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A blistering 18-ball 40 from Glenn Maxwell finished the job as RCB sealed an impressive win

Deivarayan Muthu19-May-20222:37

Vettori: Kohli at his best makes RCB a genuine title contender

Virat Kohli finally broke out of the funk, with 73 off 54 balls, his highest score this IPL, to keep Royal Challengers Bangalore’s campaign alive, but only . Royal Challengers still need Delhi Capitals, who now have a superior net run rate than them, to lose their final league fixture to Mumbai Indians, if they are to sneak into the playoffs. Royal Challengers’ victory meant Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad were out of the reckoning for playoffs.Kohli’s second half-century against Gujarat Titans – and only his second overall this season – formed the centerpiece of Royal Challengers’ successful pursuit of 169. Faf du Plessis simply rode in Kohli’s slipstream during a 115-run opening stand before holing out for 44 off 38 balls. Rashid Khan also got rid of Kohli, in his next over, but the game was all but over by then. Glenn Maxwell got the job done with a flurry of boundaries along with Dinesh Karthik.Such a dominant win didn’t seem likely when Royal Challengers’ designated death bowler Harshal Patel bowled just one over and then left the field after splitting the webbing in his bowling hand. Despite late blows from Hardik Pandya (62* off 47 balls) and Rashid (19* off 6 balls), Harshal-less RCB managed to limit Titans to 168 for 5 on a slow Wankhede pitch.Maxwell in the thick of the action
Maxwell’s first contribution of the evening was a spectacular one-handed grab at wide slip to send back Shubman Gill for 1. Maxwell then bowled two overs in the powerplay, which brought the wicket of Matthew Wade and cost Royal Challengers just two runs. Wade was visibly peeved at being given out lbw when he had thought he had bottom-edged a sweep onto his pad. He called for a review immediately, but UltraEdge didn’t detect a spike although some side-on replays suggested a deflection off the bat. So there wasn’t enough evidence for TV umpire Navdeep Singh to overturn the on-field out call.Maxwell could’ve also had Pandya on 14 had Suyash Prabhudessai not misjudged a catch at the long-on boundary.Miller and Pandya do the repair job
When du Plessis nailed a direct hit to run-out Wriddhiman Saha in the ninth over, Titans were 62 for 3. Pandya and David Miller then got together, forging a 61-run fourth-wicket stand. Pandya, in particular, struggled to time the ball on a pitch that offered grip to the slower bowlers. He swung so hard at Maxwell that he not only lost his shape but also his grip, with the bat flying over the square-leg region in the tenth over.As for Miller, he was more fluent against spin, taking fingerspinners Maxwell and Shahbaz Ahmed for 23 off 11 balls. However, Wanindu Hasaranga, the wristspinner, cut short Miller’s innings at 34 off 25 balls by pulling off a terrific return catch.Despite the unavailability of Harshal, Royal Challengers made Pandya work hard for the large part of his innings. He needed 42 balls to get to a half-century. Rashid and Pandya then plundered 34 off the last two overs, bowled by Siddharth Kaul and Josh Hazlewood, but they still couldn’t reach 170. The Kohli show
Kohli gave Royal Challengers’ chase a jumpstart, claiming 34 runs of the 55 they hit in the powerplay.His innings was pure theatre, with the Wankhede crowd right behind him. He pumped Mohammed Shami over his head for four in the third over and regularly hit over the top, a departure from his usual cagey approach in the powerplay.Fortune was also on his side on Thursday. When Shami found some seam movement, the ball did not shave the outside edge. And when Hardik Pandya nipped the ball into him and cramped him, the inside edge missed the stumps. Kohli also got a reprieve on 16 when Rashid, standing a few yards in from the square-leg boundary, dropped a catch.Kohli’s early assault prompted Titans to rush Rashid into the attack as early as the fifth over, but Kohli attacked him as well. He lofted him over his head for four and then rattled up 33-ball fifty in grand style, with his first-ever six off Rashid.Kohli, however, judiciously played out R Sai Kishore who varied his pace smartly and got more purchase from the pitch. When he drifted one into Kohli and got it to turn away sharply, it veered away from the outside edge. There were enough signs that this was Kohli’s night. Kohli was so pumped up that he even celebrated du Plessis’ boundaries with gusto.Rashid then returned to the attack to give Royal Challengers some late jitters. He snagged du Plessis and Kohli in successive overs and almost added Maxwell to his scalps. He hit the top of Maxwell’s leg stump, but the bails didn’t get dislodged. Maxwell was on zero at that point. He walloped an unbeaten 40 off 18 balls to close out the game that he had set up beautifully.

Australia need to rejig their middle order if Head isn’t available for the Galle Test

Andrew McGlashan23-Jun-2022Glenn Maxwell has been added to Australia’s Test squad ahead of the opening match against Sri Lanka in Galle after Travis Head joined a lengthy injury list with a hamstring strain which has ruled him out of the final ODI.It means the prospect of Maxwell playing his first Test since 2017, against Bangladesh in Chattogram, and his first first-class match since 2019 if he is included for the game next Wednesday. All seven of his Tests have come on the subcontinent with a top score of 104 against India in Ranchi.Before the tour, national George Bailey kept the door open for Maxwell’s return. He has been in good touch during the ODIs with a match-winning unbeaten 80 in the opening game followed by 30 and 33.”We know Glenn has had some red-ball success in these types of conditions and we’re looking forward to him getting back and playing a good block of cricket through the T20s and one-day cricket,” Bailey said. “If he shoots the lights out or anyone else does particularly well, there’s always going to be opportunities.”Earlier in the trip, Maxwell said he understood why he was not part of the Test squad but had not given up hope of getting another chance”A guy that hasn’t played any first-class cricket would be a random pick,” he told . “I know it’s specific to my skillset and the way I play slow bowling, especially in these conditions, that might have been something to sway them.”But I think the way they’ve shown faith in their current squad is brilliant. It’s nice that the door’s not closed but I also thought it was nice that they showed faith in that squad.”Head sustained his injury late in the fourth match and has just six days to recover before the first Test in Galle. GPS data showed that Head had run 26km in the field across the third and fourth matches of the series. The strain is said to be on the minor side, but if he is not available for the opening game next Wednesday, it would require Australia to rejig their middle order.Related

• Australia could play Maxwell at No. 8 in second Test

• Glenn Maxwell's Test return: 'So nice to get the tap on the shoulder and have the faith I can do a job'

• Starc won't risk Test chances by making quick return in Sri Lanka

• Warning signs for Australia ahead of litmus test against spin in Galle

Maxwell has been called up ahead of any of the Australia A batters who have been taking part in the four-day matches against Sri Lanka which includes Marcus Harris, Matt Renshaw and Nic Maddinson.However, three spinners from the A squad – Jon Holland, Matthew Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy – will remain in Sri Lanka with the Test squad to assist with preparations and to further their development. Kuhnemann has already been part of the ODI squad following Ashton Agar’s side injury and if Australia opt for three spinners during the Tests there could be further chance for promotion.Holland, 35, who has played four Tests, was a late addition to the Australia A squad after Kuhuemann was brought across to the one-day set-up.Travis Head has just six days to recover before the first Test in Galle•Getty Images

Meanwhile, Mitchell Starc also continues to be unavailable due to the stitching in his finger which he cut on the spike of his boot in the first T20I while Steven Smith, who has been nursing a quad strain, is unlikely to be risked ahead of the Tests.”[It’s a] bit more of a precaution,” Aaron Finch said of Head. “Especially, where he fields in the outfield, he does quite a lot of kilometres and the ground is quite heavy. Not sure what he’s looking like for the Test matches. Just one more to add to the list at the moment. Starcy is still not right with his finger. Where it is, the stitching is still not quite 100% healed. Without being able to bowl without tape on, he’ll be out as well.”Australia have endured a lengthy casualty list during the white-ball leg of the tour. Sean Abbott (broken finger) was ruled out before the matches began to be followed by Marsh who has since recovered from a calf strain, Kane Richardson (hamstring), Marcus Stoinis (side), and Agar (side) along with Starc and Smith.Reflecting on the ODI series, which Sri Lanka secured with their four-run victory two days ago, Finch picked out the fact Australia had not been able to build a big partnership to take them deep into the innings with plenty of wickets in hand as a deciding factor. They have fielded a long batting order in the last two matches with Cameron Green at No. 8.”Anytime we’ve started to get any momentum in the game, we lose a wicket and in these conditions, once you lose one, they go back-to-back pretty quick,” he said. “Think, just maximising that main partnership where you can get to the 40th over maybe three down, has hindered us a bit.”After Friday’s final ODI, Australia’s next 50-over cricket will be the series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand starting at home in late August. Unlike these matches against Sri Lanka, those contests will carry World Cup Super League points. There remains uncertainty whether their other home series, against South Africa in January, will go ahead after CSA requested for it to be moved, so they can launch their new T20 league.

Unfortunately for Manchester United and their fans, it's already starting to feel like more of the same in the Premier League this season.

Erik ten Hag's men may have picked up all three points in their season opener against Fulham, but in the two games since, they haven't picked up any.

There is still clearly plenty of talent in this team, but with sides around them already starting to pull away, Ten Hag cannot afford to drop any more points against Southampton, and he must make changes.

One of those changes should be to drop Marcus Rashford, as his underwhelming form from last season has seemingly carried over, and the manager has a solution on the bench.

Rashford's recent form

So the first thing to say is that when he's on song, Rashford is easily one of the most dangerous attackers in the Premier League, if not Europe, but therein lies the problem: he's not on song and hasn't been for some time.

For example, he followed up his incredible haul of 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 appearances in the 22/23 campaign with a disappointing return of eight goals and six assists in 43 appearances last season.

In other words, the Englishman went from averaging a goal involvement every 1.36 games to one every 3.07 games last year, and unfortunately, he's carried on that underwhelming form into this season.

Appearances

3

Goals

0

Assists

0

Shots

0

Passes per Match

23

Offsides

3

For example, in his three league games thus far, the 26-year-old has failed to score or assist a goal, and while he has created the odd chance for his teammates, he's just looked ineffective in attack.

There is undoubtedly still a quality player in there, but it feels like he could do with some time out of the team.

Moreover, considering United are playing one of if not the weakest teams in the league tomorrow, it feels like the perfect opportunity to make a change and start one of the club's young and exciting wingers in his place.

Why Diallo should start

Yes, the youngster who should come back into the side is Amad Diallo, but he should do so on the right, meaning Alejandro Garnacho shifts over to the left, where he has started the majority of games in his career.

Now, nobody is claiming that the young Ivorian is a better player than Rashford at this point, but unlike the Englishman, he is not burdened with a combination of expectations for what fans know he can do and pressure due to what he has done.

Moreover, while the former Atalanta gem is still young, 22 is old enough for him to be getting regular starts in the first team, and while he's still somewhat raw, he has looked good when given the opportunity to play.

For example, against Brighton & Hove Albion last month, he scored and looked dangerous in attack, and while last season saw him spend a lot of time out with injury issues, the campaign prior saw him light up the Championship with Sunderland.

In just 43 appearances, the Abidjan-born "superstar", as dubbed by football creator Liam Canning, scored 14 goals and provided four assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement once every 2.38 games for the Black Cats.

Ultimately, while the step-up to Premier League football is significant, Diallo has shown he has the potential to thrive, and with Rashford still underwhelming, Ten Hag must take full advantage of a game against Southampton and start the Ivorian in place of the Englishman.

He's like De Jong: Man Utd have already sold their next Gomes for just £850k

The talented midfielder looks promising.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 12, 2024

The duo played a vital role in reversing the momentum of the second Test during India’s second innings, putting on 111 at a run rate of 4.75

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jan-20221:51

Have Pujara and Rahane done enough to keep their place in the XI?

Even if their places in the XI weren’t under immediate threat, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane weren’t in the best of run-scoring form when they came together during India’s second innings at the Wanderers. India were 44 for 2 – effectively 17 for 2 – on a pitch full of cracks that presented the dual threat of inconsistent bounce and unpredictable sideways movement.Pujara and Rahane quickly reversed the momentum of the game, putting on 111 at a run rate of 4.75. It was, according to available records, India’s fastest-ever century partnership in South Africa – though the fifth-wicket stand of 222 between Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin in Cape Town in 1997 (the scorecard lacks fall-of-wickets information) may well have been quicker.Pujara came flying out of the blocks in the final session of day two, and brought up his half-century on the third morning off just 62 balls. Asked if it was a conscious plan to go after South Africa’s bowlers, Pujara said he had been on the lookout for scoring opportunities without necessarily looking to force the issue.”Looking at the pitch, this pitch has variable bounce and it’s not easy,” Pujara said at the end of day three. “Whenever you get a loose ball you want to make sure that you put it away. You never know when you will get an unplayable ball. So yes, it was part of my gameplan that if I get a loose ball I will try and convert it, but I didn’t do anything extra.”I think I’ve been batting well. It was one of those days where everything was going as per my plan. Whenever I was getting a loose ball I was just trying to convert it, but overall really happy with the way things went.”I think the partnership with Ajinkya was very crucial because we were at a stage where we wanted some runs on the board, and I feel it’s not just about my score but about the team’s total in the end. So that partnership with Ajinkya was a very crucial one for us today.”Related

Virat Kohli: 'I don't need to prove anything to anyone'

Why did Rishabh Pant play that shot?

India's rope-a-hope with Pujara and Rahane is wearing thin

Both batters made half-centuries, potentially relieving any pressure they might have felt over their places in the XI. Pujara, however, said all noise about his and Rahane’s lack of runs was external, and that both had the full support of the team management.”Well, the team management has been always supportive, so I would say it’s just the outside noise,” he said. “The coaching staff, the captain, everyone is behind all the players, and we have been working hard. There are times when you don’t get too many runs, but the important thing as a cricketer is following the right routine, having good work ethics, and keep working on your game, because there are times when you will not get runs, but if you follow the right processes, you get runs on the board.”This is what has happened today, and I’m sure that this form will continue and we will get big scores in the next game as well.”4:11

Cheteshwar Pujara: ‘Didn’t do anything extra, been batting well’

The external noise hasn’t just come from armchair critics, though. At the start of their partnership, Sunil Gavaskar suggested on TV commentary that both Rahane and Pujara might be playing for their places.”We are very confident, also there is lot of backing from the team management, and we’ve been learning from Sunny . Whenever I’ve spoken to him he has always been supportive,” Pujara said. “So yes, there are times when, if you’re going through bad form, there will be questions, no doubt about that, but we are confident players, myself and Ajinkya, we know we are working hard on our game, and there’s a saying – form is temporary, class is permanent, so I feel that it applies here.”I feel that if we keep working on our game, we have done well for the Indian team in the past, and the management has shown a lot of faith in us, and that will pay off for sure. It has already paid, but I feel that as we keep playing more, as a batsman once you’re back in form, you keep scoring runs and it keeps going up and up.”The Wanderers Test is intriguingly poised at the end of day three, with South Africa 118 for 2 in their chase of 240. Pujara was confident India would be able to get the eight wickets they need to go 2-0 up in the series, even if South Africa are already nearly halfway to their target with minimal losses.”If you look at this game, it’s been a challenging pitch, and we have runs on the board, so we are very well balanced in this game,” he said. “Although we haven’t picked up too many wickets today, we are very confident that the pitch will deteriorate tomorrow and we’ll have our chances tomorrow.”Sessions in this Test match have often shown a two-faced nature, with conditions looking relatively easier to bat in in the first hour and inconsistent bounce becoming more pronounced in the second. Pujara said the use of the heavy roller may have had something to do with this.”I feel when you take a heavy roller, the pitch settles a bit, it takes a little bit of time for the cracks to open up,” he said. “There are some dents as well, so when there’s a heavy roller, [the pitch] settles down a bit, but after an hour or so we start getting variable bounce, so that is what we are expecting tomorrow – I think first hour it might play nicely, but as the game progresses it will start deteriorating a bit more.”

Europe's national teams learned their pathways towards qualifying for UEFA's 16 spots for the 2026 World Cup

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• Twelve groups drawn
• Playoffs will determine several Pot 1 spots
• Fifty-four teams were drawn

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  UEFA's 54 teams were drawn into 12 groups Friday with the aim of reaching the North America-hosted FIFA World Cup 2026.

  Several teams are still awaiting to be placed as a Pot 1 team in the respective group, with seeding to be determined by March’s UEFA Nations League (UNL) quarterfinals – including Italy, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, France, Croatia, Netherlands and Spain.

  A record 16 teams from UEFA (up from 13) are able to qualify due to FIFA's expanded format for the 2026 tournament.

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• FIFA
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The groups consist of four or five teams each, with winners qualifying directly for the World Cup. The remaining four spots will be decided in March 2026 via a 16-team UEFA playoff. The playoff field will include the 12 group-stage runners-up and four top-ranked UNL group winners not qualified via group stage or playoff runner-up slots.

  FIFA World Cup 26™: UEFA Preliminary Draw results
  

  Group A

  Winner Italy – Germany (UNL QF4)

  Slovakia

  Northern Ireland

  Luxembourg

  Group B

  Switzerland

  Sweden

  Slovenia

  Kosovo

  Group C

  Defeated team Denmark – Portugal (UNL QF3)

  Greece

  Scotland

  Belarus

  Group D

  Winner Croatia – France (UNL QF2)

  Ukraine

  Iceland

  Azerbaijan

  Group E

  Winner Netherlands – Spain (UNL QF1)

  Türkiye

  Georgia

  Bulgaria

  Group F

  Winner Denmark – Portugal (UNL QF3)

  Hungary

  Republic of Ireland

  Armenia

  Group G

  Defeated team Netherlands – Spain (UNL QF1)

  Poland

  Finland

  Lithuania

  Malta

  Group H

  Austria

  Romania

  Bosnia and Herzegovina

  Cyprus

  San Marino

  Group I

  Defeated team Italy – Germany (UNL QF4)

  Norway

  Israel

  Estonia

  Moldova

  Group J

  Belgium

  Wales

  North Macedonia

  Kazakhstan

  Liechtenstein

  Group K

  England

  Serbia

  Albania

  Latvia

  Andorra

  Group L

  Defeated team Croatia – France (UNL QF2)

  Czechia

  Montenegro

  Faroe Islands

  Gibraltar

• AFP
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  The March playoff match between Croatia and France, which will determine the fates of Group D and L, is a rematch of the 2018 World Cup Final — which France won 4-2.

• WHAT NEXT FOR UEFA?

  UEFA will kick off its Nations League quarterfinals in March 2025. Here are the match ups:

  Italy vs. Germany (Winner goes to Group A; Loser goes to Group I)

  Denmark vs. Portugal (Winner goes to Group F; Loser goes to Group C)

  Croatia vs. France (Winner goes to Group D; Loser goes to Group L)

  Netherlands vs. Spain (Winner goes to Group E; Loser goes to Group G)

Pakistan’s Haseebullah Khan’s 135 downs Zimbabwe; hosts West Indies open account

Sreshth Shah18-Jan-2022

A devastating opening spell from West Indies fast bowler Shiva Sankar rattled Scotland so bad that they could never recover. Scotland were bowled out for 95 and West Indies chased the target down in less than 20 overs to earn their first points in their home U-19 World Cup.Sankar got the new ball to swing away from right-handers, and his first scalp was Scotland opener Charlie Tear after he smacked one straight to mid off. Sankar then went full on middle stump to No. 3 Samuel Elstone, and he missed the flick and was out lbw. The third wicket for Sankar, though, was his best ball – an outswinger enticing No. 4 Tomas Mackintosh to drive, only for him to edge it to the slip cordon.The score of 29 for 3 was soon 57 for 5 when left-arm spinner Anderson Mahase picked off the next two batters. No. 5 Jack Jarvis pulled a short ball to Sankar at midwicket and the No. 6 Muhaymen Majeed missed a flick after charging down the track, leaving the wicketkeeper to complete a straightforward stumping.With the lower order exposed at one end, the rest of West Indies’ bowling unit went for the kill. McKenny Clarke’s extra pace induced an edge off Rafay Khan, after which the tall right-arm offspinner Onaje Amory used his height to get turn and bounce and find the outside edges of Lyle Robertson and Scotland captain Charlie Peet.The tenth wicket, however, was of Scotland’s best batter Oliver Davidson. Having opened the batting and seen all the wickets tumble around him, he had to show restraint through his innings. He trundled along to 43 in 92 balls before being the last man out in anticlimactic fashion, run out while looking for a two. It was a terrific performance on the field led by stand-in captain Giovonte Depeiza, who was leading the side in Ackeem Auguste’s absence.West Indies opener Matthew Nandu was tentative in their chase of 96, more so after his first-ball duck against Australia in the tournament opener. The other opener Shaqkere Parris, though, was more enterprising with his shot making. Together they put on 37 for the first wicket.Parris entertained with three fours and a six, but he seemed to get bogged down by Peet’s unorthodox round-arm left-arm spinning deliveries that seemed to dart into the stumps. Parris missed a Leet delivery that went straight with the arm, and he was walking back for 26 in 29 balls after his leg stump was rattled.The other left-arm spinner Oliver Davidson soon removed Rivaldo Clarke after his cut took the edge to the keeper, but that was about all the success Scotland had. West Indies did not lose a wicket from 66 for 3 onwards, and the unbeaten batters Teddy Bishop (23*) and Johnson (14*) saw the game off without any fuss.Dunith Wellalage turned in key performances with bat and ball•Getty Images

In the other Group D match, Sri Lanka captain Dunith Wellalage produced a dominating all-round show against Australia to throw the group wide open with one round of matches left.Wellalage – the batting allrounder who also bowls left-arm spin – first ran through the Australia batting with a five-for to bowl them out for 175. And when Sri Lanka were 49 for 4 in their chase, he smacked 52 to set up their win.Although Wellalage top-scored in the chase, he was ably assisted from the No. 6 and No. 7 batters who came after him. Wicketkeeper Anjala Bandara made 33 in a 70-run fifth-wicket stand with Wellalage. And after that, Wellalage added a further 52 with Ranuda Somarathne. After Wellalage fell, Somarathne saw the chase off to finish unbeaten on 32.Australia’s only bright spot was their opener Campbell Kellaway, who made 54. Wellalage, who introduced himself as the sixth bowler, made the most damage through the middle overs. After removing Kellaway in the 29th over, he rattled the stumps twice in the 31st to dismiss Nivethan Radhakrishnan (21) and Tobias Snell.Those three wickets in quick time saw Australia fall from 107 for 3 to 112 for 6, and if it wasn’t for William Salzmann’s 22, they would’ve folded for much lesser.Sri Lanka’s win sets Group D up for a grandstand finish. The winner of the Sri Lanka-West Indies clash in the last round definitely progresses to the Super League stage. But the loser of that game can also go through if Australia don’t win by a big enough margin against Scotland in their last match.Haseebullah’s century is the tournament’s highest individual score so far•ICC via Getty Images

Over in Group C, Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Haseebullah Khan hammered 135 to lift Pakistan to 315 for 9, a total 115 runs too much for Zimbabwe in their game at Diego Martin.Haseebullah put on a 189-run third-wicket stand with the No. 4 Irfan Khan, who made 75 in 73 balls. After that, the rest of Pakistan’s batters smacked quick-fire cameos to give Zimbabwe an uphill chase. The 16-year-old Awais Ali then picked up three late wickets in the second innings to finish with 6 for 56, the tournament’s best figures so far.Haseebullah, the opener, hammered ten fours and four sixes in his 155-ball innings while Irfan crunched six fours and one six. Their third-wicket stand was broken by right-arm seamer Alex Falao when Irfan fell in the 45th over, but that did not plug the flow of runs.Qasim Akram, the Pakistan captain, scored an 11-ball 20, Abbas Ali made 13 in six balls and the No. 9 Zeeshan Zamar hit three sixes in his six-ball 21 to take Pakistan to 315. Falao picked up another four wickets after Irfan’s dismissal to finish with 5 for 58.Pakistan’s opening bowlers, Zeeshan Zameer and Ahmed Khan, together with first-change bowler Awais pegged Zimbabwe back early with their breakthroughs. On the back of their effort, Pakistan had reduced Zimbabwe to 82 for 6 which soon was 111 for 7.But Brian Bennett went on to hit a 92-ball 82 to get Zimbabwe as close to the target as he could. He did the bulk of the scoring in a 73-run eighth-wicket stand with Tendekai Mataranyika to take Zimbabwe to 200. But Awais returned to clean both of them up, and also the final wicket, to finish with a six-for. Despite Zimbabwe’s late rally to protect their net run rate, they still fell short by 115.

South Africa’s disciplined bowling performance helped bowl West Indies out for 153

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2021Opening batter Lizelle Lee continued her fine run of form with an unbeaten 91 to help South Africa cruise to a comfortable eight-wicket win with more than 10 overs to spare against West Indies in the opening women’s ODI in Coolidge.Chasing 154 for victory, Lee and Laura Wolvaardt (36 off 65 balls) put on an 88-run opening partnership to put South Africa on course. Even though West Indies picked up two wickets in the space of nine balls, Lee and captain Dane van Niekerk (17* off 40 balls) managed the rest of the chase expertly with an unbeaten 68-run stand for the third wicket. Lee hit 10 fours and a six en route to her 91, which marked her 21st ODI half-century. She had come into the ODIs on the back of a strong T20I series in which she scored 114 runs in three matches.A disciplined bowling performance from the outset from South Africa’s bowlers set the tone for the match. South Africa picked up two wickets in the first 10 overs and conceded just 12 runs before Deandra Dottin and Britney Cooper salvaged the innings with a 58-run partnership.After Dottin was dismissed for a quickfire 38, off 36 balls, West Indies were unable to put together substantial partnerships. Wicketkeeper Kycia Knight top-scored for the hosts with a patient 39. Three bowlers – Ayabonga Khaka, van Niekerk and Tumi Sekhukhune – picked up two wickets apiece to help bowl West Indies out for 153 in the 47th over.”It was really hot today and a little bit difficult and you had to dig deep,” Dottin said after the match. “We didn’t play our best today with our batting. I just think that the top order, at least one should have batted through, we were short of partnerships as well. We need to go back to the drawing board and come up with ways to score 200 which I know we have the ability to do.”

Ruben Amorim admitted that things will get tough for Manchester United despite a strong start to his journey at Old Trafford.

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Amorim braced for tough challenge going forwardPraised Arsenal boss Mikel ArtetaMan Utd take on Gunners on WednesdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Amorim era kicked off with a 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town, followed by a 3-2 win over Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League and then a thumping 4-0 hammering of Everton last weekend.

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However, the 39-year-old remained cautious ahead of facing an in-form Arsenal side on Wednesday as he admitted that things will get tough for the Premier League giants as the season progresses.

WHAT AMORIM SAID

When asked about how he would manage expectations if United beat Arsenal, Amorim replied: "I would like to say different things, but I have to say it again: the storm will come. I don't know if you use that expression, but we are going to have difficult moments and we will be found out in some games. And I know that because I know my players and I know football and I follow football.

"So I understand the difference in between the teams, and we are in the point in that we are putting simple things in the team, without training, and you feel it in this game against Everton, they change a little bit the way they were building up. They are a very good team, and we were with a lot of problems because we cannot change it by calling one thing to the captain. 
So we don't have this training. So let's focus on each game, on the performance, what we have to improve, trying to win games.
And that is the focus."

He added, "I know it's really hard to be a Manchester United coach and say these things in press conferences. We want to win all the time, no matter what, we are going to try to win, but we know that we are at a different point, if you compare it to Arsenal. So it is what it is and we will try to win it and we go with confidence to win, but we know that we need to play very well to win the next football match."

AFPDID YOU KNOW?

Amorim also took time to praise Mikel Arteta's work at Arsenal, commenting: "I think he’s done an amazing job. Sometimes the coaches are just judged by the titles, but what he has been doing in Arsenal, I think is amazing. It transformed the team. He bought some youngsters who now are the big talents in this country.

"I hope to have the same mindset that he had in the in the difficult moments because I followed the Premier League for a long time. I think it's a very good characteristic in Mikel, so I think he did a great job."

Players could have to face up within a certain time limit to avoid allowing the bowler a free delivery at exposed stumps

Alex Malcolm07-Oct-2021

The BBL is close to introducing a radical version of the timed out rule for the upcoming season in an attempt to find ways to speed up play.Cricket Australia’s playing conditions committee is looking into the stricter monitoring of time between the fall of a wicket and the next ball and a potential penalty for players that take too long.The current Timed Out law, 40.1.1, states: “After the fall of a wicket or the retirement of a batter, the incoming batter must, unless Time has been called, be in position to take guard or for the other batter to be ready to receive the next ball within 3 minutes of the dismissal or retirement. If this requirement is not met, the incoming batter will be out, Timed out.”This law has been previously updated in CA’s BBL playing conditions to state that players must be in position within 60 seconds. However, the playing condition has never been enforced with examples of players taking more than two minutes to face up without any consequence.The BBL is now considering a 75-second limit however it is understood players would not be given timed out should they fail to meet the time allowed. Instead, one proposal is that the bowler will get a version of a batting free-hit with the batter to stand aside and allow a free delivery at the stumps.If the bowler did not hit the stumps, the batter would be able to start their innings. In reality, it is unlikely that it will come into play given batters will be on notice to get to the crease promptly, with any such playing condition acting as a deterrent against unnecessary delays.BBL general manager Alistair Dobson told ESPNcricinfo that the exact details of the rule were still being considered.”We know Big Bash fans want to watch fast-paced, exciting cricket on TV and in the stadium,” he said. “We have spent the off-season looking at ways to keep the game moving and are close to finalising what this might look like.”The Hundred introduced a rule this season to speed up play from a bowling perspective with an extra player moved inside the circle for each over that is not bowled within the allotted time, but it is unlikely that will be introduced in the BBL this season due to various broadcast commitments.The BBL has not been afraid to tinker with T20 cricket after introducing three new playing conditions last year with the Bash Boost, the X Factor, and the Power Surge coming into the competition with mixed success. All three are likely to remain this season with the Power Surge proving a popular addition last year.CA is still working through what the BBL fixtures will look like due to difficulties with border restrictions around the country. The WBBL is set to be played entirely in the states of Tasmania, South Australia, Tasmania, and Queensland but the teams from New South Wales and Victoria had the opportunity to do 14 days quarantine in Tasmania in order to start the tournament.The same opportunity is unlikely to be afforded to the men’s teams with New South Wales and Victoria set to play Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup matches between themselves in the lead up to the BBL after both states were denied quarantine options outside of their states.

Small targets. Big drama. The story has done the rounds for as long as there has been Test cricket and yet another riveting chapter was added to it at Sabina Park.West Indies were set 168 to win. But they ended up battered and bruised and barely standing as Pakistan, and especially Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali, went into mode.A match that had ebbed and flowed, forever refusing to reveal a clear winner, had come to an unbelievable climax. One team needed 17 runs. The other needed one wicket. Anything was possible.”I have never been in a situation like that before, batting with the tail,” Kemar Roach, a professional cricketer of 13 years, said after play. “I am part of the tail, so for me it was to go out there and believe. That was the biggest thing – to believe and stay positive – and it worked, and I give thanks.”Roach’s strength of will translated into 30 unbeaten, match-winning runs. His experience shepherded the 19-year old Seales, who had already announced that he was ready for the big stage by picking up 5 for 55 on Saturday, through a last-wicket partnership that just wouldn’t be broken, even across four high-pressure overs.”The plan was to just stay positive. That’s me,” Roach said. “I was just trying to take on every ball as it came. This is by far the most important innings so far. I was just trying to pick the gaps and run hard. My advice to Jayden was just protect the stumps. The biggest threat is the straight ball. He did it very well. He is a star for the future. His five wickets today speaks wonders about our cricket. All the best to him, and I wish him a great career!”Seales’ contribution to West Indies’ victory – eight wickets and an equally crucial two runs off 13 balls – earned him the Man-of-the-Match award. It also left him speechless. “Test cricket has been a dream come true for me,” he managed in the end as he picked up his prize and walked away during the presentation.So it was up to his captain to come up with some suitable words, much as it had been down to him to come up with a suitable total in the first innings. Kraigg Brathwaite’s 97 off 221 deliveries was the highest individual score across all four innings of an extremely tight game. “We never lost hope,” he said. “It was truly amazing. I thought Pakistan bowled really well. It is about patience – who has more patience will come out on top.”Last week, Phil Simmons, the West Indies coach, had pulled his batters up, demanding more runs from them, but he has rarely had a bad thing to say about his bowlers. And in the end, with light fading and tensions rising, they were the ones that stood up to be counted yet again.