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Sunderland will, when the curtain falls on the Championship season at the start of May, just write this campaign off as a misstep on the way to greater success down the line.

Mike Dodds has failed to reinvigorate a group who were down on their luck already managed by Michael Beale, with the interim boss almost a certainty to step down at the end of the season having overseen a poor mid-table finish.

The team, looking at the future, could well be moulded around the exploits of 18-year-old Jobe Bellingham going forward, who has still managed to excel with seven goals in the Championship despite his team's dire standing in the division.

Staggeringly, when Sunderland were competing with the top dogs in the Premier League, one horrendous flop was earning nearly four times Bellingham's wage even whilst firing blanks for the Black Cats.

Ignacio Scocco's record at Sunderland

Signed under the tenure of Gustavo Poyet – who would only pick up 23 wins from his 75 games in charge – Ignacio Scocco undoubtedly goes down as a major dud from this period that did initially raise eyebrows.

The Argentine attacker would join for a bumper £3m mid-way through the 2013/14 campaign, joining the Wearside outfit alongside fellow flop Jozy Altidore who struggled to settle in his new surroundings much like Scocco.

Sunderland made a mistake signing flop who would've cost £16.4m in 2024

Sunderland dropped an almighty clanger signing this disastrous flop back in 2013.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 12, 2024

Altidore would at least manage to find the back of the net three times as one of the new strikers on the block after joining, with Scocco failing to ever score for Sunderland during his troubled couple of months at the Stadium of Light.

The South American centre-forward would only make eight appearances for the Black Cats, before returning to his native Argentina with Newell's Old Boys as a bad mistake on Sunderland's end.

On top of costing Sunderland an extortionate £3m, Scocco's wage would have burnt a hole in the Wearside club's pocket even from such a short time in England with his wage far greater than Bellingham's own pay packet currently.

Ignacio Scocco's wage at Sunderland

Scocco would end up costing his then Premier League side £25k-per-week during his turbulent spell at the Stadium of Light, exposing how much money the Black Cats wasted on failures when still playing in the top flight.

Bellingham earns just £6.5k-per-week in contrast, clamouring for an eventual pay increase next season as his importance to the Sunderland cause only grows heading into a more promising campaign on the horizon.

1. Jack Clarke

£16.9k per week

2. Daniel Ballard

£15k per week

3. Bradley Dack

£15k per week

4. Patrick Roberts

£12.5k per week

5. Anthony Patterson

£10k per week

Scocco would rise to the top of Sunderland's high earner list with his bumper £25k-per-week pay packet looking at the table above, pipping Jack Clarke to top spot even whilst the former Tottenham Hotspur winger has bagged 15 goals from 40 appearances this season.

Anthony Patterson also earns £15k-per-week less than Scocco, despite being an everpresent member of the Sunderland team this campaign through all the ups and downs.

Sunderland will have learnt their lesson about splashing obscene amounts of cash looking back at the likes of Scocco, moving towards an approach where the promising youngsters at the club are front and centre.

Bellingham could well become even more of a star for the Black Cats if he can steer them to a promotion push next season, whilst Scocco continues to enjoy his retirement without ever really thinking about his woes at Sunderland.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

Newcastle United have been in the middle of an injury crisis, with the club looking very short of options in the defensive third of the pitch.

Long-term injuries to key first-team members such as Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles have seen Eddie Howe's side look stretched at the back, with the Magpies having to make do with temporary solutions.

The Dutchman was a key part of Eddie Howe's side that secured Champions League football for the first time in nearly two decades, with Botman looking to be worth every penny of his £32m transfer fee.

However, his injury has left a gaping hole alongside usual partner Fabian Schar, with the Magpies suffering as a result of the 24-year-old's absence.

The club have trialled multiple players alongside the Swiss in recent weeks, with Howe yet to find a suitable replacement for the Dutchman.

With that in mind, here's a look at the 'options' Howe has at his disposal to fill that problem, in the absence of Botman and Lascelles…

1 The Obvious One Dan Burn

After featuring at left-back for the majority of the campaign, the injuries to the Magpies' usual centre-back options allowed the Blyth-born Dan Burn to feature at the heart of the defence against Everton.

The 31-year-old had a brilliant game for Howe's side, winning four tackles and having a 91% pass completion rate – completing 62 passes in the process.

Burn also won 65% of his ground and aerial duels – with the former Brighton defender winning the most aerial duels of any Newcastle player on the night.

His performance at St James' saw him awarded an 8/10 rating by Shields Gazette writer Dominic Scurr, with the centre-back claiming the highest rating of any Magpies player.

From his displays this campaign, it's evident that he's more suited to playing as a central defender rather than a left-back, with his lack of pace often being exposed by pacey wingers. The injuries to Botman and Lascelles could hand Burn a perfect opportunity to nail down a permanent place at the heart of Howe's defence.

2 The Senior Option Paul Dummett

If you're looking for a modern-day Newcastle hero, look no further than defender Paul Dummett, who has spent his entire professional career at St James' Park, bar two loan spells away from the club as a youngster.

He joined the club's academy in 2000 as a nine-year-old, before rising up through the youth ranks – even becoming the U21s and reserve team captain.

However, since the 2020/21 season, Dummett has struggled with injuries – that, coupled with the takeover and investment, has seen him drop dramatically down the pecking order under Magpies boss Howe.

The centre-back has only featured twice for Howe's side during the current campaign, with his most recent appearance coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw against Everton in midweek.

He only featured for 11 minutes, but the now 32-year-old gave away a penalty that resulted in the visitors' goal after he was adjudged to have dragged Ashley Young to the ground following a VAR review.

However, despite his error at St James', Dummett has a big part to play between now and the end of the campaign with the injury concerns currently within the squad.

Dummett also won 50% of his duels, completing 11 passes at a completion rate of 92% – with the Magpies fan-favourite proving that he still could provide valuable experience to a relatively young Newcastle squad.

He may lack the quality needed, but he certainly makes up for it with his desire and passion to do well for his boyhood club, with the long-serving asset potentially getting game time should the club suffer any more injuries in the defensive department.

3 The Wildcard Option Cathal Heffernan

Although Heffernan is yet to make his senior debut for the northeast side, the promising Irishman has played a rather important role in their youth squad since joining.

After arriving from Italian side AC Milan in the summer, the 18-year-old centre-back has made 18 appearances for various youth levels, scoring on three occasions, including against his former side in the UEFA Youth League.

He featured in every minute for the young Magpies as they exited the group stage, but Heffernan's tally of two goals from centre-back certainly caught the eye.

The "very exciting" talent, as described by journalist Thomas Hammond, could be handed a place in the first-team squad to potentially solve the club's defensive problems.

Heffernan could follow in the footsteps of the likes of Lewis Miley and Elliot Anderson, who have made giant steps in recent seasons and cemented their places as regular players within Howe's squad.

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The Newcastle defender is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

ByTom Cunningham Apr 3, 2024

The two youngsters both came through the academy at the club, with Miley and Anderson going on to make 17 and 13 appearances, respectively, in the Premier League this campaign.

Howe should look to trust in youth once again, with the opportunity given to Heffernan a potential turning point in his early days at St James' Park. He could prove to be a future starter for the Magpies, with the Toon boss needing to hand the emerging teen a deserved opportunity before the end of the campaign to stake his claim for a first-team spot next season.

Solo Nqweni receives anonymous donation to help fund £80,000 flight from UK by air ambulance

Firdose Moonda09-Jan-2020Solo Nqweni is going home. Nqweni, an allrounder from the Eastern Cape, was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome while playing club cricket for Aberdeenshire last July, spent four weeks in an induced coma and has been receiving treatment in a Scottish hospital for the past five months. He has now recovered enough to travel back to South Africa to continue his rehabilitation.However, it costs more than £80,000 (US$104,000) for an air ambulance. His agent launched a fundraiser four days ago, which had collected £3125 (US$4077), and then on Thursday, an anonymous donor offered to foot the rest of the bill. Nqweni will be in Johannesburg by the weekend.Rob Humphries, Nqweni’s agent, had been working alongside the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA), and its player services manager, JP van Wyk, to try and secure his return home. They were floored by the generosity of an unknown individual who has made a massive difference to Nqweni’s quality of life.Nqweni played for South Africa Under-19s in 2012 and has been contracted to Eastern Province and the Warriors franchise since. He was on his first cricketing assignment abroad. “I had been pestering him for the last 4-5 years to come to the UK and he finally decided 2019 was the year – then this happened,” Humphries told ESPNcricinfo.After two months in the UK, Nqweni picked up what he thought was the flu. “He had a sore throat and just feeling unwell but was reluctant to go to the doctor,” Humphries said.It was only when the symptoms did not subside that someone at the Aberdeenshire club insisted Nqweni seek medical attention. The National Health Service (NHS) diagnosed him with Guillain-Barré “pretty quickly”, and he was admitted to hospital on July 14 when matters took a turn for the worse. “The thing about Guillain-Barré is that you lose control over your muscles and so, can’t control your ability to breathe,” Humphries said.Nqweni had to put into a coma so a machine could do the work of his lungs. “There were about three to four weeks where it was touch and go,” Humphries said. “And the other thing is that it doesn’t affect the mind, so you are completely aware of what is happening. It’s being trapped in your own body.”During this time, members of the Nqweni family travelled to Aberdeen in relays, ensuring that there was always someone at his side. SACA contributed to their accommodation expenses as well as ensured his franchise contract would stay in place for the ongoing 2019-20 season, even though he is unable to play.

Right now, there is no other consideration for him apart from returning to play cricketRob Humphries, Nqweni’s agent

Once he had made some progress, Nqweni was brought out of the coma and slowly began to regain some of his muscular functions. In September, he was still being fed out of a tube but was regaining some of his vocal capacity. “It was like if someone loses their voice and you can only just hear them,” Humphries said.By October, Nqweni was able to talk loudly enough to record a video wishing the South African national rugby team, the Springboks, well for the World Cup. In December, he was visited by Ben Stokes and his wife Clare, who were in Aberdeen for the Sports Personality of the Year awards and now, in January, “he has enough mobility to use some of his messenger services,” according to Humphries, who receives messages from Nqweni on Instagram.Given the progress he has made, doctors have given Nqweni the all-clear to travel home but he requires a specialist air ambulance transfer with round-the-clock medical support and a seat for a member of his family to make the journey with him. The exorbitant cost was not covered by the NHS and was too much for the Nqweni family to bear on their own, so Humphries took to social media to try and raise funds. His GoFundMe campaign received some support in its first few days before an unexpectedly large single donation covered the bulk of the cost.Nqweni will still need significant recovery time and money. His family have identified a facility in Johannesburg for the former, while SACA has promised to assist Nqweni in accessing their past player fund, once his contract ends this season, and disability fund, should he require it. It is not known whether Nqweni will be able to return to professional sport, but if he doesn’t he has other options. Before his illness, Nqweni was working part-time for the bank Investec, and studying towards a Bachelor of Commerce degree.”He is a smart kid and can do anything he wants,” Humphries said. “But I think right now, there is no other consideration for him apart from returning to play cricket. He is so strong. I promised him that for the first ball he bowls, I will fly down from England to see it.”

Alvaro Morata will pair up with USMNT star Christian Pulisic in attack after completing a move to Serie A giants AC Milan.

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Morata set for a fresh stintHas signed a four-year deal with MilanRossoneri triggered his release clauseWHAT HAPPENED?

The experienced forward has signed a four-year contract with an option for an additional year, securing his place at the Rossoneri until at least 2028. Morata will don the No. 7 jersey after the Rossoneri decided to activate his €15 million (£12.64m/$16.3 million) release clause at Atletico Madrid.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

At 31, Morata brings a wealth of experience to Milan. His recent successes include captaining Spain to victory at the European Championship and also to a Nations League triumph in 2023. Last season, Morata netted 21 goals across all competitions for Atletico, although his form dipped in the latter half of the campaign with only two goals scored after January.

WHAT MORATA SAID

Morata’s decision to leave Atletico Madrid was influenced by multiple factors. He was unhappy with the treatment he received from Spanish media and fans, which may have contributed to his exit.

In an interview with Sky Italia, Morata said: "When you are in a place that for different reasons you can't give your 100 per cent, it is best for everyone this [to leave] option."

Speaking on his decision to join Milan, he added: "A simple thing. The trust shown to me by Zlatan [Ibrahimovic], the squad and the coach. I know I still have the best years of my career ahead of me and I want to go to this big club that is Milan. The truth is that Italians have treated me with incredible respect. I can't wait to go and play there again [in Serie A]. They have transmitted me all positive things."

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Morata’s return to Serie A is also personal, as his wife, Alice Campello, is Italian. His previous experience in Italian football, including two stints at Juventus and a record of 35 goals in 130 Serie A appearances, underscores his familiarity with the league. He has also won the Serie A title twice, the Coppa Italia three times, and the Italian Super Cup once. Hence, his experience and accomplishments in Italy will be crucial as he looks to contribute to Milan’s ambitions on both domestic and European fronts.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo está muito próximo de alcançar o primeiro objetivo na Libertadores. Basta um empate ao time de Rogério Ceni contra a LDU (EQU), nesta quarta, para garantir a classificação antecipada às oitavas de final da Copa. Já com essa meta encaminhada por conta das três vitórias e um empate, o Rubro-Negro já mira o primeiro lugar da chave e estar entre as melhores campanhas, o que dará à equipe a vantagem de definir os confrontos em casa.

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O confronto entre Flamengo e LDU, às 21h no Maracanã, terá transmissão em tempo real do LANCE!. Confira os desfalques e mais informações da partida!

-Será um jogo difícil, mas, no Maracanã, temos que prevalecer nossa força. Temos que estar focados do início ao fim para dar esse passo importante – afirmou Willian Arão, à FlaTV, na véspera do confronto com os equatorianos.

OS 300 JOGOS DE WILLIAN ARÃO

O time de Rogério Ceni necessita apenas de um empate na noite de amanhã para assegurar a vaga matematicamente. Já uma hipotética vitória diante dos equatorianos também o garante como primeiro colocado do grupo. Do outro lado, a Liga de Quito joga a última ficha para se manter vivo na competição.

> Confira a evolução da camisa branca do Flamengo

Na defesa, o treinador não contará com Rodrigo Caio e Diego Alves. Gabriel Batista será mantido no gol, enquanto Bruno Viana deve formar a zaga com Willian Arão, que viverá noite especial completando 300 jogos com o Manto.

– Muito feliz com essa marca. Espero que seja com uma vitória e classificação, olhando para ser um dos primeiros gerais para decidir sempre em casa – projetou o camisa 5, que será mais uma vez utilizado como zagueiro por Ceni.

DE OLHO NA DECISÃO DO CARIOCA

A situação tranquila no Grupo G, com a vaga encaminhada, permite ao Fla dar atenção também ao segundo jogo da decisão do Carioca, contra o Fluminense, no sábado. Tanto que Rodrigo Caio, que atuou no empate em 1 a 1 na primeira partida, foi preservado pela comissão técnica e não jogará nesta quarta-feira.

Vencer e garantir a primeira posição da chave pode, além da confiança, deixar o Flamengo ainda mais à vontade para “deixar tudo em campo” no próximo sábado, sem a pressão de entrar na última rodada da fase de grupos com a necessidade de somar pontos. O Rubro-Negro recebe o Vélez Sarsfield (ARG), no próximo dia 27 de maio, às 21h no Maracanã, na rodada final do Grupo G.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians venceu o Sport Huncayo-PER, na última quinta-feira, por 3 a 0 e permaneceu vivo na disputa pela classificação na fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana. A partida teve direito a golaço de Luan, em lance que contou com bela assistência de Gabriel, que segue invicto como titular na temporada.

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TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador da Sul-Americana-2021 clicando aqui

GALERIA
> Cazares já foi! Veja quem deixou o Corinthians para a temporada 2021

Peça importante no resultado em Lima, o volante exaltou o espírito de decisão com o qual a equipe entrou em campo para conquistar uma vitória essencial para a sequência na competição continental. Apesar de a vaga ainda ser um objetivo difícil, o camisa 5 quer encarar os próximos jogos como finais.

– Feliz demais pela atuação de toda a equipe nesse jogo, precisávamos de uma vitória para seguir com chances de classificação, então vamos lutar até o fim por ela. Entramos com espírito de decisão e é assim que temos de entrar todos os jogos a partir de agora. Será uma final atrás da outra e temos de mostrar que somos o Corinthians, lutar sempre até o final – afirmou.

Pelo segundo jogo consecutivo, o Timão atuou com três zagueiros, uma novidade trazida por Vagner Mancini. Nas duas ocasiões (São Paulo e Sport Huancayo), o time foi bem e a mudança também foi aprovada pelo elenco.

– A gente está se adaptando a um novo esquema, mas creio que fizemos já dois bons jogos atuando dessa forma. Claro que tudo é questão de acostumar, treinar, trabalhar pra aperfeiçoar, mas vejo que podemos render bem atuando assim – comentou o meio-campista.

Gabriel teve participação importante na construção do resultado contra a equipe peruana ao dar uma bela assistência para Luan marcar um golaço. Foi o primeiro passe para gol do volante nesta temporada, e quase teve o segundo, não fosse a marcação de um impedimento. Para ele, isso é fruto do trabalho.

-Eu tenho procurado cada vez mais participar da construção das jogadas, finalizar pro gol, pisar na área como a gente fala… E a assistência foi prova disso, desse trabalho que eu tenho feito, que a comissão pede pra mim também. Quase foram duas, teve o lance do Jô… Como eu sempre falo, no que eu puder ajudar o Corinthians, vou sempre dar o meu melhor.

Até aqui, na temporada 2021, o Corinthians ainda não perdeu quando Gabriel foi titular. Ao todo, são dez jogos, seis vitórias e quatro empates (73,3% de aproveitamento). Nas seis partidas em que o volante não fez parte do 11 inicial, o Timão venceu duas, empatou duas e perdeu duas (44,4% de aproveitamento).

Confira os números completos abaixo:

Corinthians com Gabriel como titular
10 jogos
6 vitórias
4 empates
73,3% de aproveitamento
15 gols marcados
4 gols sofridos

Corinthians sem Gabriel como titular
6 jogos
2 vitórias
2 empates
2 derrotas
44,4% de aproveitamento
7 gols marcados
7 gols sofridos

continua após a publicidade

Heading into the January transfer window, Unai Emery and Aston Villa wanted to sign a right-back, with Matty Cash the only specialist option available. The goal was to find somebody who could provide both cover and competition for the Polish defender.

Villa were able to strike a deal for Red Star Belgrade youngster Kosta Nedeljkovic, who's staying put in the Serbian capital on loan until the end of the season before he joins up with Emery's squad in the summer.

The problem with Nedeljkovic is that he's still so inexperienced, having only made 18 first-team appearances for Red Star so far. As such, there may be doubts over whether he'll be ready to play meaningful Premier League minutes as soon as next season, and that could lead Villa to a more experienced, shorter-term option in Denzel Dumfries.

Aston Villa make contact over Dumfries move

According to FC Inter News, Villa have now seemignly made contact with the agent of Dumfries as they have 'tested the waters with the agents' to discuss a potential summer move. It's unclear whether Emery's interest will "become serious or fade away", but the Spaniard is already thinking about the composition of his squad for next season.

Crucially, Dumfries is out of contract in 18 months' time, and there's currently "no dialogue" between the Serie A leaders and his agency Wasserman, which also represents Villa duo Tyrone Mings and Clement Lenglet.

While Inter still regard Dumfries as an important player, they're not willing to pay him the kind of salary he's demanding, and unless the situation changes, they plan to sell him this summer to ensure they don't lose him for nothing in the final year of his contract.

Bayern Munich had previously been showing interest in the Dutchman but they're no longer in the market for a right-back after signing Sacha Boey from Galatasaray last month, while Erik ten Hag is keen to bring him to Manchester United. Inter are hopeful of drumming up a bidding war, so the news of Villa's approach will be welcome.

Dumfries could be "ideal" signing for Villa

Retired compatriot Rafael van der Vaart has spoken glowingly of Dumfries, calling him the top player in the Netherlands national team – a group that also includes Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong and Cody Gakpo.

He said: "Dumfries is our big star. He is really our very best player at the moment, he’s involved in everything. He is always on the move. A really great player. His touches are also good, which was different in the past. He is the ideal full-back."

Rank

Serie A player

Club

xA/90

1

Federico Dimarco

Inter

0.45

2

Remi Oudin

Lecce

0.33

3

Filip Kostic

Juventus

0.32

4

Rafael Leo

Milan

0.30

5

Denzel Dumfries

Inter

0.29

Dumfries has certainly been an "ideal" option for Simone Inzaghi at San Siro this season. As you can see in the table above, he's the fifth-most creative player in the league when you go by the underlying numbers, with teammate Federico Dimarco also up there.

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One key point to note is that Inzaghi has been using a back three this season, which means Dumfries has played as a wing-back rather than slotting in on the right of a four. Emery has only used a similar system twice in the league this term, so there may have to be a mutual adaptation process if this deal gets done.

20-year-old opener hits spectacular reverse-swept six off Sam Curran to lead Somerset to a vital win

ECB Reporters Network02-Aug-2019

Tom Banton confirmed his reputation as one of the most exciting young batting talents in the country with a breathtaking 71 from just 37 balls as Somerset won a high-scoring Vitality Blast game against Surrey at Taunton by eight wickets.Set 204 to win, the hosts got home with eight balls to spare, Banton smashing 11 fours and two sixes to thrill home supporters in a packed crowd at the County Ground. Babar Azam contributed 43, while Eddie Byrom marked his Somerset T20 debut with four sixes in an whirlwind 54 not out off only 19 deliveries.Aaron Finch had led the way for Surrey, hitting 72 off 44 balls after they had lost the toss. The Aussie hit six fours and four sixes, receiving good support from Sam Curran (53) and Ollie Pope (37).But even Finch was eclipsed by the spectacular efforts of Banton and the inspired Byrom, surely two Somerset stars of the future.”Today we had to go from ball one, chasing over 200, and thankfully it was a bit easier,” said Banton. “I always try to go hard from the start.”Babar and I have our different ways of playing. He is textbook and I try to hack everything into the leg side. We knew we had the players to reach our target and just had to back ourselves.”Surrey lost opener Will Jacks to the last ball of the second over, well caught above his head by Max Waller at mid-off for nine off the bowling of Jerome Taylor.By the end of the six-over powerplay, Finch and Sam Curran had taken the total to 47 for 1, and Curran hit the first six of the innings off Roelof van der Merwe in the eighth over.At the halfway point, Surrey had moved to 86 for 1. Finch brought the 100 up with a six over cow corner off Tom Lammonby’s only over, which went for 15.Curran was first to his fifty in the 12th over, having faced 31 balls and hit six fours and two sixes. Two overs later he was caught at long-on off Waller and for a short spell Somerset exerted some control.But after reaching his half-century in the 15th over, Finch cut loose, hitting a pair of sixes off Waller before falling to the legspinner, caught at long-off by van der Merwe.Pope then took over, reverse-sweeping a remarkable six off Taylor as the 17th over went for 20. When Tom Curran launched a maximum off the final ball of the innings, sent down by van der Merwe, Surrey had scored 85 off the last six overs.Banton began by taking two fours off the second over from Tom Curran and then reverse-sweeping Sam Curran for a stunning six. By the end of the powerplay that total had moved on to 66, as Banton reached a brilliant fifty off just 22 balls.Babar was largely content to run singles: the Pakistan star had contributed just 14 when the partnership reached 82 at the end of the seventh over.Banton was given a life on 67 when Clarke failed to hold a difficult diving catch on the boundary off Imran Tahir, but it didn’t prove expensive as the next over from Gareth Batty saw the young opener’s superb exhibition ended by a catch at deep backward square leg.Babar moved quickly to 43 before being bowled trying to sweep Tahir, leaving Somerset 127 for 2 in the 13th over.But it was Byrom, coming in at four, who ensured the Surrey bowlers could never gain any sort of grip. Two sixes off Batty and another off Tahir were just the start of a memorable innings by the 22-year-old, as he led Somerset to a vital win.

MatériaMais Notícias

Negociação que já era comentada há algum tempo no mercado de transferências, a ida do atacante colombiano Santiago Tréllez do São Paulo para o Sport foi oficialmente concluída nessa quarta-feira (24) com a assinatura contratual e o anúncio do Leão da Ilha.

>Campanha do Leão da Ilha no Campeonato Pernambucano

Aos 31 anos de idade, Tréllez busca recuperar o bom futebol que conseguiu apresentar em outro clube do futebol nordestino, o Vitória. Na temporada 2017, o avante marcou dez gols em 23 partidas e chamou atenção do mercado apesar do rebaixamento do time baiano.

Depois disso, mesmo com a alta expectativa, o jogador natural da cidade de Medellín jamais conseguiu emendar uma sequência mais consistente e chegou a ser emprestado igualmente sem brilho para o Internacional. Agora, passa por novo empréstimo com vínculo até o final da temporada 2021.

Essa é a segunda negociação em um curto espaço de tempo entre as diretorias já que, recentemente, o meia-atacante Toró também veio do clube paulista para o Sport.

Mumbai Indians closed out April with four successive games on the road and then edged Sunrisers Hyderabad in a crazy super-over finish at the Wankhede. As things panned out, they had to win their final league game, also at home, against Kolkata Knight Riders to top the points table. Rohit Sharma’s men ticked it off and pressed onto topple Chennai Super Kings in the first qualifier at Chepauk. All of this resulted in a welcome four-day break for Mumbai before the final.Rohit found time to visit the Tirupati temple while the rest of his team-mates and their families got together for a squad dinner in Hyderabad. On the eve of another Mumbai v Super Kings final, Rohit and coach Mahela Jayawardene were in a similar relaxed state of mind and urged their players to shelve emotions, too, and not get ahead of themselves.”Every now and then we’ve spoken to the guys about not getting too emotional about the finals or playoff games you play,” Rohit said. “We just want to focus on the game at hand and not think too far ahead. That particular thing has helped us as a team moving forward. So, I don’t think we need to change anything else, and continue to focus in that direction. If we keep doing that, it’ll work for years to come as well.”Not letting emotions cloud their judgement so far has been central to Mumbai’s run to the final. Lasith Malinga was the side’s bowling mentor last season, but they got him on board again as a player in the IPL 2019 auction after he had worked on his fitness and rediscovered his bowling rhythm. Mayank Markande, who was Mumbai’s biggest success story last season, couldn’t quite replicate his form this season, and was left out in favour of Rahul Chahar, who has produced crucial breakthroughs in the Powerplay as well as middle overs. Suryakumar Yadav had a patchy start to the tournament, but peaked against Super Kings in the first qualifier to launch Mumbai into the final.”It’s important we trust a group of players,” Jayawardene said. “And we identify the guys who are performing and who are in form and once you’re transparent about that everyone understands what’s the best XI and they pick themselves quite easily. Mayank [Markande] started the season, but we felt Rahul [Chahar] was bowling much better and his rhythm was better. So, we went with that option. Same with Lasith [Malinga].Rahul Chahar is pumped after dismissing M Vijay•BCCI

“Last year, Lasith was injured and not in great form. This year we thought he was back in form and would be a good foil for [Jasprit] Bumrah because at the back end lots of teams are leaking runs in that department. So, we want to have experience there. So, it’s a collective decision. It’s not an easy one, but as long as you’re honest and there’s a process behind the decision-making, things become easier and that entire group understands that and that’s transparent. That has helped us become consistent over the years and that’s been a part of the success as well as they come out and play fearless cricket in that environment.”Having beaten Super Kings three times in three games this season and twice in three IPL finals, Mumbai head into this IPL final with a significant advantage. When asked if performing against Super Kings brings the best out of Mumbai, Rohit simply downplayed the rivalry and said that anyone could beat anyone in the IPL, citing the example of Rajasthan Royals defeating Mumbai twice this season, but still suffering a premature exit.”I wouldn’t agree with that [Super Kings bringing the best out of Mumbai?]. The tournament itself is the biggest challenge,” Rohit said. “Every team has threats in their team. You have to be good on that particular day to beat any team. Royals for example, have not qualified but they’ve beaten us twice. MI v CSK – the reason there’s a lot of hype around is because they’ve been so successful in winning the championship. That’s probably the reason everybody looks forward to this clash and there’s a lot of talk going around these two teams. I see every team as a threat, because if you lose the grip at any stage against any opposition, you might not have the result you’re looking for.”Both Rohit and Jayawardene credited collective, not individual, brilliance for Mumbai’s sustained success. Five bowlers have claimed 10 or more wickets for Mumbai this season and although Rohit hasn’t quite fired like he can, Quinton de Kock, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Suryakumar and Ishan Kishan have all made telling contributions with the bat.”Finding different match-winners is something we spoke of at the beginning of the season,” Jayawardene said. “It takes pressure off key players as well – otherwise, they are going to a game under pressure. Whereas when you have six-seven guys to win a battle for you out there, it gives you opportunities to win matches. That’s something we realised you require in such a tournament. And playing home and away as well – different conditions suits different players. Another factor is that opposition also finds it difficult to plan or have an idea how we approach different games because different guys are actually performing.”I’ve always believe that teams wins championships, individuals can win you matches, but you need a good group and team to win championships. That’s something we’ve tried doing.”