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Glasgow Rangers will be looking to make it three Scottish Premiership wins in a row as they return to Ibrox on Saturday afternoon.

Dundee are the visitors, and they will have the recent 5-0 drubbing from last month fresh in their minds and Philippe Clement will be hoping for another five-star showing.

The 1-0 win against Hearts in midweek could easily have been by a more comfortable margin, yet the Gers were extremely wasteful in front of goal.

Rangers' 6/10 star who lost possession 11x was as good as Sima vs Hearts

Rangers secured a vital three points against Hearts

By
Ross Kilvington

Dec 7, 2023

Danilo missed two big chances, while several others missed opportunities to extend the narrow one-goal advantage and Clement could count himself lucky the Jambos did not score a late equaliser and steal a share of the spoils.

With games coming thick and fast as the festive season steadily approaches, the Belgian may be keen on making a few changes to his starting XI for the visit of Dundee to Glasgow.

We at Football FanCast predict that the manager will make three changes to the team that took to the field at Tynecastle in midweek, as there could be a surprise option unleashed up front.

1

GK – Jack Butland

The goalkeeper is the only player to have played every single minute of the current campaign, and he has arguably been the signing of the summer.

Michael Beale secured his services on a free transfer and the Englishman has been impressive throughout.

Across 27 matches during 2023/24, Butland has kept 13 clean sheets while conceding 22 goals, with just seven of those coming in the Premiership.

2

RB – James Tavernier

Against Hearts, Tavernier grabbed yet another assist, taking his tally to four for the season as he played in a lovely ball for Abdallah Sima to score the only goal of the game.

The captain will need to inspire those around him to raise their games over the next few weeks, especially with a League Cup final and Old Firm clash coming up before the end of December.

If Tavernier can lead the Gers to victory against Aberdeen at Hampden next week while winning at Celtic Park for the first time since 2020, the Light Blues will head into 2024 full of confidence.

3

CB – Connor Goldson

The centre-back has missed just two matches this season and his most recent absence was due to suspension, meaning he got a well-deserved rest as the Gers took on Aris Limassol in the Europa League.

Across his 15 league matches so far this season, Goldson has helped his side concede just seven goals and kept ten clean sheets in the process.

4

CB – John Souttar

Leon Balogun has been impressive since rejoining the club during the summer, yet with important matches to come before Christmas, Clement will rest him against Dundee and preserve his legs.

This means Souttar could come back into the starting XI, and he would make his first league start since a 4-0 win over Hibs in what was Clement’s first match in charge.

It makes sense to rotate in defence and Souttar should be ready to go against Dundee.

5

LB – Ridvan Yilmaz

Borna Barisic missed the trip to Edinburgh in midweek and Yilmaz was the one to replace him at left back.

The Turkish defender was solid, winning seven of his nine total duels along with making three key passes and even missing a big chance, as he had the chance to score the second goal on the evening.

The tie against the Dens Park outfit is a chance for the former Bestikas star to cement his place in the starting XI.

6

CM – John Lundstram

Lundstram has been ever-present in the heart of the midfield since Clement arrived at Ibrox in October and expect him to start once again.

With so many midfielders getting injured this term, the former Sheffield United man has remained fit and this could be what secures him an extended contract.

7

CM – Jose Cifuentes

The £1.2m signing from Los Angeles FC came off the bench and replaced Tom Lawrence in midweek and while it took him a while to get going, the 24-year-old impressed.

Hailed as “very dynamic” by LAFC assistant manager Marc Dos Santos, Cifuentes had more pressures, counter pressures and tackles and interceptions than anyone else on the field against the Jambos and this means Clement will likely unleash him from the start on Saturday.

8

RW – Ross McCausland

The 20-year-old was given yet another start for the club in midweek, and he continues to look like a real menace on the right wing.

Not only did he take one shot on target, but the youngster also made two key passes and succeeded with 50% of his dribble attempts against the Gorgie outfit.

He will be unleashed against Dundee and the Northern Irishman will be looking to score his second goal for the club.

9

AM – Todd Cantwell

It looked as though Cantwell was going to find himself out of the team after being hooked after just 36 minutes against Aris, yet he knuckled down and has impressed while playing in a number ten role during the last two matches.

The Englishman made five key passes combined against St Mirren and Hearts, along with grabbing two assists, and he will be keen to go again this weekend.

10

RW – Abdallah Sima

The 22-year-old has been in splendid form since joining from Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion on a season-long loan deal in the summer.

The winger has scored 12 goals in 26 matches for the Ibrox side, and he netted the only goal against Hearts on Wednesday evening, showcasing his talents.

Watson struck this BBL’s maiden hundred, McCullum registered his first BBL duck but the match came to a premature end under bizarre circumstances

The Report by Ankur Dhawan17-Jan-2019

Shane Watson crunches one through extra cover•Getty Images

No result
Sydney Thunder had not beaten Brisbane Heat in their last four matches, the Heat were yet to win at home this season, and the BBL had been parched for an individual hundred. Curiously, the one least likely to change did, as Shane Watson blasted his third T20 hundred in the last 12 months to catapult his team to 186, before Chris Jordan and Gurninder Sandhu snuffed fight out of the chase with the early wickets of Brendon McCullum, out for a maiden BBL duck, and Chris Lynn. However, a bizarre floodlight failure that occurred at the end of the third over of the Heat chase led to the match being called off and the points shared, much to the chagrin of the visitors who looked set to register their fifth win of the season.Hundred just a number for ageless WatsonUnlike the hundred in the IPL final where he took time to find his groove, here, Watson started in top gear. It started with two sixes off Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, who erred in length and Watson rocked back and pulled him flat over deep midwicket, a shot that proved a loyal ally throughout his innings. Next ball, Mujeeb erred in line, drifting down leg, with the fine-leg up, Watson just helped him over, with a surprising amount of power behind the stroke.Watson had recently spoken about working on a few things as his BBL got off to a lukewarm start, clarified by coach Shane Bond as the position of his head and hands, and the work put in was on view as Watson struck the ball cleanly from a stable base, without once leaving his crease. The spinners Mujeeb and Mitchell Swepson suffered as he took 47 off the duo of 26 balls, and all his six sixes came off the pair. It was Mujeeb who eventually had him caught at long-off immediately after reaching a 61-ball century but he’d caused enough carnage by then.Costly missWatson was still 67 runs away from being this BBL’s first centurion when he was put down off the dubutant Jack Prestwidge’s bowling. It was a slower ball, both short and wide, but Watson’s flashing blade did not get all of it and he ended up spooning it to the right of cover point, without much timing. The diving fielder got both hands to it and for a moment it looked like he’d taken it but as is customary with such catches, it popped out of his hands when the elbows made contact with the ground.Devcich steps up in Buttler’s absenceJos Buttler had been Thunder’s best batsman this season but Anton Devcich has proved to be an able replacement. His inclusion has coincided with Watson finding form and the duo have laid a solid foundation for their side in the two matches that they have opened. Against Adelaide Strikers they added 37 in 21 balls, with Devcich playing lead in the partnership. The roles switched this match but the result was equally effective as they added 58 from 40 with Devcich contributing a 24-ball 26.

Aaron Finch came within a couple of millimeters of bagging a pair, but his use of the DRS showed that Ishant Sharma had overstepped. The ball was clipping the stumps, so if Ishant’s heel had been behind the line the on-field decision by Kumar Dharmasena would have stood.Given that it appeared Dharmasena was barely watching the frontline, it is to be presumed the wicket would have been checked anyway. But you never know. So it was a good job Finch took it out of the umpire’s hands and called for the DRS.How Finch was probably wishing he had done the same moments before tea.Pressing forward at R Ashwin, the delivery bounced and turned, lifted towards the top of Finch’s pad and, in the view of the umpire, seemed to glance the glove before being gathered by Rishabh Pant. Finch did not call for the review immediately, which batsmen normally do if they are sure they haven’t hit the ball, and after a word with Marcus Harris accepted his fate and walked off.But as the players left the field for the break, the multitude of replays – Snicko and HotSpot – suggested there had not been any touch on the glove. The debate continued into the next session, which showed how tight it was, but with a flat line on Snicko it would have been no surprise if the decision had been overturned had it been reviewed.It wasn’t the first time this season Finch was left to rue not calling in the third umpire. In the first ODI against South Africa he declined to review his lbw against Lungi Ngidi which was going over the stumps.He was also the non-striker when he helped Travis Head to decide to review his lbw in the next match against South Africa, in Adelaide, which was shown to be crashing into the stumps.

35 for 1 (Worker 18*, Nicholls 15*, Shaheen 1-18) Match abandoned
Babar Azam plays a square cut•Getty Images

Pakistan played what had looked like a solid enough game to finally win an ODI series against New Zealand, but when luck is out, it finds unique ways of making its presence felt. In this case, it was rain in the desert of Dubai that brought a watery end to proceedings seven overs into the New Zealand chase. Shaheen Afridi had removed dangerman Colin Munro in the first over in a chase of 280, and even though George Worker and Henry Nicholls had begun to rebuild, New Zealand will be much the happier side to shake hands in this manner.It’s hard not to wonder where this Pakistan side has been all along. Batting first against a team that has tormented them recently, Pakistan cast away the trepidation they appear to carry whenever they come up against an elite team of late, bossing the innings throughout as they racked up 279. A 108-run partnership between the irrepressible Babar Azam and an irresistible Haris Sohail today was at the heart of the domination, but in truth, Pakistan had control all along, with nothing that New Zealand did holding them back for long enough.There were three half-centuries for Pakistan, but it wasn’t until Haris Sohail came that they shifted gears. In a magnificent innings just when Pakistan needed to ensure they didn’t fall away, he delivered against his favourite opposition. A glorious cover drive off Ish Sodhi got him off the mark, and was only a harbinger of what was to come. He swiftly took over as the senior partner from Babar as Pakistan’s run rate shot up, each stroke he played more a work of art than a functional tool to get his side going. The best shot perhaps came against Trent Boult , a straight drive over the bowler’s head that perfectly pierced the gap between mid-on and mid-off.Boult was the unlikely man Pakistan chose to target today. The bowler has tormented Pakistan several times over the years, but today, Pakistan shook off any doubts they had and targetted the leader of New Zealand’s pace attack. It didn’t help the left-armer wasn’t having his best day; New Zealand in general were guilty of being too short and wide to batsmen who expertly exploited that. But it was in particular the liking Haris took to Boult that set the tone for Pakistan’s surge. The over after that straight drive, he carted another two boundaries off him, one glided past third man and the other a classy back-foot punch. Even when he came on in the death overs, he couldn’t quite pull things back the way he’s done so expertly of late. His final figures of 10-0-80-1 were the second most expensive of his ODI career.The first hammer blow to the New Zealand solar plexus came before the coin was tossed, with news that Kane Williamson would not be able to play due to a groin injury. Tom Latham captained in his absence, while Matt Henry was chosen to replace Tim Southee. For Pakistan, Mohammad Hafeez was promoted to open the innings after Imam-ul-Haq couldn’t recover from the blow to the head he sustained in the last game, and alongside Fakhar, he got Pakistan off to a crisp start.Expectedly, Fakhar dominated the 64-run opening stand.New Zealand didn’t look like taking a wicket until that point, but Hafeez unwittingly helped them when he stepped too far back to a Lockie Ferguson ball and trod on his stumps. Fakhar kept going, and brought up his second consecutive half-century. His innings, though, ended when he mistimed slog off Colin de Grandhomme.Babar constructed his innings in a classy manner without being noticed. He quietly kept the scorecard ticking when Haris was on fire. He took 68 balls to bring up his fifty but caught up almost effortlessly towards the end of the innings finishing with 92 off 100. He was caught slogging on the boundary in the penultimate over in an innings he had tailored to serve his side’s needs.Lockie Ferguson was the bowler that once more most worried Pakistan, and it was perhaps his efforts that prevented Pakistan from getting to 300, a real possibility at one stage. Alongside de Grandhomme, he ensured Pakistan did not get too far ahead. Their combined figures of 18-0-79-6 helped undo some of the carnage Pakistan had wreaked on some of their team-mates. Three wickets in the final over helped Ferguson pick up his first career five-wicket haul, and will have done his future chances with the national side no harm.For Pakistan, in the end, there is much encouragement to draw from this ODI series, even if a trophy at the end of it continues to elude them.

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has revealed how he's been inspired by Muhammad Ali and is confident his team can win silverware.

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Onana inspired by boxing legendSays strong mindset has helped himConfident of success with Manchester UnitedWHAT HAPPENED?

Onana has endured a turbulent first season at Manchester United following his big-money move from Inter. The goalkeeper has come in for criticism after making some high-profile and costly errors for the Red Devils. However, the goalkeeper has improved since returning from a chaotic AFCON campaign with Cameroon and has spoken about how having a strong mindset, like his idol Ali, has been key.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT ONANA SAID

He told : "It's his mindset. It was not something easy. He had to pass through a lot of difficulties and he was only looking at the positive side, the positive parts. He was very positive and that is what I like.

"You know, no matter what happens in life, I've always said that it cannot rain forever, the sun will shine. And yet the sun will not shine forever, the rain will come. So just find a good balance, especially when you are a football player.

"When you have a bad day, a better day will come. It's not when you are having a bad day that you feel it will never change. It will change but it's not because you are having a good day that it will stay forever.

"Everything is temporary and you have to know how to manage that. When you are in a bad mood, take a positive. When you are in a good mood, take a positive. Just enjoy yourself and be happy, be with the people you love and always stay positive."

Onana also expressed his belief that United can go on and achieve tangible success: "I'm very happy to be here, like I said, I’m happy to be part of this family, a big group with great guys, young players, there’s some amazing ability here. It will come, you know. Principles, do your hard work, be positive and believe in yourself. It will come."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Onana has certainly taken time to settle into life at Old Trafford. The goalkeeper has said it took him "six to seven months" to feel good at Manchester United after his move. Yet it's been a difficult season for the whole club with United down in sixth place in the Premier League table, nine points behind Aston Villa in fourth. A shambolic European campaign also saw United dumped out of the Champions League after finishing bottom of their group.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ONANA & MAN Utd

Onana and Manchester United's only chance of silverware left this season is in the FA Cup. The Red Devils enjoyed a famous 4-3 win over rivals Liverpool last time out in the competition and will fancy their chances of making the final after being drawn against Championship side Coventry City in the semi-finals.

Several players were recalled for the three-ODI series and two uncapped spinners were picked for the five T20Is against South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Sep-2018

Stafanie Taylor leads West Indies off the field•ICC/Getty

West Indies have named Shemaine Campbelle, Natasha McLean and Shakera Selman in their 13-member squad for the three-match ICC Women’s Championship ODI series against South Africa that is scheduled to begin on September 16 in Barbados.Uncapped spinners Karishma Ramharack and Sheneta Grimmond were the two additions to the squad that will play five Twenty20 Internationals against South Africa from September 24 to October 6. The series will serve as a prelude to a three-match series against India later in October that will lead up to the World T20 in November. West Indies, who won the 2016 edition of the tournament, will look to defend the title at home.”As we approach the ICC WWT20, both the ODI and T20 series will be key as our preparation continues towards the tournament,” West Indies women chairman of selectors Courtney Browne said. “After a disappointing tour of New Zealand, our players now have the opportunity to be highly competitive in familiar conditions.”Campbelle, a 25-year old wicketkeeper-batsman, last made an international appearance during the 2016 tour of India, and made her way back to the national squad with strong domestic performances. McLean, 23, hasn’t played an ODI for West Indies since September 2014. Selman, the 29-year old fast bowler, returned from an injury that kept her out of the side that toured New Zealand in March.Several players from that tour, on which West Indies lost both the ODI and the T20I series, were dropped. Britney Cooper, Reniece Boyce, Kyshona Knight, Akeira Peters and Tremayne Smartt were left out, while 17-year-old Qiana Joseph, who debuted during the 2017 World Cup and played only two one-dayers since, found a place in the ODI squad.ODI squad: Stafanie Taylor (capt), Merissa Aguilleira (wk), Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Qiana Joseph, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Natasha Mclean, Chedean Nation, Shakera Selman, Anisa MohammedT20I squad: Stafanie Taylor (capt), Merissa Aguilleira (wk), Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Qiana Joseph, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Natasha Mclean, Chedean Nation, Shakera Selman, Anisa Mohammed, Sheneta Grimmond, Karishma Ramharack

Tottenham Hotspur are seemingly seeking to build upon their blistering start to the new season, with Ange Postecoglou already outlining his latest transfer target…

Who could Spurs sign in January?

Having already showcased their newfound proficiency in the market last summer, fans would likely blindly follow any decision-making as long as it has been passed by their Australian leader.

After all, the likes of James Maddison and Micky van de Ven have already proved revolutionary acquisitions.

So, despite Football Transfers suggesting that the Lilywhites are very keen on Manchester City outcast Kalvin Phillips, supporters will likely look for positives to justify their reported interest.

However, it is suggested that they might have to battle with the likes of Everton and Newcastle United, both of whom are interested in the wantaway midfielder.

How good is Kalvin Phillips?

Although opportunities have been limited at the Etihad for the £24m-rated maestro – having made just two Premier League starts since the start of last season – his stint at Leeds United should have provided enough material to suggest that the Yorkshire-born ace can thrive at the elite level.

After all, not only did he shine for his boyhood club, but the 27-year-old also made a splash on the international stage too with England.

Able to screen a back four with ease, but boasting a remarkable passing range capable of unlocking defences from deep, his ability to find teammates in space could prove pivotal in helping Maddison reach even loftier heights, despite the former Leicester City man arguably being the division's most in-form player at the moment.

His 8.09 average rating is indicative of such a notion, as such a figure makes him the second-highest rated in the Premier League, with that buoyed by his seven-goal contributions in eight games, whilst averaging 3.3 key passes and 1.3 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

The 26-year-old spends games floating around constantly seeking to pick up deadly pockets of space to terrorise the opposition. Were Phillips to be placed just behind him, and allowed to recapture the form that saw him shine under Marcelo Bielsa, it could prove a fine partnership to elevate the maestro once again.

In fact, the Argentine tactician would laud his former midfield star, noting back in 2021: "Kalvin has obtained a prestige that allows him to have bigger influence in the games and his team-mates perceive that capacity. He's improved a lot in the moments of a game and he knows how to find a solution that each action demands.

"He's matured a lot in his interpretation to take the best solution. Kalvin is playing at very, very high levels and has shown that the responsibility doesn't inhibit him – it improves him."

2023/24

0

2022/23

2

2021/22

18

2020/21

28

During Leeds' first season back in the top flight, Phillips' 7.21 average rating was indicative of a hugely influential player for a club making waves on their big return, as he recorded an 85% pass accuracy alongside 1.2 key passes per game.

Current teammate John Stones would laud such an attribute as recently as June, outlining what he admires most about the midfielder: "Easily his range of passing and how he’s always in the right place on the pitch, his positioning and some of the passes he plays [are] outrageous.”

However, what will certainly help Maddison thrive is the defensive foundation he offered too, also managing 1.6 interceptions, 2.6 tackles and 1.7 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

All the attributes were once there that would have helped Postecoglou's main man thrive, and if anyone is to usher them back out, it is the former Celtic man.

Aston Villa made their return to European football this season as Unai Emery's side qualified for the group stages of the Europa Conference League.

The Villans are competing in Europe after solidifying their status in the Premier League following their promotion back to the top-flight in 2019.

Former Villa boss Dean Smith deserves a lot of credit for the part he played in the club's route back to the big time as the ex-Brentford boss led the team to promotion during the 2018/19 campaign and then achieved survival in the 2019/20 season.

Emi Buendia

£33m

Ollie Watkins

£29m

Leon Bailey

£27.5m

Danny Ings

£25m

Wesley

£21.5m

The English head coach, as shown in the table above, was backed in the transfer market by NSWE throughout his time at Villa Park, as he was able to splash the cash on a number of attackers to bolster his squad at the top level.

There is one player, however, that Smith may look back on and be thankful that he did not spend big money on to bring to the club as they have since gone on to flop in England – Milot Rashica.

Were Aston Villa interested in Rashica?

Deich Stube reported, via Sport Witness, that Aston Villa were prepared to meet Werder Bremen's €25m (£21m) asking price for the Kosovo international in the summer of 2020.

The outlet, however, claimed that the player was not convinced that a move to Villa Park was the right one for his career as he wanted to play Champions League football, rather than compete in a relegation battle for Smith's side.

Rashica ended up staying with Bremen and did not complete a transfer to the Premier League that summer, with Deich Stube's report suggesting that the reason may have been down to the player's reticence to fight relegation.

Villa's interest in the exciting winger came after his impressive performances for the German side in the Bundesliga throughout the 2019/20 campaign.

He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 across 28 top-flight outings and contributed with eight goals and five assists from a wide position. That came after his return of nine goals and five assists in 26 Bundesliga appearances during the 2018/19 season for Bremen.

Rashica had proven himself to be a reliable provider of goals and assists in a major European league, without playing for one of the biggest German clubs, and that left Villa and Smith willing to pay around £21m for his services.

Who signed Rashica from Bremen?

The Kosovo star stayed with the Bundesliga outfit for another season before he finally completed a move to the Premier League to join newly-promoted Norwich City in 2021.

Daniel Farke's side reportedly spent £9.4m to sign the winger after Bremen were relegated from the top-flight of German football at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

This, immediately, showed that Villa had a lucky escape as his value plummeted by £11.6m within the space of a year, thanks to his team's relegation and his poor performances on the pitch.

Rashica scored three goals and provided one assist in 24 Bundesliga matches throughout the 2020/21 season after Villa's initial interest in him.

This led to a move to Carrow Road to join Norwich, who had just been promoted from the Championship, and his performances for the Yellows left a lot to be desired.

How many goals did Rashica score for Norwich?

Rashica went on to score two goals in 40 appearances for the Canaries in all competitions before his eventual exit from England earlier this year.

The 27-year-old whiz's crack at Premier League football did not go to plan as he faced back-to-back relegations, with Bremen and then Norwich, after seemingly turning down a move to Villa in fear of a possible relegation battle before those two seasons.

Ironically, he did end up working with Smith as the ex-Villans boss replaced Daniel Farke in November 2021, which meant that the ex-Bundesliga star endured a fight against the drop in England with the former Bees boss as his manager, one year after he turned the prospect of that exact scenario down.

Rashica played in 31 of Norwich's 38 Premier League matches as they were demoted to the Championship and failed to prove himself to be a consistent performer at the top end of the pitch at that level with one goal and two assists in total.

How much is Rashica worth now?

Besiktas swooped to sign the Kosovo international from the Canaries for a fee of €5.25m (£4.5m) during the recent summer transfer window.

This means that he is currently worth around £16.5m less than the initial £21m that Villa were prepared to spend on his signature three years ago under Smith.

His value dropped after a dismal season of Premier League football with Norwich and then a year on loan with Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Rashica scored four goals and assisted six in 26 league matches throughout the 2022/23 campaign with the Super Lig side but that was not enough to convince in any teams from a major European division to snap him up.

Norwich lost £4.9m on the £9.4m they spent to sign him from Bremen in 2021 and had a big howler with the former Vitesse star as his performances on the pitch were not good enough to keep them in the Premier League and they lost out on millions overall.

Therefore, Smith, who could not avoid Rashica with the Yellows, managed to dodge what would have been a big blunder for the Villans by failing to convince the forward to join his team in 2020.

The 27-year-old dud flopped in England and his displays for Norwich suggest that he would have struggled on the pitch for Villa if they had managed to sign him for £21m, which would have made him a terrible signing for the club.

Smith also went on to sign Bertrand Traore from Lyon to bolster his wide options for the 2020/21 campaign and the Burkina Faso international produced seven goals and seven assists in 36 league outings for the Villans.

This suggests that the club ended up with a superior option on the flanks as the ex-Chelsea man contributed to far more goals than Rashica did in his season in the top-flight with Norwich.

Fidel Edwards made short shrift of Worcestershire after being awarded his Hampshire county cap

ECB Reporters Network16-Apr-20181:51

Gurney and Ball run amok at Old Trafford

ScorecardFidel Edwards crushed the Worcestershire batting line-up as Hampshire skittled their newly promoted rivals out for 127 to win the opening Specsavers County Championship fixture of the season by 196 runs.West Indian fast bowler Edwards was handed his county cap before the start of play before taking 3 for 33, including two wickets in two balls, in a whirlwind morning spell.Gareth Berg, Brad Wheal, Liam Dawson and Kyle Abbott – the latter returning 4 for 45 – also took a wicket each on the final morning to send Hampshire to the top of the Division One table.Joe Leach, Worcestershire’s captain insisted that despite the heavy defeat Worcestershire had proved that they deserved to be in Division One company.”We have competed in a lot of the game and been on top in certain periods,” he said. “Ultimately it wasn’t good enough but we live and learn. I have said to this group – and this might seem a bizarre thing to say after a loss [by this margin] – but this game reaffirmed to me that we deserve to be here and mix it in this division with these types of teams.”The day had begun with Hampshire needing seven wickets and Worcestershire requiring 264 runs.The visitors, who had lost three wickets all to Abbott on the previous day, had what they would have thought was a trump card at the crease in Daryl Mitchell.Mitchell boasted an average just under 70 against Hampshire, including a double century, and had batted serenely on day three to reach 34.At the other end Josh Tongue had been dispatched as a nightwatchman for the second time in the match, and while he had done his job in the day three gloom, he lasted just three overs in the morning. Gareth Berg set a trap with a catching fielder at midwicket, and bowled a straight delivery which Tongue clipped straight to Brad Wheal. Mitchell only managed a single before he departed, pinned on the crease by Abbott.George Rhodes’ innings typified the tricky conditions by taking 35 balls to get off the mark. Scoring a run proved Rhodes’ demise though, as he then edged Edwards to Hashim Amla at first slip.Ben Cox was the next to depart when Brad Wheal slammed into his off stump to send it cartwheeling.Edwards cleaned up the tail when he had Ed Barnard on the pads in front before find the edge of Worcestershire captain Joe Leach’s bat next ball.Australian overseas Travis Head, who blocked out the hat-trick ball at the start of the next over, provided the only real barrier to a Hampshire rout with a well-made 45. But Hampshire completed their win when Steve Magoffin poked Dawson to James Vince at short midwicket.

“Was that stressful?” Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer joked to the wide-eyed gaggle of local journalists after his team’s nerve wracking two-run win over Afghanistan in Bulawayo.Queens Sports Club doesn’t have the gladiatorial grandeur of Wanderers, the storied history of Lord’s, or the spectacle of Eden Gardens, but during Zimbabwe’s backs-against-the-wall win the electric atmosphere rivalled any match to have taken place on more hallowed grounds. Zimbabwe’s victory wasn’t so much about individual performances, as it was the combined efforts of the fielders, bowlers and a broiling, festive crowd of spectators. It was high drama, and at the very end, with the tension rising to almost unbearable levels, Afghanistan blinked first.”We knew we had a score on the board,” Cremer said. “In competitions like this, it doesn’t matter how small the target is, if you have runs on the board there’s always that pressure.”It’s supposed to get tense, we’re playing for our countries – both teams – and it has to get tense,” said a breathless Sikandar Raza after the match. “We say that the team that panics first will lose. We just kept our composure. In that last over we thought ‘we’re right into it, one mistake or one bad shot … ‘ Let’s just drag it into the last over, and if they panic they’ll lose.”Defending a sub-par total, in the last over, against a team who are among the tournament favourites, Zimbabwe showed remarkable depth of character. “It’s the fact that we have friendship, we have brothers in the team, and we don’t let each other down,” Raza said. “We fight until the very end, until the game is either lost or won. And today great character was shown.”Afghanistan went into that last over – bowled by Brian Vitori – needing just four runs to win, but with only nos. 9 and 11 to do it. Dawlat Zadran and Shapoor Zadran had shown tenacity to keep Afghanistan clinging on after being 177 for 9. After missing a swipe at the final delivery of the penultimate over, Shapoor had finally let his emotion show, angrily miming the shot he should have played.When he edged the next ball he faced, Vitori’s third in the last over, the floodgates opened, with hundreds of spectators rushing onto the field. The overjoyed masses that ended up in the middle were a vital part of what had just unfolded.”They played a huge role today,” Raza said of a capacity Queens crowd. “When my head was dropping, when Nabi’s dropped catch was ringing in my head, and I wasn’t getting a breakthrough and there were a few edges that dropped short or went to the boundary, the fans never let me drop my head. And not just me, everyone who went to the ropes today, the fans were cheering them on. They were the real 12th man today.”The energy of the crowd clearly spilled onto the field, and Zimbabwe were noticeably animated – even after Raza dropped a simple chance to give Mohamad Nabi a second life. He went on to make 51 before Raza removed him – of course.”Nabi was a big fish, and I dropped him, and I kept saying to myself, and the skipper kept saying to me as well: ‘You have to get him out now, and you will get him out’,” Raza said. “And the fact that the whole team was behind me and motivating me, it gives you a bigger heart to try and get someone out and not bowl too defensively.”Raza kept tossing the ball up, and in his eighth over – the 37th of the innings – he ripped the heart out of Afghanistan’s middle order. Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, and Rashid Khan were dismissed in the space of six inspired deliveries. With the third dismissal, Raza sprinted out to deep midwicket, where the crowd was most concentrated, and the team and fans celebrated together.”We took three chances, and those chances paid off in that over where we got three wickets, which certainly was quite pleasing,” Raza said. “And humbling.””I think that over from Raza, that’s what we needed,” said Cremer. “Because those guys can bat, and if they had just applied themselves they could have got that score easily. But Raza has been excellent for us. Not only with the bat, but he’s turning into the bowler with a golden arm for us. That over was the turning point in the game.”‘On a steaming hot late summer’s day, Raza’s exertions with the bat and in the field resulted in serious cramping, with the physio called onto the field and Raza eventually hobbling off for an over. But wild horses couldn’t have stopped him from coming back, still limping, for the thrilling denouement.”Skipper said to me ‘see what you can do, if you can try and spend an over here and see how your body feels, otherwise you can go out’, and I said ‘I will not leave you here. And we’ll see how far we can go.'”For his 60 runs and three wickets, Raza was named Man of the Match. He was quick to share the glory. “I thought it should have been Blessing or BT (Brendan Taylor) sitting here now with the Man of the Match because I thought those two were the real heroes.”It wasn’t just me, it was everyone together. It was the character. The way the boys showed courage and we held our composure. Most importantly the way we stayed united out there. And that helped us to win the game.”This victory should feel as sweet to the fans as it does to us. Maybe people from the outside don’t realise how many things are hinging on these qualifiers for our families, for our futures. Most importantly, there are 15 million people [in Zimbabwe] looking for something to smile about, looking for something to give them hope, looking for happiness. We’ve just got to make sure that we give each of those 15 million people something to smile and cheer about.”