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Despite finishing the World Cup with back-to-back five-wicket hauls, Mustafizur Rahman is focused on improving his accuracy to become a more consistent bowler at the death. He claimed 5 for 75 against Pakistan, to follow his 5 for 59 against India, and ended the tournament with 20 wickets at 24.20 but among bowlers who have taken at least 15 wickets, he conceded the highest runs per over.

After the Pakistan match, Mustafizur sat second to Mitchell Starc's 24 wickets in eight matches, although Starc, Jofra Archer, Lockie Ferguson and Mark Wood would have more opportunities to get past him in the rest of the competition.

WATCH on Hotstar (India only): Mustafizur's five-wicket haul

Significantly, he has not taken a single wicket in the first 30 overs of a game, having taken all of his wickets in the last 20 overs; 13 have come in the last five overs, in which he has taken a wicket in this World Cup every 7.50 balls. Mustafizur said that he wants to further work on his yorkers and sees playing more T20s as an opportunity to hone that skill.

"You always remember five-wicket hauls, especially if it comes during a World Cup," Mustafizur said. "The one against India was definitely a special one, and while everyone said that I have been able to prove myself at the big stage, I think I could have done a lot better. I think I need to improve on my variations. I have a cutter but my yorker is 50/50. I want to improve the accuracy of my yorker, particularly for the death overs. I think playing more T20s will help accuracy while bowling in the last ten overs of a one-day game."

Among the bowlers in the World Cup, Ferguson, Archer, Sheldon Cottrell, Lasith Malinga and Mohammad Amir are the top five wicket-takers in the first 20 overs, but Mustafizur is head and shoulders above the rest in the last 10 overs, in which he averages 12.73 for his 15 wickets, and has taken a wicket every 10 balls, although Starc's nine wickets in the final ten have come at just 7.77

ALSO READ: Bowling and fielding a massive letdown - Mashrafe

Since his debut in 2015 he has the second most wickets (48) in the last 10 overs of an ODI innings, second only to Jasprit Bumrah, and better than Rashid Khan. But it is a huge contrast in the first 20 overs where he averages 41.33, and it has developed into a situation where Bangladesh have lacked wickets in this phase throughout the World Cup, in which Mashrafe Mortaza, their main wicket-taker with the new ball in the last two decades, have also struggled for form.

Mustafizur said that he is comfortable bowling in the first 20 overs of the innings although he doesn't see himself as an out-and-out pace bowler, but a slightly different variation of it. "I am ready to bowl at any stage in the match. I am a slightly different pace bowler. I average about 135kph, so I am not that quick. I am happy with my speed but I should be able to add a few more variations to my bowling."

Lakers may have to delay AD trade for Kawhi

Published in Basketball
Friday, 05 July 2019 19:19

If Kawhi Leonard keeps the NBA waiting on his decision past noon Saturday, the Los Angeles Lakers might need to push back the date of when the Anthony Davis trade becomes official.

Leonard has been deciding between the Toronto Raptors, Lakers and LA Clippers. If the best available free agent doesn't make his decision by noon ET on Saturday, the Lakers would need the New Orleans Pelicans, Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards to cooperate on pushing back the July 6 date -- the earliest the trade can be made official -- originally agreed upon in the Davis deal.

League sources told ESPN's Bobby Marks that the Pelicans, Hawks and Wizards are expected to cooperate with the Lakers if Leonard is still undecided by noon Saturday. The date was agreed upon initially in the Lakers and Pelicans' deal sending Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round picks for Davis. The deal was based on the Lakers using the $32 million in cap space created on a max free agent, such as Leonard or on other players available.

If the Pelicans, Hawks and Wizards do not agree to delay the date to make the trade official past Saturday should Leonard remain undecided, the Lakers' cap space would shrink to $30 million and Los Angeles would be able to offer Leonard only a four-year deal worth $127 million compared to the four-year, $138 million contract they can offer with $32 million available in cap space.

After agreeing to terms with the Lakers to deal Davis, New Orleans agreed to send the fourth overall pick (De'Andre Hunter) from the Lakers and the 57th pick (Jordan Bone) in last month's draft along with Solomon Hill to Atlanta for the eighth pick (Jaxson Hayes), the 17th pick (Nickeil Alexander-Walker), the 35th pick (Marcos Louzada Silva) and a 2020 first-round pick.

The Lakers created $32 million in cap space with help from Davis waiving his $4 million trade bonus, and by also agreeing to trade Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga, Jemerrio Jones and a 2022 second-round pick to Washington, which sent cash to New Orleans.

The Lakers have been mostly in a holding pattern as Leonard mulls his decision. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Lakers agreed to sign Troy Daniels to a one-year, $2.1 million deal and Jared Dudley to a one-year, $2.6 million deal. The Lakers still have to fill out the majority of their roster around LeBron James, Davis and Kyle Kuzma.

The Pelicans cannot sign JJ Redick until Hill is traded to Atlanta, which later agreed to trade Hill and Miles Plumlee in a deal to Memphis for Chandler Parsons, league sources told ESPN's Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon. Atlanta's Hunter, New Orleans' Alexander-Walker and Hayes and Washington's Wagner, Bonga and Jones cannot play in the Las Vegas Summer League until the Davis trade is made official.

Sources: Wiz trading Howard to Grizz for Miles

Published in Basketball
Friday, 05 July 2019 18:56

The Washington Wizards are trading Dwight Howard to the Memphis Grizzlies for CJ Miles, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Grizzlies will waive Howard, according to a league source. It is possible there no longer exists a marketplace of teams interested in signing the former All-NBA center.

The deal will save Memphis $3.1 million in salary-cap space.

Howard, 33, played only nine games for the Wizards last season because of a back injury. In the 2017-18 season, he averaged 16.6 points and 12.5 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per game for the Charlotte Hornets.

Miles, 32, averaged 9.3 points in 22.6 minutes per game for the Grizzlies, who acquired the wing in February as part of the trade that sent Marc Gasol to the Toronto Raptors.

Cannonball! Yelich pelts boats in Derby practice

Published in Baseball
Friday, 05 July 2019 19:18

Christian Yelich gave boaters in Pittsburgh's Allegheny River a reminder Friday: If you sail too close to the Pirates' ballpark, prepare to be boarded.

While practicing for Monday's Home Run Derby (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), the Milwaukee Brewers slugger sent a bombardment of balls out of PNC Park and toward those enjoying the holiday weekend on the river.

With an MLB-leading 31 homers and counting, it hardly seems Yelich needs to practice for the event, but he took some soft tosses from former Marlins coach Pat Shine around 2 p.m. ET on Friday, with the aim of hitting them out of the park.

One of Yelich's massive shots broke a window of a houseboat, according to a report from Fox Sports Wisconsin, to which Yelich responded with a shrug emoji.

Boat owner Clint Lohler estimated that at least four balls landed in the water near him, and he fished out one as a souvenir.

"When it started out, I thought it was a young kid throwing the ball in the river," Lohler told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I was like, 'Oh, there's a baseball.' So I went and got my pole. ... The next thing I knew, they were coming over the wall here and hitting the boats."

One concerned boater called police, according to multiple local reports. Allegheny County District Attorney Steve Zappala joked on social media that he would love to bring Yelich in for questioning regarding the incident and suggested 7:05 p.m. ET -- the start time of the Brewers' game against the Pirates at PNC.

"The legend of Yeli," Yelich's teammate Ryan Braun said before the game. "That's how legends are made."

PNC Park is on the Allegheny River in the North Shore neighborhood. Boats dock on the river wall, and commuters to the neighborhood often park their cars elsewhere and travel via boat to work or to attend games.

The boaters had cause to be surprised. Since PNC Park opened in 2001, only five home run balls have landed in the river during games. Two of those were hit this season by the Pirates' Josh Bell -- who will also be among the eight contestants competing for the Home Run Derby's $1 million price next week at Progressive Field in Cleveland.

"You have to understand there's some inherent risk," Braun said. "Especially if you have guys like Yeli and Josh Bell practicing for Home Run Derby. I think there's probably added risk if you're parked anywhere on the river with your yacht or boat in that situation."

Coco Gauff is hopeful she might get an invitation to a Beyonce concert as the 15-year-old's remarkable story at Wimbledon continued with a third-round victory over Polona Hercog.

The American, who received a wildcard for qualifying, has become the star attraction of these championships following her stunning opening round win over five-time champion Venus Williams, then a second-round win over Magdalena Rybarikova.

Slovenian world number 60 Hercog gave the teenager her stiffest test, as Gauff lost her first set and faced two match points.

However, she survived and eventually secured a 3-6 7-6 (9-7) 7-5, a minimum pay day of £176,000 and a fourth-round match against former number one Simona Halep.

In the post-match news conference, Gauff was as excited about meeting one of her music idols as the progress she had made.

She said: "Ms Tina Knowles, Beyonce's mum, posted me on Instagram and I was screaming! I hope Beyonce saw that, I hope she told Beyonce about me because I would love to go to her concert."

And regarding the prize money, she added: "I can't buy a car because I can't drive. I hate spending money.

"I love wearing hoodies, my mum actually banned me from buying them for two months as I kept getting them delivered to the house."

Her parents, father Corey and mother Candi, were present to watch their daughter wow the Wimbledon crowd once again .

Gauff explained the influence both have had on her career.

"My mum changed my mindset on how I look at things and my dad is the reason I dream so big," she continued. "It's a good mix. They definitely work together well to tell me the right things.

"My mum doesn't like to play the coach role as my dad is my coach, so she plays the mother role."

"I look at my dad mostly. I didn't tell mum, but she's going to go viral. She's going to be a meme and I'm going to retweet it."

Gauff's epic contest forced the postponement of the mixed doubles match involving Andy Murray and Serena Williams.

'Gauff will transcend the game'

Nine-time champion Martina Navratilova believes a "star has been born".

"I don't think I've seen anyone arrive in a greater flash at their first major," she told BBC Sport.

"I have a feeling Coco Gauff will transcend the game. She wants it, she lives it already. She was born to do this."

Navratilova, who won her first Wimbledon title aged 21, does think Gauff's next match against former world number one Halep will be a "a mountain too tall to climb".

"Against Halep it will be tricky - the pressure is all on her as a big favourite, but the crowd will be going nuts for Gauff which will be hard for the Romanian to handle."

John McEnroe, the three-time men's singles winner, also believes Halep will edge it but added that the world number seven's game might suit her compatriot.

"Halep has not had a great year and looks tight on this surface," he told BBC's Today at Wimbledon. "I would obviously pick the Romanian to win but I'm not going to bet a whole lot on that one.

"I think Halep will be easier because she hits a solid ball. This was an awkward opponent today."

He added: "It's better that Coco Gauff doesn't win it this year, for her sake, long-term. We want her to be out there for 15-20 years."

As for Gauff, she said she was taking it "one tournament at a time".

"I watch Halep a lot - I've never hit with her so I don't know how the ball will feel when I play but I'm familiar with how she plays from watching her," said the student, who is being nurtured by Serena Williams' coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

"I don't believe in fate or destiny because I think you can change your own world. Fate can't always be a good thing, so I try not to think of it being my destiny. If I do, my head is going to get big. I just take it one tournament at a time."

Who is Coco Gauff?

Gauff at 15 years and 122 days became the youngest player to qualify for the main Wimbledon draw since the Open era began in 1968.

She started playing tennis at the age of seven and comes from a sporting family having initially been coached by her father Corey, who played basketball at Georgia State University. Her mother Candi was a gymnast before moving into track and field.

Their daughter began to deliver in major arenas two years ago when she became the youngest US Open girls singles finalist, aged just 13. And last year she won the French Open equivalent only two months after her 14th birthday.

Wimbledon qualifying was a target for Gauff this year, but her ranking of 301 was not high enough to earn a shot. However, while she was shopping online, she found out she had received a wildcard.

More reaction to Gauff's successes

Social media reaction #bbctennis

Richard Arians: Coco Gauff - controlled patience. A quality mastered by veterans. She's 15!!!

David Symonds: Never have I been so excited to see an American win something!

Di Johnson: What a match, Coco definitely a name to watch.

Che Seabourne: Well this is turning into quite the story for Coco Gauff! A word too for Polona Hercog - who conducted herself with a lot of composure in the face of a partisan crowd. Hugely entertaining match!

Fierce rivalry and a point to prove

Follow the action from 10.00am local time as two of China’s finest collide with Chen Meng and Zhu Yuling going head-to-head. The two have met a whopping 22 times on the international stage with 11 wins apiece – Chen Meng won in their previous encounter at the 2019 China Open but can Zhu Yuling respond this time out?

Then it’s time to see if Kasumi Ishikawa can get revenge as she takes on 18-year-old Chinese opponent Sun Yingsha: last time out at the 2019 Japan Open Ishikawa was on the wrong side of a 4-0 drubbing but will be extra motivated to reverse the outcome in Busan.

Two quarterfinal matches from the men’s singles event are next on the schedule. First up we will see Tomokazu Harimoto and Wang Chuqin go up against one another for the first time at senior level before the host nation’s Jeoung Youngsik attempts a massive upset against top seed Fan Zhendong.

Can China secure three titles?

At approximately 1.20pm local time you can watch the first gold medal contest of the 2019 Korea Open: the mixed doubles final. Top seeds and regarded as the strongest mixed doubles pair in the game, Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen are hot favourite for success but Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem won gold on Korean soil at the 2018 Grand Finals so we should be set for an exciting duel.

Xu Xin will also feature in the next final as he and teammate Fan Zhendong face the host nation duo of Jeoung Youngsik and Lee Sangsu in the men’s doubles title decider, scheduled for 4.00pm local time. There is also Korean interest in the women’s doubles final as sixth seeds Choi Hyojoo and Yang Haeun take on the top seeded Chinese partnership of Chen Meng and Wang Manyu.

Another Swedish foe awaits Ma Long

Facing Mattias Falck at the final stage of the Liebherr 2019 World Championships, in Busan Ma Long does battle with another Swede in the form of Kristian Karlsson at 5.40pm. Claiming a fantastic win against Jun Miztuani in the opening round, Kristian Karlsson went on to account for Mattias Falck in round two while Ma Long heads into the match off the back of a tight seven-game win against Lim Jonghoon – could we be set for a monumental upset?

An all-China affair follows as Liang Jingkun attempts to dump World no.1 Xu Xin out of the running before we reach two thrilling women’s singles fixtures.

Still searching for her first singles gold on the 2019 ITTF World Tour, Ding Ning “The Queen of Hearts” could be set for quite a test with opponent Jeon Jihee having the added bonus of the home fans on her side. Japan’s Mima Ito then chases what would be only her second-ever victory over Wang Manyu in the closing fixture of the day.

More Information

KNOXVILLE, Iowa – Raffle tickets for the Speedway Motors EMi Raffle Sprint Car benefiting the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum are on sale this weekend at the Brandt Professional Agriculture Corn Belt Nationals.

Special Events Coordinator Laci White will be selling tickets from Noon to 3 p.m. at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum, and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. under the grandstands at Knoxville Raceway on Friday and Saturday.

The car features an EMi chassis and is powered by a Speedway Motors Racing Engines engine. The car is the 13th to be raffled off by the non-profit National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum. The bi-annual program includes donations from sprint car manufacturers and builders across the country. The car will be shown at several racing events and trade shows over the next 18 months, and will be given away Dec. 18, 2020.

“Our raffle car program was started back in 1995, and has been an essential component in maintaining the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum ever since,” said National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum Executive Director, Bob Baker. “We want to sincerely thank Speedway Motors/EMi, and all the sponsors who make it possible to do this. And, of course, most of all, we thank all of those who make donations and buy raffle tickets in an attempt to win a brand new sprint car.”

Additional prizes will also be awarded, including the runner-up award, a Kincrome Chest and Trolley Combo donated by Kincrome.

Raffle tickets can be purchased for $20, or six for $100 starting with the Corn Belt Nationals July 5 and 6, in Knoxville, Iowa.  For more information on the Speedway Motors EMi Raffle Sprint Car, visit www.SprintCarRaffle.net.

Reddick Earns Pole For Firecracker 250

Published in Racing
Friday, 05 July 2019 14:37

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Tyler Reddick will lead the NASCAR Xfinity Series field to the green flag during Friday’s Circle K Firecracker 250 at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

Reddick paced Friday’s qualifying session with a 47.938-second lap at 187.743 mph to earn his third pole of the season and the fifth of his NASCAR Xfinity Series career.

A.J. Allmendinger, making his return to NASCAR competition for the first time since last November, will start second for Kaulig Racing.

Michael Annett, who won the season opener at Daytona in February, will start third. Ross Chastain qualified fourth ahead of Gray Gaulding in fifth.

Austin Hill, Mike Harmon and Joey Gase failed to qualify for Friday evening’s race.

Circle K Firecracker 250 Starting Lineup:

1. Tyler Reddick
2. A.J. Allmendinger
3. Michael Annett
4. Ross Chastain
5. Gray Gaulding
6. Joe Graf Jr.
7. Justin Haley
8. Christopher Bell
9. Sheldon Creed
10. Chase Briscoe
11. Riley Herbst
12. Justin Allgaier
13. Caesar Bacarella
14. Ryan Sieg
15. Cole Custer
16. Noah Gragson
17. Brandon Jones
18. Timmy Hill
19. Austin Cindric
20. Jeff Green
21. John Hunter Nemechek
22. Chris Cockrum
23. Scott Lagasse Jr.
24. Landon Cassill
25. Stephen Leicht
26. Josh Williams
27. Vinnie Miller
28. Matt Mills
29. Stefan Parsons
30. B.J. McLeod
31. Chad Finchum
32. Shane Lee
33. Brandon Brown
34. David Starr
35. Garrett Smithley
36. Ray Black II
37. Jeremy Clements
38. Joe Nemechek

Two weeks ago at the Travelers Championship, Sam Saunders had finally made a cut and snapped a streak of five straight missed weekends. He made the secondary cut, too, but then came a final-round 80, which dropped him to the bottom of the leaderboard. He brought home $14,400 and three measly FedExCup points.

Saunders said that’s the moment when he “hit rock bottom.”

“You don't want to play golf anymore,” said the 31-year-old Saunders. “It sounds so whiny because so many people would give anything to be playing on the PGA Tour, and I get that. It's a wonderful life and it's a wonderful career, but I was happy when I was with my wife and kids, I was happy when I was hanging out at the hotel and the house.

“The second I got to the golf course, I was pretty miserable. You just feel horrible out there and it's frustrating. You don't want to be playing bad golf and you certainly don't want to be playing bad golf in front of a bunch of people and cameras. It's just not fun.”

With no top-25s since a T-7 at the Barracuda Championship last summer, Saunders had dug himself a big hole in the FedExCup standings. He entered this week’s 3M Open at No. 188 on the points list.

But after two rounds at TPC Twin Cities, a course Saunders’ grandfather Arnold Palmer designed, Saunders finds himself at 10 under, just four back of leader Bryson DeChambeau.

Saunders’ second-round, 4-under 67 backed up an opening 65 as Saunders has seemed to re-discover his game and, most importantly, his passion.

“Sometimes you get text messages that say, ‘Hang in there,’” Saunders said, “and it's easy to look at those as frustrating and annoying. You don't want that, you know, cheerleading, but at the same time I try and look at the positive of all of it. I've got all these wonderful friends and people that I've met along the way that are genuinely pulling for me to do well out here. I'm trying to use that to inspire me to really grind out these last five weeks. 

“I feel good again. I feel normal, back to my happy self, smiling on the golf course.”

Saunders survived hitting his tee shot on the par-4 second out of bounds by making a momentum-saving bogey putt on the hole. He bogeyed the next hole, too, but birdied three of his next four to right the ship. Saunders has struck it well and made some putts, something that has been his Achilles heel for much of the season. However, his short game has been stellar so far this week.

The self-confidence has returned for Saunders. So, too, have the high expectations.

“I need to win, that's about the only thing that I'm going to be excited about,” Saunders said. “I guess solo second would lock up a job for next year, but I'm not thinking about it that way. I really just want to try and win a golf tournament.”

Nine years ago, Arjun Atwal won the 2010 Wyndham Championship and became the first Monday qualifier to win on the PGA Tour in 24 years.

Fast forward to this week’s 3M Open and the 46-year-old Atwal has a chance to repeat that feat.

“Feels like déjà vu,” said Atwal, after shooting 3-under 68 to climb to 9 under through two rounds at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn.

Of course, Atwal was embellishing. He’s forgotten that version of himself. Before he shot 62 on Monday, Atwal has played just twice on the PGA Tour this season, both opposite-field events. He’s in danger of slipping out of the top 1,000 in the Official World Golf Ranking, too.

“I'm a lot older,” Atwal said. “Broken-down body. Haven't really played golf since March. Been battling a mid-back injury for some reason the last two months, so I'm just glad to be playing a tournament, you know?”

Yet Atwal finds himself in the thick of things at the 3M Open, where he is just five back of leader Bryson DeChambeau. He’s made more than 183 feet of putts through two rounds and has only failed to get up and down once in nine tries.

With a lack of distance, Atwal knows the rest of his game must continue to be lights-out if he wants to keep this odds-defying run going.

“I didn't expect anything this week,” Atwal said. “I figured if I play well and make the cut, it will be a good week for me. You know, looking at it, I'm hitting the ball really well. Starting Monday, when I shot that 62 over there at the Monday qualifier, it kind of gave me a little bit of confidence with what I'm doing, so hopefully I can just continue that.”

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