Doug Bracewell serves one-month ban after testing positive for cocaine

Doug Bracewell, the New Zealand seamer, has been suspended for one month by the country’s Sports Tribunal for “the presence and use” of cocaine and its metabolite benzoylecgonine.Bracewell “was provisionally suspended without opposition” on April 11 this year following an”adverse analytical finding” from an in-competition test on January 13 at the Super Smash match between Wellington Firebirds and Central Stags in Wellington, the tribunal said in a statement.The statement added that Bracewell had “admitted using cocaine but maintained that his use occurred out-of-competition, being prior to midnight on the day before the match, and that it was unrelated to sport performance”. The Sport Integrity Commission did not accept that and “contended that the use must have occurred in-competition”.Following that, expert evidence on the matter was filed by both the Commission and Bracewell, and a hearing before the tribunal was scheduled for December 11 and 12. But last week, on November 11, “counsel filed a joint memorandum in which the Commission indicated that, having considered all the evidence filed in this proceeding, on balance, it accepted Mr Bracewell’s position”. As a result, it was “agreed that the appropriate sanction was a period of ineligibility of three months, which would be reduced to one month, as Mr Bracewell had satisfactorily completed a Substance of Abuse treatment programme approved by the Commission”.The tribunal subsequently imposed an “ineligibility period of one month”, which was backdated to commence on April 11, which was the date of the provisional suspension order.Bracewell, 34, has played 28 Tests (74 wickets), 21 ODIs (26 wickets) and 20 T20Is (20 wickets) after making his international debut in October 2011. He last played for New Zealand in a Test match against Sri Lanka in Wellington in March 2023.A Central Districts player right through his domestic career, Bracewell recently opted out of a contract with the club to become a freelancer. He is next expected to be in action at the Abu Dhabi T10 league, where he is a part of New York Strikers, and then at the SA20 early next year as part of Joburg Super Kings.

تشكيل ليفربول المتوقع أمام تشيلسي اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي

يحل فريق ليفربول، مساء يوم السبت، ضيفًا على خصمه تشيلسي في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26.

تأتي تلك المباراة في قمة منافسات الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي لذلك الموسم، على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج”.

ويمتلك ليفربول 15 نقطة في صدارة الدوري الإنجليزي، رغم السقوط في الجولة الماضية على يد كريستال بالاس بهدفين لهدف، بينما يحتل تشيلسي المركز التاسع برصيد 8 نقاط.

طالع | تشكيل ليفربول الرسمي أمام تشيلسي في الدوري الإنجليزي.. موقف محمد صلاح

ويفتقد ليفربول خدمات حارس المرمى أليسون بيكر بسبب الإصابة التي تعرض لها يوم الثلاثاء ضد جالطة سراي في دوري أبطال أوروبا، بينما تحوم الشكوك حول هوجو إيكتيكي بعدما عانى من إصابة في اللقاء نفسه. تشكيل ليفربول المتوقع أمام تشيلسي في الدوري الإنجليزي

حراسة المرمى: جيورجي مامارداشفيلي.

خط الدفاع: جيريمي فريمبونج، إبراهيما كوناتي، فيرجيل فان دايك، ميلوس كيركيز.

خط الوسط: ماك أليستر، جرافنبيرخ.

خط الوسط الهجومي: محمد صلاح، دومينيك سوبوسلاي، كودي جاكبو.

خط الهجوم: ألكسندر إيزاك.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

PCB chief on Champions Trophy: 'I still have positive expectations'

Mohsin Naqvi confirms that the PCB hasn’t heard from the ICC on the BCCI’s stance on not travelling to Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2024

“Even now I still have positive expectations about the Champions Trophy”•AFP/Getty Images

The PCB is yet to hear from the ICC about the questions regarding India’s unwillingness to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy next February.The PCB wrote to the ICC a week ago, asking the governing body for details and clarity on the BCCI’s decision, which was conveyed to the ICC. The PCB has asked for a written response from the BCCI as well as the date when it informed the ICC about its stance.Despite the lack of a response, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday that he retained “positive expectations” about the tournament, the first ICC event Pakistan will host since 1996.Related

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“We have sent them [ICC] the questions we had,” Naqvi said at a press interaction at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. “We are still waiting for their response. I believe that sports and politics are separate and no country should mix the two. Even now I still have positive expectations about the Champions Trophy.”Naqvi also said that the PCB intended to stick to its stance – of not using a hybrid model for the tournament – and will not shift from it. But he did say he was willing to talk to the BCCI about the situation in a bid to break the deadlock.”At this moment, every team that has qualified for the Champions Trophy is ready to come,” he said. “Nobody has any issues. I will say today also, if India has any concerns, speak to us about them, we can ease those concerns. I don’t think there is any reason for them not to visit.”When asked whether the PCB would consider the option of boycotting the event should hosting rights be taken away from it, Naqvi said: “Pakistan’s pride is of primary importance.”Naqvi was asked about the event’s trophy tour, which began on Saturday in Islamabad but with an altered route after the BCCI had raised objections with the ICC.The PCB had announced the original route last week, which would have taken in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan Administered Kashmir. That destination was taken off after the BCCI’s complaint but has not yet been cancelled. The trophy tour returns to Pakistan in January, after visiting the other seven participants in the Champions Trophy.”My feeling is that the ICC will have to think about its credibility, that are they an organisation for all the world’s bodies,” Naqvi said. “And that route has been rescheduled, we haven’t been told about any cancellation.”Naqvi said he hoped the ICC would announce the tournament schedule soon so that the PCB can continue its preparations for the event.

Same agent as Caicedo: Chelsea now eyeing "warrior" who's better than Araujo

Chelsea defender Levi Colwill is set to miss a significant portion of the upcoming season after undergoing successful surgery for an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

The Blues kick off their Premier League campaign at home to Crystal Palace on August 17, but Enzo Maresca will not have the 22-year-old at his disposal after Colwill sustained the injury in training at their Cobham base.

A huge blow for Maresca after a summer full of optimism, the news could possibly open the door for Jorrel Hato to fill in at centre-back, after spending much of his final season at Ajax playing left-back.

However, it is also expected that the Blues will dip back into the market, with Maresca confirming as much.

Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi has been strongly linked with a return to his boyhood club, but the name on everyone’s lips in recent days has been Barcelona and Uruguay centre-back Ronald Araujo.

Indeed, Todd Boehly and Co are expected to make a €50m (£43m) bid for the 26 year-old in the coming days, a figure which would be enough to tempt a cash-strapped Barca into a sale, according to reports.

Chelsea must regret selling £75m "tank" who is better than Colwill

Chelsea must regret selling a player four years ago who is better than Colwill.

ByRoss Kilvington Feb 15, 2025 Chelsea add Bayer Leverkusen defender to centre-back shortlist

Guehi and Araujo are not the only names on the agenda, as The Daily Mail believe Chelsea are admirers of of Bayer Leverkusen defender Piero Hincapie. While their report confirms that both Liverpool and the Blues will press again for Guehi, it seems the Ecuador international, who won a domestric treble in Germany two seasons ago, could be on his way to Stamford Bridge.

Hincapie, who like Hato is a left-sided centre-back who can also fill in on the flank, has been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League since his breakthrough into the Leverkusen side, with Liverpool thought to be admirers back in January.

Speaking during the winter transfer window, his agent claimed his client is one of the best in the world at his role.

Chelsea may also have a smooth path to negotiations on the player side of things if they move for the South American, as his AS1 Agency also represent current Blues midfielders Moises Caicedo and Dario Essugo.

What’s more, there is plenty to suggest Hincapie would be a superior signing to Araujo, averaging more tackles, inrterceptions and blocks per 90 minutes than the Barca star over the last 365 days, while also progressing the ball better.

Tackles

1.86

1.69

Interceptions

1.07

0.78

Blocks

1.46

1.34

Progressive passes

4.81

4.16

The Blues may need to shift a few of their current defenders – such as Axel Disasi who has been linked with Wolverhampton Wanderers – before making their move, but all signs point towards Hincapie and Hato boasting the perfect balance to reinforce the left side of defence after Colwill’s injury.

Bangladesh's first women's three-day competition to start in December

The four-team tournament comes after last year’s initial red-ball edition with two-day games

Mohammad Isam14-Dec-2024The Women’s Bangladesh Cricket League (WBCL), the country’s first three-day competition for women, will begin at two venues in Rajshahi on December 21. The BCB has organised the tournament to set in motion the process to build its first Test side, although the board is yet to put a timeline in place.”We have to be ready in red-ball cricket,” head of women’s cricket at BCB, Habibul Bashar, said. “Most of our female cricketers haven’t seen the red ball at all. It is all about white-ball cricket for them, as all our domestic cricket is with the white ball. They have only played two red-ball games, maybe. We will apply for first-class status as we have all that’s needed for this type of cricket.”The tournament is going to be played between four teams, grouped by the regions – North, South, East and West. Nigar Sultana, Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan and Sobhana Mostary have been named captains of the four sides.”It is a very good initiative from the BCB,” Bashar said. “The challenge was to start it, so we got a bit of time this month. We have the West Indies tour coming up. We needed to start the tournament. We won’t have time until June next year.”Bashar said that the plan was to give the Bangladesh players bound for the West Indies next month enough time, so four matches will be held in December. The rest of the tournament will be played in January.Bangladesh received the Full Member status in women’s cricket in 2021 alongside Afghanistan (which doesn’t have a women’s national team) and Zimbabwe, and this is the second edition of the WBCL, which was played in a two-day format in 2023. Of the countries that have women’s multi-day cricket, there’s the Senior Women’s Inter Zonal Multi-Day Trophy in India, while Australia have recently begun three-day trial games for their red-ball team.

VÍDEO: Raí Ramos fala sobre sequência no São Paulo e destaca trabalho de Dorival Júnior

MatériaMais Notícias

Raí Ramos foi titular nos dois últimos jogos do São Paulo. Após a vitória contra o América-MG, o lateral falou sobre a sequência que tem tido na equipe e destacou os primeiros trabalhos de Dorival Júnior. Para o atleta, mesmo com pouco tempo de contato com o treinador, a equipe ‘conseguiu entender as ideias do técnico’.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSão PauloApós escalar como titular, Dorival Júnior diz que Luan será aproveitado no São Paulo mesmo com imbróglio de renovaçãoSão Paulo23/04/2023São PauloTorcida organizada do São Paulo homenageia Rogério Ceni: ‘Você vai entender’São Paulo23/04/2023São PauloSão Paulo se reapresenta após vitória, e Dorival trabalha com Belletti e Sub-20São Paulo23/04/2023

– Quero dizer que estou feliz de ter essa oportunidade, quero aproveitar sempre que tiver essa chance. Mesmo com pouco tempo de trabalho com Dorival, a equipe conseguiu entender as ideias dele, é claro que a gente precisa de alguns ajustes, mas estou feliz pela oportunidade. Acho que a torcida sempre está nos apoiando, empurrando a gente, essa energia foi fundamental, ver o Morumbi lotado. Estamos felizes com isso – disse.

ATUAÇÕES: Rafael tem noite de “paredão” e salva São Paulo na estreia de Dorival

Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

Agora, o São Paulo volta a campo nesta terça-feira (25), contra o Ituano. A partida será essencial para garantir o futuro da equipe na Copa do Brasil e acontecerá no Novelli Júnior. Raí Ramos é desfalque certo por ter disputado a competição por outra equipe, que no caso, foi justamente o Ituano.

continua após a publicidade

Idah upgrade: Rodgers would love Celtic to sign "world class" star for free

Do Celtic lack attacking firepower?

So far, Brendan Rodgers’ side have started the Premiership campaign with two wins out of two, albeit they’ve been made to work hard for these victories, requiring a late Luke McCowan strike to overcome St Mirren 1-0, before a 2-0 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

Only once since 2012 have the Hoops scored three goals or fewer across their opening two league fixtures, doing so in 2018, albeit they did then demolish Falkirk 4-1 in the League Cup on Friday night.

Nevertheless, ahead of Wednesday night’s season-defining Champions League play-off against Kairat at Parkhead, supporters are concerned that Rodgers’ squad lacks the top-end talent to compete at European level.

With that in mind, could the Scottish champions sign a “world-class” striker, available on a free, that Rodgers knows rather well?

Celtic's need for attacking reinforcements

Since Rodgers returned to Celtic two summers ago, nine players have scored ten or more goals for the club, of whom four are no longer there, namely Kyōgo Furuhashi (31 goals), Nicolas Kühn (24), Matt O’Riley (19) and Luis Palma (10).

Adam Idah is on that list with 29 goals, second only to Daizen Maeda in the current squad, but the Republic of Ireland international is yet to get off the mark this season, with his compatriot Johnny Kenny given the nod on Friday night.

Following a fruitful loan spell, Idah’s move to Glasgow was made permanent for a humongous fee of £9.5m, but he has largely flattered to deceive since, so could Celtic target an upgrade during the remaining weeks of the transfer window?

Well, according to a report by the Scottish Sun, Rodgers ‘would love’ Celtic to sign free agent Jamie Vardy this summer.

They claim that the 38-year-old has ‘his heart set’ on a move to Parkhead, adding that the England international is a ‘model professional’ who ‘believes he can play week in week out’ at the highest level for another two years at least.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

So, will the Vardy party relocate from the East Midlands to Glasgow’s East End?

What Jamie Vardy would bring to Celtic

Earlier this year, Vardy waved goodbye to Leicester City after 13 years with the Foxes, during which time he won a Premier League title and the FA Cup.

He marked his final appearance for the club with a goal against Southampton, thereby bowing out with 200 goals in exactly 500 appearances, very satisfying for fans of symmetry.

Overall, Vardy netted nine times in the Premier League last season, a more than respectable feat for a generally woeful Leicester team, this representing 36% of their total goals.

However, as documented below, it is Vardy’s exploits during the Foxes’ promotion-winning campaign from the EFL Championship the year before that provide the biggest cause for optimism.

Vardy – 23/24 Champ stats

Stat

Vardy

Champ rank

Goals

18

5th

Goals inside the box

18

3rd

Shots

53

51st

Shots on target %

50.9%

9th

Goals-per-shot

0.26

5th

Average shot distance

11.4 yards

1st*

Big chances missed

16

7th

Offsides

17

19th

Average Sofascore rating

7.02

14th**

*minimum 44 shots. **among strikers only.

via FBref.com and Sofascore

As the table outlines, in the Championship, Vardy was prolific; the fact all 18 of his goals were scored inside the penalty area underlines his penalty-box poacher style of play, as does the fact his average shot distance was just 11.4 yards, so round about the penalty spot.

Also, impressively, these goals were scored from only 53 total shots, squandering a mere 16 Opta-defined big chances, emphasising that he still possesses that clinical edge.

Worth also noting that, according to Global Football Rankings, the EFL Championship is the seventh-best league in the world, while the Scottish Premiership is down in 27th, further suggesting Vardy would score goals for a dominant team in Scotland.

When the pair were together at Leicester, following a Premier League win over Arsenal in October 2020, Rodgers labelled Vardy a “world-class striker”, while then-Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy described him as a “living legend” prior to his Foxes farewell.

So, would he represent an upgrade on Idah?

Well, the Irishman did score 20 goals across all competitions last season, but his highest-ever total in an EFL Championship campaign was six, exponentially fewer than Vardy.

So far this season, starting both Premiership fixtures against St Mirren and Aberdeen, Idah has had five shots but missed three big chances, yet to find the back of the net and failing to make much impact, which has to be a concern with tougher tests to come.

Thus, it is clear that Vardy would score goals at Premiership level, and in Europe too, so signing the Englishman appears to be a no-brainer.

Forrest upgrade: Celtic "pursuing" deal to sign "exciting" £5m star

Celtic are reportedly interested in a deal to sign a winger who would be an upgrade on James Forrest.

1 ByDan Emery Aug 18, 2025

The threat Eberechi Eze made to Crystal Palace before Tottenham agreed deal

Tottenham have held fresh talks to sign Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze this week, which are believed to be heading in a very positive direction, and the player himself is extremely eager to swap London clubs.

The 27-year-old has already agreed personal terms to join Spurs, and according to Fabrizio Romano, he directly informed the Eagles of his wish to play in Lilywhite by transfer deadline day on September 1.

After Spurs made an offer of £60m including add-ons, it is believed that Tottenham started creeping towards a full agreement for Eze. There were still details to hash out, like payment structure, and Palace are apparently holding off on giving their full green-light as they look to sign a replacement for the England international first (Miguel Delaney).

However, Eze’s move to Spurs is currently far more likely than not to happen.

Now, the former QPR star is seriously on the verge of a move to N17.

Ben Jacobs, among other reliable media sources, has revealed that an agreement in principle has been reached between Tottenham and Palace for Eze, but the Eagles still need to find a replacement before allowing the player to leave.

Before Tottenham agreed the finances of this deal, Sky Sports reporter Sacha Tavolieri revealed just how keen Eze is on a transfer to Tottenham.

Eberechi Eze's threat to Crystal Palace as he looks to force Tottenham move

According to Tavolieri, the player has never been closer to joining.

Crystal Palace's EberechiEzecelebrates scoring their first goal before it is disallowed after a VAR review

The attacking midfielder and James Maddison’s potential replacement is apparently so desperate to make the move that he’s been pressuring Selhurst Park chiefs to approve it, going as far as to make a stern threat over the weekend.

As per the Sky reporter, Eze threatened not to play for Palace in their 0-0 draw against Chelsea, but eventually rescinded this when Steve Parish personally gave the player assurances that his transfer wouldn’t be delayed.

Eze also held a discussion with Oliver Glasner on Sunday morning to confirm his place in the starting line-up, but the situation is clear; Eze is clamoring for a switch to Spurs.

Once/if Palace and Tottenham agree a full deal and the paperwork is signed, Eze has approved a five-year contract in north London, and there is reason for supporters to get excited by this potential arrival.

The forward bagged a brilliant 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions for Palace last season, including their FA Cup final-winning goal against Man City, with Eze averaging more shots, key passes and successful take-ons per 90 than all of his teammates in the top flight.

Garnacho upgrade: Aston Villa willing to pay for £44m star after Guessand

After what has been a quiet summer so far for Aston Villa, things seem like they are starting to happen. Unai Emery’s side will be competing in the Europa League next season, and are looking to strengthen their side for a competition they will surely be hoping to do well in.

The Villans seem to be targeting a new attacker this summer. One man who they’ve been linked to recently is Alejandro Garnacho. It was reported this week that Emery’s side have entered the race to sign the Manchester United winger his summer, although they will have to compete with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea for his signature.

Garnacho is not the only winger Villa want to sign this summer, with links to another forward returning this week.

Aston Villa’s latest attacking target

Whether the Villans sign Garnacho or another target out wide, they will seemingly get to link up with Evann Guessand. The Nice striker will move to Villa Park this summer for a fee of £30m, according to reports, However, it might not be the Man United star who joins him in attack.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

As per reports in Spain, via Football365, the West Midlands giants are said to be interested in signing Barcelona and Spain international winger Ferran Torres. They are said to be ‘willing to pay’ the money Barca have asked for this summer, after previously having bids rejected.

In terms of that price tag, the La Liga giants have asked for a fee of £44m for the versatile forward this summer. It is a price that the Villa manager ‘hopes they’ll accept this time’.

FC Barcelona'sFerranTorresin action

If they meet that price, a deal is not guaranteed, with Barca officials ‘considering whether it’s really worth selling him’ this summer.

Why Torres would be a good signing

At only 25 years of age, Torres has already achieved plenty in his career. He has won some huge trophies, including the Premier League, La Liga and the European Championship. Individually, he is a “special” player, according to football scout Antonio Mango.

FC Barcelona'sFerranTorrescelebrates scoring their second goal

Indeed, that talent was on show for Barca last season. The forward, who came through the academy at Valencia, played 45 games in all competitions, scoring 19 times and grabbing seven assists. He managed 16 goals and assists in 27 appearances during his side’s successful La Liga campaign.

Let’s not forget, the versatile forward has already experienced Premier League football. Torres played for Manchester City for just over one year. He made 43 appearances, scoring 16 goals and registering four assists in that time.

Signing Torres over Garnacho could be a huge move for the Villans. The United winger has struggled of late, and despite registering 21 goal involvements in 58 games last term, just six goals and two assists came in the Premier League.

Despite the number of games he’s already played, the 21-year-old is inexperienced, which shows at times. Rio Ferdiand said last year that one area of his game he “needs to work on is that decision-making” in his game.

Whilst that can work in his favour sometimes, an example being this goal against Newcastle, it can work against him, too.

Not only is Torres’ game more refined, and he has more experience, but the numbers on Squawka suggest he’d be an upgrade, too.

For example, the Barca winger averaged 1.4 goals and assists and 6.3 forward passes per 90 minutes last term. In comparison, United’s number 17 averaged 0.4 goals and assists and 3.5 forward passes each game.

Torres and Garnacho key stats from top flight 24/25 compared

Stat (per 90)

Torres

Garnacho

Goals

0.9

0.3

Assists

0.5

0.1

Conversion rate

26.32%

10.91%

Crossing accuracy

17.65%

16.07%

Forward passes

6.3

3.5

Take-on success

57.89%

32.1%

Stats from Squawka

Torres, a flexible player who can lead the line or play on either flank, would surely be an upgrade on Garnacho. Not only is he more consistent in front of goal, but he offers great progression and better quality of cross into the box.

ferran-torres-barcelona-arsenal-transfer-gossip-edu-arteta-gabriel-martinelli

For a fee of around £44m, this could be a steal for Villa this summer, as they look to upgrade their attack.

Unplayable with Guessand: Aston Villa keen on signing £40m “special talent”

Aston Villa are in the market for another new attacker after signing Guessand

By
Joe Nuttall

Aug 7, 2025

Armed with all-NZ attack, Canterbury look to shed bridesmaids tag

Matt Boyle (Canterbury), the breakout star of the 2024-25 Super Smash, will go up against his older brother Jack Boyle (Central Districts) in the final on Sunday

Deivarayan Muthu01-Feb-2025Two teams who have traversed contrasting paths in the 2024-25 Super Smash will meet on Sunday, for a title that has been eluding them for years.Central Districts, unarguably the form team of the tournament, with six wins in their eight completed games, will be chasing their first T20 trophy since 2018-19. Though Canterbury have only snuck into the final this season they’re more familiar with this territory. They made the final in the past four seasons, but the title kept slipping away from their grasp.Canterbury had last won the T20 title way back in the inaugural edition in 2005-06, when Peter Fulton, their current coach, was an active player along with the likes of Brendon McCullum, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris and Nathan Astle.Will 2024-25 finally be Canterbury’s season? Their captain Cole McConchie believes so. “I don’t think it [being runners-up in the last four seasons] affects our approach,” he said in the lead-up to finals weekend. “That determination and motivation factor is always high. I think any time you get the chance to compete for silverware, you know, we always want to add it to our cabinet.”I think [winning the title] would mean a lot. I think, if we’re honest, we’ll put a big tag on the T20 title. And, you know, it would certainly mean a lot to the boys and the association. You know, very fortunate with the support that we get at Hagley with our friends and family and the cricketing community. And, we’ve had plenty of messages of support from the Canterbury cricket community.”The stars are aligning and shining for Canterbury. After a washout at the Basin Reserve KO’d Wellington and helped Canterbury sneak into the Eliminator, Canterbury’s all-New Zealand attack, led by Matt Henry and a fit-again Kyle Jamieson, pinned Northern Districts down to 110 for 9. At one point in that game, Henry was threatening to emulate Lockie Ferguson by bowling four maidens, but two runs off his final over saw him miss the record. Nevertheless, his 4-3-2-2 was the most-economical four-over spell in New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition.Matt Boyle then cracked 48 off 25 balls to fortify his status as the breakout player of this season. In all, the tall, big-hitter has scored a chart-topping 375 runs at an average of 41.66 and strike rate of 158.22 going into the final. His captain McConchie is enthused by his progress.”You know, [in] the last few years, he showed glimpses in games,” McConchie said. “All of us lads have seen what he does at training, and, you know, he’s a quality striker of the ball, and a quality player. And, you know, he’s worked really hard at his game, and to see him get the rewards is not surprising for us, because we know the sort of quality that he is.”Jack Boyle has been a strong presence at the top for Central Districts•Getty ImagesBoyle vs Boyle in battle of the brothersTom Bruce, the Central Districts captain, slots in right behind Matt Boyle as the second-highest run-getter so far this season, with 325 runs at an average of 65 and strike rate of 164.14. CD have had other heroes as well: seamer Blair Tickner tops the wickets charts till now, while Jack Boyle, formerly of Canterbury and Matt’s elder brother, has done the job at the top, setting up the platform for Bruce and Co. to launch. In CD’s last league fixture against Auckland, Angus Schaw, Jack’s landlord, brought a challenging chase home.The battle between Matt and Jack will divide the family’s loyalties and add more spice to the final.”Yeah, I think the good part is it’s been different guys have been contributing every game, and that’s all you’re after,” Bruce said. “Obviously as captain, it’s nice to score some runs myself as well and be consistent, but at different games and different times, other guys have stepped up and have really led the way. So really pleasing to see some of the guys show a bit of consistency there and sort of lead from the front, which has been awesome.”For Bruce, who had captained CD to Super Smash glory in 2018-19, the focus is on adding another trophy to his kitty.”Yeah, look, 2018-19 season was the last time we lifted the T20 trophy and it’s the only time in my ten-year career,” Bruce said. There’s a few guys there that played in that game as well, so obviously fond memories for those guys. And saying that, the previous year we got our pants pulled down a wee bit from ND as well, so some not-so-fond memories there. So a lot of guys, it’s their first finals experience, so awesome to see them and to see how they’ll come through the day and through the opportunity.”

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