Her 103 off 51 balls – the first century by an Indian woman in T20Is – consigned New Zealand to a 34-run loss in the World T20 opener

The Report by Deivarayan Muthu09-Nov-2018
1:06

I perform better under pressure – Harmanpreet

Sixteen months after blitzing an unbeaten 171 against Australia in the 50-over World Cup semi-final in Derby last year, Harmanpreet Kaur unleashed another brutal hundred – the first by an Indian woman in T20Is – to raze New Zealand in the World T20 opener at Providence.After she tip-toed to 5 off 13 balls, Harmanpreet switched on the Harmonster mode and charged to a fifty off 33 balls. When she glanced Sophie Devine off her pads for a couple in the last over of India’s innings, she raised a hundred off 49 balls. Her monster sixes – she smashed eight in total – vaulted India to 194 for 5 for their second highest total in T20Is.New Zealand opener Suzie Bates briefly threatened to do a Harmanpreet and became the top scorer in Women’s World T20s, but the rapidly rising asking rate was too much to overcome.Harmanpreet walked out to bat when India were wobbling at 40 for 3 inside the Powerplay. Fast bowler Lea Tahuhu struck with her first ball to burst through the defences of new opener Taniya Bhatia, and in her next over, she had Smriti Mandhana holing out to deep midwicket, where Hayley Jensen leapt to her left and pulled off a blinding catch – an early contender for the highlights reel of this tournament. When debutant D Hemalatha jumped across off and swept weakly to short fine leg for 15 off 7 balls, questions were raised about players batting out of positions. Why was Bhatia bumped to the top after impressing in the middle order in Sri Lanka? Where would Mithali Raj bat?Harmanpreet Kaur blasted seven fours and eight sixes during her 103•Getty ImagesUltimately, India didn’t need Mithali at all. It was 18-year-old Jemimah Rodrigues, who made the early running in a 134-run partnership with Harmanpreet – the highest for any wicket for India in women’s T20Is. She crunched Tahuhu through extra-cover, swatted Jensen over midwicket, and even left umpire Gregory Brathwaite in the firing line with a fierce drive. After a poke here and a prod there in the early exchanges, Harmanpreet exploded when she ventured down the track and swatted offspinner Jess Watkin over the midwicket boundary. She owned the arc between long-on and midwicket, nailing five sixes and two fours. She was particularly severe on Watkin, taking her for 27 off 7 balls.And just like that, Harmanpreet outscored Rodrigues and raised her fifty in the 15th over. While Rodrigues’s strokeplay was easy on the eye, Harmanpreet’s power-hitting was extraordinary. Although she regularly stepped across the stumps or down the track, she maintained a stable base and launched the bowlers into oblivion.Rodrigues was dismissed in the 19th over by Watkin, but by then India had passed 170. Harmanpreet then nicked behind off the penultimate ball of the innings, but she had armed her side with a mighty total.It did not appear as mighty, though, when Bates jumped across off and mowed the ball into the leg-side boundaries. Bates ran up a 38-ball half-century, but India’s spinners kept striking at the other end. Legspinner Poonam Yadav removed Sophie Devine and Watkin off successive balls with donkey drops that turned and gripped, but it was offspinner Hemalatha, the debutant, who claimed the key wicket of captain Amy Satterthwaite, when she had her skying a sweep to square leg. When seamer Arundhati Reddy removed Bates in the 14th over, New Zealand slipped to 98 for 5. There would be no way back for them.

Glasgow Rangers have shown vast improvement under Philippe Clement since he took over last month as the Ibrox side have won six of his first seven matches in charge.

An impressive record, yet it will all be for nothing if the club do not maintain their current form and secure a trophy or two by the end of the season.

The Belgian might also be targeting the upcoming January transfer window as a chance to not only bolster his squad, but to also add some much-needed depth.

Rangers transfer news

According to TEAMtalk, the Light Blues are reportedly keen on signing teenager Noah Mbamba in January as they appear to be ahead of Manchester City in the race for the youngster.

The 18-year-old gem is currently playing for Bayer Leverkusen in German and the outlet adds that any potential move would likely be a loan deal.

Bayern Munich have previously sent scouts to watch his performances before he sealed a move to Leverkusen, and it looks as though a temporary move will give him some senior experience.

Fabrizio Romano dubbed the young midfielder a “top talent” upon his arrival at Leverkusen back in January and Clement looks like he wants to give the player a platform to shine on, albeit temporarily.

The Gers signed Abdallah Sima on a season-long loan deal in the summer, and the club could repeat that masterclass by landing another superb loanee.

Noah Mbamba could be Abdallah Sima 2.0

The on-loan Brighton and Hove Albion gem has certainly impressed during his stint at the club so far, scoring nine goals across 22 matches and proving to be a dangerous threat on the left wing.

The winger also ranks second across the squad for goals and assists in the league (six) while also ranking second for successful dribbles per game (1.7) and third for scoring frequency (a goal every 151 minutes), indicating how impressive he has been domestically.

The young Belgian could also have a similar impact at the Gers should he make a move to Glasgow in January, given his impressive cameos in the top-flight of German football this term.

While he has played just twice in the Bundesliga this season and averaged just seven minutes of playing time, he has already created a big chance and averaged 0.5 key passes per game – assisting one goal.

Despite being a defensive midfielder by trade, Mbamba has been able to showcase his attacking quality and could, as Sima has, make an impact at the top end of the pitch for the Gers during the second half of the campaign.

A 94% pass success rate also means he can dictate the play well, and he also has Champions League experience, playing three times in the competition during the 2021/22 season aged just 16.

The teenage sensation may be a rough diamond, but Clement could certainly give him a platform to shine on, especially if the Gers go on a deep run in Europe, where squad rotation could be important.

Sima has enjoyed a wonderful spell so far, chipping in with vital goals, and with any swoop for Mbamba looking like it will be a loan deal, he could have the potential to replicate Sima’s success.

Whilst there is no guarantee that the Leverkusen youngster will be able to hit the ground running, like the Senegal international has, the scope is there for him to be an exciting signing.

With City keen on the youngster, Clement will need to act fast in order to snap him up once the winter window finally opens.

Celtic are considering a move to bring a new goalkeeper to the Scottish Premiership in January, according to a fresh report.

Celtic's season so far

The Hoops have made a remarkable start to the domestic campaign having won 11, drawn three and lost none of their opening 14 games, meaning that they currently find themselves clear at the top of the table ahead of their rivals Rangers.

Whilst Brendan Rodgers doesn’t necessarily need to enter the market to improve his squad given their outstanding form, Joe Hart and Scott Bain will both have reached the expiration of their deals at the end of the season (Celtic contracts), so the manager could do with discovering the availability of goalkeepers.

Celtic signal January transfer plans; Rodgers convinced he can land targets

Celtic are keen to strengthen in January to give them an edge in the hunt for the Scottish Premiership title…

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 26, 2023

Back in 2018, Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin put pen to paper at the Bernabeu Stadium, but during that time, he’s been sent out on three loans to CD Leganes, Real Valladolid and Real Oviedo, showing how low down in the pecking order he is under Carlo Ancelotti (Transfermarkt – Lunin statistics).

The Ukraine international is typically his manager’s third-choice shot-stopper behind Thibaut Courtois and Kepa Arrizabalaga when all members of the trio are fully fit, and with his terms set to run out upon the conclusion of the current campaign (Real Madrid contracts), the 24-year-old has been highlighted as a target at Parkhead.

Celtic eyeing swoop for Andriy Lunin

According to The Daily Record, Celtic are contemplating a move for Lunin at the start of next year, and there's a chance that he could be made available due to his lack of game time and minutes at Real Madrid.

“Real Madrid's backup keeper Andriy Lunin might just be available in January despite a recent run in the team. Record Sport understands he's one of the keepers under consideration at Celtic and while his recent prominence at Real might suggest he'll be a tricky man to land, Carlo Ancelotti dropped a hint that his stint in the team is coming to an end this weekend.”

Lunin could be a "top goalkeeper" for Rodgers

Since the start of his career, Lunin has kept 37 clean sheets from 112 games. Standing at 6 foot 3, Real Madrid’s colossus has made 15 saves from 17 shots on target against this year, giving him a save percentage of 88.2% (FBRef – Lunin statistics), which is higher than the 72% that Hart has managed so far this season (FBRef – Hart statistics), showing that he’d be an upgrade on the existing number one.

Sponsored by Nike, the Ukrainian additionally ranks in the 98th percentile for penalty saves so he has an excellent record when it comes to spot kicks, making him a really well-rounded player and one who would surely decide the odd cup fixture here and there too.

According to Carlo Ancelotti, Lunin is a “top goalkeeper” between the sticks, so if the right opportunity was to present itself, Celtic have to fully pursue a deal for their target by trying to fend off interest elsewhere and secure his services in January.

تنافس دولة الإمارات في دورة الألعاب الأولمبية “باريس 2024” المقامة في فرنسا، وتستعد ليوم جديد في المسابقة.

وبدأت منافسات دورة الألعاب الأولمبية يوم 26 يوليو وتستمر حتى 14 أغسطس الجاري.

ويمثل الإمارات في أولمبياد باريس، 14 لاعبًا، في 5 رياضات.

وتشارك الإمارات اليوم في منافستين وهما جودو رجال، ألعاب القوى سيدات.

اقرأ ايضاً.. مواعيد مواجهات قطر اليوم في أولمبياد باريس.. رماية وألعاب قوى مواعيد مواجهات الإمارات اليوم في أولمبياد باريس

جودو رجال +100 كجم، دور الـ32، سيشارك ماجوميدومار معجميدوماروف أمام الجزائري محمد إل مهدي ليلي في تمام الساعة 12.36 ظهراً بتوقيت الإمارات، 11.36 صباحًا بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

ألعاب القوى سيدات، سباق 100م، ستشارك مريم كريم في شوط التصفيات الثاني في تمام الساعة 12.43 ظهراً بتوقيت الإمارات، 11.43 صباحًا بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

West Ham have reportedly made contact to sign a £164,000-per-week forward who Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is a big fan of.

Hammers search for new striker

As could've been predicted, an injury to preferred striker Michail Antonio has left manager David Moyes with a small conundrum to solve over the next two weeks. While the Jamaican's injury is nowhere near as bad as first feared, West Ham will still be left short of natural forward options.

Star winger Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus can be used in more central roles as alternatives to Antonio, with Moyes having those makeshift options and the out-of-favour forward Danny Ings to choose from right now. West Ham, even before Antonio's knock, have been prioritising the addition of a new number nine with technical director Tim Steidten currently at work identifying options.

Related West Ham may now bid for "very special" striker after accepted summer offer

The Hammers appear to want a new forward.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Nov 22, 2023

Stuttgart star Serhou Guirassy is a target for West Ham while there have been reports Moyes could go back in for Hugo Ekitike after failing to sign him from Paris-Saint Germain in the summer. Pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor, commenting before Antonio's latest absence, told Football Insider that a new forward is an absolute necessity for West Ham in January.

“100%. Antonio, similar to myself, struggles with hamstring injuries," said the former Villa striker.

“When you’re that quick and strong, you’re always going to get muscle injuries. It’s when, not if. Antonio shouldn’t be playing in the Europa League groups. They need another player to come in and start, but Danny Ings isn’t at that level.

“They definitely need to get another one in January, or you could be looking at bringing someone from the Under-23s or playing Benrahma as a false nine. They’ve definitely got to watch Antonio’s minutes.”

Another interesting transfer option to be mentioned by the press is former Chelsea star Timo Werner.

West Ham make contact to sign Werner

According to a report in the print edition of The Mirror (via West Ham Zone), West Ham have made contact to sign Werner from RB Leipzig.

The Germany international is out of favour at Leipzig and is open to making a return to the Premier League, meaning he could well contemplate a move to West Ham.

Fulham and Crystal Palace have also made approaches for Werner, who's scored 11 goals in 35 Bundesliga appearances since re-joining the Bundesliga side from Chelsea in 2022 (Werner stats – WhoScored).

Liverpool were once heavily linked with a move for the 27-year-old, and Klopp has expressed his admiration for Werner who he called a "great player".

"Timo Werner is a great player, Kai Havertz is a great player," Klopp said in 2020.

"Right time, opportunity – everything has to come together. Six, seven weeks ago, we didn't know if we could play again this year. If we hadn't played the second half of the season, we would have thought, 'OK, when can you really play football again?' And now it starts right away."

On a reported £164,000-per-week (Salary Sport), it will be interesting to see if West Ham take their approach further.

AFP

The first day of Test cricket in Sylhet will be remembered for Sean Williams’ fine 88, which frustrated the Bangladesh spinners. Zimbabwe ended the day on 236 for five, and possibly feeling happier than the home side. PJ Moor and Regis Chakabva, batting on 37 and 20 respectively, played out the last hour without further damage after Williams fell on the brink of the final drinks break.Williams, who struck nine fours in his 173-ball stay, was involved in two partnerships that promised much before ending in the 30s, with Hamilton Masakadza and Sikandar Raza. The loss of those two batsmen in the second session left Zimbabwe at an uncertain 129 for 4; their best period came after that.Zimbabwe only added 64 in the middle session, in 31 overs, as they slowed down after Raza’s dismissal for 19. At one stage, Williams and Moor played out six successive maidens from Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nazmul Islam. But they hung on, and their partnership grew in confidence, and grew to 72, after the tea break.Moor’s cover-driven boundary off Taijul Islam, in the second over after tea, injected life into the innings, and Williams struck the same bowler for successive fours through point and midwicket in his next over. More boundaries came after Moor successfully reviewed an lbw decision off Abu Jayed – the ball was easily missing leg stump. Moor slammed Jayed through point and lofted Mehidy over mid-off, while Williams swept Nazmul twice in one over, either side of the deep backward square leg fielder.Williams’ dismissal came against the run of play, when Mahmudullah brought himself on and found some turn to draw his edge, which Mehidy caught very well at slip, stretching fully to his left to complete the catch.Masakadza earlier had struck three fours and two sixes in scoring 52 in the first session. He was severe on anything too full, and hammered all his boundaries off Taijul, blasting him down the ground for both the sixes, and picking up his fours off either cuts or sweeps.But there was trouble at the other end. Brian Chari was bowled slogged Taijul across the line. Taijul then removed Brendan Taylor with a wonderfully flighted delivery that drew the batsman forward and went on with the angle to take his inside edge before the short-leg fielder, Nazmul Hossain Shanto, snapped up the tickle.Masakadza and Williams took Zimbabwe to 85 for 2 at lunch but in the first over of the middle session, Jayed trapped Masakadza with a delivery that moved sharply into his front pad.Williams and Sikandar Raza added 44 for the fourth wicket, with both batsmen picking up two fours each, before Nazmul picked up his maiden Test wicket, clean-bowling Raza through bat and pad for 19.Williams and Moor made a slow start thereafter but as their confidence grew, the Bangladesh spinners found it hard to beat their bat for 29 overs.Taijul finished with two wickets, having bowled 27 overs. Mehidy was tidy, not giving away too many runs, while Jayed and Nazmul took one wicket each without offering too much of a spark.

Former Liverpool ace Didi Hamann has slammed the decision to overturn Borussia Dortmund's penalty against Borussia Monchengladbach.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Sabitzer scores penalty
• Referee overturns decision
• Dortmund win 2-1

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Dortmund midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, who had already scored the opening two goals in the game for his side, thought he had secured a hat-trick in the clash – only to be bizarrely denied. The Austrian international had stepped up and slotted the penalty into the back of the net, before the referee quickly overturned the decision to award Dortmund a second spot-kick of the afternoon.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAMANN SAID

  "They're playing us all for fools," Hamann said to . "You can whistle a penalty, but you don't have to. That means if you whistle a penalty, it has to stand. Then it takes three and a half minutes until the decision is reversed. Then I ask myself: What are they doing for three and a half minutes? I don't understand that and I don't understand why the referee doesn't want to comment afterwards."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The decision ultimately didn't cost Dortmund, who went on to win the game 2-1. Edin Terzic's side are now level on points with RB Leipzig, as Dortmund look to break into the top four prior to the end of the season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DORTMUND?

  The second leg of the Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid now awaits next week, with Dortmund facing a 2-1 deficit after the first leg. After European action has concluded, they will host Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen next weekend. Dortmund will be without Karim Adeyemi for that clash, after he was sent off in the 55th minute against Monchendgladbach.

MatériaMais Notícias

O atacante Marinho não ligou para a folga de Natal e treinou na academia do Santos, no CT Rei Pelé, nesta sexta-feira. O Peixe enfrenta o Ceará, neste domingo, às 16h, na Vila Belmiro, pela 27ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

RelacionadasSantosOs 20 momentos marcantes do Santos nesta décadaSantos25/12/2020Futebol NacionalPelé, 80 anos em 80 dias: melhor do mundo sem ter atuado em europeuFutebol Nacional24/12/2020

“Bom dia, gente. Bora sair da cama, vamos trabalhar um pouquinho. Quem trabalha, Deus ajuda. Seguimos o fluxo, daquele jeito. Bom dia, feliz Natal de novo”, falou Marinho em sua rede social.
O Santos se reapresenta neste sábado, no CT Rei Pelé. O Alvinegro é o oitavo colocado do Brasileirão, com 38 pontos.

Manchester United seemingly have their eye on the January transfer window, and the Red Devils are now reportedly prepared to pay one target’s release clause.

Man Utd transfer news – centre-backs

Erik ten Hag’s side have already lost nine games in all competitions this season, with the most recent coming against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League. The Dutchman once again opted to go with Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans at centre-back, leaving Raphael Varane on the bench. The Frenchman did replace Evans early on in the 4-3 defeat, however, he now hasn’t started the last four games for the Red Devils. A new centre-back appears to be on the radar in 2024, with recent reports suggesting Varane could be of interest to clubs in Saudi Arabia.

One player who has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford is Sporting CP’s Goncalo Inacio. The 22-year-old has been catching the eye of United and Premier League rivals Liverpool and European giants Real Madrid, with Fabrizio Romano previously labelling him as an “amazing option” and a “very rare” player.

“Goncalo Inacio continues to impress as one of the top young defenders in Europe, showing huge potential with Sporting Lisbon and recently working his way onto Manchester United’s potential list of targets. But there is also Liverpool – the Reds have always been in the stands to scout and follow Inacio, but at the same time they never sent official bids or started negotiations.

“There’s nothing new so far, as he signed a new deal at Sporting in August as there was nothing concrete happening with UK clubs. Still, I think he’d be an amazing option for any club, Liverpool or United in particular; left footed players at that level are very rare to find.”

Man Utd ready to trigger Goncalo Inacio’s release clause

According to a recent development covered by Correio da Manha, relayed by The Faithful MUFC, Man Utd are now prepared to trigger the player’s €60m (£52.3m) release clause in January by making an initial payment of €45m (£39.2m) and the remaining €15m in installments. United, Liverpool and Real Madrid are all planning to send their scouts to watch Inacio in action when Sporting take on Benfica in the Primeira Liga.

Inacio is a product of Sporting CP’s youth system and has gone on to become a regular for the club at first-team level. In total, the centre-back has made 137 senior appearances for Sporting, scoring 11 goals and providing eight assists. (Goncalo Inacio stats – Transfermarkt)

He’s also now a senior Portugal international, and by the looks of things, he is going from strength to strength with a career-high €30m Transfermarkt valuation.

Therefore, the left-footed centre-back could be just what the Red Devils need, especially as four of their five centre-backs are aged 29 or over. Inacio could represent a sign of building for the future, possibly forming a partnership with Lisandro Martinez in the long run, making this one to watch heading into 2024.

After failing to avoid the drop last season, Leicester City were forced to open a new chapter in the Championship under Enzo Maresca, who has got off to the perfect start. The Foxes are on course for a stunningly comfortable promotion, already sitting 14 points clear of third place Leeds United, and much of the credit deserves to go to those who worked hard off the pitch to keep the majority of their squad together.

Now, Maresca's focus will likely be on adding to his squad ahead of what looks likely to be a return to Premier League action next season. And that could include the addition of one particular midfielder.

Leicester City transfer news

Although the majority of Leicester's good work came through keeping hold of their key players, they also did well when it came to incomings. By the end of the summer transfer window, the Foxes had welcomed the likes of Harry Winks, Conor Coady and Stephy Mavididi, who has got off to a particularly blistering start. They could yet return to the transfer market once more in January, too, as they look to strengthen even further.

According to TeamTalk, Leicester are eyeing a move for Jhon Arias. The Championship leaders have sent scouts to watch the Fluminense midfielder, who has reportedly attracted the interest of West Ham United, Leeds United, Burnley, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Rangers in what could quickly turn into a hectic race for his signature.

On the up, the idea of a move to Leicester is a far more convincing one to pitch these days. That said, given how many clubs are reportedly interested in Arias, those at the King Power will have to be swift when making their move. If they did manage to secure the midfielder, then it would represent a major coup ahead of other chasing English clubs.

How good is Jhon Arias?

As things stand, Maresca's side sit five points clear of Ipswich Town and well on their way to silverware come the end of the season, but a deal for Arias would undoubtedly improve their chances of sealing the Championship title – it speaks volumes about just how impressive the midfielder has been that a number of Premier League clubs are reportedly interested in welcoming him at some stage in the near future.

Arias' stats show exactly why he's in demand, too, having scored nine goals and assisted a further 13 in 53 appearances in all competitions in Brazil. It's the kind of numbers that would only elevate Leicester upon their potential return to England's top flight. The hope from Maresca's perspective will be that the Foxes don't just survive next season, should they earn promotion, but instead push on into mid-table comforts.

When January arrives, Arias will certainly have a decision to make, with the race only likely to heat up even more for his signature. As of right now, his focus may well be on Fluminense, but that could quickly change if the bids begin to come flying in.