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The first season of the Sri Lanka Premier League ticked a fair few boxes – mainly because few expected it would

Andrew Fernando09-Sep-2012By the time the fireworks erupted above the R Premadasa Stadium after the Sri Lanka Premier League final late last week, most of the 26,000 fans who had braved the evening’s weather had filtered out.It had been a long night. The pyrotechnics had been planned to coincide with the lifting of the trophy, but it was too wet to hold the presentation outside. This final act of the SLPL fit the tournament perfectly. The audience was small and it was 1am, but the fireworks still went off in the damp, at times spectacularly. Those who saw them enjoyed the show. The disgruntled and the apathetic would have felt they hadn’t missed out on much.Earlier in the evening, Angelo Mathews had played an innings he rated his best T20 knock and Dilshan Munaweera confirmed himself one of Sri Lanka’s most exciting prospects. It had been a match that had the makings of a great final, but couldn’t quite deliver a satisfactory climax.Perhaps it was the SLC’s carousel of embarrassments in the preceding 15 months as well as the SLPL’s stuttering birth, but almost everyone approached the tournament with low expectations. “It was good to see it get off the ground at all,” former Sri Lanka cricketer and commentator Russel Arnold says. “With the false start last year and the problems leading up to [the SLPL] this year, it went much better than expected, and the fact that it happened was positive.” The bar had been lowered to such an extent that even the mildest success became a resounding victory. In the tournament organisers’ own words, the SLPL “over-delivered” on what had been anticipated, primarily because before the tournament it had been difficult to find someone who was not a skeptic.Each of the SLPL’s accomplishments, though, came with significant disappointments, the most conspicuous of which were the poor crowds. Of the 16 evenings on which cricket was played, only five nights were well attended. The cheapest tickets cost less than a loaf of bread, and partway through the tournament, organisers began to let people in for free, but still, apart from three nights in Kandy, the first semi-final (the other was rained out) and the final, the stadiums remained largely vacant.”When you play in the same ground for a week, it’s going to be tough to fill it up,” Arnold said. “Also with the World T20 coming, the SLPL was sharing that market. People were probably looking ahead to that and this wasn’t in their plans. The small crowds were understandable, but next year they will need to get the logistics right so the crowds can come in.”The fact that not enough buzz had been built around the tournament before it began did not help attendance either. There were plenty of SLPL billboards around Colombo, but beyond knowing of the tournament’s existence, most people were unaware of the specifics. “Oh it’s like the IPL?” “Who is playing then?” “When is the next match?” Even Colombo tuk-tuk drivers, who can usually cram a 40-minute ride with their opinions on the game, were unable to speak knowledgably about the SLPL until two weeks in, when they had begun to match players with the correct franchises.

Pick of the league

The innings
Angelo Mathews’ unbeaten 73 from 27 balls in the final transformed a stagnating Nagenahira Nagas innings and propelled them to a challenging total.
The spell
Jacob Oram’s 3 for 16 from four overs in the first semi-final gutted the Wayamba United middle order and laid the foundation for the biggest upset of the tournament.
The match
Following Oram’s burst, and two wickets apiece for Umar Gul and Sachithra Senanayake, Wayamba were reduced to 27 for 7 in pursuit of 172. But a world record 120-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Azhar Mahmood and Isuru Udana breathed unexpected life into the chase, and made for an entertaining finish.
Biggest disappointment
Organisers insist no reserve day could have been named, but the semi-final washout that denied Kandurata Warriors a chance to contest for a place in the final was a poor lead-in to the tournament’s climax.
Most notable absentee
Chris Gayle was to be the marquee overseas player for the tournament, until he sustained a groin injury during New Zealand’s tour to the West Indies. His team still won the title without him.
Cheerleaders causing distress
The dancing girls at the SLPL were well-covered to suit Sri Lankan sensibilities, but while they were still too racy for many, those who generally enjoyed cheerleaders asked, “If they are not going to show any skin, why have them at all?”
The surprise
Thilan Samaraweera has a reputation for being one of the most obdurate batsmen in the world, but he stuck it to the doubters with a stroke-filled 71 from 45 balls in Pallekele – an innings that included two over-the-shoulder scoops to the boundary.

The few games that did enjoy good support, though, were notable for their lively atmosphere. “It was like an international match, maybe even better,” Arnold said, echoing a sentiment several players had already expressed. The music, dancing and horsing around associated with cricket in Sri Lanka were all on show even before the stadiums began to fill, but when the number of partakers grew, so did the party.”In the later on stages of the tournament, the atmosphere really rocked,” says Salim Shaikh, co-owner of the Uva Next franchise. On the night his team upset Wayamba United to go through to the final, the contrasting emotions you would expect at any high-level knockout match were on display at the Premadasa. The Wayamba fans who had been brought in from their province in 15 packed buses were stunned to see their side reduced to 27 for 7. The Uva supporters in the upper tier screamed themselves hoarse. “The crowds didn’t shoot up as much as we thought during the tournament, but when they came, you could see that it was very enjoyable for everyone,” Shaikh says.The local TV station that broadcast the SLPL reported that viewership never matched that for an international game, but that it was good enough for advertisers to remain interested and for the broadcast to be profitable. The channel in Bangladesh that aired the tournament could hardly speak more highly of it. They had jumped to second in the ratings from seventh, and they credited the SLPL for providing much of that boost. Interest was good in Pakistan too, given the heavy involvement of Pakistan players in the league, though in India, where organisers had advertised, the SLPL only barely registered. An official YouTube channel showing half a million hits perhaps sums up the tournament viewership: the numbers were not extraordinary, but they were not pathetic either.In terms of the cricket played, the SLPL provided a platform for local players to perform, and featured several thrilling spells and ravishing innings, but the exciting finishes often seen in other T20 leagues were in short supply. Of the 22 completed matches, only one came down to the last delivery, and perhaps two more were decided in the final over. In preparing sporting pitches conducive to seam movement with the new ball, the tournament missed out on the high-octane innings and tense endings synonymous with the format. One good burst from an opening bowler could burn through the top order and make it difficult to compete. With even the older ball moving around at times, the late-order blitzers were often blunted.”The standard of cricket has been good, but I won’t say great,” Uva Next coach Robin Singh said. “The understanding of the format is lacking. When I speak to many of these young players, they have played little of T20 cricket, so they have not understood the game. It’s not just slam bang – you need lots of skill as well to play this format. That’s why you have seen lots of panic and batsmen getting out.”The weather was a dampener on the night of the final•Ron Gaunt/SPORTZPICS/SLPLThe poor fielding also left a sour taste. Boundaries were waved through widespread legs, sixes were palmed over the ropes, catches were spilled regularly, and the half-chances rarely came off. In one match in Pallekele, the Nagenahira Nagas dropped four straightforward catches in eight balls to reprieve Mahela Jayawardene, who went on to make the tournament’s highest score.”There is a gap between the IPL and SLPL,” Singh said. “The IPL is in its fifth year. The Indian local players have been exposed to a lot more cricket. Even the international pool is bigger in the IPL. The quality is different. You have good international players in the SLPL, but not the best players, for various reasons – board clearance, injuries and so on.”The tournament will take steps towards closing that gap if it proves itself a reliable paymaster, which the star players the first edition lacked will count in the SLPL’s favour when deciding whether it is worth their time in future years. Only one franchise fell behind the payment schedule, but this was sorted out before it affected the cricket – though players’ organisations say the funds were only transferred after players had threatened withdrawal. A week after the tournament finished, it appears that all players have been paid, though again players’ associations are yet to receive confirmation of this.For now, though, the players and the SLC are the only ones making money from the SLPL, with the board putting its profit at around US$1.6 million. The franchises have collected hefty losses, having paid the tournament organisers and their players, as well as having incurred numerous other operational costs. But despite the lack of returns, they seem largely content. Wayamba United CEO Gaurav Modwel said he saw “potential for growth” in the inaugural SLPL. “The end product was better than what we expected, and we’re in it for the long-term, so we’re happy with how it went.” The same went for Shaikh, who said his franchise would look at transporting even more fans from their province to matches next year. “I think the SLC has to take more of an initiative in the provinces and really make the people aware of the SLPL there,” Shaikh said. “But other than that, I think it will be a tournament that will take off in the next few years.”Crucial questions still remain about the SLPL’s future. The first season threw up plenty of awkward hurdles, though amongst the myriad problems there was also some good cricket. The league is yet to prove itself profitable, even if investors are willing to stick around in the hope of eventually breaking even. The audience also has not yet given its wholehearted approval, particularly at home, and also in cricket’s biggest marketplace, across the strait. The SLPL survived its first foray thanks partly to low expectations, but if it is to make good on its global ambitions and command the IPL-like demand it aspires to, it must attract bigger stars and bigger crowds despite its limited resources. When it returns next year, it will still be a tournament on trial.

The slow pitches in the Caribbean is high on the list of reasons for the gradual demise of West Indian fast bowling and of batting standards

Tony Cozier14-Mar-2010West Indies and Zimbabwe have simply marked time over the past three weeks. After five limited-overs matches, they remain in their same lowly positions on the ICC rankings and have learned little new about themselves. The sequence was just as it was in their last encounter, two years ago in Zimbabwe, when West Indies lost the first match before finding their land legs and taking out the next three.Only days back from a morale-crushing hammering in Australia and in conditions more suited to the bowling strength of the opposition than their own, they have been made to fight harder this time Batting that variously featured the uncertain Andre Fletcher, Dave Bernard and Denesh Ramdin in the top four and unpredictability from six down has again been vulnerable to pressure. Patience and techniques have been tested to the limit by Zimbabwe’s host of spinners on turning pitches at Providence and Arnos Vale and often found wanting.It placed added responsibility on Chris Gayle to provide early momentum at the top of the order. More significant than his batting were his forthright comments, especially following the defeat in the first ODI. It revealed his justifiable frustration at culpable players although more than just one might have paid for their indiscretions with their places in the team.Amid the struggles of others, Narsingh Deonarine finally confirmed the quality that was evident since he was a teenager. His handling of the varied Zimbabwean spin and, above all, his level-headedness should have been an embarrassment to most of his team-mates. His impressive 82 in the second innings of the Perth Test in December, when Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s injury opened a spot for him, hinted at an overdue maturity. This was further evidence.Sterner tests lie ahead, initially against Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and the South Africans at Sabina, Warner Park and Kensington in June, but the signs are encouraging. In Perth, and in this series, his solidity mirrored that of his fellow left-hander Brendan Nash whose disappearance since the Tests in Australia (in which he averaged 41) remains an unexplained mystery. And it is substance, more than style that West Indies need at present.Against batting even shakier than their own, and on favourable surfaces, Darren Sammy, Ravi Rampaul, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller and, when he returned, Dwayne Bravo confirmed themselves as serviceable bowlers in the abbreviated game.The majority of West Indian batsmen have struggled against Zimbabwe’s spinners•The NationFor the longer term, beyond the World Twenty20 championship to the Test series against South Africa and in Sri Lanka in November, the worry is that Kemar Roach is the only one with the pace to knock good batsmen over. His two 90 mph yorkers that demolished Vusi Sibanda’s off stump (and, at Providence, bat) were classics and he wasted little time with tailenders. Yet he needs like support and none has emerged in the continuing absence of Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards who remain under medical care with no reliable prognosis of their return.What is more, Roach’s left ankle, an essential component in a right-arm bowler’s anatomy, needed a rest during the ODI series in Australia in last month. It wasn’t an encouraging development. Even with him fully fit and fast, but without Taylor and Edwards, it is hard to imagine the attack going through 20 wickets in a Test on true pitches.The same applies to Zimbabwe, if at the opposite end of the scale. Their new dispensation arrived in the Caribbean with the stated mission that this was the first step towards their return to Test cricket. Given the conditions they encountered, they understandably opted to stack their hand with their strongest suit, spin.Ray Price, their experienced left-armer, and captain Prosper Utseya, have excellent ODI records, Graeme Cremer showed himself to be a legspinner of genuine quality. The other leggie, Timycen Muruma, also impressed. But it is unlikely that such a combination would work its way twice through Test opposition, especially given the frailty of its inexperienced batting.It would have been more useful for them to have encountered true, hard pitches with a bias to batting, as they should be for one-day cricket, so that they could test their all-round strength. The problem is that such conditions are rare anywhere in their Caribbean. There were no clearer examples than those at the Queen’s Park Oval, Providence and Arnos Vale in this series. They turned sharply from first ball to last, that at Arnos Vale for the fourth ODI on Friday compounded by encouraging movement off the same.Last year, the Bangladeshis were flabbergasted, but delighted, to find surfaces for their Tests at Arnos Vale and in Grenada that might have been custom made in Dhaka for the spin-based attack and pace-shy batsmen.John Dyson was derisive about the standard of the pitches, match and practice, following his dismissal as coach last year. Steve Waugh complained similarly after Australia’s 2004 series in the Caribbean. So have several others, local and foreign. Gayle picked up the theme after the first match at Providence, if giving a slightly different twist. He wanted the players to be “more involved” in determining venues so they wouldn’t hand the advantage to the opposition, as was the case with Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Perhaps they would go for Sabina Park and Kensington but not many others offer what Gayle is looking for.Whatever the causes, he noted that ‘our cricket continues deteriorating’. It is a shift that is high on the list of reasons for the gradual demise of West Indian fast bowling and of batting standards. The evidence is clear in the utter dominance of ordinary spin bowlers in the regional first-class tournament and the technical deficiencies of batsmen.It was no coincidence that Barbados, Guyana, Jamaican and, later, Antigua once produced such an abundance of outstanding batsmen or that Barbados churned out fast bowlers by the score and Trinidad spinners. They were all reared on pitches, at club and first-class level, that allowed them to confidently express their class. Now aspiring fast bowlers are discouraged by sluggish, poorly prepared conditions in which spinners rejoice. Batsmen approach their innings with deep suspicions of what they will find in the middle.It is a problem that has needed urgent attention for too long. The solution may not be easy but the ICC has, in Andy Atkinson, a resident expert in these matters. He has made frequent visits to Guyana, St. Lucia and Barbados over the past year to oversee pitch preparation for the World Twenty20 championship. Perhaps he can be seconded to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for a long period to see if he can make a difference.

Anil Kumble has been India’s go-to man for a while now, and he again answered the team’s call on the second day at Mohali, getting rid of England’s tail in a hurry to restrict them to 300

S Rajesh and Kanishkaa Balachandran11-Mar-2006Anil Kumble has been India’s go-to man for a while now, and he again answered the team’s call on the second day at Mohali, getting rid of England’s tail in a hurry to restrict them to 300. As usual, Kumble’s length was impeccable – he hardly moved away from the good-length area, and importantly, he gave the batsmen no respite by dragging it short.The only batsman who took the attack to him was Andrew Flintoff, who rode his luck to score 70. None of the other batsmen scored at more than 2.40 per over against him, but Flintoff managed 31 from 39 – that’s 4.77 per over. The key was Flintoff’s ability to attack the good-length balls: he scored 25 from 33 such deliveries (4.54 per over). None of the other batsmen managed anything close – Kevin Pietersen managed 13 from the 43 balls Kumble bowled to him, Paul Collingwood made 15 from 39, while Geraint Jones took 13 from 47.The 103-run partnership between Flintoff and Jones lifted their partnership aggregate to more than 1000. The two have put on 1021 runs in 14 innings at an average of 72.92. Their highest stand is 177 against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2005. Of those runs, 803 have come for the sixth wicket, at an average of 73. Among sixth-wicket pairs who have added at least 750 runs only two pairs have a higher average.

Flintoff also hit a couple of sixes during his innings, and his penchant for smashing the ball over the ropes has brought him another record. His 68 sixes in Tests is the most by an England batsman, going past none other than Ian Botham (67). The overall world record is 87, jointly held by Chris Cairns and Adam Gilchrist. The comment about Flintoff being the next Botham certainly doesn’t look too premature now.

Australia snapped India’s four-year unbeaten streak in home ODIs with a thrilling win in Chennai

Sidharth Monga22-Mar-20233:04

Tait: Smith never lets the game coast as captain

Australia snatched the No. 1 ODI ranking and snapped India’s four-year unbeaten series streak at home with a thrilling win in the defence of 269 in Chennai. Australia went all in from the moment they won the toss and gambled against the dew by choosing to bat on a dry and soft surface. They attacked the new ball in the powerplay, but kept attacking, which resulted in quite a few starts but no fifty.The bowlers then hung in despite a quick start from India, their two spinners Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar took six wickets between them to drag India back from 65 for 0 and 146 for 2. The defence was all the more remarkable because Cameron Green’s illness left Australia with Marcus Stoinis as the fifth bowler. Stoinis was a revelation, though, bowling 9.1 overs for just 43 runs and a wicket.Both the innings progressed similarly: a quick start to maximise the powerplay and the new ball followed by the pitch playing tricks, and some aggressive options taken by batters resulting in soft-looking dismissals. The most uncharacteristic perhaps was Virat Kohli holing out to long-off in Ashton Agar’s last over after scoring the only half-century of the match, with Hardik Pandya scoring quickly at the other end, and the requirement under a run a ball.Kohli’s dismissal, followed by a third straight golden duck for Suryakumar Yadav, left India needing 85 off 88 with four wickets in hand. It seemed Pandya, who had earlier dragged Australia back from a rapid start with figures of 8-0-44-3, would see India through, but he, too, chose the big shot over taking the game deep. His slog off Zampa with 52 required off 39 brought in the tail. Needing to do all the scoring himself, even Ravindra Jadeja slogged at a Zampa wrong’un, leaving the tail an improbable 45 to get off 29.These risks were uncharacteristic largely of India, in that they came from both ends and at times when India had got the asking rate under control.When Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma got off to a flier, scoring 65 in 9.1 overs, it looked like the pitch had hurried up under the lights. The first two wickets didn’t have much to do with the pitch. Rohit fell trying to maximise the last powerplay over, and Gill got his pad in the way of a drifting half-volley from Zampa.After that, though, Kohli batted beautifully to go at a run a ball without taking any risks even when Agar turned some balls alarmingly across the right-hand batters. Even when Kohli and KL Rahul went eight overs without a boundary, there was no panic around. Rahul then pushed India ahead with a burst of a six and two fours and a six off Zampa and Mitchell Starc.It seemed now that the plan was for Kohli to anchor the chase and the other end to go for big hits. One such hit came off the toe of Rahul’s bat and settled with long-on. Axar Patel was promoted and was immediately run out thanks to brilliant fielding from Steve Smith and keeping from Alex Carey.Virat Kohli scored a half-century•BCCIPandya again calmed the chase down by hitting a six and a four in the first five balls he faced. With Pandya doing the quick scoring at the other end, Kohli perhaps didn’t need to start going himself. Especially in the last over of the dangerous Agar. But go he did, perhaps because he wanted to get some scoring done before the extra fielder went out in the last 10.Australia’s batters might be asking similar questions of themselves, but they had more depth in their batting than India did. Nor did they know the total they needed to get.When it started, the first target was to make the most out of the powerplay, which Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head did even though the first puff of dust from the surface was seen as early as the fourth over. India had to bring spin on in the sixth over to have their first over without a boundary. Marsh was brutal, Head kept finding areas square on the wicket. Once spin came on, though, it was apparent scoring would have to slow down outside the powerplay, which took Australia to 61 for 0.Pandya’s introduction put on immediate brakes. Head found deep third when upper-cutting, Smith drove on the up but the cross-seam delivery moved away after pitching to take his edge, and Marsh played on to be dismissed for under 50 for the first time in the series.David Warner, playing only for the second time in the middle order in his ODI career, and Marnus Labuschagne finally seemed to get into accumulation mode, but it didn’t continue for long. With Jadeja denying them runs by bowling accurately, they took Kuldeep Yadav on.Even though one top-edged slog-sweep from Labuschagne went for six only because the fielder was in off the rope, the two kept attacking. Warner found long-off trying to hit over long-on, and Labuschagne holed out to long-off, both against-the-spin shots.Even at 138 for 5 in the 29th over, Australia kept attacking. Stoinis and Carey, though, did it differently, by sweeping and reverse-sweeping. A no-ball for failure to follow field restrictions helped as Carey deposited the free hit for a six. Presumably to capitalise the last few overs before an extra fielder goes back, Stoinis and Carey began to take bigger risks. Stoinis picked out long-on at the end of the 37th over. Carey got lucky in the next over with his flashing blade, but big turn from Kuldeep bowled him in the 39th. The two added 58 in 53 legal deliveries.Seven down before the 40th over, Australia again were under the threat of having overaimed and finally achieving an underwhelming score. However, Sean Abbott led the lower order with 26 off 23, and Nos 9, 10 and 11 scored 17, 10 and 10 not out. The last wicket added 22. Australia won by 21.

Gary Neville has warned Manchester United they face finishing "eighth or ninth" unless they sign a new goalkeeper to replace Andre Onana.

• Neville wants new United goalkeeper
• Onana criticised for regular mistakes
• Linked with two world-class shot-stoppers

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Neville says United must sign a new goalkeeper if they're to avoid another disappointing season. Former Inter and Ajax star Onana has endured two error-strewn campaigns since moving to Old Trafford and had made eight mistakes leading to goals in all competitions by April earlier this year, more than any other Premier League shot-stopper. 

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  There have been links with Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez and Paris Saint-Germain's Gianluigi Donnarumma and Neville believes his old team need to bring one of them in. Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton are the current options for manager Ruben Amorim if he were to drop Onana from his starting XI.

• WHAT NEVILLE SAID

  Neville said on the podcast: "You've got to get a goalkeeper. If you've got a goalkeeper and a midfield player, I think fifth or sixth will be achievable. I think without a goalkeeper, it's eighth or ninth.

  "That is the number one most difficult position in English football, Manchester United goalkeeper. I think it's the most scrutiny that anybody comes under."

  "Donnarumma or Martinez. When they said about Martinez from Villa earlier in the season, I wanted him. His personality. He's got guts. He's got that presence."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Martinez remains a Villa player despite appearing to wave goodbye to the club's supporters at the end of last season. Donnarumma, meanwhile, is being pushed out of PSG after Lucas Chevalier was snapped up from Lille and the Italy international's agent has admitted his client is interested in a move to the Premier League.

The Rapids, who have already brought in youth center back Noah Cobb, are adding Premier League proven talent to their back line

Rob Holding agrees deal to sign for Colorado29-year-old tallied over 100 appearances for ArsenalSpend last year on loan at Sheffield UnitedGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

The Rapids are reportedly on the verge of bringing in Rob Holding from Crystal Palace, according to . The center back, who has established himself as a Premier League-ready talent, was a steady reserve option for Arsenal from 2016-2023 and spent last year on loan at Sheffield United. Holding was a free agent after his two-year deal with Palace expired.

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Holding figures to offer veteran experience to the Rapids backline. The former England youth international was a steady option for Arsenal over the years, and started most of the 2020-21 season before manager Mikel Arteta deemed him surplus to requirements. Colorado was down on defensive options after Chidozie Awaziem left the club for FC Nantes earlier this season.

DID YOU KNOW?

Holding figured to be a regular for Palace before manager Oliver Glasner froze the defender out of the squad. The manager refused to comment on the apparent void between the two players, commenting that: "He knows the reason. But it is something that stays between Rob and me. Nothing public."

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The center back is on the brink of the move with his medical reportedly set for this week. Colorado play Santos Laguna this evening as they start Leagues Cup play.

South Africa have to win the next two matches if they are to avoid a fourth home series defeat in ODIs since April 2021

Sidharth Monga18-Dec-20233:08

Manjrekar wants Patidar at No.3 in Iyer’s absence

Big picture: SA look to avoid another home series defeat
You can fight conditions only to a certain extent in cricket. Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan went into the first ODI of the series with just seven wickets between them but bowled South Africa out for 116 in conditions that had swing, seam and uneven bounce.As action moves to Gqeberha, and to a day-night match, you’d hope for more even conditions that don’t change dramatically during the match. Gqeberha has not hosted an ODI in more than four years, but it has not been a high-scoring venue. It has gone 12 years and eight ODIs without a score of 300. As it is generally the slowest and lowest of the surfaces among mainstream South African venues, India will hope to close out the series there. For South Africa, the next two are must-win matches to avoid a fourth home series defeat in ODIs since April 2021, certainly not a proud record to have.Related

Battle-hardened Arshdeep Singh arrives as an ODI force

South Africa's biggest defeat in a home ODI

Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan demolish South Africa

There is more to look forward to from the new talent that has emerged during the limited-overs leg of the tour. Nandre Burger has impressed with his sustained pace and movement, and Sai Sudharsan made an eye-catching fifty on debut. Form guide South Africa LLWLW
India WLWWWReeza Hendricks has gone two matches without laying bat on ball in the first over•AFP/Getty Images In the spotlight: Sai Sudharsan and Reeza Hendricks Reeza Hendricks has gone two matches without laying bat on ball in the first over. To be fair to him, Hendricks found himself in against the moving ball and some incisive seam bowling both in the final T20I and the first ODI in Johannesburg. After playing and missing so often, both his innings ended in loose shots. He will want to give a better account of himself.In a brief chase, Sai Sudharsan displayed on debut why his senior colleagues have been going gaga over him. The bowlers will now come back with their homework done, and will hop to present him a more challenging match situation. Team news If the Gqeberha track stays true to nature, South Africa could be expected to play both the spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi. Shreyas Iyer is leaving to join the Test team, and so Rajat Patidar is the favourite to take his place.South Africa (probable): 1 Reeza Hendricks, 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram (capt.), 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Wiaan Mulder, 9 Nandre Burger, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiIndia (probable): 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 B Sai Sudharsan, 3 Rajat Patidar, 4 Tilak Varma, 5 KL Rahul (capt. & wk), 6 Sanju Samson, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Arshdeep Singh, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mukesh Kumar Pitch and conditions The weather is set fair, and the pitch is usually not the quickest. Don’t expect record-breaking scores.Stats and trivia South Africa’s 116 in the last match was the first time they crossed 100 against India in the last three ODIs. Arshdeep Singh is the only India fast bowler to have taken a five-for against South Africa. India bowlers have claimed eight five-fors in 2023, the highest for any team in a calendar year. Quotes – Arshdeep Singh, having bowled South Africa out for 116. – JP Duminy

أعلنت رابطة الدوري الأمريكي لكرة القدم، اليوم الجمعة، معاقبة ثنائي فريق إنتر ميامي، ليونيل ميسي وجوردي ألبا، قبل مباراة الجولة المقبلة من البطولة المحلية للعبة.

ويخوض إنتر ميامي مباراته في الجولة السابعة والعشرين من بطولة الدوري الأمريكي، نسخة 2025، ضد نظيره سينسيناتي، فجر يوم الأحد.

وسيفتقد المدير الفني لفريق إنتر ميامي، خافيير ماسكيرانو، خدمات الثنائي ليونيل ميسي وجوردي ألبا في المباراة المذكورة.

يأتي ذلك بسبب عقوبة من جانب رابطة الدوري الأمريكي لكرة القدم، نتيجة غياب الثنائي عن مباراة كل النجوم يوم الأربعاء الماضي.

وفاز فريق كل النجوم من الدوري الأمريكي على نظيره المكسيكي، بثلاثة أهداف لهدف، قبل يومين.

ولم يتواجد ليونيل ميسي وجوردي ألبا في تلك المباراة رفقة فريق كل النجوم من الدوري الأمريكي، رغم استدعائهما.

وتنص قواعد الدوري الأمريكي لكرة القدم على معاقبة أي لاعب يتغيب عن مباراة كل النجوم، دون وجود أي عذر، وهو الأمر الذي ينطبق على ميسي وجوردي ألبا.

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وأكدت الرابطة، عبر موقعها الرسمي بشبكة الإنترنت، أن ميسي وجوردي ألبا سيغيبان عن مباراة إنتر ميامي وسينسيناتي.

من جانبه، قال المتحدث باسم الدوري الأمريكي في تصريحات لصحيفة “usatoday” الأمريكية: “أعلم أن ميسي يعشق ذلك الدوري، لا أعتقد أن هناك لاعبًا أو أي لاعب تقريبًا، قدم للدوري الأمريكي ما قدمه ليونيل ميسي”.

وأضاف: “ولكن لدينا سياسة راسخة تنطبق على كافة اللاعبين، للأسف اضطررت لتطبيق تلك السياسة، كان القرار صعبًا”.

وواصل: “الأمر لا يتعلق فقط بما يفعله ميسي خارج الملعب وزيادة شعبية الدوري والتعريف به، بل يتعلق كذلك بما يقدمه داخل الملعب، مبارياته تمثل لحظة مميزة، كل مباراة منها لا تُنسى، هذا الالتزام الذي يظهره داخل الملعب هو ما يجعل ذلك القرار معقدًا”.

وأفاد: “لقد لعب ميسي مباريات أكثر من أي لاعب آخر ذلك العام، هو ملتزم للغاية تجاه ناديه لدرجة أن توقيت مباراة كل النجوم وكأس العالم للأندية جعله يرغب في أخذ استراحة، وأنا أحترم ذلك”.

واختتم: “كان قرار ميسي نابعًا من التزامه تجاه ناديه، إنتر ميامي، وأتفهم قراره وأحترمه”.

After losing four straight pre-Gold Cup games, USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino hailed players "willing to fight and die for you"

As players left the field at PayPal Stadium, they walked over a small bridge that take them just over the exiting fans. Moments after smashing Trinidad and Tobago, 5-0 in their 2025 Gold Cup opener Sunday night, the U.S. men's national team's players found themselves on that walkway, serenaded by those below. Cheers broke out as the players were applauded off the field after a job well done.

How things can change in just a matter of days.

In Nashville, Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT were booed off the pitch in the midst of a 4-0 humbling at the hands of Switzerland last Tuesday night. And then came Sunday, a day in which, over the course of 90 minutes, this U.S. team reclaimed some of the goodwill that has been missing of late.

A win against the No. 100-ranked team in the world won't fix everything, not by any stretch. But turning those boos into cheers will have made this day a success.

It's a start. The Gold Cup run is long – or at least the USMNT hope this run will be long. T&T will wind up being one of the weakest teams in the schedule and it showed in their performance. The U.S. cruised from whistle to whistle, taking a 3-0 first-half lead and never really taking their foot off the brakes as they ran up the score.

That won't impress everyone, and critics still find plenty of reason to complain. Not this game, though. On Sunday, the U.S. took a step forward after taking so many steps back and – and the cheers came with it.

"We kind of set a standard now, so we know we have to continue to keep winning these types of games," said defender Chris Richards. "We know every game isn't going to be easy. Every game is going to be as tough, but if we can continue to win, I think that's how you shut people up: winning."

GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from PayPal Park

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  WINNER: Malik Tillman

  It almost beyond belief, given all of the scoring we've seen him do on the club level. But Sunday's first-half finish was Tillman first career goal with the USMNT. It took him 20 games to get it, and then it took him just 25 minutes to get his second.

  This was exactly what was needed, both personally and as a group. Mired in a four-game losing streak, the USMNT needed someone to set the tone early, removing doubts before they could creep in. That someone, as it turns out, was Tillman, who ran the show and got his goals to headline a near-perfect first half.

  Neither was particularly difficult. Both came from close range and both benefited from fantastic assists. Tillman, though, finally got one – actually, two. The hope now is that things can snowball. Tillman has been a player who hasn't always been able to bring his club form to the USMNT. That changed on Sunday.

  "I had a good season with PSV, so obviously my confidence is quite high, but I got the opportunity today to show myself," he said. "In my time here, I didn't have a lot of starts so, for today, it was up for me to show myself, and I think I did quite well.

  "This is the last opportunity for us to show ourselves in a tournament. So yes, it's about taking responsibility and showing the world what we can do."

  The hope is that Tillman finds more confidence. Considering his response to his first goal, this might just be the start of something from a player the USMNT will need both this summer and next.

  "I understand him better now than I did the first time," Pochettino said. "In October, November, when we first met him, it was difficult to create the relationship that a player and coach need to trust each other. I see now, after a few weeks together, that I understand him. He's very special, a very special talent and a very special kid. We, as a coaching staff, are all in love with him.

  "We need time to create that link that can provide players with the ability to perform, to fight for you and to die for you – and the same for a coach. That trust, knowing that a player is willing to fight and die for you, that is why we are so happy. Because he is a talented player, one of the most talented that we have here in the USA."

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  WINNER: Diego Luna

  In the course of 10 seconds or so, Luna showed everything that he's about. It came from nothing, an innocuous backpass, but Luna ran and ran. The pass was underhit, the T&T defender was unaware and Luna was on the move, intercepting the ball and getting through on goal.

  Many inexperienced players would have simply blasted a shot, but not Luna. He looked and waited, feeding Tillman for the game's second goal. It was a sequence that personified everything Pochettino values: effort, energy, vision and, just as importantly, a total absence of selfishness.

  "I made the run through to the keeper because he looked down and didn't see me," Luna said of the sequence. "Then, as soon as I saw he was winding up, I knew he was going to play it. I got a hold of it and then got a little sweaty to set up the tap-in."

  Luna nearly got his reward moments later, but was credited with another assist. After breaking into space again, his shot nicked Patrick Agyemang on its way into the back of the net, giving the Charlotte FC striker the goal. It was all Luna, though, another moment of brilliance from a player that continues to blend talent and effort better than anyone else on this USMNT.

  "I don't care about getting the goal," he said. "Whoever's goal it was, I don't care because it's a team goal."

  Every game, Luna seemingly improves. This was far and away his best game yet, and it's one that only increased optimism about what he can ultimately become.

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  LOSER: Alvin Jones

  Few players have had the impact on American soccer that Alvin Jones has and, from a USMNT perspective, it surely isn't for the better. It was Jones who hit that long-distance screamer to open the scoring in October 2017 in Couva. It was Jones who set up the own goal. It was Jones who, in many ways, ended the USMNT's 2018 World Cup dream, kickstarting this wild butterfly effect that led us to today.

  There was no legendary moment for the Soca Warriors star on Sunday, though. Only heartbreak.

  It was Jones' backpass that was intercepted by Luna, leading to the USMNT's second goal. Afterwards, all he could do was sit there with his head in his hands, knowing he'd just made a crucial mistake.

  Jones' best moment came against the U.S. nearly eight years ago. On Sunday, he had one of his worst performances in the course of a 5-0 trouncing.

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  WINNER: The supersubs

  Both Haji Wright and Brenden Aaronson are guys that find themselves on the fringes. They're World Cup veterans, guys with plenty of experience but, just one year out from the 2026 tournament, neither are locks to be there next summer. Goals help, don't they? Both scored almost immediately after coming on in the second half, and both will have made their case for more minutes this summer.

  We'll start with Aaronson, who is one of the players with a point to prove this summer. Left off the Nations League squad in March, Aaronson had already been sent a harsh message by Pochettino – his spot wasn't secure. His performance against Switzerland wouldn't have helped, although few really benefitted from that game.

  This goal, though, could be a way to turn the corner for a player that needs to string these types of attacking moments together. Same for Wright, a player who, like Aaronson, offers so much attacking versatility. On Sunday, he offered a glimpse into something else he offers: decisiveness. His goal was relatively simple, with Wright cutting in and picking his spot to make it 5-0.

  On a day in which the U.S. could have easily seen out the game, Aaronson and Wright made sure to take things one step further – exactly what Pochettino will want to see.

  "I expect to win and the players really believe that they have this opportunity, and can take this opportunity to show me why they should fight for a place in the World Cup," Pochettino said. "That, for me, is the most important thing for everyone that was on the pitch, and everyone that came from the bench."

Chelsea are now targeting a shock move for an “elite” £100m forward, but they are set to face competition from three other top Premier League clubs, according to a report.

Blues set sights on new winger amid Madueke uncertainty

Noni Madueke has become the subject of speculation in recent days, with AC Milan reportedly submitting a £33m offer for the 23-year-old, which the Serie A side are confident will be enough to get a deal done.

There have also been widespread reports that Jadon Sancho is now seeking a return to Borussia Dortmund, amid a poor spell of form at Stamford Bridge, which has led to suggestions the Blues could back away from signing the Englishman permanently.

Consequently, Enzo Maresca may feel he needs to bring in at least one new winger at the end of the season, and work has now commenced on the signing of Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, with talks being opened over a deal for the Spaniard.

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The west Londoners are also willing to make a £60m+ offer to seal a deal for Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman, who is open to leaving the Italian side in search of a new challenge this summer.

Chelsea are assessing options from across Europe, but a winger from much closer to home is also now emerging as a target, with a report from TEAMtalk revealing they are targeting a shock move for Manchester City’s Jack Grealish.

Man City are open to selling Grealish this summer, and they will be looking to recoup as much of the £100m they paid to sign him as possible, amid widespread interest in his signature.

Newcastle United, AC Milan and former employers Aston Villa are also in the race for the winger, who is keen to continue playing at the highest possible level.

"Elite" Grealish could reignite career at Stamford Bridge

It would be fair to say the 29-year-old has failed to justify his huge price tag in recent times, scoring just three Premier League goals across the past two seasons, but a new challenge could be what he needs to get his career back on track.

The England international played a major role in City’s treble-winning 2022-23 campaign, featuring 13 times en-route to Champions League glory, while also providing five goals and seven assists in the Premier League.

Setting up chances is one of the forward’s best qualities, having previously been lauded as an “elite playmaker” by Statman Dave, while also setting up Harry Kane’s famous goal for England against Germany at Euro 2021.

Not only that, but the former Aston Villa man is also an extremely impressive dribbler, ranking in the 99th percentile for progressive carries per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.

Grealish’s career has stagnated at the Etihad Stadium, but his previous exploits indicate he could be a fantastic signing for Chelsea, if he is able to get back to the same level.