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Oman pulled off a stunning upset against a side that is known for upsetting bigger sides in global tournaments, shocking Ireland with a two-wicket win in Dharamsala

The Report by Vishal Dikshit09-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsOman celebrate their dramatic victory over Ireland in Dharamsala•International Cricket CouncilOman pulled off a stunning upset against a side that is known for upsetting stronger sides in global tournaments, shocking Ireland with a two-wicket win with two balls to spare in Dharamsala. Chasing 155 on a slow track, Oman’s fortunes swung from one extreme to the other: the openers gave them a strong start but the middle order wobbled, before an Amir Ali cameo turned things around again. They eventually sealed a historic win by taking 15 runs off a frenetic final over from Max Sorensen, who lost his lengths during a spate of full tosses that left Ireland in anguish.Oman needed 14 off the last over with three wickets in hand. The first ball from Sorenson was a shoulder-high full toss and Amir managed to steer it to the fine-leg boundary. Amir could only take a bye off the free-hit – a yorker that hit the stumps. With eight needed off five, another full toss followed – a wide one – and Ajay Lalcheta managed to edge a swipe past the keeper to the third-man boundary. Another single took it to three needed off three. The game was almost Oman’s now, but Sorensen had Amir nicking to the wicketkeeper. And then, with three needed off two balls, Sorensen bowled another high full toss that beat both batsman and keeper and raced to the boundary to set off joyous celebrations in the Oman camp.At 95 for 5, with Oman needing 61 off 30 balls, those celebrations seemed improbable before Amir cut loose. He dispatched Sorensen over the midwicket boundary and used clever shots against the experienced Tim Murtagh in the 17th over to bring the equation down to 23 from 18. Murtagh helped Oman’s cause with a no-ball and two wides in the over and Amir then finished it with three consecutive fours to tilt the balance. Kevin O’Brien kept Ireland alive by conceding only five runs in the 18th, and Oman lost two more wickets in the 19th before that dramatic finish.Oman’s openers Zeeshan Maqsood and Khawar Ali had put on a stand of 69 in 8.3 overs that kept the required run rate under eight per over. Maqsood peppered the leg side with one cracking shot after another and cashed in on loose deliveries with several swipes. He spanked three fours off Boyd Rankin in the third over and Khawar also switched gears after having faced several dot balls initially. Khawar attacked O’Brien with a consecutive four and six before he was bowled and O’Brien jolted Oman further with the wicket of Maqsood in his next over.William Porterfield then switched between Paul Stirling, Sorensen and Andy McBrine who stifled Oman with 23 boundary-less balls. McBrine made things worse for Oman by collecting two wickets in four balls in the 14th over, reducing them to 90 for 5, but that brought out Amir, who proved too dangerous for Ireland.Having opted to bat though dew was going to come into play later on, Ireland’s first few overs were filled with crunchy drives from Stirling after left-arm spinner Ajay Lalcheta started with a maiden. Stirling attacked Bilal Khan and took the score to 46 for 0 in the Powerplay as his partner Porterfield raced from 4 off 11 to 14 off 17 before the field could be spread out.Ireland were left stunned when Maqsood took a spectacular one-handed catch at extra cover, intercepting a Stirling drive and ending his innings. Ireland needed momentum to build on but could not find any because Oman brought on one spinner after another. No. 3 Gary Wilson started accelerating with two fours in the 10th over but when Porterfield tried to do the same by stepping out, he was stumped off Khawar for 29. The Ireland batsmen picked up a boundary almost every over after that but the sluggish pitch made it tough to find them more often, even off full tosses.Wilson worked hard for an innings of 38 that ended when his stumps were splattered by Munis Ansari, who also dismissed Niall O’Brien in the same over. Ansari had leaked 15 in his first over but he bowled the remaining three to not allow Ireland to get too far. He bowled yorkers, slower ones, and targeted the stumps to concede 22 runs off his last 18 balls. It was only in his last over, which leaked 12, that McBrine collected two fours to help Ireland past 150.

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal received the inaugural Golden Boy The Youngest trophy while Aitana Bonmati landed the Golden Woman prize on Monday night.

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Yamal wins Golden Boy The Youngest trophyYoungest player to appear on Golden Boy podium2023 Ballon d'Or winner Bonmati also honouredWHAT HAPPENED?

At the age of 16, the Barcelona wonderkid became the youngest player to feature on the podium at the Golden Boy gala. The teenager won the inaugural Golden Boy The Youngest trophy for 2023 after breaking multiple records for his club and national team Spain in this calendar year.

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The Catalan giants also saw their star player Aitana Bonmati bag the Golden Woman prize. Last season, the 25-year-old won the Champions League with her club and then helped Spain to glory at the Women's World Cup 2023 before finally landing the prestigious Women's Ballon d'Or award.

Getty/GOALDID YOU KNOW?

Upon receiving the Golden Boy The Youngest prize, Yamal revealed that his next target is to win the Golden Boy award next year and emulate his boyhood hero Lionel Messi, who won it in 2005. Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham got his hands on the award for 2023 on the back of his record-breaking start to life at Santiago Bernabeu.

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After an important win over Atletico Madrid during the weekend, Xavi's Barca side will now aim to beat second-placed Girona on Sunday and close the gap on La Liga leaders and arch-rivals Real Madrid. Yamal will be in line to feature, having started seven of Barca's 15 La Liga games so far this term.

Arsenal have been backed to end 20-year wait for Premier League title by Gary Neville despite 'slow' start to the season.

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Arsenal primed to win Premier LeagueNeville expects them to finish stronglyBelieves attack is a concern for Mikel ArtetaWHAT HAPPENED?

The Gunners have made a steady start to their league campaign which sees them placed third in the table after 12 games, level on points with Liverpool in second and just a point behind table toppers Manchester City. Neville believes Arsenal's defensive strength, bolstered midfield, and impressive wide players like Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli will be key to their title ambitions and insisted that they would continue to flourish at the business end of the season, unlike last campaign, when they capitulated under pressure which saw Pep Guardiola's men run away with the championship.

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"I think that Arsenal can win the league this season," He said on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by . "Despite starting slow, the football will come, the football that we saw from them last season. The fact that they’ve started a little bit slower, I never think is a bad thing, they’re sat there in the pack behind [top].

"But I do think that when the football comes, and it could come after Christmas in March which is the right time, they could be the opposite of last season – a bit of a slow start and stronger finish."

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However, Neville is concerned about the central striking position, advocating for the recruitment of a top-class striker. He is not convinced with Eddie Nketiah's performance in the Premier League amid fitness concerns of Gabriel Jesus.

"My worry with Arsenal is a centre-forward, I like [Gabriel] Jesus and [Eddie] Nketiah but for me they are a number two and three, they need a number one," he said.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

Arsenal will be back in action against Brentford on November 25 at the Gtech Community Stadium in a Premier League fixture.

South Australia’s last Sheffield Shield-winning captain, Jamie Siddons, has returned to the state as head coach for the next three seasons

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2015South Australia’s last Sheffield Shield-winning captain, Jamie Siddons, has returned to the state as head coach for the next three seasons. Siddons will fill the role vacated by Darren Berry, who parted ways with South Australia in March.The third-leading run scorer of all time in the Sheffield Shield, Siddons captained South Australia in 69 matches and was in charge in 1995-96, when the state last won the Shield. Despite scoring 11,587 first-class runs at an average of 44.91, Siddons played only once for Australia, in an ODI against Pakistan in Lahore in 1988.After his retirement, Siddons started his coaching career with the Redbacks as an assistant for three years, before he became an assistant to John Buchanan in the Australia national setup in 2005. He coached Bangladesh in the lead-up to the 2011 World Cup and has steered Wellington to two titles in the past four seasons in New Zealand’s domestic competitions.”I am so happy to be back home after a long time away,” Siddons said. “I’m excited about the list, especially some of the talented young players, and I can’t wait to get started.”Keith Bradshaw, the SACA chief executive, said: “His coaching record over the past decade speaks for itself and he led South Australia to our last Sheffield Shield title. Jamie adds a freshness and expertise that will help guide South Australia to long term success. We have absolute clarity of where we’re going and 100% commitment to that.”The appointment of Siddons as the coach of the Redbacks comes after the SACA last month confirmed that Jason Gillespie would take on the coaching role with the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL.He will also be one of four new head coaches of the six states for next season, with David Saker in charge at Victoria, Phil Jaques at Queensland, and New South Wales needing a replacement for new England coach Trevor Bayliss.

Kenya are set to tour Pakistan next month for a series of five one-dayers against Pakistan A at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore

Umar Farooq25-Nov-2014Kenya are set to tour Pakistan next month for a series of five one-dayers against Pakistan A at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The tour will hold considerable significance for Pakistan, as the PCB looks to break their isolation as an international venue.Kenya will arrive in Lahore on December 11 and will play the five games between December 13 and 20, before leaving on 21st. “The entire series would consist of day matches, and shall be spread over 45 overs each”, Zakir Khan, chairman of the organising committee for the series and PCB’s director, international cricket, said.The PCB had invited Kenya, and the two boards discussed holding the series in November initially, before the tour was postponed as the PCB waited for government clearance. For Kenya, the series will help them prepare for the ICC World Cricket League Division Two event in January, in Windhoek, Namibia.Pakistan has been a no-go zone for major international cricket since gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009. Kenya are the second Associate country Pakistan have invited over in the last six months. Ireland had been invited earlier and had been willing to tour Pakistan in September, but the terrorist attacks in and around Karachi airport in June ruled out the proposition. The PCB had also asked Sri Lanka to come over earlier this year, without much result.

While the likes of Lionel Messi and Eden Hazard will take most of the headlines, there is a new generation of talent about to burst onto the scene

The new La Liga season is just hours away, and fans are excited to see their club's latest big-money signings in action.

Perhaps even more satisfying for a supporter, though, is seeing a young player flourish when given the opportunity on the biggest stage.

But who should you be looking out for when the teams are named on the opening weekend?  Goal  breaks down some of the top talents the Spanish top flight has to offer in 2019-20…

Getty ImagesAnder Barrenetxea | Real Sociedad

While the likes of Martin Odegaard, Alexander Isak and Mikel Oyarzabal will capture most of the headlines when it comes to wonderkids at La Real, perhaps the most exciting youngster within their squad is Barrenetxea.

Much like Antoine Griezmann a decade ago, the 17-year-old was promoted to the first team squad without having ever played in the club's B team last season, and scored his first goal for the club in a victory over Real Madrid late in the campaign.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesSergio Camello | Atletico Madrid

It took 18-year-old Camello just 35 minutes of his Atletico Madrid debut to score his first goal for the club against Levante towards the back end of last season, and it is likely he will earn more opportunities this time around.

Diego Simeone has bolstered his attacking ranks over the summer, but Camello's talent is such that he should earn more than a few chances to impress within the first-team squad.

Getty ImagesBryan Gil | Sevilla

Though yet to start a match in La Liga, winger Gil was a regular on the Sevilla bench last season, and already has a goal and an assist to his name in the Spanish top-flight.

Still just 18, he will have to fight for further opportunities this time around with Monchi and Julen Lopetegui having overhauled the squad at the Sanchez Pizjuan over the summer.

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Getty ImagesTakefusa Kubo | Real Madrid

Tipped for greatness when part of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, Kubo was forced to return to his native Japan in the wake of the Blaugrana's transfer ban in 2015.

And while the training he received back home may not have been at the same level as that in Catalunya, it did allow him more opportunities in senior football as he became one of the star names within the J-League.

Now 18 he is back in Spain, although this time with Real Madrid after they beat Barca to his signing. While he is likely to start the campaign playing with Castilla, some impressive performances in pre-season have hinted that he is ready to play a part for Zinedine Zidane.

With the Red Devils struggling at the back, Goal looks at those who have tried – and, in most cases, failed – to establish themselves at Old Trafford

Getty Images10Tyler Blackett

Drafted in during the early days of Louis van Gaal's tenure amid a defensive injury crisis, Blackett was soon found to be out of his depth at the highest level, at both centre-back and left-back.

Sent out on loan to Celtic in a bid to gain more experience, he only made three appearances for the Bhoys before being sold to Reading in 2016.

AdvertisementGetty Images9Paddy McNair

Another who broke into the side during Van Gaal's first season, McNair's early performances saw him earn a call-up to the Northern Ireland squad.

However, he soon began to struggle and fell down the pecking order, eventually leaving in 2016 to join Sunderland, where he was last seen playing as a No.10!

Getty Images8Victor LindelofSigned for £30.75 million from Benfica in the summer of 2017, Lindelof has barely been seen since arriving at Old Trafford, with the Sweden international having struggled to adapt under Jose Mourinho.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty Images7Jonny Evans

Evans remained at the Theatre of Dreams for one season following the departure of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic but, after an injury-hit campaign, he left for West Brom.

Needless to say, with Manchester City and Arsenal keen on signing him, it might have been better for United to keep hold of the Northern Ireland international.

Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale has been savaged on social media as supporters react to the admission that he struggles to concentrate for 90 minutes.

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Goalkeeper joined Gunners in 2021Has lost his place at presentOften interacts with rival supportersWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international has lost his place in the Gunners team at present, with summer signing David Raya taking over between the sticks. Plenty were shocked at that decision from Mikel Arteta, with Ramsdale famed for his reflexes and confidence with the ball at his feet.

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He has made the odd error at times, while never being afraid to interact with rival supporters, and conceded during a chat with Arsenal icon Ian Wright that he needs distractions in order to help him realign focus on match day. Ramsdale said: “If you ask me to focus on a game of football for 90 minutes I'm finished. I can't do it. So that's why I get involved with the fans and I sing along with the songs. Someone's giving me abuse, I'll turn around and give them a bit back. I have had my two/three minutes of sort of madness in my head – straight back to the football. I've got 10/15 minutes of pure concentration again. Next thing you know, half-time is around.”

WHAT THEY SAID

Former Arsenal striker Wright struggled to hide his surprise at Ramsdale offering advice to rivals on a potential weakness in his game, while fans have suggested that the 25-year-old should have kept that secret to himself – with some pointing out goals that could have been a direct result of Ramsdale losing focus, including one effort scored by Southampton in which the Three Lions star appeared to be distracted by a bird.

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WHAT NEXT?

Ramsdale joined Arsenal in 2021, making a similar admission at that time, and is not the only goalkeeper in world football that needs to switch off occasionally in order to get back into the game. He fills a position that can see him left with little to do for long periods, making it difficult for full concentration to be maintained for a full 90 minutes and beyond.

Hakim Ziyech's agent has denied saying that the winger has asked to leave Galatasaray amid reports claiming his loan from Chelsea will be cut short.

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Ziyech struggling in TurkeyCould head back to London in JanuaryAgent labelled exit statement as fake newsWHAT HAPPENED?

According to Turkish outletNTV Spor, Galatasaray are looking to end Ziyech's loan deal in January. The 30-year-old has endured an "ineffective" spell in the Super Lig since he moved on loan to Istanbul from Stamford Bridge in the summer. He has featured in just nine matches so far this season, which has given rise to speculation that his time in Turkey might be over, despite his contract expiring in the summer.

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Amid the uncertainty, Ziyech's representative George Gardi was alleged to have said in a statement: "Hakim Ziyech's Galatasaray adventure started well, but it did not continue well. We conveyed to Galatasaray that we wanted to leave. Galatasaray will not cause us any difficulties."

However, Gardi set the record straight on his Instagram story, labelling the statement "fake news".

"I never made ay statement on Ziyech and I don't know this person who wrote using my name," he wrote.

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Ziyech's future remains uncertain as Mauricio Pochettino might not find a place for him at Chelsea given his options in attack and the squad's bloated nature. For now, Ziyech will shift his focus to international duty with the Morocco national team. He has received a call-up to Walid Regragui's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations and will have his sights set on a deep run at the prestigious international tournament.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Ziyech has just four goals and two assists to his name in all competitions for Galatasaray. The team management reportedly do not deem his efforts to be enough to keep him on board until the summer, and are looking to get him off their books before the January window slams shut.

South Africa are wary of the heat and greater help for spinners in Sri Lanka but captain AB de Villiers believes they are better prepared

Firdose Moonda05-Jul-20141:42

Winning in SL will be big before World Cup – Domingo

A tour to Sri Lanka typically involves turning tracks, talented tweakers, heat and humidity. South Africa thrive on pace and bounce and the weather at home is rarely extreme. Overcoming those factors present the main challenge when the series begins on Sunday.Last July, the visitors had succumbed to spin and stifling heat to lose the ODI series 4-1 and caused intense introspection about their fifty-over strategy.Some of the reasons for their underperformance were self-explanatory. South Africa were beset by injury and absentees – Hashim Amla manned his usual opening position only twice and he played only three games. Dale Steyn was rested for the tour, Jacques Kallis had opted out of the Champions Trophy and was yet to recommit to the one-day side. There was uncertainty over team composition and a fair amount of inexperience.But there were other areas which raised more questions. Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath shared 16 wickets between them in the series while South Africa’s spinners, Aaron Phangiso and JP Duminy only managed five. Had South Africa slipped back into their struggles both against spin and in finding a decent exponent of their own? Sri Lanka had two centurions across the five matches, South Africa had none. Was the correct batting line-up in place and was it being used to the best of its ability?AB de Villiers believes South Africa have the answers this time. “We did quite a few things wrong last year but we’ve got a more experienced team now,” he said.AB de Villiers has said Jacques Kallis is “ready to go”•AFPAmla is fit, Steyn is in the squad but most importantly, Kallis is back. Despite missing the warm-up match with an upper back problem, de Villiers declared Kallis “ready to go,” in the first match but cautioned that he may not be able to function as a fully-fledged all-rounder. “It’s all a matter of how much he can bowl,” de Villiers said.With South Africa’s pace contingent including Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Ryan McLaren and a choice of left-armers in Wayne Parnell and Beuran Hendricks, Kallis’ bowling role may be minimised anyway and his contribution as a batsman and mentor will take greater precedence. Already, de Villiers said he “has been working with some of the younger guys on how to play spin properly,” because South Africa want to show improvement from last year.While South Africa hope Kallis and his influence will takes care of one side of the spin coin, they have identified Imran Tahir as the man to deal with the other. “Immi is a match winner; he has got that x-factor. He is in a very good space with ball in hand at the moment and he is bowling really well,” de Villiers said. “I look forward to using him in some very big moments.”Tahir has embraced the responsibility and is eager to perform. “I have always been really confident, but maybe in the past I wasn’t sure where I stood in the team. At the moment I am playing T20s, ODIs and Tests so that automatically gives me good confidence about myself,” he said. “Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara are two of the greatest players of spin in the world. They obviously grew up facing spin rather than fast bowling so it will be a good challenge.”And then there is the weather. Temperatures in Sri Lanka are hovering near the 30-degree mark which does not sound so bad, but combined with humidity above 70%, the real feel is far more intense. De Villiers said last year South Africa found it “difficult to build proper innings and partnerships,” and that does not even take into account the effects it would have had on the bowlers.Since then South Africa have played in similar conditions in the UAE where they tried novel things like wearing ice vests and necklaces between overs and during drinks breaks and using an umbrella when they could for some cooling. South Africa’s fitness trainer Greg King confirmed neither method would make an appearance this time because South Africa discovered they did not provide as much relief as they hoped.Instead they will resort to old-fashioned tactics like staying hydrated and grinning and bearing it. De Villiers called it knowing “how to look after the weather better.” He didn’t explain what that means but later mused that there are “no secret recipes to a winning formula.” For South Africa to have a successful run in Sri Lanka, they may do well to remember there are some things they can’t control and the forces of nature are some of them.