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Tottenham maintained their push for Champions League football on Sunday with a 3-1 win at home to champions Manchester City. Goals from Dempsey, Defoe and Bale helped Spurs come from a goal down with just 15 minutes to play, to win at White Hart Lane.

After winning one of their toughest fixtures remaining, the club will be in high spirits ahead of their final push for the top 4 spaces. With an expected financial boost of £25million if the club can qualify for the competition, Andre Villas-Boas will be looking to strengthen the depth of his squad in preparation for playing Europe’s finest. One player linked with the club is former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song. The Daily Mail have reported that Spurs will bid for the Barcelona midfielder, if the club can qualify for the Champions League. It would also see Scott Parker, Jake Livermore and Tom Huddlestone all being sold by the London club.

Song has struggled to make an impact at Barcelona after his £15million switch from the Emirates. Making just 16 league appearances this season, Song is yet to be credited with an assist in his La Liga matches, and was voted alongside Luka Modric as the flops of the transfer window by Spanish paper Marca. Failing to impress the fans or media at the Catalan club, the midfielder could be prepared to cut his losses short and leave Spain.

A controversial move to Tottenham could be possible. His red roots wont deter Villas-Boas, and neither will Song’s season at Barcelona. Despite struggling at the Spanish giants, his impressive displays in his last few years in England will be enough to tempt the Portuguese manager into signing Song or not. The midfielder enjoyed a fantastic relationship with Robin van Persie at Arsenal, linking up to score some memorable goals, notably against both Liverpool and Everton. Song assisted 14 goals last season, 11 of which were in the Premier League. Villas-Boas will look at Song’s quality at Arsenal, not at Barcelona.

But Song will also face a fight against the fans. A few impressive displays will make the supporters forget about his Arsenal origins. But the Cameroon international will come to replace three popular players at White Hart Lane. Tom Huddlestone, who has been at the club since 2005, is set to make way for Song. As is Jake Livermore, who at just 23-years-old, has started to impress in his first team football with the club, making 11 appearances for the London side. Finally, Scott Parker looks set to move aside for the Barcelona man, despite being popular with the fans for his energetic style and passion for the club. Song will know he will have to do well to win over some supporters, who will be sad to see the trio leave in his place.

The 25-year-old midfielder could repay the fans instantly though, if he can find the same form he left the Emirates with. His ability to pass a ball precisely, coupled with his happiness to sit back and hold the midfield, could push Spurs to a new level. With a more accurate attack, and an extra body protecting the defence, allowing wing-backs Assou-Ekotto and Kyle Walker to get forward, Tottenham could become a difficult ship to sink in the Premier League. With the club set on signing a new striker in the summer, Spurs could be just two signings away from a team capable of reaching the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite competition, a feat the club achieved two years ago in their first and only spell in the Champions League limelight.

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With the pace of Bale and Lennon able to latch on to Song’s through balls, and the Cameroon international’s ability to pass the ball to the exact requirements of a striker, Song could become a popular man at White Hart Lane. He will face a battle with Sandro, Dembele and Holtby for a regular starting place, but his solidity in midfield and eagerness to turn defence into attack with one pass could turn Tottenham Hotspur into a regular top 4 team, leapfrogging rivals and Song’s former club, Arsenal.

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USA captain feels beating Pakistan in the World Cup is “going to open many doors for us”

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jun-20242:08

Rapid Fire Review: Where does this rank among the greatest upsets?

After their win over Pakistan, USA captain Monank Patel said they should have finished the game in the regular time instead of taking it to the Super Over.Chasing 160, USA needed 56 from the last seven overs with Monank and Andries Gous well set. But Monank got out on the very next ball, allowing Pakistan to make a comeback and tie the game.”When I got out, we were still in the game,” Monank said after the match, “and I thought we should have finished the game and we should have never gone to Super Over. But the way we kept our nerves and in the Super Over particularly, scoring 18 runs itself gave us a big upper hand to defend the target.”Related

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Apart from those last few overs, everything else went as per the plan for USA, right from winning the toss.”The plan was to win the toss and bowl first,” Monank said. “And we knew initially first half an hour it would help pace bowlers and the way we kept them quiet and took the crucial wickets in the powerplay, it helped really well. And yeah, 160 on this wicket with one side short boundary, I felt we were always in the game.”For the Super Over, USA went with left-arm seamer Saurabh Netravalkar instead of Ali Khan, who is arguably more used to bowling at the death. It proved to be the right choice as Netravalkar conceded only 13.”The plan was we wanted to make sure that we utilise the conditions,” Monank said. “And the condition was a left-arm bowler bowling cutters and wide yorkers with left-arm over angle going out. Ali Khan usually attacks the stumps, but we wanted to make sure that we make them play outside off stump. And for a left-armer, the angle helps. Saurabh had had a good day, and I backed him.”1:05

Monank Patel praises USA bowlers for historic win over Pakistan

Before the World Cup, USA had beaten Bangladesh 2-1 in a three-match home T20I series. In the World Cup opener, they beat Canada and now have two wins in two games. Their remaining matches are against India and Ireland. One more victory will put them in contention for the Super 8. But Monank is not thinking too far ahead.”We know what we have worked and what capability we have,” he said. “And we just focus on the particular game. And we don’t want to keep our emotions too high or low. We’ll make sure that whatever the win today is, we’ll enjoy it and make sure that next day we come fresh.”We want to focus on one game at a time. And our focus would be on playing against India now. We don’t even want to think about the Ireland right now. Super 8 is far ahead.”But Monank agreed beating Pakistan was a big achievement that could open many doors for them.”I am happy with the win, playing against Pakistan for the first time in the World Cup and beating them it was an unbelievable performance from our side,” he said. “So yeah, I would say it’s a big day for Team USA and for the USA cricket community too.”Of course, beating Pakistan in the World Cup is going to open many doors for us. Obviously hosting the World Cup in USA and performing here as a team, it helps us to grow the cricket in USA.”

Batter Will Young will be released to play in the Plunket Shield between the Tests

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Mar-2023Neil Wagner has been ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka with a bulging disc in his back and a torn right hamstring. The recovery time for the injuries is around six weeks.Wagner had left the field late in the third session on day three of the ongoing Test in Christchurch, feeling serious discomfort in his back and leg. He failed a fitness Test before play on day four on Sunday but will be available to bat if required.In December, Wagner signed a deal with Yorkshire to play the first ten games of the County Championship season, though now appears unlikely to be fit for their opening fixture against Leicestershire on April 6.New Zealand, meanwhile, have called up seamer Doug Bracewell into the squad.”We all know how much playing Test cricket for New Zealand means to Neil and we are all disappointed to see him side-lined like this,” New Zealand coach Gary Stead said. “The fact he was still hoping to play on, carrying these injuries shows you just how determined he is to try and give his all for the team.”Doug is a skilful bowler who has been in strong form for the Central Stags across formats this season. We believe his skills will complement the rest of the bowlers we have in the group going into the next Test.”Bracewell, 32, had last played a Test in 2016. In addition to the three fast bowlers still playing the first Test – Tim Southee, Matt Henry, and Blair Tickner – New Zealand also have right-armer Scott Kuggeleijn in the squad. Where Kuggeleijn only made his Test debut last month, Bracewell brings substantially more experience, having played 27 Tests where he has bagged 72 wickets.Will Young, who is part of the Test squad, will be released to play in the next round of the Plunket Shield. He will return before the second Test starts on Friday.”We think it’s important for Will to keep getting cricket under his belt,” Stead said. “With the timing of this round and the next Test we thought it was a good opportunity to get him on the park and have time in first-class match conditions.”

Rejaur Rahman Raja took two wickets on BPL debut to seal a comfortable victory

Mohammad Isam24-Jan-2022How the match played outChattogram Challengers outplayed Khulna Tigers by 25 runs, securing a second win in three games in the BPL. A big-hitting powerplay and death overs propped their score up at an above-average 190 for 7 in 20 overs, before Rejaur Rahman Raja made a stunning BPL debut with three fiery overs.The uncapped Raja dealt Khulna an early blow when he struck Andre Fletcher on the neck. He removed Sikandar Raza, Fletcher’s concussion substitute, and Thisara Perera, apart from going for just nine runs in his first 18 deliveries. Left-arm quick Shoriful Islam was on the mark too, taking two wickets although he had Tanzid Hasan dropped at mid-on.Nasum Ahmed, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Benny Howell took one wicket each, as Chattogram won the game comfortably.That comfort came via two important batting periods. Chattogram struck 64 runs in the powerplay, and another 62 runs in the last five overs.Big hitChattogram’s openers got out trying to be too aggressive. Will Jacks and Kennar Lewis blasted off with 23 off the first over. The fifty was up in 3.3 overs, but both openers were gone by the fourth over with only 17 and 25 next to their names. After Afif Hossain and Sabbir Rahman batted steadily, Miraz and Howell got the run-rate back up.Miraz struck four boundaries in his 23-ball 30 while Howell struck an unbeaten 34 off 20 balls, with a bit of innovation in his five boundaries, that included an upper-cut six.Khulna had no such luck as their top order caved in with Fletcher being stretchered off. ESPNcricinfo understands that he is “feeling okay” but was taken to hospital as a precaution. Yasir Ali stood form, adding 43 runs for the fifth wicket with Raza. Yasir made 40 off 26 balls with three sixes and two fours, trying to keep Khulna in the game against the tide of a very high asking rate.Big missKhulna made an inauspicious start when Sohrawordi Shuvo, in his first BPL over in five years, conceded 23 runs. It also happened to be the most runs in the first over of a BPL innings. The previous highest was Chittagong Vikings’ 22 runs against Rajshahi Kings in the 2018-19 edition. Shuvo slipped a wide four off the first ball before Lewis slog swept him for a six. Jacks struck him down the ground for a four and followed it up with a swept six over long leg for the second six in the first over.Khulna would also hope that the veteran Mushfiqur Rahim comes good after he has had two low scores to start off the tournament.

The pathway event for the 2023 World Cup had already been postponed once

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Aug-2020A pathway event for the 2023 ODI World Cup has been postponed for a second time due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The second event of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Challenge League A, whose winners were to play the 2022 World Cup Qualifier, had already been rescheduled from March and was due to be held between September 30 and October 10 in Malaysia. It now stands postponed once again.The teams that formed part of League A include Canada, Denmark, Malaysia, Qatar, Singapore and Vanuatu.ALSO READ: The road to World Cup 2023: How teams can secure qualification, from rank No. 1 to 32“The ICC’s priority continues to be to protect the well-being of players, coaches, officials, fans and the whole cricket community,” said the ICC’s Head of Events Chris Tetley. “As a result of this we have fully assessed the situation in partnership with the Malaysia Cricket Association and participating Members with ongoing international travel restrictions, global health concerns still prominent and on government and public health authority advice in relation to COVID-19 we have decided to postpone the event.”Earlier, the World Cup League originally slated to be hosted in the USA from April 1 to 9 this year was also postponed in light of the pandemic. Last month, the ICC had shifted the 2023 World Cup from the original February-March window to October-November in order to facilitate qualifying for the event, including the ODI Super League.

When asked what was going on, Ashwin’s response was: “I just play with passion, so does he”

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-20190:18

We just play with passion – Ashwin on Kohli send-off

Did Virat Kohli mock R Ashwin’s controversial mankading of Jos Buttler earlier in the season after he caught his Test team-mate at the long-on boundary? Paul Collingwood, former England captain and a staunch critic of the Buttler run-out, certainly thought so.
With 27 required off the last over against Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kings XI Punjab captain Ashwin hit the first ball for a six. The next only made it as far as Kohli at the long-on boundary. Kohli gesticulated after catching the ball before moving his right hand – which held the ball – behind his body, an action not too dissimilar to flicking the bails off behind you when you effect the mankad.Virat Kohli is over the moon as a Kings XI Punjab wicket falls•BCCI

Ashwin walked off, and proceeded to fling his gloves in anger upon reaching the dugout, which may or may not have been a reaction to Kohli’s antics. He was later asked about what had been going on between him and Kohli – Ashwin has been animated whenever his side has got Kohli out – and replied, “I just play with passion, so does he. That’s it. As simple as that.”No current India cricketer has openly come out in support of Ashwin – or made any comment one way or another – on the run-out debate, whereas current England cricketers – and others – have taken to Twitter to criticise him. The support for Ashwin has only come from former Indian cricketers.Ashwin did pull out of his delivery during his match against Delhi Capitals with Shikhar Dhawan, the non-striker, not leaving the crease. When Ashwin ran in to bowl the next ball, Dhawan danced outside the crease but with the bat inside it. Kohli reacted similarly when Sunil Narine pulled out of his delivery stride in another match, but that wasn’t with the intention of running the non-striker out. Kohli squatted low to send the message that he was doing all he could to keep his bat inside the crease.

Stuart Broad averaged over 36 with the ball in 2017, his worst year since 2010, but currently sits on 399 Test wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Feb-2018Stuart Broad has been honing his bowling action ahead of England’s Test series in New Zealand next month where he will arrive sitting on 399 wickets.In a pair of tweets posted on Tuesday, Broad explained how he was working on getting more side-on on his delivery stride. In recent times he has found it harder to move the ball away from right handers.”Working on my action to get more side on. More twist in my shoulders to get my front arm more towards the target, helping my feet align much better,” Broad wrote alongside a short video. “Walk throughs give me a great feel of how my body is moving. Some balls come out great, some horrible, but I always say try different things in training cause if something clicks for you it can help your game, no one cares if you get it wrong in the aim for improvement!”The Ashes was largely a struggle for Broad as he claimed 11 wickets at 47.72 – five of them coming in the fourth Test at Melbourne – his most expensive return in a series of more than three matches, while he finished with his worst Test figures of 0 for 142 in Perth.
Broad came in for heavy criticism after the performance in Perth, with former England captain Michael Vaughan questioning his place in the team, but responded with his best outing of the series in Melbourne.Throughout 2017, Broad found Test wickets harder to come by than previous years, finishing with 30 scalps at 36.06 – his highest average since 2010.Broad claimed his 399th Test wicket early in Australia’s first innings at the SCG last month – when he bowled Cameron Bancroft with his second delivery – but remained short of his next landmark through 29 overs as Australia amassed 649 for 7. He will become the second England bowler after new-ball partner James Anderson to reach 400 wickets.The first Test against New Zealand, a day-night match at Eden Park, starts on March 22.

Moises Henriques commanded a focused Sydney Sixers to a nine-wicket win over Sydney Thunder in the opening match of BBL 2016-17

The Report by Daniel Brettig20-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSydney Thunder made a sobering start to their defence of the Big Bash League title won last summer, well beaten by a focused Sydney Sixers on the opening night of the tournament at a sold-out Sydney Showgrounds. After the Thunder lost a ruinous 5 for 15 midway through their innings, the Sixers’ captain Moises Henriques combined with Daniel Hughes to drive the Sixers home.Captain in commandHenriques led the Sixers with plenty of panache on the night, shuffling his bowlers expertly and not being spooked by the crushing way the Thunder ended their Powerplay, racing to 64 for 1. Instead he used spin to shift the game’s momentum on a somewhat tacky surface, ensuring the hosts finished some way short of their desired total.He followed up with an innings of common sense and plenty of strength, taking a particular shine to the offerings of his state team-mate, Pat Cummins. As plenty of batsmen the world over can relate, muscling Cummins is no easy task. Henriques’ reward was the top score of the match, and a winning start to the Sixers’ campaign.Bat in blackA technicolour crowd of 21,798 was in good voice throughout, but there were more than a few gasps when Andre Russell walked out brandishing a jet-black bat – a sight not seen since the little-remembered Stanford T20 tournaments in the Caribbean. While the Sixers’ gloveman Haddin noted on the broadcast that the ball bore a few black marks for Russell’s contact, a CA spokesperson confirmed it was all above board.”A player can use a coloured bat subject to CA approval. The bat may be the same colour as the Club’s primary colour, or black. CA retains the right to withdraw approval in its absolute discretion. The umpires can also request a player change the bat if they believe it affects the integrity of the match.”Spin shiftWhen the fifth and sixth overs of the Thunder innings – bowled by Joe Mennie and Doug Bollinger – went for a combined 39 runs, the Sixers seemed to have lost their early control over proceedings. However Henriques refused to panic, instead reverting to Steve O’Keefe’s spin and the slinging action of Sean Abbott. The next two overs cost only seven, and meant Eoin Morgan was spoiling for a boundary when the new Australian citizen Johan Botha entered the attack. First ball and a slow, spinning off break attracted the faintest of touches from Morgan through to Brad Haddin.That wicket led to another tight over, this time costing only three, and Henriques then swung Mennie back into action against batsmen now questioning themselves a fraction. Jason Roy flew through the air at backward point to snaffle a cut shot from the captain Ben Rohrer, a critical wicket given there is no longer a Michael Hussey or Jacques Kallis adding their knowhow to the Thunder line-up. Two balls later Jake Doran also fell, this time lbw, pushing momentum well and truly towards the Sixers.When Russell’s black-bat cameo was ended by a Bollinger short ball, Henriques pulled another clever rein by posting Daniel Hughes at slip for Chris Green, who obliged by edging directly to him. In all the sequence had cost the Thunder 5 for 15 in 23 balls, a period that was always going to leave them within range of the Sixers’ power-hitters.Hunter and huntedFor the first four years of the BBL, the Sixers were Sydney’s dominant team, the Thunder their underachieving western counterparts. Last season turned things on their head, as the Thunder soared to the title while the Sixers did not even reach the semis. An off-season to think about that scenario clearly left an impression on the Sixers, who have stolen an early march, not only their crosstown rivals, but also the competition as a whole.

Justice Sweeney, the judge presiding over the Chris Cairns perjury trial in London, has warned the jurors to treat the evidence of Lou Vincent with caution, given his tendency to lie

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2015Justice Sweeney, the judge presiding over the Chris Cairns perjury trial in London, has warned the jurors to treat the evidence of Lou Vincent with caution, given his tendency to lie.In his summing-up at Southwark Crown Court, Justice Sweeney pointed out the “potential danger” that Vincent, who was last year banned from cricket after admitting accepting money to under-perform, “might have his own interests to serve”.Vincent secretly taped the Skype conversation in 2011 with Cairns’ co-defendant, Andrew Fitch-Holland, that forms the key piece of evidence in the charge of perverting the course of justice that both men deny. He has already admitted to corruption, fraud, money laundering and bribery in England. He has also confessed to match-fixing and, as the judge noted, has previously attempted to lie his way out of trouble.”In his case, you should be particularly cautious that he might have his own interest to serve,” the judge told the jury.”The prosecution say that nevertheless you can be sure he is telling the truth when he tells us that Mr Cairns recruited him to take part in cheating.”The defence say that Lou Vincent plainly has an interest of his own to serve, namely making allegations about a big name in the game in the hope of getting away with what he has done, or minimising its consequences, and that he has succeeded in doing so, as while he has received life bans from playing cricket, he had already given up cricket, and he has not been investigated or prosecuted for the undoubted crimes he has committed in this country and elsewhere.”It is incumbent on me to emphasise to you the potential danger posed by such a witness and point out to you that he might have his own interests to serve by giving evidence.”What you make of his evidence is entirely a matter for you, whether you are sure that he’s telling the truth or not.”The charge of perjury, which Cairns denies after stating during his libel action against Lalit Modi in 2012 that he had “never, ever cheated at cricket”, requires the evidence of more than one witness to be accepted as true.Nine witnesses were called in the course of the trial, but the judge said that the evidence of at least two of the three key witnesses would be required to justify a guilty verdict. In addition to Vincent, the other two are Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, and Eleanor Riley, Vincent’s ex-wife.If the jury was sure that Cairns had cheated, then they would be open to convict on count one, perjury, and go on to consider count two, perverting the course of justice. However, if they acquitted on the first count, then they would be obliged to acquit on the second count as well.The judge will continue his summing up on Monday at 10am.

The New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum is set to launch defamation proceedings against John Parker over a document concerning the way Ross Taylor’s removal as captain was handled

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2013The New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum is set to launch defamation proceedings against John Parker over a document concerning the way Ross Taylor’s removal as captain was handled. The law firm Chapman Tripp is expected to file proceedings in the High Court in Hamilton next week over the document titled “The Taylor Affair”, which they claim was written by Parker.McCullum said in a statement released by his lawyers that he had “no option but to take legal action”. “Mr Parker’s paper makes some very serious attacks on my integrity, my honesty and my ethics as a professional sportsman,” McCullum said. “I have endeavoured to resolve these issues with Mr Parker but have been unable to do so. He has left me with no choice but to defend myself and my reputation this way.”McCullum said he was not seeking monetary damages but wanted Parker’s “acknowledgment that the claims he makes are completely false”.Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, is also believed to be considering legal action against Parker and issued a statement on Friday that said he was aware of McCullum’s comments. “I have similar concerns to him regarding the comments made by John Parker about me,” Hesson said. “I have taken legal advice and the matter is currently being dealt with by my lawyers. I have nothing further to say regarding the matter.”Parker, who once captained New Zealand, has been critical not only of Taylor’s removal as captain but also the wider governance of New Zealand Cricket.