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“It would be a good achievement if we can get through in a pretty tough group,” Alex Hales says

Andrew McGlashan04-Nov-2022In 2015, England’s horrid ODI World Cup campaign came to a forgettable end on a damp, miserable day at the SCG with a facile nine-wicket win against Afghanistan.This time, they will hope to make better memories and a place in the semi-finals for the third consecutive T20 World Cup. There is a decent chance that a victory of any sort will be enough, but should Australia win by a significant margin against Afghanistan, England will at least have the advantage of knowing their exact target given that cricket has yet to embrace concurrent final-round matches.Related

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Having returned to the England side ahead of this tournament, Alex Hales is one of two players from the XI against Afghanistan seven years ago – the other is Jos Buttler – who will line up against Sri Lanka. Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes were also in that squad, along with Chris Jordan.”Certainly on a personal level, to have a chance to play knockout cricket in a World Cup would be a very special feeling,” Hales said. “It’s a pretty tight competition and to get through is difficult… you have to beat some very good teams along the way. It would be a good achievement if we can get through in a pretty tough group, in my opinion.”However, it is certainly not a game England can take for granted. Sri Lanka have had to do it the hard way in this tournament, getting through the qualifying round after a shock opening defeat against Namibia, and then suffering heavy Super 12 defeats against Australia and New Zealand, which has left things out of their hands. Unless Afghanistan spring an upset on Australia, it’s all over for them.

“The input has been quite straightforward and the clarity is there. We’ve been pushed hard. There’s no limits with him, so we’ve been really pushed hard”Bhanuka Rajapaksa on Chris Silverwood’s contribution

“We are coming here to justify our presence over here in Australia. We just want to play good cricket,” Bhanuka Rajapaksa said. “We have already shown what we are capable of a couple of months back [at the Asia Cup] and it’s a strong side. Unfortunately not all the results have come our way, but tomorrow’s game is quite important to end on a high note.”The England game will be the third in a row played on the same SCG pitch, the surface which has offered the bowlers most help out of the three used, with quicks finding some grip for slower balls and the spinners getting some turn. They are conditions that should bring Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana into the game. Either side of his mauling by Marcus Stoinis in Perth, Hasaranga has been outstanding and Theekshana has troubled plenty of batters.Throughout the tournament, there have been some challenging pitches because of the damp start to the summer across much of Australia.”I think the numbers at the top of the order throughout the tournament have been probably lower than what you usually expect,” Hales said. “[Pitches have been] slightly different to what I’ve been used to. There’s been a fair bit of swing, a bit of seaming bounce, so it’s been very difficult. Had to hang in there at times and piece together a contribution the other night, but the weather looks a bit better going forward, so hopefully the pitches will get better as well.””We are coming here to justify our presence over here in Australia,” Bhanuka Rajapaksa said•AFP/Getty ImagesThere is an added dynamic to the contest, with Sri Lanka helmed by former England coach Chris Silverwood. Earlier this year, it was a miserable experience for Silverwood during the Ashes, a tour that cost him his job, but he has kept his counsel since and there have been signs of him having a positive impact on Sri Lanka.”It’s just another game for him,” Rajapaksa said. “The input has been quite straightforward and the clarity is there. We’ve been pushed hard. There’s no limits with him, so we’ve been really pushed hard. He just wants us to get better every day and it’s quite simple.”Injuries have not been kind to Sri Lanka, particularly those to Dushmantha Chameera and Dilshan Madushanka, in a tournament dominated by quick bowlers, but Rajapaksa said there was no point feeling sorry for themselves.”Ifs are not going to help us now, but… of course, it has impacted the performance of the side,” he said. “But it’s not an excuse. Everyone wants to perform, it’s a major tournament. You can’t blame it on [the injuries]. We hope the guys will get better and strong when the next World Cup happens.”While Sri Lankan thoughts may be drifting to the next World Cup, England’s remain firmly on the present one. It will be in their hands to ensure this time Sydney does not mark their end point.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na Arena Condá, em Chapecó, em partida válida pela 12ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro da Série B, o Criciúma venceu de virada a Chapecoense pelo placar de 3 a 2 e quebrou um jejum de 14 anos sem vencer na casa do Verdão do Oeste. A Chape começou a partida de forma avassaladora e fez dois gols em menos de 15 minutos: gols de Léo e Ryan marcou contra. Ainda na etapa inicial, Claudinho diminuiu. A virada veio no segundo tempo com o gol contra do goleiro Vagner, da Chapecoense, e gol de Marquinhos Gabriel.Com o resultado, o Tigre soma agora 16 pontos e subiu para a 6ª colocação. Com 12 pontos, a Chape fica no 16º lugar e correndo risco de entrar na Zona de Rebaixamento.

RelacionadasChapecoenseZagueiro da Chapecoense prefere não fazer prognóstico de duelo com o CriciúmaChapecoense09/06/2022Futebol NacionalChapecoense marca no fim e arranca empate contra o CSA na Série BFutebol Nacional07/06/2022Futebol NacionalCriciúma domina o Sampaio Corrêa e vence sem dificuldades pela Série BFutebol Nacional07/06/2022

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Na próxima rodada, a Chapecoense enfrenta o Bahia, na Arena Condá, em Chapecó, dia 14 de junho. Já o Criciúma pega o Brusque, no Heriberto Hülse, na cidade de Criciúma, no dia 17 de junho.

PRIMEIRO TEMPO
COMEÇO AVASSALADOR DA CHAPECOENSE
Jogando em casa, a Chapecoense fez valer o mando de campo e em menos de 15 minutos já vencia pelo placar de 2 a 0. O primeiro gol saiu aos 7 minutos, com o zagueiro Léo, que, após bola levantada na área, aproveitou o desvio e completou de cabeça para abrir o marcador. O segundo gol contra do zagueiro Ryan, do Criciúma.

CRICIÚMA DIMINUI O PREJUÍZO
A superioridade da Chapecoense prevaleceu até os 20 minutos. Aos 21 minutos, o Criciúma diminuiu o prejuízo e tudo começou a mudar na partida. O gol foi de Claudinho, que aproveitou passe de Arilson e soltou uma bomba de fora da área: 1 a 2.

CRICIÚMA MELHORA, DOMINA E POR POUCO NÃO EMPATA
O gol virou completamente o panorama da partida. A Chapecoense caiu de rendimento, enquanto o Criciúma ganhou terreno e dominou completamente as ações durante todo o restante da primeira etapa.

Só Rafael Bilu teve duas grandes oportunidades, aos 28 e 29 minutos, mas ele não conseguiu colocar a bola para dentro. Nos acréscimos, o mesmo Rafael Bilu chegou a dar o passe para Caio Dantas marcar, mas o VAR viu impedimento na jogada.

SEGUNDO TEMPO
CRICIÚMA EMPATA COM GOL CONTRA BIZARRO
O início da etapa complementar foi permanência do que foi boa parte do primeiro tempo. O Tigre pressionou até que o gol saiu. O lateral-esquerdo Marcelo Hermes recebeu lançamento e avançou em profundidade. Ele cruzou, a bola desviou em Léo, bateu na cabeça do goleiro Vagner, da Chapecoense, e acabou entrando. Azar do goleiro da Chape, sorte do Criciúma: 2 a 2, aos 9 minutos.

CRICIÚMA VIRA A PARTIDA
O Tigre aproveitou o embalo do gol de empate, foi para o abafa e conseguiu a virada. Aos 15 minutos, Marquinhos Gabriel faz a jogada, perde a bola, mas consegue roubá-la novamente. Ele conseguiu se adiantar ao zagueiro e finalizar para marcar: 3 a 2 para o Criciúma.

QUASE O QUARTO GOL
Aos 18 minutos, Rafael Bilu recebeu belo de Marquinhos Gabriel, ajeitou o corpo e finalizou com muita qualidade. Mas o goleiro Vagner estava muito bem colocado e conseguiu se esticar todo para fazer uma grande defesa e evitar o 4º gol.

CHAPE TENTOU BUSCAR O EMPATE, MAS O TIGRE SEGUROU A PRESSÃO E VENCEU
O Verdão do Oeste foi com tudo nos últimos 20 minutos de partida em busca do empate. Mas o Tigre conseguiu bravamente segurar a pressão dos donos da casa e garantir uma espetacular vitória fora de casa e quebrar o jejum de 14 anos sem vencer a Chape na Arena Condá.

CHAPECOENSE 2 X 3 CRICIÚMA – CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO SÉRIE B
Local: Arena Condá, em Chapecó (SC)
Data/horário: 10 de junho de 2022, às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Rodolpho Toski Marques (PR)
Assistentes: Fabricio Vilarinho da Silva (GO) e Ivan Carlos Bohn (PR)
VAR: Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral (SP)
Cartões amarelos: Kevin, Matheus Bianqui e Tiago Real (CHA); Rodrigo (CRI)
Cartões vermelhos: –
GOLS: Léo, 7’/1ºT (1-0) (CHA); Rayan (contra), 14’/1ºT (2-0) (CHA); Claudinho, 21’/1ºT (2-1) (CRI); Vagner (contra) 9’/2ºT (2-2) (CRI) e Marquinhos Gabriel 15’/2ºT (2-3) (CRI).

CHAPECOENSE (Técnico: Gilson Kleina)
Vagner; Pablo (Ryan, aos 21’/2ºT), Léo, Victor Ramos e Kevin; Marcelo Freitas (Lima, aos 21’/2ºT), Betinho (Matheus Bianqui, no intervalo) e Tiago Real; Derek (Maranhão, aos 7’/2ºT), Perotti e Chystian (Rodrigo Silva, aos 30’/2ºT).

CRICIÚMA (Técnico: Cláudio Tencati)
Gustavo; Claudinho (Cristovam, aos 26’/2ºT), Rodrigo, Rayan e Marcelo Hermes; Léo Costa, Rômulo (Marcos Serrato, aos 42’/2ºT) e Arilson; Rafael Bilu (Hygor, aos 47’/2ºT), Caio Dantas (Thiago Alagoano, aos 26’/2ºT) e Marquinhos Gabriel (Renan Bressan, aos 42’/2ºT).

نجح فريق بيراميدز في تحقيق فوز هام على نظيره بتروجيت بهدفين دون رد، خلال المباراة التي جمعت بينهما اليوم ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

بيراميدز حل ضيفًا ًعلى بتروجيت في استاد بتروسبورت، في إطار مواجهات الجولة السابعة من المرحلة النهائية لبطولة الدوري المصري.

وجاء هدف بيراميدز الأول في الدقيقة 55 بعد كرة عرضية من محمد حمدي قابلها مروان حمدي برأسية سكنت يمين المرمى.

طالع أيضاً.. ترتيب هدافي الدوري المصري بعد هدف إمام عاشور أمام البنك الأهلي

وفي الدقيقة 63 أحرز مروان حمدي هدفًا ثانيًا لبيراميدز من تسديدة صاروخية من على حدود منطقة الجزاء سكنت أسفل يمين المرمى.

بهذا الفوز، يحتل بيراميدز المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 53 نقطة، بينما يتجمد رصيد بتروجيت في المركز الثامن، ولديه 26 نقطة. أهداف مباراة بيراميدز وبتروجيت اليوم في الدوري المصري

Leeds United continued their march towards automatic promotion from the Championship with a 4-0 win over Oxford United at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Whites secured all three points thanks to goals from Dan James, Jayden Bogle, Brenden Aaronson, and Manor Solomon, and sit second in the division as it stands.

When Marcelo Bielsa led the club to promotion in the 2019/20 campaign, he had the mercurial talent of Pablo Hernandez, who produced nine goals and nine assists that term.

That was the Spanish wizard’s last season of playing regular matches for the Whites, though, as Victor Orta and Bielsa moved to sign his replacement in the summer of 2020.

The end of Pablo Hernandez's time at Leeds

After a return of 34 goals and 38 assists in 151 matches at Championship level for Leeds, Hernandez had reached the latter stages of his career and became a bit-part player in the Premier League.

The veteran midfielder only started three of his 16 appearances in the top-flight, before moving on from Elland Road on a free transfer at the end of that term.

Bielsa and Orta clearly predicted that situation because they swooped to sign his replacement in the summer of 2020, bringing in Rodrigo from Valencia for a reported fee of £30m.

After some thought that he may have come in as a centre-forward to give the team a goalscoring boost, the Spaniard played the majority of his minutes as an attacking midfielder in Hernandez’s place, which was predicted by one former Whites star.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-Leeds man Noel Whelan said: “He doesn’t always go through the middle, he likes to play behind and drop into that number 10 role. When you have someone like that there’s no point having a number 10 because they’re going to get in each other’s way. He’s a number 10, I always knew from the word go that he was Pablo Hernandez’s successor.”

Rodrigo's Leeds form

Unfortunately, however, the £27m club-record – at the time – signing failed to live up to his compatriot’s legacy at Elland Road, with a return of seven goals and two assists in 27 matches in his first Premier League season with the club.

The left-footed forward followed that up with just six goals and one assist in 31 appearances in the top-flight during the 2021/22 campaign for the Whites.

Ironically, his best goalscoring form was saved for the year that Leeds were relegated from the Premier League, as Rodrigo scored 13 times in 31 matches.

Thanks to a £3m release clause negotiated by Orta, Qatar-based side Al Rayyan swooped in to sign the Spanish attacker for 10 times less than what the club initially paid for him in 2020.

Reported cost

£0

£30m

Appearances

175

97

Goals

36

28

Assists

41

5

As you can see in the table above, Rodrigo moved on from Elland Road with far less to show for his time in West Yorkshire than Pablo Hernandez did in 2021.

Ultimately, Orta’s £30m gamble did not pay off with a successful replacement for the Spanish wizard and the club eventually made a huge loss on the club-record signing, who struggled for form until the season that the Whites were relegated.

Daniel Farke and his team will hope to avoid any similar mistakes if they achieve promotion and get a chance to recruit for a top-flight season in the summer.

Ampadu repeat: Leeds eyeing move for £6m star with "crazy athleticism"

Leeds United are interested in a swoop to sign the defensive midfielder in January.

ByDan Emery Dec 24, 2024

Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement might not be in charge at Ibrox for the majority of the January transfer window, especially if the club suffers yet another defeat to Celtic on Thursday afternoon.

The Premiership title race will definitely be over should this occur, but given the fact the Gers are currently trailing their rivals by 14 points, and it isn’t even January yet, many of the supporters believe that the manager should have been sacked already.

Whatever happens over the next few weeks, the Light Blues must bring in some quality during the winter window to bolster the side. Not only that, but several members of the side need to be moved on.

Naturally, the rumour mill has already started with regard to potential incomings and one player that has been linked recently is shining in the Championship.

Rangers showing an interest in signing Championship midfielder

According to journalist Graeme Bailey,, Rangers have an interest in signing Burnley midfielder Josh Brownhill on a pre-contract agreement next month.

The Englishman is about to enter the final six months of his current deal with the Turf Moor side, which means clubs can offer him a contract when the January window opens.

Bailey claims in the report that Lazio and Fiorentina have both made pre-contract offers to the midfielder, while English clubs such as Everton, West Ham United and Brentford will have to wait until the summer to make an approach for the player.

Celtic are also showing interest, and it is clear that the Light Blues have plenty of competition if they wish to bring Brownhill north of the border, especially with Premier League sides and clubs from the continent sniffing around.

Transfer Focus

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

Over the years, the Gers have had some success with signing players on a pre-contract when the winter window opens. The likes of Dado Prso, Jean-Alain Boumsong and John Souttar moved to Rangers this way in the past.

If the club do manage to sign the Burnley star, however, it could turn out to be a repeat of the move to sign Scott Arfield back in 2018, who moved to Scotland once his contract expired.

Scott Arfield’s Rangers statistics

Arfield became one of Steven Gerrard’s first signings when he moved to Ibrox and, given the fact that he had played nearly 200 games for Burnley, with 86 of these coming in the Premier League, the move was an inspired one.

During his first season, the Scottish-born Canadian international midfielder registered 19 goal contributions – 12 goals and seven assists – across 46 matches, adding some much-needed dynamism in the final third.

This would be a recurring theme during his spell with the club, as Arfield would add quality whenever he was called upon, endearing himself to the supporters in the process.

Overall, Arfield made a total of 233 competitive appearances for the Light Blues, scoring 43 goals and chipping in with 19 assists. He was a key part of the teams that won the Premiership title in 2021 and the Scottish Cup a year later.

He left at the end of the 2022/23 season following the expiration of his contract, but there was no doubting how good a signing Arfield was for the club, especially with his impact on the pitch.

Brownhill could certainly offer the same sort of qualities that Arfield did during his time in Scotland and if the Gers could bring him in for free, it would be a wise piece of transfer business. That’s a certainty.

Why Josh Brownhill would be a good signing for Rangers

Before moving to Burnley in January 2020, Brownhill was a key player at Bristol City, and he once earned some interesting praise from Lee Johnson, his former manager at the club, back in 2019.

Since moving to Turf Moor, the midfielder has been impressive for the club, making 111 appearances in the Premier League during that time.

Burnley suffered relegation last season, but in the Championship this term, the 29-year-old has been in excellent form. Not only has he missed just one league match all season, but the midfielder has found the back of the net on nine occasions, while grabbing three assists in the process.

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2023/24

35

4

3

2022/23

48

7

10

2021/22

38

2

3

2020/21

36

1

1

2019/20

10

0

0

Brownhill has also created three big chances in the second tier along with averaging one key pass and averaging 1.9 shots per game, indicating how vital he has become for the club in the final third.

When compared to his positional peers in the Championship this term, the former Bristol City star currently ranks in the top 1% for non-penalty goals (0.32), in the top 9% for total shots (1.9) and in the top 11% for touches in the opposition penalty area (2.44) per 90.

These statistics prove he is among one of the finest midfielders in the Championship, especially with regard to these attacking metrics, and he could be a wonderful addition to the Rangers team.

Building a squad which has excellent depth is now the main priority for the club, with players such as Kieran Dowell clearly not good enough to be squad members.

Bringing in someone like Brownhill, who has a wealth of experience in England, would allow the Gers to sign a quality midfielder for nothing. He may be nearing the end of his career rather than the start, but when finances are tight, making new signings who don’t cost a penny could be the way forward.

Not just Dessers: Rangers star who's in a "rut" is costing Clement his job

Rangers title hopes appear to be over after more dropped points in the Premiership

ByRoss Kilvington Dec 30, 2024

Newcastle are gearing up for an early January transfer as a fresh report claims that one of Eddie Howe’s men is already in the final stages of agreeing a midseason exit.

Newcastle United transfer news

After struggling through the summer transfer window and ultimately failing to sign their no.1 target Marc Guehi, Newcastle are expected to be one of the quieter Premier League sides again in January. Speaking on the topic, Howe admitted signings were unlikely unless sales were made at St James’ Park, and quashed talk of any potential loan deals.

“The loan market is an easy one to chuck out there and go, ‘Let’s look at loans’ but the reality of those loans is very difficult”, he explained.

Howe added: “The issue with PSR and our position is that nothing is clearcut. Nothing is absolutely fixed; there will be lots of twists and turns in January. But we want to try and improve the squad.”

Several players seem set to leave the club, with both Kieran Trippier and Miguel Almiron having been linked with moves away and both having lost their spots in the Newcastle starting line up this season.

Almiron and Trippier in 24/25 Premier League
	Miguel Almiron	Kieran Trippier
Appearances	6	8
Starts	1	3
Total Minutes played	119	319
Goals and assists	0	0

Callum Wilson could also be cashed in on, with his contract set to expire in the summer, while Sean Longstaff is in the same boat despite having emerged as a vital player for Howe in the early stages of the season. Now though, the club’s first exit could be set to take place.

Dubravka in initial agreement to leave Newcastle in January

That comes courtesy of a report from Saudi Arabia [Via Sport Witness], which claims that Saudi side Al Shabab FC have reached an “initial agreement” to sign out of favour Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

The Slovakian international made his first start of the season against Leicester City at the weekend, filling in for Nick Pope after the latter suffered a knee injury.

He was called into action last season too, with one performance against Liverpool prompting Howe to label him a “magnificent” goalkeeper.

Pope is expected to be out for around a month, during which time Dubravka will likely be called on to deputise, but his return could allow the veteran to leave in the dying stages of the transfer window or sooner if Newcastle were to sign a new shot-stopper.

Sky Sports: Newcastle eye move to sign £17m+ forward who may replace Wilson

He could be a long-term upgrade for Eddie Howe’s side if they can sign him.

By
Ben Browning

Dec 17, 2024

The 35-year-old’s £40k-per-week contract expires at the end of the current season, meaning that this is Newcastle’s last chance to receive a fee from any sale, while Dubravka can enter into pre-contract negotiations with any other side from January 1st.

And that move could be to Al Shabab FC, with the report claiming that “the two parties have reached an ‘initial agreement’” over a move to the Middle East, leaving only “details” before they can announce his arrival.

Pope’s injury could force them to put that announcement on hold, but it seems that a deal could be in the works to see Dubravka depart Tyneside, in a move that may allow Newcastle to rekindle their interest in James Trafford.

The end was chaotic with Delhi Capitals threatening to call their players back and sending an assistant coach on to the field to get a call overturned, but the serenity of yet another Jos Buttler hundred trumped all else in the final equation.Buttler began looking unable to get bat on ball. His first 11 runs took 14 balls, eight of them off edges. By the time he was done, though, the opposition captain Rishabh Pant didn’t look happy with his bowlers, the bowlers didn’t look happy with the fielders, and the fielders looked sick of the leather hunt. Buttler ended with 116 in 65 balls, hitting nine sixes, one of them 107metres long.Rajasthan Royals lost their sixth toss in seven matches, the joint-worst luck at the toss, but that was the last thing they lost as Buttler’s third century of the season set them up for the highest score of this IPL, 222, which they defended eventually comfortably.It came down to 36 required off the final over, and Rovman Powell hit the first three for sixes. The third of those was a high full toss. The batter and the Capitals dugout immediately remonstrated to get a no-ball call, but it wasn’t called on the field. Then the dugout stopped play, insisting on the third umpire’s intervention, but the playing conditions allow the third umpire to come in only if it is a foot-fault no-ball or if there has been a dismissal off the ball. Obed McCoy made a comeback after the break to bowl a dot and get Powell off the last ball.A circumspect start
You wouldn’t have guessed from the start what carnage we were about to witness. Khaleel Ahmed troubled him with his left-arm angle and also some seam movement, and Buttler edged away two boundaries in the first over. Shardul Thakur followed it with a maiden, and Lalit Yadav snuck in a boundary-less over of part-time offspin.A massive shift in momentum
So far Devdutt Padikkal has been an innocent bystander as Buttler has carried on hitting hundreds, but in this game Padikkal took the pressure off Buttler by hitting three fours in Mustafizur Rahman’s first over. Buttler followed it up with two sixes off Khaleel in the sixth, turning it into an acceptable powerplay of 44 for 0.Royals have been the best batters of spin this IPL, comfortably averaging the highest and scoring the fastest against them. Capitals’ spinners have been among the best. But both Buttler and Padikkal went after Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, taking 12 and 15 from the eighth and the ninth overs.When Buttler put the returning Thakur in the top tier in the 10th over, he messed around with all of Capitals’ plans, who were missing Ricky Ponting, who had to stay back because a family member had tested positive for Covid-19.2:02

Jaffer: Calling players back was way out of line from Pant

Pant felt forced to go back to Lalit to give him a cushion for an expensive frontline bowler, but Buttler tucked into his non-turning offbreaks, taking 35 off his two overs. Buttler enjoyed great support from Padikkal, who offered a majority of the strike to Buttler despite going faster at the start of the innings and scoring a 35-ball 54 himself. Padikkal’s dismissal in the 16th over brought out a bigger headache for Capitals: Sanju Samson, who just went after everything in his 19-ball 46.Buttler’s pristine hitting continued, making his grip on the orange cap formidable. In fact he has scored more in boundaries than the second-highest run-scorer in the competition.Shaw, Warner get a quick start
If there is an opening pair that can scare you in a defence of 222, it is David Warner and Prithvi Shaw. Shaw began with two fours first two balls, Warner went to 28 off 13, and if the dew had materialised, the chase was on. Prasidh Krishna, though, cramped Warner up and drew the edge to slow Capitals down.Spinners control middle overs
R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal once again controlled the middle overs. Ashwin had Sarfaraz Khan in the sixth over, Chahal backed it up with tight overs, and Ashwin then got Shaw caught at deep cover. When Prasidh came back to get Pant, bowling hard lengths again, to make it 124 for 4 in the 12th over, it seemed game over.Powell turns it around
It was in the 18th over that Powell struck fear. They needed 51 to win off 18, and Powell hit two sixes right at the end of the over to make it 36 off the last two. Prasidh came back to seemingly kill the game with a wicket-maiden, bowling around the wicket with a strong cover field on the fence and hiding the ball wide.However, the last over was to be bowled by McCoy who had had an ordinary night, conceding 26 off the ninth over. And when Powell began to send them into the night sky, the nerves were palpable. Conferences became longer, the pauses between deliveries too. The one between third and fourth was the longest because Capitals wanted a decision reversed, which was not possible under the playing conditions.A slower short ball after the layoff brought the dot, and that was the game.

West Ham United are now “well-placed” to sign an “electric” player who Ange Postecoglou is reportedly keen on signing for Tottenham.

West Ham contemplate January signings amid Lopetegui struggles

Manager Julen Lopetegui has endured a nightmare start to his London Stadium career, with West Ham struggling to galvanise any kind of winning momentum or clear footballing identity during his early tenure in charge.

What "close sources at West Ham" are saying about Lopetegui being sacked

The Spaniard faces increasing pressure in east London.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 15, 2024

West Ham have been slammed under Lopetegui, and they’ve been accused of regressing under the 58-year-old’s watch following the departure of David Moyes, who guided the east Londoners through back-to-back campaigns in Europe and won them their first trophy in decades.

“I don’t think Lopetegui is capable of turning this around,” wrote journalist Roshane Thomas.

Match

Date

Opponent

Competition

Result

#13

09/11/2024

Everton (H)

Premier League

0-0 draw

#12

02/11/2024

Nottingham Forest (A)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#11

27/10/2024

Man United (H)

Premier League

2-1 win

#10

19/10/2024

Tottenham (A)

Premier League

4-1 loss

#9

05/10/2024

Ipswich (H)

Premier League

4-1 win

#8

28/09/2024

Brentford (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#7

25/09/2024

Liverpool (A)

Carabao Cup

5-1 loss

#6

21/09/2024

Chelsea (H)

Premier League

3-0 loss

#5

14/09/2024

Fulham (A)

Premier League

1-1 draw

#4

31/08/2024

Man City (H)

Premier League

3-1 loss

#3

28/08/2024

Bournemouth (H)

Carabao Cup

1-0 win

#2

24/08/2024

Crystal Palace (A)

Premier League

2-0 win

#1

17/08/2024

Aston Villa (H)

Premier League

2-1 loss

“He was the wrong appointment. This team has regressed, has no identity, the players look despondent and the formation/tactics are questionable. Lopetegui wants fans to reserve judgement until May, but there is little encouragement that things will improve. He keeps persisting with out of form Rodriguez, Summerville brought off early again and another game with a different formation. I could go on all day.”

In the past few weeks, reports have claimed that Lopetegui is urging the West Ham hierarchy to make January signings, as the former Real Madrid boss looks to preserve his job at the London Stadium.

A lot of the rumours have surrounded the potential addition of a new attacking option, amid striker Niclas Fullkrug’s struggles with injury, but it is now believed that West Ham are contenders to sign Brighton starlet Tariq Lamptey.

West Ham "well-placed" to sign Tariq Lamptey

According to Football Insider, West Ham are “well-placed” to sign Lamptey over interest from the likes of Everton, and Brighton could push him out the door in January, rather than lose him for free at the end of his contract.

This represents an opportunity for the Irons to bring in a capable deputy for Aaron Wan-Bissaka in the long-term, considering Vladimir Coufal is out of contract at the end of this season, although they will also face competition from Tottenham, with Postecoglou keen to find an alternative option to Pedro Porro.

“He’s such a level-headed character – I don’t think I’ve met anybody quite like him, in fairness, in terms of how humble he is,” said former Brighton boss Graham Potter in 2020.

“I’ve got no concerns for him in terms of what the outside noise says. He just wants to help the team, he wants to do well for himself and his family. He’s just a fantastic character.

“He’s got such electric pace, but lots of players have that. It’s having the ability to run in behind. The ability to run into space is often what separates players. Tariq does that, but he’s got courage, he does his defensive work. The boys love him and he’s in a good place.”

Leeds United have had their fair share of entertaining forward players over recent years, with last campaign seeing the Whites boast Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter in attack.

That is a ridiculous duo for the level of the Championship, as the electric pair ended up making the testing division their playground at points, with a combined goal and assist haul of 55 mustered up between them in all competitions.

Unfortunately, both top-drawer Whites players departed after promotion was amazingly not reached, with Leeds used to the grim reality of exceptional aces moving on from West Yorkshire after the collective team have failed to meet their expectations.

Raphinha's time at Leeds

One notable example of this kind is Raphinha’s exit from Elland Road in 2022, after he had dazzled many a spectator on a regular basis in his new surroundings with devastatingly effective displays in attack.

The Brazilian attacker would go on to score 17 goals and pick up 12 assists across 67 appearances in England, with 14 of those goal contributions still managing to come about even as the Whites narrowly escaped relegation during the 2021-22 season.

Raphinha would ultimately go on to win a dream move to Barcelona after standing out as a diamond in Jesse Marsch’s relegation-threatened side, winning the Whites a bumper £55m in the process.

Lauded as a “magician” by one of his ex-teammates in Daniel James when still at Leeds, the enigmatic South American leaving did open up a hole that the Whites would need to plug, but that was a task that was always going to be difficult.

Summerville and Rutter did arguably excite and enthral the Leeds masses in a similar way, but more would have been expected of this Whites flop, considering he was labelled just last year as possessing a “touch of magic” by Farke.

The Leeds player who could have been the next Raphinha

The player under the spotlight here is Ian Poveda, who has gone from being an “incredible” talent in the eyes of Pep Guardiola to someone who is now on the books of table-topping Sunderland after leaving the Whites.

It was a bumpy ride for the Colombian in West Yorkshire in truth, with the unpredictable attacker snapped up from the Manchester City youth system in 2020 known as a flair player designed to entertain the masses watching on.

He would score plenty of sublime individual goals playing on youth pitches for City, hammering home 15 strikes playing for both the U18s and U21s, before a move to Leeds came to be.

A left-footed right winger like Raphinha, it was that stunning level of quality above and his ability to skin opposition defenders that drew understandable comparisons between the two, with the Brazilian’s career average of dribbles per game sitting at 1.3 and Poveda’s at 1.2 underlining their similar play styles.

Unfortunately, Poveda just couldn’t dazzle defences like he did for City when lining up for the senior Leeds side, with zero goals from 30 Whites appearances.

Poveda’s numbers away from Leeds
Club played for	Games	Goals scored	Assists
Blackburn Rovers (loan)	10	1	2
Blackpool (loan)	26	3	2
Sheffield Wednesday (loan)	10	0	1
Sunderland (permanent)	3	0	0
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Picking up just a paltry assist – a far cry from the form of Raphinha’s at Elland Road – his time spent away from West Yorkshire didn’t exactly go to plan either as many loan spells up and down the EFL ultimately passed him by.

He has also been troubled by injury issues over the course of his underwhelming playing days, with the former Arsenal youth product only fit enough to make three first-team appearances for Sunderland to date, after Farke and Co allowed for the 24-year-old’s contract to just run down.

Poveda could find that a consistent run at the Stadium of Light sparks something out of him when his injury demons aren’t in his way.

But, as much as Leeds wanted Poveda to be their next superstar from South America – akin to Raphinha – the move is now seen as a major disappointment.

Leeds thought they had the next Luis Suarez, now he's in Spain's 4th tier

Leeds United may have had high hopes for the talented youngster when he arrived at Elland Road.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 14, 2024

Paarl and Cape Town will host the three-match ODI series between South Africa and India in January 2022. The first two games will be played at Boland Park on January 19 and January 21 followed by the series finale at Newlands on January 23. However, the three-match series will not be part of the Men’s World Cup Super League and will instead be played as a bilateral series.As reported by ESPNcricinfo earlier this week, Newlands will also host the third Test that will run from January 11 to January 15. The tour will kick off with the Boxing Day Test at Centurion, with Johannesburg slated to stage the second Test from January 3 to January 7 as part of a rejigged tour.The four T20Is that were also part of the original schedule will be “rescheduled for a more opportune time in the new year,” a CSA release said.Related

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• India to tour SA for three Tests, three ODIs

• SA vs Netherlands: New Covid-19 variant forces postponement

There had been doubts around the tour because of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 discovered in South Africa, which has coincided with a surge in cases and hospitalisations, especially in the Gauteng province where India are scheduled to play the first two Tests.Netherlands had recently cut short their tour of three ODIs and flown home since many countries, especially within the European Union, had imposed travel restrictions on southern Africa.CSA had also postponed three games of round four of Division 2 four-day matches after some players tested positive. The one-day matches due to take place on December 16 were also pushed back to 2022.The India A squad that is touring South Africa, however, has stayed back in the country for three four-day games in Bloemfontein. The third game got underway on Monday.When exactly the BCCI and CSA agree to play the four T20Is remains to be seen as another T20 World Cup is approaching in 2022, and both teams already have packed schedules for 2022.