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Lionesses Mary Earps, Lucy Bronze, Lauren James and Sarina Wiegman are among the nominees for top prizes at the 2024 Women’s Football Awards.

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Awards to be handed out on May 30Big names competing for recognition Leading lights in WSL figure prominentlyGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The event, which takes place in London on May 30, will be hosted by former England international Eni Aluko and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher and intends to celebrate the people, brands and organisations that are helping to grow the women’s games.

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Manchester United goalkeeper Earps will be competing for the Player of the Year award alongside Chelsea stars James, Sam Kerr, Millie Bright, Jess Carter and Guro Reiten. Arsenal duo Katie McCabe and Frida Maanum are also up for that gong, along with United forward Nikita Parris and prolific Manchester City striker Bunny Shaw.

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

England aces Bronze and Georgia Stanway, who are now at Barcelona and Bayern Munich respectively, are nominated for the International Football Player of the Year award, while Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman joins City manager Gareth Taylor among the Manager or Coach of the Year contenders.

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WHAT ALUKO & CARRAGHER SAID

Aluko has said of the WFA nominees: “This year’s shortlist is another incredible catalogue of players, brands, celebrities and organisations who continue to grow the presence of women’s football around the world. We have added four amazing new categories this year, which allows us to celebrate even more of the amazing people, both on and off the pitch, who are achieving so much in the sport. The SHEIN-sponsored Women’s Football Awards is going to be a fantastic event and it’s an honour to be a part of it for the second year running.”

Carragher added: “The 2024 Women’s Football Awards is set to be a fantastic night celebrating the trailblazers, gamechangers and outstanding talent in the women’s game. I am proud to be involved with the awards again and wish everyone on the shortlist the best of luck.”

The 28-year old Sri Lankan legspinner has been punished for conduct that was in breach of his player contract

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2018

Jeffrey Vandersay in his delivery stride•Getty Images

Sri Lanka have sent legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay back home from the tour of West Indies owing to conduct that was in breach of his player contract. A press release from the board said the team management had reported an “incident” following which this decision was taken.Sri Lanka have had a difficult time in the Caribbean. They lost the first Test by a huge margin, became the subject of a ball-tampering controversy in the second, and the penalties handed out mean they won’t have the services of their captain Dinesh Chandimal in the third.Chandimal along with the coach Chandika Hathurusingha and manager Asanka Gurusinha are awaiting sanctions on another charge, relating to their role in holding up play for two hours on the third day in St Lucia in protest against the umpire’s suspicions that they had altered the condition of the ball.

Shahbaz Nadeem will take his place in the India A squad, which will now be led by Ankit Bawne

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2018A day after he had been named captain of the India A squad, R Ashwin has been ruled out of the Deodhar Trophy. According to a BCCI release, the India spinner has a “niggling issue”, for which the board’s medical team has advised a week’s rest.The Jharkhand left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem will take Ashwin’s place in the India A squad, which will now be led by the Maharashtra middle-order batsman Ankit Bawne. Bawne was originally in the India B squad; the Uttar Pradesh batsman Akshdeep Nath will move in the other direction to facilitate the change.India A: Ankit Bawne (capt), Prithvi Shaw, Unmukt Chand, Shubman Gill, Ricky Bhui, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (wk), Krunal Pandya, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Basil Thampi, Kulwant Khejroliya, Amandeep Khare, Rohit RayuduIndia B: Shreyas Iyer (capt), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Akshdeep Nath, Manoj Tiwary, Siddhesh Lad, KS Bharat (wk), Jayant Yadav, Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, Hanuma Vihari, Siddarth Kaul, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Umesh Yadav, Rajat Patidar

As soon as promotion to the Premier League was officially confirmed earlier this year, the powers that be at Leeds United knew that they would need to be busy this summer.

The Whites have been fairly quick out of the blocks so far, as they have wrapped up the free transfer signing of Lukas Nmecha and signed Jaka Bijol on a permanent deal from Udinese.

Improving the team’s options at the top end of the pitch is a priority for the Championship champions, and they have already started their efforts to do that by signing Nmecha.

In May, Football Insider claimed that the club have doubts over whether or not Joel Piroe has what it takes to make the step up to the Premier League next season, and that they are not going to build their attack around the Dutchman.

This suggests that the former Swansea star is unlikely to be the first-choice number nine option for Daniel Farke when the new campaign gets underway.

However, the only new centre-forward signing so far has been Nmecha, and he does not appear suited to firing the team to safety as a regular starter next term.

Why Lukas Nmecha may not be a regular starter for Leeds

The Whites have taken a gamble on the former Manchester City academy prospect on a free transfer, after a rough few seasons for the former Germany international.

Since the start of the 2023/24 season, Nmecha has only played 24 games in all competitions for Wolfsburg in Germany, scoring five goals in that time.

Lukas Nmecha’s recent struggles
Season	Games missed through injury	Appearances (all comps)	Goals
24/25 (Wolfsburg)	8	20	3
23/24 (Wolfsburg)	39	4	2
22/23 (Wolfsburg)	17	18	4
21/22 (Wolfsburg)	9	31	10
20/21 (Anderlecht)	0	37	18
19/20 (Wolfsburg + Middlesbrough)	4	25	0
18/19 (Preston North End)	0	41	4
Stats via Sofascore & Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old striker has consistently struggled with injury issues over the past four seasons, missing far too many games and not delivering enough quality on the pitch.

These statistics suggest that Nmecha is unlikely to be available to be a regular starter for Farke, nor does he have the goal return to suggest that he can step up to be a regular goalscorer in the Premier League.

Therefore, the German forward may be more suited to being a squad option, who can come off the bench or start the odd game, rather than being the replacement for Piroe as a regular in the XI.

That thought process is further backed up by a new report that claims that the Championship champions are eyeing up another number nine signing.

Leeds make contact to sign Premier League striker

According to iNews writer Mark Douglas, Leeds United are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer before the end of the summer transfer window.

The reporter writes that the Whites have already made initial contact with the former England international to discuss a possible move to Elland Road when his contract at Everton expires at the end of this month.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Douglas adds, however, that his future at Goodison Park is not set in stone as of yet, as the striker wants to remain at the club, but has yet to agree to an extension on Merseyside.

The journalist reveals that West Ham United and Leeds are both looking to take advantage of his potential availability, as they have both picked up the phone to make contact.

However, neither team have progressed anything beyond that at this point, which may suggest that they are waiting for final confirmation on his future at Everton before taking it any further.

Why Leeds should sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin

The Whites should push to win the race for the English striker’s services if he becomes available on a free transfer this summer because the forward would come in as an immediate upgrade on Nmecha at Elland Road.

Calvert-Lewin does not have the best injury record out there, having missed 21 games since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, but Nmecha has been absent for 16 more matches in the same period, suggesting that the Everton man is likely to be more reliable as an option for Farke.

The Toffees marksman has played 38 games or more in five of the last eight seasons. Meanwhile, Nmecha has only played more than 25 times in three of the last eight seasons, and has only featured in more than 37 matches once in his career, in the 2018/19 season with Preston.

As well as potentially being available more often, Calvert-Lewin could also be an upgrade on the German striker because of the proven Premier League quality that he would provide.

The 28-year-old star has been a staple of the English top-flight over the last eight seasons or so, and has proven that he can score goals at that level.

Stats	Calvert-Lewin (Premier League)	Nmecha (Bundesliga)
Appearances	239	71
Goals	57	16
Games per goal	4.19	4.44
xG per 90	0.47	0.51
xA	14.85	3.09
Assists	15	0
Stats via UnderStat

As you can see in the table above, Calvert-Lewin has scored goals and created goals more regularly than Nmecha has in the Bundesliga, which suggests that he would offer more to Farke’s team in front of goal next season.

As well as his ability in the final third, the Everton forward also provides physicality up front. Just last year, journalist Connor O’Neill claimed that the “sensational” striker “bullied” Liverpool defenders Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate with his physical play.

Calvert-Lewin won 51% of his aerial battles in the 2024/25 campaign, winning 3.3 per match, which further speaks to his ability to hold his own in contests with Premier League centre-backs, something that will be important to the Whites as they battle relegation.

Overall, Leeds should sign the Toffees frontman because he is a known quantity who would give Farke a reliable, proven, top-flight striker as an upgrade on what he already has.

Best signing since Raphinha: Leeds close to landing "exceptional" £21m star

Leeds United are closing in on a deal for a star who would be their best signing since Raphinha.

1

By
Dan Emery

Jun 23, 2025

Rangers have got things back on track with the Scottish Premiership title very much in their sights, with two games in hand on the leaders and just five points between them and the summit.

With that being said, the January transfer window is almost upon us. The likes of Danilo, Cyriel Dessers and Jose Cifuentes have all settled in pretty nicely at Ibrox, with their impact already evident this season, so the Gers board surely might not have any issues with getting their wallet out next month if they feel the need to.

Football FanCast has taken a look at their previous ten January signings and how they have fared since signing on in Glasgow…

Nicolas Raskin – 31st January 2023

From Standard Liege – Undisclosed

Nicolas Raskin has already made 30 appearances since joining Rangers back in January 2023. During that time, he's scored one goal and laid on three assists, and he's still only 22 years of age.

However, one issue that is already plaguing his time at Rangers this season is injuries, with 20 games already being missed this term.

But the early signs are certainly promising – and there's plenty of development still to be had.

Todd Cantwell – 23rd January 2023

From Norwich City – Undisclosed

Todd Cantwell joined Rangers back in January 2023 for an undisclosed fee after making a name for himself at Norwich City.

Making the transition to Scottish football has been pretty seamless for Cantwell. He perhaps hasn't contributed as much as he would have hoped, but seven goals and nine assists in 41 games is still a very respectable return.

This season, Cantwell has featured in five different positions, which has made it hard for him to find proper form, but he still has one goal and four assists to his name as a regular in the Gers side.

Aaron Ramsey – 31st January 2022

From Juventus – Loan

Aaron Ramsey joined Rangers on loan after failing to adjust to the demands of Italian football with Juventus.

But the move didn't really end up working out for him. He ended up winning the Scottish Cup with the Gers, but also faced the heartbreak of missing the crucial penalty in the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Since leaving Ibrox, he left Juventus on a free, joined OGC Nice for the 2022/23 season and then joined boyhood club Cardiff City, where he seems to have rediscovered his form with three goals in six games.

Mateusz Zukowski – 31st January 2022

From Lechia Gdansk – Undisclosed

Some Rangers fans may not even remember Mateusz Zukowski. That's how invisible he was during his time at Ibrox.

After joining back in January 2022, he only made one appearance for the Gers and spent the following season on loan at Lech Poznan.

Now, he finds himself not even at Rangers, after sealing an exit back in July after leaving on a free transfer.

Amad Diallo – 28th January 2022

From Manchester United – Loan

Amad Diallo joined Rangers on loan with plenty of hype behind him and the hope of really kicking on in what was one of his first true challenges in professional football.

However, he struggled to make an impact under Giovanni van Bronckhorst. He netted three goals for Rangers and rounded off his spell with a Scottish Cup winners' medal, but never hit the heights expected.

Since leaving Rangers, he is yet to have been given a further chance at Manchester United, despite setting things alight in the English Championship last season at Sunderland during his loan spell. Although, he is currently suffering from a knee injury which has hampered his chances.

James Sands – 5th January 2022

From New York City FC – Loan

Rangers allowed the midfielder to return to his parent club early ahead of the start of the new MLS season, despite Sands penning an 18-month loan.

The United States international made 41 appearances for the Gers, including matches in the Europa League and Champions League. He featured in the heartbreaking defeat in Seville to Frankfurt while he also helped the Ibrox men lift the Scottish Cup.

He still finds himself in the Big Apple playing for New York City to this day.

Scott Wright – 1st February 2021

From Aberdeen – £200k

Scott Wright made the move from Aberdeen back in January 2021 after an impressive 79 appearances at Aberdeen.

Since arriving at Ibrox, he's been one of those players that has been a bit hit-and-miss. In 95 appearances to date, he has scored seven goals and laid on 11 assists, which isn't an amazing return for a winger.

To this day, he's still at Rangers, but has only 435 minutes to his name so far this season.

Jack Simpson – 1st February 2021

From Bournemouth – Undisclosed

Jack Simpson had joined the Ibrox club from Bournemouth in February 2021 but failed to nail down a spot in Giovanni van Bronckhorst's squad.

Simpson played just 14 times for Rangers in his short stint in Glasgow before returning to England.

And things haven't got much better for him since leaving Glasgow as he ended up joining Cardiff City on a free transfer, but didn't do enough to impress in Wales and now finds himself as a free agent.

Florian Kamberi – 1st February 2020

From Hibernian – Loan

Kamberi attracted criticism from fans of Hibernian over comments he made referring to his temporary switch to Rangers as a "dream move".

And in reality, it was anything but a dream move, as the striker made just nine appearances at Ibrox. He only scored once and produced two assists before returning to Hibernian after Cedric Itten's arrival at the club.

Since then, he has played for four different sides, with Croatian outfit Slaven Belupo his current club.

Ianis Hagi – 31st January 2020

From KRC Genk – Loan

Romanian Ianis Hagi joined Rangers on a loan deal back in January 2020, with a lot of hype behind him as an up-and-coming youngster. And it didn't take long for him to establish himself in Glasgow as he ended up joining permanently just a few months later.

Hagi is now sitting on 99 appearances for the Ibrox club and has a goals & assists return that even father Gheorghe would be proud of, with 16 and 21 respectively. And the most exciting thing for Rangers fans is that he may not have even reached his peak at just 25.

But the attacking midfielder had found game time difficult to come by since returning from a year on the sidelines through injury, and now finds himself out on loan at Spanish side Alaves in La Liga.

Although, there is still the potential for him to gain a permanent place at Ibrox, should he get back up to speed and catch the eye of Philippe Clement, who will no doubt be tracking his progress.

Dilshan has been a constant for many years now, a significantpart of many of their successes and evolution. But what exactly is he,what is his role?

Osman Samiuddin22-Jan-2009
Is it wise to have Dilshan play as an anywhere man? © AFP
Tillakaratne Dilshan is difficult to place in the great scheme of modernSri Lankan cricket. He’s been a constant for many years now, a significantpart of many of their successes and evolution. But what exactly is he,what is his role?Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have carried on a tradition ofbatting as solid as it is pretty, Muttiah Muralitharan, the resident legend,Chaminda Vaas, the pace role model, but where in this lies Dilshan? If heinspires young men to field as he does, he will have served a grand role,but fielding has rarely been given its due in cricket.He looks too good a batsman to be a bits n’ pieces kind of guy, the kindwho’ll make an energetic 30 lower down the order and then add another 30on a good day with his fielding and some flat off-spin. He’s been shuntedaround the ODI order – he’s batted in all positions down to eight.From No. 6, where he has mostly been found and which could be a roleof sorts, of the finisher, he averages under 30. His career average is under 30 as well. It isn’t perhaps fair to expect much more from so low in the order, but to see him play the way he has in the last two ODIs is to wrestle with a feeling of waste.He had only opened thrice before this series and was doing so here becauseof an injury to Upul Tharanga. But on the admittedly limited sample of twomatches on batting-friendly wickets, something about the move has seemedright.Clearly he likes pace. He doesn’t much like hanging around, settling inand setting up for a long hand. If he sees it well enough, early enough,it will go. Nothing is left behind in any attacking shot he plays, thoughthe forcefulness isn’t that of a bullying bludgeoner; there is some art toit. He is a good-looking hooker too, with a real whip in his arms when hedoes, but he is a compulsive one and in both games, it has ultimately ledto his downfall.Still, against a good pace attack, he has twice provided Sri Lanka startsthat should lead to 300-plus totals. He has enjoyed it too. “I have feltreally comfortable with it,” he said. “I was looking forward to batting inthe top order, I wanted the opportunity and I am happy with it.”Could this be then the shaping of a new role? He has already been openingthe batting domestically over the last year with some success and withSanath Jayasuriya bound to retire at some point, a void will have to befilled. It may not happen though as the very trait that makes it difficultto define Dilshan – his everywhere, everyman utility – is the trait hiscaptain values the most.”What happened was that Dilly [Dilshan] was getting left out in Bangladeshbut once he started scoring runs he had to come back,” said Jayawardene.”He’s been opening in domestic cricket and Upul’s finger was bad so wedecided to move him up. He’s done it before but not with so much success.”He feels comfortable there. He’s an attacking batsman and he likes pace.He’s a good hooker and puller. I think he’s got a bigger role to play inthe middle order. He’s good because he can bat anywhere and now we haveoptions in the batting which is what we want.”The thinking is impeccably modern; options, flexibility, utility. And, onthe balance of what Sri Lanka have achieved mostly with Dilshan in theside, it is probably justified. But the ease with which he has filled whatis such a difficult role, the comfort with which he has attacked, justmakes you wonder whether modernity is all that it is cracked up to be.

أكد مصدر مسؤول بـ رابطة الأندية المصرية المحترفة، أن الرابطة أخطرت الفرق بموقفها من تراكم البطاقات الصفراء والحمراء في بطولتي الدوري المصري وكأس الرابطة.

وقال المصدر في تصريحات لـ”بطولات”: “رابطة الأندية أكدت لمسؤولي الأندية، بأن البطاقات الصفراء والحمراء منفصلة في بطولتي الدوري وكأس الرابطة”.

وتابع: “جاء ذلك، بعدما استفسر أكثر من ناد من الرابطة عن هذا الأمر، خاصة وأن الموسم الماضي كان هناك ارتباط بين البطولتين فيما يتعلق بالإيقاف وتطبق العقوبات في البطولتين، ويعاملان كبطولة واحدة”.

طالع أيضاً.. رابطة الأندية تعلن عقوبات الجولة السابعة من الدوري المصري

يذكر أن رابطة الأندية المصرية، أعلنت في وقتٍ سابق تعديل مواعيد مباريات الدوري المصري الممتاز، حتى نهاية المسابقة ويأتي ذلك تماشيًا مع قرارات الهيئة الوطنية للإعلام.

ومن المقرر أن يبدأ تنفيذ هذا القرار اعتبارًا من مواجهة الأهلي وسموحة، والمقرر إقامتها يوم 7 يناير المقبل 2025.  

Wolverhampton Wanderers face Fulham tonight in the Premier League, looking to put two consecutive wins together in the top flight for the first time this season, having put Tottenham Hotspur to the sword prior to the international break.

However, one of the stars of Wolves' showing against Spurs will be absent in London as Craig Dawson is suspended for the trip to Craven Cottage for picking up too many yellow cards this term.

In the short term, head coach Gary O'Neil could simply look to make a like-for-like replacement for the ex-West Ham United defender, but the manager could also choose to make a bold tactical decision which would affect the rest of the team.

Craig Dawson's stats this season

Losing Dawson through suspension is a big miss for O'Neil and for Wolves as a whole. The experienced centre-half moved to Molineux back in January for a nominal fee of £3.3m, after spending the last three years with West Ham in what was the most fruitful spell of the Hammers' history since the Premier League began.

Wolves "colossus" who won 100% duels was the hero alongside Lemina

Wolves roared home to a late win at Molineux yesterday, with this player standing out alongside goalscorer Lemina.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 12, 2023

In fact, Dawson even earned himself a Europa Conference League winner's medal in June despite the fact that he hadn't featured for the east London club for five months.

The 33-year-old has been a rock at the back over the past year for the Old Gold and ranks well above average in a whole host of key defensive metrics when compared to all other centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues.

Per 90 Metric

Percentile Ranking

Blocks

94

Shots Blocked

99

% of Dribblers Tackled

81

Clearances

75

Passes Blocked

80

Shots

83

Shots On Target

74

Stats via FBref.

Dawson is particularly efficient when defending in his own box, hence why he ranks in the top 6% for blocks per 90, the top 1% for shots blocked per 90 and the top 25% for clearances per 90.

Against Spurs a fortnight ago, the veteran completed two tackles, competed in four aerial duels and even blocked one of the opposition's six shots on goal as Wolves clinched the victory in the game's dying stages. Nevertheless, the Midlands club will have to make do away at Fulham without Dawson's defensive nous.

Pablo Sarabia's stats this season

Wolves deployed a 5-3-2 formation in the win over Tottenham two weeks ago, with Dawson employed in the centre of the back three, supported by Max Kilman and Toti Gomes either side of him.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, O'Neil admitted that the most like-for-like replacement for Dawson is £8.5m summer signing Santiago Bueno, who has yet to make a single start in the Premier League.

The Uruguayan defender has featured for just six minutes for Wolves this season, coming off the bench during a 1-1 draw away at Luton Town back in September and so it could be seen as a risk to throw the 25-year-old into the deep end this week. However, O'Neil also has the option to change the team's formation completely.

Wolves' 5-3-2 worked wonders against Spurs prior to the international break but O'Neil has also chosen to set his side up in a 4-2-3-1 this term. While the former Bournemouth boss may not want to change a winning team, the absence of Dawson could allow O'Neil to revert to a back four by shifting Toti alongside Kilman in the heart of the defence and dropping Rayan Ait Nouri deeper as a left-back, freeing up the wings for Pablo Sarabia.

Sarabia moved to Molineux in January for £4.4m, like Dawson, but has failed to become a regular in the first eleven, having made just two starts in the Premier League this term. Nevertheless, the Spanish playmaker has registered five assists this season in all competitions. Only Pedro Neto has boasted more for Wolves.

The 31-year-old changed the game for Wolves last time out, coming off the bench to score the equaliser and assist the winner, leading Joe Cole to label his leveller as "brilliant". Sarabia starting would also cause Hwang Hee-chan to push over to the right wing in O'Neil's 4-2-3-1, leaving Matheus Cunha alone up top, although this could offer a nice blend of goalscoring and playmaking brilliance on the flanks for the visitors.

While O'Neil may not be keen to change a winning side, it will be difficult for the coach to ignore Sarabia's calls to start after his heroic late display against Spurs.

Matt Taylor led the way with four wickets as Gloucestershire recorded their second Specsavers County Championship win of the season with a 41-run success against Durham at Cheltenham

ECB Reporters Network25-Jul-20181:13

Somerset silence stubborn Worcestershire

ScorecardMatt Taylor led the way with four wickets as Gloucestershire recorded their second Specsavers County Championship win of the season with a 41-run success against Durham at Cheltenham. The left-arm seamer finished with 4 for 31 from 16 overs to help bowl out the visitors for 298, chasing a victory target of 340.Cameron Steel and Tom Latham gave Durham a promising start, but they wilted against Taylor, Craig Miles and Ryan Higgins on another sweltering afternoon and Mark Wood’s unbeaten 61 proved in vain.Gloucestershire took 23 points from their first Championship win since the opening round of fixtures, while their opponents had to be content with five after four days of tough and competitive cricket.Durham began the day on 35 without loss and enjoyed the better of the morning session. Latham and Steel took their opening stand to 94 against some accurate Gloucestershire bowling before Latham fenced at a ball from Matt Taylor and edged through to Gareth Roderick.Steel was unbeaten on 57 at lunch, with the total 121 for 1, but he when he perished in the second over after the interval, lbw to Miles falling across his stumps, it signalled a transformation in fortunes. Taylor and Higgins settled in to bowl probing spells from the Chapel End and College Lawn End respectively, tying the batsmen down and making vital breakthroughs.Higgins removed Graham Clark and Will Smith during a six-over spell that brought him 2 for 23, Clark falling to a fine full-length diving catch by Roderick and Smith pinned lbw.Taylor was equally impressive and claimed the key wicket of Ben Stokes, who had begun positively, but moved to only 9 before being bowled on the back foot. The same fate befell Stuart Poynter, on 8, and at 201 for 6, Durham still required a further 139.They were given renewed hope by Wood and Michael Richardson, who took the score to 226 for 6 at tea and continued to bat solidly in the final session. Wood was dropped on 18 by Miles Hammond at cover off Kieran Noema-Barnett and responded by hitting four fours in an over from Miles just before the second new ball.Richardson had helped add 59 when falling lbw for 26 looking to work Miles through the leg side. Soon it was 267 for 8 as Matt Salisbury was bowled on the back-foot by Miles for a single.Gloucestershire had their tails up, but while Wood was there Durham had a chance. He began to run out of partners when George Harding chipped a tame catch to midwicket off Taylor and departed for 7.Wood, who was able to bowl only six overs in the match because of a sore heel, moved to a defiant fifty off 74 balls, with nine fours. But when Chris Rushworth was caught behind to give Higgins his third wicket, Gloucestershire had won with 11 overs left in the day’s play.

They played key roles in Sri Lanka not taking the field for two hours on the third day of the St Lucia Test and were hit with a Level 3 charge

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jun-2018Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal, coach Chandika Hathurusingha, and manager Asanka Gurusinha have admitted to breaching the ICC Code that relates to “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game” and could be suspended for two to four Tests, or between four and eight limited-overs internationals.They were charged with a level 3 offence by ICC chief executive David Richardson, after Sri Lanka refused to take the field on the third morning of the second Test against West Indies in St Lucia and delayed the start of play by two hours. Sri Lanka did this after the on-field umpires had informed them ten minutes before the start of play that they were changing the ball because they suspected its condition had been illegally altered.”This action was alleged to amount to a serious breach of the Laws of Cricket and to be contrary to the spirit of the game,” the ICC said.The ICC appointed Michael Beloff QC as the Judicial Commissioner to hear the case against Chandimal, Hathurusingha and Gurusinha to determine the appropriate sanction.Among the points the Sri Lanka camp is likely to make to Beloff is that the entire two-hour delay was not exclusively down to their reluctance to play. It is possible Sri Lanka’s team management believe that roughly midway through the scheduled morning session, they felt they had come to an agreement with the match officials, wherein although Chandimal would still have to face a ball-tampering charge at the end of the Test, the officials would refrain from imposing the five-run penalty and changing the ball. In fact, on the basis that there would be no immediate penalties, the Sri Lanka side did take the field at 10:50 am, an hour and 20 minutes past the scheduled start. However, to Sri Lanka’s surprise, the umpires changed the ball at this stage. It was at this point that the Sri Lanka team dug in its heels again. They left the field, returning only forty minutes later, to actually start play.It must be stressed, however, that there is strong disagreement about this sequence of events. There is another suggestion that no deal was actually struck; such a deal, it is felt, would effectively mean there was no charge to be laid, and that umpires were not following playing conditions. In this version of events, the false start is blamed on a misunderstanding between the match officials and the Sri Lanka team.When play did eventually begin on day three, Sri Lanka Cricket issued a release denying wrongdoing and said they were playing “under protest”. The Sri Lanka captain later pleaded not guilty to the charge of ball-tampering, but video footage suggested he had taken something from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and applied saliva to the ball only a few seconds later.The ICC match referee Javagal Srinath found Chandimal’s explanation unsatisfactory and gave him two suspension points – meaning he would miss the third Test against West Indies – and fined him 100% of his match fees. Chandimal, however, appealed the ball-tampering verdict and his case will be heard by Beloff on June 22.The ICC said Beloff would use Chandimal’s appeal hearing to “establish the procedural schedule on the Level 3 charges.” A person guilty of a level 3 offence could get between four and eight suspension points.