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The season may have been abruptly suspended, but there were several takeaways

Gaurav Sundararaman08-May-2021Dhawan and Shaw: IPL’s best openers sitting out of India’s T20 XI
In the home T20I series against England, which preceded the IPL, India captain Virat Kohli lined up alongside KL Rahul as a contender to open with Rohit Sharma. While Rahul continued to prosper in the IPL, Kohli and Sharma, though consistent, scored at a quieter strike rate. At the halfway stage of the IPL, the trio’s first 10-ball strike rate was: Kohli (126), Rahul (100) and Sharma (89). But Sharma had played five out of seven matches on the challenging pitches in Chennai.Prithvi Shaw had by far the best first ten-ball strike rate among openers•ESPNcricinfo LtdIn contrast, the Delhi Capitals’ pair of Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan took T20 opening to a new level with their intent and built a strong case for their selection. Shaw’s 10-ball strike rate was 178.57 and he scored a boundary every three deliveries while Dhawan scored at a strike rate of 116. The right-left combination scored at a healthy 8.87 runs per over in the powerplay, dominating virtually all the IPL bowling attacks. They might not have been part of Indian T20I combination previously, but if Dhawan and Shaw end up continuing in the same dominant vein once the IPL resumes, they might end up giving a few headaches to the selectors and team management.For once, big buys turns up with performances
Earning huge salaries through the auction could result in a lot of pressure in the IPL. Not often do we see such players living up to the price tag. There have been instances in which a player has not played despite being sold for a large sum. However, early indicators this season showed that the big money players performed well. Chris Morris, who fetched the most money for any player at an IPL auction, won matches with the bat and ball for the Rajasthan Royals while serial IPL millionaire Glenn Maxwell neatly settled into a middle-order role at the Royal Challangers Bangalore. Maxwell played in tough conditions, helping his team get over the line on couple of occasions. Kyle Jamieson, relatively unknown on the T20 circuit, came into the league with a lot of questions, but displayed his potential with some tight bowling in difficult conditions and also showed he could stand his ground with the bat.CSK press the refresh button
In 2020 they surprised with their worst-ever IPL season. Barely six months later, MS Dhoni’s team surprised by making a remarkable turnaround. The Chennai Super Kings were leading the points table at the halfway stage. That turnaround happened because the team management had addressed their weaknesses promptly. In 2020, the Super Kings were the worst batting unit in the powerplay, but this time around the Super Kings were probably the only team to go hard through the 20 overs without worrying about the wickets.The Chennai Super Kings upped their attacking intent dramatically after a poor 2020 season•ESPNcricinfo LtdThat intent was brandished by Faf du Plessis at the top and the fireworks of Moeen Ali at No. 3. No team hit more sixes (62) or scored at a faster rate (9.57) than the Super Kings. Dhoni, the captain, realised that the other batters were striking the ball much better than him and he duly pushed himself down the order. In seven matches, Dhoni played just 30 deliveries, scoring 37 runs and batted only if required. That allowed Ravindra Jadeja more batting time and he proved to be a matchwinner. Flexibility and execution were the hallmarks of the Super Kings’ campaign.AB de Villiers rose to the occasion for Royal Challengers Bangalore•BCCIde Villiers gives South Africa hope
ESPNcricinfo is running the Greatest IPL Performance series currently. In the next edition, AB de Villiers’ undefeated 76 against the Knight Riders will easily be one of the nominations. It might be second to Kieron Pollard’s majestic assault against the Super Kings, but de Villiers once again proved why experience matters. And why Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher, the top brass at South Africa, want him back in the T20 set-up.de Villiers’ role at the Royal Challengers was to come in around the 12th over and close the innings. He did so on three occasions on tough pitches and conditions. Pitches do not matter for de Villiers and if he decides to make a comeback, he will be a force to reckon with for South Africa who are currently struggling to win in the shortest format.Related

The IPL 2021 team of the tournament (so far)

When and where can IPL 2021 be rescheduled to?

IPL 2021 and T20 World Cup – what happens next?

IPL 2021 orange cap: Ruturaj Gaikwad, purple cap: Harshal Patel

The uncapped Indian surprises
Not many might have expected the Royal Challengers’ fast bowler Harshal Patel to hold the purple cap and the Capitals’ quick Avesh Khan to be second among the highest wicket-takers at the halfway state of this IPL. Yet, both men made headlines by bowling the difficult overs. With an ability to bowl in the high 140s at will, Avesh was both accurate and consistent while being one of the best yorker specialists. His continued success not only allowed the Capitals to leave out their 2020 IPL hero Anrich Nortje, but also find space in the top order for Steven Smith.Patel, who was traded by the Capitals to the Royal Challengers, built his success using smart variations in pace which batters found difficult to read in Chennai. In addition, the pair of Devdutt Padikkal and Ruturaj Gaikwad carried forward their good form from the 2020 season while first-timers Harpreet Brar (Punjab Kings) and Chetan Sakariya (Rajasthan Royals) showed heart and courage to not get daunted by the occasion, making an impact more than once.Sunrisers Hyderabad made the surprise decision to axe David Warner as both captain and batter•BCCI/IPLHow the mighty have fallen
Did we ever imagine that franchises would drop players of the caliber of David Warner and Nicholas Pooran? Or Ishan Kishan after his success last IPL, which earned him an India T20I call-up? Despite being among the runs, Warner was dropped by the Sunrisers Hyderabad, both as captain and batter, for the sake of finding the right team balance. For some years now Sunil Narine has been dealt with easily by opposition batters and this season was no different as he failed to make an impact. Pooran, one of the smoothest power hitters in T20 cricket, had four ducks this season. Kishan played just two matches, but that was enough for the Mumbai Indians to change their combination and promote Krunal Pandya to No. 4 for the first time. The suspension of the IPL meant it is hard to comprehend the exact impact of such hard calls.Contrasting pitches make good viewing
Netural venues, contrasting pitches and the difference in boundary sizes made for interesting viewing. While Chennai and Ahmedabad aided spinners and kept the batters in check, Mumbai and Delhi were a nightmare for bowlers, mainly due to the dew setting in early. Batters scored at an average strike rate of 125 in Chennai and Ahmedabad, and 145 in Mumbai and Delhi. With no home advantage, teams such as the Mumbai Indians had to find new strategies to combat the slower pitches. Delhi and Mumbai saw teams scoring in excess of 200 consistently, making it difficult for the bowlers. The toss did not make as much of an impact as previous seasons.The curious case of Kuldeep
For the second season now, Kuldeep Yadav struggled to find a spot in the Kolkata Knight Riders’ bowling attack owing to the success of Varun Chakravarthy. In 2017, Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal were meant to be the future. However, even Chahal has been struggling to make an impact over the last one year, both with India as well as the Royal Challengers. Since January 2020, Chahal’s economy rate of 9.27 is the highest among all spinners (minimum 100 balls bowled) in T20Is. The break could be a welcome opportunity for the pair to work out an approach to help them bounce back strongly.

Bangladesh’s chances of making the semis took a big hit after they faltered with both bat and ball

Srinidhi Ramanujam10-Oct-2024Karishma Ramharack’s four-wicket haul and Hayley Matthews’ quickfire 34 helped West Indies coast to an important eight-wicket victory against Bangladesh, in Sharjah. Having chased down the target of 104 in 12.5 overs, West Indies, with their second win in three matches, moved to top of Group B. Three teams from this group are now in contention for the two semi-final spots with South Africa and England also on four points, but the latter have played only two matches.Bangladesh succumbed to their second straight defeat in three matches and their chances of advancing to the knockouts took a big hit. Batting once again hurt Bangladesh as they lost six wickets for 27 runs after they were sent in to bat.

Ramharack rips through Bangladesh

West Indies used as many as seven bowlers but it was Ramharack who stood out by taking a wicket each in her four overs across different phases of the game. The offspinner struck with her very first delivery when opener Shathi Rani tried to sweep and missed. Shemaine Campbelle took the bails off in a flash to effect a stumping. In her second over, the last one in the powerplay, Dilara Akter moved across to sweep but missed, only to expose her middle stump and be bowled. When Ramharack came out to bowl in the 13th over, she mixed her lines well but kept the ball outside off. She had Sobhana Mostary stumped by making her come down the track to an outside offstump delivery. That ended the 40-run third-wicket stand for Bangladesh.Stafanie Taylor and Hayley Matthews added 52 for the opening wicket•ICC/Getty Images

Just when Nigar Sultana and Ritu Moni were looking to stitch a stand during the death overs, Ramaharack came back and knocked Moni out. Chinelle Henry took an excellent running catch after the batter came down and miscued a lofted shot to deep midwicket. Ramharack finished with 4 for 17.

Sultana’s slowdown

Bangladesh showed positive intent with the bat early on, with the openers charging down as early as the second over to go aerial. Nigar started briskly after the openers fell in the powerplay. She particularly took legspinner Afy Fletcher on and smacked three fours off her second over and moved to 20 off 17 balls. However, once Mostary fell in the 13th over and Fletcher struck twice in the 15th, Nigar, who was on 27 off 27, slowed down despite West Indies’ sloppy fielding. Her next 17 deliveries fetched just 12 runs and eventually, she fell to Matthews in the final over attempting a big heave towards deep midwicket.

Matthews steers WI’s chase

Bangladesh struggled to pitch the ball up and got punished as they erred on the shorter side. It allowed the West Indies batters to rock back and play their shots. Matthews, in particular, pounced on this opportunity in the powerplay and blunted the Bangladesh attack. After being on a run-a-ball seven, Matthews lined up the left-arm spin of Nahida Akter with a punch off the backfoot, piercing the gap between cover and extra cover. Two balls later, Nahida bowled short again and received the same treatment.Legspinner Fahima Khatun, after having given away just four runs off her first over, bowled short on off stump in the fifth over and Matthews stayed back and punched uppishly to find her third boundary on the off side. Marufa Akter overpitched the last ball of the powerplay, which Matthews drove through cover to bring up her sixth boundary. But she was bowled by a nip-backer from the fast bowler in the eighth over for a 22-ball 34. At the end of Marufa’s over though, West Indies needed just 49 off 72 balls which was taken care of by Stafanie Taylor – before she limped off retired hurt – and Deandra Dottin, who smashed an unbeaten 19 off just seven balls.

MatériaMais Notícias

da aviator aposta： Cuiabá e Palmeiras se enfrentam neste sábado (19), às 18h30 (de Brasília), pela 20ª rodada do Brasileirão. Enquanto o Dourado vem de derrota no campeonato, o Verdão vem de vitória. No entanto, o time de Abel Ferreira deve ir a campo com desfalques, enquanto a equipe da casa tem Deyverson reencontrando seu ex-clube.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasÍdolo do Palmeiras, Rony revela ‘perrengues’ antes da glória: ‘Não tinha o que comer’Palmeiras18/08/2023PalmeirasRaphael Veiga é o único convocado do Palmeiras para Seleção Brasileira em primeira lista da era DinizPalmeiras18/08/2023PalmeirasCom cinco desfalques, Palmeiras encerra preparação para enfrentar o Cuiabá; veja provável timePalmeiras18/08/2023

da betano casino： + Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Para o duelo deste sábado (19), o Cuiabá não tem problemas com lesão e suspensão. Assim, deve ir com força máxima para receber o Alviverde. A principal arma do Dourado é Deyvinho, herói do título da Libertadores pelo adversário. Ele, porém, ainda não marcou seu gol diante do ex-time e, em boa fase, busca esse feito na 20ª rodada deste Brasileiro.

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Enquanto isso, o Palmeiras chega no Mato Grosso com desfalques. Além de Gustavo Gómez e Vanderlan, suspensos pelo terceiro amarelo, Abel Ferreira não poderá contar com Gabriel Menino, Luis Guilherme e Dudu, que estão em tratamento no departamento médico. Há ainda a possibilidade de o treinador poupar alguns jogadores pensando na Libertadores.

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Veja todas as informações da partida:

CUIABÁ X PALMEIRAS

Local:Arena Pantanal, em Cuiabá (MT)
Data e hora:19/8/2023, às 18h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro:Andre Luiz Skettino Policarpo Bento (MG)
Assistentes:Guilherme Dias Camilo (Fifa/MG) e Ricardo Junio de Souza (MG)
VAR:Wagner Reway (VAR-Fifa/PB)
Onde assistir:Premiere e no tempo real doLance!

CUIABÁ:Walter; Matheus Alexandre, Marllon, Alan Empereur, Rikelme; Raniele, Fernando Sobral e Ceppelini; Jonathan Cafú, Clayson e Deyverson.Técnico:Antonio Oliveira.

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Desfalques:-
Pendurados:Raniele, Denilson, Deyverson, Walter, Patric Calmon e Filipe Augusto

PALMEIRAS:Weverton; Marcos Rocha (Mayke), Luan, Murilo e Piquerez; Zé Rafael (Fabinho), Richard Ríos e Jhon Jhon (Raphael Veiga); Artur, Breno Lopes e Flaco López (Rony).Técnico:Abel Ferreira.

Desfalques:Gustavo Gómez e Vanderlan (suspensos), Dudu (lesão na panturrilha), Luis Guilherme e Gabriel Menino (lesão muscular), e Atuesta (cirurgia no joelho direito)
Pendurados:Abel Ferreira (técnico), Weverton, Zé Rafael, Flaco López, Garcia, Jhon Jhon e Endrick

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoCuiabáOnde assistirPalmeiras

da esoccer bet： Chelsea’s transfer plans for the summer window are now in full swing, having just reached an agreement for the signing of Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, but their striker search may not be over with the Englishman.

Chelsea could sign second striker after Liam Delap

da realbet： Earlier this week, Chelsea shook hands on a £30 million deal for Delap, fresh off the back of his 12-goal haul for Kieran McKenna’s relegated side.

Related Chelsea submit bid to sign £42m Serie A star who's admitted he could leave

The west Londoners are in good spirits after their Conference League triumph.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini May 29, 2025

The ex-Man City starlet was a beacon of light in an otherwise dismal Ipswich side, and his £30 million release clause was always going to result in club’s poaching Delap from Portman Road after his excellent 2024/2025 campaign.

Delap had offers from Man United, Newcastle and Everton as well as Chelsea, but the latter jumped into pole position after their qualification for next season’s Champions League, with the striker now set to bolster Enzo Maresca’s forward line.

Maresca knows the centre-forward well from their time together at City, and Delap was academy teammates with Cole Palmer, so the 22-year-old already has plenty of connections at the club and should get settled quickly.

Delap is set to undergo a medical on Monday ahead of his proposed switch to Stamford Bridge, but according to recent reports, he may not be their only new addition up front.

Race for Champions League qualification – Final standings

Rank

Team

Points

GD

3

Man City

71

+28

4

Chelsea

69

+21

5

Newcastle

66

+21

6

Aston Villa

66

+7

7

Nottingham Forest

65

+12

Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has reported that Chelsea are still “pushing” to sign Eintracht Frankfurt sensation Hugo Ekitike, regardless of Delap’s arrival, following other claims that BlueCo could bring in two number nines before summer deadline day on September 1.

Chelsea’s pursuit of a double-striker deal is described as very possible, especially after their qualification for the Champions League, with player sales also likely to play a key role.

Chelsea in pole position to sign Hugo Ekitike after opening talks

According to CaughtOffside, despite his mammoth £84 million asking price, Chelsea and Liverpool remain interested in Ekitike as we enter the mini-transfer window open from June 1 to June 10.

After opening talks, it is believed Chelsea are currently in pole position to sign Ekitike ahead of Arne Slot’s side, following the Frenchman’s excellent haul of 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances across 24/25.

Despite never quite making it at PSG, the 22-year-old has displayed his obvious quality in the Bundesliga, and those who’ve worked with Ekitike have showered praise on him, so he’s an option worth considering after Delap.

Called an “amazing” talent by French football expert Julien Laurens, Ekitike’s reserve team coach at Reims, Franck Chalencon, has shared exactly what Chelsea can expect from him.

“He’s a very clever player which has seen him to adapt and understand the expectations of professional football,” said Chalencon.

“His main quality? His instinct for goal. It’s very rare that Hugo plays a game without creating a chance himself at any occasion. In front of the goal, his ratio is excellent. But he’s not only a striker, he can play on the wing, too. Very technical. He knows what to do with the ball, when to keep it, when to give it.”

أصدر نادي مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي بيانًا رسميًا، منذ قليل، للإعلان عن تجديد عقد أحد لاعبي الفريق لمدة 6 سنوات، أي حتى عام 2031، حسبما تم الإعلان عبر الموقع الرسمي للسكاي بلو.

ويستعد مانشستر سيتي لخوض مباراة مساء يوم الأحد ضد خصمه برينتفورد، في الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

من جانبه، قال مانشستر سيتي إن اللاعب سافينيو وقع عقدًا جديدًا مع السكاي بلو، في صفقة سيستمر بمقتضاها في ملعب “الاتحاد” حتى صيف 2031.

وارتبط سافينيو بإمكانية مغادرة صفوف فريق مانشستر سيتي في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي لذلك العام، حيث حاول توتنهام ضمه، ولكن تلك الخطوة لم تتم في النهاية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. جوارديولا: إحباط هالاند طبيعي.. وتوخيل يعرف مصلحة إنجلترا أكثر مني

وشارك سافينيو في 48 مباراة في مختلف المسابقات مع مانشستر سيتي في موسمه الأول، وسجل 3 أهداف وصنع 13، ولعب دورًا في التتويج بكأس الدرع الخيرية 2024.

وقال سافينيو: “أنا فخور للغاية بتوقيع هذا العقد الجديد مع مانشستر سيتي، إنه شعور مميز للغاية أن أعلم أن بيب والنادي وضعا هذه الثقة بي، هذا يعني الكثير لي ولعائلتي، أشعر أن أمامي الكثير لأتطور، ما زلت شابًا ومتعطشًا جدًا لمواصلة التعلم، لكنني أعلم أن العمل مع بيب وجهازه الفني سيساعدني على مواصلة التطور كلاعب”.

وأضاف: “أحببت فترة وجودي في مانشستر سيتي منذ اللحظة الأولى التي وصلت فيها، لقد جعلني الجميع في النادي، وجماهيرنا الرائعة، أشعر بالترحيب الشديد وكأنني في بيتي هنا في مانشستر، أود أن أشكر الجميع هنا على مساعدتهم حتى الآن”.

واختتم: “أعدكم بأنني سأبذل قصارى جهدي لمساعدة هذا النادي الرائع على تحقيق المزيد من النجاح”.

Chelsea still have plenty to play for over the next two months as they fight to end the 2024/25 campaign with a trophy to show for their efforts on the pitch.

The Blues have one foot in the semi-finals of the Conference League after they travelled to Poland to hammer Legia Warsaw 3-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final clash on Thursday evening.

Tyrique George opened the scoring, with his first senior goal for the club, and Noni Madueke scored twice to secure a comfortable victory for Enzo Maresca’s side.

The Blues will be hoping to win their first Conference League trophy to claim a piece of silverware in the manager’s first season at the club, whilst also attempting to qualify for the Champions League.

Chelsea are fourth in the Premier League and now know that the top five in the division will qualify for Europe’s premier cup competition, which means that they are in a great position at this moment in time.

Despite the fact that it could be a successful end to the season, the Blues are reportedly active in the market ahead of the summer – with Liam Delap one player who is of interest to the London giants.

Why Chelsea want to sign Liam Delap

It was recently reported that Chelsea are serious about a deal to sign the England U21 international, and that they have already opened talks to snap him up from Ipswich Town.

The 22-year-old striker is set to be relegated to the Championship with the Tractor Boys, who are 12 points adrift with seven matches left to play, and the Blues could take advantage of that to bring the forward to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Despite Ipswich’s struggles in the Premier League this season, the former Manchester City centre-forward has proven his ability to find the back of the net on a regular basis.

He has scored 12 goals in 30 appearances in the division, despite his team having only scored 31 times in 31 games in the league, and outscored current Chelsea number nine Nicolas Jackson.

As you can see in the graphic above, Delap has been significantly more clinical with the ‘big chances’ that have come his way than Jackson has for the Blues this term.

This may be why Chelsea are interested in signing the English youngster when the summer transfer window opens for business later this year, because he could improve the team’s ruthlessness in the final third.

The Blues, however, have now been linked with interest in a player who could be a even better signing than Delap from another Premier League team.

Chelsea have made contact to sign Premier League star

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Chelsea are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign central defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The report claims that Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, and Liverpool are the other Premier League sides keen on a swoop for the Spain international, who has caught the eye with the Cherries this season.

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It states that all four of those clubs, as well as Chelsea, have made contact with the player’s representatives to see where his head is at ahead of the summer.

Ornstein’s report adds that the Spanish centre-back has a £50m release clause in his current contract with Bournemouth, which would allow teams to snap him up without having to have drawn out discussions with his club.

It reveals that the Cherries and Huijsen both want a transfer, or for him to commit to staying at the Vitality, as early as possible in the window, to avoid any late drama.

This means that Chelsea could get a deal for the young central defender wrapped up early, allowing them to focus on other positions later i the window.

Why Huijsen would be a better signing than Delap

Whilst Delap would be an excellent addition to the squad, for the reasons mentioned earlier, Huijsen would be an even better signing for the Blues for several reasons.

Firstly, the Spanish colossus is three years younger than the Ipswich sensation and this means that Chelsea could get more out of him in the long-term, assuming both players are successful and go on to be long-serving performers at Stamford Bridge.

Secondly, Huijsen is already accustomed to playing in a team that wins games fairly regularly, as Bournemouth are tenth in the division and have won 12 and lost ten. This means that he could hit the ground running for the Blues in a team that is on the front foot and expected to perform well as a team.

Whereas, Ipswich have only won four of their 31 matches and this means that Delap has often been chasing long balls or trying to fashion chances for himself against the run of play, which would be completely different to the way that Chelsea play with their possession-based football under Maresca.

That is not to say that the English ace could not adapt to the new style, but it suggests that Huijsen is less of a gamble and has a greater chance of hitting the ground running.

Delap is also yet to show that he can create chances for his teammates on a consistent basis, with 0.7 key passes per game, three ‘big chances’ created, and just two assists in 30 league matches.

Whereas, Huijsen, who football talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed as “extremely dominant”, has excelled at both parts of the game in his respective position at centre-back, by offering consistent quality in and out of possession.

As you can see in the table above, the Spain international ranks incredibly highly among his positional peers when it comes to progressing play to create chances in possession, whilst also being an outstanding defender who is typically in the right place at the right time to make vital interceptions and clearances.

This suggests that there are not many, if any, flaws in the 19-year-old star’s game, whilst there does seem to still be some gaps in Delap’s development, and that is why he could be an even better addition than the England U21 international.

Contact made: Chelsea plot move for "world-class" ace who'd be Desailly 2.0

Chelsea could repeat their Marcel Desailly masterclass by raiding AC Milan once again.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 7, 2025

The Blues could bolster their squad by signing both of these young talents in the summer transfer window, but – for the reasons listed here – Huijsen should be their top priority.

Former Arsenal star Santi Cazorla scored a dramatic free-kick, with his weaker foot and at 40 years of age, to book a play-off final berth for Oviedo.

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• Two-time European Championship winner
• Graced the Premier League with Gunners
• Helped boyhood club back to the big time

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The ex-Spain international returned to his boyhood club in 2023, with the lowest possible salary being agreed as he endeavoured to help them clamber back into La Liga. After 25 years outside of the top-flight, Oviedo are one step away from fulfilling that dream.

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  That is thanks to Cazorla, who stepped off the bench to make a decisive contribution in the second leg of their play-off semi-final clash with Almeria. He fired in a free-kick from the edge of the box, with the ball sent fizzing into the bottom corner.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  What made that strike even more impressive is the fact Cazorla – who once endured eight operations on an ankle problem and saw gangrene pose an amputation risk – took said set-piece with his left foot.

South Africa top order batter set for first county stint after impressing in domestic T20

ESPNcricinfo staff03-May-2024Northamptonshire have signed South Africa top-order batter Matthew Breetzke for the the upcoming Vitality T20 Blast.Breetzke, 25, has won three T20I caps for his country but was not named in South Africa’s T20 World Cup squad and should be available throughout the group stage alongside Northamptonshire’s other overseas signing, Zimbabwe allrounder Sikandar Raza.”Matt is a very capable batter who will bring power, experience and some real determination to the side,” John Sadler, Northamptonshire’s head coach, said. “We identified what we wanted to achieve with our overseas signings this year and he fits the profile of exactly the type of player that we wanted to bring in as our second overseas.Related

• Blast veteran Bopara signs T20 contract with Northants

• Green to join Lancashire for Vitality T20 Blast

• Aamer Jamal joins Warwickshire for Championship, T20 Blast stint

• Toughest-ever county overseas market puts visa criteria in focus

“He has been excellent over the last couple of seasons domestically and we’ve been really impressive so we can’t wait to see him this summer.”In a tough market for overseas signings, Breetzke stood out with his domestic T20 form. He was the third-highest run-scorer at the 2023-24 SA20, with 416 at a strike rate of 135.50 for Durban’s Super Giants, then topped the list in the recently completed CSA T20 Challenge, with 467 runs for Warriors.Breetzke said: “I am very excited to join the Steelbacks for the upcoming Vitality Blast and really grateful for the opportunity. I hope to contribute a lot on and off the field during my time at the club.”

Josh Little returned the best-ever figures for an Ireland player in ODIs to help his team claim a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe with a four-wicket win.Little blew away the Zimbabwe top-order with four wickets – including three in an over – reducing the hosts to 19 for 4. Ryan Burl, Clive Madande and Wellington Masakadza all held fort for a bit as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 166 in 42.5 overs with Little claiming 6 for 36 in 10 overs. In reply, Curtis Campher struck a 71-ball 66 as Ireland completed a win in 40.1 overs.Sikandar Raza elected to bat under blue skies, but was in for a rude awakening. Tinashe Kamunhukamwe struck two fours off Mark Adair but failed to keep a Little short-of-a-length ball down pulling to George Dockrell who took a good catch diving forward. Two balls later Miton Shumba poked at an away-swinger only to offer Lorcan Tucker a simple catch behind the stumps. Little struck for the third time in the fourth over when Joylord Gumbie’s tough stay at the crease ended with him bottom-edging an in-decker back onto his stumps.Zimbabwe were reduced to 16 for 3 after four overs and Little added to their miseries by taking out their captain Raza the next over, who also chopped a length ball onto his off stump.Burl and Madande then staged a brief revival. The duo added 45 off 74 balls for the fifth wicket with Madande being the aggressor scoring a 42-ball 33. He did get a life on 5 when Harry Tector dropped a tough chance at backward point but grew in confidence. His innings was ended by Andy McBrine with deep midwicket moving excellently to his left.Brandon Mavuta came and went as Zimbabwe were reduced to 70 for 6 in 22 overs. But Burl and Masakadza stemmed the collapse through a 63-run stand for the seventh wicket.Masakadza came in and whacked Little for two fours before clobbering McBrine into the stands over deep midwicket. Burl, too, having been circumspect till then broke the shackles by depositing Graham Hume over mid-on.Tector then broke the promising stand by taking out Burl before Little came back to complete his first five-wicket haul in ODIs by removing Masakadza and then cleaned up Ngarava for 1. Mark Adair closed out the Zimbabwe innings in the 43rd over. Burl, who was ruffled by a Little short-ball in the 10th over was concussed out of the game and replaced by Tony Munyonga in the second innings.Lorcan Tucker and Curtis Campher put up a 43-run stand•Zimbabwe Cricket

The surface was not a belter for batters and Andy Balbirnie found that out straightaway when he saw his off pole take a walk first ball courtesy of a Richard Ngarava away-swinger. Paul Stirling got off the mark with a crisp drive but Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani kept things tight. Stirling was dropped by the keeper on 13 but failed to cash in, getting castled by Muzarabani soon after. Ireland could only manage 29 for 2 after the first powerplay with the two frontline seamers bowling unchanged.The first-change bowler Tanaka Chivanga, however, failed to keep up the pressure. He leaked 15 runs off his first over with Campher taking him for three successive fours. Muzarabani then went four two fours in his next as Ireland kept chugging away.Tector and Campher added 52 for the third wicket before the former was bowled by a peach of a legbreak by Mavuta. Campher, though made sure to keep going and found an ally in Lorcan Tucker.The two pushed Ireland closer to the target when rain interrupted play with the visitors on 101 for 3 after 25, needing 66 off 25 overs. Campher hobbled off into the changeroom holding his side at the rain break but made it back into the middle once play resumed.No overs were lost but Zimbabwe did strike a couple of blows to cause a few flutters in the Irish camp. Campher reached his fifty off 58 balls and then struck a couple of fours. But Mavuta soon had him clean bowled when he missed a sweep to a full-length ball. Muzarabani then saw the back of Tucker for 28 as he finished with excellent figures of 10-2-23-2.Adair and Dockrell, however, kept their composure adding 34 for the sixth wicket. Dockrell fell when just a run was needed for victory before Adair closed the game with a ramp over the wicketkeeper’s head.

Chelsea aren’t the type of club to mess about when it comes to transfer interest, and it will come as no surprise to hear they are now hot on the trail of one of Europe’s rising commodities ahead of the summer window, per reports.

Chelsea are already making moves ahead of the summer

Enzo Maresca has endured a mixed spell in charge of Chelsea, but may finish the campaign with a top-four finish and silverware in the form of the Conference League should all go to plan.

Taking into account that he is still fairly new to senior management, any such outcome would have to go down as a success story at Stamford Bridge. Looking to build on solid foundations, the Blues boss has already sealed deals to bring Dario Essugo and Geovany Quenda to west London from Sporting Clube de Portugal for a fee in excess of £60m.

Unlikely to stop there, Chelsea are ready to sell Raheem Sterling and Joao Felix to fund their striker pursuit, potentially freeing up £345,000 per week in wage expenditure to hone in on improving other areas of the squad.

Finding a balance that adheres to PSR regulations will be a challenge. Still, Todd Boehly and company are well-versed in the art of the deal, so expect plenty of incomings from start to finish in the upcoming window.

While their strategy of stockpiling young talent has its critics, they aren’t the only club in the world keen to amass an empire of assets, either at first-team level or for trade on the market.

Best signing since Hazard & Kante: Boehly struck gold on Chelsea's "genius"

Chelsea struck gold signing this “world-class” ace who’s their best signing since Hazard & Kante

ByConnor Holden Mar 22, 2025

Continuing the theme of pushing towards a younger squad profile, Maresca has now put his hat in the ring for one of Europe’s most promising defenders, according to recent developments.

Chelsea 'looking closely' at Bournemouth breakout star Dean Huijsen

According to David Ornstein (as per by CaughtOffside), Chelsea are ‘looking closely’ at Bournemouth star Dean Huijsen and may look to trigger his £50m release clause, which is active from this summer.

He stated: “He is expected to move for that £50m clause, which is active in the summer, and I’m sure Bournemouth, the player and his suitors would ideally like some clarity sooner rather than later so they can plan accordingly.

Appearances

23

Goals

2

Assists

0

Duels won

85

Aerial duels won

48

Pass completion

84.3%

Interceptions

42

Recoveries

80

“We know Chelsea have been looking closely at him, Newcastle have been heavily linked but not sure I see that one materialising and even massive clubs on the continent like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are being mentioned in certain quarters.”

Reports in Spain lay out that Chelsea watched Huijsen in action for Spain against the Netherlands in the Nations League, lending credence to the notion that they could strike to bring the Amsterdam-born man to west London. In light of his potential, he has been labelled “excellent” by prominent X personality Jacek Kulig.

Real Madrid have also run checks on the defender and could offer some serious competition in the battle for his signature. They won’t be the only ones judging his recent form.

Now, it remains to be seen whether Chelsea will firm up their initial admiration for the defender by making an approach once the summer window gets underway.