It's finally official! USWNT star Emily Fox announced as an Arsenal player days after being spotted in the background of the Gunners' training pictures

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.

Sunderland Can Replace Michut With Swoop For £6k-p/w Ace

Sunderland kick off their 2023/24 Championship season in a week's time as they host Ipswich Town at the Stadium of Light next Sunday.

Who have Sunderland signed this summer?

The Black Cats faithful could see a host of fresh faces on the pitch for their side during the game as Tony Mowbray and Kristjaan Speakman have worked together to bring in six new signings so far.

Nectarios Triantis, Jobe Bellingham, Bradley Dack, Luis Hemir Semedo, Eliezer Mayenda, and Jenson Seelt have all arrived on permanent deals.

That does not appear to be the end of their business for the summer transfer window, though, as it was recently reported by the Daily Mail that the Black Cats are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Southampton central midfielder Will Smallbone.

The outlet named Luton Town, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, and Blackburn Rovers as some of the other teams eyeing up the Irish maestro, who has one year left to run on his current contract at St. Mary's.

How good is Will Smallbone?

A loan spell with Stoke City during the 2022/23 campaign proved that the 23-year-old technician is an excellent Championship performer who could be a fantastic addition to Sunderland's squad if they are able to snap him up.

Mowbray can land the dream replacement for Edouard Michut, who returned to Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his time with the Black Cats last season, by winning the race to secure Smallbone's signature this summer ahead of top-flight competition.

Michut made 24 league appearances for the club last term and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.64, which placed him 20th within the squad. This shows that the French midfielder struggled to deliver consistently impressive displays as he was not one of the team's top performers.

Former Sunderland loanee Edouard Michut.

The 20-year-old gem did make 1.6 tackles per game, which only four of his teammates eclipsed, but he offered very little going forward with 0.2 key passes per game – less than 16 other players on the roster.

On the other hand, Smallbone showcased himself to be a tough-tackling creator who can be relied on to produce excellent performances on a consistent basis at this level.

He averaged a Sofacore rating of 7.00, which would have placed him joint-third with winger Jack Clarke in the Sunderland squad, and caught the eye in the defensive third with 1.7 tackles per match for the Potters.

The £6k-per-week magician also made a significant impact in possession as he created 1.6 chances per clash and racked up five assists for Alex Neil's team. Meanwhile, only Clarke (1.5) produced more key passes per game for Sunderland and only three players managed more than five assists.

These statistics suggest that Smallbone, who was once dubbed a "special" talent by journalist Josh Bunting, has the ability to be one of Mowbray's best players next season, if he can replicate his Stoke form or even improve on it.

The Saints wizard could be an outstanding creative threat from the middle of the park in a way that Michut was unable to be, whilst still being able to offer a defensive presence as a tough-tackling number eight who can win possession back for his side.

'Mir wanted former team-mates appointed to selection committee'

Shamsa Hashmi, former general manager of the Pakistan women side, criticised the former captain’s tactics, and said that she had been trying to control Mir’s ‘manoeuvring and hegemony by counselling’

Umar Farooq05-Oct-2017Sana Mir, recently axed from captaincy, has found herself back in the spotlight as the former women’s general manger Shamsa Hashmi said that she had been trying to control Mir’s ‘manoeuvring and hegemony by counselling’. She criticised Mir’s captaincy over the years, saying she had been discouraging players, and had taken shocking on-field decisions. Mir will be replaced by Bismah Maroof as captain, a decision that is part of the PCB’s revamp of its women’s cricket set-up following the team’s poor performance at the World Cup in June. Shamsa was herself dismissed as general manager.”I never spoke earlier in public about what Sana had been saying, because I was part of the PCB, and I do like to follow the organisation’s obligations,” Shamsa told reporters in a rare media appearance at her home. “I heard she didn’t want to work with the management of the women’s wings, but still she had been working with us for the last two-and-a-half years. Now I don’t know what suddenly went wrong. There may be a lot of factors behind it but she never conveyed those to me, except one. She wanted to have her former fellow players appointed to the selection committee, and one of them she wanted to have as women’s team trainer. I didn’t want to be a part of it, and I told her that I would have to think about it. So if that was the problem, then I can’t do anything about it.”Mir, the team manager, and a couple of senior players had been singled out for blame for Pakistan’s winless World Cup campaign. In a damning report, coach Sabih Azhar accused Mir of adopting a “negative approach” and of being completely self-obsessed. He also complained that Ayesha Ashar – who has been sacked from the managerial post and made interim general manager women wings – paid most of her attention to some senior players and was “cold” towards the younger players.”If we recall our World Cup performance this year, it wasn’t bad at all,” Shamsa said. “But the way players are being used, with rapid batting order changes and unorthodox changes in bowling – these are the things that let us down. I want to recall the England match in which Heather Knight and (Natalie) Sciver scored hundreds, and most of their runs were on the leg, but the field wasn’t adjusted accordingly.”Against South Africa, for example, we lost by [a small margin]. We actually lost the game by conceding 16 runs in the second-last over. Scoring 16 runs in last two overs while chasing is always difficult and I believe that over should have been given to your best bowler which the captain didn’t do. Against Sri Lanka, we lost only because we didn’t take the Powerplay and that was the responsibility of the captain in the middle. So these are the critical things to notice.”Mir, 31, had, before the World Cup, hinted at retiring from the game. The PCB top brass then came up with the suggestion of giving Mir a graceful exit, but later decided to retain her for a few series and assess her individual performance. Mir had also stepped down as captain of the T20 side after 2016 Women’s World T20. “I do respect Sana as a player and since she is captain, I wanted to give her a graceful exit,” Shamsa said. “But as far as her manipulation and hegemony is concerned, I told her we should abide only by merit.”

Cristiano Ronaldo causing a storm! Why Portugal star has sparked political controversy in Japan after Nagasaki governor attended match between Al-Nassr and PSG

Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo is causing controversy in Japan after the governor of Nagasaki skipped a meeting back in July to watch him live.

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Al-Nassr & Ronaldo played PSG in July in Osaka, JapanNagasaki Governor attended using government fundsControversy rising over situation, calls for resignationWHAT HAPPENED?

reports that Ronaldo's friendly with Al-Nassr against PSG in July saw the Nagasaki Governor, Kengo Oishi, attend the match using government money. The match was played in Osaka, 732.1 Kilometers from the Island off the coast of Japan by road. Oishi claims he purchased the ticket with his own money, but travel accommodation and travel funds came out of the governments pocket. To make matters worse, the governor skipped an official meeting to attend the match.

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The report adds that Oishi claims the purpose of the event was to speak with Ronaldo's party about potentially playing a role in a future publicity event, while "some officials" claim no deal existed with the Portuguese forward. Demands for the resignation of Oishi are now rolling in, while many of his supporters also claim that the publicity would have benefitted the city, meaning the governor was acting in good faith.

DID YOU KNOW?

The two sides played to a 0-0 draw in the friendly in Osaka, with Neymar then playing for PSG in the match before his Saudi Arabian switch to Al-Hilal.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO AND NASSR

The Saudi Arabian side are back in action on December 22 against Al-Ettifaq, before a crucial Pro League match against Al-Ittihad on the 26th. For Ronaldo, now is a chance for some downtime until his next match, with an 11-day break before he takes the pitch again.

Explained: Why the BBC are in dispute with Premier League over Match of the Day TV rights deal

BBC are currently in a dispute with the Premier League over hosting rights as they are looking to reduce the £60million-a-year fee they currently pay.

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BBC in dispute with Premier LeagueLooking to reduce the yearly fee of £60mThere will be fewer games in their slotGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

According to a report from The Daily Mail last month, the iconic 'BBC Match of the Day' show was set to remain the broadcaster for another four years from 2025. The likes of Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITV decided against bidding for the rights to Match of the Day as they did not find it commercially viable. However, a new report from The Daily Mail now suggests that there is an ongoing conversation between the BBC and Premier League to reduce the yearly fee that is charged.

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There could only be three Saturday afternoon kickoffs since the Premier League is planning to broadcast up to 270 live games a season, the majority of which will take place on Sundays. While the BBC airs Match of the Day 2 on Sunday nights as well, its flagship Saturday show, hosted by Gary Lineker, garners higher viewership. The BBC places special emphasis on the 3 pm kickoffs because of the extensive coverage that live broadcast games receive elsewhere on the other platforms.

DID YOU KNOW?

There is an ongoing petition to get rid of the blackout of the Premier League games between 2:15 pm and 5:15 pm. Since before the Premier League was established, broadcasters have only been permitted to air the early and late matches on national television in the UK due to the blackout with the majority of the games not broadcast on television. However, American investors are looking to get rid of the blackout as a means of increasing the broadcast revenue from the games.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR THE BROADCAST RIGHTS?

It is still expected that the broadcast rights will remain with BBC as their competitors have also raised the same concerns regarding the extremely high yearly fees for hosting the famous slot of Premier League games.

Borthwick slipstreams 'master' Sangakkara

Surrey’s Kumar Sangakkara and Scott Borthwick added a partnership of 256 on the final day to ensure a draw against Lancashire

Tim Wigmore at Kia Oval17-Apr-2017
ScorecardIf Surrey are to make the title tilt that many consider within their grasp, they will seldom be able to bully teams as they did Warwickshire at The Oval last week. To thrive in a Division One that appears more competitive than ever, Surrey will need resilience, stubbornness, and the savvy to escape from precarious positions with minimal harm. Kumar Sangakkara and Scott Borthwick displayed plenty of such qualities in adding 256 to ensure a draw against Lancashire.Both played magnificently. In recent times Sangakkara’s innings for Surrey have taken on the air of a father playing with children in the park without wanting to be too mean-spirited: he has thrashed the bowling around a little and then generously chipped the ball to the on side, as in his tame dismissal for 46 on the third day.His brilliance for Surrey has been more fleeting than a club would hope from their overseas star; a year had passed since his last Championship century, during which there have been seven half-centuries, each containing wondrous shots yet none leaving an indelible mark on a match. But here, dreamy batsmanship fused with tenacity, as if Sangakkara was piqued by the notion that this game would be defined by another retired Test great, Shivnarine Chanderpaul.After Surrey’s inertia against Lancashire’s spin twins in their first innings, Sangakkara resolved not to let the opposition attack establish such a hold again. Each of his 16 boundaries were hit so sweetly that the fielders themselves seemed inclined to applaud. Three particularly stood out: caressing Kyle Jarvis down the ground, generating ferocious power from nothing more than a nonchalant push; shimmying down the pitch and contemptuously lifting Simon Kerrigan into the second tier; and then slog-sweeping Kerrigan to reach his century, a shot in keeping with the determination to dominate that infused his innings.Borthwick, meanwhile, moved to The Oval hoping to construct innings such as this. He batted rather more austerely than Sangakkara, underpinned by a firm forward stride to inoculate his stumps from harm. If there was less for aesthetes to savour from Borthwick, he was no less effective, sweeping efficiently against spin, greeting any width on the off side by thrashing the ball through the covers, and scything anything short through his favoured leg side, as when he received an egregious long-hop on 99 to reach his century.”It’s something I’ve dreamt of for the last five or six months,” he said. On a day when Durham lost their opening game in Division Two, this, following Mark Stoneman’s debut century for Surrey last week, was another reminder of the talent that Durham has produced and now has lost.It is a little over three years since Borthwick’s solitary Test cap, as a legspinner, and a little under a year since he was primed to be picked against Pakistan as a specialist Test batsman, only for his batting returns to fall away just as the scrutiny increased. On this evidence, the first cap of the new stage of his career might not be far away, though the scramble for England places has seldom been fiercer.Borthwick believes that batting alongside Sangakkara, just as he used to for Durham, will aid his prospects. “Batting with him it’s almost like you’re learning by watching him and the way he’s talking to you. He’s a bit of a batting coach as well, he gives you tips, especially against spin,” Borthwick said. “At Durham you don’t get to play against spin much so it’s good that I did what I did today, and can learn from Sanga – he’s the master.”Yet, as well as Borthwick batted, he knows that honing his legspin, restricted to nine overs so far in 2017, will increase his chances of another England cap.”I don’t want to be a frontline anything – I want to score runs and take wickets and be an allrounder,” he said. “If we get wickets that can turn I might be able to get more wickets. Looking at that wicket there we’ve just batted on, it’ll spin. So hopefully if we do produce wickets like that than myself, Gareth [Batty] and Zafar [Ansari] can come into the game because I think it will definitely spin. Hopefully we can help each other. There’ll be times when it’ll be my day and times when it’ll be their day.”Lancashire’s flag was removed prematurely from the ground in the afternoon, as if preparing the side for an early getaway, and it seemed a recognition that this was not their day. Yet that detracted little from an admirable display in south London, with the return of James Anderson for their next fixture providing a further source of comfort.

East Zone lift title after Virat, Jaggi fifties

ScorecardVirat Singh delivered East Zone the title with his unbeaten 58•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Virat Singh and Ishank Jaggi zoomed to half-centuries as East Zone chased down 150 in just 13.4 overs against West Zone to clinch an eight-wicket win and the 2016-17 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Inter Zonal title. East Zone ended their tournament with a spotless record, winning all four of their matches to finish with 16 points, four ahead of second-placed Central Zone.The duo’s efforts came after right-arm pacer Pritam Das snared 2 for 25 to restrict West Zone to 149 for 5 after they were asked to bat at the Wankhede Stadium.Jaggi walked out with East Zone having made a blistering start to the chase through an opening stand of 61 in just 5.2 overs. Shardul Thakur ended the burst when he had Karthik caught behind for a 14-ball 24. Virat and Jaggi then slammed 80 runs off just 44 balls to shut the doors on a West Zone fightback. Jaggi took over as the dominant partner, scoring 56 of them himself, off 30 balls and with the help of three fours and six sixes.Thakur returned to take out Jaggi in the 13th over, but East Zone were only nine short of the target. They required only six more balls to close out the game, with captain Manoj Tiwary hitting two quick boundaries, while Virat stayed not out on 58 off 34 balls, having struck five fours and three sixes.Thakur took two wickets, but was expensive, giving away 31 runs in three overs, as were all of West Zone’s six remaining bowlers, who ended wicketless.When West Zone batted, Sheldon Jackson tried to hold the innings together with a half-century, but West Zone lost frequent wickets and made slow progress. Deppak Hooda helped Jackson add 40 for the third wicket to lift them from 36 for 2, but their stand came at only a run a ball. When Jackson fell at the start of the 15th over, caught off the left-arm spin of Pragyan Ojha, West Zone only had 92 on the board. That they got to 149 was down to Rujul Bhatt, who struck an unbeaten 36 off 20 balls.East Zone’s bowlers shared the wickets around, with Pritam Das returning 2 for 25, while Suryakant Pradhan, Sayan Ghosh and Ojha took a wicket apiece.
ScorecardFile photo – Harpreet Singh’s 92 made the difference for Central Zone in a tense chase•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In the second match of the day, Central Zone scraped through by two wickets in a high-scoring clash against South Zone.After being inserted, South Zone rode on solid contributions from their middle order to post 181 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. Harpreet Singh led Central Zone’s reply with a career-best 92 off 51 balls that included 10 fours and four sixes.After Vishnu Vinod set the tone for South Zone’s innings with a 15-ball 31 at the top, the trio of Dinesh Karthik (35), captain Vijay Shankar (40) and Pavan Deshpande (33 not out) formed the bulwark of the innings. Their efforts ensured South Zone finished with a strong total in spite of late strikes.Ankit Rajpoot, Aniket Choudhary and Karn Sharma took two wickets each, although Rajpoot was the most economical, giving away just 28 in four overs.Central Zone lost Naman Ojha in the second ball of the chase, before Harpreet and Amandeep Khare steadied them with a 67-run second-wicket stand. Following Khare’s dismissal for 39, the onus fell on Harpreet as none of the other batsmen made an impression. Harpreet nearly saw the team through, and though he fell at the start of the final over, Amit Mishra and Rajpoot fought nerves to knock off the remaining four runs.South Zone used six bowlers, all of whom were among the wickets, but Rahil Shah and Swaroop Kumar impressed the most with returns of 2 for 20 and 1 for 20 respectively.

Sharjeel, Latif provisionally suspended by PCB

The suspensions are part of an ongoing investigation into alleged attempts by an organisation to corrupt the 2017 Pakistan Super League

Umar Farooq in Dubai10-Feb-2017

File photo – Sharjeel Khan was one of the top run-getters in the inaugural Pakistan Super League last year•PCB

Islamabad United batsmen Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif have been provisionally suspended under the PCB’s Anti-Corruption Code as part of an ongoing investigation into an organisation’s alleged attempts to corrupt the 2017 Pakistan Super League. Both batsmen have been sent home and no replacements have been named yet. The PCB’s investigation is being backed by the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit.”It would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of the case, however this investigation is a clear demonstration of our determination to drive corruption out of our sport,” Najam Sethi, chairman of the PSL, said in a statement. “We will not tolerate any form of corrupt activity and as this investigation proceeds we will not hesitate to take further decisive action as appropriate.”The investigation of the PCB Anti-Corruption Unit backed by the ICC ACU has been effective in dealing with this case to date and we will continue to work in the closest collaboration as the investigation proceeds. We are all absolutely committed to relentlessly pursuing anyone who would seek to damage the integrity of our sport.”Later, while speaking to reporters in Dubai on the second day of the league, Sethi added: “We were wary about anything like this and that’s why we were extra vigilant, and we had also beefed up our security and anti-corruption unit. We were using other resources to keep an eye on everything, and then we got evidence that some wrongdoing is underway and then we took action. We are guarding against corruption and we will be ready to take action any time, any day against anyone who is going to damage PSL.”PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan reminded players of their duties under the Anti-Corruption Code. “I must remind all players of their responsibilities in the fight against corruption,” Shaharyar said. “They must understand that if they even think they may have been the subject of a suspicious approach, it is their obligation under the PCB Anti-Corruption Code to report it to an appropriate anti-corruption official as a matter of urgency. Under no circumstances will the PCB condone actions of a few individuals to bring disrepute to the game of cricket or taint the image of Pakistan.”The Islamabad franchise also issued a statement saying they would begin looking for replacements. “We are understandably disappointed at this development but emphasise on our commitment to a zero-tolerance policy towards any violations of the rules or stated guidelines,” the franchise said. “We will be looking to find replacements for the squad as soon as possible.”Sharjeel played the opening match of the 2017 edition for the defending champions Islamabad on Thursday, scoring 1 against Peshawar Zalmi, while Latif was not part of the XI.Both batsmen did well for Islamabad in the 2016 PSL, scoring more than 200 runs. While Sharjeel finished as the third-highest run-scorer overall, with 299 runs in 11 matches, Latif struck 206 runs. The pair then made their returns to the Pakistan side during the 2016 Asia Cup and the World T20 respectively.Sharjeel has featured regularly in limited-overs matches since his comeback and recently made his Test debut against Australia in Sydney, where he scored 4 and 40. Overall, Sharjeel has played 25 ODIs and 15 T20Is since his international debut in December 2013.Latif made a comeback in the World T20 after four years out of the side. Since his debut in 2008, Latif has played five ODIs and 13 T20Is and his most recent appearance for Pakistan came in the T20 series against West Indies in September last year.

Rana, Desai fifties set up big India win

A strong batting effort, led by fifties from Harvik Desai and Himanshu Rana, helped India Under-19s level the five-match series with a rout of England Under-19s in the second ODI at the Brabourne Stadium

The Report by Nikhil Kalro at the Brabourne01-Feb-2017
ScorecardHimanshu Rana followed up his century in the first ODI with a 66-ball 58•PTI

A strong batting effort, led by fifties from Harvik Desai and Himanshu Rana, helped India Under-19s level the five-match series with a rout of England Under-19s in the second ODI at the Brabourne Stadium. After India posted 287, their bowlers combined to bowl England out for 158.Rana, coming off a century in the first ODI at the Wankhede Stadium, showed exemplary defensive technique to weather an accurate opening spell from Matthew Fisher. After Fisher had Prithvi Shaw bowled, Shubman Gill and Rana played some delightful strokes in an 82-run second-wicket stand, particularly square of the wicket on both sides, as England’s bowlers persisted with the shortish length that had earned them success in the opening game.Given the slow nature of the pitch and England’s failure to adjust their lengths, Rana faced no trouble in pulling off the front foot. It seemed, however, that most of India’s batsmen too struggled to adapt to the difference in pace from the series opener. On 24, Gill slapped a cut to point and Rana, shortly after hitting his fourth consecutive fifty-plus score, popped a catch to short midwicket, both batsmen through their shots too early. Priyam Garg, one of six inclusions in India’s XI from the previous game, was strangled down the leg side off Fisher. At that point, India had slipped from 102 for 1 to 108 for 4.Wicketkeeper Desai began India’s rebuild by just picking off what was on offer: England’s spinners weren’t consistent in lines and lengths, and their fielding was shoddy. Along with handy contributions from the middle order, he carried India past 200. Desai struck 10 fours in his 75 before he found cover with a drive he was too early into, giving Fisher his fourth wicket.Cameos from Kamlesh Nagarkoti (36 off 32 balls) and Shiva Singh, who struck two reverse-slaps over short third man and a flicked six over fine leg in his 12-ball 23, helped India post 287. England dropped two catches and conceded nearly 90 runs in the final 10 overs.In their reply, England were rocked early by India’s opening bowlers. Seamer Shivam Mavi, in particular, beat the outside edge repeatedly with nippy outswingers. Opener Max Holden was caught down the leg side. George Bartlett was caught behind, and Harry Brook, who looked solid during his 26, chopped on, another victim of a slow surface.Euan Woods and Ollie Pope led England’s recovery with a staunch fourth-wicket partnership that kept India’s spinners at bay. Both batsmen looked fluent before being dismissed in clumsy fashion: Pope was run-out at the striker’s end, calling for a run to square leg that was never on and Woods chipping a catch to mid-off. Not long after, Tom Banton misread the length from left-arm spinner Anukul Roy, and was bowled attempting to cut a slider. England’s fate, by then, was all but sealed at 101 for 6 in the 24th over.Delray Rawlins, England’s match-winner in the previous game, was fluent from the outset. He was the only batsmen from both teams to persist with cross-batted strokes off the spinners, employing the sweep and reverse-sweep to fruition. He forced India’s spinners, who troubled the rest of the batting line-up, to over-compensate. He profited while waiting on the back foot too, rocking back and muscling sixes straight down the ground. No other batsman in this series has come close to matching his power. He was lbw for 46, off the bowling of Ishan Porel, but the ball may have pitched outside leg.Roy picked up three wickets, while Mavi and Porel chipped in with two each to round off a much-improved performance from India.

Gunaratne impresses as Sri Lanka A close in

ScorecardFile photo – Asela Gunaratne put in an all-round performance for Sri Lanka A•AFP

Asela Gunaratne followed up an impressive 38 with two top-order wickets to help Sri Lanka A close in on victory against West Indies A, who ended day three nine wickets down in their second innings and only 55 in front.Gunaratne first helped Sri Lanka stretch their overnight lead of 72 to 110, adding 49 for the ninth wicket with Lahiru Kumara. Then he took the wickets of Rajendra Chandrika, who failed to go past 5 for the fourth innings in a row, and Shamarh Brooks to hasten West Indies’ second-innings slide. Four West Indies batsmen got past 20, but none of them managed a half-century, with Vishaul Singh top-scoring once again with 46.Gunaratne and offspinner Charith Asalanka took two wickets each, and Asith Fernando removed Singh for 46 as the visitors were reduced to 132 for 8. Sri Lanka were then frustrated by Gudakesh Moti-Kanhai and Keon Joseph, the ninth-wicket pair batting for 19 overs before Lakshan Sandakan trapped Moti-Kanhai in front, off the last ball of the day, to pick up his third wicket.In the morning session, offspinner Rahkeem Cornwall picked up the last two Sri Lanka wickets to end with career-best figures of 8 for 108.

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