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Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s culture key to their success in SA20: Boucher

New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) The remarkable team culture, instilled by coach Adrian Birrell, has been instrumental in Sunrisers Eastern Cape (SEC) becoming the first team to reach the playoffs of the ongoing SA20, said former South Africa captain and coach Mark Boucher.

The two-time champions, led by Tristan Stubbs, have already secured a playoff berth following their bonus-point victory over the Jo’burg Super Kings at St George’s Park this week and are now targeting a top-two finish to advance directly to Qualifier 1 at Kingsmead next week.

“I think the team culture is fantastic, and it’s led very well by coach Adrian Birrell. He’s an Eastern Cape boy, and the Eastern Cape people are very homely. They love their home ground and are very humble as well. I know for a fact that Adrian Birrell has tried to drive that into his players.

“We’ve seen video clips of him walking into a changing room and saying to all the players, ‘You must get to learn every person’s name around the ground who looks after you, right from your backroom staff to the people who come in and collect the plates.’ There’s a lot of respect for the people around the ground, and that’s shown in their culture as well,” Boucher told IANS in a virtual session facilitated by SA20.

He also noted how that culture translates into great on-field performances for SEC, who are run by the owners of the IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). “They’re very humble, and when they go on the field, they play together as a team. So it doesn’t surprise me that they’ve been like that. You always see them as probably the best fielding side in the team, and fielding is largely about attitude. So they’ve all got great attitudes.

“They understand what their roles are, and they go out there and just want to win — and in a gracious way as well. They keep their feet on the ground, and I think that’s largely driven by Adrian Birrell. So hats off to him; he’s fast becoming one of the best coaches in the world,” added Boucher.

–IANS

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25 bowlers picked as Bihar Cricket Association concludes ‘Bowlers Ki Khoj’ initiative

Patna, May 17 (IANS) The Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) on Saturday successfully concluded its ‘Bowlers Ki Khoj’ initiative at Moin‑ul‑Haq Stadium in Patna. Over 4,000 players from across districts in the state participated in this statewide talent hunt, from which the top 20 male and 5 female bowlers were picked.

Former Indian cricketers Salil Ankolа and Karsan Ghavri evaluated the participants’ technical skills and future potential. Both the former cricketers, along with BCA selectors and coaches, played a decisive role in evaluating skills and identifying the state’s most promising talents.

The chief guest, DIG (CID) Bihar Jayant Kant, was felicitated by BCA Secretary Ziaul Afreen with a bouquet. Jayant Kant honoured the top ten male bowlers with cricket shoes and presented bags to the remaining ten male selections. In the women’s category, two players received shoes, and the other three were presented with bags.

BCA Secretary Ziaul Afreen, senior officials—including Anti‑Corruption GM Ajit Pandey, Director of Cricket Development & Operations Anand Yalvigi, Player Representative (Men’s) Pawan, Cricket Operations Manager A.K. Chandan, and sponsor representatives Yogesh (Tiger Sports) and Vijay (AVISA)—along with coaches and support staff also graced the occasion on Saturday.

Speaking about the ‘Bowlers Ki Khoj’ initiative, BCA President Rakesh Tiwari said, “I’m extremely pleased with how the ‘Bowlers Ki Khoj’ initiative has shaped up. The enthusiasm, discipline, and raw talent displayed by the participants have been truly commendable. This initiative has reaffirmed our belief that Bihar is brimming with cricketing potential. We remain committed to nurturing this talent.”

Selected spinners (men):

Amit Kunal, Anmol Kumar, Shubham Kumar Pandey, Shivam Kumar Pandey, Amit Raj, Rishu Raj, Sagar Saxena, Manish Kumar, Aarav Jha, Aditya Singh, Badal Kumar

Selected pacers (men):

Rinkel Tiwari, Ankit Chaudhary, Anu Raj, Aman Anand, Ranjit Kumar, Anunay Narayan Singh, Rahul Kumar, Aditya Kumar, Hani Kumar Singh

Selected bowlers (women):

Tejaswi Sinha, Shilpi Kumari, Rishika Kinjal, Preeti Kumari, Nutan Singh

–IANS

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We were lacking the decisive momentum to score a goal: Neuer on Bayern’s loss to Benfica

Charlotte, June 25 (IANS) After Bayern Munich suffered a 1-0 loss against SL Benfica to finish second in Group C of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer admitted that the German giants were lacking the decisive momentum in the match to score a goal and didn’t show the same intensity in the first half as they did in the second.

Bayern dominated possession in the first half, but the German side struggled to create chances. SL Benfica grabbed the early lead on Andreas Schjelderup’s first-half strike and got crucial second-half saves by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin. Despite a strong second-half performance, Vincent Kompany’s team was forced to concede defeat in Charlotte.

“Our mistake was we didn’t show the same intensity in the first half as we did in the second. We just weren’t present enough. Obviously, we failed to score from several opportunities, and the goalkeeper did a great job as well. We were lacking the decisive momentum to score a goal today. We definitely have to analyse the first half critically.

“However, what we showed in the second half, that was Bayern Munich. That’s the way we want to play. You have to take the circumstances into consideration. It was brutally hot today. Of course, we all play in the same conditions, so we don’t want to look for excuses.

With the victory, Benfica finish as Group C winners and will meet the Group D runners-up Chelsea in Charlotte on June 28, while Bayern’s slip-up sets up a Round of 16 showdown with Brazilian side CR Flamengo, who have taken the tournament by storm, in Miami on June 29.

“Now, we’re going into the knockout stages as group runners-up. Looking at the second half today, we feel positive going forward. If we can create these kinds of chances for 90 minutes in the next game, I’m convinced we will be successful.

“We need to start with intensity in our next game with Flamengo. Honestly, I’m feeling positive because of the second half and what we achieved with our team, how we created the chances. If we can go 90 minutes with this tempo and how we created our chances, I feel positive for the tournament,” said Neuer.

–IANS

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