Borussia Dortmund have signed United States youth international Giovanni Reyna from New York City FC on a free transfer, the club announced on Monday.

The son of NYCFC sporting director and former U.S. star Claudio Reyna, the 16-year-old midfielder will begin his Bundesliga career with the under-19s.

- When does the transfer window close?

''Giovanni Reyna is the son of former Bundesliga player Claudio Reyna. He plays in central midfield and is without doubt a huge talent," Dortmund academy director Lars Ricken said in a team statement.

Dortmund also announced the signing of Switzerland youth international forward Bradley Fink who joins from Swiss side Luzern.

Giovanni Reyna ?? (16) and Bradley Fink ?? (16) have joined the Borussia Dortmund U19 and U17 squads, respectively! ?

Welcome to the club, lads ? pic.twitter.com/rFasUbhS0i

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) July 1, 2019

"We're delighted that they've opted for Borussia Dortmund. Everyone at BVB is convinced that these two transfers show great promise,'' Ricken added.

Reyna most recently played a starring role at the CONCACAF Under-17 Championship this spring, scoring six goals while leading the U.S. to the final where they lost to Mexico.

He will look to emulate the success of U.S. international midfielder Christian Pulisic, who also joined Dortmund at age 16 in 2015.

Reyna has a Portuguese passport because of his paternal grandmother's ties to the country, allowing him to avoid having to wait until his 18th birthday to move abroad as other Americans must under FIFA regulations.

Reyna is considered one of the top players in the U.S. under-17 pool, and he led NYCFC's U18/U19 team to the U.S. Development Academy championship. According to U.S. Soccer's website, he scored 15 goals in 22 appearances during the 2017-18 season.

His father, who earned 112 caps for the U.S. national team from 1994-2006 and was named to four World Cup squads, also played in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen and on loan with Wolfsburg.

England Women's manager Phil Neville was irritated to discover the Americans scoping out England's hotel as he prepared for the World Cup semifinal against the United States.

U.S. coach Jill Ellis said it was a sign of good preparation rather than arrogance, but Neville suggested it could be a disciplinary matter for the staff dispatched to the hotel -- and bad etiquette.

- Neville: U.S. star Rapinoe wrecked my watch
- Hamilton: England's meticulous approach paying off

A pair of U.S. staffers visited the Fourviere Hotel, which is close to the old town, while England were out at a practice Sunday. The winners of Tuesday's semifinal get to stay in the hotel while they prepare for the July 7 final, which is also being played in Lyon.

"I think that's important to do your job," Ellis said. "So in terms of arrogance, I think that's got nothing to do with us. That's planning and preparation for our staff. So I think that's pretty normal."

However, Neville disagreed.

"We were training, I hope they enjoyed the hotel but it's not something we would do -- sending someone round to another team's hotel," Neville said. "But it's their problem.

"I am sure that Jill probably wouldn't have been happy with that arrangement. I wouldn't have been if that was my team ops person going round. I am sure they will be dealing with their own infrastructure within their own discipline problem."

Based on information provided by FIFA to the media, the Americans are staying at the less luxurious Residence Lyon Metropole, which is in the north of Lyon.

"I just thought, 'What are they doing?'" Neville said of the Americans. "It's not etiquette, really. It's not something I would allow from our organization."

The planning for the final hotel is the latest indication of self-assuredness from a team that saw U.S. defender Ali Krieger say it is the world's best team as well as the world's "second-best."

"It's important that our team has confidence," Ellis said. "I don't think in any way this is an arrogant team.

"I think this team knows that they've got to earn everything, that we've got tough opponents still ahead of us, and we have to earn every right to advance in this tournament."

- FIFA Women's World Cup: All you need to know
- Full Women's World Cup fixtures schedule

Meanwhile, U.S. goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher played down the incident.

"Just heard about that five minutes ago before coming in [to media]," she said in a news conference to preview the semifinal. "That, to be honest, has nothing to do with the game.

"Our managers, our operations, have scouted, checked out every hotel we've ever potentially stayed in to make sure we've got Plan A, Plan B, Plan C. It has nothing to do with the game.

"It's just our operations checking all the boxes and preparing us for whatever path we take."

Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku have complicated Manchester United's summer transfer plan. Two players manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was expecting to have in his squad next season are keen to leave Old Trafford. Pogba has declared his intention to find a "new challenge" amid interest from Real Madrid and Juventus, while Lukaku would be open to joining Antonio Conte at Inter Milan if the opportunity presents itself.

Sources have told ESPN FC that United do not want to sell Pogba, who has three years left on his contract and would command at least a £120 million transfer fee, and it would take a hefty bid of around £80 million from Inter to sign Lukaku.

But we also know that, according to ESPN FC's Mark Ogden, Solskjaer has been given just £100 million to strengthen his Manchester United squad this summer -- about £70m has already been spent on Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James -- with further spending likely to be dependent on money raised by player sales. If -- and it is a big if -- United sold both want-away stars this summer, Solskjaer could find himself with an extra £200 million to reshape his squad. So let's play director of football (as if United had one of those) and look at which players Solskjaer could splash the cash to get Manchester United back on track.

Christian Eriksen

Sources have told ESPN FC that United would explore the possibility of signing Eriksen if Pogba forced a move away. Eriksen, who has proved himself in the Premier League, has one year left on his contract, has made it clear he is open to leaving Tottenham this summer and, crucially, has the skill set to replace Pogba's creativity in midfield. The Frenchman scored 16 goals in all competitions last season and contributed nine assists in the league. His sale would cover the cost of Eriksen, who has also been linked with Real Madrid, but it would mean negotiating with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, which is never an easy process.

Bruno Fernandes

United are pursuing Bruno Fernandes regardless of what happens with Pogba, and sources have told ESPN FC that informal talks have already taken place in London. Last season, the Portugal international scored 31 times in 50 games for Sporting Lisbon -- numbers that will impress Solskjaer as he looks to add more goals from midfield. Sporting Lisbon are resigned to losing the 24-year-old this summer and, after Manchester City, Tottenham and Liverpool all distanced themselves from a move, United would be in pole position if they step up their interest.

Harry Kane

Lukaku wants to leave United because of fears he has slipped behind Marcus Rashford in the pecking order under Solskjaer. The manager has preferred Rashford as his central striker, using the 21-year-old's pace to stretch opposition defences. Lukaku is more static, but he has still been effective at Old Trafford, scoring 42 goals in 96 games. His goals would need to be replaced if Inter stump up the cash to buy him. The best candidate? Harry Kane. He has averaged nearly 25 league goals a season since 2014-15 and would be a dream signing for Solskjaer and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward. It would be near impossible to get the England captain out of Tottenham, but he is the type of signing United should be aiming for if they want start challenging for the Premier League title and the Champions League.

Paulo Dybala

United have followed Paulo Dybala since his Palermo days and registered tentative interest when he moved to Juventus in 2015. Sources have told ESPN FC that the Italian champions are open to the possibility of cashing in on the Argentinian this summer, although United's recruitment department are split on whether or not to pursue the player. The 25-year-old managed just five league goals alongside Cristiano Ronaldo last season, but without the Portuguese superstar the year before Dybala scored 22 in 33 league games. He can play up front or just behind a striker, offering Solskjaer a different option and some much needed creativity in and around the penalty area.

Nicolas Pepe

The winger is busy at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast, but sources have told ESPN FC that after the competition is over there is an expectation he will leave Lille. Nicolas Pepe is not a direct replacement for Pogba or Lukaku, but he can play on the right wing, a problem position at United since Louis van Gaal was in charge from 2014-16. United will face stiff competition from across Europe if they want to sign the 24-year-old, but as a goal-scoring winger with pace, he is the type of player Solskjaer likes.

A heavy midweek schedule and a full weekend slate combined to make Week 17 of the 2019 MLS season one of the wildest in recent memory.

The best team in the league lost to what used to be the worst team in the league; another team that used to be the worst team in the league (or in the running, at least), rolled a rival in front of a massive crowd; the league's current (and unchallenged) worst team gave up a touchdown worth of goals to heap misery on an already terrible season.

What does it mean? Almost everybody's moving and some teams that managed to win this week will actually go down as the rankings make room for the hotter teams jumping over them. The rankings do not care. The rankings do what the rankings must.

Previous rankings: Week 16 | Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1

1. LAFC (11 wins, 4 draws, 2 losses)

Previous ranking: 1

Next MLS match: July 3 at Sporting, 8:30 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+

Did anyone see that coming? LAFC were without several starters for a visit to Commerce City, but that didn't make them underdogs against the Rapids. It's a testament to the gap Bob Bradley's team has created at the top of the rankings that we're going to leave them right there despite the loss.

2. New York City FC (6-8-1)

Previous ranking: 3

Next MLS match: July 3 vs. Seattle, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Big things are happening in the Boogie Down Bronx. Valentin Castellanos' incredible day -- two penalties earned, two goals scored -- helped push NYCFC's unbeaten run to 11 games. After LAFC's loss in Colorado, the New York club is the only team in MLS with a single loss in the 2019 season.

3. Philadelphia Union (9-5-4)

Previous ranking: 2

Next MLS match: July 3 at Orlando, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Philly's four-game unbeaten run ended on the outfield grass at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, but the Union's grip on first-place remains -- for the moment. Jim Curtin has done an excellent coaching job to this point but the pack is closing in on his team and the summer will bring more than one kind of heat.

4. Atlanta United (9-2-6)

Previous ranking: 5

Next MLS match: July 3 at Chicago, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+

The loss in Toronto to a young, reserve-laden TFC was a bad look for Frank de Boer's team, but the rough trip was mostly forgotten thanks to Saturday's win at home over Montreal. If Pity Martinez isn't going to contribute goals from open play, the return of Justin Meram to the score sheet could be a big boost for Atlanta.

5. LA Galaxy (10-1-7)

Previous ranking: 4

Next MLS match: July 4 vs. Toronto, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+

The Quakes humbled the Galaxy at Stanford Stadium on Saturday night, a sign that the paradigm is shifting between the two ancient rivals. LA certainly missed Jonathan Dos Santos in midfield, but the lack of production from Zlatan Ibrahimovic is most troubling. The Galaxy look like a team that very much needs summer reinforcements.

6. FC Dallas (7-5-7)

Previous ranking: 6

Next MLS match: July 4 vs. DC United, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+

It was a story of missed chances for FC Dallas on the road in Portland on Sunday night in a loss that ended a one-point week for Luchi Gonzalez & Co. A brief surge, built on the back of two wins and two draws, renewed hope that the Texan club can ride its young talent to the playoffs this year.

7. San Jose Earthquakes (7-4-6)

Previous ranking: 14

Next MLS match: July 3 at Minnesota, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+

The Quakes didn't need a "statement game" necessarily, but Saturday's romp over the Galaxy in front of 50,000 at Stanford Stadium will get a few more people talking about how rapidly San Jose has improved in the past two months. Matias Almeyda's team is now in the playoff places and probably won't stop at fifth place for very long.

8. New York Red Bulls (8-3-6)

Previous ranking: 9

Next MLS match: July 3 at Houston, 9 p.m. ET

Two really good things happened for the Red Bulls on Friday night: They beat the Fire 3-1 and added three points towards playoff qualification, and Bradley Wright-Phillips returned to the field for the first time in two months. BWP wasn't quite at usual BWP levels, but the Englishman's return is a big boost as July arrives.

9. DC United (8-7-4)

Previous ranking: 8

Next MLS match: July 4 at FC Dallas, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+

United hasn't lost a game since mid-May, but the five-game unbeaten run (with four of them draws) is not the kind of streak worth celebrating. Wednesday's win over Orlando was important, if a bit lucky. As Saturday's draw with Toronto proved, there won't be Wayne Rooney golazos every time out.

10. Colorado Rapids (5-4-9)

Previous ranking: 18

Next MLS match: July 5 vs. New England, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+

The revival of the Rapids under Conor Casey is bordering on the ridiculous at this point. Colorado collected two points from their first 11 games and had a -14 goal differential through that period. With Casey at the helm the Rapids have 17 points from seven games with a +6 differential.

11. Montreal Impact (9-3-8)

Previous ranking: 10

Next MLS match: July 6 vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Orji Okwonkwo's twisting wondergoal stole the show in a Wednesday night home win over Portland. If you haven't seen it already, go watch it six or sixty times. It was the highlight of the week for Montreal, who dropped a result on the road in Atlanta on Saturday (but managed to score the first goal by a visiting team at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this year).

12. Seattle Sounders (8-5-4)

Previous ranking: 11

Next MLS match: July 3 at NYCFC, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+

The Sounders edged Vancouver 1-0 on Saturday to break a three-game losing streak. The result was big for Seattle, but the talk of the game was 16-year old Danny Leyva. In his first MLS start (while wearing No. 75), Leyva looked the part of a future star and nearly had an incredible debut goal before it was ruled out by VAR.

13. Houston Dynamo (7-3-6)

Previous ranking: 7

Next MLS match: July 3 vs. New York Red Bulls, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Adversity has hit Wilmer Cabrera's team, now winless in five as it suffered two road defeats this week. To be fair, it was an insane run of three road matches for the Dynamo following the Gold Cup break. In seven days, Houston played in Portland, San Jose, and New England ahead of another midweek game (at home) Wednesday vs. RBNY.

14. New England Revolution (5-5-8)

Previous ranking: 19

Next MLS match: July 4 at Colorado, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+

There was a time, not that long ago, that the Revs might not have taken care of business against a wounded team like the Dynamo, even at home. Times have changed. Teal Bunbury's late goal against Houston, combined with Wednesday's draw with Philly, have New England on a six-game unbeaten run.

15. Portland Timbers (6-2-8)

Previous ranking: 15

Next MLS match: July 7 at NYCFC, 6:30 p.m. ET

After punting on a trip to Montreal amid a heavy schedule in midweek and suffering a 2-1 loss, the Timbers scored a home victory over FC Dallas on Sunday night. Brian Fernandez is now a record-holder: The Argentine forward who joined from Necaxa is the first player ever to score in his first five MLS games.

16. Minnesota United (7-3-7)

Previous ranking: 16

Next MLS match: July 3 vs. San Jose, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+

18-23-30-43-70-75-87. It reads like some sort of Cold War cipher, but it's actually the minutes of the seven (7!) goals Minnesota United scored against FC Cincinnati on Saturday in St. Paul. The Loons put on a show in a game that had to be a win for their playoff chances.

17. Orlando City (6-3-8)

Previous ranking: 12

Next MLS match: July 3 vs. Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

The Lions bounced back from a loss in DC on Wednesday with a win in Columbus on Saturday, the third time in a row they've followed up a loss with a victory. Breaking that pattern -- meaning winning a second in-a-row and starting the club's first winning streak of the year -- means beating first-place Philadelphia in Orlando on Wednesday night.

18. Real Salt Lake (7-2-8)

Previous ranking: 18

Next MLS match: July 3 vs. Columbus, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+

RSL secured an important home win against Kansas City on Saturday, riding two Sam Johnson goals to the three points. Those were Johnson's sixth and seventh goals of the season, a decent first-half return for the winter DP signing. Johnson's acclimation to MLS was rocky but as long as he's scoring, Mike Petke won't complain.

19. Vancouver Whitecaps (4-8-7)

Previous ranking: 18

Next MLS match: July 6 at LAFC, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

The 'Caps stole a point on the road in Frisco on Wednesday, then put up a mediocre performance against the Sounders in Seattle on Saturday night. The loss to the Sounders ended a six-game unbeaten run that was more of a "not-winning much" run. Vancouver picked up just eight points from six games and failed to move off ninth place in the West.

20. Toronto FC (6-5-7)

Previous ranking: 20

Next MLS match: July 4 at LA Galaxy, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Everyone in MLS has had their fair share of run-ins with VAR this season, but this was a particularly VAR-tastic week for the Reds. VAR gaveth (in the form of late penalty to push TFC past Atlanta on Wednesday) and VAR taketh away (via a late penalty for DC United which robbed Toronto of two points in Washington.)

21. Sporting Kansas City (4-7-5)

Previous ranking: 21

Next MLS match: July 3 vs. LAFC, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

It was fitting, considering the season that Sporting is having, that Benny Feilhaber entered Sporting's 2-0 loss to Real Salt Lake already carrying a yellow card (for dissent, earned by trying to convince the ref to give a RSL a booking from the sideline). Like Feilhaber, SKC has been playing with no margin for error for months.

22. Chicago Fire (4-7-7)

Previous ranking: 22

Next MLS match: July 3 vs. Atlanta, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+

"Play well and lose" is not exactly a rallying cry, but it does seem to be the best way to describe the Chicago Fire quite often. The Fire controlled much of their match against the Red Bulls in New Jersey on Saturday, but still bumbled their way to a defeat. Rough stuff.

23. Columbus Crew (5-2-11)

Previous ranking: 23

Next MLS match: July 3 at Real Salt Lake, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Our completely-made-up-but-totally-plausible polling data shows 97% of Columbus Crew fans and 100% of Columbus Crew head coaches would like the Gold Cup to just end early already.

24. FC Cincinnati (3-2-13)

Previous ranking: 24

Next MLS match: July 6 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+

Someone said something about "progress" re: FC Cincinnati last week, but we can't remember who it was. Pretty sure it wasn't us. Nope. *puts fingers in ears and yells "LA LA LA"*

Stephen Fleming, the former New Zealand captain and multiple IPL-winning coach, looks set to be named as head coach of the Nottingham-based The Hundred side, Trent Rockets.

Fleming enjoyed a long association as a player with Nottinghamshire and has subsequently forged a successful career as a coach. As well as leading New Zealand to their only global tournament success at the 2000 Champions Trophy, he was captain of sides which won Test series in India, England, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Caribbean. As coach he was worked in the IPL, winning the competition with Chennai Super Kings three times, and BBL, and is understood to have recently confirmed that he has no interest in the England coaching position.

Fleming's likely appointment follows news that Andrew McDonald and Mahela Jayawardene are set to be named as head coaches of Birmingham Phoenix and Southern Brave respectively. Daniel Vettori and Shane Bond are set to be named as their deputies. Shane Warne has been linked with London Spirit - the team based at Lord's - while the Telegraph has reported that Ricky Ponting is favourite to coach the team based at The Oval. It is also understood that Vikram Solanki will be involved in that coaching set-up.

While many teams in The Hundred look set to name overseas coaching duos, Trent Rockets are keen to ensure the remainder of the team is staffed by coaches already involved with the county clubs - Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire - behind the new identify.

"Fleming has expressed an interest and we have spoken to him," Mick Newell, director of cricket at Nottinghamshire, confirmed. "We want all the other coaches to come from this area. We think that's the right model for this competition."

Although many of these deals are agreed in principle, contracts are not yet signed as the counties are still in the process of negotiation their agreements with the ECB.

Dale Steyn has joined a growing list of current and former international players to sign up for the Euro T20 Slam, the first edition of which will start August 30. Steyn has been designated a 'marquee' player.

BREAKING: @DaleSteyn62 joins the #EuroT20Slam as a Marquee Player #ET20S pic.twitter.com/NRnt3ugGAZ

— Euro T20 Slam (@et20s) July 1, 2019

The Euro T20 Slam will have six franchises, two each based in Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland, and the three countries will jointly hosting the tournament.

Shortly after the competition was announced, six cricketers were designated as icon/marquee players by the league: Shahid Afridi, Chris Lynn, Shane Watson, Babar Azam, Brendon McCullum and Luke Ronchi.

Whether that list will be updated or not remains to be seen, seeing that several big names have signed up since then, including Eoin Morgan, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir and Rashid Khan, as well as Steyn, and some more high-profile signings are expected. While some of these cricketers are active, Duminy and Tahir have announced that the 2019 World Cup will mark the end of their ODI careers.

Steyn, in the evening of an outstanding career, made an international comeback last season after a sustained injury-enforced absence from the game, and had to deal with a fresh injury when he was forced to pull out of South Africa's World Cup 2019 campaign without playing a game.

On his comeback, Steyn became South Africa's highest ever wicket-taker in Test matches. He was later picked up as a replacement for Nathan Coulter-Nile at Royal Challengers Bangalore for IPL 2019, but had to withdraw after two matches - in which he bowled with pace and hostility - with his shoulder flaring up.

Has MS Dhoni, India's most senior player, made an impact this World Cup? Depends on who you ask.

Outside the Indian dressing room, the verdict is largely against Dhoni. Within it, there is only support for him. India captain Virat Kohli has made it clear he sees it as a non-issue whenever he's been asked about it. On Monday it was the turn of Sanjay Bangar, India's assistant coach, to dismiss questions over Dhoni's batting and its perceived lack of intent.

Bangar's belief in Dhoni, he says, is based on his numbers. What do those numbers say, though?

So far at the World Cup, Dhoni's scores are 34 (46 balls), 27 (14), 1 (2), 28 (52), 56* (61) and 42* (31). His strike rate of 91.26 puts him 10th among the 19 batsmen who have faced more than 100 balls at Nos. 5 to 7*. Above him are some of the best performers of the tournament so far, including Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Colin de Grandhomme, Alex Carey and Haris Sohail. Dhoni's strike rate isn't in the same league as Buttler's (128.98) or de Grandhomme's (112.31), but it isn't a whole lot worse than Stokes' (97.82) or Haris' (95.83).

The biggest criticism of Dhoni has been how many dot balls he's eaten up. Of the 206 balls he has faced so far, he has failed to score off 95, or 46.12%, which again puts him in tenth place among those 19 batsmen. Tenth out of 19 on both counts: bang in the middle, largely inconclusive, just like the debate over his batting.

But what about his approach against England? He made 42 not out off 31, so it wasn't a sluggish innings on the surface, but set it against the task India had when he walked in (they needed 112 off 65 balls) and especially after Hardik Pandya's dismissal (71 off 31), and his approach could be seen as questionable. Despite India having five wickets in hand, Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav kept taking singles, even as the asking rate multiplied, and by the time the final over began they needed an impossible 44 runs.

Dhoni and Jadhav had been involved in a grinding partnership against Afghanistan. Against England, the sight of the same pair seemingly settling for a reduced margin of defeat perplexed plenty of watchers, including the TV commentators.

Bangar wasn't perplexed, though.

"I felt MS was striking the ball really well," Bangar said during the mixed zone on Sunday. "He had good intent. It is just that the English bowlers stuck to their task really well: they used the angles, and used the large boundaries to their advantage. When they were bowling to the shorter side of the boundary they were bowling a pretty good line.

"I didn't really find anything wrong in MS' innings. He was batting beautifully. He struck a few big blows. It is just that in the last 4-5 overs the difference between runs required and balls left just kept creeping up."

According to Bangar, Dhoni had done his job in five out of seven games. Given that he has only once failed to get a start - against Pakistan - the other not-so-good performance may have been the one against Afghanistan: Dhoni's 28 consumed 52 balls, and the bowlers, led by Mohammed Shami, made sure India didn't suffer one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.

"Except for one-odd innings, he [Dhoni] has done the role," Bangar said. "We have already played seven games now? Five times out of those seven games he has done the role or the job for the team. In the South Africa game he stitched together a partnership of 70 [74] with Rohit [Sharma]. After that what was required of him to go out there and accelerate against Australia, he did that. In Manchester, on a difficult track [against West Indies], he got a vital 58 [56*] for us.

"Here also (against England) he was striking the ball really well. So I'm surprised that this question continues to come up every now and then. He is doing the job for the team and overall we are very happy with the intent that he is batting with."

As was the case with his innings at Lord's last year - when he made 37 off 59 when India were chasing 323 - Dhoni's knocks against Afghanistan and England have made his ODI batting approach a subject of intense debate. In his defence, India had one eye on their net run rate, and given that they were playing a long tail at Edgbaston, he may not have wanted to risk the team getting bowled out.

But the chances of India going out on net run rate are slim, so there was a feeling that Dhoni and Jadhav could have chanced their arm a little more.

Bangar disagreed that it was a case of the pair not showing enough intent, and instead credited England's bowlers for tying the batsmen down.

"I don't think so," Bangar said, when the intent question was posed to him, "because if you look at the way the English bowlers bowled towards the end, they used the dimensions [of the ground] really well and they created difficult angles for our batsmen to hit. And with those large boundaries and the type of balls they were bowling - slower bouncers and a lot of into-the-wicket deliveries, slower balls [it was difficult to score].

"Maybe in the last one or two overs the difference between runs required and the balls left was a bit too much. We just felt that right up to the 47th, 48th over, had we tried bigger shots earlier, we might have probably been a few runs short. It also helps the NRR a bit, those extra runs."

*Stats updated up to the England-India match

Sri Lanka 338 for 6 (Avishka 104, Kusal Perera 64, Thirimanne 54*, Holder 2-59) beat West Indies 315 for 9 (Pooran 118, Allen 51, Malinga 3-55) by 23 runs

As it happened

It's around this time in a World Cup that teams whose campaigns haven't turned out too well start to consider the future, and how to move forward. With both Sri Lanka and West Indies out of contention for further honours here, it was left to two of the brightest young talents in each team to light up the dead rubber, and provide a little hope that the next time might not be so bad.

Avishka Fernando, all of 21, scored his maiden international hundred to set up Sri Lanka's 338 for 6 - by far their highest total of the tournament - and Nicholas Pooran, three months shy of his 24th birthday, responded with 118 - his first international century too - to threaten a remarkable comeback in what would have been the highest chase at a World Cup. Foreshadowing what could be a brighter future for both Sri Lanka and West Indies, this was the first time in World Cup history that two men under the age of 25 scored hundreds in the same match.

Watch on Hotstar (India only): Highlights of Sri Lanka's win over West Indies

Not to be outshone by the youngsters, Angelo Mathews was airdropped in to bowl the 48th over of the chase, having not bowled a single ball previously in this World Cup or, indeed, in any ODI since December 2017.

In what was possibly the most left field moment of what has been an up-and-down tournament for Sri Lanka, Mathews, gammy hamstring and all, came on to bowl with West Indies needing 31 from three overs, and a marauding Pooran on strike. His first ball was sprayed full and very wide, but Pooran flung his hands wildly at it and edged it through to Kusal Perera behind the stumps.

Having not bowled for a year and a half, Mathews' very first ball won Sri Lanka the match, dismissing Pooran and turning a back-and-forth contest decisively Sri Lanka's way before Lasith Malinga returned to mop up a 23-run win. A match where the result really didn't matter might have meandered into a meaningless snoozefest, but the two young centurions, along with Fabian Allen, who scored an enterprising fifty, provided rich entertainment for fans of both sides and made for an absorbing afternoon's cricket. There were 653 runs scored and all three results very much a possibility until the very end, which is about as much as one could ask for from a dead rubber.

When West Indies slipped to 145 for 5 with the required rate nudging over eight an over in the afternoon, such a close finish seemed highly unlikely. But West Indies clawed their way out of a worse position than this, and very nearly pulled off a win, against New Zealand just over a week ago, and once again they gave an indication that, although they're not yet a team who knows how to always win, they're also not one that knows when they're beat.

Against New Zealand, it was Carlos Brathwaite who had sparked the revival, but today he was very much the junior partner in a 54-run stand that kept West Indies ticking even after an inconsistent Jeffrey Vandersay had burgled Jason Holder's wicket for 26 to put West Indies five down and Sri Lanka on top. Brathwaite managed just eight runs to Pooran's 39 in the partnership before he was run out very unluckily via a Pooran straight drive and the very tip of Udana's finger, and it seemed everything would now depend on Pooran.

But Allen, who has two First Class hundreds and a growing reputation as a finisher in T20 cricket, showed he is no slouch either, bursting out of the blocks with two crisp leg-side boundaries in Malinga's second spell. Driving and pulling the Sri Lankan quicks with disdain, he seized the initiative, and very nearly the match, before a mix-up saw him run out with six overs to go.

Pooran brought up his ton off the very next ball, keeping West Indies in the hunt by chipping Malinga over Thisara Perera's head at long off and then clubbing Udana cleanly to the midwicket boundary. Then came Mathews gobsmacking, match-winning return to allrounder status.

Mathews only scored 26 runs to go with his vital 1 for 6, but Avishka found multiple capable partners in what was altogether the most convincing performance from Sri Lanka's middle order all tournament. Building upon the 91-run opening stand and Kusal Perera's bruising 64, Avishka cobbled together stands of 85, 58 and 67 with Kusal Mendis, Mathews and Lahiru Thirimanne to set up the innings.

On a pitch that Avishka himself called "two paced", it was generally the fuller length deliveries that caused trouble, with cutters and changes of pace also bringing streakiness into the batting. There was also something in it for the spinners, and Allen pulled off what is a strong nomination for the catch of the tournament as he flew to his right to cling on to a stinging return chance to get rid of Mendis.

And so Avishka didn't have it all his own way, and survived a West Indies review off the second ball he faced, Holder troubling his front pad. Gradually, he found his groove off the front foot. And when West Indies dropped short, he was ready and waiting for them.

Sri Lanka's batting training in the lead-up to this game included specific drills against the short ball, and the hard work paid off particularly well for Avishka. A full 29 of his 104 runs came towards midwicket, and 21 of those - two huge sixes and a four off Sheldon Cottrell and Oshane Thomas bouncers - came from pull shots. On a slow pitch, the conditions took the sting out of West Indies' short balls, but Avishka was also clearly prepared.

In response, the general feeling seemed to be that West Indies needed a Chris Gayle special up front if they were to mount a challenge at a record chase. He never really got going, top-edging Kasun Rajitha to fall for a 48-ball 35, and instead of their old veteran, it was left to West Indies' young tyros to match Avishka's effort and balance out the game.

Ireland 258 for 6 (Balbirnie 101, Stirling 57) beat Zimbabwe 254 for 9 (Ervine 105, Adair 4-73) by four wickets

Andy Balbirnie's fifth ODI hundred set up a successful chase as Ireland beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in the first encounter of their three-match series. Balbirnie fell with 26 still needed but Mark Adair, who had earlier claimed 4 for 73, struck 21 from 13 balls to seal victory with an over and a half to spare.

Zimbabwe's 254 for 9 had been built around a century from Craig Ervine, but he received little support from the rest of the top order and it took an unbeaten 49 from 42 balls by No. 8 Ryan Burl to get them up to a competitive total.

"Zimbabwe are a good team but I thought the Zimbabwe score was about par or a bit below, as the outfield was very quick and it was as good a wicket as I've played on here," Balbirnie said. "I think looking ahead we can learn from last series against Afghanistan when we went one up and then we didn't perform in the second. We'll be desperate to train well and put in another good performance in the next ODI."

Morning rain had led to a delayed start, and Adair then struck twice in the opening Powerplay to send back both Zimbabwe openers. Brendan Taylor became the maiden ODI wicket for debutant Shane Getkate, leaving Zimbabwe 49 for 3 in the 14th over.

Ervine found a partner in Sean Williams to post a 55-run stand, before Getkate struck again. Neither Sikandar Raza nor PJ Moor stuck around for long, and after Ervine fell for 105 - his third ODI ton - Zimbabwe were 210 for 7 and in need of some impetus from Burl, who cracked three fours and four sixes to end the innings with a flourish.

In response, Paul Stirling and Balbirnie fashioned a century stand for the second wicket, after Kyle Jarvis had removed James McCollum in the ninth over. Stirling struck eight fours in registering his fifth consecutive ODI half-century, only for his dismissal to give Zimbabwe an opening, as Tendai Chatara claimed three wickets in as many overs to leave Ireland 150 for 4.

Lorcan Tucker, in his third ODI and having taken the gloves for the first time, steadied the hosts by helping Balbirnie add another 64 runs. But there was more drama when Jarvis removed Tucker on the hook and then Balbirnie ran himself out three overs later.

However, with 26 required from 28 balls, Adair and Getkate did their bit with the bat to ensure that Ireland would get home and take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Free-agent guard Austin Rivers has agreed to a two-year deal to return to the Houston Rockets, a league source told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Rivers' deal includes a player option for the second year, according to the source.

Rivers has bounced around the league since New Orleans made him the 10th overall pick in the 2012 draft. 

He started the 2018-19 season with Washington, was traded to Phoenix in December, was put on waivers by the Suns and then was claimed by a Rockets team trying to fill the void left by an injured Chris Paul. 

Rivers excelled in a starting role for Houston (11.6 points per game in 13 starts) before Paul returned in late January from a 17-game absence because of a hamstring injury.

Rivers' usage took a hit when he returned to the Houston bench, but he brought value as a reserve with both his energy and his ability to create his own shot. And in the postseason, he was a force from 3-point range, shooting 45.7% from deep and making an average of 1.6 treys inthe Rockets' 10 playoff games. 

Rivers, who will turn 27 on Aug. 1, holds a career average of 9.2 points on 41.7% shooting from the field and 34.7% shooting from 3-point range in 24.6 minutes per game.