Lawrence stars with ball as Surrey slump again

ScorecardJesse Ryder guided Essex to their target•Getty Images

Jesse Ryder hit an unbeaten 52 off 45 balls to guide Essex to an effortless eight-wicket victory over Surrey at the Kia Oval, and make it two wins in as many days in the South Group of the NatWest T20 Blast for Essex.Ryder, in company with skipper Ravi Bopara – who chipped in with an undefeated 36 off 38 deliveries – put on 76 in 11 overs for the third wicket either side of a 45-minute break for rain as Essex posted 121 for 2 off 16.5 overs in reply to the hosts’ 117 for 9 in front of a Saturday afternoon crowd of 13,470.Following the early loss of Kishen Velani, who was caught at mid-on off Ravi Rampaul without scoring, Jesse Ryder and Tom Westley combined for 39 in four overs.Ryder, driving powerfully through wide mid-off and adept at manoeuvring the ball into the gaps, clubbed fours off Rampaul and Dwayne Bravo before Westley pulled Tom Curran past mid-on for two boundaries in the space off three balls.With Dwayne Bravo guilty of drifting onto the batsmen’s legs throughout much of the sixth over, Essex were 47 for 2 at the end of the Powerplay – the only relief for the West Indian being the wicket of Westley, who was lbw for 19.Earlier, Surrey were unable to establish a foothold, finding the boundary on just seven occasions after being put into bat by Essex, who employed 11 overs of spin.Dan Lawrence set the tone for the visitors by conceding just 11 runs from his four overs, which also brought the 18-year-old a couple of wickets.Lawrence struck first ball with his offspin when Steven Davies flicked to Bopara at square leg. Kumar Sangakkara, beaten by a direct hit by Ashar Zaidi from square leg, was run out four deliveries later.Rory Burns lofted Graham Napier high to Westley at mid-off, though not before driving Matthew Quinn to the point boundary and Napier through cover and at the end of their powerplay, Surrey were 31 for 3.Zafar Ansari picked out Napier at long-off, off the bowling of Zaidi. 43 for 4 became 46 for 5 when Gary Wilson, who had become increasingly frustrated, drilled the returning Lawrence straight to long-off to go for 17.Forced to rebuild, Bravo and Sam Curran added 50 for the sixth wicket in seven overs.Curran, fresh from completing his A-Level exams, pulled Westley through wide mid-on and swung Napier over midwicket for six.Bravo followed the youngster’s lead by pulling Quinn for a maximum, only to launch himself into an extravagant cover drive and fall to a catch in the deep next ball.Sam Curran was eventually bowled around his legs for 32, attempting to work Quinn down to fine leg.Bopara rounded off the Surrey innings by taking successive catches at deep midwicket, the second just an inch off the ground, to give Napier figures of 3 for 28 and condemn Surrey to their second defeat in 24 hours in the competition.

'We knew we had to get 200' – Warner

Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner has said scoring over 200 was the key in the IPL final against Royal Challengers Bangalore

ESPNcricinfo staff29-May-2016Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner has said scoring over 200 was the key in the IPL final against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Warner had opted to bat in Bangalore and helped his team put up 208 for 7 with his ninth half-century of the tournament, which they won for the first time in their fourth season.”We knew we had to get 200 against these guys, they have a phenomenal batting line-up,” Warner said. “We knew we had to win three games to win this tournament. To come here and beat Bangalore in front of this crowd, we were true underdogs. But we executed our skills, we batted well, bowled well, and fielded well. For us, the key was team effort all the way. [Time to put my feet up] for 24 hours and then I’m off to the Caribbean. But the guys will well and truly celebrate this and it’s time to have a beer.”[It’s a] fantastic team achievement and for me personally it’s overwhelming. To lead this side and the support these players gave me to lead by example and me pulling my weight with the runs…Obviously all the other guys doing their job. But look, it’s been fantastic, it’s been a hard journey for the last two years. From my experience as captain, the credit goes to all the guys.”You need to get a lot of individual players to step up, players need to gel together and get the combinations right. For us the key was to try and emulate with our fielding, that part towards the end here.”Warner did not hesitate to praise the efforts and form of his counterpart, Virat Kohli, who scored 54 off 35 and was part of a rapid opening stand of 114 in 10.3 overs with Chris Gayle, before quick wickets dented Royal Challengers’ chase and they never recovered.”What a leader, Virat Kohli,” Warner said. “I can’t take it away from him. He set the benchmark for all batsmen this tournament and they are a fantastic team.”Kohli, on the other hand, was aggrieved after the eight-run loss and even though he ended as the tournament’s highest run-scorer, a half-century in the final was not enough.”We are really proud of the way we played as a team,” Kohli said. “I mentioned before the finals this was for the people of Bangalore. We wanted to do it for them because of the continuous support we have had. Even when we had the worst of seasons, they have come out to support us. I feel gutted that we were not able to cross the line for them. All the guys have been wanting to cross the line, we reached the finals twice and once in Champions League as well.”We were walking around thanking the crowd and Dan [Daniel Vettori] mentioned to me, ‘we got 200 and we lost.’ So that felt a bit weird that we were short by eight runs. We knew one big partnership would set the tone for us but me and AB [de Villiers] getting out quickly was a big blow. I knew I had things under control and we could achieved the target had I stayed with AB a little longer. They got a bit of luck and then they capitalized, that’s why they are the champion side.”Why Sunrisers won was because they have a strong bowling attack. I knew I was hitting the ball well and I just wanted to keep contributing. If you try to do things for your team, you end up doing special things along the way. That’s a lesson for me as a batsman and everyone around the world. I surprised myself there [with four hundreds in the tournament] little bit, to be honest. I opened the innings as well, we have to consider that someone batting at No. 3 or 4 will not be able to get as many runs so I don’t take these things for granted.”It (orange cap) is a nice incentive with the way we have gone about this season but it doesn’t feel really nice to be at the other side of the result. As a personal achievement this is very special knowing that we have eight teams with world-class batsmen. It feels nice to have scored more than anyone else more importantly so that we reached the finals and it gives me more pleasure than it would have otherwise.”Bhuvneshwar Kumar played a crucial role once again in the end overs and bowled accurate yorkers, which he said are the key in T20s to stem the flow of runs. “I just had to keep myself composed in the end,” he said. “I knew if I would get it right, they wouldn’t be able to score runs. That’s the demand of this game…If you get the yorkers right it’s the best way to stop the runs in the death overs. Warner just said to keep my yorkers right, he asked me to keep myself composed.”Shikhar Dhawan, Warner’s opening partner admitted that even though their batting order didn’t fire at the beginning of the tournament, the side gained more balance once they started posting better totals. “It has been a great season for me and the team,” he said. “Davey led from the front from the first game and hats off to him. It has been a great journey. I feel our team is balanced. Initially we didn’t click as a batting unit then as the tournament went ahead, we started putting more runs on the board. The way [Ben] Cutting has got into the side and he played just two or three matches, but has performed really well.”

Questions Over £43k-p/w USMNT Star At Leeds United

YouTuber Conor McGilligan has slammed Leeds United midfielder Brenden Aaronson and questioned whether he can even kick the ball hard enough to deliver key goalscoring contributions.

What's the latest on Brenden Aaronson and Leeds?

With the international break now upon us, it's a great time for Premier League clubs to reflect on the current season as we head into the final run-in.

Leeds currently sit 14th in the division, just two points above the bottom three with just 11 games left to ensure they don't end up getting relegated.

Alongside fellow USMNT star Weston McKennie, Aaronson has left England to go and represent his country as they look to progress to the CONCACAF Nations League Final Four.

While he's done enough to maintain his status in the US side, it seems as though things haven't been going too well for the 22-year-old at Leeds as he has failed to deliver a goalscoring contribution since the return of Premier League football after the break for the winter World Cup.

And while speaking on the One Leeds Fan Channel, McGilligan dropped some pretty damning claims on Aaronson, expressing doubt over his ability to deliver the goods when needed.

He said: "Listen, I'm willing to be proven wrong here, by the way, always. But those fine moments where you're playing as a central attacking midfielder and under pressure, you need to play that pass, you need to have a strike on goal. You know, all those technicalities, I just don't know if he's got the ball-striking ability.

"I've never seen him hit a ball hard. You know, a free kick, you normally get a lot of central attacking midfielders as being able to take set pieces. I don't really see that with him.

"And I just think some of the central attacking midfielders in world football you'd expect Leeds to maybe look at in the next couple of years would come in and naturally be picked over Aaronson straight away."

brenden-aaronson-performance-leeds-united-javi-gracia-premier-league

Where has it all gone from for Aaronson with Leeds?

The midfielder left Red Bull Salzburg in the summer to join the Whites on a five-year contract after a £25m transfer, while he earns a reported £43,000 a week.

Things got off to a pretty bright start for Aaronson in England too as he scored on his third Premier League outing for the Whites in a 3-0 win over Chelsea, before getting his first assist two games later.

Since then, however, he has just one more assist in the top flight which came back in November, playing in 12 more league games and four FA Cup matches without scoring or setting anyone up.

With that in mind, it's not hard to see why McGilligan has expressed such major doubts over the player's ability to deliver in the final third of the pitch.

Still only 22, however, perhaps Aaronson can turn things around in the future to fulfil his potential.

Rangers: £8.3k-p/w star praised for turnaround

Journalist Derek Clark has praised the turnaround Fashion Sakala has had at Rangers since Michael Beale returned to the club.

How has Sakala performed for Rangers?

The Zambia international arrived in 2021, but took a while to nail down a starting place under Steven Gerrard and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

The 26-year-old has since exploded into life under Beale and has now scored in each of his last three Scottish Premiership games.

He is starting to become a reliable attacker for Rangers and he has now been praised for the remarkable uptick in his performances at Ibrox.

Speaking on The Rangers Review, Clark lavished Sakala with praise for his improvement in end-product, particularly in away games.

"He was brought in when Beale was a coach under Steven Gerrard back in the summer of 2021, and it never quite happened for him under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, but since Beale returned to the club, his numbers have skyrocketed.

"He's had 12 goal involvements, six goals and six assists in 16 starts and two substitute appearances under the new manager. And away from home, he's had nine goal involvements in eight league away trips. He's really come into his own, hasn't he, under Michael Beale.

"Particularly away from home, for me, he's possibly Rangers' most threatening outlet up top at the moment. There's been a remarkable turnaround for him; he wasn't really getting a look-in under Giovanni van Bronckhorst but he's just had a new lease of life under Michael Beale."

Can Sakala be Rangers' main attacker?

The £8.3k-per-week star typically plays on the wing, but has lined up through the middle on occasion. With the future of Alfredo Morelos up in the air, as the Colombian's contract is set to expire amid transfer links, Beale will likely need a new striker in the summer.

Given Sakala's excellent form in front of goal, there is a case to be made that he could step up as the main goalscorer of the team once Morelos departs, and he could either start down the middle or on the wings supporting another striker such as Antonio Colak.

It may be too early to get carried away by Sakala's form, but Beale's remarkable impact on the forward in a short period of time suggests that there could be plenty more to come from him, and if he can develop into a consistent goalscorer and iron out the frustrating elements of his game, Rangers may not need to panic over losing Morelos.

فيديو | جودوين شيكا يسجل هدف طلائع الجيش الثاني أمام الزمالك

تعادل جودوين شيكا لاعب طلائع الجيش، لفريقه بتسجيله الهدف الثاني أمام الزمالك، خلال اللقاء الذي يقام بين الفريقين الآن، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلاقي فريق الزمالك نظيره طلائع الجيش، على ملعب الكلية الحربية، في إطار مواجهات الجولة السادسة من عمر مباريات الدوري المصري.

وسجل جودوين شيكا هدفه الشخصي الثاني ولفريقه في المباراة، في الدقيقة 55 من زمن أحداث المباراة.

طالع | مباشر بالفيديو.. أحداث مباراة الزمالك وطلائع الجيش

وجاء هدف شيكا بتسديدة مباشرة داخل الشباك من داخل منطقة الجزاء بعد متابعة لكرة مرتدة من العارضة عقب تسديدة مباشرة من زميله إسلام محارب، من العرضية المرسلة من الجانب الأيسر. هدف طلائع الجيش الثاني أمام الزمالك.. جودوين شيكا

وكان طلائع الجيش تقدم عن طريق لاعبه جودوين شيكا في الدقيقة 35 من عمر الشوط الأول للمباراة.

وتعادل محمد شحاتة لاعب الزمالك، وسجل الهدف الأول لفريقه، في الدقيقة 43 من الشوط الأول، قبل أن يسجل حسام أشرف الهدف الثاني للزمالك في الدقيقة الأخيرة من عمر الشوط الأول.

"Delighted" – Sky Sports pundit reacts to Euro 2028 news involving Everton

Everton will be "absolutely delighted" with some exciting off-field news that has emerged, according to football finance expert and Sky Sports pundit Kieran Maguire.

Everton stadium updates

It's fair to say that it has been a taxing period at Goodison Park in recent years, with not much success to enjoy on or off the pitch and a number of Premier League relegation battles coming their way.

The Blues have got through various managers who have tried and failed to turn the tide, while off-field issues surrounding owner Farhad Moshiri and chairman Bill Kenwright have also led to plenty of unrest, and even protests outside the ground.

The hope is that things at Everton are gradually changing for the better, however, with Sean Dyche starting to pick up more positive results and a huge change arriving at the end of the season.

A move to Bramley Moore Dock is planned at that point, as the Blues move into a shiny new home on the River Mersey, heralding the start of an exciting new era at the club. It should generate more funds for signings and potentially attract better players, assuming Dyche's men remain in the top flight beyond the current campaign.

Goodison Park awaits a Premier League game for Everton amid their financial issues.

Bramley Moore Dock hosts Euro 2028 matches

Speaking to Football Insider, Maguire claimed that the Blues could be boosted hugely when Everton's new stadium is used as one of the ten grounds at Euro 2028, as was confirmed last week:

"I think Everton are looking to make a big statement with their new stadium. Being part of the Euro 2028 stadium shortlist will help to deliver that statement – and what a statement. We’ve seen the same in Manchester in the sense that the Etihad is going to be used instead of Old Trafford despite it having a smaller capacity.

"So I think Everton will be absolutely delighted and it will give them an opportunity to showcase the new stadium. On the back of that, they will earn other contracts for concerts and alternative uses for the Bramley Moore Dock stadium."

This is such a big coup for Everton, and perfectly outlines the importance of their stadium move, in terms of the club's growth moving forward, rather than simply staying at Goodison and being left behind.

Wembley

England

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Tottenham

Etihad Stadium

Man City

Villa Park

Aston Villa

St James' Park

Newcastle

Bramley Moore Dock

Everton

Hampden Park

Scotland

Principality Stadium

Wales

Aviva Stadium

Republic of Ireland

Casement Park

Northern Ireland

The fact that the new ground has even been picked ahead of Anfield speaks volumes, and is no doubt something that will aid local bragging rights with Liverpool supporters. As Maguire alludes to, the Blues could also become a venue for various other forms of entertainment, as the likes of Wembley Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium currently are, hosting music concernts, NFL matches and boxing events

This is all in the future for now, though, and it is essential that Everton's Premier League status is preserved this season, with relegation to the Championship having the potential to hold them back horribly.

The current signs are arguably promising, even though there have clearly been poor results so far in 2023/24, and fans should feel buoyed by one of football's biggest tournaments being featured in their new home in five years' time.

VIDEO: Lucas Ocampos outraged after being poked in the bum by Rayo Vallecano fan as Sevilla star calls for La Liga to take bizarre incident 'as seriously as racism'

Lucas Ocampos was poked in the bum by a fan during a game at Rayo Vallencano, with the Sevilla star urging La Liga to take the incident “seriously”.

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  • Incident occurred during first-half
  • Reported to the match referee
  • Authorities now set to investigate
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The bizarre incident occurred in the 33rd minute of a Spanish top-flight fixture at Estadio de Vallecas. Ocampos was poked by the supporter in question as he prepared to take a throw-in. He turned to remonstrate with the individual involved before notifying the match referee of what had happened.

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  • WHAT SEVILLA SAID

    Sevilla have said in a statement on the club’s : “We would like to place on record our disgust at the incident. Lucas Ocampos was subjected to an obscene and completely inappropriate act by a home fan. We hope that the appropriate measures outlined in the regulations will be taken to prevent such behaviour from happening again on a football field, and we have expressed this to La Liga directly.”

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  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Ray Vallecano added in a statement of their own: “This isolated action is solely the individual responsibility of the fan who carried it out. Rayo Vallecano is currently working to identify the fan so that, if he is a season ticket holder of the club, the appropriate disciplinary measures can be taken in accordance with the internal regulations.”

Man United: Reporter “would be surprised” if Frimpong arrives

Manchester United have already brought in a few big names, but their transfer business may not be done just yet.

Transfer insider Dean Jones has given his opinion on the Red Devils' pursuit of a Bundesliga pair and how it could pan out.

Will Manchester United make any other signings this summer?

Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund are the three high-profile additions to this United squad ahead of the new season. Now, with the end of the transfer window looming, Erik ten Hag is looking to make another addition or two.

The defensive third is where the Dutchman is targeting acquisitions for the Red Devils, with two names having been linked prominently.

Benjamin Pavard is one name put forward, with the versatile Bayern Munich man seemingly pushing for an exit from the Allianz Arena and reportedly close to joining Inter.

After Frenchman Raphael Varane scored the only goal of the game against Wolves on the opening day, international teammate Pavard was quick to leave a comment on a celebratory Instagram post, prompting many to speculate about his desire to move to pastures new.

Pavard has the ability to play both centrally and as a right-back, and it is the latter position that the other rumoured player occupies. Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong, formerly of Celtic, is someone who Ten Hag admires, as reported by Football Insider.

It may well be a case of signing one or the other – if Jones’ update is anything to go by.

What has Dean Jones said about Pavard and Frimpong?

Transfer insider Jones has given an update on Manchester United’s transfer targets – particularly Jeremie Frimpong – when speaking to GIVEMESPORT.

He said: "With Manchester United going for Benjamin Pavard, he can play on the right-hand side of defence and centrally too, so I would be surprised if they were to go for Frimpong at the same time.

“I don't think Frimpong is imminent or anything like that, and I'd actually be pretty surprised if United were going to pursue that right now.

“Further down the road, perhaps, because I know he is a player that they've definitely had interest in.

“But with this Pavard deal on the back burner and Aaron Wan-Bissaka set to stay longer now, it [Frimpong] doesn't feel like one that needs to happen."

What is the latest Man United transfer news?

A third target for the Red Devils could arrive in the middle of the park. The man in question is Sofyan Amrabat, the Morocco international who starred at the World Cup and has since had a number of Europe’s elite lining up to sign him.

This makes up the majority of the news when it comes to incomings at Old Trafford, but there are also United players who could be leaving the club before the transfer window slams shut on 1st September.

One of those men is none other than former captain Harry Maguire. West Ham United seemed nailed on to land the centre-back only for his move to the capital to fall through – with Ten Hag claiming that he wanted to retain the services of the former Leicester City man.

Celtic "Progressing" In Talks For "Impressive" £2.9m Titan

Celtic are “progressing” in talks to sign IF Elfsborg defender Gustaf Lagerbielke, and a reliable journalist has revealed where the player stands on a move to the Scottish Premiership.

Who is Gustaf Lagerbielke?

Lagerbielke is naturally a centre-back who has played his football at the Boras Arena since 2021 having joined from Vasteras SK, but having made just 26 appearances during his two years at the club as a result of being sent out on loan to Degerfors, it’s a strong possibility that he could be on the move before the end of the ongoing window.

Swedish outlet Expressen previously reported that the Hoops and Brendan Rodgers were chasing a deal for the 23-year-old and had submitted a bid worth SEK 40m, equivalent to approximately £2.9m, which would be a record fee for Jimmy Thelin’s side to receive.

The Allsvenskan outfit’s director Stefan Andreasson later confirmed that they had received an approach for their defender, but insisted that there were currently no ongoing discussions. He said:

“We've had a dialogue in this case. There's an interest, yes. But we're not in negotiation. The club must move from interest to acting concretely. We're not there right now.”

Are Celtic signing Gustaf Lagerbielke?

Taking to Twitter X, Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph delivered an update on Celtic’s pursuit of Lagerbielke, who is believed to be excited by the prospect of putting pen to paper at Parkhead. He wrote:

“Talks between Celtic and Elfsborg for Gustaf Lagerbielke are understood to be progressing well. There’s a willingness from all sides to get a deal done, as the centre-back is keen to move to the Scottish champions this summer.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.

How good is Gustaf Lagerbielke?

Celtic are clearly serious about signing Lagerbielke having developed their interest to the final stages of a deal and it’s no surprise considering what he could bring to the side should he sign on the dotted line, so despite having the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers and Maik Nawrocki available, his potentially imminent arrival could be a huge boost for Rodgers.

Elfsborg’s 6 foot 3 colossus is not only a rock at the heart of his side’s backline with his huge physical presence, but he’s also a threat when it comes to set pieces at the opposite end of the pitch having scored 12 goals in 110 appearances since the start of his career, as per Transfermarkt.

The Stockholm native additionally has the ability to operate out wide at both left-back and right-back alongside his usual role at centre-back, so he would provide the boss with wonderful versatility and be able to easily adapt should he ever want to tinker with his formation, team selection or just need to adjust for injuries.

Whilst Lagerbielke still has another two years to run on his contract, the Glasgow outfit don’t seem to be phased by the transfer fee that’s being demanded, and having been dubbed a player with “impressive” passing ability by journalist Ryan McGinlay, he would only excel further under the guidance of the Northern Irishman.

Sammy, Sami end Comilla's winning streak

Darren Sammy’s scorching last-over burst, followed by Mohammad Sami’s four-wicket haul, broke Comilla Victorians’ five-match winning streak, as they lost to Rajshahi Kings by 30 runs in Chittagong

The Report by Mohammad Isam25-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBCB

Darren Sammy’s scorching last-over burst, followed by Mohammad Sami’s four-wicket haul, broke Comilla Victorians’ five-match winning streak, as they lost to Rajshahi Kings by 30 runs in Chittagong.Rajshahi had seemed to be ambling towards a middling score, but blitzed 72 runs off 22 balls following Sammy’s arrival. They ended up with 185 for 7, with Sammy unbeaten on 47 off 14 balls. His strike-rate of 335.71 is the highest for a batsman to have struck more than 40 runs in a BPL innings.Sammy tonked six sixes in total, four of which came in the last over that went for 32 runs. Mohammad Saifuddin, who had the misfortune of sending down that over, now holds the unenviable record of conceding the most runs in an over in BPL history.Comilla recovered well from that late onslaught and were going well in the chase, with Tamim Iqbal and Shoaib Malik putting together an 87-run stand. But once Sami dismissed Tamim, the rest simply caved. It was similar to their bowling effort that came apart after a very good start.Comilla hit back after early blowsEach of Rajshahi’s top four fell after getting their eye in. Dwayne Smith, who had got going with four punchy boundaries, was first to fall when he inside-edged Saifuddin onto the stumps after reaching out for an expansive drive. In the next over, Mominul Haque, who had raced away to a brisk start with five crisply-struck fours, paid the price for a moment’s hesitation. Mominul pushed the legspinner Rashid Khan behind point and Luke Wright called for a single straight away. Mominul, though, wasn’t as convinced and was felled by a direct hit at the non-striker’s end. Zakir Hasan found the bounce of an Al-Amin Hossain bouncer disconcerting and top-edged a pull that was snaffled by the bowler, before Imrul Kayes’ terrific catch at long-on ended Mushfiqur Rahim’s stay. From 43 for no loss, Rajshahi lost four wickets by the time they could double that score.Wright keeps Rajshahi tickingThe gift of timing completely abandoned Luke Wright, who struggled for large parts of his 42. But to his credit, he gritted it out. After scratching around for 20 balls for his first 14 runs, Wright showed the first signs of acceleration by collecting 16 runs off his next six balls. That included two sublime fours through midwicket off successive deliveries against Al-Amin. He added 37 runs for the fifth wicket with James Franklin in quick time, before the latter fell leg-before to a Hasan Ali yorker. Wright fell in the following over, when his scoop found short fine leg. He fell eight short of a fifty but had kept Rajshahi intact till the 18th over before Sammy took over.Sammy lays a brutal finishing touchWhen Tamim Iqbal threw Saifuddin the ball for the final over, it was in the hope that he could finish off a job well-started. Saifuddin had figures of 3-0-18-3, but nothing could have prepared him for the onslaught he suffered at the hands of Sammy. His first delivery to Sammy was a fuller ball that came into him, and all Sammy had to do was help it on its way to deep backward square leg. The rest of the over was a generous mix of fuller deliveries, or worse still, full tosses that were shoveled with brute force. Saifuddin set out on a search for the wide yorker and instead fed to Sammy’s swinging arc and offered him ample room. To make matters worse, Saifuddin sent down two wides, extending Sammy’s party to an eight-ball over. Just last month, Saifuddin had suffered a similar shellacking at the hands of David Miller, who took him apart for five successive sixes in one over, in a T20 international against South Africa.Comilla shrug off early stutterFakhar Zaman’s BPL debut lasted just five balls as he chopped Sami onto his stumps, and Imrul Kayes fell to a harsh lbw decision, with replays suggesting the ball would have missed leg – as Comilla lost two wickets in the first two overs of their chase.Tamim and Malik then resurrected Comilla’s chase with an 87-run stand for the third wicket. It was broken when Malik’s stroke-filled 45 ended tamely. One ball after a stunning four that split short third man and backward point, Malik chipped a simple return catch to Dwayne Smith, leaving Comilla with 95 to get in 52 balls.Sami’s 3-in-1Comilla did not feel the pinch of Malik’s dismissal as much as Buttler picked up from where Malik left. With Tamim, he struck 34 runs in three overs to keep Comilla’s prospects alive. Tamim launched Hossain Ali over extra cover to bring up his fifty and the 4000th run of his T20 career while Buttler used his favoured reverse sweep to good effect.Sami then got Tamim to skew an inside-out shot to deep point in the 15th over to open the gates. Alok Kapali perished two balls later when he swung across the line and lost his stumps. Sami then ended the over by having Saifuddin hole out to deep point. He gave away just one run in his last over to finish with 4 for 9 in four overs. His effort left Comilla with 32 to get from the last over, which was precisely how much Sammy hit in Rajshahi’s last over.What they said”Darren Sammy doing that made a huge difference. I think if we just got 150, we would have probably lost. And then Mohammad Sami with the ball was amazing, but I think Sammy put massive pressure on them, which helped take those wickets in the end.”

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