Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that the club will bring in another central defender before the transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

The Hoops swooped to sign Hayato Inamura on a permanent deal earlier this month, but the Japanese defender is one for the future and another option in that area of the pitch is expected.

Rodgers already has Auston Trusty, Liam Scales, Dane Murray, Stephen Welsh, and Cameron Carter-Vickers in the centre-back positions, on top of the signing of Inamura, and they are looking for another.

CelticWay have reported that the club are weighing up a possible move to sign Dutch central defender Justin De Haas from Famalicão to add to their ranks.

The 25-year-old, left-footed, titan is valued at £3m by the Portuguese outfit, and could come in to compete for a place at the heart of the Hoops defence.

The role that Justin De Haas could play for Celtic

The potential signing of the Famalicão titan is an interesting one for the Scottish giants, because it would leave Rodgers with three left-footed centre-back options, in him, Scales, and Trusty.

Last season, the manager said that he prefers to play centre-backs on the side of their stronger foot because it “allows you to get through the pitch quicker and have more speed playing forward”, which suggests that De Haas will be competing with Trusty and Scales.

Based on their respective performances at league level in the 2024/25 campaign, De Haas’ biggest hurdle to making the starting XI could be the Ireland international.

Trusty joined from Sheffield United last summer and endured a difficult campaign in Scotland, as he ended the season as a back-up option behind Scales, and the Dutch star could come in as an upgrade on him.

Appearances

29

22

26

Goals

2

1

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.0

2.3

1.9

Dribbled past per game

0.3x

0.5x

0.2x

Clearances per game

5.4

4.0

4.8

Error led to shot

0

4

1

Error led to goal

1

1

0

Penalties committed

0

0

1

As you can see in the table above, De Haas could even offer more to the team than Scales, with more defensive actions and fewer errors leading to shots, goals, or penalties overall.

This suggests that he could be a starting-calibre left-sided centre-back option for Celtic if he can translate his form over to the Scottish Premiership, but there is also the possibility that he is a second-choice to Scales, with Trusty demoted to a reserve.

Overall, given he will need to adapt to the league, De Haas could be a back-up centre-back at first, which is why their pursuit of a new winger is an even more exciting prospect.

Celtic in talks to sign new winger

According to the Daily Record, Celtic want to spend the money they are set to rake in from Como for Nicolas Kuhn to sign two new wingers this summer.

The German forward is set to sign for the Italian side for a reported fee of £16.5m, which will provide the Hoops with funds to dip into the market themselves.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

This latest report from the Daily Record states that the Scottish Premiership champions are locked in talks with Royal Antwerp over a deal for Belgian winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha.

The outlet states that Royal Antwerp value the forward at a fee of around £5m, but they may lower it in order to push a transfer through in the coming weeks.

It adds that the 24-year-old attacker, who predominantly plays on the left flank, is keen on a switch to Parkhead this summer, which suggests that personal terms would not be too much of a problem if a fee can be agreed.

Why Balikwisha would be an exciting signing

Balikwisha would be an even more exciting signing than De Haas for Celtic this summer because he could slot straight into the starting XI from the first match.

Jota is set to miss the first half of the season with a knee injury, having suffered an ACL blow last term, and that has left a vacant spot on the left wing ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Until a new senior centre-forward is in the building, Daizen Maeda could continue where he left off as the starting number nine, which means that he would not be the starter on the left flank. Therefore, Balikwisha could have a free run at the left wing position to be a starter in the Premiership.

This means that, unlike De Haas, Celtic supporters could expect to see the Belgian wizard in the starting line-up when the Hoops host St Mirren at Parkhead on the opening day in August.

As well as being a potential frontline starter, which the Dutch defender may not initially be, Balikwisha could also be a more exciting signing because he is an attacking player who has the potential to deliver goals and assists.

Starts

27

12

xG

6.46

2.65

Goals

7

4

Big chances created

6

7

Key passes per game

1.5

1.6

Assists

5

3

As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha has produced 11 goals and 13 ‘big chances’ created in his last 39 starts in the Belgian top-flight for Royal Antwerp.

The 24-year-old star was described as a “creative” talent by analyst Will Glavin, which is backed up by his return of seven ‘big chances’ created in 12 starts in the Pro League last season.

Balikwisha is a winger who has shown that he has the ability to deliver goals and assists at a fairly impressive rate in Belgium, which suggests that he could thrive in a dominant Celtic team that wins week-in-week-out.

The £5m-rated star could get supporters off their feet with his quality in the final third, as the anticipation could build whenever he picks the ball up in space out on the left flank.

Celtic can sign a better ST than Kvistgaarden in "complete" £6.8m star

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Therefore, the Royal Antwerp wing wizard could be an even more exciting signing than De Haas due to his potential to be an immediate starter, as well as him being an attack-minded player, rather than a centre-back.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has dismissed calls from Gunners legend Tony Adams to replace Martin Odegaard as captain with Declan Rice, revealing the Norwegian was the unanimous choice in a fresh squad vote. The north London side's boss insisted there is 'no question' over Odegaard’s leadership, with players and staff fully backing him ahead of the new season.

Adams backed Rice to be made Arsenal captain

Arteta confirms Odegaard easily won Arsenal captaincy vote 

Begin new season away to Man Utd on SundayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Adams had earlier urged Arteta to hand the armband to Declan Rice, claiming the Gunners needed a “winner” to finally secure the Premier League title. The Basque coach rejected that view, stating the decision reflected the overwhelming confidence the squad has in Odegaard. Arteta revealed that Arsenal conducted a new vote to decide their captain ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, with Odegaard winning comfortably.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT ARTETA SAID

Speaking to the media, Arteta said: “My opinion is clear. It’s not just my opinion, it’s all the staff and especially the players. I asked them to vote the captain and I got the result yesterday. And by a mile, by a big, big 100 marks, everybody’s choosing the same person, which is Martin Odegaard. That’s the clearest sign you can have of how they feel about who has to be their captain to defend, improve and win the matches that we want to win.”

Arteta explained the vote was part of a wider refresh of the squad’s leadership group. He added: “We change a lot and we change all the leadership groups because a lot of the players that were there, they are gone. So we need to re-establish that, and it gives you so much information, how they feel about themselves and who they see as a leader. It was really interesting to analyse all the data and gather that information.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Odegaard has been Arsenal captain since 2022, overseeing three consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League. His leadership has drawn praise for composure and professionalism, though some critics – like Adams – believe the role should go to a more vocal figure. With the Gunners aiming to finally secure the league title under Arteta, the captaincy debate has added extra intrigue before the season kicks off.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Odegaard will lead Arsenal out at Old Trafford in their opening match against Manchester United on Sunday. Rice, meanwhile, will remain a key figure in midfield as the Gunners chase domestic and European glory.

Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed revelling in the triumph of lifting the Europa League and restoring their place among Europe’s elite next term, but Daniel Levy’s decision to fire Ange Postecoglou highlights the hunger to sustain an even loftier level of success over the coming years.

With Thomas Frank snatched from Brentford to lead from the dugout, Spurs are in a good position to challenge at the top end of the Premier League once more, though summer signings will be needed to inject fresh quality within a tired squad, whose success has papered over what was a most difficult year indeed.

Antoine Semenyo’s name has been bandied about, but there’s one man above all others who Tottenham’s new manager would like to welcome to the fold.

Spurs make contact for statement signing

Earlier this week, Sky Sports revealed that Tottenham have been growing in confidence that they could sign Bryan Mbeumo this summer after initial discussions, having made contact with Brentford, despite the player’s preference to join Man United.

This is because the Londoners have appointed Frank, who has led Mbeumo to such impressive individual heights over the past couple of years.

And now, as per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, the Lilywhites believe that Champions League football and the chance for the 25-year-old to stay in London could play into their favour.

Mbeumo won’t come cheap after his exceptional season, with the Bees looking to bank around £60m for the right-sided forward.

What Bryan Mbeumo would bring to Spurs

Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland. Perhaps the Premier League’s three finest goalscorers. They were the only players to outscore Mbeumo last season, with Ipswich Town writer Alex Osborn hailing him as “one of the best wingers in the league.”

Premier League 24/25 – Top Scorers
#	Player	Apps	Goals
1.	Mohamed Salah	38	29
2.	Alexander Isak	34	23
3.	Erling Haaland	31	22
4.	Chris Wood	36	20
5.	Bryan Mbeumo	38	20
Data via Premier League

Not only has Mbeumo dazzled in front of goal, but he’s performed well across underlying areas. As per Sofascore, the Cameroon international averaged 1.8 key passes, 1.4 dribbles, and 4.7 successful duels last term, underscoring a roundedness that most goalscorers don’t boast.

His prolific style surely makes him a better pick than Semenyo, who is a fantastic player but would cost Tottenham in excess of £50m and only scored 11 goals in the Premier League last year, also racking up six assists across his 37 appearances.

Make no mistake, Semenyo is a talented winger who would have a big effect on reorienting Tottenham’s domestic form and fluency, but can he compete with Mbeumo, who is objectively one of the classiest stars in front of goal?

The Bournemouth man ranked among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the English top flight last year for shots taken, as per FBref, but only among the top 27% for goals scored per 90, with his efforts leading the data-driven site to draw up Mbeumo as one of his most comparable players.

If that is the case (and there are similarities: both players are physical and dynamic and potent across different positions), then surely the best track to go down would be to sign the more reliable and menacing player in front of goal.

Therefore, Mbeumo is surely the better pick to go for, especially when considering the kind of money that Bournemouth are looking to part with Semenyo.

Their next Werner: Spurs in battle to sign "special" £25m man for Frank

Spurs would be making a massive mistake signing this player.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 13, 2025

The countdown to the start of Aston Villa’s pre-season schedule is very much on.

The Villans’ will commence pre-season against neighbours Walsall at the Bescot on 16 July, taking on Hansa Rostock in Germany three days later, before a trio of friendlies stateside, meeting Eintracht Frankfurt in Louisville and then a pair of MLS outfits, namely St. Louis City and Nashville.

The Claret and Blue Army’s campaign begins for real on 16 August, welcoming Newcastle United to Villa Park on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, with supporters also eagerly awaiting the Europa League draw, coming up at the end of that month.

However, before Villa are back in action, will fans have a new signing to be excited about?

Aston Villa looking to bolster their forward line

According to widespread reports, including by Jacob Tanswell of the Athletic, it is widely expected that Monchi and Co will need to sell a key player before Monday 30 June to avoid breaching the Premier League’s Profitability & Sustainability Rules.

This was a key reason why Jhon Durán was sold to Al-Nassr for a reported £71m in January, but, as documented by Chris Weatherspoon of the Athletic, Villa’s finances remain precarious, given that they have the highest wages-to-revenue ratio in the division.

Nevertheless, despite the need for cost-cutting, Unai Emery still wants to bolster his attacking options, hence why TEAMtalk documents Villa’s interest in Crystal Palace attacker Eberechi Eze, facing competition for his signature from Tottenham, Manchester United, Newcastle, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and others.

They claim that Eze’s entourage are ‘working hard and are talking to numerous suitors’, with Spurs currently leading the race to sign him, as new manager Thomas Frank targets a statement signing, following his recent appointment.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

David Hytner of the Guardian notes that Eze’s contract contains a £68m release clause, suggesting he is unlikely to remain at Selhurst beyond this summer, with Adam Keys describing the England international as “phenomenal” and data analyst Ben Mattinson hailing him as a “superstar”.

So, could Villa convince the 26 year old to move to the Midlands?

Why Eberechi Eze would be an upgrade on Marcus Rashford

Marcus Rashford spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, very much reinvigorating his career, scoring four goals and registering six assists in 17 appearances.

He also started both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, underlining that he certainly got into Emery’s good books.

However, Rashford’s reported £40m price tag is putting off a lot of potential suitors, with Jamie Jackson of the Guardian claiming that Barcelona would only be open to a loan deal, something Manchester United certainly are not keen on.

Either way, it appears very unlikely that Rashford will be donning a claret and blue shirt at Villa Park next season, so would Eze be a significant upgrade?

Appearances

41

45

Minutes

2,428

3,322

Goals

11

15

Assists

8

11

Shots per 90

2.63

3.25

Chances created per 90

1.2

2

Take-on success %

31.58%

51.94%

Shot-creating actions per 90

3.63

4.69

Touches per 90

45

55

Touches in the box per 90

4.5

3.6

As the table outlines, Eze comes out on top for pretty much every attacking metric last season, namely when it comes to goals, assists, chances created, dribbling and touches.

Sam Tabuteau of Breaking the Lines believes Eze is ‘thriving as the talisman’ at Crystal Palace, a mantle he could take up at Villa, while Daryl Gouilard of Total Football Analysis asserts that he is ready to take his game to the next level.

Thus, as outlined earlier, Aston Villa face plenty of competition for Eze’s signature this summer but, if they are able to sign him, it would certainly be a statement addition.

He pocketed Rogers: Aston Villa keen to sign "talented" £8.5m midfielder

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MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： O torcedor do Santos quer no momento se apegar em algo que lhe dê esperança de escapar do turbulento momento que vive na temporada, e o jogo contra o Internacional remete à memória uma salvação do Peixe da zona de rebaixamento.

da doce： + Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui

Em 2008, Michael Jackson Quiñonez foi protagonista de um gol bizarro e salvador na luta contra a degola do Campeonato Brasileiro.

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

COMO FOI O HISTÓRICO GOL?

Pela 35ª rodada da competição, o Alvinegro Praiano precisava de uma vitória para respirar um pouco mais aliviado nas últimas rodadas. O herói em questão do episódio nem começou entre os titulares e só foi entrar na segunda etapa.

Longe de ser queridinho da torcida santista, Quiñonez entrou no jogo com a missão de fazer algo para mudar a história da partida e, aos 24 minutos do segundo tempo, conseguiu.

Após levar a bola até a entrada da área adversária, o jogador arrematou de forma totalmente torta. O ‘chute vesgo’ do equatoriano nem sequer sairia pela linha de fundo. Contudo, de forma totalmente bizarra, a bola acerta Gustavo Nery, jogador do Internacional que havia sido revelado na base do Peixe, engana o goleiro e alcança o fundo da rede.

O 1 a 0 ficou preso no placar até o apito final e rendeu os três pontos para o clube. Depois dessa partida, o Santos ainda conquistou dois empates importantes e se salvou da queda para a Série B do Brasileirão por apenas um ponto. Contudo, os adeptos do alvinegro possuem um lugar especial para a última vitória na competição, além, é claro, do gol bizarro.

O equatoriano Michael Jackson Quiñonez fez apenas dois gols durante toda passagem pelo Santos, mas foi o suficiente para se tornar inesquecível para o torcedor do Peixe.

وجه محمود الخطيب، رئيس مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، الشكر لأعضاء الجمعية العمومية على مشاركتهم الفاعلة اليوم في رسم مستقبل الأهلي، واختيار مجلس إدارة جديد يتولى قيادة الأهلي خلال السنوات الأربع المقبلة.

وكان قد انطلق ماراثون انتخابات الأهلي، صباح اليوم الجمعة، في تمام الساعة التاسعة صباحًا واستمر إلى ما يقارب 10 ساعات. 

طالع.. اكتمال النصاب القانوني للجمعية العمومية لـ الأهلي

وأكد محمود الخطيب أن الجمعية العمومية كانت اليوم كعادتها نموذجًا يحتذى في الانتماء والحرص على مصلحة النادي، ومثالًا للوعي والمسؤولية والمشاركة الإيجابية في صناعة القرار.

وأشار الخطيب إلى أنه خلال شهر واحد فقط عقدت جمعيتان عموميتان داخل الأهلي، الأولى خاصة بتوافق لائحة النادي مع قانون الرياضة، والثانية الجمعية العمومية العادية لإجراء الانتخابات، ورغم ذلك حرص أعضاء النادي على التواجد والمشاركة الفاعلة التي تعكس حرصهم على المشاركة والاضطلاع بالدور التاريخي للجمعية العمومية للأهلي.

ووجه رئيس النادي الشكر لمجلس الإدارة في دورة 2021-2025، مؤكدًا أن كل عضو أدى دوره بإخلاص وحرص شديد على خدمة الأهلي بدعم من الجمعية العمومية، كما خص بالشكر الأعضاء الذين لم تشملهم قائمته الانتخابية، وثمَّن تفهمهم لرؤية المرحلة المقبلة، رغم نجاحهم السابق، مؤكدًا أن الاختلاف في الرؤى لا يفسد وحدة الأهلي، وأن جميع أبناء النادي يجمعهم الإخلاص والانتماء.

واختتم الكابتن الخطيب تصريحاته قائلاً: “سيبقى الأهلي قويًّا بمشاركة أبنائه المخلصين، وبحضور الجمعية العمومية لبناء مستقبل النادي”.

Cartwright has big boots to fill but Madsen remains key influence for trip to Taunton

David Hopps08-Jul-2022″What do you know about Derbyshire?” Hilton Cartwright was asked. He is only there for a month, so he was not about to reel off the county’s lesser-known delights, but he can already feel the yearning for the county to reach only the second T20 Finals Day in their history.”The only thing I know is don’t go to that restaurant,” he offered, before recalling the name of a well-known fast-food chain that had laid him low with food poisoning for two-and-a-half days soon after his arrival.But, in truth, he really knows two things. Much more easily digestible is the knowledge that, in filling in for Shan Masood, who has been called up for the Pakistan Test squad in Sri Lanka, in Derbyshire’s Blast quarter-final against Somerset at Taunton on Saturday, he is facing one of the most daunting tasks of the season.Cartwright joined a media link-up in Derby this week in good-natured fashion as, first, Derbyshire’s ebullient coach, Mickey Arthur, and then their finest batter of the past decade, Wayne Madsen, blithely extolled the virtues of Masood both as a captain and an opening batter, conceding that his absence will not be easily disguised. There was no sense that it was an attempt to spur Cartwright on, just an honest acceptance that Masood has been such a central figure in their reaching their third last-eight tie in the last six years.Overseas players come and go, but Masood has been more indispensable than most. The question as to whether they can cope without him cannot be overlooked.”Shan has been a big contributing factor,” said Madsen, 38 now, but revitalised by Masood’s involvement after missing much of last season with a serious hamstring injury. “It has certainly helped our batting group to know that you’re batting with someone who’s playing with such competence. He scores quickly, but you feel he’s going to bat through. I would say Shan’s had a huge influence not only in the way I’ve played, but the way that the group have played from a batting perspective this year.”Arthur is having his first stint as a county coach after a wealth of experience at international level, and Derbyshire have flourished under his ebullient brand of positive thinking. He will also tell you the same, except adding that Derbyshire have been preparing for Masood’s absence all along.”Shan’s been a colossus for us. He’s been outstanding: with his weight of runs, and his presence in the dressing-room has been exceptional. But we lose Shan and the next man comes in because he’s been primed for that position. You know, we weren’t taken by surprise by it. We knew Shan was going to be gone around this time. And it presents an opportunity for somebody else to come in and make a real mark for himself.”Hilton Cartwright has stepped up for Derbyshire since Masood left for international duty•Getty ImagesThat could be Cartwright, whose returns in the Sheffield Shield earlier this year suggests that, at 30, he is at the peak of his powers. He is not a like-for-like replacement and in his two games to date, decent enough contributions against India and Durham, he has appeared at No.5, his usual role for Western Australia. He also asserted that fitting into a successful side where everybody is confident in their role is much easier – even if expectations are higher – than trying to bale out a struggling squad. But cold, hard statistics suggest that Madsen, who finished the North Group stage with his maiden T20 hundred, against Durham at Chester-le-Street, needs others to respond to the demands of a big occasion.The runs made by Masood and Madsen are instrumental in the fact that Derbyshire are contesting a quarter-final tie against Somerset at Taunton on Saturday: 45 percent of their total in the Blast to date, with Leus du Plooy the only other batter to make much of an impact.Derbyshire are not heavy scorers – although they pulled off a record chase of 194 in that last match against Durham, and if Somerset’s talented young bucks hit form on Taunton’s fast-scoring ground, they will be stretched to the limit. In the field, though, their whole is better than their parts: they have become a well-disciplined side, mentally strong and each aware of their own responsibilities to the common good.Mark Watt and Mattie McKiernan have developed into two of the Blast’s craftier spin bowlers with 30 wickets in the group stage at around eight runs an over. And the belief in Derbyshire that George Scrimshaw can rev it up to 90 mph (a reputation that has won him an England Lions call-up) will come under scrutiny on a Taunton ground where this season Jamie Overton has already bowled with fearsome pace. Taunton is the sort of small ground where the game can get away from you in a trice, but Arthur referenced Derbyshire’s vital victory against Yorkshire at Chesterfield as one occasion this season where they handled a small ground better than their opponents and that memory will sustain them.Arthur underlined: “We are only as good as the sum of our parts. Everybody plays their role. You always talk about it being a jigsaw puzzle, and you’ve got to give everybody a role. We’re not there yet but we are getting close. Our mission as a coaching staff has always been to make the players the best they can be. And once you get that belief and you find that little hidden three or four percent and collectively you start getting a couple of wins, the whole process becomes quite powerful.Related

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“Taunton is going to be exciting. It’s a wonderful little venue. I would say it’s a great place to go and play cricket. A Saturday night is going to be even more daunting for our boys but it’s going to be a wonderful experience for everybody and one that I hope and know they will embrace.”Arthur knows that strong performances until the end of the season might also help with a bit of player recruitment, Derbyshire not always being the first name on the list for a player seeking a change. “We want people knocking the door down to come here because of the of the opportunities that we can offer,” he said.He will also take pleasure from the fact that his recruitment of Masood also appears to have reinvigorated Madsen, who competes with Somerset’s James Hildreth as the best county batter of the past 15 years never to win England recognition. At Derbyshire, though, the consolation of domestic success has also been denied him (albeit he did guide the county to Championship promotion back in 2012). When the severity of his hamstring injury became clear, some imagined the end was in sight.”Yes, you have the self-doubt whether the body can recover from severe injury but mentally I was always going to come back,” Madsen said. “Retirement never really crossed my mind. I really want to win trophies, but that has been my goal and objective for so many years. There was even more of a determination to get myself back fit and prove not just to myself but to other people that I can still perform well to help the club and the team achieve that.”

“I wanted to do something really special and make sure I was there till the end as well and finish the job’

Chinmay Vaidya25-Sep-2020Jess Kerr remembers getting the call.”Do you know what happened to Amelia?”The New Zealand women’s team had played an ODI against Ireland overnight. Since the match wasn’t televised, Jess hadn’t caught any of the action. She didn’t know yet what her sister had accomplished.”I just thought, ‘Oh yea she would’ve got a 50 or a few wickets’,” Jess recalled.Technically, she wasn’t wrong. At one point, Amelia Kerr did have 50 and a few wickets.”Then I checked the scoreboard and I was like ‘Oh my goodness that is insane’.”ALSO READ: The irresistible rise of Amelia Kerr, New Zealand’s ‘once-in-a-generation’ prospectThe scoreboard from June 13, 2018 revealed 232 not out to Amelia Kerr’s name with 31 boundaries and two sixes. Amelia had become the youngest cricketer, male or female, to hit a double hundred in an ODI. She was the second woman to reach a double century in a one-day match and the eighth cricketer overall to hit the milestone and now held the third-highest individual score in the format.”It was the first time I got the opportunity to open the batting, so I wanted to make the most of that opportunity,” Amelia recalled.She relished the chance to start the innings with in partnership with Amy Satterthwaite, someone Amelia says she watched a lot growing up and considers one of the best cricket brains around. She also got to watch Leigh Kasperek, normally her bowling partner, reach her first century.”My dad always told me once you get to a hundred make it big. Lots of people get out as soon as they get a hundred,” Amelia said. “Once I was in that zone, I wanted to do something really special and make sure I was there till the end as well and finish the job.”Amelia Kerr took three wickets in an over•Getty ImagesAmazingly, Amelia’s record-setting double hundred was only half of her total contribution to New Zealand’s 305-run win.”I checked the wickets too and it was five wickets,” Jess remembered.After batting through 50 overs, Amelia didn’t think her eventual five-wicket haul was going to happen. Even a nap during the innings break couldn’t shake the toll of a double hundred.”I didn’t think I was going to bowl,” Amelia said. “[Then captain] Suzie Bates told me to warm up and I was pretty sore, but again you’re representing your country and every time I have the ball or bat in my hand I want to do the best I can.”Amelia bowled seven overs, taking five wickets and conceding just 17 runs. “For me once I had the ball in hand it was just bowling, trying to bowl consistently and set batters up for plans and I sort of happened to get five wickets,” she said.”I’m very proud of her. Can’t really believe it still,” Jess said”I guess it was just one of those days where everything seemed to go your way,” Amelia added.Everything except for the law, that is. “I think I was too young to buy lottery tickets then,” Amelia said. “Should’ve got one of the girls to though.”Following her historic match, Amelia received her first central contract with New Zealand in August 2018. In June 2020, Jess joined her sister with a contract of her own following an appearance at the Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia.The duo are now back in Australia for the limited-overs tour as the women’s game resumes in the Covid-world, the pandemic having caused the ODI World Cup that was due to be held in New Zealand next February and March to be pushed back to 2022.”To be able to play in front of your friends and family for a tour is really special, but for a World Cup is a step higher. To be in a final for that would just be incredible especially with sort of the year that’s been happening too,” Jess said. “It’s good motivation.””There’s nothing like playing at home,” Amelia said. “Other countries coming over to New Zealand and experiencing the culture, playing in front of friends and family, you can’t beat that. It would be a big event for women’s sport in New Zealand.”

In Pallekele, they fielded five specialist bowlers and opted to bat first – not usual for the team at all

Mohammad Isam26-Apr-2021Mominul Haque, the Bangladesh Test captain, expects his team to improve in Tests if they take positive decisions. Like picking five specialist bowlers, as they did in the first Test against Sri Lanka. They also decided to bat after winning the toss. It was a rare occurrence for Bangladesh on foreign soil, considering the greenness of the Pallekele pitch, and it was another positive call.As such, the look of the pitch meant little, scores of 541 for 7 declared, 648 for 8 declared, and 100 for 2 proving that. But the two sides, especially the visitors, would not have known this when they chose their XIs or took a decision at the toss.”If you want to win a Test match in Sri Lanka, you should always have five bowlers in the team,” Haque said. “We were playing a Test after two months, so if someone bowled poorly or got injured, we would have been in more trouble. To get ahead in Test cricket, you should play with five bowlers and six batsmen.”You will always want five bowlers if you want to take 20 wickets. Also, having six batsmen makes everyone take a bit more responsibility. But, while there was some advantage in this decision, there was some risk too. We usually don’t play with six batsmen, but I think we should always play with five bowlers. That’s what big teams do.”The best teams also take first-day conditions head on. Batting first reflected the mindset of the Mominul Haque-Russell Domingo firm. So far, Bangladesh have chosen to bat on all three occasions they have won a toss in an overseas Test.Related

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Why that is interesting is that Bangladesh hadn’t done such a thing in ten Tests, in more than ten years, prior to the tour of India in November 2019, when they opted to bat in Indore and Kolkata. Between July 2009 and November 2019, Bangladesh only ever fielded first when they had the choice. Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan were the captains during this period.It’s true that Bangladesh have usually batted first at home or in the subcontinent, but overall in overseas Tests, they have bowled first in 40% of the times they called the coin correctly. And never have they shown an inclination to have first strike when the pitch has looked pace-friendly.But the new way – in India – was criticised. In his first Test as captain, in Indore, Haque was left frustrated by all the questions, while Domingo was belligerent in his responses when asked the same question during the Kolkata Test.”I think when we played overseas (during those years), most of the conditions were bowler-friendly,” Habibul Bashar, the former Bangladesh captain, told ESPNcricinfo. “I think that’s why we used to prefer bowling first. But recently, we have been playing in the subcontinent where it gets difficult to bat in the fourth innings. Maybe this is a reason why we have batted first.”I wouldn’t call it a defensive mindset but we considered the given conditions. In places like West Indies, New Zealand, England and South Africa, there is sideways movement early on in Tests, so often we have tried to take advantage of those conditions.”Over the last couple of years, Bangladesh have mostly been without Shakib, but have still had a very one-dimensional spin-only bowling plan at home. Domingo has stressed on the need to have a more balanced attack at home https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/bangladesh-ditch-all-spin-home-attack-as-domingo-calls-for-balanced-pitches-1217049 so that they can have a proper bowling attack for overseas Tests.It would be interesting to see what type of pitch is dished out for the second Test in Sri Lanka, also in Pallekele, starting on Thursday, But Bangladesh would feel encouraged from the first Test. And that might push them to take more such positive, bold decisions – that is the sort of thing that helps a struggling side get better.

The allrounder has impressed for Brisbane Heat after paying his own way back into the game

Alex Malcolm10-Jan-2021They say it takes years to become an overnight success, and that certainly is the case for Brisbane Heat allrounder James Bazley.The 25-year-old Bazley burst into the BBL this season with two outstanding innings in his first two games, scoring 31 not out and 49 not out against the Hobart Hurricanes prompting queries about where he had been hiding.Bazley was hiding in plain sight, having spent three years in the Queensland and Cricket Australia pathways plus a brief spell with the Hurricanes in the 2016-17 season before slipping out of the system at 22.Three years later, having continued to pursue his dream of being a full-time professional cricketer outside the system, and out of his own pocket, he’s finally reaping the rewards.”You get so much coaching in the system that it was to my detriment a little bit when I was a young player,” Bazley told ESPNcricinfo.”I probably listened to too many people all the time. That’s just a natural thing. That’s a young player and they’re trying to help you. So obviously there are no hard feelings or anything there. But it was just a really good lesson for me to learn. You need to know how to coach yourself and work out your processes because at the end of the day that’s how you find a game that you can trust because you know what works and you’ve trusted it.”The BBL is not Bazley’s first taste of professional cricket. He played 13 matches for the Cricket Australia XI between 2014 and 2016, when the CA XI was used as a pathway program for emerging domestic players. That included a T20 against the touring South Africans and a first-class match against West Indies where he made 50 and took four wickets, including bagging Kraigg Brathwaite and Darren Bravo. He also played 11 List A matches when the CA XI was included in Australia’s domestic 50-over competition as a seventh team, made up of young players who were not selected by the six states.The concept was controversial and has since been abandoned. Bazley played in the two largest defeats in Australian domestic 50-over cricket history of 279 runs and 246 runs, where the youngsters were mauled by the likes of Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, and Shaun Marsh.”I got thrown in there and so did a lot of other young players,” Bazley said. “And it kind of was a bit of sink or swim. For me, I felt like I probably wasn’t quite ready. I felt good enough but I was super young and wasn’t quite ready there and it’s almost like as soon as you don’t perform in those matches then it becomes your own mental battle in your own head about knowing whether I might not be good enough anymore, because I haven’t performed.

“I was basically training as a full-time cricketer without being professional, without getting paid obviously, and then I just had to try and go and do some work around it.”

“Then you worry about the Queensland team not picking you because they’ve seen you not perform there. But I was 20, 21 years old. There are very few players who can really be a dominant cricketer at that age. Looking back now, I’ve made it a good thing because I’ve kept working hard after those years of disappointment and losing my contract and getting back into grade cricket. I’ve made it work because I’ve chosen to make it work.”Bazley’s relationship with Marnus Labuschagne was the catalyst for his return to professional cricket. The pair had grown up together playing junior representative for Queensland and bonded on an interstate trip. When Bazley was contracted to Queensland at 19 he was forced to move from his family home on the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane, and he moved in with the Labuschagne family and stayed for three-and-a-half years.The pair moved out when Labuschagne got married, but Bazley has re-entered the family recently.”I’ve lived with Marnus again, this year, in the Covid period,” Bazley said. “And his lovely wife Rebekah of course who is an absolute legend as well.”The trio are bonded by their strong faith. “My Christian faith has definitely helped me through those years of struggle and disappointment,” Bazley said. “It has given me perspective and hope that I can keep pursuing something I love and I’m passionate about.”That passion drove Bazley, through Labuschagne’s urging, to link up with Labuschagne’s batting coach Neil D’Costa after he lost his contract. He flew to Sydney out of his own pocket to see him.”I used to fly down to him a couple of times in the winter,” he said. “He was just really good for my batting and my training habits and some purpose. He just really taught me how to believe in myself. He didn’t really change my batting much. He just taught me how to believe in myself and he believed in me. So we’ve created a really good partnership.”D’Costa advised him to link up with manager Dean Kino who has also been a source of guidance for both Bazley and Labuschagne. Bazley trained with strength and conditioning coach Louis Ellery and sought counsel from sports psychologist Alan Mantle to help create good routines and visualisation processes.James Bazley takes a wicket against West Indies: ‘I felt good enough but I was super young and wasn’t quite ready’•Getty Images and Cricket Australia”I was basically training as a full-time cricketer without being professional, without getting paid obviously, and then I just had to try and go and do some work around it,” Bazley said. “I was just really professional and structured the last three years, being off-contract, and that’s all paid off in a way.”He has been doing disability support work to bring some balance to his life away from cricket.Bazley’s break came this season when the Heat re-signed him, six years after first adding him as a rookie. He repaid the faith with a four-wicket haul and 158 in grade cricket for Redlands and applied the same mental approach on his BBL debut.”I think the biggest thing for me, being able to play grade cricket and perform well this year, I’ve just created some processes and some routines that I’ve just started to really trust,” he said.”For me then stepping into the Big Bash, I just decided that if it works in grade cricket then why can’t it work in Big Bash. There’s no reason it can’t work. I think that’s been really helpful for me. I haven’t changed anything.”That’s helped me relax and be more comfortable. With the bat in those high-pressure situations, it’s the same thing, I just go through my pre-ball routine, yeah I’m feeling the pressure, but I just know that I give myself the best chance to just watch the ball and play it.”Bazley is now hoping for more opportunity with the ball having bowled just four overs in the tournament, despite feeling it is his strong suit.”It’s funny actually, after that first game I batted pretty well and didn’t bowl and everyone thought I was a batter but I’m probably even a bowling allrounder to be fair,” Bazley said. “But I’m trying to be a genuine allrounder. We’ve got a lot of allrounder’s in our team so I’ve just got to be patient with ball. The overs will come I’m sure.”Bazley is still dreaming big despite the rollercoaster ride to this point.”I’d love to play all formats,” Bazley said. “I’d love to play for Queensland in 50-over and Shield cricket. I’d love to go and play for Australia at some point but it’s just about trying to perform well wherever you’re playing.”