All posts by h716a5.icu

The former Saurashtra Cricket Association secretary becomes the eighth member of the panel, even though he is 73 years old, and as such over the age cap (70) suggested for BCCI office bearers

Arun Venugopal28-Jun-2017Niranjan Shah, the former Saurashtra Cricket Association secretary, has been added to the BCCI’s new committee to identify the difficulties in implementing the Lodha recommendations even though he is 73 years old, and as such over the age cap (70) suggested for BCCI office bearers. A board official, however, clarified that Shah was brought in as “an invitee” – which meant – “he will deliberate in the committee, but won’t have a vote in case it comes to it”.Shah joined a panel led by Rajiv Shukla, which also included BCCI’s acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary, vice-president TC Mathew, treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry, Nabha Bhattacharjee, the secretary of the Meghalaya Cricket Association, Jay Shah, the joint-secretary of the Gujarat Cricket Association and Sourav Ganguly, president of Cricket Association of Bengal and the only cricketer out of the eight.Shah’s presence is understood to be a shot in the arm for the old guard of the BCCI which has resisted the reforms. According to sources, he, along with fellow disqualified office-bearer N Srinivasan, who isn’t a part of the committee, will look to check the influence of Shukla and Choudhary, who are seen by some members to be in favour of adopting the Lodha reforms.”Now that Niranjan and N Srinivasan are on the same page, the opposition to the Lodha report at the SGM gained momentum,” a senior state association official from the south zone had told ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday. Another official from the west zone said that Srinivasan had suggested the inclusion of a few members to the committee at the SGM. “Apart from Shah, he wanted the likes of Ranjib Biswal to be added to it”.The committee is set to have its first meeting on July 1 – the same day the Committee of Administrators, which has been overseeing BCCI affairs, has scheduled a meeting of their own. With Shah joining in as an invitee, it is expected that there will be considerable debate over at least two stipulations the BCCI is unwilling to adopt – the age cap of 70 years for office bearers and the tenure cap of nine years with cooling-off periods in between. Shah is understood to be opposed to both.The board’s new committee has to submit its report on July 10, with the next hearing of the Supreme Court case involving the Lodha recommendations on July 14.

Mark Cosgrove has a new contract that will keep him at leicestershire until 2019 and he also has another century

ECB Reporters Network09-Jun-2017
ScorecardMark Cosgrove will stay at Leicestershire until the end of 2019•Getty ImagesMark Cosgrove’s unbeaten century helped leave Leicestershire in a healthy position following the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship against Sussex, for whom Jofra Archer shone with the ball.It was confirmed before play that Cosgrove had signed a one-year contract extension with Leicestershire, tying him to the Foxes until the end of 2019, andthe Australian celebrated with a masterful 122 not out at Grace Road.That was the 32-year-old’s second century in successive matches and allowed the Leicestershire captain to guide his side to 322 for seven at stumps.Opener Paul Horton (71) and number nine Zak Chappell, who contributed 40 to an unbroken 51-run stand with Cosgrove, also impressed as Sussex paceman Archer threatened to run through the hosts.The 22-year-old, playing only his 12th first-class match, bowled with intelligent accuracy as well as hostility on an essentially good pitch to finishwith five for 61 from 25 overs of unremitting effort.Without his contribution, Sussex’s acting captain Chris Nash may have been left to rue his decision to exercise the away team’s right to bowl first.The morning had seen Leicestershire openers Horton and Harry Dearden bat through a rain-interrupted session during which only 17 overs were possiblewithout being parted.Once the shower clouds had cleared, however, Archer struck twice in a spell of eight consecutive overs from the Bennett End, during which he conceded only 11 runs.He dismissed Dearden with a quick, rising delivery which seamed away from the left-hander, Chris Jordan holding a smart catch to his left at first slip, andproduced a similar ball which took the shoulder of Colin Ackermann’s bat to give Stiaan van Zyl a simple catch at third slip.Cosgrove then had to fight hard to preserve his wicket, and was fortunate to survive after being squared up on a number of occasions, but once Archer came out of the attack, the Australian played with fluency and freedom, hitting eight boundaries in reaching his 50 off just 70 balls.At the other end, the experienced Horton dug in, taking 126 balls to reach his own half-century, but was bowled driving loosely at an Archer delivery thatseamed back to hit the top of off-stump.Ned Eckersley was caught at mid-on trying to hit spinner Danny Briggs out of the attack, and both Mark Pettini and Tom Wells looked to be beaten by pace as they were trapped lbw by Archer.Cosgrove stood firm, however, reaching his century off 144 balls, and with Archer finally tiring, Chappell’s late contribution saw the Foxes through to athird batting bonus point.

Tottenham Hotspur might have to start preparing for life without their main man, and yet the potential replacements being touted would go a long way towards easing fan worries.

What players are Tottenham Hotspur signing?

The latest regarding this search for a Harry Kane successor comes from French outlet Foot Mercato, who claim that, should the England captain depart north London, Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani is one such option.

Ange Postecoglou is reportedly ready to move should the unthinkable happen, which has been made more likely given Bayern Munich remain undeterred by Spurs' apparent reluctance to sell, with a third bid is expected soon.

Having already welcomed James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario and Manor Solomon this summer, as well as turning Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro's loans into permanent deals, this window has already proved revolutionary for the new head coach.

However, the arrival of the French forward could be truly instrumental in ushering in this promising new era, which could begin without their star striker.

How good is Randal Kolo Muani?

Back in May, it was revealed that Daniel Levy had held talks with various data experts, in an effort to replicate the success currently enjoyed by the likes of Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford, starring on relatively shoestring budgets.

The latter have been lauded for this 'Moneyball' approach, in which they offload their big assets for huge profits, and replace the output of one player with numerous cheaper ones. The sales of Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma, whilst painful at the time, paved the way for their eventual promotion from the Championship.

It could be argued that finally, fans are starting to see this kind of intelligence, which saw the Seagulls actually finish above Spurs last season, showcased in their own transfer strategy.

Although Richarlison endured a tough debut campaign in north London, it could be argued that by giving him the right environment to shine, which Kolo Muani would only encourage with his entrance, the combined efforts of these forwards could more than make up for the gaping vacancy Kane would leave.

Last term, for a side that finished just seventh in the Bundesliga, the 24-year-old posted a mouth-watering 40 goal contributions (23 goals, 17 assists) across all competitions from both central striker and on the right wing.

He has swiftly grown to become one of the outstanding stars of German football, with Kylian Mbappe having even praised him as he burst onto the national scene too:

"He is a striker who offers different game options to our team. He is very complete and has an impressive volume of play."

To place the £45m-rated livewire, who also ranks in the top 3% for assists and the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90 when compared to other forwards across Europe, alongside their Brazilian marksman, it is clear to see how his arrival could be the catalyst that truly kickstarts a stuttering career.

Last campaign Richarlison scored just one Premier League goal all season, whilst the year before he notched ten with a further five assists for a struggling Everton side that narrowly avoided the drop.

In the right conditions, which Postecoglou will now seek to foster, the 26-year-old finisher could finally recapture that form that spurred Levy to spend £60m for his signature last summer.

Should they both hit the ground running in the coming term, which could be devoid of the man who scored 30 league goals just last year, then fans would at least have their pains eased through the combined exploits of these two lethal assets who could create for one another.

Suresh Raina’s 46-ball 84 helped Gujarat Lions ace a potentially tough chase of 188 with 10 balls to spare

The Report by Shashank Kishore21-Apr-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:51

Agarkar: Knight Riders didn’t get enough runs

Suresh Raina displayed all the elements that have made him a T20 stalwart – strong bottom hand, powerful wrists, tactful strike-rotation, fierce ball-striking and handy offspin – to eke out a four-wicket win that breathed life into Gujarat Lions’ campaign. Their second win in six games temporarily lifted them off the bottom of the table. But this was no walk in the park as the scorecard suggests.Walking in at No. 3, he watched Brendon McCullum, Dinesh Karthik, Dwayne Smith and Ishan Kishan fall. The Yadavs – Kuldeep and Umesh – had the batsmen tied in knots with flight and reverse swing respectively. At 115 for 5, Lions were far from ahead in a chase of 188. But Raina, reprieved on 1 by Robin Uthappa off Sunil Narine, held his shape, backed himself to bring out the big hits on demand and single-handedly razed down the target. He fell with Lions needing eight, and Ravindra Jadeja and James Faulkner did the rest with 10 balls to spare.Narine gamble pays off
Narine proved his promotion up the order was a calculated gamble that paid off. Swinging through the line to length deliveries from Praveen Kumar and Faulkner, he smashed seven boundaries in 12 deliveries. Then in the third over, Basil Thampi came in for similar treatment off length deliveries as Kolkata Knight Riders raced to 44 without loss in three overs. It needed Raina’s introduction that took the pace off to break the stand as Narine toe-ended a slog to wide mid-on. By making 42 off 17 deliveries – his highest T20 score and most runs made by a batsman with boundaries in percentage terms at the IPL – he had left a platform for the in-form Uthappa and Manish Pandey to build on.Uthappa-Gambhir consolidateMixing brute force – particularly on the pull – and fineness to ride the bounce and bring his deft touches to the fore against spin, Uthappa ensured the momentum given by Narine was sustained beyond the halfway mark. He was ably assisted by Gautam Gambhir as the pair turned focus on strike rotation.Their game awareness against the slower bowlers – their 11 singles in 12 deliveries off Jadeja and Dwayne Smith – stood out. But the moment Jadeja erred by bowling flat, Gambhir swung through to hit his first six this season. It was the lack of pace that eventually got Gambhir, who top-edged a pull to Raina at midwicket. At 114 for 2 in the 12th over, Lions were staring at 200 plus. Uthappa’s half-century made it tougher for Lions, but they found a way through.ESPNcricinfo LtdThampi’s toe-crushersAgainst Uthappa and a batsman in top form, the kind Pandey has been in, and striking at close to 150, Lions needed a mighty effort to restrict Knight Riders to under 200. By conceding just four boundaries in five overs after Gambhir’s dismissal, Lions had done well to pull things back. Knight Riders were still handily placed at 154 for 2 after 17 overs. Faulkner had bowled out, and it was more than likely one of Praveen or Thampi had to complete their quota. Raina went with the bowler who has pace.The first two deliveries were smashed for 10, but Thampi held his own and speared in a yorker from wide of the crease. He nailed Uthappa in front of middle, but wasn’t given by umpire Nitin Menon. He came back in to bowl three more yorkers, the last one angling into Pandey’s toes as he backed away to swing. It shaved past leg stump. Having been unlucky in three tries, he finally had luck smiling on him as he rattled all three stumps against Pandey in his next over with an inswinging yorker. He finished with 4-0-44-1, but his ability to bowl yorkers almost at will stood out.Finch-McCullum charge puts Lions ahead
McCullum had been dismissed 20 times by left-arm spinners, the most for an IPL batsman. Knight Riders perhaps picked Shakib Al Hasan precisely for this and opened with him. But McCullum turbocharged to a 17-ball 33, while Finch swung his way to 31 as Lions raced to 62 for 1, ahead by 21 ahead on the Duckworth-Lewis method when a steady downpour halted play. When the match resumed, Knight Riders didn’t just have to contend with the in-form McCullum but also a greasy outfield, and had two big strikes in successive overs. McCullum flayed a length ball to deep cover in the sixth over, while Dinesh Karthik was deceived by a Chris Woakes delivery that gripped to take the leading edge to Gambhir at cover.Yadavs pull things backKuldeep is a brave spinner. Not even the threat of two muscular batsmen looking to give him the charge deters him from tossing up the ball. He relies on dip and revs on the ball, and strangled Ishan Kishan with a string of dot balls. Ten deliveries had fetched four. Raina was fluent, but by blocking one end and escalating the asking rate, the onus was on Kishan to see it through. Instead, he tried a slog sweep and holed out to deep square leg . Then off the next, Umesh Yadav, held back until the 13th over, got a full delivery to tail back and sneak through Dwayne Smith’s defense. At 122 for 5, Lions needed a lower-order coup.Raina in top gearRaina has captained Kuldeep at Uttar Pradesh. But that the 22-year old found a way to nearly fox his captain was noteworthy. Luck was on Raina’s side as he played for the turn to a delivery that skidded back in to get a thick inside edge that shaved past leg stump. Up on 45 then, he went on to add 39 more to effectively close out the chase.

Tottenham Hotspur will make an offer for Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba and he wants the move, according to reports out of Germany.

Who will Spurs sign?

New Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou and chairman Daniel Levy have been hard at work behind-the-scenes, as they attempt to prepare for next season.

The Lilywhites' start to this summer transfer window has been a solid one with Spurs supporters seeing goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, playmaker James Maddison and winger Manor Solomon join the club over these last few weeks.

Dejan Kulusevski, after 18 months on loan from Juventus, has also joined former Sporting Lisbon defender Pedro Porro in making his move to north London permanent.

Spurs have now shored up a variety of positions in their squad, both defensively and further forward, but it is believed they're attempting to add two new centre-backs to their roster as well.

Tottenham conceded a woeful 63 league goals last season, more than any other English side above 15th last season, and those numbers highlight a glaring weakness that Postecoglou must resolve.

They're apparently moving to fix this achilles heel, with advanced talks held for Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven as a deal closes in (Fabrizio Romano).

However, the Netherlands international is just one defender Tottenham have their eyes on, with Galatasary star Victor Nelsson, Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo, Barcelona's Clement Lenglet and Tapsoba all being targeted too.

The latter defender has been repeatedly linked with a move to N17 recently, alongside van de Ven, with a report from Europe sharing an update on their pursuit.

According to the paper edition of German news outlet Sport Bild, as shared by Sport Witness, Spurs will make an offer for Tapsoba – amounting to around £34 million.

Leverkusen, who are keen to keep their star defender, hope that bid won't come but Tottenham are apparently ready to make that bid.

Tapsoba is said to be eager on making the move to England, and while Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes doesn't want to let the African go, he may well be forced to do so given the amount of money Tottenham could put forward.

How good is Edmond Tapsoba?

The Burkina Faso international isn't just impressive at club level, with members of the media even calling him "fundamental" for his country in recent seasons.

"Edmond Tapsoba is the de facto organiser for Burkina Faso," said journalist Bruno Alemany last year.

"He is the one who imposes the rhythm of his team and the one who puts it to play in the rival field. Personality and displacement top. Fundamental."

Meanwhile, the Bundesliga's official website have even likened Tapsoba to former Bayern Munich star Jerome Boateng for his composure and acute passing.

The site wrote:

"The legendary Bayern Munich defender, who made 364 appearances across 11 seasons for the Bavarian giants, was as cool and calm as it gets both on the ball and in the tackle while he was also famed for his pinpoint long passing that set up many an attack for the record champions. Tapsoba has similar traits and such is his eagerness to start forward thrusts, he has often been referred to as a defensive playmaker."

As forecast the rain swept into Dunedin and washed out what could have been an intriguing final day to the first Test

The Report by Andrew McGlashan12-Mar-2017
Scorcard and ball-by-ball detailsIt was a bleak picture on the final day in Dunedin•AFPAs forecast the rain swept into Dunedin and washed out what could have been an intriguing final day to the first Test. The umpires made the inevitable call at 1.40pm to bring a damp end to a closely-contested encounter.Much like five years ago when these two sides last met here everything was possible on the final day. In 2012, New Zealand needed 264 runs with eight wickets in hand so South Africa would have fancied their chances. The same can be said this time even though a lead of 191 was far from secure: if they had extended that to 250 it would have been a tough chase on a pitch that had never been easy for scoring swiftly.Instead, the teams move to Wellington for second Test, which starts on March 16, having spent four days sparring at each other. There was little to split the sides: Dean Elgar and Kane Williamson traded hundreds, pace bowlers from both sides but in the hard yards and the spinners had a say on a ground not usually in their favour.However, it’s New Zealand who will leave with greater concerns because of injuries to two key players. Ross Taylor suffered a calf strain on the second day which forced him to retire hurt and he has been ruled out of the second Test. Trent Boult was then absent from the field after tea yesterday with a hip problem – he and Neil Wagner had a significant workload over the four days because of the decision to play two spinners – and will be monitored over the next three days. Losing one would be problematic; losing both would severely test New Zealand’s red-ball depth.New Zealand will need to ponder whether they re-balance the side for the Basin Reserve. Jeetan Patel now appears the No. 1 spinner which could put pressure on Mitchell Santner who laboured with the bat in the first innings in Dunedin. Santner was not used for a large part of the fourth day, but when he did finally get a bowl claimed the wicket of Temba Bavuma.South Africa are comfortable with the set-up of their Test side – three quicks, Keshav Maharaj’s spin and JP Duminy if required, although his bowling has gone backwards. Bavuma’s first-innings half-century was timely for him after a lean series against Sri Lanka and while Duminy was scratchy, after a poor one-day series, he has credit in the bank in the Test line-up.Stephen Cook missed out twice, falling to the new-ball against Boult, although appeared not to hit the ball in the second innings. Quinton de Kock faces a little personal challenge to break free from being dominated by Patel who has him four times in four innings.

Liverpool are "speeding things up" in regard to signing Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram this summer, according to reliable journalist Rudy Galetti.

Is Thuram likely to join Liverpool?

The 22-year-old has emerged as one of the Reds' primary midfield targets this summer, as Jurgen Klopp looks to make significant additions in the middle of the park.

Alexis Mac Allister was an early-summer arrival, in what looks like an exciting piece of business, while the club recently announced the arrival of Dominik Szoboszlai.

It could be that Thuram is seen as the third addition to bring in, which would be a huge transformation of Liverpool's midfield, with the £14,000-a-week Nice star enjoying an eye-catching 2022/23 season. He registered four assists and scored twice in Ligue 1 – while the Reds are not the only ones apparently interested.

While the Szoboszlai news has dominated the headlines in recent days, it looks as though Thuram could now return to the forefront of the Reds' thoughts, following a new update.

What's the latest on Thuram to Liverpool?

Taking to Twitter, Galetti claimed that Liverpool are now trying to make a move for Thuram happen quickly, with Newcastle United hovering ominously:

"Liverpool are speeding things up for Khephren Thuram. LFC want to close the gap with OGCNice soon to anticipate the competition of Newcastle, which are starting to move concretely for the player: evolving situation."

This is great news, with Thuram someone who could be a devastating addition to Liverpool's midfield, potentially adding something that was not there last season as the Reds missed out on Champions League qualification.

The 6 foot 4 Nice ace is a towering player with great physical attributes, but he is also technically strong, using the ball intelligently and with purpose, as seen in his 86.9% pass completion rate in the 2022/23 Ligue 1 campaign.

Nice teammate Aaron Ramsey has said that Thuram is "very dangerous, very powerful, a very strong dribbler of the ball", adding that he is "another player that can go all the way to the top", which says a lot about his ability.

If Liverpool could bring in Mac Allister (24), Szoboszlai (22) and Thuram (22), it would have to be considered a wonderful summer – completely rebuilding a problem area of the pitch and solving the issue for years to come, considering the ages of the players in question.

Liverpool may try and include players in exchange or additional add-ons in their bid to try and sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia this summer, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano.

What's the latest transfer news surrounding Romeo Lavia and Liverpool?

According to Sky Sports, Southampton are confident of being able to sell Lavia for the £50 million price tag they are demanding for the Belgium international to leave the South Coast.

Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal have all held conversations with the 19-year-old's entourage over the possibility of signing Lavia; however, his suitors have concerns over the fee quoted for the youngster.

As per The Telegraph, Liverpool may be willing to offload veteran midfielder Thiago Alcantara this window, as he has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia in his services.

In turn, the Reds could turn to Lavia as a potential replacement; nevertheless, his £50 million price is said to be 'too prohibitive' for Jurgen Klopp to consider bidding for the enforcer at present.

Manchester City retain a buyback clause for Lavia that stands at £40 million, which they inserted when he joined Southampton back in 2022; however, it doesn't activate until 2024, enabling rival clubs to steal a march on the Citizens this summer, as per Football Insider.

Of course, the German coach has already made moves in the transfer window to shore up his midfield, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai joining from Brighton & Hove Albion and RB Leipzig, respectively.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Romano reckons that Liverpool may be cute in negotiations and either include additional add-ons or offer players in exchange to try and seal a deal to sign Lavia.

Romano said: "For Romeo Lavia, the price tag is around £50million.

"But sources believe that maybe, with some add-ons or with a creative formula such as including some players, they can find a way with Southampton to reach an agreement."

Why is Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia so highly regarded?

Shortly after moving to Southampton from Manchester City, Lavia earned high praise from Manchester United legend Paul Scholes, who was speaking on BT Sport quoted by The Daily Mail before the Red Devils took on Southampton at St Mary's last year, as the pundit stated: "He has got a pass in his locker and he is big and strong and likes to defend. He does not want to get forward too much and sits in front of the back four and sets the play in motion from there."

Scholes' summary of Lavia's attributes is a high testament to the 19-year-old's qualities and potential to develop. Unsurprisingly, several elite sides are keen on offering him a return to the English top flight.

Last term, Lavia made 34 appearances in all competitions for Southampton and registered one goal alongside a solitary assist, as per Transfermarkt.

His capacity to efficiently recycle possession will have attracted interest from top clubs. According to WhoScored, Lavia maintained a pass success rate of 86.4% in the Premier League, showing commendable maturity for his age.

Getting stuck in, Lavia also managed to win 93 tackles and interceptions combined, displaying courage and tenacity in the Saints' engine room, as per FBRef.

Lavia looks set for an intriguing next few weeks, where we will find out more about his potential next destination, as an exit from Southampton looks to be nailed on before the end of the window.

Both sides will miss key players as Delhi Daredevils aim to start their IPL campaign with a win while Royal Challengers Bangalore look to avoid losing the plot before the return of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers

The Preview by Sreshth Shah07-Apr-2017Match factsRoyal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Daredevils
Bengaluru, April 8, 2017
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)
3:11

Agarkar: A big test for Zaheer Khan

Head to headOverall: Royal Challengers Bangalore lead Delhi Daredevils 10-6. Since 2011, Royal Challengers have only lost once to Daredevils in ten games.In the newsNeither side will be able to field their first XI. Daredevils, slightly bowling-heavy and led by Zaheer Khan, are without JP Duminy and Quinton de Kock for the season. Angelo Mathews, who has been sidelined since January with a hamstring injury, remains uncertain after he missed the limited-overs matches against Bangladesh. Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, will miss the first match and is in doubt for the second after a bout of chickenpox. He will join the team in three-four daysRishabh Pant’s availability for the first game is also in doubt following the demise of his father, although Pant returned to Bengaluru and trained with the team. In the instance that Pant does not play, Aditya Tare could take over wicket-keeping duties. Kagiso Rabada looks set to make his IPL debut while the allrounder’s spot could see a toss-up between Carlos Brathwaite and Corey Anderson. On Friday, Daredevils announced Australian fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus as a replacement for JP Duminy.AB de Villiers is doubtful for Royal Challengers’ first home game of the season but a call on his selection will be taken by the franchise after their training session on Saturday, leaving Shane Watson to lead the side again. De Villiers has confirmed that he will not keep wicket in the IPL, which means Kedar Jadhav could retain the gloves. Royal Challengers will have another wicket-keeping option in Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman Vishnu Vinod, who will replace the injured KL Rahul. Virat Kohli, who has said he will play only if he feels “120%”, will miss the match, too.The likely XIsRoyal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Mandeep Singh, 3 Travis Head, 4 Kedar Jadhav (wk), 5 Shane Watson (capt), 6 Sachin Baby, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 S Aravind, 9 Tymal Mills, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal , 11 Aniket ChoudharyDelhi Daredevils: 1 Sam Billings, 2 Sanju Samson, 3 Karun Nair, 4 Corey Anderson/Carlos Brathwaite, 5 Rishabh Pant/Aditya Tare (wk), 6 Chris Morris, 7 Shahbaz Nadeem, 8 Mohammed Shami, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Zaheer Khan (capt), 11 Kagiso RabadaStats that matter The team batting second has won 31 off 58 matches in Bengaluru. Daredevils prefer to chase: 38 of their 56 wins in the IPL have come batting second. Chris Gayle has scored 327 runs off 209 balls against Daredevils. He has never been dismissed by a Daredevils spinner, and has struck 15 boundaries – including nine sixes – off the 56 balls faced against them. Zaheer Khan has taken 26 wickets at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. His economy of 6.67 in the Powerplay last year was the fourth-best in IPL 2016. Royal Challengers have an economy rate of 7.35 runs per over in the Powerplay overall in the IPL. In matches against Daredevils in Bengaluru, Royal Challengers have conceded at a rate of 8.92 runs per over in the Powerplay. A top-heavy Daredevils team scores at 8.88 runs per over in the last five overs. Against Royal Challengers in Bengaluru, the rate jumps to 9.71 and Daredevils have lost only four wickets in seven matches during that period. Amit Mishra has been wicketless in his last four IPL games against Royal Challengers at an economy of 9.69. He has not taken a wicket for Daredevils in his previous three matches. Overall, in the IPL, he has dismissed Royal Challengers opener Mandeep Singh and Watson twice. Ankit Bawne, who may find a spot in the XI, scored 239 runs at an average of 79.66, including three fifties, in the domestic T20 tournament this season. Aditya Tare, too, had scores 79 and 71* in the tournament. Shane Watson has averaged less than 20 with the bat in IPL 2016 and Big Bash League 2016-17. In the recent Pakistan Super League, Watson averaged 21.37 in nine innings. In his last 30 games in the IPL, BBL and PSL, Watson has scored only one fifty. In his last two IPL matches with the ball, Watson has returned figures of 0 for 102 in seven overs.

Cooper and Pieter Seelar batted out 79 overs on the fourth day and added a record 288 runs for the sixth wicket to ensure a draw for Netherlands against Hong Kong

Peter Della Penna14-Feb-2017Netherlands batsman Ben Cooper says his overriding emotion was “relief” after he batted through the entire final day of play to ensure his side secured an improbable draw with Hong Kong in the Intercontinental Cup on Monday.Set a target of 507 to win, Cooper was at the crease on 19 at the end of day three with Netherlands 48 for 2; two overs after the first drinks break on day four, they were 105 for 5. Pieter Seelaar joined Cooper and the pair produced a historic 288-run sixth-wicket partnership, batting out the final 79 overs together to deny Hong Kong victory.”For me it was a big relief,” Cooper told ESPNcricinfo, when asked how he felt when the draw had finally been achieved. “It had been the first time I had batted for such a period. I was just relieved and very tired but it was special to have been able to produce that performance and hold on for the draw. It’s been something that the Dutch have been working towards and being able to perform on the four-day game and put those big scores together, we’ve now proven to ourselves that we can. So we can take the forward with confidence into future games.”The pair set several marks during their epic stand. They set the Netherlands record for any wicket in first-class cricket and a sixth-wicket record stand in the Intercontinental Cup. It’s also the highest ever stand in the fourth innings in the competition and the sixth-biggest partnership in the 13-year history of the Intercontinental Cup. Netherlands also set a new mark for most overs batted to save a draw in the fourth innings of an Intercontinental Cup match. Cooper says he was too focused on saving the match to think about the significance of their feat at the time but says he is happy to have been able to have created a bit of history with Seelaar.”It’s a special thing,” Cooper said. “It’s something you don’t think is possible but you just have to apply yourself and when you get in you just have to make the most of it. To be able to set a record along with Pieter Seelaar is something very special. The first job at hand is to bat and to produce for your team. Anything second to that, such as partnership records and personal records, is a bonus.”Cooper batted just short of seven hours to finish on 173 not out and was named Man of the Match for his brilliant rearguard. It was only his second first-class match, with his debut coming 18 months earlier at home against Scotland. Cooper says he worked hard on mental preparation to deal with the duration required to bat, in spite of his lack of four-day experience.”It’s a tough one because there’s not a whole lot of four-day cricket around for Netherlands but I guess you just have to back your training,” Cooper said. “You go to training and mentally prepare there. I try to bat as long as I can at training to simulate batting for an extended period in a four-day competition. But I guess it’s just a mental thing. You prepare yourself mentally to fight it out and you know you’ve got time so you don’t have to chase so many balls outside off.”Cooper on Pieter Seelaar’s rise as an allrounder: I’m very happy for him to have ticked that off and to have proved that he is a batsman and not just a bowler•Panda ManJust as remarkable as Cooper’s innings was that of Seelaar, who ended on 138 not out. Coming into the match, Seelaar’s highest score for Netherlands in first-class cricket was an unbeaten 81 against a Zimbabwe XI that came nearly seven years ago. His only other half-century in 40 innings prior to arriving at the crease on the final day was an unbeaten 75 against Canada in 2013. Cooper paid tribute to his partner, saying that the squad was especially pleased for Seelaar to reach his maiden first-class century, especially after he has put in a lot of hard work to turn himself into an allrounder when he began his Netherlands career as a specialist left-arm spinner batting at No. 11.”I think his reaction when he scored his hundred, and the celebration he had, was enough to say how relieved he was,” Cooper said. “I backed him all the way. He’s a class batsman although he may not have been recognised before. But I’m very happy for him to have ticked that off and to have proved that he is a batsman and not just a bowler.”The 1467 runs in the match made it the third-highest scoring game in Intercontinental Cup history, though Cooper says the pitch was playing slightly uneven towards the end to keep the task a challenging one for him and Seelaar. The second new ball was taken in the first over after tea, but Hong Kong failed to make a breakthrough. Cooper says he and Seelaar began to believe they were close to finishing the job when Hong Kong captain Babar Hayat brought himself on as a part-time option in the 101st over, the eighth bowler used for Hong Kong, followed shortly afterward by Nizakat Khan as the ninth.”I think as a team you get that mental victory to know you’ve pushed their main bowlers nearly to their limits and they’ve now had to start using their part-time bowlers,” Cooper said. “That little mental victory does lift you and push you a little bit more. You think it can’t be too much longer until you completely break them and it could be the match saved.”To be able to fight back and hold on for a draw had added significance for Netherlands because it was Hong Kong who had knocked them out of the Desert T20 Challenge in Dubai in January. Netherlands are hoping to take a momentum boost from the final day into the pair of WCL Championship 50-over matches between the sides scheduled for Thursday and Saturday. Netherlands are currently level with Papua New Guinea at the top of the WCL Championship table on 12 points while Hong Kong is third on 11 points.”There’s always that little bit in the back of your head that you may not have played your best cricket previously at the Desert T20,” Cooper said. “But it’s a whole new game, a whole new opportunity to go out and prove yourself and luckily enough we were able to prove ourselves toward the back end of the four-day game and come out with a draw. To come out with a draw from where we were is a great feeling.”