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The left-arm spinner credited his success against Rajasthan to the time spent with the India ODI team in UAE as a practice bowler

Saurabh Somani20-Sep-2018A week ago, Shahbaz Nadeem was one of five bowlers sent to the UAE to help India prepare for the Asia Cup. Today, playing for Jharkhand against Rajasthan in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he returned figures of 10-4-10-8, the best ever figures in List-A cricket.The previous best was Rahul Sanghvi’s 8 for 15, for Delhi against Himachal Pradesh back in 1997-98.

MUST WATCH: Shahbaz Nadeem's record breaking spell!
The left-arm spinner picked 8/10 in the #VijayHazareTrophy and set a List A record.

https://t.co/RfJI1kRBeq

— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) September 20, 2018

Rajasthan were shot out for 73 in 28.3 overs, which Jharkhand chased down in 14.3 overs with seven wickets in the bag.Nadeem struck at the end of the tenth over, when Rajasthan were 32 for no loss, and the wickets tumbled thereafter. His haul included a hat-trick spread across two overs, with Mahipal Lomror and Chetan Bist falling off the last two balls of his sixth over, and Tajinder Singh lbw off the first ball of his seventh.He was on track to get all ten wickets, having taken the first eight. But Anukul Roy – the 19-year-old left-arm spinner – got the last two batsmen out, ironically thanks to Nadeem’s own advice.”People told me about the world record after the innings,” Nadeem told ESPNcricinfo after the match on Thursday. “When I was bowling, I didn’t even realise I had taken a hat-trick, because I got the first two wickets off the last two balls and then the third one off the first ball of my next over.”I first thought of the possibility of getting all ten when I got my eighth wicket. But you get what is destined for you, so I was destined to get only eight today.”The best figures in List-A bowling•ESPNcricinfo LtdNadeem was at peace with the missed opportunity, emphasising that the team getting off to a winning start – after their first match against Haryana on Wednesday was washed out – was paramount.”No, I didn’t think of it that way, that he [Anukul] denied me ten wickets. It’s natural to feel a bit disappointed if you are close to getting all ten and you don’t, but at the end the team won, so that was the main thing,” Nadeem said. “In fact, I told Anukul to change his strategy while bowling to get the wicket. He was bowling it a little slower, and I told him that on this pitch, you needed to bowl it a bit quicker. There was a lot of turn on offer, so I told him to keep flighting the ball, but bowl it in such a way that it hits the surface a bit. After that if it turns, the batsman will be in trouble anyway, and if it goes straight, they can get bowled. I also told him to go a bit wider to create more of an angle, and it worked. He got the batsman [Rahul Chahar] bowled off the second ball of that over. There was some good-natured ribbing he got from the team on the field about denying me ten wickets, but all in good fun.”His stint in the Indian team’s nets also played a part in getting Nadeem into his zone. “I have bowled to the Indian team before too, having been called up to the nets several times,” he said. “It is always a good experience because when you bowl to quality batsmen, you know you have to keep bowling good balls, so it gets you into that rhythm. I had some good chats with Mahi [MS Dhoni] and Bharat Arun there. Mahi always has good advice, and he shares it with me often. It’s more about field placements for particular types of bowling and to different batsmen.”Yes, the weather conditions are vastly different [from Dubai to Chennai], but if you play domestic cricket in India, you get used to playing in a variety of conditions every week, so it was not too difficult to adjust.”Robin Bist, who made 15 for the third-highest score of Rajasthan’s innings, said the conditions and Nadeem’s skill made life tough for the batsmen. “It was a turning pitch, and we had to deal with a guy who’s probably the best spinner in Indian domestic cricket right now,” said Bist. “There was a marked difference in facing Nadeem at one end, and the rest at the other end. I wouldn’t say we batted badly, there are talented youngsters in this team, but the combination of a turning pitch, Nadeem bowling, and our side being relatively inexperienced did it.”Curiously enough, this is the third time that Bist has been involved in a low-scoring domestic match that has made headlines. He was part of the Rajasthan team when debutant Deepak Chahar took 8 for 10 to rout Hyderabad for 21 all out in the 2010-11 Ranji Trophy. In between, he had moved to Himachal Pradesh, who were bowled out for 36 in 2016-17 against Hyderabad. On Thursday, he was at the receiving end of the best List-A bowling figures of all time. On that thought, Bist said: “This is what you call kismet.”

Porto coach Sergio Conceicao has filed a legal complaint against a mayor in Spain over a reported fight at a children's competition, a report says.

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Conceicao files legal complaintAccused mayor of pushing his sonPolice involved at children's competitionWHAT HAPPENED?

The Portuguese manager has been accused by the mayor of Spanish town Cartaya of hitting a referee, police officers and the mayor himself, reports. The 49-year-old has filed a complaint of his own against the mayor, Manuel Barroso, saying he pushed one of Conceicao's sons.

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Porto have confirmed that the former winger will take legal action for defamation since hearing the mayor's retelling of his version of events on Spanish radio. The club maintains that Conceicao went onto to ask the referee about an incident and Barroso subsequently pushed his son, resulting in the coach stepping in to break up that altercation.

WHAT CONCEICAO'S LAWYER SAID

A statement from Conceicao's lawyer said: "A criminal complaint was filed yesterday, immediately after the events, against mayor Manuel Barroso for attempted assault on Sergio Conceicao's son.

"We deny the accusations made by the same mayor, which have no basis in truth. In view of the news published in the meantime, we will also move forward with a complaint for defamatory allegations against mayor Manuel Barroso."

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The incident will likely be investigated after Conceicao's legal complaint. In the meantime, his team will take on Estoril in the Liga Portugal on Saturday before facing Vitoria de Guimaraes in the Taca de Portugal.

Everton are in great form in the Premier League and could now be set to welcome back a familiar face after the international break, according to an injury expert.

Everton's flying form under Dyche

Despite a frustrating start to the campaign that culminated in a Merseyside Derby defeat against arch-rivals Liverpool last month, Everton have since recovered in impressive fashion and are now four games unbeaten under Sean Dyche. Last weekend, the Toffees earned a dramatic 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, with goals from Vitaliy Mykolenko, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Idrissa Gueye ensuring all three points made their way back up the M6.

Everton midfielder James Garner has indicated that the Toffees have started to make real progress under Dyche's stewardship, stating via official club channels when asked about the Crystal Palace triumph: "The manager speaks all the time about having that winning mentality. We were under pressure for parts of the game but it was all controlled. As a team, we knew what we were doing."

He then added on his recent form: "The subs who came on knew their job and we got the game over the line. From a personal point of view, I’ve been pleased with how I’ve been playing in recent weeks. I was waiting for my chance to show what I can do in the middle of the park and I’d like to say I’ve done that."

Enjoying a well-deserved break, Everton's stars are on international duty and will return to Premier League action against Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United side on November 26th at Goodison Park. Ahead of the tie, it has been claimed that the Toffees could now be set to welcome back a key man who has been missing for the entirety of this campaign.

Seamus Coleman set to finally return from injury

Speaking to Goodison News, football injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar has given an update on Everton captain Seamus Coleman's potential return from injury, claiming that the Republic of Ireland international could be back in "contention" for the visit of Manchester United.

Everton legend Seamus Coleman's record – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

409

Goals

28

Assists

32

Brar told the outlet when asked about Coleman's injury: "If he’s responding well to the matches, the next step would be bounce matches with the first team. If that checks out, then he will be greenlighted for longer stretches. He could be back in contention after the break if things go as per plan for Everton."

Coleman has returned to match action with Everton's second string; however, Republic of Ireland boss Stephen Kenny has opted to leave him out of his side's double-header against the Netherlands in EURO 2024 qualification, which will be followed with a friendly against New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium, as he stated: "We'd love to have him here but he has been out for seven-and-a-half months. The Netherlands game, it is probably a bridge too far to jump into an international game straight from there."

Nevertheless, £55k-per-week Coleman, who has previously been labelled a "warrior" by former boss Frank Lampard, will soon be ready to make his comeback at first-team level, which will come as a major boost to everyone connected with Everton.

There was a fifty for Moeen Ali, too, but Joe Denly and Keaton Jennings were less convincing in their stints at the crease

The Report by George Dobell in Colombo31-Oct-2018Moeen Ali congratulates Joe Root on his century•Getty ImagesA sickening blow to the head to Pathum Nissanka overshadowed the final day of England’s warm-up match against a Sri Lanka Board side.Thankfully the player appears to have avoided serious injury, but play still was suspended for around 20 minutes after he was struck on the crown of his helmet by a fierce pull shot from Jos Buttler.The initial response to the incident was amusement – the ball ballooned into the air and was caught by Angelo Mathews at leg slip to end Buttler’s innings – but the mood soon changed as Nissanka fell to the ground clutching his head and the players realised the potential seriousness of the situation.Within moments the England team doctor, Moiz Moghal, ran on to the pitch to assess the situation. Nissanka remained motionless for around 20 minutes before he was taken, on a stretcher and in a neck brace, to a waiting ambulance. It is understood he did not lose consciousness but was complaining of pain in his neck. An MRI scan later confirmed that he was “out of danger” but he will be kept in hospital for 24 hours for observation.Buttler relieved after short leg scare

Jos Buttler admitted he feared the worst after his thumping pull shot crashed into the head of Pathum Nissanka.
Buttler was dismissed in the incident as the ball rebounded off Nissanka’s helmet to Angelo Mathews at leg slip, but insisted that was of little consideration.
“You always fear the worst,” Buttler said. “I hit him very hard and straight in the middle of the helmet. I knew I had hit it pretty hard and straightaway you’re worried about the guy.
“Luckily the medics rushed straight on and treated him. We’ve got a great doctor and physio here and they did a good job. I’m glad to hear he’s doing better.
“You don’t really care about getting out. You just hope the lad is okay.
“You’re just worried. You don’t mean to cause injury. It was just a really unfortunate accident.”

England had an injury worry, too, albeit a far less serious one. Ben Stokes was obliged to retire hurt, on 10, having sustained a blow just above the elbow after missing an attempted pull shot off Lahiru Kumara. He was able to resume later, however, and is not thought to be a serious injury doubt ahead of the first Test in Galle that starts on Tuesday.The highlight of the day from an England perspective was a fluent century from their captain, Joe Root. Completely untroubled against pace or spin, Root showed his game was in fine order in reaching his hundred off 117 deliveries before retiring to allow other players an opportunity.Almost as impressive was the performance of Rory Burns. Having seen off the seamers without fuss or trouble, Burns then took to the spinners with encouraging success. Whether skipping down the pitch to drive or rocking back to cut, he looked both solid and fluent, while he also played the reverse-sweep effectively. There was also a half-century for Moeen Ali, who timed the ball beautifully, and an increasingly fluent 44 from Buttler before his freakish dismissal.Pathum Nissanka is taken off the field after being hit on the head•Getty ImagesJoe Denly was less convincing. After surviving a leg before appeal first ball to the seamer Kasun Rajitha, he almost played on to his second, appearing hurried on both occasions despite the sedate pace of the wicket. He then edged one within an ace of leg slip before he missed a full, straight ball. He was also involved in the run-out of Burns as he called him through for an optimistic single. Suffice to say that, having had a tough day with the ball on Tuesday, he didn’t especially strengthen his claims for a Test debut next week.Keaton Jennings didn’t enjoy an especially good day, either. After getting on the mark with a thinly edged hook, he played on off the inside edge as he attempted to run one down to third man.There was slightly more encouraging news of Jonny Bairstow, too. Although it appears the first Test may come a bit soon for him, he was able to resume light training and was seen undertaking some keeping drills and batting in the nets. The fact that Ben Foakes came in to bat after Ollie Pope underlined the impression that England are more likely to give the gloves to Buttler if Bairstow is unable to play in Galle.Nishan Peiris, the offspinner, was probably the most impressive of the bowlers. He finished with three wickets having Stokes caught at slip as he attempted a reverse-sweep – Stokes’ reaction suggested he did not think it was much of a decision – before Moeen was beaten by a hint of turn and edged to the keeper.England start another two-day warm-up game on Thursday at the Cricket Club of Colombo’s ground just across the road from Nondescripts’ where this match has been played. While no team has yet been named, both Jack Leach and Olly Stone will play while it is possible Bairstow could be included at some stage. The match is again likely to see 13 or 14 players involved on the England side.

Christian Pulisic and Yunus Musah both came off the bench as AC Milan earned a stupendous 2-1 win at Fiorentina.

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Pulisic and Musah come on as second-half subsBoth featured for USMNT over international breakMilan earn 2-1 win over FiorentinaGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

AC Milan began without both Pulisic and Musah in the XI. Stefano Pioli addressed the former's absence pregame, saying that Pulisic had asked to be left out due to tired legs from the international break.

The first half was largely back-and-forth with both teams having chances, but the game really ignited in the second, when Milan and Fiorentina exchanged three goals in a six-minute span.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek scored the first of those three, seizing the lead for Milan in the 74th minute. Just three minutes later, Fiorentina were level on a goal from Alfred Duncan. Milan superstar Rafael Leao, though, ensured that Milan would remain in the lead with a goal in the 53rd, giving the visitors an advantage on the scoreboard that they wouldn't relinquish.

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With the win, Milan put some space between themselves and Juventus, furthering their stranglehold on second place. Juve's loss to Lazio on Saturday leaves the Old Lady stuck in third, with Milan six points ahead for second in the table. Leading the way is Inter, who are cruising to a Scudetto title in 2024.

USA Today Sports USMNT IMPACT

Pulisic remains a key figure for Milan, even if he wasn't a starter in this game. Samuel Chukwueze, his primary competitor for minutes on the right, put in a good shift, but the American is still the go-to guy in that position.

The ex-Chelsea star's benching was entirely due to fatigue, as he played big minutes against Jamaica in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals before featuring in the 2-0 win over Mexico in the finale. He was, understandably, a bit tired, which makes sense when you add in the travel factor involved.

Musah, too, played in the two USMNT matches, starting the first against Jamaica before coming off the bench in the final on Sunday.

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Getty ImagesGOAL'S RATINGS

Christian Pulsiic (6/10):
Had a goal called back for offside, which was actually partly Musah's fault. Other than that, didn't get many touches.

Yunus Musah (6/10):

Needed to spring Pulisic just a second or two earlier in the aforementioned sequence. The run leading up to it was great, though, and he did defend well with Milan nursing a lead.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou will undoubtedly rue his side's two-match slump in the Premier League before the November international break, but despite the recent strife will remind his squad that Manchester City are just two points ahead in pole position.

Spurs had undergone a dramatic transformation this summer after finishing eighth in the top flight last year, missing out on European football – something that prompted Harry Kane to depart for Bayern Munich as a by-product.

But the arrival of Postecoglou has changed everything, with the Australian instilling confidence and cohesion and reviving the attacking prowess of this Tottenham team.

After ten matches, Tottenham were top of the table with eight victories and zero losses, but a chaotic, controversy-strewn contest against Chelsea last week unravelled the gains made, sending it spiralling into the murk.

While losing to Mauricio Pochettino's side was a blow, it was hardly the most detrimental element of a bitter evening, with James Maddison and Micky van de Ven both sustaining injuries to rule them out until the new year.

Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero also received their marching orders, with such a raft of setbacks playing into Wolverhampton Wanderers' late turnaround at the weekend.

Talented as this Lilywhites crop may be, the recent malaise has stripped bare the lack of depth that will make challenging against a forbidding behemoth of Man City's stature something tricky.

Nonetheless, Spurs remain in an excellent position, and Postecoglou will know that if his side can battle their way to January, the winter transfer window can be used to bolster the ranks.

Tottenham transfer targets – Ruben Neves

According to TEAMtalk, a rule set to be implemented in the Saudi Pro League could have a knock-on effect for Tottenham's transfer plans, with Al Ittihad winger Jota now likely to remain at the club with the number of foreign players allowed in a matchday squad changing from six to ten.

Such could now ignite Jota's career in Saudi Arabia and close the door on a January departure, but Postecoglou still appears eager to sign in January and could yet raid the opulent division for a former Premier League star.

Indeed, the report continues that Al Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves is on Spurs chairman Daniel Levy's radar, with Arsenal and Newcastle United also interested in the Portugal ace.

Neves joined Al Hilal from Wolves for £47m in the summer after six years of service, though reports stemming from Portugal last month claim that the 26-year-old 'dreams' of returning to English shores.

Ruben Neves' style of play

It's generally accepted that Tottenham's squad is a little thin, and while the backline requires priority, regardless of Van de Ven and Romero's current absences, support must be spread across the pack to truly cement a place at the forefront of the Premier League.

And Neves, who is a tried and tested star in the division, would be the perfect addition, especially considering he has expressed a willingness to head back from Saudi Arabia now half a season into his new chapter, having been hailed as "incredible" by former teammate Hugo Bueno.

#

Player

Club

1

Ismael Bennacer

AC Milan

2

Fabian Ruiz

Paris Saint-Germain

3

Youri Tielemans

Aston Villa

4

Thiago Alcantara

Liverpool

5

Thomas Partey

Arsenal

*Sourced via Football Transfers

Slick in passing and tenacious in the tackle, the £300k-per-week machine has been hailed as an Old Gold "hero" by the likes of journalist Matt Maher for his central role in guiding Wolves to the Premier League and securing a spot away from the danger zone, even leading the club to European endeavours.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 17% of midfielders for interceptions, the top 4% for blocks and the top 2% for clearances per 90 in relation to his European peers, highlighting the defensive strength that would only enhance Postecoglou's system, installing steel framework, of a sort, to shape and structure the fluency and effectiveness in transition.

Neves scored 30 goals and supplied 13 assists across 253 appearances for Wolves; for a deep-lying midfielder, this is not a half-bad return, especially given the ferocious snap of his skilful ranged strikes.

Since signing for Al Hilal, the 5 foot 10 gem has been in fine fettle, having chalked up 17 appearances, scoring two goals, supplying an assist and having yet to taste defeat.

As per Sofascore, he has been an omnipresent figure on the pitch in the Saudi Pro League, completing 91% of his passes, averaging 2.2 key passes, 2.3 tackles and 6.3 ball recoveries per game and taking 84 touches per game, very much the fulcrum.

He would bring a fresh sense of dynamism to Tottenham's midfield and indeed some much-needed depth, and Postecoglou has to throw the kitchen sink at this deal, else risk his signature winding up at a rival, such as Arsenal or the Magpies.

Why Tottenham should sign Ruben Neves

Neves would not only bring mettle and technical prowess to the fold, but he would also offer leadership and resilience to aid the development of players such as Pape Matar Sarr, immensely talented and perhaps strengthened by a mentor of Neves' ilk.

It would also represent a statement of intent from Postecoglou, much like when Maddison was signed from Leicester City for £40m in the summer.

The England international has been one of the standout performers in the Premier League this season and earned the Player of the Month award for August, having now posted three goals and five assists from 11 matches.

Crucially, Postecoglou felt that Tottenham needed a new first-rate playmaker to fuel his vision, and clinched Maddison's services with no European football, despite the vested interest of Eddie Howe's Newcastle.

Newcastle had been in pursuit of the former Fox for multiple transfer windows before cooling their attention this year, but must rue that decision after the 26-year-old's performances have led him to be "on the verge" of becoming a world-class phenom, according to pundit Jermaine Jenas.

Signing Neves could bring similar fruits, replicating the momentous addition of Maddison and infusing even more quality to edge Tottenham toward an illustrious position at the very top.

The Uruguyan's fine goal salvaged a first-leg draw for Los Blancos after a chaotic contest at Santiago Bernabeu

Federico Valverde's superb volley to snag a 3-3 draw capped off a chaotic contest between Real Madrid and Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final. The Uruguayan's memorable strike rounded out an evening of fortunate deflections, highlight-reel goals, and feisty challenges that amounted to a frantic draw that both sides will probably accept.

Los Blancos endured a nightmarish start, as Bernardo Silva's quick free-kick caught Andriy Lunin out at his near post. The hosts levelled the game soon after, though, as Eduardo Camavinga's deflected strike wrong-footed Stefan Ortega in the City net. Rodrygo then put Madrid ahead two minutes later, scampering in behind the defence and tucking the ball home.

Madrid could have added one or two more following half-time, but Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr both missed chances within the first 15 minutes of the second half. And Phil Foden made them pay, the England midfielder unleashing a fine curled effort that kissed the top corner to level the game at 2-2. Josko Gvardiol added a memorable goal of his own to make it 3-2, the left-back smashing home from 20 yards to give the visitors the lead again, but Valverde restored parity soon after, battering the ball into the bottom corner to equalise.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Santiago Bernabeu…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Andriy Lunin (6/10):

Really should have kept out Bernardo's opener, even if he can have a gripe or two about Madrid's failure to set up a proper wall. Couldn't do anything about the other two, and made a neat stop to deny Haaland.

Dani Carvajal (6/10):

Given a hard time by the lively Grealish, but was composed ion the key moments.

Aurelien Tchouameni (5/10):

Picked up a booking to rule him out from the second leg within 38 seconds. Should have closed Gvardiol down on City's third.

Antonio Rudiger (8/10):

The Haaland killer? Kept the big striker quiet throughout, and really couldn't have done much more – despite the fact that his side gave up three goals.

Ferland Mendy (8/10):

Marshalled the left side of the pitch effectively. Won a number of important duels towards the end of the first half. His best showing in a while.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Eduardo Camavinga (7/10):

Grabbed the equaliser with a slightly fortunate deflected strike. Spent the rest of the game putting out fires in midfield and keeping things moving.

Federico Valverde (8/10):

Full of energy all night, and ate up ground. Scored an absolute peach of a goal to level it.

Toni Kroos (6/10):

Didn't get on the ball as much as usual, but was still remarkably efficient when he had it. His influence waned as the game opened up.

Jude Bellingham (7/10):

Flew into tackles, won the ball regularly, and showed the kind of grit Madrid needed. Fortunate not to get booked, though, and is therefore lucky not to be suspended for the second leg.

Getty ImagesAttack

Rodrygo (8/10):

May have gotten a kind glance on his goal, but he did all the hard work to make it happen. Tormented the City defence all night.

Vinicius Jr (8/10):

Played a wonderful pass to setup Rodrygo's goal, and rovided another assist for Valverde's leveller. Perhaps could have been cleaner with efforts of his own, but his production is nothing to be sniffed at.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Luka Modric (7/10):

Brought Madrid back into it with some classy moments on the ball.

Brahim Diaz (6/10):

Won it back a few times, and didn't seem intimidated by the pace of the game.

Joselu (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Carlo Ancelotti (7/10):

Made a brave call to start Tchouameni in defence, but put out an otherwise full-strength line-up. Madrid were brilliant in moments, but he might rue their lack of quality in front of goal at times. A draw is far from a bad result, but his side perhaps could have scored more. Still, it's all to play for.

Roshen Silva’s 85 helped Sri Lanka to a first-innings lead via a battling lower-order fightback in Pallekele

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando in Pallekele15-Nov-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsA graceful Dhananjaya de Silva 59, and a watchful 63 from Dimuth Karunaratne gave the Sri Lanka innings some early substance, but both those turns were outshone by what was arguably the innings of the series so far – a resolute 85 from Roshen Silva that carried Sri Lanka 46 runs into the lead.Almost as impressive as his score, and the 174 balls he batted, was the fact that he forged such fruitful partnerships with the tail, coaching them through the tough periods. The last three partnership in Sri Lanka’s innings were worth 125 – Roshen scoring 60 of those runs. Soon after Roshen had arrived, Sri Lanka had been six-down and still 120 runs behind. Given the extremely challenging nature of this surface, and the variety in England’s attack, it was a monumental recovery.Of England’s bowlers, Jack Leach was the most relentless, delivering beautiful lines, and immaculate lengths through the course of 29 overs in the innings, taking 3 for 70. Sri Lanka’s right-handers found him particularly difficult and were wary of taking risks. Adil Rashid, meanwhile, bowled the highest number of unplayables, finding dip, drift and rip-snorting turn, to take the big wickets of de Silva and Angelo Mathews shortly after lunch. He finished with 3 for 76 from 22 overs, eventually taking the wicket of Roshen, who miscued a lofted drive to mid-on. Moeen Ali had a less successful day – he took 2 for 85 and bowled too many loose balls.Roshen began his innings when wickets were falling quickly – Sri Lanka lost 4 for 38 either side of lunch – and he had difficult moments himself early in his knock. There were edges that just bounced short, thanks in part to his playing the ball with soft hands, and lbw shouts that were turned down. During that period, Rashid even brought point into the circle, so powerful did his grip over Roshen seem. But the batsman battled. He dug in. He made sure to cover the stumps. He made peace with the fact that he was going to have his outside edge repeatedly and resoundingly beaten. Like Karunaratne in the first session, Roshen had come prepared for a dogfight.Eventually things got easier. The singles began to come. He was finally able to squeeze Rashid away through point for four. Unlike many of the batsmen that have prospered so far on this surface, though, Roshen did not really use the sweep. Occasionally he tried reverse-sweeping, and coming down the track, but it was not until he had passed fifty that he attempted either of those ploys regularly. The back-and-across flick to leg, the late cut, the measured off drive – these provided the substance to his innings.His most aggressive stroke – and there were very few of those right through his innings – came in the 92nd over, when he flitted down the pitch to thump Moeen into the sight screen for six. Otherwise, this was old-fashioned bad-pitch batting. He didn’t change his approach even in the company of No. 10 Akila Dananjaya, with whom he went on to post his best partnership of 56. The tail supported him superbly, Dananjaya making 31, while Suranga Lakmal and Dilruwan Perera made 15 vital runs apiece.Earlier in the day, the 96-run stand between Karunaratne and de Silva had imbued some calm into the Sri Lanka batting effort, after nightwatchman Malinda Pushpakumara was out trying to heave Moeen to leg in the third over of the day. Where Karunaratne was tetchy early in his innings, particularly against Moeen, de Silva was serene – or as serene as any batsman could be on such a surface. His liquid drives, and glides to third man were a joy, as always, and unlike Karunaratne, he was sure to be severe on the bad balls that England sent his way. There were two graceful fours down the ground when Moeen had overpitched, and late in the session, he smoked two misdirected Ben Stokes bouncers through midwicket, and then mid on.Karunaratne battled his way to a half-century though, eschewing the sweep as Silva would later do, but playing the reverse sweep on occasion, especially to the bowling of Leach. The pair seemed to be set for a truly massive stand when two pieces of Stokes brilliance sparked the middle-order mini-collapse. Karunaratne was run out attempting to complete a quick single that de Silva had called him through for, with Stokes swooping on the ball at point, swivelling and letting fly a direct hit with one stump to aim at.A few overs later, Stokes also completed an outstanding reflex catch to dismiss Kusal Mendis off Leach, lunging low to his left to intercept the chance flawlessly. England played as a team smelling blood – and a big first-inning lead – through that period. Then Roshen produced his gem.

Will join the team after their fourth league game of the season, as a replacement for Asela Gunaratne

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2018Comilla Victorians have roped in Steven Smith for the upcoming Bangladesh Premier League, as Asela Gunaratne’s replacement.*Smith, who has been serving a 12-month ban handed by Cricket Australia following the Newlands ball-tampering scandal, will be representing Victorians from their fifth league fixture, the franchise confirmed on Tuesday.The BPL will be Smith’s fourth commitment in a T20 league following his ban – he has played in Canada’s Global T20 and Caribbean Premier League, while being recently signed up for the Pakistan Super League as well.Smith will be joined by David Warner in the league, who had earlier signed up with Sylhet Sixers. The duo’s ban from top-flight cricket ends on March 29, 2019.

Ownership in football can be a touchy subject. It's rare for the fans and owners to see eye-to-eye on how the club is run, whether that's transfer dealings, managerial appointments, ticket prices or even the general trajectory of the club.

In many clubs, there is outright hostility between owners and fans, and with events such as the Super League in 2021 and the gutting of Southend United, it can be hard not to view owners as ill-intentioned.

So, when it was revealed that Wrexham would be bought out by a couple of Hollywood actors, there was an understandable level of resistance.

However, just a couple of years later, it's hard to think of a fanbase and ownership more simpatico than that of Wrexham, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

With that in mind, we here at Football FanCast have outlined everything you need to know about Wrexham's favourite Canadian.

Ryan Reynolds' age

47-years-old

Ryan Reynolds was born on October 23rd, 1976, in Vancouver, Canada and is 47 years old.

The Canadian superstar grew up in Vancouver, British Colombia, before moving to Vanier, Ottawa. His father was a member of the Canadian Mounted Police, and his mother worked in retail sales.

Reynolds began acting at a young age and landed his first significant role at 13 when he was cast to play Billy Simpson in the teen drama Hillside. Besides a short period in which he attended Kwantlen Polytechnic University, he has been acting ever since.

Much of his acting career has been spent bouncing back and forth between action and comedy roles, and so it seemed destined that his most successful role – to date – should be Marvel's Deadpool, a wisecracking superhero – of sorts.

While he still acts, much more of his time has been taken up by his business commitments and involvement with Wrexham AFC.

Ryan Reynolds' net worth

Estimated: £285 million

So, how much is a world-famous Hollywood actor, businessman and new football club owner worth these days?

Well, as with all celebrities, it is rather challenging to accurately assess Reynold's net worth, as while he has certainly made a pretty penny from his acting career, the vast majority of his wealth has come from his investments and business decisions.

For example, in February 2018, he acquired a minority ownership stake in the American spirits company Aviation Gin. He almost immediately took over their marketing efforts, turning them into one of the best-known gin brands in the world.

The company was sold just two years after Reynolds invested in it, with Diageo LLC paying $335m (£274m) up front and another $275m (£225m) over the next ten years based on the brand's performance.

If reports that the Deadpool actor owns 20% of the company are accurate, then he would have earned $67m – about £55m – up front and could make another $55m – about £45m – over the next decade.

Not bad for two years' work.

The other significant investment Reynolds made came in 2019 when he purchased an ownership stake in Mint Mobile, a Canadian mobile phone service provider. He has since also starred in adverts for the company and once again helped to increase their presence in the minds of people across North America.

The company was acquired by market giant T-Mobile in March of this year for a combined $1.35billion (£1.10billion) cash and stock deal, and with reports that Reynolds owned 25% of Mint, he likely earned $336m in cash and stock, all pre-tax.

The Wrexham owner has likely made money through other lesser-known business ventures as well, but Mint Moblile and Aviation Gin are the two most significant contributors to his wealth, alongside the Deadpool films, which supposedly netted him a combined income of $50m-$60m (£41m-£49m).

Finally, Celebritynetworth.com has claimed that since the success of Deadpool, Reynolds has been paid at least $20m a movie, with some films such as Micheal Bay's "6 Underground" netting him a cool $27m (£22m).

They have estimated the 47-year-old to have a net worth of around $350m, or about £286m, which has got to be worth a few decent players in League Two, right?

Ryan Reynolds' wife

Blake Lively

The Canadian funny man has had his fair share of Hollywood romances since making a name for himself 20 years ago. He started dating Canadian singer Alanis Morissette in 2002, and it looked as if they would last when their engagement was announced just two years later.

However, three years after that initial announcement, the pair's representatives made another, confirming that they had split up. Still, it didn't take long for Reynolds to get back out there as just fifteen months later, he announced his engagement to Scarlett Johansson – talk about moving on quickly.

Unfortunately, this engagement also fell apart, with the pair getting a divorce in 2011.

Just a few months later, Reynolds started dating his former Green Lantern co-star, Blake Lively, and the pair were married a year later.

The old adage 'third time's the charm' is apt for Reynolds, as the pair are still happily married 11 years later and have four children together.

Ryan Reynolds' height

6 foot 2 inches

He's a successful Hollywood actor, an extremely wealthy businessman, owns a football club, is married to a fellow Hollywood superstar. Oh, and he just so happens to be pretty tall as well.

Some people really have it all, don't they?

Yes, along with his immense wealth and good looks, Ryan Reynolds is also fairly tall, coming in at about 1.88m, or about 6 foot 2.

To put that in context, he would come in as the fifth-tallest outfield player at Wrexham, towering over the likes of Paul Mullin and Ben Tozer.

When did Ryan Reynolds buy Wrexham?

February 2021

Ryan Reynolds and his partner for this particular endeavour, Rob McElhenney, completed their takeover of Wrexham AFC in February 2021 after their proposal to the Wrexham Supporters Trust had been accepted, and the legal formalities had been completed.

The pair had been pushing to buy the club since October 2020, so while it might have felt like a lifetime for them, it really was a quick takeover in the grand scheme of football, just ask a Newcastle United fan, or better yet, a Manchester United one.

How much did Ryan Reynolds pay for Wrexham?

£1 million

Okay, so it took them five to six months of meetings and such to finally get their hands on the world's third oldest professional football club, but how much did it actually cost them?

Surely, a club outside the English Football League couldn't have cost that much, right?

Well, no, it might not make a dent in the sums that Premier League teams go for, but both Reynolds and McElhenney had to fork over a hefty wad of cash to secure the club – $1.25m each, to be exact.

That money was used to purchase non-redeemable shares in Wrexham, allowing them to clear the club's debts and make some initial investments in the facilities and playing squad.

Why did Ryan Reynolds buy Wrexham?

Friends with the right people

Okay, so Reynolds and McElhenney were successful in their efforts to purchase Wrexham; they fronted up the cash and, as the whole footballing world now knows – thanks to their documentary – have enjoyed a successful start to life as owners of a football club.

However, the biggest question of all for most onlookers still remains: why did Ryan Reynolds buy Wrexham in the first place?

Well, it is primarily thanks to co-owner Rob McElhenney, who was introduced to football through British comedy writer Humphrey Kerr while the pair were working on the sitcom Mythic Quest.

According to Kerr, McElhenney would tease him for watching football on their lunch breaks until he finally sat down to watch as well and quickly decided he had to own a club himself.

After some initial research, it was clear that Wrexham was the perfect club to purchase, given its history, fanbase and potential.

So, with the club picked out, McElhenney needed a wealthier partner to make his dream a reality, and he knew just the person: Ryan Reynolds.

You would think that one of your friends proposing that you buy half of a football club thousands of miles away for millions of pounds would make you pause and think for a moment, but not for Reynolds; he was in from that very first email.

Speaking last year, after the deal had been finalised, he explained why he said yes so quickly: "I just saw the path that he laid out, the phosphorescence in the water so to speak, and I was in.

"I just thought it was so unexpected and so interesting and I love building businesses and this is a business."

It wasn't easy to explain to his wife, though: "I remember seeing Blake, saying, "I have bad news and I have really bad news. I slipped into someone's DMs again.

"The really bad news is that I might have bought half of a fifth-tier national football league team in Wales."

And there you have it, everything you need to know about one of the most beloved owners in all of football, Ryan Reynolds.