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The allrounder explains Sri Lanka’s odd but effective bowling plan which helped them squeeze out a three-run victory over South Africa

Andrew Fidel Fernando 09-Aug-2018With six overs left in the rain-hit fourth ODI, the ball was wet, and South Africa were ahead of the game, with 43 runs to get, and five wickets in hand. So what did Sri Lanka do? They bowled as if they were playing a Test.It sounds like an odd move, but in the situation, it turned out to be an inspired one. South Africa had David Miller – one of the cleanest strikers in the world – at the crease, and another batsman to come. Yet they could muster no more than 39 from those 36 deliveries, as Sri Lanka claimed four wickets and squeezed the visitors out in Pallekele.Suranga Lakmal’s final over was delivered with an especially unusual limited-overs field. Sri Lanka had six men on the off side and only three on the leg. Lakmal dared Miller to hit across the line, and bowled him with a cutter. His death-bowling partner, Thisara Perera, explained how the senior players had hatched this Test-match plan on the fly.”In the 15th and 16th overs, we realised that the ball was swinging from one end,” Thisara said. “The ball was still new. So we decided to bowl wicket-to-wicket from that end, and it’s not easy to bat when you bowl like that. We noticed that in our innings as well. So we planned to stick to that line as fast bowlers because they [the batsmen] then have to take the risk to try and hit over the field. What we did in the last few overs was to forget about yorkers, and try to bowl a Test-match line and length. That’s what worked out for us.””The bowling had to be good because 190 [191] is a very easy target given the wet conditions, especially after they had hit 21 in the first two overs. But somehow we won.”That South Africa were even chasing as many as 191 from their 21 overs was thanks in large part to a breakneck seventh-wicket stand between Thisara and Dasun Shanaka earlier in the evening. The pair came together with the score on 195 for 6, with just under 12 overs remaining. But instead of knuckling down to ensure Sri Lanka batted out the full 39 overs, they soon began to attack, hitting seven sixes and seven fours between them. Their partnership of 109 was Sri Lanka’s best of the series, and came from only 67 deliveries.”As soon as Dasun came, I told him that we shouldn’t stop playing our shots,” Thisara said. “We are both positive batsmen. We planned three overs by three overs at the start. And then after a while, we realised that we were seeing the ball well. So we decided on a target of 280, but we both batted well. Dasun was especially good at hitting boundaries, so we were able to pass 300. A 100-run partnership is not easy, because their bowlers were bowling well and we had lost six wickets already. But as soon as Dasun came, I told him let’s try and hit straight in the first few overs and get ourselves set, and then see after that.”Shanaka provided the better hand in the partnership, hitting 65 off 34 balls, while Thisara made 51 off 45. It was an especially important innings for Shanaka, who had not played an ODI since November 2016. This knock may go some way towards convincing the Sri Lanka selectors that he should be part of their World Cup plans.”Actually what I had wanted to do was to support Thisara, because he is the best death-overs batsman in Sri Lanka – he can hit a six at any time,” Shanaka said of his knock. “I wanted to stay with him till the end and play that supporting role. When he started batting well, I got a few loose balls. When they tried to bowl short at him, they also bowled short at me, so I was able to hit sixes.”

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur stressed on the need for a team’s captain and coach to be on the same page and said he enjoyed working with captain Sarfraz Ahmed

George Dobell at Edgbaston03-Jun-2017It was the contrast that was most striking.While India’s pre-match media conference – attended only by the captain, Virat Kohli – was dominated by talk of the division between him and his team’s coach, Anil Kumble, the Pakistan captain and coach turned up together and talked of the relationship as akin to a marriage.It is possible that such a move was planned to highlight their opponents’ apparent divide. It didn’t feel like it at the time, but it is possible. And it is very possible that when Mickey Arthur and Sarfraz Ahmed were listening to each other speak in their respective languages and nodding vigorously in agreement, they had not the slightest idea of what was being said.But the general impression remained: while much is expected of a tense and possibly divided India, Pakistan are united, relaxed and quietly confident. No one is claiming they are favourites. But they are certainly dangerous.”The captain-coach relationship is almost like a marriage,” Arthur said. “You’ve got to be on the same page all the time. And if you’re on the same page, you get correct decisions and you give clarity to your team. And that’s certainly where Saf and myself find ourselves; very much on the same page. I’m really going to enjoy working with him.””The pressure is on India only,” Sarfraz said. “There is no pressure on us. We are standing at No. 8 in the rankings. We cannot fall below this.”They can, of course. They need only look at the example of West Indies to know that. And with context and merit likely to play an ever greater role in all formats of the game, there can be no room for complacency. Qualifying for such competitions – and that includes the World Cup – cannot be taken for granted.But the first step to progress is accepting that change is required. And after a period of denial, Pakistan are now well aware of that. They know they need to undergo the same sort of evolution in their ODI cricket as England have in the last couple of years. They need to score more heavily, be more potent with the ball and improve their fielding. They need, in every way, to attack more.They know all that. And with several promising young players beginning to settle into international cricket – notably Babar Azam, Shahdab Khan and Hasan Ali – they have the raw materials to make progress. This tournament may come a little too early in their development cycle, though, with Arthur accepting his team are “a work in progress.”Despite Pakistan’s claims of being well-prepared, some of their players will enter the Champions Trophy without significant international experience•ICC

“We knew that we needed to play a different brand of cricket,” he said. “And it’s changing. Certainly in terms of the brand of cricket we play. We’re working on it. It’s a work in progress. I’m comfortable where we’re at.”We’ve worked massively on our ball rotation and our strike rates. It was very interesting to read the other day – I go through the stats quite regularly – that in the last year we’ve scored the third-most amount of 300s. England are way, way ahead, but Pakistan is number three on that list. And I think that’s testimony to the brand of cricket that we are starting to play.”The team that’s going to win this competition is the team that can strike. Gone are the days of just containing through the middle overs. Gone are the days of going at five-and-a-half an over, thinking you’re doing a good job.”You’ve got to be able to take wickets. We always pick an attack to take wickets. Every one of our attack is going to be able to do something different. We have a left-arm swinger, we could have left-arm pace, we have the swing and hustle of Hassan, we’ve a left-arm spinner, an off-spinner and we could have a leg-spinner. We’ve got everything at our disposal tomorrow to allow Saf to pull the strings to make sure we can try to bowl India out, because that’s got to be priority number one. We can’t just sit back and let them score. We’ve got to attack them and we’ve got to look to bowl them out.”Sarfraz agreed. And, intriguingly, offered “new things” on Sunday. “We have made a plan,” he said. “On Sunday, you will see us doing some new things, which we have not done against India previously. We will try doing some out-of-the-box things. You will see this team playing differently.”Quite how ‘out of the box’ they can be remains to be seen. But it is not a phrase that might have been expected from Misbah-ul-Haq, and with a couple of new faces in the team – faces that India will not have seen – it may be that they have some element of surprise on their side.For all the talk of being “extremely well-prepared and ready to go” (as Arthur put it), for all the talk of “players having role clarity” and “everybody knowing where they fit in,” there are some pretty obvious holes in Pakistan’s preparations. If a team is really well-prepared, won’t it have ensured its players have gained experience at this level before going into a global event against an arch rival? And if a team is really well-prepared, won’t it have ensured its players know what to expect from full-house crowds, media attention and this level of competition?That is patently not the case with this Pakistan side. Shahdab Khan, the 18-year-old leg-spinner, has played only three ODIs, while Faheem Ashraf, the seam-bowling all-rounder who made a wonderful impression in the warm-up victory over Bangladesh, could make his international debut. Whatever their inherent class, this will represent a huge step up in quality. Plunging such players into one of the most high-profile games in the sport is hugely demanding and not especially reflective of good planning.”If you’re good enough, you’re old enough,” Arthur said. “That’s what I always say. And I think Shadab Khan is certainly good enough. He’s ready. If he gets the opportunity, I’m particularly confident in his ability to produce for us. And he’s a match-winner. He really is. It’s so exciting. It’s another young Pakistan cricketer on the big stage and that’s really great. It’s really good for the country and it’s really good for cricket.”It may well be. But while you suspect this game comes a bit too early for Shadab et al. history has taught us never to discount Pakistan. And while the Arthur-Sarfraz partnership can survive defeat against India, perhaps the same cannot be said for the Kohli-Kumble partnership if the result goes the other way. All the expectation, all the pressure, all the consequences are weighing down India. You suspect Pakistan wouldn’t mind adding to their woes.

After the shock of James Taylor’s retirement, it was an impressive show of character fro Nottinghamshire to close out victory

George Dobell at Trent Bridge13-Apr-2016
ScorecardJake Ball completed a five-wicket haul•Getty Images

Spike Milligan used to tell a story about a time when he was suffering from a bout of depression. Lying in bed and crying uncontrollably, he was brought a glass of water by his young daughter. She knew it wouldn’t help, but she wanted to try and couldn’t think of anything else to offer.Perhaps this Nottinghamshire victory might be viewed in the same light. A club reeling from the news that James Taylor’s career is not only over, but that he must undergo heart surgery in the next couple of days knows that, in the grand scheme of things, the result of a game of cricket does not amount to much. But they wanted to do what they could for him and have nothing else to give besides good wishes and encouraging performances You can be quite sure this result raised a smile from Taylor.It was, in the end, a victory that owed much to the fortitude and character of a team struggling to come to terms with the sad news they had received. Facing a target of 169 on a pitch that remained encouraging for seamers, they slipped form 72 without loss to 100 for 5 before rallying.Jake Ball, a much improved seamer who will surely be pushing for England recognition in the coming months, completed the second five-wicket haul of his first-class career in the morning and hit the winning runs in the evening, while Greg Smith, a former team-mate of Taylor at Leicestershire as well as Nottinghamshire, registered his highest score for the club in first-class cricket.”As soon as we found out about James we said we’ve got to win him a trophy,” Ball said afterwards. “He’s an exceptional talent and it’s sad that it’s all been taken away from him.”He’s been a massive part of this club for a few years. What we can do is put wins on the board and trophies in the cabinet for him.”Ball must have thought his work was over when he helped polish off the Surrey innings in the morning session. While Sam Curran – surely a fine batsman in the making – contributed five sweetly-struck boundaries, he was trapped in front by one that nipped back and Arun Harinath’s admirable resistance was ended when he was lured into reaching for a drive and edged to the cordon. He had batted on every day of the match and didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.The Nottinghamshire chase began smoothly. Mullaney, who looks in glorious form, and the more careful Smith reached 72 in 14 overs. But when Mullaney was trapped in front, the next four batsman added just eight between them.Tom Curran, finding life and movement from a good length, claimed three wickets in seven balls without conceding a run at one stage as Michael Lumb edged one angled across him, Brendan Taylor was taken on the glove by a brute of a ball and Riki Wessels edged one that bounced and left him. It was, by any standards, outstanding bowling.Smith, however, stood firm. So grim had his red-ball form been – this was his first score above 20 in 13 Championship innings and his first half-century in 24 first-class innings dating back to September 2014 – that one national newspaper left him out of their fantasy league options at the start of the season.But he has worked hard with Peter Moores – the consultant coach at Nottinghamshire – in recent months and demonstrated a sound defence and calm head in a crisis. It took a peach of a delivery, bouncing and nipping away from a good length, to find his edge.By then, Nottinghamshire were still 17 short and left with a tail that were blown away in the first innings. But Brett Hutton produced two sumptuous on drives and Ball kept his head to see their side over the line. Nottinghamshire took 24 points and Surrey just four.There was encouragement here for Surrey, though. They left themselves too much ground to make up after a poor start to the game with bat and ball but showed spirit and skill in clawing their way back into it.They also showed – if we did not know before – that they have at least two outstanding young cricketers in Ben Foakes and Tom Curran. To out-keep Chris Read, as Foakes did in this match, is a rare achievement, while Tom Curran produced a series of beautiful deliveries to precipitate a Nottinghamshire collapse.This was a mixed debut for Ravi Rampaul, though. After three years out of the first-class game, he was understandably rusty and looked as if he were carrying a few more pounds – or even stone – than can be ideal for a professional sportsman. Ravi Ample one wag called him; Ravi Rampall-you-can-eat another retorted.He retains enviable skills, though. While some of his wickets may have owed a little to fortune – Samit Patel, slashing without foot movement, edged a long-hop to slip and Read and Steven Mullaney may have felt the balls that trapped them leg before were passing down the leg side – he can move the ball both ways. The donation of 26 in no-balls though (Ravi no-ball was another nickname) was costly in such a tight game. He will, no doubt, improve for the experience.Surrey were also hampered by the decision not to bowl Sam Curran. They were, perhaps, keen not to over-burden a young man in such a tight situation, though he has given every indication to date of relishing the heat of the battle.”We made it very difficult for ourselves over the first four or five sessions of the game,” Gareth Batty admitted. “You can’t get that far behind against a very good team and Notts are a proven team. We gave ourselves too big a hill to climb but it was a pretty good effort to try and turn it around.”There is no lack of talent in his Surrey team. Their Championship season may well be defined by how quickly they can adapt to the greater discipline required in the top division. The pace at which they improved in this game may, despite the result, offer cause for optimism.

Andy Waller, the Zimbabwe coach, admitted that recent run-ins with Zimbabwe Cricket had affected the morale of the players, but the situation was not a factor in their 108-run defeat to Pakistan in the third ODI in Harare

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Aug-2013Andy Waller, the Zimbabwe coach, admitted that recent run-ins with Zimbabwe Cricket had affected the morale of the players, but the situation was not a factor in their 108-run defeat, and subsequent series loss, to Pakistan in the third ODI in Harare.The Zimbabwe players aborted training on Friday morning over unpaid dues and have also set Zimbabwe Cricket a deadline, which could put a cloud over the two-match Test series.”We talked about it and we obviously went out there and gave a 100%,” Waller said after the match. “But unfortunately the situation, and the way it all went about yesterday, it doesn’t matter who you are, it’s all going to be in the back of your head. And without making excuses, because Pakistan played damn good cricket, it’s very hard to say to the guys, ‘Please, let’s just try and focus today, concentrate on cricket and forget about what’s happened’. Unfortunately, it’s always going to be there. You need to be incredibly mentally strong to push it aside, which I am not sure can be done.”Having beaten Pakistan in the first ODI, expectations were high for Zimbabwe to pull off a rare series win. However, a top-order collapse, which saw them lose four wickets for 21 runs, made it difficult to chase the target of 261 after their bowlers had done a good job.”When I spoke to the guys at the break, I said to them, we probably could have chased down 260,” Waller said. “So, we believed that we could do it. Unfortunately, we went there and some of our senior players in the top order didn’t play the shots that should have been played and that was the problem, I think.”Waller also commended the side for the self-belief they had shown, stating that the series against India and now Pakistan were important learning experiences.”I think, we lost today but we gained a huge amount since India have come. Against India, the first two games were okay, then we didn’t play well. And to then come back, for our guys to believe they could have beaten Pakistan tells me that our guys have suddenly got the belief and I think we showed during the series that we have got some quality cricketers,” he said. “I think it’s the mental side we need to improve on and it’s very difficult, with the little cricket we are playing, to learn to handle the pressure, because basically, pressure got to us today.”Pakistan have a world-class bowling attack and I think the way we played them in the T20 and in the first two ODIs, we showed that we could play their quality bowlers, we showed that we could play their quality spinners and we did that and that’s all added to huge belief for our guys. I think that we can do more on a slightly more regular basis.”With the current scenario of delayed player dues and issues with ZC, Waller admitted there was little he could do to help players, except get them to focus on cricket.”I am trying to do the best I can as far as the players’ side of it is concerned. Unfortunately, I have no control over the other issues that are going on. I have just got to try and get them to push those problems away as much as they can and focus on the cricket, which is really the only thing I can do and just hope they can try and be mentally strong to be able to handle that situation.”

Australia’s captain Michael Clarke is expected to promote himself to the pivotal No. 3 spot in the ODI batting order for the matches against Afghanistan and Pakistan in the UAE

Daniel Brettig23-Aug-2012Australia’s captain Michael Clarke is expected to promote himself to the pivotal No. 3 spot in the ODI batting order for the matches against Afghanistan and Pakistan in the UAE, with Michael Hussey’s return to add greater ballast to the touring middle order.Clarke walked to the crease at No. 3 in both the trial matches played during Australia’s pre-season camp in Darwin, and ESPNcricinfo understands that he is now inked to remain there as the team’s best limited overs option in the position.Having returned from parental leave that ruled him out of the dire ODI tour of England, Hussey will bat at Nos. 4 or 5, leaving the Twenty20 captain George Bailey and David Hussey to round out the top six.Since Ricky Ponting lost form and was dropped from the ODI team during the triangular series last Australian summer, No. 3 has been something of a problem position for the limited overs team, as the vice-captain Shane Watson, Peter Forrest, Bailey and Matthew Wade have all been tried there with limited degrees of success.When fit, Clarke has retained the No. 4 spot he occupied beneath Ponting for some years, and in England did so despite the clear inadequacy of Forrest in particular to handle the challenges posed by the home attack. At the time, Clarke and the coach Mickey Arthur believed that Hussey’s absence from the middle order meant the captain could not afford to be any higher than No. 4, the better to have some influence on the later passages of an innings.Clarke has a sound ODI record in his limited appearances at No. 3, averaging 36.20 in 18 matches and making one century, an unbeaten 111 against India in Vizag in 2010, when he was stand-in captain. He is now set to make the move a permanent one.Australia’s acting coach for the first part of the tour, Steve Rixon, said the tourists would be playing their best team against Afghanistan and Pakistan, intent on building consistency and confidence in the ODI unit. The series follows a 12-month period that has veered from strong results in Sri Lanka and South Africa, to a halting triumph in the triangular series at home, a shared encounter in the West Indies and the abject 4-0 defeat in England.”We’ve got one tournament leading into another, which a lot of these guys will be doubling up in, from [ODIs] here into T20 over here into the big one over in Sri Lanka,” Rixon said. “So we are conscious of that, however, first things first we need to win these one dayers so we’ll be looking at our very best side. We need to look at the wicket, see exactly what we’ve got … when we see what the wicket looks like we’ll assess our options, and our options are pretty good at the moment.”You have to really be looking at your own backyard, and our own backyard is how we’re going to play best in these conditions. Regardless of the opposition, it’s how David Warner is going to combat a turning wicket, or how Michael Clarke’s going to play against the opposition in Dubai, that’s the way we set ourselves up.”The opening match against Afghanistan will be a chance for the Australians to witness how quickly the strife-torn country has developed a brave and opportunistic limited overs team. Though he expected the tourists to win, Rixon said he and the players were enlivened by the chance to encounter a rising nation.”Afghanistan has come in as a minor competitor, but they are competing at the top level, so we’ve got to go in with a lot of respect for the opposition, but we’d like to think we go in with the upper hand to be able to beat them in these conditions with the side we have,” Rixon said. “I like the idea that minor nations are getting the opportunity to come in and play against the big boys, I think that’s great for cricket and the culture of the game.”We’ve only just got some [videos] recently so I’ll have a little look at that. I’m sure they’ll go in with a ‘we’ve got nothing to lose’ attitude, which is an outstanding way to play it, but we’re also going in as a side that’s been No. 1 for a long time and we want to get back to No. 1 and make every post a winner. We have to do what we do well, and if we do that then I think we’ll be good enough.”

Shoaib Malik’s and Danish Kaneria’s long drawn-out battle to gain clearance from the PCB continued on Monday when they appeared before its integrity committee again

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2011Shoaib Malik’s and Danish Kaneria’s long drawn-out battle to gain clearance from the PCB continued on Monday when they appeared before its integrity committee again. A spokesman for the PCB said the decision on whether the two players – who last played for Pakistan during the England tour last year – can play for the national team is still pending.”Both Malik and Kaneria appeared before the committee but the committee has taken no decision,” Nadeem Sawrar, a PCB spokesman, told .Malik, Kaneria and Kamran Akmal appeared before the integrity committee in January before the selection of Pakistan’s World Cup squad, and while Kamran was included Kaneria and Malik were not cleared for selection.Kaneria was questioned by police in England last year, in relation to an investigation believed to centre around a Pro40 Essex win against Durham and spot-betting on wides and no-balls during the match, but was not charged. He has since produced a letter from his former county Essex clearing him of wrongdoing, but the PCB was not satisfied with it, and Kaneria has taken the PCB to court over his non-clearance.Malik, meanwhile, received a boost when he was named as a reserve player in Pakistan’s squad for their upcoming tour of Zimbabwe, but Mohsin Khan, the chief selector, said it was subject to his clearance from the board. Malik has reportedly not been able to satisfy the integrity committee about the legitimacy of a sum of money in his bank account. He, however, said he has given the committee all the information needed.”I have given to the committee whatever I was asked to submit and it’s up to them to clear me,” Malik said. “If I am included in the team, then I am sure I will give a good performance as I believe I have a lot to offer to Pakistan cricket.”

Steven Smith is on the verge of becoming Australia’s newest Test spinner but his captain Ricky Ponting believes Smith’s bowling still has plenty of room for improvement after a disappointing tour match in Derby

Brydon Coverdale at Lord's12-Jul-2010Steven Smith is on the verge of becoming Australia’s newest Test spinner but his captain Ricky Ponting believes Smith’s bowling still has plenty of room for improvement after a disappointing tour match in Derby. Although Ponting is confident Smith can put in a strong performance at Lord’s, he had some concerns after the legspinner was handled with ease by Derbyshire’s batsmen last week.Smith collected 1 for 87 from 24 overs and his only wicket came late in the innings, after he struggled to find the right line and length for much of Friday. Pakistan have given Australian spinners plenty of wickets in recent years – Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill and Nathan Hauritz all have lower averages against Pakistan than overall – but it will be a big challenge for Smith to replicate those results.”Smithy has got a bit of work to do with his bowling yet,” Ponting said on Sunday. “He probably didn’t get out of the [Derby] game what he wanted the other day. He was a little bit off the mark there but you can understand that with a young guy playing his first game for Australia, a bit nervous and wanting to impress and wanting to do everything right.”We’ve worked a bit with him today on that, mainly on just the line that he bowled. I thought he bowled a little bit too straight to the right-handers down at Derby and got picked off through the leg-side a bit too much, so we’ve worked on that today [and on] a few other little things that will hopefully help him out.”Although Smith will be chosen primarily as a bowler, he will offer some serious batting depth at No. 8 and should provide a spark in the field. Ponting doesn’t believe Smith will be overawed by the occasion of becoming Australia’s 415th Test player – Tim Paine will be regarded as the 414th – despite his below-par bowling in the warm-up game.”He’s a great kid to have around,” Ponting said. “He’s very aggressive and you can see in the way he bats that’s pretty much the attitude he has with all of his cricket. If he does get that opportunity to play I think he’ll acquit himself nicely.”Shane Warne is another who believes there is much room for improvement in Smith. Warne would have preferred Smith to gain greater first-class experience before making his Test debut, but he is confident that Smith has all the deliveries a legspinner needs.”I think he has all the toys,” Warne told the . “But he is pretty raw and is a work in progress is nowhere near the finished product. He will almost certainly have some good days and some bad days. He will have to learn his craft on the run, while playing Test cricket. That is pretty difficult to do. But as long as he is patient with developing slowly I am okay with that. “Regardless of how Smith is handled by Pakistan, Ponting expects to draw on his part-time spinners for plenty of overs during the two Tests. It’s rare to see Simon Katich send down many deliveries in the nets but at Lord’s on Sunday he was given a long stint with the ball, and had his New South Wales team-mate Usman Khawaja noticeably perplexed.Katich’s left-arm wrist-spin has been used sparingly in recent years, but he has a knack of collecting wickets and since the start of 2009 has taken eight at an average of 17.25, having been called on in only six Tests. Given Pakistan’s poor record against Australian spinners over the past couple of decades, Katich could be a useful weapon.”The only reason he hasn’t bowled much in the last couple of years is he’s had a bad shoulder ,” Ponting said. “But since he’s been here in England he’s actually bowled a bit more than normal and his shoulder feels good, so whenever he’s feeling good we’ll try to get what overs out of him that we can.”I think him and [Marcus] North will both bowl quite a bit in the series, just for the sheer fact we’ve got a lot of guys coming back from [injury]. Mitch has come back from a pretty long lay-off and Hilfenhaus from injury, so we’d better look after the quicks and be mindful of how much they are doing through the series.”

The star man took centre stage as usual, but his protege showed there is hope for the future as Luis Enrique's side established a first-leg lead

Kylian Mbappe was the protagonist, but young Bradley Barcola showed that Paris Saint-Germain might just survive without him as the Parisians' wingers grabbed the goals in a 2-0 first-leg win over Real Sociedad on Wednesday night.

Luis Enrique's side endured a disappointing opening period, but a controlled second half saw them ease past their Spanish visitors.

The Parisians had their chances in the first half; Mbappe scuffed his effort after running through on goal, before Ousmane Dembele lashed a shot into the side netting. La Real came closest before half-time though, with Mikel Merino rattling the bar from 30 yards out.

Mbappe opened the scoring early in the second half, darting in at the far post to meet a Marquinhos flick-on. Barcola added the second soon after, skipping past his man down the left before threading an effort through the goalkeeper's legs. Mbappe came within inches of the third with a driven strike from long range. The defence did its work, too – La Real didn't put a single shot on target all evening.

This wasn't impressive at first, but a strong second half has seen Luis Enrique's men take a significant stride towards achieving their unlikely Champions League dream.

GOAL rates PSG's players from Parc des Princes…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

  Made a couple of neat saves, and was otherwise untroubled. Surprising that he had such a quiet night.

  Achraf Hakimi (6/10):

  Offered legs but not much quality down the right. Most of La Real's threat came from the other wing.

  Marquinhos (7/10):

  Assisted Mbappe's opener, won his aerial duels, and kept the ball moving. A commanding presence.

  Danilo Pereira (8/10):

  Completed all but four of his passes, didn't lose a 50/50 and looked assured at the back. He might be Marquinhos' ideal partner.

  Lucas Beraldo (7/10):

  Preferred to Lucas Hernandez, and held down the left side effectively. Kept Take Kubo quiet for the most part.

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  Midfield

  Warren Zaire-Emery (6/10):

  A hardworking shift in the middle. Didn't do much in possession, but went about his defensive work diligently.

  Vitinha (7/10):

  A buzzing presence in central midfield – especially after the break. Won the ball back with regularity, made things happen in tight spaces.

  Fabian Ruiz (7/10):

  Tidy on the left side of a midfield three. Connected with Mbappe effectively. Assisted Barcola's goal. A showing that made a case for more minutes.

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  Attack

  Ousmane Dembele (5/10):

  Fired one into the side-netting in a waste of one of the best chances of the first half. Didn't have much of an impact in 90 disappointing minutes.

  Kylian Mbappe (8/10):

  Missed a good chance early on after being sent through on goal. Grabbed PSG's first with a tidy finish. Rattled the bar shortly after, and whipped one just over. Scary when he's in this kind of mood.

  Bradley Barcola (8/10):

  A fantastic shift on the left. Did his defensive work effectively, competed for 50/50s, and took his goal wonderfully. His best game in a PSG shirt.

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  Subs & Manager

  Marco Asensio (6/10):

  Had a couple of efforts on goal, and kept things flowing on the break.

  Lucas Hernandez (5/10):

  Tasked with handling Kubo – which he didn't do too effectively.

  Randal Kolo Muani (6/10):

  Almost scored a wonderful third.

  Luis Enrique (7/10):

  Made a few interesting calls, including selecting Barcola ahead of Kolo Muani, and Beraldo over Hernandez. PSG were poor in the first half, and much improved in the second. Not perfect, but he will take the 2-0 lead.

Lionel Messi is targeting treble glory with Inter Miami in 2023, with the Argentine looking to “win the league” after keeping MLS Cup dreams alive.

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Florida-based outfit already have one trophyAre into the final of the U.S. Open CupClinging to hope of reaching MLS play-offsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Argentine superstar has already inspired his new club to a historic Leagues Cup crown, with the 44th trophy of his record-breaking career captured within weeks of his arrival in the United States. He has since helped to book a place in the final of the U.S. Open Cup.

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Securing the ultimate prize in MLS will be a little trickier, as Inter Miami remain eight points off the play-off pace, but Messi has shown before that anything is possible when he is involved. He told after registering two assists in a 3-1 win over LAFC: “The group is growing more. I’ve been saying it since the beginning of all of this, we were lucky to get in a tournament and get to a final. Now, we’re going to look to hit the objective of being among the best eight to try and win the league. This is the way. We continue growing and obviously winning provides a lot of confidence.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Inter Miami are now unbeaten in 11 games across all competitions since Messi joined their ranks, with the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner delighted to see that run extended during a testing trip to California to face the MLS Cup holders. He added: “We had spoken about it before the game, that it would be a good test for us to see where we really are and what we’re capable of. It was a difficult place to play on against a very good rival, the current champions. We walk away with a very important result for what’s coming.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Inter Miami will be back in action next Saturday evening when playing host to Sporting Kansas City. They have nine more MLS fixtures in total, with the challenge being to collect enough points from those contests in order to secure safe passage into the post-season.

The Blues' new era has gotten off to a stuttering start, and negativity surrounding the club threatens to derail the project before it's really begun

Although their form hasn't exactly been ground-breaking since mid-January, Chelsea have gone from regular defeats to one win and three draws in a row. Progress, of sorts.

The raft of January signings bankrolled by Todd Boehly has led to an air of positivity and rejuvenation on the face of things, but the club's unfamiliar league position means that that good feeling is thinly veiling impatience and a desperation for a quick change in fortunes among the fanbase, and perhaps the board.

Despite the £320 million ($390.5m) outlay last month, a new-look Chelsea are understandably struggling to get going – evidenced by disjointed displays in frustrating London derby draws against Fulham and West Ham in their last two outings.

Logic dictates that Graham Potter needs time – even more so than when he took the reins thanks to January's hoard of new arrivals – but there must be a change of outlook off the pitch for him and his players to stand any chance of succeeding.

GOAL runs through the main threats to Chelsea's progress…

Getty ImagesPotter facing questions already

Although isn't always easy to know where the truth lies, it has been made abundantly clear by Chelsea's new ownership that Potter will be given time to mould the squad and playing style in his image, in the hope he will be able to emulate the work he did on a shoestring budget at Brighton on a much larger scale.

Indeed, it was reported once again following the draw with West Ham that Potter will be judged in 'years rather than months'. That should be reassuring for supporters, given the Englishman's obvious ability as a coach and the potential for a hugely exciting, attacking brand of football enacted by their wealth of new talent.

However, this is a fanbase accustomed to winning and whose impatience has been facilitated and exacerbated by the brazen hiring and firing of the previous regime, under which even the shortest periods of poor form could easily result in a sacking.

While some are asking tentative questions of Potter's suitability, some have already lost patience altogether, while others have called his mentality into question.

Granted, he doesn't possess the sneering arrogance of a Jose Mourinho, nor the snarling intensity of a Thomas Tuchel, but Potter is his own man and his nice-guy approach should not become a stick to beat him with. It certainly shouldn't be construed as a lack of desire to win.

The timing of the hypothetical sacking that some fans seem to be mulling over would also make very little sense. Whether they like it or not – and regardless of the January spend – their hopes of Chelsea finishing in the Champions League places have been all but extinguished, with a 10-point gap to fourth surely unassailable even without the five other teams currently above them.

It would be far more logical to see what Potter can do in the remaining months of the season as his team starts to take shape, and (hopefully) build on the progress made in 2023-24. Any significant progress in the Champions League would be a bonus.

Get on board and enjoy the ride.

AdvertisementGetty Images'Transition' undermined by big spending

Of course, Chelsea's on-field issues and the off-field clamour for immediate success transcend the manager.

Potter has often spoken of the idea of a 'transition' and a 'project', but those notions were probably undermined by the club's thriftless January spending – which the head coach made quite clear he had little say in.

Potter's language suggests that he feels he has time on his side and is here to oversee what will be a slow and gradual process. But with no fewer than eight new arrivals in January comes heightened expectation – though realistically it shouldn't be a surprise if it takes a full pre-season for the coach to implement his ideas to the fullest extent.

He said recently: “We know the situation we’re in, we know the transition period that we’re in, so it’s always going to be a case of managing in challenging circumstances.

“But I'm certainly not complaining, it's exciting. It'll test me, it’ll test my attributes and my quality, and that’s something to be happy for. You see the profile of the players that we brought in.

“They're excited, they're excited for the now but also they can improve and get better as the team develops. It’s an investment from both parties. It’s a long-term commitment. So we need some stability. We need some work. We need to progress the team. And that's the challenge.”

Getty ImagesCucurella becoming the scapegoat

The vast majority of the Chelsea squad have been desperately searching for form, but for some reason it is Marc Cucurella's struggles that have drawn the ire of certain sections of the Chelsea support.

Lumbered with an inflated £62m ($77m) price tag that the Blues willingly paid last summer, the Spaniard has become an easy target for abuse through no fault of his own as he toils to recapture the form that made him a standout performer under Potter at Brighton.

After having a wobbly game in the the home match with Fulham, Cucurella was shaky again against West Ham and was at fault for their equalising goal – giving the ball away deep in his own half before failing to shut down a cross that led directly to the leveller.

There were audible intakes of breath and grumbles from the away end whenever he took a touch, and he was actually jeered when his manager finally withdrew him and put Ben Chilwell on in his place to a huge roar.

It's hard to imagine many things less helpful than being booed by their own fans for a player whose confidence is already shot. Potter did his best to defend Cucurella at full-time, but the fans will need to get behind the players if they want to see them at their best, not turn against them at such an early stage of this process.

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GettyMount deserves better, too

Another surprising recipient of regular bashings from the Chelsea faithful – predominantly online – has been Mason Mount, a man who can still count himself among the match-going fan favourites.

Like Cucurella and basically every other member of the squad bar Thiago Silva, Mount has not hit the heights we all know he is capable of reaching so far this season, but he makes up for that by carrying the identity of the club with his work rate, aggression and desire.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly why some sections of the fanbase with shorter memories have turned on him, with many even open to seeing him leave this summer, but perhaps it is because they expect so much more of one of the academy's greatest success stories.

It seemed inconceivable that Mount would ever leave the club when links to Liverpool emerged last year, but such is the ill feeling towards him in some quarters you absolutely wouldn't blame him for jumping ship.

With the new hierarchy spending so frivolously on external talent, leaving many in the academy concerned about their own futures, it feels imperative that the club's own are protected and supported. There needs to be demonstrable evidence that the pathway to the first team isn't blocked, and Mount is a shining example of that.