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On Wednesday, Dheeraj Jadhav will get to a century that will be more special than any of his 23 first-class tons so far; he will feature in his 100th first-class match when Assam taken on Goa in a Ranji Trophy Group C match in Porvorim

Amol Karhadkar20-Jan-2015Dheeraj Jadhav, in living up to his name, which translates to patience in English, is reputed for his patient hundreds. On Wednesday, the Assam captain will get to a century that will be more special than any of his 23 first-class tons so far; he will feature in his 100th first-class match when Assam taken on Goa in a Ranji Trophy Group C match in Porvorim.”It is an overwhelming feeling. I would say this is the second-best achievement of my career after my India call-up,” Jadhav told ESPNcricinfo. “This wouldn’t have happened without the support of my family and all my team-mates, from all the teams I have played for.”Thirty-five-year-old Jadhav’s cricketing journey has been an arduous one so far. He learnt his early lessons on the cricket field in Mumbai. He lost his father in his teens and was forced to move to Pune along with the rest of his family. In Pune, his technique was fine-tuned by Milind Gunjal, a former Maharashtra captain, and that helped him emerge as a consistent opener for Maharashtra. His exploits in domestic cricket and for India A on the tour to Kenya in 2003-04 gave him his maiden India call-up for the last Test against Australia in Mumbai in 2004.He continued to be the reserve opener during the two-Test series in Zimbabwe in 2005. Dejected after being dropped without being given an opportunity and having fallen out with his home association, Jadhav joined the rebel Indian Cricket League in 2007. Once he returned to the BCCI’s fold, he chose to join Assam as a professional and has been plying his trade with them since 2009-10.”Had it not been for Assam cricket, I would never have played so much. They stood behind me at the time when I needed it the most,” Jadhav said. “I would have laughed it off had anyone told me six or eight years ago that I would end up playing 100 first-class matches.”

“Playing in Plate division [Group C] isn’t easy. It offers very challenging conditions. We have to play on under-prepared pitches a lot of the time. Besides, weather conditions in states like Assam, Himachal, Tripura and Jammu & Kashmir really test the mettle of a batsman.”

Jadhav’s 16-year stint in first-class cricket is thus divided into pre- and post-ICL exploits. Interestingly, his average has increased in the second phase, while playing in far from ideal conditions in the lowest rung of the tournament. If his tally of 2890 runs at 54.52 from 35 matches for Maharashtra wasn’t impressive enough, he has averaged 58.92 in 40 games for Assam, amassing 3123 runs.Jadhav’s numbers are often played down since most of them have been achieved in that lowest rung of the Ranji Trophy, though. “This is the weirdest argument made by those who don’t follow domestic cricket closely,” Jadhav said. “Playing in Plate division [Group C] isn’t easy. It offers very challenging conditions. We have to play on under-prepared pitches a lot of the time. Besides, weather conditions in states like Assam, Himachal, Tripura and Jammu & Kashmir really test the mettle of a batsman.”Jadhav hopes to lead Assam from the front and celebrate his 100th game with a victory that would take them closer to knockouts and promotion for the next season. Assam are currently placed third in Group C and are in with a good chance to finish in top two, which would help him achieve that objective.”That would be the perfect way to celebrate – win the game and inch closer to Elite division [Groups A and B]. If I can lead Assam back to the top flight, it would bring a lot satisfaction. Who knows, a strong showing against Elite teams might once again open the doors of the national team for me.”

Nottingham Forest loanee Jonjo Shelvey scored a Harry Kane and David Beckham-esque goal in the Turkish Super Lig on Sunday.

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Shelvey channelled Kane & Beckham in Turkish Super LigScored the winning goal for Caykur RizesporJoined the club on loan from Nottingham ForestWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Liverpool and Newcastle United star caught the eye with a stunning strike from inside his own half during a Turkish Super Lig clash between Caykur Rizespor and Istanbulspor. In the fifth minute of the match, the midfielder received a pass inside the centre circle in his own half and smashed the ball over the head of goalkeeper David Jensen, which proved to be the all-important winner for Rizespor.

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The former England international joined the Turkish club from Nottingham Forest on loan in September and has appeared in nine league matches so far, scoring once and providing an assist.

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WHAT NEXT?

The 31-year-old will be next seen in action for his club after the international break as Rizespor take on Antalyaspor in the Turkish Super Lig on November 26.

Benjamin Cremaschi admits that he “didn’t want to let him go” after being jumped upon by Lionel Messi during an Inter Miami goal celebration.

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Argentine superstar in the United StatesHas made an immediate impactTeam-mates love having him aroundWHAT HAPPENED?

Cremaschi is, as an 18-year-old of Argentine decent, living the dream in 2023 after being joined in Florida by seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi. He is taking as many lessons as possible from the all-time great, with rapid progress on his part earning a call-up to the senior United States squad for the last round of international fixtures – with a debut taken in for the USMNT against Oman.

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The teenager’s exploits at club level have made such recognition possible, with the youngster thriving alongside Messi. He teed up one effort for the 2022 World Cup winner during a MLS clash with the New York Red Bulls in August, allowing him to take in the most memorable of celebrations.

WHAT THEY SAID

Cremaschi has told the podcast of seeing Messi acknowledge his efforts before leaping into his arms: “Obviously he just pointed at me, kind of like dedicated it. He’s an amazing person and will never celebrate by himself. It’s incredible and just the moment he jumps on me… it was like another dream. You know, like the best player you’re celebrating a goal, incredible goal with him. I called my family after and they’re like ‘oh, how was it?’ I was like, I didn’t want to let him go!”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Cremaschi has scored three goals of his own this season as his personal stock continues to rise. Messi has plundered 11 through 12 appearances, helping Inter Miami to Leagues Cup glory and the final of the U.S. Open Cup, but he is currently nursing a knock and will be handled with care over the coming weeks in an ongoing MLS play-off bid.

The Gunners have been big spenders this summer – but Mikel Arteta still wants more firepower

There is now less than a week left of the summer transfer window.

Arsenal have been busy so far, with Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Viera, Marquinhos and Matt Turner all being brought in since the end of last season.

But will the Gunners be doing any more business before Thursday night's 11pm transfer deadline? 

Below, GOAL takes a look at what could still happen in north London during the closing days of the window.

GettyIncomings – Pedro Neto

Arsenal are interested in Pedro Neto, but as of yet they have not made an official offer to Wolves.

The discussions that have been going on behind the scenes have been taking place with Jorge Mendes, Neto’s agent.

Arsenal technical director Edu has a good relationship with Mendes and has already worked closely with him this summer as part of the deal that brought Fabio Vieira to the club from Porto.

Wolves do not want to sell Neto, but with Mendes having a huge influence at the Midlands club, he could yet have a major say on what happens with the winger during the final days of the transfer window.

If Wolves stand firm, however, and demand a fee in excess of £50 million for the 22-year-old, Arsenal fear they could be priced out of a move, given their hefty outlay on transfers over the past two summers.

While club sources insist they currently have no issues surrounding Financial Fair Play rules and that things are being run in line with Premier League and UEFA regulations, there is an acceptance that a deal for Neto could prove to be too expensive to pursue this summer.

Arsenal have only brought in around £20 million from sales this summer and the prospect of bringing in any substantial funds during the closing days of the window appears slim.

AdvertisementGettyYouri Tielemans

Tielemans’ story has been an interesting one this summer.

Arsenal hold a long-term interest in the Leicester City midfielder and were expected to bid for him following talks with his representatives last season.

But they have yet to submit an offer, leaving Tielemans – who has just one year left on his deal with the Foxes – somewhat in limbo.

He expected to move this summer, with Leicester open to sanctioning his exit to bring in some funds.

But Arsenal focused their attention elsewhere as they prioritised other signings and they have yet to rekindle their interest in the Belgium international.

There is still a chance Tielemans will move before the deadline and while it’s unlikely it will be to Arsenal, the possibility can’t be entirely ruled out, given how long the midfielder has been on the radar at the Emirates and the work that has already been done behind the scenes with his agent.

GettyA wildcard?

If Neto proves to be too expensive and Arsenal continue to overlook Tielemans, could there be a surprise arrival over the final week of the window?

Mikel Arteta has publicly stated his desire to do some more business, with the Gunners boss admitting after the win at Bournemouth last weekend that he wanted more ‘firepower’.

One player who is believed to be of interest is Yeremy Pino at Villarreal, with sources in Spain confirming to GOAL that the 19-year-old is admired by the North London club.

But just like Neto, Pino would not come cheap, and no offer has been made at this stage.

Wilfried Zaha is another name that is being touted around, but prizing him away from Crystal Palace this late in the window would be extremely difficult.

“We want to only bring top quality through that door,” Arteta said last week. “Otherwise it’s not worth it.”

Arsenal showed in January that they won’t push the panic button and bring a player in just for the sake of it if they can’t get their main targets.

So the prospect of them spending big money on a player who they might not be convinced by seems slim.

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Getty/GoalOutgoings – Hector Bellerin

With Nicolas Pepe’s loan move to Nice now confirmed, attentions shifts to getting the last couple of unwanted players out of the door.

A move to Real Betis remains the most likely option for Hector Bellerin, but Barcelona are also lurking.

The Catalan outfit have yet to make an official offer for the right-back as they have been looking at Juan Foyth at Villarreal, but they have been in talks with the Arsenal star's camp.

And Bellerin’s representatives are waiting to see if Barcelona firm up their interest in the defender as deadline day approaches.

Betis meanwhile are working to free up space in their squad for Bellerin, who enjoyed a fine loan spell with the La Liga outfit last season.

They are also hoping that Arsenal will come to an agreement to terminate Bellerin’s contract a year early.

Talks between Arsenal and Belelrin’s representatives have taken place about a potential termination, but so far no agreement has been reached.

The expectation is, however, that Bellerin will certainly leave Arsenal before the end of the window.

A formidable squad packed with international talent gives Sunrisers Hyderabad a leg up, but nailing down a winning combination and managing the expectation from those big names could be their greatest challenge

Vishal Dikshit05-Apr-20152:12

Sunrisers Hyderabad team preview

Likely first XI1 David Warner (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 KL Rahul, 4 Naman Ojha (wk), 5 Eoin Morgan/ Ravi Bopara, 6 Hanuma Vihari, 7 Ashish Reddy, 8 Dale Steyn, 9 Trent Boult, 10 Karn Sharma, 11 Ishant Sharma/ Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Click here for the full squad2014 finishAfter winning only two of their first six matches last season, Sunrisers Hyderabad failed to impress in the second half as well and finished sixth. First under Shikhar Dhawan and then led by Darren Sammy, they didn’t quite live up to expectations after an impressive debut season in 2013.Big PictureWith arguably the strongest bowling unit this IPL, and some big purchases in the auction, Sunrisers Hyderabad have left no stone unturned to undo their poor outing of 2014. Dale Steyn, Trent Boult, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma bring international quality to their attack. Combine that with David Warner, Shikhar Dhawan, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara and Kane Williamson, and Sunrisers possess a squad that is formidable and full of options, at least on paper.Their challenge will be living up to the expectations tagged with those big names. It is also easy to spot a reliance on overseas players. Steyn, Boult, Warner, Morgan and Bopara are all match-winners, but only four of them can be selected. With Warner as captain, there is room for only three of the others. Picking Steyn and Boult would leave one spot open for Morgan and Bopara, and vice-versa. That means no space for Williamson or Moises Henriques.Oppositions will probably see a weak link in Sunrisers’ middle order. If Warner and Morgan fail initially, much of the responsibility will fall upon the domestic players but Naman Ojha, Hanuma Vihari and KL Rahul do not have the same weight of experience to draw from. The spin department this year will without Amit Mishra, the second-highest wicket-taker in IPL, and much will rest on Parvez Rasool and Karn Sharma, who again have little international experience.However, Sunrisers’ biggest loss came when Kevin Pietersen pulled out of the league stage to bolster his chances of an England return. That said, even if half of the international names in the squad fire for Sunrisers, making the eliminators this time may not prove to be as tough as last year.Big PlayersSunrisers’ biggest strength lies in their openers – both batsmen and bowlers. Who would want to face Trent Boult and Dale Steyn together? And who would want to bowl to Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner in the first six overs?Bargain BuyKane Williamson, who has it in him to become New Zealand’s best batsman ever according to Martin Crowe, will make his IPL debut this season. His style is more suited for Tests and ODIs, but his T20 strike rate is 117 and he already has a hundred under his belt. Rs 60 lakh for such a batsman? Any day.AvailabilityAlthough Kevin Pietersen was their biggest buy in terms of brand name, his commitment to Surrey and England has made him unavailable until the eliminators at least. Whether he is part of the English Test summer or not, Kane Williamson and Trent Boult sure will be. Barring unforeseen circumstances, they join the New Zealand squad for their two games at Lord’s and Headingley by May 19 and won’t be available after the league stage.CoachesSunrisers roped in Muttiah Muralitharan as bowling coach and team mentor in January this year after the former offspinner was released by Royal Challengers Bangalore. Muralitharan will join VVS Laxman, Kris Srikanth and Tom Moody in the dugout.Quote”It’s definitely a huge loss, but that said, we have good replacements for Pietersen in Kane Williamson and Eoin Morgan”

Madhya Pradesh wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha, who finished the Ranji season with 645 runs including four successive fifty-plus score in the knockouts, has been named as the captain of the 15-man Rest of India squad

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2016Madhya Pradesh wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha, who finished the Ranji Trophy season with 645 runs including four successive fifty-plus scores in the knockouts, has been named as the captain of the 15-man Rest of India squad. They will play 41-time Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai in the Irani Cup at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, starting March 6.The squad, which was announced shortly after the Ranji final, featured two Saurashtra players – Sheldon Jackson and Jaydev Unadkat. Jackson tallied 538 runs in 10 matches at 57.41, while Unadkat had a breakthrough season after injury, taking 40 wickets at 20.12.The squad also included the top two wicket-takers of the season – Jharkhand left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem and Assam pacer Krishna Das. Punjab pacer Barinder Sran, who recently made his international debut in Australia, and Vidarbha offspinner Akshay Wakhare were also in the bowling mix.Karun Nair, who scored 500 runs this season compared to last time’s 709, was one of the two Karnataka players in this year’s Irani Cup squad, along with Stuart Binny. Vidarbha’s Faiz Fazal and Jammu and Kashmir’s Ian Dev Singh add more weight to the batting line-up. Andhra’s Srikar Bharat was the other wicketkeeper in the squad apart from Ojha. Assam’s Arun Karthik, who was the third highest run-getter this season behind Shreyas Iyer and Akhil Herwadkar, and allrounder Jalaj Saxena, who piled up 588 runs and 49 wickets, didn’t find a place in the squad.Rest of India squad: KS Bharat, Faiz Fazal, Karun Nair, Sheldon Jackson, Naman Ojha (captain), Stuart Binny, Shahbaz Nadeem, Jayant Yadav, Nathu Singh, Jaydev Unadkat, Barinder Sran, Krishna Das, Sudip Chatterjee, Ian Dev Singh, Akshay Wakhare.

Bayern Munich earned another memorable victory over Barcelona, this time beating the Spanish club 2-0 on Tuesday.

Barcelona took Bayern Munich's star this summer, but the German club continue to torment the Blaugrana with or without Robert Lewandowski.

Talk of a new era, spurred on by the Lewandowski signing, will be put on hold, even if the Catalans were much better this time around than they have been in recent meetings. They were actually in control for much of the first half, but were far too wasteful in front of the net.

From the famous 8-2 to a pair of 3-0 results last season, Bayern Munich have humbled Barcelona in recent years, and Xavi's team were quieted once again at the Allianz Arena.

Lucas Hernandez seized the momentum with a header early in the second half, while an absolutely dazzling finish from Leroy Sane sealed Barcelona's fate.

Getty ImagesThe Winners

Dayot Upamecano:

A wall. An absolute wall.

What a performance from the French defender, who was handed the start over Matthijs de Ligt. He paid back Julian Nagelsmann in a big way.

Upamecano was virtually faultless, going toe-to-toe with his former team-mate Lewandowski all day. He snuffed out several clear-cut chances, essentially saving the game several times before Bayern Munich's attack turned on.

He was often criticised in his first season with Bayern Munich, but he's a key man now.

Leroy Sane:

What can you say about that goal?

It's moments of magic like Sane's that get fans out of their seats, and boy did they rise at the Allianz. Sane can do things that few in the world can match.

There's something special about seeing him in full stride, although Barcelona won't feel as happy to have witnessed it. As he ran straight through Barcelona's new-look defence, all they could do was chase what must have felt like a shadow.

And as Sane tapped his shot past Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and into the back of the net, the game was effectively over.

The Bayern Munich way:

The players and coaches change, but the results sure don't. Bayern are Bayern, no matter who wears the shirt.

Lewandowski was on the other side, but it didn't matter. Bayern Munich had others pick up the slack.

As Gary Lineker once famously said, "Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win."

No one better exemplifies that than Bayern Munich – when you come to their home, you know what you're in for. It may not have been as dominant in as years past, but it was equally effective.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers

Robert Lewandowski:

This wasn't the homecoming he dreamed about.

Lewandowski was all smiles before the match, greeting his former team-mates in the tunnel. He embraced Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich, players who stood alongside him as he became arguably the best in the world.

But, playing in his former home, Lewandowski didn't look like the best in the world. Instead, he looked oddly human.

Lewandowski was uncharacteristically wasteful, even if he was as dominant as usual when it came to chance creation.

Chances were missed and moments were wasted, as Lewandowski and Barcelona were never able to seize control of the game, even if they should have.

Marcos Alonso:

For 45 minutes, Alonso demonstrated exactly why Barcelona signed him from Chelsea. He looked like the stopgap everyone expected to be, an exceptional left-back to bridge the gap from Jordi Alba to the next generation.

One moment of negligence doesn't lose him that status, but it did contribute to Barcelona losing the game.

It was a mental lapse that those that follow Chelsea would be familiar with. With the game still scoreless after a strong Barcelona first half, Alonso completely turned off for a set piece.

Lucas Hernandez dashed in, and Alonso was left defending no one. Completely free with his header, it was an easy finish for the French World Cup winner.

Ousmane Dembele:

Dembele has played himself into a different stratosphere this year, becoming one of the most dangerous wingers in the world. Becuse of that, the expectations are now higher.

World-class wingers aren't allowed to be as wasteful as Dembele was because, wow, was he wasteful. Dembele gave the ball away time and time again as Barcelona's attack lacked the needed edge in the final third.

Raphinha, Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres… Barcelona can survive a day when they aren't at their best. But, at this point, they can't win these big games unless Dembele is an absolute killer, and he simply wasn't on Tuesday night.

Getty ImagesBarcelona Ratings: Defence

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (5/10):

Absolutely undone by Sane, but so was the entire Barcelona defence.

Marcos Alonso (5/10):

Solid, except for one moment, but it was the one moment that counted.

Andreas Christensen (7/10):

Didn't do much wrong and won every duel he was a part of.

Ronald Araujo (6/10):

Nothing spectacular.

Jules Kounde (6/10):

Played at right-back. Not much offensively, but was okay in defence.

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Getty ImagesMidfield

Pedri (7/10):

What a player he is. Deserved at least one or two goal contributions. Arguably Barcelona's best man – though he should have finished better.

Sergio Busquets (6/10):

Started over Kessie, was good on the ball, but did have a few scary moments as Bayern Munich overran the midfield.

Gavi (7/10):

All intensity as a new contract nears. Fantastic on the ball, but was sacrificed after the goals.

Former Portugal and Barcelona star Deco has revealed the unique skill set possessed by Cristiano Ronaldo that left him stunned.

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All-time great started out as a tricky wingerMorphed into a record-breaking frontmanHas risen to the very top of the world gameWHAT HAPPENED?

Deco, who is now sporting director at Camp Nou, took in 57 international appearances alongside CR7 during his playing days. They only suffered 10 defeats when lining up together, with both men making their senior debuts for the Selecao in 2003.

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Ronaldo has gone on to become a five-time Ballon d’Or winner and all-time great, but that potential was always clear to see. He used to leave team-mates amazed in training and on match days, with Deco spotting one particular trait that he had never seen in anybody else.

WHAT DECO SAID ABOUT RONALDO

Deco has told of what makes Ronaldo so special: “Simply being around someone who was obviously different, on and off the pitch. I was struck by his ability, his speed and the way he played. His game had a lot of intensity. He tired out the opposition – he didn’t let the opposing full-back breathe. That was something I hadn’t seen in any player up to that point. He always had great technical ability, too. It was amazing to watch him.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Ronaldo started out as a tricky winger, as he danced around opposition full-backs with quick feet, but quickly morphed into a fearsome frontman and is now the proud owner of countless goalscoring records. He is still going strong at 39 years of age, with there no sign of the evergreen icon slowing down at Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr or with the Portuguese national team as they ready themselves for Euro 2024.

Former batsman Basit Ali has been named chief of Pakistan’s junior national selection committee and will head a four-member panel

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2014Former batsman Basit Ali has been named chief of Pakistan’s junior national selection committee and will head a four-member panel, the PCB has announced.The committee also includes former Test cricketers Ali Naqvi and Farrukh Zaman, and Ali Zia, general manager (cricket development) at the National Cricket Academy. Basit and Zaman had earlier served as junior selectors in 2008.Compared to Javed Miandad in his early years, Basit played 19 Tests in a two-year span between 1993 and 1995, while his 50-match ODI career stretched until 1996.Naqvi, a right-hand batsman, scored a Test century on debut against South Africa in October 1997 but played the last of his five Tests just a few months later in March 1998. Zaman, a left-arm spinner, played just one Test in 1976. Zia, who bowled medium-pace and legspin, has extensive first-class experience – having played 165 first-class games and 62 one-dayers between 1974 and 1993.

These are two teams whose recent fortunes could hardly have been more contrasting

The Preview by Andrew McGlashan21-Mar-2014Match FactsMarch 22, Chittagong
Start time 1930 local (1330GMT)Michael Lumb has been in good hitting form from the West Indies•Getty ImagesThe Big PictureThese are two teams whose recent fortunes could hardly have been more contrasting: New Zealand had a home season where their game has been reinvigorated – capped by victories over India in both Tests and ODIs – while England lurched from disaster to disaster in Australia and have barely started the recovery process despite a small improvement in the West Indies.New Zealand are usually fancied to at least reach the knockout stages of global events; England are rarely fancied to stay too long. That is pretty much the status quo this time.This is a match between sides that play a similar brand of cricket. Neither side possess the unorthodox spin which is tipped to be eye-catching over the next couple of weeks, instead relying on more traditional bowling resources such as finger spin, brisk pace bowling and medium-pace cutters.However, where the balance is tipped in New Zealand’s favours is the batting power and the form of those individuals. Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Luke Ronchi and the latest star, Corey Anderson, provide destructive capabilities.England’s batting has provided the odd flash of encouragement – notably from Michael Lumb and Jos Buttler – but there has been precious little consistency with how they have built recent innings. Eoin Morgan appears short of form, and questions remain over the severity of his knee problem (the captain, Stuart Broad, also has his own knee worries), while the absence of you-know-who continues to hang like a dark cloud.Form guide(completed matches, most recent first)
England WLLLL
New ZealandWWLWWWatch out for…Michael Lumb has looked in as good form as any of England’s top order in the last couple of weeks. He blitzed a career-best 63 in the third T20 against West Indies and struck the ball cleanly in the warm-up match against India. As with all England’s batsmen he is more comfortable with pace on the ball and off the pitch, so if the Chittagong surface retains its characteristics from the opening round it will suit him.Brendon McCullum has had a career-defining few months, leading his side to victories over India and scoring New Zealand’s first Test triple-hundred. And now he is back in the format that helped cement his global fame when he struck 158 in the first ever IPL match. He is far and away the leading run-scorer in T20 internationals and he could play a floating role in New Zealand’s order depending on the match situation. England have felt the force of his blade a few times before.Team newsStuart Broad, who appears to have overcome his knee injury for now, spoke about consistency of selection, which means that Ian Bell is likely to continue sitting on the bench having not played since being flown to the West Indies. With the seamers being in the game more at this venue, England will be tempted to go for the extra quick ahead of the second frontline spinner in Stephen Parry. Chris Jordan, the likely man to benefit, also brings some power to the lower order.England (possible) 1 Michael Lumb, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Ravi Bopara, 7 Tim Bresnan, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Stuart Broad (capt), 10 James Tredwell, 11 Jade DernbachKane Williamson will provide the top-order anchor around the big hitters and his offspin will also come in very handy. Anton Devcich, the allrounder who bowls left-arm spin, could keep Ronnie Hira out of the starting XI. New Zealand have a strong hand of pace options; Trent Boult will find it hard to earn a spot.New Zealand (possible) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Kane Williamson, 3 Brendon McCullum (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Corey Anderson, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 Anton Devcich, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Mitchell McClenaghanPitch and conditionsThe pitch was a little grassy on the eve of the match with skiddy bounce rather than turn expected which would certainly please England. Broad thought it would go through for the quicks. Dew could be a problem for the evening game; England trained with wet balls to prepare for such an eventually.Stats and trivia Brendon McCullum needs 41 runs to reach 2000 in T20Is – he is already 624 ahead of the man in second place: Mahela Jayawardene Since January 2013, England have won just four out 13 T20 fixtures – only one Full Member, Bangladesh, has won fewer. However, England have a strong head-to-head record against New Zealand with seven wins against three defeats.Quotes”I think these conditions might suit us a little bit more than Dhaka and as players we need to make sure we make use them.”
“It’s much better for us. He is obviously a world-class player and there is a demand for him around the world as well. “