All posts by h716a5.icu

Saurashtra stutter to 58 for 5 in their second innings, still 148 runs away from the target

The Report by Shamya Dasgupta06-Feb-2019Last ball of the ninth over of the Saurashtra second innings. Cheteshwar Pujara leans forward to defend a flighted delivery from Aditya Sarwate on off and middle. He plays for the turn from the left-arm spinner, but there isn’t any, and he is trapped plumb in front for a five-ball duck.Sarwate sets off, his team-mates in hot pursuit while also high-fiving each other, before he stops and lets out a roar. It is, after all, the big moment, and Sarwate has done it two times in two innings.He has done much more than that, actually. After picking up five wickets in the Saurashtra first innings, Sarwate winkled out three top Saurashtra batsmen inside nine overs, leaving them 22 for three in a chase of 206. First-innings centurion Snell Patel – check. Harvik Desai – check. And Pujara, the big fish – check. Not ideal from Saurashtra’s point of view as they looked to avoid making it three final losses in seven seasons, but perfect for Vidarbha, the defending champions.It got worse for Saurashtra as Arpit Vasavada was done in by Umesh Yadav’s pace, sending a regulation catch behind the stumps. Then Sheldon Jackson, very early in his innings, stepped out to Akshay Wakhare and attempted to send the ball out of Jamtha. The ball kept low, and snaked it to hit the stumps.Vishvaraj Jadeja, composed but not overly cautious so far in his innings, went to stumps unbeaten on 23, and had for company Kamlesh Makvana on two.Dharmendrasinh Jadeja completed a six-wicket haul•PTI Earlier, after they started on 55 for two, Vidarbha batted two sessions, added 145 runs, and lost their eight remaining wickets, four of them to Dharmendrasinh Jadeja, who completed a six-for in the process.Ganesh Satish and Wasim Jaffer were in the middle when proceedings began, but Dharmendrasinh found Jaffer’s edge in the eighth over of the morning with one that didn’t bounce much, and substitute wicketkeeper Avi Barot pouched the catch.The scoreboard read 71 for three at that stage, and it was 73 for five in almost no time as Dharmendrasinh trapped Satish in front for 35 and Jaydev Unadkat got a full-pitched delivery to straighten and go past Akshay Wadkar’s defensive prod and hit timber.Vidarbha needed a fightback, and they got a bit of it from Mohit Kale and Akshay Karnewar, the two adding 32 runs before Makvana caught Karnewar’s edge on the drive and Desai clung on at slip.Kale battled on to make a valuable 38 on a pitch that was turning big by that stage, but the big contribution came from Sarwate, who top-scored in the innings with 49 before becoming the last wicket to fall, having given himself and his bowling mates more to bowl at than looked likely at one stage.Umesh also chipped in with a 12-ball 15 as the last three Vidarbha wickets added 66 runs – it has been a trend in the game, the last three wickets had put up 116 in Vidarbha’s first dig and 123 in Saurashtra’s reply. Saurashtra will hope Vishvaraj and Makvana, and next-man Prerak Mankad, don’t leave the tail with too much to do, but it might well be the case if Sarwate & Co. have it their way on the fifth morning.

Lamar Jackson has made no secret of his interest in soccer, and the 2023 NFL MVP has now been showcasing his skills during a visit to Munich.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Ravens quarterback is a soccer fanNFL heading back to Germany in 2024Jackson has got his shooting boots onWHAT HAPPENED?

The Baltimore Ravens quarterback recently posted on social media that he “could’ve been Lionel Messi” had he pursued a different form of football, with a mocked-up image seeing him transformed into a USMNT star.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Jackson has now been trying to prove that he is as capable with his feet as he is with his hands. The American football superstar has been in Europe putting on a flag clinic in Germany – with it revealed that the NFL International Series will be heading to Munich in 2024.

Getty/XDID YOU KNOW?

Jackson has teamed up with Bayern Munich, when paying a visit to their training complex, and has rubbed shoulders with Canada international Alphonso Davies. He has also got his shooting boots on, with a couple of well-struck efforts fired into the back of an unguarded net.

The captain himself failed to deliver in Australia and could only pick out Sri Lanka’s slip catching as the single positive from two heavy defeats

Melinda Farrell in Canberra04-Feb-2019Dinesh Chandimal, the Sri Lanka captain, has urged his players to work harder during the next leg of their three-country tour in South Africa. He could only name a single positive – slip fielding – in their performances against Australia after losing the second Test by 366 runs.The two Test defeats in Australia follow a 1-0 loss to New Zealand in a two-Test series and defeats in all four limited-overs matches on that tour. While Sri Lanka have been plagued by an injury list that includes Angelo Mathews and four of their first choice fast bowlers, Chandimal admitted to concerns about the form of the batsmen.Sri Lanka must now regroup for their stint in South Africa, which comprises two Tests, five ODIs and three T20s.”We were outplayed as a team in all three departments,” said Chandimal. “Credit goes to Australia, they have played some outstanding cricket throughout the series. They deserved to win like this.”We just need to work harder than what we are doing. It’s always tough playing in Australia against a good bowling attack but we all know before we come here it’s always challenging. As a batting unit we have to step up. That’s the one area we have concern. I’m sure the boys will come good in South Africa.”The only positive is the slip catching for our fast bowlers and that’s one positive we can take from this series. I don’t want to talk about the negatives and sure the boys we can learn from it and come good in South Africa.”Chandimal has had a challenging tour personally with scores of 5, 0, 15 and 4. But he remains optimistic that hard work will pay off in South Africa, despite being disappointed by his own form in Australia.”Really disappointed,” said Chandimal. “But I work hard in the nets and I work hard on my game and I work hard on my game plans but I couldn’t get what we want. It is tough and I always putting my heart and soul when the practices come. I’m sure it will come in South Africa.”This is our transition period and now as a team and players we have to step up. In our young group [only] some of the players have played more than 30 Test matches so they are still young and in the international arena are really experienced. Now this is the time to face your game and play for your team. We couldn’t get the best combination because of the injuries.”While Sri Lanka have had to deal with a swag of injuries, including two of their batsmen – Kusal Perera and Dimuth Karunaratne – retiring hurt after being struck by bouncers in Canberra, there have also been off-field rumblings in the form of a public spat between ODI allrounder, Thisera Perera and the wife of ODI captain Lasith Malinga. In addition the coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, was dumped as an on-tour selector before the second Test. Chandimal backed the team management’s handling of the situations.”They put their heart and soul and they give good advice,” he said. “You can’t control what happens back home and just control what you can control. That’s one area we are focusing on as a team.”

Real Madrid have seen a request to play their Champions League home fixture against Manchester City under a closed roof granted.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Madrid to play under closed roofUEFA grant permissionFace Man City in Champions LeagueWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Madrid asked UEFA for permission to conduct the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final under a closed roof at Santiago Bernabeu. The club have introduced a retractable roof in their newly renovated home ground and believe closing it will allow for a better atmosphere in the all-important clash against the reigning European champions.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

UEFA have now made a final call on the matter after a pre-match technical meeting that saw designated match referee Francois Letexier consulted. As reports, Real have been granted permission to seal the stadium again, four weeks after playing under a closed roof in the second leg of their last-16 tie against RB Leipzig.

DID YOU KNOW?

City have travelled to Madrid for the vital fixture without two of their first-team defenders Kyle Walker and Nathan Ake. The duo have been omitted from the 21-man matchday squad due to injuries.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

After hosting Pep Guardiola's side at home, Carlo Ancelotti's men will be back in action in La Liga on Saturday as they face Mallorca, where a victory would see them close in on the title.

The India allrounder coming back from injury has the chance to influence a tight game with his bowling on the last day at Wankhede stadium

Ankur Dhawan in Mumbai16-Dec-2018The IPL has done funny things to Indian cricket, particularly the fan. How else do you explain lusty cheering for Mumbai Indians Baroda allrounder Hardik Pandya as he tried with all his might to thwart Mumbai’s chances of securing a vital first innings lead at Wankhede stadium? Sure, there is merit in the theory that he is an India player, but MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli apart, not many have such a hold over crowds across the country.If it was a case of conflicted emotions – although there was no sign of it as the small crowd chanted his name like an anthem – they got the best of both worlds. Pandya obliged with a 137-ball 73 but Mumbai clung on to the cliff edge, securing a 29-run lead that may just keep them afloat in the Ranji Trophy.Pandya may have missed a maiden Ranji Trophy hundred, but it was his first major contribution with the bat in red-ball cricket since a whirlwind 93 at the start of the year in Cape Town. (He’d made a fifty against Afghanistan in between, but that came after India’s total had already gone past 300)Baroda had other heroes as well. Aditya Waghmode batted in mode to make 114 off 304 balls and Vishnu Solanki produced a more free flowing 133 to give Pandya the time he needed to find his feet, both literally and figuratively. At lunch he was batting on 3 off 29, struggling for rhythm but untroubled by the bowling as such.Match situations, though, can be fickle, and after cruising for 121 overs and looking set to surpass Mumbai’s 465 by a significant margin, wickets fell, as though through a series of trapdoors. A comfortable 351 for 3 became 378 for 6 when tea was taken, and two overs post resumption Baroda had slipped to a precarious 379 for 7. At that stage, it seemed like they were running out of luck, exemplified by Solanki’s questionable lbw decision earlier in the day, but soon enough Pandya was bowled off a no-ball and it became a level playing field once again.Reprieved on 41, he brought his side within 29 runs of Mumbai’s total before being pinned in front by Royston Dias as he tried to steal a single off the last ball of the over. It was not unlike the position he was in a few months ago at Edgbaston, when India needed 32 to win and Pandya was left with the awkward job of refusing singles when the field was spread, and scampering across when it came up. Eventually he was led to play a shot that wasn’t meant to fetch him runs or protect his stumps and he was dismissed.The difference here is that there’s an innings left and Pandya could enjoy the perks of who he is – an allrounder – and influence the result. While Mumbai would have undoubtedly been the happier side, having taken the lead, given the lack of time left in the game, they were also the only ones left in a position to throw it away – a tendency common among teams batting without purpose on final days. With his two quick wickets before stumps, Pandya has stoked that possibility.

Phil Foden joined an exclusive club as he bagged a hat-trick for Manchester City in the much-needed win over Aston Villa.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Foden joins exclusive club of players in EuropeBecomes fifth player to score 20+ goals and record 10+ assistsNetted second hat-trick of the season against VillaWHAT HAPPENED?

With a scintillating performance against the Villans that saw Foden score his second hat-trick of this season, the England international has now joined an elite group of players who have scored 20+ goals and provided 10+ assists in the current 2023-24 campaign while playing in the top five leagues in Europe, per Opta.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The exclusive group of players is thoroughly dominated by English stars as it features four Three Lions stars – Foden, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Ollie Watkins – while Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is the fifth member.

DID YOU KNOW?

After Wednesday's clash, the 23-year-old now has 14 league goals to his name this season, the most he has scored in a single Premier League campaign with the second-highest tally being 11 during the 2022-23 season.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PHIL FODEN?

The England and City star is likely to feature for his club on Saturday as Pep Guardiola's side take on Crystal Palace in another important Premier League fixture in the title race.

Isobel and Cecelia, who played for nearly two decades in the international circuit, announced their retirements after Ireland’s loss in their final group-stage match in the World T20

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2018Ireland’s Joyce twins, Isobel and Cecelia, announced their retirement from international cricket after Ireland’s eight-wicket loss to New Zealand in their final group-stage match in the World T20. It was also the last international game for their team-mates, Clare Shillington and Ciara Metcalfe, who had, in May this year, announced that the tournament would be their last. All four have been in the international circuit for nearly two decades, with 37-year-old Shillington having debuted in 1997.While Shillington and Metcalfe received a guard of honour from players of both teams before taking the field, the Joyces informed their decision to their team-mates only during the post-match huddle.

BREAKING: @izzyjoyce and @CeceliaJoyce44 have announced they are retiring from international cricket alongside @CiaraJMetcalfe and @ShillersC.

Thanks for the memories, and best of luck for your post-playing careers! pic.twitter.com/UwOZRtODB2

— ICC World Twenty20 (@WorldT20) November 17, 2018

Allrounder Isobel, who made her Ireland debut in 1999, has played 79 ODIs and 55 T20Is, while opening batsman Cecelia, who entered the international circuit two years later, has played 57 ODIs and 43 T20Is. Isobel had also led Ireland in 62 games before stepping down as captain following the World T20 in 2016.”I can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for us. The next 10-12 months will be about transitioning the team as we don’t have any international fixtures coming up,” Laura Delany, the Ireland captain, said.Earlier this year, their brother Ed Joyce, who has represented both Ireland and England, announced his retirement from professional cricket, following Ireland’s inaugural men’s Test match against Pakistan in Dublin. Five Joyce siblings have represented Ireland in all – Dom, who played three ODIs in 2006-07, and Gus, who played one first-class game for Ireland in 2000.Post-retirement, all four players are set to stay involved in the game, with Cecelia focusing on her role as vice-president of Ireland’s player association and the other three taking up coaching roles.

The batsman said the decision was taken so that he could focus on his limited-overs career

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2018Ambati Rayudu has called time on his first-class career in order to focus on limited-overs cricket. Rayudu, who recently made a comeback into the Indian ODI side, communicated the decision to the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) on Saturday.Rayudu will continue to play international and domestic matches in the shorter versions. He had a successful outing in India’s recently concluded five-match ODI series against West Indies, hitting a century in the fourth ODI to cement his claim to what had been a fairly long search to fill the No. 4 spot in the Indian team.The 33-year-old Rayudu had begun his career with the HCA, making his first-class debut as a teenager in 2001. He played only the one game that season, but the next year he made an immediate impact with 210 and 159 not out against Andhra in just his third match. However, Rayudu had a rocky ride at Hyderabad with reports of differences with Arjun Yadav, and he soon moved to Andhra – one of the four teams he would eventually represent in domestic cricket.Yadav, son of former India player Shivlal Yadav, is the current Hyderabad coach.His stint with Andhra was also short, and he came back to Hyderabad before joining the now-defunct Indian Cricket League, thus being banned from participating in any BCCI-sanctioned tournaments. When the ICL dissolved and its players returned, Rayudu also returned to Hyderabad, but moved out a season later to Baroda. In 2016-17, he signed up with Vidarabha, although injuries prevented him from playing a single first-class match for the team though he did turn out in a few domestic limited-overs matches.Rayudu returned to Hyderabad before the 2017-18 season, but since making his debut for India in 2013, Rayudu has not played in a full Ranji season. Last year, he played only three matches for Hyderabad, scoring 278 runs at an average of 69.50 with a century and two fifties.He ends his first-class career with 6151 runs in 97 matches, at an average of 45.56 with 16 centuries. The 210 he scored in his third first-class match remains his highest score.

The Football Association has defended the new England kit after a backlash over Nike changing the colour of the St George's Cross.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

New Nike shirt released this weekBacklash over changing colour of St George's CrossFA defends the decision and stands firmWHAT HAPPENED?

Nike switched the traditional red cross on the collar of England's Euro 2024 shirt to a navy, light blue, and purple flag. While the Football Association say it was meant as a tribute to the 1966 World Cup winning team, and the sportswear giant described it as a "playful update" – a row has erupted over it being 'woke'. Despite the backlash, the FA has stood firm over the jersey.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THE FA SAID

A FA spokesperson said: "The new England 2024 Home kit has a number of design elements which were meant as a tribute to the 1966 World Cup winning team. The coloured trim on the cuffs is inspired by the training gear worn by England's 1966 heroes, and the same colours also feature on the design on the back of the collar.

"It is not the first time that different coloured St George's cross-inspired designs have been used on England shirts. We are very proud of the red and white St George's cross – the England flag. We understand what it means to our fans, and how it unites and inspires, and it will be displayed prominently at Wembley tomorrow – as it always is – when England play Brazil."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The debate over this topic has been fuelled by the likes of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who said the flag should not have been changed, and Reform UK MP Lee Anderson, who denounced the move as "virtue signaling woke nonsense."
"When it comes to our national flags, we shouldn't mess with them because they're a source of pride, identity, who we are, and they're perfect as they are," said Sunak.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty WHAT NEXT?

Many football fans have demanded the original flag be reinstated and an online petition has collected thousands of signatures, meaning this story may continue to rumble on. On the pitch, England host Brazil on Saturday, followed by Belgium on Tuesday in two friendly matches.

Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi has revealed he's learned a lot about NFL after making the move to the United States.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Messi embracing new life in MiamiLearning about American footballAlso reveals his other sporting passionsWHAT HAPPENED?

Messi is known throughout the world for being one of the greatest players ever to grace soccer, but he has revealed he does take an interest in other sports. The World Cup winner says his move to the United States has led to a new interest in American football and he has other listed his other favorite sports away from his own profession.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementWHAT MESSI SAID

He told the about his favorite sports: "Tennis, padel, basketball, and American football. I'm learning a lot about American football, getting to know it better, and loving it."

Inter Miami CFTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Messi's presence at Inter Miami has already drawn plenty of celebrities and stars from the worlds of tennis and American football to the MLS side. Tennis stars Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa have been gifted Messi shirts after taking in a visit to the club, while NFL players Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase were spotting wearing FC Cincinnati shirts when Messi arrived for a game with Inter Miami last season. Messi's arrival in the U.S. has prompted more than 1 million people tune in to watch Miami games, numbers only NFL and college football can compete with.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI

Messi is currently out injured and missed Argentina's fixtures with Costa Rica and El Salvador over the international break. He is expected to return for Inter Miami's Champions Cup clash against Monterrey on April 3.