Tag Futebol

RCB’s overseas batters haven’t fired and they are up against a bowling attack with a superb powerplay and death-over record this season

Karthik Krishnaswamy05-Apr-20242:36

McClenaghan: Royals arguably have best bowling combination this IPL

Match detailsRajasthan Royals (RR) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
Jaipur, 7.30pm IST (2pm GMT)Big picture – RCB stars looking for spark New season, newish team name, same old problems. Four games into IPL 2024, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have just one win. The top quarter of their line-up is full of superstars, but most of them are yet to fire, which has put immense pressure on the not-quite-superstars who make up the rest of their batting. The bowling has been, well, RCB.Rajasthan Royals have a pair of not-quite-firing superstars too, right at the top of their line-up, but that hasn’t impacted their results so far, with their opening three games bringing them three wins. How good could the Royals be, then, if Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler begin scoring runs?Equally, though, it may take just one of Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green to find form for RCB’s campaign to spark to life. It’s still early days in IPL 2024, and you only have to go back to last season to know that a good start is only a start. Royals began with four wins in their first five games, and RCB with two wins in five, but by the end of the league stage both teams had the same points and similar net run rates.There’s a long way to go, then, but RCB will know that a turnaround, if there is to be one, will need to begin soon.Form guideRoyals WWW (most recent match first)
RCB LLWL1:59

Moody on Maxwell: ‘You need to allow the free spirit to be free’

Team news and Impact Player strategyRajasthan Royals
Sandeep Sharma missed Royals’ last match, away in Mumbai, with a niggle. If he’s fit again, expect him to slot back, with Nandre Burger slipping back into the Impact Player rotation alongside the likes of Rovman Powell and Shubham Dube. Royals like to use their substitute depending on match situation rather than in a wholly toss-dependent way, and ideally like to have six full-time bowling options whenever possible.Likely XII 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Jos Buttler, 3 Sanju Samson (capt & wk), 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Dhruv Jurel, 7 R Ashwin, 8 Trent Boult, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal, 12 Royal Challengers Bangalore
Since making an impressive 25-ball 48 in the season opener in Chennai, Anuj Rawat has scored 25 off 48 balls across his next three innings. There is a chance RCB might leave him out on Saturday and hand the keeping gloves back to Dinesh Karthik. It could allow them to start Mahipal Lomror instead of using him as an Impact Player, and give the middle-order batter Suyash Prabhudessai or the allrounder Manoj Bhandage a look-in. There could be a temptation to try and bring Will Jacks into the mix too, but RCB may find it hard to fit him in unless they leave out their big-money trade signing Cameron Green.Likely XII 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Rajat Patidar, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Cameron Green, 6 , 7 Mahipal Lomror, 8 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 9 Mayank Dagar, 10 Reece Topley, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 Yash Dayal.In the spotlight: Shimron Hetmyer and Dinesh KarthikHe has one of the most specialised batting roles in the IPL, to the extent that R Ashwin routinely bats ahead of him if Royals feel the ideal entry point for their death-overs hitter hasn’t yet arrived. Consequently, IPL 2024 has seen very little of Shimron Hetmyer so far. He’s batted only twice in their first three games, and one of his innings was an unbeaten 14 off seven balls. And when Royals bring in a bowler as Impact sub, it’s usually Hetmyer who makes way. If he makes an appearance in his designated role on Saturday, he’ll be up against an RCB attack that has an economy rate of 11.30 in the death overs this season, while picking up just four wickets in that phase in four games.2:39

Jaffer: Green has to bat at No.3 and Rawat at 4

For RCB, Dinesh Karthik plays a similar role to Hetmyer, his entry point is often delayed so he can bat at the death. Royals are aware of this, and also of Karthik’s preference for batting against pace. Karthik is particularly averse to batting against legspin, and doesn’t have a great record against Yuzvendra Chahal. In all their IPL meetings, Chahal has bowled 51 balls to Karthik and conceded only 47 runs while dismissing him three times. Chahal is happy to bowl at the death, and Royals are happy to keep two of his overs for that phase whenever they’re up against RCB and Karthik. Chahal bowled the 17th and 19th overs in both meetings between these sides last season, picking up 2 for 11 in that mini-spell in Bengaluru, where he got to bowl to Karthik, and 0 for 22 in Jaipur, where he didn’t.Stats that matter RCB did the double over Royals in IPL 2023, beating them by seven runs in Bengaluru and walloping them by 112 runs in Jaipur, where Royals were bowled out for 59. Jaipur is the scene of one of Virat Kohli’s most jaw-dropping international innings, an unbeaten 52-ball 100 against Australia in a landmark ODI chase in 2013, but it hasn’t been a happy venue for him in the IPL. In eight innings here, he’s yet to score a half-century, and he averages 21.28 while striking at less than a run a ball. Of all venues where he’s batted at least eight times in the IPL, he has the worst average in Jaipur. Du Plessis, Maxwell and Green have scored 159 runs between them so far this season at an average of 13.25 and a strike rate of 119.5. Royals have by far the best death-overs economy rate (7.41) of any team in IPL 2024 so far, with Lucknow Super Giants a distant second best at 9.60. Royals also have the second-best powerplay economy rate (8.44) of all teams behind Chennai Super Kings (8.16), while taking more wickets (9) in that phase than any other team. Any Royals-RCB game is an opportunity to bring up Kohli vs Sandeep Sharma. In 15 IPL meetings, Kohli has scored 87 off 67 balls from Sandeep while being dismissed seven times. No bowler has dismissed Kohli as often, with Ashish Nehra in second place with six dismissals.Pitch and conditionsRoyals have won both their home games so far, batting first both times and defending totals of 193 and 185. The chasing team was in with a good chance in both games, so the Sawai Mansingh Stadium isn’t necessarily a bat-first ground, though the large outfield and relative lack of dew do tend to even things up for the team bowling second.

Matthew Mott has called for patience with England’s new-era white-ball team as a work in progress, stressing that they’ve only had three opportunities to play together.England succumbed to a four-wicket defeat in Barbados to lose their first series following a difficult World Cup campaign 2-1.A group which featured just four players to have played more than 10 ODIs, found themselves in strong positions in all three matches against a West Indies side going through a similar reboot having failed to qualify for the World Cup.However, a late-innings onslaught from Shai Hope and Romario Shepherd in the opening match saw England slip to a four-wicket defeat in Antigua, before losing by the same margin at the Kensington Oval after a top-order collapse gave England a total of just 188 to defend in a rain-reduced game.Related

• Flintoff to coach Northern Superchargers in Men's Hundred

• Rehan out to make an impact as readymade Rashid replacement

• Matthew Forde, Keacy Carty shine as West Indies seal 2-1 series win

• New-look England still working out the kinks

“We haven’t put a complete game together and that’s the frustration,” Mott, England’s head coach, said immediately after the defeat. “We put ourselves in a chance to win all three games and come away with a series loss, so that’s not ideal.”But there are definitely some really good signs there that there’s a group of players who love playing with each other. They’re some really good mates in there and I think it’ll really take the game forward.”In line for particular praise were Rehan Ahmed and Sam Curran. Rehan, described by Mott as a “revelation”, has been tasked with filling the almighty shoes of Adil Rashid and took five wickets across the series at an average of 23.40 and an economy of 4.33. On the other hand, Curran had a mixed series. In the opening ODI, he showed his class with the bat to save England’s innings from the perilous position of 239 for 7, before conceding the worst ever figures of an England player in ODIs as he was taken for 0 for 98.”Sam’s definitely a player that we really want to invest in,” Mott said, with Curran proving his qualities with the ball in the second match where his triple-strike in the powerplay put England ahead of the game. “He’s got a lot of qualities that we like and he’s got the game to really play well.”A point of pride for Mott was the fight England showed to almost steal an unlikely victory from the final ODI. Suffering from the natural disadvantage of bowling second in a rain-affected match, England were faced with greasy conditions that made it harder for their spinners to grip the ball and easier for the West Indies batters to play seam. But thanks to a Will Jacks-inspired performance with the ball, England reduced West Indies to 135 for 6, with 53 runs still required for victory.”I thought today we showed a lot of character and spirit to fight all day,” Mott said. “You don’t want to make excuses, but to hang in there as a team and show the fight that they did, throwing themselves around and nearly snatching one was something that we’re looking for.”After three months of almost exclusive ODI focus, England’s attention now turns to T20s, with the five-match series against West Indies starting on Tuesday in Barbados.”We’ve played really good T20 cricket over a period of time. It’s always good when you lose a series to change the format,” Mott said, also confirming that Jos Buttler will return to opening the batting after spending the New Zealand series in September lower down the order. “You move on pretty quickly. It’s only a couple of days, it won’t be that different. Obviously you’ve got a few new players coming in with experience. But it’s much of a muchness really.”There are five changes to England’s personnel in the Caribbean, with Chris Woakes, Rashid, Moeen Ali, Reece Topley and Tymal Mills joining the squad for the T20 leg. Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley, Matthew Potts, Tom Hartley and Brydon Carse will head home.”It’s probably easier transitioning back,” Mott said. “T20 is, particularly for the batting group, pretty clear, you go out and take the game on, there’s not a lot of dead balls. And from the bowling group, you’re trying to hit your variations as much as you can and deny them hitting opportunities. So I think we’ll be fine. We’ve got a couple of days to work on it and looking forward to it.”Also joining the England set-up is Andrew Flintoff, who will continue the first team mentoring role he took up in the summer as part of his first steps back into the public eye following his serious car crash whilst filming Top Gear.Flintoff, whose role is now paid, was part of the backroom staff for both the New Zealand white-ball series and the home ODIs against Ireland before he flew to Abu Dhabi along with Graeme Swann as part of the England Lions’ red-ball training camp. It has been a high-profile return to coaching for Flintoff, who has also been hired as Northern Superchargers head coach for the 2024 edition of The Hundred.

يدخل نانت الفرنسي مباراة على ملعبه في مواجهة أوكسير، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من الدوري الفرنسي لكرة القدم.

ويستقبل ملعب “لابوجوار” ملعب نانت، مباراة الفريقين اليوم، ويطمح فريق المهاجم المصري مصطفى محمد لتحقيق أول انتصاراته في الدوري الفرنسي.

وكانت الفترة التحضيرية قبل انطلاق منافسات الدوري الفرنسي قد شهدت تألق المصري مصطفى محمد الذي يستهدف تسجيل أول أهدافه في الدوري الفرنسي مساء اليوم.

اقرأ أيضاً.. سوفا سوكر تكافئ مصطفى محمد رغم خسارة نانت ضد ستراسبورج

وقد أثار مصطفى محمد الكثير من التكهنات الصحفية حول مستقبله خلال الفترة الماضية، ولكن لويس كاسترو مدرب نانت يعطي له الثقة ويعتمد عليه بشكل أساسي مباراة تلو الأخرى.

﹅ Le XI de départ face à Auxerre. #OnEstNantes pic.twitter.com/dR6rZsEOIL — FC Nantes (@FCNantes) August 30, 2025

تشكيل نانت أمام أوكسير في الدوري الفرنسي

حراسة المرمى: لوبيز

خط الدفاع: أميان – أوازيم – تاتي – كوزا

خط الدفاع: كوكلين – ليبينانت – ليروكس

خط الهجوم: مصطفى محمد – جيراسي – بنحطاب

وكان نانت قد بدأ الموسم الحالي بتعرضه لهزيمتين متتاليتين، حيث خسر ضد باريس سان جيرمان في الجولة الأولى بهدف نظيف وفي الجولة الثانية ضد ستراسبورج بنفس النتيجة.

نجح فريق إنبي في تحقيق الفوز على الاتحاد السكندري بثلاثية دون مقابل، خلال المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

واستضاف الاتحاد السكندري فريق إنبي، على أرضية استاد الإسكندرية، في الجولة الخامسة من عمر المسابقة المحلية.

وسجل أحمد زكي هدف إنبي الأول في الدقيقة 33 من عمر الشوط الأول، بعد تمريرة من أحمد صبيحة قابلها بتسديدة داخل الشباك.

طالع أيضًا.. الزمالك: “المعزول” مرتضى منصور سبب أزمة أرض أكتوبر.. وستظل ملك النادي

وأضاف محمد شريف حتحوت الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 73، بعد تمريرة من أحمد إسماعيل داخل منطقة الجزاء إلى شريف الذي أسكن الكرة في الشباك.

وفي الدقيقة 84 أحرز محمد ناصر الهدف الثالث بعد تمريرة من رفيق كابو، ليسددها بقوة من داخل منطقة الجزاء.

بهذا الفوز، يحتل إنبي المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 8 نقاط، بينما يتواجد الاتحاد السكندري بالمركز الثامن عشر، ولديه 4 نقاط. أهداف مباراة إنبي والاتحاد السكندري اليوم في الدوري المصري

Sri Lanka 110 for 2 (Athapaththu 55) beat England 104 (Dean 34, Fernando 2-16, Dilhari 2-17) by eight wicketsChamari Athapaththu led from the front in a stunning allround display – first with the ball and then with a rampant 26-ball fifty – as Sri Lanka secured their maiden T20I victory over England in extraordinarily emphatic style: by eight wickets, and with a crushing 40 balls remaining, as Heather Knight’s new-look team were served a dramatic reality check, only two days after cruising to victory in the series opener at Hove.After winning her second toss of the series and choosing to bowl first, Athapaththu showed her team how it needed to be done by bowling the dangerous Danni Wyatt for 1 in her first over, and never let up in her leadership thereafter, as England were hustled out for 104 in 18 overs – a far cry from the 186 for 4 that they had posted in just 17 overs in Thursday’s opening fixture.Then, sensing a chance to crush England from the outset of the chase, Athapaththu climbed onto the offensive with the bat, cracking eight fours and two sixes with similarly positive support from Harshitha Samarawickrama, who sealed the contest with a massive swipe over midwicket to finish unbeaten on 30 from 35 balls.Chamari sets the powerplay toneSpeaking at the toss, Athapaththu insisted – with some justification as things turned out – there had been some “positives” to take from a one-sided series opener at Hove, but recognised that their bowling had to improve after England had romped along at close to two a ball on that occasion.And so the skipper herself added that burden to her already broadly laden shoulders, to set the tone for an astonishingly unrelentingly display. Despite one loose ball that Maia Bouchier carved for four, Athapaththu’s remit in the contest’s first over was to keep the stumps in play as much as possible, on a hybrid wicket that offered a touch of grip for her spinners, and in sunny afternoon conditions a world away from the dank misery of Hove.The gambit paid agenda-setting dividends with the sixth ball of Athapaththu’s over. A beautifully flighted offbreak lured Danni Wyatt on the drive, but a hint of dip and spin bowled her clean through the gate for 1. Suddenly a partnership that had realised 77 from 45 balls at Hove had been broken before it had begun, and that carefree youth that had so flourished in game one had a different scenario to counter.Inoshi in on the actionAlice Capsey had made a belligerent 51 from 27 on that occasion; here she was restricted to an anxious 3 from 9 as Inoshi Fernando followed her skipper’s lead in her first outing of the series. First, her tall offbreaks pinned Capsey to the crease for five consecutive dot-balls and a single, then she snapped the trap shut in the field one over later. Itching to break the shackles, Capsey lashed through the line at Sugandika Kumari and Fernando was almost blown off her feet at mid-off as she clung on well to a flat chance.Bouchier by this stage had connected well on another cuff through the covers, but Fernando’s impact was not done yet. The first ball of her second over was flapped in ungainly fashion straight to Kavisha Dilhari at extra cover, and Bouchier attempted to bend her bat around her helmet as she traipsed off for 12 from 10. Not only were England truly in the m(aia)ire at 21 for 3, but she’d missed a golden opportunity to rebuild a faltering innings, and seize the opportunity for seniority that she’s been handed in the absence of the likes of Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver-Brunt.Old guard falter tooInstead, England’s hopes were reinvested in a familiar pair of middle-order stalwarts. Heather Knight and Amy Jones saw out a powerplay that, at 32 for 3, realised less than half the 66 for 0 that Sri Lanka had been subjected to at Hove, but neither batter really exuded an air of permanence in an uncompromising match situation – least of all Jones, who so nearly holed out to backward point as an attempted reverse-sweep off Fernando fell inches short.On 10, Knight successfully over-turned an lbw decision after her attempted reverse-sweep was shown to have flicked her glove before crashing into the pad, but one over later, Jones’ scratchy stay was ended in the opposite fashion – Ranaweera trapped her on the back pad, and after Atapaththu’s last-ditch decision to review, the ball was shown to be thumping the top of leg stump.Jones was gone for a run-a-ball 12, and if 41 for 4 in the eighth over was a dicey scenario, England’s issues were only just beginning. Freya Kemp picked off two singles off two legal deliveries, only to be stumped off a wide in Dilhari’s next over, as she galloped out of her crease for Sanjeewani to gather well down the leg-side and beat her despairing dive, and all hopes of a competitive total ended when Knight spooned a back-foot punch back to Ranaweera. At 48 for 6, England were fully braced for ignominy.Maia Bouchier grimaces after falling in the second T20I at Chelmsford•ECB via Getty Images

Dean digs for double-figuresOnly Charlie Dean, last out for a feisty 34 from 26, found anything like the requisite blend of endurance and aggression, including three fours in a row off Ranaweera – two firm sweeps and a well-dispatched full toss.At the other end, however, the progression continued. Danielle Gibson opted for aggression without endurance, as she survived a slash through deep third that flew inches wide of the fielder, before scuffing a reverse-sweep straight into the lap of backward square.Sarah Glenn, sporting a new cap to mark her 50th T20I appearance, then snicked off fourth-ball to give Dilhari her second wicket. Though Issy Wong hung around long enough to endure England wouldn’t be setting their new record low total in a women’s T20I, when she lashed through a drive at Prabhodhani to be bowled for 13, the end was not long in coming.Cross, Wong bear powerplay bruntIf England thought their day had hit its nadir, Athapaththu had further indignities to deliver. She signalled her intention to keep the hammer down with a second-ball drive for four off Kate Cross, and even though Sanjeewani fell in Gibson’s subsequent over (after two no-balls had hinted at England’s anxieties), Sri Lanka’s captain was only just getting warmed up.Cross’s second over was utterly taken to the cleaners – 21 runs in total, compromising three blazed fours in a row and a simply vast flog over square leg, off the roof off the Felsted School Stand and into the garden of a bemused lady looking on from her balcony. After some similarly rough treatment at the back-end of the first T20I, Cross’s figures for the series now read 4.2-0-55-0 – a reminder perhaps why her impeccable lines have been overlooked in this format since 2019.Nothing, however, was quite as gruesome as the public pillorying that Wong would endure in her first international over of the summer. Her absence from the firing line has been a bit of an ongoing mystery in recent months, given the excitement that surrounded her all-round game last summer, but here was public evidence of a player at war with her own technique.Her first over of the match lasted for ten deliveries, the first four of which amounted to a tragicomedy in themselves – a huge front-foot no-ball that Harshitha Samarawickrama flicked off her pads for four, followed by a flick to deep square leg off that most of the crowd failed to realise was a free hit . Another leg-side no-ball followed, then another catch off the free hit – an astounding one as it happens, as Cross at mid-off snaffled the ball in her outstretched right hand.By the end of it all, Wong could only grin in self-effacement as Glenn jogged down to give her a consoling pat on the shoulder, and as Sri Lanka blazed towards their victory target with barely a shot out of place, it was something of a surprise to see her reintroduced with 13 runs still needed and little left to be gained. Three more drilled boundaries duly drew the scores level, leaving Harshitha to heave Cross into the pavilion for the winning six.Wong’s inclusion for this match had come at the expense of England’s new young thing, Mahika Gaur, and her struggles rather underlined the importance of Knight’s pre-series warning about the youth in this team. Expecting too much too soon is a dangerous thing.

Chelsea only played Brighton six days ago, losing 2-1 at the Amex Stadium in the FA Cup, leaving the Blues out of both domestic cup competitions now.

Despite having 57% possession, Enzo Maresca’s side only took seven shots in the game, creating zero “big chances”.

On the other hand, Brighton managed to create two “big chances” with only 43% possession, only taking six shots at goal throughout.

But, Chelsea now have a good chance to put things right, facing Brighton at the Amex Stadium again on Friday, this time in the Premier League, with the chance to secure their top-four spot for another week.

The latest Chelsea team news

Maresca confirmed in his press conference that Chelsea will be without Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, with the former now “out until the international break”. The muscular injury was confirmed to be worse than was first feared, with a scan showing he would be out for six to eight weeks.

Guiu is also going to be out “for a little while”, in the words of the manager, with a hamstring issue. This leaves Christopher Nkunku as one of Chelsea’s main striker options in the absence of the pair, but the Italian also stated they will find “other solutions”.

On a more positive note, Maresca confirmed Chelsea captain, Reece James, is fit and available to face Brighton after being rested against them in the cup six days ago, as was the plan according to the Italian.

Roméo Lavia, Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana all remain out, but it was revealed Fofana has started to work with the group again and could be available as soon as the next few weeks, but Maresca will be careful not to rush anything.

Chalkboard

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

Chelsea's Jackson, Guiu & Nkunku dilemma

Jackson and Guiu are the only two natural number nines Maresca has had at his disposal in the first-team, with the Senegal international scoring nine goals in 24 appearances this season, and the 18-year-old Spaniard netting six times in 13 appearances.

Their least natural fit in that position has proven to be Nkunku leading the line, which we saw against Brighton in the FA Cup to minimal effect.

Despite having a good goal-scoring record this season, scoring 13 goals in 31 appearances, Maresca has admitted himself the Frenchman isn’t a “proper” nine and is more of an attacking midfielder, who has different behaviours.

Goals

0.47

1.18

0.77

Assists

0.26

0.00

0.26

xG

0.59

N/A

0.78

Progressive Carries

2.12

N/A

1.57

Progressive Passes

1.40

N/A

2.35

Shots Total

3.26

3.92

2.97

Goals/Shot

0.14

0.30

0.22

Key Passes

1.30

1.25

1.76

Shot-Creating Actions

3.21

1.25

3.92

Aerial Duels Won

0.67

0.00

1.96

When comparing the underlying numbers of each forward this season, you can see how each one brings something slightly different to the table. Jackson provides an all-around profile, being able to progress play in the build-up, make runs in behind and also create for others.

Guiu, being a slightly more natural number nine build, is looking to do more of his work in the box, winning aerial duels (which doesn’t show up in the stats) and wanting to provide that finishing touch. With Nkunku being more of an attacking midfielder, wants to receive the ball deeper, get plenty of touches and be a big part of the game.

The Frenchman playing as the nine is still likely to be a solution for Maresca to use in these coming weeks, but it clearly isn’t the only one on his mind, and perhaps a slight tweak in positions between Nkunku and a certain other star could prove to be more fruitful.

Maresca's possible solution

Everyone already knows how good Cole Palmer is, Chelsea’s top scorer this season with 14 goals in 27 appearances. Earlier in the season, after scoring four goals against Brighton at Stamford Bridge, Theo Walcott praised the 22-year-old as a “gifted” talent, stating “he is going to be a Premier League legend”.

But, one option for Maresca could be to switch the positions of Palmer and Nkunku, with the Englishman playing as more of a “false nine” and the Frenchman being able to play off of him in tandem. This would the Englishman the freedom as a nine to drift around, picking up the ball and dragging central defenders with him everywhere he goes. This would open up spaces for others around him, one being Nkunku, but another being Noni Madueke, who would be a key ingredient to this recipe.

By setting the former Manchester City ace on the last line, his ability to drop into the half spaces, receive the ball slightly deeper and drag defenders with him, would allow Madueke to make runs inside from wide areas, attacking the space vacated between the central defenders which would allow Maresca to get more goal threat from his most direct winger this season.

vs Fulham (H)

12

8

vs Ipswich (A)

20

5

vs Crystal Palace (A)

15

1

vs Morecambe (H)

28

8

vs Bournemouth (H)

26

10

vs Wolves (H)

19

7

vs Man City (A)

10

4

vs West Ham (H)

22

3

vs Brighton (A)

7

1

When analysing Chelsea’s shot tallies over the past ten games, you can see the highest Premier League shot tallies (26 against Bournemouth and 22 against West Ham) both started with Madueke on the right, whereas two of the three lowest tallies (12 against Fulham and 7 against Brighton) both came with a wing pairing of Pedro Neto and Jadon Sancho.

Bringing that extra shot volume into the team in the absence of Jackson and the ability to run in behind will be key, which is why the trio of Palmer, Nkunku and Madueke could be the key for Maresca in this tough stint of the season coming up.

Chelsea must regret letting go of one of the "world's best" players for £0

This player has become one of the best in Europe after leaving Chelsea behind.

ByConnor Holden Feb 13, 2025

In the Asia Cup’s group of death, Bangladesh now face a must-win game against Afghanistan

Madushka Balasuriya31-Aug-20231:34

Mahroof: Pleased to see the planning from Samarawickrama and Asalanka

Fifties from Charith Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama saw home a nervy chase in sluggish conditions, as Sri Lanka kicked off their Asia Cup campaign with an ultimately convincing five-wicket win over Bangladesh. The result means Sri Lanka have one foot in the Super 4 stage, while Bangladesh face a must-win tie against Afghanistan.Asalanka, who had come into this game in a lean stretch of form, ended unbeaten on 62 off 92 deliveries, just the kind of gritty knock that was needed on a two-paced Pallekele surface and against a Bangladesh bowling outfit that gave little away.Set a target of just 165, Sri Lanka were in a spot of bother at 43 for 3 when Asalanka joined Samarawickrama in the middle. Before that Dimuth Karanuratne had played all over a full in-ducker from Taskin Ahmed, while Kusal Mendis had been castled a Shakib Al Hasan arm ball. In between Pathum Nissanka had slashed and nicked a short, wide one from Shoriful Islam.Early wickets are crucial when defending a low total, and Bangladesh certainly felt they were in the game at that point, but in Samarawickrama, Sri Lanka had precisely the man they wanted in such a situation.Charith Asalanka and Sadeera Samarawickrama revived the chase after the loss of three early wickets•Getty Images

Batting at No. 4, Samarawickrama took it upon himself to keep the scoreboard ticking. Back-to-back boundaries against Taskin, including a sumptuous cover drive, showed his intent, but the loss of wickets forced him to play more of an accumulator’s role.Once Asalanka joined him, the pair was initially content to nudge around for singles and play out dot balls when necessary, with the scoreboard pressure non-existent. Still, if there was any pressure building up, Samarawickrama released it with a couple of fours off Shakib in the 19th over.The two grafted together 78 before Samarawickrama fell, stumped off Mahedi Hasan, though by this point the chase was well in hand. Dhananjaya de Silva had his stumps disturbed by Shakib a short while after to keep give rise to a few more Sri Lankan nerves, but Dasun Shanaka joined Asalanka at the crease to see home the chase.It was a result where Bangladesh would wonder what could have been, especially seeing as they had failed to bat out the full 50 overs. Only Najmul Hossain Shanto with his valiant 89 showed any resistance against Sri Lanka’s bowlers, who had the rest of the Bangladesh line-up in a stranglehold and bowled them out for 164.Matheesha Pathirana capped his Asia Cup debut with career-best figures of 4 for 32, while the always-excellent Maheesh Theekshana picked up a couple. But it was the pair of Dhananjaya and Dunith Wellalage that provided the platform for Sri Lanka’s strike bowlers to thrive, as the right-arm- and left-arm-spin combo rifled through the middle overs, never allowing the batters to score freely, and most importantly allowing skipper Shanaka to hold back on the reintroduction of both Theekshana and Pathirana.Matheesha Pathirana ended with career-best figures of 4 for 32•Getty Images

This was crucial, as in the absence of the injured Wanindu Hasaranga, Sri Lanka were one strike bowler short. But on this difficult surface, Sri Lanka’s bowlers stuck to good lines and lengths and never really allowed the Bangladesh batters to get on top for any significant length of time.After Theekshana and Dhananjaya had removed openers Tanzid Hasan and Mohammed Naim cheaply, Shakib gloved Pathirana behind in the 11th over to leave Bangladesh reeling at 36 for 3.It was at this point that Bangladesh finally looked to get a foot in the game, with Shanto and Towhid Hridoy putting on a stand of 59, but the pressure that was built up in the middle overs began to tell. Shanaka brought himself on and had an advancing Hridoy lbw, via DRS.Mushfiqur Rahim and Shanto then added 32 for the fifth wicket, but the former fell foul of a textbook ploy – a couple of full deliveries followed by a short one – to hole out to deep third.Once Mushfiqur departed, not a single other Bangladeshi batter was able to keep Shanto company for long as Pathirana and Theekshana ran through the lower order. Apart from Shanto, only Hridoy managed to reach 20, while only two other batters reached double digits.

Gus Atkinson claims best figures by England T20I debutant as tourists slide to crushing defeat

Alan Gardner01-Sep-2023Harry Brook ensured the conversation about his 50-over World Cup omission would continue to bubble under, as he and Jonny Bairstow dismantled New Zealand’s attack during a century stand at Old Trafford. Gus Atkinson then confirmed his arrival as a fast man of international pedigree with the best figures by an Englishman on T20I debut as New Zealand were brutally dispatched in the second T20I.Bairstow batted through the England innings for 86 off 60 balls but it was Brook’s audacious strokeplay that had the crowd off their feet while adding 67 from 36, with five fours and as many sixes, as England powered to a commanding score after choosing to bat first.Atkinson, clocked at 95mph/152kph during the Hundred last month, claimed a wicket with his fourth ball in international cricket before returning to blast out the final three in the space of an over. Atkinson finished with 4 for 20, New Zealand plummeting from 72 for 3 to 103 all out – only three batters managing double-figures – as England consigned them to their third-heaviest defeat in T20s, and a 2-0 series deficit.Atkinson quick off the mark
“He’s got extra pace, and pace can create wickets,” Jos Buttler said at the toss, when asked about England’s newest quick bowler, Atkinson of Surrey (or Oval Invincibles in new money). Few outside the county borders knew much about the 25-year-old at the start of the season, even though he had been on the club’s books since 2017, but impressive returns and, more importantly, a propensity to push the speed gun well above 90mph, had seen him rocket up the pecking order and into England’s 50-over World Cup squad despite being uncapped in any format.The first cap duly came, having been given an extra couple of days to recover from his exertions in the Hundred final, and it didn’t take long for pace to create a maiden international wicket. His start was tight, the wheels in evidence – second ball, 92mph/148kph – and Devon Conway duly attempted to hit his way out of trouble, only to flick another 90mph/145kph delivery down the throat of deep backward square leg.New Zealand crumble in steep chase
With both openers gone for single-figure scores and Glenn Phillips hitting an Adil Rashid full toss straight to long-on – Brook again on the scene with a precisely judged leap – New Zealand were 44 for 3 and struggling to keep up with a required rate of almost 10 an over. Mark Chapman crashed Liam Livingstone’s first two balls for six and four but fell in the same over, and when Brydon Carse’s deck-hitting approach had Daryl Mitchell caught behind first ball, the jig was as good as up.It was still a tame ending, as Will Jacks bowled Mitchell Santner for a maiden T20I wicket, Adam Milne reversed Rashid straight to slip – a fine reaction catch from Moeen Ali – and Atkinson returned to end it in the space of five balls. Tim Seifert, who battled gamely for 39 off 31, top-edged a bouncer straight up, before Tim Southee was lbw attempting to scoop and Atkinson’s yorker thudded into the base of middle and off stumps to dismiss Lockie Ferguson first ball. As at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday, the game was done with six overs to spare.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Bat first, bat steady
After Buttler had opted to bat at the toss, England’s powerplay effort of 40 for 1 suggested that conditions might not be conducive for outright carnage. Bairstow ticked along at just under a run a ball, and although Jacks fetched Ferguson for two fours and a six in the space of three balls, not everything was coming out of the middle – as evidenced by a flaccid pull off Southee that looped to mid-on in the following over.Dawid Malan, a T20I banker for England but coping uneasily with scrutiny over his 50-over World Cup spot, soon departed for a four-ball duck, done by Santner looping one up in the old style, to make it 43 for 2. Bairstow bludgeoned Santner into the crowd for his first six, before Brook twice smoked Ish Sodhi over deep extra cover from consecutive balls – the latter despite barely reaching the pitch – but a score of 76 for 2 at halfway would not have daunted New Zealand.Bairstow, Brook go big
A pair of Yorkshiremen on Lancashire’s home ground, Bairstow and Brook took a while to feel comfortable. England’s third-wicket pair were prepared to put in the groundwork, easing to a fifty partnership from 30 balls – and then came the signal to unleash. Bairstow, having notched a 40-ball half-century, slog-swept Southee over the ropes before hitting him down the ground for four and then six – the latter a huge straight hit into the pavilion – before Brook latched on to another wide slower ball and flogged six more over long-on, as the over went for 23.Bairstow made it three sixes in five balls by tucking into Sodhi, Brook adding another boundary with an impudent reverse-slap. Milne briefly put a break on the scoring with a boundary-free 15th, but Brook showed his touch by dabbing and driving Ferguson for another brace of fours, then went after Southee again with 6-4-6 from consecutive balls. A baseball slap down the ground took him to fifty off 31 balls, before whipping a full toss through midwicket, then picking the wide legcutter again and ploughing it over long-on.By the time Brook departed in the 18th, advancing to mistime Sodhi to long-on, the partnership had realised 131 from 65 balls – the highest stand in T20Is at Old Trafford. Although only 24 runs came from the last 16 balls, Milne completing an excellent showing to finish with figures of 4-0-23-0, England were as good as out of sight already.

Somerset 412 (Kohler-Cadmore 130, Rew 89, White 5-103) lead Northamptonshire 255 and 66 for 1 by 91 runsJames Rew gave another demonstration of his immense potential as Somerset built a strong position on the third day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Northamptonshire at Taunton.The 19-year-old wicketkeeper contributed 89 to help the home side extend their first innings total from 199 for four to 412 all out, a lead of 157. Tom Kohler-Cadmore, unbeaten on 95 overnight, fell for 130, his first Somerset century, and the pair shared a fifth-wicket stand of 164. Jack White finished with five for 103.Northants faced a tricky 20 overs before the close to start their second innings. They closed on 66 for one, still 91 runs behind, having lost Ricardo Vasconcelos and seen fellow opener Hassan Azad forced to retire hurt.The start had been delayed until 2pm by heavy morning rain. But after that there were no interruptions and spectators saw a lot more cricket than a bleak Coronation Day weather forecast had suggested.Rew, on 22 when play began, might have been dismissed in the first over as he called for a suicidal single to mid-wicket off White and was relieved to see Rob Keogh’s throw miss the stumps at the bowler’s end.The run brought up Somerset’s 200 and put Kohler-Cadmore on strike. If the former Yorkshire player lost any sleep over being five short of a hundred overnight, it didn’t show as he took a pace down the pitch and despatched White back over his head for six.A cavalier century had occupied just 72 balls and featured 16 fours and 2 sixes. Rew cover drove Jordan Buckingham for four and two to bring up the hundred partnership before the second ball change of the innings almost paid instant dividends for Northamptonshire.With his score on 43, Rew was dropped at second slip by Azad off White, a routine chance at waist height. The England Under-19 starlet went on to a 94-ball fifty and brought up the 250 with a slog-swept four off Keogh for his seventh boundary.Kohler-Cadmore’s thumping back-foot four through the off-side off Buckingham put Somerset into the lead before Rew hit Keogh for a straight six to take the stand to 150.Having reined himself in, Kohler-Cadmore repeated the shot off the same bowler. But Keogh took revenge when Somerset’s centurion clipped a sharp catch to Vasconcelos at mid-wicket, having faced 102 balls and extended his boundary count to 18 fours and 3 sixes.Lewis Gregory played positively for 23, helping Rew add 45 before being bowled advancing down the pitch to Tom Taylor.Rew’s typically patient contribution ended with the total on 346 when he was bowled looking to reverse sweep the left-arm spin of Saif Zaib. The youngster had proved the perfect foil for Kohler-Cadmore, eventually facing 171 deliveries and striking 9 fours and a six.Tea was taken at 354 for seven, with Somerset 99 ahead. Northants took the second new ball immediately after the interval, but 25 more runs were added before Kasey Aldridge, on 24, played inside the line and was bowled off stump by White.Craig Overton had produced some lusty blows and Jack Leach brought up 400 with a two off Buckingham, celebrating the fourth batting point by hitting 3 fours in the same over.Overton fell for 26 to a fine catch above his head by Sam Whiteman at long-on off White, who completed his five-for next ball as Peter Siddle was bowled having a swing.With Northants’ second innings total on 16, Azad had to leave the field following treatment on a hand. Overton’s first three overs went for 20 and he was quickly replaced by Siddle with the score 30 without loss.The pitch had lost much of its early greenness and was offering little in the way of seam movement. It was no surprise when Leach was introduced to try and extract some spin as early as the tenth over.Overton may not have been at his best with the ball, but he produced a stunning left-handed catch at backward short leg off Leach to dismiss Vasconcelos, who had looked untroubled in moving to 26, with the total on 63.