The Argentine midfielder arrives at The Herons at 31 after spending four seasons with Atlético de Madrid.
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They’ve met four times since 2018 – and Sri Lanka have won all four Test matches
Andrew Fidel Fernando24-Dec-2020Galle, 2018. Sri Lanka won by 278 runs
On their previous trip to Sri Lanka in 2014, Dale Steyn had twice scorched his way through the Sri Lanka middle order with the old ball, and delivered his team a series-defining win. This time, he was coming back from injury, and some distance from his best. But it wasn’t really South Africa’s bowlers that failed. Batting first, Sri Lanka made a respectable – but hardly imposing – 287. Opener Dimuth Karunaratne had made 158 of those runs off 222 balls, remaining not out as all of his teammates perished for 26 or fewer runs.South Africa’s response was to collapse, as they took their first step in what became a series-long commitment to zealously and spectacularly sucking against spin. Sri Lanka’s slow bowlers shared seven wickets while South Africa nosedived their way to 126 – Faf du Plessis a figure of lone but insufficient competence with 49. After Sri Lanka got back out and made 190, the visitors plummeted with even more dedication, getting out for 73 inside 29 overs.Karunaratne by himself made 217 through the course of the match; South Africa, 199.Colombo (SSC), 2018, Sri Lanka won by 199 runs
Where Galle has a reputation for taking turn fairly early in the game, there was not a lot wrong with the pitch at the SSC. Sri Lanka made 338 batting first, as South Africa’s quicks had a modest first innings, and Keshav Maharaj was left to pick up 9 for 129. But then, the batting. Dear god, the first-innings batting. Several members of the visiting top order seemed like they would struggle to make contact with a hangar door, let alone a bat. They were all out for 124, and seemed to be heading for a similar score in the second innings, when Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma came together at 113 for 5 and put on a 123-run partnership – de Bruyn going on to triple figures.Rangana Herath took his customary fourth-inning five-wicket haul, claiming 6 for 98. Some would later comment that despite there only having been two Tests, Sri Lanka basically won 3-0.Sri Lanka’s miracle man: Kusal Perera took Sri Lanka to a one-wicket win•Getty ImagesDurban, 2019, Sri Lanka won by one wicket
The most dramatic and compelling of the matches in this list. Almost two years later, it is still difficult to quite believe what transpired on the fourth day. Although South Africa were in control for much of the game, Sri Lanka vitally scrambled their way back into the match repeatedly. Some half-decent contributions from the lower order enabled the visitors to get within 50 runs of South Africa’s first-innings 235. Then, whenever a South Africa batting pair threatened to bed down for a big partnership, either the left-arm spin of Lasith Embuldeniya, or the left-arm swing of Vishwa Fernando, provided a breakthrough.But even with all that, this was still a crazy chase – Sri Lanka requiring 304 to win. In the 38th over, they were 110 for 5, with Steyn seemingly in scorching touch. But then Kusal Perera produced the greatest Sri Lankan innings, and arguably the best of all time. He quelled Kagiso Rabada, muted Duanne Olivier and, at times, laid into Steyn. When the ninth wicket fell, Sri Lanka still needed 78 and their chances of victory were vanishingly slim. Perera, though, lurched Sri Lanka closer by bludgeoning boundaries at the start of each over, before almost routinely taking the single off the fifth or sixth ball to protect his No. 11 Fernando. The second new ball became due with more than 30 still to get, but Perera squeaked Sri Lanka home sensationally, finishing on 153 not out.Port Elizabeth, 2019, Sri Lanka won by eight wickets
Where the pitches in Sri Lanka suited them, and the Durban match was won on the back of a once-in-a-lifetime innings, this victory perhaps represents Sri Lanka’s best team effort of the lot. Though shaken by the loss at Durban, South Africa were again in control early in this game, taking a 68-run first-innings lead.As had been the case in the first Test, though, Sri Lanka’s bowlers kept picking away at the South Africa batting order insistently, never letting the hosts establish a partnership greater than 60. And in the second innings (which started on the second day), the bowlers imposed themselves on South Africa to devastating effect, dismissing the opposition for 128, to set up a fourth-innings chase of 197.As 19 wickets had fallen on the second day alone (nine of those Sri Lanka’s across the first and second innings, with South Africa’s second dig sandwiched in between), the match seemed like it was headed for a thrilling finish. Sri Lanka needed 137 further runs on the third morning, with eight wickets remaining. Kusal Mendis and Oshada Fernando, however, batted with bracing freedom, and turned a tough chase into a cakewalk. They hit frequent boundaries off each of the home side’s vaunted quicks, and scored those 137 runs off 178 balls without losing a wicket. Mendis finished on 84 not out off 110; Oshada on 75 off 106.
Marcus Rashford's journey to Barcelona was "disrupted" by the Gallagher brothers, as Oasis booked out private travel from Manchester airport.
Forward en route to complete medicalOasis' homecoming shows finished on SundayRashford forced to depart from East Midlands airportFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
reports that the departing Rashford had hoped to travel from Manchester airport by private jet, ahead of his medical in Barcelona. He was unable to book a slot, as Liam Gallagher had a jet on standby, to whisk him back to his home in the south of France. The Gallaghers played the last of their Oasis homecoming gigs in Heaton Park on Sunday night.
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Rashford and his advisors had to drive 80 miles to East Midlands airport. The 27-year-old was eventually able to depart, and arrived in Barcelona shortly after 8 pm on Sunday evening. He is due to undergo a medical on Monday ahead of a season-long loan move from Manchester United, with an option-to-buy clause worth €30m (£26m/$35m).
WHAT SOURCE SAID
A source told : "Marcus’ travel plans were disrupted so it was all a bit stressful but he would have walked to Barcelona to sign for them.
“Noel and Liam can have a laugh that they accidentally put a spanner in the works.”
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?
Despite the disruption, Rashford remains on course to sign for La Blaugrana. He will likely be unveiled on Tuesday, pending the result of his medical, and could join Hansi Flick's squad for the club's pre-season tour of Asia.
The allrounder called Suryakumar’s leadership skills “amazing” for thinking out of the box
Andrew Fidel Fernando31-Jul-20241:44
Washington lauds Suryakumar’s ‘amazing leadership skills’
Sri Lanka needed nine to win off the last two overs in the third T20I. India still had the bowling of Mohammed Siraj to call on (Siraj had conceded just 11 off his first three overs). They also had one over from Khaleel Ahmed, who could have bowled the 20th.But with Kusal Perera still at the crease, captain Suryakumar Yadav went to the offspin of Rinku Singh, which had never before been seen in a T20 international. It worked out brilliantly – Perera first top-edging a cross-batted shot so badly, Rinku himself could get under it. Later in the over, Ramesh Mendis also holed out, to deep midwicket.Having watched Rinku concede only three runs and claim two wickets in a pressure over, Suryakumar made the decision to bowl his own offspin in the final over, taking two further wickets himself, and conceding only five to win the match.Related
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After the match, Washington Sundar, the frontline offspin bowler in the team described this spell of captaincy as “amazing”. The pitch was taking big turn, and Sri Lanka were struggling hugely against the slow bowlers. Suryakumar gambled on two rank part-timers.”It was amazing from Surya and his leadership skills,” Washington said. “I think he felt given the situation if he bowled more spinners we’d have a good chance to win the game. Given the wicket and the situation, he took one or two options, and it did wonders for us.”There were only 12 balls to go and Kusal Perera was batting. Rinku got him out and Surya himself came on in the last over and almost won the game for us. We all know he has a big heart when he goes out there to bat, but he also has a big heart in leadership as well.”Washington himself then played a key role, bowling a Super Over in which he conceded just two runs, but took two wickets. In regular play he had taken 2 for 23.”Honestly, I had no idea I was going to bowl. It was after the batsmen walked out that Surya turned behind and said: ‘Washy, you’re on.’ I was very happy, to be honest. When the captain wants you to bowl especially in tough situations, in a Super Over. I thought it was a great opportunity for me to step up and win games for my country. Thank God it went well.”Although India didn’t seem capable of defending 137 for the vast majority of the chase, Suryakumar never lost hope, Washington said. Sri Lanka, at one stage, needed 28 runs off 28 balls, with nine wickets in hand. India would then set in motion a huge collapse.”Surya kept teling us that one or two wickets, and the game would definitely change,” Washington said. “In these kinds of wickets, in low-scoring games, even run-a-ball could be a lot of pressure on the batsmen because there’s something for the bowlers in the wicket.”He said one or two wickets in the middle overs would get us in the game, and that’s exactly what happened. I hope the audience enjoyed it because you will only see such games every now and then. To be a part of this game feels great.”
Javier Tebas, the outspoken president of La Liga, has launched a scathing attack on the newly-expanded Club World Cup, expressing his intent to see the month-long tournament scrapped altogether. With the 32-team event currently underway in the United States, Tebas has voiced strong opposition, particularly regarding its disruptive impact on domestic schedules and player welfare.
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Tebas vows to shut down CWCWill not allow Real Madrid to have extra restLa Liga will commence on August 16Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Spain’s two representatives in the Club World Cup, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, have had very different trajectories in the competition. Diego Simeone’s Atletico exited in the group stage, limiting the disruption to their preparations for the upcoming campaign. Real Madrid, on the other hand, have progressed to the quarter-finals and could be in action until the tournament’s conclusion on July 13.
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Should Los Blancos reach the final, it would consume nearly all of their usual rest period. With just over a month before the new season begins, Madrid's players face the risk of limited training time and no warm-up friendlies ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowWHAT TEBAS SAID
Tebas has made it clear that neither Real Madrid nor Atletico Madrid will receive any special scheduling allowances due to their Club World Cup participation.
"I will do everything possible to ensure it [the Club World Cup] doesn't happen again," he said, as reported by "The Club World Cup has created a competitiveness problem with the money that goes to those clubs involved. The competition is damaging the calendar for all teams. They ask for more days to rest, but they can earn €140 million (£121m/$165m) from the Club World Cup – double Alaves' budget – and then ask for time to prepare."
AFPDID YOU KNOW?
The upcoming domestic season has already been mapped out by La Liga. The campaign kicks off on the weekend of August 16–17, with Real Madrid beginning at home to Osasuna. The season is scheduled to end on May 24, 2026, allowing for a short break before the start of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Central Sparks ended their 50-over hoodoo against the Blaze with an emphatic 78-run victory on the opening day of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy season at Edgbaston. Eve Jones’ side had never beaten Blaze in the 50-over format but took advantage of the visitors’ long absentee list due to injury and international commitments to start the season in style.After choosing to bat, Sparks made a total that was decent rather than imposing after numerous batters made a start but didn’t build on it. Only Abi Freeborn, with 53 from 87 balls, stayed long enough against a disciplined attack led by Grace Ballinger and Sophie Munro.Blaze’s reply was then hit by a superb opening spell of 7-4-5-2 from Emily Arlott as they lurched to 14 for 3 in ten overs. Nadine de Klerk, just hours after landing in the UK from South Africa, resisted with 43 off 65 but was one of three victims for spinner Hannah Baker as Blaze’s depleted team subsided.Sparks’ innings started slowly in the face of a fine new-ball burst from de Klerk who conceded just four runs in her first four overs. When Jones tried to shed the shackles, she was bowled trying to flick Ballinger to leg.Chloe Brewer greeted the left-arm spin of Kirstie Gordon with a crisp reverse sweep for four but paid a high price for trying to repeat the shot to a ball which was too far up, falling lbw. Munro maintained the pressure for Blaze with an opening spell of 7-1-18-1 which included the removal of Davina Perrin, bowled off stump.Former Warwickshire allrounder Marie Kelly drifted a beauty past Ami Campbell to have her stumped but Freeborn advanced to a composed 82-ball half-century before missing a swipe at Munro and perishing, stumped by Ella Claridge. Katie George provided some late impetus with a 30-ball 32 with five fours before she was yorked by de Klerk.Sparks started superbly with the ball as Arlott and Issy Wong both conceded just two from their first two overs. Arlott opened with 5-3-4-2 after removing Teresa Graves, caught at mid-on, and Kelly, bowled behind her legs. Wong beat Munro for pace to win an lbw decision and when Claridge missed a slog at Bethan Ellis and was bowled, Blaze were 39 for 4 in the 18th over.De Klerk and Daisy Mullan, making her debut on a five-match loan from Thunder, halted the slide and added 51 in 77 balls before the introduction of Baker ended the revival. The spinner removed both in five balls, each time defeating an attempted cut as Mullan nicked to the wicketkeeper and de Klerk was bowled middle stump.Baker added a third wicket when Michaela Kirk ladled to deep midwicket where George, having shelled two earlier chances, this time held on.
Zaib, Scrimshaw scuttle Notts before visiting captain leads charge to small target
ECB Reporters Network31-May-2024Skipper David Willey smashed seven sixes and seven fours in a 34-ball 79 as Northamptonshire Steelbacks made it two Vitality Blast wins from two with a crushing eight-wicket win over Notts Outlaws.After bowling Outlaws out for 154, Steelbacks knocked off their target with a commanding 40 balls to spare, South African opener Matthew Breetzke hitting the winning boundary in a 30-ball unbeaten 51. Northamptonshire had never won at Trent Bridge in seven previous visits in the shortest format.Outlaws had appeared set for a substantial score after building on a 63-run powerplay to be 104 for 1 after 10 overs, new skipper Joe Clarke and Outlaws debutant Jack Haynes having shared a 95-run partnership from 58 balls.But Clarke fell for 48 and Haynes for 51 and the home side lost their last nine wickets for 50 in 9.2 overs.Left-arm spinner Saif Zaib – only an occasional bowler in this format – took a T20 career-best 3 for 12 in three overs, with 6ft 7ins pace bowler George Scrimshaw claiming three for 16 from 14 balls.Asked to bat first, Outlaws lost Alex Hales in the second over, caught behind after making room to cut Raphy Weatherall, but raced to 63 for 1 in the opening six nonetheless, Clarke hammering two sixes and Haynes another amid a rush of boundaries.The second-wicket pair had added 95 by the end of the 10th over before they were stopped in their tracks by left-arm spinner Saif Zaib – the seventh bowler used by David Willey – as Clarke was caught by off-side sweeper Ricardo Vasconcelos for 48 off 30 balls.A brilliant piece of fielding by Willey from mid-off then ran out Will Young and when Tom Moores holed out to long-on for 9 Outlaws had stumbled from 104 for 1 to 117 for 4 in three overs, with the scoring rate being dragged back for good measure by the slower bowlers.The Northamptonshire fightback continued with Zaib striking twice in his second over as Haynes was caught at wide long-on and Matt Montgomery was bowled sweeping.Willey re-entered the attack to bowl Calvin Harrison off an inside edge before the unravelling continued thanks to two in two by George Scrimshaw as Lyndon James was out via a steepling catch and Dillon Pennington leg before. Scrimshaw wrapped things up by having Olly Stone caught behind as Outlaws failed even to bat out the full 20 overs.The early wicket of Vasconcelos, caught at slip as a scoop went badly wrong, lifted home spirits momentarily but they had fallen flat by the end of the powerplay, with Steelbacks ahead at 68 for 1 after the sixth over saw Willey hammer his one-time Northamptonshire team-mate Stone for 4-4-6-4-4-1, before going 6-2-4 off legspinner Harrison’s first three deliveries to complete a 21-ball fifty.Willey’s explosive innings continued with four more huge sixes off the first four balls of Harrison’s second over. The left-hander clearly had it in mind to go for a full set but his luck ran out next ball, which he mistimed just enough for it to drop into the hands of James at long-off.Nonetheless, with opener Breetzke, who faced only 20 balls in the opening 10 overs, at last getting a look-in to clear the rope off Stone, Steelbacks reached the halfway point needing just 35 more for victory.As it was, it took them only another 20 balls to get the job done, Breetzke and Ravi Bopara picking up two more maximums each before the former lofted Montgomery’s offspin through long-off for the winning boundary, completing his maiden Outlaws half-century in the process.
Islamabad United 151 for 5 (Shadab 34, Salman 33, Hamza 3-41) beat Karachi Kings 150 for 7 (Pollard 39, Mills 3-34, Ashraf 2-16)Fast bowlers Tymal Mills and Faheem Ashraf toppled Karachi Kings’ top-order and earned Islamabad United a vital five-wicket win in the Pakistan Super League on Thursday.United jumped to No. 2 with nine points and superior net-run rate over Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi, who also have nine points in the push for the playoffs.With six points, Kings need to win their remaining two games and hope other teams lose.Related
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Mills, playing his first game in the Rawalpindi-leg this season, grabbed 3 for 34 while Ashraf got the wickets of opening batters Shan Masood (10) and Tim Seifert (26) with his deceptive bowling to restrict Karachi to 150 for 7.United chased the target in 18.4 to notch their fourth win.Left-arm fast bowler Mir Hamza (3-41) gave Karachi a glimmer of hope when he dismissed power-hitters Alex Hales (18) and Colin Munro (9) inside the powerplay.But captain Shadab Khan (34) and Agha Salman (33) revived the run-chase with a watchful 56-run stand before United lost three wickets in space of 18 runs.Salman feathered a catch to wicketkeeper Seifert in Blessing Muzarabani’s return spell and Azam Khan (9) offered a regulation return catch to leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood. Hamza then deceived Shadab with sharp bounce and found the outside edge of the bat before Haider Ali (26*) and Ashraf (12*) sealed the win for United.Earlier, Masood’s struggling first season as Kings skipper continued as he tried to flick Ashraf, and Imad Wasim took a brilliant running catch over his shoulder at short third. Masood has scored only 134 runs in eight innings without a half-century.Seifert couldn’t accelerate against pace and spin before Munro took another brilliant catch as veteran Shoaib Malik (1) and Mohammad Nawaz (5) also got dismissed while going for big shots.Top-scorer Kieron Pollard (39) and James Vince (29) shared a 58-run stand before Mills broke through as he had Vince caught behind off a delivery that seamed away from the Englishman.Pollard, who hit three sixes and three fours, also gave a skier to Ashraf at deep third in the 18th over as United kept picking wickets to restrict Kings in the death overs.
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Apr-2019Only two members of India’s 2007 World Cup squad have made it to the 2019 edition: their wicketkeepers, MS Dhoni and his back-up, Dinesh Karthik. It has always been thus, with Karthik playing out a career in Dhoni’s shadow, despite having debuted before Dhoni, back in 2004. Along the way, Karthik has played with 436 ODI cricketers, team-mates and opponents put together, straddling multiple generations. Which of these players have featured in an ODI game with Karthik? Take a crack at our quiz and let us know how you did by bragging about it on social media.
Leeds United is currently the home to various talents who have made their names across Europe before moving to Elland Road over the last couple of seasons.
Brenden Aaronson is just one player who cost big money to secure a move for his signature, costing a fee in the region of £25m during their final season in the Premier League back in 2022/23.
The American has so far failed to demonstrate why the hierarchy forked out such a hefty fee for his signature, struggling to make a real impact under Daniel Farke in recent weeks.
Whilst he scored the opener against Swansea City last weekend, it was only his second goal contribution of the calendar year, struggling to produce any tangible results in their hunt for Championship promotion.
He’s since been unable to match the levels produced by one player who starred in Yorkshire after his own transfer from the Swans multiple years ago.
Pablo Hernandez’s stats for Leeds United
Over the years, Leeds has been the home to countless icons, with Pablo Hernandez undoubtedly cementing himself as a modern-day hero for his heroics at Elland Road.
The Spaniard originally moved on loan from Swansea back in 2016/17, before joining permanently in the January of that campaign after impressing in the first half of the season.
Such a move would be the springboard for his success with the Whites, with Hernandez going on to register 36 goals and 41 assists from 175 outings, helping the club lift the Championship title at the close of the 2019/20 campaign.
He was a pivotal part of Marcelo Bielsa’s side that season, remaining a key member of the squad the following year as the club ended their long wait for Premier League football.
Whilst he left the club back in 2021, current boss Farke already has his own version of the fan-favourite, playing a vital role in their own ambitions of returning to the top flight.
The player who’s become Farke’s own Hernandez at Leeds
The plethora of attacking talent on the books at Leeds has contributed to their phenomenal attacking record, which has seen them score 78 times in the league this season – by far the highest tally in the division.
Joel Piroe has been central to such a record, netting 15 league goals to date, a tally which is the highest within the current first-team squad – producing key goals at various moments.
The Dutchman arrived in a £10m deal from Swansea back in the summer of 2023, following in Hernandez’s footsteps in joining from the Welsh outfit and having an immediate impact in Yorkshire.
The similarities to Hernandez continue, with the 25-year-old also able to feature in the number ten role, as seen in certain matches this season, with the “superb” star, as dubbed by one analyst, key to the club’s recent success.
During his final Championship campaign in Yorkshire, the Spaniard notched a total of 18 combined goals and assists back in 2019/20 – cementing himself as a key member of Bielsa’s squad.
Piroe has already registered a combined 21 contributions with seven matches remaining this campaign, with any hope of securing promotion potentially down to whether he can continue to produce the goods in the final third.
Joel Piroe
21
Daniel James
19
Manor Solomon
14
Brenden Aaronson
11
Wilfried Gnonto
11
Mateo Joseph
6
Largie Ramazani
6
He’s been subject to criticism in recent times, but it’s safe to say the club wouldn’t be in this current position without his goals, certainly playing a key role in their promotion ambitions.
Whilst it’s unclear whether he will be able to cut it in the Premier League, Piroe has a huge job to catapult the side into the top flight between now and the end of the season.
His goals could provide the difference over the next couple of weeks, with the Dutchman able to cement his place in the Whites’ history books should he produce the goods and fire them back to England’s top-division.
Huge upgrade on Meslier: Leeds big move for "world-class" GK
Leeds United could land a player who could end Illan Meslier’s time at Elland Road.
ByEthan Lamb Apr 1, 2025