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Bangladesh need 206 to win 1st T20 against Zimbabwe
Wesley Madhevere and Sikandar Raza Zimbabwe helped Zimbabwe put up a score of 205-3 in the first of the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh Saturday.
Bangladesh previously won a single T20I while chasing 200 or more runs.
Raza remained unbeaten on 65 off 26 balls with seven fours and four sixes while Madhevere posted 67 off 46.
Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bat first. Bangladesh bowlers were all over the place, and the fielding also did not help.
The hosts lost their first wicket with only 15 runs on the board and second when they were batting at 43.
In the third wicket stand, Madhevere and Sean Williams added 56 runs off just 37 balls. After Williams fell for 33 off 19 balls, Raza joined Madhevere and added 91 runs off 43 balls.
Left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman bagged two wickets but conceded 50 runs. Taskin Ahmed failed to grab any wicket but conceded 42 runs. Also, Shoriful Islam gave away 45 runs but could not get any wicket.
Wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan Sohan is leading Bangladesh in this series. He replaced Mahmudullah Riyad after the Tigers lost their last T20I series against the West Indies 2-0.
This is only the second time that Bangladesh are playing a T20I match without Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Riyad and Tamim Iqbal.
Tamim recently retired from T20s. Shakib is not in the team due to personal reasons; Mushfiqur and Riyad were rested for this series.
UEFA Women's EURO 2022 Final: England vs Germany preview, lineups, prediction
The semifinal stage of the 2022 Women's EURO came to an end on Thursday (July 28) with England defeating Sweden 4-0 and Germany defeating France 2-1 to advance to the final. The England vs Germany UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 final will be held on Sunday (July 31) at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London and it will kick off at 10 p.m. (Bangladesh Standard Time).
This is the second time both teams will meet each other in a Women’s European Championship final. Prior to this, Germany thrashed England 6-2 in the 2009 final at the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki. Will England's women’s team come up on top against the German side this time? The championship match preview of the women’s EURO 2022 is discussed in this article.
England-Germany’s road to the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 final
Both England and Germany have reached the 2022 Women’s EURO final without losing a single match in the competition.
The hosts, England, have reached the final by comprehensively winning all of their group stage fixtures against Austria, Norway, and Northern Ireland. They later came out on top against Spain and Sweden in the knockout rounds and earned a spot in the tournament’s championship match.
Read England and Germany set for historic Euro 2022 final
England women’s team route to final
Group A
England vs Austria: 1-0
England vs Norway: 8-0
England vs Northern Ireland: 5-0
Quarter-Final
England vs Spain: 2-1
Semi-Final
England vs Sweden: 4-0
The eight-time champions, Germany, have reached the final by beating Denmark, Spain, and Finland in the group stage. They later overcame Austria and France in the knockout stage to seal a spot in the championship match. Germany didn’t concede a goal in the tournament till the 44th minute of the semifinal fixture against the French side, which suggests they have a formidable defensive lineup.
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Germany women’s team route to final
Group B
Germany vs Denmark: 4-0
Germany vs Spain: 2-0
Germany vs Finland: 3-0
Quarter-Final
Germany vs Austria: 2-0
Semi-Final
Germany vs France: 2-1
Read UEFA Women’s EURO 2022: Previews for the semifinals
Notable statistics of the two finalists in the UEFA Women's EURO 2022 (as on July 28)
England
Germany
Total Goals
20
13
Possession (%)
58.4
53
Passing Accuracy (%)
85.6
78
Total Attempts
95
93
Distance Covered (km)
496.2
559.6
Tackles
60
68
Balls Covered
219
223
Saves
10
7
Clean Sheets
4
4
Disciplinary (fouls committed)
40
60
Yellow Cards
2
8
Source: https://www.uefa.com/womenseuro/statistics/
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England’s chances to win the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022
The English team has shown authoritative performances in the ongoing 2022 Women’s EURO tournament. They have won all of their tournament fixtures with pure dominance to date and can be considered a hot favourite to lift the trophy for the first time.
England’s campaign started with a 1-0 narrow victory over Austria in Group A. Beth Mead was the only scorer in the match. Mead has been in outstanding form in the competition. She has netted the tournament’s highest six goals so far, including a hat-trick against Norway. The tournament’s biggest margin of victory has come in a group phase match between England and Norway, where the hosts netted eight goals. Besides, England also hammered Northern Ireland 5-0 in their last group stage fixture.
England had to work hard in their 2-1 victory over Spain in the quarter-final match, but overcoming 4-0 against Sweden in the semi-final match proved just how good England’s forward lineup is at the moment.
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England’s biggest challenge is waiting in the final against Germany. The German side has arguably the best defense in the competition. Creating a space in the German defense would be a hard task. However, with the kind of form Mead and Russo are having at the moment, it will be an equally challenging task for the German defenders to stop them going forward.
English captain Leah Williamson is leading the tournament’s stats when it comes to recovering the ball. She has recovered 46 balls thus far, which is a promising stat for the home team.
Germany have a far better head-to-head record. England can take inspiration from their most recent 3-1 victory over the German last February. The England women’s team is in the best-ever shape to win a major tournament in their history. Can they pull off a memorable victory over one of their bitter rivals in Sunday’s UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 final?
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Five players to watch out for England in the final
Mary Earps (GK), Beth Mead (Goals: 6; Assists: 6), Alessia Russo (Goals: 4; Assists: 1), Fran Kirby (Goals: 2, Assists: 3), Lucy Bronze ((Goals: 1, Assists: 2)
Predicted starting XI
Mary Earps; Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright, Leah Williamson, Rachel Daly; Georgia Stanway, Keira Walsh, Fran Kirby; Beth Mead, Alessia Russo, Ellen White.
Germany’s chances of winning the UEFA EURO 2022 final
The German team is enjoying a similar tournament run to England. They have comfortably reached the final by beating their respective opponents. Germany’s campaign started with a 4-0 demolition over Denmark, followed by a 2-0 victory over Spain and a 3-0 win over Finland in the group stage.
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Captain Alexandra Popp is leading the forward line for Germany. She has scored six goals, highest in the tournament along with England’s Beth Mead. Popp has found the net once in three Group phase fixtures and the quarter-final match against Austria. She then netted two goals against France in the semi-final match.
The English defenders will try to block Alexandra Popp to find a space in an attempt to score. Besides, Germany have a very strong defense line. Players like Hegering, Gwinn, and Oberdorf will make it tough for the formidable English offensive players. Lena Oberdorf, in particular, is brilliant when it comes to tackling. She has the record for most tackles in this competition so far.
The German side may take a cautious approach so as to not allow the opposition a chance to take a lead. They are likely to use a counter-attacking tactic and try to upset the English defense with quick attacks.
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Germany's national women’s team has a strong record over England's national women’s team. Germany have won 20 games and lost 10 out of 30 matches played against England. Germany’s 6-2 thrashing victory in the 2009 EURO final against England is the biggest margin of victory between the two sides.
Will Germany be able to stop a confident English side in the final who look more determined than ever to clinch their maiden European championship? The overall head-to-head record and Germany’s brilliant success in the tournament will boost their confidence heading into the championship battle.
Five players to watch out for Germany in the final
Merle Frohms (GK), Alexandra Popp (Goals: 6), Lina Magull (Goals: 2; Assists: 1), Svenja Huth (Assists: 2), Lena Oberdorf.
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Predicted starting XI
Merle Frohms; Giulia Gwinn, Marina Hegering, Kathrin Hendrich, Felicitas Rauch; Lena Oberdorf, Sara Dabritz, Lina Magull, Svenja Huth, Klara Buhl, Alexandra Popp
Verdict
The UEFA Women's EURO 2022 final between England and Germany is scheduled to take place on Sunday in front of around 90,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium. The English fans will be hoping the Lionesses come on top in the championship fixture and take revenge for their big defeat against Germany in the 2009 final.
On the other hand, Germany’s women’s team is expecting to outsmart an in-form England side in the final to clinch their ninth European championship. With the kind of performance England's women's team has shown throughout the competition, and as the host nation, they will begin as a slight favourite against Germany in the decisive final.
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Bangladesh bowl first in T20I series opener
Bangladesh lost the toss and were asked to bowl first in the first T20I of the three-match series against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club Saturday.
The Tigers lost their last T20I series against the West Indies 2-0. But they are a better side considering the strength of Zimbabwe. So, the visitors have a great chance to bounce back.
Bangladesh fielded three pacers – Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman and Shoriful Islam in this match. Anamul Haque, who recently returned to the national team but failed to impress, got another chance to bring his domestic prowess to the international level.
Munim Shahriar and Najmul Hossain Shanto were included in Bangladesh playing XI for the first match.
Read: Mithun hopes for competitive cricket in WI tour
Nurul Hasan Sohan is leading the Tigers in this series. He replaced Mahmudullah Riyad as Bangladesh's T20I captain.
Bangladesh playing XI
Litton Das, Anamul Haque, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Munim Shahriar, Mosaddek Hossain, Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan (w/c), Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, and Shoriful Islam
Zimbabwe playing XI
Regis Chakabva (w), Craig Ervine (c), Wesley Madhevere, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba, Ryan Burl, Luke Jongwe, Wellington Masakadza, Richard Ngarava, Tanaka Chivanga
4 wounded in sport stadium blast in Afghanistan's Kabul
At least four people were wounded in an explosion at a sport stadium during a cricket match in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, on Friday, according to an eyewitness.
Four people were wounded in the blast, Nasib Khan Zadran, an organizer of the match, told local media, adding that no one, including players and foreigners attending the match, was killed in the blast.
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Kabul police spokesman, Khalid Zadran, also confirmed the incident and said that the blast was the result of a hand grenade thrown by an unknown person.
Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe: T20 series begins Saturday
The three-match T20I series between visitors Bangladesh and hosts Zimbabwe is set to begin Saturday.
The first match will take place at 5pm at the Harare Sports Club.
Wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan Sohan will lead Bangladesh in this series. He replaced Mahmudullah Riyad as the T20I captain of the Tigers for this tour. If Sohan does better as a captain, he has all the chances to lead the Tigers in the shorter format of the game for a longer period.
However, Bangladesh will miss the services of Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan and Riyad in this series.
While Shakib is out for personal reasons, Mushfiqur and Riyad were rested by the team management. Shakib will also miss the ODI series, but Mushfiq and Riyad will take part in it.
Bangladesh included uncapped left-handed batter Parvez Hossain Emon in this tour. Parvez did well in the Bangladesh Premier League. Also, he was an important member of Bangladesh during their ICC U-19 World Cup triumph in 2020.
Read: ZIM vs BAN 2022: T20I series fixtures, H2H record, 1st match preview
Pacer Hasan Mahmud has also been added to the team.
The second and third T20Is will be played on July 31 and August 2. All the matches will take place at the same venue.
After the T20I series, both the teams will lock horns in a three-match ODI series starting on August 5. The last two ODIs will be played on August 7 and 10.
Bangladesh T20I squad
Nurul Hasan (captain and wicketkeeper), Munim Shahriar, Anamul Haque, Liton Das, Afif Hossain, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mustafizur Rahman, Hasan Mahmud, Mosaddek Hossain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Parvez Hossain Emon
Daley protests LGBTQ+ intolerance at Commonwealth Games
Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley protested intolerance toward the LGBTQ+ community at the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games on Thursday.
The British diver, who is married to Oscar-winning director Dustin Lance Black, played a key role as one of the last bearers in the Queen’s Baton Relay.
The 28-year-old Daley entered Alexander Stadium surrounded by a group carrying Pride flags as part of a broader campaign regarding the toxic culture toward homosexuality held by more than half of the competing nations in the Games.
The two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist did so with a broad smile, mindful the event is celebrating a theme of diversity and inclusion, though he also paid tribute to the six people who walked into the stadium carrying the Pride flags.
“In over half of the Commonwealth countries, homosexuality is still a crime and in 3 of those countries the maximum penalty is the death sentence," Daley wrote on his Instagram account. "These laws are a legacy of colonialism. This opening ceremony for us is about showing LGBTQ+ visibility to the billion people watching...”
The Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport Olympic-style event made up of mostly former British colonies. Seventy-two countries and territories are represented.
Denise Lewis, an Olympic gold medalist from Birmingham, was the final baton bearer and handed it to Commonwealth Games Foundation president Louise Martin.
Read:22nd Commonwealth Games starts in Birmingham early Friday;athletes to start campaign in four events
The opening ceremony was described as a love letter to Birmingham, its history and its vibrant, multi-cultural community, with 30,000 tickets sold for the occasion.
Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived at the stadium in an Aston Martin he bought in 1970.
The vehicle was a nod to a tribute that featured in the opening ceremony to the West Midlands’ automotive industry featuring cars forming the Union Flag.
Prince Charles read a message on behalf of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to open the competition, which will run over the next 11 days.
“My warmest thanks go to all those who have worked so hard to ensure the success of this particularly special sporting event and I wish each athlete and team every success,” he said on the Queen’s behalf.
Daley is not competing in Birmingham, and Commonwealth Games Federation chief executive Katie Sadleir said the organization was aware of his stand.
“We have been working with Tom and we have been working with a wider group,” she said. “You will see Pride flags (in Birmingham). This is a city that absolutely embraces Pride and Pride messaging and it’s definitely something that we’re working in close co-operation with Tom Daley on.”
Daley will feature in a BBC documentary titled “Tom Daley: Illegal To Be Me,” scheduled to be released in August at the completion of the event in Birmingham.
“I’ve experienced homophobia all my life, competing in countries where it’s illegal to be me and where I don’t feel safe to leave the venue I’m competing in,” he told the BBC. “If I feel like that as a privileged man, I can’t imagine what day-to-day life is like for LGBTQ+ people around the commonwealth. We wanted it to be something that actually makes a difference.”
The LGBTQ+ community demonstrated in Birmingham on Thursday to greet the arrival of the Queen’s Baton at Aston Hall after a journey that began at Buckingham Palace in October 2021.
A massive global audience was expected to watch the opening ceremony, which has been planned by Steven Knight, the creator of hit Birmingham-based series Peaky Blinders.
More than 5,000 athletes have arrived in England for the competition and it has been reported that more than 1 million tickets have been sold.
The Progress Pride flag is on display throughout the city and organizers are promoting the inclusivity of the sixth edition of the Commonwealth Games held in England.
But Sadleir conceded there were limits to the action the Commonwealth Games Foundation is able to take when it comes to the intolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community of several participating nations.
“We can’t go in to change the rules in countries, but what we can do is create opportunities for people to discuss issues in a safe environment,” she said. “Whenever we’re given the opportunity to talk about our values, we do that.”
England and Germany set for historic Euro 2022 final
England against Germany at Wembley Stadium. A final that underlines the growing stature of women’s soccer in Europe and echoes decades of history.
When host nation England takes on Germany in the European Championship final Sunday, it will have a tournament-record crowd of nearly 90,000. Euro 2022 as a whole will be easily the best-attended ever. It beat the previous mark of 240,000 part-way through the group stage.
“It’s going to be a great festival of football,” German coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said Wednesday. “That’s a classic in soccer, England-Germany.”
England is aiming to win its first major women’s tournament title on the site where the English men’s national team beat West Germany to win its only major title to date, the 1966 World Cup.
Germany has won all eight European finals it’s played — and crushed England 6-2 in the 2009 final — but its momentum had seemed to slow in recent years as other countries invested heavily in women’s leagues.
Read: UEFA Women’s EURO 2022: Previews for the semifinals
England has scored a tournament-leading 20 goals on its way to the final, more than half in two storming wins over former European champions, 8-0 against Norway in the group stage and 4-0 against Sweden in the semifinals.
Beating eight-time winner Germany would be the perfect way for England to write history.
England showed it is possible back in February, winning 3-1 in Wolverhampton for its first-ever victory against Germany on home soil.
Germany’s fans are used to their team winning titles, even if it’s not quite the all-conquering dynasty it once was. Since Germany won the Olympic gold medal in 2016, Euro 2022 marks the first time it has got past the quarterfinals of a tournament.
Forwards Alexandra Popp and Alessia Russo have made very different contributions. Captain Popp has scored in each of Germany’s five games — a new record — and started all except the opening game against Denmark. Russo has started none but is the ultimate impact substitute.
After missing the 2013 and 2017 European Championships with injuries, Popp is making up for lost time as the joint top scorer with England’s Beth Mead on six goals. Popp has her club teammates around her as one of five Wolfsburg players in the starting lineup for the 2-1 win over France, when she scored twice.
Popp started out as a full back at now-defunct FCR Duisburg and won her first European club title aged 18. She studied at a sports-focused high school with a special permission to let her take soccer classes as the only girl alongside boys from the academy of men’s club Schalke, and is also a fully qualified zookeeper.
Russo’s explosive impact off the bench has been crucial. The Manchester United forward, who played college soccer at the University of North Carolina, has scored four goals as a substitute at Euro 2022, including a backheel through the goalkeeper’s legs against Sweden in the semifinals. Her assist for Ella Toone’s goal to send the quarterfinal against Spain to extra time was just as valuable.
“I think when you’re enjoying your football you play your best,” Russo said. “Maybe (the backheel against Sweden) does show a bit of confidence — but I’m just loving playing football.”
22nd Commonwealth Games starts in Birmingham early Friday;athletes to start campaign in four events
The 22nd Commonwealth Games' 2022, the biggest sports carnival of the Commonwealth countries, set to begin early hours of Friday (Bangladesh time) at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham amid a colorful opening ceremony.Some 6500 athletes and officials from 72 countries will participate in the 12-day sports festival of the Commonwealth Games, which was introduced in 1930 as the British Empire Games.A 50-member contingent will represent Bangladesh in seven disciplines of sports --Athletics, Boxing, Gymnastics, Swimming, Weight-lifting, Wrestling, and Table Tennis.
Also read: SAFF U-20 Championship: Bangladesh to play Maldives on FridayCountry's famed weight-lifter Mabia Akther Simanta, who clinched the gold medals in the last two SAFF Games, is scheduled to carry the national flag during the march past of the opening ceremony of the Birmingham Games.Bangladesh will start their campaign on the very first day of the games (Friday) in four disciplines of sports--Boxing, Swimming, Gymnastics and Table Tennis.Bangladesh gymnastics team will start their campaign first at 9 am local time at the Birmingham arena, in the men's team event and preliminary round of the men's singles. Three gymnasts --Shisir Ahmed, Abu Sayed Rafi and Ali Kader Haque--will represent Bangladesh in the events .The first round of the Men's Table Tennis competition will also begin on Friday at the same time. Mufdradul Khair Hamza, Ramhin Loon Boom, Rifat Mahmud Sabbir and Muhtasim Ajmed Hridoy will participate in the events.
Also read: Sri Lanka to host Asia Cup in UAE, ACC confirmsThe preliminary round of the swimming competition will also begin on Friday at 10:30 pm at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre there. swimmer Mahmud-Un Nabi Nahid will compete in 50-meter butterfly while Marium Akhter in the 50-meter breaststroke.Three boxers will take to the ring on the day. Hossain Ali, Suro Krishna Chakma and Salim Hossain will fight in their respective events.
SAFF U-20 Championship: Bangladesh to play Maldives on Friday
With a sweet memory of beating defending champions India 2-1, last time runners up Bangladesh will play the Maldives in their 3rd match of the five-nation SAFF U-20 Championship'2022 at the Kalinga Stadium in the Indian city of Bhubaneswar on Friday (July 29).
The match will kick-off at 7:30 pm (Bangladesh time).
Holders India will play all losers Sri Lanka at 3:30 pm (BST) in the day's other match at the same venue.
After the 2nd matches, Nepal and Bangladesh dominated the meet securing full six points from straight two matches while hosts India yet to open the account losing their first match to neighbor Bangladesh.
But, in the goal differences, Nepal top the list scoring seven goals without conceding any (7-0) while Bangladesh is in the 2nd slot scoring three goals against conceding one (3-1).
In the remaining match, Bangladesh will face two times champions and league leader Nepal on August 2.
Bangladesh made a good start in ongoing meet after beating Sri Lanka 1-0 by a Merazul goal in the first match and they brightened their change to reach the final upsetting holders India by 2-1 goal in the 2nd match, thanks to Pias Ahmed Nova for scoring a brace.
Read: SAFF U-20 Football: Nova forces India to concede 1-2 goal defeat against Bangladesh
The Himalayan nation Nepal made a flying start crushing the Maldives by 4-0 goal in the opener and outplayed the Islanders Sri Lanka by 3-0 goal in the 2nd match
Ahead of the Friday's match, Bangladesh team, divided in two groups, made strength and conditioning, gym, ice bath and pool session at the team hotel Thursday morning and made their practices at the Capital Practice ground in the afternoon.
Five South Asian nations – India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka-- are taking part in this year's fourth edition of the regional youth soccer meet.
After the league basis matches, top two teams will play in the final on August 5.
Nepal are the most successful nation in the meet winning the title twice while India lifted its first title in 2019 after beating two times runners-up Bangladesh.
Mithun hopes for competitive cricket in WI tour
Mohammad Mithun, the top-order batter and the captain of Bangladesh A team, said he is hoping for competitive cricket in West Indies tour.
Bangladesh A will take on their West Indian counterparts in two unofficial Tests and three one-dayers. All the matches will be played at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium.
“I believe the series will be more competitive than the domestic cricket,” Mithun said on Thursday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium before leaving Dhaka for West Indies.
“The West Indies A team is a strong opponent. The players who would play for the national team are part of their A team. So this series is going to be a tough one for us,” Mithun added.
Mithun played his last international match back in 2021. He has been out of the national setup since. But this time, he is going to lead the A team on an important tour.
“It’s a challenge for me,” Mithun said. “But I’m not feeling any extra pressure. We are going to represent Bangladesh A team. If someone does better in this tour, he might get a chance in the national team.”
Read: Mithun, Mizan shine in BCL with centuries
Abdur Razzak, the national selector, who is traveling with the team to the West Indies, this series may provide Bangladesh with a solution for their Test debacle.
“We know how we play in Tests. We want the players of the Bangladesh A team to get competitive cricket so that they can prepare themselves for the toughest form of cricket,” Abdur Razzak told the media.