Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has stated that he is open to discussing a new contract, as the progression at the Etihad Stadium outfit continues.

The Italian coach led the big-spending team to the top of the Premier League after a 4-1 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, and with his current deal to run out in July 2013, is eager to extend.

“I have this year and another year on my contract. I don’t want to leave,” he told Sky Sports.

“When the club decides on the contract and, if they are happy and I am happy to stay here, I don’t think we have any problems. It’s important for every manager to work well and get good results to take the team to the top.

“We can improve every year and I’m happy to be here. I have a good relationship with the owner and the chairman of the club, and I think it is important that both sides here are happy.

“We have improved a lot in the last 18 months. The squad has improved. The club is the same, but it’s important we are not stopping here,” he stated.

In comparing the Premier League manager’s role to that of a Serie A coach, he feels he can have more say over how the club is run, and is keen to continue in this capacity.

“In England the manager has more power regarding the team and that is a good thing. I’m probably moving towards that.

“I’m not saying I can have the power of someone like (Sir Alex) Ferguson, but it is important that if one manager stays in one place for three, four, five or six years it’s easier.

“We have to continue to improve because to be a strong team we need three or four years,” he concluded.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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City are flying domestically but need a result at home to Villarreal on Tuesday in the Champions League, as they have only picked up one point from two games in Europe.

By Gareth McKnight

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Danny Law hit a six and four off consecutive balls to help keepEssex’s hopes of promotion from the National League Division Two.Essex needed 12 in the last over with one wicket left against Durhamat Chester-le-street.Law swung two full tosses of Neil Killeen over square leg for six andfour to seal Essex’s victory.Earlier Durham made 188 for 8 in 43 overs. Simon Katich (63) and PaulCollingwood (50) were the main scorers with Ashley Cowan taking 3 for51. As rain interrupetd the match twice, the target for Essex wasrevised to 167 in 33 overs. Essex were at one stage 92 for 2 in the21st over and were making merry. Nicky Phillips then removed RonnieIrani (23), debutant Will Jefferson (50) and Steve Peters (2). Essexrecovered thanks to the stand of 30 in four overs between Law and PaulGrayson.When 31 were needed in 5 overs, Killeen removed Grayson (18), JamesFoster (10) and Ashley Cowan (0). In the penultimate over, Ian Hunterremoved Ricky Anderson (1) and just gave two runs with Law not gettingthe strike.But Law batted superbly in the last over to end with 27 not out in 20balls.

Fine knocks from Amit Nadkarni and Sarabjit Singh lifted Services to264/8 on the first day of their latest Ranji Trophy North Zone leaguetie against Himachal Pradesh at the Palam Ground in Delhi on Sunday.Both teams came into the match after losing their opening encounterslast week.Hosts Services won the toss but began disastrously as both openersNarender Singh and Harish Bhaskar fell for ducks. Nadkarni andSarabjit joined hands when the third wicket fell at 39 and were onlyseparated after adding 138. Nadkarni fell for 84 (183 balls, 12 fours)and twelve runs later Himachal saw the back of Sarabjit for 79 (153balls, 7 fours).An unbeaten 30 from JP Pandey propped up the lower order as Servicesfinished the 90th over at 264/8. Jaswant Rai was the most successfulbowler with 3/53 while Rahul Panta and Amit Sharma snapped up twowickets apiece.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:10

By the Numbers – Spin does the trick for South Africa

After South Africa’s fast bowlers chiseled out their win in the first match, their batsmen and spinners crafted victory in the second to ensure a comprehensive series win over Bangladesh in their first preparatory outing for the World T20.Quinton de Kock and AB de Villiers’ opening stand of 95, propped up by two middle-order partnerships in the 30s set up a total of 169 before debutant Eddie Leie stole the headlines with the best figures by a South African on T20 debut and shared six wickets with Aaron Phangiso to give the selectors another option for the future.South Africa had the better of challenging conditions, as Bangladesh’s plan to make homeground advantage count backfired on them. On a slow surface which offered significant turn, it became harder to bat as the match progressed, so that not even an improved batting performance from the hosts could see them salvage something from the contest.Evidence of turn and bounce appeared in the first over when Arafat Sunny surprised de Villiers with a delivery that spun square, kicked up dust and beat the bat. But the next ball went straight on and de Villiers’ hung back to produce a delicate late cut and begun to take control of the opening exchange.Nasir Hossain’s six wides in his first over and de Kock’s aggression against Sunny ensured South Africa had already wrested the advantage by the time Bangladesh brought on their first seamer in the fourth over. Mustafizur Rahman immediately opted for the offcutter to match the conditions but South Africa were wise to his plan. He also offered width, which de Villiers could not resist, and by the time the Powerplay ended, South Africa’s 50 was on the board.With de Kock and de Villiers playing confidently against both spin and seam – their footwork was a hallmark of their partnership – Bangladesh were staring at conceding more than 200 until de Kock misplaced one. He was trying to dig Sunny out over midwicket but did not find the gap and was caught by Sabbir Rahman.That sparked a mini-collapse through which Bangladesh dragged themselves back into the game. JP Duminy gave himself no time to get his eye in and immediately tried to sweep Nasir but got a leading edge and on the next ball, de Villiers was caught behind trying to guide the ball down to fine leg.South Africa had lost three wickets for seven runs in seven balls and their plight could have worsened when Nasir and Mushfiqur Rahim appealed for caught-behind off David Miller. There was no conclusive evidence of an edge on replays and with no DRS, Miller survived.Faf du Plessis and Miller managed just 33 from the next six overs as it became clear run-scoring was becoming more difficult. The lack of pace in the pitch meant the batsmen were occasionally playing too early and premeditated strokes were not paying off.Bangladesh’s lethargic fielding helped push the total along and Miller and Rilee Rossouw ensured a strong finish. They plundered 32 off the last two overs to give Bangladesh a tough task.Instead of the aggressive approach they employed in the first match, Bangladesh’s openers were more watchful and it served them well. They were able to capitalise on width – which both Kyle Abbott and Wayne Parnell provided – and anything too short – where David Wiese sometimes erred – to provide a solid start.But just as it seemed Bangladesh would put up a stern challenge, Tamim Iqbal was swung at a short, slow ball from Parnell, it went straight up and Wiese took the catch. In the next over, Leie’s first as an international cricketer, he deceived Soumya Sarkar with flight and had him stumped.Bangladesh used the next three overs to regroup but instead of absorbing pressure, they were consumed by it. Their next four wickets fell for 13 runs – Shakib Al Hasan holed out to Phangiso’s first ball, Sabbir slogged Leie to midwicket before Mushfiqur attacked a low full toss only to find a leaping Rossouw at short cover and Nasir sent Phangiso into long-off’s hands – to leave them 82 for 6.Abbott’s yorkers finished off the tail but not before Bangladesh pushed their total over 100, which they did not manage in the first game. Still, they would not have been pleased with the way they folded, especially after their recent record at home, and will aim to put that right in the ODIs.

2015August 24
Mark Nicholas – Clarke pulls his final few tricks
August 23
Ian Chappell – Clarke second only to Taylor as captain
News – Clarke’s parting plea for better Test pitches
Press conference – ‘I didn’t let the emotions get to me’ – Clarke
August 22
Daniel Brettig – Lyon is Clarke’s greatest legacy
August 19
News – ‘I can’t wait,’ says Clarke on retirement
Daniel Brettig – Clarke’s career ever so near to greatness
Simon Barnes – Where’s the love for Clarke?
Russell Jackson – A fan’s notes
Brydon Coverdale – Gutsy in Cape Town, resilient in Adelaide
Video – Clarke’s chance for glorious finale
Press conference – Clarke looking to finish on a high
Clickbait – The Michael Clarke highlights
August 18
News – Clarke leaves behind a ‘legacy of aggressive, entertaining cricket’ – Mark Taylor
Illustrated report – ‘A bloody good bloke to boot’
Gallery – Clarke’s career in photos
Video – Chappell: Tactically, Clarke was second only to Taylor
Video – Boycott: Australia won’t miss Clarke because of his recent form
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Numbers Game – The highs and lows
August 11
News – ‘Baggy green culture eroded under Clarke’ – John Buchanan
August 10
Video – Chappell: Not surprised Clarke’s career has been a short one
August 9
Press conference – ‘Clarke will be remembered for courage’ – Sutherland
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Jarrod Kimber – A battle for greatness and love
Press conference – ‘Been lucky enough to captain Australia’ – Clarke
Video – Ponting: Clarke put his heart and soul into the game
News – Clarke removes captain’s mask
News – Clarke announces retirement after Ashes
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Video – Australia fans call for Clarke’s retirementAugust 5
News – Clarke is not retiring
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Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha has said that he has not been contacted to fill the Sri Lanka head coach position. It is understood that SLC is interested in pursuing Hathurusingha but no official approach has been made yet.There were reports in the media earlier this month that SLC preferred him as their first-choice to replace Marvan Atapattu, who resigned on September 3, but Hathurusingha, in his first press conference after returning from holiday in Australia, quashed those speculations. SLC, meanwhile, has appointed Jerome Jayaratne as an interim coach for the upcoming home series against West Indies.”No official contact has been made to me,” Hathurusingha said. “As a professional coach, whenever there is an opportunity for a job sometimes your name comes up. That’s all I have to say.”At this point in time, the most important thing for me is coaching Bangladesh and making sure we win the next series. Coaching your own country is something anyone will like to do, but there has to be a right time.”Hathurusingha has been Bangladesh’s head coach since May 2014 and he has led the team through some major highs, including their first ever 3-0 Test series whitewash, their maiden trip into the World Cup’s knockout stages and historic ODI series wins over Pakistan, India and South Africa. He is also known to have a good relationship with BCB president Nazmul Hassan.”At this stage I am very happy with what I am doing. Not only the players and my staff, even the board has given us a lot of support. We are doing well and everything is falling into place,” he said.Last year, when the BCB was trying to convince Hathurusingha to join the Bangladesh team, he had expressed interest in the Sri Lanka job. But Atapattu had been chosen instead.Given all the success since November 2014, the BCB has made it clear that it has long-term plans with him, which Hathurusingha sees as job security.”It is the confidence [from such plans]. If your boss is saying they are happy with me and have a plan, it gives you a lot of security. I am very thankful,” he said.

Chris Woakes will miss the final two matches of the ODI series against Australia due to a thigh problem. The allrounder, who has had a season disrupted by injury, is expected to be fit for the start of England’s tour of the UAE.Woakes played the first three ODIs, without picking up a wicket, having previously appeared for England at the World Cup. His last Test appearance came against India in 2014.An England statement on Twitter said: “Chris Woakes has been ruled out of the final two Royal London ODIs against Australia with a right thigh injury. He is expected to be available for selection for the Test series against Pakistan.”It has been a frustrating year for Woakes, who had become a consistent member of the one-day side and featured in all of England’s World Cup games until a metatarsal stress reaction ruled him out of the final match. He then suffered a knee problem that required surgery, meaning he missed England’s tour of the West Indies and played no part in the Ashes.England are expected to name their squads to play three Tests, four ODIs and three T20s against Pakistan in October and November next week. In the short term, Woakes’ injury means Mark Wood, David Willey and Reece Topley will come into contention for the fourth ODI at Headingley on Friday.

Sri Lanka’s interim head coach, Jerome Jayaratne, has said the team has “accepted they have fallen behind” in Test cricket, and are working hard to correct that in the upcoming home series against West Indies.”I spoke to all of them individually before they went to the nets. We got a good feedback. They were well disciplined and they accepted they had fallen behind in performance and had two bad series,” Jayaratne, who was appointed interim coach following the resignation of Marvan Atapattu, said. Sri Lanka have lost their last three Test series, against New Zealand away and then to Pakistan and India at home, winning two and losing six out of eight games.Jayaratne said he expects an improved performance against West Indies, but will not be taking them lightly. “I would like to believe that we have a better chance of getting back to winning ways, but I definitely won’t underestimate the West Indies.”We’ve done a bit of research on them and know what our line of attack will be. They are an unknown quantity in the sense something of a mix with some known players like [Kemar] Roach, [Darren] Bravo and [Denesh] Ramdin coupled with a few new faces. They did well against England at home and had some decent performances.””All are aware of what is expected of them. We had lengthy discussions, and despite the rain which held us back for about a week, we have made good progress. They’ve worked very hard and I feel they will put on a very good show. If we can have a couple of good days early in the series the confidence will start to come back.”Batting and fielding are two areas that cost Sri Lanka against Pakistan and India. In the absence of a batting coach, a role that was fulfilled by Atapattu, Jayaratne has taken on the task. As for the fielding, Jayaratne said, “There is a significant improvement but they won’t be at their very best because they have some more time to reach their individual goals set by the trainer. But they will put up a better show than in the last two series. We are progressing well with all the department heads doing their part, it’s just a matter of putting them all together.”Jayaratne said he is also keen on keeping the team atmosphere good, and has instructed the players to come to him if they are not comfortable. “We have conveyed the message that we should be happy and conducive and everybody should be accepted. If anybody is having an issue, they should keep me at least confidentially informed.”Sri Lanka play West Indies in two Tests, staring on October 14.

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has stressed on the importance of starting well in the three-match one-day series against Zimbabwe. Mashrafe also said that Bangladesh had found ways to build partnerships even after losing wickets in the last 12 months.”I think all the fans will be expecting [a whitewash] but we the cricketers shouldn’t be doing that,” Mashrafe said. “The first match is going to be important, like it is in every series. In the last Zimbabwe series, we lost four early wickets in the first ODI. In our first match of the World Cup, we were 4 for 119 against Afghanistan. On both occasions Shakib and Mushfiq put together partnerships. People are most tensed in the first match and once it is over, the task becomes easier. At this moment the first match is significant to us.”Bangladesh’s ODI resurgence began with a 5-0 win against Zimbabwe in 2014, and it gained a massive boost when they beat Afghanistan in their World Cup opener earlier this year. Bangladesh have form on their side after having won the last four ODI home series in a row. Their combination, though, oscillates between playing eight batsmen and three specialist bowlers and seven batsmen and four specialist bowlers. In the absence of Taskin Ahmed and Rubel Hossain, coupled with Mashrafe’s own fitness worries, Bangladesh are likely to fit in a three-man pace attack, taking out one of the top-order batsmen. If they go ahead with the two pace bowlers in Mashrafe and Mustafizur Rahman, they will look to Nasir Hossain to bowl ten overs.Pace has reaped reward for Bangladesh this year but spin has always worked well against Zimbabwe in these conditions, and Mashrafe has hinted that Bangladesh will go in with a spin-based attack.”We have to make the team thinking of the opposition’s weakness, as well as our strength,” Mashrafe said. “I like to combine these two factors. Our main goal is definitely to win but I feel right now it will be their weakness that will get more preference. The wicket is also a factor. We will also not like to play away from our strength.”Mashrafe conceded that the team will miss Soumya Sarkar, who was ruled out on Thursday with a side strain, but his absence will open up chances for the likes of Imrul Kayes and Liton Das to make contributions in the top order.”The whole team will miss Soumya, who is not just a good cricketer but also a fine team-mate,” Mashrafe said. “He is a thrilling player, having made 80-odd in our last ODI. It isn’t great news that we are missing him. But Liton and Imrul now have the chance to do well.”

Ian Harvey Photo © AllSport

Ian Harvey is determined to shed his reputation as a specialist one-dayplayer and become highly regarded in all forms of cricket.The Gloucestershire all-rounder is particularly renowned for his ability tobowl tightly at the death in limited overs games, a skill which has helpedhis county win three successive Lord’s final.But when he puts his mind to it Harvey can be pretty economical in four-daycricket too, as Warwickshire found to their cost after winning the toss inexcellent batting conditions at Cheltenham.The visitors must have been rubbing their hands, bearing in mind Northants’500-plus total at the same venue last week and the fact that Gloucestershirehad lost their last three Championship games at the College Ground.But the home bowlers had been given a gee-up by coach John Bracewell andWarwickshire had to fight for virtually every run before being bowled outfor a disappointing 260 with the last ball of the day.Harvey returned Championship-best figures of 5-29 from 23 overs and receivedparticularly good support from Ben Gannon (3-62) and Martyn Ball (2-53).Gloucs bowlers – credit and good controlBut all the Gloucestershire bowlers performed with credit from the startwhen Gannon and Jon Lewis saw to it that only 14 runs came from the first 11overs by showing good control with the new ball.The home side had surprisingly chosen to leave out Mike Smith and play anextra batsman in Imran Mohammed. Soon Harvey was ensuring the decision wouldbe vindicated.Coming on as first change, he first succeeded in tying down the batsmen,sending down nine overs before lunch at a cost of just three runs andremoving opener Michael Powell for 25.The second session brought the Australian more reward with 3-14 from eightovers as Warwickshire tumbled from 107-1 to 164-5.Harvey made liberal use of the short ball to deter batsmen from playingforward and looked quite sharp at times on a true pitch. He was backed up bygood fielding and scoring never looked easy.Mark Wagh (59) and David Hemp (58) both had to graft for their runs. ForHemp it was his first Championship half century since the second week in Mayand the innings occupied more than three hours.Warwicks batting faltersOpener Wagh took 115 balls to reach his fifty, showing commendableapplication to try and lay the foundation for a big total. Sadly forWarwickshire, his concentration was not matched by the later batsmen.After Hemp and a confident Ashley Giles, whose 37 included a six and 5fours, had helped take the score to 223-5 the innings folded for just 37more runs.Skipper Neil Smith was among those to sacrifice his wicket to a rash shot,skying off-spinner Ball to Chris Taylor, while Hemp’s effort ended with acatch by the same fielder at long-leg when he top-edged a hook off Gannon.Allan Donald looked none too pleased to be adjudged caught off bat and padto give Ball his second wicket and the smiles were on Gloucestershire faceswhen the players left the field.