Mehidy Hasan is understood to be out of danger after being struck on the side of a head by a ball during a net session in Southampton. The incident occurred while Mehidy was giving an interview, on the sidelines of the practice session, on the eve of Bangladesh's match against Afghanistan. A concussion report is yet to be completed, though.

Mehidy apparently wanted to continue batting in the nets but was not allowed to, according to the Bangladesh media manager Rabeed Imam.

The injury to the offspinner is the latest concern for a Bangladesh team riddled with fitness worries. Mohammad Saifuddin and Mosaddek Hossain missed the game against Australia due to a back spasm and hurt shoulder respectively, while Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Mashrafe Mortaza are all carrying injuries as well.

Big Picture

If you wanted an idea of how much the nature of a pitch influences the cricket played on it, contrast Afghanistan's last two matches. Against England - not even the best players of spin - their star legspinner Rashid Khan was given a tutorial on what life is like for the less gifted on most days. The spin trio of Rashid, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi collectively conceded a seemingly confidence shattering 224 in 28 overs in that match.

Fast forward to Southampton and it must have felt like waking up to a beautiful morning from a terrible nightmare. On the slower, drier pitch there, not entirely different from the Hyderabad surface they play on in the IPL, they were a beast that couldn't be tamed by one of the strongest batting line-ups in the world. For all the external factors that a disappointing campaign can be attributed to, it is really out in the middle, on unfavourable surfaces that their fate has most often been sealed. But having come within touching distance of tasting victory against India, Afghanistan will be thrilled to remain in Southampton, hoping to cause what would be on current form, an upset against Bangladesh.

Ironically, Bangladesh themselves were a conditions-dependent team for the longest time, but despite their lack of experience in the UK, they have shown to have acquired the kind of adaptability you need to not just compete in multi-team tournaments played on varied surfaces but also be legitimate contenders. A washout against Sri Lanka, a team they would have fancied their chances against, has left them in a position where even winning all three remaining games may not be enough to make the top four, but it is the minimum requirement. Each match from here is a virtual knockout, the kind of pressure situation that has made former champions like Pakistan (1992) and Australia (1999). It's the kind of situation which could transform Bangladesh from a competitive unit to one that is feared by oppositions.

Form guide

Bangladesh LWLLW (completed matches, most recent first)

Afghanistan LLLLL

In the spotlight

Bangladesh's problem has been taking wickets. They have averaged 49 with the ball, the most for any team in the World Cup so far. A major reason for that has been the impenetrability of offspinner Mehidy Hasan, particularly in the first 30 overs. In that period of the match, when the narrative takes shape, he averages 165, with one wicket in 32 overs. It must be noted that none of these - with the exception of The Oval against New Zealand which was slow - matches could said to have been played on spin-friendly surfaces, like the one he's likely to have in Southampton. However, he was struck on the side of a head by a ball during a net session on the eve of the match, and though he is understood to be out of danger, his participation in the Afghanistan clash is in doubt.

Rashid Khan came back strongly after the hammering at Old Trafford to restrict India's scoring in the middle in Southampton, before picking MS Dhoni, his only wicket, in the death. However, he has been afflicted with a similar malady as Mehidy, having struggled in his first spell throughout the World Cup. In the 20 overs that have constituted his first spell across five matches, he has gone at over six runs per over, without taking a single wicket. Against proficient players of spin, he will be tested again but on a helpful surface, Afghanistan will want more from their premier spinner.

Team news

A blow to the side of the head has put Mehidy Hasan's participation in doubt. That would be a big blow to Bangladesh on a spin-friendly surface. Mohammad Saifuddin, Bangladesh's highest wicket-taker in the tournament, sat out the last match against Australia due to a back injury he hasn't fully recovered from. Rubel Hossain, who replaced him, went for 83 in nine wicket-less overs. Bangladesh may be tempted to persist with him for his pace, particularly against Afghanistan, but also because Abu Jayed, the other option, largely relies on moving the new ball, something that hasn't been on offer in Southampton. Mosaddek Hossain, however, could be back after sufficiently recovering from a left shoulder injury. He might replace Sabbir Rahman or Mehidy, depending on the latter's availability.

Bangladesh (Probable XI): Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Liton Das, Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz/Mosaddek Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman

Afghanistan may persist with the same side after it gave India a run for their money.

Afghanistan (Probable XI): Hazratullah Zazai, Gulbadin Naib*, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rashid Khan, Aftab Alam, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

Spin has played a significant role in Southampton, although some of the quicks have used the two-paced nature of the pitch to their advantage as well. While chasing is the preferred option in ODIs, this is a venue where runs on the board can be golden. However, the chance of rain could throw all of that out of the window.

Strategy Punt

• Of all teams, Afghanistan have been the most vulnerable against short-of-a-length or short deliveries. They have lost 21 wickets to those lengths, averaging a shade over 15. Someone like Rubel Hossain could exploit that weakness.

• Mohammad Nabi, who took Afghanistan to the brink of a massive upset against India, has been excellent against spin but not so much against pace. Four of his five dismissals in the World Cup have come against pace and his strike also dips from 100 against spin to 62 against pace. It's a no brainer for Bangladesh to attack him with pace.

Stats and trivia

• Gulbadin Naib needs 43 runs for 1000 runs in ODIs

• Mashrafe Mortaza needs 2 wickets for 100 wickets as a captain in ODIs.

• Shakib Al Hasan needs 35 runs for 1000 runs in World Cups

Quotes

"Shakib al Hasan is one of the best Bangladesh players, playing alongside Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan in the IPL. He might be difficult to stop if tomorrow is his day, but equally, if it is our day, it will be very difficult for anyone, not only Shakib."

- Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib is unperturbed by Shakib's threat

"We all know what's in front of us. If you break it down, we only need to win five games to win the World Cup. It is one way of looking at it, if you treat it all as knockout games. It is not going to be easy, and the first step is Afghanistan. We are not looking further than them."

- Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes on what's ahead of them in the tournament.

Given the right conditions, Afghanistan's spin attack can trouble any batting line-up in the world, says their captain Gulbadin Naib, as they seek to carry the spirit they showed in defeat against India into Monday's meeting with Bangladesh at the Hampshire Bowl.

After a series of heavy defeats in their opening encounters of the World Cup, Afghanistan finally found the fighting spirit that had carried them back from the brink in the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe last year, to run India excruciatingly close in a low-scoring thriller on Saturday.

And, having limited India's hugely vaunted batting line-up to a below-par total of 224 for 8, Gulbadin is confident that his bowlers will relish the use of the same spin-friendly track as they seek to extend their impressive head-to-head record against Bangladesh - a side whom they've beaten three times out of eight in ODIs, including a thumping 136-run win in their penultimate meeting in the Asia Cup in September.

"We've played already on this wicket, but a cricket game is dependent on the present," said Gulbadin. "[It's about] how you play, how the conditions are, especially the English conditions. We didn't know about the weather [before the tournament], but yesterday was a good day for us, a sunny day. We lost the game but we did a lot of things good."

But success in cricket is also about confidence, which is something that Afghanistan ought to have in abundance now, having finally put to one side the selection and fitness controversies that have dogged their campaign. Against India they were back to being that tenacious band of raw talents who have the ability to unsettle the very best in the world. That injection of belief could help to unlock their potential for the final three matches of their campaign.

"We will be trying to do more against Bangladesh," said Gulbadin. "They are doing really well, especially in their batting partnerships. They chased 340 [322] against West Indies, which is one of the best performances by a Bangladesh side, so praise goes to them, but we are doing better and better every day which is a good sign for Afghanistan."

If Afghanistan are to prevail against Bangladesh, and secure the win against a fellow Test nation that most observers believed was well within their grasp in this tournament, then they are sure to lean heavily once again on their most potent spin pairing, Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan - both for the allround talents that they have been able to hone with their spells in overseas leagues including the IPL, but also for the intel that they can provide on Bangladesh's most in-form matchwinner, Shakib Al Hasan.

Shakib comes into the contest in the form of his life. With 425 runs at 106.25 in his first five matches, he is vying with the likes of Joe Root, Kane Williamson and David Warner for the accolade of the tournament's leading run-scorer - but unlike those players, he is also a pivotal performer with the ball, having picked off five wickets to date, including two key scalps in the win over West Indies at Taunton.

His experience of playing alongside Nabi and Rashid at Sunrisers Hyderabad will no doubt be a factor in how he takes on their bowling on Monday, but that insight cuts both ways, with both players more intimately acquainted with Shakib's strengths and weaknesses than most opponents that he has thus far encountered.

"How Shakib is doing for his team, I think it's tremendous," said Gulbadin. "No one can say for anyone that you can stop him or them [the team as a whole]. It depends on the day. Tomorrow is a new day, it is a fresh day.

"Shakib hasn't just been playing good cricket here, he's also been playing a lot of [good] stuff in the back couple of years. So he's one of the best players of Bangladesh.

"Also, he's playing together with Nabi and Rashid in franchise cricket. He is the best. So it depends on the day. So if tomorrow is his day, so maybe he will play good cricket. So if [it is our day], maybe it's very difficult for anyone, not only Shakib."

Despite their current buoyancy, Afghanistan are under no illusions about the scale of their challenge, against one of the most impressive teams in this year's tournament - a side that ran Australia and New Zealand incredibly close in their earlier encounters, and might be a better bet for a semi-final spot had it not been for an untimely wash-out against Sri Lanka.

"I'm really impressed with the side of Bangladesh, how they're playing, how they start the tournament," said Gulbadin. "So I think now we cannot take it easy with Bangladesh. It's a good side. They proved themselves in this stage.

"But not only Bangladesh, any team [can be beaten]," he added. "Like yesterday you saw it against India - the best side, the best batting attack all over the world. But our spinners are one of the best spin attacks in the world. So if the wicket helps our spinners, maybe it's very difficult for everyone, not only Bangladesh."

In spite of their early difficulties, on and off the field, Gulbadin insisted that the spirit within the side remained unbroken, and if anything their resolve to finish the tournament on a high had been stiffened by the struggles they had encountered in earlier games.

"Everyone is just trying to do well, especially the senior players," he said. "They have pressure, but every tournament together we're discussing the small, small things. What's wrong? What do we want to do where we can do better? So then we're sitting with everyone and just discussing the issues. I think we're doing well the last two, three games.

"Inshallah, everyone wants to do well for their country and do their best for their country. Nobody wants to do bad or wrong anything. Everyone is playing for our country, they are trying to do well for the country and for the people.

"I know, inshallah, tomorrow is a new day, and it depends on the day. So we can try to do well and the right thing, so the last two games we did a lot of things good. So Inshallah, we can see tomorrow, Inshallah."

REIMS, France -- The United States will need to overcome both Spain and scheduling disadvantages when it plays its first knockout-round game Monday in the FIFA Women's World Cup.

The U.S. was the tournament's most dominant team in winning all three of its games in the group stage. The Americans set a World Cup group-stage record by scoring 18 goals while not allowing any in wins against Thailand, Chile and Sweden. But in addition to being one of only two group winners that plays a second-place finisher in the initial knockout round instead of a third-place finisher, the U.S. will play Spain with considerably less rest than its opponent.

While the U.S. played Sweden in its final group game on Thursday, Spain played its final group game against China on Monday. Both the U.S. and Spain played those games in Le Havre.

U.S. coach Jill Ellis downplayed the effects and noted that her team hosted tournaments like the annual SheBelieves Cup and Tournament of Nations with an eye toward this sort of scenario.

"We're very used to a three-day rhythm," Ellis said Sunday. "It's what we've done in certain tournaments, specifically for [that] purpose of having a consistent rhythm in what we do. And we can't control, obviously, what our opponent has."

In this year's SheBelieves Cup, for example, the U.S. played Japan on Feb. 27, England on March 2 and Brazil on March 5, traveling at least 700 miles between each game. But its opponents in that and similar tournaments had identical travel and recovery periods.

Complicating matters ahead of Monday's game, temperatures in Reims are expected to peak at 90 degrees in the hour before the 6 p.m. local kickoff, the hottest weather the U.S. has experienced in France.

"I haven't paid attention to the weather report," Ellis said. "But for us, everything has been about making sure our recovery was happening the night of the Sweden game. After the huddle, I just said to them, 'The MVP right now is going to be your recovery and your hydration and your attention to detail,' in terms of making sure they do that. I think our players are fantastic with that, in terms of knowing that the next game starts as soon as that game is over."

Four years ago, the U.S. had five days off between its final group game and first knockout-round game against Colombia, which was ranked 28th in the world at the time. Spain is currently ranked 13th.

The oldest team in this World Cup, the U.S. already faced a condensed schedule by virtue of being one of the final two teams to play its opening game. If it reaches the final in Lyon on July 7, it will play seven games in 27 days.

"I would have taken an extra day or two," Kelley O'Hara said of the Spain game. "But no, it doesn't matter. It's all about getting the job done, whoever we're playing, focus on that."

The winner of Monday's game plays again on Friday in Paris against the winner of Sunday's game between France and Brazil.

Cleveland Indians prospect Bobby Bradley, the Triple-A home run leader, has been promoted from the minors and will make his major league debut Sunday against the Detroit Tigers.

The Indians recalled Bradley from Triple-A Columbus and optioned left-hander Josh Smith to Columbus in a corresponding move.

Bradley, 23, will start at first base and bat seventh in the lineup Sunday against Tigers left-hander Daniel Norris.

A third-round draft selection of the Indians in 2014, Bradley was batting .292 with 24 homers and 55 RBIs in 67 games for Columbus this season. He has hit at least 23 homers in each of the last five seasons in the minors.

The Indians promoted Bradley one day after designating outfielder Leonys Martin for assignment. Martin batted just .199 for the Indians this season and was mired in a 6-for-60 slump.

The Washington Nationals released right-handed reliever Trevor Rosenthal on Sunday after his struggles continued in his second stint in the major leagues this season.

Rosenthal had a 22.74 ERA in 6 1/3 innings over 12 appearances this season. In his final game for Washington on Saturday, he allowed three earned runs and three walks without recording an out as the Nationals blew a four-run lead in a 13-9 loss to the Braves.

The 29-year-old Rosenthal had rejoined the Nationals in June after starting the season with a 36.00 ERA in seven games -- not recording an out over his first four appearances -- and agreeing to go to extended spring training.

Things didn't go much better upon his return, as he had a 10.80 ERA over five appearances this month.

The Nationals have a major league worst 6.32 ERA from their bullpen this season.

An All-Star in 2015 with the St. Louis Cardinals, Rosenthal underwent Tommy John surgery in 2017 and missed all of the 2018 season.

The Nationals recalled right-hander Austin Voth from Double-A Harrisburg to fill the open roster spot. Voth, 26, was 1-1 with a 6.57 ERA in four games (two starts) for the Nationals last year.

The Atlanta Braves have optioned right-hander Mike Foltynewicz to Triple-A Gwinnett, the team announced Sunday.

Foltynewicz, a first-time All-Star last season, is 2-5 with a 6.37 ERA over 11 starts in 2019. He allowed eight runs on eight hits in four innings against the Washington Nationals on Saturday, though the Braves rallied for a 13-9 win.

"I've got a 7 ERA on a first-place team," Foltynewicz said after the game. "It's just tough. I'm battling every night. It's just tough. It's just the person I am. I'm going to wear that stuff on my sleeve, especially when things aren't going my way. It's just tough. It's all my fault, too."

The Braves recalled right-hander Chad Sobotka from Gwinnett in a corresponding move. Sobotka has an 8.25 ERA in 12 innings over 13 relief appearances for Atlanta this season.

Foltynewicz, 27, hasn't pitched past the sixth inning this year, with his ERA sitting above 5.00 all season.

He got a late start in 2019 after opening the season on the 10-day injured list with a right elbow bone spur, making his debut April 27.

Netball star Maria Folau will not be punished for supporting sacked rugby player husband Israel Folau.

Australian rugby union authorities terminated the devout Christian's contract over a social media post in which he said "hell awaits" gay people.

New Zealand international Folau, 32, shared a post from her husband on social media asking people to support his legal action against his sacking.

Australia's netball authorities - where Folau plays - have backed her.

In a statement, the sport's national governing body Netball Australia said it is "committed to providing welcoming, inclusive and supportive places for all people to play and watch our great game".

"We are aware that Adelaide Thunderbirds' athlete Maria Folau re-posted her husband's GoFundMe page details via social media. There is no action required by the league," the statement said.

"We will continue to support Maria as a valued member of the Thunderbirds and the Suncorp Super Netball league."

A statement by the chief executive of regional body Netball South Australia, Bronwyn Klei, said Folau has not broken the rules of her contract.

Klei added: "First and foremost, I want to be very clear that Netball South Australia is fiercely determined to provide an inclusive environment that allows anyone to participate in the great game of netball regardless of gender, belief, age race or sexual orientation.

"We also believe in fairness and perspective. Like millions of other people across Australia, Maria Folau uses her personal social media platform to share her life and beliefs with her family, friends and fans.

"While Netball SA is no way endorses the reposting, we do not believe Maria has contravened our social media policy."

Folau was in action on Sunday, missing two shots on the buzzer as her Thunderbirds side drew 51-51 with New South Wales Swifts in the Australian Super Netball Premiership.

Folau - the background

Capped 73 times by Australia, Israel Folau has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise AU $3m (£1.6m) for his legal case against his sacking.

By Sunday morning, more than 8,500 people had contributed AU $662,000 (£360,000) to the appeal.

Rugby Australia says Folau - who has also represented his country in rugby league and Australian rules football - was sacked "because of a serious breach of the Professional Players' Code of Conduct".

He has taken the matter to the Fair Work Commission, Australia's workplace relations tribunal, claiming his contract was unlawfully terminated.

Last weekend, Folau was recorded delivering a sermon at his church in Sydney. He said "the devil" is trying to influence the debate over transgender rights.

His wife has been questioned about his comments since his original social media post in April, but refused to comment.

Australia netball international Ashleigh Brazill recently said she received the New Zealander's support when she married her female partner.

Folau has 138 Test caps for the Silver Ferns and is expected to feature for her country at this summer's Netball World Cup in Liverpool, which starts on 12 July.

MADISON, Ill. – Ty Gibbs scored his first ARCA Menards Series victory with a last-lap pass on Sam Mayer in Saturday’s Day to Day Coffee 150 at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Gibbs had the dominant car over the last third of race, but came down pit road under the final caution flag of the night with 10 laps to go. When the race restarted with six laps to go, Gibbs was eighth but he knifed his way through the field to second within three laps. He stalked Mayer the final three laps, and the two made contact in the final corners and Mayer drifted up the track and Gibbs went on to the victory.

“I had a pretty big gap coming to the white flag and I gained on him in turns one and two,” Gibbs said. “He overdrove it into three and four and gave me that shot and we’re at a short track so you might as well take it. It’s for the win and that’s pretty big. It’s a hard deal, but it’s been a long day. We had a motor issue and we fought back and won. It just shows how hard my guys work.

“I come to the track every week with the same determination and mentality to win the race,” he continued. “Every single weekend we run as hard as we can. We are super excited to that that first win.”

Mayer ended up third, and was not thrilled with the events of the last lap.

“I didn’t get passed,” Mayer said. “We had a fifth or sixth place car and we ended up third, so that’s good. But we were leading at the white flag. The GMS Racing guys gave me a really great car and made great calls to give us chance to win the race. I am really happy to come out of here with a third-place finish, which is probably better than we were going to be without that last caution. But we didn’t get passed on the last lap, we got moved on the last lap.”

Christian Eckes was able to sneak past Mayer in turn four to take second behind Gibbs. Eckes immediately climbed aboard his Kyle Busch Motorsports-owned Truck to compete in the CarShield 200 for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. He knew he didn’t have a shot to win without the last caution of the night, and his crew chief Kevin Reed made the only call he could to give him a chance to win.

“We had a great car but we weren’t going to catch Ty under green,” Eckes said. “We made the only call we could to pull off the win and we took it. We restarted second and finished second, so I guess it evened out. It was a great call by Kevin and the guys, and it was the only shot we had to win.”

Gibbs was joined post-race by his grandfather Joe Gibbs, team owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. The elder Gibbs is a member of the National Football Hall of Fame and is a 2020 inductee of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. While he has seen a lot of memorable moments in both sports, watching his grandson win for the first time was an emotional experience.

“I’ve been lucky to see a lot of really special moments in both football and in racing, but this is up there near the top,” he said. “We had a lot of success in football, and I thought Denny (Hamlin) winning the Daytona 500 with J.D. on the car was as good as it could get. But this is really special. When that last caution came out and we restarted eighth I was just…I was really discouraged. But he did a great job. Coy (Gibbs, Ty’s father) was here tonight and it’s just special we can all be here to see this.”

Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar rounded out the top five.

The finish:

Ty Gibbs, Christian Eckes, Sam Mayer, Corey Heim, Carson Hocevar, Drew Dollar, Travis Braden, Gavin Harlien, Thad Moffitt, Bret Holmes, Joe Graf Jr., Eric Caudell, Michael Self, Dick Doheny, Brad Smith, Chandler Smith, Tanner Gray, Tim Richmond, Tommy Vigh Jr., Mike Basham, Rick Clifton, Wayne Peterson.

KNOXVILLE, Iowa – Russ Hall picked up his first Pro Sprint Series presented by Pace Performance win at Knoxville Raceway Saturday night.

The native of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, held off the charge of veteran Chris Walraven to take the win aboard the Skillz Motorsports No. 29.

The Knoxville Raceway could not hold off the charge of Mother Nature, however.  Despite hard work all day by track crews and a quick program underway, persistent rains fell just after 8:30 p.m. bringing a halt to the action as the 360 sprint feature was ready to take the green.

Track officials will discuss the make-up of both the 360 and 410 features. Stay tuned for an announcement.

Rookie Mike Johnston was the early leader in the 15-lap Pro Sprints feature.  Second row starter Russ Hall trailed him, but took the lead coming to the completion of lap two.  Chris Walraven made a move by Jeff Wilke on the same circuit to take third.  On lap four, Walraven took the high side around Johnston for second and set his sights on the leader.

The last half of the race saw Walraven all over Hall for the lead.  On lap 11, he was just one-tenth of a second behind, and on the white flag lap was just ninety-five thousands of a second in arears.  Hall hit his marks on the low sides of turns two and four to carry his mount to the win

Following Hall across the line were Walraven, Johnston, Matthew Stelzer and Devin Wignall.  Chase Young, Mike Mayberry, Jeff Wilke, Brandon Worthington and Evan Epperson rounded out the top ten.  Walraven set quick time, while Johnston and Mayberry were heat winners.

“We put on junk tires to start with,” said Hall in victory lane.  “We had a hard time finding a used one in the pits. It’s good to be back in Victory Lane (Hall has three career 360 wins).  I’m glad to be racing!  I’m excited!  We had a good race there with Walraven.  I heard him there the whole time.  I didn’t know if I was going to make it.  I had a hard time getting off the corner.”

Lynton Jeffrey set his first quick time of the season in the 410 class, while Tasker Phillips, Sawyer Phillips and Josh Schneiderman won heat races.  Carson McCarl set quick time in the 360 class and won a heat, while Tasker Phillips and Josh Higday took the others.