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Manchester United now have an even bigger task on their hands during the January transfer window after it was confirmed that Ruben Amorim had been sacked after 14 months in the role.

The 40-year-old’s outburst about the hierarchy following Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Leeds United spelt the end of his tenure, which lasted a total of 63 matches.

During such a period, the now former Red Devils boss was only able to achieve a measly 40% win percentage and led the club to a 15th-place finish in the Premier League during 2024/25.

As a result, the hierarchy’s focus for the coming weeks will no doubt be on recruiting a new manager to lead the club back to their former glory in the near future.

However, it has not stopped numerous players from being touted with a move to join the Red Devils, including one player whom Amorim sought after during his spell at the helm.

Man Utd could make £100m move for PL sensation

During Amorim’s tenure at United, he often struggled with the balance of the two-man midfield within his 3-4-2-1 system – something which no doubt contributed to his demise.

The likes of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes often partnered one another at the heart of the side, but with both players being over 30, a long-term solution is no doubt needed.

Academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo could now prove a viable option after Amorim’s departure, with the 20-year-old able to get his career back on track after being continuously overlooked by the 40-year-old.

However, new additions could also be made in such a department, which has once again led to rumours over a move to land Brighton & Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba.

According to one Spanish outlet, the Red Devils are closely monitoring a deal to land the Cameroonian international this winter after previously wanting to sign him in the summer.

The report also states that he is seen as the perfect option for the immediate and long-term future to rebuild the midfield department, but any deal would likely be an expensive one.

They claim that the Seagulls are currently holding out for a reported £100m for his signature, with such a figure looking like it will be enough to get a deal over the line. Brighton have rejected any notion that they will accept a reduced price when it comes to letting the midfielder depart the Amex.

Why Baleba would end Ugarte’s Man Utd career

Manuel Ugarte was seen as United’s latest big-money midfield addition, after the hierarchy forked out a reported £50m for his signature from PSG back in the summer of 2024.

The Uruguayan international has since struggled to nail down his starting role over the last couple of months, which has led to questions over his future at the club.

The 24-year-old has featured in 14 league outings to date, with six of which coming from a starting position – resulting in just one solitary victory during such a period.

Whilst he’s seen as a ball-winning option, the former Sporting CP star has massively struggled in possession, which has no doubt led to discontent being directed his way from the fanbase.

However, despite the huge investment in his signature, Ugarte could find himself out the door at Old Trafford in the coming months, especially if a deal is completed for Baleba.

When comparing the pair’s respective stats from the Premier League, the Brighton star has dominated in key areas, showcasing why he’d be a better option for the Red Devils going forward.

Baleba, who’s been dubbed a “monster” by Eduardo Hagn, has completed more of the passes he’s attempted this season, with more of which being made into the final third.

How Baleba & Ugarte compare in the PL (2025/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Baleba

Ugarte

Games played

16

14

Minutes played

896

644

Pass accuracy

85%

80%

Short pass accuracy

94%

87%

Passes into final third

1.2

0.2

Take-ons completed

0.9

0.6

Progressive carries

1.1

0.9

Recoveries made

6.1

5.5

Aerials won

61%

47%

Stats via FBref

Such numbers showcase his ability to dominate with the ball at his feet, something which has been hugely lacking when the Uruguayan has started in recent weeks.

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Without the ball, the Cameroonian has been just as impressive, as seen by his tally of 6.1 ball recoveries per 90 – a figure which is higher than that of the current Red Devils star.

Other numbers, such as 0.9 take-ons per 90 and 61% aerials won, showcase his quality in and out of possession, something which could catch the attention of the United board.

£100m would no doubt be a huge investment given the recent antics at Old Trafford, but the club simply let the opportunity of landing Baleba pass them by this winter.

At 22, he has all of the attributes needed to star at the Theatre of Dreams, not to mention having the chance to improve further in the years ahead, given his tender age.

As for Ugarte, his time at the club now looks in serve threat, with a deal for the Premier League sensation all but ending his career in Manchester despite his own big-money 18 months ago.

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This Man Utd star was excellent in their 1-1 draw away to Leeds

Posts ByJoe Nuttall

Chelsea continued their poor form in December, suffering a 2-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa in the Premier League.

It was very much a game of two halves, with Enzo Maresca’s side dominating the first 45 minutes but struggling in the second, as the Blues slipped to defeat at Stamford Bridge.

A first-half goal from Joao Pedro gave the West Londoners a lead at halftime. He deflected Reece James’ corner in from close range to put the Blues ahead.

Yet, second-half substitute Ollie Watkins, afforded plenty of space in an open game, scored twice to secure the three points for Villa.

Maresca’s men were certainly the better side in the first half, as the stats suggest. Villa sat off the Blues, allowing them the lion’s share of possession, with 71%, and ten shots. On reflection, Chelsea might be kicking themselves that they didn’t capitalise.

That is because, in the second 45 minutes, they could only manage four shots at Emi Martinez’s goal. The visitors took their chances better than Chelsea, which cost the London outfit three points.

It was a tough day at the office for the Blues, with Alejandro Garnacho among those struggling in attack.

Chelsea's misfiring forwards vs Villa

Summer signing Garnacho has certainly been hit and miss for the Blues since moving from Manchester United. On Saturday evening at the Bridge, it was tough going up against Matty Cash, one of the Premier League’s most experienced right-backs.

As is often the case with the Argentine, he constantly looked to be a nuisance, driving at the Poland international.

However, it didn’t come off for him on this occasion, and too often, the winger made the wrong decision at crucial moments in the final third.

One person who noticed the Chelsea number 49’s struggles was Richie Mills, journalist for Goal. He gave Garnacho a 5/10 rating at the end of the game and noted the fact that he ‘needs to offer more end product’.

This was certainly reflected in his stats at the end of the game. The winger, who played 69 minutes, had 38 touches but lost the ball nine times, failed to complete any of his four crosses, and didn’t attempt a dribble.

As bad as Garnacho was against Villa, there was another attacker who was arguably worse.

Chelsea’s new Conor Gallagher

If it was a poor night for Garnacho, then it was an even more disappointing one for Pedro Neto. The Portugal international was largely anonymous against Unai Emery’s side, struggling to get into the game on the right wing.

Indeed, his numbers at full-time show just how tough of an evening it was for Neto.

He lost the ball a whopping 24 times, having had 67 touches, and failed to complete a single dribble or a single tackle.

Neto key stats vs. Villa

Stat

Number

Touches

67

Number of times ball lost

24

Pass accuracy

83%

Crosses completed

1/9

Duels won

1/4

Tackles won

0/1

Dribbles completed

0/1

Stats from Sofascore

It was arguably a surprise that he played the whole game, with Cole Palmer the man Maresca took off.

His efforts were rated 4/10 by Mills, who was critical of the winger, explaining that he was largely ‘ineffectual’ against the Villans.

Whilst Neto has done well this term, it does feel like there are moments in big games, such as this clash with Villa, where he is lacking that quality.

Subscribe to the newsletter for deeper Chelsea analysis Crave granular match breakdowns? Subscribe to the newsletter to get player ratings, possession and shot stats, and tactical takeaways that explain performances like Garnacho’s and Neto’s so you can follow Chelsea debates with evidence.

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As far back as last season, Tony Cascarino said Chelsea fans only see “glimpses of how great he can be” for the club,

He could certainly be viewed as Maresca’s version of Conor Gallagher. The former Cobham graduate was a star man under Mauricio Pochettino, but was quickly deemed a sellable asset by the club when the Argentine was sacked at the end of the 2023/24 season.

That is similar to Neto in many ways. The winger is loved by Maresca, as shown by the fact that he was kept on the pitch when Palmer was taken off.

Yet, as Cascarino noted, there have only been flashes of brilliance, with all the ex-Wolves man’s hard work and endeavour not always being rewarded with an end product.

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After another poor performance, it will be fascinating to see if the Italian keeps his first-choice winger in the starting lineup, or turns to the likes of Estevao to add a new dimension to the side.

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	Ravi Bopara could earn a recall if Paul Collingwood doesn’t recover from his shoulder problem ahead of the first Test © Getty Images

Geoff Miller’s first Test squad as national selector included 12 of England’s tried and trusted players. With Andrew Flintoff ruled out of the first two matches against New Zealand, the most significant decision has been put on the back-burner for another few weeks at least. The return of Matthew Hoggard is the most notable move, but even that was expected after his solid start to the season.The one issue still hanging over the squad is the fitness of Paul Collingwood, whose right shoulder is causing him problems, but Miller didn’t see the need to name an official stand-by. “We’ve got cover, we know where we are going but I don’t think it is necessary to announce 13,” he told . “In that eventuality we are in a position to deal with it.”The two most likely candidates should England need a replacement are Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara. Both have been in action for England Lions against the New Zealanders but haven’t stamped their authority on the match at The Rose Bowl. Shah made 43 in the second innings while Bopara failed in both innings and was given only one over in New Zealand’s first innings.Bopara started the season with a bang for Essex, passing fifty in his first six innings and scoring two centuries, while Shah has been steady for Middlesex. Shah travelled around all winter with England without a chance in the Tests, but Bopara would be able to fill in for Collingwood’s medium-pace.Luke Wright’s form has caused some interest with his 120 for the Lions coming when they were in trouble at 89 for 5 on the first day. But despite being given more responsibility with the ball for Sussex, and bowling at decent pace, he only bats at No. 7 for his county and would be a surprising, if exciting, choice.”It is about forcing the issue. We are looking to peripheral players not to be just knocking on the door but banging it down,” Miller said. “We have one or two players who are knocking very hard.”One player who isn’t banging very hard on the door is Steve Harmison, who was dropped alongside Hoggard after the defeat to New Zealand in Hamilton. He has taken four wickets at 40 in two Championship matches and Miller said he wants to see more from him.”I had a chat with Steve the other day and explained the situation. We need Steve to be bowling, as he can bowl, at 90 miles-an-hour and if he is doing that, getting wickets and his confidence is back then we will reassess it.”At this moment in time he needs to be getting those performances in for Durham and we are allowing him to do that. His mood is pretty good, he knows where he is, he knows he didn’t perform like he can perform in that first Test match in New Zealand and he is trying hard to get form back again – we will back him all we possibly can.”

Text of letter from the West Indies touring squad to Dinanath Ramnarine, the CEO of the West Indies Players’ Association

Dear Mr. Ramnarine,We would like to bring to your attention in your capacity as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the West Indies Players Association our astonishment, disappointment and displeasure at remarks made by the Chief Executive Officer of the West Indies Cricket Board, Mr. Bruce Aanensen with regard to us players on the West Indies team. We, however, felt that it would more appropriate to bring up this matter at the end of the England Tour rather than during when the comments of Mr. Aanensen were actually made.We are highly offended that Mr. Aanensen saw it fit to have publicly labeled us the players as ‘incompetent’. We register this with you and ask you to bring it to the attention of the Directors of the West Indies Cricket Board as well as to the Chairman of the Cricket Committee Mr. Clive Lloyd. Please implore the directors and Mr. Lloyd that we the players wish for this matter to be seriously addressed and appropriate action taken.We are also disturbed to learn that Mr. Aanensen made an issue of your meeting with us just prior to our departure for the tour to England. Although we question his claim that he was well within his rights to do so, we, nevertheless, find it incredulous that he should contemplate a position to debar the constitutional representative of the players from meeting them in his official capacity.We are now left with the rather difficult situation of determining whether as players we would be able to continue working with Mr. Aanensen. Unfortunately, given the unfair and frankly thoughtless nature of his comments we would not be keen in having any further interaction at a professional level with Mr. Aanensen.From Mr. Aanensen’s comments, for which, significantly, he has made no withdrawals or apologies, we would find it virtually impossible to engage him in any meaningful manner.Sincerely, Members of the West Indies Team in England & Ireland

Text of letter from Ramnarine to Ken Gordon, the West Indies Cricket Board president

Dear Mr. GordonIt is no secret that since Mr. Bruce Aanensen assumed the position of CEO of the WICB on April 16, 2007, his modus operandi has not been viewed favourably by WIPA. The attached letter dated July 07, 2007 received from the West Indies team in England adds further fuel to the matter. Even admitting that no one is perfect or 100 per cent correct, we continue to find it increasingly difficult to work with Mr. Aanensen in the interest of West Indies cricket. Mr. Aanensen’s management style is unfortunate and surprising for a CEO who has only recently assumed his position and should therefore be trying to build bridges for the future.Recent examples of such negative management style are as follows:1. Indicating to the public that the Board had submitted all relevant documents to the Arbitration Panel re the Future Tour Programme when, indeed, it had not done so.2. Issuing misleading statements regarding Caricom’s official position on the Zimbabwe tour.3. Displaying little tact as a CEO in publicly criticizing the players as “incompetent” while they were in the middle of a tour.4. Causing much embarrassment in not ensuring that replacement players arrived in time for the commencement of the ODI series in England.5. Flouting the MOU regarding the need for prior consultation and agreement with WIPA with respect to the tour to Zimbabwe and the proposed dates for the upcoming first class regional tournament. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, WIPA had to learn about both these scheduling arrangements in the media.6. Failure to consult and agree with WIPA in determining ‘Team Policy” which the WICB is required to do under the terms of our agreement.7. Seemingly insufficient understanding of the Agreements signed and the issues involved, resulting in the recent lengthy and costly arbitration exercise.8. Leaks to the media by Board sources which I have discussed with you previously, that caused embarrassment to WIPA and the players (e.g. captaincy issue re Ganga/Gayle)9. Making uncomplimentary remarks to the media about me as President and CEO of WIPA.10. Apparent reluctance to meet with me as President and CEO of WIPA in spite of at least three requests made by me. We have met only once through my initiative, and this was prior to his assumption of duty as CEO.11. On the only occasion I spoke to Mr. Aanensen on the telephone, he hung up the phone on me and when I called him back he ended up again hanging up on me. I regarded this as the height of discourtesy, and12. We continue to receive feedback from talk show hosts throughout the region, regarding public opinion about Mr. Aanansen’s negative management style.Naturally we recognize the right of WICB to employ anyone they choose but at the same time they should make every effort to select the right person for each job, especially if the position is a public, high-profile post where credibility and transparency are so important in the eyes of other relevant parties. With deep respect and in the view of the Executive of WIPA and the players, Mr. Aanensen has not started off on the right foot.Given the above comments, we feel strongly that in the interest of W.I. Cricket, Mr. Aanensen should be asked to resign with immediate effect so that the incoming Board can start with a clean slate.Respectfully yours, Dinanath Ramnarine

Text of letter from Gordon to Ramnarine

Dear Mr. Ramnarine,This will acknowledge receipt of your letter of July 12th re the management style of our CEO.Having discussed with Mr. Aanensen the alleged examples of “negative management style” about which you complain, and heard his explanations, I am satisfied that there is no justification to your charges.Nonetheless, it is desirable that I convey my own response to your complaint. It is of the utmost importance that organizations like WIPA and WICB should work closely together. That was one of my principal objectives when I assumed the Presidency and as I think you are aware, I invested a considerable amount of time in attempting to build a relationship. I have not succeeded and perhaps there is something more that I might have done which I did not do… if so I continue to ponder what that might have been.On the other hand I have heard your bitter complaints about the WICB and all it’s officials: The Board is totally incompetent; the former President was inaccessible; the former CEO could not be trusted; the CFO is inefficient; the Corporate Secretary is dishonest and you refuse to communicate with him even on official business, causing complications in the communication flow between our organizations for which you blame everyone but yourself. You have been frequently abusive to Deryck Murray and his team at negotiations and I have had to inform you that such behaviour is unacceptable. You have stated at meetings with one of our Board members and two executives of WICB present, that I am a liar. You have since denied saying so, while everyone present heard your comment. I even understand that you have informed both Barry Thomas and Tony Deyal that you would have them fired.In addition, you publicly denigrate the WICB Board, its Officers and Executive at every opportunity and remain constantly critical in the media.Now you state that Mr. Aanensen should be asked to resign because of his “negative style”.Permit me to suggest that self analysis of your own style is long over due. I have urged you on more than one occasion to do so. You have done much on behalf of the players and I personally commend you for that. But you appear incapable of rising to the level of maturity now required if the relationship between WIPA and WICB is to contribute to the development of West Indies Cricket.I sincerely hope you will accept the foregoing in the spirit in which it is written, bearing in mind that whatever differences may exist, civility is at the core of all healthy relationships. When people feel abused, many hit back and then everything goes downhill.It is not too late to attempt a new beginning and if you are disposed to doing so, I would be pleased to arrange a three cornered meeting before I demit office between Mr. Aanensen and us both.With kind regards(not signed when sent electronically)K. Gordon

Division One

Luke Sutton hit his first century for Lancashire as the Roses clash with Yorkshire at Old Trafford remained a tight battle. The home side lost early wickets in reply to Yorkshire’s, but they were settled by another fine century from Mal Loye, who followed his match-saving 148 against Sussex with an even hundred. However, Loye fell shortly after tea to Darren Lehmann with Lancashire nearly 100 adrift. Sutton had already passed fifty and took charge of the innings with some support from Glen Chapple and Kyle Hogg as Lancashire edged into the lead. Deon Kruis was the pick of the Yorkshire attack but the young supporting cast struggled to make an impression.Michael Carberry led Hampshire‘s fightback against Middlesex at Lord’s with an unbeaten 103 after they had conceded 422. Paul Weekes and Ben Scott claimed full batting points for Middlesex and then Chris Silverwood claimed the early wicket of James Adams with the new ball. John Crawley, though, continued his fine form and added 134 for the second wicket with Carberry but Middlesex hit back with three wickets for 18 runs. Carberry remained firm and reached his second century of the season shortly before stumps.Alex Loudon claimed 5 for 49, his best figures of the season, to give Warwickshire completed command over Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston. Warwickshire extended their first innings to 381 and the visitors were decently placed on 131 for 2 when Loudon made his impact. David Alleyne and Stephen Fleming had both passed fifty before falling to Loudon’s offspin and David Hussey was run out first ball. In the end Nottinghamshire could only squeeze a single batting point but Warwickshire didn’t enforce the follow-on, conscious of not wanting to bat last. They wobbled slightly, losing three late wickets, but are still well placed with a lead of 229.

Division Two

Chris Rogers struck a magnificent 319 as Northamptonshire piled up an imposed 628 against Gloucestershire Northampton. He already had 242 overnight and continued on his merry way until Chris Taylor finally prized him from the crease. Still, Northants didn’t stop scoring as the tail flung the bat merrily. Lance Klusener and Steven Crook cracked rapid 40s before Steve Kirby wrapped up the innings with a hardworking five-wicket haul. Gloucestershire lost two early wickets in reply but Craig Spearman steadied their innings with a swashbuckling century.Surrey, and especially Mark Ramprakash, just can’t stop scoring runs. Following his triple century last week, Ramprakash became the first batsman to pass 2000 runs for the season as Worcestershire were put to the sword at New Road. He became the first English batsman to pass the milestone since he himself did it back in 1995 before falling for 196 to the last ball of the day. Through Ramprakash’s effort, Jon Batty’s 104 – a second for the season – and a crunching, unbeaten 110 from Ally Brown, Surrey raced into the lead in familiar fashion. Only Mark Butcher missed out as he fell for a duck.Somerset capitulated on the second day against Derbyshire as they slumped to 151 all out at Derby. Steffan Jones took four wickets and Ian Hunter three as the batting showed precious little resistance. Only Neil Edwards, with 75, put up any fight until he was eighth out but Cameron White decided not to enforce the follow on. Michael di Venuto then took the bowlers to the cleaners with a rapid century at more than a run-a-ball as Derbyshire sped into a huge lead. Simon Francis went for 32 off two overs.

Division One

Points TableWarwickshire defied Middlesex’s bowlers at Lord’s to complete a brilliant victory. Losing Nick Knight early on, who had yesterday batted aggressively with Jim Troughton to set up the chase, followed soon after by Neil Carter and Tony Frost, Middlesex looked set for victory. But a stablising innings of 95 from Alex Loudon, and solid partnerships with Dougie Brown and the 21-year-old Luke Parker saw Warwickshire home by three wickets.Gloucestershire lost 7 for 37 in pursuit of 411, as Hampshire completed victory by 178 runs. Shaun Udal, the off-spinner, took six of Gloucestershire’s second innings wickets in a brilliant spell of controlled, economical bowling. At one point, Gloucestershire had a chance of at least eeking out a draw, when Ramnaresh Sarwan and and Matt Windows were at the crease. However, their promising partnership ended on 79, as Dimitri Mascarenhas took the wicket of Matt Windows – his first and only wicket of the match. Hampshire are placed second in Division One, trailing some way behind the leaders Kent.

Division Two

Points TableLancashire stormed to victory against Leicestershire to retain hopes of being promoted to Division One for the 2006 Championship. Resuming on 78 for 5, James Anderson had the Indian Dinesh Mongia caught behind, one of six catches for Warren Hegg, and five wickets for Anderson. Ottis Gibson and David Masters put on 44 for the ninth wicket – the second highest partnership of Leicestershire’s innings – but it was too little too late, as they were dismissed for just 164.Essex were grateful for Andy Flower’s superb, undefeated innings of 132 to complete a victory over Durham. Overnight, they were well placed with Flower and Ronnie Irani established, but Durham’s bowlers fought back well to restrict Essex’s middle-order, continually picking up key wickets. Flower, though, could not be stopped, as he went on to score his fourth hundred, and his 1000th run, of the season. Despite losing their eighth wicket as victory beckoned, the 20-year-old Antonio Palladino hung around for ten balls to help Flower see Essex through. Despite this loss, only their second of the season, Durham still remain the leaders of Division Two. Essex are placed third, but have played two more matches than Yorkshire, who trail by just four points.Ant Botha and Andy Gray, Derbyshire’s spin twins, starred with the bat against Somerset as they led a lower order revival and left this match heading for a draw. The pair came together at 264 for 7, with the follow on looming, and proceeded to add 170. Botha fell nine runs short of his century, when he was bowled by Andrew Caddick, before Ian Blackwell declared with Gray unbeaten on 77. It was hard toil for the Somerset bowlers, Caddick sending down 40 overs for his four scalps. Somerset then crawled along in the final session – losing Matthew Wood for 10 – leaving the final day needing some innovative captaincy to make a result possible.Ben Phillips and spinner Monty Panesar bowled Northamptonshire to a comprehensive victory over Worcestershire at New Road. Setting Worcestershire 360 to win, with two days left to play, only four batsmen could reach double figures; Ben Smith comfortably top-scoring with 92. Panesar hit the stumps three times in his haul of 4 for 40, including the key wickets of Smith and the South African Zander de Bruyn. Earlier, Northants had added a further 87 in their second innings of 386, David Sales finally falling for a brilliant 190.

Azhar Mahmood – may be returning to Pakistan cricket© Getty Images

Pakistan’s new coach, Bob Woolmer, has embarked upon the team’s rebuilding process, by asking the Pakistan Cricket Board to arrange a meeting with the seven national players who are currently playing in county cricket. Among them is Azhar Mahmood, the Surrey allrounder who has not played a Test match since Pakistan’s last tour of England in 2001, and a man whom Woolmer is keen to reintroduce to the national set-up.”We will go by what [Woolmer] says because he obviously has a neutral view about the players,” said Rameez Raja, the Pakistan board’s chief executive, “He will be starting from scratch.” Woolmer has already spoken to Shoaib Akhtar, who is currently playing for Durham, and also intends to meet with Mohammad Sami, Saqlain Mushtaq, Danish Kaneria, Shoaib Malik and Shabbir Ahmed.According to a report in The News, a Pakistan daily, Woolmer still feels Mahmood has plenty to offer in international cricket. He began his Test career with a bang at Rawalpindi in 1997-98, when he cracked unbeaten innings of 128 and 50 on debut against South Africa, and he followed that up with back-to-back centuries at Johannesburg and Durban four months later. But his form fell away after that, and he managed no more fifties and just one four-wicket haul in his last 13 matches.He made a brief return to the one-day side against New Zealand at the beginning of the year, but has since been overlooked for Pakistan’s Asia Cup squad and recently described the Pakistani cap as “worthless”. “Why I am in and out of the Pakistan team?” he asked. “Whether I perform or not does not seem to make a difference.”Whether coincidentally or not, all three of Mahmood’s finest performances have come against Woolmer’s South Africans, so if anyone has faith in his ability, then it has to be the new coach.

A super century by Yasir Hameed and fine bowling by off-spinner Shoaib Malik helped PIA lift the NBP One-day Patron’s Cup with a comfortable 55-run victory over Wapda in the final at Gaddafi Stadium on Monday.Chasing a formidable target of 274, Wapda failed to absorb the pressure of playing their first final and were able to muster only 218 for nine in the allotted 50 overs.Wapda, though, began the chase promisingly as Tariq Aziz (31) and Adil Nisar (25) put on 46 for the opening partnership.Shahid Mansoor batted solidly in the middle-order to contribute 60 off 84 deliveries with three boundaries before falling to slow left-armer Nadeem Khan, neatly stumped by brother Moin, the PIA skipper.Shoaib gained some useful practice before he leaves for Sharjah on Tuesday morning for the four-nation tournament. Bowling to a tidy line and length, the spinner conceded just 24 runs in 10 overs, picking up in the process wickets of Tariq Aziz, Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan (21), Farooq Iqbal (29) and Waqas Ahmed (5).Nadeem Khan, in contrast, proved expensive as he gave away 60 runs in his 10 overs.Earlier, PIA overcame the early loss of the in-form Moin to pile up a big total after winning the toss.Moin, the former Pakistan captain, was caught behind for only six when he nibbled at an outswinger from pacemanNaveed-ul-Hasan.The experienced Ghulam Ali hammered five fours and a brace of sixes on his way to a rapid 61 off 79 balls. He dominated the second-wicket stand of 84 with Yasir.Yasir found another reliable partner in former Test batsman Asif Mujtaba. But Asif was unable to stay for long as he was unluckily run out while going for a second run.Yasir, however, made amends by taking on the responsibility of anchoring the innings. Faisal Iqbal helped him add 76 runs in only 47minutes for the fourth wicket. Faisal went after making 32 off 41 balls when he played across the line to a good length delivery from medium-pacer Kashif Raza.Yasir, who made a career-best 207 in the final of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy earlier in the season, completed a magnificent century with the aid of five hits to the ropes. He departed shortly after for a fine 102, which were scored off 122 balls.Shoaib played a little cameo by blasting an unbeaten 25 off just seven deliveries. Naveed-ul-Hasan suffered most in the final over of the innings as 21 runs were scored from it. Shoaib lifted the first three balls for huge sixes. Kashif finished with three for 60.PIA, who won their ninth one-day title, were presented with the winners’ cash prize of Rs 100,000 and the crystal trophy by NBP president Syed Ali Raza, who graced the final as the chief guest.Wapda skipper Zahid Umar received runners-up’s cash prize ofRs 50,000.Moin was also declared the best batsman of the tournament with an aggregate of 433 runs in eight matches. Shoaib Malik was adjudged the best bowler with 20 wickets. Habib Bank’s Atiq-uz-Zaman with 12 catches and five stumpings was the declared the best wicket-keeper. Bazid Khan won the prize for being the best fielder with eight catches. All of them received were awarded Rs 10,000 each.Yasir Hameed was a deserving recipient of the Man-of-the-Match award, which was worth Rs 10,000 in the final.ScoreboardPIA:Ghulam Ali c Tariq b Aqeel 61Moin Khan c Zahid b Naveed 6Yasir Hameed b Kashif 102Asif Mujtaba run out 27Faisal Iqbal b Kashif 32Bazid Khan c Shahid b Kashif 10Shoaib Malik not out 25Kamran Sajid c Shahid b Naveed 3EXTRAS (LB-2, W-2, NB-3) 7TOTAL (seven wkts, 50 overs) 273FALL OF WKTS: 1-24, 2-108, 3-145, 4-221, 5-245, 6-246, 7-273.DID NOT BAT: Nadeem Khan, Umar Gul, Fazle Akbar.BOWLING: Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan 10-0-60-2; Waqas Ahmed 4.5-0-15-0;Ijaz Mahmood 5.1-0-29-0; Farooq Iqbal 10-0-52-0;Kashif Raza 10-0-60-3; Aqeel Ahmed 10-1-55-1.WAPDA:Tariq Aziz c Bazid b Shoaib 31Adil Nisar lbw b Umar 25Rizwan Malik c Bazid b Fazle 0Shahid Mansoor st Moin b Nadeem 60Zahid Umar run out 9Ijaz Mahmood c Umar b Nadeem 20Rana Naveed-ul-Hasan b Shoaib 21Farooq Iqbal c Ghulam Ali b Shoaib 29Waqas Ahmed c and b Shoaib 5Kashif Raza not out 6Aqeel Ahmed not out 3EXTRAS (LB-4, W-4, NB-1) 9TOTAL (for 9 wkts, 50 overs) 218FALL OF WKTS: 1-46, 2-58, 3-66, 4-79, 5-120, 6-164,7-185, 8-209, 9-209.BOWLING: Umar Gul 10-1-41-1; Fazle Akbar 9-0-54-1;Asif Mujtaba 10-1-30-0; Shoaib Malik 10-2-24-4;Nadeem Khan 10-0-60-2; Kamran Sajid 1-0-5-0.RESULT: PIA won by 55 runs.UMPIRES: Aleem Dar and Nadeem Ghauri.MATCH REFEREE: Azhar Khan.MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Yasir Hameed

Mullally was a star with the bat as Winchester KS clinched the Southern Electric Premier League, Division 3 championship with a thumping nine-wicket win over Paultons at Ower.But it wasn’t Hampshire’s Allan Mullally who shone with the bat.Instead, it was the England left-armer’s younger brother, Neil, on holiday from Western Australia, who stole the show, with a splendid 67.Paultons earlier slipped from 73-1 (Colin James 35) to 163 all out – eight batsmen reaching double figures – with Stuart Marks (3-42) taking the first three wickets.Mullally’s century opening partnership with Paul Marks (58 not out) effectively sealed Paultons’ fate before Raj Naik (30) got to the crease.Rowledge confirmed the runners-up spot, with Chris Yates inspiring a seven-wicket win over Bashley (Rydal) II.Yates took 3-23 as Bashley were dismissed for 111 – a total Rowledge polished off, with the Cardiff University all-rounder hitting 52 not out.Waterlooville have escaped the drop after third-placed St Cross Symondians inflicted an eight-wicket defeat on now relegated Lymington II.Stuart Charman (3-17), Jimmy Adams (3-31) and Matt Perry-Lewis (3-32) took thewickets as Lymington sank from 86-3 to 145 all out (Peter Tapper 48).Adams (43) and Graham Barrett (42) shared an unbroken third-wicket partnership as St Cross coasted home.The nine points Waterlooville got from a two-wicket defeat by Gosport Borough made them safe.Ville totalled 233-8 (Chris Baumann 71), but an unbeaten century by John Adams (102) swept Borough to victory at 235-8.

Northamptonshire’s joy at winning promotion from Division Two of the County Championship could prove short-lived as they face a possible points deductionover the condition of the Wantage Road pitch.The England and Wales Cricket Board’s pitch liaison officer, Phil Sharpe, has expressed his concern at the state of the strip which provided some turn for the spinners. Northants chief executive Steve Coverdale confirmed that a pitch panel will meet at Northampton tomorrow morning.Northamptonshire secured promotion into the first division for next season as they dismissed Essex for 233 on a rain-shortened day.Matthew Hayden’s men went into the match needing two bonus points to be certain of going up, and they achieved their target shortly after tea when their bowler of the year, off-spinner Jason Brown, had Australian Stuart Law caught behind for 59.Brown finished with 4-34 – giving him 61 first-class wickets so far this summer – and Northants replied with 25 for no wicket from 11 overs at the close.Steady drizzle delayed the start until 12 noon, docking 24 overs from the day’s allocation, and the visitors made a strong start with openers Paul Prichard and Paul Grayson posting 50 in 11 overs before lunch against some indifferent new-ball bowling.But Northants broke through in the second over of the afternoon when Prichard (31) was caught in the gully off the former Essex paceman Darren Cousins, and they slipped to 94 for three until Law and Ronnie Irani (27) shared a fourth-wicket stand worth 78 in 24 overs.Irani’s departure, run out by Cousins’ throw attempting a single to backward square leg, triggered the collapse which saw Essex lose their last seven wickets for 61 inside 19 overs.The closing stages were enlivened by last pair James Foster and Peter Such who added 27, with Such hoisting Graeme Swann over midwicket for six before Brown shattered his stumps.