Category Uncategorized

Tom Banton and Joe Clarke embodied a disastrous Hundred campaign

Matt Roller29-Aug-2022It was the £250,000 gamble that defined a season. Welsh Fire finished second-bottom in the inaugural men’s Hundred and with limited availability for leading overseas players, they calculated that rebuilding around two of England’s best young white-ball batters would be the way to go – not just for 2022, but for the seasons beyond.As a result, they used their top two picks in the draft to sign Joe Clarke and Tom Banton for £125,000 each. Neither player seemed an outlandish top-bracket signing at the time: Clarke had been in belligerent form for Nottinghamshire in the Blast for several years and was Melbourne Stars’ player of the season at the BBL, while Banton had just returned to England’s T20I side and shown glimpses of his old form after a lean couple of years.Five months on, Fire’s outlay on Clarke and Banton looks like a monumental waste of money: they managed 185 runs off 190 balls between them, spread across 14 painstaking innings. They were picked to be match-winners for a team that ended up finishing the season with eight defeats from eight.Related

Dawid Malan fifty ensures Trent Rockets comfortably qualify for Hundred play-offs

Mascarenhas: 'Keep it simple, bowl our best balls for as long as we can'

Lintott: Compromise is key to overcome scheduling carnage

The Hundred play-off scenarios: Five men's teams in contention, Brave and Invincibles eye women's final

Hartley takes four as Originals hammer Phoenix to close in on knockout spot

In Fire’s final defeat, against Trent Rockets on Monday night, their dismissals summed up their lack of form: Banton was pinned on the pad for 9 off 7 balls by a shin-high full toss from Sam Cook after slashing two boundaries through point, while Clarke walked past Samit Patel’s slow left-arm after hitting a huge six over midwicket but precious little else in his 15 off 14.”We are playing professional sport and it hasn’t been good enough,” Gary Kirsten, Fire’s head coach, said after their defeat to Northern Superchargers in their final home game. “You have to be competitive and look to win, but we’ve struggled. We just haven’t got enough runs on the board because too many batsmen are out of form.”Kirsten’s analysis was sound, but if the Hundred has any sporting integrity as a tournament then he should not be the man in charge of leading their rebuild next year. His side won their first two games last season thanks to Jonny Bairstow half-centuries, and have one win in fourteen since then; it is time for a new coach with fresh ideas.Jonny Bairstow’s late withdrawal was a significant blow•Getty ImagesThey will need to replace their captain, too. Josh Cobb was retained from their 2021 squad on a £30,000 salary, the lowest price point in the tournament, then handed a poisoned chalice when he was asked to be the figurehead of a team featuring young players earning four times more than him. His tactics in the field have been sound, but 45 runs at 6.42 summed up his struggles.Clearly, they were short on luck at times: Bairstow was only ever due to play three games for them but his eleventh-hour withdrawal was clearly a blow; Naseem Shah’s first involvement in Pakistan’s limited-overs teams rendered him unavailable at short notice; David Miller started the year in career-best form and averaged 12.16.But the collective failure of so many talented players hints at a problem that goes beyond on-field personnel and the overall pattern was grim: they failed to reach 150 and while they ran Phoenix close and gave London Spirit a brief scare, six of their defeats were thrashings. The first ball of their final defeat against Rockets, a bottom-edge which squirmed under George Scrimshaw at short third and away for four, seemed to confirm that it is time to rip everything up and start again.Debriefing Fire’s season on Sky Sports, Simon Doull and Dominic Cork suggested that they had suffered a lack of identity after assembling a squad without a single Glamorgan player in it. “That’s my biggest issue with it,” Doull said. “You cannot tell me that Glamorgan don’t have any players that are good enough to play in the Hundred.”But it is hard to make the case that drafting Dan Douthwaite and Prem Sisodiya would have turned their season around. No team has won fewer Blast games than Glamorgan over the last five years and only two of their squad – Timm van der Gugten and the retiring Michael Hogan – are involved in the Hundred at all. Their problems run much deeper than that.Gary Kirsten and Josh Cobb oversaw a winless season•Harry Trump/Getty ImagesInstead, the starting point to the rebuild might be to recruit an overseas batter with full availability for 2023 as captain: Shan Masood, who has led Derbyshire and Multan Sultans with success, would be a strong candidate to deal with the slow pitches at Sophia Gardens, while New Zealand’s clear schedule in the FTP could, in theory, open up Kane Williamson’s involvement.Whatever they decide to do, the only way is up. The ECB’s decision to allocate one of the eight teams to Cardiff rather than Bristol or Taunton was intended to revitalise cricket in Wales but it is hard to see supporters heading back to Sophia Gardens next season if they are expecting more of the same.The beauty about short-form cricket is meant to be that anyone can beat anyone, particularly in tournaments where a strict salary cap and draft mechanism are in place to ensure competitive balance. The men’s Hundred’s biggest issue in 2022 has been a dearth of tight finishes: the tournament cannot afford Welsh Fire to be whipping boys.

Winter is here, and Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank knows he is staring down the barrel of a gun as he looks to find form and consistency after a tough start to his tenure.

That may be an understatement. Spurs have lost three on the trot, and Saturday’s home defeat against Fulham in the Premier League means the 3-0 victory over Burnley in August remains an outlier in regard to three points down N17 this season.

The fans are frustrated, no doubt about that. And they have a right to be. Tottenham have lacked sparkle in their attacking play this season, though Frank will feel that injuries to Dominic Solanke, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have put him on the back foot.

Much has been made of the Londoners’ creativity (or lack thereof), but it’s also clear that the Lewis Family need to authorise the signing of a centre-forward.

Why Spurs need a striker

Harry Kane and Heung-min Son have both left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in recent years, and the superstars have not really been replaced with elite options.

Mathys Tel is young and talented, but he is also raw. Solanke is a proven Premier League star, but his entire stint in north London has been blighted by setbacks. Richarlison is in fine form, but probably not the long-term solution at number nine.

What Frank and the fanbase need is an up-and-coming superstar to spearhead this next era at the club.

That’s why Samu Agwehowa has been earmarked. According to TEAMtalk, Tottenham have joined the race for the 21-year-old Porto striker after his convincing performances in Portugal.

The Spanish international has a €100m (about £88m) release clause in his contract, though Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange would be certain to lodge an offer far south of that daunting figure.

What Samu would bring to north London

Richarlison is a curious striker. He is capable of so much, and yet he performs to his full capacity with consistent inconsistency.

25/26

13

5 + 2

24/25

14

4 + 1

23/24

28

11 + 4

22/23

27

1 + 4

Injuries have not helped the Brazil international, but it’s clear that he is not Kane. That said, Richarlison has been in moderately good form this season, essential in providing an outlet as Solanke founders in the infirmary.

But in Samu, Frank would land a goalscorer who has the potential to be “one of the best strikers in Europe”, according to journalist Zach Lowy, so powerful and potent in the final third.

Joining Porto from Atletico Madrid in 2024, Samu has chalked up 37 goals and four assists across just 62 appearances, including ten from 17 outings in all competitions this season.

He ranks among the top 8% of forwards in the Primeira Liga for progressive carries and the top 3% for successful take-ons, emphasising not only his pace but his control and force when on the ball and driving forward.

His athleticism and natural poaching instinct earn him a certain likeness to Richarlison, but given his age and the consistency of goalscoring, Samu might actually prove an upgrade on the South American.

Take, for example, his Europa League performances this year, winning 57% of his duels and averaging a tackle per game, as per Sofascore.

Combativeness forms a key part of Richarlison’s toolbox, and if Spurs are to upgrade on the 28-year-old, who has actually been linked with a move away from the club of late, they will want to sign someone who can emulate him while building up a skillset that transcends what Spurs have hosted in recent years.

Samu is all that and more, and he would be a fantastic signing for a Tottenham team in need of a new talisman.

Spurs star who was one of "the best" in the country is now as bad as Porro

Some of Tottenham’s star players have let Thomas Frank down this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Dec 2, 2025

Nottingham Forest have now agreed a deal to sign a “frightening” star, who has emerged as a target for some of Europe’s top clubs this summer, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Nottingham Forest set sights on new midfielder and winger

With Forest set to take part in the Europa Conference League for the first time next season, Nuno Espirito Santo may need to increase the depth of his squad, and one position in which the manager is particularly keen to strengthen is central midfield.

Palmeiras’ Richard Rios is now in the Tricky Trees sights, following the maestro’s impressive performances at the Club World Cup, while they are also considering bringing defensive midfielders Douglas Luiz and Joao Palhinha back to the Premier League.

Player

Current club

Potential cost

Richard Rios

Palmeiras

£85m

Douglas Luiz

Juventus

£34m

Joao Palhinha

Bayern Munich

£30m

Not only is a new midfielder of interest, but Nuno may also be tasked with bringing in a new winger, amid major doubts over Anthony Elanga’s future, with Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie revealing he believes the 23-year-old will join Newcastle United.

With Elanga potentially heading to St. James’ Park, Nottingham Forest have now stepped up their pursuit of a new winger, and they have now reached an agreement with Lyon over a deal for Malick Fofana, although personal terms are yet to be finalised.

Fofana is waiting to hear from the Champions League clubs interested in his signature, with Chelsea still keen, while Premier League champions Liverpool were named as potential suitors over the past few days.

Bayern Munich and Napoli have also made approaches to sign the Lyon star, so it could be difficult for the Tricky Trees to get a deal over the line, but it is promising news that they have been able to strike an agreement with Lyon.

"Frightening" Fofana could be real coup for Nottingham Forest

A deal for the Lyon star is likely to be on the expensive side, given the French club’s asking price of £42m, but there are plenty of signs that he could be worthy of potentially becoming Forest’s record signing.

The Belgian has been prolific in front of goal for Lyon over the past year, placing in the 90th percentile for non-penalty goals per 90, when compared to other forwards, while the winger’s dribbling ability is underlined by the fact he ranks in the top 2% for progressive carries.

Nottingham Forest now ready to make £21m offer for "superb" midfielder

The Tricky Trees are now prepared to make an opening bid for a midfielder, having recently made contact over a potential deal.

ByDominic Lund Jul 1, 2025

U23 scout Antonio Mango has also been left impressed by the 20-year-old in the past, lauding him for his “frightening speed”, while describing the youngster as a “1v1 dribbling phenom”.

As such, Fofana could be a real coup for Forest, but it could be difficult to win the race for his signature, should a Champions League club decide to formalise their interest in the starlet by matching the Tricky Trees’ offer.

“We spent a bit of money, but what we’re trying to do is rebuild this franchise basically from the ground up,” Ponting says on spending big on Chahal and Arshdeep

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Nov-2024Shreyas Iyer was expected to attract big bids at the IPL 2025 mega auction, and he did, going to Punjab Kings (PBKS) for INR 26.75 crore (US$3.18 million approx.) – and he could well be the team’s new captain. “He’ll be a great leader for our team if we decide to go that way, which I’m pretty sure we probably will,” Ricky Ponting, PBKS’ head coach, said soon after the acquisition.It was frenetic stuff from PBKS early on in the auction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after they started with the biggest purse of the ten teams, a result of retaining just two uncapped players from their last roster: Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh. They spent the biggest bucks on Iyer, Arshdeep Singh (INR 18 crore) and Yuzvendra Chahal (INR 18 crore). Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell also went their way.”I wanted to work with Shreyas,” Ponting told . “I’ve worked with him before and he is a great guy and a great player. He’ll be a great leader for our team if we decide to go that way, which I’m pretty sure we probably will. And obviously, he was the championship-winning captain last year. So there are lots of great things about bringing him to Punjab.”The two had worked together at Delhi Capitals (DC) before Iyer moved to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), whom he led to the title in IPL 2024.Chahal, meanwhile, has a new home after having played for Mumbai Indians (MI), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR). He said he “deserves” the price he was bought for.Speaking to , Chahal said, “I was quite nervous and anxious because this amount is what I got in the last three seasons combined.”I had a hunch and even my friends told me that I’d go to Punjab, but I had no idea it would be for such a high price. I had 12 crore-13 crore in mind, but I do deserve this. Wherever you go, you always have the opportunity to learn and grow, and I’ll make sure to work hard and deliver my best.”2:08

Moody: Chahal will enjoy playing under Ponting

On being able to bring the IPL’s highest wicket-taker (Chahal has 205 wickets) into the fold, Ponting told , “Yuzi is the highest-quality Indian spinner in the auction, so, we wanted to fill certain gaps with the best players we possibly could. And yes, we spent a bit of money to get there, but what we’re trying to do is rebuild this franchise basically from the ground up and you can’t do that without the best players.”So, we felt so far that the auction’s gone exactly the way we wanted. We’ve got a bit of work to do in the back half this afternoon, but that’s the fun of it.”As for Arshdeep, he has been one of the IPL’s great success stories. He has only ever played for PBKS, was released ahead of this auction, and then bought back to continue the relationship and add to the 76 wickets he has.”We had certain targets coming into the auction as every team does. Arshdeep was obviously the first one,” Ponting said. “He’s been in our franchise for a number of years. I was really keen to get him back. Left-arm fast bowler, obviously, with a great skill set with the new ball and the old ball and, you know, one of India’s leading wicket-takers in T20 cricket. So he was a perfect fit for us.”

خاض الأسطورة الأرجنتينية ليونيل ميسي مباراته الأولى مع برشلونة في مثل هذا اليوم قبل 21 عاماً، ولا يزال يتذكر ذلك اليوم المميز.

ويعد ليونيل ميسي أعظم لاعب في تاريخ برشلونة ويراه الكثيرون كأعظم لاعب في تاريخ كرة القدم، وكان برشلونة قد نشر سلسلة من الصور عبر “إنستجرام” لنجم إنتر ميامي الحالي بقميص النادي.

وتظهر هذه الصور ليونيل ميسي بقميص برشلونة في ظهوره الأول وكذلك تستعرض مسيرته أيضاً، وعلق النجم الأرجنتيني على ذكريات ارتدائه لهذا القميص لأول مرة وقال عبر حسابه الرسمي على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي: “21 عاماً بالفعل، مذهل”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. ألفاريز يوجه ضربة قوية لبرشلونة ويختار وجهة أوروبية كبرى في يناير

وكان ميسي قد ظهر لأول مرة مع برشلونة بالقميص رقم 30، حيث دخل كبديل بدلاً من لاعب خط الوسط البرتغالي ديكو خلال الفوز ضد إسبانيول بهدف نظيف.

ولعب ميسي معظم مسيرته مع برشلونة منذ تصعيده للفريق الأول تحت قيادة فرانك ريكارد في 2004 واستمر حتى عام 2021 قبل أن ينضم لباريس سان جيرمان ثم إلى انتر ميامي في 2023.

وحقق ميسي مع برشلونة 35 لقبًا أبرزها دوري أبطال أوروبا 4 مرات، ولقب الليجا 10 مرات، إلى جانب كأس ملك اسبانيا 7 مرات والسوبر الاسباني 7 مرات والسوبر الأوروبي 3 مرات وكأس العالم للأندية 3 مرات.

Sunderland are in the mix to complete the signing of one of Europe’s most sought-after young players, according to a fresh transfer claim.

Sunderland to use Bellingham money for new signings

The Black Cats have been dealt the rather predictable blow of losing Jobe Bellingham this summer, with the teenager off to Borussia Dortmund, copying the career path of his brother, Jude Bellingham.

While not having the midfielder in their ranks in the Premier League next season is a big blow, Sunderland will at least receive around £30m+ for him, which can be spent on new signings who can aid Regis Le Bris’ side’s battling to avoid a speedy return to the Championship.

Manchester City youngster Charlie Gray has been mentioned as a potential replacement for Bellingham ahead of the 2025/26 season, with the 19-year-old struggling with opportunities at the Etihad. He is predominantly a defensive midfielder, but he can take up more attacking roles, too.

Meanwhile, Bournemouth defender Chris Mepham has been linked with a return to the Stadium of Light this summer, with the 27-year-old now an experienced head who should still remain at his peak for the foreseeable future.

Sunderland battling Newcastle for young star

According to On The Minute, Sunderland have joined the race to sign Djurgarden defender Keita Kosugi in the summer window, with rivals Newcastle also among those in the mix to snap him up for around £8m.

The report says that the 19-year-old is considered “one of the most sought-after young talents in Europe”, highlighting his potential, and the Black Cats are trying to snap him up, along with Nottingham Forest, Celtic, Paris Saint-Germain and Atalanta.

Kosugi may not yet be known to British football fans, but his long-term potential makes him such an exciting option for Sunderland, who need to find the right blend of youth and experience when the new Premier League campaign gets underway in August.

The teenage left-back won 10 caps for Japan’s Under-17s during his younger days, and he has already made 45 appearances for Djurgarden, scoring five goals and registering two assists in that time. Meanwhile, video scout Elijah Michiels has described him as “excellent”.

Kosugi can come in and provide competition for Dennis Cirkin at left-back straight away, starting off as a squad player who hopefully matures into a key man as time passes.

He is already more experienced than his age arguably suggests, coming up against Chelsea in the semi-finals of UEFA Europa Conference League, and if he reaches his possible ceiling, Sunderland could have an absolute gem of a signing on their hands.

Sunderland plot swoop to sign Man City gem who may replace Bellingham

The Black Cats are planning for the worst.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 9, 2025

Le Bris has shown faith in youth already, from Bellingham to Chris Rigg, and if he believes Kosugi is good enough to feature regularly from the off, he should be trusted.

وجه حسن شحاتة، المدير الفني الأسبق لمنتخب مصر، التهنئة لـ حسام حسن، مدرب الفراعنة الحالي، بعد التأهل إلى كأس العالم 2026.

وقاد حسام حسن، منتخب مصر، للتأهل إلى كأس العالم 2026، بعد احتلال صدارة المجموعة الأولى برصيد 23 نقطة، بعد مرور 9 جولات.

طالع.. فيديو | إنفانتينو يهنئ منتخب مصر على التأهل إلى كأس العالم 2026

وقال حسن شحاتة، عبر برنامج “كورة كل يوم” على قناة “الحياة”: “أبارك لمصر وحسام حسن واللاعبين على أدائهم والمكسب، وتأهلهم لكأس العالم في أمريكا”.

وتابع: “اللاعبون دائمًا يرفعون رأسنا باستمرار، وكل ذلك لم يأتِ من فراغ، بل جاء بمجهود بغض النظر عن المنتخبات التي نواجهها”.

ويعد شحاتة مدربًا تاريخيًا لـ منتخب مصر حيث قاد الفراعنة للتتويج بكأس أمم إفريقيا لثلاث مرات على التوالي، في الفترة ما بين 2006 إلى 2011.

Juventus are going to prepare a new proposal to ensure Randal Kolo Muani stays with them, but Paris Saint-Germain are against another loan deal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Juve intend to keep Kolo Muani next seasonWill prepare new proposal for the FrenchmanPSG want to permanent sale for a certain feeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Juventus are determined to bolster their attack ahead of the 2025-26 and are keen on retaining Kolo Muani for another season. claims that the Italian outfit will prepare a new proposal for the Frenchman — a loan deal for another year with a substantial fee with the obligation to buy next summer — which does not match the requirements of PSG.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Juve's new general manager Damien Comolli is working on a revised loan deal for Kolo Muani. Talks have been ongoing, with Juve aiming for a costly loan worth €10m including an obligation to buy should he meet certain criteria based on performances throughout the season. PSG, who paid €90m (£77m/$96m) for him in 2023, are reluctant to accept anything without guaranteed terms. However, the player’s desire to stay in Turin and PSG head coach Luis Enrique's lack of interest in his return could play in Juve’s favor as they seek to strengthen Igor Tudor’s attacking options.

DID YOU KNOW?

Last week, Gianluca Di Marzio reported that PSG wanted Juventus to pay €45m (£39m/$53m) if they wished to keep Kolo Muani. Les Parisiens have absolutely no desire of wasting more time before permanently offloading the 26-year-old. As such, the French international has been offered to a number of clubs across Europe in an attempt to drive up the price of the player.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

Juve have already signed Jonathan David as a free agent on a five-year contract and have been keeping tabs on Victor Osimhen's situation at Napoli. It is likely that the Nigerian will complete a permanent move to Galatasaray. However, there is still hope for the Serie A giants. If they can successfully offload Dusan Vlahovic, who seems to have no suitors at the moment, then they could reignite their pursuit of the wantaway Napoli striker.

The season will start on September 19 with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-2024

India will host Bangladesh, New Zealand and England during their 2024-25 home season, in which they will play five Tests, three ODIs and eight T20Is.The season will kick off on September 19 with a two-match Test series against Bangladesh. Chennai will host the first Test and Kanpur will host the second Test from September 27. This will be Bangladesh’s third Test tour to India. They played a one-off Test in 2017 and a two-match series in 2019.After the Test series, Bangladesh will play three T20Is as well, in Dharamsala, Delhi and Hyderabad.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

New Zealand will be the next to visit, for a three-match Test series starting on October 16 in Bengaluru. Pune and Mumbai will host the second and third Tests, respectively.Just before Champions Trophy 2025, England will tour for five T20Is and three ODIs. They had visited India earlier this year for a five-match Test series, which the hosts won 4-1.The Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand will count towards India’s push to qualify for their third successive World Test Championship final. They currently lead the WTC 2023-25 standings with six wins in nine Tests and a points total of 74, or 68.51% of their points contested. Other than these two home series, India’s remaining WTC assignment in this cycle is a five-Test tour of second-placed Australia in 2024-25.

Sunrisers Hyderabad showed how merciless modern T20 batting can look, obliterating the record they had themselves set earlier this season to post 287 for 3, the highest total in the IPL.Travis Head, who has won Australia the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup final over the last year, sent another warning signal for his opponents ahead of the T20 World Cup. He had scored a 24-ball 62 when Sunrisers made 277 for 3 against Mumbai on March 27; now he belted a career-best 102 off 41 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.Related

• Maxwell takes a break to refresh after asking to be rested by RCB

• Shock and awe all around at Head's hair-raising hundred

• Du Plessis: 'When the confidence is low, there's nowhere to hide'

• As it happened – SRH, RCB serve up surreal run-fest

• Stats – Sunrisers Hyderabad break their own record for highest-ever IPL total

The big hits were incessant. Head hit eight sixes, and Heinrich Klaasen seven in a 31-ball 67, out of a Sunrisers total of 22 – another IPL record. RCB did their bit too, on a dream day for batters, sending 16 hits soaring over the M Chinnaswamy Stadium’s boundaries as they made a superb effort to restrict the damage to their net run rate. They finished on 262 for 7, Dinesh Karthik leading the way with 83 off 35 balls.The match aggregate of 549 runs was the highest in all T20 cricket.Travis Head hit eight sixes out of a Sunrisers total of 22, an IPL record for a team innings•BCCI

Head breaks RCB’s hearts

RCB went into the match without a single frontline spinner. But with two left-handers in Head and Abhishek Sharma opening for Sunrisers, they began with the offspin of batting allrounder Will Jacks. He found turn in the first over, and conceded just seven. His second over was even better, going for just four.And yet, Sunrisers put up 76 in the powerplay, the third time they had gone past 70 during that phase of the innings this season. By then, Head had motored to his half-century off 20 balls. Head hit four sixes across the fifth and sixth overs as RCB debutant Lockie Ferguson went for 18 and then Yash Dayal for 20.Head’s second fifty was even quicker, taking only 19 balls, and the century came up in the 12th over. Ferguson had Head ballooning a catch to mid-off halfway into the 13th, but Klaasen had arrived by then, and SRH already had 165 on the board. That was enough indication of what more was to come on a flat pitch surrounded by small boundaries.

Klaasen continues six fest

Promoted to No. 3 after the openers hammered 108 in 8.1 overs, Klaasen kept Sunrisers’ party going. He managed only three runs from his first five deliveries, but soon got into the six-hitting groove that has made him among the world’s most dangerous T20 hitters. He swung Dayal and Ferguson for sixes over midwicket just before Head was dismissed, and that wicket did nothing to temper Klaasen’s aggression.Dinesh Karthik ensured RCB didn’t suffer too much net-run-rate damage•BCCI

With Head’s dismissal bringing a second right-hander to the crease in Aiden Markram, RCB brought on the left-arm spin of Mahipal Lomror in the 14th over. The match-up didn’t bring any joy, as Klaasen carted him for two sixes.Klaasen hit three more sixes – including a 106m straight hit off Ferguson that sailed over the roof – before being dismissed with three overs remaining, with Sunrisers on 231. The only question then was if they could breach their own record total of 277. Abdul Samad and Markram put all doubts away with stunning cameos, as the last two overs produced 46 runs.

Karthik fights to limit the damage

There was only one way for RCB to bat in their response, and Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis counterattacked their way to 79 in the powerplay, three more than what Sunrisers had managed at that stage. RCB’s opening pair smashed 11 fours and four sixes in that phase alone. Even so, RCB were behind the asking rate, which had now climbed to nearly 15.Sunrisers’ Impact Sub Mayank Markande, who replaced Head at the start of the chase, beat Kohli with a googly just after the powerplay, and that began something of a mini-collapse, as RCB slipped to 122 for 5 by the end of the 10th over, with Pat Cummins striking twice including getting du Plessis for 62.That is when Karthik entered to keep the crowd entertained. He was the dominant partner in a 59-run partnership with Lomror, which briefly stirred hopes of an outlandish finish, as Markande and Jaydev Unadkat leaked 46 across the 13th and 14th overs.A six-run 15th over from Cummins, which also included the wicket of Lomror, effectively ended RCB’s hopes, but Karthik kept going, hitting at least one six ever over until he was dismissed with eight balls remaining. Seven sixes came off his bat including a switch-hit off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but he couldn’t prevent RCB from slumping to a fifth successive loss and remaining rooted to the bottom of the points table.