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A patient fifty from opener Natalie Dodd and handy middle-order contributions helped New Zealand to 208, a score they defended by 95 runs to take an unassailable 4-1 lead in the series in Paarl

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2016
ScorecardLegspinner Erin Bermingham disrupted South Africa’s chase with figures of 3 for 28•ICC/Getty Images

A patient fifty from opener Natalie Dodd and handy middle-order contributions from Amy Satterthwaite (42), Katie Perkins (34) and Sam Curtis helped New Zealand Women recover from 10 for 3 to post 208, a score they defended by 95 runs to take an unassailable 4-1 lead in the series.South Africa’s opening bowlers – Ayabonga Khaka and Marizanne Kapp, who bowled seven maidens in 18 overs between them – scythed through the top order, before an 84-run fourth-wicket stand between Satterthwaite and Dodd resuscitated the visitors. Dodd struck her maiden ODI fifty, a 107-ball 52, before she was stumped off Dane van Niekerk in the 32nd over.Despite a lack of support from the lower order, Curtis provided the impetus towards the end of the innings with 42 off 53 as New Zealand added 42 off the last five overs.Chasing 209, South Africa were left reeling at 28 for 4 by Lea Tahuhu and legspinner Erin Bermingham. Allrounder Marizanne Kapp retired hurt after she was struck on the head by a bouncer from Tahuhu and was treated for a mild concussion.Mignon du Preez scored her second fifty of the series (62) in an innings that featured five fours and a six, but received little support from the other batsmen. Captain Suzie Bates claimed the last three wickets to fall as South Africa were bowled out for 113 in 35.5 overs.

The Women’s Big Bash League 2016-17 kicks off with a “carnival weekend” in Sydney on December 10 and 11 with six matches, of which four will be telecast on free-to-air television

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jun-2016

Thunder strikes twice: In 2015-16, Sydney Thunder won the Big Bash League and the Women’s Big Bash League•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Following a highly successful debut last year, the Women’s Big Bash League is set to receive greater exposure in 2016-17. The tournament kicks off with a “carnival weekend” in Sydney on December 10 and 11 with six matches, of which four will be telecast on prime time free-to-air television in Australia.Each WBBL team will play at least two matches that will be broadcast live. Overall, that number has increased from 10 to 12 this season, including the semi-finals and final. With an eye towards bringing in a larger audience, 14 of the 59 women’s matches will be held simultaneously with the men’s Big Bash League, which begins on December 20 with champions Sydney Thunder taking on Sydney Sixers.Most significantly, the Ten Network will broadcast the WBBL match between the Melbourne Stars and Sydney Thunder live in prime time on their main channel. This timeslot is believed to be a first for women’s sport in Australia. “We will for the first time broadcast the Melbourne Stars taking on the reigning premiers the Sydney Thunder in the Women’s Big Bash League, live from 6.00pm,” Ten chief executive Paul Anderson said. “That will be the first time a standalone women’s sporting competition has been broadcast in prime time on a commercial free-to-air television network’s primary channel.”Among the WBBL-BBL double-headers are the Melbourne derbies on January 1 and 7 and the second Sydney derby on Jaunary 14. The Sydney derby that kicks off the BBL will be a stand-alone event. Last season’s Melbourne derby drew record crowds with over 90,000 people coming to the MCG for both BBL and WBBL matches.Adelaide will host the New Year’s eve matches, with the men’s and women’s Strikers taking on Sixers and Perth Scorchers respectively. Boxing Day features two women’s matches – Strikers v Hobart Hurricanes and Brisbane Heat v Melbourne Stars – and one from the men’s tournament – Hurricanes v Stars. Both leagues will have their semi-finals on January 24 and January 25 and their respective finals on January 28.”We operate on a ‘one club, two teams’ mentality with the men’s and women’s Big Bash Leagues to give fans greater options with this integrated schedule,” CA’s executive general manager of operations Mike McKenna said. “The Big Bash League has become a family-favourite during the summer school holidays and the way the public embraced the Women’s Big Bash League last year shows there is strong demand that this schedule is designed to grow.”The number of BBL matches remains the same at 35, with start and finish dates of December 20 and January 28 as opposed to last year’s December 17 opener and January 24 final. Five matches will be played before Christmas, but there will not yet be any match on Christmas Eve or Christmas night, both ideas having been floated by CA last summer.With television rights negotiations for the next round of cricket fixtures in Australia set to heat up following this tournament, Anderson spoke glowingly of the competition’s effect on his network. “The BBL has become an integral part of summer in Australia,” he said. “Cricket Australia has created and built an incredibly popular and successful competition, and we are thrilled to be able to bring it to all Australians.”Network Ten has always been a leader in broadcasting women’s sport and we are leading the way again this summer. We are proud to further cement our commitment to women’s sport through a landmark deal that will see Network Ten broadcast 12 matches of the Women’s Big Bash League – including four of the matches that launch the 2016-17 season from Saturday, 10 December, live and exclusive on Ten. Ten of the 12 matches will be seen on the main Ten channel.”

Liverpool have identified Ryan Gravenberch as a potential midfield option in the summer following their recent blow in the race for Jude Bellingham.

Have Liverpool pulled out of the Bellingham race?

The pursuit for the signature of Bellingham in the summer took a major twist over recent days with Liverpool believed to be one f the three main sides eyeing the midfielder.

Alongside the likes of Manchester City and Real Madrid, it is believed Liverpool were seriously interested in potentially signing the 19-year-old.

However, reports have now suggested the Reds have pulled out of the race as a result of the finances expected to be involved in the possible sale of the England midfielder.

Now, it appears the Merseyside are weighing up their options for potential alternatives as they look to plan for the new campaign at Anfield.

It has been a largely underwhelming campaign for Liverpool this season and one they will be hoping some reinforcements over the summer could turn around.

One name which has been floated around as a possible alternative for Bellingham is the £155k-per-week Bayern Munich midfielder, Gravnberch.

Indeed, speaking on the Talking Transfers podcast, insider Graeme Bailey has suggested the 20-year-old is a player who Jurgen Klopp's side are said to be keen on:

(23:50) "A very interesting name to keep an eye on and I suspect he'll be very strongly talked about with Liverpool. They like him, as you say. So I think he'd be very much under consideration for them. Could be a very good pickup for a Premier League team."

Could Gravenberch be a good Bellingham alternative?

It has to be noted potentially missing out on Bellingham will naturally feel like a huge blow given the high praise that the youngster has received over the early stages of his career.

However, the Dutchman, Gravenberch, is a player who landed at Bayern in the summer from Ajax with huge expectations following his time in the Eredivisie.

Under his previous manager, Julian Nagelsmann, the 20-year-old was hailed despite the lack of game time he was receiving from the starting XI: “It’s not easy for Ryan but he’s gonna be one of the best midfielders in the world," he said.

The midfielder has made 17 appearances in the Bundesliga and only one of those have come from the starting XI with a total of 323 minutes of league action (via Transfermarkt).

Gravenberch has been described as "special" by talkSPORT's Mark Goldbridge and last season he certainly showed that having provided more shot-creating actions than Bellingham did last season (via Fbref).

Of course, this has to be caveated by the fact he was playing in a different league to Bellingham last season, however, the Dutchman (67.4%) also provided more successful take-ons than Bellingham (55.1%).

Missing out on the statement signing of Bellingham will hurt for Liverpool fans, but it seems there are other players who could bolster Klopp's options in the middle.

Everton yet again find themselves fighting for survival in the Premier League this season and Sean Dyche has now been tasked with the challenge to ensure they don't fall into the Championship.

The Toffees are just two points clear of the relegation zone in 15th and just like last season, the club faces a real threat of falling into the second tier if the tide doesn't turn over the remaining ten fixtures.

There are several variables that can be pinpointed to Everton's struggles over the last 18 months with Richarlison's exit in the summer particularly playing a huge part in the side's lack of goal contributions this term.

Everton have the joint-worst goal tally in the entire Premier League with summer signings Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil failing to convert enough chances in front of goal to compensate for the Brazilian's departure. That is further made worse by Anthony Gordon's shock move to Newcastle United in January.

However, it's not just poor transfer business that has been plaguing the performances at Goodison Park as the Merseysiders racked up the worst injury record in the entire top flight last season with numerous players unavailable for selection for months at a time.

It is without a doubt that the most impactful injury concern has been Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the striker constantly picking up injuries ever since he suffered a toe fracture and quadriceps injury back in August 2021.

How much has Dominic Calvert-Lewin cost Everton?

The 26-year-old has become one of the Premier League's most recognisable number nines over his career at Everton and even earned a place in the senior England squad after impressing Gareth Southgate with his performances under Carlos Ancelotti's guidance back in 2020.

However, in the last two seasons, the striker's injury troubles have put his promising career on a downward spiral with the player only making 30 appearances and scoring just six goals in all competitions since the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign.

To be exact, it has been 81 weeks since the Everton talisman – dubbed "frustrating" by Henry Winter – suffered the first major injury that left him in recovery for the rest of 2021 and has earned £100k-per-week or £8.1m in total since then, despite his lack of contribution and constant unreliability.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville recently slammed Everton's mentality for still depending on Calvert-Lewin to be their saviour in the relegation fight this season following the 2-0 loss to Liverpool:

"They’ve [Everton] got to stop talking about Dominic Calvert-Lewin, it’s as if they’re waiting for something to sort of save them – it might never come.

"For me, this idea that they always mention, ‘when we get Calvert-Lewin back we’ll be okay,’ no you won’t. You can’t wait for him. You’ll be relegated if you’re waiting for him."

Neville's comments present a harsh truth for the Goodison faithful and for Dyche when he assesses the next steps, should Everton survive relegation this season, as the club can no longer wait for the striker to make a comeback and instead must look at their options in the transfer market to ensure they can improve next season.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Everton finally accept that their beloved goalscorer could potentially never reach the heights he once and instead invest his wages or a potential transfer fee that could provide them with a prolific and reliable striker next season.

Newcastle United notably splashed the cash to secure the signing of promising forward Anthony Gordon from Everton during the January transfer window, with the England U21 international joining on a £45m deal after putting in a transfer request at Goodison Park.

The 22-year-old was snapped up for such a hefty price despite only scoring three Premier League goals in the first half of the season for the Toffees, having subsequently gone on to fail to register a goal or an assist in his first four appearances for the Magpies thus far.

Although the youngster has only been restricted to brief, cameo appearances following his move to Tyneside, supporters may well have been hoping for an immediate impact from a player who cost a truly mammoth transfer fee.

Of course, the Liverpool-born menace still has ample opportunity to make his mark over the coming years, although there are lingering doubts over the player’s actual quality, having ‘hardly done anything’ in the game thus far, according to pundit Robbie Fowler.

As such, it may not be Gordon who emerges as the future star of Eddie Howe’s forward line, with there likely to be other candidates among the club’s youth ranks who could also blossom in the years to come, including 18-year-old, Kyle Crossley.

Who is Kyle Crossley?

There is undoubtedly much excitement about the improvements being made at first-team level in recent times – having only recently reached the Carabao Cup final – although there is also clearly good work being done to help nurture those in the academy set-up.

The aforementioned Crossley is evidently one of those who is proving his worth with his displays for Newcastle’s youth sides, with it likely to not be too long before the exciting teenager is lining up under Howe in the senior ranks.

The emerging prospect clearly carries a “real threat at the top end of the pitch”, according to The Chronicle’s Mark Carruthers, having registered 20 goal involvements in just 48 games for the U18s to date, as well as scoring three times in 13 appearances at U21 level.

That respectable tally includes a haul of two goals from seven Premier League 2 outings so far this term, with the Sunderland-born ace having also featured in all three EFL Trophy games earlier in the campaign.

The dynamic winger – who can feature on either flank – has been described as a ‘quick, yet strong player’ by the club’s official website, with it also having been revealed that the teen speedster idolises Portuguese icon, Cristiano Ronaldo.

The aim for the precocious talent will be to force his way into Howe’s thinking sooner rather than later, with it set to be no real surprise if Crossley does go on to be a star of the future at St James’ Park.

Malo Gusto has offered his thoughts on Mauricio Pochettino's future at the helm as Chelsea gear up to face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.

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Pochettino has just over a year left on contract Gusto backs him to continue as Blues boss Opened up on camaraderie with "big player" James Getty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?

Despite facing criticism due to Chelsea's inconsistent performances, Pochettino's leadership has received strong backing from Gusto. While the club's hierarchy plans to evaluate Pochettino's performance at the end of the season, Gusto remains confident in the Argentinian's capabilities to lead the team.

A notable aspect of Pochettino's tenure at Chelsea has been his emphasis on fostering unity within the squad. Following consecutive Premier League losses to Liverpool and Wolves, Pochettino rallied the squad, emphasizing his unwavering belief in their abilities. Subsequently, Chelsea players repaid the trust shown by their manager by securing impressive wins against Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, followed by a commendable draw against Manchester City.

AdvertisementWHAT GUSTO SAID

Speaking to Gusto said: "He (Pochettino) helps us a lot. He has tried to show us the desire to win and to keep fighting against every team. He talks to us a lot about tactics and techniques. He is a good person as well. He tries to help us a lot, on and off the pitch. He is a good coach for this young team.

“That’s (the organising of bonding events at the training ground) what he has tried to do to get everyone all together. The most important thing during this new project is: to help each other and stay all together. If we do that, we can win more.”

When asked whether Pochettino should be handed an extension who has a little more than a year left in his contract, with an option for a further 12 months, the full-back said: "Yeah, yeah, yeah. He is here for this. He knows he has to wake up our mentality. To wake up our desire to win everything. We are Chelsea and a big club like Chelsea has to win everything. To keep fighting.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

In the ever-evolving landscape of football, injuries often serve as opportunities for aspiring talents to step into the limelight. This narrative rings true for Gusto, whose ascent to prominence has been accelerated by circumstances beyond his control.

Gusto's journey at Chelsea initially began with the intention of providing healthy competition for established star Reece James, yet fate had different plans. James' untimely hamstring injury in August forced a recalibration of the club's strategy, thrusting Gusto into a more prominent role sooner than anticipated.
Despite the competitive dynamic between him and James, Gusto highlights their mutual support and camaraderie, underscoring their shared goal of contributing to the team's success.

"Reece is a big player," he said. "One of the best players in this position. It’s not good for the team (that he is out injured) as Reece is the captain and it’s not good for everyone in the club. But for me, I have to be ready and take every chance.

“We talk a lot. I try to help him, he tries to help me as well. It’s a good competition between him and me. We are not similar (as players), but when we are on the pitch we try to help the team, keeping a good mentality, to score and assist. That’s what we have to do.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

As Chelsea gears up for the Carabao Cup final, Gusto's endorsement reaffirms the team's unity and determination under Pochettino's guidance. If they manage to trounce Jurgen Klopp's high-flying Liverpool on Sunday, the victory might usher in a new dawn at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle United made a long-awaited comeback to the Champions League back in 2023/24. Their fourth-placed Premier League finish in 2022/23 saw them return to the competition for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Of course, this won’t be the first time that the Magpies competed at the peak of European football. They’ve been there before and faced some of the game’s giants.

Given they haven’t been Champions League regulars, you would be forgiven for struggling to recall just how the Magpies got on in the past.

Football FanCast has taken a look back at how Newcastle did in previous years.

1997/98 – Group stage

The mid-90s saw Newcastle make waves in English football, including breaking the world transfer record to sign Alan Shearer in 1996.

While they fell agonisingly short of winning the Premier League, the Mapgies took advantage of changes in UEFA rules that allowed for non-champions to compete in their main competition.

They did need to win a qualifier, but a 4-3 aggregate win over Dinamo Zagreb (then known as Croatia Zagreb) put them into group stages. Waiting for them? Dynamo Kyiv, PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona.

The group stage was also different in those days – there were only six in total, with the winners going straight through to the quarter-finals. The two best-placed runners-up would take the remaining berths in the final eight, meaning Newcastle were up against it to progress.

Things started off brilliantly with a 3-2 win against Barcelona that continues to live long in the memory. Faustino Asprilla earned and scored a penalty before planting a bullet header in the Barca net to leave the Toon faithful in dreamland.

He completed his hat-trick with another header moments into the second half, before Louis van Gaal’s side staged their comeback.

But consolation goals from Luis Enrique and Luis Figo were not enough to prevent the Magpies from grabbing the perfect start to their group campaign.

A 2-2 draw in Kyiv followed, with Newcastle 2-0 down until a late fightback earned a point.

PSV, however, would then pick up back-to-back wins over Newcastle – without the Magpies scoring a goal. In fact, they’d then lost 1-0 to Barca before finally finding more points in the final game against Kyiv thanks to a 2-0 home win.

Newcastle weren’t able to overcome the talent in that group, finishing third behind PSV and… Kyiv. Yes, Barcelona finished bottom of the group, having lost 3-0 and 4-0 to the Ukrainian side.

That maybe makes a bit more sense when you learn a young Andriy Shevchenko scored five goals in six games for Kyiv that season, including a hat-trick at Camp Nou.

All in all, Newcastle were incredibly unfortunate. They came up against three great sides, but certainly had moments to savour.

Second qualifying round, 1st leg

Newcastle 2-1 Dinamo Zagreb

Beresford (2); Cvitanovic

Second qualifying round, 2nd leg

Dinamo Zagreb 2-2 Newcastle (aet)

Simic, Cvitanovic; Asprilla, Ketsbaia

Group C

Newcastle 3-2 Barcelona

Asprilla (3); Luis Enrique, Figo

Group C

Dynamo Kyiv 2-2 Newcastle

Rebrov, Shevchenko; Beresford, Holovko (og)

Group C

PSV 1-0 Newcastle

Jonk

Group C

Newcastle 0-2 PSV

Nilis, De Bilde

Group C

Barcelona 1-0 Newcastle

Giovanni

Group C

Newcastle 2-0 Dynamo Kyiv

Barnes, Pearce

Dynamo Kyiv

6

3

2

1

13

6

+7

11

PSV

6

2

3

1

9

8

+1

9

Newcastle

6

2

1

3

7

8

-1

7

Barcelona

6

1

2

3

7

14

-7

5

2002/03 – Second group phase

Newcastle had to wait a while before getting another crack at the Champions League. They qualified in 2002/03, though – but once again needed to play a qualifying round. Bosnian outfit Zeljeznicar fell to them 5-0 on aggregate, putting the Magpies back in the group stage.

And oh, was it one to remember. Newcastle found Juventus, Dynamo Kyiv and Feyenoord waiting for them and started as miserably as possible. They lost all three of their opening games to sit on zero points at the halfway mark.

But then something magic happened. Newcastle beat Juventus, beat Kyiv, and set up a historic tie with Feyenoord on the final matchday.

If they could claim victory in the Netherlands – and Juve beat Kyiv – Newcastle could qualify, with two slots available in the next phase of the competition.

They did just that, thanks to Craig Bellamy scoring a 91st-minute winner and Juve winning 2-1. That was history – Newcastle were the first side to ever lose their first three games and still get out of the group.

Third qualifying round, 1st leg

Zeljeznicar 0-1 Newcastle

Dyer

Third qualifying round, 2nd leg

Newcastle 4-0 Zeljeznicar

Dyer, Lua Lua, Viana, Shearer

First group phase, Group E

Dynamo Kyiv 2-0 Newcastle

Shatskikh, Khatskevich

First group phase, Group E

Newcastle 0-1 Feyenoord

Pardo

First group phase, Group E

Juventus 2-0 Newcastle

Del Piero (2)

First group phase, Group E

Newcastle 1-0 Juventus

Griffin

First group phase, Group E

Newcastle 2-1 Dynamo Kyiv

Speed, Shearer; Shatskikh

First group phase, Group E

Feyenoord 2-3 Newcastle

Bombarda, Lurling; Bellamy (2), Viana

Juventus

6

4

1

1

12

3

+9

13

Newcastle

6

3

0

3

6

8

-2

9

Dynamo Kyiv

6

2

1

3

6

9

-3

7

Feyenoord

6

1

2

3

4

8

-4

5

Their reward, of course, was yet another group phase. If you’re not familiar, there used to be two group stages before the switch to the format we see today. Barcelona, Inter and Bayer Leverkusen waited.

Leverkusen – the previous year’s finalists – proved no match for the Magpies, losing 3-1 twice in succession.

Newcastle couldn’t quite compete with Barcelona and Inter, however. The Catalonians beat them twice, while Inter smashed them 4-1 at St James’ Park. A 2-2 draw at San Siro provided an extra point, but Newcastle’s seven saw them out as the third-placed team.

Second group phase, Group A

Newcastle 1-4 Inter

Solano; Morfeo, Almeyda, Crespo, Recoba

Second group phase, Group A

Barcelona 3-1 Newcastle

Garcia, Kluivert, Motta; Ameobi

Second group phase, Group A

Bayer Leverkusen 1-3 Newcastle

Franca; Ameobi (2), Lua Lua

Second group phase, Group A

Newcastle 3-1 Bayer Leverkusen

Shearer (3); Babic

Second group phase, Group A

Inter 2-2 Newcastle

Vieri, Cordoba; Shearer (2)

Second group phase, Group A

Newcastle 0-2 Barcelona

Kluivert, Motta

Barcelona

6

5

1

0

12

2

+10

16

Inter

6

3

2

1

11

8

+3

11

Newcastle

6

2

1

3

10

13

-3

7

Bayer Leverkusen

6

0

0

6

5

15

-10

0

2003/04 – Third qualifying round

Unfortunately, this one ends on something of a sour note. Newcastle were back in the competition the following season and, once again, needed to win a qualifying match.

But they slipped up. Newcastle were able to pick up a 1-0 win away from home, and with the away goals rule in effect, seemed well-placed to snatch a group-stage berth. Unfortunately, the Serbians returned the favour, and then some – with Partizan winning on penalties.

Shearer was among four Newcastle players to miss in the shootout, which had remarkably gone to sudden death despite the home side missing their first three penalties.

Aaron Hughes missed the crucial penalty before Milivoje Cirkovic stepped up to break Toon hearts.

That dropped the Magpies down to the UEFA Cup, where they made it to the semi-finals. Beaten by eventual losing finalists Marseille, a double from a certain Didier Drogba ended the Toon’s European adventure that year.

That season marks the last time they competed under the Champions League banner. Of course, that will change come September.

Third qualifying round, 1st leg

Partizan 0-1 Newcastle

Solano

Third qualifying round, 2nd leg

Newcastle 0-1 Partizan (p)

Iliev

2023/24 – Group stage

Newcastle’s fourth-place finish in the 2022/23 Champions League handed them an automatic group stage berth, with Eddie Howe’s side placed in the ‘Group of Death’ alongside PSG, Milan and Borussia Dortmund.

Things started well with a commendable draw in Milan and a historic 4-1 win over PSG, but things unravelled from there as three defeats and a late equaliser denying them a win in Paris saw Newcastle finish bottom of the group.

Group F

Milan 0-0 Newcastle

None

Group F

Newcastle 4-1 PSG

Almiron, Burn, Longstaff, Schar; Hernandez

Group F

Newcastle 0-1 Borussia Dortmund

Nmecha

Group F

Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Newcastle

Fullkrug, Brandt

Group F

PSG 1-1 Newcastle

Mbappe; Isak

Group F

Newcastle 1-2 Milan

Joelinton; Pulisic, Chukwueze

Borussia Dortmund

6

3

2

1

7

4

+3

11

PSG

6

2

2

2

9

8

+1

8

Milan

6

2

2

2

5

8

-3

8

Newcastle

6

1

2

3

6

7

-1

5

Newcastle United's top scorers in the Champions League

Alan Shearer unsurprisingly leads the way in terms of goals at this level for Newcastle with seven, having spearheaded their incredible journey through the group stages back in 2002/03.

Faustino Asprilla has four to his name, while John Beresford and Shola Ameobi have three apiece, including one at Camp Nou for the latter.

There were six different scorers for each of Newcastle’s goals in the 2023/24 Champions League – will anyone be able to add to their tally in 2025/26?

Alan Shearer

7

Faustino Asprilla

4

John Beresford

3

Shola Ameobi

3

Kieron Dyer

2

Lomana Lua Lua

2

Hugo Viana

2

Craig Bellamy

2

Nolberto Solano

2

Temuri Ketsbaia

1

John Barnes

1

Stuart Pearce

1

Andy Griffin

1

Gary Speed

1

Miguel Almiron

1

Dan Burn

1

Sean Longstaff

1

Fabian Schar

1

Alexander Isak

1

Joelinton

1

New Zealand will arrive for their first T20 in Australia since 2009 looking to put one over on an inexperienced home line-up

The Preview by Alan Gardner02-Feb-2018

Big Picture

The first T20 tri-series between Full Members ought to be a significant moment, a possible sign of how to give greater relevance to the international format outside of World T20s. The fact that the first match during the Australia leg has to be shoehorned in between the semi-final and final of the Big Bash League shows just how unforgiving the schedules have become.David Warner knows that better than most, as he prepares to lead Australia in four T20s against New Zealand and England, with the possibility of a final in Auckland on February 21 – the day before Australia’s tour game begins in Benoni ahead of their four-Test series against South Africa. While Steven Smith has been given time off, Warner is charged with reinvigorating Australian fortunes in T20, where they currently find themselves ranked No. 7 in the world.To that end, the selectors have channelled the success of the BBL, plucking out some of the competition’s leading performers: D’Arcy Short is the most eye-catching, alongside IPL millionaire Andrew Tye, raw quick Billy Stanlake, up-and-coming wicketkeeper Alex Carey and uncapped Ben Dwarshuis. With experienced hitters such as Glenn Maxwell, Chris Lynn and Marcus Stoinis to pack the middle order, Australia will hope to settle on the nucleus of a side to build for the future, which includes a World T20 on home soil in two years’ time.Crossing the ditch for a rare visit (their first in T20 since 2009) is a New Zealand team in supreme form, ranked No. 2 in T20I. Until being beaten twice by Pakistan – to whom they lost their No. 1 ranking – New Zealand had sauntered through their home summer, winning every game bar a washed-out T20 against West Indies. In pursuit of a first win on Australian soil since the 2011 Hobart Test, Kane Williamson and his men won’t mind arriving under cover of the BBL before slipping back across the Tasman for the rest of the tournament.Colin Munro attempts a switch hit•Getty Images

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WLWLL
New Zealand LLWWW

In the spotlight

D’Arcy Short lit up the BBL, his tournament-leading 504 runs at a strike rate of 147.80 helping Hobart Hurricanes into the knockout stages (and, perhaps, inspiring them to reach Sunday’s final in his absence). Paradoxically, his expected international debut is likely to be a more low-key event, but the presence of an indigenous player in Australia’s XI carries important symbolism. And he can hit it, too.January was a pretty good month for Mitchell Santner. Picked up at the IPL auction for the first time, he overtook his team-mate Ish Sodhi as the No. 1-ranked T20 bowler and also successfully unveiled his carrom ball – the “Santner Claw” – during the ODIs against Pakistan. One of the younger faces in a dynamic, experienced New Zealand side, his tidy left-arm spin should go well at the SCG.

Team news

Aaron Finch has been ruled out of the opening match, due to the hamstring strain he suffered in the ODI series against England; Warner suggested either Short or Lynn will open alongside him. Travis Head will dash to Sydney from Adelaide and then back for the BBL final, while an inexperienced pace attack is likely to be led by Andrew Tye.Australia (possible): 1 David Warner (capt), 2 D’Arcy Short, 3 Travis Head, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Chris Lynn, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Ashton Agar, 9 Andrew Tye, 10 Kane Richardson, 11 Adam Zampa/Billy StanlakeNew Zealand will hope to have Colin Munro fit, after a hamstring tweak kept him out of their defeat in the third T20 against Pakistan. Sydney’s friendliness to spin could see Anaru Kitchen included ahead of Seth Rance to back up Santner and Sodhi.New Zealand (possible): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Colin de Grandhomme, 6 Anaru Kitchen, 7 Tom Blundell (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Ish Sodhi

Pitch and conditions

The surface for the ODI last month was slightly two-paced, although that didn’t stop England from scoring 300 thanks to Jos Buttler’s late assault. The last T20 international played at the SCG was also run-filled, as India chased down 198 off the last ball. There is a forecast for rain on Saturday but it could well pass through before the evening start time.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand have only beaten Australia once in six T20 encounters – although that was in their last meeting, during the 2016 World T20.
• Australia’s pace-bowling options of Tye, Kane Richardson, Billy Stanlake and Ben Dwarshuis have 11 T20 caps between them.
• Colin Munro is three runs short of becoming the fifth New Zealander to 1000 in T20s; last month, he became the only man to score three T20 international hundreds.

Quotes

“We’ve probably said it for the last 12-24 months about improving our overall assessment of how we play this format, sometimes we either fall in a heap with our batting or we don’t start well with the ball.”
“We can’t take anyone lightly because anyone can have their day and rip through a batting line-up.”

Salman Butt’s unbeaten 85 carried Lahore Whites into the final four on a day that saw Peshawar and Rawalpindi eliminated

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2017Salman Butt continued to shake off a wretched Quaid-e-Azam trophy campaign. His second unbeaten half-century in three games helped Lahore Whites trounce Peshawar by 27 runs. Butt’s 58-ball 85 took his side to the top of the standings.His fellow opener Kamran Akmal also joined in to make a 40-ball 52 as the Whites notched up 163. In response, the struggling Peshawar – who now have one win in six matches – could not find a single batsman to score over 25. That meant the chase never really took off. Lahore’s bowlers picked them off at ease with Umaid Asif starring with four for 26 to break the back of the Peshawar chase. Ehsan Adil and Asif Ali took two wickets apiece as Peshawar were cleaned up for 136, with their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals officially extinguished.A century stand between Umar Amin and Zain Abbas wasn’t enough for Rawalpindi as they lost to Faisalabad, thereby falling out of contention for the last four. Amin and Abbas scored 67 and 62 respectively, with Sohail Tanvir adding a quickfire 32 off 16 as Rawalpindi surged to 193. It was, surprisingly, the international stars in Faisalabad’s bowling attack who were the most expensive, with Faheem Ashraf, Saeed Ajmal and Yasir Shah conceding a whopping 115 runs in their combined 11 overs.But Faisalabad gave the daunting chase a right go, thanks largely to a 43-ball 87 from Sohaib Maqsood, even as the top order fell cheaply around him. By the time he was dismissed, he had contributed 87 to Faisalabad’s score of 108, but 86 were still required off a mere seven overss, the balance firmly in favour of the hosts. But sensational hitting from Khurram Manzoor – who finished with an unbeaten 52 off 25 – and Ashraf helped Faisalabad sneak home with a ball to spare and strengthen their hold on a semi-final position.

Ryan Reynolds has been sent a “Wales forever Mr Lively” message by fellow movie star Sir Anthony Hopkins following Welcome to Wrexham’s Emmy win.

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• Documentary series lands prestigious prize
• Recognition for efforts in North Wales
• Movie stars accept & acknowledge top award

• Getty/FX
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The popular FX-produced television series has landed another prestigious prize on the back of season two airing in 2023 – which showcased the Red Dragons’ stunning National League title triumph, while also covering promotion for the club’s women’s team and several local community stories.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Reynolds accepted Wrexham’s Emmy award while dressed up as his Deadpool on-screen alter ego – while holding a broken trophy loaned to him by Wolverine star Hugh Jackman – and made a point of including a “Cymru am byth, b*tches” message within his speech.

• WHAT HOPKINS SAID TO EYNOLDS

  That nod was well received by Port Talbot native Hopkins – the Oscar-winning star of ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ and ‘The Father’ – with the legendary actor posting his own “Wales forever” message to “Mr Lively” after seeing efforts in North Wales recognised.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  It has been confirmed that ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ will be back for a third series in 2024, with it possible that another successful promotion bid will be covered there – with Phil Parkinson’s side currently riding high in the League Two table.