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ScorecardFile photo – Holly Huddleston paved the way for New Zealand’s entry into the Women’s World Cup with 4 for 20•Getty Images

New Zealand women’s bowling prowess came to the fore with right-arm medium pacer Holly Huddleston taking 4 for 20 before half-centuries from Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine studded their seven-wicket win over Pakistan Women in the fourth ODI in Nelson.That meant New Zealand extended their dominance in the series to go 4-0 up with one match remaining, and more importantly, become the third team after Australia and England to seal a spot in next year’s Women’s World Cup, leaving just one direct entry to be filled up.Pakistan, asked to make first use of a new surface at the Saxton Oval, stuttered to 158 in 48.1 overs, before New Zealand chased the total down with 165 balls remaining, having struck at well over seven an over.Bates dedicated the performance to victims of the earthquake that shook New Zealand on Monday. The match was preceded by a minute’s silence and players of both teams wore black armbands. “We wanted to pay our respects after a challenging and tragic week for New Zealand,” she said. “It’s been a tough week for some of the players who are based in Christchurch too, along with everyone else, and we wanted to go out and play some cricket to take our minds off that and honour those people who are really struggling at the moment.”Early signs did not point to such a one-sided contest, however, as Pakistan had got themselves into a strong position, scoring 107 in the 28th over for the loss of just Nahida Khan for 16 in the 13th over. But Ayesha Zafar’s dismissal, caught and bowled off Amy Satterthwaite’s right-arm medium pace, for 52 – her maiden ODI fifty – triggered a collapse with Pakistan losing their last nine wickets for 51 runs.Satterthwaite dismissed Bismah Maroof for a first-ball duck, but Javeira Khan denied her the hat-trick. Captain Sana Mir tried to keep the fight going with 31, but ran out of partners rapidly, and was the last batsman dismissed. Huddleston finished with 4 for 20 in 7.1 overs. Lea Tahuhu and Satterthwaite took two wickets each and were both economical, while Bates and Ameila Kerr took one each.New Zealand got off to a flier with Bates and Rachel Priest putting on 38 in 3.4 overs. Bates flayed Sadia Yousuf for five consecutive fours in the second over of the chase. Although Mir dismissed Priest with her fourth ball, it hardly slowed New Zealand down. Bates kept the carnage going in the company of Devine, promoted to No. 3, adding 94 in 14 overs.Bates biffed 66 off 52 balls and Devine struck 54 at just over a run a ball. Bates fell in the 18th over and Devine became Javeira Khan’s only victim less than three overs later, but with New Zealand needing just 17 and almost 30 full overs to play, it was too little too late for Pakistan.

Imran Tahir sprayed down a shower of words on David Warner during South Africa’s win in the fifth ODI, requiring the intervention of umpires and captain Faf du Plessis to calm him down

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town12-Oct-20162:39

‘We didn’t expect 5-0’ – du Plessis

If you wanted to know how badly South Africa wanted to win 5-0, you need look no further than Imran Tahir. In the 38th over, with Australia requiring 119 runs at more than nine an over, and shortly after David Warner had survived a lbw appeal, Tahir took it on himself to tell Warner who was boss. He sprayed down a shower of words which lasted into the next over and took the intervention of the umpires, the captain Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla to calm down.While Warner said he had “no idea,” what set Tahir off, du Plessis explained it was merely a case of the legspinner following through on his request for South Africa to boss the opposition with body language.”He wears his heart on his sleeve. He loves doing well. I haven’t seen him like that but it just shows how badly he wanted to win the game,” du Plessis said. “He realised David Warner was playing a great knock and he had to try and get under his skin. They had a few words.”Whether Tahir will be punished by the ICC remains to be seen but as far as du Plessis is concerned, his only crime was passion. “I don’t see anything wrong with that. When Immi was done, they put their arms around each other’s shoulder said lets have a beer afterwards. Immi is obviously going to have a glass of water,” du Plessis joked.The major damage Tahir inflicted on Australia was not of the verbal kind, though. In his first over, Tahir struck a double-blow when he bowled both Aaron Finch and Steven Smith and derailed Australia’s chase. After being rested from the Port Elizabeth game in favour of Tabraiz Shamsi, Tahir wanted to make a statement and from the praise du Plessis heaped on him, he made it loud and clear.”He is an absolute gun,” du Plessis said. “He is the reason we are where we are in one-day cricket. He is a competitor, he wants to win games and he wanted to show everyone that he is still our No.1 which he is. He is my banker.”Tahir was not the only standout from South Africa’s win. Rilee Rossouw batted with a fractured finger to score his third ODI hundred and first of the series, Andile Phehlukwayo topped the wicket-takers’ list and JP Duminy scored a second half-century in the series to ensure South Africa had contributions from several sides. Ultimately, the team effort is what du Plessis hopes will be the legacy of this series, in which South Africa made history by white-washing Australia.”We didn’t expect 5-0; we just wanted to beat the Aussies,” du Plessis said. “And then when we got to 3-0, it was important for us to make sure we don’t take our foot off the gas. We wanted to make history and we did that.”It’s a special feeling. I am hoping tomorrow when we wake up, we will see this incredible team effort and it will last a long time. I am incredibly proud to sit here and be captain of a side that has done that. We were a team right through the series.”

Stumps
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Mayank Agarwal recorded his fourth half-century score in five innings•PTI

If things had been pretty gloomy for India Red for much of the first three days of the Duleep Trophy final, the weather began to mirror their fortunes on the fourth afternoon. Early morning rain had left wet patches on the outfield, resulting in first half of the day featuring Super Soppers rather than cricketers. When the players did ultimately come out, they managed just 26 balls of play before problems with the run-up area forced them off again. After another lengthy delay, the players returned to play a further 28.4 overs.In that time, it was India Red left-arm wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav who emerged with an enhanced reputation. Bowling with far greater control than during India Blue’s marathon first innings, Kuldeep flighted the ball and even got it to dip and drift, not to mention sharp turn from a good length. He was rewarded for his control with the wickets of Gautam Gambhir and Mayank Agarwal, while legspinner Amit Mishra beat a charging Dinesh Karthik to leave India Blue three down by stumps. But with a lead that had ballooned to 476, that was not nearly enough to change the course of a match which has all but been decided going into the final day.Gambhir and Agarwal hit a flurry of boundaries off Pradeep Sangwan and Nathu Singh when the day’s play finally commenced at 6.30pm. Sangwan and Nathu were inconsistent in their line and length, and when Sangwan drew attention to an uneven stretch in the run-up area, play was suspended once again to conclude a session that had featured 32 runs in 26 balls.The resumption, after over an hour, brought with it a return to a more sedate rate of scoring, largely thanks to the control and discipline with which Kuldeep bowled. Kuldeep beat Gambhir’s edge on several occasions and even induced an edge that didn’t carry to slip. Having earned those moral victories, he duly won the battle when he got one to drift into middle stump and straighten to trap Gambhir plumb in front of middle.That brought Rohit Sharma, who came in ahead of first-innings double centurion Cheteshwar Pujara, but it was Agarwal who made most of the running. His knock of 52 featured six fours, not all of which were convincing, and there was a sense of restlessness in his strokeplay. He ultimately fell to Kuldeep, attempting a slog sweep without reaching the pitch of the ball; Nathu at deep midwicket gratefully accepted the offering. Kuldeep had his second wicket and had won the crowd over, with chants of “Kuldeep, Kuldeep” greeting him when he returned to his fielding position at the boundary.Though Mishra did not bowl with Kuldeep’s control and continued to struggle for rhythm, he was gifted a wicket when Karthik came charging down to him and got nowhere near the pitch of the ball, leaving Ankush Bains with an easy stumping. Both spinners seemed to struggle with dew towards the end of play.Meanwhile, Rohit signed off with a lofted six down the ground off Kuldeep that drew big cheers from the crowd. He will resume on day five with Ravindra Jadeja for company. It remains to be seen whether the two India players push for quick runs and a declaration or seek match practice ahead of the upcoming series against New Zealand.

Liverpool's disappointing campaign has meant that if the Reds start next season poorly, Jurgen Klopp's position at the club could be called into question, Gabby Agbonlahor has claimed.

What's going on with Liverpool?

A recent resurgence in form saw Liverpool enter the race for a top-four spot, but a draw at home to Aston Villa has meant that Champions League qualification looks unlikely.

Klopp's side challenged for a quadruple last season, but their level dropped massively this campaign, as they disappointed in the League and every cup competition.

Liverpool have won nearly every possible major trophy under Klopp in what has been a highly successful era, but Agbonlahor has controversially told TalkSPORT that he could see the German being dismissed if they do not perform well at the start of next season.

"Look at their season, it's been a bad season for Liverpool and if they start the season off badly next season, I wouldn't be surprised if Jurgen Klopp got the sack, because this season, Liverpool's level was not good enough," he stated.

Should Liverpool be worried?

Their recent resurgence before the draw with Villa saw Liverpool win seven league matches in a row, and the return of the injured Luis Diaz has allowed the Reds to start firing in attack again.

Brighton midfielder Alexis Mac Allister is reportedly nearing a move to Anfield, and with Roberto Firmino and James Milner among the players departing this summer, a busy window is expected for the club.

Failing to qualify for the Champions League could be a big blow, and navigating a fixture list with Europa League football can prove tricky for any side if they do not have strength in depth.

Given all he has achieved at the club since his arrival in 2015, it seems unlikely that Klopp would be sacked by Liverpool even if they start poorly next season, and the expectation should be to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the table again.

There may be some concern about the form of Virgil van Dijk this season. The Dutch defender has been criticised at times during the campaign, and Klopp may consider finding a successor to the 32-year-old.

A lot of work needs to be done in the transfer window, and the level of expenditure this summer will be down to the club, not Klopp. If Klopp lands his main transfer targets, Liverpool will almost certainly improve on what has been a difficult campaign.

أعلن المدير الفني لفريق توتنهام، أنجي بوستيكوجلو، التشكيل الأساسي لمواجهة مانشستر سيتي مساء اليوم في بطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تشكيل مانشستر سيتي أمام توتنهام في كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي

ويلتقي الفريقان في إطار منافسات دور الـ32 من بطولة كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي، موسم 2023/24 على ملعب “توتنهام هوتسبير”. تشكيل توتنهام اليوم أمام مانشستر سيتي في كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: فيكاريو.

خط الدفاع: أودوجي، ميكي فان دي فان، روميرو، بيدرو بورو.

خط الوسط: رودريجو بيتانكور، بيير هويبيرج.

خط الوسط الهجومي: تيمو فيرنر، جونسون، كولوسيفسكي.

خط الهجوم: ريتشارليسون.

Journalist Charles Watts has warned that there may be no point in playing Arsenal defender William Saliba for the recent of the season amid a worrying recent injury update

What's the latest on William Saliba and his Arsenal injury?

The 22-year-old centre-back missed the north London club's last six Premier League games due to a back issue.

In this time, the Gunners have dropped from first to second in the division, winning just two games, drawing three and losing the other to rivals Manchester City.

Amid these struggles, there is an understandable clamour among the fanbase to see Saliba return to action as soon as possible.

Sadly, it seems he will play no part against Chelsea on Tuesday night. Indeed, speaking ahead of the game, Mikel Arteta told the press: "He’s not going to be involved tomorrow. He hasn’t improved this week."

With that in mind, when talking about the defender on his YouTube channel, Watts warned that Arsenal may be best to leave Saliba out for the rest of the season, so he can be fully fit for pre-season training in the summer

He said (9:40): “I look at how close we are to the end of the season now, and I just think, is there any point risking it?

"If it's going to muck things up for the summer, if there's any chance that it's going to aggravate something that could end up seeing him ruled out of pre-season – and that can have an impact on next season – I just think you kind of err on the side of caution.

"Maybe if Arsenal were still top and really genuinely pushing Manchester City for his title, maybe you'd risk it…"

How important is Saliba to Arsenal?

The Frenchman had started every league game right up until his unfortunate injury, and so was a key cog in Arteta's machine that did look capable of winning the title.

Without Saliba, however, things have fallen apart and it will now take a minor miracle if Arsenal are to win the league, as they trail City by a point despite having played one more game than Pep Guardiola and co.

With a return date still not even known yet, Saliba can only feature in four more games for Arsenal anyway (after the Chelsea match), so you can see why Watts it's pessimistic about the need to rush him back.

Of course, the Gunners aren't out of the title race completely, so maybe Arteta may be hoping to get the £40k-p/w defender back in time to play some part in the coming weeks.

But having missed Saliba so much in this run-in, it could be disastrous if he hurts himself even more and ends up unavailable for the start of next season.

Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins was hailed by the media for a "sensational" performance against Newcastle United in the Premier League this afternoon.

What was the Aston Villa vs Newcastle result?

Villa secured their fifth Premier League win on the spin, courtesy of a 3-0 victory against Newcastle at Villa Park, with Jacob Ramsey and Ollie Watkins getting on the scoresheet, in what was yet another fantastic performance.

The result sees the Villans remain sixth in the table, still faring well in their pursuit of European football, and Watkins was singled out for a particularly impressive display.

Journalist Raj Chohan took to Twitter during the match to say: "Watkins wow, this is a prime Mandzukić type of performance. Hold-up play sensational, aerial threat & running Newcastle ragged in the wide channels."

Football writer Jordan Cronin was also full of praise for the striker, claiming he "caused absolute mayhem" for the Newcastle backline during the first half.

How did Ollie Watkins play against Newcastle?

The striker was a real live wire in the opening 45 minutes, hitting the post inside the opening 30 seconds of the game after outpacing the Newcastle defence, in what was a sign of things to come for the rest of the game.

The 27-year-old set up Ramsey's opener after picking the winger out inside the area, before having a goal disallowed for a very marginal offside just after the hour mark.

However, the Englishman did not have to wait long for a much-deserved goal, scoring minutes later, for what was the 11th time since returning from the international break, with no player in the Premier League being involved in more goals during that period.

Villa have managed to put themselves in a decent position to qualify for Europe next season, and if Watkins continues to play at his current level, achieving a remarkable 9.0 Sofascore rating this afternoon, they have a very strong chance of securing a top-six finish.

Arsenal are a club well and truly on top at the moment, in every sense of the phrase.

They currently sit eight points clear atop the Premier League table, with a team full of likeable stars that have been assembled by Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard stands as the crowning jewel of their continued faith in youth, as they entrusted him to mastermind the revolution and stuck with him through some tough times.

Now, the Gunners are reaping the rewards, with a squad they can be proud of.

One thing that makes their outfit even more appealing is the abundance of young talent, as they boast the lowest average squad age in the league despite leading the title charge. Their current success is mighty impressive, but the future success this team promises is almost frightening.

That's without mentioning the host of talent just waiting to be unleashed from the academy, all of whom will envision walking the well-trodden path to the first team.

One such name who could soon be in line for a promotion is Matthew Smith, who boasts all the silkiness and tenacity to draw comparisons to a former Hale End graduate, Jack Wilshere.

Who is Matthew Smith?

Having joined the club at the age of eight, this exciting central midfielder has plenty of technical ability to compete with the very best despite his age.

On Arsenal's official website, they even note him as: "A technically gifted central midfielder with an impressive passing range."

Yet it is his leadership and work rate that truly set him apart, with his role in captaining the U18s back in 2019 supporting the former.

The latter is exacerbated in his performances in the Football League Trophy this campaign, where he has recorded a 7.00 average rating for starring in the engine room.

This period saw him record an outstanding 2.7 tackles, two interceptions and two clearances per 90, yet managed to maintain one key pass alongside his 88% pass accuracy (via Sofascore).

Upon bursting onto the scene, Wilshere too was an all-action midfielder with incredible proficiency with the ball at his feet. He could glide past opponents and earned glowing praise from Arsene Wenger upon announcing his early retirement due to injuries.

The recent inductee into the Premier League's Hall of Fame stated: "He was brave, he was talented, he wasn't scared of anybody – which is why we thought he could start at a very young age. Straight away he showed he had the ability to be a main player.

"He was an exceptional talent but didn't play enough games because of injury and in the end that is why he's had to stop."

There is hope that Smith can avoid such injury woes, but given he is 22 years old his body is far more developed than Wilshere's was upon his emergence.

Branded a "talented youngster" by journalist Layth Yousif, perhaps he could finally fulfil that potential that never came to fruition.

Leeds United's desperation for a left back has been there for all to see, yet Jesse Marsch opted against plugging that gap in January as the American focused on spending big elsewhere.

It is clear that he saw his biggest worry with the squad as their lack of goals, so unloaded a club- record fee on Georginio Rutter and brought in Weston McKennie to supplement him from midfield.

However, with the former RB Salzburg boss having since been sacked and those aforementioned signings having disappointed thus far, it is clear that under Javi Gracia their issues down the left flank have persisted.

With Junior Firpo proving to be a "liability" – in the words of the Daily Mirror's David Anderson – and Pascal Struijk unnatural in that role, perhaps the Spaniard could turn to his youth setup where he boasts a top talent for the U21s who is starring in that position of peril.

Thus, to fix Marsch's Firpo blunder, Gracia must seek to call up Keenan Carole.

Who is Keenan Carole?

Having signed his first professional deal with the Whites last year, the decision marked a huge show of faith for the winger who has slowly been pushed into a more defensive role.

Often the best full-backs are noted as former wingers, which is imperative for them to succeed in the modern game.

Despite his youth, the 18-year-old remains a mainstay in the U21 setup at Thorp Arch, having recorded nine goal contributions the season prior for the U18s to earn his promotion.

Such is his undeniable quality, his ability to play at a level far beyond his expectancy marks him out as a potential first-team candidate for the present or near future.

His father, former Leeds winger Seb Carole, suggested that his tutelage has aided his son to surpass his legacy at Elland Road, as he told the Yorkshire Evening Post:

"I helped him on the technical side of the game, since he was little, his first touch, getting good composure on the ball because I wanted him to be a skilful player going forward, not scared to take people on. That was my game. I think I was a good dribbler but I want him to be even better and I think he will.”

He concluded by claiming: "He’s high potential and if he carries on he’ll go far".

With this glittering endorsement and the offensive qualities to thrive from left back, he could be the solution to Gracia's issues, which would only make Marsch's January blunder look even more foolish.

Arsenal are reportedly hoping that Granit Xhaka, William Saliba and Aaron Ramsdale will follow Bukayo Saka in signing new contracts soon.

The Lowdown: Saka deal agreed

It was first reported by The Daily Mail on Thursday evening that Saka is close to signing a new contract at the Emirates Stadium worth £200,000-per-week.

The winger has made it clear after talks that he would like to stay, with an agreement in principle already in place.

The Latest: Three more to follow?

Writing for 90min, transfer expert Graeme Bailey has shared that Arsenal are hoping to follow up a deal for Saka with new contracts for Xhaka, Saliba and Ramsdale.

They have already secured the signatures of Gabriel Magalhaes, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah this season, and now more first-team players could be following suit soon.

The Verdict: Exciting future

To secure so many first-team players on new deals further shows the exciting team that Mikel Arteta is building.

They have the youngest average age in the Premier League, and sit top of the table, so keeping the squad together over the next few years will be vital.

On £120,000, £60,000 and £40,000-per-week respectively, Xhaka, Ramsdale and Saliba can expect an increase in wages with their new contracts, which would all be well-deserved considering that they have all been key players this season.

Nonetheless, supporters will be hoping that all of these new deals can be wrapped up sooner rather than later.