All posts by n8rngtd.top

In case it gets the all-clear to resume IPL 2025 in May, the BCCI has shortlisted three cities to host the 16 remaining matches

Nagraj Gollapudi10-May-2025Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad have been shortlisted to host the 16 remaining IPL 2025 matches if the tournament resumes in May after being suspended on Friday. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the IPL chose the three southern Indian cities as part of a likely plan in case it gets the nod from the Indian government to resume the tournament.On Friday, the BCCI suspended the IPL for a week because of the cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan over the past few days. It could not be confirmed if the BCCI has decided on a cut-off date to decide whether to resume the IPL if it were to take place in May.Despite the proactive step in keeping the three venues ready, the BCCI officials acknowledged the difficulty of resuming the IPL quickly in the current environment. Franchise officials were informally informed of this on Friday, and several team officials ESPNcricinfo spoke to indicated that the remainder of the season could be played later in the year.Among the most significant challenges for the BCCI when it comes to a May resumption is to get the overseas players to return. Immediately after the suspension was announced, teams started disbanding, and players started to get on the next available flights to their respective destinations. A majority of the overseas players are expected to leave India by the end of Saturday.The PBKS vs DC game in Dharamsala was called off after only 10.1 overs•Associated Press

While the franchises remain optimistic that most overseas players would return if the tournament were to resume later in May, they admitted there would be no guarantees if the window extended beyond May 25, when the IPL 2025 final was scheduled to be played in Kolkata. That’s because of the bilateral commitments for several players, as well as the World Test Championship (WTC) final between Australia and South Africa, starting on June 11 at Lord’s.A total of 57 matches had been completed in IPL 2025, and the 58th was underway on May 8 between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) in Dharamsala, which was called off after 10.1 overs of play. The IPL has not yet taken a call on whether that match would be replayed.There are 12 league matches remaining, and then the four playoffs. Originally, Hyderabad was meant to host the first qualifier and the eliminator, with Kolkata hosting the second qualifier and the final.

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

It was always to be expected. After a protracted transfer saga this summer, Harry Maguire finally clinched his big-money move to Manchester United in the closing stages of the window. The England international established himself as one of the Premier League’s leading centre-halves in his time at Leicester, and you can understand why Foxes fans brought the typical boos to greet their former hero this weekend.

In Maguire’s first meeting with his former club on Saturday, the 26-year-old produced the kind of display that proved exactly why United shelled out a world-record fee for a defender. The away fans were on him from the first whistle, and it would have been so easy for him to be overwhelmed by the occasion. Instead, the 6 foot 4 powerhouse radiated calmness at the back and helped the Red Devils to a relatively comfortable win over the Foxes.

Coming up against former teammate Jamie Vardy, Maguire was faced with the task of marshalling a striker whose biggest strength is the centre-back’s biggest weakness. Pace. The script was very much there to be written for the Leicester striker to burst on to a through ball and leave the United defender for dust. Instead, the Red Devils star organised the side’s back-line and imposed his will.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 26-year-old registered two tackles and won four aerial duels, but it was his five clearances that really spoke of the maturity United have bought. Vardy’s notorious relentlessness when it comes to hounding opposition defenders means it will always be a dangerous task to try and play out from the back. Maguire took no such risks over the course of the game, hoofing things into row Z if needed, and bringing the ball out of defence when there was no pressure.

Speaking after the game, Maguire shared his thoughts on his performance against his former club.

“I’m really happy and not just because it was against my old team and the pressure of the game and the people talking about the battles during the game. He (Vardy) is a top player and he has done it in the Premier League for numerous years. I know, on his day, he can terrorise defences. I have seen it playing for Leicester for the past few years. It was really important we got hold of him and vital to nullify him because he is a top player.”

Maguire won more than just the battle on the pitch against his former teammates. He won the battle against the Leicester fans who booed him over the 90 minutes, and vindicated United’s decision to splash the cash.

[ad_pod ]

Australian opener extends strong run of form as Bohannon, Hurst provide support

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay02-May-2025Marcus Harris made his second century of the season to help Lancashire dominate the opening day of their Rothesay County Championship match against Gloucestershire.The former Australia opener also became the first batter to pass fifty five times in his first seven innings in first-class cricket for the county and finished on 165 not out with Lancashire on 342 for five after opting to bat first on what now appears an easy-paced pitch.Such an outcome looked unlikely after the impressive Ajeet Singh Dale had taken two wickets in his first ten balls to leave the home side on 23 for two but Harris shared partnerships of 98 with Josh Bohannon and 212 with Matty Hurst, who was caught behind by James Bracey off Zaman Akhter for 78 three overs before the close.Nevertheless, Lancashire are well placed in this match between two teams who have yet to win a match this season. During his innings, Harris became the leading run-scorer in the country in either division and will go into the second day’s play with a total of 559 runs against his name this season.Yet Gloucestershire’s bowlers had dominated the first hour of the day and Singh Dale reinforced his growing reputation by bowling George Bell via body, pad and boot for 10 with his second delivery and having Keaton Jennings caught by Cameron Bancroft at second slip for four in his next overThat left Lancashire on 23 for two but after some early uncertainty Bohannon and Harris played with growing fluency and took their side to 79 for two at lunch after 28 overs, 50 of those runs having been scored in the second hour of the session.On the resumption Bohannon cruised smoothly to his half-century in 96 balls with seven fours but he was then leg before wicket to Ollie Price for 56 when he misjudged the length of an off-spinner he attempted to pull.Although that wicket ended a productive 98-run third-wicket stand, Hurst played himself in with little fuss as the wicket eased. He gave Harris excellent support and Lancashire reached tea on 189 for three with Harris unbeaten on 90 after a session in which the Gloucestershire captain, Cameron Bancroft, had rotated his bowlers frequently, albeit to limited effect.Having reached his half-century off 106 balls, Harris hit three fours off the next six deliveries and that set the tone for his second fifty. He reached his century shortly after tea with a single off Tom Price after facing 176 balls and hitting 11 fours and the six over long-on off Ollie Price that took him to 99.The evening session served merely to underline Lancashire’s dominance. Hurst reached his fifty off 98 balls and Harris took only 47 deliveries to get from 100 to 150, a picked-up six over square leg off Josh Shaw epitomising his dominance.At that point, Shaw might well have looked back with some feeling to the 14th over of the day when Harris had tried to let the ball go but only succeeded in involuntarily inside-edging it to the fine leg boundary.Singh Dale was the pick of the Gloucestershire attack but this was a day on which loose shots either didn’t find the edge or go to hand and Bancroft will hope that his batsmen can reply in kind on the second and third days of this game.First, though, he must try to prevent Lancashire collecting four batting points for the first time this season and Akhter’s late success in claiming Hurst’s wicket when the batsman appeared to pull out of a hook was a considerable fillip, especially as it was followed four balls later by a delicious yorker which castled nightwatchman Saqib Mahmood for four.Akhter’s late strikes left him with figures of two for 68 while Singh Dale finished with two for 36 from 15 tight overs.

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Spanish publication Marca, Nacho Monreal will sign for Real Sociedad before the end of the European transfer window.

What’s the word?

Considering the arrival of Kieran Tierney at the Emirates Stadium this summer it’s hardly a surprise to see one of Arsenal’s left-back options linked with a switch away from the club.

That just so happens to be Monreal who despite not securing a move during the British transfer window, could still leave with the market currently open for other clubs across the continent.

Marca claims that the Spaniard will sign for Real Sociedad on a two-year contract and that an agreement with Arsenal is now very advanced.

However, it would seem a questionable decision from the Gunners to allow this switch to go through.

Arsenal can’t sell now

At the age of 33, Monreal’s time at Arsenal is understandably coming to an end and with Sead Kolasinac waiting in the wings, it’s not a great surprise to see he’s the more likely of the two to leave.

Yet this isn’t something the Gunners can afford to do at the moment.

Why? Because their other two left backs are far from set.

The fact of the matter is that they could leave themselves slim on the ground in terms of options during the first part of the season.

For the time being Tierney is out with an injury and won’t return until October at the earliest because of a groin issue.

Kolasinac’s role in the side is far from certain either. He was left out on the opening weekend because of the club taking precautionary measures over his and Mesut Ozil’s security.

Therefore, Monreal feels like the only fit choice at the moment and they’d be making a considerable error by letting the 5 foot 11 defender to leave now.

If Tierney returns to full fitness in a few months time then moving on the Spain international during the January transfer window seems like a far better option.

[ad_pod ]

Former England keeper to work alongside Paul Farbrace and Lance Klusener

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2021Sarah Taylor, the former England wicketkeeper, has been appointed as Team Abu Dhabi’s assistant coach for the upcoming Abu Dhabi T10 competition, which gets underway on 19 November.Taylor, who is also a specialist coach of the Sussex men’s team, has long been regarded as one of the best wicketkeepers in the history of the game, male or female.Her new role is a breakthrough moment in men’s franchise cricket, and follows the appointment of Julia Price as Brisbane Heat’s assistant coach in December 2019.”Coming into this franchise world, you get players and coaches coming in from all around the world where it may not necessarily be the norm but I’d love to think that some young girl or some woman watching can see me in the coaching team and realise that’s an opportunity and they can push for it, saying ‘If she can do it, why can’t I?’,” Taylor said.”I do hope that it becomes a little more normal and I may be the first [in a franchise role] but I won’t be the last. Coaching is my passion and it’s kind of going down the men’s route, which is really exciting.”I’ve never had issues in male environments and I enjoy the challenge. You always want to prove that you’re good enough, but that’s the same for any coach going into a new environment.”Taylor won two World Cups and the Women’s World T20 in a stellar career that encompassed a total of 226 caps for England. She will work alongside head coach Paul Farbrace during the tournament, with the former South Africa allrounder Lance Klusener – currently Afghanistan’s head coach at the men’s T20 World Cup – also on the coaching staff.Taylor also coaches at Bede’s School in Sussex, and in 2021 she came out of retirement to play for Welsh Fire in the Hundred, as well as Northern Diamonds in the Charlotte Edwards and Rachael Heyhoe Flint Cups. She remained open to further playing opportunities this winter, but says that the Abu Dhabi opportunity was too good to turn down.”It came completely out of the blue and it was an amazing surprise,” she said. “I’ve been counting down the days until I can get to Abu Dhabi and get going.”I cannot wait. As soon as I found out who the staff was, that made it even more exciting and it was a lightbulb moment that I would be stupid to miss out on the opportunity. I’ve got so much to learn, they’ve probably got so much to tell me and I’m very much going to be a sponge. I’ll have to be.”I’m going to sit there with a notebook and write as much as I can down. They know that as well, and will teach me so much as I’m at the start of my coaching career.”Shane Anderson, Abu Dhabi’s general manager, added: “Sarah brings a wealth of international experience and knowledge to the group and her appointment supports our desire to create a team culture of growth and inclusion, which ultimately sets a strong platform for success.”Team Abu Dhabi squad Chris Benjamin, Danny Briggs, Ahmed Daniyal, Fidel Edwards, Muhammad Farazuddin, Chris Gayle, Colin Ingram, Marchant de Lange, Liam Livingstone, Obed Mccoy, Rohan Mustafa, Naveen-ul-Haq, Phil Salt, Paul Stirling.

Victory at Edgbaston would seal title but Warwickshire have plenty to do on excellent batting pitch

ECB Reporters Network23-Sep-2021Warwickshire are one powerful day’s cricket away from lifting the LV=Insurance County Championship title after a strong fightback against Somerset on the third day at Edgbaston.Lancashire’s amazing win over Hampshire at Liverpool has left the Bears with a very simple equation. Victory – but nothing less – over Somerset will bring the title to Edgbaston for the eighth time in the club’s history.The equation is simple, but forcing victory will be a far from simple business for Will Rhodes’ side on an excellent batting pitch. They closed the third day on 179 for 1 – 157 ahead – so need to press on briskly with the bat tomorrow to give themselves time to try to take ten wickets on a batter-friendly surface.If Warwickshire can pull that off against a Somerset side which, to its great credit, has scrapped every inch of the way, they will deserve to be champions.Related

• Ben Slater seals five-wicket win over Yorkshire but Notts fall short of Bob Willis final

• Sussex rock-bottom as Derbyshire seal first win of season

• Smith piles on career-best as Surrey cruise towards high-scoring draw

• Adam Lyth serves reminder of Championship's raison d'être as Yorkshire hold Nottinghamshire up

• Briggs points Warks towards title on day his value is proven

The title-chasers spent the first two sessions of the third day in the dirt as Somerset, replying to 367, gritted onward from their overnight 239 for 5 to reach 389.The visitors’ head coach Jason Kerr stated the previous evening that “whoever wins the title is going to have to earn it” and his players showed a degree of resolve which matched his words.Steven Davies fell in the second over of the day for 52 when he edged Tim Bresnan to Michael Burgess. Bresnan then struck again when he trapped Craig Overton lbw, though Overton’s two-run stay had eaten up 43 minutes.Somerset’s batting has not over-achieved of late but this time they delivered some important partnerships. After Davies and Lewis Gregory added 60, Gregory and Jack Leach put on 54 and Leach and Josh Davey added 56.On an unforgiving pitch, there was little the depleted Warwickshire attack (without the injured Olly Stone, Olly Hannon-Dalby and Henry Brookes) could do but persevere. The indefatigable Bresnan was the pick, finishing with 3 for 35, supported by Danny Briggs (3 for 77) and Chris Woakes (3 for 100).Trailing by 22, Warwickshire had a session to regain the initiative and fully seized the opportunity. Rob Yates, who made 72 not out from 119 balls, and Dom Sibley, whose 50 took 69 balls and included a pair of sixes, batted enterprisingly to add 119 in 28 overs and Will Rhodes added late impetus with 42 in 29 balls.Together the trio supplied their side with a springboard to a potential victory – and Championship title – tomorrow.”What’s happened at Liverpool has put it back in our hands so now we have got to try and set something up tomorrow and take ten wickets,” Rhodes said. “Fair play to Somerset – they came out and did what they needed to do and took a lot of time out of the game.”The last session has swung it back in our favour a little bit and we are going to have to play well in the morning to come up with a target with a suitable amount of overs that we think we can bowl, them out on.”When you have had 13 and three-quarters games and are still in the hunt for a County Championship, that’s a great feeling. There is a lot of excitement in the dressing room at the minute and we just know that we have all got to make it as hard as possible for Somerset tomorrow.”

The Celtic supporters are absolutely furious at Neil Lennon’s comments on the Cluj defeat, as the Hoops boss asked his doubters to put the loss into perspective.

As reported by BBC Sport, the Parkhead gaffer stated: “We’ve lost one game and we scored three goals in it. There has to be a sense of perspective.”

It’s safe to say this hasn’t gone down well with an already raging fanbase.

The supporters were already furious with their club thanks to a woeful summer both on and off the pitch. The infamous Champions League exit brought supporters’ frustrations to boiling point, having seen their club fail to address problem positions in the starting XI and squad despite big money coming in this summer.

Watch Celtic Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

His advice to the fans has only served to infuriate them even further. Not only have the words themselves annoyed the supporters, but the fact that Lennon is brushing aside such a humiliating defeat has irked the Parkhead faithful.

Here’s how Lennon’s advice to the supporters went down on Twitter (spoiler: not very well)…

[ad_pod ]

The exercise will be a rehearsal for both the local governments in the UAE and the BCCI for the T20 World Cup

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Sep-2021Crowds will be allowed at the IPL for the first time since the 2019 edition. ESPNcricinfo understands IPL chief operating officer Hemang Amin relayed that information to the franchises on Tuesday, saying fans will be back for the second half of the IPL in “reduced capacity”. The IPL, which was suspended in early May, resumes from September 19 and will be played at three venues in the UAE: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.While the IPL issued a media release on Wednesday, calling the return of fans a “momentous” occasion and adding that it would allow “limited seating” at the three venues due to the UAE government’s regulations during the Covid-19 pandemic, it did not specify the percentage of tickets that would be put on sale. The exercise, though, will be a rehearsal for both the local governments in the UAE and the BCCI for the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup, which starts on October 17. While the first round of the World Cup will be played in Oman, the Super 12s and the knockouts will be hosted by the UAE.Related

• IPL 2021: Rishabh Pant to continue as Delhi Capitals captain

• IPL 2021 returns: Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, KKR and Sunrisers Hyderabad look to turn fortunes around

• IPL 2021 returns: What Delhi Capitals, CSK, RCB and Mumbai Indians need to do differently in second phase

• Dhoni vs Rohit to kickstart IPL's UAE leg from September 19

This is the second edition of the IPL to be played during the pandemic. In 2020, too, the BCCI had shifted the IPL to the UAE where the entire tournament was played behind closed doors. This year’s IPL started in India on April 9, also behind closed doors, but was suspended indefinitely on May 3 after several members from four different franchises at two different venues tested positive for Covid-19. With the prospect of the outbreak growing further, the BCCI was forced to suspend the tournament after 29 matches.The primary reason behind bringing back crowds could be the fact that the vast majority of the public in the UAE has been fully vaccinated. While it is not clear what the various conditions put in place for overseas fans will be, one mandatory rule is likely to be that they need to be fully vaccinated.Fans can buy tickets for the remainder of the tournament, from September 16, on the official website or on .

Middlesex post highest total in their history, Sussex without loss in reply but still 573 adrift

ECB Reporters network07-Sep-2021Sam Robson scored a career-best 253 and Robbie White his second successive century as Middlesex piled up the highest total in their history.White was unbeaten on 110 when Middlesex declared on 676 for 5 on day two of their LV = Insurance County Championship match at Hove.It was the sixth-biggest total Sussex have conceded in their history and highest for 21 years, but openers Tom Haines and Ali Orr enjoyed benign conditions too, taking their side to 103 without loss at stumps.Haines passed fifty for the seventh time this season and at stumps he was unbeaten on 73, which included 11 fours, with Orr 17 not out.Related

• Worcestershire opener Daryl Mitchell to retire at season's end

• Simon Harmer takes season tally to 49 as Essex roll Gloucestershire by an innings and three runs

• Darren Stevens – aka 'God' – has a hand in hefty Kent victory over Worcestershire

Much of the day had been spent ticking off records as Middlesex, who had resumed on 400 for 2, batted Sussex out of the game.Sussex’s bowlers stuck manfully to their task, but the pitch has offered little assistance and the three wickets they did take came from misjudgements by the batters.Robson moved to his double-hundred in the sixth over of the day with a boundary off Henry Crocombe and then accelerated, with his next 50 runs coming off 55 balls and taking him past his previous best of 231 against Warwickshire in 2013. It was a mild surprise when he tried to hit off-spinner Jack Carson through mid-wicket and gave Tom Haines, running across from mid-off, a catch. Robson had faced 356 balls and hit one six and 30 fours.Carson picked up a second wicket before lunch when Max Holden was taken at bat-pad for one but White and Martin Andersson sentenced Sussex to more suffering in the baking heat during the afternoon, as they added 174 for the fifth wicket.They went past Middlesex’s previous highest score of 642 for 3 against Hampshire at Southampton in 1923 and just before tea White, who made his maiden century against Derbyshire at Lord’s last week, took a boundary off Haines to reach his 100.Andersson had played more fluently and looked on course for a century of his own but on 88 he tried to hit Delray Rawlins over the top and couldn’t clear long on. That was four balls before tea, but Middlesex opted to finish the over after the interval before Orr and Haines could run off to put their pads on after 161 overs in the field. White’s runs came from 193 deliveries with six fours.

[ad_pod ]

According to The Times, Tottenham Hotspur have made an offer to sign Barcelona attacker Philippe Coutinho on loan for the 2019-20 campaign.

Coutinho moved to Spain from Liverpool in January 2018 but has struggled to make his mark for the Catalan giants.

The Brazil international has contributed a respectable 21 goals and 11 assists in 76 appearances for Barcelona but he struggled to make his mark last season – netting just five times in 34 La Liga matches.

[ad_pod ]

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino briefly coached Coutinho at Espanyol.

And according to The Times, Spurs have made an offer to sign the South American on loan for the 2019-20 season, which is likely to cost the London club in the region of £21m if it goes through.

As expected, the Liverpool fans have been vocal on social media since the story broke late on Tuesday afternoon.

And a selection of the reaction from the Merseyside club’s fans can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]