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Nathan McCullum’s terrific spell, in which he took 4 for 16, derailed Pakistan after the visitors had made a fiery start in pursuit of the target of 185

The Bulletin by Andrew Fernando at Seddon Park28-Dec-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Martin Guptill gave New Zealand an aggressive start to the second Twenty20•Getty ImagesNew Zealand performances have often been noted for being greater than the sum of their parts, and all the parts were on display at Seddon Park, where the hosts sealed the series with a dominant all-round display. Martin Guptill, James Franklin, Scott Styris and Ross Taylor all contributed with the bat, but Peter McGlashan stole the show with a 10-ball 26 that featured some scintillating stroke play. Nathan McCullum then produced a tight spell to asphyxiate the Pakistan chase, with support from Luke Woodcock, and he finished with 4 for 16. Kyle Mills, Tim Southee and Ian Butler were also among the wickets as Pakistan fell 39 runs short of New Zealand’s 185.Pakistan were in no mood to wait as Mohammad Hafeez lofted Franklin over cover for four off the first ball of the innings before hitting him over square leg two balls later – this time for six. Kyle Mills was welcomed into the attack with two sixes, but took the wicket of Shahid Afridi as the batsman made room, only to watch his middle stump cartwheel after missing a slower full toss.Hafeez wasn’t about to ease up, though, finding boundaries with regularity and scampering between the wickets with Ahmed Shehzad, as they stayed in touch with the required-rate with. They rode their luck too: Ross Taylor dropped a sitter off Hafeez on 44, and aerial mis-hits found their way into vacant areas more than once.Shehzad was dismissed attempting an ambitious inside-out wallop, as Styris ran around the extra-cover boundary to complete a running catch, and when Hafeez and Younis Khan were dismissed soon after, Pakistan looked poised for a trademark capitulation.But it was the choke, not the collapse, that did for Pakistan as New Zealand applied the squeeze through McCullum and Woodcock. Umar Akmal’s slog over midwicket in the 13th over, an oddity in an otherwise docile period replete with singles and dot-balls as the asking-rate rose steadily. The strangle brought wickets for the hosts, as Asad Shafiq perished attempting to hit out, and the pressure was increased when Abdul Razzaq departed for 14. Umar Gul attempted to launch his first delivery off McCullum over the longest boundary of the ground, but was caught on the line. Akmal was left to perform a miracle with the tail, the required run-rate already tipping 20 and three wickets remaining.Tim Southee almost had two hat-tricks in two games as Akmal and Riaz were dismissed off consecutive deliveries in the final over, but the game was long over by that stage.New Zealand’s strong total was set up by Guptill, who had lost none of his form and panache from his innings in the first Twenty20. He set about taking apart the Pakistan attack following the early loss of Jesse Ryder. Guptill pulled, glanced, drove and slogged for 44, building a 91-run partnership for the second wicket with James Franklin, who made 39 after being promoted to No. 3. Afridi brought on the spinners to apply the brakes and the move paid dividends momentarily, as wickets fell at regular intervals. His wayward seamers, however, could not stem the flow of runs for extended periods of time. Scott Styris exploited Gul to swipe his way to a 14-ball 34, and Taylor once again provided stability in the middle. But it was Peter McGlashan’s dazzling cameo that took New Zealand from a good total to an excellent one as Gul’s third over was dispatched for plenty.Twice McGlashan swept over fine leg, dragging balls from well outside off stump and manipulating the wrists to get the desired elevation and direction, before Afridi was forced to make the field change. Putting a fine leg out meant bringing the third man in, and McGlashan was quick to adapt. A drive past cover brought up the third consecutive four, but the next two deliveries were met by two jaw-dropping reverse pulls, both of which sailed over the ropes to complete a stunning five-ball burst in which 24 runs were plundered. Taylor took control after McGlashan’s departure and ensured that New Zealand finished strongly.

Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur side will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing 1-0 defeat to Brighton as they take on Brentford today.

Spurs take on the Bees in the evening kick-off in the Premier League as they continue their march towards sealing a top-four finish in the division.

They are currently above their rivals Arsenal on goal difference and three points clear of sixth-placed Manchester United, as Conte has his team sitting in fourth in the table as it stands.

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The Italian head coach may look to freshen his side up after their loss to Graham Potter’s men and one player he must finally unleash from the start is Ryan Sessegnon at wing-back.

Sergio Reguilon endured a rough afternoon against Brighton and could do with a match on the sidelines. As per SofaScore, he only completed 63% of his attempted passes, failed with 100% of his dribbles and only made one tackle throughout the match – failing to make a single interception or clearance.

This suggests that it could be time for Conte to switch it up at the back and unleash Sessegnon after over a month out through injury.

Prior to his setback against Everton, the 21-year-old was starting to shine on the left. Against Burnley, he recorded a SofaScore rating of 6.9 as he completed 100% of his dribbles, 91% of his passes and created one chance. He also made two tackles, two clearances and one interception as he showed that he can impress at both ends of the pitch.

Sessegnon carried that form over into his next game as he started against Leeds. As per SofaScore, he completed 81% of his passes and created two chances, with one resulting in him recording an assist, whilst he also made two interceptions and one tackle.

The dynamo was once dubbed a “big talent” by former Fulham teammate Stefan Johansen and Jose Mourinho previously called him “absolutely fantastic” as he compared him with Ashley Cole. This shows how highly he has been rated in the past and that is why Spurs must throw him another bone in the Premier League this week.

Therefore, he must be unleashed from the start at wing-back in order to give him the chance to show that he can be an important player for the team, as he did against Burnley and Leeds. It will allow Conte to rest Reguilon and avoid overplaying the Spaniard, whilst also keeping Sessegnon fresh and match fit.

AND in other news: Huge boost: Spurs handed “fresh” injury lift ahead of Bees, supporters will be buzzing

Frank Lampard could be heading for his first big Everton disaster in the coming months, and we’re not talking about the immediate threat of relegation.

It’s no secret that the Toffees have had a horrendous season, and even remaining in the Premier League for next year surely won’t appease the fans as urgent change is needed on the pitch to get them back to where they belong.

With Lampard looking to strengthen, the onus might be on him to focus more on the players whose contracts are due to expire, with Yerry Mina being the obvious choice to tie down to a long-term deal.

The £18m-rated centre back has only played 12 times in the league this season, but Everton have lost just four of those matches, compared to the other 15 defeats without his presence in the team.

The Colombian has had his injury problems, but whenever he has featured, he has largely been excellent, with former Toffees player Don Hutchison describing him as a “rock” against Chelsea in the 1-0 victory last weekend.

Over his 12 league matches this season, Mina is in the 90th percentile for both blocks (2.20 per 90) and aerials won (3.95) among positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues, showing just how much of an asset he has been during his limited game-time in the current campaign.

His performance against Chelsea gathered further praise from journalist Patrick Boyland, who claimed that Mina was “a joy to behold”, and Lampard should be putting plans in motion to keep the Colombian at the club on a long-term deal.

This could, of course, depend on Everton’s Premier League status next season. Mina should be playing at a higher level, and relegation to the Championship could mean the end for the 27-year-old as an Everton player.

AND in other news, Lampard must brutally axe “clumsy” £120k-p/w Everton dud, he’s bleeding them dry

Ian Bell is a much improved cricketer from his last tour of Australia, and it intent to dominate the spinners by dancing down the track

Brydon Coverdale at Bellerive Oval18-Nov-2010″Assertive” and “Ian Bell” are not typically found in the same sentence – at least, not as far as the Australians are concerned. They have never doubted his talent, but questioned his mental toughness and his ability to make big hundreds. If his forceful century against Australia A at Bellerive Oval is any indication, Ricky Ponting’s men might see a whole new Bell on this tour.Nathan Hauritz, Xavier Doherty and Steven Smith are the bowlers who should take the most notice. Smith cannot help but have learnt something from Bell’s attacking innings; all but one of the deliveries in his first over resulted in Bell advancing down the pitch, and being struck for three consecutive boundaries was a disquieting introduction for the legspinner.Bell went on to collect 48 of the 57 runs that were leaked by Smith. Although he was more watchful against the left-armer Steve O’Keefe, Bell said it was not a conscious decision to deflate the confidence of Smith, who is in Australia’s Test squad, but rather an approach he wants to use against most slow bowlers these days.”The way I’ve been playing spin recently has been as positive as possible, using my feet and being quick on my feet,” Bell said. “It was just to try and assert myself a little bit on the bowler, but not because it was him, it was just the way I try and play spin as much as possible now.”Bell finished the day unbeaten on 121 from 158 balls, and in the back of his mind was the advice of Graham Gooch, the England batting coach. Gooch wants all his charges to focus on making big hundreds, instead of settling for useful half-centuries, which is one of the issues Bell has sometimes struggled with at Test level.In 13 Tests against Australia, he’s made eight half-centuries without ever reaching triple figures, and averaged 25.68. During the previous Ashes tour in 2006-07, Bell, who is now 28, showed promising signs on several occasions without making the most of his opportunities, but he is a much-improved batsman compared to the man who averaged 33.10 in a side that lost 5-0.”I feel a better player than the last time on this tour,” Bell said. “But in a way, it counts for nothing, really. This is good practice and it’s great to go out and get hundreds, but the big stuff starts in Brisbane and that’s when it counts. I feel a better player. Over the last 18 months I think my game has started to really take shape improve from the kind of cricketer I was last time I was out here.”It’s that sort of improvement that has won Bell a spot in England’s starting line-up ahead of Eoin Morgan, who hasn’t played in any of the three matches so far on the tour. Morgan filled in during the series against Pakistan this year, when Bell was sidelined due to a broken foot, and had such success that it wasn’t clear which of the men would be an Ashes starter.”Eoin is a fantastic player and he’s got a massive future,” Bell said. “Competition for places is great. There’s no doubt that when you lose your place through injury or whatever, you’re going to have to fight hard to get it back. Coming here, I thought I would be the one on the outside and not playing. It’s been nice to get the opportunity.”The Australians know first-hand that Morgan is an assertive and dominant batsman; he showed that in the first ODI at the Rose Bowl in June. They might soon form the same opinion of Bell.

Aston Villa would need pay Geoffrey Kondogbia more than €120,000 (£101,000) a week if they want to sign him this summer, according to a new report.

The Lowdown: Villa keen on Kondogbia

Kondogbia has been linked with a move to the Premier League in recent days, with Villa manager Steven Gerrard potentially seeing him as a primary summer transfer target.

It has been stated that Gerrard ‘appreciates’ him as a player, with the Frenchman proving to be a key part of Atletico Madrid’s midfield this season and the Villans boss even jetting off to watch him in action.

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Kondogbia has made 23 appearances in La Liga, as well as nine in the Champions League, averaging a respective 2.7 and 2.2 tackles per game.

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The Latest: Fresh update emerges

According to Mundo Deportivo [via Sport Witness], the midfielder is looking for a pay increase in order to trade Atletico for Villa this summer.

A ‘much higher wage’ than his current €120,000 (£101,000) per week is mooted in the report, with the Villans aiming to sell players in order to afford what would be a ‘very expensive transfer.’

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The Verdict: Could be hard to get done

While Kondogbia is clearly a top-class midfielder who would strengthen Villa’s midfield, paying him such extortionate wages could be a tricky situation.

Danny Ings (£120,000) is the only current player earning over £100,000 a week, so the France international would come straight in as one of the club’s highest earners.

Not only that, but he doesn’t seem overly convinced by a move to Villa Park, according to the report, so paying such big money for a potentially money-hungry player feels like a big risk.

In other news, Ashley Preece has dropped a key Villa transfer claim. Read more here.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Manchester United have ‘discussed’ signing Richarlison, as the Everton ace changes his agent.

The Lowdown: Time to go?

Richarlison has been linked with moves to the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, amid growing uncertainty over his future given the situation he finds himself in at Goodison Park.

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The Merseyside club currently find themselves in 17th place in the Premier League table, nervously looking over their shoulders at potential relegation.

If they were to go down to the Championship, it seems very unlikely that Richarlison would stay, especially given that it is a World Cup year and he will want to be playing at a higher level to get picked by Brazil.

The Latest: Man Utd talks

Taking to Twitter, Romano has revealed that Man Utd have ‘discussed’ the possibility of signing Richarlison ‘internally’, and that he has now signed with a new agency:

However, there have been ‘no talks’ with the player or the club themselves, and so Richarlison is ‘totally focused’ on the Toffees at the moment:

“Everton striker Richarlison and his Velasco Sport Group have now officially signed with CAA Base agency.“Been told Manchester United have discussed Richarlison internally, alongside Darwin Nunez and other options. “Of course no talks now – he’s totally focused on Everton.” The Verdict: Sell

Even though Richarlison has been a good servant to the Blues over the years, now is the time to cash in.

He has certainly not been at his best this season, with just criticised for having attitude problems.

At 24 years of age, Frank Lampard’s team could get a sizeable fee for him, which could then be used to help rebuild a squad in desperate need of quality across various positions.

In other news, find out what EFC injury boost has now emerged here!

Bayern Munich are reportedly considering potential options to replace Thomas Tuchel and are thinking about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Zinedine Zidane.

Bayern on three-game losing streakThomas Tuchel under pressureClub considering potential replacementsGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Tuchel has come under pressure at Bayern after a series of poor results that have left the team eight points behind Bayer Leverkusen at the top of the table. Tuchel will remain in charge for now, but the Bavarian giants are looking at potential replacements, according to Sky Germany. Solskjaer has emerged as a potential candidate on an interim basis should Tuchel not see out the season. Zidane is another manager the club are said to be thinking about currently.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Tuchel has opted to give his players some time off ahead of some key fixtures in a bid to freshen things up after defeats to Leverkusen, Lazio and Bochum which have damaged their hopes of securing silverware this season. Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen has said the club will not sack Tuchel in the wake of their shock defeat to Bochum but has stopped short of offering the coach the club's full support.

GettyImageDID YOU KNOW?

Zidane won 11 trophies as manager of Real Madrid, including three Champions League titles.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN

Bayern take on RB Leipzig next and anything other than a win will pile more pressure on Tuchel. The Bavarians then face SC Freiburg before hosting Lazio in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie. Tuchel's side trail 1-0 from the first leg in Italy.

Alex Crook has now revealed a big Newcastle United transfer twist involving both Jesse Lingard and Diego Carlos.

The Lowdown: Looked unlikely

Both Lingard and Carlos have been heavily linked with moves to St. James’ Park throughout the January transfer window so far, but have begun to look increasingly unlikely as the window progresses.

Sky Sports journalist Pete Graves has recently doubted the likelihood of Lingard moving to the North East, while Sevilla club chief Monchi believes that Carlos will now stay at the La Liga club.

However, anything can happen in the next couple of days, and deals should not be completely ruled out at this stage.

The Latest: Twist

As per talkSPORT journalist Crook, the Tyneside outfit are now ‘back in talks’ to sign Lingard, while a deal for Carlos ‘might not be totally off the table’ either:

“As just discussed with @JimWhite @talkSPORT are hearing #NUFC are back in talks with #MUFC over Jesse Lingard and Diego Carlos might not be totally off the table either.

“Gonna be an interesting end to the window at SJP.”

The Verdict: Get them in!

If there is any hope remaining that both Lingard and Carlos can still be signed, then the Magpies need to get them in as soon as possible.

Described as ‘sensational‘ while on loan at West Ham last season by Arsenal and Premier League legend Nigel Winterburn, Lingard has already shown what a difference he can make to a team, with his nine goals and five assists a major factor in the Hammers securing UEFA Europa League football for this term.

Meanwhile, Carlos would be a real asset to the Toon’s backline, as he has been dubbed as a ‘real leader at the back’ (The Daily Express) by European football expert Andy Brassell, and he is nicknamed ‘The Beast‘ himself, suggesting that he would be right up for the relegation fight.

In other news, find out who NUFC are now moving to sign here!

Miles Starforth has now revealed some fresh Newcastle United transfer news involving Alex Murphy.

The Lowdown: Signing imminent

As per Irish broadcasting giant RTE, the St. James’ Park faithful are now ‘set to sign’ Murphy from Galway United, and he ‘will move’ to England once he turns 18 in the summer.

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The 17-year-old has been linked with the likes of Celtic, Brighton and Hove Albion and Torino, but Eddie Howe has ‘won the race’ for his signature.

The Latest: Starforth update

Taking to Twitter, The Shields Gazette journalist Starforth has now revealed that the deal is ‘not done yet’, but he would join the North East club’s U23 squad should he sign:

“As reported elsewhere, Newcastle hope to sign 17-year-old Galway defender Alex Murphy, who has been playing first-team football this season. Understand that the deal’s not done yet, though. He’d join the club’s Under-23 squad.”

The Verdict: Exciting

Even though Starforth has insisted that the deal is not done, it sure looks close, which is exciting for the Toon Army.

Murphy is already playing senior football at just 17, and has already played 19 times for Galway, which will only help his development should he make the expected move to Tyneside.

He has been described as an ‘elegant, ball-playing centre-back, who is comfortable bringing possession out of defence’ by Galway academy coach Martin Devlin, and the Irishman is also able to play in a number of other different positions, which will be very useful in the Academy set-up.

Nonetheless, Murphy is clearly one for the future, and will only bolster the Magpies’ Academy as they continue their long-term project.

In other news, find out who NUFC now ‘want’ as their ‘marquee’ signing here!

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Twenty20 between New Zealand and Pakistan in Auckland

Nitin Sundar25-Dec-2010Match FactsWith Shahid Afridi, a truly spectacular innings is always around the corner•AFPDecember 26, Auckland
Start time 14:00 (01:00 GMT)The Big PicturePakistan run into another team that is dealing with problems. Compared to the murkiness surrounding Pakistan’s cricket – spot-fixing investigations, an inefficient and politically incorrect board, a disappearing wicketkeeper – New Zealand’s winless woefulness may seem like a trifle.Yet, their recent travails in the subcontinent – where they failed to win any of their last 11 one-dayers and three Tests, spread across each of the three World Cup hosting countries – have left their tournament preparations in disarray, with very little time for new coach John Wright to turn things around.This series – on spongy, seaming tracks and small grounds – against a Pakistan team in its current state, presents New Zealand with less than ideal preparation for the big event, but it gives them a good shot at ending the slump.Pakistan don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing their venues anymore. Security concerns have prevented them from playing at home. This is Pakistan’s second visit to New Zealand in a year, a frequency rarely seen from Asian teams.They begin this tour at the Eden Park in Auckland, the venue that hosted the first ever Twenty20 international, almost six years ago. A lot has changed since that hit-and-giggle encounter, in which Australia and New Zealand sported retro costumes and outmoded facial hair. Three World Twenty20s have come and gone since, with Pakistan making the semi-finals on each occasion and winning the tournament once. This is the format they have always threatened to make their own; so despite their current four-match losing streak and all the other distractions, they come into the series with a dangerous reputation.Form guide(most recent first)
New Zealand: LWLWL
Pakistan: LLLLWWatch out for…It’s tough to leave Shahid Afridi out of this section, especially at the start of a series. There is a good chance he will succumb to a rush of blood and leave his backers infuriated, but with Afridi, truly explosive innings is always around the corner. He failed as an opener in Pakistan’s warm-up defeat, but his best innings in the format – the memorable half-centuries in the semi-final and final of the 2009 World Twenty20 – came at No. 3. Where is he going to take guard on Sunday?Daniel Vettori’s absence means Nathan McCullum will be New Zealand’s main spinner. His Twenty20 stats are impressive: a bowling average of 17.61 at an economy-rate of 6.45, to go with a batting average of 26.66. Pakistan have their share of aggressors in the middle order, and some of them – Umar Akmal in particular – are likely to target his offspin.Team newsBrendon McCullum’s absence gives Peter McGlashan another chance behind the stumps. McCullum will, however, be tougher to replace at the crease. Jesse Ryder should return to the opening spot after recovering from the injury he picked up in India, and he could have new-face Dean Brownlie for company. Adam Milne, the 18-year-old Central Districts seamer, could also get a game.New Zealand (probable): 1 Jesse Ryder, 2 Dean Brownlie, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor (capt), 5 James Franklin, 6 Scott Styris, 7 Nathan McCullum, 8 Peter McGlashan (wk), 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Ian Butler / Adam Milne, 11 Tim SoutheeUmar Akmal kept wickets for Pakistan in the warm-up match, and could continue to keep his brother Adnan, the specialist keeper, on the bench. Ahmed Shehzad made a duck in that match, and could make way for Asad Shafiq.Pakistan (probable): 1 Asad Shafiq / Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Shahid Afridi (capt), 4 Younis Khan, 5 Umar Akmal (wk), 6 Fawad Alam, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Umar Gul, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Shoaib AkhtarPitch and conditionsThe match will be played at a reoriented Eden Park stadium, with a newly installed pitch running from north to south, with some of the lower tier seats retracted in order to fit the new boundary. Traditionally, the average 20-over score on this ground works out to 154 for 9, but things could be different on the new track.Stats and trivia Pakistan won the first four T20s between these sides, before losing by one run in a close encounter in the 2010 World Twenty20 Shahid Afridi, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal are the top three wicket-takers in the format. Fourth in the list is a man New Zealand would have loved to have for this series – Daniel Vettori The hosts will miss another player dearly – Brendon McCullum is the only player with over 1000 Twenty20 runs (1100 in all), and is the leading six-hitter in the format. Pakistan are without their top three run-getters – Kamran Akmal, Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik Two of the five Twenty20 games played at Eden Park have resulted in ties.Quotes”Coaching is not about telling or ordering. It’s more about helping create an environment where good players who want to learn can get on.”
John Wright explains his coaching philosophy