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LIVE

18.1 Over: &nbsp;England has beaten India in the first match. Joe roots pounds Nehra for 2 consecutive boundaries. Great show by England. Our preview earlier had said England should not be underestimated. This sets up the series, so Virat Kohli who has taken over the T20 captaincy from MS Dhoni&nbsp;was unable to make a winning debut as skipper. England wrap-up the match with 11 balls remaining.

England 148/3, beat India by 7 wickets in&nbsp;T20 match at Kanpur.

Root: *46 runs(46 balls, 4 boundaries), *Ben Stokes: 2( 5 balls)

Welcome back, India will be keen to take wickets but England has ended the innings on a high, Let&#39;s see what happens. Keep following the match here!

1st Over: Billings to face Nehra, England make a cautious start. Just 4 runs from there over.

2nd Over: Bumrah to start proceedings. Boom boundary, this is proving to be expensive another one - boundary. SIX..Bumrah being slaughtered by Billings here. Another SIX and a boundary. This is a run feast unfolding at Greenpark. Bumrah destroyed in the first over. Kohli will have to change him.

England 24/0&nbsp;

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3rd Over: Nehra to bowl to Roy. SIX. Now Roy gets on the act. England have rocketed to 30/0.&nbsp;

4th Over: As expected Bumrah has been replaced by&nbsp;Yuzvendra Chahal. Roy hits him for a SIX, this is BIG. OUT, Roy dismissed. Chahal does it for India. England 42/1. Root walks in. Chahal gets another one - Billings OUT. India strike back.

England 43/2

5th Over:&nbsp;Yuzvendra Chahal is back in the attack. England&#39;s new pair - Root &amp; Morgan will take on the run chase now. This is crunch time for both teams. Both are now playing him cautiously. Just 2 runs from the over.

After 10 overs England is 79/2. Morgan &amp; Root holding the fort for England. India desperate to get a handle in the match with wickets.

11th Over: Pandya bowls to Root, great over, just 6 runs conceded.&nbsp;

This is interesting stuff, the match is on a knife&#39;s edge. Stay tuned for more.

12th Over: Raina bought into the attack, can he get a wicket for India? Morgan hits him for SIX, India feeling the heat now. England 92/1. Another single England reach 93/1.

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India is set to take on a resurgent England team in the first T20 match at Greenpark, Kanpur today.&nbsp;Eoin Morgan led from the front in the final ODI at Eden Gardens, Kolkata to deny India an ODI series whitewash. England might be underdogs but Virat&#39;s men cannot afford to take them lightly because they were the finalists in the World T20 less than a year ago which was hosted in India. Virat Kohli has a few combinations to work on, first is the opening conundrum - should he open, or is Raina a good deal? Maybe even KL Rahul&nbsp;- the captain must decide. The death overs has always been India&#39;s Achilles heal, Parvez Rasool&#39;s off-breaks could come in handy for India today, he along with Bumrah can probably cool&nbsp;Virat&#39;s nerves. The captain and the coach have to strategise together.

Statistically speaking, India is ranked 2nd in the ICC T20 rankings and England is ranked 5th. Interestingly, England leads India in T20s, the visitors have won 5 matches, India has managed to beat the English just thrice. Kanpur promises a riveting encounter, the weather is perfect for the game at 27 degrees with no possibility of rain.

The game starts at 4:30(India standard time)

WATCH OUT FOR LIVE ACTION.

England win toss, elect to bowl

India: KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (capt),&nbsp;Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (wk),&nbsp;Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Parvez Rasool, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ashish Nehra,&nbsp;Jasprit Bumrah

England: Sam Billings, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (capt), Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Liam Plunkett, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid

1st Over: So we have a surprise early onVirat Kohli will open with Rahul. This is exciting, the Indian captain has decided to take the bull by the horn and lead from the front.Tymal Mills to begin the first over. Just the third ball and Kohli hits the ball for a boundary, whoosh back of a length ball gone. Fifth ball now Rahul gets on the act, another boundary. India is on the way. Run feast ahead...

India 9/0

2nd Over: Chris Jordan starts the new over, the Indian captain plays and misses a few times. Another boundary by #Virat Kohli. It is a special day today as India celebrates its #68th #Republic Day. Will Kohli give us a #RepublicDay gift, will find out.

India 16/0

3rd Over: Mills finishes the over without much fireworks, he is holding one end up.

4th over:&nbsp;Plunkett now introduced into the attack, will Kohli take him on? First ball boundary, second ball boundary...this is BIG. The Indian captain is leading from the front, India rockets to 30/0. India takes 10 from the over.

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Virat Kohli has given India a flying start (AFP)
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5th over: Jordan to start the new over, can he provide the breakthrough? Out, he get Rahul, ball directed at the body, Rahul plays it, easily caught. India lose their first wicket. Raina comes in

6th over: Raina hammers Plunkett for a boundary. Another boundary, so Raina has started with a bang...Virat and Raina can really explode here, England better watch out.

India - 47/1 
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Virat Kohli made it back in the nick of time to watch his hero&#39;s hero, Federer win the semi finals<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndvsEng?src=hash">#IndvsEng</a>
&mdash; Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) <a href="https://twitter.com/BoredCricket/status/824583533851185152">January 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<center style="text-align: left;">7th Over: Surprise, surprise Moeen Ali introduced into the attack, this could be a real masterstroke. First ball - Virat Out. Caught at midwicket. This is a big one. A real genius move from Morgan to bring on Ali. Yuvraj comes in. India is now 55/2.</center>

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8th Over: Stokes back in the attack. Both players are relatively new at the crease, taking it easy. Yuvraj trying to settle&nbsp;down. Last ball, Raina whacks it for a boundary. India holding ground but England is keeping a lid on India.

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The old hunting pair is back <a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni">@msdhoni</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRaina">@ImRaina</a> Hope we get a big total and they both remain not out.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndvsEng?src=hash">#IndvsEng</a>
&mdash; Shubham Kothari (@Shubhammsd7ftd) <a href="https://twitter.com/Shubhammsd7ftd/status/824586353270743040">January 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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9th Over: Moeen Ali to continue.&nbsp;Yuvraj and Raina are busy taking singles and mixing it up with boundaries. Another boundary by Yuvraj. India motors along 75/2.

10th Over: Yuvraj Out. Plunkett strikes. Top edge lands in Rashid&#39;s hand, this after Yuvraj just got the benefit of the doubt in the last ball. India continues to lose wickets. Dhoni is in now. India 82/3. Raina hammers another one to the boundary.

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It&#39;s India&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RepublicDay?src=hash">#RepublicDay</a>. It is natural for Pakistan and England to fumble in the field. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusvPak?src=hash">#AusvPak</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndvsEng?src=hash">#IndvsEng</a>
&mdash; Sagar (@sagarcasm) <a href="https://twitter.com/sagarcasm/status/824584256630317057">January 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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11th Over: #Suresh Raina has to hold the ground along with India&#39;s former T20 captain Dhoni. Ali continues to bowl, India is negotiating him carefully. Ali concedes just 7runs. India 88/3.

12th Over: #Raina OUT. He is bowled by Stokes. India 98/4. Indian wickets are tumbling here at Kanpur. England is doing the right thing, taking wickets and keeping India pegged back.

13th Over: Another Indian wicket falls, this time it is Manish Pandey. Ali is the star, he has taken 2 vital wickets. India 103/5. India now desperately needs a partnership.

14th Over: Plunkett to continue. Jadhav faces him. India is on the backfoot now. Dhoni and Pandya have to hold the fort for India now. India 105/5.
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16th Over: Mills gets Pandya, England is really shaking up India here! India is 122/6 now. India pegged back now. The hosts would be lucky to reach 160.

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18th Over:&nbsp;#Rasool &amp; #Dhoni at the crease. India has managed just 132 for the loss of 6 wickets. Mills is keeping it tight. India&#39;s last boundary came in the 15th over, so they are being really strangled here!

19th Over: Just 7 runs from this over, India is now depending on Dhoni to push India towards 150. The last over coming up.

20th Over: First ball - Dhoni dropped, this could prove costly. Jordan bowls another one, boundary and another one. Consecutive boundaries, Dhoni is the man, ice cool. Out, Rasool&nbsp;is Run-Out. Wasted effort in the last over. India manage two runs off the last ball.&nbsp;147/7, just below par but a good fight to get there!

England need 148 runs to win

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England take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T-20 series

LIVE 18.1 Over: England has beaten India in the first match. Joe roots pounds Nehra for 2 consecutive boundaries. Great show by England. Our preview earlier had said England should not be underestimated. This sets up the series, so Virat Kohli who has taken over the T20 captaincy from MS Dhoni was unable to make a winning debut as skipper. England wrap-up the match with 11 balls remaining. England 148/3, beat India by 7 wickets in T20 match at Kanpur. Root: *46 runs(46 balls, 4 boundaries), *Ben Stokes: 2( 5 balls) Welcome back, India will be keen to take wickets but England has ended the innings on a high, Let's see what happens. Keep following the match here! 1st Over: Billings to face Nehra, England make a cautious start. Just 4 runs from there over. 2nd Over: Bumrah to start proceedings. Boom boundary, this is proving to be expensive another one - boundary. SIX..Bumrah being slaughtered by Billings here. Another SIX and a boundary. This is a run feast unfolding at Greenpark. Bumrah destroyed in the first over. Kohli will have to change him. England 24/0 3rd Over: Nehra to bowl to Roy. SIX. Now Roy gets on the act. England have rocketed to 30/0. 4th Over: As expected Bumrah has been replaced by Yuzvendra Chahal. Roy hits him for a SIX, this is BIG. OUT, Roy dismissed. Chahal does it for India. England 42/1. Root walks in. Chahal gets another one - Billings OUT. India strike back. England 43/2 5th Over: Yuzvendra Chahal is back in the attack. England's new pair - Root & Morgan will take on the run chase now. This is crunch time for both teams. Both are now playing him cautiously. Just 2 runs from the over. After 10 overs England is 79/2. Morgan & Root holding the fort for England. India desperate to get a handle in the match with wickets. 11th Over: Pandya bowls to Root, great over, just 6 runs conceded. This is interesting stuff, the match is on a knife's edge. Stay tuned for more. 12th Over: Raina bought into the attack, can he get a wicket for India? Morgan hits him for SIX, India feeling the heat now. England 92/1. Another single England reach 93/1. India is set to take on a resurgent England team in the first T20 match at Greenpark, Kanpur today. Eoin Morgan led from the front in the final ODI at Eden Gardens, Kolkata to deny India an ODI series whitewash. England might be underdogs but Virat's men cannot afford to take them lightly because they were the finalists in the World T20 less than a year ago which was hosted in India. Virat Kohli has a few combinations to work on, first is the opening conundrum - should he open, or is Raina a good deal? Maybe even KL Rahul - the captain must decide. The death overs has always been India's Achilles heal, Parvez Rasool's off-breaks could come in handy for India today, he along with Bumrah can probably cool Virat's nerves. The captain and the coach have to strategise together. Statistically speaking, India is ranked 2nd in the ICC T20 rankings and England is ranked 5th. Interestingly, England leads India in T20s, the visitors have won 5 matches, India has managed to beat the English just thrice. Kanpur promises a riveting encounter, the weather is perfect for the game at 27 degrees with no possibility of rain. The game starts at 4:30(India standard time) WATCH OUT FOR LIVE ACTION. England win toss, elect to bowl India: KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (capt), Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (wk), Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Parvez Rasool, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah England: Sam Billings, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (capt), Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Liam Plunkett, Chris Jordan, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid 1st Over: So we have a surprise early onVirat Kohli will open with Rahul. This is exciting, the Indian captain has decided to take the bull by the horn and lead from the front.Tymal Mills to begin the first over. Just the third ball and Kohli hits the ball for a boundary, whoosh back of a length ball gone. Fifth ball now Rahul gets on the act, another boundary. India is on the way. Run feast ahead... India 9/0 2nd Over: Chris Jordan starts the new over, the Indian captain plays and misses a few times. Another boundary by #Virat Kohli. It is a special day today as India celebrates its #68th #Republic Day. Will Kohli give us a #RepublicDay gift, will find out. India 16/0 3rd Over: Mills finishes the over without much fireworks, he is holding one end up. 4th over: Plunkett now introduced into the attack, will Kohli take him on? First ball boundary, second ball boundary...this is BIG. The Indian captain is leading from the front, India rockets to 30/0. India takes 10 from the over. Virat Kohli has given India a flying start (AFP) × 5th over: Jordan to start the new over, can he provide the breakthrough? Out, he get Rahul, ball directed at the body, Rahul plays it, easily caught. India lose their first wicket. Raina comes in 6th over: Raina hammers Plunkett for a boundary. Another boundary, so Raina has started with a bang...Virat and Raina can really explode here, England better watch out. India - 47/1 Virat Kohli made it back in the nick of time to watch his hero's hero, Federer win the semi finals#IndvsEng — Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) January 26, 2017 × 7th Over: Surprise, surprise Moeen Ali introduced into the attack, this could be a real masterstroke. First ball - Virat Out. Caught at midwicket. This is a big one. A real genius move from Morgan to bring on Ali. Yuvraj comes in. India is now 55/2. 8th Over: Stokes back in the attack. Both players are relatively new at the crease, taking it easy. Yuvraj trying to settle down. Last ball, Raina whacks it for a boundary. India holding ground but England is keeping a lid on India. The old hunting pair is back @msdhoni and @ImRaina Hope we get a big total and they both remain not out.#IndvsEng — Shubham Kothari (@Shubhammsd7ftd) January 26, 2017 × 9th Over: Moeen Ali to continue. Yuvraj and Raina are busy taking singles and mixing it up with boundaries. Another boundary by Yuvraj. India motors along 75/2. 10th Over: Yuvraj Out. Plunkett strikes. Top edge lands in Rashid's hand, this after Yuvraj just got the benefit of the doubt in the last ball. India continues to lose wickets. Dhoni is in now. India 82/3. Raina hammers another one to the boundary. It's India's #RepublicDay. It is natural for Pakistan and England to fumble in the field. #AusvPak #IndvsEng — Sagar (@sagarcasm) January 26, 2017 × 11th Over: #Suresh Raina has to hold the ground along with India's former T20 captain Dhoni. Ali continues to bowl, India is negotiating him carefully. Ali concedes just 7runs. India 88/3. 12th Over: #Raina OUT. He is bowled by Stokes. India 98/4. Indian wickets are tumbling here at Kanpur. England is doing the right thing, taking wickets and keeping India pegged back. 13th Over: Another Indian wicket falls, this time it is Manish Pandey. Ali is the star, he has taken 2 vital wickets. India 103/5. India now desperately needs a partnership. 14th Over: Plunkett to continue. Jadhav faces him. India is on the backfoot now. Dhoni and Pandya have to hold the fort for India now. India 105/5. 16th Over: Mills gets Pandya, England is really shaking up India here! India is 122/6 now. India pegged back now. The hosts would be lucky to reach 160. 18th Over: #Rasool & #Dhoni at the crease. India has managed just 132 for the loss of 6 wickets. Mills is keeping it tight. India's last boundary came in the 15th over, so they are being really strangled here! 19th Over: Just 7 runs from this over, India is now depending on Dhoni to push India towards 150. The last over coming up. 20th Over: First ball - Dhoni dropped, this could prove costly. Jordan bowls another one, boundary and another one. Consecutive boundaries, Dhoni is the man, ice cool. Out, Rasool is Run-Out. Wasted effort in the last over. India manage two runs off the last ball. 147/7, just below par but a good fight to get there! England need 148 runs to win

T-20: England beat India by 7 wickets

Indian captain Virat Kohli has heaped praise on his young teammate Kedar Jadhav for his &quot;outstanding&quot; knock of 76-ball 120 in the first ODI against England, describing it as one of the best calculative innings he had seen.

Kohli (122 off 105 balls) and Jadhav, whose 120 was his career-best, smashed superlative hundreds to help India chase down the stiff target of 351 for a three-wicket win in the first of the three-match ODI series.

&quot;One word for it is outstanding. Jadhav put a lot of pressure on the spinners. It was one of the best calculative innings I have seen, 150 strike rate was outstanding. Some of the shots he played, he told me it was instinctive. I could not believe it,&quot; Kohli said.

Kohli and Jadhav rattled up a sensational 200-run partnership for the fifth wicket to set up the platform for the win. Jadhav struck 12 fours and four sixes in his aggressive innings of over 150 strike rate.&nbsp;

&quot;Just to have another guy who is willing to do from any situation, to keep pushing, knew how exactly to bat on this pitch which was even better to bat on in the second innings. His shots were all clean, not slogs, and that&#39;s way to bat at number 6. I was glad to be there with him,&quot; gushed Kohli.

Kohli, for whom it was his first day in office as India captain in all three formats of the game, said Jadhav was disheartened that he could not get the team past the victory line against New Zealand in the previous ODI series. &quot;He was disheartened versus New Zealand that he could not get the team across the line. I told him there was no point thinking what you could have done and told him to keep pushing hard,&quot; said Kohli.

Asked how he and Jadhav tackled what looked like a hopeless situation with four top batsmen back in the hut for a mere 63 runs in the 12th over, Kohli said they decided to counter-punch their way.

&quot;We spoke about how to tackle that situation and decided the best way was to&nbsp;counter-attack. No wickets had been lost to good balls, we committed errors and the wicket was better to bat in the second innings. The ball travels very very far. We could hit sixes to put pressure on the opposition. It&#39;s one of the best partnerships I have been part of. We have chased 350 before but not from 63/4,&quot; said the captain.

&quot;We believed in the Test series we could win from any situation. This was the same,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

(PTI)

Virat Kohli praised Kedar Jadhav for his outstanding knock of 76-ball 120 in the first ODI against England

Indian captain Virat Kohli has heaped praise on his young teammate Kedar Jadhav for his "outstanding" knock of 76-ball 120 in the first ODI against England, describing it as one of the best calculative innings he had seen. Kohli (122 off 105 balls) and Jadhav, whose 120 was his career-best, smashed superlative hundreds to help India chase down the stiff target of 351 for a three-wicket win in the first of the three-match ODI series. "One word for it is outstanding. Jadhav put a lot of pressure on the spinners. It was one of the best calculative innings I have seen, 150 strike rate was outstanding. Some of the shots he played, he told me it was instinctive. I could not believe it," Kohli said. Kohli and Jadhav rattled up a sensational 200-run partnership for the fifth wicket to set up the platform for the win. Jadhav struck 12 fours and four sixes in his aggressive innings of over 150 strike rate. "Just to have another guy who is willing to do from any situation, to keep pushing, knew how exactly to bat on this pitch which was even better to bat on in the second innings. His shots were all clean, not slogs, and that's way to bat at number 6. I was glad to be there with him," gushed Kohli. Kohli, for whom it was his first day in office as India captain in all three formats of the game, said Jadhav was disheartened that he could not get the team past the victory line against New Zealand in the previous ODI series. "He was disheartened versus New Zealand that he could not get the team across the line. I told him there was no point thinking what you could have done and told him to keep pushing hard," said Kohli. Asked how he and Jadhav tackled what looked like a hopeless situation with four top batsmen back in the hut for a mere 63 runs in the 12th over, Kohli said they decided to counter-punch their way. "We spoke about how to tackle that situation and decided the best way was to counter-attack. No wickets had been lost to good balls, we committed errors and the wicket was better to bat in the second innings. The ball travels very very far. We could hit sixes to put pressure on the opposition. It's one of the best partnerships I have been part of. We have chased 350 before but not from 63/4," said the captain. "We believed in the Test series we could win from any situation. This was the same," he added. (PTI)

Jadhav's knock one of the best: Virat Kohli

India&#39;s makeshift opening pair of Lokesh Rahul and Parthiv Patel struck fifties to lead the hosts&#39; strong reply to England&#39;s first innings total of 477 on day three of the fifth and final test on Sunday.

On a track getting increasingly easier to bat on, Rahul and Patel combined to forge India&#39;s first century-plus opening stand in 32 innings to help the hosts reach 173 for one at lunch.

Rahul braved a knee injury to remain unbeaten on 89 as the openers scored briskly against the English bowlers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Cheteshwar Pujara was batting on 11 at the other end, with India, who have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead, still 304 runs behind.

Resuming on 60 for no loss, Rahul and Patel negotiated the English attack with consummate ease.

Replacing injured regular keeper Wriddhiman Saha after the second test, Patel kept wickets for over 157 overs and then returned to partner Rahul after opener Murali Vijay sustained a shoulder injury which prompted him to bat lower.

Rahul was particularly harsh on debutant Liam Dawson, twice stepping out against the left-arm spinner to hit him for sixes.

Rahul took two runs off Stuart Broad to bring up his second fifty and the opener with an excellent fifty-to-hundred conversion rate remained on course for his fourth test century.

Patel pulled paceman Jake Ball and ran two to register his sixth test half-century, second of the series.

The southpaw stepped out to hit Moeen Ali for his seventh boundary but fell for 71 two balls later, trying to repeat the risky shot against the turn. Jos Buttler caught the leading edge at cover.

(PTI)

Rahul and Patel combined to forge India's first century-plus opening stand in 32 innings to help the hosts reach 173 for one at lunch

India's makeshift opening pair of Lokesh Rahul and Parthiv Patel struck fifties to lead the hosts' strong reply to England's first innings total of 477 on day three of the fifth and final test on Sunday. On a track getting increasingly easier to bat on, Rahul and Patel combined to forge India's first century-plus opening stand in 32 innings to help the hosts reach 173 for one at lunch. Rahul braved a knee injury to remain unbeaten on 89 as the openers scored briskly against the English bowlers at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Cheteshwar Pujara was batting on 11 at the other end, with India, who have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead, still 304 runs behind. Resuming on 60 for no loss, Rahul and Patel negotiated the English attack with consummate ease. Replacing injured regular keeper Wriddhiman Saha after the second test, Patel kept wickets for over 157 overs and then returned to partner Rahul after opener Murali Vijay sustained a shoulder injury which prompted him to bat lower. Rahul was particularly harsh on debutant Liam Dawson, twice stepping out against the left-arm spinner to hit him for sixes. Rahul took two runs off Stuart Broad to bring up his second fifty and the opener with an excellent fifty-to-hundred conversion rate remained on course for his fourth test century. Patel pulled paceman Jake Ball and ran two to register his sixth test half-century, second of the series. The southpaw stepped out to hit Moeen Ali for his seventh boundary but fell for 71 two balls later, trying to repeat the risky shot against the turn. Jos Buttler caught the leading edge at cover. (PTI)

Rahul, Patel give India solid start in Chennai

Gareth Southgate will lead England towards the 2018 World Cup and 2020 European Championship after being appointed permanent manager of the national team by &nbsp;the &nbsp;FA on Wednesday.

The 46-year-old succeeds Sam Allardyce who departed 67 days into his reign after being caught up in a newspaper sting.

In a statement released after a meeting of the Football Association board at St George`s Park, the FA said the former England defender had agreed for a four-year contract.

Southgate, who was in charge of England&#39;s under 21s for 32 games, has overseen two wins and a draw in the three World Cup qualifying games as interim manager, leaving England top of the group. He also saw his side draw with Spain.

&quot;I am extremely proud to be appointed England manager. However, I`m also conscious that getting the job is one thing, now I want to do the job successfully,&quot; the former Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough player said.

&quot;I`ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the players over these past four games and I think there`s huge potential.

&quot;For me, the hard work starts now.&quot;

His first match in permanent charge will be away to Germany in a friendly in March, followed by a World Cup qualifier at home to Lithuania later that month.

(Reuters)&nbsp;

Southgate signed a four-year contract which includes England's campaigns for the 2018 World Cup and the 2020 European Championship

Gareth Southgate will lead England towards the 2018 World Cup and 2020 European Championship after being appointed permanent manager of the national team by the FA on Wednesday. The 46-year-old succeeds Sam Allardyce who departed 67 days into his reign after being caught up in a newspaper sting. In a statement released after a meeting of the Football Association board at St George`s Park, the FA said the former England defender had agreed for a four-year contract. Southgate, who was in charge of England's under 21s for 32 games, has overseen two wins and a draw in the three World Cup qualifying games as interim manager, leaving England top of the group. He also saw his side draw with Spain. "I am extremely proud to be appointed England manager. However, I`m also conscious that getting the job is one thing, now I want to do the job successfully," the former Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough player said. "I`ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the players over these past four games and I think there`s huge potential. "For me, the hard work starts now." His first match in permanent charge will be away to Germany in a friendly in March, followed by a World Cup qualifier at home to Lithuania later that month. (Reuters)

Southgate appointed England's football manager

Liverpool starlet Ben Woodburn made history as the teenage striker became the club&#39;s youngest ever goalscorer in Tuesday&#39;s 2-0 win over Leeds in the League Cup quarter-finals.

Aged 17 years and 45 days, Woodburn enjoyed a moment to remember forever in the 81st minute at Anfield when he fired home in front of the famous Kop End to eclipse the previous record set by Michael Owen, who was 17 years and 143 days old when he scored against Wimbledon in May 1997.

Cheshire-born Woodburn, who recently signed a long-term contract with Liverpool, is a Wales Under-19 international, but he still remains eligible to play for England at senior level.

Klopp`s side are through to the League Cup semi-finals for the third successive year thanks to Woodburn and Divock Origi.

Klopp has now won seven of his nine League Cup games with Liverpool, who hope to lift the trophy for the ninth time after losing to Manchester City in the final last term.Before kick-off, Liverpool`s Brazilian captain Lucas and his team-mates, all wearing black armbands, stood for a minutes` silence following the plane crash that killed 71 people, including members of the Brazilian Chapecoense team.

With Philippe Coutinho sidelined for five weeks with ankle ligament damage, Klopp gave starts to teenagers Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ovie Ejaria as the Reds boss selected a team featuring eight changes.

Second tier Leeds, whose last League Cup semi-final appearance was in 1996, should have been ahead early on when Hadi Sacko broke the offside trap and saw his shot saved by Simon Mignolet.

Liverpool gradually took charge and Sadio Mane`s pass slipped Georginio Wijnaldum into the penalty area, but the Dutchman&#39;s shot struck the far post.

Then, in the 76th minute, Alexander-Arnold whipped in a cross from the right and Belgian striker Origi stretched to guide the ball home at the near post for his fourth goal of the season and third in the League Cup.

Woodburn came on in the 67th minute and his dream came to true when he smashed home a flowing move involving Origi, Mane and Wijnaldum in the 81st minute.

(AFP)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Ben Woodburn became Liverpool's youngest scorer as the team beat Leeds 2-0 to reach the semis of the League Cup

Liverpool starlet Ben Woodburn made history as the teenage striker became the club's youngest ever goalscorer in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Leeds in the League Cup quarter-finals. Aged 17 years and 45 days, Woodburn enjoyed a moment to remember forever in the 81st minute at Anfield when he fired home in front of the famous Kop End to eclipse the previous record set by Michael Owen, who was 17 years and 143 days old when he scored against Wimbledon in May 1997. Cheshire-born Woodburn, who recently signed a long-term contract with Liverpool, is a Wales Under-19 international, but he still remains eligible to play for England at senior level. Klopp`s side are through to the League Cup semi-finals for the third successive year thanks to Woodburn and Divock Origi. Klopp has now won seven of his nine League Cup games with Liverpool, who hope to lift the trophy for the ninth time after losing to Manchester City in the final last term.Before kick-off, Liverpool`s Brazilian captain Lucas and his team-mates, all wearing black armbands, stood for a minutes` silence following the plane crash that killed 71 people, including members of the Brazilian Chapecoense team. With Philippe Coutinho sidelined for five weeks with ankle ligament damage, Klopp gave starts to teenagers Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ovie Ejaria as the Reds boss selected a team featuring eight changes. Second tier Leeds, whose last League Cup semi-final appearance was in 1996, should have been ahead early on when Hadi Sacko broke the offside trap and saw his shot saved by Simon Mignolet. Liverpool gradually took charge and Sadio Mane`s pass slipped Georginio Wijnaldum into the penalty area, but the Dutchman's shot struck the far post. Then, in the 76th minute, Alexander-Arnold whipped in a cross from the right and Belgian striker Origi stretched to guide the ball home at the near post for his fourth goal of the season and third in the League Cup. Woodburn came on in the 67th minute and his dream came to true when he smashed home a flowing move involving Origi, Mane and Wijnaldum in the 81st minute. (AFP)

Record-breaker Woodburn helps Liverpool reach League Cup semis

Indian spinners once again held centrestage as the hosts produced a clinical performance to cruise to a comfortable eight-wicket victory on the fourth day of the third cricket Test and thereby take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

The trio of Ravichandran Ashwin (3/81), Ravindra Jadeja (2/62) and Jayant Yadav (2/21) shared bulk of the spoils to dismiss the visitors for 236 in their second innings.

Comeback man Parthiv Patel then made a mockery of the target of 103 runs, smashing his way to an unbeaten 67 off 53 balls studded with 11 fours and a six.

Fittingly he finished the match with a boundary over extra cover in company of Virat Kohli.

Parthiv and Cheteshwar Pujara (25) added 81 runs in only 15.2 overs in what turned out to be an easy chase completed in 20.2 overs.

Parthiv was in a mood to display his &#39;T20 skills&#39; as he took on the pacers and spinners alike with minimum fuss. The 50 came off 39 balls with eight boundaries and a six. His prowess at the top of the order will give Kohli and coach Anil Kumble another option for opening slot.

Earlier, credit should be given to young Haseeb Hameed for his gritty unbeaten 59 off 156 balls coming in at No 8 due to a finger injury that helped England cross 200-run mark. He hit six fours and a six off Ashwin to complete his second Test half-century. It was because of the teenager that India had to chase a 100 plus target.

It was a match where England were outbatted and outbowled by an Indian side that has been plagued by injuries.

But Ashwin as usual put up a lion-hearted performance once again scoring a 72 and bagging four wickets. Equally creditable was the all-round effort of the other two specialist spinners -- Jadeja (90 run and 4 wickets) and Jayant (55 runs and 4 wickets).

Having polished off the top-order save Joe Root, the question on fourth day was not how but when will India finish the match.

The only wicket that would have seriously bothered them was that of Joe Root. But post Root, Hameed did put up a fight but it was always for a losing cause.

Root, who was standing between India and victory, was dismissed for 78 by Jadeja (2/39 in 23 overs), who got one to turn away sharply as the edge was taken by an alert Ajinkya Rahane, who reacted quickly to stretch his right hand.

Root played 179 balls hitting six fours in the process.

Root got an able ally in young Hameed as the duo added 45 runs in 119 balls for the seventh wicket stand. It was this pair that erased the 134 run deficit.

Once Jadeja removed the gutsy Root minutes before lunch, the writing was there on the wall.

But Hameed delayed the inevitable and showed that he is one for the future with correct technique and a temperament to match with it.

(PTI)

Comeback man Parthiv Patel smashed an unbeaten 67 off 54 balls as the hosts chased down their 103-run victory target

Indian spinners once again held centrestage as the hosts produced a clinical performance to cruise to a comfortable eight-wicket victory on the fourth day of the third cricket Test and thereby take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. The trio of Ravichandran Ashwin (3/81), Ravindra Jadeja (2/62) and Jayant Yadav (2/21) shared bulk of the spoils to dismiss the visitors for 236 in their second innings. Comeback man Parthiv Patel then made a mockery of the target of 103 runs, smashing his way to an unbeaten 67 off 53 balls studded with 11 fours and a six. Fittingly he finished the match with a boundary over extra cover in company of Virat Kohli. Parthiv and Cheteshwar Pujara (25) added 81 runs in only 15.2 overs in what turned out to be an easy chase completed in 20.2 overs. Parthiv was in a mood to display his 'T20 skills' as he took on the pacers and spinners alike with minimum fuss. The 50 came off 39 balls with eight boundaries and a six. His prowess at the top of the order will give Kohli and coach Anil Kumble another option for opening slot. Earlier, credit should be given to young Haseeb Hameed for his gritty unbeaten 59 off 156 balls coming in at No 8 due to a finger injury that helped England cross 200-run mark. He hit six fours and a six off Ashwin to complete his second Test half-century. It was because of the teenager that India had to chase a 100 plus target. It was a match where England were outbatted and outbowled by an Indian side that has been plagued by injuries. But Ashwin as usual put up a lion-hearted performance once again scoring a 72 and bagging four wickets. Equally creditable was the all-round effort of the other two specialist spinners -- Jadeja (90 run and 4 wickets) and Jayant (55 runs and 4 wickets). Having polished off the top-order save Joe Root, the question on fourth day was not how but when will India finish the match. The only wicket that would have seriously bothered them was that of Joe Root. But post Root, Hameed did put up a fight but it was always for a losing cause. Root, who was standing between India and victory, was dismissed for 78 by Jadeja (2/39 in 23 overs), who got one to turn away sharply as the edge was taken by an alert Ajinkya Rahane, who reacted quickly to stretch his right hand. Root played 179 balls hitting six fours in the process. Root got an able ally in young Hameed as the duo added 45 runs in 119 balls for the seventh wicket stand. It was this pair that erased the 134 run deficit. Once Jadeja removed the gutsy Root minutes before lunch, the writing was there on the wall. But Hameed delayed the inevitable and showed that he is one for the future with correct technique and a temperament to match with it. (PTI)

Mohali Test: India thrash England by 8 wickets to take 2-0 series lead

Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Jayant Yadav picked up three wickets apiece in the second innings as India beat England by 246 runs on Monday to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Chasing 405 for a win, England were all out for 158 shortly after lunch on the fifth and final day in the first test match being played in the port city of Visakhapatnam.

World number one Test bowler Ravichandran Ashwin provided the first breakthrough of the day by having Ben Duckett caught behind for nought, ending the batsman&#39;s brief, 16-ball stay at the crease.

Moeen Ali did not last long either after the batsman looped up a simple catch to fine leg off leg-spinner Ravindra Jadeja.

Debutant off-spinner Jayant Yadav got the important wicket of Ben Stokes, who top-scored with 70 in England&#39;s first innings, for six.

Root, who was dropped on one by captain Virat Kohli at leg slip off Ashwin, provided some resistance until fast bowler Mohammed Shami had him lbw.

Root, who scored a gritty 25, reviewed the decision but TV replays suggested the ball would have got the leg stump, upholding the onfield call.&nbsp;

The hosts had reclaimed the advantage on the fourth day after Jadeja trapped England skipper Alastair Cook lbw for 54 on what turned out to be the last ball of the day.

Openers Cook and Haseeb Hameed (25) had given England hope of saving the Test with their 75-run opening stand before the Indian spinners struck.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Chasing 405 for a win, England were all out for 158 shortly after lunch on the fifth and final day

Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Jayant Yadav picked up three wickets apiece in the second innings as India beat England by 246 runs on Monday to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Chasing 405 for a win, England were all out for 158 shortly after lunch on the fifth and final day in the first test match being played in the port city of Visakhapatnam. World number one Test bowler Ravichandran Ashwin provided the first breakthrough of the day by having Ben Duckett caught behind for nought, ending the batsman's brief, 16-ball stay at the crease. Moeen Ali did not last long either after the batsman looped up a simple catch to fine leg off leg-spinner Ravindra Jadeja. Debutant off-spinner Jayant Yadav got the important wicket of Ben Stokes, who top-scored with 70 in England's first innings, for six. Root, who was dropped on one by captain Virat Kohli at leg slip off Ashwin, provided some resistance until fast bowler Mohammed Shami had him lbw. Root, who scored a gritty 25, reviewed the decision but TV replays suggested the ball would have got the leg stump, upholding the onfield call. The hosts had reclaimed the advantage on the fourth day after Jadeja trapped England skipper Alastair Cook lbw for 54 on what turned out to be the last ball of the day. Openers Cook and Haseeb Hameed (25) had given England hope of saving the Test with their 75-run opening stand before the Indian spinners struck. (WION with inputs from agencies)

India v England: India win 2nd Test by 246 runs to take 1-0 series lead

England captain Wayne Rooney will return to the starting line-up for his country&#39;s 2018 World Cup qualifier against Scotland on Friday, interim manager Gareth Southgate announced on Thursday.

Rooney, 31, started on the bench in England&#39;s last game, a 0-0 draw away to Slovenia, after losing his place in Manchester United&#39;s starting XI.

But he has started United&#39;s last two games, scoring from range in their 2-1 Europa League defeat at Fenerbahce last week, and will win his 119th cap from the start against Scotland at Wembley.

&quot;He&#39;s confident and I think experience in a game like this is important,&quot; Southgate told reporters at the St George&#39;s Park football centre in Burton-on-Trent, central England.

&quot;He&#39;s in a better place than he was for the last get-together in terms of his sharpness, his confidence. There was no hesitation to be playing him.

&quot;He&#39;s playing well. He&#39;s played well in his last couple of matches for Manchester United. When he&#39;s in a rhythm of playing, that helps.&quot;

Rooney takes the captain&#39;s armband back from Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson, who Southgate confirmed will start.

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is also in contention to start after proving his fitness in training following his comeback from a seven-week lay-off with an ankle ligament injury.

Southgate said he had a fully fit squad to choose from and all 25 players at his disposal were present at the pre-match training session.

England are top of UEFA qualifying Group F after three games, two points above Lithuania and Slovenia and three points clear of old rivals Scotland.

England host Spain in a friendly on Tuesday, for what will be the last game of Southgate&#39;s four-match stint following the departure of previous manager Sam Allardyce.

British newspaper reports suggest Southgate will be given the role full-time provided England avoid embarrassment against Scotland, but he said he did not feel any pressure.

&quot;I&#39;m really enjoying being in the role,&quot; said the former England Under-21 coach.

&quot;What happens to me is not important. We&#39;ve got to win this game for the country and to be top of the group, heading to (World Cup hosts) Russia.

&quot;That&#39;s the task I ws given. What happens to me is important to my family, but it&#39;s not the reason and the focus for the game.

&quot;I want the players to go out, enjoy their football and play well, and I&#39;m sure they will.&quot;

Southgate was reluctant to declare an interest in taking on the role full-time, but FA chief executive Martin Glenn is hopeful he will put his name forward.

&quot;We get through the next two games and then we are going to put our heads together, talk to Gareth and really understand what his level of interest is in the role,&quot; Glenn told reporters at the Sport Industry Breakfast Club in London.

&quot;I hope he is interested and wants to put his hat in the ring. We have a bit of time then to assess him and then the other candidates.&quot;

(AFP)

Rooney started on the bench in England's last game, a 0-0 draw away to Slovenia, after losing his place in Manchester United's first XI

England captain Wayne Rooney will return to the starting line-up for his country's 2018 World Cup qualifier against Scotland on Friday, interim manager Gareth Southgate announced on Thursday. Rooney, 31, started on the bench in England's last game, a 0-0 draw away to Slovenia, after losing his place in Manchester United's starting XI. But he has started United's last two games, scoring from range in their 2-1 Europa League defeat at Fenerbahce last week, and will win his 119th cap from the start against Scotland at Wembley. "He's confident and I think experience in a game like this is important," Southgate told reporters at the St George's Park football centre in Burton-on-Trent, central England. "He's in a better place than he was for the last get-together in terms of his sharpness, his confidence. There was no hesitation to be playing him. "He's playing well. He's played well in his last couple of matches for Manchester United. When he's in a rhythm of playing, that helps." Rooney takes the captain's armband back from Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson, who Southgate confirmed will start. Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane is also in contention to start after proving his fitness in training following his comeback from a seven-week lay-off with an ankle ligament injury. Southgate said he had a fully fit squad to choose from and all 25 players at his disposal were present at the pre-match training session. England are top of UEFA qualifying Group F after three games, two points above Lithuania and Slovenia and three points clear of old rivals Scotland. England host Spain in a friendly on Tuesday, for what will be the last game of Southgate's four-match stint following the departure of previous manager Sam Allardyce. British newspaper reports suggest Southgate will be given the role full-time provided England avoid embarrassment against Scotland, but he said he did not feel any pressure. "I'm really enjoying being in the role," said the former England Under-21 coach. "What happens to me is not important. We've got to win this game for the country and to be top of the group, heading to (World Cup hosts) Russia. "That's the task I ws given. What happens to me is important to my family, but it's not the reason and the focus for the game. "I want the players to go out, enjoy their football and play well, and I'm sure they will." Southgate was reluctant to declare an interest in taking on the role full-time, but FA chief executive Martin Glenn is hopeful he will put his name forward. "We get through the next two games and then we are going to put our heads together, talk to Gareth and really understand what his level of interest is in the role," Glenn told reporters at the Sport Industry Breakfast Club in London. "I hope he is interested and wants to put his hat in the ring. We have a bit of time then to assess him and then the other candidates." (AFP)

Football: Rooney to make England return against Scotland

Centurion Moeen Ali said patience was the key as England posted the highest score by a visiting team in nearly five years on the second day of the first Test against India on Thursday.

England&#39;s first innings score of 537 was built around Ali&#39;s 117 and an impressive 128 runs by Ben Stokes, who managed to banish memories of three ducks against India in his three previous innings.

India&#39;s openers responded with an unbeaten stand of 63 in the final session, the hosts trailing by 474 runs with all their wickets intact.

The stylish Joe Root (124) had notched up a century on the opening day to lay a solid foundation for England&#39;s middle-order batsmen at Rajkot&#39;s Saurashtra Cricket Association ground.

The day belonged to England&#39;s batsmen who made India work hard on an easy-paced track after captain Alastair Cook had elected to bat first.

&quot;Patience is something Saqi (spin coach Saqlain Mushtaq) talks about a lot, we knew we needed to be patient,&quot; said Ali, 29, after the day&#39;s play.

&quot;It&#39;s a very good pitch. I knew if I bat 200 balls I will surely make a hundred... We didn&#39;t plod much against the spinners and tried to be attacking in our approach,&quot; said Ali, who was on 99 overnight.

India&#39;s bowlers struggled in the heat and grime, with top-ranked spinner Ravichandran Ashwin conceding 167 runs while taking just two wickets.

But left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja was quick to spring to Ashwin&#39;s defence, saying any bowler can have an off-day.

&quot;It&#39;s part of the game. We were playing five bowlers. It is the responsibility of every bowler and not just Ashwin to take wickets,&quot; said Jadeja.

&quot;Sometimes half-chances get converted and on some days easy chances are dropped.&quot;

But at least five dropped catches and some sloppy fielding underlined a miserable day for the Indians before their home fans.

Aggressive England

Top-ranked India have won 12 and drawn one of their last 13 Tests at home since England sealed a historic 2-1 victory in Kolkata in 2012.

Although the tourists lost a succession of tailenders in the period immediately after lunch, Stokes stayed put to help England post their third highest total on Indian soil.

Stokes hit 13 fours and two sixes on route to his fourth ton in the longest format of the game.&nbsp;

England were on the attack in the morning session, hammering 139 runs while losing two wickets including that of Ali who was bowled by Mohammed Shami (2-65). &nbsp;

Jonny Bairstow, the highest Test run-scorer this year, made 46 and shared a brisk 99-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Stokes before also falling to Shami.

Stokes was dropped twice in his sixties by wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with Umesh Yadav (2-112) being the unlucky bowler on both occasions.

The Indians took the new ball in the morning after England resumed at 311 for 4, but failed to get an immediate breakthrough.

Ali reached his century off the third ball of the day from Shami who seemed to have recovered from the cramps he suffered on the opening day.

The spinning all-rounder singled out Yadav for special punishment, taking three fours in four balls off the paceman.

Stokes chipped in before Shami broke their 62-run stand with Ali&#39;s wicket, who saw his off-stump cartwheel away after misjudging the line and not playing a shot.

England&#39;s total was the highest by a visiting team in India since the West Indies made 590 at Mumbai in November 2011.

And the last time three visiting batsmen scored centuries in the same innings in India was in 2008-09 when Sri Lanka toured the country.

(AFP)

England's first innings score of 537 was built around Ali's 117 and an impressive 128 runs by Ben Stokes

Centurion Moeen Ali said patience was the key as England posted the highest score by a visiting team in nearly five years on the second day of the first Test against India on Thursday. England's first innings score of 537 was built around Ali's 117 and an impressive 128 runs by Ben Stokes, who managed to banish memories of three ducks against India in his three previous innings. India's openers responded with an unbeaten stand of 63 in the final session, the hosts trailing by 474 runs with all their wickets intact. The stylish Joe Root (124) had notched up a century on the opening day to lay a solid foundation for England's middle-order batsmen at Rajkot's Saurashtra Cricket Association ground. The day belonged to England's batsmen who made India work hard on an easy-paced track after captain Alastair Cook had elected to bat first. "Patience is something Saqi (spin coach Saqlain Mushtaq) talks about a lot, we knew we needed to be patient," said Ali, 29, after the day's play. "It's a very good pitch. I knew if I bat 200 balls I will surely make a hundred... We didn't plod much against the spinners and tried to be attacking in our approach," said Ali, who was on 99 overnight. India's bowlers struggled in the heat and grime, with top-ranked spinner Ravichandran Ashwin conceding 167 runs while taking just two wickets. But left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja was quick to spring to Ashwin's defence, saying any bowler can have an off-day. "It's part of the game. We were playing five bowlers. It is the responsibility of every bowler and not just Ashwin to take wickets," said Jadeja. "Sometimes half-chances get converted and on some days easy chances are dropped." But at least five dropped catches and some sloppy fielding underlined a miserable day for the Indians before their home fans. Aggressive England Top-ranked India have won 12 and drawn one of their last 13 Tests at home since England sealed a historic 2-1 victory in Kolkata in 2012. Although the tourists lost a succession of tailenders in the period immediately after lunch, Stokes stayed put to help England post their third highest total on Indian soil. Stokes hit 13 fours and two sixes on route to his fourth ton in the longest format of the game. England were on the attack in the morning session, hammering 139 runs while losing two wickets including that of Ali who was bowled by Mohammed Shami (2-65). Jonny Bairstow, the highest Test run-scorer this year, made 46 and shared a brisk 99-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Stokes before also falling to Shami. Stokes was dropped twice in his sixties by wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with Umesh Yadav (2-112) being the unlucky bowler on both occasions. The Indians took the new ball in the morning after England resumed at 311 for 4, but failed to get an immediate breakthrough. Ali reached his century off the third ball of the day from Shami who seemed to have recovered from the cramps he suffered on the opening day. The spinning all-rounder singled out Yadav for special punishment, taking three fours in four balls off the paceman. Stokes chipped in before Shami broke their 62-run stand with Ali's wicket, who saw his off-stump cartwheel away after misjudging the line and not playing a shot. England's total was the highest by a visiting team in India since the West Indies made 590 at Mumbai in November 2011. And the last time three visiting batsmen scored centuries in the same innings in India was in 2008-09 when Sri Lanka toured the country. (AFP)

Cricket: Stokes, Ali star as England post commanding total

Northern Ireland&#39;s players will not wear the black armbands with poppies to pay tribute on Armstice Day in their World Cup qualifier, the Irish Football Association said, news agency AFP reported.

England and Scotland&#39;s football&#39;s associations decided to wear the poppy despite a sanction threat from the world governing body FIFA. Britain remembers its war dead on November 11, which happens to be the day England play Scotland in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley.

FIFA bans political, religious and commercial symbols on team uniforms while playing a match.&nbsp;

Northern Ireland&#39;s players will wear plain black armbands for their Armistice Day game in Belfast.

&quot;We asked FIFA if permission could be granted for the Northern Ireland team to wear a poppy on the shirt or on an armband,&quot; IFA chief executive Patrick Nelson said in a statement on Tuesday, AFP reported.

&quot;FIFA advised that they could give no guarantee that there would not be disciplinary proceedings if the Northern Ireland team was to wear a symbol of remembrance on the playing shirt.&quot;

Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane said that wearing the poppies would make him &quot;happy&quot;.

&quot;As long as we&#39;re wearing the poppy, we&#39;re happy,&quot; Kane told a press conference at the St George&#39;s Park football centre in Burton-on-Trent, central England. &quot;We all wanted to wear it. Being on the top or the sleeve, it doesn&#39;t matter too much. As long as we&#39;re wearing it, it&#39;s a big positive.&quot;

British Prime Minister Theresa May has described FIFA&#39;s stance on the matter as &quot;utterly outrageous&quot;.

(With inputs from AFP)

Northern Ireland's players will wear plain black armbands for their Armistice Day game in Belfast

Northern Ireland's players will not wear the black armbands with poppies to pay tribute on Armstice Day in their World Cup qualifier, the Irish Football Association said, news agency AFP reported. England and Scotland's football's associations decided to wear the poppy despite a sanction threat from the world governing body FIFA. Britain remembers its war dead on November 11, which happens to be the day England play Scotland in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley. FIFA bans political, religious and commercial symbols on team uniforms while playing a match. Northern Ireland's players will wear plain black armbands for their Armistice Day game in Belfast. "We asked FIFA if permission could be granted for the Northern Ireland team to wear a poppy on the shirt or on an armband," IFA chief executive Patrick Nelson said in a statement on Tuesday, AFP reported. "FIFA advised that they could give no guarantee that there would not be disciplinary proceedings if the Northern Ireland team was to wear a symbol of remembrance on the playing shirt." Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane said that wearing the poppies would make him "happy". "As long as we're wearing the poppy, we're happy," Kane told a press conference at the St George's Park football centre in Burton-on-Trent, central England. "We all wanted to wear it. Being on the top or the sleeve, it doesn't matter too much. As long as we're wearing it, it's a big positive." British Prime Minister Theresa May has described FIFA's stance on the matter as "utterly outrageous". (With inputs from AFP)

Football: North Ireland decide against wearing poppies

Stylish batsman Joe Root scored a smashing 124 before being pulled down by India&#39;s Umesh Yadav on the first day of the opening Test against India on Wednesday.

Root was in top form during his 144-ball knock, which was studded with nine fours, almost replicating his 154 not out against India during the 2014 series.

The 25-year-old right-hander shared a 107-run stand with Moeen Ali, who was on 48, to take England to 209-3 at tea at the Saurashtra Cricket Association ground in Rajkot.

The unbroken stand for the fourth wicket steadied England after the visitors were reduced to 102-3 in the first session.

Root, who struck his 24th Test half-century and fifth against India, survived a review for lbw after replays showed an inside edge, while the left-handed Ali also frustrated the Indian bowlers.

Nothing seemed to go India&#39;s way in the afternoon as leading seamer Mohammed Shami limped with a likely hamstring injury.

The opening session saw Haseeb Hameed, 19, become the youngest player to open the batting for England on debut.

The youngster, dubbed &quot;Baby Boycott&quot; for his unflappable style, made 31 during his 98-minute stay at the crease before falling lbw to world number one-ranked spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (2-60).

Ashwin also dismissed Ben Duckett for 13 after skipper Alastair Cook elected to bat on what seemed a placid wicket.

Hameed as well as Cook (21) benefited from the largesse of India&#39;s fielders who were guilty of dropping some early chances.&nbsp;

Cook was dropped off Shami off the third ball of the innings while Hameed got a reprieve on 13 when Murali Vijay grassed his catch at first slip.

The England skipper, who surpassed Michael Atherton&#39;s record of 54 Tests as England captain, was adjudged leg before off left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (1-42).&nbsp;

TV replays showed the ball would have missed the leg stump but Cook did not refer to the third umpire even though the decision review system is being used for the first time by India in a home series.

Hameed showed little sign of nerves against top-ranked India, twice hitting Shami for boundaries in an over and driving Ashwin for an elegant four in the covers.

(AFP)

His unbroken stand for the fourth wicket steadied England after the visitors were reduced to 102-3 in the first session

Stylish batsman Joe Root scored a smashing 124 before being pulled down by India's Umesh Yadav on the first day of the opening Test against India on Wednesday. Root was in top form during his 144-ball knock, which was studded with nine fours, almost replicating his 154 not out against India during the 2014 series. The 25-year-old right-hander shared a 107-run stand with Moeen Ali, who was on 48, to take England to 209-3 at tea at the Saurashtra Cricket Association ground in Rajkot. The unbroken stand for the fourth wicket steadied England after the visitors were reduced to 102-3 in the first session. Root, who struck his 24th Test half-century and fifth against India, survived a review for lbw after replays showed an inside edge, while the left-handed Ali also frustrated the Indian bowlers. Nothing seemed to go India's way in the afternoon as leading seamer Mohammed Shami limped with a likely hamstring injury. The opening session saw Haseeb Hameed, 19, become the youngest player to open the batting for England on debut. The youngster, dubbed "Baby Boycott" for his unflappable style, made 31 during his 98-minute stay at the crease before falling lbw to world number one-ranked spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (2-60). Ashwin also dismissed Ben Duckett for 13 after skipper Alastair Cook elected to bat on what seemed a placid wicket. Hameed as well as Cook (21) benefited from the largesse of India's fielders who were guilty of dropping some early chances. Cook was dropped off Shami off the third ball of the innings while Hameed got a reprieve on 13 when Murali Vijay grassed his catch at first slip. The England skipper, who surpassed Michael Atherton's record of 54 Tests as England captain, was adjudged leg before off left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (1-42). TV replays showed the ball would have missed the leg stump but Cook did not refer to the third umpire even though the decision review system is being used for the first time by India in a home series. Hameed showed little sign of nerves against top-ranked India, twice hitting Shami for boundaries in an over and driving Ashwin for an elegant four in the covers. (AFP)

Cricket: Root scores century for England in first test against India

Some people sit and wait for miracles, while others make them happen. Graham Smith, an engineer from England, is one such individual.

The Lancashire native had been left with a suture in his abdomen after a bowel operation that he underwent 15 years ago. Unfortunately, for the longest time, he didn&rsquo;t notice the stiches. In fact, it was in 2011 that he identified and then complained about the stitches protruding out of his body.

However, when he raised the issue with the hospital, he was put on a waiting list and then had two scheduled operations cancelled.

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<div class="media-description">
Suture is a a stitch or stitches holding together the edges of a wound or surgical incision. (Others)
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<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The 8-inch-long (20 cm) surgical stitches made it difficult for him to walk, often leaving him in severe pain. In an interview to the BBC, Graham said, &ldquo;I was reckless with the surgery but the pain made me desperate. I could see the stitches protruding out of my body.&rdquo;

Finally, he decided to devise his own set of DIY surgery tools, and went ahead to operate on himself. The tools he developed were adapted from titanium instruments, given to him by a friend, who works as dentist.

Given that he was undoing a surgeon&rsquo;s knot, Graham had to be extra careful. &ldquo;I needed to modify them to undo some of the stitches. I couldn&rsquo;t have just cut it off as it might have retracted and I would have been in real trouble. I had to undo them one by one,&rdquo; he told the BBC.

&ldquo;There was a bit of blood and it stung a bit, but I was confident in what I was doing,&rdquo; he recalled, adding that post the surgery, he now feels like a new man.

Upon learning of Graham&rsquo;s case, the hospital trust has advised patients to stick to clinical advice. That&rsquo;s something that Graham also concurs with: &ldquo;Anything could have gone wrong. Don&rsquo;t try this at home.&rdquo;

(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

Desperate with pain and not being able to schedule a procedure, Lancashire-based Graham Smith was left with just one option

Some people sit and wait for miracles, while others make them happen. Graham Smith, an engineer from England, is one such individual. The Lancashire native had been left with a suture in his abdomen after a bowel operation that he underwent 15 years ago. Unfortunately, for the longest time, he didn’t notice the stiches. In fact, it was in 2011 that he identified and then complained about the stitches protruding out of his body. However, when he raised the issue with the hospital, he was put on a waiting list and then had two scheduled operations cancelled. Suture is a a stitch or stitches holding together the edges of a wound or surgical incision. (Others) × The 8-inch-long (20 cm) surgical stitches made it difficult for him to walk, often leaving him in severe pain. In an interview to the BBC, Graham said, “I was reckless with the surgery but the pain made me desperate. I could see the stitches protruding out of my body.” Finally, he decided to devise his own set of DIY surgery tools, and went ahead to operate on himself. The tools he developed were adapted from titanium instruments, given to him by a friend, who works as dentist. Given that he was undoing a surgeon’s knot, Graham had to be extra careful. “I needed to modify them to undo some of the stitches. I couldn’t have just cut it off as it might have retracted and I would have been in real trouble. I had to undo them one by one,” he told the BBC. “There was a bit of blood and it stung a bit, but I was confident in what I was doing,” he recalled, adding that post the surgery, he now feels like a new man. Upon learning of Graham’s case, the hospital trust has advised patients to stick to clinical advice. That’s something that Graham also concurs with: “Anything could have gone wrong. Don’t try this at home.” (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

This British man operated on himself

World champions Germany struck twice in four first-half minutes to beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in their 2018 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday and stretch their winning run in Group C with their best ever start in a tournament qualification.

Julian Draxler&#39;s 13th-minute strike put them ahead and Sami Khedira added another goal as Germany killed off the game for their third win in three qualifiers in their best start to a World Cup or Euro qualification with no goals conceded.

Germany, who made three times as many passes as the Irish, are top with nine points, two clear of Azerbaijan, who drew 0-0 away to the Czech Republic. The Irish stay third on four points.

Northern Ireland, who battled hard in a 1-0 Euro 2016 group stage defeat by Germany, were no match for the hosts, who had over 75 percent possession and were never really threatened.

&quot;We did our job. We got the six points we wanted from our (latest) two qualifiers,&quot; said Loew, who equalled former Germany coach Sepp Herberger&#39;s record 94 wins.

&quot;Northern Ireland were defending deep in their half and it was at times difficult for us.&quot;

&quot;We were in a good run after our win over the Czechs (on Saturday). I wanted two or three goals in the first half to be able to then rest some players.&quot;

Messy performance mars Southgate&#39;s audition

England interim manager Gareth Southgate is halfway through his audition for the full-time job but his hopes were hardly helped by an ugly performance in a 0-0 draw in Slovenia on Tuesday.

Southgate claims he inherited a &quot;mess&quot; after replacing Sam Allardyce, who lasted only 67 days in the job, and the display in Ljubljana was anything but pretty.

England rode their luck to stay top of Group F and on course for the 2018 Russia World Cup, thanks to some outstanding goalkeeping by Joe Hart, but there were few positives in a shapeless display that classier opposition than 67th-ranked Slovenia would have punished.

His decision to drop skipper and England&#39;s all-time leading scorer Wayne Rooney in favour of Eric Dier was hardly a qualified success with the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder almost gifting Slovenia an early goal.

Jordan Henderson, who wore the captain&#39;s armband, struggled to exert much authority and he too was guilty of a careless pass that would have led to a Slovenia goal after the break but for another fine intervention by the over-worked Hart.

When Rooney did finally come off the bench in the 73rd minute he almost gave his side an undeserved lead with a shot that flashed past the post, but there was precious little to excite the visiting fans as England laboured to a draw.

Southgate&#39;s first game since replacing disgraced Allardyce was a nondescript 2-0 win over Malta last weekend.

Now he must wait another month before a qualifier at home to Scotland and a friendly versus Spain, after which the English&nbsp;Football&nbsp;Association are expected to make a decision on his future.

Lewandowski scores stoppage time winner

Robert Lewandowski struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give Poland a dramatic 2-1 home win over 10-man Armenia in a World Cup Group E qualifier on Tuesday.

The result kept Poland on course to reach the 32-team finals in Russia, as it left them second in Group E on seven points from three games, behind surprise leaders Montenegro on goal difference.

Romania have five points, Denmark are on three after a shock 1-0 home defeat by Montenegro, Kazakhstan have two and Armenia none.

(Reuters)

Goals by Draxler and Khedira gave Germans their best-ever start in a World Cup or Euro qualification stage

World champions Germany struck twice in four first-half minutes to beat Northern Ireland 2-0 in their 2018 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday and stretch their winning run in Group C with their best ever start in a tournament qualification. Julian Draxler's 13th-minute strike put them ahead and Sami Khedira added another goal as Germany killed off the game for their third win in three qualifiers in their best start to a World Cup or Euro qualification with no goals conceded. Germany, who made three times as many passes as the Irish, are top with nine points, two clear of Azerbaijan, who drew 0-0 away to the Czech Republic. The Irish stay third on four points. Northern Ireland, who battled hard in a 1-0 Euro 2016 group stage defeat by Germany, were no match for the hosts, who had over 75 percent possession and were never really threatened. "We did our job. We got the six points we wanted from our (latest) two qualifiers," said Loew, who equalled former Germany coach Sepp Herberger's record 94 wins. "Northern Ireland were defending deep in their half and it was at times difficult for us." "We were in a good run after our win over the Czechs (on Saturday). I wanted two or three goals in the first half to be able to then rest some players." Messy performance mars Southgate's audition England interim manager Gareth Southgate is halfway through his audition for the full-time job but his hopes were hardly helped by an ugly performance in a 0-0 draw in Slovenia on Tuesday. Southgate claims he inherited a "mess" after replacing Sam Allardyce, who lasted only 67 days in the job, and the display in Ljubljana was anything but pretty. England rode their luck to stay top of Group F and on course for the 2018 Russia World Cup, thanks to some outstanding goalkeeping by Joe Hart, but there were few positives in a shapeless display that classier opposition than 67th-ranked Slovenia would have punished. His decision to drop skipper and England's all-time leading scorer Wayne Rooney in favour of Eric Dier was hardly a qualified success with the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder almost gifting Slovenia an early goal. Jordan Henderson, who wore the captain's armband, struggled to exert much authority and he too was guilty of a careless pass that would have led to a Slovenia goal after the break but for another fine intervention by the over-worked Hart. When Rooney did finally come off the bench in the 73rd minute he almost gave his side an undeserved lead with a shot that flashed past the post, but there was precious little to excite the visiting fans as England laboured to a draw. Southgate's first game since replacing disgraced Allardyce was a nondescript 2-0 win over Malta last weekend. Now he must wait another month before a qualifier at home to Scotland and a friendly versus Spain, after which the English Football Association are expected to make a decision on his future. Lewandowski scores stoppage time winner Robert Lewandowski struck in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give Poland a dramatic 2-1 home win over 10-man Armenia in a World Cup Group E qualifier on Tuesday. The result kept Poland on course to reach the 32-team finals in Russia, as it left them second in Group E on seven points from three games, behind surprise leaders Montenegro on goal difference. Romania have five points, Denmark are on three after a shock 1-0 home defeat by Montenegro, Kazakhstan have two and Armenia none. (Reuters)

World Cup 2018 qualifiers: Germany cruise to win as England draw blanks against Slovenia

England&#39;s new manager Sam Allardyce vowed today to break the psychological barrier hindering performance of the country&#39;s big-name players at international level. 
 
Allardyce also revealed he has not yet made a decision on who will captain England, which leaves the Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney, heavily criticised for his performances at Euro 2016, sweating on whether he will retain the armband. 
 
England&#39;s campaign at last month&#39;s European Championships under predecessor Roy Hodgson culminated in a humiliating exit to Iceland in the last 16, despite boasting a squad packed with Premier League talent. Hodgson quickly quit. 
 
Allardyce, speaking at his first press conference at St George&rsquo;s Park following his appointment, will seek to address that faulty mindset as England bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 
 
&quot;The pressure on players at international level we will be looking at in depth,&quot; said the 61-year-old Englishman, nicknamed &#39;Big Sam&#39;, who lost out to Steve McClaren for the England job 10 years ago. 
 
&quot;I will exploit all areas for the benefit of the players. The key element is to get among the staff in place and talk about the programme going forward, particularly psychologically. 
 
&quot;It&rsquo;s not about potential now. It&rsquo;s about standing up and being counted even though some of those experiences have been bitter. Potential is a word I don&rsquo;t like to use too much. You want the actual quality of the player producing his best immediately.&quot; 
 
&quot;I think this group is very experienced and going forward can be producing more performances and better results. It&rsquo;s not just about qualifying, but going as far as we can.&quot; 
 
It is anticipated that Allardyce, a former manager of many clubs including Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and most recently Sunderland, will not make a call on Rooney&#39;s captaincy until the players join up for the World Cup qualifier with Slovakia on September 4. 
 
&quot;That&#39;s far too early to make predictions in that area,&quot; Allardyce said, when asked if Rooney would continue as skipper. &quot;I will leave that (the captaincy) until we get together and plan for the qualifiers.&quot; 
 
Allardyce acknowledges England job as &#39;biggest challenge&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Allardyce, who guided Sunderland to Premier League last season having taken over with them in a desperate position, has never won a major trophy and acknowledged the England job is the &quot;biggest challenge&quot; of his managerial career. 
 
Allardyce believes, however, he has the right credentials for the position and remains confident the &quot;Three Lions&quot; will progress under his stewardship. 
 
&quot;This will be the greatest challenge for me in my long career and hopefully I will be as successful as I have in the rest of my career,&quot; said the man who has faced criticism down the years for long-ball football. 
 
Jose Mourinho famously once described Allardyce&#39;s football as &quot;19th century&quot;. 
 
&quot;I can turn things around pretty quickly. I can create a successful journey and that starts with us all pulling together,&quot; added Allardyce. 
 
&quot;What is my style? Pragmatic. Choosing styles and systems depends on who we are playing. My coaching technique is to win a football match, home or away, whether we are at Wembley or not, and adapt to the style we play to the opposition.&quot; 
 
&quot;I think the bonding of the team is exceptionally important. A game of football is to be enjoyed.&quot; 
 
Allardyce confirmed Sammy Lee, his former assistant when he was in charge of Bolton Wanderers, will become part of his backroom staff. 
 
He also called for the introduction of a winter break in the Premier League to help boost the national team&rsquo;s flagging fortunes. 
 
&quot;I have been an advocate of that for 10 years or more. The demand on players is enormous,&quot; he explained. 
 
&quot;The Premier League is the best league in the world so demand has to be on the players. It would help the Premier League and us at international level if we could try and achieve it.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Allardyce will seek to address that faulty mindset as England bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia

England's new manager Sam Allardyce vowed today to break the psychological barrier hindering performance of the country's big-name players at international level. Allardyce also revealed he has not yet made a decision on who will captain England, which leaves the Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney, heavily criticised for his performances at Euro 2016, sweating on whether he will retain the armband. England's campaign at last month's European Championships under predecessor Roy Hodgson culminated in a humiliating exit to Iceland in the last 16, despite boasting a squad packed with Premier League talent. Hodgson quickly quit. Allardyce, speaking at his first press conference at St George’s Park following his appointment, will seek to address that faulty mindset as England bid to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. "The pressure on players at international level we will be looking at in depth," said the 61-year-old Englishman, nicknamed 'Big Sam', who lost out to Steve McClaren for the England job 10 years ago. "I will exploit all areas for the benefit of the players. The key element is to get among the staff in place and talk about the programme going forward, particularly psychologically. "It’s not about potential now. It’s about standing up and being counted even though some of those experiences have been bitter. Potential is a word I don’t like to use too much. You want the actual quality of the player producing his best immediately." "I think this group is very experienced and going forward can be producing more performances and better results. It’s not just about qualifying, but going as far as we can." It is anticipated that Allardyce, a former manager of many clubs including Bolton, Newcastle, West Ham and most recently Sunderland, will not make a call on Rooney's captaincy until the players join up for the World Cup qualifier with Slovakia on September 4. "That's far too early to make predictions in that area," Allardyce said, when asked if Rooney would continue as skipper. "I will leave that (the captaincy) until we get together and plan for the qualifiers." Allardyce acknowledges England job as 'biggest challenge' Allardyce, who guided Sunderland to Premier League last season having taken over with them in a desperate position, has never won a major trophy and acknowledged the England job is the "biggest challenge" of his managerial career. Allardyce believes, however, he has the right credentials for the position and remains confident the "Three Lions" will progress under his stewardship. "This will be the greatest challenge for me in my long career and hopefully I will be as successful as I have in the rest of my career," said the man who has faced criticism down the years for long-ball football. Jose Mourinho famously once described Allardyce's football as "19th century". "I can turn things around pretty quickly. I can create a successful journey and that starts with us all pulling together," added Allardyce. "What is my style? Pragmatic. Choosing styles and systems depends on who we are playing. My coaching technique is to win a football match, home or away, whether we are at Wembley or not, and adapt to the style we play to the opposition." "I think the bonding of the team is exceptionally important. A game of football is to be enjoyed." Allardyce confirmed Sammy Lee, his former assistant when he was in charge of Bolton Wanderers, will become part of his backroom staff. He also called for the introduction of a winter break in the Premier League to help boost the national team’s flagging fortunes. "I have been an advocate of that for 10 years or more. The demand on players is enormous," he explained. "The Premier League is the best league in the world so demand has to be on the players. It would help the Premier League and us at international level if we could try and achieve it." (AFP)

New boss Sam Allardyce vows to improve England team mentality

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney&#39;s England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. 
 
To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. 
 
But they come into today&#39;s game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque&#39;s team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. 
 
It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. 
 
While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. 
 
&quot;We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are,&quot; he said. 
 
Recent history is on Spain&#39;s side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. 
 
Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to go home, the boys don&#39;t want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch,&quot; said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. 
 
Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition&#39;s joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. 
 
Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. 
 
Chance of a lifetime&nbsp; 
 
England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. 
 
Iceland&#39;s population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. 
 
But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. 
 
Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. 
 
Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a &quot;win or bust&quot; clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not &quot;beg&quot; for his job. 
 
&quot;I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I&#39;m prepared to carry on if the FA want me to,&quot; Hodgson said. 
 
&quot;If they don&#39;t want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I&#39;m not begging for the job.&quot; 
 
England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We&#39;re showing full respect.&quot; 
 
Iceland&#39;s co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. 
 
&quot;If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already.&quot; 
 
Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. 
 
(AFP)

To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final which they won by 4-0

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney's England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. But they come into today's game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque's team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. "We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are," he said. Recent history is on Spain's side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. "I don't want to go home, the boys don't want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch," said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition's joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. Chance of a lifetime England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. Iceland's population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a "win or bust" clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not "beg" for his job. "I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I'm prepared to carry on if the FA want me to," Hodgson said. "If they don't want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I'm not begging for the job." England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. "We're not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We're showing full respect." Iceland's co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. "If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different," he said. "But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already." Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. (AFP)

Spain-Italy in 'early final', England eye quarters

Watford have signed striker Jerome Sinclair from Liverpool on a five-year contract, the Premier League clubs confirmed today. 
 
The 19-year-old has made two appearances for Liverpool last season and played one game for Wigan in the Championship during his three-month loan spell during the 2014-15 campaign. 
 
&quot;Watford FC is pleased to confirm it has agreed terms with Liverpool over the transfer of striker Jerome Sinclair,&quot; the club said in a statement on their website. 
 
&quot;The highly-rated forward has penned a five-year deal at Vicarage Road and becomes the Hornets&#39; first new signing ahead of the 2016-17 Premier League campaign.&quot; 
 
Watford finished 13th in the Premier League last season and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. 
 
(Reuters)

Jerome Sinclair, the 19-year-old footballer, holds the record as the youngest player to have played for Liverpool

Watford have signed striker Jerome Sinclair from Liverpool on a five-year contract, the Premier League clubs confirmed today. The 19-year-old has made two appearances for Liverpool last season and played one game for Wigan in the Championship during his three-month loan spell during the 2014-15 campaign. "Watford FC is pleased to confirm it has agreed terms with Liverpool over the transfer of striker Jerome Sinclair," the club said in a statement on their website. "The highly-rated forward has penned a five-year deal at Vicarage Road and becomes the Hornets' first new signing ahead of the 2016-17 Premier League campaign." Watford finished 13th in the Premier League last season and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. (Reuters)

Sinclair joins Watford from Liverpool on five-year deal

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has confirmed Sam Allardyce will be hired as England&#39;s next manager at an FA board meeting at Wembley today. 
 
Allardyce has been selected by a three-man panel who decided the Sunderland boss was the best bet on a short-list that also included Hull manager Steve Bruce, Bournemouth chief Eddie Howe and USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann. 
 
It has been reported that the FA&#39;s first choice was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, but when he snubbed their approach, Allardyce, who had received a strong recommendation from former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, shot to the top of their list of candidates to replace Roy Hodgson. 
 
Dyke is due to step down after three years as FA chairman today but, although he was not involved in the head-hunting process, he will be present as FA chief executive Martin Glenn and vice-chairman David Gill present their reasons for nominating Allardyce. 
 
Asked if Allardyce was the man to take over from Hodgson, who stepped down after England&#39;s humiliating Euro 2016 defeat against Iceland, Dyke told Sky Sports News: &quot;Clearly the three-man group are convinced he&#39;s the right man and I go along with that, yes. 
 
&quot;We appointed a three-man committee to go out and look at all the candidates, come back with a recommendation who they thought was the best man. They&#39;ve taken that decision and obviously we&#39;ll agree with them. I think you&#39;d have to ask them but as far as I understand it that&#39;s the discussion.&quot; 
 
Once that is ratified the business of finalising the details will take precedence, with personal terms still to be settled and a compensation package for Sunderland among the outstanding issues. 
 
All parties would prefer for a swift resolution, with the new Premier League season on the horizon and England&#39;s World Cup qualifying campaign beginning on September 4, but it is possible an official announcement on Allardyce&#39;s appointment could be held up by negotiations. 
 
The Black Cats, who appeared to have found stability in the dugout after several seasons of managerial strife, have already made their unhappiness clear and could hold out for a sizeable pay-off. 
 
Allardyce took charge of Sunderland for what should be the final time during a 3-0 friendly win over Hartlepool on Wednesday, but did not re-emerge for the second half as news of his impending appointment broke. 
 
(AFP)

Football Association's first choice reportedly was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has confirmed Sam Allardyce will be hired as England's next manager at an FA board meeting at Wembley today. Allardyce has been selected by a three-man panel who decided the Sunderland boss was the best bet on a short-list that also included Hull manager Steve Bruce, Bournemouth chief Eddie Howe and USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann. It has been reported that the FA's first choice was Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, but when he snubbed their approach, Allardyce, who had received a strong recommendation from former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, shot to the top of their list of candidates to replace Roy Hodgson. Dyke is due to step down after three years as FA chairman today but, although he was not involved in the head-hunting process, he will be present as FA chief executive Martin Glenn and vice-chairman David Gill present their reasons for nominating Allardyce. Asked if Allardyce was the man to take over from Hodgson, who stepped down after England's humiliating Euro 2016 defeat against Iceland, Dyke told Sky Sports News: "Clearly the three-man group are convinced he's the right man and I go along with that, yes. "We appointed a three-man committee to go out and look at all the candidates, come back with a recommendation who they thought was the best man. They've taken that decision and obviously we'll agree with them. I think you'd have to ask them but as far as I understand it that's the discussion." Once that is ratified the business of finalising the details will take precedence, with personal terms still to be settled and a compensation package for Sunderland among the outstanding issues. All parties would prefer for a swift resolution, with the new Premier League season on the horizon and England's World Cup qualifying campaign beginning on September 4, but it is possible an official announcement on Allardyce's appointment could be held up by negotiations. The Black Cats, who appeared to have found stability in the dugout after several seasons of managerial strife, have already made their unhappiness clear and could hold out for a sizeable pay-off. Allardyce took charge of Sunderland for what should be the final time during a 3-0 friendly win over Hartlepool on Wednesday, but did not re-emerge for the second half as news of his impending appointment broke. (AFP)

Sam Allardyce set to become England's next manager

England coach Roy Hodgson&#39;s plan to visit the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing with a few members of his squad have been dashed by Dave Reddin, the Football Association&#39;s(FA) head of performance services, according to British media reports. 
 
The memorial stands as testament to thousands of British and South African servicemen who died in the Battles of the Somme between 1915 and 1918 and is a three-hour round trip from England&#39;s European Championship base at Chantilly. 
 
The names of 37 footballers, including Evelyn Lintott, a former England player and the first chairman of the Professional Footballers&#39; Association (PFA), are also commemorated here. 
 
Reddin, along with the squad&#39;s sports scientists, said the trip would be too draining and likely to impact on the team&#39;s performance at the tournament, according to the Times. 
 
FA chief executive Martin Glenn will represent the FA and England at Thiepval later on Tuesday. 
 
Midfielder James Milner and goalkeeper Joe Hart made video messages after being blocked from travelling to the memorial. 
 
&quot;Among those who died were football players -- professional and amateur -- and of course football fans. Others were so badly injured they could never again play the game I love,&quot; Milner said. 
 
England, who are in Group B, play their first match of the tournament against Russia in Marseille on Saturday. Wales and Slovakia are the other teams in the group.

Reportedly FA head Dave Reddin believes, the trip to the memorial will be a very exhausting one and may affect the team's performance

England coach Roy Hodgson's plan to visit the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing with a few members of his squad have been dashed by Dave Reddin, the Football Association's(FA) head of performance services, according to British media reports. The memorial stands as testament to thousands of British and South African servicemen who died in the Battles of the Somme between 1915 and 1918 and is a three-hour round trip from England's European Championship base at Chantilly. The names of 37 footballers, including Evelyn Lintott, a former England player and the first chairman of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), are also commemorated here. Reddin, along with the squad's sports scientists, said the trip would be too draining and likely to impact on the team's performance at the tournament, according to the Times. FA chief executive Martin Glenn will represent the FA and England at Thiepval later on Tuesday. Midfielder James Milner and goalkeeper Joe Hart made video messages after being blocked from travelling to the memorial. "Among those who died were football players -- professional and amateur -- and of course football fans. Others were so badly injured they could never again play the game I love," Milner said. England, who are in Group B, play their first match of the tournament against Russia in Marseille on Saturday. Wales and Slovakia are the other teams in the group.

Football Association blocks England squad's plan for Somme homage

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho today admitted that the club needs one more signing before the season starts but would not confirm it would be record target Paul Pogba. 
 
Media reports in the UK on Wednesday suggested United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had pulled out of the club&#39;s pre-season tour to China so he could meet and agree personal terms with Pogba&#39;s agent Mino Raiola. 
 
Mourinho was asked directly at a news conference in Shanghai whether he could confirm the reports. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t confirm and I don&#39;t deny. I cannot tell you,&quot; Mourinho said on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai Friday. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s correct to speak about players of other clubs, and he&#39;s a Juventus player and not a Manchester United player. The only thing I can tell you is that my board, my directors they did fantastic work to do 75 percent of the job I asked them to do,&quot; said Mourinho. 
 
&quot;I asked them for four players. To be more accurate I asked them for four or five players I need. I gave them a few options and they did for me 75 percent of the job with (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Henrikh) Mikitharyan and (Eric) Bailly and they have just 25 percent to do until the 31st of August.&quot; 
 
&quot;We are calm. We have three faces to fill the profile. I am confident Mr Woodward will get the player we need to get a good balance.&quot; 
 
Mourinho has reportedly made French international Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford but it could cost the club a record-breaking &pound;100 million ($130 million, 119 million euros) to land the midfielder. 
 
United are believed to have had an opening bid of &pound;86 million rejected by Juventus and an improved offer could shatter the previous world record fee of &pound;85 million paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale in 2013. 
 
Mourinho has already spent more than &pound;50 million on defender Bailly from Villarreal and midfielder Mkhitaryan from Friday&#39;s opponents Dortmund, as well as recruiting Ibrahimovic who left PSG on a free transfer. 
 
Pogba, 23, had a spell at United but was allowed to leave for Juventus on a 2012 free transfer while still a teenager after just a handful of appearances under then manager Alex Ferguson, who slammed him for showing no respect to the club. 
 
Pogba has since emerged as one of the top midfielders in Europe, playing an integral part in the France side that reached the Euro 2016 final and helping Juventus win four successive Serie A titles. 
 
Manchester United round off their China tour against fierce rivals Manchester City in Beijing on Monday. 
 
(AFP)

Reportedly Mourinho has made Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho today admitted that the club needs one more signing before the season starts but would not confirm it would be record target Paul Pogba. Media reports in the UK on Wednesday suggested United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had pulled out of the club's pre-season tour to China so he could meet and agree personal terms with Pogba's agent Mino Raiola. Mourinho was asked directly at a news conference in Shanghai whether he could confirm the reports. "I don't confirm and I don't deny. I cannot tell you," Mourinho said on the eve of the International Champions Cup match against Borussia Dortmund in Shanghai Friday. "I don't think it's correct to speak about players of other clubs, and he's a Juventus player and not a Manchester United player. The only thing I can tell you is that my board, my directors they did fantastic work to do 75 percent of the job I asked them to do," said Mourinho. "I asked them for four players. To be more accurate I asked them for four or five players I need. I gave them a few options and they did for me 75 percent of the job with (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, (Henrikh) Mikitharyan and (Eric) Bailly and they have just 25 percent to do until the 31st of August." "We are calm. We have three faces to fill the profile. I am confident Mr Woodward will get the player we need to get a good balance." Mourinho has reportedly made French international Pogba his top transfer target as he bids to make a big impact in his first season at Old Trafford but it could cost the club a record-breaking £100 million ($130 million, 119 million euros) to land the midfielder. United are believed to have had an opening bid of £86 million rejected by Juventus and an improved offer could shatter the previous world record fee of £85 million paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale in 2013. Mourinho has already spent more than £50 million on defender Bailly from Villarreal and midfielder Mkhitaryan from Friday's opponents Dortmund, as well as recruiting Ibrahimovic who left PSG on a free transfer. Pogba, 23, had a spell at United but was allowed to leave for Juventus on a 2012 free transfer while still a teenager after just a handful of appearances under then manager Alex Ferguson, who slammed him for showing no respect to the club. Pogba has since emerged as one of the top midfielders in Europe, playing an integral part in the France side that reached the Euro 2016 final and helping Juventus win four successive Serie A titles. Manchester United round off their China tour against fierce rivals Manchester City in Beijing on Monday. (AFP)

Jose Mourinho tight-lipped on Paul Pogba's purported Manchester United move

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is open to managing England but will not break his current contract with the Premier League club. 
 
The Frenchman, who has one year remaining on his current deal with Arsenal, was linked by British media to replace Roy Hodgson after England&#39;s Round of 16 exit against Iceland at the Euro 2016. 
 
A three-man panel of the Football Association staff began the job of finding Hodgson&#39;s successor last month. 
 
&quot;Could I manage England? Why not? I would never rule that out, but I am happy and focused in club football,&quot; Wenger told British media. 
 
&quot;I have one more year to go with Arsenal and I have been with them for a long time. 
 
&quot;I have always respected all my contracts and will continue to do that. What will I do after that? Honestly, I don&#39;t know. 
 
&quot;England is my second country. I was absolutely on my knees when England went out against Iceland.&quot; 
 
Wenger, who led Arsenal to second in the league table last season, took over as manager in 1996 and has led them to a top-four finish in every season since. 
 
England&#39;s under-21 manager Gareth Southgate, the bookmakers&#39; favourite to be the new England manager, was tipped to take over on a temporary basis but is apparently not interested in the job. 
 
According to local media, Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce will be interviewed for the job this week while US head coach Jurgen Klinsmann&#39;s name is also doing the rounds. 
 
(Reuters)

Arsene Wenger was linked by British media to replace Roy Hodgson after England's Round of 16 exit against Iceland at the Euro 2016

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is open to managing England but will not break his current contract with the Premier League club. The Frenchman, who has one year remaining on his current deal with Arsenal, was linked by British media to replace Roy Hodgson after England's Round of 16 exit against Iceland at the Euro 2016. A three-man panel of the Football Association staff began the job of finding Hodgson's successor last month. "Could I manage England? Why not? I would never rule that out, but I am happy and focused in club football," Wenger told British media. "I have one more year to go with Arsenal and I have been with them for a long time. "I have always respected all my contracts and will continue to do that. What will I do after that? Honestly, I don't know. "England is my second country. I was absolutely on my knees when England went out against Iceland." Wenger, who led Arsenal to second in the league table last season, took over as manager in 1996 and has led them to a top-four finish in every season since. England's under-21 manager Gareth Southgate, the bookmakers' favourite to be the new England manager, was tipped to take over on a temporary basis but is apparently not interested in the job. According to local media, Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce will be interviewed for the job this week while US head coach Jurgen Klinsmann's name is also doing the rounds. (Reuters)

Wenger does not rule out England job after Arsenal deal ends

England&#39;s under-21 football coach Gareth Southgate looks likely to be put in temporary charge of the national team after the resignation of Roy Hodgson following the side&#39;s Euro 2016 exit, British media reported on Wednesday. 
 
&quot;Southgate is believed to have already been asked whether he is prepared to take over on a temporary basis and has indicated that he is,&quot; the Daily Telegraph said. 
 
A three-man Football Association (FA) panel has begun the job of finding a successor to Hodgson, who resigned in the wake of England&#39;s humiliating 2-1 defeat by Iceland in the last 16 of the European Championship on Monday. 
 
FA chief executive Martin Glenn has suggested that England might wait to fill the post because it is &quot;such an important decision&quot;, meaning it is unlikely they will have a new man permanently in place before their first World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia on Sept. 4. 
 
British media said that opened the way for former England centre-half Southgate. 
 
The prospect of a delay has intensified speculation that Frenchman Arsene Wenger could take the post in the long term. 
 
Wenger is the final year of his contract with Arsenal and was reported to be open to the idea of talking to England&#39;s football authorities about the job, but the FA may be unwilling to wait a year for the 66-year-old who has always maintained that he would never break a contract. 
 
Other names linked with the job include Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, possibly in tandem with former England international Steven Gerrard, Hull City&#39;s Steve Bruce, former England manager Glenn Hoddle and Italian Claudio Ranieri, who won many admirers by steering Leicester City to their first Premier League title last month. 
 
The FA would have to move quickly to secure Ranieri, who is expected to sign an improved contract with Leicester next month. 
 
Glenn told a news conference on Tuesday: &quot;We clearly need an inspirational manager who can harness all of the resources that the English game... has got, everything we have now got at (the national football centre) St George&#39;s Park, to make us more resilient in tournaments. 
 
&quot;That I think is the brief... it is for an inspirational manager and management team to get the best out of a squad which has got high potential.&rdquo; 
 
(Reuters)

It is unlikely that the Football Association will have a new man in place before their first World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia

England's under-21 football coach Gareth Southgate looks likely to be put in temporary charge of the national team after the resignation of Roy Hodgson following the side's Euro 2016 exit, British media reported on Wednesday. "Southgate is believed to have already been asked whether he is prepared to take over on a temporary basis and has indicated that he is," the Daily Telegraph said. A three-man Football Association (FA) panel has begun the job of finding a successor to Hodgson, who resigned in the wake of England's humiliating 2-1 defeat by Iceland in the last 16 of the European Championship on Monday. FA chief executive Martin Glenn has suggested that England might wait to fill the post because it is "such an important decision", meaning it is unlikely they will have a new man permanently in place before their first World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia on Sept. 4. British media said that opened the way for former England centre-half Southgate. The prospect of a delay has intensified speculation that Frenchman Arsene Wenger could take the post in the long term. Wenger is the final year of his contract with Arsenal and was reported to be open to the idea of talking to England's football authorities about the job, but the FA may be unwilling to wait a year for the 66-year-old who has always maintained that he would never break a contract. Other names linked with the job include Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, possibly in tandem with former England international Steven Gerrard, Hull City's Steve Bruce, former England manager Glenn Hoddle and Italian Claudio Ranieri, who won many admirers by steering Leicester City to their first Premier League title last month. The FA would have to move quickly to secure Ranieri, who is expected to sign an improved contract with Leicester next month. Glenn told a news conference on Tuesday: "We clearly need an inspirational manager who can harness all of the resources that the English game... has got, everything we have now got at (the national football centre) St George's Park, to make us more resilient in tournaments. "That I think is the brief... it is for an inspirational manager and management team to get the best out of a squad which has got high potential.” (Reuters)

Reports say Southgate may be England's temporary manager

The thousands of Welsh supporters who have brought their nation&#39;s famed singing, not to mention plenty of plastic dragons, to a major tournament after a wait of more that half-a-century are steeling themselves to hit the heights -- or rock bottom -- on Monday. 
 
Currently in second place in Euro 2016 group B with three points, Wales could finish either top or bottom of their section, depending on their own result against Russia here and England&#39;s against Slovakia. 
 
If they beat the Russians, who have only one point, and neighbours England fail to win, Chris Coleman&#39;s side would be proud group winners, qualifying for a round of 16 match in the Parc des Princes next Saturday against a third-placed team. 
 
At the other extreme, defeat, and at least a point for Slovakia, would leave them fourth. 
 
A modicum of pride would undoubtedly remain, but such an outcome would be a real anti-climax after the excitement of beating the Slovaks 2-1 in the opening game and then holding England until the final minute in a 2-1 defeat. 
 
Russia&#39;s 2-1 defeat by Slovakia undid all the good work of their resilience in snatching a late equaliser against England and leaves them vulnerable to an early return home and charges of under-achievement. 
 
In historic and geo-political terms there should be no contest between a nation of 144 million people and one with a population of three million -- larger than only Albania, Northern Ireland and Iceland of the 24 countries here. 
 
Russia have never lost to Wales in their four meetings, but the margins have been tight, like so many matches at this low-scoring tournament. 
 
Coach Leonid Slutski knows his team must avoid conceding free kicks within shooting range for Gareth Bale, a mistake that both Slovakia and England were punished for making. 
 
The Real Madrid player scored with direct long range efforts, bringing back memories of Michel Platini&#39;s ability with a dead ball when France last hosted the European Championship in 1984. 
 
Coleman knows he can count on his one superstar. He will be more concerned about a defence that conceded only four goals in the qualifying campaign but has been beaten almost as many times in two games here. 
 
Changing from his system of three at the back is a possibility, but perhaps too radical a departure at this late and crucial stage. 
 
(Reuters)

Wales is in second place in Group B with three points, and their fate depends on their result against Russia and England against Slovakia

The thousands of Welsh supporters who have brought their nation's famed singing, not to mention plenty of plastic dragons, to a major tournament after a wait of more that half-a-century are steeling themselves to hit the heights -- or rock bottom -- on Monday. Currently in second place in Euro 2016 group B with three points, Wales could finish either top or bottom of their section, depending on their own result against Russia here and England's against Slovakia. If they beat the Russians, who have only one point, and neighbours England fail to win, Chris Coleman's side would be proud group winners, qualifying for a round of 16 match in the Parc des Princes next Saturday against a third-placed team. At the other extreme, defeat, and at least a point for Slovakia, would leave them fourth. A modicum of pride would undoubtedly remain, but such an outcome would be a real anti-climax after the excitement of beating the Slovaks 2-1 in the opening game and then holding England until the final minute in a 2-1 defeat. Russia's 2-1 defeat by Slovakia undid all the good work of their resilience in snatching a late equaliser against England and leaves them vulnerable to an early return home and charges of under-achievement. In historic and geo-political terms there should be no contest between a nation of 144 million people and one with a population of three million -- larger than only Albania, Northern Ireland and Iceland of the 24 countries here. Russia have never lost to Wales in their four meetings, but the margins have been tight, like so many matches at this low-scoring tournament. Coach Leonid Slutski knows his team must avoid conceding free kicks within shooting range for Gareth Bale, a mistake that both Slovakia and England were punished for making. The Real Madrid player scored with direct long range efforts, bringing back memories of Michel Platini's ability with a dead ball when France last hosted the European Championship in 1984. Coleman knows he can count on his one superstar. He will be more concerned about a defence that conceded only four goals in the qualifying campaign but has been beaten almost as many times in two games here. Changing from his system of three at the back is a possibility, but perhaps too radical a departure at this late and crucial stage. (Reuters)

Wales could hit heights or depths in final countdown

A small group of Russian and English fans briefly scuffled in Lille in the early hours of Wednesday (June 15) morning, after bars and pubs closed in the northern French city where thousands of supporters continue to arrive for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament. 
 
Lille is seen as the next potential Euro 2016 trouble spot as Russia play Slovakia there on Wednesday. England fans are also congregating there ahead of their match against Wales in nearby Lens on Thursday (June 16). 
 
Both teams have been threatened with expulsion from the competition if the violence seen in Marseille last week is repeated. 
 
The brief skirmish between the Russian and English fans was broken up by police. 
 
Authorities in Lille and Lens have ordered alcohol bans running from Tuesday (June 14) to Friday (June 17), officials said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

They scuffle in Lille despite UEFA warning that they will be disqualified if they do so

A small group of Russian and English fans briefly scuffled in Lille in the early hours of Wednesday (June 15) morning, after bars and pubs closed in the northern French city where thousands of supporters continue to arrive for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament. Lille is seen as the next potential Euro 2016 trouble spot as Russia play Slovakia there on Wednesday. England fans are also congregating there ahead of their match against Wales in nearby Lens on Thursday (June 16). Both teams have been threatened with expulsion from the competition if the violence seen in Marseille last week is repeated. The brief skirmish between the Russian and English fans was broken up by police. Authorities in Lille and Lens have ordered alcohol bans running from Tuesday (June 14) to Friday (June 17), officials said. (Reuters)

Never mind the warning, Russia and England fans go at it again

UEFA said today that it regretted the unrest on the streets of Lille overnight on the eve of the Euro 2016 soccer match between England and Wales, but it stopped taking any action to punish fan violence. 
 
French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans on yesterday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt during Wednesday, 16 of whom were hospitalised. 
 
&quot;UEFA regrets the skirmishes which occurred in Lille last night. Police forces made several arrests and were quick to restore order and keep the situation under control,&quot; said UEFA, European soccer&#39;s governing body,in their statement. 
 
It made no reference to any action it might take. 
 
After violence in the Mediterranean port of Marseille before and after England&#39;s 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday, UEFA warned England that a repetition of fans&#39; violent behaviour could see the team expelled. 
 
UEFA also told Russia that it would be disqualified if there was repeat of their fans&#39; violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. 
 
Lille was seen as a potential flashpoint for trouble, with Russia also playing in the northern town on Wednesday. The Russians lost 2-1 to Slovakia. 
 
England&#39;s match with Wales in the same Euro 2016 group was due to take place in nearby Lens later on Thursday. 
 
One England fan complained that police had over-reacted on Wednesday night. 
 
&quot;This is a bunch of good fans having a good time. What&#39;s happening is the police are trying to enclose people,&quot; he told Reuters. &quot;It&#39;s not hooliganism at all, it&#39;s just a bunch of guys having a good time, having a good drink, that&#39;s it.&quot; 
 
Separately, police in Lyon in southeast France said two fans suffered stab wounds in a fan zone there. 
 
Lyon police said one of those wounded, a Frenchman, had told them that one of his attackers wore an Albania football shirt. 
 
France beat Albania 2-0 in another of Wednesday&#39;s games. 
 
Marseille police also said a further 20 Russian fans were to be expelled from France, while three others were to go on trial. 
(Reuters)

After violence in Marseille, UEFA warned English fans that repetition of hooliganism can disqualify England from the event

UEFA said today that it regretted the unrest on the streets of Lille overnight on the eve of the Euro 2016 soccer match between England and Wales, but it stopped taking any action to punish fan violence. French riot police charged and used tear gas to disperse rowdy English soccer fans on yesterday night. Police said about 50 people were hurt during Wednesday, 16 of whom were hospitalised. "UEFA regrets the skirmishes which occurred in Lille last night. Police forces made several arrests and were quick to restore order and keep the situation under control," said UEFA, European soccer's governing body,in their statement. It made no reference to any action it might take. After violence in the Mediterranean port of Marseille before and after England's 1-1 draw with Russia on Saturday, UEFA warned England that a repetition of fans' violent behaviour could see the team expelled. UEFA also told Russia that it would be disqualified if there was repeat of their fans' violent behaviour, which included attacks on England supporters in the stadium as the match ended. Lille was seen as a potential flashpoint for trouble, with Russia also playing in the northern town on Wednesday. The Russians lost 2-1 to Slovakia. England's match with Wales in the same Euro 2016 group was due to take place in nearby Lens later on Thursday. One England fan complained that police had over-reacted on Wednesday night. "This is a bunch of good fans having a good time. What's happening is the police are trying to enclose people," he told Reuters. "It's not hooliganism at all, it's just a bunch of guys having a good time, having a good drink, that's it." Separately, police in Lyon in southeast France said two fans suffered stab wounds in a fan zone there. Lyon police said one of those wounded, a Frenchman, had told them that one of his attackers wore an Albania football shirt. France beat Albania 2-0 in another of Wednesday's games. Marseille police also said a further 20 Russian fans were to be expelled from France, while three others were to go on trial. (Reuters)

UEFA "regrets" overnight soccer violence ahead of England-Wales match

Slovakia forward Vladimir Weiss is backing his country to beat England in their crucial Euro 2016 Group B game.&nbsp;The teams meet on Monday in Saint-Etienne with both sides looking to book a place in the last 16 of the competition. 
 
&quot;We have beaten big teams before and if we play at our best we can beat anyone, even England,&quot; said Weiss. 
 
England currently top the group with four points, one point ahead of third-placed Slovakia.&nbsp;A draw could be enough for both teams to progress but a defeat for either team in the high-stakes match could see one of them return home. 
 
The sides will approach the game with confidence having both won their second group matches 2-1 -- England against Wales and Weiss&#39;s Slovakia against Russia. 
 
&quot;The win against Russia gives us a lot of confidence going into the last game.&nbsp;We needed a win and we&#39;re very happy that we got it.&nbsp;I am sure England have seen our game against Russia and they know we will give it everything to get something from the final game to qualify,&quot; he told the website of Qatar&#39;s World Cup organising committee, the Supreme Committee for Delivery &amp; Legacy. 
 
Weiss currently plays his team football in Qatar with Al-Gharafa.&nbsp;With the opening goal against Russia, Weiss made history by becoming the first-ever player based outside Europe to score at the championships since they were first contested in 1960. 
 
The 26-year-old former Rangers and Manchester City player said he knew was going to hit the net before he shot. 
 
&quot;Once I turned inside the two defenders, I knew I was going to score.&nbsp;I was already thinking where I would go to celebrate the goal and I went to my parents.&nbsp;I dedicated the goal to my mum, she knew I wasn&#39;t happy after the first game.&nbsp;She said my time will come, and it did,&quot; he said. 
(AFP)

The teams meet Monday in Saint-Etienne, with both sides looking to book a place in the last 16 of the competition

Slovakia forward Vladimir Weiss is backing his country to beat England in their crucial Euro 2016 Group B game. The teams meet on Monday in Saint-Etienne with both sides looking to book a place in the last 16 of the competition. "We have beaten big teams before and if we play at our best we can beat anyone, even England," said Weiss. England currently top the group with four points, one point ahead of third-placed Slovakia. A draw could be enough for both teams to progress but a defeat for either team in the high-stakes match could see one of them return home. The sides will approach the game with confidence having both won their second group matches 2-1 -- England against Wales and Weiss's Slovakia against Russia. "The win against Russia gives us a lot of confidence going into the last game. We needed a win and we're very happy that we got it. I am sure England have seen our game against Russia and they know we will give it everything to get something from the final game to qualify," he told the website of Qatar's World Cup organising committee, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. Weiss currently plays his team football in Qatar with Al-Gharafa. With the opening goal against Russia, Weiss made history by becoming the first-ever player based outside Europe to score at the championships since they were first contested in 1960. The 26-year-old former Rangers and Manchester City player said he knew was going to hit the net before he shot. "Once I turned inside the two defenders, I knew I was going to score. I was already thinking where I would go to celebrate the goal and I went to my parents. I dedicated the goal to my mum, she knew I wasn't happy after the first game. She said my time will come, and it did," he said. (AFP)

Slovakia can beat England says goal scorer Weiss

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa&#39;s possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. 
 
The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King&#39;s Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. 
 
New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return.&nbsp;Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. 
 
&quot;He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player,&quot; Cerezo told reporters.&nbsp;&quot;The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I&#39;ve always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That&#39;s the end of this issue.&nbsp;The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it.&quot; 
 
The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte&#39;s first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. 
 
(Reuters)

New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spanish player will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance

Atletico Madrid president, Enrique Cerezo, has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa's possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer, despite reports suggesting otherwise. The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King's Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him as a player of fundamental importance, and now Cerezo has ruled out his return. Costa is under contract at Chelsea until June 2019. "He is a great player, who is very much loved, but he is a Chelsea player," Cerezo told reporters. "The issue is as it was six months ago or even a year ago, he is a Chelsea player. I've always said that Costa is a Chelsea player and has a contract with Chelsea. That's the end of this issue. The day we have a number nine we will announce it. We are looking for one and once we have him, we will announce it." The 27-year-old Costa was handed a start for Conte's first match in charge, a 2-0 pre-season defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday. (Reuters)

Atletico Madrid president Cerezo rules out Costa's return this summer

Sam Allardyce was appointed England manager on Friday on a two-year contract, tasked with restoring pride in the national team after their dismal performances at Euro 2016. 
 
Allardyce, at Sunderland since October, will replace Roy Hodgson, who stepped down following England&#39;s shock European Championship defeat by Iceland in the round of 16 last month. 
 
&quot;I am extremely honoured to be appointed England manager especially as it is no secret that this is the role I have always wanted. For me, it is absolutely the best job in English football,&quot; the 61-year-old Allardyce said in a statement. 
 
&quot;I will do everything I can to help England do well and give our nation the success our fans deserve. Above all, we have to make the people and the whole country proud.&quot; 
 
Allardyce was the unanimous choice of a three-man FA selection panel, made up of chief executive Martin Glenn, technical director Dan Ashworth and acting chairman David Gill. 
 
The FA statement added that he would be responsible for shaping &quot;a strong, purposeful team identity&quot; as well as ensuring England qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. 
 
Allardyce has previously managed Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United, but much of his coaching career has been spent scrapping in the bottom half of the table rather than challenging for Premier League titles. 
 
He had been the favourite for the job since Sunderland confirmed last week that they had given the FA permission to speak to their manager about the vacant England position. 
 
Hull City manager Steve Bruce was also interviewed for the post while British media reported that the FA had spoken to United States head coach Juergen Klinsmann and Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe. 
 
Allardyce was first interviewed for the England position following Sven-Goran Eriksson&#39;s departure after the 2006 World Cup but he was overlooked in favour of Steve McClaren. 
 
&quot;Sam Allardyce is the right man for the England job,&quot; FA chief executive Martin Glenn said. 
 
&quot;His excellent managerial credentials, including his ability to realise the potential of players and teams, develop a strong team ethos and embrace modern methods that enhance performance, made him the outstanding choice.&quot; 
 
Allardyce will select his first England squad towards the end of August for a friendly on Sept. 1 before their first World Cup qualifier against Slovakia in Trnava three days later. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Allardyce, the unanimous choice of a three-man FA selection panel, tasked with restoring English pride

Sam Allardyce was appointed England manager on Friday on a two-year contract, tasked with restoring pride in the national team after their dismal performances at Euro 2016. Allardyce, at Sunderland since October, will replace Roy Hodgson, who stepped down following England's shock European Championship defeat by Iceland in the round of 16 last month. "I am extremely honoured to be appointed England manager especially as it is no secret that this is the role I have always wanted. For me, it is absolutely the best job in English football," the 61-year-old Allardyce said in a statement. "I will do everything I can to help England do well and give our nation the success our fans deserve. Above all, we have to make the people and the whole country proud." Allardyce was the unanimous choice of a three-man FA selection panel, made up of chief executive Martin Glenn, technical director Dan Ashworth and acting chairman David Gill. The FA statement added that he would be responsible for shaping "a strong, purposeful team identity" as well as ensuring England qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Allardyce has previously managed Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United, but much of his coaching career has been spent scrapping in the bottom half of the table rather than challenging for Premier League titles. He had been the favourite for the job since Sunderland confirmed last week that they had given the FA permission to speak to their manager about the vacant England position. Hull City manager Steve Bruce was also interviewed for the post while British media reported that the FA had spoken to United States head coach Juergen Klinsmann and Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe. Allardyce was first interviewed for the England position following Sven-Goran Eriksson's departure after the 2006 World Cup but he was overlooked in favour of Steve McClaren. "Sam Allardyce is the right man for the England job," FA chief executive Martin Glenn said. "His excellent managerial credentials, including his ability to realise the potential of players and teams, develop a strong team ethos and embrace modern methods that enhance performance, made him the outstanding choice." Allardyce will select his first England squad towards the end of August for a friendly on Sept. 1 before their first World Cup qualifier against Slovakia in Trnava three days later. (Reuters)

England appoints Sam Allardyce as manager after Euro disappointment

Manchester United are among several leading English Premier League (EPL) clubs to reject invitations from the Football League to have their academy sides play in the revamped English Football League Trophy. 
 
United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament, which traditionally has just been made up from the 48 clubs involved in English football&#39;s third and fourth tiers, was made today. 
 
But Premier League champions Leicester City have agreed that their academy side will take part, with Chelsea also set to have their fledgling players compete in a tournament amid suggestions that Trophy matches would cause fixture clashes for top-flight academy teams, who already had sufficient matches in a season. 
 
In a bid to give a higher profile to the competition, officials announced in June that 16 &#39;category one&#39; academy outfits had been invited to take part. The new tournament will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, on a north/south regional basis, each group containing one &#39;invited&#39; club. 
 
Then the top two from each group will go forward to a regional knockout round of 32, with the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals all open draws ahead of a final at London&#39;s Wembley Stadium on April 2. 
 
(AFP)

Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament was made

Manchester United are among several leading English Premier League (EPL) clubs to reject invitations from the Football League to have their academy sides play in the revamped English Football League Trophy. United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur were missing when the draw for the knockout tournament, which traditionally has just been made up from the 48 clubs involved in English football's third and fourth tiers, was made today. But Premier League champions Leicester City have agreed that their academy side will take part, with Chelsea also set to have their fledgling players compete in a tournament amid suggestions that Trophy matches would cause fixture clashes for top-flight academy teams, who already had sufficient matches in a season. In a bid to give a higher profile to the competition, officials announced in June that 16 'category one' academy outfits had been invited to take part. The new tournament will see 64 teams divided into 16 groups of four, on a north/south regional basis, each group containing one 'invited' club. Then the top two from each group will go forward to a regional knockout round of 32, with the last 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals all open draws ahead of a final at London's Wembley Stadium on April 2. (AFP)

Premier League giants refuse English Football League Trophy invites

A French court today jailed three Russian football supporters for up to two years for their role in violence in Marseille before the England-Russia Euro 2016 match. 
 
Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police in southern France on Tuesday after the pitched battles which left more than 30 people injured. 
 
Yerunov, 29, who is supporters&#39; liaison officer at Lokomotiv Moscow according to the club&#39;s website, received the longest prison sentence of 24 months. 
 
He admitted he was at the scene of an attack on an English supporter who was left in a critical state after being beaten around the head with an iron bar. He denied being responsible. 
 
&quot;I apologise. I recognise that I was there but I didn&#39;t hit anyone. My hands are clean,&quot; he told the court. 
 
Gorbachev, who leads a supporters&#39; club at Russian second division club Arsenal Tula, was jailed for 18 months. 
 
Morozov, 28, received the shortest sentence of 12 months. 
 
Prosecutor Andre Ribe described the Russians&#39; behaviour in the chaotic scenes in Marseille on Saturday: &quot;It was a hunt. They ran off together, staying in a group and keeping enough energy for what they call &#39;the fight&#39;.&quot; 
(AFP)

Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police on Tuesday

A French court today jailed three Russian football supporters for up to two years for their role in violence in Marseille before the England-Russia Euro 2016 match. Alexei Yerunov, Nikolai Morozov and Sergei Gorbachev were among 43 Russian supporters detained by French police in southern France on Tuesday after the pitched battles which left more than 30 people injured. Yerunov, 29, who is supporters' liaison officer at Lokomotiv Moscow according to the club's website, received the longest prison sentence of 24 months. He admitted he was at the scene of an attack on an English supporter who was left in a critical state after being beaten around the head with an iron bar. He denied being responsible. "I apologise. I recognise that I was there but I didn't hit anyone. My hands are clean," he told the court. Gorbachev, who leads a supporters' club at Russian second division club Arsenal Tula, was jailed for 18 months. Morozov, 28, received the shortest sentence of 12 months. Prosecutor Andre Ribe described the Russians' behaviour in the chaotic scenes in Marseille on Saturday: "It was a hunt. They ran off together, staying in a group and keeping enough energy for what they call 'the fight'." (AFP)

Russian fans jailed for up to 2 years for Euro 2016 violence

Wayne Hennessey, Joe Ledley and Hal Robson-Kanu returned to give Wales a full-strength starting XI for their Euro 2016 clash with England, who were unchanged, in Lens today.&nbsp; 
 
Goalkeeper Hennessey missed Wales&#39;s 2-1 win over Slovakia due to a back spasm, with Danny Ward deputising, while Ledley and Robson-Kanu came off the bench, the latter scoring an 81st-minute winner. 
 
Ledley is playing for Wales at the tournament despite fracturing a fibula while playing for Crystal Palace on May 7. 
 
England manager Roy Hodgson named the same team that started last Saturday&#39;s 1-1 draw with Russia in Marseille, so captain Wayne Rooney was once again aligned in a midfield three. 
 
Harry Kane was named as a lone striker, with Raheem Sterling keeping his place on the left flank in a 4-3-3 formation despite a disappointing showing at Stade Velodrome. 
 
It is the 102nd meeting between the neighbouring countries, but the first at a major tournament. 
 
Wales will qualify for the last 16 if they win, but victory for England would give them top spot in Group B ahead of the final round of games. 
 
Starting lineups in the Euro 2016 Group B match between England and Wales at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens today.&nbsp; 
(AFP)

Wales will qualify for the last 16 if they win, but England will grab a top spot in group B ahead of the final games if they win

Wayne Hennessey, Joe Ledley and Hal Robson-Kanu returned to give Wales a full-strength starting XI for their Euro 2016 clash with England, who were unchanged, in Lens today. Goalkeeper Hennessey missed Wales's 2-1 win over Slovakia due to a back spasm, with Danny Ward deputising, while Ledley and Robson-Kanu came off the bench, the latter scoring an 81st-minute winner. Ledley is playing for Wales at the tournament despite fracturing a fibula while playing for Crystal Palace on May 7. England manager Roy Hodgson named the same team that started last Saturday's 1-1 draw with Russia in Marseille, so captain Wayne Rooney was once again aligned in a midfield three. Harry Kane was named as a lone striker, with Raheem Sterling keeping his place on the left flank in a 4-3-3 formation despite a disappointing showing at Stade Velodrome. It is the 102nd meeting between the neighbouring countries, but the first at a major tournament. Wales will qualify for the last 16 if they win, but victory for England would give them top spot in Group B ahead of the final round of games. Starting lineups in the Euro 2016 Group B match between England and Wales at Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens today. (AFP)

Euro 2016: Wales trio return in clash against England

Liverpool&#39;s Daniel Sturridge struck deep into stoppage time to hand England a 2-1 win over rivals Wales to move top of Euro 2016 Group B in Lens on today. 
 
Real Madrid star Gareth Bale&#39;s free-kick from 35 metres was helped into his own net by England goalkeeper Joe Hart to give Wales the lead just before the break. 
 
However, after being introduced at half-time, substitutes Jamie Vardy and Sturridge turned the match around to put England on course for the last 16. 
(AFP)

Substitutes Vardy and Sturridge turned the match around to give England the win

Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge struck deep into stoppage time to hand England a 2-1 win over rivals Wales to move top of Euro 2016 Group B in Lens on today. Real Madrid star Gareth Bale's free-kick from 35 metres was helped into his own net by England goalkeeper Joe Hart to give Wales the lead just before the break. However, after being introduced at half-time, substitutes Jamie Vardy and Sturridge turned the match around to put England on course for the last 16. (AFP)

England beat Wales 2-1 at Euro 2016 to top Group B

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