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The first player born in 2006 to play in Serie A, Zara Kramzar is proving integral to her club's hopes of making history this season

There were 10 minutes left on the clock and Roma, chasing a first ever Serie A title for its women's team, had yet to break the deadlock against bottom club Sampdoria.

So, head coach Alessandra Spugna turned to his bench and called over Zara Kramzar, a 17-year-old midfielder from Slovenia that few had heard of before her move to Italy last summer.

Within five minutes, the substitution had paid off. Despite being on the floor in the box when Manuela Giugliano's cross got to her, such was the pressure from the opposing defender, the teenager somehow managed to direct it into the back of the net to win the game. It was her most decisive contribution to the Roma cause yet.

Slovenia may not be the first country you think of when you think of football. Its men's team has qualified for three major tournaments since becoming independent from Yugoslavia in 1991 but, having been knocked out in the group stages each time, is perhaps most famous for producing two of the best goalkeepers of recent years – Jan Oblak and Samir Handanovic.

The women's team has yet to make a big international event. In fact, of the 17 major tournaments in the women's game since 1991, it didn't even enter the qualification process for six of them.

There can be cautious optimism for the future, with Slovenia's current squad peppered with talents in their 20s who are playing in big European leagues, such as Sara Agrez, who represents two-time European champions Wolfsburg, and Lara Prasnikar, a prolific goalscorer for Eintracht Frankfurt.

But in Kramzar, Slovenia doesn't just have another great player who can play in a top team. Despite the country's lack of success on the biggest stage, it appears to have a talent who could go on to achieve whatever she desires.

GettyWhere it began

Only five or six years old when she started playing, Kramzar admits that her passion for the game “just came from nowhere”.

“I started to like kicking the ball and running around the pitch, so then one day I just said to my mother, 'Mum, I want to play football,'" she recalls to GOAL.

Soon, she’d join a local club, playing with boys’ teams all the way through her childhood, including at regional camps.

First called up for the youth national teams at under-15 level, she had to join a women’s team when she turned 16. The young midfielder had several offers but, in the end, chose Olimpija Ljubljana. It wasn’t Slovenia’s top club and that was part of the reason – it put more emphasis on her to work hard and contribute.

“My mum and also the whole family were so supportive through the whole journey. In between, she was like, 'Are you sure you don't want to play basketball or a more girly sport?'” she laughs. “I was like, 'No, I like football and I'll continue to play football.'"

AdvertisementAS RomaThe big break

Only a few months after joining Ljubljana, Kramzar joined AS Roma at the age of 16.

GOAL understands she could have signed for Benfica, having spent time in Portugal to train with the club's first team. Paris Saint-Germain even showed an interest at one point, as well as a club in Germany.

But Italy was a good first move away from home given the border it shares with Slovenia. Of course, the midfielder was impressed upon her visit to Roma, too.

A move abroad is what Kramzar had wanted since she was around 13 years old. She was told she could pursue such opportunities at the end of ninth grade, but her January birthday would get in her way as, when that time came, she was still only 15 years old.

“I was crying so much, like the whole week,” she remembers. “I was like, 'No, I want to go now.'

“Then I went to the high school and I had my birthday in January, so it's half of the school year. So, I was like, 'We can go now', and I was told, 'It's hard to do it'.

"So, then I waited half a year more and I was like, 'Now, I need to go. There's no excuses anymore!'”

How it's going

It’s Kramzar’s first full senior season in women’s football and yet, she has already impressed and made decisive contributions.

A regular impact substitute, her late winner against Sampdoria is a stand-out moment, as is her two-goal performance in the 2-0 win over Pomigliano in the Coppa Italia.

Kramzar was the first player born in 2006 to play in Serie A, she played in the Champions League for the first time in September and made her full senior international debut in November, scoring against Kosovo after just two minutes on the pitch.

“[My favourite moment so far for Roma] was when I scored my first goal, against Fiorentina. Three minutes [off the bench] and I scored a goal, I was so happy," the teenager recalls.

“Also, my debut, also against Fiorentina. I was just so excited. I was like this [shaking] before the game. I was nervous but at the end… I can't describe it in words.

“This season, you can't imagine for 16 years old. I never knew that I would be like this. I'm so happy and thankful to all the staff, my team-mates and everything.”

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GettyBiggest strengths

One of the things that stands out about Kramzar is her physical dominance in midfield for such a young player. Tall, strong and competitive, these traits make her a battling presence in the centre of the park.

However, her biggest strengths are technical. The two-footed teenager is skilful and enjoys showing that off – in the right moments. It’s no surprise to learn that when she was younger, she enjoyed watching videos on YouTube to learn new skills. She’s also an excellent finisher.

“I like to have the ball at my feet,” she says. “I like to have control. I like to do some of the easiest passes but also to do something more. I like to help the team.”

In less tangible areas, perhaps she is more impressive. Her leadership and ability to assimilate into a top level environment wowed Roma immediately, especially given her age.

“The leadership that she has on the pitch is astonishing,” Gianmarco Migliorati, Roma’s sporting director, tells GOAL. “At such an age, in both men and women's football, it's very rare to find someone who can play at that level at that age. It has been surprising.

“She knows exactly what she wants. She's very mature.”

Bangladesh have been dealt a blow with Mustafizur Raman out due to a side strain, but the return of Tamim Iqbal should come as a boost

The Preview by Mohammad Isam01-Mar-2016Match factsWednesday, March 2, 2016
Start time 1930 local (1330 GMT)Tamim Iqbal will likely return to the XI in place of Mohammad Mithun•AFPBig PictureTeams are getting close to that stage of the Asia Cup when a place in the final is the only thing in their mind. Pakistan, who opened their account against UAE on Monday night after getting walloped by India, have a lot to do, and the first thing will be to beat Bangladesh, who are ahead of them by two points after their wins over UAE and Sri Lanka, and will have a clearer path to the final if they can win this contest.Bangladesh were on fire against Sri Lanka, putting aside their T20 conservatism and taking the game by the collar. Sabbir Rahman’s brilliant 80 off 54 balls led the way, with Shakib Al Hasan and Mahmudullah providing a fine finish. With the ball, Shakib did well again while Mashrafe Mortaza, Al-Amin Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman bowled critical overs with much confidence to stop Sri Lanka from overtaking their mediocre score.The last of those names, Mustafizur, is missing due to a side strain, which will be a big blow to the home side. Mustafizur took two wickets on debut against Pakistan last year and has been bowling well lately too. On the other hand, Bangladesh’s batting will be bolstered by the return of Tamim Iqbal, after he returned to Dhaka from Bangkok where his wife gave birth to their first child. Tamim is in form too, having made 267 runs in six innings during the PSL last month.Pakistan will bank a lot on their bowling attack, especially Mohammad Amir who lit up the Asia Cup with his spells against India and UAE. They will expect more from the likes of Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Irfan, and the left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz, who was tonked around the park by UAE.Pakistan’s main concern will be their batting line-up, particularly their top order, which did not do well in the first two matches. Much will depend on Umar Akmal and Shoaib Malik, and on Shahid Afridi and Sarfraz Ahmed down the order.There is every chance of this being an excellent contest now that the Mirpur curator Gamini Silva is dishing out better pitches.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Bangladesh WWLLL
Pakistan WLLLWWatch out forUmar Akmal made sure of Pakistan’s two points against UAE in their last game, and he did that in style, reaching his eighth T20I fifty in the process. He has, however, made only 20 runs in the two innings he has played against Bangladesh in this format.There is very little left to say about Mashrafe Mortaza’s leadership, but he will want to improve his wicket count against Pakistan in T20Is, having taken just two wickets in seven matches against them.Team newsTamim Iqbal will return to the XI, most likely in place of Mohammad Mithun, while Abu Hider could replace the injured Mustafizur Rahman.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Soumya Sarkar, 3 Sabbir Rahman, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 9 Al-Amin Hossain, 10 Abu Hider, 11 Taskin AhmedPakistan could take out Khurram Manzoor and include Imad Wasim but there is unlikely to be any place for Anwar Ali.Pakistan (probable): 1 Sharjeel Khan, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Khurram Manzoor, 4 Umar Akmal, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Shahid Afridi (capt), 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Mohammad Sami, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Mohammad Nawaz, 11 Mohammad IrfanPitch and conditionsThere will still be something for the seamers in the Mirpur pitch but it won’t be as exaggerated as it was in the first few matches. There is no forecast of rain on Wednesday evening.Stats and trivia In the last encounter between these two sides, Sabbir Rahman scored a fifty that he still reckons is his best T20I knock. Mohammad Hafeez is 30 runs behind Umar Akmal as Pakistan’s highest scorer in T20Is while Shakib Al Hasan needs 55 more runs to become the first Bangladesh batsman to reach 1000 T20I runs.Quotes”In the last one year, he has scored thousand international runs. He has been our best at the top, so having someone of that calibre always helps.”
“The wickets here are a bit difficult. As the tournament is progressing, yesterday’s wicket did not have much grass. So I think our players are confident.”

The Bombay High Court has sought an explanation from the BCCI and the three state associations in Maharashtra on why water should be “wasted” for IPL 2016 matches when the state is facing one of its worst-ever droughts

Raunak Kapoor06-Apr-2016The Bombay High Court has sought an explanation from the BCCI and the three state associations in Maharashtra on why water should be “wasted” on hosting IPL 2016 matches when the state is facing one of its worst-ever droughts. After making a series of stinging remarks questioning the BCCI’s priorities, the board’s counsel sought time to prepare a contingency plan and the case was adjourned till April 7.The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Loksatta Movement, a Hyderabad-based NGO, which wanted the IPL matches, scheduled to be held in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, relocated following a severe state-wide drought in recent months.The court has asked the BCCI and the concerned state associations – the Mumbai Cricket Association, the Maharashtra Cricket Association and the Vidarbha Cricket Association – to give “a detailed account” of the amount of water that will be needed for the tournament. However, no orders have yet been passed by the court.The division bench of Justices VM Kanade and MS Karnik observed “that this entire thing (of the utilisation of water for IPL matches) needs to be thought over”. The court also reportedly asked the BCCI counsel whether “cricket matches were more important than people or preserving water”.Overall Maharashtra is scheduled to host 20 matches in the ninth edition of the IPL. Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will host eight matches, including the tournament opener on April 9 and the final on May 29. Nine matches have been allotted to the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune, including the Eliminator on May 25 and Qualifier 2 on May 27, while three matches will be played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, designated as home games for Kings XI Punjab.Arshil Shah, the advocate appearing on behalf of the petitioner, said: “We argued that there is absolutely no water available in areas like Latur and Parbhani [districts]. People are fighting over water. It is a severe law-and-order situation. In such times, the court observed it would be a criminal waste of water for cricket matches to be held in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.” According to Shah, the BCCI and the IPL “have the means and resources” to shift matches out of Maharashtra.In the original PIL filed in court, Shah had noted: “The state is going through the worst kind of drought in a century and is facing acute water shortage. There is already a scarcity of drinking water and for sanitation purposes, but the state government, Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation have not raised any objection to the proposed wastage.”The BCCI, represented by the law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, argued that water used for watering grounds and pitches is tanker water and therefore should not be mistaken for drinking water.BCCI officials refused to comment after the case was adjourned. At a sponsor event on Tuesday, however, IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla had ruled out moving matches out of Maharashtra.”We are with the farmers of Maharashtra, and will look to help them in all possible ways. If the Maharashtra government brings a proposal (in this regard), then the BCCI president, all of us, will think in what way we can help the farmers,” Shukla said. “And I, through my MPLAD [Members of Parliament Local Area Development] fund, am going to personally adopt some villages in Marathwada [one of the regions hit hardest by the drought].”If the water needed to irrigate two or three grounds were to solve the problem of Maharashtra’s farmers, then I can’t understand that. I don’t think this [saving water by shifting matches] would serve any purpose. Sport is a different thing, it needs little water. Farmers need huge amount of water. All political parties should come together to deal with this crisis.”BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur said that shifting matches at the last minute was not easy and could result in financial losses.”I think we need to look at the overall situation. If stopping IPL matches is going to help we need to debate on that and we can look into various aspects but it is not easy to shift matches at the last minute,” Thakur said during an interaction on a social media website. “What we have faced in the India-Pakistan game during the World Cup it has brought a bad name to India. Shifting of the matches at the last moment doesn’t help anyone but it [has brought] a lot of losses not only financially but a loss of face as well.”

New Zealand Women captain Suzie Bates feels familiarity with the conditions has provided them with the required knowledge and knowhow to win the upcoming ODI series against India in Bangalore

Vishal Dikshit in Bangalore27-Jun-20155:24

‘We need to show positive intent as a batting unit’ – Bates

“If you’d given me a choice at the start of the series between taking the ICC Championship points game 2-1, or winning the overall ODI series without those four Championship points, I would have gone for the points, no question.”That’s what New Zealand Women captain Suzie Bates had said in February after her team lost the ODI series 3-2 to England, despite an initial 2-1 lead that helped them go up a place in the ICC Women’s Championship. Only points from the first three ODIs were counted for the ICC tournament, and even though they got those, New Zealand are still second from bottom, only ahead of India.Now in India for the third time, just like head coach Haidee Tiffen, Bates feels familiarity with the conditions has provided them with the required knowledge and knowhow to win the upcoming ODI series against India in Bangalore.”Our focus is not just three first three matches, but on the entire series,” Bates told ESPNcricinfo. “From playing point of view, spin is obviously going to play a much bigger part than it does at home. We’ve got some quicks in our team that we still think we can use out of them, but the best we can play their spinners and the best our spinners can bowl, I think that will be crucial.”As a group we’ve talked about how fast the outfields can be [in India] but you’ve got to give yourself time to adapt when you are out in the middle and you’ve got to have wickets in hand to make the most of scoring runs at the end of the innings. We’ve talked about making sure that we play nice and straight and not playing around our pads because with the ball turning and perhaps staying a little bit lower than we are used to is not coming on as well as it does at home, so we’ve got to be more tight with our technique.”With the ball we are not going to get the bounce we are used to so adjusting our lengths as quick as we can. We’ve toured here before and we’re so well looked after that challenges off the field seem to have disappeared.”Tiffen toured India in 2003 for a bilateral series and later in 2007 for a quadrangular series. She is now on her first assignment after taking over as head coach and feels acclimatising to the conditions and pitches will be the main challenge.”Conditions-wise I think learning to apply yourself in the heat that’s a challenge,” Tiffen said. “They’ve got some world-class players like Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, and they’ve got some young spinners coming through and it is a tough place to tour. Obviously the pitches are slightly different as well, they perhaps take a little bit more turn.”The first three ODIs will be in focus again for the Women’s Championship and the teams that finish in top four will directly qualify for the 2017 World Cup in England. A 3-0 score at the start of the series will see New Zealand jump straight to joint-third with West Indies. And if they win 2-1, they will be placed fourth.However, they will be without Sara McGlashan, their most experienced player, who made herself unavailable for the series. While Tiffen said that would give an opportunity to the younger players, Bates said it was not something to worry about as there’s enough depth in the squad.”She’s got a personal [reason] and is looking at her career outside of cricket,” Tiffen said. “That will provide an opportunity for other people to step up and we are looking at a few players to perhaps fulfil that No. 4 role. I suppose it’s about trying to find out questions of those players and who can adapt quickly and pay a role for us there.””I know we haven’t been as consistent as we’d like as a group with the bat and we have relied on some of the top order but Amy Satterthwaite has had match-winning performances for us at No. 3 and she’s a class player,” Bates said. “Kate Broadmore has come on for us internationally at that No. 4 spot.”Look, I think there’s always pressure on the top order…that’s what they are there to do, score the runs, and we know Sophie [Devine] can whack the ball and we’ve got Rachel Priest as well who’s been outstanding over the last series against England and West Indies, she’s been really consistent. Sara’s a huge loss, especially in the field she leaves a bit of a hole there at cover that I might have to step up my game for.”Among the other youngsters to watch out for, Bates spoke highly of tall fast bowler Lea Tahuhu, one of their bowling stars from the 2013 World Cup in India, spinning allrounder Leigh Kasperek, who took 3 for 19 in a warm-up against India A on Friday, and 18-year-old pacer Hannah Rowe.”Lea Tahuhu, although she’s been in the side for a number of series, she’s an exciting fast bowler and can bowl the ball pretty quick and she’s become more and more consistent for us opening the bowling,” Bates said. “We’ve got a couple of exciting allrounders – Anna Peterson and Leigh Kasperek – they bat lower order and bowl a bit of spin and these conditions will be really useful. There’s lots of other young girls – Hannah Rowe is probably our youngest, who bowls reasonably quick and swings the ball. She’s a netball player from back home as well so she brings a lot of skills and she’ll just grow and learn from these conditions, she hasn’t played much outside of New Zealand.”And when asked to pick between a scoreline of 2-1 from the first three matches and winning the series 3-2, Bates happily said: “5-0.”

Brentford have revealed the amount they will demand to sell Ivan Toney in the January transfer window.

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Brentford reveal the price for ToneyDo not plan to sell him in JanuaryArsenal and Chelsea interested in the strikerWHAT HAPPENED?

Toney is currently serving an eight-month suspension after admitting to breaching the FA's betting rules earlier this year. His suspension ends on January 17 after which he will become available for selection. While the Bees cherish their star forward and want to retain his services, Toney has been linked with a move away from the club in the January transfer window with both Arsenal and Chelsea interested in signing him.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite Brentford's reluctance, they could allow the England international to leave if they get a transfer fee in the region of £60 million ($76m) or more, according to journalist Ekrem Konur. On Friday, Brentford manager Thomas Frank told reporters that he would love to see the 27-year-old at the club on February 1, the day after the January window closes.

DID YOU KNOW?

The former Newcastle striker was the third-highest scorer in the Premier League last season behind Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland and England captain Harry Kane. He notched up 20 goals in 33 league appearances.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BRENTFORD?

Thomas Frank's side have suffered three defeats in their last five Premier League matches and are currently 11th in the league with 16 points from 13 matches. They would aim to get back to winning ways on Saturday when they face Luton Town at home.

A round-up of IPL related news on April 26, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2015Amid the many innovations seeping into a batsman’s game, former India captain Ajit Wadekar has praised India and Rajasthan Royals batsman Ajinkya Rahane for sticking to the coaching manual.”In IPL, it is very difficult to see a technically correct batsman,” Wadekar told . “But, the only person who comes to mind is Ajinkya Rahane. He knows how to play T20 cricket. He has a good defence and also the temperament to go with his talent. He has many years to go in international cricket”But cricket is calling for increased skill and even that coaching manual might require updating feels fellow former India Test player Madhav Apte. “Technique in the present day has to be re-defined. A lot of it is improvisation. Whether the bat is coming from behind or straight is not relevant,” he said. “Obviously, technique is important but it is like a clown in a circus. He may do all the foolish acts but he still gives a sound performance.”Narine backed to beat scrutiny on action
Kolkata Knight Riders back Sunil Narine to pass a second bowling action retest in three weeks. He was reported during the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 22 and was rushed to Sri Ramachandra Arthroscopy and Sports Science Centre in Chennai for another assessment.Wasim Akram, the team’s bowling mentor, who had accompanied him to Chennai, called Narine “a unique talent” and was hopeful of a positive result.”Sunil went for his test on Saturday and the deliveries that the umpires were worried about were looked at,” Akram wrote in his column for . According to the officials some of Sunil’s deliveries to the left-handers are slightly suspect, like the offbreak, the carrom ball and the quicker one. All of his deliveries have been checked again and a report will be sent to the [BCCI suspect actions] committee which will decide his fate.”Gautam Gambhir, the Knight Riders captain, said “Most of us knew even after he was cleared in Chennai that he can again be reported again. All this can be very disturbing and unsettling for a player.”

Hull City star Jaden Philogene was cruelly denied one of the all-time great goals after a stunning Rabona strike against Rotherham.

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Hull beat Rotherham 2-1 in ChampionshipPhilogene pulls off incredible RabonaFootball League decides goal will not go down as his Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The 22-year-old thought he'd scored the goal of the season when he nonchalantly nutmegged Rotherham's Oliver Rathbone and then tried an audacious Rabona chip over goalkeeper Viktor Johansson. After looking like he had produced something miraculous, it turned out his effort took a slight deflection off Cameron Humphreys' shoulder – meaning it was cruelly registered as an own goal by the Football League.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

That stupendous piece of skill from the former Aston Villa man drew Hull level with bottom of the table Championship side Rotherham, following Christ Tiehi's opener for the Millers. Then Liam Rosenior's men completed the comeback as Noah Ohio's goal secured the Tigers their first league double against the Yorkshire outfit for 40 years. Philogene's goal, that will have surely been a contender for the Puskas award, is undoubtedly one of the greatest rabona efforts ever seen, with Erik Lamela's strike for Tottenham against Arsenal – that won the Puskas award in 2021 – arguably at the top of the pile.

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WHAT NEXT?

Hull are back in Championship action on Sunday away to lowly Huddersfield Town, before two crunch games against third-placed Southampton three days later, and a home clash against fifth-positioned West Brom on February 24.

GOAL picks out some eye-catching and unimpressive showings from the last-four clashes in Cameroon

GettyAfcon 2021 semi-finals

Senegal and Egypt defeated Burkina Faso and Cameroon, respectively, to set up what is a highly anticipated final between the West Africans and seven-time winners.

Which performances in the last four were impressive and whose displays were a disappointment?

AdvertisementBackpagepixToo Good: Gabaski

Since replacing Mohamed El-Shenawy in the 88th minute of the Round of 16 success over the Ivory Coast, Egypt’s replacement goalkeeper has now saved three penalties in those two games.

He stopped one in the victory over the Elephants and repeated the trick against the hosts on Thursday night and then some.

Gabaski thwarted Harold Moukoudi and James Lea Siliki to put the Pharaohs into a healthy advantage in the shootout, thus becoming the hero for the North African side.

If El-Shenawy is unable to feature on Sunday, Carlos Queiroz will trust in Gabaski who is yet to concede from open play since deputising for Egypt’s number one.

BackpagepixToo Bad: Vincent Aboubakar

For a second game running, the Indomitable Lions forward fired blanks, failing to convert one of the host nation’s best chances.

While Aboubakar did not quite miss as many opportunities against the Pharaohs as the quarter-finals, the striker’s off-kilter finishing proved costly this time.

Having flourished hitherto, the competition’s top scorer petered out when he needed to come up trumps.

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Getty Images.Too Good: Saliou Ciss

Ciss was a constant menace bombing forward for the entirety of Senegal’s 3-1 success over a plucky Burkina Faso outfit, fashioning more opportunities than all but Sadio Mane.

The left-back was equally dominant in his one-v-one tussles against the Stallions, winning every aerial duel on the night.

The 32-year-old has featured in every game so far at the finals and Aliou Cisse will count on the full-back for the decider.

A round-up of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League matches on April 1, 2015

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-2015Group APrasanth Kumar put in a an all-round show, picking up 2 for 39 and then scoring 51 to help Andhra to a six wicket win over Himachal Pradesh in Bhubaneshwar.Put in by Andhra, Himachal managed 122 from their 20 overs. Only three batsman managed double-digit scores as they were helped mainly by Prashant Chopra’s 43 and Rishi Dhawan’s 37. Cheepurapalli Stephen snared 2 for 14 and Bandaru Ayyappa had figures of 2 for 19 .Andhra’s reply started with a 42-run opening stand, which was broken with the fall of AG Pradeep’s wicket. Prasanth then compiled 65 with Ashwin Hebbar but fell to Rahul Singh soon after reaching his fifty.Rahul also dismissed the captain Mohammed Kaif for 6, and Akshay Chauhan got rid of Ricky Bhui for 1, but Hebbar remained unbeaten on 44 and saw his side home with four balls to spare.Gujarat beat Jharkand by six wickets in a low-scoring game in Bhubaneshwar in which only five batsmen from both sides put together managed double figure scores.Put in, Jharkand lost Shiv Gautam on the fifth ball of the first over. Jasprit Bumrah then dismissed Virat Singh for 4, leaving them at 10 for 2. Ishank Jaggi and Ishan Kisan were soon dismissed by Rohit Dahiya putting Jharkand on 31 for 4. Dahiya ended with figures of 3 for 7.Jharkand couldn’t arrest the fall of wickets as Jasprit Bumrah, Rush Kalaria and Jesal Karia picked up two wickets each as Jharkand’s innings folded in for a paltry 78 in 19.2 overs.Vikash Kumar picked up two wickets to reduce Gujarat to 25 for 2 inside four overs a 19-run stand between Smit Patel and Rujul Bhatt before Bhatt was bowled by Rituraj Singh leaving Gujarat at 44 for 3.They lost one more wicket before an unbeaten 29-run fifth wicket stand between Chirag Gandhi and Himalaya Barad saw them over the line with 46 balls to spare.Group BMandeep Singh starred with the bat in a tense 147-run chase for Punjab as they beat Hyderabad by 1 wicket in Cuttack.Put in to bat, Hyderabad made 146 for 5 in their 20 overs. Tirumalasetti Suman and Tanmay Agarwal put on a 60-run opening stand before Taruwar Kohli picked up Suman for 31 off the last ball of the ninth over. Two balls later, Kaul had Agarwal caught for 22. Andhra lost three more wickets and managed 50 runs in the final five overs.Punjab began their chase briskly making 23 in 2.5 overs before Ravi Kiran had Jaskaranveer Singh caught behind for 7 on the final ball of the third over. Off his next ball – at the start of the fifth over – the bowler got rid of Manan Vohra, leaving Punjab at 30 for 2. Inder Singh and Mandeep added 44 for the third wicket as Punjab went past 50 before the partnership was broken by Akash Bhandari in the 11th over.They soon slid from 114 for 3 to 144 for 9, and Mandeep was one of the batsmen to fall after making 63 off 43 balls, with eight fours and a six. Chama Milind did most of the damage taking 4 for 24, including the wickets of Brainder Sran and Gurinder Singh off the first two balls of the final over. Punjab needed only two runs to win at the start of the over and they secured a win off the third ball of the final over.Debutant left-arm spinner Shesdeep Patra picked up 5 for 18 in three overs to help Odisha beat Mumbai by 17 runs in a 15-over-a-side game in Cuttack.Chasing 126, Mumbai lost two wickets in the first over – of Akhil Herwadkar and Jay Bista for ducks – to Deepak Behera, leaving the score at 1 for 2. Shoaib Shaikh (34) was then part of two 30-plus partnerships which steadied the innings, until Patra struck. He picked three wickets in the 12th over, of Shoaib, Abhishekh Raut and Rohan Raje, reducing them to 85 for 7. Patra then ran through the middle and lower order, as Mumbai were bowled out for 108 in 14.4 overs. Behera finished with 2 for 9 from two overs.Earlier, Odisha chose to bat and raced to 33 in 3.3 overs before Akash Parkar broke the opening stand. Odisha, however, didn’t lose momentum and Govinda Podder added 48 with Roshan Kumar Rao before Podder fell in the 10th over, leaving Odisha at 81 for 2.They then lost three wickets within a space of six balls. Raut dismissed Arabind Singh in the 12th over, then Rao was run-out by Herwadkar four balls later, for a 34-ball 48, and Raje then cleaned up Biplab Samantaray to leave Odisha at 95 for 5. Raje picked up two more wickets as Suryakant Pradhan made a seven-ball 20 to help Odisha to 125 for 8.

Amin Pathan, who allegedly ousted Lalit Modi as the Rajasthan Cricket Association president on Saturday, has been allowed to enter the RCA office

Amol Karhadkar12-Oct-2014Amin Pathan, who allegedly ousted Lalit Modi as the Rajasthan Cricket Association president on Saturday, has been allowed to enter the RCA office with his his colleagues and supporters on Sunday. After claiming to have taken over as acting president, it is understood that Pathan’s team has started proceedings to get clearance from the state government and then try and end the impasse with the BCCI.The new development in the BCCI-RCA standoff will not impact the selection procedure that will begin in the coming week. The Jaipur High Court order on October 1 made it clear that once the state teams were selected, they would continue until the end of the season even if the BCCI and RCA reach a settlement. “If the team has already been selected pursuant to the arrangement aforesaid, the participation of the said team should continue irrespective of the event of settlement of dispute between the BCCI and RCA or any court order,” the order stated.When Pathan and his supporters had tried to enter the RCA premises on Saturday evening they were prevented by the police because they did not have the requisite documentation. On Sunday afternoon, after Pathan’s aides submitted letters of all 23 district representatives supporting the resolution to remove Modi, along with deputy president Mehmood Abdi, secretary Sumendra Tiwary and treasurer Pawan Goyal, the police allowed them to enter the office in the evening.It is understood the new office bearers, including Pathan, acting secretary Shakti Singh and acting treasurer Mohammad Iqbal, then met with some of their colleagues to chalk out the future course of action. Pathan’s lobby is believed to have written to JC Mohanty, principal sports secretary of Rajasthan’s state government, requesting him to approve the resolution to replace the RCA governing body. Since the RCA is governed by the Rajasthan Sports Act, every administrative change has to be ratified by the state government.The Pathan group is also believed to have sought an appointment with BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel at the earliest. Since Patel was in Dubai over the weekend to attend ICC meetings, his response is expected over the next couple of days.Modi’s group remained tightlipped about their plan of action. If the state government allows the Pathan group to take over, the associates of the former IPL chairman are expected to move court, requesting it to reinstate an elected body.