The fast bowler’s remarkable catch to remove Liton Das added to an impressive list in Wellington

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-2021

Denesh Ramdin, 2013
Boult has done it again, this time in the field! Anderson was certain that was going to be a boundary as Ramdin got up on his toes to play a rasping cut shot but Boult leaps up and was horizontal with the ground as he reaches his left hand out and grabs an absolute stunner! The entire team mobs Boult as Ramdin walks back and the West Indies tail is exposed.Ajinkya Rahane, 2014
Boult has done it again! What is with him and one-handed screamers! It was a fullish delivery with just a bit of room. Rahane makes his own by staying leg side of the ball and lofts it. But he hasn’t got hold of it. it’s a skier. It was always going to need some catching. Boult was hurtling in from the boundary, dives forward and to his right and sticks out his right hand and clings on! Terrific catch to end a terrific innings as the New Zealand players come and shake hands with RahaneKumar Sangakkara, 2015
Boult has just taken a stunner. And should you be surprised? Ends what has been a truly fantastic innings from Sangakkara, who is accepting all the congratulations from the on-field players. This is definitely an early candidate for best catch of 2015 as Boult leapt high to his left to pluck this in mid-air at backward point, before crashing to the ground.Trent Boult claims a stunning return catch to remove Mitchell Marsh•Getty Images

Mitchell Marsh, 2016
How about that for a disgruntled fast bowler? If DRS denies me, I’ll pluck a one-handed, rip-roaring catch all by myself. Falls face-first into the pitch and then comes up with an expression of utter disbelief. Mouth agape in a big ‘O’ and eyes wide as saucers. This was fuller, but might have just held in the pitch considering Marsh was sucked into the drive and was trying to check it. Boult was in his follow through, stuck out his right hand and it was just too magnetic. He has a knack for picking up screamers. Took one that made it to Sportscenter’s Plays of the Year, if I’m not wrongLiton Das, 2021
Trent Boult has pulled off a blinder. A length ball outside off, Liton went for the pull only to top edge it towards third man. Boult ran to his left, dived full length and plucked it out with his outstretched left hand. Fingertips. Henry cannot believe it as he picks up his third wicketVirat Kohli, IPL 2018
Get out of here Trent Boult! Someone check if that isn’t a robot there! This is sensational. A one-handed leap to his right at deep square after being wrong-footed to his left, then a landing backwards and a cobra pose to keep his chest from touching the rope! Soft signal out. Replays say – OUT. Wow. Unbelievable. It’s a full toss on the pads and it’s flying, flat over Boult’s head because Kohli has got good power on that flick. It’s a stunning recovery from Boult. A leap backwards, holding on with the right hand, landing on his stomach and then stopping all that momentum to complete it. Gets back on his feet and even he’s in shock.

It wasn’t quite a fairy tale ending for the domestic veteran, but he leaves the game with a rich legacy

Shashank Kishore01-Mar-2024Faiz Fazal woke up at different times this Ranji Trophy season in excruciating pain. Matching up to the rigours of first-class cricket was becoming difficult. When it hampered his pre-match preparation, he decided he couldn’t carry on this way.The thought of retiring after 21 years in the game made him emotional. But being left out midway through the season because he was “rusty” gave him a reality check. He decided then that whenever he’d get an opportunity next, he’d call it quits.That game came two weeks ago in the final Ranji league fixture against Haryana. It wasn’t quite a fairy tale ending – Fazal made 1 and 0 – but he is entirely at peace with his decision two weeks on, even though he could’ve tried and prolonged his journey through the Ranji knockouts.Related

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• Former Vidarbha captain Faiz Fazal retires from professional cricket

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On Saturday, Vidarbha will begin their quest for a third title when they take on Madhya Pradesh in the semi-finals at home. Fazal won’t be part of the dressing room, but will still be watching with a cup of coffee in hand and plenty of notes and nuggets for his boys to chew on.”I’d been struggling with a [left] knee injury for over a year,” Fazal, 38, tells ESPNcricinfo. “Last season, I took cortisone injections to numb the pain and played through discomfort, but my movements were getting restricted. I still went to the United Kingdom for my league cricket stint in the summer, but when I returned in September, the pain was immense. So I underwent surgery for a meniscal tear and got it repaired with an implant.”During this process, Fazal found out his issue was deeper than just a tear.”We found out there was some extra growth spurts underneath my patella,” he says. “That was removed with some form of radiation therapy. Then there was also a cyst that had developed because of the meniscal tear which was hurting me. So I underwent a bone-narrow augmentation, a new technology, for better joint health and recovery.”These procedures meant he wasn’t in the fray for the white-ball season. It also left him with little time to prepare for the Ranji Trophy.”I felt I was short on preparation,” he says. “No excuses for my bad performances, but I take great pride in preparation. Red-ball preparation has been a massive part of my off-season routines, so when I couldn’t get that in, I felt a bit short-changed. I played just a couple of practice games coming in, but I realised my knee was getting a little stiff.”Every time I used to go into bat after a break, like lunch or tea, I wasn’t able to match the intensity of first-class cricket. This affected my form and the selectors felt I needed to be given a break because I was rusty.”I don’t know if I was rusty or not, but I had to sit out. At that point I decided whichever game I would play next; I’ll call it a day after that. It so happened that that game happened to be our final league fixture of the season.”Faiz Fazal receives a guard of honour in his last Ranji Trophy match•PTI Fazal explains feeling “shattered” waking up the next morning knowing he was no longer a first-class cricketer. But a little bit of introspection helped him realise the volume of his achievements. He led Vidarbha to back-to-back Ranji Trophy wins in 2017-18 and 2018-19, captained Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy, earned an India debut at 31.”I was shattered waking up the next morning, I won’t lie,” he says. “I’m a very emotional guy. Small things hurt me, or small things make me really happy. And earning that India cap was the proudest moment for me and the family. That was the biggest high. You can look back and say, ‘oh it was just one game’, but also, I was the only one in that squad who didn’t play in the IPL.”So, I looked at that opportunity as a reward for my domestic grind. Did I feel disappointed and hurt at not getting another chance? One hundred percent. Did it affect me? It definitely did. But then, you also realise how lucky you are.”Fazal leaves with a rich legacy. He made 9184 first-class runs in 138 matches with 24 hundreds and 39 half-centuries. The Ranji titles gave him immense satisfaction, but beyond that, just seeing his team get the respect of the domestic fraternity makes him happier.”Earlier, we were considered pushovers,” he says. “After the Ranji wins, especially the first title, teams suddenly woke up and realised we’re as good. Until you win a title, no one considers you. I remember sitting out for 10-11 years despite topping the run charts for my zone. When I used to go to the Duleep Trophy, I used to just carry drinks.”UP, Railways, MP – all these sides would have four-five players, Vidarbha hardly one or two. But after we won, I went on to lead. We had to score a lot of runs to barge the door down, knocking was just not enough because we were treated as minors.”Fazal only had a brief brush with the IPL in 2010-11, playing all of seven games for Rajasthan Royals. He was quickly branded a red-ball specialist. It hurt but he channeled the snub by going over to the UK to play club cricket. It’s been a summer ritual for the last decade.”I hated sitting in my AC room at home and watching the IPL on TV, what’s the point?” he says. “I decided I’ll get out and explore and play some cricket. That’s how it started. The game itself has been my biggest motivation. I love it to the core. Even now after all these years, I still play gully cricket in my colony with the boys. I enjoy playing at any level.”These days, Fazal is excited by the opportunity to learn the art of coffee making.”I’ve just ordered a few equipment, it’s coming,” he chuckles. “Learning to perfect the French Press, Latte art, make cappuccinos. I’m also mentoring a kid, doing one-on-one sessions. There are a few other opportunities. I’m absolutely open to playing a few leagues for retired players. But yes, life has slowed down and I’m trying to soak in everything else life has to offer.”

da betway： Aston Villa are now plotting a £18m bid for a “tremendous” defender, who is also being targeted by Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, with Emiliano Martinez a big fan.

Villa keen on strengthening despite resurgent form

da roleta： Villa have made major improvements over the past month or so, having won six of their last seven matches in the Premier League, which has propelled them to fourth in the table, and Unai Emery has been impressed by his side’s recent performances.

After the 2-1 victory away at Leeds United last time out, the manager said: “The second half (was) better, but overall, 90 minutes, I am so happy how we competed. Even the first half, we didn’t play brilliant, but we were always trying to set our gameplan on the field, and progressively we did it.”

The Villans went 1-0 down at Elland Road, with Martinez receiving criticism for his goalkeeping in the build-up to Lukas Nmecha’s opening goal.

However, a second-half Morgan Rogers brace turned the game on its head, with the goalkeeper’s blushes being spared, and Aston Villa have now joined the race for one of the Argentinian’s international teammates.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Villa are now plotting a €20m (£18m) opening offer for River Plate defender Lautaro Rivero, having tracked the centre-back for months, and Martinez has provided positive feedback on his compatriot.

The Villans believe the 33-year-old’s personal relationship with the River Plate star could give them the edge in the race for his signature, despite rival interest from Man City and Tottenham.

Although the Argentinian has a €100m (£88m) release clause in his contract, River Plate would be willing to sanction a departure for considerably less, and there is a belief he could make an instant impact at Villa Park.

"Tremendous" Rivero has earned big Premier League move

Hailed as “tremendous” by journalist Juan Patricio Balbi, the 22-year-old may now be ready to test himself in England, having performed very well over the past year, placing in the 93rd percentile for tackles per 90, compared to other centre-backs, courtesy of averaging 2.27.

Related Aston Villa make Emiliano Martinez sale decision amid Unai Emery comments

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Villa are arguably well-stocked at centre-back, with Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa forming a reliable partnership as of late, but Tyrone Mings has been unable to put his injury problems behind him, and is potentially in the latter stages of his career at 32-years-old.

Tyrone Mings’ injury record

Games missed

12/08/23 – 30/10/24

70

Remainder of 2024/25

7

2025-26

17

As such, Emery could do with bringing in a younger centre-back, and having recently received his first cap for Argentina, Rivero could be capable of pushing for a starting spot.

The grey clouds that have been hanging over West Ham United this year might just be starting to shift.

It’s still very early on in Nuno Espírito Santo’s tenure, but in the draw away to Everton and, more crucially, the win over Newcastle United, he’s shown enough to excite the fans.

More importantly, though, the win over the Toon suggests that the Portuguese coach might just be able to keep the Hammers in the Premier League.

Another huge positive to come out of that game was the display of Freddie Potts, and it’s already looking like the academy is brewing another talent like him.

Why Freddie Potts is such an exciting talent

Potts had made a few fleeting appearances for West Ham before Sunday’s game, but that was his first competitive start for the club.

However, he’s no inexperienced youngster, as he spent last season on loan with Portsmouth in the Championship, where he made 38 appearances, and the season before that with Wycombe Wanderers, where he made 43 appearances.

That experience clearly paid off against the Toon, as despite them being a Champions League side, the Barking-born ace looked completely unfazed.

Minutes

90′

Key Passes

2

Crosses

2

Passes

33/39

Touches

57

Tackles (Won)

3 (2)

Interceptions

1

Clearances

6

Recoveries

1

Ground Duels (Won)

4 (3)

In fact, he thrived, and from the first minute to the last, he was practically faultless, putting in a perfect all-action midfield performance.

One analyst claimed he had a “similar aura to Rice” and was particularly impressed with his “confidence and ability to create time and space on the ball.”

He was so good, in fact, that he got special attention on Match of the Day, and it feels like it won’t be the only time that happens this season.

In all, while it is still early on in his career, it looks like West Ham have an unreal midfield talent in Potts.

So, fans should be excited that the academy appears to be producing another prospect who could be a lot like him.

West Ham's next Potts in the making

The good news for West Ham and the fans is that there are currently several genuinely exciting players in the academy.

Bowen thinks he's "special": West Ham are brewing a bigger gem than Potts

The incredible gem could be an even bigger star for West Ham United than Freddie Potts.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 3, 2025

For example, Preston Fearon appears to have the potential to become a midfield destroyer one day, Emeka Adiele has been providing assists with ease at left-back, and Josh Landers seems to be a natural centre-forward.

However, another youngster, less well-known but with the potential to be a future Potts-esque star, is Isaac Thomas.

The 16-year-old Welshman made his debut for the club’s U18S over the weekend, and to say he impressed would be an understatement.

The young Hammers beat Ipswich Town 8-2 away from home, and instead of scoring one, a brace or even a hat-trick, the exciting prospect ended up with four goals to his name.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Amazingly, three of his goals were headers, with the fourth coming off his foot in the dying embers of the match. However, what makes the whole thing even more remarkable is that he was playing at centre-back.

Perhaps a little unsurprisingly, Thomas is not a natural defender, but stepped in to play there for the team regardless.

It’s this ability to be something of a utility player so young that makes him feel similar to Potts, as he, too, played at the back for the U21s and U18s on occasion.

Furthermore, if the “brilliant” teen, as dubbed by his coach, Lauris Coggin, possesses both the tactical awareness to play in defence and the technical ability to score four goals in a game, there is no reason he couldn’t eventually thrive in the middle of the park.

Ultimately, it is still so early in his career, but in Thomas, West Ham look to have another hugely promising talent, much like Potts.

MatériaMais Notícias

da bwin： O técnico Renato Gaúcho já tem uma baixa confirmada para o próximo jogo do Flamengo no Campeonato Brasileiro. O atacante Gabigol recebeu seu terceiro cartão amarelo na vitória por 2 a 1 sobre o Internacional, na noite deste sábado (20), e não atuará contra o Grêmio, na Arena do Grêmio, às 21h (em Brasília), em jogo remarcado da segunda rodada da competição nacional.

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da lvbet： O camisa 9, que marcou um dos gols da partida, se desentendeu com Moisés no intervalo da partida. Ele era um dos “pendurados” do confronto, assim comoEverton Ribeiro, Bruno Viana, Léo Pereira, Matheuzinho e Rodinei.

O técnico Renato Gaúcho deve poupar os titulares contra o Tricolor gaúcho, projetando a final da Libertadores, que será contra o Palmeiras, no próximo sábado (27) em Montevidéu (URU). O Flamengo está na segunda colocação do Brasileiro, com 66 pontos.

Saqib Mahmood helps reduce Northants to 59 for three, still needing 366 runs on final day

Paul Edwards17-Apr-2021When this morning’s play began Lancashire had a lead of 188 over Northamptonshire and all their second-innings wickets in hand. By the time the long day closed at 7.20pm they had reduced the visitors to 59 for 3 and a victory target of 425 appeared merely fantastical. A good day for the Red Rose, you might think, and you would be correct. Yet much of their batting had been so careless that it might have been designed to have their head coach, Glen Chapple, emulating Bertie Wooster’s Aunt Agatha and hopping about with a hatchet.The one player exempted from Chapple’s ire was Steven Croft, whose unbeaten century will have had Lancashire supporters smiling in shared pleasure. Croft’s love for the county of his birth is undoubted. When he pulled Nathan Buck for six to reach his hundred, thereby prompting a declaration, the home dressing room erupted in noisy acclamation. Croft was hugged by Tom Hartley, his batting partner, and he raised his arms towards his team-mates, some of whom may still have been watching Peppa Pig when he first played for Lancashire.The century had been the product of careful workmanship rather than effortless style. There were pulls to square leg, nudges through the slips and leg glances but only seven fours. The one concession to modernity, albeit Croft has kept his place in Lancashire’s T20 team, was the reverse sweep, which he now plays as easily as Robert Browning once produced rhyming couplets. He could have gone for three early in the morning session had Adam Rossington clung on to a right-handed diving catch but Croft has long been careful to make the most of such opportunities, for he has no clue how many more he might get.Three years ago he thought he would not get another contract with Lancashire but the coaches opted to give him another season, then one more, then another. There was nothing indulgent about these decisions. Although not the five-furlong favourite he once was, Croft can still do a job anywhere in the field and held on to two slip catches as Northants subsided this evening.Related

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Croft played in the side that won the Championship in 2011 and he skippered the team that won the T20 Blast in 2015. He is 37 in October yet it is an offence against nature to think of him as a veteran. Like schoolboys with a favourite master, supporters honour him with a nickname, although ‘Crofty’ is hardly in the class of ‘Rhino’, the name the boys at Thursgood’s gave to Jim Prideaux. This was his first Championship century since 2017 but there have been more than enough valuable innings in the meantime to reassure supporters wondering if a much-loved cricketer might have hung on a season too long.Application and an awareness of responsibility are often made particularly noticeable by their absence elsewhere and Lancashire’s other batsmen probably made Croft’s effort appear a little better than it was. Both openers were dismissed in the first nine deliveries of the morning, Keaton Jennings playing around an inswinger from Ben Sanderson and Alex Davies pushing forward just enough to edge Tom Taylor to Ricardo Vasconcelos at first slip. But the worst was yet to come.Having driven the Northants seamers for three of the pleasantest boundaries we will see this season Josh Bohannon played skew-whiff at a well-flighted off-spinner from Rob Keogh and inside-edged the ball onto his leg stump. Given that he had been presented with a good opportunity to collect a cheeky 80 runs or so, Bohannon’s 22 must have frustrated the coaches. But Lancashire were still well placed on 162 for 3 at lunch. On the resumption sanity left the stadium.In the first over of the afternoon session Dane Vilas played the ball to square leg and called Croft for an absurd single. The daftness of the exercise was plain almost immediately but not soon enough to save Lancashire’s skipper. Two overs later Croft clipped the ball in a similar direction only to see Rob Jones scampering down the wicket as if escaping a lunatic with a sharp knife. Emilio Gay threw the ball to the non-striker’s end and someone noted that five of Lancashire’s last 18 wickets had been lost to run outs. For the only time since last August one was grateful spectators were not present.The rest of the innings was less deranged. Luke Wood and Tom Bailey helped Croft take Northamptonshire’s target beyond that scored by any side in the fourth innings to beat Lancashire and the visitors’ job was made even harder by Saqib Mahmood’s magnificently hostile five-over spell with the new ball from the James Anderson End. The fast bowler beat both Ben Curran and Gay for pace and is clearly well suited to the short burst Vilas gave him. He will be steaming in again in the morning and then Matt Parkinson will send down some leg spin. Northants have form when it comes to foxing the bookies but one cannot like their chances.

Of late, Rohit has picked the corner of ODI cricket he wants to shake up and has gone rogue

Andrew Fidel Fernando and Shiva Jayaraman06-Aug-2024On Wednesday, Rohit Sharma will play his 265th ODI. Ordinarily, this is not a major milestone. But then this is Rohit, who even among the extraordinary players, has found ways to be extraordinary.Eighteen years into his ODI career, though, our guy is set to cross into uncharted territory. Ever since he played his first ODI his stats sheet has always shown a higher number under “high score” than “matches played”. Ten years since setting the kind of record that people credibly contend may never be broken, Rohit is about to go past 264.It is worth remembering and dwelling on the big-scoring Rohit right now. Worth recalling a time when Rohit stans would tell Virat Kohli stans that Rohit held his own at the tippy top of modern India batting.Related

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Though Kohli was the mass-producer of hundreds, “once Rohit gets past 70, there’s almost no stopping him,” was one theory. In ODIs, it was difficult to deny. The man has three double-hundreds, which is three times as many as any other batter, and a quarter of all the 200-plus scores ever made in the format. Of the 31 hundreds he has scored, 16 have produced 130 runs or more.Other batters merely “get in” on a track. Rohit embeds himself inside an opposition attack like the alien from and feeds until he is half the size of the spaceship and they are withering husks.Not lately, though. The more recent Rohit, in ODIs at least, is a highly-skilled DGAF figure – somebody who has seen it all, fought battles in all kinds of games there are to fight battles in, and picked the corner of ODI cricket he wants to shake up. Rohit has become predominantly a powerplay aggressor.The numbers lay this out. Since the start of the 2023 ODI World Cup, Rohit has batted in 13 ODIs and failed to get a start only in two of them. If you jump in at the 20-ball mark of the other 11, he’s striking at 150-plus (i.e. has more than 30 runs already) in seven of those innings, and at 100-plus in 10, the only exception being in an exceptionally difficult Lucknow pitch in the match against England, at the World Cup.In the ongoing series in Sri Lanka, he has hit 58 off 47, and 64 off 44, on hugely spin-favouring tracks. These are pitches on which strike rates of as low as 80 are acceptable, so long as you make a half-century, as Rohit did on both occasions. But here, Rohit’s starts on both occasions gave the middle order room to breathe while they attempted to hunt down modest scores.India have been bailed out by Rohit Sharma twice against Sri Lanka•AFP/Getty ImagesIn a previous age, Sri Lanka tightened their spin vices so effectively, that the pressure to score at a decent clip itself would produce wickets. In matches in which Rohit has peacocked his way through the early overs so spectacularly, Sri Lanka only had one route to victory – to dismiss the opposition. That they have done so twice is credit to their spinners on extremely dry surfaces.While he is batting this way, it might be more appropriate to think of Rohit Sharma, a producer of some of the most epic ODI innings, as a player who might “come off” for a significant number of deliveries. Since the start of the 2023 World Cup, he has never really tried to play himself in – his control percentage at 79.79 in his first 25 balls in that period, but then improving to only 82.32 in the next 25 balls.According to ESPNcricinfo’s data, Rohit plays more “aggressive false shots” now than ever before, which effectively means the man is happy to play attacking strokes that feel poorly conceived when they don’t come off. There are expansive drives against spinners early on, in which Rohit covers the line of the stumps and swings his bat at. There are safe mis-hits, where the bowler fooled Rohit, but he is still able hit to an area in which there is no protection. And there are shots like his attempted switch-sweep against Jeffrey Vandersay on Sunday, which saw him caught at backward point, and set in motion India’s collapse.And yet, though he has only occasionally middled the ball as emphatically as childhood coaches would love him to, Rohit has discovered the fun of hitting balls just okay. He has understood that hitting them well enough to clear the field means there are runs there too. It feels as if Rohit is in his most pragmatic era.There is little doubt that he wants to continue, wants to contest big tournaments, and wants more silverware in his arms. But Rohit has also stepped into a phase of his career in which he is only one star in the galaxy. And right now, that star wants to reap as many early-overs runs as possible.

Azhar Ali and Fawad Alam will begin the final day with Pakistan needing an improbable 302 to win

Karthik Krishnaswamy29-Dec-2020Tim Southee’s 300th Test wicket was the highlight of a quality seam-bowling display that left New Zealand seven wickets away from winning the Mount Maunganui Test. Having declared 20 minutes before tea to leave Pakistan more than four sessions to bat out and an improbable 373 to win, New Zealand used the new ball brilliantly to leave Pakistan three down at stumps.Tim Southee picked up his 300th wicket in his 76th Test match•AFP via Getty ImagesThe older ball did not do a great deal off the surface in terms of sideways movement, though up-and-down bounce was a constant worry at the back of the batsmen’s minds. With that in mind, Azhar Ali and Fawad Alam did well to see off the last 20.1 overs of the day, seeing off testing spells from New Zealand’s pace quartet.With Pakistan’s bowlers having extracted minimal help in the morning, it was clear that the pitch had flattened out significantly and not deteriorated to a great extent. It was crucial for New Zealand to maximise the new ball, but there was little doubt they would, with Southee and Trent Boult in charge of it.They took just 14 balls to dismiss both openers for no score.Watch cricket on ESPN+

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Boult removed Abid Ali with his second ball, getting it to climb disconcertingly from just short of a length, with the pace, the tight line and the left-arm angle leaving the batsman nowhere to go. All he could do from his initial forward press was to fend desperately at the throat-high ball, and glove it through to the keeper.An over later, it was Southee’s turn to celebrate, after sending back Shan Masood by subtler means. Having moved the previous ball back into the left-hander from around the wicket, he bowled a cross-seam delivery that just kept going on straight along its line in the corridor. Never the most extravagant mover of feet, Masood poked at it and edged to first slip.Jamieson pulled up for throwing ball at Faheem

Kyle Jamieson has been fined 25% of his match fee for throwing the ball at Faheem Ashraf “at high speed” during the third day’s action on Monday, breaching Level 1 of the ICC’s Code of Conduct, which relates to “throwing a ball at or near a player in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner”, in the process. The incident took place in the 75th over of the Pakistan first innings, with an ICC statement explaining, “Jamieson, after fielding the ball on his follow through, threw it in the direction of Faheem Ashraf at high speed when the batsman was away from the stumps but within the popping crease and not intending to take a run”. Apart from the fine, one demerit point was added to Jamieson’s disciplinary record.

Either side of the tea break, Azhar and Haris Sohail hung on for 15.3 overs against some probing bowling, with the former looking in excellent rhythm as he got his innings going with a pair of confident drives down the ground. The drives, and a clipped two between mid-on and midwicket off Boult in the 12th over of the innings, showed how balanced Azhar was at the crease – a feature of his innings so far, in attack and more so in defence.Haris, however, was less certain, with his lack of footwork keeping the New Zealand bowlers interested. Southee exploited it brilliantly, setting him up with a rising short ball – which he kept down fairly comfortably – and following up with a full, driving-length ball that Haris failed to get his front foot to. Mitchell Santner took a low catch at short extra-cover, and Southee had become the third New Zealander, after Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori, to the 300 mark.New Zealand began their second innings at the start of the day’s play, with much interest surrounding the conditions. Over the 45.3 overs they played before declaring, only the occasional instance of uncertain bounce gave the batsmen cause for worry.Mohammad Abbas looked the most threatening of Pakistan’s bowlers during his new-ball spell, testing the openers’ judgement with tight lines around off stump, and just a hint of seam movement. Slanting the ball across Tom Latham, he produced the only passage of play when ball dominated bat, finding the left-hander’s edge three times in two overs only for the ball to fall short of the slips cordon each time.Tom Blundell and Tom Latham added 111 for the first wicket•Getty ImagesThe openers endured only one other moment of genuine concern thereafter, when Faheem Ashraf got one to scoot through at ankle height and sneak under a drive from Tom Blundell, missing off stump by a matter of inches.Otherwise it was smooth sailing during a first-wicket stand of 111, with Blundell making an impressive comeback into the runs after scores of 14, 14 and 5 in his first three Test innings of the summer. He seemed to get into better positions than during the first innings, with a more pronounced back-and-across trigger helping him break his inertia and get his feet moving.He took a little time settling, with the lack of pace off the pitch causing him to mistime a few of his drives, but after the drinks break he flowed smoothly, looking especially strong on the pull and the cut, and reached his fifty off 87 balls.Latham grew increasingly assured the longer he stayed at the crease, and used the sweep efficiently as always, with Yasir Shah getting little of the sharp turn or bounce that he extracted during the first innings. After six overs in the first session, he wasn’t seen again.Leading by 290 at lunch, New Zealand made a concerted effort to up the ante after the break, with Blundell showing their intent by slogging at Abbas and having his leg stump dislodged. The singles flowed smoothly against deep-set fields, and there were frequent attempts to go hard at the bowling too, particularly when Pakistan switched tack to bowling short. Naseem Shah picked up three wickets in the bargain, a small consolation for an otherwise downbeat day for the visitors.

يرى بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي أن مواجهة ريال مدريد تحولت إلى ديربي، بعد الصدام الجديد المرتقب بينهما في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وأجريت قرعة محلق دور الـ 16 لـ دوري أبطال أوروبا، ظهر اليوم الجمعة، وأسفرت عن مباراة بين ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي.

وقال جوارديولا في تصريحاته خلال المؤتمر الصحفي، والتي نشرتها شبكة “بي بي سي”: “يبدو الأمر وكأنه مباراة ديربي بالفعل، أربع سنوات متتالية نواجه فيها ريال مدريد”.

وأضاف: “لكن مواجهة بايرن ميونخ أو ريال مدريد، كلاهما كان صعبًا حقًا، نأمل أن نتمكن من الوصول إلى مباراة الذهاب هنا، ثم في مدريد، بأفضل ما يمكن”.

وحول جدول المباريات المزدحم لـ مانشستر سيتي في فبراير، أفاد: “نبدأ بالفعل بمواجهة في باريس ثم نواجه تشيلسي، لذا فنحن بالفعل أمام عدد كبير من المباريات الصعبة”.

وأكمل: “هذا هو الجدول الزمني للمباريات، في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، يتعين على كل فريق أن يلعب ضد جميع الفرق، ولكن في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز عادة ما يضعون جداول زمنية صعبة للفرق في أوروبا”.

اقرأ أيضًا | مواعيد مباريات مانشستر سيتي في فبراير.. مرموش يواجه ريال مدريد ويصطدم بـ محمد صلاح

وأشار: “يتم وضع جداول زمنية للمباريات الأصعب لأن اللعب ضد ريال مدريد أو بايرن ميونخ أمر صعب، لكن المشكلة تكمن في منتصف الجدول الزمني وهو نيوكاسل”.

وأكمل: “دائمًا ما يكونوا لطفاء للغاية بشأن الجدول الزمني، لسنوات عديدة، يحدث هذا دائمًا بهذه الطريقة”.

وواصل جوارديولا: “هل تسألني هذا السؤال (بشأن جدول المباريات) بعد سنوات عديدة هنا؟، لا تسألني هذا السؤال لأقول شيئًا ثم تعترض”.

واستطرد: “لقد كنت هنا لسنوات عديدة قبلي وكنت دائمًا هكذا، لا أشتكي لأننا حققنا نجاحًا لا يصدق في لعب هذا الجدول”.

وأردف بيب: “لذا ربما يكون السؤال مفاجأة بالنسبة لك ولكنه يحدث دائمًا، كان دائمًا هكذا، نحن نقبله، أنا لا أشتكي لأننا فزنا بالثلاثية وحققنا نجاحًا في القيام بذلك”.

وأكد: “قيل ذلك عدة مرات، في الموسم الماضي، لعبنا ربع النهائي ضد ريال مدريد وبعد ثلاثة أيام لدينا نصف نهائي كأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي في ويمبلي عندما كان بإمكاننا الحصول على يوم آخر، لكننا ننجو”.

وأوضح: “أتذكر عندما كنت في برشلونة وأتابع الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز وأليكس فيرجسون وجوزيه مورينيو وأرسين فينجر يشكون من نفس الشيء، هل تعتقد أنه سيتغير؟،القنوات التي تذيع هي من يقرر، لا يسألون عن الأفضل للفرق”.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has explained the faith he has placed in young players this season.

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Man Utd prioritise youth in summer windowTen Hag hints at financial constraintsDutchman's job hinges on next few gamesGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

In an effort to rejuvenate an ageing and underperforming team, United signed younger players with long-term potential this summer, including Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, and Manuel Ugarte.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ten Hag's job security has been questioned in the past few weeks as United currently sit in the lower half of the Premier League table having won just two of their first five league games. Due to the Red Devils' transfer policy, the Dutchman now has a relatively inexperienced squad to rely on as he looks to the turn their fortunes around. However, Ten Hag has defended United's dealings.

Getty Images SportWHAT TEN HAG SAID

Speaking to the media, Ten Hag said: "Those are the choices we have made in the last two seasons. I understand the impression that many have for Manchester United because the history is so big.

"But those are the choices we have made – and also it has something to do with financials and other restrictions we have to deal with. We made the choice for younger players and you can’t expect them to be at the (top) level.

"We have to improve them and they have to improve themselves and we have to find a team that can be successful on a consistent basis. This team, in the last two years, has shown what they can do with patience. With patience we can win trophies and now we have to get more consistent.

"We are where we are now with this squad. With all the restrictions we had, we have done good work. Now we have to work with the squad and improve. We have a good squad, with young players. We have to improve the team and we have high targets – and we want to achieve those targets for this season and the years beyond."

WHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG?

The Dutchman's job could hinge on United's next few matches. United will be in action on Sunday when they take on Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. Spurs themselves have endured a tricky start, with Ange Postecoglou's young squad suffering two defeats already.