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As quoted by Sky Sports, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes Chelsea may bring in a defender to replace Gary Cahill in Antonio Conte’s 3-4-3 formation.

What’s the word?

After winning the Premier League title on Friday night, Antonio Conte selected a weakened Chelsea side to face Watford yesterday evening in what turned out to be a seven-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge, issuing game-time to those who’ve spent most of the season watching from the sidelines and resting some of the players who’ve featured consistently throughout the campaign – including matchday captain Gary Cahill who has worn the armband in John Terry’s absence.

That seemingly heralded a debate over Cahill’s future in the Sky Sports studio after the full-time whistle, with Reds legend Jamie Carragher claiming the England international could be sacrificed to make room for a naturally left-footed defender in Chelsea’s back three – something that would give them more balance and better use of possession.

As quoted by Sky Sports, he said…

“I still think there could be a centre-back that goes into that back three. We spoke maybe 12 months ago about 3-5-2, talking about having specialists. The one position where you feel, as a centre-back, a little bit awkward is a right-footed player playing on the left of a back three.

“You always get pushed onto your left foot. It’s different to playing left-back because there you can actually go as wide as you can to the touchline because you are always coming inside on your right foot.

“When you are a centre-back you are more tucked in, maybe 10 yards off the touchline. You have seen teams at times, and they haven’t really exposed it, but they always let the ball go to Cahill on that side because it’s on his weak foot.”

Who could come in?

First of all, it’s worth mentioning that Carragher isn’t suggesting he has any insider knowledge on Chelsea’s transfer plans and it’s very much his job to be uber-critical, so Blue supporters shouldn’t take the idea of Cahill being axed and a left-footed replacement being signed as gospel. That being said, Antonio Conte will have to improve his starting XI if Chelsea are going to do what no Premier League side has managed since 2009 in retaining the title and it’s a tactical weakness worth talking about if the Blues intend to jump up to the next level. So, who could arrive?

Left-footed centre-backs aren’t a common breed but some names do stand out, not least including AC Milan’s Alessio Romagnoli who Chelsea launched an unsuccessful bid for last summer. He’s enjoyed another decent season at the San Siro and at the age of 22 represents an exciting long-term investment. It’s a similar case with Athletic Bilbao’s Aymeric Laporte, who boasts nearly 200 senior club appearances ahead of his 23rd birthday and has been rated as one of Europe’s most exciting defenders for some time. In terms of those already in the Premier League, Jan Vertonghen is probably the division’s best left-footed centre-half but a deal with Tottenham seems incredibly unlikely. Mamadou Sakho represents a curious out-of-the-box suggestion, with Liverpool ready to sell for £30million.

Slaven Bilic needs to find a winning formula desperately and turn West Ham’s season around.

The Hammers have only won one league game this term and sit in 18th place.

The Croatian has been under immense pressure all season and may need to shuffle the pack to help get his side back to winning ways.

West Ham have been extremely unlucky with injuries, missing a number of key players who helped them to seventh place last season.

Aaron Cresswell has been out since pre-season while Andy Carroll also picked up a knee injury after the first game of the campaign. Record-signing Andre Ayew only managed 34 minutes before limping off with a hamstring injury and will be sidelined until next month.

Bilic will have to dig deep and use his full squad to have any chance against a Crystal Palace side that are unbeaten in four games.

Here is the starting XI we think he should pick…

GK – ADRIAN

Adrian is a certainty to start between the sticks on Saturday as one of the few Hammers to be playing at a respectable level.

While the 29-year-old has conceded the most goals so far this season, he also ranks joint top with Artur Boruc for saves made.

What the Spaniard needs is a defence that will stop clear-cut chances against him. Adrian is a superb shot-stopper so if they manage that, he is sure to do the rest.

RB – ALVARO ARBELOA

Alvaro Arbeloa can’t take much of the blame for West Ham’s position this season, simply because he hasn’t been there that long.

The Hammers actually looked more solid when he came on in the seventh minute against Middlesbrough, although he didn’t have the best of games against Southampton.

We’ve opted for him above Sam Byram regardless of whether the Englishmen recovers from his hamstring niggle, with the Spaniard more suitable for providing defensive stability and allowing Antonio to attack down the right.

CB – WINSTON REID

West Ham desperately need brave defenders who are strong in the air to deal with the aerial threat of Palace’s Christian Benteke.

Standing at six feet three inches, 28-year-old needs to step up and show what he is made of if the Hammers are to stand any chance of a shutout.

Reid returned from international duty in plenty of time despite travelling from New Zealand and should, therefore, make an appearance against Alan Pardew’s side.

CB – ANGELO OGBONNA

It was tough to call as to who should partner Reid in defence against Palace.

James Collins is certainly the better option in the air, which would come in handy against a Palace side that love to get the ball in the box.

We believe Angelo Ogbonna will be the preferred option however and Bilic looks to recover the understanding in his defence.

Ogbonna was a mainstay in the Hammers lineup last season and the Croatian will be hoping he can strike up a strong partnership with Reid once more.

LB – AARON CRESSWELL

With Aaron Cresswell having recovered from injury, we’re backing Bilic to make a brave call and throw him straight back into the starting line-up.

The 26-year-old is the most solid left-back in the Hammers’ squad and is really needed, especially with options so few on the ground after Arthur Masuaku was ruled out before the international break.

CDM – PEDRO OBIANG

One man Hammers fans seem to be favouring at the moment is Pedro Obiang.

The Spaniard came into the West Ham side that drew with Middlesbrough and looked extremely tidy in the middle, winning the ball back and remaining economic with his passing.

Obiang seems to bring the balance and discipline that had been previously lacking with Kouyate and Noble on their own in the middle.

Bilic has to play him or risk the wrath of the Hammers fans should they fail to win again.

CM – CHEIKHOU KOUYATE

This week we’re backing Kouyate to hold his spot in the side, although the Senegalese star needs to pick up his form if he is to hold onto the first-team place.

The centre of West Ham’s midfield has been a problem area so far this season, with Kouyate and Noble being ineffective in attack while also neglecting their defensive duties.

On his day Kouyate can be a powerful box-to-box threat and with Obiang behind him, he will have some license to roam.

CM – MANUEL LANZINI

The big change in West Ham’s lineup comes in the middle of the pitch with Manuel Lanzini replacing captain Mark Noble.

As a diminutive player more known for his playmaking skill than winning the ball back, it is a risky move to play Lanzini in the middle.

But his guile may well be necessary for unlocking a stubborn Palace defence, with Kouyate and Obiang hopefully doing enough defensive work to allow the Argentine to work his magic.

RW – MICHAIL ANTONIO

Michail Antonio has been one of the few bright sparks on West Ham’s season and is currently their greatest scoring threat.

Antonio has five goals this season from the right wing and that’s where he should line up on Saturday.

Bilic tried the Englishman up front against Middlesbrough but he found little success without the ability to make his darting runs into the box.

We expect the Croatian to move him back to the wing and wreak havoc as he has done before.

LW – DIMITRI PAYET

The jewel in the Hammers’ crown, Dimitri Payet is the first name on West Ham’s team sheet.

The Frenchman is the chief creative outlet for Bilic, managing three assists despite missing the start of the season.

He has also stepped up his goalscoring, hitting important strikes against Accrington Stanley and Middlesbrough as well as finding the net for France against Bulgaria recently.

Payet is best given the chance to roam into the middle, while Cresswell should offer him support on the left wing.

ST – ASHLEY FLETCHER

With Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho injured and Simone Zaza misfiring, Bilic may well turn to youth on Saturday.

Ashley Fletcher has been impressing for the development squad and can hardly do any worse than what Zaza has managed so far.

What the 21-year-old lacks in experience he should make up for in fearlessness and the ex-United man will be keen to impress the Hammers fans.

At the very least he would give Pardew a different problem to defend against with the Italian so far proving easy to defend against.

Fans have slammed Neymar for appearing to be overweight and say that he should "retire" after returning to Al-Hilal training following his ACL injury.

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Article continues below

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• Neymar out with ACL injury
• Brazilian back training at Al-Hilal
• Fans criticise his physique again

• AgNews
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 32-year-old hit back at football supporters who criticised his physique last month as he recovers from hisanterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear he suffered while on national duty with Brazilin October. Now the former Barcelona star is doing individual training work at the Saudi Pro League side, his detractors are once again lambasting the Brazilian.

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• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  NBA Memes wrote: "Neymar is on that (basketball player) James Harden diet."

  Agurama JnR commented: "What happened to Neymar??"

  ReecyTM tweeted: "Neymar should just retire from playing football and focus on riding horses."

  UncleKeyz added: "Neymar looks like a blesser now," while Iconic Blanco did a side by side photo of Neymar at 32 versus a ripped Cristiano Ronaldo at 36.

  S.J.O put: "What is happening to all Brazil legends?" and showed a side by side of ex-forward Ronaldo and Neymar.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Former Paris Saint-Germain man Neymar, who left the Ligue 1 outfit for Al-Hilal last summer in a £77.2million ($98.3m) move, is in a race against time to play some part in the Saudi Pro League season – with ACL ruptures or tears typically taking eight to 10 months to recover from. The campaign ends in late May and there is no guarantee the ex-Barcelona ace will kick a ball again this term.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo pode começar o Campeonato Brasileiro com Liziero no lugar de Alexandre Pato na equipe titular. Essa mudança foi testada por Fernando Diniz em mais de uma atividade após a queda no Paulistão para o Mirassol e tem chance de ser vista já no domingo, contra o Goiás, no Hailé Pinheiro, às 16h.

Um movimento óbvio gerado por esta modificação é no posicionamento de Pablo. Escolhido pelo treinador para herdar a vaga de Antony, vendido ao Ajax, o camisa 9 tem atuado aberto pela direita: guarda essa posição quando a equipe não tem a bola e tem liberdade para se movimentar na hora de atacar. É o melhor jogador da equipe após o retorno dos campeonatos, com três gols e uma assistência em dois jogos disputados. Ele passaria a atuar como homem de referência, um legítimo centroavante, função que é a sua preferida.

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Se Diniz optar por manter o mesmo esquema tático, com dois atacantes abertos, o espaço deixado por Pablo do lado direito poderia ser ocupado por Igor Gomes, com Daniel Alves centralizado como meia, ou vice-versa.

Uma outra alternativa seria montar um 4-4-2, com o meio de campo formado por Tchê Tchê, Liziero, Daniel Alves e Igor Gomes. Neste caso, a dúvida seria quanto aos responsáveis por recuar para buscar a bola com o goleiro e os zagueiros: Daniel Alves e Tchê Tchê vinham fazendo muito bem essa função e, se forem mantidos com essa incumbência, caberia a Liziero (mais à esquerda) ajudar Igor Gomes (mais à direita) a armar. Mas pode ser que o próprio Liziero seja o homem da saída de bola, transformando Dani no parceiro de Igor na armação.

As dúvidas quanto ao posicionamento existem porque os treinos têm sido todos fechados para a imprensa, tanto em Cotia quanto na Barra Funda. Isso acontece em 100% das atividades desde o retorno do futebol após a pausa devido à pandemia.

GOAL parades the local-based coaches who have won the continental title after the Teranga Lions beat Egypt on Sunday

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  Who has won the title?

  Senegal, led by coach Aliou Cisse, finally laid their hands on the Africa Cup of Nations title after defeating Egypt 4-2 on penalties in the final at Olembe Stadium in Cameroon on Sunday.

  It was Liverpool forward Sadio Mane who struck the decisive penalty to hand the Lions of Teranga the title after 16 appearances at the continental finals, against seven-time winners the Pharaohs.

  The feat saw former player Cisse, who captained the side at the 2002 World Cup, join the list of local coaches to have won the Afcon title.

  Below GOAL parades the other local coaches to have achieved the feat with their respective national teams.

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• 2006: Hassan Shehata – Egypt

  Shehata became Egypt coach in 2004 after the sacking of Italian coach Marco Tardelli and he went on to clinch the 2006 edition held in Cairo. The Pharaohs were pooled in Group A alongside Ivory Coast, Morocco, and Libya.

  Egypt topped their group with seven points and qualified alongside the Elephants, who had six, and in the quarter-finals, they came up against the Democratic Republic of Congo whom they beat 4-1. In the semi-finals, they floored Senegal 2-1.

  In the final, they clinched the title for the fifth time by beating Ivory Coast 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 result in regulation time.

• getty
  

  2008: Hassan Shehata – Egypt

  The 72-year-old Shehata was in charge again as the Pharaohs headed for the 2008 Afcon edition in Ghana where they had been pooled in Group C alongside Cameroon, Zambia, and Sudan.

  The Pharaohs qualified as group winners alongside the Indomitable Lions and they were drawn to face Angola in the quarter-final, a game they won 2-1 to reach the semis. In the last four, they came up against Ivory Coast and won 4-1.

  They eventually won their second straight title, but their sixth overall, after beating Cameroon 1-0 in the final at Accra Sports Stadium.

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• Goal Kenya.
  

  2010: Hassan Shehata – Egypt

  The 2010 edition was held in Angola and Egypt found themselves in Group C alongside Nigeria, Benin, and Mozambique. Under Shehata, the Pharaohs once again emerged as winners of the group followed by the Super Eagles.

  They were drawn to face Cameroon in the quarter-finals and they won the game 3-1 after extra time. In the semis, they came up against Algeria whom they thumped 4-0.

  In the final, they beat Ghana’s Black Stars 1-0 courtesy of Mohamed Nagy’s effort to clinch the tournament, their seventh Afcon title, and an unprecedented third in a row.

ESPNcricinfo previews the latest round of matches in the NatWest Blast

Freddie Wilde05-Jun-2015North Group
Yorkshire v Lancashire, Headingley, Leeds, 6.30
Headingley is sold-out for the blockbuster Roses match between third-placed Yorkshire and Lancashire, last season’s beaten finalists, who lie seventh. In a round replete with England players, Yorkshire possess a squad teeming with international quality after Joe Root and Adam Lyth have been released to join the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Adil Rashid and Glenn Maxwell. Andrew Hodd and Will Rhodes miss out on selection.Lancashire do welcome back Jos Buttler but are without James Anderson who was not released by the ECB. Alviro Petersen is also not in the squad having attended a Cricket South Africa player-of-the-year event on Wednesday. Tom Smith is left out.Northamptonshire v Worcestershire, The County Ground, Northampton, 6.30
Worcestershire add international pairing Moeen Ali and Saeed Ajmal to their squad, with Sachithra Senanayake ending his brief stint at the county. Northamptonshire meanwhile welcome Olly Stone back into the squad after an injury for what will be Shahid Afridi’s last match with the county before he departs for the Caribbean Premier League. Both Northamptonshire and Worcestershire have played just two games, with Northamptonshire having lost them both and Worcestershire winning one and losing one.Nottinghamshire v Leicestershire, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 6.30
Leicestershire will be pleased with their start that sees them sitting fourth in the table after four matches but they face a tough challenge away to Nottinghamshire who have added Stuart Broad and Ben Hilfenhaus to an experienced and high-quality squad already boasting Alex Hales, James Taylor and Darren Sammy.Leicestershire welcome overseas signing Umar Akmal for his first match of the season. Akmal comes into the T20 Blast on the back of some excellent form for the Lahore Lions in the Super 8 T20 in Pakistan. Andrea Agathangelou and Matthew Boyce also come into a 14-man squad that is without Kevin and Niall O’Brien who are on international duty as well as Grant Elliott whose spell at the county is over.Derbyshire v Durham, The 3aaa County Ground, Derby, 6.30
Derbyshire will be looking to build on their impressive victory over Lancashire last week when they host Durham. Durham have named Ben Stokes in their 14-man squad but are without Calum MacLeod who is on national duty and have left out Graham Onions and Barry McCarthy from last week’s squad.Derbyshire meanwhile have named Nathan Rimmington in their squad for the first time after his introduction was postponed by injury. Rimmington replaces Hashim Amla in the squad. He has also ended his stint at the county.Sam Northeast is skippering a Kent side who have become the season’s surprise packet•Getty Images

South Group
Kent v Gloucestershire, The Kent County Ground, Beckenham, 5.30
High-flying Kent, who have won four from five, host Gloucestershire, who haven’t played since Michael Klinger’s hundred carried them to victory over Essex in Game Week 2. Kent have added Matt Hunn and Ryan Davies to their squad that beat Somerset and have left out David Griffiths. James Tredwell is still out with injury. Gloucestershire meanwhile haven’t included Robbie Montgomery in their squad.Somerset v Hampshire, The County Ground, Taunton, 5.30
Hampshire moved to second in the South Group with a strong win against Middlesex on Thursday and will take a big stride towards the quarter-finals if they can win a tough fixture away to Somerset. Somerset have added Tom Groenewald to their squad from their thrilling defeat against Kent. All eyes will surely be on Chris Gayle who has plundered 243 runs from his two innings in the T20 Blast this season.Glamorgan v Middlesex, The SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff, 6.30
Both these counties have shown glimpses of promise this season but both have been beaten twice and a third defeat could quickly turn a promising start sour. Glamorgan, who have won the last four encounters between the two sides have not yet named their squad. Middlesex, meanwhile, have added Kyle Abbott to the squad that was beaten by Hampshire on Thursday.Surrey v Essex, The Kia Oval, London, 6.30
Only five matches into the season it is already approaching must-win time for Essex who are at the bottom of the South Groups having lost four matches. Essex have, in fact, lost eight of their last nine matches having won all of the eight preceding that. They face a Surrey side also in need of a win having lost two of their three matches.England Test captain Alastair Cook will make a rare appearance for Essex having been released by England and is joined in the squad by Aron Niijar and Jamie Porter with Nick Browne, Mark Pettini and Callum Taylor making way. Surrey have added Aneesh Kapil to last week’s squad and may add Gary Wilson depending on the outcome of Ireland’s Intercontinental Cup match against the UAE which is taking place in Dublin.

Having been dropped for a match last week, Chris Gayle seemed to recover his early-overs mojo against Delhi Daredevils. Three balls into his innings here, he had the stands buzzing. Tim Southee’s first ball was hit straight, and might have gone for four if it hadn’t hit the stumps at the other end. The next ball was carved through the offside and the following one lifted into the sightscreen. But just when the Chinnaswamy seemed primed for a Gayle special, he cracked the next ball straight to Deepak Hooda at midwicket.The pincushion
Harshal Patel might have been displeased when Sarfaraz Khan refused to attempt a second run off the last ball of the innings, but the rest of their side had only love for the young batsman. Virat Kohli was first on to the field to congratulate Sarfaraz for his knock. He clasped his hands together and bowed, offering a lighthearted . Other team-mates were a lot more hands on, mobbing Sarfaraz with back pats, bum slaps, and friendly knocks to the helmet. Thoroughly manhandled, Sarfaraz was still smiling when he eventually made it off the field.The mix-up
Dinesh Karthik had already flung his bat several metres when he had played a part in the miscommunication that led to AB de Villiers’ run out. He was cursing again when in the 17th over, he turned back for a second after Sarfaraz had hit one towards deep midwicket, but was sent back by his partner, a tad late. Karthik’s dive could not save him, but Sarfaraz would ensure the innings stayed on course for 200.The backhand
Sarfaraz had not been at the crease long, but having uppercut his first four, felt brave enough to try a rare innovation. James Faulkner sent down a length ball outside off stump and Sarfaraz played a reverse shot of sorts, only he used the back of his bat instead of the face. Though he sent the ball towards the third man area he had been aiming for, he could not get enough power on the shot to fetch more than a single.

David Collier, the former chief executive of the ECB, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2014

David Collier, the former chief executive of the ECB, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours. Collier, who stood down earlier this year after a decade in the post, was the most prominent cricketing figure to be honoured in this year’s list.Other recipients included Ed Davies, chairman of Bishops Cannings Cricket Club near Devizes in Wiltshire, who was awarded a British Empire Medal. Davies founded the club with a group of friends in 1988 and it now boasts four adult sides, six junior teams, a 150-strong membership and a new pavilion, proving that the trend showing reduced participation in recreational cricket can be bucked.Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, said: “David’s OBE is richly deserved. He provided outstanding leadership for ECB over the last decade; a period which saw record levels of investment in our professional and recreational games, significant growth in women’s and disabilities cricket, and major on-field successes for both the England men’s and women’s teams.”Collier told ESPNcricinfo that “seven or eight counties” could have gone out of business because of one bad summer had the ECB put the game on a more secure footing during his term of office.He departed, however, as confidenc e was again faltering in English professional cricket with debts among the first-class counties topping £100m and county chairman pressing for a return to some free-to-air coverage after the limited success of the relanched NatWest t20 Blast.Clarke also had warm words for Davies, reflecting the ECB’s anxiety about faltering community involvement in the amateur game. “Volunteers like Ed who devote their spare time to running local cricket clubs are the lifeblood of our recreational game and it’s fantastic to see all his hard work on behalf of the club receive national recognition,” he said.

Kyle Mills, the New Zealand quick bowler, will play no further part in the ODI series against Pakistan due to a groin strain

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Dec-2014

Kyle Mills, the New Zealand quick bowler, will play no further part in the ODI series against Pakistan due to a groin strain. With Tim Southee and Trent Boult rested for this series, Mills’ injury leaves New Zealand with a raw pace attack – Mitchell McClenaghan with 25 ODIs is the most experienced quick.Mills, 34, suffered the injury while bowling in the nets ahead of the second ODI in Sharjah on Friday. Mills will fly home for further assessment of his injury, and it is still unclear how long he will be sidelined by it. Mills has already missed the 2007 World Cup due to a knee injury, and missed part of the 2011 campaign due to a quadricep strain.No replacement has yet been named for Mills. The one-day series is tied 1-1 after two games, with three more over the next week.

Bangladesh lost their final seven wickets for 13 as they were shot out for 70, resulting in a 177-run defeat that handed the series to West Indies

The Report by Mohammad Isam22-Aug-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Bangladesh lost their final seven wickets for 13 runs•WICB Media/Randy Brooks There was promise of a contest when West Indies were restricted to 247, but all hope evaporated by the 17th over when Sunil Narine prompted a collapse that virtually guaranteed a Bangladesh defeat. Tamim Iqbal, playing his most composed knock in ten months, became the third wicket in the space of seven balls, and with that Bangladesh’s chances were almost extinguished.West Indies eventually won by 177 runs – their largest victory over Bangladesh, who were shot out for 70 – completing their first ODI series win since February 2013. They did enough with the bat, and then toyed with Bangladesh’s patience with the ball.Narine, so threatening but wicketless in the first ODI, waded into the Bangladesh batting line-up with three wickets. He set the alarm bells ringing when he removed captain Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah off consecutive balls in the 16th over.Narine produced a delivery that bounced more than Mushfiqur anticipated and took the edge, and later bowled one that kept slightly low but went straight past Mahmudullah’s bat to hit the off stump.Tamim fell in the next over, unable to keep Roach’s bounce down and gave Chris Gayle a simple catch at midwicket. From 57 for 3 it became 57 for 6. Narine then picked up his third wicket when Sohag Gazi gave deep square leg a straightforward catch.Kieron Pollard took a one-handed catch at short midwicket when Nasir Hossain couldn’t keep a half-hearted pull-shot down, making it 66 for 8.The last wicket fell when Al-Amin Hossain was comically run-out, providing an apt finish to the shambles that is Bangladesh’s batting this year.The top order, barring Tamim, didn’t put up much resistance either. Anamul Haque and Imrul Kayes gave it away early, and Shamsur Rahman is yet to show he can shine in his new No. 4 position.Kemar Roach was among the wickets, finishing with 3 for 19, while Jason Holder had one wicket and Ravi Rampaul two. Holder bowled in a different role today, taking the new ball and attacking the Bangladesh openers, of whom he had four to bowl at. Rampaul was slightly unlucky at the start, but made it up with the wickets later on. Roach was steady, without pushing the speed gun too much, and he didn’t need to.When they were put in to bat, West Indies’ innings was neither disintegrating nor taking off for a big score. It started off with Kirk Edwards continuing his struggle with deliveries slanting in to the stumps, as he was bowled by Al-Amin Hossain for a duck.Chris Gayle and Darren Bravo then added 88 for the second wicket with the former dominating the partnership. Gayle got to his first ODI fifty in more than a year with plenty of fours and sixes as is his norm. He started off with a straight six off Mashrafe Mortaza and whenever the opportunity presented itself, in the form of a short ball or a full toss, he latched on confidently.There was a dearth of singles, but he made it up with the big hits, with the emphasis on picking up sixes and not fours.The likes of Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons and Denesh Ramdin struggled to get a move on as the Bangladesh spinners bowled with a lot of control. Abdur Razzak was wicketless in his ten overs but he provided stability, with Mahmudullah and Sohag Gazi providing enough reason to believe it was a decent move to base their attack on spinners.Bravo got to a fifty while Ramdin and Simmons failed to push on. The fourth-wicket stand between Ramdin and Simmons progressed at less than four an over at an important stage in the innings, but it hardly mattered in the end as Bangladesh’s winless streak extended to 12.Bangladesh’s lack of fight with the bat has continued, and the phone number-like scorecard after Tamim’s 37 will haunt the team for a long time, or at least till their next meltdown.