Momentum swings between Kent and Middlesex with 16 wickets falling on opening day

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Apr-2025

Kashif Ali bowls on Kent debut•Ian Scammell

Kent fought to 172 for 6 on day one of their Rothesay County Championship match with Middlesex at Canterbury, trailing by 50 at the close on a day when 16 wickets fell.Jack Davies’ unbeaten 47 was the highlight for Middlesex, as they scratched their way to 222 all out. Nathan Gilchrist took 3 for 43 and debutant Kashif Ali, occasionally wearing a Dennis Lillee-style headband, claimed 3 for 60, but Davies’ ninth-wicket partnership of 63 with Blake Cullen was already looking crucial as Middlesex ran through Kent’s top order.England’s Zak Crawley continued to struggle as he went for a fourth-ball duck, lbw to Toby Roland-Jones and Cullen took 3 for 51 to help reduce Kent to 79 for 6 before Harry Finch and Grant Stewart rallied the home side, finishing unbeaten on 49 and 46 respectively.Kent had prepared a lime green wicket for the benefit of Keith Dudgeon, who’d taken eight wickets in the rout of Northants, but even though he was injured in training on Thursday they had no hesitation in choosing to bowl. Dudgeon was replaced by Kashif, while Middlesex drafted in Stephen Eskinazi in place of Sam Robson.A crowd of over 1200 watched a morning session that was played out to a constant chorus of groaning from the home fielders, with almost every delivery troubling the batters.Nathan Fernandes made just 4 before Gilchrist sent his off stump cartwheeling and Stewart then cleaned up Eskinazi for 14 in almost identical fashion.Leus Du Plooy ground out 25 before charging down the wicket to Kashif and getting caught behind. Middlesex, however, made it to 89 for 3 at lunch.Gilchrist then took charge getting Ryan Higgins in the second over of the afternoon, caught behind for 14, before he strangled Max Holden for 26. Ben Geddes skied Jas Singh to Joey Evison at backward point for 13 and Zafar Gohar was bowled by Kashif for 11, playing on middle, when the ball pitched on off and hit.Roland-Jones went in almost identical fashion. He was put down twice by Ben Compton at short-leg in the 45th over, only to lose his off stump to Kashif’s final delivery.That left Middlesex on 150 for 8, but Cullen and Davies responded with a stand that was only broken when Singh bowled the former off stump for 33.The next ball to Henry Brookes was nearly caught by Finch but ended up flying through the slip cordon for four. Brookes, however, added just another single before he nicked Stewart to Jack Leaning.The suspicion that 222 might be a useful score deepened when Roland-Jones hit Crawley plumb on the knee-roll of his back pad. Daniel Bell-Drummond then went for 6, shouldering arms to Higgins.Tawanda Muyeye went for a combative 29, nicking Cullen to Eskinazi at first slip, but Leaning lasted just three balls before Brookes had him caught behind. Evison drove his first ball from Cullen for four and was caught behind off the next and Compton was strangled for 32 to the same combination.At that point it looked like the hosts might subside for under three figures but Stewart led the counterattack, hitting Roland-Jones back over his head for six and edging Kent closer to parity by stumps.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United have opened the 2025/26 season in a way that underlines both their potential and their limitations.

Their early form has mixed defensive solidity with attacking struggles.

A goalless draw with Aston Villa on the opening day was followed by a chaotic 3-2 defeat at home to Liverpool, sealed by a 100th-minute Rio Ngumoha strike.

Stalemates against Leeds and Bournemouth sandwiched a narrow 1-0 win over Wolves, leaving Newcastle searching for rhythm at both ends of the pitch.

In attack, the void left by Alexander Isak has been evident.

New arrivals Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa were brought in to fill the gap, but Woltemade is still adjusting to Premier League intensity, while Wissa was sidelined for a month after suffering a knee injury on international duty.

The lack of fluidity has shown up in the underlying numbers: Newcastle have generated just 4.6 expected goals (xG) – better only than the newly promoted clubs, Wolves and Aston Villa.

Defensively, though, the platform looks elite. Newcastle boast the league’s lowest xG conceded at 2.5, with Arsenal next-best at 3.3.

Newcastle United

2.5

Arsenal

3.3

AFC Bournemouth

3.6

Liverpool

4.0

Crystal Palace:

4.7

This means that Howe’s side already have a strong foundation from which to grow. What is striking, however, is that the tactical emphasis has shifted.

Howe, once reliant on direct transitions, has been experimenting with a more possession-heavy approach, with structured build-up play central to his long-term vision.

That shift has placed the spotlight firmly on the man in goal.

Why Nick Pope needs to be dropped

Nick Pope remains Newcastle’s first-choice goalkeeper and has been a dependable figure since arriving from Burnley in 2022.

Now 33, he has made over 100 appearances for the Magpies, including keeping goal in their Carabao Cup triumph over Liverpool last season.

His England experience – ten caps – underlines his status as a high-level shot-stopper. So far this campaign, Pope has kept four clean sheets, leading the Premier League Golden Glove race.

His shot-stopping ability is reflected in his numbers: 3.07 saves per 90 with a save percentage of 71.7%, significantly above league average.

Yet, the flaws in his game are equally obvious.

Pope’s playing profile jars with Howe’s evolving tactical plan. While Newcastle are attempting to construct attacks patiently from the back, Pope looks uncomfortable when pressed with the ball at his feet.

Whenever the ball cycles back to him, Newcastle’s possession often stalls, with centre-backs reluctant to involve him under pressure.

It is not that Pope lacks bravery, but rather that his technical ceiling is lower.

Against teams who press high, this becomes a liability.

As Howe tries to embed a possession-first style, Pope’s skillset increasingly feels at odds with the project.

Howe already has the perfect Pope replacement

This summer, Newcastle moved to address the issue by signing Aaron Ramsdale on a season-long loan from Southampton.

At 27, he remains in his goalkeeping prime and was one of the few Saints players to emerge with any credit last season.

His arrival followed Martin Dubravka’s move to Burnley, giving Howe a goalkeeper with very different attributes to Pope.

Ramsdale is far more comfortable with the ball at his feet.

He touches the ball 43.8 times per 90 (compared to Pope’s 31.1) and completes passes across a much greater distance, with a progressive passing distance of 566.4 per 90 – almost double Pope’s output.

He is proactive in distribution, unafraid to break lines and feed midfielders under pressure.

His higher volume of completed passes per 90 (25.8) makes him far better aligned with a possession-oriented strategy.

Statistically, Ramsdale lags behind Pope in pure shot-stopping.

He makes more saves per 90 (4.00 compared to Pope’s 3.07) but his save percentage is lower at 67.6%, while his goals against per 90 (2.20) reflects Southampton’s struggles last year.

Clean sheet percentage is another weakness, sitting at just 10.0% compared to Pope’s 28.6%.

Yet, context matters – Ramsdale played behind one of the league’s most porous defences, whereas Pope has benefited from Newcastle’s defensive structure.

Ramsdale has already impressed Newcastle supporters in flashes.

During pre-season he saved a penalty against Espanyol, a reminder of his shot-stopping pedigree, while also displaying the technical quality that Pope cannot replicate.

Fans are increasingly calling for him to be given a run in the league, believing that his attributes would unlock Newcastle’s attempts to play more expansively.

For now, Howe has stuck with Pope – who he has previously labelled as “one of the best shot-stoppers” he’s worked – valuing his reliability and the clean sheets he has delivered.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

But with Newcastle increasingly defined by their ability to dominate possession and progress the ball, the pressure is mounting to hand Ramsdale his chance.

The tactical shift may eventually demand it.

Howe must now drop Newcastle flop who was worse than Willock

This Newcastle United attacker struggled as much as Joe Willock did away at AFC Bournemouth.

1 ByKelan Sarson Sep 21, 2025

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has provided an injury update on one of his key players after the EFL Cup defeat at the hands of Brentford.

Villa's poor start continues against the Bees

Villa finally found the back of the net on Tuesday night, after failing to score in their opening four Premier League games, but Harvey Elliott’s first goal for the club didn’t count for much, with Brentford ultimately progressing in the EFL Cup.

After a 1-1 draw in normal time, the Bees progressed on penalties, with John McGinn and Matty Cash both missing from the spot, meaning Emery’s side are still searching for their first victory of the campaign.

Emery has been forced to make do without a number of his key players already this season, with the likes of Amadou Onana, Ross Barkley, Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans spending time on the sidelines, but there has now been a promising new update on the latter player.

Reporter Jacob Tanswell subsequently confirmed that Emery is also optimistic that Tielemans could return before the next international break, with the Villa boss stating the central midfielder is likely to be out for one or two more weeks.

Related Monchi identifies "incredible" Aston Villa target who'd fix Emery's attack

The Villans are ready to make their move.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Sep 16, 2025 Tielemans' return will be boost for Aston Villa

With the Belgian ruled out against Brentford, Lamare Bogarde was given the nod in central midfield, but the 21-year-old was unable to impact the game in the way he would’ve liked, being shown a yellow card before being replaced by Kamara in the 74th minute.

Tielemans, on the other hand, has been a vitally important player for the Villans over the course of the past two seasons, playing a major role in Emery’s side qualifying for the Champions League and Europa League by regularly providing goals and assists in the Premier League.

Season

Premier League appearances

Goal contributions

2023-24

32

9

2024-25

36

10

The 28-year-old was also arguably Villa’s most consistent player in the Premier League last season, averaging a 7.38 SofaScore match rating across the campaign, which was by far the highest of any player in the squad.

Emery is under no illusions as to just how important the Belgium international is to his side either, saying last season: “He is really doing fantastic work. He is very, very professional. The mentality he has, really I appreciate in the highest level we can achieve.”

As such, it is promising news that Tielemans is set to return within the next two weeks, but it appears as though Aston Villa will have to do without the £150k-a-week midfielder when they take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light this Sunday.

Hampshire captain gets first century in new role to guide team’s rearguard

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay04-May-2025Ben Brown scored his first century as Hampshire captain to eliminate fears of an innings defeat to Durham in the Rothesay County Championship.Hampshire were still 92 runs away from avoiding the follow-on when Toby Albert was the sixth man to depart, but Brown and Felix Organ ticked through the required runs with a 164 stand.Brown replaced James Vince – who has moved to Dubai – as club captain in the winter and led from the front with a patient unbeaten 143.Hampshire ended the day on 429 for seven, trailing by 82, with Organ, Mark Stoneman and Nick Gubbins also recording half-centuries – with Matthew Potts’ three for 62 the best for Durham’s bowlers.The hosts have very little hope of winning the match after Durham had racked up 511 on the opening two days, and regular wickets through the morning put them in deep peril.Stoneman only added three runs to his overnight 57 – which had been his first half-century sine arriving on the south coast from Middlesex – before he edged Potts behind off his inside edge.Tom Prest was guilty of stretching too far outside off stump when he was caught behind, while Liam Dawson was bowled by a Potts delivery which kept a tad low – as the pitch appeared to be working slightly better for the bowlers.The opening two days have been a turgid batting-fest with a used pitch not disintegrating has expected in the hot sun.But some occasional turn for the spinners and bouts invariable bounce gave Hampshire’s batters a few moments of worry.Toby Albert was more out-gunned by Codi Yusuf’s pace when he was bowled, as Hampshire’s fears of being asked to bat again began to raise.But Organ, a highly competent batter who has opened the batting regularly in the past, was a welcome sight coming in at No.8.Brown had bumped himself higher up the order from seven to five, seemingly to give more stability in the face of wickets.He picked his moments to jab at deliveries in his textbook manner, while occasionally negating the lower bounce by crouching lower to meet the ball at its trajectory.A half-century came in 102 balls before a fifth century for the Rose and Crown came in 178 balls – it was the 26th of his first-class career.Hampshire only picked up two batting bonus points, but at 17:00 BST their deficit had dipped under 150 and the game felt safer – only a monumental effort could stop this match from becoming a draw.Organ, on his first appearance of the summer, reached his half-century in 124 deliveries but fell when he edged George Drissell to first slip.His partnership with Brown was the highest seventh wicket stand for Hampshire against Durham almost doubling a 2007 record set by Michael Brown and Shane Warne.

Barcelona have received a crucial boost ahead of the first Clasico of the season as star winger Lamine Yamal returns to training after a groin setback sustained against Paris Saint-Germain and missing Spain’s international fixtures. With Ferran Torres and Dani Olmo also sidelined, Yamal’s recovery is timely, offering coach Hansi Flick fresh attacking options for the challenging run of games leading to Real Madrid.

• Lamine Yamal is back in training for Barcelona

  Barcelona has received a much-needed lift with the return of the 18-year-old winger to training this week. Yamal made an early comeback after being sidelined for a couple of weeks, arriving just in time for the club's congested fixture list. The club confirmed the news with a video posted on their official social media. However, this positive development is tempered by new injuries to key players Torres and Olmo, who suffered injury setbacks during the recent World Cup qualifiers with Spain.

  Coach Flick has previously voiced his deep frustration with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), criticising their handling of the players' fitness. The cases of Yamal and Olmo are similar: both players reported discomfort upon joining the Spain camp for the qualifiers but were reportedly still pushed to train.

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• AFP
  

  How Barcelona plans to reintegrate Yamal

  Yamal’s return to training marks a key step in Barcelona’s preparation. The plan is to gradually integrate him, starting with Wednesday sessions, and potentially featuring as a substitute against Girona this weekend. If all goes well, he could start in the Champions League clash against Olympiacos, setting him up to be fully available for the Bernabeu clash. This news is especially reassuring considering Barca's growing injury concerns, with many key players sidelined in recent weeks.

• Torres and Olmo injuries heightens pressure on Flick

  Torres has been ruled out of Spain’s match against Bulgaria with a muscle overload, while Olmo’s calf injury will likely keep him out for three to four weeks, almost certainly ruling him out of the Clasico. These setbacks pile pressure on the Barca coach to manage rotation and attacking options. Torres’ sharp form had been a highlight for Barcelona, while Olmo’s creativity and movement are missed. The team must adapt quickly to maintain attacking consistency ahead of the crucial fixtures.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  All eyes set on El Clasico

  With Yamal back in training, Blaugrana now focus on managing their squad across a congested schedule: Girona in La Liga on October 18, Olympiacos in the Champions League on October 21, and finally El Clasico against Madrid on October 26. Flick must carefully navigate player fitness, tactical rotations and form recovery to ensure his team is competitive. Yamal’s reintegration offers a key attacking spark, providing optimism amid a challenging period and potentially tipping the scales in the Bernabeu showdown.

Tottenham Hotspur’s final signing of the summer transfer window, striker Randal Kolo Muani on loan from PSG, is poised to make his imminent Premier League debut against West Ham on Saturday.

The Frenchman’s versatility will be invaluable for Thomas Frank, with Kolo Muani able to play on both the right and left-hand side, though it appears he’ll most likely be used as an alternative to centre-forwards Richarlison and Dominic Solanke.

Mohammed Kudus

£55 million

Kota Takai

£5 million

Mathys Tel

£30 million

Joao Palhinha

Loan

Kevin Danso

£21 million

Xavi Simons

£52 million

Randal Kolo Muani

Loan

The latter didn’t play in Spurs’ 1-0 defeat against Bournemouth prior to the international break due to a niggling ankle problem, and while Frank suggested that Solanke could be back this weekend, it is definitely wise to have another option up top considering Richarlison’s fitness issues last season.

Kolo Muani has played the vast majority of his 269 total senior appearances as a striker, and there is reason for supporters to be excited by his arrival.

During his best-ever campaign to date in 2022/2023, the 26-year-old racked up an impressive 23 goals and 17 assists in all competitions for Eintracht Frankfurt, and this stellar form earned him a £76.4 million move to Ligue 1 heavyweights PSG.

While it hasn’t worked out for him in the French capital, Kolo Muani’s head-turning loan move to Juventus last term, where he managed 10 goals and three assists in 22 outings, showcases a player of serious attacking quality.

On the international stage, Kolo Muani has always maintained the faith of Didier Deschamps, even amidst his PSG exile, with the forward bagging semi-final goals against Morocco at the 2022 World Cup and Spain in Euro 2024.

The former Nantes sensation has also been a long-time target for the Lilywhites. Tottenham attempted to agree a deal for Kolo Muani in January before his switch to Juve, and ex-Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou was personally pushing for him in the winter, according to club insider Paul O’Keefe.

Now, the Spurs recruitment team have got their man, but unfortunately for Frank, there is no option to buy Kolo Muani at the end of his loan spell if he manages to pull up trees in north London.

This is seen as quite an ‘un-Spurs like’ condition of the Kolo Muani deal, and pundit John Wenham has fired a warning to Tottenham over agreeing to a straight loan.

Tottenham sent Randal Kolo Muani warning as "frustrating" claim made

Speaking to Tottenham News, Wenham says thatTottenham are taking a “risk” by just signing Kolo Muani on a dry temporary deal, calling it a “frustrating” development and explaining that other sides could outbid them next year.

While there is an argument that Tottenham face not being able to hold on to Kolo Muani, the fact he’s arrived at N17 for essentially zero cost for the entire season is still a big boost for Frank.

Spurs need strength in depth if they’re to finish in the top four and contend for major trophies, and Kolo Muani is exactly the calibre of player to help them do this.

Nottingham Forest are considering replacing Ange Postecoglou with Sean Dyche, should they decide to part ways with the Australian coach after just a handful of games in charge. The former Tottenham Hotspur boss has failed to impress and win over the hearts of the Forest faithful and, with patience running low, could be moved on in favour of the former Everton and Burnley manager.

Postecoglou faces the chop

Dyche has emerged as the leading candidate to take the helm at the City Ground should Forest choose to dismiss Postecoglou, according the . He would also become the third man to take charge of Forest this season, following the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo at the start of last month.

Postecoglou has been on thin ice for a number of weeks following his poor start to life in the Midlands. The fans did not take to him quickly and he has done little to prove them wrong, even if he has overseen just seven games in charge. Under his leadership, Forest are yet to win a game, but have been on the losing side five times, managing just two draws – against Sunderland and Real Betis.

Postecoglou suffered the humiliation of his own fans chanting that he would be ‘sacked in the morning’ and, ever since, has been fighting a losing battle. His task was not made easier by having to fill the shoes of the popular Santo, who had been shown the exit door despite guiding them to European qualification last season.

Postecoglou, known for his all-out-attacking football, struggled to stamp his philosophy on the Forest squad more attuned to Santo’s pragmatic approach. The Australian had complained that he had not had the time to work with his squad, owing to their mid-week Europa League fixtures, but football can be an unforgiving business and the die looks cast for Postecoglou.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportForest fear the drop

The appointment of Dyche would suggest the Forest hierarchy are bracing themselves for a bit of a relegation scrap and quite the fall from the heights reached last season. They sit 17th in the table, just one point above the drop zone, and even though there are plenty of games left to climb back up the table, Forest might not fancy taking on that risk.

Their decision will have been influenced by the overperformance of the newly promoted sides, particularly Sunderland, who suggest they will not go down without a fight, as Ipswich, Southampton and Leicester did last year.

The prospect of relegation to the Championship would be devastating to Forest, who had established themselves as a solid, Premier League side. The qualification for the Europa League would also have had fans dreaming of replicating the continental success they enjoyed under Brian Clough in 1980.

Few would expect Forest to end up being relegated, even if Postecoglou remained in charge for the rest of the season, but Evangelos Marinakis is unlikely to want to take that risk. Dyche would be seen as a safe pair of hands to guide the club away from the drop, given his success at staving off relegation at both Burnley and Everton.

Dyche proves the best of few options

The Telegraph stated that Dyche is not the only candidate under consideration, but may be the only one available. The report explained that Forest had wanted Fulham boss Marco Silva to take over from Postecoglou, but given the money it would take to pay out the Portuguese coach’s contract at the Cottagers, they have turned elsewhere.

Former Forest boss Steve Cooper was also earmarked as a potential replacement, but he is also under contract at Danish side Brondby. Cooper, who was sacked by Forest’s rivals Leicester last campaign, has been enjoying a small renaissance in Scandinavia and may not fancy returning to a place he was fired.

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Getty Images SportA chance to lift the Blues

The international break is well underway and is often a time in which boards opt for a change of management. Dyche will be waiting in the wings should Postecoglou be sacked and may have to start drawing up plans for his first game pretty quickly.

Forest’s first game back after the break is a home game against Chelsea, a tricky encounter for any incoming boss. A positive result against the inconsistent Blues would lift a lot of the clouds hanging over the City Ground, but one result won’t be enough to stave off fears of relegation.

Manchester City have now received an offer for a £90k-a-week player, who Pep Guardiola has previously described as “exceptional”.

Pep questioned after deadline day Donnarumma signing

The emphatic 4-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers to kick the season off was arguably a false start for Man City, who have since been brought back down to earth with consecutive defeats, most recently suffering a late 2-1 loss away at Brighton.

As such, Guardiola has already made the big call to bring in a new goalkeeper, with City completing the deadline day signing of Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is seemingly set to displace James Trafford in the starting XI.

There are some question marks over the signing of Donnarumma, given that the Italian isn’t regarded as a ‘Pep keeper’, as he is not well-known to be particularly impressive with the ball at his feet.

Former goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel said: “Donnarumma had a really good season with PSG and was instrumental in PSG winning the Champions League. He is OK with his feet but he is not Ederson – no-one is Ederson.”

With Ederson departing to join Fenerbahce, City are back to having four goalkeepers on the books, with Marcus Bettinelli also arriving this summer, but they now have a decision to make about the future of Stefan Ortega.

That is because a report from Sporx (via Sport Witness) has revealed that Trabzonspor have made a bid for Ortega, with the Turkish Süper Lig side keen to bring in a new goalkeeper before their transfer window comes to a close.

Ortega is not the only option available to the Turkish side, however, with it being revealed they have also been offered the opportunity to sign Manchester United’s Andre Onana, who is seemingly being forced out following the arrival of Senne Lammens.

"Exceptional" Ortega should be allowed to move on

Following Donnarumma’s arrival, the £90k-a-week goalkeeper is unlikely to have any opportunities, with Trafford ahead of him in the pecking order, while Bettinelli is also on the books in the case of a real emergency.

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As such, Man City should sanction the 32-year-old’s departure, despite the fact he has impressed at times in a City shirt, with Guardiola saying in the 2022/23 campaign: “The way he’s played in Carabao Cup and FA Cup so far. Even in the Champions League when he played against Dortmund.

“We were qualified but fighting for the first position. He’s an exceptional goalkeeper. Exceptional.”

The German has been at the Etihad Stadium for two Premier League title triumphs, and famously played a pivotal role in the 2023-24 campaign, producing a crucial save to deny Son Heung-min in the penultimate game of the season.

That said, Pep is now well-stocked in the goalkeeper department, so there is no reason to stand in Ortega’s way if more clubs come calling.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) legspinner Ravi Bishnoi doesn’t know why he didn’t get a fourth over against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) despite returns of 3-0-18-2, but feels the captain, Rishabh Pant, would have had his reasons.LSG were defending 166 at home against CSK, but fell short after a rare off-day for Nicholas Pooran as Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni finished the job with three balls to spare by taking down LSG’s pace bowlers in the death overs.”I didn’t really talk [to Pant] about it, but I went to the wicket a couple of times [to check] and I think he had plans in place he wanted to execute,” Bishnoi said at the press conference after the game. “In such situations, the captain is better placed, and he keeps wicket, too, so he understands things better. According to me, he took the decision he thought was better.Related

• Jaffer: Pant 'needs to get better at rotating strike'

• Dhoni effect on show as CSK find a way

• Dhoni: Tweaked attack gives 'more manoeuvrability for the captain'

• Dhoni, Noor and Jadeja snap CSK's losing streak

“He was clear in his mind and it’s better in such tense situations that the captain thinks with a clear mind.”Bishnoi had dismissed Rahul Tripathi and Ravindra Jadeja in the ninth and 13th overs respectively, and nine of his 18 balls had been dots. He didn’t bowl his fourth, but the less experienced Digvesh Rathi and part-time spinner Aiden Markram finished their quotas.”There was a lot of time when I thought about bowling him [Bishnoi] that [fourth] over,” Pant said after the game. “But we discussed with a lot of players and just couldn’t let him bowl. We thought let’s take it deeper, and that didn’t happen for us today.”Rathi and Markram had finished bowling in tandem by the 15th over when CSK needed 56 runs from 30 balls, and Dhoni had just joined Dube. Dube’s presence, and his reputation as a six-hitter off spin, might have forced Pant’s hand.

Bishop: ‘I wonder why Rishabh didn’t go for Bishnoi’

3:43

Bishop: LSG quicks lacked execution in the end

At the ESPNcricinfo studio, it was a major point of debate, with Abhinav Mukund saying the game was lost on that decision, and Wasim Jaffer calling it “a major point” for LSG going down.”I know Dube was batting, but Dube couldn’t get hold of him [Bishnoi] before that anyway. And he has that googly,” Ian Bishop said on ESPNcricinfo TimeOut. “I wonder why Rishabh didn’t go for Bishnoi – 2 for 18 from three [overs] just stands out like a beacon in all of that.””If you got a wicket there, and you’ve got Jamie Overton to come, I felt it was very defensive to go for the faster-bowler strategy at that point, because you are actually thinking that you didn’t want Dube to get a couple of sixes off Bishnoi,” Abhinav said. “This is something that you see in the IPL, or any form of cricket, where captains tend to sort of… they like a certain type of bowler because they are uncomfortable against it, and sometimes the converse also happens.”As a left-hander, possibly Rishabh is thinking, ‘I can smash Bishnoi out of the ground, so I don’t want him to face off against Dube. ‘ Just a hypothetical theory I am planting here.”Whether that’s what Pant had on his mind or not, he had got the ball changed after the 16th over and switched to his faster bowlers. “Bowling Bishnoi to Dhoni and Dube at that point wasn’t a gamble because [with 44 needed in four overs] the way this game has gone, we didn’t see a 20-run over,” Abhinav said. “You were still in the game. It was the best time to make that call and then decide what you want to do after that.”But Pant stuck to his pace-bowling options, even though a lot of captains have turned to spin against Dhoni in the death overs, especially in CSK’s last three chases.Sanju Samson had given the 18th over to Maheesh Theekshana in Guwahati when CSK needed 45 from 18 and Theekshana conceded just six runs. Axar Patel bowled himself in the 17th over – which was his first that day – when CSK needed 72 from 18, and gave away just five runs. In CSK’s last chase, Shreyas Iyer handed Yuzvendra Chahal the 17th over with 68 to win from 24 and he gave away just nine runs. In all these cases, Dhoni failed to hit a single boundary against the spinners.Since IPL 2020, Dhoni has struck at only 94.23 against spin, with 14 fours and nine sixes in 243 balls.To Pant, perhaps, the set Dube appeared a bigger threat. But once Dhoni got pace on the ball, he ended the 16th over, bowled by Avesh Khan with two consecutive fours, dispatched a Shardul Thakur slower delivery on the leg side for six even as one hand came off the bat, and hit his next ball, from Avesh, for four. The game tilted in CSK’s favour when – with 24 required from 12 – Dube started Thakur’s over with a four and six to the deep-third boundary and it turned out Thakur had also overstepped for the second ball.

تحدث الدولي التركي أردا جولر، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد عن مباراة الكلاسيكو عقب فوزه على يوفنتوس ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وتمكن ريال مدريد من تحقيق فوز مهم على يوفنتوس، بهدف نظيف مقابل لا شيء، جعله مستعدًا بقوة للقاء الكلاسيكو المقبل أمام برشلونة.

ويواجه ريال مدريد غريمه برشلونة في “كلاسيكو” الدوري الإسباني لأول مرة بقيادة تشابي ألونسو، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو”، في تمام الساعة السادسة والربع مساء الأحد المقبل بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.

وقال جولر في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “الكلاسيكو؟ سنحاول الفوز على برشلونة”.

وأكمل عن مباراة يوفنتوس: “إنه فوز عظيم ورائع، تهانينا للجميع وشكرًا جزيلًا للجماهير، لقد لعبنا بشكل جيد وحصدنا النقاط الثلاث”.

اقرأ أيضًا | موعد مباراة ريال مدريد القادمة بعد الفوز على يوفنتوس في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وعما يشعر به هذا الموسم: “أشعر بأهميتي الكبيرة في الفريق، شكرًا لـ تشابي الذي يثق بي ويطلب مني التحكم في إيقاع اللعب، وأن أكون مبدعًا”.

وعن تفضيله الاقتراب من منطقة الجزاء أم بناء اللعب: “أستطيع القيام بالأمرين، إذا أردتني أن أسجل وأصنع، يمكنني أن أكون رقم 10 (صانع اللعب) ولكن رقم 8 (محور خط الوسط) جيد أيضًا”.

وحول وجود توافق وتفاهم بشكل رائع بينه وبين مبابي، كشف: “جيد جدًا، مبابي رجل رائع”.

هل تفاجأت بجائزة أفضل لاعب في مباراة يوفنتوس: “نعم، أنا لا ألعب من أجل ذلك، بل ألعب من أجل الفوز، لم أكن أعلم أنني أفضل لاعب في المباراة”.