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England survived another collapse to steal a one-wicket victory off the final ball of the match against West Indies

Vithushan Ehantharajah in Dharamsala24-Mar-2016
ScorecardThe England dugout celebrate their last-ball victory•ICC/GettyFor the second time in the space of three days, England turned a routine canter into a tense trudge through error-infested swampland. Despite a brisk start to their chase of West Indies’ 108 – with 12 overs to go, they required 50 runs and had all ten wickets in hand – it was a bye off the final ball that snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.With two legitimate balls remaining, Rebecca Grundy, England’s No. 11 – in position as well as ability – came to the crease with three runs needed. A wide and then a dab to point gave the more accomplished Natalie Sciver, batting on 19, the strike. With one run needed, she missed a delivery outside off stump from Deandra Dottin and West Indies’ wicketkeeper Merissa Aguilleira, who had adopted a closer position to the stumps without standing all the way up, ran forward before flicking the ball towards them.But her throw went wide, Grundy ran through the crease and England had escaped. Had Aguillera continued her run and removed bails in the manner of MS Dhoni in an identical situation in India’s game against Bangladesh on Wednesday, the game would have been tied. Instead, England are on the brink of the semi-finals.Crucially, this match was not broadcast on television, which meant there were no cameras at the ground, including at square leg. As a result, there was no third umpire. When you consider that Charlotte Edwards survived a sharp stumping attempt early on and an appeal to have Lydia Greenway run out at the non-striker’s end off a straight drive from Sciver was turned down, it could have been all very different.Similarly to the match against India, it was the wicket of Tammy Beaumont that started the collapse. Then, it was 5 for 29 from eight overs – here, 6 for 24 off 39 balls was the almost irreparable damage. But it was again Beaumont’s runs that proved to be the difference.Given the opportunity to open the batting with Charlotte Edwards, Beaumont has been backed by the coach, Mark Robinson, who admitted he was bemused by the contrast between her poor T20I record – she averaged 8.83 going into this tournament – and her ball-striking in practice. Having made her debut in the format back in November 2009, she has never quite been able to nail down a starting spot. And when you look a little closer, you can see why: ridiculously, by the time she had played her 20th innings, Beaumont had batted in every position apart from No. 4 and No. 10.Here, in her 25th innings, she passed 30 for the first time, showcasing what Robinson saw. She dealt in boundaries, including hitting her and England’s second six of the tournament – a crisp pick-up over midwicket as Dottin darted one in on leg stump. It is worth noting England did not clear the ropes at all in their previous World T20 campaign. With Edwards moving along nicely at the other end, the pair brought up England’s first 50-plus opening partnership since April 2014. Up until that point, the team had played a perfectly judged game.The pitch had a bit of pace in it but still gripped, meaning that while West Indies’ top order could hit through the ball, Anya Shrubsole, Jenny Gunn and Grundy were able to reel them in with a bit of finesse. The Powerplay typified this: 34 were scored off the opening six overs, yet two of them were maidens.Shaquana Quintyne, West Indies’ No. 3, got off to a brisk start with 22 off her first 14 balls, but her next 14 produced just seven more before Sciver got her to find Gunn at long-on. Stafanie Taylor and Dottin then decided to take the innings deep and reassess. But, having done the donkey work, their partnership ended at 52, with West Indies managing to score just 12 runs off the final three overs.An indication of just how confounding England’s brain fade was came in the figures of part-timer Afy Fletcher, who took 3 for 12 off her four overs, having only taken three wickets in her previous nine T20Is. It was only when Sciver was joined by Katherine Brunt that the right approach was found: the risky shots were packed away, singles were picked up and the arrears cut down slowly and surely.It was a far from convincing performance. But England can argue that they have not played anywhere near their best and yet still hold a 100% record after three matches.

Ange Postecoglou's departure as Australian coach seven and a half months out from the World Cup has left the FFA with a massive void to fill.

The governing body are keen to recruit a foreign manager, most likely from Europe, to steer the team through Russia before Melbourne Victory coach Kevin Muscat takes over permanently.

Which candidates will the FFA be looking to add to their shortlist?

Cesare Prandelli

Despite the Azzurri’s early exit in Brazil, the 60-year-old Italian is still held in high regard for orchestrating his nation’s surprise run to the Euro 2012 final.

A modest playing career saw him feature for the likes of Atalanta and Juventus before guiding Hellas Verona to promotion from Serie B in the late 90s.

Enhanced his reputation at Parma in the 2000s before establishing himself as one of the nation’s best coaches after leading Fiorentina to consecutive Champions League campaigns.

Short, turbulent stints at Galatasaray and Valencia have followed in recent years with the ex-Roma boss now finding himself in charge of Dubai-based Al Nasr.

AdvertisementGettyBert van Marwijk

Having helped Saudi Arabia directly qualify for Russia next year ahead of Australia, the 65-year-old Dutchman, much like Postecoglou, will not be at the tournament to finish off his work.

One of the best coaches to come out of the Netherlands in the last two decades, the one-time Dutch international earned accolades for steering Feyenoord to UEFA Cup success in 2002.

Two years at Borussia Dortmund and another season at De Kuip preceded his time as Holland manager which saw him come within a whisker of helping the much-maligned Oranje win the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.

A group-stage exit at Euro 2012 saw him depart his post before spending a season managing Hamburg.

GettyimagesLaurent Blanc

A World Cup winning captain on home soil at France 1998, the 52-year-old has recently emerged as a surprise candidate for the vacant US men’s national team post.

A two-decade long playing career saw him feature for the likes of Napoli, Barcelona, Marseille, Inter Milan and Manchester United.

A three-year spell on the touchline at Bordeaux yielded a Ligue 1 title in 2009 before helping the Girondins reach the Champions League quarter-finals the following season.

Promoted to the role of French national team coach, his two years in charge saw him get Les Bleus back on track after the disaster of South Africa and most notably led PSG to three successive league titles prior to his 2016 departure.

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Jurgen Klinsmann

A World Cup winner with West Germany at Italia 90, the 53-year-old also won Euro 1996 as well as two UEFA Cup triumphs in a decorated playing career which saw him earn cult hero status with Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

His appointment as Germany manager in 2004 raised many eyebrows given he then had no previous managerial experience and lived in California, although Klinsmann eventually won over his detractors by helping Die Mannschaft finish third as hosts of the 2006 World Cup.

A failed spell at Bayern Munich followed although he restored his reputation by taking the United States to the round of 16 at Brazil 2014 before falling out with the US football governing body.

John Murtough’s days at Manchester United are numbered, with the Red Devils reported to be “definitely” lining up a new football director.

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Britain's richest man set to acquire Red Devils stakeChanges being planned behind the scenesPremier League giants moving in a new directionWHAT HAPPENED?

Sweeping changes are being drawn up at Old Trafford ahead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe – Britain’s richest man and founder of chemicals company Ineos – acquiring a sizeable stake in the club from the unpopular Glazer family ownership group.

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It has already been confirmed that Richard Arnold is to step down from his role as chief executive, with the now claiming that Murtough is “definitely going”. The Red Devils will scour the market for a new figurehead in their football department.

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Ratcliffe has held virtual meetings with co-chairman Joel Glazer regarding his plans for the club and personnel changes that need to take place, while Ineos sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford has made additional visits to the club’s Carrington training base.

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Murtough will form part of the clear-out, bringing his 10-year association with United to a close. He was named the club’s inaugural football director in March 2021 and oversaw the appointment of Erik ten Hag as manager. While the Red Devils savoured Carabao Cup success last season, progress on the field has not met expectations – with big money being invested across several transfer windows.

Zimbabwe Cricket has confirmed incoming tours from India and New Zealand this winter, though the team’s proposed trip to Pakistan next month is “still to be confirmed” amid security concerns

Firdose Moonda24-Apr-2015Zimbabwe Cricket has confirmed incoming tours from India and New Zealand this winter, though the team’s proposed trip to Pakistan next month is “still to be confirmed” amid security concerns.Zimbabwe have been invited to play five ODIs in Pakistan and become the first Test team to tour the country since 2009, but ESPNcricinfo has learned that some Zimbabwe players are hesitant to make the trip.With a sparse international calendar, ZC is hopeful of scheduling as much cricket as possible. The board is in talks with Ireland, and has also accepted an offer to play in the Africa T20 Cup in South Africa, against provincial teams Namibia and Kenya in September, but before that, they are trying to convince their own team to travel to Pakistan. ZC mooted the possibility of hosting Pakistan later in the year as a way to create a mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries.”We are in discussions with Pakistan for a potential reciprocal tour possibly in August or September,” Alistair Campbell, the managing director of ZC, said, without going into the details of next month’s trip. Instead, he jumped to July to “confirm that India and New Zealand are coming as part of the FTP bilaterally signed by the respective boards.”The BCCI has confirmed India will travel to Zimbabwe for three ODIs, which Campbell said would take place in the first half of July. Although short, the visit by India is significant because it will provide a debt-steeped ZC with much-needed finances to tide themselves over. The last time India toured Zimbabwe was in 2013 and it allowed ZC to pay overdue player salaries.New Zealand are scheduled to visit Zimbabwe for two weeks between July 28 and August 10, before they head to South Africa. The short time-frame means it is likely that tour will also only include limited-overs cricket and no Tests, which Zimbabwe may have to wait until November to play.Campbell revealed Zimbabwe are also in talks to go to Bangladesh “possibly in November and December”, roughly the same time they toured the country last year. At the end of 2014, Zimbabwe were blanked in all formats in Bangladesh, prompting changes which saw Dav Whatmore appointed coach and Campbell return to the fold. Going back there would enable Zimbabwe to measure their progress.By then, Zimbabwe will be able to call on strike bowler Tendai Chatara, who has been ruled out of action for six months after suffering a fracture in his left leg while playing soccer. Chatara was Zimbabwe’s leading wicket-taker at the World Cup and has shown promise in the longer format too, but he may miss out on much of their mid-year cricket.Zimbabwe will also be without Brendan Taylor, who effectively retired from international cricket at the World Cup to pursue a Kolpak career. But there is some good news for Zimbabwe, too. Legspinner Graeme Cremer, who quit cricket for golf last year, has returned to training, and opening batsman Tino Mawoyo is also back in the fold after spending last season battling injury.

Mushfiqur Rahim has urged the Bangladesh side to shake off complacency and focus on sweeping the Test series against Zimbabwe 3-0

Mohammad Isam in Chittagong11-Nov-2014The entire Bangladesh team had turned up at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium for what the BCB had said would be an optional training session on the eve of the third Test. Nets were running smoothly near the Bangladesh dressing-room, where fielding coach Richard Halsall was giving catches. Nearly every player with a chance to play in the third Test against Zimbabwe had a bat, while Sohag Gazi, who is undergoing remedial work on his bowling action, was one of the bowlers in the nets. Even Imrul Kayes turned his arm over for a while.A couple of hours later, Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim spelled out exactly where his side stood and how great the feeling of being 2-0 up in a three-match series – a first in Bangladesh’s history – was for him and the rest of the team. He warned against complacency but stated that the advantage and momentum was with the home side, as they sought a 3-0 win.”It is a rare feeling to be 2-0 up before a third Test,” Mushfiqur said. “I can’t remember when it had happened the last time. Of course it is good to feel this way. But the reality is that we are heading into a tougher test than the first two games that we have won. They have been here for three weeks so they have got an idea of our bowling and conditions. Having said that, we would remain confident of playing well and making it a clean sweep.”I don’t think there is any room for complacency, especially having lost so many matches this year already. We have a lot to prove. We don’t play a lot of Tests like other teams, so we have to value each one of them. We don’t usually get the chance to make it 3-0, so we should make it count.”Asked if he had noticed any change in the dressing-room over the last three weeks after ten months of disappointment, Mushfiqur said that the only change has been a better grasp of tight situations and the presence of Shakib Al Hasan, the world’s No 1 Test allrounder.”There hasn’t been too much of a change,” he said. “In the past we didn’t perform in tight situations but now it has happened for us. Things are falling into place for us. Batsmen are getting set and batting for long. Shakib [Al Hasan] is a big plus for us and at the same time, he makes our opponents think.”The sign of a good team is for the form players to carry on for longer and for the others to take every opportunity to perform. This is also our overall goal.”The Bangladesh captain was also quick to point out two areas in which he would like to see improvement: catching and longer innings from the batsmen.”Firstly, we would like our fielding to improve. We have dropped a few catches,” he said. “I think we got away with it because we are playing against Zimbabwe. We have been successful in creating more chances. But batsmen from bigger teams wouldn’t give us more than one chance.”We have to concentrate for longer periods. We have made some small mistakes with the bat, which we should avoid. I would hope the set batsmen in this Test would go on to make a big score.”While it is likely that Bangladesh will go in with two seamers – Shafiul Islam and Rubel Hossain – Mushfiqur didn’t rule out playing with only one seamer as the pitch in Chittagong is slower and offers less bounce than other grounds. He also urged the pacers to provide the early breakthrough.”There isn’t much bounce in the Chittagong wicket. We know it aids the spinners but we haven’t decided on the selection yet. If we do employ the single pacer, we will pick an extra batsman.”In Chittagong, the pace bowlers are not likely to pick up five or seven wickets. They don’t get that many overs to bowl, too. But their initial breakthrough is important, so we have also kept that in mind. I don’t think there will be too many changes from the last match.”Mushfiqur was happy his side had leapfrogged over Zimbabwe in the ICC Test rankings and said the side needed to keep winning in order to send the world a message that Bangladesh could dominate a team.”Ranking is a major factor. It works both ways. It does keep us under pressure because ultimately teams have to win and earn points. Rankings also motivate the players,” he said. “We play less Test cricket than other teams, so winning a series 3-0 is a message which says Bangladesh are dominating a team.”

Goal readers voted for their favourite players of African origin in the Premier League this week.

Ahead of the 2018 Best of Africa Awards, an evening to honour and celebrate the philanthropic endeavours and achievements of African football players, Goal fans voted through our Instagram account for their own Best of Africa XI – a team made up entirely of Premier League players of African origin.

Due to the lack of African goalkeepers in the Premier League, fans were tasked with choosing between the best African keepers set to appear at this year’s FIFA World Cup to fill the spot between the posts.

It has been a great year for Africans in the Premier League, with Mohamed Salah scoring 31 Premier League goals and putting Liverpool on the cusp of a Champions League final. 

Team-mate Sadio Mane has built on last season's successes, while Wilfried Zaha has become Crystal Palace's key man in their surge towards Premier League survival as almost 300,000 votes were received.

GettyGK | Essam El-Hadary | Al-TaawounAdvertisementGettyRB | Victor Moses | ChelseaGetty ImagesCB | Vincent Kompany | Manchester CityENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Chris Morris hammered 82 not out off a mere 32 balls – the third fastest fifty in IPL – but he and Delh Daredevils fell short by one run

The Report by Alagappan Muthu27-Apr-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsChris Morris struck the third-fastest IPL fifty•BCCIIt was IPL in a nutshell. A big name – Brendon McCullum – bossed the start, so much that Gujarat Lions recorded the fastest hundred of the season. A helpless collapse then killed the prospect of a one-sided game and Delhi Daredevils would have fancied chasing 173 with dew gathering at Feroz Shah Kotla. However, they slipped to 16 for 3 and the home fans despaired. The game, though, wasn’t done playing with everyone’s emotions.Out walked the million-dollar man Chris Morris with 116 needed off 56, and walloped the third fastest fifty in the IPL, off 17 balls. When the match ended, he was unbeaten on 82 off 32, but there was no smile on his face. It was stolen by Praveen Kumar and Dwayne Bravo, who gave away only 16 off the final two overs to pull off a one-run win for Lions.Morris had come in at No. 6 and launched his second ball into the second tier of the stands behind long-off. Very few of his eight sixes and four fours were mistimed, but a lot of them came as a result of his being able to get under the ball. Praveen prevented that in the penultimate over of the chase, conceding only four to leave Daredevils needing 14 off six balls. Bravo, bowling from around the stumps, then hit the blockhole repeatedly to deny Morris’ sublime innings the status of match-winning.Suresh Raina gave his frontline spinners – Ravindra Jadeja and Pravin Tambe – only one over each and they cost a combined 31 runs. Bowling with the wet ball, they stood very little chance against Morris, armed with a crowd that was bellowing his name. His reach was handy, his balance at the crease was pristine and his clarity of thought handling a required rate that was above 12 was downright chilling.Morris’ first two sixes dragged the equation down from 101 off 48 to 85 off 42. Two against Tambe in the 15th over brought it to 57 off 30. A hat-trick of them in the 17th over bowled by Dwayne Smith sealed his fifty and left Daredevils needing 29 off 18. But JP Duminy, who had begun Daredevils’ revival, was undone by a Bravo slower ball for 48 which provided just enough of an opening for Lions to sneak through.Their victory had almost seemed a formality when McCullum smashed Lions’ fastest fifty, and Smith usurped him a few minutes later. Along the way Lions had reached 100 for 0 in a mere nine overs.This batting line-up had beaten perhaps the best one in the IPL on Sunday, when a Virat Kohli century had not been enough. Daredevils were looking at a target of 220, as a best-case scenario. But Morris did what Royal Challengers Bangalore’s bowlers couldn’t; he had set plans and executed them very well. He dismissed McCullum and Raina in the 12th over; Lions were short-circuited and could only manage 55 runs in the remaining 48 balls.Morris knew McCullum thrived on fast bowling, so he produced an offcutter that dipped under the bat swing and broke the stumps. He targeted Raina’s body and had leg gully in place to take the catch. That gave the Daredevils spinners some freedom.Imran Tahir added to his reputation of being one of the best bowlers in T20 cricket with a spell of 3 for 24, the hallmark of which was his ability to vary the pace and time the googlies and flippers that surprised the batsmen. Where his slow-bowling partners Amit Mishra and Shahbaz Nadeem bowled flat in the hopes of containing the batsmen, Tahir backed his skill to confound them. He had Smith lbw with a ball that skidded through off the pitch and removed Ishan Kishan and Dinesh Karthik off successive balls in the 17th over.Much like Tahir, Dhawal Kulkarni relied on his strength – swing – to topple Sanju Samson, an in-form Quinton de Kock and Karun Nair to lift Lions in the chase but his 3 for 19 wouldn’t have mattered much until his new-ball partner Praveen bowled an excellent final over to strangle Morris and finish with 4-0-13-0.

Sergino Dest boasts “extraordinary qualities”, according to PSV boss Peter Bosz, with the USMNT star delivering a no-look assist in his latest outing.

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Defender loaned out again in 2023-24Impressing back in the NetherlandsSale expected to be sanctioned at some stageWHAT HAPPENED?

That impressive piece of skill allowed the 23-year-old full-back to tee up United States international team-mate Malik Tillman. Dest has endured a tough time of late, with La Liga giants Barcelona sending him out on loan again for the 2023-24 campaign.

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Dest disappointed at Serie A giants AC Milan last season, but has rediscovered a spark since returning to the Netherlands – the land of his birth and a country he has previously thrived in with Ajax. The versatile defender has been catching the eye for PSV, with his head coach very much part of a growing fan club.

WHAT THEY SAID

Bosz told reporters after seeing Dest produce a Man of the Match display in a crushing 4-0 win over PEC Zwolle: “He is a versatile player who can occupy both the right and the left-back spot. We help him improve as a defender. He has extraordinary qualities when he has the ball. Just look at the no-look assist he had for our fourth goal, scored by Malik Tillman.”

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Dest lined up on the left for PSV against Zwolle, but has forged his reputation in a right-back berth. Barca acquired him to fill that role in 2020, but have restricted him to 72 appearances and appear eager to put a permanent transfer in place during one of the windows in 2024.

Kent were bowled out for 67, their second-lowest score in List A cricket, as they lost to New Zealand A by 172 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2014
ScorecardDean Brownlie made his second List A hundred of New Zealand A’s tour•Getty ImagesKent were bowled out for 67, their second-lowest score in List A cricket, as they lost to New Zealand A by 172 runs. The innings lasted for less than half the allotted overs and only two players, openers Daniel Bell-Drummond and Rob Key, made double-figures.The 50-over match had replaced the scheduled three-day fixture, after the first two days were washed out. Kent chose to deploy something approaching a full-strength side, in preparation for their Royal London Cup quarter-final on Friday, but Brendan Nash was unable to bat due to injury and the ten other batsmen failed to make much more of an impact on the scorecard.New Zealand offspinner Mark Craig picked up three wickets in his three overs to finish the innings, after the pace trio of Hamish Bennett, Doug Bracewell and Matt Henry and shared the first six. At 56 for 7, Kent were in danger of being dismissed for less than the 60 they made against Somerset at Taunton in 1979.After being asked to bat, the New Zealand A effort was founded on a stand of 124 in 20 overs for the second wicket between Hamish Rutherford and Dean Brownlie. Three wickets then fell for seven runs, during a typically miserly spell from Darren Stevens, but Brownlie went on to reach his second century of the tour before becoming a third victim for David Griffiths.New Zealand A were dismissed with ten balls unbowled but their score of 239 was to prove more than enough. Kent will hope for a better performance when they take on Gloucestershire at home on Friday.

Lionel Messi raged at Brazil forward Rodrygo while backing up Argentina team-mate Rodrigo De Paul after a delayed start to the game at the Maracana.

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Rodrygo and De Paul in heated discussionMessi comes to aid of Argentina team-mateAlbiceleste go on to celebrate 1-0 win over rivalsWHAT HAPPENED?

Tuesday's World Cup qualifier was pushed back half-an-hour following clashes with Albiceleste supporters at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium – and the hostilities didn't end there. Immediately after the players returned to the pitch, De Paul and Rodrygo could be seen in deep – and antagonistic – conversation, before Messi rushed over to support his Argentina colleague.

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According to reports from , Rodrygo accused Messi, De Paul and Argentina of being "cowards", after the Albiceleste captain threatened a walk-off due to continued brutality from Brazilian police. In response, Messi is said to have retorted: "We are the world champions, why are we cowards? Watch your mouth."

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The match was eventually played despite the initial lengthy delay, and a Nicolas Otamendi goal was enough to consign Brazil to their third straight defeat and their first ever at home in World Cup qualifying. The rivalry was far from over after the full time whistle, as Messi took to Instagram to call out the "crazy" violence suffered by Argentina fans at the hands of Brazilian authorities.