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Jin Young Ko earned $1.5 million by winning the LPGA season finale at the CME Group Tour Championship. But she wasn't the only player who cashed in. Here's a look at the earning for all 60 players who started the event in Naples, Florida.

Finish

Player

  Score  

  Earnings  

1

Jin Young Ko

-23

$1,500,000

2

Nasa Hataoka

-22

$480,000

T3

Mina Harigae

-18

$268,657

T3

Celine Boutier

-18

$268,657

T5

Megan Khang

-17

$145,041

T5

Minjee Lee

-17

$145,041

T5

Nelly Korda

-17

$145,041

8

Lexi Thompson

-16

$98,453

T9

Lydia Ko

-15

$78,807

T9

In Gee Chun

-15

$78,807

T9

Gaby Lopez

-15

$78,807

T12

Anna Nordqvist

-14

$62,415

T12

Leona Maguire

-14

$62,415

T12

Nanna Koerstz Madsen

-14

$62,415

T15

Charley Hull

-13

$48,720

T15

Hannah Green

-13

$48,720

T15

So Yeon Ryu

-13

$48,720

T15

Sei Young Kim

-13

$48,720

T15

Danielle Kang

-13

$48,720

T15

Jeongeun Lee6

-13

$48,720

21

Jasmine Suwannapura

-12

$42,040

T22

Lauren Stephenson

-11

$40,020

T22

Madelene Sagstrom

-11

$40,020

T24

Wichanee Meechai

-10

$36,106

T24

Ally Ewing

-10

$36,106

T24

Eun-Hee Ji

-10

$36,106

T24

Georgia Hall

-10

$36,106

T28

Yealimi Noh

-9

$31,937

T28

Ariya Jutanugarn

-9

$31,937

T28

Su Oh

-9

$31,937

T31

Amy Olson

-8

$28,232

T31

Moriya Jutanugarn

-8

$28,232

T31

Ryann O’Toole

-8

$28,232

T31

Brittany Altomare

-8

$28,232

T35

Patty Tavatanakit

-7

$24,864

T35

Carlota Ciganda

-7

$24,864

T35

Xiyu Lin

-7

$24,864

T38

Brooke M. Henderson

-6

$22,761

T38

A Lim Kim

-6

$22,761

T40

Esther Henseleit

-5

$20,150

T40

Jenny Shin

-5

$20,150

T40

Jennifer Kupcho

-5

$20,150

T40

Jessica Korda

-5

$20,150

T40

Wei-Ling Hsu

-5

$20,150

T45

Pajaree Anannarukarn

-4

$17,624

T45

Yu Liu

-4

$17,624

T45

Lizette Salas

-4

$17,624

48

Yuka Saso

-3

$16,613

T49

Emma Talley

-2

$15,855

T49

Amy Yang

-2

$15,855

T51

Elizabeth Szokol

E

$14,930

T51

Austin Ernst

E

$14,930

T53

Hyo Joo Kim

+1

$14,255

T53

Chella Choi

+1

$14,255

T55

Stacy Lewis

+3

$13,414

T55

Matilda Castren

+3

$13,414

T55

Caroline Masson

+3

$13,414

T58

Jenny Coleman

+5

$12,572

T58

Sophia Popov

+5

$12,572

Angel Yin

WD

$12,068

Castellanos, NYCFC best Atlanta in MLS playoffs

Published in Soccer
Sunday, 21 November 2021 15:11

Major League Soccer Golden Boot winner Valentin Castellanos scored his first MLS Cup playoff goal in the 49th minute to lead New York City FC to a 2-0 home victory in Sunday's Round 1 clash against Atlanta United at Yankee Stadium. Defender Alexander Callens added his second goal of 2021 in all competitions in the 53rd minute for NYCFC, who advances in the postseason for just the second time in the club's seven-year club history.

Sean Johnson made four saves to preserve his second career playoff clean sheet, and his first since 2017, with all of his saves coming after the hosts took a two-goal lead.

Maximiliano Moralez, NYCFC's 34-year-old captain, played a role on both New York City FC goals.

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On the first, his long looping cross from the right fell to the back post for Castellanos, who struck a first-time volley into the ground. Castellanos did not connect as he intended, but the ball bounded hard off the turf, over Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan and into the net.

Guzan made an excellent diving stop to deny Moralez from distance four minutes later. But after pushing the ball onto the post, Callens was there to head the rebound into an open goal from close range.

Four seed NYCFC will visit Eastern Conference top seed and Supporters' Shield winners New England Revolution in a conference semifinal on Nov. 30.

Solskjaer speaks on exit: It's time for me to go

Published in Soccer
Sunday, 21 November 2021 15:11

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said it was time to "step aside" in a tearful farewell interview after Manchester United announced his departure as manager.

Solskjaer lost his job as manager on Sunday following Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Watford. Manchester United are on a run of five defeats in seven league matches and are six points off the qualification places for the Champions League.

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Pressure on the manager increased after a 5-0 humiliation at the hands of Liverpool that was followed by a one-sided 2-0 defeat to Manchester City.

"This club means everything to me and together we're a good match, but unfortunately I couldn't get the results we needed and it's time for me to step aside," Solskjaer told MUTV.

"You know what this club means to me and what I wanted to achieve here. For the club, for the fans, for the players, for the staff. I wanted us to take the next step to challenge for the league, to win trophies and I only think it's right that it comes from the horse's mouth. I don't want to answer all ... there's going to be journalists asking me about interviews but no, I'm not going to do any interviews.

"I want to get it out there, I'm going to leave by the front door, because I think everyone knows I've given everything for this club."

Solskjaer joined United initially on an interim basis in December 2018 when the club sacked Jose Mourinho. He was then made permanent manager in March 2019 and signed a contract extension in July of this year. But following a downturn in results, his departure was announced following an emergency board meeting on Saturday evening.

He said: "I want to thank the board and the owners for giving me the opportunity because it's not for everyone and I've had the opportunity.

"I'm so honoured and privileged to have been trusted to take the club forward, and I really hope that I leave it in a better state than when I came."

Pressure increased on Solskjaer to deliver a title challenge this season following the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane. But the Norwegian departs with the club still awaiting their first trophy since Mourinho lifted the Europa League trophy in 2017.

"Well, as I've said many times in interviews, I've been backed," he said. "The board and the owners have backed me in [terms of] bringing good people in, good players in and I think, or I know I leave this club with a better squad. The environment is fantastic, it's an environment I'm proud of leaving because you have to enjoy coming in here working."

Michael Carrick, who formed part of Solskjaer's backroom team at Old Trafford, has been named caretaker manager while the club search for an interim manager to take them until the end of the season.

Carrick's first match in charge is against Villarreal in a crucial Champions League clash on Tuesday.

Solskjaer, visibly emotional, added: "As I've said to them this morning as well, trust yourselves, you know we're better than this. We've not been able to show it but go out, chest out, enjoy being a Man United player, Champions League, the biggest stage.

"If and when you win the game, you're through to the next round, Michael [Carrick] is going to be in charge. Michael, I have the utmost respect [for], I love Michael to bits. I'm becoming emotional now because he's top, they'll be fine. I'll watch them and support them."

The weekend will be dominated by events at Manchester United, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was finally relieved of his managerial duties, but there were talking points galore around Europe in the top leagues. Xavi made a positive start to life as Barcelona boss, Arsenal's superb unbeaten run was halted in ruthless fashion by Liverpool, and Lionel Messi finally broke his scoreless run in Ligue 1.

There were also some great goals (including a belter at Burnley) and further evidence that Dusan Vlahovic is destined for the big time.

Here are Sam Marsden, James Tyler and Alex Kirkland with what you need to know from around Europe.

Go to: Talking points | Top goals | Troubled teams | Weekend MVP


Four talking points

Xavi's debut is a winning one

Xavi Hernandez's debut as Barcelona coach ended with three points, but Saturday's 1-0 Catalan derby win over Espanyol was far from simple. Raul de Tomas twice hit the woodwork and Landry Dimata missed a header that looked easier to score in the final 15 minutes, as Barca were forced to hang on for their lives in the final stages at Camp Nou.

For the first 75 minutes, everything had gone well for Barca and Xavi. They dominated the first half, pressing high and risking single-man coverage in defence, but were unable to find the breakthrough. It eventually arrived just after the break when a soft penalty was awarded for Leandro Cabrera's foul on Memphis Depay. De Tomas called the decision a "joke," though Memphis scored from the spot, and despite Espanyol's late rally, the home fans left with the feeling they have got "their Barca" back.

Over 74,000 attended the game -- double the attendance of their previous home match against Alaves in October -- to see eight academy players named in Xavi's starting XI, including two 17-year-olds (Gavi, Ilias Akhomach) and a 19-year-old (Nico). Another 19-year-old, Abde Ezzalzouli, a summer signing from Hercules, brought fans to their feet in the second half with his range of tricks and street skills.

There were still some remnants of the previous regime, notably missed chances and poor defending, but there's finally some optimism surrounding Barca. With Benfica to come in a must-win Champions League game on Tuesday, though, it might not last for long. -- Sam Marsden

Dortmund back in the title race?

Bayern Munich's surprise 2-1 defeat at Augsburg on Friday gave Borussia Dortmund a golden opportunity: beat Stuttgart a day later, and the title race was back on. Dortmund haven't exactly been reliable lately, though; beaten home and away by Ajax in the Champions League, they had lost to RB Leipzig in their last outing before the international break.

Struggling Stuttgart should have been straightforward opponents, but Dortmund needed first a bit of luck -- Donyell Malen's optimistic shot deflected in for his first league goal for the club -- and then some late magic from Thorgan Hazard, who set up Marco Reus to take the win. Bayern's lead at the top of the Bundesliga had been cut to just a point.

It's still much too early to say if Bayern will face genuine competition for the title this year. There were promising signs of that from both Dortmund and Leipzig in 2019-20 and 2020-21, before Bayern -- who've been crowned champions a record nine times in a row -- finished a comfortable 13 points clear of their nearest rivals on both occasions.

Dortmund's challenge has also been hit by the hip injury suffered by Erling Haaland, who might be absent until after Christmas. Next weekend's trip to Wolfsburg will be another opportunity to prove their ability to deliver results consistently before the real test: Der Klassiker against Bayern on Dec. 4. -- Alex Kirkland

Liverpool and Arsenal put on a show (so do Klopp and Arteta)

play
0:50

Did the Klopp-Arteta spat kick Liverpool into life?

Janusz Michallik says Liverpool did not look themselves before the managers clashed on the touchlines.

The opening half hour of Saturday's affair at Anfield felt different to drubbings of the recent past. Mikel Arteta has galvanised his young Gunners squad, and after culling so many of the problematic pros who threatened the rebuild, they're finally trending in the right direction. Eight wins in their past 10 games (all competitions) certainly speaks to forward progress, but by full-time, it was more of the same as the Reds proved too strong, too fluent and too quick in attack for an Arsenal side that's still not the finished product.

The spark to really ignite the home side, who'd go on to wrap up a 4-0 win, would be a throw-back clash of managers; Arteta felt that Sadio Mane had led with his elbow in an aerial battle with Takehiro Tomiyasu and was quick to tell Jurgen Klopp of his displeasure. The two coaches spilled from their technical areas and had a shout, prompting referee Michael Oliver to issue both coaches a yellow card. From there, Liverpool continued to harass and stress Arsenal in possession, and despite some brilliant goalkeeping from Aaron Ramsdale -- who smiled and howled after every acrobatic save, a hallmark of a top goalie (in my opinion) -- the Reds would canter to victory.

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After Mane opened the scoring with a wide-open header from a Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick late in the first half, Arsenal proved to be their own worst enemies as Liverpool poured on the goals. Despite knowing the intensity of Liverpool's press, Arteta's side still tried to play their possession game out from the back and paid for it several times; Nuno Tavares should get the assist on Diogo Jota's goal, after dribbling out from his own penalty area only to side-foot it back into the box, where Jota shrugged off Ben White and Ramsdale to tap into an empty net for the decisive second goal.

Jota is becoming a star in this team, having deputized for all three first-choice forwards along the front line since arriving in 2020. It was his intelligent, forceful flicked header in midfield that put Mane clear down the left for Liverpool's third, finished calmly by Mo Salah from Mane's square pass. The fourth was more quick movement as Alexander-Arnold drilled a low cross from the right side of the box for sub Takumi Minamino, who'd been on the pitch for barely a minute before tapping home.

The scoreline was perhaps harsh on Arsenal and Ramsdale in particular, such was his agile madness between the posts, but it further showed both Liverpool's evident title credentials as well as the distance that Arteta's side still has to go in order to genuinely contend. -- James Tyler

Real Madrid's veteran midfield still putting on a show

Carlo Ancelotti says Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are still the best midfield trio in world football, and watching them create all four goals in Real Madrid's impressive 4-1 away win at Granada on Sunday, it was hard to disagree. They turned in a joyous display of ingenuity and craft. Kroos provided the first two for Marco Asensio and Nacho; Modric played his part with a selfless, Guti-esque assist when through on goal to allow Vinicius Junior to make it three; Casemiro, nominally the most defensive-minded of the bunch, picked out Ferland Mendy to finish the job.

Madrid have spent some years preparing for the inevitable renewal of the team's engine room. Martin Odegaard was rushed back from his loan at Real Sociedad last year, but got tired of waiting for Modric's level to drop and moved to Arsenal on a permanent basis. There are no doubts about Fede Valverde's tireless midfield running, but he hasn't found a regular spot, either. Even Eduardo Camavinga, one of the most exciting young talents in the game, has spent much of his early months at the Bernabeu watching from the bench.

In the games that really matter -- or even, like this trip to Granada, the ones they expect to win comfortably -- it's still Casemiro, Kroos and Modric in midfield. Enjoy them while you can. -- Kirkland


Three must-see goals

Messi gets his first in Ligue 1

It's taken three months and six games, but Lionel Messi has finally scored his first goal in Ligue 1. The Paris Saint-Germain attacker has scored three in three in the Champions League for his new club but had not hit the target domestically until this weekend.

It was a vital goal, too; PSG looked set to drop points against Nantes in Paris on Saturday, goalkeeper Keylor Navas had been sent off and the score was 1-1 with less than 10 minutes to go when Messi stepped up. First, his run and pass resulted in an own goal from Dennis Appiah, and then he added his side's third goal in the 87th minute to seal the three points.

It was a trademark Messi finish, too, as the Nantes defenders allowed him to drift inside from the right before he bent the ball into the corner with his left foot from 20 yards. PSG remain 11 points clear at the top of the league after 14 games. -- Marsden

Felipe on the mark for Atletico

It's been baffling to see Atletico Madrid's set-piece threat -- previously one of their greatest strengths under coach Diego Simeone -- diminish in recent years. They might not be able to call on Diego Godin, Miranda or Diego Costa anymore, but they've still got players who can provide quality deliveries (Koke, Thomas Lemar, Rodrigo de Paul) and targets like Stefan Savic and Jose Maria Gimenez to aim for.

A more expansive style in open play seems to have come at the cost of menace from dead balls, which made Saturday's 87th-minute game-winning goal against Osasuna a welcome blast from the past. Yannick Carrasco whipped in the corner, Felipe flicked in the near-post header and Atletico won 1-0. It felt like 2014 all over again. -- Kirkland

Cornet comes to the Clarets' rescue

The Premier League's Saturday slate was one for the ages, with a remarkable 30 goals across the eight-game slate and only one match (Wolves 1-0 West Ham) without multiple net-busters. Speaking of net-busting, the pick of the crop was from Burnley's Maxwel Cornet in a dizzying 3-3 affair against Crystal Palace at Turf Moor.

In a game that saw 33 shots and 17 on target of all shapes and sizes, Cornet's effort was a true blend of ferocity and fine art. Johann Berg Gudmundsson's deep cross from the right flank was flicked to the back post by James Tarkowski, where it was met on the volley by Cornet and arrowed into the roof of the net. Vicente Guaita had made some fine saves despite conceding three times, but he knew little about Cornet's thundering blast. The goal preserved a point for Sean Dyche and co and capped a memorable afternoon. Here's to many more if the former Lyon winger is involved. -- Tyler


Two teams that should be worried

play
1:39

Ogden: Man United's Solskjaer sacking smacks of chaos

Mark Ogden says Manchester United had no desire to remove Solskjaer, as shown by their lack of a backup plan.

Solskjaer's gone, but that won't fix Man United

Manchester United finally moved on from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after Saturday's 4-1 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road. The Norwegian coach had survived a humiliating 5-0 loss to Liverpool at Old Trafford in October and being outplayed by Manchester City two weeks later, but his time finally came to an end this weekend.

The nature of Watford's win and the fact it saw United slip to eighth in the table, a top-four finish this season now in genuine doubt, left the club with no other option. Goalkeeper David de Gea's comments probably didn't help, either. "It was embarrassing to see Man United play like we did," he said. "It was hard to watch the team playing today."

- Dawson: Why Solskjaer's Man United fell apart
- Sources: Solskjaer turned down chance for coaching help
- Solskjaer out at Man United: How social media reacted

United's problem now is that there appears to be no quick-fix manager on the market following Antonio Conte's appointment at Tottenham Hotspur. Judging by the club's statement on Solskjaer's sacking, they don't even appear to have a short-term plan, let alone a long-term one. "Michael Carrick will now take charge of the team for forthcoming games, while the club looks to appoint an interim manager to the end of the season," United said Sunday. -- Marsden

Cadiz continue to sink

When you're losing 4-0 to bottom-of-the-table Getafe, you know you're in trouble. Cadiz have been on a dreadful run, with one win in nine games, but this was the result that stung the most. "The midfield didn't work, neither did the attack, and the defence least of all," local newspaper Diario de Cadiz said in a match report headlined "Cadiz make a fool of themselves in Getafe."

Alvaro Cervera's side have been something of a miracle team since winning promotion in 2020. They regularly boast the lowest possession stats in the league and the lowest rates of pass completion, but they actively relish that fact. They don't want the ball, as that would mean taking risks. They'll sit tight and try to take the odd chance that comes their way. It worked last season, with an admirable 12th-place finish, but judging by what we've seen so far, they'll do well to survive this time. -- Kirkland


Weekend MVP: Dusan Vlahovic

Fiorentina forward dooms Milan to first Serie A defeat

Milan are firmly in the title race this season after years of missteps, mismanagement and squad imbalance that's kept them from where they (and their fans) feel they belong. And yet, on Saturday night, we saw just why the abundant optimism among the Rossoneri faithful needs a little bit of tempering. A trip to Fiorentina might not seem like much -- Milan have won five and drawn two of their past 10 Serie A meetings -- but thanks to Dusan Vlahovic, Milan finally saw their unbeaten start to the season come to an end.

Vlahovic was a menace in a frantic, end-to-end affair that saw Fiorentina surge to a 3-0 lead via Alfred Duncan, Riccardo Saponara and Vlahovic by the hour mark. Zlatan Ibrahimovic pulled two back in quick succession before Vlahovic's second of the game finally ended the fight-back, rendering a 96th-minute Lorenzo Venuti own-goal irrelevant in a 4-3 win for La Viola. But what made Vlahovic stand out was the throwback manner in which he took his chances; there's a reason he has been compared to both Ibrahimovic and Erling Haaland in recent months given his prolific scoring record.

His first goal was the kind of finish that's had him linked with Newcastle United and Tottenham in 2021: Vlahovic met Duncan's clever pass around Matteo Gabbia in stride, taking two touches before faking out Ciprian Tatarusanu and calmly arrowing a left-footed shot into the empty net. The second was a predatory, clever effort that defines world-class forwards, as Nicolas Gonzalez dispossessed Theo Hernandez at the edge of the box, the ball sitting up for Vlahovic to first-time beyond Tatarusanu. In tight games where an error (and taking advantage of it) can make all the difference, Vlahovic showed he's got the skill and composure to decide games.

Vlahovic's brace pulled him level with legendary Fiorentina striker Kurt Hamrin (27 in 1960) for the most Serie A goals scored in a single calendar year, though the 21-year-old Serbia forward still has a month of matches to set the new standard. Beyond that, expect to see Vlahovic in the January transfer headlines as he goes from strength to strength. -- Tyler

Three Sri Lanka Women players test positive for Covid-19

Published in Cricket
Sunday, 21 November 2021 05:28

Three Sri Lanka players taking part in the Women's World Cup Qualifier, which began in Harare on Sunday, have tested positive for Covid-19.

According to an ICC release, the entire team was tested after one player showed mild symptoms. Two of the players who tested positive are experiencing mild symptoms, while the third is asymptomatic. All three are in isolation and are under medical care.

The other members of the squad have returned negative tests, but the squad are isolating as a precaution and will undergo another test ahead of Sri Lanka's opening match against Netherlands on Tuesday.

"We have playing squads of 15 at the event, which allows for injuries and illness, including COVID-19 to be managed, and in addition teams have had the option of bringing traveling reserves with them." Said ICC head of events Chris Tetley. "As you would expect, the remainder of the squad are being closely monitored and they will all be re-tested ahead of taking to the field on Tuesday.

"The event bio-security plan provides us with protocols to manage positive tests effectively with the intention of enabling the event to proceed whilst keeping all other players and participants safe."

This is the second instance of Covid-19 related to a team taking part in the World Cup Qualifier. Papua New Guinea were forced to withdraw from the tournament, after a spate of infections within their camp left them short of players who could clear the Covid test that would allow them to fly to Zimbabwe.

Rohit and Axar sparkle as India complete 3-0 sweep

Published in Cricket
Sunday, 21 November 2021 10:05

India 184 for 7 (Rohit 56, Kishan 29, Chahar 21*, Santner 3-27) beat New Zealand 111 (Guptill 51, Axar 3-9, Harshal 2-23) by 73 runs

India won the toss, opted to bat to challenge themselves against dewy conditions later, and ended up defending quite comfortably. They also ticked a fair few boxes along the way.

Their back-up opener Ishan Kishan came good. Their lower order contributed vital runs that gave them at least 20 extra to defend. Venkatesh Iyer delivered three frugal overs as a sixth-bowling option. Axar Patel showed why he's an aggressive left-arm spin option. Comeback man Yuzvendra Chahal overcame a forgettable start by finishing strongly with the big wicket of Martin Guptill. Harshal Patel continued to take giant strides with his bag of slower variations in T20 cricket. Rishabh Pant displayed terrific agility and athleticism behind the stumps.

India swept the series 3-0, New Zealand at no stage showing any semblance of a fight. Not even when Guptill shellacked a breezy half-century.

The Mumbai Indians show

Players who generally plot and plan together were up against each other. Rohit Sharma and Kishan, coming in for the rested KL Rahul, as openers. Trent Boult and Adam Milne as new-ball bowlers. And it was India who set the tone for dominance early on as the top two got them off the blocks briskly, with a pair of fours each in the first few overs.

Rohit's trademark pull and Kishan's Jayasuriya-esque whip off his pads made an appearance. It was clear that India were mindful of heavy dew and wanted to set the tempo and sustain it through the innings. Lockie Ferguson, coming in for stand-in captain Tim Southee, struggled for rhythm - landing full tosses and short balls aplenty to concede 30 off his first 12 balls as India raced to 69 for 0 in six overs.

Santner puts the brakes on

Mitchell Santner brought himself on before dew took effect and trapped Kishan two balls later when he beat the batter with the skid off the pitch to have him caught for 29. In walked Suryakumar Yadav, another true-blue Mumbai Indian, but he didn't last long either, driving one uppishly to cover to give Santner a second wicket in the over. One quiet Ish Sodhi set later, Santner had a third when he made Pant miscue a slog sweep to mid-on. New Zealand had landed a counter-punch. India went without any boundaries between overs 6 and 10. The slowdown was well and truly on.

The Iyers get going, before Harshal-Chahar finish strongly

Rohit fell for a 28-ball 55, after toe-ending a drive back to Sodhi, but Venkatesh and Shreyas set about the rebuild by milking the singles. From overs 11.3 to 13.4 when Venkatesh broke the shackles by muscling a slog sweep over deep midwicket, the pair played out a lone dot ball.

Venkatesh showed excellent footwork in getting to the pitch of the ball and hitting towards the short straight boundaries, while Shreyas picked off a bulk of his runs through cuts and dabs behind square. The pair had added 36 before they fell in the space of three deliveries.

Venkatesh went first for 20 when he dragged a Trent Boult knuckleball to deep midwicket. Shreyas fell trying to clear long-on with Daryl Mitchell covering good ground and sliding to complete the catch. At that point, ESPNcricinfo's Forecaster pegged India to get 172.

That they got much 12 more was courtesy their batting depth. Harshal, who opens for his state side Haryana in T20s, and Deepak Chahar contributed 39 between them to force a strong finish. It included India getting 19 off the final over bowled by Ferguson, who went for 45 off his four overs.

Axar's triple rocks New Zealand

A huge machine-mop took off as much dew as it could in the break, but it was only going to be a matter of time before it'd set in again to make it difficult for the spinners to grip the ball.

Perhaps mindful of this, Rohit introduced Axar in the third over, and the move worked as he struck twice to stun the visitors upfront. Mitchell picked out extra cover and Mark Chapman ran down the pitch, only to be beaten by sharp turn on the inside edge to see Pant pull off a terrific stumping.

Chahal came on from the other end and came in for some tap from the marauding Guptill, who batted with ferocity. Tossing the ball into his hitting arc, Chahal kept getting pinged between long-on and deep midwicket, but Axar at the other end wasn't quite so obliging. Glenn Phillips became the left-armer's third victim when he was bowled attempting a reverse sweep off a full delivery. At that stage, New Zealand were tottering at 30 for 3 in five overs.

Iyer, Harshal carry forward momentum

With the top order blown away, and only Guptill standing in their way, Rohit took the opportunity to get a few overs out of Venkatesh and the medium pacer used his height and clever variation of lengths to keep batters honest. Harshal was equally hard to hit with his bouquet of slower balls tying New Zealand down.

Chahal then returned after two expensive overs with a change in plan. After he went middle and leg only to be swung away, he corrected his line and tried to get batters hit against the turn, and it immediately worked as Guptill holed out to long-on after a quick fire half-century. At 70 for 4 in the 11th over, it was one-way traffic. Batter after batter came out swinging and missing and slipping and sliding as a hungry Indian bowling unit closed out the game clinically.

Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

Bangladesh 202 for 7 (Rumana 50*, Hoque 45, Sandhu 2-24, Sohail 2-44) beat Pakistan 201 for 7 (Dar 87, Riaz 61*, Akter 2-25, Moni 2-36) by three wickets
Scorecard

Having come out of a 21-month-long hiatus in international cricket only earlier this month, Bangladesh pulled off an upset over Pakistan on the opening day of the Women's ODI World Cup Qualifier as allrounder Rumana Ahmed closed out a tight chase of 202 in Harare with an unbeaten 44-ball 50.

Bangladesh's final-over victory hardly appeared on the horizon when they were 98 for 4, with 104 still needed off 89 balls. Rumana was on 1 off 9 at the time, and Bangladesh had just lost the set Fargana Hoque for a 90-ball 45. Then the required rate climbed to 8.9 with 10 overs to go.

But in Ritu Moni's company, Rumana unleashed a counterattack, the pair adding 61 off 59 balls. Moni hammered three back-to-back fours off Fatima Sana in the 45th over before being dismissed for a 37-ball 33.

Omaima Sohail struck twice in the 46th over, leaving Bangladesh needing 41 off the last 24 balls. Then Rumana took control, carting three consecutive fours off Sohail in the 48th. With former captain Salma Khatun also chipping in with an unbeaten 18 off 13, Bangladesh got home with two balls to spare.

Earlier, two wickets apiece from Moni and Nahida Akter and Khatun's run-out of opener Ayesha Zafar left Pakistan struggling at 49 for 5 after being sent in. Had it not been for the big-hitting allrounder Nida Dar's 111-ball 87 at No. 6 and No. 7 Aliya Riaz's unbeaten 82-ball 61, Pakistan might have finished well below their final score of 201 for 7. The duo's 136-run stand was the third-highest in Women's ODIs for the sixth wicket.

Thailand 247 for 6 (Chantham 48, Koncharoenkai 47, Tippoch 40, Tshuma 2-35, Chipare 2-50) beat Zimbabwe 239 for 5 (Musonda 69*, Nkomo 56, Mayers 47, Laomi 2-51) by eight runs
Scorecard

Thailand Women's upward rise continued as they completed an eight-run win over hosts Zimbabwe on their ODI debut, in the second Group B fixture of the day.

Save for opener Nattaya Boochatham, all of Thailand's top six made 30 or more. The other opener, Natthakan Chantham, was aggressive in her approach, hitting seven fours in her 59-ball 48. With Sornnarin Tippoch, who made 40 off 76, Chantham added 94 for the second wicket, taking Thailand past 100.

After the Chantham-Tippoch partnership ended, thanks to Loreen Tshuma who accounted for both batters, Nannapat Koncharoenkai, Naruemol Chaiwai and Chanida Sutthiruang made useful contributions to help steer them to 247 for 6 in 50.

In response, Zimbabwe, who had debuted in ODIs last month, made a slow start, with openers Modester Mupachikwa and Sharne Mayers putting on 49 runs in 16.5 overs. No. 3 Josephine Nkomo strung a 59-run second-wicket stand with Mayers (47 off 80) before Suleeporn Laomi cut short Mayers' stay.

Nkomo's 66-ball 56 kept Zimbabwe on track, as did captain Mary-Anne Musonda's unbeaten 65-ball 69, but after the pair 73-run third-wicket stand, Zimbabwe stuttered and fell eight short of the target as Thailand made a strong push towards securing a Super Six berth.

India may have just swept the T20 World Cup runners-up 3-0 in his first series as full-time head coach, but Rahul Dravid wants to take a "realistic" view of where the team stands. He is mindful, in particular, of New Zealand's hectic schedule: they began this T20I series just three days after their World Cup final defeat in Dubai, while missing their captain Kane Williamson.

"We have to keep our feet on the ground and be realistic, especially with bigger things down the line in the next 12 months," Dravid told host broadcaster Star Sports after the third T20I in Kolkata. "It's not easy for New Zealand to play a World Cup final, turn up three days later, and play three games in six days. We knew it was never going to be easy on them."

While New Zealand were without Williamson through the series and rested stand-in captain Tim Southee for the last match, India, too, missed key personnel, with Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja rested. Dravid said the big positive from the series win was the performance of the players who got chances in the absence of the seniors.

Harshal Patel picked up four wickets in two games while returning an economy rate of 7.28, and also contributed a useful lower-order cameo in Kolkata. Axar Patel, standing in for Jadeja, played all three games and ended the series with a Player-of-the-Match-winning three-wicket haul in the final T20I. There were promising displays from the debutant allrounder Venkatesh Iyer and the back-up opener and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan as well.

"It's been great to see the younger guys come through, we've given opportunity to some of the guys who haven't played too much cricket in the last few months with the seniors taking rest," Dravid said. "The greatest takeaway for us is to see the skills available to us. We need to continue developing those skills."

Dravid said that with player workloads in focus over a packed upcoming 12 months, India are likely to continue resting key players across the year and giving new players regular game time. That thought process was in full view in Kolkata, where KL Rahul and R Ashwin - two players who are set to feature in the upcoming Test series - were rested after victory was secured in Ranchi.

"It's really nice that we have options," Dravid said. "We can mix and match. Its going to be a long season, lots of games to be played till the next World Cup and we need to do that [rest and rotate] with some of our players and be realistic about how much cricket needs to be played."

Sreshth Shah is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @sreshthx

Team Abu Dhabi 99 for 6 (Overton 33*, Hasaranga 4-12) beat Deccan Gladiators 97 for 9 (Smith 34) by four wickets

With five needed off the last ball, Danny Briggs was facing a man who had yet to bowl a ball in the tournament, never mind the innings itself. He duly hit Anwar Ali for six to seal a third consecutive win for Team Abu Dhabi in a nail-biting encounter against Deccan Gladiators at the Zayed Cricket Ground. Yet, that was just the final act of a dramatic contest that went down to the wire.

"I was just thinking about getting good contact on the ball and I got a top edge which went high and luckily for me, just long enough," Briggs said afterwards.

Long enough by just a whisker. Hamid Hassan had steamed in to Jamie Overton for the penultimate delivery, before pulling up and having to limp off, leaving Wahab Riaz to turn to his countryman Anwar. It was Anwar's first ball of this year's T10 and his length delivery was met with a top edge from Briggs which flew off the bat and towards the fine leg boundary where none other than Andre Russell was placed. Russell had starred with the bat in Deccan's win on Saturday, but was dismissed for a golden duck earlier and bowled a costly ninth over which went for 17. Yet, perhaps, this was his moment to be a hero again…

The ball seemed for all it's worth to be sailing over the boundary and into the Team Abu Dhabi dugout, but Russell leapt and somehow flicked it back in. The ground held its breath to see whether the West Indian was in contact with the boundary cushion. No one, not even Russell, really had an inkling as to who had won. It was agonisingly tight, before replays indicated that his heel was barely touching the rope at the moment he made contact with the ball. Paul Baldwin, the TV umpire, confirmed to Nigel Llong, the on-field umpire, to raise his arms and confirm that it was six.

A chase of 98 should have been straightforward. Especially considering the fact that Liam Livingstone's outfit had breezed to scores of 145 and 132 in their first two matches of the tournament.

But they had yet to deal with the magic of Wanindu Hasaranga. Livingstone, who had seen his England counterparts struggle to pick the Sri Lankan during the T20 World Cup, had breezed to 17 off seven deliveries when Hasaranga came into the attack. Fresh from blasting 30 off 18 with the bat to rescue the Gladiators from 18 for 5, Hasaranga now had the ball in hand.

Livingstone was welcomed with a tossed-up delivery that he top-edged into the Abu Dhabi sky. But, the Gladiators wicketkeeper Tom Moores failed to get anywhere near it. Two balls later, Hasaranga tempted the Englishman yet again and Livingstone again tried to hit him out of the ground. Instead he skied it straight to long-on and with the captain, Phil Salt and Paul Stirling all back in the hutch and no Chris Gayle, the Gladiators had every chance of becoming the first side in T10 history to defend a total of fewer than 100.

Not least when the very next ball, Colin Ingram was undone by a wrong-un and Team Abu Dhabi were four down for 44. There is no such thing as defending out the hat-trick ball in this format: Overton came to the crease to face the music and was lucky to sneak a bottom-edge to the boundary as he swept at Hasaranga.

But Hasaranga wasn't done yet. He was fortunate to get an lbw decision in his favour against Chris Benjamin, as replays showed a clear inside-edge from the batter, but there was nothing lucky about the next ball, Marchant de Lange utterly bamboozled by a wrong-un which crashed into his stumps. Hasaranga and the Gladiators were going in for the kill.

Briggs arrived at the crease for another hat-trick ball and survived, before being beaten by a wrong-un from the Sri Lankan which narrowly missed the stumps. Both he and Overton must have breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Hasaranga had finished. The Sri Lankan ended with figures of 4 for 12 and had left the Abu Dhabi outfit reeling at 53 for 6.

Yet, despite all his heroics with the bat and the ball, it was his fielding that would ultimately prove pivotal. In the next over, Overton skied one towards Hasaranga at midwicket for a regulation catch, which the Sri Lankan failed to hold on to.

And the allrounder made him pay, as he crashed an unbeaten 33 off 18, combining with Briggs to hit 46 off the last four overs and somehow steal a victory for Team Abu Dhabi to maintain their 100% record.

"It's still T10, you've still gotta go [whenever you come in]," Briggs said. "With two overs left, we said to each other that we needed a big one to get ourselves back in."

Overton added: "We were just trying to play our way, play our strong shots, and try to take one good over. We got a good over in the ninth with Dre and then Briggsy got us over the line."

Livingstone was beaming with joy at the way the pair rescued his side. "We were pretty much behind the game for all of our innings but I thought Jamie [Overton] played beautifully and it was great for Briggsy to hit the last one for six," he said.

Florida fires Mullen, looking for sustained success

Published in Breaking News
Sunday, 21 November 2021 15:13

A year removed from leading Florida to the SEC championship game and playing eventual national champion Alabama as close as anyone, Dan Mullen was fired as the Gators' football coach on Sunday.

Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said he woke up on Sunday morning, having had only a few hours of sleep after getting back from a 24-23 overtime loss at Missouri, certain that a change needed to be made. It was the team's fourth consecutive loss to a Power 5 opponent. Dating back to the final three games of the 2020 season, the Gators are 2-9 against Power 5 opponents.

Mullen was given the opportunity to coach the regular-season finale against Florida State this Saturday, according to Stricklin, but turned it down, saying he didn't want to be a distraction. Assistant coach Greg Knox was named interim head coach.

Mullen was 34-15 in four seasons at Florida. His replacement will be the Gators' fourth head coach in eight seasons.

Stricklin acknowledged the fact that each of the Gators' past three coaches had some tangible success, with Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain and Mullen all having reached the SEC championship game.

"The challenge has been we haven't been able to sustain it," Stricklin said. "You've got to put really good structure and culture in place in order to sustain a high level over a long period of time, and that's going forward what we've got to focus on."

Stricklin made a point to say that he still believes Mullen, 49, is a quality football coach. Counting his nine seasons as coach at Mississippi State, Mullen's overall record is 103-61.

"I think he's as good on the offensive side of the ball as anyone in football, whether it's pro or college, and I think Dan's going to have other opportunities to go out and coach football and I think he's going to be successful at it," Stricklin said. "But, you know, this is a place that you should be able to have a high level of sustained success over a consistent period of time. And to do that, you have to have a lot of little things in place. People look at losses as a cause to get rid of a coach, but a lot of times, the losses are for things that don't go right in the field, those are symptoms of other issues.

"I'm not going to get into all that because I don't think that's fair to everyone involved. But there are a lot of little things that you had to pay attention to. And we have an opportunity here to go get someone who can can really focus on those things."

Stricklin said he had "thoughts" about how things fell apart so quickly. It was only five months ago that he and Mullen agreed on a contract extension and raise. But what those issues were to cause such a dramatic change, Stricklin said, "I'm going to keep those to myself."

Mullen thanked the university and fans "for the honor of being your Head Football Coach" in a statement on social media later Sunday.

Stricklin said there is no timetable for finding Mullen's replacement. He declined to say whether the Gators will be utilizing a search firm. Asked what type of candidates they'll pursue, he declined to go into detail other than seeking someone "who has high expectations."

"There's going to be a lot of competition in the marketplace, and I really don't want to share what our criteria or what we're going to prioritize," Stricklin said.

Florida isn't the only major Power 5 program seeking to hire a head coach. USC, LSU, Washington, Virginia Tech and TCU are among the teams with openings.

Still, Stricklin said the decision to fire Mullen with one week left in the regular season was not affected by the way the coaching market has heated up in recent weeks.

"The process that other schools are going through really doesn't impact what we need to do at the University of Florida," he said.

Louisiana coach Billy Napier, who has turned down several SEC head-coaching opportunities in recent years, is among the top candidates at Florida, sources told ESPN. Napier is also near the top of Virginia Tech's list.

Stricklin touted Florida's history of success, as well as its alignment at the administrative level. Unlike some schools that have trustees trying to influence decisions, Stricklin said, in Gainesville, a coach doesn't have to wonder, "Who's really calling the shots?"

"We're going to put the resources necessary into making the right decision to get the right person in and the right structure around that person for us to be successful," Stricklin said. "We're very blessed to be in a place we do have some resources."

Part of those resources will go to Mullen, though. Stricklin said the school will fulfill the terms of their contract, meaning it will pay Mullen his full $12 million buyout. He is owed $6 million within 30 days of being fired, with the remaining $6 million to be paid out yearly in $1 million payments.

Florida has paid a total of $13.8 million in buyout/settlement money to the two football coaches who preceded Mullen, McElwain and Muschamp.

With Mullen out at Florida, 10 of the 14 SEC head coaches entering the 2022 season will have been in their positions for two or fewer seasons.

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