يستعد الجيش الملكي المغربي لمواجهة الأهلي في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات لبطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بعد أن بدأ مشواره بخسارة مفاجئة أمام يانج أفريكانز التنزاني بهدف دون رد على ملعب الأخير.
وكشفت مصادر لموقع “البطولة” المغربي، أن إدارة الجيش الملكي قررت تقديم احتجاج رسمي للاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، على خلفية ما اعتبرته ظلمًا تحكيميًا في مباراته الأولى، بعد إلغاء هدف صحيح للفريق بداعي التسلل، رغم أن اللقطات التلفزيونية أثبتت صحة الهدف. هدف الجيش الملكي الملغي أمام يانج أفريكانز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا
وقاد المباراة الحكم الإيفواري مودست ريشارد كوكورا، بمساعدة مواطنيه هيرمان ديريري وأبا ميدارد إتيان، بينما تولى كواسي فريدريك فرنسوا بيرو مهمة الحكم الرابع.
وعادت بعثة الجيش الملكي مساء أمس إلى المغرب، على أن تصل إلى مطار الرباط – سلا صباح الغد، قبل أن يحصل الفريق على راحة اليوم الأحد استعدادًا لبدء التدريبات المكثفة تحضيرًا لمواجهة الأهلي.
طالع أيضًا | توروب: ثنائي الأهلي وضعني في حيرة أمام شبيبة القبائل.. ومن الطبيعي أن نفوز بسباعية
ويأتي الأهلي ضمن المجموعة الثانية إلى جانب شبيبة القبائل الجزائري والجيش الملكي المغربي ويانج أفريكانز. موعد مباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا
تقام مباراة الأهلي والجيش الملكي، يوم الجمعة المقبل، 28 نوفمبر 2025، في تمام الساعة 9 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 10 بتوقيت السعودية، 8 بتوقيت المغرب على أرضية ملعب مولاي الحسن بالعاصمة المغربية، الرباط.
Despite suffering two Premier League defeats during a turbulent August, Manchester City will be confident heading back into top-flight action after the lengthy international break.
Since tasting the bitterness of defeat two games on the spin, Pep Guardiola’s men have fought back valiantly and now find themselves unbeaten across their last seven matches in all competitions, with Erling Haaland leading by example once more up top with a crazy 12 strikes already put away.
The hope will be that City are getting back to their frightening, serial-winning best again, having picked up zero trophies last season.
When the Citizens were collecting Premier League trophies for fun, before slipping up to Arne Slot’s Liverpool last campaign, Haaland wasn’t City’s only unbelievable performer who regularly fired on all cylinders.
Incidentally, Ilkay Gundogan – in particular – stood out as one terrific stalwart.
Gundogan's Manchester City career in numbers
So many well-known names come to mind from City’s recent glittering past, with faces such as Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, and Phil Foden always popping up with a moment of class when needed for Guardiola and Co.
Gundogan will also be uttered about in the same breath as these Etihad legends, even if a second stint back in Sky Blue last campaign saw him return for one season, only to then leave again for Galatasaray.
Put the disappointment of the silky German coming back for just one Premier League goal to be added to his City back catalogue, and it’s clear that he’s still a modern and beloved icon.
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak even lauded that he will be “go down in the folklore of Manchester City forever” for his “winning mentality” when he initially left English shores in 2023.
Games played
358
Goals scored
65
Assists
47
Premier League titles
5x
League Cups
4x
FA Cups
2x
Community Shields
2x
Champions Leagues
1x
It’s hard to argue against these glowing words, with Gundogan going on to amass 65 goals and 47 assists across 358 appearances.
He also won 14 trophies – which included five Premier League titles falling into his lap – off the back of always delivering in crunch moments, including that goal against Aston Villa to help win them the league and his stunning FA Cup final strike in 2023.
It would have been a tough task this summer for Guardiola to try and overhaul his midfield; therefore, with both the “top class” 34-year-old, as the Spaniard once glowing labelled him, and De Bruyne both exiting in quick succession.
Yet, the revered manager might well have a Gundogan-type player at his disposal right now, who could help catapult the Citizens back to being notorious trophy winners.
Manchester City's new Gundogan
City did splash the cash this summer in an attempt to be seen as a big dog in the Premier League again.
Indeed, after forking out a huge £59m to land Omar Marmoush in January, Guardiola and Co utilised their plentiful resources again in the hectic summer transfer window, with both Rayan Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri joining in notable deals, alongside Tijjani Reijnders costing an extravagant £46.5m to pick up from AC Milan.
Affectionately labelled as being “De Bruyne’s heir” after his breakaway strike against Wolverhampton Wanderers on his debut by statistician Statman Dave, it could well be that the exciting Dutchman is more of a Gundogan-style player when delving deeper into his City numbers to date.
While he did show off his assured ability to finish off a chance under pressure, which is very much in keeping with the classy Belgian during his Etihad prime, Reijnders has also very much stood out as an orchestrator of chances from deep when attempting to push his team forward, successfully completing four successful dribbles against Brentford last time out.
During his own peak in England, Gundogan also loved to spring into life from deep, with two successful dribbles managed on his own accord during a memorable 4-3 win against Newcastle United in 2021, off the back of amassing a ridiculous 145 touches of the ball.
The brand-new number 4 has already stood out as a star who also enjoys dictating play, with 63.7 touches of the ball averaged across his opening seven Premier League fixtures, making him look an extremely composed figure in the league from the get-go.
Games played
7
Goals scored
1
Assists
2
Touches*
63.7
Accurate passes*
43.9 (90%)
Key passes*
1.1
Ball recoveries*
3.1
Total duels won*
3.4
With one goal and three assists also next to his name in all competitions, it’s clear that he could grow into a Gundogan-level talent in time as City strive to be Premier League champions again, with “world-class” claims coming his way, too, courtesy of Italian commentator Marco Bonetti.
At 27, it could well be time for Reijnders to experience a second wind and become City’s vital glue, like the German managed to achieve after making his own debut in England at 25.
Real Madrid make contact with "special" Man City hero after £217m reveal
Rome wasn’t built in a day. And neither will David Moyes’ new Everton be realised less than a year after he took the reins from Sean Dyche, whose project had fallen apart as the Friedkin Group’s much-anticipated takeover from Farhad Moshiri was completed.
The 3-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur served Moyes’ team their first competitive defeat at the Hill Dickinson, pinning them in 14th place in the Premier League, with 11 points, as the European pack begin to steal away.
It is very early in the campaign, and predicting where most sides will land when all is said and done is pretty much dancing on the head of a pin. In any case, the Merseysiders know that they have limitations within their squad, namely, lacking the right full-backs or reliable and prolific goalscoring options.
While Everton signed Thierno Barry from Villarreal for a £27m fee this summer, the France U21 international has yet to find his feet in the Premier League.
Compounding this problem is Beto’s wastefulness in front of goal. With nine goals, the 27-year-old is the joint-top scorer at Everton since Moyes returned, but most of this haul was bagged during a ferocious purple patch last season, five goals in four games.
Change may well be afoot in 2026, and Moyes will be conferring with technical director Angus Kinnear as he considers adding another goalscorer to the ranks.
Everton's plans for a new striker
Richarlison has been linked with an emotional return to Merseyside of late. You might have heard. The Tottenham forward was supposedly on Moyes’ radar this summer, but nothing came of the ostensible interest.
Now, according to former Goodison Park CEO Keith Wyness, the Toffees could be in line to seal the Brazilian’s signature in January, bringing back a fan favourite and solving a glaring problem.
The issue is that Richarlison would be a stop-gap solution, and while he has enjoyed bursts of clinical form with Spurs, too many times has he drifted in and out of form, suffering more than his share of injuries besides.
25/26
9
3 (2)
24/25
15
4 (1)
23/24
28
11 (4)
22/23
27
1 (4)
This season, the 29-year-old has scored three goals and assisted two more – the last assist coming, of course, against Everton on Sunday as he delivered for Pape Matar Sarr to head home. However, Richarlison has just one goal in his past 13, having bagged a brace on the opening day of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Whether the £90k-per-week forward would make a progressive return to Merseyside remains to be seen, but maybe Everton would be better off not knowing. Would he truly prove an upgrade on Beto and Barry?
In any case, Everton don’t need to push for such a short-term fix when they have a third candidate to turn things around in the final third.
Everton have a better option than Richarlison
Tyler Dibling hasn’t clicked into gear at Everton after joining from Southampton for £42m this summer, but the silky attacking midfielder has so much potential.
If he finds form, Moyes could turn to his “creator of chaos” – as noted by analyst Ben Mattinson – in Iliman Ndiaye as a makeshift striker, covering for Beto and Barry in their woes.
The Senegal international has been one of Everton’s standout stars since joining from Marseille in 2024, and after finishing as the club’s top scorer for the 2024/25 campaign with 11 goals – despite missing part of Moyes’ reintroduction to Goodison Park – Ndiaye has carried that vein of form across the summer, notching three goals and supplying one assist from nine Premier League appearances this term.
Hailed by content creator Jacob Horsfall as “one of the best the Championship has ever seen” during his earlier stint with Sheffield United, Ndiaye has translated his quality to the Premier League – and then some.
While he is typically a left-sided forward, the 25-year-old has featured primarily on the right this term to accommodate Jack Grealish, and his natural-born clinical edge suggests he could be a fine makeshift striker this season.
Surely he would prove himself a bigger talent than Richarlison, making more of an impact than the Brazilian, who has ebbed and flowed, ebbed and flowed, since leaving Everton for Tottenham in a £60m package three years ago.
Ndiaye, in any case, has risen in stock as Richarlison’s own has depreciated. Tottenham are actually keen on Everton’s goalscoring talisman, and while TFG have priced him at £70m in retaliation, there’s no doubt the crafty Lilywhites would seek to entertain a form of swap deal if the chance arises.
It’s telling that Ndiaye sits alongside Beto as Everton’s top scorer since Moyes returned in January, and that having featured less often than the Bissau-Guinean.
Iliman Ndiaye
26
9
Beto
30
9
Abdoulaye Doucoure
17
3
Charly Alcaraz
25
3
Michael Keane
15
2
Jake O’Brien
19
2
Would Richarlison have outscored the Senegalese, had he played this year in Moyes’ squad? It’s hard to argue that he would have, with analyst Ben Mattinson arguing he “could play for a top six side”.
This is his quality, with FBref recording that he ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe for successful take-ons, the top 2% for ball recoveries and the top 7% for tackles won per 90, underlining just how dynamic and robust his skillset is.
And Ndiaye, furthermore, has yet to miss a single big chance in the Premier League this term, maintaining his prolific quality despite being shipped out to a new area of the field by Moyes.
Would Ndiaye be a long-term answer at number nine? Probably not. But given the finances that would be involved in bringing Richarlison back to the club, making this left-field tactical decision might not be a bad thing on Moyes’ part.
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Everton could now have uncovered their best prospect since Wayne Rooney in this England-destined star.
Bethell and Pope are in direct competition for the spot in England’s first Test against India
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2025
Ollie Pope scored 171 in England’s most recent Test•Getty Images
Rob Key, has insisted that England’s looming selection call between Jacob Bethell and Ollie Pope will not define either player’s career ahead of Friday’s first Test against India in Leeds.Bethell and Pope are in direct competition, with one of the pair set to walk out as England’s No. 3 at Headingley and the other likely to miss out on selection altogether. Key, England’s managing director of men’s cricket, has framed the call as a decision as to “which really good player” they should pick, and said: “It’s a good position to be in.”Pope batted at No. 3 in England’s most recent Test against Zimbabwe and scored 171 to extend his strong record in the role, where he averages 43.06. But Bethell, 21, scored three half-centuries in the same position during December’s tour to New Zealand when Pope kept wicket and batted down the order, and is English cricket’s coming man.Related
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“I don’t see it as a problem, really,” Key told the ‘s cricket podcast. “You win either way, really. You’ve got two brilliant players that can do that role. Ollie Pope’s been fantastic in that tough spot; he played brilliantly in New Zealand… alright, he was in a different role, but we’ve got two brilliant options in those spots.”A tough decision is when you’ve got no options, and you’ve got to just then try and find something from nowhere. That’s when I’m sort of scratching my head. This one is: ‘Which really good player are we going to pick?’ It’s a good position to be in.”Bethell missed England’s win over Zimbabwe because he was playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL. Michael Atherton has been a prominent critic of the decision to allow him to stay in India rather than returning for that Test, but Key said that he had no regrets.”I don’t think [that] the careers of Ollie Pope and Jacob Bethell are defined by what happens this week, or whether he came back to play the Zimbabwe Test. He may not have played that Test match,” Key said. “Watching his development has been extraordinary, and him going out there and playing in the IPL, I think was brilliant for him. We’ll get the return on that in the future.”Key also suggested that Mark Wood, who is sidelined with a knee injury, retains an outside chance of being fit for the end of the five-match series. “He potentially could be ready for the back end,” he said. “You may see him by the end of the series, but certainly then when you fast-forward to the Ashes, he should be fine for that.”
Russell Martin’s days as Glasgow Rangers manager are surely numbered.
To date, the shortest-serving permanent head coach in the Ibrox club’s 153-year history is Pedro Caixinha, who took charge of just 26 games in 2017.
For Martin to reach that mark, he would still need to be in charge by the time the Light Blues face Braga in the Europa League on 27 November which, right now, feels frankly fanciful.
On Saturday, the Gers were beaten 2-0 by Heart of Midlothian at Ibrox, meaning they’ve failed to win their opening five league fixtures for only the second time in their entire history, also doing so in 1978, currently sat tenth in the Premiership table.
Thus, supporters are already wondering who will replace Martin as manager, hoping the 49ers make this decision sooner rather than later, but should they go for a more left-field candidate, one praised for the “outstanding” job he did at his previous club, rather than the obvious options?
Leading candidates to become Rangers manager
According to reports, the two front-runners to become the new Rangers manager are Steven Gerrard and Sean Dyche.
Gerrard has been out of work since being sacked by Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq in January, having won only 19 of 55 matches in charge.
His time as Aston Villa boss didn’t go particularly well either, but the Liverpool legend did enjoy a very successful time at Ibrox.
In 192 matches as Rangers boss, Gerrard collected 124 wins, leading them to memorable European victories over Porto, Feyenoord, Braga, Galatasaray and others, historically guiding the club to their sole top-flight title since 2011, crucially denying Celtic ten-in-a-row.
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Other candidate, Dyche, meantime was sacked by Everton in January, but is best known for his work at Burnley, leading them to two promotions, six successive seasons in the top division and a maiden European campaign since 1967.
Everton manager Sean Dyche
The Englishman is vastly experienced, having managed 332 Premier League games; for comparison, Martin has overseen just 16, winning only one.
Dyche would represent the archetypal safe pair of hands appointment, while re-hiring Gerrard would suggest the new owners are simply looking to the past to rediscover former glories, so they should instead target an up-and-coming young coach.
Rangers' dream Russell Martin replacement
When searching through the current out-of-work managers, one name leaps off the page and that is Danny Röhl.
Reports emerged over the summer that he was on the Gers’ shortlist, but it’s unknown if any contact was made.
After an unremarkable playing career, appearing for lower league German clubs FSV Zwickau, Sachsen Leipzig and Eilenburg, he retired at the age of 21 to focus on becoming a coach.
Well, this has certainly paid off because, after joining RB Leipzig in 2010, he worked as a youth coach and a video analyst before being appointed assistant manager in 2016, following die Roten’s promotion to the Bundesliga, working alongside Ralph Hasenhüttl.
After that, he went with Hasenhüttl to Southampton, before moving on to Bayern Munich, learning under Niko Kovač and then Hansi Flick at the Rekordmeister, subsequently working under Flick again with the German national team for two years.
However, after Flick was sacked as die Mannschaft boss in 2023, he took his first head coach role, appointed Sheffield Wednesday manager, thereby becoming the youngest permanent boss in EFL history at the age of just 34.
Well, Röhl would oversee 89 games in charge at Hillsborough, very much beloved by supporters, with Philip Buckingham of the Athletic describing the job he did in charge of the Owls as “outstanding”, suggesting that numerous big clubs should “covet” his signature.
The table below documents his statistics from his time in Yorkshire.
Matches
89
Wins
34
Draws
19
Loses
36
Win %
38%
Goals scored
122
Goals conceded
137
First league finish
20th
Second league finish
12th
While finishing 20th and then 12th may not appear spectacular, worth noting that, in his first season, when the German arrived in October, Sheffield Wednesday had failed to win any of their first 13 EFL Championship fixtures, losing ten of them, collecting 14 points from their final six matches to pull off a great escape.
Meantime, last season’s mid-table finish looks even more impressive given that owner Dejphon Chansiri is essentially running the club into the ground, with players and other staff repeatedly not being paid on time, if at all, hence why Röhl walked out over the summer.
Rangers themselves have already benefited from the crisis at Hillsborough, signing star winger Djeidi Gassama for around £3m, when it is clear to everyone he is worth more than that.
Thus, Röhl has already proven that he is capable of managing a crisis club, as well as coming in and having an instant impact mid-season, all things Rangers need right now, so the 49ers should be bold and appoint the 36-year-old as soon as possible.
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As pressure continues to mount on Rangers manager Russell Martin, the 49ers should use their contacts to appoint a trophy-winning manager at Ibrox.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has provided an injury update on one of his key players after the EFL Cup defeat at the hands of Brentford.
Villa's poor start continues against the Bees
Villa finally found the back of the net on Tuesday night, after failing to score in their opening four Premier League games, but Harvey Elliott’s first goal for the club didn’t count for much, with Brentford ultimately progressing in the EFL Cup.
After a 1-1 draw in normal time, the Bees progressed on penalties, with John McGinn and Matty Cash both missing from the spot, meaning Emery’s side are still searching for their first victory of the campaign.
Emery has been forced to make do without a number of his key players already this season, with the likes of Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley, Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans spending time on the sidelines, but there has now been a promising new update on the latter player.
Reporter Jacob Tanswell subsequently confirmed that Emery is also optimistic that Tielemans could return before the next international break, with the Villa boss stating the central midfielder is likely to be out for one or two more weeks.
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BySean Markus Clifford Sep 16, 2025 Tielemans' return will be boost for Aston Villa
With the Belgian ruled out against Brentford, Lamare Bogarde was given the nod in central midfield, but the 21-year-old was unable to impact the game in the way he would’ve liked, being shown a yellow card before being replaced by Kamara in the 74th minute.
Tielemans, on the other hand, has been a vitally important player for the Villans over the course of the past two seasons, playing a major role in Emery’s side qualifying for the Champions League and Europa League by regularly providing goals and assists in the Premier League.
Season
Premier League appearances
Goal contributions
2023-24
32
9
2024-25
36
10
The 28-year-old was also arguably Villa’s most consistent player in the Premier League last season, averaging a 7.38 SofaScore match rating across the campaign, which was by far the highest of any player in the squad.
Emery is under no illusions as to just how important the Belgium international is to his side either, saying last season: “He is really doing fantastic work. He is very, very professional. The mentality he has, really I appreciate in the highest level we can achieve.”
As such, it is promising news that Tielemans is set to return within the next two weeks, but it appears as though Aston Villa will have to do without the £150k-a-week midfielder when they take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light this Sunday.
The defending champions reignited their season with an impressive performance at the Gabba
AAP20-Feb-2025
Lance Morris took three wickets as Queensland folded•Getty Images
Reigning champions Western Australia have revived their quest for Sheffield Shield history, trouncing Queensland by an innings and 12 runs to rise from last to third on the ladder.WA paceman Lance Morris claimed three wickets as Queensland were bowled out for 153 in their second innings on day three at the Gabba on Thursday.Related
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WA, seeking to become the first state to win four consecutive shields since Tasmania entered the competition in 1977-78, started the fixture at the foot of the ladder. But they rose to third with NSW (32.87) taking second spot after defeating Victoria, while Queensland (28.45) slid from third to fifth.WA’s victory came only 11 days after being humiliated on home turf by SA when they posted scores of 120 and 66 in a six-wicket loss.”We had a good little reflection … but you can only talk so much,” captain Sam Whiteman said. “To put some actions into place and perform really well with both the ball and the bat is pleasing – it’s a tough spot to win at, the Gabba. It gives us the best chance heading back home for the two final games.”Morris tore through Queensland’s tail and was on a hat-trick after dismissing Xavier Bartlett and bowling Mark Steketee for a golden duck. He sprayed his hat-trick attempt, sending a delivery to Mitch Swepson wildly down the legside to miss the milestone.Queensland made 147 in their first innings when offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli took a career-best 7 for 52. WA, with Sam Fanning (95) falling just shy of his maiden first-class century, replied with 312 to take a stranglehold on the fixture.Queensland’s batters struggled again in their second innings with Ben McDermott and Lachlan Hearne top-scoring – both made 33. Angus Lovell, his opening partner Matt Renshaw and Michael Neser were the only other batsmen to reach double-figures.WA’s Morris collected 3 for 35 from 13 overs – he also removed McDermott with a brute of a short ball which reared at the batter, who edged to wicketkeeper Joel Curtis.Rocchiccioli finished with his best first-class match figures of 9 for 79 while paceman Joel Paris and Cameron Gannon also took multiple second-innings wickets.”Awesome reward for him to get his first 5-for,” Whiteman said. “He has taken over 100 Shield wickets without a five-for, so to finish with nine for the match is amazing. He’s such a weapon for us on day one when it’s spinning.”After this round, all states have two games remaining before the final. WA host NSW from March 6 and Victoria from March 15 at the WACA Ground in Perth.Queensland will be on the road for their remaining fixtures, against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval and South Australia at Karen Rolton Oval on the same dates.
Former Australia Test cricketer Stuart MacGill knew he was taking part in a cocaine deal but was oblivious about the scale of the exchange that began under his restaurant.That is the verdict of a Sydney District Court jury that acquitted the former legspinner on Thursday of taking part in a large commercial drug supply in April 2021.The jury heard that the illicit exchange of Aus$330,000 for a kilogram of cocaine was struck between MacGill’s regular drug dealer and the former cricketer’s brother-in-law Marino Sotiropoulos.Related
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The cricketer teed up a meeting under his restaurant on Sydney’s north shore but denied knowing the deal was to take place.Prosecutors argued the deal could not have occurred without MacGill’s prior involvement.While the jury dismissed the Crown’s claims about MacGill’s knowledge of a one-kilogram deal, it found him guilty of the lesser charge of taking part in drug supply.MacGill, whose 44-Test career came in the shadow of Shane Warne, showed little emotion as the verdicts were read.His sentencing hearing was adjourned for eight weeks.
The four-team tournament comes after last year’s initial red-ball edition with two-day games
Mohammad Isam14-Dec-2024
Nigar Sultana and Rabeya Khan are among the captains at the WBCL•ICC/Getty Images
The Women’s Bangladesh Cricket League (WBCL), the country’s first three-day competition for women, will begin at two venues in Rajshahi on December 21. The BCB has organised the tournament to set in motion the process to build its first Test side, although the board is yet to put a timeline in place.”We have to be ready in red-ball cricket,” head of women’s cricket at BCB, Habibul Bashar, said. “Most of our female cricketers haven’t seen the red ball at all. It is all about white-ball cricket for them, as all our domestic cricket is with the white ball. They have only played two red-ball games, maybe. We will apply for first-class status as we have all that’s needed for this type of cricket.”The tournament is going to be played between four teams, grouped by the regions – North, South, East and West. Nigar Sultana, Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan and Sobhana Mostary have been named captains of the four sides.”It is a very good initiative from the BCB,” Bashar said. “The challenge was to start it, so we got a bit of time this month. We have the West Indies tour coming up. We needed to start the tournament. We won’t have time until June next year.”Bashar said that the plan was to give the Bangladesh players bound for the West Indies next month enough time, so four matches will be held in December. The rest of the tournament will be played in January.Bangladesh received the Full Member status in women’s cricket in 2021 alongside Afghanistan (which doesn’t have a women’s national team) and Zimbabwe, and this is the second edition of the WBCL, which was played in a two-day format in 2023. Of the countries that have women’s multi-day cricket, there’s the Senior Women’s Inter Zonal Multi-Day Trophy in India, while Australia have recently begun three-day trial games for their red-ball team.
Hosts cruise in chase after England had scrapped a score from the depths of 24 for 4
Alan Gardner06-Nov-2024West Indies made light work of their run chase under the Kensington Oval floodlights, centuries from Keacy Carty and Brandon King setting up a dominant eight-wicket win that sealed a 2-1 series victory over England.Carty’s maiden hundred, from 97 balls, made him the first cricketer from St Maarten to reach the landmark for West Indies. He was followed to three figures by King, who made the most of being dropped twice with a timely knock, his first 50-plus score in ODIs since the World Cup Qualifier in July 2023. Their double-century stand, eventually worth 209, was the highest for West Indies against England in the format.England had scrapped their way up to what might have been a competitive total after a nightmare start saw them 24 for 4 at the end of the first powerplay. Phil Salt knuckled down to play his longest international innings, in terms of balls face, while Dan Mousley was inventive on the way to a maiden ODI fifty. With an injury to Romario Shepherd forcing Shai Hope to turn to Sherfane Rutherford – whose 3.5 overs at the death disappeared for 57 – England had at least given themselves a glimmer.It took one ball of the reply to suggest that conditions for batting had eased, as King spanked Jofra Archer’s opening gambit through the covers. He did the same to the second delivery, with Archer’s first three overs eventually costing 24 – and although Jamie Overton claimed a first ODI wicket with his third legitimate ball, Evin Lewis bounced out for 19, West Indies were already up and running.King finished the powerplay by bashing Reece Topley for two fours in three balls, putting West Indies ahead of the asking rate at 65 for 1 after ten. And while Carty, who picked up his first four by gliding Topley behind square in the same over, had some uncertain moments against the legspin of Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone early on, the second-wicket pair were soon motoring towards the target.Rashid’s first three overs had gone for just seven, but King pumped him down the ground for six to mark a shift in the mood. An edge off Livingstone evaded Salt’s gloves when King was on 44, and the West Indies opener went to a 60-ball fifty in the next over, clubbing Rashid emphatically through midwicket.Carty had been given out lbw to Livingstone’s first ball, but reviewed in the knowledge that there was bat involved. He cut and swept consecutive boundaries in the same over, and later launched Rashid over the deep midwicket boundary as West Indies steadily brought the required rate down while negotiating England’s seven bowling options. After bringing up a 61-ball fifty, Carty again took back-to-back fours off Livingstone, before doing the same to Sam Curran.A muscular pull for six off Topley ended up in the crowd at deep midwicket, as Carty overtook his partner, followed up by a flat-batted four down the ground. Having surpassed his previous ODI best of 88, he reached his hundred with a glide for four off Jacob Bethell’s left-arm spin – removing his helmet and raising his arms aloft as applause rolled around the ground.The moment was repeated at the start of the following over as King, who also saw a cut off Archer burst through the hands of Jordan Cox in the covers on 86, swatted the same bowler through fine leg to raise his third century in the format. King was bowled by Topley with 13 required but the result was beyond doubt.The alacrity with which West Indies hunted down their requirement amply demonstrated why both captains had wanted to bowl first at the toss. Shai Hope, who grew up at Kensington Oval, said he was “not sure what we’re going to get” from the surface – but his seamers certainly knew how to exploit the conditions, leaving England four down and tottering inside the first powerplay.The main source of discomfort for West Indies early on came via an extraordinary on-field contretemps between Alzarri Joseph and Hope, the fast bowler seemingly unhappy with the field set for England’s No. 3, Cox. Joseph could be seen repeatedly remonstrating with his captain from the top of his run-up, and he took his frustration out on the batter, Cox barely seeing a 148kph/92mph lifter that flicked the glove on its way through. Joseph didn’t celebrate and walked off at the end of the over, briefly leaving West Indies with 10 men on the field.Matthew Forde had already struck in his second over, responding to being driven for four by Will Jacks with a similar delivery that went away just enough to take the outside edge. Shepherd then enjoyed immediate success when replacing Joseph, as Bethell slashed at a wide delivery only to be spectacularly held by the leaping Roston Chase at point. When Livingstone fell to another catch at the wicket trying to force a drive off Shepherd, England were flatlining at 24 for 4 with one ball left in the powerplay.One of the England batters still standing was Salt. His half-century in the second ODI was the first time he had batted through the powerplay since June 2022, but he backed up that effort in Barbados – albeit 11 not out off 26 balls told of England’s struggle.He found useful allies in Curran and Mousley, adding consecutive stands of 70 for the fifth and sixth wickets. Curran, again up the order at No. 6, was proactive from the outset but fell looking to take on Chase’s offspin. Mousley then continued the rebuilding effort, with Salt grinding away to a 79-ball fifty – by far the slowest of his five in ODIs.England were 163 for 5 at the end of the 40th but lost Salt in the following over, King’s athleticism at deep midwicket resulting in a comfortable relay catch for Joseph. Shepherd then collapsed after catching his studs in the turf and had to be helped from the field, as the momentum shifted again. Mousley fell shortly after reaching fifty but lower-order cameos from Overton (32 off 21) and Archer (38 not out off 17) saw Rutherford’s medium-pace take a battering and 100 runs bleed from the last ten overs. That ended up as a footnote after King and Carty took charge.