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‘I am talking more about off-field stuff than on-field performance,’ he said looking ahead to the one-off ODI in Pakistan next month

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Mar-2020

Improving Bangladesh’s team culture will be of top priority for newly appointed Bangladesh ODI captain Tamim Iqbal. The 30-year old has called for greater discipline and collective effort after taking over from Mashrafe Mortaza, whose five-year stint ended earlier this month.The BCB’s top brass had convinced Iqbal to succeed Mortaza as captain although the cloud of Shakib Al Hasan’s comeback hangs over his new job. Shakib is BCB’s preferred long-term captain across formats, despite being suspended till the end of October this year.”I want to take small steps to improve ourselves,” Iqbal said. “How we can improve our training, how much better can we play as a team, how can I contribute to someone else’s process, and vice-versa. This is my starting point. We will take it one step at a time. Without focusing much about the long process of everything, we should break it down into small steps. On the field, a lot of things remain out of control but the team culture is within our control. How we think off the field, how professional we are.”I want to improve on our team culture, so that with time, you can see results in that aspect. We get more disciplined and work harder, minimise our mistakes. When I think how I will take this team forward, the first thing that comes to mind is that we have to fix all our off the-field issues. I think we are one of the most disciplined teams in world cricket, but we can get better. If I can get to work there and we start seeing it reflected in the field, we are good.”ALSO READ: Life in the time of Mashrafe Mortaza, by Tamim Iqbal and MahmudullahBangladesh’s next assignment is a one-off ODI in Karachi on April 1, but that is in doubt, like all other international fixtures, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.Iqbal, though, said that a win over Pakistan in Karachi will boost the confidence of the current group. “When we beat Pakistan under Mashrafe Mortaza in 2015, we started to believe as a group that we can beat bigger teams,” he said. The current squad, which has a lot of young players, needs to win against a big team as soon as possible, to bring back that belief.Mashrafe Mortaza played a key role in reviving the careers of Tamim Iqbal and Mahmudullah•AFP via Getty Images

“This is a different team than 2015. There are a few key players missing. Form is also different. We have at least four or five new players. We are the type of team that needs five or six people performing to beat good teams, so we need that one big win to break the ice. They need the confidence.”Iqbal also spoke of his challenge to bring the best out of each player. He reserved special praise for Liton Das, who forged a strong partnership with Iqbal at the top and amassed 311 runs of his own in the recently concluded three-match ODI series at home against Zimbabwe.”There is a difference between how Liton thinks now to how he thought six months ago,” Iqbal said. “You can see the reflection in the field. I think the young players are positive towards their cricket. They want to do well. But everyone needs improvement in those areas, including myself.”We are all professional cricketers. You have to treat each individual differently. There are different ways to treat Mushfiq (Mushfiqur Rahim) and Riyad (Mahmudullah) , for example, to get the best out of them. I am talking more about off-field stuff than on-field performance. The sooner, as a team, we can come back into the right track, better for us.”Mortaza ended his ODI captaincy tenure with 50 wins and while it would be difficult for Iqbal to emulate his predecessor’s success, the new captain said that his “close relationship” with Mortaza will hold him in good stead.”I am not an experienced captain. You have to give me time for anything,” Iqbal said. I don’t know what my performance is going to be in six months’ time. Our fans have to be a little patient. I will do for the best interest in the team. You also have to remember that it will be very hard to reach the level of the previous captain. We have achieved a lot under him, but you have to give me some time to reach his level.”I am lucky that I have a close relationship with him. I saw him from close quarters, and we have played a lot together. I know how he thinks and I can take as much as I can. But, those are very difficult shoes to fill straightaway. I hope that I will take the positives from him. If I face trouble, he will be the first person that I will call to take advice.”

This weekend, Manchester United host bitter rivals Liverpool in what’s set to be an entertaining and potentially season-defining FA Cup clash for the Red Devils.

But Erik ten Hag knows that his team must deliver a better performance than the one against Everton last weekend.

The Old Trafford outfit did pick up three points against the Toffees with a 2-0 victory, but it was far from convincing, with both goals coming from the spot.

Changes are expected from that game due to the return of some key players in the week, but let’s take a look at who Jonny Evans could make way for.

Jonny Evans' injury latest

Simply put, Evans has been unbelievable this campaign for the Red Devils since returning to the club on a one-year deal in the summer.

The 36-year-old has featured far more than originally anticipated, playing 18 Premier League games and making 12 starts, while also starting the last two matches – notably blocking four shots, making four clearances and registering two tackles last time out.

However, the Northern Ireland international has been playing through injury for his side over the last few weeks, which will seemingly see him drop out of the side on Sunday.

That potential blow could be aided by the return of one individual, however, who was in fine form prior to his own setback just a few weeks ago…

Man Utd star must now start every game after 8/10 "masterclass" v Everton

The Man United ace has starred in consecutive Premier League matches.

ByTom Lever Mar 10, 2024 Why Harry Maguire must start against Liverpool

The defensive department has been stretched massively in recent weeks, highlighted by Victor Lindelof playing as a left-back.

However, the impending return of both Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire has come at the perfect time, and it will be extremely welcomed by the fans and the boss, with both players set to come straight into the starting lineup on Sunday.

The England centre-half has improved massively this season with the weight of the captain's armband off his shoulders, starting 13 league matches and even winning the December Premier League Player of the Month award.

The 31-year-old was enjoying a great run of games last month until he picked up an injury after the defeat to Fulham, which has only just seen him start full training again this week.

But during that game against the Cottagers, Maguire was simply superb, proving that he’s a “world class” centre back on his day, as called by football creator Liam Canning.

Goals

1

Shots

4

Clearances

5

Interceptions

3

Aerial duels won

4/5

Pass accuracy

93%

Touches

104

Key passes

2

As you can see by the statistics above, Maguire had a colossal performance against Fulham, showcasing everything that he has to offer.

The 6 foot 4 rock was dominant defensively while also taking on a proactive approach to defending, as shown by his five clearances, three interceptions, and four out of five aerial duels won, with the latter being vital for Sunday when facing the aerially dominant Liverpool.

Maguire was also fantastic on the ball, taking 104 touches, having 93% pass accuracy, and making two key passes, but it was his ability to influence the game in the final third that made it nearly a complete performance, scoring and having four shots.

Overall, Maguire’s inclusion in the starting lineup has to be a guarantee if United are to keep a lid on Liverpool.

England had to settle for a draw in Whangarei as a stubborn ninth-wicket partnership provided an example of some of the challenges likely to confront them in the Test series against New Zealand.At just after 3pm, with New Zealand A eight wickets down and around 35 overs left in the match, England will have fancied their chances of securing a victory that looked most unlikely at the start of play. But some admirable defiance from William Somerville and Ajaz Patel saw the hosts survive for another 22.4 overs and secure a hard-fought draw. When they came together, the lead was just 26; by the time England settled for some early handshakes, the lead was 66 and time was running out.These matches aren’t really about the result, of course. They are about preparation for the Test series. And in that context, England will be pretty pleased with their workout against good quality opposition and in conditions which challenge them.Joe Root watches from the dressing rooms during day three of the tour match between New Zealand A and England•Getty Images

This is what they wanted. While they may have been encouraged by the ease with which they breezed through a West Indies President’s XI at the Three Ws Oval in Barbados in January – that President’s XI side were, ridiculous though it sounds, 200 for 19 at one stage – the worth of such experiences was betrayed when the Test series started and they encountered a far more motivated Test side which simply blew them away. The lesson, it seems, were that first-class warm-up matches provide far more intense and valuable preparation.So England will, up to a point, have relished the fight. And while there may have been moments when the bowlers quietly cursed the flat pitch and a kookaburra ball that refused to yield to their attempts to make it swing, the management know that it is only by improving in such circumstances that England can look to the away Ashes series in two years with any degree of confidence. And that, it is becoming more clear by the day, is England’s new priority.What did we learn here? Well, it is clear already that England, in such conditions, are heavily reliant upon Jofra Archer. He looked a threat – both in wicket-taking and physical terms – in each one of his three spells in the second innings. Despite the suspicion that he is still holding back just a little before the Tests, he was bowling with impressive pace and consistency by the end of the game. Joe Root was, no doubt, quite right not to push him into longer spells in such an encounter.Archer apart, however, England struggled to find a wicket-taking edge once the ball had lost a bit of its hardness and shine. Stuart Broad, who appeared to be striving for rhythm in the first-innings, looked far more fluent in the second but, without much help from seam or swing, was generally forced into a holding role. Jack Leach, too, struggled to offer much threat, though he did concede under 2.50 an over for the second time in the match. Ben Stokes might, if pressed, have performed the role of fast-bowling back-up to Archer but it is well accepted that he will have more important days ahead of him. There wasn’t a huge amount of point going for broke here.Jofra Archer bowls during day three of the tour match between New Zealand A and England•Getty Images

Sam Curran’s performance will have secured his position in the team for the first Test. While his first wicket, that of Glenn Phillips, was more than a little fortunate – the batsmen simply edged one down the leg-side – he later had Jimmy Neesham, driving somewhat lavishly, caught behind by one that left him slightly and bowled Scott Kuggeleijn with a well-directed yorker.Just as pertinently, Curran also had Tom Blundell dropped at leg slip by Root, as he experimented with the short ball and leg side field. Curran knows he can’t simply run in, hit the seam and gain movement as he does in England and while he will probably always lack a bit of pace, he did show a willingness to “find a way,” as Darren Gough put it, to challenge batsmen in such conditions. Whether it’s with his bouncer, his willingness to go around the wicket, or his swing, he is a little less one dimensional as a bowler than is sometimes suggested. It was interesting to note, however, that Chris Woakes appeared to be hitting the gloves extra hard in training. He won’t be going without a fight.Some other concerns may linger, though. In an ideal world, England would have wanted their openers, as well as Root and Stokes, to spend a bit longer at the crease. And in an ideal world, Root would have clung on to both the chances offered to him in New Zealand A’s first innings. The first, at leg slip off Curran, looked tough; the second, at conventional slip off Archer, less so. And yes, there will be just a bit of concern that they were unable to part two tail-enders – neither Somerville or Patel have ever scored a first-class half-century – once they had decided to simply block for the draw.But England will, overall, have been delighted to have reduced New Zealand A to 129 for 8 at one stage. And they will, overall, have been delighted to bat for 117.5 overs in their innings and pass 400. And they will have been encouraged that, after a poor miss in the first innings, Dom Sibley held on to three catches including one sharp chance in the cordon.But most of all, they will have been delighted by the form of Jos Buttler who, after a disappointing Ashes, compiled a mature century and then claimed a couple of impressive catches – not least the one to dismiss Phillips – with the gloves.To put Buttler’s innings in context, this was just the second first-class century he has scored since June 2015 (the most recent was in the Trent Bridge Test of August 2018) and his first overseas. It was also just the sixth first-class century of a career that has brought nine ODI centuries. Afterwards he credited a break from the game and a couple of sessions working with former Somerset teammate Marcus Trescothick as contributory factors.”It was a tough summer,” he said afterwards. “Great fun but a huge challenge which took a lot out of most of us. So it was good to have some time away from the game and get refreshed. I’ve had four or five weeks off and that has been invaluable. It’s allowed us to refresh, have time away and get excited to come back.”I’m absolutely aware of my record as regards scoring first-class centuries. It’s something I’ve been very light on, really. I know this was a warm-up match but it’s nice to spend time in the middle and get to three figures.”I went down to Somerset to work with Marcus Trescothick, who is someone I know really well. I got a lot out of it. It gave some building blocks – more around my set-up, really, trying to be in the right place at the right time when the ball is released – to coming here and feeling in good touch.”A similar surface is expected in Mount Maunganui and England’s bowlers may well still struggle to make inroads. But if their batsmen can occupy the crease for 120 overs or more and their fielders hold their chances, they will give themselves a chance of a first victory here since 2008.

Big picture

It’s all up for grabs now! As if we haven’t found it hard enough to separate England and New Zealand on the field in recent months, so it has fittingly come to pass that the first five-match T20I series between senior Test nations is coming down to a winners-takes-all tie-breaker as well.England 2, New Zealand 2. And only the decider at Auckland to come. You can’t say you haven’t been entertained by these two teams of late.Okay, so it’s not the World Cup final. But there’s a special jeopardy attached to games such as these – with a series on the line and that extra pressure to perform – that will doubtless encourage the matchwinners on either side to tap into their A-games. With the World T20 only a year away, performances in contests such as these may be precisely what both captains are looking for as they finalise their 15s and separate the contenders from the also-rans.And England, all of a sudden, are the team that is seemingly on a roll. Momentum is a fickle and over-rated thing at the best of times, particularly in the shortest format, but the bug-squashing dominance that England’s batsmen exerted on Napier’s short boundaries on Friday was a sight to behold.

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In Dawid Malan, they were presented with a statement performance – a century of stunning power and no little frustration, as a man who has been flitting around the fringes of the white-ball squad for three years seized his chance to shine in the absence of the big three, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler.Remarkably, his innings of 103 not out from 51 balls may not yet be enough to guarantee a starting berth in England’s full-strength line-up. But in taking his T20I record to five fifties and a hundred in nine innings, he is making the sort of unanswerable case that Jonny Bairstow compiled in the 50-over squad prior to the World Cup. And that, more than anything, is what England were looking on this trip.Can they now close it out and seal the silverware that remains the aim of every touring side, regardless of developmental priorities? New Zealand never really regrouped after their beasting in the field on Friday, but just as Malan and James Vince had hinted at their form in the earlier matches, so too do the Kiwis have a raft of players who’ve got their eye in in the course of the first four matches. Martin Guptill is getting there, Colin de Grandhomme can never be discounted, Tim Southee’s savage range-hitting also hit the spot.But on the bowling front, England will have been every bit as encouraged by the progress they have made on this trip. Chris Jordan’s know-how with new ball and old has been a stand-out feature of every game he has played, and while Matt Parkinson’s legspin endured a few lusty blows over the leg-side, Eoin Morgan is sure to have been encouraged by his wicket-taking gumption – five in six overs in his career to date.Auckland’s awkward dimensions promise another batsman’s game – in particular the short fine-leg/long-off boundary that turns any error in line and length into a freebie. And if it’s anything like the tri-series bunfight against Australia 18 months ago – 243 v 245 – we are in for a treat. And for England fans with nothing better to do this weekend, it’s almost worth getting up in the middle of the night to pay attention…

Form guide

England WLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand LWWLL

In the spotlight

It’s been a promising first tour from Tom Banton but Malan’s exploits in Napier have raised the bar for those who hope to crack into the full-strength team in time for next year’s World Cup. He is one day shy of his 21st birthday, so to say that time is on his side is an understatement – and a return of 49 runs from 31 balls in two innings is significantly better than par – but as he showed in seizing the Royal London final for Somerset last summer, there’s more to come from this one. No time like the present to show it.Where’s he really at then? Martin Guptill endured a hellish World Cup, not remotely helped by his cruel role in the decisive moment in the Super Over, but in the course of this series, he’s been swinging back into the zone. The runs haven’t come in a torrent, but the tap looks ready to be turned back on again – as his 27 from 14 balls in Napier hinted. His levers can make a mockery of Auckland’s dimensions, given half a chance.

Team news

It was a chastening day at Napier for New Zealand’s bowlers, not least Daryl Mitchell, whose solitary over was dispatched for 25 runs, and the temptation to mix things up will be extreme. But with Lockie Ferguson’s wicket-taking menace now concentrating on red-ball cricket with a view to a possible Test debut, New Zealand may opt for a return to Scott Kuggeleijn’s extra pace, or the crafty all-round seam option of Jimmy Neesham.New Zealand (possible): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Tim Seifert (wk), 4 Colin de Grandhomme, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee (capt), 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Blair Tickner /Scott KuggeleijnAfter his second TFC of the series, Lewis Gregory might be sweating on his role as England’s designated finisher, although England may be loath to change a winning side, especially if the circumstances offer a chance to truly test his mettle if an opportunity arises. James Vince probably deserves one more chance to show what he’s got after a couple of classy cameos, but the allure of silverware may limit the tinkering. Malan certainly hoped he had given Morgan a “headache”, having only expected to play in the first four games.England (possible): 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Tom Banton, 3 Dawid Malan/James Vince, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Sam Billings (wk), 6 Lewis Gregory, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Tom Curran, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Matt Parkinson, 11 Pat Brown

Pitch and conditions

Known locally as the “postage stamp”, Auckland offers another drop-in wicket of indeterminate quality, and little respite for error.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have won just one of their last seven T20I matches at Auckland, against Sri Lanka in January.
• England have won each of their two previous T20Is at the ground too, by 32 runs in 2008, and by 40 runs in 2013, when Eoin Morgan and Jonny Bairstow made 84 runs from 48 balls between them.
• Tim Southee requires one wicket to become the eighth man to claim 75 T20I wickets.
• Colin Munro requires five runs to draw level with Kane Williamson’s run-tally of 1,505 for New Zealand in T20Is. Munro has played two more games (59 to 57), though Williamson has batted once more often.

Quotes

“I don’t think you can let there be any scarring. You don’t completely sweep it under the carpet and you’ve got to learn from these experiences, but also you dust yourself off and there’s a series to be won in Auckland.” New Zealand’s captain, Tim Southee is looking ahead rather than back“That’s probably why I chanced my arm; I thought if this is the last one I’d better make it count. Thankfully it came off, a few mis-hits went for six and a couple of them just landed in gaps so it worked out really well.”

نجح فريق الهلال السعودي في تحقيق فوز كبير على نظيره العين الإماراتي بنتيجة 5-4، خلال المباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم ببطولة دوري أبطال آسيا.

والتقى الهلال مع العين، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثالثة من عمر مباريات مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال آسيا.

وتقدم رينان لودي للهلال بالهدف الأول في الدقيقة 26، من تصويبة صاروخية، من على حدود منطقة الجزاء سكنت مرمى العين.

طالع أيضاً.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الأهلي والريان في دوري أبطال آسيا

وسجل سفيان رحيمي هدف التعادل للعين في الدقيقة 39، بعد تمريرة عرضية من البرازيلي إريك قابلها رحيمي بتسديدة داخل الشباك.

وأحرز سيرجي سافيتش هدف الهلال الثاني في الدقيقة 45+2، برأسية من داخل منطقة الجزاء وصلت إليه من عرضية من زميله جواو كانسيلو.

وأضاف سالم الدوسري الهدف الثالث للهلال في الدقيقة 45+5، من تسديدة متقنة من خارج منطقة الجزاء بعد تمريرة رائعة من ناصر الدوسري.

وقلص ماتيو سانابريا لاعب العين النتيجة بهدف ثاني لصالح الفريق الإماراتي في الدقيقة 63، ثم زاد سالم الدوسري من أهداف الهلال بإحرازه الهدف الرابع في الدقيقة 65.

وبعد دقيقتين فقط وتحديدًا بالدقيقة 67 عاد سفيان رحيمي ليسجل الهدف الثاني له والثالث لفريقه العين لتصبح النتيجة 4-3.

وأحرز سالم الدوسري الهدف الخامس لفريقه الهلال في الدقيقة 75، من تصويبة صاروخية من خارج منطقة الجزاء سكنت الشباك.

وشهدت المباراة حالة طرد للاعب الهلال علي البليهي، بداعي تعمد لمس الكرة بيده.

وفي الدقيقة 90+2 أحرز اللاعب سفيان رحيمي الهدف الثاني له والرابع لفريقه من ركلة جزاء سددها ببراعة وسكنت الشباك. أهداف مباراة الهلال والعين في دوري أبطال آسيا

ملخص مباراة الهلال والعين في دوري أبطال آسيا

Ferran Torres has joked that 16-year-old Spain wonderkid Lamine Yamal “should be banned” and that he’ll report the teenager to police after Euro 2024.

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Youngster rewriting the history booksConsidered to be hottest of prospectsLa Roja chasing down continental crownWHAT HAPPENED?

Yamal and Torres, who are club colleagues at Barcelona, are currently looking to lead their country to continental glory in Germany. Positive steps have been taken down that path, with La Roja the only side to make it into the last-16 with a 100 per cent record in the group stage.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT TORRES SAID

Yamal, who continues to break records at his first senior tournament, has been catching the eye, with Torres telling of his history-making team-mate: “He should be banned. What this kid is doing at 16 years of age!”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Torres added on the reports that Spain could be fined for fielding Yamal in any game that goes beyond 11pm local time, with German labour laws preventing those under the age of 18 from working at such times: “I’ll report him to the police after 14 July. Let him help us win it first. I didn’t know that; I’m going to go and tell him now, wind him up: there’s a joke to be played here. Off the pitch, we spend all day, all together: there aren’t groups. I play darts. I learned in Manchester with Phil Foden and all that lot. I’m not bad, but not as good as them: they’ve been playing years; in the pub with the beer.”

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Spain are a happy camp at present, with Torres adding on collective desire to get over the line by any means possible: “I don’t watch a lot of football normally but at the Euros I am because they are opponents we could face. We watched Georgia against Portugal. We beat Georgia 7-1 and 3-1 in qualification but those results are a bit false and things change now. The group is finished. We can expect anything. And we’re going to take it game by game. If we get to the 90th minute against Georgia and we’ve won then OK. Now you just have to win, any way you can. God willing on 15 July everyone everywhere says we played like shit and won it.”

Haji Wright has revealed how he used to get Christian Pulisic “so mad” with FIFA wins and a victory song, with the pair now USMNT team-mates.

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• Generation of talent grew up together
• Have been friends for a long time
• Enjoying winding each other up

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wright, who has just posted a career-best return of 19 goals for Coventry in the 2023-24 campaign, saw his potential spotted early and was drafted into youth camps alongside the likes of fellow hot prospects Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Luca de la Torre.

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  WHAT WRIGHT SAID

  The 26-year-old forward has told the podcast of that experience: “With Christian, Weston and Tyler, for our residency I just remember being around them all day, every day. Christian was one of my dorm mates, so I used to play everyday against Christian at FIFA. I’m better than him at FIFA, so when I would beat him I used to play this song and he used to get so mad! Luca, I actually played against him before academy days, so when we were like 10/11. I remember playing him for the first time and thinking he was the best thing since sliced bread.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wright may never have trodden that path had he listened to the advice of certain family members, with the powerful frontman saying of sporting passions in his household: “Depending on the time of year, it was either the Super Bowl or the NBA Finals – basketball and football, that was it. Around like my 14th or 15th birthday, I started getting a growth spurt and I was around like 6’1’’ or 6’2’’ that year. And I remember my uncles and my aunts saying: ‘Why aren’t you playing basketball, what are you wasting your talent for?’ [After playing at the 2022 World Cup] all of a sudden they’re like: ‘Oh my gosh, the best soccer player in the world!’ I said: ‘Ahh, remember when I was a kid?’”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Having impressed in the Championship and during a run to the FA Cup semi-finals in the season just gone, Wright has been included in the USMNT squad for a Copa America tournament on home soil. He is heading into that event with four senior international goals recorded through 10 appearances.

Allrounder shows glimpse of promise but Matt Parkinson completes 10-wicket haul as Lancashire solidify top spot

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford15-Jul-2019
It did not save his side. It did not even help his team avoid an innings defeat. But Delray Rawlins’ maiden first-class century prompted a congratulatory tweet from Jofra Archer whom, one might think, has been preoccupied with other things recently. And it brought smiles back to the faces on the Sussex balcony, a place which has been notably devoid of happiness over the last three weeks or so.Rawlins reached his hundred in the grandest of fashions, with an enormous straight six into the pavilion at Old Trafford off the bowling of Matthew Parkinson. Some said the ball was still rising when it went over the rope. It had certainly been whacked on the screws and it was not the first such blow in Rawlins’ innings. There had been a dozen fours and two other sixes in the 99 balls Rawlins took to reach three figures. Parkinson, after defining the course of the match by taking 6 for 23 in its first innings, had been forced to buy his wickets in the classical legspinner’s manner. But, faithful to the Lancastrian tradition of Dick Tyldesley and Ken Grieves, he had continued to give the ball air and was to gain his reward at the end of the innings with figures of 4 for 142, thus leaving him with a match analysis of 10 for 165, the best of his career.As far as Rawlins was concerned, Parkinson was to receive balm for his wounds the very next delivery when he dragged the ball down only to see his opponent play a back-foot drive and give a return catch. Rawlins perhaps played the shot because he had too much time to think about what to do; Parkinson caught the ball because he had no time whatever to think about dropping it. He is not yet fielding’s answer to the Federal Reserve.That breakthrough ended Rawlins’ 128-run stand for the sixth wicket with David Wiese and it more or less concluded the fun for Sussex supporters, whose sufferings over the past few weeks compare unfavourably with those of Job. Four overs later Wiese swept at a ball from Parkinson was leg before wicket for a fine 77. The other Sussex batsmen lasted until tea but seven balls after the resumption Mir Hamza was also lbw to Parkinson and Lancashire’s players could look forward to a beer or two.They deserved their refreshment. Lancashire’s innings and 51-run victory will almost certainly open a gap in excess of 20 points at the top of the Division Two table; Sussex, by contrast, may fall to sixth when the current round of matches is completed and no county in the kingdom will benefit as much from a refreshing change of format and personnel. The Blast – or a bloody good night in Brighton – is exactly what they need.So much was clear in the first hour of this third day at Old Trafford when Sussex lost four wickets in nine overs and crumbled to 39 for 4. Complete disintegration beckoned and also a record innings defeat to follow the record loss in terms of runs which they suffered against Northamptonshire in their last game. Unless you were a member of Lancashire’s church militant and bought a red rose for your button hole every summer morning there was very little pleasure to be gained from that first hour. A series of batsmen arrived determined to do their best yet departed in very short order having looked desperately out of form.Varun Chopra was the first to go for 15 when he nibbled at a ball he probably did not need to play from Richard Gleeson and was caught behind by Dane Vilas. Less than three overs later Luke Wells was leg before wicket to Graham Onions for a third-ball duck and Stiaan van Zyl followed for six soon after when a flick down the leg side off Gleeson only edged another catch to Vilas. As if infected by his colleagues’ lack of confidence, skipper Ben Brown meekly chipped a ball from Onions into the leg side where Haseeb Hameed held a comfortable catch at midwicket.Considerable relief was provided by the 78-run stand between Phil Salt and Rawlins, who reached his fifty off 55 balls just before lunch. But in the over before the interval Salt played a ball from Parkinson safely, as he thought, between his feet only to see it land in a foothole and spin back slowly into his off stump. As he walked off with 37 hard-worked runs to his name Salt held out his arms to the heavens. “How long, O Lord, how long?” he might have been asking, although one imagines his vocabulary was, well, saltier. The good citizens of Amberley, Ditchling and Cuckfield may be engaged in similar supplication.

Leeds United are still pushing to sign a Premier League player before the deadline, with a fresh round of transfer talks recently held.

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The Whites are not in Championship action now until after the January transfer window closes, with a 1-0 win over Norwich City in the week closing the gap on Ipswich Town and Southampton in the race for automatic promotion.

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Daniel Farke and his side now have to navigate a fourth-round FA Cup tie at home to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday afternoon before owners the 49ers Enterprises possibly look to seal a number of late new signings in the final days of the market.

The priority appears to be on additions in defence, with right-backs Djed Spence and Luke Ayling leaving Elland Road earlier this month, with the former having his loan terminated and the latter heading to Middlesbrough after struggling for game time.

A number of full-back names have been rumoured to come in and fill the void left by the pair, including Liverpool’s Calvin Ramsay, Tottenham Hotspur’s Ben Davies, West Ham’s Ben Johnson and Burnley’s Connor Roberts. However, additions in the final third could also be made.

Burnley winger Manuel Benson has been heavily linked with a move to Yorkshire, and a new transfer twist has come to light.

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Benson has been on the radar at Elland Road this month, with journalist Sacha Tavolieri claiming previously that Leeds wanted the Burnley man to replace Wilfried Gnonto, who was linked with West Ham.

However, a lot has happened since then. Reports suggested that the Whites were in “very advanced talks” to sign Benson, but it was then claimed that Southampton were set to win the race for his services. To add to all of the updates, it has since been rumoured that Gnonto is close to signing a new Leeds deal.

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Despite this, the 49ers are still pushing to sign Benson, with fresh transfer talks held on Wednesday for the Premier League attacker. Tavolieri said on Thursday…

Journalist Josh Bunting hailed Benson as an “aggressive” winger and overall “beautiful footballer” last season, and after his second-tier tally of 12 goals and three assists helped Burnley earn promotion, whoever wins the race for Benson between Leeds and Southampton could get a much-needed boost for the Championship run-in.

West Ham United, as the January transfer window approaches, could be one of a number of sides that look to make season-altering additions in the Premier League.

The Hammers have enjoyed a solid first half to the campaign, albeit one that has featured a couple of results to forget and sit as high as ninth. Having recently been smashed 5-0 by Fulham, West Ham were given a reminder about the changes they may need to make in the winter window, with a number of stars potentially heading for the exit door. And that could even include a player that David Moyes is a fan of.

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Those at the London Stadium got things fairly spot on in the summer transfer window, despite selling Declan Rice to Arsenal. The likes of Edson Alvarez, James Ward-Prowse and Mohammed Kudus have all found their feet relatively quickly to hand the Hammers a major boost. Now, however, West Ham's attention looks set to shift towards departures, which could include the sale of one specific forward who has struggled at times in the current campaign.

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According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, West Ham could now be ready to sell Danny Ings in the January transfer window, with clubs at the bottom of the Premier League and top of the Championship keeping an eye on the former Liverpool man's situation. The striker's departure could come despite the fact that a source told Football Insider that Moyes is a "big fan" of Ings. When the January window swings open, the 31-year-old certainly looks like one to keep an eye on, as the club aim to make room and raise funds for further incomings.

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Whilst Moyes is reportedly a fan of Ings, January appears to be the right time for all parties to go their separate ways. Ings' goals just have not arrived at the London Stadium, with the former Southampton star finding the back of the net just three times in 37 appearances for the Hammers, whilst only recording a further two assists. Given that he's only made one Premier League start in the current campaign too, the forward could do with a January exit.

If his next club can get him back to his best, then Ings could make a significant impact. Matty Cash was certainly impressed with his former teammate at Aston Villa, saying:

“I was delighted for Danny. He is one of the smartest players I have played with. His record speaks for itself. He’s scored goals at the highest level. Any striker needs goals and he got them at Brighton. His movement in front of goal is brilliant. He knows when to run and when to get in the middle of the goal. That is why he has scored so many goals in his career. Any striker needs to watch him and his movement because he is brilliant.”