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The England captain has echoed coach Chris Silverwood’s openness to a possible tour of the country

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2020

Joe Root goes through his paces in training•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

Joe Root has echoed England head coach Chris Silverwood’s openness to a possible tour of Pakistan. While conceding that it wasn’t his decision to make, Root said he personally looked forward to such an opportunity, especially after seeing the reaction of fans to the return of Test cricket to the country late last year.”I’d love to go and visit Pakistan,” Root said at the end of the drawn second Test against Pakistan in Southampton. “It would be a great opportunity to go and play there personally. Unfortunately, it’s not my decision to make, but it looks a wonderful country to go and play cricket in. The wickets look nice and flat, which will be a nice change to what we have just played on here.”You could see the emotion of everyone back in Pakistan when Test cricket was there back-end of last year. Also, speaking to a few of the players, how much it meant to them as well and they really appreciated being able to play back in Pakistan too. We’ve such a busy schedule already with backlogging due to Covid, it will be interesting to see how that would work.”As such, according to the FTP, England are scheduled to tour Pakistan next in 2022, but it became a topic of discussion during the first Test at Old Trafford earlier this month when, speaking on Sky Sports during the first day’s play, PCB chief executive Wasim Khan expressed hope that England could visit Pakistan for a reciprocal tour. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Khan hoped England could send over their T20 side, or at least that the ECB could send over its developmental Lions side – which he had pushed for even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck world cricket.Silverwood had responded positively to the suggestion, saying he would personally “have no problem going”.On Monday, Pakistan great Wasim Akram had expressed similar sentiments to Khan, while speaking on Sky Sports. Given that Pakistan had toured England in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, Akram felt a reciprocal visit was only fair. “You boys owe Pakistan cricket, and the country, a lot, with the boys coming over here. They’ve been here almost two-and-a-half months in the biosecure environment,” Akram said. “So if everything goes well, England should tour Pakistan. I promise you they’ll get looked after on and off the field there and every game will be a packed house.”England haven’t toured Pakistan since 2005-06, largely due to security reasons. The 2009 attacks on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore led to a cessation of regular international cricket in Pakistan, with the national team playing most of its “home” games in the UAE since then. Big cricket has slowly returned to Pakistan in the last few years, with a steady increase in visits from international sides, culminating in Sri Lanka’s December 2019 tour to play the first Test matches in the country in over a decade.

حقق ريال مدريد فوزًا هامًا على نظيره إسبانيول، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن الجولة السادسة من الدوري الإسباني على ملعب سانتياجو بيرنابيو.

ريال مدريد دخل المباراة بدون فينيسيوس جونيور، الذي جلس بديلًا لـ أردا جولر مع تغيير طريقة اللعب لـ4-4-2.

صنع ريال مدريد العديد من الفرص في الشوط الأول، من خلال كيليان مبابي وجولر، ولكن الحارس جارسيا كان بالمرصاد خاصة للاعب الفرنسي في أكثر من محاولة.

ركنيات متتالية ومخالفات من خارج منطقة الجزاء، ولكن لم يتأثر دفاع إسبانيول بكل هذه الفرص وظل صامدًا.

بدأ الشوط الثاني وخرج وليد شديرة ودخل لونزانو في تشكيل إسبانيول، وظل فينيسيوس على مقاعد البدلاء.

واصل الملكي شن هجماته على مرمى الحارس جارسيا، ولكن تأتي الرياح بما لا تشتهي السفن الملكية.

في الدقيقة 54 سجل تيبو كورتوا بالخطأ في مرماه، بعد عرضية جودفري، ولكن البلجيكي لم يتمكن من التعامل معها، وحولها في مرماه.

في نفس اللحظة، دخل فينيسيوس جونيور إلى أرض الملعب بدلًا من أردا جولر.

بعد 5 دقائق، أرسل بيلينجهام عرضية مرت من تحت أيدي الحارس، لتجد كارفاخال أمام المرمى الخالي، ليسجل التعادل.

دخل فاسكيز بعد ذلك بدلًا من كارفاخال، وبدأ ريال مدريد الضغط من أجل تسجيل الثاني، والذي جاء بعد عرضية ممتازة من فينيسيوس جونيور في ظهر الدفاع، لتجد رودريجو الذي يسجل في مرمى جارسيا في الدقيقة 75.

بعد 3 دقائق، مرر كيليان مبابي الكرة لـ فينيسيوس الذي انطلق وأطلق صاروخية بالقدم اليسرى على يسار الحارس جارسيا سجل من خلالها الهدف الثالث.

بعد ذلك دفع أنشيلوتي بـ روديجير مكان بيلينجهام وإندريك بدلًا من رودريجو، وكالعادة فإن البرازيلي الصغير يصنع الفارق كلما دخل بديلًا.

في الدقيقة 89 حصل على الكرة بصعوبة وراوغ روميرو قبل أن يعرقله الأخير، ويحتسب الحكم ركلة جزاء، انبرى لها مبابي ليسجل الهدف الرابع لفريقه وله في الموسم بشكل عام.

طالع أيضًا.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإسباني بعد هدف مبابي أمام إسبانيول

هذه النتيجة جعلت ريال مدريد يحتل وصافة الدوري الإسباني برصيد 14 نقطة خلف برشلونة بنقطة، والذي سيلاقي فياريال غدًا.

بينما إسبانيول العائد للدوري الإسباني، فقد استمر في المركز الثالث عشر بعدما تجمد رصيده عند 7 نقاط.  أهداف مباراة ريال مدريد وإسبانيول في الدوري الإسباني

Their bowlers suffocated Pakistan’s batsmen to leave India dreaming of their first World Cup triumph in 28 years

The Bulletin by Brydon Coverdale30-Mar-2020

AFP

India 260 for 9 (Tendulkar 85, Riaz 5-46) beat Pakistan 231 (Misbah 56) by 29 runs
India’s dream of a World Cup triumph at home is one step closer after their bowlers suffocated Pakistan’s batsmen to set up a 29-run victory in the semi-final in Mohali. The title match will now be a battle of the co-hosts, and while Sri Lanka might have been surprised by the strength of India’s bowling effort, they would also have taken note of a slightly lacklustre batting performance.In the end, India’s 260 for 9 was enough as their bowlers did a fine job, but had Pakistan helped themselves, the target could have been so much more gettable. Sachin Tendulkar was dropped four times in his 85, MS Dhoni was put down once and while Wahab Riaz was extremely impressive in collecting five wickets, Umar Gul had one of his most forgettable days, wilting under the pressure of a World Cup semi-final.By contrast, India’s display in the field was much more professional, and that was the difference in a match that lived up to the extreme pre-match hype. The decision to leave R Ashwin out to make room for Ashish Nehra was an odd choice on a pitch offering plenty of spin, but Nehra and his bowling colleagues built the pressure and gave Pakistan’s batsmen little to attack after they made a promising start and reached 70 for 1.The Indians didn’t give away an extra until the 37th over of the innings, and the way they put together strings of dot balls and tight overs was key to their success. Munaf Patel picked up two victims and Yuvraj Singh made up for his golden duck with a pair of wickets, but the most important breakthrough came when Harbhajan Singh bowled Umar Akmal for 29.Akmal had struck a pair of sixes off Yuvraj, driving him over the sight screen and pulling him over midwicket, and anything was still possible while he was at the crease. But Dhoni called on Harbhajan to replace Yuvraj, and with the first ball of his spell he came around the wicket and pushed one across Akmal, taking the off stump when the batsman played for the spin.Shahid Afridi also fell to Harbhajan when he skied a catch off a full toss, and the obdurate Misbah-ul-Haq was left to steer the chase. He found it difficult to lift his tempo and was the last man out, caught on the boundary for 56 in the final over, but he ate up 76 deliveries and had he shown some more intent earlier Pakistan might have had a chance.It was a disappointing end for Pakistan after their top order gave them hope. Mohammad Hafeez made an encouraging 43 before a string of eight dot balls from Munaf brought a brain-fade as Hafeez tried a premeditated paddle sweep from outside off stump and edged behind to Dhoni.Soon after, the loss of Asad Shafiq brought the Mohali crowd to life, when he tried to cut a Yuvraj delivery that was much too full and straight, and the middle stump was knocked back. Shafiq had made 30 and had displayed a cool temperament until that point, but the required run-rate started to balloon, and Pakistan never recovered.But while India have booked a place in the final, they must hope they haven’t used all their good fortune too soon. Tendulkar might be the finest batsman of his generation, but today he was the luckiest, dropped on 27, 45, 70 and 81. It seemed as though he was going to bring up his 100th international century with one of his least convincing innings.Misbah at midwicket was the first to put him down, before Younis Khan spilled a regulation chance at cover, both off the bowling of Afridi. The third opportunity came when Kamran Akmal didn’t move his hands quickly enough to a thick edge, again off Afridi, and while that was a tough opportunity, a pull to Umar at mid-on from the offspin of Hafeez should have been taken.Before he had any of those lives, Tendulkar had survived two very tight calls on 23: an lbw decision that was given out by Ian Gould but on review proved to be spinning down leg, and a near-stumping the next delivery when he just got his back foot down in time after losing his balance reaching outside off. When Tendulkar was finally taken at cover by Afridi off the bowling of Ajmal, Pakistan’s relief was evident.Soon after, a scratchy Dhoni, who was also dropped by Kamran, made the mistake of challenging Simon Taufel on an lbw decision. Dhoni had 25 when he missed a Riaz delivery that pitched just in line and was hitting the stumps. It was the second outstanding call by Taufel, who had given Virender Sehwag lbw in a similar fashion earlier, even though the left-armer’s angle meant pitching outside leg was a possibility.Riaz was the man who Afridi had to thank for keeping Pakistan in the contest after India made a strong start and reached 114 for 1 off their first 18 overs. After Gautam Gambhir was stumped wandering down the pitch against Hafeez, Riaz grabbed two wickets in two balls – Virat Kohli caught at backward point and Yuvraj bowled by a low full toss for a golden duck.Nobody looked as fluent as the crease as Sehwag, who took 21 off Gul (0 for 69) from the third over of the innings. What looked like a 300-plus total in those early overs became 260 when Suresh Raina helped them recover from their middle-order failures.It was enough, but India’s batsmen will need to improve if they want to lift the trophy. For now, they can dream of their first World Cup in 28 years.

As the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era begins at Manchester United, it appears that this summer could see the new part owner open his chequebook and give Erik ten Hag's side a much-needed boost.

Man Utd transfer rumours

After previous windows at Old Trafford have arguably been a disaster, the arrival of Ratcliffe looks set to change the transfer culture at Man United and help get the Red Devils back towards the top of the Premier League.

Man United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe planning to move for “important player”

The update comes courtesy of journalist Fabrizio Romano.

ByHenry Jackson Mar 10, 2024

The big focus may well be on avoiding splashing the cash on big-name stars and opting for cheaper, potentially more effective alternatives. Arriving in Manchester with Ratcliffe will be Sir David Brailsford, who is set to be in charge of the day-to-day football operations at the club.

The latest rumours out of Old Trafford claim that United are interested in negotiating a swap deal for Dortmund's Donyell Malen that could see Jadon Sancho remain in Germany. Additionally, the Red Devils are interested in a deal for Juventus' Weston McKennie with the former Leeds flop available for a cut-price this summer.

Following this trend of possible business deals, United now appear to be looking to sign another once-promising player with a history in the Premier League.

Man Utd keen on Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz

As first reported by HITC, sources close to the club have revealed that Man United are looking to sign Real Madrid talent Brahim Diaz. The outlet also reports that Liverpool are interested in the player, alongside a host of other top Premier League sides previously eager to get a deal over the line.

Despite the interest from England, HITC also claims that Madrid are not interested in selling Diaz with Los Blancos set to negotiate fresh terms with the 24-year-old whose current deal expires in the summer of 2027. The attacking midfielder arrived in the Spanish capital in a £15.5million move from Man City back in 2019 and has become a fixture in Carlo Ancelotti's side this season.

Part of the deal that saw Diaz initially move to Spain from City reportedly saw an "anti-Man Utd clause" inserted into his contract, meaning that the treble winners would be entitled to 40% of the transfer fee if the player is to move to the red side of Manchester. Whilst this could scupper any potential deal, Diaz's stats this season may entice United to spend an inflated figure to get their man.

Non-Penalty Goals

0.41

93rd Percentile

Pass Completion %

83.8

93rd Percentile

Successful Take-Ons

2.81

86th Percentile

Progressive Carries

4.14

84th Percentile

Tackles

1.90

84th Percentile

Whilst his attacking returns have been exceptional this campaign, the surprising part of Diaz's performances have been his defensive output. Sometimes deployed as a wing-back by Ancelotti, Diaz has excelled in this role, adding another element to his already impressive profile.

It was this versatility that led to the 24-year-old earning praise from his former boss at AC Milan Stefano Pioli. Having been on loan with the Italian giants since 2020, Pioli was sad to see the player leave in the summer of 2023 telling the press that he "is a complete player with personality" and that "it is a pleasure to work with him".

If Ratcliffe is serious about changing United's fortunes, there could be few shrewder signings than Diaz, even if it means lining the pockets of one of his club's closest rivals.

كشف كريستيانو رونالدو، نجم فريق النصر السعودي ومنتخب البرتغال، عن مرشحيه الأبرز للحصول على جائزة الكرة الذهبية، لأفضل لاعب في العالم.

كانت مجلة “فرانس فوتبول” الشهيرة قد أعلنت، الأسبوع الماضي، قائمة المرشحين الثلاثين الذين يتنافسون على الظفر بجائزة الكرة الذهبية، لأفضل لاعب في العالم هذا العام (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

ونشر رونالدو الحلقة الثانية عبر حسابه الشخصي بموقع يوتيوب، حيث يتحاور مع النجم السابق لفريق مانشستر يونايتد ريو فرديناند في العديد من الأمور.

وتحدث رونالدو في البداية عن ريال مدريد، حيث قال: “إنه أفضل نادِ في العالم، يقول الناس إنهم محظوظون في دوري أبطال أوروبا ولكن، لا، ليسوا محظوظين”.

وأضاف: “إنه أفضل نادٍ في تاريخ كرة القدم، هناك هالة مختلفة في سانتياجو برنابيو، إنه أفضل نادٍ في التاريخ على الإطلاق، وكنت سعيدًا جدًا باللعب هناك”.

وأكد: “لقد أصبحت الهداف التاريخي للنادي، وفزنا بدوري أبطال أوروبا أربع مرات، وكان ذلك من دواعي سروري!”.

وفيما يخص الوافد الجديد كيليان مبابي، قال: “أعتقد أنه سيؤدي بشكل جيد في ريال مدريد، هيكل النادي جيد جدًا ومتين وقوي، لديهم مدرب رائع ورئيس موجود منذ سنوات عديدة، رائع”.

وواصل: “لا أعتقد أنه سيواجه مشاكل كبيرة لأنه يتمتع بموهبة كبيرة وقد أظهر بالفعل ما هو قادر عليه”.

وأردف: “يمكن أن يكون مبابي هو الفائز التالي بجائزة الكرة الذهبية، سيكون هناك مع إيرلينج هالاند وجود بيلينجهام”.

وسُئل رونالدو من قِبل ريو فرديناند عن فينسيسوس جونيور، بشأن مرشحيه للكرة الذهبية، ولكن البرتغالي تجاهله وأضاف: “هناك لامين يامال، أعتقد أن هذا الجيل الجديد لديه الكثير من الإمكانات، لكنني أعتقد أن مبابي سيبلي بلاءً حسنًا للغاية”.

كما تطرق للحديث عن مانشستر يونايتد، حيث قال: “أكرر أنني ما زلت أحب مانشستر يونايتد، أتمنى لهم كل التوفيق”.

Glasgow Rangers find themselves in a position that, only a few short months ago, would have been scarcely believable.

Michael Beale lost three of his opening seven Premiership matches in charge during the early part of the season and the 3-1 defeat to Aberdeen was the last straw, as the board sacked him the very next day.

Philippe Clement has not only led the club to its first piece of silverware since 2022, but has also secured a Europa League clash against Benfica in the last 16 along with sitting at the summit of the league table.

He has had to do all this with a squad largely inherited by Beale, featuring a few summer signings which haven’t quite lived up to their early impressions.

The likes of Sam Lammers, Danilo and Cyriel Dessers were meant to usher in a new era at Rangers, yet they have all struggled in various ways.

Unfortunately, these three have not been the first players to be heavily hyped prior to moving to the Gers, and they certainly won’t be the last.

One of the most notable examples in recent years of a player generating massive hype and hysteria upon his arrival was that of Aaron Ramsey, yet he turned out to be a big disappointment.

Aaron Ramsey’s career statistics

The Welshman began his career at Cardiff City before becoming a household name at Arsenal under Arsène Wenger.

The midfielder made nearly 400 appearances for the Gunners during his 11-season stint in North London, winning three FA Cup trophies, while scoring 64 goals for the club.

There was no doubt that at his peak, Ramsey was one of the finest players in the Premier League, yet injury problems meant he missed a grand total of 152 matches, meaning he could have had well over 500 appearances for the club if he had managed to remain fit and healthy during this period.

Season

Games

Goals

2018/19

40

6

2017/18

32

11

2016/17

32

4

2015/16

40

6

2014/15

41

10

2013/14

34

16

2012/13

47

2

2011/12

44

3

2010/11

8

1

2009/10

29

4

2008/09

22

1

It was announced towards the end of the 2018/19 season that Juventus had signed the player on a pre-contract agreement, and he would join ahead of the following season.

His first two seasons in Italy saw Ramsey play 63 times for the Old Lady, registering 12 goal contributions in the process, but he struggled to replicate the displays that saw him shine while at Arsenal.

Rumours began to build on the January 2022 winter transfer window deadline day that Ramsey was closing in on a loan move to Rangers, and when the deal was signed that evening, the Ibrox faithful were clearly buzzing about securing a move for a world-class player.

Club icon Barry Ferguson lauded him just before he signed, saying: “He’s a player I’ve admired for a long time. He’s still got a lot of football in his legs and for me, Rangers have to get this deal done.

“If you look at the midfield area for Rangers, I think that’s their strongest point because you've got Kamara, Steven Davis who is out, Joe Aribo who for me has been Rangers’ best player this season and Scott Arfield.

“So there’s a lot of quality in there, but for me you can’t have too much quality and if Ramsey comes in, he’ll certainly help Rangers push for the title.”

Unfortunately, his short spell at Ibrox was littered with small injuries, and he turned out to be even worse than fellow signing that winter, Amad Diallo.

Amad Diallo's record at Rangers

The Manchester United winger also joined the club in January 2022 as Giovanni van Bronckhorst sought to add something different to his attacking options.

The youngster got off to a wonderful start, scoring after just three minutes on his debut against Ross County, but it was all downhill from there.

The winger started just another five games, featuring only 13 times in total, and scoring three goals, which, on the surface, represents a solid enough loan spell.

Much more was expected of the teenager, however, especially considering how highly regarded he was rated at Man United, but his spell north of the border could definitely have delivered a lot more.

While there was not as much hype regarding the signing of Diallo compared to that of Ramsey, the Ivory Coast international gem proved to be a slightly better signing.

Aaron Ramsey’s statistics at Rangers

The midfielder has played only five times for Juventus during the first half of the 2021/22 campaign, missing 22 matches through a succession of injury issues and while luring him to Ibrox was a major coup, it was also a massive gamble.

He made his first start for the club against Annan Athletic in the Scottish Cup midway through February, yet he would start only another eight times between then and the end of the campaign, as various niggles meant he was often only fit to come off the bench during the latter stages of games.

Ramsey did score twice for the Gers – including the opener at Ibrox against Celtic in the third Old Firm clash of the season – along with grabbing two assists, but his impact could have been much better.

He will be most remembered for his penalty miss during the shootout against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final, which ended up proving costly as the German side claimed victory.

Following the match, former Rangers' defender Richard Foster criticised Ramsey, going on to say:

"I said on paper he's the best player in Scotland if he performs but he's been so far away from that, he's not even the best player at Rangers. Not by a long shot this season."

What started off as a signing which could have perhaps been a catalyst for the club to go on and win the league title ended up in major disappointment, as Ramsey didn’t even get off the subs bench in the 2-0 Scottish Cup final win over Hearts just three days after the Europa League final.

Ramsey could have been a fantastic addition to the squad had he remained fit during his five months in Glasgow, but he failed to showcase his true talents in Glasgow.

da marjack bet： After a quiet January transfer window, Newcastle United's attention has seemingly turned to what could be a summer of normal service resumed as far as incomings are concerned, with scouts reportedly set to watch an exciting new target this weekend.

Newcastle transfer news

da 888casino： PIF were left restricted by profit and sustainability rules in the winter window, with Newcastle's £155m in losses over the last three seasons limiting their spending. This saw the likes of Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron all linked with departures, albeit without ever completing moves away, much to the likely relief of Eddie Howe.

That may not be the end of the departure rumours, however, with Joelinton's future still in doubt. Speaking on the Brazilian's 2025 contract expiry, Howe said via BBC Sport: "He has 18 months left on his contract so it's a possibility he'll be sold in the summer. I'm not a fortune teller but it's a possibility. I hope that's not the case. I want him to stay. I love him as a person and player. But before a player signs a contract he has to be happy with everything and we are not there yet."

Related Newcastle eyeing move to sign "terrific" £34m+ World Cup winner for Howe

He is yet to lose a game this season.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Feb 22, 2024

As one South American potentially departs though, another could arrive this summer. According to Ole in Argentina, Newcastle are set to send scouts to watch Kevin Zenon this weekend. The left midfielder is likely to feature for Boca Juniors in their Superclasico clash against arch-rivals River Plate.

Not many games get much bigger than that and if Zenon impresses on the big stage, Newcastle could yet decide to make their move for the 22-year-old with a reported release clause of $15m (£12m). Boca Juniors are seemingly reluctant to sell their winger in the coming months, but at such an affordable price, those at St James' Park could leave them with no choice when the summer transfer window opens.

Zenon can replace Almiron

Whilst Almiron stayed put at Newcastle in the end over a move to Saudi Arabia, at 29-years-old and in the middle of a poorer season when compared to the last campaign, the Magpies may need to start thinking about long-term replacements. And that's where Zenon could come in to add quality in depth to Howe's side.

The 22-year-old winger has plenty of room and time for improvement and could yet eclipse the current Newcastle man to hand Howe a vital option going forward. Here's how Zenon and Almiron compare with similar game time:

Stats (via FBref)

Kevin Zenon (for CA Union last season)

Miguel Almiron (for Newcastle this season)

Progressive Carries

41

70

Progressive Passes

88

72

Goals

2

3

Assists

0

1

Starts

17

21

Zenon represents a promising yet sensible option for PIF, given his relatively low price-tag. As the summer transfer window approaches, it will be interesting to see whether Newcastle can break the resilience of Boca Juniors and secure the winger's signature. Before anything, however, the 22-year-old will have the pressure to impress both his own fans and the scouts of Newcastle against River Plate on Sunday.

UAE go level on points with Canada and Oman at the top, while Nigeria slide to their fourth loss in a row

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Oct-2019

Ahmed Raza had another good day in the middle•Getty Images

After losing their previous game against Jersey, UAE returned to the winning ways when they rode on an excellent bowling performance and opener Zawar Farid’s quick half-century to put it past Nigeria at Abu Dhabi’s Tolerance Oval in a Group B match of the men’s T20 World Cup qualifiers.The win, UAE’s third in five games, put them level on points at the top of the table with Canada and Oman, but both of them have played fewer games than the home side and have a better net run rate. For Nigeria, meanwhile, it was a fourth loss in as many matches.The day started with Ahmed Raza winning the toss and asking Nigeria to bat, and it was slow going for the batting side for the most part. Openers Sulaimon Runsewe and Daniel Ajekun found it tough to score early on, and were both dismissed by the end of the third over with just two runs on the board. Leke Oyede, the No. 3, didn’t have it any easier as he managed only four runs off 18 deliveries when Raza accounted for him.At that stage, Nigeria were 22 for 3 after 7.2 overs, but it did get better for them with Chimezie Onwuzulike and Sesan Adedeji, who batted through the rest of the overs while adding 89 runs together. Onwuzulike ended with an unbeaten 46 in 42 balls and Adedeji 51 not out in 48 balls. For UAE, left-arm spinner Sultan Ahmed ended with remarkable numbers – 4-2-6-0 – while Junaid Siddique and Raza returned identical figures of 1 for 15 from their four overs.Rohan Mustafa and Farid gave UAE a good start in response, the two adding 35 runs before Mustafa was dismissed by Chima Akachukwu for an eight-ball 14 in the fifth over. Farid, the dominant partner in that stand, continued in the same vein with Chirag Suri as his partner, the two adding 43 runs for the second wicket in which Suri’s contribution was just eight runs. Farid fell to the medium pace of Daniel Gim for a 35-ball 55, and Suri fell soon after to offspinner Sylvester Okpe. Neither Waheed Ahmed nor Mohammad Boota lasted for long, but the target was meagre enough for UAE to canter past it in 12.3 overs, helping their net run rate significantly.UAE next play Canada on Sunday, while Nigeria take on Ireland a day before.

Chris Gayle played his slowest ODI innings (minimum 25 innings) in his 31-ball 4, while Evin Lewis’ three sixes gave the home fans something to cheer about

The Report by Sreshth Shah08-Aug-2019Match abandoned After a five-and-a-half-hour period where only 13 overs were bowled, the first ODI between West Indies and India in Providence was called off by the umpires due to a wet outfield.In that period, Chris Gayle played his slowest-ever ODI innings (minimum 25 balls), scoring only four singles in 31 deliveries. At the opposite end, Evin Lewis ensured there was something for the home fans to cheer, blitzing an unbeaten 36-ball 40 that included three shoveled pulls over deep midwicket.The match began 90 minutes after the scheduled start, a delay forced by morning showers. When play started, though, following Virat Kohli’s decision to bowl, the sun was bathing upon a half-filled Providence Stadium, but with rain scheduled towards the afternoon, it was not long before the first interruption happened.With Mohammed Shami, from around the wicket, troubling the sedate Gayle, and Lewis failing to find gaps in the infield, the teams first left the ground after 5.4 overs with West Indies yet to reach double digits. Over an hour later, the players returned, and Lewis made full use of the wet ball, shoveling Bhuvneshwar Kumar for six. In the next over, he creamed 15 runs off left-arm quick Khaleel Ahmed, with a pulled six over midwicket sandwiched between two flicked fours through the on side.The partnership was primarily saved by Lewis’ aggression with Gayle failing to find his timing, and it was eventually Kuldeep Yadav who ended the batsman’s innings in the 11th over.Playing his 299th ODI – equalling West Indies’ record-holder Brian Lara – Gayle needed 11 runs to become the team’s highest-ever ODI run-scorer, but swinging conditions early on meant he was either splicing the ball or missing it completely. While Lewis’ rampage was on, Gayle was unable to break free as he tried to heave Kuldeep’s full-pitched stock delivery over the leg side, only to inside-edge it onto the stumps.Rain returned two overs later, and it was intermittent enough for the umpires to call the game off at 3.12pm local time. Wet patches on the field earlier in the day had delayed the game’s restart, and in anticipation of the ground not being ready by 4pm – the cut-off time for a 20-over-a-side shootout – umpires Nigel Duguid and Adrian Holdstock called off the match. Ironically, a few minutes after that decision, the sun returned, but by then it was too late.The teams now move to Port-of-Spain for the second ODI on August 11.

Cape Town Blitz’s Dale Steyn conjured a vintage spell with the new ball on his grandfather’s birthday, but Dane Vilas and Wihan Lubbe crashed their party and led Durban Heat to their first victory in MSL 2019.Steyn struck twice in the second over of Heat’s chase of 182 and even floated a Lasith Malinga-esque dipping full toss in his first spell. However, Lubbe and Vilas repaired the innings and ensured they stayed around the asking rate by adding 65 for the third wicket in just 39 balls.By the time Steyn returned for his second spell, in the 14th over, the partnership had been broken. Steyn cranked it up to 144kph and pinged David Miller on the shoulder, but he shook that blow off and ushered Heat to the finish line along with Vilas, who ended with a career-best 75 not out off 52 balls.Strike four…and outAfter Blitz chose to bat on a used track, Janneman Malan settled into his shot-making stride immediately, backing away and launching 19-year-old left-arm seamer Marco Jansen over mid-off for six. At the other end, Quinton de Kock swivel-pulled Kyle Abbott for six, but then struggled to put bat on ball against Andile Phehlukwayo. He desperately swung and missed four successive balls from the seam-bowling allrounder before dragging the fifth to midwicket, where Jansen completed a smart diving catch.Malan’s blitzMalan, however, offset that early loss and cracked Jansen for two sixes and a four in the space of four balls as Blitz reached 46 for 1 at the end of the powerplay. Ravi Bopara then found some grip and rolled out one slower ball after another. Once it became too predictable, Malan lined him up and biffed him for a brace of leg-side boundaries.He found a busy partner in David Bedingham and went on to bring up his fifty off 32 balls when he imperiously lofted Phehlukwayo for six over long-on. Malan cut loose thereafter and moved to 75 before holing out in the 15th over. The dismissals of both Malan and Bedingham added to a late slide, but Liam Livingstone smote a hat-trick of sixes in the final over off Abbott to push Blitz past 180.Lubbe+Vilas+Miller > SteynIf you’re still wondering if Steyn has it, of course he does. He first pinned Alex Hales lbw with a 143kph full delivery and then got a similar rapid ball to skid through the defences of Wesley Marshall, leaving Heat at 24 for 2 in two overs.Lubbe, too, was skittish against Steyn’s pace or the lack of it. However, he found the release against Sisanda Magala and Wahab Riaz, taking 31 runs off 15 balls from the two pacers. Lubbe fell one short of a fifty, getting castled by a 100kph dart from left-arm fingerspinner Mohammad Nawaz in the ninth over.There was no stopping Vilas, though. He drove Nawaz inside-out over extra cover and even reverse-swept him fine of short third man for another four. When Steyn returned to the attack, Vilas scythed him to the third-man boundary and raised his maiden MSL fifty, off 37 deliveries. Miller wasn’t as fluent during his unbroken 93-run stand with Vilas, but they got the job done with seven wickets and three balls to spare.