"This irks me" – Alasdair Gold reveals gripe with club’s conduct

Journalist Alasdair Gold has given his thoughts on Bayern Munich's handling of the Harry Kane transfer with Tottenham Hotspur.

The England captain completed his switch to the Bavarian side recently but it is believed that he did have a wobble late in the negotiations over his future.

Has Harry Kane joined Bayern Munich?

The Kane transfer saga has finally reached its conclusion.

The Tottenham Hotspur record goalscorer has completed his £100m switch to the Bundesliga champions, signing a four-year deal and taking the iconic number 9 shirt.

The saga has dragged on all summer long, with Bayern seeing three offers rejected for the player before finally reaching an agreement with Spurs on Thursday morning. The agreement with the player took longer, however, with Kane reportedly leaning towards staying with his boyhood club as he was enjoying life under Ange Postecoglou. German outlet BILD also reported that late on, an unnamed club had come in with a "much better offer" to the forward ahead of his contract expiry in the summer of 2024, but that ultimately proved to be fruitless.

The striker released a farewell video on Saturday morning for the Spurs faithful, where he thanked the fans for their support throughout the years, and wished new boss Postecoglou and his former teammates luck for the season ahead saying:

"I’ll be watching from a fan point of view now and really hope the team can be successful.” The forward also hinted to a potential return to the club in the future stating "It’s not a goodbye because you never know how things pan out in the future, but it’s a thank you and I’ll see you soon.”

Speaking on his YouTube channel, journalist Gold revealed his distaste towards the way Bayern Munich conducted themselves throughout the transfer saga, making reference to the methods some German journalists used, suggesting it showcased a lack of objectivity throughout.

He said: "I think that’s a little part of it that irks me as well, that Bayern have kind of bullied their way to this deal. They’ve treated Spurs like they would any other Bundesliga team that they can kind of have the power to just get what they want, and they have.

"Yeah, it’s cost them. It’s cost them a lot of money, especially in terms of Bundesliga revenue but they’ve got what they wanted and some of their reporters out there, let’s be honest, haven’t reported with the most incredible objectivity in the world. I was sat next to one thrusting a shirt in Ange Postecoglou’s direction in Thailand, it’s just been all very distasteful the way it’s done."

"Genuinely, Harry Kane did have a wobble in terms of what he wanted to do, that’s well known in the corridors of Tottenham Hotspur that having told Postecoglou on the first day that he met him that yeah, he did want to move if a deal could be done, but he was happy to stay and play for him if it couldn’t.

"When it came to it yesterday [Friday] there was a bit of a wobble, that’s why you saw some stuff about potentially he could end up staying, and even by the end of play Friday, despite the confidence coming out of Germany, back in England and around Spurs there was a feeling that he might end up staying, but in the end we woke up to everything being near done."

How can Tottenham replace Harry Kane?

Spurs have two options to replace their former talisman.

One is to use the options within their squad. Kane's departure could be a major opportunity for forward Richarlison to step up and live up to his £60m price tag. The Brazilian had a tough opening campaign in a Lilywhites shirt, managing just one goal and four assists in the Premier League last season. However, now that he can be given the opportunity to make regular starts, the striker could be revitalized and start to show why Spurs spent £60m on him in the summer of 2022. Spurs also signed young striker Alejo Velez this window, who could be given opportunities this season to showcase why Spurs committed £13m on him.

randal-kolo-muani-frankfurt-tottenham-hotspur-transfer-gossip-harry-kane-postecoglou

The club could also delve into the market. According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, the London club were considering Eintracht Frankfurt striker Randal Kolo-Muani should Kane depart this summer, and it will be interesting to see if the North London side will act upon that interest. The forward is said to cost £69m and is also a target of Paris Saint-Germain this summer. Tottenham are also considering Gent striker Gift Orban, with Tavolieri reporting that talks are ongoing between the sides, with the Belgian side wanting €30m plus add-ons to part with the Nigerian forward.

Klinger trumps Neser in Sydney run-fest

ScorecardGetty Images

Michael Klinger, Shaun Marsh and an aggressive Cameron Bancroft maintained Western Australia’s unbeaten start to the domestic limited-overs competition by powering them to a total beyond Queensland’s reach in a rain-affected match at the Drummoyne Oval in Sydney.The Warriors did so despite a startling innings by Michael Neser, who got the Bulls closer than they might reasonably have expected after slipping to 5 for 63, largely at the hands of Matthew Kelly. Neser played a willing ally to Queensland’s captain Usman Khawaja, who had appeared set to be stranded.After Khawaja fell, Neser took flight, clattering seven sixes at the harbor-side venue to take Queensland to within 12 runs of their Duckworth-Lewis-Stern-adjusted, 41-over target.Marsh and Klinger had given WA the ideal start, the latter going on to a century, but after rain interrupted the innings, it was the often obstinate Bancroft who provided the sort of acceleration required to make the most of a reduced allocation of overs. Like Peter Handscomb for Victoria, Bancroft is also keeping wicket in this tournament.

Sarfraz expresses gratitude to visiting World XI team

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed said this series was “different” to the Zimbabwe tour of 2015, and looked forward to the return of Test cricket to the country

Umar Farooq16-Sep-2017The World XI series became especially important to Pakistan, their captain Sarfraz Ahmed has said, because of the presence of a number of star players in the opposition line-up.The tourists were led by South Africa captain Faf du Plessis and included his team-mates Hashim Amla, Imran Tahir, David Miller and Morne Morkel. Two-time World T20 winner Samuel Badree was there. And so were former captains of Australia and England, George Bailey and Paul Collingwood.As such, Sarfraz felt the three T20Is held this week might have a bigger impact on the cricketing landscape in Pakistan than the Zimbabwe matches in 2015 or the PSL final earlier this year.”From the start of the series we were talking about how important it was,” Sarfraz said. “We did play the PSL final and the Zimbabwe series here, but this series was different, with big names like Amla, Faf etc, and the intensity of the crowd was huge. It’s a different impact when you play at your home ground which we have not for seven to eight years. We spoke about what it means to perform in front of the crowd.”People acknowledge you and applaud and it makes you more passionate about the game. It gives you proper recognition and if you perform well its increases your respect by a huge margin. I remember how passionate Shoaib (Akhtar) and Wasim (Akram) used to be playing at home venues. It enhances you as a player and pushes you beyond your limit. When a bowler bowls with the crowd support behind him, it naturally raises one’s morale. His passion and his performance go up, and I am happy that we are playing in front of our home crowd and this will help all of us.”The World XI squad left Lahore on Saturday morning. Both teams, and the estimated 60,000 fans that came to Gaddafi stadium, had been protected by as many as 16,000 security officials, including paramilitary and police personnel. With the series going off without any trouble, Sarfraz, now Pakistan captain across formats, was optimistic about the return of Test cricket to the country.”I am very thankful to the World XI team and the boards who agreed to send their players to resume international cricket in Pakistan,” he said. “I hope after this series when they return home, they tell people about how lovely Pakistan is as a country. Going ahead I expect these players to return back to Pakistan with full squads to play a full Test series.”From a cricketing perspective, we got competitive cricket, as the side wasn’t easy to play. They were the best players in the world and played like a World XI. In T20 cricket, whichever team makes fewer mistakes wins at the end. We won the first game, didn’t bowl well in second game and lost, but worked on our mistakes to win the third. As captain and as a team, we got a lot of confidence from the Champions Trophy.”But since then, expectations have increased and there was a lot of focus on how we do in our next series, which made this World XI series much more important. There was a sense of scepticism that winning the Champions Trophy title was a fluke, so we wanted to quash this impression by maintaining our performance. We now have a Test series ahead, which we are playing after a lengthy gap, and we are starting our preparation in two days, forgetting everything else, with eyes only on next series.”Sri Lanka are set to arrive in the UAE to play two Tests against Pakistan on September 28. The PCB has announced a six-day conditioning camp in Lahore with 18 players as Pakistan move on from the era of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan.”Both were our legendary players and have been our backbone,” Sarfraz said. “But they are no more in the team, and we will try to get the best possible replacements.”

Spurs: Reporter claims "classy" star joining "could be a potential issue"

Tottenham Hotspur target Harry Maguire could fit the mould of Ange Postecoglou's high-octane system and succeed at playing out from deep, but there are some doubts, according to journalist Paul Brown.

Which clubs are keen on Harry Maguire?

One report in Spain via Football365 claim that Tottenham could be about to 'accelerate' their pursuit of Maguire this summer as his time at Old Trafford ticks towards a close.

Spurs boss Postecoglou is believed to want to 'focus all of his efforts on Maguire' and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has emerged as a 'possible destination' for the £190k-a-week ace.

According to Sky Sports, West Ham United have emerged as another potential suitor for Maguire and have held early discussions with the England international over a move to the London Stadium.

Nevertheless, a gap in valuation is said to exist between the Hammers and Manchester United, who would ask for a considerable bid even to consider letting Maguire depart in this window.

Last term, Maguire, who was hailed at "classy" recently, made 31 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils and was mainly used as a rotational squad option, as per Transfermarkt.

In conversation with Lord Ping cited by METRO, former Tottenham and Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham encouraged Maguire to move to Spurs this summer, stating: "Harry Maguire would be an excellent option for Tottenham. Whenever you watch Maguire play for England, he rarely lets anyone down. He is a solid, proven professional that is well suited for the Premier League."

Of course, the former Leicester City defender was recently stripped of the Manchester United captaincy and Bruno Fernandes has been appointed as his successor.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown thinks that Maguire to Tottenham is a transfer he could see 'working out' under Postecoglou, though he also stated that his pace could be a "potential issue".

Brown told FFC: "I think the manager and he way he wants to play, you know, with a kind of high tempo, let's go at people kind of style. I think Maguire's ability in possession would be quite important for that, finding that first pass out of defence. I think he fits in possibly quite well there. The only thing I would say is that I don't think the Spurs backline is massively blessed with pace at the moment and neither is Maguire, so that could be a potential issue. In principle, it's one that I could see working out."

What next for Tottenham Hotspur?

Spurs boss Postecoglou will be keen to add to his additions of James Maddison, Gugliemo Vicario and Manor Solomon in the next few weeks as he readies his side for action in 2023/24, as per Transfermarkt.

Football London journalist Alisdair Gold has taken to Twitter X to reveal that Tottenham could be set to bid for Fulham central defender Tosin Adarabioyo, stating on the social media platform: "Also understand there is a growing expectation Spurs will make a bid for Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo as one CB arrival. The 25-year-old is believed to be keen on the move and Spurs have shown a lot of interest in him. Again, they can't hang around though."

Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo

In light of speculation surrounding the future of Harry Kane in north London, Flamengo striker Pedro has emerged as an alternative in case the England international is sold to Bayern Munich, according to The Independent.

Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic has also been earmarked to replace Kane and has been made available due to financial problems at his current employers, as per Football Insider.

Liton Das' 85 sets up big Abahani win

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier League matches that took place on May 24,2017

ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2017

File photo – Liton Das cracked his 12th List A half-century•AFP

Liton Das’ 73-ball 85 led a strong batting performance by Abahani Limited, who brushed aside Prime Bank Cricket Club by 60 runs in the 2017 DPL’s first Super League game – a rain-affected affair at the BKSP-4 ground in Savar.Das’ effort was complemented well by Nazmul Hossain Shanto and Mohammad Mithun, the Abahani captain, who both struck quick half-centuries of their own to lift Abahani to 321 for 6 in an innings curtailed to 47 overs. In reply, Prime Bank were snuffed out in 43.3 overs for 273.Das laid out a solid platform for Abahani with a century stand for the second wicket in the company of Saif Hassan who struck a more sedate 46. After Das fell, having struck eight fours and four sixes, Shanto and Mithun added 107 more for the fourth wicket. Atif Hossain and Manan Sharma then raced away to unbeaten cameos to shore up Abahani.Prime Bank’s innings was strewn with batsmen perishing after getting off to starts. Five of their top six made a score in excess of 20, but Zakir Hasan’s 55 was the highest score. Prime Bank captain Asif Ahmed mounted a late fightback, but ran out of partners. He struck 32 of the 44 runs his team scored after his arrival at 229 for 7, before becoming the last man to be dismissed. Manan led Abahani’s bowling efforts with 3 for 54, while Afif, Shuvagata Hom and Mohammad Saifuddin took two each.A 641-run slugfest at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium ended with Mohammedan Sporting Club prevailing by seven runs, consigning Gazi Group Cricketers to their third consecutive defeat.Mohammedan ran up 324 for 8 after half-centuries from Rony Talukdar (92) and Shamsur Rahman (74) at the top. Chasing a stiff target, Gazi Group were off to a flying a start, but ended up on 317 for 8.Anamul Haque and Munim Shahriar kicked off the chase with a 61-run opening stand in 6.4 overs. Kamrul Islam Rabbi struck in the seventh over to end Anamul’s burst on 36 off 22 balls. He had struck three fours and two sixes. Mominul Haque fell soon after, but Shahriar repaired the damage with identical stands of 64 for the third and fourth wickets, with Jahurul Islam and Parvez Rasool respectively.Shahriar fell for 88 in the 39th over, after which Suhrawadi Shuvo kept Gazi afloat with a 51-run seventh-wicket stand with Mahedi Hasan. Though Shuvo and Mahedi struck a combined 84 runs, they only managed three fours between them, and the lack of boundaries hurt Gazi in the end. Kamrul, Bipul Sharma and Sajedul Islam took two wickets each.When Mohammedan batted, they were lifted by a 148-run second-wicket stand between Shamsur and Talukdar. The stand ended with Shamsur’s dismissal for 74 that had one four and five sixes. Talukdar fell in the 35th over, after the score had crossed 200. Thereafter, Bipul (28 off 31) and Nazmul Hossain Milon (47 off 33) made handy contributions to propel them to a big total. Mahedi (1 for 49) and Rasool (1 for 51) impressed in their respective quotas.In another curtailed game, at the BKSP-3 Ground in Savar, Imtiaz Hossain’s career-best 128 vaulted Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club to a 40-run win over Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club.Imtiaz, who struck 17 fours and four sixes, made nearly half his team’s runs as Prime Doleshwar put up 274 for 7 in an innings shortened to 46 overs. In reply, Dhanmondi Club were bowled out for 251 after their batsmen failed to convert their starts.Imtiaz’s second-wicket stand of 176 with Shahriar Nafees (67) formed the bulwark of Prime Doleshwar’s total. Sharifullah later made a valuable late contribution through a 27-ball 35.Three of Dhanmondi Club’s batsmen made 40s, including Tanbir Hayder, who top-scored with 46, while Ziaur Rahman made 37. But none hung on to make a big score.Five of the six bowlers used by Prime Doleshwar were among the wickets. Chathuranga de Silva and Arafat Sunny were the most impressive of the lot with figures of 2 for 38 and 2 for 41 in their respective nine overs.

تشكيل ألانيا سبور أمام غازي عنتاب في الدوري التركي.. موقف أحمد حسن كوكا

أعلن المدير الفني لفريق ألانيا سبور، فتحي تقي، تشكيل اللاعبين الذين سيخوضون مباراة غازي عنتاب في الجولة الـ31 من الدوري التركي.

وتنطلق مباراة ألانيا سبور وغازي عنتاب في تمام الساعة السابعة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت “القاهرة” على ملعب “غازي عنتاب ستوديوم”.

اقرأ ايضاً.. ماذا قال كلوب عن إهدار محمد صلاح للعديد من الفرص أمام برايتون؟

ويحتل ألانيا سبور المركز العاشر في ترتيب الدوري التركي برصيد 39 نقطة، بينما يأتي غازي عنتاب في المركز السابع عشر برصيد 31 نقطة.

وحسبما نُشر، يتواجد المحترف المصري أحمد حسن كوكا في التشكيل الأساسي في مباراة الليلة أمام غازي عنتاب. تشكيل ألانيا سبور أمام غازي عنتاب في الدوري التركي

حراسة المرمى: محمود تاسكيران.

خط الدفاع: فلورنت هادرجيوناي – بايير – أليتي – بالكوفيتش.

خط الوسط: ريتشارد – ليروي فير – كاراكا.

خط الهجوم: أيدن – أوذيمر – أحمد حسن كوكا. بدلاء ألانيا سبور أمام غازي عنتاب في الدوري التركي

أيجون – ليما – أكسوي – جواو بيدرو – جانفير – هوانج – سيستو – أوجستو – ادواردو – أندرسون.

Everton: Dyche Could Now Repeat Toffees’ Moise Kean Mistake At Goodison Park

Everton are interested in a move for Inter Milan forward Joaquin Correa, according to reports in Italy.

What's the latest on Joaquin Correa to Everton?

According to reports in Italy (via FC Inter News), both the Toffees and West Ham United have made contact with Correa so far this summer, with the forward and the Inter Milan looking to part ways after an unsuccessful spell.

Correa's current valuation is as low as £17m, as per FootballTransfers, which is a significantly lower price than the €30m (£27m) that Inter paid Lazio for the forward back in July of 2022.

The drop in valuation should help the Argentine's exit this summer, who looks set to leave the club just one year after making his deal permanent.

Linked with a move to the Premier League, it will certainly be interesting to keep an eye on just where Correa ends up this summer.

Should Everton avoid Joaquin Correa?

Inter Milan forward Joaquin Correa.

With their Premier League status hanging by a thread in the last two seasons, Everton can ill afford yet another transfer flop, particularly in attack.

Last season, the Toffees spent a staggering €78m (£67m) on reinforcements. And the season before that, they spent close to €40 million (£35m) on adding to supposed quality needed to comfortably survive.

Things were anything but comfortable though, as Frank Lampard and Sean Dyche were forced to keep their sides afloat on the final days of their respective seasons in charge, so the issue hasn't exactly been a lack of funding.

The problem therein lies with the recruitment in the transfer market.

In many ways, moving for Correa – a forward who scored just four goals all of last season – would be a classic Everton move of recent times.

In fact, it would almost mirror their £25.1m deal to sign Moise Kean back in 2019.

The Italian arrived with so much promise, before scoring just four goals in 39 appearances and eventually finding his way back to Juventus.

Those in Italy have not been impressed with the Juventus forward, either, with the Liverpool Echo reporting that Italian newspapers labelled the 23-year-old 'lazy' and 'the worst' back in September as the Serie A side struggled domestically.

Correa's stats are even more damming, however.

At least Kean showed signs of promise prior to his Goodison Park move. Correa, contrastingly, has never looked like bursting into life for Inter.

Statistically speaking, too, when comparing the Argentina international with the former Everton man during his time in England's top flight, it is Correa who comes out the worse player.

During the 2019/20 campaign, Kean had more goal involvements per 90, whilst also enjoying a better take-on success, as per FBref.

Perhaps a killer blow for Dyche, which should end all plans to sign the Inter flop, is his poor aerial duel success.

Last season, the reported transfer target won just 25% of his duels, something that would not bode well in an often scrappy, yet effective, Dyche setup.

The more that it's looked at, the more it seems as though Everton would be better off avoiding a Kean mistake in signing Correa, who writer Jerry Mancini claimed had been "awful this season" before the new campaign gets underway.

Shock Leeds Update Emerges Regarding 68-Year-Old

Former Leeds United manager Sam Allardyce could return to the club in a different role this summer, according to a surprise update from journalist Ben Jacobs.

Why did Allardyce leave Leeds?

The 68-year-old was drafted in as Whites boss late in the 2022/23 season, tasked with producing a miracle escape act in the final weeks of the campaign.

Allardyce was unable to achieve such heroics, however, ultimately being given too difficult a job, following disappointing spells from both Jesse Marsch and Javi Gracia. His role as Leeds manager always felt like it would be a short-term one, with a different boss coming in this summer, so it was no great shock to see him depart recently.

While there was always a chance that he could stay on, especially if he kept the Whites in the Premier League, a younger, more long-term appointment is needed at Elland Road – someone who can be in the job for many years and take them back into the top flight.

Allardyce's days managing Leeds may be numbered, but a fresh claim suggests that his affiliation with the club may not yet be over.

Leeds United managerSamAllardycecelebrates their first goal

Could Allardyce take different job at Leeds?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs failed to rule out the possibility of Allardyce return to Elland Road in a different capacity this summer:

"Big Sam has already said that he doesn't feel he is the right man to lead Leeds as a manager, but that he is prepared to come in, in some other capacity."

This is clearly a shock claim from Jacobs, with Allardyce seemingly walking off into the sunset and having nothing to do with Leeds again after their relegation.

It is hard to see where the English veteran would fit in, however, unless new owners 49ers Enterprises find a position for him that they believe is perfect. A new sporting director is required, but he has no experience in that role, and a recent report suggests that the highly-rated Stuart Webber could be arriving from Norwich City in the near future.

In truth, it feels best for Allardyce to simply move on, with the former England manager not representing the future in the modern game, even though he deserves great credit for forging an impressive managerial career.

It's time for Leeds to look forward and acquire the services of younger individuals with fresh ideas, such as Webber, ensuring this new era at Elland Road is successful for many years to come.

موعد مباراة بيراميدز القادمة بعد التعادل مع نواذيبو في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

تعرف على موعد مباراة بيراميدز القادمة بعد التعادل مع نواذيبو في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

أنهي فريق بيراميدز مشواره في دوري أبطال إفريقيا هذا الموسم، بعدما فشل في التأهل إلى دور الـ8 من البطولة.

بيراميدز واجه نواذيبو الموريتاني، اليوم السبت، في الجولة السادسة والأخيرة من دور المجموعات لـ دوري أبطال إفريقيا، في مباراة تحصيل حاصل.

وانتهت مباراة بيراميدز ونواذيبو، بالتعادل الإيجابي 2-2، لينهي السماوي مرحلة المجموعات في المركز الأخير بـ5 نقاط.

وكان بيراميدز أنهي آماله بشكل رسمي في التأهل من دور المجموعات بعد الخسارة في الجولة الماضية أمام مازيمبي الكونغولي بثلاثية نظيفة.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة بيراميدز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا بعد نهاية دور المجموعات

وتعد هذه المشاركة الأولى لـ بيراميدز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا، بعدما كان قد احتل المركز الثاني في الدوري المصري الموسم الماضي.

ومن المقرر أن يعود بيراميدز لمنافسات الدوري المصري الممتاز، بمواجهة فاركو في المباراة القادمة له، التي تقام ضمن منافسات الجولة الـ15 من عمر المسابقة المحلية. موعد مباراة بيراميدز وفاركو في الدوري المصري

يلعب بيراميدز أمام فاركو، في الجولة الـ15 من عمر بطولة الدوري المصري يوم الأربعاء الموافق 6 مارس 2024، في تمام الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 8 بتوقيت السعودية.

Aravind helps Karnataka rout Delhi for 90

A round-up of all the Group B matches from the third round of 2016-17 Ranji Trophy matches

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Oct-2016As many as 13 wickets fell in Kolkata as Karnataka took the opening-day honours, taking a 41-run lead with seven wickets intact after bowling Delhi out for 90 in less than a session in their Group B fixture at Eden Gardens.Stand-in captain Karun Nair’s decision to bowl first was vindicated by the new ball bowlers. S Aravind, the left-arm seamer – who replaced the injured captain Vinay Kumar – triggered the meltdown, taking 4 for 12 in 11 overs as Delhi slumped to their lowest score against Karnataka. Their previous-lowest was 138 in the 2005-06 season.Aravind was complemented by Abhimanyu Mithun and offspinner K Gowtham, who returned to the state side after four years during Karnataka’s season-opener last week. Mithun took two wickets, and Gowtham took three, including that of the in-form Rishabh Pant (24) who had been put down twice – once by Gowtham himself at backward point, and once by Mayank Agarwal at slip.While the surface had a green tinge, it was far from menacing as the scorecard suggested. This was in evidence as the Karnataka openers added 87. While R Samarth, coming off a double century against Jharkhand, exuded confidence in his 53, Agarwal buried flamboyance for discipline for his 56, before fending a Vikas Tokas bouncer to third slip. Karnataka ended on 131 for 3, with Nair and Mithun at the crease.The effectiveness of Karnataka’s seamers may have encouraged Ishant Sharma, who was returning to competitive cricket after chikungunya kept him out for more than a month. But he was ineffective for the most part, as his length erred on the shorter side. On the odd occasions where he bowled full, he was driven comfortably. In comparison, Aravind proved that minute deviations on a helpful surface are just as effective as raw pace.Delhi’s only highlights came towards the ends of the day, when Robin Uthappa (5) and Agarwal (56) were caught in the slips.Cheteshwar Pujara carried forward his good form from the New Zealand Tests•Associated PressSaurashtra’s Cheteshwar Pujara (79 not out) and Sheldon Jackson (105) made Maharashtra rue their decision to bowl first in Vizianagaram. The pair’s 164-run third-wicket stand helped Saurashtra recover from the loss of their openers in the first session and post 285 for 3 at stumps. Jaydev Shah, the captain, was unbeaten on 35.Jackson, who walked in to bat at 67 for 2, struck 10 fours and five sixes in his 12th first-class ton, a 155-ball 105, before Akshay Darekar, the left-arm spinner, dismissed him in the final session. Sagar Jogiyani (24) and Avi Barot (28) were the other batsmen to be dismissed, falling to Rahul Tripathi and Mohsin Sayyad respectively.Ganesh Satish (93 not out) and Sanjay Ramaswamy (83) were the architects for Vidarbha, who went into stumps on Day 1 of their clash against Assam in Trivandrum on 254 for 3. The base was built during the course of a 131-run second-wicket stand between the pair, after Faiz Fazal, the captain, elected to bat. Offspinner Swarupam Purkayastha, picked up two wickets in four deliveries to briefly spark a revival, but Ganesh and Ravi Jangid ensured there was no further damage.Pankaj Singh’s second five-wicket haul this season put Rajasthan in a strong position against Jharkhand in Vadodara.Kaushal Singh top scored with 56 in Jharkhand’s 209 all out after electing to bat. Kaushal’s 96-run sixt-wicket stand with Ishank Jaggi (49) helped Jharkand climb out of a hole at 69 for 5. Pankaj Singh took three of those first five and ended with 5 for 60 off his 21 overs, while Nathu Singh and Ajay Singh took two wickets apiece.Rajasthan were 26 without loss at stumps.

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