 wickets at 21.30; in 11 ODIs he scored 283 runs at 70.75 and a strike-rate of 159.88. Although his five wickets came at over 70, his economy rate was respectable at under a run-a-ball.Moeen played a vital role in the 2015 Ashes – his lower-order partnerships Stuart Broad, especially at Edgbaston, giving England crucial late runs – but there is a thought that his technique against the short ball will be tested down under with him occasionally having had trouble when batting higher up the order.”It’s something I’ve been working on and I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “I feel when you get in it’s a good place to bat. The ball doesn’t swing as much and hopefully whatever number I come in, I can express myself. I’m going to have to change a couple of things about the way I play but in terms of mindset I’ll just go and do what I normally do. The good thing is I’ve played against them before and I don’t want to speak too early or too confident but I’ll make sure I’m ready for it.”Hopefully they’ll get tired doing it [bowling the bouncer]. But you get chances to score all the time with the short stuff and I’m going to work hard on that. I am very excited about it.”Quite what role Moeen will play in the Ashes is now up in the air with Ben Stokes’ participation in the series uncertain. Should England be without Stokes, Moeen could be required to move up to No. 6 or 7 to fill the void. He has batted in every position from one to nine over his 44-match career, although 26 of them have been at seven or eight, and he has never made any secret of being keen to move up the list.”Yes, definitely. I’d love to bat wherever,” he said. “The higher up the better, I’d be very comfortable. Number eight, I’m kind of used to at the moment but if I get told to bat seven I feel capable of doing well there. Hopefully I can show that I can go out there and play against their bowlers and play well against them.”After a short post-season break, Moeen plans to work hard on his fitness ahead of leaving for Australia at the end of October aware of the physical demands the conditions could put on him.”I think I’ll give myself two weeks to prepare and come back and get a bit fitter. Batting and bowling is going to be hard out there so I just want to get ready for those conditions and keep up the confidence I have at the moment.”It’s something when you’re a young player you’re thinking you’d love to be on that tour. I never ever thought I would be on a tour like this and to be going, I’m very fortunate. Hopefully I can go out there and perform.”
Rainer Maria Rilke had an observation about the calming effect of the sea, but Somerset would have probably just said they were finally executing their skills. Whatever, it went remarkably well
Paul Edwards at North Marine Road03-Jul-2017
Scorecard”The sea…imposes a rhythm upon everything in me that is bewildered and confused,” said Rainer Maria Rilke, so perhaps Somerset’s cricketers would have been well advised to take a leaf from the poet’s notebook and spent a few minutes on the first morning of this match contemplating the glory of Scarborough’s North Bay. The gentle ruffles of the waves might have proved an effective antidote to the current turbulence in the West Country.Infinitely more likely, of course, their determined showing in the opening three sessions of this match reflected merely their ingrained self-belief that their season will turn for the better if they stick close to the disciplines that made them professional cricketers in the first place.That fidelity to technique was first exhibited by Adam Hose, whose 158-minutes 62 held his team’s innings together at a time when it might have disintegrated completely; Somerset’s spirit was later in evidence when Craig Overton and Tim Groenewald added 61 for their side’s last wicket in half an hour’s rather riotous cricket which included Groenewald hitting three sixes off an Adil Rashid over which yielded 26 runs.Having discomfited Yorkshire’s players and quietened the North Marine Road crowd, Overton and Groenewald then did even more harm by dismissing both Yorkshire openers and Peter Handscomb with only 21 runs on the board. All three batsmen were caught in the slips when failing to counter the pace and bounce which is one of the most distinctive characteristics of cricket at Scarborough.Those wickets lost, there was no mistaking the appreciation which the home spectators showed for 18-year-old Harry Brook and the Yorkshire debutant Tom Kohler-Cadmore, whose resilience during the last eight overs of the day prevented further inroads being made.Somerset’s rather unexpected successes will have come as a great encouragement to their captain and Taunton loyalist, Tom Abell, who dropped himself from the side for this game – who knows after what conversations – in order to regain some batting form in the second team.But by the same token the series of small fightbacks staged by the visitors rather rained on the parade of most of the 4,021 spectators, the majority of whom had probably thought that their favourites were in charge of the game.And they had good reason for such a belief. Yorkshire’s dominance in the morning session was such that they could bear the withdrawal of Ryan Sidebottom with seeming equanimity. The shaggy-locked spearhead pulled up with a back muscle injury in the middle of his fifth over and may not be fit to take any further part in the match.The calming effect of the sea did not spread to the Yorkshire crowd•PA Photos
Yorkshire, though, did very nicely without him. Marcus Trescothick played all too firmly at a ball from Bresnan which was pushed across him and edged a catch to Handscomb at first slip. Deprived of a batsman whose years exceeded their own combined ages, Eddie Byrom and Tim Rouse battled bravely for six overs until Rouse contrived to edge Liam Plunkett’s wide yorker to Bresnan at slip, and Byrom was bowled by the same bowler’s fine inswinger at which he played all too loosely.Somerset found brief comfort in the cover driving of James Hildreth but that was ended ten minutes before lunch when he received a ball from Bresnan which straightened and bounced wickedly. Hodd completed the catch.Somerset munched their food on 71 for four and the only grievance the home spectators could have had was that more wickets should have been taken on a morning when the ball was nipping around and swinging.No one had bowled better than Plunkett, who was playing his first Championship match of the season, a result of calf trouble and England one-day calls. He had Steve Davies lbw and later, with the first ball after tea, bowled Lewis Gregory round his legs.Somerset’s effort depended primarily on Hose, whose height had enabled him to negate the bounce extracted by the Yorkshire attack. Time and again in the warm afternoon, Hose cover drove Bresnan’s seamers, at one stage taking four fours off a Coad over. By now the sun had emerged from behind bright cloud and the cinder toffee ice-cream was slipping down nicely. The Yorkshire crowd applauded Hose’s strokes and one felt that Scarborough’s biannual parade was finally taking place.It took Rashid’s googly to end Hose’s innings but by then the score had mounted to 180 and Gregory could imagine that the Somerset attack he had found himself skippering in Abell’s absence could have something at which to bowl.Overton was dropped by Bresnan off Plunkett with the score on 215 but few thought it would affect the price of fish. Then Overton and Groenewald’s attack on Rashid demolished such a belief and took the game out of Yorkshire’s grip.Moreover, as so often happens, a last-wicket stand helped to make early breakthroughs in the following innings. Lyth and Lees have both batted often enough at Scarborough to know that the pace and bounce on this pitch is almost Australian in character; yet both failed to cover Overton’s movement and the home hopes now lie in the hands of two batsmen who have played four first-class innings for the White Rose.
Everton are finally set to receive some good news as Burnley, Leeds United and Southampton plan to withdraw their case to sue the Toffees.
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Everton handed 10-point deduction
Further punishment a possibility
Trio of clubs withdraw plan to sue
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WHAT HAPPENED?
According to the, the recently relegated trio are set to seek a negotiated settlement instead of suing the club, after Everton were deducted 10 points following Financial Fair Play (FFP) breaches.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Everton were previously at risk of being handed a further nine point deduction, which put them at risk of being plunged into administration, after the three clubs looked for £300million ($374m) in compensation.
DID YOU KNOW?
The 10-point deduction for the Toffees is the most serve punishment in the history of the top flight of English football, with the club now sitting in 19th place following the penalty and 3-0 defeat to Manchester United. Fans used the game as an opportunity to protest heavily against the deduction and treatment by the Premier League.
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WHAT NEXT FOR EVERTON?
Despite the heavy deduction, Everton remain hopeful of their chances of survival, with the club just five points away from Luton Town in 17th. Sean Dyche and his side are now preparing for a tough trip to Nottingham Forest, who have only lost one game at the City Ground this season.
Freedom was the hallmark of Bangladesh’s victory in the second T20I, said Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan, who top-scored for his side with a 31-ball 38, before claiming 3 for 24, having opened the bowling.That Bangladesh played without fear was clear in the first six overs of the match: Soumya Sarkar and Imrul Kayes cracked eight fours and three sixes inside the Powerplay, fetching 68 runs. Shakib subsequently consolidated the innings alongside Sabbir Rahman and Mosaddek Hossain. Even though Bangladesh lost quick wickets towards the end of the innings, 176 for 9 always seemed a formidable score.The 45-run victory was Bangladesh’s first in the format since they beat Oman in Dharamsala in March last year.”We played with more freedom in the second T20I, compared to the first game,” Shakib said. “I think it is a positive sign. We have to play like this in T20s. It is important because we hadn’t won the last eight games. The Asia Cup last year was our last good tournament. It was a big challenge for us in this game, as we had lost the first game. This is a satisfying win.”Though Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza didn’t have an especially memorable game himself – he got out for a golden duck, and then returned 1 for 30 from his four overs – his team was intent on sending their captain into retirement with a win, Shakib said.Furthermore, despite being the frontrunner to take over the reins from Mashrafe as the new T20I captain, Shakib said he was “not thinking about captaincy” at present. Instead, he chose to dwell on Mashrafe’s legacy.”Mashrafe is a special figure in the dressing room,” Shakib said. “Naturally, everyone will miss him. We need support on and off the field, and there’s no one more helpful than him. Nobody can play forever, so I wish him all the very best in life. I would want him to continue in the ODI team for a long time, and take Bangladesh cricket forward.”Shakib stopped short of proclaiming the Sri Lanka tour as Bangladesh’s best-ever abroad, but mentioned that victories in the country were “rare”. All three series were drawn 1-1.”We made huge improvements in the Test series after losing the first game. In ODIs, we showed the consistency of the last couple of years. We didn’t bat well in the third ODI, but overall we had a mindset change in Tests and T20s. We don’t often win like this abroad.”
With no play possible on the final day of the deciding Test in Hamilton, South Africa took the draw and secured yet another series win away from home
The Report by Alagappan Muthu29-Mar-2017 Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAugust 2006 to March 2017. That’s five months shy of 11 years. And in that time, South Africa have only lost one Test series away from home. With a 1-0 win over New Zealand, not only was that record safe, it was made better. So what if they needed a little help from a little rain (51 mm, according to Met Service predictions)? They’ve deserved it. Few teams in the history of cricket have been such indomitable travellers.Inherent in that is praise for Kane Williamson’s team too. They were stripped of three of their biggest match-winners – Ross Taylor (16 centuries), Trent Boult and Tim Southee (a combined 394 wickets). They lost the toss. They conceded a total of 314 and then took a lead of 175. At stumps on day four, they were five wickets away from beating South Africa for the first time in 13 years.And then, there was no more cricket. Overnight storms spilled over into the playing hours, and Faf du Plessis, who was at the crease even as his colleagues succumbed to the fatigue of spending 162.1 overs on the field, was denied the chance to add to his many blockathons. He had seen his side careen to No. 7 in the ICC rankings at the start of the summer. “A dark time,” he called it at the post-match presentation. On the April 1 cut-off date, du Plessis will be confirmed as the captain of the No. 2 team in the world. With a bumper season at home coming up later in the year, he and his men could easily think about going one better.