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Leeds United have been handed a blow in their chase to sign Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien.

What’s the story?

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were unable sign the 22-year-old in the summer, with The Athletic’s Phil Hay reporting that the Whites simply did not want to pay the money that the Terriers were demanding – reported to be a fee in the region of around £8m.

And now, according to The Yorkshire Live, O’Brien is in talks with the Terriers over extending his contract at the club, amid speculation over that move to Elland Road in the summer.

The report added: “O’Brien signed his current deal in summer 2019 just before his emergence into the first team, and that deal is set to expire next summer – albeit the club hold the option to extend it by another year.

“Both parties would now like to ensure O’Brien’s deal is reflective of his value to Carlos Corberan’s side, which in turn would help protect his valuation in the transfer market should Leeds or any other club return with a renewed bid in future.”

Bielsa will be fuming

While Leeds managed to bring in a new first-team left-back in Junior Firpo, and a winger to challenge the likes of Jack Harrison and Raphinha in Dan James, one area of real concern on which they failed to deliver was a new central midfielder.

The decision to not match Huddersfield’s demands for O’Brien shines an even bigger light on the limited options Bielsa currently has, and the Leeds manager will be hoping and praying that the likes of Kalvin Phillips can stay injury-free.

This latest news that O’Brien is in talks over a new contract, in order to protect his value, is likely to ensure that the Terriers can demand a similar sort of fee that they were looking for in the summer, or even something much higher should they give him a much longer-term deal.

Bielsa has already shown that he is someone who will only sign players who fit his principles, and is quite willing to simply avoid players who he doesn’t fancy – Hay even recently suggested that while Victor Orta recommended Noa Lang, Bielsa wanted James, while the Leeds boss has also been understood to have turned down moves for the likes of Glenn Murray and Billy Sharp back in the Championship even when they needed a striker.

The fact that they were very interested in O’Brien means Bielsa is very keen on him, and thinks he would be a good fit at Elland Road. But, given the Whites opted against paying the fee needed to sign him in the summer, this latest update of a new contract is just another body blow and even bigger setback to their chances of signing him.

Bielsa will be fuming if O’Brien doesn’t end up at Leeds now.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign an ideal Kalvin Phillips alternative in this star…

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports pundit Kevin Campbell has said West Ham United manager David Moyes ‘will be fuming’ after something he’s seen.

The Lowdown: West Ham dealt blow…

Amid star striker Michail Antonio’s sensational start to the season, West Ham have now been dealt a blow surrounding the Jamaica international.

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Indeed, during the Irons’ stalemate at Southampton last weekend, Moyes’ star striker was shown a second yellow card in the dying seconds following a reckless challenge on Moussa Djenepo.

As a result, West Ham will be without the 31-year-old for their home game against Premier League title contenders Manchester United.

The Latest: Campbell makes claim…

Speaking to FI, Sky pundit and former English top-flight striker Campbell has made a West Ham claim involving Antonio and Moyes.

Indeed, he says that Moyes ‘will be fuming’ with the incident and West Ham ‘could struggle’ without his pace and power.

“Of course, David Moyes will be fuming because it’s so late on in the game,” Campbell explained.

“Antonio has been top class this season. To have your most influential player at the top end of the pitch suspended is not ideal.

“It is going to give someone else a chance. But without that pace and power that Antonio possesses they could struggle.

“He is a handful for anybody. They might miss him big time.”

The Verdict: Big miss…

Bagging four goals and three assists over his handful of Premier League starts already this season, Antonio will be a big miss for Moyes against his former club this weekend.

The striker has also averaged the second-most shots on goal per 90 this season (4.5), just behind Liverpool superstar Sadio Mane (WhoScored), and it will be interesting to see how the Hammers deal with his absence.

Jarrod Bowen could be a contender to play in Antonio’s usual role, especially considering how brilliant he has been in the final third – making the most key passes per 90 (2.3) out of West Ham’s entire side so far (WhoScored).

In other news: ‘No brainer’…Sky pundit reacts as West Ham eye ‘massive signing for Moyes’, find out more here.

Plays of the day for the fourth day of the second Test between Australia and South Africa

Brydon Coverdale in Durban09-Mar-2009
No keeping duties for AB de Villiers, please © AFP
The sparrow takes flight
Luke “Sparrow” Gillian is often seen when the TV cameras cut to the crowd, wearing his version of the baggy green and waving the Australian flag. The founder of the “Waving the Flag” supporter tours has been a lone figure in the stands at the Tests but he got hismoment in the sun during the tea break, when he was one of three people competing on the field to win some beer. It was a simple bowl-off – whoever hit the stumps most from three attempts won. A young South African man, a bikini-clad girl with a highly dubiousaction, and Sparrow failed in all their attempts and it wasn’t until the makeshift pitch was shortened that anyone got near the stumps. Sparrow eventually got his line right, grabbed a stump and set off on a lap of honour, stopping briefly to happily accept a hug ofcongratulations from the girl in the bikini. The beer will taste extragood tonight.Asad watch, the sequel
On the third day, the umpire Asad Rauf was always worth watching as he tried various poses with his hat, preened his ample head of hair and got a massage from the fourth umpire during a drinks break. Again on the fourth day he was up to some strange antics, collecting a bottle of water during the final drinks break and proceeding to pour thewater into … his eyes. For the second day in a row, Billy Bowden wasthe least interesting umpire on the field.A-grade AB
AB de Villiers has declared he does not want to become the long-term wicketkeeper for South Africa whenever Mark Boucher retires and when he shows off his best in the slips it’s hard to imagine gloves making him any better. There was another top-drawer effort when Marcus North flashed at a wide ball from Dale Steyn and de Villiers, at second slip, hurled up his left hand and casually took the catch as easily as if he was picking apples.
More fielding practice for Marcus North © AFP
North’s day goes further south
As if a duck wasn’t enough for North, things got worse for him when he couldn’t replicate de Villiers’ effort at the start of the Australia innings. Peter Siddle had just got rid of Neil McKenzie and should have had Jacques Kallis first ball when he drew a thick edge. North, at first slip, was a little slow to react and couldn’t get his hands around the ball. At that moment North would have liked to be invisible, which he clearly was later when the ground announcer introduced the fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus as Marcus North. It was a change from the tour match at Potchefstroom, where North came on tobowl and was introduced as Phillip Hughes.Right to refer
South Africa’s appalling record with referrals in this series got slightly better when McKenzie was unconvinced about Billy Bowden’s decision to send him on his way lbw for 3. The line was good, there was no inside edge but the height was the problem and the side angle suggested the ball was already at bail-height and still rising, so McKenzie was rightly reprieved. The referral system hasn’t endeared itself to the South Africans over the past nine days of Test cricket but as they are starting to learn, it’s all about when you use them.

A reason has now been given why Newcastle United’s Deadline Day offer for Boubacar Kamara was rejected.

The Lowdown: Late offer

As per Le Phoceen, the St. James’ Park faithful made a last-minute offer to try and sign the Marseille ace on Transfer Deadline Day.

However, he would have been ‘extremely hesitant’ to have made the move to the North East.

The Latest: Deal off

As per The Athletic, Kamara decided that he wanted to stay at Marseille in the end, despite offers from both Wolves as well as the Tyneside club.

The Ligue 1 team had hoped to move him on given that he only has a year left on his current deal, and now it is anticipated that he will either sign a new contract or leave on a free transfer in 2022.

The Verdict: Shame

It is a shame that a move for Kamara to Steve Bruce’s side eventually fell through.

Once dubbed a ‘phenomenon’ by his former teammate Rolando back in May 2020, the Frenchman still has a lot of potential at just 21 years of age, and his ability to be equally as comfortable at centre-back as well as in defensive midfield (Transfermarkt) would have been a valuable asset to have in the squad.

Nonetheless, the Magpies only managed to bring in one player on a permanent deal in Joe Willock from Arsenal, and given that he was on loan there last season, fans have every right to be worried about the lack of improvement from last term.

In other news, find out why this Toon ace’s move was blocked here!

Newcastle United journalist Chris Waugh says he can’t see Steve Bruce’s position coming under threat ‘any time soon’. 

The lowdown

Newcastle find themselves in 18th place after following up a 4-2 defeat against West Ham United on the opening weekend with a 2-0 loss at Aston Villa on Saturday.

As Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder notes, the Magpies have now lost 13 games over the course of the calendar year, and only Southampton and Burnley have suffered more top-flight defeats since New Year’s Day.

Back in March, Bruce was able to survive after a 3-0 defeat to relegation rivals Brighton and Hove Albion left his side teetering just two points above the drop zone. He subsequently steered them to a 12th-place finish.

The latest

After the defeat at Villa Park, Waugh was asked by a supporter in a Q&A for The Athletic if Bruce’s job is ‘really ever going to be under threat’.

The journalist replied that he expects the hierarchy to maintain their policy of keeping faith in the manager, even to the point where it may not seem ‘wise’ to do so, saying: “The hierarchy stuck by him last season and have done with previous managers, perhaps beyond when was wise. I think they’ll do likewise this season as well.”

The verdict

There may come a point – perhaps if the long-mooted takeover goes through – that Newcastle need to dispense with Bruce to realise their lofty ambitions.

Realistically, he’ll probably guide them to a steady lower mid-table finish this season, and those in situ might simply be happy with that.

It’s also worth acknowledging that we are only two games into the new season, and there’s a week of the transfer window still to go, so the activity on that front over the coming days could alter the picture somewhat.

In other news, Lee Ryder was critical of this man’s performance against Villa. 

Bangladesh handed Sri Lanka their first defeat of the tri-series to set up a virtual semi-final clash against Pakistan on Saturday

Cricinfo staff13-Feb-2009
Scorecard
Bangladesh handed Sri Lanka their first defeat of the tri-series to set up a virtual semi-final clash against Pakistan on Saturday. Sri Lanka, who had won three games in a row, were routed for 67, a target which Bangladesh chased with six wickets in hand and 111 balls to spare.Bangladesh used four bowlers, all of whom picked up wickets. Panna Ghosh struck the first blow, trapping Chamari Polgampola lbw in the fifth over, and Shamima Akhter bowled Hiruka Fernando to reduce Sri Lanka to 25 for 2. Sri Lanka were dealt a body blow when two of their middle-order batsmen were run out after which the tail folded meekly, four of the last five batsmen were out for duck.The hosts’ chase began badly when Shatira Jakir was lbw to Polgampola for a 13-ball duck but steady contributions from Ayesha Akhter, who top scored with 24, Ghosh and captain Salma Khatun secured the victory.Sri Lanka have already qualified for the final of the tournament and will be joined by the winner of tomorrow’s contest between Pakistan and the hosts, both of whom are on five points each.

Sri Lanka Women 4 3 1 0 0 15+1.160 590/164.4 401/165.3 Bangladesh Women 31 2 0 0 5 -0.507315/131.3 388/133.4 Pakistan Women 3 12 0 0 5 -1.079 305/117.4421/114.4

West Indies’ preparations for the the first Test against New Zealand have been hit by poor weather

Cricinfo staff09-Dec-2008
This was the scene in Dunedin when England visited last year, and a similar picture has greeted West Indies © Getty Images
West Indies’ preparations for the the first Test against New Zealand have been hit by poor weather. The team was greeted by chilly temperatures in Dunedin, and rain forced them to train indoors.Temperatures dipped to 10 degrees Celsius and steady rain fell for most of the day. Officials and weather forecasters have expressed doubts about conditions improving by Thursday.West Indies, who drew their only warm-up match against Auckland, and are aiming for their first series win in New Zealand since 1994-95, were hoping to get more practice and spend time acclimatising to conditions. However, the squad had to make do with a two-hour indoor session at the High Performance Centre.”It’s frustrating,” Shivnarine Chanderpaul told the . “Obviously, I’d been looking forward to the first training session. I woke up very early at 5:30am … looked outside and it was raining. So, it all changed.”However, it wasn’t only the visitors who suffered. New Zealand’s practice session was also hampered by the poor weather, leaving new coach Andy Moles disappointed. They had to make do with time indoors to the Edgar Centre. “It was frustrating – I’d mapped out in my brain what I wanted to do but I woke up this morning with a text message and it was raining,” he told .The rain should freshen up the University Oval pitch, not an encouraging sign for batsmen on either side. In the previous match on the ground, a four-day State Championship encounter between Otago and Northern Districts, the highest total was 277.The one previous international held at the ground was the Test between New Zealand and Bangladesh earlier this year, which the hosts won by nine wickets.Dunedin, though, has a history of poor weather when international cricket comes to town. In 1998, the opening Test against India at the Carisbrook Stadium was washed out without a ball bowled.

Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan captain and now director-general of the PCB, has joined a steadily growing voice of concern against the ban on ICL players

Osman Samiuddin21-Nov-2008Case against Yousuf put on holdIn a further indicator of a shift in the PCB’s thinking on the ICL, the legal case it developed against Mohammad Yousuf, the latest Pakistan player to join the ICL, has been put on hold.Yousuf joined the Lahore Badshahs earlier this month, without having told the PCB about his decision. The board responded by tearing up his central contract; they also initiated legal proceedings against him for breach of contract and to claim legal costs the PCB incurred while trying to resolve the earlier mess Yousuf had created by signing for the ICL before turning his back on them in the hope of an IPL contract. “We’ve put the case on hold for now,” a board official told Cricinfo. “The thinking is that if we pursue the case against Yousuf, then what about the other Pakistan players in the ICL who had contracts with us?”A number of players, such as Imran Farhat, Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Sami had central contracts with the board before they signed up for the ICL in September 2007.Javed Miandad, the former Pakistan captain and newly appointed director-general of the PCB, has joined a steadily growing chorus of concern against the ban on ICL players and the marginalisation of the unrecognised Twenty20 league. Miandad believes there is immense “public pressure” on the PCB to bring ICL players back into the Pakistan fold and “past decisions by past [PCB] administrations” have “nothing to do with the new set-up”.The PCB banned all players contracted by the ICL but Miandad said it’s a policy the new board administration must reconsider, keeping in mind the “best interests” of Pakistan cricket.Pakistan has suffered badly from the ban on ICL players imposed by boards around the world, essentially to back the BCCI in its dispute with the league and its owners. As many as 19 Pakistan players – a mix of current and former internationals – are currently appearing in the ICL and the bans on them have severely depleted Pakistan’s reserves.”There is a lot of public pressure on the PCB to bring these players back from the ICL,” Miandad told Cricinfo. “The [ICL] players themselves are ready to represent Pakistan. The IPL, the ICL and all boards need to sit down and really sort this issue out,” Miandad said, joining former captains-turned-administrators Arjuna Ranatunga and Clive Lloyd in expressing the need for a resolution to the issue.Miandad’s comments do not yet indicate a wholesale change in the board’s policy on the issue. The previous PCB administration, under the chairmanship of Nasim Ashraf, banned players readily, in swift appeasement of the BCCI. But it is believed the current board is open to rethinking, or at least questioning, the stance.”Past decisions were taken by past administrations,” Miandad said. “They have nothing to do with this new set-up. It is something we must look at and discuss, and find out whether that policy [of the ban] had any benefit to it. We have to look at our best interests.”Miandad placed the current bans in the context of past actions, such as the bans on players who traveled to apartheid-era South Africa. “Those bans were based on an intelligent policy. What was happening there was abhorrent. What is the intent behind this ban?”Ultimately, this is not an issue of nations but of cricket itself, Miandad said. “Even Indian players are suffering. It isn’t just Pakistan players. This is a loss for cricket and cricketers and a resolution has to be brought in, in a respectful way.”With a number of ex-cricketers now in prominent positions in the board, the matter has been discussed informally inside, though it has yet to be done so as part of an official agenda. Statements, such as those given by Miandad, might be part of a new strategy to shake up the BCCI-enforced status quo.But Miandad’s employers are keen to examine the issue pragmatically as well, which means essentially they will be guided by a number of legal considerations. “The ICL is still not recognised by the ICC but the ICC believes that if the matter goes to litigation, they are not too optimistic about the case,” an official said. “It is about restraint of trade essentially. And what is happening in Sri Lanka where domestic bans have been lifted and in the UK through the Kolpak ruling, that will also have an effect. If you can have one private Twenty20 league why not two?”We will wait and see and be guided by our legal advice for our view on the matter but these factors will play a role.”

Derbyshire were 26 runs short of a first Championship win for two years – and in a derby to boot – and then the rain fell in Nottingham

Jon Culley at Trent Bridge05-Jun-2017
ScorecardDerbyshire’s long wait for a win in the Championship continues after they were denied victory over Division Two leaders Nottinghamshire in the most frustrating circumstances.Chasing 216 from 49 overs, they were within touching distance with 36 needed, six wickets in hand and still 14 overs left when darkening skies reached the point at which the light from the floodlights had taken over from the natural light, obliging the umpires to take the players off the field.They brought they back after a little under 20 minutes but the batsmen had faced only seven more deliveries – one of them a no-ball – when the forecast rain arrived and Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman was forced to accept a draw. He had lost one more batsman but the requirement had come down to 26 from eight overs, eminently within their grasp.It was an outcome he would have been happy with at the start of play on Friday but not at that moment, not as close as this to a first Championship victory since July 2015 – and a first win in red-ball cricket for Godleman as Derbyshire captain.Rain had washed out the whole morning session but the run chase was set up with no contrivances, Derbyshire bowling out their hosts for 349 after play began at 1.45pm.Chris Read’s unbeaten 74 gave Nottinghamshire’s bowlers something to defend and created an element of scoreboard pressure in taking the target beyond 200 but in the end the only real source of anxiety for Derbyshire was the weather.The forecast had suggested that the closer the clock moved towards six, the greater the likelihood of further rain and by 5.30 with 44 still to get the clouds were gathering ominously as the umpires began to twitch about the light.A couple of minutes later, the deepening grey of the sky forced them to act.Derbyshire’s disappointment was hardly made easier for knowing they had been on top almost throughout the four days, although at the same time it will be a source of encouragement for the way ahead.Nottinghamshire were not long losing their last four wickets from 313-6.Billy Godleman, Derbyshire’s captain, came close to breaking the winless run•Getty ImagesTom Taylor took three of them in the space of a dozen deliveries as Brett Hutton played round one to be bowled, Luke Wood hooked straight to long leg and Luke Fletcher was leg before to a straight one. Given that only the rabbit Harry Gurney remained, the 22-year-old right-arm seamer must have sensed a five-for was there for the taking but Jeevan Mendis denied him the opportunity as Gurney had a swing but hit the ball straight to point.Nonetheless, largely thanks to Read’s canniness in keeping Gurney away from the ball as much as possible, the Nottinghamshire lead swelled beyond 200, enough to put a little more psychological pressure on Derbyshire.Read’s 74 included 28 of the 36 runs added to the overnight score. He finished with a flourish, damaging Taylor’s figures a little by going four-four-six.Wayne Madsen was in charge two years ago when Derbyshire beat Northamptonshire by seven wickets at Wantage Road and it was he who put his side in with a chance of winning for the first time on this ground since 2002.They had lost Luis Reece and then Godleman in the first 10 overs of the 49, Reece failing to clear mid-on and Godleman caught behind after a nice piece of bowling from Luke Wood, who is turning into a blond version of Jack Brooks in the way he wheels away across the square to celebrate a wicket.Shiv Thakor gloved one through to Read but Madsen scored 61 from 57 balls to take his side so close to the winning line.He will probably reflect that he rather gave his wicket away in the end, aiming a big swing at Samit Patel when such rashness was unnecessary and slicing the ball high in the air to deep point, where Brett Hutton dived forward at full length to take the catch.But Alex Hughes and Gary Wilson picked up the pieces calmly enough. Hughes was leg before to a Fletcher full toss but there was enough batting left for the job to have been completed, had weather permitted. Instead, Derbyshire’s winless run extends to 27 matches.

Reduced to 27 for 3 after being sent in, Super Giants recovered to set a target of 170, and Sunrisers stumbled at the end of the chase

Karthik Krishnaswamy04-Apr-2022Deepak Hooda, KL Rahul and Avesh Khan led the way as Lucknow Super Giants came back from behind with bat and ball to complete a 12-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad, continuing the reversal of fortunes for teams batting first in IPL 2022.Reduced to 27 for 3 after being sent in, Super Giants recovered to set a target of 170, and Avesh took two powerplay wickets to put them firmly in front. But Sunrisers took the initiative with quickfire knocks from Rahul Tripathi and Nicholas Pooran; at one stage, they needed 27 from 17 balls with six wickets in hand. But Avesh turned it around once again with two wickets in two balls in the 18th over, and two more solid death overs from Andrew Tye and Jason Holder, playing his first game of the season, completed the job.Washington dominates powerplay
Sunrisers didn’t open the bowling with Washington Sundar in their first match against Rajasthan Royals, but they had a clear case to do so against Super Giants. One of their openers, Quinton de Kock, was a left-hander, and the other, KL Rahul, has struggled to score quickly against offspin of late, his strike rate against that style of bowling dropping from 176.66 until the end of 2019.Washington made an even bigger impact than Sunrisers may have hoped for. He dismissed de Kock by denying him room to hit inside-out, and took out another left-hander in Evin Lewis, who fell in the dangerous pursuit of sweeping every ball from a bowler who targets the stumps incessantly. With Rahul and Manish Pandey – another right-hander who starts slowly against spin – taking no chances against him either, Washington ended the powerplay with figures of 3-0-11-2.Romario Shepherd’s hard lengths took out Pandey, meanwhile, after he had conceded a six and a four earlier in the over, and Super Giants finished the powerplay at 32 for 3.A partnership of contrasts
In both 2020 and 2021, Rahul came in for plenty of criticism for his low-risk approach in the powerplay and middle overs, which brought him plenty of runs but also left the feeling that his franchise at the time, Punjab Kings, frequently ended up with lower-than-ideal totals even when they didn’t lose too many wickets. That approach was more understandable in this game, given the situation Super Giants got themselves into.At the other end, Hooda adopted a different approach, after taking 12 balls to get his eye in. The rapid Umran Malik bore the brunt of the punishment, with three fours and a six pinging off Hooda’s bat. It wasn’t that Malik bowled particularly badly: Hooda played some exceptional shots off him, including an open-faced slice to steer a near-yorker past backward point and a whipped six off a short ball angled in to tuck him up for room. There was also a ramped six that the leaping third man fielder – stationed fine for exactly that shot – got a hand to but couldn’t grab hold of.Rahul also hit two fours off Malik, and his second and third overs – the 10th and 14th of Super Giants’ innings – went for a combined 36. Even with Sunrisers’ other bowlers doing decently through this phase, Super Giants’ recovery was firmly on track.Bhuvneshwar and Natarajan nail the yorkers
Malik’s poor night forced Sunrisers into using Washington’s fourth over – which they probably weren’t planning to bowl – in the 17th over. Rahul and Ayush Badoni – who replaced Hooda following his dismissal in the 16th over – took it for 17.Badoni and Holder then took 17 off Shepherd in the 20th over, but in between, Bhuvneshwar and T Natarajan ensured Sunrisers wouldn’t be chasing too steep a target, with expert use of the yorker – if they erred, they sent down low full-tosses rather than half-volleys, and they always followed the batters’ movements with their line, ensuring they seldom got room to free their arms. Super Giants only took a combined 15 runs off the 18th and 19th overs, and lost Rahul and Krunal Pandya in the process.Avesh, part one
Sunrisers began their chase solidly enough, getting to 21 for no loss after three overs, with Kane Williamson picking up an eye-catching six behind the wicket with a scoop over the keeper off Holder in the third over.But just when Williamson’s form was beginning to look ominous – he punched Avesh to the cover point boundary at the start of the fourth over – Avesh got him out, another attempted lap over short fine leg ending up in the hands of the fielder.Abhishek Sharma, the other opener, fell in Avesh’s next over, miscuing an attempted big hit off a slower ball, and Sunrisers ended the powerplay at 40 for 2.KL Rahul and Deepak Hooda put up a half-century stand for the fourth wicket•BCCIOne way, then the other, and back
The middle overs seesawed this way and that. Rahul Tripathi clattered 44 off 30, including taking three fours off the eighth over, delivered by Andrew Tye – the highlight a deft ramp over the keeper off a rising short ball. But Krunal took both him and Aiden Markram out, leaving Sunrisers needing 75 off 41 with six wickets in hand and two new batters at the crease.Pooran began not just slowly but also most unconvincingly, as Ravi Bishnoi beat his outside edge three times in four balls with his wrong’un allied to his across-the-left-hander angle. But he muscled Krunal for a leg-side six in the 14th over and hit Holder for two fours in the 15th, before ending the 16th with a glorious drive to bisect extra-cover and long-off, off Bishnoi, to leave Sunrisers needing 41 off 24. The match was turning once again.Avesh, part two
Tye’s changes of pace and ability to land the ball wide of the left-handers’ hitting arc ensured he only conceded eight runs in the 17th over, with its one boundary coming via a lofted drive from Washington.Then, with Sunrisers needing 33 from 18, Pooran miscued a pull off Avesh only for the ball to carry all the way for six. The luck turned two balls later, as Pooran hit a full-toss straight into long-off’s hands.Then Avesh nicked off Abdul Samad first ball, delivering another blow to Sunrisers’ chances, before closing out the over with two dots and a wide, backing the wide line outside off to Shepherd.Tye delivered another superb over in the 19th, but just when Sunrisers seemed to be slipping out of the contest with 22 required off 8, an attempted yorker turned into a full-toss that Shepherd launched for a straight six.Sixteen of the last over was possible, though difficult. And it proved even more difficult thanks to the new rule regarding batters crossing over. Looking to hit the first ball for six, Washington was caught on the long-on boundary. Where Shepherd may have taken strike next ball in previous seasons, he now had to watch Bhuvneshwar from the other end.Two singles followed, before Bhuvneshwar holed out. Again, Shepherd couldn’t take strike, and with two sixes needed just to tie the game, the match was all but over.