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بدأ نادي برشلونة أولى خطواته للتعاقد مع حارس مرمى جديد، في ظل الإصابة الخطيرة التي يعاني منها الألماني مارك أندريه تير شتيجن.

كان تير شتيجن قد تعرض لإصابة بقطع في الرباط الصليبي خلال مباراة برشلونة وفياريال يوم الأحد الماضي.

وتلاقى الفريقان في إطار منافسات الجولة السادسة من الدوري الإسباني، حيث فاز برشلونة بنتيجة 5/1.

ولكن تير شتيجن عكر صفو برشلونة بعدما تعرض لإصابة خطيرة، والتي تبين فيما بعد كونها قطع في الوتر الرضفي

ويستطيع برشلونة التعاقد مع حارس مرمى جديد في الوقت الحالي، بشرط ألا يكون مرتبطًا بنادِ آخر، أي ينضم إلى النادي الكتالوني بمقتضى صفقة مجانية.

وارتبط أكثر من حارس حر بالفعل بإمكانية الانتقال إلى صفوف برشلونة، من ضمنهم فويتشيك تشيزني.

ويأتي ذلك الارتباط على الرغم من أن تشيزني أعلن اعتزاله لعبة كرة القدم، نهاية الموسم الماضي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فليك: لاعب برشلونة سيصبح الأفضل في العالم.. ونحتاج إلى التطوير

وذكرت صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية أن الأولوية لدى برشلونة بشأن تدعيم مركز حراسة المرمى يتمثل في التعاقد مع تشيزني.

وأوضحت أن هناك العديد من الأسباب وراء ذلك التفضيل، وعلى رأسها كون المدرب هانز فليك يحب تشيزني، إلى جانب قدراته حيث لعب 35 مباراة في الدوري الإيطالي الموسم الماضي مع يوفنتوس، واستقبل 30 هدفًا.

وحافظ تشيزني على نظافة شباكه في 15 مباراة، ومن ثم فهو حارس يتمتع بكفاءة عالية من وجهة نظر مسؤولي برشلونة.

كما أن عمره لا يمثل عائقًا، حيث يبلغ 34 عامًا، أكبر بسنتين فقط من تير شتيجن وأصغر بكثير من المرشحين الآخرين.

وأفادت أنه نتيجة لذلك، بدأ برشلونة بالفعل تحركاته وتواصل مع الحارس البولندي والوفد المرافق له لاستكشاف الاحتمالات.

ويتمتع تشيزني بمسيرة احترافية في إنجلترا حيث لعب مع برينتفورد وآرسنال، إلى جانب روما ويوفنتوس الإيطاليين.

وخاض تشيزني 88 مباراة دولية رفقة منتخب بولندا، من بينها مباراة ودية في يونيو 2023 أمام ألمانيا بقيادة هانز فليك، حيث خسرت الماكينات بهدف دون رد.

وأشارت الصحيفة إلى أن هناك سلاح آخر يمكن لـ برشلونة الاستعانة به لإقناع تشيزني بخطوة الانضمام إلى النادي، والمتمثل في مواطنه روبرت ليفاندوفسكي.

ويمتلك ليفاندوفسكي علاقة صداقة قوية مع تشيزني، كما أن لاعب برشلونة يريد أن ينضم إليه مواطنه في النادي، ومن ثم فهو على استعداد للقيام بكل ما في وسعه لإقناعه.

وربما يواجه برشلونة صعوبة بعض الشئ كون تشيزني اتخذ قراره باعتزال لعبة كرة القدم، ومن الواضح أن العودة لم تكن جزءًا من خططه، ولكن النادي ينوي الاستمرار في هذا الطريق مع إدراكه بكل المعوقات.

وأكدت الصحيفة أن برشلونة يأمل حسم صفقة تشيزني، كون الخيارات الأخرى لا تتمتع بنفس صفاته، مثل كيلور نافاس على سبيل المثال، رغم أن الكوستاريكي سيكون أسهل كونه يبحث عن نادِ في الوقت الحالي وغير مُعتزل.

أدلى المحترف المصري عمر مرموش، لاعب فريق آينتراخت فرانكفورت، بتصريحات عقب فوزهم اليوم على فولفسبورج في بطولة الدوري الألماني.

وتلاقى الفريقان في خضم منافسات الجولة الثالثة من الدوري الألماني، حيث فاز آينتراخت فرانكفورت بهدفين مقابل هدف (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

ونجح مرموش في تقديم أداء رائع مع فرانكفورت في مباراة اليوم، حيث سجل هدفي فريقه.

وقال مرموش، في تصريحات نشرها الموقع الرسمي للنادي: “كان يوم سبت عظيمًا، ليس أمر سهلًا أن ننجح في الحصول على 3 نقاط خارج ملعبنا، وهنا في فولفسبورج كذلك”.

وأضاف: “نحن سعداء للغاية وأنا سعيد لأنني تمكنت من مساعدة الفريق، لقد تصرفنا كفريق وكافأنا أنفسنا على عملنا الشاق”.

وارتفع رصيد آينتراخت فرانكفورت إلى 6 نقاط في المركز السادس، ويرتقب مواجهة بوروسيا مونشنجلادباخ يوم السبت المقبل في الجولة الرابعة.

Newcastle United have been credited with an interest in one of the Premier League's top performers this summer, but may have to balance the books to bring him in.

Magpies set for decisive summer

After an excellent campaign last time out, Eddie Howe's transfer business seemed sensible over the summer. However, it hasn't panned out that way and a major injury crisis has led to a difficult season.

As it stands, the Magpies will be missing out on European football (they are currently 10th in the Premier League) and they are guaranteed to end the season trophyless after being knocked out of the FA Cup at the quarter final stage.

Newcastle aiming for young striker with high-potential as Isak backup

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That disappointment is compounded by pressure to stay within financial fair play guidelines, which have already seen Everton and Nottingham Forest punished for their trangressions this season.

That fear has led to reports that the club are willing to cash in on one of their superstars this summer in order to continue strengthening, with Bruno Guimaraes currently seeming the most likely prospect amid a £100m release clause and widespread interest from Europe's elite clubs. Speaking earlier in the season, Newcastle CEO Darren Eales did little to quell that concern.

"Any decision we make will always be against the backdrop of the medium to long-term benefit for the club. It's difficult to say specifically on certain players, but I can say that, if we're going to get to where we want to get to, at times it is necessary to trade your players", he explained in January.

"Whether that is because of the contract length of the player in question, the offer is too good to refuse, you need to reload in certain areas, but all of this could make sense to trade that player. It is counter-intuitive and part of the inherent system of PSR that there is an incentive to trade your players if you want to re-invest, by the nature of the boundaries."

Though the departure would come as a massive blow, especially if Joelinton were also to go when and if his contract expires, it may end up being exactly what the Tyneside outfit need if they are going to close the gap emerging between them and the current Premier League top five.

Newcastle eyeing up Nottingham Forest star

Now, one report has placed PIF and Newcastle among the clubs keeping tabs on Nottingham Forest centre-back Murillo, who has been a revelation since his arrival at the City Ground.

Murillo vs Newcastle defenders 2023/24

Stat

Murillo

Sven Botman

Fabian Schar

Jamal Lascelles

Appearances

23

17

28

15

Tackles per 90

1.53

1.31

1.11

1.19

Interceptions per 90

1.13

0.59

0.92

0.34

Fouls per 90

1.08

0.59

1

1.44

Pass accuracy

76.1%

90.6%

83.6%

86.6%

Though only signed in the summer, the 21-year-old Brazilian centre-back has caught the eye for his maurading runs and his defensive ability, and it has already been reported that Forest envisage him becoming their new record sale, such is their faith in his ability.

As per reliable reporter Sami Mokbel, Eddie Howe's side are watching the situation unfold at the City ground carefully, with the possibility that Forest again will need to sell to balance their books this summer. They are not alone, however, with Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool all also keeping a watchful eye on the situation should the young star in the making become available. Meanwhile, European giants Barcelona and Paris Saint Germain are also thought to be keen.

Speaking earlier in the season, pundit Courtney Sweetman-Kirk claimed that the Brazilian wouldn't look out of place at Manchester City, before admitting he didn't think he would be at the Midlands side for very long.

"He’s wonderful. Forest fans won’t thank me for this but he looks like a Manchester City defender. If Forest do go down I can’t see him staying, he just looks quality”, she remarked.

The threat of relegation continues to loom large for Nuno Espirito Santo's side, but even should they avoid the drop, they may be set to lose one of their stars, and Newcastle United could stand to profit.

Daniel Levy and Johan Lange have reportedly identified a cheap replacement for Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Spurs' over-reliance on Sarr and Bissouma

Although Tottenham Hotspur have managed to turn around their form thanks to the introduction of Ange Postecoglou in the dugout, there are still certain areas within the squad which could benefit from being upgraded.

For example, although Hojbjerg is still a Premier League standard midfielder, in regard to their 'Big Six' rivals such as Liverpool and Manchester City, he is worlds apart from the quality which those teams possess.

The Denmark international joined the club in 2020 from Southampton in what was reported to be a £15m deal. Since then, he has played a total of 174 times for the North London club and has involved himself with 26 goals across all competitions.

When both Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr were called up to AFCON this winter, Hojbjerg was one of the few options available to Postecoglou due to Rodrigo Bentancur being sidelined through injury, and the side struggled without their star African duo.

When all of Tottenham's players are back in the fold, the 28-year-old Dane will likely be benched, and it feels as if the midfielder himself knows this, as he is reportedly looking to move elsewhere in search of game time. If he is to leave Spurs, this would leave Postecoglou with a major selection headache and even less depth in an already thin area of the squad.

The cheap Hojbjerg replacement Levy has lined up

It goes without saying that Spurs' defensive-midfielders could do with a bit of an upgrade, especially if Hojbjerg leaves this summer. Enter, Ismail Yuksek. Yuksek is 25-years-old and currently plys his trade for Fenerbache in the Turkish Super Lig.

This term alone, the Turkey international has played a total of 41 games and has managed to contribute to a total of six goals thus far. Although these attacking returns are more than decent for a 'number six' it is the defensive side of his game which makes the 25-year-old such an appealing prospect for Levy.

As per FBRef, the midfielder ranks extremely highly in the defensive department and would provide Spurs with some much-needed stability.

Ismail Yuksek's defensive stats

Per 90

Rank vs midfielders in similar leagues

Tackles

3.05

91st percentile

Interceptions

2.1

98th percentile

Blocks

1.91

96th percentile

Clearances

2.29

94th percentile

Aerials won

2.1

90th percentile

Data via FBRef

As per a report from Turkish Outlet TV100, Spurs 'want' to acquire Yuksek for a fee in the region of £17m, which, for a player of his calibre, could turn out to be a bargain deal.

Additionally, if Hojbjerg does leave the club in the summer, his outgoing transfer fee would more than likely be enough to cover the expense of bringing the Turkey international to London.

The former Hampshire captain led MCC’s tour to Nepal this month

Matt Roller13-Nov-2019Sandeep Lamichhane and Paras Khadka can be “trailblazers” for Nepal cricket, and create a “legacy for the country to build off”, according to former Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams.Adams, who captained the MCC on their recent tour to Nepal, told ESPNcricinfo that the standard of Nepal’s white-ball cricket in particular was “very high”, and that the country is well-placed to “go on and follow Afghanistan’s transition” into the top reaches of the game.ALSO READ: Lamichhane, Nepal’s first global T20 iconThe MCC’s recent tour comprised two games against the full national team, a 50-over game against the Under-19 side, a T20 against a mixed national team and U-19 team, and two more T20s against invitational XIs. One of those games against the national team was a three-day fixture, which was Nepal’s first first-class match since 2005 and attracted a crowd of around 4000 fans each day.”The crowds were incredible really,” said Adams. “In the first-class stuff, we probably get a couple of hundred people for our four-day games back at home, whereas for this game here there were 4000 or so.”They struggled a bit in the red-ball game [MCC won by 208 runs] but they’ve barely played any red-ball cricket in the last decade. Their white-ball skill level was very high – certainly on their home tracks, they’ll be a test for many teams in Associate cricket and maybe even beyond that over the coming years.”I don’t know as much about their depth and the structure of their cricket, but certainly what we played against in that 50-over game and the T20s – it wouldn’t surprise me if they go on and follow Afghanistan’s transition.”The tour was organised as part of the MCC’s legacy tour scheme, with the MCC Foundation funding a £56,000 project in Pokhara over the next year working with the charity Kidasha. Nepal were also invited to play in a triangular T20 series with MCC and Netherlands in 2018, and this project’s focus is primarily on infrastructure, with nets being laid, kit donated, and a schools league being established.The tour’s manager, Richard Greatorex, told ESPNcricinfo that the squad – which includes recent England Test cap Tom Westley and former Pakistan allrounder Yasir Arafat – had coached “in the region of 300 children” in the past two days.”[The coaching] has been very basic skills: just throwing, catching, basic bowling, how to hold a bat and swing,” he said. “At times it’s been carnage, but the enthusiasm and energy is phenomenal. The cricket has been truly amazing. The standard of the Under-19 and national sides certainly far exceeded my expectations, and their fielding was on occasion world-class. The enthusiasm from the youngsters, right through to the national side, is immense.”Nepali cricket fans aren’t shy about their devotion to Paras Khadka•Peter Della Penna

Greatorex also suggested that Nepal players breaking into the franchise circuit would act as a springboard for those coming through.”Sandeep is a cult figure,” he said. “And so is Paras, who’s going off to the T10 competition in Abu Dhabi this week. Hopefully, within say three to five years, you might see another two or three players reaching those sorts of levels. They’ve certainly got the enthusiasm, passion, and desire to get to the very top – it’s whether that infrastructure supports them.”Adams picked out the U19 side’s top three – Rit Gautam, Lokesh Bam and Khadak Bohara – as possible stars of the future.”The Under-19s we played in the first game of the tour, their top three came out and played beautifully. They had a clutch of young spinners [too] – and in the 50-over game they had an offspinner who whacked it at the end [Pawan Sarraf]. Hopefully Sandeep can be the trailblazer for them, and others can follow him into that level of international recognition.”The level of support clearly made an impression, with over 7000 fans turning out for the T20 fixture against a combined U-19 and national team. Ollie Hannon-Dalby, the Warwickshire seamer, won “cult hero” status according to Greatorex, after doing the Viking clap on the boundary edge, while Adams said that Will Vanderspar – who had done “the worm” in front of the fans – had arrived in Pokhara to people wondering if he was “the snake man”.After being reinstated as a member by the ICC following a three-year ban due to government interference in the board of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), the return of vital funding from the game’s bosses means that the national team can begin to move forward again after a period of relative stagnation.”For first-class cricket, it’ll take a number of years to get the infrastructure in place,” said Greatorex, “but certainly in ODIs, they could be competing really well within the next four years – they could be in the next 50-over, I’d think, and we’d expect them to be in the T20 World Cup in the next four or six years.”For Adams, the need for regular domestic cricket is pressing – but again, that begins with infrastructure.
“It’ll certainly help them,” he said. “They’ve produced players so far on the back of very little red-ball cricket, and for ICC status, to move forward with a first-class structure is quite important.”It’s amazing how they’ve managed to do so much from the little facilities that they have in comparison to other cricket-playing countries, but I think it’s going to huge in the next five or ten years for them if they can make regional cricket stronger.”

أعلن الدنماركي ييس توورب، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، قائمة الفريق المستدعاه لمواجهة إنبي ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس عاصمة مصر “كأس الرابطة”.

وتقام المباراة بين الأهلي وإنبي على أرضية استاد السلام في الجولة الأولى من مرحلة المجموعات لـ كأس الرابطة.

طالع.. اتحاد الكرة يٌعلن حكم مبارة الأهلي وإنبي في كأس الرابطة

ويتواجد الأهلي في المجموعة الأولى لـ بطولة كأس الرابطة، بجانب أندية “سيراميكا كليوباترا وفاركو وطلائع الجيش وإنبي وغزل المحلة والمقاولون العرب”.

ويشارك في بطولة كأس الرابطة هذا الموسم 21 فريقًا المتواجدين في بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز على رأسها الأهلي والزمالك، وتم تقسيم الأندية إلى 3 مجموعات، كل مجموعة تضم 7 فرق. قائمة الأهلي أمام إنبي

سيحا – ديانج – حازم جمال – طاهر محمد طاهر – عمر كمال – أحمد عابدين – أحمد رمضان بيكهام – أحمد نبيل كوكا – أحمد رضا – محمد عبد الله – جراديشار- حمزة – محمد شكري – حسين الشحات – إبراهيما كاظم – أحمد داري – إبراهيم عادل – عمر معوض – مصطفى العش – إبراهيم الأسيوطي

If you thought the Brisbane Heat’s victory over the Adelaide Strikers at the Gabba was a thrashing, think again. The roles were more than reversed at the Adelaide Oval as the home side romped to a 10-wicket win with a massive 55 deliveries remaining – the third most in BBL history – after dismantling an awful Heat for just 100.AB de Villiers fell in the fourth over but Heat had reached 2 for 53 in the eighth when it all started to go badly wrong. Liam O’Connor removed Chris Lynn to spark a collapse of 8 for 47 as he claimed a career-best 3 for 30. Only Matt Renshaw showed much composure with 43 and the Heat were bowled out with three overs unused. Michael Neser had a big impact, removing de Villiers and Renshaw in his 2 for 14.Liam O’Connor is pumped up after striking•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

If it’s possible, the chase was even more one-sided as Phil Salt, who has had a tricky tournament, carted the bowling to all parts as he and Jake Weatherald got the job done in under 11 overs. It handed the Strikers a handy net run-rate boost and did the opposite to the Heat. There might be another Darren Lehmann spray coming.De Villiers in – and out – earlyThere was much excitement, even from some the Strikers players as shown by Weatherald who was on the TV mic, when de Villiers walked in during the third over following another poor shot from Max Bryant who clubbed to mid-off. A chance for him to bat nearly 18 overs…oh, the possibilities. It was all over after three balls when he pulled Michael Neser to deep square leg where Weatherald took a well-judged catch above his head. Speaking on the coverage later, de Villiers said he had perhaps been over-eager on a surface that looked full of runs. Two early wickets meant Lynn had to play it a little safe, but just when he had got himself set the wheels fell off.Falling in a heapLynn tried to clear the off side against O’Connor’s second delivery but could only skew the ball over cover where Rashid Khan turned, ran back and took a superb catch over his shoulder. In the next over Travis Head brought himself on and it worked a treat second ball when Joe Burns swung straight down deep midwicket, a poor piece of judgement for an experienced player with a key batsman having fallen the over before. O’Connor, who had never previously taken more than two wickets in a BBL innings and has largely been Khan’s understudy, twice found the top edge as Ben Cutting and Jimmy Peirson played cut shots, with Harry Nielsen claiming two excellent catches. The Heat’s only hope of even a half-decent total lay with Renshaw who had again played very well, but amid the clatter of wickets he top-edged a pull off Neser. In the end they barely got into three figures as Wes Agar closed things out with a brace of excellent yorkers.Rubbing Salt into the woundThere are generally two ways to knock off a small total – steady, or brutally quick. The Strikers took the latter route with 13 coming from the second over from Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Salt played out a maiden from Josh Lalor, but it was a momentary pause as the Strikers finished the Powerplay on 0 for 45. At that stage Weatherald was 26 and Salt 15; things soon changed. In a fierce display of striking Salt went from 18 off 23 balls to 67 off 38 hitting eight of his next 15 deliveries for either four or six, finishing the (non) contest with consecutive sixes off Mujeeb.

West Bromwich Albion are set for a big summer after Steve Bruce confirmed there would be changes made to the squad and now there has been a new update on a potential transfer target that could move to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the latest?

West Brom reporter for The Athletic Steve Madeley has given an update on the club’s pursuit of Milwall winger Jed Wallace.

In an article for The Athletic, Madeley claimed:

“Millwall’s Jed Wallace is another out-of-contract player near the top of Bruce’s wanted list.

“The 28-year-old former Wolves player can play in a central role but is arguably most adept out wide, where Bruce also wants to strengthen.”

Major Diangana upgrade

Steve Bruce is keen to improve his team to ensure that West Brom can compete for a chance at promotion back into the Premier League next season, and has made no secret about his intentions.

Bruce confirmed in an interview (via West Brom Official):

“We need a change and we need to freshen the whole place up with an influx of new players who have got a hunger and an energy to succeed and give us the lift we all need.”

With that being said, signing Wallace could be a huge addition to the team and could be the perfect upgrade on Grady Diangana for next season, especially when you consider his impact at Milwall this term.

The 28-year-old gem who was hailed “unbelievable” by current manager Gary Rowett has scored six goals and registered 12 assists, while creating 14 big chances.

He’s also made 2.5 key passes and taken 1.7 shots on average per game, an attacking output that could certainly improve the Baggies next season.

If Wallace could offer the same consistency at The Hawthorns he would be a huge improvement on Diangana who has only scored twice and assisted once in 41 Championship appearances throughout 2021/22, with nine fewer big chances created compared to the potential new signing.

Ultimately, it is clearly going to be a busy transfer window for the Baggies and it will be interesting to see who the manager brings in this summer to improve the team.

AND in other news: Steve Madeley drops major 10-word West Brom transfer update that’ll excite supporters

Erik ten Hag and Manchester United are planning to revamp the club's defence in the summer, with plenty of turnover possible. After the club elected not to activate their option to extend his contract by a further year, Raphael Varane could leave as a free agent at the end of the season, as could 2023 signing Jonny Evans. Elsewhere, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are up for sale if the Red Devils receive appropriate offers.

United are looking into some high-profile deals for possible successors like Bayern Munich's Matthijs de Ligt, Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite and Nice's Jean-Clair Todibo, but based on a recent report, they could also go after a hidden gem to form part of their long-term vision for their back four.

Man Utd in touch over Brighton-esque signing

According to Boca Juniors news outlet Planeta BJ, Manchester United have made contact over Aaron Anselmino. He's caught the eye of the Premier League club, as well as other top sides in Europe, with his exploits so far.

Boca recently tied Anselmino down to a new contract, one that includes a release clause worth just under £16m, but there's a provision in the deal that raises that sum beyond £20m for the final days of the transfer window. The goal may be to ensure that they don't lose the player so late that they can't replace him.

The Argentine club negotited these fresh terms on the back of losing left-back Valentin Barco to Brighton earlier this month. The Seagulls only had to pay £7.8m for his signature under an outdated clause, and Boca believed that fell well below his market value. Determined to avoid a repeat with Anselmino, they will insist on his new clause being met in full.

Anselmino's breakthrough at Boca

18-year-old Anselmino has made five first-team appearances for Boca so far and they will hope there are many more to come. He earned his full debut in the cup against Racing Club in October and kept his place for the next fixture against Estudiantes before featuring against Newell's Old Boys.

In the league, he played the whole second half of a 1-1 draw with Lanus in November, and then enjoyed a brief substitute outing versus Sarmiento. Having not made the matchday squad at all until that game against Lanus, he would be named on the bench for seven of his side's last eight fixtures overall, which may be a preview of an ascension to a much more significant role next season.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

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As mentioned above, Brighton have already signed a player from the Buenos Aires outfit this month, and this too would feel very much like a Seagulls-esque deal. In recent years, they've picked up players like Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo from South America and turned them into rising stars coveted by Liverpool and Chelsea.

While United's business model wouldn't revolve around selling Anselmino on for profit, it might be sensible to invest in talented players like him at source and save plenty of money further down the line, even if £20m might seem a little steep at first. Signed in tandem with a couple of the bigger names mentioned above, he could form part of an astute midfield rebuild at Old Trafford.

Leicestershire’s batting allrounder takes best-ever figures in the format, beating Arul Suppiah’s 6 for 5

David Hopps07-Aug-2019

Colin Ackermann went into this match with 31 wickets in 90 T20 matches, a few gathered now and then in England and South Africa. Now he can add the best bowling figures in the worldwide history of Twenty20 cricket to his record. On an astounding night at Grace Road, he returned 7 for 18 in four overs against Birmingham Bears, looking upon the gifts bestowed upon him with a growing sense of wonderment.More than 30 bowlers have taken six wickets in a T20 tie but nobody had ever taken seven. When he came on six overs from the end to bowl his third over, with only one wicket to his name, nothing could have been further from his mind. But Birmingham, still 72 short with six wickets intact, capitulated in extraordinary fashion to lose by 55 runs.Ackermann, Leicestershire’s T20 captain, just planned to be a solid pro doing an intelligent job, but the naivety of a young Bears batting line-up was evident as he banged his off-breaks in short of a length in search of turn and bounce and reaped the benefit, taking three wickets in each of his last two overs. They failed to work him for singles; they flailed him to eager fielders in the deep. They could not have got it more wrong.”I’d never have believed this in a million years – I count myself as a batting allrounder,” Ackermann said. “It was the first time it has turned at Grace Road so I tried to use my height and get a bit of bounce. Even if it turns a couple of centimetres it’s an advantage. I tried to get the batters to hit into the biggest part of the field into the wind and just mix my pace up a little.”