The appointment has been made with Vision 2019 – South Africa’s plan for the World Cup in England – and beyond in mind

Sidharth Monga in Centurion03-Feb-20182:08

Amla and de Kock’s favourite ODI venue

In a big call, with the 2019 World Cup in mind, South Africa have unveiled Aiden Markram, all of two ODIs old, as their 50-overs captain for the remaining five ODIs against India in the absence of the injured Faf du Plessis.Markram will be second-youngest player to captain South Africa in ODIs. He has previously led the Under-19 side, with whom he won the world title in 2014, his franchise, the Titans, and the South African A team as well. “Part of our plan is to make sure we look at our Vision 2019 and also making sure that part of our plan is to develop young leaders in view of the post-2019 plans,” Linda Zondi, the selection convenor said. “I think Aiden fit in.”Markram is among the most inexperienced members of the squad. Only Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada are younger, and only Ngidi and Khaya Zondo have played fewer matches. “We are aware that Markram is new to our set-up,” Zondi said. “Part of our plan is to also build that pool of leaders within the set-up. I think Markram has always been in our plans since he was U-19 captain, leading up to SA A, and now joining the Proteas. Yes, there will be pressure in terms of him maybe understanding his role and also being able to perform as a player. For us, we want to see if he can handle pressure, because part of leadership is to be able to adjust and perform under pressure. We think he has the right skill and the right capability to do so.”Markram has been chosen ahead of more established players such as Hashim Amla (he might have been reluctant to take up the job again), Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy and David Miller. “Yes, it can be an intimidating thing,” Markram said of the prospect of leading the seniors. “But the culture in the team is so good. It allows for a young player like myself to go and engage with a guy like Hashim Amla, who’s a legend of the game. It makes it a lot easier for me, it’s not something I see as intimidating.”I’ll keep Hash close to my side in the field, and obviously other experienced players as well. It’s going to be something very exciting, it’s going to be a new challenge. But it’s a positive challenge to look forward to.”Zondi singled out Markram’s ability to make independent decisions while also being open to advice as a quality that helped them make the decision. “His awareness of the game, his confidence when making decisions… To lead senior guys, it is always challenging when you are a young guy and you have to make decisions. He is the kind of guy, in our opinion, who is willing to open himself to advice. He has got that supporting structure around the team at the moment. We have got Hashim Amla and JP, guys who are going to be here. Captaincy is a special skill. You don’t just wake up one morning and become a captain. He has been there, he has done that, it is a matter of us giving him an opportunity.”Aiden Markram looks to play a shot•Getty Images

Markram has come up dreaming about captaining South Africa. “It’s a big honour,” he said. “Obviously as a little boy you grow up and you want to captain your country one day. Unfortunately for the team’s sake, Faf misses out. It’s a big loss to the side. But then the selectors showing confidence in me to take over, it means quite a bit. It’s a super humbling experience, but yes, we’re going to need to do this for Faf, I believe.”Markram heard he was in line for the job on Friday night, and once he confirmed he was willing to do it, the official decision was conveyed to him on Monday morning. “I managed to sleep, yeah,” he said. “Luckily I really enjoy captaining. It’s going to be an additional pressure to deal with, but I believe it’s a good pressure. You get good and bad sort of pressures, and for me it’s really a pressure that hopefully I can thrive on.”In addition to taking on du Plessis’ responsibilities as leader of the side, Markram will also bat at No. 3 in the batting order. “Faf’s sort of taken me under his wing since I’ve been involved in the environment,” Markram said. “We’ve spoken a lot and this morning, throughout the training session I’ve been almost side by side, spending time chatting about plans, how he goes about things, and obviously passing on some advice to take into the game.”I’ll keep him close to me, he’s luckily going to be here throughout the game. I’ll keep sending messages on and off the field, asking for advice, asking for any hints. But at the end of the day, it’s going to be my decision to make on the field, though. Fortunately, like Linda said, there’s plenty of experience within the squad, and it won’t be a decision made just by myself. I’ll definitely consult the senior players, obviously for the better interest of the side as well.”Zondi won’t commit if Markram will be named the vice-captain for the Australia series in March, but he said handing over the captaincy to him for the ODIs against India was not a difficult choice. “If AB de Villiers was around, and other senior players, we would have probably looked at different options. But at the moment, with both our so-called former captains not around, it was an ideal opportunity for us that here is Markram, let’s see what he can offer. We are confident. He wants to do it as well. It just gives us an opportunity to open it up and see what he can offer.”

It takes a lot to get Roy Keane excited, but the Irishman had plenty to smile about when heading to San Francisco for NFL play-off action.

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• Irishman is a big fan of American football
• Has attended International Games at Wembley
• Following bid for Super Bowl glory in 2024

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Manchester United legend was among those in attendance as the 49ers kept their hopes of Super Bowl in 2024 alive with a thrilling 24-21 victory over the Green Bay Packers. Keane was in the stands at Levi’s Stadium, with the side that he pledges allegiance to doing their “job” on the night.

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  Keane revealed during an NFL discussion on Sky Sports in January 2023 that he is “49ers all the way”, with the former Red Devils midfielder responding to claims from Gary Neville that he “doesn’t get” the appeal of American football.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Keane has previously attended NFL International Games at Wembley Stadium, alongside former coaching partner Martin O’Neill, and has now taken the opportunity to cross the Atlantic and get a proper taste of the live action experience on American soil.

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• WHAT NEXT?

  With the 49ers having avoided an upset against the seventh-seeded Packers, they will now play host to either the Detroit Lions or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship game. If they were to prevail in that contest, then the five-time Super Bowl winners would get another shot at lofting the Vince Lombardi Trophy at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on February 11.

United States women's national team star Emily Fox has signed for Arsenal, leaving the North Carolina Courage after a superb year with the NWSL club.

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USWNT star Fox announced by ArsenalLeaves North Carolina Courage after one yearAdds necessary depth to the Gunners' defenceWHAT HAPPENED?

Fox was fantastic for the Courage in 2023 to help the club reach the NWSL play-offs, making GOAL's team of the season as a result, but she has left the club after just one year to sign for Arsenal in the Women's Super League. It's a move that has been rumoured for some time, with several reports emerging about the transfer before Fox was spotted in the background of the Gunners' training photos earlier this week.

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Speaking upon the announcement of the move, Fox said: "It feels amazing to have signed here. When I think of Arsenal, I think of excellence, I think of a global organization, I think of family. I think of pushing the standards of football and especially in the women’s game. It’s a huge honour to get the opportunity to represent this club and I’m excited to get started and play in front of our supporters."

Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall added: "We’re delighted to bring Emily to Arsenal and I’m sure our supporters will join me in welcoming her to our club. Emily has shown impressive development over recent seasons and her strengths in both phases will make her an important addition to our squad. At international level, the experience she’s built up gives her an excellent foundation to make the transition to English football."

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Fox, who can play on either side of the defence, will add necessary depth to the Arsenal squad in the full-back department as the Gunners battle for the WSL title. Right-back Noelle Maritz joined Aston Villa earlier this month while Laura Wienroither remains sidelined with an ACL injury she suffered at the end of last season. That said, Arsenal will lose Fox for several weeks when the USWNT compete in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, which kicks off on February 20.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Fox debuted for her country back in 2018, when she was still in college, and will become the third USWNT star to play for Arsenal in the WSL era, following in the footsteps of Heather O'Reilly and Tobin Heath.

Debate sounded about the Dead Ball law after an unusual gaffe from the Melbourne Renegades wicketkeeper Emma Inglis nearly cost her team their Women’s Big Bash League encounter against the Sydney Sixers in Victoria on Wednesday.In a dramatic finish, with the Sixers requiring three runs off the final ball, Inglis’ premature celebrations inadvertently allowed a second run as Sixers tied the Renegades’ score of 120. Renegades, however, prevailed in the one-over eliminator to spare their blushes.With two to defend, Renegades offspinner Amy Satterthwaite pitched up to Sarah Aley, the Sixers No. 9, whose drive trickled down behind square off the inside edge.With the throw from fine leg coming in accurately to Inglis, the two batsmen had just enough time for a single. However, Inglis, in her excitement, did not stand over the stumps and check an acceptance that the ball was dead.Instead, she threw the ball in the air after collecting it cleanly, and allowed it to drop to the ground, leaving the ball still in play. Amid celebrations from the Renegades players, Aley showed sharp presence of mind to spot the opportunity quickly and took off for the second.Satterthwaite seemed to be the only Renegades player to have understood the danger and began to frantically sprint towards the stumps. By the time Inglis had realised her blunder and turned around, Satterthwaite had swooped down on the ball. She dived towards the stumps with the ball in her outstretched right hand, but Aley had put in a timely dive of her own and Sixers secured the tie.Once discussions with the umpires had subsided, players and fans alike studied the Dead Ball law, Law 20, with a debate breaking out on social media. Some claimed that the Law was somewhat contradictory and created a grey area as to when the ball was actually dead.Law 20.2 clearly puts the onus upon the umpires to determine when the ball has come to rest, stating: “Whether the ball is finally settled or not is a matter for the umpire alone to decide.”Another relevant rule, Law 20.1.1.1, states that the ball becomes dead when “it is finally settled in the hands of the wicket-keeper or of the bowler.” However, the Law goes on: “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batsmen at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.”*The MCC, the custodian of the Laws, backed the decision of the umpires. It said that since the bowler Satterthwaite reacted immediately after Inglis threw the ball, “clearly there is a member of the fielding side who believes it is still live.”In fact, Aley doesn’t set off for her second run until Satterthwaite is half-way down the pitch – at which point the ball cannot be dead under 20.1.2.”After the dramatic tie, the one-over eliminator also went to a last-ball finish. The Sixers lost two wickets as Renegades medium-pacer Hayley Jensen conceded just one four and restricted them to 8. Though the Renegades began with a first-ball four, Sixers stretched the game to the last ball, before Jess Cameron knocked off the requisite one run to seal the win.The Renegades collected two points to move past the Adelaide Strikers into fourth position, while the Sixers remained in second despite their defeat.* January 3, 2.30pm GMT The story has been updated with the MCC’s reaction

Leeds United need to act quickly if they are to enjoy the summer of transfer revolution that will propel them back into the top flight. Having focused on the defence, they could now turn their attention to the other end of the field…

Is Emmanuel Dennis leaving Nottingham Forest?

Of the various offensive targets that have emerged throughout the window, few stand out like Emmanuel Dennis, who ticks many boxes with regard to quality, availability and price tag, all of which would have piqued manager Daniel Farke's interest.

The Nigerian marksman has been linked on many occasions now, with the latest report emerging just last month. It is noted within that his exit has already been sanctioned by Nottingham Forest, who surely have to cull their bloated squad further after last summer's recruitment drive.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

He is valued at €10.7m (£9m) by FootballTransfers, despite still having three years left on his £40k-per-week deal at the City Ground.

How good is Emmanuel Dennis?

By securing such a coup from the Tricky Trees, Farke would be gaining a versatile forward capable of leading the line on his own, playing within a striker partnership, or even operating from out wide.

Wherever he is put though, one thing is certain: he will bring goals.

The 25-year-old titan only moved to England in 2021 and took no time acclimatising to life with Watford despite the troubles that surrounded the club. Even as they fell to the drop, Dennis posted ten goals and a further six assists, with his move to Nottingham expected to continue this trend.

However, for whatever reason, Steve Cooper only afforded the finisher six starts in the league last term.

It is this lack of faith that has handed the Whites an opportunity to prey on his expected frustration, bringing him to Elland Road with the promise that he will surely be their main man.

With experience of starring at the level above the Championship, they will hope he can not only fire them back into the top-flight but help them remain there for longer than their most recent stint.

After all, journalist Josh Bunting did outline just how prolific Dennis had been during that aforementioned campaign:

"Emmanuel Dennis has been one of the most underrated players outside of Watford fans this season, he’s been a very good addition. 4 goals and 5 assists in 11 Premier League games should be being spoken about much more. Today he was absolutely electric from the start to finish."

In securing a deal from Forest, the west Yorkshire outfit actually could replicate a success of the past, given Alf-Inge Haaland took that same path when he joined in 1997.

The Norwegian would go on to feature 87 times for the club, starring in one of their finest periods in recent history, despite the financial issues that rumbled on in the background. He was a fine utility man for George Graham and David O'Leary, even starring in their historic run to the Champions League semi-final in 2001.

His subsequent sale would also recoup the club a fine £2.5m fee, but it was not enough to save them from their subsequent debilitating drop through the divisions.

Should Dennis help them enjoy a period of success even half as enjoyable as the one which Haaland frequented, then this would be another deal from Forest certainly worth making.

Celtic are set for a 'crucial' period of the transfer window as Brendan Rodgers looks to acquire new talent and retain key assets at Parkhead, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest news involving Celtic?

The Hoops have been active in the market as Rodgers looks to maintain dominance in Scotland alongside making strides in the Champions League and have brought in six arrivals in the form of Gustaf Lagerbielke, Odin Thiago Holm, Maik Nawrocki, Marco Tilio, Kwon Hyeok-kyu and Yang Hyun-jun, as per Transfermarkt.

Celtic have started the Scottish Premiership campaign in dominant fashion following their domestic clean sweep last term, defeating Ross County 4-2 and claiming a 3-1 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie in their opening two league matches, as per Sky Sports.

Retaining key assets will be an important part of Celtic's summer transfer business and the club have moved to open talks with Reo Hatate and Liel Abada over extending their deals at Parkhead, as per The Daily Record.

Club captain Callum McGregor, star striker Kyogo Furuhashi and Japan international Daizen Maeda have all penned extensions at the Celtic that will tie them to the club for the long-term future.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano has stated that Celtic will place importance on keeping their best players at Parkhead alongside making further inroads to secure arrivals in the latter stages of the window.

Romano stated: “The next few days and weeks are going to be important for Celtic to keep their players at the club. This is crucial, and they know that after the Starfelt deal with Celta Vigo, it’s important for them to keep the players at the club, and then we will see the next moves at the end of the window.”

Who could Celtic sign and who could leave the club this summer?

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has taken to Twitter X to detail that Celtic are keen on Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Daniel Podence, stating the following: "Celtic are keen on Wolves winger Daniel Podence. He has one year left on his contract & wasn’t included in the squad last night. Wolves want around £12m, but it’s understood Celtic see room for negotiation, if they make an approach."

According to The Northern Echo, the Hoops are believed to be readying a 'formal approach' for Newcastle United outcast Ryan Fraser, who is out of the picture at St James' Park alongside Republic of Ireland international Jeff Hendrick and Isaac Hayden.

Fraser has been training with Newcastle United's second string and Celtic boss Rodgers has identified him as a 'viable target' to strengthen the wide areas.

Nantes full-back Quentin Merlin is also on the radar at Parkhead and has been scouted by Celtic on several occasions; however, it is said that the French youth international will cost in the region of £7 million, according to Mailplus.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier is reportedly a target for Celtic, though they will have to fend off competition from the likes of Crystal Palace, AS Monaco, Sporting Clube de Portugal and Saudi Pro League outfit Al Nassr, as per 90min.

The Times have shared an update on Tottenham Hotspur's transfer plans involving Nottingham Forest star Brennan Johnson this summer.

Who will Spurs sign?

So far, Spurs have sealed deals for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, young centre-back Ashley Phillips, defender Micky van de Ven, playmaker James Maddison, winger Manor Solomon and striker Alejo Veliz.

The Lilywhites are also off and running under new manager Ange Postecoglou, having drawn 2-2 away to Brentford last Sunday, courtesy of unlikely goals from defenders Cristian Romero and Emerson Royal.

Following the departure of star striker Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, though, attention very much remains on the transfer market and how Tottenham could reinforce their ranks before deadline day on September 1.

New forwards have been linked to replacing Kane, perhaps most notably Gent's highly-rated striker Gift Orban, with Forest winger Johnson also on their radar.

The Wales international, who stood out as a key player under Steve Cooper at the City Ground last term, is a wanted man across London.

Indeed, the likes of West Ham and Chelsea are also keen on signing Johnson, with Tottenham joining their English capital rivals in that respect.

Chelsea joined the race for him after their deal to sign Crystal Palace star Michael Olise fell through this week, and Forest value the player at around £50 million.

That is according to The Times, who say Tottenham are also eyeing the winger ahead of a possible move. In a boost for Postecoglou's side, it is believed Johnson "had favoured joining Spurs" and is open to leaving Forest this summer.

The Lilywhites, for their part, are aiming to reinvest the £94.5 million financial windfall from Kane's sale into Postecoglou's squad.

How good is Brennan Johnson?

Johnson registered a brilliant eight goals and three assists in the top flight last season, all while ranking among Forest's very best for attempts at goal and key passes made per 90, according to WhoScored.

During Forest's FA Cup clash with Arsenal in 2022, pundit Roy Keane also heaped praise on the 22-year-old as a "very talented" young player.

"No doubt a lot of teams are looking at him and we'll see if Forest can hold on to him," said Keane on ITV (via Nottinghamshire Live)

"It will be interested to see what he's like against a tricky team. He's got a bit of pace and he's tricky.

"He's got an assist in him and he's really talented. Sometimes you need to go out on loan."

Meanwhile, Wales international boss Robert Page also called the attacker "wonderful" – whilst hinting the sky is the limit for him.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

“Brennan could potentially have had a move in January,” said Page in 2022.

“But he decided to stay because he’s at a club where he was going to play and enjoy his football.

“That speaks volumes about him. He didn’t go chasing the money. He’s almost the finished article now and Forest have got a wonderful player on their hands.

“I’ve been to watch him a few times and he’s playing with freedom. He’s really enjoying his football."

Though he had calmed down somewhat after the match, Steven Smith was far from impressed when given out caught behind at a vital phase of Australia’s innings

Daniel Brettig21-Jan-2018Australia’s captain Steven Smith has called for an end to the practice of on-field umpires offering a “soft signal” to the third umpire on disputed catches, arguing that technology should be arbiter in such cases as the immediate reactions of players in the middle have often proven to be flawed.Smith was given out caught behind at a critical juncture of the third ODI in Sydney on Sunday, edging low to Jos Buttler who immediately celebrated the catch. The on-field umpires Chris Gaffaney and Simon Fry then referred the catch to the TV umpire Kumar Dharmasena with the soft signal of “out”, and while replays shrouded the catch in far greater doubt, Dharmasena did not deem it to be enough to overrule the initial impression of his colleagues.In assessing the process, Smith said he felt that the umpires’ signal was often dictated by the reactions – either celebratory or ambivalent – of players in the middle, and carried too much weight relative to the evidence provided by television cameras. He said he would prefer a system where the third umpire made a ruling based purely on the pictures in front of him.”I’m not sure I’m a big fan of the ruling with the soft signal. That’s obviously the ruling at the moment and it’s hard to overturn anything,” Smith said. “We’ve seen a few this summer that have been pretty similar and if the fielder goes up and actually celebrates they usually get given out and if you’re a bit apprehensive of what’s happened they normally get given not out.”It’s hard for them to overturn the decision. I’d actually like for the third umpire to have to make the decision whether it’s out or not. Just them having to do it, if that makes sense.”The soft signal was introduced for disputed catches in part because it was felt that two dimensional camera images and foreshortening often added doubt to catches that all on the field had considered clean, meaning too many were ruled not out as a matter of course. Simon Taufel, the former ICC umpires training manager, has explained the reason for its existence by stating that umpires needed to retain the primary responsibility for decision-making.”It’s part of the decision-making process,” he told the in 2016. “If the third umpire cannot find conclusive evidence to prove that the original on-field decision is incorrect, then it stands. On-field umpires are there to make decisions and answer appeals, not simply to send them upstairs to the third umpire to take the call.”Decision making is an important skill and one that should be applied at the highest level of the game. So, the soft signal maintains the premise that the decision-making happens on field and not just left to technology to provide an outcome.”David Warner fell early in Australia’s chase•Associated PressButtler, for his part, remained adamant he had caught the ball cleanly when queried about it afterwards. “I was pretty sure it was out,” he said. “I think any wicketkeeper would tell you, you know if you get your fingers underneath it. It always looks a bit either way on TV but for me it was out.”Smith made it clear he was not questioning Buttler’s honesty: “He obviously thought it was out, he’s a pretty honest guy, so he thought it was out and it got given out so I had to walk off.”Other questions had been raised about Smith via footage that showed him rubbing the side of his lips before shining the ball during England’s innings – the use of saliva is permitted under the game’s laws but lip balm is not. “It was all spit,” Smith said. “People said something about lip balm. If you look at my lips, they’re pretty dry, I certainly didn’t have any of that on. It’s just the way I get some spit into the side of my mouth and get some spit onto the ball. So there was nothing in it.”As for Australia’s loss, surrendering the series to England in the minimum three matches, Smith said he needed to improve personally alongside a better collective effort from his men. “Five wins out of last 18 games and that’s just not good enough,” he said. “We’ve got to start finding ways to get over the line. Looking at this game I think the first 44 overs was really good and then Jos played particularly well at the end and Woakesy played well as well.”But I don’t think we executed well. We probably just needed to bowl some good balls at the top of the stumps and try to get them swinging across the line; we bowled too full or too short and got hurt. We probably should have been chasing somewhere around 270 or 280 and then if we do that things might have been a lot different.”I’ve got to play some better cricket. It was about me trying to control the middle with the spinners and keep getting off strike. Tonight I wasn’t good enough at that. I should have been up around a run a ball, it would have made things a bit easier at the back end. Not many balls were hitting the middle of my bat, which was disappointing. I don’t know what it is. Maybe I need to watch the ball a bit closer or something like that. It’s something to look at for Adelaide, hopefully I can do it a lot better and start helping this team win some games of cricket.”Fined 40% of his match fee for being deemed two overs behind the required over rate and now facing a ban for a repeat offence over the next 12 months, Smith said that he and the bowlers needed to be more disciplined in the field – no fewer than 13 wides and a no-ball effectively granted England more than two extra overs.”Yeah it’s not ideal, it’s two extra overs and 14 runs or thereabouts,” Smith said. “They’ve got to be a bit better with that as well. I think we were about 27 minutes over time as well so it’s going to cost me a bit, but I don’t mind that. It’s not ideal to have to bowl two extra overs and give away runs against a quality opposition.”

The first round of BCL saw Central Zone’s crushing defeat and Mominul Haque’s 344-ball 258

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2018North Zone crushed Central Zone by nine wickets in the first round of the Bangladesh Cricket League in Sylhet. North Zone took only 12.1 overs to achieve their fourth-innings target of 68.Central Zone had taken a slender lead after posting 336 in the second innings, a marked improvement from being 188 all out in the first. Raqibul Hasan made 105 in little under four hours, having struck 17 fours. He added 114 runs for the sixth wicket with Tanbir Hayder, after which captain Mosharraf Hossain’s 61 helped them avoid an innings-defeat.Ariful Haque added three wickets to his first innings four-wicket haul, while Suhrawadi Shuvo took four wickets in the second innings.North Zone dominated the early part of the game by taking a 269-run lead through their first innings total of 457 for 9. Jahurul Islam made 158 off 244 balls. He added 176 runs for the sixth wicket with Dhiman Ghosh who was dismissed for 93.On the first day, Central Zone had slipped to 77 for 7 before Irfan Sukkur’s half-century rescued them. Shafiul Islam and Subashis Roy took two wickets each.Mominul Haque made 258, his highest first-class score, in East Zone‘s drawn game against South Zone at the BKSP-4 ground in Savar. Arriving at the crease in the 15th over of the first day, Mominul batted a shade over eight hours as he struck 23 fours and three sixes..Riding on his second career double-hundred, East Zone reached 546 runs in just 129.5 overs. Mominul added 233 runs for the sixth wicket with Zakir Hossain, who made 119 – his third first-class century. Zakir struck six fours and four sixes in his 169-ball innings. Abdur Razzak took his most expensive six-wicket haul while Saqlain Sajib picked up three wickets.South Zone were then bowled out for 395 runs in 110.5 overs after centuries from Tushar Imran and Mosaddek Hossain. The pair added 218 runs for the fourth wicket; Tushar reached his 25th first-class ton in the process. Mosaddek, unable to get into the Bangladesh ODI side due to doubts about his eyesight following an infection last year, struck 11 fours and four sixes during his 226-ball 110.East Zone added 93 to their 151-run first-innings lead before the game ended in a draw.

After Newcastle United won 3-1 against Aston Villa, Bruno Guimaraes gave his shirt to a fan in exchange for a double pack of Kinder Buenos.

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• Guimaraes trades his shirt with fan
• Received double pack of Kinder Bueno
• Newcastle beat Aston Villa 3-1

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As the Brazilian headed towards the tunnel, he spotted a fan holding the Kinder Bueno pack and swapped his shirt to get his hands on the popular chocolate treat. Guimaraes then made his way to the dressing room, but it's not clear whether Newcastle coach Eddie Howe would have allowed him to indulge in an unhealthy snack straight after a game. The Magpies have yet to make a major signing in the January transfer window, but this particular exchange brought a smile to the Brazilian's face and the fan that went away with his jersey.

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  The win was an important one for the Magpies as they halted a four-match losing run in the Premier League. Thanks to a brace from Fabian Schar and an own goal by Alex Moreno, they cruised to victory over the in-form Villans. Newcastle now sit in seventh place, 11 points outside the Champions League places.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GUIMARAES?

  The Brazilian has been a pivotal player for Eddie Howe over the last couple of seasons and has quickly become a favourite among the Toon Army. Thanks to his performances in the centre of midfield he has also garnered interest from European heavyweights like Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona, and his stock will only keep rising if he puts in another strong performance in Newcastle's next game against Luton on Saturday.