Hasaranga may only be risked if Sri Lanka feel they need him on Tuesday

Andrew Fidel Fernando20-Jun-2022Kusal Mendis is available for the fourth ODI against Australia on Tuesday, but Danushka Gunathilaka appears unlikely to play, while Wanindu Hasaranga may only be risked if Sri Lanka feel they need him.Mendis retired hurt on 87 off 85 balls in Sri Lanka’s win on Sunday, having put on a match-defining 170-run stand with centurion Pathum Nissanka. But he left the field because of “neuromuscular cramps,” SLC’s chief medical officer Dr Daminda Attanayake told ESPNcricinfo, and as such, will be fit for Tuesday. Nissanka, who was also seen receiving treatment during the course of his innings but continued batting until he was dismissed for 137, is fine as well.Gunathilaka, who missed Sunday’s match with a grade 1 hamstring strain, seems unlikely to be available though, according to Attanayake. Although she described Gunathilaka’s as a “very minor injury”, the original prognosis had been that Gunathilaka would miss this series, in order to ensure his availability for the Lanka Premier League and the Asia Cup coming up.But there is still an outside chance he could play. “The team physio and doctor will continue to assess him to see if he can be fit, but right now he is out,” Attanayake said. Gunathilaka is set to undergo a fitness test on Tuesday, before the match.Hasaranga meanwhile has a “really good prognosis” and his “symptoms are getting better,” Attanayake said, but may only be risked if Sri Lanka really feel they need him. With the hosts now 2-1 up in the series, and both legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay and left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage having bowled well in the two previous games, Sri Lanka may just choose to give their premier spinner an extra game off.The last two ODIs are set to be played in Colombo on Tuesday and then Friday.

Irshad’s yorkers put Islamabad in trouble before Azam, Faheem and Dawson closed out the chase

Danyal Rasool24-Feb-2022Islamabad United were bruised, battered, and depleted, but like their opener Alex Hales, they returned with a bang, securing a spot in the second Eliminator. In a humdinger of a contest where momentum swayed back and forth, United sneaked home with three balls to go, eliminating Peshawar Zalmi.It was the returning Hales who spearheaded the win, punishing Zalmi dearly for reprieving him on multiple occasions, top-scoring with 62 off 49. Defending 170, Zalmi kept pegging United back with tight overs and occasional wickets, but the power-hitting depth of United won out in the end. Cameos from Azam Khan and Faheem Ashraf, followed by a six and a four from Liam Dawson off the only two balls he faced ensured United stayed alive in a pulsating contest.United’s inherent advantage lies in the number of players they have who can hit the ball a long way, and so even as the asking rate crept above 10, they always seemed to hold the slight edge. The patchiness of Zalmi’s bowling didn’t quite help, with brilliant deliveries and overs followed up by ordinary ones. Salman Irshad was sensational, particularly in the middle overs when two searing yorkers got rid of Hales and Asif Ali. Conversely, skipper Wahab Riaz endured a horror night, spanked for 52 in four crucial overs that allowed United to squeeze ever closer to their target.With the outcome on a knife’s edge until the last delivery, each side could reflect on key passages won and lost. For Zalmi, Mohammad Haris didn’t find his timing early on, and threw his wicket away, and while Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal rebuilt, the run rate never quite had United worried.Asif Ali is cleaned up by a slower yorker from Salman Irshad•AFP/Getty ImagesThe returning Shadab Khan bowled a sensational first three overs, prising Akmal out just as he began to threaten. It wasn’t until the final five overs that Zalmi properly pushed the pedal, realising perhaps that they were well off the pace. Twenty-one came off the final Shadab over and 62 off the final five as Malik brought up a half-century and Hussain Talat struck 28 off 15.Zalmi might also look back on the chance to remove Hales for a duck off the fifth ball of the chase when Haris missed a colossal stumping chance off mystery spinner Ali Majid. The luckless Majid manufactured another opportunity against the Englishman in the third over, only for Khalid Usman at extra-cover to put it down. Zalmi were tempting fate, and slowly finding theirs was being taken out of their own hands.Aside from that drop, Usman had a near-spotless day, his four-over spell the most economical of the game. Bowling out his quota in the first ten, he had United reined in, allowing just 17 runs and cleaning up opener Will Jacks. When Irshad removed Shadab Khan, the asking rate was creeping up to 10, though United’s repository of power hitters meant it wasn’t a huge problem just yet.Irshad was spectacular through the middle, plugging some of the damage Hales and Azam Khan were inflicting on Wahab Riaz at the other end. But despite three crucial wickets, the presence of Azam and Faheem continued to signal danger for Zalmi, and when the bowlers missed their lengths, they were punished with huge sixes. That kept the game in a holding pattern of sorts right down to the final over, which began with United needing ten. Azam’s dismissal off the first ball was followed, in true United fashion, by Dawson whacking his first two balls for ten.As Wahab Riaz’s dream ended, the veteran Pakistan bowler collapsed to his knees, unable to stem the tears. The contrast of emotions with a jubilant United side, somehow still alive in a tournament where fate was almost conspiring to kill them off, was both jarring and touching. It was a game full of flaws from both sides, but that almost made it perfect.

Captain Aaron Finch predicts the future is bright for Nathan Ellis and Josh Inglis after the inexperienced pair played a vital role in Australia’s one-off T20 international win against Pakistan in Lahore.Australia were missing David Warner, Mitch Marsh, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc from the side that won the T20 World Cup, as well as regular squad members Kane Richardson and Jhye Richardson, who both played in Australia’s last T20I series against Sri Lanka.But the inexperienced side, that featured three T20I debutants in Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green and Ben Dwarshuis, got the better of Pakistan by three wickets.Green and Ellis wrestled the game back in Australia’s favour taking 6 for 44 between them after Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan plundered 63 runs in the first seven overs without loss.Ellis took career-best figures of 4 for 28 in just his third T20I, with Finch predicting he has a bright future at the international level.”He’s someone who brings an unbelievable attitude, an unbelievable work ethic to games and training,” Finch said.”His energy, his intensity, his ability to learn really quickly, whether it be with the new ball, old ball, talking to experienced players, coaches, he’s just got an amazing attitude that he brings to the table.”And he’s someone that the boys love playing with.”When he turns up, he’s just got an infectious attitude that he brings and he’s just one of [those] guys that will have a super future because he’s prepared to challenge himself each and every day, which is a great sign, especially from a guy who hasn’t had a huge amount of international experience.”Related

• McDonald backs Finch to regain form heading towards T20 World Cup

Inglis kept wicket for the first time in T20I cricket having played his previous five games as a batter. He made a valuable 24 off 15 batting at No.3, which was made even more impressive by the fact that he carried the drinks throughout the Test series and then missed the entire ODI series because of a Covid-19 positive test that forced him to isolate in his hotel room.”He’s been fantastic,” Finch said of Inglis. “Nothing seems to faze him. The attitude that he brings out in the middle is brilliant. It’s good fun batting with him. He’s somebody who again takes in so much information and his ability to walk out of a hotel room after seven days of isolation and start off really well was outstanding.”And he’s just someone again, like Nathan Ellis, the guys love being around and love having him in squads. He’s a super player. He’s got so much talent as well. So yeah, I’ve been really impressed with Josh.”Aaron Finch acknowledges his half-century•AFP/Getty Images

Finch himself made a nice return to form scoring 55 off 45 balls to guide Australia home in the chase. Finch had gone 16 international innings without a half-century, including 13 T20Is, and had posted nine single-figure scores in that period culminating in back-to-back ducks to finish the recent ODI series. Coach Andrew McDonald had backed the skipper to come good 24 hours earlier and Finch repaid the faith.Finch used his feet to advance at the quicks early in his innings but then settled into a different set-up thereafter, keeping his left leg planted well outside leg stump to avoid getting trapped lbw.”It’s something that I tend to do,” Finch said. “It’s after my initial eight to 10 balls, when you start to get a bit more of a rhythm that I tend to go to that one. Especially, when guys are angling in and attacking the stumps quite a bit more on low bouncing wickets in particular.”I should have gone to it earlier, shouldn’t I.”But it’s just one of those things. I mean, you get knocked over early. Today the wicket played really nicely against the new ball. There probably wasn’t quite as much swing initially. So, yeah, slight tinkering with technique, but that’s nothing uncommon.”

Stats highlights from the third day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Christchurch

Bishen Jeswant28-Dec-2014Most runs in a calendar year |Create infographics152 Dimuth Karunaratne’s score, the highest by a Sri Lankan batsman when following on. It’s the fifth best by a Sri Lankan opener in Tests outside Asia and Zimbabwe, and the highest in the second innings in these matches.7 The number of Sri Lankan batsmen who have scored hundreds when the team has followed on. Two of the previous six helped draw the game: Sanjeeva Ranatunga’s 100 not out saved the Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo in 1994, while Mahela Jayawardene’s 119 saved the Test against England at Lord’s in 2006. The only other opener among these seven is Russel Arnold, against England at Old Trafford in 2002.3 The number of Sri Lankan openers with hundreds in New Zealand. The two others are Marvan Atapattu in Napier in 2005, and Asanka Gurusinha in Dunedin in 1995. Both were dismissed for 127.85 Karunaratne’s previous highest Test score, against Australia in Sydney last year.125 Overs that Sri Lanka have played in their second innings, which is already their second best in the 19 matches when they have followed on. Their highest is 199 overs, against England at Lord’s in 2006.2813* Runs scored by Kumar Sangakkara across formats in 2014 (only matches that started in 2014), the second most in a year after the 2833 that Ricky Ponting scored in 2005. Sangakkara needed 28 runs in this Test to go past Ponting’s record, but managed only 1 and 6 in his two innings. Sangakkara has been dismissed in both innings of a Test for 28 runs or fewer only 10 times in his 129 Test career.28 Runs scored by Sangakkara in his last five Test innings against New Zealand. His scores read 5, 0, 16, 6 and 1. In his last five innings against other teams, Sangakkara has scored 395 runs, with scores of 72, 221, 21, 22 and 59.4 Number of Sri Lankan batsman who have followed up a first-innings duck with a second-innings hundred. Apart from Karunaratne, who achieved this in the current Test, Mahela Jayawardene, Aravinda de Silva and Sangakkara are the other Sri Lankans to do this. In all, ten Sri Lankans have scored a century and a duck in the same Test.4 The number of New Zealand bowlers who have taken 30-plus Test wickets in successive calendar years. Trent Boult has done this in 2013 and 2014. The other New Zealand bowlers to achieve this are Iain O’Brien, Richard Hadlee and Chris Martin.

Wrexham have reportedly won the race to sign Wrexham striker Sam Smith and should sign before the winter transfer window shuts.

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Wrexham target January signingsSet to win race for Reading striker'Multi-million pound' transferFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to the Reading Chronicle, Smith has opted to make the move to Wrexham in what will be a 'multi-million pound fee'. The report adds he should sign for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's League One promotion chasers before the window shuts on February 3.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has called on the club's owners to make more signings to boost their hopes of securing a third-straight promotion and now they are set to secure a forward who is a proven scorer at this level.

DID YOU KNOW?

Smith, 26, has hit double figures in League One for three seasons in a row, the most recent of which was at Reading and the two campaigns prior to that were for Cambridge United.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Third-placed Wrexham are next in League One action on Saturday away to relegation-threatened Crawley Town. It remains to be seen if Smith will be a Wrexham player by then.

Liverpool have had a near-perfect start to life under Arne Slot. Though there was plenty to like from the 5-1 victory over West Ham United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, Wolverhampton Wanderers will present a different test.

Meeting the Old Gold at Molineux this evening, Liverpool could rise into first place in the Premier League with a win, though that hinges on Manchester City dropping points at St. James’ Park this afternoon.

Slot’s attack is firing on all cylinders. Liverpool have the sharpness up top to do great things this year, but Wolves are resilient and cohesive and will look to capitalise on a slow start through players like Matheus Cunha and Jørgen Strand Larsen.

Mohamed Salah

7 (6)

4

4

Luis Diaz

6 (5)

5

1

Diogo Jota

6 (5)

3

1

Cody Gakpo

7 (2)

2

1

Darwin Nunez

6 (2)

1

1

Federico Chiesa

3 (1)

0

1

Wolves are bottom of the pile, however, with one draw and four losses from five matches and the joint-worst defensive record in the division. Liverpool will be confident that they can get the job done.

Liverpool team news

Slot has confirmed that Alisson Becker “is ready to play” after the distinguished shot-stopped missed the past three matches in all competitions with a hamstring issue.

Harvey Elliott continues his rehabilitation from a fractured foot suffered on international duty with England U21s earlier this month, but Liverpool have a pretty clean bill of health.

Wolves have potentially lost centre-back Yerson Mosquera for the campaign after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament, whereas fellow defender Toti Gomes missed last week’s defeat against Aston Villa and faces a race to return to the line-up.

Darwin Nunez has scored and assisted across his past two games – the Uruguayan’s first starts of the season – but should be dropped for this one, here’s why.

Why Slot should drop Darwin Nunez

It’s been something of a rocky road for Nunez since moving to Liverpool in a deal rising to a club-record £85m fee in 2022. The 25-year-old striker is explosive and dynamic but also frustratingly wasteful in front of goal, scoring 21 Premier League goals in total but also missing 47 big chances.

Slot has tempered his wild side, to be sure, having narrowed the forward’s stylistic approach in scope. Fewer dribbles, less chaos, more work on positioning and spatial awareness, getting into promising positions and striking true.

Jurgen Klopp once called Nunez “unstoppable” when at his best, and though he hasn’t actually reached that level with the consistency desired, there have been promising signs across the past few matches. That said, while he placed an assist against West Ham, there was plenty to be desired from his performance.

Minutes played

90′

Goals

0

Assists

1

Touches

27

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

13/15 (87%)

Key passes

1

Dribbles (completed)

0 (0)

Tackles

4

Total duels (won)

12 (5)

This actually means that he took fewer touches than his goalkeeper, Caoimhin Kelleher (who took 32) despite playing the full 90 minutes. He might have made some good movements off the ball, worked hard in defence, but didn’t do enough with the opportunities presented to him.

90min felt that he hadn’t done quite enough, handing him only a 5/10 match rating and writing that he ‘struggled to get into the game’. It might be better to use him as a second-half option against Wolves, continuing the rotation that is enabled by such a vibrant and deep frontline.

Nunez also happens to be a brilliant option to unleash in the later phase of a match, which could be key against a Wolves side that has suffered from falling to late-stage strikes.

80 – 90+

5

70 – 79

3

60 – 69

1

45 – 59

2

30 – 45+

2

20 – 29

1

10 – 19

2

0 – 9

1

As you can see, Wolves have suffered from shipping goals late, burning out. Liverpool, conversely, have let in a goal only once beyond the 70th minute across all competitions this season, so a fast start from the visitors will make a telling comment on which way the pendulum will swing.

Should Nunez be dropped, it’s imperative that Luis Diaz is unleashed in his stead, shifting onto the left flank, of course.

Luis Diaz could be the difference-maker

Diaz has been a revelation for the Reds this season. Refer to the first table from earlier, and you will see that he’s already scored five goals this season, with just five appearances in the Premier League too.

This is a remarkable start from a player who, talented, yes, wasn’t exactly the most prolific of players last season, bagging 13 goals and five assists from 53 games across all competitions for Liverpool.

He’s also highly technical, ranking among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 10% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

The Colombia star – whose international efforts of late, four goals and two assists in 2024, have added to the rise – is becoming a potent force for Liverpool, and though there’s a long road to travel before he proves that his level has transcended that of a ‘purple patch’.

Described as a “livewire” by journalist Peter Hall in the past, Diaz’s clinical shooting and effective playmaking and dribbling hints toward a new version of this maverick Redman. Against the Cherries, his two-goal display earned him a 9/10 match score from the Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle.

He was rested for the midweek fixture, whereas Nunez played the full contest, so it’s obvious that Slot wants to hand him a starting berth for the sixth successive time in the English top flight, but with Diogo Jota playing an hour against Bournemouth last weekend and the same again against the Irons, he will be rested and ready to take on Molineux.

That plays into the fact that Nunez will have a chance to shine later today, and who knows, given Wolves’ proneness to late concessions, he may still send the travelling Merseysiders into rapture.

Worth as much as Alisson: Liverpool star's value has risen 261% since exit

He’s been the cause of defeat for the Reds since leaving…

1 ByAngus Sinclair Sep 27, 2024

The negativity that engulfed Stamford Bridge last season has dissipated. Chelsea are not flawless, but under Enzo Maresca, there is a new-found sense of promise, a feeling that the woes of recent years have been hurdled over.

The 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest at home before the October international break – snapping a three-match winning run in the Premier League – was evidence that there is plenty of work to be done, but Chelsea still have a foot in the top four and one of the most talented frontlines on the continent besides.

Cole Palmer continues to sparkle, with pundit Jamie Carragher hailing the 22-year-old as “the best player in the Premier League”, though he is now joined by a wonderful array of quality, with fresh faces joined by the much-improved Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke.

That said, not everyone is on the up, with Mykhailo Mudryk still flattering to deceive. It would seem that the Blues are already considering moving for an upgrade.

Chelsea transfer news

As per recent reports, Chelsea are interested in bringing Muhammed Kudus to Stamford Bridge, though are also joined by Arsenal in keeping tabs on the West Ham United winger.

The Ghana international was on multiple clubs’ radar this summer but Chelsea might find that they are able to make their move in 2025, especially if Maresca and co decide to cut their losses with Mudryk.

What Mohammed Kudus would bring to Chelsea

Most Chelsea fans will be well acquainted with Kudus’ skillset, for the West Ham winger tore it up in the Premier League and is comfortably one of Europe’s finest ball carriers.

1.

Mohammed Kudus

West Ham

124

2.

Jeremy Doku

Man City

87

3.

Bruno Guimaraes

Newcastle

72

4.

Ebere Eze

Crystal Palace

69

5.

Luis Diaz

Liverpool

67

Indeed, he ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons (3.85) and the top 6% for tackles (2.13) per 90, as per FBref, emphasising not just a breakneck quality but a combative approach that makes him more than just a speedster.

Kudus hasn’t enjoyed the brightest of starts to the campaign by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s little doubt that he’s capable of big things, having even been described as a “generational talent” by journalist Gary Al-Smith in the past.

Last term, for West Ham, the 24-year-old scored 14 goals and supplied six assists for the club, dazzling after his £38m transfer from Dutch team Ajax.

Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion had both hoped to sign the fleet-footed wideman but he opted to join the Irons in order to maximise his chances of rising to the fore on the English scene.

Kudus could be the final piece of the puzzle over in west London. But a player like Mudryk would need to be sold first.

Why Chelsea should ditch Mykhailo Mudryk

Chelsea have a bulging assortment of players, but much of the noise surrounding the size of Maresca’s squad was overinflated this summer, especially with Raheem Sterling, Romelu Lukaku and many more shipped on.

Mudryk still plies his trade as a Blue, but he’s hardly proving himself to be worthy of a starting spot in the biggest moments, having started just once in the Premier League, against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Football.london branded the Ukrainian with a 5/10 match rating and criticised the ‘quiet’ display.

Chelsea signed Mudryk in a deal worth up to £89m in January 2023, sending the fanbase into rapture after Arsenal were beaten to his signature. The whole ordeal has been anything but successful, for Mudryk has posted seven goals and seven assists from 66 matches, which stands at a goal contribution rate of 0.21 per game.

He is improving and always carries a threat through his dribbling, ranking among the top 16% of positional peers for progressive carries (5.22) pr 90, as per FBref, but he’s hardly proving himself to be a central part of the club, finding the lion’s share of his success in cup competitions. Building blocks.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

However, is the 23-year-old really a superior player to Kudus? Would the West Ham man fail to spark a better effect with a cross-London switch?

Neither Mudryk nor Kudus have enjoyed particularly prolific careers in English football, but Kudus is more rounded, athletic and enterprising, also playing in a side that doesn’t exactly chalk up hordes of opportunities.

Indeed, West Ham are struggling to create under Julen Lopetegui, with just 11 big chances created from seven Premier League matches; Chelsea, by comparison, are joint-top of that metric, with 24. Last year, West Ham ranked 15th with 58 big chances created, further emphasising the lack of creative freedom that the Irons winger would find anew at Chelsea.

Mudryk was commented to be battling for his Chelsea future before the summer transfer window slammed shut, and although he’s survived and made noticeable improvements, it might not be enough to save his Stamford Bridge career – not when targets like Kudus could be signed, to elevate Chelsea to an even higher standing as the resurgence continues.

Chelsea could sign perfect Madueke upgrade with move for £42m "road runner"

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1 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 8, 2024

Plays of the Day from the second ODI between Australia and England at the Gabba

Andrew McGlashan at the Gabba17-Jan-2014No-ball of the day
Michael Clarke is often praised for his ‘funky’ captaincy and, for a moment, it appeared he had pulled off another smart move by bowling himself and having Eoin Morgan caught at deep midwicket. However, even before the catch was taken Morgan was telling Kumar Dharmasena, the bowler’s end umpire, that he had spotted one too many fielders outside the fielding circle. The Australians started celebrating but Clarke soon did the sums himself and realised funky had turn into a basic error.Shot of the day
There were a host to choose from the bat of Morgan (and the on-drive to get Ravi Bopara off the mark) but because of who it came against, and that it marked the beginning of Morgan’s late surge, it goes to the flat six over cover off Mitchell Johnson. Nobody treated Mitchell like that in the Test matches. Maybe it is because the Mo has gone.Catch of the day
The scoreboard in Melbourne should have read: Finch c Ballance b Jordan. The scoreboard in Brisbane did read: Finch c Ballance b Jordan. Dropped on 8 at the MCG, Finch went onto post a matchwinning hundred but this time, playing virtually the same shot, he watched Gary Ballance stick up his right hand and the ball, travelling at some speed, stuck in the palm. Quite how aware he was of his actions in those seconds is uncertain, but England were not worried about such things.Another catch of the day
If Ballance’s catch was good, Chris Jordan’s was even better. Following through, he grasped Warner’s fierce straight drive in his right hand before anyone could barely blink. And, unlike Ballance, he was in control of what he was doing, almost watching the ball into his hand despite the pace it was coming back at him. As he wheeled off in celebration, Warner tore himself away from the crease and cursed under his breath a few times back to the pavilion.Smile of the day
Joe Root has had a tough time in Australia. With the bat he looks completely out of form, to the point where it may even be cruel to keep on playing him. Although, as Ashley Giles wryly noted the other day, you cannot remove everyone otherwise “he’d be a bit short”. Also, Root provides an important option with the ball, especially with England not playing James Tredwell. With his fifth delivery he struck by removing Michael Clarke and there was a flash of the youthful smile that has not be sighted too regularly on this tour.Hat-trick of the day
Glenn Maxwell may as well have stood there as a left-hander. Three balls in a row he reverse swept Root with considerable power through short fine-leg. However Alastair Cook tried to tinker with his field, and however fast Root tried to fire the ball in, Maxwell kept pinging it through the infield. At one point there were three men fielding from backward point to short third man to try and cut off the shot.Upgrade of the day
Jos Buttler crunched Johnson towards long-off where Shaun Marsh stepped over the boundary, then jumped and knocked the ball back into play. Initially it was awarded just the two runs but during the interval was correct to a six to give England a round 300. When the game got tight towards the end it appeared those four runs may be vital, but James Faulkner made them irrelevant.

Durham beaten as Duckett, Clarke combine but hopes fade for hosts

ECB Reporters Network01-Jul-2022

Dan Christian couldn’t guide Notts to the knock-outs this year•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire 184 for 6 (Duckett 53*, Clarke 51) beat Durham 183 for 8 by four wickets Nottinghamshire Outlaws’ last desperate hopes of a seventh successive T20 quarter-final berth finally vanished despite a comfortable victory over Durham Jets by four wickets in the Vitality Blast at Trent Bridge. Amongst other things, they needed a tie, no less, in Leicester to retain any hope but Leicester just refused to oblige.It was at least a rousing farewell for Dan Christian, their departing veteran captain who led the Outlaws to T20 glory in 2017 and 2020. He could revel in watching 51 from 30 balls for Joe Clarke and Ben Duckett’s unbeaten 53 from 34 that helped bring success at the gallop with three overs to spare.Christian’s fellow Australian and opposite number, Ashton Turner, threatened to upstage things earlier with a rapid 33 as Durham’s third wicket added 54 in five overs but Steven Mullaney removed him and two new batters in four balls as the Jets backfired.From 98 for five with 51 balls to come, Michael Jones, the opener, reached 41 until brilliantly caught on the mid-wicket rope by Mullaney off Jake Ball and Durham finished with 183 for eight, late-order hitting bringing 70 from the final six overs. It proved far from enough.The evening had started painfully when the opening delivery, from Ball, cut back to strike Graham Clark flush in the box, flooring him and causing a three-minute delay for treatment. Durham, already out of quarter-final contention, chose to bat but lost Clark, slicing his drive for 14, and Ollie Robinson, who skied a swipe to the keeper, as Ball conceded only four in the fifth over.But in the later charge, Brydon Carse, batting at No.7, was dropped off Ball when twelve before surging to 25 from 17 balls when becoming Lyndon James’s maiden T20 scalp, whilst Ned Eckersley finished unbeaten with 23 from a dozen balls. Andrew Tye hit two sixes in his not-out 13.Even by the second over of the reply, however, with Liam Trevaskis taken for 19, the target seeemed less than daunting. The left-arm spinner had revenge of sorts when Alex Hales top-edged a sweep to go for 26 but the Outlaws had struck as many sixes in the reply’s first 47 balls as the Jets managed in their entire innings.Clarke, who had creamed 53 with Hales in 26 balls for the first wicket on a typically good Nottingham pitch with short boundaries inviting mayhem, then added another 55 in 35 balls with Duckett.Eventually miscueing against a leg-break from the Australian, Nathan Sowter, Clarke gave way to Mullaney, another victim of spin when soon stumped by Robinson off Trevaskis next over. James arrived to send his third and fifth balls for six off Carse and at the end of an over that cost 16, only 46 were needed from the final 42 balls.James fell smiting for 20 but, maintaining the tempo, Tom Moores hit his first four balls for boundaries until magnificently caught by Sowter who took the ball jumping on the boundary, threw it up before crossing the rope then grasped it again back on the field. Dramatic, indeed. But not enough, even though Sol Budinger fell stumped with three needed.

ظهر داني أولمو، لاعب فريق برشلونة، في مؤتمر صحفي يوم الإثنين للحديث عن موقعة إنتر ميلان المرتقبة في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويحل برشلونة ضيفًا على إنتر ميلان، مساء الغد، في إياب نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2024/25.

وتعادل الفريقان بثلاثة أهداف لمثلهم في ذهاب نصف نهائي البطولة على ملعب “مونتجويك”.

وقال أولمو، في تصريحات خلال مؤتمر صحفية نشرته صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية: “نحن متحمسون للعب في ملعب مثل هذا، الفوز يتطلب العمل الجاد والتضامن، المباريات التي خضناها ضد منافسينا المباشرين تعلقت أكثر بمزايا الفريق”.

وأضاف: “نعم، تخيلت أنني في هذه المرحلة أملك فرصة الفوز بكل شيء، هذا عامي الأول مع فليك، لكننا جميعًا معًا، فلنتمسك بهذه الفكرة، لقد استعدنا لياقتنا البدنية، الراحة عامل مهم، وأرى الفريق يتمتع بطاقة وحماس كبيرين”.

واسترسل: “إنها فرصة عظيمة، أتيحت لي فرصة اللعب في نصف النهائي (مع لايبزيج) في لشبونة ضد باريس سان جيرمان، والآن لدي فرصة أخرى، إنها فرصة لكتابة التاريخ مجددًا، هذا مصدر إلهام لي”.

وواصل: “لامين يامال؟ نتعامل مع الأمر كالمعتاد، نعرف اللاعب الذي يمثله وهذا هو المهم، لست متفاجئًا (بما يقدمه) لأنني رأيته يُبدع مرارًا وتكرارًا إنه هادئ ومتحمس لإظهار أنه الأفضل”.

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واسترسل: “تشديد الرقابة على لامين؟ هذا يعني أنه سيكون هناك بعض اللاعبين أحرار (بدون رقابة قوية من قِبل دفاع الخصم)، لقد أثبت بالفعل قدرته على اللعب ضد لاعب واحد أو لاعبين أو ثلاثة، نهجنا لن يتغير”.

وفيما يخص مشكلة تسجيله مع برشلونة بسبب أمور مالية، قال: “كان القرار الذي اتخذته يستحق العناء (مجيئه إلى النادي)، لم أندم عليه قط، كنت واثقًا تمامًا، كانت مجرد أمور إدارية، الآن نحن جاهزون لمساعدة الفريق في الملعب”.

وعن الأجواء داخل غرفة الملابس، قال: “في النهاية الأمر أشبه بحفلة، وجود لاعبين صغار السن يخفف بعض الضغط، لا يعطون الأمر نفس الأهمية، لكننا نحن المخضرمين هنا لتوجيههم، لدينا مجموعة قوية جدًا، هدفنا المشترك هو الفوز”.

وشدد: “أنا سعيد، جئت إلى هنا بهدف الفوز، وقد فزنا ببطولتين (كأس ملك إسبانيا والسوبر الإسباني) من أصل أربع (لا يزال هناك الدوري الإسباني ودوري أبطال أوروبا)، كانت هناك مواقف لم يكن من السهل التعامل معها، لكنني بخير، علينا التركيز على الحاضر”.

واستأنف: “نعلم أننا نواجه أسبوعًا مهمًا، غدًا نلعب من أجل التأهل إلى النهائي، ثم الكلاسيكو (يوم الأحد ضد ريال مدريد)، لن يكون الأمر سهلًا، لكننا نريد الفوز فيهما”.

واستدرك: “كانت مباراة الذهاب متكافئة إلى حد ما، أتيحت لنا فرص للدفاع بشكل أفضل، لكن هذه المواقف واردة، الهدف هو الفوز، والحفاظ على نظافة شباكنا، واللعب بشكل جيد ثم التأهل”.

وأشاد أولمو بأكاديمية برشلونة للشباب، لا ماسيا، قائلًا: “لقد تبين بوضوح مدى تميز أكاديمية لا ماسيا، أفضل أكاديمية شباب في العالم، نحن قادرون على التعامل مع بعضنا، باختلاف أعمارنا، وهذا واضح”.

وأخيرًا عن المدرب هانز فليك، قال: “إنه شخص سهل التعامل معه، لديه أفكار واضحة للغاية عما يريده، أسلوبه هو لعب كرة القدم، لدينا ثقة كاملة فيه وفي طاقمه المساعد”.