Legspinner Lloyd Pope will not get the chance to play in the Sheffield Shield final as South Australia look set to opt for an extra seamer in the hope of breaking a 29-year title-winning drought against Queensland.Captain Nathan McSweeney confirmed on Tuesday that Pope will be squeezed out of the XI against Queensland. Pope has taken 21 wickets at 25.95 in five Shield appearances this season, including match-winning bags of 6 for 74 against Victoria and 4 for 76 against Tasmania, but both of those came at Adelaide Oval.He took 3 for 84 from 26 overs last week against Queensland at Karen Rolton Oval, where the final will be played. But both sides are expecting more moisture and grass in the surface and South Australia are likely to welcome back seamer Brendan Doggett and seam-bowling allrounder Liam Scott into the line-up after both were rested last week, meaning Pope is one of the men to miss out.Related

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“Lloyd’s been great for us this year and his efforts are a great reason why we’re here and playing in a Shield final,” McSweeney said. “I think Karen Rolton Oval is typically a tough ground to bowl spin on. The wicket has a little bit more moisture in it. So hence we’re going with an extra [seam] bowler. It’s a tough decision, but I think when you’re in finals you’ve got to make tough decisions. And unfortunately he’s the one that’s missing out.”Wicketkeeper Harry Nielsen is the other member of South Australia’s 14-man squad that will definitely not feature, having being left out for the last match due to Alex Carey’s return from international duty.

How a drawn final is decided

In the event the Sheffield Shield final ends in a draw, the title will be decided on first-innings bonus points which are accrued across the first 100 overs.

Batting teams earn 0.01 of a bonus point for every run scored over 200 in the initial 100 overs; bowling sides get 0.1 of a bonus point for every wicket in the first 100 overs. For example, the batting side scores 350 all out in 90 overs they earn 1.5 points and the bowling side 1 point.

Should bonus points be tied and the match drawn, SA will win the Shield given they finished top of the ladder and earned hosting rights for the final.

McSweeney would not confirm the final XI but it appears likely that one of Henry Thornton or Jordan Buckingham will be squeezed out to make room for Doggett.Thornton’s incredible late season form makes the selection decision extremely difficult. He was the Michael Bevan medallist as player of the match in the Dean Jones Trophy Final, taking 4 for 27, and has since bagged 4 for 42, 3 for 44, and 3 for 90 in the last two Shield games having been a late replacement for Nathan McAndrew when he was rested against Victoria.Buckingham, meanwhile, has taken 21 wickets at 25.76 this season and bowled well for Australia A this summer. Doggett has likewise starred for Australia A in between taking 22 scalps at 29.86 fin Shield cricket.Henry Thornton has produced strong late-season form•Getty Images

South Australia did not push for an outright win against Queensland last week to conserve energy ahead of the final. They had the Bulls 86 for 5 after piling up 614 for 7 declared but ended up needing 113.5 overs to bowl them out for 370 as the surface flattened out, with Jimmy Peirson and Jack Wildermuth posting lower-order centuries.”I think the wicket looks like there’ll be a little bit more life in it, slightly more in it for the bowlers,” McSweeney said. “But I think typically here it’s hard to take 20 wickets. There’s no doubt about that. We’ve got an extra day to try and take them now, so I think it’ll be a really good cricket wicket.”The weight of history sits heavily on the South Australian team despite it being made up of a lot of players from interstate. They have not won a Shield since 1996 and have not played in a final since 2017 or hosted one since 2016. Carey and Jake Lehmann will be the only two surviving members of the 2015-17 group to play in this week’s decider, while Conor McInerney is set to be the only other home grown South Australian in the XI.But despite the squad being made up of so many recruited players, McSweeney believes their journey together and their struggles over recent seasons in building a tight-knit team culture means a Shield triumph would mean as much to them as it would to the rusted on SACA members who have been starved of success for so long.”A lot of the boys have come from interstate,” McSweeney said. “We’ve been giving opportunity for a team that hasn’t had heaps of success, but we’ve been able to build it over the last few years as a group, and that’ll just cap it off I think.”We’ve had a fair bit of change, but I think the core group of players have been here for a long time now, and we’re slowly starting to see the success from all the hard work, and that’s paying off now. It’ll mean so much and hopefully we can get it done.”South Australia squad: Nathan McSweeney (capt), Jordan Buckingham, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Henry Hunt, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Conor McInerney, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry Thornton

Member of 1970-71 Ashes-winning side was later England bowling coach

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2025

Peter Lever took 716 first-class wickets for Lancashire•Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Peter Lever, the former Lancashire and England fast bowler, has died after a short illness. He was 84.Lever took almost 1000 wickets for Lancashire during his playing days in the 1960s and ’70s. He was capped 17 times in Tests by England, as well as featuring in 10 one-day internationals.He went on to work as England bowling coach under Ray Illingworth, and was inducted into the Lancashire hall of fame last year.Lever’s chances with England were initially limited by strong seam-bowling competition, and he had to wait until the age of 30 for his official debut. He had played for England against the Rest of the World during the summer of 1970, taking 7 for 83 including the wickets of Graeme Pollock, Garry Sobers and Clive Lloyd – but the matches subsequently lost their Test status.Related

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He played five Tests during the 1970-71 Ashes, taking 13 wickets, as England won 2-0 to reclaim the urn; he was also picked for the first-ever ODI, staged due to the abandonment of the third Test, in Melbourne.Although his involvement thereafter was sporadic, Lever toured Australia and New Zealand again in 1974-75. It was during the Auckland Test that Lever bowled the ball that struck Ewen Chatfield on the side of the head, leaving the New Zealand No. 11 needing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the pitch.Lever was part of the England side that reached the semi-finals of the first men’s World Cup later that year, but he only made one further Test appearance before retiring in 1976.

Inter president Beppe Marotta believes that Luka Modric thriving in Serie A at the age of 40 is not a bad thing, but in fact a "positive advert" for Italian football. Marotta highlighted the financial disparity between clubs in Serie A and those in leagues like the Premier League and La Liga, pointing to Real Madrid's big-money signing of Argentine teenager Franco Mastantuono as a prime example.

Modric and other Serie A imports thriving

Modric, who recently turned 40, signed for AC Milan as a free agent over the summer after spending 13 illustrious seasons at Real Madrid. Kevin De Bruyne was another veteran midfielder who arrived in Italy, bolstering the ranks at defending champions Napoli. The duo have had a bright start to their careers in Serie A, which Inter president Marotta sees as a "positive advert for Italian football". However, he says Italian football simply must accept the financial superiority of other leagues, saying Serie A sides cannot match other European sides when it comes to signing the next generation of young stars. He cited the €45 million (£39m) spent by Real Madrid on Franco Mastantuono as evidence.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMarotta gives harsh reality check on Serie A's level

Speaking at a book launch event on Tuesday, Marotta said: "I don’t think it’s worrying that a 40-year-old is playing at this level in our league. I actually see him as a positive advert for Italian football. Our children fall in love with the game by watching a player like him. But the trajectory of our football is on the decline. Today, our league is a transitional one – it’s no longer the El Dorado it was in the 2000s. Nowadays, players come to us in the latter stages of their careers.

"All the top Italian clubs can spend, at most, €30–35 million on a 2004, 2005, or 2006-born player. Real Madrid spent €70 million [sic] on Mastantuono. The big clubs in Serie A have to rely on capital gains to operate in the market. Today, that’s a standard feature of club budgets. Without those capital gains, Milan, Inter, and Juventus wouldn’t be able to present a viable financial statement.

"That’s the difference between Italy and England. English TV rights, especially abroad, are worth four times more than ours and are sold for €3 billion. We barely reach €200 million. The economic aspect simply doesn’t give us competitive power."

Premier League in a financial league of its own

According to figures provided by FIFA, the total amount spent by Premier League clubs on transfers in the summer window was more than the combined money spent by teams from the other top five leagues – Serie A, Bundesliga, La Liga and Ligue 1. Per the report, Premier League teams spent a record-breaking $3.19 billion, more than thrice the $950m spent by Serie A teams. Interestingly, teams from La Liga and Ligue 1 spent less than Serie A teams.

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AFPWhen will Serie A resume?

Serie A returns to action on October 18 after the end of the ongoing international break. Roma vs Inter, Como vs Juventus, Atalanta vs Lazio, and Milan vs Fiorentina are some of the high-voltage fixtures which will be played that weekend.

أعلنت رابطة البريميرليج عن قائمة اللاعيبن المرشحين لجائزة أفضل لاعب في الجولة الثامنة للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وشهدت مباريات الجولة الثامنة مواجهات مميزة، بما في ذلك فوز مانشستر يونايتد على ليفربول بهدفين لهدف على ملعب “آنفيلد”.

ورشحت رابطة البريميرليج، ثمانية لاعبين من المشاركين مع أنديتهم في مواجهات الجولة الثامنة لبطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، لجائزة أفضل لاعب بالجولة. اللاعبون المرشحون لجائزة أفضل لاعب في الجولة الثامنة بالدوري الإنجليزي

إيرلينج هالاند، مانشستر سيتي

سجل هالاند هدفين ليقود فريقه مانشستر سيتي للفوز على إيفرتون بهدفين دون رد، ويحتل الفريق وصافة الدوري الإنجليزي خلف المتصدر آرسنال.

ورفع هالاند رصيده إلى 96 هدفًا في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، ويتصدر ترتيب الهدافين هذا الموسم بـ 11 هدفًا.

ريس جيمس، تشيلسي

تألق قائد تشيلسي في مباراة فريقه ضد نوتينجهام فورست، مسجلاً الهدف الثالث لفريقه في مباراته رقم 200 مع البلوز.

اقرأ أيضًا | عودة للدوري الإنجليزي بعد 9 أشهر.. نوتينجهام يعلن مدربه الجديد خلفًا لـ بوستيكوجلو

جونيور كروبي، بورنموث

لعب كروبي مباراته الأولى مع بورنموث بأداء رائع، مسجلاً هدفين في التعادل 3-3، وقد شارك أساسيًا بدلاً من إيفانيلسون.

هاري ماجواير، مانشستر يونايتد

قاد ماجواير فريقه مانشستر يونايتد لفوز ثمين في وقت قاتل على ليفربول، حيث أحرز هدف الفوز قبل نهاية المباراة ليحسمها لصالحه بنتيجة 2-1.

فيليب ماتيتا، كريستال بالاس

واصل ماتيتا تألقه أمام المرمى بتسجيله ثلاثية في مرمى بورنموث، خلال المباراة التي انتهت بالتعادل 3-3.

نوردي موكيلي، سندرلاند

حقق سندرلاند فوزًا هامًا آخر على أرضه، بفضل المدافع الفرنسي موكيلي، وقد سجل لفريقه عندما مرر الكرة بين ساقي حارس مرمى وولفرهامبتون سام جونستون.

وفي الدفاع، تفوق موكيلي بنسبة 100% في المواجهات الهوائية، بالإضافة إلى قيامه بعدة تدخلات حاسمة حرمت ولفرهامبتون من التسجيل.

بيدرو نيتو، تشيلسي

تألق نيتو في فوز تشيلسي على نوتينجهام، حيث صنع هدفًا وسجل الآخر في الفوز بثلاثية نظيفة.

بوكايو ساكا، آرسنال

قدم ساكا أداءً هجوميًا حيويًا، مساهمًا في فوز آرسنال على فولهام بهدف دون رد، وكانت ركلته الركنية هي التي أدت إلى تسجيل لياندرو تروسارد هدف المباراة الوحيد.

Manchester City are looking to make their mark once the January transfer window rolls around, and Pep Guardiola now has his eyes set on a statement signing.

Manchester City icon Bernardo Silva wanted by Benfica

Few players in Manchester City’s history could lay claim to the trophy haul or talent that Bernardo Silva has at his disposal. However, the Portugal international is at the centre of an intriguing storm involving his former club Benfica.

With the Primeira Liga giants set for their presidential elections next month, high-profile candidate Noronha Lopes has confirmed that there is a ‘contract waiting’ for the 31-year-old to sign should he win be installed at Estadio Da Luz.

“Yes, I confirm that there is a contract waiting for Bernardo Silva. And I really want to bring him already in January. He personifies everything I want for Benfica: identity, a winning culture, and he is a great Benfiquista. And I can guarantee you that we will not stop here.”

Enjoying a magnificent nine-year spell at the Premier League heavyweights, Silva has notched an impressive 72 goals and 73 assists in 410 appearances, though he may well be set for a new challenge if reports are to be believed.

Regardless, Manchester City have Real Madrid star Rodrygo on their list of potential January reinforcements, emphasising that Guardiola is determined to alter his forward line.

Now, the Citizens could be set to step up their search for a replacement should Silva call time on his heroics at the Etihad, per recent developments.

Manchester City want to sign Fermin Lopez in January

According to reports in Spain, Manchester City boss Guardiola has a personal wish to sign Barcelona star Fermin Lopez if Silva does take up the option to return to Lisbon during the January window.

Citing his ability to feature either in central midfield or as a left winger, Guardiola is a big fan of the Spain international, who has produced a return of 11 goals and 19 assists in 90 appearances for the reigning La Liga champions.

Five similar players to Fermin Lopez (FBRef)

Serge Gnabry

Bayern Munich

Dani Olmo

Barcelona

Christian Pulisic

AC Milan

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

Paris Saint-Germain

Michael Olise

Bayern Munich

Labelled “fantastic” by national boss Luis de la Fuente, Lopez is said to be valued at around the £69 million mark and was previously targeted by Liverpool during the summer transfer window.

Nevertheless, the fact that his contract runs until 2029 at Barcelona could be a source of frustration for Manchester City, who are likely to make a decision on their financial outlook regarding a deal nearer the time. He even shares the same CAA Stellar agency as five Etihad stars, including summer signings James Trafford and Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Even with the window closed, the Citizens are already plotting some serious moves, and it will be intriguing to see whether they can pull off such an exciting capture.

Looking to ease Nuno Espirito Santo’s recent concerns, Nottingham Forest are now reportedly on the verge of signing a Juventus defender ahead of Monday’s deadline.

Nuno laughs off Nottingham Forest doubts

Who could have seen this coming? Nuno and Nottingham Forest seemed a match made in heaven after a fairytale campaign saw them qualify for European football last time out.

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Since then, however, things have rapidly changed. Evangelos Marinakis has invited a third man into the partnership in the form of Edu Gaspar, transfers are no longer so agreeable between all parties, and the boss has made his feelings publicly clear.

So, what now? Nuno, for all his complaints, has laughed off the idea that he could resign as Nottingham Forest manager and a meeting is reportedly scheduled between Edu, himself and Marinakis in an attempt to clear the air. Yet, reports have continued to arrive that any damage done to the relationship between the manager and sporting director may be irreparable.

Whether things are salvageable at this stage is the big question. Nuno does want “harmony”, but that may only come courtesy of further arrivals before Monday’s transfer deadline.

Nottingham Forest agree Savona deal

Italian media revealed on Thursday morning that Nottingham Forest were readying a bid to sign Juve defender Nicolo Savona, and Fabrizio Romano now reports the Reds have agreed a deal worth at least €15m (£13m).

Marinakis was personally keen to sign the youngster, and given the Italian club reportedly valued their right-back closer to the €20m (£17m) mark, this looks like quite the coup depending on what add-ons are included.

Nuno outlined Forest’s need for fullbacks last weekend and Savona would certainly tick that box, capable of playing anywhere across the defence. The 22-year-old wouldn’t just be any option, either. He’s full of potential and earned plenty of praise from Juventus boss Igor Tudor, who said last season: “He understands what is happening on the pitch, and he has great speed.

“So we’re talking about a player with so many skills. He is a humble guy who listens to advice. These are things that may seem obvious, but they are not at all. He has those values ​​that are getting a bit lost, so they are precious now.”

Arsenal came back with a bang this weekend

Mikel Arteta’s side appeared to have put their defeat to Liverpool well and truly behind them as they comfortably beat Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest 3-0.

There were brilliant performances across the pitch for the home side, with Noni Madueke continuing his form from the international break, Martin Zubimendi scoring a brace, and Viktor Gyokeres netting his third goal of the Premier League season.

While Eberechi Eze also impressed on his first start for the club, he did endure a slightly more unproductive night in the Champions League against Athletic Club.

Therefore, a slight tweak to Arteta’s side could get the best out of him.

Eze's superb showing against Forest

He may have made his official debut for Arsenal against Liverpool prior to the international break, but it was over the weekend that Arteta handed Eze his first start for the club, and boy did he repay him.

The England international was signed to bring an air of unpredictability and flair to the Gunners’ attack, and it took him all of five minutes to do just that, beating a defender and getting the crowd on their feet.

It was much of the same from that point on, as while he did not win every duel nor complete every dribble, the former Crystal Palace star was a constant threat on the left-hand side and ensured Forest couldn’t get a moment’s rest.

The Greenwich-born “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, received his reward just a minute after the restart, drilling a ball across the penalty area for Gyokeres to smash into the net.

It was a truly brilliant performance from the Englishman, one that saw the Standard’s Sam Tabuteau award him an 8/10 match rating at full-time, which, based on his statistics, felt more than justified.

For example, in 79 minutes of action, he amassed a combined expected goals and assists figure of 0.50, provided one assist, completed three dribbles, took 43 touches, played one key pass, was accurate in 100% of his long balls, created one big chance, won two fouls and won 100% of his aerial duels.

It was the kind of showing that more than justifies the money Arsenal spent on him, although if Arteta wants to get even more out of him in the future after a subdued display in Europe on Tuesday, one change could be made.

The Arsenal star who can make Eze even better

The truly exciting thing for Arsenal fans is that after their summer of business, they have so many talented players in the squad who all deserve to start.

Chalkboard

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However, Arteta could make Eze even more unplayable by dropping the in-form Riccardo Calafiori, “Arsenal’s Player of the Season so far” in the words of one content creator. Instead, Arteta must look at unleashing new signing Piero Hincapié.

The £65k-per-week international completed his loan move with an option to buy at £45m to the club on deadline day and hasn’t been able to play from the start for them yet, but as his performances in the international break showed, he’s more than match fit.

Moreover, there is one part of his game that could make him the perfect partner for Eze on that left-hand side: his ability to overlap.

The Ecuadorian “beast,” as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, might not be as gung-ho as a Jeremie Frimpong, but he is undoubtedly excellent at bombing up and down the byline, so much so in fact that respected analyst Ben Mattinson described him as “a left-sided Ben White.”

Hincapie’s FB Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Shots Blocked

0.63

Top 1%

Touches (Def Pen)

6.86

Top 1%

Touches (Def 3rd)

27.36

Top 1%

Progressive Passing Distance

362.56

Top 2%

Passes Completed (Medium)

27.99

Top 2%

Touches (Mid 3rd)

42.26

Top 2%

Total Passing Distance

1024.66

Top 3%

Pass Completion % (Short)

94.3%

Top 3%

Live-ball Passes

64.71

Top 3%

Passes Received

56.86

Top 3%

Aerials Won

2.29

Top 3%

Passes Completed

61.85

Top 4%

Carries

46.56

Top 4%

Progressive Carrying Distance

139.59

Top 4%

Touches

81.65

Top 5%

Total Carrying Distance

234.96

Top 5%

Pass Completion %

87.8%

Top 6%

Average Shot Distance

13.10

Top 7%

Passes into Final Third

5.12

Top 8%

% of Aerials Won

63.8%

Top 8%

All Stats via FBref

You can see some elements of his desire and ability to maraud up the pitch in his underlying numbers, with FBref ranking in the top 2% of full-backs in Europe’s top-five leagues for progressive passing distance, the top 4% for progressive carrying distance and overall carries, the top 8% for passes into the final third, and more, all per 90.

With all that said, you may wonder why having an overlapping full-back would help maximise Eze’s potential.

Well, simply put, while the former Palace star can play at left-wing and looked great there on Saturday, he is someone who very much prefers to move into more central areas when he gets closer to goal, which we can see from his heat map last season.

Therefore, if Hincapié starts at left-back and is the one to provide width through his overlapping runs, Eze can move closer to the middle of the pitch and do what he does best.

Ultimately, we’ve not seen it yet, but this pairing could be the one that helps Arsenal’s left-hand side become as much of a threat as their right has been in years past.

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Now that it’s closed, it would be fair to say West Ham United had a relatively good transfer window this summer.

They didn’t spend an egregious amount of money, and it took them a while to get going, but Graham Potter’s squad is now stronger than it was at the end of last season.

The pick of the signing might just be Mateus Fernandes, who enjoyed a strong first campaign (individually) in the Premier League with Southampton last year.

However, a player sold by David Moyes a few years ago is now being compared to the Portuguese ace.

Reviewing West Ham's transfer window

Alonfside Fernandes, West Ham made a number of exciting additions to Potter’s squad over the summer, such as El Hadji Malick Diouf.

The Senegalese international cost £19m from Czech outfit Slavia Prague, and while that’s no small amount, he’s already proving to be more than worth the outlay.

For example, he impressed in the pre-season, and then, in just three league appearances and one Carabao Cup game, he has racked up two assists from left-back and left wing-back.

On the other side, Kyle Walker-Peters has already shown why a number of teams were keen to sign him, as he’s already registered an assist in three appearances.

Even Callum Wilson, who was a signing that raised plenty of eyebrows, has started life in East London well enough, scoring a goal in the win over Nottingham Forest last week.

These three, plus the highly-rated Soungoutou Magassa and Fernandes, could end up looking like an excellent window come the end of the season.

Although as exciting as the Portuguese ace is, the club has already sold a player compared to him for a sizable loss in the past.

West Ham's original Fernandes

West Ham saw plenty of players come and go over Moyes’ two stints in the dugout, but in this instance, we are talking about Pablo Fornals.

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The Spanish midfielder joined the club in the summer of 2019 for a fee of around £24m and went on to make 203 appearances, totalling 12,221 minutes.

During his time in East London, the “unbelievable” midfielder, as dubbed by journalist Karl Matchett, would score 23 goals, provide 19 assists, play in the Europa League and be a part of the iconic Conference League-winning side under Moyes.

However, minutes were harder to come by in the 23/24 season, and when Real Betis came knocking in the January window, the Hammers were happy to let him leave for around £6.8m – a £17.2m loss.

With all that said, then, where does this comparison to the Irons’ new boy Fernandes come from?

Well, it stems from FBref, which determined that the Portuguese ace has been the fourth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Spaniard across Europe’s top five leagues in the last 365 days.

We can gain a better understanding of how this conclusion was reached by examining the underlying numbers in which the pair rank closely.

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.25

0.22

Passing Accuracy

80.0%

80.1%

Expected Assists

0.14

0.11

Shots

1.13

1.32

Ball Recoveries

5.62

5.58

Carries into the Penalty Area

0.34

0.28

These include metrics like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, ball recoveries, carries into the penalty area, passing accuracy and more, all per 90.

In other words, the 29-year-old looks to be as creative when it comes to passing, and just as effective a carrier of the ball.

Ultimately, Fernandes should be an excellent signing for West Ham, and it’s probably a good sign that he’s as comparable to as big a fan favourite as Fornals.

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تعرض أحمد نبيل كوكا لاعب فريق النادي الأهلي، للطرد من مباراة الاتحاد السكندري ضمن لقاءات الدوري المصري.

وتقام المباراة بين الأهلي والاتحاد السكندري، على أرضية استاد القاهرة، في إطار لقاءات الجولة الـ11 من الدوري.

طالع| فيديو | فادي فريد يسجل هدف الاتحاد الأول أمام الأهلي

وفي الدقيقة 78 حصل كوكا على إنذار ثان نتيجة عرقلة مهاجم الاتحاد ليتعرض للطرد ويلعب الأهلي بعشرة لاعبين.

وتشير النتيجة لتقدم الأهلي بهدفين مقابل هدف، حيث سجل ثنائية الأحمر أشرف بن شرقي وأحمد سيد زيزو.

وأحرز أشرف بن شرقي الهدف الأول لصالح الأهلي في شباك الاتحاد السكندري في الدقيقة 16 من عمر اللقاء، من تسديدة قوية من داخل منطقة الجزاء، بعد عرضية رائعة من زيزو.

وسجل أحمد سيد زيزو هدف الأهلي الثاني بالدقيقة 62 من ضربة جزاء، احتسبها الحكم بداعي لمس مدافع الاتحاد السكندري، الكرة بيده.

وسجل فادي فريد، مهاجم زعيم الثغر هدف تقليص الفارق في الدقيقة 68 من عمر اللقاء.  طرد أحمد نبيل كوكا من مباراة الأهلي والاتحاد السكندري

Josh Hazlewood sat the RCB vs CSK game out, and missed a chance to earn the Purple Cap back from Prasidh Krishna

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-20253:50

Why have spinners been better than fast bowlers this season?

Orange Cap tableIt didn’t take Virat Kohli long. After B Sai Sudharsan, the Gujarat Titans (GT) opener, won it back from Kohli on Friday, Kohli snatched it right back when he scored 62 in 33 balls for RCB against CSK at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Not much between them, though, Kohli is on 505 runs from 11 innings, while Sai Sudharsan is one run behind, from one fewer innings.The line-up below them remains unchanged: Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians, 475 runs), Jos Buttler (GT, 470 runs), Shubman Gill (GT, 465 runs), Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals, 439 runs) and Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants, 404 runs).Now, while Kohli is the top run-getter, RCB’s next most prolific run-scorer is Devdutt Padikkal with just 247 runs, down at No. 26.Purple Cap tableJosh Hazlewood didn’t play the game against CSK, and that means he remains one wicket behind table-topper Prasidh Krishna of GT. Prasidh has 19 wickets from ten games, while Hazlewood has 18 from ten.Khaleel Ahmed’s wicketless – and very expensive – outing meant he remained at 14 wickets for the season, but his team-mate Noor Ahmad got back on level terms with MI’s Trent Boult at 16 wickets to be joint-third. Krunal Pandya picked up one wicket for RCB against CSK, and that took him to 14, the same as Khaleel as well as GT’s Mohammed Siraj and Delhi Capitals’ Mitchell Starc.You can also take a look at what ESPNcricinfo MVP table looks like at this stage.Here are some other IPL 2025 tables.Highest batting strike ratesBest bowling economy ratesMost sixesBest bowling figures in a match