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With little consistent support from the rest of his batting line-up, the Sunrisers Hyderabad captain had to play the dual roles of superhero and sidekick to lift them to their maiden IPL title

Nagraj Gollapudi in Bangalore29-May-2016Virat Kohli might have earned a considerable amount of applause for his mesmeric batting in this IPL. But in the biggest match of the season, the one man who had been challenging Kohli’s claim for the tournament’s MVP crossed the finish line ahead of the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain. David Warner was that man.He had dared Kohli by electing to bat first, telling Royal Challengers that he possessed a formidable bowling attack. But first, Sunrisers had to put a challenging total on the board.Unlike Chris Gayle, later in the evening, Warner was not destructive. As he has been throughout the tournament, he was attentive to the possibilities, his placement inch-perfect.Take this instance: Sachin Baby stood at short third man, Gayle at backward point. Barely 10 yards separated the two. Shane Watson erred for the third time in his first over, bowling full and wide outside off stump. Warner stretched to chop the ball neatly into the narrow divide. The fielders held their heads. Warner did not even look up. He knew what he was doing.Gayle then came on to bowl. He was firing his offbreaks into the batsman’s legs. But the first time he opted to flight the ball, the last ball of his third over, Warner swept him powerfully over mid-on for his second six.In no time – 24 balls – Warner raised his bat to mark his ninth fifty of the season, the most by any batsman. Kohli might have won the Orange Cap with four centuries, but Warner was not far behind – he finished with 848 runs to Kohli’s 973, his strike rate, 151.42, nearly identical to Kohli’s 152.03.Yuzvendra Chahal, the best spinner in this IPL, became a little predictable, bowling too many googlies at the left-handed Warner. Offered width, Warner cut Chahal for two fours in the ninth over.S Aravind finally forced Warner to edge one in the 14th. Did Aravind take the wicket or did Warner throw it away? Probably it was the latter. Offered a low full toss on off stump, Warner had punched Aravind for a straight boundary as soon as Kohli had brought the left-arm seamer back. Aravind’s next ball was a fraction wider, on the fourth stump. Warner went for an expansive drive, attempting to hit over cover, and ended up slicing into the hands of Iqbal Abdulla at short third man.Warner has not had the kind of support Kohli enjoys in Royal Challengers’ batting line-up. He has had to be both Batman and Robin for Sunrisers. For half the tournament he did not have the services of Yuvraj Singh, who proved a catalyst as soon as he returned from injury. Barring Warner, Shikhar Dhawan and Yuvraj, none of the Sunrisers batsmen – overseas or Indian – crossed the 200-run mark. At times Warner lost his cool and made his anger public: when the batsmen at the other end were throwing their wickets away in a tight chase in the second Qualifier against Gujarat Lions, he bared his emotions in the face of head coach Tom Moody, who remained speechless.Warner eventually took Sunrisers home with some late help from Bipul Sharma. He finished short of a century by seven runs, but he had won Sunrisers their first IPL final ticket, in their fourth season.On Sunday, late into the match, when Sunrisers had all but sealed the win, Warner was still fully switched on. In the penultimate over of the match, Sachin Baby hit a straight drive off Mustafizur Rahman. Warner was at wide long-on. He set off swiftly to his right, threw himself into a sprawling dive and interrupted the progress of the ball, relaying it two-handed to the fielder coming the opposite way from long-off.Moody said Warner had set high standards for himself, and inspired his team-mates to do the same.”The most important thing that I draw from him is he has a relentless passion to win,” Moody said. “He is a born winner and that rubs off on others. He has got incredible work ethic, incredible discipline and all those things are so important from a leadership point of view and that has rubbed off on the group.”David Warner thumped his chest. David Warner shrieked. David Warner was a proud winner.

It was relief, rather than raucous, rampant celebration for South Africa because relief has to be the leveller for a side who have made history but still have more history to make

Firdose Moonda at the SCG18-Mar-2015And breathe. This is what the collective exhale of 23 years of expectation feels like.It is not an unbridled rush of joy – the kind that sends Imran Tahir bolting whenever he takes a wicket – it is just a release. For a South African side that has been suffocated for so long, by themselves, their slew of support staff and the significant expectation shoved down their throats, it is a release and a relief that was a long time coming.For six World Cups, the disappointments have collected like layers of silt and settled on the shoulders of each successive squad. This one could not escape that. There were questions about their strength from the time their squad was selected. Would they be balanced enough? Bat deep enough? Have enough options to make up a fifth bowler? And after the group stage, there was the other question, the one that had been answered in the negative against India and Pakistan – would they be able to chase? In their quarter-final, they answered the last two of those, by dominating in such a way that the first two became irrelevant.Their attack won the game before their balance or their batting needing to be tested and in so doing, allowed South Africa to showcase the strength they have spent so long trademarking as their own. Fast bowling. Aggressive bowling. Short-ball bowling. Incisive, obliterating bowling. When you think of South Africa, that is what you think of but at this tournament that hid in the shadows until now. Sweet relief. It’s back.Dale Steyn was back. His vein popping was back. His scary eyes were back. And he was back with a partner and a follow-up bowler who both looked the part. Relief.Kyle Abbott was picked ahead of Vernon Philander because South Africa could see the SCG track promised bounce and carry. Combined with his pace and passion, South Africa could create a pressure cooker at both ends of the pitch and then “follow up with a lot of heat,” as AB de Villiers put it, with Morne Morkel. Relief.South Africa were not the ones holding their breath. Sri Lanka were. Kumar Sangakkara was. The runs were. Relief, but then could have come release.Sri Lanka’s line-up are more than just capable against spin, they can be merciless against it. They bided their time against the pace pack, presumably to target the spin but JP Duminy did not let them. Not long ago he was just a part-time offspinner who would be used to get rid of some overs in the middle phases of a match, today he was a disciplinarian, holding the line so tightly that he gave almost nothing away. Relief.

Allan Donald, part of the heartache in 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003, embraced Russell Domingo, not with a chest-bumping machismo but with genuine tenderness.

Then, he became the only South African with a World Cup hat-trick to his name. The tournament surprises in mysterious ways too.None more mysterious than Imran Tahir, who has come into his own as a limited-overs bowler, particularly at World Cups. Tahir seems to thrive on big tournament pressure. For South Africa, who are filled with players who seem to shy way from that, having one person who is willing to take it head on is a relief.Tahir’s variations are becoming the literacy test for batsmen and most are failing to read it. Mahela Jayawardene may be the highest-profile example of that. Tahir has had Jayawardene baffled since the middle of last year when he dismissed him in three successive ODIs. Today, he added a fourth to that. That wicket had Sri Lanka 83 for 4 and separated the two men who could have done the most damage to South Africa. Relief. So much relief Tahir allowed himself t enjoy it with one his customary over-the-top celebrations. “It’s because I just enjoy every wicket,” he said. And why not?As a whole, South Africa do not allow themselves to get as carried away as Tahir because of the burdens they have borne. Even when they dismissed Sri Lanka with more than 12 overs still left in their innings and a small target to chase, they did not seem to be pre-empting success. They couldn’t. Doing that has been their undoing before. Instead they just enjoyed the relief of knowing that this time, surely, it would not be.When Quinton de Kock hit the winning runs, his inner-child wanted to celebrate it with all the gusto it deserved. He wanted to fist-pump his way to the boundary. He hit the ball but he stopped, mid-salute, before his emotions could overtake him. Relief brings reason before it brings anything else. He took in the moment, and let others take it in too.In the dugout, Allan Donald, who had been part of the heartache in 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003 and had watched it unfold in 2011, embraced Russell Domingo. Not with a chest-bumping machismo but with genuine tenderness. The rest of the support staff, more than a dozen of them, just grinned. Relief all round. Relief, rather than raucous, rampant celebration because relief has to be the leveller for a South African side who have made history but still have more history to make.For now, they have broken through the ceiling that has capped them at every World Cup they have ever participated in and won a knockout game but they have not yet won the World Cup. And they are not under the illusion that they have. All they know is they have cleared the path and given the country the breath of fresh air it has spent more than two decades gasping for.

Seven years ago, Tousif Ali sent his 16-year-old son, Mohammed Shami, from Sahaspur in Uttar Pradesh to Kolkata. The young bowler’s story is one of faith and trust

Sidharth Monga in Kolkata09-Nov-20130:00

The Mohammed Shami Story

The Dalhousie Athletic Club is about a kilometre from Eden Gardens in Kolkata. It has a tent that serves as a restaurant and bar for its members, it has a practice pitch – half turf, half cement – and an open field of wild grass for a cricket ground. The ground is unkempt, the grass is long, and the pitch can’t be seen. Dalhousie is not a club known for its cricket.About six years ago, Sumon Chakraborty of Dalhousie Club called Debabrata Das of Town Club – one of the better cricket clubs in the city – to come to Rajasthan Club and have a look at a young fast bowler.Das, a former assistant secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal, asked Chakraborty what the hurry was. He was told it is “a small pearl, [he will get lost]”. Das says he reached the ground within 20 minutes, saw ten to 15 players practising there, and could easily spot the pearl.Das recollects: “I asked him, ‘What’s your name?’ ‘Mohammed Shami,’ he said. ‘Where are you from?’ ‘Sahaspur in Uttar Pradesh.’ ‘Do you want to play?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Your contract is Rs 75,000 per annum, and 100 per day for your lunch.'”There was one problem. ‘Where will I stay?’ he asked. I said, ‘My house.’ I took Shami home and told my wife this guy will stay with us. After that, he started playing for Town Club.”Playing for Dalhousie before moving to Town Club, Shami had shown pace, but Das says that Dalhousie’s Chakraborty and Sumonto Hajra felt the bowler needed to move to a bigger club. Until then, Das says, Shami would stay with other Dalhousie players in the tent or shared hotel rooms, and would be put on the train back to Moradabad, the closest town to Sahaspur, 20km away, where Shami’s father ran a spare-parts store for tractors. Shami would make Rs 500 per match at Dalhousie, according to Das.After taking four wickets in the first innings of his Test debut, and before his five-for in the second, Shami made it a point to thank his parents at the press conference. They had let him follow his dream without putting pressure on him to start earning. It helped that his father had played a lot of cricket – he bowled fast, too – in his village, and appreciated the dedication it would take to make a career out of the sport. The problem was, Sahaspur didn’t have any cricket facilities. No grounds, no pitches, only mud fields. Let alone cricket facilities, Sahaspur still gets electricity only for eight hours a day.”I saw the pace, though,” says Tousif Ali, Shami’s father. “I could tell he had the skill. His elder brother also bowled fast, but he had a stone in his kidney, after which he joined me in the business. The younger brother also bowls fast, but I knew Shami had the pace. I wanted him to give it a good go.”As Shami graduated college, he started playing in Sonakpur in Moradabad. Badruddin Siddique coached him for a year or so and Tousif went a step ahead, again.Mohammed Shami’s performance in his debut Test repaid the faith of his family, who allowed him to pursue a dream despite numerous obstacles•BCCI”UP doesn’t even have a club system,” Tousif says. “You have to keep going for trials here, where you sometimes get rejected after bowling two-three balls. So I didn’t want the story to end with multiple trials. Badruddin knew some people in Kolkata, so we sent him there.”This is where Tousif’s knowledge of the progress of his son’s career ends. It was a risk sending a 16-year-old to a new city, where he didn’t know anybody, and his only sellable skill was the ability to bowl fast. Tousif says if Shami faced hardships, he didn’t tell him. It’s a story resonant with large parts of the migrant labour population in India. A year later, though, Town Club happened, and Das took Shami under his wing.”Whenever I came to office, I dropped him off to play cricket,” Das says. “After cricket, I used to take him home while returning from work. After one year, I observed he was growing. He was not into gymming or weight training. Running, running, running and net practice. He would take a new ball at the beginning of the net [session], and finish with the last ball, from 1pm to 4pm.”The workers at Dalhousie say similar things about the scrawny little boy who wanted to bowl fast. They used to doubt him, and Shami was keen to prove them wrong. He liked the workers there and he still comes back to the club whenever he is in town.”[He is a] very simple person,” Das says. “Very fond of sleeping, very fond of eating biryani. In every match against a big team – Town v East Bengal, Town v Mohun Bagan – whenever he was playing, if we needed two urgent wickets, I used to tell him, ‘Shami, [Burst through them].’ ‘Biryani?’ he would ask. ‘Yes, I will give biryani.’ ‘ [Okay give me the ball]’.” And he would get the wickets.There would be a lot of friendly sledging too. Once, in a match against Eastern Railway, Town Club were struggling to get the last two wickets. Das recalls: “I told him, ‘ [Go home, wear your mother’s clothes and go to sleep]. He said, ‘.’ And boom, boom! Two batsmen were bowled.”Shami never wanted money. His goal was the stumps, the sound that comes from hitting the stumps. Ever since I saw him, most of his wickets were bowled. He bowls with an upright seam, on or just outside off stump, and gets it to cut back in.”Das says Shami still takes his advice in all matters. “Four months ago, he came to my house and said he wanted to purchase a flat,” says Das. “I did the needful for the registrations etc. without any cost, except for the stamp duty. I think he has taken possession of the flat now.”If Shami doesn’t go after the money, if he still respects Das so much, why, then, did he leave Das’ Town and go to Mohun Bagan?”I let him go,” Das says. “If I hadn’t let him go, India wouldn’t have got Shami today. When he was in our club, he made it to the Bengal squad, but didn’t get to play in the XI. I saw the kind of facilities Mohun Bagan has, the kind of political power Mohun Bagan has, the kind of financial power Mohun Bagan has, the muscle Mohun Bagan has. We can’t match it. And I wanted the boy to get a chance.”Yesterday [on Friday], he told me he doesn’t want to play for Mohun Bagan anymore. He is a very emotional cricketer.”On Friday, Shami ran through the West Indies line-up with 30,000 Kolkatans cheering him on, intimidating the opposition batsmen. Watching in Sahaspur, the family saw their faith had paid off. People now identify Tousif as Shami’s father, and he is proud of it. Seven years ago, he took the risk of sending his son alone into the unknown. A year later, another man took the risk of bringing home a boy he knew nothing about, except that he bowled fast.Cricket can do with more such fathers, club owners and, of course, boys who bowl fast.

Bunking classes to watch India-Pakistan? Hell yeah

Fahmim Ferdous19-Mar-2012Choice of game
It was India versus Pakistan, in Dhaka. That kind of a thing happens literally once in 12 years, and my absolute sweetheart of a friend got hold of two of the most sought-after tickets of the year, through her dad’s contacts. I felt the match was more important than my electrical engineering lectures, and to my surprise, I found two of my favourite lecturers from the university in the same gallery as me.Team supported
Pakistan, because their win would allow Bangladesh a slightly easier equation to reach the finals. Though, I would have supported Pakistan regardless.Key performer
Virat Kohli. The man, bursting with confidence from a dream run, was a class apart. To me he resembled a mountaineer – focussed, gritty, and determined to keep going no matter what the circumstance. The strength of his mind outdid his muscles by a fair margin, which was something, given the muscle-power on display. In the end, he did justice to his name, getting too “Virat” (Hindi/Bangla for “big”) for Pakistan.One thing I’d have changed
Wahab Riaz’s lunch menu. Or the DVD he watched the night before. Or maybe the alignment of his bowling shoulder a little bit to the left, so that all those deliveries down the leg side would have been on line. Hard to believe it was the same guy who took a five-for the last time these two sides met.Face-off you relished
Saeed Ajmal v Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin looked like his old self against the seamers, timing everything exquisitely. But against Ajmal he stumbled, more than once, and was eventually outfoxed by his doosra.Wow moment
Suresh Raina pulled off a Paul Collingwood-ish blinder at cover to send a dangerous-looking Younis Khan back. If he loses his touch with the bat, Raina can certainly audition for the position of “Seeker” in any Quidditch team.Close encounter
Praveen Kumar fielded near where we were sitting, and he got heckled for his name, which when translated to Bangla means “elderly bachelor”.Close encounter II
I met the Indian supporter who claims to be Sachin’s biggest fan, and backs it up with his action. His face and torso were painted perfectly in the India colours, and “Sachin” was written on his back. He was blowing a conch shell and wielding a huge Indian tricolour flag. He is such a common sight at India’s games worldwide, and it was good to have him at our gallery.Shot of the day
Tendulkar’s upper-cut off Aizaz Cheema in the fifth over was like a maestro doing a quick encore of one of his oldest, most famous classic sonatas. It was a moment to reminisce on a bad day – that I have seen Tendulkar hit a bowler for six over the keeper’s head will surely cheer me up no matter how low I may be feeling!Crowd meter
Despite it being the first weekday, the stands were packed long before offices closed. The atmosphere was festive, upbeat and dynamic. Pakistan were narrow favourites, especially because a victory for them would pretty much shut India out of the final, and open it up for Bangladesh. The loudest cheers, very predictably, went up for the two most loved characters of the game in this part of the world – Tendulkar and Shahid Afridi.Accessories
With too many restrictions on what we could take into the stadium premises, all we managed was my friend’s little camera, whose lens covered just us and the wide-angle shots of the grounds.Overall
It was a high-scoring encounter, had three centuries, and a stunner of a catch. Not much more to expect from an ODI. The atmosphere in the stands was scintillating and the weather just about perfect. Can’t complain, unless you’re a hardcore Pakistan supporter. Then again, the players have themselves to blame for the defeat.Marks out of 10
The game would get an 8.5 from me, the deductions being for Pakistan’s listless bowling and fielding efforts, and the overall toothless-ness of the Indian bowling attack.

It was an innings full of fortune and flair, bravado and borrowed time, but most importantly for Brad Haddin it was an innings crammed with runs

Brydon Coverdale at the Adelaide Oval30-Nov-2008
Brad Haddin took seven months as a Test player to reach his first century, and then ensured it was a big one © Getty Images(file photo)
Brad Haddin has been adamant that he wants to leave his own mark on the Test team instead of trying to copy his unique predecessor Adam Gilchrist. Eight unremarkable appearances into his career his mark was threatening to become a blot but his 169 in Adelaide has confirmed him as Australia’s wicketkeeper of the future.It was an innings full of fortune and flair, bravado and borrowed time, but most importantly for Haddin it was an innings crammed with runs. No Australian had made a higher Test score since Ricky Ponting opened the 2006-07 Ashes series with 196 at the Gabba and for Haddin, the effort has strengthened his resolve that he must play his natural aggressive game.He and his two brothers run a fitness company and Haddin seems like he would be more comfortable with ten frenetic minutes on the speedball than an hour of sweating on the stepping machine. It’s an approach that has served him well in limited-overs cricket, where he has been considered good enough to play ODIs as a specialist batsman. It’s also a method that will bring him scrutiny at Test level, as he has discovered in his first year at the highest level.Haddin has not been terrible with the bat in his first eight Tests; although he failed to post a half-century he averaged 26.07 and that was a mark that in the pre-Gilchrist era would have been considered perfectly acceptable for the team’s gloveman. It is the style of his dismissals that brought him under the spotlight.Of the five times he was out in his debut series in the West Indies, he was caught playing attacking strokes thrice and once was lbw going for a cross-batted shot. In India his six dismissals included a mistimed drive to mid-on, a stumping when he advanced to Anil Kumble, and a catch at cover failing to pick Ishant Sharma’s slower ball. Such endings can look ugly at Test level, especially when the team needs steadiness as it did in India.By the time his first Test on home soil came around at the Gabba last week, Haddin was so nervous that he felt he was tensing up and unable to play his natural game. He began defensively and it meant that when New Zealand made the tempting bowling change to bring on the medium-pacer Jesse Ryder, Haddin’s eyes lit up and his attempted drive was edged to slip.An astute thinker on the game who has been a successful captain of New South Wales, Haddin knew the pressure was building. So when he clipped a boundary through midwicket off Tim Southee to bring up his first Test century, his excitement was understandable. Haddin swung his bat around and around, so wildly it looked like he was winding up for the hammerthrow, and a kiss of the helmet and hug from Michael Clarke completed the celebrations.The pressure was off and with his glovework also improving, Haddin was feeling at ease. He was fortunate to get to triple-figures but rarely does a batsman stroke a truly chanceless hundred. He was on 3 when he tried to hook a short ball from Chris Martin and survived the confident appeals of the New Zealanders, who thought he had nicked it behind. There were other moments of luck when balls bobbled past the stumps or were struck close to fielders, and the most obvious let-off came when Daniel Flynn dropped a sitter when Haddin chipped Daniel Vettori to mid-on when he had 72.The good fortune allowed Haddin to show his full range of strokes, something he had been unable to demonstrate before at Test level. He punched the fast bowlers for well-timed fours that raced across the expansive Adelaide Oval outfield, he used his feet to Vettori and went over the top on several occasions and when his century was safely confirmed, he let loose with a couple of sixes clubbed square off Aaron Redmond.Haddin was effective but rarely did he look like a typical Test batsman whereas his partner in a 181-run stand, Clarke, was every bit the five-day compiler. Clarke’s 110 was his fourth Test century this year and his style could not have contrasted more vividly with that of Haddin. Clarke was on 48 when Haddin came to the crease and the men reached their centuries within 14 balls of each other.The most noticeable difference was in the way they handled the indefatigable Vettori, who bowled 31.4 overs for the day. Vettori took an over-the-stumps, outside-leg line that in most situations would be viewed as defensive. To Clarke it was; he kicked the majority of the deliveries away and waited to score at the other end. To Haddin, it was a viable ploy to get him out. He was uncomfortable thrusting his pad to the ball and he could use the method for only a few balls at a time before sweeping over the top or advancing to drive.Haddin’s tactics worked on this occasion but they won’t always be successful in Test cricket. Perhaps he could learn something from the measured approach taken by Clarke, and by Michael Hussey on the second day. But maybe that’s asking Haddin to be something he is not and when a man has just made 169 in his ninth Test, it’s hard to argue against him playing his natural game. Haddin’s style of play will lead to spectacular successes and extravagant failures but if the fans and selectors appreciate him for who he is, he has every chance of leaving his own mark on the Test team.

The pair combined for a brisk 140-run sixth-wicket partnership to inch Australia closer to victory

Tristan Lavalette11-Mar-2024Alex Carey produced a brilliant knock under pressure to crush New Zealand’s bid for a famous victory as Australia ran down a tough 279 runs in a nerve-jangling chase at Hagley Oval.Australia’s bid to win the second Test and seal the series 2-0 appeared in major trouble at 80 for 5 after the early wicket of Travis Head on day four. But Carey and Mitchell Marsh, who made 80 after being dropped on 28, combined for a brisk 140-run sixth-wicket partnership to inch Australia within 59 runs.Debutant Ben Sears, bowling in the mid-140 kph, flipped the match on its head with the wickets of Marsh and Mitchell Starc on consecutive deliveries to revive New Zealand’s hopes. Carey, however, was unperturbed and finished Australia’s hero with an unbeaten 98.He found calm support through Pat Cummins, who again helped Australia over the line much like he memorably did at Edgbaston in last year’s Ashes. Cummins made 32 and hit the winning boundary at an increasingly gloomy Hagley Oval as the batters embraced mid-pitch.Australia had only run down 279 or more in the fourth innings on 13 previous occasions and only twice since 2006. Only three teams in Test history had scored more runs after the fall of the fifth wicket in a successful fourth-innings chase.The victory capped a hectic period of Test cricket for Australia, who have played 22 Tests in the last 15 months. But they will have a long breather from the format with their next assignment not until next summer against India in a five-Test blockbuster.It was a satisfying triumph for Australia, who before this had only one won series away from home since their last Test tour of New Zealand in 2016.But New Zealand were left bitterly disappointed as their misery against Australia continued having only beaten them once in the past three decades. With their next series against Australia not due until 2026-27, several senior players in the team might never again have a chance to beat their neighbours.After a stirring fightback ever since being bowled out for 162 in their first innings, New Zealand had been in the box seat heading into the fourth day’s play, which was delayed by an hour due to rain.Resuming at 77 for 4 and needing a further 202 runs, Australia’s hopes seemingly rested with Marsh and Head who had combined for 43 runs late on day three after a top-order collapse.In overcast conditions, Marsh went for broke off Tim Southee’s first ball when he hit a bullet to backward point only for Rachin Ravindra to drop a chance.But New Zealand’s agony was short-lived when on the next delivery Head replicated Marsh’s full-blooded stroke and Will Young made no mistake at point. It completed a tough season for Head, who scored just 150 runs in 11 Test innings outside of his match-winning century against West Indies in Adelaide.With Josh Inglis breathing down his neck, Carey’s place in the team had been in the spotlight having only made two half-centuries in his previous 18 innings. Buoyed by a record-equalling 10 dismissals by an Australian wicketkeeper, Carey looked solid as he quickly moved to 19 until he was given out lbw after being trapped on the knee roll by Matt Henry bowling from around the wicket.But Carey was saved by the DRS with ball tracking deeming the ball to be sliding down the leg side. He calmly resumed his innings and kept the runs trickling along, but did have an anxious moment on 37 when Scott Kuggeleijn loudly appealed for caught behind. New Zealand unsuccessfully reviewed as their nerves heightened.Entering the innings on the back of consecutive ducks, Marsh rediscovered his form from the Australian summer as he and Carey notched their half-centuries and Australia reached lunch needing a further 105 runs.A single from Marsh after the interval notched the pair’s century partnership and reduced Australia’s deficit to under a hundred, with batting becoming easier against the older ball. New Zealand’s fading hopes seemingly rested with Henry, who was also seeking a 10-wicket haul, but Marsh continued to counterattack and whacked his bouncer for six.Southee desperately turned to Sears and it proved a masterstroke as he trapped Marsh lbw after hitting him in front of middle and leg. Marsh reviewed in the hope that the ball was sliding down the leg side, but it was upheld in an umpire’s call to spark New Zealand.It was bedlam at a near-capacity Hagley Oval when on his next delivery Sears had Starc hitting straight to square leg. Sears almost completed his hat-trick when Cummins nervously edged in front of second slip.But Sears was then thwarted by inventive batting from Carey and an unruffled Cummins, who continued his knack for ice-cool batting in run chases. Both batters endured some anxious moments as Southee reverted to Henry for one last push but it was in vain. Carey fell short of a deserved century as Cummins sealed victory with a punch through point and he let out a roar in celebration.

Bayern Munich are facing fresh turmoil as sporting director Max Eberl is tipped to step down following a chaotic summer window.

Director's future remains in doubtChaotic summer window fuels pressureBayern braced for major leadership changeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Concerns have been growing inside Bayern that sporting director Eberl may be preparing to resign after a chaotic transfer window, according to a recent report by . Eberl publicly admitted after the 3-2 win over Augsburg last week that the squad was “too thin” and lacked attacking depth, a remarkable admission just days before the market closed. Bayern scrambled to secure a last-minute loan move for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, but the messy process left scars internally after the missed out on a host of attacking targets over the summer. Board members believe Eberl is frustrated by the restrictions imposed on him, particularly by club power figures Uli Hoeness, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and president Herbert Hainer.

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The turbulence reflects the wider instability at Bayern’s leadership level and for the first time in years, the club’s transfer strategy has looked reactive and fragmented, with Eberl caught between his sporting vision and financially strict measures demanded by the supervisory board. Bayern’s reputation as a ruthlessly efficient operator in the market has taken a hit, and doubts now hang over the balance of power between board members and executives. 

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At the heart of the issue is Eberl’s sense of accountability without authority as reports suggest he is unhappy at being held responsible for shortcomings he believes were beyond his control. The decision from Hoeness that Bayern’s final signing “had to be a loan” is said to have tied his hands further, limiting options. Meanwhile, Bayern’s board faces its own instability with CFO Michael Diederich stepping down without a successor appointed, meaning that if Eberl were to resign, CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen would be left as the sole executive board member. For Herbert Hainer, as supervisory board chairman, this would be nothing short of disastrous.

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Eberl’s future hangs in the balance, and the club faces the very real prospect of losing its transfer chief, and should he walk, Bayern would not only be short on executive leadership but also scrambling to reshape their sporting direction mid-season. Much will depend on whether results on the pitch can steady nerves off it. For now, Bayern are left in limbo with a strong squad on paper, but doubts over whether the political infighting at the top could undermine their season both domestically and in Europe.

Athletic Club's sporting director Rafael Alkorta says Vinicius Junior's wage demands may turn into a "poisonous fight" with Real Madrid.

• Bilbao's sporting director warns Vinicius
• Claims Real Madrid rewards the deserving
• Laments winger's form in previous campaign

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Contract talks between Real Madrid and Vinicius have stalled after the Brazilian asked to be the highest-paid player in the squad, which irked the Madrid camp. Bilbao's sporting director and ex-Madrid player Alkorta says the 25-year-old should not test Madrid president Florentino Perez as it may 'backfire', and instead showcase his worthiness to earn rewards.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Vinicius had a significant drop in his form in the 2024-25 campaign, scoring a total of 22 goals and registering 19 assists in 58 games, compared to his 2023-24 season, in which he scored 24 and provided 11 assists in 39 games. Yet, when the contract renewal discussions were held, the winger asked for a salary higher than that of Kylian Mbappe. Alkorta claims the player didn't perform well last season and should not demand a pay rise, while also asserting that the battle for money can turn into a 'poisonous fight', citing the example of Sergio Ramos as one for the Brazilian to learn from.

• WHAT ALKORTA SAID

  Talking to about Vinicius's drop in form after Mbappe's signing, Alkorta said: "He's one of the best in the world, without a doubt. Trying to put pressure on Florentino Perez could backfire. Let's remember what happened with [Sergio] Ramos. Since they moved him to the left wing, I haven't seen him doing well. Playing with Mbappe has been difficult for him. They're young and ambitious, but the environment needs to advise them better. Now is not the time to demand things as if they had had a great season. Last year, changing the system to play him and Mbappe didn't work out entirely. If he focuses on performing at his best, the rest will follow. Real Madrid always reward those who prove their worth on the pitch."

  Further explaining how a fight over salary can turn ugly, Alkorta said: "These fights are poisonous. Florentino is affectionate, but he doesn't hesitate to make tough decisions. He needs to be cool. If he has a good season, he'll have the strength to negotiate."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS?

  Vinicius has attracted significant interest from Saudi Arabia. Reportedly, Al-Ahli have set aside a transfer budget of €300 million (£261m/$351m) for the winger. However, the club are aware that the Brazilian might not switch clubs as of now and are waiting for the right time to make a move. For now, Vinicius has publicly stated he wants to continue with Madrid. The Spanish side are set to face Osasuna in their opening La Liga fixture on August 19.

تمكن فريق النصر من الفوز على الاتحاد بنتيجة 2-1، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس السوبر السعودي.

وأقيمت المباراة بين النصر والاتحاد على أرضية استاد هونج كونج، في إطار منافسات نصف نهائي المسابقة السعودية.

وكان ساديو ماني قد افتتح التسجيل للنصر في الدقيقة 10، بتسديدة من داخل منطقة الجزاء بعد عرضية من مارسيلو بروزوفيتش. هدف النصر الأول أمام الاتحاد في السوبر السعودي

وسجل ستيفن بيرجوين هدف التعادل للاتحاد في الدقيقة 16 بعد تمريرة من موسى ديابي. هدف الاتحاد أمام النصر في السوبر السعودي

واستطاع جواو فيليكس تسجيل الهدف الثاني للنصر بالدقيقة 61 من عمر اللقاء، بعد تلقيه تمريرة من كريستيانو رونالدو كاسرًا مصيدة التسلل وينفرد بحارس الاتحاد، ويضعها في المرمى. هدف النصر الثاني أمام الاتحاد في السوبر السعودي

وبهذه النتيجة، تأهل النصر إلى نهائي كأس السوبر السعودي، منتظرًا الفائز من لقاء القادسية أمام الأهلي والمقرر غدًا الأربعاء.

The center back, who played for LAFC's 2022 MLS Cup winning team has rejoined the club as a part owner

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• Chiellini joins LAFC ownership group
• Italy center back played for MLS Club for 18 months
• Previously served in a player development role after retirement in 2023

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Italy and Juventus legend Giorgio Chiellini has extended his LAFC career, joining the ownership group of the Southern California club, they announced Tuesday afternoon. The former defender, who played a key role in the club’s success during his time on the field, has been with the organization since 2022 – the year they won the cup. He later joined the backroom staff before stepping into his current role.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chiellini opted to stay with LAFC after hanging up his boots in December 2023, taking on a role as a Player Development Coach during the 2024 campaign. He made 45 appearances, including 38 starts, in his final 18 months as a professional.

• WHAT CHIELLINI SAID

  The Italian defender expressed his excitement to be part of the LAFC ownership group.

  "Joining the LAFC ownership group is a great honor for me. When I arrived here three years ago as a player, I immediately felt that there was something special about this club," he said in a statement. "It is an ambitious organization, built by extraordinary people and supported by a community that truly makes you feel at home. That is why, last year, I expressed my desire to become an owner, and now I’m proud to continue this journey and give my support to a project I deeply believe in."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LAFC

  LAFC have rebounded from a slow start and now find themselves seventh in the Western Conference. Their next fixture is against the Colorado Rapids Wednesday night.