A defiant century from Mark Cosgrove salvaged a draw for Leicestershire on the final day of their game against Durham at Emirates Riverside.The Australian began the day unbeaten on 21, with his team still 155 runs behind the home side. He battled throughout to keep the Durham bowlers at bay, even using his head on one occasion. Cosgrove held his composure, scoring his first century of the campaign to save his team from defeat before bad light ended the contest.Durham were frustrated in their attempts to claim the victory, although the pitch at the Riverside for once was not helpful to seam bowling. James Franklin’s men remain in contention for promotion, extending their unbeaten run in the Championship to seven games, but they will need raise their game in their remaining matches to beat out their rivals.Leicestershire began the day with Cosgrove and Colin Ackermann at the crease still trailing the home side by a significant margin. The two batsmen were able to see out the first hour with relative ease as the Durham bowlers were unable find life from the pitch.Cosgrove did provide one moment of bemusement in his otherwise untroubled morning, opting to leave a Ben Raine delivery that struck him straight on the helmet. Ackermann found his range to dispatch Liam Trevaskis for back-to-back boundaries before pulling Carse to the fence to bring up the fifty partnership from 139 deliveries. They fended off the threat in the morning session, reaching the interval unscathed, although still with work ahead to erase the deficit.After the interval, Cosgrove continued his impressive stand by moving to his half-century, drilling the ball through the covers to the fence from a short Carse delivery. Ackermann joined his team-mate by hitting two boundaries from the same over, reaching his sixth fifty of the campaign. The duo carried on their resistance, working their way past their century stand, but Ackermann eventually fell to Trevaskis by edging the ball to first slip.The home side attempted to put the clamps on Leicestershire, although Cosgrove remained a thorn in their side. Raine was able to dismiss Harry Dearden, who played down the wrong line and lost his off stump.Nathan Rimmington’s introduction into the attack from the Lumley End produced the wicket of Harry Swindells to give Durham hope of forcing a result at the tea break. Cosgrove and Gavin Griffiths held firm amid pressure from both seamers and spinners in the evening session. Durham captain Ned Eckersley tried to force the issue with time against his team after the visitors had edged into a slender lead.Trevaskis and Cameron Steel struck to remove Griffiths and Chris Wright to put the pressure on. Cosgrove upped the ante to notch his century from 261 deliveries, saving the game for Leicestershire as bad light brought a premature end to the game.

Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr have now submitted an offer for a Manchester United star who is not wanted under head coach Ruben Amorim, according to a recent report.

Amorim confident Bruno Fernandes will have help this season

The Red Devils started their tour of the USA in an excellent manner, as they put in a strong display to earn a 2-1 win over West Ham United in what was their first of three games in the Premier League summer series.

United had captain fantastic Bruno Fernandes to thank for the victory, as the Portugal international netted in the opening five minutes from the penalty spot after a foul on Ayden Heaven. Then, Fernandes doubled their lead through a wonderful curled effort from outside the box to claim their first win of preseason 2025.

Fernandes has been heavily relied upon by United to be their creative force, but Amorim is now confident the arrivals of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo will help the attacking midfielder in the upcoming campaign.

“He will have more help this season.

Sesko 2.0: Man Utd make £50m CF who's "like original Ronaldo" a top target

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“It’s impossible to play all the positions. Last year, I felt sometimes I pushed him back to have more possession in the build-up, and then we missed Bruno near the box. Cunha and Bryan have different characteristics.”

Al-Nassr submit bid to sign £52m Man Utd forward

As Amorim looks to gel Cunha and Mbeumo into the United team, the Red Devils have now been presented an opportunity to sell a player who is no longer needed. According to Foot Mercato, Al-Nassr have made an offer to sign Antony from Manchester United.

The report states that it is unknown how much Al-Nassr have offered, but United are holding out for a fee of €60 million for the Brazil international, which is roughly £52 million. Antony is under contract at Old Trafford until 2027, but he spent the second half of last season on loan at La Liga side Real Betis.

The 25-year-old, who earns a weekly wage of £200,000 at United, scored nine goals and recorded five assists in 26 games for Real Betis, but that form has done nothing to earn him a chance under Amorim. In fact, it was well publicised at the start of the summer transfer window that United are looking to sell Antony alongside other players such as Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, who has now joined Barcelona.

Apps

17

Starts

15

Goals

5

xG

2.87

Shots per game

2.5

Chance conversion

12%

Assists

2

Big chances created

8

Key passes per game

2.2

Antony has been at United since the summer of 2022, when he joined for a hefty price tag from Ajax, as former manager Erik ten Hag wanted to link up with the winger once again. However, the Brazilian failed to make the same impact as he did in the Netherlands, as he scored just 12 goals over three seasons.

Real Madrid captain Nacho is reporting leaning away from a move to MLS and towards one that will see him follow Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Defender heading towards free agencyMoved to America had been speculated onAppears to now favour the Middle EastGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The 34-year-old defender, who skippered the Blancos to La Liga and Champions League titles in 2023-24, is approaching the end of his contract at Santiago Bernabeu. With no fresh terms expected to be signed, the experienced Spain international is set to become a free agent.

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There had been plenty of talk to suggest that Nacho is wanted in the United States, with a move to Inter Miami that would see him link up with eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi being speculated on. He may, however, be following another GOAT in a different direction.

(C)GettyImagesDID YOU KNOW?

According to , Nacho is in “advanced talks” with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad – where his former Real team-mate Karim Benzema plays. They are said to be “optimistic” that a deal can be done, although no agreement has been reached as yet.

WHAT NEXT?

Nacho is currently away on Euro 2024 duty, meaning that a decision on his club future will be delayed, but it would appear that a man who has spent his entire career to date with Real Madrid favours the Middle East over Miami.

MatériaMais Notícias

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The offspinner took four wickets as West Indies were bundled out for 148

Hemant Brar22-Jan-2021

Mehidy Hasan owed his first wicket to a Tamim Iqbal catch•BCB / Raton Gomes

Mehidy Hasan registered his best bowling figures as Bangladesh beat a depleted West Indies side by seven wickets in the second ODI in Mirpur to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Mehidy bagged 4 for 25, and Mustafizur Rahman and Shakib Al Hasan chipped in with two wickets each as West Indies’ batting collapsed for the second successive game. At one stage, they were tottering at 71 for 7 but Rovman Powell, surprisingly batting at No. 8 even in this inexperienced line-up, resisted with the tail and struck a 66-ball 41. He was the last man out as West Indies were bowled out for 148 in 43.4 overs.Bangladesh faced little trouble during their chase, especially after Liton Das gave them a breezy start. Tamim Iqbal, meanwhile, looked happy to play the anchor’s role, scoring 50 off 76 balls, as the hosts chased down the target in 33.2 overs. They now have 20 points from two World Cup Super League games, while West Indies are yet to open their account.In the morning, Jason Mohammed opted to bat on a used pitch. After being bundled out for 122 in the first ODI, West Indies decided to strengthen their batting by bringing in debutant Kjorn Ottley, the left-hand opener, in place of the fast bowler Chemar Holder, but the gulf between the two sides was evident right from the start.Sunil Ambris fell in the fifth over when Mustafizur squared him up with the one that moved away off the seam. The batsman got an outside edge towards backward point where Mehidy took a sharp catch. Ottley and Joshua Da Silva looked solid for a while but failed to rotate the strike; there were 47 dots in the first ten overs.Once spin was introduced, it was the same story as the first ODI as 36 for 1 became 41 for 5 in the space of 28 balls. Ottley, who had moved to 24, tried to go over extra cover against Mehidy but failed to clear Tamim Iqbal. Three balls later, Mehidy had his second wicket when Da Silva was bowled playing for the turn against a straighter one.In the next over, Andre McCarthy tried to slog-sweep Shakib but, just like the first ODI, failed to pick the arm ball and was bowled. West Indies had added only two more to their tally when Kyle Mayers, who had scored an impressive 40 in the last outing, was run out for zero while responding to Mohammed’s call for a quick single.Mohammed and Nkrumah Bonner gave some semblance of stability during their 26-run stand for the sixth wicket before Shakib struck with yet another arm ball, this time sending back Mohammed. At the other end, Bonner chopped Hasan Mahmud onto his stumps and it looked like West Indies might be all out under 100.Powell then struck a couple of lusty blow and took the side past the three-figure mark during a 32-run stand with Alzarri Joseph for the ninth wicket. On the eve of the match, Joseph had expressed his desire to develop into an allrounder and he took a small, positive step in that direction today but Mustafizur’s cutters proved too good for him and he ended up edging one to gully.Powell and Akeal Hosein added 28 for the tenth wicket before Mehidy returned to dismiss Powell and wrap up the innings.Bangladesh started their chase positively even though Joseph found some swing with the new ball and kept Iqbal in check. But Das played some sublime drives through the off side, against both Joseph and Mayers, to ensure the score kept moving at a decent rate.Das’ innings was cut short on 22 when Hosein trapped him lbw with a quicker one. Hosein had picked up 3 for 26 in the first ODI and he impressed once again with his clever changes of pace. He found turn as well but both Iqbal and Najmul Hossain Shanto played him calmly and took the side past 50. Their 47-run stand was broken when Shanto hit Mohammed straight to short midwicket.Iqbal, though, kept dealing in ones and twos – with an occasional boundary in between – at the other end and brought up his 48th ODI half-century. He fell immediately after reaching the milestone but Shakib, alongside Mushfiqur Rahim, knocked off the remaining 40 runs without further hiccups.

While things might not have ended as well as they could have, there are few figures more legendary in the history of The Arsenal than Arsène Wenger.

The Frenchman ushered in a period of immense success in the late 1990s and early 2000s that the club have not even come close to matching since.

However, with how things are going this season, that could soon be about to change.

Moreover, it would be fair to say that Mikel Arteta now has a star in his squad who’s undoubtedly the best player Arsenal have had since Wenger retired.

Arsenal's best players since Wenger retired

When looking at the best players signed by, or developed by, Arsenal since Wenger stepped away from management, there are more than a handful of names you could pick out.

Chalkboard

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

For example, for everything he did wrong, Unai Emery signed off on William Saliba’s move in the summer of 2019, and then just a year later, Arteta made his best defensive acquisition by bringing in Gabriel Magalhães from LOSC Lille.

Together, the centre-back pairing have been nothing short of exceptional over the last few years, and as things stand this season, have conceded just three goals in all competitions and should they win it, could go down as the best defensive partnership in Premier League history.

PL’s Best CB Pairings
Players	Games	Goals Against
Ferdinand & Vidic	120	0.71
Keown & Adams	97	0.73
Campbell & Toure	59	0.73
Terry & Carvalho	85	0.76
Lescott & Kompany	58	0.76
Gabriel & Saliba	93	0.78
Van Dijk & Matip	72	0.81
All Stats via Transfermarkt (Pre Palace)

Moving into the middle of the park, and, in this conversation, it’s impossible to ignore club-record signing Declan Rice.

The former West Ham United captain made his way to the Emirates under a tremendous amount of pressure, but from his first game to today, he’s proven to be worth every penny.

From his ability to break up play, carry the ball from deep, score important goals and deliver the ball with pinpoint accuracy from set-pieces, he, without a shadow of a doubt, is a “world-class” midfielder.

Staying in midfield, and while he had a down season last year, and has had some terrible luck with injuries this term, Martin Odegaard deserves to be in this conversation.

The Norwegian international was made club captain in the summer of 2023, won back-to-back Player of the Season awards, and, at his best, can be utterly mesmerising to watch on the ball.

However, with all that said, when it comes to the club’s best player since Wenger left, there is one star who stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Arsenal's greatest player since Wenger retired

While fans will have their own favourite players, it would be hard to deny that, as things stand, Bukayo Saka is the best player Arsenal have had since Wenger retired.

The Hale End icon made his first team debut under Emery in a Europa League game away to Vorskla Poltava in November 2018, and then earned his first start at home against Qarabağ FK a month later.

However, it’s been under Arteta that the Englishman has transformed from a versatile utility player who often popped up at left-back, into one of the best right-wingers in world football.

Not only that, though, but the 24-year-old game-changer has become the club’s talisman and the face of its rejuvenation over the last few years.

It shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise then that, following his hamstring injury and surgery last season, the Gunners became far less potent in attack.

Saka’s Arsenal record
Appearances	274
Minutes	20713′
Goals	74
Assists	72
Goal involvements per match	0.53
Minutes per goal involvement	141.86′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In his career to date, the North Londoners’ “legend in the making” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 74 goals and provided 72 assists in 274 first-team appearances, totalling 20713 minutes.

That comes out to a sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.87 games, or every 141.86 minutes, which is made all the more impressive by the fact he’s made 21 appearances at left-back.

As if his record at club level wasn’t enough, he has also won 46 senior caps for England, in which he’s scored 13 goals, provided nine assists and been named Player of the Year twice.

Ultimately, there is still much to come from Saka, but based on his already astounding record and the fact that he has become the club’s poster boy, it’s clear that he has been Arsenal’s best player since Wenger left the dugout.

Arteta's "foul magnet" is now looking like Arsenal's next Alexis Sanchez

The incredibly exciting talent could end up being as good as Alexis Sanchez for Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 31, 2025

Raheem Sterling has been included in Chelsea's 'bomb squad' that consists of nine out-of-favour stars whom the Blues are looking forward to selling this summer. Sterling left for Arsenal on loan last summer but has now returned to Stamford Bridge after a disappointing spell at Emirates Stadium. The English winger has been linked to multiple clubs ahead of an expected exit.

Sterling excluded from Chelsea first-teamNapoli and Fulham want English wingerChilwell joined Sterling in 'bomb squad'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea have put up a 31-member first-team squad on their official website for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign. The list includes all the new signings the club made this summer, including Jorrel Hato, whose transfer from Ajax was confirmed on Sunday.

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The players who failed to make it to the Blues' squad list were Raheem Sterling, Ben Chilwell, Axel Disasi, Renato Veiga, Alfie Gilchrist, Carney Chukwuemeka, Lesley Ugochukwu, Armando Broja and David Datro Fofana. Sterling has been linked with a move away from the West London side this summer amid offers from clubs like Napoli, Fulham and Bayer Leverkusen.

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite being deemed surplus to Enzo Maresca's needs for the upcoming season, star attacker Christopher Nkunku has been included in the first-team roster, however, the Frenchman could still move out of the club.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

The Club World Cup winners are scheduled to play pre-season friendly matches against Leverkusen and AC Milan at home before they kick off the new season against Crystal Palace on August 17.

On their last tour to SA, they became the first Asian side to win a Test series in the country

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Dec-2020

Big picture

At face value, do Sri Lanka really have a chance? Let’s look at the facts against them:

• They’ve not played international cricket since March.
• Most squad members have spent three weeks playing T20 cricket, and are now expected to make the substantial switch into Test mode.
• They’ve had no warm-up match due to Covid-19 complications.
• They are missing Angelo Mathews – the most experienced member of their batting order.
• Sri Lanka batsmen have always struggled at Centurion.

And yet, when they won 2-0 in South Africa last year, Sri Lanka had faced even steeper odds, their fast bowling stocks having been decimated by injury, while a captain had just been sacked, and a coach was fearing for his job (which he would lose, several months later). This time, not only do they feel they have a stronger seam attack, but also have a batting group with more experience, and a coach who knows South African conditions intimately, in Mickey Arthur.South Africa, however, are much more fearsome in the Highveld – where both Tests will be played – than they are on the coasts, particularly against South Asian opponents. They also have players in form. Anrich Nortje was rapid in the T20s against England, as well as in the IPL. This was in T20s, but the man is clearly in good rhythm, and the prospects of him hitting high speeds at Centurion will worry some Sri Lanka batsmen. The likes of Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen and Keshav Maharaj are coming off excellent performances in the four-day competition (Markram has 75, 113, 149, 121 in his four most-recent innings), which is leads to another point – they have been playing long-form cricket, where Sri Lanka have not had competitive multi-day matches to play for at least five months.South Africa clearly start as favourites, but as Sri Lanka’s captain Dimuth Karunaratne has asserted, a lot depends on how well each team bats after their long Test hiatus. There have been some seriously low team totals in each of the last four matches between these teams. If that is the case again, Sri Lanka will feel they have a chance.Related

• De Kock wants Test captaincy only as a short-term role

• Hendricks, Petersen withdrawn from SA squad

• Is Markram ready to repay South Africa's faith?

• Sri Lanka's recent dominance over South Africa

• Karunaratne on matching South Africa's seam bowling

Venue record

These teams have played four times at Centurion, and South Africa have won each of those matches, two of them by an innings. The closest Sri Lanka have ever come, was when they lost by just three wickets, way back in 2002. The most-recent Centurion match between these teams was in 2011 – Sri Lanka losing by an innings and 81.

Players to watch

Quinton de Kock will captain South Africa in a Test for the first time, but already, he has said he sees himself only as a caretaker leader. He leads the team in all three formats now, and also keeps wickets in all three. The usual question here: how will captaining over five days impact his batting and his keeping? (His batting has been good of late – his average up at 45.9 since the start of 2019.) And will he lead well? De Kock is generally a cricketer of few words, but this new job may need him to find his voice.Can de Kock juggle with captaincy, batting and keeping?•Getty Images

Kusal Perera played one of the all-time great innings to wrench victory from defeat last year in Durban, but aside from this one blinding knock, there hasn’t been a lot to his Test career. Eighteen Tests in, he has an average of 31.13, which is passable only for an allrounder. And he has batted everywhere from No. 1 to No. 8, without appearing in more than eight innings in any one position. Despite his having produced Sri Lanka’s greatest-ever innings from No. 5 on the last tour here, his team now looks set to ask him to open the innings, to cover for the injured Oshada Fernando. If he is to find a more stable place in the XI, Perera desperately needs to settle into a more consistent phase in his career.

Pitch and conditions

South Africa need to balance creating conditions that will suit their seamers, and making sure it’s not impossible for their batsmen to find form. So it will be green, but not too green, and we can expect pace, bounce and swing but not the kind that saw Sri Lanka crushed at the Wanderers in 2017. SuperSport Park is usually a bat- first pitch; if you can get through the first hour or so, it very good for batting on the most of the first three days. De Kock said he expects it to take some turn later on.It’s been raining a fair bit on the Highveld in the build-up and afternoon thunderstorms are forecast from Sunday. Otherwise, it will be warm with temperatures touching 30.

Team news

It’s Oshada’s hamstring injury that will keep him out of the first Test, and him being unavailable means there may be a spot in the batting order for Dasun Shanaka, who not only brings dynamism to the lower middle order, but also can send down a few overs of serviceable seam bowling.Sri Lanka are wondering whether to go in with an out-and-out spinner in Lasith Embuldeniya, or to hedge their bets and go with Wanindu Hasaranga, who adds value with his batting. There is one other serious injury worry too. Suranga Lakmal picked up a hamstring niggle in the approach to the match, and may need to be replaced, perhaps with Kasun Rajitha.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt.), 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Dhananjaya de Silva, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 8 Suranga Lakmal/Kasun Rajitha, 9 Lasith Embuldeniya, 10 Vishwa Fernando, 11 Lahiru KumaraWith Kagiso Rabada out through a groin injury, right-arm seam bowler Glenton Stuurman may get a debut. But that’s only if he gets over a niggle. An injury doubt also hangs over Lungi Ngidi. Lutho Sipamla and Migael Pretorius would seem to be the next in line to play, if Ngidi or Stuurman (or both) aren’t fit in time.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Dean Elgar, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Faf du Plessis, 5 Temba Bavuma, 6 Quinton de Kock (capt. & wk), 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Anrich Nortje, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Glenton Stuurman, 11 Lungi Ngidi

Stats and trivia

• In the two Tests Perera has played since the last South Africa series – of which he was Player of the Series – he has averaged six and has a top score of 23. Perera, however, has been unavailable for several Sri Lanka Tests through injury.
• On Sri Lanka’s last tour here, de Kock was South Africa’s best batsman, hitting 80, 55, 86 and 1 in his four innings.
• South Africa have only ever lost two of the 25 Tests they’ve played at Centurion – against England in 2000, and Australia in 2014.
• Even overall (counting Tests in Sri Lanka as well), Sri Lanka have a poor win-loss record against South Africa, having won only nine and lost 14 of their 29 Tests.

Quotes

“There is a lot of grass on the surface at the moment, and I think the more there is, the easier it will be for us. When you have less of an up-and-down type pitch, you just have to survive that first couple of hours, and you give yourself a chance to put a decent score – something like 300 – on the board.”Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne“I don’t want to think ahead too much. I’m trying to keep it as basic as possible and as simple as possible. It is something we are aware of, the last time they were here, they did beat us, so its definitely something we want to rectify. Hopefully we can do it by being as simple as possible.”

da 888casino： Newcastle United are reportedly set to reignite their interest in Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard, according to recent reports.

What’s the word?

da aposte e ganhe： As per the NorthernEcho, the Magpies are said to have ‘initiated talks’ regarding a potential deal to bring the Englishman to St James’ Park, although are set to face ‘intense competition’ from clubs across the continent in the race for the 29-year-old’s signature.

The report suggests that there have been ‘preliminary talks’ between the player’s representatives and the northeast side, with the £18m-rated gem set to be available on a free transfer once his current deal expires, albeit with that fact sparking interest from the likes of AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.

The 32-cap international had come close to linking up with Eddie Howe’s side in January, although the deal collapsed late in the window due to the Red Devils’ demands, including a reported £12.5m bonus to be paid should he help the club stave off relegation.

Howe delighted

It would appear then that PIF are keen to rekindle that interest in the upcoming window, with the versatile star almost certain to end his 22-year association with the Old Trafford outfit this summer, despite suggestions that incoming boss Erik ten Hag may offer him a lifeline.

In truth, the £80k-per-week man has endured a dismal season at the Theatre of Dreams, making just two league starts in total thus far, while he was also seemingly ‘saddened’ at having been denied an emotional send-off from his current side during the win over Brentford on Monday evening – United’s last home game of the season.

While he has seemingly wasted another season back at Carrington, that’s not to downplay the potential impact he could have for the Magpies were he to sign this summer, having previously shown his quality during a remarkable loan stint at West Ham United last term.

In that brief, six-month spell at the London Stadium, Lingard – who has been dubbed “unique” by former teammate Michael Carrick – looked a rejuvenated figure, chipping in with 14 goal contributions in just 16 appearances for David Moyes’ side.

Equally, when handed the chance back in Manchester he has previously proven his worth, notably recording eight goals and six assists in the Premier League during the 2017/18 season under Jose Mourinho.

It is also easy to forget that this is a player who has netted at a World Cup, as well as in three Wembley triumphs for the Red Devils, doing so in the 2016 FA Cup final, the 2017 Carabao Cup final and the 2017 Community Shield.

Pundit Rio Ferdinand has previously suggested that the Warrington-born playmaker “could play in any top team” such is his quality, although those of a Newcastle persuasion – particularly Howe – will be hoping that it is in the famous black and white stripes that he is lining up in next term.

In other news, Newcastle plot bid to sign player with 191 PL apps, he’d be a big upgrade on Lascelles

Pakistan secure clean sweep of trophies after holding nerve in tricky run-chase

Firdose Moonda14-Feb-2021

Zahid Mahmood claimed two wickets in his first over on debut•AP Photo

Pakistan subjected South Africa to their first T20I series defeat in the subcontinent and fourth successive T20I series loss, leaving them empty-handed from their first tour to the country since 2007. In an entertaining finale at the Gaddafi Stadium, Pakistan relied on Mohammad Rizwan and the lower order to take them home, while Babar Azam enjoyed his best knock of the series after scores of 0 and 5 in the first two matches.This victory was Pakistan’s 100th T20I win, making them the first team to register a century of success in this format.South Africa have no similar good news to report. They saved one of their worst batting collapses for last and lost seven wickets for 55 runs to slump to 65 for 7 just after the halfway stage of their innings. It was up to David Miller to prop them up and he pulled off one of his most authoritative knocks while ushering the tail to take South Africa to a competitive total.The side fielding second has found it difficult to control the ball in the wet conditions but South Africa put on a spirited effort when their turn came. However, their frontline seamers were all expensive and untidy, allowing Pakistan to win with eight balls to spare. If anything, South Africa will take heart from the knowledge that their second-string side fought hard in Pakistan, but it won’t take away from the pressure building on this outfit. South Africa have only won two out of eight trophies in the Mark Boucher era, dating back to December 2019.Dream Debut Zahid Mahmood was called up to the Pakistan squad in place of the injured Shadab Khan and had to wait for the last match for an opportunity but he made the most of it. He started with a short ball that Janneman Malan smashed through long-on but soon recovered to take two wickets, and could have had a third in his opening over to celebrate a dream start to international cricket.Mahmood’s first victim was South Africa’s stand-in captain Heinrich Klaasen, who tried to sweep the first ball he faced but didn’t account for the extra bounce. He top-edged to Usman Qadir at short fine-leg. With the next ball, Mahmood had Malan trapped in the crease by the topspinner in front of middle stump. It was given not out initially but Mahmood convinced Babar to review with three seconds left on the clock and ball-tracking showed that Malan was out.Three balls later, Mahmood thought he had Andile Phehlukwayo when a full ball hit him below the knee roll but the review showed it had pitched just outside leg stump. But Phehlukwayo didn’t last much longer. He slog-swept the next ball he faced to deep mid-wicket, leaving South Africa 48 for 6.Mahmood enjoyed more success in his third over when he bowled Dwaine Pretorius with a delivery that turned gently as Pretorius attempted to mow it over midwicket and missed.David Miller revived South Africa with an outstanding counterattack•AP Photo

Miller Time David Miller wanted to have an influence on South Africa’s performance and he ended up scoring more than half of their runs and sharing in a 58-run ninth-wicket stand with Lutho Sipamla to ensure they set Pakistan a challenging target.Miller had only faced one ball when South Africa slumped to 48 for 6, in the eighth. Though the situation was dire, it meant he had more than half the innings to bat, giving him time in the middle that he does not usually benefit from. Miller’s first boundary came from a sweep shot off Qadir, whom he also swiped through square leg. But he really cashed in on Mahmood’s final over, sending him for two sixes over long-on to put South Africa in sight of a hundred.With only the tail to bat with, Miller waited to get as close to the death as possible before he took the bowling on. He took two fours off Shaheen Shah Afridi and a monstrous six off Hasan Ali before tearing apart Faheem Ashraf’s final over, with four sixes. Miller benefitted from some ordinary captaincy from Babar, who did not let Qadir bowl out, and poor lengths from Faheem, who bowled short throughout the over and then dished up a full toss at the end.In total, South Africa scored 54 runs off the last four overs, and Miller scored 45 of those. He was leg-side dominant and scored 57 in that area, including five of his seven sixes and four of his five fours. This knock was also Miller’s first half-century T20 cricket in almost two years. His last one came 13 innings ago, also against Pakistan, when he scored an unbeaten 65 to set South Africa up for a match-winning total in Johannesburg in March 2019.Rizwan falls short of record Rizwan’s magical week has ended. After scoring his first Test century last Sunday and his first T20I hundred on Thursday, Rizwan was on track to join Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle as one of only three players to reel off four fifty-plus scores. He took on South Africa’s left-arm spinners, Bjorn Fortuin and Jon-Jon Smuts and pulled, cut and slogged anything short, wide or slow but was undone by Tabraiz Shamsi.The wristspinner almost bowled him with a delivery that was low on leg stump and squirted past, and could have had him caught behind but Klaasen could not hold on to a tough chance from the bottom edge. Shamsi’s next ball was yorker-length, Rizwan tried to sweep and missed and was struck on the boot in front of middle stump. He reviewed, in hope, but ball-tracking showed his leg stump would have been disturbed and he had to go for 42. Shamsi’s star rises After spending the early part of his career playing second fiddle to Imran Tahir, Shamsi stood up as South Africa’s best bowler in the country of Tahir’s birth. He collected career-best figures of 4 for 25 in this match to cap off a sterling series in which he turned the ball more than the home spinners and consistently challenged batsmen who can pick and play spin.After taking a wicket with his first ball and threatening Rizwan twice before getting rid of him, Shamsi bowled Hussain Talat with a straight ball, as Talat played for spin and left off stump exposed, and then had Asif Ali caught at long-on looking for six but failing to get hold of the ball. Shamsi finished the series with six wickets for 61 runs at an economy rate of just over five runs an over.