ScorecardTammy Beaumont made 78 from 79 balls•Getty Images

Tammy Beaumont anchored England’s run-chase with 78 from 79 balls to secure a 3-0 series lead against Sri Lanka in Colombo, with the fourth and final ODI to come at the same venue on Thursday.Despite losing the toss and being asked to field first, England seized control of the contest from the outset, pinning Sri Lanka down to a run-rate of three an over with a disciplined bowling performance in which their three spinners, Laura Marsh, Alex Hartley and Danielle Hazell, each picked up two wickets apiece.Sri Lanka’s innings never really gathered any momentum. Nipuni Hansika, the opening batsman, top-scored with 29 from 66 balls, but she was the second wicket to fall, bowled by Hazell in the 21st over, and England never relinquished their stranglehold. The hosts were all out for 161 with two balls of their innings left unused, having lost their last eight wickets for 82.In reply, England lost Lauren Winfield and Danni Wyatt in the space of six deliveries to slip to 60 for 2, but a fourth-wicket stand of 67 between Beaumont and Fran Wilson (30) carried the team to the brink of victory.Both players fell in the space of two runs to take the gloss off the win – Wilson was caught behind off Chamari Atapattu before Beaumont became Sugandika Kumari’s only wicket of the innings with six runs still required. But Georgia Elwiss and Amy Jones wrapped up the win with 20.3 overs left unused.

Arsenal are expected to launch a bid for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice "very soon", according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest on Declan Rice to Arsenal?

CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has recently detailed that Arsenal could get a deal for Rice done "quickly", as he wants to move to the Emirates Stadium, however he does not completely rule out another team winning the race for his signature.

Jacobs has also claimed the Gunners will take a "disciplined" approach in their pursuit of the 24-year-old, with their opening offer set to be worth less than £100m, but "all signs point towards" a move to north London this summer.

Personal terms have reportedly already been agreed, meaning the last remaining obstacle is submitting an acceptable offer to West Ham, and according to a new update from Romano, a bid could soon be on its way.

Taking to Twitter, the transfer expert gave a very positive update on the Gunners' pursuit of the midfielder, saying:"Arsenal will enter into crucial stages of Declan Rice deal next week. Official bid expected very soon after positive talks in the recent days.

"Gunners feel they’re ahead of Bayern as player priority is to continue in England — but timing will be crucial for Arsenal."

Is Rice signing for Arsenal?

A move to the Emirates Stadium would seemingly tick a lot of boxes for the England international, as he has previously made it clear he wants to stay in London, while he is also keen to play in the Champions League and compete for trophies.

Of course, the West Ham captain got his hands on his first piece of major silverware when West Ham won the Europa Conference League last weekend, which also grants them qualification to the Europa League next season.

The fact there will be European football at the London Stadium once again could potentially make the London-born midfielder think twice about leaving, although West Ham chairman David Sullivan has recently confirmed the player has his heart set on leaving.

If, as expected, the £60k-per-week midfielder does move on this summer, Arsenal will be getting a top player if they win the race for his signature, having been hailed as "incredible" by members of the media.

Not only does Rice rank very highly for some key defensive metrics over the past year, including interceptions and clearances per 90, there is also an indication he could be an attacking threat, with Jack Wilshere previously claiming he was the "best finisher" at West Ham.

Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate could be "tempted" by a move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, says BBC pundit and former Scotland international Alan Hutton.

Who will Spurs sign this summer?

The arrival of Ange Postecoglou at Spurs has, inevitably, resulted in the north Londoners being linked to a few of his former stars at Parkhead.

Members of Celtic's imperious domestic treble-winning side have apparently attracted attention from Postecoglou and Lilywhites chairman Daniel Levy, with Japan forward Kyogo Furuhashi among them.

There were reports of Spurs plotting a huge bid to lure the attacker to England, though they have died down somewhat, with Tottenham instead focusing their efforts on signing a new goalkeeper, centre-backs and a move for Leicester City star James Maddison.

Furuhashi isn't the only Hoops star to be linked with a move to Tottenham, though, as journalist Sami Mokbel, as relayed by Everything Celtic, claims they're now monitoring Hatate.

A fellow Japan international akin to Furuhashi, the 25-year-old has proven a versatile asset for Celtic, featuring in midfield, at full-back and even further forward last campaign.

Following rumours of Tottenham's interest, BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Hutton has told Football Insider that Hatate could be "tempted" by a move.

However, Hutton also believes that they should be focusing on a bid for Maddison instead, who is proven in the Premier League.

“There is no doubt he [Hatate] would be tempted," explained the former Spurs right-back.

“We are talking about a top four, top six team., of course he would be interested.

“That being said, I do not think that is the type of player Tottenham need. I think they need a more attacking, number ten type player like James Maddison.

“Hatate has been excellent I just do not think that is what they need at this moment in time.“

Who is Reo Hatate?

The two-cap international showcased his quality for Celtic over 22/23, ranking as one of their standout performers according to WhoScored.

Hatate is also a threat in the attacking areas, despite being traditionally listed as a defensive midfielder, having racked up an impressive 14 goal contributions in 32 SPFL appearances last campaign (WhoScored).

Members of the media, like A-League digital producer Sacha Pisani, have even called the player a "beast" in midfield.

"A beast in midfield. Quality touch, aware and shot," said Pisani on Twitter.

"Fantastic signing [for Celtic] and the best is YET to come for club and country."

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has personally held talks with the representatives of Leicester City star James Maddison, according to reports.

Who will Spurs sign this summer?

Maddison is being pushed as a top target for Spurs by sections of the press with some sources even suggesting that the 26-year-old was at the centre of a double bid last week.

The Lilywhites were said to have lodged an offer for both Maddison and his teammate, Harvey Barnes, worth in excess of £50 million which was swiftly rejected by Leicester.

Sky Sports rebuffed this claim, stating while Spurs had a serious interest in both, no formal proposal of any kind had gone in for the duo.

As well as the Foxes playmaker, it is believed that Tottenham are targeting a new goalkeeper, central defender and possible forward additions.

David Raya of Brentford is wanted to replace Hugo Lloris, meanwhile the likes of Man City defender Aymeric Laporte have been tipped with potential moves to Spurs.

Galasary forward Nicolo Zaniolo has emerged as a target in recent days, too, with Postecoglou seemingly looking to strengthen in various areas of the pitch.

Going back to Maddison, a report by Football Transfers has shared some interesting news on Tottenham's chase for the England international.

According to their information, Postecoglou has personally held talks with Maddison's agents recently, and he is thought to have made a really good impression on them,

This has apparently helped to sway Maddison more towards Tottenham than Premier League rivals Newcastle, and the former Norwich City star may be tempted to join.

Despite this, Maddison is yet to have any personal contact with Spurs, but Postecoglou coming across well to the player's camp could be crucial.

How many goals did Maddison score last season?

Maddison starred for Leicester over the course of 2022/2023, scoring 10 goals and providing nine assists in the league alone, totalling an impressive 19 attacking contributions (WhoScored).

The Three Lions ace also attempted more shots at goal per 90, completing more key passes and registered their joint-highest rate of successful take-ons in the top flight (WhoScored).

These numbers make one thing crystal clear – he is far too good for the Championship.

Whether it is Newcastle or Spurs, either side may be on to seal a very potent and capable attacking threat in the final third.

Former West Ham and Leicester City star David Connolly has also called Maddison "absolutely magnificent" for his form at the King Power.

Matt Renshaw’s dismissal for 71 meant that his parents did not need to make a trip across Brisbane to get to the ground

Brydon Coverdale in Brisbane15-Dec-2016Midway through the second session, Matt Renshaw danced down the pitch and shovelled Yasir Shah over midwicket for three. Already Renshaw had raised the bat to his home crowd upon reaching his maiden Test half-century. Now he was moving into the 70s. A hometown Test hundred was beginning to seem within his reach. And a cross-town dash was starting to look necessary for his parents, Ian and Alison.The Renshaws had been in Adelaide for their son’s Test debut last month, and might have been expected to be in the crowd for his first Test at his home ground. But instead they were several kilometres away, watching Renshaw’s sister Hannah graduate from her Masters of Architecture degree at the University of Queensland.”Matthew’s had his debut in Adelaide, so we’ll be there, very, very proud of what she [Hannah] has done,” Alison Renshaw told earlier this week. Ian Renshaw added that Matt was perhaps relieved not to have to sit through his sister’s three-hour ceremony: “But as we said, ‘we’ve waited three hours for you to bat and then you’ve been out first ball’.”At stumps, having fallen for 71 when he edged behind off Wahab Riaz, Renshaw explained that he understood his parents’ prioritising.”They came to Adelaide and Hannah’s graduation is a really big thing for her, so I think it’s good that they went and saw her,” Renshaw said at stumps. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t still be in when they finished there and they couldn’t head over.”What would it have taken for them to rush across Brisbane and find their way into the Gabba?”They told me I needed to be 80 not out at the dinner break, but I couldn’t do that. I let them down,” he joked.There was, however, one “Renshaw” in the crowd. Some time ago, Renshaw had purchased a ticket for the Gabba Test, not expecting to be part of Australia’s side. He was meant to be sitting with a group of friends from the Toombul Cricket Club, where Renshaw plays in Brisbane, and some of those mates chose to honour his call-up by filling his seat with a mannequin adorned with a print-out of Renshaw’s face.”It was a bit strange seeing my face on a mannequin when I was out there batting,” Renshaw said. “It probably took my mind off the game for a little bit, but it was good fun from the boys.”

Leeds United remain on the search for a new manager after the club decided to part ways with Sam Allardyce following their relegation from the Premier League.

The Telegraph recently reported that former Norwich City head coach Daniel Farke is on their shortlist to replace the former England boss. The German chief left Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

He is a proven Championship winner who could come in and provide the Whites with the lift they need to secure an automatic promotion straight back to the top-flight.

Farke won the second tier in both 2018/19 and 2020/21 and amassed a staggering 57 wins and 191 points combined to help the Canaries back to the big time, with the second one coming off the back of a relegation from the Premier League in 2019/20.

Would Daniel Farke be a success at Leeds?

The 46-year-old head coach could be a success at Elland Road as the club currently have a player who could be his next version of Norwich legend Teemu Pukki in Georginio Rutter.

During Farke's two title-winning campaigns with the Yellows, the Finland international plundered an eye-catching 55 goals and 14 assists in 84 appearances.

The experienced centre-forward led the promotion charge for the German chief with his astonishing ability in front of goal, which was aided by the 33-year-old's intelligent movement to run off the shoulder of defenders and race onto through balls.

Rutter, who failed to score in 11 Premier League matches for Leeds, has not showcased the same prolific form in England as of yet but the 21-year-old has the potential to be Farke's next Pukki.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig previously hailed the "powerful" French striker's "great" movement of the ball and his "blistering pace", whilst he described the former Rennes starlet as "clinical" in front of goal.

The £36m club-record signing has previously displayed his quality at the top end of the pitch. During the 2021/22 campaign, Rutter scored eight goals from seven expected goals (xG) for Hoffenheim, which shows that the exciting youngster outperformed the level of chances that were being sent his way.

Therefore, Farke could unearth the £70k-per-week dynamo's full potential at Leeds as the promising centre-forward has a similar style of play to Pukki – as they both use their excellent movement and speed to generate openings in front of goal – and the head coach has proven himself capable of designing a system to get the best out of that type of striker.

This means that Leeds could end up with their own version of the prolific Championship marksman by appointing the former Norwich boss to help Rutter find his feet on the pitch.

Alastair Cook was left ruing missed chances in the field as England succumbed to an innings defeat in Mumbai.While Cook admitted England had erred in selection – picking four seamers on a pitch where India’s spinners claimed 19 wickets – he felt the defining moments of the game came when England failed to take chances to dismiss all three of India’s centurions in the relatively early stages of their innings.Jonny Bairstow missed a stumping opportunity off M Vijay when he had 45, Virat Kohli was put down by Adil Rashid – a difficult caught and bowled chance – on 68, and Joe Root put down Jayant Yadav at slip when he had eight. Vijay went on to score 136, Kohli made 235 and Yadav 104.The frustration for Cook is that these things keep happening. The series against Pakistan was littered with missed opportunities – and Rashid also put down a tough chance off Kohli in Visakhapatnam when he had scored 56. He went on to make 167.”I keep going back to the chances we missed,” Cook told . “That’s why we lost this game.”Yes, we would have liked another spinner. But with the side we had, we had opportunities to bowl India out for 400 and we just didn’t take them.”Obviously Virat played an extraordinary innings, but we had a chance to get rid of him on 60-odd. Yadav got a 100 and we had a couple of chances to get rid of him. And those are the things the game is changing on. This team, at the moment, we’re not taking those chances. It’s those opportunities that have cost us.”Cook also admitted England “didn’t need that extra seamer” in Mumbai. Going into the match with six bowlers – two spinners and four quicks – Cook was obliged to ask Rashid and Moeen Ali to deliver more than 50 overs, while none of the seamers bowled more than 20.”That was a mistake,” he said. “It’s kind of the problem when you don’t have any games between Test Matches. We really wanted to see what four seamers looked like, because they are the bowlers so far on this tour who have given us the most control and our two best spinners have been Mo and Rash.”Maybe if we’d bowled first we’d have more control with the four seamers. But clearly when you bat first, you didn’t need that extra seamer.”Whether it would have changed the game… we were in this game with the balance of that side. We had an opportunity when they were 307 for 6 to restrict India’s lead. Historically, 180 is a good score here in the third innings and it’s very hard to score much in the fourth innings. So we would have been in the game.”But would have, could have isn’t really good enough and that’s the bottom line: we haven’t been good enough to get over the line.”Cook had praise for Kohli, though: “He’s in incredible form. He’s having one of those series you dream of as a player and a captain. You lead from the front and you score a hell of a lot of runs and that’s a huge amount of credit to him. He’s clearly one of the great batsmen of our generation. And certainly in these conditions, he’s very hard to bowl at when he’s in this form.”

تحدث مدرب مانشستر يونايتد إريك تين هاج، بعد هزيمة فريقه أمام مانشستر سيتي بالديربي، في منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وحل مانشستر يونايتد ضيفًا على مانشستر سيتي بملعب “الاتحاد”، في إطار مباريات الجولة السابعة والعشرين للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

وفشل مانشستر يونايتد في الحفاظ على تقدمه بهدف نظيف، ونجح مانشستر سيتي في الفوز بثلاثية لهدف.

وقال تين هاج في تصريحات لـ “بي بي سي”: “أعتقد أنه كان أداءً جيدًا بشكل عام، لقد تقدمنا 1-0 وكان لدينا لحظات بعد ذلك لتسجيل الهدف الثاني”.

وأضاف: “لقد دافعنا بشكل جيد للغاية وكانت هناك لحظتان حاسمتان عندما كدنا أن نخترق صفوفهم، واستقبلنا الهدف الأول”.

وأردف: “ثم تشعر بخيبة أمل، علينا أن نقبل ذلك، ولا تزال لدينا الفرصة للحصول على نقطة واحدة على الأقل، ولكن الفوز كان ممكنًا أيضا”.

اقرأ أيضًا | رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي تعلن أفضل لاعب في مباراة مانشستر سيتي ومانشستر يونايتد

وعن خطأ كايل ووكر ضد ماركوس راشفورد، أشار تين هاج: “نظرت إلى الوراء وسألت راشفورد إذا كان هناك احتكاك، ربما كان خفيفًا ولكن كان هناك احتكاك”.

وعلّق على المستوى التكتيكي قائلاً: “الوقوف خلف خط الدفاع بسرعة جارناتشو، بالفعل بعد بضع دقائق كان هناك اختراق جيد، ثم بسرعة بعد ذلك كان هدفًا جيدًا من راشفورد، أغلقنا الوسط بشكل جيد للغاية”.

واستطرد: “لقد تمسكنا بالخطة وحصلنا على لحظة تصرف متهورة لحارس مرمى السيتي وبعد تلك الهجمة استقبلنا الهدف”.

وواصل تين هاج: “كان لدينا لاعبان في الملعب ولم يكونا جاهزين بنسبة 100%، جوني إيفانز وماركوس راشفورد، لكنهما قدما كل شيء مثل الفريق بأكمله، ونحن نشعر بخيبة أمل بسبب النتيجة”.

وعن أداء ماركوس راشفورد، أكد: “لقد قاتلوا بالتأكيد، وكان العمل الجماعي والأداء جيدًا للغاية، في يوم آخر كان بإمكاننا الفوز بهذه المباراة بفوارق صغيرة، خصوصًا راشفورد، فقد أتيحت له بعض الفرص الجيدة لتسجيل هدف آخر وأليخاندرو جارناتشو في بعض اللحظات أتيحت له الفرص”.

وتابع: “أعتقد أن الخطة سارت بشكل جيد، وهوامش صغيرة جدًا، لذا فإن مانشستر سيتي يستحق كل الإشادة ومدى اتساقه في اللعب”.

وعن حصوله على بطاقة صفراء، علّق: “دعونا نقول إن هذا أمر مثير للنقاش، حيث كان هناك احتكاك مع راشفورد، وهي لحظة حاسمة في المباراة، في الهجمة المرتدة التي سجلوا منها، لقد كانت مخالفة بسيطة على راشفورد، ولكن عندما تكون في سباق سريع فإنك تفقد إيقاعك ولهذا السبب سقط”.

وعن الإصابات، واصل: “لا أعرف، كان عليهم الخروج، لكنني فضلت الإبقاء عليهم (راشفورد وإيفانز) لأن التنظيم كان جيدًا للغاية”.

وعن أضرار الخسارة، أتم: “هذا العام نحن نتقدم حقًا وعليك استعادة بعض النقاط، يمكن للجميع التغلب على الجميع ويمكن أن تتغير الأمور بسرعة، المركز الخامس (في الدوري) يمكن أن يكون أيضًا مركزًا في دوري أبطال أوروبا، لذا علينا أن نقاتل من أجل ذلك!”.

A round-up of the third day’s play from the quarter-finals of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Dec-2016
ScorecardAbhishek Nayar rattled Hyderabad’s top order•PTI

For large parts of the day, there wasn’t much to choose between Mumbai and Hyderabad, although the defending champions enjoyed the first-innings honours on a topsy-turvy day in Raipur. Towards the end, though, they steered clear of choppy waters courtesy an unbroken 50-run fourth-wicket stand between Praful Waghela and Aditya Tare, the captain, to end with a lead of 116.Hyderabad, who resumed on 167 for 3, needing another 127 to wipe out the deficit, came within 15 runs of the lead. A lower order collapse resulted in them slipping from 255 for 5 to 280 all out. K Sumanth, the wicketkeeper, battled through to make 44; he was the last man to be dismissed. Vijay Gohil, the left-arm spinner, picked up three of the five wickets to fall. Abhishek Nayar, who made 59 in the first innings, took 4 for 60.Mumbai were rattled early as they slipped to 52 for 3, with Mohammad Siraj dismissing Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav. They had Waghela and Tare to thank as they steered them to safety.
ScorecardSamit Gohel’s third first-class ton put Gujarat in a commanding position•ESPNcricinfo

Gujarat continued to gain a foothold after their strong comeback from 71 for 6 on the first day, as they finished day three with a lead of 310 runs in the second innings with seven wickets still in hand.Odisha’s first innings ended early on the third day, with Jasprit Bumrah adding one wicket to his overnight burst through the middle order to complete his second five-wicket haul of the season. He finished with 5 for 41, as Odisha were shot out for 199 in response to Gujarat’s 263.Gujarat capitalized on their 64-run lead through an opening stand of 149. Priyank Panchal, the season’s top-scorer, got 81 of those before he was dismissed by left-arm spinner Dhiraj Singh. His opening partner, Samit Gohel, built stands of 49 for the second wicket with Bhargav Merai, 40 for the third with Rujul Bhatt, and batted through to stumps with Manpreet Juneja with a career-best unbeaten 110 off 291 balls. Gujarat finished the day on 246 for 3.
ScorecardIshank Jaggi (in pic) and Virat Singh helped build Jharkhand’s lead•K Sivaraman

Virat Singh’s second first-class century steered Jharkhand to a comfortable first-innings lead before they were bowled out for 345. In reply, the Haryana top order wiped out the deficit and ended the third day with a lead of 59 runs for the loss of two wickets.Ishank Jaggi, the other overnight batsman apart from Virat, could not score on the third day when he was bowled for 77 by Harshal Patel, and Ishan Kishan and Kaushal Singh fell for ducks. However, Virat batted with the tail to nearly take them to 300 in the company of Shahbaz Nadeem (34) and Rahul Shukla (28). Once Virat fell for 107, Jharkhand added another 45 to the total.Haryana openers Nitin Saini (41) and Shubham Rohilla (43) put on a strong stand of 79 but Samar Quadri dismissed both before Shivam Chauhan (22) and Chaitanya Bishnoi ended the day unbeaten on 22 and 33 respectively.

Sporting CP midfielder Pedro Goncalves would be a "great" signing for Aston Villa this summer, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Has Goncalves been linked with Villa move?

The 24-year-old enjoyed a superb 2022/23 season for the Portuguese giants, catching the eye with his relentless end product in the final third. Goncalves scored 15 goals and registered 11 assists in the Primeira Liga, and he also found the net three times in the Europa League, including an outrageous long-range effort away to Arsenal.

The £25,000-a-week Portuguese could well be a wanted man this summer, and while his current Sporting deal doesn't expire until 2026, they could find it difficult to keep hold of him, especially if he has decided that he wants to enjoy a new challenge.

Villa have been linked with a move for Goncalves in recent times, as NSWE look to provide plenty of transfer funds this summer, and a new update has now emerged regarding his future.

What's the latest on Goncalves to Villa Park?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, transfer expert Jones admitted that a move for Goncalves could be difficult for Villa to get over the line, but talked up his brilliance as a player:

"I think he would be great. But he’s got a big release clause. And even with Villa pushing the boat out at this next transfer window, I would be surprised if they can jump into this sort of territory. I kind of hope they can, because he’s an extremely exciting talent."

While this isn't necessarily the most positive update in the world, it does still suggest that Villa have genuine interest in Goncalves, with Unai Emery seeing him as someone who could provide great quality in attacking areas.

The Sporting hero was described as "incredible" by former striker Kevin Campbell, following his aforementioned goal against Arsenal, and he is someone who could relish life in the Premier League, proving to be a talismanic figure in attacking midfield areas, having won two caps for a star-studded Portugal team.

Given the money being discussed, though, it will clearly be hard for Villa to acquire the services of Goncalves – he could also be eyeing a move to a club who are in the Champions League or Europa League next season – but if they could get a deal over the line, it would be a signing that makes the rest of the country sit up and take notice.