ScorecardAllrounder Gareth Berg produced a match-winning performance as Hampshire began their Royal London One-Day Cup campaign with a thrilling two-wicket win over Sussex with four balls to spare at Hove.Sussex looked favourites when Hashim Amla was sixth out for 63 to leave Hampshire needing 118 from 15.5 overs to overhaul Sussex’s 250. But Lewis McManus and Berg thrashed 59 from 37 balls for the seventh wicket and although McManus was caught behind in the 41st over with 57 still needed Berg unleashed some powerful shots and farmed the strike effectively, although he should have been run out on 47 when he slipped backing up too far only for David Wiese to miss with his throw at the stumps.There was another twist when Berg, who had earlier taken 3 for 51, was caught at deep midwicket in the 47th over off Ollie Robinson for 65, made from 37 deliveries with eight fours and two sixes, to leave his side needing 15 off 20 balls.But Mason Crane and Reece Topley kept their nerve and when Mason drilled Robinson back down the ground for a precious boundary, it meant three were needed off the final over. Topley scrambled a leg bye off the first ball from Ishant Sharma then Crane crashed the next to the cover rope to seal victory.Amla had set things up with 63 from 83 balls and Sussex were to rue that they dropped him on 35, when Sharma spilled an easy chance at mid-off, and again on 54 when the same player dropped a more difficult opportunity off his own bowling. Amla could only hit three boundaries but he held the innings together and allowed McManus and Berg to take the initiative.Earlier, Sussex batsman Harry Finch had made his maiden one-day hundred a fortnight after scoring his first Championship century on the same ground.Wicketkeeper McManus dropped him on 12 off Topley and then on 98 Crane put down a sharp return catch. Finch celebrated by hitting his seventh boundary off the next ball to move to his hundred. He was eventually bowled by Berg for 108 off 142 balls with eight fours and two sixes, both off Berg.Topley, playing his first one-day game for more than a year after a succession of injuries, picked up Wells in his first over but Finch and Luke Wright, who was playing his 200th List A game, added 105 in 22 overs before Wright top-edged a sweep at Crane. Wiese, with 29 off 20 balls, hit out towards the end of the innings to take Sussex to a total that always looked competitive on a pitch on which it became increasingly difficult to time the ball.Robinson picked Rilee Rossouw and James Vince in an excellent new-ball spell and Sussex seemed to be in control before McManus and Berg turned the tables.
Dinesh Karthik, hero of the Nidahas Trophy final, said he has been working on using the crease – how to use it, where to stand and what is the right position – to make maximum use of the ball
ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-20183:37
‘Karthik has changed perceptions about his batting’ – Nayar
It has been two days since Dinesh Karthik pulled off a heist to snatch victory in the final of the Nidahas Trophy. His unbeaten 29 off eight balls has also breathed a new lease of life into a start-stop career over nearly a decade and a half. Karthik believes the last-ball six off Soumya Sarkar to clinch the game was probably just dessert for all the hard yards and “good things” he has done over the years.”It is probably karma I guess,” he said at a press conference in Chennai. “For all the good things I have done all through my years and cricketing career… it probably helped me hit that six. If it had been a four, it would have been a Super Over and it would have been a different scenario. That two mm extra it went, was a great thing for me. Probably all the good things you do over the years come to fruition.”I am happy to play the sport. It just feels good, that suddenly after so many years there is lot of attention on me which is different to what it is when you are playing domestic cricket. It is a hard grind out there. But at the same time you want it to be start of something special. Not be something you get too carried away with. From here on I want to do things like that consistently.”When Karthik came in to bat at No. 7, India needed 34 runs off the last two overs. He stood outside the crease and began by tonking Rubel Hossain for two sixes and a four off his first three deliveries. Karthik completed the over with another four, only this time there was more deft touch than brawn: a scoop over short fine leg for four. The defining feature of his batting has been the use of crease. Karthik credited batting coach Sanjay Bangar and his friend and mentor Abhishek Nayar, the Mumbai batsman for helping him out in this regard.AFP
“That is one thing Sanjay Bangar has been talking about,” Karthik said. “Use of the crease – that was one of the things I worked with Nayar also. How to use it and where to stand so as to get a feel what the bowler will be doing and what is the right position for you to be in the crease to make maximum use of the ball. And it paid off.”Karthik’s composure was evident as much in his subdued celebration after hitting the six as his mentoring of Vijay Shankar, who was struggling to connect with the ball. Shankar had played out four dot balls off Mustafizur Rahman in the 18th over, and despite scoring a boundary in the last over got out off the penultimate delivery, leaving Karthik with five runs to score off the last ball.Karthik, however, defended Shankar, who hadn’t batted before in the tournament. “The good thing about him is he is very calm. Everyone thought he was flustered, he had a lot of thoughts,” Karthik said of Shankar. “He was looking to hit the ball. The only thing I told him was the outfield was fast..look to hit a four and not a six. The only idea behind it was sometimes you look to hit a six, you end up losing head positions. When you want to hit a four, you will have good base and look to time the ball. I wanted him to time the ball and he was just trying to do that.”Every cricketer goes through some days that things don’t connect and it was first time he batted for India. But the beautiful thing is even in that pressure situation he hit a boundary which was crucial. He has the skill. He has done really well. He is probably someone who is seen more as a batting allrounder but for him to take the pressure as a bowler and deliver consistently is fabulous and I can see a really good time for him in the future. If I’m right, I think they are impressed with him. He has got great attitude off the field, his work ethics are beautiful.”Karthik was quick to avoid comparisons with the finishing role that MS Dhoni has owned. “When it comes to Dhoni, I am studying in the university in which he is the topper,” he said. “So, it is unfair for me to be compared with him. I have started my journey. With time lets see how I go. His journey has been totally different. I am happy with where I am.””I have always enjoyed playing as a batsman. I think fielding comes naturally to me and i enjoy doing it. Whenever I get a chance to field, I get excited. With keeping you are standing at one place and moving.”
Barcelona captain Sergi Roberto has added to Xavi's injury problems ahead of Tuesday's crunch Champions League tie with Napoli.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Roberto unlikely to start against NapoliMidfielder lacking match sharpnessClub only has three midfielders availableWHAT HAPPENED?
Roberto had been tipped to start in midfield against Napoli as Barca are without Pedri, Frenkie de Jong and Gavi due to injury. However, according to Mundo Deportivo, the plan will not be actualized when the Blaugrana take the field on Tuesday evening due to the Spaniard lacking match sharpness. The situation means Xavi only has three fit senior midfielders available in Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu and Fermin Lopez.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Barcelona have struggled all season long with fitness problems, particularly in midfield. The club has only seen four players avoid any injuries so far this season in the form of Ilkay Gundogan, Oriol Romeu, Fermin Lopez and Inaki Pena.
Only recently, the club suffered a double injury blow when they lost De Jong and Pedri in the first half of their clash against Athletic Club at San Mames.
Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?
Roberto received the green light from the medical team before the first leg against Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona, however, the 32-year-old hasn't actually featured yet due to a lack of sharpness.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
WHAT NEXT FOR ROBERTO?
The lack of match sharpness may force academy graduate to stay on the bench at least for the start of the game on Tuesday, March 12. However, Xavi may look to bring on the experienced midfielder in the clash in the second half depending on the context of the game.
Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 campaign after three years at the top table of English football.
The Whites were promoted under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020 and stayed up under the Argentine boss and then Jesse Marsch. However, a combination of Marsch, Javi Gracia, and Sam Allardyce failed to keep them up last term.
An instant return to the top-flight is now on the agenda for the Yorkshire-based outfit and German boss Daniel Farke has been brought in to secure it.
The impressive tactician won two Championship titles during his time with Norwich City earlier in his career and is now looking for a third promotion to the Premier League.
Points
94
97
Goals for
93
75
Goals against
57
36
Games won
27
29
Farke's Championship title-winning seasons with Norwich (via Sky Sports):
However, his squad was dealt a number of blows as the likes of Tyler Adams, Rodrigo, Max Wober, Robin Koch, Jack Harrison, Luis Sinisterra, and Marc Roca moved on either permanently or out on loan.
One decision that the German head coach made that may come back to haunt him, though, is the one to loan out talented young midfielder Sam Greenwood, who has outscored Wilfried Gnonto, Dan James, and Jaidon Anthony this season.
Why Leeds could lose Greenwood permanently
The Whites could lose the ex-Arsenal prospect on a permanent deal at the end of the 2023/24 campaign as they included a purchase option within his loan deal with Middlesbrough.
It was recently reported by The Athletic that Boro negotiated an option to sign Greenwood for £1.5m during next summer's transfer window if they decide the fit is right by that point.
This means that, essentially, Farke and Leeds have little say in what happens with the midfield technician next year as his current club have the chance to snap him up permanently if they want to.
Leeds United forward Sam Greenwood.
If Middlesbrough do decide that they want to activate that £1.5m buyout clause and the Whites do not want to lose him then they would need to convince the player to turn down the opportunity to return to Teesside.
This could be a difficult task when you consider that Leeds were willing to sanction a possible permanent exit for him last summer and decided that he was not ready for their first-team.
Greenwood has been shown faith by Boro and may, therefore, prefer a switch to Michael Carrick's side over coming back to Elland Road if it comes down to it next summer.
Sam Greenwood's statistics this season
The 21-year-old whiz, who former Leeds ace Noel Whelan hailed for his "immense" ability, endured a slow start to life at Middlesbrough as his first four appearances for the club came as a substitute in the Championship.
However, he has since broken into the starting XI and has started each of their last four league matches, which has allowed him to showcase his quality out wide.
Greenwood has been deployed on the left of an attacking midfield trio behind the main centre-forward and has caught the eye with his recent attacking contributions.
The right-footed wizard has scored two goals in four starts, both of which came within the last three games, and the latest of those came in their 2-1 win over Norwich City on Tuesday night.
He produced a fantastic display against the Canaries earlier this week with a Sofascore rating of 7.7, which was the highest score of any player for either side.
The English dynamo scored the opening goal for Boro as he arrived in the right place at the right time to finish from close range after Norwich gave possession away on the opposite side of the pitch.
Greenwood also won seven of his 12 duels and completed all three of his attempted dribbles. These statistics show that the talented gem offered strength out of possession and helped to carry his team up the pitch with his dribbling quality.
To the latter point, the former Sunderland academy ace has completed 15 progressive carries in his last four matches for Boro and this shows that, alongside a goal threat, the Leeds loanee can provide value in transition.
Farke may now be looking at the gem's recent performances and wondering whether or not it was a mistake to part ways with the 21-year-old ace, particularly when he looks at how his current wing options have performed in front of goal.
Wilfried Gnonto's statistics this season
Gnonto has scored one goal in six Championship starts, with one further appearance off the bench, throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far.
The Italy international was brought back into the starting XI against Stoke on Wednesday night and failed to make the most of his opportunity to shine. He failed to provide a single shot on target, completed dribble, or chance created for his teammates in 70 minutes on the pitch.
Leeds forward Wilfried Gnonto.
Chances have not been particularly hard to come by for the 19-year-old whiz as he has already missed two 'big chances' and taken 1.6 shots per game, which suggests that his current return of one goal has been an underperformance.
Whereas, Greenwood has taken 1.3 shots per match and has not missed a single 'big chance' in front of goal to go along with his two league strikes.
Gnonto is not the only Leeds forward who has been outperformed in front of goal by the Boro star, though, as Anthony and James have also only scored one goal each in the league so far this season. The latter has, at least, provided four assists but the Bournemouth loanee is yet to register a single assist.
Meanwhile, Ian Poveda, Patrick Bamford, and Joe Gelhardt were all kept around to be part of the squad and have combined for zero goals and zero assists in 15 league appearances between them.
These statistics suggest that Leeds could have benefitted from keeping the 5 foot 11 dynamo as part of their squad to bolster their attacking options out wide.
The Whites have not had a steady stream of goals from those positions, outside of Crysencio Summerville's four strikes, and this was illustrated on Wednesday as Anthony and Gnonto started out wide and failed to make an impact in the final third as Farke's men lost 1-0 to Leeds.
Glasgow Rangers are currently attempting to land their next head coach to take on the job at Ibrox after Michael Beale was relieved of his duties earlier this month.
The Scottish giants are in the market for a new manager after the English tactician failed to bring tangible success over the course of his tenure at the club.
Rangers are already seven points adrift of the top of the Scottish Premiership table and failed to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League under their former boss.
Matches
Five
Wins
Two
Draws
Two
Losses
One
Whoever chairman John Bennett and chief executive James Bisgrove decide to hire will arrive with an uphill task to get the Light Blues back on track in order to compete for major honours this season.
They will also have a job on their hands to unlock or get the best out of the numerous signings who have struggled so far; including Belgian striker Cyriel Dessers.
What's the latest on Philippe Clement to Rangers?
Nieuwsblad recently reported that the Gers have made a contract offer to former Club Brugge tactician Philippe Clement and he could rock Ibrox by unlocking the summer signing's goalscoring potential.
The Glasgow outfit are said to have sent their proposal to the out-of-contract manager and he is now in 'pole position' to become Beale's eventual replacement before the end of the international break.
The report from Nieuwsblad also claimed that the Belgian tinkerer is expected to turn down the opportunity to go to the Saudi Pro League with Al Shabab, despite talks with the team last week.
Would Clement be a good appointment?
On paper, the 49-year-old boss has the potential to be an excellent appointment by Bisgrove and Bennett if he can translate his success in Belgium over to Scottish football.
Clement won an impressive three league titles in three seasons between the 2018/19 and 2020/21 campaigns with Genk and Club Brugge and has lifted four Pro League trophies throughout his managerial career in total.
The former Monaco chief also has an impressive record in qualifying matches for European competitions, which is where Beale struggled earlier this season for the Gers.
Former Monaco boss Philippe Clement.
He has won nine and lost one of his 12 qualifiers, for the Champions League and the Europa League combined, and this shows that the Belgian mastermind knows what it takes to be successful at that level.
These statistics suggest that Clement could come in as a big upgrade on Beale, who has not won a single trophy throughout his managerial career to date and has no track record of being able to coach a winning side.
The 4-4-2 tactician has, on the other hand, showcased his ability to win league titles and achieve relative success in Europe at multiple clubs, with titles in charge of both Genk and Brugge.
Therefore, Clement could be a fantastic appoint by the Scottish giants if he accepts the offer that is reportedly on the table from the club.
Getting the best out of Dessers could be one of the first priorities for the 49-year-old boss if he does take charge of the Gers, as the striker has struggled this season.
How much did Rangers pay for Dessers?
The Scottish giants reportedly agreed a deal worth £4.5m to sign the Belgian centre-forward from Italian side Cremonese after they were relegated from the Serie A last season.
They brought him in off the back of a fairly underwhelming season in the top-flight of football in Italy as his side failed to avoid the drop-down to Serie B.
Former Cremonese striker Cyriel Dessers.
Dessers produced six goals and two assists in 26 league appearances for the club throughout the campaign and missed five 'big chances' in total.
The Nigeria international's lack of physicality was also a concern as opposition players got the better of him in 70% of his duels and 75% of his aerial contests, which suggests that the experienced forward was too weak for the Serie A.
How many goals has Dessers scored this season?
Dessers' lack of consistent quality at the top end of the pitch has carried over into the current campaign as he has only scored three goals in 15 appearances for the Gers.
His Scottish Premiership form has been a particular cause for concern. The 28-year-old marksman has produced one goal and zero assists in eight league outings for the Light Blues and lost a staggering 81% of his duels on the ground in that time, as per Sofascore.
Rangers forward Cyriel Dessers.
Three of his six goal contributions for the club came in his four Champions League qualifying appearances earlier this season, which included one goal and two assists.
What's next for Dessers?
Journalist Dean Jones claimed, in August, that Dessers could go on to become a "cult hero" for Rangers if he is able to turn his form around over the months or years to come.
Clement could, therefore, rock Ibrox and impress supporters by fulfilling this prediction and helping the ex-Genk striker find his feet at this level.
He favours a 4-4-2 system and this means that Dessers could play alongside another forward and thrive away from being the main focal point for the side, which the Nigerian flop has clearly struggled with as he does not have the physicality to consistently compete and win duels against defenders.
Playing as part of a front two could allow him to focus solely on his movement off the ball to find the space to score and create goals.
His form for Feyenoord during the 2021/22 campaign suggests that the quality is there for him to turn his fortunes around at Ibrox if Clement's system can get the best out of him.
Dessers produced a sensational ten goals and one assist in seven Europa Conference League starts and managed nine goals in nine Eredivisie starts for the Dutch side, as per Sofascore.
No Rangers striker managed more than 14 league goals for the Gers last term and the ex-Cremonese forward's goal record for Feyenoord suggests that the forward, who also scored 29 goals in 40 matches for NAC Breda earlier in his career, could be a lethal scorer for the Scottish giants if he can get back to those levels.
Therefore, Clement could get supporters at Ibrox rocking with joy if they start to see the 6 foot 1 finisher firing in the goals on a regular basis in a 4-4-2 set-up.
Shai Hope’s blistering 88 powered Tridents to 185, before Reifer snared five wickets, including three in his last over, as Barbados opened their CPL campaign with a win
The Report by Peter Della Penna13-Aug-2018Raymon Reifer prepares to bowl•Randy Brookes/CPL T20/Getty ImagesAfter missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, Barbados Tridents got their CPL 2018 campaign off to a winning start by easily defending the highest-ever CPL total made in Guyana, in a 30-run win over the Amazon Warriors. At a ground where the average first-innings score in the CPL has been 126, Tridents overcame a shaky start of 11 for 2 to post 185 for 4, following a brilliant 88 off 45 balls by Shai Hope, before Raymon Reifer’s five-wicket haul derailed the Amazon Warriors chase.Tri-dented in the PowerplayTridents’ opening combo of Martin Guptill and Dwayne Smith were both dismissed in the first two overs, and there was little to indicate that a record total was imminent. Rayad Emrit emulated his Trinidad pal Dwayne Bravo’s incredible effort 24 hours earlier, with a one-handed catch to claim Guptill at mid-off. Smith fell at the end of the next over, driving Chris Green’s offspin to extra cover, and Tridents were reduced to 11 for 2 in two overs.Hope-ful partnershipHope and Steven Smith came together to steer the Tridents back into the match with a 105-run stand for the third wicket. Smith played the classy shots early, including a delightful straight drive off Green for four, to keep the scoreboard moving. However, the partnership could have been halved had Hope been runout on 31, with the score 64 for 2, in the last ball of the ninth over. Smith turned down a run to backward point as Hope hared from the non-striker’s end, but Sherfane Rutherford’s rushed throw missed the stumps after Hope had given up getting back in.The 24-year-old turned belligerent at the end of the 11th over, heaving Imran Tahir against the turn over long-on and straight down the ground for consecutive sixes. It spurred Smith to come out of his shell at the start of the 12th over, guiding a pair of cuts behind point for four off Keemo Paul, as Tridents produced 20 runs in a four-ball sequence across the two overs. Hope ended the 12th over by gliding two to third man to bring up a 30-ball half-century. He then took Sohail Tanvir apart for two sixes over long-on and a four through extra cover in the 13th over to bring up the 100-run partnership, putting Tridents in a commanding position with seven overs left.Pooran powerThe departure of Smith, who played around a straight ball from Tahir, allowed Hope to take the innings into high gear with Nicholas Pooran. Hope’s six assault continued off Paul in the 18th, driving over the extra cover boundary for the shot of the innings. But he fell two balls later, just 12 short of what would have been his maiden CPL ton.Pooran took the opportunity to remind everyone of his devastating ball-striking ability by swatting 21 runs off the final over, bowled by Paul, to put the chase out of reach for the host side. He began with a flat six over long-off, before collecting a scampered two. The third ball was smashed magnificently into the second-tier over long-off, and nearly landed on the roof. It took him to 38, six more than his best innings from a lackluster 2017 campaign. A helicopter whip for six over long-on two balls later showed Pooran’s style to match his strength, and he finished unbeaten on 45 off 27 balls.Reifer madnessDespite the fall of Chadwick Walton at the end of the second over, the Warriors had progressed confidently to reach 40 for 1 in the fifth over of the chase, when Reifer started to ruin the host side’s pursuit with his canny left-arm medium pace. Extra bounce resulted in a top-edged pull by Luke Ronchi that landed in Ashley Nurse’s hands at midwicket, before Shimron Hetmyer fell next ball, yanking Reifer to one of the two men out on the boundary during the Powerplay, Guptill covering good ground at deep midwicket to put Reifer on a hat-trick.Rutherford joined captain Shoaib Malik for an 84-run stand as Warriors kept themselves in the hunt. Legspinner Imran Khan didn’t bowl a single over on the night, with dew making it difficult for spinners to grip the ball. But Tridents captain Jason Holder’s gamble to bring back Nurse to bowl offspin in the 16th over paid off. One ball after Malik smashed him for six over long-on, the Guyana captain misjudged the length while trying to guide Nurse with an open face to third man, and wound up chopping onto his stumps for 38.As the required run rate continued to climb following Malik’s departure, Reifer exploited the breach with three wickets in the 19th to kill off the chase. With 39 required off the last two overs to win, Green scythed a Reifer full toss behind point for four, but perished off the next ball, with a tame drive to Holder at extra cover. Jason Mohammed sliced Reifer to the cover sweeper two balls later, before a slower bouncer next ball to Rutherford resulted in a gloved catch to Pooran to put Reifer on a hat-trick for the second time in the night. Reifer once again didn’t get the hat-trick, Paul this time punching a full toss down the ground for a single, but the efforts were enough to bag the Man-of-the-Match award.
The incident occurred in the vicinity of a Chennai Super Kings fielder, prompting the intervention of the police in CSK’s first home match in nearly three years
Deivarayan Muthu in Chennai10-Apr-2018A group of spectators flung a pair of shoes at the edge of the boundary at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in the vicinity of Chennai Super Kings players, prompting the intervention of police in CSK’s first home match in nearly three years. The incident happened in the eighth over of the game against Kolkata Knight Riders, after which the concerned spectators were evicted from the ground and, as per reports, taken into custody.The incident followed calls, in the lead up to the game, for people to protest over the hosting of IPL games in Chennai. Several local political parties and fringe groups had called for a boycott of the IPL matches in Chennai till the lengthy Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and neighbouring state Karnataka is resolved. While there was no confirmation that the shoe-throwing incident was directly related to this issue, it was expected to be the likely cause.The group was carrying flags, which are not permitted inside the venue, and flung the shoes near Ravindra Jadeja, who was posted at the long-on boundary, and Faf du Plessis, who was seemingly carrying drinks for team-mates. CSK officials and the police subsequently intervened and diffused the tension.Hours before the start of the match, there were protests on Wallajah Road near the MA Chidambaram Stadium, albeit amid beefed-up security. Later, the toss was delayed by 13 minutes; match officials reportedly arrived late at the venue due to heavy traffic around the stadium, but play began on time.
Starc misses out on hat-trick but South Africa’s resistance lasts 22 balls on the fifth and final day at Durban
The Report by Brydon Coverdale05-Mar-20182:47
Holding: Markram will get better and better
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMitchell Starc missed out on a hat-trick but Australia had little trouble in wrapping up a 118-run win on the fifth morning in Durban, where they took a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. Bad light had halted Australia’s march to victory on the fourth evening with just one wicket required, so it was possible that it could have taken just a single ball to end the game on day five. In the end, it took 22 deliveries.Josh Hazlewood confirmed the result by trapping Quinton de Kock lbw for 83 in the fourth over of the day, as South Africa were dismissed for 298. Morne Morkel finished not out on 3. Starc had been denied the chance to bowl for a hat-trick late on day four after he bowled Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada with what became his last two balls of the day, as the umpires declared that the light was sufficient only for spin bowling. He instead bowled for his hat-trick with the first ball of the fifth day and rapped de Kock on the pads, but the ball was sliding down leg.The result gives Australia a good start as they aim to maintain their remarkable record of having not lost a Test series in South Africa since readmission. The teams now move on to Port Elizabeth for the second Test, which begins on Friday.
Plays of the day from the second day of the first Test between India and Australia in Mohali
Sidharth Monga in Mohali02-Oct-2010The intent Until Mitchell Johnson came out to bat, Harbhajan Singh had been allowed to bowl pretty much wherever he wanted to. Johnson saw three deliveries, and then lofted him over long-on for the first six of the innings. Soon came the lunch break. After lunch, the after-effects of that six could be felt. Harbhajan resumed bowling to Johnson with a long-on, deep midwicket and deep backward square leg in place.The change Of his 30 overs, Zaheer Khan bowled the first 25 from the Pavilion End. It made sense too, for he was bowling really well from that end. Once the Johnson-Tim Paine partnership started assuming alarming proportions, and Zaheer was hit for back-to-back fours, MS Dhoni switched him to the City End. And lo, Zaheer removed Johnson first ball.The after-you moment Dhoni usually has some fine gentlemen for company in slips. Sachin Tendulkar is respected the world over, Rahul Dravid is always proper in his conduct, VVS Laxman is, well, a Hyderabadi. Perhaps there is too much gentlemanliness floating around in the Indian slips as Dhoni thought it better to give Dravid an opportunity to add to his 197 Test catches when a Paine edge bisected him and first slip. This is the second time such territorial confusion has happened with Dhoni in less than four months, after he failed to go for a catch between him and first slip in Galle.The statistic When Virender Sehwag cut Nathan Hauritz for a single in the 13th over of the innings, he joined Vivian Richards and Gautam Gambhir to have scored a half-century or more in 11 straight Tests. Gambhir was right there to congratulate him.The boo Sehwag’s dismissal less than 10 minutes from stumps was, of course, a sad event for the weekend crowd at the PCA Stadium, but soon they realised who the next batsman would be, and cheered up again, chanting “Sachin, Sachin”, rushing to the front rows to catch a glimpse of the man walking out to bat. Alas, they saw Ishant Sharma walk out as the nightwachman, and gave him the booing of his life. And it had nothing to do with his 11.4 overs for 71 runs, or the 10 no-balls that he bowled.
حقق الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك فوزًا مهمًا على حرس الحدود بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدفين، في المباراة التي أقيمت اليوم الخميس ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة من الدوري المصري الممتاز.
افتتح أحمد سيد “زيزو” التسجيل للزمالك في الدقيقة 12، بعد تمريرات رائعة بين محمد شحاتة وعمر جابر، ليضعها زيزو في الشباك وسط دفاع حرس الحدود.
طالع.. مدرب هامبورج السابق: الزمالك فاوضني.. وأريد العمل في مصر
لكن حرس الحدود تعادل في الدقيقة 25 عن طريق محمد أشرف روقا، الذي سجل هدف التعادل من ركلة جزاء احتسبها حكم اللقاء ضد أحمد فتوح بعد لمسة يد.
ثم أضاف مصطفى شلبي الهدف الثاني للزمالك في الدقيقة 36 بعد تمريرة متقنة من محمد شحاتة، لينفرد بالمرمى ويسجل هدفًا رائعًا.
وفي الدقيقة السادسة من الوقت بدل الضائع في الشوط الأول، نجح زيزو في تسجيل الهدف الثالث للزمالك من ركلة جزاء سددها بقوة على يمين حارس حرس الحدود.
وفي الدقيقة 86، قلص حرس الحدود الفارق بإحراز الهدف الثاني من ركلة جزاء نفذها محمود ممدوح ببراعة على يمين محمد عواد.
وبهذا الفوز، رفع الزمالك رصيده إلى 17 نقطة، ليصعد إلى المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، بفارق نقطة واحدة عن الأهلي المتصدر في حين تجمد رصيد حرس الحدود عند 6 نقاط، ليظل في المركز السادس عشر. رجل مباراة الزمالك وحرس الحدود اليوم
وحصل محمد شحاتة، لاعب وسط فريق الزمالك على جائزة أفضل لاعب في مباراة حرس الحدود.