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The contest was four balls short of being a match with the Thunder ahead of what the DLS target would have been

Andrew McGlashan21-Dec-2019The BBL match in Canberra was abandoned – four balls short of being a game – after smoke from the devastating bushfires, which are raging in New South Wales, drifted back over Manuka Oval on Saturday evening leading the umpires to suspend play due to poor visibility and air quality.The situation did not improve by the 9.14pm cut-off time to resume the game so each side took one point. The Thunder were ahead of both the par score after five overs (34) and what an adjusted five-over target would have been if there was time to resume for five more deliveries (38). When play was initially suspended, Callum Ferguson showed his frustration, although players and officials from both sides were quick to express their understanding of the situation.”There’s some people in the wider area going through some horrific times, so the fact you drop a point is not anything compared to what other people are going through,” Shane Bond, the Thunder coach, said. “The decision was made, we respect that decision and we are happy with the one point.”Visibility got poor during Sydney Thunder’s chase•Getty ImagesUmpire Paul Wilson told Fox Cricket: “I understand that the Thunder have four balls to go. We can’t take that into consideration. It’s about air quality. We would not have started like this.”A BBL statement said: “The KFC Big Bash League advises that tonight’s match between the Sydney Thunder and Adelaide Strikers at Manuka Oval has been abandoned due to dangerous and unreasonable playing conditions. The decision was taken by match officials after conducting a thorough assessment of conditions at the ground, with participant safety the number one priority. The League and all Clubs wish to reiterate that our thoughts and best wishes are with the people and communities affected by the current bushfire emergency.”Conditions had been assessed before the game started – with hazardous levels of air quality reported in the region – following heavy smoke at the venue on Friday, but the air had cleared sufficiently for the match to begin on schedule. The first innings was completed without incident, but in a matter of minutes during the chase, the smoke rolled in across the ground.”It’s been a bit hard to breathe all game, really,” Jake Weatherald said to the host broadcaster shortly after play was suspended. “You can see it coming though. Even the smell a little bit, we noticed it yesterday when we were training. We were training and there was this repugnant smell of fire.”Jonathan Wells hooks during his rapid half-century•Getty ImagesIt is the first professional match to have its result impacted by the fierce bushfire season, which has struck across Australia. Earlier this month, the Sheffield Shield game between New South Wales and Queensland at the SCG was completed in extremely hazy conditions, which raised a health and safety debate. There are concerns about the situation that could arise during the New Year Test at the SCG early next month, with Sydney having been blanketed in smoke regularly in recent weeks.Though when this match was called off the Thunder were within touching distance of victory, if the game had run its distance, the Strikers could have come back. Rashid Khan was just two balls into his first over, although the in-form Ferguson was hitting the ball crisply after Usman Khawaja had been superbly held at slip by Cameron White as Alex Carey dived in front of him.The Strikers’ innings had started poorly with Daniel Sams beginning with a wicket maiden, removing Phil Salt for a five-ball duck, before Matt Short was lbw sweeping at Jono Cook. However, Weatherald began the recovery with a well-paced 42 only to be undone by Sams’ perfect slower-ball.When Chris Morris, making his first appearance for the Thunder, removed Alex Carey and Rashid in the space of three balls, it appeared as though the innings would stutter to a finish, but Jono Wells struck a thumping 55 off 32 balls as 36 runs came from the last three overs.

Aston Villa's recent signings have all been fantastic, but none of them can top the arrival of Unai Emery.

The Villans have been completely transformed by the Spaniard, to the point where Villa Park could be playing the Champions League anthem next season.

However, what is always a great sign to suggest a transfer strategy is successful is whether those who are let go of don't reach new heights after leaving.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the player that Villa truly hit the jackpot on by letting them go in the summer.

Aaron Ramsey's time at Aston Villa

Just like his older brother Jacob, Aaron Ramsey began his career in the Villa academy as a youngster before progressing through the ranks to become one of the most promising players in the youth setup.

In 53 games for the U23s and U21s, the attacking midfielder scored 24 goals and provided 13 assists, but the English youngster only made one appearance for Villa's first team, which was in the 6-0 win over Barrow in the EFL Cup in 2021.

However, most of his Villa career as a professional was spent on loan at numerous EFL clubs, with his performances for Norwich City and Middlesbrough impressing enough for scout Jacek Kulig to describe Ramsey's campaign as "fantastic."

The first half of the campaign saw the 21-year-old play 18 Championship games for the Canaries, where he scored three goals and provided three assists.

Ramsey then joined Michael Carrick's side for the second half of the season, with the aim of achieving promotion. Boro ultimately missed out on that goal, but the Villa loanee scored five times and registered one assist in 11 league games.

Aaron Ramsey's 2023/24 season in numbers

In the summer, Ramsey's time at his boyhood club came to an end, with Emery deciding that the academy graduate was surplus to requirements. Vincent Kompany identified the attacker as a target, and in August, he secured the services of the Villans ace for £14m.

Ramsey only made one appearance in pre-season, but that was for Villa in the 1-1 draw against Walsall. The lack of games saw him take longer to return to fitness, and he made his Burnley debut in the matchday three 3-1 defeat to his former club Villa as a second-half substitute.

Three days later, the versatile star made his first start for the club, but just after the break, he suffered an injury that saw him miss just under a month of action. It wasn't exactly the dream start to life at Turf Moor that he would have imagined.

From that point on, Ramsey has been in and out of the team and failed to register a single goal contribution, making just 14 appearances and five starts, with an average of 37 minutes per game. Unfortunately, his season statistics will stay at that after he picked up a terrible knee injury against Arsenal recently, which will keep him out for the rest of the campaign.

Appearances

14

Goals

0

Assists

0

Shots per game

0.4

Touches per game

17.8

Key passes per game

0.07

Successful dribbles per game

0.2

Unfortunately, Ramsey has had a few injury problems over the years, with one at the start of 2023 also causing him issues, but as you can see by the table, he was largely ineffective and poor during the matches he did play in, and to receive £14m pure profit for the attacker was certainly a smart decision by Villa.

On and off the field Australia is leading the way for women’s cricket and it’s starting to show around the world

Alex Malcolm18-Oct-2019The WBBL might be about to highlight a problem. It’s not a problem for Cricket Australia, but it could be for the ICC and the rest of the boards around the world.There is a distinct possibility that WBBL05, a domestic competition, will be the highest standard of women’s cricket played around the world at the moment.CA’s investment in the women’s game along with a generation of outstanding players has combined to turn women’s international cricket into a tour de force for Australia over the last two years. Since the start of 2018 Australia have played 45 internationals and lost just three, including setting a new world record streak of 18 ODI victories and winning the 2018 T20 World Cup in the West Indies.New Zealand allrounder and the Adelaide Strikers import Sophie Devine believes the collection of players at the WBBL is second to none and the even distribution of Australian talent across the eight teams makes it the gold standard of women’s cricket, at least among the domestic leagues.”I think at the end of the day they’ve got the best players from around the world playing in it and I think that makes a huge difference,” Devine told ESPNcricinfo. “If you want the competition to be the best you’ve got to have the best and I think that helps the WBBL in terms of the standard of the game. The collection of players that every side has got, not just overseas but domestic and their Australian players, it just makes such a big difference.”However, there are some big names absent this season. The tournament will be without India’s stars without India’s stars with the new standalone tournament running from late October to mid-December clashing with India’s tour of the West Indies.West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor, who has signed with the Strikers this season after four years at the Sydney Thunder, is only available for the bookends of the tournament due to that tour but will form a formidable trio at the Strikers alongside Devine and Suzie Bates when available.Nida Dar will create history as the first Pakistan player in the WBBL and Ireland’s Kim Garth returns to the tournament, but what continues to standout is the depth available to Australia and there are concerns the gap will continue to grow.Brisbane Heat are crowned WBBL champions•Getty ImagesElyse Villani has fallen out of favour but was one of the leading run scorers in the WBBL last season and will captain the Melbourne Stars this year. Sophie Molineux has likewise been on the fringes of the national side but is one of the competition’s best allrounders for the Melbourne Renegades, and nearly stole last year’s semi-final from the Sydney Sixers off her own bat.However, it’s not just the talent, it’s the professionalism. The fielding, fitness, and athleticism of the WBBL players stands out to Devine as a leading indicator of why the competition stands out.”Having the professionalism of the women’s game over here domestically, you’re not just talking about 15 of your top players being contracted but it’s 90-odd players here that are full-time athletes,” she said. “That helps raise the standard. And I think the biggest difference I’ve noticed over the last couple of years are in the field, diving, moving, throwing, catching, all those skills have improved massively over here and that just adds to the whole spectacle of it.”You only have to look at the semis and the final last year to see how much great athleticism was shown by all the teams out there. So those are the things that make cricket great but it also makes it a great product for people to watch.”Erin Burns’ diving stop to deny Molineux in the semi-final and Haidee Birkett’s stunning outfield catch stand in stark contrast to some of the shoddy fielding and running between the wickets from West Indies during Australia’s 6-0 sweep on the recent tour of the Caribbean.Devine said the wheels are slowly turning in terms of global investment into the women’s game. New Zealand Cricket recently increased the number of central contracts, development deals have been offered and there is a domestic contracts structure albeit at a significantly lower sum than in Australia.”We’ve been really fortunate that we’ve just negotiated a new MOU, with the White Ferns and also some development contracts,” Devine said. “So an increase in pay, which is going to help us train more full time, which we’ve got to do to keep up, not just with Australia but with England, India, South Africa, West Indies. A lot more teams are putting the money and the resources to stay up with the top teams. We’re really fortunate for that.”Visibility is another issue. Australian supporters are seeing their heroes, not just on the pitch on free-to-air television, but in places where they have yet to reach in other nations.”I was in the supermarket the other day and I saw some of the Aussie women’s cricket team on [cereal] boxes,” Devine said. “Things like that, to me just brings a massive smile to my face to see that there’s positive female athletes being represented out there.”I remember growing up I didn’t even know there was a women’s cricket team in New Zealand. I was always following the Black Caps and men’s teams going around. It wasn’t until about the 2000 World Cup that I remember actually watching my first ever women’s game down at Lincoln where they obviously won it for New Zealand, their only time so far. I just think to be seen is such a huge thing for young girls growing up to see them and to normalise it as well.”Particularly cricket, it’s so often referred to as a gentleman’s game but to see the likes of Ellyse Perry, Meg Lanning, Suzie Bates, there’s so many great female athletes out there it’s just awesome to see how the visibility is getting better. There’s still a long, long way to go but it’s certainly a starting point and it’s great to see.”

The “top player” wage demands of USMNT star Weston McKennie in order to make a Premier League transfer possible have been revealed.

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Midfielder has one year left on contract in ItalyBeing used as a makeweight in move for LuizWants to get paid what he is worth in EnglandWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international, who suffered relegation out of the English top-flight in 2023 during a loan spell at Leeds, is seeing a switch to Aston Villa lined up. That agreement will see the 25-year-old midfielder included in a part-exchange deal.

AdvertisementGetty/InstagramTHE BIGGER PICTURE

McKennie’s current employers, Juventus, are looking to lure Douglas Luiz away from Villa. They are prepared to include two players – with England U21 international Samuel Iling-Junior also being added to the package – in order to land Brazil international Luiz.

DID YOU KNOW?

Terms are said to have been agreed between Juve and Luiz, but McKennie remains in talks regarding a settlement package – with there 12 months left to run on his contract in Italy. also reports that the American is demanding a “top player” salary at Villa – with his terms in Turin reportedly worth €2.5 million-a-year after tax.

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GettyWHAT ROMANO SAID

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano still expects a deal to happen, telling : “The problem, from what I am told, is not between McKennie and Aston Villa on the contract. The problem is between McKennie and Juventus on the exit conditions. When you leave a club and your contract and your salary is different to what you are going to get at your new club, you need to agree on the kind of compensation. There are some things to clarify between Juventus and McKennie to make this deal happen. All parties keep trying to find solutions, so Juventus and Aston Villa are talking to find the best solution. The deal has not collapsed, remains absolutely on, but they need to agree on this point on Weston McKennie.”

Crystal Palace have seemingly made a move to win the race for Chelsea forward Armando Broja, according to reports.

Crystal Palace form under Hodgson

The Eagles are in a woeful run of form under Roy Hodgson, winning just one of their last 12 games in all competitions. As a result, Hodgson’s future has been placed in doubt, with the likes of Steve Cooper and Julen Lopetegui named as possible replacements for the current Palace boss.

A change in the dugout could help turn the club’s fortunes around, however, Steve Parish and Dougie Freedman also have the January transfer window to add quality to the squad.

A new attacker at Selhurst Park has been linked this month, with an offer made for Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah, whereas FC Krasnodar’s Jhon Cordoba and Sunderland’s Jack Clarke have also been mooted as targets. Broja appears to be another target, with a new update now emerging.

Armando Broja transfer update

According to HITC, Crystal Palace have made contact with Chelsea by expressing their interest in a deal for Broja. The Eagles aren’t alone, though, as Fulham, West Ham and Wolves have also done the same.

The report adds that Chelsea are ready to part ways with the forward before the end of the January transfer window and want at least £35m for his services. Another way the Blues are open to doing business is a loan with an obligation to buy.

The 22-year-old has only scored three goals in all competitions since the beginning of the 2022/23 season but has been limited to starts at Stamford Bridge.

Broja has been praised in the past by former Chelsea and Everton manager Frank Lampard, who saw the forward up close during his time at Stamford Bridge.

“He’s a very nice, very good lad and a very talented young boy. ‘He came into us at the start of the Covid times, trained with us and showed the attributes that I think you’re seeing now in the Premier League at Southampton. He’s fast, strong, has a real eye for goal and he’s a very, very good young player so I’m very aware of his strengths in a Southampton team playing very well.”

Meanwhile, Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has also hailed Broja in the past, labelling his attributes back in 2022, saying:

Therefore, securing the services of someone like Broja ahead of the likes of Fulham, Wst Ham and Wolves could be just what the Eagles need for the remainder of the season and in the long run, making this one to keep an eye on.

Chelsea co-owner Behdad Eghbali has personally set his sights on a title-contending manager to replace Mauricio Pochettino, with pressure growing on the Argentine after yet another poor Premier League campaign at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea booed in Wolves defeat

The Blues' latest league defeat to Wolves saw them drop to the bottom half, with the Old Gold leapfrogging them into 10th after they secured a 4-2 win over Pochettino's side in west London.

Related "The worst…" – Media slam one Chelsea player against Wolves

It was not a good day at the office for Blues.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Feb 4, 2024

Boos rang around the ground as Chelsea suffered two humbling consecutive defeats while conceding eight goals in the process, and there have been reports that those within Chelsea are not aligned when it comes to Pochettino and some of his decisions this season.

Chelsea's worst-performing players in the league (with at least 10 apps) – 23/24

Match rating per 90 (via WhoScored)

Lesley Ugochukwu

6.20

Noni Madueke

6.47

Malo Gusto

6.50

Mykhailo Mudryk

6.55

Axel Disasi

6.63

Chelsea have lost nearly half of the top-flight matches they've played this season while conceding more goals than every other side above them in the table – numbers which make for grim reading after they spent nearly £400 million last summer in an effort to back Pochettino.

The prospect of European football seems far-fetched at this point, but Pochettino does have an opportunity to clinch some much-needed silverware as they gear up for an EFL Cup final against Liverpool soon.

Nevertheless, Chelsea's on-field form has been poor yet again, and chairman Todd Boehly is under mounting scrutiny alongside Pochettino. Chelsea have even been linked with managers to replace Pochettino, with one coach turning heads all over the continent and now at Cobham.

Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, who is also a widely reported contender to replace Klopp at the end of this season when he departs Anfield, is currently unbeaten at the top of the Bundesliga and could usurp serial winners Bayern Munich to the German top-flight crown.

Eghbali eyeing Alonso to replace Pochettino

French news outlet Sport Zone have an update on Chelsea's interest in the Spaniard. Indeed, it is believed high-ranking Chelsea chief Eghbali wants Alonso to replace Pochettino, but fellow board member Boehly "tempers" the move.

The 42-year-old tactician has worked wonders at Leverkusen, first taking over when they were in real trouble yet transforming them into league-leading dominators. Right-back Jeremie Frimpong, speaking early last year, was effusive in his praise for Alonso after he first helped to turn the tide.

"He is a great coach, he came and gave us new energy, it was a fresh start. Everyone wanted to impress. When he arrived it was like we forgot about the start of the season and we focused on improving because there was still a lot of the season left," said Frimpong.

قرر أشرف صبحي وزير الشباب والرياضة، إطلاق اسم اللاعبه فريال أشرف صاحبه الميدالية الذهبية في الكاراتيه في أولمبياد طوكيو 2020 على مركز شباب الأندلس بالمرج بمحافظة القاهرة.

جاء ذلك، خلال لقاء وزير الشباب والرياضة باللاعبة فريال أشرف وبحضور الدكتور وليد الملاح رئيس شركة روابط الرياضية، والدكتور هيثم الملاح نائب رئيس شركة روابط الرياضية.

7 ميداليات حصيلة مشاركة مصر في دورة الألعاب البارالمبية باريس 2024

تناول اللقاء الحديث عن توفير رعاة للاعبة فريال أشرف عقب عودتها للتدريب مرة أخرى، والتنسيق لتوفير كافة الإمكانيات لعودة اللاعبة بقوة، ومن ثم تمثيل المنتخب المصري في البطولات القادمة.

وأكد أشرف صبحي أن إطلاق اسم اللاعبين أصحاب الميداليات الأولمبية والبارالمبية على مراكز الشباب يأتي في إطار دعم الدولة المتواصل لأبطال مصر الرياضيين، ومساهمة ذلك في تحقيق المزيد من النجاحات، وتعزيز مكانة مصر على الساحة الرياضية العالمية.

يواصل مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك برئاسة حسين لبيب، سعيه لإبرام صفقات مميزة، من أجل دعم الفريق الكروي الأول خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.

وأعلن الزمالك عن التعاقد مع السنغالي سيدي ندياي مهاجم فريق جيدياوايي السنغالي، لتدعيم صفوف الخط الأمامي للفريق.

خاص – جوميز يستقر على ضم ثنائي الزمالك لأول مرة لقائمة مباراة الشرطة الكيني

وأوضح نادي الزمالك في بيان رسمي حصل بطولات على نسخة منه، أن التعاقد تم لمدة أربعة مواسم خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية.

وكان اللاعب اجتاز الكشف الطبي خلال الساعات القليلة الماضية بعد وصوله إلى القاهرة، مساء يوم الأحد الماضي.

ومن المقرر أن يتم قيد اللاعب تحت السن خاصة وأنه مواليد 2005، ليستعد للمشاركة مع الفريق في الدوري المصري خلال الموسم المقبل.

وكان الجهاز الفني للفريق بقيادة البرتغالي جوزيه جوميز رحب بالتعاقد مع اللاعب بعد متابعته في الفترة الماضية.

Winning the Championship in style last season, Vincent Kompany's Burnley side entered the Premier League in the hope of kicking on even further. As we approach the halfway mark, however, the Clarets sit 19th and five points adrift of safety, having endured a disastrous start to the season. A recent 5-0 thumping of Sheffield United gave them a much-needed boost, before a solid draw against Brighton & Hove Albion, but Komany's side still have a lot of work to do.

Reinforcements could be the key to their improvement, whether that be sticking to their summer transfer tactic of welcoming young players or, instead, perhaps those more experienced this time around. That said, reports suggest that the Clarets are eyeing one particular in-demand player.

Burnley transfer news

Those at Turf Moor opted for players with the potential to turn into Premier League regulars such as James Trafford and Zeki Amdouni rather than those more established in England's top flight and have since faced the short-term consequences of relegation trouble.

Burnley now lining up cut-price move for "outstanding" player in January

The Clarets aren’t the only side keen.

BySean Markus Clifford Dec 6, 2023

Burnley have won just twice all season, with one of those victories coming recently, highlighting just how slowly they started the current campaign. In that run, Kompany may have learned a lot about his players, which could see him target one specific reinforcement.

According to The Daily Mail, Burnley are eyeing a move for KAA Gent left-back Archie Brown, who has also attracted the interest of Leeds United, Everton and clubs in both the Bundesliga and Serie A in what could be a tough battle for his signature. If Burnley want to sign the former Derby County left-back, however, they may have to wait until the summer, with Gent reportedly set to keep hold of their player until the end of the season at the very least.

Kompany could finally replace Maatsen with Archie Brown

Since the end of Ian Maatsen's loan spell at the club, Burnley have struggled to replicate the left-back's work within their back four, with Charlie Taylor failing to replace the current Chelsea man. The arrival of Brown would finally solve that problem for Kompany, however. Here's how Brown's stats compare to Taylor and Maatsen:

Player

Progressive Carries Per 90

Progressive Passes Per 90

Take-ons Completed Per 90

Blocks Per 90

Archie Brown

4.85

3.11

2.72

1.36

Charlie Taylor

1

3.77

0.38

1.23

Ian Maatsen (for Burnley)

3.51

6.14

0.68

1.01

Looking at the numbers, the Gent man wouldn't just finally fill the void left by Maatsen, but he'd potentially do an even better job. Brown's versatility would also hand Kompany a major boost, given that he can play left-back, centre-back and left-midfield. So, when the January transfer window swings open, before the summer hands clubs another attempt, the left-footed Brown certainly looks like one to keep an eye on.

Burnley may need improvements and Brown would be exactly that. At 22 years of age, the Englishman also fits in with the club's apparent transfer tactic of signing stars for the future. Every way you look at it, Burnley could pursue the fullback's signature sooner rather than later, making this one to watch.

How the game played outLocal firepower helped Sylhet Sixers to a 58-run win over Khulna Titans. Liton Das, Afif Hossain and Sabbir Rahman struck quick runs to power them to 195 for 4 in 20 overs. Sixers made a solid start when Liton and Afif added 71 for the opening stand, before Sabbir and Mohammad Nawaz provided a flourish in their 89-run unbroken fifth-wicket stand.Afif’s 49 contained five fours and two sixes, while Sabbir cracked four fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 29-ball 44. Sixers then bowled with much discipline too, particularly Nabil Samad, who finished with 3 for 20 from his four overs.Turning points

• Sabbir Rahman and Mohammad Nawaz plundering 52 runs in the last three overs to give the Sixers a much-needed scoring spike
• Jason Roy’s amazing one-handed catch, running from long-off and diving full length to his left, to get rid of Brendan Taylor when he was looking dangerous.

Star of the dayAfif played some superb strokes during his 37-ball knock, timing the ball well through point and square leg after starting his scoring with a six off Subashis Roy.The big missTitans’ bad day was summed up by the run out of Junaid Khan in the 18th over. After Nawaz had half-stopped the ball, he began examining his fingers for an injury. When called out to throw the ball, Nawaz scored a direct hit, and despite all the time the batsmen had in their hands to decide on the extra run, Junaid was stranded well outside his crease at the non-striker’s end, when Nawaz found the stumps with his throw.Where the teams standWith eight points, Sixers crawled back up to fifth place, displacing Rajshahi Kings. Titans, however, seem to be out of the tournament after their eighth defeat in 10 games.