Stats highlights from the second day in Centurion, which South Africa dominated with bat and ball
S Rajesh28-Aug-20162 Number of times teams have scored more than 481, which was South Africa’s total here, in the first innings of a Test in Centurion. Both scores were by South Africa against West Indies – 604 for 6 declared in 2004, and 552 for 5 declared in 2014.154 Overs bowled by New Zealand in South Africa’s first innings; only eight times have they bowled more in the first innings after winning the toss and putting the opposition in. Their highest is also against South Africa: they bowled 200.1 overs in Auckland in 1999.2 Instances of the top five South Africa batsmen all scoring 50 or more in a Test innings – the only previous instance before this Test was also in Centurion, against India in 2010, when South Africa declared at 620 for 4 after bowling India out for 136. Overall in Test cricket teams have achieved this 23 times.16 Innings without a Test century for Faf du Plessis before his unbeaten 112 here. In those 16 innings he averaged 21.25, with only two half-centuries. His last hundred before this Test was in December 2014, when he made 103 against West Indies in Port Elizabeth.16.76 JP Duminy’s Test average in his last 14 innings before this one, stretching back to July 2014: he had only one half-century in this period – 55 against Zimbabwe in August 2014.95.66 Du Plessis’ average against New Zealand: in four innings against them he has scored 287 runs, including two hundreds.18.69 Neil Wagner’s bowling average in Tests in 2016: he has taken 26 wickets in five Tests, with three five-fors. Among bowlers who have taken at least ten wickets this year, only Mitchell Starc (15.16) has a better average.54 Wickets for Wagner in 11 Tests since the start of 2014; he has averaged 22.96 during this period, and taken his wickets at a strike rate of 44.2. In his first 12 Tests, he averaged 37.94 and had a strike rate of 66.6, while taking 39 wickets.10.83 Martin Guptill’s Test average in South Africa: in six innings he has scored only 65 runs, with 48 of them coming in one innings. In his other five innings, his scores are 1, 0, 1, 7 and 8.
da betway： The last few years have been nothing short of a roller coaster for Ipswich Town.
da gbg bet： The Tractor Boys have gone from mid-table mediocrity in League One to the Premier League in the blink of an eye, thanks to a mixture of incredibly underrated players and the genius of Kieran McKenna.
However, while their fairytale ascent up the league has been sensational, the Suffolk side now have half a campaign to try and keep themselves in the top flight, where they belong.
Ipswich Town managerKieranMcKennaapplauds fans after the match
Fortunately, results have started to pick up in recent weeks, and there is a chance to add more quality to the team this month, specifically in the midfield.
Ipswich's midfield stars
Now, the star of the show for Ipswich this season has undoubtedly been the incredible Liam Delap, who looks like one of the best strikers in the league, with a close second potentially being full-back phenom Leif Davis.
However, while they have not received the same plaudits from the wider footballing world, the Tractor Boys have more than a couple of midfielders who’ve looked at home in the top flight.
For example, summer signing Omari Hutchinson has made 11 appearances in the middle of the park this season, in which he’s scored twice and picked up one assist, while club captain Sam Morsy has played 18 games between central and defensive midfield for McKenna this year, also managing to score and assist a goal in the process.
Alongside the captain this term, it has been either Jens Cajuste, who has racked up 15 appearances thus far, or Kalvin Phillips, who, while looking shakey here and there, has the ability to do a job in defensive midfield and has 13 appearances to his name.
In short, while most of them are unspectacular players, Ipswich’s current crop of midfield options are managing to hold their own in the Premier League, but according to reports from earlier this month, they could soon have some more help as the club are said to be interested in former Chelsea star Nemanja Matic.
However, while the Serbian international is a vastly experienced player and a big name to boot, the Blues might have already been linked to a perfect alternative late last month.
Ipswich's potential Matic alternative
So, to get straight to the point, the potential alternative is former Leeds United star Glen Kamara.
According to a report from journalist Graeme Bailey late last month, the 6 foot titan, who joined Ligue 1 side Stade Rennes in the summer for just £8.4m, has caught the attention of several clubs, including Ipswich and Southampton.
It’s unclear how much the French side would want for the former Rangers star, but as he’s played just 43% of available league minutes this term, we wouldn’t be surprised if they’d be willing to accept a fee close to the one they paid in the summer.
However, though he hasn’t played as much football as perhaps he would have liked this season, there are a couple of reasons why he could be an ideal alternative to Matic for the Tractor Boys.
The first is that when we take a look under the hood and compare the midfielders’ underlying numbers from this season, it is the Finnish “monster,” as dubbed by former manager Steven Gerrard, who comes out on top.
Kamara vs Matic
Statistics per 90
Kamara
Matic
Non-Penalty G+As
0.14
0.00
Progressive Passes
4.59
7.84
Progressive Passes Received
2.97
0.90
Progressive Carries
0.68
1.89
Passing Accuracy
90.3%
85.7%
Expected Assists
0.09
0.08
Passes into the Penalty Area
1.08
0.45
Shot-Creating Actions
2.72
2.43
Goal-Creating Actions
2.43
0.18
Tackles Won
1.49
1.53
Dribblers Tackled
1.49
0.90
Interceptions
0.95
0.81
Errors Leading to a shot
0.00
0.09
Successful Take-Ons
0.54
0.36
Fouls Drawn
0.95
0.90
All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Ligue 1 Season
For example, while it is close, he comes out on top in more metrics that he doesn’t, metrics including but not limited to non-penalty goals plus assists, expected assists, passing accuracy, passes into the penalty area, shot and goal-creating actions, dribblers tackled, interceptions, errors leading to a shot, successful take-ons and more, all per 90.
On top of having the statistical argument, there is also a significant one around the longevity of the players, as at 29 years old, the Rennes ace could keep playing at the top level for seasons to come, whereas, at 36, the former Serbian international is undoubtedly close to hanging up his boots.
Lastly, the former Manchester United star is currently earning around £97k-per-week, while the 65-capped Fin is on a far more reasonable wage of £29k-per-week, which, when combined with his underlying numbers and age, makes him a far more attractive alternative for a relegation-threatened side who may need to bring in more players this month.
Ultimately, Matic has had a sensational career at the very top of the game, but as things stand, it would make far more sense for Ipswich to try and court Kamara this month.
Imagine him & Delap: Ipswich eyeing swoop to sign "clinical" EFL star
Ipswich Town are reportedly interested in a deal to bring the Championship star in this month.
da wazamba： Com gols deDanilo Augusto, Antonio Carlos e Iago Renato, Botafogo venceu Fortaleza nesta quarta-feira por 3 a 2 em Camaragibe-PE. Pelo resultado obtido, os alvinegros se classificaram para as quartas de final daCopa Atlântico Sub-19 2022
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da prosport bet： +Vão sair da fila? Veja quais jogadores podem ganhar primeiro título pelo Corinthians na Copa do Brasil
O gol de Danilo ocorreu logo aos dez minutos de jogo após cruzamento na área. Os tentos deAntonio Carlos e Iago Renato saíram aos 25 minutos do primeiro tempo e três minutos da segunda etapa, respectivamente.
Por conta do triunfo nesta quarta-feira, o Glorioso aguarda a definição de outros resultados para saber seu adversário nas quartas de final.Flamengo, CRB e Falcon são os clubes cotados para serem enfrentados na próxima fase.
Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman and Haris Rauf have all been rested from Pakistan’s squad for their upcoming series of three T20Is against Afghanistan in Sharjah. Imad Wasim has been recalled, while Shadab Khan has been named captain, and star PSL 2023 performers Saim Ayub and Ihsanullah have all received call-ups to the national team for the first time.The new PCB selection committee for the national senior men’s team, headed by Haroon Rasheed, has formed a new policy on managing workloads and player rotation. With the series against Afghanistan not a part of the ICC’s Future Tours Programme, it gave the selectors a chance to try out their new plan.”Afghanistan series is the training ground to test our youngsters,” Najam Sethi, the PCB chief, said in a press interaction on Monday. “I am not worried about winning or losing to Afghanistan – if we find few talented youngsters, it will serve the purpose. The series is largely about blooding our new talent and developing them.”Babar will remain our captain in all the three formats. I have taken all the senior players into confidence and they all will be part of the team in future, there’s no question about this. Shadab Khan has been the vice-captain and an automatic choice to take captaincy in Babar’s absence, so he will lead the side. He is a wonderful allrounder, scoring runs, taking wickets and showing great temperament leading Islamabad United [in the PSL]. So he is the right man to lead the young side.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd
ESPNcricinfo had earlier reported that the workload management of top players was a major point of discussion at a recent selection committee meeting, as they looked ahead to a year that has both an ODI Asia Cup and an ODI World Cup. Each player’s workload was assessed in terms of matches played over the last two years, and Babar, Rizwan and Haris were highlighted as three players who had played a lot of cricket.Since January 2021, Rizwan has played 150 matches across formats (international and domestic cricket) – the most after Rashid Khan’s 157 – while Babar has played 127 and Rauf 125.”The selection committee has followed the standard rotation policy by resting the leading performers and providing high-performing domestic performers with opportunities to demonstrate their talent and potential at the international level,” Rasheed said after announcing the squad. “This will also allow us to test the temperament and abilities of these players and helping us to strengthen our pool of players as we look forward to building and preparing a formidable side for next year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States.”But we also have ensured that we select a side that is equally strong and capable of winning the series against a strong Afghanistan side for whom Sharjah is like a second home. And to achieve that, we have retained seven players from the last series, recalled four experienced cricketers and clubbed them with four uncapped players to make the 15-member side truly a mixture of youth and experience.”
Star PSL performers Saim Ayub and Ihsanullah rewarded
Among the new faces, Ayub has been the most impressive this PSL, scoring 309 runs in ten matches for Peshawar Zalmi at a strike rate of 167.02.Tayyab Tahir has shown glimpses of becoming an explosive T20 batter, hitting 137 runs at strike rate of 144.21 for Karachi Kings. This after scoring 413 runs at a strike rate of 138 at the National T20 Cup.Multan Sultans have brought out a fast-bowling sensation in Ihsanullah, who has 20 wickets in the ongoing PSL season, while Lahore Qalandars’ Zaman Khan has taken 12 wickets so far and has made a name as a specialist death bowler.Of the more familiar names, Abdullah Shafique has made an impression in the PSL too, with 193 runs at a strike rate of 144.02; Faheem Ashraf has returned after playing match-winning knocks for United this season, and has 210 runs at a strike rate of 147.88; Imad’s return follows his 404 runs in ten innings at a strike rate of 170.46 (plus nine wickets) for Kings.Pakistan squad for T20I series against Afghanistan: Shadab Khan (capt), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan
South Africa’s new Test captain reveals message of encouragement from former West Indies great
Firdose Moonda03-Mar-2023Of all the messages Temba Bavuma received as he prepared to make his Test captaincy debut against West Indies in Centurion, Brian Lara’s was among those that meant the most.”He came to me and said, ‘Big respect, big up. All respect to you for the position you have,’ and he wished me well,” Bavuma said. “I had to pinch myself there.”When Lara made his Test debut in December 1990, Bavuma was only seven months old. He would have been too young to have watched South Africa’s first Test post-readmission: against West Indies in 1992, when half-centuries from Lara and current Cricket West Indies director of cricket Jimmy Adams set South Africa a target they ultimately did not achieve. But as he grew up, Bavuma would have heard a lot about West Indies, and Lara.Related
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He was a teenager when Lara scored 202 at Wanderers and 115 at Newlands – in a series South Africa won 3-0 in the summer of 2003-04 – as well as the 196 in Port of Spain and 176 in Bridgetown against South Africa two years later. Lara was a bonafide great, and a role model to Bavuma in a way no one else could be.In Bavuma’s early years, the South African team had no black African players. He was eight when Makhaya Ntini was capped in 1998, and by the time Bavuma became a Test player in 2014 – against none other than West Indies – only four other black African players had represented South Africa in Test cricket, and none of them were batters. Bavuma became the first. What he represents to millions of young South Africans is what Lara represented to him: the power of black excellence.Kagiso Rabada was born five years after Bavuma – in 1995 – when West Indies last won a Test series against a top-eight team away from home. He also draws inspiration from them.”I have a huge admiration for West Indian cricket culture. And as a bowler, how can you ignore that famous bowling attack, and the likes of Viv Richards, Brian Lara, Gordon Greenidge – the list goes on and on and on,” Rabada said. “They dominated world cricket at a stage, and the whole world knows about it. They’re a phenomenal side with a phenomenal culture. I am friends with many of them. I admired the players that have come before – they would have played a role in my cricketing upbringing – and the current players too.”Kemar Roach on Joel Garner: “He checks on me every once in a while. To pass him is a great honour”•AFP/Getty ImagesMuch like South Africans of subcontinental heritage grew up supporting India and Pakistan, black South Africans had cultural and political reasons to support West Indies; and Bavuma and Rabada’s families were among those who did. The West Indian greats also continue to inspire their own too. Kemar Roach admitted his main motivation for still playing Test cricket – 14 years after making his debut in 2009 – was because he wants to “get among the greats”.His five-wicket haul in Centurion put him fifth on the list of West Indies’ highest wicket-takers in Tests, and helped him overtake his mentor Joel Garner.”When I got into the team, he was the team manager. I spent a lot of time in his room, communicating and stuff and learning the tricks of the trade. He checks on me every once in a while. To pass him is a great honour,” Roach said, quickly checking himself. “Sorry Mr Garner.”At 34 years old – and with 76 caps to his name – Roach has no intention of stopping anytime soon.”My motivation comes from wanting to perform, wanting to get my numbers up and wanting to get amongst the greats,” he said. “We have a fantastic dressing room; the camaraderie, the fun we have – that’s the motivation for me in trying to keep going as long as I can.”When asked if he could put a timeframe on it, Roach referenced NBA legend LeBron James promising his fans multiple titles. “Let’s see how long I can go. Hopefully two, three, four, five, six, seven years…”
تحدث محمد شريف مهاجم النادي الأهلي، عن عودته من جديد إلي صفوف القلعة الحمراء، في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية، مشيرًا إلى أنه لم يكن هناك مجال للتفكير في الأمر، خاصة أن الأهلي هو المكان الذي صنع اسمه، موضحًا أهدافه التي يسعى لتحقيقها.
وكان الأهلي أعلن عن عودة محمد شريف بعد انتهاء عقده مع فريق الخليج السعودي بنهاية الموسم الماضي 2024-2025.
وقال شريف خلال تصريحات عبر الموقع الرسمي للأهلي: “النادي الأهلي لا يقارن بأي نادٍ آخر، كونه منظومة محترفة وتملك كل أدوات النجاح، وهو ما جعله الخيار الأول له بدون تفكير”.
وأضاف: “بدون مبالغة الأهلي هو جنة كرة القدم في مصر وإفريقيا، ويختلف عن أي مكان آخر على كافة المستويات، وهو المكان الذي صنع اسمي، وكان من الطبيعي أن أعود إليه، لدي الكثير من الأهداف، وكل يوم يحمل العديد من التحديات والطموحات لكتابة التاريخ من خلال الفوز بالألقاب وإسعاد الجماهير”.
وأكمل: “عندما تحصل على بطولة في الأهلي لا يستمر الأمر طويلًا، وسريعًا ما يتم إغلاق هذه الصفحة، والبحث عن إنجاز جديد، وهذا هو أحد أهم أسرار نجاح النادي، لأن هناك دومًا إنجازات جديدة تتطلع إليها الجماهير، وهو ما يجعل العمل مستمرًّا من أجل تحقيق هذه التطلعات، وبالتالي تزداد صعوبة المهمة”.
وواصل: “هناك ضغوطًا عديدة تحيط بالجميع، نتيجة صعوبة المنافسة، ورغبة الجماهير في الفوز بكل المباريات والبطولات، وهو أمر صعب للغاية في ظل متغيرات كرة القدم، ولكن اللاعبين اعتادوا على التعامل مع هذا الأمر، وعندما يثق الأهلي بلاعب ويمنحه شرف تمثيله، لا بد أن يكون على قدر هذه المسئولية، وأن يتحلى بالثقة اللازمة بالنفس، وهذه سمة أي مكان كبير، يتطلب من الجميع ضرورة الحفاظ على التركيز والنجاح في تحقيق هذه الأهداف”.
وعن المنافسة داخل الفريق، أكد: “منافسة قوية للغاية، هي أمر معتاد دائمًا بالنسبة للأهلي الذي دائمًا ما يضم الأفضل في كل مراكز، خاصة خط الهجوم الذي تقع على عاتقه مسئولية ثقيلة، ووجود خيارات مميزة يمثل أمرًا إيجابيًّا لمصلحة الفريق، ويمنح الجهاز الفني حرية أكبر في الاختيارات، خاصة مع ضغط المباريات”.
طالع | قرارات مجلس إدارة الأهلي اليوم
واستمر: “أتمنى أن أكون إضافة لفريق الأهلي، ولست غريبًا عن الأجواء ونتنافس من أجل مصلحة الفريق، وأتمنى أن ننجح معًا في تحقيق أهدافنا بالفوز بكل البطولات، وتحقيق الأرقام التي نسعى إليها في الفترة المقبلة”.
واستطرد: “تلقيت العديد من العروض في الفترة الماضية، لكن خياري كان الأهلي من البداية، أتوجه بالشكر إلى الجهاز الفني بقيادة خوسيه ريبييرو المدير الفني على ثقته بي”، لافتًا إلى أنه يتطلع لأن يبذل كل ما لديه لتأكيد جدارته بهذه الفرصة.
وقال :”تابعت مباريات الفريق في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية، وتمنيت الذهاب لأبعد نقطة، لكن هذه هي كرة القدم بسبب غياب التوفيق في المباريات، وسوف نعمل على تعويض الجماهير في الموسم الجديد”.
وأكمل: استفدت بشدة من تجربتي في الدوري السعودي، خاصة أنه يضم العديد من الأسماء المميزة، وتركيزي منصب في الوقت الراهن مع الأهلي”.
وأستكمل: “قبل رحيلي عن الفريق، كان لدي العديد من الأرقام التي أسعى إلى تعزيزها، وهو ما سوف أعمل عليه خلال الفترة القادمة، لا أفكر في أرقام شخصية بقدر اهتمامي بأن يحقق الفريق أهدافه وأن يحصد كل البطولات”.
وأتم شريف حديثه: “جماهير الأهلي عظيمة ولا توجد كلمات تصف عظمتها، وكنن أحظى بدعمها وتشجيعها في المدرجات خلال وجودي بالدوري السعودي”.
Birmingham City’s summer transfer window before the new League One season kicked off couldn’t have really gone any better, as plenty of deadwood was shifted on and a whole host of exciting gems were snapped up.
In total, there were a mammoth 17 incomings for Chris Davies to contend with, which included the dramatic return of Jay Stansfield to St. Andrew’s, alongside bold additions in the form of Tomoki Iwata and Willum Thor Willumsson.
All of those signings named have made the transition to the third tier look easy for the most part – with Stansfield bagging ten goals from 13 league clashes – but the Blues haven’t always been blessed with amazing luck when it comes to striking gold in the transfer department.
Birmingham's biggest transfer howlers
Every club up and down England is going to fall foul of some blunders when a window swings open, with Birmingham no exception to that rule whatsoever.
After all, Blues fans will still be haunted by the fact their club splashed out £2m on Sam Cosgrove back in 2021, only for the ex-Aberdeen man to flounder horrifically in his new location with zero goals tallied up from 17 dire appearances.
That isn’t the only time Birmingham have signed a striker who would then never live up to their hype, with Scott Hogan once a £12m buy for Aston Villa before joining their arch rivals, only for him now to be playing in League Two after bagging a lacklustre 36 strikes from 158 clashes.
There are no doubt more flops that have gone on to notably struggle at St. Andrew’s away from just these two strikers, with this player in question one that did shine in spurts in the West Midlands, but would again never feel worthy of his excessive fee.
Sunjic's time at Birmingham
Whilst not as extortionate as the mentioned Hogan deal, Ivan Sunjic would still cost a whopping £6.3m to obtain in the summer of 2019, with plenty then expected of the midfielder on his flashy arrival.
He would end up amassing 176 appearances in England, as his first season saw him score three times from 40 league games whilst his new employers just about survived in the Championship, which included this beauty of a strike being hammered home versus Derby County.
Yet, Birmingham fans would have been left wanting more from the Bosnia and Herzegovina international as his stay dragged on at the club, as Sunjic would end up accumulating just three more goals and six assists across the following three campaigns.
Labelled as “superb” by then Birmingham manager Pep Clotet during his first few months at the club, there will have been a disappointment in the air when the 28-year-old was just allowed to depart for nothing in the summer.
But, it did feel unlikely that Davies would want to keep the former £6.3m buy around, especially as he went about freshening up the camp for the more combative challenge of League One football.
He has since made the switch to Cyprus to line up for Pafos FC, who actually play in the Europa Conference League, with Sunjic showing off signs of his class for his new employers so far in league action.
Sunjic’s league numbers for Pafos (24/25)
Stat – per 90 mins*
Sunjic
Games played
13
Games started
12
Goals scored
2
Assists
1
Accurate passes*
31.4 (87%)
Interceptions*
2.6
Ball recoveries*
6.8
Total duels won*
4.1
Stats by Sofascore
Whilst Sunjic aims to build on a promising start to life out in Cyprus, Davies will just be content with the options he has back in England in the midfield positions, feeling little to no regret that he can’t call upon the ex-Blues number 34.
Birmingham did used to fail in the market very frequently when it came to high-profile signings underwhelming, but in the here and now with Stansfield and many others, that narrative is changing.
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The Germany centre-back rose highest in extra-time to secure victory in what turned into an instant classic
An Antonio Rudiger header in extra-time concluded a chaotic contest between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad, his late goal earning Los Blancos a 5-4 aggregate win and spot in the Copa del Rey final. Madrid made things complicated as they fell behind in the tie heading into the final 10 minutes and threw away the lead in stoppage-time, but eventually, inevitably got the job done against a La Real side that never gave in – even in defeat.
Leading 1-0 from the first leg in San Sebastian, Madrid started slowly – and were made to pay. Ander Barrenetxea levelled the tie on aggregate after 16 minutes, running through on goal down the left and threading his shot through the legs of reserve goalkeeper Andriy Lunin. The home side's equaliser was wonderfully crafted, however, as Vinicius Jr fed Endrick, who lifted the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper.
The visitors had an excellent chance to level things up again when Martin Zubimendi directed a volley on target, but Lunin redeemed his earlier woes with a full-stretch save – and Mikel Oyarzabal skied the ensuing rebound. They were gifted the goal to level the tie soon after, though, when David Alaba inadvertently glanced Pablo Marin's cross into his own net. Alaba had the misfortune of being involved in the next one, too, as he deflected Oyarzabal's shot into the bottom corner.
From there, Madrid woke up. Jude Bellingham made it 3-3 on aggregate with an audacious side-footed volley after a fine piece of set up play from Vinicius before Aurelien Tchouameni seemed certain to have scored the winner as he guided a header past a sprawling Alex Remiro with four minutes left on the clock. But La Real offered another twist, as Oyazarbal found the net with a close-range header in injury time.
Neither side could carve out an opening for most of extra time until Rudiger settled things, rising above three defenders to nod into the far corner and kill off the most dramatic of cup ties.
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Santiago Bernabeu…
AFP
Goalkeeper & Defence
Andriy Lunin (5/10):
Made to look a bit silly on Barrenetxea's goal and badly misjudged the cross for La Real's fourth, but couldn't really do anything about the other two. Had a couple of air-headed moments otherwise. Not his best day.
Lucas Vazquez (5/10):
Decided, very generously, to give Barrenetxea a free run in on goal for the opener, which was pretty much his defining moment on the night.
Raul Asencio (4/10):
A bit too overzealous in his tackling and positioning at times.
David Alaba (4/10):
A nightmare for the Austrian. One own goal, and another deflection that gave La Real their third.
Eduardo Camavinga (5/10):
Skinned in the run up to La Real's second goal and committed the foul that led to Oyarzabal's stoppage-time strike . Dealt with his man well, otherwise.
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Midfield
Aurelien Tchouameni (5/10):
Pretty miserable, scored what looked like a winning header, and was then pretty miserable again.
Federico Valverde (5/10):
One of his less memorable games of the season. Didn't offer much going forward in central midfield, and looked a bit unsteady on the right.
Jude Bellingham (8/10):
Full of industry and intent. Scored a wonderful goal, won his tackles, offered defensive cover and played some key passes. Ran his way through cramp for most of extra-time, too.
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Attack
Rodrygo (5/10):
Barely involved in the play, but swung in a lovely ball for Tchouameni's goal, though was rather rusty thereafter.
Endrick (7/10):
Tried a bicycle kick early on and took his goal wonderfully. Less involved thereafter, but this was arguably his best hour as a Madrid player.
Vinicius Jr (8/10):
A constant nuisance on the wing. Took on defenders relentlessly and picked up two assists.
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Subs & Manager
Kylian Mbappe (5/10):
A few lively moments but not much in the way of quality.
Luka Modric (6/10):
Offered a bit of composure to a game that was running away from the hosts.
Antonio Rudiger (8/10):
Rose to bury the winner. Hero on the day.
Fran Garcia (5/10):
Extra legs for extra-time.
Brahim Diaz (N/A):
Barely involved in a few brief moments.
Arda Guler (7/10):
Curled in the corner to win it.
Carlo Ancelotti (6/10):
What a journey. His team were truly awful at times, then world-class at others. Props are due for getting to a cup final, but this was far trickier than it needed to be.
With the Bangalore washout effectively reducing the Test series to a three-match affair, South Africa need to use their spare time to learn from their misjudgments, particularly their reading of spin
Firdose Moonda19-Nov-2015Perhaps four-Test series are not meant for South Africa.Before this trip to India, they last had the luxury of a lengthy contest six years ago, against England at home. A year before that was when they played four Tests away, also against England. Their only four-Test series against India took place 23 years ago, in the summer of 1992-93. This ongoing tour will update those statistics, but not really explain the big picture.The Bangalore washout has effectively reduced this contest to a three-Test series – the kind South Africa are used to playing – except that this one comes with a bit more time. In an international cricket calendar which runs on a cluttered schedule, few teams can slow down
the clock this way and how South Africa make use of the extra days will be crucial to their success.The three-day match in Mohali meant South Africa had double the days they would have had – six instead of three – to prepare for Bangalore. They spent one of them on scuffed-up surfaces at the PCA, which was exactly what a team that had been puzzled by conditions they expected to prevail through the series should have done. What they did not plan properly for was the opposite: an absence of turn.Rain in Bangalore meant that the surface was not as ragged as Mohali’s. South Africa still played for turn – that is what they had been practising – and when there was not any, they were stumped.So now, South Africa may be a little confused. Should they sharpen their skills against spin or no spin? Should they focus on the slowness of the surface or the way the SG ball moves through the air? Luckily, they probably have enough time to fit in all of that.The gap between the Bangalore and Nagpur Tests was always going to be a week, but the four days lost to rain have made it 11 days between game time. That is both good and bad news for South Africa. The good is that they have even more time than they had after Mohali to practice. The bad news is that with all the rain around, there was nowhere in Bangalore they could practice.Towards the end of day four, when it had been dry for several hours everywhere except the patch at short cover on the outfield that
prevented play from getting underway, some South Africa players were spotted making their way to the nets. They will be back there on
Friday, when they have scheduled an optional training session at the Chinnaswamy. The weather, though, which is set to stay wet, could thwart their plans.South Africa may be better served heading to Nagpur earlier. Even though there may be less to do socially in Nagpur, there will
be more to do in the middle. Unless of course, time in the middle is not what South Africa feel they need and want to spend their time on the mind instead.Their approach so far has been to bat as though facing boogeymen, and try blasting their way to a big total. They have pushed their usual
pattern of playing themselves in and persisting to the back of their minds as they perceived conditions to be something they are not. On
reflection – something Hashim Amla said they will do but not overdo – South Africa will see that the surfaces have not been snakepits, and the spinners – barring R Ashwin, who has bowled beautifully – have not been snipers. Poor shot selection has accounted for more dismissals than individually great deliveries.For South Africa, who have had praises sung about their technique and temperament in equal measure, their application will have disappointed them. So will the knowledge that they allowed themselves to be so heavily influenced by the surround sound that started the series. The hype was about home advantage (read: raging turners) and South Africa bought into it. Now they have to demand a refund from themselves.The talk is not going to change. The Nagpur pitch has been baking under blue skies and Delhi, which will now almost certainly host the fourth Test, indicated weeks ago that they will prepare the pitch the BCCI wants. South Africa can be fairly certain that means it will be neither fast nor flat.The reality is not going to change either. Nagpur is a must-win for South Africa if they are to win a series in India for the first time in 15 years. It is also a must-not-lose if South Africa are to extend their nine-year unbeaten series record on the road. In other words, a draw in Nagpur would also do because it would give South Africa a chance to salvage the series in Delhi.
Business leader set to succeed Lord Kamlesh Patel once his nomination has been ratified
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-2023Yorkshire’s long search for a successor to their former chair, Lord Kamlesh Patel, could be at an end, following the nomination of Harry Chathli as a non-executive director of the club, with a view to him succeeding the current interim chair, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.Chathli, whose daughter, Kira, plays for South East Stars and was part of the Oval Invincibles team that won the 2022 Hundred, is described in a Yorkshire press release as a “highly regarded business leader, and an experienced international capital markets expert, with a 25-year track record of advising global companies, organisations and government agencies”.His nomination is subject to ratification from club members at an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), on a date to be confirmed.”I am delighted and truly privileged to have the Board’s support as their nominee to become the Chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club,” Chathli said. “This is one of the most iconic clubs in the cricketing world and, as with all English cricket fans, Headingley has always held a special place in my heart.”I have seen the positive steps taken over the past year by YCCC and I believe Yorkshire has turned the corner – I’ve heard this from the business people I have spoken to over the past few months and from well-known international cricketers. It’s because of this that I jumped at the chance to get fully involved with this prestigious club.”The Club has been through a difficult period,” he added. “I would like to bring the focus back to cricket and excellence on the pitch, as the club continues to learn from the many issues it has faced. I believe cricket excellence is built on two things: inclusivity and financial stability. YCCC needs to represent the Yorkshire of today and tap into all the extraordinary talent at its disposal and we need to have the proper funding to do this.”We have a lot of work to do, but I have been impressed by the determination and resilience the club has shown and am ready to work with the Board and management to do everything I can to get the club back to where it should be.”Stephen Vaughan, Chief Executive Officer of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, added: “Harry was the outstanding candidate in a very strong field and his passion for the game and vision for an inclusive future stood out to the whole board.”His corporate and commercial experience will be vitally important as we look to secure the future health of the club, at the same time as reaffirming our commitment to deliver positive changes in line with the values and standards we have established as a board. We are determined to deliver long-term success and to build on the work we have done collectively to address the many challenges we have faced together to make Yorkshire County Cricket Club a thriving and welcoming place for all. We look forward to Harry having the opportunity to meet with Members ahead of the EGM and can’t wait to welcome him to the Yorkshire family.”Baroness Grey-Thompson described Chathli as “the ideal person to continue to drive the club’s recovery,” and will continue in her role as a Non-Executive Director following the transition to the new chair.