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The South Africa quick defended conditions at the new stadium but Heinrich Klaasen did not think they were ideal for T20

Sidharth Monga03-Jun-20242:06

Maharoof: Pitch in New York ‘not good enough’ for a T20 game

Anrich Nortje, who put in his career-best T20I figures to bowl South Africa to a victory in a crucial match in one of the two groups of death, is not ready to buy a low-scoring game was a poor advertisement for cricket in the US. This was the first World Cup match ever in New York, and the conditions came in for criticism as an uneven pitch and slow outfield made scoring exceedingly difficult. Sri Lanka managed to make just 77 but also made South Africa sweat in pursuit of the target.”I thought the game was great,” Nortje said when asked if this pitch was a fair reflection of the entertainment cricket sought to provide when it came to US. “I thought the entertainment was there. I thought the people were there. It was a brilliant spectacle. It was brilliant to see everyone, to hear the voices, the noise, the cheering. I thought it was a great day for cricket.Related

T20 can be fun without the ball-bashing too

South Africa up against their bogey team in batter-unfriendly New York

Klaasen on New York pitch: Batters need to suck it up

Ponting asks batters to 'lower expectations' about big totals at T20 World Cup

Klaasen: 'The moment my bat swing is good, I know what to do'

“It doesn’t always mean, correct me if I’m wrong, there needs to be 20 sixes in a game to make it entertaining. There’s still a lot of strategy that goes into the game. There’s a lot of skill that goes into the game, whether it’s sixes or fast bowlers or spinners, however it might be. So, I thought the game was a brilliant game. It was still a close game at the end of the day, another wicket or two, and things might have been different. We might have been in a little bit more trouble.”It is great to be in New York. It’s great to be playing cricket in the US and…we’re excited for what’s to come. We’ve enjoyed the facilities; we’ve enjoyed the sort of getting around exploring as well. So, yeah, it’s brilliant and we are enjoying it.”Ten drop-in pitches were brought in for the World Cup matches in New York. Four of them have been installed at the main venue for the matches, and six for the nets at a training facility 20 minutes from the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. South Africa had an inkling what to expect when a couple of their batters walked out of the nets a day before the match.Anrich Nortje enjoyed conditions in New York•Associated Press”We didn’t know it [the pitches] is all from the same [time],” Nortje said. “We sort of assumed that they’re coming from the same, let me call it, factory. But yes, it was a little bit up and down in the nets as well. We need to train as well as the batters also need to train. It’s not always nice to go out and face balls jumping up, I think you adapt to it on the day and rather work on what you want to in the nets. And that’s why I think one or two of the guys eventually walked out, but they were still batting facing us. Also you don’t want to get hit. And a day before the game, you want to sort of go through your routines as a batter and they were fresh and spicy as well.”While South Africa played Sri Lanka, India practised on the same pitches in the nets. India’s coach Rahul Dravid said the pitches at the nets were much spicier when they first went in but had settled down a little. Asked if the pitches were lively just because they are fresh and not played on, Nortje said there was nothing wrong with the pitches.”I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the wickets,” he said. “It’s [allowed to be] nice for bowlers as well. We are also allowed to get some sort of assistance. It’s different to what guys have been used to for the last few months or years. There’s a little bit more in the wicket for the bowlers and I don’t see anything wrong with that.

127 dots from 214 balls bowled in New York today – the most in a men's #T20WorldCup match pic.twitter.com/Ko7IAgFSSN

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 3, 2024

“When it’s flat, people want to see sixes…so the wheels should turn a little bit somewhere. I don’t know what to expect in the next few weeks. It might get a little bit flatter. It might get a little bit slower, faster. Who knows? I’m not the expert on it, but I think our biggest thing is just to sort of adapt to whatever gets thrown in front of us in the next game again. See in the first over what to expect and try and adjust as best as possible.”Heinrich Klaasen, who finally calmed the nerves down with a six and a four off a single Wanindu Hasaranga over, tended to go with the wider narrative. “I don’t think it’s ideal for T20 cricket, but it’s still a good entertaining game,” he said. “Nevertheless our bowlers bowled extremely well. The margin for error for the bowlers is also not as big as you think. It’s not easy for the batters. It took like almost a mixture of Test cricket, one-day, batting-wise to get over the line. Luckily we didn’t chase 120. That would’ve been very interesting.”However, Klaasen was just as happy with the atmosphere as Nortje was. “I said to the coach the DJ was on point, there was no interruptions from his side and the crowd was fantastic,” he said. “You can see the people are excited for the competition.”

A remarkable spell of bowling from teenager Tilly Corteen-Coleman propelled South East Stars to a six-wicket win over the winless Northern Diamonds in the Charlotte Edwards Cup.Having elected to bat first, Diamonds suffered a dramatic collapse from 88 for 0 to 124 all out at the Seat Unique Riverside, despite a well made 55 from opener Leah Dobson.After the opening pair departed it was the Corteen-Coleman show, with the 16-year-old picking up career best figures of 5 for 19, including wickets from four consecutive balls, setting a platform for the Stars to grab their third win of the competition, with Bryony Smith getting her side home with an unbeaten 60.Corteen-Coleman, who turns 17 in August, was only called up to the Stars’ senior squad in April and paid back the faith her coaches have shown in her here. The teenager produced a magical spell of bowling, one which all bowlers would dream of, and picked up the key wickets of Sterre Kalis and Erin Burns.Diamonds won the toss and opted to bat first, with the hosts getting off to a good start as Lauren Winfield-Hill cut the first ball of the innings for four. Dobson then started taking the game to Stars, with the opener hitting three fours from a Ryana MacDonald-Gay over.Dobson continued to find the boundaries, with a lovely cover drive for four off the bowling of Kalea Moore.The pair reached their 50 partnership inside the powerplay with Dobson the aggressor and Winfield-Hill playing the anchor role.Dobson then reached 50 with a four, her half-century coming from 42 balls and including eight fours. However, just four balls later her opening partner Winfield-Hill was out, with the impressive Dani Gregory bowling her for 30.The wickets came like buses for Stars, with England allrounder Sophia Dunkley claiming the key scalp of Dobson for 55. Then Diamonds skipper Hollie Armitage and Burns fell to continue the collapse.Diamonds wickets kept on falling, with Bess Heath pulling a Tash Farrant ball into the safe hands of Dunkley for 9. Kalis also departed for 9, before Emma Marlow was bowled by Farrant for 4.Then a remarkable over from Corteen-Coleman saw her pick off the Diamonds tail in the first three balls of the final over. Having dismissed Kalis from the last ball of her previous over, she had Grace Hall taken behind the wicket and then caught-and-bowled Katie Levick to complete her hat-trick, before bowling Rachel Slater to finish the innings. Diamonds had lost all 10 wickets for 36 runs.Stars started nicely in their chase with Dunkley smashing Levick for six in the third over.A bad day got worse for Diamonds when Smith was dropped in the deep, then Dunkley was dropped a few minutes later, adding to the home side’s woe in Chester-le-Street.Diamonds made their first breakthrough moments later with Slater removing Dunkley for 25. But despite the wicket, Diamonds continued to toil and their fielding was poor with many more dropped catches aiding Stars’ chase.They did get a second wicket when Phoebe Franklin departed for 14 after Levick struck, with Armitage then getting Paige Scholfield for 5 and Tash Farrant for 16. But Stars skipper Smith anchored the chase and finished unbeaten on 60 as her side won with four overs to spare.

MatériaMais Notícias

O CEO do Vasco, Luiz Mello, revelou que os jogadores que possuem cláusula de renovação automática em caso de acesso irão permanecer no clube. O dirigente afirmou que os atletas conquistaram o objetivo e é preciso respeitar o acordo.

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– Se o atleta tem uma cláusula de renovação, o Vasco vai respeitar o contrato e segue o jogo. A gente vai respeitar porque foram eles, no primeiro momento, que acreditaram no projeto, foi a forma que a gente entendeu de trazê-los e até o final eles entregaram. Eles vieram com o objetivo de subir e conseguiram essa promoção.

Os jogadores que possuem esse gatilho no contrato são Thiago Rodrigues, Edimar, Yuri Lara e Anderson Conceição, que inclusive já renovou o vínculo por mais um ano. Luiz Mello também falou sobre Nenê, que tem contrato até o final do ano. O dirigente elogiou o meia e deixou no ar a possibilidade dele seguir no Vasco após pendurar as chuteiras.

– Nenê é um ídolo do Vasco, um cara que está sempre de alto astral, extremamente competitivo. É um cara que eu sempre quero estar do lado, que auxilia muito o treinador, mas ainda estamos vendo. O Nenê é um cara que tem um futuro grande, como gestor, como atleta, só tenho coisas boas para falar do Nenê – finalizou.

O Vasco estuda a possibilidade de oferecer um contrato de seis meses para Nenê, que também está na mira do técnico Renato Gaúcho. O treinador ainda não definiu a permanência no Grêmio e aguarda o resultado da eleição, que acontece neste domingo. Caso fique, o meia deve receber uma proposta do Tricolor.

With the World Cup just more than 330 days away, GOAL looks at how the Mexico squad might look next summer

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Javier Aguirre has led Mexico through a remarkable first half of 2025, guiding El Tri to a Gold Cup triumph on Sunday and lifting their first CONCACAF Nations League title back in March. But with the World Cup now less than a year away, the hard work is only beginning.

When Aguirre took charge, the national team was mired in uncertainty. Jaime Lozano had come up short in last year’s Nations League, Marcelo Bielsa declined an offer to take over, and Juan Carlos Rodríguez stepped down as president of the Mexican Football Federation, leaving behind a trail of instability just years before the sport’s biggest stage.

Fast forward a few months, and much of that doubt has dissipated – or at least quieted – thanks to the two trophies Aguirre has delivered.

Now comes a different kind of pressure. With no more official matches left before the World Cup, the upcoming friendlies – starting in September against Japan and South Korea – will be crucial for “El Vasco” as he fine-tunes the 23-man squad he’ll take to the tournament.

So who could be in the 2025 World Cup squad? Which players are on the outside looking in? GOAL takes a look

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPGoalkeepers

GOAL's Picks: Luis Ángel Malagón, Raúl Rangel, and Guillermo Ochoa

In the Mix: Alex Padilla, Carlos Moreno, and Carlos Acevedo

Surprisingly, questions remain about Mexico’s goalkeeping situation following Luis Ángel Malagón’s performance at the Gold Cup. The Club América goalkeeper didn’t have a poor tournament, but appeared shaky in some of his decision-making, drawing mixed reactions from pundits. Rumors also emerged that Malagón may not be Javier Aguirre’s favorite option, though those reports remain unconfirmed.

Malagón is still a lock for the 2026 World Cup squad if he continues performing well at the club level, but his starting spot is no longer guaranteed. Aguirre will want the best option between the posts for the opening match, and right now, Malagón hasn't fully secured that role.

The three goalkeepers who featured at the Gold Cup are unlikely to be left out of the final squad. Raúl Rangel has impressed with Chivas, while Guillermo Ochoa continues to offer leadership and experience – clearly demonstrated when he lifted the Gold Cup trophy during the celebrations. The veteran is also aiming to break the record for most World Cup appearances, hoping to be called into his sixth tournament.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDefenders

GOAL's Picks: Mateo Chávez, Jesús Gallardo, César Montes, Johan Vásquez, Israel Reyes, Jorge Sánchez, and Rodrigo Huescas
In the Mix: Julián Araujo, Kevin Álvarez, Jesús Orozco, Ramón Juárez, Hugo Camberos, Diego Campillo, Emilio Lara
It’s unlikely there will be major changes in defense ahead of the World Cup. Those with the most secure spots are the ones playing in Europe, while in Liga MX there’s a promising group of young talents – but the gap between them and the established names remains significant.

At center back, things seem fairly settled for the opening match: César Montes and Johan Vásquez are expected to lead the back line. During the Gold Cup, Aguirre rotated heavily at fullback. Mateo Chávez – one of the tournament’s biggest revelations – shared minutes with Jesús Gallardo on the left, while Julián Araujo and Jorge Sánchez split time on the right.

What remains unclear is how Aguirre plans to reintegrate Rodrigo Huescas in upcoming call-ups. The defender was left out of the Gold Cup squad following legal issues in Denmark, and his return will depend on how those matters unfold.

Getty Images SportMidfielders

GOAL's Picks: Edson Álvarez, Gilberto Mora, Marcel Ruiz, Orbelín Pineda, Erik Lira, Carlos Rodríguez, César Huerta, Alexis Vega
In the Mix: Álvaro Fidalgo, Luis Chávez, Luis Romo, Erick Sánchez, Jesús Angulo

Luis Chávez’s ACL injury during the Gold Cup raises some questions. The Dynamo Moscow midfielder had been rumored to make a move during the summer window, but the injury put everything on hold. Now the question is whether he’ll return in time – and in form – for the World Cup.

Luckily for Mexico, two new stars emerged at the Gold Cup, both previously off the radar: Marcel Ruiz and Gilberto Mora – the latter just 16 years old. Javier Aguirre showed a clear preference for a midfield trio, often using the remaining midfielders in more advanced roles, such as Orbelín Pineda, César Huerta, and Alexis Vega.

The midfield that started the Gold Cup final against the United States – Ruiz, Edson, and Mora – should be the same one that kicks off the World Cup. That said, other highly capable players like Charly Rodríguez and Erik Lira could easily break into Aguirre’s starting XI when the tournament kicks off.

And then there’s the high-profile case of Álvaro Fidalgo, the Spanish-born Club América midfielder, who will be eligible to play for Mexico starting in 2026. Fans have been calling for his inclusion, but after what Ruiz and Mora showed at the Gold Cup, Fidalgo may fade from the conversation – for now. Still, expect his name to resurface strongly come January.

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Getty Images SportForwards

GOAL's Predictions: Raúl Jiménez, Santiago Giménez, Roberto Alvarado, Julián Quiñones, Hirving Lozano

In the Mix: Ángel Sepúlveda, Efraín Álvarez, Henry Martín, Guillermo Martínez, Diego Lainez

Raúl Jiménez cemented his status as the face of Mexican football at this Gold Cup – as long as he maintains his fitness and form. Next summer, he’ll likely start in what will be his fourth World Cup – where he’ll be aiming to score his first-ever goal on the sport’s biggest stage.

Jiménez has never arrived at a World Cup in peak form, for various reasons, but he’s hopeful that 2026 will finally be his moment – especially playing in front of home fans and during one of the best spells of his career.

Up front, only one or two spots might realistically change before the final squad announcement. Surprises are unlikely. Jiménez, Giménez, and Alvarado appear locked in. Julián Quiñones is also expected to make the cut if he maintains his form in Saudi Arabia, though he didn’t feature in either the final or the semifinal against Honduras. That has sparked talk of a possible fallout with Aguirre. We’ll learn more in future call-ups, but for now, based on club form, the Colombian-born forward’s inclusion in the final list is probable.

Hirving Lozano, meanwhile, seems to be regaining his form during his new chapter in MLS. The winger missed the Gold Cup due to injury, but “Chucky” is expected to do everything in his power – literally – to prove himself to Aguirre during this final stretch before the tournament.

Texas won the eliminator and the second qualifier to complete a back-door entry into the finale

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2023Perera and Hafeez dazzle to eliminate Morrisville UnityA four-wicket haul from Thisara Perera and a 104-run opening partnership between Mukhtar Ahmed and Mohammad Hafeez nullified Obus Pienaar’s quickfire fifty and helped Texas Chargers eliminate Morrisville Unity.Morrisville batted first with Shehan Jayasuriya beginning cautiously after losing his opening partner early. Pienaar settled quickly at No. 3 and hit Imran Khan Jr. for two consecutive boundaries in the first two balls he faced.With Corey Anderson for company soon after, Pienaar led Morrisville into three figures in the eighth over, finishing on a solid 21-ball 55 to set Texas a target of 116.But that proved too less against the Texas batting that chased 117 with nine balls remaining. Mukhtar drilled 47 while Hafeez made 57, and had already crossed hundred when the opening stand was broken. Navin Stewart dismissed both openers in the eighth over, but it was little consolation in the end.Ben Dunk and Perera came out to finish the job, completed with back-to-back sixes in the ninth over.Levi, Misbah take New York Warriors into finalNew York Warriors secured a vital victory over California Knights in the first Qualifier of the competition to book their berth for the grand finale on Sunday. Richard Levi’s imperative performance inspired the Warriors’ eight-wicket win.California openers Jacques Kallis and Aaron Finch stitched together an opening stand of 60 runs off 35 deliveries, but Jerome Taylor broke the stand in the eighth over. Ashley Nurse’s 16 off 12 balls helped California post a target of 97 with Umaid Asif and Shahid Afridi providing the bowling squeeze.Even though New York got off to a shaky start with both openers falling early, Levi and Misbah-ul-Haq stamped their authority on the game towards the sixth over to begin finding boundaries consistently. While Misbah made 29 in 13 balls, Levi hit four fours and three sixes to finish on a 24-ball 47. New York sealed the win with eight balls to spare.Texas Chargers secure final spot after another Hafeez masterclassA resilient Texas Chargers side clinched back-to-back wins on the same day to secure a clash with New York Warriors in the final. After defeating Morrisville Unity in the Eliminator, Texas breezed past California Knights in the second Qualifier.Another outstanding performance from their opening duo of Mukhtar Ahmed and Mohammed Hafeez helped Texas chase a daunting target of 140. Hafeez also clinched a couple of crucial wickets.Chasing a challenging target at such a crucial stage, Mukhtar and Hafeez dominated proceedings by smacking 75 runs in four overs, including six sixes and seven fours in that period.Devendra Bishoo broke the opening stand in the fifth over when he sent Mukhtar back for a 14-ball 40, but the dismissal failed to faze Hafeez as he hit Bishoo for two consecutive sixes. Dunk joined the six-hitting fest with successive big hits against Ashley Nurse in the sixth over.Hafeez then completed his fity in 16 balls with a six off Ashley Nurse. Eventually he would finish on 68 off 24.Earlier, put into bat, Aaron Finch was cleaned up in the second over by Imran Khan Jr., but Jacques Kallis held the fort for California as he dished out the first six of the match in the third over against Sohail Tanvir.Kallis was in slog mode as he hit a six in each of the following three overs. Kallis started the seventh over with two consecutive sixes against Tanvir to bring up 100 runs on the board. Milind Kumar provided the perfect support to as the duo strung together a 96-run stand for the second wicket. Kallis batted through the innings,to guide the Knights to a challenging total of 139 for 3.

Bruno Fernandes has revealed that Manchester United never forced him to join Al-Hilal after snubbing lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia.

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Fernandes snubbed Al-Hilal's lucrative offerClaimed Man Utd never forced him to join Saudi sideAmorim played a role in Fernandes staying backFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Fernandes was strongly linked with a move away from United this summer as Al-Hilal were reportedly preparing an eye-watering offer for the Portuguese midfielder. However, Fabrizio Romano reported that the 30-year-old eventually rejected the offer and decided to stay back at Old Trafford, as he wants to continue playing in Europe.

AdvertisementGOAL/GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The former Saudi Pro League champions were ready to offer £200m ($269m) in salary over three years to Fernandes, and on top of that were ready to pay the Red Devils a £100 million ($135m) transfer fee. The United captain has now revealed that the English giants never forced him to complete the transfer, and manager Ruben Amorim played an important role in his final call.

WHAT BRUNO FERNANDES SAID

Speaking to , the Portuguese said: "There was an opportunity. The president called me and asked if I wanted to go there. They were waiting for me. I spoke to coach Amorim. He asked me not to go. Manchester United didn’t want to sell me. They don’t need the money. If I had wanted to leave, they would have made it happen."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Amorim's squad will reassemble in late July before heading back to Asia for the first part of their pre-season tour. Before that, the club will remain busy in the summer transfer window as they look to rebuild the squad after a nightmare 2024-25 campaign.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Fortaleza derrotou o Vasco, de virada, na manhã desta quarta, no Nivaldo Pereira, em Nova Iguaçu, pela 3ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro sub-17. Com isso, a equipe cearense conquistou a sua primeira vitória na competição nacional. Ambas as equipes fazem parte do Grupo B do campeonato.

+Mercado fechado: confira o balanço da janela de transferências do Vasco

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Logo aos 2 minutos, o Cruz-Maltino chegou com perigo quando Rayan tentou cruzar na área, mas a defesa cearense afastou o perigo. No melhor momento do time carioca no jogo, Kauan Kelvin dominou, tirou do zagueiro e deixou Rayan livre para finalizar e abrir o placar.

+ Confira e simule a tabela da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro

Ainda no primeiro tempo, o Fortaleza buscou o empate e conseguiu estufar a rede, de pênalti. Phillipe Gabriel chegou a defender, mas no rebote Amorim deixou tudo igual.

Na volta do intervalo, Rayan recebeu na direita e depois de cortar para dentro finalizou com perigo. em outra boa chegada do Vasco, Juan recebeu na esquerda, cruzou na área, mas ninguém alcançou a boa. Por fim, os visitantes tiveram mais um pênalti, e desta vez, Paulo Roberto estufou a rede.

Esse foi o primeiro revés do Vasco na competição, visto que havia vencido América-MG na estreia e empatou com o Fluminense pela segunda rodada. O Leão do Pici, por sua vez, veio de duas derrotas para Fluminense e Cruzeiro e conquistou o primeiro triunfo no campeonato.

+Entenda a matemática do Vasco para voltar à Série A do Campeonato Brasileiro

Na próxima rodada, o Gigante da Colina mede forças com o Botafogo, na quinta-feira, dia 25, no Estádio Nilton Santos. Antes disso, a equipe entrará em campo no sábado, dia 20, às 11h30, contra o Volta Redonda, pelo Estadual. O Fortaleza jogará na quarta, dia 24, contra o América-MG, às 15h, no CT Ribamar Bezerra, em Maracanau, no Ceará.

Big Picture

Delhi Capitals will host Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday, five days after their scrappy encounter in Hyderabad. There is a lot in common between the two teams. Both are struggling at the wrong end of the table at the start of the second half of the league stage, separated only by net run rate. These are two teams that are trying desperately to breathe some life into their misfiring batting lineups.Capitals and Sunrisers have scored the least runs in the league stage this year, and that has been at the heart of their problems.In their last meeting, Capitals scrambled to 144 after Washington Sundar ran through them with a three-wicket over. But despite Mayank Agarwal laying down a solid platform, Sunrisers were suffocated by Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav and their ploy to take the chase deep did not play out.Related

• Harry Brook's struggle to prove he belongs in the IPL

• Hamstring injury rules Washington Sundar out of IPL 2023

Capitals, after losing their first five games, have won their last two and will be buoyed by Mitchell Marsh finding some rhythm at the top, with an aggressive 15-ball 25 in the last match. But they still need to find a fix for the second opening spot.After a string of low scores, Prithvi Shaw was dropped against Sunrisers, but Phil Salt, his replacement at the top of the order, edged behind off the first ball he faced. But opening is a more natural role for Salt, who was tried in the middle order against Kolkata Knight Riders, and Capitals will hope that given a string of games, he fires at the top.Sunrisers have struggled to find an opening combination as well. They started the season with Mayank and Abhishek Sharma at the top, before sending Harry Brook up to open after he struggled to find his groove in the middle order. Apart from his century against Knight Riders, Brook has failed to fire. And to accommodate Brook at the top, Sunrisers have juggled Mayank and Abhishek up and down the order, and are yet to settle into a solution.

Recent results

Delhi Capitals: WWLLL (Last five matches, most recent first)Sunrisers Hyderabad: LLLWW

Team news – SRH lose Washington Sundar for the season

Allrounder Washington, who put on his best performance of the season against Capitals, has since been ruled out of the tournament with a hamstring injury.

Toss and impact player strategy

Mukesh Kumar bowled an excellent final over to help Delhi Capitals win their last game•Associated Press

Delhi CapitalsDelhi Capitals are likely to stick to the same team that won against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last game, with Sarfaraz Khan starting if they bat first and being replaced by Mukesh Yadav and vice versa if they bowl first. If they bowl first, Ishant Sharma could also be the player going off for Sarfaraz.Probable XII: David Warner (capt), Phil Salt (wk), Mitchell Marsh, , Manish Pandey, Aman Khan, Axar Patel, Ripal Patel, Anrich Nortje, Kuldeep Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Sunrisers HyderabadWith Washington out injured, Sunrisers may replace him with an out-an-out batter in Abdul Samad or untested allrounder Vivrant Sharma. If they bat first, T Natarajan could be the player to make way for Rahul Tripathi, as he did in the last game.Probable XII: Harry Brook, Mayank Agarwal, , Aiden Markram (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Abdul Samad/Vivrant Sharma, Marco Jansen, Mayank Markande, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umran Malik,

Stats that matter

• Capitals have won their last four matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but in Delhi, Sunrisers have won four of the last five games between the two teams
• Capitals (17) and Sunrisers (29) are at the bottom of the list of sixes hit in IPL 2023
• David Warner’s strike rate of 71 against Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the lowest among all bowlers he has faced at least 40 deliveries against in T20s

The big question

A 112-run stand between Verreynne and Jansen gave the innings some backbone but there was not much else

Firdose Moonda25-Dec-2022

The opening day at MCG suggests this series is in for a repeat of what happened at the Gabba but don’t be fooled: this pitch is nowhere near as spiteful, it’s South Africa’s batting which remains bad. They were bowled for under 200 for a seventh successive Test innings and David Warner, in his 100th Test, had already made some headway into the total.Collapses bookended South Africa’s innings as they slipped to 58 for 4 in before lunch and lost five wickets for 10 runs in the evening session. A 112-run sixth-wicket stand between Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen, who scored half-centuries each, gave the innings some backbone but there was not much else.Pat Cummins will feel vindicated after making the surprising decision to bowl first and put pressure on a vulnerable line-up. Though Australia were disciplined with the ball, they were not outstanding and they put down several catches but still managed to dismiss South Africa for an under-par score. Cameron Green did the bulk of the damage and claimed the wicket of Theunis de Bruyn, which was the first of three for two runs, before lunch and then Verreynne, Jansen, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi in 12 balls to complete his first Test five-for.Related

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Dean Elgar and Sarel Erwee started off fairly well against tight Australian lines. Elgar was dropped on 7, when he offered Cummins a return catch, and on 19, when he gave Green a tough chance at point. He played and missed several times but dug in and survived and the stage seemed set for him to grind out a good knock.But it wasn’t long before familiar batting problems reared their head. Erwee drove loosely against Scott Boland and was caught at third slip to be dismissed in that fashion for the 10th time in 16 innings. New No. 3 de Bruyn, who replaced Rassie van der Dussen, seemed in good touch and hit Green for two straight drives down the ground but then misjudged Green’s length and top-edged a pull.That brought South Africa’s two most experienced hands, Elgar and Temba Bavuma, together but they were separated 10 minutes before lunch. Elgar pushed Mitchell Starc to the right of mid-off, where Marnus Labuschagne was quick onto the ball. He turned and released in one move and fired in a direct hit to find Elgar short of his ground and run him out for the first time in Test career. The ball after that, Starc found Bavuma’s edge with a ball that tailed away as he prodded at it and had him caught behind.Both Verreynne and Khaya Zondo were scoreless at the lunch interval but resumed the innings with positive intent. Verreynne got off the mark with a confident square drive off a full, wide Starc ball. He did not score a run for the next eight balls he faced as Australia applied pressure and Zondo succumbed to another moment of Marnus magic. He stepped out to drive Starc past mid-off but found Labuschagne, who took an outstanding leaping catch to end Zondo’s innings.Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen revived South Africa’s stumbling innings•Associated Press

Undeterred by the severity of the situation, Verreynne and Jansen took the fight to Australia and their approach could well be a blueprint for South Africa to follow in future. Verreynne was particularly severe on the short ball while Jansen drove well and they were both proactive against Nathan Lyon’s offspin.Jansen should have been dismissed for 37 when he pulled Cummins to Usman Khawaja at square leg but the chance was spilled. He went on to his first Test fifty, and sixth first-class half-century, with a lofted drive over long-on. The shot that got him to his milestone just evaded Starc at long-on and caught the tip of his finger, in what initially seemed a serious injury. Starc left the field immediately and later returned with his finger in a dressing. He was not required to bowl again.Verreynne’s fifty followed, with his second milestone of the series after also top-scoring in the first innings in Brisbane and South Africa were set to push past 200 but then Green struck.However, Verreynne was drawn forward and edged Green to Steven Smith at slip and in his next over, Jansen went the same way. Rabada played on, Keshav Maharaj hit Lyon to mid-off and Green took out Lungi Ngidi’s offstump to end South Africa’s inning with 19 overs left in the day.Though their attack had more to work with than they did at the Gabba, South Africa’s bowlers lacked energy and barely threatened. Five of Rabada’s first six balls, all to Warner, went down leg. In Rabada’s next over, Warner did as he promised he would and took Rabada on. He got off the mark when he pulled Rabada behind square for four. He repeated the shot in Rabada’s next over. South Africa’s spearhead had some reward when Khawaja nicked off. It was the fifth time in nine matches that Rabada has dismissed Khawaja.Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen were more disciplined but Warner issued a final warning, when he threw his bat at a wide Anrich Nortje ball that flew over the slips for four more. He was undefeated on 32 overnight, with Labuschagne alongside him.

Pakistan captain says Shan Masood good to go, but Fakhar Zaman not quite there yet

Sidharth Monga22-Oct-2022

The Melbourne weather has had to tie itself in knots to usurp the chicken-and-egg situation between Pakistan’s middle-order issues and their opener’s slow strike rate to emerge as the biggest talking point in the lead-up to their first match of the T20 World Cup. That situation has got to the point where a journalist told Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam at the pre-match press conference that former players are saying that all India have to do to win on Sunday is get Babar and Mohammad Rizwan early.Babar smiled in response, and gave his full backing to the middle order. “Look, sir, this we will know on the day [of the match],” Babar said. “You never know. This is T20. On the day anyone can surprise you. It is a short format, any player can win you the match. We have belief in the middle order. They have won us enough matches, they have performed in enough difficult situations. You should be prepared for everything.”Related

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Perhaps equally the question should be asked of Babar and Rizwan if their conservative starts leave the middle order with no option but to hit out and risk losing their wickets early. That question wasn’t asked but, given their attack, Pakistan can afford to score par totals if they do bat first.”The way our fast bowlers are performing, Shaheen [Shah Afridi] has come back, [Mohammad] Wasim, and especially the way Haris [Rauf] has improved his bowling and grown his game, our confidence in our bowling unit is quite high,” Babar said. “So, on the day, we will try to execute our plans.”Babar confirmed that Shan Masood has recovered after he took a blow to the side of his head two days before the match. Fakhar Zaman, though, has not fully recovered from a knee issue and will have to wait for a game or two before becoming available for selection.”Shan Masood has recovered,” Babar said. “All the test reports look good. He is ready for tomorrow. We haven’t yet seen the pitch. We know an XI in the back of the mind, but we will confirm it when we see the wicket. Fakhar hasn’t recovered fully. It will take him one or two matches.”What gives Pakistan a bit of buffer with their middle order is their recent use of Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz as low-cost power-hitters against suitable match-ups. “The way Shadab and Nawaz have played their part higher up the order, that is a key factor for us,” Babar said. “It gives us a freer mindset. And here the grounds are bigger, you won’t see as many big shots here.”