Real Madrid will play Liverpool in the Champions League league phase, while Manchester City and Arsenal will both take on Paris Saint-Germain
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
“We knew from day one that we would have to win all the games,” the India captain said
Andrew McGlashan05-Mar-2020
Harmanpreet Kaur in action ahead of the final league game of the Women’s T20 Challenge•BCCI
Harmanpreet Kaur revealed that India had paid particular attention to the importance of topping the group stage at the World Cup because it would be the deciding factor in the case of a washed out semi-final which proved to be the case against England in Sydney.India opened their tournament with a win against Australia before securing a clean sweep of the group with wins against Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka meaning they finished above Australia. It meant that when rain washed out the first semi-final at the SCG, India progressed to their first T20 World Cup final.”We knew from day one when we were going to start this tournament that we would have to win all the games, because if we don’t get a match because of any condition, then whoever is at the top in the league, that team is going to play the final. And that’s how we started,” Kaur said, while also acknowledging that a reserve day would have been preferable. “It was very unfortunate that we didn’t get to the game today. But these are the rules. We can’t help it.”When England captain Heather Knight was asked if they had paid particular attention to the washout aspect of the semi-finals she said they had not specifically discussed the scenario before the tournament began but set out wanting to win every match.”Harman must have got a crystal ball out. I’ll have to borrow that from her for the next tournament,” she said. “No, you don’t think about that. It’s such a unique situation. So, yeah, no, we didn’t discuss it. We just wanted to get to the semi-finals and win. We plan to try and win every game that we can.”ALSO READ: ‘Hope there’s going to be a rule change’ – Heather Knight gutted after rain knocks England outWith no match to reflect on in Sydney, attention quickly turned to Sunday and the final where 60,000 tickets have already been sold with the potential of the game-changing momentum and India could bring.”Definitely we’ll get a lot of attention from the people because everybody wants us to play good cricket and they’re expecting us to do well,” Kaur said. “And we will try to give our best. If we win, definitely we’ll get a lot of attention and a lot of love from back home.”Kaur’s parents and younger brother were at the SCG – the first match her mother had attended – and though there was no cricket for them to watch they will be at the MCG.”It’s the first time they were going to watch me playing cricket because my dad did when I was in school. But my mother never watched me play cricket. And she was there,” Kaur said. “It means a lot because from day one I wanted them to watch me playing cricket and today I got this opportunity, they have come here to watch all of us playing, and I hope we get all support from all the parents and try to win this tournament.”
Tottenham are reportedly in the "front row" to sign a "devastating" forward likened to Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, as Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou and the wider recruitment team look at attacking upgrades.
Spurs looking to sign clinical new attacker this summer
As now backed by reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, the north Londoners are looking to sign a clinical new wide forward, and one who could inject more goals and assists into the side.
Tottenham bid ready for £21m attacker as they aim to beat Arteta and ten Hag
The north Londoners have an offer “already” prepared.
ByEmilio Galantini Mar 21, 2024
As per Romano, the likes of Wolves winger Pedro Neto and Barcelona forward Raphinha feature among technical director Johan Lange's list of potential summer targets, as they seek an exciting player of that mould to come in and add that extra bit of flair.
"Look, a player they appreciate for a long time is Raphinha from Barcelona. We know the financial situation at Barcelona is not easy, so he could be one of the names. They will look at that kind of player," said Romano on JD Football.
"Another player they appreciate is Pedro Neto, but he has this issue with his injuries, so I’m not sure Liverpool, Tottenham or the other clubs following the player will be prepared to play big money for Pedro Neto this summer. That kind of player is the priority for Tottenham, I see them going for that kind of winger, a quality player to help with goals and assists."
Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams is thought to be attracting Tottenham's interest, but he will cost around £43 million, the value of his release clause, to prise away from La Liga.
As Spurs also seek to bring in a new centre-back, as confirmed by Postecoglou himself, it may be prudent for the north Londoners to fish for potentially low-cost attacking options as well as bigger names.
A player who fits this mould is Genoa star Albert Gudmundsson. Lange and Tottenham chiefs are thought to have made contact over Gudmundsson already, but they aren't the only ones, with Serie A giants Inter Milan also interested (La Gazzetta dello Sport via Sport Witness)
Tottenham enter "front row" to sign Gudmundsson
The Iceland international could certainly provide extra attacking impetus, as suggested by his impressive Italian top-flight numbers.
Udinese 2-2 Genoa
8.75
Genoa 1-1 Juventus
8.26
Genoa 4-1 Roma
8.17
Genoa 1-0 Salernitana
7.96
Sassuolo 1-2 Genoa
7.68
He's bagged a brilliant 10 goals and three assists over 27 league appearances this term, with a report by Calciomercato (translated by Sport Witness) following up on La Gazzetta's claim and stating that Tottenham are in the "front row" to sign Gudmundsson – who'll cost suitors just £26 million.
Interestingly, teammate Kevin Strootman has likened the player to Salah – which comes as pretty lofty praise.
“If he keeps improving, he won’t stay at Genoa for long,” Strootman told Il Secolo XIX newspaper.
“He reminds me of Salah when he was at Roma, in that every now and then he disappears. Much like Salah then, he would have four or five chances per match and only score at most one.
“They used to say that if Salah was more clinical, he would be playing for Liverpool, and that is exactly what happened. All joking aside, Gudmundsson is a devastating player and also an exemplary professional.”
Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke is on his way to matching Marcelo Bielsa's achievement of winning a Championship title at Elland Road.
The Whites are currently sat at the top of the second tier after their 2-0 win over Millwall in Yorkshire before the international break, thanks to Leicester City's involvement in the FA Cup meaning that they did not play in the league that weekend.
Bielsa won the Championship in his second season in charge of the club, and went on to manage the side for almost two seasons in the Premier League.
The Argentine tactician made several successful signings alongside Victor Orta – including the likes of Raphinha, Jack Harrison, and Patrick Bamford – but there were also some flops along the way.
One of his first signings at Elland Road was central midfielder Lewis Baker on loan from Premier League giants Chelsea in the summer of 2018, and the English dynamo flopped in Yorkshire.
Since his struggles under Bielsa, though, the talented gem has made his way to Stoke City in the present day and is currently outperforming Whites star Ilia Gruev in the Championship.
Lewis Baker's struggles with Leeds
The former England U21 international arrived at the club off the back of one goal and zero assists in 12 second tier appearances on loan with Middlesbrough during the previous season.
His short spell on Teeside came after a hugely successful two years in the Netherlands with Vitesse on loan from Chelsea, in which he showed his attacking qualities in midfield.
The Blues academy graduate racked up an eye-catching 20 goals and 11 assists in 73 appearances for the Dutch side across the 2015/16 and 2016/17 campaigns, which included 15 goals and eight assists in the Eredivisie.
Leeds, therefore, may have been excited to bring Baker in as he appeared to have the potential to provide a huge threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the middle of the park.
Unfortunately, however, it just did not work out for him at Elland Road as he failed to land regular minutes in Bielsa's midfield during the first half of the season.
Appearances
11
Starts
2
Goals
0
Assists
0
Key passes per game
0.0
Dribbles completed per game
0.2
As you can see in the table above, Baker only started two of his 11 appearances in the Championship for Leeds and, remarkably, did not create a single chance for his teammates in those matches.
He also only made one tackle and one interception, whilst being dribbled past four times by opposition players, in those 11 games, which shows that the midfielder struggled in and out of possession throughout his short spell with the Whites.
His startling lack of impact at both ends of the pitch resulted in Bielsa and Leeds cutting his loan deal short in January 2019, as he left Thorp Arch to return to Chelsea and then join Reading on loan for the second half of the 2018/19 campaign.
Where Lewis Baker is now
The now-28-year-old star is currently playing for Stoke City in the Championship, in the same division as the Farke's Whites, after spells with Fortuna Düsseldorf and Trabzonspor on loan, having signed from Chelsea on a permanent deal in January 2022.
Baker produced eight goals and two assists in 21 league appearances during his debut campaign with the Potters in the second half of the 2021/22 term, before a return of seven goals and five assists in 44 second tier outings during the 2022/23 campaign.
A knee injury last summer forced the experienced maestro to miss the first 17 matches of this season but he has returned to showcase his quality in midfield at Championship level.
As you can see in the table below, the Stoke metronome has bounced back from that blow to produce quality in and out of possession for his side.
Appearances
15
Starts
10
Goals
2
Big chances created
3
xA
1.94
Ground duel success rate
51%
Aerial duel success rate
57%
Baker has won the majority of his duels – on the ground and in the air – whilst also making an impact at the top end of the pitch with goals and high-quality chances created.
In fact, the Stoke ace ranks within the top 11% of midfielders in the division for Expected Assisted Goals (0.20) per 90, and the top 10% for shot-creating actions (4.31) per 90, which speaks to his fantastic creativity in possession.
Ilia Gruev's form for Leeds
Meanwhile, Gruev has emerged as a regular starter in central midfield since the turn of the year, starting alongside Finland international Glen Kamara for Leeds.
The Bulgarian ace has not offered much in the way of creativity for his side from the middle of the park, ranking within the bottom 19% of midfielders for Expected Assisted Goals (0.04) per 90, and the bottom 15% for shot-creating actions (1.53) per 90 in the division.
He is among the worst in the Championship when it comes to creating for his teammates, whereas Baker – as aforementioned – has been one of the best in that area.
Appearances
15
23
Ball recoveries per game
3.8
2.9
Tackles won per game
0.7
1.7
Ground duel success rate
51%
56%
Aerial duel success rate
57%
56%
Goals
2
0
Key passes per game
1.7
0.5
Expected Assists
1.94
1.12
As you can see in the table above, Gruev has the edge over the Stoke star on the deck when it comes to making tackles, but the English whiz has outperformed him at winning the ball back, dominating opposition players in the air, scoring goals, and creating opportunities for his team.
Therefore, Baker is currently outperforming the Bulgaria international in the Championship as he has made a bigger impact in and out of possession in various key metrics, with both players playing in the same division.
This is not to say that Leeds made a mistake with the 28-year-old wizard, as it was perhaps a case of the right place at the wrong time, but it is nice to see that the former Whites flop is now thriving in the second tier after his previous struggles in Yorkshire.
MatériaMais Notícias
Jogando no Estádio Beira-Rio na noite deste domingo (30), o Internacional não soube administrar a vantagem e ficou no empate de 2 x 2 com o Sport. Edenílson e Rodrigo Lindoso colocaram o Colorado na frente, mas Thiago Neves e André deixaram tudo igual.
Entrando direto na 3ª fase da Copa do Brasil, o Internacional estreia no torneio na próxima quinta-feira (3), quando visita o Vitória, no estádio do Barradão, às 19h. Por outro lado, já eliminado na copa nacional, o Sport só volta a campo no domingo (6), quando enfrenta o Atlético-MG, na Ilha do Retiro, às 20h30, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.
RelacionadasFutebol LatinoReforço blaugrana? Ídolo do City desembarca na Espanha para fechar com BarcelonaFutebol Latino30/05/2021Fora de CampoAndré diz que não se incomoda com apelido ‘Balada’ e lembra ‘apagão’ em boate: ‘Era um adolescente rebelde’Fora de Campo30/05/2021SportAndré traça meta de gols para o Campeonato BrasileiroSport29/05/2021
>Todos os jogos da 1ª Rodada no Brasileirão 2021
PRESSÃO SURTE EFEITO
Dono da casa, o Internacional não tomou conhecimento do Sport nos minutos iniciais. Controlando a bola, o Colorado buscou encontrar espaços na defesa dos pernambucanos, que se fecharam.
Na primeira boa oportunidade dos gaúchos, Maurício invadiu a área, mas bateu em cima de Maílson, que agiu bem e mandou para escanteio. Pouco depois, Moisés pressionou a saída de bola e conseguiu desarmar Paulinho Moccelin. Entretanto, errou o alvo, finalizando por cima do gol. Ainda antes dos 15 minutos, Caio Vidal e Taison também tentaram, só que mandaram para fora.
A insistência deu resultado para o Colorado. Em jogada pelo lado esquerdo, Maurício levou para o fundo e rolou para trás. Ao tentar chegar na bola, Caio Vidal foi atingido por Sander e sofreu pênalti. Na cobrança, Edenílson deslocou Maílson e colocou o Internacional na frente no Beira-Rio.
JOGO ESFRIA
O gol diminuiu a intensidade da partida. Com a vantagem, o Internacional se acomodou e passou a apenas administrar o duelo. Controlando o meio de campo, a equipe começou a trocar passes, mas sem muita objetividade.
Por outro lado, o Sport melhorou no quesito posse de bola. Entretanto, a melhora nos números não significou muito no que se viu até os 35 minutos. Sem criatividade, o Leão da Ilha tentava apostar nas bolas longas pelos lados do campo, porém sem êxito.
MARCELO LOMBA SALVA E INTER AMPLIA
Se pelo chão o Sport não conseguia chegar, foi na bola aérea que encontrou a solução para finalmente dar seu primeiro chute ao gol. Em cobrança de falta pelo lado esquerdo, Thiago Neves apareceu no meio da defesa para cabecear, obrigando Marcelo Lomba a espalmar para o lado. No rebote, Rafael Thyere, livre, tentou completar para o gol, mas parou em nova intervenção do goleiro colorado.
O susto acordou o Internacional. Aos 43 minutos, Maurício recebeu dentro da área e tentou a finalização, mas foi travado pela defesa, que mandou a bola para escanteio. Na cobrança, Moisés colocou a bola na cabeça de Rodrigo Lindoso, que testou firme para ampliar o marcador e levar o 2 x 0 para o intervalo.
FILME REPETIDO
Assim como na etapa inicial, o Internacional começou a parte final do jogo mais agudo. Yuri Alberto pressionou a saída de Maílson com os pés e, por pouco, não tomou a bola do goleiro do Sport. Pouco tempo depois, Caio Vidal recebeu pelo lado direito, pedalou, limpou o defensor e bateu cruzado, mas ninguém apareceu para completar.
Ainda com 8 minutos, Yuri Alberto quase fez o terceiro do Inter e o primeiro dele no confronto. Lançado pelo lado direito da área, o centroavante dominou e disparou para o gol. A bola beijou o pé da trave esquerda de Maílson, mas não entrou.
THIAGO NEVES DIMINUI
Apesar da pressão do Internacional, o Sport conseguiu diminuir o placar. Na primeira boa chegada do time no 2° tempo, Thiago Neves dominou dentro da área e tentou passe de calcanhar. A bola bateu no seu próprio pé de apoio e, depois, encontrou o braço de Maurício, dentro da área.
Com o pênalti marcado, o próprio camisa 30 foi para a cobrança. Tranquilo, o meia rolou no meio, enquanto Marcelo Lomba caiu para o lado esquerdo e não conseguiu evitar o gol do Leão da Ilha.
REESTREIA EM GRANDE ESTILO
O Sport virou dono do jogo após o empate. Controlando a bola, os pernambucanos passaram a levar perigo constante ao gol de Marcelo Lomba. Além disso, a estrela do técnico Umberto Louzer brilhou. O técnico promoveu as entradas de Maxwell e André.
Por duas vezes, Maxwell teve a chance de empatar o confronto, mas errou o alvo na primeira e, na segunda, parou em boa defesa de Lomba. Contudo, aos 44 minutos, André recebeu dentro da área e bateu tirando do goleiro, deixando tudo igual no Beira-Rio.
O Internacional ainda tentou pressionar nos minutos finais, mas Palacios desperdiçou boa oportunidade mandando para fora. Pouco depois, Thiago Galhardo mandou de letra para as redes, mas a arbitragem pegou a saída da bola no cruzamento. Desse modo, o jogo se encaminhou para o final com o 2 x 2 amargo para os colorados no placar.
FICHA TÉCNICA DA PARTIDA
INTERNACIONAL 2 x 2 SPORT
Local:Beira-Rio, em Porto Alegre (RS)
Data/Horário: 30/05/2021 – 20h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro:Vinicius Gonçalves Dias Araujo (CBF-SP)
Assistentes:Marcelo Carvalho Van Gasse (FIFA-SP) e Alex Ang Ribeiro (CBF-SP)
Árbitro de vídeo:Péricles Bassols (CBF-SP)
Cartões amarelos:Mauricio, Moisés, Lucas Ribeiro, Palacios (INT)
Cartões vermelhos:
GOLS:Edenílson (18’/1°T) (1-0), Rodrigo Lindoso (44’/1°T) (2-0), Thiago Neves (16’/2°T) (2-1), André (45’/2°T) (2-2)
INTERNACIONAL (Técnico: Miguel Ángel Ramírez)
Marcelo Lomba; Saravia, Lucas Ribeiro, Víctor Cuesta e Moisés; Rodrigo Lindoso, Edenílson (Nonato, aos 27’/2°T), Taison (Palacios, aos 39’/2°T) e Maurício (Praxedes, aos 27’/2°T); Caio Vidal (Patrick, aos 39’/2°T) e Yuri Alberto (Thiago Galhardo, aos 33’/2°T).
SPORT (Técnico: Umberto Louzer)
Maílson; Hayner, Rafael Thyere, Sabino e Sander (Marquinhos, no intervalo); Marcão Silva, Júnior Tavares, Ricardinho (José Welison, aos 51’/2°T) e Thiago Neves (Gustavo, aos 39’/2°T); Paulinho Moccelin (Maxwell, aos 32’/2°T) e Mikael (André, no intervalo).
Glasgow Rangers find themselves in territory which looked unimaginable following the sacking of Michael Beale at the start of October.
The Ibrox side were trailing Celtic by a considerable margin in the Premiership and lacked any real identity, with the supporters seemingly writing off another season.
Philippe Clement arrived to save the day, however, and just five months on, the Gers are through to the last 16 of the Europa League, have claimed the League Cup trophy and, most importantly, are within touching distance of Celtic.
The Belgian has done a spectacular job considering he has had to utilise some of Beale’s summer signings, with the likes of Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers featuring prominently.
Lammers has since departed on loan to FC Utrecht for the remainder of the campaign, yet Dessers is still in Glasgow, despite having failed to live up to his lavish transfer fee.
Having lost attacking talents such as Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos, Beale’s first priority during the summer transfer window was to replace them as soon as possible.
Dessers soon arrived from Serie A side Cremonese for a fee in the region of £4.5m, which was a significant sum to be paying for a striker who had scored just six league goals in Italy the season prior.
The Nigerian forward has found the back of the net on just 12 occasions since making the summer move and his performances have not been great, as he often goes missing during big games.
A key example was the recent Old Firm clash against Celtic at Parkhead. The 29-year-old started the tie, yet he missed a big chance when it looked easier to score, while completing just 12 passes and taking 25 touches during the match.
The former Feyenoord hitman looks far too one dimensional and his lack of tactical nous means he does not drop deep often enough to link up with the midfield, going large patches of games without taking a touch of the ball.
Rangers required a player who could do more than just be an out-and-out goalscorer following the departure of Morelos, but Dessers simply isn’t the answer.
There was another attacker who departed Ibrox in 2023 that could have been a much better option than Dessers and surely would have thrived under Clement – Fashion Sakala.
Following their first league title win in a decade, Steven Gerrard looked to significantly bolster his team in order to cement their dominance.
Sakala joined during the summer of 2021 for free, with the Gers securing his services on a pre-contract agreement and it looked like a wise investment.
The Zambian forward took a while to settle in at Rangers following his move from Belgium, eventually scoring 12 goals, and registering seven assists in 50 matches during his debut season.
He ended up winning the Scottish Cup while featuring heavily during the club’s run to the final of the Europa League in 2022, although they lost to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst didn’t give him many opportunities throughout the early stages of the 2022/23 season and it wasn’t until Beale arrived that Sakala started to perform well.
Indeed, having scored just once prior to the enforced hiatus due to the World Cup, Sakala netted 11 times during the second half of the season and proved that he could make a difference to the team going forward.
Former Ibrox defender Alan Hutton previously dubbed the forward as a “firework” and his unpredictable nature often caught defences out on a regular basis.
During the summer transfer window last year, however, Beale decided to cash in on the 26-year-old, reportedly securing a transfer fee of around £4m for the player, which, on the surface, represented solid business.
With Dessers not quite living up to his big-money fee and Sakala settling in quite nicely in Saudi Arabia for Al-Fayha, there is no doubt that the former Rangers forward is currently outperforming the Nigerian this season.
While Sakala may have scored ten goals to Dessers’ 12, the Zambian has netted his in just 27 matches, while it has taken the 29-year-old 35 games to score his.
In their respective leagues, Sakala has missed fewer big chances (nine to 13), than Dessers, while he has taken more shots per game (3.2 vs 2.7), succeeded with more successful dribbles per game (2.7 vs 0.4) and won more total duels per game (5.5 vs 2.4), clearly showcasing his superior statistics across a range of performance metrics this term.
It isn’t just domestically that Sakala is shining either, proving to be a hit in the AFC Champions League, scoring three goals from just six matches, chipping in with two assists too.
Clement can oust Dessers by unleashing Rangers' £11m-rated gem
Rangers face a clash against Ayr United at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup tomorrow
By
Ross Kilvington
Feb 9, 2024
Sakala is certainly enjoying his spell in Asia since moving from Rangers last summer, and it looks as though he has finally joined a team where he can get consistent first-team football and this has only improved his performances.
Securing £4m for a player who didn’t look like he was going to be in Beale’s future plans was a shrewd move, especially since he joined for free. It soon transpired that perhaps keeping him at Ibrox may have been the most logical thing to do.
|
Domestic league statistics this season |
Cyriel Dessers |
Fashion Sakala |
|---|---|---|
|
Goals |
8 |
7 |
|
Assists |
2 |
3 |
|
Big chances missed |
13 |
9 |
|
Successful dribbles per game |
0.4 |
2.7 |
|
Total duels won per game |
2.4 |
5.5 |
Dessers has failed to shine during his short stint at Rangers so far and unless he improves his performances drastically, he may be looking for a new club in the summer.
Sakala, on the other hand, seems to be enjoying life in Saudi Arabia, and he is swiftly emerging as a key player for his new team, finally showcasing his true potential.
Hopefully, Clement spends his future funds on players who are going to hit the ground running at Ibrox and thus avoid wasting money on players such as Dessers.
Sakala may not have been a world-beater, but he always gave 100% and that is exactly what the Ibrox faithful expect from the players during every game.
Bayern Munich insiders reportedly fear that Harry Kane’s struggle for form at Euro 2024 is a result of the trophy heartbreak he endured at club level.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
MatériaMais Notícias
O atacante Zeca, com passagens por Bahia, Vitória, Criciúma e Goiás, marcou seu primeiro gol pelo Oeste Barueri no empate entre o rubro-negro e o XV de Piracicaba, na Arena Barueri, pela Série A2 do Paulistão na noite da última segunda-feira (26).
Messi, CR7, Neymar… Veja o top 10 dos jogadores mais bem pagos do mundo
Com o resultado, a equipe de Barueri continua na liderança com 22 pontos. Contratado junto ao Goiás, o centroavante comemorou seu primeiro tento pela equipe paulista.
– Estou feliz pelo primeiro gol defendendo o Oeste Barueri. Nosso grupo vem mantendo um nível muito bom e as jogadas estão saindo com qualidade. Todo grupo está de parabéns. Vamos seguir trabalhando forte para alcançar mais vitórias e somar o maior número de pontos – disse o atacante.
CONFIRA A CLASSIFICAÇÃO DA SÉRIE A2 DO PAULISTÃO
RelacionadasSão PauloPablo e Orejuela treinam em campo no São Paulo; veja provável escalaçãoSão Paulo27/04/2021Ponte PretaÔnibus da Ponte Preta é atacado após derrota no Moisés LucarelliPonte Preta27/04/2021Futebol NacionalRevelado pelo Fluminense, meia do Olímpia fala sobre retorno da Série A3 do PaulistãoFutebol Nacional27/04/2021
Próximo compromisso do Oeste Barueri será nesta quarta (28), no Canindé, ás 22h, contra a Portuguesa, pela nona rodada da Série A2.
– Vamos manter essa concentração e buscar colocar nosso jogo em prática para buscar o resultado positivo. Enfrentaremos uma ótima equipe. Será um grande duelo – finalizou o camisa nove do rubro-negro.
Aos 24 anos, Zeca atuou nas divisões de base do Bahia, Vitória, além do Boa Vista de Portugal. Profissionalmente ele atuou no Goiás e Criciúma antes de chegar ao Oeste Barueri.
The hosts secured their very first ODI series clean sweep over a fellow Full Member in Stormont
The Report by Liam Brickhill07-Jul-2019
Tim Murtagh celebrates a wicket•Getty Images
James McCollum’s second fifty of the series, and a nuggety 49 from captain William Porterfield, took Ireland to an historic six-wicket win over Zimbabwe in Stormont. Following on from his fifty in Ireland’s series-sealing win on Thursday, McCollum set up Ireland’s pursuit of Zimbabwe’s 190 with 54 at the top of the order. Porterfield’s knock pushed Ireland closer to victory, and an unbeaten 35 from Kevin O’Brien secured their very first ODI series clean sweep over a fellow Full Member.With swing on offer with the new ball, McCollum didn’t have it all his own way early in his knock and was given a particularly thorough working over by Kyle Jarvis, playing and missing at three outswingers in a row. But Zimbabwe couldn’t make any inroads, despite several near misses and one clear chance that came their way. In the second over of Ireland’s chase, Tendai Chatara drew a false shot from Paul Stirling, a leading edge presenting Sean Williams with a tough high chance running back from cover, but it was spilled and Ireland cruised through the Powerplay at better than five an over.Having scored six consecutive fifty-plus ODI scores, Stirling was in sight of a seventh when he edged an attempted cut off Chatara to fall for 32. Zimbabwe snaffled a second wicket just before the first drinks break, Andy Balbirnie top edging a sweep off Williams before he could get going, but after the interval McCollum and Porterfield continued to find the boundary whenever one was needed to ease pressure.Porterfield nudged his way past 4,000 ODI runs during a 43-run third wicket stand that steadied Ireland and took the score beyond 100 in the 23rd over. At the other end, McCollum raised his fifty with a handsome drive through cover off Solomon Mire, but then fell against the run of play in Mire’s next over, driving a long half volley uppishly into the covers, where Ryan Burl dived to his right to hold the catch.By then, Ireland needed only 81 more runs from the better part of 25 overs, and Porterfield steadily whittled away at the target alongside Kevin O’Brien. So effective in the last match, today Zimbabwe’s spinners struggled to pin Ireland’s middle order down, with Porterfield putting the sweep to particularly good use against Sikandar Raza’s offspin.It was Ryan Burl’s part-time legspin that finally got the better of Porterfield, however, as he was beaten by sharp turn and bowled for 49 in the 37th over, with Ireland needing just 32. O’Brien administered the last rites, batting a little within himself but still allowing for the odd moment of flair.”We set out to win the series and obviously to win it 3-0 is pretty good,” Porterfield said after the game. “Starting back in May, quite a few cricketers have come in. It’s really pleasing that the lads are coming in and making contributions. There’s depth in that pool of players and the confidence is right up there.”It was one of Ireland’s veterans who set the match up. Once again utilising the conditions expertly, Tim Murtagh picked up 3 for 39 to lead the attack. He found the outside edge of Burl’s bat in the third over of the morning, the left-hander having been promoted to open, and then snapped up the vital wicket of Brendan Taylor for the second time in the series. With Craig Ervine dragging a pull at Mark Adair onto his own stumps, Zimbabwe were three down early and the slide began in earnest.They were tottering at 88 for 6, but Richmond Mutumbami joined a settled Williams at the crease to steady things somewhat with a 43-run stand. Boyd Rankin’s pace and bounce snapped the partnership, Mutumbami wafting flat-footed outside off to be caught behind, but after him Jarvis also showed a little stickability to chaperone Williams to his second fifty of the tour.Williams’ desperately unlucky dismissal for 67 – run out at the non-striker’s end as Adair palmed a firm drive from Jarvis back onto the stumps – completely opened up Zimbabwe’s tail. Jarvis attempted to push things on with a couple of lusty blows, but two overs later Zimbabwe were all out for their lowest total of the tour.”I’m obviously getting on a bit now, but still enjoying my cricket,” Murtagh said after being named Player of the Series for his nine wickets. “And these boys keep me young. I’m enjoying it. They’re good kids. They’re desperate to learn. Mark’s last over in the last game was really special. Shane [Getkate] looks like he’s been playing for years.””We haven’t played our best cricket,” admitted Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza. “Ireland have showed us up and really put us under the pump. We need to make better decisions under pressure. That’s what Ireland have done, every time they’re on top, they haven’t let us come back.”
After the two bowlers shared five wickets between them to limit the hosts to 119 for 7, Dar starred with the bat as well to put her side 1-0 up
The Report by Liam Brickhill15-May-2019
Nida Dar bowls•IDI/Getty Images
Captain Bismah Maroof and Nida Dar both struck fifties as Pakistan stormed to a seven-wicket win over South Africa in the first T20I in Pretoria. After Sana Mir’s 3 for 14 helped restrict the hosts to 119 for 7, Maroof and Dar shared an 89-run third-wicket stand to guide Pakistan’s chase. Dar fell moments before the result was sealed but she scooped up the Player of the Match award for her part in helping Pakistan to a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, Maroof remaining unbeaten on 53.Pakistan lost Javeria Rauf in the first over of their chase but Maroof walked in at No. 3 and calmed any early jitters with a brace of boundaries in the third over, the second via a particularly sweet pull to the square leg boundary. Maroof and Umaima Sohail ticked through the Powerplay at close to a run a ball, with Sohail spanking six off a Marizanne Kapp full toss before she was dismissed by medium pacer Tumi Sekhukhune.But Maroof found an able partner in Dar, who laced the second legitimate delivery she faced to the cover boundary and continued in cruise control as South Africa struggled to break through. Having seen off the hosts’ vaunted pace attack, Maroof and Dar set to work on the spinners, with Maroof sweeping Sune Luus’ first ball to the backward square leg boundary and Dar swiping two more fours in the legspinner’s next over.Maroof was first into the forties, but Dar accelerated past her to reach fifty first with a swatted six over extra cover. Having got to the brink of victory, Pakistan made slightly heavy weather of the final push, with Dar bowled for 53 having a swipe at Klaas with just two runs needed. Iram Javed played out the wicket maiden and, after Maroof handed her the strike at the start of the 18th over, tapped away four dot balls before a quick single sealed the result.Dar had also played a crucial part with the ball, her 2 for 30 complementing Mir’s efforts as Pakistan’s two leading wicket-takers in this format shared five wickets to hinder South Africa’s efforts. Mir struck twice in the very first over, trapping Lizelle Lee in front of her stumps and then finding Tazmin Brits’ outside edge.They also lost Kapp inside the Powerplay, and when Mignon du Preez chipped a catch to mid off and Luus was bowled by Mir for 10, the innings was in danger of meandering completely off course at 49 for 5 in the 13th over. A 54-run stand between Chloe Tryon and Shabnim Ismail repaired some of the damage, but South Africa had plenty of ground to make up after their top-order failures and their eventual total was easily bettered by Dar and Maroof.