Erling Haaland shoved the camera as he furiously stormed off pitch after a disastrous performance against Chelsea.
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The summer transfer window officially slams shut on Friday night and Manchester United are in the market to add a left-back to their squad before that happens.
What's the latest Manchester United transfer news?
Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano recently revealed that the Red Devils are eyeing up a number of options in that position to cover for Luke Shaw, who is set to be out for a number of weeks with a muscle injury.
The reporter has named Tottenham Hotspur full-back Sergio Reguilon as one of the names on Erik ten Hag's list following the Spanish defender's spell on loan at Atletico Madrid last season.
Read the latest Man United transfer news HERE…
However, it remains to be seen whether the club are eyeing up the £53k-per-week battler for a season-long loan or a permanent deal to bolster their squad.
The news comes amid United's chase of Marc Cucurella at Chelsea, who appears to be the leading contender to fill their left-back void.
Personal terms are agreed and it seems as though a move could well be completed before transfer deadline day.
How good is Sergio Reguilon?
The 26-year-old dud's form in recent seasons does not suggest that he would be a good option for United to bring in and Ten Hag could repeat his Tyrell Malacia blunder by securing a swoop for the Spurs outcast.
Reguilon has not been able to convince Ange Postecoglou to bring him back into the first-team fray in north London and is yet to feature in a matchday squad for his side this term.
This comes after a dismal spell with Atletico in Spain during the 2022/23 campaign. He averaged a disappointing Sofascore rating of 6.63 across 11 LaLiga appearances and made 0.8 tackles and interceptions combined per game, which shows that the Spanish liability rarely made an impact on the pitch.
His time in his home country came after 52 Premier League outings in two seasons with Tottenham, which is a strong sample size of games of which to judge his displays.
The lightweight, who was once described as "so average" by Spurs insider John Wenham, lost 51% of his ground duels in his debut campaign with the club and then lost 50% of them throughout his second year in London.
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.74 over 26 top-flight starts during the 2020/21 season and this shows that the left-footed flop failed to produce consistently good performances whilst also being a liability out of possession due to his lack of strength in physical contests against his opponents.
A score of 6.74 would have placed him 20th within the United squad last term and his 6.63 rating during his loan spell with Atletico would have ranked him 21st.
Therefore, Reguilon could be Malacia 2.0 for United as the Dutch left-back was brought in last summer and has suffered due to his inconsistent displays and a lack of strength at the back.
The 24-year-old dud averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.80 across 22 Premier League matches for the Red Devils last season, which was the 16th-best score on the team.
Malacia also lost 52% of his battles on the ground and this shows that, like Reguilon, the Netherlands international is a lightweight who is unable to dominate opposition attackers.
This suggests that Ten Hag could repeat his blunder from last summer by signing another left-back who does not deliver consistently impressive performances or win a high percentage of their duels to win or maintain possession for the side.
Liverpool players were left as stunned as fans on Friday as they reportedly only learnt of Jurgen Klopp's departure shortly before it was announced.
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Klopp to leave at end of seasonSquad learns of news shortly before announcement Decision made in November but players kept in dark(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
While the German explained that he had communicated his decision to the Liverpool board last November, players were unaware of the decision until just before the bombshell announcement on Friday morning.
AdvertisementGetty Images WHAT WHAT SAID
The Chris Bascombe reports that: "Although Klopp told the Liverpool hierarchy of his intention in November, the players were only informed this morning. Naturally, they are as shocked as the supporters and the rest of the football world."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
While its understandable that Klopp and the club would keep the news under wraps from the autumn, particularly as the team hit a strong run of form, it comes as something of a surprise that players received the news at the same time as the general public. One of the challenges facing Klopp between now and the end of the season will be to settle his squad and use the end of his time at Anfield as a positive motivational factor, with Liverpool very much a candidate for trophies in every competition.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL AND KLOPP?
We'll get a first glimpse at how the squad reacts to the stunning news when Liverpool take on Norwich City at Anfield on Sunday, in a game that has now suddenly taken on a huge emotional significance.
Arsenal are reportedly reigniting their interest in Argentine forward Emiliano Buendia, as Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar eye further reinforcements this summer.
The duo have already equipped the side with the talents of Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and Declan Rice this window, spending over £200m in the bid to continue their title challenging form of the 2022/23 campaign.
It’s speculated that the spending is far from over with one week remaining until the opening fixture of the 2023/24 season, as the club continues to be linked with talent.
Could Arsenal sign Emiliano Buendia?
As reported by FootballTransfers, Arsenal could eye a move for Aston Villa attacking midfielder Buendia with the hope to add to their depth on the right side.
Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…
The Gunners were said to be ‘seriously’ interested in signing the winger from Norwich City back in 2021 prior to his move to Villa, as per football.london.
In a transfer that was worth £38m, the 26-year-old could be on the move again after just two years in the Midlands.
How many goals has Emiliano Buendia scored for Aston Villa?
After making the move from Carrow Road to Villa Park, the Argentine has found the net on just nine occasions in two seasons in claret and blue in what has been a slightly underwhelming spell in the Premier League.
Arsenal’s reported interest in the 26-year-old back in 2021 was understandable following his phenomenal 32 goal and assist-contributing season in the Championship for the Canaries.
Scoring 15 goals and registering 17 assists, Buendia captured the eye of the top-flight and opted to sign for the Villans.
In hindsight, the Gunners dodged a bullet with him being branded as a player that has “not been consistent enough” by former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan via Football Insider.
On the back of his 15-goal campaign, the Argentine managed four goals in the Premier League, suggesting that the full story of his potential has not been translated to the highest level as it was on show in the Championship.
For Arsenal, interest in the 26-year-old could spell disaster for Edu as he looks to improve the depth of the squad at the Emirates, something that he could move further away from in hiring the Midlands flop.
The Gunners are in the process of sanctioning a move for Nicolas Pepe, who as a fellow right-sided forward has been unable to impress in the Premier League.
Despite being cut away from Arteta’s plans, the Ivory Coast international made more of an impact in the English top-flight than Buendia has in his opening two seasons, scoring 15 goals over the 2019/20 and 2020/21 league campaigns.
Making a move for the £82k-per-week dud would be a less ambitious move in comparison to the other deals secured this summer, in a player that has performed at a lower level than Pepe, who has been exiled from the Emirates for his lack of form.
At a time when the north Londoners have worked their way to be regarded as title contenders once again, Edu should avoid a move for a figure proven to struggle in the Premier League, in a deal that could replicate the right-sided failure of Pepe’s tenure.
Kusal Perera and Asela Gunaratne are also expected return to the national set-up when Sri Lanka fly to India for a full tour
Madushka Balasuriya31-Oct-2017Angelo Mathews will be fit for Sri Lanka’s tour of India in November, while Kusal Perera and Asela Gunaratne are also expected to return to the national set-up.
Sri Lanka Cricket expects to announce a new head coach by the end of the year, though it is unlikely to happen prior to Sri Lanka’s upcoming tour of India in November.
SLC confirmed that they were in conversations with a couple of coaches about the vacant position. Interim coach Nic Pothas, who has been in charge since the abrupt departure of Graham Ford in June, is also in the running.
“We are discussing with about three or four coaches, including Nic Pothas. We hope to finalise the decision by the end of the year,” SLC CEO Ashley De Silva said.
“When it comes to recruiting a new coach, we have to be sure to select the right one, therefore it takes some time. As for the names, some of them are still working in other places so if it gets leaked they won’t be happy. We’ll reveal it when the time is right.”
It means that Sri Lanka will head into arguably their toughest tour this year without a permanent head coach. De Silva refused to confirm if Pothas would retain his role as interim coach for the tour of India.
All three were unavailable for the recently concluded Pakistan tour, but will be welcomed back warmly following Sri Lanka’s recent struggles in limited-overs contests. Sri Lanka have lost their last 16 white-ball matches, including both ODI and T20I series whitewashes against Pakistan and India.Their next assignment is a full tour of India starting with the first of the three Tests on November 16 in Kolkata, followed by three ODIs and as many T20Is.”Angelo and Kusal Janith [Perera] have both recovered and they will be considered for selection for the Indian series. Asela Gunaratne is fit as well,” SLC CEO Ashley De Silva said.Sri Lanka’s interim head coach Nic Pothas, who was speaking alongside Sri Lanka’s three captains for the Pakistan tour, hinted that after a string of such negative results change in personnel might be the best way forward.”It’s pretty obvious what the mood will be like when you’ve lost 16 games,” Pothas said. “With respect to new faces, that’s a conversation that we need to have with the selectors. But I think it stands to reason that in any walk of life, when you’ve had negative results for a period of time you need to see some change somewhere.”While Sri Lanka ended the series with eight straight defeats, they had started it on a much more promising note, becoming the first team to win a Test series against Pakistan in the UAE, since Australia in 2002. Pothas was keen to point this, as he stressed on the other positives derived from the tour.”On the Test series, let me remind you that we made history,” he stated. “We did something that no other nation has ever done in the UAE. It tends to have been forgotten due to the fact that ODIs follow the Tests. But we have to give huge credit to the team and to the captain.”Overall across the whole tour we can certainly glean a lot of positives. The fielding has improved out of sight and certainly was one of the shining lights throughout the month that we were out there. And the bowling as well was of a very high standard; the execution of the plans was very pleasing.”Obviously, some of the batting didn’t go according to plan, but that’s the cricket world and other teams are allowed to play well. It was also one of the best bowling attacks in the world so it’s always going to be tough, but I think on the whole the series started off very well with that Test win. Certainly the attitude, the character and the fight shown by that team was very, very pleasing.”The tour also saw a Sri Lankan team return to Pakistan for the first time since 2009, when their team bus was attacked by armed gunmen in Lahore. The decision to play a match in Lahore resulted in several players pulling out of the game, but also provided opportunities for several fringe players.Sri Lanka’s limited-overs captain Upul Tharanga was among those that pulled out, which gave Thisara Perera the opportunity to captain the T20 side. Despite losing all three matches, Perera was full of praise for his young charges.”In truth when speaking about the Lahore visit, it was a much changed team to the one we initially expected to take part,” Thisara said. “Even though it was a young side, when captaining them I realised that they were much more mature than I had thought. The support they gave, their attitude, as a captain it was a great help in terms of handling the team.”The team didn’t have many players with international experience. Most were inexperienced, including me as captain. Nevertheless the players had the drive to play and win. Although it was a youthful side, a lot of them had experience playing domestic cricket. Their attitude was also right. That’s the attitude we need in the team. Although we didn’t perform as we would have liked with the bat, the bowlers did us proud.”The second match, we had the match in our hands till the last ball, I think we lost the victory as we didn’t have the experience to handle it. If these players are given a chance they can do a lot more for Sri Lanka cricket.”
Jack Leach began the season with a remodelled action and doubts about his effectiveness. He finished it with 50 Championship wickets as he bowled Somerset to safety
George Dobell at Taunton28-Sep-20171:11
ECB officer explains ‘below average’ Taunton pitch rating
Of course it was spin that sealed Somerset’s victory. And of course it was Jack Leach who took the final wicket.Less than a year after his career was threatened by suggestion that his action was not legal, Leach clinched his fourth five-wicket haul of the campaign to secure his side’s third victory in the final four games of the season. As a result, he passed 50 wickets in the season and Somerset avoided relegation. Matt Maynard, Somerset’s departing director of cricket, said he “couldn’t make sense” of the decision not to take him to the Ashes.Leach wouldn’t see many pitches like this in Australia, of course. Pitches where spinners open the bowling in three of the four innings and take all 10 wickets in the fourth innings. Somerset have made a point of preparing such surfaces in the last couple of years and, in Leach and Dom Bess, they have two bowlers well equipped to take advantage.The Somerset players took a lap of honour at the end of the game. It wasn’t so much a sign that they were content with their low position in the table; more a reflection of their relief in retaining their decade-long stay in Division One (no side in the land will have been in the top division so long when the 2018 starts) and gratitude to their 2000 supporters. Cricket still matters in Taunton.This pitch was marked “below average” by the Cricket Liaison Officer (CLO), Wayne Noon, as it showed signs of “excessive turn” from the start. Crucially he could not see any uneven bounce on days one or two. As a result there will be no points deduction and Somerset’s place in Division One is assured.That isn’t quite the get out of jail free card it might appear. The ECB regulations state that, should a pitch be marked “below average” twice within a 12-month period in the same competition, penalties can be applied. While Somerset have not had another such mark this season, they will, Noon said “have to be very mindful” of their surfaces in 2018.There is a slight caveat to all this. Phil Whitticase, a senior CLO, will arrive in Taunton on Friday and conduct a further investigation into the pitch. He will, as part of that investigation, speak to the umpires and the groundsman and it remains theoretically possible that he will increase the penalty. He could also decrease it.But it would be a major surprise – and an astounding own goal from the ECB – if they should, for the second season in succession, alter the table after the campaign has finished and change the relegation positions. But, not so long ago, it seemed impossible that a hotel magnate with comic hair would become US president; life is full of surprises and not all of them are good.Adam Voges, the Middlesex captain, was frank in his assessment of the pitch. “We knew we’d get a spinning wicket,” he said. “And I’ve no problem with teams preparing pitches to suit their strengths.”But we were surprised by how much disturbance there was before a ball was bowled. There was excessive spin from ball one. There were rake marks at both ends. There should be a line and whether that line was crossed is the match-referee’s decision.”He remains more upset by the two-point deduction for a slow over rate following the crossbow incident at The Oval last month. He feels his team were assured by officials at the time that the nature of the incident would be taken into account and no penalty levelled.”It was such an extraordinary circumstance,” he said. “We had every intention to rectify our over rate and were assured at the time that it wouldn’t be an issue. Whether there is anything that can be done now is up to the administrators.”Voges admitted, though, that to leave themselves in a position where they were hurt by such moments was a reflection of their disappointing cricket over the course of the season. Champions in 2016, they end 2017 with rumours of deep dressing-room discontent. They still look a very strong side on paper, though, and might reflect in time that they have simply been victim to a league which relegates a quarter of its participants a season. Over-reaction would probably be an error.”You look at the season as a whole and it’s obviously been disappointing,” Voges said. “It’s not just the last week or the last month.”It took less than two hours to wrap-up victory on the final day. Leach and his fellow left-arm spinner, Roelof van der Merwe, utilised the conditions expertly with the latter finishing with career-best figures. Leach, in particular, bowled beautifully with his subtle and wonderfully disguised changes of pace causing many of the problems. And, for all the talk about this pitch, it wouldn’t have raised an eyebrow in Asia. England really don’t play spin very well.Marcus Trescothick salutes the crowd after Somerset secured Division One status•Getty Images
Leach may yet feature in the Ashes. He can expect to be named in the Lions party that will train in Perth as the Test series is played and, should anything befall Moeen Ali, could well be called into the Test squad if required.”I’d prefer to see him there instead of Mason Crane,” Maynard said. “Crane can’t get into the Hampshire side all the time. I can’t understand it. If he gets called into the team he won’t know anyone there. They’ve missed a trick in not picking him”One thing is sure: for Leach to recover from the low he was in only a few months ago is testament to impressive resilience. To re-model an action without missing a game and then emerge as a better, more skilful, more mature bowler bodes well for his future.He had, he admits, some “dark moments” on the Lions tour of the UAE last winter. There were times, as he tried to bowl with his new action, when he feared he might never recapture the bite and consistency of previous days. Just nine months later, he is back to winning games for his side and pushing for an England spot.”I’ve shown good resilience,” he said. “Something like that can’t be fixed overnight and, from a mental perspective more than technical, there were some dark moments on that tour. I wanted to make a really good impression but it was hard.”Now I look back on it as part of the journey. I think I’m probably a better bowler now. I can bowl a bit quicker and I’ve learned a lot. About myself and my action. At the start of the season I wasn’t sure if I could keep doing this, so to have finished with more than 50 wickets…. Yes, I’m proud of how I’ve reacted to the challenges. It was tough.”Leach was one of eight academy products in this Somerset side. Well, academy or equivalent. They didn’t have academies when Marcus Trescothick was growing up. Hell, they didn’t even have the Quantocks. But it means that Maynard’s successor – and it still seems likely that Andy Hurry will be named as such next week with Jason Kerr as his deputy – inherits strong foundations ahead of next season.”I’d love to have stayed and seen the project through,” Maynard said. “We did have discussions about me doing the head coach role, but decided there could be friction if I didn’t agree with the new director of cricket. So a settlement was agreed and we part very amicably. The club have handled it well.”The club have undergone quite a transition under Maynard. The over-reliance upon imports has improved and the trust in home-grown youth has improved. And it was his idea that Trescothick, at slip, should field on his knees to the spinners in certain circumstances. “When the ball is dying, we felt he could get that bit lower,” he explained. It wasn’t, perhaps, a perfect stay but the club went within an ace of winning that elusive first Championship title a year ago. Memories in cricket have never been shorter.It transpires the review of the club structure was led by James Taylor, the England batsman who retired through illness at the start of last season, who felt it was necessary to employ a head coach and director of cricket. Maynard, who described cricket as his passion, will now consider more “backseat” roles such as batting consultancy positions. He is unlikely to be without offers for long.So, Somerset will play in Division One in 2018. And that means Trescothick could yet fulfil that Championship-winning dream. If he does, it would be a success popular far beyond the borders of the county.
Turning a team’s mood, mindset and match-day performances around can take months but Faf du Plessis was able to achieve that with his South African side in less than a week
Firdose Moonda at Trent Bridge15-Jul-2017Turning a team’s mood, mindset and match-day performances around can take months but Faf du Plessis was able to achieve that with his South African side in less than a week. Since returning to the squad following the birth of his first child, du Plessis has challenged, chastised and commiserated with his men following their Lord’s defeat. And he has also inspired for them to fight a little harder just by doing that himself.”It’s quite easy for everyone to say how good Faf is,” Chris Morris said. “It’s just his character. He lives for playing for the Proteas and is what a Protea should be. He lives for the team and he leads by example. He puts his body on the line and he doesn’t mind batting for three days to save a Test. When a guy leads from the front, a lot of guys will follow.”Though du Plessis only scored 19 runs before he was caught down the leg-side off a ball he wasn’t quite sure he had hit, his management of his bowlers on the second afternoon spoke to the quality of his leadership. After seeing this first and second-changes seamers, Duanne Olivier and Morris, unable to find their rhythm early on, du Plessis asked the premier pacemen, particularly Morne Morkel, to do more work and then made sure he did not have Olivier and Morris at opposite ends at the same time again.He trusted his spinner, Keshav Maharaj, to start the strangle and spoke to the other two quicks about how they could improve on their poor starts. “Faf is solid and quite clear with his plans and speaks a very good language with the team. He’s an excellent leader,” Morris said.Today, Morris was the biggest beneficiary of that. His first three overs cost 20 runs but after a chat with du Plessis, his next 5.5 went for just 18 runs and he took three wickets. Although the wickets came at the end of the innings, after the other, more serious damage had been done, they also came because Morris had clearer instructions. “The message was clear from Faf: be aggressive and bowl fast. For me that cleared any doubt on what I needed to do,” Morris said.His post-lunch speeds were higher, he forced Liam Dawson into a loose drive that prompted an unsuccessful review, bluffed Moeen Ali with short balls before drawing him into a drive off a fuller one and then set up Stuart Broad, who was expecting a bouncer, with a full, straight ball that struck him on the pad. “That was a decision we made in the moment,” Morris said, explaining how the Broad wicket came about.Overall, South Africa made good use of seamer-friendly bowling conditions and an England approach that is angled towards attacking. “On this wicket, you are quite happy with guys coming at you. There is just enough in this wicket for fast bowlers to be excited, and with overhead conditions, with the ball swinging and the way the Duke moves around, we don’t mind guys coming at us,” Morris said. “Another day Joe [Root] is going to get 190, and another day he will get what he got today. It was a great counterpunch by Joe but we don’t mind it.”Because the counterpunch did not work, South Africa will now, it seems, be able to dictate terms as they aim to square the series. And Morris is quite happy to let du Plessis be the dictator when it comes to knowing how many runs South Africa will need.”800? I have got absolutely no idea,” he said. “The wicket is playing a little bit. It’s got a bit of juice in it. Whatever overhead conditions are… 200 could be enough on the right day. Obviously we’ll try and bat as long as we can, and whatever decision Faf takes that we think will be possible to defend. That number, I don’t know. It’s my third Test. I just do the job and let the captain make the decision.”
Newcastle United have "shown interest" in signing Juventus winger Samuel Iling-Junior, who could be allowed to leave on a loan deal this summer, according to journalist Rudy Galetti.
What's the latest Newcastle transfer news?
With Eddie Howe preparing for Champions League football next season, the manager has now identified Villarreal's Samuel Chukwueze as a transfer target, however the likes of AC Milan, Arsenal and Liverpool are also said to be on his tracks.
The Magpies will have to fend off fierce competition to win the race for the Nigerian, but Howe will be well aware of the need to bring in a new winger, given Allan Saint-Maximin's uncertain future, amid interest from teams in the Saudi Pro League, as well as Everton and Crystal Palace.
Harvey Barnes could be brought in as a replacement for the Frenchman, with the PIF pursuing a move for the England international, who is valued at £40m by Leicester CIty, while Iling-Junior is also emerging as an option.
Newcastle were linked with a move for the 19-year-old back in March, alongside Premier League rivals Manchester City and Chelsea, and there are still a number of top clubs vying for his signature.
That is according to Galetti, who recently told GiveMeSport that Juventus could sanction the youngster's departure this summer, but not on a permanent deal.
The journalist said: “Juventus, for sure, this summer will change something in this squad.
“Some players could leave on loan to grow and improve. Samuel Iling-Junior is one of them.
“He could leave Juventus on loan this summer, and many clubs have shown interest in him. From the Premier League, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Chelsea are monitoring his situation.”
Who is Samuel Iling-Junior?
The Juventus ace, who has stated himself that he is "similar" to Leroy Sane, was born in Islington, and made a number of appearances for Chelsea in the Under 18 Premier League, as well as the UEFA Youth League, before he made the switch to the Serie A.
Since then, the Englishman has risen through the ranks at the Allianz Stadium, making his first-team breakthrough last season, picking up one assist in the Champions League, after making a 20-minute cameo in his side;s 4-3 loss against Benfica.
Despite only receiving limited time on the pitch, the starlet received a 7.4 Sofascore rating, the highest of any Juventus player on the night, and he also made an instant impact in the Serie A, managing to score on his full debut for the club.
Fooball Scout Jacek Kulig has heaped praise on the youngster, describing him as a "flamboyant winger", while also outlining his key traits, which are his dribbling, pace, ball control and bravery.
It is still very early days in his career, but Iling-Junior is showing all the signs he could go on to be a top player, so it is exciting news that Newcastle are monitoring his situation.
That said, Howe will surely be hoping they can sign the £11k-per-week winger on a permanent deal, rather than on loan, as he could be a fantastic long-term replacement for Saint-Maximin.
Callum Wilson will pull out of the England squad for their upcoming matches after sustaining an injury, Newcastle coach Eddie Howe says.
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Lahore lost five wickets for one run to stumble in their chase of 167 and fell short by 17 runs in their PSL clash against Peshawar in Dubai
The Report by Danyal Rasool24-Feb-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:31
Highlights – Peshawar’s impressive win
In a nutshellThere must be something about Peshawar that sends jitters right through Lahore Qalandars. It wasn’t quite as spectacular as 59 all out, but Lahore lost five wickets for one run as they collapsed around the spin of Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Hafeez in the Powerplay. They never quite recovered from 43 for 6, and though gritty partnerships between Aamer Yamin and Sunil Narine, and then Yasir Shah and Sohail Tanvir, ensured they wouldn’t fold for two figures, Lahore’s race was run well before the final lap.It didn’t always look this way. McCullum and Cameron Delport got off to a blazing start, Delport being the destroyer-in-chief as he hammered 22 off the young Mohammad Asghar’s first over to take Lahore to 33 for no loss in two overs. But the innings unravelled thereafter, with five wickets falling in eight balls, including a catastrophic mix-up between McCullum and Umar Akmal that wouldn’t have endeared the Pakistan batsman to the Lahore captain. The intensity fizzled out thereafter, and the jogging pace at which Peshawar played the rest of the contest was enough to secure them a 17-run win.Peshawar weren’t completely convincing when they batted, the first time the winners of a toss this tournament had elected to do so. While they had wickets in hand through the early parts of the innings, they never quite got going, thanks in part to a superb spell of legspin bowling from Yasir Shah that sucked the momentum out of their innings. But after a 16-run final over, Peshawar had 166 on the board.Where the match was wonWell, it’s fairly obvious. Lahore’s amazing meltdown came at a time when their position was the strongest it had been at any point during the contest. After restricting Peshawar to under 170, they had gotten off to a flyer, and with Delport going great guns, it had looked like McCullum might find the time to play himself into some form too. But from the moment the South African skied a short ball from Hasan Ali for a caught and bowled, panic and confusion reigned supreme, and Peshawar were canny enough to take full advantage.The men that won itThat Peshawar got to 166 was due in large part to Kamran Akmal, who returned to form that had eluded him since the first match. Striking the ball sweetly down the ground, he anchored the first half of their innings, setting them up for what looked like a big total. He was helped by the indiscipline of Lahore’s pacers, but was sharp enough to punish them for it every time. So good was Kamran that he scored 58 at a strike rate of 145 without hitting a single six in a chanceless innings.Straying out of their creaseThe match saw two stumping dismissals, which doubled the number of batsmen falling in that fashion during the entire tournament. First, Kamran Akmal failed to drag his foot back in time during Peshawar’s innings in what was a soft dismissal. Then, Yasir perished when he was beaten by a quicker delivery from Afridi that he tried to hit for six in the last over of the chase. The match in general was marked by batsmen not being able to stay in their crease, with two run-outs as well, with Afridi and McCullum the victims.The moment of the matchThe manner in which the game went does not leave much opportunity to talk about Yasir, but that does not mean he was not splendid. The legspinner seems to have benefitted from McCullum’s attacking leadership, and looked to take a wicket with every ball he bowled. The pitch offered plenty of assistance too, with Hafeez’s dismissal a particularly memorable one. Yasir bowled what had looked like a poor delivery, a full ball pitching well outside leg stump. As Hafeez tried to sweep it for the boundary it seemingly deserved, it spun back in sharply, bowling a rather sheepish Hafeez around his legs.