Tag Futebol

أعلن البرتغالي جايمي باتشيكو المدير الفني لنادي بيراميدز قائمة فريقه لمباراة غزل المحلة المقرر إقامتها في بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويحل غزل المحلة ضيفًا على بيراميدز في الثالثة إلا الربع عصر السبت على استاد الدفاع الجوي، في إطار الجولة الثانية عشر من البطولة.

طالع أيضًا.. رسميًا.. بيراميدز يعلن تعيين باتشيكو مديرًا فنيًا للفريق خلفًا لـ جونياس

ويحتل بيراميدز المركز الرابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري برصيد 20 نقطة، فيما يتواجد غزل المحلة في المرتبة الخامسة برصيد 18 نقطة. قائمة بيراميدز لمباراة غزل المحلة

حراسة المرمى: شريف إكرامي – أحمد الشناوي – يوسف نادر.

خط الدفاع: علي جبر – أحمد سامي – أسامة جلال – محمد الشيبي – محمد حمدي – كريم حافظ.

خط الوسط: بلاتي توريه – إسلام عيسى – رمضان صبحي – مصطفى فتحي – هشام محمد – وليد الكرتي – عبد الله السعيد – عبد الله مجدي – إبراهيم عادل.

خط الهجوم: محمود وادي – فخري لاكاي – فخر الدين بن يوسف.

Match Facts

March 5, Colombo
Start time 2.30 pm (0900 GMT)Shane Watson is Australia’s highest run-getter of the tournament so far•AFP

The Big Picture

The last time Australia were scheduled to take on Sri Lanka in a World Cup match in Colombo was in 1996, when Australia pulled out citing security concerns leading to plenty of rancour even before the tournament started. The last time the two teams did meet in the World Cup was in the final of 2007, when a farcical ruling over bad light provided an inept end to a much-maligned tournament.Saturday’s encounter, nestled somewhere midway through the competition, will lack the drama of either of those two events, and given the utter woefulness of the smaller teams in Group A, will have only a marginal impact on the tournament, though it is being billed as a ‘big game’. The four Test nations in the group are near certainties to make the quarters, so any time two of them clash in the league phase, the result is more a battle for how high in the top four they end up, which will decide how tough their quarter-final opponent will be.One reason to look forward to the match is that in a game increasingly dominated by the bat, where 300 is no longer a safe score, two of the best bowling line-ups in the tournament will face up. On the one hand Sri Lanka have their much-trumpeted, freakish trio of Malinga, Murali and Mendis, and on the other is Australia’s old-school fast-and-furious trio of Lee, Tait and Johnson.The match is also a stage for Sri Lanka to justify their billing as one of the favourites, particularly after defeat to Pakistan. And for Australia, the game is the first big challenge to check how healthy their chances of a fourth straight title are.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWWW
Sri Lanka WLWWW

Watch out for…

Tillakaratne Dilshan has the task of getting Sri Lanka bursting out of the blocks, a job he’s accomplished in all three matches this tournament by sprinting to at least 40 each time. Sri Lanka will hope his stand-and-thwack-it method works against the Australian pace battery and takes him to the big score that has eluded him so far.A few months ago, Brett Lee’s international career seemed to be over after being sidelined for a year due to an elbow problem. Not only is he back, but like that other oft-injured tearaway, Shoaib Akhtar, he’s showing he’s lost none of his pace even in his mid-thirties. He was in cracking form in Australia’s previous match, tormenting New Zealand’s top order, though he didn’t get the handful of wickets his spot-on bowling deserved.

Team news

Australia have had a week’s rest since thumping New Zealand, so they will be no need to “manage the workload” of any of their players. They are almost certainly going to stick to the same XI.Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Clarke, 5 David Hussey, 6 Cameron White, 7 Steve Smith, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Jason Krezja, 10 Brett Lee, 11 Shaun Tait.Sri Lanka have a couple of decisions to make regarding their bowling. Do they persist with Nuwan Kulasekara or bring back the pacy Thisara Perera, who also provides a big-hitting option lower down the order? Also, the second spinners slot ‘remains a toss-up between Rangana Herath and Ajantha Mendis.Sri Lanka (probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (capt & wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Thilan Samaraweera, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Chamara Silva, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan

Pitch and conditions

It pelted down on Friday evening in Colombo, and there’s light rain forecast for Saturday as well. If the weather stays clear, the teams will likely have to deal with a sluggish pitch, the same surface that was used for the Kenya-Sri Lanka match. Malinga’s explanation of his array of toe-crushers against Kenya: “This is a slow pitch and bouncers will not work so I decided to go for yorkers.” Expect more of the same.

Stats and Trivia

• Australia have lost only one of the seven completed World Cup matches against Sri Lanka – the 1996 final
• Ricky Ponting has the most number of World Cup catches (27), more than twice as many as any other current player. The next highest tally of a player in the tournament is Paul Collingwood (13)
• Lasith Malinga has an astonishing World Cup record: 9 matches, 24 wickets at 13.41

Quotes

“It certainly hasn’t spun anywhere near as much [as last time we were in Sri Lanka] and the teams that have batted second have had a bit more of a chance in the game than before.”

Scott Arfield struggled in in Rangers’ 1-1 draw in Scottish Premiership on Sunday afternoon, receiving criticism from journalist Jordan Campbell.

The Lowdown: Rangers draw at Parkhead

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side faced their Glasgow arch-rivals at Parkhead in what was a make-or-break game for them in the title race.

In the end, Rangers didn’t do enough to get all three points, falling behind to Jota’s first-half opener and equalising through Fashion Sakala, who later wasted a glorious chance to snatch victory.

It was a game which saw some Gers players struggle at times and Arfield was one of them, posting a lowly 62% pass completion rate and losing five out of nine duels (55%), as per Sofascore.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-4/” title=”Rangers news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Campbell criticises Arfield

Taking to Twitter during the match, Campbell criticised the Canada international’s performance against Celtic, particularly in the first half. when the journalist tweeted:

“Rangers started brightly but they missed their chance through Kent and Celtic took an identical one.

“Since then Celtic been better and could have scored another as Rangers have gone flat.

“Sakala & Arfield struggling. Would like to see Lowry & Wright on at half time for them.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“383632”]

The Verdict: Disappointing from Arfield

Rangers really needed the 33-year-old to produce a big performance at Parkhead, but in truth he was too often on the periphery of things.

Arfield didn’t last the full 90 minutes after an ineffective showing, being replaced late on by Amad Diallo, and with only three team-mates being rated lower by Sofascore, you can see why Campbell felt that the Canadian struggled today.

[freshpress-poll id=“386877”]

The ex-Burnley midfielder wasn’t disastrous by any means, but he may feel disappointed by his efforts overall on a day when Rangers very much needed to win to realistically keep the Premiership title race alive.

In other news, a pundit has lamented a key piece of Rangers injury news. Read more here.

England look set to go into the Boxing Day Test with an unchanged side, after James Anderson allayed fears about his fitness with a lively performance in the team’s first nets session since Perth

Andrew Miller in Melbourne24-Dec-2010England could go into the Boxing Day Test with an unchanged side, after James Anderson allayed fears about his fitness with a lively performance in the team’s two net sessions following the 267-run defeat at the WACA. Steven Finn also hit a good rhythm in an hour-long spell at the MCG, as the squad set about refocusing following a four-day break from practice.In the aftermath of the Perth defeat, changes appeared to be on the cards for England, with the 21-year-old Finn looking weary following a rigorous introduction to Ashes cricket. More worryingly from the team’s point of view, Anderson reported stiffness in his side following his less-than-ideal preparation for the match, which had involved 48 hours of flying time to return to England for the birth of his second daughter.However, a chance to rest and recuperate appears to have done the job for both bowlers. “He’s 100% fit,” Andrew Strauss, the England captain said, “he had a niggle but has managed to shake it off and is available for selection.”Finn, meanwhile, went head-to-head with Ajmal Shahzad, whose old-ball skills could yet come into play in the final reckoning, if England feel that the surface will be conducive to reverse swing. Prior to England’s return to action, Strauss had hinted that Finn was set to be retained in the bowling attack, having claimed 14 scalps at 33.14 to be the leading wicket-taker in the series.”It has been a demanding Test series, especially with our reliance on only four bowlers, and Stuart Broad didn’t bowl in the second innings at Adelaide,” said Strauss. “So the bowlers have had quite a lot on their shoulders, but I don’t think that’s a reason for him not to play. We must look at the conditions here and decide what type of bowling attack will most suit, and also how fresh Finny is and the rest of the bowlers before we make any decisions.””It’ll definitely be harder for their attack,” said Australia’s vice-captain, Michael Clarke. “On a big stage, a very important Test match, to lose such a big player, it would definitely put a dent in their team, but I’m very confident that Anderson will be fit to play. Tremlett did really well, grabbing his opportunity in Perth, and Finn has done well in this series as well. But Anderson is probably the leader of their attack, the most experienced, They will miss him if he’s not fit, no doubt.”The deciding factor in the make-up of England’s team will be the nature of the pitch, which is expected to be slow and low and a far cry from the high-kicking conditions that greeted bowlers on both sides at the WACA. For the sake of the Boxing Day spectacle, it has to be hoped that it is a better surface that the one which England encountered for their three-day warm-up against Victoria earlier in the month, but either way, it is likely to be a pitch that rewards patience and accuracy.Those are traits which Finn is renowned for possessing in abundance, although his adjustment to Australian conditions has not been entirely smooth on this trip. Australia have taken him at 4.5 an over in the course of the series, and at over 5 during the WACA defeat, although with Graeme Swann expected to play a much greater holding role in the forthcoming match, Finn’s ability to force breakthroughs is a knack that England are reluctant to overlook entirely – especially if, as Strauss implied, England are going all out for victory rather than looking to settle for a drawn series and a retention of the Ashes.”I think Finny has been a little frustrated that he hasn’t been as consistent as he would like,” said Strauss. “Last summer in England, his lengths were very good consistently and maybe he has not done it on this tour. But he is a bowler with a knack of taking wickets and it’s a great skill to have. Every match he plays he is learning about bowling in Australia. The vast majority of what he has done on this tour I’ve been very happy with, and I expect him to continue getting better.”The other factor that could count against Finn is the prospect of reverse swing, which has been a regular weapon at the MCG in past campaigns, although the unseasonably damp weather in Victoria this year has led to more lush conditions and hence less abrasion on the Kookaburra balls. Shahzad is England’s best exponent of reverse swing, and for that reason, he appears to have leap-frogged Tim Bresnan in the pecking order.Strauss, however, will defer all such decisions until England have had a better read of a wicket which the MCG curator, Cameron Hodgkins, said “will offer something up front, then get quite flat.””It’s always dangerous to assume a pitch is going to play a certain way,” said Strauss. “The wicket we played on against Victoria was very slow and low and there wasn’t much in it for the bang-in-type bowlers, but according to reports the wickets have actually gone OK, so it would be wrong to think the Test wicket will be like that.”They will be two tough Tests, you expect that out here,” he said of the challenge awaiting England in the coming fortnight. “Huge support for Australia, Ashes on the line, there’s going to be a lot of pressure around and personally that excites me. It’s a great test for us as a side and I think we’ll handle it well. I’m very confident that the team won’t be overcome.”England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Ian Bell, 7 Matt Prior (wk), 8 Graeme Swann, 9 Chris Tremlett, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven Finn.

West Ham United may need to take on fresh loans to fund transfers if Daniel Kretinsky’s money continues to be tied up in Russia, further dealing a huge blow to the potential takeover of the east London club.

The Lowdown: Recent developments

Kreintsky acquired a 27% stake in the Irons for approximately £180m last November. This deal was completed with the intention of a full takeover in 2023, following the expiration of a windfall tax clause.

However, a West Ham source has now informed Football Insider that sanctions on Russian business has meant that the Czech businessman is unable to access vast amounts of his money. As a result, the Hammers’ summer transfer plans are now in jeopardy.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments-4/” title=”West Ham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Maguire’s claim…

Football finance guru Kieran Maguire has suggested that Kretinsky could use private loans as a temporary measure to fund any transfer activity this summer.

Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed: “The aim of West Ham’s owners historically is that they’ve been relatively self-sufficient in the transfer market.

“If Kretinsky was planning to put on the afterburners in the transfer market, this could delay things a bit.

“But 2023-24 is still a few transfer windows away and the geopolitical situation will likely have changed by then. Instead of increasing equity investment, the money is likely to come from loans.

“Individual investors can still spend as much as they choose, but it would come into the club through debt.”

The Verdict: Could be a big blow

If Kreintsky is reluctant to take on new loans to fund his stake in the club, this could prove to be a huge blow for everyone involved with the Hammers.

West Ham posted a pre-tax loss of £26.9m in their last set of accounts, so further financial burden will not reckon well with the Premier League.

Whilst transfers may be affected more imminently, the long-term proposition of a full club takeover could now be in jeopardy. Therefore, West Ham must do all that they can to sort out the situation as soon as feasibly possible.

In other news: Roshane Thomas shares his concern with one West Ham player’s form

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard personally scouted Atletico Madrid star Geoffrey Kondogbia against Manchester City on Wednesday, The Birmingham Mail’s Patrick Rowe writes.

The lowdown

Atletico paid £13.5million to sign Kondogbia from Valencia in the autumn of 2020. The defensive midfielder, who’s also played eight games as a centre-back this season, has just over two years to run on his £107,000-per-week contract.

Gerrard appears to be intent on strengthening the protection for his back four, with Villa also said to be interested in Brighton’s Yves Bissouma and Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips ahead of the summer transfer window.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-developments/” title=”Aston Villa latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest

Rowe tweeted that Gerrard was ‘in attendance’ at the Wanda Metropolitano to run the rule over Kondogbia.

‘Sources confirm [that] AVFC view him as serious target’, and what’s more, the club are ‘very confident of getting the deal done’.

In the attached story, he notes that Tottenham Hotspur ‘are believed to be long-time admirers’, so Villa may be wary of competition.

The verdict

Would Gerrard have been impressed by what he saw? Well, Kondogbia’s SofaScore rating of 7.2/10 was the third-highest among Atletico’s starting outfielders, bettered only by Stefan Savic (7.7) and Reinildo (7.4).

He won six of the seven ground duels he contested and both of his aerial battles, equating to an overall success rate of 88.9%. He respectably completed 33 of his 42 passes, including three long balls, and also drew three fouls from City.

More encouragingly still, journalist Rik Sharma described him as ‘easily the best player on the pitch’ in an ‘outstanding’ display, and The Athletic’s Dermot Corrigan dubbed him ‘fantastic’.

Gerrard may now be even more determined to land the dominant midfield man, and based on the bullish noises from sources, he could be the club’s first summer signing.

In other news, Ashley Preece has shared an update Villa fans will want to see.

Leeds United are set to once again make a move to bring Brenden Aaronson to Elland Road in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Leeds Live, who claim that, following Victor Orta’s failed attempts to secure a deal for the Red Bull Salzburg forward in January, the Whites are once again plotting an offensive for the USA international at the end of the current campaign.

The report goes on to state that Jesse Marsch’s appointment as Marcelo Bielsa’s replacement in the Elland Road dugout will only strengthen the Premier League side’s chances of sealing the signing of the 21-year-old – whom the report suggests could well be viewed as a replacement for the Barcelona-linked Raphinha.

Raphinha’s successor

While it is true that Aaronson and Raphinha are different types of player, with the former primarily being deployed in a more central role and the latter preferring to play out wide, it would nevertheless appear that the American would be something of a perfect replacement for the 25-year-old, should the Brazil international indeed go on to depart Elland Road this summer.

Indeed, with Marsch setting the Whites up in a 4-2-2-2 formation, Aaronson and Raphinha would actually take up the same role in the 48-year-old’s side – a position that, as previously mentioned, the Salzburg starlet is much more accustomed to.

And, with the 21-year-old also more than capable of operating on either flank, something that is evidenced by his time in Austria and while on international duty with the USA, Aaronson would appear to suit Leeds’ system perfectly.

However, it is not only his extremely impressive positional versatility that would come as a massive bonus for Marsch but also his undeniable talent in the final third.

Indeed, over his 21 Austrian Bundesliga fixtures this season, the £30m dynamo has been in fantastic form for Matthias Jaissle’s side, scoring three goals, registering four assists and creating six big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.2 shots and making 1.7 key passes per game – with these returns seeing the 21-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.89.

As such, it is not difficult to understand why Orta is once again plotting a bid for the player who Jaissle dubbed a “monster” and Thierry Henry labelled “contagious” this summer, as the £19k-per-week sensation would indeed appear to be Raphinha’s perfect replacement at Elland Road.

AND in other news: Orta can seal Marsch’s dream signing as Leeds plot bid for “unexpected” £25m-rated ace

With Aston Villa spending a reported fee of £25m for the services of Lucas Digne this month as well as a loan deal for Philippe Coutinho and adding teenage defender Kerr Smith to their youth squad for an undisclosed fee, the Midlands club have had a very busy transfer window month so far.

With some time left before the market closes, Villa could still strengthen their squad even further and take their January spending up higher.

One player that has been linked with a move to Villa Park in recent weeks is Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa, who also goes by the name Gabigol.

Current Villa strikers Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins have managed to score nine goals between them in a combined total of 32 Premier League appearances this season but with the club letting go of Keinan Davis on loan to Nottingham Forest and Wesley on loan to Internacional, this could pave the way for Villa to add some depth up front with a player like Gabigol.

Having scored 129 goals in 263 club appearances across his career, the 25-year-old, who is currently earning £49k-per-week according to Salary Sport, certainly has the ability to be a regular goalscorer.

In terms of a potential move to Villa, with the club not being shy in spending money on new players, a move for Barbosa may not be a difficult one for the Midlands club to pull off from a financial point of view depending on how much Flamengo would want to sell him for.

Also, with the lure of being able to play in the Premier League under a figure such as Steven Gerrard alongside two of his fellow countrymen Coutinho and Douglas Luiz, a move to Villa could be very tempting for Barbosa.

Having been described as a player that “has everything to be the greatest striker in Flamengo’s history” by Zico, it would also be beneficial for the Villans if he can hit the ground running in terms of scoring goals.

Consider how Ings only managed to have 26 touches of the ball in 76 minutes in Villa’s recent 2-2 draw against Manchester United, Gabigol may not find it that difficult to get some game time in Gerrard’s side if the Englishman keeps putting in underwhelming performances like the one he did on Saturday evening.

As a result, Villa should definitely make an approach to Flamengo this month to see if they can sign Barbosa. Luring him to the Premier League would see them end their impressive January window on a high note with some extra attacking power to deliver a further transfer masterclass.

In other news: NSWE could blow Aston Villa fans away with move for £51k-p/w “pearl” likened to Zidane – opinion

According to transfer insider Dean Jones, Juventus have a ‘huge decision’ on their hands regarding the future of reported Tottenham target Paulo Dybala.

Jones claimed that the decision to sell Dybala ‘would be mad’, given the Argentine is ‘one of the few poster boys’ left at the Turin club.

The Lowdown: Dybala out of contract in the summer

Dybala joined Juventus in the summer of 2015 from Palermo as an exciting playmaker, arriving in a deal worth £33.5 million, inclusive of add-ons. Since then, the Argentina international has secured himself as a fan-favourite, having made an incredible 275 appearances for the club.

During this time, the 28-year-old has accrued a sensational record as a second striker, having scored 110 times with 46 assists.

However, Dybala is in the last six months of his contract, which is set to expire at the end of the season. According to reports by TyC, the attacker is not planning on signing an extension.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

As a result, Dybala is allowed to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside of Italy. Following this, reports have emerged claiming that Tottenham lead the race to sign the Argentine on a free transfer in the summer.

The Latest: Jones stunned by exit links

Jones, an insider with Eurosport, spoke to The Transfer Tavern with his verdict on the possibility of a move: “If Juventus lose Dybala, that’s a huge decision for them and it changes everything.

“So, I still need convincing that they would do that because it just seems such a big move to let [go of] somebody like that, one of the few poster boys left.

“To actually sell him would be mad.”

The Verdict: Spurs could be getting an unbelievable deal

A host of footballing legends, including the likes of including Michael Laudrup and Alessandro Del Piero, have heaped praise on Dybala, claiming that he is a ‘special’ player, and it’s not hard to see why.

With a current market valuation of £45m, Fabio Paratici would be coming out into the summer window with the absolute steal of the century if he can secure a player with 139 career goals at club level.

If Spurs are able to get this deal over the line, Daniel Levy and Paratici will have outdone themselves; making up for a number of previous disappointing transfer windows under the former.

In other news, Tottenham may have been hit with a u-turn in their chase for Adama Traore…

Paul Collingwood outshone a glittering batting line-up to give Delhi Daredevils a big total, which their bowlers defended comfortably despite a late assault from Ross Taylor who tried to sweep them into oblivion

The Bulletin by Sidharth Monga04-Apr-2010
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were outPradeep Sangwan’s yorkers proved hard to put away•Indian Premier League

Paul Collingwood outshone a glittering batting line-up to give Delhi Daredevils a big total, which their bowlers defended comfortably despite a late assault from Ross Taylor, who tried to sweep Bangalore to victory. Virender Sehwag and David Warner played their cameos, but it was Collingwood who carried Delhi in the later half of their innings.The first half of the match was a series of punches and counter-punches. Bangalore bounced back from aggressive knocks with wickets, but kept getting pushed back by knocks even more forceful. Sehwag’s 22-ball 35 was ended by Abhimanyu Mithun, only for Warner to start hurting Bangalore. A smart catch from Virat Kohli stopped Warner at 33 off 22, only for Collingwood to provide the innings the final, and most important, thrust with an unbeaten 46-ball 75.After Anil Kumble left out Dale Steyn and Praveen Kumar to accommodate Taylor and left-arm spinner KP Appanna, Bangalore’s inexperienced attack could have been blown away by Sehwag and Warner. Kumble made sure Delhi didn’t run away by bowling a two-run first over, and Mithun responded by removing Sehwag second ball.Between that, though, Sehwag raised hell, hitting five fours and two sixes, taking Delhi to 35 in 4.2 overs despite that Kumble over. That second six was a demoralising hit off Mithun’s first ball in this IPL, but he came right back with one that nipped back at Sehwag. The Bangalore fielders responded, running out Gautam Gambhir, and getting Warner with an overhead catch on the long-on boundary.Between those wickets, Warner had done some hell-raising himself, hitting three fours and two sixes to take Delhi to 83 in 9.4 overs. The immediate response to that wicket was an elegant straight-drive from Dinesh Karthik, but Bangalore struck again via a blinder from Cameron White at extra cover. This was the lift in fielding standards that the tournament desperately needed.Collingwood, however, had quietly played himself in by then and reached 14 off 15 courtesy a six-inch back-lift six while charging down to Jacques Kallis’ slower ball. And his immediate response to Karthik’s dismissal was to raise the back lift a little more and punish White with two sixes and a four in his only over, taking Delhi to 111 after 12.No real explosion came in the next six overs, mainly because Delhi lost Kedar Jadhav too, but Collingwood kept Delhi going with two sixes – not into the stands, just over the fielders. The first of those hits brought up his fifty, but at 154 after 18 overs Delhi needed a big finish.Collingwood was up to it again, this time punishing the youngster Mithun’s length bowling. These two sixes were massive and 31 came off the last nine balls Collingwood faced. Even though Vinay Kumar finished with a decent last over, 30 runs in the last two overs set up a delicious chase for a line-up boasting Kallis, Kevin Pietersen, Robin Uthappa, Taylor and White.It proved to be a bit of anti-climax, though. Bangalore opened with White and Kallis but, on a slow pitch, they never could free themselves from Delhi’s choke hold after an 11-run first over. Farveez Maharoof, Amit Mishra and Daniel Vettori bowled in the Powerplay, giving them neither the pace nor the room.White took Mishra level with purple-cap-holder Muttiah Muralitharan when he holed out to long-off in the fourth over. Mishra would go ahead and claim the purple cap with two tail-end wickets. Maharoof came back to concede just one run in the sixth over, consigning Bangalore to perhaps their worst Powerplay effort, at 38 for 1.Rajat Bhatia, with his slow leggcutters, and Pradeep Sangwan, with his yorkers, conceded only 13 in the next three overs. One of Sangwan yorkers consumed Pietersen in the 10th over, and Uthappa couldn’t quite recreate his fireworks, and holed out to long-on, making it 76 for 3 after 11.5.While Kallis stroked his way to another fifty, off 38 balls, same as Collingwood, Bangalore were missing an innings that would rattle Delhi. Taylor tried to do that, sweeping Mishra for three sixes in the 14th over, but Bhatia trapped him too far across in the next over.Kallis’ wicket in the over following ended the contest, leaving Kohli and Rahul Dravid 67 to get off 25, and also raised the question if one of those two batsmen, and not Manish Pandey, should have made way for Taylor.