All posts by h716a5.icu

Any news is good for England – and the Lions provided it by becoming the first team to win at the Perth Stadium

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2017England Lions team held their nerve to beat a strong Perth Scorchers line-up and become the first ever winners at the new multi-sports stadium.The Lions were given the honour of playing the first match at the 55,000-capacity Perth Stadium which is due to stage England’s ODI against Australia in the New Year.After a difficult few days for England cricket, there was finally cause for some satisfaction as the Lions beat a Scorchers team who are preparing to launch their defence of a Big Bash title they have won three times in the last four years.The Scorchers included England’s ODI regular David Willey, as well as Australian internationals Hilton Cartwright, Andrew Tye, Ashton Agar and Adam Voges.Lions captain Keaton Jennings said: “It’s been an intense few days for all of us but winning a game always puts some smiles back on faces. It was an awesome experience for all of us playing in the Coliseum they’ve created here, and I thought the boys did really well to beat a very strong and experienced Scorchers side.”The Lions managed 160 for 6 in this Twenty20 affair on a pitch that Jennings assessed as “not easy to bat on” and ran out winners by 12 runs as Scorchers ended on 148 for 9, their challenge cut short by Lancashire’s promising young quick bowler Saqib Mahmood who finished with 4 for 14.The Lions return for a Day-Nighter on Wednesday.A consistent Lions batting display helped see off Willey, who ended with 3 for 32 from his four overs, with Liam Livingstone top-scoring with 36 from 30 balls.Mahmood then gave the Lions’ defence the perfect start when he trapped the dangerous Josh Philippe lbw with the first ball of the Scorchers’ reply. He later returned to skittle the lower order as Agar was bowled for a duck, and Willey holed out at deep midwicket.

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis said that while the pitch offered assistance for the spinners, South Africa’s batsmen needed to adapt better and string together partnerships

Sidharth Monga in Durban02-Feb-20180:44

‘Scoring runs in a losing cause is not ideal’ – du Plessis

Faf du Plessis has had a frustrating week or three. He doesn’t just want to win Test series, he wants to whitewash teams. That has not happened. He wants – or at least that’s what he says in his press conferences – the pitches to have pace and bounce, and not too much seam movement. What he gets is a slow subcontinental pitch, followed by one that is just too extreme with both bounce and seam movement. He might have wanted the Wanderers Test to be called off, but that would mean a sticky situation for his employers and the country’s premier venue.Two days after a tough week of not great bowling and general exasperation at the groundsmen, du Plessis was at Kingsmead, in charge of tired bodies and minds, going into an ODI series against the No. 2 side in the world. He hoped pitches won’t be talked about now because ODIs are played on flat surfaces, but this one again gave India’s spinners an opportunity to control the game, an opportunity they grabbed in the manner of veterans rather than ones playing for the first time in South Africa.Then, as he batted, du Plessis saw Quinton de Kock walk without looking back when given out lbw. Replays showed the legbreak was going on to turn past the left-hander’s leg stump. In such circumstances, with so much happening around him, with a tour that began with much promise now threatening to fall to pieces, du Plessis led from the front with the bat, scoring a century even as others kept falling around him.Du Plessis’ side was still comfortably second-best on the evening, and that has left the captain unhappy with his batsmen. “We didn’t bat well today,” du Plessis said. “As a batting unit, for the second top score to be 30-something or 40 shows that there weren’t partnerships. The most basic thing about one-day cricket is two guys getting together and putting some sort of partnership together. I thought the Indian spinners bowled well, but still, we should have been better against them.”Certainly, tonight, we needed 300. Two-sixty wasn’t enough on that deck. The last two games we played here, we got more runs and won. We chased 370 here against Australia. So, I think it’s unfair to say the bowlers tonight were poor. I thought purely we didn’t have runs. The way the wicket played, and the way that our bowlers had to try and get wickets made it difficult for them. If we had got 60-70 more, it would have been easier for them out there.”It was a slow pitch with unalarming turn for spinners, something du Plessis feels the batsmen should be able to adjust to. “When it’s hot and dry leading up to a game, potentially it can be there,” du Plessis said of the assistance for the spinners. “I remember playing a game against Sri Lanka here, where it was similar. But then, there was someone in myself and David Miller, who got a massive partnership together. Even though the conditions are challenging, you’re international cricket players, so you should adapt to it a little bit better. We didn’t adapt to it at all today. We lost too many wickets in that middle period, and if you lose wickets, it’s difficult to create any sort of partnership and put pressure back on the opposition.”This will put a lot of pressure on the middle order – missing AB de Villiers for the first three ODIs – of JP Duminy, Aiden Markram and David Miller, who don’t carry a great reputation as players of spin. This match could have already sent a big message for the series: the middle overs are not going to be easy for South Africa. Du Plessis, though, expected his batsmen to get better.”Quite a few guys haven’t faced their spinners, so it will take one or two games for them to get used to it,” he said. “Some of the guys played against these guys in the IPL, but not all of them faced them recently. With mystery spin or wrist spin, it takes you one or two games just to get used to the guys’ actions and their wrists. Then, hopefully, you get better at playing them.”We’ll have a good discussion after this game and some feedback on the things we picked up, especially from my side. If there was anything that I can share with the guys that I picked up. And hopefully in the second game, we’ll play them better.”Unlike with his opposition counterpart, it is difficult to tell how du Plessis is feeling from his tone. Whether he is talking of his frustrations or he’s joking, his tone and manner of speaking seldom changes. He is similarly in control of his emotions on the field, but upon reaching his century, he allowed himself a moment of exultation. “Scoring runs in a losing cause is not ideal,” du Plessis said. “Obviously, the first game of the series, you want to put your footprint in the series. That’s why I probably had a little bit more celebration than is normal for me. Big games, you want to score big runs, so it’s very disappointing that it’s in a losing cause.”Only a winning cause can make these disappointments go away. Even if that does happen, du Plessis’ tone will be the same.

Manchester United are closing in on what looks to be their final transfer of the summer window, with Erik ten Hag creating a framework to build on last season's exploits.

What's the latest on Sofyan Amrabat to Manchester United?

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Manchester United are finally securing the services of Moroccan midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, with the 27-year-old "on his way to Manchester shortly" to complete a medical.

The Fiorentina ace, who is joining on an initial loan deal with a 25m (£21m) buy option, has been of a vested interest to the Premier League outfit all summer, and they now look set to seal a deal at the final stage.

Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…

With fears of a deal stagnating, United director of football negotiations Matt Hargreaves flew to Italy earlier today to finalise a deal, and it now looks like he has succeeded.

How good is Sofyan Amrabat?

The Red Devils have been tracking the pass-proficient midfielder after his stunning performances with his nation at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he starred as the fulcrum of Morocco's fourth-placed finish.

Having been hailed for his “masterclass” of a performance against Spain in the last-16, the £32k-per-week powerhouse cemented his name as one of Europe's first-class midfielders with his international escapades, and his sustained performances with his Italian outfit Fiorentina have affirmed to Manchester United the decision they are making is the correct one.

As per FBref, the 6 foot 1 machine ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion and the top 2% for passes attempted and progressive passes per 90.

He has also been lauded for his "defensive instinct" by pundit Joe Cole, and very much looks the high-octane force the Old Trafford side covet to enhance the club's fluidity and cohesion in the engine room.

With such iron-clad protection in the centre through his defensive application and the assurance that a superlative passing presence will keep the play ticking in metronomic style, Red Devils captain and chief playmaker Bruno Fernandes could take his prolific game to the next level.

Hailed as a creative "genius" by journalist Muhammad Butt, Fernandes has posted 65 goals and 55 assists from just 188 outings for United since joining from Sporting Lisbon for an initial £47m in January 2020.

The £240k-per-week star ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for passes attempted and the top 3% for progressive passes per 90, and Amrabats' supplementation and presence in the deep-lying role would allow the Portugual star to maintain this and then some.

The fact that Fernandes also ranks among the top 11% for tackles and the top 7% for clearances per 90 underscores his own defensive work rate and tenacity, which would allow Amrabat to implement his game on English shores and perhaps be the foundation of a stunning new midfield partnership at the Theatre of Dreams.

Ten Hag must ensure that an unthinkable late slip does not occur as Manchester United home in on Amrabat, with the midfield "monster" – as said by reporter Carlo Garganese – just what the Premier League club needs to close the gap on those at the top of the league ladder.

Since making the move from Sevilla to Aston Villa last summer, Diego Carlos hasn't exactly had the best of luck, with his long-term injury at the start of last season against Everton summing things up.

Back from injury with a new season underway, and Unai Emery in the technical area, Carlos has finally been ready to take his chance at Villa Park as of late, however, featuring in all four Premier League games.

The last thing the defender will want now is another spell on the sidelines, but he may be in for exactly that after he was forced off against Liverpool.

The Athletic's Jacob Tanswell spotted a worrying sign that the defender may have suffered another injury blow.

What did Carlos do after his injury?

After Carlos was forced off in Aston Villa's frustrating 3-0 defeat at Anfield against Liverpool, Tanswell took to Twitter to reveal what he spotted on the visiting bench, saying: "Diego Carlos has just taken a seat on the bench. Still in his full kit and limping."

Of course, another injury to a defender is the last thing that Emery needs, too, given that Tyrone Mings is already set for an extended spell on the sidelines after suffering a significant knee injury. The fact the Brazilian returned to the bench rather than staying in the dressing room for treatment could be a good sign, but his obvious limp certainly isn't.

Solving that problem, the Midlands club signed Clement Lenglet on loan late in the summer transfer window, but the Barcelona man cannot cover for two absences.

It does seem as though Villa fans can hope for the best, with Emery commenting on Carlos' injury after the game, saying, via Tanswell: "The injury of Diego Carlos (frustrated him most) It's not a big injury but it changed our gameplan."

The hope will be that the forthcoming international break gives the former Sevilla centre-back the chance to recover in time for Villa's next Premier League clash, which sees them square off against Crystal Palace.

How has Diego Carlos performed this season?

Returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, Carlos has slotted in next to the likes of Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa in a mixed start to the season for those at Aston Villa.

The Villans got off to a nightmare start, suffering a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Newcastle United on an opening day to forget, before they bounced back in style, smashing Everton 4-0.

A 3-1 win over Burnley, followed by a 3-0 loss against Liverpool since those first two games represents an inconsistent start for Emery's side, who are still adapting to the former Arsenal manager's set-up, in an attempt to cause plenty of shocks in the Premier League this season.

The international break should hand Emery and co the crucial opportunity to solve any glaring problems with their system at Villa Park, in an attempt to stop the leak of goals against the best sides in England's top flight.

Whether Carlos will be fit enough to play a part in that tactical adjustment when domestic action returns remains to be seen, but Emery's verdict certainly seemed a positive one, given that there was plenty of cause for concern after the defender limped off.

A 106-run stand between India’s openers handed South Africa a nine-wicket drubbing in East London

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2018India openers Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana walk out to bat•Getty ImagesA century opening stand, underpinned by fifties from Mithali Raj and Smriti Mandhana, handed South Africa a nine-wicket drubbing in East London and helped India go 2-0 up in the five-match T20I series with five balls to spare.Steering the 143 chase, Raj became the first woman to score four consecutive T20I half-centuries – it was also her third straight unbeaten fifty – as she closed out the chase in captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s company with 76 not out, her highest score in the format. They reprimanded a sloppy South African fielding unit that dropped both batsmen twice each before they reached their half-centuries. While Raj was put down by Mignon du Preez and Nadine de Klerk, Mandhana brought up her fifty with consecutive sixes after being reprieved twice in the same over that was Raisibe Ntozakhe’s first.Mandhana followed her 15-ball 28 in the first T20I with a 42-ball 57, before being trapped in front by Moseline Daniels while trying to play one across the line. Earlier, wicketkeeper Lizelle Lee had failed to snaffle a tough chance when Mandhana’s outside edge went to Lee’s left. Subsequently, Mandhana’s 106-run partnership in 14.2 overs set India on course for a comfortable chase as Raj hit the winnings runs – a four off Shabnim Ismail – while Harmanpreet finished unbeaten on a 12-ball 7.Put in to bat again, South Africa’s 142 for 7, however, had played out much in the manner of an antithesis to India’s. Propped up by a back-arch-and-leap take by Harmanpreet at mid-off that sent back her opposite number Dane van Niekerk for 15, and coupled with Veda Krishnamurthy’s three catches at the long-on boundary off spinners, India mustered a strong fielding performance with only one blemish that came in the final over. An Ismail slog-sweep to deep midwicket ended up being parried over the rope for a six by Radha Yadav, only in her second international game, and led to the offspinner Anuja Patil conceding 16 runs off the 20th over, including a free hit and a four.Earlier, as opposed to India’s 43 for 0 in the Powerplay, South Africa had lost the wicket of Lee for their 39 during the same period. Top-scorer Sune Luus’ 32-ball 33 and de Klerk’s 26, aided by Ismail’s unbeaten 16 off nine deliveries later on, marshalled much of the hosts’ innings but it wasn’t enough. Legspinner Poonam Yadav returned 2 for 18, while Anuja bagged a couple for 37.

Australia’s captain, meanwhile, has looked notably assertive with the bat in net sessions this week, and reckons himself to be hitting the ball far better than at any stage during his prolific Ashes summer

Daniel Brettig in Cape Town21-Mar-2018When Steven Smith confirmed an unchanged team for Australia’s Newlands bout with South Africa, his matter-of-fact tone belied that this had been a far from straightforward decision. Mitchell Starc had been hampered by a calf problem and Mitchell Marsh by a groin strain, and both had to pass bowling fitness tests in front of the selection chairman Trevor Hohns.Much like the vagaries of the charge, hearing, ban, appeal and exoneration for Kagiso Rabada, this series has been a test for Smith in plenty of ways both expected and unforeseen. He is facing an opponent seemingly well equipped to keep him, to use the term of Faf du Plessis, “quiet”, while his otherwise peerless bowling attack has failed conclusively so far to do likewise for AB de Villiers.All the while the mental strain of a long summer and all the attendant distractions of this series have added up. By Smith’s own admission, he “reads everything” in the press and on social media, and is also feeling fatigued between the ears relative to his headspace during a prolific Ashes series.However there is one point of positivity, drawn perhaps from the experience of watching de Villiers play with such boldness and freedom irrespective of the match situation. Smith has been notably assertive with the bat in net sessions this week, and reckons himself to be hitting the ball far better than at any stage against England – with the possible exception of one evening during the Perth Test, when he raced to 92 before settling in for an epic 239.”I feel really good, my hit today was the best for six months,” Smith said. “It’s probably been the opposite throughout the summer, I didn’t feel I was hitting the ball that well but my mind was in a good place, maybe now my mind is not in as good a space as it was but I feel now I am hitting the ball better. It’s nice to mix and match between the two, but if I get the two in the right place together then hopefully it will mean some big runs.”You play the way you feel and all that out in the middle. I’m feeling good and fresh after week break before training, in a good place. I’ve had a bit of success here without scoring a hundred, scored a few runs here last time, got out to Dean Elgar again which wasn’t very nice. Hopefully I can make a big impact in this game.”In observing de Villiers, Smith has seen a player very much at ease with his game and surroundings. There were the familiar words from Smith about creating an “uncomfortable environment” for the Proteas maestro, something for which he may take inspiration from the way du Plessis and his bowlers have succeeded in corralling him at the crease for Australia.”He’s played beautifully, you want to get those guys out early but its actually been nice to watch and the way he’s developed his innings in the games,” Smith said. “It was nice to get his wicket in the last innings, [but] he looks to have a good game plan, a lot of time, looks comfortable and hopefully we can make him very uncomfortable in this game.”Getty ImagesAs IPL teammates until recently, Smith and du Plessis know each other well, and it is clear the latter has succeeded in switching his bowlers onto their most alert mode whenever the Australian walks to the middle. “With all good players you want to make sure you make it as tough as possible for them,” du Plessis said, “especially in the first hour or 15 to 20 balls.”They are just a bit better than normal players so if you let them get going, they kickstart their innings quickly. In the previous game I think he was on one off 15 balls, so it’s about making sure you are concentrating when you bowl those first 15 balls at him so he doesn’t get off to that fluent start. I’m sure he’ll be hungry for runs in this game as well.”Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, meanwhile, may not get as much assistance from the Newlands square in roughing up the ball for reverse swing, as it has a far lusher and more watered appearance than those of Kingsmead and St George’s Park. Nathan Lyon has noted that one of Starc’s less trumpeted abilities is to land the ball consistently on one side when bowling, the better to condition the ball for reverse, but that by his groundsman’s estimation it will take time.”It’s going to depend on how rough we can get the rough side by hitting the wicket,” he said. “You can see Starcy is a massive weapon for us when we want to get the ball reversing, the way he releases the ball he can land it on the rough side and rough it up naturally. I dare say it’s still going to play a part, but I don’t think it will play a part as quick as what it probably has in the past two Test matches.”Time, of course, was a factor used brilliantly by South Africa’s top-order pair of Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla in Port Elizabeth, soaking up the best overs of Starc and Hazlewood to buy time for de Villiers to excel. Smith acknowledged that he may have to change things up more frequently this time around in the field.”It depends on what’s happening,” Smith said. “That middle session where those guys batted really well was where the ball started reversing really big and at that time I thought it was the best option to get them out. Unfortunately we weren’t able to do that, but they scored 42 runs in the session I think and got rewards later on. It certainly depends on what’s happening out in the middle. Nathan’s been very successful against Dean as well, so that could come into play pretty early.”Whether with the bat or the ball, Smith, Starc and Australia may well need to make things happen in Cape Town, as their mental and physical reserves start to dwindle at the end of a long summer.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is already lining up some January transfer business and has reached an agreement in principle with one target, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Manchester City?

The Blues take on West Ham United at the London Stadium on Saturday as they look to maintain their perfect start to the new Premier League campaign; however, boss Guardiola has delivered a disappointing injury update ahead of the clash.

Speaking to the official Manchester City website, the Spaniard confirmed that Jack Grealish, John Stones and Mateo Kovacic will all be absent for the trip to east London, stating: "They are both Injured (Grealish & Stones). They aren’t able for tomorrow. I don’t know (how long for) – I don't think they will be ready for Red Star, but we will see, step by step. The injury for Jack is not muscular, but he has an incredible knock on his knee. Still the damage is there. John is still a little better, but has a disturbance in his muscles."

He then added on Kovacic: "It is something muscular, and not a big issue but he’ll be out for tomorrow." In more positive news, veteran defender Kyle Walker has committed his future to Manchester City by signing a new deal that will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until 2026, as per BBC Sport.

England international Walker attracted interest from German giants Bayern Munich in the summer; however, he has now chosen to stay in Manchester and expressed his delight at being able to clarify his future, as he stated: "I'm thrilled to sign a new deal. My future is with Manchester City and that is the best thing for me."

Manchester City have confirmed their 25-man squad for the Premier League this term and have left the likes of Josko Gvardiol, Jeremy Doku and Rico Lewis off the list; nevertheless, all are 21 or under and don't need to be registered to participate in English top-flight matches, as per The Manchester Evening News.

Who have Man City reached an agreement for?

Journalist German Garcia Grova has issued an update on the state of play involving Boca Juniors full-back Valentin Barco on social media platform X, stating: "Manchester City reached an agreement in principle with Valentin Barco. Emissaries from the team will travel to (Argentina) to reach an understanding with Boca to sign the 19-year-old golden boy."

In 2023, 19-year-old Barco has made 18 appearances across all competitions for Boca Juniors, registering one goal and two assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Labelled "technically very good" by Boca Juniors legend Juan Roman Riquelme, Barco has shown his propensity to get stuck in this term, winning around 1.7 challenges per match in the Liga Profesional, according to WhoScored.

The Daily Star reported last week that Argentina Under-20 international Barco has a release clause in the region of £8million that Manchester City would be willing to pay upfront, which would potentially represent a major bargain at the Etihad Stadium that would provide Guardiola with a long-term left-back solution.

Eddie Howe’s season has been something of a rollercoaster. The frustration from a disappointing end to the summer transfer window seeped onto the field and Newcastle United toiled through the opening months.

But now the Magpies are into the Carabao Cup final, have set up a date with Brighton in the FA Cup fifth round and are pushing for a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Let’s have a look at some of Tyneside’s standout stars, those making it happen.

Newcastle's best players this season

Let’s get the obvious one out of the way: Alexander Isak has been sensational at the front of the Newcastle ship, posting 19 goals and five assists from 29 matches in all competitions. Alan Shearer hailed him as “world-class” and it would take a brave fan to dispute it.

Jacob Murphy deserves some praise too, having been a consistent source of energy and output from the right flank after efforts to sign a new winger failed during the summer.

Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton continue to impress in the middle of the park, but Sandro Tonali’s emergence after a challenging and disrupted 2023/24 season has been wonderful to witness.

However, Anthony Gordon’s ceaseless pursuit of greatness has seen him become one of the Premier League’s standout wingers. Given that he came close to leaving St. James’ Park last summer, it’s brilliant to feel the effect of Howe retaining his services.

Newcastle have hit the jackpot on Anthony Gordon

When Newcastle signed Gordon from Everton for £45m in January 2023, many English football fans were unconvinced. It took him until the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign to get going, but now he’s firing on all cylinders.

The Premier League is chock-full of talented wide players, with the likes of Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha the men of the moment right now, but Gordon has been reliable and dangerous for nearly two years now, and Newcastle wouldn’t switch him for another.

Gordon was bestowed the honour of Newcastle’s 23/24 Player of the Season for his remarkable performances amid the club’s injury concerns. And he’s maintained his level, boding well for the future.

Matches (starts)

35 (34)

24 (23)

Goals

11

6

Assists

10

5

Shots (on target)*

2.3 (0.9)

2.1 (0.9)

Pass completion

82%

79%

Key passes*

1.6

2.1

Dribble (success)*

1.5 (49%)

1.4 (47%)

Ball recoveries

3.6

3.5

Tackles + interceptions*

1.8

1.3

Total duels (won)*

5.3 (49%)

4.8 (52%)

Though his output has decreased – Gordon averaged a goal involvement every 0.60 games in 2023/24 compared to 0.46 this term – the winger’s underlying data has remained largely intact, even proving to be a bit more potent with his creativity.

It’s a marker of his ability that the biggest institutions have taken note, with Liverpool being offered the Merseyside native last summer in a £75m deal, Fabrizio Romano confirming the interest.

Some might say ‘English tax’, but Gordon is one of the finest wingers in Europe and has been hailed as a “machine on the pitch” and a “relentless monster” by journalist and content creator Sripad, illustrating Gordon’s matchless mentality.

It goes to show that he’s worth the money, with Marmoush, for example, joining Man City in a £59m deal last month and already claiming his first match ball.

Cunha’s also the talk of the town in Wolverhampton, with his fine goal at Anfield last weekend taking his tally to 12 goals from 24 Premier League games for his relegation-threatened side. The Brazilian reportedly has a £70m price tag at Molineux.

The £75m-rated Gordon is not only worth more than that pair but is also the real deal, an integral part of Howe’s system who could possibly get his mitts on some silverware before the end of the campaign.

Market Movers

He’s been worth every penny – and then some.

Newcastle made a bigger mistake than Minteh by selling "throwback" star

Newcastle already sold “throwback” star who’s an even bigger mistake than Minteh

ByConnor Holden Feb 17, 2025

The rookie seamers extracted ample assistance from an unusually green Mirpur pitch as North Zone romped to an innings-and-28-run win at the Shere Bangla National Stadium

Mohammad Isam19-Apr-2018North Zone bowled out East Zone twice on the third day as they romped to an innings-and-28-run win at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. Rookie pace bowlers Yeasin Arafat and Shoriful Islam shared 14 of those wickets as they extracted ample assistance from an unusually green Mirpur pitch.East Zone began the third day at 110 for no loss, in reply to North Zone’s first-innings total of 415. However, after Shafiul Islam broke the Tasamul Haque-Liton Das opening stand at 122 in the 33rd over – the morning session’s sixth – the East Zone first innings disintegrated to 217 all out just after lunch. From 161 for 2, they lost their remaining eight wickets for only 56 runs.Arafat and Shoriful took four wickets each while Shafiul and Taijul Islam had one each. Arafat and Shoriful repeated their combined offensive when East Zone followed on, taking three wickets each this time while Shafiul also bagged a three-for. East Zone slipped to 91 for 7 before Sohag Gazi’s 38-ball 50 took them past 150, adding a semblance of respectability to the total. They were eventually bowled out for 170.Arafat was adjudged Player of the Match even though the North Zone captain Jahurul Islam and Ariful Haque had struck centuries, adding 184 runs for the sixth wicket after their team had slipped to 166 for 5. Jahurul made 113 off 238 balls with the help of 12 fours while Ariful struck seven fours and a six in his 101 off 236 balls. Ariful also took a brilliant diving catch at third slip during East Zone’s second innings to dismiss opposition captain Mominul Haque.

This may be the end of the European road for Celtic this season, but there are certainly plenty of positives to take.

On Tuesday night, the Hoops were heartbreakingly dumped out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich, leading 1-0 in Bavaria, thanks to Nicolas Kühn’s coolly taken finish, only to concede in the 94th minute, cruelly crashing out

Plenty of Celtic stars took plaudits, but one in particular was outstanding, underlining why he’s considered to be such a good signing.

Daizen Maeda: Celtic's bargain signing

Having arrived from Yokohama F. Marinos in January 2022 for just £1.6m, Daizen Maeda has to be up there as one of Celtic’s best value-for-money signings of all-time.

The Japanese forward has now scored 51 goals in 144 appearances for the club, following a recent hat-trick over Raith Rovers, before also heading home against Bayern Munich from close range during last Wednesday’s first leg at Parkhead.

Having also found the target against Slovan Bratislava, Borussia Dortmund and Club Brugge during the league phase, Maeda became the first Celtic player since Joe Craig in 1977/78 to score four or more goals in a single European Cup campaign.

In the intervening years, legends such as Mo Johnston, Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton, Kenny Miller, Georgios Samaras and Moussa Dembélé, as well as Adam Idah and Kühn this season, all reached three.

Given that Maeda has scored 11 goals across all competitions since Boxing Day, now on 22 goals for the season, right-back Alistair Johnston described him as “one of the most in-form players in Europe”. It’s a fair assessment.

However, one of Maeda’s teammates up the other end of the park, who arrived for free, might just be outperforming him.

Celtic's biggest bargain since Maeda

As Kasper Schmeichel joined Celtic last summer, filling the void left behind by former Manchester City colleague Joe Hart, there were perhaps fears over the wisdom of replacing one veteran goalkeeper with another.

As it has transpired, as noted by Graeme McGarry of the Herald, he has been ‘outstanding’ since arriving in Glasgow, with the 38-year-old looking right at home in the green and white hoops.

In this season’s Champions League, at the time of writing, only one goalkeeper, namely Peter Vindahl Jensen of Sparta Prague, has made more saves than Schmeichel’s 38, only two have faced more than his 54 shots on target, with the Danish international recording a post-shot xG figure of 17.3, a tally only bettered by three keepers.

Equally, he also ranks first in the Premiership for save percentage (85.5%) and clean sheets (19), on course to smash the top division clean sheet record of 25, set by Rangers four seasons ago – a record that had stood for 115 years prior to that.

So, let’s see how his statistics compare to Celtic’s best goalkeepers of the recent past.

Statistics

Kasper Schmeichel

Joe Hart

Fraser Forster

Craig Gordon

Appearances

41

153

236

242

Clean sheets

23

64

118

104

Clean sheet %

56%

42%

50%

43%

Goals conceded

36

145

185

350

Goals conceded per game

0.88

0.95

0.76

1.45

Save %

79.9%

68.1%

75.1%

74%

As the table outlines, Schmeichel boasts the best clean sheet percentage and highest save percentage of the goalkeepers selected, even if, of course, his sample size is significantly smaller, he’s on course to be better than all of the previous trio.

The Dane – who was recently rewarded with a new contract – was notably at his brilliant best in Bavaria, having been so unfortunate to concede at the death following an initial stunning reaction save.

Speaking on CBS Sports’ Champions League coverage, former Man City defender Micah Richards labelled Schmeichel’s display in Munich as “amazing” and “top draw”, with Robbie Hanratty of the Herland noting he made ‘nine impressive saves’, while George O’Neill of BBC Sport believes the goalkeeper ‘performed heroics’.

So, despite his veteran status, by signing Schmeichel on a free transfer from Anderlecht, Celtic absolutely struck gold.

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