All posts by h716a5.icu

The 23-year old has made strong strides towards becoming a rounded bowler and has lately proven to be proficient at picking wickets with length deliveries

Arun Venugopal in Ranchi06-Oct-2017A standout feature of Jasprit Bumrah’s young career thus far has been his willingness and ability to learn and evolve. While “learning” rolls off many cricketers’ tongues as a stock cliché, Bumrah means it. Last year, when he said he had learnt something new in each of his first three seasons in the IPL, it wasn’t tall talk. In 2013, Bumrah was schooled in the art of pre-game preparation and managing different situations. When he became one of Mumbai Indians’ lead bowlers next year, he absorbed the lessons of carrying good form and sustaining it over a length of time. Even his injury was an opportunity to learn: ahead of the 2015 edition, he sought out senior bowlers to understand how to prepare for a comeback.At 23, Bumrah has already made strong strides towards becoming a more rounded bowler. From someone who relied heavily on an amalgam of a whippety, awkward action, inch-perfect yorkers and slower deliveries, he has now proven to be adept at taking wickets with length deliveries. During India’s 5-0 ODI thumping of Sri Lanka recently, Bumrah emerged as the leading wicket-taker on either side with 15 scalps at an economy-rate of less than four and was named Man of the Series. Nine of those wickets came via deliveries that were pitched either on good length or on the shorter side of it. The yorkers made an appearance only on eight occasions, thus retaining their shock value. He also straddled the twin roles of opening the bowling and operating at the death.Bumrah’s rapid growth wasn’t lost on his captain Virat Kohli, who called him India’s “most effective short-format bowler” in the last year and a half. “He has really worked on his bowling a lot – especially his length ball, which has picked up more pace,” Kohli said at the end of the series. “It’s not only about yorkers and slower balls anymore. He can bowl a good length ball and nick you off as well, which I think is the biggest improvement in his bowling. Credit to him for shaping his game in that way.”By his own admission, Bumrah has had many mentors right from Sachin Tendulkar to Ricky Ponting and Lasith Malinga to Shane Bond. He feels much of his improvement is down to relentlessly picking another bowler’s brain – be it a peer or a senior. “We just want to improve all the time,” Bumrah said on the eve of the first T20I against Australia in Ranchi. “We keep asking questions to each other and we keep learning from the senior players – what else we can do, how to improve ourselves, how to adapt to different conditions and different wickets. So, our main focus is that. We don’t focus on the results. We just want to focus on the training and we want to get better and better after each and every game.”With Ashish Nehra’s return, Bumrah will also have another familiar mentor to lean on for advice. Earlier this year, Bumrah and Nehra combined to throttle England by five runs in Nagpur. Despite an age difference of 15 years, Bumrah enjoys a great comfort level with his senior partner. “He is a very experienced player and I have played some cricket with him during the T20 World Cup,” Bumrah said. “It’s always great fun playing alongside him. He has got plenty of experience to share and is very helpful. As a youngster, I keep asking him questions and seek his advice. The team atmosphere also becomes very good with his presence, so it’s very nice to see him back.”With rain thwarting India’s training session on Friday, some of the players, including MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, tried their hand at foot-volley in the dressing room balcony. Bumrah appeared to stand in a corner and watch them in action. Don’t be surprised if he learns a few tricks there and masters those, too.

Leeds United have now been handed a boost in their pursuit of Coventry City midfielder Gustavo Hamer, with Burnley recently dropping out of the race for his signature, according to a report from LeedsLive.

Is Gustavo Hamer staying at Coventry?

Coventry have a real fight on their hands as they try to keep hold of Hamer this summer, with a number of clubs already making bids for the midfielder, who is set to be out of contract next summer.

When asked whether any offers have been made for the 26-year-old, Sky Blues boss Mark Robins admitted he has fielded some proposals, saying:

“The honest answer is yes, we have had offers but they haven’t been acceptable. That could change, who knows. He’s a top player, there’s no doubt about it, and other clubs covet them and put things in his head and that’s something that you can’t remove from his head.

I think really what I would like to see is us finish our recruitment and then see what’s what, but ultimately it’s his decision."

It is unclear which teams have come forward for the Dutchman, but Fulham previously been named as potential suitors, while Football Insider report that Premier League side Burnley have already had a player-plus-cash bid rejected this summer.

The same report claims that Coventry are set to demand at least £12m for the Brazil-born midfielder, as they are desperate to keep hold of him.

Read The Latest Leeds Transfer News HERE

While Burnley were interested earlier in the transfer window, Leeds Live report the Clarets have now dropped out of the race for the Coventry star, as they are closing in on two other signings which would rule them out of contention.

As such, Leeds have been handed a boost in their pursuit of the former Feyenoord man, who they are understood to be admirers of, however they are yet to test the waters with an official offer.

How good is Gustavo Hamer?

With the Whites aiming to return to the Premier League at the first attempt, they need to strengthen their squad with some top players at Championship level, which could make the £6.5k-per-week maestro a perfect addition to the squad.

Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca has recently lauded the defensive midfielder as "one of the best in the Championship", while former teammate Marko Marosi has described him as "unbelievable."

It is clear to see why the Championship star has received such rave reviews, as he ranks in the 99th percentile for assists per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, and in the 95th percentile for non-penalty goals.

Not only is the playmaker a real threat on the front foot, but he is also very much capable defensively, averaging a total of 2.6 tackles per game in the Championship last season, which could make him a solid replacement for Tyler Adams, who registered 89 tackles in the top flight last term.

It is exciting news that Leeds are still in the race for Hamer, and they should look to launch a move once Adams is sold, with Chelsea now closing in on the American's signature.

Chelsea are thought to be back in talks over a move to sign Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the latest Chelsea transfer news?

The Blues have once again been busy in the transfer market after spending over €600m on new players during the 2022/23 campaign.

Mauricio Pochettino is the new man in charge at Stamford Bridge, and the Argentine has brought in Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson and Angelo from RB Leipzig, Villarreal and Santos respectively.

Nkunku’s arrival was already in the pipeline before Pochettino was named as manager, however further additions look to be on the cards before the September 1 deadline in what looks likely to be a busy month both on and off the pitch.

Read The Latest Chelsea Transfer News HERE…

Chelsea are believed to have agreed a deal to sign Rennes midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu, although it is yet to be decided whether the 19-year-old will go into Pochettino's squad or go out on loan.

Meanwhile, a £38m deal has been agreed with Monaco to sign France defender Axel Disasi, and Romano has revealed that the Blues have also made a formal bid to sign goalkeeper Robert Sanchez from Brighton.

Alongside the pair, another new attacker could be on the cards in Vlahovic, as owner Todd Boehly once again goes into transfer overdrive.

Are Chelsea signing Dusan Vlahovic?

Romano took to Twitter in the last 48 hours to share an update he's heard on Vlahovic and Chelsea. He said that talks are back on through intermediaries, with a swap deal involving Blues striker Romelu Lukaku being spoken about.

“Chelsea are now back in talks again with Juventus through intermediaries — swap deal between Romelu Lukaku & Dusan Vlahovic has been discussed again.

“Chelsea will discuss Vlahovic internally as this option has been rejected in July.”

This isn’t the first time Chelsea have been linked with a move for Vlahovic, with journalist Dean Jones previously stating that conversations have already happened.

"I know some people are ruling out of Vlahovic and they say that nothing is happening there. But Vlahovic has definitely been explored by Chelsea and conversations have definitely happened in terms of that.

"The fact that they are even contemplating that, tells you they're tempted to go and sign another striker by the end of this transfer window."

Vlahovic, on a £215,000-a-week salary in Turin, has been dubbed a “goal machine” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig. The Serbia international is just 23 years of age but has already made over 170 appearances in all competitions for Fiorentina and Juventus, scoring 72 goals.

The left-footed forward also has 13 goals in 21 games for his country, so he could be the kind of striker Chelsea have been crying out for to potentially play alongside the likes of Nkunku and Jackson, especially after being named among the most powerful players in Europe alongside PSG's Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City's Erling Haaland last year.

It looks as if a move could well be one to keep an eye on, and if Chelsea can use Lukaku in a deal, a transfer may not end up costing the Blues Vlahovic’s reported €80m asking price.

Ghana pipped Vanuatu in a Group B thriller, while David Hooper and Josh Butler kept Guernsey’s hopes of a semi-final slot alive in Group A

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Sep-2017Semi-final scenarios

All teams have an off day on Tuesday before the final day of round-robin play on Wednesday. Guernsey play Qatar in what is effectively a quarter-final match in Group B with the winner joining Italy as the second semi-finalist from their half of the draw while Italy play Cayman Islands for a chance to claim the top spot in the group.
In Group A, Jersey play Ghana for a chance to go to 3-0 and seal a semi-final spot while Germany play Vanuatu in the other match. Should Jersey beat Ghana and Vanuatu beat Germany, it would create a three-way tie for second place in the group with the second semi-finalist determined by net run rate. Germany currently have the best net run rate of the three.
Germany can clinch a semi-final spot with a win and a Ghana loss while Ghana can likewise take the spot with a win plus a Germany loss to Vanuatu. The possibility also exists of a three-way tie for first place should Jersey lose to Ghana and Germany beat Vanuatu but Jersey currently have a +0.939 net-run-rate advantage over Germany. Jersey will automatically clinch a semi-final slot in spite of a loss if Vanuatu beat Germany.

Group BGhana played their second nailbiter in a row on Monday but this time came out victorious with a two-wicket win over Vanuatu. New-ball strikes were key once again for Ghana as Vincent Ateak removed day-one top-scorer Jonathan Dunn for 12 while Obed Agbomadzie took three wickets for the second day in a row including the key scalps of Patrick Matautaava and Nalin Nipiko to set Vanuatu back at 41 for 4 in the 14th over. Captain Andrew Mansale top-scored with a battling 26 before his side was bowled out for 124 in 47.2 overs.The 16 unused deliveries proved vital as Ghana’s attempts to drive home a net-run-rate advantage nearly backfired spectacularly with victory in sight. Ghana were 116 for 3 when captain Peter Ananya was dismissed for 50 by Matautaava at the start of the 31st over. Subsequent attempts by the middle order to score quick runs to kill off the match were foiled by a pair of run-outs before Nipiko claimed wickets off back-to-back balls in the 34th over to put himself on a hat-trick with Ghana eight down with two runs still needed for victory. But 18-year-old Godfred Bakiweyem pinched a two off the hat-trick ball after entering at No. 10 to clinch a tense win.Jersey moved a shade closer to a semi-final berth with a five-wicket win over Germany in Benoni. Medium pacers Charles Perchard and Ben Kynman and left-arm-spinning allrounder Ben Stevens took two wickets each in a collective bowling effort to restrict Germany to 248. Germany captain Rishi Pillai top-scored for his side with 46 before they were bowled out in the final over.Stevens followed up his five-for from day one with his first fifty of the tournament, striking 53 off 65 balls while teaming with Peter Gough and Jonty Jenner for a pair of half-century partnerships. Sussex batsman Jenner then saw Jersey across the line, finishing with an unbeaten 68 off 65 balls including eight fours and a six as victory was sealed with 32 balls remaining.Group AItaly moved to 2-0 and clinched a spot in the semi-finals with a six-wicket win over Qatar. Captain Gayashan Munasinghe took 3 for 52 opening the bowling before Hasnat Ahmed ripped through the tail to claim 4 for 37 as Qatar were dismissed for 209 in 46.3 overs.Openers Gian Meade (51 off 84 balls) and Rakibul Hasan (62 off 67 balls) got the chase off to an emphatic start with a 123-run stand. Damian Crowley fell four short of his second fifty in a row but by the time he was dismissed Italy needed just 23 to win. Peter Petricola took Italy over the line with an unbeaten 21 to secure victory with 49 balls to spare.Guernsey bounced back from their opening-day loss to Italy with a six-wicket win over Cayman Islands. Opener Sacha de Alwis had taken Cayman to a strong position near the halfway point of the innings by top-scoring with 60 after they chose to bat first but things turned south when he was second out to fall with the score at 115. Medium pacer David Hooper put the brakes on the middle order by taking 5 for 36 as Cayman managed just 99 runs off the final 28 overs to finish on 214 for 9.Josh Butler (93 off 87 balls) dominated a 97-run opening stand with Matthew Stokes in reply while Oliver Newey produced a half-century for the second day in a row, making a brisk 54 off 38 balls. Guernsey eventually reached the target with 13.3 overs to spare, putting themselves back in the hunt for the other semi-final spot from Group B while Cayman Islands have been eliminated from semi-final contention.

Michael Beale is undergoing a total revamp at Glasgow Rangers this summer, freshening up the squad by making seven signings already, with a few more to come before the end of the transfer window.

The 42-year-old doesn’t want a hugely inflated squad, however, and thus he has begun the process of shipping players out who clearly won't be in his plans at Ibrox next term.

Who has left Rangers this summer?

Despite scoring 18 goals for the club in his debut season, Antonio Colak was sold to Parma for £2.5m.

Glen Kamara looks certain to be another departure from the Gers, with Leeds United closing in on a £5m move for the midfielder.

Right-winger Scott Wright is also set for a fresh opportunity away from Ibrox, with Turkish side Pendikspor looking to sign him for a fee of £500k after two and a half years at the Gers.

A move away from Rangers is perhaps the best option for the 25-year-old, especially considering he started just eight matches across all competitions last term, registering a paltry three assists and this won't be good enough going forward under Beale.

Who could replace Scott Wright?

Wright ranked in a lowly 21st position across the squad for key passes (0.4) and tenth for successful dribbles (0.5) per game during the Premiership season. These statistics clearly show he struggled when called upon, failing to impose himself as a key attacking outlet for the club.

His time at Rangers did yield a league medal whilst also scoring in the Scottish Cup final win over Hearts in 2022, yet he managed just eight goals in 84 matches, a poor return for someone who was expected to make the step-up when he joined from Aberdeen.

In terms of a replacement, Beale may not feel the need to turn to the transfer window. Instead, academy prospect Ross McCausland stands a good chance of making a mark. He not only could save the Gers money in the long run, but he also has the ability to forge himself in the senior setup.

The 20-year-old has already made his debut for the first team, given a 30-minute cameo against Hearts during the final match of the 2021/22 season, even grabbing an assist, showcasing his talents.

Journalist Josh Bunting hailed him as a “superb talent” and the youngster certainly kicked on last term, registering 14 goal contributions for the B team – ten goals and four assists – scoring more goals during one season than Wright did across 84 games for the Light Blues.

A speedy winger who isn’t afraid to take on defenders is what Beale wants and in McCausland, the Northern Irishman may be exactly who he is looking for.

Former academy chief Craig Mulholland praised him when he signed a new contract in 2021, saying: “The modern game requires ‘1v1’ dominant players and this is a real strength that Ross has that we will look to enhance.”

With Wright seemingly destined for the exit door, McCausland could certainly take full advantage and showcase to Beale why he deserves another shot in the first-team squad after he made his second appearance for the club during the 3-1 win over Hibs in May.

Guyana Amazon Warriors have featured in three CPL finals and lost each one of them. Their captain Martin Guptill hopes this year’s squad, which includes Afghanistan’s star legspinner Rashid Khan, can go all the way

Peter Della Penna in Lauderhill05-Aug-20172:18

‘This year’s a clean slate for Guyana’ – Guptill

Ahead of Guyana Amazon Warriors’ first training session in Florida prior to their season-opening match against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, a reunion of sorts took place in front of the pavilion. Star legspinner Rashid Khan was in the middle or being interviewed when his Sunrisers Hyderabad coach Tom Moody appeared behind the camera.The two embraced and spent a few minutes catching up before Amazon Warriors captain Martin Guptill appeared. As Guptill entered the conversation, Moody jokingly offered a piece of friendly advice. “When the s*** hits the fan, just give this guy the ball and he’ll sort everything out.”As Rashid chuckled, Guptill replied, “Mate, I can’t wait to give him the ball as early I can every game.”Such is the excitement with the arrival of Rashid, one of the CPL’s first two Afghanistan players along with Patriots allrounder Mohammad Nabi, Guptill is one of many with high expectations from Rashid to help them not only reach the CPL final for a fourth time, but actually win it in 2017.”Everyone talks about how we’ve been in three finals and lost three finals but at the end of the day that’s cricket,” Guptill told ESPNcricinfo in Lauderhill. “You’re not gonna win every game you play. We played some pretty incredible cricket up to that and unfortunately we played our worst game in the final.”Along with Guptill, the highly anticipated arrival of Rashid is expected to play a major role in the team’s fortunes. Aside from his exploits with Sunrisers in the spring, he began his summer with a sensational tour of the West Indies, which included 7 for 18 in the opening ODI win in St Lucia.”The squad looks a little different to last year but we’ve got some pretty exciting young cricketers coming,” Guptill said. “Rashid Khan, you know what he did in the IPL this year and what he’s done for Afghanistan. It’s extremely exciting and I can’t wait to watch the likes of him get the ball in hand and see what he can do in a couple of days’ time.”Aside from Rashid, who replaces Guyana’s leading wicket-taker from 2016 in Adam Zampa, several other changes have happened on the batting side. The biggest is the injury blow to Chris Lynn, the CPL’s leading scorer from last year who was ruled out due to upcoming shoulder surgery. Chadwick Walton is expected to take over in the opening slot alongside Guptill while Babar Azam has arrived as Lynn’s replacement. Another who may be a big-hitting X-factor is the American Steven Taylor, who has come over after two years with Barbados Tridents.”I opened the batting a couple of times with Chadwick [in Guyana]. He didn’t score too many runs but we started to get a little bit of an understanding of how each other bats, the running between the wickets and the communication and things. That’s going to come pretty quickly in a couple of days time, I’m hoping anyway. Chaddy’s got a great cricket brain on him, the way he thinks about the game and the way he communicates with other players is exciting for us.”Steven Taylor I think got 60-odd in one game down there and batted extremely well on a tough wicket. I was impressed with watching him play and I think it was the first time I’d seen him bat so it was pretty exciting and you know he’s going to get some decent opportunities in this tournament I think. The way he strikes the ball is pretty incredible. To do all the training he needs to with probably less facilities than other countries around the world is pretty awesome and I’m excited to see how he goes in this tournament.”Guptill also picked out Jason Mohammed as a key middle-order contributor and said that if the new arrivals can find chemistry and gel with the established core, which includes opening bowler Sohail Tanvir, he was positive about the team’s chances.”If we get the chance again to play in the final, it’s just about seizing the moment and seizing the opportunity and just enjoying it,” Guptill said. “It was hard to watch the final last year from afar but it’s a completely different year this year and I’m sure we can go all the way.”

Leeds United could be set to take another huge step towards a Championship promotion, if Daniel Farke is to secure the final star to complete his defensive overhaul.

Who are Leeds United signing this summer?

With Ethan Ampadu their first summer signing, and Karl Darlow set to be the next, it seems that bolstering the backline has been the new manager's priority since his announcement earlier this month.

However, these subsequent deals, and even his appointment, was all prefaced by the Whites' reported interest in Liverpool defender Nat Phillips.

Clearly boasting plenty of suitors within the Yorkshire club, the 26-year-old centre-back will likely remain a target of theirs, with just a £10m price tag certainly affordable given they unloaded £7m to get the Welshman from Chelsea.

Although his actual game time has been limited of late, he would still enter Elland Road with experience beyond most in the changing room, and most importantly, pedigree when it comes to earning promotion from the Championship.

How many games has Nat Phillips played for Liverpool?

Despite coming up through the Reds' academy, Phillips has only featured 29 times for his boyhood club, which was only spurred on due to an injury crisis.

Few expected much from the hulking defender of whom few had heard much about, yet his displays on the biggest stage actually impressed many.

He clearly earned the approval of Jurgen Klopp, who was keen to praise the 6 foot 4 titan back after his 2020 debut:

"He's a brilliant guy, smart guy, intelligent, everything. He's not easy on the eye, he's not Messi but who cares?

"In the air, he's a monster! He was incredible. For the first game, I think everyone can imagine how nervy that must be after a long wait."

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp would echo that sentiment a year later, claiming:

"The second goal really helps and Nat Phillips has had an unbelievable time, he's full of confidence. He's a throwback defender. He wants to make blocks, he wants to make tackles, he's got great anticipation. He knows his limitations. Right now he must think he's in dreamland."

Across 17 Premier League games in that 2020/21 campaign, Phillips miraculously maintained a 7.19 average rating, buoyed by his 84% pass accuracy, 1.2 interceptions, 1.3 tackles and 4.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

He would then translate these starring qualities into the Championship, as he spent six months of the 2021/22 season on loan at Bournemouth, cementing their promotion push with another 7.04 average rating and a further 4.1 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

That latter statistic would have ranked him joint-first among Leeds' squad last season, with his rating higher than any within that squad too.

To acquire the stalwart on a permanent basis would be to welcome an experienced star into Farke's fold, who is sure to offer further reinforcements to that fragile backline that is being targeted for improvement. The homegrown colossus even boasts five appearances in the Champions League too, as if his CV needed expanding.

Darlow and Ampadu's additions mark two huge strides in the right direction, with Phillips set to add that final starring piece.

Provided they continue to showcase such proactivity in the market and continue to bolster elsewhere, namely finding a key striker to spearhead their promotion charge, this could all culminate in an instant return to the top flight.

Australian star Ellyse Perry hit an unbeaten 78 and took two wickets to take Loughborough Lightning to their first Kia Super League win of 2017

ECB Reporters Network20-Aug-2017Ellyse Perry hit an unbeaten 78 and added a couple of wickets for good measure•Getty ImagesAustralian star Ellyse Perry hit an unbeaten 78 and took two wickets to take Loughborough Lightning to their first Kia Super League win of 2017 with an emphatic 50-run victory over Lancashire Thunder.It keeps alive the Lightning’s hopes of making Finals Day on September 1. It was a third successive defeat for the Thunder and eliminates them from the competition after another collapse when chasing left them well short of the required 141-run target.Their chase got off to a bad start, as Perry removed both opener Emma Lamb and the key wicket of England star Sarah Taylor, both for just four runs in her first two overs.The Thunder needed someone to play the Perry innings in their ranks and New Zealander Amy Satterthwaite looked like she could take on the role.But Satterthwaite was beaten by Lucy Higham and stumped by Abigail Freeborn for 21 and that triggered a major Thunder collapse for the second consecutive match.They lost six wickets in 33 balls for 27 runs to leave the score at 71 for 8 with another 70 runs needed from 31 balls.A late cameo of 18 from Ellie Threlkeld, only the third to make double figures, dragged the total up but two quick wickets ended the innings with Lancashire all out for 90 and the Lightning winning with 2.4 overs to spare.Beth Langston finished with the pick of the figures, taking 3 for 14 from her two overs.Perry at the crease after just five balls of the Loughborough innings when her international teammate Elyse Villani was dismissed by Kate Cross for six. She struck a boundary from her first ball and began to build a partnership with 18-year-old opener Sarah Glenn.Spin was to be Lancashire’s key weapon once again. Danielle Hazell finished with the pick of the figures with 2 for 16 from her four overs and she removed Glenn for 22 – a second catch for Lamb.Perry would find partners hard to come by. England international Georgia Elwiss came and went for 5 before Sonia Odedra was on her way for one from 10 balls, bowled by Ecclestone.That left Loughborough 81 for 4 in the 13th but Perry carried on relentlessly, bringing up her half-century from 41 balls with two boundaries off Cross.Lancashire would rue Sarah Taylor’s missed stumping of Perry in the 16th over as she went on to share an unbroken stand of 39 with Freeborn, hitting the last two balls of the innings from Sophie Ecclestone for four to post a total of 140 for 5 which was well out of reach of the Thunder.Loughborough face Surrey Stars at The Oval next Saturday.

West Indies were aided by rain after putting up a strong batting display against Pakistan which saw Deandra Dottin reach her maiden ODI hundred, supported by Stafanie Taylor’s 90

The report by Varun Shetty11-Jul-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Deandra Dottin launched an attack in the back end of the innings to push West Indies to 285•ICC/GettyDeandra Dottin’s first ODI century lifted West Indies to 285 and did half the job against Pakistan, a team that hadn’t made more than 150 for four innings in a row. And although Pakistan put up a solid response, a combination of rain and quick wickets meant their innings was cut short on 117 for 3 – 19 short of the DLS par score in 24 overs. It was their 13th successive loss in a World Cup match.Pakistan’s revised target was 245 in 38 overs and Javeria Khan was unbeaten on 58 when rain interrupted the game for a third time. She added 80 with opener Nahida Khan before offspinner Anisa Mohammed dismissed the opener for 40. Thirteen balls later, Iram Javed, promoted ahead of Nain Abidi, holed out to extra cover off what turned out to be the last ball of the match.It meant that the fluent stand between Javeria and Nahida, that kept Pakistan close to the DLS par score, went in vain. Pakistan captain Sana Mir admitted to a “lapse” in planning after the match, with the side preferring not to take the batting Powerplay when the drizzle started getting heavy.Earlier, rain had delayed the start of the game by an hour. Stafanie Taylor, who had lost the toss, found herself out in the middle after the end of the first over. Having hustled the openers by utilising the overcast conditions with a couple of swinging deliveries, seamer Asmavia Iqbal floated up an offcutter and had Hayley Matthews chipping a return catch.The left-handed Kycia Knight then threatened to monopolise the cover boundary, striking four dominant boundaries through the off-side belt. But Asmavia was back with another cutter, this one climbing away from Knight whose aimless prod outside off resulted in a outside edge that was smartly taken by Sidra Nawaz low to her left. Asmavia even ventured up the pitch to make the wicket a memorable one – shouting out a clear send-off to the perplexed batsman. By the time Pakistan captain Mir offered her an apologetic pat, she was an amused batsman. But one who was out, nonetheless.Chedean Nation joined her captain in the fifth over. West Indies continued to find the boundary regularly – at one point, 48 of the 63 runs had come in fours – to offset an otherwise tight bowling display from Pakistan. Taylor channeled Knight and was particularly punishing through the off side. She made most of the 87 runs the pair put on for the third wicket before Nation, who has faced some criticism for throwing away starts this tournament, walked across and exposed her middle stump in a bid to sweep. She would be Nashra Sandhu’s only wicket.When Taylor brought up her fifty, it was West Indies’ first of the tournament. There wasn’t a deliberate attempt to accelerate after she reached the landmark. The priority, it seemed, was to build a long innings and take an otherwise fragile batting line-up as deep into the innings as possible. Her own innings pushed into the 40th over, before an attempted drill past Diana Baig was caught by the bowler in her follow through. She missed out on a sixth ODI hundred by ten runs.The acceleration came from Dottin who, in the mid-innings break, acknowledged that she had looked to play straighter. With five fours and a six, she brought up her fifty off 49 balls in the 42nd over. And from there began West Indies’ acceleration. Seventy-four runs came off the last seven overs; 54 of those were pummeled from Dottin’s bat in just 27 balls, including a six that came from a launch over long-on to bring up a 71-ball hundred. She celebrated by flinging her bat to square leg – like someone who should have had a first hundred long before her 99th ODI innings.

Everton and Atalanta continue to battle it out over the signing of Almeria forward El Bilal Toure during the summer transfer window, according to a key update from renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Are Everton signing El Bilal Toure?

The Blues have been linked with various players since the end of last season, as they look to avoid yet another disappointing Premier League campaign in 2023/24, following back-to-back relegation battles.

In seems clear that Everton simply must bring in more quality in attack, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin hard to depend upon because of fitness issues these days, and the likes of Neal Maupay doing nowhere enough to justify being a regular starter moving forward.

Toure is the player who appears to have become the Blues' primary transfer target in the final third, with numerous recent reports claiming that a move to Goodison Park is on the cards this summer.

Now, another report has emerged that further suggests that Everton are pushing hard to sign the Almeria ace, but they are not alone in expressing an interest.

What has Fabrizio Romano said about Everton?

Writing on Twitter, Romano provided an update on the latest situation regarding Toure's future, saying that negotiations will continue with Everton this week:

"Understand Everton are still pushing to sign El Bilal Toure while Atalanta are on it too. Both clubs are in the race, fighting to sign Almeria striker. Negotiations will continue next week to get it done."

This is another positive update when it comes to Everton trying to acquire Toure's signature, and it ultimately looks like a straight choice between themselves and Atalanta, who have become a force in Serie A in recent years and will, therefore, provide stiff competition.

The lure of the Premier League is always great for any player, however, and if Sean Dyche can sell the Blues to Toure as a club, promising him a key role leading the line, it could sway his thinking.

While more than one attacking signing is probably needed at Goodison Park this summer, in terms of Dyche having enough squad depth at his disposal, the Almeria man could be a perfect place to start, coming in as a long-term signing who should only improve year upon year, considering he is still only 21 years of age.

A tally of seven goals in 22 appearances for his current club is a good start there, considering he is playing in one of Europe's top leagues, while five in 15 caps for Mali also shows that he is already making his mark on the international stage.

Toure has been compared to Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, in terms of his extremely physical style up front, which should certainly excite Everton supporters and Dyche – if he has anywhere close to the impact the Ivorian did in England, then the Blues could have an absolute gem on their hands.

It looks almost nailed-on that the Malian with leave Almeria before the new season gets underway, and it looks all set to come down to either Everton or Atalanta, with the two clubs looking to outdo one another and show why Toure should choose them.