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Jose Mourinho was the last manager to guide Manchester United to a title

Manchester United are off to a terrible start in the ongoing Premier League campaign after losing their first two matches of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford respectively.

The Red Devils went down 2-1 against Brighton in their season's curtain-raiser and then Brentford piled on their misery by scoring four past the 20 times league winners.

Manchester United fans currently see their club languishing at the rock-bottom of the league, something that has happened for the first time in 30 years.

But the harrowing defeat against Brentford is not something that the Red Devils experienced for the first time. In fact, in the last four years, they conceded four or more goals on multiple occasions.

Manchester United lost both their Premier League ties last season against arch-rivals Liverpool in terrible ways, conceding a 5-0 defeat at Old Trafford and a 4-0 bashing at Anfield.

The club last won a trophy under Jose Mourinho in the 2016/17 campaign and since the Portuguese manager left the club in December 2018, they've seen plenty of agonising defeats.

Let us take a look at some of Manchester United's worst results since the exit of Mourinho.

Getty ImagesEverton 4-0 Manchester United

Date: 21/4/2019

Competition: Premier League

During Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's stint as the club's caretaker manager in the 2018/19 season, Manchester suffered a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Everton towards the end of the campaign.

Until then, the Red Devils were very much in contention for a top-four finish but the thrashing at Goodison Park changed the equation. Thereafter, United went on to lose two more matches and drew the other two which meant that they had to settle for the sixth position, five points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesManchester United 1-6 Tottenham

Date: 4/10/2020

Competition: Premier League

The Red Devils' worst defeat in the last four years came against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in the third match of their 2020/21 Premier League. United started their campaign with a 3-1 defeat against Crystal Palace but came back in the second game with a 3-2 win over Brighton only to find themselves in a mess against Spurs, as they shipped six goals at home.

GettyManchester United 0-5 Liverpool

Date: 24/10/2021

Competition: Premier League

Manchester United suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of their bitter rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford in the first of the two Premier League ties last season. The Red Devils were simply no match for Jurgen Klopp's side who were just too good on that day. United were 4-0 down at half-time, an almost unthinkable proposition against their greatest rivals. Moreover, Paul Pogba was sent off in the second half for a crude challenge on Naby Keita.

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GettyLiverpool 4-0 Manchester United

Date: 9/4/2022

Competition: Premier League

Similar to their earlier tie at Old Trafford, the clash at Anfield in April saw Klopp's Liverpool dictating terms on the pitch throughout the match and routed the Red Devils 4-0. It was the first of four defeats that Manchester United suffered in their final six matches of the season and eventually finished sixth in the league with 58 points, their worst tally in the Premier League era.

USMNT captain Tyler Adams has passed his 'return to play' tests for Bournemouth following a long spell out with injury.

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USMNT star passes 'return to play' testsUnderwent hamstring surgery last yearCaptain set to fight for USA role againWHAT HAPPENED?

Finnish orthopedic surgeon Lasse Lempainen posted on Instagram that he collaborated with the Cherries and Adams to perform the American's 'return to play' tests. The midfielder underwent hamstring surgery last year and has yet to make a league appearance for Bournemouth since his mid-summer transfer.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

In his photo with Adams, the surgeon states that he "will be back soon", and this surely has both Bournemouth and USMNT fans buzzing. More than anyone, though, it's likely the USMNT captain who is bursting with excitement. The midfielder has not played two matches in a row since last spring for Leeds United, with his lone appearance since coming in September for the Cherries before re-aggravating his injury, causing the surgery.

DID YOU KNOW?

Adams has 36 international caps with the USMNT, scoring one goal. He has made just one appearance so far for Bournemouth, having been brought off the bench in his team's 2-0 win against Stoke in the Carabao Cup in September.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ADAMS AND BOURNEMOUTH?

The Cherries take on Newcastle United in the Permier League on Saturday. Meanwhile, Adams is shooting for a return to the pitch this March.

Jurgen Klopp slammed the Anfield atmosphere during Liverpool's 5-1 victory over West Ham United in the Carabao Cup.

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Liverpool cruised past West Ham 5-1Sailed into Carabao Cup last fourYet Anfield failed to bring out their bestWHAT HAPPENED?

Despite leading 1-0 at half-time with a stunning goal from Dominik Szoboszlai, Klopp felt that the excitement in the stands was lacking. Liverpool eventually secured a comfortable win over the Hammers with Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo, and Mohamed Salah finding the net after the break.

AdvertisementWHAT JURGEN KLOPP SAID

Speaking to reporters, Klopp said: "I thought in the first half when the boys played really exceptionally, I was not overly happy with the atmosphere behind me. I asked people what do they want? We changed a lot of things and we dominated West Ham like crazy and missed chances. If I was in the stands I would be on my toes, 1,000 per cent. I don’t know, if the Man United game was that bad that we have to say sorry we didn’t smash them?

"If it is too much football in December, if you are not in the right shape, give your ticket to somebody else. It was just not the excitement I felt. There were so many good performances but we were only 1-0 up.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Liverpool are set to host Arsenal in a blockbuster top-of-the-table Premier League clash on Saturday and Klopp kept no stone unturned to rally the Reds faithful ahead of the crucial fixture.

“We need Anfield on Saturday," he said.

"Arsenal didn’t play this week. They’ve prepared for this game and anyone who knows anything about them knows they will be prepared. So we need Anfield on their toes from the first second, without me having an argument with the opposition coach."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Gary Neville also criticised the Anfield atmosphere after the 0-0 draw against Manchester United and labelled it "the worst I've seen ever for a Liverpool-Manchester United game."

Jehan Mubarak has been named in the Sri Lanka A squad for the first four-day match against West Indies A, starting October 11 in Hambantota

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2014Sri Lanka A squad

Upul Tharanga (capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Dinesh Chandimal, Ashan Priyanjan, Jehan Mubarak, Niroshan Dickwella, Seekkuge Prasanna, Shaminda Eranga, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage, Madawa Warnapura, Rumesh Buddika, Tharindu Kaushal, Kasun Madushanka

Jehan Mubarak has been named in the Sri Lanka A squad for the first four-day match against West Indies A, starting October 11 in Hambantota. The squad of 15 will be led by Upul Tharanga.Mubarak, who last played a Test in 2007 and ODI in 2013, featured in eight T20s for Southern Express recently, five in Sri Lanka and three in the Champions League T20 qualifiers in India. He last played a first-class match in April this year.Sri Lanka’s next assignment is against England in November. With that in mind, Lahiru Thirimanne, Niroshan Dickwella, and Shaminda Eranga, who played the Tests against Pakistan in August, and Ashan Priyanjan, Seekkuge Prasanna and Dinesh Chandimal, who played the ODIs, all feature in the A squad.Two players who were in the Test squad but did not get a game – Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Gamage – were also named for the first-class match.Among the uncapped players in the squad were Madawa Warnapura, Tharindu Kaushal, Vishwa Fernando, Kasun Madushanka and Rumesh Buddika. Fernando played for the Sri Lanka A squad which toured England and Ireland in August.Sri Lanka A will host West Indies A for three four-day matches and three unofficial ODIs.

Marcus Trescothick believes his former Somerset team-mate Jos Buttler could be the man to break his tally of one-day hundreds for England if chances further up the batting order are made available.

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-201519:09

Alison’s Tea Break: Marcus Trescothick

Marcus Trescothick believes his former Somerset team-mate Jos Buttler could be the man to break his tally of one-day hundreds for England if chances further up the batting order are made available.Trescothick, arguably England’s finest one-day opener, remains clear at the top of their century-maker’s list for ODIs with 12 (although that still leaves him a mediocre 25th overall) despite playing the last of his 123 matches in 2006 and with the volume of games which are now available. Second to him in the list is Kevin Pietersen with nine, but from the current squad in Australia it is Eoin Morgan’s five that lead the way.Marcus Trescothick feels Jos Buttler is the man who can take his England one-day centuries record•Getty ImagesConsidering the time that has passed since his retirement, Trescothick is surprised the record still belongs to him but believes it will change hands soon.Buttler is a key part of England’s one-day team, but is currently utilised in a finishing role at No. 6 or No. 7. He has just one hundred to his name, the breathtaking 121 against Sri Lanka at Lord’s last year that was England’s fastest ODI century, and any move up the order appears unlikely with the current thinking of the management.”I don’t think my record will last much longer,” Trescothick told Alison Mitchell for ESPNcricinfo’s Tea Break series. “Once England get into the groove of one-day cricket – they are building with a young side at the moment – I think you’ll see someone really come through, maybe Jos Buttler when he gets up the order a bit more he’ll score the volume of hundreds you need to get.”Scoring hundreds is a habit, Kevin Pietersen is someone who was potentially going to achieve it but obviously things have taken the turn they have.”Although the one-day game has continued to evolve in the years since Trescothick’s retirement, he remains one of few England openers to have been adept at exploiting the Powerplay overs. England’s top-order combination remains a key talking point heading into the triangular series in Australia ahead of the World Cup with Ian Bell being given first crack alongside Moeen Ali, following the sacking of Alastair Cook, ahead of the more aggressive Alex Hales.Trescothick urged England to be positive in Australia although added that successful one-day opening pairs cannot be forged overnight and that an understanding has to be built.”In Australia they are going to be relatively positive otherwise we will be 20-30 runs short,” he said. “I think that will come in time with more confidence around the team and players being more confident and secure in the environment. Then they’ll be able to evolve into those players who are more positive in the Powerplays.”Partnerships are very important. You aren’t very often going to get two players who a very aggressive, some teams will have that but it’s really what fits in with our team. It takes time to form a partnership that works.”Elsewhere in the interview, Trescothick selects the standout innings of his England career, discusses the impact Duncan Fletcher had on his career, how he has found new challenges post international cricket and his work with the PCA on mental health issues.

Mumbai Indians’ premier fast bowler Lasith Malinga joined the squad on Friday evening, but he is unlikely to be available for selection immediately

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Apr-2016Mumbai Indians’ premier fast bowler Lasith Malinga joined the squad on Friday evening, but he is unlikely to be available for selection immediately given the ongoing issues with his knee. The Sri Lankan pacer had missed Mumbai’s first two matches of this IPL due to fitness concerns.Two days before the IPL started, Mumbai coach Ricky Ponting had had said that Malinga was likely to arrive at this stage, but would sit out at least the first half of the tournament to recover from a knee injury. “I believe he will be joining us after the first couple of games to have his fitness assessed,” Ponting had said. “Right now it’s unlikely he will take part in the first half of the tournament anyway.”Malinga has been trying to recover from a bone bruise in his left knee since November. He was to captain Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup, but played just the one match. He then decided to stand down as captain for the World T20, because of uncertainty over his fitness, and eventually did not play a game.In the absence of Malinga, the IPL’s overall highest wicket-taker, Mumbai had fielded New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee in their victory over Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this week. In the tournament opener, which they lost to Rising Pune Supergiants, Mumbai had opted to field an extra overseas batsman in Lendl Simmons, while Southee’s New Zealand team-mate Mitchell McCleneghan had shared the new ball with India seamer Jasprit Bumrah.

Everton have been handed a staggering 10-point deduction by the Premier League. What happens next for the Toffees?

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Everton docked 10 points in historic punishmentHave slipped into the relegation zoneToffees may decide to appealGetty ImagesWHAT DID EVERTON DO WRONG?

Everton have been docked the points for breaching Financial Fair Play rules. Under the regulations set out by the Premier League, clubs are allowed to lose a maximum of £105m across a three-year period. Everton lost £19.5m more than this, and have been sanctioned as a result.

The Premier League issued a statement confirming the sanction, explaining it further: “In accordance with Rule W.82.1, the Premier League confirms that it has today referred an alleged breach of the league’s profitability and sustainability rules by Everton Football Club to a commission under Premier League Rule W.3.4.

“The assessment period for which it is alleged that the club is in breach is the period ending season 2021/22.

“Commissions are independent of the Premier League and member clubs. The members of the Commission will be appointed by the independent Chair of the Premier League Judicial Panel, in accordance with Premier League Rules W.19, W.20 and W.26.

“The proceedings before the commission will, in accordance with Premier League Rule W.82, be confidential and heard in private.

“Under Premier League Rule W.82.2, the commission’s final award will be published on the Premier League’s website. The League will be making no further comment until that time.”

AdvertisementGettyHOW DID EVERTON GET IT SO WRONG?

Everton have spent lavishly in recent summers in an attempt to arrest an alarming slide on the pitch. The commission that handed down the punishment ruled that such spending was "recklessness that constitutes an aggravating factor."

Everton spent £145m in Farhad Moshiri's first summer transfer window, buying the likes of Gylfi Sigurdsson, Cenk Tosun and Michael Keane for vastly inflated fees. They also spent over £100m in the 2019/20 season, buying such flops as Moise Kean and Andre Gomes for big sums.

The belt has notably tightened since, with the club repeatedly failing to qualify for Europe, and thus avoiding any scrutiny from UEFA. That has also played a role in delaying any ruling.

Getty ImagesWHY HAVE EVERTON BEEN PUNISHED NOW?

Everton were referred to an independent commission after their financial records for the 2021/22 season were audited. Burnley and Leeds had written to the Premier League to ask if Everton had broken rules at the time, and the commission held a five-day hearing last month, with the punishment handed down on November 17.

A Premier League statement explained: “Following a five-day hearing last month, the commission determined that Everton FC’s PSR [profit and sustainability rules] calculation for the relevant period resulted in a loss of £124.5m, as contended by the Premier League, which exceeded the threshold of £105m permitted under the PSRs. The commission concluded that a sporting sanction in the form of a 10-point deduction should be imposed. That sanction has immediate effect.”

Everton had previously staved off any intervention by selling Richarlison to Tottenham for £60m ($74m), which helped with FFP, while the COVID pandemic also further delayed any forensic accounting.

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GettyCAN EVERTON APPEAL THE SANCTION?

Yes, and they intend to do so. The appeal, per , will be heard before the end of the season. If it is successful, there is the potential of the 10 points being reinstated.

However, the ruling has had wider implications and could lead to legal action from other clubs, notably Leicester City and Burnley, who could be paid up to £300m in compensation. They have a month to submit such a request if they do want to seek compensation. Both the Foxes and the Clarets have been relegated in recent seasons, while Everton survived.

With Rodri suspended, the England midfielder has a glorious chance to boss a game the Gunners need to win to send a message to their title rivals

Declan Rice was the picture of frustration after Arsenal's 2-1 loss in Lens on Tuesday night. He couldn't quite work out how the Gunners had lost a game that he felt they had "dominated". However, while he was disappointed by his side's first defeat of the season, he was far from despondent. "We're just warming up and getting into our rhythm," he told . "Our focus turns back to the league and it's a massive game on Sunday."

He's certainly not wrong about that latter claim. We may only be seven games into the 2023-24 Premier League campaign but the meeting between last season's top two at the Emirates already feels like a must-win match for the home side.

Arsenal were utterly outclassed in both of their games against City last season and those two defeats played a pivotal role in both the Citizens' initial resurgence and eventual title triumph. So, while the Gunners may have edged City on penalties in the Community Shield in August, the pressure is very much on Mikel Arteta's men to show that they can beat the treble winners when it really counts.

Remember, Arsenal have lost all seven of their Premier League clashes with City since Arteta took over in December 2019. "That is why," former defender William Gallas told , "they need to demonstrate they can handle the big occasion, show some balls, and show Man City that things will be different this season."

However, while Rice has made a positive start to his time in north London, he also has plenty to prove on Sunday.

Getty ImagesOutrageously overpriced

The 24-year-old knew before he'd even played a competitive fixture for Arsenal that his £105 million ($131m) move from West Ham meant that he would forever have a price tag "attached" to him. His hope was that he wouldn't be judged on the size of the fee. He obviously will be – that's just how both the media and fandom work in modern football – but, in truth, the numbers involved in the deal are irrelevant.

Rice clearly isn't worth £105m. When even the entertainingly reckless owners at Chelsea baulk at the size of the fee being demanded by the selling club, you know that the player is outrageously overpriced.

However, context, as always, is key. As Liverpool discovered during the summer, effective defensive midfielders are very hard to find these days – and are, therefore, incredibly costly. Arsenal, then, deserve credit for managing to land one of the best on the market during the off-season – and, rather significantly, in spite of interest from City.

AdvertisementGetty Where would Rice have played at City?

Of course, the treble-winners ultimately decided that they didn't need Rice badly enough to fork out a club-record fee – but that doesn't mean that he won't prove value for money at Arsenal.

City, in contrast to the Gunners, were already in possession of the premier player in Rice's position – Rodri, who is, rather incredibly, still only 27.

Given Pep Guardiola usually likes to send his side out with two No.8s that effectively play as No.10s, as well as a centre-back that serves as an auxiliary midfielder (John Stones), Rice was hardly a priority signing.

There would have been immediate questions over exactly where he would have played, with Rodri the obvious first-choice in the No.6 role.

Getty ImagesPep's problem in midfield

Still, City's refusal to match Arsenal's bid for Rice means that they're in a very awkward position this weekend – and Guardiola knows it too.

The Catalan coach was visibly disgusted with Rodri for stupidly getting himself sent off against Nottingham Forest a fortnight ago, glaring at the Spain international as he trudged towards the tunnel.

Rodri's straight red means that he will be suspended for the biggest game of City's season so far and given Guardiola appears to have little faith in Kalvin Phillips, it will be fascinating to see how his side lines up in north London.

Guardiola, of course, is a master tactician, capable of finding surprising solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems, but Arsenal absolutely have to take advantage of City's selection dilemma – and Rice is undoubtedly key in that regard.

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Getty Images'We'll find out how good Rice is'

Let's face it, these are the kinds of games Rice was bought to help Arsenal win. This is why they paid the big bucks. They wanted a player of personality with the requisite quality to boss direct clashes with title rivals, in a similar fashion to Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira.

Rice, of course, is no Vieira – at least not yet. He is not the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League – that's obviously Rodri – and he's not even been the best midfield in north London this season – that's Yves Bissouma, who is one of the main reasons why Spurs have made such a sensational start to the season under Ange Postecoglou.

As the stats underline, Rice isn't as adept as either man at winning possession, duels or tackles. In fact, he's made fewer successful tackles than Bukayo Saka this season, and regained possession fewer times than Martin Odegaard.

He also offers less going forward. Both Rodri and Bissouma have completed more passes and are far better at beating players, which is why midfield icons such as Roy Keane and Graeme Souness both believe Rice has to add much more to his game if he is to go down as a truly great midfielder.

"Arsenal have obviously paid way too much for him," Keane said on at the start of the season. "He's certainly not worth over £100m but he is a good player: he turns up every week and he is a big strong boy.

"And we have talked about his physicality – Arsenal lacked that in the last month or two [of last season]. But we will find out over the next year or two how good Declan is. Has he got that really top quality in terms of seeing a pass and getting nine or 10 goals a season? We'll soon find out."

Jesse Ryder’s career-best figures put Essex in firm control against Glamorgan at Chelmsford, snapping the visitors’ excellent run of recent form with the bat

ECB/PA13-Jul-2015
ScorecardJesse Ryder whittled out Glamorgan•Getty ImagesJesse Ryder’s career-best figures put Essex in firm control against Glamorgan at Chelmsford, snapping the visitors’ excellent run of recent form with the bat.Ryder, the New Zealander, picked up 6 for 47 in 15 overs as Glamorgan were bowled out for 162, the first time this season they had failed to get a batting point in a completed innings. Essex were left with a first innings lead of 117 on a day when 46 overs were lost through rain or bad light and they added another 78 runs before the close.In overcast conditions, Ryder used a combination of seam and swing to undermine the visitors’ innings after they had resumed on 40 for 3 and he beat the bat so often that he could have reaped a greater harvest.Ryder claimed the first five wickets of the innings to fall with only 59 on the board and at that stage, Glamorgan were in danger of being asked to follow-on after replying to an Essex total of 279. But they steered clear of having to do so largely through the efforts of Colin Ingram, Mark Wallace and David Lloyd.Ingram adopted a positive approach while gathering 43 from 56 balls with the help of five fours and a six while Wallace’s 21 included five boundaries. Both were eventually dismissed by paceman David Masters who trapped Wallace leg before wicket before he bowled Ingram for 43. Lloyd hit out boldly while making an unbeaten 20 that included a six and three fours.Masters finished with 3 for 53 while Napier picked-up the remaining wicket when Michael Hogan was bowled off his pads to bring Glamorgan’s replay to an end in the 41st over.With Jaik Mickleburgh suffering from back spasms, Liam Dawson, on-loan from Hampshire, was promoted to open the innings with Nick Browne and the pair never looked in any real trouble as they pressed home Essex’s advantage. They defied a succession of bowling changes while raising the fifty stand with some fine strokes on either side of the wicket and they put together the highest partnership of the match so far.They were still together when bad light brought play to an end with the total on 78 without loss. Browne was within eight runs of his half-century while Dawson will resume on 30.Essex have certainly put themselves in a healthy position to inflict upon promotion-chasing Glamorgan their first defeat of the summer, one that would be a blow to their hopes of reaching Division One. But the real winner could yet prove the weather with outbursts of rain, some prolonged, forecast over the next couple of days.All-rounder Liam Dawson admitted that his Essex side are in a good position. “To go into day three almost 200 runs ahead with twn wickets left is a position that you want to be in. I think there is enough in that wicket if you bowl well over a period of time to take wickets. The longer the game goes on and the more runs we get on the board, the more we put the pressure on Glamorgan. When we come to bowl against them again, whether it is late tomorrow or the start of day four, there is plenty in that wicket to encourage us.”Glamorgan head coach Toby Radford added: “It was a disappointing day for us, I thought that Ryder bowled exceptionally well, used the conditions overhead and got a lot from the pitch, swung it and nipped it both ways. I was still disappointed though that we couldn’t get closer to the Essex first innings score and then we failed to take any wickets this evening. So we are under pressure and have to play well over these last two days.”

Rangpur Division clinched their maiden National Cricket League title after they beat Dhaka Metropolis by 102 runs, with four minutes left on the clock

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Mar-2015Rangpur Division clinched their maiden National Cricket League title after they beat Dhaka Metropolis by 102 runs at the BKSP-2 ground. When Mahmudul Hasan trapped Asif Hasan leg-before to take the tenth wicket, only four minutes of play remained and that was after the umpires had taken the mandatory final hour at 3:58pm.With Khulna having moved to 120 points on the third day of the final round, the onus was on Rangpur to complete an outright win over Dhaka Metro, who were set a target of 361 runs in a minimum of 76 overs. The win moved Rangpur to 121 points.Wickets were hard to come by at the start of the second innings on the fourth morning, but Mahmudul and Suhrawadi Shuvo pegged away. Shamsur Rahman and Mehedi Maruf added 51 for the second wicket before Marshall Ayub and Mehrab Hossain jnr added 65 runs for the fourth wicket. Mahmudul picked up his fourth wicket when he had Mohammad Shahid caught and bowled in the 58th over, leaving Dhaka Metro eight down.Sharifullah, batting at No 10 due to illness, fell to Shuvo in the 65th over before Jabid Hossain and Asif resisted for 14.3 overs that almost took the title away from Rangpur’s grasp. But finally, Mahmudul struck in the 80th over.Rangpur chose to bat first in this game and scored 491 runs at a breathtaking 4.41 per over in their first innings. Litton Das made 107 while Ariful Haque slammed an unbeaten 112 off just 56 balls, with 12 sixes and six fours. He reached the century off just 54 balls. Naeem Islam made 91 while Elias Sunny picked up six wickets.Dhaka Metro made a strong reply, and were bowled out for 437 with centuries from Mehedi and Mehrab. Saikat Ali and Asif Ahmed struck fifties too, while Shuvo took five wickets.Rangpur were bowled out for 306 in their second innings, and again they scored at well over four an over, with Litton and Naeem making half-centuries.In only their fourth season in the first-class competition, Rangpur became the sixth NCL champions. Chittagong Division were the inaugural champions while Biman Bangladesh Airlines won it in the second season. Dhaka Division and Rajshahi Division have won the title five times each while Khulna, who finished just one point short of winning the title this time, have been champions three times in the past.Apart from the fight for the title, there was the battle to remain in the first tier of next season’s NCL where the teams will be split into a two-tier system depending on points table finishes from this season. Five-time champions Rajshahi Division will be one of the four teams in the second tier after they finished fifth following a 134-run loss to Dhaka Division in Fatullah.Batting first, Dhaka made 318 in the first innings with Shuvagata Hom scoring 111, his eighth first-class century. Muktar Ali took four wickets.Rajshahi were in deficit by 27 runs after they were bowled out for 291. Maisuqur Rahman, Touhid Tareq and Hamidul Islam struck fifties while Left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain took four wickets. Nadif Chowdhury’s fourth first-class century helped Dhaka take a 359-run lead on the final morning.Rajshahi were bowled out for 225 in 68.5 overs with Mosharraf taking five wickets in the second innings, in addition to Jubair Hossain’s three-wicket haul. Dhaka, who were champions in the 2013-14 season, finished third with 119 points, just two short of this year’s winners.Sylhet Division picked up their first win of the competition when they beat Barisal Division by ten wickets at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Barisal and Chittagong ended the campaign without any wins.Ahmed Sadiqur’s four-wicket haul on the first day put Barisal in the back foot and they were bowled out for 167 in 65.2 overs. Shahriar Nafees made 90 but there were only two other double-figure scores in the entire innings.Sylhet replied with 486 for nine and only declared their first innings on the third afternoon. The highly experienced Rajin Saleh scored his maiden double hundred in his 124th first-class match, an innings that spanned 446 minutes and contained 20 fours and three sixes. Shanaj Ahmed, Ruman Ahmed, Alok Kapali and Enamul Haque jnr also scored fifties. Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed took four wickets.Barisal, trailing by 319, were bowled out for 390. There were fifties for Nafees, Shahin Hossain, Fazle Rabbi and Mosaddek Hossain but two wickets each from Sadiqur, Enamul, Rahatul Ferdous and Kapali kept Sylhet in a dominant position. They knocked off the second innings target in 13.4 overs with Rajin adjudged man of the match.