All posts by h79snht.top

أكد التونسي حمزة المثلوثي مدافع نادي الزمالك، أن الفريق حقق الهدف، في مباراة الشرطة الكيني، مشيرًا إلى أن الفوز خطوة أولى للحفاظ على اللقب في الموسم الحالي 2024-2025.

وفاز الزمالك على الشرطة، بهدف دون رد سجله عبد الله السعيد، في إطار منافسات ذهاب دور الـ32 من منافسات كأس الكونفدرالية.

وقال المثلوثي خلال تصريحات عبر المركز الإعلامي للزمالك: “حققنا الهدف من المباراة بالفوز خارج الديار، في أولى خطوات الفريق نحو الحفاظ على اللقب الإفريقي”.

طالع | الزمالك يحدد موعد عودته من كينيا بعد الفوز على الشرطة في الكونفدرالية

وأضاف: “واجهنا بعض الصعوبات خلال مواجهة الشرطة الكيني، منها نقص الأكسجين بسبب ارتفاع الملعب عن سطح البحر”.

وتابع: “تعاهدنا كلاعبين على بذل أقصى جهد من أجل الحفاظ على لقب كأس الكونفدرالية، وهذه سمة الفرق الكبرى مثل الزمالك الذي ينافس على كافة البطولات التي يشارك فيها”.

ومن المقرر أن تقام مباراة العودة في الثامنة مساء يوم الجمعة المقبل 20 سبتمبر، على استاد القاهرة الدولي.

Fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Mark Wood took three wickets each to wrap-up West Indies for a below-par total

The Report by Saurabh Somani14-Jun-2019
This was supposed to be a 350 meets 350 match. At least 300 versus 300. And, for those who dared hope, 400 from both teams. In the end, the combined total of both teams just about crossed 400, with England clinically dismantling West Indies at the Hampshire Bowl on Friday.After three no-result matches in the last four days, it was a bit of a relief to have cricket interrupt the rain. Dark clouds did hover, but metaphorical ones, over the fitness of two key England players. England turned up with their A game, befitting their favourite status. But West Indies were reading from the T20 playbook. They could muster only 212, a total that England romped to in 33.1 overs, riding on Joe Root’s third World Cup century.WATCH on Hotstar (India only): Highlights of England’s eight-wicket win over West IndiesEngland did it without two of their top four – opener Jason Roy and captain Eoin Morgan had limped off the field when West Indies were batting – making it an even more impressive display, though they will be sweating on the fitness of the two batsmen before their next game, against Afghanistan on June 18. Roy left in the eighth over with a tweaked hamstring while Morgan walked off in the 40th over with what he confirmed after the game was a back spasm.That meant Root was opening the innings in ODIs for the first time, but if you hadn’t been told that, or looked it up, you would have never known it. Root made gleeful use of the gaps in the field during the Powerplay, and on the West Indies bowlers’ waywardness, matching Jonny Bairstow shot for shot in an opening stand that wiped out all hope for the visitors. He was particularly good square of the pitch, in front and behind. When West Indies tried the short-ball strategy, he swivelled back and found runs on the leg side. On the off side, his driving through cover was equally sublime.Root started briskly, and stayed brisk. Bairstow, who might consider an innings of less than a run a ball slow, was also chugging along until he upper cut Shannon Gabriel straight to third man to end a stand of 95. Chris Woakes earned a somewhat surprising promotion to No. 3 – again forced by injuries and by England’s desire to let Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler stick to their usual middle-order positions. Woakes showed the faith wasn’t misplaced, constructing 40 like a top-order batsman, before a rush of blood meant he pulled Gabriel to deep square with victory only 14 runs away.Root wasn’t to be denied though, making his second century of the World Cup, emulating Kevin Pietersen as the only other England batsman to score two in an edition. Root’s third century across World Cups topped the list for England batsmen. It capped a day on which he also took two wickets.Root’s strikes were important, but it was England’s fast bowlers who set the match up. Jofra Archer and Mark Wood were quick and hostile, and Woakes’ lines were even tighter. In the first 15 overs, England’s bowlers bowled only balls that weren’t length or back of a length. Of those three, one was a yorker that left Evin Lewis splayed with his stumps disturbed.The Hampshire Bowl is among England’s bigger grounds, which meant merely standing and biffing was never going to be enough. That is where West Indies erred. Their T20-style approach has yielded dividends on flatter tracks and smaller grounds. With some juice in the pitch early and the square boundaries being much longer, that approach backfired.West Indies needed to work the field and get singles and doubles, but they couldn’t do that, and, as a result, despite finding the boundary semi-regularly, the run rate never galloped. Chris Gayle began in usual fashion – sedate at the start and then muscling the ball away powerfully – but both he and Andre Russell were caught at deep square leg trying to pull short balls. Coincidentally, both batsmen – the two most dangerous hitters in the West Indies line-up – had been dropped in that area, but neither could go on to make a big one. Their mis-hits would have cleared the fence elsewhere, but here, they resulted in catches.Nicholas Pooran alone was impressive, deftly working the ball into the gaps and picking up runs in the manner that was most efficient on this ground. Shimron Hetmyer allied with Pooran in what looked like a promising stand after the top three had fallen, until he played a loose shot to give Root his first wicket. An seam-up delivery – a knuckle ball almost – accounted for Jason Holder to give Root his second wicket, to joyous celebrations.It wasn’t the only time England, or Root, celebrated on Friday.

أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم، أفضل لاعب في مباراة الأهلي والزمالك، التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم ببطولة كأس السوبر الإفريقي.

والتقى الأهلي مع الزمالك، على أرضية استاد المملكة أرينا في الرياض بالسعودية، في نهائي كأس السوبر الإفريقي 2024.

واختار الاتحاد الإفريقي مهاجم الزمالك ناصر منسي، ليكون أفضل لاعب في مباراة اليوم نظرًا للمجهود الرائع الذي قدمه مع فريقه.

طالع أيضاً.. فيديو | بركلات الترجيح.. الزمالك يهزم الأهلي ويتوج بالسوبر الإفريقي الخامس في تاريخه

وساهم ناصر منسي في فوز فريقه، حيث نجح في تسجيل هدف التعادل في الدقيقة 76 من عمر اللقاء مستغلًا عرضية عمر جابر المتقنة.

بهذا الفوز يتوج الزمالك بلقب بطولة كأس السوبر الإفريقي لموسم 2024، للمرة الخامسة في تاريخه. هدف ناصر منسي في مباراة الأهلي والزمالك بكأس السوبر الإفريقي

Despite enduring plenty of poor performances in the first half of the season, Chelsea fans have been able to enjoy watching their team over the last month or so, as five wins from seven have seen them reach ninth in the Premier League, the League Cup final and the Fifth Round of the FA Cup.

Mauricio Pochettino has the opportunity to keep the good times coming and make a massive statement in the clash with Liverpool this evening, but one player who is unlikely to be involved is Armando Broja.

The Albanian has been touted for a move away from Chelsea for much of this month, and as they say, there's no smoke without fire.

Moreover, the latest player linked to Stamford Bridge could make for the perfect replacement.

One in, One out

According to reports from Spain, Chelsea have 'entered the race to sign Jonathan David' and have already been in talks with LOSC Lille over the Canadian's future 'for some time.'

The 24-year-old is contracted to Les Dogues until next summer, but according to the report, he is eager to join the Blues this month.

While the Ligue 1 giants are understandably reluctant to sell a striker who has been so effective for them over the last three-and-a-half years, the report has revealed that they would accept offers around the €40m mark, which is about £34m.

If Todd Boehly and Co can get this over the line, it would be a fantastic way to replace Broja.

How David compares to Broja

Now, unless Chelsea promote a player from their academy to fill the void, they will need to bring in another number nine to replace Broja should he leave; otherwise, they will be left with just Nicolas Jackson as the squad's only out-and-out nine, which, considering he has underperformed his expected goals figure by over four this year, is far from ideal.

Luckily, in David, they could be about to sign one of the most promising forwards in France at the moment, and at just 24 years old, there is still plenty of time for him to develop into a leading Premier League number nine.

That said, if he can just replicate his Ligue 1 form in west London, the fans are in for a treat, as he has never scored fewer than 13 goals for Lille in a complete league campaign.

Last season was his most impressive campaign to date, as he notched up a frankly remarkable 24 goals and four assists in just 36 league starts, a level of output that makes podcaster Tony Marinaro's claim that David is "one of the best strikers in the world" easier to get behind.

In comparison, Broja's best season came back in 2020/21 when he scored ten Eredivisie goals and provided two assists for Vitesse, with his six league goals for Southampton a year later being his second-best return.

It isn't just in goals and assists where the Canadian "phenom", as described by Marinaro, outclasses the Chelsea man, as it's just as one-sided when looking at the pair's underlying numbers.

Jonathan David vs Armando Broja

Stats per 90

David

Broja

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.54

0.50

Goals

0.38

0.20

Assists

0.06

0.00

Progressive Carries

1.99

2.20

Progressive Passes

2.76

1.20

Shots on Target

1.28

0.40

Shot-Creating Actions

2.44

1.59

Successful Take-Ons

0.71

2.60

Successful Take-On Percentage

50.0%

41.9%

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Domestic Season

In every relevant metric bar progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, the Lille man emerges victorious, and in specific statistics such as shot-creating actions and progressive passes per 90, it's by a landslide.

Related Three strikers Chelsea could sign to finally upgrade Jackson

The Blues need a clinical striker they can rely on.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 31, 2024

Ultimately, the Blues look set to cash in on Broja this month, and if they can do that and replace him with David, then it could be one of the best decisions Boehly and Co have in their tumultuous tenure at the club.

MatériaMais Notícias

Tendo recebido recentemente propostas do Urawa Red Diamonds, do Japão, e do Sport Recife, o meia-atacante Thonny Anderson espera ter o seu futuro definido até o início do mês de abril. Em conversas constantes com seu empresário Alaece Dias, o atleta tem se mostrado bastante animado com a proximidade do acerto com seu futuro clube.

– Neste momento o que mais desejo é estar jogando novamente. Sei do potencial que possuo e do quanto posso oferecer à equipe que me contratar. Estou ciente das negociações com times do Brasil e do exterior e não tenho uma preferência clara por esta ou aquela agremiação. Minha vontade, única e exclusiva, é estar dentro de campo sendo feliz profissionalmente – declarou.

Com 23 anos completados em Dezembro, Thonny já defendeu clubes de peso do futebol brasileiro. Atualmente no Red Bull Bragantino, foi revelado pelo Cruzeiro e é o autor do gol mais rápido da Arena do Grêmio, marcado com a camisa do tricolor gaúcho. Já em 2019 foi uma das principais peças do Athletico Paranaense campeão da Copa do Brasil. O jovem demonstra orgulho pelo histórico que carrega.

– Já realizei bastante coisa em poucos anos de carreira. Sou um privilegiado por ter vestido camisas tão vitoriosas e tenho certeza que ainda incluirei outras, tão grandiosas quanto, no meu currículo – finalizou.

RelacionadasFora de CampoSérgio Maurício brinca após chamar BandSports de SporTV em estreia: ‘Depois de anos, saiu e eu nem senti’Fora de Campo27/03/2021Fora de CampoGlobo aguarda clubes decidirem sobre pausa do Paulistão e diz que respeitará decisão da FPFFora de Campo27/03/2021Futebol NacionalCBF divulga tabela detalhada da 2ª fase da Copa do Brasil; veja as datas!Futebol Nacional27/03/2021

قدم قائد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول، فيرجيل فان دايك، آخر التحديثات الخاصة بشأن فريقه قبل مواجهة الليلة أمام بولونيا في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وتمكن ليفربول من تحقيق الفوز في المباراة الأولى أمام نظيره ميلان بنتيجة 3/1 في منافسات الجولة الأولى.

ويواجه ليفربول نظيره بولونيا ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من مرحلة الدوري، بدوري أبطال أوروبا، اليوم الأربعاء، على ملعب “أنفيلد”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. تشكيل ليفربول المتوقع أمام بولونيا اليوم في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وفي ملاحظاته عن برنامج المباراة الرسمي، قال فان دايك: “بصفتنا لاعبين في ليفربول، فإننا نتمتع بالعديد من الامتيازات، واللعب في أنفيلد في ليلة دوري أبطال أوروبا يأتي على رأس تلك القائمة”.

وأضاف: “لقد فاتنا التأهل إلى هذه البطولة في الموسم الماضي بكل تأكيد، لقد كانت بطولة الدوري الأوروبي مفيدة لنا، وبالطبع شعرنا بخيبة الأمل لأننا لم نتأهل حتى النهاية، ولكن هناك شيء خاص في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا”.

وتابع: “إنها المسابقة التي يرغب الجميع في المشاركة فيها، وبالطبع لا تحتاج مني أن أخبرك عن التاريخ المذهل لهذا النادي بها”.

وواصل حديثه: “لقد صنعت بعض أفضل الذكريات في مسيرتي في ليالٍ مثل هذه، لكن هذا يجعلني أكثر شغفًا لخلق المزيد، نقول كل موسم إننا نريد الهجوم على كل بطولة، وهذا صحيح بشكل خاص عندما يتعلق الأمر بدوري أبطال أوروبا”.

واختتم: “لقد حققنا بداية جيدة في مشوارنا الأوروبي في ميلانو قبل أسبوعين، لقد كان التعافي الذي حققناه من البداية الصعبة في تلك المباراة أمرًا سارًا للغاية، ويمنحنا منصة جيدة للبناء عليها في المستقبل”.

The future of a "vital" Sheffield Wednesday player has been decided ahead of the summer transfer window, according to an update from reliable journalist Alex Miller.

Sheffield Wednesday contract news

The Owls picked up a massive 2-0 victory away to Millwall on Saturday afternoon, keeping their hopes of survival alive in the Championship with one of their most important victories of the season to date.

Danny Rohl continues to do an admirable job since replacing Darren Moore earlier in the campaign, even if results are far from perfect, and the hope is that he can inspire his side to safety between now and May.

Once the end of the season arrives, there could be something of an exodus at Hillsborough, considering how many established players are out of contract with the Owls in 2024.

That includes last season's League One playoff final hero Josh Windass, who could potentially leave on a free transfer, should an extension not come his way, or he decides he wants a new challenge. The same applies to midfielder Will Vaulks, who is a key figure in the middle of the park when he is fit.

Legendary fan favourite Barry Bannan also falls into that category, as does centre-back Dominic Iorfa, so it could be a summer of real change, and a lot could depend on whether Wednesday have avoided relegation from the Championship or not.

Barry Bannan to stay at Sheff Wed

Writing on X, Miller claimed that Bannan will stay put at Sheffield Wednesday this summer, still being considered an important figure by Rohl.

"Barry Bannan is approaching the end of his Wednesday contract. Asked in December, he seemed uncertain over his future. Danny Rohl was unequivocal answering where Bannan will play his football next season. It doesn't get much clearer than this."

Bannan has been a genuinely superb player for Wednesday over so many years, and he is now arguably one of the best in the club's history given his technical ability and longevity, making a whopping 389 appearances for the Owls in total.

Bannan was described as an "intelligent" and "vital" player for Wednesday by Moore during his time as manager, and Rohl clearly thinks the same.

At 34 years of age, the Scot arguably isn't quite the force he used to be, which is only natural, but he is a footballer who relies more on talent than pace, so there is no reason why he can't still be an important figure at Hillsborough for a few more years, dictating matches just like he did at Millwall this weekend.

A short-term extension is a no-brainer and the hope is that Bannan is still playing Championship football next season, being rewarded after showing so much loyalty during the League One days.

Barry Bannan's key Sheff Wed stats

Total

Appearances

389

Goals

30

Assists

65

MatériaMais Notícias

No dia 14 de setembro de 2016, o Grêmio foi superado pela Ponte Preta e o então técnico Roger Machado pediu demissão. O torcedor Tricolor, que vivia desconfiado com a sua equipe, mal sabia o que viria pela frente e cobrava mudanças da diretoria.

Na ocasião, Romildo Bolzan surpreendeu muita gente e anunciou Renato Gaúcho, que estava fora do mercado e fazia muito tempo que não desenvolvia um trabalho positivo.

Logo em sua chegada, o treinador foi claro ao focar na Copa do Brasil, algo que seria rotineiro em sua terceiro passagem pelo Tricolor.

Três meses depois, Renato Portaluppi faturava a sua primeira taça. Na final da Copa, o Grêmio foi superior diante do Atlético-MG e conquistou o penta da competição nacional.

Coletiva

Um dos pontos áureos de Renato no Grêmio foram as declarações. Na coletiva de imprensa, em meio a comemoração, o treinador alfinetou os críticos e comentou sobre o período em que esteve parado.

‘Quem precisa aprender, estuda, vai pra Europa… Quem não precisa vai pra praia. Eu falo isso, e muitos criticaram. Disseram: estão trazendo um treinador que estava jogando futevôlei… Eu pergunto, e agora? E ai? Futebol é como andar de bicicleta. Quem sabe, sabe. Quem não sabe, vai estudar’, disse.

Libertadores

De volta ao torneio continental, Renato Gaúcho não pensou duas vezes e deu prioridade a conquista do tricampeonato. Em uma campanha com duelos equilibrados, a consagração veio diante do Lanús em território argentino.

Mundial e provocação a CR7

Herói do Mundial de 83, Renato Gaúcho queria vencer o torneio como técnico, mas tinha que passar pelo Real Madrid de CR7 e cia. Como não poderia perder a chance, disse que jogava mais que o português. No fim, Portaluppi viu o seu time ser derrotado na final e com direito a gol de Cristiano Ronaldo.

‘Admiro o Cristiano Ronaldo, é um dos maiores jogadores do mundo. É um grande campeão, todos os anos ele procura quebrar os próprios recordes, admiro muito isso em um jogador. É uma grande pessoa fora das quatro linhas. É muito fácil para vocês (espanhóis) que não me viram jogar elogiar só o Cristiano Ronaldo. Para pegar quem jogou mais, vocês teriam que pegar muitas pessoas que me viram jogar. É a opinião minha. Cada um tem a sua, e ele tem a dele também’, declarou na ocasião.

Hegemonia no Rio Grande do Sul

Demorou um pouco, mas a partir de 2018 até 2020 só deu Grêmio no Gauchão. Os rivais na decisão foram variados (Brasil de Pelotas, Inter e Caxias), porém o Tricolor não deu sopa ao azar e faturou de maneira incontestavel o Gauchão. Em uma das comemorações, Portaluppi disparou: ‘Eu tô cansado de dar volta olímpica’.

Recuperação de atletas

Outro ponto que chamou a atenção durante a sua passagem foi o poder de recuperação de bons nomes. Se o jogador não estava bem em algum clube grande, era o no Grêmio de Renato que o bom momento acontecia. Foi o que ocorreu com Cortez, Maicon, Ramiro, Diego Souza e outros tantos.

Jovens

Diante do pouco poder de fogo do Grêmio no mercado, Renato Gaúcho também usou a base do Tricolor para montar times fortes e que chamavam a atenção. Durante os quatro anos, não faltaram exemplos: Pedro Rocha, Luan, Everton Cebolinha, Pepê…

Melhor Futebol do Brasil

Antes de Renato Gaúcho o Grêmio era conhecido por jogar um futebol mais duro, ao estilo gaúcho e com muita raça. Mas na transformação que iniciou com Roger e se aprimorou com Portaluppi, o Tricolor virou sinônimo de ‘bom futebol’. Nas coletivas, o treinador reiterava que o seu time era o melhor do país.

Em uma das classificações da Libertadores, quando superou o Palmeiras, Renato chamou a responsabilidade e mandou recado ao Flamengo de Jorge Jesus que tinha o melhor futebol do Brasil. Dentro de campo, ele acabou superado na semifinal por 6 a 1 no placar agregado.

‘Comprar futebol, ninguém compra. O meu time é o melhor do Brasil. Joga o melhor futebol do Brasil’, falou Renato.

Estátua

Considerado pela torcida o maior ídolo do Tricolor, Renato Gaúcho foi eternizado no estádio gremista ao ter a sua estátua construída. Na cerimônia, Portaluppi, acompanhado da sua filha, não conteve a emoção e se declarou ao Tricolor.

‘É uma homenagem inesquecível para mim. Mas a maior alegria minha é dar alegrias para nossa torcida. Há uma semana que não durmo. É difícil até as palavras saírem. Se eu já era gremista, imagina agora. Meu sangue sempre foi e sempre vai ser azul’, declarou na ocasião.

Fim da Relação

Na última quinta-feira, Renato Gaúcho e Grêmio encerraram o seu casamento. Ao longo da trajetória, ele faturou os seguintes títulos: Copa do Brasil (2016), da Libertadores (2017), da Recopa Sul-Americana (2018), de três estaduais (2018, 2019 e 2020) e uma Recopa Gaúcha (2019).

RelacionadasFutebol InternacionalBenzema e Real Madrid se aproximam de renovação até 2023Futebol Internacional16/04/2021Fora de CampoNa internet, volante do Vasco cutuca Gabigol após provocações em clássico com FlamengoFora de Campo16/04/2021Futebol InternacionalPSG monitora situação de Dembélé e estuda investida pelo francêsFutebol Internacional16/04/2021

The pair, who officiated in the recent World Cup, replaced Ian Gould and Ravi on the Elite Panel

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jul-2019

IDI via Getty Images

England’s Michael Gough and West Indies’ Joel Wilson have been promoted to the ICC’s elite panel for umpires for 2019-20, while India’s S Ravi has been omitted from the list. Gough and Wilson, who officiated in the recent World Cup, have replaced Ravi and Ian Gould, who retired from umpiring during the World Cup, on the panel. The ICC’s elite panel of match referees is unchanged.The pair were promoted from the ICC’s international panel of umpires by a selection committee that comprised Geoff Allardice, ICC general manager (cricket), commentator and former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar and ICC match referees Ranjan Madugalle and David Boon.Gough, a former Durham and England A batsman, made his international debut as an umpire in a T20I in August 2013, and officiated in a Test for the first time in July 2016. He has so far stood in nine Tests, 59 ODIs and 14 T20Is. Wilson began his international career as an umpire during India’s tour of West Indies in June 2011 and has since then umpired in 13 Test matches, 63 ODIs, 26 T20Is.The ICC would not give a specific reason behind Ravi’s omission, but its spokesperson said the assessment of umpires is a continuous process and the new Elite Panel is the result of that.Internally the ICC monitors the umpire’s standing through a rigorous performance review, which comprises various parameters, including on-field decision making, the number of reviews the match official has got right, and conduct on the field. Accordingly, points are tallied and umpires are ranked internally.Ravi’s performance has come under the scanner on more than one occasion. On England’s tour of Sri Lanka last year, he failed to signal several no-balls that television replays revealed were wrong. During the IPL, he failed to notice Lasith Malinga overstepping the crease on the final delivery of match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians. Virat Kohli, the Royal Challengers’ captain called Ravi’s error “ridiculous” while Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma said such mistakes cannot afford to happen in any form of cricket.Ravi is not the first umpire to be omitted from the Elite Panel following a performance review. In 2013, the ICC dropped Pakistan’s Asad Rauf and New Zealand’s Billy Bowden from the Elite Panel. In 2011, Asoka de Silva and Daryl Harper were also demoted.”Being an elite official is an extremely challenging job,” Adrian Griffith, the ICC senior manager of umpires and referees, said. “Every decision is scrutinised by millions of fans and each match official is subject to rigorous ongoing performance assessments throughout the year.”We are fortunate to have some fantastic officials who are able to withstand the pressures of the job and deliver consistently on the international stage. Michael and Joel are deserving additions to the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires and I wish them all the best for the coming season and for the future.”ICC Elite Panel of Match referees: David Boon, Chris Broad, Jeff Crowe, Ranjan Madugalle, Andy Pycroft, Richie Richardson and Javagal SrinathICC Elite Panel of Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough and Joel Wilson

A few hours of sleep did not make things any easier for New Zealand, but their grace and dignity remained one of the overriding images

Nagraj Gollapudi16-Jul-20194:24

#PoliteEnquiries: Did the best team in the World Cup win the tournament?

“Did I sleep at all?Hmm. I did sleep. I did.”Kane Williamson talks in the dry, wry, inimitable tone of his. We are standing at arm’s length. I am trying hard to find an emotion in the man’s face. This is no ordinary man. This man, this leader of men, lost the World Cup in the cruelest way possible.No, wait.This man saw the World Cup being snatched from New Zealand’s grip by the combined might of cricket’s Laws and the thing that human nature can neither be prepared for nor prevail: fate. If you want to rub it in a bit more, this man had to swallow defeat in a World Cup final for the second successive time, after Brendon McCullum’s New Zealand had lost to Australia.So you ask Kane Williamson: did you sleep?ALSO READ: Umpires made ‘error of judgement’ with overthrows – TaufelWilliamson did. But after a lot of time trying to understand what had happened. After a lot of time chatting with his team-mates in the away dressing room at Lord’s, hours after the World Cup was over. After hours of reflection.That reflection, by his own admission, Williamson says, will not end. Not for some time. It will haunt him and his men. At least for a while. I ask him to try and explain his emotions from the moment cricket was over. “I reckon I sort of explained that to a few people,” Williamson says, nodding his head. “It hits in you in waves. For ten minutes you forget about it, and you make little jokes. And then it comes back to you and you go: ‘Did that just happen? Did it just happen? Is that real or is that just I woke up wondering whether it was a bad dream? It wasn’t. Was it.’ “You want him to cry. He has not, he assures. “Not me.”

****

Williamson might have managed to keep his emotions in check but a few of the New Zealand players could not hide theirs. Jimmy Neesham, who was in the middle when Jos Buttler ran out his partner Martin Guptill to deny New Zealand the two runs off the final ball of the Super Over and the World Cup, went down on his knees and might have shed a tear or two. Later Neesham, one of the most intelligent wordsmiths in cricket, summed up his feelings on Twitter succinctly: “Kids, don’t take up sport. Take up baking or something. Die at 60 really fat and happy,” he said in his first post. In a follow-up post, he explained: “That hurts. Hopefully there’s a day or two over the next decade where I don’t think about that last half hour.”Tim Southee, who played the 2015 final, but took a spectacular catch in the deep as a 12th man on Sunday, observed: “What is there to say?”