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England opener believes defending champions can upset Australia in their opening game, despite chastening Ashes defeat

Valkerie Baynes02-Mar-2022England’s World Cup rivals may write them off at their peril when the tournament kicks off in New Zealand this week, Tammy Beaumont says.Beaumont believes defending champions England have the ability to upset Australia, the runaway title favourites, in their tournament opener despite suffering a chastening Ashes series defeat last month. England were beaten 12-4 in the multi-format series, with their only points coming from two washed-out T20Is and the drawn Test. The tourists were bowled out for modest totals in all three of their ODI matches with the Australians sweeping that leg of the series 3-0.Related

McGrath switches focus to World Cup after season she 'never would have imagined'

Ecclestone, Shrubsole dismantle South Africa

“I feel like a lot of people have sort of written us off in a way,” Beaumont said. “I remember we had a lot of people trying to call us favourites last time and you know, we’re still the holders of the World Cup, so I think you write us off at your peril really.”To go back-to-back and retain your trophy away from home is always difficult, although I think the conditions in New Zealand are quite similar to home. Winning a World Cup at any time is a massive achievement but particularly when we’ve gone through Covid and all the bubbles and restrictions and stuff like that for the last two years, to come out here and hopefully perform really well will be a good testament to the team.”Beaumont said England’s World Cup preparations had run more smoothly than the lead-up to the Ashes in which training and warm-up matches were badly affected by rain once the squad had emerged from strict Covid-prevention measures and quarantine. Since their New Zealand quarantine period ended three days early following an easing of government guidelines, England have defeated Bangladesh by 109 runs in their first warm-up fixture and South Africa by six wickets in the second, which was reduced to 35 overs per side because of rain.England begin their World Cup campaign on Saturday and Beaumont backed her side to turn the tables against Australia.”I guess we know their plans,” Beaumont said. “So we’re ready to go against them. You’ve got to play everyone at some point. We played India the first game of the last World Cup and lost, and it didn’t necessarily affect us.”We’ll take on Australia, I think on our day we can beat them. We’re in a good place at the moment to go into that game regardless of the Ashes results, but yeah, I don’t think one game is going to necessarily ruin your World Cup hopes, hopefully. It’s a good time to get back out there and give it a good crack.”Tammy Beaumont has been a vital presence for England as an opener•Getty ImagesAs in the last World Cup, Lauren Winfield-Hill is expected to accompany Beaumont at the top of the order, having come into form during the warm-up clashes with a half-century against Bangladesh – she scored 14 off 15 against South Africa – after a protracted battle to post a big score. In 11 ODI innings since the start of last year, she is averaging 25.63 and hasn’t reached fifty in the format for more than five years.Debutant Emma Lamb replaced Winfield-Hill for the third ODI in Australia – the final fixture of the Ashes tour – but fell for a second-ball duck, leaving selectors without a convincing argument to make a longer-term switch for the World Cup.Beaumont’s highest score during the Ashes was 50 in the third ODI, but she has been a vital presence as an opener since before England’s 2017 World Cup triumph.England are also looking for their middle order to gel amid a dearth of regular contributors dating back to their home series against New Zealand towards the end of last year, which the hosts still managed to win 4-1.”I don’t think the problem has just been in the middle order,” Beaumont said. “Everyone has got to take accountability. I didn’t have the best series with the bat in the Ashes so I think everyone’s got to step up.”We’ve had some really good chats about not necessarily just what we need to do but actually how we need to do it and we need to get back to playing quite aggressive cricket and taking the game on. Today you saw Lauren really go for it up front and then it’s easier for the others to follow in and the middle order to really get stuck in when they’re not behind the eight ball.”I think in the Ashes constantly we as the top order were putting an incredible amount of pressure on that middle order to kind of mop up the mess we’d made so for me, it’s accountability for the whole top order really and the middle order.”

An elite European side have held “new talks” to tie down one of their forwards with a brand-new contract, with Arsenal lurking in the background for his signature.

Arsenal draw transfer shortlist as Mikel Arteta targets new winger

The Gunners are back to their imperious best, winning their last three consecutive games by very convincing margins, including a 5-2 victory over West Ham United, which equalled the Premier League record for most goals scored within a first half.

Arsenal could eclipse Declan Rice fee with £112m bid for "superb" forward

It would be their most expensive ever transfer.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 3, 2024

Arsenal still languish nine points behind Arne Slot’s near-unbeatable Liverpool team, who’ve lost just one league game so far this season, but we’ve seen even more surprising comebacks in years past – so Mikel Arteta is by no means dead and buried in the title race just yet.

Like many other sides, the north Londoners have been forced to contend and improvise with numerous injuries to key players so far, which has undoubtedly played a major role in their form overall.

Man United (home)

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Fulham (away)

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Everton (home)

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Crystal Palace (away)

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Ipswich Town (home)

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Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Ben White, Mikel Merino and Riccardo Calafiori are just some of the Arsenal crop sidelined by injury at various points this term, with White missing until next year after undergoing knee surgery.

This has reportedly led Arsenal to scour the transfer market for alternatives to key men, including Saka (Mick Brown, Football Insider), as it is believed that interim director Jason Ayto and Emirates Stadium chiefs are targeting a new wide player.

Arsenal are keen on Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo as one option, according to some reports, while rumoured summer target Nico Williams also remains on Arteta’s transfer wishlist.

Closer to home, there are suggestions that Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo is a target for Arsenal heading into 2025 (GiveMeSport). Another potentially astute option, who could be available at zero cost next summer, is Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane.

The Germany international winger’s future remains up in the air heading into next year, with Sane’s contract expiring in the summer and elite clubs able to sign him for free.

Sky Sports Germany, via Florian Plettenberg, have reported that Arsenal are looking at signing Sane as a result, and they’re keeping a keen eye on developments regarding a new deal, with Arteta and co weigh up the possibility of bringing a proven, elite winger to north London.

Bayern Munich hold "new talks" over Leroy Sané contract as Arsenal circle

Plettenberg has now shared a fresh update on the 28-year-old’s future, as Bayern try to stop Sane from joining Arsenal or any other interested side for nothing.

Plettenberg writes that new talks have taken place over a new deal for the £239,000-per-week forward, and while the Bavarians are keen to tie him down, they would consider “top offers” for him as early as the January window – if no progress is made in talks.

Sane has Premier League experience from his time at Man City, where he worked closely with Arteta under the guidance of Pep Guardiola at the time.

Tottenham Hotspur are back in much-awaited Premier League action today, and face yet another tough test as they welcome high-flying Liverpool to north London.

As a couple of sides who both remain unbeaten in the league, it promises to be quite the spectacle, although the hosts will remain confident of claiming victory against anyone given their current form.

Who is injured for Spurs vs Liverpool?

However, Ange Postecoglou could be set to face his real first crisis since taking over the Lilywhites, as he outlined a few key potential absentees for the all-important clash.

Speaking to reporters, the former Celtic man updated them on the fitness of his Deadline Day signing, as well as his two star men: "From last week, Brennan will miss out – it’s nothing too serious but he won’t be right for this week.

"Madders and Sonny trained today, just finished the session and seemed to get through it not too bad. We’ll just have to see how they pull up as it's fair to say they were a bit sore after last week and had a bit of an interrupted week training so just a matter of seeing how they pull up."

Whilst the former is hardly the biggest absentee, although his pace would have been greatly appreciated to terrorise the Merseyside outfit, the late calls set to be made on Heung-min Son and James Maddison will have supporters worrying up until the release of team news.

Fortunately, the recall of Manor Solomon now seems almost inevitable, with his skillset and specific role perhaps set to be more important in claiming a huge victory than that pair.

How good is Manor Solomon?

Having only joined on a free transfer in the summer, the £60k-per-week flyer has hit the ground running at his new club, offering an electric creative presence down the flank.

Jamie Redknapp would even describe the stocky winger as a "pocket rocket" last term, given his compact frame but a frightening change of pace.

Although his tenure at Fulham was largely overshadowed by a string of scorching long-range goals since starting for Spurs the Iraeli speedster has begun offering more consistency, outlined in his 7.20 average rating.

The 24-year-old has two assists already from just two starts, whilst also averaging an impressive 2.3 key passes per game. It is this clinical cutting-edge that could prove integral today, as Postecoglou will surely seek to utilise the speed of Solomon to exploit the space Trent Alexander-Arnold often leaves as he pushes into midfield.

With the Reds' academy graduate expected to be fit, Jurgen Klopp had admitted back in April that the new hybrid role presented "a challenge for everyone else to cover the spaces".

Should they fail to do so, then there are few better than Spurs' dynamic runner to exploit such space.

After all, The Guardian even pointed out how Harry Winks managed it back in May, which is a template that Postecoglou could seek to emulate:

"Liverpool’s worries came at the back, especially when Alexander‑Arnold moved into midfield and Tottenham countered at speed. It left Liverpool short in defence and Spurs showed how they could be exploited."

Whilst Alexander-Arnold, when on form, could devastate the Lilywhites, should Solomon keep him honest with hard work and relentless running in behind, not only will it provide a potent attacking outlet, but it could also nullify the visitors as they seek to plug the gap.

Adelaide’s annual Test match will be an all-day affair for the first time since 2014 after Cricket Australia conceded that the BCCI would not accept a pink-ball fixture

Daniel Brettig08-May-2018Adelaide’s annual Test match will be an all-day affair for the first time since 2014 after Cricket Australia (CA) conceded that the BCCI would not accept a pink-ball fixture.CA’s chief executive James Sutherland had held out hope of a day-night match until as recently as last week’s announcement of the schedule for 2017-18, but his arguments failed to convince the BCCI.BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhury wrote to Sutherland on Monday, saying the Committee of Administrators, the supervising authority of the Indian board, had decided that India would only be ready to play pink-ball Test cricket sometime next year. “I am directed to say by the Committee of Administrators that India would begin to play in the format only in about a year’s time,” Choudhury wrote in an e-mail, accessed by PTI. “Under the circumstances, I regret to say that the proposed day-night Test cannot be played and all Tests will have to have the conventional structure.””We can confirm that we have received advice from the BCCI that it is not prepared to participate in a proposed day-night Test in Adelaide this summer,” a CA spokesperson said. “As a result, we can now confirm this Test match will be a day format… We are committed to hosting at least one day-night Test each home summer as part of our continued focus to grow Test cricket, and we are excited about the day-night Test against Sri Lanka at the Gabba in January.”Australia have been pioneers of the format, and have won all four of the day-night Tests they have played at home. Sutherland had previously contended that India’s reticence was based on issues of competitive advantage. This view perhaps reflects the BCCI’s statement that India is not yet ready for pink-ball Test cricket.”There’s always a bit of trepidation and conservatism in India and, to be frank, I think they want to come out here and beat us,” Sutherland told SEN Radio. “There’s a sense that perhaps Australia has won each of the pink-ball Test matches played in Australia, it gives us a bit of an advantage.”I think personally the home country should have the right to schedule matches as it sees fit and start them at whatever time of day they want. The Adelaide Test match in the day-night format has been a huge success – it’s been a great story in terms of attendances and atmosphere but also television audiences.”It’s the way of the future and India may or may not come around to that idea for this tour but I still believe it’s the way of the future. I think everyone in world cricket knows that.”The decision is a blow for CA’s new broadcast partners Fox Sports and Seven, with the Adelaide Test under lights drawing the strongest television audiences of the past three summers. Sutherland has expressed hope that once the ICC Test Championship begins in 2019 there will be regulations in place to allow the home board to decide on a series format.”This summer is the last season of Test tours as we know it,” he said. “We move to the Test Championship in July 2019, where the Ashes will be the first series of the new Test Championship. We are hoping there will be some sort of regulation that will allow home teams to fixture at least one day-night Test match.”

Arsenal have now been provided with an update on Leandro Trossard's hamstring injury, which caused him to miss Sunday's North London derby.

Which Arsenal players are injured?

There are a number of first-team players sidelined at the moment, as reported by ESPN, with Thomas Partey out due to a groin injury, but he is hopeful of being fit for the Manchester City clash on October 7th, although there is no guarantee he will be. Gabriel Martinelli has also been out of action, as a result of a hamstring injury, but there are indications the winger may not be missing for much longer, as ESPN detail he is now likely to return within the next fortnight.

Martinelli is not the only Gunners winger who's had an injury scare, with Bukayo Saka seen limping towards the end of Sunday's game against Spurs, but he is thought to have taken a kick to the foot, so he is unlikely to be ruled out for too long. There is good news all round for Arsenal on the injury front, as they are confident of avoiding an immediate injury crisis, following positive initial tests on Declan Rice and Trossard in recent days.

Rice was withdrawn at half-time in Sunday's derby clash, with Mikel Arteta stating the Englishman was suffering with "discomfort in his back", but while he is still troubled by the problem, it is not understood to be considered a serious issue at this point.

As for Trossard, the Belgian was ruled out of the North London derby entirely due to a hamstring injury, but hs is expected to resume training later this week, and he could even make his first-team return in the next Premier League match.

Although the 28-year-old is likely to sit out Wednesday's EFL Cup clash against Brenford at the Gtech Community Stadium, alongside Rice, there is an outside chance he returns for Saturday's trip to AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. It is currently unclear when Rice is set to return, but ESPN detail that any absence will be "short."

When did Leandro Trossard last play?

The left-winger last featured in the 1-0 victory against Everton earlier this month, during which he scored the only goal of the game, his first of the season, to secure all three points for Arsenal at Goodison Park.

The Belgium international's injury came at a bad time, fresh off the back of scoring the winning goal, having only featured sporadically prior to that match, so it is good news that he could be back in contention for the next Premier League game.

In his three Premier League outings this season, the "magic man", as lauded by journalist Richie Mills, has featured at both left-winger and striker, showcasing his versatility, and he is likely to be needed on the left-wing at the weekend.

With Martinelli still set to be sidelined for a couple more weeks, the Bournemouth match could be the perfect opportunity for Trossard to cement his place in the starting XI, should he return to full fitness ahead of schedule.

The batsman also hopes that the BCB president now realises that he can play in an aggressive manner

Mohammad Isam12-Mar-2018Mushfiqur Rahim is as serious as they come, always focused on his cricket, so when he does something that is even remotely funny, it catches the interest of the Bangladesh public. That was the case when he pulled off the “cobra celebration” after sealing a record chase for Bangladesh with an unbeaten 72 off 35 balls in the Nidahas Trophy.After flicking a low full toss through midwicket to wrap up victory, Mushfiqur waved his bat in the air and did the snake dance, a celebration made popular by his team-mate Nazmul Islam. Was it a sign that his usually intense on-field demeanor is changing? Apparently not.”It was just a normal celebration,” Mushfiqur said. “Maybe everyone liked it. I don’t want to say much about it. [The celebration] wasn’t pre-planned. I think you can see in the celebration that we wanted the win badly.Deadpan response number two came when Mushfiqur was asked to turn his attention to the BCB president’s comments about his batting. On Sunday, Nazmul Hasan said he was shocked to see the batsman hitting massive sixes.”I think after this innings he [BCB president] will know that I can at least play that way,” Mushfiqur said. “I think he saw my game in a different way all this time. I think there’s a different feeling when all your hard work over months pays off in the middle. I don’t think he saw us in training, too, but we did the job in the middle.”I am not surprised [with my innings]. If you don’t have self-belief it becomes hard to deliver. To be honest, it is not good for me to be overjoyed after such an innings especially on that very good batting wicket. Someone had to play such a knock.”People often focus on the result; they don’t look at the hard work we put into training. We had a tough time off late but we believed in ourselves. But it is also true that when you get the result, it boosts the team.”Mushfiqur said he was keen to cash in on his experience – he is Bangladesh’s most capped T20I player – and contribute to the team with the bat.”I try very hard to give back to the Bangladesh team and cricket what experience I have earned playing for almost 13 years,” he said. “I think now is my best time to contribute to the team. I will try to be consistent as a top-order batsman.”I probably didn’t start T20s that well but now I want to correct my record in this format. I have a lot of other better innings in ODIs and Tests and I feel that I have the ability to play much better knocks in T20s.”Mushfiqur credited stand-in captain Mahmudullah and Tamim Iqbal for Bangladesh’s remarkable turnaround after the ODI and T20I series losses to Sri Lanka at home.”We had a brilliant chat as a whole group before the tournament,” he said. “We talked about regrouping, and that we have to do it; nobody will do it for us. We spoke about a lot of things that inspired us a lot, which is why I want to thank Tamim and Riyad [Mahmudullah] .

Everton return to Premier League action today to take on Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, with Sean Dyche's side still searching for their first league victory of the season.

With just one point to show for their travails thus far, the Toffees have been blessed with a fortuitous run of fixtures before the next international break – after the clash against the Bees, Goodison Park awaits Luton Town and Bournemouth, before a daunting Merseyside derby clash against Liverpool at Anfield.

What's the latest Everton team news?

Everton will wield the same tools that were utilised against Arsenal last Sunday, with the Blues losing that one 1-0.

Jack Harrison might be included in the match-day squad as he nears full fitness after a lengthy injury – having yet to feature since signing on loan from Leeds United in the summer.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Dwight McNeil's respective injury issues have been overcome, and both will be pushing to start in London; McNeil did receive a starting berth last week but Dyche acknowledged that might've been premature.

Seamus Coleman, Dele Alli and Andre Gomes all remain long-term absentees.

How is Arnaut Danjuma performing?

One player who could play a big role in Everton's forthcoming clash is Arnaut Danjuma, who has been lively since joining on a season-long loan from Spanish side Villarreal in the summer.

The dynamic Dutchman had previously spent a short stint with Tottenham Hotspur last season after rejecting the Toffees in January, but only mustered a peripheral role and scored just twice from 12 outings across all competitions.

Now looking like an exciting attacking outlet for an Everton side struggling for offensive potency, Danjuma has already matched his goal tally with the Lilywhites in half as many matches.

As per Sofascore, the six-cap international has earned an average match score of 6.80 in the English top-flight thus far, playing five matches and starting three.

Averaging 3.2 shots per game, completing 80% of his passes, succeeding with 75% of his dribbles and winning 56% of his ground duels, the 26-year-old holds the bag of skills to prove to be a "nightmare for defenders" – as has been said by pundit Kevin Phillips.

Should Arnaut Danjuma start against Brentford?

A versatile forward, Danjuma can play across the frontline and offers a threat whether Dyche should choose to deploy him.

But against Brentford, the £52k-per-week phenom must find a home down the right channel, exploiting the absence of the stricken Rico Henry, who ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against Newcastle United and is now expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Condolences to the afflicted, but Henry's injury presents a fine opportunity for an electric ace of Danjuma's ilk to wreak havoc, with the one-time Bournemouth star ranking among the top 7% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

Given that Henry has been in fine fettle for some time it is a blow to be without him, having been hailed by manager Thomas Frank for his defensive prowess, who said to the BBC: "On the defensive side, one-on-one actions, I actually haven’t seen a player or winger in the last two years in the Premier League that got the better of him."

Indeed, the 26-year-old had made 1.4 tackles and 4.8 ball recoveries in the league this season, completing 85% of his passes and winning 63% of his ground duels – crucial to Brentford's success over the past few years.

Danjuma can unleash his might against Brentford, and while Henry's lengthy absence is a poignant thing, it does open up a window of opportunity for Dyche to mastermind a victory to belatedly get Everton's season up and running.

The future of West Ham United defender Vladimir Coufal has taken a twist as an update emerges on a potential new deal in east London.

Latest West Ham news

David Moyes and his Irons side have enjoyed an absolutely terrific start to the new Premier League season, coming after they sold former superstar Declan Rice to Arsenal for £105 million in the summer transfer window.

The departure of Rice was seen as a major worry for West Ham, but so far, they have shown that the absence of their ex-powerhouse is proving little issue.

Summer signing Edson Alvarez has excelled in the 24-year-old's stead, impressing national media with some of his displays in claret and blue.

West Ham have also bolstered their coaching department with the appointments of John Heitinga, Mark Robson and Henry Newman, who will assist Moyes behind-the-scenes at Rush Green.

“I would like to welcome John to West Ham United and also welcome Mark and Henry into the first-team group," said Moyes to the club's official website.

“John is someone I have known for a long time. He has gained some very good experience since beginning his coaching career in the Ajax Academy and working his way up to their first-team. Mark and Henry are both already familiar to everyone here at the Club and have deserved the opportunity to step up within our structure.

“John, Mark and Henry will each bring experience in different areas and complement the strengths we already have in the coaching team alongside Billy, Kevin and Xavi. I look forward to working with them and building on the positive start we have made to the new season.”

It is also believed that the Hammers are eyeing up former star Jesse Lingard to further reinforce their ranks ahead of a tough and congested campaign of fixtures.

Their promising start to the 2023/2024 season has also seen some members of the West Ham squad thrive compared to last term, like striker Michail Antonio and Coufal.

Concerning the latter player, there has been a very interesting update on his future.

Will Vladimir Coufal leave West Ham?

Indeed, the Czech Republic international has seemingly re-established himself as Moyes' preferred right-back, coming after he was usurped in favour of Thilo Kehrer over 22/23.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke, writing for Football Insider, has now claimed that initial talks have been opened over extending Coufal's stay at the club.

The 31-year-old's current terms are set to expire at the end of this season, and while they have the option to extend by a further 12 months, it is believed West Ham are plotting to reward his exceptional performances thus far.

Coufal "could even land a new deal" following his "impressive" start, with the full-back having "turned his career around" under Moyes.

He is currently preferred over fellow right-back Ben Johnson, who is yet to play a single second in the top flight.

While Johnson's contract is also set to expire at the end of the current campaign, it appears Coufal is the one currently in line for fresh terms as things stand.

It will be very interesting to find out the conditions of this potential contract for Coufal, who was also a "key member" of the Conference League-winning squad.

Tall medium-pacer Kaleemullah set up a six-wicket win for Oman over Nepal and Canada’s Nitish Kumar prevailed in a showdown of offspinning-allrounder captains against UAE

The Report by Peter Della Penna in Windhoek09-Feb-2018
Peter Della PennaTall medium-pacer Kaleemullah used his height and bounce to claim 4 for 28, setting up a six-wicket win for Oman over Nepal at Wanderers Affies Field.Oman chose to bowl first under heavy cloud cover. On a sluggish second-day wicket, Oman’s medium pacers exploited the conditions expertly. At the forefront was Kaleemullah, who probed a fifth-stump line and had his first two wickets – Gyanendra Malla and Aarif Sheikh – caught behind. A bigger blow came at the start of the 23rd over when he claimed Paras Khadka after an inside edge ricocheted off the pads into the base of the stumps.Six batsman reached double figures for Nepal but none went past Sharad Vesawkar’s 22, Nepal’s top-scorer for the second day in a row. Vesawkar added 36 with Dipendra Airee, before Airee edged Khawar Ali’s legspin to slip for 20. Vesawkar fell seven overs later, beaten for pace attempting to pull Bilal Khan. Kaleemullah returned later to help wipe out the tail, having Rohit Paudel caught on the boundary for 14 at the start of the 44th over. A yorker from Bilal to Sandeep Lamichhane finished the innings in 46 overs.For the second successive day, Aqib Ilyas top-scored with 46 but this time it was in a winning effort. Ilyas neutralized the threat of Lamichhane after he gave Oman a brief scare when he struck in the 11th over, getting Jatinder Singh with a googly for 26. After Ilyas was drawn out of his crease to be stumped by Basant Regmi, Vaibhav Wategaonkar steered the rest of the chase, finishing unbeaten on 37.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsCecil Pervez punches the air after claiming the final wicket to seal victory•Peter Della PennaIn a showdown of offspinning-allrounder captains, Nitish Kumar’s 62 and back-to-back wickets late in the chase trumped Rohan Mustafa’s 5 for 34 and an unbeaten 37 as Canada staved off UAE by 23 runs in a tense chase at Wanderers Sports Club.Mustafa struck with his first ball, coming on in the fourth over to bowl Ruvindu Gunasekera for 21. Nitish led a fightback through a 64-run third-wicket partnership with Dhanuka Pathirana and brought up his half-century off 75 balls before eventually falling to medium-pacer Mohammad Naveed at the beginning of the 41st over. Mustafa then came back to complete his five-for, holding Canada to 209.Mustafa opened the chase but retired hurt in the fourth over on 6 before Ghulam Shabber joined Ashfaq Ahmed to carry on an 88-run opening stand. The drinks break at the 18-over mark brought Canada back to life as offspinner Nikhil Dutta struck in the 19th over to get Ashfaq for 42, sparking a collapse of three wickets in six balls as Gunasekera claimed two in the next over with his part-time legspin.Shabber went on to top-score with 55 before he was the fifth batsman out, to Dillon Heyliger. Mustafa returned with 80 runs left to win and with storm clouds lurking, UAE were still a handful of runs ahead on Duckworth-Lewis but Nitish’s consecutive strikes in the 43rd over put Canada in front on the calculation for good.Needing 27 off 36 balls and with only the No. 11 Zahoor Khan left to help, Mustafa began turning down singles before taking one on the third ball of the 45th over. Cecil Pervez beat Zahoor on the final ball of the over with a yorker and his lbw appeal was upheld, triggering emotional celebrations from Canada who are now the only remaining unbeaten team in the tournament field.

The result meant a brisk half-century from Anton Devcich and a late blitz from Brendon McCullum came to nought, and Lahore remained winless this season

The Report by Arun Venugopal08-Mar-2018Luke Ronchi’s stunning assault at the top of the order backed up Islamabad United’s disciplined bowling performance and condemned Lahore Qalandars to a six-wicket defeat, their sixth loss in as many games. Ronchi’s 41-ball 77 meant Islamabad chased down a target of 164 with 2.2 overs to spare. This was Islamabad’s second victory over a hapless Lahore side this season, the first one having come in a Super-Over finish.Ronchi and JP Duminy set the tone for the chase with a 47-run opening stand in 4.3 overs. Sunil Narine received a rude welcome as Ronchi smashed his first delivery for a six, but he hit back two balls later by having Duminy caught at slip. Narine would go on to take two more wickets, including Ronchi’s, but it was the latter who had the last laugh. During the course of his innings, which included five fours and six sixes, Ronchi brought out his complete repertoire – the swivel-pull, cut, drive and even the flat-batted smash. When he tonked Aamer Yamin over long-off in the ninth over, he brought up his half-century off 22 balls, the joint-fastest in the PSL. When Ronchi perished in the 16th over, Islamabad needed only 13 to win.In contrast to their performance for the most part of the match, Lahore had started in rousing fashion with the bat, with Fakhar Zaman and Anton Devcich (62 off 42 balls) raising an opening stand of 56 in 6.4 overs. Zaman led the way in the early exchanges as he biffed, pulled and cut his way to 34 off 24 balls. He was smartly caught behind by Ronchi off Duminy’s bowling, but Devcich sustained the momentum. Playing his first game of the tournament, Devcich, much like Fakhar, revelled in leg-side strokes. Often, he cleared his leg and swatted the ball between long-on and deep midwicket.While overs six to nine brought 37 runs to Lahore, there was a lull in the scoring after Agha Salman was dismissed in the 12th over. With Denesh Ramdin, promoted to No.4, struggling to middle the ball, Devcich found himself under more pressure but couldn’t accelerate the tempo. Eventually both the batsmen perished in the 17th over bowled by Faheem Ashraf. Captain Brendon McCullum made a furious late dash with an unbeaten 12-ball 33, but that would eventually prove inadequate. Ashraf picked up three wickets for Islamabad, while legspinner Shadab Khan finished with figures of 4-0-15-1.Where the match was won
Before this match, Ramdin hadn’t scored a single boundary in the PSL this season. It wouldn’t change by the time his painful crawl to 9 off 20 balls came to an end. What then remained baffling was McCullum’s ploy to promote Ramdin ahead of himself at No. 4. Ramdin came in with the score on 101 in 11.2 overs, and departed with the addition of 20 runs in five overs. His inability to time the ball had an adverse effect on Devcich as well during a period where Lahore went eight overs without a boundary. They managed only 69 runs in the last 10 overs, and in retrospect Lahore’s cause would have been better served had McCullum faced more than the dozen balls he did.The men that won it
As much as Ramdin’s knock contributed to Lahore’s slowdown, Shadab’s role in sapping the life out of the innings can’t be overstated. Introduced into the attack at the halfway mark, the 19-year-old legspinner gave away seven runs in his first over. He then went on to concede only eight more runs in his next three. Ramdin had a particularly hard time as he swished and groped at the ball without being able to connect his bat. Shadab’s parsimony effectively halted Islamabad’s march to a total in the range of 180.Where they stand
Islamabad jumped from fifth to second with their fourth win. Lahore, meanwhile, continued to languish at the bottom of the table, and while they aren’t mathematically out of reckoning for a spot in the playoffs, they have their task cut out.