Perry and Harris heroics propel Australia to series lead

Perry’s career-best 75 helps the visitors to 172, and despite a fifty from Shafali Verma, India fall short by 21 runs

Deivarayan Muthu14-Dec-2022

Grace Harris joined Ellyse Perry to add 55 runs off 31 balls for the fifth wicket•BCCI

Ellyse Perry reminded the world of her class and helped give Australia a 2-1 series lead in Mumbai with her career-best 75 off 47 balls. She unleashed her signature back-foot cuts and down-the-track lofts to counter early blows from India and drag Australia up to 172 for 8. Grace Harris also displayed immense power during her 18-ball 41 to rattle India’s quartet of spinners and Anjali Sarvani, the left-arm seamer.Shafali Verma led a charmed life and provided the chase some fillip with 52 off 41 balls, but timely strikes from seamer Darcie Brown and offspinner Ash Gardner hushed the crowd and shut India down.Gardner had dropped Shafali on 13 at deep midwicket and by the time she grasped another pull from Shafali at the same region, the opener had added 39 to her tally. Gardner then dismissed Devika Vaidya and Richa Ghosh in the 15th over to complete her redemption arc. Brown, who had won the WBBL title with Adelaide Strikers in November, was particularly impressive with her pace and bounce, returning 2 for 19 in her four overs.Deepti Sharma’s late hits gave India a sliver of hope, but Nicola Carey and Megan Schutt coolly closed out the game for Australia.The double-strike
After India opted to bowl at the Brabourne Stadium, both Renuka Singh Thakur and Anjali found swing with the new ball. Renuka made the first incision when she thumped Alyssa Healy’s front pad in the first over and when Anjali stormed through the defences of the newly minted No.1 T20I batter Tahlia McGrath, Australia were 5 for 2 in the second over.The double-act
Beth Mooney (30) flickered briefly, but it was Perry who fired properly. Before Wednesday, Perry had not batted in a T20I for Australia since last October, having missed out on selection for the shortest format during last summer’s Ashes and Commonwealth games. However, Meg Lanning’s personal break and the retirement of Rachael Hayes paved the way for a T20I return. Perry’s batting was not needed in the first two T20Is, but when Australia really needed it in the third, she produced a 33-ball half-century.Perry took regular trips down the pitch to manufacture scoring opportunities against India’s spinners. She was particularly severe on Deepti and Radha Yadav, cracking 32 off a combined 16 balls. Perry dovetailed beautifully with Harris in a 55-run fifth-wicket partnership that came off a mere 31 balls.Harris’ knock could’ve been cut short at 10 had Shafali not let a swipe burst through her hands and over the long-on boundary in the 15th over. Harris proceeded to pepper the midwicket and long-on boundaries before she holed out in the 19th over. Perry’s wicket had also added to Australia’s late slide, which brought India back into the contest.India fall short in chase
Three days after India’s batters overpowered Australia in a Super-Over thriller, they stretched back to the stragglers again. India lost both Smriti Mandhana (1 off 10) and Jemimah Rodrigues (16 off 11) in the powerplay, and Shafali faced all of 11 balls for 14 runs during this phase.Shafali, though, broke free with a slog-swept six off legspinner Alana King in the seventh over and moved to a chancy half-century. She struck up a busy 73-run third-wicket stand with Harmanpreet Kaur, but her dismissal triggered an irreparable collapse. India lost 5 for 40 as Brown and Gardner re-established Australia’s command. Perry also pitched in with an over, which cost only two runs, helping Australia seal the win she had set up.

تيباس يختار مرشحًا غريبًا للتنافس على جائزة الكرة الذهبية 2025

كشف خافيير تيباس، رئيس رابطة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، عن اختيار غريب فيما يخص المرشحين الأحق بالمنافسة على جائزة الكرة الذهبية، كأفضل لاعب في العالم لعام 2025.

ويرى الكثيرون أن لامين يامال نجم فريق برشلونة يستحق المنافسة بقوة على جائزة الكرة الذهبية لهذا العام، بينما يفضل البعض زميله رافينها.

في حين يؤكد آخرون أن محمد صلاح، نجم ليفربول، هو الأجدر بنيل تلك الجائزة المرموقة.

ولكن تيباس كان لديه رأي آخر، حسبما قال في تصريحاته التي نشرتها صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية.

وقال تيباس: “الاختيار في الكرة الذهبية يجب أن يكون بين لامين يامال أو فينيسيوس جونيور”.

وعندما سُئل عن سر اختياره لـ فينيسيوس، قال: “لم يقدم موسمًا رائعًا، ولكن يجب ألا ننسى أنه كان رائعًا في البداية”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. لامين يامال: الكرة الذهبية؟ سأجيب على السؤال كما أقول دائمًا لـ أمي

وأردف: “الفوز بالكرة الذهبية إنجاز يضاف إلى سجله طوال الموسم، ما زال أمامه بعض المباريات الدولية وكأس العالم للأندية، هذان اللاعبان يلعبان في إسبانيا”.

وشارك فينيسيوس جونيور في 52 مباراة مع ريال مدريد في موسم 2024/25، وسجل 21 هدفًا وصنع 18.

وأثنى على لامين يامال، حيث قال: “عندما يُقال إن رابطة الليجا لا تبرم صفقات، أقول إن ما يجب ألا نفعله هو إهدار المال، هذا يظهر أنه عندما نثق باللاعبين الشباب، وفي حالة برشلونة لدينا كاسادو، الذي أُصيب، وكوبارسي، ولامين يامال، فإن هذا واضح”.

وشدد: “لا داعي للتعاقد مع هذا العدد الكبير من اللاعبين، فغالبًا ما يكون النجوم على أرضنا”.

Leeds hit gold selling "dangerous" striker who’s being outscored by Bogle

Current Leeds United boss Daniel Farke will be hoping he can secure promotion come the end of the season, ending the club’s two-year stint in the Championship.

Should the German manage to achieve such a feat, he would replicate the success of Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road, securing a return to the Premier League at the second time of asking.

The Argentine injected discipline and quality into the playing squad, with his infamous high-intensity playstyle getting the best out of the crop of players – subsequently leading them to the promised land.

Former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa.

He would take the club to unexpected heights, achieving a top-half finish in their return to the top-flight, giving the supporters moments to cherish, albeit behind-closed-doors due to the Covid situation.

Such investment would allow for the 69-year-old to be such a success, with numerous of the additions after promotion making a huge impact during their respective periods at Elland Road.

Leeds' best signings after securing promotion to the Premier League

Raphinha joined Leeds as an unknown quantity to many, arriving in a £17m deal from French side Stade Rennes – wasting no time on impressing in Yorkshire.

The Brazilian would register 17 goals and 12 assists in his two full seasons at the club, even securing survival on the final day against Brentford, scoring and helping the Whites enter their third season in the top flight.

Former Leeds forward Raphinha.

However, he would take no part in the 2022/23 season, leaving in a £55m deal to join Barcelona – a record fee received by the club, forever stitching himself into the club’s history.

Illan Meslier also joined in the summer after promotion, making his move permanent following his loan stint at Elland Road the season prior – becoming the number one between the sticks ever since.

The Frenchman has made 200 appearances, often making a mistake or two along the way, but still maintaining the support of various managers, showcasing the talent he possesses.

However, one other player also moved to the club during the summer of 2020, looking to offer that added threat to make them a success in the Premier League.

The player who Leeds struck gold offloading

Spanish forward Rodrigo arrived in the summer of 2020 from Valencia, costing £30m – a transfer fee that would break the club record in the process, a record eventually broken by Georginio Rutter.

Leeds’ most expensive additions in their history

Player

Fee

1) Georginio Rutter

£35.5m

2) Rodrigo

£30m

= Daniel James

£30m

4) Brenden Aaronson

£24.7m

5) Rio Ferdinand

£23.4m

Stats via Transfermarkt

He would spend three years in the club’s first-team, amassing a total of 99 appearances, with Bielsa putting huge trust in his skill set – dubbing the Spaniard as “very dangerous”.

The former Whites talent registered a total of 28 goals – an average of one goal every 3.5 outings, a solid return for a player who spent his last two years in the midst of a relegation battle.

After dropping into the second tier ahead of 2023/24, Rodrigo would leave Yorkshire in a £3m deal to join Qatari outfit Al-Rayyan – ending his three-year spell undoubtedly as a fan-favourite.

However, given his form in the Middle East throughout the current campaign, the club certainly made the right call in allowing him to depart, failing to match the levels he produced in England.

The Spaniard has only notched two goals throughout 2024/25, showcasing the struggles he’s faced since his move away from Elland Road two and a half years ago. For context, that’s even fewer than fellow Spaniard Mateo Joseph (3) back at Thorp Arch and perhaps more incredibly, Jayden Bogle (4).

Whilst the club lost £27m on their investment, his goals came at crucial times in the Premier League, enabling them to sustain their top-flight status, potentially making him worth the big-money fee.

However, his recent record showcases that he’s no longer at the level required in Europe, gradually coming to the end of his career, with the hierarchy making the right decision in not standing in his way.

Leeds United striker Rodrigo.

It’s a shame that he’s not managed to replicate such with his current side, with his spell in Yorkshire undoubtedly staying in the hearts of supporters – producing countless moments of magic during his stint at the club.

10 goalkeepers Leeds could sign to replace Illan Meslier

The 49ers and Farke may want to replace the Frenchman in the summer.

2 ByCharlie Smith Feb 25, 2025

Internacional sai atrás contra o Colo-Colo, mas consegue virada histórica e avança às quartas na Sul-Americana

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta terça-feira (5), o Internacional conseguiu a classificação para as quartas de final da Copa Sul-Americana de forma heroica ao vencer o Colo Colo por 4 a 1 (o Colorado perdeu na ida das oitavas por 2 a 0), no Beira-Rio. Aos 14 minutos do primeiro tempo, Gabriel Costa abriu o placar para o time chileno, em cobrança de pênalti. Porém, ainda na primeira etapa, o Inter conseguiu a virada em três minutos, e no segundo garantiu mais dois tentos e a classificação.

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Agora o Colorado aguarda o vencedor de Deportivo Cali e Melgar, que se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (6), no Peru. A primeira partida terminou empatado sem gols na Colômbia. Na próxima segunda-feira (11), o time comandado por Mano Menezes duela contra o América-MG, pelo Brasileirão.

Virada relâmpago!
Com o apoio da torcida, o Internacional foi com tudo para o campo de ataque e teve a primeira chance com Pedro Henrique, que pegou fraco na finalização. Porém, logo depois,Solari tentou o passe, Moisés interceptou e Daniel saiu do gol para pegar a bola, mas se chocou com Lucero e o árbitro marcou o pênalti. Na cobrança, Gabriel Costa abriu o placar.

Aos poucos, o Inter foi com tudo para o ataque e quase marcou com De Peña, após desvio de letra de Alan Patrick. Logo depois, após luta de Pedro Henrique, a bola sobrou para o camisa 10, que não perdoou e colocou o empate no marcador.

Pouco tempo depois, aos 31′,Moisés cruzou da esquerda. A zaga cortou para o meio e Edenilson chegou batendo para as redes e levando a vantagem para o intervalo.

ÉPICO!

Na volta do intervalo, após passe de Moisés, PH girou e levou perigo. O Colo-Colo respondeu com Solari, em chute por cima. Taison levou o Inter ao ataque e obrigou o goleiro a espalmar para escanteio. Na cobrança, Edenilson deu assistência e Alemão fez o terceiro gol colorado.

O camisa 8 apareceu novamente para dar passe para gol, mas Pedro Henrique parou no goleiro. Mais tarde,Bustos lançou do campo de defesa, Pedro Henrique avançou, invadiu a área e empurrou para o fundo do gol, fazendo o quarto e garantindo a classificação.

FICHA TÉCNICA DA PARTIDA
Internacional 4×1 Colo-Colo
Local: Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre-RS
Data/horário: 05/07/2022 – 21h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Dario Herrera (ARG)
Auxiliar 1: Gabriel Chade (ARG)
Auxiliar 2: Maximiliano del Yesso (ARG)
VAR: Mauro Vigliano (ARG)
Cartões amarelos: Vitão, Edenilson, Moisés, De Peña (Internacional), Pavez, Léo Gil, Zaldivia (Colo Colo)
Cartões vermelhos: –

GOLS: Gabriel Costa (14’/1T) (0-1), Alan Patrick (28’/2T) (1-1), Edenilson (31’/2T) (2-1), Alemão (14’/2T) (3-1), Pedro Henrique (28’/2T) (4-1)

Internacional – Técnico: Mano Menezes
​Daniel; Bustos (Kaique Rocha 32’/2T), Vitão (Rodrigo Moledo – intervalo), Gabriel Mercado e Moisés; Gabriel, Edenilson, Carlos de Pena, Alan Patrick (Taison 38’/1T) e Alemão (David 23’/2T); Pedro Henrique (Maurício 32’/2T).

Colo Colo – técnico: Gustavo Quinteros
​Brayan Cortés; Oscar Opazo, Maximiliano Falcón, Matias Zaldivia (Bouzat 34’/2T) e Gabriel Suazo; Esteban Pavez, Vicente Pizarro (Gutiérrez 19’/2T), Pablo Solari (Bolados 19’/2T), Leonardo Gil (Oroz 45’/2T) e Gabriel Costa; Juan Manuel Lucero.

Northern demolish Sindh to win Quaid-e-Azam title for the first time

Hurraira, the top run-getter for the second season in a row, is the Player of the Match for his 221

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Nov-2022

Muhammad Hurraira hit 221, his best score in a chart-topping season•PCB

Northern fast bowlers Aamer Jamal and Muhammad Musa shared six wickets between them to wipe out the second Sindh innings inside two sessions on the fourth day of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final to lift the trophy for the first time.They were the favourites to win after ending their first innings on the third evening with a 309-run lead, and when Musa, Jamal and Kashif Ali combined to reduce Sindh to 59 for 6 inside 18 overs on Tuesday, it seemed like the match wouldn’t go past lunch. It did, courtesy a century from Fawad Alam and some lower-order hitting from Mohammad Umar and Aaliyan Mehmood, but not for long.

Northern wrapped up the game by an innings and 55 runs after that big first-innings effort, courtesy Muhammad Hurraira’s 221, centuries from Umar Amin and Umar Waheed, and Rohail Nazir’s 94.On a foggy morning at Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday, Sindh lost captain Khurram Manzoor on the seventh ball, and had lost Saim Ayub, Saad Khan and Omair Yousuf by the tenth over.But Fawad – who scored his 43rd first-class century – fought back, first with a 63-run stand with Asif Mehmood (21 off 42) for the seventh wicket and then a 62-run stand with Umar (36 off 31). Fawad became the ninth batter to be dismissed and Aaliyan was the last to go, becoming Musa’s third victim, after a 42-ball 33.It was a stellar season for Northern, where they did lose one game – Sindh and Central Punjab didn’t lose even one – but topped the table with 135 points after three wins and six draws.There were three 600-plus innings totals all tournament, and two of them came from Northern. Hurraira topped the scorers’ chart with 1024 runs at an average of 73.14 [he was the top run-getter last season too], and captain Amin was fourth on that list with 774 runs. Among the bowlers, while Sindh’s Abrar Ahmed was the most successful this season with 43 wickets, Jamal and Mubasir Khan, the Northern bowlers, came in at No. 2 and No. 3 with 31 wickets apiece.

Chelsea now express strong interest in signing £31k-p/w "phenomenon" striker

Chelsea have now expressed strong interest in signing a striker who’s already scored 22 goals this season, but there is set to be fierce competition for his signature from their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Maresca short on striker options

Enzo Maresca has found himself limited on options at striker this season, with Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu both currently sidelined, while Christopher Nkunku hasn’t exactly pulled up any trees, receiving heavy criticism at times from members of the media.

As such, Pedro Neto has been given the nod at striker in recent weeks, and the Portuguese forward was praised for his performance against Leicester City on Sunday, being lauded for the “incredible effort” he put in to help the Blues to a 1-0 victory.

However, given that Neto is not an out-and-out striker, Maresca may still be keen to bring in a fresh face this summer, and a report from Spain has revealed Lille’s Jonathan David is Chelsea’s ‘great desire’, indicating they hold a strong interest in the Canadian.

Lille'sJonathanDavidcelebrates scoring their first goal with Edon Zhegrov

David’s form this season means he is a target for five Premier League clubs in the summer, at which point his Lille contract is set to expire, meaning he will be available on a free transfer.

The 25-year-old’s arrival in the Premier League is described as imminent, given the widespread interest in his signature, but his destination remains undecided for now, with talks set to commence in the coming weeks.

Chelsea now planning to submit £50m offer for "spectacular" midfielder

The Blues are set to make a bid for a 20-year-old, who is now considered one of their key targets.

ByDominic Lund Mar 9, 2025 "Phenomenon" David is having an incredible season

The Brooklyn-born striker has been impressive in Ligue 1 for quite some time, most importantly bagging 13 league goals in the 2020-21 campaign to help fire Lille to a surprise league title triumph.

However, this season could end up being the Canada international’s best to date, given that he has already scored 22 in all competitions, with six goals and two assists to his name in nine Champions League outings.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Champions League qualification

4

2

2

Champions League

9

6

2

Ligue 1

23

14

3

Coupe de France

3

0

3

There are signs the £31k-per-week forward could be entering his prime, which means it could be the perfect time for Chelsea to pursue a move, and it is an added bonus that he is set to be available on a free transfer.

Former Gent manager Hein Vanhaezebrouck has lauded David as a “phenomenon” in the past, and his performances for Lille over a number of years indicate he could be the solution to Chelsea’s striker problems.

يزن النعيمات يرد على أنباء مفاوضات الزمالك

رد الدولي الأردني يزن النعيمات، على أنباء مفاوضات نادي الزمالك معه لضمه خلال الفترة الحالية، بعد انتهاء عقده مع فريقه العربي القطري.

وكان بطولات، قد كشف عن تواجد اسم يزن النعيمات، ضمن حسابات نادي الزمالك للتعاقد معه في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية.

وقال يزن النعيمات خلال تصريحات عبر قناة التلفزيون الاردني: “نادي العربي القطري قام بتفعيل عقدي لمدة موسم إضافي، هذا كان بندًا في عقدي معهم”.

وأضاف: “كل ما تم تداوله عن مفاوضات الزمالك، غير صحيح، ليس كل ما يثار على السوشيال ميديا واقعى، والناس لا تخاف الله، 90% منه غير حقيقي”

يزن النعيمات يعد أحد أفضل لاعبي منتخب الأردن، خلال الفترة الاخيرة، حيث ساهم في وصول المنتخب الأردني إلى نهائيات كأس العالم 2026 القادمة.

وكان يزن النعيمات قاد النشامي إلى نهائي بطولة كأس أمم آسيا الأخيرة التي أقيمت في قطر وخسر أمام صاحبة الأرض في المباراة النهائية، وحصد لقب هداف البطولة الآسيوية.

Campeão da Copinha pelo Palmeiras é anunciado por clube de Portugal

MatériaMais Notícias

Campeão da Copa São Paulo de 2022 pelo Palmeiras, o atacante João Pedro foi anunciado como reforço da equipe B do Vitória de Guimarães, de Portugal. Aos 19 anos, ele estava na base do Verdão desde 2019 e tinha contrato com o clube brasileiro somente até setembro, saindo sem custos para o time português.

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GALERIA
> Confira os públicos do Palmeiras no Allianz Parque em 2022

TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2022 clicando aqui

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

De acordo com o site oficial do Vitória, que ficará com 70% dos direitos do jogador, João assinou vínculo profissional até 2025.

Será a primeira experiência profissional do garoto, que em 2022 fez oito gols em 18 jogos pela base do Palmeiras.

-O que podem esperar de mim é que darei sempre o meu melhor e trabalharei sempre com a máxima intensidade. Estou bastante ansioso para começar a treinar e a conviver com os meus novos colegas. Já percebi que são todos jovens, com a motivação de quem está a dar os primeiros passos no futebol profissional e quer mostrar qualidade. Eu serei mais um para ajudar com a mesma ambição – declarou o jovem atacante para o site do Vitória de Guimarães.

João Pedro, porém, não deixou o Palmeiras sem se despedir, e usou seu Twitter para falar da honra que foi vestir a camisa alviverde.

-Foi uma Honra vestir esse manto !!! Avanti Palestra, scoppia che la vittoria è nostra!!! (a vitória é nossa, em tradução para o português) – disse o garoto em seu post.

Hathurusingha set to return as head coach of Bangladesh men's Test and ODI sides

Hathurisingha has left NSW as their assistant coach; Sriram is expected to continue being in charge of Bangladesh’s T20I team

Mohammad Isam and Andrew McGlashan31-Jan-2023

Chandika Hathurusingha had worked with the Bangladesh team earlier, from 2014 to 2017•AFP

Though it’s not official yet, Chandika Hathurusingha looks set to return as the head coach of the Bangladesh national men’s team, with Cricket New South Wales confirming that he is leaving the position of assistant coach with them. The update follows media speculation in Bangladesh that the BCB has reached an agreement with Hathurusingha.BCB president Nazmul Hassan said on Monday that the new head coach – to replace Russell Domingo – would be appointed between February 18 and 20. Though no name has been given, ESPNcricinfo understands Hathurasingha would be brought back.”The coach will come. I don’t if it is Hathuru or someone else, neither has the BCB announced it, but you will see,” Hassan said. “He will definitely be in place before the England series [starting March 1]. I won’t say who it will be. He will be here by February 18-20.”Related

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At the time of his resignation last month, Domingo was the Test and ODI coach. S Sriram worked as a technical consultant last year during the T20 World Cup, and had been in talks with the BCB about continuing in that role, something the BCB has said it wants, too.Hathurusingha was with the Bangladesh team from 2014 to 2017, with the famous ODI-winning streak at home starting under his watch. He left unceremoniously after the South Africa tour in 2017, before returning to Bangladesh with the Sri Lanka team as its head coach a few months later. The BCB has, in the past, said it wanted a coach like Hathurusingha, known to be stern and aggressive, and after his departure, both Steve Rhodes (2018 to 2019) and Domingo (2019 to 2022) were thought of as soft by the BCB.Shake-up at New South Wales after poor seasonHis exit from New South Wales brings to an end his second stint with the county, as he had worked with them from 2011 to 2014 before his first engagement with Bangladesh. It continues a shake-up in the New South Wales coaching staff amid a disappointing season, where they are bottom of the Sheffield Shield and Marsh Cup tables at this stage.”Chandi has made a wonderful contribution to Cricket NSW, the Blues and Sydney Thunder over the last couple of years and we are sad to see him go,” NSW’s head of male cricket Michael Klinger said. “But with that in mind, we totally understand his desire to seek a coaching role internationally and we wish him all the best in the next chapter of his coaching career.”Head coach Phil Jaques was sacked late last year, with Greg Shipperd, the Sydney Sixers coach, taking temporary charge until the end of the 2022-23 season. Hathurusingha’s role will be temporarily filled by Cameron White, who is also part of the Sixers set-up.

Chawla, Rohit star as Mumbai earn first points in last-ball thriller

Delhi remained winless after four games despite a brilliant final over from Anrich Nortje

Andrew Miller11-Apr-20232:50

Tait: Warner seemed ‘pretty frustrated’

Mumbai Indians held their nerve with the last ball of a scrappy, tension-fuelled basement battle against Delhi Capitals to claw themselves off the bottom of the IPL standings with their first win in three attempts this season, and condemn their opponents to a fourth consecutive loss in a season that is no closer to offering up any answers to their numerous issues.Piyush Chawla rolled back the years, and ripped his googlies, to serve up game-shaping figures of 3 for 22 either side of a pair of chalk-and-cheese fifties from David Warner and Axar Patel, but despite a timely half-century from Rohit Sharma and 41 from 29 from Tilak Varma, Mumbai were forced to scramble over the line, into the teeth of a magnificent final over from a pumped-up Anrich Nortje.With just five runs to defend against Cameron Green and the impact sub, Tim David, Nortje nailed his yorkers to perfection, and was let down only by his fielders – first by a bad drop from Mukesh Kumar at midwicket to reprieve David and then, with two runs needed from his final ball, a poor loopy shy from Warner at mid-off that allowed David to dive home for the second run and so avoid the Super Over.In truth, it was a contest in which Mumbai had bossed the key moments – first through Chawla’s mid-innings incisions, then with the scalping of five wickets in the final ten balls of Delhi’s innings that had kept their target to a gettable 173. The early exchanges of the run-chase had fallen in the visitors’ favour too, with Rohit’s 65 from 45 including a 29-ball fifty that provided the impetus for a 68-run powerplay. But after Mumbai failed to kill the chase when the going was still good, Nortje – armed with two death overs and aiming fast, full and furious throughout – so nearly saved the day.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Chawla shows he’s still got itAt the age of 34, and more than a decade after his last appearance for India, Chawla may be a touch more weather-beaten these days, but his googly has lost none of the startling impact it first made more than half a lifetime ago in 2005 when, aged 15, he bowled Sachin Tendulkar in a Challenger Trophy fixture. Two of his three wickets today were pitch-perfect wrong’uns to Rovman Powell and Lalit Yadav respectively, to rip the heart out of a Delhi batting line-up that, Axar’s cameo aside, was never allowed to emerge from second gear.In an unbroken spell from the seventh to the 13th overs, Chawla returned the exceptional figures of 3 for 22, with only a brace of Warner boundaries disrupting his otherwise complete hold over Capitals’ batters. After a threatening Manish Pandey skipped to the pitch but was beaten in flight to scuff a legbreak to long-off, Powell and Lalit were confounded in consecutive overs by a pair of leg-stump-seeking googlies, the former thumping the pad, the latter plucking the stump clean out.The only real blot in Chawla’s copybook was a bad miss at mid-off as Warner, then on 37, clattered a drive clean through his grasp. He left the field soon after his spell, apparently nursing a sore finger for his efforts, although compared to the hapless Suryakumar Yadav’s spill on the boundary’s edge off Axar, it was a fairly routine miss. Poor Suryakumar, desperate for a break amid a terrible run with the bat, wore a full-blooded slog on the forehead as it burst through his fingers, and left the field with suspected concussion. Though he did eventually appear at No. 4 in Mumbai’s chase, he soon wished he hadn’t, as a first-ball flick off the hip to fine leg completed his fourth golden duck in his last six innings.Axar Patel raced to a 22-ball half-century•BCCI

A pair of contrasting fiftiesAxar and Warner fell within three balls of one another, in the midst of a four-wicket 19th over from Jason Behrendorff that also featured ducks for Kuldeep Yadav and Abishek Porel, but there their tales converged. Axar departed with 54 from 25 balls at a strike-rate of 216; Warner with 51 from 47, at almost exactly half his team-mate’s tempo (108.51).It was Warner’s third half-century of Capitals’ campaign, but all three have come from more than 40 balls – 43 on this occasion – and his lack of celebration was tell-tale evidence of another stodgy display.On the one hand, at least he was there, providing some grit to the oyster that his middle-order team-mates – the debutant Yash Dhull included – could not muster. On the other hand, the carefree fluency of Axar told a different tale, of an innings in which too many scoring opportunities had been squandered.Axar is in the midst of a startling coming-of-age as a batter of some repute and his maiden IPL fifty was a knock of high pedigree – four fours, five sixes, each of them launched down the ground including a Riley Meredith slot-ball that brought up his fifty from 22 balls. For five consecutive overs from the start of the 14th to the end of the 17th, he was Capitals’ solitary source of momentum, with Warner contributing a mere five from nine at the other end.Rohit Sharma brought up his fifty in 29 balls•BCCI

The Hitman comethDespite Warner’s struggles to push his tempo, 41% of respondents to a mid-broadcast poll said they would still prefer him over Rohit at the top of their IPL order, which perhaps says much about the criticisms the latter has endured since India’s disappointing T20 World Cup. But those doubts dissolved in the midst of an enervating powerplay onslaught, as Rohit romped towards a 29-ball fifty that offered the sort of proactive backbone that Capitals’ own innings had lacked.Rohit set the tone for Mumbai’s chase in Mukesh’s opening over, with a clip for four off the pads followed by a violent slap for six over deep midwicket. When Nortje also strayed into his slot two overs later, he too was launched emphatically into the stands, as Mumbai’s openers cantered along at more than 11 an over in the powerplay.At the other end, Ishan Kishan started like the clappers against the quicks as well, with three fours in his first four balls from the left-arm seam of Mustafizur Rahman. But, much as Chawla had derailed Delhi’s intentions, so Kishan was less sure-footed against the spinners – after making 28 from his first 15 balls, he managed just three runs from his next 10 before Rohit – cold-blooded at both ends of the pitch – effectively retired him out with a call for a non-existent run to point.Mumbai fall over the lineBy this stage, perhaps Capitals’ likeliest matchwinner hadn’t yet made his bow. Kuldeep’s left-arm wristspin duly made its entry in the ninth over, but with Tilak’s rubbery wrists and feet producing a brace of sixes in his only two overs, he was denied the chance to emulate Chawla’s impact. And when Tilak responded to a fallow run of 11 runs in three overs by smoking Mukesh for a four and two sixes in his first three balls, the contest seemed cooked with 34 needed from the last 27.Mukesh, however, was not yet done. Tilak’s next shot in anger picked out Pandey at deep midwicket, and when Suryakumar’s miserable match ended one ball later, all eyes were suddenly back on Rohit. A cathartic four through midwicket eased the pressure a touch, but when Mustafizur fired in a wide yorker, Rohit could only toe-end an attempted steer through to the keeper. Suddenly Mumbai had two men yet to face, and an angsty finale to negotiate. Despite Nortje’s unstinting efforts, Green and David did just enough – the killer blows landing within the final three balls of an otherwise fine effort from Mustafizur, as each man picked off a six that left Nortje with just too little to defend.

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