Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNew South Wales regained the WNCL title after falling short in the final last year•Getty Images

New South Wales women defeated Queensland women by nine wickets in the final of the Women’s National Cricket League in Brisbane to put behind last year’s runner-up finish and clinch their 18th title in 21 seasons of the tournament.Queensland’s decision to bat first backfired as NSW’s bowlers, led by Rene Farrell, the right-arm pacer, hunted in a pack to bowl them out for 119 in 41.1 overs at the Allan Border Field. NSW then reached the target with 156 balls to spare courtesy wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy’s unbeaten 56 and her unbroken second-wicket partnership of 78 with her captain Alex Blackwell (36*).The tone for Queensland’s collapse was set early with opener Beth Mooney’s dismissal by Farrell off the first ball of the match. Farrell then removed Jess Jonassen, who had struck 21 of the 27 runs her team had made, before Farrell struck a third time in the ninth over to leave Queensland tottering at 40 for 4. Delissa Kimmince, the Queensland captain, then steadied the innings with a 53-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Jemma Barsby. Kimmince could not convert her start, though, with Maisy Gibson, the left-arm spinner, taking her out for 24. And with Barsby falling soon after, having top-scored with 30, Queensland slid to a paltry total.Farrell finished with a tally of 3 for 20 in seven overs, and was named Player of the Match. Gibson and offspinner Lauren Smith were both miserly and took two wickets each.NSW made a steady start to their chase with Healy and Rachael Haynes putting on 45 for the first wicket, before medium-pacer Grace Harris dismissed the latter for 18. Healy and Blackwell then combined to shut the doors on a Queensland fightback as they overhauled the target in 24 overs.

Bangladesh’s tour of New Zealand got off to an inauspicious start as they went down by three wickets against the New Zealand XI in a rain reduced 43-overs a side practice match at the Cobham Oval in Whangerai

Mohammad Isam22-Dec-2016 ScorecardMustafizur Rahman bowled seven overs in his first competitive game in five months•AFPBangladesh’s tour of New Zealand got off to an inauspicious start as they went down by three wickets against the New Zealand XI in a rain reduced 43-overs a side practice match at the Cobham Oval. But they will at least leave Whangarei with the confidence that Mustafizur Rahman took two wickets in his first competitive match in five months following a recovery from shoulder surgery.Mustafizur had Ryan Duffy caught down the leg-side off his fourth delivery before Henry Shipley skied him in fading light. But Ben Horne, who was unbeaten 60 off 53 balls, guided the hosts to their 246-run target with eight balls to spare after he and Brett Hampton knocked off the remaining 47 runs in 6.4 overs. Hampton, like Horne, struck five fours in his unbeaten 21-ball 29.Shakib Al Hasan finished with three wickets in the game, having bowled Ben Smith for fifty, and later getting Bharat Popli and captain Cole McConchie both caught by Tamim Iqbal. Ken McClure was run out for 10 after getting into a mix-up trying for a second run while the other New Zealand XI wicket went to Mahmudullah when Shawn Hicks pulled him to deep midwicket powerfully but was caught by Rubel Hossain.Earlier, Bangladesh’s innings couldn’t start on time due to rain. Then there was another delay after they had batted 11 overs. Imrul Kayes-and Soumya Sarkar added 55 for the second wicket to steady the innings. Sarkar made 40 of those before pulling Shipley to mid-on. Mahmudullah then made a sprightly 46-ball 43 before retiring out to give others an opportunity to bat. Mushfiqur Rahim top scored with 45 off 41 balls with two fours and a six but the likes of Shakib, Sabbir Rahman and Tanbir Hayder couldn’t cash in.Bangladesh will travel to Christchurch on Friday for their first ODI against New Zealand on Boxing Day. The second and third ODI will be played at Saxton Oval in Nelson on December 29 and 31 respectively.

Aston Villa have turned their attention to the transfer window, as Unai Emery bids to improve his side this summer.

The Villans have already confirmed the agreement to sign Youri Tielemans and are looking to add more power to their midfield, should latest reports be believed.

What’s the latest on Cesare Casadei to Aston Villa?

As reported by Italian outlet CalcioMercato, Aston Villa are interested in Chelsea youngster Cesare Casadei.

The 20-year-old, who spent half the season on loan at Reading, is due to return to west London this summer.

The report speculates that it’s ‘likely’ that the Italian ace will be sent out on another loan deal, with a Premier League stay preferred for his parent club to allow him to gain valuable experience.

The report suggests that Villa, along with Brighton & Hove Albion are ‘possibilities’ for the young talent.

What could Cesare Casadei offer to Aston Villa?

Hailed as a “powerful” box-to-box midfielder by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 20-year-old has shone at the U20’s World Cup so far.

In six games played at the tournament, the youngster has maintained an average Sofascore match rating of 7.90 contributing to eight goals in scoring seven himself and assisting one.

Despite playing as a deep midfielder, the £15k-per-week Italian has flexed his attacking abilities on the big stage, making him an exciting prospect for Emery’s plans at Villa Park.

While the Spaniard has a solid set up in the engine room in Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara, he will require an option for rotation especially when considering the added games in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Casadei could be a strong competitor in the talented midfield, and could particularly shine in a partnership alongside Luiz.

In 15 Championship appearances for Reading after signing for the club in January, the midfielder averaged 2.19 tackles, 1.87 blocks and 1.95 aerials won per 90 via FBref, showing that he is robust in his exploits in the defensive areas of midfield.

His numbers are similar to those recorded this season by Villa’s Brazilian machine, who averaged 2.24 tackles and 1.11 blocks per 90 via FBref, acting as the club’s commander in the engine room.

Add the attacking potential of Casadei to the mix, someone who is "like Pogba" – as per Roberto Mancini – and Emery could have a devilish duo in midfield, with two players capable of protecting the back line as well as being offensively able.

Luiz averages a higher rate of progressive passes to the 20-year-old, registering an average of 4.55 per 90 to his 2.76 in the Championship.

However, in the early stages of his career, the Ravenna-born star has flexed exactly what he can do for his country going forward, showing that the potential is there to become an established box-to-box whiz.

While it is uncertain the role that Mauricio Pochettino will want for the young Italian, there is little to doubt the impact he could have on Villa if given a chance to shine in the Premier League.

Liverpool are battling a top flight rival to sign Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, with the Reds now ready to stump up the money to sign the World Cup breakout star, according to a report from Firenzeviola.it via Sport Witness.

Is Sofyan Amrabat really that good?

The midfielder has been with Fiorentina for three seasons now, having initially caught the eye with Hellas Verona in the same division. He has gone on to appear in 83 Serie A games for the La Viola since that transfer deal.

In 2022/23, he managed 29 league outings as well as starring in their Europa Conference League campaign, showcasing how good he can be on the big stage. That's because, when compared to others in his position amongst the Men's 'Top Five' big leagues, he ranks very impressively. For example, his progressive passes rate of 7.93 per 90 puts him in the top eight percent in that category and his 88.8% pass completion rate has him in the 95th percentile in that figure too.

It shows that he rarely makes mistakes with the ball despite seeking to make dangerous and incisive passes – the numbers even put him on a par with Liverpool's own pass-master, Thiago Alcantara, who ranks slightly better for progression but slightly worse for accuracy.

Now, according to a report from Firenzeviola.it via Sport Witness, the player has suitors from other leagues. Both Liverpool and Newcastle have an interest in the midfielder it seems and both clubs are "ready to pay" the asking price that Fiorentina want to ensure Amrabat ends up in the Premier League.

They appear to be the only two clubs currently willing to pay the required amount to convince the Serie A side to flog the 26-year-old.

What is Amrabat's transfer value?

With Fiorentina having paid around 19.5 million Euros to bring him to Italy, they'll want to fetch even more than that in the next deal for Amrabat. No potential fee is mentioned here in regards to a transfer deal – so it is actually unclear how much Liverpool are prepared to pay for the midfielder – but Transfermarkt suggests that his value is around the 30 million Euro mark (or £26m). Whilst more than the Serie A side paid, it is still a relatively cheap deal for the player.

When you consider what has been said about him in the game too, it makes that amount as a potential fee seem low. Football journalist Josh Bunting for example called the player "outstanding" during Fiorentina's Europa Conference League game against West Ham, also adding that he "ran the game" for the Italian side, while his displays on the biggest stage of all, the World Cup, drew mass media acclaim.

CSA has objected to ICC chief David Richardson’s comment, in which he said the Big-Three takeover of the ICC was partly due to CSA’s inability to stand up to the BCCI, ECB and CA

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2016

Cricket South Africa has taken “strong exception” to a comment made by ICC chief executive David Richardson during his recent visit to Sri Lanka, where he said the Big-Three takeover of the ICC in 2014 was partly due to the inability of CSA – among other boards – to stand up to India, England and Australia.”If he is indeed correctly quoted, his remarks come as a complete shock to us,” CSA chief executive, Haroon Lorgat said in a statement. “For someone who was actually party to the 2014 resolutions to now make such a disparaging remark to CSA is frankly nonsense and insulting to us.”The CSA Board had from the very outset realised how damaging the original proposals would have been to the global growth of the game and together with Pakistan and Sri Lanka had strongly opposed it. This included CSA making a significant written submission to the ICC Board which had resulted in a number of the original proposals being amended. That’s in fact the reason why we are where we are now. The CSA Board will always stand up for what it believes to be right for the game.”While in Sri Lanka, Richardson had said during a press conference: “The international game has gone through a period of turbulence, where the governance, the financial model, the playing [of the game] was in turmoil by the resolutions passed by the ICC in 2014 […] what happened in 2014 took place really because unfortunately countries like South Africa, Sri Lanka and New Zealand were not able to stand up to the big boys. I don’t think that will happen again.”CSA said its president would take up the matter with the ICC chairman Shashank Manohar.In 2014, the ICC had radically restructured its governance and revenue distribution system following a campaign by CA, BCCI and ECB, which led to greater executive and financial clout in the hands of these three boards. The proposals initially caught the other Full Members off-guard and four boards opposed the amendments. CSA was one objector but eventually came on board. The constitutional amendments required to put the new structure in place were eventually approved of during the ICC’s 2014 Annual Conference.However, after Manohar succeeded N Srinivasan as ICC chairman, and then got elected as the governing body’s first independent chairman who wasn’t affiliated to a Full Member board, he spoke of ending the Big Three’s “bullying” of the other boards and a return to a more equitable distribution of power and revenue in the ICC.

Arsenal could get a deal for Declan Rice done "quickly" if they place a "competitive offer", according to CBS reporter Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest on Declan Rice to Arsenal?

According to a report from Football Insider, Rice has now informed West Ham and Mikel Arteta that he plans on joining Arsenal this summer, having already held discussions about a summer switch away from the London Stadium.

The Gunners have been laying the groundwork on a deal for months, which could amount to close to £100m, and the move could even be completed within the next week, if a fee can be agreed.

Now that the 24-year-old has verbally agreed personal terms with the north London club, the last remaining hurdle is coming to an arrangement with West Ham, and Jacobs has now offered an update.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, the CBS reporter said: "Arsenal will want to move fast to make sure another suitor doesn't come in because [Mykhailo] Mudryk wanted to join Arsenal and he joined Chelsea. Rice has a priority of Arsenal, but there is still a deal that needs to be done with West Ham and because Arsenal are disciplined to protect their model, the only fear at this point will be that West Ham are bullish because they somehow get a bidding war.

"For now, if Arsenal move fast and place a competitive offer, they may be able to get this one done quickly because Rice has a strong desire to settle his future early, and West Ham accept that he will leave the football club for the right offer."

Is Rice joining Arsenal?

As pointed out by Jacobs, it is by no means a foregone conclusion the Gunners win the race for the England international, as they have previously missed out on Mudryk, despite the Ukraine international making it clear he wanted to join.

However, Mikel Arteta appears to be very well-placed to sign the West Ham captain, and there are strong indications he would be a top-quality addition to the squad, in light of his performances last season.

Hailed as "unbelievable" by members of the media, the Englishman won the Hammer of the Year trophy in the 2022/23 campaign, which was very well-deserved, given that he averaged the highest WhoScored match rating of any West Ham player in the Premier League.

Rice led the Hammers to success in the Europa Conference League, making three tackles and winning four of the six ground duels he contested in the final, and he should now be ready to make the step up to the Champions League.

Chelsea’s standing in the race to sign West Ham star Declan Rice is diminishing in the eyes of “multiple sources”, reports reliable journalist Ben Jacobs.

Who are Chelsea signing this summer?

The Blues will no doubt be busy in the now open summer transfer window, with Mauricio Pochettino sure to want to put a stamp on a squad that is seen by many to be oversized.

It means we will likely see plenty of ‘deadwood’ cleared out, with the likes of Kalidou Kouliably, Romelu Lukaku, Trevoh Chalobah and Mateo Kovacic all linked with exits, while one would expect a new goalkeeper to replace one or both of Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga too.

In terms of incomings, Todd Boehly and Pochettino are seemingly dead set on brining Brighton star Moises Caicedo to the club, with reports on Friday suggesting they are winning the race for the Ecuador international.

They have also been linked with a move for Rice, seemingly ready to do battle with London rivals Arsenal for the Hammers icon’s signature, with reports revealing the Blues have jumped into the race after seeing the Gunners rejected with their opening bid.

However, according to Jacobs, Boehly and Pochettino may have to focus all their efforts on Caicedo, with word coming through the grapevine on Rice.

“Chelsea's chances of landing Rice are being downplayed by multiple sources,” the CBS journalist said. “CFC do have a long-standing interest in him, but the club are working on other priorities as it stands.”

Is Rice better than Caicedo?

It’s pretty difficult to separate the two players looking at the numbers, so it may come down to personal preferences – or club allegiances – when deciding who the better signing will be.

Rice, labelled “world class” by Danny Cowley, sits in the 56th percentile of midfielders in the big five leagues for tackles per 90, while his interceptions puts him right up in the 95th. Caicedo meanwhile, dubbed “magnificent” by Jamie Redknapp, is 87th percentile for tackling and 89th for interceptions.

They both read the game excellently then, and there’s not much to split their abilities on the ball either, with Rice leading the way when it comes to ball-carrying and Caicedo the better passer, ranking higher for total passes and pass completion.

If the Brighton star lands at Chelsea and his West Ham counterpart finds himself in north London, there will be quite the battle for supremacy when the two come head to head next season.

يرى مهاجم منتخب إنجلترا ونادي وست هام يونايتد الأسبق، دين أشتون، أن عودة محمد صلاح إلى ليفربول قبل مباراة مانشستر سيتي مهمة للغاية في الدوري الإنجليزي.

وعاد محمد صلاح وشارك كبديل مباراة ليفربول وسبارتا براج في بطولة الدوري الأوروبي يوم، الخميس، وسجل هدفا ولكن تم إلغاؤه.

ويلتقي ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي غدًا الأحد، في تمام الساعة السادسة إلا ربع مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” على ملعب “أنفيلد”.

وقد تكون المباراة بين الفريقين حاسمة خاصة أنهما يتصارعان على قمة الترتيب في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، حيث يحتل ليفربول الصدارة بفارق نقطة واحدة عن مانشستر سيتي صاحب المركز الثاني.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بيان رسمي | ليفربول يعلن عودة ستيفن جيرارد في مهمة خاصة

وقال أشتون عن مباراة الغد في تصريحات نقلتها شبكة “talkSPORT” البريطانية: “ستكون مواجهة كبرى وقوية، اعتقد أنها ستكون مباراة حاسمة لمن سيفوز باللقب في النهاية”.

وتابع: “بالطبع، ليفربول لديه ميزة إضافية أمام مانشستر سيتي لأنه يلعب على أرضه ووسط جماهيره”.

وعن عودة محمد صلاح: “لاعب مهم، يمكنه قلب أي مباراة، حتى لو كان بديلًا”.

واستمر: “أتوقع مباراة قوية، ستكون حماسية خاصة في آخر 20 دقيقة، أعتقد أن يورجن كلوب كذلك سيكون له أفكار قد تحسم المباراة لصالح ليفربول”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “اعتقد أن عودة لاعبين مثل دومينيك سوبوسلاي، داروين نونيز ستكوم مهمة أيضًا أمام فريق مثل مانشستر سيتي، ستكون دفعة قوية لجميع اللاعبين وليس للمدرب فحسب”.

واستمر: “عليك أن تنظر إلى مستوى اللاعبين في المباريات الكبيرة، كما يفعل فيل فودين مع مانشستر سيتي، ولكن السؤال الأهم، هل لاعبو ليفربول جاهزون لتلك المواجهة كما هم لاعبو المنافس؟”.

An update has emerged on Chelsea and their plans to bolster their goalkeeping department in the summer transfer window.

What's the latest on Mike Maignan to Chelsea?

According to L'Equipe, the Premier League side are interested in a deal to sign AC Milan shot-stopper Mike Maignan ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that the Blues are pursuing a swoop for the France international and have already initiated contact with the Serie A giants to discuss a deal.

It states that the Italian outfit will not make it easy for a transfer to be completed, though, as they recently attempted to tie the 27-year-old down to a new contract to secure his future in Milan.

Would Mike Maignan be a good signing for Chelsea?

Mauricio Pochettino could finally find the club's replacement for Thibaut Courtois by striking a deal to sign the £59k-per-week ace, who would be an excellent addition to the squad this summer.

The current Real Madrid number one left the Blues in 2018 and has saved the Spanish giants an impressive 17.7 goals, based on the post-shot xG in LaLiga, underlining him as one of the best in the game.

That came following a spell where he won two Premier League titles during his time in England.

In five seasons at Stamford Bridge, Kepa Arrizabalaga has conceded 7.6 more goals than expected in the Premier League, which means that he has underperformed between the sticks over half a decade and let his defence down too often in recent years.

Senegal international Edouard Mendy, meanwhile, has let in 5.8 more goals than expected based on the same metric in the top-flight over three years with Chelsea.

These statistics suggest that the club have failed to adequately replace the excellent Courtois, who is a net positive rather than negative with his shot-stopping, and Maignan could finally solve this problem.

The Frenchman has saved 3.6 more goals than expected in his two Serie A campaigns with Milan and prevented an eye-catching 14.8 xG in his final three years with Lille in his home country, which shows that he is similar to the Belgian in that the giant pulls off miracles in goal to keep the ball out.

Maignan, who was hailed as a "monster" by GOAL's Robin Brainer, has stopped 18.4 more goals than the average goalkeeper would be expected to over the last five seasons, a truly astonishing record.

That means that the Frenchman has saved 26 more strikes from hitting the back of his net over the last five years in comparison to Kepa, indicating that the 27-year-old would be a significant improvement on the Spaniard.

The Milan star is able to bail out his defence on a consistent basis with his ability to stop shots that the average goalkeeper would be expected to see sail past them, whereas the current Chelsea number one has underperformed in that respect.

As such, Pochettino could finally find a worthy replacement for Courtois by working hard to convince the Serie A side to part ways with the colossus this summer.

Newcastle United will be looking to enrich the ranks this summer after sensationally qualifying for the Champions League this year, and have earmarked Galatasaray's Lucas Torreira as an option for transfer.

What's the latest on Lucas Torreira to Newcastle?

That's according to Turkish Football, who claim that Newcastle have joined the race for the tenacious midfielder, who has been valued at around €20m (£17m) by his club, also attracting the attention of Serie A outfits AC Milan and Lazio.

The Lions secured the Uruguayan's signature from Premier League side Arsenal for just €6m (£5m) last summer following a succession of loan spells, and he returned to emphatic form with his displays this year.

Newcastle's midfield was a force to be reckoned with this year but with the return to European competition, securing the signature of such a gritty central midfielder could ensure squad rotation does not squander cohesion or quality.

Should Newcastle sign Lucas Torreira?

The thriving Premier League outfit are on the cusp of sustaining a position among the big boys, with Eddie Howe's stewardship and technical director Dan Ashworth's diligent work on the transfer front combining to orchestrate the ascent.

Much of the work plied in bringing in fresh faces has been conducted without the concession of a lucrative transfer fee, and Torreira could continue this trend and add another dimension to a team that seemingly hit the mark on each occasion.

Torreira's energy has been illustrated in a bizarre vignette from former Arsenal teammate Sokratis, who said: “When he is off the pitch, he is so calm but when he is on the pitch, it is like ‘Transformers’, he becomes crazy!”

“He works very good, he is small but he is strong enough. I like him very much because he gives everything, he tries to defend every time and when we have players who do this work in front of us, it is very important.

The £75k-per-week gem has been in stellar showing in Turkey this year, and, as per Sofascore, has produced an average rating of 7.09, completing 88% of his passes and averaging 2.8 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, also winning 64% of his ground duels.

Such metrics would see him sit first in the Toon side for tackles last term and third for interceptions, highlighting the combative nature he could add at St James' Park.

Signing the 27-year-old would no doubt aid Newcastle's endeavours across multiple competitions and he would prove to be a "fantastic" component – as he has been called by Nigel Winterburn – but it could spell danger for Magpies ace Sean Longstaff.

The homegrown Toon midfielder was a success story on Tyneside last season and he has earned praise as his side's "unsung hero" by Paul Merson.

Having made 33 Premier League appearances this year, the 25-year-old has recorded an average Sofascore rating of 6.74 and while he has completed 83% of his passes, his 1.3 tackles and 0.5 interceptions per game are minnowed by the vibrant output of Torreira.

Longstaff will play a part next year, but Torreira's skill set would leave him in the lurch; this must not deter Howe and co as they seek success unseen in considerable time on Tyneside, and Torreira would only improve the chances of silverware.