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A pair of teenagers and a trio of New York Red Bulls headline Goal's selections as the best values, based on salary, in Major League Soccer

Salaries in Major League Soccer continue to rise, and have seen a considerable spike since the infusion of targeted allocation money in the past two seasons. That has led to a near doubling of the number of million-dollar salaries in the league, and a sizable jump in the number of players making more than $500,000.

That doesn't mean there still aren't some super-sized bargains to be had. Players signed via homegrown player deals and those who enter the league via the MLS draft continue to give MLS teams a steady stream of bargains, several of which make up the squad chosen by Goal to be part of the MLS Bargain XI, the best values in the league.

Here is the 2018 MLS Bargain XI, with salaries based on guaranteed compensation as released by the MLS players union last week .

Greg BartramGK Alex Bono, Toronto FC, $102,200The 24-year-old goalkeeper is in the midst of his second full season as Toronto FC's starter and is continuing to show improvement, building on his MLS Cup-winning 2017 season. His exploits in TFC's CONCACAF Champions League run turned heads, and he has also broken into the U.S. national team picture. Still playing on his rookie contract, Bono should be securing a new contract soon, assuming he doesn't head to Europe via transfer.AdvertisementRB Julian Gressel, Atlanta United, $111,250A midfielder who has thrived this season since being moved into a right wing-back role, Gressel has carried over the success from his MLS Rookie of the Year award-winning 2017 into the 2018 season. He has been one of the key reasons Tata Martino has seen his team enjoy such success playing in a 3-5-2 formation. The 24-year-old German-born standout should be drawing attention from scouts and will have a strong case for a new contract this winter.Mark J. RebilasCB Tim Parker, New York Red Bulls, $115,935How is Parker so underpaid? He's still playing on his original rookie contract, which expires at the end of this season. He is in line for a big payday this winter, either in Europe or in a new MLS deal. The Vancouver Whitecaps traded him rather than making him one of the league's highest-paid defenders. Since joining the Red Bulls, Parker has been outstanding and has helped his new team forge the best defense in club history.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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CB Aaron Long, New York Red Bulls $73,125A repeat selection on the MLS Bargain XI, Long has followed up his breakout 2017 season with a strong start to 2018. His skill on the ball, coupled with an improving defensive skill set, make him one of the league's most underrated defenders. It shouldn't be long before the 25-year-old central defender secures a new contract with the Red Bulls.

A hamstring injury has ruled New Zealand fast bowler Adam Milne out of the IPL, adding to Royal Challengers Bangalore’s growing bowling worries

Nagraj Gollapudi06-May-2016A hamstring injury has ruled Adam Milne out of the IPL, adding to Royal Challengers Bangalore’s growing bowling worries. The New Zealand fast bowler did not report for training on the eve their match against Rising Pune Supergiants on Saturday. Although no franchise official was available for a comment, it is understood Milne left India a few days ago having picked up a Grade 2 hamstring tear in his right thigh. Royal Challengers are yet to seek a replacement for him.A weakened bowling attack has been a factor in Royal Challengers’ below-par performance in the first half of the season, and Milne’s exit only exacerbates the issue. Milne is the third overseas bowler the franchise has lost to injury. Royal Challengers have already had to replace Samuel Badree with Tabraiz Shamsi and Mitchell Starc with Chris Jordan.Milne has only played one match in the IPL since Royal Challengers acquired him last year for Rs 70 lakh. Bowling consistently at speeds in the 145-150 kph range, Milne is one of the fastest bowlers in contemporary cricket. But the 24-year-old has been constantly sidelined by injury over the last few years.Essex, where Milne is scheduled to arrive for the NatWest Blast season, will also be desperate to learn the extent of the injury which depending on its severity can take either a few weeks or a couple of months.He missed the 2015 IPL after failing to recover from a heel injury picked during last year’s World Cup, where he missed New Zealand’s last two matches.At the start of the 2016 season, Milne’s former New Zealand team-mate Daniel Vettori, Royal Challengers’ head coach, had said he expected Milne to take the opportunity to fill the vacancy created by Starc’s absence. Starc, Royal Challengers’ best bowler last year, was ruled out of this year’s edition with a foot injury. But Milne has only managed one game so far, Royal Challengers’ first of the tournament, against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He picked up a wicket in that game while conceding 43 in his four overs.With Milne gone, the Australian pair of Shane Watson and Kane Richardson, the England allrounder Jordan, and the South African allrounder David Wiese are the main overseas seam bowlers left on the Royal Challengers bench.

Lionel Messi is earning more at Inter Miami than the entire payroll of 25 MLS clubs, with the full cost of acquiring the Argentine ace being revealed.

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Argentine chasing the American dreamMoved to the States as a free agentSalary topped up by profit share deals

WHAT HAPPENED?

The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner completed a stunning move to the United States over the summer when becoming a free agent at Paris Saint-Germain. Manchester United and England legend David Beckham – who is now a co-owner in Florida – helped to put that deal in place after 10 years of work behind the scenes.

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Messi has made an immediate impact in America, helping Inter Miami to a historic Leagues Cup triumph, and ended the 2023 campaign with 11 goals through 14 appearances. He has attracted A-list guests to MLS and domestic cup fixtures, while ticket prices soar whenever he takes to the field.

DID YOU KNOW?

Messi is helping to generate plenty of revenue, but he is also being handsomely rewarded financially. The 2023 MLS players salary guide has revealed that the all-time great earns a $12 million (£10m) base salary, with a guaranteed compensation of more than $20m (£16m) – making him the highest-paid player in the league – while he reportedly pulls in between $50m (£41m) and $60m (£49m) from agreements with MLS and Apple TV. In total, the 36-year-old is said to be earning around $135m (£110m), which dwarfs the payroll at rival outfits.

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

As things stand, only four sides in MLS – Inter Miami, Toronto FC, LA Galaxy and LAFC – have total payrolls bigger than what Messi earns by himself. The World Cup winner has insisted that he did not move to the States for money, having also received eye-watering offers from the Middle East, and said upon his arrival in Florida: “My decision went through many things, we thought about it with my wife, my children were also part of the decision, the family in general. I just came to play and enjoy football, which is what I've liked all my life. I chose [Miami] for that, above all else, and I'm very happy with the decision we made.”

A fearsome attack led by Ravi Rampaul set Trinidad & Tobago’s Champions League campaign off on a triumphant note, as they comfortably defended 135 for 9, against Brisbane Heat in Ranchi

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Sep-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Denesh Ramdin played a lone hand of 48 to give the T&T bowlers a reasonable target to defend•BCCIA fearsome attack led by Ravi Rampaul set Trinidad & Tobago’s Champions League campaign off on a triumphant note, as they comfortably defended 135 for 9, against Brisbane Heat in Ranchi. An intense Rampaul was both economical and penetrative throughout his spells in the innings, and although Heat may have been pleased to chase so few, they were rarely granted more than a brief glimpse of victory during the chase. Rampaul finished with four wickets for 14 from 3.4 overs, with Sunil Narine, Rayad Emrit and Samuel Badree also contributing fine spells.Denesh Ramdin played something of a lone hand to give his attack a reasonable target to defend, as he hit 48 from 38 after Heat had sent T&T in to bat. No other batsman breached 20 for T&T, as Heat’s quick bowlers enjoyed the bounce in the Ranchi strip, as well as the slight movement early on.Rampaul found swing early on, but it was his impeccable line that set the tone for T&T’s bowling effort. Often pitching short of length, Rampaul cramped the Heat’s openers for space, and soon dismissed captain James Hopes, who played on coming forward in the third over.Rampaul’s first spell lasted only two overs, but the rest of the bowlers matched his discipline. Heat had only lost one wicket at the end of the Powerplay, but could not manage a run rate better than 3.66. Subsequent attempts to reel in the required run rate were often short-lived, and retarded by dismissals. Only Joe Burns had the measure of the attack, but even he could not achieve a laudable strike rate. When Rampaul returned in the 16th over to break Burns’ leg stump, the batsman had hit 45 from 43.Ben Cutting’s 17 from 10 only hinted at a revival for Heat and his run out, at the end of the 18th over, secured the match for T&T. Rampaul’s last over yielded the two final wickets, as Heat were dismissed for 110 with eight balls still remaining.Seventeen balls into T&T’s innings, openers Lendl Simmons and Evin Lewis had promised a profitable first stand, but their confident blows to the square fence soon gave way to tame batting errors, and No. 5 batsman Ramdin was at the crease sooner than he would have liked – after 4.4 overs. A four off an inside edge got Ramdin under way, but he found the middle of the bat almost immediately, as he guided a wide delivery from Kemar Roach over the slips for four.Ramdin’s progress steadied after those boundaries, as he rebuilt the innings from 38 for 3. He ventured an advancing six off Nathan Hauritz in the ninth over but, as wickets continued to tumble at the other end, Ramdin was content to deal in singles and twos. Jason Mohammed and Sherwin Ganga departed off consecutive deliveries, and 17-year-old Nicolas Pooran managed only 8 off 16 balls in his Champions League debut.At 83 for 6 after 14 overs, Ramdin’s hopes of setting a total close to 150 had grown slim, but he slogged a four and a six off Cutting in the next over to help inject some urgency into a stagnating innings. Ramdin was out not long after, but Samuel Badree, coming in at No. 10, engaged a previous avatar as a batsman and took T&T beyond 130 by striking two straight sixes in the 16-run final over.

A round-up of Momentum One Day Cup matches played on October 19, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2014
ScorecardFile photo – Justin Ontong hammered four fours and seven sixes•Gallo ImagesA hammering of 83 off 37 balls from Justin Ontong and fifties from Andrew Puttick and Stiaan van Zyl charged the unbeaten Cape Cobras to a 53-run win against Lions in Paarl. Cobras amassed 337 for 3 and the Lions middle order collapsed in the chase despite a strong start.Put in to bat, Cobras were given two solid stands from Puttick – first of 101 for the first wicket with Omphile Ramela and then of 82 with van Zyl. Puttick was given six lives for his knock of 94 and when he was finally dismissed in the 39th over, the score was 183 for 2. The third-wicket stand between Van Zyl and Ontong gave them the final throttle to go past 300. Van Zyl struck 10 fours and a six during his unbeaten 91 off 74, and Ontong clobbered four fours and seven sixes before falling in the last over. From the 41st over to the last, the duo struck at least a four in every over and scored 137 runs in the last 10.Lions got a strong opening partnership of 97 from Stephen Cook and Alviro Petersen, but both fell within five overs. The middle order got a double-blow from Sybrand Engelbrecht, who finished with 2 for 55, and Robin Peterson stifled the innings further with his figures of 2 for 30, reducing Lions to 162 for 6 after 32 overs. Dwaine Pretorius and Hardus Viljoen revived the innings with a stand of 121 to steer them past 250 and denied Cobras a bonus point. With the help of an unbeaten 77 from Pretorius and 52 from Viljoen, Lions scored 284 for 7.
ScorecardAn unbeaten 16-ball 30 from Christiaan Jonker gave Warriors their first points of the tournament despite losing two wickets in the penultimate over of their chase against Dolphins in Pietermaritzburg. A knock of 118 off 99 from Vaughn van Jaarsveld helped Dolphins put on a competitive 274 for 8, but Warriors chased it down on the back of fifties from JJ Smuts and Michael Price, with three balls to spare.Warriors needed 29 runs in the last three overs and with two fours and six, Jonker brought it down to 10 off 12. They lost two wickets in the next over to Craig Alexander, but scored six off the first three balls of the last over to register a four-wicket win.Dolphins, who were put in to bat, lost their openers early before Cody Chetty and van Jaarsveld put on 100 for the third wicket. Van Jaarsveld was running out of partners towards the end but his century, with eight fours and five sixes, and a useful 21-ball 42 from Robbie Frylink charged them to 274. Andrew Birch bowled an economical spell of 3 for 31 and Basheeru-Deen Walters bowled two maidens in his 2 for 55.Warriors were given a robust opening stand of 127 by Price and Smuts. Price was dismissed for 70 and Smuts fell short of his hundred by six runs, and cameos from Colin Ingram and Ryan Bailey kept them in the hunt. They needed 44 from five overs and Jonker held his nerve in the end to take them home, and to fourth place in the points table.

Fast bowler Shaun Tait is set to play his first one-day match for three and a half years after being named in South Australia’s squad for their opening Matador Cup game this weekend

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2014Fast bowler Shaun Tait is set to play his first one-day match for three and a half years after being named in South Australia’s squad for their opening Matador Cup game this weekend. Tait retired from one-day cricket after the 2011 World Cup and since then has become a Twenty20 specialist, but he said earlier this year he was keen to help South Australia win more silverware.South Australia’s 14-man squad for their match against New South Wales in Brisbane also includes uncapped batsman Jake Lehmann, the son of national coach Darren, as well as Mark Cosgrove, who has returned to the Redbacks after spending the past few seasons with Tasmania. But it is the presence of Tait that will create the greatest interest after he appeared to be lost to the state system.”Taity isn’t a contracted player, but we have been blown away with his commitment,” South Australia’s coach Darren Berry said. “I told him, mate, you come along when you want to come along because you aren’t contracted, but he hasn’t missed a session. He has been a role model for our players and is bowling very fast, so I am delighted to have him back involved.”Cosgrove brings so much class and experience to our group. He has spent a lot of time with our young batsmen and has been such a positive influence on them. It is fantastic to have him back playing for South Australia.”Jake Lehmann and Alex Ross have been the standout performers in our lead-in games and have been rewarded. It is great to see young South Australian players putting their hand up and demanding their position in our squad.”The Matador Cup begins with two matches on Saturday and continues throughout most of the month, with the final to be played on October 26. All the games will be played in Brisbane and Sydney, with the opening games between Queensland and Victoria at the Gabba and New South Wales and South Australia at Allan Border Field.Victoria have named a 15-man squad for the tournament, with former New South Wales fast bowler Chris Tremain set to make his debut for his new state. The New South Wales squad for their opening match will be captained by allrounder Moises Henriques, and includes the uncapped offspinner Chris Green.Western Australia have also confirmed a 15-man squad for the whole competition, although they do not begin their campaign until October 8. Michael Klinger will make his debut for the Warriors having switched from South Australia, while Craig Simmons will have the chance to return to one-day cricket for the first time since 2011-12, following on from his outstanding form in the BBL last summer.New South Wales squad Moises Henriques (capt), Ryan Carters, Trent Copeland, Chris Green, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Henry, Josh Lalor, Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Gurinder Sandhu.South Australia squad Johan Botha (capt), Mark Cosgrove, Tom Cooper, Callum Ferguson, Travis Head, Trent Lawford, Jake Lehmann, Tim Ludeman, Gary Putland, Alex Ross, Chadd Sayers, Shaun Tait, Nick Winter, Adam Zampa.Victoria squad Matthew Wade (capt), Fawad Ahmed, Scott Boland, Daniel Christian, Jake Haberfield, Peter Handscomb, Jon Holland, David Hussey, Alex Keath, Clint McKay, Rob Quiney, Ryan Sidebottom, Marcus Stoinis, Chris Tremain, Cameron White.Western Australia squad Adam Voges (capt), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Michael Beer, Jason Behrendorff, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Marcus Harris, Michael Klinger, Simon Mackin, Joel Paris, Nathan Rimmington, Craig Simmons, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Sam Whiteman.

South Africa will play Pakistan in two Tests, five one-day internationals and two T20s in the UAE beginning October 14

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2013South Africa will play Pakistan in two Tests in the United Arab Emirates from October 14, ending their eight-month absence from the Test arena. Their last Test series was at home in February against Pakistan, as their tour to Sri Lanka in July has been adjusted to drop the Tests. The tour will also include five one-day internationals and two T20s.South Africa, who arrive in the UAE on October 5, will play a three-day practice match to prepare for the first Test in Abu Dhabi. The teams will move to Dubai for the second Test on October 23 before switching to coloured clothing in November. Sharjah will host the first and fifth ODIs while Abu Dhabi also gets two games with Dubai hosting the remaining one-dayer and both T20s.Pakistan had little success on their tour to South Africa earlier this year as the home side won all three Tests and then beat Pakistan 3-2 in the five-match ODI series. Pakistan claimed the two-match T20 series 1-0 though, by winning the second game after the first one was washed out without a ball bowled.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been labelled "The GOAT" by his ex-Premier League rival Steven Gerrard, who has explained why he moved to Al-Ettifaq.

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Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in JanuaryGerrard followed CR7 to Saudi Arabia in the summerPair enjoyed fierce Liverpool-Man Utd rivalry WHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo shocked the football world when joining Al-Nassr in January, less than two months after seeing his final contract at Manchester United terminated by mutual consent. A host of top players and managers have since followed the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to Saudi Arabia, including Liverpool legend Gerrard, who became Al-Ettifaq's new manager in July.

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During Ronaldo's first spell at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009, he enjoyed a fierce rivalry with Gerrard as United and Liverpool competed at the top end of the Premier League table. The former England international holds no ill-feeling towards the Portuguese striker since hanging up his boots, though, and credits him for inspiring his decision to take up a new coaching challenge in the Middle East.

WHAT STEVEN GERRARD SAID

Gerrard also admitted that he and his staff at Al-Ettifaq consider Ronaldo to be the greatest player of all time, and suggested the striker wouldn't have moved to Saudi Arabia if he believed he was past his best. “The arrival of ‘The GOAT’ as we call him, Cristiano (Ronaldo), him arriving in January obviously (was) a huge signing,” the former Liverpool midfielder said in an interview with the . “He still had a lot of football to offer. So, from afar, for six months, I was looking in at Cristiano Ronaldo’s results, at the league, watching some games and watching some highlights. I think from that moment, the league around the world had become a very popular talking point for everyone. After Cristiano’s arrival, even more big-name signings, talents and skill sets were joining the league. At the time it coincided with me being out of the game and looking for my next opportunity, so I was fascinated from afar looking in, and when my agent brought a couple of opportunities in the gulf area at the time, I was fascinated to explore them.

“The Ettifaq proposal and opportunity was the most exciting for me because I’ve signed up to a club where the board are very passionate. They understand where the club is at, they understand it’s something that’s going to need building, and it’s going to take time. That’s the reason why I was very interested to analyse this one, because in my job you need time. Especially when a club has finished seventh in the league and so many points behind the top four. That’s not an easy fix; it’s not something you fix in a week, a month, or six months. It’s a project to build on the pitch, which is obviously the priority, but also a lot of things needed to change around it to give the first team the support it needs.”

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WHAT DID HE SAY ABOUT JORDAN HENDERSON?

Gerrard also explained why he worked so hard to bring his former Liverpool team-mate Jordan Henderson to Al-Ettifaq in the summer window. “I think when you’re the coach, the manager, you want players going into games that can be an extended version of the staff,” he added. “People, who can really help on-pitch coaching; where the team needs to be in terms of distances, to make on-field decisions. Myself and Jordan (Henderson) we have that trust. We played together and he’s a fantastic player still, a fantastic human being. For us, to execute that signing was key and very important and I think a lot of the other signings we made came on the back of Jordan agreeing to come here. I think he wanted to still play, I think that was the key. He was at Liverpool at the time, he’s had a fantastic career, he’s achieved everything at that club, he’s been a fantastic servant to Liverpool Football Club. And when we knew it was a possibility, I wanted to be aggressive and wanted that to be my first signing, because for me it was a no-brainer."

Neeraj Kumar, the former Delhi police commissioner, has called for a strong anti-fixing law to be instituted in India to act as a deterrent for corruption in cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2013Neeraj Kumar, the former Delhi police commissioner, has called for a strong anti-fixing law to be instituted in India to act as a deterrent for corruption in cricket. It was during Kumar’s watch that the Delhi police unearthed the spot-fixing scandal involving three Rajasthan Royals cricketers – Sreesanth, Ankit Chavan and Ajit Chandila – in the 2013 season of the IPL.”A strong anti-fixing law will act as a deterrent. It should be a penal law. The fixers and those who get ‘fixed’ should both be sent to jail,” he told . “Is banning three cricketers the end of the matter? Isn’t there a need to look further? Could there be an in-house investigation, brain-storming which ensures that it doesn’t happen again, and the IPL too gets its credibility back? Is it happening? It is not.”Kumar said the police had evidence on the cricketers, who were charged under the Indian Penal Code sections 420 and 120B, which deal with fraud, cheating, and criminal conspiracy. “If the evidence we have is properly pursued in a court of law, it may end in conviction,” he said. “However, sometimes, trials go on and on, new police officers come and they aren’t that keen that the investigation is done properly. The nature of our criminal justice system is also such that it can be time-consuming.”

South Africa’s domestic one-day title will go the way of either the Titans or the Cobras in a north-south derby that, if recent records are to be believed, will be closely contested

Firdose Moonda14-Nov-2013There have been 31 matches. Seven were decided in the last two overs and three others finished with a result margin of one or two runs. And now there are two teams left.South Africa’s domestic one-day title will go the way of either the Titans or the Cobras in a north-south derby that, if recent records are to be believed, will be closely contested. They’ve already played each twice in the tournament, the Cobras winning both matches, once by two runs and the second time in the final over.”We’ve had two great battles already so whatever happens, I think we’ll have another one on Friday,” Rob Walter, the Titans coach, told ESPNcricinfo. “Of course, it would be nice to be on the right side of things if we do.”In his first season as a franchise coach, Walter has already had his fair share of nerves. After losing four of their first seven fixtures, the Titans seemed destined to end in the lower half of the table. They needed wins in their last three pool matches and pulled them off. Then, they needed a win against the team Walter described as the “best side in this competition”, the Dolphins, in the play-off and pulled that off too.In the process, they lost their captain Henry Davids to national duty, their senior-most player, Jacques Rudolph, to a broken hand and yet, still, three of their batsmen are in the top five run-scorers of the season.Leading the list is Heino Kuhn, the wicketkeeper-batsman who has made five Twenty20 appearances for South Africa but has since been overlooked. He is followed by Davids, who won’t be able to finish what he started because he is in the UAE with South Africa’s T20 squad and another national discard, Farhaan Behardien. Walter believes all three are ready to stake a claim for regular places in the national team.”We had discussions about developing their games to put them in positions where they could compete for places at international level,” he said. “With Heino, it was about going from being a keeper who can bat to showing he is a high-quality batsmen. With Henry, it was about taking good starts with beautiful shots and then getting out to having the responsibility to bat deeper; and with Farhaan it was also about conversion.”Kuhn has handed the gloves to Mangaliso Mosehle and is focused on his role as an opening batsmen. He scored back-to-back hundreds in the last two matches to put the Titans in winning positions. Behardien, who Walters said “stands out as a leader”, has taken over the captaincy in Davids’ absence and blossomed under the burden. He has a century and two fifties so far and has been working on the things that saw him dropped from the South African side, such as his shot selection.While moulding men who can turn out on the international stage, Walter has also had to concentrate on filling a trophy cabinet that remained empty last summer – a rare lack for the Titans. He has had Roelof van der Merwe to help in that mission. The left-arm spinner is the team’s leading wicket-taker and fourth overall. “He knew he had to go from being a containing bowler to an attacking one,” Walter said. He has taken nine wickets in the last four games as proof.All that individual brilliance will come up against a Cobras unit that have played like a team. Only the veteran Charl Langeveldt, who is likely to recover from a hip injury to play the final, is among the top five bowlers in the competition while none of their batsmen feature on the corresponding list.”It was never one individual getting us home. We’ve had performances spread all around,” Paul Adams, Cobras coach, said. “And I think it’s really shown in our fielding, where we’ve picked up a lot of run-outs. In pressure games, the younger guys have learned to step up and the more experienced ones have shown their quality.”Justin Ontong top-scored with 97 in their second win against the Titans, Langeveldt took four wickets at the death when they beat the Lions, Andrew Puttick scored a century against the Warriors to set up a win but it was up to the newer players like Dane Piedt and Lizaad Williams to bowl the Cobras to victory. Adams said tense situations like those helped ready the team for a final. “Guys are really focused now, they know what to expect.”This is the second successive season in which Cobras will feature in the one-day cup final. Last summer, they shared the trophy with the Lions, after two washouts. This time, the Lions finished bottom of the table while the Cobras have maintained their impressive run.”The most important thing is to have a big crop of players to call on and then managing them well so they can pace themselves through the competition,” Adams said when asked how he was able to continue that run. Those stocks will be added to with the inclusion of Vernon Philander and Robin Peterson for the final game.Adams, who is in his second season in charge admitted “the nerves are always there” but said he does his job by “looking for ways to inspire people”. And the ones he wants to influence ahead of the final are the fans.Despite the high quality of cricket, stadiums have been starkly empty throughout the tournament. Matches on school-nights and late finishes are the main reasons for the dampened interest but with no New Year’s Test at Newlands, Adams hopes people will go and watch their domestic team tussle it out on Friday.