Category Uncategorized

Southampton go into tonight's FA Cup clash with Liverpool viewing it very much as a free hit, with the Saints unravelling recently in the Championship.

Once confidently on a 25-match unbeaten run in all competitions, three defeats in their last four have seen Russell Martin's men crash back down to reality at a frightening pace.

Therefore, the prospect of facing off against Jurgen Klopp's Reds – who are still giddy off lifting the League Cup trophy on Sunday – is a daunting one especially with the backing of the Anfield masses cheering the hosts on to what they will hope is a straightforward victory.

Martin will just want his players to be fearless on the big stage tonight, with the Saints boss potentially bringing Joe Rothwell back into the first-team fold for the lengthy trip among other changes.

Joe Rothwell's season in numbers

Rothwell has been hit-and-miss in a Saints strip since making the loan switch from AFC Bournemouth this January, but did more than enough versus Millwall last time out from off the bench to push for a start against Liverpool.

The Cherries loanee would give Southampton another attacking presence late on at St. Mary's, as the promotion chasers looked to mount a comeback against the Lions.

Rothwell would miss one big chance from an impactful 30 minutes on the pitch, timidly hitting an effort right into Matija Šarkić's gloves to frustrate Martin's hosts.

Still, with only two misplaced passes managed from his cameo against Millwall, Rothwell could well be the calm head the Saints desire against the might of Liverpool tonight in the centre of the park.

Moreover, the 29-year-old has shown he can change a game in an instant for the Saints this season when called into action.

That was seen in the former Blackburn Rovers man bagging a brace against Huddersfield Town in the Championship earlier this month, sweetly hitting a first-time volley into the back of the net to help mount a sensational comeback before hammering home another effort as the Saints dramatically went on to win 5-3.

Martin will definitely be forced into one personnel change for the trip to Anfield away from Rothwell's potential inclusion, with Samuel Edozie looking likely to come in for an injured Ryan Fraser off the back of his lively Millwall display.

Samuel Edozie's performance vs Millwall in numbers

Edozie would play the majority of the contest against the relegation-threatened visitors, drafted in to replace Fraser after just 19 minutes.

The former Manchester City attacker has certainly played his way into Martin's starting XI plans as a result, the dynamic 21-year-old winger always trying to create an opening up against a stern Millwall defence.

Accurately completing six dribbles in the game, the Lions had to concentrate fully throughout to ensure one of Edozie's weaving darts forward didn't result in the back four being breached past Che Adams' strike.

Edozie's numbers vs Millwall

Minutes played

71

Touches

75

Accurate passes

40/42 (95%)

Successful dribbles

6/12

Ground duels

12/21

Stats by Sofascore

Winning a staggering 12 ground duels in his side's favour also, Martin will hope to give Edozie a start from the get-go against Liverpool to see if the energetic forward can catch the Reds by surprise.

Described as an "exciting" talent in pre-season by his manager, who can "hurt" the opposition with his dangerous runs forward, Edozie could well unlock the Liverpool defence tonight to help steer Southampton to an unbelievable Cup upset.

If that isn't achieved however, and Edozie does still shine in spells against the Reds, he could well play himself into contention to start back in the Championship in the absence of Fraser who is expected to be sidelined for a month.

Charlie Morris and Luis Reece claim four wickets apiece as Derbyshire end day by edging into slim lead

ECB Reporters Network07-Jul-2019

Worcestershire bowler Charlie Morris in action•PA Photos

Twenty wickets fell on the opening day of Worcestershire’s Specsavers County Championship match with Derbyshire at Kidderminster. Derbyshire opted to bat and were dismissed for 108 in 44.2 overs with Worcestershire club captain Joe Leach and Charlie Morris inflicting most of the damage.The home side then also struggled for runs and were bowled out for 113 in 39.5 overs with Luis Reece their chief destroyer. Derbyshire openers Billy Godleman and Luis Reece then survived seven overs in reaching 19 for 0 by the close in their second innings.There was some swing and seam movement, although not excessive, and both sets of bowlers asked plenty of questions. But there were few demons in the wicket to suggest there would be such dominance of ball over bat.Only Derbyshire opener Reece batted for a substantial amount of time as a constant procession of batsmen made their way to and from the pavilion.Worcestershire paceman Dillon Pennington, making his first appearance of the season after injury, struck the first blow when Billy Godleman drove hard at the England Under-19 player and Callum Ferguson held onto a sharp chance at third slip.Pennington and Leach constantly beat the bat without reward in their initial spells and it set the tone for the day. Wayne Madsen was trapped lbw by Ed Barnard and Tom Lace nicked Morris through to keeper Ben Cox to leave Derbyshire on 33 for 3 in the 18th over.Reece and Leus Du Plooy were watchful in trying to repair the innings and battled through to lunch without being parted. But 11 wickets fell for 91 runs during the afternoon session.Leach (14-6-33-3) picked up three wickets in seven balls immediately after the resumption to account for Reece at first slip, Harvey Hosein lbw and Matt Critchley at second slip – and then Morris turned the screw. He ended with 4 for 26 from 13 overs to take his wicket tally in the Championship this season to 30.Du Plooy and Anuj Dal were pouched at first and second slip respectively and Cox pulled off a goalkeeper-style catch high to his left to dispose of Fynn Hudson-Prentice – also off Morris. Barnard wrapped up the innings when Ravi Rampaul edged to first slipWhen Worcestershire launched their reply, batting was also a challenging experience and Josh Dell was caught behind in Rampaul’s first over. Callum Ferguson nicked a ball of extra bounce to second slip and Mitchell was lbw to Reece. It became 44 for 4 shortly before tea when Wessels (also went leg before to Hudson-Prentice.The same trend continued during the final session as Ross Whiteley was caught behind off an an away-swinger from Reece who then had Cox lbw. Reece enjoyed a fourth success as Barnard drove to point after Rampaul had undone Brett D’Oliveira to leave Worcestershire on 77 for 8.Leach and Pennington, who top-scored with 18, put together the best stand of the inning – 33 – before Hudson-Prentice cleaned up proceedings.

Crystal Palace’s season has been rather underwhelming so far, however progress has been made over the last few matches.

On Thursday night, the Eagles drew 0-0 with Everton in the FA Cup, but their most recent Premier League game was a 3-1 home victory against Brentford.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

That result put Roy Hodgson's side in 14th, which highlights that additions are needed in January.

Crystal Palace transfers latest – Eddie Nketiah

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Palace are interested in signing a forward, with Eddie Nketiah on the list.

The Arsenal star, who is “very Ian Wright like” according to pundit Tony Cascarino, is valued at £40m by the Gunners, according to Football Insider.

However, the north Londoners aren't willing to sell Nketiah unless they sign a new striker in January, leaving the ball in Arsenal’s court.

How Nketiah compares to Jean-Phillipe Mateta

Neither Odsonne Edouard nor Jean-Phillipe Mateta have been able to make the number nine role at Selhurst Park their own, as shown by the fact that they have both netted just 35 goals between them in 172 combined appearances.

Over the last few years, it seems that a true centre forward has been the final piece of the Palace puzzle, and they could have done with a player like Ian Wright, who scored 118 goals in 227 appearances for the Eagles between 1985 and 1991 – prior to his own heroics in the red of Arsenal.

Wright was a clinical poacher with a vast skillset, and Nketiah’s movement and “pure goal scorer” trait, as per Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, are reminiscent of the former Palace and Gunners icon.

The table below displays Mateta’s and Nketiah’s stats from the last year across the top European leagues, with the Englishman seemingly set to offer a potential upgrade for Hodgson and co.

Non-penalty goals

0.14

0.41

Shots total

1.88

3.18

Touches (att pen)

3.75

6.56

Progressive carries

1.15

1.79

Pass completion %

71.9%

78.9%

As you can see by the non-penalty goals per 90 stats, the Arsenal forward is much more of a goal-scorer than Mateta. Nketiah also possesses athletic attributes that Hodgson doesn’t currently have within his striker options, such as pace and dynamism.

The Englishman’s movement – which has been likened to Wright by pundit Roy Keane – is also elite, which would give Palace an option to play the ball in behind, as Mateta is a striker who lacks speed and is essentially a target player.

With the creativity of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, who star on opposite sides, Nketiah would thrive in the box where he likes to operate, as displayed by the high number of touches he has in the attacking penalty area. Furthermore, the 24-year-old is capable of carrying the ball forward, which will make him dangerous in the Palace side which tends to create most of their chances on the counterattack.

Another attribute that would be vital at Palace and make him an upgrade on their number 14 is that the Gunners attacker retains the ball brilliantly. This is portrayed by his high pass completion statistics, and as the Eagles tend to endure spells without possession, it is important that they aren’t wasteful when they do win it back.

Overall, it is clear that Nketiah has plenty of desirable traits that would enhance Palace. If they can keep hold of Eze and Olise and sign the Arsenal forward, the Eagles could go from a steady mid-table side to a team that could be challenging for European spots.

Whether or not Sunderland are a Premier League team in 2024/25, they will need to splash the cash in a bid to improve the side.

Of course, fans love to see their club splash the cash, but there is that element of risk when spending big fees on players, as for a club like the Black Cats, youngsters have played a big part and continue to do so at the Stadium of Light. And, evidence of this is the fact that almost all of Sunderland’s top 20 most expensive signings came before the 2017/18 season.

Nevertheless, Football FanCast have taken a look at the 10 most expensive January window signings that Sunderland have made.

10 Ignacio Scocco (January 2014) £3m from Internacional

Argentina international Ignacio Scocco joined the Black Cats for a reported £3m as they sought a dramatic great escape from the Premier League drop. Bought under Gustavo Poyet’s management in early 2014 officially for an undisclosed fee, the striker was unable to make a name for himself on Wearside despite the team surviving come the end of the season.

Scocco departed with just eight appearances to his name having only started on two occasions in the FA Cup, without a goal or assist to show for his efforts. This January marks two years since his retirement from the game.

9 Mart Poom (January 2003) £3.2m from Derby County

Poom originally joined Sunderland on an initial loan back in November of 2002, and the Wearside club soon made that permanent less than two months later as he became what is now the club’s ninth most expensive January signing.

Many fans will remember his iconic goal in the dying embers against his former club Derby County, where the goalkeeper powered a header into the net with the Black Cats trailing at the time.

Overall, the Estonian made 62 appearances for the Black Cats, conceding 57 goals and keeping 25 clean sheets.

8 Alfred N'Diaye (January 2013) £3-4m from Bursaspor

N’Diaye joined Sunderland to provide some much-needed support in the engine room at the Stadium of Light, but things just didn’t work out. He made just 16 appearances for the Black Cats before being shipped out by Paolo Di Canio.

For someone who cost as much as he did, it really was a disaster as the club made around a £2m loss. And things don’t appear to have gotten too much better for the African midfielder, as he was declared bankrupt in 2019.

7 Andy Reid (January 2008) Up to £4m from Charlton Athletic

Reid started in blistering form for the Black Cats and was a fan favourite for some, but a succession of fitness problems saw him fall down the pecking order at the Stadium of Light, which led to an emergency loan move to Sheffield United.

He later went on to leave Sunderland on a free transfer to Blackpool.

All in all, he proved to be a good signing, which is backed up by his six goals and 18 assists in 80 appearances in red and white.#

6 Will Grigg (January 2019) £4m from Wigan Athletic

Signing from then-Championship outfit Wigan while the Black Cats were a League One side, Will Grigg is Sunderland’s most expensive January signing since their Premier League days.

It is reported that their accepted bid – rubber-stamped very close to the winter 2019 deadline – was their eighth attempt at luring the Northern Ireland international over to the Stadium of Light.

Now at non-league side Chesterfield, Grigg racked up just eight goals in 62 Sunderland displays, and after two subsequent loan spells away at MK Dons and Rotherham United, joined the former on a free transfer in the summer of 2022. Sunderland can perhaps forget about his spell now they are a comfortable Championship club and looking on the way up.

5 Claudio Reyna (January 2002) £4.5m from Rangers

The signing of Claudio Reyna was a big deal for Peter Reid and Sunderland back in 2002, with the loss of Don Hutchison really halting his plans at an important time.

A goal on his debut against Paul Gascoigne’s Everton to win the game for the Black Cats was the best possible start in the red and white stripes. However, the American, who later impressed in the 2002 World Cup, would damage knee ligaments in an October draw between Sunderland and Bolton, which ended up being his last game for the Wearsiders.

He made just 28 appearances on Wearside before joining Manchester City.

4 Lamine Kone (January 2016) £5m from FC Lorient

The central defender started well on Wearside as he put in a number of impressive displays which helped the Black Cats avoid the drop in the Premier League. But, apart from that, it was a rather unhappy three-and-a-half-year spell for the Ivorian at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland ended up being relegated to the Championship the following season, as when Sam Allardyce left, things just went downhill.

He couldn’t even get into the side in the Championship under a couple of managers, as another relegation followed.

Inevitably, his exit came after Jack Ross decided he wasn’t in his League One plans, which led to a loan and permanent move to Strasbourg after making a total of 72 appearances in England.

3 Danny Graham (January 2013) £5m from Swansea City

The signing of Danny Graham for around £5m proved to be a massive blunder by the club.

Many fans expected plenty of goals at the Stadium of Light from the Englishman as they’d been accustomed to a rather prolific striker during his time at Swansea. But, that wasn’t the case as he managed just one goal in 42 appearances during his first spell at the club.

Graham ended up leaving on a free transfer after a handful of loan spells away from Wearside.

2 Stephane Sessegnon (January 2011) £6m from Paris Saint-Germain

The attacking midfielder joined Sunderland in January 2011 for around £6m.

He proved to be a really good buy for the Black Cats as an absolute menace in the final third, with a combination of speed, tricks, finishing and creativity proving too much for even some of the best Premier League defenders. He managed to score an impressive 18 goals and laid on 20 assists for his teammates.

However, Sessegnon, who was one of Sunderland’s highest earners, was let go by Paolo Di Canio so that he could bring in his own men. To be fair, he was unsettled on Wearside for some time, but Sunderland had hoped that by handing him a new four-year contract 12 months before he would settle down. But he still made the decision that he’d had enough.

1 Wahbi Khazri (January 2016) £9m from Bordeaux

Well, for number one on the list, Wahbi Khazri arguably had one of the worst times at the club.

He made 42 appearances on Wearside but offered little to nothing in the final third, with three goals and two assists.

The Tunisian was one of the top earners at the Stadium of Light, and moving his wages off the books and getting a fee in return was the right move for Jack Ross at the time, as another player from Sunderland’s Premier League splurge who proved to be a waste.

MatériaMais Notícias

A missão do Goiás em permanecer na Série A do Brasileirão para a temporada 2021 é complexa. Porém, ela se tornou possível após a chegada da dupla de comandantes no banco técnico da equipe composta por Augusto César e Glauber Ramos.

RelacionadasVascoÀs vésperas do jogo decisivo, Vasco tem 73% de chance de ser rebaixadoVasco18/02/2021Núm3ros da bol4Rafael Moura entra no top 20 dos maiores artilheiros da história do BrasileiroNúm3ros da bol415/02/2021BrasileirãoEnvolvente, Goiás derrota frágil Botafogo e mantém esperança de fugir do Z4 do BrasileirãoBrasileirão13/02/2021

>Quais resultados podem livrar da queda o Esmeraldino?

Os números dão suporte a ascensão do Esmeraldino que, na primeira parte da competição, frequentou por um longo tempo não apenas a zona de rebaixamento como também a última colocação, aparentando estar fadado ao descenso. Desde que ambos assumiram o Verdão, são oito vitórias, três empates e sete derrotas, aproveitamento de 50%.

Inicialmente, a pontuação não aparenta tanto impacto. Porém, quando se observa os números, é possível constatar que eles foram melhores, por exemplo, do que Guto Ferreira no 12° colocado Ceará (42,5%) e até mesmo Cuca (48,1%), treinador do Santos, equipe que está na oitava posição.

Para seguir com possibilidade matemáticas de se safar da queda, o Goiás precisa vencer o Bragantino no próximo domingo (21) às 20h30 (de Brasília) na Serrinha e também o Vasco, no Rio de Janeiro, na quinta (25). Além disso, o atual 18° com 36 pontos tem de contar com tropeço (ou tropeços) de, pelo menos, um dos concorrentes diretos mais próximos na briga: Fortaleza e Bahia.

Liverpool will head into their lunchtime clash against Crystal Palace in good form after winning their previous three matches in all competitions.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are currently second in the Premier League table, just two points from leaders Arsenal and if the Reds can get through the hectic festive period unscathed, they will be genuine title contenders.

A trip to Selhurst Park will be another tough test, especially after two games in the previous six days, but the Anfield side have more than enough quality to see off Palace.

Liverpool's "sublime" £180k-p/w star outshone Van Dijk vs Sheffield Utd

Jurgen Klopp will be delighted with this star as lacklustre Liverpool won at Bramall Lane.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 7, 2023 Liverpool team news vs Crystal Palace

Klopp could wait until the last minute to see whether Alisson will be available for the away tie, but he has confirmed that midfielder Alexis Mac Aillster will be missing for the game.

Speaking in his press conference, he said: “He doesn’t look good. We have to see day by day. We have to see how he shows up. I don’t expect him to be ready for tomorrow.

“I don’t know about Thursday or Sunday [next week].”

This is a big blow for the Reds, and it means Klopp will have to rejig his starting XI. With the Argentinian midfielder missing for the next few games potentially, it is time the German unleashes Ryan Gravenberch to soften this disappointment.

Ryan Gravenberch’s season in numbers

The Dutchman was one of Europe’s brightest properties following his meteoric rise at Ajax and Bayern Munich won the race to sign him back in the summer of 2022.

It did not exactly go to plan in Bavaria for the youngster, as he started just six matches in all competitions for the German heavyweights.

Klopp rescued him from his Bundesliga nightmare by splashing £34m on the young talent and it looks as though it could be one of his best signings in years if he is able to kick on and fulfill his potential.

He has already started more games so far this term (nine) than he did during the whole of last season and the midfielder looks like a man reborn under Klopp.

Two goals and two assists in 17 appearances is a decent start to life on Merseyside and the more often he plays, these numbers will surely improve.

The former Ajax gem has starred for Liverpool in their Europa League campaign, ranking third across the squad for goals and assists (three), while also ranking first for shots on target per game (1.8), big chances created (three), and key passes per game (2.8), demonstrating the talents that saw him gain his big money move to Germany last summer.

Meanwhile, Mac Allister has managed 0.6 key passes per game and created one 'big chance' in 14 Premier League appearances so far this term.

These statistics show that Gravenberch is an all-action midfielder who has the ability to split open the opposition's defence to create opportunities for his teammates on a regular basis.

Journalist Ben Bocsak lauded him earlier this season, saying: “Looks like a man reborn under Klopp, and he's only just getting started. Liverpool has a really exciting midfielder on their hands.”

If the 21-year-old magician can translate his stunning European form into the same level of performance in the Premier League, Klopp could soon forget all about Mac Allister’s absence.

With a chance to impress against Palace in the early kick-off this afternoon, Gravenberch must take full advantage of being unleashed in the starting XI, and he could certainly cement his spot in the Liverpool midfield ahead of the busy festive spell.

It took 19 balls on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test at Centurion for Steyn to achieve the landmark

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-20181:21

Steyn’s slow, bumpy road to summit Mt Pollock

Dale Steyn has become South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, after claiming his 422nd wicket in Centurion. It took just 19 balls on the day for Steyn to reach the landmark, achieved when Fakhar Zaman prodded at one outside off, edging to Dean Elgar in the slips. The 35-year-old fast bowler overtook Shaun Pollock, whose record of 421 wickets had stood for over 10 years.The crowd rose as one to give him a prolonged standing ovation, while his team-mates hoisted him on his shoulders. Pollock, the man he overtook to become South Africa’s most prolific wicket-taker, called him “an absolutely brilliant performer, an absolute champion and a true leader of the attack”.”The fact that he is the best Test fast bowler that South Africa has produced doesn’t require my endorsement, as his stats and record tell you that,” Pollock said. “He’s fully deserving of holding the record for most Test wickets and I hope that he goes on to take many more and continues winning games for the Proteas.”I have enjoyed so many attributes of Dale’s bowling through his international career. The ability to swing the ball at high speed upfront, reverse swing the ball with devastating effect, bowl with great control and within himself as well as being able to crank it up with high-speed hostile bowling on very flat surfaces have all been his hallmarks.”Speaking at the lunch break in Centurion, Steyn paid tribute to Pollock for helping him along early in his career. “Every time I’m around him it’s a learning process. Those nine Tests [we played together], and especially in white-ball cricket, just watching Polly [Pollock] bowl…” Steyn told host broadcaster SuperSport. “He was pretty much my boot sponsor for the first three or four years of my career [laughs], he was fantastic. Along with Biff [former South Africa captain Graeme Smith] and all these guys, they helped me grow up not just as a cricketer but as a human, they shaped me into who I am today. Maki [Makhaya Ntini, whom Pollock incidentally passed for the record]… I’ve got my own family but in the cricketing world you have your cricketing family.”Steyn made his comeback from a heel injury earlier this year, having battled shoulder and groin problems since 2015. He has only played seven Tests in the last two years and four months, but in an interview with ESPNcricinfo in June spoke of his intention to try to reach 100 caps. And, on Monday, he said he felt like a 23-year-old and was hoping to go on playing for a long time yet, warning he hadn’t saved himself up to take just the one more wicket.Graeme Smith, under whom Steyn made his debut in 2004, called it a “goosebump moment”, adding he was “lost for words”. In the years since, Steyn established a reputation as one of the fastest and most lethal fast bowlers in the game’s history, his record bolstered by a virtually injury-free run until three years ago. He reached 400 wickets against Bangladesh in 2015, but has since played only a handful of matches, leading to the extended wait to become South Africa’s leading wicket-taker.

One Tottenham starlet is "ready to emerge" as a key player as manager Ange Postecoglou makes it "clear" how important he is to the Spurs cause.

Tottenham vs West Ham

The second in a very difficult triple-header of Lilywhites fixtures commences this evening, as Postecoglou's side face off against London rivals West Ham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Spurs planning January bid for "high energy" star who's "leaving" his club

They’re studying an offer for next month.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 7, 2023

Spurs sealed a dramatic 3-3 draw in their last game against champions Man City, courtesy of a late 90th-minute equaliser from Dejan Kulusevski, but there's barely any time for them to rest with the Hammers set to present a tough test.

Tottenham are also still minus a few key players who aren't expected back until 2024, like James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, but one huge boost is the return of defender Cristian Romero.

The Argentine looks set to partner either one of Ben Davies or Emerson Royal at the heart of Tottenham's back four, and it's highly likely we'll see a similar attacking line-up to the one which took on City at the Etihad.

"Cristian is available," said Postecoglou on the latest Spurs team news (via football.london).

"Nothing the other night in terms of disrupting this preparation. From the guys out, Pape is back training. Probably tomorrow will be a bit too soon for him but Sunday I'm pretty sure he'll be available. Richy got five mins other day and felt short physically but in terms of where he is he's available. All the rest I don't expect to see back for a while."

The likes of Brennan Johnson and Bryan Gil have impressed since being handed the nod in wake of Tottenham's injury issues, and the latter turned a few heads with his showing against City after overcoming his own fitness problems.

Gil made only his second start of the Premier League campaign at Eastlands, and after a few loan spells at Valencia and Sevilla since joining in 2021, the Spaniard will be eager to finally showcase his potential in a Spurs shirt.

Postecoglou has made "clear" Gil's importance

As per reports out of Spain, Tottenham head coach Postecoglou has made "clear" Gil's importance with the 22-year-old starlet now "ready to emerge" as a key player.

Postecoglou has also praised the attacker's determination and commitment, with the Australian believing he has all the necessary potential to become a success at Spurs. It will be very interesting to see if Gil establishes himself as a regular starter, especially amid Richarlison's steady recovery.

Gets fouled often

Likes to play short passes

Likes to tackle

Commits fouls often

The Brazilian was handed his first league minutes since pubic bone surgery against City on Sunday, but Postecoglou's admission that he still feels short physically could hand Gil an opportunity to move ahead of him in the pecking order with assured performances. And this continues with West Ham tonight.

Rajin Saleh has announced his retirement from first-class cricket, bringing an end to one of the longest professional careers in Bangladesh’s modern era. He will play his last game in the National Cricket League’s (NCL) last-round which begins on November 5. He started his career in the 2000-01 season which was Bangladesh’s second first-class season.Rajin, who played 24 Tests and 147 first-class matches, chose the first day of the Bangladesh-Zimbabwe Test to make the announcement as it is taking place in Sylhet from where he hails, and for whom he has played most of his first-class cricket. He will end his first-class career with 8327 runs, 18 centuries and 42 half-centuries.”I think this is the right time,” an emotional Rajin told ESPNcricinfo. “I want to give back to cricket in the Sylhet region. I want to produce more batsmen. A second generation of batsmen hasn’t developed after myself, Alok [Kapali] and [Imtiaz Hossain] Tanna. We have a number of good pace bowlers like [Abu Jayed] Rahi and Khaled [Ahmed], but we need to produce more batsmen for Bangladesh team.”Rajin first shot to limelight in Bangladesh’s inaugural Test in 2000 when he took two catches in close-in positions as a substitute fielder. One of them included Sachin Tendulkar’s catch, who inside-edged the offspinner Naimur Rahman.He made his Test debut three years later, against Pakistan in Karachi, and quickly established himself in a shaky middle order. Two of his seven Test fifties came against Australia in the home series in 2006. He played his last Test, also his last international match, two years later, against New Zealand in Dhaka.He also played 43 ODIs, making a century and six fifties. After Habibul Bashar was ruled out with a finger injury, Rajin led Bangladesh during the 2004 Champions Trophy in England.Rajin will now focus on coaching; he has been running the South Surma Cricket Academy in Sylhet for the last eight years.

The England star will be key in the Blues' bid for a successful end to the season, with Sunday's Continental Cup final the first chance of silverware

There has been a lot of talk about Lauren James for a long time, about her potential to be something great, to be the best player in the world, even. But this season feels really significant as she continues that journey, one in which she has taken greater strides than ever before towards realising such high expectations.

James’ world-class talent has been seen in glimpses over the years; in her breakthrough in the senior game with Manchester United, in her first full season at the very highest level with a Chelsea team competing on four fronts, in her first World Cup campaign last summer. This year, though, we’re not talking about glimpses. We’re talking about consistent, match-winning performances.

The 22-year-old has shown that she can deliver in the biggest moments, and they are about to get even bigger. Chelsea’s bid for a quadruple is heating up and the first leg of it comes on Sunday, as they take on Arsenal in the Continental Cup final. And if you asked someone to predict which player will make the biggest difference at Molineux on Sunday, it’d surely be a surprise if they didn’t pick out James’ name before any other.

GettyInjuries galore

It’s been a really difficult few months for Chelsea when it comes to injuries. Last season, they were missing many key personnel throughout the campaign, most notably Fran Kirby and Pernille Harder, but they didn’t make excuses. They did what champions do and found a way to win, picking up another Women’s Super League title and an FA Cup to boot.

If they can enjoy a fruitful end to this season, it’ll be even more impressive. Not only have Chelsea been without experienced leaders like Millie Bright, Maren Mjelde and Ann-Katrin Berger for spells, they’ve also been extremely depleted in attack.

In January, star striker Sam Kerr ruptured her ACL. A month later, Mia Fishel, her back-up, suffered the same fate. With Kirby in and out of the team due to issues here and there, summer-signing Catarina Macario not debuting until March due to her own ACL recovery and striker Mayra Ramirez missing a handful of games since her blockbuster transfer in January, Emma Hayes has had to reshuffle her front line plenty.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesStepping up

Emphasis has been on others to step up, then, and they certainly have. Youngster Aggie Beever-Jones has enjoyed a breakthrough season after a couple of years out on loan, going on a goal-scoring run of five in five games just before Christmas despite only one of those appearances coming as a starter.

Johanna Rytting Kaneyrd, meanwhile, has flown under the radar as a really impressive performer on the right, enjoying the best spell of her Chelsea career to date after signing at the start of the 2022-23 season.

Ramirez and Macario have also come up with big moments when they’ve been able to. Before an injury sidelined her for several weeks, the former scored a match-winning goal in a difficult FA Cup tie with Crystal Palace, while Macario’s role as a super-sub has been quite remarkable given it has come after almost two years out injured.

But none have stepped up to a level as impressive as the one James has found, the England star regularly proving to be the difference in games and hitting form that has put her in the race for the WSL Golden Boot with some of the division’s top strikers.

Getty ImagesSigns of brilliance

There was a feeling back in October, as the new campaign began, that James could be in for a special season. Coming off the back of some truly world-class displays at the World Cup, and with a full season at Chelsea under her belt after her first was all about getting on top of niggling injuries, she entered the campaign in a good place and with a solid foundation to build on.

Against Tottenham on the opening day, James was the star of the show, delighting the Stamford Bridge faithful with a wonderful performance. When Chelsea faced Liverpool in November, meanwhile, she was an absolute menace, netting her first hat-trick for the Blues and just the second of her senior career. A week later, at home to Leicester, it was more of the same, with two goals on that occasion.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesBig stage

But recent weeks have shown that James can deliver these performances in the big moments against the toughest opponents, too. Chelsea’s Continental Cup semi-final clash with Manchester City was not a classic, but rather a scrappy affair and, at times, the Blues had to hang on. But when James got an early sight of goal, she capitalised and found the back of the net with a strike that would decide the game.

Against Arsenal a week later, in a huge clash at the top of the WSL table, she once again ran the show and led Chelsea to an absolute demolition of their London rivals in a game that could’ve easily hampered the Blues in their title chase.

Four days after that, James grabbed the headlines once more. Chelsea looked to have the toughest Champions League quarter-final tie on paper, taking on an Ajax side that had out-qualified Roma and Bayern Munich, but they emerged with the most convincing first-leg result as James led them to a 3-0 victory in Amsterdam.

At just 22 years old, she is turning up for these big games and she is doing it every few days, too. The consistency is so impressive, especially given she still has so much experience to gain on these stages.