Bolstered by the return of four England players, Thunder proved too strong for The Blaze as the Trent Bridge side slipped to a fourth defeat in five matches in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy – but only just, scraping home to a nervous one-wicket victory in a gripping finish.England A batter Seren Smale made 58 and England opener Emma Lamb 44 and at 89 without loss in 15 overs, Thunder looked to be cruising to a second win of their campaign. Yet they collapsed to 161 for 9 after skipper and left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon and off-spinner Lucy Higham took three wickets apiece and England leg-spinner Sarah Glenn 2 for 33 in a gutsy fightback.It was left to last-wicket pair Phoebe Graham and Hannah Jones to hold their nerve and see their side over the line, Jones hitting the winning boundary in the 45th over.England’s 18-year-old left-arm seamer Mahika Gaur had taken 3 for 33 and left-arm spinner Jones 3 for 37 as The Blaze were bowled out for 174 in 46.4 overs.Gordon made 43 – her highest score since an unbeaten 60 for Scotland Women nine years ago – as the East Midlands regional side recovered from 108 for 7, but her efforts in the end were in vain.After Thunder had won the toss, England opener Tammy Beaumont (25), back in Blaze colours for the first time this season, helped the home side to enjoy a productive powerplay, reaching 49 for 2 from 10 overs, yet the Blaze innings lacked the early partnerships that might have given it real impetus.Teresa Graves picked up a couple of early fours but nothing more before she was bowled middle stump by a superb ball from Gaur, who then produced a near-identical delivery, full and swinging back in, to dismiss South African international Nadine de Klerk for 3.Beaumont, dropped on 24 off Graham, added only a single before becoming the third victim of Gaur’s impressive opening spell, reaching for her shot and chipping to the left-armer’s mid-on, where Kate Cross made no mistake.Blaze had been scoring at five an over but Ellie Threlkeld’s introduction of left-arm spin at both ends applied the brake and brought two wickets in quick succession as Marie Kelly, looking nicely set on 23, miscued Jones to midwicket and Glenn gave her fellow England spinner Sophie Ecclestone a straightforward caught-and-bowled.Beth Gammon and Gordon rebuilt to a degree but Gammon was bowled making room against Jones and when off-spinner Fi Morris took over at the Radcliffe Road end, her first ball accounted for Ella Claridge, who hit straight to cover.Gordon and Sophie Munro put on 35 only for a breakdown in communication to see the latter was run out. Gordon and Higham added value with a further 29 in 28 deliveries before the latter was bowled by Jones.The Blaze have been more effective with ball than bat so far but their hopes of denying Thunder looked to be disappearing in the first five overs of the reply, when new-ball pair De Klerk and Grace Ballinger struggled with their lines and conceded nine boundaries as Lamb and Smale helped themselves to runs.Even after a double bowling change, Thunder pushed on to 69 without loss after 10 overs, well ahead in the game. But from 89 for none in the 16th over, they suffered a collapse that saw six wickets fall for 39 as the Blaze spinners fought back.Glenn’s introduction brought a double breakthrough as Lamb’s slog-sweep lobbed to mid-on and Katie Mack was bowled for just a single, before Higham’s off-spin claimed two more wickets. Higham had Morris caught at mid-on and Threlkeld at mid-off.Smale completed her half-century from 57 balls but Thunder had lost four wickets for 21 runs.Naomi Dattani was trapped leg before on the back foot as Higham struck for a third time, after which Blaze suddenly sensed an unlikely win as Gordon returned at the Stuart Broad End to bowl Smale with Thunder’s target still 47 runs away.Ecclestone and Cross eased Thunder’s nerves a little by bringing the required runs below 30 but then Gordon took two wickets in two balls, bowling Ecclestone and then pinning Gaur in front to leave the visitors in peril at 146 for 8.As all three Blaze spinners completed their 10 overs the balance seemed to tip towards the experience of Cross to get the job done. Munro raised the pressure again as she uprooted the England bowler’s middle stump with one that kept low, but with overs on their side, Graham and Jones kept calm to see their side home.

Retirement of legendary pairing in consecutive home Tests will leave huge gulf in bowling ranks

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-2024

Stuart Broad has warned that England’s onus on blooding a new generation of fast bowlers in the wake of James Anderson’s retirement could leave Ben Stokes with a “quite scary” lack of experience for the forthcoming Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka.Anderson is set to play against West Indies at Lord’s on July 10 before calling time on his legendary 188-match, 21-year Test career, and with Broad himself having stood down from England duty against Australia at The Oval last summer, it means that the Test team will have lost more than 1,300 wickets and 354 matches-worth of experience in consecutive home games.And while Broad, speaking on Sky Sports’ Cricket Podcast, acknowledged there was a pressing need for a new generation of bowlers to bed into their roles in good time for the next Ashes tour in 2025-26, the team risks being “exposed” in the short term, not least by a West Indies team that recently beat Australia at the Gabba and who, in the words of their attack leader Kemar Roach, are itching to “ruin” Anderson’s farewell.Related

Key, McCullum, Stokes told Anderson: It's time to move on

Stuart Broad retires

Anderson to retire after Lord's Test against West Indies

The magician who became a puritan, James Anderson faces final curtain

Kemar Roach calls on West Indies to 'ruin' James Anderson's retirement Test

“You could easily go into a Test match this summer with a very, very inexperienced bowling group couldn’t you?” Broad told Sky Sports. “There’s going to certainly be a huge hole left by Jimmy Anderson that someone is going to have to step into. And not just by swinging the new ball. But by communicating, by keeping calm if the boundaries are leaking, by tactically being aware of what field works at certain grounds, and on certain pitches and certain times of Test matches.”Ultimately, you don’t learn that unless you’re thrown in. But it’s not just about throwing caps away and saying ‘have a go’, you need to pick a bowling unit that can win on that particular pitch.”The logic of Anderson’s enforced retirement could equally be applied to Chris Woakes, another outstanding performer in English conditions, and the current holder of the Compton-Miller Medal after his series-turning performances in last summer’s Ashes. However, at the age of 35, he is another player with no realistic chance of featuring in Australia, especially given his recognised shortcomings in overseas conditions – in which his average (51.88 in 20 Tests) is exactly 30 points higher than on home soil (21.88 in 28).Ben Stokes faces a ‘scary’ lack of experience in his bowling ranks•BCCI

“Woakes’ last Test match, he finished Man of the Series,” Broad said. “But was very aware that he wouldn’t be going [on the Test tour to] India, even while playing that series. There’s not many better bowlers than him in English conditions, but if the mindset is, ‘we’re focusing on who can bowl with the Kookaburra in two winters’ time’, does Woakesy fall into that category as well?””If you don’t play Woakes and Mark Wood is having a rest… you could have three seamers and a spinner potentially out there with 20 caps between them. And that’s quite scary, as a Test captain, I’d have thought.”That could leave you a bit exposed. But there’s only one way to find out with bowlers, and that’s to give them a go, encourage them to communicate out there, encourage them to solve their problems live in a Test match. I think exposure for some bowlers now is really important because there’s talent out there.”The candidates for selection this summer include the Durham seamer, Matthew Potts, who impressed in the 2022 summer before slipping down the pecking order, as well as the Surrey pairing of Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton, whose recent injury is preventing him from staking a claim for the T20 World Cup squad. Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue have also had intermittent opportunities in recent seasons, while Essex’s Sam Cook continues to make a strong case with his prolific form in the County Championship.None of them, however, can come close to filling the experience void left by Anderson’s retirement.”With the style of play that they’ve been operating with, and the quality of player that England have got, there’s no doubt that England’s goal will be to win all six Test matches this summer,” Broad added. “And if you set that goal, then you need to pick a bowling attack that you think can take 20 wickets as well.”First things first, however, England’s focus will be to win that Lord’s Test, and give Anderson the send-off that his service deserves.”Jimmy won’t see it like that. He’ll just want to take wickets and win the game at Lord’s,” Broad said. “But us cricket fans and friends of his will be able to see it as a bit of a celebration and have a great time. It’s very difficult when you do hang up the boots, it’s a very difficult decision to make, but he can’t achieve anymore. There’s nothing in the game that he’s not done.”He’s been the ultimate bowler and the best we’ve ever produced. So he won’t leave the game with any anguish of probably wanting to play anymore. I think deep down, he knows that he agrees with the decision.”

Monaco are planning to delay Paul Pogba's debut until October as the ex-Manchester United star continues to work on his fitness. The 32-year-old, who signed with the Ligue 1 side on a free transfer earlier this summer, has not featured in a professional match since September 2023.

Monaco have handed Pogba a two-year dealFrench midfielder is not being rushed into actionClub have chalked out a three-month rehab planFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After his doping suspension officially ended in March, Pogba attracted attention from several clubs across the globe, but Monaco’s project stood out as a serious and strategic opportunity for the World Cup winner. Since then, the ex-Juventus midfielder has been undergoing a carefully structured fitness programme and has shown promising signs of progress during Monaco’s pre-season camp in England.

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Yet, Monaco do not want to fast-track Pogba’s return. Their midfield options are among the strongest in Ligue 1, arguably only second to Paris Saint-Germain, which gives them the luxury to ease the Frenchman back into action at the right pace.

WHAT MONACO CEO SAID

Pogba had expressed hopes of facing Le Havre, the club where he began his youth career, in Monaco’s opening Ligue 1 match for the 2025-26 season. However, those ambitions have been dashed as the club emphasises the need to prioritise long-term fitness over short-term emotional narratives.

Monaco chief executive, Thiago Scuro, shared an update with the : "I can guarantee he won't be on the pitch against Le Havre. We are here to be realistic. We expect a three-month process." That projection places Pogba’s potential debut for Monaco in early October, aligning with the club’s cautious yet optimistic timeline for bringing him up to full speed.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Pogba has reportedly already made an impression on his new team-mates. Known for his charisma and confidence, he has seamlessly connected with both senior figures and younger prospects in the squad. Monaco's staff and players have observed how the France international has naturally assumed a mentoring role, especially helpful as the club looks to blend youthful exuberance with experienced heads for a balanced team dynamic.

MatériaMais Notícias

Sinergia. Essa é a palavra de ordem do presidente do São Paulo, Julio Casares, para tentar manter equilibradas as contas do clube, que sofre com cerca de R$ 700 milhões em dívidas e a cobrança da torcida pela perda do protagonismo para rivais nos últimos anos.

Em live realizada com torcedores na tarde desta quinta-feira (5), o mandatário tricolor destacou o que considerou ‘uma postura cautelosa’ do clube do Morumbi no mercado de transferências. Isso mesmo com cinco reforços contratados (Rafael, Alan Franco, Welington Rato, Marcos Paulo e Pedrinho).

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+ Saiba por onde andam hoje os artilheiros das últimas dez Copinhas
+ Confira as principais negociações do futebol nacional no Mercado da Bola do L!

– Resolvemos o emergencial e ainda temos pendências financeiras. Precisamos ter sinergia entre equilíbrio financeiro e time competitivo, e estamos fazendo isso. Tivemos seis possibilidades de final e chegamos em três. Temos que trabalhar os alicerces principais. A gente não pode chegar aqui e fazer loucura.

Para o dirigente, o trabalho a conta-gotas é fundamental para o clube recuperar o seu espaço de novo de disputa de títulos. E destaca o fato do São Paulo ter fechado com lucro pela primeira vez em três anos.

– Devagar nós vamos atuar novamente no cenário nacional. O São Paulo estava desacostumado, hoje temos transparência e nessa linha vamos fortalecer o time sem arrebentar as finanças. É algo duro, mas necessário. Se tivesse jogado tudo para o futuro, deixaria o clube como recebi. O importante é que estamos em um processo de reconstrução. Depois de três anos que o São Paulo teve déficit, estamos caminhando para um superávit, vocês vão ver. Estamos equilibrando as finanças, sanando as dívidas.

– Chegamos no São Paulo com uma dívida muito grande com empresários, assumimos a folha de pagamento, uma parte dos tempos de pandemia não foi paga. A pressão no fluxo de caixa muito grande. E 2022 foi um ano desafiador, porque tínhamos que pagar as contas de curto prazo, alongar a dívida e montar um time com jogadores vindos por empréstimo ou com compra parcelada. Como conseguimos retomar a credibilidade, o São Paulo teve condições de negociar jogadores, o agente sabe que o São Paulo vive um momento delicado e aceita parcelar, aceita empréstimos. Estamos em um processo de reconstrução – completou Casares, que vê evolução no clube.

– Estamos entrando em 2023 com a mesma premissa de responsabilidade. Estamos reforçando o time com muita criatividade. Estamos pagando algo agora e parcelando em 2024, 2025, ou emprestando e tendo a opção de compra no futuro. Me lembro quando cheguei em 2021, sentei na cadeira e fiquei desesperado, porque chegavam oficiais de justiça querendo bloquear bens. Hoje melhorou muito. Estamos num processo de reconstrução.

> Confira jogos, classificação e simule os resultados do Paulistão-23

Chelsea have confirmed Levi Colwill has undergone surgery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Colwill suffers ACL injuryChelsea man has surgerySet for lengthy spell outFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Colwill sustained the injury in training earlier this week, and now the club have announced that the 22-year-old has had an operation to treat the issue. The centre-back is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

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A club statement reads: "Defender Levi Colwill has today undergone successful surgery to an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The 22-year-old had reported back to Cobham for pre-season at the start of this week, before unfortunately sustaining the injury in training. Medical assessments confirmed surgery would be the required course of action. Levi will now begin his recovery and be supported by the club's medical department at Cobham during his rehabilitation phase."

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The England international is, arguably, Chelsea's best defender and without him, head coach Enzo Maresca has a defensive dilemma ahead of the new season. This may lead the Blues to try and sign a new centre-back, especially as that was their weakest part of the team last season.

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Maresca hinted at the severity of Colwill's injury this week.

He told reporters: "We had a problem the last two days with Levi Colwil. We don’t know how long he’s going to be out. It was the first session on Monday and just in the last minutes of the session he felt something and we need to wait. We know each other from last year and we know how important he has been. I spoke with Levi yesterday and I told him if we achieve what we achieved last year, it’s also because of him."

He now faces a long spell on the sidelines and is expected to miss a significant chunk of the 2024-25 season.

Three-member panel also laid partial blame on Ihsanullah himself for “non-compliance with the prescribed rehabilitation plan”

Danyal Rasool02-May-2024The PCB’s chief medical officer Dr Sohail Saleem has quit after a damning independent report criticised “delays in the diagnosis of [fast bowler] Ihsanullah’s injury and inappropriate prescription of treatment”.Ihsanullah, who was injured last April and remains out with what was initially an elbow injury, did not have his right elbow pain treated, addressed and operated on appropriately, and never received the formal rehabilitation process required by his condition. These were the conclusions reached by the committee in a judgment that lays bare the extent of medical failure at the PCB over an extended period of time, particularly with respect to its treatment of injured fast bowlers.The report, comprised by an independent three-member panel, also laid partial blame on Ihsanullah himself for “non-compliance with the prescribed rehabilitation plan” even as it concluded that the plan itself was inadequate. Crucially, the panel concluded that Ihsanullah’s return to cricket remains a prospect of the distant future, recommending “aggressive physiotherapy of the right shoulder and elbow” and possible surgery if he does not recover in the 12 months.Related

Ihsanullah's injury treatment puts PCB's medical department under scanner yet again

The report, however, reserves its most trenchant criticism for Dr Saleem, and the treatment plan Ihsanullah was eventually put under. It stated that Ihsanullah’s surgery was “planned hurriedly”, lacking specialist review and preoperative assessment. It also stated that the surgeon Dr Saleem recommended for the procedure “lacked academics and experience in the field”, calling the choice “inappropriate”.”Postoperatively, Mr Ihsanullah was not fully compliant to the rehabilitation protocols as alleged by the PCB officials,” the report said. “He continues to have medial elbow pain along with shoulder dyskinesia. He has significant elbow stiffness for which surgery is not advised currently as per advice of national and international appropriate experts in the specialty shoulder and elbow.”However, we strongly believe that in view of the talent possessed by Ihsanullah, he be physically assessed on his arrival to Pakistan whereby an appropriate rehabilitation plan be developed in a multidisciplinary fashion, including consideration of hydrodilation and the same be implemented to provide the best chance to the player to live up to his potential again.”Dr Saleem’s resignation was announced as part of the official statement the PCB issued after the conclusion of the report into the injuries of Ihsanullah was made public. It brings an ignominious end to Dr Saleem’s second stint as the PCB’s chief medical officer; he quit in 2021 after an unsuccessful attempt by the PCB at holding a PSL season in a Covid-19 bubble in 2021, before being brought back to the cricket board under Najam Sethi’s chairmanship in early 2023.There was little by way of information regarding Ihsanullah’s injury for nearly a full year after it happened last April. The issue was brought back into the spotlight after Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen took to Twitter last month to reveal it was Sultans and not the PCB who bore the brunt of his living expenses while he recovered, saying they would also arrange for Ihsanullah to travel to England later this month “to be assessed by a world-renowned surgeon”.He told ESPNcricinfo at the time the PCB’s medical department failed to pick up an elbow fracture in the scans they conducted, and subsequently put him on a training regimen that included regular bowling and gym work before a serious injury had been conclusively ruled out.The comments put the PCB’s medical department under the scanner once more, with the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi promising an independent inquiry. At the time, Dr Saleem spoke to ESPNcricinfo, admitting a “delay” in Ihsanullah’s diagnosis, but maintaining there was “no mishandling”.That version has been decisively rejected by the committee’s conclusions. Dr Saleem did say Ihsanullah was not compliant with the rehabilitation process, a rare point of agreement between the outgoing chief medical officer and the committee’s report, though a number of players, and coaching and management staff, have privately expressed to ESPNcricinfo that there existed a trust deficit between several players and Dr Saleem.In the last two years, multiple Pakistan fast bowlers have suffered lengthy injury layoffs. In July 2022, when Shaheen Shah Afridi suffered a knee ligament injury, it was also initially undiagnosed. He attended camps and travelled with the team for a month, before flying to the UK while paying for himself and staying in a two-star hotel as he sought independent treatment. It was only after Shahid Afridi complained publicly that the PCB said they would cover all of Shaheen’s expenses.Naseem Shah was known to be managing a back and shoulder complaint that caused him discomfort in the build-up to his right shoulder injury, which happened two months after Afridi was injured, and caused a six-month lay-off. That led to Naseem missing the World Cup and the Australia tour that followed.The report was commissioned by Naqvi, who was elected PCB chairman in February. It was also tasked with investigating the injury-related absences of fast bowlers Arshad Iqbal and Zeeshan Zameer, as well as women’s batter Shawal Zulfiqar. The committee recommended a two-month rehabilitation programme for Iqbal, examination by a foot and ankle specialist for Zameer, and a CT scan of the right shoulder for Zulfiqar.

Ruben Amorim has welcomed the possibility of a selection headache after praising Mason Mount's "unbelievable" performance in Manchester United's pre-season victory over Fiorentina.

• Amorim praises Mount display against Fiorentina
• Midfielder helps Man Utd win final warm-up
• Amorim welcomes selection headache

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mount, 26, was handed a start in the Red Devils' final pre-season encounter, operating as a false nine as his side defeated Fiorentina 5-4 on penalties after drawing 1-1 at Old Trafford. The visitors took the lead through Simon Sohm after eight minutes before an own goal from Robin Gosens drew United level.

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  United, who finished 15th in what was their worst-ever Premier League campaign in 2024-25, have responded by recruiting an exciting new forward line consisting of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha this summer. However following Mount's promising display against Fiorentina, United manager Amorim has called on the rest of his squad to follow suit and give him plenty to think about in what he hopes will be a far more successful season for the club.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Following United's victory over Fiorentina, Amorim heaped praise on Mount, saying: “It’s unbelievable the way he [Mason Mount] works, moving all the time from positions. He knows all positions, but also the other guts, it was a good test to prepare the first team.

  “That [a selection headache] is a good thing, it is supposed to be like that, not like last season that we have to struggle to put 11 players on the pitch. This is the normal thing so I need to think and they [the players] need to fight during the week, so they can change my mind, I have an idea but they will change my mind during the week. It is going to be tough because we try to arrange a full week of training, so we will have two really strong sessions with time to work and then we are going to break a little bit and then two days to really think about the strategy for the game and we will be ready.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MOUNT, AMORIM AND MAN UTD?

  United are set to lock horns with Arsenal in an eye-catching clash on the opening weekend of the 2025-26 Premier League season. Mount has boosted his chances of featuring against Mikel Arteta's men following his performance against Fiorentina, while new boy Sesko is also in line to make his maiden appearance at the Theatre of Dreams.

A “mild back stiffness” forced Rohit Sharma to play as Impact Player in Mumbai Indians’ match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday.”He just had a mild back stiffness so it was just a precautionary thing,” Piyush Chawla said at the post-match press conference.Rohit made 11 off 12 balls as MI failed to chase down a target of 170 on a two-paced Wankhede pitch. It was their eighth defeat in 11 games, leaving them languishing in ninth position and their playoffs chances hanging by a thread. Upon being asked what’s left for MI to play for, Chawla was candid.”For the pride and the reputation,” he said, “because sometimes when you enter on the field, you don’t think whether you are going to qualify or you are not going to qualify. You have to play for your name and that’s what we are playing for.”For Chawla, the silver lining during the match was becoming the second-highest wicket-taker in the IPL, going went past Dwayne Bravo’s tally of 183.Chawla got there by having Rinku Singh caught and bowled with his first ball of the match. Reflecting on his record, Chawla said: “It has been a beautiful journey because IPL started 17 years back and at that time nobody gave that much preference to the spinners, but now if you see that in top few wicket-takers from India are all the spinners, [R] Ashwin, Yuzi [Yuzvendra Chahal], myself, so it’s a good feeling.”

قدّم آرني سلوت مدرب فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي، تحديثات بشأن لاعبه أليكسيس ماك أليستر بعد غيابه عن الفوز أمام نيوكاسل أمس الإثنين.

والتقى ليفربول ونيوكاسل على ملعب “سانت جيمس بارك” في إطار مباريات الجولة الثانية للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

ونجح ليفربول في تحقيق فوز درامي بالوقت المحتسب بدلاً من الضائع عن طريق لاعبه البديل نجوموها، ليحسم المباراة بثلاثية لهدفين.

وقال سلوت في تصريحات نشرها موقع ليفربول الرسمي، عن لاعبه ماك أليستر: “نأمل أن يكون متاحًا (للمواجهات القادمة)”.

وأضاف: “أليستر اضطر لمغادرة ملعب التدريب قبل يومين، وربما لم تكن تلك مشكلة كبيرة لو خاض فترة تحضيرية جيدة للموسم، لكنه غاب لأسابيع طويلة”.

وأردف: “هناك دائمًا سبب يدفعك للخروج لأنك على الأرجح تشعر بشيء ما، وهنا تكمن صعوبة تحقيق التوازن مع اللاعبين الذين غابوا لفترة طويلة عن فترة الإعداد”.

اقرأ أيضًا | بتدخل سعودي.. نيوكاسل يلجأ لحل أخير لمنع انتقال إيزاك إلى ليفربول

وواصل: “في تلك المرحلة تبني قاعدة بدنية للموسم بأكمله، ويمكنك رؤية الفارق في شدة المباريات، كما حدث الأسبوع الماضي (أمام بورنموث)، وأعتقد أن هذه المباراة (أمام نيوكاسل) ضاعفت من ذلك عشر مرات”.

وأكد: “يجب أن تكون في كامل لياقتك البدنية، ومن ثمّ إشراك لاعب خاض فترة تحضيرية كهذه (لفترة قصيرة)، واضطر للخروج قبل يومين للمشاركة في حصة تدريبية، في هذه الأجواء، مخاطرة كبيرة بالنسبة لي”.

وأتم: “مع بقاء موسم طويل كهذا، كانت هذه مخاطرة كبيرة بالنسبة لي، لكنني آمل، آمل أن تتحسن الأمور في اليومين المقبلين، حتى يكون متاحًا لمباراة الأحد أمام آرسنال”.

Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings are both in the mix for a spot in the final four after the result

Deivarayan Muthu10-May-20242:48

What went wrong for the CSK bowlers?

Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan ripped up the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) attack and the record books to keep Gujarat Titans’ (GT’s) playoff hopes alive. The result, however, punctured CSK’s chances and left them facing a tricky route to the playoffs.Next up, CSK face a super-quick turnaround: they will meet Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday afternoon at Chepauk. They will then run into a resurgent Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their last league fixture, in Bengaluru, on May 18. The defeat to GT means their qualification for the playoffs might come down to net run-rates – CSK, though, still have the best NRR among the three teams with 12 points – and one more defeat could leave the defending champions teetering on the brink.Related

All the records that Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan broke

Stats – Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan take IPL century count past 100

GT captain Gill spent some time off the field in their successful defence of 231 because of cramps. But he had already handsomely contributed with the bat in a 210-run partnership with Sudharsan – the joint-highest opening stand in the history of the IPL. Along the way, Gill and Sudharsan pushed the IPL century count past 100.The Gill-Sudharsan opening salvoGill and Sudharsan are no Travishek. They are more orthodox top-order batters. But on a bouncy, red-soil Ahmedabad pitch on Friday, they showed that they can be just as destructive with their hitting.GT fined for slow over rate

GT captain Shubman Gill has been fined INR 24 lakhs after his team maintained a slow over rate during the match against CSK in Ahmedabad. As it was his team’s second offence of the season under IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over rate offences, the rest of the members of the playing XI, including the Impact Player, were each individually fined either INR 6 lakhs or 25% of their respective match fees.

It was Gill who made the early running when he took left-arm fingerspinner Mitchell Santner for a four and a six in a 14-run opening over. Then, in the final over of the powerplay, Gill played what was arguably the shot of the day. When Simarjeet Singh bowled a blameless back-of-a-length delivery on off, Gill used his gifts to make it look like a bad ball and imperiously swatted it over mid-on for six.Sudharsan, becalmed in the early exchanges, then caught fire, whacking Ravindra Jadeja for 21 off seven balls at a strike rate of 300. The presence of the spin-hitting Sudharsan meant Jadeja could not bowl more than two overs on the night. Ruturaj Gaikwad turned to Daryl Mitchell’s cutters, but he was dispatched for 4-0-52-0.Sudharsan accelerated so quickly that he and his captain had identical scores at the end of the 16th over: 96 off 48 balls. Gill was the first to bring up his hundred with a four, and four balls later, Sudharsan joined him there with a six.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Deshpande, Thakur limit damage at the deathIn the next over, however, Tushar Deshpande had both Sudharsan and Gill holing out in the space of five balls.Deshpande could have cut short Gill’s innings on 72 had he not dropped him at the long-off boundary – he ended up parrying it onto the rope for six. But he came back strong at the death with his defensive skills on show, with Shardul Thakur for company.They kept hiding the ball away from the swinging arcs of the GT batters and allowed them to score only 41 runs off the last five overs. Only one boundary was scored off the last three overs, but the chase was always going to be a tall order for CSK.CSK fail to maximise the powerplayIt became even more difficult for CSK when they were reduced to 2 for 2 within two overs. Rachin Ravindra, who was brought back into the team to beef up the top order, was run out for 1. On the very next ball, Sandeep Warrier bested Ajinkya Rahane in the battle of the Impact Players. Rahane fell for one off five balls.Captain Gaikwad, who had slid down to No. 3, then picked out one of the only two men on the boundary, off Umesh Yadav for a duck. The early strikes prevented CSK from taking more risks and they managed only 43 for 3 in the powerplay.Mitchell, Moeen turn up the tempoMitchell then gave the chase a leg-up by repeatedly pumping the ball over the top. He even went after GT’s ace spinner Rashid Khan, taking him for 18 off seven balls.At the other end, Moeen struggled to pick Rashid’s variations but he lined up Noor Ahmad, the left-arm wristspinner, and tonked him for three successive sixes to start the 11th over.Mohit Sharma removed Daryl Mitchell, and then Moeen Ali•BCCI

Mohit closes it out for GTAt 119 for 3 in 12 overs, CSK were in with a chance until Mohit Sharma’s intervention. Mohit struck with his second ball, a well-disguised knuckle ball, which tricked Mitchell into skying a catch to long-off for 63 off 34 balls. In his next over, he dug an on-pace delivery into the surface and had Moeen holing out for 56 off 36 balls.Mohit also snagged Shivam Dube for 21 off 13 balls and came away with 3 for 31 – the best figures on the day.When GT and CSK last met at this venue, in a three-day IPL final last season, Mohit couldn’t get the job done. On Friday, though, his execution was so good that CSK fell well short, despite MS Dhoni’s cameo at the end.