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Newcastle have loved a cult forward or two over the years. Callum Wilson, now a seasoned scorer alongside the more exuberant Alexander Isak, is no exception to this trend. Still present at the ever-developing, ever-moneyed Newcastle – 31-year-old Wilson can look back on an impressive goal tally.

Wilson's scored more than you'd think. Perhaps it's a nod to the luxury of the league around him, as his 82 Premier League appearances for the Magpies with a prolific 42 goals somehow slipped under the radar. It's no wonder he's a fan favourite like he was at Bournemouth. However, this article isn't wholly about him.

In terms of cults on Tyneside, there's only really one man who epitomises the title. With a special onus on his 2011/12 season, as well as the fact he's still scoring at 38 – let's look at Papiss Cisse.

How good was Papiss Cissé at Newcastle?

For that one season in 2011/12, (and perhaps with the exception of 2014/15), Cisse was electric.

The Senegalese striker arrived in Newcastle after ripping up Ligue 2 with Metz and then the Bundesliga with Freiburg.

During the 2010/11 term, Cisse was second to Mario Gomez's 28 goals in the scoring charts with 22. An eventual total tally of 37 league goals is still a record for a Freiburg player, with that 22 itself being a season record for an African in the Bundesliga – surpassing Tony Yeboah's 20 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt back in 1992/93.

Newcastle's ears pricked up after this, as well as after a half-season where he scored nine in 17, and signed Cissé for £10m in January 2012. Here, the fun commenced.

In the second half of the sharp-shooting 11/12 campaign, fans saw one of the Premier League's most ridiculous runs of form as a leggy, frenetic Cisse bagged an insane 13 goals in 14 games with two amazing efforts coming against Chelsea. Stamford Bridge in May 2012. It's almost synonymous with Cisse.

The first goal sees Jonas Gutierrez find Davide Santon making a nice overlap. He jinks down the left channel before slipping the ball into Cisse. Don't look away. He's just on the edge of the box and in one movement, the ball's up and away. He's flicked it up and volleyed into the far right side with Cech no chance. He's made the skullcap-wearing maestro look like a playground kid. Up you get, Petr.

After seeing that first goal, it's easy to think 'it can't get better' – but obviously it always does.

Play is on the left-hand side and just out of the corner, big Shola Ameobi has chested it down. Again, I implore you, don't even blink – because on the bounce it's a pelter from with the outside of the right boot.

It's a dream of a strike and again, Cech may as well not even dive. Top right corner, disbelief. Look, even Drogba is clapping. Chelsea later ended the term sixth; a place behind Papiss-inspired Newcastle. This win not only helped to sway things. It stormed the goal of the month voting…

Where is Papiss Cissé now?

As hinted to briefly earlier, other than 2011/12's goal run, Cisse's next big season was in 2014/15 as he scored 11 goals in 22. Impressive, but he wasn't consistent enough – and feeling he'd had his time in the sun, he moved on in 2016 for around £5m.

Cue a goal-laden journey through China, three Turkish clubs and one near-death experience in a horrendous coach crash, before going back to Ligue 2 – the division where it all started.

In a beautifully Geordie-centric cyclic fashion too, at Amiens, he's up top with Andy Carroll who himself has gone off the beaten path.

Shandong Luneng – 2016/18

16

31

Alanyaspor – 2018/20

38

58

Fenerbahce – 2020/21

5

25

Caykur Rizespor – 2022

2

14

Amiens – 2022-

10

30

Stats via Transfermarkt.

Since leaving in 2016, Cissé has scored a whopping 80 goals and ten assists at club level compared to Wilson's 81 goals. That's not bad for a striker who is seven years Wilson's senior.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is “King of Kings”, with the AC Milan icon set to watch the 2024 Kings World Cup from his throne before handing over a $1m prize.

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• Swedish legend is now retired
• Will be involved in Kings League spectacle
• 32 teams competing for global crown

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Swedish legend is now officially retired, with an advisor role being filled at San Siro. He is, however, still passionate about football and has been drafted in to work alongside the likes of Gerard Pique, Neymar and Sergio Aguero when the Kings League takes a global competition to Mexico.

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  Ibrahimovic, with over 500 career goals to his name, will crown the winning team as a seven-figure cash reward is handed out. He is joining a number of celebrity team presidents – with that list including streamers, content creators and football superstars – at the Kings World Cup.

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  The Kings World Cup will involve 32 teams – 10 from Kings Spain, 10 from Kings Americas and 12 foreign guests. FURIA FC, with Brazil’s all-time leading scorer Neymar part of their set-up, have already seen their presence confirmed. Ibrahimovic is now on board, with the promise of more big names to come.

County cricket’s finest overseas signing talks of how he had to leave his country to get his due, and the change religion has made to his life and career

Sriram Veera14-Oct-2008

Going out with a bang: Mushy leads Sussex off the field after taking 13 wickets in their last game of his penultimate county season, 2007 © Getty Images
Some 15 minutes into our chat Mushtaq Ahmed sums his philosophy up in a nutshell: “You can’t buy respect with wickets.” Self-respect and right conduct are recurring themes through the conversation, and they figure prominently in the explanations for his absence from the Pakistan team during the years he shone for Sussex. So does talk of his faith, of course.The obvious question is thrown across early: How come he was not playing for Pakistan during his successful Sussex period? In 2003 Mushtaq became the first bowler in five years to take 100 wickets in an English season, helping end Sussex’s 164-year wait for the County Championship. He repeated the feat in 2006, and then took 90 wickets in the next season, taking Sussex to a two more titles, before retiring to play in the ICL. His last appearance for his country, though, came in 2003.”I didn’t get a single phone call when I played all those years for Sussex,” Mushtaq says. He isn’t bitter, however. “I have no regrets. I am at complete peace with my career and life. I have never ever criticised anybody and I won’t do it, but I am just raising this point so that the people know what was their mistake.”We are in an elegant mahogany-panelled room in a plush five-star hotel in Hyderabad, where Mushtaq is playing in the ICL for the Lahore Badshahs, led by his friend Inzamam-ul-Haq. When Mushy, smiling, robed in a flowing , came gliding in, looking serene, the room grew quiet immediately.Mushtaq rarely raises his voice through the interview, even when he has a strong point to make – and especially when it happens to be against the Pakistan board. If the board or selectors didn’t call him, couldn’t Inzamam, as the captain, have supported Mushtaq’s case? “I never asked him why I was not playing and he has never told me. He backed Danish Kaneria. Our base of friendship was never about cricket and it will never be, Inshallah. I never want any favours from my friends.”So just why does he think he wasn’t called by the selectors? “You have to go see them, say hi to them. It’s never about your ability. It’s everything to do with your contacts, and I don’t believe in that. People in the board think, ‘He has to come to us.’ They have ego.”Maybe I have my ego too,” he says with a smile, but quickly retracts, unhappy at the choice of word. It’s against his faith. “Ego is a bad word. For me it was about self-respect and morals.””When I have performed why should I go and tell them? Once, someone asked me why I was not playing. I told them I was playing in the domestics. I was the captain and the highest wicket taker. That is the best answer I can give – performance, right? In Pakistan you have to go see the selectors, say hi to them. It’s never about your ability. It’s everything to do with your contacts, and I don’t believe in that “He said, ‘You are not showing interest.’ I said, ‘How does one does that?’ He told me to go and tell them [selectors, board], ‘I want to play.'”I don’t want to do that. I played these games and got so many wickets. What does that show, that I don’t want to play for my country?”How did he handle that phase of his career? “I got my best support from religion,” Mushtaq says. “Once, the Prophet Mohammed’s companion asked him, ‘Who is the strongest among us?’ And he said, ‘The strongest is the one who forgives the other.’ That struck me a great deal. You tell me how difficult it is not to take revenge.”Talk turns to Kaneria and the words “decline” and “detractors” slip out. Mushtaq’s response is revealing of the man. “I have always backed Danish. There is no decline.” A slight pause before he adds, “He has taken 200 wickets in 47 or 48 Test matches. He was the quickest Pakistan spinner to get 200 wickets. He or Saqlain.” (Saqlain, as it happens, who reached the mark in 46 Tests, one less than Kaneria.)”And then on the other side there are bowlers who have not performed for Pakistan but still get more recognition. I don’t want to name them.”Shoaib Akhtar, maybe?”I don’t want to mention. People can guess. They will have a fair idea. Danish is not getting the recognition and respect he deserves. If the guy is performing well, taking wickets, and you get him down from the A category in the contracts to C, then what does that mean?” It’s a statement, not a question.Respect cuts both ways
We move on to the reasons for his success in county cricket. “The environment,” is the quick answer. “I was enjoying it. It’s like you want to go back home after a hard day’s work – you know your parents or your wife will make you happy and less tired. In Sussex I didn’t even have to ask, ‘Where are my socks?’ Everything was organised. If my family had problems, there was a guy who would take them to the doctor. So I didn’t have any worries, and I started enjoying it more and more. It’s natural that if you take care of me, I will do my best as well.”For their part, the English fell in love with Mushtaq too. After he retired, at least one newspaper wondered if he was the finest foreign player in county cricket history.”It’s a great honour for me,” Mushtaq says. “Last year Peter Moores left his practice and made a speech for me. I was very emotional and thanked Allah. Now they are organising a dinner for me, in January or February.”

“You realise destiny is not in your hand” © PA Photos
He tries to be analytical about why he got the respect and acclaim he did. “Obviously my performance was good, but more importantly the way you behave is very important. You can get five wickets, but if you are bad in the dressing room then you cannot get that respect. It doesn’t matter how big a player you are. You’ve got to respect others, be loyal to the team. Hopefully I have done that.”I was given a Citizen of the Year award. The previous year Fatboy Slim got it. I was the only Pakistani – in fact, the first foreigner to get that award. You don’t get that respect with wickets.”Finding my religion
How did the change from a boisterous young cricketer to this serene alter ego come about? Some have said the match-fixing controversy of the 1990s damaged Mushtaq, and that his religious turn was inspired by a desire for redemption.He only offers a lack of peace of mind as the reason. “I had got wickets, I had played for Pakistan, but peace was missing. If you have a new car and are getting worried that someone will smash it, then what’s the use of that car?”It was a former team-mate who first sowed the seeds of faith in Mushtaq. “Zulqarnain – you remember the Sharjah game where [Javed] Miandad hit that last ball six? He was the wicketkeeper – had turned religious and took lots of effort to teach me. He said we would have to leave this world sooner rather than later. ‘Have you prepared for the last world?’ he asked me.”I did take a little bit of time. He was a big influence. Then, of course, Saeed Anwar. The real change came after the 1999 World Cup.”Mushtaq’s concern about the afterlife has had a big impact on his here and now. It has helped his cricket flourish. “I didn’t worry about the results. You realise destiny is not in your hand. I started to enjoy the game more.”There is a prayer I say a lot: ‘Oh mighty Allah, show me the direction that you like and not what I like.’ As human beings, we make mistakes.”On that note, the chat is over and he gets up as he spots Rana Naved-ul-Hasan. “Rana, ” (Isn’t it time for Let’s go.)

يستعد المصري عمر مرموش للانضمام إلى فريق مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي في انتقالات شهر يناير الجاري.

وتؤكد تقارير الصحف العالمية أن مانشستر سيتي دخل في مفاوضات جادة مع فرانكفورت لضم مرموش.

وأوضح الصحفي فابريزو رومانو عبر حسابه على منصة “إكس” أن مانشستر سيتي توصل إلى اتفاق مع آينتراخت من أجل عمر مرموش، بعد مفاوضات طويلة.

وأشار في تغريدته عبر “إكس” إلى أن مرموش سيوقع عقدًا لمدة خمس سنوات مع مانشستر سيتي (طالع التفاصيل من خلال الرابط).

وبعد إتمام الصفقة قريبًا سيخوض مرموش مباريات حاسمة مع مانشستر سيتي، وتنتظره أيضًا مواجهة مصرية في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

طالع | فرانكفورت يصدر بيانًا رسميًا بشأن عمر مرموش مباريات مانشستر سيتي القادمةمباراة مانشستر سيتي وإيبسويتش تاون 

سيخوض مانشستر سيتي مباراة أمام إيبسويتش تاون في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

وحينها سيتلقي عمر مرموش مع مواطنه سام مرسي قائد فريق إيبسويتش تاون، وتقام مباراة مانشستر سيتي وإيبسويتش تاون يوم الأحد 19 يناير الجاري. مباراة مانشستر سيتي وباريس سان جيرمان

سيلتقي مانشستر سيتي مع باريس سان جيرمان في مباراة حاسمة بدوري أبطال أوروبا يوم الأربعاء الموافق 22 يناير الجاري.

وتأتي هذه المباراة في الجولة السابعة من مرحلة الدوري بدوري أبطال أوروبا، ويحتل مانشستر سيتي المركز 22 في الترتيب، أما باريس سان جيرمان في المركز 25.

ويمكنك متابعة مواعيد مباريات مانشستر سيتي القادمة لحظة بلحظة من هنا.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers has made no secret of his desire to add quality to the ranks at Parkhead in January and his side are now reportedly advancing in negotiations for a known target.

Celtic gearing up for busy January window

Despite a comfortable 3-0 victory over Dundee at Dens Park on Boxing Day, Celtic will be keen to strengthen in January and Rodgers has made his intent to bolster his squad known over the last few weeks.

Speaking earlier this month cited via Sky Sports, the Irishman signalled his intention to add a high calibre of player mid-season, as he stated: "There's no doubt now that, one, the squad will come down in numbers and obviously we need to add quality. There is no dressing it up, the group lost real quality players in the summer. That's something that over the coming windows we will look to improve on."

Boost for Rodgers as Celtic make aggressive January call on Matt O'Riley

He’s been one of Celtic’s key players this season…

BySean Markus Clifford Dec 26, 2023

Bringing in a striker has become a priority for the Hoops and their need is exacerbated by the fact that Kyogo Furuhashi, Oh Hyeon-gyu and Daizen Maeda could all head off to represent their respective nations on Asian Cup duty. Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Fabio Silva is believed to have been offered on loan as a potential short-term solution to the Scottish Premiership champions' conceivable shortage of frontmen and it remains to be seen whether the Portugal Under-21 international will move to Parkhead.

Hacken midfielder Romeo Amane, Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski and Brondby talent Mathias Kvistgaarden are all other names who have been mentioned in connection with Celtic in previous weeks. Now, comments from the manager of a known Hoops target have come to light suggesting that Celtic may be moving closer to completing a signing, as cited by a report.

Celtic "advance" in Jung negotiations

As per reports from South Korea, cited by The Daily Record, Celtic have managed to "advance" in negotiations with Gwangju midfielder Jung Ho-Yeon, who was scouted by Hoops' chiefs in the summer transfer window.

The Hoops have previously dipped into the South Korean market to recruit Yang Hyun-jun and Oh and could now be set to return to familiar territory for the 23-year-old midfielder.

Jung key statistics – K League 1 2023 (Sofascore)

Balls recovered per game

5.4

Tackles per game

2.0

Accurate passes per game

41.3 (90%)

Team of the week inclusions

5

Average match rating

6.99/10

Speaking to local media, Gwangju manager Lee Jung-Hyo detailed the latest on the situation, stating: "Jung Ho-Yeon is currently in talks to advance to Europe from Gwangju, but still have a long way to go. If you go to Europe now, you are bound to end up in a clumsy situation. It is wise to prepare well like Cho Gue-sung (who signed for Midtjylland last summer) and choose the team and league well."

Labelled a "prospect" by Asian football expert Dario Focardi, the South Korea Under-23 international has gone on to make 34 appearances in 2023, registering two goals and three assists (Jung statistics – Transfermarkt).

Celtic will need to attract quality reinforcements if they are to retain their Scottish Premiership title and Jung looks like a midfielder who could add a different dimension to Rodgers' engine room.

Everton boasted the second-best defence in the bottom half of the Premier League heading into Sunday's clash against Manchester United at Goodison Park. However, as a result of three goals flying past Jordan Pickford, the Toffees have now fallen below Brentford's ranking and moved into third.

While Everton created a lot of chances during the game, ending the proceedings with an xG of 2.5, Sean Dyche's side gave the visitors plenty of opportunities to punish them on the break, conceding an xG of 2.07, according to Understat.

Two of United's three goals came from the wide areas, with one defender in particular struggling to keep up with the youthful vibrancy of the opposition's forward line.

Ashley Young's stats this season

Ashley Young has proven himself to be a reliable fullback under Dyche ever since making the move from Aston Villa during the summer transfer window for free. This season, the former Man United wide-man has made 12 appearances in the Premier League in a blue shirt, starting in 92% of Everton's games so far.

Nevertheless, the 38-year-old had a disastrous game against his old side on Sunday and played a helping hand in United's first two goals.

While Alejandro Garnacho stunned the Gwladys Street End with a stunning bicycle kick to open the scoring, the Argentine wonderkid was Young's man at the back-post but could only stand and watch in horror and awe as the ball sailed past Pickford and into the net. Later in the game, Young conceded a penalty which was smashed home by Marcus Rashford, all but putting the tie to bed.

Young lost five of his eight defensive duels throughout the match, lost possession of the ball nine times, committed three fouls in total and was lucky to stay on the park after tripping Anthony Martial in the box to concede a spot-kick, having been booked in the first half for a reckless challenge on Garnacho. The Liverpool Echo ranked Young's performance as a dismal 3/10, calling his display "awful".

With just over 15 minutes remaining, the veteran was replaced by the man who should be given the nod in the future.

Nathan Patterson's stats this season

Nathan Patterson moved to Goodison Park in 2022 during Rafa Benitez's time at the club for £16m having won a Scottish Premiership title with Rangers the year prior.

However, since becoming a Toffee, the young defender has appeared just 37 times in all competitions, including 15 this season. Despite making 12 Premier League appearances this term, the 22-year-old has only been in Dyche's starting lineup in 38% of Everton's games.

Regardless, the manager still believes that Patterson is an excellent player, calling him "tremendous" after Everton smashed Brighton and Hove Albion 5-1 away from home at the end of last season.

Patterson will be champing at the bit to make the right-back berth his own and, after Young's display on Sunday, he may just get the nod from the boss at Nottingham Forest this weekend. The Scotland international has even been outperforming Young in a number of key metrics for a fullback.

Assists

0.13

0

Expected Assists

0.11

0.07

Progressive Passes

3.77

3.73

Progressive Carries

2.13

1.73

Progressive Passes Received

3.77

1.18

Key Passes

0.82

1

Passes To Final 1/3

3.61

3

Crosses To Penalty Area

0.66

0.45

Tackles

3.11

1.55

Tackles Won %

73.7%

64.7%

Stats via FBref & FotMob.

Statistically, Patterson is an improvement on Young offensively and defensively and while he may not have the experience of his counterpart, the Scot should be given a run of games by Sean Dyche to prove his long-term worth to the team.

Chelsea have made a decision on one of their more expensive players at Stamford Bridge as Mauricio Pochettino continues to shape his squad, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Jackson injury, Hazard retires, Chelsea target Osimhen…

Cited by Football London, a Chelsea injury update on striker Nicolas Jackson has indicated that the Senegalese striker has withdrawn from international duty with the Lions of Teranga in order to undergo a minor operation on his wrist after he wore a splint for the Blues' last two fixtures.

Rangers forward Abdallah Sima has replaced Jackson in the Senegal squad as he recovers from the procedure over the international break ahead of Chelsea's trip to Arsenal upon the resumption of the Premier League campaign.

Chelsea icon Eden Hazard has announced his retirement from football and has taken to social media platform Instagram to thank everyone involved in his career, stating via The Guardian: "You must listen to yourself and say stop at the right time. After 16 years and more than 700 matches played, I have decided to end my career as a professional footballer. I was able to realise my dream, I have played and had fun on many pitches around the world. Thank you to everyone for these great times, I will miss you all."

Former Belgium international Hazard endeared himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful as a hero over the course of his seven years at Chelsea, registering 110 goals and 92 assists in 352 appearances across all competitions (Hazard statistics)

Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed on his Substack "Si Phillips Talks Chelsea" that Pochettino sees Napoli striker Victor Osimhen as a "dream" Chelsea transfer target, while Brentford's Ivan Toney is also said to be on the radar at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea summer signings

Axel Disasi (Monaco)

£38.5m

Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal)

£30.1m

Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)

£52m

Kendry Paez (Independiente del Valle)

£17.27m (joins 2025/26)

Robert Sanchez (Brighton)

£25m

Moises Caicedo (Brighton)

£115m

Lesley Ugochukwu (Rennes)

£23.5m

Angelo Gabriel (Santos)

Undisclosed

Alex Matos (Norwich)

Undisclosed

Diego Moreira (Benfica)

Undisclosed

Ishe Samuels-Smith (Everton)

Undisclosed

Dujuan Richards (Phoenix All Stars Academy)

Undisclosed

Romeo Lavia (Southampton)

£58m

Deivid Washington (Santos)

£17.1m

Djordje Petrovic (New England Revolution)

£14m

Cole Palmer (Manchester City)

£42.5m

All fees courtesy of Sky Sports

Chelsea transfer news – Romelu Lukaku

Transfer expert Romano has delivered another Chelsea transfer update on social media platform X regarding forgotten Blues striker Romelu Lukaku, who has rediscovered his best form out on loan at Jose Mourinho's Roma.

Romano stated: "Understand Chelsea have already fixed an exit fee for Romelu Lukaku in summer 2024 — and it’s around £37m. There’s an agreement to make Romelu available for that fee next year. Lukaku, doing great on loan to Roma as he scored 7 goals."

Labelled a "beast" by former Inter Milan striker Christian Vieri, Lukaku has managed to average 2.5 shots on goal per fixture this term in the Italian top-flight, alongside gaining an average match rating of 7.31/10, as per WhoScored.

Nevertheless, he could now be set to depart Stamford Bridge for a relatively cheap fee of £37 million, which looks almost microscopic compared to the £97.5 million fee the Blues paid for Lukaku in 2021.

New Zealand women amassed 491 for 4 – the highest total in all ODI cricket – to smash records and Ireland women at YMCA Cricket Club in Dublin

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jun-2018
New Zealand women amassed 491 for 4 – the highest total in all ODI cricket – to smash records and Ireland women at the YMCA Cricket Club in Dublin. They threatened to break the 500-run barrier when they were 471 for 4 in 49 overs. Seventeen-year-old Amelia Kerr – the fourth New Zealand batsman to cross 50 – drove the first two balls of the last over through extra cover for fours. She followed it with another four to the long-on boundary, but could manage only seven off the last three balls.In response, Ireland folded for 144 in 35.3 overs as New Zealand secured the fourth-biggest win in women’s ODIs – by 346 runs. They achieved the biggest win – by 408 runs – when they ran up 455 for 5, the previous highest total in ODIs, in Christchurch in 1997.Ireland will also be concerned about Isobel Joyce, who did not bat in the chase after bumping her head on the ground while fielding. She had bowled just one over in the first innings.It was captain Suzie Bates and No. 3 Maddy Green who set the tone for New Zealand’s mammoth score with quickfire centuries – 151 off 94 balls and 121 off 77 balls respectively. Bates and debutant Jess Watkin started with a blistering 172-run opening partnership off 18.5 overs at a run rate of 9.13. The stand ended when Rachel Delaney, a substitute fielder, pulled off a stunning one-handed catch at deep square leg to dismiss Watkin for 62 off 59 balls.Bates, who was on 89 off 59 balls then, went on to score her 10th ODI hundred, off only 71 balls. Only Australia captain Meg Lanning (11) has more ODI centuries than Bates. She reached the landmark when she tucked legspinner Gaby Lewis to the leg side for a single and got a hug from team-mate Green in the middle.In the next over, Bates was reprieved on 113 when Louise Little dropped a return catch that went high. Bates further added 38 to her tally before 17-year-old legspinner Cara Murray, also making her ODI debut, drew Bates out of her crease and had her stumped in the 30th over, and New Zealand were 288 for 2. Murray also dismissed Amy Satterthwaite, but ended up conceding 119 runs – the worst figures in all ODIs.Three other bowlers – Lewis, Little, and Lara Maritz – gave away 92 runs each while new-ball bowler Amy Kenealy went for 81 in nine overs.The loss of Bates did not slow down New Zealand. Green, whose previous best ODI score was 46, smoked her maiden international century off 62 balls, while Kerr scored an unbeaten 81 off 45 balls, including nine fours and three sixes. Kerr added 76 for the fifth wicket in 38 balls to bring her side to within 10 runs of 500.Notably, this match was played on the same pitch where New Zealand had chased down 137 in 11 overs without losing a wicket on Wednesday.Seamer Hannah Rowe made light work of Ireland’s openers before offspinner Leigh Kasperek ran through the middle and lower order with career-best figures of 4 for 17. She had dismissed captain Laura Delany (37) and Jennifer Gray (35) – the only two Ireland batsmen to pass 20. The entire Ireland side managed only 18 boundaries while Bates alone hit 26.

In a tournament of several stats highlights, the team with the best numbers deservedly lifted the cup

S Rajesh29-May-2012In the end, the best team won IPL 2012. It doesn’t always happen that way in such a long tournament which has knockout matches at the end, but in this case Kolkata Knight Riders were the deserving winners despite some stunning performances from Chennai Super Kings in the last week. Knight Riders weren’t the best batting side – three teams scored more runs than they did in the tournament, five teams had better run-rates, and they were also one of four sides to finish without a centurion. However, as a bowling unit, they were clearly the best: they finished as the joint-highest wicket-takers with 107, while their bowling average and economy rate was better than any other side in the tournament. Out of 102 fifty-plus scores in the tournament, only seven were scored against Knight Riders, which indicates how tough it was to score against them. (There were 15 such scores against Super Kings, and 13 against Delhi Daredevils.)As the table below shows, the difference between the batting and bowling averages, and the run-rates with bat and ball, were both the highest for Knight Riders, who also had by far the best win-loss ratio of 2.40 – Daredevils were next at 1.57. Super Kings, on the other hand, were fourth in terms of win-loss ratio, at 1.25. While all other teams lost at least seven matches in the tournament, Knight Riders lost only five. The only team to have lost fewer matches in an entire IPL campaign is Rajasthan Royals – they lost only three in their title-winning effort in 2008.Daredevils finished on top of the table after the round-robin matches, but let themselves down with two poor games in the knockouts, which pulled down their overall numbers considerably: their batting averages and strike rates were only slightly higher than their corresponding bowling ones.

How the top 4 teams fared in IPL 2012

TeamsW/LRuns scoredAve/ RRWkts takenAve/ ERAve diffRR diffKolkata Knight Riders12/ 5250426.63/ 7.7010722.11/ 7.164.520.54Chennai Super Kings10/ 8283128.02/ 8.0110724.49/ 7.723.530.29Delhi Daredevils11/ 7264528.13/ 8.2410127.17/ 7.940.960.30Mumbai Indians10/ 7246223.22/ 7.4310623.86/ 7.65-0.64-0.22Knight Riders’ bowling firepower
Though it was the batting that really turned it on in the final, soaking up the pressure and chasing an above-par score, Knight Riders’ bowling was their stronger suit, and it stayed consistent through all stages of the 20 overs that they spent on the field. In the Powerplay overs Jacques Kallis was among the best for them, bowling 19 overs and taking 7 for 114. Sunil Narine was obviously outstanding, with figures of 3 for 74 in 16 overs, while L Balaji, who missed out on the final, had 3 for 51 from 10 overs. The disappointment was Brett Lee: he went for 169 runs in 22 overs, and took just two wickets. Overall in the Powerplay overs, only one team – Mumbai Indians – had a better economy rate than Knight Riders.In the middle and final overs, though, Knight Riders were easily the best bowling side, taking wickets and maintaining an excellent economy rate. In the middle overs (6.1 to 15), they had a couple of unlikely heroes. Rajat Bhatia took nine wickets at an economy rate of 7.17, while Balaji was terrific again, taking 6 for 81 in 14 overs, an economy rate of 5.78. In the slog overs Narine was their go-to bowler, and he rarely let them down, taking 21 wickets for 185 runs in 157 balls – an economy rate of 7.07 and an average of 8.80. Those were the best slog-over bowling stats of the tournament, marginally better than Lasith Malinga’s 18 wickets at 10.27 and an economy rate of 7.55.(Click here for the batting and bowling stats for Knight Riders, and here for the overall IPL 2012 stats.)

Bowling performances of each team in IPL 2012

TeamPowerplay – wktsAve/ ER6.1-15 – wktsAve/ ER15.1-20 – wktsAve/ ERKolkata Knght Riders2231.90/ 6.693727.29/ 6.774813.62/ 8.26Chennai Super Kings2139.57/ 7.334128.80/ 7.364513.53/ 8.57Delhi Daredevils2728.81/ 6.983931.41/ 7.703521.20/ 9.47Mumbai Indians2428.12/ 6.383730.45/ 7.374516.17/ 9.62Royal Challengers Bangalore1739.64/ 7.243529.82/ 7.733721.27/ 10.56Kings XI Punjab2329.47/ 6.833332.72/ 7.503718.83/ 9.65Rajasthan Royals2330.30/ 6.923727.59/ 7.093221.37/ 9.86Deccan Chargers2132.19/ 7.263429.85/ 7.512825.50/ 10.73Pune Warriors1838.94/ 7.082937.37/ 7.523219.96/ 9.12Close finishes
One of the highlights of IPL season 5 was the number of games that were decided in the last over. There were seven games in which the team chasing won off the last ball – Super Kings achieved it three times, and Mumbai Indians twice. Twelve more matches were won in the last over by the team batting second, while in six more games, the team batting first won by less than ten runs. Thus, in the 74 games in which there were results – two were washed out – there were 25 where either the team batting first won by less than ten runs, or the team chasing won in the last over. As a percentage of total matches, that’s only bettered by the 2009 edition in South Africa, when 20 out of 56 matches had these results.However, compared to the last two years, many more games have produced close results. In 2011, there were only two instances when the team chasing won off the last ball, while in 2010 there were no such results.

Close games in each season of the IPL

YearMatches<10 runs*Last over#Percentage20127461933.7820117241120.8320105931123.7320095671335.7120085871131.03More matches, more runs, more sixes
Overall, IPL 2012 had more of pretty much everything – matches, runs, wickets, sixes and fifty-plus scores. (They had more than their share of controversies too, but that’s beyond the scope of this piece.) There were two fewer fours struck this year than in 2011, but that was more than compensated by the number of sixes – 731 this year, compared to 639 in 2011. There were six centuries too, which equalled the mark set in two previous seasons.In terms of overall averages and run-rates, though, IPL 2012 was very similar to its previous edition: the average and run-rate was only very marginally higher. The run-rate, though, was lower than that in 2008 and 2010.

The IPL numbers, by season

YearMatchesRunsWktsAverageRPO100s/ 50s4s/ 6s20127522,45385726.197.826/ 961911/ 73120117321,15481326.017.726/ 891913/ 63920106018,86472026.208.124/ 881709/ 58520095716,32069723.417.482/ 681316/ 50620085817,93768926.038.306/ 831702/ 622Pace v spin
Despite the outstanding performance of Narine and Muttiah Muralitharan, spinners overall didn’t have such a great time – among the top eight wicket-takers, there was only one spinner. In fact, the average for spinners slipped past 30 for the first time since the opening IPL season, and 31.35 is the highest that spinners have collectively averaged in an IPL season.Like in the 2011 edition, spinners bowled a fair bit during the Powerplay, but didn’t get the rewards they had last year. In 2011, they had bowled 23% of the total deliveries bowled in the Powerplay overs, and taken 24% of the wickets (average 27.02, economy rate 6.62). This time, they bowled 24% of the deliveries, but got only 17% of the wickets (average 46.22, economy rate 6.79). They were still more economical than the faster bowlers, who went at 7.13 in the Powerplay overs, but they lacked the ability to take wickets.

Pace and spin in each IPL

SeasonPace-wktsAve/ ERSpin-wktsAve/ ER201253127.19/ 7.8124131.35/ 7.41201147028.12/ 7.8026827.60/ 7.11201040529.64/ 8.3221028.80/ 7.34200938826.25/ 7.6522624.77/ 6.77200844529.23/ 8.0913430.38/ 8.18

Kings XI Punjab’s leading wicket-taker’s summer really took off only after it was almost over

Firdose Moonda30-Apr-2009As the sun began to set on the South African summer this year, Yusuf Abdulla was preparing to play his last cricket of the season. His schedule would see him compete in three more matches – all of them first-class four-day domestic fixtures for his franchise, the Dolphins. Thereafter, he could look forward to a mild Durban winter of rest and recovery. Little did Abdulla know that his summer would stretch on for a few weeks longer.His fine domestic Pro20 form, which saw him claim 10 wickets at an average of 17.10, earned him a call-up to the South African Twenty20 squad to face Australia. He was given just a single bite at the cherry, and only featured in one of the two matches against the Aussies, but he made sure he bit hard. His figures of 1 for 16 in three overs included the prize scalp of Ricky Ponting. That was enough to get him noticed by the people who matter.”I thought my season was going to end, but Tom Moody saw me in that game and the next day he called me up asked if I would be interested in playing for Punjab in the Indian Premier League”, Abdulla recalls. The speed at which he had gone from being just another domestic player to a part of cricket’spremier 20-over tournament still shocks him. “I still can’t believe how quickly it all happened. By that stage I knew the tournament was going to be held in South Africa, and it couldn’t have worked out any better”.The IPL has given many little-known Indian players their 15 minutes of fame but how did South Africa’s stocky swing bowler get in the frame?Abdulla is from a Muslim family and grew up in Lenasia, a largely Indian suburb in the south of Johannesburg. He spent some of his high-school career in Gauteng, before his family moved to the coal-mining town of Dundee in KwaZulu Natal (KZN). At 18 he was selected for the KZN academy and taken under the coach Yashin Ebrahim’s wing.”I always knew he had potential because of his natural ability to swing the ball,” Ebrahim says. Abdulla spent his time with the Dolphins priming himself for the big time. After a solid 2006-07 season, in which he took nine wickets at an average of 12.00 in the Pro20, Abdulla was picked as one of 20 amateur players to attend the national academy based at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria. While the academy’s only competitive cricket was against Zimbabwe A, Abdulla saw it as an opportunity to learn everything he could. “I had already been coached by Graham Ford and Phil Russel, so I had a lot of good mentorship. I still wanted to work on my weaknesses and the academy gave me the room to do that”.His performance in the season that followed was testament to his hard work. In the 2007-08 season he took 10 wickets at an average of 13.40 in the Pro20. Besides being the Dolphins’ main strike bowler in the shorter form of the game, Abdulla also refined his Twenty20 technique. He learnt to disguise his slower ball well, and to fire it in fast from a low and wide angle outside the off stump.Ebrahim says that apart from the minor adjustments to his technique, Abdulla’s success can be largely attributed to his strong will. “When he started to back himself, it came together. He worked hard on his mindset even more than his technique. It was no surprise when he was selected for the national side.”Despite his sterling performances in the shorter version of the game, he has only managed to record one five-wicket haul in first-class cricket. His fitness has also often come under question because of his rotund build. “Ideally we would want him to lose some weight, but he has passed all our tests,” says Ebrahim.While Abdulla is looking to improve his form in the longer version of the game, he has one eye on being selected for the World Twenty20 in June and has emerged as one of the few Twenty20 specialists in South African cricket. “He is immensely competitive and seems to thrive on limited-overs cricket. In that form of the game, he is the go-to man for wickets and is as good an opening bowler as anyone in the country,” says AhmedAmla, the Dolphins captain.Ultimately it was these factors and local knowledge that swung him into favour with Punjab. With the team playing six out of their 14 matches in Durban, and Jerome Taylor ruled out injured, they opted for a South African bowler to assist in leading the attack.Their first two games were rain affected, and Abdulla’s performance could hardly be judged on those lines. He was flogged for 19 runs in the solitary over he bowled to the Delhi Daredevils. That baptism of fire exposed him to batsman he rates most highly. “Even though I only bowled the one over, I can tell you that Virender Sehwag is one of the most difficult batsmen to bowl to in the world”. Punjab lost to the Kolkata Knight Riders in their second match, with Abdulla being clobbered for 20 runs in two overs.A change in the Kings XI’s fortunes has been followed up with a change in fortunes for Abdulla as well. He’s notched up figures of 4 for 31 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, among them the wickets of Kevin Pietersen and Jacques Kallis. His return of 3 for 21 against the Rajasthan Royals catapulted him into the top five leading wicket-takers in the tournament. And he went to joint second with a stellar last over in Punjab’s victory against the Mumbai Indians last night.Eager student: Abdulla is keen to learn from his more experienced Punjab team-mates•AFPMany credit his success to the softer wickets of the coast, which tend to favour swing bowlers, and say the real test will come when the IPL moves inland. Abdulla himself says it hasn’t been that easy. “Everybody says the wickets in Durban and Cape Town will suit me, but it has been tough. These wickets are being played on for anything like three matches in a row and by then they are behaving differently to what I am used to. It all depends on what happens on the day and how well I bowl.”Abdulla is still overwhelmed by the leap from provincial cricket into the IPL. He says the immense quality of players in the IPL still mesmerises him. “The main difference between the IPL and domestic cricket is that, for example, when I play against the Lions I am bowling to an opening combination of Alviro Petersen and Jean Symes, but in theIPL it’s to Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum. So even though I am not saying domestic cricket isn’t challenging, the IPL is a step higher and there’s one quality player after the next”.That exposure to players of the highest calibre is also affording Abdulla the opportunity to absorb advice from international players. “I believe in learning wherever I go. The best thing about the IPL is that I am learning from more than one guy all the time. I get advice from players like Yuvraj Singh, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and IrfanPathan.”At 26 he is not ashamed of seeking guidance. “I am quite close to Hashim Amla, not just in cricketing matters. I talk to him about all sorts of things, and I’d say we are the best of friends”.Abdullah says he couldn’t be happier about his extended summer. “There has been absolutely no strain on my body at all and I am really happy to be a part of this. I am just really enjoying it.”