Luke Ronchi and Martin Guptill combined to give the New Zealand team management a selection headache sooner than they would have anticipated

The Report by Sidharth Monga in Delhi18-Sep-2016
Scorecard1:21

‘My game plan is to get off strike’ – Ronchi

In the second innings of their warm-up match against Mumbai, Luke Ronchi and Martin Guptill combined to give the New Zealand team management a selection headache sooner than they would have anticipated. While Guptill followed his first-innings failure with a duck, Ronchi scored a blistering century on a last-day pitch that had begun to misbehave.It would be a dramatic move if a batsman who has opened only three times in first-class cricket replaced an opener in whom New Zealand have invested, but if there ever was a time and a place to do so, this might be it. Guptill averages 29.59 in Tests, which drops to 20.68 in Asia. He may be sensational in limited-overs cricket, but Tests and spin have not been his best friends. Concurrently, there is no better place than Asia for a non-opener to think about converting. It is often the best time to bat, before the ball begins to turn, reverse swing or gets too soft to travel.Ronchi got his crack at a top-order spot in the second innings, much like his previous three forays playing for Western Australia before he moved to New Zealand. Mumbai declared immediately after Siddhesh Lad’s century – the third of their innings. Then, out walked Ronchi alongside Guptill, the only specialist batsman who did not get a long hit in the first innings. With it being the third day of the game, the flat pitch had dried out and was offering turn and variable bounce, enough for Mumbai to open with the left-arm spin of Vishal Dabholkar.But Guptill can’t blame the pitch for his dismissal. In Dabholkar’s first over, the batsman edged a half-volley, seemingly playing inside the line of the ball and giving the slip fielder an easy catch. Ronchi looked in much better control, and displayed more scoring options against spin and the slow nature of the pitch. He swept with authority, drove the quicks with power, found gaps repeatedly and was difficult to pin down at one end for the pressure to build.”My game plan is to get off strike,” Ronchi said after the match. “If the field is in, I go over the top. [A] couple over the top, then a few gaps, and get off strike. That’s the way I go about it. If it works, fantastic. Doesn’t work all the time, but the best way to bat sometimes is to be at the other end. If you can get yourself off strike, it is a good thing.”Even if New Zealand were to stay conservative and don’t open with Ronchi, he might be quite useful in the middle order. Almost all of his 107 runs came in the company of bowlers. The New Zealanders used the final day of the game to give chances to those who didn’t get them in the first innings. Guptill and Henry Nicholls were the only specialist batsmen repeated before they had no choice but to send others in. Ronchi put on 23, 64 and 47 runs with Mitchell Santner, Doug Bracewell and Trent Boult respectively. Batting with the tail could prove crucial on raging turners; Ravindra Jadeja frequently gave India the match-tilting runs from around 120 for 6 in the series against South Africa.Asked if he might have staked a claim for the opening position, Ronchi said: “Maybe, but it’s just the position I was given in the second innings – to go out and open. [I] just wanted to sort of have a hit and do as best as I possibly could. If it comes up I certainly won’t say no, but you never know what Hess [Mike Hesson] and Kane [Williamson] are thinking. So I will just go about my business and do the best I can for my team whenever given the chance, I guess.”I have no idea [what role they have in mind for me]. It’s up to them. Whatever they say, I will try to do my best. If given a chance, that is. If I am not playing, I am not playing. If I am playing and batting at 11, I am more than happy. Whatever role they ask me to perform, I certainly won’t say no.”If New Zealand do want Ronchi in, Nicholls may in danger of going out. He scored 1 in the second innings, but was undone by a ball that jumped out of the rough. If Nicholls does play the first Test in Kanpur, as a middle-order batsman, he would have to face one of the most difficult spin environments without any prior experience. Going into that with 30 runs from two innings would not make him feel good.This is when just one warm-up match on such a tough tour becomes unfair. A batsman needs time out in the middle to develop the methods and confidence to play spin. As another example, Santner jumped out of the crease to try to get to the pitch of a ball, and was stumped off Lad. He bats in the lower order for New Zealand and his runs could be very crucial. If selected for the Test, and having failed against a part-timer in a practice match, will he have the confidence to run at R Ashwin or Jadeja?The odd misbehaving delivery aside, New Zealand batted relatively comfortably through the rest of the day. They were bowled out for 235 in the fourth of the mandatory 15 overs in the last hour of play, but Mumbai did not take up the chase of 96 in nine overs.

تعرف على قائمة بيراميدز لمباراة الاتحاد السكندري في الدوري المصري

أعلن الكرواتي كرونسلاف يورتشيتش المدير الفني لنادي بيراميدز، قائمة الفريق لمباراة الاتحاد السكندري، التي تقام غداً الأحد ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلتقي فريق بيراميدز مع نظيره الاتحاد السكندري، على ملعب استاد الدفاع الجوي، في إطار مواجهات الأسبوع الـ 13 للمسابقة المحلية.

وتشهد قائمة بيراميدز لمباراة الاتحاد السكندري، تواجد الكونغولي فيستون ماييلي لأول مرة بعد عودته من صفوف منتخب بلاده عقب انتهاء مشاركته في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا التي أقيمت في كوت ديفوار. 

طالع | لاعب بيراميدز يغيب أمام الاتحاد السكندري في الدوري المصري قائمة بيراميدز لمباراة الاتحاد السكندري في الدروي

حراسة المرمى: أحمد الشناوي – أحمد ميهوب – يوسف نادر.

خط الدفاع: أحمد فتحي – محمد حمدي – كريم حافظ – أحمد سامي – أسامة جلال – محمد الشيبي.

خط الوسط: بلاتي توريه – مصطفى فتحي – وليد الكرتي – محمود زلاكة – أحمد توفيق – رمضان صبحي – إسلام عيسى – محمد رضا بوبو – إبراهيم عادل.

خط الهجوم: فخري لاكاي – مروان حمدي – فيستون ماييلي.

ويحتل فريق بيراميدز المركز الرابع في ترتيب جدول الدوري المصري الممتاز برصيد 18 نقطة من الفوز في 5 مباريات والتعادل في 3 وتلقي الخسارة في مواجهة وحيدة.

Arsenal have reportedly already made an offer to secure a new defender, who could finally give Ben White some much-needed competition in his role.

What's the latest on Ivan Fresneda to Arsenal?

That's according to German outlet BILD, who despite focusing on Borussia Dortmund's transfer activity, suggest that they must remain wary of the Gunners.

Especially in their pursuit of Spanish youngster Ivan Fresneda, who these two clubs are set to battle over this summer.

Whilst huge investment will likely be gained from the impending sale of Jude Bellingham, the fact that Edu has already tabled a 'lucrative offer' to the player will worry the German outfit, who likely see the defender as part of their rebuild to finally topple Bayern Munich.

It was noted in early May that the north London club were plotting a £20m bid for the 18-year-old, and this could now be confirmation of a progressing deal.

Who is Ivan Fresneda?

To already be a starter in one of Europe's top five leagues marks a massive success for the teenage sensation, and denotes a glittering future.

With 24 appearances across all competitions, it has admittedly been a tumultuous year for the Spanish side, who face a must-win clash on Sunday to secure their place in the top flight.

In keeping solid at the back but equally potent in attack, Fresneda will surely be imperative despite what his 6.67 average rating might suggest. He has averaged 0.8 key passes, 2.2 tackles and two clearances per game in purple and white, via Sofascore, yet due to his youth is often caught defensively unaware.

Therefore, to bring him under the tutelage of his compatriot Mikel Arteta, he could continue his rapid growth as a fine backup for White, who has shone himself as a makeshift full-back in a title-challenging side.

His average rating of 6.91 sees the two share key attributes, as his 0.7 key passes give way to 1.6 tackles and two clearances per game, also via Sofascore. In taking up a place as his understudy, Fresneda would be able to learn from the England international whilst being moulded in the image of his new boss.

There is precedent to suggest he could soon be challenging the 25-year-old too, as Matt Clark of La Liga Lowdown remarked:

"Iván Fresneda has been one of the revelations of the season so far in LaLiga, standing out for newly-promoted Real Valladolid. He is a remarkably complete right-back despite his young age, balancing his defensive duties with the odd attack too.

"He has that coveted combination of physicality and technical ability. Tall but agile, quick and athletic, he is also strong in the tackle and reads the game very well for someone so green when it comes to first-team football."

Journalist David Cartlidge sought to support this, by suggesting the youngster also boasts the requisite skillset and knowledge to emulate Oleksandr Zinchenko in his inverted role.

He claimed: "Fresneda [is] a very special talent and any club will be lucky to sign him. He's like a CM dropped in at full-back. Just over 6ft, athletic but above all excellent with the ball at his feet."

With Cedric Soares having struggled for game time out on loan at Fulham whilst entering his twilight years in England, Fresneda would offer a young, hungry and exciting alternative to White who could see his potential capitalised upon by Arteta.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to approach Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou and offer him the north London vacancy, with the job “his if he wants it”.

What’s the latest Tottenham manager news?

Spurs and chairman Daniel Levy still have it all to do in terms of appointing Antonio Conte's long-term successor, with the process dragging on following the Italia’s departure back in March.

A number of managers have knocked Tottenham back in recent weeks and months, with the latest being Feyenoord manager Arne Slot. That has led to Postecoglou emerging as a strong candidate to come in, with Sky Sports suggesting in the week that the Celtic boss was the front-runner.

A further update has now come to light, and it looks as if Postecoglou, who shares the same agent as Heung-min Son and Pedro Porro, will be offered the position.

Football Insider shared an update on Postecoglou and Tottenham on Thursday, claiming he is indeed the front-runner to take charge. The report states that Spurs, and by extension Levy, will approach Postecoglou and the job is “his if he wants it”.

The Australian is thought to be in a very strong position to take over in north London, and negotiations could begin following Celtic’s Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park on Saturday evening. Fabrizio Romano has since added that a new round of talks have been scheduled with Postecoglou for next week.

Who is Ange Postecoglou?

Postecoglou is 57 years of age and has plenty of managerial experience under his belt, both at domestic and international level. Hailed as "mental" by compatriot Jackson Irvine, the Hoops boss is on course to lead Celtic to a domestic treble and has previous experience of managing clubs in Australia and Japan, as well as leading the Australia national team.

He likes to play an attacking 4-3-3 formation and has been revered for his "beautiful football" north of the border after coming in to replace Neil Lennon in 2021, with Celtic averaging over 2.5 goals per game under his leadership. Postecoglou took over a side that had struggled the season before, with Rangers winning the Scottish Premiership title, however, he immediately got Celtic back on track and has won back-to-back league titles.

Therefore, you could argue he could be a shrewd target by those at Tottenham, looking to be the man to turn things around in north London following a disappointing 2022/23 season, and by the looks of it, he will be offered the position.

Afghanistan sounded a stern warning to Bangladesh in their warm-up match in Fatullah by beating BCB XI by 66 runs in a low-scoring match, helped by Mohammad Nabi’s 4 for 24 and Hashmatullah Shahidi’s 69

The Report by Mohammad Isam23-Sep-2016
Scorecard File photo – Mohammad Nabi dismantled BCB XI’s chase with figures of 4 for 24•Chris WhiteoakAfghanistan sounded a stern warning to Bangladesh in their warm-up match in Fatullah by beating BCB XI by 66 runs in a low-scoring match. Hashmatullah Shahidi’s 69 was supported by Mohammad Nabi, who took four wickets to help Afghanistan defend 233.BCB XI put out a strong line-up with eight international players but they were upended by Afghanistan’s bowlers. Mosaddek Hossain top-scored with a 97-ball 76.The BCB XI slipped to 39 for 4 as fast bowler Karim Janat had Imrul Kayes caught at mid-on in the fourth over before Anamul Haque skied left-arm pace bowler Fareed Ahmed in the next over. Sabbir Rahman then flicked Fareed to square leg and Mohammad Nabi had Liton Das stumped for 6.Mosaddek and Mehedi Hasan Miraz stabilised BCB XI with a 56-run, fifth-wicket stand. Miraz, though, was run out for 15 after backing up too far in the non-striker’s end in the 25th over.Mosaddek then kept a check on the asking rate during his sixth-wicket stand with Shuvagata Hom, the pair adding 59 in the next nine overs. Just when Mosaddek was looked to attack, he was beautifully bowled by Mohammad Nabi in the 34th over, the contest’s defining moment.Legspinner Rashid Khan’s googly then removed Alauddin Babu for a duck, as the chase slowly withered. Nabi picked up his third and fourth wickets in the 38th over when Al-Amin was brilliantly caught at deep square leg by Amir Hamza and Shuvagata Hom fell for 34, Janat taking the catch at mid-off. Fareed and Rashid took two wickets each.Put into bat, the visitors were bowled out with four balls to spare. Their score wouldn’t have crossed the 200-run mark had it not been for Hashmatullah Shahidi’s 69 after Afghanistan had slipped to 47 for 3 in the 15th over.Afghanistan were sluggish for most of the innings until Shahidi’s 63-run fourth-wicket stand with captain Asghar Stanikzai, who chipped in with 31. Rashid made 30 off 24 balls at no. 6 with four boundaries, but Shahidi fell in the 46th over when Afghanistan’s platform had been laid. Mirwais Ashraf’s 19-ball 32, the innings that featured three fours and two sixes, ensured a competitive total.Seaming allrounder Babu and offspinner Miraz claimed three wickets. Left-arm quick Abu Hider and right-arm pacer Subashis Roy took two wickets each.

Arsenal have now made an offer of around €80 million (£70 million) to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice, according to Sky Sports Germany.

Who could join Arsenal this summer?

The north Londoners have already begun planning for the 2023/2024 campaign with transfer chief Edu recently admitting as much to the media.

Following Mikel Arteta's attempt to win a first Premier League title in nearly 20 years, having narrowly missed out to champions Man City, it is now imperative for Arsenal to build upon this challenge and mount another fight next season.

Arteta is apparently set to instigate a major summer rebuild, according to reports, with Arsenal expecting many ins and outs this summer window (The Mirror).

Central midfield is a major priority for them in particular, and Rice isn't the only player they're eyeing for the position, with Brighton's Moises Caicedo also a target.

Arsenal could also look to sign midfielders for more advanced, playmaking roles – leading to interest in both Man City captain Ilkay Gundogan and Chelsea's Mason Mount (The Mirror).

However, Rice is believed to be their number one target, with Sky Germany sharing what is a pretty significant update on their attempts to sign him.

According to their information, Arsenal have already made an offer of around £70m for the 24-year-old, coming amid Bayern Munich's real interest as well.

Not much else is said on the bid or West Ham's stance on accepting it, though it's apparently on the table.

Bayern manager, Thomas Tuchel reportedly wants Rice at the Allianz Arena, but it's the Gunners who have made their first move, with Liverpool and Chelsea also eyeing a move.

Who is Declan Rice?

West Ham's captain and star player looks set to be one of the major talking points of this summer window.

As per WhoScored, Rice stands out as West Ham's most vital asset – averaging a higher match rating per 90 than any other Hammers star in the Premier League this season.

He is a crucial defensive midfield presence for David Moyes, having made more successful interceptions per top flight game than all of his teammates (WhoScored).

Called "utterly sensational" by members of the media, Moyes has also recently admitted he could leave, potentially opening the door for Arsenal.

"We hope he stays with us. But we are aware that he could also leave us at the end of the season," said Moyes (via Sky).

"There are two scenarios that we plan with. We plan once with Declan in the new season, but the probability it's great that he's leaving."

Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza has called for an aggressive approach from the team on the eve of the first ODI against Afghanistan.”We want to play all-out aggressive cricket,” Mashrafe said. “We want to begin like we had finished last year. We sometimes have to play defensively, but we want to play our best cricket.”Mashrafe, however, was wary of Afghanistan, who had defeated BCB XI by 66 runs in the warm-up match on Friday.”Why shouldn’t we think of this as a tough series? We should keep that in mind when taking the field on Sunday,” he said. “We will do well if we can carry the confidence that we built through training in the last two-and-a-half months.”

We can give Bangladesh a run for their money – Rajput

Afghanistan coach Lalchand Rajput has said that his team can give Bangladesh a hard time, and is banking on the bowling attack to deliver.
“We get the confidence from the win in the practice match, and definitely, we will take the momentum,” Rajput said. “Bangladesh is a Test playing country, who have done well at home. It is not going to be easy, but, definitely, we will give them a run for the money. We have a very well-balanced team. We have good medium-pacers and spinners, who will get assistance in Bangladesh.”
Rajput reserved special praise for right-arm seamer, Karim Janat, who is uncapped at international level. He revved up the pace against BCB XI and was rewarded with the wicket of Imrul Kayes.
“We have a young guy who just came from the U19s, Rajput said. “He really impressed us in the camp in India. We have experience and youth. It will be great if the boys can perform in such a platform.”

Coach Chandika Hathurusingha felt that the long gap between international matches – one day short of six months – was the major problem for his team. He also believed that the first hour of the first ODI would be vital in shaking off the rust.”The main focus is to win the three ODIs against another national team,” he said. “Not playing for a long time is a bit of an Achilles’ heel for us. That is what we are trying to get over, that uncertainty.”The first match is very vital for us. The first hour is vital for us. It is important that we start well, so the focus is all about winning the first game.”Hathurusingha was pleased with the skills of the side, but said that playing in front of a large crowd could be a challenge for the players.’We have no concern over any skill part – batting, bowling or fielding. It is all about the mental side of the game – getting into the game, playing in front of a crowd for your country,” he said. “We played so many practice matches with the top 25 players in the country. You cannot create that atmosphere. Probably, we play a higher level of cricket, but you cannot create that atmosphere of playing another international team.”Bangladesh will be without their best bowler, Mustafizur Rahman, who is undergoing rehabilitation after a shoulder surgery. He is set to miss the home series against England too, but is likely to recover for the New Zealand tour at the end of the year.In the absence of Mustafizur, Mashrafe hoped himself, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam would step up.”We had the same attack in the 50-over World Cup,” he said. We will miss the Fizz, but the ones who are in the team, they have a chance to prove themselves. I think this is our best possible bowling attack.”The Bangladesh squad includes uncapped batsman Mosaddek Hossain, who has been a prolific run-getter in domestic cricket. He staked claim for a place in the first ODI by top-scoring for BCB XI on Friday.”Mosaddek is in the team on merit,” Hathurusingha said. “He played very well in first-class and the Dhaka Premier League. We played four to five practice matches and we saw him, and yesterday, he obviously put his hand up. He is really putting pressure on the guys who are in the team, so that’s a healthy situation for me and the selectors.”

Presenter Mark Goldbridge warned that Manchester United could miss out on signing defender Kim Min-jae this summer.

Who wants to sign Kim Min-jae?

It's a badly kept secret that the Napoli star could be available at a cut price this summer. Indeed, according to Corriere dello Sport (via Goal), he can be signed in July for just £42m thanks to a clause in his contract.

As a result, Man United have been heavily linked with the player over the past few months, with Foot Mercato (via Sport Witness) claiming they have actually met with Kim's representatives to talk terms.

However, the latest news is that Premier League rivals Newcastle United are also in the mix, with reports in Portugal (via Mirror) stating the Magpies

have 'taken advantage' in the race for his signature.

While talking about all this on The United Stand YouTube channel, Goldbridge accepted that MUFC could consequently miss out on a deal.

He explained why, saying: “If you think you're going to get Goldbridge saying: 'Newcastle have got no chance of getting Kim Min-jae is coming to United. Why would he go to Newcastle?'

"Unfortunately, as much as I would like to do that, the honest answer is I cannot do that. Because Newcastle have that ability – like Man City have had for the last decade now – where they can get those types of players.

"I think football has changed in the last few weeks. I always said if Newcastle get top four all bets are off, they can actually start going for players that you wouldn't they wouldn't be able to go for a year ago.

"They couldn't get Kim Min-jae if they'd finished sixth. But now that they finished in the top four, they can go for Kim Min-jae. They might offer him more wages, he might go for that he might fancy that."

Why do Man United want Kim Min-jae?

Seeing as his current manager at Napoli Luciano Spalletti has described the heaped praise on the South Korea star as "the best centre-back in the world", it's not hard to see why Man United may face competition for his signature.

And the truth is, thanks to their new owners, Newcastle can probably offer more wages and a bigger transfer fee to take this deal out of the Red Devils' grasp.

And while money isn't everything, as they can now offer Champions League football just like Man United, it really feels as though Kim could quite happily end up at either club.

Liverpool are preparing to make an offer to bring Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie to the Premier League, according to reports.

Who is Franck Kessie?

The Ivory Coast international first arrived at Camp Nou from AC Milan last summer and has made a total of 43 appearances during his debut season, but despite his contract not expiring for another three years, he could already be set to depart.

The La Liga star only made seven league starts under Xavi during the previous term and was limited to largely substitute appearances having been brought off the bench on 21 occasions, as per WhoScored, so he’s significantly out of favour in the senior first-team.

The Blaugrana currently have ongoing issues with Financial Fair Play that need resolving so they are expected to cash in on some of their valuable assets during the upcoming window, and the 26-year-old appears to be one of the first on the chopping block.

Are Liverpool signing Kessie?

According to Spanish outlet Sport (via The Daily Mail), Liverpool are “set to make a bid” of £30m in an attempt to secure the services of Kessie this summer. Barcelona view the midfielder as “one of the possible options” that they could get rid of to help aid their money problems and the Reds are “willing” to table the specified amount above to bring him to Anfield to join Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool will know that Kessie hasn’t been given a fair chance to prove what he’s capable of this season, but having previously been dubbed a “warrior” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Barcelona’s central midfielder could be a player worth taking a risk on.

The Champions League participant posted six goal contributions (three goals and the same number of assists) across all competitions last term and ranked in the 88th percentile for number of touches in the opposition’s penalty area by central midfielders, showing how he gets forward and impacts the game in the last third.

The Ouragahio native, however, is also strong in the defensive aspect of his game having won 60 per cent of his attempted tackles over the course of the previous campaign so isn’t afraid to get stuck in, commit to challenges and win back possession for his team.

Finally, Kessie would add wonderful versatility to Klopp’s squad having operated in five different positions since the start of his professional career, including four roles in the centre and even at centre-back, so he would be a great option for the manager to have at his disposal on Merseyside.

Tottenham Hotspur have an "intriguing" alternative goalkeeper option in Croatia number one Dominik Livakovic, according to reports.

Who could replace Lloris at Spurs?

Long-serving number one Hugo Lloris could well leave Spurs this summer, with reports suggesting as such and the player himself recently admitting to the press he wants a fresh challenge.

The 36-year-old, speaking to Nice-Matin, even proclaimed it is the end of an era and desires different things following over 10 years in north London.

"We are coming to an important moment, whether for the club or for me," explained Lloris."It's the end of an era. I have desires for other things, I will ask myself quietly to study what will be possible."But I don't forget that I still have a year of contract with Tottenham and that in football it is always difficult to predict what will happen. "What is essential at the moment is to recover well from my injury. I'm on vacation but I continue to talk and do my training. My goal is to be on top in July, then we'll see what the future holds for me."

As such, Tottenham have been keeping a watchful eye on key targets for the goalkeeping position, perhaps most notably Brentford's David Raya who is believed to be of serious interest. Everton keeper Jordan Pickford has also been mooted in the press.

However, according to Football Insider, there is an "intriguing" alternative option in Livakovic – who they reiterate "impressed" at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The 28-year-old helped Croatia to the semi-finals, where they eventually secured a third-placed finish at the expense of Morroco.

Livakovic is entering the final 12 months of his deal with Zagreb and could well come very cheap, with his club apparently valuing him at aroind the £10 million mark.

He has also apparently been watched by Tottenham at club level as they take an interest.

Who is Dominik Livakovic?

Beyond his exploits at the World Cup, Livakovic has been a faithful servant for Zagreb, having worn the jersey for nearly a decade.

He has also attracted praise from some major figures in the game, like former Bayern Munich chief Oliver Kahn.

"The man who stopped Brazil will always be a hero to me," Kahn said during his time working at the Allianz Arena. (via 90min)."Livakovic is worthy of praise. Such a goalkeeper must play at a top club. I have no doubt that this will be the case in the new season, but at the same time, he is not within the scope of our interests."