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The win took Chittagong Vikings to 12 points, tied with Dhaka Dynamites and Khulna Titans

Mohammad Isam29-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details Tamim Iqbal hit eight fours and one six en route to a match-winning 66•BCBTamim Iqbal withstood Khulna Titans’ efficient bowling attack to guide Chittagong Vikings to their fifth win in a row. The Chittagong captain was unbeaten on 66 off 59 balls which included eight fours and one six.The five-wicket win, with eight balls to spare, put them on 12 points, level with Dhaka Dynamites and Khulna Titans.Chittagong had suffered a top-order collapse after Chris Gayle fell in the fifth over. Anamul Haque and Shoaib Malik were run out before Zakir Hasan was stumped in the 11th over, thus reducing Chittagong to 64 for 4, after being comfortably placed at 39 for no loss in the fifth over.Tamim and Jahurul Islam stopped the rot with a 37-run fifth-wicket stand before the latter gave short midwicket a simple catch after making 22. He left when Chittagong needed 31 off the last four overs. Jahurul fell but soon Tamim reached his fourth fifty in this season’s BPL.Tamim survived on 24 when Shuvagata Hom dropped him at mid-off after a miscommunication with Alok Kapali, who was running in from cover. Shuvagata also dropped a chance, offered by Mohammad Nabi on one, in the 18th over, running in from long off.Nabi finished the chase with two consecutive fours in the penultimate over, ending up on 17 not out off eight balls.But it was chiefly Chittagong’s bowlers who, for the third consecutive game, gave them a strong platform. This time it was Imran Khan and Taskin Ahmed who were among the wickets, with support from Nabi, Subashis Roy and Saqlain Sajib.Imran removed the in-form Riki Wessels at the start and the dangerous Kevon Cooper in the slog overs, apart from his direct hit that dismissed Ariful Haque. Taskin took the big wicket of Mahmudullah – who top scored with 42 – and Nicholas Pooran in the final over.

Chelsea have "shown interest" in signing Celta Vigo star Gabri Veiga during the summer transfer window, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.

How many goals has Veiga scored for Celta Vigo?

The 21-year-old has enjoyed a fantastic 2022/23 season for Celta, standing out as one of his side's most important players and showcasing his attacking brilliance in the process.

Veiga ended the campaign with an eye-catching tally of 11 goals and four assists in La Liga, a figure that puts him in the 99th percentile for non-penalty goals by midfielders in the big leagues. He also averaged 1.2 tackles per game in the Spanish top flight, showing that he isn't just a luxury attacking midfielder.

There appears to be a huge amount of interest in the Spaniard this summer, with Liverpool arguably emerging as the favourites to snap him up. That being said, it looks as though the Reds are far from alone in tracking him, following a fresh update that involves Chelsea.

Are Chelsea signing Veiga?

Taking to Twitter, Galetti gave a key update regarding Veiga's future, admitting that numerous clubs are eyeing a move for him, including the Blues:

"Understand that Liverpool are set to make a concrete move for Gabri Veiga. MF has a release clause (€40m) in the contract with Celta Vigo. Not only LFC: Chelsea, ManCity, RealMadrid & Napoli are among the clubs that shown interest in Gabri."

Veiga could be such an exciting signing by Chelsea in the summer transfer window, especially if Mason Mount ends up joining Manchester United, as looks increasingly likely to be the case.

He could come in as a straight swap, adopting a similar role and representing a younger alternative to the current Blues man, not to mention enjoying a better campaign last time around. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded Veiga for having a "great season" for Celta, while Spanish publication Sport have described him as "amazing", too.

In truth, it does look as though Chelsea could be behind others in the pecking order when it comes to signing Veiga – a lack of European football at Stamford Bridge next season certainly doesn't help matters – but it is encouraging that they are at least in the conversation.

At 21, he has already racked up 55 appearances for Celta, becoming a key man in no time at all, and he will surely add to his one cap for Spain's Under-21s in the near future, and be a senior international one day, assuming he continues on his current trajectory.

Nottingham Forest will be looking for a much more settled campaign in the Premier League next season and making sure the recruitment is spot on this summer will be essential for improving.

The Garibaldi Reds finished 16th in the top-flight table with four points to spare following a difficult relegation scrap and Steve Cooper will be delighted with the fight his team put up at the business end to retain their status in the top division for another season.

Having said that, there is still plenty of work to be done at the City Ground to establish and cement themselves as a consistent Premier League team who can comfortably compete, so identifying new additions who can make a genuine impact will be essential to improve performances.

Forest confirmed their retained and released list earlier this month with 12 players departing the club this summer, including former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard following a disappointing season on Trentside.

Lingard failed to live up to high expectations during his stint, with the 30-year-old struggling to make the desired impact; tallying up just 17 league appearances and zero goal contributions.

As a result, replacing Lingard with a more prolific presence in front of goal shouldn't be the most difficult task for the club's hierarchy and one player who could be a real asset next season is recently linked Manchester City academy star Carlos Borges.

ESPN reported last week that Forest have held 'preliminary talks' to sign the youth player this summer, with the Premier League champions valuing him at £11m.

Who is Carlos Borges?

The talented teenager has been going from strength to strength in the treble-winning club's youth set-up and this season earned the title of Premier League Two Player of the Season due to his incredible output for the U21s.

Over 38 appearances in all competitions, Borges – hailed the "real deal" by journalist Tom Young – scored a whopping 29 goals and registered 18 assists, with a goal contribution every 55 minutes which is an incredible achievement for the youngster who was the outright top-scorer in the entire Premier League Two last season with 21 goals.

Not only that, the Man City left-winger has given glimpses of other key strengths that could make him an incredible asset to Cooper next season – averaging 2.3 shots on target, 1.7 key passes, 2.7 tackles, one successful dribble and 3.7 duels won per game over his three Football League Trophy appearances last term.

The 11-cap Portugal U19 star – dubbed "phenomenal" by Jacek Kulig – now looks to be ready to take the next step into first-team football and Forest could provide him with the opportunity to continue his outstanding development in the forward line at the City Ground next season.

The Tricky Trees have had great success with youthful talent in their forward line as both Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White have been a force to be reckoned with in the attacking third – contributing to 26 goals last term – so Cooper could now bolster that energetic presence by deploying Borges alongside the tenacious duo.

With that being said, the signing of Borges would be a no-brainer for Forest this summer and if the young talent could emulate his goal-scoring escapades for Forest he would significantly improve upon Lingard's impact.

A round-up of the first day’s play from the quarter-finals of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Siddhesh Lad scored his fourth first-class hundred•AFPA century from Siddhesh Lad and his fifth-wicket stand of 105 with Aditya Tare rescued Mumbai after Chama Milind had rocked them with three early wickets. Having chosen to bat first at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Mumbai were 34 for 4, with both Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav back in the dressing room, when Lad joined Tare.The pair batted for the next 40.3 overs, before Tare, Mumbai’s wicketkeeper-captain, fell for 73 (148b, 14×4) to the medium-pacer Mohammed Siraj, who picked up his second wicket. That would be Hyderabad’s last wicket of the day, as Lad batted through to go to stumps on 101 (196b, 15×4, 1×6), having added an unbroken 111 with Abhishek Nayar (46*, 79b, 7×4) for the sixth wicket.
ScorecardFile photo – Lunch was taken early due to concerns over the pitch that arose when Parthiv Patel was struck on the arm by an awkwardly rising ball•AFPUnbeaten half-centuries from Chirag Gandhi and Rush Kalaria rescued Gujarat after Odisha sent them in and reduced them to 71 for 6. The two added an unbroken 126 for the seventh wicket in 48 overs as Gujarat went to stumps 197 for 6, with Gandhi on 62 (161b, 6×4) and Kalaria on 59 (136b, 6×4, 1×6).Lunch was taken 47 minutes early at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, with Gujarat 39 for 2, due to concerns over the pitch that reportedly arose when Parthiv Patel was struck on the arm by an awkwardly rising ball. Play resumed after ground-staff re-rolled the pitch, and Gujarat slumped further against the medium-pace of Deepak Behera, Basant Mohanty and Biplab Samantray, before Kalaria joined Gandhi at the end of the 31st over of their innings.
ScorecardFile photo – Shahbaz Nadeem picked up his 12th first-class five-wicket haul•KCA/Ranjith PeralamShahbaz Nadeem’s 12th first-class five-wicket haul ensured Haryana did not extend the advantage of winning the toss on a day of unconverted starts at the Moti Baug Stadium. In 30 overs of left-arm spin, Nadeem took 5 for 75 as Haryana went to stumps 251 for 7, with all their batsmen getting into double figures but none of them managing a half-century.Chaitanya Bishnoi (41) and Rajat Paliwal (42) were the day’s highest scorers, the two of them adding 83 for the fourth wicket to take Haryana to 154 for 3, before Nadeem dismissed both off successive overs. Haryana slipped further, to 195 for 7, before Sanjay Pahal (38*) and Harshal Patel (22*) saw them through to stumps with an unbroken stand of 56 for the eighth wicket.

Tottenham Hotspur have held talks over a move for Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven, and the defender has been placed on their shortlist alongside Edmond Tapsoba, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Who is Micky van de Ven signing for?

Tottenham are set to do battle with Liverpool for the Wolfsburg defender's signature, and Football Insider report the Reds are currently leading the race, having identified him as one of their key targets ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.

According to reports, the German club are set to demand at least €30m (£26m) to sanction the 22-year-old's departure this summer, however, there is no offer on the table at present, and there is a chance he remains at Wolfsburg.

The Dutchman is contracted until the summer of 2027, meaning the Bundesliga side are in a strong negotiating position, and they do not need to accept any offers below their asking price.

In a new update on Twitter, Romano has now claimed the centre-back is on Tottenham's "shortlist", alongside Tapsoba, with both players "appreciated by the club."

Talks have already taken place over the Dutch defender, however, it is unclear whether any progress has been made towards agreeing a deal.

Should Tottenham sign van de Ven?

It is clear that Spurs will need to bring in some new defensive options this summer, given their very poor record at the back last season, conceding 63 goals in the Premier League, the sixth-highest amount of any side.

Football Scout Jacek Kulig has hailed the Wolfsburg ace as a "complete & dominant" centre-back, while also praising him for his great positioning and tenacious tackling, however, there are aspects of his game that need to be improved.

Despite his 6 foot 4 frame, the Wormer-born defender has averaged just 1.06 aerials won per 90 in the past year, which places him in the fourth percentile compared to his positional peers, while he is also in the 13th percentile for interceptions.

That said, the former Volendam man displayed a keen eye for picking out his teammates last season, which is an important quality for a modern-day centre-back, recording a pass-completion rate of 83%, the highest figure of any Wolfsburg player that completed a full 90 minutes.

Van de Ven is far from the finished article, however, given that he will be available for just £26m, it could be worth Tottenham taking a gamble on him this summer, looking to pip their top-flight rivals Liverpool to a deal.

Max Holden, who will skipper England Under-19s on their impending tour of India, has been loaned by Middlesex to Northants for the first half of the 2017 season

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2017Max Holden, who will skipper England Under-19s on their impending tour of India, has been loaned by Middlesex to Northants for the first half of the 2017 season.Holden, a correct opening batsman who has yet to make a first XI debut for Middlesex, will take part in Northants’ pre-season tour of the Caribbean and remain with the Division Two club until the end of June when his loan spell expires.He already has good memories of Wantage Road, having struck a century on the ground for England U-19s against Sri Lanka last summer.”Ultimately I want to play as much cricket as I can,” he said. “Seeing Haseeb Hameed progress the way he has and break into the England team has really given me a push. Obviously the ambition is to play for the England Test eleven – that’s the dream.”Holden first caught the eye of Northamptonshire’s head coach, David Ripley, aged just 13: “I have followed his progress since I first tried to get him to join our Junior Academy back in 2011. I’m delighted to add him to the squad and add competition for places.”He will be available in both the Specsavers Championship and the Royal London One-Day Cup, although it is the four-day game where he can be most confident of playing time.Cambridgeshire born and raised, Holden began a four-year contract with Middlesex in 2016 after graduating from their Academy. He has established himself in the 2nd XI with Middlesex for the last two years despite continuing his education.Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s managing director of cricket, said: “At Middlesex CCC we are fortunate to have a number of exciting young cricketers, of which Max is one. These young players are desperate to play first XI cricket and at this moment in time at Middlesex there are batsmen ahead of Max.”We believe he is ready to get a taste of first XI cricket and are happy to loan him to a county that will, in the short term, provide him with a better chance of achieving this goal.”Holden will lead England Under-19s in two four-day matches next month. The one-day section of the tour begins at the Wankhede Stadium next Monday with England captained by Yorkshire’s Matthew Fisher.

Arsenal could potentially sell Thomas Partey and Jorginho, and sign Romeo Lavia in a complete midfield rebuild this summer, journalist Graeme Bailey has claimed.

What's the latest on Arsenal's midfield options?

Kai Havertz has joined from Chelsea, whilst Declan Rice is expected to follow suit, with both 24-year-olds arriving for big fees.

Granit Xhaka is expected to join Bayer Leverkusen, and losing the Switzerland captain will be a big loss. As one of the main midfield starters alongside Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard, Xhaka was one of the main leaders and one of the most experienced players within the squad.

Partey could also depart amid reported interest from Saudi Arabia, and it has now also been mooted that Jorginho could also leave just six months arriving from Chelsea.

Romeo Lavia has been linked with a move to the Emirates, in what could be a window in which three experienced midifelders depart and three younger ones arrive.

Speaking on the Talking Transfers Podcast, Bailey claimed that Partey and Jorginho could follow Xhaka out, and that Arsenal could spend big on yet another midfielder this summer.

"I think they want more, that's what I'm hearing, I think Thomas Partey will go to Saudi Arabia," he stated.

"I wouldn't necessarily rule Jorginho going out. It's just that he's on so much money, at Arsenal, and what Lazio can do now, it's a massive discrepancy is what they can do.

"So I wouldn't necessarily rule Jorginho going out. I think Partey will go to Saudi, I wouldn't rule Arsenal out for another midfielder. I think [Moises] Caicedo will be Chelsea bound, but Lavia, someone like that.

"I wouldn't rule that out, Arsenal getting another top class midfielder and in fact, I'll be shocked if they don't."

Should Arsenal tear up their midfield?

Xhaka is in the last year of his contract, and it seems that the long-serving midfielder wanted to return to Germany, so Arsenal's hands were tied over the 30-year-old.

Partey is 30, and has two years left on his deal. Whilst he has been crucial at times, his injury record has been inconsistent since his arrival three years ago, and if a big offer arrives, it may be too tempting to decline.

Jorginho has one year left on his initial deal. The veteran has proven to be a smart acquisition from Arsenal's London rivals, and he recently admitted that he wanted to continue at the club.

Even if a talent like Lavia was to come in, losing three vastly experienced and talented players in one summer could be damaging, and it could take a while for three new signings to fully adjust to playing in a new team.

So it will be interesting to see if Arteta does look to keep one of those experienced heads in the squad for the upcoming campaign.

Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said that his team is working on closing out sessions and days with the advantage, as opposed to giving everything in winning one-hour periods and then fading away

Mohammad Isam05-Mar-2017Bangladesh’s players have often stressed on the need to do well in the first hour of a session. But they have understood, and justifiably so, that far too many times they have given it their all in the first hour only to fizzle out in the second.In their last three Tests in New Zealand and India, there have been examples of Bangladesh starting well in a game or a session, only to be unable to carry on for the rest of the day and press home the advantage. In Hyderabad against India, Taskin Ahmed and Kamrul Islam Rabbi started strongly on the opening day, but the pair, as well as subsequent bowlers, could not keep up the pressure on the Indian top order. The same situation transpired with the ball on a number of occasions in Wellington and Christchurch, where they could not push on after a good start.This happens even more when Bangladesh are batting. Too often, they lose wickets in a cluster in the latter part of a session after getting into a position of strength. Well-set batsmen lose focus, which is one of the two problems addressed by coach Chandika Hathurusingha.”The one-percenters and five-percenters are letting us down,” Hathurusingha said. “We know that we have the capability. There are two things – one, concentrating over a period. We sometimes switch off. The other thing is something that we have identified and spoken about, which is that we have to play the whole session rather than giving everything in the first hour and fading away in the second hour.”We have discussed the game plan, how to be competitive for two-hour sessions. We did well when we tried this in the two-day practice game. I think this is going to help us. Now, we will learn from those mistakes and identify those moments in the game when they come, and obviously, we are going to keep reminding [ourselves] those things during this series.”Tamim Iqbal, Bangladesh’s opening batsman, also spoke of the need to achieve small targets within the Test. One of the early boxes he has ticked has been getting a big score in the practice match in Moratuwa, where he cracked 136 off 182 balls with nine fours and seven sixes.”The team and I have to take on small targets so that our process remains on track. If we can bat well and stick to our plans, we can do something good. Things will be different.”I did well in one innings, but that doesn’t mean I will keep playing the same way in Galle. But, as I said, if I am on track with the process, it gives me more chance to get a big score.”Tamim said that Bangladesh have a chance to beat Sri Lanka in a Test series, something they are yet to do. “We know the importance of the series. We feel we should win it if we play good cricket,” he said. “They are also a good, young team. We are mentally prepared and everyone is trying their best to make it to the final playing XI.”Hathurusingha said that the players, having impressed more on an individual level, and sporadically as a team in New Zealand and India, would now have to put it all together for a major team effort in Galle and Colombo despite the heat, which is a worry.”I think we have a good chance this year – other than the two Test series in India and New Zealand – for various reasons. We had good performances in those conditions, but here, we stand a good chance if we execute our plans.”Skill-wise, both teams match really well. Home advantage for Sri Lanka is a huge factor. It is totally different to any other Test country. Heat is a huge factor, for concentration and building pressure. That’s the only thing that I am bit concerned about, but we are going to be very competitive.”

Captain Upul Tharanga said the choice of their openers in the first T20I will depend on the opposition’s plans and involve trying to neutralise the Bangladesh spinners

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo03-Apr-2017After years of failing to find a partner for Tillakaratne Dilshan at the top of the order, Sri Lanka are currently faced with a logjam over the opening slots. While Niroshan Dickwella is unavailable for the T20I series against Bangladesh, the hosts have in their squad four men – each of them having trodden a different path – who can open the batting in the shortest format.Upul Tharanga – the oldest of the four – has usually been thought of for the longer formats, but has recently unveiled a more explosive avatar to his batting. By contrast, 26-year-old Kusal Perera, the only batsman who has tasted some consistent success as a T20 opener, has not been in the best touch of late. Though he was part of the victorious World T20 campaign in Bangladesh, his form in the recent past has been somewhat shaky.Dilshan Munaweera had an abortive first stint in the team, but has since found his way back into Sri Lankan colours via the global T20 circuit. As for the newest of their opening options, Danushka Gunathilaka has a reputation of being a live wire in the field, and can also double up as a useful part-time bowler. However, at the moment, he is trading more on potential than tangible results.Under normal circumstances, there would be little pressure for Sri Lanka to lock down their best opening combination immediately – considering there is no world T20 tournament on the horizon. However, with both the ODI and Test series having been drawn 1-1, there is little more at stake in this series than usual.Taking into account how the odds stack up against both teams ahead of the T20 series, Captain Tharanga said the issue of choosing the opening combination deserved a little mulling over.”We really haven’t decided on the openers, and we have to take the opposition’s plans into account,” Tharanga said. “They have the offspinner Mehedi Hasan, and he often opens the bowling – as we saw in the ODIs. So, that can affect the combination. And, we might also want a right-hand left-hand combination.”This suggests Munaweera is likely to open the innings, as he is the only right-handed batsman among the quartet, and as such, is best-equipped to neutralise Mehedi.According to Tharanga, the opening combination is not the only area where Sri Lanka have options. Thanks to their recent successes – albeit against depleted opposition – Sri Lanka may head into the T20I series with a little more confidence.”In the last two series, we beat South Africa in South Africa and Australia in Australia, which is never easy to do,” Tharanga said. “They were top teams at the moment in the T20 format. We are in good shape in the T20s, and we have a lot more experience, especially with players like Lasith Malinga coming back, and Nuwan Kulasekara and Thisara Perera being there as well.”We have explosive batsmen up the top of the order, but some firepower lower down as well in Seekkuge Prasanna and Chamara Kapugedara.”Though Tharanga revealed on Saturday that he had asked for an offspinner – Dilruwan Perera – to be added to Sri Lanka’s ODI squad after the selectors had initially failed to name one, he did express support for the selectors’ policy of stacking T20I sides with allrounders.”In T20Is, a lot changes with the situation. Sometimes, if you have players that can play a few big shots and contribute with a couple of overs at the right time, it can be an advantage.”As specialist bowlers, we’ve got Malinga and Kulasekara; Lakshan Sandakan as a spinner, and Seekkuge as well, who bowled all four overs in Australia. We’re just looking for one or two overs from the allrounders,” Tharanga said.

Chelsea has agreed a €15million (£12.95m) fee with Brazilian side Santos for 18-year-old winger Angelo Gabriel according to a number of reports.

Speaking on talkSPORT, South American expert Tim Vickery revealed that the man management of Mauricio Pochettino will be key in getting the youngster's career back on track after a disappointing campaign.

What is the latest news regarding Angelo to Chelsea?

According to multiple reports, The Blues have agreed a fee with Santos to sign the winger, who is set to sign a contract at the club until 2028.

The Brazilian youth internationals contract at Santos contained a € 60m release clause, but the Brasileiro Serie A side have agreed to sell for €15m.

Barcelona held preferential rights to match any offer received for the 18-year-old, a clause they've held for over a year, however, it appears the Spanish champions have decided against matching the offer from the London side.

Chelsea plan to send the inside forward out on loan to Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, who finished 15th in Ligue 1 last season, which is the club that current Blues owner Todd Boehly recently purchased for £65m.

Angelo Gabriel is the second player to head to Stamford Bridge from Brazilian football this year, after Andrey Santos joined from Vasco de Gama in January.

What did Tim Vickery say about Angelo?

Tim Vickery revealed that Chelsea and manager Pochettino have a major part to play in helping get Angelo's career back on track after it stalled a bit this season.

Speaking on TalkSPORT, Vickery said: "I mean this year Santos are dreadful. They're really not playing well, and he's lost his place in the starting lineup, so he's on the bench, coming off the bench, so his career is stalled a little bit. He has immense promise, Barcelona had the option on him and Barcelona had to wave that option before Chelsea were free to sign him.

His career has stalled a little bit and this is up to the man management at Chelsea with Pochettino and whatever to get him back on track because he's been marked out as an extraordinary talent for a long time but we all know there's a huge difference that road between promise and reality. It's a long unwinding one and a lot of things can happen so I think because too much pressure has been forced on him too early, he stalled a little bit and Chelsea will have to work hard with the human being in order to get the best out of the player."

Is Angelo Gabriel a good signing for Chelsea?

Angelo has made 129 appearances across his career and has recorded 15 goals and assists. This previous campaign was a disappointing one for the 18-year-old, with him only managing two goals and one assist across 32 games, with a number of appearances coming off the bench as the winger was dropped for an extended spell.

Despite this, the Brazilian has received plenty of praise throughout his career and has been compared to the likes of Paris Saint Germain winger Neymar and Real Madrid winger Rodrygo in the past due to his skills and his similar career start.

His former coach Ariel Holan told SporTV: "I see a lot of potential in Angelo. He is a boy who likes to go for the goal. I really like Brazilian football, and Angelo plays Brazilian football. This essence of dribbling, of taking on the opponent, is very important.

He has a huge future. By working hard, he will be able to play not only at Santos, but I believe that, in the future, he will be able to play in major leagues around the world."

It's clear to see Chelsea have a real wonderkid on their hands, who could explode if Pochettino is able to manage him correctly.