يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، لمواجهة قوية وهامة أمام منافسه الإسماعيلي، وذلك ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز “دوري النيل”.

ويلتقى الزمالك مع الإسماعيلي على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي، في إطار مباريات الجولة الـ 30 من مسابقة الدوري المصري.

ويحتل الزمالك المركز التاسع في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 38 نقطة، بينما يأتي الإسماعيلي بالمركز الثالث عشر، وفي رصيده 31 نقطة.

طالع أيضاً.. الزمالك يستهدف عودة الانتصارات في مواجهة قوية أمام الإسماعيلي بـ الدوري

نادي الزمالك خاض 23 مباراة في بطولة الدوري المصري، حقق الفوز في 11 مباراة وتعادل في 5 مواجهات وخسر في 7 مباريات، على الجانب الآخر لعب الدراويش 29 مواجهة، فاز في 7 وتعادل في 10 وتلقى 12 هزيمة. موعد مباراة الزمالك والإسماعيلي في الدوري المصري

تنطلق المباراة اليوم الأحد 7 يوليو 2024، في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الزمالك والإسماعيلي اليوم

من المقرر أن تُنقل المباراة عبر فضائية أون تايم سبورتس 1. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الزمالك والإسماعيلي في الدوري

يتولى مهمة التعليق على أحداث المباراة مؤمن حسن.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.  

Tottenham Hotspur recorded yet another enthralling last-gasp victory over the weekend, crawling past nine-man Liverpool to claim a late 2-1 win.

It was far from the most stellar display that manager Ange Postecoglou has enjoyed since his June appointment, but one he will remain equally proud of, as his side showed spirit to once again score in added time and claim all three points for the second weekend in the last three.

How did Spurs play vs Liverpool?

Having fought well with the travelling Reds early on in the encounter, the match was flipped on its head when Curtis Jones saw his challenge deemed sufficient for a red card, and the Liverpool-born midfielder was dismissed.

The Lilywhites would capitalise just ten minutes later, before being pegged back on the stroke of half time.

Enjoying 65% of the ball, it actually seemed like the sending-off united Jurgen Klopp's men, forcing them into a compact unit with which the hosts struggled to break down. Despite that, raining down 24 shots helped to allow Alisson to flex his goalkeeping muscles, and prove once again why he is one of the best in the world, via Sofascore.

Aside from that, James Maddison also enjoyed a busy afternoon, with his 8.0 rating only bettered by Pedro Porro on the home side. However, despite the surprise standout, it could be argued that the main benefit to take from the match was Richarlison's performance, who seems to have found his home on the left wing.

How did Richarlison play vs Liverpool?

Although much of the coverage on the Brazilian in pre-season was surrounding his role in replacing Harry Kane up front, a similarly toothless start to the campaign quickly dispelled that suggestion, with Heung-min Son instead slotting into that role.

Having been forced to watch largely from the sidelines since his benching, his Australian boss sought to recall him on Saturday, instead opting to place the £90k-per-week dynamo out wide where he first earned success with Watford.

The 7.8 rating that was subsequently earned marked the venture as a huge success, with the 26-year-old managing two key passes, contributing with five shots, and sliding across a perfect trivela pass for Son's opener, via Sofascore.

He was a constant threat despite lacking the natural pace and trickery that a wide man would usually command, instead utilising his intelligence and physical attributes to keep Joe Gomez constantly engaged.

Given he came from the bench to score and assist against Sheffield United during their last home clash, perhaps this marks the true commencement of a career that once promised much after his £60m move from Everton.

Having scored just once all last season, it is easy to see why many rushed to write off Richarlison.

In fact, talkSPORT pundit Jamie O'Hara even branded him the "flop of the season".

However, with the forward already over halfway towards reaching his tally of five league goal contributions, it certainly is set to be a far more promising term for the 46-cap international.

Especially if Postecoglou is to keep the relentless attacker in that left-wing position, which could prove a masterstroke.

England have the chance to expose India’s middle-order muddle again as teams square up for another decider

Melinda Farrell at Headingley16-Jul-2018England will use the third and final ODI at Headingley to simulate the pressure of a World Cup knockout, according to Mark Wood. With the series locked at one-all and the previous two games ending in a comfortable win for each side, the scales are balanced. However a win for England, after losing the T20I series and suffering a big loss in the opening match, would be a welcome boost ahead of the upcoming Test series, and with the World Cup less than a year away.”I think for the Test-match side of things, it is great to get certain people out or get runs against them,” said Wood. “But it is more of impact for the World Cup.”If we can use this game as a semi-final, a must-win with the pressure on, we can learn what we are doing wrong if we don’t win or what we are doing right if we do win. Over the past year we have dealt with these situations well and hopefully we can carry on that trend tomorrow.”Jason Roy is in doubt for the decider after lacerating his right little finger while fielding at Lord’s on Saturday. He will be assessed in the morning and, if he is deemed unfit, will likely be replaced by James Vince, who came into the squad when Dawid Malan was called up for the England Lions’ four-day match against India A. Sam Billings will also join the squad as cover.Whichever batsman completes the line-up, the challenge of negating the left-arm wrist-spin of Kuldeep Yadav, who has taken a total of 14 wickets in four limited-overs matches on this tour, remains a key focus for England.Joe Root’s century was instrumental to the victory at Lord’s and the way he grew more assured in picking the variations of Kuldeep is an encouraging sign for the England camp.”It’s definitely a plus point for our players to bat well against him,” said Wood. “I know he still took wickets but we managed to get some runs against him and put him under a little bit of pressure.”I think the main thing is he keeps getting wickets in his first over. So I think that’s the key going into this game, that if he gets a wicket early doors, his confidence is up again. So if we can try to nullify that wicket-taking option that he’s got straight away, then hopefully we can shift the momentum against him to us.”Continuing the theme of an unusually hot and dry English summer, the pitch at Headingley had barely any tinges of green showing on the eve of the day, and Wood believes that, once again, there will be little assistance to the fast bowlers in terms of swing or seam in the early overs.”The grounds have all been drier,” said Wood. “The pitch on top has looked pretty good and looked like normal wickets but we found at Lord’s we went to cutters and shorter balls earlier than we would if it had been normal weather and the ball nipping around.”We have had to bowl more variations. I feel with my skiddy pace, I am a similar height to the Indian lads so I’m used to what they are facing. With my pace on slower wickets it is actually easier for them to play. We made the decision last game that more cutters were needed and that helped with trying to pick up earlier wickets.”

Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel has revealed how motivated Harry Kane is and how it helps the team perform better as they prepare to take on Lazio.

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• Bayern to face Lazio on Tuesday
• Tuchel trusts Kane to perform
• Lost the first leg 1-0 away to Lazio

• getty images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  With their backs against the wall, as they take on Lazio in the second leg of their last 16 clash, Tuchel has offered insight into how he plans on getting the best out of his super striker. The club has been suffering through a low point in their season as they have only managed one win in their last five matches.

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• WHAT TUCHEL SAID

  When asked how he plans to motivate Kane, Tuchel told reporters: "It's not necessary to give him additional motivation. There's no doubt about how he behaves. He has a big impact on every team, and on every player. He's not very outspoken, and not a loudspeaker, but the way he does things is very focused and always has an impact on the team. It's a pleasure to have him on the team, and a gift to be his coach. He'll perform tomorrow. We can rely on him 100%."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kane had a superb start to life in Germany as he equalled and broke several goalscoring records, however, since the resumption of the league after the winter break, the England captain's goal-scoring and creating output has taken a severe hit. He has only managed to score six goals since January after having scored 22 goals in the first 16 games of the season.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

  Kane will lead the line yet again for the Bavarian side as they will take on Lazio on Tuesday, March 5 at Allianz Arena. Bayern will look to come back from the one-goal deficit that they picked up in the first leg.

MatériaMais Notícias

Atual campeão brasileiro sub-20, o Flamengo alcançou, contra o Palmeiras, na última quarta-feira, a quinta vitória consecutiva na edição de 2020. Ao bater o Verdão por 2 a 1, em duelo que reeditou a final de 2019, o time do técnico Maurício Souza subiu à quinta colocação, com 17 pontos, e está na briga por uma das oito vagas à próxima fase da competição.

Para o treinador, que tem à disposição uma equipe bastante jovem até para a categoria, sobretudo por Domènec Torrent estar utilizando diversos Garotos do Ninho nos profissionais, a recuperação do Flamengo deve-se ao seguinte fato:

– Estamos evoluindo tecnicamente e absorvendo melhor as ideias. Temos um elenco bastante qualificado, mas que muda as peças constantemente. Com as ideias entendidas e fixadas, o nível técnico do time foi elevado, conforme nosso planejamento – comentou.

Maurício está satisfeito com a evolução da equipe e otimista com a perspectiva de ter mais tempo para preparar o grupo, uma vez que terá a semana completa para trabalhar depois do próximo jogo. Recentemente, recebeu os “reforços” do lateral-esquerdo Ramon e do zagueiro Gabriel Noga, que “desceram” para o jogo deste domingo – Dome quer mantê-los com ritmo de jogo.

– Os setores estão conectados, os meninos estão com as funções desenvolvidas individual e coletivamente, fruto da disposição deles também em absorver ao máximo as nossas ideias de jogo. As semanas completas para treinamentos que teremos, e será a primeira vez nesta temporada, serão importantes para isso. O sinal mais claro para nós de que está funcionando dentro do esperado é que o desempenho do grupo tem crescido e notamos isso não com os resultados, que têm surgido, mas ao avaliar as nuances do jogo. É isso o que vai nos aproximar das vitórias.

O Flamengo de Mauricinho volta a campo neste domingo, às 15h, para receber o Ceará, na Gávea e em partida válida pela 11ª rodada do Brasileiro Sub-20.

VITÓRIA E VAGA PELA TAÇA RIO

Mais cedo, comandado pelo técnico Mário Jorge e com uma garotada mais jovem ainda em relação ao grupo de Mauricinho, o Flamengo venceu oMacaé por 2 a 1 e assegurou uma vaga às quartas da Taça Rio Sub-20. Os gols foram deRonaldo e Igor Lemos.

Mário Jorge utilizou os seguintes jogadores, nesta manhã:Bruno, Braian (Jhonata), Diego Ritter, Kaiky, Ítalo; Lucas André (Danilo), Maycon, André (João Marcelo); Sidney (Vitor Muller), Ronald (Igor Lemos) e Lucas Bauru (Samuel).

RelacionadasBrasileirãoAtlético-MG x Flamengo: prováveis times, onde ver, desfalques e palpitesBrasileirão07/11/2020Flamengo‘Preparem as placas’: Gabigol retorna para o jogo contra o Atlético-MG; veja os relacionados do FlamengoFlamengo07/11/2020

Manchester City's Txiki Begiristain is "bored" of the "same" Champions League draw after the treble winners were again pitted against Real Madrid.

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• City will play Real Madrid in the UCL last-eight
• Begiristain left unimpressed with UCL draw
• Remains confident that they will overcome the challenge

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The encounter with Real Madrid marks the third consecutive season that Manchester City and the Spanish giants have met in the knockout stages. In the 2022 campaign, Real Madrid secured a dramatic 6-5 aggregate victory over City in the semi-finals. However, City exacted revenge last season, delivering a stunning 5-1 aggregate triumph on their way to lifting the trophy for the first time in the club's history.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite the exhilarating matchups in recent years, Begiristain is vexed with facing the same opponents time and again. In fact, the two teams have met eight times in the Champions League since the 2015-16 season – and before that, they had crossed paths on just two occasions.

• WHAT BEGIRISTAIN SAID

  After the draw, Begiristain said: "What a pity. These balls bore me; it's always the same. This year's draw is identical to last year's, just swap Liverpool with Arsenal… We will try to replicate what we succeeded in doing last season when we made it to the final against Real."

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• BEGIRISTAIN CONFIDENT OF GETTING PAST REAL MADRID

  Begiristain believes that City's commanding 4-0 victory in the second leg of last season's semi-final serves as a source of inspiration for the upcoming clash and Pep Guardiola's troops will once again emerge triumphant over Los Blancos over the two legs.

  “Now it’s Real Madrid but we have to remember we beat them last season in the semi-finals so we will try to remember that,” Begiristain pointed out.

  “We need to remember that we beat them last season in the semi-final and we played at home in the second leg. We did a top, top job in the second leg but we need to remember how strong they are and that they are top of their league and that they enjoy this competition.

  “It’s the history of Real Madrid. Every time they face up in this competition, they think they are going to win. The only thing is that we are confident. We are doing well, we have been in the last years fighting for this competition and at the end we won it. “Also, the competition that we are doing this year has also been very good. We have been winning all games so we hope that we can keep this rhythm. Mentally we are strong."

Wolverhampton Wanderers seem to be emerging from the ashes of a trialling summer at Molineux, after the club were forced to undergo restrictions due to issues relating to financial fair play (FFP).

The Old Gold offloaded a host of key talent in order to generate profit to balance the books, leaving the squad inherited by Gary O’Neil short on quality and with little direction.

Last campaign, Wolves went through a rollercoaster of obstacles, from managerial changes, to relegation threats, to lack of individual performance, with all issues somewhat overcome as Julen Lopetegui ensured the club remained in the Premier League.

While the Midlands side generated millions thanks to departures on the back of the 2022/23 campaign, the club spent a magnitude of money to maintain certain squad members throughout the season with high wage demands.

Despite it being a testing time for all at the club, some players earned their salaries on the pitch more than others, as highlighted by the end-of-season statistics that saw Wolves as the lowest-scorers in the league with just 31 scored in 38 games played.

While there was little improvement in the third throughout the course of the season, it can’t be said that no efforts were made to bolster the options in attack at the beginning of the campaign, with one deadly talisman hired to reinstate the goals.

Why did Wolves sign Diego Costa?

In September 2022, it was announced that Wolves had signed former Chelsea striker Diego Costa as a free agent on a one-year deal.

The season prior to his Premier League return, the Spaniard had been playing back in his birth country of Brazil at Clube Atletico Mineiro, after abruptly leaving Atletico Madrid for personal reasons.

On paper, it was the ideal capture for Bruno Lage’s side, who were left depleted in the strike department after 2022 summer signing Sasa Kalajdzic ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament shortly after arriving.

It was always a wish for the Old Gold to bring in further reinforcements to the front line to compete with, and support, Raul Jimenez, who was struggling for form and had become a less reliable outlet for goals at Molineux.

Despite signing at the age of 34, Wolves knew just how potent Costa could be in England, given his proficiency when leading the line at Stamford Bridge during his three-year spell at Chelsea.

How many goals did Diego Costa score?

Renowned for his bizarre on-pitch antics, his animalistic approach to play and most prominently, his goal-scoring presence, Costa had one of the highest rises and falls in the Premier League.

After signing for Chelsea from Atletico Madrid for £32m in 2014, the Blues knew just how much of a prolific striker they were receiving, as he ended the 2013/14 campaign as La Liga’s third-highest scorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

Costa netted 27 goals in 35 appearances in his final season at Atletico, continuing his rich scoring streak in the Premier League as he scored 20 in 26 league appearances for Chelsea to guide the Blues to the title.

While his form dipped to 12 goals in 28 appearances the season after in the league, he amended his tally in the 2016/17 campaign back to 20 to repeat history and assist Chelsea in once again winning the league.

After three years, Costa dramatically returned to Atletico after experiencing differences with Antonio Conte, drawing a line under his career in England with 59 goals in 120 appearances for the west Londoners.

Four years after his departure from the Premier League, he returned sporting the Old Gold of Wolves, yet his scoring record was far from as stellar as it was at Stamford Bridge.

Diego Costa's Premier League record

Season

Club

Apps

Goals

League Position

2014/15

Chelsea

26

20

1st

2015/16

Chelsea

28

12

10th

2016/17

Chelsea

35

20

1st

2022/23

Wolves

23

1

13th

Figures via Transfermarkt

While Costa’s role in Lage’s side was far from being a title-delivering talisman, and more of a sporadic support system for the fellow strikers in the side, he was also far from a reliable goalscorer to call upon when needed.

In 25 appearances for Wolves, the Spaniard scored just once, with his only goal coming on matchweek 31 of the Premier League season with a highly celebrated goal against Brentford.

How much did Diego Costa cost Wolves?

According to Capology, Costa picked up a wage of £50k-per-week at Wolves, a fraction of his £150k-per-week earnings at Chelsea, telling of the less demanding role he was hired to cover in the Midlands.

His £2.6m-per-year salary at Wolves made him a higher earner than the likes of Mario Lemina and Craig Dawson, who both played integral roles last term, and notably level on earnings to Ruben Neves, who was the club’s top scorer in an abysmal squad scoring campaign.

Was he worth it?

It was never the intention or duty of Costa to be the star man at Molineux, and despite his lack of goals, he was a highly thought of figure at the club and in the dressing room.

As relayed by journalist Nathan Judah, Lopetegui waxed lyrical about the Spaniard’s influence on the team, dubbing him as “superb” and paying homage to his “work and mentality”.

The former Chelsea sensation added an element of support behind the scenes at Molineux, which played a part in the squad maintaining their Premier League status despite reaching the lows of the bottom of the table during the campaign.

While his success went far beyond his on-pitch performance, the Spaniard essentially cost Wolves £2.6m per goal, scoring just once during his £50k-per-week year in Wolverhampton.

He didn’t fulfil or improve the club’s absence in the final third, but did bring his personality and experience to the dressing room – whether that warranted a salary as high as £2.6m is questionable.

What is Diego Costa doing now?

Costa opted to return to Brazil at the expiration of his one-year deal at Molineux, where he now plays for Serie A side Botafogo at the age of 35.

The Brazilian-born ace has experienced a fast start to life back in his home country, having scored two goals in seven league appearances so far.

For his contribution to the entire squad at Wolves, and his presence in England throughout his career, Costa will forever be remembered fondly in the Premier League, however his time at Molineux was far from as accomplished as perhaps initially expected.

Tottenham Hotspur are a side seemingly unstoppable at the moment, having added to their unbeaten run recently with a spirited win at Luton Town. In the Premier League, Ange Postecoglou has made his side unbeatable, and toppling Manchester United and Liverpool whilst also recording a fine away draw at Arsenal should stand as further proof.

Whilst the football is enthralling, and the mindset is one completely altered for the better, it is arguably his transfers which have been the most impressive, with some of his key acquisitions having already grown into hugely integral figures in north London.

James Maddison needs no introduction for his fine start to life in N17, with his offensive impetus and creative energy making him one of the division's most in-form assets. Then, Saturday's match-winner Micky van de Ven is another who seemingly goes from strength to strength, adding a goal to the impressively solid foundation his presence has ushered in.

Should the Lilywhites maintain such proficiency in the market over the coming windows, the sky truly is the limit for their progression under the former Celtic man.

It seems that Daniel Levy has learnt from his high-profile blunders of the past, and is now desperate to ensure he avoids replicating them by acting with decisiveness when a target is identified.

However, that has not always been the way they have operated…

Who is Spurs' worst-ever signing?

Outlining Spurs' worst-ever signing is a tough feat, but unfortunately not because there is a shortage of options.

If someone were to pose such a question to a group of fans, it is highly likely they would all throw different answers at the interviewer. "Tanguy Ndombele for £63m," one might shout. "Richarlison cost £60m and has only scored two Premier League goals," is another that would be justifiable.

When stretching even further back, the likes of Roberto Soldado, Erik Lamela, Paulinho and David Bentley would again make completely viable options.

However, with regard to pound-for-pound profligacy, it would be hard to look beyond Vincent Janssen, who whilst might not take the top spot, certainly would be a fierce contender given his ill-fated stint in north London that lasted three miserable years.

Joining from the Netherlands, having enjoyed a hugely proficient spell for AZ Alkmaar, the 29-year-old was signed as some ample competition for Harry Kane, who had burst onto the scene with a string of fine goalscoring campaigns, but was yet to offer enough to suggest it would be even close to the longlasting success eventually earned.

Therefore, the Dutchman was brought in, leaving Mauricio Pochettino delighted with his business. The current Chelsea boss would note: "Vincent is still very young and his potential is massive to develop,” said Mauricio of the 22-year-old. “He has a profile that fits perfectly for us. He has quality in the box and he’s a striker that likes to fight and work for the team. That is perfect for us."

The Argentine would put particular emphasis on that closing statement, reiterating: "His human profile is perfect for the team, we always care about that. In general, he’s a player that fits the team."

In the end, his claims would be proven devastatingly wrong, and the 6 foot flop would leave having scored just six goals across 42 appearances. Even a loan spell in Turkey could not reignite his career with Spurs, eventually departing for Mexico.

In fact, despite starting his temporary tenure at Fenerbahce well, he still came under fire from Turkish football pundit and journalist Hincal Uluc, who accused the 29-year-old of cheating: "Whoever brought Janssen to Turkey better take a good look in the mirror. We have enough frauds in the league as it is, now we have brought in another one from abroad.

“He threw himself on the on the floor for a penalty. Janssen hasn’t come here to play football, he is here to get opposition players booked with his diving."

Since then, Janssen has never really reached the heights of that sensational 32-goal season in the Eredivisie, that spurred Levy to spend big on him.

How much did Vincent Janssen cost Spurs?

Joining in July 2016, as the Lilywhites had just mounted the most unlikely of title pushes before Leicester City came out as victors, it was expected that his presence would help add some key goals into a side already boasting plenty, whilst also potentially helping Kane reach even loftier heights.

However, it is fair to say that he failed in both of these ventures, with his £18.6m price tag far from merited.

In fact, that debut term saw an abysmal league return of just two goals, neither of which were particularly consequential.

How much did Vincent Janssen earn at Spurs?

Having joined for a decent fee, without costing too much, it was a deal made even sweeter by rather affordable wages given his youth and lack of experience at the elite level.

It is likely his inability to take to English football that hampered his career and made what should have been a huge bargain a lucrative nightmare. Even his £34k-per-week wages turned sour, as he amassed a further £3.5m from the two years in which he actually took a salary directly from the club.

Therefore, in total Janssen cost Levy £22.1m. To then compare his weak goal tally with this figure, and it works out that his true cost to Levy was a whopping £3.6m per goal.

How much did other Spurs players earn?

Whilst his wages were relatively inconsequential when compared to the rest of the squad at the time, such a cut-price should have made this acquisition one of their finest. Even if his £34k-per-week salary was very similar to the £35k-per-week that Kieran Trippier earned, as a far more consistent performer at full-back, via Spotrac.

The figure he earned was also only £21k-per-week less than that of Dele Alli and Mousa Dembele, two of Pochettino's most important assets.

At the top of the earning charts for that 2016/17 term were rightfully Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris, both of whom earned a modest £100k-per-week. Lamela's £80k-per-week salary likely marked the biggest robbery of that particular group, although Janssen's anonymous contribution would suggest otherwise.

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Aug-20185:19

#PoliteEnquiries: Is it all Yorkshire’s fault?

Joe Root says that he welcomes the spice that Virat Kohli’s “mic-drop” celebration will add to the England-India Test series, after his dismissal to Kohli’s direct-hit run-out turned the tide of England’s innings on the first day at Edgbaston.Root, on 80 at the time, had been dominating India’s bowling in a century partnership with his fellow Yorkshireman, Jonny Bairstow, when he fatefully responded to Bairstow’s call for a second run to midwicket in the first hour of the final session.Kohli swooped on the ball and beat Root’s dive at the non-striker’s end with a pinpoint shy, before mimicking Root’s own actions in the decisive ODI at Headingley last month, when he marked his series-winning century with a rapper-style “mic-drop” of his bat.Speaking after his Headingley innings, Root had admitted he “would not hear the end of it”, adding that his own team-mates had been ribbing him incessantly for the gesture. Kohli has taken that prediction and run with it.”I didn’t see it in the middle,” Root told Sky Sports before the start of the second day’s play. “I obviously saw it last night at the end of play.”I actually think it adds to the whole spectacle of Test cricket, it gives a bit of humour to it, and it makes for a very entertaining series for something like that to happen so early on, so we’ll see how things pan out over the course of the five Test matches.”Quite apart from its sense of theatre, Root’s dismissal was the key moment of England’s innings. From a position of relative strength at 216 for 3, England lost their next six wickets for 69 to reach the close on a dicey 285 for 9. Bairstow, who had been distraught at his part in the wicket, fell three overs later for 70, but Root refused to blame his team-mate.”It was one of those things in the heat of the moment,” he said. “You want to try and pinch as many runs as possible. You hear a call and you trust your mate.”It’s human error, it happens unfortunately, but Jonny was kind enough to give me a lift into the ground this morning. I could have said no, there’s no hard feelings, we’ve just got to move on with it.”It was a disappointing last session, but for the majority of the day, we played some really good cricket. And that’s what we’ve got to take into today. It was a surface that actually did a bit all day, There was seam movement at the back end of the day, and that fills our bowlers with confidence. And if we can find a really good length early on, we can do a lot of damage.”

Durham have signed Cameron Bancroft as their overseas player in all formats for 2019 -a further chance for rehabilitation for the Western Australian batsman after the ball-tampering escapade involving three Australian players.Bancroft was given a nine-month ban from international, State and Big Bash cricket by Cricket Australia that will expire in late December after he was caught trying to change the condition of the ball with sandpaper during a Test against South Africa in Cape Town.David Warner and Steve Smith, the other players banned after the Cape Town malarkey, with each of them serving 12-month suspensions, have already secured overseas contracts in Canada and the Caribbean Premier League.Bancroft’s competitive cricket has been more low-key, restricted to the Northern Territory Strike League. He is also expected to play for the WA Premier League club Willetton before an expected return with the Perth Scorchers.Bancroft, who admitted to altering the condition of the ball using sandpaper, had signed for Somerset in 2018 but his contract was withdrawn.Alongside the talk of forgiveness, but what is most interesting is the cricketing decision. Bancroft, subject to calls from Cricket Australia for either the World Cup or, more likely, Ashes series, has signed up for the whole season, an increasingly rare event in the English county game.In part, it is an indication of his desire for a settled period after a highly-fraught experience, although it also represents good positioning. With the World Cup due to take place in England next summer, followed by an Ashes Test series, he will hope to force himself into contention with a burst of early-season form. That is a sizeable task. Even before the ball-tampering affair, his Test place was under scrutiny and he has played only one T20I.Cameron Bancroft playing in the NT Strike League•Getty Images

His reputation in T20 is not particularly high, but the same is true of Tom Latham, the New Zealand batsman who has stabilised Durham’s top order in the past two seasons. They have reached the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast under Latham’s captaincy with a game built around lower totals on the more challenging pitches in the north-east.Durham head coach Jon Lewis, said: “Cameron provides us with a very talented overseas signing who can bulk up our batting line up and help us compete for silverware.”Tom Latham has done a great job for us over the past two seasons but we anticipate Tom being unavailable due to the World Cup in 2019, therefore we were delighted to be able to bring Cameron in.”Cameron is a talented top order batsman and a great talent across all formats, he has the appetite and temperament for scoring big runs.”Bancroft said: “I am grateful for the opportunity and I can’t wait to get over and make an impact with Durham”.As part of his punishment, Bancroft has been required to undertake 100 hours’ community service. He has volunteered for a Perth charity working with children who have cancer and has undertaken a course in Spanish.