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There is a chance that Crystal Palace will look to sign a Premier League defender this summer, and Oliver Glasner is said to want him.

Glasner reportedly maps out Palace transfer plans

The Austrian has overseen a mixed start to life at Palace, with both positives and negatives at the forefront of his first three league games in charge.

Related Crystal Palace chiefs believe they can agree deal for Premier League ace

The Eagles need to bolster certain areas.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Mar 13, 2024

Glasner's dream debut in the Selhurst Park dugout, a resounding 3-0 win against strugglers Burnley, was swiftly followed up by a capitulation away to Tottenham – with late goals from Timo Werner, Cristian Romero and Son Heung-min cancelling out Eberechi Eze's opener.

Palace then conceded another late goal in their 1-1 draw against Luton Town the following game, which ultimately robbed them of a crucial three points. Conceding right at the death has been a reoccurring theme of their 2023/2024 season, and that is something Glasner will be looking to address as soon as possible.

Crystal Palace league fixtures

Date

Nottingham Forest (away)

30th March

Bournemouth (away)

April 2nd

Man City (home)

April 6th

Liverpool (away)

April 14th

West Ham (home)

April 20th

As the summer transfer window looms, it could be key for Palace's new head coach if they wish to push on and potentially establish themselves as a European side in the seasons to come – provided they avoid the drop this term.

It is believed that Palace want to sign a striker to provide more firepower for Glasner, leading to their recent links with the likes of Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah. They could also strengthen in defence, as highlighted by GiveMeSport this week.

Crystal Palace could look to sign Lewis Hall

According to GMS, there is a possibility that Crystal Palace will look to sign Lewis Hall after his loan deal from Chelsea to Newcastle becomes permanent. Glasner is thought to want the Englishman, but there is one problem, as it is also likely that the Eagles could be rebuffed in their attempts.

Hall has struggled for game time since opting for a move to St. James' Park, but is rated highly by those in the game.

“Lewis Hall is a mere 18 years old, and though there is improvement to come and a few rough edges to be worked on, it is clear he is going to be a very special talent for us for years to come," said Pat Nevin, after a Hall performance against Palace last season.

"It isn’t easy getting a place in the Chelsea men’s first team at that age, but although he doesn’t have to battle with Ben Chilwell right now, to keep a full-back like Marc Cucurella out of the team is still incredibly impressive.

“Lewis’s willingness to get forward at every opportunity was incredible and he was desperately unlucky not to score the opener in the first half. Even this early on, it is hard not to think about sometime in the future when he could be flying down one flank and Reece James down the other, both to devastating effect. That’s not to write off Chilly, but it is certainly a very positive thing to consider after what has been a difficult recent run.”

There has been a new transfer update on Chelsea target Victor Osimhen involving Premier League rivals Manchester United.

Chelsea links to Osimhen

The Blues have splashed the cash under Todd Boehly, however, they actually remained quiet in the January window, despite plenty of speculation over a new forward. During the winter market, Armando Broja was sent out on loan to Fulham, leaving Nicolas Jackson as the only recognised senior striker available to Mauricio Pochettino for the remainder of the campaign.

Goals were a problem at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, and currently, Chelsea have scored 44 league goals in 26 games, less than Brighton, Newcastle, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.

If the Blues are to get back to their best over the coming years, then perhaps that added firepower is required – something that Osimhen would help with.

The Nigeria international has been heavily linked with a move to London, with journalist Sacha Tavolieri saying at the end of January that Osimhen has chosen to join Chelsea in the summer.

Since then, there have been reports that Chelsea are also working on ‘a multi-year contract’ for Osimhen – possibly for seven years – with a slightly improved salary compared to the current one at Napoli. That could be worth more than £90m between 2024 to 2031 in London, however, it looks as if a move to Chelsea isn’t guaranteed following a new update.

Transfer update on Victor Osimhen

According to reliable reporter Miguel Delaney, writing for The Independent, Manchester United are now one ‘of the main contenders to land the signature’ of Osimhen alongside Paris Saint-Germain.

Victor Osimhen's goals in all competitions

2023/24

13

2022/23

31

2021/22

18

2020/21

10

2019/20

18

This will come as a blow for Chelsea, who are also named in the report as well as rivals Arsenal. The two still have an interest in the striker, ‘but changed situations at both PSG and United mean they are set to become big challengers’ Osimhen has a €110m release clause in his current Napoli contract, with the 25-year-old set to be the topic of one of the summer's major transfer sagas.

It looks as if Chelsea now have fierce competition for Osimhen after potentially thinking they were closing in on a deal in recent months.

Related Chelsea now only club chasing "decisive" new £150m star for Poch

The Blues could now make their move.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Mar 3, 2024

Whoever wins the race for Osimhen will be getting a proven forward who has scored goals for fun in recent years, including a career-best 26 in Serie A last season, helping Napoli to the title.

There may well be further twists and turns over the coming months before the summer market opens for business, but right now, it looks as if Chelsea are behind the eight ball when it comes to Osimhen’s signature.

Former striker Ally McCoist says 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo would no longer be good enough to start for England as he plays at his sixth Euros.

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• Ronaldo slated after Euro 2024 start
• Ageing superstar deemed over the hill
• Not good enough to get in England team

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  McCoist is clear in his verdict on Ronaldo, using an England comparison. The retired striker stated that "father time" has finally caught up with the Portugal superstar as he inevitably nears the end of a glittering career.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Roberto Martinez was questioned for selecting Ronaldo, who was famously benched by predecessor Fernando Santos during the 2022 World Cup. But the Portugal boss has been vocal in his support of the ageing legend, who has played 90 minutes in each of his country's matches so far. He hasn't scored but did assist Portugal's third in the comfortable win over Turkey.

• WHAT ALLY McCOIST SAID

  Speaking to , who offer the latest Euro 2024 betting, McCoist said: "Saying Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn't play for England, I think it's probably right. Five or ten years ago he walked in and it would be him and 10 others, but father time has caught up to him, as it does to everybody. I think that's where he is at this moment in time, and I don't think he gets in the England starting 11."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR PORTUGAL & RONALDO?

  Already assured of qualification for the knockout stage as Group F winners, Portugal will complete their opening round fixtures by facing Georgia in Gelsenkirchen on June 26. With one eye on a last 16 tie to come in July 1, coach Martinez may be tempted to rotate his team, both resting his starters and handing opportunities to fringe players. That could see Ronaldo in particular begin on the bench, although Martinez may not be willing to give his critics any fuel whatsoever.

Burnley have already made one signing in the January transfer window, bringing in David Datro Fofana from Chelsea on loan, but as we reach the final five days of the transfer window, the Clarets look far from done.

Vincent Kompany, trying to do all he can to keep his side in the Premier League, is keen on Ajax winger Carlos Forbs, again on an initial loan deal. Nottingham Forest are interested too, and it could come down to which club offers more first-team minutes.

Meanwhile, Kompany is also looking to strengthen at the other end of the field with a move for Montpellier defender Maxime Esteve. It emerged this week that the Clarets are working on a deal for one of their "main options", with Montpellier coming under pressure to sell as the player enters the final 18 months of his contract.

Speaking ahead of his side's game against Lille this weekend, manager Michel Der Zakarian was adamant that Esteve would feature and said that any departure wouldn't take place until the early part of next week.

Burnley now close to signing Esteve

According to a fresh update from French newspaper L'Equipe, Burnley are now on the verge of signing Esteve. The fee will be €12m, which works out as just over £10m.

Esteve is attracting interest from a number of teams, but Burnley have forged ahead and they are now close to completing an agreement for the centre-back.

"Dominant" Esteve can be a smart long-term addition

Now that Burnley are seemingly well on the road to landing Esteve, it's worth taking a look at what kind of player Kompany could be getting. Talent scout Jacek Kulig has described him as a "dominant" force at the back, and his numbers from this season support that assessment.

The table below shows how Esteve performs in some of the key metrics compared to fellow under-21 defenders in Ligue 1 (who have appeared in at least 10 games). You can see that he's comfortable and precise in possession and also smart in his positioning, which allows him to make a particularly high volume of clearances and interceptions.

Passing accuracy (%)

81

6th

Tackles per game

1.3

11th

Clearances per game

4.5

1st

Interceptions per game

1.6

3rd

Duels won (%)

55

7th

Aerial duels won (%)

59

6th

He's already prevailing in the majority of his duels, and that figure should improve as he becomes more experienced and continues to develop physically. Indeed, it's worth remembering that he's only 21 years old and has played just 60 first-team games at Montpellier so far.

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ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

Twice capped by France's under-21 side, Esteve is a highly rated young defender who would be something of a coup for struggling Burnley. He'd be walking straight into a dogfight, but Montpellier themselves are only two points above the relegation places, so he's used to scrapping it out towards the bottom of the table.

Big movers after the round-robin stage of the World Cup include Babar Azam, Kane Williamson, Mitchell Starc and Mujeeb Ur Rahman

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2019Virat Kohli remains the No. 1 batsman on the ICC ODI rankings, but Rohit Sharma is breathing down his neck after a stupendous showing in the round-robin stage of the World Cup. Rohit has scored 647 runs so far in the tournament, at an average of 92.42, with five hundreds in eight innings. From a 51-point difference, the gap between Kohli and Rohit has now narrowed to a mere six points, with Rohit achieving a career high of 885 points.Just below these two Indian batsmen is Babar Azam, who has moved up four places to third position, and at fourth is Faf du Plessis, who has moved up two spots. Ross Taylor, who began the World Cup at No. 3, has only shown middling form through the tournament, and now sits in fifth place. Taylor’s team-mate Kane Williamson, meanwhile, has moved up four spots to eighth place.David Warner, who spent a year out of international cricket serving a ban for his role in the Newlands ball-tampering saga, has re-entered the rankings in sixth place. With 638 runs at 79.75, Warner is currently the second-highest run-getter at the World Cup behind Rohit.The top two remain unchanged among ODI bowlers too, with Jasprit Bumrah’s 17 World Cup wickets at 19.52 helping him extend his lead over the No. 2-ranked Trent Boult from 21 points to 58.Mitchell Starc bowls•Getty ImagesBig movers below the top two include Pat Cummins, who has jumped three places to No. 3, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who has jumped four places to No. 6. The bowlers Mujeeb has leapfrogged include his Afghanistan team-mate Rashid Khan, who has endured a below-par World Cup and has slipped five places to No. 8.Mitchell Starc, the top wicket-taker at the World Cup with 26 at 16.61, has jumped a whopping 15 spots to No. 7. Starc, who had battled a pectoral injury in the months before the World Cup, hadn’t played any ODI cricket between November 2018 and the start of the tournament.Shakib Al Hasan, who is third among the World Cup’s run-getters with 606 at 86.57 to go with 11 wickets at 36.27, remains the No. 1 allrounder in ODIs, while Ben Stokes is hot on his heels in second, having climbed nine places to get there.England remain No. 1 on the team rankings, with 123 points, but only decimal points now separate them from India, who topped the World Cup’s round-robin phase with seven wins and just one defeat. New Zealand and Australia, the other two semi-finalists, are similarly neck-and-neck on 112 points in third and fourth on 112 points, while South Africa are fifth on 110.

West Ham are looking at signing a 28-year-old who has an admirer in former Irons captain Declan Rice, according to broadcast giant Sky Sports.

Moyes after new January additions

Manager David Moyes watched on as his West Ham side crashed out of the FA Cup on Tuesday evening, with Bristol City sealing a 1-0 win over the east Londoners at Ashton Gate.

"Very interesting" – Sky reporter surprised as West Ham eye "unique" target

Michael Bridge says they’re looking at him.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 16, 2024

West Ham fielded a pretty weakened eleven and were forced to pay for their considerable lack of depth. The hardly-seen Maxwel Cornet partly made up a front three of the Ivorian, exit-linked Said Benrahma and out-of-favour striker Danny Ings – with the trio failing to find a way past the home side's defence.

It is believed Moyes is keen to make January signings in key areas to bolster the squad before January 31. Michail Antonio will be absent for an extended period after his injury setback alongside Lucas Paqueta, while Mohammed Kudus is currently at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ghana.

The Hammers are targeting a new forward in particular, with technical director Tim Steidten thought to be eyeing up Sunderland winger Jack Clarke among other options. It will be interesting to see if they can add more quality and strengthen yet another charge for European qualification under Moyes, with Sky now claiming Steidten and co are interested in Man City outcast Kalvin Phillips as well.

West Ham looking at signing Phillips

As per the broadcaster, West Ham are looking at signing Phillips in January alongside a few other English top-flight sides.

The 28-year-old is surplus to requirement at Eastlands with City willing to let him go before the deadline. Alongside West Ham, it is thought Crystal Palace, Everton, Newcastle and Serie A giants Juventus are targeting Phillips.

The England international will prove a costly deal, which is West Ham's main obstacle in their pursuit, but he's been heavily endorsed in past seasons by former star Declan Rice. Rice, commenting on Phillips to talkSPORT, called him "one of the best" for his sheer professionalism – which could be an attractive trait for Moyes.

Shoulder injury – 2022/2023

18

Hamstring injury – 2021/2022

16

Calf injury – 2020/2021

6

Shoulder injury – 2020/2021

7

“He’s one of the best professionals I’ve ever seen, if I’m honest with you," said Rice.

“I’ve seen players who don’t play and throw their toys out of the pram completely and with Kal, every time he comes back here he pops on a shirt and puts in 110 per cent."

However, a sticking point may be Phillips' injury record and his wages – which Sky claim are at around £135,000-per-week.

Fifties from Scott Borthwick and Sam Curran leave Kent a target of 426 or batting out the final day for a draw

Daniel Norcross at Beckenham22-May-2019″We wait. We are bored. No, don’t protest, we are bored to death, there’s no denying it.” Samuel Beckett’s Vladimir may have had more cause to ponder the meaninglessness of existence than most, but for much of the third day at Beckenham we were all Vladimirs, desperately Waiting For The Declaration.In a delicious twist, much like Godot, the declaration never came. Just as the crowd were thinking, like Vladimir’s perennial chum Estragon that “they can’t go on like this” Surrey mercifully contrived to lose their last four wickets for 19 runs in 15 heady minutes. Being “bundled out” for 280 with a lead of just 426 hardly constituted a drastic change in fortunes for Surrey, but it did lurch the watching public out of their day-long torpor.This is not to blame Surrey for their tactics. There are just times in red-ball cricket when one side is ahead, significantly ahead. Starting the day with an overall lead of 156 and ten wickets in hand, Surrey held all the cards. Kent needed to make half-a-dozen breakthroughs in the first session if they were to shift the balance of power.They managed half that in the first half of the session, and momentarily, at 59 for 3, the match situation was, if not in the balance, then in need of tender loving care from Scott Borthwick and Ben Foakes. Surrey’s top order had once again had to face good, probing bowling from Darren Stevens, Matt Milnes and Harry Podmore with the new ball. But they bat pretty deep, and also know that this Beckenham pitch rewards patience. Once the ball goes a little softer, the seam a little flatter, the ball comes on to the bat well. The bowling green outfield also gives great value for your shots.So Borthwick and Foakes dug in. Just 74 runs came in 29 overs but no more than those three wickets had fallen. The frisson of jeopardy that accompanied Dean Elgar’s wicket was now a distant memory. We were back speculating on the likely arrival of the declaration. The cricket relapsed into polite gentility; Borthwick standing firm at one end, while Foakes breezed along fluently at the other.It was rather like a scene in which Jeeves sternly dismisses Wooster’s choice of hat while the latter tinkles on the piano. But every time you felt Surrey would be able to take control and cut loose, Kent would counter with a wicket. Foakes edged Podmore behind when the lead had reached 279, then Borthwick fell soon after for his second half-century of the match; once more to the off spin of Adam Riley as the ball cannoned of bat and pad on to his stumps.But cricket, to paraphrase Estragon, “always finds something to give us the impression we exist?” Today that impression was provided by Sam Curran. Watchful initially, he served up the day’s only real dose of fireworks, either side of tea. The second of two huge straight sixes off Riley took him past 2000 first-class runs and he won’t be 21 for another 12 days. There can’t be many players who have managed that feat without scoring a single century, and his infuriation was palpable when he holed out to Alex Blake off Milnes for 80.By that stage Kent had very cunningly posted seven players on the rope and were bowling back of a length to the long square boundaries. Curran could have milked 20 singles but he knew the imperative was to get on with it and perished in the service of his team. As Vladimir says, there was “nothing to be done”.By this time, though, the lead was beyond 400. The equation of runs to overs remaining still demanded Surrey bat on. The final three wickets didn’t so much fall in a heap as gently drop to their knees and finally we had our target.It’s been tough to bat against the new ball in this match. It’s been tough to bat against the new ball, frankly, for the last few seasons, as the averages of openers around the country will testify. Surrey will have had strong hopes that they could make significant inroads but Sean Dickson, fresh from his hundred in the first innings, and also England qualified despite his South African birth, had other ideas, standing firm to reach the close unbeaten on 27. Morne Morkel did pick up Zak Crawley but with nine wickets in hand and 380 runs to force an unlikely win, Kent will feel they got about as much out if this day as they could.It wasn’t a thrilling a day. We will all see better days, and Thursday promises much, but Vladimir perhaps nails it:Vladimir: That passed the timeEstragon: It would have passed in any caseVladimir: Yes, but not so quickly

Real Madrid's Aurelian Tchouameni picked up an injury during the win against Bayern Munich and could be a major doubt for the Champions League final.

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• Tchouameni suffers injury against Bayern
• Suffers stress injury to left foot
• Could be a doubt for Champions League final

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Real Madrid did what Real Madrid do best, as they came back from a losing position in the dying minutes against Bayern to secure their place in the Champions League final for the record 17th time in history. During the clash, however, they lost Tchouameni in the 69th minute and he could be a doubt for the final against Borussia Dortmund on June 1.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 24-year-old midfielder suffered a stress injury to his left foot as per Real Madrid's official announcement. He had suffered a similar injury at the start of the season, and it is yet to be cleared up if it is the same injury that has caused trouble yet again to the French midfielder. As per reports, Madrid believe that the midfielder will be guaranteed to return for France's European Championship campaign this summer.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  As per The Athletic, Real Madrid currently fear that there is only a 20 per cent chance that Tchouameni could return to full fitness before the Champions League final. If that is the case, Eduardo Camavinga will likely become Carlo Ancelotti's option to play as the pivot during the final.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  With the La Liga title having already been wrapped up by Los Blancos, they will have their full focus turned to the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund on June 1 and will hope to see Tchouameni recover to full fitness before then.

Wrexham could, according to a brand and culture expert, star in their own musical that charts the club’s rise under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

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• Hollywood co-owners arrived in 2021
• Rollercoaster of emotions experienced
• Brand is building on and off the pitch

• Getty/GOAL
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons have come a long way in a short space of time, with it only a little over three years since two Hollywood stars completed a stunning takeover in North Wales. Since then, a trip to Wembley, back-to-back promotions, an award-winning documentary series and numerous high-profile transfers have been enjoyed.

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• WHAT EXPERT SAID

  Wrexham are now much more than a standard EFL outfit, which could lead to greater success being enjoyed away from the pitch. Brand expert Nick Ede has told : “I can imagine they might make a movie about Wrexham’s rise, it’s such an interesting and compelling story. It could focus on the regeneration around Wrexham, showing how the football club helped to rebuild the community, which would create even more of a buzz. We could even see a musical next, who knows? We've seen Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical and a play about The Three Lions so it could happen. Especially with Ryan Reynolds, he loves a good old singsong so it could next on the cards and they get an Oscar for it.”

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ede has also likened Wrexham’s rise to that being enjoyed by an iconic figure from the world of music, adding on the mass appeal that they now enjoy: “Who would have thought that this small Welsh town would suddenly become one of the biggest TV hits in the world and have all eyes on them. I can compare it to what Taylor Swift has done when she's gone to different countries and her concerts have helped to grow mini economies thanks to fans buying food and drink and celebrating.”

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• WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Series three of ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ is set to hit screens in May, which covers another promotion-winning campaign, while Reynolds and McElhenney are locked in talks with manager Phil Parkinson regarding summer transfer plans and pre-season tour preparations.

Not even out-of-control bushfires in Hobart could stop the Hurricanes from claiming a fifth straight win after another perfectly executed chase, this time over the Sydney Sixers at Bellerive Oval. D’Arcy Short made an outstanding 64 off 42 balls and George Bailey a stunning 30 from 17 balls to get the Hurricanes to the line, before Simon Milenko and James Faulkner finished the job with one ball to spare.Short become the second-fastest player to 1000 BBL runs, reaching the milestone in 24 innings, just two shy of Shaun Marsh’s record of 22. He looked set to finish the chase himself but was undone by superb yorker from Sean Abbott, who tried his best to keep his side in the game with two key wickets. But Bailey and Milenko struck three sixes between them in the last five overs to see the Hurricanes home.Earlier, Daniel Hughes had made a superb 61 to underpin the Sixers’ underwhelming total of 8 for 161. The Sixers were undone by an excellent spell from Johan Botha, who took 3 for 22 from four overs, including two wickets in the Powerplay. Hughes and Moises Henriques reclaimed momentum before Henriques was brilliantly run out by Short and Hughes fell to Botha.Matthew Wade and D’Arcy Short walk out to bat•Getty Images

Botha’s back-to-back strikesThe Hurricanes’ captain Matthew Wade has been very flexible with his bowling changes in the Powerplays throughout the tournament. Through four games no bowler had bowled a two-over spell in the Powerplay, although a couple had bowled two one-over spells. After the first two overs of the innings cost 17, Wade turned to Botha. Joe Denly was clean bowled by a ball that didn’t turn and Botha conceded just a single from the over, so Wade left him on. Botha then had Justin Avendano caught behind with the first ball of his next over. He took 2 for 8 in the Powerplay as the Sixers’ momentum stalled at 2 for 45.Henriques caught ShortHughes and Henriques put together an excellent 67-run stand for the third wicket. Overs seven to 11 are normally among the lowest scoring of any T20 innings. But the pair took 37 from those four overs with some outstanding striking. They threatened to build a huge total before Henriques was undone by some brilliant fielding. When he missed a slog-sweep off Short, Wade fumbled behind the stumps and the ball bounced away from him. Hughes called Henriques through for a bye. Wade quickly zipped out to gather and throw at the non-striker’s end but the throw was well wide of the stumps. Short moved to his right, gathered the awkward throw and backhanded it onto the stumps to beat Henriques. The Sixers innings struggled from there. Wade brought back Botha to get Hughes while Jordan Silk had a rare failure miscuing a James Faulkner slower ball to cover. Faulkner took two wickets in the final over of the innings to finish with 3 for 36 but did concede a six and a four as the Sixers posted 161.The catch that wasn’tAfter Wade fell for just 15 early in the chase, all eyes turned to Short. He was restrained in the Powerplay reaching 23 off 18 balls as the Hurricanes made 1 for 43 from the first six overs. Short opened up his shoulders in the seventh over off Steve O’Keefe and hit him to deep midwicket. The Sixers’ best fielder Jordan Silk was stationed in the hot spot. Silk took the catch cleanly while tight walking the rope. His momentum took his third step over the rope and he threw the ball to team-mate Sean Abbott close by, but didn’t get the throw away before his foot hit the ground outside the rope.Short survived and added six to his total. He went onto hit two more sixes on his way to 64 from 42 balls to take control of the chase. Alex Doolan was also dropped on 9 in the next over by Josh Philippe, grassing a straight-forward skier, and he went on to make an important 26. Sean Abbott pulled the game back knocking over both Doolan and Short, the latter clean bowled by a sensational yorker. But the equation was a manageable 51 from 35 balls with seven wickets in hand.Bailey brillianceAbbott conceded just four runs from the 15thover as Bailey faced two dots in his first three balls. Henriques then gambled with the part-time legspin of Joe Denly in the 16th, figuring the ball spinning away from the right-handers was a better match-up than Ben Manenti’s offspin. However, the plan backfired. Bailey and Ben McDermott took 16 from the over.McDermott fell in the next over but Bailey found the rope again off O’Keefe. With 19 runs needed from the last two overs, Henriques turned to Abbott. He missed with two attempted yorkers and Bailey and Simon Milenko dispatched both length balls for six and the game was effectively over. Bailey fell to a great catch by Henriques in the last over but Milenko and Faulkner managed to find the remaining five runs.