يخوض فريق الكرة بـ الأهلي مباراة قوية أمام منافسه فاركو مساء غد السبت، في اللقاء الذي يجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.

ويلتقي الأهلي أمام فاركو على أرضية استاد برج العرب في الإسكندرية، في إطار مواجهات الجولة التاسعة من المسابقة المحلية.

ويرغب الأهلي في الفوز بالمباراة وخطف النقاط الثلاث من أجل الحفاظ على تصدره لجدول ترتيب الدوري المصري والاحتفاظ بفرصه في التأهل للمرحلة النهائية من المسابقة.

ويأمل مارسيل كولر المدير الفني للأهلي في مصالحة الجمهور بعد الهزيمة الصعبة التي تلقها الفريق أمام أورلاندو بايرتس بنتيجة 2-1 في ختام مرحلة المجموعات بدوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويحتل الأهلي المركز الأول في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري ولديه في رصيده 18 نقطة، حصدهم من الفوز في 5 لقاءات والتعادل 3 مواجهات دون تلقي أي هزائم.

طالع | الأهلي يوضح عبر “بطولات” سبب غياب وسام أبو علي أمام فاركو قائمة الأهلي لمباراة فاركو في الدوري المصري

حراسة المرمى: محمد الشناوي ومصطفى شوبير ومصطفى مخلوف.

خط الدفاع: وخالد عبد الفتاح وعمر كمال ويوسف أيمن ‏ورامي ربيعة وياسر إبراهيم وأكرم توفيق ومحمد هاني.

خط الوسط: ومروان عطية وحسين الشحات وعمرو السولية ‏ومحمد مجدي أفشة وكريم نيدفيد وإمام عاشور وعمر الساعي وسمير محمد وكريم ‏الدبيس.

وفي الهجوم: حمزة عبد الكريم ومحمد عبد الله.‏

وفي سياق متصل يرغب فريق فاركو في تحقيق فوز مفاجئ أمام الأهلي أو التعادل على أقل تقدير وحصد نقطة تحسن موقفه في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري.

ويتواجد فريق فاركو بالمركز الحادي عشر في ترتيب الدوري المصري ولديه 10 نقاط، جمعهم بعد الفوز في 3 لقاءات وتعادل مباراة وحيدة وتلقى 4 هزائم.

Arne Slot refused to give away much on Caoimhin Kelleher's future after he stole the show during Liverpool's win over Real Madrid.

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Kelleher has been outstanding in Alisson Becker's absenceSaved Kylian Mbappe's penalty with the score at 1-0Future remains uncertain with Mamardashvili's impending arrivalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Kelleher has become a standout figure for Liverpool following his stellar performances as Alisson Becker’s understudy. The 26-year-old goalkeeper delivered a moment of brilliance during Liverpool's Champions League victory over Real Madrid, saving Kylian Mbappe’s penalty to preserve a narrow 1-0 lead. This critical intervention not only secured the Reds' perfect record in the competition but also highlighted Kelleher’s immense potential on the European stage.

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However, the Irishman’s future remains uncertain, especially with Liverpool securing the services of Giorgi Mamardashvili, the Georgia international goalkeeper from Valencia, who is set to join next summer. This will leave the Reds with three quality keepers in the stable but Kelleher remains adamant that he sees himself as a starter and will not be restricted to a rotational role at Anfield. “I made it clear in the last few years I want to go be a number one and play week in, week out," he warned earlier in the campaign.

WHAT SLOT SAID

Nonetheless, Liverpool manager Slot maintained a measured approach when discussing Kelleher’s role within the team.

“I'm expecting every player to want to be the No.1, not only the goalkeeper, it's up to the player if they accept their role,” Slot told reporters.

"He's accepted his role from the start to now, when he plays and even when he didn't, it's too early to think about next season. I want every player to want to play every season. It would be wrong if he would have come to me and said, 'I like it that I'm on the bench today', it's normal, it's about the attitude if you don't play. That has been outstanding, from Lucho and Macca last Sunday, then they came in really strong, I saw the same with Dominik and Cody, they should have the eagerness to play but if they don't, they have to act in a normal way, and that is what they all do at the moment.”

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR KELLEHER?

With Alisson gradually returning to fitness but not yet fully reintegrated into first-team training, Kelleher is expected to feature prominently in Liverpool’s pivotal match against Manchester City this Sunday. The fixture is set to be a defining moment in Liverpool’s season, as Slot’s side currently enjoys an eight-point lead over the reigning champions and a victory at Anfield would extend that gap, further consolidating Liverpool’s position at the top of the Premier League standings.

Leeds United now have the overwhelming task on their hands of replacing two of their key performers, with it looking very likely that Georginio Rutter will follow Crysencio Summerville out of the exit door very soon at Elland Road.

That means Leeds' car-crash 3-0 loss to Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup could be the Frenchman's final ever anticlimactic outing for the Championship side, as a move back up to the Premier League now beckons for the £40m attacker with Brighton and Hove Albion.

Away from this pending departure obviously dominating news around the second-tier club currently, Leeds are still on the hunt for a brand-new winger to replace the gaping hole left by the Dutchman, with a whole host of names floating about.

Leeds hold concrete interest in EFL promotion winner

As per Daily Express reporter Charlie Gordon, Leeds are very keen on adding Manuel Benson to their depleted attacking spots this summer, with the Whites holding 'concrete interest' in the Burnley gem.

Leeds had been looking at the likes of Jonathan Rowe quite heavily when searching for a golden new star to replace Summerville, but that move could be too difficult to get over the line now, hence a long list of other targets now being spoken about.

Million Manhoef has also been touted for a move to West Yorkshire, with the similarities between the Stoke City attacker and Summerville obvious, when glancing immediately at his Dutch heritage and his tricky and explosive ability for the Potters.

What Benson could offer Leeds

Prioritising a major move for Benson could be the best possible course of action for Farke and Co moving forward, with the Clarets attacker a former promotion winner in the Championship, on top of being an upgrade on Manhoef.

As well as offering a title win at the level on his CV, Benson can also offer the same slaloming runs to Leeds that Summerville had become known for before he moved on to West Ham United, as well as conjuring up an audacious finish at the end of such a pacey dart forward.

The sumptuous strike above from Benson pushed his side further on to achieving promotion glory come the end of the 2022/23 season, with the tricky Clarets number ten registering an impressive 11 strikes from 33 second-tier games overall.

Games played

33

14

32

Goals scored

11

4

12

Assists

3

1

2

Scoring frequency

137 mins

205 mins

171 mins

Shots per game

1.8

2.6

1.8

Big chances missed

7

3

4

Big chances created

4

3

1

Taking in the table above as well, Benson would be the smartest player to bring into the building out of the options on the table, with more goal contributions managed from the winger on the way to the Clarets lifting the title than Manhoef managed for either Stoke or Rowe for the Canaries last season.

Moreover, the left-footed 27-year-old has also the experience of Premier League football on his resume over his two counterparts, with a hunger to get back there with Farke's men, even with recent setbacks being thrown their way.

Gnonto could also benefit in the long-term with this signing, with the dynamic Italian attacker loving life down the left channel against Portsmouth on the opening day, with one goal next to his name in the 3-3 draw and two successful dribbles completed.

The "electric" Burnley forward – as he was described by football pundit Sam Parkin at the height of his second-tier powers – would compete with James down the right-hand side for a starting spot as a result, with the Leeds manager then content with the depth he has at his disposal, at least in this position.

Then, it will be about recruiting a stunning replacement to make Rutter's exit feel less damaging, as a new-look Leeds XI continues to be assembled from the ashes of last season's nearly men.

Leeds could land "insane" Rowe alternative with move for £18m star

The Whites have been touted as a possible destination for the forward this summer.

1 ByDan Emery Aug 14, 2024

Celtic have less than a month to go before the summer transfer window slams shut and they must move quickly to complete the rest of the business that they want to do.

Brendan Rodgers has added three new players to his group so far and two of those – Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo – have come in to compete for the number one position, after Joe Hart's retirement at the end of last season.

The only outfield addition has been central midfielder Paulo Bernardo. He joined on a permanent transfer from Benfica earlier this month, after spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Parkhead from the Portuguese side.

Another former Hoops loanee now looks set to put pen to paper on a long-term contract with the club, as Adam Idah is closing in on a return to Glasgow.

Sky Sports claim that the Scottish Premiership champions have agreed a deal worth up to £9.5m with Norwich City for the centre-forward, which includes a guaranteed £8.5m fee, a further £1m in add-ons, and a 15% sell-on clause for the Canaries.

The club's current record transfer fee stands at the £9m paid to Paris Saint-Germain for Odsonne Edouard in 2018, which means that Idah could end up being a club-record signing if all of those add-ons are activated.

Celtic now eyeing left-back target

With a deal for Idah seemingly on the verge of completion, Celtic have now set their sights on a swoop for a left-back to bolster their defensive options.

According to DaveOCKOP, Rodgers is keen to complete a permanent deal to sign Owen Beck from Liverpool before the end of the summer window.

The report claims that the Hoops are one of three teams in the race to land the Welsh full-back in the last few weeks before the deadline passes at the end of this month.

It states that English Championship sides Queens Park Rangers and Leeds United are also interested in signing the 22-year-old starlet, which means that Celtic face plenty of competition for his signature.

DaveOCKOP adds that a fee of around £3m would be enough to tempt the Premier League giants into cashing in on him, but the Bhoys are not near that figure as of yet.

It also reveals that Liverpool's preference would be for him to put pen to paper on a new contract at Anfield before going back out on loan, with Leeds and QPR both willing to snap him up on a temporary basis to improve their respective squads.

Who Owen Beck would be competing with at Celtic

If Rodgers does win the race to land the young talent from his former club then he would be competing with Greg Taylor for a starting berth at left-back.

The Scotland international is currently the only senior left-sided full-back in the Celtic squad as it stands, with Alexandro Bernabei out on loan, and this means that he does not have any competition for his position.

Taylor has had a solid start to the current campaign, with one assist and two clean sheets in two starts in the Premiership, and was a reliable performer for the Scottish giants in the division last term.

The 26-year-old ace provided a creative threat down the left flank whilst also being relatively solid defensively for Celtic, as they won the league title.

23/24 Premiership

Greg Taylor

Appearances

35

Assists

4

Key passes per game

1.7

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.2

Ground duel success rate

57%

Aerial duel success rate

46%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Taylor almost created two chances per game for Rodgers' side and won the majority of his duels on the deck, although he struggled slightly when dealing with aerial challenges.

The Scottish dynamo did struggle, however, in Europe as his performances across six starts in the Champions League left a lot to be desired.

He did not create a single 'big chance' for his teammates and made just 0.7 key passes per game. In fact, Taylor was dribbled past as many times per game (0.7) as he created chances, whilst he also gave away one penalty.

This suggests that the defender failed to make the step up to Europe's premier competition, which may be why Rodgers wants another left-back to compete with him.

Why Celtic should sign Owen Beck

Celtic should now work hard to secure a £3m permanent deal for Beck from Liverpool before the end of the window because he could come in as an upgrade on Taylor.

The Welsh whiz, who was hailed as "spectacular" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, spent the majority of the 2023/24 campaign on loan with Dundee in the Premiership.

This means that the Reds youngster is already a proven performer in Scotland and would not need time to adapt to the country and division, as he has already showcased his quality at that level.

Beck caught the eye in Liverpool's academy, with a return of two goals and 11 assists in 54 U21 matches at left-back, and carried that form over to senior level with Dundee last term.

23/24 Premiership

Owen Beck

Greg Taylor

Appearances

25

35

Assists

4

4

Key passes per game

2.3

1.7

Dribbles completed per game

1.4

0.7

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.9

2.2

Duel success rate

55%

52%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the £3m-rated star created more chances per game on average and stood out defensively with a higher duel success rate and far more tackles and interceptions combined per match in comparison to Taylor.

This suggests that Beck outperformed the Celtic left-back in and out of possession throughout the Premiership season, with more creativity, more quality in transition with his dribbling skills, and more solidity defensively.

This was backed up by Beck's inclusion in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year ahead of Taylor, which shows that their peers deemed the Dundee sensation to be the best player in his position in the league.

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Therefore, Celtic could improve their team by swooping to sign Beck, who also has plenty of years left to develop and improve at the age of 22, and that could also help their chances in the Champions League if he can offer more than the Scottish defender did.

Vidarbha lost six wickets for 36 runs, as they ceded the early advantage to Madhya Pradesh

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2024Avesh Khan’s four-wicket haul helped Madhya Pradesh dominate the first day of the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Vidarbha in Nagpur. After being asked to bowl, the MP quicks ran through Vidarbha to bowl them out for 170. MP ended the day at 47 for 1, trailing by 123 runs.Avesh made early inroads by cleaning up opener Dhruv Shorey for a 12-ball 13 in the seventh over. Atharva Taide, Shorey’s opening partner, got off to a decent start hitting eight boundaries in his 63-ball stay. But his stay was short-lived after he nicked one to the wicketkeeper off Venkatesh Iyer’s medium pace for 39, in the 22nd over. Aman Mokhade survived 75 deliveries but fell to Avesh six overs later.Vidarbha then suffered a collapse, going from 101 for 2 to 137 for 8, losing six wickets for just 36 runs. Overall, MP pacers accounted for nine of the ten wickets on Saturday with Kulwant Kehjroliya and Iyer scalping two each while Anubhav Agarwal took one. Karun Nair’s resistance fetched him 63 off 105 balls, during which he hit nine fours. His 33-run ninth-wicket stand with Umesh Yadav (0) helped Vidarbha move past 150 but the team survived only 56.3 overs with left-arm spinner Kumar Karthikeya picking up the final wicket to restrict Vidarbha to a below-par score.With the bat, MP lost opener Yash Dubey early, who was caught behind for a 22-ball 11 off Umesh’s pace. At stumps, wicketkeeper Himanshu Mantri and Harsh Gawli remained unbeaten on 26 and 10 respectively to put MP in a strong position heading into day two.

Phil Parkinson has sent a strong message to Wrexham striker Paul Mullin, with the Red Dragons frontman having to deal with “massive expectations”.

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• Three-time Player of the Year in North Wales
• Registered over 100 goals while climbing EFL
• Expected to come good after fitness setbacks

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Prolific No.10 Mullin has been a talismanic presence at SToK Racecourse across his three full seasons in North Wales. He raced to 100 goals for the club, helping them to back-to-back promotions and himself to a hat-trick of awards in the Player of the Season department.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Summer injuries have become an unfortunate theme, with a punctured lung in 2023 followed by minor spinal surgery ahead of the current campaign. Mullin has been left playing catch-up on the fitness front as a result and has just three goals to his name across all competitions this term – with only one of those efforts coming in League One, back on October 19.

• WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Mullin was benched again for Wrexham’s 1-0 defeat at Stockport last time out, but Parkinson has told the podcast of bringing the best out of a proven marksman: “I had a good chat with Paul. I said that we need to make sure that we're not putting massive expectations on him. He's had a serious operation in the summer, missing not just the pre-season, but the whole of the off-season as well.

  ”He was a long way behind the other lads, but I put him back on the bench quickly. That doesn't mean he was really match ready. He's getting opportunities, and Paul is great. He doesn't let things affect him when he doesn't take those as he knows there's another chance coming round the corner. The life of a goal scorer is such that at times it doesn't go your way, but it's making sure those dips don't last too long, and he'll come through that.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Mullin has gone six games without finding the target, while talk of Wrexham dipping back into the transfer market for more firepower continues to build. Further competition could arrive in January, but the Red Dragons remain confident that a favourite of Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney will come good.

Heinrich Klaasen and Lara Goodall have been awarded their first national contracts by CSA, with Klaasen replacing Faf du Plessis and Goodall included with an additional women’s contract becoming available. With 16 men and 15 women contracted, the board has also left open the possibility for anyone selected in the national teams in the 2021-22 season to be upgraded to a central contract.du Plessis, who retired from Test cricket last month but remains available for white-ball selection, has not been recontracted by CSA. That will leave him free to pursue opportunities in T20 leagues around the world, and he will remain eligible to play for South Africa at upcoming ICC events. His contract has gone to Klaasen, who captained South Africa’s second-string T20I side in Pakistan, and has been part of the white-ball squads.Related

• Anneke Bosch, Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp shine as South Africa take series 4-1

• Goodall gets rid of the 'disconnect' to fire in her second coming

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• Faf du Plessis retires from Test cricket

Goodall, who played a starring role in South Africa’s series win against India, will get additional funds, as CSA prepares for several upcoming world tournaments.”We are about to enter into a very important cricket season with ICC World Cup events for both the men’s and the women’s teams and we are confident that we have the correct personnel and necessary depth within the system to produce teams that will challenge the best in the world in the coming 12 months,” Pholetsi Moseki, CSA’s acting chief executive, said. “On behalf of CSA, I would like to congratulate Lara Goodall and Heinrich Klaasen on their newly awarded contracts. Their performances on the field of play as well as the way they have carried themselves off the field has done the talking for them and we are pleased to reward the hard work that they have put in.”The announcement of the contracts means that South Africa’s domestic teams can now finalise their squads for next summer. The current six set-up is being revamped and reduced to eliminate the franchises and include 15 provincial teams playing in two divisions. The eight teams in the top division would be allocated funds to contract 16 players each, while the seven teams in the second division can contract 11 players each. In total, there will be 75 fewer contracts available for players at the domestic level.Men’s contracts: Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock, Dean Elgar, Beuran Hendricks, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der DussenWomen’s contracts: Dané van Niekerk, Trisha Chetty, Nadine de Klerk, Mignon du Preez, Lara Goodall, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Lizelle Lee, Suné Luus, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloe Tryon, Laura Wolvaardt

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo realmente tem dívidas com o elenco da atual temporada. Em nota divulgada na tarde desta quinta-feira, o Alvinegro confirmou o atraso em parte dos vencimentos: direitos de imagem estão em aberto, enquanto CLT está, em suma maioria, quitada. Este foi o motivo para o começo de uma “lei do silêncio” adotada por jogadores e membros da comissão técnica.

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O clube informou que 17 pessoas, entre jogadores e comissão, recebem direitos de imagem. O valor referente ao pagamento destas quantias está depositado, de acordo com o Alvinegro, em juízo à espera de liberação.

No que diz respeito à CLT, o Botafogo tem um acordo com o Sindeclubes que garante o pagamento de 60 salários mínimos – pouco mais de R$ 71 mil – a cada jogador. Na nota, o clube diz que apenas três atletas recebem valores acima do citado, e que as quantias que sobram estão em aberto.

Por isto, o Botafogo adiantou R$ 600 mil em premiações por resultados dentro de campo ao elenco nos últimos dois meses.

NOTA DO BOTAFOGO

“O Botafogo sempre foi transparente quanto à realidade financeira e vem mantendo diálogo permanente com os jogadores, informando os movimentos internos em busca de soluções.

Transparência:

1) Todos os colaboradores (incluindo os atletas) que recebem até 60 salários mínimos estão em dia com os seus vencimentos. Três atletas que recebem acima deste valor ainda aguardam a parte complementar.

2) 17 atletas estão com direitos de imagem em atraso aguardando decisão judicial. O valor, suficiente para estes ajustes e para o pagamento da folha de novembro, encontra-se depositado em juízo à espera da liberação dos magistrados. Descumprimento de ordem judicial é impensável.

3) Ciente da importância do momento, o Botafogo antecipou aos atletas R$ 600 mil reais de premiação futura nos últimos 60 dias.

O Botafogo respeita a manifestação dos atletas e destaca todos os esforços de reestruturação administrativa envidados desde o início da gestão, além da parceria com o SindeClubes e o MPT, que nos permitiram chegar até este mês sem atrasos salariais.

Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas”

With Everton's current attacking options facing an uncertain future at Goodison Park, the club are looking at a highly-rated striker to help bolster Sean Dyche's forward line.

Toffees talisman could be sold this summer

The biggest story out of Goodison Park in recent weeks has been the saga around the future of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Despite interest from both Newcastle United and West Ham, Everton long looked reluctant to let the striker leave this summer with the 27-year-old seen as a vital part of the Toffees' squad.

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In spite of their initial refusal to allow offers for Calvert-Lewin it now appears that the club's hand has been forced and the player may have to be sold during the transfer window. Owing to the Toffees' failed takeover by The Friedkin Group a couple of weeks back, it now transpires that the striker's sale could be necessary in order to stave off any further financial sanctions.

Another forward who could be leaving Merseyside this summer is Beto, who could call time on his Toffees career after just one season. The Portguese forward arrived in a £26 million move from Udinese last summer and after failing to impress during his maiden campaign, could be shown the door before the window slams shut on the 30th August.

With a new striker clearly high on Everton's list of priorities, it appears that the club have submitted an offer to sign a forward with proven Premier League experience.

Everton make an offer for Tammy Abraham

As first reported by Sport Witness, the Italian press are claiming that Everton are among the clubs chasing AS Roma’s Tammy Abraham. The outlet states that the Toffees have made contact with the Serie A outfit over a move for the Englishman and have gone on to submit a bid to bring him to Merseyside.

Whilst the value of the bid is not known, a report from last month suggested that Roma were looking for a fee in the region of £25 million to part ways with the striker this summer. Sport Witness claims that Everton are joined by fellow Premier League side West Ham United in the race to secure Abraham's services.

At 26 years of age, Abraham already boasts a CV with successful spells in England and Italy as well as 11 caps for the England national team. Across his 328 senior appearances, the striker has managed to score on 127 occasions, showing his proficiency at finding the back of the net.

Roma

119

37

13

Chelsea

82

30

10

Bristol City

48

26

4

Aston Villa

40

26

3

Swansea City

39

8

4

Speaking during Abraham's loan spell at Aston Villa back in 2018/19, former Villa boss Dean Smith spoke highly of the player describing the striker as someone whose "currency is goals".

With Everton in the market for a new number nine this summer, the Toffees could do a lot worse than a player like Abraham who boasts no shortage of experience in England.

Fifty-over cricket has lost its lustre but a strong crowd expected for maiden bilateral series

Andrew Miller16-Jun-2022

Pieter Seelaar and Eoin Morgan pose with the series trophy•ECB Images

Big pictureFifty-over cricket… remind me what that is again? Ah yes, that’s right, it’s all about Jonny Bairstow getting into Beast Mode and belting six after six after six into the short square boundary, to hunt down a run-a-ball target without breaking sweat. Or is that what Test cricket has become in the last few days? I can’t keep up anymore.Perhaps a quick glance at Statsguru will help refresh the memory of what 50-over cricket really is. It is, after all, England’s most favourite format of the game ever – look, they even have the trophy to prove it. But, no, computer error … it says here they haven’t played a single ODI for 11 months and counting, and when they did, it was with some random third-string outfit featuring five debutants and an admittedly familiar stand-in captain.And so, with apologies to what promises to be a historic occasion in Amstelveen on Friday, the resumption this week of England’s World Cup Super League campaign comes accompanied by an all-pervading sense of decay to white-ball cricket’s “traditional” form of the game (50-plus years of ODIs does qualify it for that title, right?). The Super League itself is already on borrowed time (not that the Netherlands’ challenge in this cycle has yet caught fire), and the format’s dwindling relevance is perhaps best epitomised by the prospect of Lancashire’s left-armer Luke Wood readying himself for a 50-over international debut without having bowled in a 50-over match for three years.And yet, here we are. Back on the rather battered bandwagon, sandwiched between two Test matches, with a new coach Matthew Mott overseeing the earliest stirrings of England’s World Cup defence, alongside an old captain, Eoin Morgan, who isn’t so much raging against the dying of the light as declaring “not really…” and changing the subject whenever the awkward issue of his shelf-life comes up for debate. There’s a changing of the guard afoot at some stage in the next 12 months. But whether it comes before or after England’s title defence in India remains a matter that only the skipper himself seems capable of confirming.And yet, all this circumstantial angst no doubt does the contest in store a disservice. For 18 months, England were guilty of endless forward planning in their Test team until Brendon McCullum’s arrival signalled a new intent to seize the day with the alacrity of the reborn, and perhaps the same is true for this week’s events. After all, England and the Netherlands have never before met in an ODI outside of a World Cup – and by the end of this trip, they will have doubled their official encounters over the years from three to six (although those with long memories will doubtless remember some of the unofficial encounters too, including this memorable set-back in an already dismal English summer in 1989).As Ryan ten Doeschate, Netherlands’ greatest player, told ESPNcricinfo, he too was guilty of too much forward-planning in his own fine career, and failed to fully savour the journey because of too much time fretting over the destination. You can be sure, if any of this week’s three matches ends going the way of either this or this encounter, a home crowd at Amstelveen will be all too happy to replicate the joyous scenes that England’s own victors felt at Trent Bridge earlier this week.In all honesty, the likelihood of that happening is slim. Not only does the 50-over format rather stretch the possibilities when it comes to outgunned teams sustaining a lasting challenge, the events of the week just gone have doubtless sent a jolt of electricity through the wider England set-up.Scott Edwards, Netherlands’ wicketkeeper, in action at Amstelveen•Peter Della Penna

Moeen Ali has already signalled his willingness to come out of Test retirement after seeing what fun his brethren had up at Trent Bridge, while Jos Buttler – who went from white as a Test sheet to pretty in Rajasthan pink in less time than the Barmy Army usually takes to get sunburnt – is another man who might just find the recall to arms irresistible. There’s no time like the present to plant that front foot and start remaking an impression.The Super League set-up does at least mean that the Netherlands come into this contest with matches under their belts: already this year, they’ve played away series against Afghanistan and New Zealand, while earlier this month, they ran West Indies close in two of their three fixtures at the same venue – most particularly in the third game, where at 239 for 3 chasing 309, the chase was truly on. A 20-run loss ensued, but with half-centuries for Vikramjit Singh and Max O’Dowd, and forceful contributions all through the top order, there’s reason to believe they can still put up a fight this week, if not end a run of nine defeats in a row.Form guideNetherlands: LLLLL
England: WWWWWIn the spotlightThe performances of two 19-year-olds in Vikramjit Singh, the swashbuckling left-handed opener, and Aryan Dutt, whose offspin accounted for Nicholas Pooran in each of his three innings in Amstelveen, highlighted the talent coming through the Dutch system. But Bas de Leede, the allrounder who is the latest member of his family to represent the Netherlands, is the team’s perennial coming man: he has been around for so long that it is easy to forget he is only 22. He has only shown glimpses at full international level but a T20 innings of 79 not out off 30 balls against a Northants XI last month suggests he should enjoy the flat pitches anticipated in this series.Morgan is an obvious talking point, as he seeks in the same breath to prove both his fitness and his form. But Jason Roy comes into this series with a different set of question marks hanging over his game. In February, he pulled out of his IPL contract with Gujarat Titans citing personal reasons, and in March, he was fined £2500 by the Cricket Discipline Commission for an undisclosed misdemeanour that may or may not have been connected to the “indefinite break” that he took from the game in the early weeks of the season. He’s been back in action of late for Surrey in the Vitality Blast, and at Lord’s last week he hit his full stride for the first time this season with a rampant innings of 81 from 45 balls. He’ll doubtless be eager to continue letting his bat do the talking.Team newsTom Cooper is quite the blast from the past in the Netherlands set-up. He is set to play his first ODI since 2013, and his first international of any variety since the 2016 T20 World Cup, having featured for Brisbane Heat (without any great success) during the recent Big Bash. Shane Snater is available too, with Essex having released him from Vitality Blast duty, but Fred Klaassen will likely have to wait until the third ODI, given Kent’s brace of fixtures against Hampshire and Middlesex this week.Netherlands (possible): 1 Vikramjit Singh, 2 Max O’Dowd, 3 Tom Cooper, 4 Bas de Leede, 5 Scott Edwards (wk), 6 Teja Nidamanuru, 7 Pieter Seelaar (capt), 8 Logan van Beek, 9 Shane Snater, 10 Aryan Dutt, 11 Vivian Kingma.Sam Curran is likely to play primarily as a batter as he continues his return from a stress fracture of the back. His bowling returns have been impressive in the Blast for Surrey this season, but Morgan hinted that his levels would be built up through the series. Phil Salt is expected to get the chance to partner Roy at the top of the order, with Dawid Malan expected to bat at No. 3 as a possible under-study to Joe Root. Brydon Carse, who made his debut in England’s emergency squad against Pakistan last year, may get first dibs alongside Reece Topley in the bowling attack, as the only right-arm quick in a left-arm-dominant squad.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jos Buttler (wk), 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Moeen Ali, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Reece TopleyPitch and conditionsAmstelveen promises short straight boundaries and slightly longer hits square, which may particularly lend itself to Roy’s brand of straight-lined bludgeoning. Morgan described the pitch and outfield as “rock-hard”, which suggests runs, and plenty of them. The weather is set to be scorching.Stats and trivia Snater and Roy are cousins. Their only previous meeting in a professional fixture came in the 2018 Royal London Cup, between Essex and Surrey at Chelmsford. Roy (86 from 64 vs 5-0-36-0) enjoyed the better of that one. Morgan, Adil Rashid and Pieter Seelaar are the three survivors from Netherlands’ famous victory at Lord’s in 2009, Rob Key (who batted No. 6 for England in that match) is also present as England’s managing director. A strong contingent of England fans are expected to make the trip to the VRA, with good ticket sales reported despite a cheapest price of 60 euros. This series had originally been scheduled for May 2021, but was postponed due to the KNCB’s concerns about hosting a series with no crowds due to Covid.Quotes”It might be a scar for England but for us, it’s just joyful memories. We’re playing a different format here and England at that time were in a different mindset in white-ball cricket to where they are now. A third win would be fantastic.”
“We sat back in our hotel watching it on a phone, ball-by-ball, watching guys that we’ve played with over the years produce shots and apply a method that we’ve used in the most difficult of circumstances. Test match cricket is incredibly tough so to peel back those challenges and play in the manner that they did is a huge credit to the dressing rooms for creating an environment where people feel comfortable enough to do that.”