All posts by h716a5.icu

Ange Postecoglou has been handed a big Celtic injury lift over centre-back Christopher Jullien… 

What’s the latest?

According to Football Scotland, the central defender was sprawled out on the floor in the 70th minute of a B team match on Tuesday, causing concern over a potential injury setback for the gem.

However, he was able to recover from the blow and see out the full 90 minutes to allay any fears that he will now face another spell on the sidelines.

Supporters will be relieved

This news will surely come as a relief to supporters as it means that he will remain on track in regards to getting back to his best after a long-term injury.

He was out of action for a year between December 2020 and December 2021 with a knee injury as he missed 59 matches for the Hoops, before missing a further eight games due to illness in January.

The 29-year-old has not played a single match in the Premiership this term but the fans will be excited to see him eventually make his way back out on the pitch as he has previously showcased his quality at this level.

However, he will need to be patient to get his chance to make a first-team return. Postecoglou spoke about his return from injury earlier this year, saying:

“I get the level of anticipation with Chris as he’s had a long-term injury and he’s a significant player for the club.

“Chris has been here long enough to know that it doesn’t matter who you are, you are always going to be competing for places – and you want to be.

“It’s not just Cam and Carl, Stephen Welsh has had to be patient as he’s done nothing wrong every time he’s played.”

In the top-flight last term, he averaged a sublime SofaScore rating of 7.43 as he won a whopping 67% of his duels and made 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game. Meanwhile, full-back Anthony Ralston (7.49) is the only Celtic defender with a higher average score than that this season.

This shows that he has the quality to be a major player for the Hoops when he is at his best, which is why fans will want to see him back in action as quickly as possible. It will be a big boost for Postecoglou to have Jullien fit and firing and that is why this injury relief will delight the head coach and the supporters this week.

AND in other news, Sold in 2019, now facing relegation: Celtic sealed masterclass over “stupid” liability…

Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, has refused to apologise for suggestions he made that England fixed a match in the recent one-day series

Osman Samiuddin27-Sep-2010Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, has refused to apologise for suggestions he made that England fixed a match in the recent one-day series. Speaking on his arrival at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday, he said he thought the matter would be settled in days.Butt and the PCB’s legal advisor are expected to hold meetings with the lawyers of the three players at the centre of the spot-fixing scandal. Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive, is also headed to London, but ESPNcricinfo understands his is a pre-planned visit.Butt and Taffazul Rizvi are expected to be in the UK for four to five days on a trip that was finalised only last week. The meetings with Elizabeth Robertson, the Addleshaw Goddard lawyer representing Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir in the spot-fixing case, were confirmed to ESPNcricinfo by a PCB official.The board expects there to be some movement from the Crown Prosecution Service on the fate of the case against the trio within the next week or so. Scotland Yard passed on their file of evidence on claims that Pakistan cricketers were involved in spot-fixing to the CPS on September 17.It is not known whether there will be meetings between Butt and the ECB while the PCB chairman is in London. The English board have demanded a full, public apology from Butt for claiming England players took “enormous amounts” of money to lose the third one-day international at The Oval earlier this month.That claim came in the wake of another spot-fixing story, this time in , which had sparked an investigation by the ICC over scoring rates during the match at The Oval. Following Butt’s outburst England came close to withdrawing from the fourth game at Lord’s but late-night meetings between Andrew Strauss and the ECB ended with the decision to continue with the series.However, both Strauss and the board came out with strongly-worded statements and have said they will pursue legal action if Butt doesn’t apologise. “We would like to express our surprise, dismay and outrage at the comments made by Mr Butt,” Strauss said at the time. “We are deeply concerned and disappointed that our integrity as cricketers has been brought into question. We refute these allegations completely and will be working closely with the ECB to explore all legal options open to us.”

An update has emerged on Rangers and their deal to bring John Souttar to Ibrox at the end of the campaign.

What’s the talk?

The Gers have already agreed a pre-contract deal with the defender and Hearts boss Robbie Neilson has now admitted that there are no talks to make the transfer happen immediately instead of in the summer.

He told the Glasgow Times: “There’s been nothing new with John. Although I saw they lost three goals today so I might get a phone call!

“But at this moment in time there’s been nothing.

“He’s fine. He’s left here and he’ll be back in tomorrow. And I expect he’ll be available for Tuesday if he’s still here.”

Fuming

Rangers fans will surely be fuming with this news as it suggests that Ross Wilson is not trying to secure a deal to sign the defender before the window closes.

Souttar could be a sensational addition to the squad and improve the side’s chances of winning the Premiership title this season. He has proven his quality at this level for Hearts and could replace one of Gio van Bronckhorst’s current options, strengthening the team in the process.

The Scotland international has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.40 in the league this term – showing that he can perform to a high level on a consistent basis. He has won 70% of his duels in the division, making 2.4 tackles and interceptions per game.

Meanwhile, no Rangers centre-back has averaged a score higher than 7.18. This suggests that Souttar would come in and be an upgrade on what van Bronckhorst currently has to work with, which is why he could increase the club’s chances of securing the title ahead of Celtic for a second successive season.

Therefore, Gers fans will be gutted with Neilson’s comments as they indicate that Souttar will not be coming to Ibrox this month and they will have to wait until the summer to see him in a light blue shirt. They will be fuming with the club for not trying to negotiate a deal with Hearts to bring him in during the current window.

Although, it is worth saying that anything can still happen heading into deadline day and Rangers could pull a surprise in the final hours of the window to get a deal done. At this point, though, Souttar appears set to remain at his current side until the end of the campaign.

AND in other news,  Talks set: Rangers now eyeing key deal for “important” £16k-p/w beast, GVB needs it…

Some West Ham United fans slammed the perfomance of Nikola Vlasic in their 3-2 loss at home to Leeds United in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Croatia international struggled to make any real impact on the match in truth, and he was subbed off just after the hour mark for Arthur Masuaku after Jack Harrison completed his hat-trick for the away side to put them back in front for a third time.

Vlasic lost out on all three of his duels and also failed to record a single shot on goal, successful dribble, key pass or accurate cross, while he was also guilty of losing the ball 12 times (SofaScore).

With Said Benrahma currently at the African Cup of Nations with Algeria, the 24-year-old is certainly not doing enough to impress David Moyes in his absence, with just one goal to show from his 19 appearances for the Irons.

West Ham fans slam Vlasic

These West Ham supporters slammed Vlasic’s performance on Twitter, with one Hammers fan going as far as to claim that the Croatian was ‘non-existent’ against Leeds today:

“Vlasic was non-existent”

Credit: @ScottVenn

“Vlasic couldn’t hold onto possession to save his life”

Credit: @manlikethigss

“Can we get a refund on Vlasic. Garbage. In fact can we sling Diop into any deal?”

Credit: @Danwhu28

“Poor from Vlasic too, and Dawson. And Fab makes that harder if he’s off his line quicker”

Credit: @The_Wilkerson

“Vlasic did not play well today, needs to start stepping up”

Credit: @nathh_whu

“Vlasic has been shocking today”

Credit: @moyes_boy

In other news, find out who the Irons have now been backed to sign in January

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle United’s pursuit of Reims striker Hugo Ekitike…

What’s the talk?

According to 90min, the Magpies have had an offer of £29m rejected for the centre-forward and are now continuing talks with the Ligue 1 club to iron out a deal.

The report claims that the two clubs are not a million miles away from reaching an agreement, with discussions ongoing to find an acceptable fee as Newcastle eye a swoop for the attacker.

Howe would love him

Eddie Howe would surely love having Ekitike at St James’ Park, as he is a bright young prospect who could make an immediate impact whilst also holding the potential to improve even further in the future.

In the short-term, the striker could come in and score the goals to help the Magpies out of the rut in which they find themselves. He has netted eight goals in 10 Ligue 1 starts this term, suggesting that he already has the quality to find the back of the net at the top level.

This means that he could hit the ground running on Tyneside and complement the likes of Callum Wilson and Chris Wood at the top end of the pitch. Howe could love to sign a player with a recent track record of performing well, and that is just what Ekitike can boast.

The ex-Bournemouth coach could also enjoy what the player could offer in the long-term. Journalist Graeme Bailey dubbed him an “outstanding talent” earlier this month, even calling him “the next Mbappe”, and this suggests that the Reims predator has vast potential to be unlocked at the age of just 19.

He has already been able to showcase his quality in Ligue 1 at such a young age and could have room to develop into a great player with the right coaching and work rate. To be compared to one of the best players in the world in Kylian Mbappe illustrates the path he is on, and that is why Howe will be buzzing with the club’s effort to sign him.

The Magpies boss will be keen to work with Ekitike on the training pitch to help him fulfill his potential, whilst also putting him in the team to deliver immediately to help Newcastle avoid relegation. It is now down to the club to reach an agreement with Reims to ensure that the 19-year-old is playing in the Premier League in the months and years to come.

AND in other news, Terms agreed: NUFC could land masterstroke with gem whose “shorts look like underwear”…

Tottenham Hotspur are pushing ahead with their plans to bolster Antonio Conte’s playing squad this January, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth dropped a fresh transfer claim live on air this week, suggesting that the north London outfit were on the lookout for additions in two key areas, in which a familiar name was just one of their targets.

“It’s not all about departures as far as Tottenham are concerned. They are working very hard behind the scenes to strengthen the priority positions, and what they see as those priority positions – right wing-back and a striker,” he revealed to ‘The Transfer Show’ on Monday evening (as relayed by Football Daily).

“And remember, we brought you the news last week, [they have] strong interest in Wolves winger come wing-back – potentially if he were to fit into that formation at Tottenham – Adama Traore.”

Interesting…

This is certainly an update which is sure to leave many supporters around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium a little intrigued, if not hugely excited.

It could be argued that Conte needs options right across the pitch this month, so it’s interesting to learn that he sees his two weakest spots being up front, where an out-of-form Harry Kane is his only senior option, and perhaps more surprisingly at right wing-back, where Spurs strengthened in summer by signing Emerson Royal from Barcelona.

The Times reported earlier this week that the Italian head coach does not believe the Brazilian fits the system, especially going forward, whereas the powerful Wolves star does.

They also have Matt Doherty, a tried-and-tested wing-back, but it appears that his future may lie elsewhere, so even if he departs, the club will need to replace his presence in the squad.

Meanwhile, a viable alternative to Kane has long been a problem in N17. Last season, the loan signing of Carlos Vinicius paid off as he pretty much did the job asked of him but he was not replaced in the summer, even despite intense speculation over the England skipper’s future.

Truth be told, no centre-forward is going to want to play second-fiddle to the 28-year-old but given Conte’s tactical history – especially more recently at Inter – they should be encouraged by the fact that he has often deployed two up top. It was Romelu Lukaku’s partnership with Lautaro Martinez which spearheaded the Italian giants to their first Scudetto in over a decade.

However, there is a case to be made in needing a central defender. Davinson Sanchez and Japhet Tanganga have been inconsistent and at times, calamitous. Joe Rodon just isn’t fancied by the 52-year-old, whilst Cristian Romero remains on the treatment table, for the time being.

Elsewhere, another central midfielder wouldn’t go amiss, particularly if someone like Dele Alli or Tanguy Ndombele departs before January 31st.

But all in all, there is plenty of hope for Spurs fans that they will do some much-needed business this month, and Sheth’s recent behind-the-scenes update is sure to provide plenty of excitement heading into the back end of the transfer window.

The Lilywhites faithful will surely be buzzing by this update.

AND in other news, Bid made: Spurs eye club-record swoop for “frightening” machine, Conte will be buzzing…

Bangladesh more than held their own on the second day at Lord’s, reaching 172 for 2 at the close – 134 runs away from the follow-on – after Shahadat Hossain’s 5 for 98 saw England bowled out for 505 with Jonathan Trott hitting 226

The Bulletin by Liam Brickhill28-May-2010Close
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Shahadat Hossain picked up 5 for 98 to deny England the honours on the second day at Lord’s•PA PhotosBangladesh more than held their own on the second day at Lord’s, reaching 172 for 2 at the close – 134 runs away from the follow-on – after Shahadat Hossain’s 5 for 98 saw England bowled out for 505 after Jonathan Trott hit 226. Imrul Kayes and Tamim Iqbal added 88 for the first wicket before Junaid Siddique guided the visitors to the close with a determined, unbeaten 53 alongside Jahurul Islam.England had been expected to dominate the day when they started on 362 for 4 but it didn’t quite transpire that way even though Trott reached a career-best first-class score and equalled Kevin Pietersen’s 226 as England’s highest Test score since Graham Gooch’s 333 in 1990. Shahadat’s effort kept Bangladesh in the game and also made him the first Bangladesh cricketer to be included on the honours board at Lord’s.Tamim then shrugged off concerns about his injured left wrist with a half-century compiled in his own inimitable fashion after the visitors came out to bat midway through the second session. He got going by slashing Tim Bresnan over the slips and hammering a pull through square leg from consecutive deliveries, but also flashed wildly every so often to keep the bowlers interested.Kayes was found out by the short ball during England’s tour of Bangladesh, and it wasn’t long before Bresnan and James Anderson were testing his technique. But as the shine started to come off the ball, things became easier and Bresnan was removed from the attack after Tamim took to him with three marvellous strikes in one over.Tamim brought up his fourth half-century in five Test innings against England with a powerful pull through midwicket. He celebrated with a superb pick-up over square leg off the front foot, but two balls later took on Kevin Pietersen’s arm with a risky single and was run out for 55 by a direct hit from point.With his wicket, Bangladesh suddenly seemed more vulnerable, having collapsed after similarly promising starts countless times before, but this time they showed they have the grit and determination as Kayes and Siddique built another solid partnership. However, Steven Finn’s pace and bounce eventually proved too much for Kayes to handle, as he gloved a nasty, neck-high bouncer to be easily caught by Andrew Strauss at first slip for 43.Again, England felt they had their opening, but Siddique and Jahurul buckled down and defied everything the hosts could throw at them. Siddique had started aggressively, striking four boundaries before he had reached 30, but reined himself in after Kayes’s departure while Jahurul, determined to survive until the close, was in no hurry at all.Siddique passed fifty with a firm push to the midwicket boundary off Swann and as the end of the day approached both batsmen retreated into a defensive shell. They had some luck too, as the odd ball nipped past the outside edge and an inside edge from a tentative prod by Islam shot just past the stumps in the final over, but Bangladesh will be mighty pleased with their efforts.They had desperately needed a good start after a weak showing on the opening day, and Shahadat responded with a determined opening spell as he found movement through the air with a newish ball and kept tight off-stump line to trouble the batsmen. He was quickly rewarded with Eoin Morgan’s wicket – edging a flat-footed push to be well caught by a tumbling Mushfiqur Rahim behind the stumps – and also hurried both Trott and Matt Prior’s defences with his probing line.Bangladesh were gifted their second breakthrough by some witless running as Trott placed the ball through the covers and Prior charged back for a second run, only to see his partner wasn’t responding. Unperturbed, Trott progressed in much the same vein as he had on Thursday.However, Shahadat continued to impress after lunch to break a 63-run partnership between Trott and Bresnan, changing his line of attack to round the wicket and forcing Bresnan to push away from his body at a delivery angled across him to edge a catch to Siddique at a wide first slip.Graeme Swann wasted no time in getting going, but Bangladesh struck again when Trott opened the face of the bat to guide a ball straight to backward point to end his 349-ball stay before Shahadat secured his pride of place on the away dressing room wall by rattling Anderson’s stumps. Bangladesh left the field with a spring their step and ended the day in equally high spirits.

Aston Villa duo Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz have both been linked with moves to fellow Premier League outfit Arsenal in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to ESPN, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a fan of both players, particularly the striker, who he has personally identified as a possible replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gabonese striker has recently been stripped of the captaincy by Arteta after a disciplinary breach and could well be on his way out of the club this month, meaning that a replacement could come through the door during January.

Watkins joined Villa from Brentford in summer 2020 for a fee believed to be around £27.7m and has scored 21 goals in 56 appearances for the Midlands club.

Arteta is reportedly keen on the player’s flexibility in attack and, while a deal seems unlikely, the 26-year-old has admitted in the past to growing up as an Arsenal fan and has a dream of one day playing for the Gunners.

As for Luiz, the north London club are also looking to add a holding midfielder to their ranks, with the Brazilian named as a potential target.

The 23-year-old was one of Aston Villa’s first signings after securing promotion back to the Premier League in 2019 and has been a key player since his move to Birmingham. As per WhoScored, he is the club’s second-best performer so far during the current campaign.

Gerrard would be making a terrible mistake

There is no doubt that the sale of Watkins and Luiz would generate serious funds for spending, but their presence in the Villa side for the remainder of the campaign would likely prove more valuable than selling them in order to purchase new players.

Firstly, Steven Gerrard would have to find suitable replacements for both players, which could immediately wipe out any income made from parting with the duo. Also, they are both of immense importance to the team, with both Luiz and Watkins featuring in every game under the 41-year-old thus far.

Moreover, selling them to a Premier League rival midway through the season would surely anger the fans and would be a terrible mistake from the manager, particularly with the club eyeing a push for European qualification alongside the Gunners.

In other news – “See that one being done…” Journalist drops teasing Villa claim which will delight the fans

The hosts overcame Ireland pretty comfortably in their opening match and should face a much sterner test against an England side desperately hoping to break their duck in global tournaments

The Preview by Sahil Dutta02-May-2010Match FactsMonday, May 3, Providence
Start time 1330 (1730 GMT)West Indies will need Kieron Pollard to recreate his IPL form against England•Indian Premier LeagueThe Big PictureWest Indies overcame Ireland pretty comfortably in their opening match and should face a much sterner test against an England side desperately hoping to break their duck in global tournaments. Ottis Gibson will have plenty of inside knowledge about this England team and has regular captain Chris Gayle back from injury to implement every devious plan he makes.On the stodgy surfaces we have seen so far at Providence, the spinners play a key role and how the West Indies batsmen deal with England’s spinners could prove crucial. Against Ireland they were almost embarrassed by 17-year-old left-arm-spinner George Dockrell, so Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy should feel confident.England will be testing out yet another opening partnership in Twenty20 cricket and with Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb they feel they have finally stumbled on a combination powerful enough to boss the early overs. Quietly England have developed a competitive limited-overs side that, with Eoin Morgan there to finish an innings, appears to have all its bases covered.Form guide (most recent first)England LWLWA
West Indies WLLLW
Watch out for…While Chris Gayle’s performance usually dictates West Indies’ fortunes, Kieron Pollard is another with a brutal ability to clear the ropes. His outings in the IPL were short and severe, clubbing boundary after boundary on his way to 273 runs at a strike rate of 185.71. If he gets hold of England’s medium pacers, the Providence ground may not be big enough.The World Twenty20 is littered with stars, many still swirling in their IPL riches. Michael Yardy is not one of them. Yet in the sticky conditions, his nagging left-arm-spinners have proved a revelation in the warm-up games, taking five wickets over the two games at a meagre economy rate. He could throw sand in the wheels of West Indies’ middle order and chip in with lower-order runs if England get in trouble.Team newsWest Indies expect to welcome their captain after he missed the Ireland game with a stiff buttock, meaning one of hit-or-miss slugger Andre Fletcher or Narsingh Deonarine will drop out from the team that beat Ireland. Sulieman Benn remains doubtful with his shoulder injury as does Jerome Taylor.West Indies (probable) 1 Chris Gayle (capt), 2 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 3 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 4 Narsingh Deonarine, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Denesh Ramdin (wk), 8 Darren Sammy, 9 Nikita Miller, 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Kemar Roach.England are on baby-watch with Kevin Pietersen looking forward to his first-born, but he’ll be available for this opening match and with Lumb expected to keep Ravi Bopara out of the side the top-order is settled. Their fast-bowling options are more muddled with Ryan Sidebottom’s excellent form prompting calls for his elevation into the side, but it would be hard for him to dislodge one of James Anderson or Stuart Broad.England (probable) 1 Michael Lumb, 2 Craig Kieswetter, 3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Paul Collingwood (capt), 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Luke Wright, 7 Michael Yardy, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson.Pitch and conditionsThe cheap boundaries that tend to epitomise Twenty20 cricket should be harder to come by on the Providence wicket. In sweltering conditions the ball should grip on a sluggish surface for the spinners and make any maximums altogether more memorable than normal. It’s unlikely the pacemen will have much to draw from the wicket and it will be sweaty work for all the fielders in the heat.Stats and trivia West Indies have an excellent T20 record against England winning three of four encounters, most recently in the last World Twenty20 when they knocked England out of the tournament England will try out their 16th opening combination but if Lumb does indeed join Kieswetter there will be the added twist that both openers are on debut.Quotes”I’m sure they come out here with blood in their eyes and want to beat us.”
“Ottis is a very close friend to all of us, but we have a job to do, to go out and win this match.”

Cricinfo previews the IPL match between Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Feroz Shah Kotla

The Preview by Jamie Alter03-Apr-2010Match factsSunday, April 4
Start time 2000 (1430GMT)Delhi Daredevils now have the world’s best Twenty20 slow bowler in their line-up•Getty ImagesBig PictureJust past the half-way stage, things are looking good for Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore. They are both tied on wins and points after playing the same number of matches, and Bangalore lead by the slenderest of margins on net run-rate.Delhi have pulled up their socks after a short sag and their bowling is back on track too, despite the continued absence of Ashish Nehra. They have three home games remaining and should look to use that advantage, and the buoyant Kotla crowd, to add to their five wins. They are a safe bet for the semi-finals, especially now that Daniel Vettori has arrived. AB de Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan are still warming the bench but these are two players who will prove very valuable when the action heats up in the latter stages.Bangalore, who also have three home games to go, are also certain for the semis. Their batting is solid, they have one of the better bowling attacks, and they have all their bases covered in 2010. With Ross Taylor also available, Bangalore just got stronger.Make-up wise, both sides are similar. They both have a strong opening combination and middle order, legspinners in form, and potent new-ball pairs. Where Delhi hold the advantage is that both their openers are capable of winning matches on their own and that they now have the option to include international Twenty20s best slow bowler, Vettori. Sehwag hasn’t fired for a while now and he’s openly set his sights on regaining his form with the bat. Potentially bad news for Bangalore.Team talkVettori’s arrival gives Delhi a big boost, and so the man to miss out would be Andrew McDonald who hasn’t done anything wrong. Vettori alongside Amit Mishra makes for a formidable spin attack, and Dirk Nannes is fit for selection too.Bangalore didn’t play Ross Taylor in their last game considering he’d only reached India 24 hours prior, but now that he’s had time to rest up the New Zealand batsman should slot in at the expense of Cameron White. White has done his job in the two chances they got, but he will likely be benched given the success Taylor has had in the IPL.Head to head Delhi 4 Bangalore 1
Delhi won both their contests against Bangalore in the 2008 season. The first match was a close contest with Bangalore falling short of Delhi’s 191 by 10 runs. Delhi’s margin of victory at the Chinnaswamy Stadium was five wickets with ten balls to spare. Last season, after another loss by six wickets, Bangalore finally managed to beat what was becoming their bogey opposition, in a match crucial to their semi-final participation. This season, Delhi beat Bangalore by 17 runs.In the spotlightGautam Gambhir: After being reprimanded for his comments during the post-match presentation following the big win over Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday night, expect Delhi’s captain to reply with the bat. Gambhir has one match-winning half-century and a crucial 43, at the either end of an absence through injury, but because of Delhi’s other heavyweights his strength hasn’t exactly been missed. Knowing the competitor that he is, Gambhir will be itching to make a big contribution.Kevin Pietersen: He gave an indication of the mood he was in during the first match he played, but Pietersen showed how valuable he was when he scored his highest IPL score, against Kings XI Punjab. Forget the shoddy fielding and the drops, Pietersen’s innings was a proper manual for scripting a chase. He set himself up with smart singles and doubles and a four here and there when a bad ball came about – and there were plenty – before gunning for glory in the end. His unbeaten fifty has given Bangalore’s middle order a boost, and its best they use him at No.3 going forward.Prime NumbersVirender Sehwag and David Warner have scored approximately 35% of Delhi’s runs off the bat in the tournament. Jacques Kallis himself has accounted for 31% of the runs that have come off the bat for Bangalore.Delhi’s bowlers have claimed 49 wickets at 25.61, while Bangalore have conceded about 30 runs for each of their 40 wickets. This game features the two teams which have bowled the most number of dots: Bangalore lead with 419, while Delhi are next with 408.