All posts by h716a5.icu

Michael Beale hasn’t taken long to move on from losing Alfredo Morelos at Glasgow Rangers, raiding Italy to sign attackers Sam Lammers and Cyriel Dessers ahead of next season and they surely won't be the only two forwards who arrive at the Ibrox side during the transfer window.

The Gers have also been linked with a move for young striker Benie Traore, who is currently playing for BK Hacken in Sweden and although money has been spent to sign both Lammers and Dessers recently, Beale will need to fork out around £4m if he is to add the 20-year-old to his armoury.

Much has been made of a summer overhaul of the squad, and it has perhaps arrived a couple of years too late, with Steven Gerrard failing to improve the first team following the stunning Premiership title-winning season in 2020/21, as they subsequently fell behind Celtic over the next two terms.

With Morelos departing after six years at the club and Antonio Colak attracting interest from MLS sides and Werder Bremen – with the Gers setting a price tag of £2m for anyone who wishes to sign the Croatian this summer – the Ibrox side will start next season with a totally different frontline to how they lined up under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Kemar Roofe could remain the one constant, yet last season was heavily disrupted by injury, as he missed all but six matches and that has unfortunately been the story of his spell at Rangers, missing more matches than he has played and unless he comes back fighting fit at the start of next season, Beale will have to find a heir for the Jamaican international.

What could Benie Traore offer Rangers?

The Ivorian may the perfect player to come in and eventually replace Roofe in the squad, although he tends to be a more out-and-out striker compared to the Gers attacker, who can drop deeper and can also operate on either wing, but the key similarities are that they both score goals.

Roofe has scored 36 in 78 appearances for the Light Blues, while across only 57 senior matches, Traore has already notched 24 goals, suggesting that he is lethal in front of goal and could add some more attacking dynamism to Beale’s attacking options.

That’s not to say that Traore isn’t a team player, as he has registered nine assists during those 57 games, with the 30-year-old managing to grab just six assists during his three seasons at Ibrox, clearly suggesting there is more to the youngster's game than meets the eye.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig lauded him in May, tweeting: “Häcken's jewel. Another highly talented player from the great ASEC Mimosas Academy.”

Despite scoring 93 goals in the league last term, Beale’s side still trailed Celtic by 21 goals and this was perhaps a key factor in the trophy heading to their Old Firm rivals for the second season in a row.

The 42-year-old could take a gamble on the Hacken starlet, similarly to when the club signed Morelos from Finland, and with Roofe having just one year left on his current deal, Traore could be a perfect long-term replacement for him.

Tom Alsop hit an unbeaten century to ensure Kent were outgunned with ball and bat as Hampshire wrapped up an emphatic six-wicket win

ECB Reporters Network27-Apr-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Tom Alsop made his second one-day hundred•Getty ImagesTom Alsop hit an unbeaten century to ensure Kent were outgunned with ball and bat as Hampshire wrapped up an emphatic six-wicket win in their Royal London One-Day Cup South Group opener in Canterbury.Hampshire recovered from a patchy start to their bowling display at a cold, overcast St Lawrence ground and went on to dominate the last two-thirds of the match with opening bat Alsop, on only his 19th List A appearance, seeing his side home with an unbeaten 112 and with 29 balls to spare.In pursuit of 259 for victory at an asking rate of 5.18 an over, Hampshire made a disastrous start in losing Michael Carberry, the former Kent and England opener, lbw to Wayne Parnell’s second delivery of the game. It also proved to be the first and only maiden of the match.Matt Coles offered nothing like the same consistency at the Pavilion End though and conceded 35 from his first four, wicketless overs, as Hampshire’s second-wicket partners James Vince and Alsop bolted, adding 112 in 16 overs. Vince’s 50-ball stay for a majestic 69 ended when he worked across one from Darren Stevens to be sent packing lbw, but Alsop became the game’s fourth half-century maker after facing 61 balls.Mitch Claydon jagged one down the slope and through the gate to clip Liam Dawson’s leg stump, then the same bowler found the leading edge of Jimmy Adams’s bat for a looping catch to mid-off.It proved a false dawn under the floodlights however, as Alsop teamed up with Sean Ervine (33*) to add an unbroken 82 for the fifth wicket and ease their side over the win line. Alsop, who hit his first 50-over century against Surrey last year, reached three figures from 125 balls and with a dozen fours.At the other end of the cricketing age scale, it had been Kent’s veteran allrounder Stevens who top scored with 60 to spare his side’s batting blushes after they had threatened to completely waste a promising start. Stevens, who turns 41 on Sunday, hit three sixes and a brace of fours to ensure the hosts posted 258 after being invited to bat first.Kent laid decent foundations through Joe Denly and Daniel Bell Drummond, whose first-wicket stand of 94 in 15.2 overs ended when Denly miscued to mid-on against left-arm spinner Dawson.On a slightly two-paced pitch, Kent’s innings tailed off meekly thereafter with only Stevens providing any form of prolonged resistance. Sean Dickson cut a short one to cover point then, after reaching a 63-ball fifty, Bell-Drummond followed suit by flat-batting low to a diving Chris Wood at cover.Soon after, Wood left the field with a side strain midway through his sixth over, but Kent wickets continued to fall as Sam Northeast chipped to midwicket and Alex Blake played across the line to depart lbw. Parnell pushed inside the line of a Reece Topley leg-cutter that held its line to trim off stump, then Adam Rouse departed lbw after moving across his stumps to work to leg.Stevens marched to his 46th List A half-century in his 294th appearance in the format, reaching the milestone from 49 balls with two fours and a brace of sixes, both over long-on.Coles smeared across one from Dawson to be bowled before Stevens, after another straight six, miscued to extra cover off a leading edge against Topley to go for 60 off 57 balls. James Tredwell and last man Claydon saw it through to the 50th over before Claydon heaved to midwicket to give Topley figures of 3 for 65. Holland, Dawson and Crane bagged two wickets apiece.

Two days into Gary Ballance’s reign as Yorkshire captain and a sense of bonhomie has pervaded Headingley

David Hopps at Headingley08-Apr-2017
ScorecardTwo days into Gary Ballance’s reign as Yorkshire captain and a sense of bonhomie has pervaded Headingley. Optimism abounds in every conversation. The sun shone so brightly on the second day that from the top of the pavilion you could almost imagine you could see Lancashire. Not that anyone would want to do that.And yet Yorkshire have not entirely killed this game thanks primarily to a sterling contribution from Hampshire’s new South African recruit Kyle Abbott. Abbott took the first five wickets as Yorkshire struggled to make good an advantage of 132 runs on first innings, and had 7 for 41 when their innings closed 319 ahead. If the pitch goes flat, so could Yorkshire. Five absent frontline pace bowlers could be more keenly felt second time around.Abbott, powerful and stately, has a presence in the field that is peculiar to fast bowlers of repute. For him, fast bowling is serious toil. Hampshire know how important he is to their season. You get the impression that they would not merely polish the ball for him, they would polish his shoes. At the end of each over, more energy expended, he walked back into the outfield with the authority of a man who should not be trifled with.Yorkshire supporters showed such respect more reluctantly, unimpressed by the fact that Hampshire have taken the Kolpak route to strengthening their squad. Indeed, when Ben Coad, with five wickets overnight, added Abbott to finish with 6 for 37 in his first Championship appearance at Headingley, he became a perfect example of the advantage of producing your own. Thanks to Abbott, he will be asked to restate his potential a second time.Abbott, who is one of a rush of Kolpak entrants into the county game this season, was not remotely abashed by his new county status. After a brief foray at the Rugby Stand end, he switched downhill to find the edge of Adam Lyth and Peter Handscomb in the same over. Alex Lees, lbw soon afterwards, did so much checking of heights and angles that it would have been no surprise had he pulled a protractor from his back pocket.When Jack Leaning left protesting he had got wood on his own lbw and Bresnan drove to midwicket, Hampshire began to chirrup in the field. Bresnan, who played one of the most herculean innings in Yorkshire’s history on the final day of last season – an unbeaten 142 against Middlesex – in a valiant, if unrewarded, search for a third successive title, has begun the season with a pair.’We’re back in the game’ – Abbott

“I’d like to think we’re back in the game,” said Kyle Abbott after his seven wickets at Headingley6. “History shows it shouldn’t deteriorate too badly, and scoring’s been pretty quick. There’s no reason why we can’t knock those off.
“If it’s not in the right spot and you’re slightly off, it’s pretty easy to bat on and is quite nicely paced. But, if you get it right as a bowler, there’s still something there.
“It’s coming out nicely for me, but it’s still not exactly where I want to be if I’m critical. I’d like to keep the run-rate a bit tighter.”

With half the side out for 115, and the lead 238, Yorkshire’s underperforming top order had begun this season much as they passed through the last. Andrew Hodd’s unbeaten 54 from 53 balls was an enterprising retort in a match where Ballance’s authority has not been matched by his team-mates. Hodd began with six flashing boundaries and brought up his 50 by lofting Liam Dawson’s left-arm slows for six. There is a little turn to be had on this surface as well.Abbott, though, had not been silenced. With successive deliveries, he had Steve Patterson lbw and bowled Josh Shaw, doing his utmost to turn the game on its head.Life had been going so much more swimmingly for Yorkshire in mid-afternoon. In the Trueman Stand, Ballance was observed warmly as he added a confident half-century to the hundred he made on the opening day. A crowd that a generation ago would still admonish anyone who cut before the end of June even applauded a meaty reverse sweep against Dawson that got his innings into gear. Coats and sweaters were flung aside in turn. One woman sat on a throne of discarded garments. Another passed around sweets.With a summer ahead, there were important matters to sort out. Not only were the blackbirds building their nests. So, too, were Yorkshire cricket supporters, equally enlivened by a shot of early sunshine.”Steward, a word. Can I report two broken seats please: numbers 481 and 488. That’s very kind of you.”As the steward departed to do their bidding, the conversation briefly crackled.”Did you see how courteous I were?””It’ll be done by next season.””He’ll have forgotten already.””That’ll teach him to come here looking for a job.”There is a job still to do at Headingley on Sunday. Both sides will still believe they can do it and, if it turns out to be Hampshire, the chat may take on a darker tone.

James Ward-Prowse and Amadou Onana would make "a really interesting combination" in West Ham United's midfield next season as potential replacements for the departing Declan Rice, believes journalist Paul Brown.

West Ham United transfer news – what's the latest on James Ward-Prowse and Amadou Onana?

West Ham are set to cash in on club captain Rice, with chairman David Sullivan confirming earlier this month that the player would be allowed to leave the London Stadium in the summer.

Arsenal look set to sign the midfielder having agreed a fee, it's just the structure of the deal that has been causing issues.

That kind of money will be necessary to help the Hammers rebuild their midfield for next season as one of their potential targets, Southampton captain Ward-Prowse, is reportedly valued at €60m (£52m) by his club, per transfer expert Ekrem Konur.

Another target, Everton's Onana, is reportedly worth £55m, according to Belgian newspaper Le Soir.

However, the publication has also reported that the 6 foot 4 monster has made his desire to leave clear, telling the club he 'absolutely wants to leave', which could help bring the price down somewhat.

What did journalist Paul Brown say about Amadou Onana and James Ward-Prowse to West Ham United?

Brown explained that the club would be looking for a replacement for the departing Rice and that the possible combination of Ward-Prowse and Onana was particularly interesting to him.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "I don't think he's high on their list as a midfield replacement for Declan Rice, but they are looking for two midfielders, and if they were to get Ward-Prowse and someone like Onana, that would be really interesting as a little combination."

Who is the better player out of James Ward-Prowse and Amadou Onana?

While both players have demonstrated their ability to play in the Premier League this season and would undoubtedly add something to West Ham's midfield, which one edges it in terms of quality?

According to WhoScored, the Englishman had a better overall season last year, averaging an impressive 6.95 across his 38 games, whereas the Belgian fell just short, averaging 6.71 across 33 games.

However, the 21-year-old shines far brighter than the competition in the defensive side of the game.

According to FBref, the Dakar-born machine makes 2.61 tackles per 90, winning 1.56 of them, compared to Ward-Prowse's 0.99 tackles won per 90, making it clear that in the defensive side of the game anyway, Onana is streets ahead.

That said, there are some, such as football scout Jacek Kulig that see the player as so much more than just a great defensive player, calling him a "one man army" for his impressive "work rate & determination" and "above-average technical skills."

Add to all that the seven-year age difference between the two players, and Onana certainly starts to look like a player with an awful lot of upside going forward.

However, with the sale of Rice looking certain, a summer window that sees a double swoop for both players would be a great way to start a midfield rebuild.

The BCCI said “there are no serious concerns which will hamper his speedy recovery” and he will continue to receive treatment, which will assist him to play the match.

Karthik Krishnaswamy16-Mar-2017Virat Kohli is undergoing treatment after suffering a strain in his right shoulder on the opening day of the Ranchi Test and is expected to continue playing the Test, the BCCI has said. The board also stated that “there are no serious concerns which will hamper his speedy recovery” and he will continue to receive treatment, which will assist him to play the match.Kohli suffered the injury in the 40th over of the day, when he chased a drive from Peter Handscomb off Ravindra Jadeja. Sprinting from mid-on towards the long-on boundary, Kohli dived to pull the ball back before it reached the rope, tumbled, and landed on his right shoulder as he did so.He went off the field immediately, and did not return for the rest of the day, with Ajinkya Rahane standing in as captain. Kohli watched the rest of the day’s play from the dressing room with an ice pack strapped to his shoulder.Given that the injury is an external one, India have been told that Kohli can bat at any position he chooses to.The ICC’s playing conditions state that if a player is absent from the field for longer than eight minutes, the player, “shall not be permitted to bat unless or until, in the aggregate, he has returned to the field and/or his side’s innings has been in progress for at least that length of playing time for which he has been absent or, if earlier, when his side has lost five wickets.”However, the clause does not apply if the player has suffered “an external blow (as opposed to an internal injury such as a pulled muscle) whilst participating earlier in the match and consequently been forced to leave the field. Nor shall it apply if the player has been absent for very exceptional and wholly acceptable reasons (other than injury or illness).”Soon after the day’s play ended, India’s fielding coach R Sridhar had said Kohli had suffered a shock on the shoulder after landing badly and he was rested as a precautionary measure.”Virat Kohli’s injury, the exact status of it will be known by tomorrow morning,” Sridhar had said at the time. “He’s going to undergo some scans later today and we’ll know the exact status of it tomorrow morning and what happened today is that we took a precaution to make sure he doesn’t aggravate that injury.”And as far as the technique of the dive is concerned I think it was quite an intense chase to the boundary line and in his intent to save that one run he stopped the ball and landed on his right shoulder when he rolled over. Impact was quite heavy because of the momentum he was carrying and so there was a shock on his right shoulder. That is the current status.”

Liverpool are now ready to battle Newcastle United for the signature of Marc Guehi, but Crystal Palace are set to hold out for bids in excess of £60m if they are to sanction an exit for the defender, according to a report from Football Insider.

Is Marc Guehi leaving Crystal Palace?

With Guehi currently contracted until the summer of 2026, Palace are under no pressure to sell him this summer, but there is growing interest in his signature, with a number of top Premier League clubs now said to be eyeing moves.

Tottenham Hotspur have previously been linked with a move for the Englishman, with north London rivals Arsenal also being named as potential suitors, as Mikel Arteta is keen to bolster his backline.

Newcastle and Liverpool have been competing for several of the same targets this summer, with the Reds ultimately beating the Magpies to the signing of Dominik Szoboszlai, while they are also competing for Sporting CP youngster Goncalo Inacio.

There may now be another battle for the signature of Guehi, according to a report from Football Insider, which details that Liverpool are now ready to fight it out with their Premier League rivals.

However, they have been made aware that the 6-foot defender will not come cheap, as Palace are set to ask for bids in excess of £60m, if they are to sanction an exit for one of their prized assets.

Spurs and Arsenal are also still in the frame, but there is a belief that Palace's asking price could make the difficult very difficult to orchestrate, even for the Premier League's elite clubs.

After dazzling for the second season on the spin at Selhurst Park, the Eagles are unwilling to let their academy graduate leave for less than they think he is worth.

Is Marc Guehi signing for Liverpool?

If Palace are unwilling to lower their asking price, it seems unlikely that FSG sanction a move for the 22-year-old, given that the owners are not exactly known for overspending on players.

Liverpool's net owner funding in the last five years comes in at second-lowest in the division, at negative £37m.

However, if the Eagles lower their asking price later in the transfer window, the up-and-coming centre-back could be a fantastic addition to Klopp's squad.

Hailed as an "exceptional talent" by members of the media, the former Swansea City now has four caps for England, having impressed at club level, averaging a 6.94 Sofascore match rating last season, a higher figure than Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate.

Former manager Patrick Vieira has also heaped praise on the England international. saying: “He’s an ambitious player who wants the best for himself and wants to represent his country. He’s been working well, really hard.

“When you look at his performances for us in the year-and-a-half I’ve been here, it’s been really consistent and good.He just has to keep working like that and he will get a time to play in a World Cup and get a chance to represent his country."

Guehi is not yet the finished article, but he has proven himself at Premier League level, and has the potential to become a top player.

West Ham United are plotting a swoop to bring Norwich City defender Max Aarons to the Premier League, according to reports.

Is Max Aarons leaving Norwich?

The Canaries right-back’s contract isn’t set to expire until the end of next season, but after personally confirming that he will be departing during the ongoing window, clubs will have been alerted to his availability ahead of the new term.

During his 44 Championship starts last season, Carrow Road’s academy graduate established himself as David Wagner’s both third defensive and offensive best-performing player, so he may not be short of potential suitors, and it’s not the first time that he’s been linked with a move to the London Stadium.

Back in 2021, The Independent’s Nick Mashiter first credited David Moyes with an interest in the 23-year-old, and whilst a deal at the time obviously failed to materialise, it sounds like the boss is preparing to take a second bite of the cherry when it comes to securing his target.

Are West Ham signing Aarons?

According to talkSPORT, West Ham are “set to make a move” for Aarons this summer having been made aware that he is leaving his boyhood club.

The Irons’ interest from two years ago is backed up by the report and it’s believed that Norwich’s defender also “attracted interest” from Barcelona back in the day, and should he put pen to paper, he would “boost” the boss’ options at right-back alongside Vladimir Coufal and Ben Johnson.

Could Aarons be a good addition for Moyes?

West Ham are likely to have a healthy budget to recruit the players that they want should Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal go through and Aarons has clearly been a long-term target for Moyes which is understandable to see why considering the positive impact he has at both ends of the pitch.

Norwich’s “special” right-back, as lauded by their former manager Daniel Farke, made a total of 84 tackles last season which was more than any other member of his squad, via FBRef, alongside averaging 1.4 clearances per second-tier game, but he was also a threat going forward.

Sponsored by Adidas, the £22.5k-per-week earner ranked in the 99th percentile for progressive carries so loves to take on his marker and when having made it to the opposition’s box, whipped 102 crosses into the area which was the second-highest number in the east of England, so he would be a fantastic acquisition should the boss successfully be able to convince him to join.

Joe Root feels the experience of victory in tough circumstances in Antigua will give the side confidence going into the Champions Trophy in June

George Dobell06-Mar-2017Joe Root believes England will take strength from their victory in the second ODI in Antigua.England had to resort to Plan B to win the match but, going into the ICC Champions Trophy in June, Root feels the experience of victory in such circumstances will give the side confidence to withstand the inevitable challenges that lie ahead.England were 124 for 6 when Root came together with Chris Woakes. But a calmly-paced seventh-wicket stand of 102 took them to a series-clinching victory with 10 deliveries remaining and both men registering unbeaten half-centuries.While the collapse – England lost five for 37 at one stage – was far from ideal and will, at some stage, require some reflection, Root thought it boded well that they still found a way to win the game.”If we’re going to compete in major tournaments like the Champions Trophy, we’re going to have to find ways of winning when it’s tough like that,” Root said. “It’s something we’ve not necessarily been brilliant at previously.”A lot of the time, when we win, we win comfortably. We blast sides away, whether it be the top order going and doing it or with the ball. So to see two games where we’ve had to be smart and react to conditions is really pleasing.”There are always going to be times when you are up against it and situations where you are asked: ‘Can you find ways of getting out of that?'”In both games in Antigua, I think we’ve done that very well.”Root’s innings was characterised by its restraint. He hit only three fours and no sixes, understanding that it was more important to keep his wicket intact. But while he was delighted with his own contribution, he was full of praise for Woakes, who played the more aggressive role, hitting five fours and two sixes.”We needed to build a partnership and take the sting out of the collapse,” Root said. “We needed to calm things down.”It was a nice change to still be there at the end. To have got through that tough period and still be there at the end, it’s something as batsmen really pride yourself on. You always talk about it in the dressing-room: be there at the end; make sure you’ve taken the responsibility to win the game and finish things off.”Chris played exceptionally well. He played it down to a tee and made it very easy for me just to nudge and nurdle it around to make sure we were on target.”Meanwhile Eoin Morgan confirmed England would field their best available XI in Barbados. With the series won, there might have been a temptation to look at fringe players such as Tom Curran or Liam Dawson, but Morgan is adamant that, with six ODIs before the Champions Trophy, now is not the time for experimentation.”We’ll be ruthless,” Morgan said. “We want to win all three games and we’ll be putting out our best XI. We want to try to keep the momentum. It’s important.”That could mean a return for Alex Hales in place of Sam Billings and Jake Ball in place of Steven Finn.Morgan was also full pf praise for Woakes. “He’s a guy who just keeping giving within this team,” he said. “He has huge experience as well and is someone who goes without the majority of the praise sometimes, which is typical of his character.”But this is not the first time he’s done it. He just keeps producing. We don’t want to rely on him too much, but he’s a luxury to have down the order.”The period where we lost three or four wickets was a bit of a concern but the positive side of that is we came back with a bit of character.”England travel to Barbados on Monday. They will not train on Monday or Tuesday – many players have been joined by their families while others will take to the golf course – but have a training session planned for Wednesday. The pitch in Barbados is expected to be quicker than the one utilised in Antigua.

Arsenal are currently leading the chase to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer as Mikel Arteta looks set to strengthen his midfield.

What’s the latest on Romeo Lavia to Arsenal?

According to Football Insider, Arsenal are in pole position to sign Lavia during the transfer window after the youngster verbally agreed to join the Gunners.

He will cost around £50m and the north Londoners have jumped ahead of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United with regard to the move, although Manchester City do have a buy-back clause which is active next summer, but the report claims they are undecided on acting sooner.

Will Romeo Lavia join Arsenal?

It is looking increasingly likely that he will arrive at the Emirates ahead of next season and Arteta will be hoping to put Arsenal’s failed Premier League title challenge from last season behind him as the 2023/24 campaign looms on the horizon.

Indeed, the Spaniard is close to signing Chelsea star Kai Havertz for a fee of £65m, as with the added rigours of the Champions League next term, bolstering his options is a shrewd move and could certainly pay dividends.

It is unclear to what position the German will play upon joining Arsenal, as he was mainly deployed as a centre-forward during Chelsea’s underwhelming season, yet with Gabriel Jesus likely to be leading the line for Arsenal next term, he could drop back slightly deeper, perhaps into an attacking-midfield role.

With Lavia coming in and solidifying the midfield, there is potential for a key partnership to be formed which may spur the club onto success next term, with the Belgian’s defensive acumen allowing Havertz the freedom to express his creative talents.

He ranked second in the Southampton squad for tackles made per game (2.1) while also having the second-highest pass success rate (86%) across the whole squad, being able to dictate the play well. The midfielder also ranks in the top 17% across Europe’s big five leagues for ball recoveries per 90 (7.58), suggesting he is effective at sweeping up loose balls in order to move the ball onto more creative talents.

The German could benefit from having someone like Lavia playing behind him. Havertz, across Europe’s top five leagues, ranks in the top 9% for passes received per 90 (34.24) and the top 18% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (5.98), indicating that he is keen to receive the ball as often as possible deep into the opposition half.

Lavia’s passing ability could find Havertz in these ideal positions and they could form a dream duo for Arteta. Reporter Benjy Nurick hailed the teen gem as a “monster” earlier this year and Arsenal must get this move over the line as soon as possible.

A round-up of the matches from the third round of New Zealand’s Ford Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2017A 33-ball partnership of 64 runs for the eighth wicket between Josh Clarkson and Seth Rance led Central Districts to a two-wicket win over Northern Districts after five rain interruptions at Hamilton’s Seddon Park. Central Districts faced a revised target of 200 runs in 33 overs after Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten knock of 93 took Northern Districts to 266 for 6 in their 50 overs.Clarkson struck three fours and three sixes in his 24-ball 48 and was ably supported by Rance, who hit a 19-ball stay of 32. This after some tight bowling from Ish Sodhi and Scott Kuggeleijn – both of whom picked up two wickets each – had Central Districts struggling at 123 for 7. Once Rance fell with Central Districts needing another 13 runs to win, Clarkson took over and finished the match with five balls to spare.Earlier in the day, Mitchell struck seven fours and four sixes in his 93. Dean Brownlie struck 47 and Nick Kelly hit 57 runs, but that proved to be not enough for Northern Districts. The win was Central Districts’ first of the season in three games.Inclement weather in Dunedin and Wellington meant the fixtures between Otago and Canterbury, and Wellington and Auckland respectively were washed out without a ball being bowled.