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In a repeat of last year’s knockout match, Quetta Gladiators beat Peshawar Zalmi by one run to make their second successive PSL final

The Report by Danyal Rasool28-Feb-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:45

Highlights – Gladiators grab unlikely victory

In a nutshell
This was nothing like Quetta Gladiators’ one-run win over Peshawar Zalmi at the same stage last year. Boundaries flowed seemingly on demand, and ten an over was par for the course. And yet what was the result? Quetta beat Peshawar by one run to qualify for the PSL final on March 5 in Lahore.The scale of run-scoring and power of ball-striking was on a different level to what had been seen in their clash last year, but there was always a hint of déjà vu. After an early blip, Peshawar took control of a chase of 201 with Mohammad Hafeez and Dawid Malan putting on one of the partnerships of the tournament. Their 139 runs from 72 balls wrenched the momentum back from Quetta, whose bowlers were hamstrung by the heavy dew on the Sharjah outfield.When Shahid Afridi arrived, and looked in his absolute six-hitting best, the target was brought to almost a run a ball. The wheels turned, however, with his dismissal. With Peshawar needing seven off six, left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, who had gone for 46 in his first three overs, triggered three wickets to fall in the last three balls to seal the game.Quetta had done most of their damage with the bat in the first 10 overs. Ahmed Shehzad and Kevin Pietersen ransacked 90 runs in only 42 balls for the second wicket to take the score to 121 for 1, prompting Peshawar to take a time out. Darren Sammy rallied his troops and they responded beautifully, with only two boundaries coming off the next eight overs. However, Quetta had gained such a sizeable advantage in terms of run-rate in the first half of the innings that they still made 200 with simple rotation of strike and some streaky fours in the end.Where the match was won
After a couple of games where Quetta appeared too timid to take charge of the big moments, their aggressive intent from ball one was a pleasant change.With one of the best in this regard, Viv Richards, watching from their corner, Shehzad and Luke Wright set up a rapid start, and when Pietersen came to the crease, Quetta surged into top gear, showcasing some of the cleanest hitting of the PSL this year. Seventy-seven runs were scored between the fifth and tenth overs and however well Peshawar did to pull them back after that, Sarfraz’s men had given themselves enough of a cushion.File photo: Ahmed Shehzad made 71 off a mere 38 balls•Chris WhiteoakThe men that won it
Nawaz’s figures today might be some of the more forgettable ones of his career, but what 4-0-51-3 doesn’t reveal is his work in the final over. He was having a bad night but against all logic Sarfraz trusted him to bowl under the highest pressure. Sammy, one of the fiercest strikers in T20 cricket, was on strike. The ball was so soaked with dew that it was hard to grip.Yet the 22-year old left-arm spinner managed to hit his lengths more often than not and, by refusing to let the batsman get leverage to hit him over those inviting short boundaries in Sharjah, pulled off a memorable heist. Nawaz also held on to a steepling catch in the 19th over to dismiss Afridi for 34 off 13 balls.Quetta were perhaps helped by Sammy’s refusing to take a single off the first ball of the over though his partner Chris Jordan is a decent lower-order batsman. Peshawar eventually lost by one run.Moment of the match
Riling Pietersen up when he has the bat in hand is not a very good move for a bowler and Wahab Riaz found that out on Tuesday. In the sixth over of the match, Wahab bumped into Pietersen while he was trying to sneak a single and then hit the batsman with a throw aimed at the non-strikers’ end. As if that wasn’t enough, he appealed to the umpire for an obstructing-the-field dismissal, which was turned down.Two balls later, Pietersen launched Wahab for a six that flew out of the stadium and landed on the side of the street outside the stadium.Where they stand
Quetta secure their place in the final of the PSL with this win. Peshawar will now have to beat either Karachi Kings or Islamabad United in the eliminator on Friday for a shot at the trophy.

Persistent rain ruled out any chance of play in the second and third sessions after Pakistan, having chosen an all-seam attack on a green pitch, picked up two New Zealand wickets after winning the toss

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy24-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsThe cut featured prominently among Ross Taylor’s six fours•Getty Images

Persistent rain ruled out any chance of play in the second and third sessions after Pakistan, having chosen an all-seam attack on a green pitch, picked up two New Zealand wickets after winning the toss. New Zealand batted positively, going after anything marginally loose, and scored 77 runs in 21 overs before rain forced an early lunch, 15 minutes before schedule. With intermittent showers continuing to afflict Seddon Park, umpires called off play at 4pm.It left the Test match suspended in an interesting though still embryonic position with Jeet Raval, carrying on from his impressive debut in Christchurch, batting on 35 and Ross Taylor, who seemed unbothered by the pterygium in his left eye, on 29 off 20 balls.Taylor looked far more assured than he had done in either South Africa or India, lining up in a more side-on stance than normal, and, perhaps as a consequence, lifting his bat up behind him rather than out towards gully as is usually the case, allowing it to come down straighter in defence while having no adverse effect on his traditional strength, the square-cut. Of the six fours he hit, five came off this shot.This was also because Pakistan bowled too short and too wide at him, and in general weren’t as accurate as the conditions demanded. Sohail Khan and Wahab Riaz were particularly guilty of spraying the ball around, while Imran Khan, returning to the Test line-up after more than a year, looked rusty, often slanting the ball too wide of off stump to make Raval play.It was a curious unraveling after Mohammad Amir had begun as well as he possibly could have, every ball of his first over tight on off stump, curling away from a good length or just short of it, forcing the two left-handed openers to play, and produced four edges and two plays-and-misses. Two of the edges carried to Sami Aslam at first slip. He dropped the first, at knee height while falling to his left, to reprieve Raval, and caught the second, to send back Tom Latham for a first-ball duck.Aside from that let-off and a couple of loose drives away from his body, Raval showed impressive judgment outside off, particularly against the right-armers angling the ball across him. He profited particularly from nudges off his legs and pulls, the latter shot rather effective on a pitch where the ball came through with true bounce but not a lot of pace.Kane Williamson looked in excellent touch in his 42-ball stay at the crease, easing two effortless drives through the off side when Amir overpitched, and defending with the softest hands in the game. When Amir dropped a difficult return catch in the fifth over of the morning, off a firmly hit straight drive, it looked as if Williamson might go on and make a substantial score, but it wasn’t to be, as he fell to Sohail after a Pakistan review.Getting the ball to nibble in from outside off stump, Sohail produced a tentative, half-forward poke, and the bowler and all the fielders behind the wicket went up instinctively when they heard a click through to the keeper. Simon Fry gave it not out on the field, and Ian Gould, the third umpire, overturned his decision; it seemed a tight call to make. HotSpot did not register an edge, and the Real-Time Snickometer seemed to show a spike an instant the ball passed his inside edge, suggesting it may have hit his elbow. Some of the TV commentators, however, said they heard a double-noise, indicating the ball may have kissed the edge and then hit Williamson’s elbow.

After failing to secure promotion to the Premier League, there are doubts about the future of Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom according to a report from Football League World.

What is Chuba Akpom's situation at Middlesbrough?

Akpom was the surprise package of the Championship season after being reintegrated into the fold at Boro. Originally the belief was the Englishman would leave after a loan spell to Greek side PAOK Salonika the previous season.

However, injuries and depth issues meant that then-manager Chris Wilder turned to Akpom to lead the line, and the 28-year-old never looked back, especially following the arrival of former Manchester United assistant manager Michael Carrick.

The forward scored 28 goals and assisted two in 40 games in the division, with 24 coming under his new manager, as Middlesbrough finished in fourth place. It earned Akpom a sport in the Championship Team of the Season, whilst he also won both the Golden Boot and Championship Player of the Season.

Despite his incredible form under Carrick, it wasn't enough to fire the club to promotion, with Boro experiencing play-off heartbreak at the hands of Coventry City, losing 2-1 across two legs.

Midway through the season, the former Arsenal man was the subject of interest from a number of clubs including Everton, Southampton and Crystal Palace, according to the Daily Mail, however, the northeast outfit exercised the one-year extension clause in the player's contract, taking his current deal to the summer of 2024.

Will Chuba Akpom leave Middlesborough this summer?

Football League World reports that the Boro striker will be 'gettable' this summer when it comes to a transfer as the club will not want to risk losing the player for free following the expiry of his contract next summer.

Due to missing out on promotion, it is reported that Middlesbrough will have to sell players this summer in order to fund Carrick's transfers this summer, much like their situation from the previous summer, which resulted in the sales of Marcus Tavernier to Bournemouth and Djed Spence to Tottenham Hotspur.

According to Alan Nixon on Patreon, the contract extension that was triggered in January does very little to secure the striker's long-term future at Boro, with the Championship side set to demand a fee of £15m, to part ways with their Player of the Season, who was hailed as "remarkable" by journalist Oluwashina Okeleji for his domestic exploits this term.

If Carrick and co were to lose the former Arsenal youngster, then it would certainly be a massive blow to their chances of going one better next season. Of course, his goals would leave behind a major void but as Boro's highest-rated player, per WhoScored figures, his influence right across the frontline will be felt, having also ranked second for dribbles per game and fifth for key passes per game too.

It is expected that the majority of clubs that held an interest in the 28-year-old will return this summer, and Akpom may well get his chance at the Premier League level for the first time in his career.

Cameron White’s 130-ball 145 helped Victoria amass 343 and thump South Australia by 135 runs in their Matador Cup match in Perth

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2016
ScorecardCameron White’s 10th List A century helped Victoria amass 343•Getty ImagesCameron White’s 130-ball 145 helped Victoria amass 343 and thump South Australia by 135 runs in their Matador Cup match in Perth.South Australia’s chase crumbled to 208, propped up only by a maiden List A century by Cameron Valente and a fifty from Tom Cooper. The rest of the line-up could muster only 44 runs between them.White and Marcus Harris gave Victoria a promising start, adding 70 in a little over 13 overs. White then forged two stands of exactly 100 – with Victoria captain Peter Handscomb for the third wicket, and with Marcus Stoinis for the fifth.White’s knock included 12 fours and four sixes and his partnership with Stoinis helped Victoria plunder 109 runs from the last 10 overs. Stoinis finished unbeaten on 59 off 45 balls with four sixes and two fours.South Australia’s chase had fallen apart by the eighth over as strikes from left-arm spinner Michael Beer and fast bowler Jackson Coleman left them at 5 for 35. Beer took a hat-trick spread across two overs in this period, dismissing Jake Weatherald, Jake Lehmann and Sam Raphael. Valente, who had made his List A debut in the tied match against Western Australia last week, and Cooper averted the possibility of the side being bowled out for less than 100, adding 101 for the sixth wicket, but once Cooper fell, South Australia crumbled again. No. 10 Nick Benton struck 21, and helped Valente push the score past 200 before Victoria wrapped up the match in the 43rd over.

Newcastle United are interested in a deal to bring Athletic Bilbao forward Nico Williams to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Williams' future?

The Spanish international is an academy graduate at the San Mames Stadium having worked his way up through the youth ranks to get promoted to the first-team in 2021, where he’s since gone on to make 81 senior appearances.

However, the 20-year-old will be out of contract at the end of next season so the upcoming window will be Ernesto Valverde’s side’s final opportunity to cash in should they not want to extend his stay further, and being their overall top-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 6.92, he won’t be short potential suitors.

The Athletic reported that the Magpies internally “discussed” a deal for the winger in January but nothing ever came to fruition, though it sounds like PIF and Eddie Howe are now ready to take a second bite of the cherry.

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle have “added” Williams to their extensive “list” of targets ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Athletic Bilbao attacker is “in the mix” of summer candidates, alongside the likes of Leicester City’s James Maddison and Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney, and he is now the player the northeast outfit are “focusing” on after “bowing out” of the race for Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby. The La Liga star has a £50m release clause included in his terms, but whether a cut-price deal would be available given his contract situation remains to be seen.

Would Williams be a good signing for Newcastle?

Newcastle will know that Williams is still relatively raw at a young age, but having already shown bags of potential and what he has to offer at the highest level, PIF would be recruiting a fantastic player should they successfully be able to secure his services in the summer.

The World Cup participant has 15 goal contributions (nine goals and six assists) in 39 appearances across all competitions this season with his high standard of performances having seen him receive three man-of-the-match awards.

The Pamplona native, whose rise to professional football has been lauded “phenomenal” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also constantly looking to produce moments of magic even if he’s not always on the scoresheet.

As per FBRef, the winger has recorded 166 crosses and 97 shot-creating actions since the start of the campaign which are both higher than any other member of his squad, so for a forward who possesses this relentless threat in the final third, the hierarchy shouldn’t even have to think twice about completing a deal in the weeks and months ahead.

Sam Allardyce will need to have a few tricks up his sleeve if he is going to keep Leeds United in the Premier League this season.

While one point from two games against Manchester City and Newcastle United might have been viewed as positive at any other point in the season, it seems clear that the Yorkshire outfit need to take three points at some point if they are going to retain their top-flight status.

With tough games against West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur to come in the final two matches of the campaign, and Leeds currently occupying the final relegation spot, Allardyce will need something special, and he could find it in ostracised club-record signing, Georginio Rutter.

Should Rutter be given a chance in the final two games?

The 21-year-old Frenchman joined Leeds from Hoffenheim for an eye-watering £35.5m in the January transfer window but has mustered just one start and nine substitute appearances in the Premier League thus far, with no goal contributions to his name.

Unsurprisingly, reports quickly surfaced about Rutter's morale at Leeds, with some suggesting that he regretted his move to Elland Road, as he never actually wanted to leave Hoffenheim.

The young striker has barely been seen since and has been left on the bench by Allardyce for both of his games in charge, despite Patrick Bamford's misgivings, which saw the English striker miss a golden chance at home to Leicester City and a penalty against Newcastle.

However, his attitude cannot be questioned as he has been selected by Leeds' U21 side for their recent fixtures and scored on Monday night to help the academy outfit secure a return to Premier League 2 football next season after a 3-0 win against Nottingham Forest.

Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Joe Donohue suggested that the former Hoffenheim man was "looking sharp" ahead of his goal against Forest and that match fitness and the confidence that a goal will bring could mark him out as a potential option for Allardyce ahead of this weekend's trip to the London Stadium.

His lack of game time and relatively unknown status means that opposition sides will perhaps not know what to expect from Rutter, which could make him a secret weapon for the boss in the final two fixtures.

Bamford has shown that he cannot be relied upon to be clinical in front of goal and after catching the eye with the academy side, it is surely time the £70k-per-week forward is given a proper chance to start repaying his hefty fee.

Ruben Neves could end up joining Man United if a potential transfer to Barcelona collapses, as reported by Sport via Sport Witness.

What is the latest on Ruben Neves to Man United?

The Wolves midfielder has been at Molineux since helping take them out of the Championship and into the Premier League back in the 2017/18 campaign. He set the second tier alight with his dominating displays from midfield and his penchant for long-range goals and has been a mainstay in the club's side ever since.

Having gone from strength-to-strength in the top flight and now racked up over 216 league showings for Wolves, he has proven to be a wanted man amongst other top tier sides over the last few seasons. Last summer for example, both Man United and Liverpool expressed an interest in trying to snap up the player.

However, Neves stayed with his current team for the duration of this campaign and has once more proven important with six goals and one assist in 32 league outings. Now though, the midfielder could finally be set to move on with his Wolves deal expiring next summer. His club won't want to let him leave for nothing and that means they could cash in this summer.

A fresh report from Sport via Sport Witness suggests that he will indeed end his time with Wolves but that he has his heart set on a move to Spain and La Liga, with Barcelona the front-runners to snap up the 26-year-old. However, the deal that would send him to the Camp Nou involved a trade for Ansu Fati and with the Barca man unwilling to swap teams, it has stalled negotiations according to this source.

It means that a La Liga switch might not happen for Neves after all – and if that is the case, Man United would step in as the next available club, with the player set on departing Molineux.

Would Ruben Neves be a good Man United signing?

The midfielder has lit up the Premier League ever since he helped drag Wolves back into the top flight and he has shown no signs of slowing down either.

This year, despite his club toiling at the wrong end of the division, he has still regularly put in a shift and emerged as the one bright spot in what has been a lacklustre campaign for the team. This has been showcased by his 6.99 WhoScored rating in the Premier League – a better score than any other player at Molineux this season.

It comes as no surprise though, with even his teammates heaping the praise on Neves. Hugo Bueno labelled the midfielder as an "incredible player" and admitted he is a "key player" to the side.

Neves then could certainly slot into a top-level club considering that he continues to impress and shine above the rest at Wolves. His goal tally from midfield showcases an impressive ability to get things done under pressure – he has six this term, the joint-most at Wolves despite being a midfielder – and that shows a mentality from the player that would work out nicely at Old Trafford.

Since Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over at Wrexham two years ago, the club has just gone from strength to strength.

Plentiful amounts of money have been pumped into the Welsh side and they are now just one game away from that elusive promotion.

It has been over a decade since they were last in the Football League, but a victory over Boreham Wood on Saturday evening will mean at long last, they are back in the EFL.

At present, the Red Dragons sit on 107 points, a National League record, with Phil Parkinson having worked wonders with one of the finest squads you are ever likely to see at non-league level.

Not only do they possess former England and Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster, but League Two top scorer of 2020/21, Paul Mullin, is also at the club, while they paid the best part of £300k to lure Ollie Palmer from Wimbledon too.

This only feels like the beginning of their investment, however, particularly if they do secure a place in the fourth tier.

It even looks as though another former Premier League star could be on their way to the Racecourse Ground after Foster.

Who could sign for Wrexham this summer?

It's likely that the manager will have a number of targets in mind in order to improve the squad further ahead of next term, but one such player could be someone of Welsh origin, Hal Robson-Kanu.

The 33-year-old hasn't played since leaving West Bromwich Albion behind in 2021, but could be tempted out of retirement in order to join in the fun at Wrexham.

Indeed, taking to Instagram, the attacker commented on a post from co-owner, Reynolds, by saying: "I’ll come out of retirement and come and play for Wrexham next season. I’ll also give my salary to charity of the fans choosing…"

The statement is yet to be met with a response from the movie star, although there must be some element of excitement behind a potential swoop.

After all, this is a player with experience of playing and scoring at a major international tournament for his country, while Robson-Kanu also boasts 14 Premier League goals and 31 Championship strikes.

Mullin, Palmer and indeed Foster were remarkable signings, but this one, in terms of goalscoring ability might just top the lot.

Tottenham Hotspur are a club lacking an identity.

Antonio Conte knew what his philosophy would be, but that differed from the defensive stylings of both Nuno Espirito Santo and Jose Mourinho before him.

Then, preceding all three of them was Mauricio Pochettino, who came the closest to any long-lasting success with his expansive brand of attacking football.

Ever since their rise to the top of the English game, the Lilywhites have seemingly lost all track of what direction they wanted to take the club in, with Daniel Levy one of many responsible for this. He has allowed the standards to drop in north London, and now seeking a new manager once again, they must find someone to pick them back up.

Needing a reset, and a strong-willed coach who would be happy to oversee such a revolution, there is arguably few more renowned for his work rebuilding a sleeping giant than Marcelo Bielsa.

Would Marcelo Bielsa join Spurs?

The Argentine is clearly keen to return to football, with his interest in both the recent vacancies at Everton and AFC Bournemouth enough to suggest he would be open to joining Spurs.

Especially following the suggestion from journalist Mark Carey, who put the great Argentine forward as a possible successor in north London.

Although the systems of Conte and the 67-year-old could not be more varied, given the former's reliance on defensive structure whilst the latter prefers free-flowing attack, the gruelling pre-season camp held last year would at least have the fitness levels up to the required level to replicate some form of the infamous 'murder-ball'.

His role in restoring Leeds United to the top flight was instrumental, and in doing so he reset the culture at Elland Road after a 16-year absence from the Premier League.

His unique brand of football had everyone enamoured, and although it had started to fall apart before his sacking, perhaps with a higher calibre of players it might reach new heights.

After all, many of the game's greatest managers have been quick to praise his exploits. Pep Guardiola lauded his achievement with that promotion and seemed to downplay his own legacy in comparison to his idols. He claimed: "Give him my Barcelona and you will see how he will win titles. Give me Leeds, with all due respect to the Leeds players, but I would still be in the Championship."

A former player from his reign, Jamie Shackleton, suggested that the unorthodox leader was a "world-class" coach before Carey seemed to outline exactly what Spurs need from a manager in Bielsa.

He noted: "Across his career, Bielsa has raised the levels of each squad he manages, he demands the highest standards from his players and he has a clear high-pressing style that could benefit many of Tottenham's current crop."

In an effort to find a new identity, and one which will mark a refreshing switch up from their dull last three appointments, Levy needs to look no further than the former Leeds boss.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is facing somewhat of an injury crisis at the wrong time, with Leandro Trossard, Kieran Tierney and Eddie Nketiah not pictured in training prior to the Europa League clash with Sporting.

It meant all three missed out on the tie and despite striker Gabriel Jesus returning to the squad, the European clash came just too soon for the Brazilian.

This has left Arteta incredibly short of attacking options, with potentially Emile Smith Rowe or Gabriel Martinelli having to play as an unorthodox striker, yet there may just be another option for the Spaniard – unleashing academy star Amario Cozier-Duberry.

When will Amario Cozier-Duberry make his debut for Arsenal?

With Arteta’s current dilemma, there is every chance some academy starlets get a chance to impress and Cozier-Duberry could be one of the lucky players to take to the field.

That said, he may well need to overcome his own injury first having been substituted at half-time in the U21s’ recent defeat to Liverpool.

The hope will be for the Gunners that the issue the teenager is suffering from doesn’t keep him out for too long, with the second leg next week potentially set to be the ideal time to finally unleash him.

The 17-year-old has made the matchday squad on numerous occasions this season yet is still to make his debut. He is amongst one of the highest-rated products in the academy, with talent scout Jacek Kulig previously describing him as “Hale End’s finest” late last year.

In just 22 appearances across the U18 and U21 teams this season, the winger has scored ten goals and grabbed six assists, a wonderful return for someone who predominantly plays on the flanks.

Could Arteta utilise him in a more central role next week potentially? It’s plausible, particularly if attacking injuries continue to plague the squad and Arsenal can wrap the tie-up.

The teen has impressed in the Football League Trophy, averaging an outstanding 7.95/10 rating via Sofascore across two outings, scoring twice, taking two shots per game while also creating a big chance, proving he could certainly operate in a more central role if required.

With Premier League glory Arteta’s main priority, the Europa League gives him a great chance to rotate his squad, although even he wouldn’t have anticipated being without so many key players.