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Shane Watson’s greater experience of England and his capacity to bowl some of the kinds of spells Ryan Harris might have delivered for Australia appears set to squeeze him into the first Test team ahead of Mitchell Marsh

Daniel Brettig in Cardiff06-Jul-2015Shane Watson’s greater experience of England and his capacity to bowl some of the kinds of spells Ryan Harris might have delivered for Australia appears set to squeeze him into the first Test team ahead of Mitchell Marsh, as part of a bowling attack the assistant coach Craig McDermott still calls the best in the world.While the younger Marsh has turned plenty of heads with his bold batting on tour, the Australian team’s decision-makers still feel Watson offers more security as a bowler. Without Harris, the control Watson can offer with miserly spells and swing of both conventional and reverse varieties will be even more highly valued.McDermott, on his first Ashes tour since leaving the 1993 trip early due to a life-threatening twisted bowel, said that while Marsh’s bowling was improving, Watson still had something of an edge. “With the fourth seamer only bowling 10-15 overs tops depending on how they’re bowling and how the other guys are going, his control is excellent,” McDermott said. “He’s a lot more experienced and has been around for a long time so you’d expect his control and everything else to be better.”Mitch is still developing. He’s got some pace back; the No. 1 thing we were chasing for from him was to get some speed up. Him obviously being nervous with his injuries throughout the summer in Australia and wanting to stay on the paddock made him back off a little bit I think. Now he’s our No. 1 man over the 2km time trial and all that sort of stuff he’s got his fitness back, he’s lost some weight and he’s got his pace back up.”He’s actually swinging the ball nicely now, he bowled a lot better in the second innings in Essex than the first innings and also Canterbury. So considering he hasn’t had a lot of four-day cricket bowling it’s a work in progress but he’s coming on nicely.”Shane Watson appears in line to pip Mitchell Marsh for a place in the first Test•Getty ImagesWhile Australia’s order of preference for pace bowlers has been shaken up considerably by Harris’ exit, it remains likely that Peter Siddle will miss out on a place in the team unless the selectors plump for the unlikely option of choosing four fast men in addition to Watson. At the very least, Siddle’s quality bowling in Canterbury, Chelmsford and the Cardiff nets is keeping Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Johnson on their toes.”It’s disappointing for him but we’ve got to find someone else to do the job he does and I’m sure four of the guys we’ve got are quite capable of doing that,” McDermott said. “Peter Siddle’s bowled very well in the last couple of games, the other guys are getting back into their work, and Jono’s bowling quicker here than he has for a while I think and swinging the ball nicely. So those four frontline guys are all in the mix and if we don’t play four it’ll be a tough selection call.”Everyone who’s been through the World Cup and to the IPL in particular took a bit of time to get back into their work. Jono’s arm path has got a bit better over here, a bit higher and he’s got his seam in a better position, and he’s just got a real spring in his step at the minute, so that’s good for us and hopefully not good for the Poms.”Starcy and Josh basically had two and a half weeks off from game time, so just took a little bit of time to get back into their rhythm and bowling. They both bowled very well in the second innings in Essex, so we’re pretty happy with their preparation, and Sidds bowled well in both games and his pace got better as well.”Two of the vagaries of English conditions are the swing extractable from the Dukes ball and the smaller dimensions of the grounds, meaning runs can accrue quickly if bowlers get too greedy in their search for a “glory ball”. McDermott espoused the virtues of balance, and did not mind the thought of a new, more aggressive England going out searching for deliveries bowled in the fourth stump channel.”We’ve got to bowl our good lines and lengths which we did in Australia in the last series, and we stuck to our game plan,” he said. “You don’t want to attack too much, but you need still to attack. Our game with our bowling and fielding is to be attacking and aggressive, that’s the Australian way and the only way we know how to play.”The boys this morning were swinging the ball a lot. So it’s making sure you don’t get too greedy and using the crease to get your lines correct and make the batsmen play. If we do get a lot of swing we can use the crease to maximise that, and that’s pretty important for our attack and certainly Sidds is one who uses the crease well. The other guys do as well, but he uses it as good as anyone.”We’ve got a bowling attack that suits pretty much every facet of cricket, whether it’s a reverse wicket or a wicket that turns with seven left-handers is good for Lyono, and obviously if the wicket’s got green grass on it and goes through a bit, even if it’s a bit slower, the wicket’s still going to seam if it’s got some grass on it. Our attack is really well placed for whatever we get dished up.”

After a long summer of drama, Joao Felix joined Barcelona on loan from Atletico Madrid and the Atleti president has now spoken about Felix's future.

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Felix wanted by Barca on permanent transferAtleti ready to sell playerPermanent deal will be difficult for BarcaGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Portuguese international actively pursued a transfer to the Blaugrana, waiting until the final day to complete his ideal move and even consenting to a large pay cut in order to facilitate the deal. Felix made an immediate impression upon arriving, getting off to a great start in his Barca career by both scoring and setting up goals, and soon solidifying his place in the starting lineup. According to recent reports, the Catalan side hopes to recruit the Portuguese on a permanent basis in the summer of 2024.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Whether or not Atleti are ready to sell Felix to their rivals, a permanent agreement will be difficult to achieve because Barcelona will reportedly to spend at least €105 million (£92m/$113m) in order to sign Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo in the upcoming summer.

WHAT CEREZO SAID

"Joao Felix will be one of the best players in Europe, I wish him all the best at Barca," said Cerezo to COPE Partidazo. "He’s on loan there but if Barca wants to sign Joao on a permanent deal, they’ll have the option to make it happen for sure. Otherwise, he will return."

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR FELIX?

Felix has been called up to the Portugal national team for their European Championship qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Iceland. He will then rejoin his club for their clash against Rayo Vallecano on November 25.

Erik ten Hag looked to have transformed the Red Devils but his side are showing many worrying signs associated with his predecessor

"They were easy give-aways," said the Manchester United manager, assessing how his side had fallen behind so early in a match they were expected to win comfortably. "It was a horror start. With all respect, we can't allow them [those goals]."

The Red Devils' boss added: "The first one is that we play a short corner and forget about the man up top. That’s unforgivable… We’ve not done our roles, it’s my responsibility. You don’t see goals like that at this level. You shouldn’t concede easy goals like that. When you do, it makes winning matches a lot harder."

Spot the difference? The first line of quotes was Erik ten Hag's reaction to United's 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest last Saturday, a game in which his side fell two goals behind within the opening four minutes. The second comment was from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after United's 2-1 defeat to Istanbul Basaksehir in November 2020.

Solskjaer could not believe his eyes after 35-year-old Demba Ba had ran from his own half towards goal, completely unopposed, to give the unfancied Turkish side the lead in the 13th minute. Ten Hag, meanwhile, had just witnessed Taiwo Awoniyi run unchallenged from the halfway line to score the opening goal, taking advantage of childish defending after United had just taken a corner.

Getty A thrilling yet concerning start

It has been 21 months since United parted ways with Solskjaer, who fans loved for his contribution as a player and his commitment to the club. However, by the time of his sacking in November 2021, having won no trophies in nearly four years, almost everyone recognised that the Norwegian was a limited and inexperienced coach incapable of taking United back to where they belong.

Ten Hag, by contrast, is one of the most admired tacticians in Europe, with a track record of overseeing elaborate football and winning trophies. In just a few months in charge he ended United's six-year silverware drought by lifting the Carabao Cup, while he also took them to the FA Cup final and secured Champions League qualification at the first time of asking.

However, after a chaotic start to the season, which included fortunate wins over Wolves and Forest as well as a limp defeat to Tottenham, Ten Hag's United are showing many of the traits that Solskjaer's team were known for. They are making unforgivable mistakes defensively, players are not doing their jobs, and they are having to pull off dramatic escape acts. It might be thrilling to watch, but it is also deeply concerning.

AdvertisementGettyComebacks are in United's DNA

While United fans were struggling to make sense of what they were witnessing in the opening minutes at Old Trafford, Forest fans were staging a party in the away end. In another throwback to the Solskjaer era, they were gleefully chanting "You're getting sacked in the morning" to Ten Hag.

Christian Eriksen's strike breathed life back into Old Trafford and then everyone believed the comeback was on. And when Casemiro equalised and Bruno Fernandes converted from the penalty spot, there was an air of inevitability about it all.

Some of United's best ever moments were comebacks, such as the 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in 1993 which paved the way for the first Premier League title win, or the three-minute turnaround against Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final. Never knowing when they were beaten was a defining characteristic of Sir Alex Ferguson's many great teams.

GettyTurnarounds can mask deeper issues

However, if a team falls behind too often and epic finishes are routinely needed, it is rarely sustainable. United tend to average around three or four comeback wins per season in the Premier League era, but things got ludicrous under Solskjaer. In the 2020/21 season, United won 10 league matches after conceding the first goal, more than in any other campaign.

The Red Devils ended up finishing second in the league but the following season they picked up their lowest points total in Premier League history. Solskjaer was sacked four months into that dire campaign, following a 4-1 thrashing at relegation-fighting Watford.

A similar pattern can be spotted in United's second-best season as far as comeback wins are concerned. In the 2012-13 season, Ferguson's last in charge, United won nine matches from losing positions. They romped to the Premier League title then, but the fact they needed so many late finishes should have suggested there were deeper problems and the winning train was about to come off the tracks.

With almost an identical squad the following season under David Moyes, United had an utterly miserable campaign and came seventh in the table, their lowest-ever Premier League finish.

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GettyTen Hag catching up with Solskjaer

Under Solskjaer, United won a whopping 19 matches in all competitions from losing positions. And as the hero of the team's most famous comeback of all as a player – the 1999 Champions League final – the Norwegian coach revelled in each turnaround.

Take his response to beating Southampton 3-2 in March 2019. “The manner of it is like the old days. I have been part of that so many times myself and so pleased for the boys that they managed to claw three points out of this game." Days later, United pulled off perhaps the best result of the Solskjaer era, beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in the last-16 of the Champions League to overturn a 2-0 home defeat in the first leg.

Even in the dying weeks of Solskjaer's time in charge, United were capable of pulling off comebacks. They turned things around to beat West Ham 2-1 with an 89th-minute strike from Jesse Lingard and enjoyed Champions League victories over Villarreal and Atalanta from losing positions, winning each time courtesy of late strikes from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Just one month into his second season, Ten Hag is developing his own reputation for comebacks. The Forest game was his seventh turnaround victory, following wins over Manchester City, Everton, West Ham, Fulham, Aston Villa and Barcelona.

Derbyshire have signed one of cricket’s most renowned yorker bowlers, the Melbourne Renegade Nathan Rimmington, for the 2015 NatWest Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Mar-2015Derbyshire have signed one of the doughtiest T20 death bowlers, Nathan Rimmington, for the entire 2015 NatWest T20 Blast. The signing puts effectiveness ahead of glamour with Derbyshire convinced they have secured one of the most parsimonious bowlers in the closing overs in the T20 game.Rimmington will variously combine with two international batsmen – New Zealand international Martin Guptill and Sri Lanka’s veteran Tillakaratne Dilshan – during the campaign.During his time with Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League, Rimmington, 32, has built a renowned reputation for closing out an innings with his trademark perfect yorkers gaining much attention.In 59 Twenty20 fixtures since the Big Bash began in 2011, he has claimed 65 wickets at 21 apiece, with an economy rate of just above seven runs an over. He starred in the longer format, too, and was also named in Cricket Australia’s Sheffield Shield team of the year.Derbyshire’s elite performance director, Graeme Welch, said: “Nathan brings a wealth of experience bowling at the death which will be vital as we look to progress in the NatWest T20 Blast.”People will have watched him in the Big Bash and know the quality he will bring to the side. Not only will he be a valuable asset at the end of the innings, he will also provide us with a proven strike bowler with the new ball.Derbyshire are trying to get Rimmington to England early so that he can warm up with some league cricket ahead of the Blast and ensure those celebrated yorkers are inch perfect from the outset.

South Africa allrounder Ryan McLaren has been ruled out of the remainder of the tri-series in Zimbabwe after suffering a hairline fracture on his right forearm

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Sep-2014South Africa allrounder Ryan McLaren has been ruled out of the remainder of the tri-series in Zimbabwe after suffering a hairline fracture on his right forearm. He picked up the injury while batting against Australia on Tuesday and will return to South Africa on Thursday morning.”Ryan was taken for X-rays this afternoon after complaining of severe pain following a blow to his right forearm yesterday,” South Africa team manager Dr Mohammed Moosajee said. “The scans revealed a hairline fracture to the bone in the right forearm, which rules him out of action for the next three weeks.”McLaren was hit on the arm by a short and quick delivery from Mitchell Johnson in the 29th over which is likely to have caused the injury. Earlier this year, too, McLaren was hit on the head by a bouncer from Johnson in the Centurion Test which had ruled him out of the second Test.South Africa will now need a replacement for McLaren for their last league match, against Zimbabwe on Thursday. Their options lie in Kyle Abbott, Wayne Parnell and Mthokozisi Shezi. McLaren played all three matches in the series and picked up six wickets, and scored 30 runs in two innings.

Somerset’s players skedaddled away from the Riverside before lunch on Wednesday with a draw in their results column and eight points gained from the match

Paul Edwards at Chester-le-Street13-Apr-2016
ScorecardChris Rushworth could have been a threat to Somerset had there been any play on the final day•Getty ImagesThe point about fire alarms is that they go off while the fire can still be put out. Somerset’s players skedaddled away from the Riverside before lunch on Wednesday with a draw in their results column and eight points gained from the match. Durham received ten points for their efforts. At which point even the most passionate former inhabitant of the Stragglers’ Bar might offer a polite cough and a wry smile. The reassuring thing for Somerset supporters was that Chris Rogers would understand that reaction only too well.Heavy overnight rain and a mid-morning shower put paid to any chance of play on the final day of this match. Somerset’s skipper admitted that, on balance, his relief at not having to face Chris Rushworth and Graham Onions outweighed his disappointment at losing two days’ cricket.”We want to challenge ourselves and we want to get better but it was probably a relief to us in many respects because we were behind in the game and it was going to be hard work, particularly against Rushworth and Onions in that last innings,” said Rogers. “On the other hand, it would have been a useful opportunity to see where we’re at.”The more caustic West Country critics might be quick to tell Rogers where they think his team is “at” but they might be wisely advised to listen to what else he had to say. For example, here is his assessment of Somerset’s performance in a game in which they were bowled out for 179 and in which Durham were 53 for 1 after ten overs in their first innings and – the real horror show – 72 for 0 after 11 overs in their second.”Our fielding was top class and our attitude was top class but we disappointed with the new ball and that’s pretty unforgivable at Durham in the first game of the season. But the guys who had that ball in their hands will know that and they will get better. We found it hard with the bat and lost wickets in groups. Then we were shown that it was possible to stick around by our Nos. 7 and 9.”Given the limitations placed on Rogers by the fact that his comments were for public consumption, there is not too much skipper-speak in them. If he described the new-ball bowling as “unforgivable” outside the dressing room one wonders what adjectives he attached to it in private.Rogers is a fighter and he wants to lead a team of players with similar dispositions. He will be delighted to welcome the Overtons back for the game against Surrey at The Oval a week on Sunday. This is him on the challenge of facing Durham’s seamers on the first evening and second morning of this game.”I loved being back in the fight. To be up at Durham against Rushworth and Onions is probably as tough as it gets and I thought I was coming out at the other end of it when I was run out. These things happen. There were a couple of glances at Peter as I was walking off but I’ve done it to other people too, so you just have to cop that on the chin.”And so he did. But he will not be deceived by that return of eight points. One imagines there are some things Rogers will take on the chin and others which he will refuse to accept.”I’ve learned a lot about the guys and there is plenty to work on,” he said. “There is a lot of talent in the squad but how they put that into practice out in the middle is going to be our challenge. Every game’s going to be tough but it comes down to us. We didn’t get it right in this match but it’s a long season.”

Travis Dean became the fourth batsman to cap off his first season with a century as his 111 helped Victoria take giant strides towards overhauling SA’s 340 in the Shield final

The Report by Daniel Brettig in Adelaide27-Mar-2016
ScorecardGetty ImagesBack in October, Travis Dean was the talk of Australian cricket, as only the second man after Arthur Morris to make dual centuries on his state debut. As Victoria sought to squeeze South Australia, Dean joined another select group by becoming the fourth batsman to cap his first season with a hundred in the Sheffield Shield final.Justin Langer, Phillip Hughes and Jordan Silk are the others, and their efforts all contributed to victories. Dean helped the Bushrangers take a giant stride towards doing likewise, setting the platform for what may yet become a mighty first-innings total in reply to the Redbacks’ reasonable, but now eminently reachable 340.SA took the second new ball with four overs remaining and Daniel Worrall, the day’s most outstanding bowler, soon curled a perfect inswinger through the defences of Matthew Wade. Nightwatchman Scott Boland survived numerous uncomfortable moments before the close, including a missed chance by Sam Raphael behind point, as another vocal Glenelg Oval crowd of 2,548 rode every delivery.Aided by a fluent Peter Handscomb, Dean absorbed plenty of pressure on a cool and overcast day that lent itself almost perfectly to seam and swing bowling. His technique stood up to more or less everything Chadd Sayers, Joe Mennie and Daniel Worrall hurled at him, and it was not until the final hour that Elliot Opie was able to coax him into an edge.Dean’s occupation thwarted a bowling attack that had carried much before them this season, and highlighted the trouble with choosing four seamers on a pitch that has offered some movement but is also drying into something where a spinner can prosper. SA’s captain Travis Head was left to bowl his offbreaks a little more than he might have preferred, with Adam Zampa in India and Tom Andrews, the left-arm spinner, missing out on the final XI.The final two South Australian wickets had added only 15 on resumption, giving Sayers and company the chance to defend a greater tally than many they had successfully followed up on over the course of the season. Rob Quiney was able to get off to a swift start as several Sayers deliveries swerved towards his hip. But after those early boundaries, it was a challenging time for batsmen.Quiney succumbed when he guided Worrall low to Raphael at gully, and Marcus Stoinis was beaten first ball. Plenty of questions were asked by the bowlers, and Dean needed all his technical skill to answer them. He achieved one small victory by prompting Worrall to try a short-pitched attack, but Stoinis was unable to endure, judged by umpire Paul Wilson to have gloved a bouncer to Alex Carey behind the stumps.Handscomb’s beginning was somewhat skittish, and he survived one vehement lbw appeal from Sayers. But he showed an inclination to get the scoreboard moving more regularly, and eased the pressure on Dean by putting some back onto SA’s seamers. Gradually, some of the Redbacks’ earlier discipline wavered, and Dean was able to pick off a few more loose balls.The partnership gathered momentum after tea, as SA became increasingly fretful for a wicket. Words were exchanged between Handscomb and Head when SA’s captain fielded off his bowling and fired a throw back towards the stumps, which the batsman swatted away to the boundary by way of self-preservation. The Redbacks appealed for obstructing the field, and after some consultation between the umpires, were turned down.Dean’s well-deserved century arrived soon after, not only making some Shield final history, but also breaking a recent sequence of lean scores – 9, 11, 1, 4 and 0 before this innings. An emotional celebration was follow by further occupation, but on 111, Opie was able to find a crack in the wall to break the stand at 140. That wicket gave SA an opening, and the loss of Wade before the close left the match delicately balanced once more.

There will be a huge summer clearout at Stamford Bridge, but who should stay and who should go?

Chelsea are set to undergo a period of huge transition when the transfer window creaks open, as a notoriously bloated squad is finally trimmed down to size after what was effectively a wasted season. Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed as the new head coach, and his first job will be to hack away the deadwood that has built up across two thriftless transfer windows under the stewardship of co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.

There is already some semblance of a plan in place for how to approach a crucial transfer period for a club that has just registered its lowest Premier League position since 1994.Chelsea will look to sell any player entering the final year of their contract, while a new loan policy will mean that only players who have a real chance of making a first-team breakthrough will be shipped out on a temporary basis.

With that in mind, who should Chelsea keep, loan or sell out of all the players whose futures are uncertain, including their returning loanees? GOAL runs through the list…

GettyKEEP: Mason Mount

An academy graduate who Chelsea should certainly be looking to keep, but it's looking unlikely. Pochettino is keen to work with Mount, but the Blues are struggling to convince him to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge amid interest from Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Bayern Munich.

Advertisement(C)GettyImagesKEEP: Romelu Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku's future is set to be one of the most polarising topics of the summer among the Chelsea fanbase; should they keep him given their desperate need for a striker, or should they let him go?

It has been rumoured that Pochettino is open to working with the Belgian, and given the limited centre-forwards available this summer, relying on a Rom-ontada may be the club's best hope of success. He has hit form towards the end of the season in Italy, but he will need to do a hell of a lot to win over the fans after his outbursts during his most recent spell at Stamford Bridge. The best way to do that is by scoring goals.

Getty ImagesSELL: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Without a doubt, it's time to bring Aubameyang's nightmare spell with Chelsea to an end. The ex-Arsenal striker saw the manager who actually wanted him, Thomas Tuchel, sacked just a week after he had signed and barely featured for the Blues thereafter. Time to swiftly move on.

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Getty ImagesKEEP: Raheem Sterling

The jury will be out on Sterling's time at Chelsea following an indifferent debut season at Stamford Bridge, although he still struck nine goals and laid on four more in 2022-23. What isn't in question, however, is the England winger's commitment to the cause, and his experience will be vital in what is guaranteed to be a mightily important season in the club's transition.

James Faulkner and Lasith Malinga led a high-class Melbourne Stars pace attack in demolishing the Adelaide Strikers in a one-sided encounter at the MCG

The Report by Brydon Coverdale09-Jan-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsLasith Malinga was one of the Stars bowlers who caused problems for the Strikers•Getty ImagesJames Faulkner and Lasith Malinga led a high-class Melbourne Stars pace attack in demolishing the Adelaide Strikers in a one-sided encounter at the MCG. A woeful batting performance from the Strikers – only Michael Klinger and Kane Richardson reached double figures – meant they were only able to post 9 for 90 from their full 20 overs and the Stars sailed past the target in the eighth over of the chase.After the Strikers chose to bat, Jackson Bird’s new-ball swing caused some issues and Alex Hales was caught at slip for 5. The promotion of Tim Ludeman to No.3 as a pinch hitter failed as he could only manage 6 from 11 deliveries before he sliced a catch to point off Faulkner, who picked up Phillip Hughes for a golden duck next ball, caught behind off a delivery that found some extra bounce from the drop-in pitch.From there it was all downhill for the Strikers; Klinger kept the runs ticking over as much as he could but his partners kept disappearing at the other end. A magnificent inswinging yorker from Malinga bowled Nathan Reardon and it was Malinga and Faulkner who caused the most problems. Faulkner finished with 3 for 9 from his four overs and Malinga’s four brought 2 for 8 as the batsmen had no answers to their pace, aggression and swing.The legspinner James Muirhead also got in on the act by deceiving Michael Neser, who was stumped off a good legbreak, and it took a 24-run stand from Klinger and Richardson (21) to get the Strikers to within range of even batting out their overs. Eventually Klinger was caught in the deep off Faulkner for 42 and the Strikers had to rely on their own fast men if they were to defend the tiny total.Realistically, though, that was never going to happen, and Luke Wright’s 49 from 20 balls made certain of it. He struck eight fours and two sixes in a 62-run opening stand with Cameron White (13) before both men were caught attacking Neser from consecutive balls, but Glenn Maxwell easily finished the job with 25 off 10 balls, a top-edged six of his securing the win.

Spearheaded by captain Kieron Pollard’s 63 off 36 balls, the Barbados Tridents produced a stunning performance to knock off the Jamaica Tallawahs by 88 runs on Sunday night at Warner Park in St Kitts.

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Spearheaded by captain Kieron Pollard’s 63 off 36 balls, the Barbados Tridents produced a stunning performance to knock off the Jamaica Tallawahs by 88 runs on Sunday night at Warner Park in St Kitts. On a dramatic final day of the CPL 2014 regular season, the Tridents catapulted from fourth place into first to earn a bye through to the tournament final based on having the best net run rate after finishing deadlocked at 6-3 with the Tallawahs, Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel and Guyana Amazon Warriors.A loss for the Tridents would have left them in fourth place at 5-4, leaving them needing two wins to reach the final. That fate has now been transferred to the Tallawahs, who could have clinched first place outright with a win. Instead, the nosedive they took on net run rate in a losing effort means they will have to beat the Red Steel in the first CPL play-off match on Wednesday followed by another win 24 hours later against the Amazon Warriors in order to reach Saturday’s final.Pollard’s decision to bat first after winning the toss was met with a good amount of criticism from the game’s television commentators, particularly because teams batting first had managed to win just seven of 26 games on the season heading into the match. The choice was vindicated in emphatic fashion as the Tridents recorded the CPL’s largest margin of victory by runs with the captain leading the charge.Dwayne Smith got the Tridents off to a solid start, bashing 32 of the game’s first 35 runs before falling in the sixth over to Daniel Vettori thanks to a tremendous catch from Andre Russell, who covered 30 yards running across from long-off to take a skied chance at long-on. Shoaib Malik and Raymon Reifer fell cheaply a few overs later and when William Perkins was caught behind off Rusty Theron in the 14th over for 36, the match was evenly balanced at 98 for 4.Pollard and Jeevan Mendis then produced a 57-run stand for the fifth wicket, with 38 of the runs coming off Pollard’s bat as the captain put his stamp on the game. The Tallawahs seemed to have the Tridents held in check at the 16-over mark with the score 124 for 4, but Pollard erupted for a four and two sixes off Russell in the 17th as part of a 20-run over and brought up his half-century off 28 balls in the process.Mendis was run out for 17 to end the 18th over before Rusty Theron nailed the stumps to remove Pollard and Kyle Mayers off consecutive deliveries to end the 19th to make it 161 for 7. Jason Holder cracked two sixes in the final over before falling to Russell for 12 as the Tridents ended on 175 for 8. Theron ended up with figures of 4 for 35.Considering that the Guyana Amazon Warriors chased 189 earlier in the day with relative ease on the same pitch in the small confines of Warner Park, doubts still lingered as to the wisdom of Pollard’s decision at the toss. The Tridents bowling unit turned in a sterling performance to ensure Pollard’s efforts with the bat did not go to waste.Ravi Rampaul struck a major blow in the second over of the chase, striking Chris Gayle low on the pads with a full inswinger to remove the Tallawahs captain leg before for 1. His opening partner Chadwick Walton joined him in the dugout one over later for 5 when the keeper Perkins pulled off an extraordinary one-handed diving catch down the leg side.The Tridents focused effort in the field continued with the run-out of Adam Voges for 10 in the eighth over before Owais Shah missed a sweep to the legspin of Mendis and was struck in front of the stumps for the second lbw dismissal of the innings to make it 54 for 4. Russell was the only player left with the kind of muscle needed to get the Tallawahs back into the game but a brilliant diving catch by Mayers running in from long-on removed Russell for 4 and sparked euphoric cries in the field.Nkrumah Bonner scored 47 at number three, but he and Voges were the only two to reach double figures for the Tallawahs as the tail was wiped out in quick time. Theron was caught on the boundary off Ashley Nurse for 3 to end the game as the Tallawahs were bowled out for 87 in 15.3 overs, the lowest total by any team in this year’s CPL. The Tridents now have five days to bask in the glow of Sunday’s win while the Tallawahs have 72 hours to dust themselves off and regroup for Wednesday’s play-off encounter with the Red Steel.