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Manchester City could turn to Benfica left-back Alejandro ‘Alex’ Grimaldo after backing away from their pursuit of Marc Cucurella, according to Spanish outlet Marca. 

The lowdown: City’s conundrum

The Sky Blues have been actively pursuing a deal for 24-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion defender Cucurella this summer, seeing a £30million offer rejected out of hand by the south coast club.

Having allowed Oleksandr Zinchenko to leave for Arsenal, Pep Guardiola is seeking reinforcements for the Premier League champions at left-back to avoid being left with only Joao Cancelo as a senior option for the position.

Despite installing Cucurella as their top target, a fresh report from The Athletic has suggested that City could be about to walk away from the transfer amidst demands of £50million and claims emerging from Spain have once again highlighted a potential alternative…

The latest: Marca provides Grimaldo update

As per Marca, Manchester City are understood to ‘follow’ 26-year-old Grimaldo in the current window.

However, it’s claimed that ‘there are more suitors’ for the twice-capped Spain Under 21 star, with Newcastle, Barcelona and Juventus all keen on the former Valencia youth prospect.

The report also states that Benfica would expect offers of around €20million (£16.7million) for the marauding full-back – who was described as being ‘good enough to play for any side’ by sporting director Tiago Pinto last year.

The verdict: Move on

Ultimately whilst Cucurella would clearly be the preference of Guardiola, City have remained reluctant to pay what they perceive as over the odds for any target and should stick to their principles on this occasion also.

By way of comparison, last season, Grimaldo scored five times and provided five assists in the Portuguese Primeira Liga whilst earning a 7.28 rating. Meanwhile, Cucurella directly contributed to just two goals and ended the Premier League campaign with a 6.94 rating (WhoScored).

Both attack-minded operators, stylistically there is little to split the two and therefore paying the lower fee to land the second option wouldn’t be an issue when it comes to slotting into Guardiola’s plans.

Another product of the famous La Masia academy in Catalonia, Grimaldo’s impressive crossing, passing and key passing attributes would make the Spaniard a smart addition to the Etihad ranks and should be acted upon immediately should the Cucurella pursuit be unable to be thrashed out.

West Ham United are one of several Premier League clubs after Espanyol’s Raul de Tomas this summer.

What’s the word?

That’s according to a report from Spain (via The Hard Tackle), which notes the Hammers will face three rivals in the race for the Spanish striker’s signature.

Everton, Aston Villa and Newcastle are said to all be interested, with the Spanish club willing to sell so Diego Martinez can spend.

They are hoping to earn something around €35m (£30m) for his services.

Antonio’s heir

With West Ham often struggling to find the perfect Michail Antonio replacement, perhaps David Moyes could finally have landed on their ideal man in De Tomas.

Standing at just 5-foot-9, the forward makes up for his diminutive figure with sharp movements and incredible passing range. He ranks in the 99th percentile for pass completion per 90 amongst strikers in Europe’s big five leagues over the last 365 days.

The Spaniard is actually the same size as the bulky Jamaican, but the latter is far more muscular which lends to his ability to battle with centre-backs.

Not only this, but managing his 34 LaLiga appearances last season would already be an improvement on the often-injured Antonio. He managed a further 37 appearances in the 2020/21 campaign and 32 in all competitions in the 2019/20 season.

De Tomas managed 17 goals across these fixtures, making for a fine return for the 27-year-old. His incredible goalscoring led to James Dodd labelling him “emphatic” – while the journalist also noted his “fantastic movement”.

With all the creative players that would surround him at the London Stadium, this movement would be very important and could explain Moyes’ interest in the striker.

His fine performances deservedly led to the best average SofaScore rating amongst his Espanyol teammates (of those that played over three games) as they finished 14th in LaLiga – earning a 7.09 rating.

Conversely, the player he would be succeeding only managed a 6.97 average SofaScore rating.

Antonio did manage 35 league games last season, but at the age of 32, this is sure to start decreasing over time. Now is the perfect time for this fan favourite to be phased out in favour of a player entering his prime.

AND in other news: “Next week…”: Ornstein reveals West Ham transfer development, Moyes will be buzzing

Aston Villa are reportedly set to make a €30m offer for FC Porto forward Otavio in the coming days.

The Lowdown: Otavio profiled

Otavio is primarily a winger who can play anywhere in attack or even in a deeper midfield role. The 27-year-old has made 237 appearances for Porto after joining in 2014, contributing to 86 goals during that time.

The Portugal international has netted 38 goals during his entire club career so far and is valued at a career-high £27m by Transfermarkt, the highest number of any player at Porto, a club renowned for cashing in on top talents.

The Latest: Villa bid

According to journalist Sergio Pires of Portuguese outlet Maisfutebol, Villa will make a €30m (£25.8m) offer for Otavio in the coming days.

Villa’s pending bid will also include €5m in add-ons for the player, who has a €40m release clause that expires on July 15.

The Verdict: One in one out?

Steven Gerrard has a number of wingers on the books at Villa Park but is set to lose one in Trezeguet. The 27-year-old appears to be on the verge of joining Trabzonspor after a £4.25m fee was agreed between the two clubs.

Otavio, labelled as an ‘exciting’ forward by ESPN commentator Marc Lewis, could well be the man to come in to bolster Villa’s attacking ranks, and he’d certainly bring plenty of creativity after scoring five times and registering 14 assists in 2021/22.

He can also play anywhere in attack or in midfield, so his versatility could also be a big asset, especially with Gerrard tinkering with numerous formations last season.

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Jonathan Veal has been left blown away by some off-field news in the last 48 hours as he shares some eye-opening fixture information.

The Lowdown: Spurs set for major season…

After an exciting start to the transfer window, Spurs supporters could be set for a very interesting 2022/2023 Premier League campaign, coming after manager Antonio Conte guided them to Champions League qualification.

The Lilywhites are making a return to Europe’s most elite competition after a two-season absence and a lot has changed since former boss Jose Mourinho saw his Spurs side demolished by RB Leipzig in 2020.

Tottenham have since appointed ex-Chelsea boss Conte who has seemingly revitalised N17 and even motivated a £150m cash injection from ENIC for this summer.

As such, there is reason to be optimistic for 22/23, and who Spurs will be playing first and foremost will prove a crucial aspect of their start.

The full fixture list is now confirmed and journalist Veal is blown away by one aspect of this off-field news.

The Latest: Veal blown away…

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Reacting to Spurs’ opening weekend schedule for next season, the reporter has drawn attention to the fact Conte’s side are playing a 3pm kick off at home on a Saturday for the first time since December 2019.

He explained:

“Wow, wow, wow, get the banners out. Tottenham’s opening game of the season against Southampton will be their first Saturday 3pm kick-off at home since December 2019!”

The Verdict: Grand occasion…

Welcoming what could be Conte’s entirely fresh and new-look Spurs team at home, depending on developments, should be a grand occasion for Lilywhites supporters.

Perhaps a roaring reception from the north London crowd could provide some real motivation for the Italian and his players to go the extra mile next season, and it could come with a little less pressure too playing without the prime-time cameras in attendance.

In other news: Club chief now ready to offer £22.5m-rated ‘beast’ in Tottenham talks with Paratici, find out more here.

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst will have some tough decisions to make as he embarks upon his first summer transfer window in charge of the Glasgow giants.

The Dutch head coach will need to make big calls on players that he wants to sign and current Light Blues players that he wants to replace.

One area that he may be forced into addressing is the goalkeeping unit, as Allan McGregor is set to leave the club for free upon the expiry of his contract this summer.

His exit would leave the Gers in the need of a new number one, and they have been given a boost in their pursuit of an addition between the sticks…

Alan Nixon recently revealed (via his Patreon) that Crystal Palace are willing to let Jack Butland leave the south London club, and he could be available for a ‘bargain’ price as Rangers eye up a swoop for the shot-stopper.

Old Firm masterclass

Ross Wilson can replicate an Old Firm masterclass by securing a deal to bring the Eagles goalkeeper to Ibrox in the coming months.

You only have to look across the city to see the kind of impact that bringing in a former England international between the sticks can have. Joe Hart joined Celtic last summer and enjoyed a phenomenal season in the Premiership to help them to the league title.

The former Manchester City stopper averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.95 across 35 appearances as he kept a whopping 19 clean sheets. He made just one error directly leading to a shot or goal – in comparison to McGregor’s four – as he made himself a reliable option for Ange Postecoglou.

Butland, who has made 299 career appearances for club and country at senior level, is an experienced English goalkeeper – like Hart – and he has the potential to be a great player for van Bronckhorst.

He was once dubbed “excellent” by Steve McClaren and has been capped nine times by England as he has previously showcased his quality on the international stage. 

In the Premier League, he has kept 21 clean sheets in 87 appearances and only made one error directly leading to a goal in that time. This shows that he has the ability to play at the top level, and that is why he could be an excellent signing for the Gers this summer.

He could follow in Hart’s footsteps and get Ibrox rocking with huge saves and commanding displays between the sticks in the Premiership, hopefully leading to Rangers winning back the title off their arch-rivals.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Souttar: Rangers can seal dream deal by signing 23 y/o “real leader”…

Today at 3pm, Nottingham Forest make the trip to South Yorkshire to take on Sheffield United in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final.

On both occasions that the teams have faced each other this season, they have drawn 1-1, so there is nothing to split the two sides going into today’s clash.

With the stakes now raised, it really will be a case of stick or twist for both managers coming into this fixture.

Injury news

As per Nottinghamshire Live, both Ryan Yates and Jack Colback will be available to feature in the Reds’ match against the Blades at Bramall Lane this afternoon.

Speaking about the health of his squad going into the crucial play-off clash, and addressing the aforementioned duo to begin with, Forest manager Steve Cooper said:

“They are making progress. We’ll give them every chance to be available. They’re obviously desperate to play, as you can imagine. Everybody is desperate to play.

“Max [Lowe], Keinan [Davis] and Lewis [Grabban] are as they were, still injured. Scott [McKenna] is fine – he was fine to be on the bench last week. Djed [Spence] is the same. And Steve Cook will be available. He had some personal stuff going on and he cracked his head open at Bournemouth, so he didn’t play at Hull for a couple of reasons. But he’s back with us now and is looking good.”

Forest predicted XI

Will Cooper make any changes to the team which started in the 1-1 draw against Hull City last Saturday? Here is how we at Football Fancast believe Nottingham Forest will line up in the first leg of the Championship play-off semi-final game against Sheffield United.

Forest XI (3-4-1-2): Samba – Worrall, Cook, McKenna – Spence, Yates, Garner, Colback – Zinckernagel – Johnson, Surridge

Our predicted XI sees Forest make seven changes from the side which drew 1-1 with Hull City last time out, with Cooper having rested many of his starters a week ago in order to have them ready for this very game.

With the positive injury boost regarding Yates and Colback, they are expected to slot straight back in, with the likes of Brennan Johnson, Spence, Cook, McKenna and £12.7k-per-week “machine” Sam Surridge all expected to retain their usual starting positions in a 3-4-1-2 system. The likes of Xande Silva, Alex Mighten, Joe Lolley, Cafu, Richie Laryea, Jonathan Panzo and Tobias Figueiredo all drop out, having started against Hull in Cooper’s rotated line-up last time out.

The 42-year-old is expected to deploy his strongest line-up for what is the most important game of the Reds’ season so far, and arguably, this is his best XI.

In other news: Forest can land the new McKenna in “outstanding” 19-year-old prodigy, Cooper surely ecstatic

The South African squad had a break from April to July. Here’s what the 15-man squad for the forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka got up to

Firdose Moonda03-Jul-2018Faf du Plessis After playing six matches for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, including scoring an unbeaten 67 in the first qualifier, du Plessis took time off. He holidayed with his family in Bali, returned home to celebrate his daughter Amelie’s first birthday, and to watch Cape Town receive the rainfall that should break the city’s worst drought in history. “Surely the dams are full now?” du Plessis asked at his departure presser. Not quite yet, but they’re about halfway there.

#1stbday #amélie

A post shared by Faf du plessis (@fafdup) on Jun 23, 2018 at 10:18pm PDT

Dean Elgar The opening batsman spent time at Surrey, where he played three first-class and four List-A matches but despite three half-centuries in three white-ball games, Elgar was still overlooked for South Africa’s one-day squad. He enjoyed his time at The Oval so much that he is returning to play the final five matches of the County Championship for them after the Sri Lanka tour.Aiden MarkramElgar’s opening partner was also in England, but played only three matches for Durham and scored 94 in his second outing.Hashim Amla A huge success on the county circuit, Amla turned out for Hampshire and reeled off four half-centuries and two hundreds in 12 innings across red- and white-ball cricket but had to cut his stint short when he picked up a knee injury early in June. Since then, Amla has launched a luxury property development in his home province of Kwazulu Natal.Temba Bavuma Although he did not play any cricket, Bavuma was the only Test batsman to attend the spin camp in India in May. He was also named captain of his franchise, Highveld Lions, and will likely be given a proper chance at a long-run in the Test side following AB de Villeirs’ retirement. Off the field, Bavuma was a flagbearer during the match between the South African rugby team, the Springboks, and England during Siya Kolisi’s first match as captain. Kolisi is the first black African to captain the Springboks.

Truly honored to have been part of this noteworthy day, a day entrenched in our sporting history books, moments that will live forever, uyabulela uBhayi

A post shared by Temba Bavuma (@tbavuma11) on Jun 10, 2018 at 12:11am PDT

Quinton de KockA reasonably quiet IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore saw de Kock cross 50 just once. He returned home to do some fishing and has also signed for Nottinghamshire for the last four Championshop games.Theunis de Bruyn De Bruyn gave up Knight’s captaincy to move to Titans for the 2018-19 season and got married in May. De Kock was among the guests at his wedding. He played two matches for Surrey in the lead-up to the Sri Lanka tour, but only managed a highest-score of 38.Heinrich KlaasenAn unexpected beneficiary of the Newlands’ ball-tampering scandal, Klaasen signed with Rajasthan Royals in David Warner’s absence for the IPL but only played four matches.Keshav MaharajA quiet off-season for Maharaj, who holidayed in Thailand and attended the spinners’ camp in Mumbai. There was no cricket for Maharaj in the break.Lungi NgidiOne of the biggest success stories of this year’s IPL, Ngidi played seven matches for Chennai Super Kings and turned in stellar performances despite tragic personal circumstances. Ngidi’s father died during the tournament and the manner in which he has conducted himself since has been nothing short of admirable. On his return home, Ngidi joined a campaign called Run for the Oceans, a sponsored event to raise awareness for environmental concerns.Vernon PhilanderAfter meeting all the demands coach Ottis Gibson asked of him during the season, Philander used the time for rest. He visited nature reserves, played golf and did some intense training with Steyn as he prepared for the new season.

The boys have started the engines….. @dalesteyn Almost that time again. Few more weeks of building up. Looking good bud✌✌

A post shared by Vernon Philander (@vernon_philander) on May 23, 2018 at 3:04am PDT

Kagiso Rabada A first serious injury – a stress fracture of the back – forced Rabada out of the IPL and into a program of rehabilitation. He signed a sponsorship deal with luxury watch brand Tag Heuer and, like Ngidi, joined the Run for the Oceans movement. Oh, and he swept the CSA awards, winning six of the eight main prizes on offer, the most by any player in the history of the event.Tabraiz ShamsiA successful off-season for Tabraiz Shamsi saw him named domestic one-day and twenty-over Player of the Season at CSA’s awards and named in all three squads to tour Sri Lanka. Shamsi attended the spin camp in Mumbai and got married over the winter.Dale Steyn A few weeks in Bali, followed by five matches for Hampshire, without breaking down means Steyn is back and ready to play international cricket again. Read more about Steyn’s journey back to full fitness here.Shaun von Berg What would have been just a regular off-season turned into a dream come true when, in early June, von Berg received a call-up to the national team. At 31, and sometimes not even guaranteed a place in his franchise side, the selection came as a surprise to the legspinner but, having bided his time, and again attended the spin camp in Mumbai, it’s time for von Berg to show what he can do at the highest level.

Bangladesh’s Test history has been sprinkled with some of the nearest misses imaginable. ESPNcricinfo looks back on their record of heartbreak

Andrew Miller24-Oct-2016Multan 2003 – Lost by one wicket v Pakistan
Bangladesh’s record in their first three years as a Test nation had been nothing short of humiliating when they arrived at Multan for the third and final match of their 2003 tour of Pakistan. They had lost 22 of their 23 previous matches – 15 by an innings – with only a rainy draw against Zimbabwe to disrupt that sorry record. But then, out of the blue, they produced the game of their lives and came within a solitary wicket of the biggest shock of the decade. Khaled Mahmud – their cuddly security blanket of a captain who had begun the tour with a Test bowling average of 406 – rose above his reputation with seven wickets in the match, while the left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique confirmed his status as the new attack leader with a first-innings five-wicket haul. The final day dawned with Pakistan on the ropes at 148 for 6 in their second innings, chasing 261 for victory and with all of their hopes invested in the home-town hero, Inzamam-ul-Haq. He delivered in heroic style, farming the strike and absorbing the pressure to finish 138 not out, despite running out his partner, Umar Gul, with four runs still required. Inzy was showered in rose petals as he left the field in triumph; but even in defeat, Bangladesh’s players were garlanded at the airport on their return to Dhaka.Ricky Ponting hauled Australia over the line in their Fatullah chase•Getty ImagesFatullah 2006 – Lost by three wickets v Australia

First the context – not that Australia would have accepted it as an excuse. Four days and five timezones earlier, Ricky Ponting’s men had wrapped up a 3-0 series win against Graeme Smith’s South Africa, having squeezed over the line by two wickets in Johannesburg, of all the polarising venues to have to get out of your system. They had barely enough time to shake off the jetlag, let alone the culture shock, as they rocked up at the extraordinary ramshackle outpost of Fatullah to be given the scare of their lives. A Shahriar Nafees century carried Bangladesh to 427 in the first innings (tellingly, the only bowler to put up a fight was Stuart MacGill, who claimed eight wickets in his first Test for four months) and Australia crashed to 156 for 7 in reply before, with the fury of champions, they roused themselves out of their torpor. Adam Gilchrist rallied the tail with a blistering century, Bangladesh were swept out for 148 second-time around, and at 173 for 1 in pursuit of 307, the game seemed done and dusted. Rafique, however, had other ideas, ripping out the middle order on a now-disintegrating wicket to claim nine wickets in the match, and the situation demanded every ounce of Ponting’s bloody-minded brilliance to haul Australia over the line with one of the greatest centuries of his career.Shakib Al Hasan claimed seven in the first innings against New Zealand in 2008, but couldn’t win the match•AFPChittagong 2008 – Lost by three wickets v New Zealand

Shakib Al Hasan has been consistently ranked among the best allrounders in the world for the best part of a decade, and must be wondering what more he has to do to haul his side from Test also-rans to genuine challengers (aside from staying in his crease in the first over of a day’s play, of course…) But his near-miss in Chittagong against England has distinct echoes of his first great disappointment in national colours, on the same ground against New Zealand exactly eight years ago this week. Shakib, then 21, had claimed just three wickets in his six previous Tests, but catapulted himself to stardom with a first-innings haul of 7 for 36, still his best in Tests. New Zealand were rescued from 100 for 7 by their own left-arm spinning allrounder, Daniel Vettori, who made 55 not out, but Shakib seemed to have trumped him when his second-innings 71 rescued his side from a familiar top-order wobble to set a formidable target of 317. And yet, it was the elder statesman who had the final word. Vettori promoted himself to No. 4 and anchored the chase with a masterful 76, finally falling with 19 runs still required. Shakib toiled manfully for 44.5 overs, but his figures of 2 for 79 weren’t quite good enough.Taijul Islam was a batting (and bowling) hero against Zimbabwe in 2014•AFPAnd the one that went their way …Mirpur 2014 – Won by three wickets v Zimbabwe

Taijul Islam’s dismissal on the final morning against England was possibly the most heartbreaking moment of a gripping contest – he’d battled so valiantly for 33 deliveries, to give his team renewed belief throughout his 25-run stand with Sabbir Rahman, but when he was sent on his way via a DRS referral, he sunk to his haunches for ten full seconds, unable to believe he’d fallen short of glory. In the aftermath of England’s victory, there was some criticism of Sabbir for exposing his team-mate so often, but then again, there aren’t many Bangladeshis who have genuine experience of being a Test hero. Two years earlier, against Zimbabwe at Dhaka, Taijul struck the winning runs in a similiarly excruciating finale, having joined Mushfiqur Rahim at an uncompromising 82 for 7, chasing 101 for victory. His batting on that day was bold and to the point, but he should never have been called upon in the first place. After all, he thought he’d already won the match with his second-innings figures of 8 for 39, Bangladesh’s best in Test cricket. That was before their batting crumbled to 0 for 3 in the fourth innings, of course. Thereafter, it was a fist-fight to the finish.

South Africa’s ODI showing in Bangladesh meant it was not just the weather that gave them reasons to be dull on the tour

Firdose Moonda04-Aug-2015The overriding feeling floating around the South African camp following the tour of Bangladesh should have been frustration but it ended up being something else. The monsoon, accompanied by a cyclone, rained on their favourite format – Test cricket – and forced them to spend more time indoors than out, but they seemed to take that in their stride.They learnt to juggle courtesy Dean Elgar, helped Hashim Amla improve his bowling in the dressing room, and bonded as a team in transition. Amla routinely and patiently explained how the team “could do nothing” about the wet weather. They could, however, have done something about their performance.On the squad’s return home, the assessment of the Bangladesh tour is that it could have gone better. “I don’t think we are playing our best cricket in either format,” Amla said, referring to ODIs and Tests.It was difficult to properly assess South Africa in the longest format, because of the time lost in both matches, but the ODIs were worrying because of the way it changed the complexion of South Africa’s visit. Their energy ran out exactly when complacency may have kicked in – they won the first three internationals on the tour before the tide turned – which opened the debate on whether they were suffering from a World Cup hangover.The 50-over format is where South Africa’s wounds run deepest. The trauma of their semi-final defeat to New Zealand had long-running ramifications caused by the selection controversy that followed. Although only fleetingly, Amla made reference to the difficulties of getting past that, before blaming the series defeat on poor judgment, not broken hearts.”The disappointment of the World Cup will stay with most South Africans until the next World Cup but the team has tried their best to move on,” he said. “Losing to Bangladesh was very disappointing but I think the biggest thing was in batting first in conditions that probably would have suited batting second. These types of slow starts happen in Test and one-day cricket. Let’s hope we can start better in India.”Later this year, South Africa will embark on their longest tour to India – 72 days – and will, once again, have to start off a low base. They have no cricket scheduled for September, which will again leave them without any match-time preparation, so they will have to make the most of the sprinkling of limited-overs series in August.Despite Vernon Philander’s low-profile showing in Bangladesh, coach Russell Domingo feels he will be a handful against New Zealand•Getty ImagesThey have given themselves the best chance of doing it, by including all of the first-choice players available to them despite it being a bilateral rubber of little consequence that would ordinarily result in some being rested. AB de Villiers is back to bolster a batting line-up that looks brittle without him, even though Domingo wants that to change. “We had two bad innings in the second and third ODIs in Bangladesh but it’s important to play games without AB and Hashim, because we can’t be relying on them to always win matches for us,” Domingo said. South Africa have not managed that yet.Neither have they managed to settle on a second-tier pace pack, so Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander are both back in the ODI outfit – Morne Morkel is on paternity leave – although at opposite ends of the spectrum. Philander struggled for scalps on unresponsive Bangladesh decks which has brought into question whether he should be saved for surfaces with something in them but Domingo does not think so. “Vernon bowled really well in Bangladesh. His control was impeccable. He hasn’t picked up a lot of wickets but he has done a good job in controlling the game. He will be a handful with the white ball against New Zealand.”Steyn had more success, especially as he came into his own after initially appearing disparaging about Bangladesh when he said he did not want to “waste” deliveries playing in an ODI series against them. He was given time off to recharge and it paid off when Steyn arrived for the Tests. “When he got in, it was like he was making his debut; he was so fired up,” Domingo said. Now Steyn will have to see if he can transfer that to the shorter formats.But mostly, South Africa will want to use the next few weeks to get over their fifty-over funk and they won’t lack motivation. Their opposition is New Zealand – who caused all the World Cup pain – and even though Domingo said there were no hard feelings, there might be some unfinished business. “There’s a lot of respect between the two sides. The players get on well. Dale Steyn was surfing with Kane Williamson at the IPL,” Domingo said. “And New Zealand have also had a few setbacks like losing to Zimbabwe on Sunday and to England. They will want to start going in the right direction after the highs of the World Cup.” So will South Africa, and they have to start soon.

Stats highlights from Netherlands’ historic win against Ireland in Sylhet

Shiva Jayaraman21-Mar-2014

• The six-wicket victory was Netherlands’ first against Ireland in four T20 matches. Ireland had won two of their previous three contests, with one no result.
• Netherlands’ 193 for 4 is the highest total a team has made in 13.5 overs in any T20 cricket. The previous best was 175 by South Africa against England in Centurion in 2009-2010.
• Netherlands made their highest total, beating 172 for 5 against Kenya last year. Ireland’s 189 was their second highest.
• Stephan Myburgh’s 17-ball fifty equalled the second fastest half-century in T20Is. Ireland’s Paul Stirling had hit a 17-ball fifty against Afghanistan in the final of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in 2012. Yuvraj Singh holds the record for the fastest fifty – 12 balls against England in the 2007 World T20.
• Netherlands hit 91 runs in the first-six overs – a record for the Powerplay overs, beating the 90 New Zealand scored against Scotland in the 2009 World T20. Netherlands’ previous highest in the Powerplay was 67, against UAE in an earlier league match of this tournament.
• The Netherlands batsmen hit 19 sixes in this match – the most in a T20 international innings. The previous best was Australia’s 18 against England at the Rose Bowl last year.
• Ireland hit 11 sixes in their innings, their most in a T20 international, taking the tally of sixes in this match to 30, which is a record. India and New Zealand had hit 24 sixes in Christchurch in 2008-09.
• The 101-run partnership between Kevin O’Brien and Andrew Poynter was only the second hundred partnership for Ireland in T20 internationals and their second highest for any wicket. William Porterfield and Paul Stirling had added an unbeaten 109 for the first wicket against Canada in the World Twenty20 Qualifier preliminary final in 2011-12.
• Netherlands’ chase was the fastest – in terms of run rate – of a target of 190 or more in T20 internationals. Netherland scored 193 at a run rate of 13.95. The previous record was held by South Africa, against West Indies in Johannesburg, when they chased down a target of 206 with 14 balls remaining.
• Wesley Barresi and Tom Cooper added 61 runs in 24 balls for the fourth wicket, scoring at 15.25 runs an over, after Peter Borren and Stephan Myburgh had added 91 runs in 36 balls at 15.16 for the first wicket. They were the seventh and eighth fastest 50-plus partnerships in World T20s. Michael Hussey and Mitchell Johnson added 53 runs in 16 balls in the semi-final of the 2010 World T20.