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Barring a glitch or two, both teams are extremely well balanced, and the quality of resources at their disposal should mean that Eden Gardens is in for a top-notch contest

The Preview by Akshay Gopalakrishnan13-Apr-20183:08

Dasgupta: Gill better than most Indian batsmen in KKR squad

Big PictureForty-eight hours. After barely surviving a rollercoaster against the defending champions Mumbai Indians, that is the time Sunrisers Hyderabad have to recuperate and be back in full swing. It’s another reminder of how punishing the IPL can be, and the challenges teams face in staying fresh through two whole months in the peak of the Indian summer. Moreover, Sunrisers will have to switch cities, as they step out of home into the bastion that is Eden Gardens.With 41 victories, Kolkata Knight Riders are the third-most successful home team in IPL history. That trend extended with a dominant win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening game. Knight Riders are among the most well-balanced teams. Their batting order is full of firepower, and they bat very deep. It came to the fore against Chennai Super Kings, when Andre Russell shellacked an unbeaten 88 off 36 balls to power them to 202, after they were 89 for 5 at the halfway stage.Knight Riders’ only concern at the moment is with the domestic fast bowler’s slot. Vinay Kumar, who is their senior-most player in that department, has fallen flat, having gone at 2.82 runs per ball in the two games so far. After their failure to defend 202 against Chennai, the bowling coach Heath Streak called for better execution from the players. And while Streak placed emphasis on a change in approach over wholesale changes to the XI, Knight Riders may consider testing the Under-19 duo of Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti in place of Vinay.Like Knight Riders, Sunrisers have a wonderfully-balanced side. Shikhar Dhawan has done his best to make up for the absence of David Warner with a pair of belligerent knocks. Sunrisers’ middle order has never looked stronger, after the acquisitions of Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan. And Shakib Al Hasan has added teeth to an already potent bowling attack. However, Sunrisers lack a quick striker to complement Dhawan at the top. T20 cricket has often shown us that having one partner buckle down while the other tees off isn’t necessarily a winning strategy. And assuming that Kane Williamson will be largely responsible for holding his end up to build the innings, Sunrisers cannot afford to have two slow scorers in their top three.In the newsMitchell Johnson was rested from Knight Riders’ match against Chennai Super Kings due to a “slight niggle”, but Streak confirmed that the left-arm pacer had recovered, and was hopeful of his return. Streak also said that Lynn’s shoulder problem shouldn’t be a concern. On the eve of the match, captain Dinesh Karthik confirmed the same but also said that team decisions would be made on the morning of the game.Bhuvneshwar sat out the Mumbai game due to a sore back. While he is their spearhead, Sunrisers wouldn’t be sweating too much in case Bhuvneshwar doesn’t recover, seeing as Sandeep Sharma, his replacement, fared well with returns of 2 for 25 in four overs.The likely XIsKolkata Knight Riders: 1 Chris Lynn, 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Dinesh Karthik (capt, wk), 6 Rinku Singh/Shubman Gill, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Shivam Mavi/Kamlesh NagarkotiSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Yusuf Pathan, 6 Shakib Al Hasan, 7 Deepak Hooda, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Siddarth Kaul, 10 Sandeep Sharma/Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Billy StanlakeESPNcricinfo LtdStats that matter Of the 48 balls that Siddarth Kaul has bowled this season, batsmen haven’t been in control of their shots against 25 of them. The numbers are identical for Kaul’s teammate Rashid Khan. Kaul has taken a particular liking to the short delivery. He has bowled 11 of them so far – the second-most this season – and to great effect, giving away just nine runs, including a solitary boundary, and picking up a wicket. Sunrisers have never beaten Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. Of the five matches these two sides have played here, the home team has won all of them. Among players with at least 600 career IPL runs, Andre Russell’s Smart Strike Rate of 220.40 is, by far, the best. No other player even touches the 200-mark. Glenn Maxwell is a distant second, with 1245 runs at a Smart Strike Rate of 194.79. Contrary to the norm this season, four of the last five meetings between these two sides have been won by the team batting first. Robin Uthappa has an excellent record against Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the IPL. Off the 53 balls he has faced from the bowler, Uthappa has scored 65 runs, and is yet to be dismissed.Strategy puntUse your fast bowlers against Narine. Royal Challengers did the mistake of bowling Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar at Narine upfront, and he sunk them with a 17-ball half-century. Chennai, too, turned to Harbhajan Singh for the second over with Narine at the crease. While the move paid off for them, the contrast is telling. Since the 2015 IPL, Narine has averaged 29.7 and struck at 240.5 while being dismissed thrice in nine innings against spin. Against pace, he averages 18.6, while the strike-rate drops to 156.9, and he has got out to them 11 times in 19 innings.Fantasy picksBatsmen at the top are most likely to score the big runs, which makes Chris Lynn an automatic lock. Even if he does end up being dismissed for a low score, Lynn is unlikely to scratch around, which will make the loss of points minimal. Likewise, Narine would make a safe pick, given his batting position and utility with the ball. Since the previous season, Narine has averaged 19.06 with the bat and struck at 186.92; with the ball, he has conceded just 6.85 runs an over: as fantasy as it gets.Quotes”Yes, we’ve got to be careful. He’s not the first bowler, and he won’t be the last bowler who won’t defend 17-20. We’ve seen (Dwayne) Bravo – what he can do. We’ve seen Andre (Russell) hit quite a few overs for those sort of numbers, like 20-plus. It’s tough when you’re defending the last one, but we did the same thing: hit their bowlers for 20-plus.”

Tottenham Hotspur have given a "green light" to allow Harry Kane to travel to Germany, with an expectation that the "final final" details of the transfer can be completed soon, per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Harry Kane moving to Bayern Munich?

Kane to Bayern Munich has undoubtedly been the transfer saga of the summer and has, at points, felt like it was never going to be resolved, but over the last 24 hours, everything has suddenly and very dramatically changed.

On Thursday morning, the news broke that Daniel Levy and Co had finally accepted an offer from their German counterparts worth a whopping £86m plus £17m in add-ons to sell their most prized asset before his contract expires, allowing him to potentially leave for free next summer.

While it perhaps makes sense to sell such a valuable player to avoid him leaving for free, the news that the North Londoners had accepted an offer was still something of a shock after they had so publicly rejected the Bavarian's three previous proposals – outright ignoring their deadline of last Friday.

Read the latest Tottenham Hotspur transfer news HERE…

That said, with the fourth offer being accepted, the Lilywhites have given their £200,000-a-week star the "green light" to travel to Munich to undergo a medical and for the Bundesliga champions to complete the "final" aspects of the deal, with it being wrapped up by the end of today (Friday) per transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"Let me start with Harry Kane because the latest – after midnight – is that after positive round of talks late-night talks between Harry Kane's camp and Bayern, the agreement is finally closed. So, the issue was something related to details of the deal, not just on personal terms but something also between the people who took care of the negotiation, so they had to discuss some of these points with Bayern being a very big deal, you can imagine how complicated are all these details and so [the] agreement between clubs done in the morning €100m (£86m) guaranteed €20m (£17m) in add-ons to Tottenham.

"Daniel Levy accepted around 11am European time [Thursday], but the agreement with the player was still needed. [It was] still 50/50 during the afternoon, then during the night Harry Kane gave positive indications to Bayern. Not a done deal yet, but Bayern expect the deal to be done on Friday if all goes to plan. Tottenham have already given the authorisation to Harry Kane and to his camp to travel to Munich to undergo medical tests and to complete his move to Bayern.

"So, there is the green light from Tottenham to travel, now it's on Bayern to complete the agreement on the final final details they are discussing the final points and then it will be done on Friday that's the expectation but really important night for Bayern and for Tottenham."

It is believed the England captain is now just waiting on the go-ahead from the German giants.

How many Premier League goals does Harry Kane have?

With his move edging ever closer to being completed, the England captain has – for now – paused his quest to become the Premier League's all-time top goalscorer, but how far was he from claiming the top spot?

The man currently holding down fifth place on 184 goals is Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero who scored one of the league's most iconic goals with that winner against QPR to seal the Sky Blues their first title since 1968.

Fourth spot belongs to a legend from the Red half of Manchester, Andy Cole. The iconic forward was half of one of the league's deadliest duos alongside Dwight Yorke, but scored a seriously impressive 187 goals on his own.

The Bronze medal goes to another Manchester United legend and England's former top-scorer, Wayne Rooney. He was one of the faces of the Premier League for most of the 2000s and the early 2010s, and for good reason.

In his 491 appearances, he scored a whopping 208 goals, provided 103 assists for good measure, and ended United's all-time top-scorer.

Then we get onto Kane, who, in just 320 appearances for Spurs, has scored a frankly outrageous 213 goals, becoming the club's all-time top scorer along the way, and could still potentially claim top spot should he return in a few years.

And then, in first place as the undisputed top goalscorer in Premier League history, we have Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer who, in 441 appearances, scored an absurd 260 goals whilst providing 64 assists as well.

Shearer can once again rest easy that his record is safe from the inhuman Kane, for now anyway.

Glenn Maxwell hit form with a half-century, but Victoria lost four wickets in the space of two overs as stumps neared on day two against South Australia in Melbourne

Daniel Brettig05-Nov-2017
Marcus Harris celebrates his century•Getty Images

Glenn Maxwell reminded the selection chairman Trevor Hohns of his desire to stay in the Australian Test team and Marcus Harris showed flashes of brilliance in a century that took Victoria into a first innings lead over South Australia, before the Redbacks fired back with the second new ball to leave the Sheffield Shield match tantalisingly poised after two days at the MCG.Playing with a considered, determined approach that mirrored his first Test century in Ranchi earlier this year, Maxwell made it as far as 60 before he was unfortunate to be dismissed when a Daniel Worrall short ball deflected from his body onto the stumps on the stroke of tea. The manner of the dismissal, in the face of a concerted short-pitched attack by Worrall, emphasised how Maxwell had been trying to occupy the crease rather than going for his many shots at every opportunity.In making his third Shield hundred for the Bushrangers, meanwhile, Harris showcased the talent that led to his selection by Western Australia as a teenager, now allied to greater consistency than he was able to demonstrate with the Warriors. He and Aaron Finch took a particular toll on the wrist spin of Adam Zampa, who claimed the opening wicket of the innings but was taken for more than six an over.Zampa had been unfortunate when he lured Harris out of his crease with the opener on 47. Alex Carey, considered a chance to take the wicketkeeper’s spot in the Australian Ashes XI, was unable to complete the chance, though he was later to claim a neat diving catch to dismiss Daniel Christian.As stumps neared, the Bushrangers seemed certain to build a major advantage, but the captain Peter Handscomb was freakishly caught and bowled by a diving Jake Lehmann, and after Worrall found some reverse swing to nab Sam Harper lbw a further four wickets went down in the space of two overs with the second new ball. Chadd Sayers claimed three of these in the final over of the day, the last two with consecutive balls to leave him on a hat-trick with one wicket of the Victorian innings available on day three.

Leeds United have seen an offer for Bayern Munich goalkeeper Alexander Nubel turned down, according to fresh reports from Germany.

Who is Alexander Nubel?

Nubel is a goalkeeper who first arrived at the Allianz Arena on a free transfer from FC Schalke back in 2020, but the following term, he completed a two-year loan switch to Monaco meaning that he’s only recently returned to his parent club in the Bundesliga, as per Transfermarkt.

During his time with Adi Hutter’s side, the 26-year-old started all 38 games in Ligue 1 and firmly established himself as their first-choice, a luxury he’s never been used with Thomas Tuchel’s outfit whose official number one and captain is Manuel Neuer, hence why the former moved elsewhere to receive more regular game time.

Bild recently reported that the German doesn’t see his long-term future at the club and has made it clear to them that he wants to leave, and it was stated that Stuttgart want to take him on loan whilst the Whites were more so looking to wrap up a permanent deal.

Sky Sports in his homeland soon after claimed that Bayern were set to make a final decision on his future by Monday, and if the following update is to be believed, Daniel Farke and the 49ers have already learned their fate as to whether they were successful in their pursuit.

Are Leeds signing Alexander Nubel?

According to Kicker (via Sport Witness), Leeds, and by extension new owners the 49ers Enterprises, “made an offer” for Nubel worth in excess of €10m (£8m) plus bonuses after learning that Stuttgart had failed in their opening attempt to land him.

Bayern’s shot-stopper is believed to hold a “negative attitude” towards the project in Yorkshire, with relegation to the Championship having not “helped them”, and therefore, doesn't want to make the move. The German giants are claimed to have since resumed discussions and have reached an agreement over a loan move with Stuttgart, therefore meaning that he won’t be going to Elland Road.

Is Leeds missing out on Alexander Nubel a blow for Farke?

Leeds might have to enter the market for a new goalkeeper this summer should Illan Meslier depart, which there’s a strong chance he will having admitted that he would be open to a move to Chelsea, and Nubel could have been the perfect replacement having been hailed “top class” by journalist Josh Bunting.

At Monaco, the 6 foot 3 colossus kept nine clean sheets from 38 Ligue 1 matches last season and he recorded a total of 140 saves from 195 shots on target against, giving him a success rate of 72.8%,via FBRef, a percentage that’s significantly higher than Meslier’s 59.5%, showing that he could have been an upgrade on Farke’s current number one.

Nubel, who has experience of playing in both the Champions League and Europa League, also has an extremely strong range of passing having completed 99.2% of his short dispatches and 97.5% of his medium dispatches so has an eye for picking passes to his outfield teammates, but this is a quality that the boss will have to do without after seeing his approach turned down.

Manchester United look like their hunt for a new goalkeeper is at an end as the 'deal is done' to take Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana to Old Trafford, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Andre Onana going to Manchester United?

As per The Athletic, Manchester United have 'agreed a €51million (£43.9m, $57.4m) fee plus €4m in add-ons' for the signing of Onana from Inter Milan as the Red Devils close in on landing a new goalkeeper.

Onana has the freedom to decide how to conduct his medical and will either fly to Manchester to carry it out or he could do it elsewhere before taking the journey to the United States to link up with Erik Ten Hag's men on their pre-season tour.

BBC Sport understand that Onana will sign a five-year deal at Old Trafford with the option of an extra 12 months as Manchester United finally get their hands on the Cameroon international, who will replace long-serving stopper David De Gea between the sticks.

Last term, the 27-year-old made 49 appearances in all competitions for Inter Milan and managed to keep 19 clean sheets in total, as per Transfermarkt.

In Serie A, Onana showed his reliability as the last line of defence, maintaining a save percentage rate of 73.5% in the Italian top flight, according to FBRef.

Manchester United aren't done there with looking to add to their goalkeeper pool as Urawa Red Diamonds man Zion Suzuki is a player they are exploring to offer competition within the ranks.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer expert Romano has confirmed that Onana will be a Manchester United player and it is only a matter of time before he is officially announced.

Romano stated: "For sure, Manchester United have the verbal agreement. So, no issues, no danger, the player will sign very soon a five-year contract with an option for an extra season.

"The deal is done, it's just about signing all the documents and then Andre Onana will become a new Manchester United player."

What other transfer business could happen at Manchester United?

Romano has revealed on Twitter that Manchester United will turn their attention towards Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund once they conclude the signing of Onana, stating: "Manchester United are preparing their opening bid for Rasmus Højlund! Told personal terms are 100% agreed. He wants United. Atalanta told United they don’t want 3 players offered in the deal after initial talks. Asking price around €65/70m. Next step: official bid."

Player sales are also likely in the next few weeks to keep the Red Devils on a healthy financial footing and defender Harry Maguire is attracting interest from West Ham United, who have seen a loan bid rejected for the England international, as per The Guardian.

The Manchester Evening News report that goalkeeper Dean Henderson is a target for Nottingham Forest; however, he could be included on the Red Devils' pre-season tour of the United States despite being expected to leave the club.

METRO claim that Manchester United boss Ten Hag could sanction a sale for Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay if an appropriate level of attraction towards his services from other sides arises amid links to West Ham United, signifying that the Red Devils could be set for plenty of incomings and outgoings over the next few weeks at Old Trafford.

The door could well be open for Tottenham Hotspur to strike a deal for Japanese international, Daichi Kamada, following the midfielder's recent exit from Eintracht Frankfurt.

What are the latest Tottenham transfer rumours?

According to 90min, the Lilywhites have reportedly been offered the chance to land the free agent this summer following the collapse of his proposed move to AC Milan, with the north Londoners – as well as Newcastle United – having been 'informed' about the 26-year-old's situation.

As per the piece, the 6 foot sensation – who has been without a club since coming to the end of his contract at Frankfurt last month – had reached an agreement regarding a move to San Siro, albeit with subsequent changes to the hierarchy at the Serie A outfit leading to the club pulling out of a deal.

This follows reports in Germany that revealed Tottenham's interest in the former Sagan Tosu man heading into the January transfer window, following the playmaker's impact at the World Cup in the winter.

Who is Daichi Kamada?

The 29-cap dynamo notably started all four games for his country during their run to the last-16 in Qatar, having also impressed in the Bundesliga last term after scoring nine goals and chipping in with six assists from his 32 league outings.

Prior to that, Kamada had been part of the Frankfurt side that claimed Europa League glory during the 2021/22 campaign, notably scoring five goals in 13 appearances in the competition that season, including in the first-leg, semi-final victory over West Ham United.

As journalist Josh Bunting stated back in August, the exciting gem is not only an "incredible talent" but is also simply a "joy to watch", hence why the likes of Spurs and Newcastle have been paying such close attention to him of late.

If Ange Postecoglou is to seal a deal for Kamada ahead of those rival suitors over the coming weeks, the 57-year-old could seemingly find a perfect partner for recent addition, James Maddison in the centre of the park, with the latter man having joined on a £40m deal from Leicester City.

With the ex-Celtic boss likely to utilise his preferred 4-3-3 formation next season which includes two advanced midfielders – or number eight's – then the Greek-Aussie could be able to slot Kamada in alongside Maddison in that system.

Like the Englishman – who notably averaged 1.7 tackles per game in the Premier League in 2022/23 – the Frankfurt machine can also muck in defensively having averaged 1.6 tackles per game last term.

Also lauded as a player with "intelligent movement in and around the box", according to Bunting, Kamada showcased a real desire to get forward and impact proceedings in the final third as he ranks in the top 10% among midfielders for touches in the attacking penalty area, with Maddison sharing that front-foot approach as he ranks in the top 1% in that regard.

The duo are also alike due to their ability to net themselves or tee up others with quality service, with the former Foxes ace – who registered 19 goal involvements in the top-flight last season – ranking in the top 1% for both non-penalty goals and assists, while Kamada is not too far behind as he ranks in the top 5% and the top 15% for those same two metrics, respectively.

To potentially have two players who possess that same attacking and creative intent is a truly exciting prospect as far as Spurs are concerned, with it no doubt set to be a real bargain if Postecoglou can snap up the in-demand asset on a free.

The Durban-based Dolphins franchise have a new boss after Heinrich Strydom was unveiled as their CEO on Tuesday. Strydom is currently in charge of provincial side North West, one of the teams that feed into the Lions’ franchise, and will take over at Kingsmead from August 1.Strydom succeeds Pete de Wet, who left Durban for Napier last August. The franchise has since been overseen by two acting CEOs, Rajesh Behari, and Muhammad Seedat who will remain in charge until Strydom takes over ahead of the 2017-18 season.At 34, Strydom will be the youngest franchise CEO but he brings with him almost a decade of experience in cricket administration. Apart from his role at North West – a union which regularly plays host to international touring sides for warm-up matches and which will host its first Test since 2002 against Bangladesh this summer – Strydom has also served as general manager of the Lions. His work in creating a venue that is in demand from visiting teams such as Australia, and in building one of the most successful outfits in the country, should serve both Kingsmead and the Dolphins well.The franchise is desperate for silverware after three barren seasons. The Dolphins’ last success was in 2013-14, when they won the T20 competition under coach Lance Klusener. They have since gone through a period of strife during which Klusener’s contract was not renewed, internationals such as Kyle Abbott and David Miller left, and de Wet stepped down, before stabilising under new coach Grant Morgan.”It is an exciting prospect to work with Grant Morgan, a man I know quite well, having played against him in a Club Champs final. Taking on a national franchise was always the next step for me and I am really looking forward to the challenge of running the Dolphins franchise,” Strydom, an opening batsman who played five first-class matches, said. “I am not coming in to change everything. There are a lot of really good things at the Dolphins but I do believe that we can be in the top three franchises in the country.”Apart from domestic results, Stydom will also look to grow Kingsmead’s profile, as it seeks to remain one of the premier international venues in the country. Last season, the stadium hosted an early season Test against New Zealand in August and there was no play possible for three of the five days because of a soaked outfield. The fault did not lie with administrators in Durban, but with an ill-timed re-scarifying of the outfield.Nonetheless, Kingsmead’s outfield was judged poor by the ICC and its reputation took a knock. Two ODIs were played at the stadium since then without incident but Kingsmead continues to fight for its status as the Boxing Day venue of choice for Tests.Recent years have seen the festive fixture alternate between Durban and Port Elizabeth and there is no confirmation of where or if it will be played this summer. With India yet to confirm their fixtures for a four-Test tour of South Africa, Kingsmead has to wait to see which of the matches it may host. The next scheduled Test is in March 2018 against Australia but a host of domestic matches, including those in the inaugural South African T20 league, will precede that. Ensuring Kingsmead is up to standard will be among Strydom’s biggest tasks.

USMNT star Gio Reyna came off the bench as Borussia Dortmund scraped past Newcastle in the Champions League

Article continues below

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• Reyna starts match on bench, again
• Subbed on in 78th minute
• Dortmund win 1-0

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Felix Nmecha's lovely first-time strike stole the headlines as Borussia Dortmund earned their first win of the Champions League group stage, with a brilliant three points on the road against Newcastle. The German international scored the lone goal of the match on a rainy Tuesday evening.

  Dortmund shotstopper Gregor Kobel may deserve the praise on the night, though, as he made an astonishing save in the 57th minute to deny striker Callum Wilson. The England international replaced an injured Alexander Isak just 17 minutes into the match, but never found his groove.

  It's an incredibly important three points earned for Terzic's side, but they leave the Toon's ground knowing they were lucky to get by without conceding. Caught flat in the attack more often than not, the Black and Yellow lacked a connecting presence from their midfield to attack. It's time to give Reyna that connecting role, with his first start of the season.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Having just returned from injury towards late September, Reyna made his first Dortmund appearance of the season on October 7, but has yet to start a match for his club this season. German international and club legend, 34-year-old Marco Reus, has been occupying the 10 role for Terzic's side, but the Bundesliga legend simply cannot keep up with these performances week-in and week-out.

  It's time Dortmund give Reyna, who has provided a spark off the bench for them of late, a starting role to see what he can do. The Black and Yellow have scraped by with narrow victories of late, with this being their second-consecutive 1-0 win in all competitions. Terzic's side, however, now sit second in their UCL group, which is an excellent showing in this year's so-called Group of Death.

  With this being the halfway point of the group stages, there's no doubt that the competition is set to heat up.

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  USMNT IMPACT

  Lert's be honest, if there was a match to start Reyna in, it was Tuesday's tie against Newcastle. He looked brilliant for the USMNT in their friendlies against both Germany and Ghana, and then came off the bench on the weekend to provide an incredible spark for the Bundesliga side in a narrow 1-0 victory. His benching has to be disappointing for Berhalter and the USMNT, because they need Reyna to get consistent minutes at this level. There is nothing better than a UCL night under the lights for a player to find himself again.

  For Reyna, it's all about fighting for a starting role now. He needs to get going, and fast, as the USMNT are next back in action on November 16 in a clash vs Trinidad & Tobago.

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  GOAL'S RATING

  Gio Reyna (N/A): Reyna was a 78th-minute sub, and by that point, Terzic had parked the bus. Hard to judge any attacking player when tactics like that are implemented.

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Discover our top six streaming devices and why they should star in your gadget lineup

Calling all cable cutters! It’s an exciting time to be you. 

Streaming devices are the top tier of flexible viewing, bringing all the streaming services you use into one neat location. Whether you’re looking for live coverage of the Premier League or some pithy life lessons from Jose Mourinho in Netflix’s “The Playbook”, you’re covered with the click of a button. If that's not enough, any device worth its salt features 4k and HDR content, so you've always got a front-row seat.

There are a lot of streaming devices to choose from. To fast-track you to the right one for your budget, we've put together our six best and brightest.

What to consider: Essential Visual QualityInterface Apps in the device library App and content Loading speedPricingAdditionalSmart device functions AdvertisementsDolby audio and visual compatibilityOur Top Six Streaming DevicesRoku Streaming Stick 4k [$49.99]Roku Express 4k [ $39.99]Nvidia Shield TV [$149.99]Chromecast with Google TV 4k [$49.99]Amazon Firestick 4k max [$54.99]Apple TV 4k [$129.99]

We've weighed up the merits of each, so you can decide which gets the sacred spot in your living room.

Whether you're buying on a budget, or on the hunt for premium visuals that put you a hairbreadth from the action, there's something for you.

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Best Cable and Satellite providers for live sports streamingBest streaming services for live sports in 2023

You can also find league and competition schedules for your favorite teams using GOAL's streaming services.

FAQSDo I have to pay monthly for my device?

No, your streaming device is a one-off purchase. However, streaming services and channels accessed via your streaming device (e.g., Netflix, Amazon Prime, Peacock, Paramount+) will require you to pay a monthly subscription. 

Will I have access to every channel?

Most devices have access to the big streaming apps you need. However, if you’re looking to stream specific leagues and games, it’s essential to check which services broadcast them and whether those services are available through that device.

Are additional features worth the extra cost?

That depends. For most people watching the big game in 4k with HDR is more than enough to feel close to the action. But if you want a cinematic experience with every watch and are willing to invest, the likes of Dolby Audio and visuals will provide a more immersive viewing experience. 

Best streaming devices

Roku Express 4k is hands down the best on the market for those wanting quality streaming on a budget.  It’s one of the only 4k services available for under $50, offering good app variety and loading speeds. Express includes Airplay, so it can be synchronized across Apple devices. It’s an affordable all-rounder. 

The Nvidia Shield 4k is an accomplished all-rounder. It’s one of the pricier dishes on the menu as a result, but well worth it if it fits your budget. Nvidia Shield TV is an Android device that comes with 4K streaming and HDR, lightning-fast loading, and a responsive, user-friendly dashboard. Its extensive app library gives you up to 5000 channels.

If that’s not enough, you get all the smart features you could ask for, with built-in Google Assistant, smart home control, network data storage and file sharing, and DVR storage for live TV recording through HDHomeRun.

Say hello to smart streaming. Chromecast offers 4k, HDR and is a reliable option for live TV.  However, its greatest strengths are its smart device features, offering Google assistance via the voice-controlled remote and smart home control. Chromecast also integrates seamlessly with other Google-run platforms, such as YouTube and Google Photos.

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Supporting Wi-Fi 6 and Dolby Vision, the Amazon Fire Stick 4k Max offers impressive loading speeds and high-quality visuals if you have the appropriate router. Similarly to Google Chromecast, the Amazon Fire Stick is well integrated with other services from the provider.  The Fire Stick 4k Max features Alexa to help you search for your favorite channels, as well as smart home control and a huge variety of apps.

A round-up of the fourth round of matches in the WICB Regional 4-Day Tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2016Jamaica captain, left-arm spinner Nikita Miller, took 9 for 41 in the second innings as his team beat Trinidad & Tobago by 132 runs at Sabina Park in Kingston. Miller had taken nine consecutive wickets, the last of which came in the 55th over, but narrowly missed out on a possible ten-wicket haul when Roshon Primus was trapped in front by Damion Jacobs off the last ball of the 56th.Miller’s effort came after T&T legspinner Imran Khan had run through Jamaica’s lower order earlier in the day. Having resumed the day on 148 for 4, with a lead of 256, Jamaica lost overnight batsman Jermaine Blackwood for 81 in the second over. He was trapped in front by offspinner Jon-Russ Jaggesar who also removed the other overnight batsman, Devon Thomas. Imran then took the last four wickets to complete his second five-wicket haul of the season and bowl Jamaica out for 229.Imran was then promoted to open the batting for T&T, from where he scored 52 and was involved in a brisk stand of 76 with Kyle Hope. But there was to be only one other half-century stand in the innings, a 50-run stand for the fifth wicket between Yannic Cariah and Yannick Ottley; courtesy Miller, T&T had collapses of 4 for 47 and 6 for 32 on either side of that to fold for 205 in their chase of 338.Speaking to the after the match, Miller said he had gone about business as usual. “They got off to a flyer in the chase, but I was not really worried,” he said. “I just tried to put the ball in the right areas. I was not expecting nine wickets, but it worked out well for me and I got my best-ever haul.”Miller had taken three wickets in the first innings, while legspinner Jacobs picked up four, ensuring Jamaica had the comfortable advantage of 108 runs after the teams’ first innings. For T&T, Jason Mohammed was left stranded on 91 not out in that innings, as the team was bowled out for 206 in response to Jamaica’s 314. The hosts’ total was built on half-centuries from Andre McCarthy and Brandon King.Windward Islands captain Liam Sebastien’s Man-of-the-Match performance helped his side defeat Leeward Islands and register their first outright win of the season at Windsor Park in Roseau. The allrounder was at the forefront of an impressive comeback by Windward Islands – they recovered from 48 for 7 on the first day, to win the match by 94 runs.Sebastien had led his team back from that precarious position on the first day with an unbeaten 82, after fast bowlers Gavin Tonge and Alzarri Joseph had torn through the batting following Leeward Islands’ decision to bowl. During his knock, Sebastien forged consecutive fifty-plus partnerships with the last three batsmen – 78, 70 and 97. He played second fiddle in the last two, where No. 10, Delorn Johnson (56 off 44), and No. 11, Mervin Matthew (73 off 53), made career-best scores to lift their total to 293.In response, only two Leeward Islands batsmen made significant contributions – Montcin Hodge with 76, and Jahmar Hamilton with 94 – as Shane Shillingford (5 for 96) combined with Sebastien (4 for 78) to bowl them out for 259 and take the lead. Sebastien wasn’t required to bat in the second innings as Windward Islands scored at over four per over on the back of ninty-somethings from Tyrone Theophile (96) and Sunil Ambris (91) to declare on 333 for 8 and set Leeward 368 to win.Hamilton added to his first-innings 94 with a 134-ball 125 but once again found little in terms of partners. Kieran Powell and Chesney Hughes got out in the forties, and Hodge made another start, but no one else got into double digits as Leeward folded for 273. Sebastien took 4 for 67 to finish with eight in the match.Shivnarine Chanderpaul nicked behind for 100 in the first innings•WICB

Guyana conceded the top spot to Jamaica after playing out a draw with Barbados at the Providence. Barbados are placed third, just 0.8 behind Guyana.Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s 72nd first-class hundred – 100 off 141 balls including 13 fours – was instrumental in handing Guyana the first-innings advantage. His first ton of the season took Guyana to 311 on the first day.Having opted to bat, the hosts lost Rajendra Chandrika and captain Leon Johnson early, but Shimron Hetmyer (60) and Vishaul Singh (40) gave Chanderpaul a decent platform. Chanderpaul then batted for 245 minutes, before he was the ninth batsman to dismissed. Gudakesh Motie, the No. 10, contributed 36 off 89 balls.In reply, Barbados lost both their openers within five overs. Shai Hope and Roston Chase then perked up the side with half-centuries, but the loss of the last six wickets for 78 runs meant they conceded a 23-run lead.Guyana then subsided to 137 all-out in 35.2 overs, with Hetmyer contributing almost half of the total. Offspinning allrounder Chase did the bulk of the damage, claiming figures of 5 for 41. Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican supported him with three wickets. Chasing 161, Barbados were reduced to 11 for 3 in 3.2 overs, but Chase and Shamarh Brooks hung onto secure a draw and 9.8 points for their team.