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Lahore, Feb 22 (IANS) Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, the hero in Australia’s record run chase of 352 which helped them beat England by five wickets with a sublime 120, said the team knew conditions at the Gaddafi Stadium would be better in the second half of the match.

Inglis, born in Yorkshire and brought up in Australia, hit an unbeaten 120 off 86 balls, laced with eight fours and six sixes, to help Australia complete the chase with 15 balls to spare and win a crucial Group B game. Australia now hold the record for the highest successful chase in the history of ICC Men’s ODI tournaments, as well as in a men’s ODI game in Lahore.

At one point, Australia were in trouble at 136/4, before Inglis and Carey put on a match-winning fifth-wicket stand of 146 runs in 116 balls to eventually reach home with ease. “Over the moon, great win. 350, a lot of things have got to go right to chase that down. Really pumped on a personal level and for the guys out there. It was a great performance. Not too much talk at half-time, we’d done a lot of talking before the game.”

“We knew that the second half here was going to be tough with all the dew, and the wicket skidded on nicely. It was always going to be better batting second. Alex doesn’t really say anything when he bats. I was just trying not to look at the scoreboard too much.”

“We knew with Maxi still in the shed, if we could get him into the last 10 overs, we’d always be a chance. I was just trying to tick over with the spin and be really proactive. We knew at the back end that it would skid on nicely. It’s a short, sharp tournament so to go one from one is really important,” said Inglis after the match ended.

Australia captain Steve Smith appreciated the batters barring him and Travis Head getting big runs in an uphill chase and was appreciative of his bowlers stemming the run-flow in the last ten overs of England’s innings.

“The guys were outstanding, Matt Short played beautifully, and Travis and I were the only two to miss out. We would have bowled first regardless, given how wet it got in training. It slowed up in the first innings and we thought 350 was chaseable.”

“The two keepers have been batting beautifully, in great form, Josh didn’t get out of second gear, shots all around the ground. I don’t know if Josh still has an English passport, but he’s not going anywhere!”

“Looked like they’d get 400 but we trusted each other’s skills, took pace off at the right times, hit hard lengths, squeezed and controlled the back end. Marnus bowled nicely too and took a few wickets.”

Jos Buttler, England skipper, rued that Ben Duckett’s magnificent 165 ended in a losing cause and credited Australia for being clinical in their run chase. “A fantastic game, both sides played well, credit to Australia, fantastic innings from Inglis. 350 is a pretty good score, but it was wet and the dew was a worry.”

“Duckett has been brilliant at the top of the order in all formats, he’s been threatening a big contribution for some time. Shame it was in a losing cause. Everyone has played enough cricket to know you need to go on, but take the focus off yourself and focus on the big partnerships, Root and Duckett did that well. Root and Livi bowled well, and created chances, but credit to Australia, we couldn’t break that partnership, got to give credit to the opposition.”

–IANS

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London, Sep 25 (IANS) Premier League champion Liverpool will meet FA Cup holder Crystal Palace in the standout tie of the fourth round of the Carabao Cup football tournament.

Defending champion Newcastle United has been drawn at home to Tottenham in another all-Premier League clash, while Arsenal, chasing its first triumph in the competition since 1993, will host Brighton & Hove Albion.

After stunning Manchester United in the previous round, fourth-tier Grimsby Town will enjoy another home tie against Premier League side Brentford.

For the first time, three Welsh clubs have reached the last-16 stage – setting up an all-Welsh derby as Wrexham faces Cardiff City in their first meeting since 2002, while Swansea City, the winner in 2013, has been paired with Manchester City.

Other ties see struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers take on Chelsea, and third-tier Wycombe Wanderers’ reward for beating Wigan Athletic is a home tie against Premier League outfit Fulham, reports Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Liverpool will go into the match with injury concerns as defender Giovanni Leoni is set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after picking up a suspected anterior cruciate ligament injury during his debut.

The 18-year-old started Tuesday’s 2-1 Carabao Cup third-round victory over Southampton and lasted 81 minutes before being forced off.

Leoni, who arrived from Parma in August for 26 million pounds plus add-ons, has since undergone medical tests on his left knee. Early indications suggest the centre-back may have sustained ACL damage, an injury likely to rule him out for most, if not all, of the season.

“I want to sincerely thank every single person who has shown me support in this difficult moment,” Leoni posted on Instagram. “It wasn’t the debut I had always dreamed of, but I will give everything to be back playing in this magical stadium as soon as possible. Thank you so much!”

Manager Arne Slot admitted the player immediately knew the injury was serious. “He is down because, for him, it didn’t feel good immediately. Normally, the emotions of a player tell you a lot,” Slot said after the match.

Leoni’s absence leaves Liverpool with just three senior central defenders: Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez. UEFA rules allow the Reds to replace Leoni in their Champions League squad, with forward Federico Chiesa among the options being considered.

–IANS

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