Newcastle United have waited two decades for this moment, and it's finally here.

The Magpies are set to play in the Champions League after an arduous, lengthy absence, and while Tyneside is rife with excitement and anticipation, it is the historic ground of the San Siro that will serve as Newcastle's return to the prestigious continental tournament.

Signing four players to the first-team fold this summer, manager Eddie Howe has bolstered a cohesive outfit with some exciting talent, and while the Toon have only picked up six points from their opening five Premier League matches, the future looks bright indeed.

AC Milan will produce a tough test, despite suffering a heavy 5-1 defeat in the Derby di Milano, with Inter Milan maintaining their perfect record in Serie A.

Newcastle will be emboldened by their recent 1-0 victory over Brentford, however, but now must ensure that they produce a performance capable of silencing the Rossoneri crowd tonight. To do so, perhaps Lewis Hall could be entrusted with his first start in Geordie colours after joining from Chelsea on loan in August, with an obligation to buy for £34m.

What is Lewis Hall good at?

The talented teenager – a boyhood Magpie – impressed in his breakout year last term despite Chelsea's struggles, making 11 appearances across all competitions, having been praised for his "great" displays by Blues legend John Terry.

In the Premier League, he created five big chances, averaging 1.7 key passes per game, completed 84% of his passes, made 2.6 tackles per game and won 59% of his duels, as per Sofascore – having also been described as a "top-tier talent" with "unbelievable dribbling ability" by BBC Sports' Raj Chohan.

As per FBref, the dynamo ranks among the top 6% of positional peers across Europe for shot-creating actions, the top 17% for progressive carries, the top 4% for tackles and the top 8% for interceptions per 90.

Having largely featured as a full-back for Chelsea, but also proving component during his formative days as a midfielder, Howe might be inclined to utilise the 19-year-old in a new central role against the forthcoming Italian opposition, pumping in some youthful exuberance to outfox Milan.

Who should Lewis Hall replace?

Sean Longstaff received his first start of the season against Thomas Frank's Bees, and while he suffered an uninspiring first half, he did grow into the game and started to exhibit his fitness and energy to great effect in the closing stages.

Because of this, perhaps he would be well-suited to an introduction after the break at the San Siro; in what will undoubtedly be a fiery and competitive fixture, his skills could pay dividends in either breaking down the opposition or preserving a lead.

Longstaff has been praised as Newcastle's "unsung hero" by pundit Jamie Redknapp, and indeed carries out his work industriously, but Newcastle have been lacking an attacking threat since obliterating Aston Villa 5-1 in the opening game of the campaign, and Hall would offer creativity while also – as his FBref statistics highlight – a resilient defensive component.

Picking up Chelsea's Academy Player of the Season award in 2021/22, Hall looks like a truly remarkable prospect and will soon be ready for a starring role in Howe's side, but as he proved last season, he already boasts skills capable of seeing both himself and his teammates thrive in decisive moments.

Perhaps starting him wouldn't be the worst idea in the world; alongside the likes of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali – who joined from AC Milan for £55m in the summer – Hall could produce a prodigious performance to kickstart his Toon career and set the club on their way in the Champions League with a galvanising result.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly planning to convince one "remarkable" player to join him in the north London.

Who have Arsenal signed 2023?

Arteta's side, in their bid to challenge for the Premier League title once again, put pen to paper on deals for club-record signing Declan Rice, versatile Netherlands defender Jurrien Timber, forward Kai Havertz and goalkeeper David Raya for a total of around £200 million or more.

Going the other way, Arsenal shipped out Folarin Balogun, Granit Xhaka, Matt Turner, Auston Trusty, Pablo Mari, Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, Nuno Tavares, Marquinhos, Nicolas Pepe, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Albert Sambi Lokonga on either loan or permanent deals.

These acquisitions have proved fruitful so far, even if Havertz has been subject to fierce criticism and Timber is out for most of the campaign with an ACL injury. Raya has gone on to usurp long-reigning number one goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale between Arteta's sticks, while Rice is slowly but surely justifying his mammoth £105 million price tag.

The Gunners are unbeaten over their first six league games, winning four of them, and next take on Bournemouth today as they seek to keep chase with the division's heavy-hitters.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

Regardless of their lavish spending over the summer, it has been reported that Arsenal have one eye on January, and one player they've been heavily, heavily linked with is Brentford star Ivan Toney. The England striker, who is currently serving a ban till mid-January for alleged gambling breaches, is subject to intense interest across the Premier League.

Chelsea and Tottenham have been named as other suitors for Toney after his brilliant 20-goal league haul last season, form which resulted in high praise from his manager Thomas Frank.

“Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects,” Frank said earlier this year.

“The way he copes with pressure and distractions is amazing. He’s been scoring goals, performing for the team and driving the team. He’s remarkable. I can only talk about the Ivan that I see every day around the place and he’s a fantastic person around the group. He’s got that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of all the players, and every staff member."

The 27-year-old is said to be a personal favourite of Arteta's, according to reporter John Cross of The Daily Mirror, who has an update on Toney's potential move to the Emirates Stadium. According to his information, Arsenal's manager is personally planning to "convince" Toney to join Arsenal by making him a priority target.

Arteta will apparently be hopeful this can sway him to their part of north London over fellow interested sides (Chelsea and Spurs named again), but Arsenal may have to sell players first. Brentford will demand a minimum of £60 million for Toney, a figure which the Gunners could be wary of given Financial Fair Play. Any proposed makeweights will be a struggle to find, according to Cross, as options like Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith Rowe are both committed to making it at Arsenal.

Nevertheless, Arteta has a plan to tempt Toney, and it's by showing making the striker Arsenal's "outstanding choice" in the winter.

Eddie Howe’s season has been something of a rollercoaster. The frustration from a disappointing end to the summer transfer window seeped onto the field and Newcastle United toiled through the opening months.

But now the Magpies are into the Carabao Cup final, have set up a date with Brighton in the FA Cup fifth round and are pushing for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Let’s have a look at some of Tyneside’s standout stars, those making it happen.

Newcastle's best players this season

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way: Alexander Isak has been sensational at the front of the Newcastle ship, posting 19 goals and five assists from 29 matches in all competitions. Alan Shearer hailed him as “world-class” and it would take a brave fan to dispute it.

Jacob Murphy deserves some praise too, having been a consistent source of energy and output from the right flank after efforts to sign a new winger failed during the summer.

Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton continue to impress in the middle of the park, but Sandro Tonali’s emergence after a challenging and disrupted 2023/24 season has been wonderful to witness.

However, Anthony Gordon’s ceaseless pursuit of greatness has seen him become one of the Premier League’s standout wingers. Given that he came close to leaving St. James’ Park last summer, it’s brilliant to feel the effect of Howe retaining his services.

Newcastle have hit the jackpot on Anthony Gordon

When Newcastle signed Gordon from Everton for £45m in January 2023, many English football fans were unconvinced. It took him until the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign to get going, but now he’s firing on all cylinders.

The Premier League is chock-full of talented wide players, with the likes of Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha the men of the moment right now, but Gordon has been reliable and dangerous for nearly two years now, and Newcastle wouldn’t switch him for another.

Gordon was bestowed the honour of Newcastle’s 23/24 Player of the Season for his remarkable performances amid the club’s injury concerns. And he’s maintained his level, boding well for the future.

Matches (starts)

35 (34)

24 (23)

Goals

11

6

Assists

10

5

Shots (on target)*

2.3 (0.9)

2.1 (0.9)

Pass completion

82%

79%

Key passes*

1.6

2.1

Dribble (success)*

1.5 (49%)

1.4 (47%)

Ball recoveries

3.6

3.5

Tackles + interceptions*

1.8

1.3

Total duels (won)*

5.3 (49%)

4.8 (52%)

Though his output has decreased – Gordon averaged a goal involvement every 0.60 games in 2023/24 compared to 0.46 this term – the winger’s underlying data has remained largely intact, even proving to be a bit more potent with his creativity.

It’s a marker of his ability that the biggest institutions have taken note, with Liverpool being offered the Merseyside native last summer in a £75m deal, Fabrizio Romano confirming the interest.

Some might say ‘English tax’, but Gordon is one of the finest wingers in Europe and has been hailed as a “machine on the pitch” and a “relentless monster” by journalist and content creator Sripad, illustrating Gordon’s matchless mentality.

It goes to show that he’s worth the money, with Marmoush, for example, joining Man City in a £59m deal last month and already claiming his first match ball.

Cunha’s also the talk of the town in Wolverhampton, with his fine goal at Anfield last weekend taking his tally to 12 goals from 24 Premier League games for his relegation-threatened side. The Brazilian reportedly has a £70m price tag at Molineux.

The £75m-rated Gordon is not only worth more than that pair but is also the real deal, an integral part of Howe’s system who could possibly get his mitts on some silverware before the end of the campaign.

Market Movers

He’s been worth every penny – and then some.

Newcastle made a bigger mistake than Minteh by selling "throwback" star

Newcastle already sold “throwback” star who’s an even bigger mistake than Minteh

ByConnor Holden Feb 17, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O União Suzano e União Mogi iniciaram suas caminhadas na segunda divisão do Paulista com empate em 0 a 0. Atuando em casa, o União Suzano, treinado por Ricardo Papa, superou as dificuldades encontradas em função da Covid-19, já que três atletas testaram positivo ao longo da semana, e conseguiu um resultado positivo, levando em consideração as circunstâncias.

– Um excelente resultado! Tínhamos apenas um jogador no banco, que é goleiro. A equipe se comportou bem, foi um jogo difícil, bem disputado. As melhores chances de gol foram as nossas, fiquei muito orgulhoso porque todo trabalho da semana foi reproduzido nesse jogo e faltaram alguns detalhes para a vitória – disse o treinador.

Na terça-feira, a equipe do União Suzano volta a campo para enfrentar o São José. Ricardo Papa acredita na evolução gradual da equipe, tendo em vista que terá outros atletas a sua disposição.

– Estamos confiantes no trabalho, agora é encorpar o time para alcançar os resultados nas próximas rodadas. Mesmo com pouco tempo de trabalho e algumas avaliações já conseguimos colocar o nosso padrão de jogo, eles corresponderam dentro de campo e isso foi sensacional.

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Glasgow Rangers had bounced back from an underwhelming start to the season to embark on a solid winning run which had seen the Gers open up their Europa League campaign with a victory while securing passage to the semi-finals of the League Cup.

Michael Beale has come under some criticism due to his side's style of play this term though, with the Light Blues even being booed off the pitch following the 1-0 win against Motherwell last weekend, and it all came crashing down again on Saturday against Aberdeen.

This perhaps sums up the mood around the club at the moment, and he will need to maintain the momentum gathered over the previous few weeks in order to regain the supporters' faith.

Signing nine players in the summer was part of a much-needed overhaul, yet it is clear that only a couple have really settled into life in Glasgow well and contributed effectively. Jack Butland has been the standout, establishing himself as the number one goalkeeper, and It's something that the club needed having endured their fair share of struggles in the goalkeeping department last season.

Beale also moved on numerous players during the transfer window in a bid to trim the wage bill and raise funds for future incomings. Were all of these departures the correct move however? Well, one player has seen his value rise significantly since leaving Glasgow at the end of last season – Ryan Kent.

How much did Rangers pay for Ryan Kent?

The winger had spent the previous five seasons at the Ibrox side having initially signed on loan for the 2018/19 season, before joining on a permanent basis for a fee in the region of £7.5m from Liverpool.

The youngster was clearly happy to be returning to Glasgow, saying: "I am delighted to be back here. It has been a quite a long summer, a lot of things could have potentially happened but I am delighted to be here.

"I won't lie it has been incredibly tough over the summer but I am a mentally strong person as it is anyway. I knew if I kept myself correct something good would happen soon and I have been ticking over, keeping myself to myself and this has happened now and I'm over the moon.”

Steven Gerrard was building a side which he hoped would be able to topple Celtic and return the Gers to the top of the Scottish game and Kent was going to be an integral part of this.

What happened to Ryan Kent?

The Englishman scored six and seven Premiership goals respectively during his first two seasons at the club, and although they finished without any trophies during these campaigns, Gerrard was building something special.

Indeed, Kent stepped up during the 2020/21 season, registering 27 goal contributions across all competitions – 13 goals and 14 assists – and this included ten goals and ten assists in the league as the Light Blues went on to win their first title in a decade.

He ranked second across the squad for goals and assists during that title winning season while also ranking third for big chances created and second for successful dribbles per game, which indicated how impressive he was as an attacking threat.

His goal tally dipped over the course of the subsequent two campaigns however as the 26-year-old went on to score just three goals in both 2021/22 and 2022/23, as his form dipped in front of goal. It was evident that his performances last season weren’t quite up to the required standard and with his contract expiring its conclusion, Beale had a decision to make.

Kent eventually left the club for nothing as a decision between him and the club couldn’t be worked out, but this is now looking like a bad call by the manager.

How much is Ryan Kent worth now?

The former Rangers gem was hailed as a “wizard” by Leon Balogun, and it didn’t take him long to find another club after leaving Scotland, joining Turkish side Fenerbahce during the summer.

According to Football Transfers, Kent was valued at €6.9m (£6m) when he left Rangers in May and considering he cost the club £7.5m just four years previously, it represented a massive loss.

Since joining the Turkish side however, his valuation has risen sharply in just a few months as he is now worth €12.2m (£10.5m) and should he rediscover the form which pleased supporters in Glasgow during their title winning season, then this will only increase in the coming months.

The former Liverpool gem has managed to make seven appearances for his new club, scoring once and grabbing an assist and he looks to settle into a different culture and a different way of playing football.

It may just bring the best out in him and perhaps a change of scenery was what was needed for the 26-year-old to return to his best. Indeed, across three league matches so far, Kent has already created one big chance while averaging 24.7 touches per game, succeeding with 1.3 successful dribbles per game – a success rate of 67% – and winning 64% of his total duels, and he is impressing over a wide range of metrics.

It is still early doors for the left-winger, yet they seem positive and if he manages to continue this decent form, he may fancy his chances of securing a move back to England at some point in the future and finally play in the Premier League.

Although Beale went and signed forwards Abdallah Sima, Danilo, Sam Lammers and Cyriel Dessers, only Sima is an out-and-out winger and Beale has failed to improve his wide options during the summer.

Kent didn’t enjoy the most productive of seasons for the club during 2022/23, but there is no doubt losing him has diminished their quality in the final third. On his day, he was arguably one of the finest attacking players in the country and losing him without gaining at least a transfer fee is surely one of Beale’s worst decisions so far as Rangers manager.

Considering he is now worth £10.5m, he would have netted the club a solid profit had he been sold before the expiry of his deal.

Franchise redeploys him as High Performance Coach after two trophy-less seasons; Enoch Nkwe, the current national women’s team assistant coach, believed to be in the running to take over

Firdose Moonda31-Mar-2018

Geoffrey Toyana has been removed as Lions head coach and redeployed as High Performance Coach after two tough seasons in which the franchise won no silverware. Toyana, who was heavily touted to take over from Russell Domingo as national head coach earlier this summer, won four trophies in his first three seasons in charge, but the closet has been barren since, as Lions have faced immense pressure on and off the field.Their squad was torn apart by a match-fixing scandal in the 2015-16 summer, when seven players were found guilty of conspiring to fix matches in the domestic twenty-over competition. Five of those players – Alviro Petersen, Thami Tsolekile, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Jean Symes and Pumi Matshikwe – were Lions players. In addition to that, several international players, including Chris Morris, Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma moved to other franchises, making it difficult for the Lions to rebuild.The Lions finished last in the first-class competition and second-last in the one-day and T20 tournaments, failing to reach the semi-finals in both. Last summer, they were second-last in the first-class and List A competitions, and third in the T20 tournament. They last won a trophy in the 2015-16 summer, but Toyana has overseen several players’ pathway to national colours.Under his watch, de Kock, Morris, Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada, Stephen Cook, Aaron Phangiso, Dwaine Pretorius, Wiaan Mulder, Mangaliso Mosehle and Hardus Viljoen earned South African caps, which speaks of Toyana’s ability to see and nurture talent. For that reason, he will be retained at the Lions in a different capacity.”Whilst results have not been favourable in the past season, we remain confident as a board that this franchise is capable of becoming the stronghold in domestic cricket, given the players we have produced and considering the feeder system in Gauteng Cricket Board and North West Cricket. It is in this light that we have reached an agreement to use Geoffrey’s expertise in another area under the Lions Cricket umbrella,” Dr Monyane Nkagisang, chairman of Lions cricket, said.ESPNcricinfo understands that Toyana had applied for the position of head coach at the Warriors, but lost out to current stand-in coach Rivash Gobind, who took the Warriors to the final of the one-day and T20 tournaments. Toyana also missed out on being appointed Ottis Gibson’s assistant, after the job was given to Malibongwe Maketa, who was at the Warriors.This is the second time a South African franchise coach has been appointed in an umbrella role after underperformance. In late 2016, Paul Adams, who was Cobras coach, faced a player mutiny after complaints over his coaching style, and was made high performance manager. He was replaced by Ashwell Prince.The Lions have yet to advertise for a new head coach, but will do so in due course. Enoch Nkwe, a former Lions player who is currently the national women’s team assistant coach, is believed to be in the running.

There is still time for some late-summer transfer business to happen, and it looks as though one Everton player could be set to depart in the very near future, following a new update.

Will Everton sell more players?

It was clear at the end of last season that some major surgery was needed at Goodison Park, following another campaign that saw the Blues come perilously close to losing their Premier League status.

Sean Dyche will have wanted to bring in the right players, in terms of individuals he feels are perfect for his system, and the likes of Jack Harrison, Arnaut Danjuma and Beto have all arrived at the club, among others.

It has been a disappointing start to the campaign for the Toffees, though, who have only picked up one solitary point from their opening four league matches, and it could point towards certain individuals still not being good enough to feature at the highest level.

While the summer transfer window has slammed shut in England, and in most countries for that matter, there is still just enough time for business to be completed in certain leagues, including the Turkish Super Lig.

One player who could leave Everton this week is midfielder Andre Gomes, who appears to have no future at the club under Dyche, and may want a new challenge at this point in his career. Now, a big update has emerged regarding his potential exit, with time running out to seal a move elsewhere.

Will Andre Gomes leave Everton?

According to a new update from journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu on X, Gomes is wanted by Turkish giants Fenerbahce who are in the Europa Conference League and could depart Goodison before their summer transfer window closes on Friday.

"Fenerbahce is interested in Andre Gomes, who plays for Everton."

In truth, this feels like a natural time to bring Gomes' Everton career to an end, with the Portuguese arriving as such an exciting signing from Barcelona back in 2019, when big things were expected of him.

Instead, the 30-year-old has underwhelmed in a Blues shirt overall, scoring just twice in 100 appearances and also registering only seven assists, despite being a midfielder who is thought to be a creative presence.

In fairness to Gomes, he has arguably never been the same since suffering a serious broken leg in a home Premier League clash with Tottenham during the 2019/20 season, following a tackle from Son Heung-min.

It was an incident that left the Spurs man in tears after being shown a red card, such was the severity of the injury, and it has been tough for the Everton midfielder to ever look like a true force since that moment, despite being hailed as "excellent" by Kevin Campbell.

Dyche is now creating his own team, and it seems obvious that Gomes, on £120,000-a-week, isn't a part of it, so rather than stay at Goodison and potentially earn very little playing time, it makes sense for all parties to move him on this summer, allowing him for regular minutes and possibly letting the Blues receive a fee for him, rather than lose him for free when his contract expires next summer.

تلقى منتخب اسكتلندا ضربة قوية باستبعاد لاعبه كيران تيرني من باقي مباريات بطولة كأس أمم أوروبا “يورو 2024”.

وقد غادر تيرني بالفعل المعسكر في ألمانيا للعودة إلى نادي آرسنال بعد الإصابة التي تعرض لها في المباراة السابقة أمام سويسرا.

تعرض تيرني لإصابة في وقت متأخر من المباراة التي انتهت بالتعادل 1-1 مع سويسرا مساء الأربعاء.

وسيغيب تيرني عن مواجهات فريقه في منافسات كأس الأمم الأوروبية “يورو 2024″، إذا تأهلت اسكتلندا.

وقال جون كارفر، مساعد مدرب اسكتلندا، بعد ظهر الجمعة: “إنه يعاني من مشكلة في أوتار الركبة، وبينما نتحدث الآن، سيعود إلى منزله ليتم تقييمه من قبل أرسنال”.

وأضاف في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “إندبندت” البريطانية: “هذا كل ما يمكنني قوله، سيكونون قادرين على تقديم التحديثات عندما يكون لديهم ذلك، ومن الواضح أنه يشعر بخيبة أمل، إذا أحرزنا تقدمًا خلال البطولة، فأنا متأكد من أنه سيعود لدعمنا”.

وأكد: “لكنه شاب صغير، لديه الوقت ويحتاج إلى التأكد من أن الأمر مناسب لعودته، إنها ضربة لأنه أحد أفضل اللاعبين لدينا، في بطولة كرة القدم، تحتاج إلى أفضل اللاعبين لديك في الملعب”.

وأردف: “وعلى وجه الخصوص معه، فهو يمنحنا التوازن على اليسار مع آندي روبرتسون وكالوم ماكجريجور، لذلك عندما يفقد أي فريق أفضل لاعبيه فإن ذلك سيؤثر على الوضع”.

وأشار: “لكنها أيضًا فرصة لشخص ما ليحل محله، ضد سويسرا، كان الجميع متشوقين بعد الأداء ضد ألمانيا، لذا هناك فرصة لشخص ما لاتخاذ خطوة إلى الأمام والمطالبة بذلك”.

ويتعين على اسكتلندا الفوز على المجر لتتأهل إلى دور الستة عشر بعد حصولها على نقطة أمام سويسرا.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are looking to secure the services of an in-demand free agent, according to reports.

Who did Wolves sign this summer?

It has been an eventful few months both on and off the pitch at Molineux this summer, with the main talking point prior to the new season being Julen Lopetegui’s departure.

Gary O’Neil was the manager brought in to replace the Spaniard, and so far during the current Premier League campaign, Wolves have picked up just three points from a possible 12. The club did make a number of signings before the September 1 deadline, though, with fees shared by Transfermarkt.

There were also a number of high-profile departures, with Wolves bringing in just under £150m as a result of Matheus Nunes, Ruben Neves, Nathan Collins, Conor Coady, Raul Jimenez and Ryan Giles all sealing permanent exits.

A healthy profit was therefore made by the Old Gold, but with the transfer market shutting, the only way Wolves can bolster O’Neil’s squad even further before January is through the free agent market, and it appears as if the club are exploring one option.

What’s the latest Wolves transfer news?

According to TEAMtalk, Wolves are one of a number of Premier League clubs looking to sign free agent Xeka. The Portuguese midfielder has interest from Crystal Palace, Everton and Sheffield United, while Championship sides West Brom and Southampton have made contact with the player’s agent.

Xeka also has the option to remain in France after leaving Rennes last month, with teams in Italy, Spain and Turkey also keen.

The 28-year-old looks like he could be a shrewd addition for any of the interested sides. Firstly, Xeka has played as a central, holding, left and attacking midfielder throughout his career, as well as featuring as a centre-back, so would offer plenty of versatility.

Secondly, Xeka is currently valued at €6m by Transfermarkt and has plenty of top-flight experience in France, mainly for Lille, where journalist Josh Bunting labelled him as a "very creative" player. He was a regular for Lille, making 144 appearances before turning out just nine times for Rennes last season.

Despite his lack of game time over the last 12 months, he has still shown his quality when on the pitch. As per FBref, Xeka has ranked highly compared to his positional peers for pass completion, blocks and aerial duels won, showing his ability both on and off the ball.

The player also previously admitted that he tries to base his game on Real Madrid's Toni Kroos.

“But since I’ve been a pro, the one who inspires me the most in my position is Toni Kroos. When I watch his games, I try to analyse his movements, his positioning, the way he touches the ball, how he makes his passes. He is a (role) model.”

O'Neil currently has the likes of Mario Lemina, Traore, Joao Gomes, Bellegarde, Doyle and Bruno Jordao as midfield options, so if he wants another experienced player to rival those name, Xeka could be a smart signing, and by the looks of things, a transfer could be one to keep an eye on.

The rookie seamers extracted ample assistance from an unusually green Mirpur pitch as North Zone romped to an innings-and-28-run win at the Shere Bangla National Stadium

Mohammad Isam19-Apr-2018North Zone bowled out East Zone twice on the third day as they romped to an innings-and-28-run win at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Rookie pace bowlers Yeasin Arafat and Shoriful Islam shared 14 of those wickets as they extracted ample assistance from an unusually green Mirpur pitch.East Zone began the third day at 110 for no loss, in reply to North Zone’s first-innings total of 415. However, after Shafiul Islam broke the Tasamul Haque-Liton Das opening stand at 122 in the 33rd over – the morning session’s sixth – the East Zone first innings disintegrated to 217 all out just after lunch. From 161 for 2, they lost their remaining eight wickets for only 56 runs.Arafat and Shoriful took four wickets each while Shafiul and Taijul Islam had one each. Arafat and Shoriful repeated their combined offensive when East Zone followed on, taking three wickets each this time while Shafiul also bagged a three-for. East Zone slipped to 91 for 7 before Sohag Gazi’s 38-ball 50 took them past 150, adding a semblance of respectability to the total. They were eventually bowled out for 170.Arafat was adjudged Player of the Match even though the North Zone captain Jahurul Islam and Ariful Haque had struck centuries, adding 184 runs for the sixth wicket after their team had slipped to 166 for 5. Jahurul made 113 off 238 balls with the help of 12 fours while Ariful struck seven fours and a six in his 101 off 236 balls. Ariful also took a brilliant diving catch at third slip during East Zone’s second innings to dismiss opposition captain Mominul Haque.