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Exactly one month ago, Leicester laboured to a 0-0 home draw with fellow strugglers Hull City. With 10 games to go at the time and seven points adrift; many assumed Leicester’s stay in the top flight had come to an end. Speculation off the pitch was being matched by listlessness on it and some were already a penning a red ‘R’ next to their name.

Fast forward a month and two wins on the spin, both with dramatic late winners have highlighted that The Foxes are from done; now only three points adrift of those outside the relegation zone and all the momentum – Leicester may just beat the drop.

West Ham at home may prove to be the pivotal fixture for Pearson’s men. After going ahead, they were soon pegged back by their visitors and for all of their effort and for all of their chances, including a missed penalty, it seemed that Leicester would only pick up the solitary point, probably not enough in their quest for survival. However, with only four minutes left Andy King prodded City’s season back to life and in turn reignited the relegation dogfight.

Prior to the last gasp win against The Hammers, Leicester were going nowhere fast; no wins in a three month period had left them marooned at the bottom of the table, where others were picking up points, the Foxes were not.

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The fact that Leicester followed up that victory with another three points the following week, this time away at fellow strugglers West Brom, showed they were finally on a roll. Again Pearson’s men left it late, displaying the character and fight they suddenly seem to have found in the last two weeks. During the most turbulent times of their season, many questioned whether the manager had lost the dressing room. Those questions are certainly no longer being asked of his charges.

As well as being the team with all the momentum going into the final stretch of fixtures, Leicester’s run-in, on paper, seems a particularly kind one.  Winnable home fixtures against Swansea, Newcastle and QPR are complimented by away fixtures at Burnley and Sunderland. Not only do The Foxes have the opportunity to continue this positive run they now find themselves on, they also have the opportunity to stop their closest rivals from picking up points.

From a mood of despair, the dark clouds seemed to have lifted over the East Midlands; Pearson who once appeared like the world was against him was a more positive man in his post-match press conference at The Hawthorns. Of course winning football matches changes a lot, but they finally they actually are.

Compare the charge Leicester now seem to be on to the downward spiral their opponents from a month ago, Hull City, currently find themselves in. With fixtures against Liverpool, Arsenal, Man United and Tottenham to come, their plight seems to be worsening with every passing week. Leicester will feel they need to reel one team in and leap frog them; Steve Bruce’s men appear ripe for the picking.

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If it comes down to the final game of the season, Leicester will fancy their chances against the hapless away version of QPR. Simply to make it to the last game from where they were a month ago is a testament to both Pearson and his players.

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Hamburg playmaker Rafael van der Vaart is keeping his fingers crossed the club’s financial problems won’t result in a raft of exits.

The Rothosen are expected to announce huge annual losses this year and as such speculation in the German press has suggested they could be forced to sell off some big names.

Van der Vaart is one player who hasn’t been linked with a move away having only re-joined the club last summer but forward Son Heung-Min could be one player on the move, with Tottenham and Arsenal said to be interested.

Dutch international Van der Vaart hopes the reported financial problems won’t be as bad as first feared and is keeping his fingers crossed Hamburg might even be able to add to the squad this summer.

“It would be great if we could add to the squad,” the former Real Madrid midfielder said. “We need more experienced players with a winning mentality.”

“But I know there is not much money to strengthen the team,” he continued. “So it is important to make sure our best players stay.”

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Arsenal have ramped up their pursuit of Barcelona youngster Robert Navarro after Manchester City cooled their interest, according to the Daily Mail.

What’s the word?

City have been working hard on developing a state-of-the-art academy over the last few years in the hope of bringing through some top talent.

The North-West outfit were believed to be closing in on the capture of 15-year-old attacking midfielder Navarro, but the narrative has changed.

The Daily Mail reports that City have eased off and now Arsenal are ready to swoop in and snatch the youngster, who has been offered new terms by Barca.

Navarro will make a decision about whether or not to stay with the Catalan giants later this week when he turns 16.

Could Arsenal produce a future star?

The Gunners are certainly capable of creating a star from their academy, and they have experience developing youngsters from Barcelona’s youth ranks.

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Cesc Fabregas and Hector Bellerin made their way to North London from Barca’s famous ‘La Masia’ academy, and both can be considered success stories.

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Navarro is only a young teen, and even though he is widely rated, it does not mean that he is guaranteed to break into the first team in the future.

With the transfer market how it is, there is an argument that it has become easier for clubs to splash out millions on an established star for quick success rather than give youngsters time.

When it comes to who will be voted Manager of the Season in this year’s top flight, there will be the obvious contenders.

Jose Mourinho will of course, be the overwhelming favourite. He looks sure to lead his Chelsea team to the title. A title that appears will be won at an absolute canter.

Southampton’s Ronald Koeman will also, surely be close to winning the prize. He has produced a startlingly good season on the South Coast, still on the coat tails of the Champions League as we approach the final weeks of the season.

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However, a manager who seems destined to lead his side no higher than 8th, should be the man receiving the gong come May.

Garry Monk’s appointment in South Wales was met with scepticism. A fantastic servant to the club, but following Brendan Rodgers and Michael Laudrup, he was seen as a step in the wrong direction. Many Swans feared the worse. With a manager with next to no experience, would their Premier League adventure be coming to an end?

His first game, was arguably the perfect one for Monk. Not a lot would need to be said to his players before they took on Cardiff, the raw emotion and the passion of the fixture could do most of the work. It did. Monk’s side trounced their dearest rival 3-0.

Premier League survival was clinched on the penultimate day of last season, something that many pundits believed would not be achieved under the inexperienced former captain. He was rewarded with a three-year contract and given the long-term backing of the club’s Chairman Huw Jenkins.

Last summer saw the Swans lose two major players. Michel Vorm, who had been sensational for the club in goal, and Ben Davies, the young full-back, both made the move to north London and White Hart Lane.

Monk recruited cleverly, acquiring players with English experience, Lukasz Fabianksi was purchased to start in goal and vitally, Gylfi Sigurðsson. The man who had previously been at the Liberty Stadium and one that would again become integral for Monk’s Swansea.

The first game of Monk’s first full season could scarcely have gone better in his wildest dreams. Beating van Gaal’s, Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Through the goals of Wilfried Bony and the craft of Jonjo Shelvey and Sigurðsson, Swansea were enjoying almost a perfect season until January. Then, as we know, Bony would be prized away by Champions Man City.

Following the striker’s sale, and a heavy defeat by Chelsea, questions were again asked of Swansea and their manager.

Had they finally been found out?

Would the late season slide now happen?

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However, five wins in the last eight, have, again, confounded the critics. Another win over United and a win over high flying Southampton were particular highlights.

Their recent victory over, in form, Aston Villa, sets them up to finish in a really respectable, or incredible, league position.

Through all the adversity of losing so many top players, including their undoubted superstar in Bony, Swansea have continued to defy the odds and their critics. As has their manager, an appointment met with apathy is now beginning to look a masterstroke.

If the Welsh side can finish strongly, not only will they achieve their record points total, but the August Manager of the Month, may be picking up an even bigger individual award.

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Does anyone remember a time when Chelsea were not owned by a Russian oligarch, but in fact, a rather unpopular Englishman who has, to put it politely, a very particular way with words. Roman Abramovich is coming up to a decade in charge of the Blues, having gone money crazy after taking over at Stamford Bridge from Ken Bates. Chelsea have changed the face of English football, splashing the cash at every available opportunity and not always wisely either.

Sometimes, they’ve simply thrown big fees at players who never really appeared for the club or merely made up the numbers sitting on the bench. Admittedly, Abramovich’s billions have finally bought the Champions League, but they’ve gone through a serious number of players (and not to mention managers) to find the winning formula. The previous owners aren’t entirely clean in terms of dodgy transfers and there’s certainly been some tripe pull on the blue shirt since the Premier League began. We look back and assess the worst Chelsea signing XI in the modern era of English football:

Click on Tal Ben Haim to unveil the starting XI

Not to forget the big question: will this be MS Dhoni’s IPL farewell if CSK fall short?

Sruthi Ravindranath17-May-20242:35

Aaron: Santner gives CSK a lot of options

Match details

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) (7th; 6W, 7L) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) (4th; 7W, 6L)
Bengaluru, 7.30pm IST (2pm GMT)

Big picture – RCB vs CSK, the match of the season?

Is the hype around this encounter justified?The results over the years have been rather one-sided in favour of CSK. RCB have won only once in their last five meetings and only 31% of the all the matches in the IPL against them.So maybe not.But this time, there is a lot at stake – it’s a virtual quarter-final. RCB are in roaring form, with five wins in a row; CSK have been up and down. Scenarios-wise, it’s easier for CSK to get through. Just win, or hope the game is rained out – not unlikely, considering the weather in Bengaluru. RCB, however, have to win and win by a certain margin – assuming a score of 200, they need to win by 18 runs or chase the target down with about 11 balls to spare – to get into the top four.There are sentimental reasons for the hype too. Is this the last we’ll see an MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli encounter on the field? Will it be Dhoni’s last game for CSK? (Nobody knows, not even CSK’s batting coach Mike Hussey.)Dhoni and Kohli may grab all the headlines, but some subplots mean much more. The two most powerful spin-hitters this season will come up against each other: Shivam Dube, who rocked it for CSK in the first half, and Rajat Patidar, who turned the fortunes around for RCB in the second. It will also be the battle of the Indian quicks, who have played key roles in their sides’ wins in the last few games. M Chinnaswamy Stadium might be a batter-friendly surface, but it may all come down to which pace unit performs better on the day.In terms of the venue, RCB have won both their recent matches at the Chinnaswamy after being relentlessly bashed by oppositions earlier in the season. CSK, however, have won only two of their six away matches. For CSK to gain an advantage at the Chinnaswamy, their batters must come together.Does all of that make this the match of the season? It could very well be. Unless rain plays spoilsport.Related

• Gaikwad the captain faces his sternest test yet

• Patidar: 'I should know that I am the best, nothing else matters'

• Rain threat looms over RCB-CSK clash in Bengaluru

Form guide

RCB WWWWW
CSK WLWLW

Previous meeting

It was the season opener, at Chepauk. Mustafizur Rahman ran through the RCB top order but a late lift from Anuj Rawat and Dinesh Karthik took them to 173 for 6. In reply, CSK chased down the target with eight balls remaining, with Dube and Ravindra Jadeja posting an unbeaten 66-run stand. In many ways, that result set the tone for the first half of the season for the two sides. But it all changed since then.One last time?•AFP/Getty Images

Team news and Impact Player strategy

Royal Challengers Bengaluru
RCB are likely to bring back Glenn Maxwell for the game in place of Will Jacks, who has left for England duty. Patidar for Yash Dayal or Swapnil Singh will likely be the impact swap again.RCB probable XII: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Glenn Maxwell, 4 Rajat Patidar, 5 Mahipal Lomror, 6 Cameron Green, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Yash Dayal, 9 Karn Sharma, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Lockie Ferguson 12 Swapnil SinghChennai Super Kings
Moeen Ali has left, so Mitchell Santner is likely to get a place in the XI. Ruturaj Gaikwad is also back to opening with Rachin Ravindra. In the last game, Daryl Mitchell was subbed out during the chase to get Sameer Rizvi in at No. 7. Considering Rahane’s poor form, and with Moeen out, will they consider starting with Rizvi and have Mitchell at No. 3?CSK probable XII: 1 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 2 Rachin Ravindra, 3 Daryl Mitchell, 4 Shivam Dube, 5 Ravindra Jadeja, 6 Sameer Rizvi, 7 MS Dhoni (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Tushar Deshpande, 12 Simarjeet Singh4:26

How do RCB make best use of Maxwell?

In the spotlight – Faf du Plessis and Shivam Dube

Faf du Plessis is yet to make a big impact with the bat. He has three fifties, but has struggled for consistency overall, having scored just 367 runs at 28.23 in 13 games. He averages just 27 in the powerplay this year compared to 120 last year, when he had a great time. While he’s not got the big scores, he’s been striking at 205 in RCB’s last seven games compared to 140 in the first six games. RCB will be hoping for a big score from their captain in the crucial game to go with another big hand from orange cap-holder Virat Kohli.Shivam Dube‘s superb run in the first half of the season earned him a spot in India’s T20 World Cup squad. However, since then, his form has dipped. Following ducks in back-to-back games against Punjab Kings, he scored 21 and 18 in the next two matches. He was taking spinners apart when the going was good. In three out of the last four games, he’s gotten out trying to go after spinners.

Pitch and conditions

It was cloudy all day in Bengaluru on Friday, and there’s a 78% chance of rain on Saturday, with the forecast saying there could be thunderstorms accompanied by showers in the evening. The average first-innings score at the venue this season is 193. The day before the game, there was no grass on the centre pitch, which will be used for this match, so expect it to be a belter.

Stats that matter

• Kohli has upped his powerplay game, from striking at 131 at an average of 62 in the first six matches to 193 at 98.50 in the last seven
• RCB are Dhoni’s favourite opposition – he has scored 413 runs at an average of 82.6 against them at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the most against any team for him in the IPL
• Ruturaj Gaikwad averages 71 this season, which is the best for an opener in IPL 2024

Quotes

“He’s a bowler that basically bowled the fastest in our group. Every team will like a bowler like Simar because he bowls with a lot of pace and he’s very aggressive by nature. Even against our own batsmen in the nets, sometimes I get scared with the way he bowls. Very happy to see that the work that he’s put in to finally get an opportunity to play and he’s performing well.”

Rested seamer reflects on Test success in Pakistan, Ben Stokes’ captaincy and ball to Mohammad Rizwan

Vithushan Ehantharajah16-Dec-2022At 40 years of age and with 177 caps, missing Test matches is not something James Anderson has time for. Yet as he sits in Karachi’s Movenpick hotel on Friday, a day out from the third and final Test against Pakistan, he is at peace with the fact he is sitting this one out.The series is won, with only the scoreline left to sort. Anderson’s eight wickets at 18.50 have ticked off a ninth frontier in the format, 17 years after he accompanied England on their last tour to the region without getting on the park (for the Tests). The career dismissals were 35 then, 675 now as Anderson’s 20th year as an international comes to an end. Nevertheless, his rest has been well-earned.”It’s been brilliant from start to finish really,” Anderson says. “I think we’ve just really gone about things the right way, we’ve worked really hard concentrating on the right things. We wanted to keep that same mentality we had in the summer, the same style of cricket.”We knew it was going to be slightly different out here. Just from one to 11 it’s been outstanding. Everyone’s chipped in, whether it’s with runs or wickets in the field, and we deserve to be two-nil up.”Related

• Rehan Ahmed to make Test debut in Karachi

• How many batting records have England broken in Pakistan?

• Ollie Robinson 'considered retirement' in midst of injury-plagued English summer

That Anderson “completely understands” the reasons for being rested is as much personal contentment as it is the environment he is in. He felt he could have played, and said as much to Ben Stokes. The captain, however, was thinking further ahead. “It’s only four or five weeks before we go to New Zealand,” says Anderson of the two-Test series in February. “It’s not a huge amount of time.”What the break does do is give Anderson scope to assess how the last couple of weeks have been on a personal level. It speaks volumes that he regards the job done here as the most satisfying of his career.”I feel proud of the work I’ve put in over here: forty overs [46] in the first Test, 22 I think on the last day of the game. That’s as good as I’ve bowled and as important a role as I’ve played in any team, I think, especially in these conditions.”And I think to be honest, we all feel like that as bowlers. The seamers have put in a lot of work to try and get something out of the wickets.”We’ve managed to find some reverse swing which helps. But I think generally we have just thought outside the box with fields as well. Just trying everything we can to get 20 wickets and thankfully we’ve managed to do it in both games.”More specifically, there is pride at the delivery in Multan that did for Mohammed Rizwan: moving in with that reverse, then nipping away and clipping the top of off stump. The video of that dismissal is still doing laps on social media. Many used it as an excuse to trawl through Anderson’s archives to compare it to other pearlers. The man himself is certain it is one of the best deliveries to have left his hand.”I think it probably is up there, just because of where I’ve done it. I’ve bowled similar deliveries in England where you get that seam movement. And it happens more regularly than it does in Pakistan.”So to get that little bit of reverse swing in and it definitely hit a crack, but it looks great on telly. For me it’s right up there with one of the best balls I’ve bowled.””I guess that’s part of the skill out here when you know certainly towards the back end of the game the wicket might break up. The wicket out here looks exactly the same – there are going to be cracks there as the game goes on and it deteriorates. And the skill for the bowlers then is to hit it as often as you possibly can. [It’s] not always that easy just to land it on it. That’s the thing: you’ve got to bowl it with some decent heat on, you can’t just put it there or bowl within yourself. You’ve got to mean every ball. It can take its toll, but it’s really satisfying when you get those rewards.”In many ways, it is remarkable Anderson finishes 2022 with 36 wickets at an average of 19.80, the first time the latter has been under 20 in a calendar year since 2017. The spillover of the Ashes and the end of Chris Silverwood’s tenure as head coach was such that Anderson and Stuart Broad were omitted from the tour of the Caribbean, which was Joe Root’s last engagement as Test captain.But it is clear Anderson is enjoying a new lease of life under his eighth full-time Test captain. He is currently the leading wicket-taker under Stokes, a statistic which has a very clear correlation to the manner in which the captain and new head coach, Brendon McCullum, are approaching things on the field.The batting may grab the headlines, but the bowling has been a model of consistency through relentless pressure, administered through attacking fields with accompanying lines and lengths. England have taken 10 wickets in all 17 innings so far under Stokes and McCullum through this approach, something which aligns with Anderson’s own theories while also opening his eyes to doing this a different way.”I love thinking about the game, thinking about plans, and Ben is that sort of captain. All he thinks about is taking wickets. He’s not bothered about trying to dry the run rate up or control the game. He wants to take wickets. You see that with the fields he sets. That then rubs off on you as a bowler.Ben Stokes and Anderson plot their tactics•AFP/Getty Images

“I can’t remember the amount of times I would have bowled in previous years with a leg slip. I had one quite a lot throughout the summer, had one quite a lot in this series. Funnily enough, that Rizwan wicket, I did have a leg slip in at the time and Rooty thinks maybe that position made him stay slightly leg side of the ball. Those little things can actually make a big difference.”When we were successful in 2010, it was a run-rate thing, control the rate, and it worked for that group of players. We did that again in ’17, ’18, ’19, it didn’t quite work for us. This seems to be working for this group of bowlers, and we’ve got a nice mix of bowlers, especially with Woody [Mark Wood] coming back in. So I’ve found it refreshing thinking differently, even though I’ve played a lot of games.”As long as you’re getting hit in the right areas, they don’t care if you go for the odd four, trying to go a bit fuller, so that gives you confidence to bowl, knowing that you don’t have to fret about how many runs you’re going for, or whether you’ve been hit twice down the ground. If that’s the way you’re trying to get people out, with catchers in front of the wicket as they have been out here, then they’re completely fine with it.”As for where things go from here, the spectre of Australia and a home Ashes looms large. Given the constant calls from within the group to play more engaging, more entertaining cricket and push past the previous achievements, predicting where this side will be by next summer is anyone’s guess. “I’m sure over the coming months the messages will be the same,” Anderson says. “With the talent we have got, we should just keep getting better so that by the time the Ashes does come around, we’ll be in a good place.”Given how accustomed he is with Australia ahead of what will be his 10th series against them, there is maybe no better person to ask. Does he think Australia will be intimidated of this free-wheeling juggernaut fuelled by vibes and a relentless approach to positive results?”It’s an interesting one,” he muses. “I texted Tim Southee the other day to congratulate him on the NZ captaincy and he was like ‘I’m not sure I can keep up with you guys’.”Maybe the Aussies might be more brash than him but there might be something deep down, where they’re not sure how they’re going to approach it against us. Having played against them a lot, I’m sure they’ll try to come back just as hard as they can. It seems a long way away at the minute, but hopefully we can keep enjoying ourselves and keep playing the way we are because it’s a lot of fun to be a part of.”

Only 20.2 overs required for home side to chase down meagre target

ECB Reporters' Network01-Aug-2021Nottinghamshire advanced their Royal London Cup ambitions in ruthless style, cruising past Leicestershire by seven wickets with almost 30 overs to balls to spare in front of an appreciative audience at Welbeck Cricket Club.Skipper Peter Trego hit two sixes off pace bowler Chris Wright in his 31-ball 39, Ben Slater picked up six boundaries in his 38 and the young South African batter Matthew Montgomery made 27 not out, reaching a target of 145 in 20.2 overs.Earlier, Luke Fletcher had taken 4 for 30 and Dane Paterson 3 for 25 as Leicestershire were bowled out in 43.1 overs, 16-year-old legspinning all-rounder Rehan Ahmed top-scoring with 35 not out, the highest score of a fledgling senior career, as he and Ben Mike shared a 70-run stand for the eighth wicket.In overcast conditions after Nottinghamshire had won the toss, Fletcher had Rishi Patel edging to second slip and nipped one back to bowl Harry Swindells in his first three overs, as well as having Lewis Hill dropped at second slip before he had scored.Fletcher removed Marcus Harris, the Australian left-hander nicking behind for 16, and Hill had another escape a couple of balls later as a miscued pull fell just out of the reach of midwicket.Paterson dismissed George Rhodes via a low catch to second slip before Fletcher, who ultimately bowled through for his full 10 overs, picked up his fourth wicket as an Arron Lilley prod outside off lodged in the gloves of the wicketkeeper. When Louis Kimber edged Paterson to first slip, Leicestershire were 53 for 6 in the 18th, which became 68 for 7 as Hill departed for 25, a third victim for ‘keeper Dane Schadendorf a day after his 19th birthday.Ahmed and Mike fought back, adding 70 for the eighth wicket with the teenager looking entirely unfazed in only his third senior game, but once Mike had been caught on the midwicket boundary, Slater parrying the ball into the air before ensuring his feet were the right side of the rope as he took the catch, the innings ended quickly, Ed Barnes playing across one from Trego before Chris Wright was caught behind.Sol Budinger set the tone for the Outlaws chase by smashing three of his first 11 balls for four before edging behind as he went for another expansive drive, with Slater and Trego soon rattling along at a similar pace as the Powerplay overs yielded 62 for 1 compared with the Foxes’ 21 for 2.Trego pulled Wright for six and picked up another maximum from a steepling top edge and though both fell to quick succession, the double breakthrough won merely a stay of execution for Leicestershire before Montgomery and Lyndon James added 48 runs in 39 balls to finish the job.After Trego feathered a catch behind shaping to cut Ahmed’s legspin, Slater perished in similar fashion to Mike, having timed the ball superbly until then. Remarkably, it was the first time in seven completed innings in List A matches for Nottinghamshire that he had failed to pass fifty.

In the absence of a number of key players, including regular captain Imad Wasim, Karachi went down by five wickets

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu15-Mar-2020
How the game played out
Shane Watson and Khurram Manzoor punched fifties in an 118-run partnership off a mere 65 balls – Quetta Gladiators’ highest stand this season – but it wasn’t enough for them to sneak into the semi-finals. Believe it or not, they needed 151 in 3.2 overs to displace Peshawar Zalmi from the fourth spot. In the end, they chased down the target in 16.2 overs to exit the tournament with only crumbs of comfort.Karachi Kings, who had sealed their semi-finals berth on Saturday, had rested a number of key players, including regular captain Imad Wasim. Umad Asif, Chris Jordan, and Mohammad Amir also were handed breaks and the fringe players sprayed the ball around, but Karachi will be buoyed by Cameron Delport’s return to form. The South African was on 18 off 21 balls at one point, but he finished with 62 off 44 balls – his first half-century of PSL 2020.Hello again, Naseem
Returning to the scene of his memorable spell against Sri Lanka in the longest format, after recovering from an ankle sprain, the 17-year old struck with his second ball. He cranked it up to 145.5kph and hit the off stump of Sharjeel Khan for a duck. He also zipped a few back-of-a-length deliveries across stand-in captain Babar Azam, as did Sohail Khan.Sohail was rewarded when Iftikhar Ahmed holed out to midwicket as Karachi dawdled to 36 for 2 in the powerplay.Delport and Walton tee off
Azam may be the No.1 T20I batsman, but even he couldn’t get the Quetta bowlers away. After eating up 15 dots, he sliced Australian legspinner Fawad Ahmed to long-off for a 32-ball 34. However, after a scratchy start, Delport found his groove and showed his range. He was particularly severe on Ahmed, taking 22 off 16 balls from him. But the most stunning shot came off seamer Sohail. Delport picked a slower legcutter from off stump and reverse-swatted it away behind point for four. Chadwick Walton also played a fine hand, scoring 26 off 20 balls.Their late blows were central to Karachi touching 150.The hare and the tortoise
Left-arm seamer Waqas Maqsood had Ahmed Shehzad nicking off second ball of the chase, but Manzoor, playing his first match of the tournament, unleashed a flurry of boundaries in the powerplay. All up, he claimed eight of the 11 boundaries Quetta had struck in the first six overs.Watson then laid into Arshad Iqbal, creaming him for two sixes and a four in the four in the ninth over, and nearly outscored Manzoor during their stand. In the next over, both batsmen got to the fifties. During the process, Watson became the top six-hitter in the history of the PSL. Then, from 118 for 1, Quetta slid to 139 for 5, but Azam Khan and Mohammad Nawaz hauled them home.Where the teams stand
Karachi will face Lahore Qalandars in the second semi-final in Lahore on Tuesday while Quetta will go back wondering what might have been had they got their act together much earlier.

The opener says that a spot in the World Cup squad will be “a dream”, but he insists that his focus is much more short-term

Liam Brickhill21-Jan-2019South Africa are wary of a resurgent Pakistan team that cruised to a five-wicket win in the first of five one-day internationals in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.”We know Pakistan is a good one-day outfit,” opener Reeza Hendricks, who contributed 45 to an opening stand of 82 in the first ODI, said. “They’ve been performing really well over the years in one-day cricket, so we’re quite wary and know that they’re a good team. They proved it by beating us in P.E.”Hendricks’ opening partnership with Hashim Amla allowed South Africa to set a platform, but a sluggish track and a committed bowling effort meant the hosts were never able to substantially up the run rate. Hendricks struck at 67.16 during his knock, and after him neither Amla or Rassie van der Dussen were able to raise their strike rates as high as a run a ball. Although David Miller capped the innings with a 12-ball 16, South Africa’s 266 for 2 was not enough to challenge a Pakistan top order that took more risks but completed the chase with five balls to spare.”In our minds, we thought it would be a good score,” Hendricks said. “There were slower conditions in the day, and it did quicken up at night. In our minds, we thought we went about it the right way. The batters that were in the middle felt it was a good score.”We’ve had a good discussion around the PE game, what went wrong and what we can learn from. It’s been those discussions we’ve had, and a good training session today ahead of tomorrow’s game.”With the World Cup five months away, the tournament is providing increasing context to the one-day cricket being played in the interim and every member of South Africa’s squad will see the series against Pakistan as a chance to stake a claim. Rassie van der Dussen made an immediate impact on debut with his 93, but his performance did not come as a surprise to Hendricks, who has shared a dressing room with van der Dussen with the Lions franchise for several seasons.”I was quite proud to see him make his debut and contributing the way he has,” Hendricks said of van der Dussen. “Obviously disappointed that he couldn’t get to his three-figure mark, but at the end of the day he played really well to contribute as well as he did. I’ve played a couple of seasons now with him. I know his capabilities and seen him improve over the years. He showed what he’s about to deserve a spot in the team.”Hendricks admitted that a spot in the World Cup squad would be “a dream” and would mean “a hell of a lot” to him, but he insisted that his focus is much more short-term.”I’m not looking at it like that,” he said. “Yes, the World Cup is around the corner but we’ve got a series on hand now at the moment and this is an opportunity that we get as well. We take it as it comes. Personally, I’m taking it game by game, trying to contribute as well as I can to each game and every opportunity I get, and the rest will take care of itself. I’m not looking too far ahead, or looking who’s around me, because at the end of the day if I don’t get selected I know the player next to me and the guys that are going will do the job, and I back them 100 percent.”Aside from individual aspirations, the remaining nine ODIs scheduled for South Africa before the World Cup also provide an opportunity to fine-tune ‘Vision 2019’, the team’s blueprint for what they believe will bring success at the tournament.”We’re quite close,” Hendricks said. “I think we’re on the right track. We’ve had a good chat in how to go about it and how we’re playing, and as a unit we’re all buying into it. We’re doing good things. There are still a couple of months to try and get it right for the World Cup.”