تغادر بعثة منتخب مصر للشباب تحت 20 سنة، بقيادة المدير الفني أسامة نبيه، مطار القاهرة في تمام الحادية عشرة مساء اليوم (الأحد)، متوجهة إلى قطر للمشاركة في دورة قطر الدولية، التي تُقام خلال الفترة من 16 إلى 26 مارس الجاري، بمشاركة منتخبات قطر وكرواتيا والإمارات.
تأتي هذه المشاركة ضمن استعدادات المنتخب لخوض نهائيات كأس الأمم الإفريقية تحت 20 سنة، التي تستضيفها كوت ديفوار في الفترة من 26 أبريل إلى 18 مايو المقبل، والتي يتأهل منها أربعة منتخبات إلى كأس العالم تحت 20 سنة في تشيلي، المقرر إقامتها من 27 سبتمبر إلى 19 أكتوبر.
ويترأس البعثة المدير الفني أسامة نبيه، وتضم 28 لاعبًا:
حراسة المرمى: عبد المنعم تامر، أحمد وهب.
الدفاع: أحمد منشاوي، أحمد عابدين، يوسف عبد الحفيظ، محمد سمير، سيف عصام، مهاب سامي، إبراهيم عادل، عبد الله بوستنجي.
منتخب مصر للشباب يخوض دورة ودية في قطر ويلتقي مع 3 منتخبات قوية
الوسط: محمد جمال، بلال موسى، مؤمن شريف، أحمد خالد “كباكا”، محمد السيد، أحمد وحيد، سوني شاربلس، تيبو جابريال، محمد عبد الله، عمرو “بيبو”، عمر خضر، أحمد أبو الفتح، عمرو أسامة.
الهجوم: محمد عبد الناصر، مهند محمد، محمد أشرف، أدهم علاء، كريم سعيد.
حرص حمادة أنور، المدير الإداري للمنتخب، على إنهاء كافة ترتيبات السفر، والتأكد من أماكن الإقامة والتدريبات في الدوحة.
ومن المقرر أن يخوض المنتخب ثلاث مباريات في البطولة:
– مصر × قطر – 19 مارس.
– مصر × الإمارات – 22 مارس.
– مصر × كرواتيا – 26 مارس.
في إطار التحضيرات، خاض منتخب مصر للشباب مباراة ودية أمام الفريق الأول لنادي زد إف سي، انتهت بفوز المنتخب (2-1)، حيث سجل الثنائي عمر خضر وتيبو جابريال هدفي الفوز، في اللقاء الذي أقيم على ملعب دريم بمدينة 6 أكتوبر.
Abu Dhabi cricket said he had been with them for 15 years and had played a pivotal role in their success
ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2021
Mohan Singh, who worked with Abu Dhabi cricket for 15 years, has passed away•Abu Dhabi Cricket
Mohan Singh, the chief curator of the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, passed away on Sunday a few hours before the T20 World Cup match between Afghanistan and New Zealand at the same ground. The cause of his death remains unknown.Abu Dhabi Cricket released a statement appreciating Mohan’s services. “Mohan has been with Abu Dhabi Cricket for 15 years and has played a pivotal role in all of the venue’s success during that time. Tributes to Mohan and his incredible achievements will be honoured in the coming days.”The ICC also acknowledged Mohan’s contributions in an official statement. “We are deeply saddened and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, Abu Dhabi Cricket and everyone connected with the event,” it said.The New Zealand-Afghanistan game went ahead as scheduled at the request of Abu Dhabi Cricket, the ground staff and Mohan’s family, with New Zealand winning by eight wickets and going on to secure a semi-final spot.
Depois de entrar em acordo com a Portuguesa e estrear no Carioca atuando no Luso-Brasileiro, o Flamengo terá uma nova casa a partir da terceira rodada do Estadual: o Estádio Raulino de Oliveira. A diretoria da Gávea já está em contato com a Prefeitura e Ferj para viabilizar as partidas no local já contra o Boavista, em 2 de fevereiro. O clássico com o Fluminense, no dia 6, também será em VR.
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>Confira as marcas mais valiosas do futebol brasileiro de acordo com estudo
A mudança do Flamengo passa pela capacidade e estrutura do estádio. O Raulino de Oliveira tem capacidade para cerca de 16 mil torcedores, já o Luso-Brasileiro não pode receber mais do que cinco mil torcedores. O que também motivou a alteração foi a decisão tomada pela comissão técnica de Paulo Sousa, que comandará o time principal já na terceira rodada, contra o Boavista.
Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW
O Fla-Flu será válido pela quarta rodada da Taça Guanabara. Incialmente, o clube da Gávea pretendia realizar o clássico no Estádio Mané Garrincha, em Brasília, mas o veto de público por conta da Covid-19 impediu os planos.
Neste sábado, o Rubro-Negro já atuará no Raulino de Oliveira, mas, desta vez como visitante. Com o time formado por jovens da base, o Flamengo, sob o comando de Fabio Matias, enfrenta o Volta Redonda, neste sábado, às 18h.
O incêndio no Ninho do Urubu completa exatos três anos nesta terça-feira, dia 8 de fevereiro, e o Flamengo aproveitou a data para, além de lembrar com saudade os dez jovens mortos na tragédia com postagens nas redes sociais, inaugurara capela ecumênica em homenagem aos Garotos do Ninho. Houve uma missa com a presença de familiares das vítimas, atletas do time profissional e de Paulo Sousa.
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Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW
Ovice-presidente geral e jurídico do Flamengo, Rodrigo Dunshee de Abranches, esteve no local e disse algumas palavras direcionadas aos familiares presentes. Tinham outros dirigentes no local, mas Rodolfo Landim, presidente do clube desde janeiro de 2019,não compareceu ao evento por estar em viagem.
Nesta terça-feira foi inaugurada no CT George Helal a capela ecumênica em homenagem aos Garotos do Ninho. Foi celebrada uma missa com a presença do vice-presidente geral Rodrigo Dunshee de Abranches, dirigentes, atletas e familiares. #Nossos10. 🙏#CRF
O incêndio no Ninho do Urubu completa três anos nesta terça-feira. E ainda não há condenação de nenhuma das 11 pessoas indiciadas pelo Ministério Público por conta da tragédia ocorrida em um alojamento onde dormiam atletas da base do Flamengo.
> Veja a tabela do Cariocão
O Flamengo fechou acordos com familiares de oito vítimas do Ninho: Arthur Vinicius, Athila Paixão, Bernardo Piseta, Gedson Santos, Jorge Eduardo, Samuel, Pablo Henrique, Vitor Isaías e o pai e mãe (posteriormente) de Rykelmo. Até hoje, resta o acerto com a família de Christian Esmério.
As vítimas do incêndio:
Athila Paixão, de 14 anos Arthur Vinícius de Barros Silva Freitas, 14 anos Bernardo Pisetta, 14 anos Christian Esmério, 15 anos Gedson Santos, 14 anos Jorge Eduardo Santos, 15 anos Pablo Henrique da Silva Matos, 14 anos Rykelmo de Souza Vianna, 16 anos Samuel Thomas Rosa, 15 anos Vitor Isaías, 15 anos
أصدر نادي برشلونة الإسباني بيانًا رسميًا بشأن إصابة لاعبه داني أولمو ومدة غيابه، إثر مشاركته أمام أوساسونا.
والتقى برشلونة وأوساسونا مساء الخميس، في مباراة مؤجلة بين الفريقين من الجولة السابعة والعشرين للدوري الإسباني، وحقق البلوجرانا الفوز بثلاثية نظيفة.
وجاءت إصابة أولمو في الدقيقة 27 وتم استبداله خلال المباراة، حيث لم يتمكن من استكمال المواجهة.
وأوضح بيان برشلونة أن أولمو خضع لفحوصات طبية أجريت صباح اليوم الجمعة، وأكدت إصابته في العضلة المقربة اليمنى.
وفيما يتعلق بمدة غياب داني أولمو، أشار برشلونة إلى أنه من المتوقع أن يغيب عن الملاعب لحوالي ثلاثة أسابيع.
ويستعد برشلونة لمرحلة حاسمة في الموسم حيث يواجه جيرونا يوم الأحد في الدوري الإسباني، ثم يلاقي أتلتيكو مدريد في إياب نصف نهائي كأس ملك إسبانيا يوم الأربعاء القادم.
وسيلاقي برشلونة خصمه ريال بييتيس في الدوري الإسباني يوم 5 أبريل القادم، على أن يواجه بوروسيا دورتموند في ذهاب ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا يوم الأربعاء الموافق 9 من الشهر ذاته.
Newcastle could be set to lose a member of Eddie Howe’s squad as it has been revealed that one club are set to step up their pursuit ahead of the January transfer window, according to a fresh report.
Newcastle United's mixed Premier League start
Two consecutive wins have helped arrest a poor run of form for Eddie Howe’s side and moved them back to the edge of the European spots in the Premier League.
An impressive 1-0 win over Arsenal was backed up by a 3-1 win over surprise packages Nottingham Forest, moving the Magpies up to 8th ahead of the latest international break. They are part of a logjam of clubs in the top half, with Newcastle just a point behind Arsenal, Chelsea, Forest and Brighton and one of three teams on 18 points after a quarter of the season played.
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It follows a tricky summer for Howe and co., which saw them struggle to sign the calibre of player that they wanted, most notably missing out on Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi after having several bids turned down.
But despite some misfortune with injuries, they have remained well in contention for a return to the Champions League next season and will be hoping that they can use the January transfer window to add some depth to their ranks, with a right-winger believed to be a priority at St James’ Park.
However, they could be set to get weaker before they get stronger.
Club intensify efforts to sign Newcastle ace
That comes as a report from Argentina claims that River Plate are stepping up their efforts to sign Paraguayan forward Miguel Almiron in January as they look to strengthen their own attack.
Almiron has been used sparingly so far this season by Howe, with the 30-year-old starting just one game in the Premier League alongside four substitute appearances.
Miguel Almiron (all competitions 24/25)
Appearances
7
Starts
3
Goals
0
Assists
0
Yellow Cards
0
He was described as “unique” by the Newcastle boss 12 months ago, but has since been pushed down the pecking order.
“He’s a unique footballer. I don’t think there’s anyone better at doing what he does – all energy, all action. I’d like to see his physical stats today because I’m sure they’d be through the roof,” Howe explained after a win against Burnley.
But his exit cannot be ruled out given the football on offer at Newcastle.
Now, Argentinian outlet Soy del Millo (via Sport Witness) claims that River Plate are making an approach to sign him in “a formal and concrete manner”, while Almiron, who has been a River Plate fan all of his life, would be open to a departure from St James’ Park given his lack of game time.
It is added that Newcastle would demand “close to €18m” to let him leave in January. Roughly £15m, it would be a fee that smashes the Argentinian side’s record signing and is therefore unlikely to be met – with a compromise the most likely outcome.
But with Newcastle themselves keen to sign another right-winger and money remaining tight on Tyneside, a deal to sell Almiron may well be the best outcome for all parties, and that cash could be put towards a more regular starter for Eddie Howe’s side amid links to the likes of Bryan Mbeumo.
England batter hits 78 off 47 to put the Strikers to the sword
AAP23-Dec-2021
Getty Images
English batter Ben Duckett slammed his highest BBL score to propel Brisbane Heat to a 39-run thrashing of Adelaide Strikers.Duckett top-scored with 78 from just 47 balls as the Heat posted an imposing 7 for 208 at Adelaide Oval. In reply, the Strikers made 8 for 169 and were never in the hunt after losing both opening batters in the initial nine balls.The Strikers’ Jonathan Wells made a fighting 55 from 41 deliveries but they remain in the mire with just one win from five games. The Heat, though, made a massive move up the ladder, jumping from seventh to fourth spot with their second win.Duckett’s blazing knock was instrumental in the victory – he cracked 10 fours and two sixes and featured in a superb partnership with Sam Heazlett (49 from 30 balls). The pair added 114 runs in just under 11 overs before departing in consecutive balls from Rashid Khan.Rashid was denied his second BBL hat-trick and finished with 3 for 34 but the damage had been done by Duckett and Heazlett, who struck three sixes and three fours.The pair cashed in after a rapid start – their partnership started at 3 for 74 after seven overs. After winning the toss, the Heat opener Chris Lynn smacked 10 runs from four Wes Agar balls before being caught behind from the fifth when trying to guide to third man.His replacement Tom Cooper made 16 but also lasted just five balls – he hit two fours and a six from Peter Siddle before the Strikers captain trapped him lbw with an excellent yorker.The wickets failed to halt the attack of Max Bryant, who steered the visitors to 2 for 64 at the end of the six-over powerplay. But in the next over, his 20-ball knock featuring five fours and a six ended when caught on the midwicket boundary from Rashid’s bowling.The Heat were 3 for 94 after 10 overs and Duckett and Heazlett then accelerated, reaching a 100-run partnership in just 61 balls.The run chase stumbled early. Opener Matt Short smacked two sixes from the first two balls, a two from the next, and then feathered an edge to wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson from spinner Matt Kuhnemann.And on the ninth ball of the Strikers’ innings, Jake Weatherald was bowled by paceman Mark Steketee (3 for 27) in a horror start for the home side.Wells and Matt Renshaw steadied but after 10 overs the Strikers were 2 for 82 and well off the pace. Renshaw was dismissed in the 12th over and Wells, who hit six fours and a six, was out in the 13th to sap all of the Strikers’ momentum.Tom Kelly made 27 from 22 balls and George Garton hit three sixes in his 19 from five deliveries but became Kuhnemann’s third victim, while the Heat allrounder James Bazley finished with 2 for 27.
Tottenham Hotspur might just be the most inconsistent team in the Premier League.
In the last month or so, Ange Postecoglou’s side have handed Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town their first wins of the season while then demolishing Aston Villa 4-1 and, most impressively, embarrassing Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad.
Fans will be hoping that the unexpected result against Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut will see the North Londoners embark on a run of good form, and based on the performances of their players in that game, we wouldn’t be surprised if that happens.
From top to bottom, Postecoglou’s starting lineup reminded the rest of the league just how good they are, and there’s one player in the Australian’s squad who’s beginning to look like Tottenham’s answer to Martin Odegaard.
Spurs' creative midfield talent
Before we get onto the player in question, let’s examine a few of the other creative midfielders exceeding expectations for Spurs this season, starting with someone who loves playing at the Etihad, Dejan Kulusevski.
Now, the Swedish maestro did start off the right of Dominic Solanke for the game on Sunday but has mainly played in midfield this season, and to say he’s adapted to life in the middle of the park well would be a colossal understatement.
Of his eight goal involvements this season, six of them have come in central or attacking midfield roles, and according to FBref, which compares players in Europe’s top five leagues, the former Juventus ace sits in the top 1% of midfielders for expected assists, touches in the opposition’s penalty area and the top 4% for shot-creating actions, per 90.
Another of the club’s midfield gems who hasn’t been quite as impressive as Kulusevski but has still shown glimpses of promise is fellow Swede Lucas Bergvall.
The 18-year-old has only played 325 minutes of first-team action so far, but in that, the “uber-complete” talent, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has provided two assists and shown more than enough for fans to get excited about just how good he’ll be a few years down the line.
That said, neither he nor his older compatriot are looking like the club’s answer to Odegaard. That accolade goes to another creative midfielder.
Spurs' own Odegaard
So, it’s probably fairly obvious at this point that the Spurs ace who is Ange’s own Odegaard is, of course, James Maddison, whom FOTmob now value at €75m, which is £63m.
The Englishman was once heavily compared to the Norwegian in 2021 when it looked as if Arsenal were trying to decide which one to sign, and while things haven’t been all plain sailing for the former Foxes star in North London, he’s starting to show that he can be just as good.
For example, like the former Real Madrid wonderkid, he’s just as adept at scoring goals as he is creating them, as evidenced by his Lilywhites tally of nine goals and 13 assists in 46 appearances, compared to 11 goals and 14 assists in 55 appearances for the Norwegian in the same period.
Moreover, while the Drammen-born dynamo is the Gunners’ captain, Postecoglou made the 27-year-old “magician,” as dubbed by analyst Statman Dave, one of the club’s co-vice-captains last summer, which is about the most he could do with Son Heung-min still in the side.
Furthermore, Maddison’s leadership qualities were on show in the match against City, as he maintained his composure, scored two goals and continued to lead by example as the game progressed.
Finally, when we look at their underlying creative numbers from the entirety of last season, as the Arsenal man has missed so much of this season, we see that, once again, the pair are incredibly similar.
For example, according to FBref, they rank very closely in several important metrics, including non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, key and live passes, shot and goal-creating actions and passing accuracy, all per 90.
Maddison vs Odegaard 23/24
Statistics per 90
Maddison
Odegaard
Non-Penalty Goals + Assists
0.47
0.55
Progressive Carries
2.65
2.45
Progressive Passes
10.0
9.45
Passing Accuracy
84.3%
80.7%
Key Passes
2.97
2.83
Live Passes
55.0
55.8
Shot-Creating Actions
6.41
6.79
Goal-Creating Actions
0.67
0.80
All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 PL Season
Ultimately, while there are times Maddison fades out of games, his unreal innate talent is undeniable, and as he continues to improve this season, it will become more apparent that he is Postecoglou and Spurs’ answer to Odegaard.
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O Sampaio Corrêa venceu, por 3 a 0, o Floresta, neste domingo (20). Os times se encontraram pela 6ª rodada da Copa do Nordeste, noEstádio Castelão, em São Luís (MA). Com triunfo, Bolívia Querida assume a 3ª colocação do Grupo A, com 7 pontos somados. Enquanto isso, os visitantes permanecem no 6º lugar da chave B.
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Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS
GOL RELÂMPAGO E PRESSÃO!
A partida foi bastante intensa por parte dos donos da casa. Conseguindo controlar os adversários, a equipe não deu espaços e foi ao ataque com constância. O Sampaio Corrêa saiu na frente do placar logo no início do confronto. Aos 5, a arbitragem pegou pênalti, após Pimentinha ser derrubado na área. Gabriel Poveda mandou no canto direito de Marcão e colocou os donos da casa à frente do placar. O Floresta tentou responder com Rendell, que, aos 16, mandou para fora.
Os visitantes buscavam a recuperação no placar por diversas oportunidades. Em uma delas, aos 26, Yago Rocha encontrou Igor dentro da grande área, que cabeceou forte. Gabriel Batista evitou o gol. O autor do gol quase ampliou. Aos 37, o atacante perdeu o tempo de bola. Dois minutos depois, Gabriel Poveda mandou para fora. Aos 46, o Sampaio Corrêa teve uma grande chance. Eron recebeu uma ligação direta dentro da grande área, dominou e tentou o chute. Marcão, porém, salvou o que seria o segundo gol.
INTENSO!
O Sampaio Corrêa entrou em campo, a fim de encontrar o seu segundo gol. Logo aos 2, Eron recebeu bola na entrada da área, arriscando o chute. A bola passou por cima do gol de Marcão. Pouco tempo depois, Nilson Júnior tentou, mas também não conseguiu. O time, enfim, conseguiu ampliar aos 16. A arbitragem marcou novamente pênalti. Na jogada, Gabriel Poveda escolheu o canto direito, enquanto Marcão caiu do outro lado. Soares, Eron e Pimentinha tiveram chances de ampliar, mas pararam na defesa do goleiro Marcão ou tiveram ruins finalizações.
A resposta do Floresta se deu aos 24. Na jogada, Gabriel Popó perdeu, e Yago Rocha aproveitou e voou até o ataque, emendando uma bomba em direção ao gol. A bola, porém, foi ao lado esquerdo de Gabriel Batista. Três minutos depois, Flávio Torres tentou, mas mandou uma cabeceada por cima do gol. Aos 34, o Sampaio Corrêa conseguiu ampliar o placar. Van cruzou na cabeça de Eron, que ampliou o marcador. Dois minutos depois, a Bolívia Querida quase ampliou, novamente com o camisa 99.
FICHA TÉCNICA SAMPAIO CORRÊA X FLORESTA
Local: Estádio Castelão, em São Luís (MA) Data: 20/02/2022 – 18h30 (de Brasília) Árbitro:Michelangelo Martins de Almeida Junior (PE) Assistentes:Karla Renata Cavalcanti de Santana (PE) e Dhiego Cavalcanti Pereira (PE) Cartões amarelos: Maurício (Sampaio Corrêa); Igor (Floresta) Cartões vermelhos: –
GOLS:Gabriel Poveda (5’/2ºT) (1-0) e (11’/2ºT) (2-0); Eron (34’/2ºT) (3-0)
SAMPAIO CORRÊA (Técnico:João Brigatti) Gabriel Batista;Maurício (Van, aos 13’/2ºT),Joécio,Nilson Júnior e João Victor; Wesley Dias (Eloir, aos 30’/2ºT), Ferreira eSoares (Wendson, aos 26’/2ºT); Pimentinha, Gabriel Poveda (Gabriel Popó, aos 13’/2ºT) eEron.
FLORESTA (Técnico:Ricardo Drubscky)
Marcão;Yago Rocha,Alisson,Mailson eFábio Alves;Jô (Yan Souto, aos 42’/2ºT), Thalisson (Iarley, aos 16’/2ºT) e Rendell (Dudu, aos 28’/2ºT);Flávio Torres,Igor (Athyrson, aos 16’/2ºT) ePaulo Vyctor (Lito Guerreiro, aos 28’/2ºT).
No way back for England after being routed for 103 in first match of post-World Cup era
Andrew Miller22-Jan-2022
Jason Holder struck with consecutive balls to finish with 4 for 7•Getty Images
West Indies 104 for 1 (King 52*) beat England 103 (Holder 4-7) by nine wicketsSomeone at the ECB needs to have an urgent word about that red-ball “reset”… because on this evidence, they’ve only gone and restored the factory settings on their world-beating white-ball side.Barely a week after the Test team lost ten wickets for 56 runs to sign off from the Ashes with a whimper, Eoin Morgan’s T20I men latched onto the theme of decay and futility with their own apology of a performance at Kensington Oval.From a nadir of 49 for 7, England just about cadged a triple-figure total, but their eventual 103 was still their fourth-lowest in the format, and all too easily picked off by an opposition that had themselves been routed for 55 in their most recent meeting, at the T20 World Cup in November.Victory came by nine wickets with 17 balls to spare, with Brandon King’s 47-ball fifty putting the seal on a stunning morale boost for a home team that had been facing its own reckoning after losing an ODI series to Ireland only last week.The hero, not for the first time in matches against England at Bridgetown, was the former Test captain Jason Holder, who slammed a remarkable double-century when West Indies crushed England in the first Test on their 2019 tour, and served early notice this time too with a career-best 4 for 7 in 3.4 overs, including a Powerplay display in which England could scarcely lay a bat on his line and high-kicking length.As the lights kicked in, so did West Indies’ openers. It took until the ninth over for Adil Rashid to break through with a legbreak that ripped past Shai Hope’s outside edge, but by that stage he and King had knocked off 52 runs, exactly half of the requirement. There was no looking back from there.Powerplay power failureThe high point of England’s Powerplay came from the fifth ball of Sheldon Cottrell’s first over. After taking four balls to gauge the pace of a high-kicking surface, Jason Roy galloped down the pitch to slam a half-tracker through midwicket for six, only for Cottrell to respond one ball later by plucking out Roy’s middle stump with a fuller-length inswinger.That set the tone for a startling first six overs, in which a succession of England batters were lined up for the sucker punch – unable to nudge the singles to defer their impending fate, and all too complicit in their own demises as Cottrell and Holder piled in on an impeccable line and length.Tom Banton, preferred to the former Barbados resident Phil Salt at the top of the order, clouted his third ball from Holder through the line for four before nicking his next to Nicholas Pooran at a solitary wide slip, whereupon Moeen Ali made it more wickets than scoring shots by gliding an open-faced drive to backward point, to leave England 10 for 3 after 12 balls.Though Holder missed out on the hat-trick, that score had not progressed by the end of his next over, after back-to-back maidens including a reprieve for Morgan after an erroneous caught-behind. James Vince then clattered 14 runs in the space of five balls, including a top-edged pull for six over fine leg, before following Roy’s lead by making it six and out, and leathering a half-tracker from Cottrell straight to short cover. England were in the soup at 24 for 4.After 33 balls, England finally found their first single of the match – a stat that rather put into context West Indies’ apparent obsession with boundaries over strike rotation. But it wasn’t exactly a moment of triumph, as Morgan edged inches past slip to escape a nine-ball duck.Brandon King drives down the ground•Getty Images
Scrounge a score, any scoreIt would get oh-so-much worse for England before the innings started to get better. After an incredible journey, spanning a nine-hour drive down Australia’s East Coast and 15,000km of flying across the Pacific and North America, what was an extra ten yards to Sam Billings? On 2, he galloped to the pitch of the spinner Akeal Hosein, was beaten by the turn and bounce, and carried on galloping straight back to the pavilion after being comprehensively stumped.England did at least make it to the drinks break without further damage, as Morgan set himself for survival, and Liam Dawson – playing his first England match since 2018 – attempted to find his bearings in a chaotic situation. Suffice to say, he failed. One ball after the resumption, he took off for a non-existent single to cover, slipped as Morgan sent him back, and wasn’t in the frame as Kieron Pollard’s shy rolled in.One over later, his eye seemingly in, Morgan slammed Romario Shepherd up and over extra cover for England’s third six of the innings … only to then become their third six-and-out of the innings too, as Shepherd slipped in a well-pitched offcutter, and Pollard in the covers made no mistake.At least Chris Jordan broke the spell, serving up a canny display of long-handling on his return to his native island. His three sixes in as many overs included a monster off Shepherd that rebounded off the scoreboard, but his quest for a fourth ended in the hands of Cottrell to leave England on a still-sickly 85 for 8. And hard though Rashid tried as he chivvied England into triple figures, even reaching double-figures for the first time in his 13-year T20I career, Holder returned with two in two to strut off his home ground with the stunning figures of 4 for 7.No messing from the outsetEngland needed wickets to have any hope of staying in touch, but that slight hint of desperation played into the hands of West Indies’ openers, Hope and King, who found the singles from the outset that had eluded their opponents, as well as a boundary an over in the first four to pick off a quarter of the requirement almost before England were able to react.At least Dawson slotted into the faultlessly professional standards that England have left on ice for the past three years. He was able to exploit the overspin on offer to twirl straight through his four overs for 12 runs, without conceding a single boundary.The quicks, however, skidded all too comfortably onto the bat, as Pollard had hoped they might after choosing to chase under the lights, and Pooran’s appearance at No.3 did little to encourage England that a Dubai-style collapse was forthcoming. A run-a-ball denouement was all that West Indies needed. No panic, no rush, just a comfortable countdown to a preordained win.