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Everything that could go wrong for Spurs did on Monday night as Mauricio Pochettino won on his return to north London

Well, what a completely bonkers game of football that was. Tottenham vs Chelsea is rarely a quiet night in at the library, but even considering this fixture's storied history, Monday's meeting between the bitter rivals was fractious, chaotic and dramatic in equal measure.

By the time Michael Oliver drew the circus to a close, there had been two Tottenham red cards, endless VAR drama and that rarest of Premier League sights: a Nicolas Jackson hat trick.

Chelsea would eventually triumph 4-1, but it wasn't just the one-sided scoreline that left Ange Postecoglou fuming. He also lost a host of key players to suspension or injury; a crushing blow that may derail his side's title bid before it's had the chance to build up a head of steam.

And what of Chelsea? The three points were welcome, especially for Mauricio Pochettino personally, but this was far from a swaggering display. Even with Spurs playing a ludicrously-high line with their eight outfield players, they did not look like scoring for a long while, which is a serious concern.

Once you've recovered your breath from that insane contest, sit back as GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium…

Getty ImagesWINNER: Guglielmo Vicario

In an unprecedented summer, four top Premier League sides opted to spend big on new goalkeepers. Manchester United dropped €51 million (£44m/$57m) on Andre Onana, Arsenal palmed off Aaron Ramsdale in favour of David Raya and Chelsea sold two stoppers before ending up with Brighton's backup between the sticks.

Each of the aforementioned arrivals have endured mixed (at best) starts to life in the Premier League, including Sanchez. And on Monday his manager might have been left wishing that he shopped in Italy for his new goalkeeper in the summer.

Continuing a recent trend, Guglielmo Vicario was superb on Monday night – even if he did end up conceding four goals. Remaining remarkably cool under pressure when Micky van de Ven played a hospital pass to him early on, he soon followed this up with a world-class save to deny Nicolas Jackson a first-half equaliser.

He then came so close to keeping out Cole Palmer's penalty and prevented Jackson opening his account in the game early in the second half with a pair of great stops.

The Chelsea star eventually got the better of him, but Vicario – and Spurs' recruitment department – can hold their heads up high following this performance.

AdvertisementGLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty ImagesLOSER: Match-going fans

Yes, VAR may have made the correct decision in the end, but the time it took to get there was completely unacceptable. For five minutes, both sets of fans stood there in ignorance as three blokes in a box in Stockley Park took an age to review a string of incidents.

And, in the end, a significant portion of their work was rendered obsolete when they uncovered a red-card offence from Romero in the box.

Partway through the endless check, the travelling Chelsea fans – who would eventually benefit from the technology – expressed a sentiment that is gaining more and more traction as this crazy season's progresses: 'F*ck VAR!'.

Having already been shafted by having to travel on a Monday night, those match-going fans spent too much of their evening gazing up as various VAR messaging appeared on the four big screens at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Perhaps this would be tolerable if the interferences produced unarguable results. But it just didn't. Reece James, Destiny Udogie and Romero – for a separate offence – were all lucky to stay on the pitch after their infractions from referred to VAR. There was then another lengthy pause as Eric Dier's excellent volley was checked for offside at the end too.

It's not a new issue, of course, but it's worth repeating until we're blue in the face. Do we really need VAR?

GettyWINNER: Nicolas Jackson

Jackson experienced a rollercoaster evening. Early on, his direct runs in behind asked Spurs some questions. The real issues started when he was presented with chances to score.

Due to an injury to Christopher Nkunku, Jackson has – perhaps unfairly – been thrust into the spotlight this season, playing far more minutes than likely he and Pochettino expected. Coming into this one, he'd only scored twice and it's been abundantly clear in recent matches that the pressure of this limited goal return had begun to get to him.

That was evident in the first half, when the Senegal international did excellently to create space in the box before striking his effort too close to the impressive Vicario.

There were worse misses after the break, but something finally clicked when he met Raheem Sterling's inch-perfect cross to make it 2-1. Soon after he netted a near carbon copy of this goal, and, quite unbelievably, he completed his hat trick in second-half stoppage time when Vicario went down too early.

It wasn't the flashiest hat trick, and he should have scored more, but tonight will do wonders for his confidence. The raw talent is probably there, he just needs to find that killer edge.

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GettyLOSER: Cristian Romero

When the VAR cogs finally stopped whirling and Romero was shown a red card, the Spurs fans warmly applauded him off the field. All you could think was, why?

Romero has been an important part of his side's backline this season, but he let himself down here. He is not the most sanguine footballer at the best of times, but whipped up into a frenzy by the febrile atmosphere in north London, he chopped down compatriot Enzo Fernandez with an entirely unnecessary, studs-up challenge in the box. He was lucky not to have been sent off even earlier too, as he petulantly kicked out at Levi Colwill.

His moment of madness left his team in the lurch against a Chelsea side low on confidence. He needs to show more maturity moving forward.

Zimbabwe will become the first Full Member nation to tour Pakistan since March 2009, when terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Apr-20154:41

Pakistan’s international isolation ends

Zimbabwe will be the first Full Member nation to tour Pakistan since March 2009, when terrorists attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore, rendering the country untenable as an international cricket venue because of security concerns. Zimbabwe Cricket confirmed the tour in Harare on Thursday, saying all the games would be played in Lahore.The PCB announced on Twitter that Zimbabwe would arrive in Lahore on May 19, and play two Twenty20 internationals and three ODIs between May 22 and 31. The T20s will be played on May 22 and 24, and the ODIs on May 26, 29 and 31.New deal for Whatmore

Dav Whatmore will coach Zimbabwe for four more years, Zimbabwe Cricket has announced.
“We can also confirm that @dfwhatmore has signed a new four year contract with @ZimCricketv, ” ZC chairman Wilson Manase was quoted as saying by the board’s Twitter account.
Whatmore had been announced as Zimbabwe coach in December last year, taking over the role from Stephen Mangongo.

“I can confirm that @ZimCricketv will tour @TheRealPCB in May,” Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Wilson Manase was quoted as saying by the board’s Twitter account. “We have taken cognisance of all the factors for us to arrive at this decision, so let’s not be alarmist about the situation in Pakistan.”Alistair Campbell, Zimbabwe Cricket’s managing director, said Pakistan would also tour Zimbabwe in August. “We are touring Pakistan as a measure of establishing bilateral relations between us and them,” he was quoted as saying on ZC’s twitter account. “They will also come to Zimbabwe in August.” Zimbabwe Cricket had already announced tours by India and New Zealand in July and August.On March 3, 2009, gunmen had ambushed the vehicles transporting the Sri Lankan players and match officials to the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the third day of the Test. Several players suffered injuries, while security personnel and civilians were killed, and as a result the match was abandoned and the tour called off. Ever since, Pakistan have had to play their home matches at offshore venues, primarily the UAE, as the ICC and other Full Members considered the country too much of a security risk.

The two midfielders dominated the lacklustre Eagles as the Red Devils began their Carabao Cup defence in style

That was more like it from Manchester United. Erik ten Hag earned lots of goodwill by winning the Carabao Cup last season and his side made an emphatic start in the competition with a dominant 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace.

Alejandro Garnacho got United off on the right foot by scoring the opening goal following a sweeping team move although Casemiro was the star of the show, heading in the second goal then setting up the third for Anthony Martial.

Sofyan Amrabat had a brilliant home debut, appearing all over the pitch and playing some wonderful passes, while Mason Mount had a strong return from injury and even Harry Maguire gave a solid performance.

GOAL rates Man United's players from a smiling Old Trafford…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Andre Onana (7/10):

Had a quiet night but did well to beat away two shots from Jean-Philippe Mateta, using his feet and then his chest.

Diogo Dalot (8/10):

Had a brilliant first half, flying up and down the right wing and also dropping into midfield. Combined well with Facundo Pellistri to set up Garnacho's goal.

Raphael Varane (7/10):

Lead a very solid defence as captain for the night and looked sharp after recovering from injury.

Harry Maguire (7/10):

An accomplished performance, seeing plenty of the ball and comfortably nullifying Mateta and Jordan Ayew. Will do his confidence a world of good.

Sofyan Amrabat (8/10):

An excellent full debut for the Moroccan. Rotated between left-back and midfield and oozed class as he sprayed long passes across the pitch.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Mason Mount (6/10):

An encouraging return after a month out injured. Launched the move for the opening goal then got his first assist for United by teeing up Casemiro. Rested at half-time.

Casemiro (8/10):

After showing signs of recovery against Burnley this was the Casemiro United fans fell in love with last season. Physically dominant and classy.

Hannibal Mejbri (7/10):

Energetic and influential. Helped the team in attack and defence although had to be careful after getting booked in the first half.

Getty ImagesAttack

Facundo Pellistri (7/10):

Linked up well with Dalot down the right hand side and worked hard defensively.

Anthony Martial (6/10):

Got his first goal of the season which will help his confidence. Important that he took his chance in the Cup as he won't be starting much in the league ahead of Rasmus Hojlund.

Alejandro Garnacho (7/10):

Got the ball rolling with his first goal of the season but crucially showed he can perform well from the start and not just when coming off the bench.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Victor Lindelof (6/10):

Brought on for Mount at half-time to shore up the defence and did just that.

Jonny Evans (6/10):

The hero of Turf Moor got a rousing reception from the home fans when he came on and helped United stay in command.

Dan Gore (6/10):

A bright debut for the 19-year-old, did not look overawed by the occasion at all.

Donny van de Beek (5/10):

Made his first appearance of the season. Is unlikely to get many more but did little wrong.

Rasmus Hojlund (6/10):

When he came on the job was already done and didn't really get involved.

Erik ten Hag (8/10):

Did not mess about with his team selection and used his substitutions early to make sure players for some rest while giving others the minutes they needed.

James Foster led from the front as Essex closed in on victory against Kent after dominating the second day of their Championship Division Two encounter at Chelmsford

Press Association10-Sep-2014
ScorecardJames Foster’s first Championship hundred of the season set up Essex before the bowlers drove home the advantage•Getty ImagesJames Foster led from the front as Essex closed in on victory against Kent after dominating the second day of their Championship Division Two encounter at Chelmsford.After the home skipper scored his first century of the season to lead Essex to a total of 328 and an advantage of 130 runs, they then dismissed their opponents for 151 in the final over of the day to leave themselves needing just 22 runs on Thursday to record their fourth Championship win in five matches and keep alive their hopes of promotion.Foster, taking full advantage of a pitch that had lost much of its venom and helped by bowling that was found wanting in line and length, drove withauthority as he figured in two productive partnerships on the way to a score of 108 before he was pinned lbw by Mitch Claydon.The first of 90 featured Jesse Ryder, who carried his overnight score to 58 before behind caught behind off Claydon’s bowling. Then Foster found fine support from Graham Napier as the pair shared in a seventh-wicket stand of 114 in 20 overs that carried their side to a third batting point.Napier, with some typical forthright strokes through the onside, hit 10 fours in an innings of 62 before he too fell to Claydon after hitting to Daniel Bell-Drummond on the midwicket boundary.The departure of Napier led to a rapid conclusion of the innings, the final four wickets falling in the space of 17 deliveries for just one run. Two of those were claimed by Darren Stevens who finished with 5 for 83 from 30.1 overs, while Claydon emerged with figures of 4 for 76 from 23 overs.Kent’s hopes of getting off to a good start were soon ended as they lost two wickets before the total had moved into double figures. Ryder, as he had done in the first innings, got rid of Bell-Drummond lbw for 1, while David Masters removed Ben Harmison, who edged behind to Foster to depart for 2.A recovery of sorts was launched by Rob Key and Brendan Nash, the latter soon despatching Monty Panesar for a six and a four in an over when he was introduced into the attack. But after they had put on 64 in 20 overs, Panesar had his revenge when he made a delivery lift and turn to find Nash’s outside edge and Foster dived to his right to complete the dismissal.Three overs later, Napier turned the screw by claiming two wickets in an over to leave the visitors in complete disarray. First of all he breached the defence of first innings century-maker Sam Northeast for only 2 and then ended the stubborn resistance of Key as he uprooted the Kent captain’s off stump for 28.In his next over he had Sam Billings caught at mid-on for a duck – his third victim in the space of seven deliveries at a cost of two runs.Stevens and Claydon fell cheaply to Panesar and Masters respectively but a lively approach from James Tredwell and Adam Riley ensured that Essex would have to bat again. Tredwell struck Panesar for three successive fours during a partnership of 45 in nine overs before the arrival of offspinner Tom Westley broke the stand when he had Riley caught in the deep for 21.Tredwell then became another victim of Napier’s after he had made 29, caught on the midwicket boundary to bring the innings to a close. Napier finished with 4 for 28 from 9.2 overs while Masters and Panesar each picked up two wickets.Reflecting on the day’s play, Foster said: “It’s obviously been a great day for us. We got a decent lead and then bowled them out but I am a little disappointed because I felt we should have got a lot more runs than we did when we lost those last four wickets for one run. But the way our bowlers performed was excellent.”Stevens, whose five-wicket haul saw him pass 50 wickets for the season, said: “That’s huge thing for me personally, it’s the first time I’ve achieved it but I’ve probably never bowled 400 overs either. But the bigger picture is that we are in a poor position. Bowled out for not very many in the second innings and it’s just not good enough.”

The USMNT defender, who had an incredible campaign for FC Cincinnati during the regular season, was recognized with the award Monday morning.

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Miazga named Defender of the YearFC Cincinnati won Supporters' ShieldOnto MLS playoff Conference quarterfinalsWHAT HAPPENED?

The 28-year-old central defender was crowned the best in the league on Monday, with an accumulated voting percentage of 25.45% of the total votes.

Current active players, selected media members and respective coaches/front office staff all account for the voting tally with one-third going to each section. Miazga's highest percentage of votes came from active media members.

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Miazga's accomplishments in 2023 are ahead of the rest, despite some worthy opponents in the race like Orlando City's Robin Jansson. The 28-year-old USMNT defender, however, anchored the league's fifth-best defense en-route to a Supporter's Shield and the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs.

He was an MLS All-Star who played in the XI vs Arsenal over the summer, earned 10 clean sheets in matches he started in and when Cincy had him on the pitch, they won more often than not. To be exact, with Miazga in the mix, they went 21-4-12 – only falling four times since his August 2022 arrival.

DID YOU KNOW?

Miazga played for English Premier League side Chelsea early in his career, but after a few stints on loan from the Blues, the USMNT defender returned to the U.S. with Cincy in 2022.

He spent nearly a decade abroad, with clubs in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Spain, and of course, England.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MIAZGA AND FC CINCINNATI?

The 28-year-old and his club will take the pitch again on November 25, when they take on the Philadelphia Union in the MLS playoffs. The Eastern Conference quarter-final will debut the post-season's extra-time and penalties format, with Round One going straight to spot kicks. It's a win-or-go-home match for both sides.

Dale Steyn had bided his time while South Africa built a position of supremacy against West Indies, but when he stirred the effect was lethal. West Indies were blown away within 15.3 overs, their last seven wickets falling for 55 runs

The Report by David Hopps20-Dec-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:59

Moonda: Steyn had figured out the correct lengths to bowl

Dale Steyn had bided his time while South Africa built a position of supremacy against West Indies, but when he stirred the effect was lethal. West Indies were blown away within 15.3 overs, their last seven wickets falling for 55 runs. It was a feeding frenzy and Steyn was the central figure, licking his lips over a morning spell of six for 31 in seven overs.What ails West Indies? Are the Caribbean islands so locked into an instant world that they no longer have the wherewithal to play Test cricket? A Test between the sides ranked No 1 and 8 in the world always had the potential for a mismatch, and South Africa’s victory by an innings and 220 runs – a win achieved by playing efficient but by no means unstoppable cricket – illustrated just as much.A wicket every 31 balls at SuperSport Park

1 Number of Tests South Africa have won by a bigger margin than this one. They had beaten Sri Lanka by a margin of an innings and 228 runs in Cape Town in 2001, which is their biggest win.

2 Tests West Indies have lost by a margin bigger than this one. Their worst defeat came against England in Leeds in 2007, when they lost by an innings and 283 runs. West Indies have now suffered 36 innings-defeats in Tests.

11 Number of five-wicket hauls by Dale Steyn in the second innings of a Test. Among fast bowlers, only Wasim Akram is ahead of him with 12 second innings five-wicket hauls. Richard Hadlee and Malcolm Marshall also have 11 such hauls. Steyn has taken 168 wickets in the second innings, the fifth highest by any fast bowler.

25 Five-wicket hauls by Steyn in Tests; he is now joint-fourth in the list of fast bowlers with most five-wicket hauls. Only Hadlee (36), Glenn McGrath (29) and Ian Botham (27) are ahead of him.

30.8 Steyn’s strike rate at SuperSport Park; he has taken 48 wickets at an average of 17.91 at this venue. Steyn’s strike rate at this venue is second only to Waqar Younis’ strike rate of 28.6 in Faisalabad among bowlers who have bowled at least 1000 deliveries at any venue.

Steyn had not taken a wicket in the first innings; he groused at a niggle or two when South Africa imposed the follow-on and left the field for most of the third evening, only bowling five deliveries. But South Africa were blasé about talk of injury. A good night’s rest sustained him. He beat Leon Johnson’s outside edge with the last ball of his first over, had him caught at the wicket with a rising delivery at the start of his third over and from that point restated his reputation as one of the finest fast bowlers in the history of the game.Steyn against Chanderpaul promised a contest. Chanderpaul squeezed a boundary through third slip and gully, squared up in the stroke. The crab sensed the tide was rushing out. Steyn banged one in short and Chanderpaul stooped into a ball that did not rise as much as he anticipated. AB de Villiers, deputising behind the stumps for the injured Quinton de Kock, who is out for the rest of the series, completed an easy catch. Steyn was now all malevolence.Even with only four wickets down, the suspicion was that the Test might be over with indecent haste. Steyn’s removal of Marlon Samuels in his next over was even nastier. Samuels’ intention was to work him to the leg side but the ball bounced more from a good length and as Samuels flinched back the ball arced gently off a leading edge to cover. The Centurion pitch, which had behaved impeccably on the first three days, was by now standing in Steyn’s corner.And so it went on. The captain, Denesh Ramdin, lasted two balls. He pushed blindly at the first and gained a boundary through point that he knew he did not deserve. Steyn responded with a short one, as if offended, and as the ball flew off the shoulder of the bat, de Villiers sprung in front of Amla at first slip to take the catch. When Steyn is in this mood, expectation makes men giants in the close-catching cordon.The overs at the other end, whether propelled by Vernon Philander or Morne Morkel, had merely seemed back-up entertainment while Steyn rested. It felt like an error in the programme when Steyn went an over without a wicket, even more so when Morkel intervened, jagging one back at Jermaine Blackwood. His bottom hand flew off the handle – the West Indies looked spooked – and from the released glove the substitute, Temba Bavuma, took a good catch at short leg.With Kemar Roach not batting, South Africa only needed two more wickets. That they would be taken quickly was never in doubt. Steyn’s fifth was a regulation catch at first slip; his sixth another leading edge – Jerome Taylor and Sheldon Cottrell two tail-enders out of their depth. Somewhere amid the final throes, Sulieman Benn managed a faint riposte by whacking Morkel through midwicket. But the presentation platform was hauled out with lunch still 70 minutes away. West Indies had been dismissed twice in four sessions.In Brisbane, a proper Test series was enthralling crowds, India ultimately overpowered at The Gabba. Elsewhere in Australia, the Big Bash was providing more instant gratification. In South Africa, the No 1 Test side felt itself all-powerful as an emphatic victory was completed. It no doubt felt gratifying. But it was best not to analyse it too deeply, even allowing for the classical sight of Dale Steyn sniffing the muggy Centurion air in anticipation of the easy pickings to come.

The Islamabad High Court has reserved judgment in the motion brought by the PCB against the order passed by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on July 20

Umar Farooq17-Dec-2013The Islamabad High Court has reserved judgment in the motion brought by the PCB against the order passed by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui on July 20, when the court overruled all major decisions taken by interim chairman Najam Sethi, asked for fresh elections and changes in the structure of the PCB, among other measures. A two-judge bench comprising Justice Riaz Ahmad Khan and Justice Noor-ul-Haq Qureshi heard the arguments on Tuesday and will issue an order later this week.Siddiqui’s original order had called for drastic changes in the PCB – it questioned the appointment of the selection committee as well as its financial and recruitment affairs – and brought the board’s administration to a standstill. The judge had ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to carry out elections for PCB chairman, directed the federal government to appoint a District Management Group (DMG) officer as the PCB secretary, and also reduced the powers of the president of Pakistan, making the Prime Minister the new patron of the PCB.The court had earlier suspended the elected chairman Zaka Ashraf and questioned the legality of his election, calling the process “dubious” and “polluted”. Sethi had been appointed interim chairman until his powers were also eventually clipped.The PCB appealed against Siddiqui’s judgment, claiming the election could not be carried out because electoral collage of regional associations was incomplete. They argued that the board has its own constitution, according to which chairman has been nominated by the patron, a practice that has been followed for decades.Ashraf’s lawyer said to the bench that the government of Pakistan and the ICC had endorsed Ashraf’s election, and that he should be reinstated as PCB chairman.

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According to The Telegraph journalist John Percy on Twitter, Stoke City are in advanced talks with Burnley over a deal for centre-forward Sam Vokes, and Potters fans were quick to react on the social media platform.

According to Percy, there is an issue over the fee, but Peter Crouch could move to Burnley as part of the deal, which would be some story.

It would certainly be no surprise if the Championship outfit want a new striker before the deadline, with the likes of Saido Berahino struggling for goals during the 2018-19 campaign.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Vokes would arrive with a good pedigree, having scored 17 Premier League goals for the Clarets, as per Transfermarkt.

The Welshman has managed 52 goals in 198 appearances at Championship level, meanwhile, and would certainly boost Stoke’s attack.

Potters fans have been on social media offering their views on the potential deal.

And it would be fair to say that the majority are struggling to agree whether Vokes’ arrival would represent good business for the club.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Two more centuries joined the count of six from the last match, but rain prevented any play on the second day resulting in a draw between West Indies A and Sri Lanka A in the second unofficial Test in St Vincent

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-2013Scorecard
File photo: Narsingh Deonarine added 123 runs for the fourth wicket with Kraigg Brathwaite•DigicelCricket.com/Brooks LaTouche PhotographyTwo more centuries joined the count of six from the last match, but rain prevented any play on the second day, resulting in a draw between West Indies A and Sri Lanka A in the second unofficial Test in St Vincent.Seamers Miguel Cummins and Jonathan Carter struck early for West Indies A, reducing the visitors to 33 for 2 after they won the toss and batted. But wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva and Angelo Perera took advantage of their good starts and converted them into a century and half-century respectively. Silva’s 23rd first-class century, comprising 14 fours, propelled their 112-run partnership that guided Sri Lanka to safety.Sri Lanka were 275 for 7 when Cummins and Carter returned to sweep up the tail. They shared seven wickets between them as Sri Lanka finished at 314.Rain washed out the entire second day, and the probability of another draw loomed as large as the angry clouds above the Arnos Vale Ground.Still under grey skies on the third day, West Indies sunk to 11 for 2 as Suranga Lakmal claimed Kirk Edwards and Assad Fudadin for one run each. Opener Kraigg Brathwaite and Narsingh Deonarine came together at the fall of the third wicket and notched up a 123-run partnership, the highest of the match. Brathwaite fell for 77 on the fourth morning, also plagued by overcast skies, but Deonarine, with 13 fours, would not be denied his ninth first-class century.Malinda Pushpakumara’s left-arm spinners accounted for both Brathwaite and Deonarine and added three more to his tally to claim his 20th five-wicket haul which also ensured a lead of 30 for his side.Sheldon Cotterrell removed Sri Lanka’s in-form captain Dimuth Karunaratne in the third over. But a steady Udara Jayasundera, Kithuruwan Vithanage and Perera then climbed into the West Indian bowlers, especially Cotterrell who leaked over 8 runs an over. Vithanage smashed two sixes and four fours in 34 balls, falling eight short of a fifty while Perera beat his strike-rate with 34 off 25 balls with five fours.Carter claimed both batsmen and on the stroke of Jayasundera’s fifty, the match and the series ended in a tame draw.

Boyd Rankin has admitted nerves made his Test debut a painful experience and revealed he had suffered a back spasm the night before being handed his cap at the SCG

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2014Boyd Rankin has admitted nerves made his Test debut a painful experience and revealed he had suffered a back spasm the night before being handed his cap at the SCG.Rankin, who ended his Ireland career in an aim to play Test cricket, was twice forced to limp off the ground on the opening day and initially there were fears of a hamstring injury but after a scan it was confirmed as cramp. He was able to bowl in the second innings although still struggled and only managed his first Test wicket with his last ball when Peter Siddle top-edged a pull to bring Australia’s second innings to an end.The match was Rankin’s first competitive bowl since the tour match in Alice Springs at the end of November and he believes that could have played a part in his problems. It was put to the ECB during the opening day in Sydney whether there were any injury concerns surrounding Rankin coming into the match because he had been spotted on the ground earlier than his team-mates, but it was explained as just part of his normal routine although it now emerges there was a concern.”I must admit I didn’t sleep that night, with nerves and excitement. It also didn’t help that I had a back spasm and so I had to get it checked out on the morning of the game before getting the all-clear to play,” Rankin wrote in his column for the .”It was at lunchtime that I started getting cramp and I was fighting against it through my second spell. I had no problem running around the outfield but as soon as I landed when bowling the first ball of my third spell it seized up. I wanted it to disappear so badly but there was nothing I could do about it.”I have rarely suffered from cramp in the past, I think the last time was against England at the World Cup in 2007, another big occasion, so I suppose it was down to nerves and tension and, of course, I hadn’t played in a match for five weeks.”My first thought was that I was letting the team down because the other lads had done so well, especially Ben Stokes getting six wickets. So I gave it one more go after tea, but, again, when I landed on bowling I got the same sensation and it was just impossible to keep going, so I spent the rest of the innings in the dressing room.”Although I managed 12 overs’ bowling in the second innings, I never felt 100%. I was still fighting through the cramp and as a result, I didn’t really have any rhythm throughout the game and it showed in terms of my speed which was down on where I normally would be.”Rankin has remained in Australia as part of the one-day squad for the series which begins in Melbourne on Sunday and is desperate to ensure his difficult experience in Sydney is not the end of his Test career”Now that I’ve got a taste of it, I have the urge to work even harder and play a few more,” he said. “The first couldn’t have gone much worse, having to come off with cramp it was a tough few days. I have learnt so much from those three days in terms of what I want to do if I get another chance.”