SLC

A searing 57 off 40 balls from the 18-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues propelled India to comfortable five-wicket victory in the third T20I in Colombo, as they ran down their target of 132 with eight balls to spare. India’s discipline with the ball, and a tight fielding effort, had helped set the vctory up, as even the set Sri Lanka batsmen routinely failed to clear the field with their more expansive strokes. Seamer Arundhati Reddy was particularly impressive for India. She struck in her second over, and went on to finish with figures of 2 for 19 from her four overs. India now have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20I series, with two matches to play. They had won the ODI series 2-1.The visitors lost Smriti Mandhana early in the chase, and would also see Mithali Raj depart soon after the Powerplay ended, but despite having two senior players back in the pavilion Rodrigues continued to make clinical attacks – her first boundary a commanding six down the ground off just the third delivery she faced. Rodrigues’ only error was on 19, when she ran down the pitch at left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari, and should have been stumped had wicketkeeper Dilani Manodara collected cleanly. She regouped after that reprieve, and picked up frequent singles in between the big shots, often dropping the ball into the infield to scamper through.Rodrigues’ 53-run fourth-wicket stand with captain Harmanpreet Kaur – who made 24 off 19 deliveries – formed the spine of India’s reply. Rodrigues was caught at deep square leg with 19 runs still to get, but she had batted so aggressively towards the end of her innings, reaching her half-century with a dismissive six over square leg, that India had 25 deliveries in which to get the remaining 19 runs. This was Rodrigues’ second half-century in T20Is, the first having come against Australia in March. It was also her best score in international cricket.”I was just looking to build a partnership with whoever was at the other end,” said Rodrigues after the match. “Today’s wicket wasn’t such an easy wicket to bat on – it was on the slower side. It’s always good to get a personal best score, but I know I should have finished it off today – there were hardly 20 runs to get. But the innings has boosted my confidence a lot.”Sri Lanka pressed hard in the final overs, but could not prevent Veda Krishnamurthy and Anuja Patil from unfussily knocking off the remaining runs. Captain Chamari Atapattu, who had Rodrigues and Harmanpreet both caught in the deep in the same over, finished with Sri Lanka’s best figures of 2 for 29 – though other bowlers were more economical.Earlier, Sri Lanka’s innings had been prodded forward at first by Atapattu, who made 28 off 32 balls, then later by Shashikala Siriwardene, who made 35 off 32, and Nilakshi de Silva, who struck 31 off 20. At no stage, however, were Sri Lanka able to mount a dangerous partnership. Although Harmanpreet often deployed 6-3 fields, Sri Lanka’s batsmen were unable to successfully target the open side of the ground. At times their attempts to hit across the line to those areas also produced wicket chances.Aside from her excellent bowling with the new ball in particular, Reddy was also good in the field. She made one especially impressive save at the long-off boundary, and also played a part in running out two Sri Lanka batsmen, as the opposition limped to 131 for 8.

Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman has built an impressive squad full of talented young players who have the potential to develop and increase their market value.

The Black Cats have worked on a model that revolves around improving and selling on prospects whilst remaining competitive on the pitch and it has brought relative success to date.

Player	Market value (via Transfermarkt)
Jack Clarke	£10.3m
Anthony Patterson	£6m
Timothee Pembele	£4.3m
Jobe Bellingham	£4.3m
Dan Neil	£3.8m
Sunderland's current five most-valuable players

They reached the play-offs in their first season back in the Championship last season and then sold Ross Stewart to Southampton in a deal that could reach £12m this summer.

Despite their sale of the Scotland international, the Black Cats are currently fourth in the table as it stands, after 11 matches, and look on course for another play-off charge.

However, Sunderland have not always made the right decision or offered enough of a pathway to young players coming through the ranks and one talent who slipped through their grasp is John Egan, who is now worth more than current star centre-back Daniel Ballard.

Where did John Egan start his career?

The central defender started his youth career with Greenwood in his native Ireland before a move to the Stadium of Light in 2009 at the age of 16.

He went on to rack up 30 appearances for the Black Cats at U21 level but never made a first-team appearance for the club during his five-year spell on Wearside.

Egan spent time on loan with Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, and Bradford throughout his time at Sunderland. However, the Irish ace never played more than four competitive games in any of those loans.

His best spell came during the second half of the 2013/14 campaign with a loan move to Southend that allowed him to accumulate 15 appearances in League Two.

However, his exposure to regular first-team football for the first time was not enough to convince then-Black Cats boss Gus Poyet that he had the potential to make an impact for his parent club moving forward.

How much did Sunderland receive for Egan?

Sunderland did not receive a single penny in transfer fees for Egan as the head coach allowed the central defender to leave upon the expiry of his contract in the summer of 2014.

This meant that the former Greenwood prospect departed from the Stadium of Light for £0 and he took the next step in his development by moving to Gillingham, who were in League One at the time.

The former Black Cats youngster hit the ground running with his new club and immediately established himself as a regular fixture at the heart of their defence over the subsequent two seasons.

Egan racked up a staggering 92 appearances in his two years with Gillingham, which included 81 League One outings, and contributed with 11 goals and four assists as a centre-back.

That form earned him a transfer to Championship side Brentford in the summer of 2016 and the Irish gem quickly adapted to life at that level.

He played 67 league matches in two seasons with the Bees and won at least 60% of his individual duels in that time, which shows that the towering enforcer was able to dominate opposition players with his physical attributes.

His dominant performances were enough to convince Sheffield United to smash their transfer record to sign him for a reported £4m ahead of the 2018/19 campaign.

How many matches has Egan played for Sheffield United?

At the time of writing (13/10/2023), Egan has played 224 matches for the Blades in all competitions and is currently in their Premier League squad for the 2023/24 season.

His first year at Bramall Lane was a roaring success. The Ireland international started 44 of their 46 matches and won 62% of his duels on the way to promotion to the top-flight as they finished second in the Championship.

Egan then started 36 of United's 38 Premier League games the following term as his side kept 12 clean sheets and secured a top-half finish.

The Blades were, unfortunately, relegated back to the second tier at the end of the 2020/21 campaign but then worked their way back to the top division with promotion in the 2022/23 season.

Sunderland's former academy defender played in 45 of their 46 matches and helped his team to keep an impressive 19 shutouts in total.

How much is Egan worth now?

Egan, who was once hailed as a "leader" by journalist Kate Burlaga, is currently valued at €6m (£5.2m) by Transfermarkt and this illustrates his impressive rise since being released for £0 by Sunderland and Poyet in 2014.

Only Jack Clarke and Anthony Patterson are currently worth more than the Irish colossus within the current squad, which means that the Sheffield United star is worth more than every defender currently at the Stadium of Light.

That includes Ballard, who joined from Arsenal in 2022, as the English centre-back is currently valued at €2.5m (£2.1m) by Transfermarkt after his performances for the Black Cats last term.

The 24-year-old titan made 19 Championship appearances and contributed with 3.1 tackles and interceptions per match to go alongside a duel success rate of 62%, as per Sofascore.

Statistic	Egan	Ballard
Appearances	45	19
Sofascore rating	7.01	6.95
Interceptions (per game)	1.8	1.5
Duel success rate	62%	62%
Clean sheets	19	Four
Egan vs Ballard in the 2022/23 Championship (via Sofascore)

Now 30, Egan is an established performer within the top two tiers and has proven himself to be an excellent option for a team fighting to get promoted to the Premier League, which is where Sunderland currently are as a club.

His aforementioned statistics and value in comparison to Ballard suggest that the 30-year-old colossus would be Tony Mowbray's outstanding defensive option at the back.

Therefore, Poyet and the club had a mare in the summer of 2014 when they allowed Egan to depart on a free transfer as they could have shown a little more faith in the young defender.

Whilst it is easy to look back with the benefit of hindsight, Sunderland did not give the centre-back a full season of playing regular football out on loan before they made a decision on his long-term future, and it has come back to haunt them.

Manchester United have sent scouts to watch a talented defender as Erik ten Hag ramps up his search for quality additions ahead of the mid-season window, according to reports.

Man Utd updates: Joao Neves price, Sheffield Utd victory, Maguire praised

According to a Man Utd transfer update, Benfica midfielder Joao Neves has been lined up as a potential replacement for Red Devils midfielder Casemiro and it has been revealed how much boss Ten Hag may need to shell out to land the 19-year-old. The report states that the club could have to pay a fee in the region of £61million for the Portugal international, which they would be willing to pay as the long-term future of their midfield becomes a priority at Old Trafford.

On Saturday night, the Red Devils secured a vital three points in the Premier League away to Sheffield United, with strikes from Scott McTominay and Diogo Dalot enough to rubber stamp a 2-1 victory at Bramall Lane despite an Oliver McBurnie equaliser from the penalty spot. United now find themselves eighth in the league table at the time of writing and have achieved back-to-back wins in the English top flight for the first time this campaign.

England international Harry Maguire has been praised by Manchester United boss Ten Hag for his impact against the Blades after a man-of-the-match performance against his former employers. Ten Hag said:

"I have to say Harry is playing like we want him to play. Very proactive out of possession, dominating his opponent, stepping in when necessary, reading the game, good covering but also in possession very proactive, stepping in, delivering good passes, switching, yes, I am happy with his performance."

Harry Maguire key statistics vs Sheffield United (Sofascore)

Aerial duels won – 5 from 7 attempted

Shots blocked – 3 successful blocks

Accurate passes – 79 accurate passes from 96 attempted (82%)

Accurate long balls – 12 accurate long balls from 16 attempted

Sofascore match rating – 7.5/10

Man Utd transfer update – Sacha Boey

A new Man Utd transfer update from Turkey, via Sport Witness, have claimed that the Red Devils are believed to have sent scouts to watch Galatasaray full-back Sacha Boey in action against Besiktas, where the home side emerged 2-1 victors. Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley also sent delegations to be in attendance at the derby clash, while officials from unnamed clubs in Spain, France and Italy also took in the encounter to examine the 23-year-old.

Described by TurkishFootball.com as somebody who has great technical ability and the capacity to read the game perfectly, Boey has made 69 appearances in all competitions for Galatasaray, registering three goals and four assists in the process (Boey stats – Transfermarkt).

This term, the Frenchman has been in impressive form for his current employers, averaging around 2.6 tackles, 1.8 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per match in the Turkish Super Lig, as per WhoScored. Boey is clearly highly regarded around Europe, and it will be interesting to see whether Manchester United decide to formalize their interest in the right-sided defender.

Durham have scored only two batting points at home all season and Sussex were eager to expose their failings

ECB Reporters Network10-Sep-2018
ScorecardSussex exposed Durham’s fragility with the bat in their Specsavers County Championship Division Two match at Emirates Riverside, reducing the home side to 92 for 7 at the end of day.Durham were inserted following an uncontested toss and were put on the back foot by impressive bowling from the visitors. David Wiese led the way with figures of 3 for 12, while Ollie Robinson also notched a couple of wickets to continue his impressive term.The home side have struggled with the bat at Emirates Riverside this season, accumulating just two points in the campaign. Once again Jon Lewis’ men have it all to do against promotion-chasing Sussex.Lewis said: “It has been deja vu all over the country. There has only been a couple of games where sides have looked capable of reaching 180-200 in their first innings. It’s happening a lot, it’s happening a lot to us. Dealing with these conditions at this time of year is tough work.”Our batting in the first innings has not been good enough. While it has been tough, we have to be honest and say that it should have been better. As long as the uncontested rule stands [we’re going to be put in]. That’s the way it’s going to be.”Only one over of play was possible in the morning session due to bad light. Cameron Steel successfully negotiated the spell from Robinson, although he did get off the mark by edging through the slips to the boundary.Durham’s problems began almost immediately after lunch. Alex Lees drove at a fully Jofra Archer delivery, edging the ball straight to Phil Salt at third slip. Will Smith became Robinson’s first victim following the opener back to the pavilion in the following over, while Graham Clark was undone by a good delivery as Harry Finch took the catch at second slip.Steel and Michael Richardson were able to offer brief resistance, producing a partnership of 42 runs, using the short boundary to their advantage to attempt to swing momentum back in Durham’s favour. However, Wiese made the breakthrough as Richardson fell for 23 driving loosely at a wider delivery. Steel followed in the next over to begin a collapse, allowing Chris Jordan to enter the wicket column.Axar Patel’s found the boundary twice early in his innings before being bowled through the gate by Wiese. Captain Paul Collingwood tried to see out the session, but left a straight ball from Wiese to become the seventh wicket of the day. Rain prevented any further play on the first day, much to relief of the home side in their attempt to salvage a meaningful score from their first innings.

Sheffield Wednesday face a massive Championship clash this weekend, and reliable journalist Joe Crann has dropped some key injury news regarding one Owls hero.

Sheffield Wednesday injury news

Danny Rohl has had a tough start to life as Wednesday's new manager, coming in with them bottom of the table and desperately trying to pick up points in the relegation battle.

The 34-year-old has lost his first two matches in charge, away to Watford and Plymouth Argyle, and while there have been some positive signs in those performances, points simply must start to be gained if the Owls are to avoid a speedy return to League One.

On Sunday afternoon, Rohl's side welcome Rotherham to Hillsborough for a massive clash at the bottom of the table, with victory essential for the hosts, in what is the manager's first home match in charge.

Injuries certainly haven't helped so far this season, with a host of key players missing at different points, whether it be influential midfield duo Barry Bannan and George Byers or new signing Juan Delgado. Thankfully, Wednesday look set to be boosted by the return of one popular figure this weekend, though.

Callum Paterson injury update

Writing on X, The Sheffield Star's Joe Crann said that Callum Paterson could return for Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday lunchtime, having overcome his injury problems:

"The Scot is back in contention for SWFC, and Wednesday have no fresh injury concerns as they prepare to face Rotherham United this weekend."

This is great news for Wednesday, with Paterson something of a cult figure during his time at Hillsborough, playing his part in them returning to the Championship last season.

The Scot may not be the most talented player at the Owls' disposal, but he gets every ounce out of his ability, and his versatility allows him to shine across numerous positions, which will surely appeal to Rohl. Darren Moore was clearly a fan of his before he left, too, once saying of him:

"He works so tirelessly and is an important member of the team. He adds so much versatility. He has played in midfield, defence and up front this season."

It would arguably be a surprise if Paterson came straight back into Wednesday's starting lineup against Rotherham, however, considering he missed the 3-0 defeat away to Plymouth with a leg issue.

That being said, his industry and heart could be ideal off the bench for what could be a feisty clash at Hillsborough, and it would be just like him to come up with a key contribution just when Owls supporters need it.

Anthony Musaba

2

Tyreeq Bakinson

1

Michael Smith

1

Juan Delgado

1

Lee Gregory

1

Barry Bannan

1

The importance of Wednesday picking up all three points against Rotherham cannot be played down this weekend, considering they are already 11 points adrift of Huddersfield Town in 21st place, who sit just above the relegation zone.

Failure to win, and especially a defeat, could leave Rohl with an enormous uphill task in the coming months, whereas victory at Hillsborough could signal the start of an exciting new era at the club.

MatériaMais Notícias

O contestado gramado do Maracanã foi alvo de críticas novamente. O comentarista Sormani reclamou do estado da grama do estádio na vitória do Flamengo sobre o Coritiba no último sábado pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, alertando a Conmebol em relação à final da Libertadores, que será realizada no palco no dia 30 de janeiro de 2021.

RelacionadasFora de CampoFlamengo perde muitos gols e irrita torcedores na web: ‘Inacreditável’Fora de Campo21/11/2020Fora de CampoFórmula 1: SBT entra na briga com Globo para transmitir categoriaFora de Campo22/11/2020ListasBoas vendas! Estudo mostra os clubes que mais faturaram grana com saídas de jogadores na décadaListas19/11/2020

> Veja o chaveamento da Libertadores

-A gente olha para o Maracanã e lamenta ver o estado do gramado onde o melhor time do futebol brasileiro (Flamengo) tem que jogar, e onde será a final da Libertadores. Será que tem cabimento fazer uma final num estádio com um gramado como o do Maracanã? A Conmebol tem que ficar muito atenta. Se o Maracanã não resolver esse problema, a final da Libertadores tem que sair de lá – disse Sormani durante o programa “Expediente Futebol, da Fox Sports.

O gramado do Maracanã chegou a ser trocado em setembro, mas não apresentou uma grande melhora. O estádio recebe partidas de Flamengo e Fluminense.

The 22-year-old scored twice and laid on the assist for City's third as they moved to the top of the table at the Etihad Stadium

Manchester United came into the derby clash against Manchester City with little to play for. The title race had long gone, and a Champions League spot was surely out of reach – but they did at least have the chance to burst the bubble of their biggest rivals as they bid for a first Women's Super League title in eight years. Saturday's 3-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium, though, means that United's season will end with the disappointing statistic of the Cityzens having done the double over them in the league, too.

For large parts of the first half, the Red Devils looked capable of dealing City a blow. They pressed well and they created chances, with England starlet Khiara Keating making a smart save at her near post to deny Nikita Parris before being forced to tip Lucia Garcia's deflected shot over the bar.

But after a tepid start from City, the main feature of which had been shots from range, it was another of their promising young Lionesses, Jess Park, who took complete control of the game. Lauren Hemp and Leila Ouahabi linked up down the left and the latter picked out Park with a great cross, which was finished brilliantly to break the deadlock just past the half-hour mark.

United had the right to be disappointed at the lack of an offside flag in the build-up on Khadija Shaw, but the way Park was allowed to ghost into the box to score was so poor – and the defending was again under the microscope on the stroke of half-time when Park made it two from a corner.

At least the interval was a chance for the visitors to reset, regroup and fire themselves up to go out and deliver a big second half, except anything said at the break went out of the window when Park beat Katie Zelem to a loose ball and her reverse pass put Shaw through on goal to make it three within 30 seconds of the restart.

It was the final nail in the coffin on the day and for the season for United, even if Hannah Blundell's deflected cross gave them a goal back late in the second half. The Red Devils have been so far off the big three this year, and this damning day across the city was simply the latest evidence of that being the case.

GOAL picks out the winners and losers from the Etihad Stadium…

• Getty Images
  

  LOSER: Man Utd's defence

  It was all well and good United being at it from the off in the final third, but it doesn't mean much when the defence is all over the shop, and all three City goals were so poor from a defensive standpoint on Saturday.

  The first might've featured an offside in the build-up, but that hardly excuses the fact that absolutely no one looked around and decided to pick up Park, with Zelem, who sits in front of that United defence, the biggest culprit for that.

  Park's second was a case of Blundell, who made a silly tackle on a yellow that probably should've resulted in a red earlier on, not being goal-side of her player despite checking to see where she was at one point, and the third was Zelem being flat-footed and beaten to the ball by Park, before Maya Le Tissier was easily brushed aside by Shaw.

  It was just a calamitous, error-strewn display at the back from the Red Devils, and there was little chance of a result while that was the case.

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• WINNER: Jess Park

  A few more derby days and Park might mark herself out as a specialist in these games, because after scoring her first WSL goal in the Merseyside derby last season while on loan at Everton, her first goals in the league for City came on Saturday, in this clash of the two Manchester rivals.

  Both efforts were wonderful, first-touch finishes, and she added an assist to them, too, when she won the ball back well in midfield and played a great pass to Shaw just after half-time.

  Park found game time hard to come by in the first half of this season, but she's thrived since the New Year, after Jill Roord's ACL injury opened up a space in midfield. Given how well the Dutch international had played for City since arriving in the summer, they needed someone to step up and ensure her absence didn't hit the team hard, and Park has done exactly that.

  Her performance won't have gone unnoticed by Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman, either, who was in attendance at the Etihad and will have struggled to not be impressed by the 22-year-old's latest star turn.

• LOSER: Laia Aleixandri

  If there was one dampener for City on a big day, it came in the warm-up, when Laia Aleixandri had to pull out of the team with an injury. The Spaniard has been having a truly fantastic season, with arguably no centre-back in the league performing better.

  Alanna Kennedy did well to step in on a rare start and hardly weakened the team, but City will certainly hope Aleixandri is able to play her part in the title run-in, with her and Alex Greenwood having struck up a wonderful partnership in the heart of the WSL's best defence.

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• Getty Images
  

  WINNER: Bunny Shaw

  It's remarkable to think that when Shaw first arrived at City, she wasn't the first choice No.9, sharing duties with Ellen White. However, since assuming that role following White's retirement in the summer of 2022, the Jamaican has been a relentless goal-machine, and her strike against United on Saturday made her the women's team's all-time top goal-scorer, with an incredible 68 goals in just 82 appearances.

  Shaw was a handful for United's defence throughout Saturday's game, and got the goal her performance deserved with a very well-taken finish just after half-time. Amid claims that she isn't a player for the 'big games', this followed up her goal in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford and her huge match-winner at Chelsea last month which put City level on points with the Blues in the title race.

  The 27-year-old is one of the best strikers on the planet and City will be delighted that she is theirs for at least another two years as they look to assert themselves as a consistent contender for silverware again.

Both teams have lost players to injury as the series moves to Pallekele with England 1-0 up

The Preview by Alan Gardner16-Oct-2018

Olly Stone puts his back into training•Getty Images

Big pictureThe rain in Dambulla could not prevent a result this time, and it could not rescue Sri Lanka from yet another defeat in ODIs (a record that now reads 31 of their last 41 completed matches). Dhananjaya de Silva and Thisara Perera did at least threaten to give England a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern headache – though in truth, the early damage at 31 for 4 and 74 for 5 was too great – while Lasith Malinga shook out his curls in a vintage display of death bowling, but England held the edge to take a 1-0 lead in the series.The teams have now moved to the hill country of Kandy, where the third and fourth ODIs will be played. England have won at the Pallekele International Stadium before, inspired by a Joe Root hundred, but it was also where the 2014 series slipped out of their reach, as Kumar Sangakkara basked in the adulation of his home crowd and set Sri Lanka up for a 4-2 lead with one to play. How Dinesh Chandimal’s side could do with some Kandyan magic this time around.Having battled their way up to 278 for 9, in spite of Malinga’s slow-motion full-bunger bombardment, England will have been pleased at successfully “gritting it out”, as Jonny Bairstow put it during the build-up, in order to set a competitive total. The new-ball pair of Chris Woakes (who took a six-for in Pallekele four years ago) and Olly Stone then blew away the Sri Lanka top order, to make what could have been a tricky defence appear comfortable.However, an injury suffered by Liam Dawson during his spell of 6-0-26-1, hurried through as England looked to make sure they completed 20 overs before the rains came, means they will have to make a change for the third ODI. Playing three spinners is not a familiar strategy for England, and they may look at the results enjoyed by Woakes and Stone in Dambulla and conclude that more pace is the way to go. England’s one-day side have seemingly boundless confidence, but they will need to be on their guard; with more iffy weather in prospect, that could be a leveller as Sri Lanka look to level the contest.Form guideSri Lanka LLLWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England WWWLWIn the spotlightOn Saturday Lasith Malinga proved he still had all the old moves – those slower balls, those pinpoint yorkers, that 140kph reverse swing. Through the remainder of the series, he must prove he has the stamina. During the Asia Cup, he took four wickets in his first match in over a year, but was less effective in the match against Afghanistan 48 hours later. He has more time to recover in between games during this series, of course, but if the second ODI is any indication, he will be called upon to deliver long spells of up to five overs at the death, and may be required to do so game after game. Whether he can maintain Saturday’s intensity through the series remains to be seen.England’s first peek at Stone in international competition could scarcely have been more enjoyable. The Warwickshire man bounced out Niroshan Dickwella and touched 90mph during an opening spell of 4-0-7-1, instantly giving England’s pace attack another exciting option as they prepare for a home World Cup. Stone’s arrival has meant no place for Mark Wood, virtually an ever-present in the 50-over side during the summer, while England also have the varied skills of the Curran brothers in reserve. With Woakes instantly clicking back into the form that made him Man of the Series in New Zealand last winter, Liam Plunkett due back for the final two ODIs in Sri Lanka, and David Willey recuperating from injury, they are building up some decent depth.Team newsKusal Perera has suffered a quad strain, meaning Sadeera Samarawickrama is set to play his fourth ODI and first in 10 months.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 3 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (capt), 5 Dhananjaya de Silva, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Akila Dananjaya, 9 Lakshan Sandakan, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Nuwan PradeepWith Dawson’s replacement, Joe Denly, only arriving in Pallekele on the morning of the match, there is likely to be a change in the make-up of the side. Sam Curran’s left-arm angle (and extra batting) might get him the nod.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Sam Curran/Tom Curran, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Olly StonePitch and conditionsThe weather forecast for Wednesday is not promising, with thunderstorms predicted to arrive in the afternoon. The drainage at this ground is generally good, however, and there is a chance of getting a shortened match so long as the showers cease early enough. The pitch itself is likely to be fairly good for batting, but there does tend to be something for the new-ball bowlers at this venue.Stats and trivia Sri Lanka have lost four of their last five ODIs at Pallekele. The victory came in the most recent of those games, against South Africa. That match was a dead rubber though, and South Africa had rested key players. Since his return in September, following over a year out of international cricket, Malinga has 10 wickets at an average of 17, with an economy rate of 4.85, across the 35 overs he has bowled. Bairstow became the first batsman to complete 1000 ODI runs in 2018 in Dambulla, but the two men just below him on that list are also England batsmen. Joe Root and Jason Roy have 896 and 804 runs respectively. Chris Woakes has not gone wicketless in the last 11 ODIs he has played. In that period, he has taken 21 wickets at an average of 23.57, with an economy rate of 5.21.Quotes”If we don’t lose two or three wickets in the first 10 overs, we will get ourselves to a much better position. Forty for no loss should be the target.””You sometimes kind of think, I would love to be opening but the way the guys have played over a few years now there’s not a single one I look at think I should be batting ahead of… I’ve got to make an impact at number seven.”

Leeds United ended their three-year stay in the Premier League earlier this year as they were relegated from the top-flight under Sam Allardyce.

The experienced English coach arrived in an attempt to save the day but was unable to prevent the relegation after Javi Gracia and Jesse Marsch had left the club in a difficult position.

Whilst the managers can take responsibility for their respective failures, former sporting director Victor Orta should shoulder some of the blame for his work to assemble the playing squad that failed to perform.

Georginio Rutter

£35.5m

Brendan Aaronson

£28.4m

Rodrigo

£25.9m

Dan James

£25.1

Luis Sinisterra

£21.6m

As you can see in the table above, the Spaniard was able to splash the cash on several occasions in an attempt to bolster the squad, for Bielsa and Marsch, but rarely had success at Premier League level with those big-money moves.

Rutter and Aaronson – the two most expensive signings of Orta's time at Elland Road – combined for one goal and four assists in 47 top-flight matches throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

The now-Sevilla chief is not the only Leeds figure to have made mistakes in that department over the years, though, and one famous transfer market blunder was the signing of attacker Tomas Brolin.

The fee Leeds paid for Brolin

Back in November of 1995, the Whites agreed a club-record deal to sign the Sweden international from Italian side Parma for a reported fee of £4.5m.

It was claimed that the club paid £600k upfront for the talented forward and the remaining £3.9m was due to be paid to the Serie A outfit over the subsequent two-and-a-half-years.

Parma reportedly announced that the deal was off as Brolin had failed to agree personal terms with Leeds but the move eventually went through, and then-managing director Bill Fotherby stated that he was always confident that it would go ahead as planned.

It was a big gamble from the Whites as they decided to smash their club record to sign a player who had only played three matches for his club that season and was coming off the back of recovering from a broken foot the previous year.

Brolin has since revealed that he did not want to leave Parma and that his belief was that the Italian side wanted to cash in on him before his contract expired, as the Bosman ruling was due to come in and they did not want to lose him on a free transfer.

Brolin's goal record for Parma

The excellent midfielder enjoyed an impressive spell in Italy with the club as he racked up 31 goals in 190 appearances in all competitions, with spells there on either side of his time with Leeds.

He proved himself to be a goalscorer from a midfield position and contributed to a successful period in Parma's history as they won four trophies during his time there.

The Italian team won the UEFA Supercup, the UEFA Cup, the Europapokal, and the Italian Cup between 1991 and 1995, with Brolin playing a part in their successes.

His best season for goals came during the 1990/91 campaign as the Swedish wizard smashed in seven goals in 33 Serie A outings for Parma.

Brolin's goal record for Sweden

Brolin also caught the eye on the big stage for his country as the impressive attacker racked up an outstanding 25 goals in 46 caps for Sweden throughout his career.

He burst onto the international scene with a fantastic 1992 European Championship performance as the gem ended the tournament as the top-scorer with three strikes.

Two years later, the attacker enjoyed an excellent World Cup as he managed three goals in six outings as his country reached the semi-finals before their loss to Brazil in the last four.

His exploits for Parma and Sweden seemingly convinced Leeds that he was the right player to smash their club record transfer fee on as they swooped to sign him for £4.5m just over a year on from his World Cup heroics in America.

Brolin's goal record for Leeds

However, things did not go to plan for Brolin at Elland Road as his big-money switch to England turned out to be a nightmare for everyone involved.

Howard Wilkinson was the Leeds manager at the time and the Sweden international claimed that the head coach promised him a creative midfield role, where he could get on the ball to make things happen in the middle of the park.

This was not to be the case, though, as he was, instead, utilised as a centre-forward or out wide and was never able to play in the position that was promised to him, as per his claim.

Brolin went on to score just four goals in 24 appearances for the Whites in all competitions throughout his time in Yorkshire, which worked out as around £1.1m per goal from his £4.5m transfer fee.

In 1996, the forward had to apologise to Wilkinson after telling Swedish television that he had agreed to join Norrkoping on loan as an April Fool's interview, which ended up being taken seriously in the English media.

The club eventually opted to release him from his contract in 1997 for a reported £140k to end a dismal spell at Elland Road after his club-record switch from Parma.

What Brolin is up to now

He retired at the age of 28 and ventured into the business sector having met Swedish inventor Goran Edlund in 1997, who had developed a new vacuum cleaner nozzle.

In 2018, The Sun reported that Brolin was a 50% partner in The Twinner and that the brand had become popular in Sweden over the subsequent two decades. By that point, they sold 130,000 products per year and the company was said to be worth 'millions of pounds'.

The Swedish former professional has, therefore, become a successful owner of a vacuum company, which is not the traditional route that former international players take after their retirement, but it has seemingly worked out well for him.

The Daily Star claimed, earlier this year, that the ex-Leeds flop donates 30% of his earnings from sales of the vacuums to a children’s rights society in Sweden.

He has had success off the field since his retirement, with a thriving business, and it is great to see that his sour spell with Leeds was quickly put behind him, as it was a nightmare move for all involved on the pitch.

Ollie Pope was named Young Player of the Year and Sophie Ecclestone won Women’s Player of the Summer

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2018Kent’s Joe Denly has capped a fine season across all formats, at the end of which he won an England recall after eight years out of the set-up, by being named the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) Players’ Player of the Year. Denly also scooped the Vitality Blast and Royal London Cup awards at the PCA’s end-of-season bash at the Roundhouse in Camden.Nominated alongside Kent team-mate Matt Henry, and Surrey pair Rory Burns and Rikki Clarke, Denly won the most votes from his peers after a season in which he scored 1729 runs, alongside taking 57 wickets with his late-flowering legspin. Last week, he was named the PCA’s Most Valuable Player, a prize worth £10,000.”Being here tonight and being the NatWest PCA Players’ Player of the Year, it’s a very proud day and the ultimate accolade in domestic cricket,” Denly said. “It’s been a very enjoyable 12 months that’s for sure.PCA Awards winners

Reg Hayter Cup for the NatWest PCA Players’ Player of the Year
Joe Denly
John Arlott Cup for the NatWest PCA Young Player of the Year
Ollie Pope
NatWest Women’s Player of the Summer
Sophie Ecclestone
Specsavers Test Player of the Summer
James Anderson
PCA One-Day International Player of the Summer
Jos Buttler
PCA County Championship Player of the Year
Tom Bailey (Lancashire)
Vitality Blast Player of the Year
Joe Denly (Kent)
Royal London One-Day Cup Player of the Year
Joe Denly (Kent)
ECB Special Award
Mick Hunt
Harold Goldblatt Award for the PCA Umpire of the Year
Michael Gough
Greene King PCA England Masters Player of the Summer
Ali Brown

“The last couple of years is about enjoying cricket and having a good understanding of what works for me and what doesn’t, and really sticking to that and enjoying that.”Playing against fantastic cricketers throughout the years and being recognised for your contribution to your team, and what you achieved in that year is something very special and to be proud of.”Ollie Pope, who made his Test debut during he summer as well as scoring 986 runs for Championship winners Surrey, was the winner of the PCA’s Young Player award, while spinner Sophie Ecclestone was named Women’s Player of the Summer after taking 20 wickets across six ODI and five T20 appearances for England.”It’s a special year, whether that be getting my call-up or more importantly, winning the Championship and contributing in that successful side,” Pope said. “It’s obviously an exciting time for county cricket and this country in general.”It’s incredibly special and this makes it even more special. Coming from players we play against is awesome.”Ecclestone, who made her England debut in 2016 as a 17-year-old, was earlier in the day named in the squad to go to next month’s Women’s World T20.”I’m so proud of myself,” she said. “Now to be playing on the big stage with all the girls is obviously amazing. My family have worked so hard for me and I’ve worked hard for myself. It tops off an amazing year. Definitely extra special to know they recognise what I’ve done as well, so it’s extra nice.”For the second year running, James Anderson was England’s Test Player of the Summer, while Jos Buttler, who was absent with the limited-overs squad in Sri Lanka, received the one-day player award. Lancashire seamer Tom Bailey won Championship Player of the Year, with Denly claiming the white-ball double.Burns, who alongside Denly and Pope won selection to England’s Test squad for Sri Lanka, was named captain of the Greene King Team of the Year, selected via the PCA MVP rankings. The retiring Lord’s groundsman Mick Hunt received the ECB Special Award for his 49 years of service at the Home of Cricket.David Leatherdale, the chief executive of the PCA, said: “The 2018 NatWest PCA Awards are a fitting finale to what has been an exceptional summer of cricket. With Eoin Morgan leading England to white-ball domination, Joe Root taking England to a 4-1 victory over India and Heather Knight captaining a clean sweep of summer series, the national teams are in great shape.”This is all underpinned by a successful domestic structure and I would like to congratulate Hampshire, Worcestershire and Surrey on their titles and Warwickshire and Kent on achieving promotion.”However, tonight is about championing the best individual players throughout the season and I would like to congratulate all of tonight’s winners. There is no higher praise than to be voted for by all your team-mates and your peers.”Greene King Team of the Year: Rory Burns (Surrey, capt), Alex Davies (Lancashire), Joe Denly (Kent), Ian Bell (Warwickshire/Birmingham Bears), James Vince (Hampshire), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Dane Vilas (Lancashire, wk), Rikki Clarke (Surrey), Ed Barnard (Worcestershire), Matt Henry (Kent), Morne Morkel (Surrey)