Chad Soper took 6 for 41 to bowl PNG to a 14-run win in the second ODI against Hong Kong in Mong Kok

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Chad Soper derailed Hong Kong’s chase early to help PNG defend 201 in the second ODI•ICC/Getty

In a low-scoring match dominated by the opening bowler from both sides, Chad Soper’s career-best 6 for 41 trumped Nadeem Ahmed’s 4 for 50 as Papua New Guinea edged past Hong Kong by 14 runs in the second ODI and levelled the three-match series.PNG opted to bat first at the Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok and were dismissed for 201 in 45.5 overs after left-arm spinner Nadeem scythed through their top-order. Like Nadeem, Soper, too, dismissed the top-three, before adding three more to his tally to bowl Hong Kong out for 187 in 48.1 overs.PNG’s innings was built on two partnerships. First, Assad Vala, their captain, who top scored with 70, added 78 for the fourth wicket with Sese Bau to lift them from 39 for 3. Vala then shared a 43-run sixth-wicket partnership with Mahuru Dai. The association ended with Vala being stumped off Anshuman Rath, the left-arm spinner. He had faced 87 balls and pinged nine fours and two sixes. PNG’s innings lasted a further 67 balls after Vala’s dismissal, but they could only score 30 runs more.Rath finished with 3 for 28 in 10 overs. Aizaz Khan took two wickets and Ehsan Khan accounted for last man out Soper.Hong Kong had a few solid contributions from the middle order, but none of them could stay on to see the team through. Like PNG, Hong Kong could also string together only two partnerships of note. Nizakat Khan (33) and Rath (21) pulled them from 31 for 3 to 80 for 4. Shahid Wasif (45) and Ehsan Khan (27 not out) then joined hands for a 56-run sixth-wicket stand. The chase ended with the dismissal of Nadeem, who was bowled by John Reva, the right-arm medium pacer, for 1.Vala followed up his 70 with economical figures of 1 for 33 in 10 overs. Dai finished his quota with 2 for 42.The deciding ODI will take place on Tuesday at the same venue.

Former South Africa opening batsman Alviro Petersen has denied ever accepting a bribe or contriving to fix matches but admitted to “playing along” with those involved in the match-fixing scandal in the domestic T20 tournament. Petersen was charged on Saturday by Cricket South Africa with six breaches of the anti-corruption code. In a statement through his lawyer Robin Twaddle, Petersen confirmed that he rejected a plea bargain because he regards the charges as “heavy-handed”, and would welcome a tribunal instead. He also claimed to know of at least one other player who has not been charged by CSA.In the statement, Twaddle wrote that Petersen was “surprised” when he learned of charges being drawn up against him at the end of July because the cricketer had been co-operating with the investigation. “Alviro acknowledges and admits that he played along with other persons involved in the scandal so as not to alert them to the fact that an investigation was underway,” Twaddle writes. “Alviro was in constant contact with the investigative team from the time he reported his knowledge of the scandal until Bodi was charged and he gave information that he had received of actual plans to influence matches to the investigative unit.”In March, Petersen revealed he had reported fixing approaches but did not consider himself under investigation. At the time, he also said the ACSU was aware of his meetings and discussions with other players. Petersen maintained that he blew the whistle on Gulam Bodi and five other players, who were subsequently banned for between seven and 20 years.Since then, Petersen has been involved in what Twaddle called “a lengthy negotiating period” with CSA during which the board offered him a plea bargain. Although the details of that agreement have not been revealed, Petersen rejected it because he thought it excessive.”Whilst Alviro is willing to take responsibility for his actions over this period, although they were taken in good faith under the circumstances at the time, he could not reach agreement with CSA because he believes that the sanctions which would have been imposed were disproportionate to Alviro’s actions and do not take sufficient cognisance of the defenses and mitigating circumstances put forward by Alviro,” Twaddle wrote.Petersen, who was due to play for the Lions franchise in the domestic T20 competition which started on Saturday, has been suspended from all cricket activities. He has 14 days to officially respond to CSA. Twaddle is out of the country until November 22.

Trevor Bayliss has suggested he will take a more prominent role in the England dressing room over the final two Tests of the series against India

George Dobell06-Dec-2016Trevor Bayliss has suggested he will take a more prominent role in the England dressing room over the final two Tests of the series against India.Bayliss, England’s head coach, has generally been happy to leave team talks to the captain, Alastair Cook. But he is concerned by what he sees as England’s passive cricket in the last couple of Tests and is keen to encourage the batsmen to play what he sees as the “positive” cricket they demonstrated at the start of the series.While it would be stretching a point to suggest that minor change of approach indicates a rift with Cook, it does seem fair to conclude that Bayliss wants to make certain the team are in no doubt about the way he wants them to play.England scored at well over three an over in the drawn match Rajkot (3.36 in the first innings and 3.44 in the second). But then, in the second innings of the second Test in Visakhapatnam, Cook set the tone by taking 50 overs to put on an opening stand of 75 with Haseeb Hameed as England attempted to bat for the best part of five sessions to seal a draw.But Bayliss clearly feels most of the team’s batsmen are at their best when they are given a clear license to attack and suggested that some indecision had led to their failures in the Mohali Test.”The first three innings of this series we had a nice positive approach to the game and with our mental approach,” Bayliss said. “Probably the last three innings we have got away from that a little bit.”If you look at the batters who scored runs in the first three innings of the Test series they were proactive, trying to be positive which means they will defend well. When the opportunity comes we leave and defend well but when opportunity comes along to attack we take them.”In the last three innings we have changed that mindset so it is more along the lines of survival. And when some of our naturally more positive players try to play that way they were in two minds.”I thought in the last innings of the last Test we gifted them some wickets when I thought we looked to be in two minds. We looked like we were trying to go over the top once or twice but did not really go through with it which meant we were in two minds over whether it was right approach or not.”The message to the guys in last two Tests will be to approach it a bit more like we did in the first Test and maybe the first innings of the second Test when Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes got together. That is how they played and it suits the way we played. If you do that it gives you opportunity to put pressure on the opposition. If you don’t do that they put pressure on you, which is what happened in the last two Tests.”Asked whether the captain would be passing that message on to the team, Bayliss replied: “It will be up to me to play a role there. Probably over the last few series Cooky has taken on more of a role there, which has been great. But I think for the coming couple of Tests it is time I stepped up to the mark to just remind them of how we have played when we have played well.”Bayliss also admitted he had never seen Keaton Jennings bat, but will encourage him to play his own way if, as expected, he opens the batting in the fourth Test.”I’ve not seen him bat,” Bayliss said. “I saw Haseeb Hameed bat once, when he got 50, but I have not seen Jennings at all.”It was said the two openers play a defensive role. I don’t see that. To me if they play their natural game they are being positive. If that means they have not got quite as many shots as the other guys that does not mean they are not playing positively. If each individual does that in their own way then it gives you the best opportunity to score runs. The same message will be to Keaton as well. You have been successful playing in a particular way there is no reason to change that.”

Manchester United are keen to bolster their midfield this summer; however, Frenkie De Jong is unlikely to move to Old Trafford from Barcelona, journalist Dean Jones has suggested.

What's the latest transfer news involving Frenkie De Jong?

Earlier this year. talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook intimated in his transfer notebook that De Jong has been made one of Manchester United's 'top summer targets' and revealed that Erik Ten Hag would be keen on a reunion with the midfield playmaker he coached at Ajax.

The report states that partnering Casemiro in midfield could appeal to De Jong alongside the prospect of playing in the Champions League with Manchester United.

Of course, Manchester United heavily courted De Jong last year and they even reached an agreement on a deal worth €85 million (£73 million) for the Netherlands international with Barcelona, as per The Athletic.

Nevertheless, no transfer transpired and De Jong formed a key part of Barcelona's first La Liga title triumph since 2019, as per BBC Sport.

Capology understand that De Jong earns around €721,154 (£619,283) on a contract that runs until June 2026 at the Catalan giants.

Writing in his column for GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jones doesn't believe that De Jong will arrive at Old Trafford this summer despite the recurring rumours that he could become a Manchester United player one day.

Jones suggested: "They also need to sort the midfield, where Marcel Sabitzer was on loan last season and Fred and Scott McTominay prepare to have their partnership broken up once and for all. We have seen them make early strides for Mason Mount but look out for the likes of Romeo Lavia. Other players they admire are £230,000-a-week star Leon Goretzka – described as being an "extraordinary" player – Declan Rice and Adrien Rabiot but top target Frenkie De Jong is off limits."

Would Frenkie De Jong be a good signing for Manchester United?

De Jong is a world-class midfielder capable of functioning in a variety of different roles and would be a brilliant signing for Manchester United if any deal was to arise over the next few years.

In 2022/23, the Netherlands international made 43 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona, registering two goals and four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

As per WhoScored, De Jong was rarely wasteful in possession during the season and maintained a pass success rate of 91.4% in La Liga.

The 26-year-old was also a key chance provider for La Blaugrana and amassed 116 shot-creating actions across the campaign, as per FBRef.

Despite this, it looks unlikely that De Jong will join Manchester United in the immediate future, putting a reunion between the former Ajax man and Red Devils boss Ten Hag on ice for now.

أوضح المدير الفني السابق لمنتخب ألمانيا، يواكيم لوف، موقفه من تدريب بايرن ميونخ بداية من الموسم المقبل.

وأعلن نادي بايرن ميونخ رحيل المدير الفني الحالي للفريق الأول لكرة القدم، توماس توخيل، بنهاية الموسم الحالي بعد مناقشات ودية بين الطرفين.

ويعاني الفريق البافاري من تراجع في الأداء الفني والنتائج هذا الموسم، حيث يحتل بايرن ميونخ المركز الثاني في ترتيب الدوري الألماني وعلى بعد 8 نقاط من المتصدر باير ليفركوزن.

اقرأ أيضاً.. بايرن ميونخ يرد على أنباء الاهتمام بالتعاقد مع ألونسو

وأرتبط كل من تشابي ألونسو المدير الفني الحالي لفريق باير ليفركوزن، ويواكيم لوف المدير الفني لمنتخب ألمانيا السابق، بإمكانية تدريب الفريق البافاري بالموسم المقبل.

وقال يواكيم لوف في تصريحات لصحيفة بيلد الألمانية: “ربما ليس لدى بايرن ميونخ أي اهتمام بي كمدرب، ولن أكون مهتمًا أيضًا ببايرن”.

واختتم: “لطالما قلت إن الحصول على وظيفة أخرى هنا في ألمانيا أمر غير وارد بالنسبة لي”.

Manchester United appear to be in pole position to sign Adrien Rabiot this summer, with the Red Devils considered great favourites for his signature.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

Erik ten Hag seemingly wanted Rabiot at Old Trafford last summer ahead of his first season in charge. The United boss was reportedly on board with a transfer that would have been worth an initial £15m, however, a deal fell through and the midfielder remained at Juventus.

Rabiot was again linked with a move to Manchester prior to the New Year, and it seems as if he is still of interest to United officials after making 48 appearances for his current employers during the 2022/23 season, contributing to 17 goals.

Recent reports have suggested that a concrete offer has already been placed to the player, who is set to become a free agent in a matter of weeks when his Juventus contract officially expires.

Sport Witness have relayed a new update from Spanish outlet AS regarding Rabiot, citing Atletico Madrid’s interest in the player. However, they add that it is United who are the ‘great favourite’ to sign Rabiot at this moment in time in what appears to be a transfer boost for Ten Hag and co.

Who is Adrien Rabiot?

Rabiot would provide Ten Hag with an experienced and versatile option in midfield, with the 28-year-old’s Transfermarkt valuation currently standing at €30m, so from a business perspective, a transfer appears to be a smart one.

He can play as a central, holding or left midfielder and was once labelled as a ‘complete player’ by legendary midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who said:

“He is a complete player, I have rarely seen someone so strong both physically and technically.

“He doesn’t even know the potential for improvement he can have, and we work on the mental side of things to make him understand that he is a champion. He is improving game after game.”

The Red Devils could lose a midfielder of their own this summer with Scott McTominay’s future up in the air, so Rabiot could be viewed as a solid addition after ending the campaign as Juventus' best-performing player, as per WhoScored.

He would bring a winning mentality to United’s squad alongside the likes of Raphael Varane and Casemiro who arrived from Real Madrid in recent years, with the midfielder winning an impressive 24 major honours during his career to date.

Rabiot has come off the back of a season where he has played plenty of football with Juventus, and who knows, his balance could make him a smart signing, possibly featuring alongside Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes next year.

Manchester United are believed to be in the race for Fiorentina sensation, Sofyan Amrabat, as manager Erik ten Hag looks to bolster his midfield ranks this summer.

What's the latest on Amrabat to Man United?

According to Spanish outlet, Sport, the Red Devils are seemingly ready to rival La Liga giants Barcelona for the signing of the Moroccan international, with the two clubs said to be among 'several' suitors who are interested in the 26-year-old.

The report suggests that United are showing 'serious' interest in the 6 foot 1 gem ahead of next season and have already made 'contact' regarding a potential summer swoop, with the Netherlands-born maestro seemingly up for grabs with just a year left to run on his existing deal.

Amid that expiring contract, recent reports have claimed that the 48-cap warrior – who joined his current side from Club Brugge back in 2020 – could be available for as little as €25m (£22m).

Should Man United sign Amrabat?

The one-time Utrecht and Feyenoord ace has certainly warranted that hefty interest from the Old Trafford hierarchy amid his standout form for both club and country of late, having notably impressed during Morocco's surge to the World Cup semi-final during the winter.

Hailed as a "monster" and the "best centre midfielder in the tournament" by journalist Carlo Garganese, Amrabat was an immense presence for the Atlas Lions amid that remarkable run to the last four, having notably racked up 2.3 tackles per game from his seven outings in Qatar as a marker of his ball-winning prowess.

Also described as "extraordinary" by ex-Spain boss, Luis Enrique, the £32k-per-week asset has also enjoyed a strong campaign in Florence to date, having helped the Italian side to the Europa Conference League final after averaging 1.6 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game from his 12 outings in the competition.

Not just a ball-winning machine in front of the back four, Amrabat also offers real quality in possession as he ranks in the top 8% among his European peers for progressive passes, as well as in the top 5% for pass completion.

That all-round quality is seemingly shared by another of Ten Hag's reported targets in the form of Mason Mount, with the Chelsea playmaker – who could well be on his way to Manchester this summer – also able to make an impact both in and out of possession.

While typically operating in a more advanced role than the Serie A star, Mount also offers a real creative threat on the ball as he ranks in the top 7% among those in his position for progressive passes.

Equally, like Amrabat, the Englishman is also effective at breaking up play as he ranks in the top 12% for tackles made, with the 24-year-old previously described by former Blues teammate Antonio Rudiger as a "master" at putting in the hard yards defensively.

As such, for United to potentially have two figures who can both dictate play and win back possession effectively would be a real bonus, hence the potential excitement at seeing Amrabat lining up alongside Mount in the centre of the park next season.

The West Ham board has been teetering for a while, endlessly agonising over David Moyes’ uncertain future.

The Scotsman has bought so much joy to East London. Incredibly, he managed consecutive top-seven finishes, as well as a commendable European excursion last season that was halted in the semi-finals by the eventual winners Eintracht Frankfurt.

This term, the Irons have gone one step further on the continent and made it to the Europa Conference League Final.

Moyes and his squad are on the cusp of immortality, but failure to win this competition could spell the end for the veteran coach.

According to the Guardian, the Hammers are giving fresh consideration to Moyes’ dismissal to heighten the pressure on the game on Wednesday evening in Prague.

His fate rests upon reversing history and securing West Ham’s first major trophy in 43 years.

However, as per Foot Mercato’s Santi Aouna, Brendan Rodgers is a “leading candidate”, should Moyes fail at the last hurdle.

Would Brendan Rodgers be a good fit at West Ham?

A victim of recency bias would wrongly discount the obvious quality of Rodgers. The 50-year-old has endured a difficult campaign, unable to stem Leicester City’s downward spiral that culminated in a surprising relegation.

The club only signed two players last summer to leave Rodgers exposed and unevenly supported.

Prior to this tumultuous year at the King Power Stadium, the Northern Irishman had deservedly developed a prestigious reputation as quite simply, an unbelievable coach.

He first announced his managerial brilliance to British football with Swansea, securing promotion to the Premier League in 2012 via the play-offs.

The tactician was then announced as the boss of Liverpool and although it didn't quite go according to plan there, Merseyside legend Steven Gerrard was one effusive voice, heaping praise upon his managerial style.

He said: “His one-on-one management is the best I have known. He makes you go out onto the pitch feeling a million dollars — full of confidence and belief. He is a very confident manager.”

In more recent times, Rodgers managed the Foxes to their first-ever FA Cup victory in 2021 and had the club on the cusp of Champions League football.

Jurgen Klopp has expressed his admiration for his peers' work and said: “Leicester are built like you would like to build a team. Brilliant team. What they do is really good. Exciting, fresh; defend well; play football and are especially threatening in counter-attacks."

After an £166m outlay last summer, Moyes conceded that the spending “has not worked as well” as he would’ve liked, and given Rodgers' ability to pinpoint a player’s best role and mould a squad, his arrival at the London Stadium could be the perfect scenario.

Described as “unbelievable” by Michail Antonio, a player he could end up coaching, the appointment of Rodgers would herald a new era that could reignite the squad and the fan base.

Captain Misbah-ul-Haq credited a change in mindset and their determined character for Pakistan’s incredible turnaround in the Gabba Test

Brydon Coverdale at the Gabba19-Dec-2016Impossible, Muhammad Ali once told us, is not a fact, nor a declaration. It is a dare. It is potential. It is temporary. The most abridged version of his famous quote comes down to three words: “Impossible is nothing.”In cricketing terms, a fourth-innings Test chase of nearly 500 has always been viewed as impossible. And with good reason: of all the 1504 times that a team has batted in the fourth innings of a Test, only once has that team scored more than 500. That one occasion was in 1939, in the famous timeless Test in Durban, when 10 days of play was insufficient to bring a result, and the match ended only because England had to catch their ship home.So when Steven Smith declared at the dinner break on day three at the Gabba, setting Pakistan 490 to win, their task seemed impossible. Time was not an issue. They had seven sessions ahead of them, plenty of time to score 490 runs. But this was a team that had been rolled for 142 in the first innings. A team that had been embarrassed. A team that might not take the match into day four, and certainly not day five.But Pakistan don’t believe anything is impossible. This is a team that reached No.1 in the world this year, despite not having played a Test in their own country since 2009. For Pakistan, every Test is an away Test. Away from friends, away from family, away from home. Away from everything. And yet, they reached No.1. Impossible is nothing.Pakistan began the final day at the Gabba needing 108 to win with two wickets in hand. Asad Shafiq was well set, and already had a hundred. Yasir Shah was at the crease with him. Yasir can bat well enough to pull his weight. Runs came, then more, and more, and more. Before Australia knew it, Pakistan needed 41 runs with both wickets still in hand. Then Shafiq fell to a searing Mitchell Starc bouncer, Yasir was run-out, and it was all over.”As the skipper of the Pakistan team, I am happy to see the team play like that,” Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq said after the game. “Chasing 490 in the last innings after we got out for 142 in the first innings, the character of all the batsmen showed. That was wonderful. That set the tone for the series.Pakistan were helped closer to the target with handy contributions from their tail•Getty Images

“At the moment, I could not explain how happy I am for all the guys, especially Asad. That is one of the classiest innings I have seen. In the context of the game, the way he handled the pressure playing with the tail, he just made a match out of nothing. There were a lot of positives for us, especially in Australia where batting is your main problem.”Pakistan were eventually bowled out for 450, the equal third-highest fourth-innings total in Test history. The only one higher, besides the timeless Test 654 back in 1939, was New Zealand’s 451 against England in Christchurch in 2002, also in a losing cause. Although Shafiq led Pakistan’s fight, valuable innings were also played by Azhar Ali (71), Younis Khan (65), Mohammad Amir (48), Wahab Riaz (30), and Yasir (33).”The mindset was positive,” Misbah said. “We wanted to create something out of that, and we wanted to score runs. Azhar Ali’s knock was special, and then Younis Khan, that partnership was special for us. Asad Shafiq, the way Sarfraz played in the first innings … that gave us a glimpse that these are battable conditions and if we can apply ourselves we can score runs.”In the second innings, everybody was determined, they showed character. They went in and played their shots and it changed the whole scenario.”Pakistan’s fight sets up a fascinating series, for the Gabba was likely to be the ground that would suit them the least of the three venues. If they can maintain the same level of performance as they displayed in the second innings in Brisbane, the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the New Year’s Test in Sydney should be highly competitive.”They are capable of performing in any conditions because they are mentally tough, they have played enough cricket and they understand Test cricket,” Misbah said. “They showed great courage, I am happy. When you lose always you feel a bit of disappointment but overall I am a happy man the way we played.”

Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale has been a busy man in the summer transfer window as he has wasted no time in attempting to bolster his squad at Ibrox ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling, and Jack Butland have all been snapped up on free transfers from Norwich, Chelsea, and Crystal Palace respectively and will officially arrive on the 1st of July.

The club have also completed the permanent signing of Dutch centre-forward Sam Lammers for an undisclosed fee from Serie A side Atalanta to improve their options at the top end of the pitch.

However, one number nine from the Italian top flight who will not be joining the Light Blues this summer is Cremonese ace Cyriel Dessers.

The Gers were reportedly closing in on an initial €4.2m (£3.6m) deal for the Nigerian but the 28-year-old has opted to turn down a move to Ibrox as he would prefer to remain in Italy, despite his team's relegation to Serie B.

Rangers transfer news – Lyndon Dykes interest

Beale could move on from Dessers this month by completing a deal to sign reported transfer target Lyndon Dykes, who is currently playing in the Championship with Queens Park Rangers.

The Scotland international has the potential to be a shrewd addition to the squad as he has already worked with the Light Blues boss in the past and is a proven performer in the Scottish Premiership.

Dykes played under Beale at the start of 22/23 before the Englishman made the switch to Ibrox and plundered six goals in 21 league outings before he went on to score two in the 18 games after the coach's departure.

The 27-year-old, who registered a goal and an assist in Scotland's recent 2-1 win over Norway, clearly thrived under the Rangers chief and this is backed up by the 42-year-old saying "he is giving me everything he can give me" during their time together.

Adapting to football in the Premiership could also be easy for the Australian-born marksman, who ex-boss Mark Warburton hailed as "outstanding", as the powerhouse racked up 11 goals and eight assists in 28 top-flight outings for Livingston before his move to England.

Dykes could be an ideal option to bolster the club's number nine options due to his pre-existing relationship with the manager and his knowledge of Scottish football.

Therefore, Beale could forget about Dessers and move on from the forward, who scored six Serie A goals in 22/23 and has no experience in Scotland, by reuniting with the £8k-per-week QPR ace this summer.