Irfan, Arif fifties guide Royals to 225 before Zeeshan, Kharote skittle Sharks for 139

Rvel Zahid22-Oct-2022
Bahawalpur Royals carved their name on the inaugural Pakistan Junior League (PJL) trophy by beating Gwadar Sharks by 86 runs in the final, in Lahore on Friday. Shawaiz Irfan smashed 79 off just 32 deliveries and Tayyab Arif hit a quick fifty to set the platform for an imposing total of 225. In the chase, Sharks were bowled out for 139, thanks to Mohammad Zeeshan and Nangeyalia Kharote’ three wicket-hauls.Sharks won the toss and elected to bowl, but the decision backfired. The damage inflicted by Irfan, Arif, Basit Ali and Kharote was massive for Sharks. While Arif made a 34-ball 56, Kharote remained unbeaten on 47 off 30 balls to help the Imran Tahir-mentored side post the highest total of the season.The Lahore-born Shawaiz, who was promoted up the batting order, was crowned Player of the Match after he thumped the fastest half-century of the tournament. His innings had seven fours and six sixes. His glovework has also been impressive throughout the PJL, drawing praise from Rashid Latif as well.Sharks never got a sniff while bowling as Arif and Afghanistani southpaw Kharote teed off and added 87 runs for the third wicket. Arif scored his first fifty of the PJL and his innings was laced with seven fours and one six, while Kharote hammered two sixes and three fours in his unbeaten knock.Sharks finished the group stage at the top of the table and beat Royals in the Qualifier 1 but on Friday, they were outclassed in all departments. Royals brought their A game in the all-important final and went in with an attacking mindset right from the start.In reply, Sharks did manage a flying start in the powerplay and got to 103 for 4 in the first ten overs, but the innings nosedived after the dismissal of their captain Shamyl Hussain, who notched up 67 off 34 balls. In the end, the team was skittled for 139 in under 16 overs.Their innings was a story of two halves as Sharks were meeting the asking rate in the first ten overs with Hussain leading the charge. But the moment Zeeshan was introduced into the attack, he removed Hussain and the floodgates were opened. Thereon, the wickets fell at regular intervals as the spinners applied the choke and the equation became tougher with each passing over.Sharks’ overseas signing Luc Martin Benkenstein has been in good nick in this competition and even guided his side to the doorstep of victory with a well-crafted 71 in Qualifier 1, but he couldn’t get going in the final and holed out to long-on off Sajjad Ali’s bowling. Another lynchpin of Sharks’ batting line-up Mohammad Zulfikal was snared by Kharote early on. Eventually, Sharks lost their last seven wickets for 43 runs.Sharks will rue the missed opportunities, overthrows and losing their composure when Arif and Shawaiz went berserk with the bat.Basit Ali, who hails from a remote city of Pakistan – Dera Murad Jamali – finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 379 runs at a strike rate of 150.39. He struck one century and two half-centuries in the PJL and a crucial 35 in the final. Zeeshan ended the tournament as highest wicket-taker with 14 scalps at an economy of 7.25 from eight matches.

Nottingham Forest are keen on signing an “exceptional” Premier League player this summer, and he is now expected to leave his club, according to a report.

Forest planning for the summer

Forest could be in a strong position to attract some top-quality players in the summer given their unexpected push for Europe this season, and they have already started weighing up their options.

The Tricky Trees are said to be readying a new move for Brentford forward Yoane Wissa after having a £22m bid knocked back in January, with manager Nuno Espirito Santo believed to be a big fan of the 28-year-old.

The Bees were insistent that Wissa was not for sale in the winter, and while it remains to be seen whether they soften their stance over the next few months, Nuno has now started to identify potential alternative targets.

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Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta is one of the names on the list, with the striker still deliberating over whether to commit to a new contract at Selhurst Park.

Forest are clearly looking to refresh their attacking options in the summer, but they are also looking to strengthen at the other end of the pitch, with a report from The Boot Room revealing that they still hold an active interest in Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

The Tricky Trees were keen on a move for Kelleher last summer, at which point the Reds were unwilling to sanction his departure, but there is now a feeling he will leave the Premier League leaders this summer.

Arne Slot is ready to sell the Irishman, who could be brought in to replace Matz Sels, despite Nuno being happy with his goalkeeper’s performances this season.

Kelleher outperforming Sels on key metrics

Although it must be noted that Kelleher has a stronger defence in front of him with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate making up the backline at Anfield, he has outperformed Sels on some key metrics over the past year.

Goals against

1.09 (85th percentile)

1.36 (50th percentile)

Save percentage

73.7% (72nd percentile)

68.3% (34th percentile)

Clean sheet percentage

30.4% (67th percentile)

28.2% (62nd percentile)

Crosses stopped percentage

5.8% (46th percentile)

4.3% (22nd percentile)

Not only that, but the Ireland international has also been described as “exceptional” by former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, and he has received high praise from teammate Andy Robertson this season.

The 26-year-old is unlikely to come cheap, with reports indicating the Reds could look to hold out for a fee of £30m, but there are clear indications he could be a real upgrade for Forest between the sticks.

That said, signing a new ‘keeper may not be a priority given that Sels has been largely dependable this season, and Nuno is happy with his performances.

Ruben Amorim has refused to be drawn into commenting on rumours linking Manchester United with a summer move for Wolves star Matheus Cunha.

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Amorim comments on speculationCunha has release clause of £62.5mMan Utd reportedly speaking the players' representativesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

Amorim was speaking at his Friday press conference ahead of his side's Premier League clash with Bournemouth on Sunday. The Portuguese manager refused to speculate on the likelihood of securing Cunha's signature, as the future is "hard to predict". The highly sought-after Brazilian has a release clause of £62.5m, and reports suggest United are willing to meet that valuation.

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Cunha is believed to be "optimistic" that a deal to the Old Trafford club will materialise in the summer, despite interest from other clubs including Chelsea and Arsenal. Discussions between the player's representatives and United have already taken place.

WHAT RUBEN AMORIM SAID

Amorim said: "I will not say anything about Matheus, because if I say one time I will have to say for any situation that is yes or no. So I will not comment about that. It’s hard to predict what is going to happen in the future."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR RUBEN AMORIM & MATHEUS CUNHA?

Cunha may be looking at United's semi final Europa League tie against Athletic Club with keen interest. The Red Devils summer spending power and appeal to prospective signings may rest on reaching next season's Champions League. Sitting in 14th, and having lost to the Brazilian's current side Wolves a few weeks ago, those hopes rest solely on lifting the trophy in Bilbao on the 21st May.

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No Parque São Jorge, o Corinthians superou o São Caetano por 2 a 0, pela 6ª rodada do Campeonato Paulista Sub-20. Arthur Sousa eMatheus Araújo marcaram os gols corintianos.

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+ GALERIA – Cássio faz 35! Confira 12 momentos marcantes do goleiro com a camisa do Corinthians

O técnico Danilo não teve à disposição os atacantes Wesley e Felipe. Os dois estiveram com o elenco principal na derrota por 1 a 0 contra o Cuiabá, pelo Brasileirão. O primeiro entrou no segundo tempo, no lugar de Gustavo Silva. A dupla participou do treino desta quarta-feira no CT Joaquim Grava.

O treinador do Sub-20 também não contou com o goleiro Kauê e o zagueiro Robert Renan, que se apresentaram na terça-feira (31) na Seleção Brasileira Sub-20 para um período de treinos em preparação e disputa do Torneio Internacional do Espírito Santo.

O próximo compromisso do Timãozinho no Paulistão Sub-20 é no domingo (12), às 15h, em Suzano, contra o Ecus. A equipe treinada por Danilo ocupa o 1º lugar do Grupo 9 do Paulista na categoria, com 13 pontos em seis jogos disputados. O São Caetano vem logo atrás, com nove pontos.

+ TABELA – Confira e simule os jogos do Corinthians no Brasileirão

O JOGO

Danilo escalou o Timãozinho com: Wesley Borges; Léo Maná, Alemão, Murillo e Abimael; Thomas, Matheus Araújo e Guilherme Biro; Giovane, Arthur Sousa e Breno Bidon.

Recuado, o São Caetano deu campo e a posse de bola para o Corinthians, que trabalhava com perigo no ataque. Aos 18 minutos, a e equipe da casa abriu o placar.

O zagueiro Alemão aproveitou que a defesa adversária não afastou bem a bola e lançou de primeira para Arthur Sousa. O camisa 9 ganhou na corrida e finalizou de pé esquerdo, inaugurando o marcador.

Minutos depois, em escanteio cobrado por Biro, a bola foi desviada por Murillo e sobrou para Matheus Araújo mandar para o fundo das redes. Ainda no primeiro tempo, o meia teve chance de fazer o seu segundo gol, mas parou no goleiro Max.

Na etapa final, o São Caetano tentou reverter a desvantagem e o Corinthians passou a ser mais defensivo. Danilo tirou algumas peças, e a equipe conseguiu segurar o resultado.

Right-arm fast bowler Kasun Rajitha has replaced fellow speedster Dushmantha Chameera, who suffered a grade two tear in the calf of his left foot, in Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup squad. Rajitha, who last played a T20I in October 2019, is in Sri Lanka and will travel to Australia as soon as possible.In addition to Chameera, batter Danushka Gunathilaka has also been ruled out of the T20 World Cup due to a hamstring tear. Ashen Bandara, one of the travelling reserves, will replace him. Gunathilaka had missed the match on Tuesday.Chameera winced and walked out of the field after bowling the last over of his spell in Sri Lanka’s win over UAE. The injury is connected to his ankle and calf issue that kept him out of the Asia Cup last month. Arjuna de Silva, head of SLC’s medical advisory committee, confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Chameera will be undergoing an ankle surgery and said, “The previous injuries were on the anterior part of the ankle, but this is in the calf. It’s a grade-two tear.”Rajitha was called up to the T20I squad for the home series against Australia in June but did not get a game. He then picked up a sole wicket in three outings for SLC Blues in the SLC Invitational League in August, which was his last T20 outing. His last international match, though, was the Test against Pakistan in July this year.Meanwhile, Tymal Mills has replaced Reece Topley, who injured his left ankle, as a like-for-like in England’s squad. Topley had suffered the injury after standing on the boundary cushion during a fielding drill ahead of England’s warm-up match against Pakistan.For UAE, travelling reserve Fahad Nawaz replaced Zawar Farid, who fractured his left foot.

One club tabled a £10m offer on transfer deadline day in an effort to prise a player out of Leeds United ahead of the final part of the Championship season, it has been revealed.

Leeds enjoy quiet window

As Leeds United boss Daniel Farke largely predicted, it was a quiet January transfer window for Leeds United. The club’s only business was to agree the temporary exit of Joe Gelhardt, who joined Hull City for the remainder of the campaign as he searched for regular first team football. Having already recruited Josuha Guilavogui earlier in the season as a free agent, Leeds felt that they did not need to be forced into business.

Their results backed that up, with the Whites currently clear atop the Championship while boasting the best attack and second best defence in the division, and they remain well on course for automatic promotion back to the Premier League come the end of the campaign, a fact underlined by an impressive January on the pitch.

Leeds United’s results in January

Games Played

6

Games Won

3

Games Lost

0

Goals Scored

10

Goals Conceded

4

Biggest Win

3-0 vs Sheffield Wednesday

There was scope to bring in a player, but only if it was the right player, as Farke outlined after their 7-0 thrashing of Cardiff City.

“I think it is also our responsibility, as key people in the club, to explore if there is something to improve the group a bit and make it a higher probability we are successful”, the Leeds boss explained. “If we find something and think it’s a good addition and affordable, we will go for it. And if not, then no.”

That player appeared to be Southampton forward Cameron Archer, but the Saints would not budge on their position even as Leeds pushed for a deal, leaving them empty-handed come the deadline. And now, details of a late move for a Leeds player have emerged.

Leeds reject forward bid

That is according to the BBC, who report that Leeds were offered the chance to cash in on impressive young talent Mateo Joseph on deadline day. Spanish outfit Real Betis, who signed Antony on loan from Manchester United this January, tabled a £10m bid to take Joseph back to Spain in the dying hours of the transfer window.

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However, it was swiftly rejected by the Elland Road outfit because the forward was “deemed too important to be let go”, in a move that was in part influenced by “the club’s inability to secure the services” of Archer.

Though he has only started 11 Championship games this season, Farke has previously branded Joseph as an “excellent” forward and the Spanish U21 international has had a key impact from the bench, featuring in all but one of Leeds’ clashes to date.

He scored from the bench in their 7-0 win over Cardiff, his third of the season, to go alongside three assists despite his limited opportunities at Elland Road. Still with three years left to run on his £15,000 a week deal in Yorkshire, his future could be revisited in the summer but for now he remains a key figure for the Whites.

A fresh Newcastle United exit update has emerged during the January transfer window, with a £150,000-a-week first team player wanting to seal his exit from the club.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies are still smarting after their 4-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, in a result that saw their momentum halted emphatically. It was a reality check for Eddie Howe and his players, but there is also no need for it to lead to an overreaction given their incredible run of form prior.

In terms of Newcastle transfer news, Botafogo winger Luiz Henrique has been linked with a move to St James’ Park, being seen as an upgrade on Jacob Murphy on the right wing. With Miguel Almiron set to depart this month, too, reinforcements in that area of the pitch are essential.

Galatasaray wide man Baris Yilmaz is another player who has been thrown into the mix as a possible addition for the Magpies, with the 24-year-old scoring 10 goals in just 17 Turkish Super Lig starts this season, shining on both the left and right flank.

At the back, Howe could also be looking for fresh faces, amid injuries and ageing players there, and highly-rated Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande has been backed to move to Newcastle. They tried to snap him up in the summer transfer window last year, but his £67m release clause proved to be too hefty a price at the time.

Newcastle summer signing eyeing exit this month

According to The Boot Room, Lloyd Kelly wants to leave Newcastle in January, having “grown frustrated” at the club, having come in as one of Paul Mitchell’s only signings in 2024. There is interest from the likes of Fenerbahce and Juventus, the latter of whom have seen an approach turned down, and “intermediaries believe a deal is possible” if a bid of around £25m is made.

It is understandable why Kelly doesn’t feel content at Newcastle currently, considering he has only made four starts in the Premier League this season, and just nine appearances in the competition in total. The likes of Fabian Schar and Dan Burn have simply been preferred to him, as has Sven Botman since his return from injury, meaning his Magpies career has struggled to get going.

It would be a risk for Newcastle to allow Kelly to leave this month, however, seeing as it would affect their squad depth between now and the end of the season. The Englishman can shine as both a centre-back and a left-back, so his versatility would be a real loss.

Assuming the former Bournemouth man’s lack of action continues in the coming months, though, a decision needs to be made about his future at the end of the current campaign.

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The £150,000-a-week Kelly is contracted at St James’ until the summer of 2029, so if Howe doesn’t see him as a key player moving forward, Newcastle could still receive good money for him, with the length of his deal putting them in a strong bargaining position to turn a nice profit after his free signing last summer.

Leeds United want to expand Elland Road and make it the seventh-largest stadium in England with the city council are set to meet over plans.

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• Leeds plan Elland Road expansion
• Could become England's seventh-largest stadium
• City council to meet on Wednesday

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Leeds are celebrating promotion back to the Premier League after their place in the Championship's top two was secured on Monday, with Daniel Farke's side winning 6-0 against Stoke City and then second-place Burnley beating third-place Sheffield United 2-1.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  With the Whites can look ahead to next season back in the top flight, they have started working on their expansion plan for Elland Road. Per the , Leeds plan to expand their home ground from 38,000 to 56,500 seats, which would make it the seventh-largest football stadium in England. The report adds that the executive board of Leeds City Council are set to meet to discuss the expansion plans on Wednesday.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Leeds are expected to hold an open-top bus parade to celebrate their achievement in the coming days. Farke has confirmed that he is looking forward to the celebrations as he told reporters: "I just want beer after beer and champagne after champagne right now and don't bother me with football, we'll speak about it in a few days."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LEEDS?

  The newly promoted club will play their penultimate Championship game on April 28 against Bristol City at Elland Road. They are still fighting with Burnley for the title.

تتجه أنظار جماهير كرة اليد المصرية والإفريقية، مساء اليوم الجمعة، صوب صالة الأمير عبد الله الفيصل بمقر النادي الأهلي في الجزيرة، لمتابعة القمة المرتقبة بين الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي بطولة إفريقيا للأندية أبطال الكؤوس 2024.

ويأتي النهائي بعد مشوار قوي للفريقين في البطولة، حيث تأهل الأهلي إلى النهائي عقب فوزه الكبير على فريق منتدى درب السلطان المغربي بنتيجة 36-22 في نصف النهائي، في مباراة أظهر فيها الفريق الأحمر تفوقًا واضحًا من البداية وحتى النهاية.

رابطة الأندية ترد عبر “بطولات” على استفسار المحكمة الرياضية عن أزمة انسحاب الأهلي

في المقابل، بلغ الزمالك المباراة النهائية بعد انتصاره المستحق على الترجي التونسي بنتيجة 30-22، في مواجهة فرض فيها الفريق الأبيض سيطرته واستحق التأهل عن جدارة.

ويخوض الفريقان اللقاء وسط طموحات جماهيرية كبيرة، خاصة أن مباريات القمة بين الأهلي والزمالك دائمًا ما تتسم بالإثارة والندية، فضلًا عن كونها تُعد بمثابة نهائي خاص داخل النهائي القاري، ما يضيف مزيدًا من الحماس والترقب للقاء المنتظر.

وتترقب الجماهير أيضًا تتويج ممثل مصر باللقب القاري، في ظل إقامة البطولة على الأراضي المصرية وتحديدًا داخل أسوار النادي الأهلي، ما يمنح المواجهة طابعًا جماهيريًا خاصًا ومؤازرة مضاعفة من المدرجات. موعد مباراة الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي كأس الكؤوس لكرة اليد

تنطلق المباراة اليوم الجمعة الموافق 23 مايو، في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي والزمالك اليوم

تنقل قناة أون سبورت 1 اللقاء المرتقب بين الأهلي والزمالك في نهائي بطولة إفريقيا للأندية أبطال الكؤوس لكرة اليد.  معلق مباراة الأهلي والزمالك

يتولى المعلق الرياضي خالد خيري مهمة التعليق على أحداث اللقاء.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا

Replacing Mandhana at the top, Meghana starred with 69 as India registered second successive win

Srinidhi Ramanujam03-Oct-2022

S Meghana’s maiden T20I fifty and her century-stand with Shafali Verma propelled India to 181 for 4 as they beat Malaysia by 30 runs by DLS method in the rain-affected match of the Women’s T20 Asia Cup, at Sylhet Cricket Stadium, Academy Ground on Monday. With their second successive win, India are second on the points table behind Pakistan, who have also won as many matches as them in the tournament so far, with only net run rate separating them.At the toss, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said their intention was to test the batting depth as they rested their star opener Smriti Mandhana along with allrounders Pooja Vastrakar and Sneh Rana, and pacer Renuka Singh. Kiran Navgire was selected and given an opportunity with the bat at No.4 with Richa Ghosh also being promoted while Harmanpreet and Jemimah Rodrigues did not come out to bat in their regular positions.With overcast conditions defending 181, Harmanpreet bowled five overs of spin in the second innings – with dark clouds hovering – and gave the sixth to Meghna Singh before rain interrupted play. Malaysia were 16 for 2, with Deepti Sharma and Rajeshwari Gayakwad accounting for a wicket each when the match was called off due to persistent rain. The first wicket, though, was unlucky for Malaysia, as their captain Winifred Duraisingam was given out lbw by the umpire after a thick inside edge off Deepti in the first over of the innings.After two defeats from two matches, Malaysia remain at the bottom of the table in the seven-team tournament. India will face UAE on Tuesday at the same venue.Meghana, playing her 13th T20I, gave India a strong start en route to her boundary-filled innings of 69 after they were put in to bat by Malaysia. While Shafali was scratchy on the other end, Meghana looked fluent – which was evident in her strokeplay as she hit as many as six of her 11 fours on the offside with her strong wrists. India also benefitted from Malaysia’s sloppy fielding as they ended the powerplay at 47 for no loss. Meghana got off the mark with a six off the fourth ball of the innings, off offspinner Sasha Azmi. She punched, slog-swept and drove towards covers to notch up her first T20I fifty in the tenth over. Her 53-ball knock comprised 11 fours and a six.With Shafali, Meghana stitched a 116-run opening stand, highest in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup and kept the scorecard ticking after accumulating 77 runs in the first ten overs.Meanwhile, Shafali huffed and puffed to a 39-ball 46 and was looking for fluency till the end of her innings. That she crossed 20 for the first time in her last six international innings would have given her a hint of confidence. Shafali hit three out of the six sixes by India batters and a lone boundary before being clean bowled by the 17-year-old Nur Dania Syuhada in the 19th over. Syuhada got Navgire out on the next ball, while she tried to slog her first ball over square leg only to find the fielder on the boundary.Ghosh, who came in at No.3, brought out her sweeps and reverse-sweeps to up the ante and finished unbeaten on 33 to provide India with a strong finish. The wicketkeeper-batter hit five fours and a six in her 19-ball knock. Dayalan Hemalatha then swung her bat to hit a four and a six off the last two balls of the innings to take India to 181.