Aston Villa star Alisha Lehmann showed some invention with her bum as she promoted the viral soft drink PRIME on social media.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Aston Villa star posts inventive promotional videoUses bum to topple bottle down stairsInstagram following laps up wacky vidGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

In the quirky video full of quick edits, Lehmann finds ever more bizarre ways to tumble a bottle of PRIME down a stair well to herself below. To the tune of JID's 'Surround Sound' she drops, throws and nods a bottle down before failing with a hip bump, causing her to resort to toppling the bottle with her behind. The video went down well with her 16 million Instagram followers. Lehmann also revealed that she is partial to PRIME's Cherry Freeze option, as she captioned the post: "Prime everywhere, that's my favourite flavour ❄️💘"

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIP

Getty/TwitchDID YOU KNOW?

Lehmann's vast social media following were let in on a secret as the new year broke with the Swiss star posting a series of family photos that revealed that she had reunited with Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz after splitting up in November 2022.

Eagle-eyed Twitch viewers were also treated to the sight of Lehmann ticking off her partner for losing track of time after a marathon Call of Duty session on Tuesday evening.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

WHAT NEXT FOR ALISHA LEHMANN?

After a month of for the WSL winter break its back to work for the Swiss international when Villa take on Everton in the FA Women's Cup fourth round on Saturday. Lehmann will also hope for minutes in Villa's first WSL game back against Leicester on January 19.

Ben Laughlin defended three off the last ball against Kieron Pollard as Adelaide Strikers made it to their first ever BBL final

The Report by Alex Malcolm02-Feb-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJake Weatherald sweeps the ball fine•Getty Images

Confirmation of the BBL final’s host hung on one delivery. A swing and a miss from Kieron Pollard made Ben Laughlin a hero and delivered Adelaide Strikers their first BBL final berth, while the Melbourne Renegades were denied a chance at a title. Strikers will host Hobart Hurricanes on Sunday at Adelaide Oval, with both sides chasing their first BBL trophy.The game was on a knife’s edge all through the Renegades run chase. Laughlin was asked to keep the Renegades to 12 runs or less in the final over. He gave up 10 off the first five balls including a boundary from Pollard. With three to win off the final delivery Pollard missed a length ball in the slot and a bye wasn’t enough.Strikers’ tried and tested set-and-defend formula worked again. Travis Head cast aside his disappointment of being dropped from Australia’s T20 International side to play a match-winning hand. His unbeaten 85 was pivotal to the Strikers’ imposing total. Jake Weatherald provided superb support.Renegades had looked on track the whole way after a brisk start from Marcus Harris and Tim Ludeman. Tom Cooper and Kieron Pollard appeared set to finish the job but they couldn’t.Dashing DeanThe loss of Alex Carey at the top of the order seemed an impossible hole to fill. Jono Dean couldn’t provide the volume of runs that Carey had but he could provide something different. Carey had been a slow starter in the Powerplay and preferred to accelerate once set.Renegades had hoped to sneak in an over of Cooper’s offspin early to get the Strikers behind the eight-ball. Dean did not allow it. He smashed 13 from the first over and then hit Chris Tremain over the rope off the seventh ball of the innings. He holed out off the eighth. But the rapid start gave Weatherald and Head the chance to settle in. Weatherald was able to do as Carey had done. He was striking at less than run-a-ball, before launching Cooper in the 10th over. He scored 33 runs off his next 16 balls to take the pressure off Head. Their partnership of 104 looked set to blow the game apart.Holland a specialist fielderJon Holland took the catch to remove Weatherald. It was his only contribution for the night. He wasn’t used with the ball despite being selected as Renegades’ only specialist spinner, presumably because he wasn’t the right match-up for the two left-handers that batted deep into the innings. The rate slowed briefly as Colin Ingram and Jonathan Wells came and went. Ingram fell to a stunning one-hander from Tim Ludeman. But Head found a way to accelerate despite losing partners. He only hit one four and one six in the last five overs but ran eight twos to get the total up to 178.Bizarre PowerplayStrikers have buried opponents in the Powerplay when defending totals. But without Billy Stanlake, Renegades bolted out of the blocks in spite of making some bizarre decisions themselves. The top three of Marcus Harris, Matthew Short and Tom Cooper from the last few fixtures was abandoned. Cameron White, who batted at No. 3 with great success before leaving for international duty, opened with Harris and Ludeman batted one-down for the first time in the tournament, while Short was not selected. White holed out early. But Harris continued his fine form and Ludeman cut loose. The key moment came when Rashid Khan was forced to bowl an over in the Powerplay and Renegades took 12 runs from it. The Renegades Powerplay of 1 for 64 was their best in the tournament, and the Strikers’ worst.Nervous Lehmann, nerveless LaughlinHead and Rashid got their own back, removing Harris and Ludeman off consecutive overs. But Renegades needed just 87 runs from the last 60 balls with seven wickets in hand. Cooper and Dwayne Bravo reduced that to 52 from 36 with some cool and calculated batting. The game then appeared to slip through the Strikers’ fingers.Head turned boldly to the part-time legspin of Ingram. He forced a mistake from Bravo, who skied one to long-on, but Lehmann spilled the relatively simple chance running in. Bravo launched the next ball for six over cover. Laughlin removed Bravo and conceded just five runs in the 16th over. Head gambled with Ingram again to Pollard. Again, he forced a skied ball to long-on. Lehmann ran in glancing at midwicket, hoping someone would call him out of the catch. No call came. When he looked back up he realised he had over-run and it fell untouched.The next ball didn’t go for six, but Pollard launched Rashid over the longest boundary next over. The Renegades needed 20 runs from 12 balls with Pollard and Cooper set. But where Head had run twos on mis-hits during his batting innings, Pollard strolled ones. Michael Neser gave up just seven runs in the 19th over to give Laughlin a chance. Despite one incredible strike down the ground and some luck on the final ball, Laughlin held his nerve to get his side home.

Wrexham sealed their first signing of the January transfer window, with goalkeeper Luke McNicholas penning a permanent deal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Wrexham sign McNicholas on a permanent deal
• Joined Welsh club in the summer on loan
• Parkinson impressed with "good young goalkeeper"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Red Dragons completed the signing of McNicholas on a short-term contract in the summer from Irish side Sligo Rovers, following Ben Foster's decision to hang up his gloves in the summer. McNicholas' contract had a buy-clause in January and Wrexham have now opted to activate it. Parkinson has been impressed with the shot-stopper, who has been the third-choice behind Arthur Okonkwo and Mark Howard.

Advertisement

• WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  The Wrexham coach stated: "When we signed Luke, we did so with the protection of an option to make his signing permanent this month, if he impressed us. He’s a good young goalkeeper, we’re enjoying working with him and he has impressed during his time with us, so we are delighted to complete his permanent signing."

• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  McNicholas has represented Ireland at the Under-18 level and becomes the sixth Irish member in the Wrexham roster alongside James McClean, Anthony Forde, Thomas O'Connor, Eoghan O'Connell and Liam McAlinden.

  The 24-year-old said on the move: "I'm absolutely delighted. Since I’ve come over, I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s been a great group to come into, they’ve been really welcoming, and I’m really pleased to finally make my deal here a permanent one. I’m going to keep pushing in training, and to continue learning from the goalkeepers at the club to hopefully get my chance and the number one spot at some point in the future."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  McNicholas is yet to make a League Two appearance but has played four times in the EFL Cup. It remains an uphill battle to replace Okonkwo between the sticks as the Arsenal loanee appears to be Parkinson's preferred choice.

  The Red Dragons are on course for back-to-back promotions as they are currently placed in second, just two points behind leaders Stockport. They return to action in League Two against Salford City on February 3, but before that take on Blackburn Rovers in an FA Cup fourth-round tie on Monday.

On a tour where more had been said about Jonny Bairstow’s headbutt than his batting he was able to let out a few emotions on the second day in Perth

George Dobell in Perth15-Dec-2017Jonny Bairstow ensured he had the last laugh after completing a maiden Ashes century.On the first night of this tour, Bairstow ventured to the Avenue bar in the suburbs of Perth and greeted Cameron Bancroft with a now notorious genial head-butt.While it took a few weeks for the incident to come to light – Australia used it in the second innings of the first Test to unsettle Bairstow and some have subsequently suggested it provides evidence of England’s “drinking culture” – it briefly threatened to disturb the focus of both Bairstow and the England camp.But upon reaching his century here, Bairstow kissed and then gently head-butted his England helmet several times in a clear and good-natured reference to the episode. It was a celebration that demonstrated both an ability to laugh at his own errors and suggested the incident had long been put behind him. And, as he said afterwards, it may well be the whole affair gave him made him “more determined to succeed.”With that context and the fact that it had taken Bairstow until his fourth Ashes series, his 12th Ashes Test and his 20th Ashes innings to make his first Ashes century, it was perhaps not surprising that he rated it his “favourite” Test century.”The hundred in many ways was my favourite one,” Bairstow said. “I’ve played in a few Ashes series now and to score an Ashes hundred – something that had eluded me until now – is something you dream about as a kid. This is the pinnacle of the game.”It means a heck of a lot to be involved in record stands. You want to make an Ashes hundred. You want to look back in the archives when you’re retired and say to your kids or your grandkids: ‘I made an Ashes hundred at the WACA’.”There’s a huge amount of pride that comes with any hundred and in playing for your country.”The celebration was a bit of light hearted fun and it should be taken as such. It was spontaneous. I hadn’t thought about it before.”Hopefully it is a positive reaction I have given in this innings. Sometimes the chat out there spurs people on and makes them more determined to succeed.”Jonny Bairstow celebrates his maiden Ashes hundred•Getty Images

Bairstow hadn’t scored a Test century since an unbeaten 167 against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in June 2016 – 21 Tests and 38 innings ago – though he made 99 against South Africa at Old Trafford in August. But here he posted a stand of 237 with Dawid Malan – a record for England’s fifth-wicket in Ashes cricket – to steer England from the peril of 131 for 4 to the relative comfort of 368 for 4 before a now familiar batting collapse.While Bairstow admitted the collapse was “frustrating” and the manner of Malan’s dismissal “disappointing”, he maintained a ‘glass half-full’ perspective.”It was disappointing the way he got out,” Bairstow said, “but the intent we showed in our batting was much better.”Maybe we’re frustrated in some ways, but it depends how you look at things. We were 100 for 4 at one stage. You can either think it was a fantastic recovery or you can look at it and say we’ve let our position slip.”Meanwhile the ECB confirmed Mark Wood would remain with the England squad after the end of the Lions tour on Sunday. There are currently no plans to retain the services of any of the other players in that squad, most of whom will arrive back in the UK on Monday.That means that, despite the failings of the top-order, England’s only obvious batting options for the final two Tests are Ben Foakes and Gary Ballance. While others are either in Australia or shortly will be – Jos Buttler, Jason Roy and Sam Billings are among those involved in the BBL while Sam Robson is spending time with his family in Sydney – there are currently no plans to utilise any of them in the Ashes.It remains to be seen how much of a role Craig Overton will play in the rest of the match. Overton was forced off the pitch for a while on the second day after jarring a rib as he attempted to claim a tough caught and bowled opportunity. He returned to the field before the close and it was not deemed necessary to send him for a scan. But he will be assessed by the medical team before play on the third day to ascertain his fitness to bowl.

Joe Root has defended England’s coaching staff after what appeared to be some criticism from James Anderson

George Dobell in Perth13-Dec-20172:33

‘We’re so close to getting it right’ – Root

Joe Root has defended England’s coaching staff after what appeared to be some criticism from James Anderson.Anderson, writing in his column, had admitted he “bowled too short” on the first day of the Adelaide Test after Root had won the toss and inserted Australia. But while Anderson accepted England “should have bowled fuller”, he also suggested the coaches could have stepped in.”It was an oversight from the players on the field, but also from the coaches who could have had an input too, which is frustrating,” Anderson wrote.That left Root, the England captain, feeling the need to defend the coaching staff in his pre-match press conference in Perth on Wednesday.”It’s probably slightly harsh to put the blame on to the coaches,” Root said. “The relationship between coaches and players has been really good. Us guys on the field, we’re the ones responsible for what we are doing out there.”It’s easy to look back and say ‘bowl that little bit fuller’ but we all knew that was the case. I think we got it wrong on the field. We have to be smarter, react quicker. I take responsibility for that as well, as captain.”Anderson comments do seem a little odd. Not only might you think that Anderson – as a 35-year-old veteran of 135 Tests – had the experience to know how to bowl in such circumstances without the interference of anyone in the dressing room, but it seems strange that he has felt the need to make his views public. Only one ball in the first 13 overs would have hit the stumps.It also remains unclear about whom Anderson was referring. Shane Bond was the seam bowling coach in Adelaide – his interim spell in the position ended after the game – while England also have various analysts as well as the main coaching pair of Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace, who could have sent messages out on to the field as required. Anderson had previously praised Bond for his input in formulating plans of attack for each of the Australia batsmen.Either way, Root’s comments meant that, for the second time in successive days, the England captain had felt the need to mildly rebuke his vice-captain. The previous day Root had answered, “Yes, maybe a little bit” when asked whether Anderson needed to set a better example. Anderson was one of the players to return to The Avenue bar – the scene of Jonny Bairstow’s now notorious greeting of Cameron Bancroft at the start of the tour – at the end of last week where, in the early hours of Friday, Ben Duckett deliberately poured a drink over him.While it would be wrong to overstate the level of conflict – these were two gentle remarks, after all – any public disagreement between such senior players on the eve of what Root has called “one of the biggest games of our lives” is not ideal. Just the previous day, Root had said: “We are all in this together and we are only going to win if we stick together.””It’s staring you in the face that the Ashes are on the line,” Root said on Wednesday. “We know what’s at stake. We have to deliver. We have to make sure we put in that rounded performance which we know we can. We know what we need to do. We just have to go out there and perform.”Meanwhile, Andrew Strauss, the director of England cricket, won’t return to Australia as originally planned due to a family health problem.

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.

Erik ten Hag has set his sights on adding another one or two players to his Manchester United squad before the summer window slams shut in a couple of weeks.

Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana and Mason Mount have already joined the Old Trafford side and although there is the need for another defender, especially if Harry Maguire departs in the next few days, Ten Hag could also be tempted to sign a midfielder.

A Premier League star has been linked, and it appears as though the Red Devils are ready to make the next step to securing his signature.

Who do Man United want to sign this summer?

According to The Guardian, United look set to make an approach to Everton with regard to a potential deal for Amadou Onana.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

The Belgian only joined the Toffees from French side Lille last year, with the Merseyside club reluctant to sell this summer.

Sean Dyche would only entertain bids of over £50m as per the report and Everton are under no pressure to sell one of their prized assets so soon after arriving in the Premier League.

Who has played for both Man United and Everton?

United have endured mixed success by signing players from Everton throughout the previous 20 years.

The likes of Romelu Lukaku and Marouane Fellaini didn’t quite live up to expectations during their spell in Manchester, yet Wayne Rooney was arguably Sir Alex Ferguson’s finest signing.

Rooney joined the Red Devils aged just 18 having shone at the 2004 European Championships for England, yet it was his breakthrough at Everton which convinced Ferguson to make the move ahead of the 2004/05 season.

A debut hat trick set the tone for what would turn into a glory laden 13 years at Old Trafford, netting 253 goals in total. As it happens, Ten Hag could repeat United's Rooney masterclass by managing to convince Onana that a move along the M62 would be the best for his development.

The 21-year-old showcased his impressive defensive abilities from the heart of the Everton midfield as he was arguably one of their few bright sparks in an utterly woeful campaign that nearly culminated in their relegation.

He ranked third across the squad for tackles per game (2.2) and also finished in the top five for interceptions (1.1) and lost possession just 7.7 times per game, one of the lowest totals in the team.

Hailed as a “tenacious tackler” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Belgian certainly could add that extra bit of bite into the United midfield and make them more formidable.

Winning a total of 4.2 ground duels – at a success rate of 59% – undoubtedly backs up this praise from Kulig and although potentially costing in excess of £50m, it would be a wise investment for not only the upcoming season, but for the next five to ten years.

Rooney arrived at Old Trafford under undue pressure to succeed and he more than repaid the club’s investment.

Onana may offer totally different qualities to that of the former forward, but he can still have a similar sort of impact by arriving in Manchester.

One Tottenham Hotspur player in particular could find himself 'out of the team' due to the arrival of Micky van de Ven from Wolfsburg, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What has gone on with Micky van de Ven at Tottenham Hotspur?

Van de Ven attended Tottenham's 5-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of his proposed move to the Lilywhites from Wolfsburg, as per The Daily Mail. And, he has since put pen to paper, bolstering Ange Postecoglou's defensive line.

Last term, Van de Ven featured 36 times for Wolfsburg in all competitions, registering one goal and two assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Of course, Van de Ven's arrival could have a knock-on effect in terms of game-time distribution regarding his teammates, with England international Dier likely to be influenced by the impending deal.

Nevertheless, The Sun's Martin Lipton believes that Dier will be valued as an important squad player at Tottenham in 2023/24, as he stated to the Last Word on Spurs YouTube channel: "“The fans don’t like Dier, but I think Dier’s role will be as a squad player, not as a first-team player. He’s important in the squad as a human being, as a man, as an experienced head, and maybe if he played fewer games he’d be a better player as well."

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown thinks that £85k-a-week earner Dier could be sidelined in favour of Van de Ven as the latter is a better natural fit in a back four, making him a more applicable choice.

Brown told FFC: "I've always thought that Dier is a centre back only really works in a three. It doesn't look to me like Spurs are going to play with a three this season, so it may be that he finds himself out of the team once Van de Ven is up to speed. I think that Van de Ven and Romero may be the first choices ideally for the new manager in a back four."

What next for Tottenham Hotspur?

Well, Tottenham fans certainly won't be in the best of moods on the eve of their first game of the season, with record goalscorer Harry Kane now out of the club and the country, as he sealed a move to Bayern Munich.

But, there is reason for optimism, as Daniel Levy now has plenty of money to spend on a potential replacement.

O Jogo via The Sun claim that Porto forward Mehdi Taremi could be a potential replacement for Kane and the Lilywhites are said to have opened talks with the Iran international's entourage to discuss a move to north London.

Taremi is believed to be available for a fee in the region of £17 million and has just one year left on his deal at the Estadio do Dragao as rumours over his future continue to swirl.

In terms of departures, Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele could be on their way out of Tottenham amid interest from Turkish giants Galatasaray, according to 90min.

Andre Onana was reportedly left fuming at his AFCON snub by Cameroon, with the Manchester United keeper asking: “Why did I come on a private jet?”

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Red Devils shot-stopper delayed journey to Ivory CoastArrived in time for tournament openerLeft out of matchday squad by head coach SongWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils star figured for his club in a Premier League clash with Tottenham on Sunday, before immediately making his way to John Lennon Airport in Liverpool and catching a flight to the Ivory Coast in order to link up with his national team.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

He was unable to land in Yamoussoukro – where Cameroon were kicking off their Africa Cup of Nations campaign against Guinea – but did complete a 5,000-mile journey three hours prior to that game getting underway. Onana was still left out of Rigobert Song’s matchday squad, with Fabrice Ondoa taking on starting duties while Devis Epassy and Simon Ngapandouetnbu filled spots on the bench.

WHAT ONANA SAID

Onana reportedly had to be calmed down by former Liverpool and Senegal star El Hadji Diouf, with the 27-year-old shot-stopper said to have bellowed in the direction of Cameroon’s coaching team: “If I wasn't going to play or make the team, then why did I come here on a private jet?”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ONANA?

Onana has endured a strained relationship with Song, leading to him being sent home from the 2022 World Cup. An international retirement decision was reversed in order to join AFCON plans in 2024, but a man that has struggled for form at Old Trafford now has to convince his head coach that he should figure against Senegal on Friday – with the Indomitable Lions being held to a 1-1 draw in their opening game of another quest to savour continental glory.

ScorecardPrakash Parsekar

Fifties from opener Kunal Chandela and Himmat Singh, along with handy middle-order contributions from Rishabh Pant and Nitish Rana carried Delhi to a vital first-innings lead against Madhya Pradesh in their quarter-final in Vijayawada. Delhi secured a 67-run lead after they were bowled out for 405 in the 120th over. Madhya Pradesh finished the third day at 47 for 2, trailing Delhi by 20 runs.Ishwar Pandey struck early on the third morning, removing Chandela for 81, after he had added eight runs to his overnight score. Pant (49) and Rana (43) stitched up a 64-run, fourth-wicket stand to stabilise Delhi. Himmat then put Delhi in control of the game with partnerships of 62 with Manan Sharma (28) and 47 with Vikas Tokas (13).Madhya Pradesh gave themselves a chance by toppling over Delhi’s last four wickets for 17 runs. Legspinner Mihir Hirwani led the bowling with figures of 5 for 89, his fifth five-wicket haul in 13 matches.In reply, Madhya Pradesh lost Rajat Patidar early to Tokas before Ankit Dane, the other opener, was run out in the penultimate over of the day for 16. Shubham Sharma and nightwatchman Puneet Datey were unbeaten at stumps.