All posts by h716a5.icu

The USMNT's Gold Cup run is over as a lethargic performance culminated in a surprise shootout loss to unfancied Panama at the semifinal stage.

And just like that, it's all over. Another long, drawn-out 120-minute brawl has confirmed the U.S. men's national team's Gold Cup exit. There will be no repeat win, no second trophy of the summer. They survived one shootout, but couldn't emerge from another.

Live by the shootout, die by the shootout, indeed. After toppling Canada in the quarterfinal, the U.S. faltered from the spot in the semis, with Panama booking their place in the Gold Cup final after a 1-1 draw. Jesus Ferreira and Cristian Roldan misses proved costly as the tournament ends in frustration for the U.S. team.

Panama deserved the win. They were just as good, if not better, than the USMNT throughout the 120 minutes. The U.S. looked like a team that had been taken to extra time against Canada, using up any little bit of energy they had left. They looked lethargic and slow and just a bit off it, and that was all Panama needed.

Los Canaleros deserved a few goals, to be fair. The U.S. were bailed out by tight refereeing decisions several times before Panama attacker Ivan Anderson beat the offside trap and burst in alone on Matt Turner after 99 minutes, scoring what had looked like the winner.

Ferreira, though, seemingly saved the day with an absolutely stunning equalizer moments later. It was a blink-and-you-miss-it finish, as he volleyed home from out of nowhere to send the U.S. to the shootout.

Even so, it wasn't to be, and it was a disappointing end for the USMNT, with Wednesday night's performance not one of a team that deserved to go on and win the tournament. The run is over, and rightfully so. This U.S. team, ultimately, fell short.

GOAL rates the USMNT from Snapdragon Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defense

Matt Turner (7/10):

Had two saves to make, one of which was pretty special. Not much he could do on the goal, even if goalkeepers never like being rounded like that.

DeJuan Jones (6/10):

Definitely had more to do defensively in this one than in any other game, and he was largely fine with that. Passing could have been better, but not a bad game.

Aaron Long (6/10):

Had a few solid sequences, including one tackle in the second half that saw him pick up a knock. No glaring errors, but also never seemed too confident with or without the ball.

Miles Robinson (5/10):

An uncharacteristic performance from Robinson, who definitely struggled at times in this one. His pace is an asset, and it helped him make several good tackles, but the awareness just wasn't there during several big sequences.

Bryan Reynolds (5/10):

Looked like the Canada game really wore him out. His legs just seemed a bit too heavy for this one – and his positioning didn't help either. Was rightly subbed out early in the second half.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

James Sands (8/10):

Just fantastic once again. No USMNT player has been as good as Sands, and he put together another standout performance in this one.

Gianluca Busio (5/10):

Had one big chance for the USMNT in extra time but he slipped over. A metaphor for a tough night for the Venezia midfielder, who never really impacted the game in a positive way as Panama dominated the midfield battle.

Djordje Mihailovic (5/10):

Set-piece delivery was nowhere near good enough and he didn't offer enough defensively to help the U.S. in the midfield.

Getty ImagesAttack

Cade Cowell (6/10):

Had a few good dribbling sequences, as usual, but nothing close to good enough when it came to end product. He did hit the post early on but those types of sequences were few and far between, which is what led to him being one of the first subbed off.

Brandon Vazquez (5/10):

Basically the exact opposite of his other appearances this tournament. Was asked to defend a bunch and, when the U.S. did get going in the attack, his touch often let him down.

Jesus Ferreira (7/10):

What a goal. An absolute thunderbolt out of nothing, a sudden firework in an otherwise quiet game. Playing in a different position this time around, Ferreira was relentless with his pressing and, ultimately, got his goal. Unfortunately, his penalty wasn't good enough as the U.S. lost the shootout.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettySubs & Manager

Cristian Roldan (6/10):

Replaced Cowell, but offered none of the same energy as the teenage star. His missed penalty doomed the U.S. to defeat.

DeAndre Yedlin (5/10):

Provided an instant lift once he came on, but was at fault for the goal as he didn't step up in time to keep Anderson offside.

Matt Miazga (6/10):

Stepped up at the worst possible time for the Panama goal, but did contribute to the sequence leading up to Ferriera's equalizer His antics during the shootout will be held against him, too, as he may have gone a bit too far to get in Panama's heads.

Jordan Morris (7/10):

Won the header to tee up Ferreira, and what a header it was! Wasn't wildly active other than that, but he stepped up in the big moment.

John Tolkin (6/10):

Definitely provided energy, and had his lip bloodied in the process. Was pretty noticeable, which is basically all you can ask for from a 104th-minute sub.

Julian Gressel (N/A):

Had just a handful of touches. Not enough to really make anything happen.

B.J. Callaghan (6/10):

Made some good in-game adjustments after a pretty bad first half. Did he wait a bit too long for other subs? Possibly. Because of that, a bit of a mixed bag and ultimately the U.S. are out of the tournament earlier than expected.

Aaron Finch and Dwayne Bravo helped Gujarat Lions ease into the IPL with a thumping win against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali

The Report by Nikhil Kalro11-Apr-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:08

Agarkar: Kings XI could have a tough season

Aaron Finch and Dwayne Bravo helped Gujarat Lions ease into the IPL with a thumping win against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali. Barring the first over, Lions were in total control in their chase of 162; they won with 14 balls to spare on the back of Finch’s 47-ball 74.Brendon McCullum, who made a whirlwind ton in his final Test in February, was stumped by Wriddhiman Saha, standing up to the stumps to the medium-pacer Sandeep Sharma, in the first over of the chase. Sandeep, who anticipated a forward shimmy, bowled a superb outswinger to leave McCullum stranded. Finch and Suresh Raina then took the attack to the pacers, capitalising on loose deliveries to drive the chase.While Raina holed out to mid-on in the sixth over, Finch peppered the boundary with deft touch and exemplary placement, particularly behind square on the off side. He hit 12 fours.It needed a moment of brilliance from Pardeep Sahu, the legspinner, to dismiss him. Finch was drawn forward, and was beaten in the air and off the pitch as Saha completed his second stumping. The rest of the chase was a mere formality as Dinesh Karthik accrued his runs with sweeps and punchy strokes in front of the wicket to finish 41 not out.Earlier, Kings XI were given an ideal start by their openers M Vijay and Manan Vohra, who saw off the swinging new ball before getting stuck into their work. A blend of crisp drives and flicks earned the pair a half-century stand within the Powerplay. The spread fields after the sixth over did not impede Vohra, as he manufactured boundaries courtesy swift footwork off the spinners.However, the momentum shifted rapidly when Ravindra Jadeja struck twice in consecutive overs to remove the openers. Dwayne Bravo then undid Glenn Maxwell and David Miller in the space of three balls in the 12th over. The ball that got Miller – the slow, dipping yorker – made Bravo the first bowler to pick up 300 T20 wickets.Suddenly, debutant Marcus Stoinis and Wriddhiman Saha were left to rebuild. The pair were forced to use pockets of space in the large Mohali outfield to find their runs, and struggled to score quickly. Much of that was down to the efficiency of the Lions bowlers, who executed their yorkers and slower balls well. Bravo took two more wickets off consecutive slower balls in the last over, and could have had his best T20 bowling figures had Sarabjit Ladda not spilled a skier off the last ball.Only two boundaries and 36 runs were scored off the last five overs as Kings XI mustered 161. Lions then rode their momentum to consign Kings XI to their ninth loss in 10 matches.

Can the forces of nature that have been unleashed by England’s white-ball revolution be harnessed in time for them to make an impression at the World T20? Or is it too little, too late

Andrew Miller15-Mar-20164:24

Butcher: How England play spin will be vital

Big PictureDogma has tended to hold sway over reason for England at ICC global events. What planning there has been has usually been at least four years off the pace, its loopholes exposed by the lightest touch of scrutiny – take their squad for the inaugural World T20 in 2007, for instance, filled to the gunwales with job-a-day county pros, such as Darren Maddy and Jeremy Snape, who had turned a few tricks in the early seasons of the Twenty20 Cup, but rarely many heads. Or, if you prefer, take any World Cup squad from 1996 to 2015 inclusive.There has, of course, been one notable exception to this rule. When England won the World T20 in the Caribbean in 2010, they did so with a fresh team and a fresh attitude, albeit one that was forced upon them by the haplessness of their chosen few in the weeks and months leading up to the event.It took an infamous warm-up match against England Lions in Abu Dhabi to instigate wholesale change. Out went Jonathan Trott and Joe Denly, in came Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb, and, with Ryan Sidebottom’s left-arm seam leading the line superbly, England suddenly hit their stride to awesome and insuperable effect.With that in mind, England’s 2016 T20 squad is a curious hybrid of long-term planning and short-term expediency. This time the shift in attitude and personnel has had 12 turbo-charged months in which to bed in – even though it took yet another calamitous campaign at the 2015 World Cup to hammer home the need for England to get with the times.So, can the forces of nature that have been unleashed by England’s white-ball revolution be harnessed in time for them to make an impression at the sixth World T20? Or is it too little, too late, in a form of the game that has evolved beyond recognition in the six years since England last emerged victorious?The talent at the team’s disposal, for once, cannot be disputed. England may have dropped the ball politically when it comes to T20 cricket, but their invention of the format back in 2003 does give them one remaining head-start. Thirteen years is long enough to bring through an entire generation of players who have grown up with the game’s new realities, and are not afraid of its possibilities. That is as good a starting point as they can hope for.At the helmEoin Morgan was hospital-passed the England World Cup captaincy after the extraction of Alastair Cook in December 2014, and to nobody’s real surprise, he damn near dropped the ball in that calamitous campaign Down Under. But to the eventual credit of the ECB – and in particular the incoming director of cricket, Andrew Strauss – they didn’t just stick with him in the aftermath, they broadened his remit to cover all limited-overs cricket, and the upsurge in the team’s fortunes is plain to see. Morgan leads with authority, knows his role and, crucially, knows when to defer to his young thrusters, most notably in Dubai when he pushed Jos Buttler up the order and watched him scorch England’s fastest ODI hundred. Like Paul Collingwood in 2010, the more anonymous he remains, the better England are likely to be doing.Key stat10.The number of England’s players who have yet to play a full international fixture in India. Morgan, with eight games spread across three visits – including a late entry to the World Cup campaign in 2011 after he broke a finger before the event – is the most experienced campaigner. He is also the only one to have featured in the IPL. Joe Root (7), Liam Plunkett (6), Jos Buttler (5) and Alex Hales (3) have played 21 games in India between them. The rest? Zilch.Leading MenJos ButtlerThe most awesome of the talents among England’s newly-unleashed T20 generation, and the likeliest candidate to win a contest single-handedly. Buttler possesses power in abundance, and a repertoire of strokes that can blow the mind when he is in full flow. His tale rather epitomises that of this England team as a whole – they are definitely going places in one-day cricket, but are they really there yet? Buttler’s maiden stint in the IPL will follow hot on the heels of this campaign. What England would give for that experience already to be in his memory banks.Adil RashidA veteran of the 2009 World T20, in which he wheeled through his overs with dignity but rarely looked like a world-beating option. But just watch him go now, a weapon transformed thanks to a career-moulding stint with Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League. Rashid has found control to back up the cunning variations that he’s always been able to deliver, and rare is the batsman who trusts himself to hit him out of the attack. This tournament has the potential to cement his breakthrough year.Reece TopleyTall, gangling and improving all the time, Topley’s ability to bend the ball back into the right-handers from a cloud-snagging left-arm action gives England another formidable option. If he lands his length from the outset, it can often take a new batsman several deliveries to line up a suitable response. Another man whose inexperience could prove his undoing, but in Topley’s case, he has only just turned 22. You’ve got to start somewhere, so why not at the top?Burning QuestionCan the opening pair fire?
Where Kieswetter and Lumb blazed a trail in 2010, are Jason Roy and Alex Hales really ready to follow? The pair have bedded into a comfortable and productive alliance at the top of England’s order since coming together at the start of last summer, but neither has quite hit the top notes of destruction on which they’ve built their reputation in county cricket. And, if they fail – or fail to get a move on, which is even more of a sin in T20 cricket – is the middle order primed to hit the ground running, as a certain Kevin Pietersen proved to be in that triumphant campaign …?World T20 historyDecidedly mixed. Their 2010 victory was a triumph of expediency, but they’ve let themselves down in the other four events to date. The best of the rest was unquestionably their 2009 campaign on home soil, when their quick bowlers laid out the strategies that would help to deliver glory in the Caribbean a year later. However, their unfortunate rain-affected exit at the hands of West Indies remains utterly overshadowed by their opening-round capitulation to Netherlands. The fact that England repeated that ignominy in their most recent World T20 fixture, at Chittagong in 2014, is proof of a team who haven’t always had their game-brains switched on.In their Own Words”Sometimes, having experience, particularly in India, can almost scar your perception and [style of] playing within the tournament. Having a little bit of naivety with a huge amount of talent isn’t a bad thing.” Eoin Morgan on England’s innocence abroad.

Namibia fast bowler Jason Davidson has been suspended from bowling in international cricket after an event panel ruled his bowling action to be illegal

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2015Namibia fast bowler Jason Davidson has been suspended from bowling in international cricket after an event panel ruled his bowling action to be illegal. Davidson was reported after Namibia’s four-wicket defeat against Netherlands on Tuesday; he picked up 1 for 13 from his two overs including the key wicket of Stephan Myburgh.According to Section 4 of the ICC Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Actions, Davidson cannot bowl in any international cricket until he submits himself to an independent assessment of his action conducted by an appointed specialist at an ICC accredited testing center, which concludes that he has remedied his action.As a result of the suspension, Davidson will not be allowed to bowl during Namibia’s crucial clash against Oman on Thursday, with the winner of the match guaranteed a spot in next year’s World Twenty20 in India.

Cristiano Ronaldo's blowing of kisses to chants of Lionel Messi's name didn't age well after his Al-Nassr side fell to a 3-0 loss to Al-Hilal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Al-Nassr were out-classed by Al-HilalMessi chants fill the stadium to annoy RonaldoAl-Hilal opened up a seven-point advantage over Al-NassrWHAT HAPPENED?

History repeated itself at the King Fahd International Stadium on Friday evening. Back in April, Ronaldo found himself in the eye of controversy after he made an indecent gesture following relentless Messi chants by Al-Hilal fans after a 2-0 loss. This time the taunts grew louder as the margin of defeat was bigger and Ronaldo remained an anonymous figure during a relatively quiet evening.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIP

However, this time around, Ronaldo was more mature in his reaction. The Portuguese soaked in the atmosphere and blew fly kisses to the stands before climbing down the tunnel at half-time, with the scores still locked at 0-0.

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic opened the scoring with a blistering header after the hour mark. But the star of the evening was former Fulham striker, Aleksandr Mitrovic, who netted twice in the final minutes of the game to seal the three points for the hosts.

Although Ronaldo did pierce the net on two occasions, he was given offside both times which further added to his frustration.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

The defeat to Al-Hilal was a major dent to Al-Nassr's title aspirations as the former went seven points clear at the top of the table. Ronaldo will return to action against Istikloll on Tuesday in an AFC Champions League fixture away from home.

Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim committee is fighting against time to fulfil the tasks they have set out to achieve after sports minister Navin Dissanayake assured the stakeholders that elections would be held by January

Sa'adi Thawfeeq18-May-2015Sri Lanka Cricket’s interim committee is fighting against time to fulfil the tasks they have set out to achieve after sports minister Navin Dissanayake assured the stakeholders, who met him last week to forward their grievances, that elections would be held by January.The interim committee, headed by Sidath Wettimuny, was appointed last month by the sports minister on the grounds of corruption and malpractice by the previous administration.The minister’s decision to hold elections by January next year means that the Wettimuny-led interim committee will have barely six months to fulfil the tasks they hope to carry out. “There is a limit to what we can do as members of the interim committee within a short time frame,” Wettimuny said. “Within this period we hope to make some sensible decisions and assume the stakeholders will co-operate otherwise there is nothing we can do.”We should structure our cricket in such a way that there is stiffer competition at every level, that’s the principle of it. More quality cricket is the key and how to get there is the idea. Mahela [Jayawardene] has made a proposal which is a good one. We have to get the timeline going to have it ready by the end of the year to set it in motion. I hope to have a meeting with the stakeholders and explain this concept and try and get them to buy into it a long-term solution to help our cricket. A big responsibility lies in their hands.”Like the 19th amendment where the two political parties got together and agreed for the betterment of the country. Likewise all these stakeholders who are split into so many sides must sit together and say this is what is good for Sri Lankan cricket, let’s do it.”They can put it on trial for a year or two and see how it works. Let the clubs get involved in managing cricket. Club administrators should become head of provinces and then work themselves towards a top position in Sri Lankan cricket, not come to hold positions by throwing money or come through politically strong connections. It has been the practice over the years.”Wettimuny said the core issue he saw was that the clubs felt that their prominence would be reduced. “That’s my gut feeling. When there is a provincial tournament they feel there is something above them. It’s very unfortunate.”The former Sri Lanka Test opener said that he has already got the cricket side of things in motion.”We’ll have the indoor nets and swimming pool at R Premadasa Stadium finished within the six months and hopefully get work started at Pallekele and Dambulla as well,” Wettimuny said. “We got a trainer for the national team [Michael Main], Champaka [Ramanayake] is handling the bowling and the selectors have been given a clear message which Kapila [Wijegunawardene] is handling very well.”We also have a super soft skills program going which is an opportunity for the young cricketers to educate themselves. They are given 11 areas of knowledge like etiquette, speech, grooming, yoga, IT skills, cricket history etc. so that they go out more confident to face the world. It’s a weekly program for all cricketers from the senior team downwards.”Most of the cricket-based things are done. The key is to consolidate and not for the next guy to come and undo it.”

Manchester City midfielder Rodri called on his team to 'be brave' after they dropped crucial points against Chelsea at the Etihad on Saturday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Rodri calls on team to take responsibilitySpaniard levels game late onDefensive showing alarms midfielderWHAT HAPPENED?

The Spaniard drew City level in the 83rd minute after his side had trailed to Raheem Sterling's first-half goal. The hosts created a string of chances with Erling Haaland passing up a number of opportunities to score. But it was an alarming first-half defensive performance that was foremost in Rodri's mind when he spoke after the game.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT RODRI SAID

"I think we weren’t great in the first half," the midfielder told after the game. "We conceded another easy goal. I think we have to defend better. They almost created nothing in the first half.

"We knew about their counter-attacks and fast players, we have to defend the counter-attack better. From there it’s always more difficult to come back.

"It’s a matter of defending better. We tried in the second half. We wanted the ball and wanted to take risks. We were a bit scared of the counter-attack. You have to be brave."

In a separate interview with , Rodri again emphasised the need for defensive improvement. "It was in our hands and we have to do better individual actions and you can't let the game go this way. I'm not blaming anyone but we have to take responsibility if we want to win the league.
"

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

City had been on an ominously strong run of form of late, further boosted by the return of Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne. But Saturday's issues at both ends of the pitch is a reminder of some of the problems they faced earlier in the season where the control of last season's treble-winning campaign gave way to more chaotic performances such as the 4-4 draw against Saturday's opponents at Stamford Bridge in November.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

City have a chance to make amends when they play their game in hand on their title rivals against Brentford at the Etihad on Tuesday night. A win would put Pep Guardiola's men a point ahead of Arsenal and just one behind Liverpool with 13 rounds of Premier League fixtures to play.

The Gunners have done some incredible deals down through the years – GOAL picks out their best ever signings below…

From the dominant days of manager Herbert Chapman’s tenure in the 1930s right through to the modern era, Arsenal have signed some sensational players who have gone on to write their names into the history books.

But which transfers rank as the greatest in the Gunners' long and illustrious history.

GOAL reveals all below…

Eddie Hapgood

Arguably Arsenal’s best ever signing.

Hapgood was plucked from lowly Kettering Town by Gunners manager Herbert Chapman in 1927 for just £950 ($1,170) and went to captain Arsenal’s all-conquering side of the 1930s.

He made 440 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal and won the First Division title five times, as well as the FA Cup twice.

The left-back spent 12 years with Arsenal before the onset of the Second World War, scoring twice. 

He died in 1973, at the age of just 64.

AdvertisementGettyIan Wright

Many questioned Arsenal’s decision to spend a club record £2.5 million ($3m) to sign Ian Wright from Crystal Palace in 1991.

The Gunners had just won the First Division title and had two-time golden boot winner Alan Smith leading the line, with Kevin Campbell also at George Graham’s disposal.

But from the moment Wright opened his account with a goal at Leicester City on his Arsenal debut, he quickly silenced any of his doubters.

He went on the score 185 goals for the club, overtaking Cliff Bastin to become Arsenal’s all-time record goalscorer in 1997.

Wright won a Premier League title during his time in North London as well as two FA Cups, a League Cup, the Cup Winners Cup and the Golden Boot.

Alex James

Known as one of the finest players to have ever played for Arsenal, James arrived from Preston in 1929 for £8,750 ($10,800).

The playmaker quickly established himself in Chapman’s stellar side and scored the opening goal as Arsenal beat Huddersfield 2-0 in the 1930 FA Cup final – a victory which gave the club its first ever major trophy.

James went on to make 261 appearances for Arsenal and formed a formidable partnership with legendary attackers Ted Drake and Cliff Bastin.

The Scotland international won four league titles for the Gunners and a second FA Cup in 1936. He was forced to retire due to injury the following year.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Sol Campbell

There is plenty of debate over who is the best free transfer of the Premier League era, but not amongst Arsenal fans.

Sol Campbell’s move across North London from Tottenham in the summer of 2001 is the stuff of legend.

Members of the media were all expecting to see goalkeeper Richard Wright unveiled when they arrived at a press conference at Arsenal’s training ground, so there was an audible gasp when Arsene Wenger walked out accompanied by Campbell – who was football's most in-demand free agent at the time.

Arsenal had taken Spurs’ captain without having to pay them a penny and they had to watch their former idol go on to win two league titles and three FA Cups during his time at Highbury.

Kabir Ali was forced to retire from cricket after failing to recover from a long-standing shoulder injury

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-2015Kabir Ali, the former England allrounder, has called time on his cricket career because of a long-standing shoulder injury. Having injured his shoulder in last season’s Natwest T20 Blast, Ali underwent surgery but failed to recover. He decided to retire after doctors told him he would require more surgery.”I underwent major surgery and did all the rehab but when I tried to bowl, I struggled to get any pace,” Kabir said. “Doctors have suggested that I need further surgery, and that is a one-year process, and then there is no guarantee on me playing. I went out to Barbados, hoping the hot conditions might help the process as a last resort. It almost shattered me because deep down, I knew something was not quite right in the shoulder.”Ali last played domestic cricket in August 2014, for Lancashire, before he was released by the county in October after he injured himself. He has also played for Hampshire and Worcestershire. He took 500 wickets and scored 2755 runs in first-class cricket, to go with 261 List A wickets.”It would be unfair for me to push myself to other counties,” he said. “It’s a sad time because for the last 16 years all I have done is play cricket, whether it’s in England or overseas.”Ali, 34, played one Test against South Africa at Headingley in 2003, and 14 ODIs for England, picking up 20 wickets at an average of 34.10.

A round-up of the Ram Slam T20 matches on November 2, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2014Chris Gayle starred with the ball and bat for Lions in their Ram Slam T20 opener, taking four wickets and scoring a fifty to help the side beat Dolphins by six wickets at the Wanderers.Cody Chetty (68) and Vaughn van Jaarsveld had forged a recovery for Dolphins with a 71-run stand for the third wicket but Gayle’s introduction into the attack turned the game in Lions’ favour. He took a wicket in each over of his spell to finish with 4 for 36, breaking the Dolphins middle order by accounting for van Jaarsveld, Chetty, Jonathan Vandiar and Khaya Zondo. Prenelan Subrayen struck a few blows towards the end of the innings to lift the Dolphins total to 172.Lions began their chase with an 18-run over from Daryn Dupavillon but, by the fourth over, were struggling at 36 for 3. Gayle and Jean Symes’ 89-run stand put the chase back on track and both batsmen finished with half-centuries. While Gayle struck 56 off 38 balls, Symes finished on an unbeaten 50-ball 58 to guide Lions to a win in the 19th over.Kieron Pollard’s all-round contribution with bat and ball was the difference between the Cobras and the Titans in Johannesburg. Pollard led the Cobras final assault with the bat with 72 runs at a strike rate of 200, and was the architect of their 80-run plunder off the last six overs of their innings. He then took three wickets in two overs to derail the Titans’ chase.The Cobras were set up by Richard Levi, who faced just 34 balls for his 81 runs, but the Titans may have thought that was as bad as it got for them. They got rid of the Cobras’ top and middle order cheaply, with their slower bowlers doing the bulk of the containing. Roelof van der Merwe conceded just 14 runs in three overs while Dean Elgar took 3 for 20 and bowled a full quota to keep the Cobras quiet.That was before Pollard made his entrance. He spoilt the figures of Ethy Mbhlati and Rowan Richards and ensured the Cobras posted a run more than the Knights did in the early game.Unlike the Warriors, who collapsed in their chase of 206, the Titans looked set to get to their target of 208. Openers Elgar and Henry Davids were merciless in equal measure and shared in a first-wicket stand of 151 inside 15 overs. Again, it was Pollard who changed proceedings.In his third over, he had Elgar caught at long-on, Davids off against a slower ball and also accounted for Darren Sammy with a short ball- all in the space of seven deliveries. The Titans needed 45 runs off the last three overs but could only manage 30 in what became a tense finish.Warriors’ batting woes from the first-class and fifty-over formats have carried over into the shortest version of the game as well. Overseas signing Craig Kieswetter, who made 51, was the only batsman in their line-up who managed a score of more than 20 as they were beaten by the Knights in their campaign opener.Set a tall 206 for victory – a target built on the back of Knights’ opening stand of 78 runs and topped off by Diego Rosier’s second T20 half-century – the Warriors were never in the chase. Dillon du Preez’s four wickets dismantled them – his first pair dismissed the openers and second bored into the tail. In between that, all the other members of the Knights attack enjoyed success, except the slower bowlers, with the medium-pace of Malusi Siboto and the spin of Werner Coetsee costing more than eight runs an over.Those numbers only indicate indiscipline of the Warriors in the first half of the fixture. They used seven bowlers and none of them conceded at less than seven runs to the over, with Jon-Jon Smuts hauling in the best return of 2 for 28.Smuts’ strike pegged the Knights back after they were off to a speedy start thanks to Rudi Second and Gerhardt Abrahams. A mid-innings wobble saw them lose four wickets for 42 runs and they seemed to be losing their way but Rosier put them back on track. He shared in a 67-run stand with Obus Pienaar, which came in just 3.2 overs, to tip the Knights total over 200 and ensure they took maximum points from the first match of the campaign.