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Wadhera is making waves by being a T20 floater

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

He made his name with Mumbai Indians two years ago and is trying to perform as an improved cricketer with Punjab Kings

Ashish Pant25-Apr-2025″It’s not about being good, it’s about knowing that you are good.”This realisation dawned upon Nehal Wadhera when he faced Jofra Archer for the first time in a Mumbai Indians (MI) practice game ahead of IPL 2023. All of 22 at the time, and yet to make his T20 debut, here was Wadhera facing one of the fastest bowlers in the world.He didn’t just survive but even impressed the MI management so much that he was handed a T20 debut in the IPL in the team’s season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).Related

  • Can KKR find a way out of their middle-order mess?

  • KKR run into PBKS in search of home advantage

“When I batted against Archer, I think that was an actual moment where I got that self-confidence,” Wadhera said in a press interaction. “It is very important for you to know that you are good. And when I played Archer in the practice games, it was in a way a realisation moment for me.”And from there, I got the confidence that yes, I am prepared for this level. And then, wherever I got the chance, I did well. I think my confidence was sky-high thereon.”Wadhera had a decent debut season, scoring 241 runs in ten innings, with two fifties and a strike rate of 145.18. The MI stint helped him realise that he belonged at this level. It also opened a lot of avenues. He was part of the title winning 2023-24 Syed Mushtaq Ali Punjab team, where he scored 175 runs in six innings at an average of 58.33 and a strike rate of 162.03.The common factor in both his Punjab and MI stints was his batting position. It was never fixed. From opening the batting to slotting in at No. 7, Wadhera has been a floater throughout his T20 career. It’s not ideal for a player, but it’s something he has trained himself for since he was a kid.”Yes, this thing about me playing in every number… if you look at the last two years, when I was playing for Mumbai as well, my batting was very flexible, there was no fixed position,” he said. “Sometimes I have opened, sometimes I batted two down, sometimes at No. 3, 4, 5, 6.

“I don’t go with the intention that I want to score a hundred in this match or help the team reach 200-250. Because if you plan so far ahead, you end up not doing well. And I have faced this before.”

“Since my early playing days, my preparation has been to adjust to any position in the batting order because I have never had a fixed position. I want to do well in any position wherever I get a chance. I have kept my preparation in such a way that I should know how to play every situation. I think that’s helped me.”Wadhera, 24, is now part of Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2025. Two years back he was a new kid on the block, there was no baggage, and limited expectations from him. But at PBKS, there is an INR 4.2 crore price tag attached. He also now has two years of IPL experience and is expected to play a key role in the PBKS line-up. It’s something he relishes.”I would like to say that I love playing under tough situations,” Wadhera said. “Honestly, players who can win matches from tough situations only go on to play for India. You have to be a match-winner to be able to play for the Indian team.”And Wadhera has often found himself in such tough situations in IPL 2025. He began the season with an unbeaten 25-ball 43 against Lucknow Super Giants, staying unbeaten in the chase. Against Rajasthan Royals, he top-scored with 62 off 41, even though that came in a losing cause.A couple of weeks later, he made amends against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where against some fiery bowling on a tricky Chinnaswamy surface, Wadhera hit an unbeaten 19-ball 33 to give PBKS an important win. He has 189 runs in seven innings so far this season at a strike rate of 146.51, but more than the runs, it’s his clarity that helps him.Wadhera spoke about the favourable match-up against Suyash Sharma, whom he targeted during the RCB game and his chat with head coach Ricky Ponting heading into his innings.”If we talk about the match against RCB, the coach came to me and he told me ,’Nehal, we just need a run-a-ball. You can just go easy.’ I said, ‘Okay, coach.’Nehal Wadhera has credited the Ricky Ponting-Shreyas Iyer partnership for making things work at PBKS•Punjab Kings”But as soon as I went inside, I felt that RCB had put a lot of pressure on us at that time. I thought that now that I am in, my match-ups bowlers are in front and this is my responsibility now to help my team cross the line.”When chasing smaller targets, if a wicket falls early, then there’s a lot of pressure. So, as soon as Suyash came on, I knew that he was just trying to bowl the googly and that made it easier for me to hit him straight.”It hasn’t been all rosy for Wadhera, especially in this last year. He had an average IPL 2024, where he managed just 109 runs in six innings, without a fifty and then a below-par SMAT 2024-25, where he scored 97 runs in six innings. It made him go back to the basics and analyse the root cause of his lean run.”There is always a time in everyone’s careers where you are not able to score well even when you are trying really hard. That time came with me this year, in Syed Mushtaq Ali,” Wadhera said. “But I am not someone who gives up.”I went through my videos to see what problems I was facing, why didn’t I do well in Mushtaq Ali. I just try to collect all the positives which I can, but at the same time, I also introspect all the weaknesses which can actually cause me trouble in my upcoming games and I am working on that.”I don’t go with the intention that I want to score a hundred in this match or help the team reach 200-250. Because if you plan so far ahead, you end up not doing well. And I have faced this before. I just go with the intent that if the ball is in my range, I have practiced well, I will go for my shot. Nine times out of ten, I know I’ll clear the ground. It is possible that I will get out once. But if I have worked so hard on a shot, I will back it.”Wadhera was also effusive in praise of Shreyas Iyer, the PBKS captain and the bond he shares with Ponting. The captain-coach duo had a stint together previously at Delhi Capitals, and Wadhera says it’s helped in welcoming the newbies into the PBKS set-up.Wadhera is someone who wants to work on his faults and get better, something PBKS could resonate with having not made the playoffs since 2014. They have both started IPL 2025 on the right note and will hope they now get into the final four, if not to the podium to lift the trophy.

Axar Patel and the chicken-and-egg problem of being India's third spinner

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

It is hard to get enough overs because of which it is hard to get into rhythm because of which it is hard to get enough overs

Karthik Krishnaswamy04-Mar-20232:15

Axar: ‘Against spinners, the bowler in me tells me how to bat’

In the days leading up to it, all the talk surrounding the Border-Gavaskar series revolved around India’s spin attack, and how Australia would handle its triple threat. R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel were inevitably mentioned in one breath.Ashwin and Jadeja came into the series with vastly more experience than Axar, of course, but it didn’t seem like there would be a clear pecking order in how India would use them. Axar, at that point, had taken 47 wickets in eight Tests, at the ridiculous average of 14.29. Three wickets in Nagpur would have made him the joint-fastest Indian bowler, alongside Ashwin, to 50 Test wickets.Nagpur has come and gone, and so have Delhi and Indore, but Axar is still waiting for his 50th wicket. He’s only taken one wicket in the series, at an average of 103.00.Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar continue to be spoken of in the same breath, but that’s usually when their batting is being discussed. All three have made important runs in this series, most of all Axar, who is India’s second-highest run-getter with 185 at an average of 92.50. He’s passed 50 twice in the series, a feat managed by only one other player on either side, Usman Khawaja.Axar’s contributions in Indore summed up the weirdness of his series. He bowled 13 overs in an Australian first innings that spanned 76.3 overs, and none in their brief chase. He was not out twice, scoring 12 and 15, and was left stranded both times by Mohammed Siraj’s seeming lack of game awareness. In the first innings, Siraj was run out, late to respond to a call for a gettable second run that would have kept Axar on strike. In the second, Axar watched helplessly as Siraj was bowled slogging at Nathan Lyon.At that point, Axar turned his back on Siraj and marched to the dressing room, his partner remaining a pitch’s length behind him as the players made their way off the field. Being stranded was irksome enough; in that second innings, Axar was left stranded after being demoted to No. 9, behind Ashwin.India may have had sound reasons for this choice. It may have had something to do with Axar’s left-handedness. Or they may have felt that Ashwin and Axar were both capable of constructing a partnership with a set Cheteshwar Pujara, but reckoned that Axar’s six-hitting ablity would make him the handier option if one of the allrounders had to bat with Nos. 10 and 11.India may have had their reasons, but if you had watched Axar bat through this series, and seen how organised he had looked both in attack and defence, you may have wondered why he wasn’t batting at No. 7, above KS Bharat.Instead, Axar had come to occupy the strangest of roles: high-performing batter and occasional bowler slotted at No. 9.Axar Patel has had a lot of success with the bat but not so much with the ball in this series•BCCIThese things can and do happen when teams have multiple allrounders. It’s hard enough managing three spinners even if they can’t bat. They typically bowl a lot of overs, and often need to bowl long spells to get into rhythm, so when a team has three of them, it’s natural for one to be underbowled.In that sense, captaining Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar in India is nothing like captaining Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc in Australia – a comparison Rohit Sharma made after India went 1-0 up in Nagpur. Rotating three fast bowlers is far easier than rotating three spinners.Rohit alluded to this himself on the eve of the Indore Test.”Look, Ashwin and Jadeja have bowled really well so I’ve to continue to make them bowl as much as possible. If you have three spinners, you know that the third spinner is always underbowled. This time it has been Axar in these two Test matches; you never know who that guy will be in the next two Test matches.”Because if guys are getting wickets from both sides, you have to continue to bowl them, as simple as that. That’s how it is. When Axar, Ash and Washington [Sundar] played in Ahmedabad against England [in 2021], Washi was the one who was underbowled. Probably didn’t even bowl too many overs. That’s how it is.”When you have guys taking wickets and are in good rhythm, you can sense that they need to bowl longer spells. Like fast bowlers, they take a little bit of time to get into rhythm. You need those fingers to come good for you. So you need at least 3-4 overs to get into that rhythm. Then the spinners can bowl longer spells than the fast bowlers.”It’s not necessarily a slight on Axar’s ability, then, that he’s only bowled 39 overs in the first three Tests, when Jadeja has bowled 106.1 overs and Ashwin 95.1.But over the course of the series, it’s become a chicken-and-egg situation. Because Ashwin and Jadeja have bowled well and taken wickets, Axar has only got to bowl short, infrequent spells. He has bowled his 39 overs over 11 spells, of which only two have lasted longer than five overs. Four have spanned just one over – he may only have bowled those overs to allow Ashwin and Jadeja to swap ends.By bowling so little, it’s possible Axar has lost a bit of rhythm, and that in turn has hurt his chances of getting longer spells. As the series has worn on, Australia’s batters have just looked more comfortable against Axar than against Ashwin and Jadeja, and ESPNcricinfo’s control data bears this out. Where they’ve managed control percentages of 75 and 79 against Ashwin and Jadeja, they’ve gone at 88 against Axar.

It isn’t just Ashwin and Jadeja who’ve troubled batters more through this series than Axar has. All three of Australia’s frontline spinners have, too. This, perhaps, has led to a situation where Australia’s captains have found it easier to rotate their three spinners than Rohit has.Steven Smith spoke about the challenge of rotating three spinners after the Indore Test.”I spoke to the spinners on the morning of day one, that they have to take their egos out of play,” he said. “For them, the pitch is spinning and they want to be bowling. But we’ve got three of you. If I take you off, it doesn’t mean you’re bowling badly. It’s just that someone else may be able to do a better job at that point of time. When you’ve got three spinners, you have to work them that way and keep them as fresh as possible. I was pleased with the way I handled the three spinners.”Rohit hasn’t been able to do this in quite the same way, and Ashwin and Jadeja have ended up bowling extra-long spells. In Indore, both struggled for control at times, and while this may have had something to do with the difficulty of adjusting to the sharpest-turning pitch of the series, it may also have been because they weren’t always at their freshest, physically or mentally.In the second innings in both Nagpur and Delhi, Axar was underbowled because Ashwin and Jadeja were running through Australia. Ashwin and Jadeja weren’t always at their best in Indore, but Rohit still felt they were likelier to get him wickets than Axar.It’s a far-from-ideal situation for India, and it’s partly a consequence of the pitches they’ve played on. Flatter pitches that produce longer innings lead to situations where the third spinner, if picked, bowls out of necessity, and this can give someone like Axar a chance to bowl himself into rhythm. On turning pitches, the pressure to take quick wickets is constant, and a third spinner who isn’t causing the batters as much discomfort as the other two won’t get to bowl much at all.India will hope they can use the time they have between the third and fourth Tests to get Axar into better rhythm. If that happens, they can distribute their spin-bowling workload more equitably, which will only increase the collective potency of their attack. It’ll encourage both India and Axar that the fourth Test will be in Ahmedabad; it’s his hometown, and to say he has a good record there is perhaps the biggest understatement in all cricket.

Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara prove India willing to get their hands dirty

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

For nearly 80 overs of a fascinating contest, the visitors dug in and matched Australia blow for blow

Sidharth Monga17-Dec-20202:58

Moody: Kohli has mastered the art of batting in Australia

It is a shame that on a day of high-quality Test cricket, a run-out and what followed in the next half hour will be spoken about more than the persistent bowling in what were less-than-ideal conditions for the home side and the expert batting to counter them for close to 80 overs.The run-out, of course, could still have a decisive say in the Test, but this was a day when the engine room of the Indian batting rolled up its sleeve, got dirty and made sure the team didn’t throw away the advantage of winning the toss, never mind the three wickets lost for 45 runs towards stumps.In the first over of the Test, it was clear it would be hard work for Australia’s bowlers to take wickets. A genuine edge with the new ball didn’t carry to the slips. Not a single one would all day. However, it was also soon clear that scoring runs would be hard work, especially when overpitched straight deliveries were hit straight to midwicket or mid-on. It was a slow pitch with steep bounce on which the margin of error was perhaps more for bowlers than batsmen, but then again the edges wouldn’t just carry.India like scoring fast, Australia like nicking batsmen off. Neither was happening. So Australia shifted their attack straighter, and relied more on Nathan Lyon than they would have liked on the first day. In Lyon’s sights was his nemesis, the twinkle-toed Cheteshwar Pujara, who had reduced the champion offspinner to uttering a mercy plea of “aren’t you bored yet?” on the last tour.Related

  • Cheteshwar Pujara concedes dominant position lost, says Test evenly poised

  • Ajinkya Rahane blinks and Australia swoop

  • Relentless Australia power ahead with late scalps of Kohli, Rahane

At the sight of Lyon, Pujara, his characteristic phlegmatic self until then, on 21 off 104, began to jump out of his crease. He does so not out of some arrogance but out of the need to not let Lyon bowl lengths that draw forward-defensive shots. It is the most dangerous place to be in when Lyon is bowling because he will keep hitting the splice of the bat and eventually get either of the edges. And while it might look risky to some, Pujara can step out to spinners because that is a skill that has been honed over hundreds of hours of spin faced. He backs himself to judge the length and reach the pitch of the ball or get outside the line and thrust the pad should he be beaten in the flight.On the last tour, especially in the pivotal first Test, Lyon had missed a trick by not placing a silly point or a silly mid-off, which allowed Pujara to keep thrusting his pad or kicking the ball away. Lyon had remarked then that it was a fair plan against him, and now he needed to respond.Lyon might not have been able to respond emphatically during that series, but here he had a plan: the silly mid-off. Now Pujara had two catchers to contend with if he stepped out. He even offered a half chance early to that silly mid-off. Forced to play to leg now, he got more inside edges than he usually does, but he kept backing himself. In fact, he stepped out to 14 balls out of 35 he faced from Lyon. At 40%, this rate was significantly higher than his usual 17%.Lyon kept getting bounce, asking tough questions, but Pujara was not in control of only three of the 14 balls he stepped out to. More importantly, he was quick to cash in whenever he forced Lyon to pitch short. Eventually, Lyon was good enough to draw the dreaded forward-defensive out of Pujara. One of those four dipped enough to land out of his reach and take the inside edge onto the pad. Lyon just believes in bowling the hardest-spun offbreaks that draw batsmen forward and play a little with field placements. “That’s what works in Australia,” he said the last time.Virat Kohli lunges forward•Getty ImagesPujara spoke of Lyon with respect at the end of the day: “Just the revs he gets in each and every ball, he likes to bowl. He wants to bowl as many overs as possible. That is another advantage which he has. And his line and length is really good, which has improved a lot I feel. His revs are much better than they were four to five years ago. He likes taking the challenge on. He is someone who enjoys his bowling.”Surely this is not the last we have seen of this fascinating contest, but unfortunately – for cricket lovers, not the Kohli family – we are close to seeing the last of a modern master for this tour. Virat Kohli seamlessly switched to Test mode after months and months of limited-overs batting. He came in with no match-time preparation – it wasn’t physically possible for him to play all the limited-overs cricket, then the warm-up game, and then be fully intense for the Tests – but you couldn’t tell that from the way he batted.There was a time when Kohli’s response to testing spells used to be counterattack. Now, though, Kohli is so sure of his game and confident of others that he knows the exact response for different match situations. And like the No. 4 before him, Kohli is adept at shelving shots or introducing uncharacteristic ones on the go.Cheteshwar Pujara plays one off the back foot•Getty ImagesKohli played just two cover drives to pace, presumably because of the steep bounce. Accordingly he also cut down on the defensive push outside off, which meant he was not getting dragged across, thus lining up the lbw balls better. The trade-off was strike rate: this was his second-slowest fifty in Test cricket but he had done his best to eliminate the two dismissals that teams often attempt against him.To make up a bit, he lofted Lyon only the third ball he faced from the spinner, a shot he is loath to play in Tests lest he give the bowler a chance. He also drove Lyon against the turn even though he usually uses the traditional method of playing with the spin in Tests.In those regards, this was a better innings than, say, Edgbaston, because here he actually eliminated all the risk, which wasn’t the case in Birmingham as was apparent from the edges that didn’t go to hand and the catches that were dropped. Then again, there was less sideways movement to deal with here.In the end, as he looked set to end the century drought, Kohli fell because he stuck to his guns. He likes the quick singles to deny the bowlers a prolonged go at one batsman. Earlier in the day, he saw Pujara deny him one such single. Then Ajinkya Rahane had to put in a dive to make another. Even during the run-out, Kohli did nothing wrong: he trusted his partner as opposed to ball-watching and committed to the run fully. It was just that Rahane had hit the ball a little too well and close to the fielder. It is an error that happens once in a while, and will probably happen more frequently if you rely on these quick singles. The merits of such a strategy can be argued, but not of the rest of Kohli’s innings.If this is the best we get to see of Kohli this series, he has set the bar pretty high already.

Sonny Gray Trade Grades: Did Red Sox or Cardinals Win the Deal?

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The Red Sox have found their No. 2 starter.

On Tuesday, they acquired veteran righty Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for lefty pitching prospect Brandon Clarke and starter Richard Fitts. It is a deal that furthers Boston’s pursuit of a deeper playoff run in 2026 by providing a reinforcement behind ace lefty Garrett Crochet.

What follows are grades for each team’s return in the deal to see who came out on the better end of things.

Red Sox Acquire: Sonny Gray

Boston had been desperate to find some rotation help behind Crochet and looked like a potential landing spot if the Tigers made Tarik Skubal available. The Red Sox went a much easier route, landing the 36-year-old Gray, who is a durable three-time All-Star in his own right.

Gray was solid but not spectacular for St. Louis in 2025. He went 14-8, with a 4.28 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and 201 strikeouts against 38 walks in 180 2/3 innings. His FIP was 3.39, which shows he was a bit unlucky. While it wasn’t Gray’s best season, he is only two years removed from finishing second in AL Cy Young voting when he went 8-8, with a 2.79 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, and a league-best 2.83 FIP for the Twins in 2023.

The Red Sox are getting a stable No. 2 for their rotation. He’s a guy with a career ERA of 3.58, and has only been over 4.00 twice in the past seven seasons. Additionally, Gray and Crochet are two of the five MLB pitchers who have struck out 200 or more batters in each of the last two seasons, making them a formidable duo. Boston is pushing to take the next step and has added a good arm near the top of its rotation.

To sweeten the deal, Boston is also receiving $20 million to help cover the $35 million Gray is owed in 2026. His contract has a mutual option for $30 million in 2027, but it only carries a $5 million buyout. It’s a manageable contract, and they didn’t surrender a top prospect in exchange.

Grade: B+

Cardinals Acquire: Brandon Clarke, Richard Fitts

St. Louis is pushing to get younger after missing the playoffs for three straight seasons. Gray’s age and contract put him on the outside of the team’s plans moving forward. In exchange, they landed two intriguing arms but didn’t get any true top prospects to add to their impressive farm system.

Fitts has made 15 appearances (14 starts) over two big league seasons and has struggled to keep the ball in the yard. In 2025, he pitched in 11 games (10 starts) and went 2-4 with a 5.00 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and 40 strikeouts against 16 walks in 45 innings. He allowed 11 home runs in that time. The former Yankees prospect has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s but tops out around 98, and his slider continues to improve and has some sweep to it.

The prize of the deal is Brandon Clarke. The 6’4” lefty has a fastball that can touch 100, and features an outstanding slider that can sit in the upper-80s. He also features a curveball and a changeup he hasn’t thrown for strikes consistently yet. The Red Sox selected Clarke with a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft out of junior college, and he made his pro debut in 2025. In 14 starts at two levels of A ball, he went 0-3 with a 4.03 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and 60 strikeouts against 27 walks in 38 innings. Opposing batters only hit 1.28 against him. If he can cut down on the walks and straighten out his changeup, Clarke could race up prospect lists.

St. Louis moved off Gray’s contract but also shipped $20 million to Boston and didn’t land a top 100 prospect in the process. They weren’t able to pry either of the Red Sox’s top two pitching prospects, as Payton Tolle and Kyson Witherspoon remain part of Boston’s system. The return isn’t disappointing thanks to Clarke’s upside, but it feels a bit flat.

Grade: B-

ميسي يعلق على مواجهة مولر في نهائي كأس الدوري الأمريكي

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

يواصل ليونيل ميسي كتابة التاريخ في عالم كرة القدم، ويواجه تحدياً جديداً مع إنتر ميامي في نهائي كأس الدوري الأمريكي لكرة القدم.

ويستعد الأسطورة الأرجنتينية ليونيل ميسي لإضافة لقب جديد لمسيرته، حيث سيلتقي فانكوفر وايتكابس بقيادة الألماني المخضرم توماس مولر.

ولا تزال ذكريات مواجهة ميسي ومولر بقمصان برشلونة وبايرن ميونخ حاضرة في الأذهان، وصرح الأرجنتيني في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية: “من الرائع انضمامه للدوري الأمريكي وما يمثله ذلك من تأثير”.

وأضاف: “من الجيد أن تقام هذه المباراة النهائية وأن نتمكن من مواجهة بعضنا البعض مجدداً”.

وواصل: “نعلم أنها ستكون مباراة صعبة للغاية وانضمام مولر للفريق يجعلهم أفضل بكثير، يتمتع برؤية أوسع وستكون مباراة نهائية مميزة للغاية ونأمل أن تنتهي في صالحنا”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. لابورتا يحسم جدل إطلاق اسم ميسي على ملعب “كامب نو”.. ومصير ليفاندوفسكي

وسئل ميسي عن المباراة التي تمثل الرقصة الأخيرة لزملائه سيرجيو بوسكيتس وجوردي ألبا قبل اعتزالهما بنهاية الموسم: “سيكون ذلك رائع جداً بالنسبة لي ولهم، وللجميع، أليس كذلك؟ آمل أن يختتموا مسيرتهم بلقب وبأفضل طريقة ممكنة”.

وواصل: “أعتقد أنه سيكون أمر إيجابي للغاية وذكرى جميلة جداً لهما أن يعتزلا بفرحة جديدة في مسيرتهما الرائعة، بكل الألقاب التي فازوا بها، أما أن يعتزلا بشعور جيد ويودعا الولايات المتحدة بلقب؟ سيكون ذلك شئ مميز للغاية”.

وتحدث ميسي عن التحول الذي شهدته كرة القدم في أمريكا الشمالية في السنوات الأخيرة: “حدث نمو وتغير ملحوظين في عدد المشجعين، الذين يستمتعون بالمشاهدة ويشعرون بالشغف تجاه فرقهم، حيث تهيمن كرة القدم على كل شيء آخر”.

واختتم ميسي معلقاً على بطولة كأس العالم المقبلة في المكسيك والولايات المتحدة وكندا: “أنا والناس، على حد اعتقادي نتوقع شيئاً غير عادي لأنهم في الولايات المتحدة معتادون على استضافة الأحداث الكبرى وهذا هو الحدث الأكثر أهمية في عالم كرة القدم،أعتقد أنهم سيكونون على مستوى الحدث، حتى يتمكن الناس من الحضور والاستمتاع بكل شيء”.

Konstas wins the battle, Boland wins the match for Victoria

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Boland took 5 for 67 and Murphy 3 for 17 to bowl Victoria to victory after Konstas’ 53 and Davies’ 64 had New South Wales on track in a thrilling fourth innings chase

Alex Malcolm17-Oct-2025Sam Konstas finally won a battle with Scott Boland but New South Wales lost the war against Victoria with the Test quick and spinner Todd Murphy combining to bowl their state to a thrilling victory at the Junction Oval inside three days.New South Wales were 184 for 5 needing just 71 to win before Boland took the last five wickets of the match, including Oliver Davies for 64 as he threatened to take the game away. Boland also gave Davies an uncharacteristic stare after knocking off his leg bail with a stunning delivery that jagged back through the gate. Earlier, Murphy took 3 for 17 in a game-changing spell, including bagging Konstas for a rollicking 53.New South Wales were left frustrated, falling short of chasing a fourth innings target of 255 on the back of a superb display from the bowlers to give them a chance of winning the game. They were also on the end of two controversial stumping decisions.The first was given against Matthew Gilkes as part of a collapse of 4 for 7 after they had reached 90 without loss in the chase. Gilkes played and missed at Fergus O’Neill with Victoria keeper Sam Harper up to the stumps. Harper held the ball near the bails and paused for a moment. Gilkes briefly moved his back foot behind the popping crease and Harper removed the balls during that time. The square leg umpire gave him out stumped in real time with no TV umpire available in Shield cricket.The second went against No.11 Ryan Hadley, who was visibly annoyed when given out caught in the gully after the umpire deemed he had got an inside edge onto his pad.Sam Konstas made 53•Getty ImagesWhile Boland was the hero late for Victoria, Murphy had turned the game following a superb stand from Konstas and Blake Nikitaras. Konstas’ innings was a thrilling ride. He was almost bowled by Boland not offering a shot in the opening over. He reverse ramped the Test quick for six. He also charged O’Neill and lofted him over mid-off. He hooked Mitch Perry to fine leg but Murphy was too far in off the rope and it cleared him but landed well inside the boundary.Murphy exacted revenge though. After forcing Nikitaras to miscue to mid-on to break the opening stand, he picked up Konstas for the second time in his career. Konstas tried to cut a good length ball that spun and bounced more and he expected and chopped it onto his stumps. Murphy also removed Kurtis Patterson caught behind shortly after.It was a sequence the New South Wales coach Greg Shipperd bemoaned post-match. “That was a terrific partnership, a bit of punch, a bit of counter punch from both batters, but both got out in a disappointing fashion,” he said. “So that opened the door, and the door was then slammed shut on us.”[Konstas is a] baby cricketer in terms of experience as are a number of batters in the game on both sides. So there’s a lot of learning to be done. And he’s learned a couple of lessons today.”Incredibly, Murphy did not bowl another ball in the match after picking up Patterson in his eighth over. Victoria captain Will Sutherland opted for pace against the right-handed Davies who is a good player of spin.Davies looked set to win the game with a superb display of driving through the off side. He struck nine fours and a six before Boland snaked one through the gate. Boland then ripped through the lower-order, hitting the stumps twice more en route to his 10th five-wicket haul for Victoria.Three wickets apiece to Hadley and Liam Hatcher had given the Blues a reachable fourth innings target by combining to bowl out Victoria for just 177 in their second innings.After Hatcher and Hadley had claimed five wickets under gloomy skies on the second evening, Edwards struck twice in the morning session with Harper edging to slip and Sutherland nicking behind to leave Victoria struggling at 121 for 7. Mitchell Perry and O’Neill added valuable runs before Perry chopped Hadley on to hand the NSW quick his third scalp of the innings.O’Neill thrashed five boundaries in his brisk 25 before he was outfoxed by Nathan Lyon. O’Neill skipped down to try and launch the Test spinner over long-on but was beaten in flight and stumped by miles.Murphy was the last man out, adjudged lbw trying to reverse sweep a Lyon delivery that pitched on off stump.The victory propels Victoria to the top of the table with two wins from two matches.

Jackson Chourio's No Good, Very Bad Opening Day Made Unfortunate MLB History

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

It can hopefully only go up from here for Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio, who had an opening day to forget in the Brewers' 4–2 loss to the New York Yankees on Thursday.

During the Brewers' loss to the Yankees, Chourio became just the second player in MLB history to go 0-for-5 and get struck out five times over nine innings on Opening Day. He joins Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy, who first reached the unfortunate milestone in 2023.

The outing was uncharacteristic for Chourio, who has never struck out more than three times in a MLB game until Thursday. In his debut season in 2024, Chourio slashed .275/.327/.464 with 21 home runs and 79 RBIs. He was a strong hitter for the Brewers, finishing top-three on the team in batting average, hits, runs, and stolen bases.

Chourio also made happier history on Thursday, becoming the second player since 1901 to bat in the leadoff spot multiple times on Opening Day before his 22nd birthday. He joins Sebastian Daniel Sisti as the only two players to achieve this since 1901, with Sisti doing so in 1940 and '41 for the then-Boston Braves.

Chourio just turned 21 earlier this month, and also bat in the leadoff on Opening Day last season at the age of 20. Chourio had a much better performance last season, recording one hit, one RBI, one stolen base and no strikeouts in three at-bats in a win over the New York Mets.

Arsenal "monster" is becoming the new Xhaka and he's not even a midfielder

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The summer of 2023 was a landmark period for Arsenal. It signalled the arrival of a certain Declan Rice no less.

The midfielder arrived in a club-record £105m move. The Gunners had beaten Manchester City to his services, thus securing the talents of one of England’s finest players of his generation.

Since he moved across London from West Ham to Islington, there has still been a feeling that Arsenal have missed a player of the calibre of a certain Granit Xhaka.

Over the last year, in particular, Rice has eradicated memories of the Swiss warrior but their Arsenal stories are woven together.

The year Rice arrived, Xhaka left and in perhaps peculiar circumstances. The veteran had just enjoyed the finest individual campaign of his time at the Emirates Stadium, scoring nine goals in all competitions.

No longer was he the defensive midfielder that a great Arsene Wenger once signed. He was now a goalscoring number 8.

After departing, Xhaka enjoyed a fabulous time under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga but he’s now back in England and proving to be one of the signings of the summer.

How Xhaka inspired Sunderland to a draw with Arsenal

Over the last few years the newly promoted teams have been swept aside without so much as a noise. To put it frankly, they’ve been terrible.

However, Sunderland are bucking that trend. Ahead of Sunday’s fixtures in the Premier League, they sat fourth in the table and a large reason for that has been the performances of Xhaka.

The Switzerland midfielder signed for the Mackems in a £17m deal back in the summer and was swiftly made club captain. His displays since then have been admirable.

Sky Sports analyst and Sunderland supporter Dougie Critchley went as far as to say he is the “best player” he’s ever seen in the famous red and white strips after his goal against Everton last week.

While Xhaka did not find the net against Arsenal on Saturday, it was another fine display from Sunderland’s tempo-setting midfielder.

Xhaka is a warrior, a leader of men and he demonstrated that by completing 90% of his passes, winning four of his five ground duels and completing seven clearances this weekend.

Minutes played

90

Touches

57

Accurate passes

35/39 (90%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Fouled

1x

Tackles won

2

Interceptions

1

Clearances

7

Recoveries

1

Ground duels won

4/5

Aerial duels won

1/1

Dan Ballard and Brian Brobbey made the headlines but Xhaka issued Arsenal a timely reminder of his qualities.

Up against Rice and Martin Zubimendi, Arsenal’s midfield pairing exudes similar qualities but they aren’t the only men in Mikel Arteta’s ranks who bring a Xhaka-like presence to the squad.

Chalkboard

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

Arsenal's Granit Xhaka of 2025

The date is 28th October 2019. Unai Emery has chosen to substitute club captain, Xhaka. The response from Arsenal supporters inside the Emirates Stadium was remarkable.

He was booed and jeered as he left the field, which sparked an eyebrow-raising reaction from the Swiss. He cupped his ear, asked for more and then chucked the captain’s armband on the floor.

It was not a surprise to see that he was stripped of the captaincy just ten days later.

Speaking about the incident back in 2023, Xhaka labelled the situation as a “nightmare”. “The passports were out. I was done with Arsenal”, he said.

He ultimately stayed and enjoyed a remarkable change in fortunes under Arteta. The Spaniard turned him into a more forward-thinking midfield and after a hellish first few years in London, enjoyed a fabulous 2022/23 season, in particular.

That was the year Xhaka scored nine times and provided seven assists in all competitions.

The 33-year-old was still a vocal presence on the pitch and while he didn’t possess the armband, he still felt like a captain on the pitch. In the present day, the same could be said of defender Gabriel Magalhaes.

While the Brazilian hasn’t fallen out with supporters since moving from Lille in a £27m move, their Arsenal careers certainly have parallels.

Gabriel headed to London as an exciting talent but he was still incredibly raw. He showcased that during his first few years in English football.

The centre-back was rash and truth be told, a bit error-prone. Rio Ferdinand was particularly scathing of the defender back in 2022.

It was an incident that led to a DM exchange between Gabriel and Ferdinand and since that moment, he has gone from strength to strength.

Like Xhaka in his early days at Arsenal, the big Brazil international was a bit of an accident waiting to happen but they both enjoyed remarkable comebacks.

In the words of Jamie Carragher, Gabriel is now “the most influential player in the Premier League” this season and is in with a real shout of winning the PFA Player of the Year award if the Gunners win the league.

The defender has been a colossal presence in the heart of Arteta’s backline, a true “monster” as per pundit Troy Deeney. He’s a giant at the back, composed with the ball at his feet and has made a rather ridiculous impact from set-pieces.

So far this season, Gabriel has scored two goals and supplied three assists. Since joining in 2020, no centre-back in Europe’s top five leagues has scored more goals than him (22).

Like Xhaka, he’s also now one of the strongest commanders of men in the squad. He’s captained Arsenal on several occasions now and to quote Carragher once more, he is “the leader” in Arteta’s backline.

A midfielder he may not be, but he is certainly like Xhaka in plenty of ways. From being riddled with mistakes to becoming a cult hero at the Emirates, the parallels are certainly there.

Balderson ends Lancashire's red-ball drought with 261-run win

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Allrounder takes four in each innings as Madsen battles to 95 not out for Derbyshire

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay02-Jul-2025 Lancashire 367 (Green 121, Jennings 106) and 406 for 6 dec (Turner 121, Balderson 82, Jones 63) beat Derbyshire 261 (Andersson 79, Madsen 70, Balderson 4-71) and 251 (Madsen 95*, Guest 46, Balderson 4-54) by 261 runs George Balderson ended Lancashire’s red-ball drought when he bowled them to a crushing 261-run victory over Derbyshire in the Rothesay County Championship match at Chesterfield.The all-rounder took 4 for 54 and eight in the game as the Red Rose finally celebrated a first Championship victory of the season with Derbyshire dismissed for 251 which ended their unbeaten run in Division Two.Set an improbable 513, skipper Wayne Madsen made an unbeaten 95 and Brooke Guest 46 but once the fourth wicket pair were parted, the hosts collapsed with Tom Bailey taking the last two wickets to finish with 3 for 39.The grey clouds over Queen’s Park suggested the conditions were good for the bowlers, especially Jimmy Anderson, and although the bat was beaten, Derbyshire survived the first hour in relative comfort.Madsen eased Anderson to the cover boundary on his way to his second fifty of the match which came off 86 balls and when the former England fast bowler failed to take a wicket in his four over opening spell, Derbyshire had achieved their first objective of the morning.With Anderson out of the attack, Madsen and Guest kept the board ticking over without taking any risks and the stand was worth 127 in 18 overs when Lancashire finally broke through.The decision to bring on Chris Green at the Lake End was rewarded when Guest tried to shovel the off spinner through mid-wicket, missed, and was lbw.That would have come as a relief to Lancashire who might have been starting to get a little anxious but they were soon celebrating again.Martin Andersson had top scored in the first innings but this time he got a good ball from Balderson that straightened to take the off stump.The morning got even better for the visitors when Anuj Dal, who has figured in several Derbyshire rearguard actions, tried to whip Green off his legs and was bowled.When Balderson again found just enough seam movement to bowl Zak Chappell, Madsen was in danger of being stranded and he saw another wicket fall in the last over of the session.Ben Aitchison edged Balderson low to second slip where Green took a good catch which meant Derbyshire had lost 5 for 33 in 11 overs.Madsen went into lunch unbeaten on 78, his eighth 50 in 15 innings this season, and it was now a question of whether he could convert that into three figures.He was denied by Bailey with the new ball which accounted for Blair Tickner and Jack Morley with Anderson taking the catch at third slip which sparked Lancashire’s long awaited celebrations.

Thomas Tuchel names the England star who should be scoring way more goals

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

England winger Bukayo Saka knows he has to bring his club form to the international stage – and his manager Thomas Tuchel agrees.

The 24-year-old, whose early season was curtailed by injury, returned to Tuchel’s side for the 3-0 friendly win over Wales at Wembley and marked the occasion with a stunning goal.

That saw him become the top-scoring Arsenal player in an England shirt with 13, though Tuchel quipped it should be 30, not 13.

Saka has been one of the stars of the Premier League for the Gunners over the last few seasons, recently completing 100 goal contributions, but knows he has to do more in an England shirt.

“I have missed a lot of England games, especially under Thomas and I haven’t scored for a while either, so to come back and put the ball in the back of the net is a special feeling,” he said after he found the top corner with a brilliant effort.

“The way I perform for Arsenal I want to take it into England and perform better in games and be more effective. That is always my plan.

“Last camp I was really gutted I had to miss it, so coming back into the team today is a really nice feeling and to get that opportunity to put the shirt on again and score is an amazing feeling.”

Tuchel challenges Saka to score more for England

Tuchel has challenged the winger to bring more to his side, insisting he has all the conditions to perform.

Tuchel said: “How many goals did he score for England? Thirteen? One three? It has to be more, it’s not enough.

“He needs to keep on going. I thought it was 30, at least, and then I would have said it’s not enough, because I am never satisfied.

“He is such a threat for Arsenal in the most difficult league in the world, so why would he not be at international level?

“We have the position for him, he has the attitude, the stamina, the talent, everything to be a top player at international level, and that’s what he has to show.

“We can just encourage him to be influential, like he was today. Next game, he needs to try to repeat it.”

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