Everton defender Conor Cody has admitted he shied away from a confrontation with Erling Haaland during a Premier League game.

What happened between Conor Cody and Erling Haaland?

It looks as though this is destined to be a pretty amazing debut season in English football for the prolific goalscorer.

Indeed, Haaland has won the league, the FA Cup, and could make it a treble if Manchester City beat Inter in the Champions League final this week.

In that period of 52 games, the 22-year-old also happens to have scored 52 goals as well as provided nine assists – remarkable stuff really.

It’s no surprise then, that he’s scored one goal each time he played Everton this term, netting both home and away this term. However, in the match at the Etihad, you could say Ben Godfrey rattled Haaland somewhat.

Indeed, the defender opted to be rather physical on the day and succeeded in getting under his skin – as shown by this footage of the City striker pulling a funny face during the game.

While talking about the match on BBC Sounds recently though, Godfrey’s teammate Coady has now spoken about the incident from his point of view.

The Englishman said: “What was funny about it, there’s a little story to that. So we obviously said Ben’s a big strong lad, isn’t he?

“And we obviously said we’ll try and get into him [Haaland] a little bit. Do you know what I mean? Make him feel that he’s in a game. And so Ben, about 30 seconds in gave him a bit, stood on the back of his foot or whatever it was and Haaland stayed down for a little bit.

“So Haaland didn’t know who it was, right? So I’m stood in the middle of a back three and I’m trying to talk, next minute he’s walking towards me.

“Big massive fella, isn’t he? So as he’s walking towards me, I’m looking at him, and he went: ‘was that you?’ and I said ‘no, it was him’ [pointing at Godfrey] and he went ‘ok’ and walked off!”

What did Godfrey say about his fight with Haaland?

It’s clear from Cody’s facial expression that he wanted absolutely no part of any sort of fight with the sizeable Haaland at that particular moment.

You can hardly blame him either as the Man City star has bullied defenders up and down England this term, breaking the Premier League record for the most goals scored in a signed season with his 36 strikes.

At least Godfrey enjoyed the ball, telling TV after (via TalkSport): “Godfrey also said he enjoyed the battle, commenting: “I don’t need to tell you Erling Haaland’s a good player. I just had to do my job.

“Yeah of course he was [upset]. You could see his reaction. He got his goal and is always causing people problems and it’s those challenges you have to look forward to.”

There has been an update regarding Tottenham Hotspur's apparent interest in Southampton talisman, James Ward-Prowse…

What's the latest on Ward-Prowse to Tottenham?

According to Football Insider, the Lilywhites – as well as rivals West Ham United – are believed to be the frontrunners in the battle to land the England international, with the Premier League pair said to be 'pushing hardest' to get a deal over the line.

The piece adds that Spurs, in particular, have been keeping tabs on the 28-year-old over an extended period of time, with the north Londoners now having the perfect chance to pounce following the Saints' recent relegation.

If Ange Postecoglou and co are to make a move for the 11-cap playmaker, previous reports earlier this month suggested that it could require a fee of around £40m, with three years still left to run on the player's existing deal.

Should Tottenham sign Ward-Prowse?

A deal for Ward-Prowse could potentially allow Tottenham to finally fill the creative, midfield void that was left behind by Christian Eriksen following his departure for Inter Milan back in 2020, with journalist Dean Jones having stated last summer that the club "haven't replaced Eriksen's profile and creativity".

Club legend Glenn Hoddle has also spoken of the need to replace the experienced Dane after stating his desire to see Daniel Levy recruit 'a player who can pick passes', before going on to name Ward-Prowse – who he described as a 'major asset' – as a possible candidate for that vacancy.

While filling the shoes of a player who racked up 90 goals and 69 assists for Spurs in 305 games would not be easy, the Saints star also possesses the quality to make a telling impact in the final third, having registered 53 assists and 55 goals in 409 games across all fronts for the south coast side.

Lauded by teammate Jan Bednarek for having the "best delivery in the league", Ward-Prowse also mirrors Eriksen due to his set-piece quality as he has scored 17 Premier League free-kicks to date, with the current Manchester United man – who has scored eight top-flight free-kicks – also having "very, very good set-piece delivery, both from corners and direct free kicks", according to Brentford boss, Thomas Frank.

The introduction of an Eriksen-like figure could also potentially benefit Tottenham's free-scoring talisman, Harry Kane, with talkSPORT pundit Darren Ambrose claiming earlier this year that Ward-Prowse could help his compatriot to score "an extra ten goals a season", due to his devastating delivery.

While there have been claims that Kane could be on his way out of the club this summer – amid links to both Manchester United and Real Madrid – Ambrose even went as far as to suggest that if "you sign James Ward-Prowse, Harry Kane stays."

Whether that proves true or not, it would certainly be a benefit for both Kane – and for new boss Postecoglou – if Spurs could find an heir to Eriksen this summer…

A round-up of the Super Smash matches held on 16th December, 2016

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2016After overcoming nerves to clinch a one-over eliminator against Wellington, Canterbury won their second successive fixture, this time by nine runs, at Basin Reserve on Friday.Sent in to bat, Canterbury posted 199 for 4 on the back of half-centuries from Tom Latham (63) and Henry Nicholls (67 not out), who was earlier in the day left out of New Zealand’s ODI squad for the home series against Bangladesh.Canterbury had lost Chad Bowes in the third over, but Peter Fulton helped get the innings going with a 34-ball 44 in which he struck six fours and a six. Then Latham and Nicholls built on the advantage.Wellington were in control of the chase till the 12th over as they raced to 104 for 1, courtesy Hamish Marshall’s sprightly half-century. But Todd Astle, the legspinner, struck to dismiss Marshall and break a 67-run second-wicket stand to revive Canterbury.Then their bowlers applied the breaks, escalating the asking rate to ensure late cameos from Grant Elliott and Luke Ronchi weren’t enough for Wellington, who succumbed to their third loss in the tournament to remain at the bottom of the points table.Wellington had lost Michael Papps in the fifth over, before Marshall and Stephen Murdoch, who made a 29-ball 38, brought the equation down to 96 off 52 balls, with nine wickets in hand. But their dismissal in the space of 16 deliveries derailed the chase.Astle finished with 2 for 36, while Kyle Jamieson and Ed Nuttall had one wicket apiece.Mahela Jayawardene anchored Central Districts’ innings with 62 before their bowlers took regular wickets to complete a five-run win against Otago in Napier. The win – their second in three games – saw Central Districts move to the top of the Super Smash table.Choosing to bat, Central Districts opener George Walker fell for 15 after putting up a stand of 36 for the first wicket. His partner, Jayawardene, then added 52 runs with Jesse Ryder (25) and another 25 runs with Will Young (18) to take the team to 113 before he was dismissed for 62 off 44 balls as the third wicket, off James Neesham’s bowling. Tom Bruce remained not out on 33 off 19 balls to take Central Districts to 166 for 5, while Neesham finished with 2 for 24.In their chase, Otago lost both openers Anaru Kitchen and Hamish Rutherford within the first three overs, the former being run out for 2. Michael Bracewell was the third to go with the team’s score at 40 before Neil Broom, who was selected for New Zealand’s ODI squad against Bangladesh, scored a 25-ball 28.Broom was the fourth to go with the team at 57 for 4 before part-time spinner Walker struck to get rid of Derek de Boorder. With the team at 61 for 5, Neesham (34) added 52 runs for the sixth wicket with Josh Finnie (27) before they both fell in consecutive overs.With Otago seven down, Brad Wilson hit a 10-ball 21 but his dismissal, at the beginning of the last over, squashed Otago’s hopes of a dramatic win. Five Central Districts bowlers finished with wickets to their name, with Seth Rance and Ben Wheeler taking two each.

A round-up of the Regional Super 50 2016-17 Group A matches played on February 2, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2017

West Indies Under-19 held off Kent by 28 runs in a low-scoring contest at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium to record their first win of the Regional Super50. Sent in to bat, West Indies Under-19 were bowled out for 155 in 46.3 overs. They then spun out Kent for 127 in just 34 overs, with 16-year old left-arm spinner Joshua Bishop taking 4 for 44.Kent were 76 for 2 before Bishop ripped through the middle order. He first dismissed Darren Stevens for 18 in the 18th over, before striking thrice in the 22nd over. Then off the next, Bhaskar Yadram took the first of his three wickets by bowling Matt Coles for a duck, as Kent lost four for three runs to slide from 92 for 3 to 95 for 7.Captain Sam Northeast, who was at the non-striker’s end throughout the mayhem, tried to weather the storm, making 37 before he was ninth man out to Keemo Paul. Yadram then removed tailender Ivan Thomas to end the match with figures of 3 for 6 in five overs, clinching an improbable win.A 59-run second-wicket partnership between Matthew Patrick and Yadram produced the bulk of the runs for West Indies Under-19. Patrick top-scored with 45 off 79 balls while Yadram’s 29 wound up being the third highest total in the match to go along with his three wickets later on in a solid all-round performance.Trinidad & Tobago produced a tremendous fightback to win a thriller by 11 runs over Leeward Islands at Coolidge. Defending 226, they appeared well out of the game after a 115-run opening stand by Leewards captain Kieran Powell and Montcin Hodge. But the wicket of Powell in the 27th over, stumped after being unable to reach a ball dragged wider outside off stump by left-arm spinner Khary Pierre, sparked a slide which resulted in Leewards losing all ten wickets for 100 runs and slump to their first loss of the tournament.Pierre struck in the 31st and 35th overs in identical fashion to remove Nkrumah Bonner and Marlon Samuels, both batsmen skipping down the track to clear mid-on, only to miscue them to Rayad Emrit at long-off. Emrit then struck a crucial blow to remove Hodge for 82, producing an edge behind to Denesh Ramdin on a failed attempt to guide a single to third man. Only two other batsmen made double-digits with 16 extras winding up as the next best contribution outside of the openers.Pierre was named named Man of the Match after finishing with 4 for 40. He induced a leading edge from Jahmar Hamilton for his fourth , and concluded his day with another fine moment at the end of the 46th over, running out Gavin Tonge from long-on with a relay to Ramdin for the ninth wicket with 20 required to win. Shannon Gabriel defeated Jason Campbell’s heave across the line in the 49th over to end the match.Campbell’s efforts with the ball went in vain after he had set up the dramatic second innings, taking 5 for 37 with his left-arm spin in the first innings. Nicholas Alexis made 50 at No. 3 for T&T but Imran Khan’s 45 not out at No. 6 ensured they batted through the 50 overs. Roger Primus fell in the 39th over to make it 151 for 6 and Khan shepherded T&T’s long tail through the final 11 overs before they ended on 226 for 9, which ended up being just enough to secure their third win, putting them just a bonus point behind Leewards for the top spot in Group A.

The Lodha Committee has permitted the BCCI to pay players and officials in domestic tournaments directly and under existing terms, board secretary Ajay Shirke said

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Nov-2016The Lodha Committee has told the BCCI that payments to players and officials for all board-organised tournaments, like the Ranji Trophy, can be made directly under existing terms, the board secretary Ajay Shirke said.The Committee’s permission came after the BCCI sought direction on the release of funds for the Rajasthan Ranji Trophy team and the state’s various age-group teams.According to the , Shirke had written to the Committee last week stating that the association was cash-strapped and would not be able to play their next round of matches in the respective tournaments without funds. The Rajasthan team is currently playing a Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka in Vizianagram.”The Hon’ble Justice Lodha Committee has communicated today to the CEO of the BCCI (Rahul Johri) that payments to players and officials can be made directly to them as per the agreed existing terms. This is for all BCCI-organised tournaments,” Shirke told the . “We didn’t have problems for all state associations. They pay themselves (to their players). Because the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) is suspended, the problem was only for them.”The BCCI sought clarification from the Lodha Committee following an order from the Supreme Court of India on October 21, in which the board was directed not to distribute funds to its state associations until they submit affidavits stating compliance with the recommendations of the court and the Lodha Committee within two weeks. The Rajasthan Cricket Association’s suspended status was also a factor.The BCCI had suspended the RCA in May 2014 after the latter elected Lalit Modi, an expelled administrator, as its president. The board then omitted the RCA from the 2014-15 domestic programme.Rajasthan eventually got to play – though not under the RCA banner – after the Rajasthan High Court heard a writ petition signed by 75 players, and directed the Rajasthan Sports Council, the RCA and the BCCI to work in tandem and appoint selection committees to select teams for the board’s senior, junior and women’s tournaments. Before the 2015-16 season the board appointed an ad-hoc committee to run cricket in Rajasthan.Rajasthan have two more Group B matches to play before the end of the Ranji Trophy’s league stage. They are scheduled to play Delhi in Wayanad from November 21 and Vidarbha in Mumbai from December 7.

Tom Harrison has insisted the ECB’s treatment of Durham has been harsh but “appropriate”.Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, defended the decision to relegate Durham in the County Championship, impose a raft of points deductions in each of the 2017 domestic competitions and withdraw their status as a Test-hosting ground in return for a financial rescue package as a necessary “deterrent” to other counties.And while he did not fully confront the ECB’s role in Durham’s failure – notably its encouragement of the club building a Test venue – he did suggest Durham had to take responsibility for bidding more than they could afford in the pursuit of major matches.”Having been through the most serious financial crisis any county has been through – to the extent that the ECB was the last resort – we have to send a message to the other counties that this is not something that is going to be an attractive solution for any county finding themselves in that position,” Harrison told the BBC’s Test Match Special. “It’s not the ECB’s job to be the lender of last resort.”In any business, you have to understand what your revenue is and what your costs are. If one gets out of whack it is not a pretty situation and it will end up hitting the wall at some point. The ECB had to step in to stop that happening in May or June this year. It was going to happen unless we had taken steps to avoid it.”While it is very harsh in terms of the immediate penalties on the players for next year, I think it is appropriate and sends the message to other counties that this should be a significant deterrent. The playing sanctions are harsh but they are appropriate.”Harrison accepted that the ECB’s historic method for allocating games, which involved a bidding system, might have contributed to Durham’s debts, but suggested the club had to take most of the responsibility. And he insisted that the measures taken had provided Durham with the foundations for financial stability in the future.”The way matches were allocated was a bidding structure,” he said. “But no one was forced to bid a certain amount. There’s wasn’t a sword of Damocles over their head about having to stage Tests.”Our absolute priority was to safeguard the future of professional and recreational cricket in the northeast of England. Durham could now be in a position where, 12 months after the most serious financial crisis that’s met any county, they are off and running with no debt and a new management structure and can look forward to the future in a very different way than when they were burdened by debt.”Harrison also referred to the new-team domestic T20 competition – now set for a 2020 launch – as “the most significant development in county cricket in a generation”. Counties agreed to explore the proposals at an ECB meeting in September but the implementation has been delayed as discussions continue.

Olympic champion Usain Bolt has claimed that Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford could actually beat him in a 20-yard sprint.

What's the latest on Manchester United and Marcus Rashford?

It was a pretty impressive season all told for the English forward. After all, not only did he help the Red Devils win the League Cup and secure Champions League football, he also netted 30 goals in all competitions – making him the first MUFC player since Robin van Persie in 2012/13 to hit that total.

So what does all this have to do with Bolt?

Well, the world’s fastest man – who holds the 100m, 200m and 4x100m records in both the Olympics and World Championships – is taking part in Soccer Aid this weekend and will captain the World XI who take on England at Old Trafford.

Consequently, he's been in the UK this week and has taken the time to talk about Man United, the club he supports, recently on talkSPORT.

During the interview, co-host Darren Bent asked him who would be quicker in a race between Bolt and Rashford, and the Jamaican came up with a bit of a surprising answer.

Bent said: “I read an article where you said that Rashford could beat you over 20 yards, is that correct?”

Bolt replied: “Yeah! Rashford is quick out the blocks, that is what he does.

“He has that burst of speed but after that, I told him, you could probably get me in 20 [yards].

“But after that, it is over!”

How fast can Usain Bolt run?

So there you have it, Rashford might be quicker over a shorter distance but if they were racing 100 yards, the Englishman probably wouldn't be able to keep up.

According to Speeds DB – a database that can tell you the top speed of anything – the Man Utd winger can run at 33.30 km/h (or 20.69 mp/h), while Bolt's top speed is 44.72 km/h (27.79 mp/h), which shows the real disparity between the two.

Bolt also provided his thoughts on how the Red Devils have been playing of late, saying: “[The season] has been positive. I wish we won the FA Cup but it is just one of those things.

“We got one trophy and we are in the top four. The way we were looking for the past couple of seasons, this is just positive moment.

“I am just happy that we have a great coach that is really getting the team together. Hopefully, we can get some good players to add to the team and challenge for the league because it is going to be tough.”

Arsenal and Manchester United traded a goal apiece in the space of 90 seconds at the Emirates, with Marcus Rashford and Martin Odegaard on target.

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• Red Devils opened the scoring
• Gunners hit straight back
• Entertaining tie in north London

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Reds Devils opened the scoring after making a nervy start to proceedings in north London, with England ace Rashford delivering a clinical finish to a flowing counter-attack. The Gunners were not prepared to lie down, though, and hit straight back through club captain Odegaard.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rashford made the breakthrough in the 27th minute, with United finally springing into life. They had offered little to the contest by that point, but last season’s 30-goal top scorer produced a moment of inspiration after being sent sprinting into space down the left. Arsenal carved United open with ease a matter of seconds later, though, as Odegaard found room on the edge of the box and stroked the ball into the bottom corner.

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Only five players have scored more non-penalty goals than Odegaard in the Premier League since the start of last season – with the Norwegian midfielder up to 16. Rashford is the second Manchester United player to score in three consecutive Premier League appearances against Arsenal, after Robin van Persie.

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• WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Both Arsenal and United finished in the top three last season, allowing them to qualify for the Champions League, and harbour ambitions of piecing together title challenges in 2023-24 after spending big again in the summer transfer window.

Arsenal are expected to launch a bid for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice "very soon", according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest on Declan Rice to Arsenal?

CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has recently detailed that Arsenal could get a deal for Rice done "quickly", as he wants to move to the Emirates Stadium, however he does not completely rule out another team winning the race for his signature.

Jacobs has also claimed the Gunners will take a "disciplined" approach in their pursuit of the 24-year-old, with their opening offer set to be worth less than £100m, but "all signs point towards" a move to north London this summer.

Personal terms have reportedly already been agreed, meaning the last remaining obstacle is submitting an acceptable offer to West Ham, and according to a new update from Romano, a bid could soon be on its way.

Taking to Twitter, the transfer expert gave a very positive update on the Gunners' pursuit of the midfielder, saying:"Arsenal will enter into crucial stages of Declan Rice deal next week. Official bid expected very soon after positive talks in the recent days.

"Gunners feel they’re ahead of Bayern as player priority is to continue in England — but timing will be crucial for Arsenal."

Is Rice signing for Arsenal?

A move to the Emirates Stadium would seemingly tick a lot of boxes for the England international, as he has previously made it clear he wants to stay in London, while he is also keen to play in the Champions League and compete for trophies.

Of course, the West Ham captain got his hands on his first piece of major silverware when West Ham won the Europa Conference League last weekend, which also grants them qualification to the Europa League next season.

The fact there will be European football at the London Stadium once again could potentially make the London-born midfielder think twice about leaving, although West Ham chairman David Sullivan has recently confirmed the player has his heart set on leaving.

If, as expected, the £60k-per-week midfielder does move on this summer, Arsenal will be getting a top player if they win the race for his signature, having been hailed as "incredible" by members of the media.

Not only does Rice rank very highly for some key defensive metrics over the past year, including interceptions and clearances per 90, there is also an indication he could be an attacking threat, with Jack Wilshere previously claiming he was the "best finisher" at West Ham.

Virat Kohli struck his fourth double-hundred in four consecutive Test series as India surged to their third 600-plus score in three successive innings

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu10-Feb-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:37

Ugra: India’s top six are clear about their responsibilities

Another series. Another double-hundred for Virat Kohli. The opposition buried under a mountain of runs. The theme first unfolded in Antigua in July 2016, then in Indore and Mumbai. On Friday in Hyderabad against a listless Bangladesh attack, Kohli became the first batsman to hit double-hundreds in four consecutive Test series. By the time they declared at 687 for 6, India had become the first side to rack up 600-plus scores in three-consecutive innings.India’s day became sweeter when Umesh Yadav dismissed Soumya Sarkar for 15 with a 142kph ripper. Sarkar was unperturbed by the outswinger, but was done in by a full ball, which snaked in off the seam. He attempted a limp drive and Wriddhiman Saha threw himself to his right to collect the ball. India challenged the on-field not-out decision with UltraEdge picking up a thin deflection off the toe end. Tamim Iqbal and Mominul Haque hung on to take Bangladesh to 41 for 1 in 14 overs at stumps.A double-hundred in Tests might be the fantasy of several batsmen, but this innings from Kohli seemed inevitable. He arrived 30 minutes before tea on the first day and completed the landmark at the start of the third over after lunch on the second, swishing left-arm spinner Taijul Islam over cover, the first time he played a lofted shot off a spinner.Probably Kohli’s only nervous moment came on 180 when he was beaten by a sharp offbreak from Mehedi Hasan Miraz and was declared lbw by umpire Joel Wilson. Kohli reviewed the decision, with ball-tracking showing it was turning too much and heading past the leg stump.Soon after making a double-century, Kohli was pinged on the pad by a low-arm slider from Taijul and was given out by umpire Marais Erasmus, at the start of the 126th over. Kohli opted not to review this time; ball-tracking detected the impact was marginally outside off.On either side of Kohli’s exit, Ajinkya Rahane, who was picked over Karun Nair and returning from a finger injury, and Saha, returning from a thigh injury, waltzed to fifty and hundred respectively.Kohli and Rahane had set the tone for the day by extending their overnight 122-run partnership to 222. They scored 70 runs in the first hour as India scored 121 in the morning session.Kohli toyed with the field and with Taskin Ahmed, who did not help Bangladesh by frequently erring short in a spell that read 5-0-38-1. Kohli lashed Taskin over the top to the left of deep point, and cut the next ball along the ground and to the right of the same man. When Taskin went shorter outside off, Kohli ramped him over the slip cordon. Mushfiqur Rahim followed the ball and posted a third man, only for Kohli to beat him to his right with a sliced four.Wriddhiman Saha reached his second Test century with a six•AFPAlong the way, Kohli snatched the record for most Test runs in a home season from his former colleague Virender Sehwag. Rahane played some sparkling shots of his own, but for most part he just did his thing – bunting the ball into the gaps – before he spooned a catch to short cover, where Mehedi dived to his left and came out with the ball in one hand.If Bangladesh thought the wicket, which came after nearly 300 balls, was an opening, they were wrong. It was another false dawn. The ball suddenly started to turn sharply, and Taijul drew Saha a long way out of the crease, but Mushfiqur reprieved him. He had so much time that he missed the stumping opportunity twice. By the time he swiped the bails off on the third attempt, Saha was safe.Saha relied on deft flicks and a variety of cuts, and went onto hit a fifty off 86 balls. R Ashwin looked set for a fifty of his own until he nicked Mehedi to first slip for 34.Saha wasn’t done yet. He was also deft in using his feet against spin, and one such trip down the track saw him stylishly loft Taijul over his head for a six and raise a second Test hundred off 153 balls.That wasn’t the only hundred of the day. Bangladesh’s front-line bowlers – Kamrul Islam Rabbi, Taskin, Mehedi, Taijul and Shakib Al Hasan – all conceded more than 100 runs.Ravindra Jadeja did not miss out on the fun either. India hinted at a declaration when he launched Taijul into the second tier beyond long-on and followed it with a violent slog-sweep over midwicket in Taijul’s next over. In between, Jadeja was dropped by Tamim, running in from long-off, on 40. He cashed in and recorded the sixth fifty-plus score of the Indian innings. He celebrated the landmark with a signature Rajputana sword dance. How Bangladesh would have wished they had something to celebrate.