Kerr wasn’t given run-out because the ball was deemed dead, but questions around the incident remain

Shashank Kishore04-Oct-2024There was confusion, and no little anger, as India were at the centre of an umpiring controversy during their women’s T20 World Cup match against New Zealand in Dubai on Friday, which India lost by 58 runs.They felt they had a legitimate wicket – a run-out of Amelia Kerr – but it wasn’t to be, with the umpires deciding the ball was dead when the dismissal was effected.The appeal for the run-out came after Kerr was caught short of her ground while attempting a second run at the end of the 14th over of New Zealand’s innings. Having hit the ball towards long-off off the last ball of Deepti Sharma’s over, Kerr and Sophie Devine took a single, and didn’t seem to have any plans to push for the second. Deepti asked the umpire to hand her cap back to her and was been given it.However, with Harmanpreet Kaur, the fielder, collecting the ball and ambling in with it in her hands, Kerr and Devine tried pinching a second. Harmanpreet fired the ball in, Richa Ghosh collected it, and broke the stumps with Kerr short of her crease.The umpires – Anna Harris and Jacqueline Williams – decided the ball was dead, and anything that came after, the dismissal in this case, would not count as having occurred with the ball “in play”. Section 20.1.2 of the dead-ball law says: “The ball shall be considered to be dead when it is clear to the bowler’s end umpire that the fielding side and both batters at the wicket have ceased to regard it as in play.”For that moment when the bowler collected her cap and the batters seemed happy with just the single, it is reasonable for the umpire to deem the ball dead. However, the umpires omitted to send the batters back to their respective ends. Kerr should have been back on strike for the start of the next over, but it was Devine who took strike against Renuka Singh and nudged a single. Kerr was out off the following delivery when she hit the ball to Pooja Vastrakar at extra cover, to be dismissed for 13 off 22 balls.Related

• New Zealand grateful for Devine intervention as plans come together in crucial contest

• Rodrigues challenges India to bounce back from shock New Zealand loss

Before that, though, play was held up for over seven minutes, with India head coach Amol Muzumdar visibly upset at the ruling, engaging in an animated chat with the fourth umpire, while Kerr was near the boundary before being called back.Speaking after the game, Jemimah Rodrigues said, “I was not there when the umpire gave the cap to Deepti, but, I mean, New Zealand were pretty sure that it was a double run and Amelia went for it, which showed that the over was not called out yet. And we all thought that, okay, we got that run-out.”What if that run-out wouldn’t happen? Would they give us a two for that. So I think, honestly, that’s not in our control at the end. We respect the decision of the umpire and we were okay with that. But yeah, it’s a bit harsh when Amelia herself walked out because she knew she was out.”Devine, who was batting alongside Kerr, explained she hadn’t heard the umpire call the over and they were trying to pinch a second run. “My understanding is that the ball is dead when the umpire calls ‘over’ and I didn’t hear the umpire call ‘over’,” she said. It was an interesting one, and I guess it broke a little bit of momentum and maybe stalled them [India] a bit.”That’s part of cricket. Interpretation is going to be slightly different. We were always trying to pinch runs here and there because you never know when one run is going to change things. The umpires have a job to do and we respect that, and I sometimes push the boundaries a little bit.””We know how important Amelia’s wicket was, at that moment it felt a little [like] why didn’t it go in our favour,” Rodrigues said. “But, at the same time, I think we did what we can.”We spoke to the umpire. Then we had to accept the decision of the umpire and move on. So I think that’s what we did really well, that we just moved on from that. And we got her out pretty soon. So that works for us.”

Chelsea officially announced the signing of Liam Delap from Ipswich Town earlier this week, after triggering his £30 million release clause, and it is believed they’re seriously pursuing another former Man City gem to accompany the Englishman and Cole Palmer.

Chelsea announce Liam Delap deal as striker pens six-year contract

The 22-year-old was Kieran McKenna’s shining light in an otherwise disappointing campaign for Ipswich, who dropped straight back down to the Championship just one season after clinching promotion.

Chelsea make "official offer" to sign "promising" striker after 20-goal season

The west Londoners are the first club to submit a bid.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 5, 2025

Delap bagged 12 Premier League goals for the Tractor Boys, which is impressive for an under-performing side, and Chelsea will only pay around £20 million of the clause up front with the rest due via installments (Sky Sports).

Knowing his quality, Ipswich smartly inserted a sell-on clause into the deal, hoping to make a further profit if Chelsea eventually decide he isn’t suited to them after all.

Ipswich Town 2-0 Chelsea

8.08

Bournemouth 1-2 Ipswich Town

8.05

Ipswich Town 2-2 Aston Villa

8.04

Ipswich Town 1-2 Southampton

7.83

Fulham 2-2 Ipswich Town

7.55

via WhoScored

“I understand the stature of this club and can see the trajectory it is on with these players and the head coach,” said Delap about his move to Chelsea.

“It’s going to be an incredible place for me to develop, and I hope to achieve amazing things here and help the club win more trophies. Growing up watching this club and how incredible it has been over the years, I wanted to come here to win trophies. When I spoke to the club, everyone wanted to get back to the very top, and they have the quality and the players to do that.

“The hunger and desire to keep adding trophies, to take the club back to where it belongs, that is the main objective.”

Delap is in very good company at Stamford Bridge, having worked with Enzo Maresca during their time together at Eastlands, as well as Palmer, with both players coming through the academy together.

According to recent reports, Chelsea are attempting to add another ex-City academy ace to their ranks who could accompany the duo – heavily-linked Borussia Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens.

Some media sources claim that Chelsea have already submitted an offer for Gittens, and journalist Simon Phillips says that they’re really trying to get a deal done.

Chelsea "pushing" to sign Jamie Gittens amid £20m price drop

While the consensus was that the winger would cost around £50 million, his price has now dropped to around £30 million, gifting BlueCo a £20 million discount.

Phillips also states that Chelsea are “pushing” to sign Gittens, and they have a trump card in the form of Carney Chukwuemeka, who Dortmund would ideally like to keep in the Bundesliga, so they’re actually being very open in negotiations.

“Any fee for Jamie Gittens to join from Dortmund would not be £50m, it would actually be closer to £30m,” wrote the journalist.

“This has now been confirmed by Fabrizio Romano.

“Chelsea are pushing on Gittens, and again, our insiders believe that this will get over the line. SPTC sources have heard that Dortmund are ‘being nice’ to Chelsea in these discussions and this is likely to be because they want to keep Carney Chukwuemeka in some capacity. Gittens to Chelsea is moving, but there is other interest.

“If Chelsea sign Gittens, I do not believe that it will be the only new winger arriving this summer with Jadon Sancho now gone. Although, that ‘winger’ could just be another new attacking midfielder who is versatile and can play on the left wing as well as other positions.”

The 20-year-old bagged 12 goals and registered five assists in all competitions last season, with ex-Dortmund captain and sporting director Sebastian Kehl believing Gittens is “almost impossible to defend against” inside the penalty area.

Gittens is also represented by the same agency as Romeo Lavia and Tyrique George, which could further help to facilitate a deal.

It has been a strong season for Enzo Fernandez in a Chelsea shirt. The Argentina international, who joined the club in 2023, has largely been a key player under his namesake, Enzo Maresca, this term, despite a period where he was not first choice in midfield at the start of the campaign.

In all competitions, he’s made 44 appearances, scoring seven goals and registering 13 assists. Of those goal involvements, 13 have come in 35 Premier League appearances. He has also been the Blues’ captain this term, leading them in 29 appearances in total.

These impressive performances have clearly been eye-catching, with Fernandez now linked with a shock move away from Stamford Bridge this summer.

The latest on Enzo Fernandez’s future

It will be an interesting couple of weeks for Fernandez, who is reportedly a key target for one of Europe’s biggest clubs Real Madrid.

The former Benfica star was first linked to Los Blancos back in March by TeamTalk, who said they ‘are considering a move’ for him. Fernandez was reportedly ‘very interested in a move to Madrid if the opportunity presents itself’ this summer.

In recent days, there has been more positive news for fans of the West London club to hear. Highly reputable journalist Fabrizio Romano said that Todd Boehly and co are desperate to keep the World Cup winner, after interest from the Santiago Bernabeu.

In a news article from one Spanish outlet, it seems that a potential price tag for Fernandez this summer has been revealed. It is an eye-watering amount that the Blues would ask for, specifically £102m, if Madrid want a deal to get over the line.

Although Romano suggests Chelsea do not want to lose their vice-captain, there could be a ready-made replacement in the pipeline and ready to step if he does depart.

Chelsea’s in-house Fernandez replacement

It is not often midfielders are described as a “complete” midfielder at just 21 years of age, but that is exactly what football analyst Ben Mattinson said about Andrey Santos.

The Brazilian – who signed for a fee in the region of £18m in January 2023 – is still on Chelsea’s books, but is currently on loan at French side Strasbourg.

What a season it has been for the former Vasco da Gama midfielder, who was born in Rio de Janeiro. He has featured in 34 games across all competitions from the middle of the park, scoring 11 times and registering five assists.

In Ligue 1 for a Strasbourg side who impressed throughout the campaign, he managed to hit double-figure goals, one of only two players from his club to do so. The tenth was a special strike in the final game of the season, in a 2-2 draw with Le Havre.

Between Fernandez and Santos, Chelsea have two players of very similar profiles. Just look at the position they have played this season. Fernandez has played as a number eight for the most part, playing 28 times in that role, also playing 11 times as a number six. As for the Strasbourg star, he has played 24 times as an eight and ten as a six.

In fact, when looking at their stats from this season, their profiles seem to align well. They are all-action midfielders who can pop up with a regular goal, create chances and also put in some impressive shifts without the ball.

There are numbers on FBref that reinforce the fact they are so similar, with Santos arguably better. For example, he averages 0.32 goals and 5.93 ball recoveries per 90 minutes compared to 0.19 goals and 4.83 ball recoveries each game for Fernandez.

Goals

0.32

0.19

Passes into final third

4.45

5.24

Progressive carries

0.91

1.86

Tackles and interceptions

4.48

2.46

Ball recoveries

5.93

4.83

Described as a “monster” in that midfield by Mattinson, it certainly seems like Santos could hold his own in the Chelsea side and replace Fernandez, should the need arise. He beats him in several key stats and has more combined goals and assists this season.

If Boehly and co do lose Fernandez, Chelsea fans must surely feel in safe hands, with Santos ready to step in at any given moment and help fill the void of such an important player in their side.

Could be another Sterling: Chelsea lead Arsenal in race for "superstar"

Chelsea are looking to add depth to their side this summer

ByJoe Nuttall May 22, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are on the look-out for new managers to replace the under-fire Ange Postecoglou this summer, with widespread reports claiming the Australian is likely to walk regardless of their success in the Europa League final.

Tottenham identify managerial candidates amid Postecoglou uncertainty

Postecoglou has now led Spurs to 20 Premier League defeats in a single campaign, breaking the club’s record which was previously held by former Lilywhites boss Ossie Ardiles, who oversaw 19 top flight losses in the 1993/1994 season.

Tottenham: £4m-per-year manager enters pole position to replace Postecoglou

The Australian could still leave Spurs if they win the Europa League.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

May 10, 2025

While Postecoglou has an all-important Europa League final on the horizon, which could well save Tottenham’s season, the 59-year-old’s future remains uncertain.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League	Average match rating
Son Heung-min	7.05
Pedro Porro	6.98
James Maddison	6.98
Dominic Solanke	6.88
Dejan Kulusevski	6.83
via WhoScored

Even if Spurs win the competition and end their 17-year wait for a piece of major silverware, all while qualifying for next season’s Champions League, there is still absolutely no guarantee that Postecoglou will be in charge next term.

As per the reliable David Ornstein and other media sources, Postecoglou remains likely to be replaced by Tottenham this summer in the event they’re victorious in Bilbao against Man United come May 21.

“I think the direction of travel is for Spurs to make a change in the summer, irrespective of the outcome of this match,” said Ornstein on the Sky Sports Back Pages podcast this week (via GiveMeSport).

“I do take the point on the emotion, and we saw what happened with Manchester United [under Erik ten Hag], although that may serve as a warning why clubs shouldn’t repeat what they did.

“The view of the club seems to be that he hasn’t got what he should’ve out of the team this season, and that’s putting it politely. And therefore, whatever happens in this Europa League campaign, I think that a new coach coming in over the summer is a very high possibility.”

In terms of Tottenham’s reported managerial targets, the likes of Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Marco Silva (Fulham), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), Thomas Frank (Brentford), Scott Parker (Burnley), Jürgen Klopp (Head of Global, Red Bull), Niko Kovač (Borussia Dortmund) and Edin Terzić (free agent) have all been linked in recent weeks.

Tottenham hold talks with ex-Barcelona manager Xavi

Now, as per ex-Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys, via his personal website, former Barcelona boss Xavi has also attracted interest from N17. The Camp Nou legend guided Barça to a La Liga and Spanish Super Cup title in 2023, but later parted company, telling any future manager that they’d “suffer” in the job.

He’s been out of work ever since, with Keys sharing information from a “very good source” of his that Tottenham have held talks with Xavi over becoming their new manager.

However, as things stand, it is believed the 45-year-old is not looking to make a Premier League move just yet. This comes as a dampening blow for Spurs, with Xavi arguably the most exciting free agent coach available for hire right now.

Unlike Postecoglou, Xavi has also been praised for his in-game tactical switch ups and versatility when it comes to making substitutions.

“Xavi is intelligent, and he knows it,” said ex-Liverpool and Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez. “The substitutions that Xavi makes are intelligent.”

da betobet： If there is one area of the team Arsenal need to strengthen this summer, it’s the attack.

da leao： While Mikel Arteta’s side finished a distant second to Liverpool in the Premier League this season, they ended the campaign with a better defensive record than anyone in the league but with 17 fewer goals scored.

So, with this apparent weakness compared to their title rival, it’s hardly surprising to see the club linked with a host of talented strikers, like Benjamin Sesko, Viktor Gyokeres and Ollie Watkins, in recent weeks.

However, the North Londoners could also do with more options off the left, which would help to explain the links to a player who could be their next Lukas Podolski.

Arsenal's winger search

Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth going over some of the other wingers who have been linked with Arsenal this summer, like Nico Williams and Rodrygo.

Transfer Focus

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

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The former has been a long-term target for the club and has a release clause worth around £50m, which doesn’t seem too unreasonable for a 22-year-old international who racked up 18 goal involvements in 45 games this season.

Rodrygo, on the other hand, could cost as much as £85m, but considering he’d be moving from Real Madrid and has produced 24 goal involvements in 51 appearances this year.

However, while both players would be excellent additions to the Gunners’ squad, neither one can really be compared to Podolski, unlike Leroy Sané.

Interestingly, according to a recent report from German outlet BILD, the Bayern Munich star, who is out of contract this summer, could be on the move, and when it comes to English clubs, he would only be interested in joining Arsenal, with his desire to join North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur ‘low.’

It would appear as if there is some degree in the player from the Gunners as well, as earlier this week, it was fairly widely reported that talks had taken place between his representatives and the club.

It might not be the most exciting transfer, but Sané has more than proven himself over the years, and there are certain elements to this potential deal that could make him become a new Podolski for the club.

Why Sané could be Podolski 2.0

So, before getting into some of the other reasons why Sané would be a good signing, it’s worth addressing why we look at him as a potential Podolski 2.0.

The first is that both players would have joined the club from the Bundesliga as German internationals, and furthermore, while the former Gunners ace joined from Koln in 2012, he too had spent time and won titles with Bayern Munich.

Secondly, both players are positionally versatile, with the Bayern star mainly playing off the left but being able to play off the right as well, while the 40-year-old was also primarily a left-winger at the Emirates but has spent more time up top in his career.

On top of that, the pair are both left-footed, and while they can easily create and score goals, they have tended to favour the latter throughout their careers.

For example, the former Manchester City ace, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed “world-class,” has scored 133 goals and provided 125 assists in his 496 appearances, while the Koln legend has found the back of the 238 times and provided 138 assists in 700 games.

Sané & Podolski

Bundesliga

Sané

Podolski

Appearances

200

210

Minutes

12501′

15482′

Goals

51

70

Assists

47

37

Goal Involvements per Game

0.49

0.50

Minutes per Goal Involvement

127.56′

144.69′

Premier League

Sané

Podolski

Appearances

90

60

Minutes

6089′

3268′

Goals

25

19

Assists

30

12

Goal Involvements per Game

0.61

0.51

Minutes per Goal Involvement

110.70′

105.41′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Last but not least, given the fact he’s 29 years old and would be joining for free, the Essen-born international could have a similar impact as his senior compatriot did at the club, in the sense that he could come in, spend a couple of seasons as a useful offensive option and then move on, without being a significant financial burden.

Ultimately, Sané is still a brilliant footballer, and considering he’d be available for free, bringing him to the club feels like a no-brainer for Arsenal.

Related Their own Kane: Arsenal begin talks to sign "exceptional" £42m goalscorer

The promising poacher could develop into something special at Arsenal.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 5, 2025

Fast bowler believes England are still in the contest after witnessing fast start to own innings

Andrew Miller08-Oct-2024Brydon Carse was tired but proud by the close of the second day in Multan, after coming through a two-day trial in oppressive heat to claim his maiden Test wickets in the course of Pakistan’s imposing first-innings total of 556.Though he was made to wait until the 19th over of his debut performance, having had a first-day lbw verdict against Shan Masood chalked off on review, Carse was rewarded with the wickets of Naseem Shah and Aamer Jamal in his final two spells, to round off a wholehearted effort in conditions that his team-mates insisted are unlikely to get much tougher as his England career progresses.”It’s been hard work and hard toil over the last two days, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the challenge,” Carse told Sky Sports at the close. “Being out there with this group of lads, it’s been a tough but good two days.”A couple of the guys and Stokesy [Ben Stokes] said to me when we came in after fielding, ‘look, Brydon, it’s not going to get as tough as this [again] over the last two days’. There were times out there when the heat was probably the biggest challenge, and obviously the wicket, but as a group of bowlers, everyone kept on coming back, with the seamers in short bursts. Yeah, it was challenging at times.”Although Pakistan’s total is imposing by any standards, it could have been significantly worse had England not maintained their discipline until the bitter end. It was only in the closing moments of Pakistan’s innings, when Jamie Smith missed a stumping and Gus Atkinson dropped a sitter at midwicket, that the fatigue truly began to tell, but those misses ended up costing England just six runs between them.”I had a conversation with Woaksey and Gus towards the end there,” Carse said. “Both them boys’ legs were proper hanging on. There’ll be ice baths. we’re testing our hydration … I’ve been in the red for most of these two days, even with the constant consumption of water and fluids. But tonight, the lads will refuel and get food down us, and try and get a good night’s sleep, and hopefully have a good batting day tomorrow.”Coming into the contest, with memories of England’s victory at the same venue in 2022, it had been widely assumed that reverse-swing would be the likeliest means for the seamers to challenge on this surface. But the ball steadfastly refused to budge through England’s 149 overs in the field – a fact which surprised Carse.Related

• Root and Brook hit big centuries to make Pakistan's 556 look inadequate

• England sweat on Ben Duckett fitness after suspected thumb dislocation

• Jeetan Patel: England's 'high-end toil' keeps them in contention in first Test

• Shan Masood's statement of intent sets out Pakistan's stall for the series

• Crawley leads England reply after Salman hundred sets up Pakistan

“The guys were working on the ball out there, but I don’t think it was as abrasive over the square as we probably expected. There was a lot of short-pitched bowling and a lot of changing of fields, which is certainly a role that I have been used in back home in county cricket at certain times. But hopefully in the second innings, we can get that ball reversing quite quickly, then we might be able to set slightly different fields and not be as predictable.”Reflecting on his maiden stint as a Test bowler, Carse admitted he thought his first-day lbw appeal against Masood had been “stone-dead”, despite DRS showing it to have pitched just outside leg. Given Masood had made just 16 of his eventual 151, it was a key moment in Pakistan’s innings, as was Chris Woakes’ disputed boundary catch off Salman Agha, which was eventually given as six, and which Carse later acknowledged was “one of those 50-50 chances that didn’t go our way”.But he and England stuck to their task, and Carse’s moment of catharsis came in the fifth over of his opening burst on the second morning, as Naseem poked a lifter off his hip to Harry Brook at leg slip.”Popey actually said to me after the fourth over: ‘Do you want to go one more?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, definitely’. Because I felt I was close to getting the breakthrough that we needed. And then obviously it came, and it was a special feeling, although probably not the celebrations that you often expect.”With two days gone, England are behind in the game, and may yet have to contend with Ben Duckett’s injury absence after he was struck on the thumb while completing the final catch of Pakistan’s innings. But Carse was adamant there was plenty for his team still to fight for, especially given the flying start that Zak Crawley has provided to their first innings with his run-a-ball 64 not out.”We spoke last night when we had them 340 for four, if you had that sort of score back home in England, you’re probably behind the game quite a bit,” he said. “But coming into today, in that first session, they only got 60 or 70 runs, and we scored 100 there tonight in 20 overs. If we can come tomorrow and bat positively and really put their attack under pressure, let’s see where we’re at by the end of the day, and then there’s still two full days of cricket to go.”

Big picture – The ODI learning curve

And they said the middle overs in an ODI are dull. India and Sri Lanka are playing a series where all of the action is contained in the exact period where the 50-over format tends to be dull. And that’s largely because they have been playing these games – the first of which ended in a tie – on pitches that challenge a batter, in ways that extend far beyond technique.The Khettarama is asking people to play cricket thinking two overs ahead; to avoid the expansive drive just even if the ball seems to be tossed up, because that juicy half-volley is actually going to dip and turn to go past the middle of the bat and take the edge through to slip.Restraint is the very thing that India have spent the better part of two years beating out of themselves, but now it is the very thing that stands between them and a bit of a black mark on a very proud record. They have lost only five out of 22 bilateral ODI series. They have won the last 10 rubbers against Sri Lanka – a streak that will come to an end regardless of the result on Wednesday – and that is tribute to the way this Sri Lanka side has performed even though it is missing several first-teamers. They are certainly shading the middle-overs battle, averaging 24.7 and losing only 10 wickets to India’s 17.8 and 14 wickets.Related

• Washington: 'We need to find a way to get the job done in crunch situations'

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• Vandersay brings the vibes back for Sri Lanka

• Vandersay six-for gives SL first ODI win over India in three years

• India, Sri Lanka throw it back to the '90s in Colombo classic

Throughout the series, the aggression of Rohit Sharma at the top of the order has made Sri Lankan fans wax nostalgic about the days when their line-up was littered with all-time greats too. In the same way perhaps, India fans might be looking at Dunith Wellalage, all of 21 years old, shepherding Sri Lanka through back-to-back collapses like someone who used to do it for them. He is one of two men in this series to strike at better than run a ball and the other one has been playing this format for almost as long as he has been alive.Whether India win and level the series or Sri Lanka win and claim it 2-0, these three games are likely to be an important learning curve for both teams and that is a check in the box next to why bilateral ODI cricket is still worth it (just, does it to be eight hours long?).

Form guide

Sri Lanka WTLWL
India LTWLW

In the spotlight – Virat Kohli and Avishka Fernando

Virat Kohli has only one fifty in his last 15 innings for India across formats. But here’s the thing. He doesn’t look out of form. And this is ODI cricket as well. He could probably write five different books about it – and star in their movie adaptations – and still not be done explaining how well he knows it. So a big score is probably on the horizon, and even if it isn’t, he isn’t the sort to be fussed about his numbers, not as long as he feels good in training and doesn’t have to force himself to be involved. That’s when there will be cause for worry.Avishka Fernando is the best of both worlds. He can finesse the ball to the boundary, or if the mood strikes him, inflict that same ball to a whole lot worse. He puts attacking shots together like the rest of us put two and two together. It’s just that natural to him. Except sometimes he might get carried away, which is why 26 of his 40 innings have ended at or before the 30-run mark and 17 of those innings have been single-digits. He’ll be pushing himself to justify the talent he has and take his place as one of Sri Lanka’s mainstays.Sri Lanka have edged the middle-overs battle so far in the series•AFP/Getty Images

Team news – Does Parag have a chance?

Sri Lanka hit a sweet combination packing their side with spinners for the last game, which helped them drag India down from 97 for 0 to 147 for 6.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Kusal Mendis (wk), 4 Sadeera Samarawickrama, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Janith Liyanage, 7 Dunith Wellalage, 8 Kamindu Mendis, 9 Jeffrey Vandersay, 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Asitha FernandoIndia might weigh up the pros and cons of Shivam Dube and Riyan Parag. Dube is a proven spin-hitter, which is sure to come in handy, but Parag offers them a bowling option that is better suited to the conditions. Or if they’re feeling really funky, they might drop a quick bowler to bring in Parag and hand Dube the new ball.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Shivam Dube/Riyan Parag, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Pitch and conditions: Bit of rain around

There are chances of showers in Colombo both leading up to and during the game, but it is unlikely that the whole thing will be washed off. Spinners have bowled twice as many balls (812 vs 351) as the quicks and picked up almost four times as many wickets (29 vs 8). Consider yourself warned.

Stats and trivia

• Sri Lanka last beat India in a bilateral ODI series in August 1997.
• Rohit has hit 90 of his 122 runs in this series in fours and sixes.
• Charith Asalanka has 11 ODI wickets from 61 matches; 10 of them have come against India, six in this series.

Quotes

“We have very good batters. When it comes to their attack they’ve got great variety in legspin, offspin and left-arm spin. We need to find a way to put them under pressure. That’s why a left-hander is in the middle in the middle overs.”
Washington Sundar breaks down the importance of a left-hand batter against a quality attack

MatériaMais Notícias

da roleta： Após empatar com o São Paulo em 1 a 1 pela 19° rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, o Flamengo volta as suas atenções para o jogo contra o Grêmio, pelo segundo jogo das semifinais da Copa do Brasil. Os times iram duelar nesta quarta-feira (16), às 21:30, no Maracanã.

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da brwin： Mesmo com a vantagem de 2×0 no confronto, o Flamengo vem em um clima conturbado. Depois do caso de agressão entre o atacante Pedro e o ex-auxiliar do Flamengo, Pablo Fernandez, nesta terça (15), Gerson e Varela tiveram um entreveiro que pesou ainda mais o clima no Ninho do Urubu. Mesmo com a confusão, Varela e Gerson provavelmente serão escalados para o jogo.

+ Confira o chaveamento da Copa do Brasil

Já o time gaúcho vem bem, venceu o Fluminense no domingo (13), por 2 a 1 e conta com os retornos de Carballo e Cristaldo para o jogo decisivo.

O classificado deste duelo enfrentará São Paulo ou Corinthians pela grande final da Copa do Brasil. Os times paulistas decidiram a vaga mais cedo, às 19:30, no Morumbi.

FICHA TÉCNICA
FLAMENGO X GRÊMIO – SEGUNDO JOGO DAS SEMIFINAIS DA COPA DO BRASIL
Local:Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Data e horário:Quarta-feira (16/08), às 21h30 (Brasília)
Árbitro: Braulio da Silva Machado (Santa Catarina)
Assistente 1: Danilo Ricardo Simon Manis (São Paulo)
Assistente 2: Nailton Junior de Sousa Oliveira (Ceará)
VAR: Wagner Reway (Pernambuco)

Onde assistir:Globo, SporTV e e Tempo Real doLance!

FLAMENGO (Técnico: Jorge Sampaoli)
Matheus Cunha; Varela, Fabrício Bruno, Léo Pereira e Ayrton Lucas; Gerson (Thiago Maia) e Victor Hugo; Éverton Ribeiro, Arrascaeta e Bruno Henrique; Gabigol

Desfalques:Wesley (suspenso), David Luiz (lesionado);
Pendurados:Ayrton Lucas e Gabigol

GRÊMIO (Técnico: Renato Gaúcho)
Gabriel Grando; João Pedro, Bruno Alves, Rodrigo Ely e Reinaldo; Villasanti, Pepê, Bitello e Franco Cristaldo; Ferreira e Luis Suarez

Desfalques:Kannemann (suspenso), Geromel, Bruno Uvini – Carballo e Cristaldo estão recuperados vão para o jogo
Pendurados:-

Fifties from Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh powered India to 201, and UAE barely got going in the chase

Shashank Kishore21-Jul-2024
India all but guaranteed themselves a semi-final spot with a convincing win over UAE in which their middle order got a much-needed hit out and their bowlers plenty of miles.Harmanpreet Kaur top-scored with 66, but it was Richa Ghosh’s sensational late acceleration – she hit an unbeaten 29-ball 64 – that helped India post their first-ever score of 200-plus in T20Is.UAE hardly posed a challenge, even though Esha Oza, the captain, and Kavisha Egodage gave good account of themselves in hitting 36 and 40 not out respectively. That UAE hit more than the 115 for 8 they managed against a lower-ranked Nepal should be confidence-boosting.Despite the loss, UAE aren’t mathematically out of the semi-finals race. A win for Pakistan against Nepal in the evening game should keep them alive.Related

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India vs Pakistan goes cold yet again

India wobble earlyIndia were put in, and they weren’t particularly disappointed. There was the looming threat of their marauding openers – Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana – running away with it once again. But at 52 for 3 inside the powerplay, the opportunity was UAE’s to seize.Among those who fell early, D Hemalatha would’ve been particularly disappointed at having missed out yet another opportunity to make the No. 3 spot her own. In nine innings at that position since the tour of Bangladesh, an unbeaten 41 she made in her first opportunity there remains the highest.Richa on the rampage•ESPNcricinfo LtdTwo nights ago against Pakistan, she was out slicing a lofted hit to point for 14 in a low-pressure chase after the openers had shellacked 85 in 9.3 overs. Here, the openers were up and away quickly with the platform set – India brought up fifty inside five overs. But Hemalatha’s dismissal for 2 after she was bowled attempting a pull off Heena Hotchandani had India wobbling briefly.One of the consequences from Hemalatha batting at No. 3 is that India have had to rejig a batting position for Jemimah Rodrigues, who has built a reputation of being a touch player. Hemalatha’s continued lean run could at some point have the team management into reinstating Rodrigues at No.3, considering the lower-order firepower at their disposal.On Sunday, Rodrigues made all of 14 in a 54-run stand with Harmanpreet before picking out mid-off in her first attempt to hit over the top.Renuka Singh Thakur struck early for India•Getty ImagesHarmanpreet, Richa up the tempoHarmanpreet was happy to knock singles and twos early, but upped the tempo soon after the halfway mark, when she welcomed legspinner Vaishnavee Mahesh for back-to-back fours. On 31, she had a steak of luck when a leading edge while attempting to work one into the leg side landed short of backward point.That aside, Harmanpreet seemed intent on taking the innings right till the end. Along the way, she brought out her plethora of sweeps that found different arcs on the leg-side boundary, ranging from deep backward square to wide long-on.The beauty of Harmanpeet’s sweeps is that when on song, she has the ability to take the bowlers and pitch out of the equation; she can hit just as effectively against the turn as she can with it, primarily because of a giant forward stride and how she gets on top of the bounce most times.At the other end, Ghosh made heads turn with some aesthetically pleasing cover drives and lofted hits with the spin. It’s a bit of a misconception that her game is only centered around power. On Sunday, she showed she can hit authentic strokes and find boundaries with regularity without looking to bash the ball.She hit a crisp cover drive off her fourth delivery, and a six two balls later to quickly get into her stride. She was particularly severe on Oza’s gentle long hops, hitting her for four boundaries, including three back-to-back, in the 15th. Ghosh was comfortably the aggressor in the half-century stand off just 32 balls. Yet at 156 for 2 in 17 overs, 200 seemed a long way off.It needed Harmanpreet to tee off in the penultimate over that brought India 17, and Ghosh’s five back-to-back boundaries off Heena Hotchandani’s left-arm spin in a 20-run final over to give India their highest total in women’s T20Is. Ghosh hit 54 of her 64 runs in boundaries (12 fours and a six). UAE’s chase fizzles in powerplay UAE barely made a push for the target. Theertha Satish took nine balls to get off the mark and was the first to fall in the fifth over as she chipped Renuka Singh to mid-off. Pooja Vastrakar had her first wicket six balls later when she beat Rinitha Rajith to hit top of off.Oza held firm without looking spectacular, but showed signs of shifting gears when she muscled Deepti Sharma out of the ground. In Kavisha Edodage, she found some support as their pair added 40, before Oza became debutant Tanuja Kanwar’s first international wicket.Kanwar, who has forced herself into contention on the back of an excellent WPL for Gujarat Giants, lulled her in flight and beat her in turn to have her stumped. She would finish with figures of 4-0-14-1 to cap off a dream debut that didn’t seem likely even 48 hours ago. From there on, the only academic interest left was to see if UAE could narrow the margin of defeat.

Manchester United forward Antony's future remains uncertain but a move back to Real Betis looks unlikely currently.

Antony not wanted at Man UtdReal Betis can't afford to keep wingerInterest from Saudi Pro LeagueFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazilian winger starred at Betis last season after moving on loan but a return to the Spanish club now looks unlikely as they cannot afford to sign him on a permanent basis, according to Sky Sports. Antony is now considering his options ahead of the start of the 2025-26 season but has received interest from two top Saudi Pro League clubs.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Manchester United are currently trying to offload unwanted players and have managed to send out Marcus Rashford to Barcelona. Antony is now currently part of the club's 'bomb squad' that also includes fellow outcasts Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia. All four players have been deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford and are currently training away from the squad at Carrington and only after 5pm.

DID YOU KNOW?

Antony has also been linked with a move to Bayer Leverkusen, who are currently managed by former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman has been full of praise for Antony but admitted that: "We're not interested in him at the moment, but we'll see what happens in the future."

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ANTONY?

Antony is not part of Manchester United's pre-season tour squad and will hope he can secure a move away from Old Trafford in time for the start of the new campaign. The Saudi Pro League may be an option, but it's not clear yet if Antony is willing to head to the Middle East.