Category Uncategorized

With home players forced to self-isolate, umpires decide to call off Derby fixture

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2021

Derbyshire’s LV= Insurance County Championship match against Essex at Derby has been abandoned after a member of the home side returned a positive Covid-19 test.The unnamed player has been forced to self-isolate, along with the entire squad to face Essex and those involved in Friday’s Blast fixture against Durham, who were deemed close contacts. Due to the impact on Derbyshire’s available playing staff, the umpires took the decision to call off the game.”The ECB has worked closely with Public Heath England and both Derbyshire and Essex County Cricket Clubs with the health and safety of players, staff and officials the first priority,” an ECB statement said. “Confirmation on the awarding of points from the match will be announced in due course.”The abandonment comes a day after Kent were forced to pick a new squad for their Championship match against Sussex, and in the wake of a similar episode for the England men’s team, when a number of players and staff tested positive for Covid-19 after an ODI in Bristol.”As a club, we have operated a robust testing regime among all staff throughout the return to cricket and have clear safety regulations in place for supporters,” Derbyshire’s chief executive, Ryan Duckett, said.”This isolated incident highlights the fact that sport is not exempt from the pandemic, and I’d like to thank the club’s medical and venue staff, as well as Public Health Derby and the ECB for their immediate response in safely handling the matter.”It is of course a great disappointment to see the abandonment of a fixture, but the safety of all players, staff and supporters must always come first and the club is grateful for the understanding of supporters.”While Derbyshire were already confirmed as finishing bottom of Group One of the Championship, defending champions Essex still held out hope of sneaking into the top two – and thereby qualifying for Division One in the next stage of the competition – but required a comprehensive win at Derby and other results to go their way.

Michael Hogan’s four-for not enough as Glamorgan let several winning positions slip

ECB Reporters Network28-Jul-2021

New Somerset List A captain Ben Green produced a match-changing innings to lead his side to a thrilling one-run Royal London Cup win over Glamorgan at Taunton.The hosts crashed to 26 for 4 after losing the toss in a match eventually reduced to 37 overs per side by rain, Michael Hogan claiming all four of those wickets.But Green smacked 87 off 72 balls from No. 7, with 11 fours and a six, sharing a stand of 86 with Lewis Goldsworthy, who made 41, as Somerset posted a challenging 180 for 7.Glamorgan responded with 179 for 9, Billy Root and Tom Cullen both making 37, while young Somerset seamers Kasey Aldridge and Sonny Baker shared five of the wickets.Andy Gorvin needed a six off the last ball of the game from left-arm spinner Goldsworthy to win the game for Glamorgan and came close with a powerful four over the bowler’s head.Play did not start until 12.10pm, with the game initially reduced to 42 overs per side. Somerset’s innings had only occupied 2.4 of them, with five runs scored, when rain forced the players off.That was enough time for Hogan to strike twice, Sam Young caught behind off the fourth ball of the innings and Steven Davies brilliantly snapped up by Gorvin at midwicket from the first delivery of the third over.On the resumption, the veteran pace bowler took his figures to 3 for 3 by bowling George Bartlett between bat and pad and then had James Hildreth caught at first slip.Michael Hogan ripped through Somerset’s top order•Harry Trump/Getty Images

Somerset were in disarray at 49 for 5 when Eddie Byrom feathered a ball from offspinner Steven Reingold through to wicketkeeper Cullen.But Green and Goldsworthy calmly steadied the ship and had taken the total to 84 for 5 in the 26th over when heavier rain brought another stoppage at 2.10pm.Half an hour later, with a further reduction in overs, Green and Goldsworthy batted with far more intent. Green was the main aggressor, with Goldsworthy notching just one boundary in his valuable innings before slogging a catch to cow corner off Callum Taylor.Green, cut loose in the closing overs with some majestic shots until playing a ball from Lukas Carey onto his stumps in the final over. Glamorgan’s reply began badly when Hamish Rutherford fell lbw to the final ball of Jack Brooks’ opening over.Eighteen-year-old Baker then got a ball to lift at Nick Selman’s ribs, forcing the opener to loop up a catch to the diving Byrom, running in from square leg.Related

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Aldridge produced a similar quick delivery, his first of the game, to have Kiran Carlson caught by wicketkeeper Davies for 21. And when Green also struck with his opening delivery, bowling Reingold for 16, Glamorgan were 52 for 4.Cullen and Root then put together a well-paced stand of 76 to put their team in sight of victory. It ended when Cullen was caught behind down the leg side off Aldridge, who followed up by having Joe Cooke taken by wicketkeeper Davies.Root fell to George Drissell, the former Gloucestershire offspinner making his Somerset debut, top-edging a slog-sweep with 38 still needed.Carey did his best with two boundaries, but other wickets fell cheaply and 10 off the final over for the last pair proved too much.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo continua em fase de reconstrução e literalmente conta com o torcedor para um próximo projeto: o clube lançou, na noite desta terça-feira, o “Território Alvinegro”, programa que será responsável por construir e revitalizar áreas a partir da ajuda financeira dos botafoguenses.

RelacionadasBotafogoCapacete de policial e gritos pela vizinhança: Marco Antônio rouba a cena na comemoração do BotafogoBotafogo16/11/2021BotafogoCom casa cheia, Botafogo tem mais de R$ 500 mil de lucro em bilheteria na vitória sobre o OperárioBotafogo16/11/2021BotafogoCom acesso garantido, Botafogo tem 91% de chance de ser campeão da Série BBotafogo16/11/2021

+ Presidente diz que Botafogo ‘nunca mais vai descer’ e elogia ambiente: ‘Todos os jogadores pedem pra ficar’

A primeira fase do projeto será visando arrecadar fundos para o novo Núcleo de Saúde e Performance, que busca novos aparelhos e equipamentos para aprimorar a estrutura do Botafogo visando a recuperação de jogadores e em evitar lesões.

Em nota divulgada no site oficial, o Botafogo garantiu que haverá total transparência pelos valores arrecadados. Os torcedores interessados podem doar o quanto quiserem. Quem deixar mais de R$ 50 para o projeto terá o nome gravado em um painel que ficará no novo Centro de Saúde e Perfomance.

– O Núcleo de Saúde e Performance vai representar um enorme salto de qualidade na estrutura do Departamento de Futebol. É projeto especial e estratégico no Clube, onde pretendemos oferecer o mais alto nível em termos de equipamento e tecnologia para os nossos atletas se desenvolverem física e mentalmente. Contamos com a força e engajamento da nossa apaixonada torcida para viabilizar esse projeto tão importante – afirmou Durcesio Mello, presidente do Botafogo.

As doações podem ser realizadas por meio de PIX para a conta do Botafogo ou no sitehttps://nova.kickante.com.br/l/botafogo.

It has been a very busy transfer window for Tottenham Hotspur. They have completed several deals over the summer as they look to improve the quality of their squad and build on their 5th-place finish last season during Ange Postecoglou’s first campaign as Spurs manager.

The Lilywhites' marquee signing this summer has been striker Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth. The former Chelsea and Liverpool centre-forward switched the south coast for north London in a deal worth £65m. He scored 19 goals in 38 top-flight games last term and is finally Spurs’ replacement for Harry Kane, a year after he left for Bayern Munich.

Aside from Solanke, the Lilywhites have added two exciting youngsters to their squad over the summer. The first was Archie Gray from Leeds United, who cost Postecoglou’s side £30m. The 18-year-old adds quality on the ball and versatility to Spurs’ side. Lucas Bergvall also completed a move to north London, with his £8.5m deal from Djurgarden agreed in February.

However, Spurs recently signed another young player who adds dynamism and directness in attack, with the deal happening out of the blue on Friday.

Wilson Odobert’s move to Spurs

Wilson Odobert left Burnley to switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in a deal worth £31.5m.

Despite his best efforts last term, the dynamic winger could not help keep the Clarets in the Premier League, and they were relegated straight back to the Championship a year after promotion to the top flight.

Odobert’s first season in the Premier League was impressive. The talented 19-year-old played 29 times, scoring three goals and grabbing three assists. He is a versatile player, operating in several different positions and producing respectable numbers throughout the campaign.

Odobert stats by position 2023/24

Position

Games

Goals

Assists

Left-wing

12

3

2

Centre-forward

7

0

1

Right-wing

5

1

0

Left-midfield

3

0

0

Stats from Transfermarkt

Prior to his big move to Spurs, the youngster played against Luton Town in Burnley’s opening Championship fixture of the season. He got himself on the scoresheet, too, using his pace to make a direct run in behind, latching onto a pass and coolly slotting home past the onrushing Thomas Kaminski.

It is certainly an exciting move for the Lilywhites, adding a dynamic, direct and versatile winger to their squad. Whilst Odobert cost them a fair amount of money, they do have players who are worth more and could sell this summer to help balance the books, including winger Dejan Kulusevski.

Dejan Kulusevski’s transfer value in 2024

The rumours have been swirling that enterprising Swedish winger Kulusevski could depart the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer. One of the places he has been linked to this summer is Italian side Napoli.

That was a move being reported in the Italian press back in July. Some reports claimed he could be available for a fee of around €45m (£38.3m), which would represent great profit for the Lilywhites. The Sweden international cost Spurs £25m from Juventus following an 18-month loan spell in north London.

That would be a transfer fee that allows Spurs to recuperate the money they spent adding Odobert to their squad for this season. In fact, the Lilywhites would make such an amount that they would more than balance the books, having money left over to potentially reinvest in the squad elsewhere.

While links have gone quieter recently, moving to Naples this summer would see Kulusevski reunite with former Spurs manager Antonio Conte. The winger played 47 times under the Italian whilst the pair were at Spurs together, with Kulusevski scoring seven goals and grabbing 15 assists in that time.

Since joining Spurs from the Old Lady in 2022, the 24-year-old has found the back of the net 15 times and registered an impressive 19 assists in 96 appearances in the famous white shirt. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as a “fantastic talent”, and he has certainly showcased that at times to Spurs fans.

Whilst it would perhaps be a surprising move for the Lilywhites to let Kulusevski go, they do need to balance the books after signing Odobert, whose transfer took their summer spending well past the £100m mark. A sale of the Sweden star might be the best way forward from here for Spurs as they look to continue progressing their squad under Postecoglou.

England captain wants better pitches, more points for a draw in County Championship

George Dobell06-Mar-2021Joe Root has reiterated his call for changes to be made in county cricket to provide players with better preparation for the international game.Root, England’s Test captain, suggested that flatter wickets and a change to the bonus-point system might result in conditions more akin to Test cricket. In particular, he argued that better batting surfaces would bring spinners into the game more and provide batsmen with the experience of playing the sort of long innings that tend to define results in Tests.At present, the County Championship tends to be dominated by seamers making use of a Dukes ball and helpful surfaces. As a result, low-scoring games have become commonplace and opportunities for spinners are limited.Root has previously advocated the use of a Kookaburra ball for a portion of the season, and speaking in the immediate aftermath of England’s 3-1 Test series defeat in India, he suggested things would have to change if England were to have a better chance of winning such series in the future. “I do think that there are areas of county cricket that can be improved – quite easily as well,” he said.Related

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“They need to find ways of making games last four days, giving spinners the opportunity to bowl and learning to bowl at different stages of the game. They need to learn to hold the game in the first innings if it’s not spinning and things are not in your favour so they can give the seamers some respite. Then they need to be able to attack and to really deal with that pressure of trying to bowl a side out.”It’s not just spin, it’s seam as well, and the batting group. For example, you want guys to come into this environment of Test cricket and have that knowledge of what it’s like to go out in the second innings and know the opposition have 450 on the board.”They need to be able to ignore that scoreboard pressure, put it to the back of their mind and get a score. And to go beyond another team’s score to make sure you’re massively in the game when it comes to the second innings.”It’s the same with the seamers. You want them to have a range of skills that can exploit flat wickets. Can they change their angles round? Can they go up and down the gears in terms of pace? Have they got a five-over spell in terms of short-pitched bowling?”While few would dispute the logic of Root’s words, there is a major practical obstacle to producing better pitches. In recent years, the County Championship campaign has been conducted disproportionately in the early weeks of the season – in 2021, eight of the 14 rounds of the competition are scheduled to take place before the end of May with four more played in September – when it is tough for groundstaff to provide the type of hard, flat pitches Root mentioned.Although Root dismissed the suggestion of abandoning the window for white-ball cricket that dominates the fixture list in the weeks of mid-summer – “that’s there to stay,” he said – which might enable groundstaff a chance to provide better surfaces, he suggested that greater rewards for drawn games might provoke a rethink about pitches at county level.At present, teams are awarded 16 points for a victory, with drawn games worth five points each. Teams are also awarded up to eight bonus points for runs and wickets in the first 110 overs of the first innings.”If draws are more appealing, because of the amount of points on offer, it might improve our situation slightly,” Root said. “They’re all the things that will improve the game and Test cricket for England in the long run if the games go longer.”

Dawson leaves after six years at Bristol during which club won Royal London Cup and Championship promotion

Matt Roller01-Mar-2021

Ian Harvey will become Gloucestershire’s interim head coach at the end of the month, when Richard Dawson leaves the club following his appointment as the ECB’s elite performance pathway coach.Harvey, the former Australia allrounder, played 168 times for Gloucestershire across formats between 1999 and 2006, and has been the club’s assistant coach since Dawson’s appointment as head coach ahead of the 2015 season.Dawson has worked regularly with England squads over the past two years, leading the England Lions’ tour to Australia in early 2020 and working with England’s spinners on a camp in Mumbai in late 2019 and during the Test series against West Indies last summer.During his tenure at Gloucestershire, Dawson oversaw the club’s triumph in the 2015 Royal London Cup, when they beat Surrey at Lord’s, and their promotion to Division One of the County Championship in 2019. While they have never gone past the semi-final stage, they have also been among the most consistent counties in the T20 Blast: only Nottinghamshire have won more games than them over the last six seasons.”It has been a huge privilege to have been the head coach of Gloucestershire since 2015,” Dawson said. “There were highs and lows on the pitch but winning the Royal London One-Day Cup in 2015 and gaining promotion to Division One of the County Championship in 2019 were highlights on the pitch, as was seeing a Gloucestershire player [James Bracey] breaking into the England set-up last year.”As a playing and coaching unit, we have faced a lot of challenges off the field, and I’m proud of the togetherness of this squad, who have been incredibly supportive of one another through good and bad times. I’m confident the group is in a strong place with a healthy mix of experience and youth to compete in all formats of the game.”Will Brown, the club’s chief executive, said: “Richard has been a fantastic coach to work with from the outset engendering a belief and excitement that has filtered into all areas of the club. His dedication to building a positive and winning culture has been evident throughout his time in Bristol and the impact he made will be felt long after he is gone.”Richard has taken huge pride in his role as head coach, working tirelessly to get the best out of himself and the players. His likeable easy-going personality, coupled with his commitment to Gloucestershire, garnered respect from the playing squad and meant he had a great rapport with the wider club staff.”Dawson will continue to oversee pre-season preparations until the end of the month, when Harvey will take over with the support of the club’s existing coaching staff, as well as Matt Windows (chairman of cricket) and David Graveney (an executive board member).A Gloucestershire statement said: “The club will now begin a review of its cricketing requirements in order to continue and grow ahead of a formal recruitment process later in the year.”The raft of coaching appointments announced by the ECB on Monday also had ramifications further down the M5, with Marcus Trescothick’s association with Somerset coming to an end after nearly three decades.Trescothick, who made his Somerset debut in 1993, retired at the end of the 2019 season to become Somerset’s assistant coach, and has now been appointed as the ECB’s elite batting coach. In a Somerset press release, he set his sights on returning as head coach in the future.”Although I’m leaving, I’m still going to be around the place to come in and see some of the batters that Somerset have,” Trescothick said. “Not being around the ground as much as I normally am is certainly going to be a bit different.”I want to further my career so that I can eventually become a head coach at a domestic county with the hope of moving into international cricket somewhere down the line. To do that I need to branch out and look at different environments in order to get a better understanding of certain things, and this will certainly give me the opportunity to do that. Hopefully, this might be the stepping stone for me to one day come back and look after the team here.”

Southampton look to be very much on the hunt for more attacking options this transfer window, after it was finally confirmed that Che Adams had found a new club away from the South Coast outfit.

Losing the Scotland international's firepower up top ahead of their maiden voyage up to the Premier League will sting, especially when you consider he's moved onto Serie A side Torino on a free transfer too, but Russell Martin's men will now be determined to adequately replace the ex-Birmingham City forward's goal threat now.

They would well replace him with one prolific goal machine who will be well known to fans of English football and is need of finding his mojo again with a new permanent club, after shining briefly in the Premier League last campaign.

Southampton leading race for ex-Blackburn Rovers ace

According to a report by TEAMtalk, Southampton are leading the race to sign former Blackburn Rovers ace Ben Brereton Diaz this summer transfer window.

Brereton Diaz shone out on loan with Sheffield United last season, with six goals managed from 14 top-flight games for the basement club, and so could want to end his Villarreal nightmare once and for all this off-season.

Really struggling to make an impact for the La Liga giants after walking out of Blackburn last year, the current Villarreal number nine is said to be keen on a move to the newly promoted Saints, who have long admired Brereton Diaz's prowess in front of goal.

Now feels like the perfect opportunity for this move to get over the line, therefore, with the 25-year-old a deadly finisher when on his A-Game, and a striker that could make Martin and Co instantly forget about Adams departing for Italy.

What Brereton-Diaz can offer Southampton

Away from offering the Blades some much-needed positivity in attack last season at the foot of the Premier League, Brereton-Diaz already had a reputation for being a deadly finisher on English soil, mainly when he was on the books at Blackburn.

The adopted Chile international would bag 47 goals from 177 games at Ewood Park, leading to his ex-Blackburn boss in Tony Mowbray labelling him as an "extraordinary" talent, with 16 goals managed in all competitions from 50 games during his final swansong season in Lancashire.

Brereton-Diaz vs Adams – Most recent PL record

Stat – per game*

Brereton-Diaz (2023/24)

Adams (2022/23)

Games played

14

28

Goals scored

6

5

Assists

1

3

Shots*

2.5

1.7

Big chances missed

5

11

Big chances created

3

3

Scoring frequency

185 mins

399 mins

Stats by Sofascore

As shown in the table above, in the pair's most recent, respective outings in the top flight, it is Brereton Diaz who enjoyed the more fruitful time of it in front of goal, thus indicating just what a potential upgrade he could be amid Southampton's return to the promisied land.

Brereton Diaz's game could also be elevated next to Adam Armstrong – who he lined up with at the Riversiders once upon a time too – with the experienced sharp-shooter scoring a sublime 21 second tier strikes during the regular campaign for Martin's Saints on the way to promotion being dramatically sealed.

Likewise, Armstrong could learn from his new partner up top, with the 27-year-old a feared prospect for defenders in the EFL, but not really for Premier League defences, having bagged only four top-flight strikes across his career to date.

Brereton Diaz eclipsed that total just last season at Bramall Lane, with Adams also previously being a goal-shy presence in the elite division, with only 25 strikes managed from 125 games.

Therefore, if given time over a full season in the bright lights of the top league, the Chilean striker could become a new hero for the Saints, and fill the gap left behind by the Scotsman perfectly.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Jul 24, 2024

Manchester United have had an incredible plethora of unbelievable strikers play for the club over the years, but one that will always remain a fan favourite is Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

The Netherlands centre-forward was known for being a monster in front of goal, someone who could be relied upon to put the ball in the back of the net.

Now, 18 years after his departure from Old Trafford, he could return in a coaching capacity, having been approached by United, as per Fabrizio Romano.

If the former United goalscorer were to return, it’s fair to say that he’d have a huge impact on the entire squad, but one potential new signing would benefit hugely from his coaching.

Man Utd want to sign a new striker

According to a report from the i Paper, Man United are inching closer to sealing a deal for Joshua Zirkzee.

It’s mentioned that a move for the centre forward is ‘progressing,’ with a new centre forward a priority this summer.

Other reports have mentioned that the 23-year-old had a £34m release clause in his current deal at Bologna, which United will have to activate.

However, they won’t be alone in their pursuit of the Dutch ace, with numerous top clubs, including AC Milan, keen on acquiring his signature.

Why Zirkzee would be special under Van Nistelrooy

Despite being a highly-rated striker at Bayern Munich during his teenage years, it was only last season that Zirkzee truly showed his potential.

Starting up front in a 4-2-3-1 system, the Dutch attacker tore the Serie A apart, making 34 appearances, with 32 of those being from the off.

Across the league season, the number nine scored 11 goals and provided four assists, but his overall profile is rather unique.

If the two Dutch internationals did join the Red Devils this summer, then it’s fair to say that Zirkzee would be heavily influenced by Van Nistelrooy, not just because he knows what it takes to lead the line for Man United but also because of his excellent coaching ability.

During his spell as head coach of PSV, the former United forward had a huge impact on the attackers in his side, notably the likes of Cody Gakpo and Xavi Simons, as you can see in the table above.

Why is this important? Well, Zirkzee is already known for being a clinical finisher, notably due to the fact he overperformed his xG of 9.01 last season, as per Sofascore, with composure being a huge attribute of his.

Yet, the reason why football analyst Ben Mattinson said he has “elite potential” is due to his complete profile, which enables him to combine well with his teammates and create something out of nothing.

According to Sofascore, the Bologna ace created 11 big chances last season, as well as producing 1.3 key passes and 1.5 successful dribbles, which proves that he has the ability to be more than just a direct threat.

As proven by Van Nistelrooy’s attackers performing at an extremely high level, the coach knows exactly how to develop talent, and given that Zirkzee still has plenty of unfulfilled potential, he could really take him to the next level.

Overall, signing the Dutch duo could just completely transform the United attack, and if Zirkzee can get anywhere close to the output that Van Nistelrooy had at Old Trafford as a player, he’ll prove to be a fantastic signing.

What Man Utd's dream XI could look like after £230m spending spree

Marcus Rashford doesn’t make the best eleven.

1

By
Tom Lever

Jun 7, 2024

Neymar admits to feeling “so happy” after returning to action at Al-Hilal, with “the greatest comeback in football” earning a comparison to Ronaldo.

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Out of action for over a yearBack in AFC Champions LeagueWorking on full match sharpnessFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After 12 months stuck on the sidelines with knee ligament damage, Neymar finally stepped back onto the field when being introduced as a substitute by Al-Hilal in their AFC Champions League win over Al Ain – with the Brazil international getting 13 minutes off the bench.

AdvertisementWHAT NEYMAR SAID

A thrilling contest finished 5-4 in favour of the Saudi Pro League title holders, with Neymar completing a long road to recovery that left him in tears at times. The 32-year-old told reporters on the field at the final whistle: “I feel good… I always have a good team. I'm so happy. I'm back! I'm back!”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Neymar had been restricted to just five appearances for Al-Hilal when suffering a serious knee injury when turning out for his country in a 2026 World Cup qualifier on October 18, 2023. His return is not just being embraced by those in Brazil and the Middle East, with football fans around the world delighted to see him back.

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Former Uruguay international defender Diego Lugano told of football as a whole benefiting from having Neymar’s magic back – with his recovery being likened to that of fellow countryman R9, who once endured injury issues of his own. Lugano said: “Very good news for world football. The most magical player football has had in the last decade, different. I think this is the biggest challenge of his career. If he can return to being 70 or 80% of what he was years ago, it will be the greatest comeback in football, even compared to the Phenomenon's.

“After a year away, it's very difficult to get back to the same rhythm and level he had before, especially given his style of play. And now with his joints compromised, I imagine he won't have the same lightness that characterised him so much. But everyone is rooting for him to get close to that level to try for glory in the last World Cup.”

South Punjab were undone by Balochistan to fall to their fourth straight loss, while Northern made it four wins in four thanks to a half-century from Zeeshan Malik

Danyal Rasool04-Oct-2020

In a high-scoring game, South Punjab were undone by Balochistan to fall to their fourth straight loss, while Northern made it four wins in four thanks to a half-century from Zeeshan Malik.Balochistan beat Southern Punjab by 7 wickets
Southern Punjab’s winless run at the National T20 Cup continued, with Shan Masood’s side falling to a 16-run defeat against Balochistan. In a high-scoring contest, Balochistan put up the second highest total of the competition, amassing 230 in 20 overs, thanks largely to a 54-ball 94 from Imam-ul-Haq and a half-century from captain Haris Sohail.Southern Punjab’s death bowling and fielding let them down badly, with the home side conceding 91 in the final five overs. Bilawal Bhatti, who gave away two free hits in a final over that cost 21, was the most expensive, being hammered for 61 in four wicketless overs.Southern Punjab made a fist of the chase despite the early loss of the dangerous Zeeshan Ashraf, removed by the veteran Umar Gul, who enjoyed a decent spell with the new ball. Sohaib Maqsood holed out to Amad Butt, but a sparkling 103-run partnership between Masood and Khushdil Shah followed that threatened to run Balochistan very close. Both managed 72, off 42 and 32 balls respectively, but when Masood fell, the asking rate still hovered around 13, and was hard to stay on top of despite some loose bowling and generosity from Balochistan in the field.Khushdil fell after a lengthy and controversial discussion over whether bowler Akif Javed – who took three crucial wickets towards the end – had overstepped the front line, but once that call went Balochistan’s way, Southern Punjab’s hopes evaporated. This means they remain the only side not to have picked up any points yet, having lost all four games.Northen beat Sindh by 13 runs
A whirlwind 84 from Zeeshan Malik ensured Northern maintained their perfect start to the National T20 Cup against Sindh, winning a fourth successive game by 13 runs. The opener combined for a 50-run partnership with Ali Imran, before a more destructive 89-run stand with Haider Ali set his side up for yet another 200-plus total. Haider’s 22-ball 35 ensured the momentum was firmly with the defending champions as they headed to the death overs, and while Sohail Khan got rid of Malik and, before he could do too much damage, skipper Shadab Khan, cameos lower down the order meant Sindh had a stiff chase on their hands.But Northern would get off to the perfect start with the ball when Sharjeel Khan was dismissed for a golden duck by Haris Rauf, whose wicket-taking ability continued to pay dividends for his side. A breezy half-century by Azam Khan kept Sindh in the game, and while Khurram Manzoor top-scored with 64, it came off 52 balls, and Sindh required a better strike-rate than that. The asking rate continued to climb as Northern’s spinners chipped in with wickets, Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan combining for four. Anwar Ali briefly kept Sindh interested with seven boundaries in a 17-ball 37, but Northern would remain just out of reach.