All posts by h716a5.icu

Sunderland's hopes of bringing back Ellis Simms from Everton are fast fading as Championship rivals Coventry City close in on a deal for the striker.

How many goals has Ellis Simms scored?

Simms starred on loan with Sunderland in the first half of the 2022-23 Championship campaign with seven goals and two assists in 17 appearances.

That form earned the 22-year-old a recall to parent club Everton at the start of January, but he was restricted to just two Premier League starts – albeit one of those coming in February's Merseyside derby at Anfield, which the Toffees lost 2-0.

The high point for Simms undoubtedly came in March when scoring a late equaliser for Everton in a 2-2 draw away at Chelsea, with that likely to be his one and only goal for the club.

Sunderland understandably held an interest in signing Simms on a permanent basis once it became clear Everton were willing to sell, while Ipswich Town also placed a £4m bid, but The Athletic reports that Coventry are close to completing a deal worth between £6-8m.

Who are Sunderland signing?

The Black Cats have already brought in a new striker ahead of the new season, with Luis 'Hemir' Semedo arriving from Benfica. However, the 19-year-old has no senior experience, let alone experience of English football, so Tony Mowbray could do with signing at least one more forward.

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United's Sonny Perkins is being eyed up by Sunderland, as well as Blackburn Rovers, with the Whites greenlighting his loan exit for the 2023/24 campaign.

Perkins featured three times for Leeds in cup competitions last season, each coming under former boss Jesse Marsch, and scored his first senior goal in an FA Cup third-round tie against Cardiff City – rescuing his side from a shock exit with a late goal in a 2-2 draw in South Wales.

The 19-year-old earned his first-team chance after scoring 11 goals across 18 Premier League 2 appearances, while also making an impact in the EFL Trophy with one goal in three games.

Perkins previously featured in a Premier League game for West Ham United, too, meaning the future is clearly bright for the 19-year-old, who was described as "dangerous" by U21 manager Michael Skubala last season.

To put Perkins' PL2 figures into some perspective, he averaged 0.85 goals and assists combined per 90 minutes last season, which compares to 0.67 for Simms in his most recent full season at that level in 2020-21, as per FBref.

Simms was directly involved in 0.72 goals per 90 minutes last season, a figure bettered only by Ross Stewart (1.12) among Sunderland players. The Black Cats undoubtedly need to find someone who can make just as big an impact, then, and Perkins – on £1.6k per week at Leeds, according to Salary Sport – may just be that man.

Much in the same way that not a great deal was expected from Simms when he rocked up on Wearside 12 months ago, Sunderland will be hoping for a similar masterstroke if the Perkins rumours are indeed true.

Mumbai Indians crushed Delhi Daredevils by 146 runs, the largest margin of victory in the IPL

The Report by Varun Shetty06-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:27

Bangar: Daredevils lost the match in the first half

Mumbai Indians made a mockery of their opposition on Saturday. First they smacked Delhi Daredevils’ bowlers around to put up a total of 212. Then they bullied the batsmen into folding for a paltry 66. And in the end, a team that had recorded the second-highest chase in IPL history two nights ago was defeated by a margin so huge – 146 runs – it became a tournament record.So how did this all come about? Well, a few things went to plan. Like Lendl Simmons coming off the bench and hitting a half-century, Kieron Pollard responding to his promotion to No. 3 with an innings that was both calculated and cruel and the Mumbai bowlers knocking over each of their bunnies.Daredevils were five down in the chase before the Powerplay was done, and bowled out for their lowest IPL total. Mumbai, on the other hand, stormed into the playoffs.Caribbean carnage, Part 1Simmons has some phenomenal IPL numbers – before tonight he had 10 scores of fifty or more in 22 innings – and yet he had to wait until tonight to get his first game of the season. He began tentatively – as is expected of a batsman whose most recent T20 innings were 1, 1, 4* and 1. But the shackles seemed to break with a pull for six off Kagiso Rabada in the fourth over.Daredevils peppered Simmons with a mix of back-of-a-length and short deliveries, but it did not bother him. He got, both, on top of the bounce, and under it in equal measure – only one of his nine boundaries came off a fullish delivery.Simmons’ 66 off 43 balls took apart Daredevils’ famed fast-bowling attack, counterbalanced Parthiv Patel’s sedate 25 and gave Mumbai the perfect start on a small ground.Caribbean carnage, Part 2For a brief time, Amit Mishra was able to put a stop to Mumbai’s momentum. His first two overs went for only seven runs and had yielded a wicket too. Daredevils’ decision to play a fourth seamer in place of left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem came under question.Pollard, however, hit that hypothesis out of the park, along with four of Mishra’s deliveries. This included denting Zaheer Khan’s plan of bowling Mishra out at a stretch. His two sixes off Mishra’s third over forced Zaheer to give him a change of ends. The two overs needed to make that switch went for 25, and when Mishra returned, Pollard hit him for two more sixes. That was the start of Mumbai’s slog-overs push. Pollard saw it through with an unbeaten 63.Daredevils come a full circleA target of 213, mere days after achieving their highest successful chase, didn’t trouble the Daredevils – for as long as they were in the dugout. Once they came onto the field they realised that the Mumbai bowling attack was well-manned and well-marshalled.Mitchell McCleneghan had removed Sanju Samson three times in nine balls before today. After the first ball of the chase, the head-to-head was adjusted to four wickets in 10 balls.Bumrah had removed Pant twice in six balls. He was brought in for the fourth over and got the batsman out for a duck.Harbhajan had knocked Karun Nair over three times in 19 balls. So naturally he was brought on to bowl to his bunny and the battle ended with a catch to midwicket. These were all signs of a team being well-informed of their own strengths, the opposition’s weaknesses, and exploiting them all perfectly.Meanwhile, Daredevils had updated their lowest score twice in the space of six days, while also pulling off their best chase in the period.

Everton will soon see further investment from MSP Sports Capital 'rubber-stamped' at Goodison Park as the deal is 'essentially done', according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest news involving potential investment in Everton?

According to iNews, Everton are in 'advanced talks' with private equity firm MSP Sports Capital over potential investment into the club to help with their Financial Fair Play issues and the building of their new stadium located at Bramley Moore-Dock.

Nevertheless, a source close to the situation has revealed that there is 'no timeline' on when a deal will be concluded as it is a 'very complex' procedure to complete.

The Toffees reached an exclusivity agreement with the firm back in May, putting an end to speculation over a potential takeover from 777 Partners and leaving the path clear for MSP Sports Capital to help finance the Toffees, as per BBC Sport.

The holding company involved with the construction of the new stadium, Everton Stadium Development Holding Company Limited, were given a loan totalling around £40 million to help keep the project moving forward without a hitch, as per The Athletic.

Everton fans have long been dissatisfied with owner Farhad Moshiri and protests were widespread last campaign as the team eventually scraped their way to retaining their Premier League status on the final day thanks to a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth, as per BBC Sport.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Brown is confident that a deal for further investment in Everton will be 'rubber-stamped' before too long.

Brown stated: “It’s difficult to say when any announcement will be made. The deal is essentially done for these investors to come in.

“They've raised significant money earmarked to go into the club that will help. Everyone is expecting this to be rubber-stamped, signed, sealed and delivered in the near future.

“These things sometimes take time, but I believe we're close to seeing it completed and that there will be some good news for Everton fans in the near future.”

What next for Everton?

Everton will be keen to land some new signings as Sean Dyche drastically looks to improve his thin squad ahead of the new campaign commencing.

According to renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, free agent Ashley Young looks likely to be the first name through the door this summer, as the Italian stated: "Medical completed and contract signed. Ashley Young becomes new Everton player. Here we go, confirmed."

Sport Italia via The Sun detail that Leeds United wideman Wilfried Gnonto may be set to join Young on Merseyside and is closing in on a £19 million move to Goodison Park.

The Toffees have reportedly beaten off competition from Aston Villa, Manchester United and Arsenal to snap up the Italy senior international.

In a potential shock move, Arnaut Danjuma is believed to be at the centre of talks with Everton and the Blues are seeking to bring in the Netherlands international just six months after he famously changed his mind at the 11th-hour to join Tottenham Hotspur on a loan deal in the January window, as per TEAMtalk.

There will be plenty of twists and turns to come in the transfer window and Everton supporters will hope that they can strengthen with some exciting arrivals ahead of this season starting competitively.

Manchester United target Diogo Costa's name 'keeps coming up' at Old Trafford as Erik Ten Hag endeavours to sign a new goalkeeper this summer, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

What's the latest transfer news involving Diogo Costa?

According to The Daily Mail, Porto goalkeeper Costa and Inter Milan stopper Andre Onana are among the favourites to replace David De Gea at Old Trafford.

The report states that Manchester United's budget won't be able to cover bringing in both a goalkeeper and a striker, so a compromise of some sort will need to be found within their recruitment process.

Football Insider claim that it looks likely that De Gea won't return to Manchester United amid uncertainty surrounding his contract situation and the fact he is now a free agent while he isn't keen to play second fiddle at the Premier League giants.

In terms of the Red Devils' attraction towards Costa, A Bola via The Sun have revealed that he has a clause of around £65 million in his current contract at Porto.

As per The Athletic, Manchester United have also contacted Feyenoord over the availability of goalkeeper Justin Bijlow as they step up their transfer proactivity.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Sky Sports journalist Sheth has detailed that Costa is a name that carries on getting mentioned in conversations at Old Trafford.

Sheth said: "United will be looking at other keepers. Diogo Costa from Porto is a name that keeps coming up.

"David Raya from Brentford, possibly a little bit too expensive for what United believe, with him only having a year left on his contract and making it clear that he wants to leave."

Would Costa be a good signing and who else had been linked with the Red Devils?

Costa, who has been hailed as "sensational", has earned a reputation as a reliable stopper between the sticks and could help Manchester United to reach a new gear in 2023/24.

Last term, the 23-year-old made 41 appearances in all competitions for Porto and managed to keep 20 clean sheets in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

As per FBRef, Costa also achieved a save percentage of 77.2% in the Primeira Liga and 81.6% in the Champions League, respectively, demonstrating his capacity to keep the majority of strikes he faces away from the target.

Sofascore illustrate that Costa earned an average match rating of 6.95/10 for his exploits on the pitch in the Portuguese top-flight last campaign.

In other news, Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has completed his medical ahead of a move to Manchester United. Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano gave an update on the state of play surrounding the England international on Twitter, stating: "Mason Mount’s medical was fine and successfully completed — waiting for Manchester United announcement. Mount’s expected to share his ‘goodbye’ message to Chelsea — then Manchester United will unveil Mount as their first summer signing."

The Daily Mail have reported that Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund is another target for Manchester United, with talks continuing between both parties, indicating a busy summer window ahead at Old Trafford regarding incomings.

Victoria have recalled legspinner Fawad Ahmed for the Sheffield Shield final against South Australia, which begins in Alice Springs on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2017Victoria have recalled legspinner Fawad Ahmed for the Sheffield Shield final against South Australia, to be played in Alice Springs from Sunday. Ahmed has replaced fast bowler Jackson Coleman in Victoria’s 12-man squad for the decider as they aim to win the Shield title for the third consecutive summer.Ahmed has played only one match in this year’s Shield campaign, taking five wickets against Western Australia at the same ground earlier this month. However, the conditions at Traeger Park could favour slow bowling, in which case Ahmed could form a twin spin attack with Jon Holland, who is third on the wicket tally this summer with 42 Shield wickets at 21.11.The Victoria side will be captained by Cameron White in the continued absence of regular skipper Matthew Wade, who is with the Test squad in India.”It’s an amazing achievement to be involved in a third straight Sheffield Shield final, and it’s also a golden opportunity to make history as the first Victorian side to go back-to-back-to-back,” Victoria chairman of selectors Andrew Lynch said.”Everyone from the players to the coaches have worked incredibly hard to get to this point again, and we also can’t wait to take the final to Alice Springs for the first time. The squad we’ve named will thrive in the conditions at Traeger Park, and hopefully can bring home another title to Victoria.”Victoria squad Travis Dean, Marcus Harris, Rob Quiney, Aaron Finch, Cameron White (capt), Daniel Christian, Seb Gotch (wk), James Pattinson, Chris Tremain, Scott Boland, Jon Holland, Fawad Ahmed.

Pierre de Bruyn has warned his Leicestershire players that complacency will not be tolerated under his leadership

George Dobell09-Feb-2017Pierre de Bruyn has warned his Leicestershire players that complacency will not be tolerated under his leadership.De Bruyn has ruffled a few feathers at Grace Road since his appointment as the county’s new head coach following the departure of Andrew McDonald at the end of 2016 season. But he is unapologetic about challenging attitudes at a club he feels has been coasting for too long and said he is prepared to deal with some unhappy senior pros as a consequence of producing more opportunities for younger players.”The club has underperformed massively,” de Bruyn said. “The fact is, we’ve been at the bottom of the Championship for a few years and, though we showed some signs of improvement in red-ball cricket, we’ve been very poor in white-ball cricket. We can’t accept that. It’s time to take a look at ourselves. We owe the supporters better.”If we are serious about taking the club forward, we are going to have to have some tough conversations. If any of the senior players are complacent, I don’t mind challenging them and I don’t mind putting myself under pressure.”If you have a squad of 25 players, more than half will not be playing and that means that some of them will be unhappy. But I want to focus on this club producing England players again and, in the likes of Zak Chappell and Ned Eckersley, we have guys with the talent to do that. We can’t be accepting batsmen averaging in the mid-20s any more.”That would appear to be a reference to Angus Robson. He was the club’s highest Championship run-scorer in 2014 and second highest in 2015, but endured a tougher 2016, averaging 27.11 with a top score of 84. As a consequence, it seems he can no longer be assured of his place.”I don’t blame him if he feels his position is under threat,” de Bruyn said. “We have a big squad and competition is fierce. He has played more than 50 games and only made two centuries. He has had more than fair opportunity and there’s no doubt he had a poor season. Averaging 27 in Division Two is not getting us promoted. I told him to go away and focus on making hundreds. I hope it drives him to work harder. I hope he comes back motivated and ruthless.”But it’s not just him. Our top order – the likes of Paul Horton and Mark Pettini – failed to score the runs we needed in limited-overs cricket and we need to do better.”I am keen to create opportunities for younger players. Lewis Hill made a century at The Oval a couple of years ago [in his second first-class game], Harry Dearden is young and promising and we’ve signed Callum Parkinson, who is another who could go a long way in the game.”Senior players will be treated fairly and respectfully, but places are up for grabs and that’s exciting.”Leicestershire’s first-class performances actually improved in 2016. After three successive seasons in which they had finished bottom in Division Two, they rose to seventh (and, but for a late season slide, it could have been better), though they continued to struggled in the shorter formats. They were bottom of the North Group on the NatWest T20 Blast and second from bottom of the North Group in the Royal London Cup.

Manchester United have reportedly made contact with Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot over a potential move this summer to the Old Trafford side.

What’s the latest on Adrien Rabiot to Man United?

According to The Athletic, the Red Devils have begun talks with the representatives of the Frenchman in order to lure him to the Premier League this summer, with his contract set to expire at the end of June.

The Serie A side want to keep him for another season and could be set to offer him a one-year extension to his deal, yet United will be desperate to avoid a repeat of last summer, where, despite reaching an agreement with Juventus, they failed to agree personal terms with the player.

Should Man United sign Rabiot this summer?

Missing out on the Frenchman last summer turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as Casemiro ended up joining the club from Real Madrid and enjoyed a stellar campaign, ending up as their second-best performer in terms of overall rating via Sofascore in the Premier League.

The Brazilian had numerous partners alongside him throughout the season and Erik ten Hag will surely want to bring someone in who could become a mainstay in the midfield, as the likes of Fred and Christian Eriksen filtered in and out of the lineup.

Rabiot, who Gigi Buffon explained has "the strength of Pogba", enjoyed a resurgence during 2022/2023, missing just six league matches for Juventus, and he could certainly offer more going forward than Fred that’s for sure.

The 28-year-old registered 12 goal contributions last term – eight goals and four assists – along with making one key pass per game and succeeding with 60% of his attempted dribbles, giving his team an added threat from the heart of the midfield.

In contrast, Fred managed just four goal contributions – two goals and assists – while making 0.9 key passes and succeeding with just 44% of his attempted dribbles. Indeed, it’s clear Rabiot would be an upgrade going forward.

Even defensively, the 6 foot 2 Frenchman comes out on top across a string of metrics, including winning more tackles (35 to 30), interceptions (26 to 19) while also winning a higher percentage of aerial duels (56.2% to 50%) than Fred, indicating that he would be a shrewd signing, especially on a free transfer.

The £148k-per-week dynamo also shone during the 2022 World Cup for France, scoring during the opening match against Australia while ranking second in the squad for interceptions per game (1.7) and seventh for accurate passes per game (38.8) as France came so close to retaining their title, losing to Argentina in the final.

He was even lauded as being “sensational” by sections of the media during the World Cup and Erik ten Hag could land himself one of the bargains of the transfer window. With Champions League football adorning the Old Trafford pitch next season, it shouldn’t be a hard sell.

Tottenham Hotspur talks to sign Bayer Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba will take place in these next few days, according to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who will join Spurs this summer?

Spurs are set to bolster their squad this summer as chairman Daniel Levy, buoyed by the incoming new manager Ange Postecoglou, looks to this transfer window for upgrades.

A major overhaul is possible too with Hugo Lloris, Ivan Perisic, Davinson Sanchez, Ryan Sessegnon, Eric Dier and Ben Davies’ futures all hanging in the balance. Meanwwhile, Spurs could also attempt to sell Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon, Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Winks (The Telegraph).

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is another player who could make way and free up space for Postecoglou signings before the start of 2023/2024.

In terms of who they could be, Spurs are reliably believed to be closing in on Lloris’ successor, with Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario set to undergo a medical this weekend ahead of his proposed move.

Tottenham are also chasing a central defender, with Fulham’s Tosin Adarabioyo among the targets. However, Tapsoba appears to be taking centre stage, as some reports suggest he is likely to join if an official approach is made.

If that is indeed the case, reliable reporter Romano may have good news for Spurs supporters, as it is now expected that the north Londoners will imminently open formal talks.

The Burkina Faso international is apparently top of their transfer list, and in the next few days, negotiations over his signing will commence.

What’s been said about Edmond Tapsoba?

Commentator Mark Lovell is among Tapsoba’s biggest fans, calling him “top quality” all the way back in 2020, and it’s safe to say the defender has maintained that form as a consistent starter for Leverkusen right now.

Meanwhile, at international level, Tapsoba has been described as “fundamental” in past seasons by journalist Bruno Alemany.

India captain Virat Kohli praised Yuzvendra Chahal as someone who “never says no” to bowling in any situation after the legspinner took 6 for 25 in India’s 75-run win over England at Bangalore

Deivarayan Muthu in Bangalore01-Feb-20172:05

‘We fought fire with fire’ – Kohli

India captain Virat Kohli has hailed the emergence of his side’s youngsters after they trampled England by 75 runs in the decider of the three-match series in Bangalore to add the T20 trophy to the Test and ODI series wins over the past three months.”We got the results we wanted,” Kohli said. “Obviously winning all three series feels really, really good right now because we’re up against a top-quality side. We understand that and to come on top after the end of all three series is a great feeling altogether knowing that we didn’t have that much experience in our teams.”The Test team is almost as good as new. Even in the one-day circuit, we have 3-4 experienced guys, but rest of the guys who stepped up are all youngsters, which is, I think, is a massive, massive boost for Indian cricket.”Kohli singled out wristspinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who led the hosts to a series win in Bangalore with figures of 6 for 25, an Indian record, for special praise. He was also pleased with the depth in the spin group, led by R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who were both rested for the T20 leg.”The key today was to take wickets in the middle overs,” Kohli said. “Chahal didn’t do such a bad job with that. I always back someone like Chahal. In the IPL too, I use him in most of the matches. He never says no to bowling with the new ball or bowling in the middle overs, so I mean having a guy like this is great. He doesn’t say no to any situation.”It was Amit Mishra who set the stage for Chahal by removing Jason Roy with a loopy legbreak in the seventh over before finishing with 1 for 23. Mishra’s last over in the 13th, which cost India just three runs, preceded Chahal’s third over in which the latter took down England’s big guns – Joe Root and captain Eoin Morgan. Kohli said that the wicket-taking ability of Chahal and Mishra would allow the management to rest Ashwin and Jadeja “whenever” they want.”See guys like Chahal and Mishy, who has done well for us in limited-overs and in Tests also,” Kohli said. “Jayant [Yadav] too came in beautifully and did very well for us in the Tests. It gives us an opportunity to rest Ashwin and Jadeja whenever we want. There is no harm in using them as Test specialists and keeping them fresh. Guys like Chahal and Mishra and even [Parvez] Rasool are bowling so well. So we have a lot of spinners who are not only run-containing bowlers but also wicket-taking bowlers.”Chahal and Mishra both have an attacking mindset. All I tell them is go for the wickets, even if you get hit for a six, no big deal. Having them as the next line of spinners is a great thing for us.”Suresh Raina, arriving in the second over of the match after Kohli was run-out for 2, showed that attacking mindset with the bat to lay the groundwork for India’s score of 202 for 6. He set off with a flair-dripping inside-out six over the cover-point boundary and often flitted around the crease to throw the bowlers off their lengths, a departure from India’s recent safety-first approach with the bat in T20s.”The way we batted was again a revelation,” Kohli said. “Even after me getting out initially, Raina and KL [Rahul] didn’t stop their instincts, which is needed in T20 cricket. To reveal themselves, to find their characters, players need to play that way. They don’t need to think about what has happened. They need to keep thinking and looking ahead. That’s exactly what we did this game.”Kohli also credited MS Dhoni and senior seamer Ashish Nehra for offering their inputs during various stages of the limited-overs series.”I take a lot of advice from MS and am always speaking a lot to Ashish Nehra too,” Kohli said. “In the ODI series, I was talking to MS a lot. Although I have captained in the Test format for a while, ODI and T20 games move very fast. So to take advice from a person who has captained the side at this level for so long and understands the game really well is never a bad idea in crucial situations.”Kohli revealed that he was looking to squeeze an over from allrounder Hardik Pandya and widen the equation further after exhausting Chahal’s quota, but instead turned to a strike bowler in Jasprit Bumrah after discussing with Dhoni and Nehra. Bumrah responded by sewing up the game and the series with two wickets in three balls.”Bringing on Bumrah right after that over from Chahal, I was thinking of giving [Hardik] Pandya another over instead,” Kohli said. “[Dhoni and Nehra] suggested that let’s not wait till the 19th over and instead bring on the main bowlers. So these things really help when you are a new captain in the limited-overs format. But again, I am not new to captaincy, but there has to be a balance between understanding the skills needed to lead in shorter formats. MS has been helping a lot on that front.”

Pakistan’s bid for a world-record chase fell a mere 40 runs short, allowing Australia to exhale after coming close to coughing up a match they had dominated over the first four days

The Report by Daniel Brettig19-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:45

Chappell: Pakistan have shown they can adjust quickly

Pakistan’s bid for a world-record chase fell a mere 40 runs short, allowing Australia to exhale after coming close to coughing up a match they had dominated over the first four days and nights at the Gabba.Asad Shafiq’s sublime century and sturdy support from Yasir Shah took Steven Smith’s men close to their wit’s end, but a Mitchell Starc short ball did for Shafiq when the visitors needed only 41 runs to steal the most fanciful of victories. Three balls later, Smith struck the final blow, running out Yasir from slip after the No. 10 wandered out of his crease, ending a match that had seemed destined for a much wider margin.Starc’s speed and direction were vital throughout, and it remains to be seen whether the huge number of overs bowled by him and Josh Hazlewood will have an impact on their physical preparation for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. The Australians had a hangdog air in the field for much of the final day, and their relief at the final wickets was palpable.Pakistan, by contrast, will now feel they are very much in the series, with matches on friendlier surfaces in Melbourne and Sydney to come. The Gabba has always been a major competitive advantage for Australia, and the close result will afford plenty of confidence to the tourists even if they are now 1-0 down with two to play.When play began half an hour early, both sides seemed a little unsure of their ground. Shafiq did not take singles he would have gone for the night before, while Smith’s fields were notably defensive, often sparing only one slip in a match where catches in the cordon have been comfortably the main mode of dismissal.After the first few overs passed without incident, Shafiq and Yasir grew in confidence, doubtless aided by a vocal contingent of Pakistan supporters who made their presence felt in an otherwise deserted stadium. Shafiq was able to find numerous off-side gaps, while Yasir married impressive defence with the occasional flourish, including an upper cut over the slips and later a handsome flick over midwicket off Jackson Bird.At length Smith brought Nathan Lyon into the attack, but the spinner was unable to find enough consistency to trouble either batsman – even if Matthew Wade appealed for a stumping from a straighter ball that Yasir played inside. Lyon soon found himself relieved of duty.As the runs ticked down the tenseness on Australian faces was acute. Several near misses took place: Yasir square drove in the air a millimetre out of the reach of a diving Lyon; he was given out lbw to Hazlewood padding up, but on review was reprieved by the bounce. Next Yasir appeared to get the slightest of touches when glancing Starc, but Wade could not hang on and any appeal was strangled.Only 41 runs were required when Starc finally found the delivery to break the stand, a throat ball that Shafiq could only throw his bat at, resulting in a skier that David Warner was able to cling onto at gully. Rahat Ali took a single first ball, but Yasir’s composure was clearly at an end when he swung wildly at the next one.Next ball Yasir dug out a Starc yorker but ventured out of his crease long enough for Smith to throw the stumps down from slips and begin relieved celebrations for a team that went from dominators to nervous wrecks over the course of Shafiq’s wondrous innings.