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The Supreme Court has asked N Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah to explain their position, after the Committee of Administrators said the two individuals were stalling the implementation of the Lodha Committee recommendations

Sidharth Monga and Nagraj Gollapudi14-Jul-20175:55

Ugra: Old BCCI challenging Supreme Court

N Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah will have to explain to the Supreme Court of India their roles in stalling the implementation of the Lodha Committee recommendations. The pair of former BCCI office bearers were singled out by the Committee of Administrators (CoA) in a scathing appraisal of the progress – or lack of – made by the BCCI in implementing the recommendations.The court will hear the matter on July 24, two days before the next BCCI SGM to discuss the recommendations.At Friday’s hearing, Justice Dipak Misra observed that “if a person is disqualified to be an office bearer, he cannot be nominated by office bearers”.Misra’s statement is significant because Srinivasan and Shah, despite being disqualified as office bearers on grounds that they are over 70 years old and having exceeded the tenure cap, had attended BCCI meetings as representatives or nominees of their respective state associations – Tamil Nadu and Saurashtra. And according to the CoA’s latest status report, Srinivasan and Shah have prevented other BCCI members from reaching a consensus on implementing the Lodha Committee’s recommendations.Anurag Thakur in the clear

Anurag Thakur, the former BCCI president, was cleared of perjury charges for a letter he had written to the ICC asking it to intervene, saying the Lodha Committee reforms amounted to government interference in the board. A day before Friday’s hearing he filed an affidavit, apologising unconditionally.

Over the last month, a special committee was formed by the BCCI to shortlist the most significant problems the board had with those recommendations in order to put them before the court for reconsideration.However, according to amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium, when the wider BCCI body held special general meetings to discuss and ratify the shortlisted recommendations, the meetings were “hijacked” by Srinivasan and Shah.”Till now, most recommendations were by and large accepted,” Subramanium said, but Srinivasan and Shah kept repeating “nothing can be implemented”.Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on behalf of Srinivasan and other state associations, responded on behalf of his client, “I am a member of TNCA. Nobody can take my membership away.” The states have argued that the disqualified office bearers – such as Srinivasan and Shah – are not attending the meetings as office bearers but as representatives, and that the Lodha Committee’s eligibility criteria did not apply to representatives.In the status report submitted to the court on July 12, the CoA said disqualified office bearers were “impediments” to the implementation of recommendations.The BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhary, in an affidavit filed in the court on Tuesday, said that five state associations – Tamil Nadu, Saurashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Goa – had objected to the implementation of the recommendations at the SGM on June 26. Choudhary noted the efforts of the CoA, which had met the state associations twice and “stressed” that it could work with the BCCI in “canvassing the impracticality or difficulties that may arise in implementation of some clauses” of the recommendations.Choudhary said that in addition to the three shortlisted recommendations, the special committee wanted restrictions waived for representatives of states attending board meetings, and members who sit on different committees. “The house also felt there should not be any disqualifications in terms of age, tenure or cooling off for representatives, nominees of the associations and the BCCI and the members of the BCCI committee.”The court did not hear the other requests in the CoA’s status report, which will be heard on July 24. The court accepted the resignations of CoA members Vikram Limaye and Ramachandra Guha, and Subramanium submitted six names as possible replacements. Sibal argued that his clients should also be allowed to suggest names; the court granted him the request and decided to hear the matter on July 24.The lawyer for Railways argued that they had been relegated to Associate status under the one-state-one-vote policy, and despite being regular contributors to Indian cricket, they were not invited to these meetings to decide their fate. They requested a “recall” of that specific part of the order. Subramanium argued this issue had been discussed at length previously, but the court agreed to hear the matter on September 5.

Tottenham Hotspur deciding to sign Clement Lenglet on a permanent basis from Barcelona could enable Ange Postecoglou to make two more defensive additions due to the Frenchman being 'good value' for money, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Although, he does state the names of two potential top-end signings Spurs could make.

Will Clement Lenglet join Tottenham Hotspur permanently?

According to Sport via Sport Witness, Barcelona are willing to accept a low fee for Lenglet as they try to get his £145k-a-week pay packet off the books this summer and an offer of €5 million (£4.29 million) from Tottenham has been floated by the outlet.

Nevertheless, Mundo Deportivo transcribed by Sport Witness claim that Lenglet is training by himself at the Catalan giants. However, any deal to take the 28-year-old back to north London is 'not even close', which contradicts information from other publications.

Barcelona boss Xavi doesn't see a place for Lenglet in his plans and he will be left out of their tour of the USA and instead train back home with staff at the club.

Last term, Lenglet turned out on 35 occasions for Tottenham in all competitions, registering one goal and two assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.

Spurs are also mulling over alternative defensive targets this off-season and Fulham star Tosin Adarabioyo is on the radar at Hotspur Way as a potential addition, according to The Evening Standard.

Bayer Leverkusen central defender Edmond Tapsoba and Wolfsburg youngster Micky van de Ven are two other names that have been heavily linked with a move to the Lilywhites in the last few weeks, as reported by various sources.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer insider Jones thinks that Spurs signing Lenglet would be a financially prudent deal that could enable Postecoglou to add two more defenders to his player pool this summer, as well as naming who the two top-end signings could be.

Jones stated: “I wonder if Lenglet would be a third centre-back. Because of the terms of that one, I think it'd be such a good value signing that Tottenham could potentially be able to sign three defensive-minded players if he was one of them.

“Adarabioyo is one they’re looking at. He’s reasonably cheap as well. Van de Ven or Tapsoba is going to be the top-end signing.”

Who else could Tottenham Hotspur bring in this window?

Spurs have made positive inroads in the transfer market so far under Postecoglou's leadership and have confirmed the signings of James Maddison, Manor Solomon and Guglielmo Vicario, alongside finalizing permanent deals for Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro, as per Transfermarkt.

In a surprise twist, FootballTransfers have claimed that Tottenham could look to make a surprise move for Brentford strike Ivan Toney in the January window as a potential replacement for Harry Kane, who faces an uncertain future in N17.

The Sun report that Tottenham are keen on striking a deal for Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen, though the Eagle are likely to demand around £50 million for the Denmark international.

Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher has emerged as a shock target for Tottenham this summer amid competition from Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Crystal Palace for his signature, according to talkSPORT.

In the next few weeks, more arrivals will be expected at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Postecoglou prepares for the new season by stamping his authority on his new side.

The scenario for Australia to stay in the tournament beyond the group stage is pretty simple according to captain Steven Smith, with a win needed over England to qualify for the semi-finals

Alan Gardner at The Oval 06-Jun-20172:14

What do Australia and Bangladesh need to do to qualify?

“I guess we’ve just got to beat England.” That was Steven Smith’s matter-of-fact conclusion after Australia were denied an almost-certain victory over Bangladesh at The Oval by the English weather. Having been saved from a potential defeat to New Zealand at Edgbaston in their previous match, Australia were left with two points from two games – but with destiny still in their own hands ahead of their last Group A fixture against England on Saturday in Birmingham.Smith was frustrated but understanding after rain ruined Australia’s attempts to chase a target of less than four an over, which was set up by Mitchell Starc’s four-wicket haul that saw Bangladesh dismissed for 182 in 44.3 overs.”Disappointing not to get a result but we can’t do much about the weather,” he said. “The equation is pretty simple for us now. We have to beat England and I think then we’re through.”This fixture was the first day-night match of the tournament but rain was forecast to arrive during the evening, which it duly did with Australia four overs short of the 20 required to constitute an officially completed game. Although the showers did relent long enough to allow the umpires, Nigel Llong and Chris Gaffaney, to inspect at 8 pm and schedule a restart for 8.30 pm – with seven overs lost – rainfall returned almost immediately, causing the groundstaff to cover the pitch again, to desultory cheers from the remaining Bangladesh fans in The Oval.Australia’s sense of frustration was compounded by the fact that at 83 for 1, they were well ahead of the 20-over Duckworth-Lewis-Stern par score of 48 despite having only batted 16 overs. Smith had blocked five balls from Mashrafe Mortaza with rain falling as he tried to hurry the innings through but, with the umpires appearing to signal for drinks, the downfall intensified and the players were taken off for the first time.Although the Bangladesh innings finished early, at around 4.40 pm, play couldn’t restart until 5.30 pm due to drizzle during the interval. The umpires then took the players off at 6.43 pm, meaning Bangladesh were only slightly behind the required rate of four-minute overs. The rain then stopped for around 45 minutes later in the evening but Llong and Gaffaney felt there was too much mopping up required to get the game going straight away and any chance to get in the four overs required slipped by.”A little bit frustrating,” Smith said of that missed opportunity. “The groundsmen perhaps could have shown a bit more urgency, being a big tournament, but I think they did the best job they could and the umpires said it was an 8.30 pm start, so you’ve got to do what they say.”Of course I didn’t want to go off, I was happy to keep batting through the rain. But the umpires are there to make a decision and I think drinks was at the end of that over, which probably didn’t help. If the game had just carried on, perhaps they may have had a different opinion. But to be fair it was raining reasonably hard when we came off.”The no result means that Australia will likely have to beat England to go through to the semi-final, although they could still theoretically go through with as little as two points – if England win all of their games and New Zealand-Bangladesh is washed out – either on net run rate or due to having a higher seeding than the other teams in the group. The high chance of rain affecting the England-New Zealand match in Cardiff on Tuesday may add to the intrigue.The computation for Bangladesh is slightly simpler, with a win required against New Zealand at Cardiff on Friday in their final match to stay in the hunt for a semi-final spot. A win over New Zealand combined with a pair of England wins over Australia and New Zealand would guarantee Bangladesh a place in the semis. Yet, Bangladesh could still miss out on the semi-finals on three points, having suffered a hit to their run rate in defeat to England last week. They would also miss out, regardless of a win over New Zealand, if England beat New Zealand on Tuesday and Australia beat England on Saturday in which case both England and Australia would end the group stage on four points.Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh’s captain, was nevertheless happy that his team remained alive in the tournament and referenced the point gained from a similar abandonment against Australia in the 2015 World Cup – when they qualified from the group stage at England’s expense – as reason to be optimistic.”I can remember in the 2015 World Cup, we got one point from Australia and it really helped us go through,” he said. “This time we’ve got a straight chance, even though we have to beat New Zealand. So our job is to play hard against New Zealand and you never know.”If you look at today’s match, I think Australia was far ahead of us. But in the last match, against New Zealand, I think Australia were in the same position. You can’t do anything with the weather so, as I said, both teams are now in the situation where Australia has to win against England and we have a great chance to beat New Zealand and go through.”

West Ham shouldn’t let their historic Europa Conference League distract them from what was a worrying and tumultuous campaign.

The Hammers battled to an underwhelming 14th place in the Premier League, and it is understood that David Moyes is targeting four new signings in the club’s first wave of summer business.

Much of this is to be financed by the impending departure of Declan Rice, who is set to join Arsenal for £105m.

One of the most damaging drawbacks for the Irons has been the underperformance of their current crop of strikers.

In the 2021/22 campaign, the Irons netted 60 times, but last term they only managed to score 42 goals as a reconfiguration and revamp of their frontline is desperately required.

One man tipped to do this is Habib Diallo…

What’s the latest on Habib Diallo to West Ham?

According to Football Insider, West Ham has registered their interest in Diallo as Moyes targets a new frontman to lead the line.

Alongside the east Londoners, their cross-city rivals Brentford and Crystal Palace are also pushing to sign the 27-year-old.

Why should West Ham sign Habib Diallo?

The striker has been at Strasbourg since 2020 and established himself as the club’s most clinical and reliable asset.

Last season, Diallo was an indispensable component of the French outfit as he scored 20 goals at a rate of 0.63 per 90 to be the division’s sixth-highest scorer. Impressively this tally came from 17.76 Expected Goals to underline his prolific nature.

Moreover, in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers, the £10k-per-week Senegalese ranks within the best 17% for non-penalty goals per 90 and aerials won per 90.

His former coach Vincent Hognon has hailed the 18-cap international and said: “He's a guy with every quality going. You know how much I love him. I see his quality in his movement, the way he keeps the ball, in a huge amount of things."

From a West Ham perspective, signing this type of player could be the catalyst to improving their domestic position. Gianluca Scamacca, Michail Antonio, and Danny Ings are the current striking options within the first team, but this trio has mustered a measly ten Premier League goals between them.

Another Hammer who could seriously benefit from this transfer is Said Benrahma. Last term, the Algerian was inconsistent – at times he was untameable, buzzing around the pitch with dazzling inventiveness, but he can also be accused of anonymity, drifting out of proceedings.

Once described as "unplayable" by BT Sport pundit and ex-West Ham man Joe Cole following his performance against Genk in the Europa League a few seasons ago, the 27-year-old has also been criticised for the way he "drifts out of games" at times by Gabby Agbonlahor, proving just what an undoubted "enigma" he is – in the words of journalist Paul Brown.

Nevertheless, in all competitions last season, the former Brentford man made 50 appearances in all competitions and created 62 chances at a rate of 1.24 per 90. These two figures are the highest within the West Ham side to underline much of the creativity is channelled through the tricky winger. It is almost criminal that Benrahma only managed to record four assists, but this is largely owed to the discrepancies of his teammates.

Furthermore, the 5 foot 8 ace ranks within the highest 19% for successful take-ons per 90 and progressive carries per 90, and if rewarded with a more dominant focal point, he could hit even more impressive heights.

As such, having a prolific presence ahead of him like Diallo could well help to make Benrahma even more 'unplayable' next season.

The fast-bowling allrounder has said he was “deeply embarrassed” about the incident

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Apr-2017New Zealand fast-bowling allrounder Doug Bracewell has pleaded guilty in the Hastings District Council for a case of drink driving. Bracewell said he was “deeply embarrassed” about the incident.Bracewell was stopped while driving in Hastings on March 18 and recorded breath-alcohol reading of 783 micrograms per litre of breath while the legal limit is 250mcg.”I made a massive mistake by driving that evening and apologise unreservedly for my actions,” Bracewell said on Thursday. “This was no-one’s fault but my own; I take full responsibility, and I’m deeply embarrassed to have let down so many people – be they family, friends, or cricket lovers.”Bracewell will be sentenced under the provisions for offenders who have two or more previous drink-drive convictions. New Zealand Cricket chief executive David White said the board had not yet decided on imposing a penalty on Bracewell since the judicial proceedings had not completed yet.”As such it would it be premature to comment on that particular matter,” White said.”As an organisation, we’re committed to promoting safe and responsible behaviours on our roads and take a very dim view of drink-driving.”Driving responsibly and considerately is a key part of creating safer communities, and, as Doug has said himself, he should have known better.”

Aston Villa are in the process of determining "exactly what their targets are" this summer following the arrival of new sporting director Monchi, but one player "on their radar" is Tyler Adams, claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

Aston Villa transfer news – what's the latest on Tyler Adams?

It's all go at Villa Park this summer, and the transfer window has kicked off with links to a whole host of top players, including Yuri Tielemans and Federico Chiesa, potentially Pau Torres and with the arrival of star Sporting Director Monchi, there could be a lot more in the coming weeks.

However, the latest name to add to that list is captain of the American national team, Tyler Adams.

According to a report from the Athletic last week, the Midlands club have upped their interest in the 24-year-old, and he is now 'high on Villa's list of targets this summer.'

The Athletic have also reported that regardless of Leeds United's relegation from the Premier League last season, they want £40m for their star midfielder, which is double what they paid RB Leipzig to bring him to England.

However, the Villains aren't the only side keen on the American gem, with the Daily Mail reporting that Steve Cooper's Nottingham Forest are considering an offer for the midfielder.

What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about Tyler Adams to Aston Villa?

Jones pointed out that the arrival of superstar sporting director Monchi as the club's new President of Football Operations has impacted the side's transfer dealings but that Adams was still very much a player the club were considering this summer.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "Monchi is in at Aston Villa, and they're trying to determine exactly what their targets are, and if there are any other roads that he can help them progress down. But certainly Tyler Adams is on their radar."

Would Tyler Adams be a good signing for Aston Villa?

Despite Leeds' relegation to the Championship last season, Adam's had a reasonably successful campaign individually, demonstrating to the rest of the league just how good he could be within a highly dysfunctional Lilywhites side.

According to WhoScored, the midfielder, who has been hailed as a "machine", averaged a decent rating of 6.73 across his 24 Premier League games last season, with a very impressive average pass accuracy of 90.2%.

However, where the Wappinger Falls-born "machine" – as described by Wes Rucker – truly shines is in the defensive side of the game.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, Adams sits in the top 1% for tackles, the top 3% for blocks, and the top 18% for interceptions, all per 90.

He is a player that never shies away from a challenge and is the epitome of determination and grit on the pitch, so it is perhaps no surprise that his National Coach, Greg Berhalter, heaped praise on him, saying:

"He's the general, he's the strategist. He's the guy that goes out there and leads by example. When he talks, people listen."

Adams would be a fantastic signing for Villa, and while the reported fee of £40m is certainly a lot of money, they know they will be getting a Premier League-proven midfielder and one with genuine leadership qualities that could help turn Unai Emery's side into regular top six finishers.

Dawid Malan made a high-class century and shared an unbroken opening partnership of 205 with Daniel Bell-Drummond as the South crushed the North by 10 wickets in the first game of the new North-South Series in Dubai

ECB Reporters Network17-Mar-2017
ScorecardDawid Malan’s century guided South to a thumping victory in Dubai•Getty ImagesDawid Malan made a high-class century and shared an unbroken opening partnership of 205 with Daniel Bell-Drummond as the South crushed the North by ten wickets in the first game of the new North-South Series in Dubai.The North were dismissed for 202 after winning the toss and choosing to bat, with three wickets for Tom Curran and two each for Toby Roland-Jones, Mason Crane and the especially impressive Liam Dawson in a fine all-round bowling performance by the South team.Malan and Bell-Drummond made short work of the modest target, with more than 16 overs remaining when the Middlesex left-hander sealed victory with his 16th four.Malan, who was included in an England T20 squad last summer after impressing with the Lions against Pakistan A in the winter of 2015-16, also hit a six as he ended unbeaten on 109 from 103 balls, while Bell-Drummond hit two sixes and 11 fours to reach 92 from 98.The match was watched by England coach Trevor Bayliss as well as selectors James Whitaker and Mick Newell, with assistant coach Paul Farbrace enjoying an initial triumph over fast-bowling coach Ottis Gibson – whose North team now need to win the second match, also at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, to stay alive in the three-match series.Malan and Bell-Drummond survived a searching new ball examination from Mark Wood and Tim Bresnan, Wood bowling a total of seven overs in two spells in his first competitive action since an ankle operation last autumn, and Bresnan having Malan dropped in his third over.But after that they were rarely troubled, although Northamptonshire left-arm spinner Graeme White claimed the small consolation of bowling the only maiden of the match in the penultimate over.The North suffered an early blow after their captain Keaton Jennings chose to bat first, when Curran claimed the scalp of Ben Duckett, edging a drive to Ben Foakes.Curran took one for 16 in his opening burst and Roland-Jones kept up the pressure in an excellent seven-over spell in which he earned the key wickets of Jennings and Liam Livingstone.Jennings steered to Malan at slip, and Livingstone, after launching Lewis Gregory into the stands for the first six of the series, was brilliantly caught by Curran running back from mid-off as he aimed for another big hit.Sam Hain survived a couple of dropped chances to make 33 from 55 balls until he was undone by the introduction of Crane, lbw sweeping against the spin.Then Jack Leaning ran himself out trying to take a second to Crane at deep cover, leaving the North in deep trouble at 91 for 5.Bresnan joined Joe Clarke in a counterattacking sixth-wicket stand of 63 in 10 overs, striking three sixes in making 40 off 41 balls. But the Yorkshireman was bowled behind his legs trying to reverse-sweep Dawson, the Hampshire allrounder who bowled his 10 overs straight through to earn the excellent figures of 2 for 29.Clarke, who struggled for runs in the England Lions’ recent one-day series in Sri Lanka, made a welcome return to form with a 49-ball half century including five fours and two sixes off Crane.But he was bowled for 57 aiming an ambitious ramp shot at the first ball of Curran’s second spell, triggering a lower-order collapse as the North’s last four wickets tumbled for nine runs inside three overs.Durham allrounder Paul Coughlin was Dawson’s second victim, lbw for 19 which included two cleanly-struck leg-side sixes.Then Curran deceived White with a change of pace to take a return catch, and finally Crane returned to have Harry Gurney snapped up at slip by Malan.”It’s nice to do it in front of the England selectors,” said Malan afterwards. “That’s what these games are designed for: it’s a sort of second chance for guys to push their case and show the selectors what they have been missing out on. I’m pleased with this knock and hopefully I can continue in the next two games and follow up on it. It’s nice to have the runs on the board and get the win too.”

Crystal Palace need the "best proposal in their history" to keep Wilfried Zaha at Selhurst Park next season, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Is Zaha leaving Palace?

As things stand, Zaha will be leaving Crystal Palace on June 30th following the expiration of his contract. The 30-year-old has amassed 458 appearances over several spells with the Eagles, but could be bringing his most recent stint with the club to an end.

The winger has attempted to leave Selhurst Park in the past, but has never managed to force a move away from the club, normally due to the large transfer fee that would have been required to prise him away from Palace.

While there is still a chance he opts to stay with Roy Hodgson's side, Fabrizio Romano believes that the Eagles would need to offer a colossal proposal to the former Manchester United man.

Speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Romano said: "I can guarantee Lazio had a meeting and a contact with people close to Wilfried Zaha. So, there is a conversation, but, first of all it is not a done deal, and second I posted it is a complicated deal for Lazio because of the salary."

The Italian continued: "Zaha has some possibility in Saudi [Arabia], but at the moment he is not that keen on that kind of move. Zaha has some possibility in Europe in terms of other clubs, especially in France. So, he wants to take his time."

"For sure, Crystal Palace need the best proposal in their history to the player because the contract proposal is really huge, is really important, and they still hope he will say 'Okay, I'm staying here'"

According to the Guardian, Zaha was already offered a £200,000-a-week deal to stay at Palace in April, which would make him "by far" the highest paid player in the club's history and would offer him a £70,000-a-week pay rise.

Given that Zaha is yet to accept that lucrative deal, it suggests maybe he feels his future lies away from Selhurst Park.

Who will sign Zaha?

As Romano states, Lazio are very interested in Zaha. Maurizio Sarri is seemingly keen to add him to an attack that already contains former Premier League wingers Pedro and Felipe Anderson, although the former runs out of contract this summer.

However, as Romano adds, Lazio will struggle to compete with the financial proposals of the other clubs vying for Zaha's signature, despite not even needing to cough up a transfer fee for the 30-cap Ivory Coast international.

Zaha has reportedly rejected a £30m-a-year deal to Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr in favour of staying in Europe, perhaps reassuringly showing that money is not the biggest influence in his decision-making process.

Paris Saint-Germain, who are not shy of splashing the cash themselves, are also keeping an eye on the Palace attacker, as well as fellow Ligue 1 side Marseille.

There were wide eyes and a wide smile from Andile Phehlukwayo as he reflected on his second match-winning hand with the bat in a brief international career

Andrew McGlashan20-Feb-2017There were wide eyes and a wide smile from Andile Phehlukwayo as he reflected on his second match-winning hand with the bat in a brief international career.With AB de Villiers, one of the game’s great batsmen at the other end, it was Phehlukwayo who hit the crucial boundaries late in the Hamilton chase. South Africa needed 22 off 12 balls, which became 21 off 10 at which point Phehlukwayo lofted Trent Boult over long-off. Then came an even sweeter blow in the final over as he drilled Tim Southee back over his head to virtually kill the game.”I just tried to watch the ball, swing really hard and hit straight,” he said. “The first one, I was just trying to play straight but the second one I definitely knew when it came off the bat that it was going for six.”New Zealand were marginal favourites when he arrived with 52 needed off 44 balls, on a tricky pitch and three frontline bowlers remaining in South Africa’s tail, but in Phehlukwayo they had someone who had already shown a calmness under pressure early in his South Africa career.Against Australia in Durban he partnered David Miller in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 107 as they hunted down 372. Miller took the headlines, but Phehlukwayo was anything but a silent partner as he hit 42 off 39 deliveries.This time he had de Villiers around, who was concentrating on rotating the strike because he was finding boundaries difficult to come by. “He was one of the very few guys tonight who could pick up the pace of the wicket,” de Villiers said of his junior partner.”From the side it looked like that, but I was just trying to watch the ball and pick what they were trying to do,” Phehlukwayo said. “A lot of information was given to me from AB, what the bowler was thinking and what he was trying to bowl so that helped a lot. It was really exciting, I’ve never batted with him before. Everyone knows his abilities but I’ve learnt a lot from him in terms of game plans and how I need to train.”He has also had his moments with the ball in his first 11 ODIs, including 4 for 44 in his second ODI against Australia, and on the domestic scene has a reputation for proficiency in the death overs. “On the bowling end I probably need to get my pace up and get more consistent with line and length,” he said. “On the batting side I enjoy pressure situations.”South Africa may yet consider the experience of Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander for the Champions Trophy, but Phehlukwayo’s finishing skills with the bat add to his value considerably when decisions have to be made over the final squad. Currently he is one of four pace-bowling allrounders in New Zealand – alongside Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell and Dwaine Pretorius – and there may not be room for all in the final 15.His performances could also help with CSA’s transformation targets because he would be a second black player in the squad – South Africa need to average two per XI throughout a season – with few arguments that he was not worth his place on cricket merit alone.

Dolphins beat Cape Cobras by four wickets in Paarl to lead the Momentum One Day Cup points table

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Mar-2017A 57-run seventh-wicket stand between Sibonelo Makhanya and Kyle Nipper off just 26 balls carried Dolphins to the top of the table after a spectacular comeback win by four wickets against the Cape Cobras in Paarl. Makhanya struck his fourth List A fifty, 55* off 38, while Nipper thrashed two fours and two sixes in his 18-ball 32.Chasing 272, Dolphins lost Morne van Wyk, returning from the Pakistan Super League final in Lahore, for a duck in the second over. Vaughn van Jaarsveld (59) and Sarel Erwee (47) brought Dolphins back to parity with a 107-run partnership before both batsmen fell in the space of four deliveries. Another strong partnership, 53 runs off 58 balls for the fifth wicket, between captain Khaya Zondo (44) and Makhanya put Dolphins on course, before Makhanya and Nipper finished things off with five balls to spare.Fifties from Richard Levi (54), Keegan Petersen (57) and Dane Vilas (51) pushed Cobras up to 271 after a slow start. The Dolphins bowlers kept chipping away at the Cobras batsmen; the biggest partnership was of 69 runs shared by Vilas and Petersen for the fourth wicket off 72 balls. Seamers Mthokozisi Shezi and Rabian Engelbrecht picked up two wickets apiece, conceding less than six runs per over.