يرى خافيير تيباس، رئيس رابطة الدوري الإسباني، أن الدوري الإنجليزي يتجه إلى الانهيار رغم ازدياد إيراداته في الآونة الأخيرة، وهو ما ظهر جليًا في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي الماضي.

وقال تيباس، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية: “الدوري الإنجليزي يصر على ذلك النحو، إنه خاسر، لديه إيرادات أعلى، إنه بلد أغنى منا، ومع ذلك فإن العجز مستمر، نتجه نحو دوري إنجليزي خاسر، هذا ما سيؤثر على بقية أوروبا فيما يخص التضخم”.

وأضاف: “أنا لا أتحدث عن الاستثمار بل عن التدمير، لسنا قلقين، نحن تمامًا مثل الدوري الألماني ما زلنا نملك ألقاباً أكثر منهم، ونواصل التقدم في المسابقات، لا داعي للقلق”.

وواصل: “إنها أغنية الصيف المعتادة، حيث يُقال إنهم يتفوقون علينا لكنهم يتفوقون علينا من حيث الديون وتدمير رأس المال، إنهم ليسوا متقدمين علينا من حيث استدامة المسابقة وأفضل اللاعبين”.

واسترسل: “قال ليفاندوفسكي إنه في الدوري الإنجليزي يدفعون مبالغ طائلة للاعبين الذين لعبوا 10 مباريات وسجلوا ستة أهداف، هل هذا يمنح الدوري الإنجليزي قيمة أكبر؟ نحن نسعى للفوز بالكرة الذهبية”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تيباس: ريال مدريد يُقدم معلومات تخدم مصلحته ولم أجد أحدًا يؤيد روايتهم عن التحكيم

وأوضح: “كان رودري استثناءً في السنوات الأخيرة، يبرمون الكثير من الصفقات، لكنهم لا يستطيعون ضم النجوم، لست قلقًا، لا يزال لدينا ألقاب أوروبية أكثر من الدوري الإنجليزي، لا داعي للقلق”.

وأفاد: “إذا زاد الفارق بسبب زيادة حجم التداول، طالما أنه ضمن المعدل الطبيعي، فماذا سنفعل حيال ذلك؟ لكن الأمر الآخر، يجب أن نسأل لماذا وضعت الحكومة الإنجليزية هيئة تنظيمية مستقلة للإشراف على الشؤون المالية للأندية الإنجليزية، لا بد أن الهدف هو التحكم في شيء ما، ليس لدينا مثل هذه الهيئة في إسبانيا، بل على العكس تمامًا”.

وشدد: “هذا الأمر ليس ضروريًا في إسبانيا حيث أن الأندية قادرة على التحكيم وتنظيم أنفسهم، كرة القدم الإنجليزية ستكون أكثر رقابة، سيواصلون إنفاقهم أكثر منا لأنهم أكبر حجمًا، لكنهم لا يستطيعون الاستمرار في هذا النظام الخاسر، أعتقد أنهم يسيرون في هذا الاتجاه، إنهم يسعون إلى الاستدامة لأنهم يدركون أن خسارة مليار جنيه إسترليني سنويًا ليست الخيار الأمثل”.

Celtic’s busy summer transfer activity continues, but a fair few more signings will be required before they commence their Scottish Premiership title defence against St Mirren in just three weeks’ time.

On Friday, it was confirmed that Nicolas Kühn had joined Como for a reported fee of £16.4m, one of the biggest sales in the club’s history.

Following the departure of Kyōgo Furuhashi in January, that is an enormous number of goals that have been taken out of Brendan Rodgers’ team in 2025, hence why they are in the market for attacking reinforcements.

Celtic's search for a striker

Few players in Celtic’s modern history are as universally beloved as Shunsuke Nakamura, who played for the club between 2005 and 2009.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

This is largely due to the fact that, as noted by content creator Jack Kenmare, the Japanese international is considered to be amongst the best free-kick takers of all-time.

During the 2006/07 season, Nakamura scored free-kicks home and away against Manchester United in the Champions League, including the only goal of a famous 1-0 win at Parkhead, before his free-kick at Rugby Park against Kilmarnock, coming in stoppage time no less, secured the title later in the campaign.

So now, could Celtic be about to land a brand-new dead-ball specialist?

Well, according to a report by Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Celtic are attempting to sign Giuseppe Ambrosino on a season-long loan from Napoli, alongside another more proven forward.

The 21-year-old has been with Napoli since the age of ten, but is yet to make a senior appearance for I Partenopei, loaned out to Como, Cittadella, Catanzaro and most recently Frosinone, scoring five goals as I Giallazzurri finished 15th in Serie B.

Thus, a move to Celtic would be a big step-up for Ambrosino, but he could prove to be a useful addition.

Why Celtic supporters should be excited about Giuseppe Ambrosino

As the table below outlines, Ambrosino – who has been dubbed a “free-kick specialist” by journalist Graeme McGarry – has not pulled up any trees at any of his various loan clubs, but has impressed while representing Italy’s youth teams at major tournaments.

As noted in the table, Ambrosino was a key figure in the Italy side that reached the U20 World Cup Final in Argentina last year, starting six of the seven matches, scoring against the Dominican Republic in Mendoza, as gli Azzurrini were defeated 1-0 by Uruguay in the final at Estadio Único.

Then, just last month, he represented Italy at the under-21 European Championships, featuring in all four matches, scoring a stupendous, trademark free-kick to force extra time, as his side were ultimately eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Germany in Dunajská Streda.

These performances have yielded plenty of praise, with Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout impressed by his “finishing, movement and work-rate”, labelling him “versatile” and “unique” forward.

So, while very little is known about Ambrosino, he is clearly a player of immense talent.

When the aforementioned Nakamura joined Celtic in 2005, arriving from Serie A side Reggina, he was very much an unknown too, but would depart a bona fide cult hero, a status that he retains to this day.

So, as the Hoops look to shop in Italy again, Ambrosino could become only the fifth Italian to represent the Celts, after Rolando Ugolini, Paolo Di Canio, Enrico Annoni and Massimo Donati.

Whether or not his career will take off in Glasgow remains to be seen, but who doesn’t love a free-kick specialist?

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Sri Lanka’s dominant series win against New Zealand has been one to savour not just for the way they won the second Test but also because it allows, even fleetingly, for them to ponder the prospect of a World Test Championship [WTC] final berth next year.As things stand Sri Lanka are placed third behind Australia and India on the WTC points table, but only 6.94 percentage points behind second-placed Australia, with a home tour against them to come in this cycle.Captain Dhananjaya de Silva, who has navigated Sri Lanka to their best year in Tests since 2006, is not getting too far ahead of himself. Before that Australia series, the next port of call for the Test side will be in South Africa in November-December.Related

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“We’re only looking at it from one match to another,” Dhananjaya said when asked about his side’s WTC final prospects. “If you look too far ahead you can miss out on what’s immediately important.”It’s what I always tell the young players as well, if you do what’s required from one match to another, then what needs to happen in the points table will take care of itself.”Among those young players is Kamindu Mendis, Dhananjaya’s junior back in their school days at Richmond College who has fast become an integral part of the Test side.But despite that years-old connection, there was no room for sentiment when Dhananjaya called for a first-innings declaration with Kamindu 18 short of a maiden double century. Asked if he had been tempted to continue through till Kamindu reached the milestone, de Silva explained that it was not a decision he would take if it meant impacting the team negatively.”More than Kamindu’s double hundred, I wanted Kusal Mendis to get a hundred because he hadn’t scored one in quite some time,” he said. “But once we got to that point in the match, I think that was the best decision to take.”Kamindu, who sat beside his captain at the post-match press briefing, was quick to back up his skipper when questioned on the same.”We had put a big total on the board, even at lunch I had 136. So the plan even then was to score a little bit more and then put them into bat,” Kamindu said. “I think the decision was taken at the right time because we all know that in Galle batting in the last hour is quite difficult. And I think it’s because of that decision that we were able to bowl them out the following morning.”Nishan Peiris finished with nine wickets in his debut Test•AP

With two wickets picked up in the dying minutes of day two, Sri Lanka rolled New Zealand over for 88 on the third morning to all but guarantee the win. A bulk of the damage in the game was done by another youngster, Nishan Peiris.The 27-year-old offspinner who was making his debut ended up with nine wickets in a stellar first Test outing, and Dhananjaya revealed it was his particular skillset that bolstered the team following a hard-fought first Test.”Nishan had bowled really well in domestic cricket for quite some time, and what I had stressed on was to bring in a bowler that could keep the economy rate low, especially on a turning track,” Dhananjaya said. “That’s how you put pressure on the opposition, with Prabath [Jayasuriya] at the other end. And I think he did his job excellently in this game.”With six Test wins this year, Sri Lanka have moved up to fifth in the Test rankings. For Dhananjaya, this has been reward for the work the side has put in, and the bench strength they’ve developed.”I have been part of the side for six years and we’ve always wanted to come up in rankings but we tried and failed,” he said. “We just couldn’t get the right team makeup, but we have got it right now. And now we also have combinations that can work on any surface, both at home and overseas.”

An update on her availability for the World Cup opener will be provided over “the next few days”; Australia’s first game is on October 5 against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2024

Australia have been dealt a potential injury concern heading into their title defence at the Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE, with batter Phoebe Litchfield being ruled out of the warm-up games with groin soreness. The news came in ahead of Australia’s first warm-up fixture against England in Dubai on September 29.Grace Harris, who has not played competitive cricket since April 2024 because of calf strains in both legs, was also deemed not quite ready to take the field yet because of a “new niggle”, though she is back in training.”Grace has resumed training following a new niggle sustained in her preparation to return to play,” Cricket Australia’s (CA) update said.Harris is making her way back after a first calf strain kept her out of the Women’s Hundred in the English summer, and then a second, in the other leg, kept her out of the recent series against New Zealand.CA said an update on both players’ availability for the T20 World Cup opener will be provided over “the next few days”.Australia play a second warm-up on October 1 against West Indies, before opening their tournament against Sri Lanka on October 5.India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand are the other teams in Australia’s group – Group A. The top two teams from each group will proceed to the semi-finals on October 17 and 18, before the final on October 20.

With Nicolas Kuhn already on his way to Como, Celtic are reportedly set to announce the departure of another player in a double departure for Brendan Rodgers.

Como reach agreement to sign Kuhn

After less than two years at the club, Kuhn is reportedly set to swap Celtic for the chance to play for Cesc Fabregas’ rising Como side in Serie A. The Bhoys will receive around £16.5m for the winger’s signature, making an instant profit of £13.5m from their initial deal, but now face the hefty task of finding a replacement for their star man.

Kuhn’s departure should fund some hefty incomings of their own, but replacing him will be an incredibly tough task. Just last season, the German enjoyed his best campaign yet with as many as 21 goals to his name in all competitions to go alongside his 15 assists. Just how Celtic replace 36 goal involvements is the big question.

It’s the type of problem they faced last summer when tasked with replacing Matt O’Riley and that’s when Kuhn stepped up. This time around, however, the Bhoys may need to turn towards the transfer market to solve their problems.

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On that front, Rodgers has already welcomed the talented Benjamin Nygren as well as the likes of Kieran Tierney, who has returned from Arsenal, Ross Doohan and Callum Osmand.

Incomings should take centre stage in the coming weeks, but another exit looks set to be on the cards before Celtic get the chance to welcome further fresh faces of their own.

Hannover 96 set to sign Nawrocki

As reported by Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Hannover 96 have reached an agreement to sign Maik Nawrocki in a loan deal with an option to buy from Celtic. Reportedly a “done deal”, the Bhoys are set to announce the defender’s departure.

Whilst Nawrocki has often struggled for game time in Scotland in the last two years, that hasn’t stopped Rodgers from handing his centre-back some words of encouragement.

The Celtic boss told reporters when asked about Nawrocki and Auston Trusty after his side thrashed Aberdeen 5-1 back in May: “It was awkward for Auston in the first half, because he was blinded a wee bit with the sun on that side. But I thought those two were strong. Defended well, goalkeeper was assured, two full-backs, excellent. It was very pleasing.”

A player who never showed his true potential at Celtic Park, Nawrocki now has the chance to take the 2. Bundesliga by storm.

Coad claims three of six wickets to fall, handing hosts two of maximum 10 points needed to secure second place

ECB Reporters Network27-Sep-2024Yorkshire will be promoted to Division One of the Vitality County Championship if they draw their final round clash with Northamptonshire at Headingley after Ben Coad claimed three of six wickets to fall when play finally got underway after tea on day two.Coad’s 3 for 29 from 12 overs, including his 300th first-class wicket, left Northamptonshire in trouble at 117 for 6 from 40 overs, handing Yorkshire two of the maximum 10 points they require to secure second place behind Sussex.The start of play was delayed until 3.30pm following first day rain and a wet outfield on day two.Northamptonshire, with nothing to play for but holding onto fourth place in Division Two, were inserted. George Hill also struck twice with his seamers and Jordan Thompson once.Visiting debutant Krish Patel, aged 18, impressed with 26 and George Bartlett top-scored with an unbeaten 41.Yorkshire are aiming to hold off the challenge of third-placed Middlesex, who have seen the opening two days of their clash with leaders Sussex abandoned at Hove.Northamptonshire have handed first-class debuts to both Patel and on-loan Nottinghamshire spinner Fateh Singh, the latter signed only for this game.Patel was the first to make an impact, and impressively too during an eye-catching 41-ball innings with five fours.He came through the Surrey age-groups, played one Metro Bank One-Day Cup game for his home county last season and then signed a two-year rookie professional contract at Wantage Road at the end of last month.Patel came to the crease late in the third over after Coad had removed opener Gus Miller, caught at first slip by Hill.The diminutive right-hander was strong through the covers off both front foot and back. One square drive off England fringe Test fast bowler Matthew Fisher was particularly memorable.He shared 42 with the more doughty Luke Procter before edging Thompson’s seam to second slip as the visitors fell to 44 for 2 in the 15th over.Only 20 more runs had been added when Hill bowled Procter, for 25, with his fifth ball, securing Yorkshire’s first point of the fixture.Hill had been capped by Yorkshire as the rain fell on day one and was again presented with his cap before play started to give Yorkshire’s supporters a chance to acclaim their 23-year-old allrounder.He added a second wicket when James Sales was bowled for 17 shouldering arms as Northamptonshire fell to 79 for 4 in the 30th over.Conditions were ever-changing through a competitive evening; sun, cloud and even a bit of rain.When Coad struck again – for wicket number 300 – the floodlights were on, with Saif Zaib edging to Hill at first slip. Northamptonshire were 106 for 5 in the 37th over.He also had nightwatcher Singh caught at short mid-off in his next over, securing Yorkshire’s second bowling bonus point. That, added to eight points for the draw, would be enough for a Division One return for the first time since 2022.Coad, aged 30, is playing his 76th first-class match and his 301 wickets have come at a mighty impressive 19.42 apiece.Northamptonshire’s Bartlett hit nine fours in his 52 balls.For Yorkshire, while promotion was not decided in this short burst of a session, they moved themselves to within touching distance.

Ipswich Town have now opened talks to sign an “outstanding” defender and a “super” midfielder, as they gear up for a Premier League promotion charge, according to a report.

Ipswich looking to strengthen in all areas

Ipswich ultimately finished 16 points adrift of safety last season, highlighting the gap between the Premier League and the Championship, but Kieran McKenna has made it clear that he has aspirations of returning to the top flight at the first attempt.

McKenna said: “I’m confident. That’s the truth. But we know how relentless that division is as well. Every year there are upsets – teams who do better than expected, teams who do worse than expected. It’s a 46-game season where everyone competes hard every week. It’s one of the most competitive divisions in Europe.”

The additions McKenna has already made to his squad should give fans cause for optimism, having strengthened both the midfield and the defence, although a replacement for Liam Delap may also be needed before the transfer window slams shut.

New signing

Position

Azor Matusiwa

DM

Ashley Young

Full-back

David Button

GK

Cedric Kipre

CB

Despite already making improvements to the engine room and the backline, the Tractor Boys have now opened talks over potential deals for two new signings in those areas of the pitch.

That is according to a report from EFL Analysis, which states Ipswich have now made enquiries about Hayden Hackney and Dael Fry, both of whom currently play for fellow Championship side Middlesbrough.

Currently, the Championship promotion-hopefuls are yet to submit formal bids for either player, however, and it may be difficult to win the race for Hackney, who is valued at £20m, amid interest from the Premier League.

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Boro are also hesitant to sanction Fry’s departure this summer, although they could be tempted to cash-in, should the Tractor Boys be willing to submit a suitable offer.

Fry and Hackney could be exciting signings for Ipswich

Both Middlesbrough players are experienced at Championship level, with Dean Ashton lauding Fry as “outstanding” in the past, while there are plenty of signs that Hackney could be capable of making the step-up to the Premier League.

Chris Wilder singled the 23-year-old out for high praise last season, saying: “We were playing against two very good central midfielders. I’ve watched Hayden Hackney from afar, seeing his career flourish.

“There’s no better teacher for him than Michael, and he’ll enjoy the way Middlesbrough play. He’s a super player, and Morris is a good player in there too.”

The Middlesbrough star is a forward-thinking midfielder, despite often featuring in a defensive role, placing in the 99th percentile for progressive passes per 90 over the past year, and the 97th percentile for progressive carries.

Fry and Hackney could be fantastic additions to McKenna’s squad, but signing a new striker should be the manager’s priority following Delap’s departure.

Tottenham Hotspur are now plotting a move for an “elite” Premier League defender, who Micky van de Ven knows very well, according to a report.

Spurs looking to sign new centre-back

There has been a great deal of speculation surrounding the future of Cristian Romero, as the 27-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Atletico Madrid, but Thomas Frank has now indicated the defender is set to remain at N17.

That said, perhaps given that his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, was left very light on options in defence at times last season, Frank remains keen on bringing in another centre-back, and AFC Bournemouth’s Illia Zabarnyi has now emerged as a target.

Spurs are ready to shell out over £60m to get a deal for Zabarnyi over the line, but with the Bournemouth defender keen on joining PSG, Frank may be forced to move on to alternative options, and a different Premier League centre-back is now on the shortlist.

That is according to a report from France (via TEAMtalk), which states Tottenham are now eyeing a move for Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix, less than one year after the defender’s £18m move to Selhurst Park.

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The way in which Lacroix has been able to adapt to the Premier League has caught Spurs’ eye, and the move would reunite the defender with former Wolfsburg teammate van de Ven, with the pair playing alongside eachother on 29 occasions in Germany.

With the 25-year-old contracted until 2029, however, Palace remain in a strong negotiating position, and there could be a great deal of rival interest, with the likes of Borrusia Dortmund and various Serie A clubs also keen.

"Elite" Lacroix could be excellent acquisition for Spurs

Hailed as an “elite defender” by journalist Tobias Kröger, the Palace star was a mainstay in Oliver Glasner’s side last season, making 35 appearances in the Premier League, while also starting in the victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

During his first season in England, the Frenchman’s defensive abilities were on display on a regular basis, with winning back possession his forte, suggesting he could now be ready to make the step-up to one of England’s biggest clubs.

Statistic

Average per 90

Tackles

1.96 (83rd percentile)

Interceptions

1.56 (89th percentile)

Clearances

5.98 (81st percentile)

Glasner is also clearly happy with the addition of the former Wolfsburg man, with the Palace boss saying: “It is great recruitment. The new players who came in this year, like Maxence Lacroix, like Daichi Kamada, showed an outstanding performance today and also at the Emirates.”

As such, Lacroix could be a solid signing for Tottenham, but it may be difficult to prise him away for Palace, given that the centre-back remains contracted until 2029.

Celtic are now reportedly “set to up the ante” and try to complete the statement signing of a long-term target in the summer transfer window.

Celtic in contact over signing various players

It looks as though the Hoops are pushing hard to complete some important business this summer, with a number of players being strongly linked with moves to Parkhead.

Celtic are believed to have made contact with FC Cukaricki teenager Andrej Bacanin over a switch to the club, but rivals Rangers are also providing stern competition for his services. A new update has also claimed that the Scottish Premiership champions are in pole position to snap up the 18-year-old midfielder ahead of clubs across Europe.

Meanwhile, the Hoops have been in talks with Royal Antwerp attacker Michel-Ange Balikwisha over a move to the club, with the 24-year-old seen as a target for Brendan Rodgers’ side for a long time now.

In fact, one report earlier this year stated that the Celtic manager is a big admirer of the Belgian, having had his eye on him for some time now. Now, a fresh update has emerged regarding their pursuit of him.

Celtic increasing efforts to sign Balikwisha

According to The Daily Record, Celtic are now “set to up the ante” to sign Balikwisha this summer, as they look to “finally seal a move” for him. The report adds that signing Balikwisha would be a ‘statement of intent’, with the Hoops ‘primed to strike’.

Antwerp boss Stef Wils has also hinted in recent days that a move away for one of his best players is potentially on the cards, saying: “That’s possible, yes. I’m just working with the guys who are here at the moment. They all have the qualities to play here, so it would be foolish not to use them.”

It really does feel as though Celtic are now hellbent on getting a deal for Balikwisha over the line, in what could be such an impressive piece of business by the Scottish giants.

At 24, the left winger is at a perfect point in his career to come straight in and make an immediate impact, having been lauded as an “unpredictable” player by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Balikwisha seemingly likes the idea of moving to one of the biggest clubs in Britain after entertaining talks, and there is no reason why he couldn’t be the next great attacker at Parkhead, giving Rodgers the extra firepower he craves as his side look to both defend the title and perform better in the Champions League.

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The Antwerp star has 46 goal contributions in 141 appearances for his current club, and the fact that he can also do a job on the right wing and in a central attacking role is an added bonus.

Jackson Bird has turned back the clock, claiming seven wickets as he ripped through South Australia, paving the way for New South Wales to secure a 30-run first-innings lead by stumps on day one of their Sheffield Shield match.Bird finished with figures of 7 for 46 at Adelaide’s Karen Rolton Oval on Thursday, nagging away outside the off stump of South Australia’s batters as they were all out for 110.NSW went to stumps at 140 for 2, Nic Maddinson leading the way with 69 from 163 balls before being bowled by Lloyd Pope just before the close of play.Fellow opener Sam Konstas also looked solid for his 28, before falling lbw to Harry Conway, in his first game since missing out on Australian Test selection.But while Konstas is seen as the future of Australian cricket, Bird offered a nod to its past. The seamer will turn 38 next month, but he was at his consistent best on the opening day in Adelaide.Five batters fell edging him to the slips, while Conor McInerney also inside-edged a ball in the opening over to Konstas at short leg off the veteran.Bird’s return marked his first five-wicket haul in the Shield since March 2021, when he bagged 7 for 18 against the Blues while playing for Tasmania.”I felt reasonably good out there today,” Bird said. “But in between the wickets I got I didn’t feel like I bowled well in patches. It’s funny how cricket works.”It’s obviously nice to get some wickets, but it’s just one day. We’ve got to come back tomorrow and try and get a big lead and put some runs on the board.”Only Jake Lehmann (25), Henry Hunt (30) and Harry Nielsen (20) offered any real resistance for undefeated South Australia.But after the hosts were all out in 41.3 overs, the winless Blues looked far more composed at the crease. Konstas punched one boundary off the back foot outside off stump, and had one of the shots of the day when he drove Conway back down the ground for four.He hit four boundaries in his 28, before he was again out to a ball that nipped back into him slightly off a good length. Maddinson absorbed plenty of time at the crease before tea, and then took charge in the final session.He played two drives with flourish off Nathan McAndrew as he took 14 from one of the seamer’s overs, before smashing Conway through cover to bring up his 50.But it was a Pope ball that drifted, dripped and spun back between the left-hander’s bat and pad that bowled him, in a rare bright spot for South Australia.