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The five oldest cricketers to have played in the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-2015Shane Warne Age: 41y 249d
Teams: Rajasthan Royals
What he did: ‘Hollywood’ provided the IPL with the perfect story in its inaugural season: his captaincy, big-game temperament and ability to infuse self-belief in little-known players led the unfancied Royals to the title in 2008. The results weren’t as spectacular in the three seasons that followed, but there was another story perfect for the IPL in his final year: a high-profile romance with Hollywood star Liz Hurley•AFPMuttiah Muralitharan Age: 42y 35d
Teams: Chennai Super Kings, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Royal Challengers Bangalore
What he did: Test and ODI cricket’s leading wicket-taker didn’t make quite the same impact in the IPL – he was an integral performer in the first three seasons with Chennai Super Kings, after which he was a fringe player for four years•AFPPravin Tambe Age: 43y 198d
Teams: Rajasthan Royals
What he did: Perhaps the most heart-warming story in the IPL. At 41, senior cricket seemed to have passed him by, before Royals made another of their punts to give Tambe a chance at big-time cricket. It proved to be one of their most astute investments, as he has developed to become a certain starter over the last two seasons•BCCIBrad Hogg Age: 44y 81d
Teams: Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders
What he did: He was one of Royals’ wildcard picks in 2012 but only played 10 lukewarm matches over two seasons. Two years later, Knight Riders’ love of unconventional spinners and Sunil Narine’s unavailability due to doubts over his action provided Hogg another shot•BCCI

Gurbaz and Zazai racked up 83 runs, out of a target of 106, in the powerplay itself

Danyal Rasool27-Aug-20221:31

Jaffer: Farooqi sets up batters by swinging the ball both ways

A thrilling all-round performance saw Afghanistan crush Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the first game of the 2022 Asia Cup. The bowlers set the foundation, reducing Sri Lanka to 5 for 3, with Fazalhaq Farooqi responsible for most of the carnage. Despite a brief resurgence in the middle thanks to a 44-run stand between Danushka Gunathilaka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Afghanistan struck back hard, running through the lower order.Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb ur Rehman and Mohammad Nabi were all among the wickets, and despite late resistance from Chamika Karunaratne, the 105 Sri Lanka managed was woefully inadequate. It took the Afghan openers just 10.1 overs to take it down; Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai racked up 83 runs in the Powerplay itself effectively ending the game as a contest right there.The first three overs
There was chaos and controversy to kick off the Asia Cup, but by the time the fog of the first three overs lifted, Afghanistan had a vice-like grip on the game. Farooqi struck twice in two balls in the first over to remove Kusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka, but it was Pathum Nissanka’s wicket that raised eyebrows. The umpire deemed the batter to have nicked off to the keeper, only for Sri Lanka to review immediately. In a baffling bit of third umpiring, the on-field umpire was advised to stand by his decision despite UltraEdge showing almost no deviation. It caused consternation among the Sri Lanka camp, but Afghanistan had the rub of the green. Over the next three hours. They made it count.Rajapaksa revival
There was the briefest glimmer of hope for Sri Lanka just after that destructive start that saw them lose three early wickets. It came in the form of a classy little stand between Gunathilaka and Rajapaksa. Rajapaksa lifted Naveen ul Haq over the mid-off boundary for a glorious six to kickstart that passage of play, with his team-mate joining in later in the over. The real carnage took place in the final Powerplay over that saw the pair plunder four boundaries in an over that cost 20 to undo some of the damage that had happened early on. But when Gunathilaka sent a reverse sweep straight down deep cover’s throat, things began to unravel for Sri Lanka once more. Rajapaksa soldiered on briefly, but was ultimately done by some shocking running that saw two wickets fall in that fashion in two balls.Karunaratne’s resistance
It was probably much too late by the 15th over, but Karunaratne wasn’t to know that. Farming the strike adroitly for the final five overs, he almost single-handedly added 30 to the final partnership to ensure Sri Lanka recovered from 75 for 9 to post a three-figure total. It was an engrossing period of play in many ways, with almost every delivery struck to a deep fielder and ending up as a dot ball. There were occasions where the running might have been sharper, but after two run-outs that could only be described as brain freezes, Karunaratne wasn’t taking any chances.Gurbazball?
A low-scoring game in the UAE against Sri Lanka has the potential to become a horrid second-innings scrap, but Gurbaz wasn’t having any of it. In a whirwind of a cameo, he would thump 40 off 18 balls to help Afghanistan rack up 83 in the Powerplay, breaking the back of the chase before Sri Lanka’s spinners could even get into their work. Matheesha Pathirana and Maheesh Theekshana were singled out for punishment, tonked for 16 and 21 respectively in a no-holds barred display of pure power.

Leeds United are looking to build on their win over Cardiff City as they prepare to play host to Coventry City at Elland Road in the Championship on Saturday.

The Whites are currently sixth in the division after their 2-0 win over the Welsh side last time out, and have only lost one of their first six matches.

Daniel Farke’s side are looking to secure promotion from the league at the second time of asking, after they lost 1-0 to Southampton in the play-off final last season, and three points against Mark Robins’ side will be another step in the right direction.

Largie Ramazani and Joel Piroe scored the goals for Leeds last time out against Cardiff, after the hosts were reduced to ten men through Joe Bagan’s red card for fouling Wilfried Gnonto on the edge of the box as the last man.

Farke may still look to make some changes to his starting XI from that match, with one potentially forced, and here is our predicted Leeds line-up to take to the field on Saturday.

1

GK – Illan Meslier

Between the sticks, French stopper Illan Meslier should keep his place after keeping another clean sheet in the 2-0 win over Cardiff last time out.

The left-footed only made two saves against the Welsh side but did provide a reliable outlet on the ball for Leeds, completing 89% of his attempted passes.

2

RB – Jayden Bogle

At right-back, summer signing Jayden Bogle deserves to retain his position in the team after an impressive performance against Cardiff last weekend.

The English defender won eight of his 12 duels and created two chances for his teammates, which shows that he made an impact in and out of possession.

3

CB – Joe Rodon

The former Swansea man, Joe Rodon, had little to do against the rivals of his former club, as Leeds dominated the ball and kept attacks away from their centre-backs.

He did not win a single duel, or make any clearances, blocks, or tackles, in his 90 minutes on the pitch, but did complete 95% of his attempted passes.

4

CB – James Debayo

The first change to the starting XI could come at the heart of the defence for Leeds. Pascal Struijk could miss out with an adductor injury, with his availability said to be a last-minute call.

With Max Wober also out with a knee injury, Farke’s options are to move Ampadu back into a centre-back role – as he did last season – or call upon academy talent James Debayo.

In his pre-match press conference, the German boss revealed that he has been “very impressed” by Debayo in training and starting him next to Rodon would allow Ampadu to continue in midfield, which is why that is the route the manager could go down on Saturday.

5

LB – Junior Firpo

At left-back, Junior Firpo should retain his place in the side after the former Barcelona man produced a strong showing last time out against Cardiff.

He won five of his eight duels, making three tackles and two interceptions, and created three chances for his teammates, which shows that the defender offered quality at both ends of the pitch.

6

CM – Ethan Ampadu

Ampadu should captain the team in the middle of the park and will not play at centre-back to replace Struijk, with Debayo boldly unleashed at the back instead.

The Wales international won eight of his 11 duels in midfield against Cardiff and will look to offer a combative presence for Leeds against Coventry.

7

CM – Ilia Gruev

Next to the skipper, Ilia Gruev could be named in the starting XI once again, having started all six of the club’s Championship matches so far this season.

The former Werder Bremen star has yet to register a goal or an assist in the division this term and should be aiming to rectify that in the coming games.

8

RW – Wilfried Gnonto

On the right side of the attack, Wilfried Gnonto should keep his place in the team after he played an important role in the win over Cardiff last weekend.

It was the Italy U21 international’s surging run that forced Bagan to haul him to the floor, albeit momentarily, and take the red card for his side in the first half, which allowed the Whites to go on and control the game with ease against ten men.

9

AM – Joel Piroe

The second change to the starting XI could come in the number ten position as Joel Piroe could be rewarded with a start ahead of Brenden Aaronson.

In the last three matches, the Dutch forward has come off the bench and scored two goals – against Hull and Cardiff – and Farke may look to reward his impressive cameos with a start.

It would be harsh on Aaronson, who has produced two goals and one assist in the Championship this season, but rotation is important when there are 46 games to play in the campaign and he will get plenty of other opportunities to shine.

For this match, Piroe, who was once hailed as “dangerous” by journalist Josh Bunting, should be given a chance to show what he can do from the start after his impressive goalscoring exploits off the bench in recent weeks.

10

LW – Largie Ramazani

On the left side of the attack, Largie Ramazani should make his full debut at Elland Road after his first start in Wales against Cardiff last Saturday.

Manor Solomon remains out with a back injury but the Belgian whiz deserves to start, irrespective of whoever else is available, after a fine finish to open his account for the club in the first half last weekend.

He reflects on how things went wrong for him in 2016 and the challenges in the conditions

Alex Malcolm27-Jun-2022Stick to your plans. That will be the message to Australia’s batters as they head to Sri Lanka for their biggest batting examination in three years of Test cricket.Pakistan did not quite throw up the batting challenges against spin that were anticipated in March, particularly in the first two Tests, where Australia secured a 1-0 win led with the bat by the prolific Usman Khawaja. However, not every Australian batter prospered, with some losing the patience battle in conditions that demanded diligence and discipline more so than technical prowess against spin.Sri Lanka will pose a different challenge, with two Tests in Galle on what are likely to be big turners from early in the game.Former Australia batter and current Western Australian coach Adam Voges found out how challenging Sri Lanka can be both technically and mentally on Australia’s disastrous tour in 2016.Voges went to Sri Lanka as Australia’s oldest player at 35 and was averaging 95.50 after his first 15 Tests, including five centuries and two doubles. He also went as one of Australia’s best players of spin. But he averaged just 19.66 for the series in three Tests, falling to spin five times including four times to the left-arm orthodox of Rangana Herath, who took 28 wickets at 12.75 for the series to dismantle Australia in a 3-0 Sri Lankan sweep.Related

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Voges regrets abandoning his plans to use his sweep shot following the tour game prior to the Test series.”I’d do a few things differently,” Voges told ESPNcricinfo. “It was a disappointing tour from a team point of view, but certainly from my point of view, it certainly wasn’t the tour that I wanted to have.”I had a very clear plan on how I wanted to play over in Sri Lanka going into that series and worked a lot on my sweep shot, knowing that we were going to face a lot of spin in those conditions. The disappointing thing on reflection was that I went away from those plans.”I got out sweeping in our practice game and sort of put the conventional sweep shot away during the Test series and it probably really limited what I was able to do from a scoring and rotation of strike point of view.”If I had my time again, I would have stuck to my guns and backed my plan in and who knows, it may not have made any difference to what I was able to produce, but I would have been a lot more comfortable knowing that I’d stuck with something that I’d worked so hard on in the lead-up to that series.”‘I got out sweeping in our practice game and sort of put the conventional swipe shot away…it probably really limited what I was able to do’•AFP

None of Australia’s Test batters will have had any red-ball cricket heading into the first Test starting on Wednesday. David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green and Alex Carey have all played in the ODI series, as has Glenn Maxwell, who has also been drafted into the Test squad as cover for Head after his hamstring injury.Maxwell has not played a first-class match with a red ball since 2019. Khawaja has played no cricket at all since his phenomenal performance in Pakistan, having spent a couple of months at home with his family in the lead-up to this series.Voges stressed the importance of Australia’s batters having a clear plan going into the two-Test series and backing those plans under pressure.”You’ve got to be fast on your feet and you’ve got to be able to create length, either full or short to provide scoring options. I think that’s the absolute key,” Voges said. “It’s generally not the one that spins and beats your outside edge that is the dangerous one. It’s the one that goes straight on the next ball and being able to understand that you definitely have to cover that one and being okay with playing and missing at the odd one that spins past you.”But then if you are going to use your feet and come out of your crease, committing to making sure you’re getting as close to the ball as you possibly can. All easy when you’re sitting down talking about it. It’s being able to go out there and execute it under pressure.”Voges spent some time with Green in Perth in the lead-up to his departure for the ODI series, although preparations were a mixture of white-ball and red-ball, and a lot of it was done indoors using spin mats because of the winter weather in WA in early June.Green employed the sweep shot during the ODI series far more than he ever has previously, but Voges believes he does not need it as much as others because of his size.Usman Khawaja’s improvement against spin could again come to the fore•AFP/Getty Images

“Greeny is different,” Voges said. “He’s so big. He’s got such a big reach and so it’s a little bit different for him. His forward defence and his drives are probably further down the wicket than what shorter players are. So I think that gives him an advantage.”Again, him working out how he wants to go about it, making sure that he’s really strong in his defence and he’s trusting his defence, but being clear about how he’s going to look to score as well.”Ultimately, a lot of the prep work I think gets done over in those conditions. And I think that’s where you truly start to adapt to what you’re going to be playing on.”Khawaja is heading to Sri Lanka for the third time, having played two Tests in 2011 and two more on the 2016 tour. He has scored a total of 115 runs in seven innings in Sri Lanka, with a highest score of 26. But like Voges, he learned some valuable lessons.”I just have a lot more shots now to spin than I did back then,” Khawaja said. “I use my crease better. I score in different parts of the ground. It’s just about trying to make the best decisions now.”I felt like I was a very good player of spinners in 2015 back in Australia. But overseas I still struggled, I just didn’t have enough options.”In Australia, you are taught to go forward, forward, forward. I had to learn how to play off the back foot. So now I can play off the front and back.”

Crystal Palace haven’t made many big sales in recent years, despite having some top players on their books. Michael Olise did leave this summer, however, for around £50m to Bayern Munich.

Olise is Palace’s second-highest sale of all time, with the third-highest being Joachim Andersen, who was also sold this summer for around £30m to Fulham.

But the Eagles’ record sale came back in 2019 when Roy Hodgson sold Aaron Wan-Bissaka for around £50m to Manchester United.

Wan-Bissaka made 46 appearances for Palace, providing four assists and totalling 4,101 minutes played for the club.

How Wan-Bissaka has played since leaving

Wan-Bissaka spent five years at Manchester United, making 190 appearances for the club, scoring two goals and providing 13 assists, in 15,953 minutes of action. He also earned many plaudits for his defensive quality, with scout Jacek Kulig even labelling him a “defensive colossus” for his Champions League display against PSG in 2020.

The 6-foot defender has extremely long legs, allowing him to make tackles and interceptions most other players are unable to even attempt, which earned him the nickname “spider” among the Red Devils fanbase.

After a five-year spell at Manchester United, Wan-Bissaka has now moved on, leaving the Red Devils to join West Ham for a fee of around £15m on a seven-year deal. The 26-year-old has already made seven appearances for the Hammers, totalling 568 minutes played.

The right-back’s value according to Transfermarkt is just £17m which is a 63% decrease from the enormous £50m fee Crystal Palace sold him for back in 2019. On the flip side, Olise was worth just £167k back then. His reputation, by comparison, has skyrocketed compared to the dwindling Wan-Bissaka.

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Wan-Bissaka vs Daniel Munoz comparison

The Eagles now have 28-year-old Daniel Munoz playing right-back for them, signed from Genk for just £6.9m.

Since joining in January 2024, the defender has made 25 appearances for Palace, providing four assists and totalling 2,157 minutes.

These two players are different profiles of right-back, with Wan-Bissaka more well-known for his 1v1 defensive qualities, whilst Munoz is more of a flying wing-back type, who can get forward, and provide a threat going the other way.

Goals & Assists

0.00

0.00

xG

0.00

0.05

xAG

0.06

0.05

Progressive Carries

3.02

1.64

Progressive Passes

3.96

2.95

Progressive Passes Received

3.40

7.21

Shots Total

0.32

0.63

Key Passes

1.32

0.98

Crosses into Pen Area

0.38

0.16

Tackles

2.08

3.28

Blocks

0.75

0.98

Interceptions

1.11

0.89

Despite previously describing both players’ profiles, the metrics actually tell us Munoz is putting in more defensive work (at least with his numbers), whilst Wan-Bissaka is contributing more going forward, with better progression metrics, more key passes per 90, and more crosses into the penalty area per 90.

This is surprising as Munoz often plays as a right-wing back for Palace in a back five, but he is good at going both ways, so the solid defensive numbers aren’t surprising, more so, the attacking output being bettered in many areas by West Ham’s new full-back, who often plays as a nominal right-back in a back four.

Crystal Palace clearly moved Wan-Bissaka on at the right time, making good money for him, before his price depreciated, but it would be very interesting to see how his career panned out had he stayed at Selhurst Park.

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They aren’t destined to get much attention, but Mickey Arthur’s men are beginning to gel

David Hopps09-Jun-2022

“To fail, then get up and get going again is something I am used to,” said Shan Masood to Pakpassion.net as he arrived in county cricket this season. It was hard to resist the thought that such attributes were the perfect qualification for joining Derbyshire who get knocked down more than most. But what a season he has had, second to Ben Compton in the Championship runs list and continuing his rich vein of form in the Blast as he hopes to stir Pakistan’s interest ahead of their Test series against England this winter.Masood’s elegant 73 from 32 balls set up an eventual victory for Derbyshire by six wickets with nine balls to spare and prevented Leicestershire from moving into the top four. He is relishing a settled summer in England, highly valued in all formats, and his innings was a joy as he drove and cut with rapier-like precision on both sides of the wicket. He has not always played with such freedom and, at 32, appears to have found a more natural approach.According to Masood, his arrival at Derbyshire had an element of chance about it as he just happened to bump into Mickey Arthur in transit at Dubai airport: Masood heading back to Pakistan, Arthur on his way to Sri Lanka. As many as 86 million people transited through Dubai in 2019, and even though the Covid-19 pandemic reduced that number by two-thirds two years later, it was quite a coincidence. One could imagine Arthur lurking behind the display of Tag Heuer watches, a sort of human fly trap, until a potential signing wandered by.Masood’s best night of the Blast so far was cheering news in Derby, where the football club is in administration and a potential buyer, the American businessman Chris Kirchner, has been given a Friday deadline to complete his £20m takeover. He was reportedly playing golf on Tuesday, when much of Derby awaited news whether he had handed over the money, but no sightings of him were reported at the County Ground two days later as Derbyshire chased down Leicestershire’s par score of 181 for 6.Such scores feel quite commonplace these days, but David Griffin, Derbyshire’s voracious statistician and photographer, revealed that only once, in 2014 against Warwickshire, have they pulled off a higher successful run chase at Derby in T20 cricket.The outcome was as good as settled by one of the shots of the night when Alex Hughes reverse-swept the left-arm spinner, Callum Parkinson, over fine leg for six, leaving Derbyshire only 20 short with 14 balls left. It was particularly impressive composure from Hughes, considering that he had almost been run out the ball before as Leicestershire’s captain, Colin Ackerman, demolished all three stumps in his attempt, all of this observed in bemused fashion by the wicketkeeper, Lewis Hill, silent, with hands on hips.Twenty-four hours after the feverish excitement of the Roses match, this was a Midlands derby that advocates of city cricket regularly disparage. Derbyshire v Leicestershire at Derby is about as low-key as the Blast gets, fought out between two sides who have long become inured to the fact that their existence is constantly under question.It is worth remarking, however, to those who recoil at the understated atmosphere of the smaller Midlands grounds on a chill and overcast night – the gentle hum of the sole burger bar, the chatter of spectators stood in little groups, tucking warm pints into their armpits (more solitary beer bugs than beer snakes), and the occasional burst of token music that is resolutely ignored – that both these sides have already beaten Yorkshire at Headingley this season. In the Blast, the mighty are fallen on a regular basis.Pit Derbyshire and Leicestershire together, though, and both sides know their place, both of them thinking “this is a must-win game”. Derbyshire thumped Leicestershire at the Uptonsteel ground earlier in the campaign, dismissing them for only 89, and if they follow up this win with a fourth victory of the season against the bottom club, Worcestershire, on Friday it will transform their league position. Arthur appears to be drawing every ounce of nous from them.Leicestershire were well placed at 114 for 1 when Hamish Rutherford drove Mark Watt, the Scotland left-arm spinner, to extra cover at the start of the 13th over – his 35 representing his highest score for the Foxes. Arron Lilley, carving around him for 67 from 41 balls, maintained the momentum but George Scrimshaw removed Lilley and Ben Mike with successive short balls and Leicestershire never quite produced the finale they wanted. When Hughes had Rishi Patel lbw, he passed Matt Critchley (now at Essex) as Derbyshire’s leading T20 wicket taker.Derbyshire have had many quirky players in their history. Watt’s contribution to this hall of fame is to deliver occasionally from 24 yards – which has been known to catch out his captain Masood as he adjusts the field and presumably has occasionally entrapped a batter as well. He tried it at least twice last night and landed it with aplomb. He also bowled a couple of no balls, pivoting outside the side crease, by way of further variety, but they passed unnoticed by an umpire who was probably equally befuddled.Masood’s immediate impact at Derbyshire bears comparison with any overseas player in their history – the likes of Dean Jones, Peter Kirsten and Daryl Cullinan. His dismissive approach against the Afghanistan quick, Naveen-ul-Haq, was a crucial element of his innings as he took 27 from 10 deliveries, his timing and placement impeccable as he scored square of the wicket on both sides. He eventually fell miscuing a pull against Mike, and even though Wayne Madsen was run out at the keeper’s end when he failed to take a second to Mike’s throw from mid-on, Luis Reece’s anchor innings was followed up by a cameo from Brooke Guest to secure victory.

A day after being “given a break” by the BCCI, fielding coach Trevor Penney had the ignominy of conducting what could well be his last training session with the team

Sidharth Monga20-Aug-2014″Think only of the pick-up. Forget the stump,” Trevor Penney shouts at Sanju Samson, who has just fumbled in the hurry to get a throw in. The young Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman is part of the ODI squad going through a fielding drill, the players are training in their new blue kit, the ball is white.Fielding coach Penney and bowling coach Joe Dawes have been sent on leave. “They can go on holiday, or go back home,” the BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel has said. “They can even come to India if they want.” Yet they are here, at Lord’s, five days before India’s first ODI, which will be played under new assistant coaches and a team director.They are overseeing India’s first training session after the two demoralising three-day defeats in Tests. They have been asked to do the job until the others join the team. B Arun and R Sridhar are expected to join the team on Thursday. Ravi Shastri is likely to be with them on Friday, when they play their warm-up match against Middlesex. Sanjay Bangar will come on the 23rd. Until then, Penney and Dawes have to co-ordinate training sessions. Ouch.This is awkward. One final assignment after you have been asked to leave. Or go on a leave. If Penney is frustrated, angry or embarrassed, he is not showing it.As Dawes and Fletcher kneel down outside the empty Lord’s pavilion, drawing up a batting order for the nets, Penney has already picked up his cones and taken Suresh Raina and Ajinkya Rahane aside. Dawes will go and oversee the nets, almost to be cleaned up by a straight hit back at him.These are two of the best fielders in the Indian side. Penney has himself been an excellent fielder.Rahane has had an ordinary second half of a Test series. Raina is still smarting from a drop from the ODI side. Penney, well Penney does not have too long. During this half hour, it seems nothing else matters to the trio. It seems almost therapeutic. A dance. A trance.The fielder has to walk towards Penney, who is about 15 yards away, and can hit to the left, to the right or at him. He has to change direction, pick up, and throw at a stump.”Nice pace off the mark.””That was a good one. Stretched you.”After a while, Raina has hit the stumps twice, Rahane once. There is a bit of competition on. They applaud each other at direct hits, but also want to hit the stumps more often.Rahane makes it two-each. Immediately Raina takes the lead.

Rahane has had an ordinary second half of a Test series. Raina is still smarting from a drop from the ODI side. Penney, well Penney does not have too long. During this half hour, it seems nothing else matters to the trio

“That was a lazy one. Let’s do two more.”Now Penney lays out the cones at the boundary edge, in a circle. This looks like the boundary edge. Raina and Rahane have to stand at the edges, about 20 yards apart.”Sureshi, can I use your bat?” asks Penney. Raina nods. Now he starts hitting hard, between Raina and Rahane. They have to practise relay throws. Yet they need the get the technique right. Who goes hard at the ball, who is ready to accept the lob and throw as hard as he can?”Sort it out among yourselves,” shouts Penney.The first one is drilled hard, and bisects the two. On the next, Rahane goes hard, and Raina stands back. Suddenly Raina realises Rahane is not going to make it, and dives behind Rahane. The four is saved, but the throw is not great. “Eight on 10. Just because of the throw.”The next time Raina dives behind Rahane, he lobs the ball back up. Rahane lets it rip. “Nine on 10.”They keep changing roles. Sometimes Raina fields first, on other occasions, Rahane. Once they have got this right, Penney asks the two to take overhead catches. Except the two have to look into the sun while taking them.A few are dropped. Rahane takes one at the edge of the boundary, tosses it back before falling over, and Raina makes sure it does not go to ground. They knock hands, Penney smiles. Fielding can be such a joy. There are no pesky slip catches rearing their heads here.There is a poignant moment at the end of the half hour. Just as Raina and Rahane are about to leave, Penney shouts, “Two each more.”Does he want to extend this session? Or is this because the last catch has been dropped because of the sun?The three have worked with each other for a long time. The two have grown as ground fielders and outfield catchers. “Thanks Trevor,” shouts Rahane. That won’t do. The three converge.Penney has some advice. He checks on their palms after some of the hard hits at them. They shake hands. Is this the last time they will be working together? You assume Penney is thinking of only the pick-up, and not the stump.

Ashleigh Gardner’s increased maturity has paved the way for her to become the first Indigenous player to claim one of Australian cricket’s top honours.Gardner, 24, was on Saturday named winner of the Belinda Clark Award, crowning her as Australia’s best female player for the past 12 months.The offspinning allrounder was told by Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley of her award on Friday night, admitting she asked him more than once if he had the right person. But Gardner’s growth over the past year means she is a more than deserving recipient.She found consistency in 2021, going from a big hitter to solid performer with 281 runs at 35.10 across all formats in the past year. She scored four half-centuries in that time, highlighted by an unbeaten 73 in a successful T20I chase in New Zealand in March.Related

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Gardner also produced her maiden Test half-century, against India, before backing it up against England in the Ashes match in Canberra – although the latter match came outside of the award voting period.Adding to Gardner’s improvement, she was in the team’s top-five run-scorers and top-three wicket-takers in each of the three formats.”I’ve certainly grown up both on and off the field,” Gardner said. “I think maturing off the field probably has an impact on my game on the field. I feel really comfortable within this side.”I’ve known what my role has been and I’ve been really clear in the direction that I need to do with either bat or ball in hand.”Gardner’s maturity has also been most evident in her bounce back in recent months. While her international success has been clear, her underwhelming WBBL with Sydney Sixers – which included a run of four consecutive ducks – left her battling mentally and needing time out after months in bubbles.She made the point to see Australia’s sports psychologist, took a few weeks out and then rebounded with a first-innings 56 and 1 for 27 with the ball in the current Test against England.”You can find yourself in some pretty dark places when you aren’t in the best form. And that was certainly me,” Gardner said. “I can openly admit that my mental health probably wasn’t great.”But I think it’s good for people’s careers to go on that slight decline to then actually find the confidence again and find the rhythm back in your batting.”Being able to go back into the [NSW] Breakers set up around a different bunch of girls was really instrumental to actually feel confident again. As soon as I got back into this [Australian] set-up, it was full faith that I would get back to where I wanted to be.”Gardner picked up 54 votes to finish clear of T20 player-of-the-year Beth Mooney (47) and ODI recipient Alyssa Healy (39).

Manchester City are interested in signing Lens centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov in the January transfer window, per a new report.

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City eye defensive reinforcementsPep Guardiola's team struggling for formKhusanov a rapid defenderFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per Fabrizio Romano, City have added Khusanov to their shortlist as they seek defensive reinforcements. Pep Guardiola's side are one of several elite clubs eyeing a move for the Lens star, who has clocked a speed of 37 kilometres per hour in Ligue 1.

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City have been in rancid form in recent weeks and have won just one of their last five games. They currently sit sixth in the Premier League table and have conceded 26 goals in 19 games; no other team in the top six has shipped as many. They are also 14 points behind leaders Liverpool, leading Guardiola to concede that they cannot win the Premier League title.

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There has never been an Uzbek footballer in the Premier League and Khusanov would become the first were he to move to City. He has 18 caps for his country at the age of 20.

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City will hope to strengthen their squad this month as they aim to climb the Premier League table and get back into Champions League qualification contention. They face West Ham this weekend.

da fazobetai： A Euro 2016 winner has been linked with a summer move to Southampton, with the Premier League club keen to offer him a fresh challenge.

Southampton transfer news

da cassino online： Saints are still eyeing new signings between now and the end of the summer transfer window as they look to give Russell Martin the best possible chance of keeping his side in the top flight this season.

A new goalkeeper has been targeted for a while now, with Alex McCarthy not necessarily seen as the solution between the sticks given his age and questions over his ability to play the ball out from the back at the highest level. Feyenoord shot-stopper Justin Bijlow has emerged as a primary target, with a move potentially set to be agreed in the coming days.

Vladyslav Krapyvtsov has also been mentioned as a goalkeeper target for Southampton, with Chelsea and Sunderland believed to be providing competition for the 19-year-old Ukrainian ace's signature. He has been without a club since the end of last season.

Newcastle United left-back Matt Targett is another player who has been linked with joining the Saints this summer, with the Englishman appearing to be out of favour at St James' Park behind several players in the pecking order. Now, another transfer claim has emerged as the south coast outfit look to strike some late business.

Southampton willing to sign controversial Euros winner

According to a fresh update from Record (via Sport Witness), Southampton are keen on signing midfielder Joao Mario by offering a proposal to the Benfica ace, which he is now considering. However, he also has approaches from Galatasaray and Brazilian outfit Flamengo.

The Portugal star has received criticism from his own supporters recently, testing the relations between the two parties. It is said that Joao Mario responded to whistles from the stands by "applauding ironically".

After heading straight down the tunnel after a match, it is believed that he had discussed his non-partaking at this weekend's league clash with manager Roger Schmidt, though it is unclear how related recent events and the uncertainty hanging over his future are.

Mario could an eye-catching signing for Southampton in the next few days considering his pedigree as a top-level footballer.

The 31-year-old has won Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League with Portugal, racking up a total of 56 caps for his country – more than holding his own in a star-studded squad spearheaded by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mario has Premier League experience after a stint with West Ham, too, during which Pablo Zabaleta heaped praise on him, saying: "Joao Mario showed his outstanding quality for us on Saturday. He has great technique and works hard for the team. On Saturday he played his best game for us so far and we were all happy for him. He took his goal really well and then his cross for [Marko Arnautovic] was also fantastic."

Granted, the £62,000-a-week Joao Mario falling out with his own fans may raise the eyebrows of some Southampton supporters, but he has the quality and experience to make a huge difference. His ability to play in a central attacking-midfield role and out wide would also give Martin priceless versatility.