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Middlesex 342 for 7 (Higgins 107, du Plooy 57, Roland-Jones 51*) vs DerbyshireRyan Higgins again proved the saviour of Middlesex as the hosts fought back from early trouble to post 342 for 7 against visitors Derbyshire on day one at Lord’s.The Zimbabwean-born all-rounder battled to a fourth century of the season from 152 balls, reaching his ton in the grand manner with a six into the Mound Stand as the hosts recovered from 189 for 6.Higgins and Seaxes skipper Toby Roland-Jones, whose 51 not out was his first championship half-century for 21 months, rewrote the record books with their unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 112 eclipsing that of 95 by Wilf Slack and Colin Metson set at the County Ground Derby in 1981.The late plunder was harsh on a Derbyshire attack who were excellent for much of the day, spinner Alex Thomson the pick of the bunch with 2 for 43.Middlesex’s decision to bat first on winning the toss was greeted by applause from the home faithful accustomed to seeing them insert opponents this season Ironically, it soon became clear their decision had been made on the sportiest wicket seen at Lord’s this campaign.Zak Chappell struck in the first over having Sam Robson taken at backward point, the former England opener back in the hutch without a run on the board. It set the tone for a fascinating morning’s cricket where Derbyshire’s bowlers extracted plenty of life and bounce from a green-tinged surface.Both Mark Stoneman and Max Holden had uncomfortable moments, the former nicking one from Chappell just short of slip, while the latter slashed another swinging ball from the probing Sam Connors wide of the close-catching cordon.The hosts appeared to have survived the worst when Stoneman flicked at a delivery wide down the leg-side from Anuj Dal, wicketkeeper Brooke Guest flying to his right to catch.New batter Leus du Plooy, playing against his former county, and Thomson began a gripping duel in the run-up to lunch, the batter looking fidgety and trying to give the bowler the charge, the spinner countering, mixing some tempting tossed up deliveries with others fired in short to stop his former teammate in his tracks.Holden was becalmed either side of lunch as the ball began to swing under increasing cloud cover and his patience ran out as he slashed a wide one to Aneurin Donald at slip.Again, Du Plooy and Higgins weathered a storm, the former unfurling some glorious extra-cover drives and playing a delicious late cut through third in advancing to his half-century.Thomson though proved his nemesis, when Du Plooy got too far away from one that bounced and gave Guest another catch to end a stand of 63.He’d also account for Nathan Fernandes before tea, a ball too close to cut, flying to Wayne Madsen at slip and when Jack Davies edged through to Guest five balls after the interval, Middlesex were 189 for 6.An unusually subdued Higgins, who’d been given a life on 33 when Donald grassed a chance at slip from a reverse sweep off Thomson, found sufficient rhythm to move through to 50 with five fours. Luke Hollman kept him company for a while before edging one from Daryn Pavillon to the diving Madsen at slip.With that, Higgins began to chance his arm and ride his luck, twice edging through the gap in the slip cordon to the fence at third, and with Toby Roland-Jones reviving memories of bygone days bat in hand with a couple of dreamy cover-drives the pair rattled up a 50-partnership in good time.The skipper broke his bat digging out a Connors Yorker and the change proved fruitful as he sent the next delivery over the short boundary into the Mound Stand. He later repeated the feat to raise the second batting bonus point and to compound Derbyshire’s growing frustration Higgins was reprieved a second time on 88 when a chance above head high at second slip fell to earth, Pavillon the unlucky bowler.He made the most of the let-off to reach his hundred in the death throes of the day, Roland-Jones’ landmark following shortly afterwards.

Celtic ended their season on Saturday and the attention will now turn to the summer transfer window and what they need to improve the squad to go again next term.

The Hoops already know that they might have to bolster their options out wide after Portuguese winger Jota suffered an injury that is set to keep him out for a large chunk of the 2025/26 campaign.

He was forced off with a knee injury during the first half of the 5-0 win over Dundee United and is now set for between six and nine months on the sidelines with a cruciate ligament injury.

This means that the attacker, who rejoined the Hoops from Rennes on a permanent deal in January, could miss most or all of the first half of next season.

Jota had produced four goals and two assists in seven starts in the Scottish Premiership prior to his injury blow, which illustrates the kind of quality that Brendan Rodgers has lost because of this news.

Celtic may, therefore, be in the market for a new winger in the summer transfer window, which officially opens for business next month, and one forward who is of interest to the club is Sondre Orjasaeter.

Why Sondre Orjasaeter could be a good signing for Celtic

Writing for Sky Sports on Saturday, journalist Anthony Joseph claimed that the club could go back in with a move for the Sarpsborg star this summer.

The reporter added that the Premiership champions had multiple bids turned down for the Norway youth international, before they eventually signed Jota from Rennes.

67HailHail reported during that window that the Hoops had an offer of £4.4m turned down for the 21-year-old starlet because the Norwegian side were holding out for a fee of £7m.

£7m is a significant amount of cash to splash on a young talent who has not proven himself outside of his own country, but his form for Sarpsborg does suggest that the potential is there for him to be an exciting signing for Celtic.

As you can see in the table above, Orjasaeter has provided quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, mainly the latter, in the Eliteserien since the start of last year, which is why he could be an excellent signing to fill the void left by Jota’s injury.

However, the £7m price tag could be a sticking point, particularly with Jota due to return at some point next season, and that is why they could look to an alternative option to forget about Orjasaeter.

Celtic could return for Belgian star

In the aforementioned article for Sky Sports, Anthony Joseph also reported that Royal Antwerp attacker Michel-Ange Balikwisha has been a long-term transfer target for Celtic.

The journalist added that the 24-year-old wizard has been highly recommended to the club by their scouts, who have been impressed by his performances in Belgium.

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Joseph claimed that the Scottish giants could go in with a swoop for the Pro League star in the upcoming summer transfer window, and he could come cheaper than Orjasaeter would.

The Scottish Sun reported in April that the impressive winger is currently valued at £5m by Royal Antwerp, which means that he could be £2m cheaper than the Norwegian whizkid.

With this in mind, Rodgers could forget all about Orjasaeter and save the club £2m in transfer fees by pushing for the board to sign Balikwisha as an emergency replacement for Jota this summer.

Why Celtic should sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha

As per UEFA, Belgium is currently ranked the eighth best European league based on the coefficient rankings, three places above Norway in 11th. This suggests that the standard in Belgium, at least among the top clubs, is better than the standard in Norway.

You could, therefore, put more weight behind Balikwisha’s performances in the Pro League than Orjasaeter’s in the Eliteserien when judging how effective they could be at making an impact at Celtic, particularly in the Champions League, next season.

Whilst the Norwegian starlet has caught the eye with six goals and seven assists in his last 35 Eliteserien games for Sarpsborg, the Belgian ace has delivered similar levels of quality whilst playing in a more challenging league.

One scout, Emir, on X, described the £5m-rated star as a winger who “wins games on his own” and a “no-brainer” signing for top teams because he is ready to take the step to the next level.

Balikwisha’s performances in the Pro League suggest that he is a player who can be a difference-maker in the final third to win matches for his side, with goals and assists.

As you can see in the table above, the Belgian gem has produced 11 goals and ‘big chances’ created in 11 starts in the Pro League this season since returning from injury, which speaks to the kind of quality he can provide at the top end of the pitch.

Balikwisha, who is a right-footed left-winger, has also outperformed his xG in each of the last two seasons in the Belgian top-flight, which shows that he can be an effective and efficient finisher in front of goal.

The Celtic target also produced one goal and one assist in two Champions League qualifiers to help his side qualify for the group stage in the 2023/24 campaign, before scoring one goal in five matches in the group stage.

This shows that, unlike Orjasaeter, he also has experience on the top stage of European football, which could be useful ahead of Celtic’s qualifiers for the competition later this year.

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Therefore, Rodgers must urge Celtic to forget about Orjasaeter by signing Balikwisha, who could provide more quality and experience whilst costing £2m less this summer.

Manchester City will end this season without a major trophy added to the cabinet after they were beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

The Cityzens still have Champions League football to fight it out for in their last two matches in the Premier League, but a goal from Eberechi Eze ensured that their cup campaign ended in failure.

Pep Guardiola’s side did have a golden chance to draw level with the Eagles in the first half, however, when Omar Marmoush stepped up from the spot.

Omar Marmoush let Manchester City down

The Egypt international, signed from Eintracht Frankfurt in the January transfer window, was given the ball by regular penalty taker Erling Haaland to shoot from 12 yards for the first time in his Manchester City career.

Marmoush, after a long wait whilst VAR confirmed the decision, struck his penalty low to Dean Henderson’s right, not far enough in the corner to prevent the goalkeeper from getting a strong hand to it.

The former Bundesliga star went on to be substituted in the 76th minute without atoning for his missed penalty, which ultimately let the side down in the end as they lost 1-0.

Marmoush was far from the only poor performer on the pitch for the Cityzens, though, and Jeremy Doku just proved why Pep Guardiola must axe him this summer.

Why Jeremy Doku should be sold this summer

Manchester City should be aiming to win every competition they play in when they start a season and they need players who can provide consistent quality at the top end of the pitch in their forward ranks in order to do so.

Doku, simply, does not offer enough in the final third to be a regular starter for City, with six goals in 35 appearances in all competitions this season. In fact, Marmoush has offered more than him in the Premier League for the club despite only joining in January.

24/25 Premier League

Jeremy Doku

Omar Marmoush

Appearances

27

14

Goals

3

6

Conversion rate

13%

15%

Key passes per game

8

6

Assists

6

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Egyptian star has produced 12 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 14 appearances, compared to Doku’s 12 in almost twice as many games.

Doku, who was given a player rating of 5/10 by the Manchester Evening News, was also just as bad as Marmoush in the defeat to Palace, as he played the full 90 minutes without creating a ‘big chance’, and only one of his five shots found the target.

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The moment that summed up his performance, the day for City, and his season overall, was when he cut inside onto his weaker left foot and dragged a shot well wide from distance in the 110th minute, which was the last kick of the game for the Cityzens.

Ultimately, he lacked the quality to make a difference in the final third and that has been a feature of his career at City, as evidenced by the aforementioned statistics, on the left flank.

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Therefore, Guardiola must ruthlessly move on from the Belgium international in the summer transfer window, and attempt to replace him with a forward who can provide goals and assists on a consistent basis moving forward.

Everton are “working” on a potential deal for an “outstanding” defender in the summer transfer window, according to an update from journalist Graeme Bailey.

Moyes eyeing new signings for Everton

The Toffees continue to be linked with possible new signings this summer, with Greece and Benfica striker Vangelis Pavlidis emerging as an exciting option to make David Moyes’ side more of an attacking force.

The 26-year-old has enjoyed an excellent season, scoring a combined 21 goals in the Champions League and Primeira Liga, registering seven assists across those competitions.

Meanwhile, Everton have also been linked with a shock move for Liverpool winger Ben Doak at the end of the season, which would send shockwaves across Merseyside.

The Scot is on loan at Championship side Middlesbrough and there is no guarantee that he has a long-term future at Anfield, which could lead to Everton pouncing for one of their rivals’ most exciting young players.

Whether the Reds would allow him to join their arch-rivals is up for debate, though.

Everton want to sign "outstanding" left-back

Speaking to Everton News, Bailey said that Everton want to sign Sunderland left-back Dennis Cirkin at the end of the season, with other Black Cats players also mentioned:

“They are one of the teams who are looking at Dennis Cirkin, the left-back at Sunderland. We know Crystal Palace and Tottenham like him.

“Obviously, Everton are looking at Sunderland with Anthony Patterson, Chris Rigg and Dan Neil. The Championship is a division which David Moyes knows very well.

“Cirkin is someone on their list, and they are doing work on the full-back position, I know that.”

Cirkin may be a Championship player, but he could be a great addition for Everton, having been such a consistent performer for Sunderland over an extended period.

Prior to this weekend’s action, the 23-year-old has scored three goals and bagged two assists in the league this season, highlighting the quality he can provide from left-back, which is five times the amount of goal contributions Vitalii Mykolenko had managed in the Premier League (zero goals and one assist).

Cirkin vs. Mykolenko in the league this season

Stat

Cirkin

Mykolenko

Appearances

34

29

Starts

29

29

Minutes played

2632

2544

Goals

3

0

Assists

2

1

Clearances per game

2.6

4

Tackles per game

2.5

1.8

Aerial duel wins per game

1.2

1.5

Cirkin is a player with plenty of admirers, including former striker Sam Parkin, who has described him as an “outstanding” footballer, saying:

“I think he has been one of the most outstanding players in the division this season. When you watch him live, he is a very good athlete. I think he gets up and down; it is eye-catching, the way he moves with the ball, but his decision-making on the ball and his ability on the ball have been top-class this season.”

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At 23, Cirkin still has lots to offer, and the lure of the Premier League could be great if Sunderland fail to earn promotion, so Everton should be looking at him as an excellent option.

Favourites booked automatic place in final at Kia Oval, after one loss in group stages

Valkerie Baynes26-Jul-2025With a home T20 World Cup just a year away, the inaugural Vitality Blast Women’s Finals Day offers an enticing stage for international and domestic aspirants alike.Surrey are the favourites on their home ground, especially as they are direct entrants to Sunday’s final, having lost just once all season (alongside a rain-affected tie with Essex). The team that beat them, however, are The Blaze, who take on the Bears in the semi-final.Bryony Smith, Surrey’s captain, is looking for a big score this season, having played 13 games for 225 runs at 17.30 with a strike rate of 125.00 and highest score of 44. But she knows she has it in her after a 33-ball 62 in a winning England Development XI against India, which acted as a warm-up to the international tour, which concluded on Tuesday.And while it won’t be at the forefront of her mind this weekend, Smith has set her sights on next year’s T20 World Cup as an opportunity to break into the senior England side. She played one ODI against West Indies way back in 2019 and 10 T20Is sporadically between 2018 and the tour of Ireland last September.Related

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“I feel like I’ve not had a real go at it yet,” Smith said. “I’ve been in and out of squads over the years, had that Ireland tour, but only ended up playing two games. So I see myself looking forward to the T20 World Cup next summer and that’s something I’m going to aim for.”I’m getting on with things here at Surrey and if England come calling that would be great but if not, we’ve got a good enough set-up here to play loads of games, so I’m happy doing that.”Danni Wyatt-Hodge, recruited by Surrey this season from the now-defunct Southern Vipers, is the third-highest run-scorer in the competition with 372 at 62.00 and a strike rate of 158.29. She racked up five half-centuries from eight games, played around her duties with England’s T20I side, with a best of 74 not out.Wyatt-Hodge was left out of England’s ODI squad this summer with a World Cup looming in October, and it won’t only be national head coach Charlotte Edwards who might be keeping an eye on Surrey’s gun fielder with a view to strengthening that department.”We’ve seen what Danni Wyatt-Hodge has done for us throughout the comp,” Smith said. “She played the first eight games for us and was leading run-scorer and to have her in your team is massive, not just with the bat but with the field as well.”She’s new to us this year but she’s fitted in so well and she loves batting here at The Oval, so we’re excited to see what happens.”Sarah Bryce and Kathryn Bryce were instrumental in the Blaze’s victory in last year’s Charlotte Edwards Cup, the previous T20 women’s competition•Getty ImagesThe hosts qualified for Finals Day when they defended 132 for 9 to beat The Blaze on July 11, Ryana MacDonald-Gay and Kalea Moore taking two wickets each to restrict The Blaze to 122 for 5 despite an unbeaten fifty from Kathryn Bryce.And while the win was arguably more gritty than pretty, Surrey got the job done and Smith believes her side’s all-round strength and depth has been their best asset.”We’ve had to use a lot of players so far this comp with England duties and England A girls away as well, so it’s been a real squad effort,” Smith said. “We’ve got top-class players throughout the order and we have that real trust in each other to go out and play your own game, no matter what the situation.”Some of the scores we’ve produced, we back ourselves to chase anything, and then we’ve got the bowlers and the fielders to back that up as well. We’ve been able to protect low scores.”You see that Blaze game… our fielders pretty much won us that game. We’ve got an all-round package and that closeness within the group is something that we really rely on.”The Blaze and Bears have won eight games each this season but the Bears have five losses against them compared to The Blaze’s two. The sides tied in the opening match of the season while the Bears won by 25 runs in the return fixture.The Bears boast the competition’s second-highest run-scorer, Davina Perrin, and the second-leading wicket-taker in left-arm wrist-spinner Millie Taylor with 19 at 16.10 and an economy rate of 7.46 with best figures of 3 for 13. Bryce is third on the wicket-taker’s list with 17 at 14.82 and 6.66 with a best of 4 for 13.Surrey defeated Warwickshire in a dead rubber in their final match of the regular season with Kira Chathli striking a timely half-century during a second-wicket stand of 93 with big-hitting Australian Grace Harris.That was before Harris’s sister, Laura, responded with a 42 off just 14 balls, although Surrey’s bowlers swung the match back in their favour to claim the upper hand ahead of the season’s showcase.

Zimbabwe have home support, USA want to create a legacy, Sri Lanka and West Indies can’t afford slips – buckle up for the climax to a hard slog to the 2023 World Cup

Firdose Moonda17-Jun-2023They say the more things change, the more they stay the same, and they could have been talking about Zimbabwe.Five years and a life-altering pandemic after they hosted the last ODI World Cup qualifying tournament, they will stage the event again. Of all the things that have changed since, what hasn’t are seven of the ten participating nations in this year’s World Cup Qualifier. That suggests world cricket’s second tier is, at the very least, consistent. That’s not a word to throw around lightly because the journey to a World Cup is often more arduous than the tournament itself and the pathway to this year’s has asked demanding questions of any would-be participants.Thirteen of them had to play in an ODI Super League, with the top eight automatically going through to the World Cup. The bottom five, including former World Cup champions West Indies and Sri Lanka, have spent the better part of the last four years trying to avoid being here. The other five teams at this qualifier have had the opposite experience and spent the same period doing everything in their power to get here. And some had to try harder than others.Related

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The three who topped World Cricket League Division Two – Scotland, Oman and Nepal – were automatic entrants, but two others – UAE and USA – had to compete in a World Cup Qualifier playoff to get here. Along the way, teams have had to show as much ambition as desperation, and the meeting of these two states of mind means the competition will be fierce as expectations run high.Already, West Indies’ new assistant coach Carl Hooper has wondered whether his team “can go any lower” because he never dreamed he’d “see the day where West Indies are struggling to qualify for major tournaments”. Their first opponents are USA, who see this generation of cricketers as laying the foundation for the future. “It is very important for us to have a legacy,” USA batter Aaron Jones said.And the team for whom it’s most important to do that is the hosts.In the last few months, they have become national darlings, more so as the suspension of their football team has extended for over a year. Zimbabwe have never qualified for a football World Cup, but it is undoubtedly the most popular sport in the country. And, without any live action, those who crave emotions only sport can conjure have probably found themselves at Castle Corner.Though it is an actual place – at Harare Sports Club (HSC) it’s the space between the sightscreen and the open stand on the opposite end to the pavillion – it’s also a movement. The Zimbabwe Cricket Supporters’ Union set themselves up in this enclave and take their duty as player No.12 seriously. They sing and dance, cheer and (sometimes) moan and provide the energy a team needs when the overs grow long and the memories of past failures become sharper.Zimbabwe will have a strong backing of the home crowd•Associated PressCaptain Craig Ervine accepted that the “scars of 2018 are always going to be there”, but he recognised the hope that has permeated over the last year. “We are playing an exciting brand of cricket and we’re winning games, and a lot of people want to get involved with that,” he said.With tickets on sale for as little as US$2 and Zimbabwe due to play all their first round matches at HSC, the first week is guaranteed to be what the kids call “a vibe”, and there’s no better team to kick off against than Nepal. Accustomed to overflowing and passionate crowds in Kathmandu, Nepal’s captain Rohit Paudel now wants to see what it’s like when the shoe is on the other foot. “We want to know how it feels when [the crowd] comes against you. We want to take that challenge,” he said.Nepal have every reason to be confident. They won 11 out of 12 games to get to the qualifiers and have also secured participation in the 2023 Asia Cup. It doesn’t get bigger than that, except maybe playing at a World Cup. “But it’s not that easy to beat Test nations,” Paudel said. “Everybody has to give their best.”Ultimately, that dividing line could still underline some of the conversations around this tournament. On Monday, in Bulawayo, UAE play Sri Lanka and Oman take on Ireland and both Sri Lanka and Ireland will be wary of taking less experienced opposition lightly because the format of the tournament can become unforgiving quite quickly.Net run rate will be important – see Afghanistan in 2018, where they made it to the Super Sixes, and ultimately qualified for the World Cup and won the competition outright, despite losing three matches in the group stages. With the Ashes “Bazball” conversation lurking strongly in the background, there’s bound to be an emphasis on aggression and the conditions should suit that.Scores in the warm-up matches were high. Zimbabwe posted 367 against Oman and West Indies racked up 374 against UAE at Takashinga Cricket Club, where the pitch is flat and the boundaries are short. Meanwhile, Ireland successfully chased 313 against USA and Sri Lanka scored 392, also against USA, at Bulawayo Athletic Club, another surface that seems laden with runs.West Indies come into the tournament in excellent form•Emirates Cricket BoardOn strips that will bake under the warm afternoon sun, some deterioration is to be expected and spin will come into play, but the overall sense is that the game has become urgent, and you need to look no further than the windows at the HSC press box for proof. Two of them are cracked, and recently so.Though Mitchell Johnson (2014) and Rovman Powell (2018) both left their marks at this venue, in suspiciously similar places, the current damage was not caused by them. Nobody can quite remember who or how these new spiderwebs have been permanently imprinted on the glass and while it would make a good pub quiz factoid, it doesn’t really matter. It’s the mark of the modern game and, given the attention Nepal gave to part of their fielding practice, which involved reaching back to parry a ball destined for six back infield to complete a catch, it’s probably permanent.As is the inevitable growth of the global game, which this competition signals the start of. As it rolls on, there will be grumbles about a ten-team World Cup, but the good news is that this will be the last of those.Next year’s T20 World Cup will feature 20 teams and, being the hosts, neither West Indies nor USA will need to concern themselves with qualification. The next 50-over World Cup, in 2027, will be a 14-team affair, co-hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Though it is four years away, Ervine said even the senior-most members of his squad plan to be around. The World Cup will move from a ten-team event to a 14-team tournament, and they want to experience the thrills of hosting a big event at home.By then, significant changes are certain to happen in the country and in cricket, too. For example, there was talk of the floodlights at HSC being put up in time for this tournament but those proved too optimistic. Instead, the steel pylons still stand balding, and the deadline has been pushed back a few weeks and word is that they will be up and running for the start of the Zim Afro T10 tournament that kicks off on July 20. This tournament ends on July 9, so there will only be ten days to get the job done. Given that the wait has already been more than ten years, it seems unlikely it will happen. Things don’t change that often or that quickly here but, if we’re honest, that’s kind of how we like it.

The toss became crucial on a surface that started out sticky before flattening out considerably

Sidharth Monga02-Oct-20214:55

Dasgupta: Gaikwad shows that this format is not just for power-hitters

When a side wins so comfortably after conceding a century to an opposition batter, the first thing you tend to do is look at that hundred with suspicion. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s came up in 60 balls, off the last ball of the innings. While batting first in the IPL, there have been 11 innings lasting 60 balls or longer and worth between 100 and 105. Eight of them, including Gaikwad’s, have come in defeats.Gaikwad’s innings, though, was not the problem on the night. It was a night on which the first 10 overs of the match produced just 63 runs, and the next 27.3 went for 316 at 11.5 an over. Gaikwad’s first 50 took 43 balls, the next 51 came in 17. All of a sudden you weren’t thinking of the field settings each time someone hit the ball in the air. This was a pitch different to what has been on display so far this season: everything was travelling with the ball beginning to skid onto the bat.Watch the IPL on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the IPL live in the US. Match highlights of Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

It was one of those unfortunate things that can happen in T20: you get put in on a slightly sticky pitch, the dew then settles in in about 10 overs, and the ball starts to come on nicely. In a contest as short as a T20 match, even a period of five overs before the pitch settles down can prove critical. MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Gaikwad and Stephen Fleming all said that was the case. When you are put in on such a pitch, the best way to be competitive is to post an above-par score, which, according to Dhoni, would have been close to 250 here.”My observations were that as the dew settled, the pitch just got better and better,” the Super Kings’ coach Fleming said. “The second half of our innings showed that as well. Initially there was a bit of stickiness so the ball just sat a little bit. Once the dew settled, it became an absolute road. Which is quite different to any other pitches we have played on so far. All games have been sort of 130-150.”The Super Kings have already qualified for the playoffs and look favourites to end up in the top two, which means the ideal response from them would be to forget such a match and move on. However, this is something that can happen in a knockout game too.If an identical match were to happen in identical conditions, Dhoni doesn’t believe it would be possible to set a target of more than 190 or 200. Dhoni said his openers have been really good at assessing the conditions, and while the idea is to prevent over-attacking and losing too many wickets early, this wasn’t a case of a hangover from earlier slow pitches and thus aiming too low.Ruturaj Gaikwad’s first 50 came in 43 balls, and his next 51 in just 17, but the difference wasn’t just about intent•BCCIWhat a side can change when they lose such a bad toss is either take that over-attacking route, which is a risk, or, as Dhoni would want, be smarter with the ball. In their ideal XI, Super Kings would have Dwayne Bravo and Deepak Chahar, who were rested against the Royals and should make a difference when they return, but Dhoni and Fleming would like to see better thinking from the bowlers when caught in another onslaught.”The wicket changed quite a bit,” Dhoni said when asked how much he missed Chahar and Bravo. “Both of them are quite experienced, but I felt their batters put us under pressure. What we could have done slightly better was maybe use the dimensions of the field. Or put fielders where you would like to bowl, make them go over the [boundary] fielders rather than go over mid-off or short cover.”Fleming echoed the sentiment. “It is not a bad thing to have a high-scoring game like this and be tested,” Fleming said. “It gives you some really good coaching points and improvement points. One of them is how to absorb an onslaught like that. It was spectacular and it was great play. The only criticism would probably be our adjustments were not as quick as they needed to be.”

Celtic’s interim manager Martin O’Neill got off to a dream start on Wednesday night with a commanding 4-0 win over Falkirk at Parkhead in front of the home support.

The Hoops had lost their previous two matches in the Scottish Premiership, to Hearts and Dundee, before Brendan Rodgers tendered his resignation from his role on Monday night.

O’Neill and his interim coaching team got a brilliant response out of the first-team player against Falkirk, with Johnny Kenny being one of the stars of the night.

Why Johnny Kenny is undroppable for Celtic

The Ireland U21 international has started the last two Premiership matches after Kelechi Iheanacho suffered a hamstring injury early on in the win over Sturm Graz in the Europa League last week.

Kenny failed to make much of an impact against Hearts on Sunday, but he stepped up with two goals from five shots in 66 minutes on the pitch against Falkirk, per Sofascore.

On top of his goalscoring exploits, converting from close range on two occasions, the Irishman won five of his nine duels and won three fouls for the team, per Sofascore, acting as the focal point in the number nine position.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

With Iheanacho’s injury and Celtic’s lack of depth in the striker position, Kenny’s impressive performance against Falkirk should mean that he is undroppable for the time being.

The former Shamrock Rovers star is not the only Hoops ace who should be considered undroppable after Wednesday night, though, as Marcelo Saracchi was just as good.

Why Marcelo Saracchi should be undroppable already

The Uruguay international was brought in for experienced left-back Kieran Tierney, and barely put a foot wrong throughout the 90 minutes on the pitch.

Despite assisting Celtic’s goal, Tierney had a difficult afternoon against Hearts last time out. He lost three of his four aerial duels and failed to make a single tackle, per Sofascore, which is why the left-back position may not be guaranteed to him.

Saracchi came in against Falkirk on Wednesday and showed the defensive quality that was lacking from Tierney’s performance against Hearts, as he impressed for O’Neill.

As you can see in the table above, the Boca Juniors loanee made four more tackles and won 75% more of his aerial duels than Tierney did in his last outing at left-back.

On top of his impressive defensive work, with ten duels won and 12 ball recoveries, Saracchi also created two chances and had two shots on target, one of which was parried out to Benjamin Nygren for the third goal on the night.

It was a brilliant all-round display from the energetic full-back, who showed that he can contribute at both ends of the pitch. He has the bite, tenacity, and patience to provide quality defending, whilst also having the ability on the ball to make things happen in the final third, which is why he was just as good and influential as Kenny.

Saracchi, who earned an 8/10 player rating from 67HailHail, is now undroppable because his performance was one that the Hoops lacked when Tierney was in the XI against Hearts on Sunday, albeit that was away against the league leaders.

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O’Neill, should he still be in charge next time out, should consider the left-footed star an undroppable part of his team, along with Kenny, because of his sublime showing in and out of possession.

Mitchell Marsh’s return to red-ball cricket has not gone to plan with the Ashes outsider failing for Western Australia against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield.Marsh had been touted as a potential shock factor at the top of Australia’s order in the series against England. But his return to Shield ranks yielded only nine runs, batting at No.3 for WA on Thursday’s opening day at the MCG.WA struggled to 194 all out, with Sam Elliott taking 5 for 33, before ladder-leading Victoria reached 51 without loss at stumps.Marsh’s most recent Shield match was in October last year. And he hadn’t played a first-class game since being axed from the Test side after the Boxing Day win against India last year, when he scored four and a duck.Marsh’s surprise return to red-ball cricket came amid speculation Test selectors are toying with deploying the hard-hitting batter as an opener against England.But after Travis Head’s first Test heroics at the top of the order, Marsh’s prospects of adding to his 46 Tests appear slimmer.On Thursday, the 34-year-old struck two fours, including a trademark pull shot. But he was also troubled by the movement of Victorian quick Mitchell Perry, who had a couple of lbw shouts turned down against Marsh.Australia’s T20 captain lasted only 16 balls, launching at a full, wide delivery from Perry and edging to wicketkeeper Sam Harper.Allrounder Aaron Hardie top-scored with 53 from 73 balls and Cameron Bancroft was next best with 39, while Jayden Goodwin and Cameron Gannon chipped in.But the West Australians collectively folded late as Elliott crashed through the lower order after Perry captured the initial three wickets.Elliott, who also took a five-for against NSW last month, took five of the last six wickets to fall as WA lost 5 for 42.Victoria’s opening batters Blake Macdonald and Harry Dixon posted a half-century stand inside 13 overs.Eight points clear atop the table, Victoria are chasing a fifth win from six games against WA who have one win from five games.

كشفت وسائل إعلام إسبانية تطورات مفاجئة بشأن مصير مدرب ريال مدريد تشابي ألونسو بعد تعادل الفريق أمام جيرونا بهدف لمثله في الدوري الاسباني لكرة القدم.

وكان جيرونا قد افتتح التسجيل أمام ريال مدريد عن طريق عز الدين أوناحي في الدقيقة 45، قبل أن يتعادل كيليان مبابي من ركلة جزاء في الدقيقة 67 من الشوط الثاني.

وتضاربت الأنباء مباشرة بعد انتهاء لقاء ريال مدريد وجيرونا، حيث تسارعت وسائل الإعلام الإسبانية للحديث عن تشابي ألونسو ما بين استقراره في منصبه أو أنه أصبح تحت الخطر ومهدد بالرحيل في الفترة القادمة.

أقرأ أيضاً.. قناة ريال مدريد تهاجم حكم مباراة جيرونا: الليجا فسدت.. وتحاولون عرقلتنا

ووفقاً للصحفي المقرب من ريال مدريد “بيبي ألفاريز”، فإن المباريات المقبلة أصبحت حاسمة بالنسبة لإدارة النادي، ويرى فلورنتينو بيريز خياراً واحداً فقط إذا احتاجه لتغيير اتجاه الفريق.

وأوضح أن ذلك الخيار الوحيد يتمثل في الاستعانة بالأسطورة الفرنسية زين الدين زيدان لكي يتحمل المسؤولية حتى نهاية الموسم.

أما عن مذيع برنامج “الشيرينجيتو” جوزيب بيدريرول، فقد ظهر في برنامجه وأكد أن ريال مدريد لا يفكر في تغيير المدرب تشابي ألونسو في الوقت الحالي.

وخاض تشابي ألونسو آخر 4 مباريات وتعادل في 3 منهم، وحقق الفوز في مباراة واحدة فقط أمام أولمبياكوس بأربعة أهداف لثلاثة في دوري أبطال أوروبا.