Editor’s Note: Holley Hollan, 17, is a rookie in the NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series. From June 5 through June 10, Hollan will be sharing her experiences with SPEED SPORT subscribers while competing during Indiana Midget Week. 

Hollan drives the No. 67k Toyota-powered midget for Keith Kunz Motorsports. Below is her third diary entry, recapping Thursday night’s events at Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville, Ind.

PUTNAMVILLE, Ind. – Our Indiana Midget Week kept going on Thursday at Lincoln Park Speedway, and from Montpelier on Tuesday to now, it feels like we’ve gone from one extreme to the next.

The thing that stood out to me right away is that a huge curb built up on the top and bit some of the best drivers in USAC, unlike Gas City and Montpelier. When you look at the tracks we’ve been to so far, they don’t look that different, but they all race so uniquely that it’s a challenge to master each one.

We had some contact in the heat race that really set our night back, which sucked because I felt like we qualified pretty decently. That just got the night off on the wrong foot, and when that happens in a field that’s as tough as this one is during Indiana Midget Week, it can be hard to overcome.

After that, the B-main didn’t go how we needed it to and we finished 13th, forcing us to take a provisional and lining us up 23rd for the feature. Once we got going in the main, though, it wasn’t bad. We got up as high as 12th and ended up 13th, making some good laps around the bottom of the track.

I feel like we showed speed in the feature, which is good for us, really. After a rough B-feature like the one that we had, it’s nice to be able to take a provisional and move forward like we did and rebound.

We ended on a better note and we’ll keep building from here. I think we have a lot of speed; I just need to get better at running the top like some of the veterans do. We’ve shown that we have throttle control to be able to run the bottom, so that’s comforting at least for now.

It’s tough, running at the back as a rookie and still running with Tyler Courtney, Thomas Meseraull and guys who have won USAC races before. It’s unreal the amount of talent that’s in this field right now and it really puts you to the test as far as trying to come out with good finishes.

Challenges like this will only make us better, though. We’ll see everyone at Bloomington!

Hollan’s prior entries can be accessed via the link below:

Entry No. 1: Rough Start For Hollan

Entry No. 2: Heat Win Gives Hollan A Boost

BOSTON -- The roar was the loudest that TD Garden had experienced during the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. Zdeno Chara, the towering captain for the Boston Bruins, was introduced to the crowd as a Game 5 starter, after reportedly breaking his jaw in Game 4 against the St. Louis Blues.

He wore a protective mask around his face. Earlier in the day, he answered questions in writing to reporters because talking would have been too uncomfortable. He didn't speak much on the ice during the game, either. But his presence was inspiring to his teammates.

"Much is made of his professionalism, his toughness, his approach. But [when] you see that in the flesh, you have a whole other level of appreciation for it. The guy's 42. When I'm 42, I'm certainly not going to be the first guy in the gym, weighing all my food, squatting the most on the team. Those are all the things you respect," defenseman John Moore said. "You throw in the fact that what he's going through -- that's something I'll tell my kids about. Life lessons I'll carry long beyond hockey."

Here's the lesson we've all learned about playoff hockey through the years: NHL players are willing to put their bodies through pain, anguish and risks to their long-term well-being for a chance at a championship. In this postseason alone, we've seen it with Chara, Vince Dunn of the Blues (who took a puck to the mouth in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final) and Joe Pavelski of the San Jose Sharks (who suffered a bloody head injury in Game 7 of the club's first-round series).

"It's the Stanley Cup, that's it. I don't have a better answer for you. I think I know where you're going, we've done this long enough. I suspect for every player [the motivation] is to get their name on the Stanley Cup. It's that simple," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said.

Here's a look back at some of the most infamous (and intensely painful) injuries players have suffered through yet returned to the playoffs and made their marks on history:

Bob Baun, 1964 Stanley Cup playoffs: Broken ankle

Canadian hockey legends can be born from a single moment in a single game. Ask Paul Henderson. Or ask Bob Baun. In Game 6 of the 1964 Stanley Cup Final against Detroit, the defenseman took a Gordie Howe slap shot off his foot and was carried away on a stretcher with a broken ankle. His ankle wrapped tightly -- and some painkillers later -- Baun returned to the ice to eventually score the game-winning goal in overtime. Toronto would win Game 7 and the Cup. Baun later called it "the best break I ever had."

Mario Lemieux, 1992 Stanley Cup playoffs: Broken hand

New York Rangers forward Adam Graves was suspended four games for his "reckless" slash that broke Lemieux's left hand in their second-round playoff series. There was fear Mario was done for the playoffs, but the Penguins star returned in the conference final against Boston and scored 15 points in seven games to lead Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup and win the Conn Smythe. In total, he missed 15 games. "There's no way a broken hand can heal that quickly," teammate Kevin Stevens said. "He's a superstar, the best player in hockey. We don't know how he does it. He never practices, then he goes out and never misses a beat. He's amazing."

Patrick Roy, 1994 Stanley Cup playoffs: Appendicitis

Not all playoff injuries are the result of the opposition's actions. In 1994, during a series against the Boston Bruins, the Canadiens goaltending legend developed early signs of appendicitis the day before Game 3, and he was in the hospital when backup Ron Tugnutt lost to Boston. Roy couldn't stomach this, so he returned to play the next four games, and had a 60-save performance in Game 5. After the Canadiens were eliminated in the first round, Roy had his appendix removed.

Steve Yzerman, 2002 Stanley Cup playoffs: Knee injury

This was less about an injury suffered in the playoffs than one exacerbated by them. The 36-year-old Red Wings captain played in the 2002 Olympics through pain, and an MRI showed he had almost no cartilage left in his right knee. But he played on, taking painkiller injections before each game of Detroit's run to the Stanley Cup and scoring 23 points in 23 games. He had reconstructive knee surgery in the offseason, his surgeon urging retirement. Instead, he missed all but 16 games in the next season -- but would go on to play two more seasons thereafter.

Paul Kariya, 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs: Concussion

It was one of the scariest moments of the season: Paul Kariya, Mighty Ducks star, flat on his back in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Devils after a Scott Stevens head shot. He had a history of concussions. Concerns were high. But in a moment that ... well, frankly, probably wouldn't happen today with what we know, Kariya returned to the game a few minutes later and scored a goal. As ESPN's Gary Thorne bellowed: "Off the floor and on the board!" (The frightening postscript: Kariya doesn't remember that goal or the entirety of Game 7 today.)

Ian Laperriere, 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs: Multiple facial injuries

It was not a good season for the Philadelphia Flyers forward's face. In November 2009, he took a slap shot to the mug that knocked out seven teeth and required 100 stitches to repair. In the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, he blocked a Paul Martin slap shot with his face, fracturing his right orbital bone and suffering a concussion. He thought he might have lost his eye. Nevertheless, he returned to the Flyers' lineup a month later for their final eight playoff games.

Sami Salo, 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs: Midsection injury

On May 9, the Vancouver Canucks defenseman continued an injury-riddled career with one of his most squeamishness-inspiring ailments: a ruptured testicle in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, courtesy of a Duncan Keith slap shot. On May 11, he was back on the ice for the Canucks, as they were eliminated by Chicago in Vancouver, where fans -- because hockey fans are the greatest -- were heard chanting "Balls of Steel" when Salo was on the ice.

Duncan Keith, 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs: Seven lost teeth

The Blackhawks defenseman is not the first nor the last hockey player to return to action in a game in which he lost some teeth. But Keith lost seven of them -- three on the top, four on the bottom -- when Patrick Marleau's stick hit him in the mouth during the Blackhawks' series-clinching win over the Sharks. Two of them fell out of this mouth. One got stuck in his throat and then he coughed it up. The others "disintegrated," according to Keith. He returned to the game after team doctors "froze" his gums to numb the pain.

Derek Stepan, 2014 Stanley Cup playoffs: Broken jaw

Before there was Chara, there was Rangers center Stepan. Former teammate Brandon Prust broke Stepan's jaw with a hit in Game 3 of the New York's Eastern Conference final series against the Montreal Canadiens. He missed Game 4, as his jaw was surgically repaired. He returned in Game 5, wearing a full face shield and with additional padding, and scored two goals in a loss. He'd play the rest of the way as the Rangers would eventually lose in the Stanley Cup Final.

Sean Couturier, 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs: Torn MCL

In NHL speak, it was a "lower-body injury." But in reality, the Flyers forward played the last two games of their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a torn MCL in his right knee. After missing Game 4, he scored the game winner in Game 5 and then had a hat trick and five points in their Game 6 elimination loss. "That was incredible," Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald said after the game. "If you guys only knew what kind of shape those guys were in. I respect the hell out of those guys."

With a 2-1 win in Game 5 -- the lowest-scoring game of this series -- the St. Louis Blues are on the cusp of their first-ever Stanley Cup and have a chance to win it at home. The Boston Bruins? They'll have to summon some composure (a la what the Blues did after the hand-pass debacle against San Jose) to stay alive.

Here's everything you need to know about how Game 5 played out in this edition of ESPN Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily:

Jump ahead: Last night's game | Three stars
Play of the night | Social post of the day

About last night ...

Game 5: St. Louis Blues 2, Boston Bruins 1 (Blues lead the series 3-2)

Where do we begin? With Bruins captain Zdeno Chara making the decision to suit up less than 72 hours after reportedly breaking his jaw? (And Boston suiting up seven defensemen because they knew Chara wasn't 100 percent and didn't know how he'd do with, say, breathing?)

With rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington putting together his finest performance of this series -- and maybe his entire playoffs?

With the Blues on the precipice of their first Stanley Cup?

Or maybe that missed tripping call on Noel Acciari, which gave the Blues their eventual game-winning goal and sent Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy into a tizzy (suggesting a conspiracy that Craig Berube's comments after Game 3 altered the officiating in this series)?

As you can see, it was a wild one on Thursday night in Boston, and it injected some more juice into the series. With their victory, the Blues became the first team in this Final to win two games in a row, while Boston needs a bit more from its star-studded top line to even things up in Game 6.

Three Stars

1. Ryan O'Reilly, C, St. Louis Blues. O'Reilly has been on a tear the past two games and is making a late push for the Conn Smythe Trophy, as MVP of the playoffs. He scored a goal early in the second period -- the Blues' fifth goal in the first minute of a period this postseason -- and then assisted on David Perron's goal, which proved to be the game winner.

2. Jordan Binnington, G, St. Louis Blues. Binnington's 38 saves are the most by a rookie goalie in a Stanley Cup Final win. He is the fifth goalie overall in league history to record nine road wins in a single playoff run and breaks a tie with Ron Hextall (eight in 1987) for the most ever in a single postseason by a rookie goaltender.

3. Zdeno Chara, D, Boston Bruins. The fact that Chara even suited up is remarkable. His presence inspired the team, and when his name was introduced during starting lineups, TD Garden was louder than it had been all playoffs. The 42-year-old finished playing 16:42, made four hits and three blocks, and took two shots on goal.

Play of the night

Gary Bettman said after the hand-pass game that he thought it would be good if his head wouldn't explode. Wonder what the commish thought of this.

Dud of the night

Boston's celebrated power play couldn't connect, going 0-for-3. If we take out their 4-for-4 performance in Game 3, the Bruins are 2-for-15 on the man advantage in this series. Not great.

Social post of the day

This will be one of the lasting images of the game.

Cam Neely seems upset pic.twitter.com/gFXmteE51w

- Mike Darnay (@MikeDarnay) June 7, 2019

Quotable

"The narrative changed after Game 3. There was a complaint put forth by the opposition, and that seemed to change everything. I mean, the non-call on Acciari ... the player was on his way to the box. It's right in front of the official. Our guy's gone, the spotter took him out of the game for a possible concussion. It's blatant, [had a] big effect on the game. This has happened -- I'm a fan of the game -- this is the National Hockey League getting a black eye with their officiating this playoffs. And this is another one that's going to be talked about. I thought it was a great hockey game. That call probably -- there's time [left], but it really made it difficult for us to get the win tonight. So I'm disappointed. So I guess, to answer your original question, it was egregious." -- Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, a bit irked after the game

Barcelona are monitoring Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata's contract situations but neither of the two Manchester United players are priorities for the Catalan club, sources have told ESPN FC.

Rashford, 21, has just one year to run on his deal at Old Trafford, although United have an option to extend his deal by an additional year.

A source at Barcelona has confirmed that the La Liga champions are following the striker as talks continue with the English side over a new contract.

- When does the transfer window close?

However, the same source adds that Rashford is not one of the club's top targets this summer, given they remain hopeful of strengthening their attack with the arrival of Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann. The France forward has already confirmed his desire to change clubs and his release clause drops to €120 million on July 1.

In addition, Barca are aware that it would be difficult to thrash out a deal with United. A few months ago, when ESPN FC first reported the Catalans were tracking Rashford, a high-ranking executive at the club joked that signing him "would be as difficult as getting a date with Cindy Crawford."

Meanwhile, sources have confirmed to ESPN FC that Barcelona have also sounded out the possibility of signing Rashford's teammate Mata, who is out of contract this summer.

Barca looked into the deal because he was offered on a free but sources at the club say it's not something they are actively pursuing. They are well covered in attack and midfield, so there would not be room for him in the squad unless a number of players left.

"Signing [Mata] is not a priority but we have to keep an eye on these kinds of opportunities which come up on the transfer market," a Barcelona source said. "He's a player available for free, with a lot of quality and who is very versatile."

Mata would be open to returning to Spain but knows a move to Barca is unlikely. He could choose to stay at United, with negotiations for a new deal still ongoing and improved terms being offered just three weeks ago, sources say.

"He's loved in Manchester and he feels very happy there," a source close to the player told ESPN FC at the same time he confirmed the contact with Barcelona.

Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign winger Daniel James from Swansea.

The 21-year-old will move to Old Trafford for a fee of around £15 million, potentially rising to around £22m, to become Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first signing of the summer.

"Manchester United is delighted to announce that it has agreed, in principle, terms with both Swansea City and Daniel James for his transfer to the club," a United statement read.

"Daniel has successfully completed a medical at the Aon Training Complex. Further details will be communicated once the international transfer window opens next week."

- When does the transfer window close?

James was on the verge of moving to Leeds United in January before Swansea pulled the plug at the last minute.

Leeds were hopeful of reviving the deal this summer only for United to pip them, as well as Everton and Newcastle, to the Wales international.

- When are the Premier League fixtures published?
- When does the new Premier League season start?
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James, who had just 12 months left on his contract, scored five goals in 37 games for Swansea last season as the Welsh side finished 10th in the Championship.

He made his full debut for Wales under former United winger Ryan Giggs against Albania last year and scored his first international goal in a 1-0 win over Slovakia in March.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As Josh Sargent maneuvered through the postmatch mixed zone Wednesday night, the look of disappointment on his face was clear. He had nearly equalized for the U.S. late in the 1-0 friendly defeat to Jamaica, only to be denied by a sharp save from Jamaica goalkeeper Andre Blake. It capped off what had been a difficult night for him, as well as his U.S. teammates.

"It was tough to get on the ball sometimes, and it was a difficult game it seems like for us to get a rhythm," he said. "It was a little frustrating for me, but we have to learn from this experience and move on."

Alas, a tough night for the forward was about to get worse. U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter told Sargent later that night that there was no room for the 19-year-old on the 23-player Gold Cup roster.

- When is the CONCACAF Gold Cup?
- Full Gold Cup fixtures schedule

The decision was easily the most perplexing that Berhalter made. Heading into late spring, the biggest decision surrounding Sargent was whether he would go to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup or stay with the senior team for the Gold Cup. The least likely scenario -- or so it appeared -- was one in which he did neither.

Yet, that is precisely what happened, and Berhalter was left to explain himself on a conference call with reporters. To hear the U.S. manager tell it, deciding to leave Sargent at home was the toughest call he had to make. And what sealed Sargent's fate wasn't so much what he did on the field or in training, but a hamstring injury to Sebastian Lletget that caused the Galaxy midfielder to be left off the roster, as well. Lletget's versatility allows him to play any one of three midfield roles, be it as a deep-lying midfielder, an attacking midfielder or out wide. That forced Berhalter to select multiple players to fill in for what Lletget is capable of individually.

"When [Lletget] got injured, it put a wrench in the plans a little bit, and we didn't feel we could afford to carry three strikers on the roster anymore," Berhalter said.

So Sargent was the odd forward out, with Jozy Altidore and Gyasi Zardes selected instead, and Berhalter was clear in his reasoning as to why.

"It's a simple reason, and it's that we think they're ahead of [Sargent] right now," said the U.S. manager. "We had to do what we felt was best for the team right now, and that's the decision we made."

Altidore has the experience and know-how, and Zardes is more adept at stretching defenses with his speed.

As for whether Sargent should have been placed with the U20s, Berhalter instead sought to praise what that U.S. side has done without Sargent. Tab Ramos' outfit is now into the quarterfinals, and forward Sebastian Soto has stepped in nicely; his four goals are presently tied for the second-most at the tournament.

"I think with Josh in that team, we wouldn't have the opportunity to see someone like Soto perform, and he's flourished in that," said Berhalter.

In many respects, Berhalter was being consistent. He is very much a system man, and the players he selected seem able to plug in to his approach. The U.S. manager has also put a premium on players getting time with their clubs; as impressive as it is for a 19-year-old to be in the first-team of a Bundesliga squad, the reality is that after bagging a pair of goals for Werder in December, Sargent's playing time eroded, and he was barely called upon the last two months of the season. He is still a player with just 10 first-team appearances to his name. It's not to say the forward won't ever make the next step. He just failed to do so now, and it is very much the present that Berhalter is thinking about.

"We have to remember that he's 19 years old, and that he has a bright future in front of him," Berhalter said about Sargent. "When I talked to him and gave him the news, one thing I mentioned was that he's going to be the striker for the national team in the future. We're sure of that. He's got a great skill set. Unfortunately, he didn't carry that momentum from Werder Bremen in the second half of the season. He wasn't able to play as much as he could have. He lacked a little sharpness. But Josh is a top striker, and he's going to have a lot of opportunities in the future."

All that said, Sargent's omission is certainly puzzling. Bringing him to the Gold Cup seemed to make sense given that the U.S. seems to have ample cover at the wing positions through Paul Arriola, Jordan Morris, Jonathan Lewis, and Tyler Boyd, who recently had his one-time switch from New Zealand approved. Fellow newcomer Duane Holmes is also certainly capable of filling in out wide, as well. Given Sargent's upside, there seemed to be more to gain by including him rather than leaving him at home.

In terms of damage that has been done to Sargent, that is bound to be minimal. There is no question he would have benefited from being at the Gold Cup. Even if his playing time was limited, it would have given him more experience, which would have helped him heading into preseason next year. But it is the daily work at Bremen that will ultimately determine just how much he progresses.

It's just unfortunate that U.S. fans will have to wait a bit longer to see Sargent perform again at international level.

Big Picture

Possibly not for the first time in this marathon round-robin stage, England have met with a Dad's Army moment. The phrase "Don't panic!" of course cannot be uttered without giving the underlying impression that panic is precisely what's in store, though Joe Root's words in the aftermath of defeat to Pakistan were eminently sensible and (presumably) not delivered in a reedy Clive Dunn warble.

There is common acceptance that each of the four semi-finalists will have to overcome a few losses on the way - though Eoin Morgan would surely have preferred England's first not to have come inside the opening couple of games. The fielding that backed up their efforts with the ball so strongly against South Africa was well below par at Trent Bridge, and in a 14-run defeat was probably the decisive factor, even if England have come to back their batting to overhaul whatever target gets put in their way.

Their next opponents, Bangladesh, have shown they are not to be trifled with, and will be cheered on by a partisan following, too - something that seemed to unsettle England in Nottingham. While Cardiff has been a relatively successful venue for England - almost in spite of the silent W in the ECB - it also holds good memories for Bangladesh as the scene of their famous mugging of Australia in 2005, and there is every chance that plush tigers will outnumber lions in the stands.

Cardiff was also where England's Champions Trophy hopes came to grief in 2017, so they have plenty of reasons to stay focused on the job in hand. Centuries for Root and Jos Buttler against Pakistan will encourage England to stick to their batting guns, given they may well get another chance to overwrite Ireland's Bengaluru 2011 heroics for the record World Cup chase. Adil Rashid's indifferent form, perhaps exacerbated by a long-term shoulder problem, may be causing some anxiety, though.

For Bangladesh, defeat to New Zealand was ultimately an agonising affair, but they go into this game with as many points as the hosts and under no great pressure against one of the favourites. The top order has been in relatively good form, although they might need to find more wicket-taking options in the middle overs if they are to contain as aggressive an opponent as England.

After their painful meeting in Adelaide four years ago, England will know not to underestimate Mashrafe Mortaza's side. In fact, in both of the previous World Cups, Bangladesh have knocked over England during the group stage - should they make it three from three, then Morgan might have to start considering panic as the least-bad option.

Form guide

England LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh LWWWW

In the spotlight

After being hailed for his fielding in England's opener, Jason Roy experienced the flip side in Nottingham - his drop of Mohammad Hafeez the most notable blip in a malfunctioning effort. Pakistan then became the second team in succession to open the bowling with a legspinner based on Roy's perceived weakness: a theory that will remain intact after his lbw attempting to sweep Shadab Khan's seventh ball. Man of the Series against Pakistan during England's build-up, Roy made a momentum-shifting fifty despite the attentions of Imran Tahir at The Oval but could be targeted by Bangladesh's spinners once again.

There is no doubt about the leadership skills of Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh's most successful ODI captain, but there might be growing scrutiny over his role with the ball. A lack of penetration cost Bangladesh against New Zealand, a match which extended a dry run for Mashrafe with the ball - he has gone wicketless in six of his nine matches in 2019, and not bowled his full quota overs on each of those occasions, too. However, he has a decent career record against this England side, and has nine wickets in four ODIs against them since the 2015 World Cup.

Team news

England tend to stick with the same players in defeat, almost as a sign of faith, although there is a chance the ground dimensions in Cardiff will instigate at least one change. With short, straight boundaries to defend, Liam Plunkett could be in line for a recall, possibly at the expense of Rashid, who was fared badly at Trent Bridge after seeing Hafeez dropped in his second over.

England: (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Liam Plunkett, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Mark Wood

Bangladesh have gone well so far, and while Sabbir Rahman might back his chances after Mosaddek Hossain's returns of 26 and 11 so far in the lower middle-order, he might just have to wait a bit longer.

Bangladesh: (probable) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahman (wk), 5 Mohammad Mithun, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Mehidy Hasan, 10 Mashrafe Mortaza, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

The Cardiff deck was seamer-friendly in the opening two games, it has also tended to be on the slow side, though the boundaries - the straight ones are especially short - are hard to defend and England piled up 342 for 8 there against Australia last summer. Rain has forced the pitch to be under covers the last couple of days too, so that could have a bearing on the way it plays.

Strategy punts

Another reason England might want to add a pacer instead of Rashid in their XI is that Bangladesh's most consistent middle-order batsman, Mushfiqur Rahim, has been outstanding against spin in recent times.

• Chris Woakes' form with the new ball has been something of a concern for England and Bangladesh's openers might look to target him. His economy in 2019 is 7.0 from nine matches so far, and a rate of 6.5 in the Powerplay - where he has taken seven wickets at 38.9 - is by far the worst of his career, year on year.

• Those stats might suggest England should try opening the bowling with Jofra Archer and Mark Wood instead. The importance of getting Tamim Iqbal or Soumya Sarkar early is clear: since the 2017 Champions Trophy, Bangladesh have won 80% of matches in which Tamim has reached 50, and 100% when Soumya does so.

Stats and trivia

• England's defeat at Trent Bridge was their first while chasing at home since 2015, when they lost to Australia at Lord's.

• Bangladesh have won both of their previous ODIs in Cardiff, beating New Zealand during the 2017 Champions Trophy and Australia in the 2005 tri-series with England.

• The 224-run partnership between Shakib and Mahmadullah in that New Zealand game remains a Bangladesh record for the fifth-wicket in ODIs.

Quotes

"Bangladesh will open with spin definitely. It's just another challenge the two guys have been presented with. It's like anything: when the balls swings, it's a new challenge, when guys bowl short, it's a new challenge. Mystery spin is a new challenge. I'm sure they'll kick on."
England captain Eoin Morgan expects his openers to handle the Bangladesh spinners well

"For us, we have been beating them the last two World Cups. It doesn't mean that we will make it happen again. Obviously there is the chance, and for that, we have to play at our best."
Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza on the possibility of a hat-trick of World Cup wins over England

Big Picture

The venue for the New Zealand-Afghanistan clash elicits as much intrigue as the match-up itself. Taunton, once the home of Ian Botham, Viv Richards, Joel Garner, the late Peter Roebuck, and in more recent times Marcus Trescothick and Jos Buttler, is set to make an international return since the India-Sri Lanka clash in 1999, remembered best for Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid' 318-run second wicket stand. If 373 was possible back then, is 500 on the cards now?

It's unlikely either team would allow such fantasies to take hold of them, and in any case the bowling attacks on view aren't comparable to the pedestrian one that conceded 373. Afghanistan quicks took a while to find their lengths against Sri Lanka in helpful conditions in Cardiff, but were a handful once they did. The spinners, especially Mohammad Nabi, showed that the ball can do in plenty the air, even before it pitches and turns, to deceive batsmen. With New Zealand's gung-ho approach against spin in their narrow win over Bangladesh seemingly stemming from insecurity, Afghanistan would be salivating at the prospect of having a crack at them.

New Zealand themselves have a wily operator in Mitchell Santner but they'd be keener to unleash a combination of swing and searing pace at their opponents' top order that has so far shown a frailty that could make life against top sides miserable. Najibullah Zadran apart, not one of their top seven has looked convincing so far, not even their leading scorer since the start of 2015, Rahmat Shah. No wonder they find themselves at the bottom of the pile, just above South Africa.

Much like the Afghanistan spinners took the pitch out of the equation in Cardiff, New Zealand quicks were equally adept in adjusting to the slowish Oval surface. A big part of their plan B when the pitch refused to assist them was Lockie Ferguson's short ball barrage with a leg gully in place. The temptation to employ that tactic may be even greater against a brittle Afghanistan batting unit.

Form guide

Afghanistan LLWLW (completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WWWWW

In the spotlight

Since returning to the side in January this year, James Neesham has looked very good. But the problem is that he has squandered both opportunities of steering New Zealand home from a tight corner in this period, once against India in Wellington when he was run-out in absent minded manner, and against Bangladesh last match when he cracked under pressure, lofting Mosaddek Hossain straight to long-off when singles could have done the trick. New Zealand need their premier allrounder to show better match-awareness, especially if they are to include Ish Sodhi, which will mean playing a batsman short.

Wickets have dried up for Mujeeb ur Rahman lately. He has taken just nine in the last ten matches as compared to the 43 in 22 before that. Usually their designated opening bowler, the match against Sri Lanka was only the fourth time Mujeeb did not take the new ball in his ODI career, and the conditions had plenty to do with that. He was also taken apart for 45 in just 4.5 overs by Australia in the tournament opener. Conditions are unlikely to be favourable in Taunton either but Afghanistan might just persist with him given the opposition they are up against and hope that he finds form.

Team news

Kane Williamson had said that Tim Southee was recovering well but it's unlikely he'd make the XI now, with Matt Henry bowling as well as he is. New Zealand, however, may consider the inclusion of Sodhi depending on conditions in Taunton. If that happens, Colin de Grandhomme will most likely have to make way.

New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 James Neesham, 7 Colin de Grandhomme/Ish Sodhi, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent Boult

Afghanistan have lost Mohammad Shahzad to injury and are fretting over the fitness of Asghar Afghan as well. They have another decision to make outside of that: roping in an extra seamer in Aftab Alam instead of Mujeeb, something they probably rued in Cardiff.

Afghanistan (probable): 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmat Shah, 3 Hashmatullah Shahidi, 4 Najibullah Zadran, 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Gulbadin Naib (capt) 7 Ikram Alikhil (wk), 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb-ur-Rahman/Aftab Alam , 10 Hamid Hassan, 11 Dawlat Zadran

Pitch and conditions

Generally a high scoring venue with particularly short straight boundaries, Taunton has seen an average first innings score of 299 in the last five completed List-A matches. Teams batting first have won three of these, and pacers have tended to the bulk of the bowling across those ten innings, delivering 287.2 overs as opposed to just 102 from the spinners. Naturally then more wickets have fallen to pace but its also been marginally more expensive - 6.4 runs per over as compared to the 5.8 conceded by spin. With a couple of morning showers expected, bowling first might be the best bet.

Strategy punt

• Nearly 50% of Ferguson's deliveries are either short or back of a length or short and Afghanistan's batsmen don't really like that. Even the best of them - Rahmat (average 12.5), Hashmatullah Shahidi (14.6) and Najibullah (16) - have been susceptible.

• Williamson has faced spin bowling in eight innings this year and he has lost his wicket to them six times. Enough there to excite Rashid Khan, Nabi and Mujeeb.

Stats and trivia

• Shahidi needs 113 more for 1000 Runs in ODIs

• Martin Guptill needs 93 more for 1000 Runs in World Cups

The BCCI has asked the ICC to show "flexibility" with regard to the dagger insignia on MS Dhoni's wicketkeeping gloves, but will not escalate the matter if the ICC insists otherwise.

The gloves, which Dhoni wore for India's tournament opener against South Africa on June 5, were deemed by the ICC to be in breach of tournament's rules, which clearly say that only the manufacturer's logo is allowed on them.

The issue is an insignia of a dagger on the back of the green gloves. Dhoni is an honorary lieutenant-colonel in the Parachute Regiment of the Indian Territorial Army. The dagger is the emblem of the regiment.

Though the matter gained traction in India and even prompted the intervention of the country's sports minister, the BCCI called it a "non-issue". "We will play the game by the rules of the ICC in letter and spirit," Vinod Rai, the chairman of the BCCI's Committee of Administrators told ESPNcricinfo. "If there is a specific norm that has to be followed, we will not break that norm. However, if there is any flexibility available, we have sought permission for the ICC to allow the player to wear the gloves."

The matter was discussed in the CoA meeting held in Mumbai on Friday, which was attended by Rai's two other colleagues - Diana Edulji and Ravindra Thodge - as well as the BCCI chief executive officer Rahul Johri.

The ICC's clothing and equipment regulations for the World Cup has a section on keeping gloves. The diagram shows that two manufacturer's identifications are allowed on the back of each glove. "No visible logos permitted other than those identified in the diagram," the note accompanying the illustration says.

According to Rai, the insignia is "neither political, nor commercial, nor military". "And it is not the paramilitary regimental dagger that is embossed on his gloves," he said. "I am told ICC has specific rules pertaining to the logos on the gloves of the wicketkeeper. If there is rule as specific as that we will 100% conform to the ICC rules. We don't propose to escalate this non-issue."

The matter has been complicated by the Indian government's support for the BCCI's stand. India's sports minister Kiren Rijiju told the news agency ANI: "The government doesn't intervene in affairs of sports bodies. But when the issue is related to the country's sentiments, then the interest of the nation has to be kept in mind. I would like to request BCCI to take up the matter with ICC."

ESPNcricinfo understands that if the ICC turns down the BCCI request, Dhoni is likely to continue to wear the same gloves but cover the insignia with a tape.

While the ICC is yet to formally respond to the BCCI, it is believed that it will not step back on its stance.