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The Hollywood icon delivered a show-stopping performance before the CONCACAF Nations League finals

Smith performed hits including 'Men in Black'The actor's appearance added extra excitementMexico went on to win the tournament for the first timeGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Will Smith, the multi-talented actor and musician, took center stage at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Sunday ahead of the CONCACAF Nations League finals. The actor, best known for his role on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, delivered a high-energy performance, including his classic hits to warm up more than 68,000 fans in attendance.

The show took place before the CONCACAF Nations League final between Mexico and Panama.

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In the CONCACAF Nations League final, Mexico beat Panama 2-1 in a thrilling match. Raúl Jiménez scored both goals for Mexico, including a stoppage-time penalty, to secure their first Nations League title.

The victory marked a successful return for coach Javier Aguirre and ends the United States' three-year reign as champions. In the third place match, Canada beat Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT squad 2-1, with Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi cancelling out Patrick Agyemang's goal.

Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

Following their first Nations League win, Mexico will be preparing for the Gold Cup 2025, which will take place from June 14 to July 6.

Stats highlights from the second day’s play between South Africa and England in Durban, where Stuart Broad troubled the hosts

Shiva Jayaraman27-Dec-20150 Number of South Africa bowlers to take at least 50 Test wickets against four different teams before Dale Steyn, who took his 50th against England’s on Sunday. Steyn already has 50-plus wickets against Australia, India and New Zealand. This was also the sixth time he took four or more wickets in an innings in his last eight Tests against England, in which he has taken 41 wickets at an average of 25.31.25.2 Wicket-less overs Stuart Broad had bowled in South Africa coming into this tour. In his previous Test in this country, in Cape Town, he had taken one wicket conceding 133 runs. His three wickets in this innings so far have come at just 5.33 runs apiece and five of the ten overs he bowled were maidens. Broad’s 54 wickets in 2015 so far are the second-highest among bowlers this year.2 Fifty-plus scores by South Africa openers in 2015 including Dean Elgar’s unbeaten 67 in this innings. These are the fewest fifty-plus scores by openers of any team in Tests this year. South Africa’s openers have scored 533 runs at 26.65. Only West Indies openers, with 771 runs at 20.28 have averaged lower this year. Elgar’s 67* is also the highest score by a South African opener this year.3/23 Morne Morkel’s bowling figures in his seven-over spell with the second new ball. In the first three overs of this spell he had taken three wickets for just seven runs including the wickets of Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes off consecutive deliveries, to finish with 4 for 76. He hasn’t taken a five-wicket haul in his last 24 Tests and his 70 wickets since his last five-for, which was in Adelaide in 2012-13, are the most any bowler has taken without a five-for since then.236 Deliveries faced by Nick Compton in his innings of 85 – the third-highest any England batsman has faced in his first innings in Tests in South Africa (since balls-faced information is available). Graeme Hick had faced 277 balls in Centurion in 1995-96 which are the highest. Mike Atherton’s 260-ball effort in the same innings is second on this list. Compton’s 236 deliveries are also the second-highest faced by an England No. 3 in Tests in South Africa.19.06 Runs per dismissal for Hashim Amla at Kingsmead – the fourth-worst for a batsman with at least 15 innings (for No. 1 to 7 batsmen) at any venue. Including his 7 in this innings, Amla has scored 286 runs in 15 innings at this venue. Rod Marsh has the worst such record at any venue: his 16 innings for batting positions 1 to 7 the SCG produced just 246 runs at 16.40.8 Number of times AB de Villiers has been dismissed by Broad in Tests; no other bowler has dismissed him more often. De Villiers averages just 18.37 per dismissal against him. In this innings, De Villiers managed just two scoring shots off Broad from 20 deliveries.10 Wickets that fell in the day’s play keeping with the trend at Kingsmead: the previous five Tests at this venue had seen a total of 60 wickets fall on the second day. England scored 124 runs losing six wickets and the hosts lost four wickets while making 137 runs, taking the day’s average to 26.1 per wicket. In comparison, the first day of this Test had seen only four wickets fall in 65.1 overs at an average of 44.75 runs per wicket.3 Instances before England’s innings when teams asked to bat have made a first-innings total of 300 or more at Kingsmead. The last such instance and the highest a team has made on such occasions came in 2002, when the hosts made 368 against Pakistan in 2002-03.

Tottenham ace James Maddison has announced the birth of his second set of twins alongside partner Kennedy Alexa. The couple had their first child, Leo, in 2021 and in the summer of 2023, twins Delilah and Rome were born. Now, the England international and Kennedy have their fourth and fifth kids, with Maddison saying their five-a-side team is now "complete".

Maddison family grows again

On Monday, the former Leicester City midfielder announced that Jensen and Frankie Maddison had been born on October 30, while praising his partner as a "superwoman". Incidentally, it is very rare to have twins, let alone two sets. In fact, the odds are a huge one in 50,000.

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In addition to sharing photos of his latest newborns, he wrote in a heartwarming post on Instagram: "Jensen & Frankie Maddison. 30.10.25. Five a side team complete. You’re a superwoman @kennedyalexa."

Maddison on road to recovery

Maddison has been short of luck with injuries in recent years, the latest of which came in a pre-season game against Newcastle United where he ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. The Englishman is expected to miss the majority of this season but the birth of his latest set of twins will no doubt lift his spirits.

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While Maddison is still on the sidelines, in addition to looking after his young family, his Tottenham side take on Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday night. Spurs then return to Premier League action on Saturday when they host in-form Manchester United.

Glasgow Rangers supporters have been getting excited about the prospect of watching Djeidi Gassama week-in-week-out at Ibrox in the 2025/26 campaign.

The 21-year-old winger announced himself as a Gers star in the making with two goals in his first two games against Panathinaikos in the club’s Champions League qualifiers.

Gassama stepped up to the occasion in both matches to score off the bench and was rewarded with his full debut against Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.

Unfortunately, though, the summer signing from Sheffield Wednesday was unable to make it three goals in as many games at Fir Park in the 1-1 draw.

Why Djeidi Gassama struggled against Motherwell

The 21-year-old forward thrived off the bench against Panathinaikos because the Greek side needed to get back into the match and were committing men forward, providing him with space to exploit on the left flank.

Motherwell, however, were more than willing to sit deep and soak up pressure, which meant that he did not have as much space to work with in the game.

Gassama failed to score and only created one chance in 83 minutes on the pitch, but it was not all his fault. Having right-footed Max Aarons at left-back meant that the Frenchman did not have any overlapping threat to create space for him.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

This is why Rangers need to sign a natural left-back in order to unlock Gassama’s full potential, and Monaco full-back Kassoum Ouattara could be the ideal addition.

Why Rangers should sign Kassoum Ouattara

The Light Blues have reportedly already made contact with the Ligue 1 side to discuss a potential deal for the 20-year-old starlet, who could come in as the dream partner for Gassama down the left flank.

Having a naturally left-footed player who wants to attack down the flank would help Russell Martin’s side to break down teams sat in a low block because it would cause the opposition’s full-back to decide between going with the run on the outside or staying close to the winger.

Of course, it cannot just be any left-footed left-back, though, because they have to offer enough of a threat going forward to be considered a threat by the opposition in order to open space for Gassama.

Ouattara only played 12 times in Ligue 1 for Monaco in the 2024/25 campaign, but the French youth international showcased his creative skills in his limited minutes on the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, the Rangers transfer target has the potential to be an exceptional attacking threat down the left wing with overlapping runs, as he is an efficient and effective crosser who can create high-quality chances for his teammates.

The left-back, who has been described as a “very offensive” full-back by writer Kai Watson, would be able to draw attention away from Gassama and, therefore, create more space for the winger to work with.

This could help to unlock the former Owls star’s full potential at Ibrox, as he would not be overrun by opposition defenders because of the lack of support from Aarons when teams sit in deep.

It is now down to Rangers to get a deal done for Ouattara in the coming weeks, because the talented and attack-minded full-back could be a dream addition to bomb down the left flank in support of Gassama this season.

MatériaMais Notícias

da betsson： O Palmeiras inicia a sua semana decisiva de olho na semifinal do Paulistão e vivendo a expectativa de retornar ao Allianz Parque após o clube mandar cinco jogos do Estadual na Arena Barueri.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasCom Abel Ferreira e Allianz Parque, Palmeiras tem trunfo para avançar à final do PaulistãoPalmeiras25/03/2024PalmeirasAbel Ferreira retorna de Portugal e comanda treino no PalmeirasPalmeiras24/03/2024PalmeirasEmpresa tem interesse em ser patrocinadora máster do Palmeiras e abre nova possibilidadePalmeiras24/03/2024

da prosport bet： ➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Com o novo gramado sintético da casa alviverde já reformado e com um novo composto para amortecer a pisada dos atletas na grama, os jogadores do Verdão devem conhecer o novo tapete do Allianz Parque nesta quarta-feira (27), em atividade comandada por Abel Ferreira no estádio.

A informação foi dada pelo jornalista Paulo Massini e confirmada pelo Lance!

Com os jogadores do Verdão aprovando ou não o novo gramado sintético do Allianz Parque, o elenco terá pouquíssimo tempo para se acostumar com o novo piso, uma vez que a partida diante do Novorizontino, pela semi do Paulista, está marcada para a quinta-feira (28).

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+ Endrick se torna o 4º jogador mais jovem a marcar pela Seleção Brasileira!

Endrick, Murilo e Richard Rios, que estão com suas respectivas seleções e jogam amistosos nesta terça-feira (26), muito provavelmente não devem treinar no novo gramado do Allianz Parque e vão conhecer o novo piso já defendendo o Verdão diante do Tigre.

A bola rola para Palmeiras x Novorizontino na quinta-feira (28), a partir das 21h35 (horário de Brasília), e o jogo terá transmissão da TV Record, Cazé TV e TNTHBO Max.

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There is some uncertainty around Josh Hazlewood, but Varun Chakravarthy, currently on 17 wickets, will get a chance tonight to make it tough for Purple Cap leaders Prasidh Krishna and Noor Ahmad

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2025

Orange Cap tableWe must start with Virat Kohli. Since, well, it’s Virat Kohli, but more importantly, he is the first of the top-five batters this season to return to action; Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) open the IPL on its resumption tonight, much like they started the tournament off back on March 22.Kohli scored 62 in 33 balls his last outing, against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), his seventh half-century of the season. That took his tally up to 505 runs and to No. 4 (though he was briefly the Cap-holder too). In fact, the top few have passed around – or grabbed from each other – that cap for the past few games.And there’s not between those top-five batters. The table-topper, Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians (MI) has 510 runs, and the fifth-placed Jos Buttler of Gujarat Titans (GT) has 500. Within those ten runs are two other GT batters, B Sai Sudharsan (509 runs) and Shubman Gill (508 runs). Then comes Kohli, who needs to score just six runs to get the Orange Cap back.He would want to get more than just those, though. Against what might be a white screen in front of him, at home at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli would back himself to get another fifty – seven in 11 innings already is some record – and the fans in the stands, who are certain to respond emotionally to his Test retirement when they see him, would want nothing less.Prabhsimran (No. 7 with 437 runs) will get his shot soon, though. PBKS go up against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the next game, on Sunday afternoon, and then the GT trio will get a go against DC, knowing where Kohli stands on the table, and how they need to go to get back to the top.Not to forget Nicholas Pooran. The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter was the early leader on that table before his form tapered off. He is still at No. 8 with 410 runs, though, and if the break in the IPL has refreshed him, the men ahead of him on the Orange Cap list might start slipping from the positions quickly. He will be in action on Monday against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at home in Lucknow.Prasidh Krishna will get a chance to add to his 20 wickets on Sunday night•Associated Press

Purple Cap tableGT’s bowling spearhead Prasidh Krishna and CSK left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad are up at the top – Prasidh ahead of Noor because of his superior economy rate and average – with 20 wickets each, and two wickets behind them, with 18 apiece, are RCB’s Josh Hazlewood and MI’s Trent Boult.Hazlewood, however, hasn’t played since April 27 owing to a shoulder injury and it’s still not clear if he is rejoining the RCB ranks or not for the remainder of the IPL. That means Prasidh (whose next game is on Sunday night) and Noor (in action on Tuesday night) might just feel a bit unthreatened for a bit, since Boult is also not going to be in action till Wednesday, when MI’s season resumes.But it’s not just those two who have a shot at going past Prasidh and Noor.KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy is currently at No. 5 with 17 wickets, and will be in action against RCB tonight. As will Harshit Rana, who has 16 wickets, the same as Arshdeep Singh, who will turn out for PBKS on Sunday afternoon. A good haul for any of these bowlers, and the Purple Cap race could well become as frenetic as the Orange Cap race has been.Here’s what ESPNcricinfo MVP table looks like as the IPL resumes.And here are some other IPL 2025 tables you might want to browse through. Highest batting strike rates Best bowling economy rates Most sixes Best bowling figures in a match

تحدث إمام عاشور لاعب النادي الأهلي، عن حصده جائزة أفضل أفضل لاعب وسط مهاجم في الدوري المصري للموسم الماضي، خلال حفل دير جيست الذي أقيم أمس السبت.

وقال عاشور خلال تصريحات على صفحة النادي الأهلي عبر موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “فيس بوك”: “أشكر الله على الجائزة، وأشكر زملائي الذين يُساندونني منذ دخولي النادي الأهلي، كل اللاعبين من أول يوم يساعدوني والجمهور يدعمنا دائمًا وأهدي لهم هذه الجائزة وربنا يكرمنا في القادم”.

طالع | حسام حسن يحدد شرط عودة إمام عاشور إلى منتخب مصر

عن اكتساح لاعبي الأهلي للجوائز، أكد: “هذا ليس جديدًا، أي لاعب يلعب في الأهلي لا بد أن يكون مصنفًا، وأهنئهم جميعًا، وإن شاء الله الذي لم يتواجد هذا العام يكون متواجدًا العام المُقبل، وبالتأكيد طالما اللاعب داخل صفوف القلعة الحمراء لا بد أن يُفكر في البطولات أولًا”.

وأتم: “أجتهد في الملعب، ولولا مساندة زملائي لم أكن سأتواجد هنا، وأشكر جمهور الأهلي، هم دائمًا عيونهم على البطولات وهذا حقهم بالتأكيد، ونحن نبذل ما في وسعنا لإسعادهم”.

وكان مصطفى شوبير حصد جائزة أفضل حارس مرمى، ومروان عطية أفضل خط وسط مدافع وحسين الشحات أفضل جناح ووسام أبو على أفضل مهاجم وهداف الدوري وعلي معلول أفضل ظهير أيسر.

West Ham United's technical director Tim Steidten is increasingly likely to snip the managerial cord that keeps David Moyes in the dugout, with the Scotsman out of contract this summer.

Despite winning the Europa Conference League last season, reaching the Europa League quarter-finals and losing valiantly against indomitable Bayer Leverkusen, as well as improving from last season's 14th-place Premier League finish to push for a European-qualifying spot.

Indeed, eighth in the standings with just two matches left to play, hopes of a fifth successive season on the continent look slender, and the decision to part ways with Moyes stems from the persistent grumblings regarding the 61-year-old's perceived negative tactics.

Steidten certainly has his work cut out in employing a worthy successor, though plans are starting to take shape and supporters are beginning to note the most likely heir.

West Ham's search for Moyes successor

According to news relayed by Fabrizio Romano, West Ham are indeed set to part ways with Moyes upon the campaign's conclusion, with direct talks taking place with Spaniard Julen Lopetegui.

Lopetegui has been out of work since resigning from his role at Wolverhampton Wanderers at the start of the 2023/24 season due to frustrations and differences relating to finances.

Romano is quick to stress that Lopetegui is not the only name on the shortlist; Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim is still being considered, though there are concerns over the 39-year-old's £12m release clause with the soon-to-be-crowned Liga Portugal champions.

Why West Ham want Lopetegui

While many supporters will feel that Moyes' results speak for themselves, football is cyclical and perhaps it is the right time to part ways, having achieved so much and with the right infrastructure and framework to continue the success over the coming seasons.

Lopetegui might, to some, seem like a questionable appointment following his short stint with Wolves and failure at Real Madrid, where he was dismissed after just a few months having won just four of his opening ten La Liga matches.

But he also won the Europa League with Sevilla, leading them to three successive top-four finishes, and was lauded by those such as for the "spectacular football" he implemented at the helm of the Spanish national team.

The 57-year-old's desire to impress in the Premier League is likely a big selling point for the Irons, having rejected numerous offers overseas as he holds out for a second shot at management on English shores.

Moreover, the Old Gold were rusting at the bottom of the division when he took over and led them to a 13th-place finish, with his player-coach relationship one of the shining lights of his sojourn at Molineux – this, too, will likely have enticed Steidten and the West Ham bosses.

Preferring a 4-2-3-1 formation to mirror that of Moyes, Lopetegui would find all the tools for a seamless tactical integration, with the London club's impressive array of attacking talent allowing his ball-playing, forward-thinking brand of football to take shape, all the while maintaining off-the-ball solidity and resilience.

Described as an "exceptional person" by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, Lopetegui might just offer the managerial wherewithal to succeed at West Ham, though he will have several areas of concern to address, with selling a few playerssurely a priority.

Who could leave under Lopetegui

Veteran forward Michail Antonio is out of contract this summer and while there is an option for a further year, reports have revealed that he is expected to leave.

Be that as it may, West Ham must not be deterred from pushing Danny Ings out the exit door either, who is reportedly available for just £6.5m as the side targets a summer revamp.

Ings signed for West Ham from Aston Villa in a £15m deal back in January 2023 but has failed to reach the heights that had previously established him as a "goal machine" in the Premier League – according to journalist Joe Prince-Wright – having only scored four times from 49 matches.

He's flattering to deceive in front of goal but Ings is also one of the club's highest-paid performers, and shaking him from the wage bill after waving goodbye to Antonio would make moving for a centre-forward necessary.

Feyenoord sharpshooter Santiago Gimenez has been touted over recent months while West Ham continue to be linked with a move for Brentford's Ivan Toney – which would prove to be quite the colossal upgrade.

Given that Ings is actually earning even more than the likes of Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus, who are West Ham's two top goalscorers this season with 20 and 13 goals respectively in all competitions for West Ham this season, it makes no sense for the club to keep him around.

Bowen, in particular, has been exemplary this season and has filled in at centre-forward on countless occasions, with the 27-year-old scoring nine goals and adding four assists from 22 appearances when placed at the spearhead.

Bowen's interchangeable nature will suit Lopetegui just fine, but he will be free to wreak his will in the final third with far more gusto if he is not burdened with the heavy weight of maintaining his side's principal goal threat for another term.

Steidten must cash in on West Ham flop who's now worth just £4m

This failed Moyes signing must be shipped on this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 4, 2024

There are going to be some big decisions to be made this summer, certainly beyond picking a new manager to replace Moyes, and since Lopetegui has a few detractors already in east London, shipping Ings on as his first port of call to necessitate the signing of a new centre-forward.

One who could even propel the project to even shinier heights.

ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Kochi Tuskers Kerala in Mumbai

Abhishek Purohit15-Apr-2011The eager beaver moment – I
Kieron Pollard was pummelled for 43 runs in his three overs, after not getting a chance to bat. He was trying his best to make up for his poor bowling in the field, running down balls with energy in the deep. So when Ravindra Jadeja hit Ali Murtaza straight down the ground in the 19th over, Pollard went charging to his left from long-off and even put in a full-length dive to try to prevent a boundary. But what he did not realise, amid the adrenaline rush, was that it was long-on’s ball and the fielder there already had it covered. Not only did Pollard get in long-on’s way, he also ended up parrying the ball to the boundary.The eager beaver moment – II
Pollard almost made up for his error off the next ball, which Jadeja had lofted for what looked like a straight six. Seeing that the ball was flying too high even for his monstrous height, he leaped in the air, got one hand to it and almost contorted his body enough to take the catch. But gravity took over, and Pollard started falling down close to the boundary. Realising that if he held on to the ball he would concede a six, he hurled the ball back in to play, toppled to the ground, and got up quickly enough to keep the batsmen to a single.Tendulkar does a Dhoni
The innovative batsman that he is, Sachin Tendulkar plays almost every shot in the Twenty20 book, except may be the Dilscoop and the falling-over lap shot that Brendon McCullum plays. During his maiden Twenty20 century, he added the helicopter shot to his repertoire. Twice on Friday, he tried the shot that MS Dhoni has patented, and each time, he got a boundary. In the 16th over, he got underneath a Vinay Kumar delivery that was full on leg stump and hoicked it wide of long-on, swinging the bat in a full circle, and still managing not to look as agricultural as Dhoni does. The next attempt in the 19th over was completely Dhoniesque. Thisara Perera bowled it full and Tendulkar helicoptered the ball with a huge backlift past long-on, ending up with one leg in the air.The let-off(s) – I
Tendulkar would not have had the opportunity to do a Dhoni, and Vinay Kumar might have ended up with better figures than none for 48, had the DRS system been in place for the IPL. Vinay troubled Tendulkar on numerous occasions with the new ball, and was unlucky to have two close lbw shouts turned down by umpire Paul Reiffel. Having beaten Tendulkar with an outswinger in the second over of the game, Vinay rapped him on the pads next ball, only to see his appeal rejected and the ball go down to fine-leg for four leg byes. With the first ball off his next over, he again beat Tendulkar and trapped him in front of off stump. Replays showed that both deliveries would have hit the stumps. Tendulkar went on to add 89 runs after the reprieves.The let-off – II
The match might have taken an entirely different course had Rohit Sharma held on to a chance at slip off the first ball of Kochi’s chase. Lasith Malinga fired in a yorker right away, Brendon McCullum jabbed at it, and the ball flew low towards Rohit, who took ages in getting down and grassed the sharp take. McCullum was Man of the Match for the 81 runs he made after the reprieve.Vinay does a Malinga
Even as he was being taken for runs, Vinay still managed to stun Tendulkar with the first ball of his second spell. He stopped midway through his delivery stride like R Ashwin does, and slung in the ball with a side-arm action à la Malinga. Tendulkar was so surprised with Vinay’s change of action he just stabbed the ball away. Vinay repeated the action twice in that over, but both attempts ended in wide deliveries outside off.The last-minute change
Just as the coin was about to be tossed, Kochi coach Geoff Lawson came running out to the middle, pulled Mahela Jayawardene aside and whispered something to him. Apparently, VVS Laxman had pulled his back just before the start and Kedar Jadhav was replacing him. The captains had already exchanged the team sheets and Jayawardene went up to Tendulkar to inform him of the additional change.

Sam Billings smashed a half-century after capitalising on a bizarre non-appeal on a run out as Sydney Thunder beat hapless Melbourne Stars by 18 runs in Canberra.After Thunder were sent in on a flat Manuka Oval surface, Billings top-scored with 72 off 39 balls having on 16 survived a run out when Stars failed to appeal.Chasing 183, in-form opener Ben Duckett gave Stars hope with 67 off 49 balls but he lacked support as they slumped to a 0-5 record with their finals chances almost over.Fresh after a week off, Thunder (2-1) were sharp in the field while quick Wes Agar led a disciplined attack with three wickets.

Warner again can’t fire, Billings makes Stars pay

With Sam Konstas taking centre stage at the MCG, Thunder reshuffled their batting order with Cameron Bancroft moving up from No.3 to partner David Warner in a reunion for the former Test openers.Warner has brought plenty of energy since taking Thunder’s leadership reins, but had yet to fire with the bat. He looked in a determined mood with a second-ball boundary and his placement through the offside was a feature.Warner ran hard between the wickets and looked to rattle the bowlers with inventive strokes. His best was a switch-hit for six off allrounder Beau Webster as he added 41 runs with Bancroft, who made an unbeaten 70 against Sydney Sixers.But Warner was clean bowled by Webster to trigger a Thunder collapse before Billings and Jason Sangha steadied Thunder’s innings with a 60-run partnership.Billings received a major reprieve in the 13th over when he was short of his ground at the non-striker’s end after a direct throw from Joel Paris hit the stumps, but Stars did not appeal.”You’re kidding me…sounds about right,” grinned Glenn Maxwell when he found out while speaking on the broadcast.Billings cashed in and added 56 off 23 runs. He targeted the quicks down the ground, while he reverse swept legspinner Usama Mir for three consecutive boundaries.Billings powered to a half-century off just 29 balls but couldn’t stay at the crease in the death overs after he chopped a slower ball from quick Peter Siddle onto his stumps.”I actually did,” laughed Billings after he was asked on the broadcast if he knew he was out.Ben Duckett’s knock wen in vain for Melbourne Stars•Getty Images

Usama redeems himself

Stars’ spirit sank in the fourth over when Usama dropped Bancroft on 19 at short third after he lost his footing.Usama was brought on in the sixth over and redeemed himself by bowling Bancroft with a quicker delivery. He deceived Ollie Davies on the next delivery by slowing his speed as he held onto a sharp return catch to his right before setting off in celebration.Usama was unable to claim a hat-trick and things got harder for him later in the innings amid an onslaught from Billings. Webster claimed three wickets after his release from Australia’s Test squad, but veteran quicks Siddle and Joel Paris were Stars’ most reliable bowlers as they cleverly mixed up their speeds.

Sangha suffers injury after picking up Maxwell

Warner’s aggressive captaincy paid major dividends after he called upon Sangha’s handy legspin in the ninth over of Stars’ chase with Maxwell fresh to the crease. Warner had been egging on Maxwell, who couldn’t contain himself and mistimed a slog to short fine leg.A cackling Warner was overjoyed as Thunder celebrated with gusto, but Sangha emerged gingerly and in discomfort with a bicep injury. He bowled two more deliveries before leaving the field and he threw his cap in frustration as he entered the changerooms.Sangha suffered a bicep strain last month while bowling in the One-Day Cup as he faces a nervous wait on the severity of his latest injury.

Duckett again delivers in vain

After smashing 68 runs off 29 against Sixers, all eyes were on Duckett who single-handedly kept Stars on track. He had an early reprieve when a thin under edge off allrounder Daniel Sams was dropped by Billings behind the stumps in a low chance.Duckett made them pay as he looked a class above his team-mates. He batted calmly and mostly in orthodox fashion to reach his half-century off 37 balls.But Duckett finally fell to Sams as Stars’ chase ran out of puff despite some late hitting from Webster.