Paul Stirling replaces injured Devon Conway at Southern Brave

Marchant de Lange returns to Somerset as Wahab Riaz links up with Trent Rockets

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Aug-2021Paul Stirling, the Ireland batter, will replace New Zealand’s Devon Conway at Southern Brave, and the availability of Wahab Riaz, the Pakistan quick, for the Trent Rockets means their South African recruit Marchant de Lange will leave the men’s Hundred after four matches and return to Somerset for their Royal London One-Day Cup campaign.Conway, also a Somerset man and one of the more prominent newcomers at the international stage, had a steady run with Brave in the Hundred, getting starts on each occasion. He had scores of 18, 23, 34 and 22 for a tally of 97 runs, scored at a strike rate of 112.79. But in that last game, against London Spirit at Lord’s, Conway took a blow from a Blake Cullen delivery in the fingers of his left hand very early in his innings, and while he finished his innings, he didn’t come out to field.Stirling, the veteran batter, wasn’t at his best when he turned out for Ireland during South Africa’s visit in July for a set of ODIs and T20Is, but brings with him a wealth of experience. Not to forget the exceptional form he was in earlier this year in Abu Dhabi, when he scored ODI centuries against UAE and Afghanistan.de Lange, meanwhile, was one of the bowling stars of the competition, the joint-leading wicket-taker after the first 17 matches with eight wickets, the same as Northern Superchargers’ Adil Rashid and the Rockets’ Rashid Khan.But the Rockets will welcome back their original pick, Riaz, whose participation in the Hundred had been delayed after he reached the UK because of an issue with his visa – he didn’t have a valid work permit – which forced him to fly home, sort it out, and then return to link up with his team. He has completed his mandatory quarantine on his return to the UK, and is available for the Rockets’ next fixture, against Welsh Fire on Friday in Cardiff.The Rockets have had the better time of it at the tournament so far, three wins in four outings giving them a top-of-the-table spot with six points, while Brave are in the other half of the eight-team table, down at seventh place with four points from four games, only above Spirit.

Arsenal flop sold for £1m in 2018 is outscoring Gabriel Martinelli

As a football club, Arsenal have been utterly transformed over the last few years.

Gone are the days of struggling to break into the top four, as the only objective Mikel Arteta and his side have in the Premier League these days is to win it.

However, it's not just on the pitch where the Gunners have dramatically improved, as their work in the transfer market is practically unrecognisable from four or five years ago, both in terms of incomings and outgoings.

For example, a player the club let go for a pittance in 2018 has been outscoring Gabriel Martinelli over the last season or so.

Martinelli's recent form

So, while there were a lot of issues with Arsenal's transfer policy during the mid-to-late 2010s, a signing who's been an unequivocal success from that period is Martinelli.

The Brazilian dynamo joined the North Londoners from Ituano for just £6m in 2019, and since then, he has made 177 appearances for the club, in which he has scored 41 goals and provided 24 assists, equating to a reasonably impressive average of a goal involvement once every 2.72 games.

That said, it was in the 22/23 campaign that the Guarulhos-born gem really stepped up a level and showed the rest of the league that he has the raw ability to become something special, scoring 15 goals and providing six assists in 46 matches, meaning he maintained an incredible average of a goal involvement every 2.19 games.

However, while the talented winger looked unreal two years ago, he struggled to have the same impact last season and ended the campaign with just eight goals and five assists in 44 appearances, equating to an underwhelming average of a goal involvement once every 3.38 games.

In fact, Martinelli was actually outscored and outperformed by a former Arsenal flop last season.

Joel Campbell's recent form

Yes, the former Arsenal flop in question is Costa Rican icon Joel Campbell.

He joined Arsenal from Saprissa in 2011 for a fee believed to be around £1m, although issues with his work permit prevented him from making his debut until the 2014 Community Shield.

The talented attacker made only 40 appearances for the Gunners before leaving in 2018 to join Italian outfit Frosinone for around £1m. However, the last six years saw him move all over the world and play for teams in Mexico, Brazil, and his home country.

However, while he has been a bit of a footballing nomad since leaving North London, he has been impressive in spells, particularly last season with Costa Rican side LD Alajuelense.

In fact, as mentioned above, the former Arsenal ace outscored Martinelli last season. In his 56 appearances for the club, he scored 16 goals and provided seven assists, meaning he managed to maintain an average of a goal involvement once every 2.30 games.

Martinelli vs Campbell in 23/24

Players

Martinelli

Campbell with LD Alajuelense

Campbell with Atlético-GO

Appearances

44

56

5

Goals

8

16

2

Assists

5

7

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.29

0.41

0.40

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, he then joined Brazilian outfit Atlético-GO towards the end of the campaign, where he scored two goals in five matches and has remained on loan for this upcoming season, where he'll no doubt maintain his electric form.

Ultimately, while Campbell failed to make an impact at Arsenal, he has since gone on to have a brilliant career back in Central and South America, and even though he's outscored Martinelli of late, we doubt that there will be too many fans looking to bring him back.

Arteta must regret selling £37m Arsenal man who's now a Ballon d'Or nominee

The brilliant international has thrived away from North London.

3 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 6, 2024

'O Flamengo manda no STJD', diz dirigente do Grêmio após julgamento por gritos homofóbicos

MatériaMais Notícias

Apesar da sensação de ligeiro alívio pelos lados do Grêmio após a vitória por 1 a 0 sobre o Fluminense na última terça-feira (9) pelo Brasileirão, a parte jurídica do clube está bastante insatisfeita com o resultado do julgamento do Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD) envolvendo os cantos homofóbicos vindo da torcida do Flamengo no segundo encontro entre os clubes pela Copa do Brasil.

RelacionadasNúm3ros da bol4Diego Souza se torna o 9º maior artilheiro da história do BrasileirãoNúm3ros da bol410/11/2021VídeoVÍDEO: veja os melhores momentos da vitória do Grêmio sobre o Fluminense pelo BrasileirãoVídeo10/11/2021Futebol NacionalCom gol de Diego Souza, Grêmio bate o Fluminense e volta a vencer após quatro jogos no BrasileirãoFutebol Nacional09/11/2021

>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

Em palavras ditas ao portal ‘Gaúcha ZH’ por Nestor Hein, Diretor Jurídico do tricolor, o embasamento utilizado para aplicar somente a multa de R$ 50 mil ao clube carioca não possui nenhum sentido.

Usando como paralelo, inclusive, a abordagem tida com o próprio Grêmio quando do caso de racismo envolvendo o goleiro Aranha, na época jogador do Santos, onde o time de Porto Alegre foi excluído da mesma competição no ano de 2014 mesmo colaborando para a identificação dos responsáveis.

Nestor chegou, inclusive, a afirmar que o Flamengo “manda” na instância máxima da justiça desportiva nacional e que, com isso, acaba sendo penalizado constantemente com sentenças de caráter unicamente financeiro:

-O Flamengo manda no STJD. O Flamengo sempre resolve as coisas pagando. É sempre punição pecuniária. Ele paga a multa e aí não tem problema. O STJD, por conta dos atos de alguns dos seus auditores, é um propagador de decisões esdrúxulas e absurdas que valem para um clube e não valem para outros. É um tribunal que premia os seus transgressores e as pessoas que não cumprem as suas atribuições. Pode se confiar neste tribunal? Pode se levar a sério um tribunal desses?

-A homofobia hoje está equiparada ao crime de racismo por decisão do STF. Em 2014, o Grêmio identificou todas as pessoas que cometeram atos racistas e, mesmo assim, o STJD excluiu o clube da Copa do Brasil. O Flamengo não identificou nenhuma pessoa que cometeu crime de homofobia. O advogado do clube admitiu que o fato ocorreu e se disse enojado pelo que viu nas imagens. Os auditores também disseram que o fato ocorreu e, mesmo assim, resolveram colocar apenas uma multa de R$ 50 mil. Um deles chegou a dizer que, se condenasse o Flamengo, o clube ficaria com a pecha de ser um clube homofóbico. Por que o Flamengo não pode ficar com a pecha de ser um clube homofóbico? E por que o Grêmio pode ficar com a pecha de ser um clube racista? – agregou Hein.

فيديو | عبد الله السعيد يغادر مباراة الزمالك وبيراميدز مصابًا

تعرض عبد الله السعيد، لاعب فريق الزمالك، للإصابة خلال مواجهة بيراميدز الجارية الآن، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الزمالك يلاقي بيراميدز، على أرضية استاد الدفاع الجوي في خضم مواجهات الجولة الحادية عشر من الدوري المصري الممتاز.

طالع.. موعد قرعة دور الـ 8 لـ دوري أبطال إفريقيا وكأس الكونفدرالية

وأصيب عبد الله السعيد، في المباراة حيث نزل الجهاز الطبي لعلاجه، وحاول العودة للملعب لكنه فشل في استكمال اللقاء وخرج وحل محمد السيد بدلًا منه.

بيراميدز يتصدر ترتيب مسابقة الدوري المصري وفي جعبته 21 نقطة من 10 مباريات، حقق الفوز في 6، وتعادل في 3، وخسر مواجهة وحيدة.

بينما يتواجد الزمالك في المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 20 نقطة، جمعها من الفوز بـ6 مباريات والتعادل في مواجهتين وتلقى هزيمتين. إصابة عبد الله السعيد وخروجه من مباراة الزمالك وبيراميدز

Sharjeel Khan: Fitness is not everything, though it is very important

Facing the media for the first time since his recent selection, Sharjeel spent a lot of time defending himself against insinuations

Danyal Rasool23-Mar-2021For most players, a meteoric comeback to the national side four years after a player’s last involvement would be cause for unbridled joy and celebration. But in the case of Sharjeel Khan, things aren’t quite as simple. This was a player who seemed to fill a niche nakedly absent in Pakistan’s T20I set-up about half a decade ago – that of a power-hitter up top – and seemed earmarked for a lucrative career in the T20 game. All of a sudden, then, things imploded, and any hopes of involvement at the highest level seemed remote.The factors counting against Sharjeel’s inclusion have been numerous, at times overwhelmingly so. He was among a slew of players found guilty of spot fixing in the PSL in 2017, and alongside Khaled Latif, handed the longest sanction: a five-year ban (half of it suspended in the left-hand batsman’s case). Upon expiry of the ban, he returned to fierce criticism from PCB CEO Wasim Khan, not normally known for singling out players, lambasting him for turning up to the PSL unfit. Now that he has finally been selected after he was the top-scorer in the truncated PSL, chief selector Mohammad Wasim’s decision to include him – purportedly in contravention to the wishes of several senior members of the PCB’s management – continues to cause rumblings of discontent.Facing the media for the first time since he was chosen for the T20I squad that will play a handful of games in South Africa and Zimbabwe, the opener was forced to spend much of it defending himself against insinuations that he was still unfit for international cricket. On more than one occasion, he pointed to the amount of cricket he had played in the last six months, insisting it vindicated him.Related

Misbah forced to defend Sharjeel selection, insists fitness not compromised

Sharjeel Khan given fitness targets before T20I return

Sharjeel's fitness 'not great' but he remains a match-winner – Babar

Sharjeel returns to T20I side for tour of SA and Zimbabwe

'Focus on your own cricket' – PCB CEO Wasim Khan pulls up Hafeez

“Fitness is not an issue for me,” he told an online media conference. “I have played the full domestic season, and missed no match in seven months because of fitness. Every player has a different kind of fitness, and the plan I have been given I am following to the hilt. I am very happy to come back into the Pakistan side. I worked very hard, played a full domestic season, the whole PSL. It made for 60 playing days during which I played with full focus. The camp is going well, the environment is great and I just want to continue the hard work.”While former head coach Mickey Arthur had taken an inflexible, uncompromising hard line of fitness using a one-size fits all approach, there have been suggestions the current heads at the PCB are more malleable in their viewpoint. Mohammad Wasim spoke last week about different attributes required of different kinds of players, and while Sharjeel claims he accepted he needed to continue working on his fitness, he appeared to suggest his skills with bat in hand were ultimately what counted.”Being a professional cricketer, I am focusing not just on fitness but also on my batting,” he said. “Fitness is not everything, though of course it is very important, but I am working on my skills to a great extent, too. I am thrilled with my comeback, though I am aware the tour will be challenging. There are the one-dayers first, so that will give me time to suss out the conditions. I want not just to give good individual performances, but those that help the side out.”Fitness is required of everyone. The fitness session I conducted yesterday was an individual session. I had been given a plan by our trainer Yasir Malik. I’m trying to improve my fitness as soon as possible. I had a training session over the day that required a 15-kilometre drill – not in one go, but over the day. I was happy with how it went, and I am continuing to improve. Nobody has set me an ultimatum to reduce weight. Nobody has set me a task, I am just trying to reach a certain standard consistent with that of my peers.”Uncomfortable questions about the past still surfaced, though Sharjeel claimed he was never once made to feel unwelcome with the national side, despite the damaging cause behind his lengthy exclusion. “These are the same group of players who have been playing each other in domestic cricket. The environment is great and I feel really good, and I feel very comfortable with the players. Nobody has come up to me and told me I should not be selected. My focus is completely on performance.”In different circumstances, Sharjeel’s inclusion might have been one of the feel-good stories of the tour. While that is very much not the case for now, Pakistan’s cricket history indicates just about everything can be forgiven as long as the performances continue to flow. In that sense, for a man who had everything taken out of his hands four years ago, Sharjeel may yet be in control of his own destiny.

Arsenal make approach to sign £162,000-a-week star for Arteta after U-turn

Arsenal have made an approach to sign a £162,000-per-week forward for manager Mikel Arteta, coming after a U-turn behind-the-scenes.

Arteta tipped to sign new striker at Arsenal despite Havertz form

Kai Havertz resurrected his debut campaign at Arsenal after a slow start to life at the Emirates last term, impressing in a makeshift forward role and ending 2023/2024 with 14 goals and seven assists in all competitions.

Arsenal could hijack deal for "marvellous" ace attracted to PL

He’s a man in demand…

ByTom Cunningham Jul 27, 2024

Havertz has been praised for his Arsenal form since the turn of the year, which could be worrying for striker Gabriel Jesus, following the Brazilian's lacklustre 23/24 campaign blighted by fitness issues and overall lack of form.

Jesus missed 16 games for Arsenal through injury last season, all while Havertz grew into his role under Arteta and earned plaudits. To make matters more concerning for Jesus, there are still reports that Arsenal could look to sign a striker before summer deadline day.

Arsenal's top scorers in all competitions last season

Goals

Bukayo Saka

20

Leandro Trossard

17

Kai Havertz

14

Martin Odegaard

11

Gabriel Jesus

8

Arteta is rumoured to be keen on a striking partner for Havertz, while the Spaniard also reportedly wants an alternative to Jesus going forward. Arsenal did attempt a deal to sign RB Leipzig sensation Benjamin Sesko earlier this window, but to no avail, with the Slovenian penning an extension at his current club instead.

As per various reports in the press, alternatives to Sesko since then have ranged from Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres to cheaper options like Ajax forward Brian Brobbey.

Another ambitious target comes in the form of Napoli star Victor Osimhen, with the Nigerian widely tipped to leave the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium if interested sides can reach an agreement with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Victor Osimhen

Arsenal have been backed to make an offer for Osimhen, while journalist Ben Jacobs told GiveMeSport earlier this year that the Gunners have a chance.

“We still can't rule out Arsenal in the race for Osimhen," said Jacobs in February.

"It’s also true that PSG have Osimhen very, very high on their list of targets and can move in the market because they will free up money due to Kylian Mbappe’s departure. I'm still told by sources that Osimhen’s priority is the Premier League, which is encouraging for Chelsea and Arsenal. He would be looking for about £250,000 per week, which Arsenal, Chelsea and PSG would all be happy to pay.”

Arsenal make new Osimhen approach after U-turn behind-the-scenes

Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport have an update on Arsenal's links to Osimhen, claiming they've re-joined the race, with Arteta's side seemingly pulling a U-turn after cooling their interest.

They also state that Arsenal have made an approach to sign Osimhen, who is apparently on around £162,000-per-week at Napoli. The former Lille star's release clause is set at around £109 million, so it remains to be seen if Edu Gaspar and co deem a price anywhere near this amount worth paying.

Meanwhile, they face competition from PSG and Chelsea, who are also in the picture for Osimhen. Former Napoli boss Rudi Garcia has described his ex-star as a "crazy driving force", and this is backed by his excellent Serie A goalscoring record.

Australia sweating on Will Pucovski and David Warner's fitness for Brisbane

Pucovski hurt his right shoulder following a heavy landing while diving on the field.

Andrew McGlashan11-Jan-2021

David Warner made just 5 and 13 at the SCG and was far from his best•Getty Images

Australia face a nervous wait to see if Will Pucovski will be available for the final Test against India after injuring his shoulder following a heavy landing when he dived in the field on the final day at the SCG.*In the 86th over of India’s innings, Pucovski was trying to intercept a shot from Hanuma Vihari at midwicket and though he briefly stayed on after being seen by the physio, he left the field at the end of the over.He did not return for the remainder of the day and was seen wearing an ice pack on his shoulder during the final session. On Tuesday, a CA update said that Pucovski would continue his rehab over the next two days before a decision was made over his fitness.Pucovski marked his debut with a composed 62 in the first innings, on what he termed the best day of his career, before being caught behind for 10 in the second.Australia will also be watching how David Warner pulls up from his return to the side in Sydney where he was far from at full fitness following his groin injury. He made 5 and 13 in the match, and could not move with his usual freedom between the wickets, although he was on the field throughout India’s two innings.”I am [nervous] and I was. It might have been a bit of different circumstances if we were 2-0 up,” Warner had told ahead of the final day at the SCG.”When you’re doing a fitness test at training, it’s quite easy to get through that. But once you’re out there it is a different intensity, playing the actual game live is where you get nervous.”I’m trying to sprint as hard as I can. It might look like I’m on a treadmill but it’s quite difficult, I’m hoping I can get through this.”Should Australia need to make changes at the top of the order for the series decider, they have Matthew Wade, who returned to No. 5 in Sydney having opening in the first two matches, and Marcus Harris is also part of the squad. No additional players have been added.From a bowling point of view, despite a three-day turnaround to the Gabba, Tim Paine was confident there wouldn’t be any issues for the fast bowlers. Australia have played an unchanged attack throughout the series and currently have Michael Neser and Sean Abbott in reserve. James Pattinson was not part of the squad for the third Test after injuring himself in a fall at home.”They handle the load pretty well,” Paine said. “They know they have a rest after the Gabba and I think they enjoy bowling there, it’s a bit easier on the body, seeing the ball fly through it’s a bit easier for them mentally as well, it’s enjoyable for them up there. They’ll be fine to go.”*5.20pm, January 12: The story was updated with information on Pucovski’s status

Spurs struck gold on £40m ace who’s now worth even more than Eze

Eberechi Eze is a name that’s been circulating in the Tottenham Hotspur fanbase over the last few weeks.

The reason for this is due to the Crystal Palace star being linked with a move to Spurs recently, and given his quality, it’s no surprise the Lilywhites faithful are excited.

Palace’s number ten was absolutely instrumental in the Premier League, scoring 11 goals and providing four assists.

A big price tag may well be needed to prise him away from Selhurst Park, although it's not more than one of their current star men.

What Spurs paid for Cristian Romero

Prior to the start of the 2021/22 campaign, Tottenham reinforced their backline with Cristian Romero from Atalanta.

The Argentine moved to Spurs off the back of an impressive Champions League and Serie A campaign in Bergamo, picking up three goals and five assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.

Romero originally joined on a season-long loan, starting 22 league games in his debut Premier League season and becoming an important player.

Therefore, upon the expiration of his loan, Spurs triggered his option to buy for £41m without hesitation, with Daniel Levy viewing him as a player who could develop into a world-class defender at Tottenham.

Christian Romero and Son Heung-min applaud the fans after a Premier League clash from Tottenham Hotspur.

However, Romero’s signature wasn’t exactly cheap, as they also had to meet his salary demands, and he eventually signed a £165k per week deal until 2027.

Romero’s transfer value in 2024

His first season as a permanent Spurs player featured plenty of ups and downs, including picking up two red cards.

However, under Ange Postecoglou, the World Cup winner has progressed brilliantly, starting 33 times in the Premier League last season.

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero

The centre-back ended the campaign as Spurs’ fourth-highest goalscorer with five, while also boasting the most passes completed, interceptions, and clearances in the squad.

Tottenham’s “perfect” defender, as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, has truly become irreplaceable, acting as a true leader at the heart of the backline, but what is he exactly worth today?

Premier League's Most Valuable CB's

Player

Value

William Saliba

£68m

Ruben Dias

£68m

Gabriel Magalhaes

£59m

Cristian Romero

£51m

Micky van de Ven

£47m

Via Transfermarkt

Well, as you can see from the table above, Romero is now estimated to be worth an incredible £51m, as per Transfermarkt.

This makes the 26-year-old the fourth-most valuable centre-back in the entire Premier League, only behind the Arsenal duo and Ruben Dias, which just proves how important he truly is.

On top of that, he’s currently the second-highest valued player in the entire Spurs squad, only behind James Maddison, who’s worth £59m.

Interestingly, despite the season that Eze just had, Romero is also worth more than the attacking midfielder, who’s currently valued at £47m. The Palace sensation was a true hit last term and would be a fantastic signing for Tottenham.

Fans may even get a look at him in action at Euro 2024 with the winger earning a well-deserved call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad for the tournament.

Nevertheless, as impressive as Eze has been, it’s also quite clear that Romero is one of the finest in England, with his £51m market value reflecting that perfectly.

Despite costing £41m originally, Spurs have truly hit the jackpot on the number 17, and if he continues to perform as he did last season, he’ll only be viewed as an even bigger bargain.

What Spurs' starting lineup could look like after £201m spending spree

Spurs will want to give Postecoglou everything he needs to build a successful side this summer.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 9, 2024

Blessing Muzarabani the hero, twice, as Zimbabwe win final ODI in Super Over shootout

Centuries from Sean Williams and Babar Azam had left the teams locked on 278 each after 100 overs

Danyal Rasool03-Nov-2020

Standing tall – Blessing Muzarabani picked up five wickets in regulation time and two more in the Super Over•AFP via Getty Images

Super Over: Blessing Muzarabani. In a game with two centuries, two five-fors, a tie, and a Super Over, Muzarabani made all the difference as Zimbabwe almost fluffed their lines before pulling off a win in the third and final ODI via the one-over shootout. In normal time, Muzarabani took a five-for. He was at it again afterwards, picking up two wickets to give his batsmen a three-run chase, which they pulled off.That the match ended in a tie was down to Pakistan – thanks to Babar Azam’s 125 and Wahab Riaz’s 52 – dragging their chase of 279 deep, and the Zimbabweans losing their composure towards the death. Sikandar Raza, who later scored the winning run, dropped a straightforward chance in the deep off Riaz, and a Tendai Chisoro misfield let the final ball through for four, levelling the scores. The door seemed to have been shut on Zimbabwe there, but Muzarabani ensured a first win for Zimbabwe in 11 ODIs, and Pakistan’s first defeat in ten.Pakistan’s record chasing over 250 hasn’t been the best of late: they have won just four of the last 23. But on an excellent strip for batting, they would have fancied their chances though the target wasn’t small. Muzarabani, however, had other ideas, knocking back Imam-ul-Haq’s off stump in the first over, while Richard Ngarava removed Haider Ali and Fakhar Zaman in quick succession. Pakistan, like Zimbabwe earlier, had lost the top three in no time.Azam’s solo effort of poise and grit for much of the remainder of the innings was a knock so glorious he didn’t deserve to be on the losing side, but not enough of his batting mates, arguably, deserved to win. Iftikhar Ahmed hung around but was castled by one of many gems from Muzarabani, a glorious in-seamer that knocked back his off stump. Khushdil Shah put up a useful 63-run partnership with Azam on debut, but the 46-ball 33 he scored was far removed from the sort of destructive innings he has a reputation for.Babar Azam brought up another century•AFP via Getty Images

It was – yes! – Muzarabani, whose extra bounce spelled the end for Shah, too, before Riaz’s enterprising half-century finally gave Azam some support, and put Pakistan on course, apparently once and for all, for 3-0. Azam, through all this, had put together a chanceless hundred, only his second in a chase, following that famous knock against New Zealand at the World Cup. But the asking rate was never truly in control, and when Riaz holed out attempting one rash shot too many, Zimbabwe were right back in it again.They seemed to have sealed it when Muzarabani got rid of two more batsmen in the penultimate over, the second a ripsnorter that finally put an end to Azam’s vigil. That left Mohammad Musa and Mohammad Hasnain – the hero earlier in the day with his 5 for 26 – to fetch 13 from the last over, and then five off the final ball. Chisoro was poor in the field all day, and the ball invariably went to him. He failed to get down in time, and we had our first ODI Super Over since the 2019 World Cup final.It was here that Pakistan’s decision-making let them down. Azam, who was out batting minutes ago, didn’t feature. Shah and Ahmed went out instead. Ahmed was beaten by pace first ball and holed out, and soon after, with Shah falling too, Zimbabwe had just three to chase. For a change, it was done without drama.Ages ago, or so it seemed, Pakistan might have entertained hopes of a speedy finish when Zimbabwe lost their first three wickets for 22, all to Hasnain, but a remarkable fightback, headlined by a fourth ODI century from Sean Williams, powered the visiting side to 278 for 6, their highest total in three games. Hasnain produced the bowling performance of the series for Pakistan, taking five of the six wickets to fall, while bowling three maidens and conceding just 26 runs. It should have been his day, ut Williams might just have shaded him by the halfway mark of the match. Muzarabani did it later anyway.Sean Williams brought up his fourth ODI century•AFP via Getty Images

Zimbabwe had won another toss and decided to have another crack at putting up a respectable score, but Hasnain looked to have doused those hopes in record time. Playing his first match of the series, he struck off just his third ball, removing Chamu Chibhabha, before coming back to knock back Brian Chari’s stumps to ensure another Zimbabwe opening failure. Things became even direr when Hasnain, spitting fire with almost every ball, had Craig Ervine nicking off to Mohammad Rizwan. Zimbabwe’s top order had been shredded, and Pakistan were so far ahead that the position looked unassailable.Enter Brendan Taylor and Williams. Williams allowed the in-form Taylor to take charge in the early stages, cautiously negotiating Hasnain while trying to get runs ticking over against the other bowlers. Before long, they had brought up the 50-run partnership, and while they were still not out of the woods, the bloodletting had stopped, and the swing of momentum had been initiated.Taylor scored a half-century before Hasnain removed him, only for Williams and Wesley Madhevere to combine for a punchy little partnership, with the 20-year-old taking a few risks that relieved some of the pressure on the senior batsman. Ahmed was not allowed to settle, with Madhevere taking the lead from Williams and smacking him for three fours in two overs, and suddenly the run rate began to look healthier. The issue, however, was the long tail and the number of wickets that had been lost, and when Madhevere’s cameo ended, once again by the irrepressible Hasnain, Williams and Raza became the last line of defence.Williams was dropped in the 40th over, which would have given Hasnain a sixth wicket and likely held Zimbabwe to a much lower total. Instead, he went on to complete a special hundred, and set up a target that allowed Zimbabwe’s bowlers a sniff. In the end, that was all Muzarabani needed.

Michael valoriza paciência do Flamengo para encontrar gols contra o Grêmio

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo venceu o Grêmio por 4 a 0 nesta quarta-feira, em Porto Alegre, e encaminhou a classificação para a semifinal da Copa do Brasil. Todos os gols rubro-negros saíram após o intervalo, quando o time de Renato Gaúcho já estava em desvantagem numérica – Isla foi expulso na primeira etapa. Para o atacante Michael, autor do terceiro gol na Arena do Grêmio, o aspecto fundamental para o resultado foi a paciência demonstrada pela equipe.

RelacionadasFlamengoATUAÇÕES: Everton Ribeiro, Vitinho e Michael comandam ‘goleada louca’ do Flamengo sobre o GrêmioFlamengo25/08/2021Futebol NacionalFlamengo goleia o Grêmio com brilho de contestados e encaminha vaga na semifinal da Copa do BrasilFutebol Nacional25/08/2021

+ Confira os resultados dos jogos de ida e as chaves da Copa do Brasil!

-Tivemos um jogo muito duro. Tiveram grandes chances no primeiro tempo, uma infelicidade o Isla ser expulso. Voltamos com calma, paciência, tivemos mais chances. Nos acertamos e é isso. Às vezes é preciso ter calma. Não está resolvido, temos que estar concentrados para o próximo jogo – disse ao Premiere.

Game
Register
Service
Bonus