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Usman Khan’s second successive hundred went in vain, even as Multan Sultans retained the top spot in the points table

AP10-Mar-2024Colin Munro and captain Shadab Khan led Islamabad United’s epic run chase against table-toppers Multan Sultans in the PSL, as the two-time champions qualified for the playoffs on Sunday.Munro smashed 84 off 40 balls and Shadab added 54 off 31 balls before Imad Wasim made a crucial unbeaten 30 to propel Islamabad to 232 for 7 for a three-wicket win in its last league game. United finished with 11 points from ten games, while Sultans retain top spot with 12 points and a game in hand.Earlier, Usman Khan posted his second successive century in the tournament, as his unbeaten 100 off 50 balls anchored Multan to 228 for 4 after Shadab won the toss and elected to field under overcast conditions.Usman smashed 15 fours and three sixes in his dominant knock as he shared two solid half-century stands with Johnson Charles (42) and Iftikhar Ahmed (13).United had a bumpy start when David Willey found the thick outside edge of Alex Hales’ bat, and fast bowler Mohammad Ali (2 for 44) snapped a brilliant one-handed return catch to dismiss Agha Salman.Munro and Shadab then put the chase back on track with a 141-run stand as they countercharged against the tournament’s leading wicket-taker Usama Mir (0 for 68) and Chris Jordan (1 for 42).

Leeds United’s lead at the top of the Championship table was cut down to three points on Saturday as they failed to secure a win against West Bromwich Albion at Elland Road.

The West Yorkshire outfit did, however, take the lead in the game when Junior Firpo rose to score his second header in as many league games for the club to make it 1-0.

West Brom found their equaliser before the break, though, as Darnell Furlong got the jump on Jayden Bogle and Illan Meslier appeared flatfooted as the ball looped over him and into the back of the net.

Unfortunately, Daniel Farke’s side were unable to break down a stubborn Baggies defence and they did not create another ‘big chance’ in the game after Firpo’s goal.

One of the reasons why Leeds struggled to create many high-quality opportunities against Tony Mowbray’s team was that the attacking players failed to step up and show their quality in the final third.

Brenden Aaronson was one of those players and the American attacking midfielder must, now, be dropped to the bench by Farke for the next league clash with Portsmouth next Sunday.

Why Brenden Aaronson should be dropped

The former RB Salzburg star has been a firm favourite of Farke’s throughout the Championship season, starting 33 of his 35 appearances in the division, but now could be the time for him to be taken out of the side.

Chalkboard

Aaronson, as the attacking midfielder, should be in the team to make things happen at the top of the end of the pitch, contributing with goals and assists, as well as his excellent pressing and off-the-ball work.

However, Leeds have not been getting as much of the former as they have the latter. In fact, the 24-year-old dud has now failed to score or assist in any of his ten matches against the current top six in the Championship.

As you can see in the table above, the American midfielder has offered very little in front of goal against the best teams in the division, which was the case yet again against West Brom on Saturday.

Aaronson ended the match against the Baggies with zero shots on target and zero ‘big chances’ created for his teammates, which is why he should be dropped from the team to see if another player can outperform him in the number ten role.

He is not the only poor performer from the draw with West Brom who should be dropped down to the bench, though, as Farke should also ruthlessly bin Manor Solomon from the line-up after his struggles.

Manor Solomon's performance against West Brom

The Israel international started on the left flank, with Aaronson in the middle and Dan James on the right, and failed to make much of an impact in the final third.

James was the only one of the front four to be directly involved in the team’s only goal, with his cross for Junior Firpo’s header, whilst Aaronson, Solomon, and Joel Piroe all blanked at the top end of the pitch.

Solomon, like the American lightweight, has also struggled against the top teams in the league. The Tottenham Hotspur loanee has as many errors leading to goals (one) as goal contributions (one) in his seven appearances against the current top six.

In the draw with West Brom, the Leeds flop was handed a dismal rating of 4/10 by Football Insider, who wrote that the Premier League loanee did not trouble the opposition’s goal.

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old attacker lost 83% of his duels, as the West Brom defenders found it too easy to get the better of him, and he failed to offer much in front of goal with zero shots on target and no ‘big chances’ created.

Therefore, Farke must also ruthlessly ditch Solomon from the XI, with Wilfried Gnonto and Largie Ramazani waiting in the wings, after his dismal showing against the Baggies.

Leeds United's Manor Solomon dilemma

The winger is currently on loan from Tottenham Hotspur at Elland Road and TEAMtalk recently reported that Leeds are interested in a deal to sign the forward on a permanent basis.

It was claimed that the Whites are preparing to approach Spurs to negotiate a permanent deal to sign the attacker when the summer transfer window opens for business, if they secure promotion to the Premier League this season.

The outlet added that Tottenham are expected to value Solomon at a fee of up to £20m, amid interest from top-flight side Everton as well, and Leeds must decide whether or not that is good value.

He has scored seven goals and provided seven assists in 28 appearances in the second tier, which is a very respectable return, but his aforementioned form against the top six is a concern.

Crysencio Summerville scored 19 goals and assisted a further nine in the Championship last season and has only managed one goal and one assist in 19 games in the Premier League for West Ham United.

The Hammers reportedly paid a fee of more than £25m for the Dutch winger and he has been unable to translate his second tier form over to the Premier League as of yet, which illustrates how big of a gap it is between the two divisions.

Summerville and Solomon are also both similar players, as they are small and nimble wingers – standing at 5 foot 9 and 5 foot 7 respectively – who have thrived in the Championship thanks to their quick feet and lethal finishing.

However, the Dutch attacker has found it difficult to make an impact in the Premier League against quicker and stronger defenders, which could be the same issue that Solomon will face – particularly when you take into account his existing struggles against the best Championship teams.

Leeds may have unearthed the Championship's new Gyokeres in "dangerous" ace

Leeds United have hit the jackpot with this impressive Championship star.

By
Dan Emery

Feb 28, 2025

Therefore, Leeds have a difficult decision to make as they could end up wasting £20m on a player who cannot make the step up to the top-flight, which is why they have to be absolutely sure that he will be a success at a higher level next season.

The fifth-wicket pair hammered 58 runs in the last two overs of India’s innings, a new record in T20Is

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jan-202418.1: Azmatullah to Rinku Singh, 1 run
Full, outside off, single to deep cover18.2: Azmatullah to Rohit Sharma, SIX runs
RGS into the 90s. An on-pace ball right in his slot. Rohit clears the front leg, and slogs him effortlessly over midwicket. This is meat and drink for himRelated

• India win epic contest after two Super Overs against Afghanistan

18.3: Azmatullah to Rohit Sharma, FOUR runs
One short of another hundred. Makes room early, Omarzai goes for the slower short ball, but Rohit manages to beat short fine with the pull. Rolls his wrists on it18.4: Azmatullah to Rohit Sharma, FOUR runs
There it is. A special hundred. A fifth in T20Is. That’s massive. Makes room again, Omarzai tries to slip one wide, but Rohit gets under it and clears the man at point. They came to see Kohli mainly, but Rohit has provided Chinnaswamy a bonus. Incidentally, Kohli also turned around his form with a century against Afghanistan in a dead rubber two years ago. Rohit is not out of form but his T20 numbers haven’t been great last few years. So hopefully this is the start of something special18.5: Azmatullah to Rohit Sharma, 1 run
Misses out on a thigh-high full toss, gets just the single to long-off18.6: Azmatullah to Rinku Singh, SIX runs
Now Rinku brings up his fifty. Omarzai misses the yorker again, and you just can’t bowl slot balls to these batters. Over long-off it goes19.1: Karim Janat to Rohit Sharma, FOUR runs
Rohit predicts a wide ball with the field given to him, shimmies across and laps a wide full toss over square leg for four more19.2: Karim Janat to Rohit Sharma, (no ball) SIX runs
Call the police. Rohit is stealing the show. Juicy full toss. And also a front-foot no-ball. Rohit has sent this into orbit. These balls he can hit eyes closed. especially when he is 108 not out19.2: Karim Janat to Rohit Sharma, SIX runs
Rohit’s highest T20I score now. Short of a length, slower ball, just what you should be doing on this pitch, but Rohit has deposited it over wide long-on for another six19.3: Karim Janat to Rohit Sharma, 1 run
Lands the yorker, Rohit opens the face, but can’t get it past short third19.4: Karim Janat to Rinku Singh, SIX runs
Slower ball, 111ks, but right in the slot. Rinku creates the power with his bat speed in the slog. Clears deep midwicket. Carnage19.5: Karim Janat to Rinku Singh, SIX runs
Absolute mayhem. Janat misses his length again. Another juicy full toss, and Rinku has flicked it ways into the stands. What power in his wrists19.6: Karim Janat to Rinku Singh, SIX runs
36 off the over including five sixes, a four and a no-ball. Rinku has ended it with 6, 6, 6. Janat goes short this time, but he is hitting everything clean now. Manages to clear deep square leg with the pull

Tottenham Hotspur have a few key decisions to make this summer in regard to the futures of certain players, right after manager Ange Postecoglou attempts to finish the campaign as strongly as possible and guide them through this injury crisis.

Tottenham players who could leave this summer

Understandably, given the severe shortage of Spurs players right now, the last thing on anybody’s mind is who could leave N17 this summer.

Tottenham hold direct talks with £55m star as Bayern give up on keeping him

He could feasibly link up with Mathys Tel next season.

By
Emilio Galantini

Feb 13, 2025

That being stated, reports in the press are still linking some notable names with high-profile departures from north London.

Tottenham are considering selling captain Son Heung-min despite recently triggering his one-year contract extension clause, according to GiveMeSport, with the same outlet reporting that both Timo Werner and Richarlison are facing uncertain futures as well.

Sergio Reguilon is also likely to leave Spurs after his contract expires, while star defender Cristian Romero is believed to be attracting serious interest from Real Madrid.

Long-serving defender Ben Davies’ deal also runs out at the end of this campaign, but Tottenham intend to trigger a one-year extension clause in his contract, just as they did with Son – keeping the veteran for yet another season (Dan Kilpatrick).

There is also the matter of their senior crop out on loan, with both Bryan Gil and Manor Solomon enjoying excellent temporary spells away at Girona and Leeds United respectively.

Girona possess an option to buy the former for around £12.5 million, which they could well take up considering the 24-year-old’s impressive La Liga performances.

Gil has been a mainstay under Michel, with the attacking midfielder starting 18 Spanish top flight matches and sitting third in their squad when it comes to their best-performing players by average match rating, according to WhoScored.

The former Sevilla starlet has also averaged their highest rate of successful take-ons per 90, and is joint-top in their squad with Yaser Asprilla for attempts at goal on average as well.

It is fair to say that Gil has found a new lease of life back in his homeland, and Girona are holding internal talks right now over whether to trigger his buy-out clause.

Girona debating summer deal to sign Bryan Gil from Tottenham

That is according to Spanish news outlet Estadio Deportivo, via Sport Witness, who write that Girona chiefs are debating a permanent deal to sign Gil from Tottenham amidst his exceptional 2024/2025 campaign.

It is added that they recently dropped a hint his way on social media, sending Gil a happy birthday message with the words ‘for many years’ thrown in – suggesting that they could be intending to keep him beyond this year.

However, it is not a forgone conclusion either, as £12.5 million is still seen as a fair bit of cash for the club to part with – and they may well elect not to either.

Sporting director Quique Cárcel is one of the Girona chiefs in favour of keeping the “very exciting” Spaniard, and believes Gil could multiply the £12.5 million over years to come.

Fast bowler made strong impression in England colours, now he’s seeking further honours

Vithushan Ehantharajah21-Nov-2023From the verge of retirement to holding a prized central contract – it has been a whirlwind 12 months for Josh Tongue. At the back-end of 2022, following a 15-month spell on the sidelines with a shoulder issue, calling time on a promising fast-bowling career and utilising a Level 2 coaching badge was given serious consideration. Now, as one of seven England fast bowlers on multi-year deals, a level of security he admits to having “dreamt about”, his stock and confidence are as high as ever.Much has happened in a short period of time for a player who turned 26 on Wednesday. A botox injection in his neck proved a revelation when it came to calming the nerves afflicting his shoulder, allowing him to tour Sri Lanka with England Lions at the start of 2023. A red-ball debut for the representative side went well, taking 5 for 34 and 3 for 77, with managing director Rob Key – who presented his cap – impressed enough to push his case down the line.Tongue then dismissed Steve Smith in a County Championship match for Worcestershire against Sussex to provide an early-season boost to his credentials, manifesting into a Test debut against Ireland at Lord’s, which he marked with 5 for 66. A second cap would come at the same venue in the Ashes, in which he would remove Smith once more in the first innings, albeit when the Australian had 110 to his name.Tongue also underwent a change of counties, moving from New Road to Trent Bridge, though getting acquainted with his Nottinghamshire team-mates will have to wait. On Thursday, he flew to the United Arab Emirates as part of a Lions training camp aimed at gearing up for the challenge of a gruelling five-Test tour of India to come in the New Year.Even that trip to the UAE will be short and sweet; Tongue has been included in both ODI and T20i squads for the West Indies tour in December. He will travel straight to the Caribbean to join up with an England squad desperate to draw a line under their dismal 2023 World Cup campaign.Related

• Josh Tongue ruled out of England's white-ball tour of Caribbean

• Josh Tongue: 'I needed a change at this stage of my career'

• Josh Tongue marvels at 'surreal' career path

• Spin-heavy England Lions to go to UAE keeping India Test tour in mind

• Uncapped Pope, Turner and Tongue in England white-ball squads for Caribbean tour

“The last year has been a bit of a rollercoaster,” Tongue said. “Before that, nearly retiring because of my shoulder injury and then being picked for that Lions tour of Sri Lanka, I was over the moon about that. And this summer, playing the Ireland Test and then being in the squad for the Ashes and then playing that game at Lord’s, it was a special moment – a bit surreal, I don’t think it’s sunk in yet.”I didn’t start the season well for Worcestershire (11 Division Two wickets at 41.45 in four matches leading up to his maiden Test call-up), so being selected for that Ireland Test was a bit of a surprise because there were a couple of injuries. Once I got into that environment with Baz [Brendon McCullum] and Stokesy it was such a chilled environment, and being around Jimmy (Anderson) and (Stuart) Broad was just amazing.”For obvious reasons, the Lord’s Test against Australia stands alone as a highlight. The occasion in itself would have been memorable enough, but with England 1-0 down after losing at Edgbaston and with Just Stop Oil protesters storming the pitch after the first over of the match, the events of the final day took it to another level, with Jonny Bairstow’s contentious run-out followed by Ben Stokes’ remarkable 155. Tongue took 5 for 151 in the match, and his dismissal in the second innings – losing his leg stump attempting to slog – confirmed Australia’s 43-run win to go 2-0 up.Josh Tongue celebrates his maiden Test wicket against Ireland at Lord’s•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

“A lot did happen in that match!” he reflected. “For me personally, just walking through the Long Room about to do the national anthem. I have said to all my family and friends I am never going to forget that moment, in the Long Room. It’s just electric in there. It didn’t help that the Oil protestors came on straight away – and I was just like ‘urgh, I just want to get playing now’.”Even in the Ireland Test, I think there was like 28,000 in and that is the biggest crowd I have ever played in front of and I knew when I got told I was playing in the Ashes match that this is going to be full – 35,000. Just amazing.”Even batting towards the end with Jimmy – I never thought I’d be batting with Jimmy Anderson at the other end even a couple of months before that – the crowd was amazing. I tried to have a bit of fun (Tongue struck 19 off 26), tried to move round the crease and, erm, got bowled at the end.”Following Broad’s retirement, a more permanent seam bowling spot has opened up, and Tongue’s strong first impressions in the format, consistently sending the ball down in the high eighties puts him in a good spot. It helps, too, that McCullum and Stokes have created an environment he feels brings out the best in him.”I think my pace will help in subcontinental conditions and I can get the ball to reverse as well and my bouncer tactic, which Stokes obviously likes, will benefit the team.”I know being in that Test squad, the pressure is really taken off you. Stokesy and Baz were so good in terms of telling me how to play my cricket – ‘you are here for a reason, you are good enough to be here, have fun, chill out, don’t put too much pressure on yourself’ – and obviously it is going to be a lot different over in India. I have never been to India before, it will be very exciting if I am selected.”It is pretty much guaranteed that Tongue will be in India, with the Lions also touring the country parallel to the main squad. The experience in Sri Lanka earlier this year has him in good stead when it comes to a fast bowler’s duties on the subcontinent. He will look to fine-tune those elements over the next fortnight.”I normally bowl from mid-crease, so mixing up the angles, even coming round the wicket to the right-hander, trying to reverse the ball back in. Obviously it is a bit harder getting LBs (leg before) from round the wicket, but [it’s about] making sure that length is fuller to get that. I think just being a bit unpredictable as well, batters don’t like that; just mix up angles, even cross-seamers. Just something different.”He also has limited-overs skills to hone: “Death stuff – yorkers, slower balls etc, towards the back end, I bowl in the powerplay as well and in the middle, so I am used to that. One of my main areas of getting better is the back-end of the innings.”The aim, ultimately, is to show the selectors he can be an option for all formats. Tongue’s career to date has largely been skewed towards the red ball, with 50 first-class appearances set against 15 List A and 15 T20 matches.He impressed in 2023’s Men’s Hundred, taking seven wickets at 17.85 for Manchester Originals under England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler, who will be more willing than ever for fresh blood for the next World Cup cycle, including next summer’s T20 World Cup. Tongue is likely to pick up his first white-ball cap before the year comes to an end, and there is every chance 2024 will be as memorable as 2023.”I have played a lot more red-ball than white-ball, but I do see myself as an all-three-format bowler, and I want to get better at my white-ball cricket. Hopefully, I can showcase that in the West Indies.”

The Gunners' season will end if they fail to win at Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday and cast doubt over the future of this team's construction

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From 2021 to 2024, Arsenal made significant progress with each passing season under Mikel Arteta. The Gunners' former captain has learnt a job on the fly, and after one-and-a-half seasons figuring out the kinks of management, he has become one of the world's leading coaches.

It's testament to the work Arteta's done that not only are Arsenal now consistently fighting for the game's most coveted prizes, but they are scolded and picked apart when they don't get their hands on silverware. They have missed out on the Premier League title again and head to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday looking to save their Champions League campaign. Luis Enrique's total-football side left the Emirates Stadium last week as 1-0 victors and have the upper hand heading into a second leg back on home soil.

Amid the disingenuous critiques of Arsenal, there are elements of fairer assessment. Though Arteta has essentially built this squad from scratch himself, should they have more than a solitary FA Cup – a team from which there are no longer any surviving starters – to boast about? Where did they take a left turn when they ought to have veered right on the path to glory?

Unless the Gunners pull off a remarkable comeback in the French capital, they will be under intense inspection again for going trophy-less once more. This meeting at Parc des Princes may have wider complications than first realised.

• AFP
  

  Rebuilding their European reputation

  Wayne Rooney was particularly scathing with his criticism of Arsenal and their fans after the first-leg loss to PSG: "For Arsenal, I was a bit disappointed with how they played, [I was] disappointed with the fans as well, I think the fans against Real Madrid were excellent. I thought tonight they were a bit subdued… almost like an anti-climax because Arsenal beat Real Madrid, that they are going to walk into the final [and] win the competition. The fans had to be there for them tonight. The players had to show up for them, of course, but on both sides, it wasn’t good enough tonight for Arsenal."

  But make no mistake, that demolition of the reigning European champions across two legs was a statement the Gunners sorely needed to make, and will serve them well even if their journey ends at the semi-finals. They have only reached this stage of the Champions League three times, and this season's trip to the last-four was the first since 2009. Arsenal have been battered and bruised by the continent's top dogs for well over a decade, while they failed to make the most of their time in the Europa League too.

  How Arsenal were thought of in Europe didn't marry up with how massive they were considered to be domestically. They were the Champions League's perennial underachievers, with few scalps claimed and only one appearance in a final to show for their efforts. That's a failing on the club, but one Arteta has started to make right.

  Blowing Madrid away 3-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final was as powerful as Declan Rice's second free-kick. You had to sit up and take notice of Arsenal, even more so when they went to Santiago Bernabeu and maintained their 100 percent winning record there. In the grand scheme of Arteta's project, that standing as Los Blancos' slayers matters.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Scrambling for second

  The domestic and European campaigns have felt worlds apart for Arsenal. They went into the Premier League season as one of the favourites to end it in first. Off the back of two successive second-place finishes and seemingly having strengthened more in the summer transfer window than reigning champions Manchester City, there were enough reasons to suggest their upward trajectory would land them the title.

  Fast-forward to matchday 34 and the Gunners' dreams of donning a first English crown since 2004 had already been extinguished. Liverpool wrapped up top spot with four games to spare having extended their lead to 15 points. Mitigating circumstances of course, but Arsenal barely made a fight of this supposed battle for the title at any point after the autumn, finding themselves double-figures behind Arne Slot's Reds for extended periods of the year.

  After smashing City 5-1 on what felt like a landmark day to open February, Arsenal went on to win just four of their next 11 Premier League games, with two of those triumphs coming against sides who would end the season relegated with a whimper.

  Saturday's 2-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth, ensuring they have now dropped a joint-club-record 21 points from winning positions in a single season, has left Arteta's men barely in control of second spot. Only four points separate themselves from Chelsea in fifth, with Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa not too far behind. Arsenal end the season with games against Liverpool, Newcastle and Southampton – there's no guarantee they finish as runners-up again.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Injury excuses wearing thin

  The difference between the Arsenal of this season compared to the other two is they have had to contend with a rotating cast of injuries to key players. Bukayo Saka, most notably, missed 19 games this term due to a hamstring injury which required surgery, while Martin Odegaard's form has dropped off a cliff and into the abyss since he returned from an ankle sprain.

  Meanwhile, the likes of Gabriel Magalhaes, Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, Jurrien Timber, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have all endured lengthy spells on the treatment table, ensuring the team never gathered sustained momentum together, with Arteta instead forced to adopt a next-man-up approach, one which has seen the fast-track of youth prospects Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri into the first-team fold.

  Whether or not Arteta placing more of a physical burden on his key players led to their injuries is inconclusive, but ultimately he is the one who must take blame for the squad not being in a better state to compete for the three domestic competitions. The board and recruitment team have listened to every request and every demand of his, yet this club in unison still cannot say they have the best team. Not just yet, anyway.

  Arsenal have not been the only team to have been struck by such injuries, while they got away pretty freely with such strokes of ill-fortune in their previous two campaigns (barring the William Saliba issue which derailed their 2022-23 charge). The momentum previously built up over the last 18 to 24 months is working in reverse.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Saliba to leave?

  Over the weekend, a report from reliable French outlet claimed that Saliba, whose Arsenal contract expires in 2027, has been in talks with Real Madrid 'for weeks'. Though he has publicly confirmed his desire to remain in north London, such behind-door negotiations are Los Blancos' bread and butter.

  You could perhaps even trace Madrid's courtship of Saliba back to an October 2024 interview that centre-back Antonio Rudiger gave. "Saliba is, this brother plays clean… You know, he looks like a silent leader," he said. When pressed on whether Arsenal fans should be scared of Madrid poaching their star defender, the German replied: "I am not scaring anybody but at the end of the day, it's clear, if he keeps doing what he's doing…"

  At this point, Saliba's future isn't decided one way or the other, but this is the first time in Arteta's reign that an important player has been linked with such an exit. Everyone who Arsenal have sold since his appointment in 2019 has been with his blessing. Saliba is already a world-leading defender at 24, and the location of his next contract will dictate where he plays out his prime years. There's enough reason for the Gunners to be at least a little concerned it won't be in N5.

Half-centuries for Georgia Redmayne and Bess Heath and four wickets from Jess Jonassen helped the home side to a comfortable 53-run win over Hobart Hurricanes

AAP15-Nov-2023Half-centuries to Brisbane Heat duo Georgia Redmayne and Bess Heath set up a 53-run win over Hobart Hurricanes to keep them in the hunt for top spot on the WBBL ladder.After being sent in at Allan Border Field on Wednesday, the Heat’s impressive total of 184 for 5 was set up by a 92-run stand between Redmayne and Heath for the second wicket. Redmayne played the anchor role scoring 70 off 53 balls while Heath thumped 51 from just 26 including five fours and three sixes.The Hurricanes started well in pursuit and were 48 without loss in the sixth over before the Heat bowlers turned the screws with relentless pressure to bowl the visitors out for 131. Heat skipper Jess Jonassen returned her best figures for the season taking 4 for 20.Heath was given her first opportunity up the order and made the most of it with a blazing knock. The visitors had a shocker in the field to start the innings and dropped five catches. Heath was a beneficiary. Given an early life, the 22-year-old was in an aggressive mood.Her strength square of the wicket came to the fore with strong pulls and cuts. She was also severe on the spinners and lofted Ruth Johnston for consecutive sixes down the ground.”There had been discussions around putting me in early during the powerplay to try and play that hitting role,” Heath told AAP.”I like to create momentum and go after the ball.”They backed me to go out and play my style of cricket so it was good to get some runs and a win.”Player of the match Redmayne reclaimed the form she was in last season for the Heat when she was the side’s leading run-scorer, scoring her second half-century in three games. She drove elegantly, cut and pulled clinically and ticked over the strike.Former South Africa captain Mignon du Preez (26 not out off 15) played a handy late cameo for the Heat against her former team.Hurricanes opening bowler Shabnim Ismail was impressive for the visitors taking 2 for 22 from four overs.Lizelle Lee (24 off 18) and Bryony Smith (28 off 19) gave the Hurricanes a blistering early start in the run chase but once they were dismissed wickets fell regularly.The win saw Heat move to 14 points, equal with Perth at the top to of the table.

Paul Pogba has delivered an update on his bid to find a new club, admitting it "might be tomorrow" or it "might be two years" before he plays again.

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• Cleared to resume career in March
• Still waiting on a contract offer
• Linked with clubs around the world

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The World Cup-winning Frenchman has not graced a competitive fixture since September 2023. At that point, he was stung with a worldwide ban from football. An 18-month doping suspension has now been served.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Pogba was cleared to resume his professional career in March, but he remains a free agent. The 32-year-old has been linked with various club, including former employers Manchester United. Marseille, along with teams in MLS and the Saudi Pro League, have also been credited with interest.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Questions have been asked of Pogba’s fitness after such a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but he continues to work on an individual training programme. He is in no rush to land another contract and will remain patient while trying to prove his worth.

• WHAT PAUL POGBA SAID

  Pogba has said in a video posted on his personal Instagram account: "Just a little message. Nothing to show really, just somebody that is still hungry for the comeback, been training by himself, but never gives up on chasing his dream and what he wants to achieve.

  "Just a message for all of you guys that if right now you don’t get what you want, but just keep trying and keep pushing until you get it. It might be tomorrow, it might be in one year, it might be two years, but what’s going to happen is meant to happen. Let’s go! Big up and see you very soon."

  Instagram

Iyer, who suffered back spasms earlier this week, was the busiest of five players that turned up for training

S Sudarshanan14-Sep-20231:55

Shreyas and Tilak in focus at the India nets

It was as if the eyes – and the cameras – of everybody gathered were set on auto-focus mode.India had scheduled an optional training session on a sultry Colombo morning. It was the eve of their last league game against Bangladesh, who were already knocked out of the men’s Asia Cup. The eyes were fixed on the team bus as the coaching staff and players alighted to head into the nets facility at the R Premadasa Stadium.Rahul Dravid, Paras Mhambrey, Shardul Thakur, T Dilip and Tilak Varma all walked before the cameras, and the eyes of the media personnel watching panned. Shreyas Iyer, who would be the subject of interest for the next 90 minutes, made his way into the nets area, greeting a few familiar faces that stood.Related

• Depleted Bangladesh seek one last high before bowing out

• Mushfiqur Rahim to miss Bangladesh's game against India

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Iyer was training for the first time after his latest mini-setback. He suffered back spasms while warming up moments before India’s Super Four match against Pakistan on Sunday. Iyer was out of action since the home series against Australia in March due to a back condition that required surgery. He missed IPL 2023 and only returned for the Asia Cup, where he played two games before the latest jolt. He batted in the group game against Pakistan in Pallekele but wasn’t needed against Nepal.Iyer was perhaps the busiest of the five players that turned up for the optional training. He underwent stretching, particularly his back, with the trainer Rajnikanth. After about 15 minutes of jogging, he did short sprints and a stretch-walk, before he proceeded to the third nets, the farthest from the side the media were at.After a short stint of underarm throwdowns, he proceeded to face fast-bowling throwdowns as well as a couple of net bowlers. Iyer showed no visible signs of discomfort – be it while getting forward while lacing the off drive or while transferring his weight back to pull and heave the length and back-of-length deliveries. A batting stint – across two nets – that started around 10:55 am only ended when batting coach Vikram Rathour called time on training at around 11:40 am.Shreyas Iyer had missed the entirety of IPL 2023 before returning for the Asia Cup•Getty Images

A few crisp straight drives had the throwdown guys as well as the net bowlers near the sightscreen ducking for cover. A “Well done, Shreyas!” by Rathour followed by slow claps capped off a productive morning for Iyer. Whether he will play against Bangladesh – or in the final on Sunday – is anybody’s guess. But that Iyer showed his readiness after another scare would please the team management.While Iyer batted at the far nets, Ravindra Jadeja and Thakur batted in pairs, rotating strike after six balls apiece in the first net. Tilak and birthday boy Suryakumar Yadav did the same in the middle nets. Even while Rathour was feeding balls to Iyer, he had an eye on Tilak, often throwing in a loud “shot, Tilak!” or ” (excellent), Tilak” cheer towards him.After about half an hour of nets, Tilak proceeded to bowl his offspin to Jadeja in the first net. Throughout the stint he discussed his grip, the areas to bowl, and flight with Mhambrey, who had a keen eye on proceedings. Mhambrey coached the India Under-19 team in 2020 in South Africa, of which Tilak was a part.”We have been working with Tilak since the Under-19 days,” Mhambrey said after training. “I felt that when we had gone to South Africa for Under-19 (World Cup), he had a bowling skill that we could definitely use, and so we have been working on that consistently.”We are looking to see if he plays and manages to get a chance to bowl even one over, we’ll start from there. If we can look at that and gain confidence from his bowling, the captain will have an option.”In case we need an extra spinner given the circumstances – based on conditions or opposition batters – especially if there are left-handers and you need an offspinner, we need an option to go to. So, we are working with him on his bowling.”While Mhambrey conceded that the team combination for the Bangladesh game is yet to be decided, he said there is a chance that India could try out a few options given they have sealed their spot for the final and there is a home World Cup in the offing.Whatever Tilak, Jadeja, Shardul or Suryakumar did, though, turned to be a mere footnote given Iyer was the clear focal point.

Former team-mates Finn and Scott lead tributes after Lord’s presentation to mark retirement

Andrew Miller21-Sep-2023Tim Murtagh is the “last of a dying breed” whose achievements in first-class cricket should be “cherished”, according to his former Middlesex team-mate, Steven Finn, after Murtagh marked his 91st and final appearance at Lord’s with first-innings figures of 6 for 83 against Warwickshire.After resuming with the overnight figures of 5 for 55, Murtagh added to his tally by bowling Craig Miles for 29, but his efforts may not be enough to save Middlesex from defeat, or even the threat of relegation. Warwickshire still secured a significant first-innings lead of 194, thanks to a century from their captain Will Rhodes and 99 for Danny Briggs.But, at the age of 42, it was another timeless display of technique and stamina from Murtagh, a player who now boasts a career haul of 957 first-class wickets, including 33 at 19.85 for this campaign alone. Whether or not he plays in Middlesex’s final match of the season at Trent Bridge next week, he is set to remain with the club on the back-room staff next year, having served as a player-coach this season.Related

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During the lunch interval, Murtagh’s achievements were marked with a ceremony in front of the pavilion at Lord’s, in which he was presented with a framed montage of his career by two of his longest-standing team-mates, Finn and the former club wicketkeeper Ben Scott.”He’s been part of the furniture for this club for years now, the main bowler and the main wicket-taker,” Finn said after the presentation. “You can’t underestimate his influence within the dressing-room as well, which is why the club wants to keep him on in a bowling-coach capacity. So yeah, it’s going to be weird not seeing Tim Murtagh opening the bowling from the Nursery End, as he has done for such a long time.Scott, who kept wicket to Murtagh at both Surrey and Middlesex, jokingly described his former team-mate as a “diesel Mondeo”, as he praised the reliability and endurance that had carried him to a professional career that has now spanned 24 seasons. “People like him could quite easily have fallen by the wayside, but he went with it, he learned to adapt,” Scott said. “Certainly, with the way the game went, he’s come out on top.”He certainly didn’t start off with the skillset that he has now, there’s no doubt about that,” Scott added. “I describe athletes as either Ferraris or Mondeos: Ferraris are great and can fly through but they break very easily; Murts, I would categorise as a Mondeo. He doesn’t necessarily go particularly fast but he keeps going. We’ll call him a diesel Mondeo, which is probably fitting – he should leave London fairly soon.”I was there at the start with Surrey, and we were behind a serious side [Surrey won the County Championship in 1999, 2000 and 2002]. We had to learn our trade, so he had a lot of second-team cricket where you were just learning how to take wickets. We played on some very flat wickets, some spin-friendly wickets in those early days in club cricket. He definitely learned, and then he transferred that skill when he came to this side of the river.”Finn, who played alongside Murtagh in Middlesex’s County Championship-winning side in 2016, said that that year’s triumph – capped with victory over Yorkshire in a memorable title decider at Lord’s – deserved to be recalled as the crowning glory of his career, notwithstanding his incredible display for Ireland in the Lord’s Test in 2019, when he claimed 5 for 13 on the first morning to bowl England out for 85.Murtagh has had a long and storied career with Middlesex•Getty Images

“The 2016 Championship win was the culmination of all those years building up towards that win,” Finn said. “The bowling unit that we had, not just Murts and myself, but [Toby] Roland-Jones, [James] Harris … you felt that, with three of us out on the park at any given time, led by Murts, we were a potent threat, and it proved to be so.”That knowledge will soon be reinvested into the Middlesex set-up as Murtagh begins his career as a full-time coach, a role that both Finn and Scott believe he is ideally suited to fulfilling.”He just captivates people’s hearts: everyone loves Murts,” Scott said. “He says it how it is, he’s not afraid to take the mickey. He has found the right balance in doing that, and I think that is so valuable: communicating with people, we need that. The youngsters coming through need to understand what it’s like to be part of a team.Finn added: “He knows how to take wickets, and what you want from a bowling coach is experience and lived experience in the field. No one’s taken more … I don’t know who would have taken more wickets for Middlesex, other than people pre-war.”As a bowling coach, the biggest challenge is to impart that knowledge and to be able to converse with people who are younger. And, as a 42-year-old, he’s still one of the most popular people within the dressing room. He’s still popular and able to communicate with those people, which is a great skill as a bowling coach.”Since moving to Middlesex in 2007, Murtagh has racked up 841 first-class wickets at 23.49 for the club, including 817 in the County Championship and Bob Willis Trophy, which is almost 200 clear of his nearest challenger, Chris Rushworth of Durham and latterly Warwickshire. Only James Anderson among contemporary seamers has more first-class wickets, although the bulk of his tally of 1104 have come in Test cricket (690).”I can’t see anyone else challenging those sorts of numbers,” Finn said. “The game has changed unfathomably, even within the last five years, with the lean towards T20 cricket. So he is the sort of person who should be, and will be, cherished for the way that he has played the game.”For a certain generation of people, this will be the mark of what a truly successful cricketer is – your first-class record. He is one of the last of a dying breed. Certainly, within the next three or four years, as those guys die out, for want of a better phrase, there aren’t going to be too many of them left. They should be cherished and should be celebrated.”