All posts by h716a5.icu

Former West Indies allrounder will be in charge of the Knight Riders teams in other T20 leagues too

Nagraj Gollapudi27-Sep-20241:58

Pollard: Champion Bravo has given cricket his all

Former West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo has ended his long and celebrated career at Chennai Super Kings, with whom he won four IPL titles in different roles. He has joined defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as mentor from the 2025 season.ESPNcricinfo learned that Bravo recently met with KKR CEO Venky Mysore during the CPL before agreeing to a long-term contract. Apart from KKR, he will be in charge of all franchises under the Knight Riders label in T20 leagues: Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL), Los Angeles Knight Riders (MLC) and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ILT20).”DJ Bravo joining us is an exciting development.” Mysore said in a statement. “His relentless drive to win, along with his vast experience and deep knowledge, will greatly benefit our franchise and players.”Bravo, who turns 41 in October, replaces Gautam Gambhir, who took over as India’s head coach soon after helping KKR win their third IPL title in 2024. A day prior to the announcement, Bravo had retired from all cricket. Apart from Gambhir, KKR also lost two of their assistant coaches, Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate, both of whom were also given roles in India’s support staff. At KKR, Bravo will have Chandrakant Pandit as head coach and Bharat Arun as bowling coach.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”I’ve been part of the Trinbago Knight Riders for the last 10 years in the CPL. Having played for and against the Knight Riders in various leagues, I have a lot of respect for how they operate,” Bravo said in a statement. “The owners’ passion, the professionalism of the management, and the family-like environment make it a special place. This is the perfect platform for me as I transition from playing to mentoring and coaching the next generation of players.”The mentor role with KKR is Bravo’s second team management position in the IPL. Having joined CSK in 2011, he retired from the IPL after the 2022 season and joined the franchise as bowling coach from the 2023 season. Bravo had immediate success in his first coaching role as CSK won the title in 2023, to go with his three titles with them as a player. Among the best death bowlers in T20 cricket, Bravo is the third-highest wicket-taker in IPL history and the first player to win two purple caps in the tournament.Related

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Dwayne Bravo announces retirement from all cricket

With more than 500 T20s worth of experience, Bravo is considered by players and peers as among the best tacticians and motivators, qualities that had elevated him to the West Indies captaincy. He had retired from international cricket after the 2021 T20 World Cup, and while he continued to play in T20 leagues (at Mumbai Emirates in ILT20, Texas Super Kings in MLC and TKR in CPL), he gradually moved towards coaching. During the 2024 T20 World Cup, Bravo played a key role as a consultant coach for Afghanistan, helping the team making the semi-finals for the first time in their history.

Everton manager David Moyes has personally picked out his priority focus for the summer transfer window, according to reliable journalist Patrick Boyland.

Moyes set to be backed by Everton's owners

The new Premier League season may not be too far away, but there is still plenty of time for the Blues to conduct some important transfer business.

In fact, a positive claim from journalist Miguel Delaney has even suggested that Everton’s owners, The Friedkin Group, could make as much as £150m available for new signings, as Everton look to move away from being a relegation threatened team year upon year.

The likes of James McAtee, Douglas Luiz, Maghnes Akliouche, Merlin Rohl, Takefusa Kubo and Georgios Vagiannidis are all mentioned as options by Delaney, ahead of what could be exciting next month or so.

Elsewhere, Everton are said to be in contact with Atletico Mineiro defender Lyanco over a summer move to Merseyside, while they have also enquired about the availability of Rangers striker Hamza Igamane, as Moyes looks to add more attacking quality to his squad after the exit of Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Moyes wants key position strengthened at Everton

Now, according to The Athletic‘s Boyland, Everton boss Moyes is targeting a new right winger as a priority during the summer transfer window.

It is claimed that it “will be top of their list” ahead of the new season, especially after the double exit of loanee pair Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom, who have returned to their parent clubs.

A new right-sided option makes perfect sense for Everton, with the position standing out as one that lacks quality and depth currently.

Everton in contact to sign "fantastic" defender who pocketed Calvert-Lewin

The Toffees are in the hunt for defensive reinforcements…

BySean Markus Clifford Jul 21, 2025

On the left flank, Iliman Ndiaye has been a revelation for the Blues, wowing with his creative brilliance and scoring nine league goals last season, and they need to look to sign a player with similar levels of ability.

Unfortunately, rumoured Blues target Johan Bakayoko has completed a move to RB Leipzig, acting as a blow to Moyes, but there should still be plenty of options out there.

The aforementioned Kubo could be the perfect alternative choice for Everton, having impressed in Spain and even been dubbed “The Japanese Messi” in his homeland of Japan, such is his quality and style of play.

Japan

50

10

Japan Under-23s

4

0

Japan Under-22s

1

0

Japan Under-21s

2

0

Japan Under-20s

5

0

Japan Under-19s

5

1

Japan Under-17s

7

3

Japan Under-16s

12

4

Japan Under-15s

5

8

The 24-year-old has 41 goal contributions (23 goals and 18 assists) in 137 appearances for Sociedad, and while most adept at cutting inside from the right flank onto his left foot, he can also thrive across the attack. For that reason, he should be considered the Blues’ No.1 right-sided target.

India captain also praises his fielders, saying some crucial catches hastened their push for victory in Kanpur

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-20242:35

Manjrekar: ‘This is the legacy Rohit Sharma will leave as captain’

India captain Rohit Sharma has credited his players for embracing the risk involved in forcing a result in the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur, where there was no play for two days because of rain. Overall only 35 overs were bowled across the first three days, but despite that, India found a way to beat the weather, clock, and Bangladesh for a 2-0 series sweep, which extended their lead at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) rankings.After India’s attack bowled Bangladesh out for 233 in the post-lunch session on day four, Rohit laid down the marker by launching the first two balls he faced for sixes. The other batters also bought into this approach, even if it mean that the result might go either way.”The bowlers came to the party first,” Rohit told . “They got the wickets that we needed, and then when we came inside, we had to take a little bit of risk to get a result. I know the result could have gone either way, but I was okay with it. So was the coach [Gautam Gambhir] and the other players as well because you have to be brave enough to take those decisions and go and play that way. When things fall in place, everything looks good. And that is where it can change quickly, when things doesn’t fall in place. Everybody would’ve started criticising the decision that we took and all of that but what matters is what we think inside this changing room. And that is what mattered. And that is what we went with in this game.”It was a clear plan that we want the result, how we can get the result. Everybody started finding answers for that. I think it was an exceptional series. It may go unnoticed.”Related

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Rohit Sharma and the sixes that woke up a dead game

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Rohit Sharma and India earn their rewards for being brave

Under Rohit, India have adopted an aggressive approach across formats, even at World Cups, and it was no different in Kanpur, where WTC points were up for grabs. So, what does aggression mean to Rohit?”For me aggression is all about your actions,” he said. “It’s not about my reactions: the kind of batting we do, the kind of field positioning we do, the kind of bowling we do; that to me is aggression.”Look, without the help of the other ten players, and, obviously people who are sitting in the dressing room as well, this wouldn’t have been possible when we had lost two days, two-and-a-half days actually, it’s very easy for everyone to just drift away from the goal that we had of winning this test match. When we came here on the fourth day of the morning, first things first, they [Bangladesh] were batting and we needed to get them out. We needed seven wickets quickly, so I thought everything started there.”1:43

Decoding Yashasvi Jaiswal’s superb slip catch

Both as a batter and leader, Rohit has transformed India into prioritising winning over everything else. He said that his captaincy style is based around trusting his judgement and decisions.”When you are playing at such a high level, you need to have a bit of everything,” Rohit said. “You need to be calm, to think wisely. There are a lot of decisions that you have to take on the field. Not every decision will go your way, but you have to back it and use your experience, use your knowledge. So that is what I do. I, I’ve been there enough to trust my judgment that I do take on the field, the decisions that I take on the field, I trust on it. And then, then I go by it. There are players around me who are open to giving suggestions, but at the end of the day, I trust my mind and I trust my judgment, and that’s all that matters.”Rohit: Some crucial catches turned the gameRohit was also impressed with India’s fielding, especially their slip catching, during the home Test series against Bangladesh. It was Yashasvi Jaiswal who had set the tone on the first day in Kanpur, where he took a smart, low catch to dismiss Zakir Hasan for a duck. Then, in Bangladesh’s second innings, Jaiswal completed another sharp catch, this time at gully, to send back a well-set Shadman Islam for 50 and hasten India’s push for victory.”I was just informed out of the 24 catches that came our way, we took 23 of them, which is a great result especially in the slips,” Rohit said.”You don’t often see in India ball carrying through the slips. But the guys who were standing behind were so sharp and to take those catches, it may look easy on television, but it is not, trust me, because they are standing way ahead than they normally do. So all those catches that come the way, they are very hard to take those catches. The reaction time is very less, and I have seen it. They put everyone puts a lot of effort in getting those things right.”And the Dilip [T Dilip, fielding coach] obviously is helping with the players. Some crucial catches as well, which actually turned the game around.”

Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy also likely to be retained by last season’s IPL finalists

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Oct-2024South Africa power-hitter Heinrich Klaasen is set to be the top retention for Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of IPL 2025. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Klaasen will get INR 23 crore (US$2.74 million approx.) as the first retained player. The franchise has also finalised two other retention deals: Australian allrounder Pat Cummins, who was Sunrisers captain in 2024, at INR 18 crore (US$2.14 million approx.), and India allrounder Abhishek Sharma at INR 14 crore (US$1.67 million approx).It is understood that Sunrisers are also likely to firm up the retentions of Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy soon. The IPL set October 31 as the deadline for retentions ahead of the mega auction that will be held later this year.Cummins, who had captained Sunrisers to the final last season, will continue as captain in 2025.Related

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Two-year ban for overseas players pulling out after IPL auction

Recently the IPL decided that a franchise can retain up to six players – including a maximum of five capped players (Indian or overseas) and two uncapped Indians – from their 2024 squads. Franchises can hold on to their players via any combination of retention deals and right-to-match (RTM) cards at the auction.The purse for the 2025 auction is INR 120 crore. The IPL also set various retention slabs – INR 18 crore, INR 14 crore, and INR 11 crore for the first three capped retentions, and INR 18 crore and INR 14 crore for the next two, with uncapped Indians fetching a maximum of INR 4 crore – but franchises are allowed to divide the capped retention pot of INR 75 crore among five capped players as they wish.ESPNcricinfo LtdSuccessful units have always looked to retain their core, and hence it is no surprise that Sunrisers have decided to go down this route. Cummins, who was the second-most expensive buy at the 2024 mini-auction (INR 20.50 crore or US$2.47 million approx.), made use of his leadership experience in international cricket and combined well with Sunrisers coach Daniel Vettori to help steer Sunrisers to the playoffs after three disappointing seasons. In monetary terms, Cummins gets a 12.2% reduction on his 2024 price.The freedom the Cummins-Vettori leadership group allowed youngsters like Abhishek and Reddy helped them to flourish in the company of Head and Klaasen. Head and Abhishek formed arguably the most dangerous opening pair ever seen at the IPL, with both consistently hitting 200-plus strike rates. Head finished the season fourth on the overall run-getters list, with 567 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 191.55.Klaasen provided equally robust finishing touches, with his six count behind only that of Abhishek’s. While Abhishek made 484 runs at a strike rate of 204.21, Klaasen scored 479 runs at a strike rate of 171.07.Klaasen’s burgeoning reputation as one of the best T20 batters going around is reflected in a 338% increase from the INR 5.25 crore Sunrisers paid for him at the mini-auction ahead of IPL 2023. He has aggregated 927 runs in 26 innings at a strike rate of 174 in his two seasons at Sunrisers so far.Abhishek’s successful year in T20 cricket sees him rewarded with a value hike of 115%. He earned an India T20I call-up on the back of his IPL 2024 exploits, and will earn more than twice of what Sunrisers paid for him at the mega auction ahead of the 2022 season (INR 6.5 crore).Abhishek has a T20 strike rate of 194.84 to date in 2024, which is the highest for any batter who has faced more than 200 balls in the format this year. At IPL 2024, too, he had the highest scoring rate among the tournament’s top-ten run-getters.Twenty-one-year-old seam-bowling allrounder Reddy – who debuted for India in the recently concluded T20I series against Bangladesh, smashing 74 off 34 in his second game – had proven a reliable support act for Sunrisers in 2024, with 303 runs at a strike rate of 142.92 and three wickets.If Sunrisers firm up all five of these retentions, and do not add a sixth to their list before deadline day, they will have one RTM card at the auction, which can only be used for an uncapped Indian.

Tottenham Hotspur have been left with a huge hole to fill in Thomas Frank’s first-team squad, after it was confirmed that James Maddison would be ruled out for the majority of the campaign.

The England international was stretchered off in the pre-season friendly with Newcastle United last weekend, suffering a knee injury which was feared to be serious.

However, in the last couple of days, the worst was confirmed, with the 28-year-old tearing his ACL, which requires surgery and could see him miss up to nine months.

Frank has been in the market to land a new attacking midfielder already this summer, potentially needing to delve into the window once again after the recent injury setback.

The hierarchy have already wasted no time in making a move to land a suitable replacement, with numerous players being considered ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this summer

Jack Grealish is a player who’s been on Spurs’ radar over the last couple of weeks, even making contact with Manchester City over a loan deal for the 29-year-old.

However, they may miss out on the Englishman’s signature, after Everton made their own move to complete a deal for the £100m talent over the last few days.

Another name that has been thrown into the mix is Jacob Ramsey, with the Aston Villa forward a player who could leave Unai Emery’s side this window, according to CaughtOffside.

Their report claims that the Lilywhites hierarchy have already made contact with his current employers over a move for the 24-year-old who made 29 Premier League appearances last season.

It also states that West Ham United are also present in the race for the attacker’s signature, leading to a £40m transfer fee being mooted throughout this summer.

Why Spurs’ £40m target would be Gibbs-White 2.0

Morgan Gibbs-White looked set to be a Spurs player at one stage earlier this summer, but it turned out to be one of the strangest sagas to unfold throughout the off-season.

The Nottingham Forest star was set for a medical in North London, after Frank’s side triggered the £60m release clause within his contract – a deal that seemingly came out of nowhere.

However, despite a deal seemingly just needing the final touches before being completed, Reds owner Evangelos Marinakis intervened, complaining about an illegal approach from the Lilywhites.

It’s thought Forest never gave the player permission to enter talks with the North London outfit, which resulted in a stand-off, before Gibbs-White penned a new three-year deal at the City Ground last month.

However, after missing out on the 25-year-old’s signature, they could be about to land a star similar to the former target, with Ramsey potentially following an identical route of leaving his boyhood side to further his career.

When delving into the pair’s respective stats, the Villa talent has managed to outperform Gibbs-White in key areas, highlighting how much of a superb addition it would be for just £40m.

Ramsey, who’s been labelled a “monster” by one analyst, managed to complete more passes, whilst also registering more into the opposition box per 90 last season – arguably being a more creative option than the Forest captain.

Games played

29

34

Goals & assists

4

15

Pass accuracy

85%

78%

Passes into opposition box

1.4

1.3

Take-on success

54%

40%

Progressive carries

3.4

2.2

Carries into opposition box

1.2

0.4

Tackles won

0.9

0.7

Blocks made

1.3

0.5

He also achieved a higher tally of take-ons completed and carries into the opposition’s box per 90, handing Frank’s side the needed creativity that will be missing after Maddison’s latest injury.

A smaller fee for a player a year younger could actually be a superb piece of business for Spurs, with Ramsey’s potential move to North London allowing the fanbase to forget about the disappointment of missing out on Gibbs-White.

He may not be the supporters’ first choice this window, but his underlying stats highlight the talent he possesses – whilst he’s only going to get better when operating with more top-level talent around him.

If he can build on his impressive start to his career at Villa with the Lilywhites, he could well prove to be the perfect player to fill the void whilst Maddison spends the next few months on the sidelines.

Frank's own Mbappe: Spurs to make huge £52m bid for "world-class" talent

Tottenham Hotspur have made their move to land a new elite-level forward for Thomas Frank.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 7, 2025

Kylian Mbappe has endorsed Ousmane Dembele's bid to win the Ballon d’Or after his sensational Paris Saint-Germain displays saw him billed a favourite.

Mbappe backed Dembele for the 2025 Ballon d’OrGot 35 goals and 16 assists in PSG’s historic seasonCeremony takes place on September 22 in ParisFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Real Madrid forward Mbappe has officially endorsed his France team-mate Dembele for the 2025 Ballon d'Or. Speaking to French broadcaster , Mbappe unequivocally stated that the PSG forward deserves to win football's most coveted individual prize and dismissed the chances of rival contender Lamine Yamal with a tongue-in-cheek comment.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mbappe's high-profile backing adds significant weight to Dembele's candidacy ahead of the award ceremony on September 22. The PSG star is considered a frontrunner after a phenomenal 2024-25 season in which he led his club to a first ever Champions League success as well as the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France titles. His main competition is widely seen to be Barcelona's Yamal, making Mbappe's comments a clear statement of support for his compatriot in a tight race. 

Dembele registered 35 goals and 16 assists in all competitions for PSG last season. He is one of nine players from the Champions League-winning side to be included in the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or.

WHAT MBAPPE SAID

Speaking on whether Dembele deserves the award, Mbappe said: "Does he deserve it? For me, yes. I hope he wins it. I supported him from the start. I also hope that Achraf [Hakimi] will be well ranked, it would be good for the defenders, he had a historic season." 

When asked about Yamal, Mbappe joked: "Well, no, he’s a Barcelona player. But he’s a very good player."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE & DEMBELE?

All eyes will be on the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris for the Ballon d'Or ceremony on September 22. In the immediate future, Mbappe is preparing for France's World Cup qualifier against Iceland on Tuesday. Dembele, however, will play no part after sustaining a hamstring injury in the win over Ukraine on Friday. The injury could reportedly sideline the PSG star for several weeks, meaning his focus will be on recovery rather than international duty.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank is now planning a key role for one previously unfancied member of the Spurs squad, according to a new report.

As the Lilywhites’ talks for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze ramp up behind-the-scenes, alongside their separate attempt to land Man City winger Savinho, Frank has also now had a very close look at his current options.

It’s been two months since Daniel Levy appointed the Dane as Ange Postecoglou’s replacement, with Frank since overseeing a dramatic pre-season and watching on as his side capitulated against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup.

Despite surrendering a two-goal lead in the dying minutes on Wednesday night, Luis Enrique himself admitted that Spurs were the better side and perhaps deserved something from what was a thoroughly entertaining 90 minutes.

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero handed the north Londoners a shock but well-earned 2-0 advantage, and it took very late heroics from Lee Kang-in and Gonçalo Ramos to even rescue a penalty shootout for the Champions League winners.

This is despite Frank just losing club legend Son Heung-min to LAFC and chief creator James Maddison to an ACL rupture, with star winger Dejan Kulusevski also still on the sidelines with a long-term knee injury.

This weakened Spurs side giving PSG a serious run for their money is an undoubtedly an encouraging sign for Tottenham’s new manager as he begins his first full season in charge.

“Very, very proud of the players, the team, the club, the fans,” said Frank in his post-match press conference.

“I think the players gave everything, playing against one of the best team in the world, maybe the best, at the moment, and I think we were 75, 80 minutes perfect, almost giving nothing away against, they had four players with unbelievable individual quality on the pitch. So very, very proud of them.

“It’s down to the smallest of margins in the penalty shootout. It’s like the flip of a coin. First I’d like to thank all the players that stood up and were brave and took responsibility to take a penalty.”

Thomas Frank plots "major role" for Tottenham defender Djed Spence

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, some Spurs players have already left a glowing impression on Frank behind-the-scenes, and one of them is defender Djed Spence.

The Englishman was previously an outcast under Antonio Conte and Postecoglou for a time, before Spence rose to prominence during Tottenham’s injury crisis midway through last season and battled his way into the first-team squad.

Reliable reports now claim the ex-Middlesbrough man has signed a new long-term deal, just under a year after his last extension, as a result of his amazing comeback.

Bailey, speaking to TBR Football, says Frank has been “really impressed” with Spence, who could now be set for a “major role” in the Tottenham first-team.

“Spurs are really happy with Spence and Thomas Frank has been really impressed since arriving. I am told he is one of the players who has shone since Frank’s arrival.

“I get the idea that Spence has a major, major role to play for Spurs heading into the new season.”

The 25-year-old was once heavily linked with a permanent exit after spending time out on loan at various clubs – including Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa – but he’s now poised to continue being a significant member of the Spurs squad after a stellar 2025.

Jansen finished took 4 for 73 in the second innings to add to his tally of seven in the first

Firdose Moonda30-Nov-20242:56

Takeaways: Coetzee’s injury a real concern for SA

South Africa 191 (Bavuma 70, Asitha 3-44, Kumara 3-70) and 366 for 5 dec (Stubbs 122, Bavuma 113) beat Sri Lanka 42 (Jansen 7-13) and 282 (Chandimal 83, Dhananjaya 59, Jansen 4-73) by 233 runsSouth Africa have moved to second place on the World Test Championship (WTC) table after a 233-run victory over Sri Lanka in Durban to break the visitors’ unbeaten record at the venue. Marco Jansen finished with 11 wickets in the game with 4 for 73 in the second innings.After setting Sri Lanka a target of 516 and taking five wickets on the third evening, South Africa may have expected play on the fourth day to be nothing more than a formality. But they were made to work for their win after half-centuries from Dinesh Chandimal and Dhananjaya de Silva and 48 from Kusal Mendis made them toil until deep into the second session. Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 282, an improvement on their first-innings effort by multiples.ESPNcricinfo LtdUltimately, they will look back at the 78 minutes of madness, in which they were bowled out for 42, as where the match was lost. It gave South Africa a 149-run first-innings lead, the best batting conditions of the match and the cushioning to build a big lead at their own pace. They then got to work defending it.Under blue skies and with a dry wind blowing, the pitch was placid on day four as well and Sri Lanka took advantage. Chandimal and Dhananjaya put on a sixth-wicket stand of 95 runs before Chandimal and Mendis combined for 75 against a South African attack that was without the injured Wiaan Mulder and the movement of the first three days.Related

Injured Mulder ruled out of remainder of Sri Lanka Tests

Bavuma overcomes nerves to bring up his third Test hundred

Stubbs and Bavuma's centuries add colour to festive Kingsmead

Still, South Africa started threateningly when Kagiso Rabada beat Dhananjaya’s edge with the fifth ball of the morning and Gerald Coetzee found it with the 12th. The chance fell to the left of Jansen at gully. Dhananjaya responded by piercing the midwicket gap to hit Rabada for four and pulling Coetzee in front of square. Chandimal also dealt with a Coetzee short ball well and cut him for four through point.Rabada bowled a five-over spell that cost 18 runs without success, and once he was off, Sri Lanka’s pair could settle in. Dhananjaya drove Jansen through the covers, Chandimal whacked him in the same area to bring up the 150 and they both took on Maharaj, who got almost no turn. By the first drinks break, Sri Lanka had scored 61 runs in 16 overs at a rate of just under four to the over.Chandimal brought up his fifty immediately after the interval with an authoritative pull off Jansen and Dhananjaya reached his milestone in the next over, off 66 balls, a sign of the aggression with which he batted. He played one more shot in anger when he hit Maharaj over long-off for six. Maharaj had the last laugh, though, when Dhananjaya chipped an innocuous delivery to Tristan Stubbs at short midwicket for 59.That brought Mendis, on the back of four ducks in South Africa, to the crease. He got his first runs in five innings with a cover drive that went for four, and also raised the Sri Lankan 200. He was nearly run out later in the over when he took off for a run without conferring with Chandimal but made it back in time.South Africa brought back Rabada for a pre-lunch burst but a selection of short balls were well negotiated. Rabada also took his no-ball count for the innings to 10, with five in the morning session as Sri Lanka went to lunch on 220 for 6. They scored 117 runs in 32 overs in an extended first session.The 10 overs post lunch were laced with gifts from South Africa as Sri Lanka piled on 47 runs helped by a team that could afford to try things, given the runs at their disposal. Without a gully in place, Mendis square drove Jansen for four and then took 15 runs off his 19th over, as Jansen missed his lengths completely. Maharaj was also on the receiving end of Mendis’ aggression as he moved in sight of a half-century.Not long into his third spell, Coetzee sent down a half-volley down leg and it seemed South Africa could get nothing right either side of the pitch. His next ball was on middle and Chandimal tried to flick it away but closed the face of the bat too early and got a leading edge back to Coetzee. He let his relief out into the pitch with a series of throat-curdling screams.In the next over, Maharaj drew Vishwa Fernando forward and had him caught at slip by Aiden Markram. Jansen was brought back and he cleaned things up when he had Mendis caught behind to take his 10th for the match and bowled Asitha Fernando as he tried to cover the line of a ball sliding down leg. Jansen’s 11 for 86 are the second-best figures at Kingsmead after Clarrie Grimmett’s 13 for 173 in 1936.

Manchester United loanee Andre Onana's Trabzonspor debut got off to the worst possible start after the Cameroonian produced yet another howler to hand Fenerbahce the opening goal. While the goalkeeper was able to impress through the game, his mistake allowed Youssef En-Nesyri's goal to stand as the match winner, handing Trabzonspor their first loss of the season.

Onana makes his debut for Trabzonspor

Onana moved to Trabzonspor from Manchester United last week in a straight loan deal with no options to make the transfer permanent next summer. The Cameroonian made his official debut for the Turkish side against Ederson's Fenerbahce on Sunday. While he had a wonderful game, the Red Devils loanee reminded everyone that even when he performs well, he has an error in his back pocket, as he handed Fenerbahce a win on the night.

AdvertisementOnana's howler costs Trabzonspor the game

Trabzonspor had a tough task at their hand when they went down to 10 men after Okay Yokuslu was sent off in the 20th minute of the clash for 'violent conduct'. Onana had managed to keep all Fenerbahce attempts away; however, in the 45th minute, he spilt a rather tame long shot from his former teammate Fred into the path of Sebastian Szymanski. The Cameroon international managed to save the shot from the Pole, but the ball fell to En-Nesyri, who tapped the ball into an open net.

Onana wins Man of the Match despite his error

Apart from the mistake, Onana showed everyone exactly why he was so highly rated at Inter Milan. The Manchester United loanee made a total of eight saves in the game, as he prevented 1.76 Expected Goals (xG) in the process. Onana ended up being awarded the Man of the Match award, however, ultimately, it was his mistake that handed Trabzonspor their first loss of the season.

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AFPOnana will now look forward to his home debut

Trabzonspor are set to take on Gaziantep in their next league fixture in what will be Onana's home debut at Akyazi Stadium. The Cameroon international will hope not to be as involved in that clash, but will know that he needs to bring the errors out of his game if he wants to succeed with his side this season.

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly held face-to-face talks with Ruben Amorim after flying into Carrington on Thursday amid growing pressure on the Portuguese coach. Though it's been reported the visit was long-planned, the Red Devils' poor form inevitably dominated discussions. United sit 14th in the Premier League and have already been dumped out of the Carabao Cup.

Ratcliffe flies in to Carrington for Amorim talks

have reported that Ratcliffe arrived at Carrington on Thursday by helicopter and spent part of the day meeting Amorim as well as other senior figures in the Manchester United hierarchy. Per the report, their dreadful start to the season meant results were high on the agenda, even if talks were pre-planned.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAmorim adamant to stick with 3-4-3

Amorim has overseen just one Premier League win in four games, alongside a humiliating Carabao Cup defeat to League Two side Grimsby Town. United are already languishing in 14th after a huge summer spend, and Amorim’s 3-4-3 remains under the microscope. Amorim has been defiant in recent weeks, suggesting the board would need to sack him if they want a tactical change.

Players also unhappy with tactical system

Even with backing in the transfer market, Amorim's ideas are still failing to click nearly a year into his reign. It has been reported that the players themselves are not happy with the 3-4-3 system, with captain Bruno Fernandes, who is said to be close to the coach, also unhappy with the tactical set-up of the team. Nonetheless, Amorim is not going to back away from the faltering formation that helped him rise to fame at Sporting.

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AFPAmorim faces massive must-win clash against Chelsea

Manchester United face Chelsea at Old Trafford in what has been deemed by some as a must-win game for Amorim on Saturday. Victory could ease some of the tension, but another defeat may push Ratcliffe closer to a decision. For now, the manager remains in charge, but his margin for error is shrinking fast.