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Ricky Ponting has called on Australia’s batsmen to lift their game ahead of Saturday’s second ODI against New Zealand in Auckland

Cricinfo staff04-Mar-2010Ricky Ponting has called on Australia’s batsmen to lift their game ahead of Saturday’s second ODI against New Zealand in Auckland. Ponting was unhappy with the way several players, including himself, failed to capitalise on promising starts in the first game in Napier, where Australia’s 275 was overhauled by New Zealand.It was the first one-day loss for Australia since October 31, when they went down in the third game of their tour of India. However, Ponting was in no mood to be generous after his men raced to 50 for 1 from six overs, only to finish with a sub-par total.”After we got off to such a great start, we probably just took things for granted a little bit and expected that the run-rate was going to continue to go that way,” Ponting said after the game. “Before we knew it we had lost two or three wickets and all of a sudden we were back under pressure again.”There were problems in the middle overs as Ponting fell for 44, Michael Clarke for 22 and Cameron White for 33. None of them were at their most fluent and the run-rate dropped until Michael Hussey and Mitchell Johnson moved things along a bit quicker in the later stages.”I was out there at the time, I was feeling it as much as anybody,” Ponting said. “At different times like that you have to change your game a little bit and adapt and get through and none of us did that today. A lot of our batsmen need to look at themselves long and hard to make sure they do better next time.”Every game that we play has to be like it is your last. I didn’t think we were necessarily playing with that sort of attitude tonight, especially with our bowling and our fielding. We’ve got a little bit of work to do before the next game.”

Fabian Delph is among a trio of players that Everton are hoping to sell in January, according to French journalist Santi Aouna.

The lowdown

The England international joined the Toffees from Manchester City ahead of the 2019/20 season in a deal worth an initial £8.5m. He has played just 36 games for the club since, having been hit with a succession of injuries which have sidelined him for nearly 50 matches in total.

Everton generated only £14.4m through player sales and loan fees in the summer as they struggled with Financial Fair Play requirements.

The latest

Aouna, a journalist for French publication Foot Mercato, tweeted that ‘Everton would like to get rid of several players’ after the turn of the year.

He identified three of those who could be set for the exit door – Delph, left-back Lucas Digne and striker Cenk Tosun.

The verdict

Delph is probably the most surprising inclusion in Aouna’s list. Digne has reportedly fallen out with manager Rafael Benitez, and Everton have already lined up a potential replacement in the form of Vitaliy Mykolenko.

Meanwhile, Tosun is on the periphery at Goodison Park, having played just six minutes of football since he returned from injury at the start of November.

On the other hand, Delph has started three of the last seven matches for which he has been available, indicating that he is regarded as a valuable squad player by Benitez, and has won plaudits for his ‘excellent’ contribution in recent weeks.

Based on the players’ Transfermarkt valuations, though, they could bank around £37m from the sales. Perhaps that’s the overriding reason for Everton apparently wishing to get that trio off their books once and for all.

In other news, could this Everton ace also head for the exit door?

Flocking to Twitter, these Liverpool fans have voiced their opinions as a fresh update emerges on their pursuit of Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong.

The Catalans maestro has been linked with a move to Anfield recently with the club, and by extension owners Fenway Sports Group, seemingly eyeing moves to bolster Jurgen Klopp’s options in the middle of the park.

Borussia Dortmund sensation Jude Bellingham is another midfielder to have been mentioned alongside the Reds but it’s news on de Jong which now has some Liverpool fans talking on Twitter.

Indeed, according to Spanish media outlet Sport, the 24-year-old is not happy at his current club and there are ‘several’ clubs, including Liverpool, who are ‘crazy’ about signing him.

However, as his future hangs in the balance, it will depend on the player himself with Barcelona under some pressure to convince him that their project will eventually be a winning one.

Liverpool fans react…

Reacting to news that their club are ‘crazy’ for the £81 million-valued man, while there are those who doubt whether Liverpool can afford his lofty estimated price tag, others would simply love him at Anfield.

Going by his statistics, it’s not hard to see why, with the defensive midfield sensation proving to be an adept, assuring presence.

According to WhoScored, whilst averaging an impressive 91.4% pass accuracy so far this season, he’s also completed more dribbles per 90 (2.4) than any Liverpool player – including superstars Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Taking this into account, it’s little wonder some supporters believe he would come as an ‘insane signing’ for the right price – find all of their reactions down below:

“Would be an insane signing if we could get for around 60m ish. If they want 80m though, I’d rather spend it on Bellingham ngl“

Credit: @LewYNWA

“I’d do anything for this transfer pleasseeeeee”

Credit: @DiogoJotaFC20

“Be a good signing this if it happens”

Credit: @garth_23

“Pleaseeeee”

Credit: @97HassanM

“He ain’t coming to Liverpool would cost too much”

Credit: @andy_shirlaw

“Think he suits a Klopp system tbf”

Credit: @BenHatcher19

In other news: ‘Yesssss’, ‘It’s time’, ‘Finally’ – Many Liverpool fans go wild for club’s teasing two-word message, find out more here.

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey is an injury doubt for his side’s Premier League clash with Liverpool at Anfield.

The Lowdown: Crucial Premier League clash

The Reds return to action on Saturday evening, taking on an Arsenal side who are now fifth in the table and just two points behind Jurgen Klopp’s men.

A big response is needed from Liverpool after the defeat to West Ham and the home draw with Brighton, with more dropped points feeling costly in the title race.

They could face a tough examination from Arsenal, though, who have won their last three league outings and seem to finally be gaining some momentum with their young squad.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

The Latest: Partey could miss out

One player who could be absent for the Gunners is Partey, with Arteta confirming as much in his pre-Liverpool press conference on Friday [via Football Daily on Twitter].

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The Verdict: Good news for Reds

Partey has been a key figure at the heart of Arsenal’s midfield of late, averaging two tackles per game in the league this season, so him being out would be a boost for Liverpool.

Not only that, but the 28-year-old was a dominant force for Atletico Madrid in the Champions League at Anfield in March 2020, receiving a match-high 7.55 rating from WhoScored as Diego Simeone’s side progressed to the quarter-finals.

Arsenal’s midfield would suddenly look more open without Partey in it, especially with Granit Xhaka still injured, so him being fit or not could be key to the eventual outcome.

Paul Scholes has hailed the Ghanaian as ‘brilliant’, which is high praise, and Liverpool could find it easier to create chances without him around to break up their attacks on Saturday.

In other news, some Liverpool fans have reacted to a Reds injury update. Read more here.

Ireland crushed Scotland by a massive 96-run margin in a low-scoring contest at Mannofield Park

Cricinfo staff22-Aug-2009
ScorecardTwo days after rain dashed Ireland’s hopes of a final-day push for victory in the ICC Intercontinental Cup in Aberdeen, the visitors crushed Scotland by a massive 96-run margin in a low-scoring contest at Mannofield Park. William Porterfield, the Ireland captain, continued his excellent form on the tour, anchoring his side’s innings with 50, before Regan West picked up four wickets to help dismiss Scotland for 109.The wet weather in Aberdeen produced good conditions for bowling and so it was no surprise that the hosts put Ireland in. Gordon Goudie struck early, forcing an edge from Gary Wilson to the wicketkeeper, and Paul Stirling fell in similar fashion a few overs later to Dewald Nel. Ireland were 32 for 2 and in need of a solid partnership, and it was provided by Porterfield and Andre Botha.Porterfield had begun his innings with two fours over square leg and midwicket in the first over of the match, and he continued to play confidently despite the fall of early wickets. Botha too drove Goudie and pulled Gordon Drummond to the boundary before launching Goudie over the square leg boundary.The pair added 69 before Porterfield’s fluent innings was cut short by a run out. His dismissal triggered a collapse: Majid Haq got Botha to mistime a drive to cover and then bowled Kevin O’Brien with a well-flighted delivery. Ireland had suddenly slipped from 101 for 2 to 103 for 5. Andrew White and West provided some resistance, scoring 32 and 24, but Ryan Watson and Drummond struck twice each to dismiss Ireland for 205.Chasing a moderate target, Scotland found runs extremely hard to come by; they had scored only 8 in the seventh over. And then they began to lose wickets. Alex Cusack bowled an outstanding spell, conceding only three runs off five overs, but it was Trent Johnston who provided the breakthrough for Ireland when Fraser Watts top-edged a pull that was held by O’Brien.A brace of run outs – Navdeep Poonia and Watson were the batsmen dismissed – left the hosts struggling at 49 for 3. The decisive blow, though, came when Gavin Hamilton, who had scored a patient 36, slapped a full toss from West straight to mid-off. Scotland collapsed thereafter, losing their last five wickets for 27 runs.

Newcastle are looking increasingly likely to sign Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha, according to Italian newspaper Il Messaggero (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

The form of Newcastle’s goalkeepers has been a real problem so far this season, contributing to the Premier League’s joint-worst defensive record.

If you go by the shot-stopping metric of ‘post-shot expected goals minus goals allowed’, Freddie Woodman (-3.7) and Karl Darlow (-3.3) both figure in the league’s bottom five.

Martin Dubravka, who finished last season as the Magpies’ number one, has returned to the substitutes’ bench in recent weeks after recovering from a foot injury.

However, Newcastle may also look to the transfer market for a solution, and crucially Strakosha is out of contract at the end of the season.

The latest

Il Messaggero claimed (via Sport Witness) that Strakosha is on his way out of the Stadio Olimpico.

The report added that he will ‘probably’ end up at Newcastle, although it’s not clear whether he’ll join midway through the season or next summer.

The verdict

All of Strakosha’s minutes this season have come in the Europa League, with Pepe Reina recognised as Maurizio Sarri’s first-choice in Serie A.

The Albanian has kept two clean sheets in his four outings in Europe, redeeming himself for an almighty howler against Galatasaray in September. BT Sport’s official Twitter account called it an ‘absolute nightmare’ and their clip of the incident was viewed 132,000 times as it went viral at the time.

However, it seems that Newcastle will look past that moment to forget. Overall, the 26-year-old has played 181 matches for the Rome-based outfit, recording 53 shutouts, while he was also labelled ‘explosive’ by former goalkeeping team-mate Silvio Proto.

Such praise and statistics would suggest that he could indeed be very shrewd acquisition on a cut-price deal or a free transfer by the Magpies.

In other news, one possible target for Newcastle at the other end of the pitch has emerged

A number of West Ham supporters have hailed Pablo Fornals after an image shared in an official club tweet illustrated his impact against Liverpool on Sunday.

The Hammers are still basking in the glory of their stunning 3-2 win at home to the Reds, as they jumped to third place in the Premier League and overtook Jurgen Klopp’s team in the process.

David Moyes’ side are flying at the moment and this was arguably their most significant victory of the season so far, given the quality of their opponents.

There were outstanding performances all over the pitch on Sunday but one player who stood out for the Irons was Fornals, who played a key role in Alisson’s own goal and then scored his team’s second goal of the evening, also winning five duels and playing two key passes.

On Monday, an official club tweet showing the 25-year-old’s heat map illustrated how incredible his work rate was in that game, as he continues to go from strength to strength in a West Ham shirt.

West Ham fans laud Fornals

These Hammers fans took to Twitter to hail the Spaniard upon seeing his heat map on Sunday.

“His work rate is unmatched”

Credit: @isaacwt2004

“The most underrated player in the Premier League. He’s absolutely class. They all say about Rice, Antonio, Bowen etc and of course they are doing amazing and are quality players but Fornals should be getting a mention too”

Credit: @TomCass5

“I love Pablo more than words can say. He has embraced us with all his heart and soul. He is one in a million”

Credit: @ZaynafamilyMary

“I’m in love with Pablitoooooo”

Credit: @TomGuy93

“He’s like a gazelle”

Credit: @RobbyNe87682100

“I’m glad he’s getting the appreciation he deserves. Top, top player with a great work ethic”

Credit: @DiCanioVolley

In other news, West Ham are reportedly eyeing up a move for a centre-back. Find out who it is here.

يعقد الإيطالي كارلو أنشيلوتي المدير الفني لنادي ريال مدريد، جلسة لإجراء محادثة مع كاسيميرو لاعب وسط النادي الملكي، وذلك بعد وجود اهتمام قوي من مانشستر يونايتد بضمه.

وتزايد اهتمام مانشستر يونايتد بضم كاسيميرو من ريال مدريد في الساعات القليلة الماضية، من أجل تدعيم صفوف الفريق الأول بطلب من المدرب، إريك تين هاج، مع وجود أزمة في مركز الوسط الدفاعي لتراجع مستوى فريد وسكوت ماكتومناي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. نيفيل يطالب رونالدو بإنقاذ مانشستر يونايتد قبل مواجهة ليفربول

وذكر صحفي الانتقالات المُتخصص “فابريزيو رومانو” بشبكة “سكاي سبورتس” أن أنشيلوتي سوف يجتمع مع كاسيميرو في الساعات القليلة المُقبلة لمُناقشة مُستقبله.

وأوضح رومانو أن العرض الذي قدمه مانشستر يونايتد لـ كاسيميرو، يغري البرازيلي بالفعل إذ يفكر في الانتقال إلى الدوري الإنجليزي.

أنشيلوتي لا يرغب في خسارة كاسيميرو، وخاصًة وأن النادي في مركز الديفندر، لا يملك إلا الوافد الجديد، أوريلين تشواميني الذي انضم هذا الصيف من موناكو الفرنسي.

Scorecard
Buoyant after their win yesterday, Bangladesh Under-19 continued strongly to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match encounter. A quick fifty from Saikat Ali coupled with another superb bowling display from Sabbir Rahman saw them assert their supremacy yet again at the Shamsul Huda Stadium.Choosing to bat first, Bangladesh U-19 were lifted by Saikat’s confident strokeplay. His 76-ball innings comprised nine fours and three sixes, and the fourth-wicket stand of 50 with captain Mahmudul Hasan set a solid platform for the hosts. Chathura Peiris took three wickets to keep Bangladesh U-19 in check but Tasamul Haque (42) and Noor Hossain took the hosts past 250.Even as Sri Lanka U-19 lost wickets regularly, captain Dinesh Chandimal led from the front with a well-compiled half-century. Together with Kushal Janith Perera, they added 88 for the fourth wicket as the visitors looked to be well on course. But Sabbir had other plans, dismissing both batsmen, triggering off a panic that resulted the tail surrendering meekly by the 43rd over.

أعلن البرتغالي نونو ألميدا المدير الفني لنادي فاركو تشكيلة فريقه الذي يخوض به مباراة الأهلي اليوم الأربعاء في الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الأهلي يواجه فاركو ضمن مباريات الجولة الثامنة والعشرون والمقرر إقامتها على استاد الأهلي وي السلام في تمام الساعة التاسعة مساء اليوم.

طالع | تشكيل الأهلي أمام فاركو في الدوري.. تغييرات بالجملة بينها عودة أفشة تشكيل فاركو أمام الأهلي اليوم

حراسة المرمى: محمد صبحي.

خط الدفاع: عزمي غوما – عبد الله بكرى – رامي صبري – أحمد عبد العزيز “مودي” – جيفرسون اينكادا.

خط الوسط: أحمد محمد” البحراوي” – محمود حمادة – كينجسلي سوكاري.

خط الهجوم: شكري نجيب – أحمد شريف. بدلاء فاركو أمام الأهلي

محمد سعيد “شيكا” – أحمد صغيري – جابر كامل – بلال جمال – على بهيج – أحمد عوض – مروان مجدي – محمود جهاد – محمود عماد.

طالع.. مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة الأهلي وفاركو في الدوري المصري.. إعلان التشكيلين

ويحتل الأهلي المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 55 نقطة، حصيلة 26 مباراة، فاز في 16 لقاء، وتعادل في 7 مباريات، وخسر ثلاث مرات.

بينما يتواجد فاركو في المركز الثامن بجدول الترتيب ويمتلك في رصيده 35 نقطة، حصيلة 28 مباراة، فاز في 8 وخسر مثلهم وتعادل 11 مرة.