Meg Lanning’s 134 off 122 balls and Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten 95 sank South Africa in a rain-hit game in Canberra as Australia marched to a 2-0 series lead

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMeg Lanning brought up her century off 94 balls•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

Meg Lanning equalled Charlotte Edwards’ record of nine ODI hundreds, the most by a woman, with a quickfire 134 to script Australia’s win against South Africa in the second ODI by 66 runs by the Duckworth-Lewis Method in a rain-hit encounter in Canberra. Lanning and Ellyse Perry, who scored a career-best 95*, put on 224 for the third wicket as Australia put on a competitive 278. A rain break in the chase revised South Africa’s target to 241 from 38 overs and they eventually fell short when rain ended the match with their score on 5 for 119, when they should have been 186.Lanning found herself out in the middle early after electing to bat. Opener Elyse Villani fell in the sixth over, and her partner Nicole Bolton followed in the next over as Mignon du Preez took a stunning one-handed catch while leaping to her right at backward point. Australia were reduced to 2 for 27 and it brought Lanning and Perry together.Lanning dominated the partnership, bringing up her century off 94 balls, while Perry ambled to her fifty off 90 balls. The duo pushed the score past 250 during their 236-ball partnership before medium-pacer Ayabonga Khaka (3-55) took a return catch to dismiss Lanning for a 122-ball 134 that included 20 fours. Perry scored her last 45 runs off 39 balls to overtake her previous best of 93* that she had scored in the previous game on Friday. Her 95* off 129 with seven fours helped Australia to 4 for 278 in their 50 overs.Australia kept things tight at the start of South Africa’s chase, opening with left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen in combination with Perry, and then throwing legspinner Kristen Beams into the mix after 11 overs. Perry broke the opening stand in the second over, Jonassen struck in the fifth over and Beams trapped du Preez lbw for 9 to reduce them to 3 for 45. Opener Suné Luus was still at the crease, but the slow start and the interference of rain in the 19th over meant that South Africa were well behind the revised target when play resumed.Luus scored an unbeaten 60, her personal best and second straight fifty, but two more wickets fell and a second spell of rain in the 32nd over ended the game with South Africa well short of the par score.

South Africa’s T20 competition enters the final week with all six franchises still in contention for the playoffs. With eight matches left, here’s how things stack up for each team

Firdose Moonda06-Dec-2016

South Africa’s T20 competition enters the final week with all six franchises still in contention for the playoffs. With eight matches left, here’s how things stack up for each team.Titans Eight matches, 24 points
The defending champions are sitting comfortably at the top of the table and only need one win to secure a playoff spot. Two could give them a home final, provided they are not leapfrogged by the Warriors. They will be mindful of being pipped at the post after tailing off in their last two games. The Titans won their first five completed matches but have since been defeated twice.Tabraiz Shamsi has already been put back in the squad and they also have Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock – although he is suffering from a virus – in their ranks. AB de Villiers is in contention to play in their final league match on Sunday but Morne Morkel, who was due to get a game in a bid to prove his fitness ahead of the Sri Lanka series, is unlikely to feature as he continues to nurse a back niggle.Warriors Seven matches, 23 points
The Warriors put in dominant performances through the mid-section of the league phase – winning four matches in a row – and are a win away from guaranteeing themselves progression. They could go ahead of the Titans and slip straight into the final with three wins and some help from other results.Without many big names in their ranks, the Warriors have relied on team efforts. But one man, Andrew Birch, has stood out. He leads the wicket charts with 17 scalps at 9.23 and will likely keep Kyle Abbott on the sidelines. Sisanda Magala and JJ Smuts have also put in prominent performances so far.Lions Seven matches, 16 points
A stop-start campaign from the Lions could have finally taken off after they surged back into contention for the playoffs with a five-run win over the Warriors at the weekend. They need to win all three remaining games to be assured of a playoff place but can get there with two if other results go their way.They will have to do so without Kagiso Rabada, who is being given some time off in the middle of a busy season, but in his absence Hardus Viljoen has lead the attack impeccably. He is second on the wicket-takers’ charts currently. Consistency in their batting is the Lions’ main issue; they’ll be hopeful Temba Bavuma’s return does the trick for them.Dolphins Eight matches, 15 points
Kevin Pietersen’s return did not inspire the Dolphins to a victory that would have left them well-placed for the qualifiers. Instead, they now need to win both their remaining matches, preferably with bonus points, to get into the semi-final. However, their fate is no longer in their hands.Keshav Maharaj is back for them but they will want more from the likes of Cameron Delport and Robbie Frylinck, especially after their attack was depleted by Andile Phehlukwayo’s injury. They will remain hopeful of their chances, especially because Morne van Wyk has been in good form with the bat.Cobras Seven matches, 12 points
A season marred by off-field drama sparked to life when the Cobras beat the Dolphins to keep their trophy hopes alive. They need three bonus-point wins to qualify for the semi-final but could get there with three ordinary wins, provided other results go their way.They have already welcomed back Dane Vilas and will be boosted by the inclusion of JP Duminy. Even without their other national stars – Vernon Philander (rested) and Hashim Amla (neck injury) – the Cobras have a formidable XI, with Kieron Pollard and Wayne Parnell forming a powerful middle order.Knights Seven matches, five points
After storming to second on the first-class log earlier in the season, the Knights have hit a snag and sit bottom of the T20 competition. They will need to win all three of their remaining fixtures and hope for plenty of favours to qualify.Both David Miller and Rilee Rossouw are injured, which has left it to Theunis de Bruyn to carry the batting without too much support. Marchant de Lange has continued his fine first-class form but they need a few more wicket-takers.

Manchester United have done what they set out to do this season by securing qualification for the 2023/24 edition of the Champions League in what has been an impressive debut campaign in charge for Erik Ten Hag.

The Dutchman has also achieved Carabao Cup glory this term. He will have the chance to bag a second piece of silverware this weekend when the Red Devils take on bitter rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

Once the dust settles following a long season for Manchester United, their attention will turn towards sizing up potential additions in the summer transfer window.

As per 90min, Manchester United were keen on bringing Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong to Old Trafford and even made an offer to try and secure his services.

Mundo Deportivo via The Daily Express have given the Red Devils some fresh hope of reviving their interest in the Netherlands international, detailing that Barcelona may try to renegotiate De Jong's terms at Spotify Camp Nou amid rumours that the Catalan giants may have to recoup £176 million in the off-season before being able to sanction their transfer business.

Why is Frenkie De Jong so highly rated and should Manchester United pursue him?

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones thinks that De Jong would be a sensible signing from Manchester United that would fit Ten Hag's vision at the club more than someone like Neymar, who the Red Devils have been linked with recently.

Jones told FFC: "De Jong is a better signing than Neymar for Manchester United because he fits with the ethos of what and how he's actually trying to build. If you sign Neymar, it's not fixing any of the problems that you've got and it's also changing the dynamic of the dressing room in a way that might end up being negative."

ESPN reported earlier this year that Manchester United are not completely closed off to 'reigniting their interest' in De Jong and shared quotes from manager Ten Hag praising the player, as the 53-year-old stated: "Frenkie is an incredible player and for every club in the whole world he will strengthen the squad because he has a unique quality. "If you can get him in the squad your team will be stronger. In Spain he became even better. He's a fantastic player, plays out from the back, he always has time and it was a pleasure to work with him."

In 2022/23, the 26-year-old has made 42 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona and managed to register two goals and four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

There is an argument to say that De Jong could be a perfect partner in crime for Casemiro, potentially playing in a double-pivot style system with Bruno Fernandes helping to support attacking phases of play slightly higher up in either a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 variation, which can sometimes be Ten Hag's go to, as per SPORF.

WhoScored shows that by comparing Casemiro and De Jong not to see who is better but rather looking at how they have both become consistent assets for their respective sides, you will find that they have achieved the exact same average match rating of 7.17 this term for their exploits on the pitch.

De Jong, who could cost around £63 million, ranks highly in his pass success rate, standing at 91.3%, which could bring some added composure in midfield and let Casemiro deal with winning duels. On the ground, the Brazil international who earns £350k-a-week at the Red Devils has snapped into 3.2 tackles per match across the campaign.

FBRef illustrates that De Jong is also a competent figure when it comes to providing chances to his teammates, having successfully carried out 109 shot-creating actions in La Liga in total.

Cited by Barca TV via The Manchester Evening News, Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo heaped praise on the former Ajax man in an interview, stating: "Here is the best midfielder in the world, Frenkie de Jong!"

With Manchester United known to be in the market for several additions this summer, bringing in £622k-a-week earner De Jong would be a masterstroke by Ten Hag and would potentially create a dynamite duo by fielding him beside Casemiro at Old Trafford.

Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade kept wickets for only two overs on the third day before returning to the team hotel with an illness

Brydon Coverdale in Sydney05-Jan-2017

Australia’s wicketkeeper Matthew Wade is expected to take no further part in the third day’s play against Pakistan in Sydney after returning to the team hotel due to illness.Rain delayed the start of play until 2.35pm and Wade took the field with the team when play finally began, but he was able to keep wicket for only two overs before he left the SCG.”Matthew felt ill this morning and has had nausea and diarrhoea,” Australia’s team doctor Peter Brukner said. “He’s received medication for his symptoms but is still feeling unwell. After taking the field he realised he was not well enough to continue, hence his decision to come off. He’s returning to the hotel to rest and will hopefully recover by tomorrow morning. We will monitor his condition.”Wade was replaced behind the stumps by Peter Handscomb, who has kept wickets in nearly 50 matches across first-class, List A and Twenty20 matches. Although he rarely keeps in Sheffield Shield matches these days, Handscomb performed the role in four Matador Cup games this summer and is expecting to do so in the BBL this month as well.”The gloves stay in the bag and the pads only come out for a bit of bat-pad work,” Handscomb said when asked about his wicketkeeping in the lead-up to this Test. “When I’m not keeping it’s pretty much full-time batting and fielding, because I need to be able to catch like a fielder.”Then as soon as I go back to Big Bash and put the gloves on I’ll do some work there and make sure that my skills are up to date … I think I’d be able to do it as a last call if no one else was around. I can chuck the gloves on, that would be fine.”

Thomas Tuchel desperately wants to sign the England international, and the defender showed why in Wednesday's friendly between the two clubs

Manchester City maintained their perfect start to pre-season with a 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich in Tokyo on Wednesday, with Aymeric Laporte netting a late winner.

Pep Guardiola's side were second best during the first half, but led at the break thanks to James McAtee, who was on hand to follow-up a shot from Julian Alvarez that had been well-saved by Yann Sommer.

Bayern looked to have earned a draw when Mathys Tel scored a tap-in from another rebound with just nine minutes remaining, but Laporte – who has been linked with a move away from the Etihad before the close of the summer transfer window – nicked it for City right at the death, when he turned in a cut-back from Phil Foden.

GOAL looks at what we learned during the clash at a sold-out Japan National Stadium…

• Rico Lewis has an important role to play

  McAtee may have broken the deadlock in Tokyo, but the opener was all about fellow young gun Rico Lewis, who also had the far more impressive first half. The 18-year-old excelled in a fluid role that saw him sit in midfield alongside Mateo Kovacic when City were defending, while at the same time affording him the freedom to get forward when in possession. Indeed, it was Lewis who burst into the area before squaring the ball for Alvarez, whose shot was spilled by Sommer into the path of McAtee.

  With serious doubt surrounding the future of Kyle Walker, don't be surprised if the versatile Lewis sees plenty of game time this season, given he can also operate as a right-back. He made 14 Premier League appearances last season – but he could feature even more regularly in the coming campaign.

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• Walker's enduring excellence

  On the eve of the game in Japan, Guardiola said of Walker, "He is incredibly important for us. He has specific qualities that are so difficult to find out wide. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Both clubs are in touch. We will fight for him like I'm sure Bayern will too."

  There's absolutely no doubt about that, because while the England international may have only played for 45 minutes, he rather effortlessly underlined why he's so highly rated. His famed pace was once again there for all to see as he repeatedly snuffed out any threats posed by Bayern's fast forwards, while Walker also played the pin-point pass from inside his own half that released Lewis into space in the build-up to McAtee's goal.

  Guardiola has admitted that he has no idea how the tug-of-war for Walker's services will finish, but he'll be praying that the defender remains on the City side. A player of the 33-year-old's quality and experience is truly invaluable to any squad.

• Getty Images
  

  Ederson's incredible importance

  Given City dominate possession in nearly every game they play, Ederson doesn't often have much to do in between the sticks. However, as he so memorably and crucially underlined in the Champions League final win over Inter, he usually steps up to the mark when called upon.

  The Brazilian did so again here, making a couple of big saves when Bayern were piling on the pressure in the first half. He also very nearly kept a clean sheet, denying Paul Wanner from close range with a wonderful reaction stop, only to see Tel took away the rebound.

  And City will need Ederson to maintain his level of excellence, given Stefan Ortega does not inspire anything like the same level of confidence. The German played all 90 minutes of City's previous pre-season fixture, against Yokohoma F. Marinos, and was arguably at fault for at least two goals.

  Consequently, one really would wonder what would happen to City's defence – and Guardiola's game plan – if, heaven forbid, Ederson were to be sidelined by an injury in between transfer windows. He really is one of the few irreplaceable players in the starting XI.

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• Inter's interest in Sommer is strange

  Inter's precarious financial position means that they are forced to sell at least one key player every year, and Andre Onana was the man to be sacrificed this summer, which made sense of course, given he had arrived on a free transfer from Ajax at the start of the season, meaning his sale to Manchester United represented pure profit.

  However, that left the Nerazzurri needing a couple of goalkeepers, with veteran shot-stopper Samir Handanovic having also left San Siro during the current transfer window, and the ongoing attempt to fill one of those voids with Sommer has raised some eyebrows in Italy, given the Bayern Munich man is nowhere near the same level as Onana, particularly with the ball at his feet.

  Indeed, the Switzerland international was blessed to get away with an awful error just before the break, when he lost possession inside his own area after coming under pressure from Bernardo Silva. Sommer got away with it, but if any representatives of Inter were watching, the not-unusual lapse in concentration from the 34-year-old may have convinced them to redouble their efforts to also sign Anatoliy Trubin from Shakhtar Donetsk. After all, there's a reason why Bayern are willing to let Sommer go…

Stumps
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAzhar Ali and Sami Aslam put on an opening partnership of 215•AFP

Pakistan dominated the first day of their 400th Test, piling on 279 for 1, after Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and opted to bat. Openers Azhar Ali and Sami Aslam made the most of the batting-friendly conditions in Dubai, sharing a double-century stand, before Asad Shafiq came in at No. 3 and lent his weight to a batting effort that deflated West Indies.In theory, both teams were in uncharted territory, playing their first day-night Test – and the second overall – at a time when the concept is still new, with the behaviour of the pink ball under scrutiny. In practice, the ball did not do much in the afternoon heat and, while there was a bit more for the West Indies bowlers under lights, they did not do enough to threaten the batsmen for sustained periods.The pink ball offered very little swing to the new-ball bowlers and very little reverse-swing as it got older. On both counts, West Indies did not help their own cause. At the start of the day, both Shannon Gabriel and Jason Holder were too short to give the new ball a chance to swing. Miguel Cummins bowled fuller, but not consistently enough. As the ball grew older, West Indies seemed uninterested in keeping one side shiny to extract reverse-swing.Azhar was fluent almost from the outset, marrying a tight defence with a number of sumptuous drives. One such drive, wide of mid-off off Roston Chase’s bowling, brought up his 11th Test century, off 184 balls. He didn’t stop there, walking off at stumps on an unbeaten 146. His opening partner, Aslam, was the more circumspect of the two, but both batsmen were very strong on the cut when the bowlers dropped short.Aslam often skipped out to the spinners to hit them down the ground, but was equally impressive when leaving balls outside off. He also used the sweep shot quite effectively, but it was that shot that led to his eventual downfall – he got a bottom-edge onto the stumps off Chase to depart for 90 and end a 215-run opening stand.That brought Shafiq to the crease at No. 3. Though Shafiq has mostly batted at the No. 6 position in international cricket, he is a regular No. 3 in domestic cricket. Moreover, the adjustment from No. 6 to No. 3 is minimal when the openers have consumed more than 67 overs and the pitch has no terrors. Shafiq took his time to settle into his innings and calmly accumulated 33 runs, before walking back undefeated at stumps.While the first ball held its shape for the full 80 overs, it was quite discoloured and tattered by the time the second new ball was due. Holder, who had looked increasingly unimpressed with the state of the older ball, took that new ball immediately. Like the first new ball, though, it did not offer much in the way of swing and the second-wicket partnership steadily swelled to 64 by the close of play.It was Gabriel who had generated the first of two half-chances for West Indies in the first session. In his second over, he seamed one away from Azhar to induce an outside edge, but the ball fell short of Kraigg Brathwaite at second slip. Cummins generated the other in his second spell when Azhar slashed a short, wide delivery towards Leon Johnson at gully; the ball burst through Johnson’s hands and raced away to third man for a boundary.If the bowling was not sufficiently penetrative, the decision-making was also puzzling at times. West Indies used six bowlers before tea, but there was no discernible logic in the manner in which they were used. Brathwaite bowled three overs of gentle offspin before either Devendra Bishoo or Chase was introduced. By the time Bishoo was called upon, in the 21st over of the chase, Azhar and Aslam had grown in confidence and were finding the boundary with increasing regularity, pouncing whenever the bowlers erred.The one spell that came close to being penetrative was Holder’s spell immediately after the tea break. With a bit more bounce and carry under lights, Holder bowled with more intensity, troubling Azhar with some well-directed bouncers. Azhar fended a few of those in the air, but got away with it due to the lack of close-in fielders.When Holder went up for a big lbw shout against Azhar and reviewed the not-out decision, West Indies lost their first review. Replays showed ball would have missed leg stump. Thereafter, Gabriel and Cummins also found more pace, the former bowling some good bouncers to Aslam. Bishoo also created his closest opportunity under lights, wrapping Aslam on the pads, but the not-out decision was upheld upon review when HawkEye indicated that the ball would have gone down leg with the angle.Such fleeting moments of encouragement were all West Indies had to cling to on a deflating opening day in which the pink ball did not misbehave and the bowlers were largely unthreatening.

Insider ExWHUEmployee has revealed that West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan is so unhappy with the club's recent transfer he may take responsibility away from David Moyes.

What's the latest on West Ham's transfer plans?

Despite spending a lot of money in the summer – well over £150m – it's not as though the Irons have been better this season.

After all, last term they made the Europa League semi-final and finished seventh, while now they are still in the Europa Conference League (one tier below) and currently sit 15th in the Premier League.

With that being the case, the club will have to carefully consider their transfer strategy and it sounds as though power will be taken away from manager Moyes if he remains in East London.

Indeed, in an update shared on The West Ham Way Podcast, Ex outlined his understanding of the situation.

He said (09:59): “What I have heard as well is that David Sullivan is so unhappy with the amount of money – the amount of his money essentially – has been wasted on transfers, that he's going to take more of a role back in transfers and appoint another sort of football director to come in and oversee it.

"If this is the case and David Moyes stays on as manager, which at the moment is still not decided, but if he does start as manager, I would think this is a massively undermining thing to appoint another football director and to take responsibility away from Moyes and take power back."

Who is the sporting director at West Ham?

Interestingly enough, back in 2018, The Guardian reported that Moyes – who was in his first spell with the Irons – would be given more influence over transfers with Sullivan taking a more hands-off approach.

Presumably, then, the Scottish manager has had a lot of say in recent dealings alongside Head of Recruitment Rob Newman.

However, when you look at a signing such as Gianluca Scamacca, who arrived for £35.5m but hasn't settled well with just three league goals to his name, it's not hard to see why Sullivan might be unhappy with the decision-making by Moyes and Newman regarding transfers

Of course, Irons legend Mark Noble is currently the sporting director but has only been in the role since January this year, so perhaps the board will want to put someone with more transfer experience into a specific role behind the scenes.

If that is the case, it will be interesting to see how Moyes reacts to this change in control he has at the club.

Hibernian will have to wait until the outcome of the Scottish Cup final to see if they have secured European football next season.

They finished their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Hearts, yet their arch-rivals finished ahead of them in the Premiership table, and they will need to hope Celtic defeat Inverness Caledonian Thistle this weekend in order to enter the Europa Conference League at the second qualifying round.

Lee Johnson will be hoping to make improvements to his squad in the summer, although there could be some key players heading out of the exit door. Kevin Nisbet turned down the chance to join Championship side Millwall in January, although Hibs will be braced for further offers as clubs scouted him during their win over St Mirren at the start of the month.

The Easter Road outfit will need to replace him with someone who could score plenty in the Premiership, and former Hibs striker turned pundit Tam McManus believes Motherwell striker Kevin van Veen should be their main target.

He said the club need ‘two new strikers minimum’ in a recent column, before claiming van Veen should be one of them.

Given his excellent campaign, it could be a move worth pursuing.

Could Hibs sign Kevin van Veen this summer?

The 31-year-old still has a contract at the Steelmen until 2024 and Hibs would need to spend in order to lure him to the capital, however, it would be worth the money.

Van Veen scored 29 goals across all competitions during the 2022/23 campaign, and he was even nominated for the PFA Player of the Year while becoming the first Motherwell player in ten years to claim a place in the PFA Team of the Year.

It was a stunning season and his goals could certainly replace Nisbet's if he does depart this summer, with the Scotsman bagging 12 goals from just 19 league appearances, finishing as Hibs' top scorer and Van Veen would be an ideal choice for the club going forward.

The striker underlined his qualities by ranking as the second-best performer in the squad with a Sofascore rating of 7.07/10, while also ranking third for big chances created (three), second for key passes per game (1.1) and first for goals scored (25).

Clearly more than just a goalscorer, Johnson should be doing all he can to make a move before it is too late. Nisbet won't be around forever and sourcing a replacement should be of utmost priority.

The 6 foot 1 gem was lauded by journalist Ben Banks, who claimed that seven goals in four matches a few months ago was “frightening form” and that the striker was “on fire”.

Indeed, for a player outside any of the Old Firm clubs to score 25 league goals is something special and it would be quite the coup should Hibs bring him to the club.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Emerson Royal has claimed that Harry Kane wants to “stay” amid speculation about his potential exit.

What did Emerson Royal say about Harry Kane?

Will Kane leave Spurs this summer? It’s arguably the most-discussed transfer rumour in England over the past few months.

From TV pundits to strangers at the pub, you’ve probably heard nearly everyone who follows football offer their opinion on the matter at some point.

Even Kane has had to address the situation recently. Indeed, after scoring twice against Leeds United on the final day of the season, he told BT Sport (via Manchester Evening News): “It is part and parcel of being a footballer [speculation about leaving] especially when you are at the top of your game.

“I have focused on this season and helping the team as much as possible. I am just looking forward to a nice break and some games with England.”

Well, his Tottenham teammate Emerson has now potentially provided a little bit of insider information when speaking to the press.

He said (via Football Daily) “Top [player], for me, he’s number one in this position. I’m so happy for him.

“He wants to stay with us. I want to play with him for a long time.”

Why would Kane stay at Spurs?

Kane is currently on £200k-p/w at Tottenham and his current deal expires in 2024. It’s been reported that he may not sign a new deal and simply leave for free in 12 months’ time.

However, he could also push for a move this summer with Manchester United heavily linked. 90min claims he is the club’s “top transfer target”.

Of course, this might be tempting as he’s not getting any younger (turning 30 this July) and is still yet to win a major trophy in his career.

Some with connections to Sputs even think he should leave. Speaking on Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp said (via Manchester Evening News): “It feels at the moment that Tottenham is a shambles.

“They can’t seem to get a manager. If you were Harry Kane with one year to go, this is the time to leave.

“He has to push now because Man United might get somebody else. He missed out on Man City a few years ago when he wasn’t allowed to leave, right now it feels like he needs to push.”

However, if Emerson does indeed have some inside information, perhaps Kane isn’t looking to go just yet.

This could make sense too because if he sticks around for one more year he can then leave for free next summer.

Bangladesh have made six changes to their squad for the first Test against England at Chittagong, starting on October 20, with the batsman Sabbir Rahman a notable inclusion

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong16-Oct-2016Bangladesh have made six changes to their squad for the first Test against England at Chittagong, starting on October 20, with the batsman Sabbir Rahman a notable inclusion following his performances in the ODI series earlier this month.Rahman, who has played 29 ODIs and 26 T20Is but has yet to make his Test debut, made 49 from 46 in the third ODI at Chittagong, having been fined 20 percent of his match fee for his run-in with England’s stand-in captain, Jos Buttler, in the previous match in Dhaka.He is one of four uncapped players in the 14-man squad, alongside the former Under-19 captain, Mehedi Hasan, and Kamrul Islam Rabbi – a right-arm seamer – and Nurul Hasan, a wicketkeeper-batsman.The seamer, Shafiul Islam, and the offspinner, Shuvagata Hom, complete the revamped squad.Those who have been excluded from Bangladesh’s last Test squad, for the home series against South Africa in July 2015, are Nasir Hossain, Jubair Hossain, Rubel Hossain, while Liton Das, Mohammad Shahid and Mustafizur Rahman are all sidelined through injury.Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said that they considered the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury pitch and England’s batting line-up when picking the specialist bowlers.”We have taken two pace bowlers taking into account that Chittagong offers a flat pitch,” Minhajul said. “We retained Shuvagata to tackle England’s left-handed batsmen. We also took [Mehedi Hasan] Miraz as a specialist offspinner as we believe he has much to offer since his performance at the U19 level. We have taken [Kamrul Islam] Rabbi because he has done well in first-class tournaments. He has ability to bowl fast with the old ball.”Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha, who is also part of the revamped selection committee, was excited by inclusions of Sabbir and Nurul.”We will try to fit in Sabbir in the XI. Having a lot of options is a good headache to have. [Nurul Hasan] Sohan is one of the best wicketkeepers in the country,” he said.Bangladesh’s Test squad Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Tamim Iqbal (vice-capt), Imrul Kayes, Mominul Haque, Shakib Al Hasan , Mahmudullah, Soumya Sarkar, Taijul Islam, Mehedi Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Nurul Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Shuvagata Hom.