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After the batsman hit his first Test century in more than three years and one of his finest, the quick took three wickets to hurt Australia further on the third day in Port Elizabeth

The Report by Brydon Coverdale11-Mar-20183:18

Katich: De Villiers just too good for Australia

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsOn the third day in Port Elizabeth, AB de Villiers scored one of the finest hundreds of his Test career and Kagiso Rabada put in another excellent bowling performance. If those two men alone could keep up this form throughout the series, Australia would be hard pressed not to lose their first series in South Africa since readmission. But as the players walked off St George’s Park at stumps on day three, they knew that something could be about to change, for Rabada was set to face a Code of Conduct hearing that could rule him out of the rest of the series.Whatever the case, Rabada had helped put South Africa in a powerful position, claiming three key wickets that left Australia needing a significant lower-order bailout in order to post a competitive target. At stumps, Australia had turned their 139-run first-innings deficit into a 41-run advantage, but the loss of Usman Khawaja to Rabada for 75 late in the day was a major blow. Mitchell Marsh remained at the crease on 39, alongside Tim Paine on 5, and Australia had 180 for 5 and a huge amount of work to do.After early wickets, Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh had led an Australian fightback with their 87-run partnership. Mitchell Marsh was solid in defence and Khawaja had swept and reverse-swept effectively, also driving handsomely through the off side when given the chance. As a qualified airline pilot, Khawaja could be expected to travel well, but his form away from home has always been a major question mark. Before this innings, his previous nine efforts in Tests outside Australia had produced 26, 18, 11, 0, 1, 1, 14, 6 and 4. Adding 75 to that was good, but Australia needed more.Khawaja fell in the penultimate over of the day when Rabada angled one in from around the wicket and rapped him on the back leg, dead in front. It was so certainly out that Khawaja, the set batsman with two reviews up his sleeve, had little hesitation in walking off. It capped another fine day for Rabada, who had earlier bowled David Warner for 13 with a superb delivery that nipped in through the gate, and also had Shaun Marsh caught behind wafting aimlessly outside off for 1.Wickets came from other sources, too. On 24, Cameron Bancroft chopped one on off the bowling of Lungi Ngidi to leave Australia wobbling, and Steven Smith’s struggles against left-arm orthodox spin continued when he tickled one behind off Keshav Maharaj on 11. It was the third time from four innings in this series that Smith had been out to left-arm fingerspin, and South Africa will hope they have found a rare weakness in his game.Getty ImagesEarlier in the day, de Villiers seemed to have no weaknesses whatsoever. The 22nd hundred of his Test career and his first in more than three years was also one of his best. In Durban, he had looked in ominous touch but ran out of partners before he could do too much damage; in Port Elizabeth, the lower order stuck with him long enough to get South Africa a healthy lead.The day had started with South Africa 20 runs in front with three wickets in hand. De Villiers batted brilliantly with the lower order, forging an 84-run stand with Vernon Philander, then a 58-run partnership with Maharaj, and finally a 13-run stand with Ngidi to cap the innings. He finished unbeaten on 126 and has been dismissed only once in this series, when he was run out for a duck in the second innings in Durban, following his 71 not out in the first.Much as a crafty politician answers not the question asked but the question they wish was asked, de Villiers seemed to face not the ball that was delivered but the ball he wanted to have been delivered. In other words, he was able to score runs from anywhere to anywhere, and struck 20 fours and one six during his 146-ball stay.His century came from his 117th delivery with a typically inventive stroke, gliding Pat Cummins over the cordon for a boundary. The support that he had was invaluable. Philander made a calm 36 before he was brilliantly snapped up by Bancroft at short leg off Cummins.Maharaj almost threw his innings away early when he slogged Nathan Lyon over midwicket and Khawaja tried a juggling take, throwing the ball back in as he landed over the rope. Maharaj looked set to walk off, with de Villiers clearly frustrated by his shot selection, but replays showed Khawaja had failed to let go of the ball before his foot was grounded over the rope, and it was ruled a six.If Maharaj learnt his lesson it was only briefly, for in Lyon’s next over he clubbed another six over the leg side, and his 30 off 24 balls proved to be a very handy cameo. In the end, another attempted slog brought his downfall as he was bowled by Josh Hazlewood. Ngidi was the last man out, run out attempting to get de Villiers back on strike. South Africa were all out for 382, with a lead of 139. And de Villiers had played what will likely be the innings that turns the match, if not the series.

Sohail Tanvir did his fair share of the damage too, as Multan Sultans skittled Quetta Gladiators for 102 and then chased down the target with ease

The Report by Danyal Rasool03-Mar-2018In stark contrast to Friday’s humdinger, Saturday’s early game was as damp a squib. Multan, the newest franchise, cruised to a nine-wicket victory thanks to an almighty collapse by Quetta Gladiators. They lost their last five wickets for one run. Sohail Tanvir took two wickets in two balls to expose the tail, before Imran Tahir ripped through the last three wickets with the second hat-trick of the season. The target was 103, and there were no twists to be had.Ahmed Shehzad and Kumar Sangakkara, the Multan openers, didn’t need to be explosive, and were experienced enough to know as much. Instead, they took the sting out of the game with a 66-run opening partnership. By that time, they required less than 40. At the end, Sangakkara, who reached yet another half-century, was there with Sohaib Maqsood, who hit the a six to seal the win.Where the match was wonSpectacular as the Quetta collapse was, it didn’t happen in a vacuum. Instead, it was borne of stifling, wily bowling by Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan in particular. No bowler allowed themselves to be a release valves, and as a result, even batsmen like Sarfraz Ahmed, who had occupied the crease for a while, never looked set. In the 15th over, with the run rate dropping and Quetta feeling the heat, Mohammad Nawaz, and then Sarfraz, looked to go after Tanvir. Both fell off consecutive deliveries, ripping out the middle order, and a total that looked like stagnating towards 135 was instead shot out for 102.The men that won itMohammad Irfan, who is having a good tournament, excelled again with a superb opening spell. Exploiting the bounce and the angle across the right-hander, he kept the batsman on a leash during the Powerplay, conceding a mere 27 runs in his four-over spell. He was also responsible for the wicket of Mahmudullah, who replaced Kevin Pietersen, and instrumental in squeezing the life out of the Quetta innings. The wickets may have ended up going to Tahir and Tanvir, but one would be amiss to discount Irfan’s part in them.The hat-trickSaturday produced the tournament’s third hat-trick and the second this season, both going to Multan. Tahir, already the leading wicket-taker, stepped up with Quetta seven down. Hasan Khan and John Hastings were clean bowled, before Rahat Ali was trapped plumb in front. He took a review, for no reason other than that it was there, but it merely delayed Tahir’s jaunty celebrations.Where they standMultan join Karachi at the top of the table with seven points, while Quetta, having won just two of their five games, drop down to fifth place and are stuck on four points.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke was backed by the board throughout the summer transfer window following the club's relegation to the Championship.

Who did Leeds sign in the summer?

The Whites were able to snap up nine new recruits to bolster their playing squad with the view to competing for an automatic return to the Premier League this season.

Joe Rodon

Loan

Jaidon Anthony

Loan

Djed Spence

Loan

Ilia Gruev

Permanent

Joel Piroe

Permanent

Sam Byram

Permanent

Ethan Ampadu

Permanent

Glen Kamara

Permanent

Karl Darlow

Permanent

Farke has attempted to improve his side with six permanent signings and three loan deals to counter the likes of Tyler Adams, Marc Roca, Rodrigo, Max Wober, and Luis Sinisterra, among others, all moving on over the summer.

However, the German's team has also been added to by the players who were out on loan during the 2022/23 campaign returning to Elland Road; including Joe Gelhardt and Charlie Cresswell.

How much was Charlie Cresswell worth in 2022?

The England U21 international spent last season on loan with Millwall in the Championship where Football Transfers placed his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at just €2.1m (£1.8m) by the end of December 2022, the halfway point of his time at the Den.

Cresswell, whose heading ability was lauded as "powerful" by journalist Josh Bunting, ultimately ended up having a sublime year with the Lions as he produced consistently impressive performances at the heart of the defence and proved himself to be an excellent option at that level.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.13 across 28 Championship outings and caught the eye with 2.8 tackles and interceptions per match to go along with a duel success rate of 60%, which shows that the towering stopper won the majority of his battles and dominated opposition forwards.

The 21-year-old also provided an attacking threat with four goals and two assists for Gary Rowett's side, which shows that he can offer a threat from set-pieces as well as being a strong defender within his own box.

How much is Charlie Cresswell worth now?

At the time of writing, Cresswell has an xTV of €8.3m (£7.1m), as per FootballTransfers, which represents a staggering 295% increase on his valuation at the end of 2022.

This shows that the English defender's value has soared throughout 2023 so far and that Leeds have an excellent asset on their hands as his superb performances on the pitch have made him a valuable player for the club to have within the squad.

At the age of 21, the 6 foot 3 brute still has plenty of time on his side to continue his development and should he progress well, he could be Farke's next version of England international Ben Godfrey.

During their time together at Norwich, the German head coach was able to turn the central defender from an academy prospect into a Championship title-winner and a mega-money sale within the space of two years.

How much was Godfrey worth at Norwich?

At the start of the 2018/19 campaign, the central defender had an xTV of only €0.7m (£0.6m) after spending the previous year on loan at Shrewsbury Town in League One.

Farke, however, wasn't deterred by his youth and inexperience. Indeed, he placed his trust in the young defender ahead of experienced options like Grant Hanley and Timm Klose as the talented youngster ended up making 31 Championship appearances that season as Norwich won the league title and earned promotion to the Premier League.

Godfrey averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.03 over those games, which included 26 starts, and made 1.8 tackles and interceptions per game to go along with a duel success rate of 57%.

The former York prospect also showcased his ability to provide an attacking threat from centre-back with four goals and two assists for the Canaries.

The German head coach continued to trust Godfrey during their 2019/20 top-flight campaign as the English titan started 30 Premier League games, which earned him a big-money move to Everton.

Norwich reportedly raked in a significant transfer fee of £25m from the Toffees for the central defender. This is a significant improvement on the £600k he was valued at just two years prior to the move taking place and shows how much of an impact having a coach who believes in offering academy players a chance can have.

How good is Charlie Cresswell?

The current Leeds centre-back is a player who certainly has the potential to follow in Godfrey's footsteps, based on his impressive form for Millwall.

As shown in the aforementioned statistics, the Lions loanee averaged a higher Sofascore rating, made more defensive interventions per match, and won a higher percentage of his physical contests than the ex-Norwich defender did at that level for Farke.

The 21-year-old has already shown glimpses of being able to replicate that form for Leeds this season, none more so than during his excellent display against Birmingham.

Despite the team losing the match 1-0, Cresswell caught the eye with a strong performance at the heart of the defence. As per Sofascore, he made four clearances, two blocks, two interceptions, and one tackle.

He also won eight of his 11 duels, including six of his seven aerial contests, and was rewarded with a fantastic Sofascore rating of 7.2, the highest on the pitch for the Whites.

What does the future hold for Cresswell?

The more experienced Joe Rodon and Pascal Struijk started ahead of him during the recent 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship.

However, Godfrey was in a similar position with Hanley, Klose, and Christoph Zimmermann ahead of him at the start of the 2018/19 season for Norwich before eventually breaking into the starting XI and making himself a regular starter as part of their promotion-winning side.

Cresswell, shown in the video above, must now be patient and wait for his opportunity to nail down a place in Farke's XI. The German boss has already proven himself to be willing to back young players, as evidenced by Godfrey as well as Archie Gray's emergence as a starter so far this season.

The former Millwall star's superb statistics last term and his soaring market value suggest that he is a talented prospect who is on his way up in the game, meaning that he could be a sublime future asset who may make the club millions in the same way that the now-Everton defender did under Farke's management.

David Willey stated his case to bat higher up the order in England’s T20 side by hammering 79 from 36 balls – which included taking 34 runs off an over from Nathan Lyon – as the tourists cruised home

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2018
ScorecardDavid Willey stated his case to bat higher up the order in England’s T20 side by hammering 79 from 36 balls – which included taking 34 runs off an over from Nathan Lyon – as the tourists cruised home in their tri-series warm-up match in Canberra.Having taken three wickets with the ball, Willey opened the batting in the absence of Jason Roy and Alex Hales. From the final over of the Powerplay, he took on Lyon – one of England’s chief tormentors during the Ashes – and struck the first five deliveries for six before narrowly missing out on completing the full set.”Yeah, I probably was disappointed,” Willey said of missing out on six in row, “especially in an England shirt. I can barely get it off the square usually. It would have been nicer to get the final one too but if you’re hitting 34 off an over you can’t complain.”I got a chance at the top of the order with a couple of niggles and I had nothing to lose. I went out with a bit of a free rein and managed to clear the ropes a few times. No complaints.”A regular opener in white-ball cricket at county level, as well as with Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League, Willey has had limited opportunities with the bat for England. He has never come in higher than No. 7 in 28 international innings, with top scores of 26 in ODIs and 21 in T20.”I think I’ll be sliding back down to nine or 10 for the first game [of the tri-series], that was my one chance,” he said. “I don’t think I can walk in there and say I should be batting higher up the order. I do that job back home and my job with England is different.”Willey and James Vince put on 87 for the first wicket and England were only 10 runs from victory when Willey became Mitchell Swepson’s second wicket, as a target of 137 was quickly chased downThe Prime Minister’s XI, which tallied 239 caps among the players selected, had been restricted during their 20 overs, with Peter Handscomb the only batsman to cut loose during an innings of 43 from 29. Willey removed both openers, Peter Nevill and Nic Maddinson, in his second over, before Liam Dawson chipped in with three middle-order wickets during a parsimonious spell.England included both Tom and Sam Curran in an XI for the first time, the brothers delivering a combined five overs for 38. Roy was left out after experiencing a stiff back, while England were already without Hales (hand injury), Liam Plunkett and Chris Jordan (both hamstring), ahead of their tri-series opener in Hobart on Wednesday.

Since losing Wilfried Zaha after the expiration of his contract, Crystal Palace have failed to find a replacement, leaving the likes of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise to share the responsibility of creating the goals to secure the Eagles' Premier League status.

So far this season, they've got away with their failure in the transfer market, defeating Sheffield United on the opening day before suffering a narrow loss against Arsenal and earning a point at Brentford.

It remains to be seen just how long Roy Hodgson's side can paper over the cracks of Zaha's exit, however, and it now looks as though they could finally be targeting a replacement before the window slams shut.

What's the latest Crystal Palace transfer news?

To say that Palace have stood still would be an understatement. The Eagles have welcomed just two new additions in the form of Jefferson Lerma and Matheus Franca. And with others strengthening around them, you have to worry about their survival chances unless they make some last-minute moves before the end of the window.

One positive has been the fact that they have so far managed to keep hold of Eze and Olise, who signed a new contract at the club to end any reported interest from Chelsea.

Now, though, they must turn their attention to incomings, which is where Luis Sinisterra could come in. According to Football Transfers, Palace are weighing up a late approach to sign the Leeds United winger, who refused to play for the Yorkshire club in an attempt to depart earlier in the window.

It remains to be seen just how much those at Elland Road will demand for Sinisterra, too, given his importance to Daniel Farke's attack and, therefore, Leeds' promotion chances this season.

Should Leeds United sign Luis Sinisterra?

Welcoming Sinisterra would instantly solve Palace's Zaha problem – statistically speaking, the Colombian is more than capable of replicating the threat posed by the Selhurst Park hero.

According to FBref, Sinisterra even outperformed Zaha in certain aspects last season.

Player

Progressive Passes Per 90

Take-on Success

Dispossessed Per 90

Luis Sinisterra

4.06

45.2%

2.40

Wilfried Zaha

2.95

40.1%

3.23

With that said, and given the fact that the Leeds winger is just 24-years-old, Palace could even be getting themselves an upgrade on Zaha in the long-term, if they push ahead and secure a deal with the Yorkshire club.

Sinisterra has certainly earned plenty of praise during his time at Leeds, too, including from Matt Kilgallon, who told BBC Radio Leeds, via Leeds Live: "He’s exciting, isn’t he? And you can see that when he’s out there, he’s going to produce something. If he gets you one on one, then probably the only outcome is that he’s getting past you.

“I can understand the fans getting excited with him, but I’d like to see him against better opposition. Very exciting though and looks like he’s settled in well. He took his goal brilliantly.”

As the window comes to an end, Palace will have to act fast if they want to sign the winger, with the Eagles simply weighing up a move as things stand.

Manchester United could pull off one of the shocks of the transfer window after putting an experienced former England international on their shortlist at Old Trafford, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Manchester United?

Telegraph Sport revealed that big summer signing Mason Mount has been ruled out for the next four to six weeks. This news could force Erik Ten Hag to turn to previously out-of-favour Scotland international Scott McTominay to help with the balance of their midfield, who had originally been expected to leave the club.

Rasmus Hojlund also finds himself on the sidelines and will not be available until next week at the earliest as he continues to have issues with a back problem that has prevented him from featuring at all so far, as per The Daily Mail.

According to The Sun, Ten Hag has called Hannibal Mejbri, Isak Hansen-Aaroen, Omari Forson and Marc Jurado up to the senior squad to bolster numbers available for selection, though it is unclear whether they will participate for the senior side at any given point.

BBC Sport understand that Red Devils left-back Luke Shaw is also now set to spend 'a number of weeks' on the treatment table due to a muscle injury, which has created an injury crisis at left-back as Tyrell Malacia is also currently unavailable.

Brandon Williams would've represented the next natural fit positionally to feature in upcoming matches; nevertheless, he has completed a season-long loan switch to Sky Bet Championship outfit Ipswich Town.

Suprisingly, Manchester United look like they may need to enter the market to sign someone to offer cover on the left-hand side of their defence a shock target has been identified by the Premier League giants to fill in for the time being.

Who are Manchester United signing?

According to The Daily Express, former Leicester City left-back Ryan Bertrand has been identified as an unexpected solution to their dearth of options at left-back.

Contact has been established between Bertrand's representatives and Manchester United and talks are believed to be at an early stage. Other names are also being evaluated by chiefs at Old Trafford as they look to draft in an emergency recruit to help solidify their rearguard.

Bertrand has enjoyed a distinguished senior club career and has featured for the likes of Chelsea, Aston Villa, Southampton and Leicester City, among others, racking up 485 appearances in total and registering 11 goals and 28 assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Once labelled "fantastic" by former Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert, Bertrand has also represented his native England on 19 occasions, getting himself on the scoresheet once.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that Bertrand was training with his former club Chelsea's loan development group to keep himself in shape ahead of his next move. The Italian journalist also indicated that the 34-year-old has grabbed the interest of clubs in England, Europe and the Middle East.

Manchester United are in need of a left-back imminently and Bertrand could find himself becoming an unlikely hero at Old Trafford.

The Zonal T20 league and the Syed Mushtaq Ali knockout tournament will be played before the 2018 IPL auction, a move that is bound to help both IPL franchises as well as domestic players

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2017The BCCI has brought forward two domestic tournaments, the Zonal T20 league and the Syed Mushtaq Ali knockout tournament, to ensure the players have a chance to audition ahead of the 2018 auction on January 27 and 28. It is understood that the Zonal T20 league will now be held from January 8 to 16 instead of January 21 to 29. The new schedule also has the Syed Mushtaq Ali knockout tournament being pushed from the February 4-10 window to January 21-27.Consequently, the fixtures for the Vijay Hazare Trophy – the domestic 50-over tournament – have also been reworked. The group-league phase, which was set to be played from February 16 to 25, has been advanced to February 5 to 14. The schedule for the knockout stages has also been tweaked, and it will be now played from February 21 to 26 instead of March 3 to 8. On the other hand, the Irani Cup, which will feature the Ranji Trophy winner against a Rest of India side, has been postponed from January to March.A couple of officials from IPL franchises confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that they hadn’t made specific rescheduling requests to the BCCI, but noted that the changes were not surprising. “It has happened in the last two years as well,” an official said. “It makes sense for both the players and the franchises as we can take a look at the talent on display ahead of the auctions.”In 2015, the BCCI had decided to advance the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the domestic T20 championship, before the IPL auction. The board had also changed the format of both its inter-state limited-overs championships from an intra-zonal-knockout format to a group-knockout league format. While the BCCI at that point did not openly state that the schedule had been planned with the IPL auctions in mind – it instead said the fixtures were drawn keeping in mind the Under-19 World Cup and the World T20 – the move was welcomed by both the franchises and players.Up to that point, there were question marks over the relevance of the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, which was played after the IPL auction. With teams already being assembled, there was little at stake, at least in the short run, for both the players and the franchises. However, with the change in schedule, players, talent scouts and franchise officials have admitted that the tournament now has greater context.

Newcastle United are still active in the transfer window even though the new Premier League season is well underway. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has offered an update to GIVEMESPORT on their pursuit of Arsenal and Scotland fullback Kieran Tierney.

Something stands in the way of Tierney transfer?

Newcastle got off to the best possible start last weekend as they put Aston Villa to the sword, romping past them at St James’ Park to a 5-1 victory. Alexander Isak scored a brace whilst the opener was grabbed by none other than debutant Sandro Tonali.

An even bigger test is up next as the Magpies prepare to face Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City who are fresh off of their Super Cup victory.

Dan Burn started at left-back against Unai Emery’s Villa and will surely hold on to that spot for the trip to the Etihad. That being said, Eddie Howe and co are on the hunt for an upgrade in that position with Kieran Tierney at the top of their list, along with Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella.

This Tierney saga has gone back and forth with Real Sociedad and Celtic also interested in striking a deal for the Scotsman. The major sticking point has been surrounding whether it would be a permanent deal or a loan, something which La Real and the Gunners have been unable to agree on.

What is Fabrizio Romano's update?

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano gave his opinion on what we can expect regarding Tierney and Newcastle to GIVEMESPORT.

"There is interest from Newcastle United, it's true, but again, with Arsenal asking for a permanent transfer, we know the Newcastle situation with Financial Fair Play is not that easy.

"So they have to be careful on how they spend money, what kind of proposal they can offer to Arsenal.

"So that's why the deal is not so easy. But it's true that he's appreciated. So, I think in the next few weeks, something could happen for Tierney."

Should Arsenal let Tierney leave?

A lot of the chatter amongst the Emirates faithful relates to these Tierney links and whether or not their club should allow him to move on to pastures new.

Ben Jacobs revealed on the Loaded Mag NUFC podcast the position of Arteta on the future of Tierney.

“The starting point of Arteta, I understood, was that if Tierney was happy at Arsenal, Arteta was happy with Tierney staying because he’s hugely valued as a squad player and they’re going to have a lot of important games now that they’re back in the Champions League.

Jacobs then went on to echo a sentiment shared by a large amount of Arsenal fans, saying that, “What if Zinchenko gets injured? You’d love a player like Tierney there that can come in.”

As previously mentioned, the Gunners now have UCL action to contend with as well and Zinchenko hardly boasted the most positive fitness record last term. Knee problems and two separate calf issues kept the Ukrainian international out of action for over 150 days in 2022/23, as per Transfermarkt, so the decision to part ways with his only realistic replacement would certainly raise eyebrows across the Premier League landscape.

Both teams are coming off fine wins, with Khulna beating Chittagong Vikings by 18 runs while Dhaka crushed Sylhet Sixers with eight wickets and 73 balls remaining

The Report by Mohammad Isam14-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAshley Allen – CPL T20 / GettyKieron Pollard nicked the battle of big-hitters against Carlos Brathwaite as the Shere Bangla National Stadium were enthralled by both batsman’s six-hitting abilities. Pollard’s 24-ball 55 – that had six huge sixes – helped Dhaka Dynamites to their third win in a row, this time beating Khulna Titans by four wickets in the final over.Khulna had earlier made 156 for 5, a remarkable recovery from a sluggish 47 for three in the first 10 overs. The late addition came mostly through Brathwaite’s unbeaten 64 that included six sixes in the last 5.5 overs. Abu Hider took two wickets while Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan and Shahid Afridi took one each.Dhaka’s chase, however, started even poorer. They were 41 for 5 at one stage, but Pollard’s cluster of sixes bought them back into the game, before Jahurul Islam and Mosaddek Hossain took them to victory with a ball to spare.Slow to startKhulna struck only five boundaries in the first 10 overs after being sent to bat. They also lost Michael Klinger, Dhiman Ghosh and Nazmul Hossain Shanto during the same period. The lack of boundaries played a big factor in each of these batsmen’s dismissals.Klinger’s cross-bat took a top edge and was well caught at mid on by Hider, off Shakib. The bowler-fielder combination then switched roles as Hider took Dhiman’s wicket in the sixth over, the skier taken in the second attempt by Shakib.Narine easily scalped Shanto in the tenth over when the batsman charged him needlessly, only to be stumped by Jahurul Islam for a 25-ball 24.Khulna’s late burstEerily similar to their previous game, Brathwaite got into his stride soon after Mahmudullah got out. He first struck Afridi for two sixes in the space of three balls, first over the bowler’s head and then over midwicket. Shakib then went for 17 runs in the 16th over, which included another six over midwicket that went deeper than the one in the previous over.Rilee Rossouw got out in the next over to end the rapid 54-run fifth-wicket stand but Brathwaite struck his fourth six before reaching his maiden T20 fifty off just 25 balls. In the final over, both his sixes off Hider went straight, the second slightly bigger than the first. He finished with six maximums in his unbeaten 29-ball 64.Pollard’s reply to BrathwaiteDhaka, too, slipped like Khulna in the first half of their innings. Abu Jayed had Evin Lewis skied to mid off in the first over, Afridi slammed one to cover in the second over before Jofra Archer bowled Cameron Delport with a quick delivery. Mahmudullah took a sharp catch to remove Narine and Dhaka’s crisis deepened further in the ninth when Shakib was caught for 20.But the scenario changed in the space of five balls, of which four went for sixes off Pollard’s bat. All of those went over long on, despite Mahmudullah’s varying lengths. That over, the innings’ 11th, cost 25 runs. Pollard didn’t spare Brathwaite either, hitting his compatriot for two sixes, both on the leg side in the 13th over that cost 20 runs. From a precarious position, Dhaka had reduced the chase to 58 off the last seven overs.The pullback via ArcherJofra Archer, whose pace has troubled a few batsmen in the BPL, used it to good effect in the 14th over. He gave away just three runs, after which Shafiul picked up the key wicket of Pollard in the following over. Much of the credit for Pollard’s wicket, however, should go to Archer for bringing some control to the Khulna attack. Between the 14th and 17th overs, Khulna conceded only two fours as Dhaka went left needing 27 off the last three overs.Some local creditThe lack of contribution from the local players had been a concern in the BPL but the way Jahurul and Mosaddek played out the last 5.1 overs should be appeasing. They narrowed the chase down with two balls to go, but Jahurul’s reverse off Brathwaite, with four needed, was a was superbly executed. The pair added 43 in their unbroken seventh-wicket stand.What they said”I gambled with that reverse scoop off the second last ball. This is the first time I played in a match.”

Celtic are reportedly closing in on the signing of Swedish defender Gustaf Lagerbielke in a £3m deal from Elfsborg but he may not be the last centre-back to arrive at Parkhead this summer.

Who are Celtic interested in signing?

It was recently claimed that the Hoops remain keen on a swoop for Volendam central defender Xavier Mbuyamba in spite of their prospective sixth signing.

The Bhoys have already brought in Odin Thiago Holm, Maik Nawrocki, Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Hyun-jun Yang, and Marco Tilio to bolster Brendan Rodgers' squad, with Lagerbielke now set to compete for a spot in the defence.

However, the Northern Irish tactician seemingly still has an eye on another addition in that area of the pitch as Mbuyamba could be the third centre-back to arrive after the Elfsborg star and Nawrocki.

How good is Xavier Mbuyamba?

Whilst Lagerbielke could come in to replace Carl Starfelt, Rodgers could land an upgrade on Stephen Welsh by securing a deal for the Volendam titan.

The 6 foot 5 colossus enjoyed an excellent campaign in the Dutch top-flight and his performances suggest that the potential is there for him to offer more than the current Celtic enforcer, who came off the bench to replace Cameron Carter-Vickers against Aberdeen last weekend.

Mbuyamba appeared in 28 Eredivisie matches last season and caught the eye with his defensive work at the back.

The former Chelsea academy prospect made an eye-catching 3.5 tackles and interceptions per game, which was more than any Hoops defender managed and 2.2 more than Welsh produced per outing.

He also made 5.4 clearances per game as the towering brute displayed his positional awareness and ability to read danger to clear the ball away when facing pressure from the opposition, whilst no Celtic player made more than 4.2 clearances per clash.

The 21-year-old titan's 6.2 duels won per match also eclipsed Welsh's five battles won per game for the Hoops in the Scottish Premiership last term, which shows that he engaged in more physical contests to win possession back for his team.

Mbuyamba's impressive defensive output for the Dutch side indicates that he could be a superb option for Rodgers due to his knack for being able to clear danger and make numerous interventions per game to cut out opposition attacks.

Volendam's starlet is also an excellent attacking threat from set-pieces as he racked up five Eredivisie goals last season, which is four more than any current Hoops centre-back produced in that time.

Whereas, the 23-year-old Scotsman has only scored four goals in 53 first-team appearances for the club to date.

These statistics suggest that Mbuyamba could be a "complete" – as he was once described by talent scout Jacek Kulig – upgrade on Welsh due to his offensive and defensive qualities.

Therefore, Rodgers must swoop to sign the giant defender, who was also hailed as "elegant" by Kulig, after the deal for Lagerbielke in order to improve the depth of his squad.

This could also allow the Scottish side to consider Welsh's future as the centre-back has been touted with a move to the Serie A this summer, which could be a possibility if he falls further down the pecking order.