Manchester United have made an approach for an “impressive” manager Bruno Fernandes rates highly, according to Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg.
Next Man Utd manager: Who could replace Erik ten Hag?
Erik ten Hag has been sacked by Manchester United – so who could take over the reins at Old Trafford?
2 ByStephan Georgiou Oct 28, 2024 Man Utd manager latest
The future of Erik ten Hag continues to be a big talking point at Old Trafford, with the Dutchman fighting hard to remain in the job following a flat start to the season in the Premier League and the Europa League.
Should Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS decide to part ways with the Dutchman, United aren’t going to be without top-quality options when it comes to finding his successor.
VfB Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness has been mentioned as a possible target for the Red Devils in the past, with the 42-year-old a young boss making a name for himself. He inspired his side to a second-place finish in the Bundesliga last season, finishing ahead of Bayern Munich.
Stuttgart were only beaten to the title by Bayer Leverkusen in 2023/24, and manager Xabi Alonso has also been mentioned as an option to replace Ten Hag, with United said to be willing to wait to bring him in, should he want to stay put for the rest of this season. But they aren’t the only targets on the Red Devils’ list.
Man Utd make approach for "impressive" manager
Taking to X, Plettenberg claimed that Manchester United have approached Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim over becoming their next manager:
Amorim stands out as an exciting option for United, with the 39-year-old already enjoying plenty of success in his managerial career, despite his tender years.
The Portuguese tactician has won two Primeira Liga titles with Sporting, not to mention three Portuguese League Cups – two with his current club and one with Braga.
PSV coach Peter Bosz said of him last month: “I have great respect for him. I met him three or four years ago when I was at Lyon, and we played a friendly match at Alvalade. He was already the coach of Sporting then and still is. Considering the evolution of the team, it’s impressive. I have a lot of respect for him.”
The 3-4-3-playing Amorim is known for his attack-minded style and use of wing-backs, with one report even describing him as the “anti-Mourinho” given the contrast in philosophies with the former Porto and United boss.
Ratcliffe wants to tap into new market for "fantastic" £25m+ Man Utd target
He’s one for the future…
ByTom Cunningham Oct 18, 2024
Meanwhile, United skipper Bruno Fernandes is an admirer of his compatriot, saying “he has everything to take the next step” in his career and claiming that he is more than capable of thriving in the Premier League. Should Ten Hag be sacked, the Sporting man looks like a standout contender to be his successor.
Arne Slot will be delighted with Liverpool's start to the Premier League, but he will already be versed in the perils of England's top flight and the seemingly insurmountable task in deposing supreme rulers Manchester City.
The Merseysiders put Manchester United away with dispatch before the September international break but now gear up for a gruelling chapter of action, playing five fixtures in a two-week period.
14/09/2024
Nott'm Forest (H)
Premier League
17/09/2024
AC Milan (A)
Champions League
21/09/2024
Bournemouth (H)
Premier League
25/09/2024
West Ham (H)
Carabao Cup
28/09/2024
Wolves (A)
Premier League
Slot has made minimal changes to his starting lineup thus far, but there are plenty eager to make their mark. However, the form of Mohamed Salah and co present a headache for Slot, though a welcome one, such is Liverpool's depth and rounded quality.
Salah's been the main man; Luis Diaz has been in potent form and Trent Alexander-Arnold… well, he's just Trent, isn't he? But let's not forget about Dominik Szoboszlai, who has put his poor form before the summer firmly in the past.
Dominik Szoboszlai's form under Arne Slot
Szoboszlai impressed for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool last season after signing from RB Leipzig in a £60m deal, but he ebbed and flowed and finished the campaign on a lower patch of form.
Klopp had shoehorned him into a more industrious midfield role than he perhaps envisaged, whereas Slot is playing the Hungary captain in a looser, more mobile role at number ten, unshackling his creative energy.
Once hailed as a "generational talent" by journalist Marcel Moeller, Szoboszlai is still only 23 and starting to go from strength to strength, having made an emphatic start to the present term.
Matches (starts)
33 (25)
3 (3)
Goals
3
0
Assists
2
1
Shots (on target)*
1.8 (0.5)
1.7 (0.0)
Touches*
57.5
63.7
Pass completion
87%
93%
Key passes*
1.7
2.7
Dribbles*
0.7
0.3
Ball recoveries*
5.2
6.3
Tackles + interceptions*
1.5
1.3
Total duels won*
2.5 (42%)
2.0 (46%)
There's a long season ahead for the talented player, but Slot has found the formula to bring him out of his shell and he looks like a core part of the usual starting lineup. However, he must have sufficient support.
Harvey Elliott is, of course, waiting in the wings, but the 21-year-old is probably at his best in the half spaces between the centre and the right flank, where he can unleash his ball-playing quality into the danger area or shift forward and strike on goal himself.
Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones celebrate
Liverpool had a rising star who might have been the perfect understudy, but then Fabio Carvalho was sold in August after Richard Hughes received an offer he just couldn't refuse.
Liverpool may rue selling Fabio Carvalho
Carvalho made an excellent start to life on Merseyside but fizzled out during a testing 2022/23 campaign for the Anfield side, with Klopp limiting him to a sorry smattering of appearances after the autumnal months.
Liverpool rejected a £15m bid from Premier League rivals Southampton in July but were convinced to cash in when Brentford came calling toward the final stretch of the transfer window, with the Bees offering a package rising to £27.5m for the fleet-footed attacking midfielder.
He'd enjoyed a fine pre-season with Slot's side but it's important to remember that Diaz and Cody Gakpo were both absent following international duties and the 22-year-old's chances would have been more intermittent had they returned sooner.
But still. Carvalho is a quality player and he showcased as such during his loan spell with Hull City last year, joining in January and plundering nine goals from just 20 displays, also averaging 2.1 key passes per game, as per Sofascore.
Despite only really featuring across the second half of the campaign – Caravalho endured a miserable stint with RB Leipzig across the first half of the season – he actually proved to outscore Szoboszlai, who bagged seven goals over 45 matches for the Merseysiders.
Former Hull City loanee Fabio Carvalho
His kind of playmaking quality and goalscoring prowess would certainly prove to offer some competition for Szoboszlai, and Liverpool might come to regret not having this additional dimension at their chest this year.
After all, he proved his worth against high-calibre opposition during the off-season. During Liverpool's pre-season victory over Arsenal, the Portuguese talent wasn't on the ball at every moment but he made things happen when he was, taking only 21 touches, completing a dribble, winning four duels and proving to be an all-round menace.
After joining from Fulham in a deal worth £5m plus add-ons in 2022, FSG will be delighted at having turned a sizeable profit, and his big-moment aura was felt after scoring a last-gasp winner against Newcastle United at the start of the 2022/23 season.
But Caravalho now plies his trade elsewhere, Of course, you never know what the future holds, but Carvalho – who Hull boss Liam Rosenior described as the "perfect number ten" – could have been a real difference-maker this season.
Will it come back to bite Liverpool? Some might feel that an injury to a player like Szoboszlai could cause a panic. Football's unceasing schedule is like a gaping maw, and already players are feeling its force.
Take, for example, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who was injured during international duty with Norway this week. With Declan Rice already suspended for the North London Derby on Sunday, this is a concerning situation for Mikel Arteta.
Of course, Liverpool (and indeed Arsenal) have healthy and ranged squads but all players must pull their weight in this division if Manchester City are truly going to be toppled – all the while seeking to fire on all cylinders and compete in the Champions League and domestic cup competitions.
Carvalho could have been a crucial piece for Slot – but I guess we'll just see how it all pans out.
Liverpool struck gold selling Anfield sensation for stunning 1570% profit
عقد هاني أبوريدة، رئيس مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة المصري، جلسة مع اللجنة الفنية للجبلاية خلال الفترة الأخيرة لمناقشة ملف التزوير في قطاعات الناشئين.
وعلم “بطولات” بأن هاني أبو ريدة عقد جلسة مع اللجنة الفنية، وكان الحديث فقط عن ملف التزوير في الكرة المصرية حيث طلب وضع خطوات يتم السير عليها للقضاء على التزوير في قطاعات الكرة المصرية.
طالع.. خاص | سبب غياب هاني أبو ريدة عن حضور حفل الإعلان عن استاد الأهلي
وشدد أبو ريدة على ضرورة العمل على هذا الملف والذي بلغ أشده مع منتخبات 2007 و2008 و2009 بعدما تم اكتشاف أكثر من 60 لاعباً مزورين لأعمارهم.
وتضم اللجنة الفنية كلًا من “حسن شحاتة، محسن صالح، علي أبو جريشة، حلمي طولان، حسن فريد، محمد عمر، أحمد حسن، عبد الظاهر السقا”.
وتعمل اللجنة على العديد من الملفات الفنية، والرؤى المتعلقة بتأهيل مدربي منتخبات مصر خلال المرحلة المقبلة.
Leeds United confidently put Cardiff City to the sword 2-0 last time out in the Welsh capital, with now ex-Bluebirds boss Erol Bulut relieved of his duties in the aftermath of Daniel Farke’s Whites picking up a straightforward three points.
The away side needed to get back to winning ways after a flat 1-0 loss to Burnley the match before, with the hosts brushed to one side eventually, to allow Leeds to pick up their third win of the early Championship season so far.
Farke would have been pleased with his side’s performance on the road, as Leeds new boy Largie Ramazani opened his account for his new club to get the Whites up and running away from home, before reliable impact substitute Joel Piroe delivered the goods again to make sure of the win.
Ramazani & Piroe's performances vs Cardiff
The 2-0 victory wouldn’t have been possible without the exploits of this attacking duo, with the ex-Almeria man standing out for the majority of the contest down the right channel, before Piroe was drafted in late on to make sure of the three points.
Despite scoring the decisive opener in the first half, the former Manchester United youth product could have even more to shout about from a goalscoring perspective on his first start for his new employers, with one big chance missed on top of a fierce effort thankfully beating Jan Alnwick.
As the game wore on, Farke decided that a change in personnel in the attacking positions was needed, with Piroe known to be a dependable option to throw into games when opposition legs are tiring.
The former Swansea City man only needed 16 minutes of action against Hull City to score at the back-end of August, with only 14 minutes needed in Wales for the Dutchman to leave his impact on yet another Championship tie.
Leeds duo Ethan Ampadu and Joel Piroe.
Amazingly, the instinctive 25-year-old would only need to amass four touches of the ball to find the back of the net, with his crucial strike against the Bluebirds taking his Leeds total goal tally to 16 strikes from 56 games.
Both players moving forward will undoubtedly help their side when contests become even more nervy and tense as the season drags on, but both Leeds assets find that their pay packets are lesser when weighed up next to Sam Byram’s – according to Capology – despite the fact the ageing full-back’s own importance has definitely begun to wane in Farke’s camp.
Byram's wage in 2024
As per Capology, Byram currently finds himself earning a healthy £20k-per-week at the West Yorkshire club, despite only averaging ten minutes of action this season when thrown into action four times in the league. His only start came in the EFL Cup defeat to Middlesbrough.
The 31-year-old could still be seen as a useful utility figure to have around, considering the fact that the ex-West Ham United man can play at both left-back and right-back if needed, but his wage still feels extortionate next to other more key first-team presences.
Player
Wage
League games played
Minutes averaged
Largie Ramazani
£17.5k-per-week
3
37
Joel Piroe
£15k-per-week
6
24
Ilia Gruev
£15k-per-week
6
86
Mateo Joseph
£15k-per-week
6
85
Looking at the table above, away from the aforementioned Ramazani and Piroe both earning a lesser £17.5k-per-week and £15k-per-week respectively, both Ilia Gruev and Mateo Joseph – who have been largely everpresent this season under Farke in the league – also both earn £5k-per-week less than the reserve defender.
With Isaac Schmidt now at the German’s disposal in defence too, who can also play in either full-back spot, Byram gaining consistent minutes for his employers on a week in week-out basis looks like it’ll be harder to come by.
Farke will have to have some conversations with the 31-year-old down the line about his immediate Whites future, with his contract up next summer, whilst Ramazani, Piroe and the other named faces aim to play a major part in Leeds finally winning promotion back up to the Premier League.
Leeds wanted to sign £29m star in the making but Orta got Aaronson instead
The Whites failed to secure a deal for the impressive attacking midfielder that summer.
Bangladesh have gone winless in 10 straight international games since beating West Indies 3-0 in an ODI series in January
Mohammad Isam20-May-2021Tamim Iqbal wants Bangladesh to keep their eyes on the ball, both literally and figuratively, in their bid to turn a corner halfway through a dismal year. His biggest worry is the side’s fielding ahead of their ODI series against Sri Lanka, which is viewed as a must-win assignment with qualification for the 2023 World Cup in mind. Iqbal, who has shown great form of late with three fifties in four Test innings in Sri Lanka last month, wants his team to grab the small and often crucial opportunities that come their way.Bangladesh began the year with a 3-0 win over West Indies, their fifth win in six bilateral ODI series at home. But they’ve gone winless in their next 10 international games – four Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is – over the last four months. As much as their batting and bowling, their fielding, often eye-catchingly bad, has also had to share the blame for this downturn.There was a spate of dropped catches during the tour of New Zealand, including two potentially match-turning ones in the second ODI. Newcomer Nasum Ahmed suggested the light and weather conditions in New Zealand had played a part in the fielding lapses, but the problems persisted even on the tour of Sri Lanka.Iqbal said Bangladesh are working hard on all aspects including fielding, but they have been unable to convert that productiveness into consistently converting the chances they get on their field.”This is probably the one part that I am worried the most,” Iqbal told ESPNcricinfo. “If you have seen us in the last five months, fielding is the area, more than batting and bowling, where we have lost matches. The two Tests at home or the second ODI in New Zealand, the key moments were [related to] the fielding. Everybody sees what we are doing on game day but hardly anyone sees what we are doing in training. I think we are training extremely hard to get better.”Each and every one of us wants to get better but we are making those mistakes in the key moments. Just like every other team, I feel that not all our fielders are brilliant fielders. But we have good fielders. We just have to make sure that according to our capability, whoever is fielding in those positions, do their best. They take those chances. They take a brilliant catch, get a brilliant run-out. If we start doing that, it will help us more with winning games.”Apart from their failings with bat and ball, Bangladesh were sloppy on the field during their tour of New Zealand•AFPLooking back through the winless streak, Iqbal felt Bangladesh hadn’t been able too keep their shape in crunch moments with both bat and ball. “We had opportunities to win in most of these ten matches,” he said. “There were times when we were on top, but we made some mistakes which is why we lost the games.”We were competitive, but now we have to grab those key moments, which decides the match. It can be a spell, a partnership or a catch. We have to be very focused when the key moment comes. We don’t want to miss those chances.”Iqbal said there is hunger within the ranks, but the bottom line is about winning in international sport. “If you are not winning, [the dressing room] is not a happy place. But everybody is doing the extra yard. They want to win games.”We can talk about the process and the future, but at the end of the day, winning is probably the most important thing. Our passionate supporters want us to do well, so winning is the best gift to give back to them.”Iqbal was made the ODI captain shortly before Bangladesh went into lockdown last year. He took over following the long and successful reign of Mashrafe Mortaza, who won 50 of his 88 ODIs as captain. Iqbal is a veteran of 14 years at this level, but he has had to adjust himself through many an ebb and flow in the Bangladesh team.His understanding of the team’s situation means he has kept his rallying cry to a simple one: be yourself; don’t hesitate.”I want my team to express themselves,” he said. “By this, I mean I believe in each and every one of my team-mates. They have done well internationally and domestically, to be playing in the squad. I want them to do what they have been doing at the international and domestic level. If we are 50-50, whether to go or not to go, it won’t help the team or the individual. I’d rather express myself.”If I get out early, its fine. If I don’t, then it is beneficial for the individual and the team. It doesn’t mean everyone has to bat at a 100 strike-rate. Someone can be batting at 80 or 85 strike-rate, but whatever the situation we are facing, we have to express ourselves. That’s how a team goes ahead. There will be times when you have to be a little bit careful, and at times you have to express yourself one hundred per cent.”Iqbal batted with a sense of freedom during the Test series in Sri Lanka•AFP/Getty ImagesFor that type of unabashed clarity about one’s game Bangladesh can take a leaf out of their captain’s book. Iqbal’s assaults on the Sri Lankan bowlers during the Test series last month was an example of a player who knows his own game inside-out.”There are times in Test matches when you have to change your way. We didn’t know it would be such a flat wicket on the first day against Sri Lanka,” he said. “The ball did a bit in the first hour. A good ball could have got me out. I am aggressive in these circumstances. Hitting a few boundaries, it puts the bowlers back. Before the series, I also said to the coach that I am planning to be aggressive. If I get off to a good start, the team benefits out of it. I also enjoyed the way I batted.”You can get out when you are playing shots early, but the best part was that I didn’t play any rash shots in those three innings. I just played to the merit of the ball, and it paid off. I was happy with the way I batted but disappointed that I couldn’t contribute more.”Although the opponent is well-known, Bangladesh are only playing a three-match ODI series, so early slip-ups could leave them with an awkward task at hand. They have to make sure they get as many points out of this series as possible, so they have a better sense of the path that awaits them through the ODI Super League.”There are a limited amount of games before the (2023) World Cup. We are probably playing another 25 matches,” Iqbal said. “There’s a point system, and you want to qualify directly. You don’t want to play that qualifying round. We are also not playing a lot at home, where Bangladesh is very strong. This is probably one of the very important series where you want to get as many points as possible.”Iqbal’s batting is going to be crucial, particularly in an unsettled ODI top order that includes Liton Das and Najmul Hossain Shanto, who have struggled for runs this year. Shakib Al Hasan may be back at No 3, and Mushfiqur Rahim may have to take more responsibility in the middle-order. But what Bangladesh craves is leadership that can elevate them tactically and emotionally. Iqbal showed in New Zealand that he is capable of both, but he needs his fielders to take those catches first.
We are up and running. The Premier League season is finally here but Arsenal haven't quite raced into pole position just yet.
Their 2-0 win on the opening weekend against Wolves was commanding but not really spectacular. Kai Havertz opened the scoring with a tremendous first-half header before Bukayo Saka's second-half sizzler from inside the area settled the points.
It's difficult to take too much from an opening-day victory, particularly when the scoreline was as it was, but Arsenal got the job done on home soil, immediately putting pressure on expected title rivals Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta's men certainly weren't at their free-flowing best but it was a solid display that can be built upon over the forthcoming weeks.
So, who stood out for those in red and white on Saturday afternoon?
Arsenal's best performers vs Wolves
The spotlight this summer has been on Havertz. Can he replicate the form he showed at the back end of last season? Do Arsenal need to sign another striker?
Well, he answered both of those questions very well this weekend. It took the German 20 games to score his first goal of the season in 2023/24 but on this occasion it took him just 28 minutes.
The ball from Saka was a peach, as the winger curled a delicious cross right onto the head of the former Chelsea man who couldn't miss.
It was an excellent all-round performance from Havertz who also picked up an assist. It was Saka who turned goalscorer for the second, picking the ball up inside the area and lashing it past Jose Sa.
The England international has evidently picked up where he left off before the Euros.
There was also an impressive display from goalkeeper David Raya who made one notably important save in the first half and then also kept Arsenal's clean sheet intact when he was forced to deny an effort late in the second period.
Despite the win, there were one or two players who need to improve immediately.
Arsenal's worst performers vs Wolves
The Gunners enter the 2024/25 campaign with more depth. Jurrien Timber has overcome his injury, Riccardo Calafiori has been signed and Thomas Partey is sufficiently fit again.
Then, you have the battle of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli on the left-hand side. Like last term, it's likely the pair will share that spot on the flanks as the season goes on.
However, at the moment, it's the Brazilian who looks to be Arteta's preferred choice. Trossard may well have scored 16 times last term but Arsenal's no.11 has now started the final pre-season clash with Lyon and now on the opening weekend against Wolves.
Did Martinelli perform? Well, he arguably wasn't as bad as Partey who was guilty of giving the ball away in dangerous areas on a regular basis. He got into promising zones, was direct and eager to get at his man but that lack of end product continues to be a problem.
That was something Football.London's Kaya Kaynak highlighted in his post-match player ratings, handing the Brazil international a 6/10 rating, while suggesting 'his end product remains a bit of an issue despite all his good work to get in the good positions.'
Minutes played
90
Touches
35
Accurate passes
17/20 (85%)
Key passes
3
Crosses
1/2
Dribbles
2/4
Shots
1
Ground duels won
7/12
Aerial duels won
2/3
Possession lost
8x
There was a particular occasion in the first half where the 23-year-old rather selfishly had a shot from a tight angle despite Declan Rice screaming for the ball in acres of space inside the penalty area. It's safe to say the club's record signing was not best impressed when Martinelli didn't score.
So, what do the numbers tell us? Well, his 35 touches of the ball were actually fewer than Raya's 41. That wasn't due to a lack of service or lack of trying. It felt like the attacker had opportunities to influence the game.
He did not do that on a regular enough basis, though. Martinelli had just one shot that was blocked, failed with 50% of his dribbles and ceded possession eight times.
They aren't shocking numbers by any means. After all, Saka gave away the ball 11 times during the match.
With Trossard breathing down his neck, however, he will need to improve quickly if he is to keep his place. On this evidence, it should be the Belgian who starts against Aston Villa next weekend.
Arsenal can reach new level by signing "unstoppable" £84m Martinelli rival
The incredible attacker would be a game-changer for the Gunners.
Mominul Haque, the Bangladesh Test captain, is among nine players who will be unavailable for the National Cricket League’s (NCL) second round starting on Monday. Haque tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this month, though he had since tested negative before the first round of the NCL and subsequently played for his team Chittagong Division in the match that started on March 22. Haque had also tested Covid-19 positive last November and shown “mild symptoms” then.Shadman Islam and Ebadot Hossain, both Test hopefuls who also tested positive recently, are also out of action in the upcoming round. Shadman didn’t turn out for his side, Dhaka Metropolis, in the first round, but Ebadot played for Sylhet Division before being replaced by Rejaur Rahman Raja on the third day after testing positive during the game.All three players will be considered for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka in mid-April, which is why they are being kept away from domestic cricket and rested for now.Six other players’ reports have returned “invalid” test results, according to the BCB, and as such their participation in the second round of the NCL has been put on hold.The first-class NCL is the first major domestic competition in Bangladesh this season. It will be followed by the List A Dhaka Premier League, which begins in May.Meanwhile, the South African women’s emerging side arrived in Dhaka on Sunday. After a three-day quarantine period, they will play five one-day matches against the Bangladesh emerging side in Sylhet from April 4 to 13.The Pakistan Under-19 team is also scheduled to arrive in Bangladesh on April 12, to play a four-day match and a five-match Youth ODI series against the Bangladesh Under-19s, in Sylhet and Dhaka. They will depart on May 6.Bangladesh have already hosted West Indies senior men’s team earlier this year, for a three-match ODI and a two-match Test series in January-February. Their men’s team is currently in New Zealand on their first international tour since the start of the pandemic.
New Zealand effectively won this game twice. For most of the day they dominated Australia with the bat and then the ball, to a point when the game looked to be heading for an early finish. Left in a hopeless position, Marcus Stoinis and Daniel Sams chanced their arms to close things up to a realistic scenario, only to lose their poise when the way to victory had re-opened, allowing Kane Williamson’s men to hold their nerve in the tight finish that eventuated.New Zealand’s momentum began with an overdue return to runs for Martin Guptill, swinging sweetly through the full ball as though on the golf course, with a pair of terrific supporting innings from Williamson and Jimmy Neesham – he and Guptill coshed no fewer than 14 sixes in Dunedin’s first game between Australia and New Zealand since 2000.The Australia chase began fairly, stuttered and collapsed at the hands of Mitchell Santner, before getting the latest of revivals from Stoinis and Sams. Spectacular as their hitting was – tallying nine sixes between them in a brief space of overs – it could not be sustained when the finish line loomed. Australia got closer than they might have expected at 113 for 6, but the 2-0 series margin after two games is undoubtedly a fair one.Guptill finds his driving rangeNot since October had Guptill passed 50 in any format at first-class level; not since November 2019 had he done so in a T20I. What he needed after such a lengthy dry spell was some favourable conditions and friendly bowling, and by sending New Zealand in at University Oval and then serving up a steady diet of full balls well within his hitting zone, Australian obliged. Guptill’s first ball, from Sams, was a half volley that skated to the cover boundary. His first from Jhye Richardson was another half volley that sailed back over the bowler’s head.With that, Guptill was more or less away. He was to clear the boundary no fewer than eight times, six of them in the arc between mid-off and wide mid-on, with another two hooked powerfully behind square leg. At his most destructive, Guptill crashed 34 runs from eight balls to move from 58 to 92. In the same period, New Zealand hammered 65 runs between overs 10 and 13 and set themselves up for a tally well and truly beyond 200. The aforementioned dry spell was well and truly over, replaced by a Dunedin deluge.Williamson, Neesham maintain the rageAs Guptill was detonating in such spectacular fashion, Williamson played with his typical combination of intelligence, calm and just enough invention. At 13 from 16 balls while operating in Guptill’s slipstream, Williamson had got himself set, and was duly able to “catch-up” by clouting 37 runs from his next 16 for a 32-ball half century. Among Williamson’s more impressive moments was when he read a Jhye Richardson slower ball out of the hand and then set himself up perfectly to slog sweep it, as if delivered by a spinner, into the crowd at midwicket.At the other end, Neesham walked out as though he was already well and truly set, dispatching his first two balls for towering sixes and then seldom letting up thereafter. New Zealand’s momentum was briefly held up when Jhye Richardson won a generous interpretation of the “tramlines” for wides to contribute to Glenn Phillips’ exit, but Neesham and Tim Southee combined to ransack 20 from Sams’ closing over of the innings and ensure the hosts made the highest T20I total in matches between these countries at venues other than Eden Park.Marcus Stoinis brought Australia back in the contest in thrilling style•Getty Images
Touring top order find the fieldersAustralia’s chase got off to a reasonable start. The ball did not swing much for Southee and Trent Boult, Matthew Wade found the boundary and Aaron Finch was given the chance to start steadily: 33 for 0 after three overs compared very favourably to New Zealand’s 20 for 0 at the same stage. But from there the hosts were able to tighten things steadily with the help of scoreboard pressure, while at the same time the Australians felt the net closing in on them.Wade, trying a back foot punch, failed to clear Williamson at mid-off; Finch, having spent 13 balls over 12, picked out midwicket when trying to clear the boundary off the bowling of Ish Sodhi; last and perhaps most pivotally given his abilities, Glenn Maxwell tried to reverse slog sweep his first ball from Santner and found Sodhi, leaping at short third man. At 87 for 3 in the 11th over, the innings was losing momentum in spite of a nice start from Josh Philippe in his second international, and the lower middle order was being left with an enormous task.Stoinis and Sams rearguard falls shortBack in 2017, Stoinis announced himself as an international cricketer of note by cracking 146 from 117 balls in an ODI at Eden Park that had appeared a lost cause before he took his team within a handful of runs. There were undoubted parallels four years later in Dunedin, as Stoinis sized up a chase that had reached the realms of the decidedly implausible. With six overs remaining, the visitors required 98 runs and had just four wickets in hand, as Stoinis and Sams conferred.Their response was to swing for the fences with a clarity that had been missing up to that point, as 62 runs piled up in the space of three overs: courtesy of sixes sixes and four fours in that time to take the equation back to 36 from three overs. A superbly tight 18th over from Boult, and a fortuitous deflection of a Sams drive from the umpire Chris Gaffaney, gave New Zealand 30 runs to play with from the final two overs, then 15 off the last, bowled by Neesham.Sams and Stoinis struggled a little to hit full tosses in these closing overs, and it was one such ball that Neesham coaxed Sams to miscue to deep midwicket. Two more dots – including a declined single – made it 15 off three. Stoinis middled the fourth ball to leave nine from two, but when he shanked the fifth to be out for 78, the day belonged to New Zealand.
A powerful batting performance was backed up by a trademark squeeze while bowling as Brisbane Heat were outplayed
Alex Malcolm04-Feb-2021
Liam Livingstone brought up a quickfire fifty•Getty Images
A stunning assault from Liam Livingstone and a superb spell from Jason Behrendorff helped Perth Scorchers reach their sixth BBL final with a comfortable win over Brisbane Heat in a rain-affected Challenger at Manuka Oval.Livingstone shook off a relatively lean tournament with some trademark ball-striking in his 77 from just 39 balls, including six mammoth sixes. He revealed that he had spent the morning watching some footage of his best performances for the Scorchers last season in search of some confidence.The Scorchers suffered a blow pre-game with Jason Roy ruled with an ankle injury he suffered playing a warm-up game at training in the days leading up to the Challenger. But Livingstone shared a century opening stand with Cameron Bancroft, who also made an unbeaten half-century coming in for just his seventh game of the tournament. Mitchell Marsh also smashed 49 not out from 28 balls before rain ended the Scorchers innings at 1 for 189 with 11 balls remaining.The Heat were set a revised target of 200 from 18 overs and got off to a rollicking start before Behrendorff removed both Joe Denly and Chris Lynn off the last two balls of the Powerplay. The Scorchers then produced a trademark squeeze to end the Heat’s season. Each of the bowlers, bar Jhye Richardson, picked up multiple wickets. Behrendorff, Fawad Ahmed and Andrew Tye finished with two apiece while Aaron Hardie took a career-best bag of 3 for 46. It could have been four or five with the Scorchers’ only blemish a pair of dropped catches.The Scorchers progress to face Sydney Sixers in the final at the SCG on Saturday night, with a chance to claim their fourth BBL title.No Roy, no worries Roy left a big hole for the Scorchers to fill at the top of the order and they replaced him with Bancroft, who had batted just five times in the tournament and had not opened in his last 21 T20 innings, dating back to BBL 08. The gamble paid off with Bancroft and Livingstone combining for a blistering century stand in just 10 overs. It was Livingstone’s show, but Bancroft played a nice support act. Livingstone was troubled by Xavier Bartlett early, who finally got to bowl three overs straight for the first time in four matches, having been subbed out of the last three. He swung the ball late to beat the Englishman on numerous occasions. But Livingstone feasted on the rest of the attack. He struck five fours and six massive sixes with the Heat repeatedly getting too straight to him. Livingstone raced to 50 off just 27 balls, taking 14 from Mitchell Swepson’s first over and then 27 off Marnus Labuschagne’s second over. The two legspinners, who had loomed as a threat pre-game, got their lengths and speeds wrong and Livingstone clubbed them straight and over midwicket repeatedly.Steketee subbed before rain intervened With Bartlett bowling three overs upfront, the Heat elected to sub the second-leading wicket-taker in the BBL Mark Steketee for regular X-Factor Morne Morkel, much to the visible frustration of the Heat quick. The Scorchers pulled an unusual move of their own when Livingstone holed out off Swepson with more than eight overs to go. They promoted Marsh above the from duo of Colin Munro and Josh Inglis. The move looked like it may have backfired with Marsh and Bancroft failing to score a boundary for four overs. Swepson ended up with tidy figures of 1 for 26 from four. But when Marsh took the Power Surge it was a masterstroke. He faced 11 of the 12 balls and struck 28 runs, including five fours and a six, off Morkel and Ben Laughlin. Bancroft did reach a half-century off 40 balls via a thick outside edge to third man but there might have been concern in the Scorchers’ dug out that they were leaving a lot of power in the shed as Bancroft struggled to find his timing. But as Bancroft struck his crispest boundary of the night over extra cover, the rain came and ended the Scorchers innings after 18.1 overs.Behrendorff bags Lynn The Scorchers didn’t have a lot of good match-ups for Lynn given he had made two half-centuries against them this season. Lynn has a superb career record against Richardson and he and Denly collared the BBL’s leading wicket-taker in the third over of the chase, taking 22 to get well ahead of the required rate. Behrendorff had never dismissed Lynn previously but had conceded just 43 from 39 balls in their career match-up. Lynn muscled two boundaries off Behrendorff but also faced four dots as he was cramped for room by the left-armer’s crafty inswing. It would have been five dots and the run-out of Denly had Behrendorff hit with an underarm in his follow-through when Lynn tried to get off strike after another inside edge onto pad. Behrendorff completely deceived Denly with a 105kph slower ball off the second last ball of the Powerplay. Denly and Lynn crossed as the miscue ballooned to the safe hands of Marsh at midwicket. Lynn, without any thought of seeing off the left-armer, tried to launch Behrendorff’s last ball over long-on and was clean bowled by another superb slower ball to leave the Heat in a huge hole.Scorchers squeeze The Scorchers of old returned with a ruthless bowling display to squeeze the life out of the Heat’s season. Tye and Ahmed bowled back-to-back overs that cost just seven runs. Knockout hero Sam Heazlett could not repeat his heroics holing out off Hardie. Labuschagne also felt the pinch of the required rate and was clean bowled sweeping Ahmed. Hardie and Ahmed repeated the dose in the 10th and 11th as the required rate climbed above 15 runs per over. Jimmy Peirson hit borderline high full toss to deep square leg and Lewis Gregory was trapped plumb trying to sweep Ahmed. The legspinner bowled superbly to finish with 2 for 26, while Hardie finished with 3 for 46, although he had two catches dropped by Livingstone and Tye.
.What’s his career been like so far?In first-class cricket, outstanding. He has five centuries in 21 matches, including a career-best 197 earlier this season against New South Wales, the most recent of them was against the Indians last week – and he holds a batting average of 55.04. It was a game against Queensland at the Gabba in November 2019 where he showed what he could achieve with the bat, making 87 and 121 not out batting at Nos. 8 and 9. That was also the last game he bowled in for a year. With the ball (and more on that in a minute) he averages 21.72 for his 33 wickets which include 5 for 24 on his first-class debut against Tasmania, who he also took his career-best 6 for 30 against in 2018. His white-ball career doesn’t stand out quite so much, although he made his ODI debut a couple of weeks ago, however that’s from just a handful of matches – nine in both List A and T20. It is with the red (and pink) ball that he is getting everyone really excited at the moment.So there are some big expectations?You could say that. Greg Chappell has called him the “best since Ricky Ponting” in recent interviews and back in June (when there was no cricket) ESPNcricinfo put together the scenario of Australia playing both Tests and T20Is on the same day – which could happen next year – Chappell picked him at No. 6 in the Test side straightaway.”To me, Cameron Green is the next superstar of Australian cricket,” he said. “He is a genuine prospect with bat and ball, but I think his future is as a batsman who can offer some quality overs. Cameron is a batsman of rare talent. At 6ft 7in, he could become something very special. I would bat him at No. 6 to start with, but I reckon No. 4 is his long-term position. The sooner he gets to play at this level, the sooner he will become the player that he should be.”What about the recent injury scare?That looked a bad moment when he was struck on the side of the head by a drive from Jasprit Bumrah at the SCG. He immediately went off the field and was subbed out of the match with concussion and also went for scans which cleared him of any fracture. Fortunately, the blow has not done major damage (unlike Will Pucovski, Green doesn’t have a history of concussion) and it looks as though he will pass all the Cricket Australia protocols to be able to debut.So is he the allrounder Australia have dreamed of?Maybe, but with a bit of caution. That’s got nothing to do with the talent, but he has been on restricted bowling loads due to a back stress fracture he suffered last year. He has undergone some work on his action with the WA bowling coach Matt Mason and has so far been limited to four-over spells. This season he has not bowled more than eight overs in a day in match conditions. However, he’s still shown the knack of picking up wickets: he claimed two in the second innings against the Indians at Drummoyne Oval and produced a beauty to remove Shubman Gill before his injury at the SCG.Tim Paine also suggested the bowling restrictions will be loosened. “I’ll think he’ll bowl a few more than that, once you are selected in a Test match you are good to go. Having said that we don’t expect him to bowl a huge amount of overs with the attack we’ve got.”Has his debut come sooner than expected?In some ways, yes. In fact, just a matter of weeks ago it felt unlikely he would make the XI at the start of the series despite being named in the enlarged squad. The favoured route was that Australia would retain their traditional balance of six batsmen, a wicketkeeper and four bowlers. However, recently plans have been thrown into chaos due to injuries to Warner and Pucovksi which has led Australia to reshuffling the batting order (for one Test at least) and that has created the opening at No. 6. That is not to say Green is not deserving. On current form you could easily say he’s among the best six batsmen in Australia with Justin Langer and national selector Trevor Hohns having said he is worthy of selection for his batting alone.