Category Uncategorized

There was no miracle on the final day for Uttar Pradesh. Karnataka expectedly entered their 12th Ranji Trophy final, where they will face defending champions Mumbai, the only currently active team, who they have not beaten outright

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran in Bangalore06-Jan-2010
Scorecard
There was no miracle on the final day for Uttar Pradesh. Karnataka expectedly entered their 12th Ranji Trophy final, where they will face defending champions Mumbai, the only currently active team who they have not beaten outright.Karnataka’s lead was already past 400 at the start of play on Wednesday, with little interest left in the day’s proceedings. Both teams sleepwalked through proceedings, the highlight of which was a century for Muralidharen Gautam, who became the fifth Karnataka batsman to make two hundreds or more this season.The two biggest cheers from the sparse crowd at the Chinnaswamy were right before Karnataka declared their second innings with the lead more than 600: first, when Rahul Dravid finally walked out to bat at No. 10, and four minutes later when Gautam reached triple figures with a steer past gully for four. Gautam celebrated enthusiastically, waving his bat to his clapping team-mates and to the faithful who had turned up, and was walking back towards the stumps when Dravid signalled the declaration just before tea.The day’s most entertaining passage was when Gautam and R Vinay Kumar combined for a 112-run sixth wicket partnership. After a moribund two hours in the morning, Vinay Kumar clubbed Piyush Chawla over long-on for six, and then jolted the Karnataka State Cricket Association club members who were enjoying their lunch by launching Praveen Gupta into theirenclosure. The free swings from Vinay Kumar also encouraged Gautam to be more enterprising; he whipped a four to midwicket, and unleashed a couple of backfoot cover drives before a late cut took him into the eighties.A demoralised UP were clearly looking to catch the first flight home, barely concerned with dislodging Karnataka’s batsmen. Tanmay Srivastava, who has never bowled in first-class cricket before was given 12 overs while frontline bowlers Praveen Kumar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar sent down only three each.The only specialist quick bowler who was used for a long spell was RP Singh, bowling 12 straight overs in the morning. There was still nothing in the pitch for him, but he was more accurate than in the first innings, to be rewarded with the wicket of Ganesh Satish. It was only in the final over of his effort, that he erred by giving too much width, which was promptly punished by a couple of square drives from Gautam.RP got the second new-ball to rise sharply, and struck twice in an over to remove Sunil Joshi and Abhimanyu Mithun. Within an over, the declaration came, leaving UP about 45 minutes to bat till the match was called off, much to the visitors’ relief. Right through the four days, UP were always behind in the game, and there wasn’t even a stand-out individual performance to provide a measure of consolation.UP made the finals of the previous two seasons, but for Karnataka it has been a 11-year wait to get to the title clash. “It’s great for Karnataka cricket, great for a lot of the young boys in the team,” Dravid said. “We have had some tough years in the middle and it’s nice to see that we have made it to the finals this year, things are beginning to look up a little.”He was particularly happy that the dominant season, where Karnataka have had four outright wins and are yet to concede the first-innings lead, was on the back of efforts of youngsters. “Throughout the season the youngsters have done really well, they have been given a lot of confidence by the team management and the selectors,” he said. “They have repaid the faith, other than me and Sunil [Joshi] everyone is less than 25 years of age, hopefully they keep performing and we’ll have some successes not only this year but also in next couple of years.”

Joey Veerman ‘remains high’ on Rangers’ list of transfer targets, journalist Pete O’Rourke has told Give Me Sport. 

The lowdown

The 23-year-old central midfielder plays for Heerenveen in the Eredivisie. He has two-and-a-half years left on his contract with the club and is valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt.

Rangers may need to seek replacements if some of their existing midfielders are lured elsewhere. The Gers are braced for January interest in Glen Kamara, while Joe Aribo also has admirers from the Premier League.

The latest

O’Rourke told Give Me Sport that Rangers attempted to bring in Veerman last summer, when Steven Gerrard was still their manager, and that the club’s interest hasn’t subsided.

He wonders if the defender’s Dutch compatriot Giovanni van Bronckhorst might enjoy more success in pursuit of the player, saying: “Veerman will definitely be high on the list of targets. They tried to sign him in the summer and he still remains high on their list of potential targets.

“With van Bronckhorst in there now, I think it just gives extra weight in maybe following up that interest in the Dutchman.”

The verdict

Veerman would arrive at Ibrox with some pretty glowing endorsements. Dutch coach Robert Molenaar has called him ‘extremely good’ on the ball, adding that he plays like he’s ‘on a square in [the village of] Volendam’. Meanwhile, former Rangers defender Michael Ball has said that ‘his numbers are fantastic’.

Ball is right to do so – Veerman has been directly involved in nine goals (scoring three and setting up six) in 15 league appearances in 2021/22. He also ranks in the Eredivisie’s top six for chances created per 90 minutes with 2.4 (via WhoScored).

Hopefully O’Rourke’s suspicion that Van Bronckhorst’s arrival at Rangers could be a substantial step towards persuading the 23-year-old to make the move to Ibrox, especially if Aribo moves south of the border.

In other news, this Rangers trio struggled against Hearts

MatériaMais Notícias

João Paulo parece feliz da vida no Botafogo. No último domingo, ele ganhou mais uma oportunidade no meio-campo do time de Jair Ventura, ainda viu o ‘concorrente’ Valencia nem jogar. De quebra, o volante, que também atua como meia, ainda marcou o gol da vitória de 3 a 2 sobre o Coritiba, no Couto Pereira. Pelo Alvinegro, foi o primeiro tento dele na competição. Vibrou, claro, mas avisou: o mais importante é que o Glorioso vença.

– É sempre importante (marcar gol). Antes do objetivo pessoal, sempre coloco o do grupo antes. Muito feliz pela vitória, por ter feito meu primeiro gol no Brasileiro. Foram três pontos importantes para a sequência do campeonato – opinou João Paulo.

O seu gol colocou o time no G6 do Campeonato Brasileiro. Com 40 pontos, o Alvinegro está em sexto, empatado com o Cruzeiro, quinto, e a três do Palmeiras, último do G4. Quanto às contas para garantir o time na Libertadores do ano que vem, ele preferiu destacar que o segredo é pensar jogo a jogo. Não se pode atropelar momentos.

-Pensamos jogo a jogo, sempre foi assim, desde o início do ano. Jogamos cada jogo como uma final. Não podemos olhar lá para frente porque podemos tropeçar – completou João, em entrevista coletiva nesta quarta-feira.

RelacionadasBotafogo‘Não somos de oposição, somos uma chapa alternativa’, diz candidato botafoguenseBotafogo27/09/2017BotafogoOposição definida: terceiro em 2014, Marcelo Guimarães oficializa chapaBotafogo26/09/2017BotafogoSerá? Bota não traça metas, mas crê que dá para alcançar o CorinthiansBotafogo26/09/2017

A number of Manchester City fans were left shocked with a question asked by a journalist to Kyle Walker during the club’s pre-match press conference.

The Citizens are in action against Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday night as they look to progress to the next round of the competition. It is an important match for Pep Guardiola and co – with games against RB Leipzig and PSG to come after that, they cannot afford to leave with anything other than a win against the Belgian side.

Walker was questioned by the press ahead of the clash and was asked a bizarre question by a reporter. The latter appeared to think that Ferland Mendy, a left-back who plays for Real Madrid, was on the books at Man City, and he asked the England right-back what it is like to compete with the 26-year-old. Walker understandably looked utterly perplexed.

The comments were shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from City supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the surreal press conference moment.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the question to Walker

“man what”

Credit: @RazWRLDD

“I need that clip”

Credit: @Alleyezon_AB

“Sorry what”

Credit: @ashley___04

“tears”

Credit: @ManCitehzen

“Ummm ummm ummm Am I drunk or am I reading it right ???”

Credit: @maitypulation

“Wait what?”

Credit: @JMC_Official

In other news, a number of City fans want the club to sign this midfielder

There is little riding on the outcome of two Twenty20 internationals except perhaps the chance to take an edge into the ensuing 50-over tri-series

Jamie Alter in Colombo01-Sep-2009Match factsWednesday September 2
Start time 19.00 (13.30 GMT)Shane Bond will play for New Zealand after a two-year absence•AFPBig PictureAfter a Test series in which they were run ragged by Sri Lanka, two Twenty20 internationals will probably be a welcome release for some of the New Zealand players. There is little riding on the outcome of two Twenty20 internationals except perhaps the chance to take an edge into the ensuing 50-over tri-series and New Zealand have been talking serious business in the build-up.On paper, a promising bat-versus-ball extravaganza is promised in either innings; Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan against Shane Bond – set for an international return – and Daniel Vettori, and, as the teams change over, Brendon McCullum, Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor against Ajantha Mendis and Lasith Malinga. New Zealand will take some confidence from the fact that Muttiah Muralitharan won’t be playing due to injury. Bond’s return adds depth with the ball, so although Sri Lanka have been comfortably superior in recent weeks New Zealand may hope that changes in the coming days.Failing to win the World Twenty20 in England this summer, having done so well to reach the final, frustrated Sri Lanka and being soundly beaten in the one-off against Pakistan at home was no balm. The last time these two met, during the World Twenty20, Sri Lanka came out with a 48-run win in a pressure situation at Trent Bridge. On that occasion New Zealand were bamboozled by a magical spell of 3 for 9 from Mendis and ousted from a tournament where their batting failed to fire. The way the batsmen have faced spin so far on tour, Vettori will hope history doesn’t repeat itself.Form guide (last five matches, most recent first)Sri Lanka LLWWW
New Zealand LLWLWWatch out for…The return of Shane Bond. A spate of persistent injuries had already forced Bond to retire from Tests but in a dramatic turnaround of events he quit the ICL and is now on the verge of an international return. Bond’s Twenty20 international record (12 wickets from nine games at 20.33) isn’t the best and he’ll be aiming to improve that rather than get overawed by the occasion. This is a crucial moment in New Zealand cricket.Sanath Jayasuriya has been overshadowed by Dilshan’s heroics in recent times but that doesn’t mean the swashbuckler has necessarily run out of gas. After three patchy one-day games and a Twenty20 against Pakistan Jayasuriya is under pressure to justify his place in Sri Lanka’s plans at the age of 40, so what better opportunity to remind everyone of his worth than against New Zealand? After all, he averages 56.00 with bat and 14.80 with ball against them, with two Man-of-the-Match awards.It’s been a low-key tour for Brendon McCullum and now is the time for New Zealand’s most explosive batsman to stand up. The owner of the most famous century in Twenty20 cricket has had his share of troubles in the Tests and will look at the arena where he has been so successful to revive his fortunes. McCullum has yet to cross 39 in four matches against Sri Lanka, a stat that may just be at the back of his mind. After a poor Test series, McCullum is back for this contest, and may just take out his ire at the criticism he’s attracted. Sufficed to say, this man is itching for another bout of big hitting.Team newsMurali has been ruled out with a groin injury that flared up on day five at the SSC and the legspinner Malinga Bandara has been drafted in in his place. Opener Upul Tharanga has been rested and he has been replaced by the allrounder Farveez Maharoof. The other spinning allrounder, Kaushal Lokuarachchi, may also slot in. Angelo Mathews will return and there may be a debut for the rookie batsman Gihan Rupasinghe. Sri Lanka’s fast bowling attack is boosted by Lasith Malinga.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt/wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Chamara Kapugedera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Farveez Maharoof, 8 Thilan Thushara, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Kaushal Lokuarachichi/Malinga Bandara, 11 Lasith Malinga.New Zealand are likely to draft in a number of players with Bond’s return topping the bill. Bond and Kyle Mills will likely step into the role Chris Martin and Iain O’Brien filled during the Tests. Vettori didn’t confirm Mills’ selection but added that there will be a toss-up between Ian Butler and Nathan McCullum, who bowls offspin. Peter McGlashan will keep wickets to allow Brendon McCullum to clear his shoulders at the top. McCullum’s opening partner is slotted to be Ryder, meaning a likely promotion to No. 5 for Jacob Oram. The other allrounder’s spot will be contested between Neil Broom and Grant Elliott.New Zealand: (probable) 1 Brendon McCullum (wk), 2 Jesse Ryder, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jacob Oram, 6 Neil Broom/Grant Elliott, 7 Peter McGlashan (wk), 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Shane Bond, 11 Nathan McCullum/ Ian ButlerPitch and conditionsScattered thunderstorms are forecast for game day. Only two Twenty20s have been played here and one both occasions the reputation of the Premadasa forced the team winning the toss to bat. Chasing under lights has always been difficult at the venue but India’s Pathan brothers proved it could be done.Stats and TriviaMcCullum is the leading run-scorer in Twenty20 internationals, with 689 in 26 games at an average of 31.31 and a strike rate of 123.69. The leader for Sri Lanka, and second in the world, is Jayasuriya, with 541 runs at 30.05 and a strike rate of 138.36.Sri Lanka and New Zealand have met each other four times in Twenty20s, with Sri Lanka leading the head-to-head 3-1. New Zealand’s only victory came in Auckland in December 2006 to share the series.Sri Lanka have yet to win a Twenty20 at the Premadasa in two attempts.Quotes”He’s over 40 but doesn’t need any motivation. You look at him at practice, running around like a kid, full of enthusiasm and you realise just what a special player he is.”
“Well, it just gets better! That makes it easier because he’s a quality bowler so those are the differences between the last game.”
Vettori, when told during a press conference that Murali is not playing, points out a key difference from Trent Bridge.

Steven Gerrard has urged Aston Villa chiefs to land Rangers duo Glen Kamara and Nathan Patterson in January, 90min report.

The Lowdown: Huge January transfer kitty

Gerrard completed a move to Villa Park last Thursday, days after Dean Smith was relieved of his duties in the Midlands.

Prior to the 41-year-old’s switch being made official, though, reports believed that Gerrard has been promised a huge transfer kitty by billionaire owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens for the upcoming January window.

And it now appears as if Gerrard may well have two main targets in mind from his former employers in Glasgow.

The Latest: Gerrard urges NSWE…

90min shared a story on Sunday, with sources from both sides informing the site that approaches for several Ibrox stars are expected.

Within their report, they suggested that Gerrard has told Villa chiefs not to miss out on either Kamara or Patterson, believing they are both attainable in the New Year in a double deal that would cost more than £30m.

The Verdict: Solid targets…

Patterson can play as a right-back, left-back or even as a right-midfielder and has been watched by the likes of Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain recently, so pipping the European giants in the race for the 20-year-old could be a shrewd move in the long run.

Even if the Villans lose him to a ‘bigger’ club in the future, they would surely make a hefty profit given the teams mentioned as suitors.

Meanwhile, it seems as if Villa are fairly short of central midfield options with four senior options alongside two academy graduates, so Kamara could bolster that area of the pitch considerably.

The Finland international can play as a box-to-box or defensive midfielder and was already on Villa’s radar prior to Gerrard’s arrival, so a double deal over the coming months could be a wise move.

Kamara cost the Gers just £50,000 when he moved to Glasgow, so perhaps the chance to make an exponential profit could appeal to Ibrox chiefs.

In other news: ‘Surely we can do better?’ – Many Villa fans urge club not to pursue £12.6m-rated Gerrard target. 

تحدث النجم الإيطالي فرانشيسكو توتي، عن مباراة مصر وإيطاليا الشهيرة في كأس العالم للقارات والتي لعبت في عام 2009، وأسفرت عن فوز الفراعنة على الآتزوري.

وفاز المنتخب المصري في تلك المواجهة بهدف دون رد سجله محمد حمص في شباك جيانلويجي بوفون حارس مرمى منتخب إيطاليا حينها.

وحل قائد روما السابق ضيفًا في برنامج “صاحبة السعادة” عبر قناة “دي إم سي”، وسُئل عن تلك المباراة والتي لم يشارك بها.

اقرأ أيضًا | توتي يفاضل بين ميسي ورونالدو ويعترف: كنت أتمنى اللعب مع الظاهرة ومبابي

وقال توتي: “لا أعلم كيف فازت مصر على إيطاليا، شيء لا يمكن التفكير به، إذا كنت ألعب تلك المباراة لما حدث ذلك (ضاحكًا)”.

كما سُئل توتي عن مزاملة أحمد حسام ميدو له في روما، ورد ضاحكًا: “هو من عمل معي ولست أنا من عمل معه”.

واختتم: “ميدو لاعب جيد وقوي بدنيًا، يكافح ويقدم كل ما لديه في الملعب شخص رائع”. 

Jurgen Klopp has been sweating over the fitness of Curtis Jones over the last week and in a period where Liverpool have been dealt a fitness blow to Thiago Alcantara, it was crucial that the academy graduate was fit.

Naby Keita scored against Atletico Madrid in midweek but his performance was ultimately poor, being dragged off at half-time in a display that rather summed up his topsy-turvy Anfield career.

Fortunately, it looks as though Jones will be back in the squad after missing the game with Diego Simeone’s side in midweek.

That’s according to Klopp who was speaking in his pre-match press conference a few days before their clash with Manchester United.

In quotes supplied by The Athletic, the German boss said:

“Curtis will train today [Friday]. He should be in contention for Sunday.”

Considering his performances this term, this will come as a huge boost to Liverpool’s chances on Sunday afternoon. Given Thiago’s injury, it will also be a return that delights the Reds’ head coach.

The 20-year-old initially aggravated a problem while playing for England U21s which after really coming into his own over the last few months, represented a cruel blow.

He starred against Porto in the Champions League before the break, supplying two goals. The youngster was also in vibrant form against Manchester City, proving he has what it takes to stand out in the biggest of games.

During that encounter, Jones assisted Mo Salah’s incredible individual goal, completed 93% of his passes and won five defensive duels. That encapsulated the midfielder’s all-round talents.

Those attributes will be crucial if he plays on Sunday, especially against a midfield containing the likes of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes.

Keeping that in mind, Klopp will no doubt be over the moon that one of his most promising players is back fit and ready to go again.

Liverpool have been in imperious form of late and another win over one of their biggest rivals will no doubt send a huge statement out. If they do come away with all three points then it’s likely that Jones will have played a key role.

AND in other news, Body blow: Liverpool suffer huge setback before Man Utd clash, Klopp will be gutted…

The new Champions League season has finally begun for Pep Guardiola’s side and it’s fair to say Manchester City enjoyed a scintillating start on Wednesday evening. 

After coming so close last year, reaching the final whilst playing some devastating football at the top level, City are tasked with reaching those heights yet again but going one step further and winning a competition which has long eluded them.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/man-city-latest-news/” title=”Man City latest news…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It couldn’t have been a more entertaining opener to their 21/22 European campaign as the Sky Blues battered Bundesliga giants RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium – with nine goals and a red card to boot as City came away 6-3 victors.

Strikers from six different scorers in Nathan Ake, Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish, Joao Cancelo, Gabriel Jesus and a Nordi Mukiele own goal sent Guardiola’s side to the top of the group.

Former player Angelino, making his Eastlands return with Leipzig, was also dismissed after being shown a second yellow card.

However, while the attack enjoyed an amazing afternoon, the same cannot be said for City’s backline which conceded three soft goals.

One of the main culprits, Oleksandr Zinchenko, has been slammed on Twitter for his defensive display.

The Ukraine international was handed City’s lowest SofaScore rating on the night with a 6.0, winning only a third of his ground duels, being dribbled past once and losing the ball 10 times.

Here’s what Sky Blues had to say on the 24-year-old.

Man City fans slam Zinchenko…

“Zinchenko and Ake are liabilities defensively today”

Credit: @BlooMunKy

“Zinchenko has had a shocker today”

Credit: @benmcfc03

“Zinchenko and Ake poor tonight”

Credit: @Sean_MCFC7

“Please sell Zinchenko”

Credit: @ChrisTheCsFan

“Zinchenko has been awful btw”

Credit: @Cancelocityv3

“Zinchenko got rinsed today”

Credit: @mourad_yz

“Zinchenko has to leave, we need top left-back. He is limited.”

Credit: @ManKonsta

“Sorry, Zinchenko is not good enough and we still need clinical striker and someone who recovers well after losing the ball. 3 transfers or”

Credit: @madvillian666

‘Absolutely perfect’…Man City fans rave as Txiki eyes ‘phenomenal signing’, find out more here.

MatériaMais Notícias

Invicto há 28 jogos no Allianz Parque, o Palmeiras coloca esta série sem derrotas em confronto com as 26 partidas de invencibilidade do Corinthians no ano. Os arquirrivais jogam nesta quarta-feira, às 21h45, o Dérbi da 13ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, no novo Palestra Itália.

O Verdão, que havia vencido quatro partidas seguidas na competição, perdeu para o Cruzeiro na última rodada, no Mineirão, e viu a distância para o líder chegar a 13 pontos. Para diminui-la e manter vivo o sonho do bicampeonato, o time de Cuca tem Dudu como uma arma dupla: é ele o artilheiro tanto do Allianz Parque quanto do elenco em clássicos.

Na arena, são 17 gols do camisa 7, dois deles marcados no último jogo no local, o empate em 3 a 3 com o Cruzeiro, pela Copa do Brasil. Os mais próximos neste quesito já saíram do clube: Rafael Marques (12 gols), Cristaldo (11 gols) e Gabriel Jesus (11 gols). Zé Roberto, com seis gols, é o segundo do atual elenco na lista de artilheiros.

Em clássicos, Dudu também lidera a lista de artilheiros. São sete gols do atacante contra Corinthians (dois gols), Santos (três) e São Paulo (dois). Ele e Mina são os únicos que marcaram contra todos os principais rivais do Verdão – o zagueiro colombiano, porém, marcou três vezes. Mais nenhum atleta deste grupo fez mais do que um gol em clássicos.

Diante do adversário desta noite, o camisa 7 marcou no empate em 3 a 3 no Allianz pelo Brasileiro de 2015, e na vitória por 1 a 0 no Pacaembu pelo Paulista de 2016. Ele também cobrou um dos pênaltis na série que classificou o Verdão à final do Paulista de 2015, em Itaquera.

Se no Estadual deste ano o Corinthians encerrou uma sequência de seis Dérbis sem vitória, o Palmeiras tem outro tabu a defender nesta quarta. O time não é derrotado pelo maior rival em Brasileiros desde julho de 2014, quando sofreu 2 a 0 em Itaquera. De lá para cá, são três vitórias e dois empates. Sequência mantida nesta noite?

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasReforço do Verdão já calou Barça no Camp Nou e fez gols no Real: assista!Palmeiras11/07/2017PalmeirasPalmeiras anuncia acerto com o atacante Deyverson por cinco anosPalmeiras11/07/2017