Australia have named uncapped allrounder Hilton Cartwright in their squad for next month’s ODI series against New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Nov-20161:45

Awesome to get chance to experience Australian set-up – Cartwright

Hilton Cartwright, the Western Australia allrounder, is in line for his ODI debut after being named in Australia’s 14-man squad for next month’s Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series. Cartwright is the only uncapped member of the group, which also includes fast bowler Pat Cummins, who has not played for Australia since September last year, and recalled allrounder Glenn Maxwell.The three-match series against New Zealand slots in between Australia’s two Test campaigns this summer and will take place in Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne on December 4, 6 and 9. Interim chairman of selectors, Trevor Hohns, said the panel had been interested in the progress of Cartwright, a 24-year-old who was born in Zimbabwe, for some time.”Hilton bowls useful aggressive medium-pace and is a very good striker of the ball,” Hohns said. “He is an exciting young prospect for Australian cricket and we have been watching him at the pathway level for some time now.”Cummins missed the 2015-16 season due to a stress fracture of the back, but performed strongly during the Matador Cup in October, when he collected 15 wickets at 18.60. He was the equal leading wicket taker in the tournament.”It is fantastic to see Pat back in Australian colours again,” Hohns said. “It has been a frustrating period for him but we are certainly excited to have him fit and firing ahead of this series.”Maxwell has been named in the squad having been dropped from the ODI side during Australia’s tour of the West Indies earlier this year, and then left out entirely from the ODI squad that toured Sri Lanka.Australia ODI squad David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steven Smith (capt), George Bailey, Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Hilton Cartwright, Matthew Wade (wk), James Faulkner, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Adam Zampa.

أعلن المدير الفني لفريق مانشستر سيتي، بيب جوارديولا، التشكيل الأساسي لمواجهة لوتون تاون مساء اليوم في كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي.

ويلتقي الفريقان في إطار منافسات دور الـ16 من بطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي، موسم 2023/24.

اقرأ أيضًا | الديربي الأول له.. حكم مباراة مانشستر سيتي ومانشستر يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي

وتأهل مانشستر سيتي إلى تلك المرحلة من البطولة بعدما فاز على توتنهام، في دور الـ32، بهدف دون رد. تشكيل مانشستر سيتي أمام لوتون تاون في كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: أورتيجا.

خط الدفاع: كايل ووكر، جون ستونز، أكانجي، ناثان آكي.

خط الوسط: كوفاسيتش، نونيز، كيفين دي بروين، برناردو سيلفا.

خط الهجوم: جريليش، هالاند. بدلاء مانشستر سيتي أمام لوتون تاون في كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي

إيدرسون، روبن دياز، دوكو، رودري، ألفاريز، جوميز، فودين، أوسكار بوب، ريكو لويس.

Trent Boult and Tim Southee may be the spearheads of the attack, but on Saturday, it was Neil Wagner who first rattled Pakistan, and in so doing, beat his more illustrious team-mates to a milestone

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch19-Nov-2016Trent Boult and Tim Southee may be the spearheads of the attack, but on Saturday, it was Neil Wagner who first rattled Pakistan, and in so doing, beat his more illustrious team-mates to a milestone.Babar Azam and Azhar Ali had settled into a partnership, when Wagner began to direct balls at their ribs. One of those caught Azam’s gloves and sailed through to the wicketkeeper, and gave Wagner his 100th wicket in his 25th Test. Boult and Southee had both needed 29 matches to rack up triple figures.”I don’t think in my wildest dreams I’d thought about getting 100 wickets,” said Wagner. “I’m pretty pleased. Whichever way I can play a part for the team and deliver in a role, I’m happy. Whichever way it goes I want to keep contributing.”Wagner was the second-fastest New Zealand bowler to the milestone, behind Richard Hadlee, who had achieved the feat in 24 games. “I’m more than happy for Sir Richard Hadlee to keep that record, because he’s an absolute legend,” Wagner said. “I’m stoked to get to 100, but there’s still a long way to go.”The dismissal of Azam had in fact been the first of a bouncer double-strike, which also accounted for the wicket of Younis Khan. Wagner had a short ball leap at Younis’ throat early in his innings, and the batsman could do nothing more than attempt to fend it away. The ball collected the glove en route to the wicketkeeper.”That’s just my job to do something different,” Wagner said. “We know how it works out here – today there was a bit of wind, and that stops the ball from swinging. When conditions start getting a little easier to bat on, I’ve got to try and make something happen. It doesn’t always happen, but luckily today was one of those days when it paid off. I think we had to work long periods of time to get that success, and we did.”In between wickets New Zealand were relentlessly disciplined, with each of the quicks bowling a very high percentage of dot balls. Of the 66 overs bowled in Pakistan’s second innings, 25 were maidens – the visitors’ run rate a mere 1.95. A late flurry of wickets also meant Pakistan were left seven down, with a lead of only 62.”I thought we bowled exceptionally well in partnerships,” Wagner said. “It was some quality fast bowling. We created pressure for long periods of time and got rewards for it towards the end.”Boult had the innings’ best figures of 3 for 18 at stumps, though Southee had bowled the highest percentage of maidens, delivering 10 scoreless overs out of 19 in total. Wagner said the opening pair had set the tone.”The way Tim and Trent opened the bowling – they are two of the best bowlers going around when they bowl like that. They’re just absolute class. Seeing them go about the work they did and pressure they built – I think at the start they were going at one run an over – it just shows the class of those two bowlers.”

Aston Villa are battling Everton for the signing of Almeria attacker Largie Ramazani ahead of the summer transfer window, a new report has claimed.

Has Ramazani had a good season?

The Villans enjoyed such an impressive 2022/23 season in the end, with Unai Emery completely transforming the club's fortunes and getting them into Europe. It is an achievement that seemed scarcely believable at one point, and it puts the club in a strong position heading into the summer.

The upcoming window has the potential to be one of the most exciting at Villa Park in a number of years, with funds available for new signings and Emery's pull potentially allowing them to snap up some top-quality additions.

One player who has been linked with a move to Villa in recent days is Ramazani, who proved to be a key figure for Almeria throughout the campaign. The £2,499-a-week forward has scored three times in La Liga for a side who only just avoided relegation, and he may feel that he could thrive more in a stronger outfit.

Could Ramazani be off to Villa?

According to Football Insider, Villa are "tracking" the 22-year-old ahead of a potential summer move, although they aren't alone in expressing an interest. Everton are also name-checked in the report, while other unnamed clubs are also believed to be in the running.

Ramazani, who was once a youth team player at Manchester United between 2017 and 2020, is "attracting admiring glances from across Europe after starring for the Rojiblancos on their return to the Spanish top flight."

The Almeria favourite could be a really shrewd signing by Villa this summer – not necessarily the big name that many supporters will be hoping for, but someone who could be a strong squad addition. He is out of contract at the end of the 2024/25 season, so his current club may feel that now is the right time to cash on him, with his stock arguably never higher.

Ramazani has played all across the front-line for Almeria this season, proving to be adept on either flank and in a central attacking role, and his versatility could be something that really appeals to Emery, providing depth in a number of positions.

The youngster has been hailed as "explosive", "dynamic" and "the Mini-Vinicius" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, which says a lot about his ability and potential as a player, and why Villa would be wise to make a move for him.

Celtic's search for a new manager has taken them to Francesco Farioli, with the Hoops board holding talks with the exciting young coach, according to the The Daily Record.

Who is going to be Celtic manager?

The Scottish side have been left in limbo after Ange Postecoglou decided to leave the club and head to Tottenham in the Premier League. After winning the Scottish Premiership title, the Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Cup in the 2022/23 season, the boss has decided to part ways with Celtic and will now be moving on to White Hart Lane.

It leaves the outfit in need of a new manager and they've been mulling over their potential candidates for the role. High up on the list is Brendan Rodgers, who has previously been in charge of the Scottish club. During his last stint with them, he managed two Scottish Cup victories, three Scottish League Cup trophies and won the league on two occasions. He then went on to take over at Leicester and managed to win the FA Cup with them too.

However, with the Foxes slipping into the relegation spots this year, they decided to get rid of the former Liverpool boss and it means he could be available for the Celtic hotseat. He isn't the only name linked with the job, with Enzo Maresca another name mentioned in the papers regularly.

A report from the Daily Record now suggests that Francesco Farioli could be one of the names high up on the hitlist at Celtic. The boss is apparently eager to make the move over to the Scottish Premiership if the chance presents itself and it could be a real possibility, with the club having already spoken to the manager about potentially taking the reins. They are still exploring a few different possibilities for the role though, so he is far from a sure thing at this stage.

Who is Francesco Farioli?

Farioli is only 34-years-old and is relatively new to the management game but does have some experience at a decent level already, having managed both Alanyaspor and Karagumruk in the Turkish Super Lig.

He averaged at least 1.5 points per match with both of those sides and whilst he has yet to win any silverware, he did manage to lead Alanyaspor to fifth during his first season there. That tailed off in the second campaign and ultimately led to him leaving the role but he was still able to generate more wins than losses during his time with the side, and is known for playing an extremely attack-minded brand of football, similar to Postecoglou's front-foot mentality.

Farioli is a gamble of an appointment then considering his relative lack of experience and the fact he averages less than a year at each club he manages, but his use of an attacking 4-1-4-1 formation would certainly excite Celtic fans if it translates into the type of performances Postecoglou managed to conjure.

Glasgow Rangers are showing interest in winger Kwadwo Opoku ahead of the summer transfer window as Michael Beale looks set to continue with his Ibrox rebuild.

What’s the latest on Kwadwo Opoku to Rangers?

According to German outlet Fussball Transfers, Rangers have ‘signalled interest’ in winger Opoku, who plays for MLS side Los Angeles FC.

The Light Blues aren’t alone however, with Old Firm rivals Celtic also keen, alongside Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart, while several teams from Ligue 1 and the Premier League also keeping tabs on the player, as Beale faces stiff competition.

He could cost the Gers around €4.8m (£4.1m) if any move was to be sealed, which is surely within the 42-year-old's budget this summer.

Could Kwadwo Opoku move to Rangers?

With Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos departing Rangers, it’s clear Beale needs reinforcements both in the wide positions and through the middle heading into next season.

One key issue the manager has is in the right-wing area, which could well be fixed by signing Opoku.

Todd Cantwell has shone when being deployed there during his first few months at the Gers, registering 11 goal contributions from 20 games, however, with Malik Tillman returning to Bayern Munich following his loan spell, the Englishman could be pushed to a more central role in 2023/2024.

The LAFC winger has enjoyed success in America, registering 11 goal contributions during the 2022 season as he led his team to the MLS Cup, and he has continued this rich vein of form into the current campaign.

Two goals and two assists in 13 league matches underline his attacking potential from a wide position, and he averages two shots per game, makes 0.8 key passes per game and has created two big chances, solid numbers from the 21-year-old.

According to WhoScored, Opoku’s strengths include passing and long shots, while he typically likes to cut inside and dribble past opponents as often as possible, suggesting that he tends to make things happen as opposed to being static and waiting for the right chance to drop.

This proactive nature could be crucial for Rangers next term, especially with goals paramount for success, both domestically and in Europe, as Celtic scored 21 more times in the league than the Ibrox side last season, a key factor to where the title eventually ended up.

For just over £4m, the “magnificent” Ghanaian – as so dubbed by journalist Owuraku Ampofo – could be a wise investment and given he has plenty of experience in scoring and creating chances for others, it’s a move that makes perfect sense in the long run.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:56

Ganguly: Both batting units have played spin exceptionally

The fourth day of the Rajkot Test ended as it began: with England needing some magic to give them a chance to win the Test. In between it seemed they had hypnotised two main India batsmen into unusual dismissals, but R Ashwin broke the spell with his 11th Test score of 50 or more. Then came a stage where, leading by 49 on first innings with four sessions to go, England seemed like the only side that could lose the Test. By stumps, though, Haseeb Hameed and Alastair Cook had put paid to any such notions, adding 114, to all but rule an England defeat out and leave them with an outside chance of winning on day five.On a day in which so much seemed to have happened, eventually not enough happened off the pitch. However, to put the likely result of draw down to the pitch would be unfair. This match would have looked different had both teams held their catches. Even on the fourth day, England dropped two, taking the match count to nine between the two sides. The first of those proved to be crucial: England had taken two wickets for 12 runs, India were still 176 runs behind and they got a chance to end the sixth-wicket partnership short. Jonny Bairstow, though, dived over a low chance at first slip to reprieve Wriddhiman Saha.Ashwin and Saha went on to add 64, becoming India’s fourth-most prolific association since Saha became a permanent part of India’s Test side late in 2014, and you could feel life going out of the Test momentarily. When Saha finally fell, having messed around with the spinners with cheeky sweeps and a loft for six, India were only 112 behind on a pitch that hadn’t deteriorated as much as an Indian pitch usually does over four days.There was turn, but no natural variation. There was no lateral movement for the quicks, and once again they failed to reverse the ball. There was enough in the surface, though, to make sure batsmen in deficit couldn’t afford to take liberties against disciplined bowlers. Keeping that in mind, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane began the day sedately against Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes. Having seen them off, though, they fell against the run of play to give England a look-in.Rahane saw a ball short from Zafar Ansari, but perhaps it was not short enough, which meant he ended up playing a half-flick and half-pull, missing the line as well. The ball kissed the top of the stumps. Three overs later, Kohli went back deep into the crease to pull a short ball from Adil Rashid. The extra bounce perhaps cramped him, which meant his front foot went back down the line of the stumps, as opposed to wide of them, when he swivelled. He ended up tickling the bottom of leg stump as he finished swivelling. Bairstow noticed the missing bail and appealed.Ajinkya Rahane played a half-flick, half-pull, but missed the ball and was bowled by Zafar Ansari•Associated Press

Ashwin looked just as good as Kohli or Rahane, and he didn’t make any freakish errors. He was hardly ever beaten in the flight against spin. When he moved forward he reached the pitch of the ball thanks to his height. When he went back he did so having picked the shorter length early, and cut handsomely. India might not have a Ben Stokes as their allrounder, but Ashwin is the No. 1 allrounder on ICC ratings for a reason. He brought the temperament of a proper batsman. He didn’t play low-percentage shots even as wickets fell, and farmed the strike with the last man for company, adding 29 runs with Mohammed Shami.That wickets fell was down to Rashid’s earning his captain’s faith and getting extended spells. He drew bounce not out of loose parts of the pitch but through the overspin he imparted. He hit the shoulder of Ravindra Jadeja’s bat and got Umesh Yadav out slogging against the turn. Ashwin and Shami kept them in the field until tea, and India came out buzzing after the break.The buzz ended soon with the pitch not doing much for them. Hameed and Cook looked assured with Hameed taking the attack to the bowlers, lofting Jadeja, who had opened the bowling, for a six over long-off. India’s bowlers have been unplayable on helpful surfaces, but they will have to live with the criticism that on a flatter pitch the visiting side bowled with better plans and discipline. With England bowling you could tell how they were looking to get the batsmen out. If there was a plan to India’s bowling the execution was not spot-on: the seamers bowled loose balls both on line and length, and Amit Mishra continued to struggle for impact in a format where batsmen are not obliged to go after him.Hameed and Cook kept cashing in, the youngster outscoring the veteran, as England reached 70 in 20 overs. India were forced into the defensive in the remaining 17 overs lest they be given about 80 overs to survive on the final day. England didn’t go out of their way looking for runs now. Hameed reached his maiden fifty, in the presence of his family who have roots in Gujarat, with a late cut. By stumps the lead had reached 163, and England were on their way to giving India 70 or so tricky overs to bat out on the final day.

Manchester United will be hoping to put their disappointing FA Cup final defeat in the rearview mirror as they head into the summer break following a solid debut campaign under Erik ten Hag.

Not only did the Dutchman win the Old Trafford side their first trophy since 2017, but has also guided them into the Champions League group stages, and with his first season behind him, he will be aiming to take the Red Devils to the next level during 2023/24.

To do this, however, he will have to add a few more fresh faces to the squad, while shipping out some deadwood. Given that he lured players such as Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro to United last summer, there will be a similar hope that signings of this stature could be made again.

They may well raid Real Madrid once more, as United have been linked with midfielder Federico Valverde according to reports in Spain, although president Florentino Perez has claimed that it will take an offer of around €80m (£69m) in order for negotiations to begin.

Could Federico Valverde improve Manchester United?

The 24-year-old Uruguayan is entering the prime years of his career and has enjoyed a wonderful period of success at Madrid, winning two La Liga titles and a Champions League crown – ensuring that if he joined United, they would benefit from his winning mentality in the heart of the midfield.

Another reason why the midfielder could improve the Red Devils is his similarities to Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan, who according to FBref, is the most comparable player to Valverde. Given the German's incredible career, in which he has won 13 major honours and become the beating heart of Pep Guardiola’s City juggernaut, it certainly isn’t a bad comparison to have.

Indeed, over the past year, Gundogan ranks in the top 10% across Europe’s big five leagues for non-penalty goals, touches in the attacking penalty area and total shots per 90, while the Uruguayan ranks in the top 10% also for non-penalty goals and total shots, while dropping to the top 21% for touches in the opposition box per game, suggesting that the pair offer an excellent goal threat from the centre of midfield overall.

This is something United could benefit from as none of their central midfielders scored more than seven goals across all of last season. Valverde showcased his importance to Madrid by ranking as their third-best player in La Liga, fifth for goals and assists and sixth for key passes per game, with Gundogan offering a similar influence at City, ranking similarly highly for the same metrics, suggesting that Ten Hag could have a world-class operator as the fulcrum of his side should he sign him this summer.

Former Chelsea star Joe Cole hailed Valverde as “unbelievable” late last year, and having showcased his abilities at the Bernabeu, a move to Old Trafford surely wouldn’t faze the 24-year-old.

Journalist Josh Bunting has praised Rangers and their signing of forward Sam Lammers from Atalanta, calling it an “interesting” move by the club.

What’s the latest Rangers transfer news?

Michael Beale and the Teddy Bears have undergone a major summer overhaul thus far, with many former first-teamers departing Ibrox in late May.

Indeed, ex-mainstays like Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent, Allan McGregor, Scott Arfield, Filip Helander and Steven Davis all departed at the end of their contracts, leaving Rangers with the almighty task of replacing them.

They’ve done an exceptional job of it thus far, completing deals for Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling, Jack Butland and now Lammers for a fee of around £3 million.

The Dutchman has put pen to paper on a four-year deal at Rangers, with Beale now signing a replacement for Morelos and potentially astute addition.

Reporter Josh Bunting, writing on Twitter after the Gers confirmed his capture, is completely aware of Lammers’ ability and believes the club have pulled off a major coup.

The journalist detailed exactly what supporters can expect from Lammers, namely his technical ability, sweet left foot and in-game intelligence.

How many goals has Sam Lammers scored?

The 26-year-old, who stands a towering 6 foot 3, could have the physicality suited for Scottish football and some of his past numbers suggest he could do well under Beale.

Lammers spent the 2022/2023 campaign on loan at Sampdoria, where he bagged just one goal and an assist, but his previous spell at SC Heerenveen in 2019 indicates there is a real goalscorer waiting to be unearthed.

During the 18/19 season, Lammers bagged an impressive 16 goals and five assists on loan at Heerenveen in the Dutch top flight, which may have prompted Atalanta to later snap him up from PSV Eindhoven.

While his career arguably didn’t work out there, Lammers has been handed another chance to succeed at Rangers and showcase his true ability.

Heerenveen boss Kees van Wonderen has also praised the attacker.

“What you get from him as a player is first and foremost a superb work ethic. He’s a left-footed striker and is good technically,” said van Wonderen.

“He’s a player who has an eye on the tactical aspects of the game, he appreciates how the game is played, where the spaces are and how to deal with circumstances on the pitch.”

Jimmy Adams, 49, has been confirmed as the new director of cricket for West Indies, taking over the role from the departing Richard Pybus

Nagraj Gollapudi10-Jan-2017Former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams has taken over as the director of cricket at the West Indies Cricket Board. Adams, who turned 49 on Monday, replaces Richard Pybus, who opted to not renew his contract having served in the role for three years.Last week, ESPNcricinfo reported Adams had accepted the job but was negotiating the terms. On Tuesday, the WICB announced Adams’ appointment stating his contract was for three years.Adams had stepped down last October as the head coach at Kent, a role he had served in since 2012. The timing of his departure from Kent was not lost on many as it had come less than a month after the WICB had sacked Phil Simmons as the West Indies coach.Adams did apply for the vacant head coach position of the West Indies, but was persuaded to take up the role of the director of cricket instead. Incidentally, Pybus was part of the selection panel that picked Adams.”Jimmy thinks the timing is right for his new role with the WICB,” the WICB media release said. Adams said he was looking forward to contributing to the growth of West Indies cricket. “I am very excited to be directly involved in Caribbean cricket once again, and I look forward to working with all those committed to moving the game forward in the West Indies.”His predecessor, Pybus, acknowledged the scope of the challenge Adams faced, but felt the Jamaican was well suited to take over the role.”I look forward to Jimmy bringing the breadth of his international experience and knowledge of cricket in the Caribbean to continue the work of rebuilding West Indies Cricket,” Pybus said in the release. “It is an exciting time for cricket in the region, with the momentum of the [T20] World Cup’s success and the professional cricket structures beginning to produce players capable of competing and excelling at international level.”Prior to returning to the West Indies to take on the director of cricket role, Adams served West Indies cricket in a variety of positions including West Indies U-19 manager. As a player, he made his Test debut in April 1992 and played 54 Tests, with a highest score of 208 not out against New Zealand, and also played 127 ODIs.