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On Saturday lunchtime, Leeds United make the long trip to Plymouth Argyle once again, looking to continue a seven-game Championship winning streak that has seen them leapfrog Southampton and climb into one of the automatic promotion places.

Plymouth are down in 15th place in the table but made life difficult for Leeds in the FA Cup fourth round, forcing a replay by earning a 1-1 draw at Elland Road. Leeds would ultimately win 4-1 at Home Park, but the scoreline was somewhat deceiving because they required extra time to get the job done.

This Leeds academy "goal machine" could be Bamford's successor

Daniel Farke will have to work his magic on the talented young centre-forward.

By
Dan Emery

Feb 16, 2024

Heading into the game, manager Daniel Farke has been monitoring some injury concerns in his squad. Striker Patrick Bamford was initially named in the starting line-up for the midweek trip to Swansea, but Joel Piroe had to replace him at the last minute after he sustained an issue in the warm-up. Speaking after the game, Farke said the player was optimistic that the issue wasn't "too bad", but confirmed that he would undergo specialist examination to determine whether he'd damaged any ankle ligaments.

Elsewhere, Sam Byram missed the game altogether after picking up a muscle injury in the win over Rotherham 3-0. Byram, who was enjoying an "outstanding" season in the words of his manager, was also due to undergo checks.

Bamford and Byram out vs Plymouth

Reporting from Farke's pre-Plymouth press conference, BBC Sport's Adam Pope says that Bamford will be out of action for up to 12 days, while Byram has also been ruled out of the next two.

After playing Plymouth, Leeds face a key game against table-toppers Leicester City next Friday and then head to Chelsea for the FA Cup fifth round on 28 February.

In more positive news, Jamie Shackleton is back available, and Pascal Struijk could ramp up his involvement in training if the results of scans next week are positive. Goalkeeper Karl Darlow, meanwhile, is closing in on rejoining the first-team sessions.

Mixed emotions on Bamford

Leeds were probably particularly nervous about Bamford's injury fate given his track record. As you can see in the table below, the £40k-per-week man has missed 68 games and 437 days with various issues since the 2018/19 season, including an ankle problem that kept him out for nearly six weeks.

In that sense, it's a relief that he should be back within a maximum of three games, but it's still a blow in the sense that he'd been in excellent form, scoring four goals and providing an assist in his last six games.

The Englishman hadn't started a league game all season before that stretch, but seemed to be back in peak condition as Farke picked him in the XI for six straight matches.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson hit out at the referee's performance in the Red Dragons' Carabao Cup defeat to Sheffield United.

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Article continues below

• Parkinson angry with Sheff Utd equaliser
• Wrexham eventually beaten 4-2
• No Carabao Cup run this season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Parkinson was frustrated that Sheffield United's opening goal in their eventual 4-2 first round win was allowed to stand after what the Wrexham boss considered to be a block inside the area as his team defended a corner. Auston Trusty was allowed to ghost in at the far post and head the ball across the line in the 29th minute, moments after Will Boyle had given the League One side the lead.

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  Parkinson believes the game hinged on Trusty's equaliser. Wrexham were certainly good for their 1-0 lead but couldn't hold onto it for very long, and Sheffield United's class told in the second half. It means there won't be a dream Carabao Cup run for the Welsh outfit this season.

• WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  "It was a tough game, we made a lot of changes so there was always going to be a disjointed feel to us because we pieced the team together with players who needed to get minutes," Parkinson told BBC Sport Wales.

  "We got the first goal but their first goal should never have been allowed, how the referee hasn't seen the block is beyond belief. We know they are clever on corners but when it's as blatant as that I expect the officials to see it.

  "If we had kept the lead until half-time it could have been a different night for us, but goals change games.

  "It's a good work out for us, we never like getting beat in any game, but we will take the lessons from it."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Wrexham began their League One campaign with a 3-2 win over Wycombe last Saturday, and they're back in league action this Sunday with a trip to fellow promotion-hopefuls Bolton Wanderers.

The franchise only bid for the fast bowler after he had gone unsold twice

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Dec-2019Dale Steyn was lapped up right at the end of Thursday’s IPL auction, after going unsold twice, but he was “always part of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s plans”, according to Mike Hesson, their director of cricket. Steyn was picked at his base price of INR 2 crore by the same franchise that had released him in November.Steyn featured in just two games for RCB in 2019 before a shoulder injury cut his season short, after he had been signed midway through the competition as a replacement for the injured Nathan Coulter-Nile.”We knew we wanted Steyn but we knew if we put a bid on him early, it might have gone up to three or four crore, which would have had flow-on effects,” Hesson said in a video posted by RCB. “It was the same with Isuru Udana as well.”We thought Udana was going to be well sought after, so we had to slow-play that one a little bit. In the end, it worked out the way we wanted but it did require a sense of patience, which is not one of my main attributes.”I probably exchanged a couple of hundred messages with Virat [Kohli, the RCB captain] for a couple of hours. I think he thought we went to sleep in the middle for a couple of hours as well, but he was well aware of what our planning was. He was keen at the end, as we were, to get Udana and Steyn.”Hesson also felt new signing Aaron Finch could help unburden RCB’s superstar batting duo of Kohli and AB de Villiers. Finch, Australia’s white-ball captain, is currently No. 2 on the ICC’s rankings for T20I batsmen. “We want someone who takes the pressure off AB [de Villiers] and Virat, so we’ve got a world class player,” Hesson said of Finch. “Looking at the rankings, we’ve got three of the top five players in the world in terms of the last few years of T20 cricket so that is exciting.”Chris Morris is a really good addition, in terms of being a three-in-one cricketer; he can bowl upfront, can bowl at the death, he’s got some power with the bat as well. Udana is exciting, in terms of especially on slower surfaces, we felt we wanted that. Kane Richardson is one of the best bowlers in international T20s for a while, so we’ve got a really good mix of players.”Hesson said he was surprised at being able to sign Australian wicketkeeper Josh Philippe, whom he termed an “excitement machine”, at his base price. “We never thought we’d get him at 20 lakh,” Hesson said. “We had someone else in mind if he went too high.”

Leeds United will need to do their transfer business sharpish as deadline day begins to loom, the Championship promotion candidates are yet to add anyone to their squad with three fringe players – including Luke Ayling – allowed to head out of Elland Road on loan.

It's not as if the Whites haven't been linked with a whole host of incomings so far this January, but with an unsatisfactory 1-1 home draw against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup arguably exposing Leeds' lack of high-quality depth, many bodies could well be in through the door between now and the close of the transfer window.

There are two main priorities on the extensive Leeds shopping list if rumours are correct, with the duo in question teammates at international level in the past who could strengthen the Whites considerably.

Leeds in for Wales star

On top of wanting to reportedly bring AFC Bournemouth winger David Brooks to the building, the Whites are also targeting his fellow Wales compatriot Connor Roberts to finally add a new right-back to their ranks.

The full-back was labelled as being a 'concrete target' for Leeds by journalist Ben Jacobs who was speaking to GIVEMESPORT but a further report by Daily Mail journalist Simon Jones has now confirmed that Daniel Farke's men are indeed interested in signing the Burnley man.

Roberts is itching for more first-team action away from being placed on the periphery at Turf Moor this campaign.

With Roberts standing out as a full-throttle attacking full-back when Burnley won the second tier title just last campaign – scoring four times last season under Vincent Kompany – the 28-year-old could well spur Leeds on to further unsettle the established Championship top two.

If Brooks was purchased – as another right midfield option to ease concerns of Daniel James being in the Whites treatment room for some time – both players in question could make Leeds hard to thwart down that flank with Crysencio Summerville and Junior Firpo unplayable at points on the opposing left side.

How Roberts would fit into the Leeds team

With Archie Gray having to start at right-back 17 times this season, despite being more of a natural in midfield, Roberts would arguably walk into the Whites starting lineup currently.

His numbers at second tier level across his career to date back up why he'd break into the Leeds first-team and instantly make an impact, the Clarets defender accumulating 20 assists and 15 goals playing in the Championship over 173 appearances.

Coupled with Brooks' equally potent output in the Championship – which stands at nine goals and 11 assists from 69 appearances – both players could form an intimidating partnership at Elland Road if Leeds pull off a late flurry of signings.

Described as being an "excellent" player by his former Swansea City boss Steve Cooper during Roberts' stint with the Swans, Roberts would give Leeds that added nous too of what it takes to get promoted via the top two. That could well be invaluable with the Whites currently fighting hard to establish themselves as automatic promotion hopefuls.

Brooks and Roberts have been in sync pulling on a Wales strip in the past, with Ethan Ampadu also excelling on the international stage alongside the Leeds targets, and so it could well be a smart move landing both of these former second-tier stars to boost Leeds' automatic promotion chances this season.

Farke's men will feel precarious if no signings are made in this transfer window and injuries begin to trouble them more, with a swoop for both Brooks and Roberts making logical sense as a result.

Harry Kane has warned domestic and international rivals that there is "more to come" from him after reaching 400 goals at club level. The prolific Bayern Munich and England striker hit that notable milestone when netting in a Klassiker clash with Borussia Dortmund. He has shared his pride at achieving a quadruple century, with there no sign of the 32-year-old slowing down any time soon.

• Goal breakdown: How Kane reached 400 efforts at club level

  Kane has been in red-hot form for club and country this season, finding the target on 21 occasions through 12 appearances. He has passed 100 efforts in total for Bayern, as he ticks over at close to one a game there, and has taken his record-shattering tally of strikes for the Three Lions to 76.

  A standing among the greatest No.9s to have ever played the game is being cemented, with the potential there for Kane to continue rewriting the history books. His haul of 400 club goals has been recorded through 607 appearances. He has plundered 280 for Tottenham, 104 for Bayern, nine for Millwall, five for Leyton Orient and two for Leicester.

  Kane posted on social media are hitting another landmark in his remarkable career: "So proud to have reached 400 club goals! Too many people and team-mates to thank who have helped me get to that number but couldn’t have done it without everyone along the way. More to come!!"

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• Purple patch: Kane explains his red-hot form

  Kane has changed his game slightly with age and experience, as he is happy to drop deep in order to see more of the ball. His passing ability can be put to good use in a No.10 post, but his priority will always be to register as many goals as possible.

  Kane told Sky Sport Deutschland after helping Bayern to a 2-1 win over arch-rivals Dortmund: "Of course, I'm still there to score goals and help the team. But I also dropped a little deeper with the ball, defended my own penalty area without the ball, and picked up second balls to find my team-mates behind the opposing line with long balls. There were a lot of good things there, and I feel good physically."

  He added when asked to explain his stunning form at the start of the 2025-26 campaign: "I'm confident about my game overall. I always look forward to a match – knowing how we want to play and how we work together. There's a special bond within the team. Everyone always gives their all. And that's a valuable asset."

• No slowing down: Kane covers every blade of grass

  Bayern boss Vincent Kompany said of seeing Kane put in another energetic display against BVB that saw him cover every blade of grass: "It was another complete performance by him. Of course with his goal, he is and stays Harry Kane. But also in the build-up, in defending, tackling. A very complete performance. The other guys also did very well and spent a lot of energy, but Harry is in a very good phase at the moment. We're all enjoying it."

  Club colleague Konrad Laimer went on to say of getting to watch Kane in action on a daily basis, with his ability to deliver when it matters most marking him out as one of the best: "He's everything. That's exactly how you can sum it up. He's everywhere on the pitch. He's not above tackling in front of his own goal and blocking a shot, or turning around somewhere, or scoring a goal."

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  World Cup & Champions League: Next targets for Kane

  Kane has helped to fire England to the 2026 World Cup, with that competition set to be entered as captain of the Three Lions. He will hope to reach said event in peak condition and with the goals continuing to flow.

  His next outing will be a Champions League one, with Bayern preparing to play host to Club Brugge on Tuesday. Having opened his trophy account with the Bundesliga title in 2024-25, Kane is determined to get his hands on the most prestigious of European honours.

The end of the January transfer window may be looming large, yet there is still work to be done as far as Leeds United are concerned, with key positions in need of strengthening to help bolster their hopes of automatic promotion.

As The Athletic's Phil Hay reported last week, a particular priority for the Yorkshire side is the full-back positions, with the club having allowed both Djed Spence and Luke Ayling to depart Elland Road this month.

That has left 17-year-old Archie Gray – who can also operate in midfield – as the only real standout option at right-back for manager Daniel Farke, while on the opposite side, the German coach has Junior Firpo and Sam Byram to call upon, two players who have endured their fair share of injuries woes of late.

With the Whites also still competing in the FA Cup, having increased strength in depth will seemingly be crucial, with it likely to be unsustainable to rely on the teenage Gray, in particular, until the end of the season.

In need of competition and cover for the reported Liverpool target – who only recently signed a new deal at the club – the Championship side are, ironically, believed to be looking toward Anfield in their hopes of snapping up a suitable target.

Leeds leading the race for Liverpool starlet

Football Insider reported earlier this month that Leeds are looking at signing Mateusz Musialowski from the Merseyside outfit, although the Polish playmaker is not the only youngster who has come onto Farke's radar.

As per a more recent update from the Daily Mail, are believed to be frontrunners in the battle to pluck Calvin Ramsay from the Reds, with the Scottish full-back having returned to his parent club following an injury-hit loan spell at Preston North End in the first half of the season.

According to the piece, Leeds' promotion rivals Southampton – who tried to sign the 20-year-old from Aberdeen before his move to Liverpool in 2022 – are also in the mix for signature, although it is the Whites who are said to be 'leading the way'.

Striking that deal could allow Farke to work with and nurture another exciting young right-back, having previously reaped the rewards of his faith in Max Aarons during his time in charge at Norwich City.

Ramsay could be Farke's next Aarons

Aarons – who was close to sealing a move to Elland Road over the summer prior to joining AFC Bournemouth – was handed his debut by Farke back in 2018, with the then-teenager thrown in at the deep end as he made that senior bow in an East Anglian derby clash with Ipswich Town.

As the Leeds boss has shown in the case of Gray – who has made 30 appearances this season – he is not afraid to put his trust in young talent, with Aarons building on his "fantastic performance" on debut to grow into a key figure at Carrow Road, as lauded by Farke himself.

The former Borussia Monchengladbach coach also sang the praises of the diminutive defender amid interest from top-flight clubs back in 2020, describing him as "just a special player" with "an unbelievable future", while also lauding the full-back as "one of the best players" in the Championship.

All in all, Aarons made 141 appearances under Farke for the Canaries, showcasing his impressive attacking threat by chipping in five goals and 13 assists down the right flank.

Such was his level of productivity and creativity from his right-back berth, Farke even noted at the time that opponents would go "man for man on him" to try and hamper his influence, with Aarons clearly a real weapon even at such a young age.

The hope would be that the attack-minded Ramsay can take on a similar role, with the young Scotsman having previously spoken of his desire to get forward and impact proceedings at the top end of the pitch:

"Obviously I'm a right-back, pretty attacking, I like to attack. I'm OK defensively as well but my main attribute is attacking – I can put good crosses in, I like to get shots away, both feet, cutting inside, going down the line, linking up with my winger."

Having made just two appearances for the Anfield side to date – as well as just two outings on loan at Deepdale this season – the 5 foot 10 menace is in need of a chance to shine on a regular basis, something which Leeds could help to provide.

Calvin Ramsay's career record

Ever since arriving from north of the border 18 months ago, the story of Ramsay's time in England has been one of injury woe, although, as per the Daily Mail, he appears to now be fit once again and likely raring to go.

The hope will be that the one-cap Scotland international can emulate the success that he enjoyed after breaking into the first-team as a teenager at Aberdeen, having scored once and chipped in with nine assists in just 39 games for the Premiership side at senior level.

That "absolutely exceptional" form at Pittodrie – in the words of Klopp – is an indication of just why Ramsay was poached by Liverpool in the first place, with Leeds now needing to do all they can to get their hands on a player who is "so special", as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

With Farke having missed out on a reunion with the aforementioned Aarons over the summer, the 47-year-old could land the next best thing with the addition of Ramsay, even if the move represents something of a gamble.

Farke eyeing late Leeds swoop for "monster" Rodon partner

The promotion hopefuls are believed to be looking to bolster their backline before the close of the window.

By
Robbie Walls

Jan 25, 2024

With Spence and Ayling out the door, a new recruit at right-back is now a necessity and the Aberdeen native could be just the solution to help apply some healthy pressure on the dazzling Gray.

Is T10 too predictable? Should the toss be made optional? Should who bats first be pre-determined in the scheduling?

Barny Read16-Nov-2019The toss is one of cricket’s many, many curious elements. The one flip of the coin that, for club cricketers, goes a long way to determining the happiness of a weekend forfeited to chasing leather around a field. For the professionals, it has the potential to decide the outcome of a match, potentially a series.Luck is, of course, something that touches all sport but it is rarely as tangible as it is in cricket.It can be a look up at the clouds at Headingley, a pre-empted prayer to the cricketing gods that you bat first in Adelaide, or shivers down the collective spine of a side asked to bat last in a Test match in Galle. And T10 is no different to its cricketing forefathers. There is a clear formula: win the toss, put the opposition in. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.Across 47 completed matches of T10 cricket in a nudge over two years of its existence, only five captains have won the toss and elected to bat. There were four such instances in 2017, just one in 2018 and none so far from six matches across the first two days in Abu Dhabi.Shane Watson, the captain of Deccan Gladiators who has played in the past two editions as well, explained it as such after losing their opener on Friday having been asked to bat first: “In T10 you don’t really know how many is enough… but there’s no question that when you’re chasing, knowing you’ve got ten overs and ten wickets in hand, I don’t know the statistics exactly but I remember last year that most teams that batted second found it easier chasing.”Indeed they did. In fact, only 13 teams have gone on to win after being asked to strap on their pads by their opponents, a figure that equates to a win percentage of 27.6% of all T10 matches. Without knowing that figure, Delhi Bulls captain Eoin Morgan suggested on the first day that there is “probably a small percentage advantage” in chasing but should you “hold your nerve and execute well, it shouldn’t really matter”.As Morgan’s side became the 12th team to lose batting second, the 33-year-old’s words from the previous day certainly rang true. Even more so by the time Darren Sammy’s Northern Warriors made it 13 defeats chasing, the reigning champions feebly falling to Qalandars with the lowest total in T10 history and only the second team to be bowled out in ten overs with their 46 all out in a 66-run defeat.As for Watson, less than 24 hours after defeat to Morgan’s Bulls, he was calling correctly earlier in the day and had no hesitation in putting Bangla Tigers into bat. The result? A six-wicket win.”If you lose the toss, you don’t want to feel like you’re out of the game,” Watson said after his side got its first points of the season. “There’s no doubt from a mentality point of view, to know how many you’ve got to get and there’s only ten overs, it’s definitely an advantage but that’s not to say you can’t set a really good total and then it’s just too many for the opposition to chase.”The Australian’s counterpart in the Tigers dugout, Thisara Perera, agreed that “every team likes to chase”, but insisted that the toss is not at the forefront of his side’s mind despite its continued influence in T10s.Even accounting for the Warriors making it two defeats from three for sides batting second on day two, the win percentage remains at 70.2% in favour of teams chasing. And with seemingly no captain in a hurry to set a target after winning the toss, they clearly see the value in coming out on the right side of things at the start of play.The wins for Qalandars and Deccan Gladiators prove that it is far too simplistic to suggest that a won toss is a won match, but the formulaic actions of the captains in the middle, plus the numbers that indicate an advantage for sides chasing, should be enough for the league to ponder its trend.Is T10 too predictable? Should the toss be optional like it is in the County Championship? Perhaps who bats first and second should be pre-determined in the scheduling?The longer T10 remains repetitive, the more pressing the answers to these questions will become.

Manchester United are in the market for new arrivals this window and transfer insider Dean Jones has now given his verdict on links between the Red Devils and one of Europe's finest playmakers.

Manchester United's January window…

January has come at a good time for Erik ten Hag as he looks to give his beleaguered squad a lift following an inconsistent run of form and the Red Devils' support will have an appetite for new arrivals this month.

Manchester United fans may be made to wait on that front, though, owing to football director John Murtough's comments last month suggesting that a quiet few weeks may be in store at Old Trafford.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

With the January transfer window coming towards its conclusion, FFC has all the info for tracking your club’s winter transfer activity.

By
Luke Randall

Feb 1, 2024

He stated at a Fans Forum in December: "Looking ahead to the January transfer window, we are not expecting it to be particularly busy. There will always be the possibility of deals around the edges of the squad, particularly in terms of finding opportunities for players who are not playing as much football as they would like."

Reports in the last few days have claimed that Crystal Palace playmaker Michael Olise is on the radar at Old Trafford and could be involved in a swap deal with former England Under-21 international Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who could head to Selhurst Park in a player-plus-cash agreement; nevertheless, this pursuit is more likely to develop in the summer window.

Now, journalist Jones has given his thoughts on an alternative Manchester United target who has been linked with an exciting move to Old Trafford.

Dean Jones reacts to Paulo Dybala rumours

According to reports, Manchester United could look to bring in Roma attacking midfielder Paulo Dybala this window. The Argentina international has a release clause worth just around £10-11 million, which could make him an affordable solution to the Red Devils' lack of a creative spark in the engine room.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Jones has indicated that Dybala would be a "mouthwatering" signing for Manchester United, and he has gone as far as to label him as "one of the best of his generation" in his position; however, he has also labelled any potential transfer as a "big risk" due to this being another marquee name heading towards the end of their prime.

"We've talked about Dybala coming to the Premier League for years. I resigned myself to the fact that he is never actually going to come last year, yet here we are talking about him again. I just feel like it is a big risk to sign Dybala because there always seems to be something that holds him back from fully fulfilling his potential.

"I'd be very careful about targeting somebody like this because the expectations will be so high, and it will be extremely difficult for him to meet them."

Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels has named Cristiano Ronaldo the Premier League's greatest ever player ahead of Thierry Henry and Mohamed Salah.

• Sels names PL's greatest
• Puts Ronaldo top of pile
• Henry in second with De Bruyne third

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  In an exclusive interview with GOAL at the PFA awards, Sels was asked to pick between a series of Premier League icons in a winner-stays-on game. The Forest shot-stopper started by choosing Eden Hazard over Riyad Mahrez, and stuck with the ex-Chelsea winger against Robin van Persie, before dropping him for Wayne Rooney. He then sided with Rooney against Erling Haaland, Gareth Bale and Luis Suarez, but eventually traded him out for Salah. Sels immediately discarded Salah for Kevin De Bruyne to set up a battle between the Manchester City legend and Thierry Henry, and he gave the nod to the latter. Ronaldo was put forward as Henry's final opponent, and the Belgian ultimately sided with the former United striker.

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  Ronaldo scored 103 Premier League goals in 236 appearances across two spells for United. He helped the Red Devils win three successive Premier League titles and the Champions League between 2006 & 2009, winning his first Ballon d'Or along the way.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

  Ronaldo is still going strong at the ripe old age of 40 with the Portugal national team and Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr. He scored two goals in his latest international outing against  Armenia as Portugal recorded an emphatic 5-0 World Cup qualifying victory.

Amazon Warriors fell short of going undefeated in the tournament as Carter’s 26-ball fifty set up Tridents for victory

The Report by Peter Della Penna13-Oct-2019When the New England Patriots defeated the New York Giants 38-35 to end the 2007 NFL regular season, they became the first American Football team to go undefeated since the league expanded to a 16-game format. But the game exposed vulnerabilities that gave the Giants a blueprint to beat the Patriots in their rematch in Super Bowl XLII 17-14.Last Sunday, Guyana Amazon Warriors defeated Barbados Tridents to take their CPL record unbeaten streak to 11 matches by posting 218 for 3 behind Brandon King’s record century. What was lost in the shuffle of that match was that the Tridents actually made a serious fist of the chase, ending on 188 with Jonathan Carter top scoring to make 49 off 26, as some vulnerabilities started to appear.Bucking the T20 trend of teams opting to chase, the Tridents’ success through much of CPL 2019 has been in defending totals. Given a chance to bat first in the CPL final at Brian Lara Academy, Carter produced a stirring roundhouse kidney punch that stopped the Amazon Warriors in their tracks. Unable to dance around the ring, the Amazon Warriors’ chase was floored by a collective effort from Jason Holder’s bowling unit, as the Tridents produced a stunning upset to claim their second CPL title, and first since 2014, by knocking off the Warriors to thwart their undefeated title bid and hand them a fifth CPL final loss.Running amokHaving to go without their second-highest scorer JP Duminy, who sat out with a hamstring injury picked up in Thursday’s win over Trinbago Knight Riders, the Tridents got off to a solid start to reach 76 for 3 in the first ten overs. But after Shai Hope fell in the 12th over, the innings went haywire with Shakib Al Hasan involved in a pair of run-outs.The first came four balls after Hope’s wicket as Holder flicked to deep midwicket. Shakib hared down three strides ahead of Holder for the first run and was already a quarter of the way back for a second before Holder had turned at the non-striker’s end. Keemo Paul had covered the ground well to field and relay to Nicholas Pooran over the striker’s stumps as Holder came back reluctantly in response to Shakib and wound up being out by a foot.Shakib created an identical situation with Carter two overs later after the latter drove out to extra cover. Once again, Shakib was three steps ahead and started coming back for a second run, Carter was slow getting out of the crease after striking the ball and wasn’t interested in the second, but he made his decision too late for Shakib. This time Paul’s throw dragged Pooran well away from the stumps but Shakib had given up and the keeper’s throw from five yards away was true, leaving the score 108 for 6 with 31 balls left.Upset the apple Cart(er)Against Trinbago Knight Riders on Thursday, Ashley Nurse and Raymon Reifer plundered 43 off the last two overs to salvage a floundering innings and get up to 160 on a traditionally low-scoring ground. On this occasion, it was Nurse and Carter who resurrected the Tridents in the closing overs.Carter took the lead with a trio of fabulous straight drives for six before another over midwicket. The bulk of that came in the 19th over off Paul, who leaked 17 as momentum swung sharply towards the Tridents. Nurse then took his swipes at Romario Shepherd in the 20th with a six and four to start the final over before Carter struck a two to bring up a 26-ball half-century as the Tridents ended with 63 off the last 31 balls to post a total that looked like it was well above par based on past evidence.USA 3, rest of CPL 2Coming into the final, Shoaib Malik had only been dismissed four times in 11 innings. Two of those came at the hands of the Knight Riders fast bowler Ali Khan and the Tridents legspinner Hayden Walsh Jr, the only two Americans playing in the tournament. Walsh Jr added Shoaib to his list for a second time on Saturday night to cap his season with a tournament-best 22 wickets in just nine matches.After Raymon Reifer had set back the Amazon Warriors in the Powerplay with the wickets of Chandrapaul Hemraj and Shimron Hetmyer, Shoaib came to the middle but was not his usual fluent self. After reaching 4 off 10 balls, he got a half-tracker from Walsh Jr that should have gone for six but failed to get the elevation, a microcosm of his lack of rhythm on the night as he picked out Reifer at deep midwicket. It put Walsh Jr on the path to ensure an American would raise the CPL trophy for the second year in a row after Khan with the Knight Riders in 2018.King dethronedThe Warriors were still in with a chance of overhauling the target as long as the tournament’s leading scorer was at the crease. Brandon King was looking sharp but struggled for support at the other end, which caused him to lose patience. On the last ball of the 11th over, King charged impetuously at Nurse and turned a full ball into a yorker, playing over the top as it slid past leg stump for a simple stumping by Hope.Another relative half-tracker claimed a big scalp for the second time in the chase as Pooran toe-slapped one from Nurse to Alex Hales at long-on. Harry Gurney and Reifer then continued to whittle through the middle order until 41 were required off 12 balls. Paul holed out to long-on off Gurney in the 19th and with 33 needed off the last over, Reifer mathematically clinched it by having Chris Green skying a leading edge to the keeper, giving him the best bowling figures ever in a CPL final.With their backs against the wall playing a de-facto elimination match in their penultimate round-robin game of the season against St Lucia Zouks, the Tridents stormed back to life and, by the end, they had snuffed out the Amazon Warriors’ fairytale season with a Cinderella finish of their own.