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Isuru Udana put the finishing touches on the chase after Ali Khan impressed with the ball

Alex Malcolm13-Sep-2021A power-packed pyrotechnic show from Kieron Pollard helped Trinbago Knight Riders sew up top spot on the CPL table with a four-wicket win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.Knight Riders looked in danger of finishing third on the table, leaving them vulnerable to weather in the semi-finals, having slumped to 52 for 3 in the ninth over chasing Patriots target of 148. But Pollard plundered 51 off 22 balls to make the chase a formality.The result meant Trinbago Knight Riders will face fourth-placed St Lucia Kings in the first semi-final while Patriots finished in third on the table and face Guyana Amazon Warriors in the other semi-final.Pollard struck his first two balls for six off Jon-Russ Jaggesar to ease the tension. Two overs later he clubbed Jaggesar over the rope three more times to take 23 runs from the over to reduce the required run-rate from well over eight per over to just on a run-a-ball.He cruised to his half-century in just 20 balls setting a new Knight Riders record for the fastest half-century in their history. He fell shortly after for 51 but the damage was done. Despite a couple of nervous moments, Isuru Udana steered the side home in the 19th over finishing with 25 not out from 16 balls.Pollard’s innings overshadowed a phenomenal spell from Fawad Ahmed, who took 2 for 16 from his four overs to put Patriots in a position to close out the game.Earlier, Ali Khan took 3 for 19 from four overs while Udana claimed 2 for 28 to ensure Knight Riders were chasing less than 150 on an excellent batting surface. Patriots’ innings stalled through the middle overs despite Joshua Da Silva’s 50 off 45 balls and Dwayne Bravo’s excellent cameo of 25 off 13 balls at the back end of the innings.With Evin Lewis resting after his century the previous night, Da Silva got off to a brisk start alongside assistant coach Jonathan Carter, who was called in as an injury replacement at short notice. The pair scored 51 in the Powerplay after the early loss of Chris Gayle but the innings slowed through the middle overs.Khan put the brakes on conceding eight from his first two overs and had Carter dropped twice. He was rewarded later in the innings when Da Silva scooped him straight to short fine to give him the final word in their verbal battle. Khan then removed Sherfane Rutherford with a searing yorker that ripped out off stump before Fabian Allen chopped on to hand Khan his second-best figures of the tournament.Bravo stood firm smashing consecutive sixes from Ravi Rampaul to lift the total up to 147. Udana’s consecutive wickets in the 19th over, including Bravo, helped give Knight Riders a very chasable target.

Unai Emery is personally pushing Aston Villa to complete a deal ahead of the new Premier League season, it has been claimed.

Villa set for summer of change

There is set to be wholesale change in the Aston Villa engine room this summer, with Douglas Luiz seemingly set to leave and Weston McKennie arriving as part of a swap deal with Juventus. Meanwhile, the Villans are also closing in on a deal for Ross Barkley, who enjoyed a stellar campaign despite being relegated with Luton Town, and that is a move reportedly due to set them back around £5m.

Aston Villa close in on signing Morgan Rogers 2.0

He could be on his way to Villa Park soon

By
Joe Nuttall

Jun 12, 2024

They have also been credited with an interest in Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher this summer, though the Blues are demanding around £50m to let the Englishman leave, a sum that may prove too steep for a side battling FFP restrictions already ahead of the June 30th deadline.

As a result, it has been reported that they have targetted another player from their shortlist, who may be a cheaper alternative than the Chelsea skipper.

Emery targets Guendouzi reunion

That comes in the shape of ex-Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi, who is plying his trade with French outfit Marseille. The French midfielder was plucked from Ligue 2 Lorient by Emery back in 2018, and racked up 66 appearances during the pair's union in North London, scoring one goal.

The now-Villa boss was a big fan of the youngster, and named him a "key" player who had made "amazing" progress in his side after one particular north London derby performance.

“Last year was amazing for his progress, taking confidence, taking rhythm and knowing the Premier League. This year he’s starting to give us one step more tactically with the ball. He gives us a lot of control and also the combination for us mean he’s very important in the team. He’s one of the key players to do that.

“He’s working to get a balance defensively and also working on his body to get stronger in the situations needed in the Premier League. It was one step more but he’s very demanding of himself and we’re progressing with him.”

Now a reunion could be on the cards, with Football Insider revealing that Villa have "opened preliminary talks" over signing the 26-year-old, and that Emery has "spoken to Guendouzi personally" as he looks to bring the midfielder to Villa Park.

He would certainly be a cheaper option than Gallagher, with reports claiming that a bid of around 30m euros (£26m) would force his club to consider their position.

His reported £53k-per-week deal would be cheaper than a deal for Gallagher too, with the latter on £50k per week at Chelsea and likely to ask for a significant bump in those wages to leave his boyhood club. Could this summer finally see Emery reunited with the midfielder?

Another sloppy, error-strewn day by the tourists could prove terminal

Matt Roller05-Dec-20251:18

Root jokes England’s ‘wheels would’ve come off’ if he was captain

Brydon Carse peeled himself off the outfield at the Gabba with his shirt drenched through with sweat, his left hand strapped, and his whites stained with grass after a failed attempt at a sliding stop on the boundary rope. His obvious exhaustion reflected England’s mood: through no shortage of effort, this series is already threatening to slip away from them.England simply cannot afford to lose in Brisbane. If that sounds like an exaggeration after four days of cricket, consider this: only once, in 1936-37, has a team ever come from two-nil down to win an Ashes series. They have been handed two golden opportunities to face an Australia side without two of their three great fast bowlers but gifted them a win in the first Test and already have conceded a significant deficit in the second.They still have a foothold thanks to Australia’s crazy half-hour under lights, but make no mistake: this was a brutal day for England, who leaked more than five runs per over, dropped five catches, and rarely managed to hide their frustrations in doing so. Carse personified their struggles, his eye-watering figures of 3 for 113 from 17 overs somehow representing a comeback from a dreadful start.Related

• Australia wait to count cost of crazy floodlit passage

• England's prep not to blame for Gabba fielding errors, says Root

• Root: England must 'express themselves in right way' to save second Test

• Weatherald's opening gambit inspires Australia fightback

Mark Waugh, commentating for Fox, described Carse’s pitchmap as “third-grade standard” during his first spell, then apologised to third-graders who might think that was an overly generous assessment. He seemed convinced that Jake Weatherald and Travis Head had weaknesses against wide long-hops and straight half-volleys, being picked off either side of the wicket, and leaked 45 runs in his first five overs.In the twilight, Carse could be seen cursing himself at mid-on as Ben Stokes ran in after an over that highlighted his volatility: he struck Steven Smith on the right elbow with a ball that climbed sharply, but then booted the air in frustration after his wide half-volley was sliced away behind point and felt his body thud into the pitch two balls later, losing his footing in his follow-through.His third spell lasted a single over. Carse charged in and slammed one in halfway down at 84mph/135kph, and watched Cameron Green back away to slap it, cross-batted, over mid-off for four. Green cut him for four more, Smith top-edged a hook for six, and a loopy bouncer was deemed wide, too high to reach.Things were getting badly out of hand: Carse’s figures after 12 overs – 1 for 95 – were briefly the most expensive in England’s Test history. Then came a bizarre, drawn-out over: another loopy wide, a yorker bluff to clean up Green, a drop at gully by a sprawling Ben Duckett, and an outstanding diving effort by Will Jacks at long leg to account for Smith.He charged down to Jacks in celebration, briefly convinced that his and England’s day to forget was becoming a night to remember. But it soon came crashing back down: in between drops by Duckett and a tough chance for Joe Root, Carse shelled the easiest of the lot at cover to reprieve Michael Neser and split the webbing on his left hand in the process.Brydon Carse rues a dropped a catch•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesIt was nearly as tough for England’s other bowlers: Stokes leaked 5.47 runs per over and struggled with cramps, Jofra Archer had two catches put down off his bowling, Will Jacks’ only over cost 13 runs (including four byes for a freebie down the leg side), Gus Atkinson is wicketless after 39 overs in this series, and Mark Wood’s left knee is in a brace.Since bowling Australia out for 132 in Perth – the best-case scenario for their fast but fragile attack – England have conceded a combined 583 for 8 in 101.2 overs and appear incapable of exerting any control. Stokes must shoulder some of the blame: unusually, it was hard to ascertain England’s plan to take wickets for much of the second day in Brisbane.There has long been a sense within English cricket that Carse is ideally suited to bowling in Australia. He took wickets in the Lions’ win against Australia A at the MCG in 2019-20, made a strong impression before an injury while bowling to England’s batters in the build-up to the 2021-22 series, and is rare in preferring the Kookaburra ball to the more familiar Dukes.He is their leading wicket-taker in the early stages of this tour, but that he has also conceded more than a run a ball is emblematic of England’s wider selection policy: picking players based on their best moments with minimal concern for their consistency results in days like these. For all the adrenaline and excitement England have produced, Australia are in control.”Clearly we didn’t get it right to start with,” Root said, doing his best to cling to the positives, “but the way we responded, especially towards the back end of the day [was great]…The wheels could have come off and at other times – probably on a tour where I was captain, they would have.”We know that [when we play] our best cricket and when we execute well, we’re a very difficult side to play against. It’s about turning up with the right manner tomorrow… I don’t think we’re massively out of the game at all. I think we’re actually not too far behind, as long as we get things right early tomorrow.”Root is right that all hope is not lost: England could yet blow away Australia’s lower order on the third morning, and will have the opportunity to bowl last on a pitch that has already shown signs of variable bounce. But Carse’s slow trudge towards the dressing room was a reminder that another sloppy, error-strewn day could prove terminal.

Harry Kane says he "can't get his head around" Bayern Munich team-mate Eric Dier retiring from golf after a "tough" summer of playing the sport.

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• Dier has been reunited with Kane at Bayern
• Ex-Spurs duo play golf together
• Dier has stopped playing after "tough" summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Defender Dier swapped Tottenham for Bayern in the second half of last season on loan, before joining the Bundesliga side permanently in the summer. When the England international signed for the Bavarians, he admitted he would be taking German lessons and playing golf with Kane. Now, Three Lions skipper Kane has revealed his old Spurs team-mate has given up golf… but he has not given up hope on coaxing him back into playing.

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  WHAT HARRY KANE SAID

  He said on the Rick Shiels Golf Show: "A good friend of mine, Eric Dier, is going through a bit of a… I'll give him a little shoutout, he's going through a bit of a tough spell. He was obsessed with golf and then he had a tough summer playing, he went to some of the best courses. All of a sudden, he's come back and said he's retired from golf.

  "I can't get my head around it, so we're trying to get him back out of retirement to get out there and play. Just need to get him out there and once he has that feeling, I think he'll be sweet. He'll be back out there, I'll get him out there."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Away from off-the-field matters, Kane and Dier's Bayern sit top of the Bundesliga – but are only ahead of RB Leipzig on goal difference. Vincent Kompany's side want to return to winning silverware again after the German giants had a trophyless season in 2023-24 under Thomas Tuchel.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Both Kane and Dier could be in action in the second round of the DFB-Pokal cup away to Mainz on Wednesday night, before they return to Bundesliga action on Saturday, November 2.

With the Arne Slot era set to get underway, Liverpool have reportedly joined the race to sign a midfielder who would take the Reds up another level in the middle of the park.

Liverpool transfer news

Whether it's links to Rodrygo, Aurelien Tchouameni or Johan Bakayoko, it seems as though Michael Edwards is keen to make some statement signings this summer, having returned to take a bigger role than ever at Anfield. He, alongside Richard Hughes, will be looking to hand Slot the best possible start to his Liverpool career.

Those behind the scenes at the club proved their willingness to spend last summer when welcoming the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister and it could be the midfield that takes the focus once again in the coming months.

Liverpool now want "talented" £42m history-maker in long-term VVD solution

The Reds are planning well ahead.

By
Tom Cunningham

May 29, 2024

As well as Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch have done to settle into life at Liverpool, the Reds are arguably one star away from handing Slot a title-winning midfield. And that's where Bruno Guimaraes could come in.

According to AS, Liverpool are eyeing a move to sign Guimaraes this summer in a move that would be worth a reported €80m (£68m) with the Brazilian's €115m (£98m) release clause coming to an end on June 24.

That said, Liverpool aren't the only side interested, with Premier League rivals Manchester City and Arsenal also eyeing moves to lure the Newcastle star away from St James' Park this summer. Given that the Magpies may need to raise funds to comply with PSR too, all three clubs could be primed and ready to take full advantage and offer a helping hand.

For Liverpool, Guimaraes represents the chance to complete their midfield rebuild once and for all ahead of an important first season under Slot.

"Magnificent" Guimaraes could replace Endo

Despite just how much of a pleasant surprise Endo has been for Liverpool since arriving, it remains to be seen just how long he can keep progressing at 31 years old and competing in one of the most intense leagues that world football has to offer. The arrival of Guimaraes would ease any of those concerns and likely result in a squad role for the Japan international. Guimaraes, meanwhile, would form quite the partnership with Mac Allister.

With more assists than Trent Alexander-Arnold's four in the Premier League this season, Guimaraes' creativity is an underrated aspect of his game but a part that can get the Liverpool attack finally firing on all cylinders again following a poor end to the campaign.

Eddie Howe won't be keen to part ways with his star man, however, despite his reported £160k-a-week wage, having previously said via Football365: "Yes, they love him and rightly so after today’s performance. He was magnificent in every discipline of the game."

NZ left-arm spinner eager to learn how to adapt to different conditions

Deivarayan Muthu02-Sep-2021On Wednesday, Ajaz Patel stepped up as New Zealand’s lone specialist spinner in Dhaka, coming away with 1 for 7 – the second-most economical four-over effort for the side in T20Is . On Thursday, Patel revealed that he had a chat lined up with Daniel Vettori, who holds the New Zealand record for the most economical figures in four overs. In February 2010, Vettori claimed 3 for 6 against Bangladesh in Hamilton.Related

• Allen back in NZ bubble after returning two negative tests

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• Stats – New Zealand fall to their joint-lowest T20I total

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• Latham on Bangladesh T20Is: 'Things won't be easy over here'

“It’s pretty cool. Obviously, two people that I look up to when it comes to spin bowling as a left-armer are Dan [Vettori] and Rangana [Herath],” Patel said. “Rangana [who is Bangladesh’s current spin-bowling consultant] was there yesterday and I had a brief chat with him and I’ve got a chat lined up with Dan today, talking about his experiences in Bangladesh and stuff like that. So, I’m looking forward to that as well.”Obviously, he [Vettori] has played a lot of cricket around the world and he knows as a left-armer what challenges he faced and what differences he came across as he travelled around the world. So, it’ll be nice to be able to pick his brain around and the differences he faced and challenges and how he kind of adapted to them. I’m hoping that that’ll give me a bit more of a head start coming to conditions like this.”In the T20I series opener, Patel took the new ball and struck in his second over, when he found delightful dip and turn to have Liton Das stumped for 1. Patel then consistently darted the ball into the Dhaka track and handcuffed the hosts with turn – or the lack thereof. He didn’t give up a single boundary and 17 of his 24 balls were dots. He was looking forward to more of the same for the rest of the series.”I think, on surfaces like that where you have that much assistance, sometimes it’s just about control,” Patel said. “It’s about being able to control your length and what you’re trying to do with the ball. Sometimes, the most dangerous balls are the ones that don’t turn. So, sometimes that can be a challenge as well. Yeah, last night was a good night for me, personally with the ball, and I’d like to maybe try and replicate that throughout the series. Hopefully, we can turn some results our way.”New Zealand had simulated spin-friendly conditions at their winter camps in Lincoln and Mount Maunganui – before having five outdoor training sessions upon arrival in Dhaka – but Patel conceded that game-time is an entirely different thing. He hoped that New Zealand would learn from their irreparable collapse in the first game and adapt better for the second.”Obviously, we’ll take a lot of learnings from yesterday and you know it’s nice to get out there [in the middle],” Patel said. “Obviously, we’ve been training for a few days prior to that, but you never know what it’s going to be like until you get into the middle, so I think we’ll learn from that pretty quickly and adapt for the next one.”It’s about getting a clear idea of what we experienced yesterday and what our plans are going forward. So, it’s all about looking ahead and looking for the next one and see how we can build from yesterday.”The advantage of a short tour – New Zealand have been lined up to play five T20Is in ten days – is that their 60 all out can be swiftly consigned to history.”That’s the great thing. I guess in a condensed tour like this, you don’t have much time to dwell on the past,” Patel said. “You just keep looking forward and moving on.”

Paul Pogba has confirmed that he did reject Pep Guardiola and Manchester City when leaving their arch-rivals United as a free agent in 2022.

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• Ran down his contract at Old Trafford
• Premier League giants expressed interest
• Decision taken to head back to Turin

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Having reached the end of his contract at Old Trafford, Pogba faced a huge call on his future. He had spent another six years with the Red Devils by that point, with his performances on the back of a record-breaking £89 million ($116m) transfer dividing opinion.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Frenchman was given the chance to link up with Premier League champions at the Etihad Stadium – keeping him in Manchester – but the decision was taken to retrace his steps to Juventus. That move has not worked out as planned, with a doping ban currently being served, but Pogba has no regrets.

• WHAT POGBA SAID

  Pogba said “yes” to when asked if he had snubbed interest from Guardiola in order to rejoin Juve in the summer of 2022. The 31-year-old midfielder has made just 12 appearances for the Bianconeri since heading back to Turin.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Questions are being asked of whether Pogba has a future with Juve, as his reduced ban will end in March 2025, and he has been linked with teams from Ligue 1 to MLS. Quizzed on whether he could join close friend and former United team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic at AC Milan, Pogba said: “Ibra will always be Ibra, a legend of the club: with his experience he can give a lot to the Rossoneri. Calling me to bring me to Milan? Zlatan knows that I am under contract with Juve. I don't see myself wearing another shirt. My focus now is to get back to wearing the Juve one.”

Lionel Messi would be one of the "best defenders in the world" had the Argentina icon opted to spend his career at the back, says Javier Mascherano.

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• Mascherano opens up on Messi in training
• Inter Miami star would have been top defender
• Played together for Argentina and Barcelona

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Messi is widely regarded as the best player of all-time due to his incredible achievements as an attacker. However, his former Barcelona and Argentina team-mate Mascherano says he was incredible when it came to keeping others away from goal.

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  WHAT MASCHERANO SAID

  "If Messi were a defender, he would perhaps be one of the best defenders in the world," he said in an interview for "It is impossible to get past him. Sometimes, at Barcelona we played one on one and it was impossible to get past him.

  "We had no chance against him. Sometimes, attackers know how to defend. Leo defended very well. He was very fast and when you tried to dribble past him it was impossible."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mascherano and Messi played together for eight years at Barcelona and were in the national team together for 13, and the ex-Liverpool midfielder has given another story to sum up the Inter Miami hero's magic.

  "In Barcelona we did a short tournament in a training session with three teams: five victories and you were the champion," he said. "He decided to end the training session early, so he scored five goals for the team to win and the training session ended."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?

  The 37-year-old has scored 17 goals in 18 MLS matches for Inter Miami this season. Before he returns to action in the United States, though, he will feature in Argentina's World Cup qualifying match against Venezuela.

Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Thomas Frank amid the mounting pressure surrounding his position as Tottenham boss.

Thomas Frank facing sack calls after underwhelming Spurs start

The north Londoners have failed to impress under Frank lately and are winless across their last five games in all competitions.

Much has been made of their lack of creative spark going forward too, not to mention their dire home form.

Tottenham have lost 10 home games in the Premier League alone this calendar year, their joint-worst record in club history, with Spurs also losing 10 in 1994 and 2003 respectively.

Only bottom-side Wolves, who appear destined for relegation to the Championship, have a worse record on their own patch this season.

Granted, their problems at home this year stretch back to Ange Postecoglou’s final half a season in charge, but the Australian notably had fewer options to play with during one of the worst injury crisis’ Spurs had ever seen.

Frank was backed with a £171 million transfer war chest in the summer window, including a deal for highly-rated young playmaker Xavi Simons, yet Tottenham’s head coach has relegated him to the bench in each of their last four outings.

Frank 'intent' on signing £70m forward as Tottenham dealt crushing Semenyo blow

The Dane needs attacking quality.

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 2, 2025

Frank’s constant tinkering has also drawn criticism, with ex-Lilywhites defender Ramon Vega recently telling talkSPORT that this will be affecting the players’ rhythm.

Vega went on to suggest that Frank doesn’t have the bottle to manage a club like Spurs, while sections of the fanbase also call for his dismissal early doors.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has already been linked with the Tottenham job, but Romano has now provided his own update on Frank’s future at N17.

Fabrizio Romano shares Thomas Frank update out of Tottenham

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano says that Spurs are monitoring Frank closely amid the growing fan unrest, but there are no immediate plans to replace him as yet.

Frank is poised to take on former club Brentford this weekend, and nothing but a win will do at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to convince some supporters that he is indeed the right man for the job.

Spurs have another crucial home game just a few days later when they face off against Slavia Prague in the Champions League, two very winnable games that could seriously help to change the mood.

They also travel to Nottingham Forest on December 14 before their final match pre-Christmas against Liverpool in north London, with Frank hoping for a vital points swing to get them nearer the Champions League places.

January is right around the corner as well, and reports suggest that Tottenham are intent on signing a new attacker to provide that much-needed extra threat going forward.

Firooza Amiri and Benafsha Hashimi talk about their love of the game, their hardships, and how they hope their men’s team can raise awareness for them

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2025Afghanistan’s women cricketers Firooza Amiri and Benafsha Hashimi tell the ESPNcricinfo Powerplay podcast about how the sport they love went from passion to peril, and then a passport to a better life.