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Nida Dar stands up with bat, ball and in the field to underpin her side’s victory

Valkerie Baynes19-Jul-2022An excellent combined Pakistan bowling effort through the middle overs stifled Ireland and sealed victory by 13 runs in their rain-hit T20I, which was reduced to 14 overs per side at Bready.Player of the Match Nida Dar set Pakistan up with a quick-fire 26 off 15 balls after Muneeba Ali had compiled a 24-ball 29 either side of an interruption after the rain that had delayed the start returned five overs in.Dar was also instrumental in containing Ireland after the hosts had enjoyed a promising four-over powerplay, as she, Tuba Hassan and Fatima Sana took one wicket apiece.Sana and Anam Amin were miserly over the last two overs which saw three run outs and an lbw in favour of Sana as Ireland’s task of chasing down the 23 runs still needed proved insurmountable.That came down largely to Hassan, Sana and Amin putting the clamp on Ireland through the middle overs after top-scorer Gaby Lewis and Rebecca Stokell reached 34 without loss after four overs.Hassan broke through when she bowled Stokell for 19 with one that skidded onto off stump. Lewis and Orla Prendergast managed just nine runs off the ensuing three overs before Dar had Prendergast caught by Iram Javed off a top edge behind point.Hassan and Amin combined to run out Laura Delaney, attempting a second after she had driven Amin to sweeper cover, Hassan firing the ball back into the bowler to great effect and Amin conceded just four runs off the over.Lewis had started brightly with 15 off just seven balls including back-to-back fours, pulled and swept off Amin in just the second over of Ireland’s reply. She dealt Kainat Imtiaz similar treatment through the off side in the seventh to reach 32 off 20 deliveries but from there the going got tougher.Lewis eventually fell for 47 off 41, run out in the final over, cutting Sana towards Dar, who collected and threw back to Sana at the batter’s end as Lewis came back for a second run.Two dot balls from Sana followed before she trapped Mary Waldron lbw and then Arlene Kelly was run out by yet another sharp throw in from Dar to the keeper.Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat, resuming on 34 for 1 after Ava Canning bowled Iram Javed on the first legitimate ball of the match, having sent down a leg-side wide to begin with.Delaney bowled Ali shortly after the restart with a full, straight delivery that pegged back off stump as Ali tried to swipe across the line to make it 43 for 2. Delaney struck again in her next over, bowling Bismah Maroof with one that skidded on and clattered into middle and off for 13.Dar and Ayesha Naseem put on 40 runs for the fourth wicket in the next four overs, Naseem striking Delaney for six over long off and Dar launching Jane Maguire over the midwicket fence.But Maguire accounted for both within moments of Dar’s m, bowling her with a slower ball before she had Naseem caught by Kelly at long on two balls later to finish with 2 for 14 from three overs.Ireland next face Australia on Thursday after their first match ended in a resounding nine-wicket win to the visitors.Delaney, the Ireland captain, said her side would “look to push the boundaries in the middle period” going forward.”Bitterly disappointing,” she said of the loss to Pakistan. “This is the challenge playing against some of the best sides in the world, you’re going to go out and you’re going to play good cricket and you’re still going to be beaten.”So we’ll go back, we’ll regroup again tomorrow with training. We play against Australia then on Thursday which we know again will be a really good contest but we’re just happy to be playing good cricket against competitive sides.”

Chelsea have been dealt a massive blow with striker Nicolas Jackson ruled out for more than a month with a hamstring injury.

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• Jackson ruled out with hamstring injury
• Leaves Chelsea without a striker
• Expected to miss next five matches

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  A scan on Wednesday revealed the forward has suffered damage to his hamstring and will not be back until after the international break in March, reports. The earliest he is expected back is for the clash against Tottenham on April 2.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The loss of the Senegal international leaves coach Enzo Maresca without a striker, with Marc Guiu also out injured. Jackson, 23, has scored nine goals and registered five assists in the Premier League this season – Cole Palmer is the only Chelsea player with a better record in the English top flight.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Jackson will be absent for Friday's clash against Brighton as well as meetings with Aston Villa, Southampton, Leicester and Arsenal at least.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Mareca's side are currently fourth in the Premier League heading into this week's match against a Brighton side who beat them 2-1 in the FA Cup last week.

Newcastle United have become big spenders in the transfer market since they were bought by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in October 2021.

Although the 2024 summer window was quieter for the Magpies, they have not been afraid to splash the cash on new signings since the takeover.

Four of their five most expensive signings, as per Transfermarkt, have come with the new owners at the helm. That includes Alexander Isak, who cost £63m, a club record deal, and Sandro Tonali, with the Italian midfielder costing £55m.

Prior to the takeover, however, the Magpies did not spend money nearly as much and were a selling club rather than a side that spent millions of pounds on new stars.

Newcastle’s record sales

The North Eastern outfit have certainly sold players on for hefty profit during the Premier League era. Within their top eight most expensive sales of all time, just three of them came in the past two summer windows.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

That includes Elliot Anderson, who moved to Nottingham Forest for a fee which is reportedly worth upwards of £35m. Yankubah Minteh also left the club this summer to join Brighton, and Allan Saint-Maximin left in 2023 for Saudi Arabain outfit Al-Ahli, although he now plies his trade at Fenerbahce.

The other expensive departures from St James’ Park date further back than that. It includes the likes of Yohan Cabaye, who made the move to PSG for a fee of £20m, and Netherlands midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, who moved to Liverpool for around £25m.

Player

Joined

Fee

Year

Elliot Anderson

Nottingham Forest

£35m

2024

Andy Carroll

Liverpool

£35m

2011

Yankubah Minteh

Brighton

£30

2024

Moussa Sissoko

Spurs

£30m

2016

Ayoze Perez

Leicester

£30m

2019

Georginio Wijnaldum

Liverpool

£25m

2016

Allan Saint-Maximin

Al-Ahli

£23m

2023

Yohan Cabaye

PSG

£20m

2013

There is one name on that list in particular whose sale proved to be a stroke of genius from the Magpies, given the money they got and the fact he is worth so little nowadays. That player is Andy Carroll.

Carroll’s Newcastle career

A graduate of the Newcastle academy, striker Carroll had a successful time of things across two spells at St James’ Park. He made 134 appearances for the North Eastern side, scoring 34 goals and grabbing 26 assists.

It took a while for the England international to score his first goal in that famous Black and White striped shirt. First breaking into the first team in 2006/07, it took the striker until January 2009 to find the back of the net, coming against West Ham in the Premier League.

Sadly for the Magpies, they suffered relegation that same season. This arguably benefited the 6’4 striker, however, and he really found his shooting boots. Carroll was prolific in the Championship, scoring 17 goals and grabbing 12 assists in 39 league games, helping the Magpies to promotion at the first time of asking.

That season was not a fluke, and the centre-forward continued his efforts in the top flight. In 2010/11 for the Magpies, he scored 11 goals and grabbed eight assists in just 19 games, which included a hattrick against Aston Villa. His form was so good that Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, speaking on Match of the Day: Top 10 podcast, described him as “unbelievable” when reflecting on Carroll at his best.

His outstanding form earned Carroll a January move to Liverpool, who paid £35m for his services, at the same time as they signed Luis Suarez. That happened to be Newcastle’s record sale, which has since been equalled by Anderson’s move to the City Ground.

Sadly, it did not work out for Carroll on Merseyside. The centre-forward managed just 11 goals in 58 games for the club and ended up back at St James’ Park a few seasons later via West Ham. He managed just one goal on his second spell in the North East.

Nowadays, the former England international plays for Girondins Bordeaux in the fourth tier of French football, after the legendary club were declared bankrupt and relegated. He has five goals in three games for the six-time French champions.

Unsurprisingly, Carroll’s value has dropped considerably. Most recently, Transfermarkt valued the former Magpies man at just £200k. There is certainly an argument that Newcastle made the right choice to sell him for a club-record fee all those years ago.

Not only has his value decreased a lot since the sale, but he was simply never the same prolific goalscorer he was as a Newcastle player for those 18 months in the Championship and Premier League.

Looking back on it, the Magpies may well be relieved they sold the striker for such profit. It has certainly proven to be a smart choice in the long term.

Cost the club £35m: Newcastle star is now worth millions less after leaving

Newcastle made the right call selling star who’s value has plummeted

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 25, 2024

Clubs won’t have long to lock down their recruitment strategies for the new season

Alex Malcolm22-Jun-2022The BBL will aim to get a jump on the new rival T20 leagues emerging in UAE and South Africa by hosting its first overseas player draft in August in a bid to secure leading players early as it attempts to revive the competition.The tournament announced a new overseas recruitment model on Wednesday with top-line overseas players set to earn $AUD340,000 and given the option of nominating the amount of games they want to be available for during December and January without having to commit to the whole tournament.It has been difficult for the BBL to match the riches on offer in the UAE and potentially South Africa, as well as even the BPL and the PSL, given the league is bound by a $AUD1.9 million dollar salary cap for an 18-man squad and for a competition that is significantly longer. But players will get to nominate for three price categories – Gold, Silver and Bronze – with an additional Platinum level on offer for the biggest names. Cricket Australia will contribute a significant portion to each salary bracket to sit outside the cap to help the clubs.There is no official date set for the draft but it is understood that it will likely be held in August, up to four months before the start of the BBL season. The tournament will once again be a full 14-game home and away season likely to run from mid-December to late-January, with fixtures set to be announced in July. There is a need to lift the competition ahead of the next TV rights deal, with the current deal ending in 2024, after a difficult few years compounded by Covid-19.An August draft is not ideal for clubs, who would prefer it be held closer to the season so they have greater clarity on their needs and player availability. However, BBL general manager Alistair Dobson and BBL player acquisition and cricket consultant Trent Woodhill both believe the earlier draft will give high-profile overseas stars clarity and options to lock themselves into playing in the BBL prior to the UAE and South Africa leagues getting established in what is set to be a crowded January calendar.”We are keen to be able to provide players and agents and clubs with a timeline that gives certainty and allows them to plan their year and be confident that the BBL is a place they want to come and play which we know they’re looking forward to,” Dobson told ESPNcricinfo.The BBL is confident they can secure some big names after early fruitful discussions with agents.”It’s actually been really positive,” Woodhill told ESPNcricinfo. “I feel like there’s clarity. Players want certainty. Player agents now have an opportunity to put their players up in lights and then work with the clubs to promote their players. The clubs get a choice. And I think it really suits the competition. And I’m confident they’re going to get some really good names.The league has previously left the recruitment of overseas players to the clubs to do privately. But Woodhill believes the draft will bring greater fan interest to the process with clubs’ decisions on who they select base on who is available now out in the open.”By having a draft, it’s up in lights,” he said. “It’s harder for the clubs to dismiss a high-profile player and they have an opportunity to draft them or choose somebody else in the draft.”I like the fact there is a choice. The choice for the player in what band they nominate in but also a choice for the clubs to see how they fit into their existing domestic team. And then explaining why they’ve done that. You always want to know why teams have gone for a spinner or a quick or an allrounder or maybe a frontline bat. So I’m excited to see the viewpoint of the club and the explanation from the club as to why they’ve gone for one big name over another.”The one downside that has been discussed among players is that the draft does not allow overseas names to choose where they will play, with a summer stint based in the beachside eastern suburbs of Sydney proving a popular recruiting tool for Sydney Sixers pre-Covid, for example.Clubs have also been reluctant in the past to pay big portions of the salary cap to star players for short-term deals with some clubs preferring to recruit lower-tier overseas players for specific roles over a full season. Andre Russell did a short stint last year at Melbourne Stars and they missed the finals while AB de Villiers’ six-game stint at Brisbane Heat in 2019-20 was equally unsuccessful.On the flipside, Perth Scorchers recruited lesser-known Englishman Laurie Evans last year for a very specific middle-order role. He was available to play for the entire campaign with Scorchers on less money and ended up being Player of the Match in the final fulfilling the exact role he was recruited for.There was some push and pull from the BBL and the clubs initially when the draft concept was raised with clubs still keen to do their own bespoke recruiting. However, clubs have been pleased that they were able to work with the league to come up with a draft model that allows clubs to use one retention pick, so that teams like Adelaide Strikers get to retain Rashid Khan even if another club drafts him.Clubs also won’t be forced to take a big-money Platinum player who is only available for a short stint if they would prefer to recruit a lesser name in a Silver or Bronze category for the full year. Dobson, Woodhill and the clubs have been meeting weekly over zoom to discuss the mechanics of the draft.”We’ve consulted for a long period of time with clubs and they’re excited about what the draft brings,” Dobson said. “I think there’s a bit of apprehension around the pressure and it is new territory for clubs in terms of being live on draft day or draft night and I think we’re excited to see how they handle that.”Clearly, success is the quality of the players that we get in. But trailing along not far behind that is the amount of interest and stories we can tell and speculation and debate and potentially controversy that sits around that because we think that’s all going to be a great build-up to the start of the BBL season.”Woodhill, who was formally the list manager at Melbourne Stars and has worked on auction strategy with Royal Challengers Bangalore during his time coaching in the IPL, was in no doubt about what his approach would be if he was entering the draft with a club.”You can’t underestimate star power,” Woodhill said. “Some teams look at it as a whole year approach. I’d be looking at how many wins do we need to make the top five and then I’m looking to find the best player possible in the draft to help me get to that point. If it’s seven games, then we need to get the seven games. So that’s my first target.”So it’s hard to look past an Andre Russell, a Sunil Narine or a Kieron Pollard, Faf du Plessis because they win a lot of player of the match awards. So I’d be aiming high.”

Michael Olise has been labelled a "miserable f*cker" after he refused to sing Jingle Bells in a Bayern Munich singalong.

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• Bayern players sing Christmas songs
• Musiala, Kane & others sing Jingle Bells
• Ex-Palace star Olise remains tight-lipped

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The £50 million signing from Crystal Palace was part of a festive club event where the squad posed for holiday photos and sang the classic 'Jingle Bells'. While his team-mates, including England captain Harry Kane, enthusiastically participated, Olise stood out for his lack of engagement.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In footage shared widely on social media, Olise appeared disconnected, staring blankly at the camera as his fellow players sang with festive cheer. The moment quickly went viral, prompting mixed reactions online.

• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  An X user, @lxnchossard, wrote: "Olise is deadass corny man drop the gimmick you're not a vibe."

  An angry @DMarsti wrote: "Miserable f*cker."

  While another, @7headking, wrote: "He’s begging it now. Just smile and sing along. You’re not too cool for this. You were at Crystal Palace a few months ago."

  Meanwhile, @Kumar0Akshay, wrote: "This Olise nonchalant/disinterested gimmick is so lame."

  @tonjomes1 wrote: "Getting boring now, just like Zlatan."

  "Why's he trying to act hard lmao it's just jingle bells bro you do not have any opps," wrote @thfcm14.

  Whereas, @JoeAfc1, suggested: "Someone tell him it’s not illegal to smile."

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR OLISE?

  Despite the social media drama, Olise’s performances on the pitch have been nothing short of extraordinary. Since joining Bayern Munich five months ago, the 23-year-old winger has adapted seamlessly to life in the Bundesliga. The French international has contributed nine goals and nine assists in 23 appearances across all competitions. His stellar form saw him earn the Bundesliga's 'Rookie of the Month' accolade for October, cementing his reputation as one of the league’s brightest talents. He will return to action on January 11 when Bayern faces Borussia Monchengladbach.

Aston Villa fans would have been dreaming of watching their team topple the might of Bayern Munich when filtering into Villa Park last night, imagining their side upsetting the odds and stifling the free-flowing Bavarian giants by picking up an unbelievable second win in the Champions League.

Those wild dreams would become a reality as Unai Emery’s men managed to get over the line come full-time and shock Vincent Kompany’s Bayern 1-0, courtesy of yet another strike off the bench from devastating impact substitute Jhon Duran.

It was a determined team effort in the end that ensured Villa would upset the Bundesliga titans, with the game showing off Emery’s men at their best defensively, as much as it also reinforced their dangerous nature to be clinical when needed.

Top performers from Villa's win over Bayern

Touching on the shut-out Villa managed to pull off, Emiliano Martinez would have walked off the pitch at the end overjoyed with his individual showing against the visitors from Germany, having kept a clean sheet even when being regularly tested by the likes of Harry Kane and Serge Gnabry.

The South American shot-stopper would tally up a staggering seven saves in total, with Birmingham Live journalist John Townley after the game rewarding his efforts with a faultless 10/10 match rating.

In attack, Villa also impressed, even if Ollie Watkins would exit the field of play without a goal next to his name, as Duran delivered the goods once more in the England international’s place.

Only needing one shot on target to leave his mark on proceedings, the Colombian’s name will now be etched into Villa folklore forever more, after catching an onrushing Manuel Neuer napping with a clever finish to win the tie.

That means the explosive 20-year-old is averaging a goal every 48 minutes for his side so far this season, with this strike against Bayern the pick of the bunch from his five goals to date.

The home side’s defence got called into question after a shaky display against Ipswich Town before this clash under the lights, with Martinez undoubtedly helped in his mission to keep a clean sheet by the likes of Pau Torres also shining at the back, who was as important as both the World Cup winner and Duran on the night to help the famous win be secured.

Torres' performance in numbers

Emery stuck by the same back four that wobbled away at Portman Road and was vindicated for not going overboard with changes, as the Spanish centre-back stood out amongst a strong defensive effort.

The standout Villa number 14 even had his moment in the spotlight in the first half, when he thought he had opened the scoring after tapping home an opportunity that fell kindly to him, only for VAR to cruelly intervene and judge Jacob Ramsey to be offside in the build-up.

Stat

Torres

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Touches

55

Accurate passes

36/42 (86%)

Total duels won

4/5

Clearances

4

Blocked shots

3

Tackles

4

He did have a role to play in Duran’s unbelievable winner though, with his ball finding the Colombian in space to then beat Neuer, to make up for the offside decision going against his side.

Moreover, Torres – as can be seen glancing at the table above – was key in Villa keeping Bayern at bay, with four out of four ground duels won on the night, alongside completing 86% of his passes as an option at the back unafraid to make things happen as well as thwarting Kompany’s men.

Bayern would have entered into this contest high off the confidence of putting nine past Dinamo Zagreb in their last match in Europe’s elite competition, only for the German giants to be humbled by Torres and Co, who was handed out a top 9/10 rating after the game by Townley.

Labelled by Townley as being Torres’ ‘best performance of the season so far’, the Spaniard will hope he can put in more stellar displays when back in Premier League action.

For now, however, Emery’s men will be giddy off the buzz of this result, as the Villa Park masses now crave more top European nights to come.

Villa wanted "monster" star when Grealish left, now he's outshining Rogers

Villa nearly replaced Grealish with dynamic man back in 2021

ByConnor Holden Sep 26, 2024

Jan Oblak has thrown support behind Atletico Madrid's match winner against Barcelona Alexander Sorloth to fire the club to the La Liga title.

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• Sorloth scores winner against Barcelona
• Oblak offers support for Norwegian
• Atletico lead La Liga by three points

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Norwegian striker fired home the last-gasp winner to leave the Barcelona players stricken on the turf and three points behind Atletico in the title race. Sorloth moved to the Spanish capital after his goalscoring feats last season at Villarreal caught the eye of Diego Simeone and is starting to repay some of the faith the club showed in him. He has scored eight goals and registered two assists in eighteen games and his goalkeeper is tipping him to catch fire in the second half of the season and potentially replicate the scoring numbers of his compatriot Erling Haaland at Manchester City.

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  WHAT OBLAK SAID

  After the game, Oblak said to : "At 1-0 we resisted, and in the last minute, Sorloth gave us victory again.

  “Sorloth was needed to come on, to get the win here. It’s not easy to come on and do that. When he comes in, he always does his job. He’s the striker we need, who scores goals.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Sorloth's goal ensured Atletico earned their first win away to Barcelona for almost 19 years. The club also extended their impressive form to 12 consecutive wins in all competitions to climb to the top of the summit. After the game, Oblak could not hide his relief at finally winning away at the Catalan giants. He said: "Since I’ve been at Atletico, I’ve never won here. We’ve finally done it! A difficult game, but three points. Let’s continue in this vein."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ATLETICO?

  Atletico enter 2025 on top of the table and will have a home game against Osasuna on 12 January when they return to La Liga action after the winter break. Before they continue their title charge, however, they must contend with Marbella in the Copa del Rey in a fortnight's time. Oblak and Sorloth will be desperate to maintain their good form as they eye a potential treble.

Relaxation in Queenstown helps squad to overcome quarantine ahead of tournament

Andrew Miller25-Feb-2022

Heather Knight, England’s captain, believes her squad has successfully “parked” the disappointment of the recent Ashes loss, and is ready to embrace the ebbs and flows of the forthcoming World Cup in New Zealand, where they will be defending the title they won on home soil in 2017.The England players emerged from their mandatory quarantine period three days ahead of schedule, and are due to face Bangladesh and South Africa in a pair of warm-up matches in Lincoln next week, ahead of their rematch with Australia in their tournament opener in Hamilton on Saturday.And though England’s last ODI meetings with Australia did not go to plan, as they were routed 3-0 in the decisive leg of the multi-format Ashes series, Knight believes that a few days of golf and mountain-climbing in their picturesque base of Queenstown has helped to reinvigorate the players and set them up for a very different sort of challenge in the coming weeks.”When you have to do most things outdoors, the place you want to be is one of the most stunning, beautiful places in Queenstown,” Knight said. “A few of us managed to take on Ben Lomond, which was a lot of fun, climbing for the views of Queenstown.”There’s been a lot of golf, a lot of just going to cafes, and just enjoying what Queenstown has to offer. It’s been a chance to just switch off, do a few outdoorsy things away from cricket, gather our headspace, and try and refocus following the Ashes.”