All posts by h716a5.icu

A round-up of the matches from the fourth day of the Faysal Bank T20, 2011

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Sep-2011Nauman Habib and Umar Gul bowled Peshawar Panthers to a 28-run victory over Islamabad Leopards on Wednesday. Habib picked up three early wickets and Gul one to reduce Islamabad to 19 for 4 in the fourth over chasing 151. Islamabad captain Naeem Anjum fought bravely to make 40 and add 57 for the sixth wicket with Sajid Ali (24). But with opener Afaq Raheem (32) the only other batsmen to reach double-figures, Islamabad’s challenge fizzled out once Gul removed Sajid. Habib finished with 4 for 17 while Gul took 3 for 27. Gul also made a quick 20 to provide a rapid finish to Peshawar’s innings. Aftab Alam was the top scorer with 36.Faisalabad Wolves eased to a comprehensive win over Multan Tigers at the National Stadium in Karachi. Opener Asif Ali top-scored with 44 and was part of a 57-run opening stand with Asif Hussain which set the foundation for a competitive score. Khurram Shehzad contributed 43 and despite a spate of run-outs down the order, Faisalabad were in a good position at the innings break. Multan built their chase steadily and were well placed for a take-off at 63 for 1 in the 10th over but when Gulraiz Sadaf (32) and Zain Abbas (28) fell in successive overs after a promising stand, their hopes began to fade. Saeed Ajmal was outstanding, with figures of five runs in four overs and three wickets that shut Multan out of the contest.The Afghan Cheetas put up a good fight but were unable to overcome Rawalpindi Rams at the National Stadium in Karachi. Samiullah Shenwari and Najibullah Zadran struck half-centuries, and in quick time, splitting six sixes between them, to help their team post 162. Brief contributions from the top order help lay a good foundation and the pair added 78 for the fourth wicket. Rawalpindi were off to a flier in the chase, Awais Zia smashing 60 in 41 balls, striking 10 fours and a six. His top-order partners didn’t give him company for long but the blistering start meant there wasn’t really a great risk of the required rate getting out of hand. Umar Amin joined Zia in a crucial stand, adding 55, and received good support from Hammad Azam, who saw his team through with seven balls to spare.

Kevin Pietersen has admitted his frustrations at not converting confident starts into a substantial innings in the one-day series against Sri Lanka

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Jul-2011Kevin Pietersen has admitted his frustration at not converting confident starts into a substantial innings in the one-day series against Sri Lanka but won’t be changing his attacking approach. He has looked in fine form in all three matches before falling to the part-time legspin of Jeevan Mendis each time to leave England without one of their power-hitters.Pietersen motored to 41 at almost a run-a-ball at Lord’s on Sunday, dominating a third-wicket stand of 49 with Alastair Cook, and was resurrecting the innings after a difficult start in the first 10-over Powerplay. He took three consecutive fours of Suranga Lakmal but, in trying to continue his free-scoring, top-edged Mendis to deep square-leg. When Eoin Morgan fell cheaply England were 85 for 4 and the innings never gained the required momentum despite Cook’s 119.”I feel 100% that I’m on the brink of a big score,” he said. “I’ve felt better and better. [At Lord’s], I felt fantastic. But the way that I play, looking to score and be aggressive and take the attack to the opposition, you are going to have good days and bad days.”At the moment, the luck of the draw hasn’t particularly helped me. I’ve just got to keep playing the way I play and, if the way I’m playing at the moment is anything to go by, I’m very happy.”Pietersen, who has just two ODI half-centuries since November 2008, knows that falling three times to the same bowler – who isn’t a specialist – generates plenty of discussion hot on the heels of the debate about his record against left-arm spinners. However, he isn’t worried about a pattern developing and just puts it down to the period of the game he has been batting in.”You have to look for boundary options,” he said. “In the first game I was trying to hit every ball and could have got out to anybody the way I was playing. At Headingley, I was looking to take charge and hit some boundaries and I was excellently caught by Malinga. At Lord’s I was looking to hit the ball along the ground and top-edged it. I can’t say that he is mysteriously spinning me out. But I am getting out.”As I said to the press a couple of weeks ago, you load the gun, fill it with ammunition and you get shot. And it is a question you are asking because I’ve got out to him three times. But I promise you I don’t lose any sleep over getting out to him.”One suggestion behind Pietersen’s dismissals is that he is feeling it is on his shoulders to find the boundaries regularly because the top order is not generating the required tempo. Having Cook and Jonathan Trott in the top three means England find themselves in situations where two similar-style anchors are batting together in the Powerplay.”It is what it is,” Pietersen said. “We are a side who knows we have six world-class batsmen. There is a lot of discussion about it – not particularly in our rooms – but there is a lot of discussion about it. I just think we must back the players we have to get the best out of their ability and, if all of us get the best out of our ability, we are going to score a lot of runs.”And Pietersen won’t be making any suggestions to Cook that the batting order should change for the remainder of the series despite his brief experience of the captaincy three years ago.”At the moment, I have kept well out of it. It has nothing to do with me,” he said. “Cook is a new skipper and the last thing you want to be doing is putting yourself out there saying, ‘This is what we need to do.'”Cooky is in charge, he played beautifully for his 100. It’s key and vital that whatever decisions he makes, we back instead of questioning them. That’s not good for his confidence.”Cook has also received the support of his Test captain, Andrew Strauss, who is keeping tabs on the one-day series from the sidelines before returning to the job for the Tests against India. Strauss wants the one-day side to be given more time to evolve before judgements are made, but has said he’s always happy to offer advice.”It’s important to realise that at the end of the World Cup was the end of the cycle,” Strauss said while sitting on a panel at the MCC Spirit of Cricket Lecture. “Post World Cup was the start of a new cycle and therefore it was wrong to expect the England team to suddenly be the best in the world.”There’s a lot of hard work necessary. Alastair Cook and Andy Flower have a fairly blank canvas from which to move forward. It’s going to take time and hard work. We’ll have good days and bad days, but over time we’ll get better. I’m very confident that will happen. I’ll help out any way I can.”

New Zealand opener Martin Guptill again turned on the style as Derbyshire crushed Yorkshire by six wickets in the Clydesdale Bank 40 at Queen’s Park

14-Aug-2011
ScorecardNew Zealand opener Martin Guptill again turned on the style as Derbyshire crushed Yorkshire by six wickets in the Clydesdale Bank 40 at Queen’s Park.Guptill scored an unbeaten 103 off 83 balls to take the Falcons past Yorkshire’s total of 234 for 7 with 38 balls to spare. Gary Ballance scored an unbeaten 81 off 65 balls and Jacques Rudolph made 75 but Guptill smashed four sixes to give the home side a convincing victory in front of a 3,000-plus crowd.Rudolph had scored a century on this ground last season and he treated a big crowd to some sweetly-timed strokes, including a six over long on off Wes Durston in the second over.Yorkshire raced to 56 off the first eight overs but once Derbyshire took the pace off the ball, the run rate dropped and wickets started to fall. Joe Sayers was caught behind down the legside off the first ball from Garry Park’s medium pace and Adam Lyth was bowled by one that turned sharply from Greg Smith.Anthony McGrath failed in his attempt to launch Smith over long on and at the halfway stage, Yorkshire had been restricted to 109. Rudolph hit seven fours on his way to a 46-ball fifty, but he scored only one more boundary before he tried to come down the pitch to England Under-19 spinner Tom Knight and was stumped.When Gerard Brophy skied to mid off in the 34th over, Yorkshire were struggling to post a competitive total but Ballance changed that with a thrilling onslaught that broke Derbyshire’s stranglehold.He pulled Mark Footitt over deep square leg for six as 40 came from the batting power play and after surviving a missed stumping off Durston on 57, sent the next ball into the crowd at midwicket.A Tim Groenewald full toss was dispatched for another six and with 52 coming from the last four overs, Yorkshire had a decent total although Guptill soon made it look inadequate.He drove and pulled Oliver Hannon-Dalby for two sixes and although David Wainwright had Chesney Hughes caught at long on from his first ball, Yorkshire could not contain the Falcons.Guptill late cut the spinner for his sixth four to reach 50 off only 34 balls and although Adil Rashid beat Durston’s defensive push, it was not enough to stall the Falcons’ victory charge.Wayne Madsen drove Wainwright on to the roof of the radio tent and Guptill pulled the spinner out of the ground before Steve Patterson gave Yorkshire hope with two wickets in successive overs.Madsen skied a pull to mid on and Smith was deceived by one that popped on him but Guptill and Ross Whiteley settled the contest with some muscular blows.

Acting captain Murray Goodwin made the 64th hundred of his first-class career to lead Sussex’s resistance on the third day of their Championship match against Lancashire

28-Apr-2011
ScorecardActing captain Murray Goodwin made the 64th hundred of his first-class career to lead Sussex’s resistance on the third day of their Championship match against Lancashire at Hove. Goodwin’s 113, his 45th century for the county, was not enough to prevent his side from conceding a first-innings deficit of 300 after they were bowled out for 290.But following on, openers Ed Joyce and Chris Nash took advantage of benign conditions and a tiring attack to take Sussex to 147 without loss at stumps, still 153 behind but with every chance of escaping with a draw. Joyce closed on 63, with eight fours so far, while his partner is 57 not out, having hit 10 boundaries.Sussex had resumed on 97 for 4 in their first innings and soon lost nightwatchman Amjad Khan to a slip catch off Glen Chapple, the first of four wickets for the Lancashire captain. But Luke Wright and Andrew Hodd both gave Goodwin support in two significant stands to hold up Lancashire’s bid for a third successive innings victory.Wright, playing his first game since the World Cup because of knee trouble, helped add 81 in 23 overs for the sixth wicket before left-arm spinner Gary Keedy switched ends and immediately had him taken at slip for 33 off a ball which turned out of the rough.Goodwin then added 90 in 27 overs with Hodd (28) but when the latter was leg before to Chapple’s inswinger, soon after he took the new ball, it sparked a collapse which saw Sussex lose their last four wickets in 6.4 overs for just 19 runs.Goodwin had not offered a chance during a watchful innings during which he mixed long periods of careful defence with some typically stylish back-foot shots through his strong areas on the off side. But on 113 he mis-timed a back-foot drive off the persevering Chapple and was caught low down in the covers, having faced 264 balls and hit 11 boundaries.Sussex’s tail didn’t last long, with Keedy also finishing with four wickets when he ended the innings by bemusing Naveed Arif with his arm ball.Lancashire might even have harboured hopes of a three-day win given the brittleness of Sussex’s batting this season but they were soon forced to re-think their strategies as Nash and Joyce dug in after tea.Their cause was aided by Lancashire’s seamers regularly over-stepping. They conceded 30 runs in the first innings and a further 20 second time around, with Sajid Mahmood and Farveez Maharoof accounting for 42 of those runs between them. Sussex had themselves bowled 21 no-balls – 42 runs – in the Lancashire innings.

The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt has said that player power has been completely eradicated from the national side

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2011The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt has claimed victory over player power in the national side, saying it has now been completely eradicated.In recent months, Butt has quietly moved away from the public limelight, allowing senior board officials to do much of the board’s talking. Though unsaid, it seems to have been the result of last summer, where Butt’s various public utterances on the spot-fixing scandal resulted in the ICC warning the PCB eventually to clean up its affairs, including governance.But in a (now) rare interview to , Butt says that Pakistan cricket has benefited in some ways under his administration. “Let me assure you that player power, though present in the past, does not exist in the national team at the moment as I have taken strict actions to eradicate it,” Butt said.Infighting, player indiscipline and clashes between the players and boards have been an inextricable part of Pakistan cricket, particularly over the last few years. Last year, the PCB banned Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf from playing for Pakistan in any format for an indefinite period, while handing out one-year bans to Shoaib Malik and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan and imposing fines on Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers. The punishments came in the aftermath of a disastrous tour of Australia in 2009-10.Though the punishments were all either reversed or lessened soon after, Butt said the message had been sent out. “To crush player power, I penalised even prominent players like Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal without showing any reluctance which in the past had damaged the team spirit,” he said.After a brief period of relative calm, things have begun to heat up again with a selectorial spat between Afridi and coach Waqar Younis brewing away, one that seems to have taken in chief selector Mohsin Khan as well. But the board has acted in both cases, first preventing Khan from holding a press conference in which he was to air his discontent and then reaching a resolution with the chief selector. Afridi has also been hauled up by the board for his remarks upon returning from the Caribbean in which he hinted at the differences with the coach.Butt said that a decision on the issue would be taken after he received manager Intikhab Alam’s report. “An undisciplined person, whether he is an official or player, will face punishment at the end of the tour.”He acknowledged that the existing system of selection under which the selectors choose the squad and the tour selection committee the playing eleven had some flaws, though he said it suited Pakistan. One of the solutions, he said, was a strong head of the tour selection committee.Butt also admitted that on some occasions he had differed with selectors and had asked them to review the selection of some players. “Whenever the selectors refused to review the selection, I used my constitutional power and made the changes,” he said.Butt also highlighted the financial successes under his administration, nearly three years old now. No international side has toured Pakistan since the Lahore attacks on Sri Lanka’s cricketers and support staff in March 2009 and the 2011 World Cup was taken away, but Butt said the board’s reserves had increased to Rs. 3.2 billion (US $ 37.7 million).”We achieved this despite playing our home series at neutral venues,” he said. “The PCB was financially weak with the reserves of Rs1.6 billion (US $ 18.8 million) when I took over the charge and it owed over Rs1 billion (US $ 11.7 million) to different parties.”

The horrific Queensland weather held off long enough to allow the Bulls to dismantle Tasmania to post their first victory of this year’s Big Bash

The Bulletin by Alex Malcolm 07-Jan-2011Queensland 2 for 119 (Hopes 65*, Carseldine 28*) beat Tasmania 8 for 118 (Bailey 37, Rimmington 2-23) by 8 wickets
ScorecardJames Hopes starred in Queensland’s victory with an allround performance•Getty ImagesThe horrific Queensland weather held off long enough to allow the Bulls to dismantle Tasmania to post their first victory of this year’s Big Bash.Gabba curator Kevin Mitchell Jr conjured a miracle to prepare a playable surface given the apocalyptic rains that have drowned the state over the past three weeks.James Hopes won the toss and sent Tasmania in. It proved to be the correct decision as the hosts bowled and fielded superbly right through the Tasmania innings to restrict them to a below-par 8 for 118 from their 20 overs. The visitors were on the back foot when they lost newly named Australia Twenty20 vice-captain Tim Paine, who played on for 3 in the third over, with just 11 runs on the board.The Tigers also contributed to their own downfall with two needless run-outs. Mark Cosgrove miscalculated while attempting two to Michael Neser running in from deep square leg. An outstanding direct hit found Cosgrove miles short. Then Travis Birt committed cricketing suicide in the next over calling George Bailey through for a single when his captain had merely defended back to the bowler.Bailey tried to mount a rescue mission, top scoring with 37 from 30 balls, including two sixes. He and James Faulkner (24) put on 41 for the seventh wicket to take Tasmania past 100. But Bailey was undone by a clever slower ball from Nathan Rimmington, who bowled brilliantly to finish with 2 for 23, including the wicket of Faulker.The Bulls had one eye on the weather in their chase as opener Chris Simpson got them off to rapid start, clubbing 20 from 11 balls after Michael Lumb fell early. However, he failed to capitalise on his start, as he was bowled by Xavier Doherty in the third over to leave the Bulls at 2 for 25. But Hopes (65 not out) and Lee Carseldine (28 not out) dashed any hopes that Tasmania might have had of a Queensland collapse. They smashed 94 runs off 68 balls to make a mockery of the Tasmanian attack and reach the target with 37 balls to spare. In one stretch of eight deliveries, the experience pair thumped six fours and a six between them.Hopes, who also affected a run-out and took a one-handed catch to dismiss Ryan ten Doeschate, was declared the Man-of-the-Match.Queensland move level with Tasmania on the table with the four other sides playing their second matches across the weekend.

The ‘Baby’ Blues have struck again, this time cruising past the Queensland Bulls by 17 runs at the Gabba – the final scoreline flattering the hosts who were never really in the contest during the second innings

The Bulletin by Andrew Fuss24-Jan-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSean Abbott pulled off an outstanding catch in addition to taking three wickets as the Blues’ teenagers shone in the field•Getty ImagesThe ‘Baby’ Blues have struck again, this time cruising past the Queensland Bulls by 17 runs at the Gabba – the final scoreline flattering the hosts who were never really in the contest during the second innings.On a pitch on which 160 looked like it would be a par score, the New South Wales Blues won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first. The visitors, however, battled to find the boundary and found themselves reeling at 5 for 72 in the 13th over, having broken the record for the lowest number of runs scored in the Powerplay during the season – 1 for 30.Moises Henriques (34 off 27 balls) and Man-of-the-Match Ben Rohrer (47 off 25) then joined forces for a handy 44-run partnership to give the Blues some hope of a respectable total.It was Rohrer – the only batsman to look comfortable on an, at times, two-paced pitch – who did the most damage, helping his side take 38 off the final three overs to reach 7 for 140.The Bulls’ big hope in the run chase – the dynamic Chris Simpson – started terribly, connecting with the ball just once (a top-edged six over third man) in the first ten deliveries he faced, including seven missed pull shots.Captain Stuart Clark (1 for 13) and teenager Patrick Cummins (3 for 24) were superb, bowling the visitors into a commanding position before another teenager, Sean Abbott (3 for 15), finished the hosts off with some good stump to stump bowling to tear through the middle order.Cummins, 17, looks to be a future Australia paceman and was unlucky not to have more economical figures; most of the runs off his bowling coming from edges through the slips.In a sign of just how poorly the Bulls did with the bat, it was No. 10 Nathan Rimmington who top scored for them, blasting his way to 24 off just 11 balls in the final overs.Queensland will play their second game in two days when they host Western Australia in what has now become a knockout match, before they travel south to face New South Wales again on Saturday.

Former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie believes Rangers’ fatigue could play into the Hoops’ hands in their crucial Scottish Premiership meeting.

The Lowdown: Massive game at Parkhead

Arguably the biggest league game of the season takes place at Parkhead on Sunday afternoon, as Ange Postecoglou’s side host their biggest rivals.

Celtic are six points clear with four matches remaining this season, so victory for them this weekend would surely mean them regaining their league crown.

It promises to be a nerve-shredding occasion between two of world football’s biggest adversaries.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/key-latest-celtic-updates-4/” title=”Key latest Celtic updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

The Latest: McAvennie discusses Rangers weakness

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie claimed that Rangers’ midweek Europa League makes the Hoops the resounding favourites on Sunday:

“I’m fairly optimistic we will get a result on Sunday. Celtic are well-rested and Rangers won’t be so we have to exploit that.

“I’m hoping we can blow Rangers away and I think with the crowd behind us then we will. Rangers just defended for their lives against Leipzig so that should tire them out.

“But the last time they faced us after a European game they won so we have to be at our best to get something. Hopefully there are goals, Kyogo will want an Old Firm goal to his name for sure.

“I think it will be a good game with lots of goals because Rangers need the win. If they commit men forward it will open them up at the back and we can swarm them.  Ange will want a bit of revenge after that cup loss as well but I do think we will get the job done.”

The Verdict: Celtic undoubted favourites

McAvennie makes a fair point, with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side getting through a huge amount of work on Thursday night, as they lost 1-0 away to RB Leipzig.

On the flip side, Celtic have had an entire week to prepare for the match, affording Postecoglou time on the training ground with his players, as well as keeping them fresh.

This certainly plays in their hands going into the game – it’s now a case of proving that they have more legs and quality, as they look for a priceless three points.

In other news, a pundit has reacted to a key Celtic transfer update. Read more here.

Tamil Nadu’s wall S Badrinath stood between Rajasthan and their dream of a first Ranji final at end of a fascinating third day at Jaipur

The Bulletin by Sriram Veera05-Jan-2011
Scorecard
S Badrinath came in the eighth over of Tamil Nadu’s innings and batted solidly to leave the game fascinatingly poised•ESPNcricinfo LtdTamil Nadu’s wall S Badrinath stood between Rajasthan and their dream of entering the Ranji final at end of a fascinating third day in Jaipur. The equation is simple if no team takes the first-innings lead: Tamil Nadu, if they don’t get bowled out, will have to score 272 runs in 90 overs on the final day to go through based on net run-rate. Badrinath came in the eighth over of Tamil Nadu’s innings, after Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Ashok Menaria hit hundreds to push Rajasthan to a strong 552, and faced 184 balls for his unbeaten 78.There were several dramatic moments in the day: When Badrinath was on 57, there was a huge shout for a catch off Sumit Mathur. There was some noise as Badrinath prodded at it but there was no visible deflection. Badrinath was also earlier involved in an incident with the umpire Tim Robinson. Rajasthan’s players complained that Badrinath was not getting ready to face and was repeatedly pulling out when their bowlers were running in to bowl. “You have to be ready when the bowler is ready to bowl,” Robinson told Badrinath who said he won’t get ready until the fielders behind the wicket stopped chattering. Badrinath edged the next delivery to his pad and scrambled across for a quick single and was involved in a discussion with the umpire.It was that kind of a day. There was lot of chirping from the fielders – Aakash Chopra was the acting captain in the absence of the indisposed Kanitkar – and the seamers, Pankaj Singh and Deepak Chahar, bowled their heart out on a docile track. While the rest of the top order wilted around him, Badrinath stood firm.His foot movement was precise- he was fully committed on the front and back foot- and drove and cut at every opportunity. He cut and drove the spinners well and was equally fluent against the seamers. There was a lovely cover drive against Pankaj but his best shot was a gorgeous extra cover drive off Chahar late in the day. It perfectly captured his assured knock: He leaned well forward, the front elbow was high and he caressed through the line of the delivery.Rajasthan attacked the rest of the batsmen with purpose. Chahar followed couple of bouncers with a full outswinger and the opener Arun Karthik dragged his attempted cover drive to the leg stump. Abhinav Mukund, the other in-form batsman, strived to get forward at every opportunity but Pankaj went round the stumps to nail him with a delivery that seamed in to trap him lbw. Dinesh Karthik, who has a solitary fifty this season, tried to look positive, cutting the legspinner Vivek Yadav for three successive boundaries. However, Yadav got one to slide on straight and Karthik was caught in front, pushing well outside the line. K Vasudevadas lent support to Badrinath and the pair added 50 runs in 20 overs to leave the game fascinatingly poised.Tamil Nadu have R Sathish, who hit a match-saving hundred against Haryana in the quarter-final, to follow and Rajasthan will have the opportunity to take the new ball in 11 overs. That new cherry could well decide the fate of the game.

Crystal Palace have been in talks with RC Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure’s representatives.

What’s the word?

That is according to journalist Fabrice Hawkins, who broke news on Twitter over Doucoure’s garnered interest.

Hawkins states that Crystal Palace and German Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg are the two clubs who are “very interested” in the young Malian man.

Mark Mechenoua of Goal.com states that the 22-year-old is Crystal Palace’s “priority” for next season.

Though at this point, Ligue 1 side RC Lens has not received any offers for their starlet.

A must-do deal

Patrick Vieira is right to pursue a deal for the £15m-rated gem who “fits the bill perfectly” according to freelance journalist Alan Rzepa.

Malian international Doucoure is noted as a native holding midfielder, though a formation switch to a 3-4-1-2 system at Lens recently has seen the 22-year-old function as a central midfielder – with Doucoure discovering his goalscoring touch in this position – most recently against Nice where he also bagged an assist.

His versatility and well-roundedness as a midfield player makes his potential capture even sweeter, with Vieira having options to replace Conor Gallagher or play Doucoure as a holding midfielder and allow Kouyate to drop into a defensive position in the Palace backline – something that has been on the mind of Patrick Vieira.

Doucoure has been described as “incredible” by Zach Lowy and it’s easy to see why, with the 8-cap Mali international achieving some astonishing numbers for his defensive acumen this season, with his average of two tackles won and 36% successful pressures per 90 placing him in and above the 90th percentile when it comes to positionally similar players plying their trade in Europe’s top 5 leagues over the last 365 days, as per FBref.

His successful pressure percentage and tackles won are particularly impressive in comparison to Palace’s current holding midfielder Cheickhou Kouyate, with the Senegalese man achieving just 30% for successful pressures, placing him in the 51st percentile, with his average of 1.5 tackles won seeing him ranked within the 55th percentile.

Palace could upgrade their holding midfielder spot for what could turn out to be a real bargain for the Eagles this summer.

In other news: Forget Olise: “Embarrassed” Palace flop who lost 64% duels badly failed Vieira vs NUFC – opinion