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Shanaka’s unbeaten 64 had taken Sri Lanka to 168 but it wasn’t enough

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Sep-20251:49

Chopra: You look at Saif and go ‘there’s some serious talent there’

Three top order stands, one after the other, led by Saif Hassan, then Towhid Hridoy, propelled Bangladesh to overhaul Sri Lanka’s 168, on a dry Dubai track.Saif’s 59-run stand with Litton Das came off 34 balls. It saw Bangladesh set the platform. Then Saif joined Hridoy for a 54-run stand off 45 balls, that consolidated their innings through the middle overs. Hridoy then took charge in a 45-run partnership off 27 balls with Shamim Hossain that put Bangladesh on the cusp of victory. There were some wobbles very late in the game, but those batters had done enough. Bangladesh only needed five to win going into the final over, and they got there with a ball to spare, even if they’d lost two wickets and almost a third scoring the winning run.Sri Lanka struggled for wickets right through the innings, with Saif especially good at keeping the seamers at bay in the powerplay. By the end of the 15th over, Bangladesh had still only lost three wickets, and needed only 39 more to win. It seemed highly unlikely they would lose from there. In fact, they had looked good for the majority of this chase.In Sri Lanka’s innings, Dasun Shanaka’s promotion to No. 5 had yielded results, as he struck 64 not out off 37 balls, to give Sri Lanka a decent – if not spectacular – finish. But two Bangladesh bowlers had also shone: Mustafizur Rahman took 3 for 20, and Mahedi Hasan claimed 2 for 25.2:07

Maharoof: Shanaka showed up when the chips were down

Saif neutralises Nuwan ThusharaWhen Nuwan Thushara dismissed Tanzid Hasan in the first over, you wondered if this would be another match which his first spell goes some distance to winning. He has tended to have rich hauls against this opposition. But in Saif, Bangladesh had a beautiful counter to Thushara. Saif was outstanding down the ground as Thushara kept going full (as he often does in the powerplay). Saif hit a four over the bowler’s head first ball of the second over, before running at Thushara next ball and depositing him over the rope. Thushara’s second and third overs would cost 14 runs each, Saif doing the majority of that damage.Hridoy takes down Kamindu MendisSri Lanka’s general strategy is to have Shanaka and one of the spin-bowling allrounders share four overs between them. Usually Charith Asalanka bowls himself. But in this game he chose not to bowl, and gave the 15th over of the innings to Kamindu Mendis. It would be the one in which the match would swing definitively in Bangladesh’s direction.Hridoy crashed him over cover for four second ball, then when Kamindu fired a shortish ball at the stumps, Hridoy got inside the line and launched it high over the deep square leg boundary. Later in the over, he slashed one between cover point and backward point to fetch another four. At the start of that over Bangladesh had needed 55 off 36 balls. Hridoy’s 16 runs off that over made the equation much simpler.1:55

Chopra impressed with Hridoy’s cricketing smarts

Shanaka’s blitzUnlike Sri Lanka’s bowlers, Bangladesh kept striking regularly after Sri Lanka’s openers had put on 44 runs together. Shanaka was the only one to make a substantial score through the middle and later overs, crashing six sixes and three fours. He’d been dropped off the bowling of Mustafizur on 38, in a period in which Bangladesh gave at least three batters reprieves. Shanaka’s most productive over was against the spin of Nasum Ahmed, whom he clobbered for two sixes and a four in the 15th over.Mustafizur and Taskin close wellArguably the best over Bangladesh bowled was delivered by Mustafizur, who had both Kamindu and Asalanka caught in the 19th over, in which he conceded only five runs. Taskin Ahmed then bowled four dots to a mid-blitz Shanaka in the next over, delivering a clutch of good slower balls. He was hit for a six and a four too, but between them Bangladesh’s senior quicks had conceded only 15 in the last two overs, which Sri Lanka had been well-set to exploit.

Juan Soto has made joining rare statistical company a routine part of his impressive career in the majors.

But during Tuesday's 9-3 loss to the Phillies, the Mets star may have pulled off one of his most impressive achievements yet. In the top of the eighth inning, Soto, after collecting an RBI single and advancing to second base on a Pete Alonso single, stole third.

It wasn't just any stolen base, though, as it was Soto's 30th of the year, giving him 38 home runs and 30 swipes on the season. It's an amazing achievement, considering Soto has never been known for his speed. It also earns him a seat in the exclusive 30-30 club.

After the game, Soto was quick to credit Mets first base coach Antoan Richardson for helping him reach new heights as a base stealer.

"I mean it's good when you look at it that way," Soto said when asked about the achievement. "I think a lot of hard work we put in since the beginning of the season. Antoan did an unbelievable job. He's been helping me since day one. I give him all the credit. He's the one who put me in this situation and this spot to do what I've done."

Richardson, in his second season with the Mets, stole 331 bases in the minors and knows a thing or two about swiping bases. He's had a profound impact on the club's base-stealing success as a whole, so it was great to see Soto credit the former big-league outfielder as he reached a new statistical height on the base paths.

Soto is just the fifth Mets player to record 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in a single season.

The San Diego Padres made a huge move at the MLB trade deadline on Thursday, acquiring closer Mason Miller and southpaw starter JP Sears. It's a good pair of additions for the 60-49 Padres—but the cost they paid was enormous.

To land those two deadline targets San Diego gave up a huge haul of four prospects. Most shockingly, that haul is headlined by shortstop Leodalis De Vries, considered one of the best prospects in baseball and listed at No. 3 overall in the latest pipeline rankings. De Vries had been mentioned as a prospect potentially on the move in the lead-up to the deadline, but his inclusion in the deal for Miller and Spears was still a big surprise.

Miller, 26, has posted a 3.76 ERA and recorded 59 strikeouts in 38.1 innings so far this season. Sears has gone 7-9 with a 4.95 ERA in 22 starts.

The lengths the Padres were willing to go to get their guy left the MLB world reeling.

From Colombia to the USMNT, GOAL ranks the teams most likely to make a dark horse run at the 2026 World Cup – and possibly even go all the way

Every World Cup has a dark horse. It’s the story that defines each tournament, especially at a time when surprise winners are rare. Look at the last four tournaments, and each of the champions – Argentina, France, Germany, Spain – could have easily been predicted before a ball was kicked. But who could have called Ghana's run to quarterfinal in 2010? Or Morocco's in 2022? Those runs are what make the World Cup fun.

Yet some qualities are always needed and there are common ingredients from tournament to tournament. The first is a solid structure – the ability to keep the ball out. The second tends to be a game-changer in attack, whether it be a singular presence or a well-constructed machine to make things happen. And finally, there's the vibes, the belief, the groundswell of momentum that gathers during a World Cup run. 

It's what makes these things so difficult to predict. Yet there are some clear contenders at the 2026 World Cup. And with the draw done, GOAL ranks the six teams most likely to make a run next summer… 

Getty Images6Turkey

OK, so Turkey technically have not qualified yet. They had a rough run over the last couple of months, but should comfortably get through a playoff that includes either Romania, Slovakia, and Kosovo. There's plenty of talent here, too, with Kenan Yildiz, Arda Guler, and Hakan Calhanoglu all capable of making the difference on their day. A hammering of the United States last summer showed how clinical they can be, too – even if there are question marks at striker. 

AdvertisementAFP5USMNT

What do we make of the hosts? Technically, the USMNT aren’t the only hosts, but so far, this has felt like a very U.S.-centric tournament. All of their group games are on home soil, and the ingredients are there. They have an elite manager, a clear structure, and quality across the pitch. The Christian Pulisic “world-class” debate will never end, but he remains a game-changer at almost any level. Add the usual boost of being at home, and you can’t write them off.

Getty Images4South Korea

This is hardly a flaming hot take. South Korea make noise at World Cups. It's kind of their thing. It goes back to 2002, when they were unlikely semifinalists on home soil. In between have been dramatic wins over Germany and shocking defeats of Portugal. Their team is full of quality pretty much everywhere, with Lee Kang-In, Kim Min-Jae, and, of course, Son Heung-Min leading the way. They are well coached, well drilled, and dangerous on the break. Those are all good things. 

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(C)Getty images3Japan

At No. 18 in the world, Japan are the highest-ranked Asian side in FIFA's World Rankings. But they aren't a bad football team whatsoever, either. There isn't really a weak link. Manager Hajime Moriyasu has been in charge for eight years now, and during that time has pieced together a well-drilled side that can be dangerous in attack. Take Kubo, Karou Mitoma, and Takumi Minamino are all threats in the final third. Daichi Kamada is an excellent central midfielder. Wataru Endo offers solidity. And there are plenty of options at the back, too. They could do with a little depth in the full back positions, but otherwise they're a fair bet to make a run. 

Leeds United have now joined the race to sign a “remarkable” midfielder, with their plans for the January transfer window being revealed.

Leeds' January transfer window plans now taking shape

Leeds may have to enter the market for a new central midfielder and winger in the upcoming transfer window, given that Daniel James is set to be out for at least eight weeks after suffering a hamstring injury, while Sean Longstaff could be out for around six weeks due to a calf issue.

Speaking about how James’ injury setback will impact his plans for next month, Daniel Farke said: “He’s an important player for us. In the summer, we spoke about doing more in the offensive positions. It influences your planning for January. But right now, we are fully focused on the upcoming games.”

The Whites are entering a busy period of the season, and there are some tough games on the horizon, taking on Chelsea at Elland Road this evening, before hosting reigning Premier League champions Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.

Consequently, Farke’s side are at real risk of being in the relegation zone by the time the January window comes around, and it has now been revealed they are planning to make a couple of new signings, who could help save their season.

That is according to a report from Football Insider, which states bringing in a new central midfielder and winger is a priority for Leeds this winter, and they have now joined the race to sign Tromso star Jens Hjerto-Dahl.

Regular checks have been made on the 20-year-old, but there could be competition for his signature, with Brighton & Hove Albion and AFC Bournemouth also being named as potential suitors.

Leeds lining up January spending spree for "phenomenal" Farke replacement

Daniel Farke will reportedly be sacked if Leeds lose their next two matches.

ByBen Goodwin Dec 1, 2025

With the youngster’s contract set to expire in 2027, the Premier League trio have been alerted to his potential availability ahead of the January transfer window, and the Norwegian is regarded as one of his country’s best young talents.

"Remarkable" Hjerto-Dahl impressing in the Eliteserien

Hailed for his “remarkable” decision-making and vision by scout Drin Gashi, the starlet has a keen eye for creating chances and scoring goals, finding the back of the net four times in the 2025 Eliteserien, while also providing six assists.

The maestro has already established himself as a key player for Tromso, making 87 appearances for the Norwegian club since breaking through in 2023, and his performances across the 2025 campaign suggest he may now be ready to test himself in one of Europe’s major leagues.

That said, while Hjerto-Dahl could go on to be a future star, he remains inexperienced at the top level, so Leeds should try to get a more experienced midfielder through the door too this winter, and it was recently revealed they have made an enquiry over a deal for Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips.

Manchester City are expected to be active in the market over the near future and could now beat rivals Manchester United to sign a teenage sensation who has excelled at the Under-17 World Cup.

Pep Guardiola will hope his side can strike up a bid to claim the Premier League title this season. However, they suffered a setback on the road to potential glory after falling to a defeat against Newcastle United on Saturday evening.

Harvey Barnes’ double cancelled out Ruben Dias’ equaliser at St James’ Park, albeit the Citizens were off colour in front of goal and were made to rue their missed chances, something Guardiola pointed out when speaking after the match.

He said: “Newcastle is a top side, top players, top manager, so unfortunately tonight we could not make the momentum that we had. It was an entertaining game, we both had chances, and then there was a momentum shift, and ultimately we couldn’t win.”

Ultimately, there is plenty of football still to be played and twists will occur before the Premier League title race starts to take a clear course. Still, Manchester City are now sitting adrift of Arsenal and Chelsea, which is something that needs to give over the next few weeks.

Man City’s upcoming fixtures – all competitions

Bayer Leverkusen (H)

Champions League

Leeds United (H)

Premier League

Fulham (A)

Premier League

Sunderland (H)

Premier League

Real Madrid (A)

Champions League

Nico O’Reilly’s emergence into the Citizens’ first-team and Matheus Nunes slotting in at right-back show that solutions are there to be stumbled upon for Guardiola, though you get the feeling January will be an important month to conclude meaningful business.

While bringing in senior players will be the priority, there may also be a focus on acquiring stars of the future at the Etihad Stadium amid recent developments.

Man City keen to sign Under-17 World Cup star Mohamed Zongo

According to Africa Foot, Man City are keen to sign Tenakourou Academy star Mohamed Zongo, who is also on the radar of Manchester United, Villarreal and Anderlecht after giving an excellent account of himself at the Under-17 World Cup.

On the biggest stage within his age group, the 15-year-old registered two goals and three assists from an attacking midfield role, and the Citizens have now initiated talks alongside the trio mentioned.

Labelled “magic” by Under-23 football scout Antonio Mango, he may become the next exciting gem in a long line at Manchester City, though no club has reached an agreement after his exploits at the youth World Cup.

Either way, beating Manchester United to his signature would be a signal of intent by Manchester City as they build for the future at the Etihad Stadium.

Man City & Pep now keen on Real Madrid star with Erling Haaland swap possible

A ongoing quad problem flared just as Hardie was putting together a string of promising performances

Tristan Lavalette25-Dec-2024Make no mistake, Aaron Hardie is a genuine allrounder. This can be gleaned by a first-class batting average of almost 40 – having cemented No. 5 for Western Australia in recent Sheffield Shield seasons after starting off at eight – and a bowling average of 28.78.His versatility has been on show to a wider audience during his fledgling international career. Hardie has impressed as a finisher in white-ball cricket, while he claimed a three-wicket haul with his sharp seam bowling in his most recent appearance on the field in last month’s T20I against Pakistan in Hobart.Hardie, 25, has moved up the ranks by dedicating himself to each skillset, practicing them equally, with the hard work paying off for an emerging player favourably compared to his WA team-mate and former junior rival Cameron Green.Related

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He uses his towering 6 foot 4 frame to devastating effect. His long levers make him able to routinely clear the boundary, while with the ball he can produce menacing bounce and probes at a dangerous back of a length. Hardie has sometimes been used as a new ball bowler in Shield cricket.But a nagging quad injury has relegated Hardie to just one Shield match this season and meant he’s had a delayed start to the BBL. He has been on the sidelines since pulling up sore after playing in all six white-ball matches against Pakistan.”I’ve been managing the quad issue for probably the past year or so, it’s had ups and downs,” Hardie told ESPNcricinfo. “Certainly spiked during the latest Pakistan series. Been spending the time off to get on top of it.”Hardie has missed Scorchers’ opening three games of the season, but is set to make his comeback on Boxing Day against defending champions Brisbane Heat at Optus Stadium. He will return as a specialist batter, most likely slotting back to his customary No. 3, with the hope of building up his bowling loads ahead of the finals.”You probably need an extra week or two of building up as a bowler before you can actually bowl,” Hardie said. “Realistically, there might be a few games where you play as a batsman and then the bowling can come a bit later.”With his body starting to show signs of strain, Hardie might be faced with a dilemma that has gnawed at many other allrounders over the years. In an effort to stay on the field, and to prolong his career, he might need to ease his bowling workload and prioritise batting.Aaron Hardie will be limited in his role with the ball•Getty ImagesGiven his relatively youthful age, that decision might not need to be made for a while although, right now, batting will be his focus as he tries to recapture the form of BBL12 where he was the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 460 runs at 41.81 and strike-rate of 141.”It’s difficult to keep going out there and play as an allrounder in all three formats,” Hardie said. “It’s just about using the breaks wisely and hopefully I can recover properly and have another crack at it [being an allrounder].”I try to use these times to my advantage. Just the nature of bowling often means that you can be too fatigued to really knuckle down on batting. I always really love the opportunities I get to have a big focus on batting.”Hardie has become a player of considerable interest for Australia’s hierarchy and he’s already demonstrated his batting flexibility across 24 white-ball games he’s played since debuting last year.He’s batted in every position from opener to No. 8, but has had the most success so far finishing an innings in a role that could be up for grabs amid Tim David’s struggles. He blasted 20 off nine balls in a T20I against England in Cardiff before hitting 28 off 23 against Pakistan in tricky conditions at the SCG. Hardie also made a 26-ball 44 from No. 8 against England in an ODI at Chester-le-Street.

I aspire to put a massive amount of runs and wickets on the board in Shield cricket to really demand selection. When I get a chance to play Shield cricket again, I’m certainly looking forward to being able to push my caseAaron Hardie on being discussed as a Test allrounder

Before stamping himself in the top-order with Scorchers, Hardie started off at No. 7 and often found himself batting with the nerveless Ashton Turner, who has seemingly mastered getting his side out of trouble and powering them over the line.”I think it’s such a specialised position, that lower-order batsman…[the] Tim David, Marcus Stoinis role,” Hardie said. “It’s something I did for the Scorchers in my first couple of years. Fortunate enough to get a bit of experience in that role and learn mentally how to deal with the failures because you’ve got to go out there and hit balls for six straight away.”That experience has put me in good stead for the international games. I love batting at the top of the order as well, but batting down the order is so important and if I’m good in that role then I can provide more options for any team I’m playing for.”With the help of recency bias, having performed well on the white-ball UK tour, Hardie was touted as a possible Test replacement for the injured Green, who was ruled out for the entire summer after suffering a stress fracture in his lower back.He was never seriously in the running, with his quad issues flaring, but Hardie for the first time had to deal with being in the Test selection spotlight. “There was a little bit of speculation, but we’re always pretty busy as cricketers so I didn’t spend too much time thinking about it,” he said.Aaron Hardie can hold his own at the top of the order•Getty Images”There are so many players around and I think Beau Webster has certainly deserved his spot in the squad after what he’s done the past couple of years.”I aspire to put a massive amount of runs and wickets on the board in Shield cricket to really demand selection. When I get a chance to play Shield cricket again, I’m certainly looking forward to being able to push my case.”While he’s started to gain more widespread prominence, Hardie has long been held in extremely high regard in WA and early last season he took over the leadership reins for Scorchers after Turner succumbed to a knee injury. Hardie got the nod over Josh Inglis, who in recent times has captained Australia in ODI and T20I cricket.”I loved it. The tactical side of things, you certainly feel like you’re pulling the strings and to also build those relationships with the other guys was something I enjoyed,” Hardie said. I certainly learned that it takes a lot of your time off-field, with the planning side of things. If I do it again, I’ll certainly wrap my head around that a bit better. I’m looking forward to doing it again, but pretty happy for AT [Turner] to be back in the role.”Hardie presided over a typically strong regular season for Scorchers, but their dreams of a historic hat-trick of titles ended in disappointment after being stunned by Adelaide Strikers in a home elimination final. It’s a defeat that has left the BBL’s most successful franchise with plenty of motivation.”We were pretty honest with ourselves that we didn’t play our best when it mattered the most,” Hardie said. “We’ve learned some lessons and really want to get back to the type of success we’ve had over the years. I’m itching to be part of it.”

Alan is joined on the pod by Andrews Miller and McGlashan to wrap the Australia white-ball series and look ahead to England’s Test tour of Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2024England lost their ODI series with Australia 3-2 after the tourists won their race against the rain in Bristol – but thoughts are already turning to the team’s next engagement, a three-Test trip to Pakistan starting on Monday. In this week’s pod, Alan Gardner was joined by Andrew Miller and Andrew McGlashan to review “Super September” and the English summer in general, as well as look ahead to the Tests. Topics up for discussion included Harry Brook’s captaincy, 2025-26 Ashes pointers, and how well the Hundred equity sale is going.