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West Bromwich Albion have never been shy when it comes to signing players on free transfers during previous transfer windows.

The likes of Jed Wallace, John Swift, Andy Carroll and Adam Reach, among others, have all made moves to The Hawthorns on free transfers in recent memory.

Another player that the Baggies brought in on a free transfer during last summer’s transfer window is Alex Mowatt.

Signed from Barnsley as Valerien Ismael’s first incoming transfer at the Midlands club following his appointment as West Brom manager in June 2021, the midfielder had a decent debut season with the Baggies.

In his 34 league appearances, the Englishman made 35 interceptions, won 35 tackles and delivered 142 crosses for his current club. This shows just how useful he was in a defensive and attacking sense.

With the current summer transfer window open for business, this period could give Steve Bruce the chance to sign someone who not only could strengthen West Brom’s midfield but also form a scary partnership alongside Mowatt.

One player who has been mentioned with a move to The Hawthorns this summer who could fit this particular bill is Leicester City midfielder Hamza Choudhury.

In his 53 Premier League appearances for the Foxes, the Englishman has won 34 tackles and made 507 pressures, 61 blocks, 69 interceptions and 56 clearances. This highlights his defensive capabilities from midfield and shows what he’d be able to offer to the Baggies should he end up joining them this summer.

Taking this into account, it’s safe to suggest that if Bruce were able to create a team containing both Mowatt and Choudhury, this could be a scary prospect for opposition players to come up against, given how relentless both players are when it comes to winning the ball back.

Despite only scoring two senior goals for Leicester, Choudhury’s first one was described as “gorgeous” by Gary Lineker, who knows a thing or two about finding the net.

If the Baggies see an opportunity to negotiate with the Foxes over a potential deal for the £3.6m-rated midfielder, this would surely give their chances of securing promotion to the Premier League a big boost ahead of the new campaign.

AND in other news: Bruce drops “brutally honest” transfer update, it’s bad news for West Brom supporters

Manchester United look set to lose another promising player this summer, with Dean Henderson reportedly set to join newly-promoted Nottingham Forest on a loan deal with an option to buy.

What’s the word?

Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano posted on Twitter: “Nottingham Forest have opened talks with Manchester United to sign Dean Henderson on loan with option to buy [around £20m]. Negotiations ongoing – Nottingham Forest want Henderson and it’s now a possibility also considered by the player. Talks on.”

Steve Cooper’s side are in need of a new goalkeeper after last season’s first-choice Brice Samba made it clear that he wants to leave, and Forest have acted quickly to move for Henderson.

The Englishman had limited first-team opportunities at United last season due to the form of David de Gea, so it is no surprise to see him linked with a move away from Old Trafford, although you would have hoped that Erik ten Hag would have been able to assess him before the club sanctioned any departure.

United supporters will be fuming

Although De Gea was impressive at times last season, United fans will still perhaps have been hoping that Henderson would have been the long-term heir to the 31-year-old Spaniard, especially after he came through the academy at United.

The 25-year-old has made just 29 senior appearances for the Red Devils during his time at the club, but he won a lot of plaudits after impressive loan spells with Shrewsbury Town and Sheffield United. Indeed, the shot-stopper was a key part of the Blades’ Championship promotion in 2019 and subsequent season in the Premier League, starting all but two league matches across those two campaigns.

Sheffield United midfielder Sander Berge was full of praise for Henderson during his loan spell at Bramall Lane, saying: “He’s insane. I’ve never been with such a good goalkeeper. One thing in matches, he is almost a defence alone at times, and you feel so secure with him.

“But people have to see him at training. It’s crazy. He saves balls from one yard. Sometimes I am completely speechless by how good he is. It’s like having two goalkeepers in goal with him. He’s awesome.

“He’s so confident. He knows he is good and he exploits that too. He is exceptional.”

At 25, Henderson is still very young for a goalkeeper, while Berge’s comments would suggest that he has a lot of potential. Therefore, United supporters will surely be gutted to hear this update from Romano; and if the ‘keeper proves himself to be a bargain signing for Forest next season, then this feels like another transfer that those at Old Trafford will come to regret.

In other news… United now ready to pay £35m to sign Premier League flop, he’s even worse than Matic

David Moyes has led West Ham to one of their finest seasons in recent memory, taking them to the Europa League semi-finals and securing continental qualification for next term as well.

The 59-year-old will believe that he can now take the Irons to the next level, and this may require some positive transfer business during the summer.

According to Calciomercato, West Ham are interested in a move for Josip Brekalo this summer, who has spent the season on loan at Torino, with the winger’s parent club Wolfsburg keen on selling him in the summer.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-west-ham-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-more” title= “Read the latest West Ham news!”]

Brekalo could be available for just €10m (£8.5m) and this could be an excellent piece of business if Moyes can pull it off.

Moyes must land Brekalo for West Ham

West Ham have done brilliantly this season despite relying on the same core group of players as last term, and the addition of attacking options remains one of the priorities ahead of the transfer window.

With only one player in the squad scoring more than ten goals this season (Jarrod Bowen with 12), it’s clear to see where the weakness lies, and Moyes needs to improve that with the prospective signing of Brekalo.

The Croatian has scored seven times and registered two assists this season at Torino, a decent if not spectular tally. At only 23 years old though, he has the time to improve even further, and a move to the Premier League could be the catalyst for him to utilise his potential.

Compared to Bowen (2.96), Said Benrahma (2.86), and Michail Antonio (3.19), Brekalo generates 4.22 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, a considerably higher return than the West Ham trio.

The Croatian (80) also puts more crosses into the opposition penalty area compared to Bowen (53) and Benrahma (64), creating more goalscoring opportunities for team-mates.

Journalist Ronan Murphy stated that Brekalo will “torment defenders” everywhere, and with his form also being dubbed “frightening” by Josh Bunting, it’s no wonder that Moyes is looking to add the 23-year-old to the West Ham squad over the summer. It’s an opportunity that he cannot afford to let slip.

AND in other news, Cost £1.5m per goal: GSB made a colossal blunder on “strong” £40k-p/w West Ham flop

Manchester City have a healthy number of English players in their squad who have played for the senior national team such as, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish.

Now that the next summer transfer window is around the corner, the Citizens have been linked with another English talent who has been a regular figure in the Premier League for a number of years.

It was reported late last month that the Manchester club have their eye on signing Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse during the upcoming summer transfer window.

However, it seems as though a behind-the-scenes development has emerged which could be a setback for Pep Guardiola’s side and their attempts to bring the 27-year-old to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

What’s the latest?

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl seems to have poured cold water on the possibility of the Saints captain making an exit from St Mary’s this summer.

The Austrian said: “He has another four years on his contract, he’s our captain and he’s happy here. Fans love him and we know how important he is to our team. The development of his game is why he’s a true winner.”

Bad news for City

If City are aiming to add the Southampton star to their ranks this summer, taking into account what Hasenhuttl has had to say, this could be bad news for their chances of securing the Englishman’s signature.

Having worked his way through the youth ranks at the south coast club to then go on and make 360 senior appearances across all competitions, it’s easy to see why Saints supporters have an infatuation with the midfield star, according to Hasenhuttl. In those senior appearances, the 27-year-old has scored 43 goals and provided 48 assists along the way.

To further highlight just how crucial he is for his team, no other Southampton player has completed more passes (1,515) or made more shot-creating actions (105) than Ward-Prowse this season.

This shows just how reluctant the south coast club would be to let him leave this summer, especially to another Premier League side, and it comes as a big blow to City’s chances of landing him this year.

Given the midfielder’s apparent happiness at Southampton and the fact that his current contract there isn’t set to expire until 2026, the Citizens would have to splash out a big amount of cash and use all their persuasive power if they are to convince Ward-Prowse to wave goodbye to his boyhood club.

In other news: “Will sign..”: Exciting behind-the-scenes Man City claim is great news for supporters

A stats analysis from the second T20I in which Heinrich Klaasen struck seven sixes and destroyed Yuzvendra Chahal’s economy rate

Bharath Seervi22-Feb-2018230- Heinrich Klaasen’s strike rate in his innings of 69 off 30 – the second-highest for any batsman in a 50-plus score against India. Only Johnson Charles’ 79 off 33, which was at strike rate of 239.39 in Lauderhill in 2016, is a quicker 50-plus score against India. Among South Africa batsmen, Klaasen’s innings is the fifth-fastest 50-plus knock.7- Sixes hit by Klaasen in his match-winning innings, which are the joint third-most by any batsman against India in T20Is. Only one player has hit more sixes against India in the format – Evin Lewis, who hit 12 sixes and nine sixes during his two centuries in 2017 and 2016 respectively. For South Africa, only Richard Levi (13 sixes), Loots Bosman (nine) and David Miller (nine) have hit more sixes in a T20I.2- Man-of-the-Match awards Klaasen has won already in six international matches; both came in South Africa’s wins, in the ODI and T20I series on this tour. He was also named the Man of the Match for his unbeaten 43 off 27 in the Johannesburg ODI.5- Bowlers to concede seven sixes in a T20I. Yuzvendra Chahal is the first such bowler from India. The other four bowlers were Stuart Broad, Xavier Doherty, Barry McCarthy (Ireland) and Andrew Tye. For India, the previous highest was six sixes by Ravindra Jadeja against Australia in the 2010 World T20. Klaasen hit five of the seven sixes off Chahal. He collected 41 runs off 12 balls he faced from Chahal, which are also the most any batsman has scored off an India bowler in a T20I.

64- Runs conceded by Chahal in his four overs, the most by an India bowler in T20Is. The previous record was 57 runs by Joginder Sharma against England in the 2007 World T20. Overall, only two bowlers have had more expensive figures than Chahal – McCarthy (69 runs) against Afghanistan last year and 68 leaked by Kyle Abbott against West Indies in 2015. Last week, two more bowlers conceded 64 runs in a T20I – Tye and Ben Wheeler in the same game between Australia and New Zealand in Auckland.1- Instances of a batsman hitting more sixes off a bowler in a T20I than the five sixes by Klaasen against Chahal. Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes off Stuart Broad, all in one over, in Durban in the 2007 World T20 are the most. Lewis had also hit Stuart Binny and Jadeja for five sixes each in his two century knocks.13- Sixes conceded by Chahal in the two India losses in ODIs and T20Is on this tour. He conceded runs at an economy rate of 13.89 in the two games – 68 runs in 5.3 overs in the Wanderers ODI and 64 runs from four overs in this T20I. He could manage just one wicket in these two matches. In the six matches won by India, Chahal picked 16 wickets at an average of 14.56, with an economy rate of 4.59, and conceded only six sixes.

Stats highlights from the first T20I between Zimbabwe and India in Harare

Bharath Seervi18-Jun-20162 Number of T20Is won by Zimbabwe against India. Before this two-run victory, they had defended 145 at this same venue in the second game of the two-match series last year. Zimbabwe have now achieved two consecutive T20I wins against India, after having lost their first three matches. This is their narrowest win in T20Is in terms of runs and the second narrowest loss for India.170 Zimbabwe’s total in this match – their highest against India in T20Is. In the four T20Is between the two teams before this game, Zimbabwe had never scored more than 150; their highest was 145 for 7 in Harare last year. The total of 170 is their second highest in a T20I at home. This was their tenth total of 170 or more in T20Is, of which eight have come outside Zimbabwe.36 Runs scored by Zimbabwe in the last two overs of the innings – 21 in 19th over and 15 in the 20th – is the most they have scored in those overs of a T20I. Zimbabwe scored 59 runs in the last five overs – their third most in T20Is.0 Number of times India had lost a wicket off the first ball of their innings, before this match. On Saturday, KL Rahul, making his debut, was bowled by Donald Tiripano off the first ball. Rahul became only the second Indian player to fall for a duck on T20I debut; the first being MS Dhoni in India’sinaugural T20I against South Africa in 2006.5 Number of Zimbabwe batsmen who scored 20 or more in their innings – their joint most in a T20I and their third such instance in 52 matches. This was only the second such occasion against India; the first came in the 2007 World T20 in Durban when five England batsmen notched up 20-plus scores.3 Number of quicker half-centuries by Zimbabwe batsmen in T20Is than Elton Chigumbura’s 25-ball effort in this match. The fastest T20I fifty for Zimbabwe was recorded by Malcolm Waller in 20 balls against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2015. There have been two fifties off 21 balls – by Chigumbura against UAE and Sean Williams against Afghanistan.7 Sixes hit by Chigumbura during his unbeaten 26-ball 54, the most by a Zimbabwe batsman in a T20I. His seven sixes are also the joint most against India in T20Is. He was adjudged Man of the Match for his knock, his second such award in T20Is.54* Chigumbura’s score, which is the highest by a player batting at No. 7 or lower against India in T20Is. The previous highest was 36 by Albie Morkel in Durban in the 2007 World T20. Overall, this is the eighth time a batsman made a fifty at No. 7 or lower in T20Is.4 Instances of both Indian opening bowlers conceding 40 or more runs in a T20I. Jaydev Unadkat and Rishi Dhawan, making their T20I debuts, conceded 43 and 42 runs respectively. Against Zimbabwe, there was only one such instance before this.

The 2015 World Cup saw a paradigm shift in ODI scoring patterns, a few records broken, and a spirited display from the Associates

Shiva Jayaraman30-Mar-20153 400-plus team totals in this World Cup. The only instance of a 400-plus total in the World Cup before this was India’s 413 for 5 against Bermuda in 2007. This World Cup also saw 28 300-plus totals, almost a 65% increase from the previous highest of 17 in 2011.24-24 Win-loss ratio of teams batting first in this World Cup; teams batting first in Australia won more than they did across the Tasman Sea. While teams won 16 out of 25 games batting first in Australia, they only managed eight wins in 23 games in New Zealand.0 300-plus totals in losing causes while chasing in previous World Cups. It happened twice in this edition, on consecutive days – when Zimbabwe scored 326 but fell agonisingly short of Ireland’s total and Sri Lanka fell well short of Australia’s total in spite of scoring 312. Out of the 11 300-plus totals in chases, nine have come in the last two World Cups with five coming in 2015.38 Centuries in this World Cup – a jump of more than 50% from the number of hundreds scored in the previous edition. The 2011 World Cup, which had 24 centuries, had improved on the previous highest by only three hundreds.6 Number of times teams batting first doubled their scores after the 35th over in this World Cup. This was achieved only twice in the 2011 World Cup, both times by New Zealand. They reached 302 for 7 from their full quota of 50 overs after being 151 for 4 in 37.1 overs against Pakistan. Against Canada, New Zealand were 179 for 2 in 35.3 before ending up on 358 for 6. In this World Cup teams doubled their scores after the 31st-to-35th-over period on 21 occasions as opposed to only 12 in 2011.The old adage of doubling your score after 30 overs might need a bit of a rethink•ESPNcricinfo Ltd9 Hundreds by batsmen batting at No. 5 or No. 6, the most by far in any World Cup. Batsmen in those positions had made two hundreds in the 1996 and 1983 editions, which was the most till 2015. Three of the nine centuries came from South Africa batsmen – AB de Villiers from No. 5 against West Indies and David Miller and JP Duminy against Zimbabwe batting at No. 5 and No. 6 respectively.7 Individual scores of 150 or more – no other World Cup has had more than two such innings. There were two double-hundreds in this World Cup – no one had made one in any previous edition. While it took over 19 years to surpass Gary Kirsten’s record for the highest individual score in a World Cup – 188 not out against the UAE – it took Martin Guptill less than a month to better Chris Gayle’s record.54 Average balls per six in this World Cup – the lowest ever and 45 deliveries per six fewer than in 2011. The lowest balls-per-six number before this World Cup was in 2007, when batsmen hit a six every 70 balls. As many as 463 sixes were hit in this World Cup, 205 more than the last one, in one match less.Batsmen hit sixes nearly twice as frequently as they did in the 2011 World Cup•ESPNcricinfo Ltd5.55 Economy rate of bowlers in this World Cup – the first time bowlers collectively conceded more than 5 runs an over in any World Cup. There were 173 instances of bowlers conceding runs at an economy of 6 or worse while bowling five or more overs, easily the most in any World Cup. In comparison, the 2011 World Cup saw 60 fewer instances. This is the first time in World Cup history that more than 25% of bowler-innings have gone for 6 runs an over or worse.15 Number of overs that went for 24 or more runs in this World Cup. Since the 1999 edition and before this one, there had only been 19 such overs. There were 64 overs that went for 18 or more runs this time, exactly as many as there had been in the last two World Cups put together.134 Wickets by left-arm pace bowlers – easily the most in any World Cup. The previous best was 77 in 2003. As many as seven left-arm fast bowlers took at least ten wickets in this World Cup. Four left-arm seamers managed it in 2003. Left-arm pacers have topped the wicket-takers’ list in six of the 11 World Cups. It was also the second time up that bowlers from Australia and New Zealand had finished as the joint-highest wicket-takers after Geoff Allot and Shane Warne shared the honours with 20 wickets each in 1999.10.18 Mitchell Starc’s average while picking up 22 wickets – the third-best by any bowler with at least ten wickets in a World Cup. Gary Gilmour’s 11 wickets in 1975 came at 5.63 and Courtney Walsh’s 11 wickets cost him 9.81 each in 1999. Overall, Starc’s bowling average is the best for any bowler with at least 20 wickets in World Cups. Imran Tahir’s average of 16.31 is the third-best in the World Cup and the best for any spinner.22 Wickets taken by Trent Boult, the most by any New Zealand bowler in an ODI series. Shane Bond’s 21 wickets in a tri-series involving Australia and South Africa was the record before this.15 Wickets taken by Josh Davey, the most by any Associate bowler in a World Cup. Davey took one more than Zimbabwe’s Eddo Brandes in 1992 and five more than Scotland’s previous-highest: John Blain’s 10 wickets in 1999.254 Runs made by Samiullah Shenwari, the most by a batsman from an Associate team playing its first World Cup. Before Shenwari, Gavin Hamilton of Scotland had made 217 in 1999. Overall, Shenwari’s 254 runs are the fifth-highest by a batsman from any team playing its first World Cup. Peter Kirsten scored 410 runs for South Africa in 1992 and Glenn Turner made 333 runs in 1975. The others ahead of Shenwari are Kepler Wessels (313 runs in 1992) and Andrew Hudson (313 in 1992).10 Wickets taken by Shapoor Zadran – the second-most by a bowler from an Associate team playing its first World Cup. Boyd Rankin of Ireland had taken 12 wickets in 2007. Allan Donald’s 13 wickets in the 1992 World Cup are the most by a bowler from a team playing its first World Cup.311 Runs by UAE’s Shaiman Anwar – the most by any batsman from an associate team (including Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in earlier World Cups) in any World Cup. Anwar went past Ryan ten Doeschate’s 307 runs in 2011. Anwar’s runs came at an average of 51.83 and a strike rate of 91.47.1980 The only time a New Zealand batsman had scored 500 runs in an ODIs series before Martin Guptill. John Wright had made 511 runs in a tri-series involving Australia and India in Australia. This is not the first time a New Zealand batsman has top-scored in a World Cup though: Glenn Turner had topped the run charts with 333 runs in the inaugural World Cup, and Martin Crowe’s 456 runs was the highest by anyone in the 1992 edition.326 Runs scored by Kumar Sangakkara without getting dismissed across three innings – the most by a batsman between dismissals in World Cups. The previous highest was Ricky Ponting’s 253 across two World Cups – he had scored 140 not out against India in the 2003 final and 113 against Scotland in his first game in 2007. Later, Guptill also got ahead of Ponting with scores of 237 not out and 34 in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively. Kumar Sangakkara’s four hundreds are the most by any batsman in a World Cup and the first time any batsman has scored four hundreds in consecutive ODI innings.71 Runs conceded by Steven Finn in the match against Australia when he took a hat-trick. This was the most expensive ODI analysis that included a hat-trick. The previous record was Charl Langeveldt’s 62 against West Indies in 2005. JP Duminy took a hat-trick as well, becoming only the second spinner after Saqlain Mushtaq to achieve the feat in a World Cup game. Overall, there have been eight hat-tricks in the World Cup. Click here for a list of ODI hat-tricks.308 Runs scored by Brendon McCullum in the mandatory Powerplays – the most in the first ten overs since the 1999 World Cup. McCullum had a strike rate of 201.31 in these overs. Adam Gilchrist had scored 276 runs in the first ten overs in the 2003 World Cup, but his runs had come at a comparatively sedate 106.15. Of the 153 balls McCullum faced in the first ten overs, 59 went to the boundary, of which 17 were sixes.8 Hundreds made by Sri Lanka batsmen – the most by any team in a World Cup. They had topped the century charts in 2011 as well, with seven. Of the 23 hundreds by Sri Lanka batsmen in World Cups, 15 have come in the last two editions. Only India (25) and Australia (26) have more World Cup centuries than Sri Lanka.

Both batsmen haven’t had the best of series so far, but while Rogers has a solid record at the WACA, Smith is yet to come to terms with the bouncy track

Brydon Coverdale in Perth11-Dec-2013Chris Rogers and Steven Smith have a few things in common, not least that 2013 has been a year of second chances for them. Smith was recalled to the Test side after two years out, Rogers for the first time in five years. Both scored their maiden Test hundreds on the Ashes tour of England and returned entrenched in the side having been among the team’s better performers. And both have been outshone in this series by Michael Clarke, David Warner and Brad Haddin.But there’s one big difference as they prepare at the WACA, where both want to pull their weight with the bat. There could hardly be a better venue for Rogers, nor a more challenging one for Smith. As a Western Australia cricketer for ten years before moving to Victoria, Rogers piled up runs at the WACA and has made 13 first-class centuries there in his 3653 runs at 48.70. Smith’s six first-class games there have yielded 172 runs at 17.20, making it his worst Australian venue.There is a caveat, though. Batsmen can find it difficult to get used to the pace and bounce of the WACA, and after his first six games there Rogers was, like Smith, averaging below 20. In his seventh, something clicked, and he scored unbeaten centuries in both innings against South Australia, and never looked back.”It’s one of the hardest places in the world to bat but also one of the best, if you can negotiate the first 20 balls or so,” Rogers said in Perth on Wednesday. “You can score 360 degrees on this wicket. Some grounds you can’t. It’s great cricket. You can play all the shots. It’s exciting. Hopefully we can get through that new ball and we get a big score.”Smith would do well to speak to Rogers about how to adjust to the WACA, and specifically how to get through those difficult early stages. His first-class scores at the ground read 4, 0, 6, 8, 70, 7, 36, 19, 22, 0, and he knows that one of the keys to him succeeding in Perth will be to avoid the temptation of flashing early, and being prepared to leave the ball based on length.”My game now is more suited to this wicket than it previously has been,” Smith said. “My patience now has changed a bit. Going out there, it’s pretty key to watch the ball closely and leave well early. That’s going to be part of my game this week. I’ve heard from all the boys that it’s one of the best places to bat in the world when you get in. Hopefully [I can] get through my first 30 balls and go from there.”The bounce is always pretty consistent here in Perth, so it is one place where you can leave a lot on length. Their bowlers have bowled quite a shortish length so far in this series, we probably could have left a lot of balls that aren’t going to be hitting the stumps. If they continue to bowl those lengths here it’s going to be even easier to leave. Hopefully I can watch the ball closely and get through early and then be able to cash in later on.”One advantage Smith has over Rogers is he has at least played an Ashes Test at the WACA before, Australia’s sole victory in the otherwise disastrous 2010-11 series. Rogers has played England XIs in Perth before, but never in a Test. In fact, it was against England that Rogers made his first-class debut at the WACA 15 years ago. On that occasion, the part-time offerings of Mark Ramprakash were sufficient to have him caught behind.That must seem a world away for Rogers, now 36. In fact, his Test debut at the WACA against India nearly six years ago also seems an age ago. Back then, Rogers was a Western Australia batsman filling in for an injured Matthew Hayden, knowing full well that his appearance could be a one-off. Now, he returns as a Victoria cricketer established in the Test team, and perhaps about to play in a winning Ashes side.”It feels a lifetime ago. It was a crazy time,” Rogers said of his Test debut. “I can’t really even remember much about it. I remember ripping my baggy green cap. It was too tight. The one I’ve got at the moment is my second one. It was a long time ago. Lots of things have changed.”To be in this position, the mood in the camp to be so good, everyone’s getting on so well, and to feel like we’re accomplishing something, after losing so many Tests, now to be a part of something special is a great feeling.”Back then even though I was 30, it still felt like it was the initial stages in my career in many respects. Now it’s at the back end. I’ve got nothing to lose. If it all ends tomorrow then so be it. I’ve had an amazing time over the last few months so I’m just taking everything as a bonus and loving every minute of it.”

After two sessions of hard work from the bowlers West Indies ended on the verge of defeat after a batting collapse

Nagraj Gollapudi at Trent Bridge27-May-2012Kirk Edwards, the West Indies vice-captain came to Trent Bridge in the morning, reported sick, and returned to the team hotel once the doctor had diagnosed he was suffering from flu. Nobody, including Edwards himself, would have been overly concerned by his absence as everyone expected England to build a substantial lead on a flat pitch under bright and blue skies.But the expected script does not always come to pass. The persistence of Ravi Rampaul and an explosive spell of fast bowling from Kemar Roach in the first session spoilt England’s lunch and forced them back on the field much earlier than expected with a slender lead.Facing a deficit of only 58, and with seven sessions remaining, Darren Sammy would have told his batsmen to see out the 34 overs left in the day and lay a platform. Resolute centuries from Sammy and Marlon Samuels in the first innings and comfortable knocks from England’s pair of Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen had made it clear that the pitch was still full of runs.Yet to the horror of the motley crew of West Indies fans gathered in the New Stand, not to mention Sammy and Ottis Gibson in the dressing room, England’s fast men broke the spine of the opposition batting effortlessly. Two wickets fell in three balls during the penultimate over of the day with Edwards the second of those. As things turned out, he had to drag himself out of his bed having received an SOS call from the team management once the West Indies openers had failed to survive even half an hour. But Edwards only lasted two deliveries and became the joke of the day.It would be unwise to share that joke with Rampaul, who did not mask his annoyance at the end of the day, blaming his batsmen for offering such weak resistance. He was right to vent his fury and the same would have been true of his bowling colleagues Roach and Sammy, all of whom, having copped some body blows at various points in their bowling spells, had bounced back to deny England gaining the upper hand.Even at Lord’s last week, West Indies’ bowlers had revealed their heart for the fight despite the failure of batsmen in the first innings. On that occasion England were 259 for 3 at stumps on the second day but were restricted to 398. Here in Nottingham, Strauss and Pietersen had put England in a dominant position by Saturday evening.That the England juggernaut did not flatten the visitors’ spirits on Sunday morning was only because Rampaul showed what a smart bowler he is. Rampaul is only deceptive because people wonder how a man of his heavy girth and round hips can even hurl the ball at 80-85 mph. A quick arm takes care of the velocity while a thinking brain helps Rampaul utilise both the new and old balls smartly. His biggest asset is he will not stop coming back at you.Pietersen was beaten by a ball that ducked into him due to the reverse swing Rampaul managed to generate early in the morning. With his stifling wicket-to-wicket line, Rampaul continued to strangle the batsmen for runs. In the process, he also managed to build the confidence of Roach, who had returned after the horrific Saturday where he became the no-ball king.Roach started the new day fresh. All those doubts about over-stepping seemed in the distant past (although he would bowl three later) as he came up with an aggressive first spell, which exposed the technical deficiencies of the inexperienced Jonny Bairstow.At the other end Sammy was all perseverance despite going at four an over in his first 20-overs, which again questioned his ability to fulfil the third seamer’s role. But he rallied, tempting Strauss to chase a wide delivery, and be caught at the wicket.It was a frustrating day for West Indies; their bowlers had learned from their mistakes the previous evening, but the batsmen continued to repeat the same errors.”It is tough watching six batsmen get out especially after the bowlers worked so hard in the first two sessions,” Rampaul said. “It isn’t easy to bowl 120-odd overs, to bowl out a team and then looking at your batsmen not applying themselves and losing their wickets. I don’t fault any one of them. I just give them confidence and ask them to focus more; apply themselves more.”Rampaul admitted England were in control now but urged Samuels and Sammy, the two centurions for West Indies in this series, still to believe. “It is quite hard to set a target after being six down,” he said. “Tomorrow our batsmen need to go out there and apply themselves. The early damage has already been done.”

On the eve of the final, Cricinfo takes a look at how Bangalore got there

Kanishkaa Balachandran23-May-2009Bangalore’s turnaround came about when Anil Kumble took over the captaincy•AFPMatch 1 v Rajasthan Royals in Cape Town

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The result shocked everybody. Last year’s champions, Rajasthan Royals, were humbled in the most embarrassing manner by Bangalore, who finished second from last the previous year. They scratched out 133 and in reply, Rajasthan crashed to 58. It was a day for the old folks – Shane Warne was at his mesmeric best, Rahul Dravid scored 66 and Anil Kumble returned astonishing figures of 5 for 5, cleaning up the lower order.Match 2 v Chennai Super Kings in Port Elizabeth

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Bangalore saw the other side of the coin in the following match, collapsing to 87. Matthew Hayden rolled back the years with a brisk 65 as Chennai Super Kings piled on an imposing 179. Bangalore were out of the contest when they lost five wickets for 26 runs before the 11th over.Match 3 v Deccan Chargers in Cape Town

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For the second game in succession, Bangalore were batted out of the contest. Adam Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma slammed half-centuries, scored 123 between them off 75 deliveries, with 88 of them coming in boundary hits. Bangalore lost a wicket without having scored a run for the third time in a row and struggled to keep with the asking rate. Virat Kohli managed a fifty but the rescue effort came too late.Match 4 v Kings XI Punjab in Durban
Kings XI Punjab 173 for 3 (Bopara 84) beat Bangalore Royal Challengers 168 for 9 (Kallis 62, Abdulla 4-31, Pathan 3-35) by seven wickets
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The euphoria of their opening win was followed by three successive defeats as Bangalore went down comprehensively to Kings XI Punjab. The match was best remembered for Ravi Bopara’s ice-cool and risk-free 84, helping Punjab overhaul the target with ease. Bangalore were set for a much higher total but lost their way towards the end of the innings.Match 5 v Delhi Daredevils in Port Elizabeth
Delhi Daredevils 150 for 4 (Dilshan 67*) beat Bangalore Royal Challengers 149 for 7 (Pietersen 37, Nehra 2-34) by six wickets
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Bangalore had a chance to upset the tournament favourites when their weak bowling attack kept them in the game longer than most people expected. However, their fielding went to pieces towards the end, which allowed Delhi to get away. The image of Pietersen bowled through the gate after attempting a switch-hit symbolised Bangalore’s shambolic state of affairs at this stage.Match 6 v Kolkata Knight Riders in Durban

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Down and out, Bangalore turned the corner against an equally insecure team, but they huffed and puffed to victory. Bangalore’s spinners restricted Kolkata Knight Riders to a below-par total and their batsmen put them on track to an easy win before a sudden collapse gave Kolkata hope. Ten were needed off the last over and Bangalore emerged the deserved winners thanks to Mark Boucher’s heroics.Match 7 v Kings XI Punjab in Durban
Royal Challengers Bangalore 145 for 9 (van der Merwe 35, Abdulla 4-36, Yuvraj 3-22) beat Kings XI Punjab 137 for 7 (Yuvraj 50, Praveen 2-27, Kumble 2-25) by eight runs
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Yuvraj Singh stole the show with a hat-trick to keep Bangalore to 145 and he seemed to make the match his own when he strolled to a fifty. But at the stroke of the time-out, Bangalore scripted one of the most amazing turnarounds thanks to Kumble and Roelof van der Merwe. Fortunes oscillated towards the end and Bangalore prevailed under pressure when Praveen Kumar bowled an amazing final over to seal the game.Match 8 v Mumbai Indians in Johannesburg
Royal Challengers Bangalore 150 for 1 (Kallis 69*, Uthappa 66*) beat Mumbai Indians 149 for 4 (Jayasuriya 52, Bravo 50*, du Preez 3-32) by nine wickets
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The once-whipping boys of the tournament meant business against the strong Mumbai bowling attack, strolling to one of the easiest chases in the tournament. The little-known Dillon du Preez set the tone with a double-wicket maiden and that kept Mumbai under check for most part. Robin Uthappa and Jacques Kallis led the chase with brisk sixties and Bangalore, all of a sudden, were in the top four.Match 9 v Rajasthan Royals in Centurion

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Rajasthan had their revenge following a spineless effort by Bangalore’s batsmen. Rajasthan’s bowlers got the measure of the pitch better, keeping the ball short and restricting the opposition to 105. Their counterparts failed to exploit the bounce and overall it was a no-contest simply because there was no cushion of runs to work with.Match 10 v Mumbai Indians in Port Elizabeth

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Bangalore cracked again, this time against a team desperate for a win after being pushed into a corner. Chasing 158, the Bangalore top order failed to click and felt the heat at 58 for 4 at the strategy break. The loss of wickets only piled the pressure on Boucher who made an unbeaten 48 with little support from the other end. It wasn’t a great day for Bangalore’s bowlers either, who managed to pick up only two wickets.Match 11 v Kolkata Knight Riders in Centurion
by six wickets
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Ross Taylor’s blinder of an unbeaten 81 off 33 balls symbolised Bangalore’s late resurgence, one which made them contenders for the semi-final line-up. They looked out of depth in the chase of 174 but later feasted on some shoddy death bowling. Taylor’s brutal assault overshadowed Kolkata’s admirable batting display and gave Bangalore much-needed self belief following some inconsistent results.The misfit from the previous edition, Jacques Kallis, was a valuable asset with both bat and ball in familiar conditions•Associated PressMatch 12 v Chennai Super Kings in Durban

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It was a tale of batting collapses from both sides. Bangalore survived a Hayden-assault to keep Chennai down to 129 and were coasting at 86 for 3 in the 15th over before hell broke loose. The calm Taylor held firm in the nervy moments of the chase and helped Bangalore across the finish line. It was Praveen Kumar’s six in the penultimate over which swing the game in Bangalore’s favour.Match 13 v Delhi Daredevils in Johannesburg

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There were no such anxious moments against a strong Delhi outfit. Jacques Kallis played an important role in keeping Delhi to a chaseable score with a restrictive spell, before shepherding the chase with an assured half-century. Praveen did the damage with 3 for 30 and the below-par target of 135 was approached intelligently by the top order.Match 14 v Deccan Chargers in Centurion

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Bangalore unearthed a talent in Manish Pandey who became the first Indian to score a century in the IPL. Sent up to open, Pandey single-handedly led Bangalore’s charge with some fierce hits to push his team to 170. It was game on when Herschelle Gibbs waded into the attack but the script turned Bangalore’s way once the spinners came on and make Deccan’s task tougher by plugging at the wickets. The win sealed Bangalore’s semi-final berth.Semi-final v Chennai Super Kings in Johannesburg

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Bangalore were one step away from the summit clash and batted with the intent of avenging the embarrassment of the last season. They overcame a strong start from Chennai’s openers to restrict them to 146 before unleashing Pandey again. His stylish strokes demoralised Chennai and Rahul Dravid at the other end was just as imposing. After suffering a minor hiccup, Bangalore made it through and set up the final clash with last year’s no-hopers Deccan Chargers.