Cristiano Ronaldo will not be making the trip to Iraq to face Al-Shorta in the AFC Champions League, Al-Nassr have revealed.
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Ronaldo to miss key Al-Nassr fixturePortuguese suffering from a viral infectionHas been advised to rest for the next few daysWHAT HAPPENED?
Ronaldo's absence will be a significant blow for Al-Nassr, who have struggled to get going in this campaign and have already dropped four points in the first three matches of the Saudi Pro League. The Portuguese striker has been diagnosed with a viral infection and has been advised to rest in Riyadh.
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On Sunday, Al-Nassr released an official statement which read: "Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo wasn't feeling well today and was diagnosed with a viral infection. The team's doctor confirmed he needs to rest and stay at his place. As a result, he will not be travelling with the team to Iraq today. We wish a speedy recovery to our captain."
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Even as Ronaldo sits out the upcoming match, the 38-year-old continues to chase historic milestones. After his 900th career goal against Croatia, the Portuguese icon added yet another against Scotland. As he approaches the twilight of his career, Ronaldo has set his sights on reaching the unprecedented landmark of 1,000 career goals before retiring and if he keeps going at this pace, it might even get conquered. He has already scored five goals in four matches across all competitions for Al-Nassr this season and his recent form in the international break suggests that the 39-year-old is still a long way from hanging up his boots.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?
Ronaldo should be able to return to action next Friday against Al-Ettifaq in the Pro League, provided he recovers from the viral infection in time.
Spinner’s impact enhanced by burgeoning partnership with the left-armer Sam Curran
Andrew Miller21-Jul-2020Every day in the Test team is a chance to “learn on the job”, according to Dom Bess, England’s rookie offspinner, who said he would take a lot of confidence from his small but significant role in defeating West Indies at Emirates Old Trafford and squaring the series with one Test to play.Bess, who turns 23 on the eve of Friday’s third Test, picked up two wickets on the final day of the second Test, including the matchwinning dismissal of Kemar Roach and the vital scalp of West Indies’ captain, Jason Holder, as England overcame some stiff mid-afternoon resistance to surge to a 113-run victory midway through the final session.And while there’s no guarantee that Bess will retain his place in England’s attack for the series decider – the surfeit of right-handers in West Indies’ line-up means that Jack Leach, whose left-arm angle takes the ball away from the bat more regularly, could come into consideration – the fact that he’s played a part in another England victory, his fourth in six appearances since his debut against Pakistan in 2018, will give him plenty satisfaction for now.”The boys were obviously very happy with that,” Bess told Sky Sports at the end of the Test. “More relief I reckon than anything. As it was getting on, it just felt like the ball was getting a little bit softer. You could see the lads [feeling the effects of] having overs under their belt, and it was the first game back for three of them. So, we’re just very happy to level the series and now go into next Test with it all to play.”Bess’s figures of 2 for 59 in 15.1 overs were not the sort of dominant fifth-day performance that spinners are generally picked to produce, but as the bowler himself acknowledged, his opportunities for much of the day were restricted by his place in the pecking order – in particular, the need for him to perform a holding role at the Brian Statham End of the ground, while the seamers utilised the favourable breeze and variable bounce being generated from the James Anderson End.It wasn’t until the 61st over of the innings, when Ben Stokes took over at the Statham End with another energetic spell of short-pitched bowling, that Bess was given a chance to attack from his preferred end, and he produced one of the key moments of the day when he spun a big offbreak through Holder’s defences to bowl the West Indies captain for 35.ALSO READ: Dobell: Stokes is England’s man for all sessions”We talked about roles, we talked about bowling as a collective,” Bess said. “My role at that time was probably bowling the other end and trying to create as many chances as I could at that end. There were some that spun from there and I felt like I was in the game, but I was leaking a little bit. I was quite happy when I got to come up to the top end, and bowl with the wind, and a bit of rough.”Much of that rough outside the right-hander’s off-stump was created by the left-arm angle of Sam Curran, another of the young players whom England have trusted to hone their games on the highest stage. And as Curran helped to make it eight wins out of eight on the occasions that he’s featured in an England home Test since his own debut in 2018, Bess hoped that the pair could have a long and fruitful partnership as a bowling combination.”Perfect!” was Bess’s assessment of the rough that Curran creates in his follow-through. “Hopefully he can get a little bit heavier and keep running in, but it was in a good area and I knew where my length had to be on it. I knew I had to pull it back and make sure I got as many balls in there as possible, and be as consistent as possible.”I think I really built that pressure,” he added. “I feel like I’m learning every day, and I know that’s a bit of a cliché, but it’s genuine with me because when I’m on the job I’m going through so many emotions.”And that’s little wonder, given the fluctuations of fortune that Bess has endured in his short career – which encompassed a loan spell to Yorkshire last season when his first-team opportunities at Somerset dried up with Leach ensconced as the first-choice spinner, and a late call-up to England’s Test team in South Africa in December, where he starred with five first-innings wickets in their victory in Port Elizabeth.More recently, Bess has been linked with a permanent move to Warwickshire, where he is being earmarked as a successor to their long-term spinner, Jeetan Patel, while his game-craft was honed on the England Lions camp in Sri Lanka last winter, where he worked on his seam position with Rangana Herath. But for the time being, he’s obliged to do most of his learning on the big stage.”I’m talking with Daws [Richard Dawson, England spin coach] a lot about how consistent can I be in that area,” he added. “But I think going back up to that end, and producing some of those balls that I did, it’s given me a lot of confidence.”
A European club have set their sights on bringing on signing a young "prolific scorer" from Arsenal this summer, and they're set to open talks over a deal this week.
Arsenal set for summer sales to bolster transfer kitty
The north Londoners, after just missing out on the Premier League title to Man City for the second consecutive campaign, now turn their attentions to the summer transfer window in a bid to reinforce Mikel Arteta's ranks.
Arsenal contact club for "exciting" £30 million signing and will open talks
He’s garnering a very good reputation right now.
ByEmilio Galantini May 28, 2024
It has been reported that the Gunners and sporting director Edu want to bring in a new goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and forward (Simon Collings) – with new arrivals potentially coming in across the first team.
Aaron Ramsdale is likely to leave Arsenal after becoming Arteta's second choice keeper behind David Raya, with Edu rumoured to be targeting a replacement. Elsewhere, Arsenal have been heavily linked with Turkey and Fenerbahce full-back Ferdi Kadioglu, with some reports even claiming they've agreed personal terms.
Aaron Ramsdale
Thomas Partey
Gabriel Jesus
Eddie Nketiah
Reiss Nelson
Emile Smith Rowe
Fabio Vieira
Albert Sambi Lokonga
Kieran Tierney
Nuno Tavares
In midfield, Edu is apparently ready to sell Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah to fund a move for Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes – who could well come in to replace Thomas Partey as uncertainty surrounds the Ghanaian's future.
Gabriel Jesus has also been linked with an Arsenal exit in recent weeks, so Arteta and the board are not exactly short of sale nominees to bolster their kitty this summer. Edu, speaking to the media recently, says the club's summer transfer process has been thought out since January.
"You can’t sign players for the sake of signing," said Edu on Arsenal's transfer plans.
"This has to be a process that takes weeks and weeks. There on my desk, I have reports with more than 180 pages on a player. It’s really detailed stuff. Physical, technical, mental profile, if you have Premier League experience, if you will be able to adapt. It has everything.
"We analyse our weaknesses, where we can improve, where we can invest and then we go in search of that new name. What I am going to do now, we have been discussing since January. It’s not my decision or Mikel’s alone. It belongs to a whole group."
Sturm Graz set to open talks with Arsenal over Mika Biereth this week
Another player who could collect a fee to enhance Arsenal's summer activity is 21-year-old forward Mika Biereth.
The Dane has enjoyed a stellar half-season loan at Sturm Graz over the last few months, scoring nine goals and bagging a further four assists. Called a "prolific goalscorer" by Standard Sport, the outlet claims Sturm Graz are set to open talks over signing Biereth permanently this week.
The young attacker signed from Fulham in 2021, but hasn't yet been handed the nod by Arteta – instead going out on loan to RKC Waalwijk, Motherwell and Sturm Graz during his time at the Emirates.
A breezy five-over chase helped them pick up their first points of the season
The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy20-Aug-2020Is the DLS method a fair way to determine targets in rain-shortened T20 games? Graeme Smith, the former South Africa captain, recently said he doesn’t think so, and he could have used Thursday’s CPL game between the Barbados Tridents and the St Lucia Zouks as an example to support his argument.It was shaping up to be a slow-scoring tussle between two spin-heavy attacks on a two-paced pitch. Rain arrived, ate away more than two hours of action, and transformed the nature of the contest. Rather than a 20-over target in the region of 145, the Zouks had to chase a far less challenging 47 in five overs, and they got home with ease, with five balls to spare.The Zouks attack – Mohammad Nabi in particular – bowled well enough to be deserving victors, but rain and the arithmetic of DLS rendered everything about the first innings almost irrelevant. To rephrase the cliche about games of two halves, this was a game of two games, or maybe even two entirely different sports.Luck favours the chasing sideLuck plays a fairly influential role in T20 contests; over five overs, with the batting team still having ten wickets to play with, this role is magnified. The Zouks hit seven fours and two sixes in their chase, and of those nine boundaries, four were miscues – including the first two that Rahkeem Cornwall edged behind the wicket in the first over to set the tone of the chase – and one was a chance that Mitchell Santner couldn’t wrap his hands around at long-on.Over a longer contest, these moments of fortune play a smaller role in deciding the result. The Tridents, moreover, had an attack made for this Tarouba surface, with four frontline spinners, but three of them didn’t get to bowl at all. The fourth, Rashid Khan, picked up two wickets and could have had a third (the chance Santner failed to grab off Nabi) but ended up going for 24 in his two overs.Rain interrupted the Barbados Tridents innings•CPL via Getty ImagesTridents hurry off the blocksPerhaps the one thing the Tridents got wrong was Jason Holder’s decision at the toss – why bat first if rain is imminent? – but the opening exchanges suggested they were on the right track. The two-paced nature of the pitch was already in evidence – and the Tridents had an attack to make full use of it later on – but in the meanwhile, Johnson Charles was taking full toll of some ordinary new-ball bowling from the Zouks. He slapped the first ball of the match – a short one from the left-arm spinner Saad Bin Zafar – to the cover point boundary, and then hammered a wildly inconsistent Obed McCoy for two fours and a six in the second over. By the time he was out for 35 off 19 in the fourth over, his opening partner Shai Hope had only faced two balls and was yet to open his account.Nabi applies the strangleCharles and Corey Anderson – who slapped a full-toss straight to cover – fell in successive Scott Kuggeleijn overs, and the Tridents ended the powerplay 53 for 2. At the other end, Nabi bowled a typically shrewd spell of strangulating offspin, varying his pace, reading the batsmen’s intentions, giving neither right- nor left-hander any room, and getting his arm ball to deviate like a legcutter. He got the wicket of Hope, for an unconvincing 19 off 16, with one of these arm balls, and ended with figures of 4-0-19-1.Zouks wrest control despite Holder cameoFew batsmen in world cricket time the ball as well as Holder does when he’s on song, and on a pitch where most of his team-mates struggled to middle the ball, the Tridents captain strode in at No. 5 and dispatched the ball to all parts – a pulled six off Kesrick Williams was particularly jaw-dropping in its effortlessness – while scoring 27 off 12 balls. But once he fell to a Williams slower ball, the Tridents innings lost all momentum. Roston Chase and Mark Deyal – two of four offspinners used by the Zouks – picked up three wickets in the space of nine balls, before Santner and Ashley Nurse added an unbroken, run-a-ball 22 for the eighth wicket. That left the Tridents poised for a bit of a slog, with 11 balls remaining and the dangerous Khan still to come, but the rain came down and rendered everything that came before meaningless.
Christian Pulisic is flying at AC Milan, with a derby goal against Inter seeing the USMNT star post a career first.
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Found the target in dramatic win at San SiroGoal contributions in five successive gamesHas become a key man for the RossoneriFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The United States international has been in fine form at the start of the 2024-25 campaign. He found the target on 15 occasions last season, with that return representing a personal best for the former Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea forward.
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Pulisic has found the going tough with his country of late – as a Copa America flop was followed by winless outings against Canada and New Zealand in the September international break – but the 26-year-old continues to deliver end product at club level.
DID YOU KNOW?
He opened the scoring for Milan in their dramatic 2-1 derby win over arch-rivals Inter – with golf pro girlfriend Alexa Melton on hand to witness that strike. Said effort means that Pulisic has been directly involved in a goal across five successive matches for the first time in his career.
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WHAT NEXT FOR PULISIC?
Pulisic has been on target for the Rossoneri against Parma, Venezia, Liverpool and Inter, while also providing an assist in a Serie A clash with Lazio. Milan will be hoping to see that impressive run extended when they play host to Lecce on Friday.
Leeds United fans will be very much aware that the Championship play-off final defeat at the hands of Russell Martin's Southampton is the last time they'll most likely see this current crop of Whites talents all perform alongside each other, with a potential fire sale now on the horizon.
Rumours suggest that the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Archie Gray, Wilfried Gnonto and more could all be sold on now for mega money to balance the books, with Leeds' financial situation very precarious if they fail to offload various members of their star-studded squad this summer.
It could be an almighty challenge to get to 90 points next campaign and try to go one better to win promotion, therefore, with this exciting squad potentially dismantled and picked off by higher-up suitors taking advantage of Leeds falling at the final hurdle.
Despite only coming on late into the second half at Wembley, the West Yorkshire titans would be even more gutted to see this gem also leave the building in the off-season, having turned around his fortunes with the Whites across this campaign after once being viewed as an easy scapegoat.
Dan James' time at Leeds
James was always going to be fighting an uphill battle to initially win Leeds fans over on his arrival to Elland Road back in 2021, having once been wrapped up to be a signing for the Whites before a move fell dramatically through, alongside his prior Manchester United connections presumably irking the Leeds masses.
The £25m Leeds forked out to land the Welshman's services also meant his name was instantly branded about as being a flop when he didn't hit the ground running after first relocating, only helping himself to four goals and four assists during his debut campaign.
This season, right after staring his Leeds future in the face when being chucked out on loan to Fulham last campaign, has seen him become an important first-teamer though, excelling under the regime of Farke dropping down a division with his excessive £25m fee now somewhat justified.
Dan James' 2023/24 season in numbers
The slick 26-year-old attacker notched up 20 goal contributions across all competitions and made the right wing spot his own for most of the campaign even with Gnonto breathing down his neck, leading to football pundit Sanny Rudravajhala describing James as "electric" for all his contributions early in the campaign during a season that ultimately ended in failure.
Stat
James
Gnonto
Minutes played
24
66
Touches
18
41
Attempted crosses
3
0
Shots on goal
3
1
Successful dribbles
1/1
1/3
Duels won
2/4
3/7
Stats by Sofascore
James starting from the get-go in the play-off final could well have swung the contest in his side's favour though, when glancing at the table above, with the ex-Red Devils man firing more efforts at Alex McCarthy's net from far less time on the pitch when compared to his Italian counterpart.
One of those shots was a fierce effort that ended up clattering the crossbar as the clock ticked down, with the late second-half substitute nearly giving Leeds a golden way back into the contest before their fate of staying rooted in the Championship was cruelly confirmed.
Losing James in the summer would obviously be a sucker punch, and with Southampton allegedly eyeing up the 26-year-old to further pile on the misery, this major blow would only sting even more if Martin's men were to tempt him down to the South Coast.
Leeds will just have to hope they can recoup a large portion of the £25m they splashed out on him three years ago if he is to exit, knowing it might be easier to demand an extortionate fee out of the likes of Liverpool circling for another star in attack in Summerville than the recently promoted Saints.
Leeds' summer plans for 2024
Leeds won't want to lose Summerville, but will be abundantly aware it's going to be a tall order to keep him happy at Elland Road with no Premier League football on the menu, with reports already suggesting that he is itching for a move away and will demand one.
A fee in the region of £35m-£40m will be demanded, according to Football Insider, which seems a fair sum to pay for a star who managed a staggering 31 goal contributions this season which should have resulted in promotion being clinched just off the back of his sublime efforts.
Leeds could, therefore, struggle to get £25m out of a suitor eyeing up James if Summerville is worth just £10m more, in contrast, with the Welshman's transfer value taking a hit since joining in 2021 according to Football Transfers even in spite of a standout campaign.
James' valuation now stands at a far lesser £10.9m, despite putting in the best numbers of his career to date under Farke, with Leeds set to make a big loss on their exciting winger if money is desperately needed to appropriately balance the books.
2024
£10.9m
2023
£11.3m
2022
£18.6m
2021
£25m
2020
£15.1m
Sourced by Football Transfers
Looking at his fluctuating values over the years, Leeds must regret paying way over the odds for his services in 2021 no matter his excellent performances this campaign, knowing it will be hard to get a fee close to the high £25m they once handed out in the here and now.
Losing Summerville, James and Gnonto – with the Italian winger able to leave for a fee in the region of £30m according to further reports – could open up the door for the Whites to be able to sign someone like Joe Rodon permanently even with his loan side not winning promotion, with James' fellow compatriot settling well in his West Yorkshire location away from being a bit-part player at Tottenham Hotspur.
Leeds defender Joe Rodon.
Rodon is only worth £5m, if looking at Football Transfers' predicted price tag, with James surprisingly worth double that even whilst the 26-year-old managed to regularly shine at the back alongside his Welsh teammate.
Contributing to 17 clean sheets from 43 games in the regular campaign, Rodon will be tempted to potentially stay put at Elland Road with his loan spell ending on a sour note instead of the joy of promotion being savoured.
Leeds forward Dan James.
It doesn't have to be the end of the world for Farke's Whites if a number of influential faces do depart West Yorkshire this summer after Wembley heartbreak, having recovered from losing the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha in the not-so-distant past, with a new batch of heroes then assembled which could even include Rodon staying for good.
Leeds star who dropped a 2/10 at Wembley just cost them promotion
Leeds United felt play-off heartbreak again as Southampton returned to the Premier League at their expense.
Seamer scores vital late runs before delivering double-wicket maiden as Bears crumble
ECB Reporters Network01-Sep-2020Nathan Buck’s interventions either side of the interval helped Northamptonshire to a 38-run win over Birmingham Bears and gave them a third straight win in the Vitality Blast to extend their lead at the top of the Central Group.Buck swung 16 in eight balls from the final 10 deliveries of the Northamptonshire innings to lift them to 158 for 7 having been sent in, before his double-wicket maiden in the fourth over of the chase rocked the Bears who never recovered and were bowled out for just 120 in the final over.That Northamptonshire would win so handsomely did not seem likely when they were 135 for 7 in the 19th over. But Buck pulled Henry Brookes over midwicket for six and steered Olly Stone wide of third man for four.He then removed both openers with slower balls as Ian Bell and Ed Pollock swung to Ben Sanderson on the edge of the ring. And when Graeme White bowled Adam Hose, with a beauty that turned just enough, and dismissed Will Rhodes reverse sweeping, the Bears were out of the chase at 38 for 5 after 8.1 overs.Buck’s late runs grabbed the momentum at the halfway stage after Northamptonshire had drifted badly having made 66 for 2 in the Powerplay. But only 57 runs came in the next 11 overs.They were dragged back by left-arm wristspinner Jake Lintott, 27, who began his career in the Somerset age-groups but here was only playing his sixth professional match. He took 2 for 18 from his four overs, the best figures of his short career.Jeetan Patel’s offspin was also typically miserly as he took 2 for 27. Patel removed Paul Stirling for 14 but he and Richard Levi, who made 35 in 28 balls, helped Northamptonshire to a promising start.Levi struck Stone, back on his old home ground, over long-on and cover for two sixes in Stone’s first over. Tim Bresnan was then pulled over midwicket as his first over was taken for 17 before Levi backed away to cut Brookes for six over third man. But he miscued another pull and was taken by Sam Hain running to his left from deep square in the final over of the Powerplay.The hosts then stalled. Josh Cobb lifted Lintott to deep cover for 1 and Alex Wakely pulled at Bresnan, missed and was bowled for 6.Ricardo Vasconcelos captained the side in the absence of Adam Rossington – rested after a blow to the hand on Sunday – and began a rebuilding job. He cut and swept Patel and then drove and cut Lintott for fours on the way to 34 in 29 balls. But advancing at Lintott, was beaten by a flatter delivery and comfortably stumped by Vikai Kelley, an under-17 wicketkeeper from Staffordshire deputising for the ill Michael Burgess. Kelley also stumped Gareth Berg.Vasconcelos’ departure began a slide but Buck’s cameo and a flat six over cover from White brought 23 runs from the final 11 balls of the innings to swing the match decisively Northamptonshire’s way.
Luis Enrique has broken his silence on Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid, admitting it is “a pity” that the Frenchman is no longer at PSG.
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World Cup winner left as a free agentNow a 'Galactico' at Santiago BernabeuSpanish coach has nothing but respectFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
After several windows of transfer speculation, World Cup winner Mbappe finally made his way to Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2024. He bid farewell to his homeland after reaching the end of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain and becoming a free agent.
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He did not always see eye-to-eye with demanding Spanish coach Enrique, with the ex-Barcelona boss taking to dropping him at times. Mbappe was, however, a revelation for PSG across his seven years in the French capital, becoming the club’s all-time leading goalscorer.
WHAT ENRIQUE SAID
Enrique has nothing but respect for the player and man that he spent one season working alongside at Parc des Princes, telling a new documentary from : “In Kylian's case, I met a wonderful player. A person of an exceptional personal level, which you rarely find when you arrive and see a player of that level. Human, affectionate, close. He is a wonderful player. What a pity he went to Madrid. Especially for us at the time. But life is also part of the game.
“I hope everything goes very well for him. I have nothing to reproach him for, he conditioned his departure. We always try to improve his virtues and cover his defects. He has always been very polite and respectful. Also his brother and his parents.”
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GettyWHAT NEXT?
Mbappe hit 256 goals for PSG through 308 appearances, having joined them in the same summer of 2017 that saw Neymar complete his record-breaking €222 million (£185m/$247m) transfer from Barcelona. The France international is now another ‘Galactico’ looking to earn hero status in Madrid.
Sohail Khan and Sharjeel Khan star as Sindh get past Central Punjab
Danyal Rasool02-Oct-2020Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Balochistan by 8 wickets A Shaheen Afridi-inspired Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bounced back from an opening day loss to get their National T20 Cup campaign up and running with an eight-wicket drubbing of Balochistan. The Pakistan fast bowler took five wickets, sending the openers packing early and ripping through the lower-middle order to end up with figures of 4-0-20-5 to restrict Haris Sohail’s side to 152, the lowest first-innings score of the tournament so far.Imran Butt’s 37 was the highest score for Balochistan, but it came in 32 balls, and in a high-scoring tournament, Balochistan never quite looked like they would be able to muster the sort of first-innings total to put pressure on KPK. When Wahab Riaz, whose run-a-ball economy rate was a vast improvement on the 51 he conceded in three overs on Wednesday, cleaned up Butt, there was little substance lower down.There was little drama in the chase. Fakhar Zaman’s cameo ensured KPK jumped ahead of the asking rate nice and early, with Mohammad Hafeez picking up the mantle at No. 3, smashing a blistering 25-ball 45. Mohammad Rizwan offered valuable company, top-scoring with an unbeaten 57, and as the bowlers failed to make any sort of inroads, Iftikhar Ahmed wrapped it up with a breezy 29 off 16. KPK would get to the target with three overs still to spare, drawing level with Balochistan on points; both sides now have a win apiece.Sindh beat Central Punjab by 7 wicketsIn the late game, Sindh got their first win of the campaign in similarly resounding fashion, inflicting a first defeat on Central Punjab. After Central Punjab had managed a stuttering 154, chiefly thanks to Abid Ali’s half-century, Sindh’s 134-run opening partnership ensured they barely needed anyone else to brush the total aside, with Sharjeel Khan’s explosive 56-ball 77 enough to sink Central Punjab by seven wickets.Sindh’s bowling was a team effort, with Sohail Khan accounting for three of the top five, while Mohammad Asghar was economically soundest, taking 2 for 23 in his four. Only one bowler – Mohammad Hasnain – conceded runs at more than eight per over, while Central Punjab’s hero last game, Abdullah Shafique, struggled for fluency today, taking 25 balls to score 17.But while Central Punjab had made short work of chasing a total in excess of 200 the first time out, it turned out defending 154 was a different kettle of fish altogether. Even with a bowling attack spearheaded by Naseem Shah, they were unable to stem the flow of runs or make any inroads into the Sindh batting line-up, with Sharjeel and Khurram Manzoor methodically keeping the scoreboard ticking while putting away loose deliveries to ensure they maintained firm control of the contest. With Sharjeel in a destructive mood, Manzoor could afford to be more circumspect, getting to his own half-century in 45 balls.Both openers did fall in quick succession and as the asking rate crept up, there may have been brief concerns that Sindh might mess the chase up, but a pair of sixes from Azam Khan in the penultimate over sealed the deal. It ensured all four teams that played on the day ended with one win and one after two games each.
With Everton looking to stay within their financial means this summer, the Toffees have reportedly set their sights on a former Premier League full-back who is now a free agent.
Everton transfer news
Whilst John Textor could yet rescue the club following the collapse of 777 Partners' takeover, Everton look set to avoid an FFP risk this summer by spending wisely rather than excessively. Of course, if that takeover doesn't come, then those at Goodison Park could be left in a dire position and the futures of Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana, among others, may come into serious doubt.
Everton eye £20m Calvert-Lewin upgrade who does "things Lukaku can do"
The club will look to improve their forward line this summer.
ByEthan Lamb Jun 5, 2024
The aforementioned duo have particularly attracted interest, with Real Madrid even mentioned when it comes to Branthwaite. The young defender was a standout under Sean Dyche last season, more than earning the reported interest in his signature, and could now have a vital decision to make in the coming months. But whilst concerns continue to mount regarding potential departures, the Toffees have commenced planning for fresh faces this summer.
Reports have already linked those at Goodison with the likes of Bobby Decordova-Reid in a free deal upon the expiry of his Fulham contract, whilst a similar deal has hit the headlines more recently.
According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Everton are eyeing a deal to sign Max Lowe, who is set to leave Sheffield United as a free agent at the end of the month. Part of the same agency as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Lowe has reportedly attracted the interest of one other unnamed Premier League club, as he takes an important step to remain in the top flight this summer.
The left-back certainly represents the type of deal that the Toffees could be looking for in the summer window, but it remains to be seen whether Lowe will set his own sights on Merseyside.
"Great" Lowe could replace Young
At 38 years old, it's very much possible that Ashley Young is heading into his final season as a player, meaning that Everton could be wise to land Lowe in an attempt to replace the veteran in the coming months. With Vitaliy Mykolenko also competing for a place, Dyche would suddenly have healthy competition down his left-hand side between two players who could both make a case to start.
Starts
28
4
Interceptions Per 90
1.31
0.89
Progressive Carries Per 90
0.51
0.89
Tackles Won Per 90
1.39
1.79
Ball Recoveries Per 90
5.18
1.25
Whilst Lowe's campaign was disrupted by injury last time out, he earned the praise of former Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom when fully fit during the summer of 2022. Heckingbottom said via The Star, ironically speaking on exit rumours regarding Lowe at the time: "Lowey has been great. I have had conversations with him.
“It [transfer speculation] can get messy but the only player who generally suffers is the player. Football is simple. If you are playing well enough, someone will come and pay money for you. Someone can't tell you that you are the best player in the world and then offer peanuts for you, it doesn't add up."
Alas, two years later, no transfer fee is set to be involved to potentially hand Everton a bargain deal this summer.