All posts by h79snht.top

Azhar Ali made his second century in two innings as they eased to 363 for 5 while Misbah-ul-Haq spent useful time in the middle albeit against a weakened Sussex attack

Andrew McGlashan at Hove08-Jul-2016
ScorecardThis was a gentle day by the seaside for the Pakistanis. Azhar Ali made his second century in two innings as they eased to 363 for 5 while Misbah-ul-Haq spent useful time in the middle albeit against a weakened Sussex attack.Azhar, who reached his hundred from 205 balls, and Younis Khan added 125 for the third wicket. Azhar then put on a further 146 with Misbah; their three-figure stand came up when the Pakistan Test vice-captain swept a six over the roof of the pavilion at square-leg. The over-rate for the day was so good that the innings was only one short of the mandatory 100 overs by stumps.Sussex had only returned home at 3am following last night’s T20 match against Glamorgan in Cardiff, so the five players from that fixture who were named in this XI could be forgiven for being a touch bleary-eyed.One of those who did not make the trek to Wales and back was debutant Jofra Archer, a former West Indies Under-19 allrounder with a British passport who is aiming to secure a full-time contract with Sussex, and he enjoyed a memorable first day in first-class cricket, finishing with 4 for 49 in a wholehearted display of nippy seam bowling. “I hope I’ve put my foot in the door,” he said. “The coach said just enjoy it, but I was a bit nervous.”A telling part of the day came early on and reinforced that England will view Pakistan’s opening pair as a weak link to target. Shan Masood became Archer’s maiden first-class wicket when he struck with his 11th ball, finding a touch of extra bounce as he slanted the ball across the batsman to take the outside edge.Archer’s morning got better when he trapped Mohammad Hafeez, who had been dropped on 15, playing across a full delivery. This meant that Hafeez’s first three innings on the tour had failed to produce a substantial score or substantial time in the middle.Pakistan would have been 53 for 3 had Azhar been taken low at second slip by Harry Finch, the drop denying club debutant, Abidine Sakande, a wicket. It was not, though, a day without good news for Sakande, who found out he had achieved a 2:1 in a Human Science degree from Oxford University.Younis escaped an inside edge past the stumps off Ajmal Shahzad before reaching double figures, but he and Azhar soon settled against bowling that, from the seamers other than Archer, veered far too frequently into the pads.A lapse in concentration, or the feeling that enough was enough, appeared the likely route to a wicket and so it proved during the afternoon session when Younis advanced at Danny Briggs but only picked out mid-off.During their innings, Younis and Azhar both passed milestones: 16,000 and 8,000 first-class runs respectively. That the junior partner has half felt quite apt; sooner rather than later the baton will be passed as the fulcrum of Pakistan’s batting.Azhar’s average outside of Asia is 28.70 compared with 52.36 in UAE, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh combined but he has the defensive technique to withstand England’s bowlers. This is a tour for him to cement his senior standing in the batting order in conditions he has found less comfortable.He was dropped again on 57 at deep mid-off, then on 72 an outside edge ran fine of first slip. He eventually brought up his century after tea with his 16th boundary from 205 balls.Misbah was not entirely convincing to begin with but in the final session settled into his familiar block-and-bash mode against the spinners as Briggs and Will Beer operated in tandem. He skewed one lofted shot against Briggs over mid-off then started to pick off Beer: it was a shame a young legspinner only bowled seven overs in the day, they have to bowl to learn. Misbah’s fifty came off 65 balls when he swept Briggs for his ninth four. Moeen Ali will be in for a challenge if he has to bowl extended spells during the series.Sussex took the new ball as soon as it became available and in the fourth over, Archer claimed his third wicket of the day when Misbah padded up to a ball that would have taken off stump. Archer struck again when Azhar was late on a pull and was taken by the keeper. It is the mark of a promising bowler when his last spell of the day can be as good as the first.

Tottenham Hotspur are targeting Feyenoord's star striker Santiago Gimenez, according to reports.

Who could join Spurs this summer?

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy currently has many plates spinning in north London, not least his desire to secure a permanent replacement for Antonio Conte and new sporting director.

Headway has been made behind-the-scenes, according to reports, with there being suggestions that Slot is firmly in pole position for the Tottenham hot seat.

Spurs have also been tipped with interest in former Spain and Barcelona manager Luis Enrique, Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim, Brighton's Roberto De Zerbi and Celtic’s Ange Postecoglou (Evening Standard).

However, Slot is believed to be out in front, and his appointment could even happen within the week if all goes to plan, at least according to Football Insider.

Tottenham have even earmarked potential signings for the Slot era, with links surrounding Feyenoord playmaker and Turkey international Orkun Kokcu.

Alongside the 22-year-old, it is now reported that Spurs are targeting Feyenoord's Gimenez as well, with 90min sharing some news.

As per their information, Tottenham have joined the growing list of sides interested in signing the Mexican, with Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton, Crystal Palace and Leicester City also in the mix.

Gimenez has apparently caught the eye of Spurs chiefs alongside both Slot and Korkcu as they eye a Feyenoord raid, despite their general manager previously insisting the forward is not for sale.

Who is Santiago Gimenez?

The 22-year-old stands out as one of Feyenoord's key players – contributing with crucial goals on their way to securing this season's Eredivisie title.

Gimenez stands out as their top goalscorer with 15 in the Dutch top flight, registering a further two assists and averaging their joint-highest rate of attempts at goal per 90 alongside Kokcu (WhoScored).

ESPN podcast host Herculez Gomez even claimed he could go on to break the record for goals in a single European season from a Mexican player, calling Gimenez the "real deal".

Former Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt has also praised the star attacker for his pace and finishing.

“He’s back here in the middle of the defenders and he’s really fast, said Kuyt (via Get Belgian and Dutch Football News and One Football)"Watching the keeper before he shoots, the rest. In my opinion, he is currently the best striker in the Eredivisie."

High praise from a former Premier League star, it will be interesting to see if Spurs follow up on their interest in the North American.

Australia A captain Peter Handscomb scored 137 in a thumping 10-wicket win over South Africa A as his side swept the unofficial Test series 2-0

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Aug-2016
Peter Handscomb scored 137 off 244 as he led Australia A to a big win in Townsville•Getty Images

Australia A captain Peter Handscomb scored his eighth first-class century to give his side a 98-run first-innings lead and set up a thumping 10-wicket win over South Africa A in the second unofficial Test in Townsville. The win meant that Australia A emerged with a clean sweep of the two-match series.Boland injured

Fast bowler Scott Boland sustained a low-grade fracture of the right hand on the final day of Australia A’s match against South Africa A in Townsville.
Boland will return to Melbourne for further medical review before it is decided whether he will rejoin the squad for the latter stages of the upcoming quadrangular one-day series and four-day games against India A. Boland has not been replaced in the squad.

South Africa A had elected to bat, and started very slowly, with the openers putting on 26 runs in the best part of 15 overs before Dean Elgar departed for 5 off 40. Stephen Cook and Omphile Ramela both notched up fifties in a second-wicket partnership of 83. Ramela went on to score 82 off 199 and served as the top-order ballast in South Africa A’s first innings. But right-arm pacer Joe Mennie and legspinner Mitchell Swepson finished with figures of 5 for 61 and 3 for 55 respectively to limit South Africa A to 304.Australia A piled on 402 in reply, largely thanks to Handscomb’s 137 and a knock of 92 from opener Kurtis Patterson. The two put on 114 for the second wicket, before right-arm pacer Andile Phehlukwayo dismissed Patterson eight runs short of a century. Handscomb batted on, while useful contributions from the middle and lower order gave the home side to a healthy lead.Faced with a first-innings deficit of 98, South Africa A slumped to 180 all out in their second innings, with no one making more than Dane Vilas’ 36. Vilas was one of four batsmen to fall to Swepson in the second innings, as the 22-year-old finished with 4 for 33, to take his match haul to seven.Australia A had little trouble in chasing down a target of 83. Patterson registered his second fifty of the match as the openers swept past the finish line in 15 overs.South Africa A’s series defeat here comes on the heels of a two-match series against Zimbabwe A in which they failed to win the first unofficial Test in Harare, before winning the second in Bulawayo. For the likes of Dean Elgar and Temba Bavuma, this series was the last chance to prepare for an upcoming home Test series against New Zealand.

حصل إبراهيم دياز، لاعب فريق ريال مدريد، على جائزة رجل مباراة الأمس ضد أتلتيكو مدريد في بطولة الدوري الإسباني.

واستضاف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة الفريقين في قمة منافسات الجولة الثالثة والعشرين، حيث تعادلا بهدف لمثله (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وحسبما كُشف منذ قليل، فإن إبراهيم دياز لاعب ريال مدريد هو من حصل على جائزة رجل مباراة الديربي.

كان إبراهيم دياز قد شارك في المباراة خلفًا لـ فينيسيوس جونيور الذي عانى من إصابة خلال الإحماء، وقرر المدرب كارلو أنشيلوتي الدفع باللاعب الإسباني.

وتمكن إبراهيم دياز من تسجيل الهدف الأول لصالح ريال مدريد، في الدقيقة 20 من عمر الشوط الأول، وقدم أداءً جيدًا حتى لحظة خروجه في الدقيقة 71.

Aston Villa could be one of the clubs "in the mix" to sign Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips this summer, transfer insider Dean Jones has recently told GiveMeSport.

What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?

Villa have been linked with a move for Marco Asensio in recent weeks, with Unai Emery personally driving a deal for the Real Madrid maestro, however he is also attracting the interest of Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan and looks to have chosen them.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has also outlined Vitoria SC's Ibrahima Bamba as a potential option for the Villans, having tracked him for a long time, but talks are yet to be held, and there are "many clubs" interested in his signature.

Manuel Ugarte is another target for Emery in the engine room, but there are a number of top Premier League clubs vying for the Sporting CP star's signature, including Chelsea and Liverpool, meaning other options may have to be considered.

One player who could be targeted as an alternative is Phillips, and Jones has recently told GiveMeSport that Aston Villa may well be one of the teams in the race for the Manchester City man.

The transfer insider said: “If Man City are willing to let Phillips go, then I could definitely see Aston Villa getting in the mix.

“If he's up for grabs, he’d be one of the best Premier League players available this summer.”

Should Aston Villa sign Kalvin Phillips?

The 27-year-old is likely to be disappointed by how limited his game time was during the 2022-23 campaign, making just 12 league appearances, many of which as a substitute, however he could be a top signing if he is able to reignite his previous form.

During his time with Leeds United, the central midfielder cemented his place as a regular England international by putting in some top performances during the 2020-21 campaign, averaging a 7.21 SofaScore rating, the highest figure in the squad.

It was during his time on international duty that the £150k-per-week earner was hailed as "unreal" by members of the media, while he also averaged 2.6 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game in the Premier League that season, more than any Villa player this term.

At 27-years-old, Phillips still has a lot left to offer if he is able to get back to his best, and he may be able to do so if he is given regular game time at Aston Villa.

Callum Ferguson will captain a South Australia squad lacking experience during this year’s Matador Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Sep-2016

Callum Ferguson will captain a South Australia squad lacking experience during this year’s Matador Cup. The Redbacks lost the final to New South Wales last year but this year will be without several key players – captain Travis Head, legspinner Adam Zampa, and fast bowlers Daniel Worrall and Joe Mennie – who are part of Australia’s ODI squad in South Africa.As a result, South Australia’s 14-man group for the one-day campaign includes five uncapped players. Fast bowler Wes Agar, the brother of Australia spinner Ashton Agar, is a chance to make his debut for the Redbacks having signed a rookie contract with them this year, while there could also be one-day debuts for Jake Weatherald, Michael Cormack, Cameron Valente and Nick Benton.The only players with significant one-day experience in the South Australia squad are Ferguson, Tom Cooper, Kane Richardson, Alex Ross and Tim Ludeman. The tournament will mark the return to cricket for Ferguson after he suffered a serious knee injury in December. Remarkably, he has only captained South Australia once before – in a solitary one-day game in 2007.”The team loses significant experience due to four Australian players being absent and we will look to Callum and other senior players to lead the way on and off the ground,” South Australia’s general manager of high performance Tim Nielsen, said. “We couldn’t be more pleased about having our players represent Australia, and it’s a huge opportunity for our squad to compete hard and continue their development from last season.”South Australia squad Callum Ferguson (capt), Wes Agar, Tom Andrews, Nick Benton, Alex Carey, Tom Cooper, Michael Cormack, Alex Gregory, Jake Lehmann, Tim Ludeman, Kane Richardson, Alex Ross, Cameron Valente, Jake Weatherald.

يستعد فريق مانشستر سيتي لملاقاة نظيره تشيلسي، يوم السبت المقبل في منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويدخل مانشستر سيتي المباراة بعد انتصار أمام كوبنهاجن بثلاثية لهدف، في ذهاب دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وقد تشهد المباراة أمام تشيلسي غياب أربعة لاعبين عن صفوف مانشستر سيتي، بحسب التقارير الواردة.

وكان بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي، أعلن إصابة جاك جريليش وبرناردو سيلفا وجفارديول، عقب مواجهة كوبنهاجن.

واضطر جريليش إلى مغادرة الملعب خلال مباراة دوري أبطال أوروبا أمام كوبنهاجن بسبب مشكلة في الفخذ.

وقال بيب جوارديولا: “لقد أراد جريليش الاستمرار لكننا لم نرغب في زيادة الضرر، سنجري الاختبارات”.

كما تعرض برناردو سيلفا لضربة في الكاحل وقد تكون هناك شكوك حول مشاركته في مباراة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز يوم السبت مع تشيلسي بحسب ما أفادت شبكة “فوتبول لندن”.

ويوضح التقرير أن كل من جفارديول وماتيو كوفاسيتش يعانيان من كدمات وهناك شكوك حول جاهزيتهما لمباراة تشيلسي.

وأشار التقرير إلى أن جفارديول سيغيب لمدة تتراوح بين أسبوعين وثلاثة أسابيع بسبب إصابة في الكاحل.

كشفت تقارير صحفية ألمانية تفاصيل ما يحدث داخل أروقة نادي بايرن ميونخ في الوقت الحالي، في ظل النتائج السيئة التي يحققها الفريق تحت قيادة المدرب توماس توخيل.

وعانى بايرن ميونخ من 3 هزائم متتالية، الأولى أمام باير ليفركوزن في الدوري الألماني، ثم لاتسيو في دوري أبطال أوروبا، قبل خسارة الأمس أمام بوخوم في بطولة الدوري.

وذكرت شبكة “سكاي ألمانيا” أن هناك تذمر في نادي بايرن ميونخ، حيث ينصب التركيز تحديدًا على توماس توخيل.

وأوضحت أن توخيل سيظل في الوقت الحالي مدربًا في بايرن ميونخ، بعدما وافقت الإدارة مباشرة بعد مباراة الأمس على الاحتفاظ بخدماته.

وأشارت إلى أن مسؤولي بايرن ميونخ يريدون تجنب إقالة توخيل هذه الأيام لأن ماكس إيبرل لن يبدأ منصب المدير الرياضي حتى مارس المقبل.

ويريد المسؤولون الاحتفاظ بتوخيل على الأقل حتى نهاية الموسم حتى لا يتسببوا في المزيد من الاضطرابات وبالتالي الحفاظ على فرصة الوصول إلى ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا على الأقل.

ومع ذلك، فإن توخيل، الذي لا يفكر في الاستقالة، ليس لديه ضمان بنسبة 100% للبقاء في منصبه مع بايرن ميونخ حتى نهاية الموسم الحالي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. اندلاع مشادة قوية بين لاعب بايرن ميونخ ومساعد توخيل.. والمدرب يعلق

وأكدت أنه في حال التعرض لهزيمة أخرى أمام لايبزيج في المباراة المقبلة، فإن الأمور ستصبح أكثر صعوبة بالنسبة لـ توخيل، مع العلم أن الانفصال المبكر ليس مستبعدًا.

وفقًا للمعلومات الواردة من الشبكة نفسها، فإن مسؤولي بايرن يعملون بالفعل على إيجاد بدائل وراء الكواليس، وإن كان من الصعب أن يقبل أي مدرب تولي تلك المسؤولية في هذه الفترة القصيرة.

وفي حالة إقالة توخيل المبكرة، سيتعين على بايرن العثور على مدرب مرة أخرى خلال الموسم الحالي يمكنه، في أحسن الأحوال، البقاء بعد نهاية الموسم.

وفي حالة الانفصال الصيفي عن توخيل، يعتبر تشابي ألونسو هو الحل المفضل داخليًا، وهناك كذلك زين الدين زيدان المدير الفني السابق لفريق ريال مدريد.

Rilee Rossouw has said that the team is unaffected by the talk going around on the decision to drop Hashim Amla from the XI

Firdose Moonda04-Oct-2016Rilee Rossouw was called up to South Africa’s ODI squad as a replacement for the injured AB de Villiers, ahead of the match against Ireland at the end of last month. He ended up replacing an ill Hashim Amla at the start of the Australia series last week. To say that Rossouw had big boots to fill is not an understatement. But try two fifties in two matches on for size, and it seems Rossouw could be a perfect fit.So, why the in-house handwringing from captain Faf du Plessis, who said he wanted Amla back in the XI but the selectors decided otherwise? “Hashim averages 52 in one-day cricket, so, for me, you can never replace that,” du Plessis said. “And if you miss one game for the flu, then it’s always the respect that you’re given to come back into the team. So, if it was my decision, I would definitely bring him back, and the same with the coach, but the selectors felt the combination at the top was working really well.”Perhaps, the stand-in captain just wants protocol to take precedence, and it seems he is not the only one. Television and social media commentators were aghast at Amla’s omission on Sunday, and there is every indication that he will be back for the third ODI. And where will that leave Rossouw, mentally and literally? “When we had our team culture camp, we spoke about our playing bubble. People can say what they want to say, as long as it doesn’t affect how we are going about our proceedings and how we play,” Rossouw said. “If Hashim comes back and I am playing, I will probably slot into the middle order.”Rossouw has batted at Nos. 4-7 in 18 of the 33 ODIs he has played, and come out at No. 3 eight times, so he is most familiar outside the top two but more successful in it. In the seven matches in which Rossouw has opened, he has averaged 39.57 – compared to an overall average of 35.53 – and scored one of his two hundreds and two of his seven fifties. He admitted he prefers getting to the crease as early as possible, and that the constant shifting up and down the order is challenging but possible with proper preparation.”I don’t mind anywhere in the top of the order. I prefer the new ball, while the Powerplay is still on so I can pierce the field and play good cricket shots,” he said. “It’s very difficult to change batting positions. It’s about how you prepare for where you are going to bat. If your preparation is good enough for the scenario out there, then your execution should follow.”Rossouw was fairly pleased with his execution so far in this series, barring the failure to get to three figures. “I am quite disappointed in that. In the first game, the reverse sweep is my shot, so if I go out to that, it is hard lines, but it’s my shot,” he said. “I am more disappointed with the way I went out at the Wanderers. It was quite soft.”At Centurion, Rossouw was out lbw, attempting a reverse sweep off the first ball he faced from Adam Zampa. At the Wanderers, he miscued a pull shot, and though the selection of both strokes is questionable, Rossouw insisted the second one was worse because he played it when he was closer to his century. “I have been hard on myself for that. I pride myself in making the most runs that I can. So 75 is all right, it’s good, but I am more interested in the three figures.”Without a hundred, Rossouw knows it will be more difficult to keep his place, especially in a line-up that should welcome Amla back at some stage, and with a crammed middle order. Du Plessis and JP Duminy have both found their touch, leaving little for David Miller and Farhaan Behardien to do, and Rossouw will have to displace one of them if he moves down. “It’s a tough gig, because if you are not performing, there’s a guy that can do the same job as you, if not better,” he said. “When you put on that shirt, you want to perform and do your best because you know there’s someone else who can take your spot.”At least South Africa have the problem of plenty, unlike their opposition, who now face three must-win matches if they are to win the series. Although Australia have appeared a little flat so far, Rossouw expects them to surge back, especially when they hear of South Africa’s intention to close out the series with two games to spare.”If they don’t bounce back, then they don’t deserve to be the best team in the world. I am sure they will come out fighting with big swings, and it’s up to us how we will counter-punch,” he said. “The guys had two serious performances and we are ready for the third game tomorrow, and we want to wrap it up. Australia are the best team in the world. If you give them a sniff, they come back hard. We want to finish this series tomorrow.”

Leeds United reportedly see West Brom boss Carlos Corberan as a possible ideal option to be their next manager moving forward.

Has Corberan been linked with Leeds job?

The 40-year-old has done a hugely impressive job at the Hawthorns during his short spell there to date, having arrived when they were second-bottom of the Championship late last year.

West Brom ended up coming close to finishing in the playoff positions, however, and if Corberan had been in charge a little longer, chances are they would have achieved that goal.

Since Sam Allardyce's exit as Leeds manager was confirmed last week, numerous names have been linked with replacing him in the Elland Road hot seat. Steven Gerrard and Brendan Rodgers have emerged as high-profile options, but Corberan's name has also been thrown into the hat.

The Whites seemingly consider the Spaniard as a strong choice to come in, having seen the job he is doing with the Baggies, but it remains to be seen if he will eventually be the man to be handed the reins.

Is Corberan really a target?

According to Football Insider, Corberan is indeed "on the shortlist" at Leeds currently, and it is unlikely that they will look to bring in a "traditional figure" in the mould of Allardyce.

Interestingly, the West Brom boss is seen as "ideal" by those high up at the club, should they want to bring in a long-term appointment who can build something special over time.

Leeds are further boosted by a claim in the report that states that Corberan's future with the Baggies is also in doubt "amid a backdrop of financial issues at the club".

It is so important that the Whites get this decision spot on, avoiding the same ludicrous situation they have found themselves in this season, with Jesse Marsch, Javi Garcia and Allardyce all in charge at some point in the campaign.

Corberan may still be a young manager – one who isn't as proven or well-known as the likes of Gerrard and Rodgers – but the progress he has made at West Brom has been bordering on astonishing, and he has even reportedly been inspired by the style of former Whites boss Marcelo Bielsa.

The fact that Corberan has worked at Leeds in the past is also a bonus, having spent three years in charge of the Under-23s between 2017 and 2020, and he will have learned plenty from Bielsa in that time.