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Thursday, 10 November 2016

MIDWEEK SPORTS ROUNDUP


Football

England face Scotland in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley on Friday evening, with Jack Wilshere recalled to the squad now he has more game time under his belt after featuring regularly for Bournemouth during his loan spell. West Ham defender Aaron Cresswell and Sunderland ‘keeper Jordan Pickford are in the England squad for the first time, after injuries to Danny Drinkwater and Fraser Forster. Scotland are definitely without defenders Andrew Robertson and Kieran Tierney, while forward Steven Fletcher remains a doubt. Speculation is growing that defeat for Scotland could mark the end of Gordon Strachan’s time in charge of the team.

Defenders Ben Davies and James Collins will both miss Wales’ match with Serbia on Saturday due to injury.

James McCarthy has been ruled out of Ireland’s match in Austria on Monday, with James McClean and John O’Shea also doubtful.

Northern Ireland will be without Stuart Dallas and Jamie Ward for their match with Azerbaijan on Friday.

Jose Mourinho is reported to have asked Manchester United to conduct a review of their medical arrangements, to try and discover why so many of his squad are falling victim to injury. Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw were amongst those sidelined for United’s last match, with the manager appearing to question their desire to play in his post-match comments.

England and Scotland’s women’s teams have been drawn together in Group D for next summer’s Euro 2017 tournament in the Netherlands. Spain and Portugal complete the group.

Manchester City Women, Britain’s sole remaining representatives in the Women’s Champions League, beat Brondby of Denmark 1-0 at home in the first leg of the round of 16 encounter.


Cricket

England had a superb first day of the First Test against India in Rajkot, closing on 311-4. It was three and a half years since Australia’s Michael Clarke became the last opposing batsman to score a Test century in India, but Joe Root reached 124 before being dismissed here. He added 179 for the fourth wicket with Moeen Ali, who was 99 not out overnight. Lancashire’s Haseeb Hameed made 31 on his Test debut as he opened the innings with captain Alastair Cook.

England Women romped to an eight wicket win with all of 21 overs to spare in the first encounter of their four-match ODI series in Sri Lanka. Essex and Loughborough Lightning seamer Beth Langston took 1-23 in 10 overs on her ODI debut as Sri Lanka managed just 168-7. 33 from Lauren Winfield, 41 from Tammy Beaumont, 45 not out from Heather Knight and an unbeaten 47 from Natalie Sciver completed the victory. Fran Wilson returned to the fold after not being selected for the West Indies series, but was not required to bat. Lancashire Thunder’s 18 year old batsman Emma Lamb has been called into the senior squad for the first time, but was not required to bat here.



Rugby Union

Northampton flanker Tom Wood will start his first international since the World Cup last year when England play South Africa at Twickenham on Saturday. Joe Launchbury and Courtney Lawes get the nod in the second row, with England missing so many players through injury in the second and back rows of the scrum. Gloucester winger Jonny May is also recalled.

18-year-old Ospreys wing Keelan Giles has been called into the Wales squad for the first time. Wales play Argentina in Cardiff on Saturday, still smarting from their heavy defeat to Australia.

After their remarkable win over New Zealand last week, Ireland face a simpler task when they face Canada; while Scotland must try and overcome a confident Australia side.


Rugby League

England play their last Four Nations group match against Australia at the Olympic Stadium on Sunday. Depending on New Zealand’s result against Scotland two days earlier, England may go into the match knowing that simply winning may not be enough to make the final – they may also need to win by a certain margin to get into the top two on points difference.




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