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A transfer claim has been made on Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, regarding a potential move to Newcastle United.

What’s the talk?

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has claimed that his name has been mentioned to him several times, with the midfielder currently out of the picture at Stamford Bridge. The reporter has said that he could be a player the Magpies, who have been linked with the Englishman, are set to target in January.

He told GIVEMESPORT:

“Ross Barkley’s a name that keeps getting mentioned to me. Obviously he’s pretty much surplus to requirements at Chelsea, he’s well down the pecking order. He was out on loan at Villa last year. Other clubs are interested also in Barkley but he might be somebody that Newcastle could possibly move for.”

Exciting

This update will surely be exciting for Newcastle fans as it indicates that there is a chance the midfielder will be pursued by the club in January. Barkley could be a great signing for Eddie Howe’s side and be a player the supporters can get excited about watching due to his experience in England.

The 28-year-old is a proven Premier League performer but has only made one start in the division this season under Thomas Tuchel. This could, as O’Rourke suggests, open the door for the Magpies to swoop in and secure a deal for his services.

Toon legend Alan Shearer lauded the £100k-per-week gem last season and claimed that he can be a ‘match-winner. He told The BBC:

“Ross seems to have found a system that suits him and a manager who wants to play him. This is exactly what he needs.

“He now needs to find the consistency that has been lacking in his game because this is a crucial stage of his career. Ross has been spoken about in glowing terms since he was very young but he is 27 now and needs to deliver on that potential.

“At his best he is match-winner and Villa is a great platform for him.”

This is high praise from a man who knows what he is talking about when it comes to the Premier League, further highlighting Barkley’s ability at this level. He could come in and be able to hit the ground running with his pre-existing knowledge of the English top-flight.

The ex-Everton man has over 200 appearances in the division under his belt. He has 28 goals and 31 assists to date, showing that he has the quality to arrive at St. James’ Park and make an impact in midfield, which is why fans will be excited by this update from O’Rourke.

AND in other news, Howe could solve key NUFC issue by landing “tough-minded” beast who always “delivers”…

Liverpool’s UEFA Youth League line-up may have given clues as to who’ll be involved against FC Porto, The Athletic’s Simon Hughes writes. 

The lowdown

Liverpool are due to the face the Primeira Liga side on Wednesday night knowing that they’ve already secured progression to the Round of 16 as group winners.

That could give Jurgen Klopp the chance to rotate his side prior to the weekend’s Premier League clash with Southampton.

Klopp said in his pre-match press conference he would think about ‘ourselves, our schedule and the situation of our players’ when choosing his side.

The latest

Hughes points out that Marc Bridge-Wilkinson selected Kaide Gordon, Owen Beck and Connor Bradley for the Under-19s’ corresponding clash with Porto earlier in the day.

“I can’t see them playing tonight,” he says.

However, ‘interestingly’, Tyler Morton and James Balagizi are ‘not involved’ against the Portuguese side.

In theory, then, they should be available for the senior clash at Anfield.

The verdict

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Morton feature from the start in what is effectively a dead-rubber fixture.

The midfielder has played in both of Liverpool’s EFL Cup ties and made his Premier League debut last weekend with a brief run-out in the 4-0 victory over Arsenal (via Transfermarkt).

In his programme notes for Wednesday’s game, Klopp described the 19-year-old as ‘very special’.

Perhaps the signs are pointing towards a full Champions League debut.

In other news, fans react to the club’s January transfer decision.

Newcastle travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal in the Premier League as they again go in search of their first win of the campaign.

Eddie Howe is set to be in the dugout for the first time as the club’s manager and his impact could give the Magpies the lift they need to get themselves off the foot of the table.

Their 3-3 draw with Brentford last weekend saw them slide to the bottom of the league, with Norwich moving up to 19th, and they are the only team in the division without a win.

How many changes will Howe make to the team against the Gunners? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three alterations to the side from last week, with Martin Dubravka, Isaac Hayden and Ryan Fraser coming in.

Starting off in goal, Karl Darlow could be axed from the team for Dubravka to be handed his first start of the season. We published an article explaining why the former deserves to be dropped from the team after his recent blunder against Brentford, and the Slovakian could benefit from such a decision.

It would then be over to the 32-year-old to show that he is able to hit the ground running and reclaim his place as the club’s number one. A strong performance and a clean sheet could be a perfect return to action for Dubravka, and we are predicting that Howe will give him the opportunity to play.

In midfield, Isaac Hayden could come into the side ahead of Joe Willock. Playing at the Emirates could require an added defensive emphasis on the midfield and the 26-year-old enforcer could be selected to play as a holding midfielder next to Jonjo Shelvey. He has averaged 3.4 tackles and interceptions per game this season, showing that he has the ability to cut out attacks in the middle of the park.

Finally, we are predicting that Ryan Fraser will come into the side for Ciaran Clark in order to facilitate a change in formation. Howe’s favoured setup is said to be the 4-4-2 with two number sixes in midfield, which would mean that a centre-back needs to be dropped for a winger from the starting XI against Brentford.

Clark has been in poor form this season and the £42k-per-week dud should be axed from the side for Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schar to start as a centre-back pairing, with Fraser moving out wide. He could then provide service to Callum Wilson and Joelinton up top.

AND in other news, PIF submit NUFC proposal to beast tipped to be “one of the best”, fans will be buzzing…

Peter Siddle will be nursed through the next week in the hope he can recover from a hamstring problem to appear in the final Test against West Indies

Cricinfo staff09-Dec-2009Peter Siddle will be nursed through the next week in the hope he can recover from a hamstring problem to appear in the final Test against West Indies in Perth. Siddle limped through the final days of the drawn second game and was expected to be unavailable for the decider, but the selectors avoided any changes when a scan on the injury showed no major damage.Clint McKay stays with the outfit in the hope of a debut at the WACA while Doug Bollinger, who took five wickets in Adelaide, should hold his spot whether Siddle makes it or not. “Peter Siddle experienced some hamstring soreness during the Adelaide Test and underwent a scan on Wednesday which has cleared him of any serious damage,” the team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said. “He will continue to be treated and monitored before a final decision will be made on his availability to play.”Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said Siddle would be assessed daily leading up to the match. “We are hopeful he will recover in time to take his place in the side for what should be an exciting climax to the three-match Test series,” he said. Australia hold a 1-0 lead after winning in Brisbane, but West Indies controlled much of the second game to put some pressure on the hosts.Ben Hilfenhaus was not included in the 12-man squad due to his persistent tendon injury in his left knee and will be held back in the hope he is fit for the Boxing Day Test against Pakistan. “He has not made sufficient progress to select him for the Perth match and he will remain in Hobart to continue his rehabilitation,” Kountouris said.Australia squad Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Marcus North, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger, Clint McKay.

Antonio Conte is still settling into life at Tottenham Hotspur having been appointed as their new manager less than two weeks ago.

Much of his system, tactics and personnel will be tinkered and altered over the coming weeks and months as the Italian coach looks to resolve the sinking ship that is Spurs.

He has started life pretty well considering, with a win in the Europa Conference League and a draw to Everton in the Premier League but when the squad returns to domestic action next weekend, they’ll face the tough test of Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United.

The 52-year-old has predominantly used a three-at-the-back formation throughout his managerial career, earning silverware at the likes of Chelsea and Inter Milan deploying such a system.

One of the Lilywhites’ problems last season was their leaky and incoherent backline, so it’s a bold risk to take seeing as only Cristian Romero joined the defensive armoury in the summer.

Both Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier have been rather error-prone, though the latter has been preferred thus far. Meanwhile, both Japhet Tanganga and Joe Rodon do not seem to be favoured yet.

In fact, it’s the Welshman’s international teammate, Ben Davies, that is acting as the left-sided central defender and on Saturday night, he just proved exactly why he has already won the faith of the new Spurs boss; actually playing alongside Rodon in the middle, too.

As per SofaScore, the 28-year-old even found himself on the scoresheet in their World Cup qualifying demolition of Belarus. The £14.4m-rated Spurs man bagged their fourth in the 5-1 victory and played a major role, having registered a surprising three shots on target throughout the 90 minutes.

His influence was reflected by the fact he registered more touches (100) than any other player on the pitch, including the playmaking Aaron Ramsey (61) and attacking midfield threat Harry Wilson (69).

Elsewhere, the Spurs defender recorded one clearance and one interception, and he won four of his seven duels, both on the ground and aerially, via SofaScore. Once again proving to be a “standout” player.

Davies, despite his involvement under the former Chelsea boss, has been touted as a player that could be binned off in the coming transfer windows but performances like this will make that as far from being the case as possible.

Interestingly, the versatile Wales star was a player Conte was keen to sign for the Blues back in 2016, as per ESPN FC, so that only adds further insight into why he has come straight back into the starting XI.

Jose Mourinho once lauded the 28-year-old as “intelligent” thanks to his ability to play in various positions defensively.

Earning reported wages of around £93k-per-week, Davies has shown everyone, including ourselves, that he deserves to start regularly in this new exciting era – the change in system has certainly helped, maybe it’s a match made in heaven.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Kane: Conte wants “lethal” 6 foot 1 machine at Spurs…

Newcastle United’s potential appointment of Unai Emery has been described as ‘curious’ by journalist James Benge.

The lowdown

The Spaniard seems close to taking over at Newcastle, with Liam Kennedy reporting on Tuesday morning that the Magpies hope to have him installed before their trip to Brighton this weekend. It is set to be the 49-year-old’s second stint in English football after a mixed spell at Arsenal.

Emery led the Gunners on a 22-game unbeaten run between August and December 2019, featuring 17 wins, but he also suffered a heavy defeat against Chelsea in the 2019 Europa League final and was sacked six months later following a seven-game winless stretch.

The latest

In a tweet, CBS Sports journalist Benge outlined: “Obviously Newcastle need a coach now but if it’s Unai Emery it’s curious bringing him in without a real structure in place. At Arsenal he really did not like being the voice of matters beyond the football pitch. At Newcastle there’s no one else to lead on that.”

As a reporter who has specialised in Arsenal coverage, Benge is well placed to speak on Emery’s in-house behaviours during his time in charge at the Emirates Stadium.

The verdict

Based on what Benge is saying, Emery may seek assurances about being able to focus solely on on-field matters before he signs on the dotted line at St James’ Park. If those don’t materialise, there could be tension behind the scenes.

It should be said, though, that Newcastle are trying to appoint a sporting director to work in tandem with their new coach and take charge of off-field dealings.

It’s important that the Magpies get that structure in place well before the January transfer window, when their recruitment could define their season. For that reason, a sporting director could follow Emery through the door within weeks.

In other news, could Newcastle sign this Champions League midfielder in January? 

Herschelle Gibbs has been offered an unexpected chance to push for an international recall after he was drafted into the South Africa A squad to face England

Cricinfo staff14-Nov-2009Herschelle Gibbs has been offered an unexpected chance to push for an international recall after he was drafted into the South Africa A squad to face England, at Potchefstroom, on Tuesday.He was one of three changes to the original group with Gibbs’ Cape Cobras team-mates Andrew Puttick, who hit a century in the Champions League, and seamer Rory Kleinveldt also added. Henry Davids, the opener, has dropped out with a broken thumb and left-arm spinner Robin Petersen has been deselected after indicating to Cricket South Africa that he will be taking up a Kolpak contract with Derbyshire.The selectors have also decided to remove Ryan McLaren because he is likely to have played both Twenty20 internationals and could also be needed as a replacement for the injured Wayne Parnell in the first ODI next Friday.For Gibbs, though, this is an opportunity to earn perhaps a final crack at the top level after he was dropped from the one-day and Twenty20 squads to face England. He has responded with 163 runs in three domestic 40-over innings including an unbeaten 102.”Herschelle has shown excellent form in recent MTN40 matches,” said convener of selectors Mike Procter, “and this match will give him a further opportunity to press his case for an international recall. He is showing the consistency we want from him and his last innings was a match-winning century.”The door is not closed to him or indeed to anybody else who produces the goods in domestic cricket. Both Puttick and Kleinveldt impressed for the Cape Cobras in the Champions League competition.”When the A-team squad was first named three weeks ago Procter’s comments suggested the selectors had finally moved on from Gibbs ahead of the next World Cup although did add that domestic form could change the situation.”We have lost patience with his inconsistency and I had a chat with him this morning and we agreed that he has been inconsistent,” he said. “We have to keep 2011 [the World Cup] in mind and we need to spread our wings a bit…He is 35, but he is fit and he is a huge talent and if he makes a mountain of runs and is batting consistently then things change.”The strong South Africa A squad is led by Hashim Amla and also includes Morne Morkel. Last week England lost their Twenty20 warm-up to a similar set of A-team players by four wickets after being bowled out for 89.Revised squad Hashim Amla (capt), CJ de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Herschelle Gibbs, Rory Kleinveldt, Heino Kuhn, Morne Morkel, Andrew Puttick, Rilee Rossouw, Juan Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Vaughn van Jaarsveld

All the latest Championship action as Essex secure a vital win with one ball to spare but Derbyshire are denied by Middlesex

Cricinfo staff18-Sep-2009Division Two4th dayGraham Napier and Tom Westley added 36 in four overs as Essex gave themselves a real chance of promotion after a thrilling four-wicket victory with one ball to spare against Northamptonshire at Chelmsford, leap-frogging their opponents into second place. Set 242 in 52 overs after the visitors battled to 195 in their second innings, John Maunders and Alastair Cook set the platform with an opening stand of 130. However, the chase became tight as Johan van der Wath picked up regular wickets – including Cook for 87 – and Essex stumbled to 205 for 6 when James Foster departed. But Napier brought his one-day power and Westley showed maturity with 15 off 13 balls and they scrambled a bye to secure the win. Earlier it looked as though Essex would have a much simpler chase when Napier and Craig Wright reduced Northamptonshire to 90 for 7. Andrew Hall then added 60 with David Lucas, who made a career-best 55 after being dropped on 18 by Mark Pettini, acting as a stand-in keeper for James Foster who suffered a damaged cheekbone in the warm-up. However, when Napier ended the innings the enthralling final stage was set up.A brave two-hour innings from Adam London, with a broken and dislocated finger, and defiance from Tim Murtagh enabled Middlesex to force a draw in their final Championship match against Derbyshire at Uxbridge and in turn put a dent in the visitors’ promotion hopes. Last-man David Burton survived six balls as the last-wicket pair batted out 2.4 overs. Derbyshire batted on for 18 overs to set Middlesex 330 but had to work hard for breakthroughs as Dawid Malan and Neil Dexter carried the score to 135 for 2. Then Dexter was bowled by Garry Park and with the door ajar, Greg Smith burst through with his offspin to take a career-best 5 for 65. He claimed four quick wickets as Middlesex slumped to 149 for 7 and Derbyshire were sensing victory. London and Murali Kartik added 57 in 12 overs, but there was still time to dismiss Middlesex when Kartik fell to a top-edged sweep against Mark Lawson. However, Murtagh provided London with great support as the pair survived 21 overs. There looked to be a final twist when Smith removed London, but last-man David Burton blocked out six balls while Murtagh did the rest.Kent were awarded the Division Two trophy, but Leicestershire easily secured a draw and Mark Pennell watched the action at Canterbury.3rd dayGlamorgan had to fight hard to build on a substantial lead against Gloucestershire in Cardiff, but closed 293 ahead. James Harris took two wickets to clean up Gloucestershire’s tail in 15 overs, but the home side lost Mark Cosgrove early. Gareth Rees continued his productive form before he was lbw to Richard Dawson for 43 and then Steve Kirby and Jon Lewis both struck to leave the innings on 102 for 5, with Jim Allenby falling to a stunning catch from Chris Taylor. Mike Powell batted for more than two hours for his 40 but became Lewis’s third wicket – this time a fine grab from William Porterfield at backward point – and Mark Wallace fell to Dawson. Robert Croft eked out important runs before the light closed in and an intriguing final day is in prospect with both teams desperate for victory.

Kent 15 8 2 0 50 215 Essex 15 53 0 7 0 174 Northamptonshire 15 5 4 06 0 171 Derbyshire 152 2 0 11 0 164 Gloucestershire 14 5 6 03 0 154 Glamorgan 142 2 0 10 0 152 Middlesex 16 2 7 07 0 140 Surrey 151 4 0 10 0 138 Leicestershire 15 2 2 011 0 135 Division One3rd dayRory Hamilton-Brown picked a crucial time to make a career-best 171 – his first Championship hundred – as he led Sussex to a crucial haul of batting points and a first-innings advantage against fellow strugglers Yorkshire at Hove. He and Murray Goodwin (63) carried their stand to 128 before David Wainwright broke through when Goodwin was bowled sweeping, but Andrew Hodd (22) helped Hamilton-Brown forge another crucial stand of 99. Hamilton-Brown brought his eye-catching one-day strokeplay into the first-class game and reached his hundred from 126 deliveries. Ajmal Shahzad broke through and also removed Dwayne Smith before Wainwright collected the tail to leave Hamilton-Brown stranded. Jacques Rudolph and Joe Sayers erased the deficit before the latter was caught behind and Michael Yardy broke another useful stand of 51 between Rudolph and Adam Lyth. Rudolph, though, remained solid until the close and draw looms, which will leave both teams – and a couple above them – sweating during the final week of the season.Worcestershire have a real chance of a consolation victory against Somerset. John Ward watched the action.4th dayEvents at the Rose Bowl drifted to a draw as bad light ate into the final day, but Steve Harmison had time to claim his 400th wicket for Durham as Hampshire reached 384. The home side comfortably moved past the follow on as Nic Pothas (78) and Sean Ervine (67) added 78 for the seventh wicket. Pothas was bowled by Ian Blackwell and seven overs later Harmison had Dominic Cork caught behind to reach his milestone. The final three wickets fell without addition and Blackwell removed Danny Briggs to finish with a hard-earned 5 for 110. Durham only faced 3.5 overs before the light faded and now have one match remaining to secure their unbeaten record for the season.

A round-up from the latest action in the County Championship

Cricinfo staff19-Aug-2009Division OneYorkshire’s bowlers gave their team the upper hand on the first day of the Roses match by reducing Lancashire to 226 for 7 at Headingley. Yorkshire ambushed Lancashire by striking twice in the first three overs. Tim Bresnan struck first, inducing an edge from Steven Croft that was taken one-handed by Gerard Brophy, low and to his right. Matthew Hoggard dismissed Paul Horton in the next over, caught on the drive at backward point. Mal Loye and VVS Laxman had scored hundreds in the Roses match at Old Trafford but couldn’t repeat the feat today. Both batsmen were dismissed by Adil Rashid – Laxman made 50 – leaving Lancashire on 94 for 4. Mark Chilton then held up one end, remaining unbeaten on 73, but three more wickets fell at the other before play ended.Half-centuries from Hampshire’s openers followed by Michael Lumb’s unbeaten hundred led the visitors to a strong position – 345 for 3 – at the end of the first day against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, although that was tempered by a season-ending injury to Michael Carberry. He and Jimmy Adams added 146 for the first wicket before Adams (55) played on against Andre Adams while trying to cut. Adams then caused Carberry’s injury with a rare delivery to climb off a length to break the left-hander’s left ring finger. Carberry had cracked 17 fours in his 86 but Lumb ensured that the momentum was not lost. He scored steadily, aid by a short boundary, well supported by James Vince and Liam Dawson, to finish on 103 at stumps.Click here for the report on the first day’s play between Somerset and Sussex at Taunton.Click here for John Ward’s report from Chester-le-Street where Durham are on top against Warwickshire.Division TwoIt was a good day for bowlers at Chesterfield with 13 wickets falling on the first day between Derbyshire and Northamptonshire. Derbyshire chose to bat and were dismissed for 255 after which Northamptonshire lost three batsmen on their way to 137. Derbyshire got off to a steady start, with their openers adding 47, before the trouble began. Jack Brooks and Johann van der Wath cut through the top order, finishing with 4 for 76 and 3 for 92 respectively, as Northamptonshire began to make inroads. They were stabilised a little by James Pipe and Garry Park who scored half-centuries but even their efforts were not enough to take the score past 300. In reply, Northamptonshire progressed to a sound 131 for 1 before they lost Rob White (62) and Stephen Peters in quick succession. White’s was an aggressive innings – he pulled Nantie Hayward for six and sliced Steffan Jones over third man for another – as he reached his fifty off only 41 balls.Half-centuries from Matthew Spriegel and Chris Schofield helped Surrey recover after a weak performance from their top order against Essex at Colchester. David Masters, Chris Wright and Danish Kaneria cut through the line-up, reducing Surrey to 136 for 5, with James Foster taking three catches, before Essex met resistance. Spriegel and Schofield revived the innings with a 127-run association for the sixth wicket before Tim Phillips had Spriegel caught for 61. Schofield, however, remained unbeaten on 87 as Surrey ended the day on 304 for 6.Josh Cobb, the 19-year old batsman, returned to the Leicestershire line-up after missing three games with a brisk 72 to lead his team to 332 for 8 against Gloucestershire at Grace Road. Cobb outscored Paul Nixon, who made 57, but Leicestershire kept losing wickets in clusters and were 182 for 5 at one stage. James Taylor, however, provided stability with his unbeaten 76 and, with help from James Benning (37) and Wayne White (23), led Leicestershire past 300. Steve Kirby was the best bowler for Gloucestershire, taking 3 for 64, while Jon Lewis and Richard Dawson took two each.

Requiring a win to move into the semi-finals, Pakistan accomplished just that with an efficient performance

The Bulletin by S Rajesh15-Jun-2009
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out
Kamran Akmal’s 57 helped Pakistan post a challenging 159, which they successfully defended to ensure a semi-final berth•Getty ImagesRequiring a win to move into the semi-finals, Pakistan accomplished just that with an efficient performance, easing past Ireland by 39 runs at The Oval. The margin was also sufficient to lift their net run-rate to 1.19, ensuring there’s no way both New Zealand and Sri Lanka can finish with as many points and a higher rate.Pakistan’s last World Cup game against Ireland had ended in grief, but here they seemed aware of the threat posed by their feisty opponents: after winning the toss Pakistan played within themselves but yet managed 159, thanks largely to a well-paced 57 by Kamran Akmal. Ireland’s batting is clearly their weaker suit, and considering their highest in the tournament so far is only 138, a target of 160 was always likely to be a tough ask. And so it proved, as they finished on 120.Apart from Akmal, none of the other Pakistan batsmen got big scores, but there were reasonable partnerships for almost every wicket, ensuring there was no repeat of the collapse which had knocked Pakistan out of the 2007 World Cup. Ireland, as usual, made the opposition work for their runs, with Boyd Rankin being the stand-out bowler, but the inability to get wickets meant Pakistan finished with 27 more than they had managed in the 50-over game in Jamaica a couple of years back.Akmal held the innings together with a measured knock. The confidence of having scored runs in the earlier games was clearly on display, and he was decisive with his footwork and generally sound with his shot selection. He began with a pick-up shot over midwicket for six off the hapless Trent Johnston, and continued to play both the meaty shots and the deft ones: a scoop over fine leg off Alex Cusack went for four, as did crisp drives through cover off the left-arm spin of Regan West.Prime Numbers12 Number of wickets for Umar Gul, the highest in the tournament. Saeed Ajmal is next with 11.2.75 Boyd Rankin’s economy rate in the match. Only Gul, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik have done better in an innings in terms of economy rates.76 Number of runs scored in boundaries by Pakistan. Ireland scored only 24 in boundaries.187 Number of runs scored by Kamran Akmal in his last six innings in Twenty20 internationals, at an average of 37.40 and a strike rate of 123.02.31 for 6 Ireland’s performance in the last five overs of their innings, with Gul and Ajmal inflicting the bulk of the damage.5.63 The combined economy rate of Ajmal and Afridi in this tournament. They’ve conceded 225 runs in 40 overs between them, taking 19 wickets at an impressive average of 11.84.Shahzaib Hasan and Shahid Afridi, promoted up the order to No.3, didn’t go on to get bigger knocks but they provided the early impetus. Shahzaib kept lofting the pitched-up deliveries over the infield with varying degrees of success till his luck finally ran out, while Afridi thrashed Cusack and West through the off side before Kyle McCallan deceived him with a superb slower, tossed up, offbreak.Along with Rankin’s fiery burst with the new ball, McCallan’s clever bowling was the highlight for Ireland in the field. Rankin kept it tight and was desperately unlucky not to pick up a wicket, while McCallan’s outstanding flight and change of pace ensured none of the batsmen dominated him. Johnston had a nightmare game, conceding 20 in his second over and 12 in his third, as batsmen picked him off their legs quite effortlessly, but even he redeemed himself with an excellent fourth over, picking up Akmal with a yorker and conceding only four runs.Ireland gave little away in the field, and yet a target of 160 was always beyond them. William Porterfield fought gustily for his 36-ball 40, but hit his first four in the tenth over of the innings, by which time the asking rate had already climbed to nine and a half. Paul Stirling, playing his first game of the tournament, showed some promise in his 17, which included an impeccable cover-drive to get off the mark, but the big difference between the two sides was in their boundary-hitting abilities – Pakistan struck 13 fours and four sixes; Ireland only managed six fours.Pakistan’s bowlers were all disciplined, with Mohammad Aamer getting rid of the dangerous Niall O’Brien early. Afridi and Saeed Ajmal offered few scoring opportunities, while Umar Gul continued from where he had left off against New Zealand, knocking over the stumps thrice, including once off a free-hit ball, and then scoring a direct hit to run out West.A dropped catch by Abdul Razzaq late in the innings was a small blot, but overall it was a polished performance by a team which is increasingly looking like a sound bet for the title.