All posts by h716a5.icu

Tom Abell gave a reminder of his immense promise as Somerset responded positively to Hampshire’s first innings score of 338 on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Taunton

ECB Reporters Network24-Aug-2016
ScorecardTom Abell anchored Somerset’s reply to Hampshire’s 388•Getty ImagesTom Abell gave a reminder of his immense promise as Somerset responded positively to Hampshire’s first innings score of 338 on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Taunton.The 22-year-old opener, who has not enjoyed the best of seasons in four-day cricket, hit 79, off 132 balls with 11 fours, sharing an opening stand of 87 with Marcus Trescothick, who made 36, as the hosts closed on 257 for 5.Peter Trego contributed 42, James Hildreth 40 and Jim Allenby 37 not out, but none of the home batsmen were able to push on to the big score needed to establish control of the game.Earlier, Jack Leach had finished with 6 for 108 as Hampshire added 57 to their overnight score of 281 for 6, David Wainwright making a valuable 35 not out. The left-arm spinner now has 43 first class wickets to his name this season.The ball turned from ball one of the day, but more for the Somerset spinners, whose counterparts were unable to settle on the right pace to exploit the pitch to the full.From an overnight 281 for 6, the visitors slipped to 303 for 9 before a valuable last-wicket stand of 35 between Brad Wheal and David Wainwright, who contributed 35 not out with the ball deviating considerably for Leach and fellow left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe.Leach sent back Lewis McManus, Mason Crane and Wheal. But Hampshire could feel satisfied with their efforts as both sides collected three bonus points from the innings.Somerset were left with nine overs to bat before lunch and reached the interval on 40 without loss, Trescothick and Abell surviving comfortably against six overs of seam and three of spin.Trescothick looked in little bother until trying to hit Wainwright over the top and falling to a catch at long-on. His disappointment was matched by that of Chris Rogers, who had made only 11 when giving legspinner Mason Crane the charge and offering a leg-side stumping to McManus.

Newcastle United are 'one to watch' in the race for Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney this summer as Eddie Howe goes about strengthening his squad, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Kieran Tierney?

As per Football Insider, Newcastle United are said to be in 'pole position' to sign Tierney this summer and is regarded by the Magpies as a 'top target' for the summer.

Aston Villa and Manchester City are also keen to secure his signature, though the Scotland international would prefer a move that would see him be closer to his family in Scotland.

FootballTransfers have reported that Tierney has been touted as being part of a potential swap deal with regard to Manchester City's attraction towards the 25-year-old, who could head to the Etihad in an exchange that may see Citizens' full-back Joao Cancelo head to the Emirates in return.

The Sun claim that a move to Newcastle United is seen as an 'increasingly likely' prospect in the forthcoming transfer window, with £30 million believed to be enough to seal an agreement.

Capology understand Tierney earns around £110,000 per week at the Gunners on a contract that runs until June 2026.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Jacobs has indicated that Newcastle United are a significant player in the race to sign Tierney this summer.

Jacobs said: "I think Newcastle are one to watch there, simply because left-back is an area where I think Eddie Howe can still strengthen. Matt Targett and Dan Burn have been playing on the left-hand side, but I still think that somebody like Tierney would be an upgrade for Newcastle United.

"So that one could be a possibility in terms of an outgoing [at Arsenal], but that will depend on Tierney, really, because Arsenal really rate Tierney. It's just a case of whether or not he's happy with his squad role at this point."

Would Kieran Tierney be a good signing for Newcastle United?

Tierney, who has been hailed as "immense" by the Daily Record, has earned a reputation as a passionate, hardworking consistent performer at Arsenal and would be a brilliant asset for Newcastle United heading into 2023/24 if he was to move to the North East.

In 2022/23, the former Celtic man has made 35 appearances in all competitions for the Gunners, registering one goal and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Tierney has also maintained a tackle success rate of 80% regarding oncoming dribblers, illustrating his ability to dispossess his opponent regularly.

Dan Burn has predominantly featured at left-back for Newcastle United; however, Tierney would be a high-profile upgrade on the Blyth-born man who would add some extra steel to the Magpies ahead of next term, which may well see the Toon Army return to the Champions League stage for the first time since 2003/04.

Mitchell Marsh has said he is prepared to tailor his role to the team’s needs once the Tests against Sri Lanka begin, depending on the team combination: four pacers and one spinner, or three pacers and two spinners

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jul-2016Warner to miss tour match

David Warner has been ruled out of Australia’s tour match against a Sri Lanka XI starting in Colombo on Monday, but the Australians remain confident he will be fit for the first Test. Warner suffered a broken finger during the recent one-day tri-series in the West Indies.
Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood will also sit out of the match.
Australia XI Shaun Marsh, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith, Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, Mitchell Starc, Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird, Nathan Coulter-Nile (12th man to be named).

Australia seam-bowling allrounder Mitchell Marsh has said he is prepared to tailor his role to the team’s needs once the Tests against Sri Lanka begin. Depending on the team combination – four pacers and one spinner, or three pacers and two spinners – he said his job would change, but he was ready to adapt accordingly.”I think depending on the outlook of the team and whether they bowl two spinners or three quicks and me, my role will differ,” Marsh said in Colombo, on the eve of Australia’s three-day tour match against a Sri Lankan XI. “But for me it’s about just playing the conditions, I will be attacking the stumps as much as I can, with fields that allow me to bowl like that.”I think if we’ve got two spinners I’ll probably bowl a bit more with the newer ball being the third seamer. It’s always nice in these conditions to bowl when the ball’s a little bit harder and potentially swinging a little bit, but I don’t really mind, I’ll just bowl wherever the skipper needs me to bowl. Whatever the selectors go with, I’ll just prepare as best I can.”The Tests begin on July 26 in Pallekele, and, aside from the official tour game, Australia have been tuning up with intra-squad matches. Marsh, who is likely to slot in at No. 6 with the bat, said he expected both spin and reverse swing to play a big role in Sri Lankan conditions, and he will be training to face up to both. All the batsmen in the squad, he said, were preparing to face stiff challenges, especially when new at the crease.”That’s something we’ve spoken about as a batting group already, just being as sharp as we can to start our innings. I think conditions, whether it is spinning or whether it is reverse swing, it’s always going to come into it massively when we’re batting.”I’ll be preparing as best I can over the coming week for the different conditions, and I think the start of the innings here is really important.”

Everton are struggling once again to retain their Premier League status after another tumultuous campaign that has seen key players leave, poor performances aplenty and another managerial sacking at Goodison Park.

The Toffees are just one point clear of the relegation zone heading into their penultimate game of the season against Wolverhampton Wanderers this weekend and nothing short of all three points will suffice to keep their fate firmly in their hands.

Should Sean Dyche find the moments of magic that save Everton over the next ten days, there is no doubt that change will be desperately needed if the club are to have any hope of competing comfortably in the Premier League next season.

Indeed, there are many contributors to their downfall beyond the overall lacklustre performances week in, week out, with the departure of Anthony Gordon and Richarlison weakening the forward line alongside injury issues to the likes of Yerry Mina, Nathan Patterson, Seamus Coleman and Dominic Calvert-Lewin dampening the depth and quality upon selection of the starting XI.

However, when looking at Everton's problems on paper, it is clear to see where the biggest problem lies on the pitch with the second-fewest goals scored (32) in the entire Premier League this season, and only recently relegated Southampton have scored fewer, which should serve as a stark warning of what's to come if improvements aren't made.

As a result, Dyche must finally ditch Everton's biggest sick note in Calvert-Lewin and instead sign a striker who is not only reliable but prolific in front of goal, with transfer target Beto the perfect replacement.

Should Everton replace Calvert-Lewin with Beto?

The Toffees have lost a lot of time waiting for Calvert-Lewin to return to his best after almost two seasons of injury struggles and although the £100k-per-week striker returned a few weeks ago, he has now become an injury concern once again going into the final fixtures of the campaign.

Reinforcements in the forward line were already needed back in January but opportunities were missed and left too late, so when the summer transfer window opens in a few weeks, it should be the highest priority to secure the services of a centre-forward.

Everton have been linked with a move for Udinese striker Beto since last summer and it was reported last week that he is now expected to leave the Serie A club as they are lining up another goal-scorer to replace him next season, putting Dyche in a great position to secure his signature.

Over 30 league appearances, the 6 foot 3 titan has scored ten goals, registered one assist and created three big chances, as well as averaging one successful dribble, 1.9 shots on goal and 4.6 duels won per game, proving that, like Calvert-Lewin, Beto uses his stature to create chances in front of goal.

The Portuguese goal machine has even been compared to former Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig claiming he is "Lukaku-esque", whilst journalist Sam Tighe complimented Beto on his ability to trouble defenders:

"The way Beto (Udinese) spooks defenders is amazing. Chuck a ball into the channel for him to chase and even if he doesn't latch onto it, defenders panic under his pressure and end up making the craziest decisions or panicked clearances."

With that being said, Dyche can bring in a striker who possesses all the qualities of Calvert-Lewin but brings the reliability and consistency that the Everton forward line are crying out for to improve their position and performances next season.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their plans to bolster their academy side in the upcoming summer transfer window…

What's the latest on Kian Breckin to Newcastle?

According to the Daily Mail, the Magpies could provide Leeds United with competition in the race to sign young Manchester City central midfielder Kian Breckin.

The report claims that the 19-year-old talent has emerged as a target for the two Premier League clubs, who are eyeing up the gem as a summer signing, and that City could cash in on him for the right offer.

However, it remains to be seen how much the reigning champions would demand for their academy starlet as he still has four years left to run on his current contract.

Who is Kian Breckin?

The City youngster is a 'highly regarded' number eight who has the potential to develop into an excellent box-to-box midfielder for Eddie Howe, much like current Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes.

Since arriving from Ligue 1 side Lyon in January of last year, the Brazil international has excelled in the Premier League.

He scored five goals and created three 'big chances' in 11 top-flight starts in 2021/22 and has found the back of the net three times and provided two 'big chances' in 29 starts in the current campaign to date.

The Brazil international has also averaged 3.3 tackles and interceptions per game in the division this term and these statistics show that Guimaraes has the quality to make an impact at both ends of the pitch, by chipping in with goal contributions and winning the ball back on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, Breckin – who was once dubbed "one to watch" by journalist Aadam Patel – has the potential to eventually replicate that standard of performance in the Premier League based on his form at youth level.

The teenager has scored eight goals and provided four assists in 31 U21 matches for the Cityzens and his goalscoring prowess from a central midfield position is akin to what Guimaraes has produced in a Magpies shirt over the last 18 months.

In the Football League Trophy this season, the teen gem displayed his defensive quality as he made 4.3 tackles and interceptions per game across three appearances and this shows that the Englishman can disrupt the opposition's play by making vital interventions.

There is no guarantee that the Manchester City starlet will be able to translate this form over to the first team but Newcastle signed Guimaraes for £40m and Breckin's defensive and offensive output at U21 level indicates that he has the potential to reach the Brazilian's numbers, and potentially outdo them, in the long run.

Therefore, signing the young prospect is a gamble worth taking as Howe could secure the eventual heir to his current no.39's throne.

Virat Kohli scored a century that looked inevitable to take India to a position from where they could dominate the Test

The Report by Sidharth Monga21-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
2:07

Manjrekar: ‘WI attack one of the weakest you’ll see’

In the lead-up to this series, India’s captain Virat Kohli arranged a meeting with Viv Richards to take his blessings, in the words of Richards. On the first day of the series, at a ground named after Richards, Kohli showed all the intent that was a hallmark of Richards. He picked five bowlers, going for specialists ahead of those who can bat; he went with Shikhar Dhawan, who brings the possibility of quicker runs than KL Rahul; and he chose to bat when the first session on this pitch was the only one expected to offer bowlers any assistance on the first three days.Most importantly, with India in a spot of bother at 74 for 2 and struggling to score freely, Kohli batted with similar intent, albeit against a limited attack that must have been close to tiring out. He scored an unbeaten 143, his 12th Test century and his first against West Indies, to put India in a position to dominate, a goal they seemed to have set themselves at the start of the series. To make it better for Kohli, his selection of Dhawan paid off. Some considered Dhawan lucky to be playing this Test, he enjoyed some luck against testing bowling at the start of the innings, but he helped India keep a disciplined West Indies attack at bay with his first half-century in eight innings. The two added 105 in 27.1 overs; the previous 74 runs had taken 27.4 overs.India would have expected to work hard for their runs on a slow pitch surrounded by a slow outfield in North Sound, but hands in front of helmets as protective action wouldn’t have been on the agenda. In their first Test under new bowling coach Roddy Estwick, the West Indies attack, thin on numbers but displaying tenacity, tested the Indian top order in the first session. Shannon Gabriel, making a Test comeback after good returns in the ODI triangular series earlier this season, rattled the openers with his pace, accounting for M Vijay with a bouncer, but Dhawan was prepared to fight before capitalising on the second string, an older ball and falling intensity.Play began along expected lines. As opposed to India’s intent, West Indies took the safer route given their limited resources: they picked the extra batsman, debutant Roston Chase, and chose Jason Holder, who on many sheets was marked as an allrounder, to share the new ball. India were expected to look for runs, and relatively quick runs, while West Indies were expected to frustrate India. On the field, it was going to be a test of execution and endurance for West Indies.The execution was near perfect before lunch. In his first spell of 4-2-6-1, Gabriel roughed up both Dhawan and Vijay. Dhawan had the worse of the exchanges, top-edging Holder before fending hopelessly four times in a row against Gabriel. Vijay edged the second bouncer he faced for Kraigg Brathwaite to juggle a catch at second slip. Holder – first spell of 5-2-10-0 – played his part in making Gabriel effective, and Carlos Brathwaite followed it up with a spell of six overs for six runs.Virat Kohli ended the first day in Antigua unbeaten on 143•Getty ImagesDhawan might have had a problem against the short ball, but his discipline outside off and his will to make the bowlers get his wicket stood out. He refused to fall for the sucker delivery after the short ones, shelving his cover drive – playing only seven of them – and indulging only in the late cut off the part-timer Chase, who bowled economical overs of offspin in the first session. Unlike Cheteshwar Pujara, who got stuck and fell for 16 off 67 after a 60-run second-wicket partnership, Dhawan kept finding a way to score. While it was the late cut at the start – 14 runs off five attempts – he began to use his feet towards the end of the first session. He went into lunch with 29 off his last 26 balls, and would come back to get himself in before opening up again.Pujara, though, fell immediately after lunch, getting a leading edge off a short legbreak from the returning Devendra Bishoo. The wicket changed the complexion of the day’s play. With Kohli came the intent to score runs. The flat and slow pitch didn’t call for a watertight technique, so Kohli could take a few liberties, but his attitude of looking to score first before falling back on other options exposed the limited West Indies attack.Until then, West Indies had kept India quiet by bowling well outside off, but Kohli began driving, a shot that can be dangerous early in the innings in some conditions, but not in Antigua. There was no seam, no unfriendly bounce, and the ball was too old to swing. As if a sign of how the West Indies concentration was being tested, Kohli’s first boundary came through a misfield, from Marlon Samuels.Dhawan began to find more authority in his cuts. He upper-cut Gabriel for a six, swept Bishoo and stopped missing chances for singles. All through, Kohli kept driving imperiously. In the 34th over, the run rate reached three for the first time since the third over. The two kept picking ones and twos effortlessly. At one point Kohli pinched a single to Gabriel at mid-off, and told his partner, “He is very tired.” Before you realised it, Kohli had followed Dhawan to a half-century, bringing it up off the 75th ball he faced. Bishoo, though, came back just before tea to trap Dhawan lbw on the sweep.Kohli added 57 with an enterprising Ajinkya Rahane, who like Pujara, saw a short legbreak, shaped to pull but didn’t manage to adjust as the ball stopped and bounced at him. In another sign of intent, India had R Ashwin batting at No. 6, ahead of Wriddhiman Saha. West Indies continued with their conservative approach, happy to slow India down, not taking the new ball and getting in some quiet overs before stumps as Kohli and Ashwin added an unbeaten 66 runs.Kohli brought up what had looked like an inevitable century. Only once was there alarm during his innings. After a mini quiet period, he drove at a wide Brathwaite delivery. The edge flew wide of gully. On this pitch, such a drive to prevent the bowlers from bowling quiet overs wide outside off was a risk worth taking. As was playing five bowlers. Kohli was prepared to take both.

Steven Davies struck 82 to lead his side away from trouble, after which the Surrey batsman reiterated his desire to retake the gloves

Tim Wigmore at Kia Oval19-Jun-2016
ScorecardSteven Davies struck a valuable 82•Getty ImagesOn March 15 2009, a ragtag England side, fresh from being bundled out for 51 en route to defeat in the Test series, faced West Indies in a T20 game in Trinidad. That Andrew Strauss led England’s T20 side embodied their frazzled state.Predictably, England were thrashed. Amid the wreckage of an ignominious defeat a little solace came from the bat of Steven Davies: making his international debut aged 22, Davies top scored with a crisp 27.On Friday, Davies turned 30, an age that invites self-reflection among all of us, but especially in those with career as short as that of professional sportsmen. Davies has much to be proud of: over 10,000 first-class runs at a tick above 40 apiece, and each made with an élan rarely spied on the county circuit.And yet all these runs cannot quite detract from the abiding sense of Davies’ career as being a little unfulfilled. In the seven years since his England debut, Davies has added just 12 more international caps, and has yet to play a Test match. “I’m fairly happy with it,” Davies said of his career to date. “I’ve represented England, which was one of my goals as a young boy.”All his batting qualities were in evidence against Nottinghamshire at The Oval. While Surrey slipped to 172 for 6, Davies remained impervious to the sense of crisis mounting over Surrey’s Division One status. As much as any shots that Kumar Sangakkara played during his 29, Davies’s every stroke oozed elegance.Consecutive boundaries off Brett Hutton – one glided through third man, the other caressed to fine leg of his hips – encapsulated Davies’ ability to reach the boundary without any discernible effort. There are few more aesthetic batsmen on the county circuit, and here that elegance was married with grit: Davies played Jake Ball with meticulous care, leaving the ball with great precision. The shame was that Davies played on for 82 in the evening gloom. In his own judgement, it was a microcosm of his wider challenge to capitalise upon his good starts.”It’s just application. It’s turning those 80s, like I got today, into 120 or 130. I once spoke to Rob Key about batting and he said, ‘You can’t score runs every day, but when it is your day, make sure it’s a massive score.’ For me, it’s turning those decent scores into really big ones, and that will take me to the next level.”Davies’ delicate cuts, played so late that the ball already seemed safely nestled inside the wicketkeeper’s gloves, were also infused with a rather elegiac quality. His aptitude in the first-class game befits a stage greater than a dingy day at The Oval, but Davies might never get it.The debate over Jonny Barstow’s readiness as a Test wicketkeeper, for all his gluttonous recent run-scoring, emphasises that England have lacked an established Test keeper since Matt Prior’s form deserted him three years ago.It was once assumed that Davies would replace Prior. But the tragic death of Tom Maynard, a close friend, in 2012 triggered a collapse in his form, and later a battle with depression. After that fateful year Davies’ form has remained good without ever quite being scintillating, but his England ambitions have been undermined by a decision he made early in the summer of 2014, to stop keeping wicket and play as a specialist batsman instead. Surrey were taken aback. Davies has still made easily enough runs to justify his place in the team, but far from enough to suggest to the England selectors he could play international cricket as a specialist batsman.At the start of this season Davies declared his intent to regain the gloves and, in so doing, maximise his England ambitions. But halfway through the summer, Davies has not kept wicket in a single game, in any format. With each match that passes, so his international ambitions subtly recede.To keep for Surrey, Davies needs to usurp Ben Foakes and also Gary Wilson, who has kept ahead of Davies in white-ball cricket. “I’ve got to bide my time,” he said. “It’s frustrating, but it’s just the way it is. I’m in the last year of my contract so we’ll see what happens at the end of the year.”If he did choose to leave, Davies would not be short of suitors – Essex, Nottinghamshire and Somerset are among the counties potentially attracted by his consistent run-scoring – but might need to accept less than his hefty wage at The Oval. Davies could face a conflict between pursuing his England ambitions and safeguarding his financial future.The greatest reason for that is the eminent potential of Foakes. Trevor Bayliss has spoken about Foakes’ potential as a future England keeper. Here there were glimpses of why: consecutive flicks to the leg-side boundary off Harry Gurney brimmed with panache, even if Foakes’ stay at the crease was too fleeting. Despite Arun Harinath’s 73, which became progressively more fluent as it progressed, there was something worryingly familiar about the meekness of Surrey’s top order.”We need to play tougher, smarter cricket,” Davies said. That he did just that, allied to Nottinghamshire’s reliance upon their opener pair of quicks and the counterpunching of Tom Curran, meant that Surrey were able to salvage a position of near-parity by the close. But, once again, both Davies and his club would have hoped for even better.

Real Madrid and Manchester City played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in the first leg of a mouthwatering Champions League semi-final tie, and there were plenty of battles all over the pitch.

Vinicius Junior and Kevin De Bruyne both scored incredible long-range efforts, in what ended up as a draw that both sides may be happy with.

However, one incident which has sparked a divisive reaction came towards the end of the first half.

Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal engaged Jack Grealish in a number of physical battles, and he may consider himself lucky that he was not penalised for some of the heavy-handed tackles he left on the Englishman.

One particularly controversial duel came when Carvajal followed the ball out of play, before sending Grealish hurtling into the advertising boards as he collided with the winger.

Some have argued that this should have been a red card, whilst others encouraged the physical nature of their duels in what was a fiery affair.

The best of the reaction can be seen below. Was Carvajal lucky to escape without a card?

Some fans were sympathetic towards Grealish…

Others were quick to defend it as a regular challenge in a physical game…

Leading the Sunrisers Hyderabad attack in Ashish Nehra’s absence, Bhuvneshwar Kumar says he has picked up several things from the left-arm quick

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2016Two injuries to Ashish Nehra this IPL meant that the responsibility of leading Sunrisers Hyderabad’s attack rested on Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s shoulders. Not only has he led that attack, he has also topped the wicket-takers’ list in this IPL with only one match to go. With 23 wickets and an economy rate of 7.50, Bhuvneshwar said that bowling with Nehra had helped him pick up several things about bowling.”When you are bowling together there are little things, like how you set the field, what is the strength of which batsman and so how do you bluff him – little things like that which he talked about which has helped,” Bhuvneshwar told . “And that is probably what I tried to help [Barinder] Sran with. I know that I can’t do what he [Nehra] did with his experience. But I was trying to do and play the role that he did.”When I came to know that Ashish Nehra is injured, there was a bit of extra load that fell on my shoulders. However, if you see the way Sran responded to the situation was very good. He didn’t let the pressure show on him after Nehra’s injury.”Bhuvneshwar has taken wickets in the Powerplay, has stifled batsmen in the slog overs and has varied his pace very well, while being accurate, to deceive the batsmen. He said “bluffing” the batsmen played a crucial role in that.”What happens these days in cricket is that, watching the way you set the field, the batsman knows what you are going to bowl. But as we play more and understand opponents better, we try to bowl against the field that we have set, but not to the extent that it backfires. What we try to do is to be able to bluff the batsman, stop the runs, and get the batsman out.”After conceding only 10 runs in his first two overs against Gujarat Lions in the second Qualifier in Delhi, Bhuvneshwar returned for the 17th and 20th overs. Looking for a late push after Aaron Finch’s quickfire fifty, Dwayne Bravo tried to take on Bhuvneshwar in the last over, but failed. Bhuvneshwar followed a first-ball yorker with a slower delivery and then tried another yorker, which accounted for Bravo.”Bravo was a crucial wicket; he had hit a couple of big boundaries in the earlier over,” Bhuvneshwar said. “So I knew that my over was also a crucial one and I was aiming to keep it to eight to 10 runs. If you see we had conceded about 60 runs in the last six overs. When about four overs were left I thought that we shouldn’t give away more than 30 or 35 runs but that didn’t happen. When it came to Bravo my aim was to try and get him out and not give away more than eight to 10 runs.”The main thing is to see who the batsman is and bowl accordingly. With Bravo, my effort was in trying to bowl a yorker but on the leg stump as he doesn’t hit it so well there. There are little things that you do when you plan for a batsman – like where to bowl a yorker for which batsman, etc. Small things like that matter.”Bhuvneshwar succeeded in sticking to his plan as he conceded eight runs in the final over and finished with figures of 4-0-27-2.”When you are bowling the death overs, you are bound to concede more runs,” he said. “My economy has been around eight runs per over, but I didn’t really have much of a problem with that as you bowl a couple of overs upfront and then a couple of overs later. So that is bound to happen. But the good part is that if you take wickets it gets managed. I have been working on that. I know that if I want to be consistent I have to continuously practice what I have been doing.”With swing his weapon in the early overs and yorkers towards the end, Bhuvneshwar has also picked up some pace to add to his arsenal. He credited it to a training programme he has been following since the Sri Lanka tour last year.”If we talk about pace, we had gone to Sri Lanka a few months back and I started training from there on,” he said. “I was put on to this thing called Power Training. Our trainer, Mr. Basu, helped me a lot as well. I followed the programme given by him. Initially I wasn’t too convinced with it as it was a bit different but gradually as I got into a route of doing the things he had prescribed, it helped. Now, between games too I do what is needed to maintain things.”Sunrisers will now run into Royal Challengers Bangalore, who have been riding on their batting might, led by in-form batsmen Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Bhuvneshwar kept it straightforward and said they would have plans for Kohli.”Everyone knows he is a world-class batsman and the kind of form he is in, it is difficult to bowl to him. But when you are playing against such an opponent, you too want to perform and to get him out. We will definitely have our plans for him. I hope that we will be able to successfully implement our plans.”

Leeds United's bid for Premier League survival continues on Sunday afternoon, with the Yorkshire side set to take on AFC Bournemouth with the aim of ending their recent four-game run without a win.

While the Elland Road outfit did stop the rot with a draw against Leicester City in midweek after suffering three successive defeats prior to that, Javi Gracia's men are currently in a perilous position, with a return to the second tier a very real possibility.

In need of a positive result this time around, the Whites are faced with a Cherries side who look to be edging ever closer to securing their own top-flight status, with the south coast outfit now seven points clear of the drop following their win over bottom-side Southampton just a few days ago.

Leeds go into that mouthwatering meeting having come out on top when the two sides previously met back in November, with then-boss Jesse Marsch steering his team to a thrilling, 4-3 victory on home soil, despite having been 3-1 down on the day.

One man who was integral to that second-half comeback was peripheral figure, Sam Greenwood, with it perhaps time for the promising Englishman to be handed the chance to yet again run riot against Gary O'Neil's men.

Will Greenwood start against Bournemouth?

With Patrick Bamford having suffered a 'dreadful miss' last time out – as per Yorkshire Evening Post's Graham Smyth – it may be wise to push leading scorer Rodrigo into a centre-forward berth, leaving a space available to be filled in the number ten berth.

Although the obvious candidate for that role would be summer signing Brenden Aaronson, the United States international has "failed to make the step up from the Austrian Bundesliga to the Premier League", according to writer Zach Lowy, having scored just once and provided only three assists in the league this term.

As such, rather than looking to the 22-year-old to offer a creative spark in a playmaking role, Gracia could instead turn to young Greenwood from the start against the Cherries, despite the 21-year-old having started just two league games this season.

While the former Arsenal man has only recorded three goal involvements in the top flight this term, the £30k-per-week man registered two of those in the reverse fixture against tomorrow's opponents, scoring once and providing one assist in that 4-3 triumph.

The Sunderland-born ace was notably hailed as "phenomenal" by BBC pundit James McFadden for his goal to help spark the comeback on the day, whipping the ball into the roof of the net from range in exquisite fashion.

It was also Greenwood's corner that was subsequently headed home by captain Liam Cooper to draw the home side level, with the playmaker able to provide three key passes in total after replacing Aaronson just after the break.

That stunning cameo earned the 5 foot 11 ace a standout 8.2 match rating, as per Sofascore – the highest of any player for either side – having been lauded for his 'huge quality' in helping to drag his side to victory, as per Leeds Live's Beren Cross.

The hope will be that the young gem can replicate those feats at the Vitality Stadium, with Greenwood potentially representing something of a secret weapon for Gracia and co.