Liam Plunkett made 57 down the order as Yorkshire set Lancashire 349 to win and then removed Tom Smith before the close

Paul Edwards at Headingley31-May-2016
ScorecardLiam Plunkett struck 57 batting at No. 9•Getty Images

Clouds chasing each other across a torn, pavement-grey sky; tree branches jostling each other for room in a skittish wind; the Championship pennant tugging its flagpole in rebellious pride; a cloth sightscreen billowing at the Football Stand End; then floodlights throwing dark shadows.It was a northern morning of stereotypical conception at Headingley on the third day of this game, a bowlers’ morning too, you might think, although it seemed too cool for those who depended on swing. Spectators wrapped in their loyalties watched the cricket and they did so with a concentration that precluded other activities. For this has all the makings of a classic Roses match, albeit more an exquisite hybrid tea than a sprawling floribunda.Yorkshire were in charge of the game when the third day began and they remain in control going into the final three sessions. A lead of 189 with seven second-innings wickets in hand at the start of play represented prosperity, and at just past three o’clock, when Jack Brooks was castled by Luke Procter, that affluence had been extended to 348.Happily for those who revere statistical symmetry, Lancashire now need to make their seventh-highest fourth-innings score to win a first-class game and Yorkshire must concede their seventh-biggest score to lose one. The argument that the rivalry between these teams is so fierce because their approaches to cricket are so similar has been insufficiently investigated. Suddenly it is strengthened by the quiddity of numbers.The odds, though, are by no means six to five and pick ’em. Lancashire have already lost Tom Smith, who miscued Steve Patterson to Liam Plunkett at short cover when he had made 15. Procter joined Haseeb Hameed and these two young scrappers took the total to 41 when bad light curtailed a very fine day’s cricket 16.4 overs early. Lancashire will need to make the biggest total of the match to win it and they must score 308 runs in a day. Yorkshire need to take nine wickets on a pitch where no one has batted serenely. Hameed is probably looking forward to it.The morning session offered cricket of the highest quality as a Lancashire attack strove to limit Yorkshire’s lead. The visitors were weakened by the absence of Tom Bailey, whose side injury prevented him bowling. But such twists of fate only seem to inspire Neil Wagner, who removed Adam Lyth for 48 with the second ball of the morning when the Yorkshireman played down a line of his own imagination and lost his leg stump.Things got even better for Lancashire as Patterson, the nightwatchman, was caught behind by Steven Croft off Smith and the irrepressible Wagner produced a fine lifter which Andrew Gale could only poke to Hameed at short leg. Inside seven overs of the morning Yorkshire had been cut down to 89 for 6 and their lead was 201.But this Yorkshire team frequently find a way to prevent unpleasantness from degenerating into outright disaster. And they did so again as Adil Rashid tailored an innings suited to his team’s needs rather than his own attacking instincts. While Tim Bresnan hit five off-side boundaries, Rashid played the role of a middle-order anchor and revealed another depth to his cricket. In consequence, 41 runs were added before Bresnan edged Procter to Liam Livingstone at first slip and departed in lofty dudgeon, having stood his ground in the belief the ball had bounced. That excellent slipper Livingstone, however, had already dropped Rashid on 10 off the same bowler; and the one he spilled may have mattered more than the one he pouched.Plunkett came to the wicket but there was no change in Yorkshire’s tactics. Rashid continued batting with the forced restraint of a naturally impish boy during the visit of a strict but well-heeled grandmother. The importance of the occasion and the possibility of reward suffocated any impulse towards transgression. The crowd’s attention was undiminished, the chill air ignored. “The closeness has an air that listens,” wrote Alan Ross in “JM Parks at Tunbridge Wells”, a truly great poem written after the sight of the eponymous batsman making 188 against Kent in 1951 had awakened deep and various memories.Plunkett played a fine attacking innings and the eighth-wicket stand was worth 74 runs when Rashid was caught in the short leg position off Simon Kerrigan for 34, Croft scampering round to take the catch. Plunkett continued in his merry way to a half-century, scattering the spectators on the top deck of the Kirkstall Lane End with a huge six, also off Kerrigan, two balls before holing out to Petersen for 57 from only 84 balls. By then, though, Yorkshire’s lead was above 300. Sunlit pastures on a grey day.And the cricket with ended with Hameed facing Bresnan, the two cricketers taking their roles in a deeper narrative: Haigh to JT Tyldesley, Hirst to Spooner, Macaulay to Makepeace, Bowes to Paynter, Trueman to Washbrook, Nicholson to Pilling, Old to Wood, Gough to Atherton.”The past is never dead,” wrote William Faulkner in , “It isn’t even past.” And now Bresnan to Hameed…

يبحث منتخب أنجولا عن مواصلة الظهور القوي في النسخة الحالية من كأس أمم إفريقيا عندما يلتقي مع ناميبيا في بداية الأدوار الإقصائية.

منتخب أنجولا بلغ دور الـ16 من خلال تصدر المجموعة الرابعة بجمع 7 نقاط عن طريق الفوز بثنائية نظيفة على بوركينا فاسو، والفوز على موريتانيا بثلاثة أهداف لهدفين، ثم التعادل مع الجزائر بهدف لمثله.

طالع.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة أنجولا وناميبيا في كأس أمم إفريقيا.. إعلان التشكيلين

أما منتخب ناميبيا فقد حل في المركز الثالث برصيد 4 نقاط فقط في المجموعة الخامسة، بفوز بنتيجة هدف نظيف على تونس ثم الخسارة برباعية نظيفة أمام جنوب إفريقيا والتعادل مع مالي بدون أهداف. موعد مباراة أنجولا وناميبيا اليوم في دور الـ16 من كأس أمم إفريقيا

تنطلق المباراة اليوم السبت 27 يناير في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة الثامنة بتوقيت السعودية، على استاد “السلام” بمدينة بواكي بكوت ديفوار. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة أنجولا وناميبيا اليوم في دور الـ16 من كأس أمم إفريقيا

تذاع المباراة عبر قناة “bein sports MAX 1″، باعتبارها الناقل الحصري للبطولة في إفريقيا والشرق الأوسط. معلقين مباراة أنجولا وناميبيا اليوم في دور الـ16 من كأس أمم إفريقيا

يعلق على المباراة كل من طارق الأدور ومحمد مبروكي.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier has lost his form at an awkward time for the Whites due to their relegation worries, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Illan Meslier?

Meslier and Leeds United have been on the receiving end of some heavy scorelines recently, as the Frenchman has picked the ball out of the net 18 times in his last five Premier League matches, as per Transfermarkt.

The Whites have recently made the decision to sack manager Javi Gracia following this poor run in form and have replaced him with relegation firefighter Sam Allardyce, who will take charge of their last four games of the season, as per Sky News.

In Leeds United's 4-1 defeat to Bournemouth last weekend, Meslier was criticised by pundit Jon Newsome for his error leading up to Jefferson Lerma's goal at the Vitality Stadium, as per BBC Radio Leeds transcribed by Leeds Live, as he stated: “That’s awful, dare I say, from the keeper, Meslier, that’s really, really poor.”

Capology understand Meslier earns around £30,000 per week at Elland Road on a contract that runs until the summer of 2026.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Meslier has hit a rough patch at the wrong time between the sticks for Leeds United.

Jones told FFC: "It's a really tough one because Meslier is one of the best young goalkeepers in the world. If you were to look at players aged 23 and under, he is about as good as you could hope to find, but having your goalkeeper out of form when you're being dragged into a relegation battle is far from ideal."

Will Illan Meslier rediscover his best form under Sam Allardyce?

Allardyce and the Leeds United support will hope so; however, the Whites face a tough run-in over the next four matches, with Manchester City, Newcastle United, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur still to come.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, FBRef indicate that Meslier has had a tough time in goal this term, conceding an average of 1.97 per match in the Premier League.

Some of this is merely a byproduct of the fact that the 23-year-old plies his trade for a relegation-threatened side; however, Meslier himself will probably feel that he could've done better between the sticks in recent weeks following a spate of errors.

Suppose he were to be replaced between the sticks for their next fixtures. In that case, one of Joel Robles or Kristoffer Klaesson may be afforded an unexpected opportunity to become a hero at Elland Road if they can aid Leeds United's survival push.

Leeds United boss Allardyce already has some big decisions to make as he tries to guide the Whites to safety between now and the end of 2022/23.

The number of bouncers bowled to Phillip Hughes in his final innings will be among the issues addressed by the New South Wales Coronial inquest into his death

Daniel Brettig13-Jun-2016The number of bouncers bowled to Phillip Hughes in his final innings will be among the issues addressed by the New South Wales Coronial inquest into his death, a directions hearing has confirmed.The NSW coroner Michael Barnes will pursue multiple avenues during an inquest to be held from October 10-14, as he examines the death of Hughes after he was struck by a short-pitched ball while playing for South Australia in a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG in November 2014.At a directions hearing in Sydney on Friday, the areas to be investigated were outlined, including the “nature of play” on the day Hughes was struck and whether it complied with the rules of the competition. The response times of ambulances, the possibility of whether additional head protection could have deflected the blow, the vast media coverage of Hughes’ collapse and subsequent death will be among other issues explored.Players on the field at the time, including Australia’s vice-captain David Warner and allrounder Sean Abbott, who was bowling when Hughes was struck, are expected to give evidence. Cricket Australia are to schedule the season-opening limited overs tournament in such a way that witness testimony does not clash with matches.A CA-commissioned review of events was completed last year and released to the public in May. Conducted by David Curtain QC, it concluded that neither greater head protection for Hughes nor swifter transport from the SCG to the nearest hospital would have prevented his death, while also recommending a raft of changes to head and heart-related safety precautions around the game.When releasing the report, CA’s chief executive James Sutherland expressed hope that the coronial inquest would not tear at the fabric of the game by calling for greater restrictions on the use of short-pitched bowling.”You’ll see in the brief terms of reference we gave David Curtain that we needed to draw a line about the laws of the game and to have some perspective around that,” Sutherland said. “You can make the game of cricket a lot safer by playing with a tennis ball, but that’s not how Test cricket has been played and it would obviously be a very different game.”We’re not wanting to go there, but we do need to find the right balance in the circumstances to not compromise the way the game’s played and not compromise the way in which the players are best equipped to show their skills.”The ICC’s cricket committee recently rejected a CA-driven call for mandatory concussion substitutes to be brought into first-class matches and potentially Tests.

Liverpool crept to yet another Premier League win yesterday, with a solid but unconvincing 1-0 victory over Brentford.

Jurgen Klopp will likely draw questions from his players for such a startlingly lacklustre display, but with it being their sixth straight league win, the German cannot be too frustrated. It finally feels like after some time the fear factor has returned to the Anfield outfit, just in time for a late European push.

With a few key additions this summer, building upon the slowly improving newbies from their current campaign, the Reds can surely expect a return towards the apex of the table in the coming years.

One of those newer acquisitions had been earning particular praise of late, as Cody Gakpo finally seemed to have found his feet on Merseyside despite a tumultuous start. Failing to score in his first three league games, as well as in two FA Cup clashes, the Dutchman began to draw scrutiny for his performances in relation to his £35m price tag.

However, now boasting six league goals and two assists in 18 appearances, already the nation is starting to see glimpses of what the fuss was all about.

Despite this hype, integration into a new country remains a tricky feat. Not every game can be a success, and yesterday marked one of his weaker showings since moving from PSV Eindhoven.

How did Cody Gakpo play vs Brentford?

It is a testament to the underperformance of the 24-year-old that his 5.9 Sofascore rating was comfortably the worst of any player on the entire pitch. He was anonymous, wasteful, and yet someone survived for the full 90 minutes.

Such a low rating might come as a shock, but when delving deeper into his actual involvement, it quickly becomes clear why he was deserving of such a rating.

Firstly, the Netherlands international mustered just 32 touches all game despite his side enjoying 54% of the ball. For comparison, even his goalkeeper Alisson enjoyed more possession (38 touches).

Had Gakpo at least been efficient, such a lack of influence on the game could be forgiven. However, what exacerbated issues was that the wide man did boast golden chances, two of which he spurned. Such profligacy seeped into an absence of creativity too, as his 80% pass accuracy contained zero key passes made.

Goal’s Neil Jones perhaps summarised the Dutchman’s display best, awarding him a 6/10 rating, while writing that Gakpo ‘looked a little leggy in the second half and somehow didn’t score from virtually on the line.’

A tough day at the office offensively is often possible, but to cap off a truly forgettable afternoon, the 6 foot 4 trickster also lost eigakpoght of the 13 duels he competed in, suggesting that such a shocking display was born of complacency rather than misfortune.

That is something which Klopp will not forgive lightly, and it could cost him his place in the side next time out. His big January addition let him down yesterday.

Glasgow Rangers will end the 2022/23 campaign later this month without winning a single major trophy for their efforts domestically and in Europe.

The Light Blues have four matches left to play in the Scottish Premiership but their position of second in the table has already been finalised.

Michael Beale has promised fans that there will be a squad "rebuild" in the upcoming transfer window and this could result in a number of departures and arrivals at Ibrox in the weeks and months to come.

One player who is on the chopping block heading into the summer is Scottish winger Scott Wright. It has been reported that he is set to depart the club ahead of next season and the Gers could finally bin him by securing a deal for target Luis Palma.

Rangers are reportedly interested in signing the Aris Thessaloniki forward and his arrival could open up the space for the club to part ways with Wright.

Who is Luis Palma?

The 23-year-old winger is an exciting forward who has caught the eye with his performances in Greece this season and is said to be valued at £4.5m.

He predominantly plays down the left flank but is also capable of operating through the middle or on the right and has showcased his quality as a goalscorer and a creator this term.

Palma has racked up 11 goals and four assists in 20 starts in the Greek Super League and averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.14 for Aris. The dynamo has only missed one 'big chance' in front of goal and created 1.4 chances per match for his teammates, which illustrates his clinical finishing and eye for a pass.

Wright, whose play was once described as "a bit loose" by ex-Gers man Mark Hateley during BBC coverage (via IbroxNews), has registered one assist and zero goals in 22 appearances for Rangers in the Premiership this season.

The forward has created 0.4 chances per game and averaged a dismal – in comparison to Palma's – Sofascore rating of 6.67.

These statistics show that the Scottish lightweight, who has lost 71% of his aerial duels in the top-flight, has struggled to make an impact for the Light Blues. He has not contributed with goals, assists, or key passes, on an even semi-regular basis and this summer could, therefore, be the right time to ditch him.

Palma's exceptional return in front of goal, along with his chance creation numbers, suggest that the Honduras international would come in as a major upgrade on Wright if the ace can adjust to playing in Scotland.

Therefore, Beale could bin off one of his current Rangers duds by securing a £4.5m swoop to sign the exciting Aris attacker in the coming weeks.

West Ham must accelerate their efforts to sign Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah.

What’s the latest on Yunus Musah?

According to recent reports in Spain, the Hammers are keenly tracking the 20-year-old, who could be an extraordinary coup and an excellent replacement for Declan Rice, who looks set to leave the London Stadium.

The club captain's contract expires in 2024, rejecting all efforts to sign a new deal, and it has been suggested that it could take offers of over £100m to force the Englishman’s departure, with David Moyes recently hinting that an exit is edging closer.

Moyes said: “We would love him to be a West Ham player but we are aware that might not be the case. That is one of the scenarios.

“Our plans are to have Dec here but we are also fully aware there is a good chance that we won't have him."

With the club all but resigned to his long-awaited and expected exit, the arrival of Musah, who has a release clause of €100m (£88m), could ease the pain and fill this void.

Why should Yunus Musah sign for West Ham?

The New York-born titan moved to London at the age of nine in 2012 and joined Arsenal’s academy.

The Gunners U16 coach Trevor Bumstead eulogised over the 24-cap international and said: “He’s got fantastic physical attributes and the drive and determination to go with that. He would play anywhere to get in the team, but his favourite was as a central attacking midfield player."

The American eventually departed north London and joined Valencia in 2019. He made his first-team debut in September 2020 and two months later, he netted in a 2-2 draw against Getafe to become the youngest non-Spanish player to score for the Mestalla outfit, aged 17 years and 338 days.

The £25k-per-week man has made 104 appearances for Los Che and has been praised by US coach Gregg Berhalter as someone who makes everything "look easy".

When ESPN published their top 39 starlets aged under 21, they lavished praise on Musah and said: “Often a victim of his own versatility, Musah has been assigned a more suitable No. 8 role in the centre of midfield for Valencia. His speed of dribbling with the ball and eagerness to press opponents are other attributes that keep Premier League clubs alert to his availability."

His chameleonic ability to seamlessly slot into a variety of positions, which has included shifts across the midfield and at right-back, means he is one of the most coveted prodigies in the world.

He ranks in the top 6% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers over the past 365 days for progressive carries per 90, as well as the highest 19% for successful take-ons, as per FBref.

To sign a talent of this versatility and skill would be a huge statement and an adequate way to reinvest the Rice money.

Newcastle United are interested in signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo De Paul this summer, according to a new transfer report.

Is De Paul having a good season?

The 28-year-old has enjoyed a memorable season, although it is for his international achievements that he has been most famed for. He played a massive role in Argentina tasting World Cup glory late last year, proving to be an influential box-to-box presence throughout the tournament.

De Paul started all seven of his country's matches on their way to glory, providing legs and fight in the middle of the park, and almost acting as a perfect foil for superstar teammate Lionel Messi. The £94,000-a-week ace has also scored twice and registered five assists in La Liga for Atletico this season, however, showing that has been effective at club level, too.

His current deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2026, but it could be that he leaves in the upcoming transfer window, having not always been a regular starter for Atletico this season, starting just 20 league games.

Could Newcastle sign De Paul this summer?

According to a report from Spain [via Caught Offside], Newcastle are eyeing up a move for De Paul once the current campaign reaches its conclusion. The Magpies are thought to be willing to pay €40m (£35m) for his signature, making him a key part of their midfield in the process.

This could be a fantastic signing for Newcastle ahead of next season, with De Paul someone who shone so much at the World Cup, averaging 1.6 tackles and one key pass per game. He could be a brilliant midfield partner for Bruno Guimaraes at St James' Park, complimenting the Brazilian's more attack-minded, aesthetically-pleasing style and giving Eddie Howe's side even more meanness alongside Joelinton.

At 28, De Paul now has a wealth of experience, having won 53 caps for Argentina and made 273 appearances in Serie A and La Liga combined, but he is also still young enough to potentially be at his best for another four or five more years. He has been described as a "great player" by former player Ricardo Giusti and he is someone who has all the attributes to help take Newcastle to that next step.

It goes without saying that a top-four finish is vital if the Magpies want to sign him, however, with the Atletico man surely wanting Champions League football if he leaves his current club.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said the board will not negotiate further with Faruque Ahmed, who resigned as chief selector on Sunday

Mohammad Isam20-Jun-2016

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said the board will not negotiate with Faruque Ahmed, who resigned as chief selector on Sunday. Hassan said the BCB hadn’t received an official resignation yet.Faruque announced his resignation after the board of directors restructured the selection panel, expanding it to six members comprising the three original selectors, the Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, and two BCB representatives in cricket operations chairman Akram Khan and director Khaled Mahmud, who is also the Bangladesh team manager. Faruque said the new selection process would be a hindrance.Hassan insisted that Faruque had worked under a similar system when he took over as chief selector for his second stint in 2013.”He hasn’t officially informed me or the board,” Hassan said. “He has been working under the same system all this time. I don’t see any difference now and I don’t know where the problem is. This is not a new system and we are not changing anything as the team is doing well. I think I now have to ask him whether the teams he gave [for approval] wasn’t changed. We had to sit in many meetings with the selectors before every single game.”There is no scope for negotiation. Did we get a better pace bowling coach than Heath Streak? We didn’t negotiate with him when he wanted to leave.”Hassan said Faruque’s success was a factor in his appointment as chief selector to the three-member panel.”I like Faruque,” Hassan said. “We have respected his past record by keeping the chief selector’s post. But he can resign if he doesn’t agree with it. There’s no need to create any problems or spread confusion. I don’t want to do it but if I am pushed, I will tell everyone directly what happened.”Questions were raised after Mahmud’s controversial inclusion in the selection committee, but Hassan said his role was to only provide strategic input.”The manager is not in the selection process,” Hassan said. “The team will be picked by the selectors. Before every series, the coach and manager will only inform the selectors of their requirements. The selectors will pick the team with those in mind.”Tamim Iqbal or Shakib Al Hasan never came to me [for selection matters], only [Khaled Mahmud] Sujon comes to me. We could have included the captain in the selection committee instead of the manager. Since the captain is happy with the inclusion of the manager, the selectors shouldn’t have a problem with him.”

Newcastle United are on course to secure Champions League football as they currently sit third in the table and nine points clear of fifth, with five games left to play.

The Magpies were able to avoid the drop down to the Championship after PIF completed their takeover and provided Eddie Howe with the funds to sign the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, and Kieran Trippier.

Last summer, Alexander Isak, Sven Botman, and Nick Pope were among those added to the group to push on, and they have played key roles in the club's European charge.

However, their success this season has not all been down to recent funding from PIF and one of Howe's crucial players is a player who cost the club nothing – Sean Longstaff.

The local lad came through the academy system at St. James' Park and was handed his first-team opportunity by former Magpies boss Rafa Benitez, who saw the potential in him.

Newcastle gave the academy graduate a four-year professional deal in 2018 with the Spanish coach saying that the Englishman has "great potential" and is "keen to learn".

Since then, the midfielder has made 135 first-team appearances for the Toon Army and contributed with eight goals and nine assists from the middle of the park.

How much is Sean Longstaff worth?

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie recently told GIVEMESPORT that Longstaff should be valued in the region of £50m. That merely illustrates the ace's meteoric rise since coming into the senior team in 2018.

This season, the 25-year-old has made 32 Premier League outings and has been a reliable operator in midfield – completing 83% of his attempted passes.

Ex-Arsenal star Paul Merson praised his "outstanding" play and the role the dynamo has in the Magpies team, saying: "He's probably one of the first names on the team sheet. People might raise and eyebrow there and say 'don't be silly.' He's got the legs in midfield, he's an unsung hero.

"He does a lot of the hard graft for them and that's why they are where they are. Defensively, when Southampton really asked the questions they were solid as a rock."

Longstaff's rise to prominence in a team on course to secure Champions League football this season is vindication for Benitez and the faith that the Spanish boss had in the youngster five years ago.

The former Liverpool coach believed in the maestro's potential and Eddie Howe, who replaced Steve Bruce in the dugout, has been able to unlock his quality in the top flight this term.

Hopefully, there is more development to come from the Englishman, and he can continue to be a key player for Newcastle moving forward.