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The £51-million summer signing missed some huge chances as City were beaten by Liverpool in the Community Shield

Manchester City and Liverpool are set to go head-to-head in the Premier League as the two best sides in the country once again, and Jurgen Klopp’s side have laid down an early marker with their 3-1 victory in the Community Shield.

It was something of a new-look City side at the King Power Stadium, with senior players Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko all having moved on during the transfer window, and while Liverpool also had new faces on show, the quality of the two sides remains.

For City, all eyes were on Erling Haaland, and it was exactly the debut he didn’t want; failing to convert a number of chances, not least a gilt-edged opportunity in injury time.

But while it’s a chance for early silverware missed, the focus is on next week’s clash with West Ham and the start of City's Premier League defence.

Getty ImagesThe Winners

Julian Alvarez

Almost the forgotten man of City's new arrivals, the Argentine’s goal made it the perfect start to his new life in England. Lethal when an opportunity came his way, the goal matched Alvarez's strong movement off the ball. Under the least pressure of all the new faces, he could make a big impact at the Etihad. 

Marc Cucurella

There’s nothing like a defeat before the transfer window closes to get directors of football to loosen the purse strings. City have been without an orthodox left-back for a number of seasons and, while there is no sign of an agreement with Brighton, the signing of Cucurella would add options and depth to Guardiola’s squad.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers

Erling Haaland

There was plenty of strong running and incisive movement from City's marquee summer signing, but ultimately Haaland will be judged on goals. He had a couple of good efforts on target but missed a golden chance when he smashed the crossbar from close range late on. He will have easier games than coming up against Virgil Van Dijk on his debut, however.

John Stones

Stones, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden missed City' pre-season tour to the United States, and it has left the former with a fight to get back into Guardiola’s team. The City boss convinced Nathan Ake to stick around amid interest from Chelsea and the Dutchman will be given a chance to play. With Aymeric Laporte set to miss the first month of the season through injury, it is Ake, not Stones, who looks set to partner Ruben Dias at West Ham.

VAR

New season, same old problems with VAR. The decision to award Alvarez’s equaliser took far too long, as the officials spent over four minutes deliberating. Awarding a handball against Ruben Dias was, meanwhile, the right decision under the current rules, but it was a harsh, game-changing punishment against a defender that was barely two yards away from Darwin Nunez and making an entirely natural movement.

Man City Ratings: Defence

Ederson (6/10)

No chance with any of the goals but made one fine – if painful save – to deny Darwin Nunez, while his distribution was typically good.

Walker (6/10)

Had a fierce battle with Luis Diaz and stopped the Colombian from creating too much.

Dias (6/10)

Unfortunate to give away the key penalty which spoiled what was otherwise a commanding performance.

Ake (6/10)

Unwittingly deflected Trent Alexander-Arnold’s superb opener beyond Ederson but made a steady start on the left side of defence.

Cancelo (6/10)

Slow start against the dangerous Mo Salah, but responded to stifle his influence and was lively supporting the attack.

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Midfield

Rodri (6/10)

Always a big ask to patrol the centre of midfield against Liverpool and stop their lightning breaks but was effective, other than losing one footrace with the speedy Diaz.

Bernardo Silva (7/10)

Amid the links with Barcelona, the Portugal midfielder says he will always giver everything to the side, and did so again, with a hard-running performance blotted with quality touches.

De Bruyne (7/10)

The Belgian has started pre-season in superb form and his quick brain led to City’s best moments as he picked out the runs of Haaland and Riyad Mahrez.

The 30-year-old has been mocked over the fact that the team he left is now top of the Premier League – but he made the correct call

The online trolling of Harry Kane began as soon as the full-time whistle blew in Bayern Munich's shock DFB-Pokal second-round loss to third-tier Saarbrucken. Having already suffered defeat in the the DFL-Supercup in his very first outing for the Bavarians back in August, this latest blow in his bid to lift a team trophy for the first time in a 14-year professional career was viewed as further evidence of Kane being cursed; destined to retire without any major honours to his name.

What the keyboard warriors found particularly amusing was the fact that Kane had quit Tottenham during the summer in a desperate pursuit of silverware – and yet the north Londoners now sit proudly on top of the Premier League. And there would certainly be a cruel irony in Spurs winning the title for the first time since 1961 the season after the loss of their all-time leading scorer.

So, has Kane made a monumental error? Has he left Tottenham at precisely the wrong time? And for the wrong club?

Getty Images'I don't agree with his move'

Michael Owen certainly thinks Kane has jumped ship too soon. The Ballon d'Or winner believes the all-round attacker should have seen out the final year of his Spurs contract before joining Barcelona, Real Madrid or whomever he wanted on a free transfer next summer.

"I don't agree with his move from Spurs to Bayern," Owen told . "If he was so desperate to leave and to win trophies, then he could easily have stayed for another season and then had the world in his hands by going on a Bosman transfer.

"That way, if Spurs miraculously started playing well and looking like title challengers, he could have always [extended his contract], but, regardless, he would have had his destiny in his hands and gone to any club he wanted, all while he was getting closer to that Premier League goalscoring record and creating the perfect legacy with the club he's been at all his life.

"Bayern are undoubtedly one of the biggest clubs in the world but for me to win a trophy, I don't think there's anything really special about going and guaranteeing yourself a Bundesliga trophy. Bayern will win the league with or without Kane, so I don't think that was particularly a reason to leave."

AdvertisementGetty'I was crying my eyes out'

Owen's perspective should obviously be respected, given he knows a thing or two about leaving a boyhood club for one of Europe's elite. He was painfully torn over swapping Liverpool for Real Madrid in the summer of 2004.

"I didn't sleep for a week beforehand," he previously told GOAL. "And even on the drive to the airport, I was crying my eyes out, I don't mind telling you."

But Owen's view of the Kane transfer is understandably coloured by the negative outcome of his Madrid move. He scored goals in La Liga – 13, to be precise – but he realised long before the end of his one and only season in Spain that he was never going to be a first-choice during the dying embers of Florentino Perez's ultimately disappointing Galactico era. So, keen to avoid jeopardising his place in England's starting line-up ahead of the 2006 World Cup, Owen pushed for a return to the Premier League.

His goal was to rejoin Liverpool, who had just won the Champions League without him, much to the delight of some bitter Reds supporters who were still furious with the forward for leaving. But he instead ended up at Newcastle, and then Manchester United, as the second half of a once-glittering career was derailed by one incessant injury issues.

Getty ImagesKane gamble 'will pay off'

However, as Owen said himself to GOAL, "You never can plan your career perfectly. You think you're going to be a Liverpool player for life but then you think, 'Oh my God, it's Real Madrid, I'll regret this forever if I say no.'

"So, while I didn't get the chance to spend the rest of my career at Liverpool, I had an incredible experience in Madrid."

It's slightly curious, then, that Owen has come out so vehemently against Kane's Bayern switch, given his compatriot is demonstrating the same level of ambition. Furthermore, all of the early signs are that it is a transfer that will work out far better than Owen's short spell at the Santiago Bernabeu.

For starters, Kane represented a hugely significant signing for Bayern. He wasn't merely an expendable element of a vanity project. He was their top transfer target, the belated Robert Lewandowski replacement, the complete No.9 they needed to sign at all costs to turn Thomas Tuchel's team into legitimate Champions League challengers.

And that's precisely why a club renowned for its relatively prudent approach to the transfer market committed to a nine-figure fee (including bonuses) for a 30-year-old with less than 12 months left on his contract. Bayern, as Lothar Matthaus pointed out, had probably slightly overpaid in the circumstances but he, like the club, presumed that the gamble "will pay off".

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Getty'You notice his aura immediately'

Kane is certainly proving value for money so far, with 12 goals in his first nine Bundesliga outings, including two hat-tricks – and a strike from the halfway line that even David Beckham felt compelled to comment upon.

Kane's also netted in two of his three Champions League appearances, though, with his crucial strike in last month's win at Galatasaray prompting Tuchel to come up with a rather novel and amusing way to hail his striker's ludicrously composed finishing.

"Harry has beer calm," the former Chelsea boss told . "If you have scored 4,800 goals in your career, then you just have less [of a] pulse! He has a very natural self-confidence and knows that he doesn't need many chances."

Indeed, Leon Goretzka says that Kane is a humble, "wonderful guy", the England captain has an "aura" about him that inspires confidence in everyone around him. "You notice it immediately in the dressing room," the midfielder said. "He helps us so much. He's a leader."

Leroy Sane is clearly loving linking up with Kane, with the former Manchester City winger enjoying the best season of his Bayern career to date, while the promising young striker Mathys Tel is already benefiting enormously from learning from one of the best finishers of the modern era.

"He's a role model for me," the teenager recently told the Bundesliga's official website. "It's important to have people to learn from technically and in terms of finishing, and, often I don't even have to ask him. He just comes over to me and tells me: 'Mathys, you can do that, or that'.

"He pays close attention to the little details and he's looking to help me in any way he can. He's supporting me a great deal."

Interestingly, when asked what he admired most about Kane, Tel responded, "His mentality. He is very strong mentally. He's very calm."

Barcelona will not be dropping their asking price for Sergino Dest, with PSV in danger of missing out on a permanent transfer for the USMNT star.

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Productive loan spell being enjoyedLa Liga giants eager to agree sale in 2024Expect interest to build in upcoming windowsWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international defender has rebuilt his reputation at club level since returning to the Netherlands on a season-long loan. Having struggled to make an impact at Camp Nou, while also flopping during a loan spell at AC Milan, the 23-year-old former Ajax full-back is seeing his stock rise once more.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Barca are eager to put a deal in place for 2024, with it initially suggested that PSV would look to put a purchase option in place. The Eredivisie giants are, however, said to be stalling on Dest’s €10 million (£9m/$11m) fee – with efforts being made to bring that price down.

DID YOU KNOW?

According to, Barcelona will not be budging. They believe that Dest is justifying that figure with the regular game that he is enjoying in Eindhoven. The Liga outfit are confident that interest will be shown next summer regardless of whether PSV enter into negotiations or not.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DEST?

Dest has taken in 15 appearances for PSV this season – with his versatility being put to good use at left-back. He has also remained a key part of the USMNT squad, although he did pick up a reckless red card on his latest international outing against Trinidad & Tobago in the CONCACAF Nations League quarter-finals.

A round-up of the Sunfoil Series matches on January 18, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2015First-innings centuries from Imraan Khan and Cody Chetty, and an eight-wicket match haul from Daryn Dupavillon powered Dolphins to a 242-run victory against Knights in Kimberley. Dolphins, opting to bat, made the early running in the game, as they posted 452, despite a career-best 7 for 89 from the offspinner Patrick Botha. Their innings was built around a 168-run opening stand between Imraan (127) and Divan van Wyk (57), and a 97-run association for the fifth wicket between Chetty (101) and Khaya Zondo (51).Dolphins then further enforced their advantage by bowling Knights out for 255 in 84 overs. None of their top-order batsmen could convert their starts, and their highest scorer was Michael Erlank (55*) at No.8. Dupavillon and Mathew Pillans claimed three wickets each, while Graham Hume and Keshav Maharaj shared the remaining four scalps between them.With a massive 197-run lead in hand, Dolphins rode on van Wyk’s second fifty of the game (65) to score 171 in 35 overs before declaring. It set Knights 369 for the win, but the team lasted only 45 overs in their second innings to be dismissed for 126. Dupavillon wrecked the team’s top and middle order to fetch figures of 5 for 38, while Maharaj ran through the tail. Only three Knights batsmen made double-digit scores, as the team succumbed to their second defeat of the season.An adventurous 36-ball 42 from Cobras No. 11 Dane Paterson gave Warriors a late scare, but the batsman was dismissed as he played a cut straight to gully with Cobras 17 short of their 322-run target in Port Elizabeth. In a match of swinging fortunes, Cobras had crossed 200 with six wickets in hand after a 159-run stand between Dane Vilas (84) and Sybrand Engelbrecht (72), but both batsmen were dismissed within the space of eight balls by Andrew Birch to spark a collapse. At 237 for 9, Cobras were on the door step of a loss. Then, Paterson hit six fours and two sixes during a rapid 68-run stand for the last wicket, but fell inches short of what would have been Cobras first win.It was Birch whose 83-ball 88 from No. 8 had helped Warriors set a challenging total. After taking a tiny lead of four runs in the first innings, Warriors had been reduced to 176 for 6 in the second innings. Birch then added a vital 100 runs for the seventh wicket with Colin Ingram to turn the tide in their favour and helped the team finish on 317.Both teams had struggled to score in the first innings. Cobras put Warriors in, struck in the first over, and picked up regular wickets as Warriors stumbled to 150 for 9. When all looked over, another last-wicket stand gave Warriors just enough breathing space by adding 53 runs. Cobras followed the same route – early collapse followed by late rescue – to finish on 199.Titans’ Heino Kuhn registered a career-best 244* in a rain-affected run-feast against Lions in Benoni, a match in which two other batsmen also hit centuries and six hit fifties. The match petered to a draw as Kuhn batted for 713 minutes, scoring 20 fours and a six, in Titans’ patient response to Lions’ 485 for 7, and helped his team take a first-innings lead. It was Kuhn’s second century in three games this season. Qaasim Adams, the No. 6, joined Kuhn when Titans were still 112 behind Lions, but scored his sixth first-class hundred as the fifth-wicket stand took the score past 500.After the Lions opted to bat, the in-form Stephen Cook led the batting with a strong opening partnership of 114 and went to score his third century in four matches this season. Bowlers toiled as Lions’ lower-order piled on runs before Lions declared. However, Titans’ batsmen repaid the favour to Lions’ bowlers, batting out 169 overs before the match ended.

Gladstone Dainty, president of the USA Cricket Association, has said USACA was unable to hold a domestic national tournament for the last three years was because the organisation has “been busy participating in ICC events”

Peter Della Penna in Lauderhill17-Aug-2014Gladstone Dainty, president of the USA Cricket Association, has said the reason USACA was unable to hold a domestic national tournament for the last three years was because the organisation has “been busy participating in ICC events”.Prior to this weekend’s USACA T20 National Championship, there had not been a national domestic championship at the men’s level since June 2011 in New Jersey. USACA has also not been able to organise a women’s national event since July 2011 while junior tournaments also experienced a three-year gap until an under-15 National Championship was held in California in June. An under-17 national tournament which was due to be held at the AAU Junior Olympics last month in Iowa was canceled by the Amateur Athletic Union after no players or teams registered.Speaking at the final presentation of the USACA T20 National Championship, Dainty also commented on the rain that affected play over the course of the weekend, that allowed for only three full games. He said the tournament couldn’t be held in Indianapolis because “a lot of things conspired against us”. The City of Indianapolis sent USACA a termination letter in May to end their three-year hosting agreement for the national championship, claiming the board’s failure to communicate with the city after the resignation by Darren Beazley as USACA chief executive.The USACA president also commended the players for paying out of their pockets to attend the rain-marred tournament and stated that USACA was able to raise $35,000 to stage the tournament thanks to a pair of sponsors, including title sponsor FutureTech. The presentation was attended by ICC Americas Regional Development Manager Ben Kavanagh as well as West Indies Cricket Board vice-president Emmanuel Nathan and former West Indies Test player Lawrence Rowe.The only teams present at the awards presentation were the two participants in the tournament final, South East and New York. The other six teams who traveled to the tournament were not present for the awards ceremony after half the teams left the ground in a player walkout following USACA’s decision to wipe out the semi-finals over the threat of rain.

Alan Gardner04-Jul-2014In the Long Room, where the oil paintings on the wall hang heavy with history, there is an air of informality. Current and former cricketers walk back and forth, some with equipment in their arms, most wearing odd bits of kit; members of the press mill about with shirt collars open, not bound by the usual MCC rules on attire. In the middle, a legspin bowler tosses up the ball and a diminutive figure with an unmistakable backlift stretches forward to meet it, bat perfectly straight.It is 200 years since Thomas Lord, entrepreneur, wine merchant and cricketer, settled on the third and final location for the home of the MCC. To celebrate this bicentenary, Lord’s ground – or simply Lord’s, as it is known throughout the cricket world – will on Saturday host an exhibition match featuring a swoon-inducing array of star names. Captaining the MCC side is the most famous of the lot (even if it counts for little in Russia): Sachin Tendulkar.His opposite number in the Rest of the World side is Shane Warne, though the rivalry, as they take questions and share smiles after an outing for the cameras on the pitch, is strictly of the staged variety. Social media has been overflowing with displays of bonhomie between the players in recent days and if the game is an exercise in self-promotion for the MCC, then the preferred medium is selfie-promotion.Warne even tried his hand at self-deprecation. “I want to get him out, which didn’t happen that often; he wants to smash me, which happened a lot,” he says of Tendulkar. In the bosom of England’s cricketing establishment, Australia’s arch-larrikin has come over all coy. “Hopefully I don’t get the chance to bowl to Sachin.” Tendulkar smiles serenely.For Tendulkar, whose retirement at the end of 2013 ended a 24-year soap opera that had been playing on all Indian channels, Lord’s is a home away from home. He used to regularly practice in the nets, under a special arrangement with the MCC, bringing along his son, Arjun, who at 14 is the same age as when Sachin first posed for a picture in front of the terracotta pavilion. In a quiet spot on the Nursery Ground, the Sachinalia that forever accompanies the man can be held in abeyance.”It’s always a special feeling, they have been very kind to allow me and my son to practice here for so many years. We have our private moments – sometimes it’s difficult. We get to spend quality time here, in the nets. The atmosphere is fantastic. However many times you come here, you feel special.”His first visit as an international cricketer, on India’s 1990 tour, produced an enduring image – that of a young Tendulkar plucking the ball one-handed from the sky – although, like Warne and his MCC team-mate Brian Lara, he never made it on to the famous honours boards. Tendulkar is quick to remember a century scored at the ground in 1998, during a memorial match for Diana, Princess of Wales, but Lord’s is one of few in cricket that can match his dauntless reputation. It seems a fitting venue for his first appearance with bat in hand since signing off amid an outpouring of emotion in Mumbai last year.”To be honest, I’ve not played, right from my retirement from the time I got to London,” he says, in that familiar, soft voice. “I started practising ten days ago… It’s nice to be back in gear, play a few balls. That sound is always special, when you connect; I’m still trying to find the centre of the bat. I’ve watched a bit of cricket, I was with the Mumbai Indians during the IPL, but I’ve never felt like going out to bat.”While Tendulkar was serene, posing for photos and signing autographs, Lord’s appeared to have an altogether different effect on Kevin Pietersen, one of Warne’s Rest of the World XI. Declaring that he felt like “a kid in a candy store” to be playing with the likes of Brett Lee, Muttiah Muralitharan, Rahul Dravid and Adam Gilchrist, Pietersen instead looked like he had been made to suck on something rather sour, as he brooded from behind black, reflective sunglasses and again poured out his heart for England.”I’d love to play for England again, I’ve still got hope,” he says. “I’ve got a phone in my pocket and a pretty good resume.” Perhaps, over the course of the weekend, he will slip that resume along with a note saying ‘call me’ under the door of the ECB offices, though it may be another bicentenary before his feelings are requited.Perhaps the reality of being a “genuine out-and-out clubbie, playing once a week” has begun to pall, as Pietersen contemplates winding down his career on a diet of T20 takeout instead of the Test-match banquets he once indulged in. Certainly, he seemed out of sync with what was going on around him, dressed in casual wear and wearing a baseball cap from his fashion label, in the Long Room where the even the starchiest of MCC members rose to applaud his five Lord’s hundreds.His last visit, since being sent into exile by England, was as a guest in one of the hospitality boxes during the Sri Lanka Test. “I’m going okay at the moment. But there’s nothing like playing, I’m still 34, you’ve got the rest of your life to enjoy days drinking and watching Test matches.”He will be at the centre of it all again on Saturday, though he will have to share the stage. Meanwhile, the Lord’s magic remains undiluted.

Quinton de Kock and David Miller have been awarded national contracts by Cricket South Africa for 2014-15

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Feb-2014Quinton de Kock and David Miller have been awarded national contracts by Cricket South Africa for 2014-15. The new list has been trimmed from its usual 20-plus names to 17 following an agreement between CSA and the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA).Marchant de Lange, Dean Elgar, Colin Ingram, Aaron Phangiso and Thami Tsolekile are the five players no longer on CSA’s books. Test retiree Jacques Kallis has been given a one-year contract “to recognise his immense contribution to South African cricket over a long period of time and to secure his availability for the ODI squad”, according to a CSA release.In addition to the current list, CSA will also offer 12 top-up contracts for “aspiring Franchise players who could be regarded as potential Proteas in the future”. Those players will only be identified once the franchises have completed their own contracts.While no official reason has been given for the cut in the number of contracts, ESPNcricinfo understands that the trimming is linked to an expected shortfall of R54 million (US$5m) in CSA’s budget. CSA reportedly incurred a significant loss on the curtailed 2013-14 India tour – though the final figures are yet to arrive – and it is possible the effects are starting to show. The board had hoped to earn R318 million (US $29m) from India arriving to play three Tests, seven ODIs and two T20s; instead a shortened itinerary included just two Tests and three ODIs.De Kock made his mark on the India one-dayers, becoming the fifth player to score three consecutive ODI hundreds. Both he and Miller are regular members of South Africa’s limited-overs squads and, at 21 and 24 respectively, should have big roles to play in the future.Elgar’s omission comes despite his involvement in the ongoing Test series against Australia. He remains in the squad as the back-up batsman, having made one century in seven Test appearances, and could come into contention for the second Test in Port Elizabeth. Tsolekile is also in the squad, though it appears South Africa may now look beyond him as the reserve wicketkeeper – a role de Kock can also perform. De Lange took 7 for 81 on Test debut two years ago but has since struggled with injuries.”I am delighted that we recently signed a new Heads of Agreement with SACA,” the CSA chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, said. “As expected, negotiating player terms that include earnings will always be challenging, but I was really pleased with the positive and mature way in which the negotiations were conducted.”The 17-man list did not include Kallis’ name, as his contract was specially drawn up. Kallis retired from Test cricket after the Boxing Day Test against India but hopes to be involved in the 2015 World Cup. “We are well aware of the incredible stature of Jacques and his personal desire to play in next year’s ICC World Cup,” Lorgat said. “We want to help him as best as we can.”The new list includes eight players given two-year deals, although CSA did not specify who the recipients were. SACA said it was happy with the reduction in the number of contracts, because the average number of players to represent South Africa on an annual basis is 17.CSA contracted players for 2014-15: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

A remarkable recovery from Punjab has now made them favourites to get maximum points against Delhi, unless the likes of Gautam Gambhir or Virender Sehwag can chase down a daunting 327 on the final day, with just seven wickets in hand

Amit Shetty24-Dec-2013
ScorecardFile photo – Jiwanjot Singh struck 20 fours during his 147•ESPNcricinfo LtdA remarkable recovery from Punjab, led by an impressive showing from their batsmen in the second innings, has now made them favourites to get maximum points against Delhi, unless the likes of Gautam Gambhir or Virender Sehwag can chase down a daunting 327 on the final day, with just seven wickets in hand.Delhi ended the day at 60 for three, with Unmukt Chand, Vaibhav Rawal and the ever-dependable Mithun Manhas all back in the pavilion. Their captain Gambhir, though, remained unbeaten on 22, while Sehwag is likely to arrive at the crease early in the morning as Delhi require another 267.After Jiwanjot Singh’s 147 helped Punjab recover from their 74 all out in the first innings, Mandeep Singh,along with solid contributions from the lower order, took the visitors’ score to 402, with the wicketkeeper Gitansh Khera and No. 10 Siddarth Kaul sharing a partnership of 41 runs for the ninth wicketPunjab’s batsmen played two sessions on the day to add 225 runs to their overnight score of 177 for 3. This was largely possible due to Mandeep’s attacking knock of 80 off 113 balls that had eight well-timed fours and a pulled six over midwicket off Ashish Nehra’s bowling. Mandeep upped the ante, while Jiwanjot continued playing the role of a sheet anchor, as 105 runs came in the first session.With Parvinder Awana not being in a position to bowl due to back problems, Gambhir had limited options. The ball got old and it became easy for the batsmen to score.As Mandeep went for big shots, Jiwanjot continued to play his natural game of holding one end up and hitting only the odd loose deliveries for boundaries. He was handed a reprieve on 115 when Chand dropped him off Nehra’s bowling at third slip, drawing Gambhir’s ire.Mandeep was out just before lunch when a Navdeep Saini delivery kept low, getting him plumb in front but, by then, he and Jiwanjot had already added 159 for the fourth wicket. Jiwanjot’s seven-hour long vigil ended after the second new ball was taken, as he edged one from Saini to wicketkeeper Rahul Yadav.Gurkeerat Singh, Jaskaran Singh and Sandeep Sharma didn’t contribute much and Punjab were reduced to 329 for 8 in the 105th over. However, the Delhi bowlers gave away easy runs as last two wickets produced an invaluable 73 runs to beef up Punjab’s total.Khera played a pivotal role, hitting seven fours with most of the shots being square of the wicket. With Navdeep bowling a wrong line and Gambhir not having a point, singles and boundaries in the region between backward point and third-man were there for the taking.Delhi began their chase poorly as Chand shouldered arms to an incutter from Sandeep and was adjudged lbw, in the first over.Rawal joined his captain Gambhir and looked in good touch, but the latter once again looked raw – playing and missing a few. Rawal hit some elegant drives to keep the scoreboard moving and the duo added 59 runs for the second wicket, but the extra 30 minutes that was scheduled to cover up for lost time became Delhi’s undoing.First, Rawal dragged a delivery from Manpreet Gony back to his stumps and Manhas was removed by Jaskaran Singh with a ball that darted in.Nehra was sent in as the nightwatchman, but the onus will be on Gambhir and Sehwag on day four, to try and salvage something from the game.

Hyderabad will not host any matches in the upcoming Champions League T20, due to security reasons

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Sep-2013Hyderabad will not host any matches in the upcoming Champions League T20, due to security reasons. The 12 qualifiers and group matches scheduled to be held in Hyderabad will be shared by Mohali, Ranchi and Ahmedabad.The qualifying matches on September 17, 18, 20 and a Group B double-header on September 24 will now be played in Mohali. Ranchi will host a double-header on September 28 while Ahmedabad will host a double-header on September 30.Last week, Andhra Pradesh state police said that they would not be able to provide adequate security for the matches as they clash with the Ganesh immersion festival. The Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) had stated that the question mark over security was only restricted to the qualifiers and they were confident the police would provide adequate security for the group games.Altered schedule

September 17 – Faisalabad Wolves v Otago/ Kandurata Maroons v Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mohali

September 18 – Kandurata Maroons v Otago/Faisalabad Wolves v Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mohali

September 20 – Faisalabad Wolves v Kandurata Maroons/ Otago v Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mohali

September 24 – Brisbane Heat v Titans/Trinidad & Tobago v Qualifier 2, Mohali

September 28 – Titans v Qualifier 2/ Brisbane Heat v Chennai Super Kings, Ranchi

September 30 – Titans v Trinidad & Tobago/ Brisbane Heat v Qualifier 2, Ahmedabad

However, the decision to shift all the games may have been taken due to the Hyderabad police being non-committal.”Police had said that they will not be able to provide security for the qualifiers due to Ganapati immersions. And for the league games, they would take a call based on the prevalent situation,” MV Sridhar, the HCA secretary, told ESPNcricinfo.”So it was up to the CLT20 governing council to take a call.”This isn’t the first time Hyderabad has been stripped of matches in recent years. In the 2010 IPL, all of Deccan Chargers’ home games were played at Nagpur, Cuttack and Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium due to political agitations in the state.

Chris Rushworth completed a 10-wicket haul in the match as Durham took only 16 balls to wrap up their fifth win of the season on the final day againstDerbyshire at Chester-le-Street.

11-Jul-2013
ScorecardChris Rushworth’s 10 for 103 were his first-class best match figures•Getty ImagesChris Rushworth completed a 10-wicket match haul on his birthday as as Durham took only 16 balls to wrap up their fifth County ChampionshipDivision One win of the season on the final day againstDerbyshire at Chester-le-Street.Rushworth, the right-arm seamer, turned 27 today and removed Tim Gronewald, the penultimate wicket to fall, to pick up his tenth wicket in the match. His second-innings 4 for 39 followed 6 for 64 in the first innings.Rushworth’s wicket was the second of three to fall on the final day as Derbyshire’s last three batsmen offered no resistance, leaving Tom Poyntonstranded on 58 not out as they were all out for 192 to lose by a crushing 279runs.Jon Clare went to the second ball of the day, dabbing at a short, wide one fromBen Stokes to be caught behind. Groenewald was also in no mood to hang around, swinging a good-length ballfrom Rushworth high over square-leg before attempting to hook a short balland giving Phil Mustard another catch.The batsman seemed nonplussed by the decision, indicating the ball had brushedhis upper arm, but it left Rushworth with match figures of 10 for 103 – the best match figures of his career.Last man Mark Footitt also came out swinging and was backing away towardssquare leg when Stokes splattered his stumps to finish with 4 for 62.The crushing defeat deepens Derbyshire’s trouble at the foot of Division One. They remain winless and trail Somerset – seventh in the table – by 30 points with seven matches to play. Durham now have the most wins of anyone in the division and are well-placed for a tilt at a third Championship title, currently 10.5 points behind leaders Sussex.