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Louis Rees-Zammit admits to being “obsessed” with Cristiano Ronaldo, which means the famous ‘Siuuu’ celebration could soon be gracing NFL matches.

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Welsh star chasing American dreamBig fan of Portuguese forwardConfident he can break into NFLWHAT HAPPENED?

Former Wales rugby international Rees-Zammit, who has also represented the British and Irish Lions, has stepped out of a professional “bubble” in order to go chasing an American dream. The 23-year-old shocked Gloucester supporters when announcing that he would be switching focus to a potential NFL career.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT REES-ZAMMIT SAID

He is part of the NFL’s international player pathway and is hoping to break out Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal celebration in peace at some stage in the near future, having attracted criticism for doing just that at the 2023 Rugby World Cup against Portugal. Rees-Zammit has told : “There is a bubble in rugby, you can’t do certain things, but I am who I am. Like I’m absolutely obsessed with Ronaldo. When I did that celebration, I did it because I love Ronaldo. I didn’t want to offend anyone. You see loads of footballers doing that, but if you do it in rugby, you get slammed. I try not to look at the haters and all the criticism I get. It’s just head down and get on with the job.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Rees-Zammit is determined to make a success of his second sporting career, adding on his goals for the immediate and long-term future: “In the next five years I want to be a Super Bowl champ. These are very much dreams but I’m desperate for these things to happen. And I want to be an inspiration for anyone coming through the IPP, and any international player that wants to get through to the NFL. Training is completely different. You're using completely different muscles that you wouldn't use in rugby. Even the soreness is different. I'd probably say the most challenging thing is how much you have to learn. The classroom stuff is full-on. I'm loving learning a completely different sport – the rules, the positions, special teams.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Rees-Zammit is not the first rugby player to try his luck in American football, and he certainly boasts the speed and strength to suggest that he could thrive on the other side of the Atlantic. In the future England international striker Harry Kane may decide to tread a similar path, with the current Bayern Munich striker having hinted at exploring the option of becoming a kicker for an NFL franchise.

After an enthralling first four matches, England and New Zealand head to Chester-le-Street for the series decider, where seam bowling has been largely successful

The Preview by David Hopps19-Jun-2015Match factsSaturday, June 19, 2015, Chester-le-Street
Start time 10.30 local (09.30 GMT)
2:44

Pressure on Durham to produce run-filled pitch

Big PictureThe pre-Ashes camp squad has been announced, the Australians are briefly catching the sights in London before turning to more pressing matters and it would normally be natural for thoughts to wander from the most ephemeral of cricketing contests: the bilateral one-day series. But not in this case because English cricket has never felt blither for years as they have slugged out the Royal London series against New Zealand with great skill and commendable spirit.There has been griping from afar that England, by producing a succession of batsmen-loaded pitches, have entered the land of flat-track bullies. That there has been an imbalance between bat and ball is apparent, but that is largely for the ICC to address. The cricket has caught the public attention and that has been a relief in a country where the game needs to reassert its place at the centre of the sporting summer. As a precursor to the Ashes, it could not have gone better. There is no need to resent the fun England is having as the team have posted four scores in excess of 300, national records broken with regularity.And so we come to the final encounter at Chester-le-Street, the most northerly of England’s international outposts, a ground where Durham, the Championship leaders, have barely lodged a decent score all season, but where seam bowlers regularly feel empowered. Could there be a twist at last? Tim Southee, for New Zealand, and Mark Wood, playing for England on his home ground for the first time, may feel particularly perky when they wake on match-day morning. Many will crave more of the same – certainly many in the crowd will – but if there was a twist in the tail, and the bowlers took command, it would reassert England’s place as a cricketing land of infinite variety.Ben Stokes believes England’s new approach has helped reconnect them with the public•PA PhotosForm guideEngland:WLLWW
New Zealand: LWWLL
Players to watchBen Stokes appears on his home ground in high spirits at England’s carefree approach, a player who revels in the perpetual cut and thrust which has been at the heart of the series. He would love nothing more than to succeed before supporters who are fiercely proud of the successful production line of players from the north-east of England.
Tim Southee will be eager to restate his bowling credentials at the end of a series in which his outswinger has barely threatened – food for thought for Southee and New Zealand’s new bowling coach, Dimitri Mascarenhas, no doubt. It was Southee who swung England to distraction during the World Cup, producing New Zealand’s best ODI figures of 7 for 33. In nine subsequent ODIs, he has taken eight wickets at 67.57, although in the context of this series his economy rate of 6.65 could be worse.Team newsEngland have a doubt about Jos Buttler, who split the webbing of his hand in a morning fielding drill and Jonny Bairstow has been called up as cover. Buttler put a protective bandage on the wound which was to be assessed on Saturday morning. The loss of Buttler would potentially mean a wicketkeeping opportunity for Bairstow, although Sam Billings who has fulfilled the role regularly for Kent, would be another option.England (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Sam Billings, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 David Willey, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Steven Finn.New Zealand are also fairly settled, although they might recall Nathan McCullum’s offspin, with even Chester-le-Street’s propensity to help the seamers not enough to make Mitchell McClenaghan’s selection inevitable. McClenaghan may vie for the final spot with Ben Wheeler.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum (capt), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Grant Elliott, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Ben Wheeler/Mitchell McClenaghan, 11 Matt Henry.Pitch and conditionsA ropey forecast will encourage the seam bowlers on both sides. The forecast is for a cloudy morning with hill fog and occasional rain, slowly becoming dry as the afternoon progresses. But Chester-le-Street is not just about seam: Sachithra Senanayake took 4 for 13 from 7.1 overs last year as England caved in for 99 and lost by 157 runs against Sri Lanka.Stats and triviaMitchell McClenaghan, out of sorts for New Zealand in this series, took 11 wickets at 15.81 in the corresponding series in England two years ago.England have scored 1425 runs in four matches, already ahead of their previous highest aggregate for a five-match series (1399) with one game remaining. England have hit 47 sixes – in six World Cup matches they managed 18.The owners of Lumley Castle, which sits above the ground, recently lodged their opposition to Chester-le-Steet’s new floodlights, without success.Quotes”New Zealand finished second in the World Cup and they were the best side until the final. We have played some great cricket against the second best team in the world. We know we have made people watch and enjoy England cricket again.”

“We have struggled to deliver a succession of dot balls, or overs that haven’t gone for boundaries. The key thing is the ball hasn’t swung.”

Misbah-ul-Haq laid the blame for Pakistan’s two-wicket loss in Dubai at the feet of his bowlers, although he admitted his team could perhaps have scored 15 more runs

Andrew Fidel Fernando21-Dec-2013Misbah-ul-Haq laid the blame for Pakistan’s two-wicket loss in Dubai at the feet of his bowlers, although he admitted his team could perhaps have scored 15 more runs. Pakistan’s 284 for 4 was the second-highest total at the stadium, but they conceded defeat with two balls to spare.”Looking at the pitch, it was a good total and they were still needing around 50 runs, seven wickets down. We should have won that if we bowled according to the field. We lost the game in a few bad overs.”The way the ball was coming on the pitch, it wasn’t like Sharjah – it was a bit slow. And their bowlers were good at the death, bowling yorkers. That maybe prevented 10-15 runs from us at the end.”Otherwise Misbah chose to focus on the positives in Pakistan’s performance. He had called for the top order to convert their starts ahead of the series, and in both matches so far, one of the top three has provided a hundred, while others in the top five have contributed significant scores. Ahmed Shehzad hit 124 in the second match.”The biggest positive is that the batting is going well. Ahmed, again, it was a really good knock. He played a good one in South Africa and today, it was a mature one. It was good to see our top order getting big scores – that has been much needed for our team. It’s normally the biggest problem for us, but I’m really happy with the way it’s been going.”While conceding Pakistan’s bowling and fielding was flawed, Misbah praised the efforts of Junaid Khan, whose three middle order wickets had brought Pakistan back into the match, and also said he was impressed with the run outs at the top of Sri Lanka’s innings.”Junaid is our outstanding bowler. In the last year and a half he’s really improving and today he was good. But we really need to improve our death bowling. It was a problem for us.”Our fielding was better. It brought us back into the game with the first two run outs. There were a few overthrows towards the end, but there were no lapses. Overall I think it was good.”

A preview of the third South Africa-New Zealand T20 in Port Elizabeth

The Preview by Devashish Fuloria25-Dec-2012Match facts December 26, 2012
Start time 1430 (1230 GMT)Boxing Day scrap: Martin Guptill will be key with his gloves on•Gallo ImagesBig Picture The traditional Boxing Day Test has been replaced by a Twenty20 and although it may not match up to the drama or the prestige of a serious contest in whites, it is a decider. For the young South African side being led by Faf du Plessis, a win would reiterate the quality of the No. 1 Test side’s bench strength. But New Zealand need this one more after all the pre-series controversy regarding the captaincy and the main course of the tour – the two Tests – just a week away.The importance of the coming challenges was not lost on Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, who said after the win in East London that the game was not a “one-off” and that the team needed to keep similar tempo through the tour. There were other bright signs apart from Martin Guptill’s match-winning hundred. Rob Nicol and McCullum played responsible supporting roles to Guptill, Nathan McCullum was economical, and Doug Bracewell picked up wickets despite being expensive. These are the players the team will rely on through much of the tour and from New Zealand’s perspective, it is critical they take the confidence of a win in the T20 series forward.With no Boxing Day Test, the South African fans would have to contend with a four-day void after the match and would hope for a small Christmas present from their team. South Africa have had more balanced performances in the two matches so far, with du Plessis leading from the front, and still are favourites to wrap up the series.Form guide (Completed games, most recent first) South Africa LWLLL
New Zealand WLTLTIn the spotlight Coming back from sickness, Martin Guptill produced an innings of such significance in the previous match that it lifted spirits like only a last-ball win can. He took his time to get settled and then selectively took the bowlers apart, being especially severe on Aaron Phangiso, the debutant spinner, whom he countered with his brutal sweeps. Can he jingle all the way?David Miller has played 10 T20s for South Africa in the last two years and has largely been kept out by a settled batting line-up. But South Africa have one eye on the future and T20s are a chance for him to impress. He certainly did in the 18 balls that he played in the last match as he effortlessly cleared the infield a few times with his timing.Team news South Africa have only 12 players at their disposal and with Richard Levi struggling for form, it could be a toss up between him and Justin Ontong.South Africa: (likely) 1 Richard Levi/ Justin Ontong, 2 Henry Davids, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 Quinton de Kock (wk), 5 Farhaan Behardien, 6 David Miller, 7 Robin Peterson, 8 Ryan McLaren, 9 Aaron Phangiso, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Rory KleinveldtNew Zealand reaped the benefit of experience with the addition of Guptill in the last match. Trent Boult, the left-arm seamer, who sat out the first two matches due to sickness could make a return.New Zealand: (likely) 1 Rob Nicol, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Brendon McCullum (capt & wk), 4 James Franklin, 5 Colin Munro, 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Nathan McCullum, 8 Jimmy Neesham, 9 Doug Bracewell, 10 Ronnie Hira, 11 Mitchell McClenaghan/Trent BoultStats and Trivia Martin Guptill’s hundred in the last match was only the second in the second innings of a T20 international. The first one was scored by Richard Levi earlier this year. Levi scored a sensational 117 in only his second T20 international innings. Since then, he has scored 106 runs in 11 innings with eight single-digit scores. The head-to-head record between the teams is 7-3 in favour of South Africa Quotes “It’s going to take one person or a couple of people to take the game away from the other team and hopefully that’s going to be us again. It was the same situation last summer back home. It was one-all leading into the third match, so it will make for a great finale.”
“David [Miller] came in and hit the ball sweetly to all parts of the field. It’s great to have him back, he is a young talent and he brings a lot to the team. It was a fantastic innings, to come in at that stage when conditions made it difficult to come in and start scoring was great, I certainly struggled when I came in.”

Complete guide to the 2024 MLS Superdraft, including how to watch, best prospects and more

The 2024 MLS Superdraft is almost here, with some of the best young players ready to be drafted to the biggest teams in North America.

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It is one of the key dates in the soccer calendar in the United States and Canada, and everyone is waiting to see who the first picks will be.

So, when is the 2024 MLS Superdraft, who are the top prospects and how can you watch it? GOAL has everything you need to know.

When is the 2024 MLS SuperDraft?Date:December 19, 2023Time:3pm ET / 12 noon PT

The 2024 MLS Superdraft will take place on Tuesday, December 19 at 3pm ET / 12 noon PT, with all 29 teams set to have representatives stationed at the draft for the event. This will be the second-straight year with the draft in December, despite the fact that it is nominally the 2024 edition.

AdvertisementHow to watch the 2024 MLS SuperDraft – tv channel & live streamGet your MLS Season Pass today!Subscribe now

Round One of the draft will be streamed live for free on Apple TV's MLS Season Pass.

It is also expected to be streamed live on the MLS Twitch page.

Commissioner Don Garber will announce each pick on stage, with players present walking up and joining him for a brief presentation.

Getty ImagesWhat is the draft order for the 2024 MLS SuperDraft?

The 2024 draft order is initially determined via MLS regular season standings finish for all non-playoff teams, with the last-place team picking first.

For all playoff teams, the order is then determined by which round of playoffs they're eliminated. The entire order can be seen here below. It should be noted that the pick order can changed depending on trades between teams.

Note: Any team with a '*' symbol next to them is a pick that has been received via trade already.

1Toronto FC2Colorado Rapids3FC Dallas*4Colorado Rapids*5Austin FC6Chicago Fire7DC United8New York City FC9Minnesota United10CF Montreal11Nashville SC*12Colorado Rapids*13San Jose Earthquakes14New York Red Bulls15Inter Miami*16Real Salt Lake*17St. Louis CITY SC*18Real Salt Lake19Atlanta United20Minnesota United*21Colorado Rapids*22Sporting Kansas City23Seattle Sounders24Inter Miami* 25Orlando 26Houston Dynamo27FC Cincinnati28LAFC29Columbus CrewENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Best prospects in 2024 MLS SuperDraftJacob Murrell | Georgetown | Forward

Jacob Murrell is a former Gatorade National Player of the Year who scored 11 goals and added four assists for the Hoyas in 2023. He's a top prospect who has drawn similarities to Orlando City's Duncan McGuire, as a pure domestic forward with a nose for the goal.

Kalani Kossa-Rienzi | Washington | Central midfielder

Expected to be the first midfielder off the board, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi participated in the 2023 MLS College Showcase event, where he displayed a technical quality that many think will translate to MLS level. An elite passer of the ball, he can play in multiple formations across multiple midfield positions.

Nate Jones | Washington | Central defender

Nate Jones is arguably the top central defensive prospect in the draft, stands six-foot-three and leads from the back. Following the mold of USMNT star Miles Robinson, he is a standout defender who possess passing skills – making him a versatile option for coaches in the draft.

Already without pace spearhead Dale Steyn, Russell Domingo could find also himself minus both Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who picked up injuries in Sri Lanka

Firdose Moonda18-Jul-2013Russell Domingo’s first assignment as South Africa’s head coach has just become tougher. Already without pace spearhead Dale Steyn, Domingo could find also himself minus both Morne Morkel and Lonwabo Tsotsobe, who picked up injuries in Sri Lanka.Morkel bowled only three overs in the warm-up match against the Sri Lankan Board President’s XI on Wednesday before leaving the field with a quad niggle. He was assessed today and was still experiencing tightness. He will have to be relooked at on Friday in order to determine his availability for Saturday’s first ODI.The concern over Morkel is that the injury has occurred in the same quad which was affected during the Champions Trophy last month. Morkel was ruled out of the tournament after South Africa’s first match against India, in which he did not bowl his full quota of overs, and sent home for a three-week rehabilitation program. On the team’s departure last Sunday, Mohammed Moosajee, the team doctor and manager, said Morkel had made a full recovery.Tsotsobe’s worry appears to be more serious. He did not play in the warm-up and CSA officials in South Africa confirmed he suffered a recurrence of the ankle impingement syndrome that plagued him last season. They said he was receiving treatment in Sri Lanka. They would not confirm whether a report in a local newspaper, which revealed Tsotsobe had traveled unfit, was true.Instead, CSA only said, “all players have to be signed off by the medical committee.” reported that Tsotsobe was given the green light even though he failed a fitness test conducted pre-tour. Signs of Tsotsobe struggling were evident during the Champions Trophy. Although he played in all South Africa’s games, he only bowled five overs in the semi-final against England.Tsotsobe’s franchise coach at the Lions, Geoffrey Toyana, confirmed to ESPNCricinfo that the left-armer was “in good shape” before the tournament. He was training at the Wanderers, bowling well and at full fitness. He has not had communication with Tsotsobe since then.Should Tsotsobe only become available to play later in the tour, as suggested, Domingo’s options for the opening exchanges will be limited. He will have to choose from a largely inexperienced pack with Rory Kleinveldt, Chris Morris and Ryan McLaren as the only seam options.With the first match on Saturday, there will be no time to fly in a replacement. If one is needed as the tour goes on, South Africa’s choices are also not as vast as they would like them to be. Wayne Parnell, who is part of the T20 squad, is recovering from a groin niggle and will have to be re-evaluated before he leaves for Sri Lanka. It is unlikely he will be available for the ODIs.Marchant de Lange and Kyle Abbott are involved with the South African A side that will play first-class matches against Australia A. Ostensibly, either of them could be pulled out and sent to Sri Lanka but de Lange is also in the final stages of complete recovery from stress fractures and Abbott’s inexperience may only add to the existing worries.Conditions may help ease the concern with South Africa likely to consider two specialist spinners in the starting XI. That would mean both Robin Peterson and Aaron Phangiso will play. JP Duminy also provides a slower bowling option.

Left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar was included in an otherwise unchanged Pakistan side for the Under-19 Asia Cup in Australia

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2012Pakistan Under-19s World Cup squad

Babar Azam (capt), Umar Waheed (vice-capt), Sami Aslam, Imam-ul-Haq, Azizullah, Mir Hamza, Ehsan Adil, Salman Afridi (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Faraz Ali, Zafar Gohar, Zia-ul-Haq, Shahid Ilyas, Usman Qadir, Saad Ali

Pakistan’s Under-19 World Cup squad is largely unchanged from the one that was joint-winner of the recently concluded U-19 Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur. Seventeen-year old left-arm-spinner Zafar Gohar replaces legspinner Akhtar Waheed in the only change in the 15-man squad. Babar Azam will continue to the lead the side for the tournament to be played in August.Pakistan have been pooled in Group B in the 16-team competition along with New Zealand, Scotland and Afghanistan. They will reach Australia earlier to play the hosts in a series of three one-day matches to adapt to the conditions. They will then play warm-up matches against England and Papua New Guinea on August 7 and 8 respectively before their first group match on August 11 against Afghanistan.The squad also features Usman Qadir, son of former Pakistan legspinner Abdul Qadir, who is expected to return to action next week after picking up a finger injury in the Asia Cup.”We have decided to stick with the similar squad to avoid pressing panic button,” Haroon Rashid, youth development manger at NCA and team manager, told ESPNcricinfo. “With a similar squad we have been playing successfully and everyone is confident and in form.”We have a wonderful opportunity to play a series against the hosts before going into the World Cup games. Pitches and the outfield are generally harder in Australia so the matches (three one-dayers) will help our bowlers to adapt to the conditions in a better way.”The combination overall is balanced. They have produced good results since the South Africa tour earlier this year as each and every boy is responding and contributing to the team success.”

Zimbabwe’s players are “back to full training,” and are likely to rubber-stamp an agreement with their board on Saturday after agreeing terms on payment

Firdose Moonda16-Aug-2013Zimbabwe Practice Squad

Brendan Taylor (capt & wk), Sikandar Raza, Regis Chakabva, Tendai Chatara, Chamu Chibhabha, Michael Chinouya, Elton Chigumbura, Graeme Cremer, Kyle Jarvis, Timycen Maruma, Hamilton Masakadza, Shingirai Masakadza, Tino Mawoyo, Natsai M’shangwe, Tinotenda Mutombodzi, Tinashe Panyangara, Vusi Sibanda, Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams

Zimbabwe’s players are “back to full training,” and are likely to rubber-stamp an agreement with their board on Saturday after agreeing terms on payment. The newly formed players’ union will continue to represent cricketers’ issues and the series against Pakistan will go ahead as planned.ESPNcricinfo confirmed the players have reached consensus with Zimbabwe Cricket after two days of meetings. One of them, who asked not to be named, said ZC had provided an assurance that outstanding salaries from the month of July would be paid and that cricketers would receive match fees from now on.The exact amount has not been revealed, although the had reported players were demanding US$5,000 per Test match, $3,000 for an ODI and $1,500 for every T20. Given that the board is in severe debt, it is unlikely it will be able to match those figures but the players are said to be satisfied with the amounts ZC has offered.”We wanted to make them aware we were the only international team that were playing without match fees,” the player said. “Now we will be receiving them.”The issue of disbursements from the board’s share of ICC events, which ZC MD Wilfred Mukondiwa said on Friday morning was the only outstanding article of debate, has still not been resolved. Instead, the players have been told the board needs “more time to do research,” and will clarify its position on how the monies from such tournaments will be distributed in an appendix to the new playing contracts.With financial concerns smoothed over, the players will continue to prepare for the series against Pakistan that starts August 23, with the board announcing a 21-member practice squad. “Training has resumed in full and as things stand now, there will be no boycott of the series,” the player said.However, the players’ association formed by a group of senior players – believed to be Brendan Taylor, Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda, Prosper Utseya and Elton Chigumbura – will become a permanent fixture in Zimbabwe cricket.”It was something the players put together because we did not have a proper arrangement in the past. The board is now open to the idea of having a player association and we wanted to take that chance,” the player said. “There are a lot if issues that crop up in Zimbabwean cricket and without a singular voice it was very difficult for us to get things done.”Zimbabwe have had many aborted attempts at a players’ association and have not had a fully functioning body since a player representative sat on the board before the white-player walkout. Unlike then, when Zimbabwe’s players were divided over race, they “all united” in their cause to fight for what they consider better pay.Zimbabwe’s cricketers have long been considered underpaid. On the eve of their Test comeback in 2011, Tatenda Taibu said they were not receiving adequate funding. Just four months ago, not much had changed. The players threatened a no-show during Bangladesh’s April visit because of an unsatisfactory daily allowance for those who were not on central contracts.

Ed Cowan and Jordan Silk both scored centuries for Tasmania but South Australia were able to hold on for a draw on the final day of their Sheffield Shield match in Adelaide

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2013
ScorecardEd Cowan and Jordan Silk both scored centuries•Getty ImagesEd Cowan and Jordan Silk both scored centuries for Tasmania but South Australia were able to hold on for a draw on the final day of their Sheffield Shield match in Adelaide. Phillip Hughes and Tom Cooper both made half-centuries in South Australia’s chase of 285 but regular wickets kept the Redbacks from reaching the point at which they could realistically push for victory.At 2 for 130 in the 24th over they had some hope but the loss of Hughes, who was caught off the bowling of Xavier Doherty for 67, sparked a collapse. James Faulkner picked up two quick wickets before Cooper and Tim Ludeman steadied, and when time was called, Cooper was unbeaten on 74 from 94 deliveries, with Ludeman on 18.Earlier, Silk and Cowan carried on from their overnight half-centuries to both reach triple figures before Ben Dunk (72 off 54 balls) and Faulkner (53) helped steer the total up to 7 for 390 before the declaration came. Cowan made 123, his first century at first-class level since he was dropped from the Test side during the Ashes tour of England.Silk, 21, continued his outstanding start to the summer – he has now scored two hundreds in the first four Shield matches of the season and averages 46.12. Silk has also had a remarkable beginning to his first-class career – he debuted in March and has already scored four hundreds and three fifties in his first nine games.

ESPNcricinfo previews the first Twenty20 between New Zealand and Zimbabwe in Auckland

Firdose Moonda10-Feb-2012Match factsFebruary 11, Auckland
Start time 1900 (0600 GMT)Colin de Grandhomme could debut but will have to contest with Kane Williamson or one of the seamers for a spot•Getty ImagesBig PictureHow does a boxer find motivation to keep throwing punches when his opponent is cowering, bleeding and just about begging for mercy? New Zealand may soon know the answer to that as they continue to hammer away at an already ground down Zimbabwe side.The series ends with two Twenty20 matches. In most years that would be only an afterthought, but with a World Twenty20 to be contested later in September, they do have some importance. As the best performing non-subcontinent team at the 2011 World Cup, New Zealand will want to repeat their strong showing in Sri Lanka in the 20-overs showcase event. They have a rather new look side and will use these matches to incorporate more uncapped players and complete their unit.Brendon McCullum spoke about the importance of keeping the intensity up. If the one-day series is anything to go by, New Zealand know how to do that. Not content with merely proving they are a better side than Zimbabwe, they have imposed their dominance brutally and seem to have their minds set on continuing to do that.Zimbabwe are an inexperienced and unsuccessful Twenty20 side. It’s not a format they have played in great quantities at any international level, but the popularity of their domestic tournament has meant that all of the national squad have some recent 20-overs game-time. Already the gulf between what they have been doing at local level and what is required to be done on the international stage has proven wide and deep. Perhaps too wide and too deep. While shorter formats are thought to increase the competitiveness between sides, it may not be true in this case.Demoralised and weary, Zimbabwe will have to feed off their desperation to do well. They certainly have the desire to prove themselves but they have to multiply that a few times to be able to compete with a rampant New Zealand side.Form guideNew Zealand WWLWW (most recent first)
Zimbabwe LLLLLIn the spotlightThere’s always a bit of needle when a county plays against a team with one of their countrymen in it and Colin de Grandhomme can expect much of the same. The Harare-born New Zealand allrounder even played for Zimbabwe Under-19s but moved to New Zealand in 2006 and has now qualified for his adopted country. He has performed well in the domestic leagues and gets his chance at the highest level, but will have to brace for some hostility from a severely wounded Zimbabwe side.Twenty20 is Elton Chigumbura’s format, the one where he has the freedom to pay in the carefree manner he appears most comfortable with. With Zimbabwe as down and out as it gets, they may as well give their players the liberty to enjoy the last two matches of the series and play without limitations. If there is one player who will enjoy this sort of approach, it will be Chigumbura. With absolutely nothing but another match to lose, if he decides to make it his day, it could well be.Team newsNew Zealand have two injury concerns – Martin Guptill has a slight groin strain and Jacob Oram experienced tightness in the calf. Both left the field in the last ODI in Napier but Brendon McCullum said he expects both to be fit to play. In particular, he hopes Guptill can continue because he has found a rich vein of form. Andrew Ellis was added to the squad after Dean Brownlie was ruled out with a finger injury and coach John Wright indicated that he would be given an opportunity. The other two uncapped players, Colin de Grandhomme and Ronnie Hira could debut but will have to contest with Kane Williamson and one of the seamers for a spot.New Zealand: (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Rob Nicol 4 Colin de Grandhomme 5 James Franklin/Kane Williamson 6 Andrew Ellis 7 Nathan McCullum, 8 Jacob Oram, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Doug Bracewell/Ronnie Hira, 11 Kyle MillsAfter axing Hamilton Masakadza for the third ODI, Zimbabwe will likely open with Stuart Matsikenyeri and Regis Chakabva. The last time they played Twenty20s Tatenda Taibu was injured, but he will play. It still allows Zimbabwe to accommodate three allrounders in Malcolm Waller, Elton Chigumbura and Keegan Meth. If both Prosper Utseya and Ray Price play, one of the three seamers will have to sit out.Zimbabwe: (probable) 1 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 2 Regis Chakabva, 3 Brendan Taylor, 4 Tatenda Taibu, 5 Malcolm Waller, 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Keegan Meth 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Ray Price, 10 and 11 Kyle Jarvis/Brian Vitori/Shingi MasakadzaPitch and conditionsA fair strip, offering plenty for the batsmen is likely to be prepared. Weather in Auckland on Saturday evening should be clear and mild.Stats and trivia Zimbabwe have only played 18 Twenty20s and have won just three, all away from home. Their last victory came in February 2010 against West Indies. Martin Guptill was the top scorer in New Zealand’s HRV Cup with 504 runs at an average of 72.00. Ronnie Hira and Michale Bates were the highest wicket-takers, with 14 scalps each.Quotes”The gap between two teams is always narrowed, the shorter the game. So it means we will have to be more efficient in all areas.”