All posts by h716a5.icu

There’s no way to sugarcoat it; the last few weeks have been abysmal for Tottenham Hotspur.

Ange Postecoglou’s side recovered from their shock loss to Ipswich Town by hammering Manchester City 4-0 at the Etihad, but instead of going on a run after such an incredible result, the North Londoners have seemingly fallen off a cliff.

They’ve drawn at home to AS Roma and Fulham, lost to Bournemouth and Chelsea and then last night, they drew away to Rangers in a game they really should have lost.

Bar Dejan Kulusevski and Fraser Forster, the whole team were dire, but one player in particular stood out for all the wrong reasons and could be Postecoglou’s own Roberto Soldado.

Soldado's Spurs career

When it comes to transfer flops at Spurs in the last 20 years or so, one name that will always pop up, rightly or wrongly, is striker Roberto Soldado.

The Spaniard joined the North Londoners in the summer of 2013 for a then-club-record fee of £26m, and while that was a lot of money, it seemed reasonable at the time as he’d just scored 57 goals and provided 11 assists in 97 appearances across the prior two campaigns for Valencia.

However, while there were certainly glimpses of brilliance during his time in N17, like a couple of hat-tricks, the Valencia-born poacher just couldn’t get to grips with life in the Premier League and went from one of the most dangerous forwards in Europe to below-average at best.

Appearances

51

46

36

40

Goals

27

30

11

5

Assists

6

5

5

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.64

0.76

0.44

0.27

Moreover, due to the disconnect between expectation and reality, the Spaniard became something of a scapegoat for the team’s troubles, with journalist Sam Tighe describing him as the “flop of the season.”

This simply put more pressure on him to perform, and as every mistake was magnified it became something of a spiral until he lost his place in the team and was eventually sold to Villarreal two years after joining the club.

It would be hard to describe his time at the club and transfer as anything other than a failure, and now it looks like Postecoglou could have his own Soldado in the current squad.

Postecoglou's own Soldado

So, to get straight to the point, the player in question is Timo Werner.

The first thing to say is that due to him being on loan and not a club-record signing, the pressure on the German to perform for the Lilywhites isn’t exactly the same as the pressure on Sodaldo.

However, unlike the Spaniard, the winger has shown very little quality at all during his time at the club, and is earning a whopping £165k-per-week, so he has received just as much criticism from fans and pundits alike.

Appearances

33

Minutes

1616′

Goals

3

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.27

Minutes per Goal Involvement

179.55′

This criticism, based primarily around his simply abysmal finishing, is the crux of the reason why he’s become the club’s new scapegoat and, therefore, arguably Postecoglou’s version of the former Valencia ace.

However, the manager is the man who made or agreed to the “astonishing” decision, per talkSPORT pundit Andy Townsend, to re-sign him in the summer, so the criticism of the 28-year-old is partly on him as well.

However, the former Chelsea ace was so dismal against Rangers that even the Australian couldn’t ignore it.

He ruthlessly took him off at half-time and doubled down in his post-match press conference, telling the media that the German’s performance “wasn’t acceptable,” which could be the most scathing he’s been about a particular player since taking the job last year.

Ultimately, while Werner doesn’t have a hefty price tag hanging over his head, he is on mega money and has been even more woeful in front of goal, which has seen him become the team’s current scapegoat, akin to what eventually happened to the Spaniard at Spurs.

Spurs' 8/10 star just showed why Messi thought he could've joined Barcelona

The vastly experienced professional saved Spurs from an embarrassing defeat last night.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 13, 2024

Manchester United are reportedly looking to raid Crystal Palace to get Dougie Freedman for the head of recruitment position at Old Trafford.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Freedman currently working as sporting director at Palace Revered for his contribution at Selhurst Park United want to fill the position as quickly as possible Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Freedman, a former professional footballer turned sporting director at Crystal Palace, has garnered significant acclaim within football circles for his adeptness in player recruitment and development. His tenure at Selhurst Park has seen him establish a solid reputation, making him an attractive prospect for the Red Devils, according to

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Ineos views Freedman as an ideal fit for the strategic direction they envision for the club. They are urgently looking to fill the position of head of recruitment as their prospective technical director Dan Ashworth and chief executive Omar Berrada are currently on gardening leave at Newcastle United and Manchester City respectively.

Freedman's role in maximizing the football catchment area of south London and nurturing promising young talent at Crystal Palace has caught the attention of the Red Devils' leadership. Moreover, Palace are not expected to block Fredman's move. Nonetheless, they will offer him a new deal but if he chooses to take a fresh challenge, the Eagles will honour his decision.

DID YOU KNOW?

Freedman brings a wealth of experience and insights to the table as he has had a decorative playing career at several Premier League clubs like Wolves, Nottingham Forest, and Palace. Moreover, he has also served as a manager at Palace, Bolton, and Forest before he transitioned seamlessly into the role of sporting director with the Eagles in 2017.

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Freedman's multifaceted background and deep understanding of the intricacies of football operations position him as a highly coveted asset for United who are looking to revamp their sporting structure. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is allegedly adamant about improving recruitment and scouting at the club and Freedman will have an important role in re-shaping the existing order.

In quite simple terms, it's strange to think that Nottingham Forest could lose a high-profile transfer target of theirs at one time or another.

Whether that be back in the club's storied Brian Clough era, or in a current frenetic spending climate. In a similar sort of situation to Chelsea, Nottingham Forest's owner Evangelos Marinakis subscribes to the idea of spending power bringing success and so far, Premier League survival under Steve Cooper has proved him right.

How much have Nottingham Forest spent on transfers?

Nottingham Forest brought in a quite ridiculous 21 new players this summer. Spending a total of £105.7 million (€122.05m) in just one window, it pushed their spending combined with last term, up to a whopping £274.7m.

Steve Cooper has certainly had his work cut out gelling a seemingly ever-expanding group. Yet with the side sitting 12th – even getting a 1-0 win on the third day of the season at Stamford Bridge, Forest look to have made progress in convincing fans they're an established first division side once again.

That said, perhaps they could have reached the promised land sooner had they signed Harry Maguire.

Why didn't Nottingham Forest sign Harry Maguire?

As revealed by the Athletic back in 2019 with words from former gaffer and esteemed player, Stuart Pearce – Maguire could've gone to the City Ground as early as 2014. One of two players Pearce was keen on, the other being Che Adams deep in non-league, Maguire was just showing the early signs of a solid player possessing Premier League capabilities

In the article where both Stuart Pearce and Dougie Freedman looked back over a tumultuous time for Forest, the former defender spoke of a disconnect with the chairman. Previously, he had signed both Britt Assombalonga and Michail Antonio. Those two players had moved on for a collective £15m worth of profit. However, when he mentioned his next two targets, the chairman's distrust came back to bite him.

“I looked back recently at two players I took to the chairman as potential signings during my time at Forest – Che Adams and Harry Maguire,” says Pearce. “One of those has gone for £15 million, and the other £80 million. You look back at things like that with a rueful smile on your face. Because people hadn’t heard of those two at the time, it was decided it was something that they would not finance. (Pearce, 2019)

Hindsight truly spirals the situation into a whole new stratosphere for Nottingham Forest. Especially so, considering the nature of the players they lost out on and just how cheaply they could've got them for. Pearce continued, illustrating some astounding numbers given today's transfer inflation:

“We asked Sheffield United for a price on Maguire and I don’t think the two clubs could come to an agreement. With Adams, you were talking about £20,000 (from Ilkeston). Clubs like Forest should be mopping up young talent like that.”

How much did Manchester United pay for Harry Maguire?

Looking back not only brings up money-related headaches for Forest, there's also personal aspects to ponder too. Of course, after playing for Hull City after a £2.5m move from Sheffield United, Maguire joined Forest's East Midlands rival in Leicester City. In turn by taking on huge development, he gifted the Foxes a giant transfer sum when Manchester United snatched the centre back up for £80m in 2019.

At this point, Forest had already agonisingly watched their rivals win a historic Premier League in 2016, so to see a 'could've been' so to speak, go awry must've been extra painful.

How much is Harry Maguire worth now?

Now, even regarding Maguire's oscillating form and seemingly eternal scapegoat spotlight, he still remains a staunch Gareth Southgate starter.

According to Transfermarkt's June estimations – the 6 foot 4 defender is valued at €20m or around £17.3m.

That is quite a staggering drop-off, but nonetheless, Forest arguably made a mistake by refusing to cough up such a meagre asking price all those years ago. What could have been?

Crystal Palace are now planning to make a move for a "wonderkid", having tracked him for some time, according to a report.

What's the latest Crystal Palace transfer news?

Palace are now close to agreeing a new deal with Eberechi Eze, in what could be a real boost, as the Englishman has been attracting the attention of a number of the Premier League's top clubs, including reigning champions Manchester City.

Not only are the Eagles keen to tie down some of their top attacking players, having already extended Michael Olise's stay at Selhurst Park, but they could also target a new forward in the January transfer window, with Paris Saint Germain's Hugo Ekitike said to be of interest.

Football Insider report that Roy Hodgson's side are set to do battle for the 21-year-old with West Ham United, with both clubs of the belief that he could be one of the best options available on the market in mid-season. Ekitike is not the only youngster that Crystal Palace have their eye on, however, with The Sun reporting they are now looking to snap up 17-year-old Leeds United midfielder Archie Gray, having been put on red alert.

Everton are also credited with an interest in the Leeds ace, who the Eagles have now been tracking for some time, and the report suggests his current club would be willing to let him leave, should they miss out on promotion from the Championship this season.

Palace are now planning to swoop for the midfielder, as he is seen as a viable alternative to Blackburn Rovers' Adam Wharton, who may end up being too expensive, although it is unclear how much Leeds themselves would look to hold out for.

The report speculates that Gray could help fill the void left by Olise, should the attacking midfielder leave the club in the near future, with the likes of Man City and Chelsea still believed to be keen despite him putting pen to paper on a new deal.

How good is Archie Gray?

The fact that the starlet has already managed to break into the Leeds first team despite only being 17-years-old is a sure-fire sign he could be destined for great things, so it is exciting news that Palace are in the race for his signature.

The Englishman has featured in every one of Leeds' Championship games so far this season, and he has mainly been utilised as a defensive midfielder, although he has played in central and attacking roles less regularly, showcasing his versatility.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded the young maestro as a "wonderkid", while also branding him "one of the most talented in world football", so it is clear that he has a lot of potential, and he could develop his game further at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles have developed a reputation for signing players from the Championship and helping them blossom, having signed Olise from Reading in 2021, while Eze joined from QPR back in 2020, and it will be exciting if Gray is the next youngster through the door.

Mumbai Indians will be out of the tournament if they lose to Kings XI Punjab on Wednesday, but if they win they will move to fourth place

Alagappan Muthu15-May-20186:29

Manjrekar: Kings XI’s bowling looks ordinary without Mujeeb

Form guide (most recent match first)

Mumbai Indians: lost to Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 102 runs, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 13 runs

Kings XI Punjab: lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by 10 wickets, lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by 31 runs, lost to Rajasthan Royals by 15 runs

Big PictureMumbai Indians will be out of the tournament if they lose to Kings XI Punjab on Wednesday, but if they win they will move to fourth place. Their net run rate is 0.405, which is better even than the table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad, because so many of their losses were close. But they cannot avail its advantage if they lose to Kings XI.Considering that, Rohit Sharma may not mind facing a side that is propped on the shoulders of two batsmen. Kings XI’s openers KL Rahul and Chris Gayle are massive threats, especially at a small ground like the Wankhede Stadium, but break through them and there’s not much left. Kings XI desperately need their middle order to step up.Victory for Kings XI will take them to 14 points, but not guarantee a playoff spot just yet. Defeat will make qualification that much tougher because of their net run rate of -0.518 is the worst of all teams.In the newsSpinner Mujeeb ur Rahman hurt his hand while bowling against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday and missed Kings XI’s match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. His return could prove quite useful against a deep and power-packed batting line-up.Previous meetingMumbai restricted Kings XI to 176 in Indore – a ground that is possibly more batting-friendly than the Wankhede – and wrapped up the chase with one over to spare. Gayle and Suryakumar Yadav made fifties.ESPNcricinfo LtdLikely XIsMumbai Indians 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Suryakumar Yadav, 3 Rohit Sharma (capt), 4 Ishan Kishan (wk), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Krunal Pandya, 7 Ben Cutting, 8 JP Duminy/Kieron Pollard, 9 Mitchell McClenaghan, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mayank MarkandeKings XI Punjab 1 KL Rahul (wk), 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Karun Nair, 5 Aaron Finch, 6 Marcus Stoinis/Mujeeb ur Rahman, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin (capt), 9 Andrew Tye, 10 Mohit Sharma, 11 Ankit RajpootStrategy punt Rohit averages 6.6 and strikes at 88 in the seven matches Mumbai have lost this season. In the five they have won, he has averaged 73 and struck at 155. Basically, Kings XI need to take him out early. And to do that they might try Axar Patel. The head-to-head reads: 18 runs, 25 balls, one wicket. Gayle has scored 217 runs in 151 balls at an average of 72 against all the bowlers Mumbai currently have on their roster. But there is hope: Ben Cutting has dismissed him twice in 17 balls, and Hardik Pandya once in 15 balls. Jasprit Bumrah has also managed to keep him quiet (26 runs in 27 balls). Expect those three to take a decent amount of workload while the Universe Boss is at the crease. Stats that matter Kings XI began their campaign with five wins in seven matches. Then they went into a seven-day break. Upon returning to action, they lost four out of five games and tumbled from first to fifth place. Kings XI have almost entirely been riding on individual performances. Their two best bowlers Andrew Tye (20 wickets in 12 innings, economy rate 8.02) and Mujeeb (14 wickets in 11 innings, economy rate 6.99) have been outstanding. The others have contributed 29 wickets in 12 innings at an economy rate of 9.3. Gayle has been a monster against legspin this season. He has smashed 79 runs off only 33 balls without ever losing his wicket. Evin Lewis needs 18 runs to get to 3000 in T20s. But he seems to be struggling against fast bowling this IPL season (strike-rate 127, average 21). So Kings XI might look to use Ankit Rajpoot to unsettle the opener. Moreover, Rajpoot concedes only 7.3 an over in the Powerplay and has taken five of his eight wickets in this period. Fantasy pickSuryakumar has struck 473 runs in 12 innings this season. That is the second-highest tally by an uncapped batsman in all IPLs, after Shaun Marsh’s 616 in 2008. He’s also grown up playing his cricket at Wankhede stadium, making him a very handy choice.

Mumbai Indians’ captain pushed himself up to No. 3 and guided his team to an eight-wicket win against Chennai Super Kings

The Report by Varun Shetty28-Apr-2018
Rohit Sharma clobbers one off the middle of the bat•BCCIMumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma promoted himself to No. 3 to guide his team to an eight-wicket win against Chennai Super Kings, after walking in with a required rate at ten per over on a two-paced pitch. Rohit’s well-paced, and unbeaten, half-century first took the pressure off a struggling Evin Lewis and then sealed a chase of 170 in comfortable fashion.Earlier in the game, Mumbai had fought back after the tournament-leader for runs, Ambati Rayudu, and Suresh Raina, had set Super Kings up for a massive total at 91 for 1 in ten overs. The innings then spiralled downwards and even a late flourish from Raina, who was unbeaten on 75, couldn’t get them enough on the evening.Mumbai’s changesMumbai had persisted with more or less the same team for each of their six games before Saturday. When they did decide to make changes, it didn’t seem like too much would change. There was a good chance that the replacements – JP Duminy for Kieron Pollard and Ben Cutting for Mustafizur Rahman – wouldn’t have prominent roles to play if a successful top order remained true to form.This was doubly true for Cutting, who, despite replacing a specialist bowler, bowled only one over. Super Kings batsmen Rayudu and Raina took him for 14 and brought up a fifty-run stand for the second wicket.Super Kings lose momentumShane Watson had fallen to Pawan Negi in the first over against Royal Challengers on Wednesday. Mumbai waited till the fifth over to bring on their left-arm spinner, but Krunal Pandya’s introduction worked immediately as he induced a slice from Watson that was caught at square leg.Before that, there was bounce early on that Jasprit Bumrah used to subdue Rayudu and was taken out of the attack, perhaps in a bid to preserve him for MS Dhoni and Dwayne Bravo later in the innings. So Hardik Pandya was given the ball in the Powerplay, despite an economy rate of 10.4 at this stage of an innings in the IPL. He was actually doing well, compensating for the absence of Mustafizur, until Rayudu took 10 runs off his last two deliveries and suddenly Super Kings were 51 for 1 in six overs.Raina looked more fluent than he has ever been this season, kickstarting his innings with a slog over deep midwicket off the second ball he faced. Mumbai went after him with short ball. At one point, they had short third man, gully and backward point in place but the lines weren’t right. Raina struck two boundaries past short fine, and made a comfortable six runs off three balls square on the off side. The rest of the time, he monopolised his favoured areas on the leg side, making 38 of his 75 at long-on and deep midwicket.However, he seemed to lose his way. His scoring rate through the middle-overs fell to 138 after the high of 182 at the end of the 10th over. The team began to falter as well and when McClenaghan took out Dhoni and Bravo in the space of three balls, all hopes of a big finish were lost. Having been 91 for 1 at the end of 10 overs, Super Kings could manage only 169 for 5. Bumrah and McClenaghan conceded just 51 runs in their eight overs.Rohit shows upLewis was dismissed for a duck by Deepak Chahar when these teams last played, but the head-to-head tonight lasted only one ball with the seamer walking off the field in the fifth over. At the post-match press conference, CSK coach Stephen Fleming confirmed that Chahar had suffered a hamstring injury and would be out for at least two weeks.Lewis’ struggle continued even as partner Suryakumar Yadav put his rich form to good use. When their lopsided opening stand of 69 ended through a brilliant take from Ravindra Jadeja at deep midwicket, Lewis was 21 off 26. Although a couple of swats against Imran Tahir got his scoring rate up, the opener’s stay was a troubled one.That it didn’t hurt Mumbai was down to Rohit’s performance. His one-handed six at long-off, off Watson’s first ball in the 14th over, was the beginning of the phase where the required rate fell below nine. A couple of balls later, he showed that he would control the rest of the chase, getting down to scoop a full ball over fine leg for another six.All of his boundaries from that point onwards showed a tremendous awareness of the field. A pull over square leg off Bravo, a lofted drive against Watson in the 18th set up for the big 19th over, with Mumbai needing 22 off 12.At this juncture, Dhoni chose to change Bravo, whose 17th had gone for five, and handed the ball to Shardul Thakur. The bowler nailed only one yorker, the one that got Rohit back on strike. His attempted yorkers then flew over point, two went over square leg and the change-up length ball was expertly dabbed between short third man and point.With that 17-run over, during which he brought up his fifty, Rohit made sure Mumbai didn’t finish the weekend at the bottom of the table.

West Bromwich Albion have been without the services of Daryl Dike for a long period of time, but Carlos Corberan has now delivered a fresh update as to when he's likely to stage his return to action in the Championship.

What's the latest injury news at West Brom?

At the Hawthorns, Corberan currently has John Swift, Jeremy Sarmiento, Josh Maja, Adam Reach and Martin Kelly all out on the sidelines, but Dike is one of the players to have been missing the longest during his recovery from his incident earlier this year.

During the 2-1 victory over Stoke City back in April, USA’s international sustained a serious achilles problem and had to be stretchered off the pitch, later discovering it meant that he had to undergo surgery, and he’s been out ever since.

The Baggies striker first joined the club from Orlando back in January 2022, but due to his previous injury history, he’s only been able to make 27 senior appearances during that time (Transfermarkt – Dike statistics), and here is a look at all of the 23-year-old's past absences…

2022/23 – Achilles

184 days

2022/23 – Thigh

98 days

2021/22 – Hamstring

52 days

2021/22 – Shoulder

25 days (Data via Transfermarkt)

Daryl Dike injury update

Speaking to The Express and Star whilst offering an injury update on Daryl Dike, Corberan admitted that his centre-forward isn't expected to make his comeback to domestic action until, at the very earliest, January.

He said: "The same process, he’s very committed with the club. He’s very committed with his recovery, but it’s a very long-term injury, so he’s one player that I cannot expect to play until January. He will be one of the new players for January, in the January market we will add to the squad.”

How many goals has Daryl Dike scored?

During his time at West Brom, Dike has posted eight contributions (seven goals and one assist) in 27 first-team outings, which is a decent return, but that number will have definitely been much higher if he would have been able to stay fit for longer.

The Edmond native was also averaging 2.4 aerial wins per game in the second tier last season which shows how much of an ideal target man he is (WhoScored – Dike statistics), with his physical stature, presence and ability to bully defenders having seen him dubbed the “American Lukaku” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Furthermore, Corberan’s £32k-per-week earner (West Brom salaries), has the versatility to operate out wide as a right-winger alongside his usual role when leading the line through the middle, but this versatility is another quality that the boss has been missing out on, not that he's short of attacking options on that side of the pitch in the final third.

With Brandon Thomas-Asante still at his disposal, Corberan is completely right not to rush Dike back too early to the point where it could set him back even further, but at least now there is a realistic timeframe in place so supporters can expect to see him again in early 2024.

Leeds United romped to just their third win of the new Championship season with a comfortable victory over Watford at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon, with Daniel Farke's men stretching their league unbeaten run to six games following that 3-0 triumph.

Fresh from having held on for a draw against Hull City in midweek – despite Joe Rodon's red card early in the second half – the Whites were in rampant mood against the visiting Hornets, with goals from Jaidon Anthony and Sam Byram sealing all three points, following a well-crafted opener from summer signing, Joel Piroe.

How did Joel Piroe perform against Watford?

As The Athletic's Phil Hay noted, it was a truly "high-quality performance" from the hosts today, with that man Piroe having been one of the key players in helping to fire the Yorkshire giants into the playoff places after bagging his fourth goal for the club.

The former Swansea City man – who arrived on a £10m plus deal last month – appears to be showcasing the type of clinical form that was evident during his time in south Wales, having scored 41 league goals across the previous two seasons combined at the Liberty Stadium.

In truth, a player of the Dutchman's quality was unlikely to spurn the opportunity that was presented to him on a plate by teammate Daniel James this afternoon, with the wing wizard whipping in a delightful cross which the 24-year-old duly dispatched to give the home side the lead.

That crucial opener marked what was an all-round classy display from the one-time PSV Eindhoven marksman as also registered two key passes from his number ten berth, indicating that there is merit in deploying him behind club-record signing, Georginio Rutter, rather than through the middle himself.

Piroe, however, wasn't alone in having superbly clicked into gear in the forward line, with compatriot Crysencio Summerville also looking particularly "impressive" – as per Yorkshire Evening Post writer, Leon Wobschall.

How did Crysencio Summerville play against Watford?

With Wilfried Gnonto facing a potential stint on the sidelines, it looks as if it could be Summerville who proves the man to fill that void on the flanks, with it having been 'another electric performance from the winger' – as per Leeds Live's Beren Cross.

The Netherlands U21 international had previously been particularly lively after replacing the stricken Gnonto in the early knockings of the midweek stalemate, with Cross writing at the time that he had been 'by far the best attacking outlet on the night.'

While it was the aforementioned James who bagged two assists this time around – as well as the highest Sofascore match rating of 8.1 – it is fair to say that Summerville simply stole the show, both due to his attacking contribution, but also his relentless work ethic.

The tricky winger was a constant menace from his left-wing berth having completed four of his five attempted dribbles and won three fouls for his side, as 'nobody in white was more direct or dangerous', in the words of Cross.

Although the 21-year-old did lose possession on 23 occasions in his 80-minute outing, that was simply a marker of his desire to make things happen for his side, as the £15k-per-week gem also registered three shots on target.

As also alluded to, what set Summerville apart from those around him was his willingness to muck in defensively as he won a mammoth nine ground duels, more than any other player on the pitch.

While the Rotterdam native was not able to cap his dazzling outing with a goal or an assist, such a performance will have proven to Farke that he can be the man to take on Gnonto's mantle moving forward.

Sri Lanka posted their first home win in a T20I against Pakistan as Shashikala Siriwardene’s four-for flattened the visitors to 72 all out in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2018Sri Lanka posted their first home win in a T20I against Pakistan, as spinners Shashikala Siriwardene (4 for 9) and Sugandika Kumari (2 for 15) bowled the visitors out for 72 in Colombo. The victory was Sri Lanka’s largest in terms of balls remaining, with 34 of them left unused when Siriwardene hit the winning runs.Pakistan were 37 for 1 in the eighth over after opting to bat when Siriwardene orchestrated the collapse, which saw them lose four wickets for 10 runs in the next two overs. The middle order’s Nida Dar and Kainat Imtiaz lost their wickets to run-outs as Pakistan were left reeling at 54 for 6. Sana Mir chipped in with 13 but after her dismissal in the 18th over soon led to the end of the innings.Spinners Ghulam Fatima and Mir kept Sri Lanka’s scoring tight as the hosts lost their openers within six overs, but a 29-ball 19 from Rebeca Vandort helped them regain stability and eventually level the three-match series.

Australia’s vice-captain is one demerit point away from a ban after he accepted a level two charge from the ICC for his part in the stairwell confrontation with Quinton de Kock

Daniel Brettig and Firdose Moonda07-Mar-2018Australia’s vice-captain David Warner is one demerit point away from a ban after he accepted a level two charge from the ICC for his part in the stairwell confrontation with Quinton de Kock in Durban.De Kock, however, has contested the level one charge against him and will attend a hearing – along with South Africa captain Faf du Plessis and manager Mohammed Moosajee – in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday evening. Match Referee Jeff Crowe will adjudicate on the matter.Warner was hit with three demerit points for the offence and also fined 75% of his match fee, about A$13,500, after meetings between the match referee Jeff Crowe and Australian team management on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Warner joined Kagiso Rabada and Faf du Plessis on the South African side in this series, as players who will be suspended if they are found guilty of one more disciplinary infraction.CCTV footage from the fourth day of the Durban Test showed Warner walking up the stairs to the players’ dressing room, engaged in heated conversation with someone else. As the clip rolled on, it emerged that he was talking to de Kock, and at several points had to be restrained by his team-mates until the Australia captain Steven Smith came out to pull his vice-captain away from the scene.