The Supreme Court of India has asked the BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry to respond to a complaint made by the board’s CFO that Chaudhry gave him threats on more than one occasion

Sidharth Monga in Delhi29-Nov-2017

Proceedings at the Supreme Court’s hearings into the BCCI’s new constitution took a bizarre sidestep on Wednesday after the board treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry was asked by the court to respond to a complaint that he issued “death” and “job” threats to a board official on three occasions.’Take potassium cyanide’ – threats in Rangnekar’s own words

Threat 1: 21 Jan 2017, BCCI Cricket Centre, Mumbai
“HT (honorary treasurer) called me inside the conference room. He told me to switch off my cell phone. Checked whether any camera is there in the conference room. Then said that FIR will be filed on CEO and CFO (myself) for misappropriation of funds i.e. because we used UBI account to run BCCI’s operations for the period 2 Jan to 20 Jan 2017. Then further said that this FIR will be finally turned as fake/untrue or court will reject the same but till that time for next 2 years at least our life (professional and personal) will be totally finished. On that I just said that CEO and CFO (myself) have acted on the basis of written instructions from SC/Lodha/Amicus Curie. HT said if I would have been in Haryana, by now I would have been evaporated. No one knew whether I was there in this world ever. (Death Threat)”
Threat 2: 6 Oct 2017, ITC Maurya, Delhi
“HT said that I should take Potassium Cyanide instead of Solvine (a tab for throat infection which was recommended by GV [Gaurav Virmani, Chaudhry’s assistant]). HT made this comment with a smile – Death Threat”
Threat 3: Later on 6 Oct 2017, ITC Maurya, Delhi
“HT said he will finish me soon. “. Do one mistake and (It is my time now. Make one mistake and I will finish you two. Be careful) (Death and Job Threat)”

The complaint was made in writing – according to the amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium – by the BCCI’s chief financial officer (CFO) Santosh Rangnekar who said that the alleged threats were made on January 21 and twice on October 6, 2017. The email seen by ESPNcricinfo suggests that Chaudhry allegedly singled out Rangnekar and sought to intimidate him by questioning every act of his as the CFO.Subramanium read out the allegations from Rangnekar’s complaint and said, “No treasurer – whatever his ancestry [Chaudhry’s father is a former BCCI president and grandfather a former union defence minister and Haryana chief minister] – can threaten the CFO.”The letter, Subramanium said, was sent to him by the solicitor of the court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA). “No office bearer has any authority to administer threats to the CFO,” Subramanium added. “To say that he will be liquidated.”One of the threats, according to Subramanium, was: “If you were in Haryana, you’d be evaporated by now.” The second, on October 6, took place at the ITC Maurya hotel in Delhi: “I will finish you. One more mistake, and you are over.” A third alleged threat was that when Rangnekar asked Chaudhry’s assistant to remind him of the name of the cough medicine he had earlier suggested, Chaudhry advised Rangnekar to take potassium cyanide instead.Chaudhry, who was also present at the hearing, told reporters that no such thing happened. “I am too shocked to react to these blatant lies. This is the first time, sitting in the court, that I have heard about this. As directed by the court, I will file my reply.”Asked to expand on what might have been the context of the alleged conversations, Chaudhry expressed ignorance. He was yet to read the written complaint that was presented in the court. However, he did go on to suggest that he had been singled out because he has not always been in agreement with the way things have functioned in the BCCI since the court asked the CoA to take over and oversee the implementation of the reforms suggested by the Lodha Committee.”I have been expressing my views on issues, including some financial matters, which probably have not been palatable to them and has resulted in this.”Chaudhry’s counsel said he was also not made aware of this complaint before the hearing. They have been given two weeks to respond.The actual matter at hand – the new BCCI constitution – was put off until the second week of January where the matter of the threats will also be taken up. The court was informed that the CoA has prepared a chart with the BCCI’s objections to the draft constitution and suggestions. Subramanium also requested the court to continue barring from the board’s Special General Meeting (SGM) those board officials who were disqualified and had attended the earlier SGM. “When your lordship has passed the order for one SGM, it has to apply to all SGMs.” An order regarding that is awaited.During the last hearing, on October 30, the court had said it was not going to hear any further arguments. Then, the matter for November 29 was listed under “final disposal at admission stage”, which raised hopes that this long-running case might finally reach a conclusion.

Mohamed Salah missed a penalty in Egypt’s friendly with Tanzania, but saw his blushes spared as the ball bounced in off the goalkeeper’s backside.

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Reds forward away on international dutyPreparing for Africa Cup of NationsFluffed his lines again from 12 yardsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Liverpool forward is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty as he prepares to begin his quest for continental glory in the Ivory Coast. The Pharaohs are expected to go well at that tournament, with talismanic forward Salah set to lead their charge.

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Salah was hoping to get into the goal-scoring groove during a meeting with Tanzania, and was presented with a golden opportunity to do just that when stepping up to the spot. He had already provided the assist for Trezeguet’s opener in what would be a 2-0 win, but fluffed his lines from 12 yards.

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Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Salah – who is sporting a new haircut – crashed his penalty against the crossbar, and was left looking a little sheepish after seeing the ball make its way into the back of the net via a deflection off the unfortunate Tanzanian goalkeeper – who knew nothing about his own goal.

Kaushal Adhikari

Nepal stunned defending champions India on the third day of the Under-19 Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur. Playing a key role in the 19-run win was the captain Dipendra Singh Airee. First he made 88 in Nepal’s modest 185 for 8. Then he took 4 for 39 to wrestle India down from 91 for 1 to 166 all out.There were several points in the match when the eventual result looked quite unlikely. Like when Himanshu Rana got the chase off to a brisk start, smacking seven fours and a six in his 38-ball 46. Though he fell to Kamal Singh Airee, India seemed to have things well in hand. At one point, they only needed 96 runs in about 27 overs with nine wickets in hand.The game turned when Dipendra dismissed Atharva Taide. Pawan Sarraf (2-24) and Shalab Alam (2-11) also chipped in with a couple of wickets to ensure India’s middle and lower order felt the pressure of the chase. And eventually the quarter-finalists in the last Under-19 World Cup secured victory.It was perhaps the situation Dipendra had hoped for when he was batting earlier in the day, doing his best to repair the innings after the loss of both openers inside 10 overs. He added 49 for the third wicket with Jitendra Singh, before taking charge with an innings that included six fours and two sixes. Having faced 101 deliveries, he was dismissed only in the penultimate over.Nepal, who were beaten by Bangladesh by two wickets in their tournament opener, play Malaysia next on Tuesday, while India, winners by 202 runs against Malaysia, take on Bangladesh.

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.”

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.

Elliot Anderson would be "massively, massively unlucky" to not make Newcastle United's starting XI for the opening game of the season, according to Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope.

The academy product has been impressive this pre-season.

Where does Elliot Anderson play?

The 20-year-old seems to be being deployed as a midfielder this season, despite making a number of appearances last season as a winger.

This is based on the way manager Eddie Howe has used the youngster throughout this pre-season. The Newcastle academy product has played across both advanced midfield positions so far this summer, and impressed in the roles during the club's US tour as part of the Premier League Summer Series pre-season competition.

According to reports, the Magpies originally planned to bring in two midfielders this window, but the emergence of Anderson, as well as 17-year-old Lewis Miley, has resulted in that aim being put on the back burner following the £55m arrival of Italian Sandro Tonali from AC Milan.

Anderson has drawn comparisons to Paul Gascoigne in recent weeks since his deployment in central midfield, and manager Howe has been full of praise for the midfielder, suggesting he has a real chance of breaking into the Magpies' starting XI.

"He is very much knocking on the door, his journey has been interesting. The loan at Bristol Rovers (season before last) certainly helped him, as much from a confidence perspective. Sometimes, you need evidence to believe how good you actually are.

Coming back last season, he had a few niggly injuries which was frustrating and hampered his progress. This year, he looks stronger and ready to contribute regularly for us."

Speaking on his YouTube channel following the side's pre-season clash with Fiorentina, journalist Hope revealed that he believes Anderson would be really unlucky should he miss out on a place in Howe's starting XI against Aston Villa on Saturday.

He said: "I tweeted after the game if Elliot Anderson doesn’t find himself in the starting eleven next weekend, I think he’ll be massively, massively unlucky.

"For me, I think he was the best performer in America, I thought overall Anderson was the best player throughout the States tour, and today I thought he was brilliant."

Who could start in Newcastle's midfield?

It seems like there will be a tough battle to start in Newcastle United's midfield next season.

One player who is expected to start is Bruno Guimaraes. The Brazilian has been a revelation since his arrival from Olympique Lyon in 2021. The midfielder has received a number of awards during his time on Tyneside, and is expected to start at the base of the Magpies midfield next season.

Another player who would expect to start is Joelinton. The striker-turned-central midfielder is a cult hero on Tyneside and has been a stalwart in Howe's Newcastle sides since his arrival.

The player who won the Magpies' Player of the Year award in the 2021/22 campaign would be one of the two advanced midfielders, assuming Howe maintains his current system.

Anderson would face competition from fellow youth academy graduate Sean Longstaff, former Arsenal man Joe Willock and new signing Tonali for the final spot in the starting XI. Longstaff was the most regular starter last season, making 41 appearances last campaign, however, he seems the most likely candidate to lose his spot to Anderson to start the campaign.

Either way, it seems Howe has a big decision to make ahead of the weekend given the depth now at his disposal at St James' Park.

India have opted for training sessions instead of a warm-up fixture in South Africa, in the lead-up to the first Test between the two teams from January 5 in Cape Town. A press release from Cricket South Africa on Monday announced India’s decision.Although the BCCI did not give any reason officially for dropping the warm-up match, it is understood the request was made by the team management well in advance. The board was told that the team management preferred to focus on training on their own as soon as it landed in South Africa on December 28. A team official confirmed the development, but declined to elaborating further, saying it was an “internal matter”.The Indian team management’s preoccupation with acclimatising the players to South African conditions even before they set foot in the country has been such that “lively greentops” were deemed the need of the hour through the Sri Lanka Test series at home.There had been some confusion over the schedule for India’s tour of South Africa, with both boards holding discussions since the beginning of the year. In August, the BCCI had made it clear to CSA that India would not arrive until at least the last week of 2017, because their home series against Sri Lanka ends on December 24.The BCCI wanted its players to take a short break before they departed for South Africa, ruling India out of the traditional Boxing Day Test, which South Africa will now play over four days against Zimbabwe. Eventually, even the New Year’s Test which is traditionally played from January 2 in Cape Town was pushed back to January 5. Incidentally, in September, an official involved in the discussions told ESPNcricinfo that India would “definitely play one practice match before the first Test”.Following the Cape Town Test, two more will be played in Centurion and Johannesburg, followed by six ODIs and three T20Is.

Delhi’s bowlers shot out the opposition for 86 within 25 overs to win by an innings and book their team’s spot in the title bout

Arun Venugopal in Pune19-Dec-2017Gautam Gambhir plays through the off side•AFP

On a day when fast bowlers on both the sides produced game-altering spells, it was Bengal’s freefall with the bat that had them plummet to a defeat by an innings and 26 runs in Pune. After Mohammed Shami’s 6 for 122 limited Delhi’s lead to 112 runs, Delhi’s bowlers shot the opposition out for 86 within 25 overs to book their team’s spot in the final. Bengal’s batting line-up was spliced open by Navdeep Saini and Kulwant Khejroliya, who relied as much on their red-hot pace as the batsmen’s muddled thinking as they helped themselves to four wickets each. All of Saini’s dismissals – Sudip Chatterjee, captain Manoj Tiwary, Aamir Gani and B Amit – were bowled. Saini knocked over Gani and Amit off successive deliveries that registered speeds of 140 kph and 144 kph respectively. He finished with seven wickets in the match.While Saini and Khejroliya spearheaded Delhi’s raid, it was Vikas Tokas who set it up with Abhishek Raman’s dismissal in the third over. Bowling from wide of the crease, Tokas slanted one in and Raman, beaten for pace, was pinged on his back leg and adjudged lbw. “Beaten for pace” soon became a recurring theme, as Bengal slipped from 32 for 1 to 44 for 5. Much as Saini and Khejroliya were threatening, Bengal didn’t do themselves any favours. Abhimanyu Easwaran was let off twice – on 6 and 13 – when first Saini put down a simple caught and bowled chance and then Kunal Chandela dropped him at midwicket. But Easwaran returned the gift by pulling one straight to Chandela off the next delivery, and froze in disbelief.Saini then broke through Sudip’s defence to clean him up. While a delivery that kept low could be held up as a mitigating factor in his case, there could possibly be no reasonable explanation for Writtick Chatterjee’s run-out. Having completed an easy single, Tiwary set off for the second after the throw at the non-striker’s end headed towards the fielder backing up at square leg. Even as Writtick yelled out a loud “no”, Tiwary kept going and Writtick eventually sacrificed his wicket. A little over two overs later, Anustup Majumdar nicked one down the leg side, which was followed by Tiwary being knocked over by a scorching Saini delivery that straightened after pitching on the fuller side of length to clatter into the top of off.Seven overs later, Bengal’s innings had come to an end, with Shami unbeaten on 13, probably wondering why he was faced with the situation he found himself in. He had good reason to feel aggrieved considering his part in keeping Bengal in the match with blistering spells on either side of lunch. He bowled 39 overs in the innings – the most by a Delhi bowler. In the morning, Shami put the second new ball to good use almost right away, pegging Nitish Rana in front of the stumps. Rana was a touch unlucky though, as the ball had pitched outside leg stump. Ashok Dinda matched Shami’s act by having Delhi captain Rishabh Pant lbw in the next over. With Delhi having slipped to 281 for 5, it looked like they would fail to capitalise on the advances made on Monday.However, Himmat Singh (60 off 115 balls) ensured that the lower order wouldn’t fold easily. He first put on 47 with Manan Sharma, who made 34 off 33 balls, before raising a 56-run stand with Tokas, who gritted out 10 off 51 balls. The defining feature of their batting was the spunk they displayed in the face of some scorching short-pitched bowling from Dinda and Shami. The batsmen ducked and weaved awkwardly and even got hit, but refused to give in. In the face of such bowling, you can bat for long enough to be bruised in the quest for runs or wilt cheaply as a unit – Delhi and Bengal represented both ends of the spectrum.

Glasgow Rangers have been busy in the market throughout the summer transfer window and could take their incoming business into double digits before the deadline

Who have Rangers signed this summer?

The Light Blues have been able to bolster their squad in a number of areas as Michael Beale has snapped up nine new signings to date.

Leon Balogun, Cyriel Dessers, Danilo, Kieran Dowell, Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling, Jose Cifuentes, and Sam Lammers have all come through the door on permanent deals. They have also loaned in winger Abdallah Sima from Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.

Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…

A tenth addition could be on the way over the coming weeks as they were recently touted with interest in Millwall centre-back Jake Cooper, who is now into the final 12 months of his contract with the English side.

How good is Jake Cooper?

The 6 foot 6 titan is a dominant defender who could arrive at Ibrox to form a monstrous partnership with Connor Goldson at the heart of Beale's backline.

John Souttar has started the current campaign on the left of the central defensive pairing but the Scotland international's fitness record in recent years suggests that the Gers need an excellent option to compete with or provide cover for him.

The former Hearts stopper has missed a whopping 87 competitive matches through injury since the start of the 2020/21 season and was absent for 43 Rangers games last term.

Cooper, on the other hand, has featured in at least 42 league matches for Millwall in each of the last five campaigns, which shows that he is a durable and reliable option on the left side of the defence.

The left-footed brute could form an intimidating partnership with Goldson as they are both able to dominate opposition attackers in the air. Cooper won 67% of his aerial duels last season and 73% of them during the previous term, as per Sofascore.

In fact, the English ace ranked within the top 5% of his positional peers at Championship level with 5.05 headers won per 90 during the 2022/23 campaign.

Meanwhile, the current Rangers colossus has won at least 63% of his aerial contests over the last three full Scottish Premiership years, which shows that both players come out on top in the majority of their headed duels and would be able to deal with teams who hurl balls into the box or try to play long to a target man.

Cooper, who was once hailed as "invaluable" by boss Gary Rowett, averaged Sofascore ratings of 6.94 and 7.13 across the 2022/23 and 2021/22 seasons respectively, whilst only Goldson (7.29) recorded a score higher than 6.96 last term.

These statistics suggest that the 28-year-old Gers target has the quality to be an excellent performer due to his consistently impressive performances, whilst also being more reliable than Souttar in terms of his potential availability throughout the year.

Therefore, Beale could land a monster partner for Goldson to start alongside the English battler when Souttar is unavailable by securing a deal to sign the dominant Millwall giant before the window slams shut.

Cameroon's goalkeeper, Andre Onana, and the nation's legendary striker, Samuel Eto'o, have supposedly not spoken since the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

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• Cameroon goalkeeper and great feud deepens
• Cameroon AFCON hopes hang in balance
• Onana was sent home from World Cup by Eto'o

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The cloud that has been hanging over the Cameroonian side refuses to clear as the feud remains unresolved according to Chris Wheeler of the . Eto'o, elected as the Cameroon Football Federation President in 2021, has had a number of arguments with Onana and the player was sent home for disciplinary issues at the 2022 World Cup. Onana retired from international duty before being recalled, yet he has since been further accused of disrespecting his national team after arriving at AFCON late in order to minimise the Manchester United games he missed.

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  WHAT WHEELER SAID

  Posting on X, Wheeler said: "There doesn’t appear to be any change in Andre Onana’s feud with Cameroon FA president Samuel Eto’o. It’s said they haven’t spoken since the World Cup in Qatar, and their relationship is broken and irreconcilable. Onana could be back [at Manchester United] this week if Cameroon go out of AFCON on Tuesday."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The rift between Onana and Eto'o does not appear to have an end in sight. The disagreements between the nation's star goalkeeper and president will only serve to hamper Cameroon's chances of victory at not just this year's AFCON, but in future tournaments as well.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ONANA?

  Onana's Cameroon are on the brink of elimination from AFCON. They sit third in their group behind Senegal and Guinea having accrued just one point. They face Gambia on Tuesday knowing qualification is only possible if they better Guinea's result against Senegal.

Ashleigh Gardner took flight with the bat before Sarah Aley ushered a staggering collapse with the ball as Sydney Sixers set up a final clash with Perth Scorchers again

The Report by Daniel Brettig02-Feb-2018Ashleigh Gardner goes on her toes during her vital half-century•Getty Images

Ashleigh Gardner took flight with the bat before Sarah Aley ushered a staggering collapse with the ball as Sydney Sixers advanced to their third consecutive Women’s Big Bash League final with a 17-run win over Adelaide Strikers. The defending champions’ win gained them the chance to vie for a second title in three editions of the tournament.While the Strikers began tightly with the ball and were kept in the contest until late by Tammy Beaumont, Gardner’s 45-ball 72 and then Aley’s burst of 4 for 1, amid the Strikers’ loss of six wickets for a mere three runs, were obstacles too great for the home side to overcome. The leading team of the qualifying rounds has thus made the final, and will take on Perth Scorchers after they dumped Sydney Thunder from the tournament on Thursday.The Schutt shieldAs befits her consistent place taking the new ball for Australia, Megan Schutt made life difficult for the Sixers after Ellyse Perry chose to bat on a sunny Adelaide afternoon. Across the tournament, Schutt had bowled her overs at a cost of a mere 5.85 runs per over until the semi-final, and she raised her game to more miserly levels this time around.At the other end, Sophie Devine was also effective, and gained the first wicket of the match in the form of the Sixers and Australia wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy. After four overs, the Sixers were a decidedly wobbly 1 for 9, with the clamps seeming to have been placed well and truly on their innings by Schutt in particular. The Sixers needed a way to supercharge the innings – fortunately they had just the power player for the task.Gardner goes bangEarly in the season, Gardner had played a pivotal role in securing a nervy chase for Australia in the opening Ashes ODI at Allan Border Field with a vital burst of hitting opposite Alex Blackwell. In Adelaide, she had the task of batting for longer and setting up the Sixers’ tally after their early struggles, and did so in a fashion that remained true to her heavy-hitting ways. While Perry played a sensible supporting hand, rotating the strike and finding gaps, Gardner set about clumping the Sixers’ scoring rate into healthy territory.Schutt, Devine, Suzie Bates and Amanda-Jade Wellington were all hoisted for at least one Gardner six, several of which carried the men’s boundary as well as the women’s. The most intriguing battle was between Gardner and Wellington, who spun her legbreaks teasingly, and came close to ending Gardner’s innings on 46 when a high ball swirled over Bridget Patterson on the midwicket boundary but burst through her hands while carrying for the six that took Gardner over 50. Wellington would eventually deceive and dismiss Gardner, stumped off a wide, but by then the allrounder had carved out 72 and ensured a decent Sixers total.Aley’s avalancheSliding the ball on with enough pace to punish any misjudgements, Aley has long been one of the more challenging customers in the WBBL. She does not generally need the help she got when coming on to bowl in the fourth over of the Strikers’ chase, with Devine and Bates seemingly traveling well in pursuit. Aley’s first ball was a little short, and hurried onto Bates just enough to have the New Zealand captain pulling straight into the hands of midwicket. Very next ball, Tahlia McGrath sized up another delivery that dropped short and also wide of the stumps. Her attempt to cut was airborne, and straight at Sarah Coyte, who celebrated enthusiastically with her team-mates at putting Aley onto a hat-trick.While the rest of the over was safely negotiated by Beaumont, the collapse would be maintained in Aley’s next over, when she snared a couple of wickets in more typical fashion – Wellington and Tabitha Saville both pinned lbw by balls delivered stump to stump. Patterson and Devine fell in the same period at the other end, meaning the Strikers lost 6 for 3, of which Aley’s haul was a remarkable, and decisive, 4 for 1.Making them work for itAt 6 for 23, the Strikers were every chance of folding in the manner of the Scorchers’ men’s team on Thursday night, but Beaumont was able to stem the bleeding for a time with ardent help from Schutt. Though they let the required run rate balloon into two-runs-a-ball territory, the pair importantly guided the Strikers past 70, and so when Schutt fell lbw to Erin Burns, the game was not quite done for.Beaumont made it to a meritorious 50 and cut the equation to 44 from 22 balls. But she was to be dismissed the next ball after reaching her milestone, lbw trying to reverse sweep Coyte, and from there the match petered out, albeit rather later than it had earlier seemed likely to. The Strikers’ streak is over, ended by a pair of explosive passages of play from the most consistent force in the league.