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A five-wicket haul from Bhuvneshwar Kumar won Sunrisers Hyderabad a tight game against Kings XI Punjab despite a 50-ball 95 from Manan Vohra

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy17-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:05

Agarkar: 160 was gettable without Bhuvneshwar

Manan Vohra defied a pitch of inconsistent pace and bounce and a situation stacked against his team to produce one of the IPL’s great backs-to-the-walls innings. His 95 off 50 balls revived a floundering chase, taking Kings XI Punjab to within 15 runs of victory, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar would ensure he wouldn’t be able to finish the match, taking two wickets in the 19th over to finish with 5 for 19.In the end, neither of them would be involved in what became the nerviest finish of the season. Eleven off six balls usually favours the chasing side, but seldom is a chasing side nine down at that stage. Siddarth Kaul conceded four off the first two legal balls, slipping in two wides, but pulled himself together to send down the perfect yorker with six needed off three. Ishant Sharma couldn’t put bat to it, and Sunrisers just about held on to their undefeated home record this season.Difficult pitch, quiet PowerplayA pitch full of cracks turned out slower than is usually the case in Hyderabad, with some balls skidding through and others stopping with tennis-ball bounce. Kings XI’s seamers looked to exploit this by bowling at the stumps and pitching just short of a good length.Denied the drive-able ball, the batsmen couldn’t play square with too much confidence either – given the line and the tendency of the ball to keep low. Sunrisers only scored 29 in the Powerplay, hitting just one four and losing the wicket of Shikhar Dhawan, caught behind off the glove looking to pull Mohit Sharma.Warner adapts and prospersSpin came on for the first time in the seventh over, and David Warner immediately picked up his first boundary with a reverse-sweep off KC Cariappa. In his next over, he switch-hit him for six. By the end of Sunrisers’ innings, all but two of Warner’s nine boundaries would come behind the wicket.Wickets kept falling at the other end – Axar Patel dismissed Moises Henriques and Yuvraj Singh off successive balls in the 10th over – but Warner, with a bit of help from Naman Ojha, ensured Sunrisers reached a competitive total. Having scored only 6 off his first 16 balls – all in the Powerplay – Warner went at a strike rate of 168.42 thereafter to finish unbeaten on 70 off 54.Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Act 1Interviewed between innings, VVS Laxman, the Sunrisers mentor, felt 159 was a match-winning total given the conditions and his team’s bowling resources. As it happened, it wasn’t the pitch that gave Sunrisers an early wicket but Bhuvneshwar’s swing and full length, trapping Hashim Amla lbw first ball. Glenn Maxwell promoted himself to No. 3 for the first time this season, and Bhuvneshwar dismissed him as well. This time it was the slower ball, coupled with a change of field – he brought third man into the circle, pushed mid-off back, and Maxwell took him on, unwisely.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Those skiddy Afghan spinnersFor the first time this season, Sunrisers were playing both Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan. They bowled expensive first overs – Vohra and Eoin Morgan took 29 off the fifth and sixth overs of the chase – and Warner had to pull both out of the attack. After a quiet over each from Moises Henriques and Kaul, he brought them back.Nabi struck immediately, bowling Morgan with one that skidded on, and skid would give Rashid two wickets in the next over – bye bye, David Miller and Wriddhiman Saha. Kings XI were 62 for 5 after 10 overs, and an offbreak from Nabi at the start of the next over could have easily had them 62 for 6. Vohra, though, was saved by the umpire Anil Dandekar, who saw or heard an inside edge when there was none. At that stage, he was batting on 32. In the last ball of the same over, Nabi dropped the simplest of return catches off Axar Patel.Vohra unrolls his own pitchEven in the early part of his innings, Vohra had timed the ball better than anyone from either side. What he was also doing, better than most batsmen this season, was picking Rashid’s googly out of the hand. Having brought up his fifty in the previous over, the 15th, Vohra went after Rashid again, pulling and lofting him for 4, 0, 6, 6, 4. Suddenly, Kings XI only needed 35 from 24 balls.Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Act IIKings XI, however, had already lost six wickets, and they lost a seventh when Mohit Sharma sliced Bhuvneshwar straight to deep point in the 17th over. Two balls later, Vohra timed a back-foot punch so sweetly that he hit it to the same fielder on the full, only for Shikhar Dhawan to drop it. A big six off Kaul in the next over brought the equation down to 16 off the last two, but Bhuvneshwar wasn’t done yet.KC Cariappa, for reasons unknown, decided to slog rather than give Vohra the strike, and Bhuvneshwar went through him with a yorker. Another yorker – or near-yorker – followed when Vohra got back the strike. It struck Vohra on the ankle, on the full, right in front, as he walked across to flick, and Bhuvneshwar had bowled the most important ball of the match.

Cameron Carter-Vickers is in no rush to head back to the Premier League, with the USMNT star continuing to generate transfer talk.

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• Defender left Spurs in 2021
• Impressed while in Scotland
• Attracting interest from afar

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 25-year-old centre-half has never appeared in the English top-flight, despite having come through the ranks at Tottenham to make six competitive appearances for the north London heavyweights. He took in a number of Championship loans before heading for Scotland in 2021.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Carter-Vickers saw Celtic complete a permanent transfer a year after his initial arrival and is thoroughly enjoying his time in Glasgow, telling when asked if a move back south of the border forms part of his plans: “If it comes, it comes, great, but if it doesn’t, I’m happy where I’m at now.”

• WHAT THEY SAID

  The commanding defender has been a full international since 2017, earning 14 caps for the United States, and is still coming to terms with the fact that he is gracing the biggest stages in sport. Carter-Vickers added: “The camp prior to the World Cup in the summer, I didn't really expect to be called up, but when I was, I felt like I was ready to perform for the national team. Looking back now, I'm glad, I think that summer camp was key to impress the coaching staff here and show them what I can do. That got me called into the World Cup squad, which was a dream.”

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Carter-Vickers figured in both of the United States’ friendlies during the October international break – against Germany and Ghana – and is eager to cement his place in Gregg Berhalter’s plans heading towards Copa America and World Cup tournaments that will be staged on U.S. soil in 2024 and 2026 respectively.

Debutant Cameron Green took five wickets as Tasmania were bowled out for 198 before Western Australia’s openers reduced the first-innings deficit to 49 at the end of first day’s play in Hobart

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Jonathan Wells’ 78 included 68 runs scored off boundaries•Getty Images

Western Australia dominated Tasmania on day one of the Sheffield Shield match at Bellerive Oval in Hobart.Winning the toss to have first use of a fresh pitch with the experimental Dukes ball, the Warriors bundled the Tigers out for 198 before making major inroads towards the hosts’ first-innings tally.Simon Mackin, so dominant in WA’s win over South Australia at Glenelg Oval in the previous round, plucked another four wickets to lead the visitors’ attack, while the 17-year-old debutant Cameron Green improved from a first up no-ball by claiming five wickets as he started the ball around disconcertingly.Tasmania were awfully placed at 9 for 128 before the last pair of Sam Rainbird and Cameron Stevenson offered some resistance with a swift stand of 70. George Bailey top-scored with 75.In reply, Western Australia gained the ideal start through Jonathan Wells and Cameron Bancroft. They added 130 before Wells was out to the allrounder James Faulkner for 78, leaving the Sydney Test debutant Hilton Cartwright to accompany Bancroft – not out at 58 – to the close.

Everton midfielder Amadou Onana is being targeted by Premier League rivals Manchester United ahead of a potential move to Old Trafford, according to reports.

What's the latest on Onana's future?

The Belgian international only arrived at Goodison Park from Lille last summer, but having impressed during his 32 appearances in his debut season in the top-flight, has already been attracting interest from the Emirates Stadium and Stamford Bridge.

Football Insider have reported that Arsenal and Chelsea both hold a seriously strong interest in the 21-year-old, with the Toffees having accepted the fact that he will leave if they get relegated at the end of the season, and the task to keep hold of him just got a whole lot harder as a third potential suitor has now entered the race to secure his services ahead of the 2023/24 term.

According to TEAMtalk, Manchester United are “plotting a move” for Onana on the basis that Everton drop down to the Championship. The Red Devils are on the hunt to recruit a new midfielder during the upcoming window and have been “impressed” by Sean Dyche’s talisman’s instant impact on Merseyside.

Erik Ten Hag’s outfit are “actively monitoring” his situation and have placed themselves firmly in the running to compete with their rivals for his signature. It’s believed that the player is “interested” in joining a club at the highest level in a bid to nail down a regular spot for Belgium.

Should Everton keep or sell Onana?

Everton have a real defensive midfield gem on their hands in Onana, who has already been dubbed a “one-man army” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so Dyche needs to do everything he can to maintain the side’s top-flight status and retain his services beyond the summer.

The 6 foot 4 colossus, who currently pockets £100k-per-week, has won 43 tackles from 68 players challenged this season which is the second-highest throughout the whole of the squad, alongside averaging 1.8 successful aerial duels per league game with his height.

The World Cup participant also has the ability to chip in at the opposite end of the pitch with two assists and one goal to his name since joining, via Transfermarkt, so is a hugely useful option for the boss to have available at his disposal.

Finally, Onana provides wonderful versatility having already operated in defensive, central and attacking midfield during his opening campaign so even the thought of losing him will be a huge blow to the boss, the board and no doubt the supporters too.

Persistent rain and a wet outfield resulted in an early call-off without a ball bowled on the final day of India A’s tour to Australia as the second unofficial Test in Brisbane ended in a draw

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Hilton Cartwright was awarded the Man of the Match for his 117 in the first innings•BCCIPersistent rain and a wet outfield resulted in an early call-off without a ball bowled on the final day of India A’s tour of Australia as the second unofficial Test in Brisbane ended in a draw.India A had ended the third day at 4 for 158, still 108 behind Australia A’s first-innings score of 435. India A had responded strongly with a 82-run opening stand before they lost four wickets for 16 runs.Hilton Cartwright, who struck his second first-class century in the game, was awarded the Man of the Match for his 117.Australia A won the two-match series 1-0 having won the first unofficial Test by three wickets.

A 139-run third-wicket partnership between opener Jaahid Ali and captain Babar Azam set up a four-wicket win for Pakistan A over Sri Lanka A in Northampton

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2016
File photo – Pakistan A captain Babar Azam propelled his side’s successful run chase with a 77-ball 73•Getty Images

A 139-run third-wicket stand between opener Jaahid Ali and captain Babar Azam set up a four-wicket win for Pakistan A over Sri Lanka A in Northampton. The partnership, coming off 154 balls, helped Pakistan A ride a mini-collapse to win with 11 balls to spare.Sri Lanka A made brisk progress after opting to bat, largely thanks to Niroshan Dickwella’s 31-ball 44 and Bhanuka Rajapaksa’s 63-ball 56. But wickets fell at regular intervals – by the 34th over, Sri Lanka A had slipped to 173 for 6.Thisara Perera, coming in at No. 8, chipped in with 45 off 40, hitting five fours and a six to give the innings a late boost, but Sri Lanka A were bowled out for 254, failing to utilise three overs from their full quota.Pakistan A started shakily as Sharjeel Khan and Fakhar Zaman were dismissed within the first nine overs. It was at this point that Jaahid (77) and Azam (73) took charge with a century stand that put their side firmly in control.However, their dismissals within two overs of each other, both falling to Lahiru Gamage, left Pakistan A in a hint of trouble 186 for 4 in 36 overs. Sri Lanka had a whiff of an opportunity, but it was snuffed out by handy lower-order contributions from Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Nawaz. Though neither of them stayed to see the job through, they had done enough to ensure that Pakistan A won with time to spare.The win was Pakistan A’s second in three matches, while Sri Lanka A are languishing at the bottom with three losses in as many matches.

Journalist Charles Watts has claimed that Arsenal right-back Ben White is "underrated" by those who do not watch the Gunners closely.

What's the latest on Ben White and Arsenal?

Mikel Arteta and his team took one step closer to securing the Premier League title at the end of the season with a vital win over Leeds United on Saturday.

Playing host to the Whites at the Emirates, Arsenal scored four goals and conceded just once as they thumped their opponents 4-1.

England defender White played a key role in the victory as he scored the second goal of the game and completed the full 90 minutes.

While speaking about the defender on his own YouTube channel, Watts couldn't help but sing the praises of the right-back.

Indeed, the journalist insisted that the £120k-p/w star is completely underrated, saying (11:02): “I love Ben White. I think he's so so good.

"He's such an underrated player outside of Arsenal. I think everyone at Arsenal knows how good Ben White is, how good a season he's had.

"But outside of Arsenal, I think a lot of people just don't really appreciate him. And they should because he's one hell of a player.”

Is Ben White underrated?

It seems international manager Gareth Southgate certainly doesn't rate him that highly. After all, he didn't pick him in the latest England squad – although that could be down to a non-footballing issue, as White left the Three Lions camp early during the World Cup for unspecified reasons.

So is White underrated? Well, when compared to other England right-backs, he seems to do pretty well. Indeed, as per FBREF, the Arsenal man has two goals and three assists in the Premier League this term.

This is one more goal and one more assist better than any of the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Reece James, and Kyle Walker have managed – not bad considering White played last season as a centre-back and isn't known for his attacking prowess like the others.

He has also made more blocks, attempted more tackles, and completed more take-ons than any of the other three – although he has played that most minutes. The 25-year-old is also yet to make an error leading to a shot at goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold, for instance, has made two.

Perhaps the stat the most stands out is the simplest one. White is the first-choice right-back at the best team in the country right now, having started 27 league games for the Gunners, losing just twice.

With all that in mind, he's clearly one of the best, if not the best right-back in the league right now. So it's fair to say he probably is a bit underrated.

Afghanistan are out of contention for the semi-finals, but will be keen to make a statement against West Indies and finish their campaign on a high

The Preview by Sirish Raghavan26-Mar-2016

Match facts

Sunday, March 27, 2016
Start time 1500 local (0930 GMT)2:57

Afghanistan seek final hurrah

Big Picture

More than two weeks into the tournament, and Afghanistan are still out there, playing in front of a global audience. That, in itself, is a victory, though their clash against West Indies is a dead rubber.Not merely content in having fun in the qualifiers, Afghanistan stormed into the Super 10s, and have made their presence felt. In each of their last three matches, Afghanistan have pushed their opponents, delivering a fright or two. And they have done so while showcasing a flamboyant brand of cricket that has caught the eye. As they enter their last high-profile match in the foreseeable future, they will look to go one step further and bag a major scalp. They will have to back up the flair with discipline, and sustain it over 40 overs if they are to bring West Indies down.West Indies, having secured their place in the semi-finals with a tight win over South Africa on Friday, will want to head to the knockouts unbeaten. With several players firing, West Indies are increasingly fancied as title contenders. They, however, made heavy weather of a 123 chase in their last match, and will have to be wary of Afghanistan who tested Sri Lanka, South Africa, and England.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)Afghanistan: LLLWW
West Indies: WWWWL

In the spotlight

If Afghanistan are to pull off an upset, captain Asghar Stanikzai may well have to play a key role, in more ways than one. Though Mohammad Shahzad has had the limelight in this tournament, Afghanistan’s middle order needs to chip in. And Stanikzai’s calm approach could provide some substance and stability. Stanikzai is also capable of playing the big shots, as he showed during his 62 against Sri Lanka. As a captain, he also faces the challenge of making the most of his spin resources.Denesh Ramdin’s struggles in this format have shown no signs of abating. He has the lowest T20I batting average – 16.12 – among wicketkeeper-batsmen who have played at least 20 innings. Against South Africa on Friday, he came in at no. 9. By the time he came on strike for his first ball, West Indies needed one run off three. He cut in the air straight to Hashim Amla – who dropped it – and West Indies prevailed. They will hope that Ramdin hits form to boost the team further.

Team news

Afghanistan are likely to stick to the same combination, though they need to make a choice between left-arm spinner Amir Hamza and an extra seamer.Afghanistan: (probable) 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Noor Ali Zadran, 3 Asghar Stanikzai (capt), 4 Gulbadin Naib, 5 Samiullah Shenwari, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Rashid Khan, 8 Najibullah Zadran, 9 Shafiqullah, 10 Amir Hamza/Hamid Hassan/Dawlat Zadran 11 Shapoor ZadranGiven that this is a dead rubber, West Indies may ponder giving Jason Holder a go.West Indies: (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Andre Fletcher, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Dwayne Bravo, 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Carlos Brathwaite/Jason Holder, 10 Samuel Badree, 11 Sulieman Benn

Pitch and conditions

The Nagpur surface has offered slow turn right through the World T20, and will probably continue to do so in its last match of the tournament. Mid-day temperatures have been touching the low 40s range, and the 3pm start will test the fitness of the players.

Stats and Trivia

• West Indies are one of three Full Members that Afghanistan have never met in T20Is. Against the seven they have met, they have won five and lost nine (with all five wins coming against Zimbabwe)
• West Indies have played only one other Associate team – Ireland – in T20Is. In their four matches against Ireland, they won two and lost one, with one no result

Quotes

“It has been a lucky ground for us because we have won our first round over here in Nagpur. So definitely after playing three matches and coming back it’s like a home ground and easy to adjust to the wicket. The boundaries here are very different compared to other grounds. They are longer boundaries and in addition to that we have good spinners. So, on this wicket our spinners will really help us to finish on a good note.”
“They’ve played well in all the games. They’ve batted really well, [especially when] they were chasing a big score against South Africa, who we played yesterday. So they’ve been playing well and I know them from before, so I know that they’re going to come to try and win. So we’ve got to just play properly.”

Chelsea are interested in swooping for Brighton & Hove Albion manager Roberto De Zerbi, who took the reins at the AMEX Stadium to replace Graham Potter, who previously left Albion to join the Blues and is now facing intense scrutiny over his position at the head of the table at Stamford Bridge.

It’s about as tumultuous a situation as it gets, like the roar of a disgruntled crowd in the face of a questionable VAR decision.

And with The Telegraph’s Matt Law stating that the next two matches might be “make or break” for Potter, with Chelsea tenth in the Premier League and 14 points adrift of the top-four, boasting just two victories from the past 15 outings across all competitions, a change might indeed be made.

According to Football Insider, Blues owner Todd Boehly has earmarked the current Seagulls boss as an option to replace the club’s under-fire manager, amid interest in the Italian from London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, with the future of their manager Antonio Conte itself shrouded in uncertainty.

Should Boehly appoint De Zerbi?

Boehly would replicate his first managerial appointment and have another big blunder on his hands with a move for De Zerbi, with the 43-year-old of the same mould as the current man in the dugout.

Frankly, for all Potter’s acumen on the south coast, it has not worked out at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea face a dreadful end of a woeful season, with the Sun’s Alex Matthews recently saying “he’s out of his depth.”

De Zerbi has been lauded as a “special” coach by journalist Carlo Garganese, and while he is clearly a tactically astute manager with a commendable approach to his systematic construction and footballing intellect, he fails to boast the experience and pedigree of managing a club looking to land silverware of the very highest order, drawing parallels with Potter in this regard.

Albion sit in seventh place in the top-flight, four points behind Liverpool, and his impact has been profound – even being described as “very influential” by Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

But given Potter’s tutelage at Brighton saw the club complete a steady rise up the ranks in the Premier League, there might be fear that lightning will strike twice should the past approach be emulated in this regard.

No discredit to the work that De Zerbi has forged on the south coast, but it’s a formula Chelsea are all too familiar with at present, and given the current woes, there might be a sense of incredulity pervading across west London if the club dipped back down the road to prise another manager away from Brighton.

And given reports from Spain have hinted that the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Luis Enrique are available, there is a discernible route that Chelsea must delve down to navigate toward brighter pastures under their new owners.

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is facing a spell on the sidelines, but a reliable journalist has confirmed that his injury is not as bad as first feared in a promising update for supporters.

What's the latest injury news on Trent Alexander-Arnold?

During the 3-0 Premier League victory over Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, the right-back was forced off the pitch after 71 minutes with a suspected hamstring injury and was replaced by Jarell Quansah.

In his post-match interview after the game, Jurgen Klopp delivered an immediate update on his vice-captain’s fitness. He said: “I don’t know exactly. I asked him, he said it’s [his] hamstring. ‘Not too serious’ is his opinion, but we obviously have to wait for the scans and then we will know more.”

The England international had initially been named as part of Gareth Southgate’s squad for his side's upcoming Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine and friendly vs Scotland, but with the 24-year-old having since withdrawn from duty with the Three Lions, fans will have been concerned that their academy graduate had sustained a serious problem.

How long is Alexander-Arnold out for?

Taking to X on Monday, however, The Athletic’s James Pearce revealed that Alexander-Arnold is only set to be out of action for a fortnight, and whilst he might not make next weekend’s game vs Wolves, the prognosis is a "big relief" from initial fears of serious damage:

“Trent Alexander-Arnold expected to be sidelined for around 2 weeks. Scan today showed damage to his hamstring is only minor. Big relief. A doubt for Wolves away after the break – but he’s a quick healer.”

How many goals has Alexander-Arnold scored for Liverpool?

During his 277 senior appearances for Liverpool, Alexander-Arnold has posted 89 goal contributions (73 assists and 16 goals), form which has previously seen him dubbed “mind-blowing” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and that’s certainly the impact he has under Klopp, hence why it’ll be a huge boost to have him back.

Sponsored by Under Armour, the defender has recorded a total of 18 shot-creating actions so far this season, which is tied with Dominik Szoboszlai for the most in the squad, as well as whipping 16 crosses into the box which is the second-highest behind Andy Robertson, via FBRef, highlighting his desire to provide for his peers in the final third.

The West Derby-born talent, who pockets £180k-per-week, has also helped the club to secure seven pieces of silverware since his promotion to the first team fold, including the Premier League and Champions League trophies, so he knows exactly what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level with his extraordinary winning mentality.

Finally, Alexander-Arnold has the ability to operate slightly higher up in both central and on the right side of the midfield alongside his usual role as a full-back so he provides the boss with excellent versatility, and there’s no doubt that having him in the starting line-up only increases the team’s chances of gaining a positive result.