The change was made to free up Mooney, who is Giants’ designated wicketkeeper as well as opener
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2025Australia allrounder Ashleigh Gardner has been named Gujarat Giants captain for WPL 2025, ending fellow national team-mate Beth Mooney’s two-year reign at the helm.”It is an absolute honour for me to be named the captain of Gujarat Giants.” Gardner said in a Giants statement. “I have loved being a part of this team and I am excited to lead this fantastic group in the upcoming season. We have a great mix of young and experienced players and plenty of Indian talent in our squad. I am looking forward to working with the team and making our fans proud.”Related
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Gardner has been a vital cog for Australia across formats, chipping in with her all-round credentials. In the recent Women’s Ashes, she picked up five wickets including a second-innings four-for in the only Test match – a pink-ball affair at the MCG – and scored her maiden ODI century in the third ODI of the series. She missed the T20I leg of the multi-format series with a calf strain but had provided a reminder of her bowling abilities by picking 16 wickets for Sydney Sixers in WBBL 2024.”She is a fierce competitor,” Giants head coach Michael Klinger said. “Her game awareness, tactical acumen, and ability to inspire players make her the ideal choice to captain Gujarat Giants. We believe she will lead from the front and guide the team towards a successful campaign.”Gardner has been with Giants since the inaugural season and the move to elevate her to captaincy was made to free up Mooney, who is also the designated wicketkeeper and the opening batter for them. Gardner was also Giants’ vice-captain for most of the first season after Mooney picked up a calf injury one game into WPL 2023.Gardner is the No. 1-ranked allrounder in ICC’s ODI rankings while Mooney is the leading T20I batter.”I would like to thank Mooney for her highly valued leadership,” Klinger said. “Now, she will be able to focus on wicketkeeping and opening the batting lineup. She continues to be a major leader of our group.”Ahead of the auction for WPL 2025, Giants rejigged their support staff with assistant coach Nooshin Al Khadeer and mentor Mithali Raj parting ways. Australia assistant coach Daniel Marsh joined as the batting coach while IPL team Lucknow Super Giants’ spin-bowling coach Pravin Tambe is the bowling coach.
Beuran Hendricks was the other top performer of the round with the ball
Firdose Moonda12-Nov-2020The Titans celebrated coach Mandla Mashimbyi’s 40th birthday with a resounding win over the Warriors in Port Elizabeth. They have created significant daylight between themselves and the other teams in the group, which includes the Warriors.The Warriors were still missing players from last week’s Covid19 incident, which saw six of their squad forced to sit out. South Africa’s franchise players are tested every two weeks which means that even if any of the six have recovered, they could not rejoin the Warriors for this round. Again, their depth was challenged as they were bowled out for 231 by the Titans, with Lizaad Williams’ 4 for 64 leading the way. Half-centuries from Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen and Sibonelo Makhanya gave the Titans a 62-run lead but their performance in the field in the second innings pressed home their advantage. The Warriors were shot out for 124, thanks largely to Tabraiz Shamsi’s 8 for 32, leaving the Titans with 63 runs to win, which they polished off before lunch on the final day.In Bloemfontein, the Knights pulled away at the top of Pool A beating the Dolphins by 227 runs. The Knights were in control throughout this fixture throughout, posting 424 in their first innings built and dismissing the Dolphins for 162. The seam bowlers Alfred Mothoa (4 for 35) and Migael Pretorius (3 for 50) did the bulk of the damage. Rather than enforce the follow-on, the Knights batted again and declared on 208 for four, to set the Dolphins and improbable 471 to win. The Dolphins batted past lunch on the final day but it was in vain as the Knights’ bowlers plugged away to reach the inevitable conclusion. Pretorius picked up four for 52 to finish with seven wickets in the match and is the competition’s leading seamer so far.And at the Wanderers, the Cobras clung on for a draw after starring down the barrel of a second successive defeat this season. The Lions’, led by Beuran Hendricks’ ripped through the Cobras on a wet first day with a seven-for and skittled them out for 107. The hosts them built on their advantage with a total of 324, and had enough of a lead to push for an innings win. Half-centuries with Tony de Zorzi and Kyle Verreynne allowed the Cobras to bat deep into the final day and build a lead, which the Lions did not get the opportunity to chase. George Linde hit a fifty late on the day too. Hendricks also completed a ten-for for the match in the course of the second innings.On the National Radar Beuran Hendricks’ career-best 7 for 29 in the first innings against the Cobras at his home ground, the Wanderers (where South Africa will play one of their two Tests against Sri Lanka this summer) will not have gone unnoticed. Although Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi are likely to be the first choice quicks, South Africa may go all-pace and Hendricks has put his hand up to be in the attack.In Port Elizabeth, Shamsi showed why South Africa may not want to consider unleashing their firepower alone. He claimed a Titans’ record, beating Dale Steyn’s 8 for 41 in the 2007/8 season, to bowl the Titans to victory and leads the wicket-takers’ list after two rounds.Pieter Malan’s twin failings (9 and 1) and Markram’s inability to get going with 17 may mean the selectors have to look elsewhere for a partner to Elgar, who is now the frontrunner to be named Test captain. Sarel Erwee, who sits atop the run charts, has made a strong case for consideration. Temba Bavuma (32) and Rassie van der Dussen (22) have also struggled to set the stage alight, but Kyle Verrerynne (51 and 72) and Heinrich Klaasen (68) are showing signs of strong form setting up an interesting tussle for middle-order spots.Top Performers Raynard van Tonder topped up on his 85 last week with a daddy hundred in this round to bat the Dolphins out of Bloemfontein from day one. Van Tonder scored 119 on the first day and turned into 166 by midway through the second and shared in partnerships all the way through the Knights’ innings. Though he is usually referred to as one for South Africa’s future, for someone with such a penchant for run-scoring, that future may start this summer. Dominic Hendricks was the other centurion from this round, with 130 opening the batting for the Lions.
Top-order batsmen getting runs will be good news as the international season approaches
Firdose Moonda05-Nov-2020 Results Summary The Knights became the first team to record a win in this year’s first-class competition when they beat the Warriors by 179 runs in Bloemfontein. The match was Allan Donald’s first in charge of his home franchise and first as a head coach in South Africa.Whether the win would have been as resounding had the Warriors had a fully-fit squad to pick from is a matter of debate after six players were forced to withdraw ahead of this round of matches. As a result, the Warriors were without a significant number of their first-choice bowlers and it showed. Batting first, the Knights piled on 430 for 6, with all of their top five in the runs. In response, the Warriors managed only 158. The Knights’ 272-run lead gave them the luxury of being able to declare their second innings on just 93 for 8, setting the Warriors 366 to win. Given their first-innings effort, that was always going to be a bridge too far and they fell short by a distance.In Cape Town, the Titans came back from a first-innings deficit of 114 runs to beat the Cape Cobras by two wickets. They chased down 316 in the fourth innings of the game despite being bundled out for 150 in their first innings. The Cobras set the tone by declaring on 264 for 9 on day one, and took a big advantage into the second innings, where they scored 201. They would not have been too unhappy with setting the Titans a target over 300, but with several international batsmen and time on their side, the Titans won after lunch on the final day.Not long after that, the Dolphins joined the victory parade. They defied a rain-affected first-day to topple defending champions the Lions, who started proceedings with 258 in the first innings. If the Lions were wondering that was a middling total, the Dolphins replied with 458 for 3 declared, taking exactly the lead they would need – which was worth 200 runs – to push for an innings win. They didn’t get that, but needed just 11 runs to seal victory in a chase that lasted only 16 balls.Theunis de Bruyn plays the sweep•Associated PressOn the national radarPerhaps the best news for the new national selector Victor Mpitsang was that top-order batsmen performed well. Dean Elgar’s hundred made up more than two-thirds of the Titans’ first-innings total, while Theunis de Bruyn’s 127 took the Titans to victory.De Bruyn was dropped for last summer’s Tests but could force his way back in with form this season. Aiden Markram and Pieter Malan, two others competing for the openers’ role, could only manage scores of 2 and 48, and 51 and 1, respectively. Worryingly, Rassie van der Dussen’s returns were just 1 and 10 and Temba Bavuma, who was also captaining his franchise, made 43 and 25. Keegan Petersen, who trained with the South African squad last summer, made a strong case with his 173 for the Dolphins against the Lions.None of South Africa’s frontline Test bowlers were in action at home with all of them occupied at the IPL, but spinner Keshav Maharaj showed his ability to close out games. He opened the bowling for the Dolphins in the Lions’ second innings and took 6 for 101 to bowl his team to a win. George Linde, who made his Test debut in India last year, took nine wickets for the Cobras to become the early leader on the wicket charts, followed by Tabraiz Shamsi and Maharaj with seven wickets each, making the top three bowlers after round one all spinners.International allrounders Andile Phehlukwayo and Dwaine Pretorius were in action, with Pretorius carrying a heavier bowling load. He bowled first change for the Lions – after Beuran Hendricks and Sisanda Magala – and delivered 21 overs, which brought him 1 for 44. Phehlukwayo only bowled in the Lions’ first innings and sent down 13 overs, with a return of 1 for 49.Reeza Hendricks gets behind the line•Getty ImagesTop performers The Knights’ Jacques Snyman became the first batsman to score a century in this first-class competition before lunch since Rilee Rossouw did it back in 2010 to register his first century at the franchise level. His opening partner Matthew Kleinveldt scored 73, as Raynard van Tonder got 85 at No. 3.Also at the top of the order, Sarel Erwee’s 199 set the Dolphins up for their big win. Reeza Hendricks made 76 for the Lions and although the Warriors did not have much success with the bat, Matthew Breetzke’s 77 at the top of the order also sent a message to the selectors. In the middle order, Kyle Verreynne’s second-innings 85 for the Cobras stood out in an otherwise lean scorecard.Lizaad Williams, who moved upcountry from the Cape this season, is the leading seam bowler after the first round with six wickets. He took 4 for 51 in the Cobras’ first innings and 2 for 23 in the second to finish with an average of 12.33.
da winzada777： O São Paulo goleou o 4 de Julho por 9 a 1, na última terça-feira (08), no Morumbi, e avançou às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil. No entanto, a equipe levou um susto com menos de um minuto, ao sair atrás do placar.
ATUAÇÕES: Pablo faz “hat-trick” e comanda goleada histórica do São Paulo diante do 4 de Julho
Para o zagueiro Bruno Alves, autor de um dos gols do Tricolor na partida, o foco e a maturidade do time foram essenciais para conseguir a vitória.
TABELA > Veja classificação e simulador da Copa do Brasil clicando aqui
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da heads bet： – A gente sabia da nossa responsabilidade, que era buscar a classificação. Mas, no primeiro ataque do adversário, a gente levou um susto. Só que a equipe estava muito focada, concentrada no que o Crespo pediu para fazer – disse o zagueiro à ‘SPFCTV’.
A perseverança do São Paulo e o ritmo forte que a equipe de Crespo fez o jogo todo também foi destacado pelo zagueiro do Tricolor.
– A gente não desistiu em momento nenhum e conseguimos colocar o ritmo forte, o que ele (Crespo) sempre pede, e aproveitamos as chances de gol.Mostramos uma maturidade da equipe. Mesmo saindo atrás, a gente conseguiu manter o ritmo – finalizou.
Agora, o São Paulo vira a chave para a disputa do Brasileirão. No próximo domingo (13), o Tricolor enfrenta o Atlético-MG, em Belo Horizonte, às 16h, pela terceira rodada da competição.
Wrexham stars James McClean and George Evans are among those to have embraced an entirely different ball game during the club’s tour of North America.
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Red Dragons back in the United StatesPreparing for friendly clash with ChelseaSquad relaxing & unwinding off the pitchGetty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Dragons have crossed the Atlantic for the second time in as many years. Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney continue to spread the word of Wrexham a long way outside of North Wales – with an award-winning documentary series aiding that cause.
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Phil Parkinson’s side have already faced Premier League side Bournemouth in California and have another outing against Chelsea to come while on the west coast before heading north to Reynolds’ home town for a clash with MLS side the Vancouver Whitecaps.
DID YOU KNOW?
Before bidding farewell to Los Angeles, McClean and Co have taken in a trip to watch the Dodgers in MLB action. They saw the LA-based outfit run out 9-6 winners against the Boston Red Sox franchise that is run by Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group.
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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?
With every opportunity being taken to let their hair down – which is being encouraged by Parkinson and the Wrexham board – further efforts are being made to get more transfer business done before the 2024-25 League One campaign gets underway.
Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement will have enjoyed the fact the international break came precisely at the right time for his squad, especially with the sheer volume of injuries they have suffered recently.
The two-week hiatus will have given the likes of Danilo, Abdallah Sima, and Oscar Cortes time to recover and work on building their match fitness ahead of the final furlong of the season.
Several players were in action for their national sides over the weekend. Cyriel Dessers scored for Nigeria as they defeated Ghana, while John Souttar came on as a sub during Scotland’s 4-0 loss to the Netherlands on Friday evening.
Ridvan Yilmaz also made an appearance for Turkey following his fine form at the Light Blues since the turn of the year, yet he had to come off with an injury, something that could give Clement a major selection headache.
The latest on Ridvan Yilmaz's injury
The left-back was making his first appearance for Turkey since March 2022, and it was nothing short of deserved after becoming the first-choice option for the Belgian coach on the left side of the Rangers defence.
What should have been a night where Yilmaz cemented his position in the team ahead of Euro 2024 soon turned into a nightmare, as he suffered an upper thigh injury in the 27th minute and had to be replaced.
Ridvan Yilmaz for Rangers.
A statement from Turkey explained that he had been sent home from the squad due to the issue and would play no further part in their second match against Austria on Tuesday night.
This is a significant blow for Rangers, as Yilmaz was emerging as a key player under Clement.
Ridvan Yilmaz’s statistics in 2023/24
The defender has enjoyed a consistent run in the starting XI, which in turn has given the player the confidence to showcase his true talents.
In the Premiership this season, the former Besiktas defender has created six big chances, averaged 1.7 key passes per game and taken 0.8 shots per match, indicating that he loves bombing down the left flank regularly.
Goals
1
Assists
1
Key passes per game
1.7
Big chances created
6
Successful dribbles per game
1.3
Additionally, the 22-year-old has been solid defensively, winning 3.5 total duels per game – a success rate of 56% – along with making 1.1 tackles per game and being dribbled past on just 0.5 occasions per match, rubberstamping his presence in the starting XI.
Who shouldn't replace Yilmaz
It is unclear how long he will be missing, but Clement will need to find a replacement. The most obvious choice is Borna Barisic, yet his form has been dismal recently for the Ibrox side.
The Croatian has been with the Gers since the summer of 2018, firmly establishing himself as the number one left-back in the squad.
The signing of Yilmaz in 2022 was supposed to give Barisic some competition, yet he struggled during his maiden season in Glasgow, making only 15 appearances in all competitions.
Borna Barisic
Barisic kept his spot during the opening six months of the current term, but his form has been way below par.
Indeed, he has started just 13 league matches this term, creating only one big chance and succeeding with a measly 0.3 dribbles per game. Considering the defender has made a career out of his attacking abilities, these statistics are poor.
Barisic has also lost possession a staggering 15.5 times per match in the top flight this season, being regularly caught out as he is bombing down the left wing, yet it is clear Yilmaz has been the better player in recent months. It won't come as a surprise, therefore, to learn that the Croat could depart in the summer.
Now, Clement simply cannot risk bringing the 31-year-old back into the starting XI, especially with tough games against Hibs and Celtic fast approaching.
Who should replace Yilmaz
The Belgian should turn towards someone else in his squad who has impressed no matter where he has been deployed – Dujon Sterling.
The 24-year-old endured a slightly difficult start at the Gers despite his "exciting" billing – as per Rangers Review – with former manager Michael Beale playing him just seven times before he was sacked in October.
An injury crisis during the festive season threatened to derail the wonderful progress Clement had made in his first few weeks, but Sterling stepped up to the plate and shone in the heart of the midfield.
Dujon Sterling
He was even given a start in the League Cup final against Aberdeen, delivering a mature performance as Rangers secured a 1-0 win to claim their first silverware since the 2022 Scottish Cup.
Sterling even won the Man of the Match award for his display, while Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie hailed the former Chelsea starlet as their “best player so far” during the half-time break in the final.
The versatile 6 foot 1 gem has played at right-back, right-wing and in the centre of the midfield over the previous few months, but he also played at left-back against Celtic during the first Old Firm clash of the season.
Rangers' £5.6k-p/w forward is being outshone by Dujon Sterling
Rangers have a player who could be sold this summer as he is being outshone by Dujon Sterling.
ByRoss Kilvington Mar 8, 2024
Injuries to Yilmaz and Barisic in September left Beale with no choice but to utilise Sterling there, and he delivered an astute display.
During his 65 minutes on the field, the defender completed 87% of his passes, made three interceptions, two tackles and was only dribbled past once during the match.
He only lost possession seven times too. Considering this was a position outside his comfort zone, there is no doubt he was one of their finer performers in what eventually turned out to be a 1-0 defeat.
With the clash against Celtic being billed as a potential title decider, hopefully Yilmaz is back to full fitness prior to the clash against Celtic. If he isn’t, then Sterling is more than capable of filling the void.
His improvement under Clement has been nothing short of remarkable, with the Englishman able to perform in whatever position he is chosen, always delivering a positive performance.
The Premiership title race could go right down to the wire and Clement will need every single one of his players in the form of their lives to lift a first league crown since 2021.
A win over Celtic could be the catalyst which sees the Ibrox side motor away from their rivals.
Newcastle United have endured their fair share of injuries this season, with Eddie Howe patching together his squad throughout the campaign. The former boss has at least received a major boost on that front, however, with one star set to return earlier than expected.
Newcastle injury news
The Magpies are already without the likes of Nick Pope, Joelinton and Kieran Trippier as the Premier League season approaches its final stages. And those injury problems have far from helped Newcastle's form, with their European ambitions becoming more and more unlikely every week, especially after their latest defeat against Chelsea.
Sandro Tonali (suspended)
31/08/2024
Callum Wilson
11/05/2024
Joelinton
11/05/2024
Nick Pope
03/04/2024
Kieran Trippier
30/03/2024
Harvey Barnes
30/03/2024
Dan Burn
16/03/2024
With two wins in their last six games and mounting injury problems, Newcastle have been left with it all to do if they are to qualify for some form of European football this season. As their Stamford Bridge defeat showed, however, Howe's task is a difficult one in the coming months and one that could have so easily been worsened by further injury news.
Newcastle could sell a player who's earning 9x more than Lewis Miley
The experienced Toon star needs to be moved on this year.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 13, 2024
The Magpies boss initially shared concerns over the extent of Anthony Gordon's injury against Chelsea, saying via Premier Injuries: "Gordon looks like a knee problem and it doesn’t look too good at the moment; it is unclear. Hopefully, we can give him that in the next couple of days, and we can get him seen to."
Since then, those fears have fortunately been eased to finally hand Howe some positive news. According to Jacob Whitehead of The Athletic, Gordon has avoided any serious damage to his knee and could even be back for the Manchester City game as soon as this weekend. Even if it's not the City game, the Newcastle star will reportedly be available for England selection in the upcoming international break.
"Great" Gordon's return will be a welcome boost
In a season to forget, Gordon has been one of the few bright sparks at St James' Park, fully living up to his £40m price tag and £60k per-week salary, which initially raised eyebrows. If the 23-year-old makes his return as soon as the City game, then Newcastle will stand a far greater chance of causing an upset in the FA Cup last eight and making an appearance at Wembley to help salvage their campaign.
Anthony Gordon.
Former manager Frank Lampard was well aware of Gordon's quality even during his Everton days, saying after the winger's goal against Brentford in 2022: “It’s what I wanted from him. It was a great run, great timing and a great pass, and his composure was great. I’m delighted for him and thought his all-round performance was great. There’s pressure on him and I thought he handled it brilliantly.”
With ten goals and seven assists to his name so far this season, Gordon has done enough to be considered for a spot in Gareth Southgate's England squad, signalling even more relief that his injury is not as severe as first feared.
da dobrowin： Everton may well be unsure in which division they will spend next season, but that has not stopped them already looking ahead to the summer transfer window, and they are set to join a whole host of clubs chasing one man tearing up English football.
Everton on tenterhooks over FFP charges
da premier bet： The Toffees are in something of a sticky situation as things stand. Already having been docked points once by the Premier League this season (initially 10, reduced to 6 on appeal), they remain on trial for a second breach of financial fair play regulations. A decision for that breach is not expected soon, though the deadline for any outcome is April 8th.
BBC man makes claim on when Everton will hear about second PSR charge
They could be docked yet more points this season.
ByBen Browning Mar 19, 2024
Currently on 25 points, were the Toffees to be docked another six points they would find themselves in the relegation zone and two points from safety, with what could be as few as seven games left to save their season (they play three times before April 8th).
Having seen Nottingham Forest docked just four points for their latest breach, Sean Dyche's side will be hoping that their outcome is similar at worst, a fate that would allow them to keep fighting for Premier League survival on the pitch rather than in the law courts.
The Premier League relegation race
Club
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Goal Difference
Points
Everton
28
8
7
13
-10
25*
Luton Town
29
5
7
17
-18
22
Nottingham Forest
29
6
7
16
-16
21*
Burnley
29
4
5
20
-34
17
Sheffield United
28
3
5
20
-50
14
But departures this summer seem inevitable regardless, with both Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana strongly linked with big money moves away from Goodison Park ahead of the new season, moves that could however free up some much needed cash to bolster the Toffees ranks.
Everton midfielder Amadou Onana.
Having been burnt by big money signings in the past, it seems that they are set to try and mix it up this summer.
Toffees in chasing pack for League One star
Now, one report has linked Everton with a potentially cut price move for ex-Celtic talent Karamoko Dembele, who is now starring in League One with Blackpool. The South London born youngster came through the ranks in Glasgow and caught the eye for his dribbling prowess, leading to talent scout Jacek Kulig to compare his style to that of Mohamed Salah.
He has yet to reach that potential, but is showing signs of it this season on loan in England's third tier from French side Stade Brest, having grabbed six goals and 11 assists in 32 League One outings for the Tangerines and helping them into playoff contention.
Blackpool boss Neil Critchley believes there is something special about Dembele. "He plays the game in a unique way, and has football personality", he told the media. "He will take the ball in any situation and can make things happen. He’s exciting and can be beautiful to watch."
His ability has certainly caught the eye of plenty of clubs, and HITC report that Everton are keen on signing the Stade Brest man, but there is also competition from Premier League rivals West Ham United, Fulham, Wolves and Nottingham Forest, as well as Championship heavyweights Leeds United and Leicester City.
No price is named in the report, though it is unlikely to be a massive fee for a player in the final two years of his contract and shining in the third tier of English football. Nonetheless, the 21-year-old could be an exciting addition to Dyche's side, if they can find a way to fight off the competition this summer.
Southee and Boult pick up two wickets apiece as India fold for 242
The Report by Sidharth Monga28-Feb-2020 The depth in New Zealand’s five-man seam attack pulled India back from positions of strength on two occasions to leave them bowled out for 242; their openers knocked 63 off that total by stumps. While Kyle Jamieson starred on the scoreboard with a maiden five-for, the other three frontline quicks played their part: Trent Boult took the first wicket, Tim Southee took out Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane, and Neil Wagner’s short-pitched bowling broke India’s biggest stand of the series.At 63 overs, India’s innings was shorter than either of their digs in Wellington but, thanks to more positive intent and a quicker pitch, they ended up with a bigger score. And yet they will be disappointed that despite three fifties from their specialist batsmen, despite lives through dropped catches, they ended up with the third-lowest Test total in an innings that featured three or more scores of 50-plus from the top-seven batsmen.On an individual level, there was improvement as all three half-centurions made technical or mindset adjustments after Wellington. Out of sorts with lack of footwork and struggling against the short ball, Prithvi Shaw got his front foot moving and scored a 64-ball 54 to give India a rollicking start. Two men in the spotlight for their slow going in Wellington and their captain’s subsequent remarks about intent, Cheteshwar Pujara and Hanuma Vihari batted with urgency and purpose in their half-centuries, but aggression got the better of both of them with the team score in the 190s as India lost their last six wickets for 48 runs.Asked to bat once again, India had a tough job in the morning after a delayed start because of an early-morning drizzle. Shaw, though, went on to show that conditions in New Zealand can look tougher than they are. His forward movement allowed him to track the swing, and his instinctive positive batting remained intact. As a result, Southee in particular couldn’t bowl the really full swinging ball, and Shaw made merry every time Southee pitched even slightly short of a good length. There was a gorgeous on-drive off the full ball too.Boult, though, brought New Zealand some cheer by setting up Mayank Agarwal by moving the first four balls of the sixth over out, in, out and in. Pujara showed he was mindful of his attitude to loose deliveries after he was guilty of not always taking advantage of them in Wellington. To the 13th ball he faced, a full wide one, he threw his hands, ending up slicing it over point. Shaw at the other end made sure Colin de Grandhomme, first-change bowler, couldn’t achieve a repeat of Wellington where he bowled at under two an over.As early as the 19th over, New Zealand went to Wagner and his short-pitched bowling, which nearly brought immediate benefit. Shaw hooked the second ball from Wagner, top-edging it just over the tallest man on the field, Jamieson, at fine leg. That brought up his fifty, a credit to him and the support staff that they could figure a way out of his Wellington issues in one net session between the Tests. Minutes before lunch, though, Shaw had a drive at a full wide one from Jamieson, falling to an acrobatic catch by Tom Latham at second slip. New Zealand would struggle to maintain that catching form.Kohli had tense few minutes to survive before lunch, and Williamson immediately went to Southee. Before lunch, Southee kept dragging Kohli across with outswing outside off before bowling the perfect delivery immediately after lunch. These are not always bowled by design, but you reap the benefits only if you are accurate. This was an outswinger just outside off, but it seamed back in upon pitching and hit him in front, leaving Kohli no chance. A more defensive batsman might have perhaps got an inside edge, it was that good a delivery.While Pujara had now begun driving well, and timing them instead of punching them, Rahane committed a mental error in Southee’s fifth over after lunch. Just visually, Rahane has looked the most comfortable of India’s batsmen on tour, defending late and playing under his head, but this time he was drawn to defend in front of his body, and the outswinger took the edge. When Jamieson pushed Vihari back, hit him on the finger, and then drew an edge to a full one, 80 for 1 was all set to become 134 for 5. Except that BJ Watling dived in front of first slip, and managed to get only fingertips to it.Pujara and Vihari then batted freely, especially against Boult, which meant New Zealand went to plan B in the afternoon. Wagner kept the batsmen honest with a seven-over spell for just eight runs, mixing the bouncers and knuckle balls, nearly getting Pujara with one. But India didn’t allow de Grandhomme to settle, which meant the run rate remained healthy. However, just before tea, Wagner did his job. Having had enough of his bouncers, Vihari decided to take Wagner on in a fresh spell. He kept a pull down, upper-cut him for a four, drove a knuckle ball, but to what turned out to be the last ball before tea he managed only a glove through to Watling. Time and again, it has been seen that there is only one winner when you start taking Wagner’s bouncers on, which will make Vihari question his approach moments before tea.If Vihari’s dismissal was disappointing, Pujara’s was near inexplicable. Just after tea, Pujara went to hook the tallest bowler in the opposition, managing only a top edge to a ball not that short. At the other end, de Grandhomme and Watling reprieved Rishabh Pant in successive deliveries, but the uncertainty that Jamieson’s height brings got the better of him in the next over. Pant pushed at a length ball outside off, but his feet remain rooted, thus producing a played-on dismissal.Umesh Yadav was no match to Jamieson, and Ravindra Jadeja – selected ahead of R Ashwin for his batting – top-edged another short ball to give Jamieson the five-for. A 26-run roulette for the last wicket took India to 242, but the bowlers sans Ishant Sharma had a big task.In the 23 overs before stumps, India kept the batsmen honest, but couldn’t produce an opportunity that would go to hand. Tom Blundell and Latham batted watchfully, respecting the good balls and then cashing on the odd loose ones. They will hope the loose ones will increase in number if they can keep India on the field for a long time on day two.
Despite sitting pretty in second spot in League One currently, Derby County's woes up top are still yet to be sorted out.
Paul Warne had to start Nathaniel Mendez-Laing up top in his side's narrow 1-0 win over Stevenage at the weekend, the more naturally suited winger slotting into the side as a makeshift striker owing to growing injury issues in the centre-forward ranks at Pride Park.
On top of 18-goal star James Collins being sidelined through injury, the Rams are also without the likes of Martyn Waghorn and Conor Washington with Warne reportedly pushing for a deal to be struck with free-agent striker Dwight Gayle to add more numbers to the depleted position for Derby.
Yet, if the Rams had just been more proactive in the transfer window, they could well have landed this exciting Gayle alternative with the player in question standing out now for one of Derby's fierce promotion rivals.
When Derby wanted to sign Callum Lang
Derby were once in the race to sign former Wigan Athletic attacker Callum Lang last month, with Portsmouth unfortunately coming up trumps as the winners for Lang's signature over Warne's side.
Unable to sign both Lee Gregory and Michael Smith as well, it was a subdued window in truth for the promotion seekers especially when it came to bolstering their centre-forward spots.
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Able to play down the wing and as a second striker too, Lang's signature would really have strengthened the Rams and helped plug gaps in a number of problem areas with injuries piling up.
Whereas, as much as Gayle has been a prolific EFL sharpshooter over his extensive career, there's no guarantee he will set the world alight at Pride Park if signed after a barren time at his last employers in Stoke City.
On the contrary, the former Wigan man has hit the ground running almost immediately at Fratton Park to help Pompey push away from Derby in second place.
Callum Lang against Sunderland for Wigan Athletic.
Lang's numbers with Portsmouth so far
Lang might well not boast the same reputation Gayle has for being an out-and-out goal-getter, but the 25-year-old has become an instant fan's favourite on the South Coast for his assuredness in front of goal all the same.
Three of Lang's five goals this campaign in League One have come from donning a Pompey strip, the £5.4k per week attacker bagging those strikes over a mini five-game purple patch recently.
One of those strikes came in this weekend's emphatic 4-1 win over Reading, with the former Latics forward also winning four duels along the way to help his side cruise to victory.
In stark contrast, Gayle managed to net just three goals for Stoke over a pitiful total of 50 games to showcase the 34-year-old's lack of a clinical edge as his career inevitably begins to peter out.
The ex-Newcastle man's ruthlessness in front of goal could be uncovered again making the drop down to the third tier however, but Derby will still be left rueing their decision to not go after Lang with more purpose.
The 25-year-old's current heroics for Pompey could see John Mousinho's strong South Coasters leave Derby in the dust when it comes to the hunt for the third-tier title, with the Rams potentially running out of steam amidst even more potential injuries owing to Gayle's own injury proneness, missing as many as 156 days in 2019/20.
Dwight Gayle for Newcastle.
Warne will just want to put any failure to land Lang to one side for the time being however, eager to get Gayle in through the door now to at least have another striker option he can call upon in the short term.