Category Sports News

Asia Cup, Super Four, Abu Dhabi

Sri Lanka 133-8 (20 overs): Kamindu 50 (44); Shaheen 3-28

Pakistan 138-5 (18 overs): Nawaz 38 (24), Talat 32 (30)

Pakistan won by five wickets with 12 balls remaining

Pakistan boosted their hopes of reaching the Asia Cup final by edging to a five-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi.

After their disappointing and controversial defeats by rivals India, Pakistan slipped to 80-5 in pursuit of 134 before a partnership of 58 between Hussain Talat and Mohammad Nawaz rescued them.

Needing 46 from 40 balls, Nawaz hit Wanindu Hasaranga, who had 2-5 after his first two overs, for back-to-back boundaries and when the leg-spinner returned to bowl the 17th over Talat struck another two fours.

That swung the equation from 26 runs needed from 24 balls, to 14 from 18, and left-hander Nawaz added three more sixes to seal victory with two overs to spare.

Nawaz finished 38 not out, with Talat unbeaten on 32.

While Pakistan would not have been eliminated with defeat, they would have needed a series of other results to go their way – the situation now facing Sri Lanka.

They had earlier done well to restrict Sri Lanka to 133-8, with left-armer Shaheen Afridi taking 3-28.

Sri Lanka took 53 runs from the powerplay but lost three wickets in doing so and were 58-5 when Charith Asalanka and Dasun Shanaka fell in consecutive deliveries in the eighth over.

Kamindu Mendis led a recovery with 50 but he was pinned in front in the penultimate over by Shaheen – who had earlier dismissed Kusal Mendis with the second ball of the match – denying Sri Lanka a big finish.

India and Bangladesh, who both won their opening Super Four games, meet in Dubai on Wednesday.

2025 Ryder Cup

Venue: Bethpage Black, New York Dates: 26-28 September

The pairings for Friday’s opening Ryder Cup matches will be announced at 21:00 BST on Thursday despite the opening ceremony being moved to Wednesday because of the threat of inclement weather in New York.

Storms are forecast to hit Bethpage Black around the same time as the traditional curtain-raiser, so organisers are taking no chances of the event being interrupted.

An hour-long pre-show will now begin at 20:00 on Wednesday, with the ceremony, which will see both teams formally introduced, following that.

Usually, both captains reveal their pairings for Friday morning’s opening matches during the ceremony.

Ex-Liverpool player Natasha Dowie reflected on the influence her former manager had on her career and said Matt Beard “made you feel like the best football player in the world.”

Few players were as close to Dowie as they were to Beard, who passed away on Saturday at age 47.

Before eventually reuniting with the Reds again in a loan spell before calling it quits her career in September 2023, the former England striker joined the Beard on four separate occasions, moving from Charlton Athletic to Liverpool and the Boston Breakers.

He understood that I would run through a brick wall for him and that I would do the same. Because he was the kind of manager that made you feel that way, I would do anything for him.

Dowie was a member of Beard’s Liverpool team that won back-to-back Women’s Super League titles in 2013 and 2014, putting an end to Arsenal’s nine-year dominance of women’s soccer.

Anyone who had played under Beard would have said he was one of the best managers they had ever worked with and that those two years “were the best of my life.”

Dowie will remember him as a pioneer who “always did it for the love of the game.”

The 37-year-old continued, “It wasn’t long ago, three years ago, when I was playing at Liverpool that Beardy was watering the pitches at Tranmere.”

That’s what I admired most about him. He never attempted to fit in with the situation and try to be a different person. He never attempted to do so. He was referred to as old-fashioned. He was simply Beardy, not him.

Before each Sunday’s WSL and WSL2 games, there was a minute’s silence before kickoff.

Before Liverpool’s men’s side played Southampton on Tuesday in the third round of the Carabao Cup at Anfield and Burnley, where Beard had most recently been manager, other tributes were held.

Former Germany international Julia Simic, who now coaches the West Ham youth team and trains with Eintracht Frankfurt, wants to apply what she learned from Beard to her own methods.

According to Simic, “Matthew’s strongest arm was the player management,” the consideration he gave to everyone. There are many ways to become a good manager, including developing the best environment, managing effectively, and being tactically very strong.

Simic, 36, fondly recalls her time working for Beard, particularly when they reached the Women’s FA Cup final together in 2019.

She said, “I remember him saying he wanted us to reach the FA Cup final when we were sitting in front of our brand-new team.”

We ultimately made it to Wembley and faced Manchester City as the only underdogs. We lost the final, but after speaking with him, I asked, “Matt, why didn’t we win?” and he responded, “I made a mistake because I said we wanted to win the final, but I didn’t say we wanted to win the final.”

“The journey was finished or the goal was reached with us being in the final.” He was always trying to please himself by demanding everything from us and himself.

After the city council turned down their request for an essential permit on Tuesday, Barcelona’s return to the Nou Camp has been delayed even more.

Real Sociedad, the champions of La Liga, had a capacity of 27, 000 and was hoping to play them on Sunday.

Instead, Barca will play at Montjuic Hill’s 55, 000-seat Olympic Stadium, where they have played previously for two seasons while undergoing renovation work.

The club thanked staff members and supporters for their “complex and exciting support” and stated that they were working on the amendments the council gave.

Barcelona’s women’s team’s home ground, Johan Cryuff Stadium, has hosted two home games, with victories coming against Valencia and Getafe at the much smaller 6, 000-capacity facility.

According to the city’s fire department, there are issues with evacuation routes, among other safety concerns.

However, according to Joan Sentelles, the Barca’s operations director, “just because it’s not finished, doesn’t mean it’s not safe.”

Sentelles added that the stadium’s roof will be constructed in 2027, one year later than originally anticipated.

The Nou Camp has been undergoing renovations since it opened in June 2023, costing about £1.1 billion, with the aim of increasing capacity to 105, 000, making it one of the biggest grounds in the world.

The goal was to return to the venue in November 2024 to mark the club’s 125th anniversary, but that goal has since since come to an end.

Scotland’s Hollie Davidson will refereed Saturday’s Women’s Rugby World Cup match between England and Canada.

With a 34-31 victory over England at Eden Park, Davidson also played a key role in the 2021 title decision.

After Andre Watson of South Africa hosted the men’s finals in 1999 and 2003, she is the only person to oversee two World Cup finals.

“To do it once was unbelievable, but to do it again in the biggest Women’s Rugby World Cup is very special,” Davidson said.

You never know when these games will return, Davidson continued, adding that one thing I’ve learned throughout my career is to be very focused and enjoy the moment. When I’m present, that’s when I make my best referee.

I want to go out and do my job to the best of my ability, and I don’t take the job lightly.

Aimee Barrett-Theron of South Africa and Clara Munarini of Italy will serve as Davidson’s assistant referees, Leo Colgan of Ireland the television match official and Matteo Liperini of Italy the foul play reviewer.

World Rugby women’s high-performance referee manager Alhambra Nievas said, “To referee two finals is an outstanding achievement that should not be underestimated.

Due to a change in the rules for the EFL Cup this year, Chelsea’s striker Marc Guiu is eligible to play against Lincoln City on Tuesday.

Chelsea allegedly received a notification of the rule change shortly before Tuesday’s kick-off after being informed by the EFL hours before the match.

Guiu won’t likely play at LNER Stadium, but if Chelsea selects him in the future, Chelsea may take him into consideration for their place in the playoffs.

While the Spaniard was on loan at the Black Cats, he represented Sunderland in the league last month.

Due to the fact that he would have been “cup-tied,” which means you can only play for one club in a cup competition each year, that would have meant he would not have been allowed to play for Chelsea in the tournament in previous seasons.

However, the new EFL Cup rule for this season allows players to play for two clubs simultaneously.

Due to Liam Delap’s injury, Chelsea called the 19-year-old back.

Guiu scored once in the Black Cats’ EFL Cup second-round defeat at League One Huddersfield Town in August, making three appearances for the club.

Players can now play for two different clubs under the new rules, which were introduced at the start of the season.

Guiu’s only move to the Blues was when the new season officially began, and the EFL has determined that his return was one that was permitted.

Sunderland are the parent club of Guiu in this case because they were the first team Guiu played for in the competition, despite not being Guiu’s parent club in terms of ownership.

If a registered player meets any of the following requirements, they may play for up to two clubs in the competition under Rule 6.4 of the EFL Cup:

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