Openers assemble unbroken stand as Glamorgan struggle at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Apr-2025

Middlesex’s bowlers shared the wickets around as they dismissed Glamorgan for 199 to take control on the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship Division Two encounter at Lord’s.Skipper Toby Roland-Jones led a mid-afternoon recovery with 3 for 44 after Glamorgan had looked well-placed at 108 for 1, while Middlesex debutant Dane Paterson was among another trio to collect two wickets apiece.Opener Zain-ul-Hassan top-scored with 65, his second 50-plus score in as many innings, but the visitors failed to build on that solid foundation and needed Ben Kellaway’s maiden half-century, a fearless unbeaten 54, to get then anywhere near 200.Middlesex openers Stephen Eskinazi and Nathan Fernandes reached stumps unscathed with an unbroken stand of 63 in response to leave their side trailing by 136 going into the second day.The home side were finally able to include Paterson, whose commitments with Western Province had delayed his arrival at Lord’s by a fortnight and the South African seamer found some early swing after his side won the toss in cloudy conditions.Zain survived two lbw appeals when Paterson made balls straighten up down the slope and there was another close call for the opener, whose leading edge looped up just short of Roland-Jones in his follow-through.Yet Glamorgan made steady progress and it was one of Paterson’s wider deliveries that brought the breakthrough, with Eddie Byrom caught behind pushing at a ball well away from his body.Sam Northeast – who became holder of the record individual score at Lord’s when he hit an unbeaten 335 in this fixture last year – was fortunate to escape an early dismissal, walking into a Henry Brookes delivery that appeared to hit his pads flush in front of the stumps.However, the Glamorgan captain remained at the crease alongside Zain, who punched Brookes’ penultimate ball of the morning through the covers for three to raise his second successive half-century.Paterson prised out Northeast after lunch, persuading him to nibble outside off stump and, with the visitors starting to become desperately bogged down, three more wickets followed in the space of 11 balls.Roland-Jones accounted for two of those including the scalp of Zain, caught at second slip after Leus du Plooy’s brief juggling act, while Brookes removed the dangerous Colin Ingram as wicketkeeper Jack Davies claimed his fourth dismissal.Kellaway counter-attacked, dispatching Brookes for a couple of sweetly-struck boundaries which briefly lifted the shackles before Middlesex’s seamers re-established their grip on the innings.Ryan Higgins, at that stage the sole wicketless member of the quartet, made amends by collecting two in successive overs as he moved the ball away to clip the top of Chris Cooke’s off stump and then had Timm van der Gugten taken low at slip.Having done his best to marshal the tail, Kellaway stepped up a gear once Ned Leonard and Shoaib Bashir had fallen to Zafar Gohar either side of the tea interval, clubbing the spinner for successive fours and slamming Paterson to midwicket fence as well.Kellaway’s well-deserved half-century arrived courtesy of another leg-side four off Paterson and his efforts had guided Glamorgan tantalisingly close to the 200 mark when Roland-Jones dismissed last man Asitha Fernando.Despite scoring only nine in his four previous innings this season, Fernandes looked assured as he and Eskinazi launched the home side’s reply, flicking Fernando past square leg for an early boundary.Eskinazi began more sedately, but gradually overtook his partner as they chipped away at the deficit and the pair had posted 34 and 26 respectively when bad light brought play to a close.

With speculation continuing to surround Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United future, Fabrizio Romano has provided some clarity on the situation following the manager’s “face-to-face” Sir Jim Ratcliffe meeting.

Ruben Amorim's Man Utd win-rate

If the decision was based on statistics alone, then Amorim would be heading for the exit door already at Old Trafford. The former Sporting Club boss had plenty of excuses to fall back on last season. He had the mess left behind by Erik ten Hag to clean up, a new system to implement and new signings to welcome in the summer.

Those excuses are now running out, however. Amorim is no longer the new guy around the club, he has his signings and he has had almost 12 months to get his system working. He has persisted with his claim that the problem is not his 3-4-2-1 formation, but eight Premier League wins in 10 months suggests that it would at least be worthwhile to attempt something new.

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The numbers make for damning reading. Since World War II, not a single permanent Man United manager has maintained a worse win percentage than Amorim’s 36.17%. Out of 31 Premier League games in charge, the Portuguese coach has lost 16. And to make matters worse, the Red Devils couldn’t even find a way past Grimsby Town in the first round of the Carabao Cup this season.

It is a sorry state of affairs at Old Trafford and the pressure is only increasing on Amorim, who must turn things around. Rumours throughout the week have claimed that he has just three games to save his job, but Romano has since added clarity to the situation.

Romano provides Amorim Man Utd sack update

As Romano told his YouTube channel, Ratcliffe has now held a “face-to-face” meeting with Amorim to discuss the problems at Man Utd and how he plans to turn things around. For now, his job is considered safe, and he has the respect of INEOS to turn things around, but there’s no doubt that things need to change.

With Chelsea up next, it doesn’t get any easier for Man Utd, who were eased out of the way by a dominant Manchester City last time out. What Saturday’s game does represent, however, is an ideal opportunity for Amorim to get back on track with a statement victory at Old Trafford.

One of the biggest stories of the summer was around Newcastle United’s striker situation, as it looked inevitable that their talisman, Alexander Isak, was going to complete a British transfer record move to Premier League champions Liverpool.

The deal’s biggest sticking point was finding a replacement for Isak, and Eddie Howe’s side eventually found two with Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade and Brentford’s Yoane Wissa. Between them, it looked like they could make up Isak’s goals, but it hasn’t been the smoothest start to life in the North East for the new strikers.

Wissa picked up a knee injury during the international break and is yet to make his debut. The DR Congo player has been ruled out for at least Newcastle’s next matches, and his debut may come after the next international break.

When asked why Woltemade received less than 30 minutes of game time against Barcelona, Howe cited it as being the result of Wissa’s injury, alongside Anthony Gordon’s suspension from the Liverpool game. The lack of options has meant that Woltemade has been handled delicately to ensure they aren’t left without any attackers.

While the two new attackers had previously looked sufficient to replace Isak, the opening weeks of the season have demonstrated how quickly Newcastle could be left shorthanded. Due to this, the club are already looking ahead to January to deepen their attacking roster.

Newcastle's Endrick loan plan

Newcastle are looking at bringing in Brazilian striker Endrick on loan from Real Madrid as a solution to their attacking frailties. The 19-year-old is yet to play a minute of football this season under Xabi Alonso and Madrid, alongside Endrick’s party, are concerned that a lack of minutes may hamper his development.

Reports from Spain indicate that this could be the perfect match that provides all parties with what they need. Newcastle are reportedly looking for “a young, dynamic offensive reinforcement hungry for success”, and Endrick is looking to gain more experience and can do so against the notoriously strong defences of the Premier League. In fact, the Magpies are one of the ‘among the first to inquire about his availability’, making an approach to Madrid in the process.

Endrick cost Madrid around £41.4 million, but at this stage, there is no indication that anyone involved wants to make the move permanent, and it is just a good fit for the back half of the season.

From Madrid’s perspective, they can keep Endrick on their books and allow him to develop without taking minutes away from their other forwards like Kylian Mbappe.

Endrick plays like a young Wissa

While there is currently no reason to suspect that Wissa’s knee injury will keep him out longer than his current predicted return date at the end of October, there is always the chance of it re-occurring or taking time to get back to full fitness.

If this does happen, then in the loan signing of Endrick, they will receive a similar style striker. While the Brazilian is young and hasn’t had the opportunities to fully develop his game yet, he looks to be becoming a very similar profile striker to Wissa.

While Wissa is the more experienced and more prolific goalscorer, the pair share lots of similar stats in terms of passing and build-up play, registering similar amounts of passes and a similar success rate, as well as being close in terms of xA.

From Endrick’s perspective, playing with Wissa could give him an insight into the type of player he could become, and Howe will be able to rotate the two players when necessary without having to make other tactical changes due to their similar styles of play.

Pair put on unbroken 110-run third-wicket stand after Lancashire’s Marcus Harris-led 450 in the first innings

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay03-May-2025Ollie Price and Miles Hammond both made fifties as Gloucestershire produced a determined response to Lancashire’s first-innings 450 on the second day of the Rothesay County Championship match at Emirates Old Trafford.Replying to the home side’s formidable total, in which Marcus Harris made 167 and Ajeet Singh Dale took three for 67, the visitors were 184 for 2 at the close with Price on 54 not out and Hammond unbeaten on 57. The pair have so far put on an unbroken 110 for Gloucestershire’s third wicket.Two days are left in this evenly poised match but barring collapses, it is difficult to see either side being bowled out twice on an easy-paced wicket after three sessions on Saturday in which 94 overs were bowled, 292 runs were scored and only seven wickets fell.In the first session, the home side’s attempt to push on towards 400 and four batting points was seriously hampered by the dismissal of Harris, who had added only two runs to his overnight score when he was leg before wicket to Ajeet Singh Dale for 167 in the fifth over of the morning.Lancashire eventually needed 14 off the 110th over for that fourth point but after hitting a six off Josh Shaw’s first ball, Luke Wells was lbw for 38 to the second and his side had to settle for three points, which are as many as they had collected in their three previous games put together.George Balderson was trapped in front for six just four overs later but Tom Hartley and Tom Bailey took their side to 437 for 8 at lunch.Hartley and Bailey added only 13 runs in the afternoon session before Lancashire lost their last two wickets to successive balls from Tom Price. Hartley was caught behind by James Bracey for 32 and and John Turner collected his second successive golden duck when he was lbw.Cameron Bancroft and Ben Charlesworth launched Gloucestershire’s reply to their hosts’ formidable total with a serene stand of 47 and Lancashire had to wait over an hour for their first breakthrough, which came when Balderson jagged one back through Bancroft’s gate and bowled the Australian for 18 to claim his hundredth first-class wicket.The next wicket fell four overs before tea when Charlesworth was beaten in the flight by Tom Hartley’s seventh ball of the innings and chipped an easy return catch to the bowler. The opener’s dismissal for a polished 43 left Gloucestershire on 74 for 2 but Price and Hammond batted resolutely after tea to prevent Keaton Jennings’ attack making further breakthroughs.Hammond swept and reverse-swept Tom Hartley to the ropes but Price’s front foot drive through wide mid-on off John Turner was comfortably the shot of the session, if not the day, and it epitomised Gloucestershire’s dominance in the evening session. For Lancashire, Balderson finished with 1 for 35 and Hartley 1 for 37.

Former Premier League referee David Coote has pleaded guilty to making an indecent image of a child. He has appeared at Nottingham Crown Court in connection with allegations regarding a category A video that was recovered by police in February 2025. Coote was granted conditional bail at his latest hearing and is due to appear in court again in December.

Coote spoke in court to confirm name and enter plea

Coote was officially charged in August following an investigation by Nottinghamshire Police. The allegations being made against him are of the most serious kind when it comes to indecent images of children. The 43-year-old – who hails from Collingham in Nottinghamshire – will be back in court later in the year.

He had previously pleaded not guilty to the charge at a hearing on September 10 at Nottingham Magistrates' Court. That stance has now been changed, with Coote – who wore a navy suit and black tie – speaking only to confirm his name and enter his plea during a six-minute hearing on October 14.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhen Coote will be back in court

He stood in front of Judge Nirmal Shant KC. She informed Coote that she was ordering a pre-sentence report to be carried out before any proceedings begin in that department. Jude Shant told the court: “You have pleaded guilty to a serious matter. Whether this means custody or not will be decided when all the information is before the court, which is why I have ordered a pre-sentence report.”

After entering his latest plea, Coote is due back in court on December 11, 2025. Judge Shant added in relation to the charge of making an indecent image of a child – which refers to activities such as downloading, sharing or saving photos or videos containing abuse: “You must not go away with the impression that this will not lead to a custodial sentence.”

PGMOL statement after Coote sacking

Coote has endured a troubled time of late, with the emergence of a video online that showed him making derogatory comments about former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp leading to his sacking by the PGMOL in 2024.

A statement from Professional Game Match Officials Limited read: "Following the conclusion of a thorough investigation into David Coote's conduct, his employment with PGMOL has been terminated today with immediate effect.

“David Coote's actions were found to be in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable. Supporting David Coote continues to be important to us and we remain committed to his welfare. David Coote has a right to appeal the decision to terminate his employment.”

Coote, who also featured in a video showing him apparently snorting a white powder at Euro 2024, came out as gay in January 2025. He told The Sun of his struggles on and off the field: “I felt a deep sense of shame during my teenage years in particular. I didn’t come out to my parents until I was 21. I didn’t come out to my friends until I was 25.

“My sexuality isn’t the only reason that led me to be in that position. But I’m not telling an authentic story if I don’t say that I’m gay, and that I’ve had real struggles dealing with hiding that. I hid my emotions as a young ref and I hid my sexuality as well — a good quality as a referee but a terrible quality as a human being. And that’s led me to a whole course of behaviours.”

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GettyFA statement after eight-week suspension

In August, Coote was given an eight-week suspension by the Football Association over the Klopp footage. A statement from the FA read: “David Coote has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to comments that he made about Jurgen Klopp in a video recorded around July 2020 which appeared on social media in November 2024. It's alleged that the referee acted in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or insulting words contrary to FA Rule E3.1. It's further alleged that this constitutes an 'Aggravated Breach,' which is defined in FA Rule E3.2, as it included a reference – whether express or implied – to nationality. No charges have been issued in relation to allegations of gambling misconduct against David Coote, which were also fully investigated.”

Alisha Lehmann issued a heartfelt message to Juventus after she helped Como to a shock victory over her former club in the Serie A Femminile. Having spent the 2024-25 season with the Bianconeri, the 26-year-old made a winning return with her new club thanks to team-mate Nadine Nischler’s late strike at the Stadio Comunale Vittorio Pozzo Lamarmora on Saturday.

• Lehmann spent six years in England before moving to Italy in 2024

  After spending six seasons in England, representing West Ham, Everton, and Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League, Lehmann moved to Italy by joining Juventus in the summer of 2024. The forward made 22 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring two goals as they won both Serie A and the Coppa Italia last season. Lehmann left after just one season with Juventus, signing a three-year deal with Como in August. She scored her first goal for the club in a pre-season victory over Inter.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Switzerland star helps Como secure surprise victory over her old club

  And Lehmann and Como have carried their pre-season form into the 2025-26 Serie A Femminile campaign. After losing their opener against Lazio 2-1, they bounced back in fine fashion by defeating Juventus at the weekend. The result meant the champions failed to win either of their opening two league fixtures, having also been held to a 0-0 stalemate with Sassuolo on Saturday, 4 October.

• Lehmann issues heartfelt message to Juventus on social media

  But despite being on the winning side, Lehmann was in no mood to gloat as she shared a sincere message to Juventus on social media. In the aftermath of Como’s surprise win, the Switzerland star took to Instagram to reflect on what she called an “emotional” game against her former paymasters.

  She wrote: “Emotional game yesterday again my ex club Juventus and to see all the girls again. So proud of @comowomen to believe till the end and win the game. Thanks to all the fans that came to support us.”

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• Lehmann attends Milan Fashion Week and Oktoberfest with Como

  One of the most recognisable names in women’s football, Lehmann has been loving life since switching to Como. Alongside a number of her new team-mates, she attended the famous Milan Fashion Week, teaming up with worldwide brands Prada and Nike during the event. Lehmann also headed to Germany to take in Oktoberfest in Munich.

Liverpool’s summer has been a whirlwind of activity, both in the transfer market and on the pitch.

The reigning Premier League champions kicked off their title defence with three wins from three.

They started with a 4-2 home victory against Bournemouth, followed by a hard-fought 3-2 win away at Newcastle, and a 1-0 success at home against Arsenal before the international break.

Alongside this, Liverpool have been busy in the transfer market, bringing in reinforcements like Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Geovani Leoni, Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, and Alexander Isak.

While the club invested heavily in top-tier talent, they also opted to cash in on a number of established first-team players and youth prospects.

Luis Diaz departed for Bayern Munich, and Darwin Núñez moved to Al-Hilal, leaving gaps in attack that the new signings are expected to fill.

Meanwhile, Liverpool also demonstrated strategic acumen in monetising young talent, turning promising academy graduates into substantial profits.

Selling young talent for big fees

This summer saw Liverpool secure impressive deals for their emerging stars.

Harvey Elliott joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan, with a £35m obligation to buy next summer, while Jarell Quansah departed for Bayer Leverkusen, also for £35m.

Ben Gannon Doak moved to Bournemouth for £25m, and Tyler Morton headed to Lyon for £15m.

These deals illustrate how Liverpool balance long-term planning with immediate financial prudence, often selling young players at the peak of their market value to reinvest in first-team quality.

Where Are They Now

Liverpool’s approach highlights their willingness to nurture talent in-house and then sell at the right time.

By capitalising on these transfer opportunities, the club can maintain squad balance while generating funds for strategic signings.

Liverpool’s original Wirtz is a fine example of that.

Liverpool's original Wirtz

One of the standout examples of Liverpool’s successful youth sales is Fabio Carvalho.

The 23-year-old midfielder joined Liverpool from Fulham in 2022 for just £5m, having made 44 appearances for the Cottagers, scoring 12 goals and registering eight assists.

Jürgen Klopp was a fan of the young talent, seeing in him a player with the vision and technical ability that the Bundesliga’s official website claimed was reminiscent of Florian Wirtz.

Carvalho’s time at Anfield, however, was challenging. Like Wirtz in the embryonic stages of his Anfield stay, he has struggled.

The former Fulham man made just 21 appearances for Liverpool, scoring three goals, including a dramatic last-minute winner against Newcastle, but he struggled to cement a regular starting role.

Loan spells at RB Leipzig and Hull City followed, before a permanent move to Brentford last summer for £27.5m.

The sale represented a 450% profit on Liverpool’s initial investment, showcasing the club’s ability to develop talent and sell at the right moment.

Carvalho’s statistics highlight why Liverpool’s decision to sell him made sense.

After making the switch to the Bees, he averaged 1.76 progressive carries per 90, completed 3.33 progressive passes per 90, and managed 2.37 shots per 90 with a shot on target percentage of 41.7%.

He completed 34.9 passes per 90 minutes with a pass completion rate of 70.8%, and his progressive passing distance per 90 was 86.7 metres.

His shot-creating actions per 90 sat at 1.97. While these numbers indicate promise, they also illustrate the gap between Carvalho and his elite contemporaries.

While Carvalho’s technical style was previously likened to Wirtz, particularly for his first touch, vision, and ability to turn quickly under pressure, it’s safe to say there is a seismic difference in quality.

Indeed, the German superstar enjoyed a stellar season last year with 22 goal involvements.

He averaged 5.02 progressive carries per 90, 6.74 progressive passes per 90, and 2.83 shots per 90 with 47.3% on target.

The Germany international completed 52.5 passes per 90 with a pass completion rate of 78.3% and accumulated 198.1 metres of progressive passing per 90.

He also generated 5.66 shot-creating actions per 90. The statistical comparison underlines why Liverpool opted to sell Carvalho.

Wirtz clearly outdoes him in multiple attacking metrics, particularly in goal contributions, progressive play, and chance creation.

However, Carvalho’s style, combining technical vision and composure, suggests that with regular game time he could still flourish in a competitive Premier League environment, as he has begun to at Brentford.

Ultimately, the sale of Carvalho demonstrates Liverpool’s dual strategy: build a squad capable of competing at the highest level, while monetising promising academy talent to reinvest in first-team needs.

Whilst it may be upsetting to see promising talent move on, the club’s market strategy highlights a balance between ambition and smart business.

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank identified a “superstar” as a priority target after Randal Kolo-Muani, with a late approach being made on deadline day.

Spurs tried to sign another forward after Kolo-Muani

In one of the surprise moves of deadline day, Spurs got Kolo-Muani through the door, with the Frenchman joining on a straight loan deal from Paris Saint-Germain.

Frank has since explained why he decided to bring in the PSG forward, who has predominantly featured at striker throughout his career to date, rather than signing a new winger.

The Tottenham manager said: “He’s a good age, in the prime of his career, has good qualities that will suit both us and the Premier League,”

“He gives us a different option in the final third, being able to play out wide and through the middle. Randal is a quality player who has proven himself over a number of years, playing for big teams in the Champions League and also with good experience for the France national team.”

However, while Frank was clearly delighted to get Kolo-Muani through the door, the Dane identified another forward as a priority target in the final hours of the transfer window.

That is according to a report from GiveMeSport, which states the manager was eyeing Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman as his top target, but Tottenham were ultimately unable to come to an agreement with the Italian club.

It is revealed that Spurs wanted to sign Lookman on a straight loan, rather than forking out the £43m it would’ve taken to get a deal over the line, meaning they have now missed out on his signature.

With the forward’s proposed move to Bayern Munich also falling through, he could be set to remain at Atalanta until January, at which point the Lilywhites may have the opportunity to make another approach, given that he is well-known to have fallen out with his club.

"Superstar" Lookman could've been quality signing for Spurs

Tottenham were clearly reluctant to splash the cash on deadline day, having also signed Kolo Muani on a straight loan deal, which includes no option or obligation to buy, and they may have missed out on a top player.

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Lauded as a “superstar” by 90min’s Sean Walsh, the 27-year-old has taken his career to new heights since arriving in the Serie A, picking up a very impressive 52 goals and 25 assists in 118 appearances for the Italian club.

As such, the Nigeria international may now be ready to test himself in the Premier League once again, despite not setting the world alight during previous stints with Fulham, Leicester City and Everton.

Lookman in England

Appearances

Goals

Everton

48

4

Fulham

35

4

Leicester City

42

8

Lahore Qalandars fell flat in their first game at home as a half-century from Babar Azam helped Peshawar Zalmi sweep to victory at the Gaddafi Stadium. Alzarri Joseph and Luke Wood cut the Qalandars top and middle order to ribbons, reducing them to 21 for 4. It was only a rearguard half-century from Sikandar Raza that got the Qalandars to a somewhat competitive total, his 37-ball 52 alongside stodgy resistance from the lower order carrying Shaheen Afridi’s men to 129.It was just enough to give Zalmi a brief scare in the powerplay against an on-song Shaheen and Haris Rauf, who reduced the visitors to 40 for 3. But an unbroken 93-run partnership between Babar and Hussain Talat allayed any fears of a collapse. With run rate never an issue, Zalmi eased to their target with 20 balls to spare.Babar won the toss and opted to put the Qalandars in, his bowlers backing him up right from the outset. A pair of boundaries from Fakhar Zaman offered the falsest of dawns before Zalmi stormed through. Four wickets fell for six runs as Fakhar, Asif Ali, Abdullah Shafique and Daryl Mitchell all departed before breakout star Ali Raza drew an edge from Sam Billings that Babar comfortably held on to.Shaheen came out and struck a couple of sixes, but never looked like he had staying power, and was gone off the tenth ball he faced. It was left to birthday boy Raza to manage the innings as he balanced farming the strike with taking risks, gently leading the Qalandars out of the mire. He targeted Arif Yaqoob and Mitchell Owen, with the Australian conceding 17 in the 17th over to move the Qalandars beyond 120, and Raza past his half-century with three overs to go. But an excellent final over from Joseph kept Qalandars to just two in the 18th, before Ali Raza’s 19th starved Raza of the strike. Frustrated, the Zimbabwean fell off the first ball of the 20th, and the Qalandars were bowled out two balls later.Alzarri Joseph took a three-wicket haul•PSL

With the crowd filling up – it is always fuller at the Gaddafi than anywhere else in Pakistan – the home side’s new-ball pair offered a glimmer of hope, Shaheen and Haris removing Saim Ayub and Tom Kohler-Cadmore within the first nine deliveries. Haris’s phenomenally intense first over threatened to blast through more batters, with Babar and Mohammad Haris looking vulnerable. But the pair held on, and with Rauf mysteriously taken out of the attack after one over, settled.He would return for the final over of the Powerplay and once more went after Babar. A bouncer Babar couldn’t control flew over the keeper for six before he was struck on the pads with the umpire raising his finger, only for DRS to save the Zalmi captain on height by inches. Babar followed up with a lovely drive to third for four, and on that dime, the fortunes of the game began to tilt.Talat isn’t a powerful striker, but had the space and time to ease into his innings with no scoreboard pressure. The Qalandars struggled to keep up the intensity of the Powerplay and Babar’s mastery in low chases began to overpower them. He found the odd boundary while expertly negotiating Rishad Hossain on a slightly turning pitch, and at some indefinable point, the chase became a cakewalk.Babar, getting through a rerun of the innings he has played countless times, eased to a 37-ball half-century with a flick off Asif Afridi. Talat applied the icing on the cake with a pair of boundaries off Rauf who had long lost his potency, bringing up the victory, as well as his own half-century, as Zalmi moved up to fourth, ahead of the Qalandars on net run rate. Zalmi may well be resurrecting their campaign at the Qalandars’ expense.

وجه النجم السابق للدوري الإنجليزي، آلان شيرر، نصيحة مهمة إلى المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، آرني سلوت، فيما يتعلق بالنجم المصري محمد صلاح، في ظل الوضع السيئ الذي يمر به.

ويمر محمد صلاح بفترة سيئة للغاية حيث يعاني من تراجع مستواه بشكل ملحوظ وتراجع قدرته التهديفية، مما جعله عرضة للانتقادات في الآونة الأخيرة.

تقرأ أيضًا: ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي بعد هدف محمد صلاح أمام برينتفورد

وقرر سلوت إجلاس محمد صلاح على دكة البدلاء في مباراة ليفربول الماضية ضد آينتراخت فرانكفورت في دوري أبطال أوروبا، للمرة الثانية على التوالي في تلك البطولة.

وطالب الكثيرون بضرورة إبعاد محمد صلاح عن التشكيل الأساسي لـ ليفربول كونه لا يستطيع تقديم أدائه المعهود عنه، ولكن آلان شيرر لا يتفق مع ذلك.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سلوت: أريد إثارة غضب محمد صلاح.. وهو من يستطيع إنقاذ حياتي

وقال شيرر، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “ليفربول دوت كوم” الإنجليزية: “أعتقد أنه من المبكر جدًا الجزم بأن محمد صلاح سيظل النجم الرئيسي في ليفربول”.

وأضاف: “أتفهم أنه عندما تستبعد لاعبًا كبيرًا ثم تحقق نتيجة إيجابية، كما فعل ليفربول، وتسيطر على المباراة وتسجل خمسة أهداف كما فعلوا، وكان في الإمكان أن تصبح النتيجة أكبر، ستثار الضجة من أجل استبعاده مجددًا”.

واختتم: “لكن لا يزال من المبكر جدًا الجزم بذلك، ما زلت أعتقد أن محمد صلاح، إذا حصل على وقت وقليل من الثقة، سيسجل عددًا كبيرًا من الأهداف”.