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Glasgow Rangers had little to play for but pride and bragging rights when they faced Celtic in the Old Firm derby at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

Their city rivals had already wrapped up the league title last weekend, resigning the Gers to another second-placed finish, but Barry Ferguson’s men restored some pride with a 1-1 draw in front of their home fans.

Cyriel Dessers scored the only goal of the opening 45 with a tidy finish just before the half-time break, slotting into the bottom corner with his left foot after Liam Scales failed to complete a tackle on him, before Adam Idah’s second-half equaliser.

The Nigerian forward held the corner flag aloft and basked in the joy of the home support, able to celebrate in view of away supporters, finally, in an Old Firm clash.

It was his 17th goal of the season in the Premiership and the Europa League combined, which is a respectable return but does not tell the full story of his campaign.

Why Rangers could sell Cyriel Dessers

With the summer transfer window on the horizon, Rangers will have some big decisions to make on the players currently in the squad, as they have now failed to win the title in each of the last four seasons.

The Light Blues have to find a way to improve and close the gap to Celtic in the league in order to compete for the title in the 2025/26 campaign, and Dessers is one star who could be a candidate to move on from Ibrox.

During the Sky Sports commentary of the 1-1 draw with Celtic, former Gers midfielder Scott Arfield noted that Dessers is “on his heels” too often when the ball comes forward, which limits how effective the team can be in transition when passes are played down the sides of the defenders.

Appearances

35

32

Goals

16

14

Assists

4

2

Pass accuracy

70%

73%

Duels won per game

2.3

1.9

Ground duel success rate

29%

33%

Aerial duel success rate

40%

32%

As you can see in the table above, the Rangers striker struggles with the physical side of the game, losing the majority of his duels without winning many per game, and is not particularly reliable as a passer.

Dessers has also missed a whopping 59 ‘big chances’ in the Premiership and European competitions combined since the start of last season, which shows that the striker is very wasteful in front of goal to go along with his struggles out of possession.

The 30-year-old forward could, therefore, be sold if the new Rangers manager does not want him to be his first-choice striker, and that could be the case if the latest report is to be believed.

The latest on the Rangers manager search

According to Football Insider, Steven Gerrard has emerged as the leading candidate to take the permanent Rangers job as manager this summer.

The report claims that the English head coach is now the ‘favourite’ to land the role for the second time in his career, having left the club back in 2021.

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It states that the former Aston Villa boss, who is currently out of work, is the favourite to be appointed as the next Rangers manager ahead of Marco Rose, the former RB Leipzig tactician.

Football Insider reveals that the 49ers are expected to play a key role in the appointment and that the 4-3-3 favoured boss is currently at the top of their list of targets for the job.

If the iconic Liverpool midfielder does become the Gers manager for the second time, this could be bad news for Dessers and his future at Ibrox beyond this season.

Why Gerrard's appointment would be bad news for Dessers

The English boss returning for a second go at Ibrox would be bad news for the Nigeria international because of the kind of striker he liked in his first spell at the club.

Only Connor Goldson (182) and James Tavernier (178) made more appearances for Rangers as outfield players under his management than Alfredo Morelos (158), which illustrates how important the Colombian star was for him in Glasgow.

Gerrard, whose reputation was described as “amazing” by former England defender Glen Johnson, won the league title for the Gers in the 2020/21 campaign with the Colombia international as his main man up front.

Morelos, once described as a “real battering-ram” by ex-coach Scot Page, scored 12 goals and provided four assists in his 29 Premiership outings, but it was also the physicality in his performances that made him so influential for the Scottish giants.

Appearances

29

26

Goals

12

11

Assists

4

7

Pass accuracy

80%

80%

Duels won per game

3.7

4.1

Ground duel success rate

42%

41%

Aerial duel success rate

36%

48%

As you can see in the table above, the powerful forward provided a physical presence in the number nine role for Gerrard, winning more duels and winning a higher percentage of his duels than Dessers has in his two seasons at Ibrox.

The current Rangers striker does not have the pace, the raw strength, or the mobility that Morelos consistently displayed under the English boss during that successful period in the club’s history, as evidenced by his struggles in the Premiership this season.

Dessers’ wasteful finishing in all competitions is another reason why Gerrard may not want the Nigerian number nine to lead the line for his team next season, should he be appointed as Ferguson’s successor this summer.

Therefore, the ex-Serie A marksman may not want the legendary former midfielder to get the job because it could spell the end of his career at Ibrox if he wants a forward who is similar to Morelos at Ibrox.

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It is now down to the 49ers and Kevin Thelwell to convince Gerrard to take the job, if he is their favoured candidate, to bring glory back to the club next season and beyond.

Just when you thought Manchester City were back, they went and did what?

On Saturday, despite having 26 shots and accumulating an xG figure of 2.4, Pep Guardiola’s team were held to an ignominious goalless draw by the Premier League’s bottom club Southampton at St Mary’s.

This means the Citizens are still not guaranteed Champions League qualification, while this could be a confidence-denting result, ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup Final against Crystal Palace at Wembley.

What is clear is that the Sky Blues require a major squad overhaul, so are they in the market for one of the Premier League’s hottest properties?

Manchester City seeking to sign a new right-back

According to a report by Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle United’s Tino Livramento is one of the options “under consideration” as Man City seek to sign a new right-back, adding that he is part of a “four-man shortlist”.

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Livramento joined Newcastle from Southampton just two years ago for a whopping £40m, viewing this as a long-term investment, considering the Magpies believed he would go on to become England’s first-choice full-back, as noted by Chris Waugh and Conor O’Neill of the Athletic.

Well, fair to say, the 22-year-old has impressed on Tyneside, with Jacob Whitehead of the Athletic labelling him “outstanding” while, speaking on Match of the Day, Newcastle’s all-time record goalscorer Alan Shearer described him as “sensational”.

So, he certainly won’t come cheap, but all the indications are that Livramento would be a fantastic signing for Man City, should they be able to get the deal over the line.

Manchester City's right-back issue

In that aforementioned Romano report, he notes that Kyle Walker “will 100% leave” Manchester City this summer, even if AC Milan do not make his current loan move permanent, which is certainly in doubt, given that I Rossoneri have failed to qualify for the Champions League.

Nevertheless, Man City are very much in the market for a new right-back, given that Matheus Nunes has primarily been filling in there throughout the season.

Michael Cox of the Athletic described Nunes as an “uncomfortable… makeshift right-back”, while Graham Ruthven of Forbes agrees, adding that the Portuguese international “doesn’t have the defensive instincts of a natural full-back”.

Guardiola meantime, stated that Nunes “can become a good right-back” but the reason that he’s not been deployed in midfield is because “he’s not clever enough”, adding that he has “physicality”, but lacks “composure”.

That does not suggest Guardiola believes the 26-year-old will become a Man City stalwart long-term, even though he continues to be used regularly in the starting lineup.

So, let’s assess how Livramento and Nunes compare this season.

Appearances

37

43

Minutes

2,500

3,279

Goals

4

0

Assists

9

1

Expected assists

6.3

2.5

Progressive carries

90

74

Progressive passes

107

150

Attempted take-ons

54

50

Take-on success %

50%

44%

Pass completion %

87.2%

85.2%

Shot-creating actions

61

41

Tackles won

38

42

Interceptions

21

25

Clearances

40

103

Blocks

19

35

Duels contested

166

255

% of ground duels won

47%

55%

Touches per 90

62

49

As the table outlines, Nunes is more of an attacking goal-threat, scoring more goals, providing more assists, attempting more dribbles, completing a higher proportion of his passes and registering a greater number of touches per 90.

Livramento, on the other hand, is a significantly more solid defender, underlined by the fact he boasts better statistics when it comes to tackles, blocks, interceptions, clearances and duels.

Nevertheless, the England international’s in-possession statistics are comparable to Nunes’ across the board, actually accumulating more progressive passes, for example, suggesting he would not be a downgrade in that regard.

Thus, all available evidence suggests Livramento would be an excellent signing for Man City; the biggest challenge will be persuading Newcastle to sell.

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Manchester United would have been fearing the final outcome of their clash on the South Coast whilst the clock ticked down as ten-man AFC Bournemouth held onto their precarious 1-0 lead.

An embarrassing 16th loss of the Premier League for Ruben Amorim’s topsy-turvy Red Devils was on the cards but for Rasmus Hojlund.

The Dane has had many a vocal critic this season about his anonymous attacking displays but he managed to pop up with a last-gasp equaliser to hand the away side a dramatic share of the points.

With the Cherries seeing Evanilson sent off for a dangerous tackle in the second half, a point against a side that ended up playing with ten men for 20 minutes will still feel like somewhat of a poor result, with the likes of Andre Onana enduring another shaky afternoon.

Onana's performance in numbers

Ultimately, another game ended up passing Onana by without a Premier League clean sheet, with the often nervy goalkeeper only managing to amass a weak nine clean sheets from 33 total games.

The Cameroon goalkeeper would fail to make a single save across another choppy 90 minutes, with Antoine Semenyo’s first-half effort proving too fierce for the ex-Ajax shot-stopper to thwart.

Moreover, his ability with the ball at his feet left a lot to be desired too, leading to the United number one only registering 23 accurate passes from 32 attempted, on top of only three accurate long balls being accumulated from 12.

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Minus Bruno Fernandes showing his obvious class again with seven key passes tallied up, alongside Hojlund’s redemption arc being on show, there were a number of underperformers once more that would have irked Amorim watching on.

Indeed, Patrick Dorgu falls into this underperforming category, with his lackadaisical approach on the ball gifting Semenyo a chance to fire Andoni Iraola’s men into the lead.

Minutes played

89

Touches

61

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

61

Accurate passes

25/30 (83%)

Accurate crosses

0/4

Possession lost

15x

Total duels won

9/14

Amazingly, this isn’t the first time Dorgu has fallen victim to a lapse in concentration this season, with one kamikaze back-pass versus Ipswich Town back in February gifting Jaden Philogene a fortuitous effort.

But, away from another costly error allowing Semenyo to score, the table above shows how his overall game was equally as shoddy, with the 20-year-old failing to register a single accurate cross down the left channel.

Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst would dish out his lowest match rating of the day to the ex-Lecce man subsequently, with Luckhurst stating that his 4/10 judgement was due to Dorgu looking “unsettled” by Bournemouth’s high press.

Thankfully, his blushes were spared by Hojlund being in the right place at the right time to fire home a late equaliser, leading to the 22-year-old presumably feeling that he deserves to start this coming Thursday when Amorim’s camp travel to Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League.

After all, United’s season rests on a potential success in this competition now, culminating in Dorgu perhaps being axed for the Red Devils’ upcoming Basque adventure. It’s a big game, but Harry Amass or even Luke Shaw are surely more deserving of a place over the final weeks of the season.

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Having played in the shadow of Shakib Al Hasan for a long time, he has now surpassed his hero’s wickets tally

Mohammad Isam22-Nov-2025To grasp Taijul Islam’s big moment, you have to get as close to the pitch as possible. You can’t sit in a cushy, soundproof press box to get a feeling of the height he has scaled. As a Bangladesh fan, the best you can do is witness the moment at the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s grandstand. A seat in the lower part of the grandstand could be useful, given how close it is to the action. It is a side view, though, so you might miss the nuances of Taijul’s bowling, but it is about moment.Bangladesh declared their second innings shortly after the lunch break on the fourth day in the Dhaka Test. Taijul broke Shakib Al Hasan’s record of most Test wickets for Bangladesh in the sixth over of Ireland’s chase. The Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie, trying to work the ball away towards square leg, was undone by a slightly quicker delivery. The huge appeal was followed by the raised finger, before Balbirnie called for the review.The small crowd cheered. Taijul ran a little bit with his clenched fist. Mushfiqur Rahim, the man of the moment in Dhaka, tried to pick him up to take the celebration to the next level. Taijul would have none of it, as he politely asked to be let down. After the TV umpire confirmed the three reds, Taijul calmly walked back to his mark. If you blinked, you would have missed his smile.Related

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In terms of Test wickets, Taijul has now surpassed the man who has practically built Bangladesh cricket. Shakib is someone he looked up to before he made his Test debut, and in whose shadow he became a top-class operator. If you peel back another layer, Taijul now rightfully wears the crown of the best Bangladesh bowler – the one that has come down from Mohammad Rafique, the first bowler to take 100 Test wickets for the country, and, of course, Shakib, the first to 200 Test wickets.According to Taijul, though, he never really targeted records but wanted to play for Bangladesh for a long time. He said that he understands what he needs to do at the highest level, although he doesn’t enjoy the “underrated” tag. “I always wanted to have a long career,” he said. “I never really thought that I would be on top of the wicket-takers’ list. You just don’t plan that way, especially when you are starting a Test career.”I think around the time [I got to 200 wickets], I probably had the consistency and experience to convince myself that I can serve Bangladesh cricket for a longer time. I think it was around this time that I considered that I might get a few more wickets. It is not about proving myself to anyone. I think performance is the most important aspect at the highest level. I am always tagged as an underrated bowler, but I think it’s only the media that considers me as underrated.”Seven of Taijul’s 17 five-fors have come in wins•Associated PressTaijul was Shakib’s understudy and played second fiddle to him for a long time. He wasn’t always an automatic choice outside the subcontinent. And if you consider his celebration on Saturday, he is an unassuming person who doesn’t have glamour or a glitzy social-media following.But he is reliable, and bowls tirelessly. He has made contributions, big and small and mostly impactful, in his 11 years at the highest level. Seven of his 17 five-wicket hauls and one of his two ten-wicket hauls have come in Bangladesh’s wins.His 10 for 184 in Bangladesh’s 150-run win against New Zealand in Sylhet in 2023 is probably his greatest moment. He took Kane Williamson’s wicket in both innings. When the chips were down, as was the case in Bangladesh’s first day-night Test in Kolkata in 2019, Taijul was the 12th man who had to step up as a batter as Nayeem Hasan’s concussion substitute. He took Ajinkya Rahane’s wicket and took a splendid catch of Virat Kohli. He batted bravely too.There were numerous times when Taijul stepped up when Bangladesh ran into trouble. Still, he is the one who has to prove his worth to the selectors often.Taijul took on the mantle of being the lead spinner in the attack in 2017, since Shakib became irregular in Tests. Ten of his 17 five-fors have come in the last five years, a period in which Bangladesh have increasingly played more Tests, and mostly without Shakib.”The national team is where you have to keep performing,” he said. “Look at Shakib – he was No. 1 in the world for a reason. He was always performing. That was his quality. We remember his suggestions. He would always share his experience with us.”Even in private conversations, Taijul doesn’t really stick out for his big proclamations. He will enjoy a quiet dinner with friends. His dry sense of humour will stick out from time to time. He will make his point, smile and enjoy the conversation. But at the same time, he is serving as a good example of hard work for the next generation. The good news is that finally, many are not only noticing him but also following him.

When the Australia captain picked a third straight five-for, a quick end to Pakistan’s innings was on the cards, but No. 9 Jamal had other ideas

Andrew McGlashan03-Jan-20242:50

Is Aamer Jamal the find of the tour for Pakistan?

New year, same Pat Cummins. When Australia’s captain removed Hasan Ali to complete his third consecutive five-wicket haul, it looked like being a job well done for the home side on the opening day in Sydney. They had, through Cummins of course, halted Pakistan’s jaunty recovery between Mohammad Rizwan and Agha Salman, and needed just one wicket to finish things off.However, that wicket took a long time to come. One-hundred-and-thirty-three balls to be precise as Aamer Jamal stood in their way on the ground where, in 2016-17, he sat in the stands watching Pakistan while living and working near Sydney, plying his trade in grade cricket as he looked for a way to develop and prove himself.By the time he lofted Nathan Lyon to long-on, he and Mir Hamza had added 86 runs for the final wicket. Jamal farmed the strike, took on the short ball and attacked Lyon at nearly a run-a-ball to lift Pakistan’s total to 313. It wasn’t quite unimaginable riches, but a far sight better than it appeared at 47 for 4 and 96 for 5. The odds on Marnus Labuschagne having a bowl earlier in the day had looked slim. Jamal, who had gone for an extra net session at the lunch break, walked back to an ovation from the SCG crowd and the admiration of his team-mates.Related

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“It was very emotional,” he said. “But you have to control your emotions and feelings. I can’t be happier than this. When I was first named in the Test squad, I had said that whether I score a single run or ten runs, it should contribute to the Pakistan team’s success. And I’m just glad that that has happened today.”Cricket is my passion. When passion becomes your profession you start enjoying it. You don’t get stressed by it. You want to live in the moment, whether I’m batting or bowling. I have struggled a lot. I’ve got nothing easily or quickly. I never gave up. Now every stage means a lot to me. It means the world to me.”Australia may well bat far past Pakistan’s total, but for the fifth day in a row in the Test series, the visitors have ensured there is a contest. When both Pakistan openers, Abdullah Shafique and debutant Saim Ayub departed for ducks in the first two overs and Babar Azam was again worked over by Cummins, that had looked unlikely.The Australia captain is about as close as you can get to the perfect fast bowler. On , Michael Vaughan made a big call about where Cummins would eventually sit among Australian cricketers, when asked who he would pick between him and Dennis Lillee.”I saw a bit of DK on screen but I think Pat Cummins in time, don’t think he’s ever going to surpass Sir Don [Bradman], [but] I think Cummins is going to end up being Australia’s greatest cricketer after Sir Don,” Vaughan said.Four days after completing his ten-wicket haul in Melbourne, Cummins was quickly into his work when he unfurled a wicked inswinger to pin Babar lbw after the former Pakistan captain had hinted at a return to form with a handful of exquisite drives. But he has attracted some terrific deliveries in this series, and today was another.Aamer Jamal celebrates his maiden Test fifty•Getty ImagesThen there was a working over for Saud Shakeel, whose first experience of the pace and bounce in Australia has been a difficult one, and after a blow on the shoulder, he edged from around the wicket. It looked like Pakistan could be rolled, particularly when captain Shan Masood prodded Mitchell Marsh to slip shortly after a no-ball reprieve off the same dismissal.Rizwan and Salman forged a fightback with the sort of positive batting that would have delighted Masood. So who returned to the attack to break the stand? Of course, it was Cummins. As he did often at the MCG. A short ball to Rizwan, the type that had previously been hooked into the stands, was top-edged to fine leg. Cummins celebrated with arms aloft.With the final-wicket stand growing, Cummins brought himself back again but this time his Midas touch wasn’t there. In a three-over spell with a softening old ball, No. 11 Hamza managed to see out 12 of his 18 deliveries. With Jamal moving into the 80s by taking consecutive boundaries off Lyon, thoughts of an extraordinary century loomed into view.That was not to be, but even the timing of Jamal’s dismissal brought an element of the dramatic to the end of the day. It left time for one over at Australia. Lyon sprinted off and was seen padded up. Was there going to be an opening nightwatcher? Then, for certainly the penultimate, and maybe the last time, David Warner and Usman Khawaja strode out together. They hugged before crossing the rope. Pakistan formed a guard of honour.There was no Shaheen Shah Afridi to take the first over, and it turned out to not even be a fast bowler. Offspinner Sajid Khan marked out his run. Warner carved the first ball away through the off side. Four deliveries later he defends and the ball bounces agonisingly over the stumps. “Heart-in-mouth stuff there, that last over,” Ricky Ponting said.So the stage was set. Warner will walk out again on Thursday morning. Given his storied career, it would be no surprise if he puts on a show. But Pakistan will have their own ideas about that, and if the last few days of the series are any guide, they will not allow him to have it his own way.

And who is the youngest batter to make a first-class double-hundred?

Steven Lynch29-Mar-2022Kraigg Brathwaite now has 25 Test wickets, with each one being a different batter. Who has the most Test wickets without dismissing the same man twice? asked Lachlan McBeath from Australia
That’s a nice easy one, as those 25 different wickets by Kraigg Brathwaite is the Test record. Next comes Mohammad Ashraful, whose 21 wickets for Bangladesh were all different people. The Sri Lankan left-arm seamer Sajeewa de Silva follows him with 16, one more than the Surrey and England pair of Gareth Batty and Mark Butcher.In all international cricket, Ashraful took 47 wickets, again without ever dismissing the same batter twice. He’s well clear of a trio on 28 – Dillon Heyliger of Canada, Oman’s Fayyaz Butt, and Mark Jonkman of the Netherlands.When was the first-ever first-class match? asked Simon Duke from England
The match that the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians considers to be the inaugural first-class fixture was played 250 years ago this year: on Broadhalfpenny Down in Hambledon, Hampshire beat “England” by 53 runs in a two-day game that started on June 24, 1772. John Small, one of the game’s first notable batters, made 78 for Hampshire; the might of England managed only one run more between them in their second innings. Three years later, also at Hambledon, Small made what is now recognised as the maiden first-class century – 138 for Hampshire against Surrey.Both captains scored 150s in the Bridgetown Test – how rare is this? asked Ahson Atif from India
That double by Joe Root (153) and Kraigg Brathwaite (160) in the second Test in Bridgetown was the eighth time both captains had made a score of 150 or more in the same Test. The first such double was at Old Trafford in 1964, when Bob Simpson amassed 311 for Australia and Ted Dexter responded with 174 for England. The most recent instance before last week came in Abu Dhabi in March 2021, when Asghar Afghan made 164 for Afghanistan and Sean Williams 151 not out for Zimbabwe.Kumar Kushagra is the sixth youngest batter to score a first-class double-hundred•PTI Has there been an ODI innings in which all 11 players made it into double figures? asked Mahesh Siddique from India
Unlike in Tests (15 instances so far), there hasn’t yet been a one-day international innings in which everyone reached double figures. There are four cases of ten getting there. When West Indies made 246 against Australia in Bridgetown in 1990-91, everyone reached double figures except last man Courtney Walsh, who was out for 4. Pakistan’s 259 for 9 against West Indies in Dhaka in 1998-99 included ten double-figure scores, plus 4 from Shahid Afridi, who opened. When Zimbabwe scored 262 against India in Rajkot in 2000-01, last man Brian Murphy was out for 1. And Robin Uthappa also made 1 as India totalled 275 against Pakistan in Jaipur in 2007-08.There have also been two innings in men’s ODIs that included no double-figure scores at all. When Zimbabwe slipped to 35 all out against Sri Lanka in Harare in April 2004, the highest score was 7, by Dion Ebrahim and Mr Extras. (That was a record low for ODIs at the time, since equalled by the USA against Nepal in Kirtipur in February 2020; Xavier Marshall made 16 of those.) And when Canada slumped to 36 all out – the lowest World Cup total – against Sri Lanka in Paarl in 2003, the highest contributions were a pair of 9s, by opener Desmond Chumney and skipper Joe Harris.A couple more thoughts about that Ranji Trophy runfest between Jharkhand and Nagaland, that was mentioned in last week’s column. Kumar Kushagra, who is only 17, scored 266. And Sushant Mishra bagged a pair despite his team amassing more than a thousand runs. Were either of these records? asked Shreyal Bose and Divyanand Valsan from India
Both of these things were records, depending on how you define them. At 17, Kumar Kushagra was the sixth youngest to score a first-class double-century – Hasan Raza, whose age is disputed, was reportedly only 15 when he scored 204 not out for Karachi Whites against Bahawalpur in Karachi in 1997-98. The others were Ijaz Ahmed (16 in 1984-85), and 17-year-olds Reetinder Sodhi (1997-98), Ambati Rayudu (2002-03) and Johann Myburgh (1997-98). But none of those younger than Kushagra made it to 250, so he is the youngest to reach that particular milestone.The unfortunate Sushant Mishra collected a four-ball pair in the match in Kolkata, despite his side piling up 1297 runs in all. The only other man to bag a pair of ducks in a match in which his side scored more than 1000 runs did it in a Test: the Pakistan legspinner Danish Kaneria, while his side amassed 1078 runs against India in Faisalabad in 2005-06.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Dhoni, Pollard, Bravo, Rayudu and Malinga have starred in these matches in the past – here’s a lookback

Omkar Mankame22-Mar-2025

Chennai, 2008 – CSK won by six runs

The first meeting between these sides in the IPL produced a high-scoring nail-biter. Brisk fifties from Matthew Hayden and Suresh Raina powered CSK to 208, before MI, despite losing wickets regularly, kept the chase going. Abhishek Nayar and Harbhajan Singh combined to bring the equation down to nine from the last four deliveries, but Joginder Sharma kept his nerve to take CSK over the line.

Mumbai, 2012 – MI won by two wickets

After a few years of lopsided contests came the real humdinger. MI’s pursuit of 174 had been led by half-centuries from Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma. But a dramatic collapse – 134 for 1 became 159 for 8 – left them needing 16 from the final over and then 14 from three balls. No fear! Dwayne Smith, playing his first game of the season, hit Ben Hilfenhaus for 6, 4, 4 to set off celebrations in the MI camp.Dwayne Smith has been among those who have played starring roles for both MI as well as CSK•BCCI

Mumbai, 2014 – CSK won by four wickets

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Smith – now in the other camp – had anchored CSK’s chase of 158 with a fifty. But Lasith Malinga’s death overs wizardry meant CSK still needed 11 from the final over. CSK, however, had their own master of the death overs in the middle: MS Dhoni smashed a six and a four off Kieron Pollard to finish it off with three balls to spare.

Mumbai, 2018 – CSK won by one wicket

CSK’s first game back from a two-year ban pitted them against the defending champions. Hardik Pandya and debutant Mayank Markande took three-fors and CSK, chasing 166, looked buried at 118 for 8 in the 17th over. With 47 needed off the last three, Dwayne Bravo scored 19 and 20 off the next two overs, and a heavily hamstrung Kedar Jadhav, batting on one leg, finished the job in the last over.

Hyderabad 2019 – MI won by one run

A fourth IPL title was up for grabs for either side. The contest ebbed and flowed and left CSK needing nine off the last over. Shane Watson, with a bloody knee, was run-out for 80 on the fourth ball. With two needed off the final ball, Malinga – with figures of 0 for 42 in his first three overs – bowled the perfect yorker to trap Shardul Thakur in front and deliver MI the trophy.MI edged out CSK to win the IPL 2019 by one run•Mahesh Kumar A/Associated Press

Delhi, 2021 – MI won by four wickets

Ambati Rayudu was rampant against his former team, and powered CSK to 218. That seemed more than enough when MI found themselves at 94 for 3 after 12 overs. But with 125 needed from the last eight overs – and 48 from the last three – Kieron Pollard smashed six fours and eight sixes and took MI home by scampering through for a double off the last ball of the game.

Navi Mumbai, 2022 – CSK won by three wickets

Both MI and CSK struggled after the mega auction before IPL 2022, so this was a bottom-of-the-table contest. Tilak Varma’s 43-ball 51 not out took MI to 155 after Mukesh Choudhary had wrecked their top order. Then Daniel Sams did the same to CSK. It came down to CSK needing 16 off the last four balls with Dhoni facing Jaydev Unadkat. In a display of vintage brilliance, Dhoni sealed the deal with a sequence of 6, 4, 2 and 4.

The New York Mets played the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night. The NL East rivalry doesn't have as much juice this season as it has in years past; the Mets are rolling with one of the best records in baseball but the Braves have scuffled all year. Entering Tuesday night's affair there was a 13-game difference between New York and Atlanta in the divisional standings.

Even with that, though, the game did not unfold without some measure of drama.

The score was tied at 4-4 entering the ninth inning at Truist Park. Soto kicked off the top of the ninth with a single to get a man on base for Pete Alonso, batting cleanup. The Mets slugger mashed one deep into right field, but Ronald Acuña Jr. made a great play at the wall and caught the fly ball for the first out of the inning.

But Soto, for some reason, was caught between first and second for a few moments after Acuña made the grab. He seemed confused as to whether Acuña actually caught the ball or if it hit the wall first. His hesitation proved fatal as the Braves star gunned the ball back into the infield to force Soto out at first before he made it back to the bag. What could have been a rally for the Mets suddenly ended up with two outs and nobody on base; they'd go on to lose in extra innings, 5-4.

Afterwards Soto laid the blame right at the feet of the umpire for the crucial blunder, explaining he was waiting for the call to be made and felt the ump took "way too long" to do so.

"I mean, we rely on the umpires," Soto said. "We wait for them to make the call. We had something like that earlier this year too. The goal is look for the umpire and make sure he makes the right call. But I felt like he just took way too long to make the decision and it just put me in a tough spot."

Soto's frustration is clear. Obviously if he assumed the catch was made and booked it back to first base he would have been safe this time. But if he assumed wrong he would have put his team in a bad spot. Similarly if Soto presumed the catch was not made and started sprinting he would have looked foolish if the catch was, in fact, made. It's part of every baseball player's process on the basepaths to look to the umpire or their coaches to determine what happened.

Unfortunately for the Mets Soto couldn't puzzle it out on time Tuesday. He believes the ump needs to be better next time from these quotes.

Ruben Amorim has singled-out one key star for criticism, claiming their performances for their country are better than the shifts they put in for Manchester United. The United boss has also claimed he can "feel the anxiety" every time his player receives the ball in a damaging analysis ahead of the clash with Crystal Palace.

• Youngster's struggles since joining United

  Dorgu has faced some initial problems since becoming Amorim’s first signing at Man Utd, primarily due to being played as an attacking wing-back when he is a more natural full-back. Pundits and fans have described some of his performances as "dreadful," pointing out defensive lapses and poor decision-making in the final third. He has also yet to register a goal or assist for the club. 

  However, Dorgu is still only 21 years old and arrived mid-season from Lecce in Serie A, and was thrown into an unstable team under a new system. His struggles are often viewed as a result of being played out of position and mis-used by the current system rather than a lack of talent. But his boss has pointed out that Dorgu's instincts when playing for United are completely different to when he plays for his native Denmark. 

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  Amorim: 'He has time to improve'

  Ahead of the clash with Palace, Amorim said: "You can feel the anxiety every time Patrick touches the ball. I can feel the anxiety. When I see Patrick playing for the national team, he scored a great goal against Scotland and the decision that he made under pressure was completely different than the decision he's making in our team. I think it's the decision, he needs to be calmer playing the game."

  He added: "I remember the shot against Everton. That was easier than the decision he had to make when a guy from Scotland was there. I saw it when he played in Italy. But again, here is different and sometimes the pressure is hard for them in the beginning. He has time to improve. I just need to understand the context in trying to help them (Dorgu and Dalot). They are far from their best, and they know it. Like a lot of players in our team, like myself. I just look at them, and think they have so much more to give. So let’s see this week if we can improve that." 

• Away day woes for Amorim

  Manchester United have won just three of their last 26 Premier League away games against London sides and just one game away from home this season. And the United boss has acknowledged that his side’s form away from home is a problem he needs fix quickly. Amorim said:  "I felt during this year that when we played at home, the intensity was higher. And I felt in this game at home (against Everton) the intensity was not at the same level. So I think it's something that we need to work on. It's hard to point one thing why we are not winning away. There's a lot of issues. We are improving but we need to know how to finish the games in order to win."

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  Palace test awaits United

  Palace are unbeaten in their last four meetings with the United, winning three, and have only lost one home game all season. United, winless in their last three Premier League matches and struggling away from home and are also hampered by injuries to key attackers Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha, along with defender Harry Maguire.

  Ahead of the match Amorim has conceded his team needs to defend better. The Portuguese said: “We are being really soft near the box. So we need to improve that in the last games, especially against Nottingham (Forest, the 2-2 draw). We allowed a lot of crosses, we didn’t press well [in] moments. Against Everton, they were with 10 men and we suffered the goal (Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s winner) with the only shot on target."

Home skipper remains unbeaten on 171 after day one run-fest at Lord’s

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay24-Sep-2025Middlesex 394 for 5 (du Plooy 171*, Cracknell 64*, Geddes 60) vs GloucestershireMiddlesex skipper Leus du Plooy’s 24th first-class hundred gave the hosts the upper hand on the first day of the their final County Championship Division Two clash of the season with Gloucestershire at Lord’s.The South African-born left-hander passed the landmark of the third time this season, remaining unbeaten with 171 in an innings sprinkled with 15 fours as Middlesex piled up 394 for 5.Du Plooy shared stands of 127 with Luke Hollman (55), 121 with Ben Geddes (60), and an unbroken 112 with wicketkeeper Joe Cracknell, who had 63 by the close.Ajeet Singh Dale kept the visitors in the contest with 4 for 88, including wickets with successive balls in the afternoon session, while Graeme Van Buuren bowled a frugal spell of spin to return 1 for 35 from 18 overs.Despite the 10:30am start, du Plooy chose to bat on winning the final toss of the campaign and the hosts made a quick start thanks to some wayward offerings from Gloucestershire’s new-ball attack.It was a similarly innocuous delivery from Singh Dale which brought the breakthrough, a leg-stump half-volley which Sam Robson sent straight to square leg. If that was fortuitous, Singh Dale produced a useful fourth stump ball in his next over that Josh De Caires nicked through to wicketkeeper James Bracey.It would be the last success for some time as the bowlers erred in line and length again and du Plooy and Hollman feasted accordingly. Three Hollman fours in one Matt Taylor over raised the 50, while du Plooy was quickly into stride, driving confidently in the mid-off/extra-cover arc. A back foot drive through cover from the skipper was the shot of the morning and he moved to his half-century from 56 balls shortly before lunch.The hundred partnership came up in the first over following the resumption and while Singh-Dale was finding hints of both swing and seam from the Nursery End, the pair carried the score to 161 relatively untroubled. It took a piece of brilliance from Bracey – who claimed a Gloucestershire record 11 victims against Middlesex in the corresponding fixture last season – to break the stand, grabbing a ball that was dying off the inside edge of Hollman’s bat, giving Singh-Dale a third wicket.Higgins followed to his next ball, harshly adjudged lbw to one heading over the top, but Geddes joined his skipper in the middle as and the hosts quickly regained the upper hand.Geddes, impressive in his first season in Middlesex colours, employed the pull shot to great effect, sending one short one from Singh Dale into the Grandstand, before a square drive took du Plooy to a chanceless century.Van Buuren put the breaks on either side of tea and was rewarded with the breakthrough when Geddes was pinned in front. Du Plooy however, had set his heart on a daddy hundred and while the boundaries briefly dried up he glided his way past 150.Cracknell proved a valuable ally, clearing the ropes with a thunderous pull shot and unfurling some pleasing cover drives in becoming the fourth home batter to pass 50 in the late autumn sunshine.Before the start of play there was a poignant minute’s silence in memory of beloved umpire Harold ‘Dickie Bird,’ who passed away on Monday aged 92.