Victoria reached 6 for 263 on the second day at the MCG in reply to South Australia’s 405
ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2016
ScorecardAaron Finch has made county hundreds in the past few years, but had not scored a Sheffield Shield century since March 2010 (file photo)•PA Photos
Aaron Finch scored his first Sheffield Shield century for six and a half years as Victoria moved to 6 for 263 on the second day against South Australia at the MCG. At the close of play, teenage wicketkeeper Sam Harper was at the crease on 55 and John Hastings was on 5, and the Bushrangers still trailed by 142 after the Redbacks were earlier bowled out for 405.The day began with South Australia on 5 for 360 and they lost their final five wickets for just 45 as Chris Tremain, wickteless on the first day, ran through the lower order to finish with 4 for 91. Tom Cooper began the morning on 93 but added only four to his score before he was caught behind off Tremain for 97.In reply, Victoria lost two early wickets to Test discard Joe Mennie, before Glenn Maxwell edged Chadd Sayers to slip on 3. Opener Travis Dean was lbw to Adam Zampa for 46 and Cameron White was bowled by Kane Richardson for 18, before Finch and Harper combined for a 119-run partnership that steadied the innings.It was a notable hundred for Finch, who remarkably had only ever scored one previous Sheffield Shield century. That came back in March 2010, and this was his 35th Shield game since that time. Although it was just Finch’s second Shield ton it was his sixth in first-class cricket, others having come in county games, tour matches or for Australia A. He was caught behind off Richardson for 102.
Sunderland's 2022/23 campaign unfortunately came crashing to an end earlier this week as they lost to Luton Town in the semi-finals of the Championship play-offs.
The Black Cats, who were missing the likes of Dennis Cirkin, Danny Batth, and Ross Stewart, lost 3-2 on aggregate and will be playing in the second tier next season.
Tony Mowbray is reportedly set to continue as the head coach and planning is underway for the club to bolster the squad heading into the following year.
It was recently reported that they are interested in a potential swoop to sign Northern Irish attacking midfielder Charlie Lindsay on a free transfer.
Who is Charlie Lindsay?
The 19-year-old talent is a versatile forward who has the potential to score and assist goals on a regular basis and could be an excellent addition to Sunderland.
He is going to be a free agent this summer upon the expiry of his contract with Scottish giants Rangers and Black Cats sporting director Kristjaan Speakman could land Mowbray his dream Alex Pritchard heir by securing a bargain swoop for the gem.
Sunderland midfielder Alex Pritchard.
The Northern Ireland U21 international did not make a senior appearance during his time at Ibrox but his form for their academy side suggests that there is a big talent to be unearthed.
Lindsay scored 14 goals and provided seven assists in 48 appearances for their B and U19 teams and David Lowry, who was his coach at Glentoran, previously hailed the maestro's attributes in the middle of the park by saying:
"He is a box-to-box midfielder who covers every blade of grass. He is powerful and quick, and his range of passing is first-class. He also knows when to pick a pass, and then he delivers it with precision. He ticks so many boxes as a footballer."
The teenager could be the ideal heir to Pritchard's throne at the Stadium of Light as, like the Englishman, he is a creative player with an eye for goal.
Lindsay, who racked up 12 goals and six assists in 33 games in the Lowland League this season, has not proven himself at first-team level yet but could learn from the ex-Tottenham and Norwich dynamo as he adjusts to playing senior football.
Pritchard, 30, scored four goals and provided six assists in 28 Championship starts in 2022/23 and has been a reliable option for Mowbray to call upon in the no.10 role.
The wizard has the quality to be a difference-maker at the top end of the pitch, by breaking down an opposition defence with a pass or finishing off a move himself, and Lindsay's form at youth level for Rangers indicates that he could grow into being a similar player.
Crystal Palace have received an approach from the agents of Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui to let them know that he will be available this summer, according to reports.
What's the latest on Mazraoui's future?
The Premier League outfit have Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward as their current options at right-back, but with the pair both out of contract at the end of the season, Roy Hodgson will need to enter the market to find suitable replacements should they not extend their stay.
The Moroccan international only arrived at the Allianz Arena in July 2022 on a free transfer from Ajax so still has another three years remaining on his deal.
However, having made just six Bayern league starts before their game against Mainz today, he is significantly low down in the pecking order.
Should the 25-year-old want to receive more regular game time and nail down a starting place next season, he could therefore be tempted to look elsewhere during the upcoming window, and should that be the case, he wouldn’t be short of a potential suitor at Selhurst Park.
According to 90min, Crystal Palace, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Wolves, Arsenal and West Ham United have all been “alerted” to Mazraoui’s potential availability and are expected to be “kept informed” of how his transfer situation unfolds at Bayern. Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid have additionally been “told” that he might be on the lookout for his next destination this summer.
Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui.
Would Mazraoui be a good signing for Palace?
Crystal Palace have previously been linked with another move for Aaron Wan-Bissaka whose future at United is uncertain, and whilst Mazraoui isn’t as high-profile of a name as the Red Devils right-back, he would be a fantastic acquisition for Hodgson should he sign on the dotted line.
The Adidas-sponsored gem has won over 12 tackles from 17 players challenged this season so is strong in the defensive aspect of his game but is also capable of contributing to efforts at the opposite end of the pitch with 48 goal contributions (26 assists and 22 goals) to his name in over 258 career appearances.
Hailed a “superb” player by football expert Alex Barker, the £135k-per-week full-back will know what it takes to be successful having got his hands on seven senior trophies since bursting onto the professional scene so he would be able to pass on his winning mentality to the rest of the squad at Selhurst Park.
Having threatened to pull off a win over a big team in their first three matches of the Super 10 stage, Afghanistan finally went ahead and did it against the group-topping West Indies in Nagpur
Karthik Krishnaswamy in Nagpur27-Mar-2016
Samiullah Shenwari and Mohammad Shahzad celebrate a wicket•Associated Press
Having threatened to pull off a win over a big team in their first three matches of the Super 10 stage, Afghanistan finally went ahead and did it against the group-topping West Indies in Nagpur. Inzamam-ul-Haq, Afghanistan’s batting coach, praised his team’s self-belief, and reiterated the call for more opportunities to play against the Full Members.”All our previous matches have been close,” Inzamam said. “There haven’t been one-sided matches, it’s not like a team makes 200 against us and we are all out for 100 or 150. The team has been fighting, and the belief was always there.”But Afghanistan haven’t had that exposure of winning against big teams. The finishing point has not been seen yet. But now that we have won this, it will definitely help. And we had a strong belief that if we can come so close, we can win too. Today it has happened. We could have won against England, there was a close game against Sri Lanka too. So we knew we had the potential to win, but you still need that win. The more we play against big teams, the more we’ll learn, and can perform even better.”One of the players who displayed strong self-belief was the left-arm spinner Amir Hamza. Having been hit for 25 runs in one over in his last match, against England, he took the new ball, bowled three of his four overs in the Powerplay, and finished with figures of 4-0-9-1.”He’s one of our main bowlers,” Inzamam said. “Sometimes we need to make changes in the XI as per the conditions, and as per the player’s form. But he is a seasoned player and a terrific bowler. In the last match, he conceded 25 runs in one over, but he didn’t let it affect his confidence. Today, at a crucial point, he bowled well.”Sent in to bat, Afghanistan posted 123 for 7. Inzamam felt the total was perhaps 15 or 20 runs below par given the conditions, but said the team made it up with their bowling and fielding.”If you see, chases have been difficult on this ground,” he said. “Even in the last game, West Indies could chase 123 against South Africa only in the last over. India also played earlier and were all out for 79 [against New Zealand]. So it’s not easy to get runs in the second innings on this ground.”And we knew that, so it’s not like we had started out thinking we should get 160-170. Our target was 140 to 150, we thought we could put pressure [on West Indies] if we had that total. So we thought we fell maybe 15-20 runs short, but I think the boys fielded excellently. They caught well and saved 10-15 runs on the field. That covered the runs we couldn’t make while batting.”West Indies were playing their second match of the tournament in Nagpur, while Afghanistan – who had won three out of three first-round matches at the venue – were playing their fourth. Inzamam said Afghanistan’s knowledge of the conditions gave them an edge on the day.”We thought we knew this ground better than West Indies, we had already played three matches here, practised a lot here. We had an idea about the pitch and the ground, and that helped us mentally as well as on the ground. The bowlers knew how to bowl on the pitch, the batsmen had an idea, and we spoke about this in our team meeting yesterday also – that we definitely know these conditions better than West Indies.”Inzamam has been part of the Afghanistan backroom since October 2015. Asked how long he intended to stay on in the role, he said he would sit with the Afghanistan Cricket Board at the end of his current term and take a mutual decision.”I am with them for a year now, so I’m looking at [finishing] that first. After a year is up, we have to decide whether they want to keep me or not too. It has to be both ways. I have five-six months left and, inshallah, they will go well.”
Newcastle United ended their recent wobble by edging past Wolverhampton Wanderers at St James’ Park on Sunday evening, with Eddie Howe’s men claiming all three points for the first time since beating Fulham back in January.
Having gone five Premier League games without a win – as well as losing in the Carabao Cup final to Manchester United – the Magpies had hit something of a rocky patch heading into yesterday’s encounter, with the club’s top-four hopes beginning to ebb way.
Despite those recent frustrations, the Tynesiders produced an excellent response to see off Julen Lopetegui’s side, with goals from Alexander Isak and Miguel Almiron proving the difference either side of Hwang Hee-chan’s close-range effort.
That impressive showing proved a welcome return to the side for midfield star, Joe Willock, with the former Arsenal man – who hadn’t started in the league since the draw with West Ham United – leading the way with his 7.8 match rating, as per Sofascore.
That eye-catching display from the 23-year-old saw the playmaker register an assist for Almiron’s late strike and provide two key passes in total, having also completed four of his six dribbles and won a solid six ground duels.
The London-born dynamo was not the only figure to have proven his worth in that 2-1 triumph, however, with compatriot Jacob Murphy also making the most of what was a rare start in the league.
How did Murphy perform against Wolves?
While Murphy has been a regular fixture under Howe during the latter man’s tenure to date – having featured more frequently than any other player in that time – the 28-year-old has largely been an impact player off the bench this season, making just six league starts thus far.
As such, it was undoubtedly a bold call for the Newcastle boss to include the winger in his starting lineup for the visit of the Old Gold, although the experienced asset seemingly passed that test with flying colours.
As the Chronicle’s Jordan Cronin stated, Murphy deserves a “special mention” for his performance against the Midlands side, having “more than justified his selection” despite the initial concern over his inclusion in the side.
The former Norwich City speedster simply ‘ran himself into the ground’ in that relentless display down the right flank, as per journalist Lee Ryder, notably winning four duels as a marker of that willing work ethic.
The £35k-per-week machine also attempted five crosses and completed 12 of his 16 passes, having showcased a real desire to make things happen in the final third – even while losing possession on 13 occasions.
There is, undoubtedly, a need for the 5 foot 10 menace to provide a greater end product when it matters, although it will be truly invaluable for Howe to have such a committed and hard-working figure to call upon when needed.
With January arrival Anthony Gordon facing a brief spell on the sidelines due to injury, there is now likely to be an even greater onus on Murphy to perform, with Sunday’s 85-minute outing seemingly indicating that the Wembley-born gem is up to the task.
Liverpool defender Kostas Tsimikas has been praised for his ‘fantastic play’ during the Premier League game vs Wolverhampton Wanderers by journalist Ian Doyle.
The Lowdown: Victory at Anfield
The Reds were the hosts at Anfield on Wednesday night as they secured a 2-0 victory over the Old Gold thanks to two second-half goals from Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
The Greece international was named in the starting line-up by Jurgen Klopp and had a wonderful impact on the game, providing the assist for the Egyptian striker to seal all three points.
The Latest: Doyle’s reaction
Taking to Twitter, Doyle was quick to applaud Tsimikas for his work rate to burst into the box and lay it on a plate for Salah. He wrote:
“Fantastic play down the left by Tsimikas, who ran on to a Gakpo pass, delayed and delayed and delayed and then picked the right pass to cut back for Salah to score.”
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The Verdict: Standout performer
Liverpool picked up a much-needed win over Wolves, and Tsimikas’s contribution certainly helped them get the result over the line.
The left-back, labelled ‘excellent’ on the night by Dave O’Connell, was his side’s second-best performing player, earning a match rating of 7.7, slightly behind Van Dijk, who came in at 8.2 for his goal and captaincy on the night (SofaScore).
The Reds star also had an 85% pass accuracy and registered two key passes, highlighting the positive impact he made under the lights.
Tsimikas has only been handed six league starts this season, but after a performance like this, Klopp may now have to consider increasing his involvement in the weeks ahead.
Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf has defended Mauricio Pochettino by insisting that even Pep Guardiola couldn't have led the club to success this season.
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Leboeuf claims Chelsea were in shambles
Even Pep would have failed to guide them to success
Chelsea take on Liverpool in Carabao Cup final
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Leboeuf, who spent five years at Stamford Bridge between 1996 and 2001, has expressed his beleif that the club was in a "shambles" when Mauricio Pochettino took charge of the team ahead of the 2023-24 season. The Frenchman went on to claim that not even a manager of Pep Guardiola's calibre could have led the Blues to success this season.
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WHAT FRANK LEBOEUF SAID
Speaking to , the former defender said: "When Mauricio Pochettino signed for Chelsea, there was not a ‘right man’ for the job – the club was a shambles. You could have put anybody in there, even Pep Guardiola, and I don’t think they would have done anything special with this Chelsea team because an instant solution was impossible to find.
"Now we are starting to see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel after the games against Aston Villa and Manchester City, but it is all about consistency. We can see how Pochettino is working with the players and the confidence that he is building with them, but there is still a long way to go. I think Pochettino is the last person to blame for the situation at Chelsea. I’m not even sure that I would’ve taken the Chelsea job at the time he did, because although the money might be good it is hard to know where to even start with actually managing the team! He had the guts to take it on and he is doing well."
He added: "Sometimes the criticism of Pochettino is fair but he has not been without problems and injuries and he has done his best. Everybody was saying that Chelsea didn’t know how to defend without Thiago Silva, but then we saw against Manchester City that they are more than capable. Axel Disasi showed last weekend, against a cyborg in Erling Haaland, that he can handle it.
"When Pochettino puts his confidence in his players, they have shown that they can produce good performances like they have recently against Aston Villa and Manchester City. Hopefully, we are going to see the result of Pochettino’s hard work very soon."
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Former Tottenham manager Pochettino did not have the best of starts to his journey with Chelsea as the club managed to register just eight Premier League wins out of 20 games in the first half of the season. They were plagued with multiple injuries, which certainly didn't help Pochettino, but he has still faced criticism for failing to bring the best out of a squad full of big-money signings. Chelsea have been performing more consistently since the start of the new year, though, and are on the verge of winning their first trophy this season as they gear up to take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
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WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
After facing the Reds on Sunday at Wembley, Pochettino's side will next take on Leeds United in an FA Cup fifth-round clash on February 28.
Jude Bellingham could face a suspension if proven guilty of aiming a slur at Getafe star Mason Greenwood during La Liga clash.
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Decision to be made in the Bellingham-Greenwood incident
Lip reader submitted report to the competition committee
Could face a four-match ban
WHAT HAPPENED?
The incident in question happened during a league encounter between Real Madrid and Getafe on February 1. Bellingham challenged his compatriot on the pitch before allegedly mouthing the word 'Rapist' towards the Manchester United loanee. Getafe had lodged a complaint with La Liga's representative who was present at the ground after which the league hired a lip reader to assess the incident.
Now according to Cope, La Liga have transferred the case to the competition committee. The lip reader has already informed the committee about the decision although the league remains tight-lipped on the final report. Bellingham could be hit with a four-game suspension if found guilty.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
As per some reports, the Real Madrid star did not utter the word 'Rapist' and had rather said 'rubbish' which was misinterpreted, although Getafe has demanded a proper investigation. The club have backed Greenwood in the entire episode who joined them on a season-long loan from the Red Devils after having seen charges of attempted rape, assault, and coercive control made against him dropped in February 2023.
DID YOU KNOW?
The English winger has been impressive for the Azulones in the ongoing season having scored seven times and provided five assists in 23 matches across all competitions. The Spanish club are considering making his loan move permanent in the summer.
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WHAT NEXT FOR JUDE BELLINGHAM?
If proven guilty, the England international could face some time on the sidelines. He is currently out of action with a sprained ankle and is expected to remain out of action for at least three weeks.
Everton are looking at strengthening their front line this summer, as Sean Dyche hopes to get the Blues firing to avoid a repeat of last season’s lows.
Recent reports have now revealed who they could target before the end of the transfer window, in a name that could significantly bolster the Toffee’s efforts in the final third.
Dyche confirmed his side’s survival on the final day last term, with it being vital that the Merseyside club move away from their form of being relegation candidates in the top flight.
Who could Everton sign this summer?
It’s clear that Everton are pondering making a move for a forward this summer, with links to Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto and Southampton’s Che Adams consuming recent speculation surrounding the club.
There has however been another name arise as a contender for Dyche to chase, with Troyes winger Mama Balde identified as a target for the Blues.
As reported by journalist Mike Minay, the 27-year-old has gained significant interest from the Premier League, with Burnley, Sheffield United and the Toffee’s named as those eyeing the Ligue 1 whiz.
Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…
Minay added that a deal for the Guinea-Bissau forward could be struck for a fee in the region of €8m (£7m), making him an affordable acquisition for the Blues.
What is Mama Balde’s playing style?
Deployed primarily as a right-winger, Balde is just as efficient on the left flank, making him a strong and versatile forward to have in the squad.
Identified for his “pace and power” by writer Liam Scahill, as well as being lauded as an “impressive attacking weapon”, the 27-year-old could be the perfect addition for Dyche to integrate into his squad.
In Ligue 1 last term, the versatile attacker netted 12 goals and recorded four assists for Troyes, who struggled in the top flight throughout the campaign, seeing them relegated to Ligue 2.
The Guinea-Bissau international’s contribution to playing within a side that was far from at their best highlighted just how much of a threat he is, showing up when his team needed him most.
Troyes forward Mama Balde.
Praised as being a “really strong” asset in the attack by former teammate Tristan Dingome, Balde could be the ideal player for Everton, in a talent that could compete with Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The Englishman has had a trialling couple of years, juggling injury with poor form at Goodison Park that has seen his goal tally take a bruising compared to 16-goal Premier League season of 2020/21.
Since then, the 26-year-old has netted just seven goals over the last two league campaigns, prompting that the introduction of some competition could bolster the striker’s performance.
Balde could not only add to the goals for the club, but promote a healthy rivalry with Calvert-Lewin, in a move that could positively encourage the Englishman to raise his game for the good of the club, and his confidence.
The Troyes forward has netted 15 goals over the last two seasons to the jaded Blues talisman’s seven, suggesting just how he could improve Dyche’s options in the front line.
On the other side, the Ligue 1 gem could be the perfect addition to accompany Calvert-Lewin in leading the line, with him being flexible in his ability to be deployed in various positions around the striker.
For a fee expected to be lower the £10m mark, the Blues could land themselves a strong acquisition that could finally improve their fortunes this season.
After all, having failed to score in their first two outings, they could certainly do with some added firepower.
Alastair Cook carried his bat for 244 not out but England’s hopes of victory were hampered by the weather and some obdurate batting
Report by Brydon Coverdale29-Dec-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe weather, it seems, is not England’s friend. At the WACA, they needed final-day rain to keep the series alive; despite a lengthy delay due to leaking covers, there was not enough wetness to prevent an Australian victory. And now at the MCG, England’s push for a consolation win has been hampered by heavy and persistent rain that washed out half of the fourth day’s play. By stumps, Australia still trailed by 61 runs but had eight wickets in hand, with their two best batsmen at the crease.The day started with Alastair Cook becoming the highest scorer ever to carry his bat in Test cricket, before England further strengthened their position by claiming two wickets before lunch. However, Steven Smith and David Warner then steadied Australia with a patient partnership which, along with the weather, loomed as the key to the match. When play was abandoned, with only 44 overs bowled in the day, they had steered Australia steadily to 2 for 103.
Cook’s new landmark
Cook carries his bat Alastair Cook became the eighth player from England to carry his bat and first since 1997. The last player for England to achieve this was Michael Atherton when he scored 94 against New Zealand. However, Cook’s 244 was the highest score ever made by a batsman carrying his bat through a Test innings, beating the 223 scored by New Zealand’s Glenn Turner against West Indies in Kingston in 1972. The last player to carry his bat in an Ashes Test was Geoffrey Boycott when he made 99 at Perth in 1979. Tough task for Australia When Australia have conceded a lead of over 160 at home , they have managed to not lose only on seven occasions. Incidentally the last time they managed to do it against England was also in Melbourne in 1965. However, they have lost on 21 occasions.
Warner’s tempo had been uncharacteristically slow, and his 40 had come from 140 deliveries, while Smith was on 25 from 67 balls. The only two Australian batsmen to have averaged more than 40 in Test cricket in 2017, Smith and Warner knew that the longer they could stay together, the better Australia’s chances of emerging from this match with a draw. A clean sweep is off the table, but right now they would be more than happy with 4-0.England had started the morning on 9 for 491 and it took only one delivery – a short ball from Pat Cummins that James Anderson fended to short leg – to end the innings. That left Cook unbeaten on 244, the highest score ever made by a batsman carrying his bat through a Test innings, beating the 223 scored by New Zealand’s Glenn Turner against West Indies in Kingston in 1972.Cook was also the first England batsman to carry his bat in a Test in 20 years, since Mike Atherton did so against New Zealand in Christchurch in 1996-97. His innings ended in its 634th minute, which made it the fifth-longest innings by time ever played in a Test in Australia – only Sid Barnes in 1946, Bob Cowper in 1966, Graham Yallop in 1983 and Mark Greatbatch in 1989 had stayed at the crease longer in a Test in this country.It also gave England a 164-run first-innings lead, which meant the Australians faced plenty of work to fight back into the contest. They began their second innings solidly with a 51-run opening stand between Cameron Bancroft and Warner, but that ended when Bancroft, who had just driven a handsome boundary wide of mid-on, chopped on for 27 off the bowling of Chris Woakes.The loss of Usman Khawaja for 11, when he edged behind off an Anderson delivery that nipped away, left Australia wobbling at 2 for 65. Smith and Warner steadied the Australians, although Warner had a narrow escape on 36 when he only just cleared Anderson at short midwicket off the bowling of Woakes.By the time the rain arrived, the Smith-Warner partnership was worth 38 off 22.4 overs, hardly earth-shattering figures, but a sufficiently solid stand to give Australia hope of securing a draw on the final day.