It’s been a long time between outings for New Zealand’s Test specialists. It’s been even longer for wicketkeeper BJ Watling – 359 days to be precise.Watling will return to the line-up for the series against England after recovering from a hip injury which ruled him out against West Indies in December. In the meantime, his replacement, Tom Blundell, scored a century on his debut in Wellington and notched another in the recent pink-ball warm-up match against England in Hamilton.After the century at Seddon Park, Blundell said he was resigned to losing his place when Watling was available again. Watling has earned that loyalty from the selectors; over 52 Tests he averages 38.05 with six centuries. His average of 40.52 with the gloves is the highest for a New Zealand wicketkeeper over a significant duration. He has enjoyed some magnificent moments including two match-saving hundreds in Wellington and one in New Zealand’s victory at Headingley in 2015.However, it would not take much to ignite a serious debate over the position, particularly if Blundell has a strong finish to the Plunket Shield season and Watling has a couple of lean Tests against England. After this series, New Zealand’s next Test matches are not until October or November against Pakistan.”I think you feel pressure going into any Test and I’m just looking to do as well as I can over the two matches,” Watling said. “[Tom] is a quality keeper. We’ve got a good young crop coming through which is good to see and it definitely motivates you.”Watling hip problem which caused him pain when changing direction – something a wicketkeeper has to do often – but not when moving in straight lines which meant he was able to play as a batsman for Northern Districts. He returned to keeping in mid-February at the back end of the Ford Trophy and has played two Plunket Shield matches ahead of his Test return with no reaction to the workload. His longest stint with the gloves is 94 overs but he is confident of being able to come through the potentially greater strains of a Test match.”I’m feeling really good. The body has been good for the last couple of months, been playing a fair bit of cricket for ND,” he said. “It’s something I monitor and work on every day at the gym but I haven’t felt anything over the last two months.”It was decided that Watling would play the most recent Plunket Shield match, against Canterbury in Whangarei, rather than join the New Zealand XIs for their matches against England. Watling has spent two days in Mount Maunganui, training under the lights with the pink ball, with the Test squad before arrived in Auckland.Four of New Zealand’s squad faced England in the pink-ball warm-up – Tom Latham, Jeet Raval, Henry Nicholls and Colin de Grandhomme – and though England’s bowlers had the better of the contest, removing the quartet for a combined total of 35 runs, with Raval failing twice, they will still be able to provide useful intel to the Test squad.”We’ve had discussions about what happened there and what we’ll do in different conditions,” Watling said. “So we’ll be discussing that a bit more to make sure we are ready.”New Zealand had a day off in Auckland in Monday before resuming for two days of build-up to the first day-night Test in the country. Watling was part of the New Zealand team who took part in the inaugural floodlit fixture, against Australia in Adelaide, but is a little unsure what to expect this time.”It might be a bit different at Eden Park with the drop-in pitch and no wickets around it,” he said. “It still swings but also flattens out for periods and can be good to bat on.”

كشف مصدر بـ نادي بيراميدز عن سبب استبعاد محمد الشيبي من قائمة فريق الكرة أمام سموحة بالمواجهة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.

ويستعد بيراميدز لمواجهة سموحة مساء اليوم الخميس ضمن منافسات الجولة السادسة والعشرين من عمر الدوري المصري الممتاز.

وعلم “بطولات” أن سبب غياب الشيبي عن قائمة بيراميدز في مباراة سموحة، ليس للإصابة ولكن اللاعب مازال متواجدًا في المغرب.

طالع | مصدر يكشف لـ”بطولات” موعد نظر لجنة الاستئناف لـ عقوبة إيقاف محمد الشيبي

وطالب محمد الشيبي تمديد إجازته بعد التوقف الدولي بسبب أن هناك قرارًا اتخذ ضده سابقًا بإيقافه 6 مباريات.

وكانت لجنة الاستئناف قررت تجميد عقوبة الشيبي لحين اتخاد لجنة الاستئناف قرارها النهائي.

A lower-back stress reaction has ruled the South Africa fast bowler out of the IPL

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2018South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada faces up to three months on the sidelines because of a lower-back stress reaction. He will not be able to play IPL 2018, as a result, for Delhi Daredevils who had bought him for INR 4.2 crores (USD 646,000) at the player auction in January.Rabada had complained of tightness and discomfort during the fourth and final Test in Johannesburg, and bowled only eight overs in Australia’s second innings. A subsequent scan revealed the injury, according to South Africa’s team manager Mohammad Moosajee. Rabada was adjudged Play of the Series for taking 23 wickets in four Tests.”Kagiso has been diagnosed with a lower-back stress reaction which will rule him out of cricket action for up to three months,” Moosajee said. “He will need a month’s break from all physical activity before commencing with a rehabilitation programme to get him ready for the series against Sri Lanka in July.”South Africa’s next international engagement is a tour of Sri Lanka in July to play two Tests, five ODIs and a T20I.

MatériaMais Notícias

O ‘jejum’ de gols de Pedro não durou mais do que um jogo. Após uma sequência de cinco confrontos consecutivos estufando as redes, o atacante do Flamengo passou em branco no clássico com o Vasco, vencido pelos rubro-negros por 2 a 1, no fim de semana. Nessa terça-feira, porém, o atacante compensou marcando os dois tentos do triunfo sobre o Goiás pelo mesmo placar. O último e decisivo, anotado já nos acréscimos.

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Mesmo tendo saído do banco em metade dos 30 jogos que disputou pelo clube até agora, o centroavante já acumula a impressionante marca de 16 gols. Isso com apenas 1400 minutos em campo, o que lhe dá uma média de um tento a cada 87,5 minutos .

Pedro agora entra de vez na briga pela artilharia do ano no Brasil entre os jogadores da Série A. O centroavante, inclusive, empatou com Gabigol, titular da posição no Rubro-Negro, mas que segue se recuperando de lesão. Outro que ele igualou é Germán Cano, do Vasco. Agora, apenas Nenê, do Fluminense, e Thiago Galhardo, do Internacional, aparece à sua frente. Confira o ranking:

ARTILHEIROS DO FUTEBOL BRASILEIRO EM 2020
– Apenas gols por equipes da Série A

1º – Nenê – Fluminense – 19 gols
2º – Thiago Galhardo – Internacional – 18 gols
3º – Pedro – Flamengo – 16 gols
Cano – Vasco – 16 gols
Gabigol – Flamengo – 16 gols
6º – Marinho – Santos – 15 gols
7º – Willian – Palmeiras – 13 gols
8º – Vinícius – Ceará – 12 gols
Bruno Henrique – Flamengo – 12 gols
Diego Souza – Grêmio – 12 gols
Renato Kayzer – Atlético-GO/Athletico-PR – 12 gols

Resilience. Fortitude. Defensive aptitude. Three things that are simply intrinsic to Sean Dyche's philosophy as a manager, and they are three things that he is seeking to implement at Everton.

The Toffees are struggling, and have been doing so for a while now. Last season, they escaped relegation with a narrow victory over Bournemouth on the final day of the Premier League campaign; the year before, a late purple patch ensured that the unthinkable prospect of bowing out did not occur.

At present, the Goodison Park side look set for a battle against the bottom once again, though there are signs that this squad could be successful, despite losing four of their opening five matches of the campaign, blanking across each of those defeats.

Having finished the 2022/23 season as the division's second-lowest scorers, the onus was understandably on bolstering the frontline this summer, but this was done at the expense of enhancing the defence, despite Yerry Mina and Conor Coady's departures.

The exciting Jarrad Branthwaite is back in the fold after a successful loan spell with PSV Eindhoven, praised for his "complete" skill set by the former Boeren manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy, but more importantly, James Tarkowski still plies his trade in front of Jordan Pickford's goal.

How much did Everton pay for James Tarkowski?

In 2022, a Dyche-led Burnley crashed out of the Premier League and lost their star centre-back Tarkowski, who had chosen not to enter discussions for a contract renewal and departed on a free transfer, choosing Everton as his destination.

Signed by Frank Lampard, Tarkowski penned a lucrative £100k-per-week contract with the Merseyside outfit, who didn't have to pay a transfer fee, and joined to add some power and leadership to a backline that had just spent the 2021/22 year toiling with little reward, albeit avoiding the drop.

Burnley (and indeed Dyche) had been renowned for their cohesion and solidity in the top flight, for years belying their meagre financial pool and proving that teams of lesser lucrative standing can thrive in the modern Premier League.

Tarkowski was integral in this manner, and proved to be one of the most underrated players in the league after several years of hard work.

How much was James Tarkowski worth at Burnley?

Tarkowski was a staple of the Clarets' success, playing 219 matches, scoring seven goals and supplying five assists, with former teammate and centre-half partner Ben Mee claiming that he "epitomises" the work the club did.

At the end of the 2016 winter transfer window, Burnley signed the defender from Brentford for an undisclosed fee, when he was valued at just £3m, according to Football Transfers.

He swiftly asserted himself as one of the Premier League's standout pure centre-backs, working well under Dyche's wing, who prioritises direct, defensive football.

His performances caught the eye of a few divisional rivals, with fast-rising West Ham United bidding in excess of £20m for his services in 2020, only to see their offer rebuffed.

David Moyes would follow that up with a staggering £30m bid, but again, Tarkowski's importance to the Burnley project was clear and he was kept in Lancashire; Leicester City are believed to have made a similar approach.

Burnley demanded a – perhaps exorbitant – fee of £50m for the two-cap England international, and whether they made the correct decision having sunk into the second tier two years later is up for dispute, but it is certainly a testament to Tarkowski's ability.

How much is James Tarkowski worth now?

Having joined the Goodison Park fold around 14 months ago, the 30-year-old has now forged 46 displays, quickly earning the adulation of the devout Everton support with his tenacious performances.

Indeed, though Everton struggled, the defensive axis of Coady and Tarkowski proved to be "hugely important", in the words of Lampard, having let in just seven goals from as many matches – the lowest tally of any team in the Premier League at the time.

Such showings shot his market value up to £29m – according to Football Transfers – having fallen to just £7m in the final days of his career with Burnley.

While he is now valued at just £17m, this is largely due to Everton's dreadful performances for a sustained period, facing yet another relegation battle.

Candidly, it's alarming to think where the outfit would be without the 6 foot colossus' presence at the back.

How good is James Tarkowski?

Despite a 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa, Everton's defence has actually held up pretty well this season, with the other three losses all coming by a goal to nil.

Tarkowski has recorded an impressive average match rating of 6.98 – as per Sofascore – having completed 79% of his passes, made 6.2 ball recoveries, 2.6 clearances and 2.4 interceptions per game in the league thus far, also winning a whopping 69% of his aerial duels.

Once praised as "outstanding" by Dyche, the former Oldham Athletic youngster is one of the most consistent members of the struggling Everton squad, and he will continue to serve as an iron wall this term, hoping that his offence-minded peers click into gear.

A robust and reliable player, Tarkowski ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for blocks, the top 12% for aerial wins and the top 18% for clearances, as per FBref, highlighting his prowess and importance to the Blues backline.

The Everton ship was once ensconced in security and stability, but now faces rough waters for a third successive year.

Amid all the turmoil and tumult, perhaps Tarkowski's leadership, defensive skill and application – exactly what Dyche strives for – could prove to play another big role this year.

As the experienced gaffer said, "anyone can take the ship in calm waters" but "you have to be resilient in tough times."

Tarkowski embodies that, and if the Toffees are to get unstuck, the defensive ace will be at the centre.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke was backed by the board throughout the summer transfer window following the club's relegation to the Championship.

Who did Leeds sign in the summer?

The Whites were able to snap up nine new recruits to bolster their playing squad with the view to competing for an automatic return to the Premier League this season.

Farke has attempted to improve his side with six permanent signings and three loan deals to counter the likes of Tyler Adams, Marc Roca, Rodrigo, Max Wober, and Luis Sinisterra, among others, all moving on over the summer.

However, the German's team has also been added to by the players who were out on loan during the 2022/23 campaign returning to Elland Road; including Joe Gelhardt and Charlie Cresswell.

How much was Charlie Cresswell worth in 2022?

The England U21 international spent last season on loan with Millwall in the Championship where Football Transfers placed his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at just €2.1m (£1.8m) by the end of December 2022, the halfway point of his time at the Den.

Cresswell, whose heading ability was lauded as "powerful" by journalist Josh Bunting, ultimately ended up having a sublime year with the Lions as he produced consistently impressive performances at the heart of the defence and proved himself to be an excellent option at that level.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.13 across 28 Championship outings and caught the eye with 2.8 tackles and interceptions per match to go along with a duel success rate of 60%, which shows that the towering stopper won the majority of his battles and dominated opposition forwards.

The 21-year-old also provided an attacking threat with four goals and two assists for Gary Rowett's side, which shows that he can offer a threat from set-pieces as well as being a strong defender within his own box.

How much is Charlie Cresswell worth now?

At the time of writing, Cresswell has an xTV of €8.3m (£7.1m), as per FootballTransfers, which represents a staggering 295% increase on his valuation at the end of 2022.

This shows that the English defender's value has soared throughout 2023 so far and that Leeds have an excellent asset on their hands as his superb performances on the pitch have made him a valuable player for the club to have within the squad.

At the age of 21, the 6 foot 3 brute still has plenty of time on his side to continue his development and should he progress well, he could be Farke's next version of England international Ben Godfrey.

During their time together at Norwich, the German head coach was able to turn the central defender from an academy prospect into a Championship title-winner and a mega-money sale within the space of two years.

How much was Godfrey worth at Norwich?

At the start of the 2018/19 campaign, the central defender had an xTV of only €0.7m (£0.6m) after spending the previous year on loan at Shrewsbury Town in League One.

Farke, however, wasn't deterred by his youth and inexperience. Indeed, he placed his trust in the young defender ahead of experienced options like Grant Hanley and Timm Klose as the talented youngster ended up making 31 Championship appearances that season as Norwich won the league title and earned promotion to the Premier League.

Godfrey averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 over those games, which included 26 starts, and made 1.8 tackles and interceptions per game to go along with a duel success rate of 57%.

The former York prospect also showcased his ability to provide an attacking threat from centre-back with four goals and two assists for the Canaries.

The German head coach continued to trust Godfrey during their 2019/20 top-flight campaign as the English titan started 30 Premier League games, which earned him a big-money move to Everton.

Norwich reportedly raked in a significant transfer fee of £25m from the Toffees for the central defender. This is a significant improvement on the £600k he was valued at just two years prior to the move taking place and shows how much of an impact having a coach who believes in offering academy players a chance can have.

How good is Charlie Cresswell?

The current Leeds centre-back is a player who certainly has the potential to follow in Godfrey's footsteps, based on his impressive form for Millwall.

As shown in the aforementioned statistics, the Lions loanee averaged a higher Sofascore rating, made more defensive interventions per match, and won a higher percentage of his physical contests than the ex-Norwich defender did at that level for Farke.

The 21-year-old has already shown glimpses of being able to replicate that form for Leeds this season, none more so than during his excellent display against Birmingham.

Despite the team losing the match 1-0, Cresswell caught the eye with a strong performance at the heart of the defence. As per Sofascore, he made four clearances, two blocks, two interceptions, and one tackle.

He also won eight of his 11 duels, including six of his seven aerial contests, and was rewarded with a fantastic Sofascore rating of 7.2, the highest on the pitch for the Whites.

What does the future hold for Cresswell?

The more experienced Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk started ahead of him during the recent 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

However, Godfrey was in a similar position with Hanley, Klose, and Christoph Zimmermann ahead of him at the start of the 2018/19 season for Norwich before eventually breaking into the starting XI and making himself a regular starter as part of their promotion-winning side.

Cresswell, shown in the video above, must now be patient and wait for his opportunity to nail down a place in Farke's XI. The German boss has already proven himself to be willing to back young players, as evidenced by Godfrey as well as Archie Gray's emergence as a starter so far this season.

The former Millwall star's superb statistics last term and his soaring market value suggest that he is a talented prospect who is on his way up in the game, meaning that he could be a sublime future asset who may make the club millions in the same way that the now-Everton defender did under Farke's management.

David Warner was involved in a heated exchange with a spectator as he walked off the ground after his dismissal by Kagiso Rabada on day two of the third Test in Cape Town

Daniel Brettig at Newlands23-Mar-2018

Australia’s vice-captain David Warner was involved in a heated exchange with a spectator as he walked off the ground after his dismissal by Kagiso Rabada on day two of the third Test in Cape Town.In the latest unsavoury episode of an eventful tour, Warner responded to his individual baiting from the spectator in scenes reminiscent of Merv Hughes’ infamous confrontation with a fan at the Wanderers in Johannesburg in 1994, for which he was given a suspended fine by the then Australian Cricket Board after bashing his bat against the barrier the spectator was behind.Warner’s exchange was less violent but more prolonged, immediately after he had lost a gladiatorial bout with Rabada. Bowled by Rabada after a frenetic innings of 30 from 14 balls in which he struck the Proteas spearhead for 4-4-4-6-4 in the five balls before his dismissal, Warner found the middle-aged male spectator waiting for him as he commenced his walk from the boundary to the Australian dressing room, greeting him with sarcastic applause and plenty of words.As the verbal barbs continued, Warner stopped to respond to the spectator, who was seated in the Members enclosure of the Western Province Cricket Club, before a security guard moved to intervene. Nevertheless the pair kept on exchanging words as they made their way up the stairs on either side of the fence separating the players from spectators – the incoming batsman Usman Khawaja walked past the two adversaries on his way to the middle.Australia’s security manager, Frank Dimasi, subsequently made his way down to the area and spoke with both the security guard and the spectator. Warner’s “baiter”, who was the guest of a member of WPCC, was later ejected from the ground. Several fans were also kicked out of Newlands for singing songs about Sonny Bill Williams. Numerous members of the Australian side, in addition to Warner, had been subjected to abuse from spectators concerning their wives and partners while in the field at Newlands during South Africa’s first innings.Australian touring teams have long acknowledged that they receive some of their harshest treatment from spectators in South Africa, although up to this point Warner’s tour had involved more exchanges with opponents than fans.In Durban he was captured on CCTV cameras exchanging words with Quinton de Kock, then responding angrily to the response from the South Africa wicketkeeper and needing to be physically restrained by team-mates as he climbed the stairwell at Kingsmead. That incident saw Warner fined and handed three demerit points under the ICC code of conduct, meaning he is one further disciplinary infraction away from a ban. De Kock was also fined over the episode, albeit on a lesser charge.Warner has alleged that his aggression was sparked by de Kock making personal remarks about his wife Candice. Between first two Test matches, offensive masks were distributed by fans in reference to her brief bathroom encounter with the rugby league player Sonny Bill Williams years before she and Warner became a couple. Two Cricket South Africa officials, Clive Eksteen and Altaaf Kazi, have been suspended by the home board after allowing fans wearing the masks to be admitted to St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth and then posing with them for a photograph.

Aston Villa have now finalised contract talks with one of their key players, who has signed a new deal with a big pay increase, a report has revealed.

Which Aston Villa players are signing new contracts?

Back in the summer, it was reported that Ollie Watkins was set to be offered fresh terms at Villa Park, having impressed manager Unai Emery, however the striker is yet to commit to a new deal, with his current contract set to expire in the summer of 2025.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has suggested Watkins could emerge as an option for Chelsea in the January transfer window, should Villa fail to tie him down to a new deal, and he is not the only player linked with a move to another Premier League club.

Arsenal have long been interested in a move for Douglas Luiz, having failed to sign him in the past, but the Villans are in a strong negotiating position, as the Brazilian is currently contracted until the summer of 2026, meaning they can hold out for a huge offer.

Luiz signed a new long-term deal last October, and Aston Villa have now moved onto Ezri Konsa, with The Daily Mail reporting this week they had entered contract talks with the defender.

As a reward for his fine form since Emery took over as manager, the centre-back is apparently getting a big pay increase, with the new terms moving him closer to Villa's top pay bracket, and it seems the deal has now been completed.

The club announced the breakthrough in talks on Wednesday evening – not long after the initial report – as they have already completed the deal with the promising defender, locking him up to a "long term" new deal.

Reporter Tom Collomosse, who also asked the question of an England call-up for Konsa, shared further details on the deal on X, confirming the previous reports of a big pay hike: "Konsa signs new Villa deal. Five years, significant pay rise."

Will Ezri Konsa be called up by England?

England manager Gareth Southgate has received criticism from the media for a perceived "big club bias", having stuck by Harry Maguire during the most recent international break, despite the 30-year-old making just one appearance so far this season.

Fikayo Tomori has also found it difficult to get a look in with England, having made just three appearances for the Three Lions, even though he has been a regular in the Milan starting XI, recently playing the entire 90 minutes against Newcastle United in the Champions League.

As such, it is no real surprise than Konsa has been overlooked by Southgate, but he has proven he is worthy of a call-up, featuring in every Premier League game en-route to Villa qualifying for the Europa Conference League last season.

Having been lauded as "amazing" by members of the media, it is fantastic news that the defender has now signed a new contract, regardless of whether he comes into Southgate's thinking any time soon.

3:17

Agarkar: Looks like RCB might be staring down another long season

Kishan injury not serious – Rohit

Ishan Kishan, the Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper, left the field in the 13th over of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s innings after a throw from Hardik Pandya bounced awkwardly and hit him near his right eye. Aditya Tare took over as substitute keeper after Kishan went off the field, having shown signs of being in acute pain.
After the match, Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma said Kishan hadn’t suffered any major injury. He said it was only swelling around the area of impact, and that he would be fine in a few days.

Mumbai Indians’ first win of the season came in an imposing performance that saw them post 213 after being 0 for 2, through powerful performances from Evin Lewis and Rohit Sharma, before their spinners went against the trend of the game to tie Royal Challengers up in a steep chase.Virat Kohli made an unbeaten 92, but it was a subdued effort for most part. It was another case of Royal Challengers’ middle order crumbling under pressure after their bowlers had struggled to keep the runs down, even with the sixth bowling option of Corey Anderson who had been brought in to replace Brendon McCullum.Implosion and explosionApart from his return against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday, Umesh Yadav has brought his captain wickets every time he’s been given the ball. On Tuesday, he was rewarded with the brand new ball on a cloudy evening. Kohli said at the toss that the dampness and overhead conditions had prompted him to elect to bowl, an assessment that seemed perfect after the first two balls, both of which beat the inside edge, one of a right-hander and the other of a left-hander, one off the pitch another with bend through the air.But after what could have been a dramatic hat-trick to start the innings was averted, Royal Challengers could not keep the pressure on. It was a pitch that thoroughly suited Lewis’ propensity to hit on the up.Washington Sundar strayed short and wide too often in his 19-run first over, Mohammed Siraj tried too many things in his first over, which cost 16, and in both those overs Quinton de Kock allowed wides to run past him for a bonus eight runs. Despite that first over and the sixth that went for only four, Mumbai made 60 off the Powerplay.A strange methodMumbai’s method was effective, but peculiar. They played 20 dot balls in the Powerplay, and would play 24 between overs 7 and 15. After Lewis got to his maiden IPL fifty with a six in the ninth over, he played and missed at two balls. At that point, he had made 51 with 42 coming off nine scoring-shots and 17 dot balls. Lewis wasn’t keen on risky singles after some mix-ups with Rohit, and the pair missed out on quite a few runs when the fielders were at the edge of the circle.Still, the scoring rate didn’t subside, compensated in plenty by sixes off every over of spin during that phase. By the time Lewis got out to a top-edge off Anderson, the third-wicket pair had added 108 in 11 overs.Grand finishYuzvendra Chahal hadn’t completed his quota twice in three games this season. On Tuesday night, that would turn into three in four. With Sundar going for 32 off his two, Kohli decided to go with four overs from Anderson.Rohit particularly enjoyed this as he produced yet another innings where a seemingly slow start was amplified into match-winning tempo – a strike rate of 120 in the Powerplay, 162 in the middle, and 239 in the slog overs. He took Anderson for 39 off 19 balls, his most productive return against any bowler, making use of the angle across him to strike predominantly through cover and extra-cover for the fours, and picked up big sixes over the leg side off hip-height short balls from Umesh and Siraj.For all the talk of an improved bowling line-up, Royal Challengers now have the worst economy rate in the last four overs this season, 12.49. It was that kind of profligacy that allowed Rohit, starting the final over on 80, to move within reach of a century with two balls to go. Mumbai finished with 213, with some luck at the end when Hardik Pandya’s caught-behind dismissal was controversially overturned in the 19th over, after which he smacked 17 off his next four balls.A meek surrenderRoyal Challengers were never in it in the chase. Not when de Kock and de Villiers fell in the space of three balls, not through the middle overs when a brittle middle order was exposed yet again, and not during the majority of Kohli’s innings – one that took him past Suresh Raina for most IPL runs – when he showed more anger at his partners than intent to go after the bowling.After a quick start in de Kock’s company, Kohli settled for drives down the ground, nudges for ones and twos – sometimes even off full-tosses – and shots dropped pitchside. Kohli scored 32 off singles in an innings of 62 balls, with a scoring rate of six an over in the middle overs.Among all individual scores between 80 and 95 in the IPL, only one has included more singles: Kohli himself, when he made 34 out of 80 that way against Rising Pune Supergiant in April 2016.Mumbai’s spinners found plenty of grip and looked altogether more menacing than Royal Challengers’ duo. Krunal Pandya’s slow pace in particular was difficult to go hard against, and in combination with Mayank Markande he shut down the batting operation in the middle overs. They went for a combined 53 off their eight overs and picked up four wickets between them.By the time Kohli decided to go after the bowling, Royal Challengers were looking at upwards of 20 runs per over with less than half their batsmen left, and although some clean, gorgeous hits came off Kohli’s blade in that phase, the match was long gone.Perhaps the most disheartening thing for Royal Challengers was the reality that the two batsmen who were brought in to fortify the middle order – Sarfaraz Khan and Anderson – made only five runs between them off seven balls. It was yet another challenge to the claim of this being their most balanced team.

Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes struck spirited fifties to lead England’s fight in Auckland, but New Zealand eventually prevailed for an innings victory

The Report by Nikhil Kalro26-Mar-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsGetty Images

March 26, 2013, Auckland. England lost their seventh wicket, Ian Bell to the last ball of the penultimate session. Caught Tim Southee, bowled Neil Wagner. England hung on for a draw.March 26, 2018, Auckland. England lost their seventh wicket, Ben Stokes, to the last ball of the penultimate session. Caught Southee, bowled Wagner. But New Zealand triumphed this time, overcoming two days of play lost to rain and another dogged England rearguard to complete an innings win under lights at Eden Park.Stokes and Chris Woakes survived close to the entirety of the second session to provide England with an opportunity to salvage an incredible draw, a distant dream when they were dismantled for 58, their sixth-lowest Test score, on the first day. On the stroke of another break though, for the third successive session, England lost a vital wicket as Stokes top-edged an attempted cut to backward point off Wagner.New Zealand chipped away at England’s middle order in the afternoon, but lacked the penetration in the second session. Stokes and Woakes cut England’s deficit from 152 to 69 and, more importantly, faced a combined 185 balls. The Barmy Army found their voice, but then the match turned again before dinner.Early in his innings, Woakes was surprisingly satisfied with chasing wide deliveries in the search for quick runs. If New Zealand created a chance or the ball beat the bat, Woakes subsequently tightened his technique, playing close to his body.With the lower order, Woakes was stolid, taking the majority of the strike and latching onto scoring opportunities to reduce the deficit. There wasn’t much he could do to avoid his dismissal, though, fending a brute of a bouncer from Wagner to short leg.Stokes was more selective, strategically picking lengths to score against. Apart from cross-batted strokes against Wagner’s short-ball strategy, he played largely with the full face, driving straight and through cover – 32 of his 66 runs, close to 50%, came in these regions. After reaching his fifty however, off his 128th delivery, Stokes appeared fatigued, losing his energy about as quickly as Auckland was losing natural light, resulting in an uncharacteristically loose shot.It was a much better batting performance from England, aided by improved underfoot conditions. Fuller-length deliveries were easily negotiated with the old pink ball not swinging, and the shorter ones were more comfortable to handle too, a slow fifth-day pitch allowing batsmen the time to adjust.Jonny Bairstow contributed a 72-ball 26, but was reprieved twice: a thick inside edge down leg not collected by BJ Watling, diving to his left, and then a drop by Trent Boult, at mid-on, off a long-hop from legspinner Todd Astle who was in his first spell of the Test. In a bizarre period of play, Bairstow pulled another long-hop, 11 balls later, to midwicket, where Kane Williamson leapt to his right to take his second terrific catch of the match. Astle eventually finished with 3 for 39, the best returns of the second innings.