Chelsea have been keeping a close eye on a pair of talents from the French top flight that could both be on the move in January as they look to bolster Enzo Maresca’s ranks, it has been reported.

Chelsea begin Premier League season strongly

More than a quarter of the way into the Premier League season, Chelsea find themselves in fourth place and just seven points off the summit, currently being occupied by Liverpool.

It has been an impressive start to the campaign for Maresca’s side, especially in light of the upheaval the club underwent again in the transfer market and the continued noise surrounding the likes of Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka.

Spearheaded by Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson, the Blues have lost just twice all season, though they were held to a 1-1 draw by a wasteful Manchester United side at Old Trafford in their most recent outing.

Having lost only to the sides above them as it stands, they will be handed yet another measure of their potential to challenge for the title in their next game as they welcome under-par Arsenal to Stamford Bridge, with a win likely to both lay down a marker for Maresca’s side and all but end any prospective title challenge from their London rivals.

But the squad is not yet complete, and there are concerns over the squad depth in attack, with Palmer and Jackson not having any natural replacements within Maresca’s ranks. Now, the Blues are looking to change that.

Chelsea send scouts to watch Ligue 1 pair

That comes as The Boot Room report that Chelsea have sent scouts to watch Ligue 1 pair Jonathan David and Rayan Cherki ahead of a potential swoop for the pair in January. Lille striker David is out of contract at the end of the season as things stand, and will be free to negotiate with any European club in January and agree a pre-contract.

However, Les Dogues would like to receive a fee for the Canadian marksman, who has continued his fine goalscoring record in France with seven goals in 10 games this season. As a result, they may be willing to accept a cut-price offer for the 24-year-old, something that Chelsea may look to take advantage of as they seek an alternative to Jackson.

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Cherki, meanwhile, was on the cusp of leaving Lyon over the summer only for a move to break down, with Borussia Dortmund, Juventus and Fulham all among the interested clubs.

Instead, the 21-year-old talent penned a new deal at Lyon, but that deal comes to an end in 2026 and a move away from the Parc Olympique Lyonnais is still likely in the near future. He has started just three Ligue 1 games since agreeing a new contract, though he has impressed in the Europa League.

Like Palmer, Cherki is able to play both on the right hand side of attack as well as centrally, and provides similar creative numbers to Chelsea’s talisman, albeit without the goals or assists to show for it.

How Cherki compares to Cole Palmer 2023/24

Cole Palmer

Rayan Cherki

Appearances

34

33

Goals/Assists

33

7

Progressive carries per 90

4.02

4.87

Shot creating actions per 90

5.57

5.55

Key passes per 90

2.47

2.2

Progressive passes per 90

6.77

7.23

Shots on target per 90

1.27

0.89

With Chelsea having spent significantly in recent seasons, the Ligue 1 pair could well provide a pair of bargains in January that could help add yet more depth to Maresca’s squad.

The away masses that piled into Sincil Bank for Birmingham City’s away trip to Lincoln City must have been fearing a second league defeat for their side when Bailey Cadamarteri scored within the first minute for Michael Skubala’s Imps.

No such panic set in on the pitch, however, even if the away fans were a little taken aback by Lincoln’s breakneck start, with the Blues running out as eventual 3-1 winners to tighten their grip on top spot in League One.

Chris Davies managed to steer his table-topping group to this convincing victory even with usual Birmingham star Jay Stansfield absent due to injury, as a new hero in the form of Keshi Anderson stepped up to the mark.

Anderson's performance in numbers

Anderson hasn’t been a consistent starter for his promotion-chasing side so far this League One campaign, starting in five of his team’s nine league games to date, but will be demanding a more concrete spot in Davies’ XIs moving forward after his heroics in Lincolnshire.

With Stansfield’s prowess in front of goal missing, the Blues could well have looked blunt on the road, but Anderson fired home two efforts to make the star striker’s absence feel less obvious and to give his third-tier side a new potent face up top.

But, as this post from Birmingham’s social media after the 3-1 win reveals, the 28-year-old also gave his team far more than just a clinical finisher on the day as Anderson ran himself into the ground for his team’s cause.

Anderson would win six duels in total, on top of completing two tackles, with the experienced EFL head recognised at the end for his overall efforts in ensuring another three points came back to St. Andrew’s away from just his two crucial goals.

It will be intriguing ahead of Birmingham’s next League One showdown whether Stansfield is back in contention for a start, with Davies also left to ponder the availability of Emil Hansson who exited the Sincil Bank pitch with an injury concern.

If the Swedish attacker isn’t ready to play after sustaining a knock, Davies could be prepared to throw someone in from the start in his place.

The player who could replace Hansson

Ayumu Yokoyama might well win his first third-tier start for his new employers against Bolton on Tuesday night, with the Japanese hotshot having had to be patient so far during his fledging Blues career.

The summer recruit from Sagan Tosu has made some bright cameos off the bench in league action already, with one of his four brief appearances off the substitutes bench so far resulting in an assist coming his way versus Wycombe Wanderers way back in August.

Minutes played

35

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

8

Accurate passes

2/3 (67%)

Key passes

1

Successful dribbles

1/1

Big chances created

1

Despite only managing a meagre eight touches of the ball off the bench against Lincoln, when replacing the injury-stricken Hansson, the 21-year-old winger still managed to leave his mark on proceedings, with one big chance created away from only amassing two accurate passes.

The decision to continue with Anderson versus the Imps proved to be a masterstroke down the right channel, with the surprise inclusion of Yokoyama down the opposite flank perhaps working a treat as well, in a switch that could potentially catch Ian Evatt’s men off-guard.

It does seem at the moment that despite the setbacks Davies has to face with team selections the results just keep coming good for his Birmingham side, as Bolton gift the Blues with a chance to make it a stellar nine wins from 11 in the league tonight.

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Tottenham Hotspur bounced back from a defeat at Crystal Palace to knock Premier League champions Man City out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, and it is believed that a player who starred in the game is now attracting real attention.

Tottenham 2-1 Man City – match report

Lilywhites supporters couldn’t have asked for a better response after their damaging loss at Selhurst Park on Sunday, with a victory against one of Europe’s best teams going some way to restore faith in manager Ange Postecoglou following Spurs’ mixed start to 2024/2025.

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Timo Werner opened the scoring early doors with a thunderous finish past Stefan Ortega in the City net, restoring some much-needed confidence and recording his first successful attempt since March.

Uncertainty surrounds Werner’s long-term future at Tottenham, as reports suggest Postecoglou’s side may not take up their buy option, so the Germany international’s display was a much-needed one – even if he did miss a gaping chance to double their lead.

Timo Werner’s stats for Tottenham in all competitions this season

Total

Appearances

12

Goals

1

Assists

1

Minutes played

514

Midfielder Pape Matar Sarr was then on hand to double Spurs’ advantage with a powerful, long-range effort past Ortega and into the bottom corner – gifting some breathing room between the home and away side.

Matheus Nunes grabbed one back for City just before half-time, and did threaten a last-gasp equaliser in the second half’s dying moments, with Yves Bissouma clearing a late effort right off the line. However, the north Londoners eventually managed to hold on and seal their place in the Carabao quarter-finals, where they will host Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

“It was an important win,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham’s 2-1 victory over City.

“Obviously in the cup competitions you have to win to continue in it so that is the first thing. Look, you’re playing against an unbelievable side and they’re going to ask you all sorts of questions and they did today. I thought we defended well as we didn’t give away many clear-cut opportunities but we did have to defend and I thought we did that well.

“In our attacking moments we had some really top quality moments and we had some really good chances to finish the game off what we didn’t take. But great resilience from the boys to sort of hold out. When you play City they’re going to ask you every question there is and for the most part I thought we handled it ok.”

Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin's agents fielding approaches

One player who really impressed during the contest was Radu Dragusin, helping to keep City at bay for the entirety of the second half.

The Romania international was called “outstanding” for his display by journalist Graeme Bailey, who also shared an update on his future.

Indeed, it is believed Dragusin’s agents are fielding enquiries outside of Tottenham ahead of January, but this is only to keep their options open, as both the player and club currently have no desire for him to change scenery.

Napoli, AC Milan and Juventus are all apparently keen to bring him back to Serie A, but it is believed Postecoglou and co are eager to keep hold of him now, as his N17 career starts to steadily get off the ground after a difficult start.

Signed from Genoa in January for around £26.7 million, the 22-year-old has gone on to make 15 total appearances, but he could steadily be about to make many more.

Real Betis have opened the door to making Antony's loan transfer permanent after the Manchester United flop's brilliant start to life in La Liga.

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• Antony fell out of favour at Old Trafford
• Has joined Betis to revive sinking career
• La Liga club pleased with his impact

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Antony joined Real Betis on loan in January after falling out of favour at Manchester United, where he arrived in 2022 for a staggering £85 million ($105m) fee from Ajax. That move placed him among the most expensive signings in football history, but his performances over the last two and a half seasons failed to justify the huge price tag.

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  The 24-year-old has managed just 12 goals in 96 appearances across all competitions for United and has been regularly criticised for his one-dimensional style of play. However, Antony has shown glimpses of the talent that once made him one of Europe's most sought-after wingers in his first two games at Betis. He was named Player of the Match on his debut, making an instant impact by registering an assist in a 2-2 draw against Athletic Club. He then found the back of the net in his second appearance, scoring in Betis’ 3-2 loss to Celta Vigo at the weekend.

• WHAT BETIS PRESIDENT SAID

  Speaking to , Betis CEO Ramon Alarcon shared his belief that Antony could be a valuable long-term addition to the squad.

  “I think so," he said when asked if Betis could pursue a permanent transfer for the Brazilian. "The other day the CEO of United called me. We sent them all the moves and details of the player throughout the week so that they can see that we are looking after their asset. There is very good chemistry with Manchester [United] and with the player. It is a possibility that he will continue next season, why not?”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Anotny's loan deal does not have a mandatory purchase clause, which means Betis must sit on the negotiating table with United to agree on a transfer fee. While the Red Devils invested heavily in him, his struggles in the Premier League could lead the club to consider a potential sale if a reasonable offer comes in.

Arne Slot labelled Liverpool's FA Cup defeat at Plymouth 'unacceptable' as he urged his team to show a different side in the Merseyside derby.

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Slot disappointed after Plymouth lossArgyle beat Liverpool 1-0 in FA CupReds next face Everton on WednesdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

The Reds suffered a shock exit from the FA Cup fourth round this weekend as Ryan Hardie's second-half goal helped the Championship side progress against all odds. Slot was understandably disappointed after the loss and he has urged his players to show a 'different side' of themselves in their upcoming Merseyside derby at Everton.

AdvertisementWHAT ARNE SLOT SAID

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the Dutch coach said: "To lose against Plymouth is unacceptable. We are disappointed with that result. Now we have to show a different side of us tomorrow. It was not only the result, but the performance was far below Liverpool standards as well."

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The manager rested nine regular starters in the FA Cup, but Slot did not want to cite that as an excuse for the defeat: "A wise man once said to me nothing good comes from losing a football game and I completely agree. We would definitely prefer to have played more games. Now after losing this game, there is one moment where we have a normal week but that is not what we wanted when we went to Plymouth.

"It was difficult because the plan was to play with Joe [Gomez] for 60 minutes, the plan was to start Curtis [Jones] but he didn't feel well enough to play so then all of a sudden, we missed two important players. Darwin [Nunez] became a dad one or two days before the game, that happened in Spain, so he came in one or two days earlier."

He added: "There were some circumstances that weren't perfect. The idea was to play with a stronger team than we did but still, this team should have been able to win that game. The fact we didn't win and that we didn't win against PSV as well tells us that these players need these games to get the best out of them. It's so difficult to get the best out of them if you don't play games. It makes it disappointing we don't have these extra games for them."

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WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

After facing Everton on Wednesday at Goodison Park, the Premier League leaders will next face Wolves at Anfield on February 16.

After failing to sign a striker in the summer transfer window, Arsenal and sporting director Edu have now reportedly been offered the chance to solve their problem with a Champions League star.

Arsenal transfer news

The Gunners have once again put themselves front and centre in the early stages of the Premier League title race, even holding champions Manchester City to a dramatic 2-2 draw at the Etihad. Mikel Arteta’s side are arguably the favourites to secure victory at the third time of asking following the ACL injury that has ruled Rodri out for the rest of the season.

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If they pick up where they left off prior to the international break, they’ll certainly give City and leaders Liverpool something to think about, with a trip to Bournemouth now awaiting the north London giants.

Despite going in pursuit of the Premier League title yet again, Arsenal still have one glaring weakness after failing to sign an out-and-out goalscorer in the summer. However, that problem could yet be solved in 2025.

According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Edu has been given the chance to sign Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain, with the forward being offered to the north London club, as well as Chelsea, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa.

Bought for £70m from Eintracht Frankfurt, Kolo Muani has failed to make his mark at PSG and remains on the fringes of Luis Enrique’s squad, even after Kylian Mbappe’s summer departure. Now ready to part ways with the Frenchman, Arsenal seemingly have the chance to swoop in and secure his signature when 2025 arrives.

"Superb" Kolo Muani needs fresh start

Now 25 years old, Kolo Muani – on paper – should be in his prime. Yet as things stand, he’s at risk of becoming a case of what could have been and merely the star who Emiliano Martinez denied on his way to helping Lionel Messi lift the 2022 World Cup. With that said, the Frenchman must get his next move right, whether it’s to the Premier League or elsewhere.

If the price is right, Arsenal may just be wise to take a gamble on the forward who managed 23 goals and 17 assists for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2022/23 campaign before PSG came calling. Also dubbed “superb” even before that season by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, the talent is certainly there, it’s just about rediscovering it.

Arsenal could certainly do with an added attacking boost to match Manchester City and Liverpool in that department, but whether or not that comes in the form of Kolo Muani in the new year remains to be seen.

أعلن الاتحاد المصري لكرة الطائرة، عن تطبيق تقنية الفيديو (الفار)، في مباريات الدور قبل النهائي من بطولة الدوري للكرة الطائرة في الموسم الحالي.

وتتنافس أندية الأهلي والزمالك وبتروجيت والاتحاد السكندري، على لقب بطولة دوري الطائرة للموسم الحالي. 

ويلتقي في نصف النهائي الأول، الأهلي ضد الزمالك، وتقام المباراة الأولى غدًا الأحد والثانية يوم 18 من شهر مارس الجاري.

وفي نصف النهائي الثاني لبطولة الدوري المصري للكرة الطائرة، يلعب بتروجيت مع الاتحاد السكندري.

وأرسل الاتحاد المصري لكرة الطائرة، خطابًا للأندية المشاركة في الدور قبل النهائي من بطولة الدوري المصري للكرة الطائرة، لاخطارهم بتواجد تقنية الفار في المباريات، بداية من الدور قبل النهائي ومواجهات النهائي أيضًا.

طالع | الأهلي يفوز على الزمالك ويتوج بلقب كأس السوبر المصري للكرة الطائرة

وتقام منافسات دور نصف النهائي لبطولة الدوري بنظام “Best Of 3” على أن يتأهل الفريق الفائز في مباراتين إلى الدور النهائي.

Southampton are reportedly eyeing a January move to sign a versatile £10m ace who is on the books of a Premier League rival.

Latest on future of Russell Martin as Southampton eye replacement

It hasn’t been the return to the top-flight those at St Mary’s were hoping for, with the Saints sitting bottom of the Premier League table with just one point from nine games.

As a result, there has been plenty of speculation over the future of Saints manager Russell Martin, however, the Southampton board are sticking by the boss for now.

Martin was thought to be on the brink of being sacked after the home defeat to Leicester City earlier in October, but he remained in charge against Manchester City last time out. Talking after the 1-0 defeat at the Etihad, when asked if he thought the points were coming. Martin said: “I see enough, with discipline and mentality, that the lads believe in what they do.

“We have to maintain that. We should have more points on the board and we have to keep working in our way. Today we were more us than we have been in a long time, and if we carry that forward we will be fine.”

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Should Martin be dismissed in the near future, though, West Brom manager Carlos Corberan has been identified as a possible replacement. However, behind the scenes, Southampton chiefs will also be preparing for the January transfer window as they look to avoid immediate relegation back to the Championship.

Now, a new name has emerged as a potential transfer target for Southampton in 2025.

Southampton eyeing January move for Nottingham Forest player

According to TEAMtalk, Southampton are interested in Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis O’Brien. A January move could be on the cards with O’Brien’s loan spell in the MLS with LAFC set to end in December.

Southampton are the only Premier League side named in the transfer update, however, Championship sides Hull City, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Stoke City and West Brom are also thought to be keen on the 26-year-old.

Should O’Brien, who was valued at £10m last year, return to England in 2025 and complete a move to the Saints, they’d be getting a versatile midfielder capable of playing in holding, box-to-box or advanced roles.

Central midfield

116

Attacking midfield

42

Defensive midfield

37

Left midfield

13

Right midfield

10

Left-back

8

Left-winger

4

Centre forward

1

As can be seen, he’s also been used out wide during his career, and while in the MLS with LAFC, he’s been used in a generic central midfield role.

At this moment in time, Southampton have Lesley Ugochukwu, Flynn Downes, Mateus Fernandes, Joe Aribo, Adam Lallana and the injured Will Smallbone as their central midfield options, so O’Brien could be the seventh midfielder on the south coast, making a deal one to watch over the coming months.

Without Shakib, Bangladesh look weaker but will hope their other senior players step up

Mohammad Isam01-Nov-2021

Big PictureSouth Africa will look to avoid any more stumbles in their T20 World Cup campaign as they come up against a Bangladesh side ravaged by defeats and injuries. Bangladesh have already lost three matches, and whatever thin mathematical chance they had of making it into the semifinals may have evaporated with Shakib Al Hasan’s exit from the tournament two days before this game.Shakib held Bangladesh together with his meaningful contributions – even when he had pulled his hamstring during the match against West Indies. Shakib bowled and batted through pain, hobbling around the ground but making sure he would squeeze the last of his skills for a troubled team.South Africa also have minor injury concerns with Tabraiz Shamsi (groin) and David Miller (hamstring). Miller’s sixes in the last over against Sri Lanka was a match-winning contribution, while Shamsi has been South Africa’s best bowler in the tournament so far.But they have had other contributors as well. Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen and Reeza Hendricks stepped up against West Indies while captain Temba Bavuma has been among the runs too. There have been some surprises as well. Fast bowler Dwayne Pretorius has been a revelation at the death, while Kagiso Rabada has shown off his big shots at No 8.Bangladesh, though, haven’t had as many contributors in the tournament. Young left-arm quick Shoriful Islam showed why he is highly rated with his superb spell against West Indies. Mahedi Hasan has bowled well in patches while Liton Das showed a bit of form with the bat in the last game.Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah would again be held responsible for the middle-order but the others like Mohammad Naim, Soumya Sarkar and Afif Hossain will be expected to step up too. Bangladesh will also be looking to improve their catching, death bowling and powerplay batting – otherwise, it would be a cakewalk for South Africa.Form guideSouth Africa WWLWW (last five completed matches)
Bangladesh LLLWWIn the spotlightBatters like David Miller are priceless in UAE conditions. As he showed against Sri Lanka with his two big sixes in the last over, big-hitters have to bide their time, rotate the strike in the middle overs before blasting off at the death.Shoriful Islam bowled a tidy spell against West Indies•ICC via Getty

Shoriful Islam bowled superbly in the 17th and 19th overs of the West Indies innings, finishing with 2 for 20 in his four overs. It was one of the few bright spots in the Bangladesh team, as the left-arm quick used his change of pace very well. Shoriful’s development also shows the strength of Bangladesh’s pace attack this year.Team newsCoach Russell Domingo said that Shamim Hossain will replace Shakib in the Bangladesh XI. Nurul Hasan, who missed the match against West Indies, is still unfit to play.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Mohammad Naim, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Liton Das (wk), 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Shamim Hossain, 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Shoriful Islam, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur RahmanThere’s no official word on Shamsi and Miller, which could also mean they are probably fit to play. In that case, South Africa would remain unchanged.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Temba Bavuma (capt), 5 Aiden Markram, 6 David Miller, 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiStats and triviaSouth Africa are unbeaten in six T20Is against Bangladesh.South Africa and Bangladesh have met only once in the T20 World Cup – during the first edition of the tournament in 2007. South Africa won by seven wickets.David Miller struck five consecutive sixes off Mohammad Saifuddin in a 31-run over during the second T20I in Potchefstroom in 2017, the last T20I played between these teams. He scored a 36-ball 101 that day.

Key takeaways from the final round of NCL 2021-22

Mohammad Isam24-Nov-2021Dhaka Division lifted the NCL tier-1 trophy after seven years when they beat the other domestic powerhouse Khulna Division by 179 runs in the final round. Dhaka has now won six NCL titles, level with Rajshahi Division, while Khulna is on top of the list with seven trophies.Chattogram Division bagged the only promotion spot from tier-2 after their drawn game against Dhaka Metropolis, taking their tally up to 31.60 points.Best batters
Barishal Division captain Fazle Mahmud finished as the tournament’s top-scorer, with 603 runs at an average of 60.30. His 188 and unbeaten 71 in the drawn game against Rajshahi Division took him to the top of the run-getters’ list ahead of Sylhet’s young gun Amite Hasan. Mahmud struck 17 fours and a six during his 356-ball effort in the first innings.Amite made a career-best 186 against Rangpur, taking his tally to 590 runs at an average of 59.00, with two centuries and two fifties. He struck 19 fours during his near nine-hour marathon in the final round.Dhaka’s title had much to do with Abdul Mazid, who was the other batter to cross 500 runs this season. Mazid made 521 runs at an average of 43.41, with a century and four fifties, including the half-century in their tournament-winning match against Khulna.In this round, Myshukur Rahaman, Zakir Hossain and Shahadat Hossain Dipu struck centuries while the veteran Farhad Reza missed out by just one run.Rangpur’s Myshukur made 157 off 316 balls with 14 fours against Sylhet. Zakir replied with 122 off 248 balls with 14 fours against Rangpur.Farhad struck ten fours and six sixes during his 111-ball 99 against Barishal while young Dipu, part of Bangladesh’s Under-19 World Cup-winning side, struck a career-best 159 off 306 balls against Dhaka Metro.Best bowlers
Chattogram’s promotion had a lot to do with left-arm spinner Hasan Murad and offspinner Nayeem Hasan. The pair took 33 and 32 wickets respectively to lead the NCL’s bowling charts. Left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam’s 32 wickets helped Dhaka to the tier-1 title.Among the fast bowlers, Al-Amin Hossain took the most wickets – 20 strikes at 19.60, including a nine-wicket match haul.In the final round, Shuvagata Hom picked up only his second ten-wicket haul when he took 7 for 48 and 3 for 66 against Khulna. Mohammad Mithun sprung a surprise with his seven-wicket haul in the second innings, having taken just six wickets in 109 first-class matches previously.Dhaka’s Taibur Rahman took 5 for 40 in the same game, while left-arm quick Ruyel Mia took 5 for 120 for Barishal against Rajshahi.Best match
The Dhaka-Khulna encounter was the only one that yielded an outright result in the final round. Batting first, Dhaka made 335 before bowling out Khulna for 213. Dhaka declared on 256 for 8 in the second innings, leaving Khulna with a mountain to climb on the final day. Khulna managed to bat out 89.1 overs on the final day, but were eventually bowled out for 199 runs.Points to ponder
Dhaka’s 179-run win over Khulna helped them leapfrog Rangpur who were leading the tier-1 points table for the last few rounds of the competition. But their drawn game against Sylhet cost them dearly.Chattogram got their promotion after their drawn game against Rajshahi. If Barishal had beaten Rajshahi, they, too, would have got close to promotion. Seven-time champion Khulna, however, are now demoted to tier-2 next season.Players to watch
Mahmudul Hasan Joy capped off his impressive NCL run with an 83 against Dhaka Metro. His strong form culminated in a maiden call-up to the Bangladesh Test squad.The selectors might want to consider the likes of Mahmud and Mazid for at least the Bangladesh A sides after their healthy returns in the NCL. Amite and Murad could also be on the radar of the selectors.