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Kane Williamson says it was “a real shame that the tournament was decided in the way it was” after defeat on boundary countback

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Jul-2019Gary Stead, New Zealand’s head coach, has suggested that the possibility of sharing the World Cup was something that “should be considered” after his side were denied in a heartbreaking finish at Lord’s on Sunday. The teams could not be separated after 100 overs and also tied the Super Over, but England lifted the trophy after winning on boundary countback.Having slept on the result, Kane Williamson described the manner in which the final was decided “a real shame”. New Zealand had further cause to be disappointed, after it transpired that England should almost certainly have only been awarded five overthrows, rather than six in the final over of regulation time.”Make sense of it? I think that’ll take quite a bit of time actually,” Williamson said. “Such a fine line. May be the worst part is there is so much you can’t control in those situations and it still sort of eventuates the way it did. All in all it was a real shame that the tournament was decided in the way it was after two teams went at it. And two good teams were playing a cricket game, but it was still a tie.ALSO READ: Kimber: How the greatest ODI finish played outStead and Craig McMillan, New Zealand’s batting coach, agreed that allowing England and the Blackcaps to share the World Cup would have been an ideal finish. Asked during a media interaction at the team hotel whether he would have preferred New Zealand being declared joint winners, Stead was open to the suggestion.”Perhaps when you play over a seven-week period and can’t be separated on the final day, that is something should be considered as well,” Stead said. “But again that’s one consideration over a whole lot of things that went on over the World Cup. Everything will be reviewed, and I think that it’s a good time to do it now. But probably just let the dust settle for a while.”However, McMillan, whose contract finished with the World Cup, was more straightforward, saying sharing the trophy would have been the “right thing” in contrast to the tie-breaker in the form of the Super Over, a rule adopted last year by the ICC. “It is not going to change yesterday’s result. But what is probably fair to say at the end of seven weeks in a big tournament like this, when you have two teams can’t be separated after a 50-over match and then a Super Over and neither team did actually lose in many ways in terms of runs scored.”Then perhaps sharing the trophy would be the right thing to do. Wasn’t to be yesterday, which we all are disappointed with. But it is sport and those were the rules.”A sign signals the game is going to a Super Over•Getty Images

There were a number of turning points during England’s chase, with several occurring one after the other in the final half hour. The biggest was when Martin Guptill’s return throw from deep midwicket hit the back of Ben Stokes’ bat and ricocheted for four overthrows, thus reducing England’s target to a mere three runs from two balls. The on-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Marais Erasmus consulted the TV umpire before declaring the six runs.Subsequently, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, it seems England were actually wrongly awarded an extra run. Simon Taufel, a former ICC Elite Panel umpire, said the match officials had “goofed up”. New Zealand remained unaware of exact wording of the rule even the day after.Williamson said he trusted the match officials’ word and refused to complain about how things turned out. “I actually wasn’t aware of the finer rule at the point in time,” Williamson said. “Obviously you are trusting the umpires in what they do. You throw that into the mix of few hundred other things that may have been different that we wouldn’t be just talking about one thing.”Two great campaigns. From our side of things, we are really proud of the ay the guys went about their business. And am sure the English were as well, they had a great campaign. It sort of showed – we went toe-to-toe and it was the fine print that decided it.”Watch on Hotstar (India only) – The final overs of the chaseStead, too, tried hard to be realistic. He felt New Zealand could do nothing but accept their fate. He felt Super Over probably was currently the only way to pick a winner until the ICC devised a better solution. “That is one,” he said of the idea of having several Super Overs, again and again, until there’s a winner. “I guess a valid way as well. The hard thing I find is a 50-over competition being decided on a one-over bout, just doesn’t seem quite right, but then I don’t write the rules. That’s the way it goes.”Both Stead and McMillan were confident the ICC would review whether the Super Over was indeed the best way to deal with the scenario like a tie in a World Cup final. But for New Zealand, as McMillan said, nothing would change now.”Small margin this, isn’t it? I don’t know that rule to be perfectly honest. I have played a lot of games of cricket, watched a lot of cricket – overthrows have just been added to what has been run as opposed to the point of the throw coming in. So, again, it will be something that will be something debated, discussed, but again it doesn’t change the result.”

The captain said that gave the lower-middle order an opportunity to deal with the pressure of a run-chase

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2019

Virat Kohli felt India being reduced to 99 for 4 against Australia was “good for the team” as it allowed their lower-middle order to see off the game. Kedar Jadhav and MS Dhoni put together an unbroken 141-run stand to secure victory by six wickets.”It was a difficult sort of a game,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony. “We did a good job with the ball. The wicket didn’t offer as much as it did under the lights, which was surprising. You have experience with MS and flair with Kedar who is also experienced now. That partnership was outstanding and it was more or less a complete performance. That set the platform.”At 99 for 3 (India were four down), I was speaking to Ravi [Shastri] , and I said this is good. These guys have to do it and they have to get us across the line. The way Kedar and MS took responsibility, it was great to see.”Kohli was equally delighted with Ravindra Jadeja’s frugal returns with the ball. While the left-arm spinner didn’t make any breakthroughs, his relentless pressure with accurate wicket-to-wicket bowling tied Australia’s middle order down.”Ten overs for less than 35 was brilliant on this pitch,” Kohli said. “He set his fields, it was great to see. Even with the bat, he was all geared up that ‘I’m going to finish the game, I just want an opportunity.’ He looks in a great shape and that’s good for the team.”Kohli was particularly effusive in his praise for Mohammed Shami, who he felt was leaner than ever before. Without saying it in as many words, India’s captain hinted at Shami’s selection for the World Cup if fit and firing like the way he has since returning to the ODI set up last year.Shami picked up the wickets of the set Ashton Turner and Glenn Maxwell off consecutive overs to delay Australia’s slog, which could have cost them the 20 or 25 runs which Aaron Finch felt made the difference in the game.”The way Shami has come back into the white-ball set-up after his Test performances has been brilliant,” Kohli said. “I have never seen him so lean before. He has lost five-six kilos. He’s running in and bowling so well. The lines and length he’s bowling; got Maxi on 40-odd out with a beautiful ball. He has wicket-taking ability and he’s hungry for wickets.”Heading into the World Cup, it’s a great sign for team India. If he can stay hungry like this and look for wickets and he has the ability to back it up with (Jasprit) Bumrah and Kuldeep (Yadav), it’s going be great to stand in the field and watch.”Shami, 29, credited the hard work during the time away from the ODI set up for his rejuvenated return.”This year has been one where I have worked really hard on my fitness,” he told . “We (team) enjoy our training and you get to the see the results on the field. When I returned from injuries, I weighed 93kg, and then I realised I needed to lose weight. I thank everyone who pushed me, and I have maintained my weight since then.”I just try to give my best for the team, and I keep taking feedback from the experienced players. I have focused more on my line and length in the last 18 months, and that’s worked for me really well.”

Mohammed Shami was left out of the 15-man squad

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2018India’s frontline pace bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have been added to the ODI squad for the remaining three matches against West Indies, after being rested for the first two games. Mohammed Shami was left out of the squad, which had no other changes.Allrounder Kedar Jadhav had missed the first two matches with a hamstring injury he picked up during the Asia Cup; he was expected to be back for the remaining ODIs, according to chief selector MSK Prasad, but wasn’t named in the squad of 15. Jadhav scored an unbeaten 41 off 25 for India A against India C in the Deodhar Trophy on Thursday and bowled a few overs too.Shami played the first two ODIs but was the most expensive India bowler in Guwahati, where he took two top-order wickets in his figures of 2 for 81. He bettered his performance in Visakhapatnam by finishing with 1 for 59 from 10 overs, but could not retain his place for the remainder of the series even though Umesh Yadav has so far conceded 142 runs in the two matches, compared to Shami’s 140, with only one wicket to his name.The remaining three matches will be played in Pune, Mumbai (Brabourne Stadium) and Thiruvananthapuram on October 27, 29 and November 1.Squad: Virat Kohli (cap), Rohit Sharma (vice-capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Khaleel Ahmed, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Manish Pandey

With a dab through backward point – and the help of four overthrows – Alastair Cook completed a fairytale hundred in his final Test

Melinda Farrell10-Sep-2018Alastair Cook had passed 20 the afternoon before, so finishing with 12,345 runs was out of the question. A shame for members of the Consecutive Numbers Appreciation Society.Then there was the half-century to tick off. He did so on the first ball of the second over of the morning, crisply flicking a Jasprit Bumrah delivery off his pads as the fans were still flooding in. No doubt at least some of them were skiving: who cares about work or the first full day back at school when history is crooking its finger?Next up was Kumar Sangakkara’s position as fifth on the Test run-scorers’ table: Cook needed to reach 76 for that. He got there driving, not cleanly, but an inside edge was enough for a single and the title of highest scoring left-handed batsman in Test history.And then, of course, the century. Cricket has been cruel to many of its greatest proponents. Few get to name the day of their final stand, let alone write the bit about riding off into the sunset and living happily-ever-after. Cook had scored a half-century and a century on his debut against India in Nagpur; surely, 12 years and 161 Test matches on, he couldn’t sign off a tremendous batting career in a home Test the same way? It would be too symmetrical, too .Alastair Cook soaks in the applause of The Oval crowd after raising his 33rd Test century•Getty Images

Okay, so it wasn’t a glorious cover drive or a dramatic slog sweep for six but in a way it was still a perfect shot to sum up Cook’s career: a dab to backward point. He was only on 96 at the time, but the overthrow for four made sure of it and the first to react was Joe Root, who threw both hands in the air. A kid once more, celebrating his idol.Cook completed the run before raising his bat, removing his helmet and beaming his Jane Austen-hero smile at the crowd. No sweat visible, obviously.The ovations that have greeted him throughout this game have been extraordinary but this was unlike any that preceded it. On and on the applause went, circling the Oval like an unending Mexican wave. It rose again each time his face appeared in the big screen. Play couldn’t restart. Eventually, standing at the non-striker’s end, he had to acknowledge it and, almost sheepishly, walked halfway down the pitch with his arms outstretched.Then play resumed and all that is left is the party. England have won the series, they look ever more likely to win this match, and Cook has his farewell century. Everything else is icing.

Shohei Ohtani essentially threw a rehab start at Dodger Stadium against the San Diego Padres Monday. Too valuable as a hitter to the Los Angeles Dodgers to send to a normal minor league rehab stint to build arm strength, Ohtani returned immediately to a big league mound for the first time in 662 days and after undergoing a second elbow procedure.

How did he look? Amazing, of course. Only Ohtani could throw a pitch 100.2 mph and hit a double 105.2 mph after not pitching for 22 months.

It’s only one start—the equivalent of a rehab outing, at that—so we’re a long way from drawing any conclusions. But it’s our first look at Ohtani pitching for the Dodgers, so let’s dive into first impressions. Here’s what we learned from Ohtani’s debut as a Dodgers pitcher:

Ohtani is throwing harder than ever.

His average four-seam fastball velocity of 99.1 mph was a career high in his 84 games. , you say,

Ok, then: it was the highest first-inning velo in his career, topping the 98.9 mph he averaged just before he was hurt in August 2023.

Ohtani threw from the windup.

We had not seen that before. I like it, especially for a guy with two elbow procedures. He is tall and athletic, assets that should not be diminished by pitching from the abbreviated stretch with bases empty.

Ohtani threw from the lowest release point of his career.

His release point was 2 1/4 inches lower than where it was in 2023. This continues a trend for him. His release point Monday was 6 3/4 inches lower than in 2021.

Here you can see how his release point over the years has gradually declined (all pitches here are four-seam fastballs with the bases empty):

Manchester City have now identified a “top-level midfielder” as a priority target, joining a number of Europe’s top clubs in the race for his signature.

Man City set sights on Yaya Toure-esque midfielder

Despite his well-documented fallout with Pep Guardiola, Yaya Toure is undoubtedly a Man City legend, winning three Premier League titles, three EFL Cups and one FA Cup during his time at the Etihad Stadium.

The Ivorian, who is now working as Saudi Arabia’s assistant manager, posed a threat going forward throughout his time in England, scoring a whopping 20 goals during the 2013-14 Premier League season, while also amassing nine assists.

Since then, City’s style of play has changed, with Guardiola’s side reliant on Erling Haaland to provide the majority of their goals, and the Norwegian certainly hasn’t disappointed so far this season, averaging 1.05 goals per 90 in the Premier League, having found the back of the net 15 times.

However, Man City have now joined the race for an up-and-coming central midfielder with shades of Toure, according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states they have identified Trabzonspor’s Christ Inao Oulai as a priority target.

Bayern Munich and Manchester United are also rivalling City for the 19-year-old’s signature, with all three clubs identifying him as one of their key teenage targets in Europe.

In his hometown of Yopougon in the Ivory Coast, the teenager is known as ‘Le Petit Yaya’, while City view him as a long-term partner for Rodri in midfield, and believe he could replace the Spaniard on a long-term basis.

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It could be difficult to get a deal over the line, however, with Trabzonspor unwilling to sanction a departure in January, and looking to receive £35m.

Christ Inao Oulai already a "top-level midfielder"

Former Premier League midfielder Michael Essien is a keen admirer of the Trabzonspor star, saying: “He’s a top-level midfielder, and he’s only 19 years old. I hope to see him one day wearing the Chelsea jersey.”

The two-time Ivory Coast international has emerged as a key player for the Turkish side this season, displaying his attacking prowess by chipping in with one goal and two assists in eight Super Lig matches.

Bernardo Silva’s future at Man City is up in the air, given that his contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and it has been suggested that Guardiola is willing to let the Portugal international move on.

As such, it could be a savvy move to bring in a central midfielder with attacking qualities in January or the summer, and Inao Oulai is exhibiting very promising signs in the Super Lig.

Ed Joyce is in the twilight of his career but is putting all his efforts into staying around to play Test cricket for Ireland

George Dobell03-May-20173:41

‘If I bowl to him, it’s another wicket’

Ed Joyce used to hide his cricket bat when he took the train into Dublin for nets.As a typically self-conscious teenager, he was painfully aware of what he calls “the stigma” surrounding a sport that was seen as “upper class” and, even worse, “English”.So it is, he says, “hugely significant” that England has, at last, welcomed the Ireland team to their home for a two-match ODI series and, equally, that much of Ireland will be gripped – and united – by their cricket team’s progress in England.These days, as you drive on the A5 from Dublin to Derry, you regularly see cricket clubs dotted along the side of the road. These days, cricket in Ireland claims 52,000 participants (as defined by ICC standards) – that’s up from 11,000 in 2007 and 25,000 in 2011 – and boasts crowds of up to 10,000 at home internationals (it seems they may well attract something close to full houses at Lord’s and Bristol). These days, Cricket Ireland’s statistics provide evidence that they are running the fourth-biggest sport in the land (based on a combination of commercial revenue, media coverage, attendance and participation figures) and the second biggest on social media. The ODIs against England will be broadcast live (on subscription TV) and the largest broadsheet newspaper carried a page of cricket last Sunday. These days, Joyce doesn’t hide his bat.But these games aren’t just a victory parade. While being welcomed to play a series in England is a watershed moment – arguably as much for the ECB who, under new management, have started to take their duties towards developing cricket nations seriously – Ireland have long stopped thinking of themselves as “plucky underdogs” who could surprise their big neighbours occasionally. They’re not here for selfies in the Long Room.Furthermore, the games come just as a judgement is made over their readiness for Test cricket. While it would be absurd to judge a team’s suitability for Test cricket on the snapshot offered by two ODIs, it would, their CEO Warren Deutrom admits, be “disingenuous to pretend that the results carry no influence”. Just as Bangladesh owed their elevation, in part at least, to that controversial victory over Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup, so Ireland could ease the wheels of their own promotion with a victory or two against a side rated by some bookies as favourites for the Champions Trophy. Equally, two drubbings might make the elevation – which is due to be ratified by the ICC in June – just a little more awkward.

The stumbling block is money. It’s going to cost us a lot of money if we’re to play Test cricket and we’re going to need the ICC’s helpEd Joyce on the challenge ahead

“We want the ICC to see our potential,” Deutrom, who is every bit as responsible for Ireland’s progress as any of the players, says. “We don’t have ten stadiums or a staff of 200.”But I think what the ICC are trying to do is take a broad, holistic view of Irish cricket. It’s not just the performance of the senior men or women’s team over the last six months they’re looking at: it’s the facilities; it’s the strength in depth; it’s the governance and coaching structure, and evidence that we can manage our budgets. It’s our potential.”We believe we offer a new commercial opportunity for the game. We’re not after a hand-out. But yes, of course these games could have an influence. This – the decision to grant us Test status – is a new process and nobody here is thinking it as a penalty kick. We are in no way complacent.”In some way, these ODIs come at a far from ideal time for Ireland. Their progress, as an international side at least, has slowed of late. While much is being achieved in the background – most notably, the introduction of a first-class competition, but also ever-improving facilities, a growing pool of players and, at last, some support from England and other ICC members – the fact is that teams are judged on their results on the pitch. And Ireland’s, of late, have been eclipsed by Afghanistan’s.One of the problems is that, the golden crop of players they had to pick from a few years ago has long since been harvested. Several (such as Trent Johnston) have retired, several (such as George Dockrell) have not yet kicked-on as hoped and, most worrying of all, several are claiming the extra half-hour at the end of their careers.Joyce is an obvious example in that last category. He is 39 in September and, as Leonard Cohen put it, aching in the places he used to play. He can, he says, still see the ball as well as ever – and this is a man who sees the ball well enough to have made an ODI century against a strong Australia attack in 2007 – but knee and hip problems are reducing his effectiveness and his sense of enjoyment in the field. Niall O’Brien and Tim Murtagh, who are both aged 35, can probably empathise. All of them are locked on to the target of Test cricket; all of them are hoping they have the range.”It’s getting to the point where I’m not sure I can put myself through a lot more rehab,” Joyce says. “And, yes, personal pride comes into it. Having Test cricket on the horizon may leave me with a difficult decision to make.”Ed Joyce knows his body may not allow him much longer in the game but he’s determined to help Ireland•SportsfileHe has, he admits, taken a “significant” pay-cut to leave county cricket. He would have had no problem winning a contract to play for another year or two, but he was keen “to put something back” into Irish cricket. He has, therefore, signed to play for Leinster in this season’s domestic competitions – incorporating the new first-class competition – and will supplement his playing role with the start of a transition into coaching.”I love county cricket,” he says. “And playing it was brilliant for me. But ultimately we want to create a system where our best young players don’t have to leave Ireland to progress their careers. We’re not there yet and I’d still like to see more of our guys go to England for a while. But the long-term goal is that it’s not necessary.”Joyce’s fear is that those hard-won gains of the past – all the work that led to memorable victories against England and Pakistan and West Indies, victories that forced the world to take them seriously – could be lost. And with Ireland so close to their long-term target – Test cricket – he felt it was time to commit to the fight. Nobody wants a repeat of Kenya’s rise and fall.”We’re not at the level we were,” Joyce admits. “We’ve been hit by four or five big retirements and that’s made life very difficult for us. And that’s happened just as people have started to expect more of us. We can’t be plucky underdogs any more. We have to prepare to win and we have to learn to live with a higher level of expectation. It’s not easy.”It’s vital we keep the level of performance up. The world seems a lot more receptive to our situation than it has been but the gains we have fought so hard for could be lost. We have to keep playing well. We can’t let things slip now just as it seems the door might be opening for us.”Ireland’s problem is not new. They need to play more games in order to improve, but until they improve other nations have been reluctant to grant them those games. It’s starting to change – Bangladesh and New Zealand visit shortly for a tri-series tournament – but they continue to be held back by those who claim their elevation to Test cricket will devalue the format. Hell, they might even lose five Tests out of seven in Asia or be whitewashed 5-0 in Australia. Ireland shouldn’t really have anything left to prove at this stage.”We just don’t play enough,” Joyce says. “We need to get into the limited-overs leagues the ICC are talking about to speed up the process. It’s a chicken-and-egg problem.

Whenever I doubt the progress we’ve made – and of course I have done at times – I look back on the team that qualified for the 2007 World Cup

“The stumbling block is money. It’s going to cost us a lot of money if we’re to play Test cricket and we’re going to need the ICC’s help. It has, in the past, been tough to get past the other national boards, but they have definitely changed. Tom Harrison at the ECB has been very helpful. It feels like there is much more acceptance of us.”But we deserve some of the credit for that. Ahead of the 2015 World Cup we decided that, if we won any games, we’d make a point of taking to social media or saying things in interviews that we might not have done in the past. We wanted to put the boards and the ICC under pressure. And we’ve done that by playing consistent cricket for the best part of ten years and taking every opportunity to point out the challenges we face.”He is adamant that the development of Afghanistan is positive for Ireland and world cricket. “It’s been good for us, I think,” he says. “They are helping make the same argument as us. They have players like Rashid Khan who demand to be seen on the biggest stage. It feels as if we’re pushing together in the same direction.”If elevation does come too late for Joyce, it will prove the second time he has laid foundations on which others could build. Joyce was part of the Ireland squad in 2005 that won World Cup qualification only to miss out on some of the most memorable moments in the team’s history as he made the understandable choice to switch to England in a bid to play Test cricket and earn a decent living; neither was achievable with Ireland at the time. But whether he misses out or not, he will take consolation from the progress made over a relatively short period of time.”Whenever I doubt the progress we’ve made – and of course I have done at times – I look back on the team that qualified for the 2007 World Cup,” he says. “The sport had almost no profile in Ireland and hardly anyone took it seriously. We had a good group of players back then – and yes, some good imports who brought an edge to the unit – and we shocked a few teams.”Yes, we’re in a transition right now. But Steffan Jones, the fast bowling coach, came over recently and said he reckoned we had as good a crop of young fast bowlers as he had ever seen. We just need to make sure these guys have the chance to fulfil their potential.”There’s always been talent in Ireland. But for a long time it wasn’t feasible to get any better. There weren’t any facilities; there wasn’t much coaching. These things are much better now. There’s far more awareness of the sport in Ireland than there was just a few years ago. We’ve made huge progress.”Ed Joyce was speaking at the launch of UK company Clear Treasury’s sponsorship of Cricket Ireland. Visit https://cleartreasury.co.uk/ for more information

Chelsea hold a Premier League star in very high regard, and it is believed they’re prepared to battle for his services, as those within Stamford Bridge believe he could be an imperative addition to the squad.

Chelsea prioritise centre-back with Wesley Fofana out for a long period

Enzo Maresca confirmed the news that Chelsea supporters really didn’t want to hear, with mainstay centre-back Wesley Fofana facing a lengthy absence for the second time in his career at the club.

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The Frenchman has partnered Levi Colwill to brilliant effect so far this season, but Maresca will now have to cope without him for a very long time, which could even be for the rest of this season, despite Chelsea’s boss originally predicting he’d miss just “three, four, or five weeks”.

“Unfortunately, he could be out for the season, so we don’t know exactly for the entire season, but unfortunately he could be out for part of the season,” said Maresca on Fofana’s injury at Chelsea.

“And we are together here since we start, and every time you ask me about Wes, I said many times that I’m in love with Wes.

“I was in love with Wes, also because Wes is that kind of defender that gives you the chance to press and be aggressive and to leave him 1v1 with Watkins on pitch.

“We did exactly the same when Wes was injured with Benoit Badiashile, 1v1 with Solanke on pitch, and they can deal with that, and it’s very difficult to find that kind of defender, but now unfortunately both are injured. We are trying to find different solutions, but for sure for us Wes is a huge loss.”

Chelsea are believed to be prioritising a centre-back in January, even before Fofana’s injury, but there are also some suggestions that they have their eyes on reinforcing their forward options.

Ipswich Town star Liam Delap is a target for Chelsea, and they’ve had some contact with his club in the build up to this window (Simon Phillips).

Chelsea view Newcastle star Isak as "key" potential signing

According to reports out of Spain, Newcastle United star Alexander Isak is on their striker shortlist too. It is believed Chelsea view Isak as a potential “key” signing for Maresca, and they’re “ready to compete” with Atlético Madrid and Arsenal for his signature.

The Magpies will demand a price tag of around £99 million, or perhaps even more going by other reports, which is hardly surprising given Isak is arguably the division’s best centre-forward right now.

“Alex is a world-class talent,” said Newcastle boss Eddie Howe recently.

“The way he took his goals, he has that coolness and composure very few have. When you add into the mix his technical skills, I think he’s got it all. He has unique skills, and the challenge is to get him into the game as much as we can. Earlier in the season we weren’t doing that, but now the team are performing much better.

“He’s a player with a real confidence and we’re seeing a return to his really best levels – that’s highlighted by the goals he has scored.”

Plays of the day from the second T20 international between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, in Auckland

Andrew Fidel Fernando10-Jan-2016The swirler
Eden Park is a well-enclosed ground, but in the fifth over, Tillakaratne Dilshan managed to get a ball into the windswept higher reaches of the stadium. This ultimately worked to his advantage. Spotting a short-of-a-length delivery from Mitchell McClenaghan, Dilshan swung hard across the line and gave up a big top edge. The ball shot up in the direction of third man, and Trent Boult peeled off from gully to chase it. It looked like it would be a comfortable running catch, until the ball had risen enough for the wind to catch it. It’s descent was several metres to Boult’s right. He dived to intercept it, but managed only to get fingertips to the ball.The gate

Aiming a wild stroke over the legside, Danushka Gunathilaka left a gaping space between bat and pad in the second over, for Adam Milne to slip a length ball through. Gunathilaka’s bat was some distance from the ball that clattered into his stumps, but the dismissal was also a gate for other reasons. He was the first of several Sri Lanka batsmen to get out slogging.The spurned chance
When Martin Guptill top edged his own hoick across the line in the first over of New Zealand’s chase, Sri Lanka had an opportunity to dismiss the opposition’s form batsman cheaply. Perhaps due to a lack of confidence, the wrong fielder went for the ball. Thisara Perera sprinted in from long-on and had the ball fall just short of him, but it should have been Shehan Jayasuriya pursuing it from midwicket. The ball had dropped only about seven metres away from where he had been originally standing.The flamingo shot
Colin Munro blasted three sixes from four Jeffrey Vandersay deliveries in the eighth over, but his most memorable shot came against Isuru Udana soon after. Munro ran at the bowler and made room to swing the bat, but when Udana sent a full delivery wide of off stump, Munro had to manufacture a shot. He threw one leg backwards, in the air, and leaned over to strike the ball towards wide long-on, connecting well enough to fetch himself another six.

Glasgow Rangers enjoyed a great night at Ibrox on Thursday by holding Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur to a draw in the Europa League.

It was Ange Postecoglou’s first return to Glasgow since moving on from Celtic, who he won two Scottish Premiership titles with, in the summer of 2023.

Rangers ended the match with more shots, more ‘big chances’ created, and more xG but failed to come away with all three points, despite an impressive performance.

The Light Blues are now nine matches unbeaten in all competitions and have hit form at a good time, ahead of the League Cup final clash with Celtic on Sunday at Hampden Park.

However, a poor opening few months of the season has left the Scottish giants 11 points adrift of their Glasgow rivals in the race to win the title, with three losses in the division so far.

Celtic have won 14 of their 15 Premiership matches after they were able to strengthen their squad in the summer transfer window, having banked a hefty amount of cash through the sale of Matt O’Riley.

How much Celtic sold Matt O'Riley for

Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion swooped in to sign the Denmark international for a reported Scottish record transfer fee of more than £25m, breaking the record set by Jota’s £25m switch to Al-Ittihad in the summer of 2023.

This means that Celtic had huge sales in back-to-back summer windows to fund their own incoming business to make their squad stronger across the board, despite losing a couple of key performers.

O’Riley attracted significant interest in his services because of his sensational form in the Premiership for the Hoops during the 2023/24 campaign, with his ability as a scorer and a creator of goals helping him to standout in the division.

As you can see in the table above, the English-born magician had an impressive, but not unbelievable, first full season at Parkhead before emerging as their star man last season.

He dominated games and was a match-winner for Celtic on a regular basis, because of his ability to score and create goals, and that helped them to earn more than £25m from his sale.

That allowed the Hoops to sign Auston Trusty for £6m, Adam Idah for £9.5m, and Arne Engels for a club-record £11m, among several other deals.

Meanwhile, per Transfermarkt, Rangers did not sign a player for more than €5m (£4.1m) after their biggest summer sale was Sam Lammers’ £4m move to FC Twente.

Their lack of big money sales meant that they could not spend the kind of money that Celtic were able to, as Nils Koppen had to invest in younger, cheaper, talent, with the hope that they will develop into high-value assets – like O’Riley.

Rangers' promising summer signings

The Belgian recruitment chief, who is now the club’s technical director, brought in eight players to Ibrox on permanent deals, along with three loans, and five of those eight arrivals are aged 22 or under.

Connor Barron was snapped up from Aberdeen after his contract with the Scottish side expired at the end of last season and the 21-year-old ace has enjoyed a strong start to life in Glasgow.

He has made 26 appearances in all competitions and has started 13 of the club’s 15 matches in the Premiership, which shows that Philippe Clement already trusts the Scotland U21 international.

Another impressive young recruit from Koppen’s work in the summer is Brazilian left-back Jefte, who has emerged as a first-choice option for Rangers at the age of 20.

The promising full-back, who turns 21 later this month, has started 17 matches across the Premiership and the Europa League, and caught the eye with his solid form.

As you can see in the table above, Jefte has offered a strong defensive presence at the back, with 3.7 tackles and interceptions per game without being dribbled past regularly.

However, summer recruit Hamza Igamane is the player who Clement could hit the jackpot with as his answer to Matt O’Riley, given his impressive form of late.

Why Hamza Igamane could be Clement's Matt O'Riley

The Scottish giants swooped to sign the versatile forward from Moroccan side FAR Rabat in the summer and his market valuation on Transfermarkt at the time of his move was just €1m (£829k).

After around five months at Ibrox, that valuation has already shot up to €2.5m (£2m) to reflect his superb form in recent weeks for Clement’s side.

The 22-year-old star, who scored against Spurs on Thursday night, has produced six goals and one assist in 16 appearances in all competitions for Rangers so far this season.

Five of those goals and his one assist came in his last five appearances for the club, as he struggled in his first 11 matches because the youngster needed time to adapt after leaving Morocco for the first time in his career.

As you can see in the table above, Igamane has been particularly impressive in the Europa League for Rangers with a return of five goal contributions in two starts in the competition.

He has proven himself on the European stage and his form of late suggests that the forward, who can play on the left or through the middle, is starting to thrive domestically as well.

Igamane, who was dubbed an “exciting young talent” by Koppen, is a dynamic attacker who can hold off defenders, dribble past opponets, create chances, and score goals, as illustrated by his form in the Europa League, and his market value is soaring as a result of his performances.

Diomande 2.0: Rangers chasing £2.5m signing who'd thrive with Igamane

Rangers are reportedly interested in signing the exciting playmaker in January.

By
Dan Emery

Dec 11, 2024

If the 22-year-old whiz can continue to shine and develop with more experience under his belt then he could emerge as a high-value asset for Rangers who they later sell on for big money to fund their own summer spending spree, akin to the one Celtic had after selling O’Riley.