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Somerset moved into third place in the NatWest T20 Blast South Group with a 14-run victory over Hampshire in front of a 6,000-plus crowd at Taunton

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jul-2017Lewis Gregory gave Somerset a powerful start•Getty Images

Somerset moved into third place in the NatWest T20 Blast South Group with a 14-run victory over Hampshire in front of a 6,000-plus crowd at Taunton.Opener Lewis Gregory led the way after the hosts had won the toss, smacking 43 off 20 balls, with nine fours, in a total of 204 for 9. Jim Allenby contributed 37, while Gareth Berg claimed 3 for 35.In reply, Hampshire were bowled out for 190, Lewis McManus top-scoring with 34. Tim Groenewald was the pick of the home attack with 2 for 28 from his four overs.Somerset made a whirlwind start to their innings thanks to some sweet timing from openers Gregory and Steve Davies and some woeful Hampshire bowling that saw the second over from Kyle Abbott feature two over-stepping no-balls and cost 25.By the end of the fourth over Gregory and Davies had taken the score to 61, the former being dropped on 24 by Berg off Brad Wheal, a tough chance, with the skied ball arriving over his shoulder.It was a relief for Hampshire when James Vince produced a good catch above his head at mid-on to dismiss Davies for 32, made from just 13 balls, Shahid Afridi the successful bowler.Man-of-the-match Gregory holed out to deep midwicket off Berg, having looked in prime form and by the end of the six-over Powerplay Somerset had raced to 83 for 2.Allenby took time to play himself in before producing some cracking shots. Peter Trego fell cheaply, but James Hildreth ensured there was no let-up for the bowlers with a breezy 25 off 18 deliveries.Allenby drove a catch to extra cover off Berg, but Michael Leask hit Wheal for six and two more maximums in the same over by Roelof van der Merwe, including a ramp shot, had Somerset on course for 220.But the 18th over saw van der Merwe run out and Abbott strike twice to dismiss Leask and Groenewald, forcing last pair Craig Overton and Max Waller to exercise caution.Hampshire replied positively despite losing Rilee Rossouw to only the eighth ball of their innings, bowled by Overton, whose opening over still coast 14.Vince cracked 33 off 15 balls, with seven fours, before being bowled by a full ball from Gregory. But George Bailey quickly followed, a victim for Groenewald, who put an early brake on the scoring rate.Carberry was dropped on 2 by Hildreth at short fine-leg off Overton as Hampshire ended the Powerplay on 51 for 3. He and Sean Ervine added 49 in good time before the latter was bowled by van der Merwe for 19 attempting a scoop shot.Carberry had progressed to 30 and was looking dangerous when run out by Groenewald in a mix-up with Lewis McManus over a second run. At 93 for 5 in the 11th over, the visitors were in trouble.McManus lofted successive sixes off van der Merwe in the 13th over, but the next saw Waller beat Afridi’s defensive shot and bowl him for 18.When McManus was caught by Allenby at extra cover off a skier to give Waller his second wicket, Hampshire were left needing 53 off four overs, with only three wickets in hand.Despite the best efforts of Berg (31 off 21 balls), they were always falling short and when he was run out the innings ended with three balls remaining.

England Lions stunned South Africa A with a late burst of six wickets in 16 overs to capitalise on a superb unbeaten century by Ben Foakes on a fluctuating second day of the first-class match in Canterbury.

ECB Reporters Network22-Jun-2017
Scorecard Ben Foakes celebrates reaching his hundred for England Lions•Getty Images

England Lions stunned South Africa A with a late burst of six wickets in 16 overs to capitalise on a superb unbeaten century by Ben Foakes on a fluctuating second day of the first-class match in Canterbury.Foakes, who was on 77 overnight, ended unbeaten on 127 in a total of 386, his first Lions century and his seventh in first-class cricket.The tourists responded with an aggressive opening partnership of 164 inside 41 overs between their young captain Aiden Markram and Heino Kuhn, a 33-year-old who has made seven T20 international appearances.But Jamie Overton dragged the Lions back into the game with a superb spell from the Pavilion End in the evening session.Then Jamie Porter followed up with a burst of three wickets in three overs – his first for the Lions.Tom Helm chipped in with the prize scalp of Temba Bavuma, and when Sam Curran trapped Dane Piedt lbw, the tourists had lost six wickets for 31. They will resume on Friday on 227 for 7 – still 159 behind.Overton’s first wicket was a gift from Markram, who top-edged a pull to long leg where Helm took a cool catch.
But Overton then stunned Kuhn with a rapid yorker which won an lbw decision, shortly after he had reached a 114-ball century.The Somerset bowler could easily have had at least one more wicket but it was Porter who claimed the third breakthrough as Theunis de Bruyn, another of the six members of this South African team with senior international experience, pulled a short ball to Haseeb Hameed at midwicket.The 23-year-old Essex seamer then dismissed Khaya Zondo and Heinrich Klaasen in the space of four balls, both snapped up at second slip by Lions captain Keaton Jennings.Earlier Foakes had continued to play with positive intent, punching the first two balls of the morning from Beuran Hendricks through the covers for four.He reached his century from 151 balls with 13 fours and added four more, helped by lower-order support from Helm and Jack Leach in stands of 44 and 53 respectively – although the morning session was interrupted by a violent electrical storm.Porter fell quickly to leave Foakes 14 short of his career best, and after 284 minutes at the crease he trotted back to the pavilion to change into his wicketkeeping gear – meaning he has now been on the field for every ball of well over four sessions.

Arsenal's deal for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is "almost there", with talks progressing on payment terms and the structure of the deal, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Declan Rice signing for Arsenal?

With Manchester City dropping out of the race for Rice earlier this week, Arsenal seemingly have a clear run at the West Ham captain, and they have finalised an agreement in principle over a move totalling £105m, including add-ons.

However, the intricacies of the deal still need to be sorted out, with West Ham eager to receive the initial £100m lump sum before 2025, while the Gunners would prefer to stagger the payments over a period of five years.

The same report details that personal terms have already been agreed, meaning the last remaining hurdle is agreeing on a payment structure with the Hammers, and a new update from Romano appears to indicate progress has been made in that regard.

Taking to Twitter, the transfer expert has now claimed the deal is "almost there", with Arsenal and West Ham "progressing in talks" to agree on payment terms and the structure of the move.

"Talks will continue" to get the deal done, however, it is now "close", with a £105m package having already been agreed.

"Declan Rice deal, almost there! Arsenal and West Ham are progressing in talks to agree on payment terms/structure of the deal — it’s really, finally close now. Talks will continue to get it done… and then, here we go. £105m package/fee agreed two days ago."

Is Declan Rice a defensive midfielder?

The 24-year-old has most commonly been deployed in a defensive midfield role throughout his career, but he has also been utilised at centre-back on 52 occasions, displaying his versatility.

It is clear the England international is most comfortable in a deeper role, ranking in the 95th percentile for interceptions per 90, and in the 83rd for clearances over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

However, the central midfielder, dubbed "fantastic" in the media, does also manage to get on the scoresheet from time to time, netting five goals in all competitions last season, including a brilliant solo goal in the Europa Conference League quarter-final against Gent.

That said, if the Englishman is to fulfill his £105m price tag at Arsenal truly, then he probably does need to add a few more goals to his game, and there are indications he will be able to do so, having previously been hailed as West Ham's "best finisher" by Jack Wilshere.

It is exciting news that Arsenal's deal for Rice is edging closer to completion, as he could play a huge role in helping Mikel Arteta's side bridge the gap to Man City next season.

India captain Virat Kohli has said his fast bowlers’ performance in the Hyderabad Test has raised his hopes that they can succeed on foreign soil

Mohammad Isam in Hyderabad13-Feb-20173:30

We could have closed off the game a little early – Kohli

Virat Kohli on how he has evolved as captain

“You know, sometimes I stand in the field and think the wicket is not falling, you literally cannot do anything as a captain. You just have to accept the game is going, probably look to be more consistent with the ball and the fields that you set. Honestly it is the players that make you the captain that you become. To be very honest, anyone knows how to set fields in the ground, its just that you know, make sure you have the responsibility of keeping the energy of the team up. I look to push myself, throw myself [around], so guys know that they have to push for a wicket. I need to do that first, for the guys to show that energy. I am able to maintain that and that has been a takeaway from the games that I have been captain so far. Lot of times, you know that there is only so much that you can do as a captain.
“Before I would still be a bit of relentless with fields but now, I understand, when a pair is going for runs, I immediately go for in-out fields, no point giving them 4-5 boundaries. They might as well score 25 runs in singles, and take 15 overs to do that. That creates pressure and when you know you are bowling good balls, one ball does something you are back into the game. That’s something I have learnt and hopefully we will take it forward.”

India captain Virat Kohli has said his fast bowlers’ performance in the Hyderabad Test has raised his hopes that they can succeed on foreign soil. While their numbers during this home season haven’t been as imposing as those of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, the likes of Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have chipped in with incisive spells at key moments.Umesh’s spell on the third morning was described by Shakib Al Hasan as the best spell he had ever faced. Ishant picked up two wickets in the second innings while Bhuvneshwar impressed Kohli with his work with the old ball.”It is always a good thing to have good fast bowlers in the team especially in Test cricket,” Kohli said. “If you can have 3-4 seamers in your squad who are attacking bowlers and can pick you wickets at any stage during the day, then it is a bonus for any side. When we start going away from home, it is going to help us big time. The more the guys understand how to pick up wickets and how to set batsmen up, it is going to be really good for us.”Sides will know that these are not easy runs for the taking, they will have to work hard given the way our fast bowlers are bowling. It gives us more strength as a team having fast bowlers in rhythm and confidence and that’s something we always believe in doing in the team, giving our bowlers more importance and telling them they are the match-winners.”Kohli said that like Umesh in the first innings, Ishant stood apart among the bowlers during the second innings. Ishant took the key wickets of Sabbir Rahman and Mahmudullah after the sixth-wicket pair had added 51 in 18 overs.Ishant removed Sabbir with a delivery that came back in subtly; the batsman’s review of the leg-before decision was more out of hope than anything else. Soon after, he banged one in short to get Mahmudullah caught on the hook. Bangladesh’s back was broken in their quest to save the Test.Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled Mehedi Hasan with reverse-swing early on the fourth day•Associated Press

Kohli said the quality of India’s spinners ensures that the fast bowlers play a more aggressive role. He said Ishant breaking the partnership was crucial.”In the first innings it took a bit of patience for us to get wickets,” Kohli said. “I thought Umesh [Yadav], Bhuvi and Ishant Sharma were brilliant but Umesh stood out. In the second innings, all three bowled really well and Ishant stood out. I said in the post-match [presentation] that the quality of our spinners allows our fast bowlers to attack because of the way spinners bowl and contain runs, the pacers can really attack as soon as it starts reverse-swinging. I thought today Ishant’s spell was really good, bowled with pace and had to put in effort to take wickets at that stage and he took both the set batsmen out. That was really good for us.”Kohli also said Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s improvement in the last few matches has added to India’s pace bowling stocks. While Bhuvneshwar took only one wicket in the game, his spells with the old ball, particularly on the fifth day, didn’t let Bangladesh settle down for the rest of the day.”[Mohammad] Shami, Ishant [Sharma] and Umesh [Yadav], we all know. They’ve done it with the old ball many times. The way Bhuvi has bowled in the last few games he has played, with the old ball – it’s all because of his fitness levels having increased.”Having more strength in the body, he’s been able to put more pace in the ball which is key for reverse-swing. The other three guys, naturally, have more pace than him. I think Bhuvi has stepped up the game with the old ball too.”

England captain Eoin Morgan says his bowlers were badly let down by their batsmen after a collapse of 8 for 8 sealed a 75-run defeat to India in the third T20I at Bangalore

Deivarayan Muthu in Bangalore01-Feb-20171:30

‘We fell away terribly towards the end’ – Morgan

England lost 10 for 83 in the last innings in the second Test in Visakhapatnam. They lost 5 for 70 in the first innings in the third Test in Mohali. They lost 7 for 54 in their second innings in the fourth Test in Mumbai. The visitors then suffered a more cataclysmic fall in their second innings in the fifth Test in Chennai, losing 10 for 104 after piling on 477 in their first dig.The limited-overs players then roused the side from its gloom after Christmas, pushing India in 50-over cricket and proceeded to go 1-0 up in the subsequent T20 series. England were then at the receiving end of two incorrect umpiring decisions and lost the second T20. In the series decider in Bangalore, they unravelled dramatically against legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal and left to head home empty-handed.England experienced a fair share of collapses on this gruelling tour, but losing 8 for 8 on Wednesday night was as chaotic as it could get. Their breezy start to the chase – they were 119 for 2 in the 14th over in pursuit of 203 – starkly contrasted with what was to follow. The two set batsmen – Joe Root and captain Eoin Morgan – were dismissed by Chahal in successive balls and England eventually suffered the second-worst eight-wicket collapse in international cricket to be rolled over for 127 with 21 balls to spare in their innings.England captain Eoin Morgan cut a sorry figure at the post-match press conference, but did not mince any words about his team’s batting performance.”It does hurt. Very disappointing,” Morgan said. “Maybe 60% of the game we were competitive and right in amongst it but fell away terribly in the end. Committed a cardinal sin of losing two in-players in one over and allowed India to build a little bit of pressure and we weren’t up to it at all.”So what really went wrong in the middle?”I can’t put a finger on it. We haven’t produced a batting performance as bad as that in two or two-and-a-half years,” Morgan said. “We pride ourselves on our batting, it has been a strong suit for a long time but this series our bowlers have outperformed our batsmen I think.”Morgan, who had played for Royal Challengers Bangalore for a season in the IPL in 2010, believed that England were on track to exploit the flat surface and the short boundaries at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium at the halfway mark of the chase. Root bedded himself in, and Morgan himself hinted at hitting full tilt with three sixes from Suresh Raina’s part-time offbreaks in three balls during the 12th over.”I thought we were going quite well,” Morgan said. “A majority of the runs at this ground are always scored in the last 10 overs. Bangalore have done it extremely well for a long period of time and India did well today. So, I think we needed 110 [sic 117] off the last 10 maybe with eight wickets in the shed.”Morgan said that England could have chased the target down had he or Root kicked on with contributions from the lower-middle order.”If a better performance from either me or Joe – a 70 or 80 from me or him and if the two of us seeing off – and a couple of guys batting around us could have made a huge difference,” Morgan said.England’s sharp nosedive began with Morgan galloping down the track, fetching a slog-sweep from outside off and skying a wrong’un to deep midwicket. He backed his intent but blamed the execution for the dismissal.”It wasn’t necessarily a big shot,” Morgan said. “It wasn’t executed that well, I didn’t mean to hit it in the air. The ball – it was a googly – held up a little bit. I wanted to hit down the ground, but hit it squarer.”Morgan also conceded that losing a close ODI series “hurt” more than losing the T20 series, but was confident of recovering from the setbacks.”We had performances in the one-day series that were potentially worthy of winning,” he said. “In this series probably the last game [in Nagpur] hurt us more. The game got away from us, we should have won. Today we underperformed and we weren’t good enough.”I don’t think [there will be a lingering feeling]. If there was a consistent run of performances like that it would hurt to fail again. But like I said, our batting has been outstanding for a long time and tonight it wasn’t anywhere near as it should be.”

The Reds have decisions to make on a host of young players this summer, with several hoping to catch Jurgen Klopp's eye in pre-season

Jurgen Klopp says Liverpool’s future has already begun. And while most anticipate a hefty, and perhaps overdue, spending spree this summer, it will also be interesting to see how the club handles its crop of extremely gifted youngsters.

The Reds have been boosted this season by the emergence of Stefan Bajcetic, the 18-year-old midfielder who made such a positive impact during the difficult days of winter. And with the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, Curtis Jones, Fabio Caralho and Harvey Elliott in the first-team, all of them 24 or under, Klopp is right to be enthused by what is to come at Anfield.

Behind those players, though, a new wave of young prospects are gathering at the door. Can any of them do what Bajcetic has done, and force their way through it next season?

GOAL takes a look…

GettyTyler Morton

For Bajcetic this season, read Morton last; a young midfielder coming into Liverpool’s team and playing with calmness and authority beyond his years, earning rave reviews from his manager.

Morton played nine times for the Reds’ last term before being sent out on loan to Championship side Blackburn Rovers in a bid to gain experience and develop further.

It’s gone pretty well, too. The 20-year-old has made 46 appearances in all competitions, and though his campaign was unfortunately ended by injury recently, he can reflect on an extremely positive season at Ewood Park, the place where Harvey Elliott flourished before returning to make his mark at Liverpool.

It will be difficult for Morton to do what Elliott has done, but he should get a chance to show what he’s learned in pre-season, and we know that Klopp is already a fan.

AdvertisementGettyConor Bradley

Another player to have enjoyed a fine first loan spell. Bradley has been superb for Bolton Wanderers, and swept the board at the League One side’s end-of-season awards, winning the Players’ Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Fans’ Player of the Year gongs.

Already a full international with Northern Ireland, the 19-year-old now has more than 50 club games under his belt, and Klopp said recently that the plan was for him to be a part of Liverpool’s first-team squad next season. 

And given Alexander-Arnold’s positional re-jig, there could be space for a young, attack-minded right-back too. Bradley has already played for Liverpool at senior level, and has done his future prospects no harm at all this season.

GettyCalvin Ramsay

Speaking of attack-minded right-backs, what a frustrating campaign it has been for Ramsay, who was bought from Aberdeen to be Alexander-Arnold’s understudy, but who has been plagued by injuries ever since.

First it was a back issue, then he suffered knee ligament damage in training. Due to that, he has been limited to only two first-team appearances, totalling around 93 minutes.

At 19, though, the Scot has plenty of time on his side, and the signs at Aberdeen, and even in his brief outings at Liverpool, were of a full-back with a good all-round game. Staying fit will be the key for him. A good pre-season would do him the world of good.

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Getty ImagesBen Doak

Another Scot desperate for an opportunity at Anfield is Doak, a precocious 17-year-old winger who has already made five substitute appearances this season.

Signed from Celtic last summer, Doak is an old-fashioned right-winger, who loves to run at full-backs and beat them on the outside. He has been comfortably the most exciting player in Liverpool’s Under-21 and U19 sides this season, and certainly lacks nothing in terms of confidence and determination, as he displayed when making his Premier League debut off the bench against Aston Villa on Boxing Day. Ask Lucas Digne whether the kid can play.

Everything you need to know about French superstar Antoine Griezmann!

Antoine Griezmann is a French professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for La Liga club Atletico Madrid and the France national team.

Born on March 21, 1991, in Mâcon, France, Griezmann is widely regarded as one of the best attackers in the world. He has dazzled football fans over the years thanks to his instinctive finishing, playmaking ability, range of passing, work-rate, and creativity on the pitch.

He began his football journey at a young age, joining the youth academy of his local club, UF Mâcon. His potential caught the attention of scouts, and at the age of 13, he moved to Spain to join the renowned youth academy of Real Sociedad. It was here that Griezmann honed his skills and developed his unique playing style.

Griezmann worked his way up the ranks and made his La Liga debut in the 2009/10 season. He quickly established himself as a key player, showcasing his technical abilities, vision, and goal-scoring instincts. His breakthrough season came in the 2013-2014 campaign when he scored 16 league goals and helped Sociedad secure a Champions League qualification spot.

His performances drew attention from top clubs, and in 2014, he joined Atletico Madrid for a reported fee of €30 million after a famous phone call from head coach Diego Simeone. Griezmann flourished and became a central figure in Atletico's success.

During his first stint at Atletico, Griezmann won several trophies, including the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup. His most notable achievement came in the 2015-2016 season when he helped Atletico reach the UEFA Champions League final, scoring a crucial goal against Real Madrid. Although Atletico fell short in the final, Griezmann's performances earned him the tournament's Golden Boot as the top scorer.

In 2019, he made a high-profile move to Barcelona, joining the Catalan giants in a €120 million deal. However, he failed to live up to expectations, scoring just 22 goals in 74 La Liga games for the Catalan club.

After three turbulent years at Camp Nou, he returned to Wanda Metropolitano on loan last season, which was made permanent by Atleti at the start of the current season as he has rediscovered his confidence and peak form back under Simeone.

As for his exploits on the international stage, he made his debut for the French national team in 2014 and has since become an integral part of the squad. He played a crucial role in France's journey to the final of the 2016 UEFA European Championship, where they narrowly lost to Portugal. In the tournament, he won the Golden Boot as the top scorer and was also named the Player of the Tournament.

However, the pinnacle of Griezmann's international career came in 2018 when he played a vital role in France's FIFA World Cup triumph. Griezmann's performances earned him the Silver Ball as the tournament's second-best player and also shone as arguably the best French player after Kylian Mbappe at the recent 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he helped them reach the final.

Here are 13 fun facts about Griezmann you need to know!

• Nicknamed as 'The Little Prince' 🤴

  Griezmann is nicknamed "The Little Prince" because of his diminutive stature, exceptional playmaking skills, and intelligent footballing brain. He stands at a modest height of 5 ft 9in, which is relatively short for a professional footballer. However, Griezmann's small size does not stop him from being one of the best players in the world.

  The nickname is also a reference to the famous French novel of the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The novel narrates the story of a young prince who travels to different planets in search of knowledge and wisdom. Griezmann has said that he likes the character of the Little Prince, and he sees himself as a kind of "little prince" on the pitch. Thus, the moniker is a fitting one.

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• Difficult start in French Football

  Griezmann struggled to get his first opportunity in the world of football, as scouts in France considered him too small and skinny to make it through to the professional game. Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Metz, Auxerre, Sochaux and Montpellier all scouted him, but none were willing to take him in.

  Thankfully, Real Sociedad’s French scout Eric Olhats saw the youngster and his supreme technical skills that he was offered a chance to join an elite academy.

  The teenager had to move to continue his football development and even stayed with Olhats during his initial years at the Basque club's academy after making the move to northern Spain.

  Had things gone differently, he could have been playing for PSG or Lyon but well, Ligue 1's loss was La Liga's gain as he has gone on to represent several Spanish giants throughout his career so far.

• Getty Images
  

  Pavel Nedved, one of his favourite players

  Griezmann, like all young football fans, had many idols growing up, but none more so than Pavel Nedvd, whose poster he had on his wall. As a youngster, he even used to copy the Czech maestro’s hairstyle. Among his other childhood heroes were Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane, Sonny Anderson – with whom he was famously photographed as a kid – and David Beckham.

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• Lyon is his boyhood club ❤️

  Lyon is a city that holds special memories for the current Atletico Madrid star, who grew up in the town of Macon, near Lyon. He was an Olympique Lyonnais supporter as a kid and often visited the Stade de Gerland to support the club. However, Lyon rejected to enroll the youngster into their academy due to his height. Needless to say, it was a painful experience for the boyhood OL fan.

  Ironically, one of his first big breakout moments came against his boyhood club French side when OL locked horns with Real Sociedad in a Champions League qualifier in 2013. Griezmann scored a spectacular bicycle kick in the away leg as Real Sociedad won the tie 4-0.

  He would also score a wonderful brace for France in Lyon during Euro 2016 and won the 2017/18 Europa League final in the city with Atletico Madrid, scoring twice in a 3-0 victory over OL's rivals Marseille.

England will host Ireland for two ODIs in 2017, in a move described as “an historic stepping stone for Irish cricket”. The fixtures, one of which will be at Lord’s, represent the first bilateral series between the sides, as well as the first time they have faced each other in England.Under the previous agreement between the ECB and Cricket Ireland, England played a biennial ODI in Ireland. Next year they will instead host Ireland at Bristol, on May 5, and Lord’s, on May 7, as part of their build-up to the Champions Trophy. The development is a further boost for Ireland as they seek greater engagement with Full Members and a calendar that can help them challenge for World Cup qualification via the ODI rankings.Ireland’s captain William Porterfield, who has led calls for more opportunities for his side, described the series as “absolutely massive”, while Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland’s chief executive, thanked the ECB for helping to bring it about. Ireland are also due to host New Zealand and Bangladesh for a six-match triangular series in May 2017.”We would like to extend our sincere thanks to ECB for their support in bringing this series to fruition and, in particular, giving us the opportunity to play a two-match series in England for the first time,” Deutrom said. “Rounding the series off at Lord’s will, of course, make this truly memorable for everyone involved.”We have set out our stall to make cricket a mainstream sport in Ireland and perhaps one measure of that is for the Blarney Army, whether living in Ireland or England, to arrive in their thousands to paint the Home of Cricket green in front of a worldwide TV audience.”England were Ireland’s opponents in their first ODI, in Belfast in 2006, and they have met twice in World Cups but this move signals a greater degree of commitment from the ECB to helping their Associate neighbours. It is understood that part of the decision for England to host the games was in order to save Cricket Ireland the set-up costs.”This series will represent a historic stepping stone in the development of Irish cricket and give further impetus to the growth of the game in Ireland as a whole,” the ECB’s chief executive Tom Harrison said. “There’s always been a friendly local rivalry between Ireland and England on the sporting field and this is a great opportunity for cricket matches between the two countries to enjoy even greater status and profile.”Ireland recently played a two-match series against Sri Lanka and will host Afghanistan and Pakistan this summer, before playing ODIs against South Africa and Australia later in the year. They were added to the ICC ODI rankings last year, giving them a chance to secure automatic qualification for the 2019 World Cup by reaching the top eight, but had struggled to arrange a competitive fixture list.England had previously only played one-off fixtures against Ireland, in Belfast once again in 2009, then at Clontarf, in Dublin, two years later, followed by matches in 2013 and 2015 at Ireland’s new home, Malahide. Ireland’s only win over England came at the 2011 World Cup, when they pulled off the highest successful chase in the competition’s history in Bangalore.”It’s absolutely massive for us to have the opportunity to play against England in a series,” Porterfield said. “What makes it extra special is the fact that one of the games is at Lord’s – where every cricketer dreams of playing.”I’m certain we’ll have a lot of support there from both the Irish living in London and travelling over from Ireland. There’ll be a great atmosphere and it will be one which the team will relish playing in front of.”Teams travelling to play England are also coming over here now to play series too so hopefully that trend will continue. We are getting more and more international fixtures with games against Pakistan, Afghanistan, Australia and South Africa still to come this year, and England, Bangladesh and New Zealand confirmed already for next year.”

Newcastle United will head to Merseyside for their Premier League clash with Everton at Goodison Park this evening and Eddie Howe will surely be going into the game with confidence.

The Magpies were back to winning ways at St James’ Park last weekend, delivering an incredible 6-0 thriller against top-four rivals Tottenham Hotspur and are now six points clear of the north Londoners.

The dream of Champions League football is looking more and more likely to become a reality for Newcastle and they could even further cement their spot by taking another three points away from home tonight.

Unfortunately, Howe has had some injury issues to contend with over the last few weeks, with key players like Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron sustaining issues.

Now, Fabian Schar could be set for a spell on the sidelines too, after sustaining a fresh hamstring concern in the latter stages of the Spurs game.

Howe took to his pre-match press conference to reveal an update on the centre-back’s condition yesterday, confirming that he remains a doubt: “Fab is one we have to check on and make a late call.”

As a result, it could be the perfect opportunity for the Newcastle boss to unleash club captain Jamaal Lascelles in place of Schar.

Will Lascelles start vs Everton?

There is no doubt that Everton have played their best football at Goodison Park this season with five of their six victories secured on home turf.

However, the Toffees have struggled to trouble their opponents in front of goal, with only two scored in their last four games, as well as having the lowest goal tally in the entire Premier League at present.

Under those circumstances, it would seem that losing Schar for the outing on Merseyside tonight may not be the worst outcome, as Lascelles should be able to use his experience and 6 foot 1 presence to handle Everton's goal-scoring talisman, Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The £40k-per-week titan – hailed as “heroic” by Howe – ranks in the top 9% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for aerial duels won, blocks, clearances and touches, proving that he has some of the best physicality on offer when it comes to defensive play.

Not only that, the Newcastle boss has previously heaped praise on Lascelles for the importance of his leadership skills on and off the pitch, despite only making two Premier League starts this term so far:

“His attitude has been spot on. He’s obviously our captain and he’s led like a captain even in a difficult moment for him because he would want to play every game.

“I always think that’s a true test of a leader is in the difficult moments and I think Jamaal has been absolutely superb – he’s been positive in the changing room before the game, during training – I cannot speak highly enough of his reaction to that.”

With that being said, there is no doubt that Lascelles can comfortably work alongside Sven Botman to form a brick wall against Everton tonight and will deservedly earn some much-needed minutes in the starting XI.

ScorecardEvin Lewis cracked nine fours and one six during his 41-ball 56•WICB Media/Ashley Allen

Opener Evin Lewis struck a quick fifty as Trinidad & Tobago knocked off 107 within 14 overs to secure 18 points; their first win at home this season.Lewis was dismissed for 56 off 41 balls but Kyle Hope stayed unbeaten with Marlon Richards to seal the victory. This meant that Leeward Islands remained rooted to the bottom of the table with a solitary win in eight matches.Leeward Islands were left to play catch-up right from the first day, when they were bowled out for 225. Debutant Keacy Carty, who had steered West Indies Under-19s’ tense chase against India Under-19s in the World Cup final, was the first to go, bowled by Rayad Emrit for 5. Daron Cruickshank soon became Emrit’s second victim. Nkrumah Bonner mounted some resistance with 47 before Jahmar Hamilton and Rakheem Cornwall added 74 together, but the lower order was cleaned up by pacer Marlon Richards.Legspinning allrounder Imran Khan pitched in with two wickets. He then led T&T’s batting effort with his ninth first-class fifty, at the top of the order. Narsingh Deonarine and Steven Katwaroo also stroked fifties to give their side the advantage with a first-innings lead of 181, despite Cornwall’s five-for.Leeward Islands fared marginally better in their second dig, managing 287, but the small target was brushed off by T&T. Carty hit a fifty as did Cornwall, but Imran’s four-wicket haul rattled the middle order. His match haul of six wickets eventually put him joint second on the wickets charts, with 37 scalps.
ScorecardRonsford Beaton’s five-for in the first innings followed by Leon Johnson’s 107 shaped Guyana’s six-wicket win against Windward Islands in St Lucia. Guyana picked up 18 points with the win to strengthen their position at the top of the points table.After being inserted, Devon Smith and Jelornie Robinson set Windwards up nicely with a 120-run partnership for the second wicket after Beaton had removed Tyrone Theophile early. Raymon Reifer broke the stand by removing Robinson for 57, a wicket that triggered Windwards’ middle-order collapse. A combined bowling effort from Guyana, led by Beaton, ensured that no other Windwards crossed the score of 20 as they lost nine wickets for 80 runs. Beaton cleaned up Windwards’ tail quickly as they were bowled out for 216.Guyana’s strong response was built on Johnson’s century, while Vishaul Singh and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (46) played the support roles. Johnson struck 13 fours in his 107 and also shared a 119-run fifth-wicket stand with Vishaul, who made a patient 58 – a partnership that put them in control after they were at a wobbly 100 for 4. Guyana got a late push when Johnson and Reifer combined for the seventh wicket to add 62, a stand that set them up for over 300. Mervin Matthew’s late wickets, that helped him complete career-best figures of 6 for 81, helped Windwards bowl Guyana out for 339, a 123-run lead.Windwards suffered another batting collapse in the second innings that had them lose seven wickets for 41 runs as they slumped to 131 for 9. Smith’s 51 was the only score of note before Shane Shillingford provided lower-order resistance with a quick 26 that took his side to 161 before they were bowled out. Reifer led Guyana’s bowling effort, picking up 4 for 35, while Devendra Bishoo and Beaton accounted for a total of five wickets.In their pursuit of 39, Guyana were reduced to 13 for 4 by Shillingford and Kyle Mayers. Johnson then came out full of positivity though, and smashed a quick 17 to take his side home without further damage.
ScorecardJustin Greaves’ 5 for 41 and fifties from Kraigg Brathwaite and Roston Chase set up Barbados’ six-wicket win over Jamaica at Sabina Park. The result, though, had no bearing on the points table as Barbados maintained their second position, while Jamaica follow at third.Shacaya Thomas and Andre McCarthy struck fifties but Greaves’ five-for cut through Jamaica, bowling them out for 177 as only two other batsmen made double-digit scores, both without touching 20.Nikita Miller led the hosts’ bowling effort, cutting through the visitors with a haul of 8 for 67. Barbados, though, were rescued and helped to a 40-run lead by Brathwaite and Chase’s fifties. Brathwaite stroked 11 fours during his 130-ball 66, while Chase’s knock came with eight fours.Jamaica slumped to 80 for 7 in their second innings before Devon and Jason Dawes combined to add 63 for the eighth wicket. Their partnership helped the hosts set Barbados a fighting if still small target of 118. Jomel Warrican and Hayden Walsh combined to pick up 6 for 90 for Barbados, while Miguel Cummins finished with 2 for 20.Brathwaite combined with Jonathan Carter to help take Barbados to 77 for 1 in the chase, before both batsmen fell in consecutive overs. Chase then came in and smacked a brisk 35 to take them home with six wickets in hand.