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Ben Stokes was elevated to vice-captain for the one-day series in Bangladesh and he took it upon himself to stir England into action when the first match was slipping away

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2016Ben Stokes can inspire with words and deeds. With the opening one-day international in Mirpur quickly running away from England, Stokes took advantage of a break in play to remind his team-mates that they had to fight to the end.That end was a Bangladesh collapse of 6 for 17 in 39 balls, started by Jake Ball’s two wickets in two deliveries, as England went from near defeat to a 21-run victory.Stokes, whose leadership qualities have been admired by Trevor Bayliss since he became coach, was named vice-captain for this series after Jos Buttler’s elevation to the captaincy in place of Eoin Morgan.He has been given the freedom to intervene on the field when he feels it is required, partly because of the workload on Buttler as a wicketkeeper-captain, and took it upon himself to rally the team when the Bangladesh batsmen needed treatment for cramp in brutal conditions.”It’s something I would always do. I felt like the situation needed it to happen,” Stokes said. “I said to Jos about two overs before, rather than hoping the result can go our way and waiting for our wicket before we can all get together, is it worth calling everyone in for a quick two-minute chat?Stokes tries to lift Durham’s mood

Ben Stokes’ rallying calls are not restricted to on the field in Bangladesh. He has been a key figure in lifting the mood back at Durham after their relegation and points deduction following an ECB financial bail-out.
He said the ECB’s intervention had saved Durham from going under and though it’s the players who will suffer most they can also lead the revival.
“The best thing is that we are still a first-class county and it’s looking very unlikely that we will get back into Division One next year, but as soon as the news broke, Colly and myself were trying to be the driving points for everyone. This is what’s happened, let’s deal with it.
“The senior guys have been really good. They said, we’ve been for this long, we’ve grown up together, and obviously it’s a clean slate for Durham, so let’s try to get us back to where we belong.”

“The two guys were in and they were going to win it unless we got them out. A talk like that switches everyone back on rather than thinking ‘oh this game is going to go unless we get a wicket’. After that, everyone went away and thought, right, let’s get two and try to kill the game off.”Stokes is more than happy for the ‘big calls’ to stay with Buttler but believes he has the experience to help make a difference.”Jos is the one who makes the big calls, so you don’t want to be stepping too far out of your box, but if I feel the time is right and it’s needed then I will do it,” he said. “He’s the man in command, so I’m leaving the big calls down to him.””Farby [Paul Farbrace] mentioned to me how much Jos has on his plate as keeper and captain. He gave me the freedom, if I think of something, rather than going to Jos, if I think that it’s necessary then I’ll go and talk it through with the bowler, or if there are any field placings.”The first act of Stokes’ day was to inspire with the bat, compiling his maiden ODI century after striding to crease with England tottering on 63 for 3 in front of a crowd baying for more Bangladesh success. Alongside debutant Ben Duckett he added 153, moving to his century from 98 deliveries to tick off one of his major aims for the year.He has previously spoken about how he believed he had under-delivered with the bat in one-day cricket – although in his earlier days he was shunted around the order to his detriment – and his hundred meant it was twice in two ODIs he had improved his career-best and his last three ODI innings now read 69, 75 and 101.”It’s one of the things that I wanted to do when I got back from injury and was able to play the one-day series against Pakistan, was to put in some more consistent performances and it’s nice to back the words up by going out and doing it.”I said to myself I wanted to try to get this first ODI [century] before 2016 finished and I have managed to do it, but now I have done that I won’t just be happy with one, I want a couple more in the games we have coming up.”

يرغب نادي برشلونة الإسباني في تعزيز مركز خط الوسط، ويسعى لحسم صفقة جديدة خلال سوق الانتقالات الصيفي.

وسبق وتعاقد برشلونة مع أوريول روميو لسد الفجوة بعد رحيل سيرجيو بوسكيتس، لكن الأداء لم يكن كما كان متوقعًا.

وبحسب صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية، يخطط ديكو المدير الرياضي لبرشلونة، للتفاوض لضم البلجيكي أمادو أونانا من إيفرتون.

ويوضح التقرير أن ضم أونانا من إيفرتون، لن يكون سهلاً حيث تقدر قيمته بـ 60 مليون يورو.

اقرأ أيضًا | لاعب برشلونة على رأس اهتمامات باريس سان جيرمان الصيفية

أونانا البالغ من العمر 22 عامًا لديه عقد مع إيفرتون حتى يونيو 2027، ويحظى باهتمام من فرق الدوري الإنجليزي مثل تشيلسي وآرسنال.

ويراقب برشلونة وضع إيفرتون في الدوري الإنجليزي، حيث يحتل النادي المركز 18، ويتواجد بمراكز الهبوط.

وحال هبوط إيفرتون، أونانا سيطلب الرحيل، وسيضطر النادي لقبول مبلغ أقل من 60 مليون يورو للموافقة على رحيله.

Newcastle United could be set for a huge transfer move this summer, with reports from Spain via Sport Witness stating that the Toon have already held talks over a potential deal for Neymar.

Who are Newcastle United signing this summer?

Eddie Howe's side are currently marching their way towards the Champions League, with the club currently sat in third place in the Premier League. There is still the chance that, with two games left, the club could drop out of the top four but a win would secure their place.

It's a far cry from the Newcastle side that finished outside of the top half in the top flight last time around, with the club ending the 2021/22 season in eleventh. Now though, the side may need to prepare for at least a season in European competition again and that could mean plenty of recruitment for the club over the course of the summer transfer window.

One name that has now emerged on their transfer radar, according to a report from Spain, via Sport Witness, is Neymar. The Brazilian's agents have already held talks with the English outfit ahead of a potential switch according to this report and it shows that the club are open to a potential deal. With the player likely to be shown the door at current club PSG too, it makes a deal even more plausible.

Will Neymar leave PSG?

The former Barcelona man has been in France since the 2017/18 season and has already won most of what is on offer in the country, minus a Champions League title.

With 112 appearances yiedling 82 goals – and 48 assists – he actually has 130 goal contributions in total. That means that the Brazilian has an astonishing record of 1.25 goals or assists per 90 over the course of his stint with PSG, which is incredible when you consider how many minutes he has played in for the club.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has called the player "unbelievable" in the past and that goalscoring rate would certainly back up those claims. Now, Newcastle could add the player to their squad and if they were to do so, then it would instantly make them a team to take seriously if they aren't already. It would most definitely give them a boost in Europe and could upgrade their frontline as they look to push on again next season.

Kent captain Sam Northeast summoned a century to deny Essex a Specsavers County Championship win in three days but he is unlikely to prevent them from extending their lead at the top of the second division

ECB Reporters Network05-Jul-2016Kent 207 (Blake 89*, Porter 3-51) and 252 for 7 (Northeast 116*, Bopara 3-49) trail Essex 569 (Bopara 94, ten Doeschate 91, Westley 88, Lawrence 82, Rabada 4-118) by 110 runs
ScorecardSam Northeast held up Essex’s victory surge•Getty ImagesKent captain Sam Northeast summoned a century to deny Essex a Specsavers County Championship win in three days but he is unlikely to prevent them from extending their lead at the top of the second division.Northeast’s hundred followed the efforts by four Essex batsmen who departed within sight of three figures in a total of 569, a county record that eclipsed the 560 century-less innings against Sussex at Leyton in 1933, although on that distant day they declared nine wickets down.Back in the present, Northeast’s dogged resistance took a game that was fast running away from Kent into a fourth day. Northeast had entered Kent’s innings shortly before lunch when they were 18 for 2, still 344 runs short of making Essex bat again. By the close he was 116 not out, and Kent had closed the gap to 110.He belatedly found a batting ally in James Tredwell, and the eighth-wicket pair put on an unbeaten 124 in 39.3 overs to prevent Essex celebrating going back to the top of the Division Two table with a well-deserved day off.Ravi Bopara took three wickets and a catch during the afternoon to help reduce Kent to 128 for 7, but Essex were unable to press home their advantage in a wicketless evening session.Chasing 362 to make Essex bat again, Kent lost two wickets in the nine overs they had to negotiate before lunch. Sean Dickson was brilliantly caught at first slip by Alastair Cook, diving like a goalkeeper to his right.Fabian Cowdrey followed four balls later when he lifted the ball into Dan Lawrence’s hands at point to give Jamie Porter his 100th first-class wicket.It wasn’t long before Porter had No 101 when Joe Denly went lbw to one that nipped back to the bowler’s second ball after the interval.Northeast put on 57 with Darren Stevens to carry Kent to the relative safety of 86 for three. But two quick wickets had them deeper in trouble. Stevens was bowled through the gate when Bopara found some late movement.And Alex Blake, who held together Kent’s first innings with an unbeaten 89, went for two caught low down at cover by Bopara to give Quinn a second wicket.Adam Ball helped Northeast put on 27 for the sixth wicket before he was trapped lbw by Bopara, who then had Callum Jackson caught at mid-on by Quinn.The captain found an ally in James Tredwell for the eighth wicket and they passed fifty in a little over 15 overs, with Tredwell contributing 34 of them with six firmly-struck boundaries.Tredwell went to his fifty off 86 balls, with nine fours, as he pushed Ryan ten Doeschate into covers for two. Almost immediately Northeast carved Napier through mid-on for the four that not only brought up his own century but also the hundred partnership.Northeast’s third ton of the season took 172 balls, with 15 fours, while the stand with Tredwell encompassed 28 overs.Essex gave Kent another hour and a quarter’s toil in the field in the morning as they added 85 to their overnight total to post a 362-run lead on first innings. Kent did claim four wickets in the process, but that was scant consolation.Ten Doeschate became the fourth Essex batsman to depart within sight of a century, and the second in the nervous nineties, when he was beaten for pace by Mitch Claydon to edge behind. His 91 came off 122 balls and with a dozen fours.Kagiso Rabada had gone wicketless on day two after taking the prize wicket of Cook the previous evening. The South African quick finished with figures of four for 118 from 34 overs. He ended Napier’s cameo of 12 in eight balls, with a brute of a delivery that reared up and caught the shoulder of the bat.Rabada versus Cook had been a highlight of the first evening; Rabada versus Quinn was equally fascinating, though at a lower level. The tail-ender had one edge fall just short of Tredwell at second slip, the next ball flying through the cordon for four. Not surprisingly James Foster protected his young partner in the following over. But Quinn became Rabada’s fourth victim, pegged on his back foot lbw.Foster hoisted Tredwell straight for six, but in an Essex innings where batsmen just failed to reach landmarks, he holed out for 49 to Stevens on the long-off boundary. It should have been a fifty, but Foster had declined a single a ball before in keep Porter away from the strike.

While new additions will no doubt be on the agenda for Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou this summer, the 57-year-old will also likely be concerned with shifting the 'deadwood' in his squad, with there undoubtedly a handful of first-team assets in need of a fresh start elsewhere.

One man who has endured a dismal time of it at Parkhead in recent seasons is boyhood fan, James McCarthy, with the experienced midfielder having been restricted to just 27 appearances since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, with only five of those coming this term.

Although the Republic of Ireland has been hampered by injury of late, even prior to that the 32-year-old had looked like something of a spare part, with reports leading up to the January transfer window having suggested that the Old Firm outfit were open to letting the Glasgow-born dud move on.

Having been signed on a free transfer back in the summer of 2021, the Hoops may now be regretting the "strange" decision to hand the ex-Everton and Crystal Palace man a four-year deal – in the words of pundit Alan Hutton – with the club now forced to pay the player's £14k-per-week salary despite seeing little return on that investment.

The hope will be that the peripheral figure can find a new home ahead of next season, although McCarthy is not the only forgotten man who Postecoglou should be keen to sell, with goalkeeper, Vasilis Barkas, also seemingly having no future at Celtic Park.

Will Barkas leave Celtic this summer?

While the recruitment during Postecoglou's tenure has arguably been "exceptional" – as per ex-Bhoys skipper Scott Brown – the Scottish champions didn't always carry out astute business prior to the Greek-Aussie's arrival, with Barkas, in particular, having been a clear example of those shortcomings.

The Greece international was snapped up for a rather hefty fee of around £4.5m back in the summer of 2020 during Neil Lennon's tenure, having previously established himself as the first-choice option at AEK Athens.

As pundit Tam McManus previously stated, the underwhelming stopper has since proven a "waste of money" as far as those at Paradise are concerned, having made just 15 Scottish Premiership outings during his debut season before being replaced by backup option, Scott Bain.

The 6 foot 5 dud – who was branded "awful" at the time by pundit Frank McAvennie – was handed another chance to impress at the start of last amid Postecoglou's arrival, although notably dropped a clanger in the Champions League qualifying encounter against FC Midtjylland.

The subsequent signing of Joe Hart ended any hopes of Barkas establishing himself as the first-choice pick, with the 13-cap asset going on to make just two appearances in total throughout the entire 2021/22 season.

Having spent the current campaign on loan at Eredivisie side FC Utrecht – where he has conceded 45 goals in 28 league games – the error-strewn 'keeper is now believed to be at the centre of something of a 'transfer battle', as per the Glasgow Times, with there a potential for Celtic to spark a bidding war once the market re-opens.

On the evidence of that interest, it looks as if the Old Firm side will be able to ditch the one-time Atromitos man sooner rather than later…

Newcastle United are looking at Manchester City's Taylor Harwood-Bellis as a potential reinforcement for their defence and potentially even a replacement for Fabian Schar.

What do Newcastle want in the summer?

According to journalist Craig Hope, Eddie Howe is not looking to settle on the Toon's stunning defensive record from this season as he aims to make improvements over the summer.

Indeed, the Daily Mail journalist suggested the Magpies will be looking to add another left-back and potentially a right-sided centre-back.

This comes on the back of Newcastle having stunned the league by conceding the fewest goals (21) of any side in the Premier League this season.

And a player who is believed to have caught their attention is that of the City loanee Harwood-Bellis who is currently spending the season with Burnley.

The England U21 defender has played a big role under Vincent Kompany this season with 28 starts in the Championship alone amid his injury issue in recent weeks (via Transfermarkt).

Speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has claimed Howe's side have identified the 21-year-old as a possible replacement to Schar:

(39:20) "They are going to sign a centre-half to replace Fabian Schar. But I think they might go for a younger one. We linked them having been confirmed they're interested in Harwood-Bellis, the Burnley defender who's on loan for Man City."

Is Harwood-Bellis good enough for Newcastle?

There are probably not too many managers who Hardwood-Bellis could have played under this season that could have provided him with a better education as a centre-back.

Kompany has transformed the Lancashire side this season and Harwood-Bellis has been key figure in the Clarets side who have already secured promotion back to the Premier League.

Despite playing for the Championship's most dominant side, Harwood-Bellis still ranks inside the top eighth percentile for interceptions made by centre-backs (via Fbref).

Although Schar has offered Newcastle a slightly higher return in tackles made per 90 minutes, the 21-year-old labelled a "warrior" by journalist Josh Bunting has provided a better tackle success rate (via FBref).

Playing in the top flight for Newcastle could offer Harwood-Bellis with a whole new challenge as the Magpies could also potentially be playing in the Champions League.

Newcastle's possible inclusion in the elite European competition could open up first-team opportunities in the league as Howe could look to rotate his squad throughout the campaign.

However, injuries could also leave the door open to the 21-year-old potentially getting some minutes in the Champions League.

Of course, that is speaking hypothetically, but it would be interesting to see whether Manchester City would be willing to deal with Newcastle given the Toon's rise to the top end of the table this season.

If another loan move is on the cards for Harwood-Bellis, a potential return to Burnley could offer him more secure game time but the possible prospect of European football could be one too big to pass on.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney didn't go down the tunnel for treatment amid injury concerns following the recent Scotland match.

What's the latest injury news for Kieran Tierney and Arsenal?

It was a brilliant outing for the 25-year-old on Tuesday night as his country stunned Spain with a 2-0 victory, with the defender playing a key role in the second goal – charging forward 70 yards before his cross eventually fell to Scott McTominay to score.

However, before full-time, the left-back was forced off with a possible calf injury, which has led to reports stating he could miss the Premier League clash against Leeds United this weekend.

While talking about the issue on his YouTube channel, Watts noted that some fans believed that Tierney actually went down the tunnel for treatment, but denied these rumours.

Indeed, he explained: "He did go off with about 15 minutes to go, again after a challenge with – who else – Rodri.

"Fingers crossed, it's nothing. It doesn't look too bad. I don't know. I can't tell you now what the issue is with Kieran Tierney, if there is an issue or not.

"But he didn't go down the tunnel. I saw people saying he went down the tunnel; he didn't.

"He sat down on the bench. He was out on the pitch celebrating afterwards. It doesn't look anything too bad. He might have just come off because he was knackered."

Has Rodri been trying to injure Arsenal players?

Incidentally, it was Rodri who also launched into a nasty tackle with captain Martin Odegaard in Spain's clash with Norway just days before.

Perhaps the Manchester City man is on a one-man mission to curtail Arsenal's season, with Pep Guardiola and co eight points behind the Gunners in the league.

However, Tierney – who earns £110,000 a week – at least got one over on Rodri with a Scotland win on this occasion, and it seems as though the Spaniard found this hard to accept.

After the game – much to the derision of fans online – he moaned about the opposition, saying: "It's the way they play… for me, it's a bit rubbish. Because it's always wasting time. They provoke you. They always fall. For me, this is not football."

It remains to be seen if Tierney will miss the Leeds clash this weekend, but at least it doesn't sound as though it's the most serious injury in the world.

Glasgow Rangers boss Michael Beale could be in for a summer of upheaval as a number of first-team players are out of contract at Ibrox.

One star who is set to be a free agent at the end of the season is Colombia international and Gers icon Alfredo Morelos, whose deal expires later this year.

The head coach recently revealed that the club have not offered him an extension and that the forward can meet with other teams, saying:

"In terms of reports from the outside, I've not spoken to Alfredo about it. He's free to go and speak to other people.

"We haven't spoken to him or offered him anything but we haven't done anything with any of the out-of-contract players. We want to have a look and keep talking."

The striker has not played more than 12 minutes in any of the club's last three matches in all competitions, with Antonio Colak leading the line ahead of him, and the signs appear to be pointing towards a summer exit for the attacker.

His departure would leave Beale with Colak and Kemar Roofe as his only senior number nine options and this means that there could be a vacant spot available for a player to come in and fill – as a Morelos replacement – next season.

Who could replace Alfredo Morelos at Rangers?

The Light Blues could find the Colombian's heir without having to dip into the transfer market by unleashing a gem from the academy side – Robbie Ure.

Beale could save Ross Wilson millions by bringing the teenager into the first team on a regular basis if the club can agree a new contract with the B team starlet.

The promise of regular senior football in Morelos' absence could be enough to convince the 19-year-old, who has been in prolific form, to remain at Ibrox.

Journalist Jordan Campbell once dubbed him a "late bloomer" and the gem's statistics back that up. Ure scored just twice in six Youth League and Challenge Cup appearances last term but has hit his stride in 2022/23 by netting 20 goals and providing ten assists in 39 matches in all competitions for the first-team and academy combined.

The marksman, who was praised as “magic” by Scott Arfield after a cup clash with Queen of the South earlier this season, has been in prolific form for the B team and earned himself two senior outings – scoring once.

These statistics show that the youngster has the potential to make the step up to the first team, as the attacker has already scored for the club this term and has been phenomenal for the academy.

Therefore, Beale must offer Ure a regular place in the squad to help him to become the long-term heir to Morelos' place in the team – competing with Colak and Roofe for a position in the XI next season.

Manchester United winger Antony was ‘having a go’ at right-back Diogo Dalot during the club’s 7-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday, according to Samuel Luckhurst. 

The Lowdown: Unbeaten run comes to an end

Erik ten Hag’s side were 11 unbeaten heading into the trip to Anfield and were looking to strengthen their hold on third place. However, despite a promising first-half display, the Red Devils fell to a heavy defeat, with most of the damage coming in the second half.

Dalot was making his fourth successive Premier League start and 30th appearance of the season but was on the receiving end of some criticism from his teammates and manager.

The Latest: Luckhurst’s post

Luckhurst, chief Manchester United writer for the Manchester Evening News, took to Twitter during the game to share what he spotted regarding Dalot in the first half.

He said that Antony was ‘having a go’ at the full-back ‘for his use of the ball’, adding that ‘Fred and Ten Hag were also on his case’.

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The Verdict: Afternoon to forget

It was an afternoon to forget at Anfield, but Dalot was actually United’s best-rated defender with a SofaScore match rating of 6.6/10. He actually outperformed Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw and even Antony who was quick to show his displeasure at the Portuguese defender in the early stages.

Ten Hag will surely look to put this result behind him and his squad as soon as possible, starting against Real Betis in the Europa League on Thursday, where a number of starters could well be dropped following their disappointing displays on Merseyside.

Chelsea manager Graham Potter is desperate for new signing Andrey Santos to be granted a work permit and play football, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: Santos complete Chelsea move

Last month, the Premier League giants completed the signing of the 18-year-old from Vasco da Gama, as Potter added youth to a midfield that has arguably looked ageing this season.

Santos is still awaiting his first appearance for Chelsea, however, with a work permit not yet being granted that would allow him to make his debut.

As a critical point in the Blues’ season arrives, both domestically and in the Champions League, the hope is that the situation changes as soon as possible.

The Latest: Potter wants playing time

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Phillips said Chelsea are desperate for the work permit to be handed to Santos, seeing him as a key player from the off:

“Cobham sources have been saying this week that Chelsea planned for him this season.

“They want him in the team. They want him, at least, in the squad this season.”

The Verdict: Could be key in Blues’ season

While Santos may only be 18, it says a lot about his ability that Chelsea are already so keen to see him featuring in matches, having scored five goals in nine caps for Brazil’s Under-20s.

The midfielder is someone who could inject extra life into a tired-looking area of the pitch, with Juninho describing him as a ‘beast’ of a player who is also on a ‘high level’ technically.

The South American ace also attracted interest from the likes of Newcastle United and Barcelona before Chelsea won the race for his signature – backing his huge potential and obvious talent.

Once a man in demand, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly secured the wonderkid, with the only frustration being his delayed arrival to compete.

Santos is clearly still inexperienced, so it would be unfair to expect too much from minute one, but if the work permit comes his way, he could be a difference-maker in Chelsea’s top-four pursuit.