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Luka Modric admits Real Madrid's missed penalty was a huge moment in the defeat to Liverpool but says Kylian Mbappe will do well at the club.

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Mbappe missed penalty in Liverpool lossWas unable to step up with key players missingModric has faith Frenchman will deliverFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Modric captained Los Blancos for their trip to Anfield on Wednesday night in the Champions League but it was a match the Croatian will want to forget quickly. Mbappe's decisive penalty miss at 1-0 down proved costly and while the midfielder admits it was a huge chance in the match, he has no doubts his French team-mate will step up and deliver in crucial moments eventually.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MODRIC SAID

Speaking after the game, Modric said: "We had the penalty that could have changed the game and we didn’t take advantage of it and with the score at 2-0 we were almost lost."

The 39-year-old added: "We see him [Mbappe] doing well, training well and with confidence. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they don’t, especially with the penalty. We have confidence in him and we’re sure he’ll do very well."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

If Madrid are to retain their European crown, they are going to need more from their summer signing. With just one goal in four Champions League games for the 25-year-old, Mbappe is way below his usual standards. He is capable of performing on the big stage but must get over the reality that he is not the focal point of his new team while discovering a way to work seamlessly as either a winger or striker under Carlo Ancelotti.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MADRID?

The Spanish giants remain outside of the play-off places in the Champions League standings. With three games left to go, they need to start winning games if they are to have any chance of playing for a place in the knockout rounds of Europe's elite competition. They face Atalanta, RB Salzburg and Brest in their remaining fixtures.

Vitor Roque has revealed that his brief stint at Barcelona was fraught with challenges that almost led him to quit professional football.

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Roque struggled to shine at BarcelonaHis confidence plummeted during that timeContemplated going back to BrazilFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Roque, who joined Barcelona in January from Athletico Paranaense for an initial fee of €35 million (£30m/$39m) struggled to find his feet at the Catalan club. During his 16 appearances for Barcelona, where he often came off the bench, Roque managed to score just two goals while veteran forward Robert Lewandowski was consistently preferred as the starting striker.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT ROQUE SAID

Roque spoke candidly to about how his confidence plummeted during his time with the Catalan giants and described how his dream move turned into a nightmare which forced him to think about quitting football.

"Yes. I thought I want to go to the farm there [in Brazil] and be calm, without anyone worrying me, because sometimes it's difficult… a lot of pressure," he admitted. "But it's just about moving forward, having mental strength, continuing to work with great humility and things turning out well. Little by little, I am regaining my complete happiness and confidence, too."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Barcelona’s faith in Roque was evident in the €500 million release clause included in his contract, signalling the high expectations placed upon him. However, those expectations weighed heavily on the teenager.

"I already had a lot of anxiety about making things work out," he said. "I think what created the pressure was the price they paid for me, which was a very expensive investment in recent years. I wasn't completely ready to resolve the situation or to help the team in the way I wanted, I would have liked to. I would have to have time to adapt, have time to get used to the players, and the club, and it didn't turn out the way I liked. And it serves as a learning experience for the next season."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Currently on a season-long loan at Real Betis, Roque is beginning to rediscover his form and happiness, having already scored five goals in 17 appearances.

"From the first day I stepped foot here at Real Betis, I felt like it was a family," he said. "I'm having my opportunity, I'm trying to do things in the best way and I'm trying to help the club even more."

Everton slipped to a dismal 3-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion in their opening Premier League match, as Fabian Hurzeler became the youngest permanent manager to ever win a game in the top flight.

This season is Everton’s last at Goodison Park before they move to their shiny new stadium at Bramley Moore Docks and Sean Dyche will be hoping it doesn’t end in relegation.

Judging by their performance, Dyche needs some quality injected into his team, particularly in the forward areas.

Could he raid a fellow Premier League team before the end of the transfer window?

Everton's search for a striker

As reported over the weekend, Everton are ready to make a loan move for Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah before the end of the month in a bid to bolster their frontline.

The Englishman – who has been valued at around £50m by Mikel Arteta – has yet to leave the Emirates, despite interest from various clubs this summer.

With just days left of the current window, it appears as though the Toffees are going to try their luck with a temporary move, as splashing out £50m could prove to be a major stumbling block.

Considering the club scored just 40 goals in the top flight last term – only Sheffield United scored fewer – a new centre-forward is a necessity.

It wouldn’t be the first time Everton have signed a player from Arsenal, and they could repeat their Alex Iwobi masterclass.

Eddie Nketiah’s season in numbers

Iwobi joined the Goodison Park side in the summer of 2019 for a fee worth around £34m, becoming an excellent signing for the club.

He made 140 appearances for the Toffees, scoring nine times and registering 16 assists, helping the side avoid relegation in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns. Dyche sold him to Fulham last summer and with the departure of Amadou Onana this year, he will certainly lack some control in the midfield.

Nketiah could have a similar sort of impact should he make the move to Merseyside. Last season, the striker scored six times in 37 appearances for the Gunners, although he only started 13 of those matches.

Despite his lack of starting opportunities, Nketiah still managed to score once every 216 minutes in the top flight, while creating two big chances and averaging 1.4 shots per game.

Player

Games

Goals

Assists

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

38

8

3

Beto

37

5

2

Chermiti

20

0

0

Neal Maupay

3

0

1

These statistics would have been higher had the player been given more chances by Arteta. Perhaps this summer is the right time to make a move to a club where he will start more often.

Hailed as “remarkable” by journalist James Olley previously, it is time for the 25-year-old to join a team in which he can be the star man, instead of relying on brief cameos to showcase his talents.

He won't win the Premier League title at Everton, but getting the chance to start the vast majority of games will allow him to finally live up to his vast potential.

Bid incoming: Everton line up move for "remarkable" Calvert-Lewin upgrade

The Toffees desperately need reinforcements after failing to score against Brighton yesterday.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 18, 2024

Tailenders show fight as Siddle takes three in first outing for a month at Edgbaston

George Dobell23-Apr-2021Warwickshire 243 for 8 (Lamb 47, Siddle 3-52) trail Essex
295 (Browne 68, Walter 66, ten Doeschate 56, Stone 4-89, Hannon-Dalby 4-73) by 52 runs It was not, perhaps, the sort of day you would recall forever. There were no especially large innings or remarkable bowling returns. The run-rate – around 2.4 an over – was, by modern standards, pretty sedate.But in terms of providing the tough, uncompromising environment which is required to provide players with the experience required to succeed at Test level, this was a fine advert for the virtues of County Championship cricket.By the end of it, Essex’s relentless attack had earned them the upper hand. On a surface that is, perhaps, a little drier than might have been expected at this time of year, Simon Harmer’s off-spin could prove a handful in the fourth innings. With the seamers having gone round the wicket to left-handers at times throughout the game, there is rough outside the right-handers’ off stump which may prove crucial.But Essex are not in the overwhelmingly dominant position they might have been. And with Warwickshire having pulled off an impressive run-chase in their last game against Durham, both sides will know there is nothing inevitable about the course of this match.That Warwickshire remain in the hunt was, in no small part, down to a ninth-wicket stand between Danny Briggs and Craig Miles. Coming together with Warwickshire still trailling by 102 runs, they have so far resisted for 28 overs in adding 50 runs and inching their side towards parity.There was nothing especially clever in their method. It was founded on patience, a sound defence and accumulation when the opportunity arose. Miles has yet to hit a boundary in his 85-ball innings and, while Briggs heaved a six over the short leg-side boundary when Sam Cook dropped short, it was very much the aberration.Essex also put down three chances of varying difficulty in the field. Firstly, Harmer dropped Rob Yates, on 3, in the slips off the deserving Jamie Porter, before then missing a sharp caught-and-bowled chance offered by Hanuma Vihari on 25. Later an edge from Tim Bresnan, then on 10, flew between Harmer and Alastair Cook in the slips.Warwickshire were unable to take advantage, though. Yates was bowled through the gate as he pushed forward hopefully, before Vihari, who had looked ominously comfortable, was caught behind off a fine delivery which may have left him a fraction. Bresnan, who received his county cap from former England team-mate Ian Bell before play, was bowled when he attempted to drive an off-break which turned sharply out of the rough.Ahead of that ninth-wicket stand, Warwickshire’s most resolute batting came from Sam Hain and Matt Lamb. But Hain was defeated by a beauty which dipped and turned sharply, before Lamb was bowled by one from Peter Siddle which nipped in sharply.Related

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Siddle was not, perhaps, quite at his best. Playing his first game for a month, there were one or two more loose balls than usual at the start of his spell. But, having settled, there were also some high-quality deliveries. He complements this nagging fast-medium attack beautifully.It’s an attack which lacks, perhaps, the pace you might see at Test level. But in terms of sustained pressure, in terms of offering a balance of seam, swing and spin, and on a pitch that offers a really good balance between bat and ball, this was a day when you could very much see the value of the competition.”I was disappointed with our first innings, I thought we were probably 50 or 70 short,” Essex head coach Anthony McGrath said afterwards. “But the bowlers were absolutely magnificent. It is quite a slow wicket, but we chipped away all day and they never got away from us. We will bowl far worse than that and bowl teams out.”At 193 for 8, Warwickshire were in real trouble. But Miles and Briggs have kept their side’s heads above water and sustained the resilience demonstrated at Trent Bridge last night. It is a characteristic that pleased their captain, Will Rhodes.”It feels like we’re making progress,” Rhodes told ESPNcricinfo afterwards. “In the past, we’d go behind in games and fall away. But, as you saw at Trent Bridge last week, we’ve some fighters in that dressing room who are prepared to scrap their way back into the game.”Yes, we’re probably slightly behind the eight-ball in this game. But we were last week, too, and we know how that finished. I want us to be hard to beat and I’m really pleased to see us scrapping like this.”

Former Barcelona captain Carles Puyol has warned against putting too much pressure on club starlet Lamine Yamal.

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Club legend praises youngsterBrushes aside Messi comparisonsWarns about pressureFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Puyol addressed the widespread comparisons being made between Messi and Yamal, who have both shone for Barca at a young age after emerging from the club's prestigious La Masia academy. The retired Spanish defender, who made almost 600 appearances for the club, said it was unfair to burden Yamal with super high expectations.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Admittedly, it's hard not to get carried away with Yamal. As well as playing a starring role in Spain's triumphant Euro 2024 campaign at the tender age of 17, the highly intelligent and technical winger also recently won Tuttosport's Golden Boy award after registering five goals and nine assists in his 15 La Liga appearances in 2024/25. He's a remarkably talented player and given his exquisite playmaking ability, you can see where the Messi comparisons have come from.

WHAT PUYOL SAID

The 46-year-old former World Cup winner urged people not to put too much pressure on Yamal, saying: "If we put the label of Leo on him. The pressure is already maximum. What Leo has done and continues to do is incredible and it will be very difficult to see a player like that again."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL?

Expectations about Yamal's future will only increase if the 17-year-old continues scoring and creating at his current rate throughout the rest of this campaign. Next up in La Liga his team have a chance to punish Real Madrid for failing to dispatch Rayo Vallecano this weekend, as they host Leganes on Sunday evening.

Glasgow Rangers once again failed to step up when they needed to in the Old Firm as they were beaten 3-0 at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

Head coach Philippe Clement has now lost four and drawn one of his five encounters with Celtic since he arrived at the club last year, which illustrates the gulf between the two sides at this time.

Goals from Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi put the hosts in control in the first half, before Callum McGregor struck, via a deflection from Dujon Sterling, a third from distance in the second 45.

It was a terrible afternoon for the Gers across Glasgow and, in particular, for captain James Tavernier, who struggled once again in the Old Firm.

James Tavernier's struggles

The English full-back made the worst possible start to a league meeting between the two sides in April when his slow clearance rebounded off Maeda to give Celtic the lead inside one minute back in April.

This time, it took until the 17th minute for the Japan international to make the most of Tavernier's lacklustre defensive work, as he stole a march on the defender to nip across him and fire in the opener from Alistair Johnston's pull-back.

Tavernier did make three tackles and two interceptions during the match and won seven of his 13 duels, but that did not make up for his critical error for Maeda's opener.

The skipper was also fortunate not to see a positional mistake pounced upon when Nicolas Kuhn weaved a pass through to find Reo Hatate in acres of space where Tavernier should have been, only for the midfielder to fire high and wide from six yards out.

Cyriel Dessers' Old Firm issue

Cyriel Dessers, who was handed a match rating of 3/10 by GlasgowWorld's Lewis Anderson, was criticised by former Gers striker Billy Dodds on BBC Sportsound, as the ex-forward said that the Nigeria international's efforts were "not good enough".

He was even worse than Tavernier, who at least created three chances and one 'big chance' for his teammates, as the attacker struggled in and out of possession.

The former Cremonese number nine has now scored one goal in six appearances against Celtic in the Old Firm clashes, whilst Kyogo has managed eight goals in 15 games against Rangers. That illustrates the difference in quality between the strikers of the two sides.

Minutes played

90

Shots

2

Goals

0

Key passes

1

Duels won

2/9

Lost possession

15x

As you can see in the table above, Dessers made little impact at the top end of the pitch, with zero goals and only one chance created, and was dominated off the ball.

Tavernier, at least, created one 'big chance' for the team and looked to make things happen in the final third, whereas, the striker offered very little.

Dessers was also a lightweight when Rangers needed him to hold the ball up and alleviate pressure, as he lost a whopping seven of his nine duels, and these statistics show that he was nowhere near good enough in or out of possession.

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Philippe Clement missed out on a striker who would have been better than Cyriel Dessers

ByRoss Kilvington Aug 31, 2024

The 36-year-old was undergoing treatment for cancer

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-2021Vivek Yadav, a legspin-bowling allrounder who was part of Rajasthan’s back-to-back Ranji Trophy title-winning squads in 2010-11 and 2011-12, died on May 5 in a hospital in Jaipur following Covid-19-related complications. He was 36, and is survived by his wife and daughter.According to a PTI report, Yadav was undergoing treatment for cancer and had gone to the hospital for his chemotherapy, where he tested positive for Covid-19. His health deteriorated quickly after that.

Rajasthan Ranji Player and a dear friend…Vivek Yadav is no more. May his soul R.I.P. Thoughts and prayers with the family Om Shanti.

— Wear a Mask. Stay Safe, India (@cricketaakash) May 5, 2021

Yadav, originally from Haryana, played 18 first-class matches between 2008-09 and 2013-14. He picked up 57 wickets in those games at an average of 30.87, while also scoring 349 runs at 15.17. He was a part of the Rajasthan XI in the 2010-11 final, picking up 4 for 91 and scoring 27 and 13 as his team beat Baroda on the basis of the first-innings lead.

The Premier League is back in full swing now, and while some clubs will bemoan the September international break, Manchester United are probably not one of them.

The Red Devils kicked off the campaign with a well-earned 1-0 win over Fulham at home, but back-to-back losses against Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool have all but obliterated the positive feeling brewing among the fans.

However, while recent results have been less than ideal, United were quite effective in the summer transfer window, and the capture of players like Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, and Manuel Ugarte should excite supporters.

Interestingly, though, according to reports, the club could have added one more experienced midfielder into the mix in Adrien Rabiot, but not doing so may have been a great idea due to a talented youngster in the club's academy.

The latest on Rabiot

Rabiot left Juventus upon the expiration of his contract earlier this summer and has since been linked to several clubs, including United.

However, while the story seemed to pop up again after the window closed, an update from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that, as things stand, United are very clear that they do not wish to sign the Frenchman despite being offered his services "several times over the summer."

While the Red Devils do not want to sign the 29-year-old, it is easy to see why another team might be more keen. Across his career, he's made 227 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain, 212 appearances for Juventus, and 48 appearances for the French national team, highlighting just how experienced he is at the very highest level.

However, for all the experience he could bring, he also has a reputation for causing headaches for his clubs. With Ten Hag already under lots of pressure and Ratcliffe and Co trying to steer the club in a new direction, that's not a distraction they need, especially when they may already have their answer to the international in the academy.

Why fans should be excited about Jack Fletcher

Yes, the youngster in question is 17-year-old gem Jack Fletcher, who joined the Red Devils' youth set-up from Manchester City with his brother Tyler last summer.

The Manchester-born prospect is the son of former United great Darren Fletcher, who made 342 appearances for the club during the late glory years under Sir Alex Ferguson, and like his father, the teenager is a central midfielder by trade.

This is possibly one of the reasons why the club opted against bringing in Rabiot for free, as the Frenchman would be just another barrier to first-team football for the "marvellous" teenage talent, as dubbed by journalist Nathan Salt.

Appearances

13

3

1

Goals

1

3

0

Assists

4

2

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.38

1.66

0.00

The "brilliant" prospect, as U23 scout Antonio Mango dubbed him, certainly looks ready to make a few senior appearances this season, as in his 17 games for the various youth sides, he has found the back of the net four times and provided six assists, meaning he's averaging a goal involvement once every 1.7 games from attacking and central midfield areas.

You only have to look at his wonder goal against Barnsley's U21 side last month to see that he has a real eye for goal and that, with the right guidance, he could become a real asset for Ten Hag.

Ultimately, while Fletcher won't be making too many first-team appearances in the coming season, there is enough evidence in his performances with the junior sides that he could be something special. So, while some fans might have wanted Ratcliffe and Co to sign Rabiot this summer, they may already have their own version coming up through the academy.

Moreover, Kobbie Mainoo's meteoric rise proves that the club are willing to give teenagers a real chance in the Premier League.

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2 ByBrett Worthington Sep 4, 2024

Erling Haaland was anonymous in attack and Ilkay Gundogan was tortured in midfield in a third defeat in a row for the flailing champions

Manchester City's freefalling continued with a limp 2-1 loss at Aston Villa, signalling a third consecutive defeat in all competitions and a ninth reverse in their last 12 matches.

Villa, who beat City at home last season in just one of three league defeats for Pep Guardiola's side, were utterly dominant from the off and could have scored within the first minute when Jhon Duran was thwarted by Stefan Ortega. The German goalkeeper then clawed a Pau Torres header from the line which was an inch from creeping over.

The hosts eventually got the goal they deserved when Duran accepted a gift from former City academy player Morgan Rogers, who had been released by a sublime pass from the wonderful Youri Tielemans. City had plenty of possession but were short on ideas, creating just two chances in the first half. The net would bulge again early in the second half, when Duran struck again, only for City to be saved by an offside flag. Villa bided their time, however, and eventually struck again through Rogers after the England international had waltzed his way through an all-too generous City midfield.

Phil Foden pulled a goal back in the 93rd minute but it was too little, too late for City. The champions drop below Villa to sixth in the Premier League table and are now nine points behind leaders Liverpool, who have two games in hand.

GOAL rates Man City's players from Villa Park…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defence

Stefan Ortega (6/10):

Kept City in it early on with his fine saves from Duran and Pau Torres. Couldn't be faulted for either goal but a little suspect with his feet.

Rico Lewis (4/10):

Kept the ball well and made a tactical foul to prevent a second goal. Moved to central midfield after the break but it only made Villa more dominant in the middle.

John Stones (4/10):

Made his first appearance in a month and it showed as he was hooked at half-time.

Manuel Akanji (4/10)

Played Rogers and Duran onside for the first goal. Decent on the ball, playing lots of switches to Grealish, but made rash challenges.

Josko Gvardiol (4/10):

Headed over the bar with a half chance. Struggled defensively yet again.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Bernardo Silva (4/10):

Couldn't tame Villa's counters and had no ideas going forward.

Ilkay Gundogan (4/10):

Couldn't get close to Villa's creator-in-chief Tielemans and had no cutting edge in attack.

Mateo Kovacic (4/10):

Ineffective at trying to plug the gaps in the middle.

Getty Images SportAttack

Jack Grealish (6/10):

Most of City's play went through him, amid relentless booing from fans of his boyhood club. But he couldn't spark any creativity.

Erling Haaland (3/10):

More anonymous than his last appearance at Villa Park, when he fractured his foot. Had just 18 touches – the fewest of any player who started the game and never looked like causing a threat.

Phil Foden (5/10):

Responsible for City's brightest move with a marauding dribble and shot in the first half but it was just a flash and he didn't offer much else until his consolation goal in added time.

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AFPSubs & Manager

Kyle Walker (4/10):

Brought on to shore up the defence but Villa only grew more confident with him on the pitch.

Savinho (4/10):

Didn't look like ever making a difference and hardly got on the ball.

Jeremy Doku (N/A):

Brought on in the 84th minute.

Pep Guardiola (4/10):

His gameplan, which seemed to consist of letting Grealish do all the work, fell flat and he had no response. More injuries (Ruben Dias, Ederson) are not helping but he is running out of ideas.

Sri Lanka never really got to grips with the variation and control of the England attack

George Dobell23-Jun-2021England have taken a one-nil lead in the T20I series against Sri Lanka with a comfortable eight-wicket victory in Cardiff achieved with 17 deliveries to spare.A much-changed Sri Lanka side – there were six alterations from their previous T20I in March – never really got to grips with the variation and control of the England attack or a slightly sluggish surface that rendered strokeplay tricky. At one stage they went 10 overs (from 4.2 to 14.1) without hitting a four and there were just three sixes in their innings.Eoin Morgan, the England captain, appeared to have an almost endless array of options and variations on hand in the field. And with Adil Rashid producing the third most economical four-over spell of his T20I career (he conceded 17) and Chris Woakes (three overs for 14) and Liam Livingstone (two overs for nine) adding equally miserly support in conceding just one boundary between them, Sri Lanka never looked to be on course for a competitive total.While Dasun Shanaka, with his second T20I half-century, helped Sri Lanka plunder 25 off the final two overs of the innings to drag his side to something approaching respectability, only one of his colleagues, Kusal Perera, made 20 and Sri Lanka only took their run-rate above a run-a-ball in their penultimate over.That left England chasing a modest 130 for victory. And even without the injured Ben Stokes, that was unlikely to test the side ranked No. 1 in the world in this format.Related

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Jos Buttler and Jason Roy, took 61 from the powerplay to all but end the game as a contest. If Buttler, timing the ball beautifully both through and over the off side, was the more pleasing on the eye, Roy was no less effective as he thrashed through the leg side. It was some surprise when he was brilliantly caught attempting to flay one over mid-off.By then, though, the openers had added 80 from 55 balls. And while Dawid Malan (seven off 14) was unable to get into his stride, Buttler brought up a 38-ball half-century by taking 10 off two deliveries from Akila Dananjaya – a pulled six followed by a drive for four – and ensured England cruised over the victory line with quite a bit to spare.Perhaps the one-side nature of the contest was no big surprise: this was the No. 1 ranked T20 side playing at home against the No. 8 ranked side, after all. Spare a thought for Sri Lanka, though. In the age of Covid, we have become accustomed to teams performing without the warm-up matches and acclimatisation we once expected. Here, though, Sri Lanka were up against a side who are in the middle of their domestic T20 tournament – the Vitality Blast – and had only had a couple of inter-squad matches to prepare by comparison. It was hardly ideal and it may well have shown.Buttler’s opening statementButtler came into this game having spent the last couple of weeks batting in Lancashire’s middle-order in T20 cricket. And with the likes of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes also vying for the opening position in this format, he may have felt he had something to prove. If so, he did a fine job of making his point with an innings that was both controlled and brutal. Early on, it was his shots through the off-side – a lofted drive and a back foot punch, in particular – that caught the eye, but as the ball softened and the sluggish pitch made such strokes less productive, he produced some powerful thumps through the leg side. He gave only one chance, from the final ball of the match, when an outside edge was dropped by Kusal Perera. It was Buttler’s second T20I half-century in succession and his third in four innings. For a man who scores at his rates, that is a remarkable level of consistency. He also scored a century in his final IPL innings.Shanaka’s fightShanaka recorded the second half-century of his T20I career to justify his recall to the Sri Lanka side. Shanaka hadn’t played an international match in this format since March 2020 but here, coming in with his side in some trouble (they were 52 for 4 in the ninth over), he provided the resistance. He looked hurried by Mark Wood initially – he was beaten by his first three deliveries and, after 16 balls, had scored just nine – but, as he settled, he unveiled some powerful strokes and accelerated nicely in hitting 23 from the eight deliveries before his dismissal from the final ball of the innings. Twice in succession, Wood was punished for some width by being cut to the boundary, while he also hit two-thirds of the sixes of the innings: a ferocious drive over long-on off Chris Jordan and a pull off Sam Curran. None of it was enough to take Sri Lanka to victory but he did, at least, give his bowlers something to defend.Like a LivingstoneSome were surprised by England’s decision to prefer Livingstone to Moeen Ali as their spin-bowling allrounder. But Livingstone’s ability to bowl both leg and offspin does give him an edge in being able to adapt to left or right-handed batters. He has been in decent form with the bat in domestic T20 cricket, too, scoring an unbeaten 94 a couple of weeks ago and 45 and 65 in his two most recent games. He didn’t have a chance to bat here but impressed with the ball in delivering two well-controlled overs containing both offbreaks and leggies and without conceding a boundary. It was a performance that provided his captain with a buffer should any of his frontline bowlers have an off day and must have done Livingstone’s T20 World Cup chances no harm at all.Hope in HasarangaSri Lanka’s bowlers weren’t given much of a chance by their batters. But at least Wanindu Hasaranga gave Sri Lanka supporters some cheer with a really well controlled spell of leg-spin that saw him concede just 12 runs and deliver 14 dot balls. With just a little luck he could have had a couple of wickets, too, as England’s batters struggled to predict which deliveries would turn and which would skid on. Malan missed one which slid past his outside edge and Bairstow came within an ace of playing on to another which hurried on to him. The impression was that, given a decent target to defend, he could have caused England quite a lot of trouble.The return of ChrisThe last time Chris Woakes played a T20I, Barack Obama was president of the USA and David Cameron was prime minister in the UK. So a lot has changed since November 2015. But with Jofra Archer missing and Woakes having enjoyed a decent IPL, England recalled him for his first international game since September; a remarkably long time for a player with a central contract who spent much of the winter in the squad’s bio-bubbles. While Woakes didn’t take a wicket, he more than justified his recall in conceding just one boundary in three frugal overs which contained 11 dot balls and cost only 14. With his control, his variations and his experience, he may well have put himself back in contention for a place in the T20 World Cup squad.