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Where to watch the T20 Blast

Derbyshire v LancashireSky Sports Cricket, 2pm Saturday

Birmingham Bears v YorkshireSky Sports Cricket, 6pm Saturday

Selected group-stage matches and every knockout game will be shown live on Sky Sports

Surrey to win T20 Blast3pts 8-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Leicestershire to win T20 Blast1pt each-way 33-1Betfair, Paddy Power

Daryl Mitchell to be player of the match in Lancashire v Derbyshire1pt 10-1 bet365

The T20 Blast tends to be an open betting heat with 13 different winners in the first 20 years of the English domestic Twenty20 competition.

This summer, however, it may pay to focus on a team who are prominent in the betting and Surrey, the inaugural champions in 2003, are the main selection to end their long wait for a second title.

Surrey fans were already plotting their routes to Finals Day at Edgbaston last season when their side needed just five runs off six balls to beat quarter-final opponents Yorkshire at The Oval.

Yorkshire's Jordan Thompson held his nerve to seal an improbable one-run win but Surrey, who topped the South Group after ten wins from 13 completed matches, can make up for that disappointment this term.

Despite injuries to England bowlers Reece Topley and Tom Curran, Surrey's squad is packed with international talent including captain Chris Jordan, dynamic openers Jason Roy and Will Jacks, and overseas stars Sunil Narine and Sean Abbott.

Off-spinner Jacks provides great balance to the side and Surrey look the main challengers to defending champions Hampshire, who beat Lancashire by one run in an extraordinary final last summer.

James Vince's side had eased past Yorkshire in the semis and thrashed Birmingham Bears by 104 runs in the quarter-final at Edgbaston and the signing of masterful T20 seamer Benny Howell from Gloucestershire gives them another high-class bowling option.

Somerset, who demolished Derbyshire by 191 runs in a remarkable quarter-final at Taunton, are respected after bringing in experienced fast bowlers Matt Henry and Peter Siddle but 33-1 shots Leicestershire are worth an each-way interest.

No team have won more T20 titles than the Foxes' three, although those triumphs came in 2004, 2006 and 2011. They missed out on qualifying for the quarter-finals by a single point last year, winning eight of their 14 North Group fixtures, and have made a promising start to the summer in four-day cricket.

Spinners Rehan Ahmed, who became England's youngest Test cricketer on the tour of Pakistan in December, and Callum Parkinson shared 39 Blast wickets last season while Afghanistan paceman Naveen-ul-Haq took 24 including 5-11 in a win over Worcestershire.

Leicestershire weren't far off making the knockout stage in 2022 and a little more consistency with the bat could see them outrun their massive odds.

The season starts with a double-header at Edgbaston where last season's runners-up Lancashire face Derbyshire before home side Birmingham Bears take on Yorkshire.

Daryl Mitchell marked his Lancashire debut with a Championship century against Somerset, having scored back-to-back ODI tons for New Zealand in Pakistan last month.

Mitchell's unbeaten 72 from 47 balls knocked England out of the 2021 T20 World Cup at the semi-final stage and he looks a big price to be named player of the match in the Blast opener.

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T20 Blast predictions and cricket betting tips - Racing Post

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) kept their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs alive after thrashing the Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on December 18.

Riding on a sensational century from the blade of Virat Kohli, RCB chased down a challenging target of 187 with four deliveries to spare.

This was the 6th time Kohli scored a century in the cash-rich league. Four of his centuries came in the 2016 edition, the year when he amassed 973 runs in a single season. RCB needs to win their final game against the Gujarat Titans to confirm their place in the playoffs.

In total, 16 centuries have been made by the RCB players so far which is more than any team. Among them, six have been scored by Virat and five by Chris Gayle. AB de Villiers also scored a couple of tons during his association with the franchise.

So, it's a good idea to look back at these hundreds and pick the five best ones. Here is a specially-curated list of the top 5 centuries scored by RCB batsmen over the years in IPL:

How do you look beyond this masterpiece from the 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle? It has to be one of the, if not the, most destructive knocks in the history of the game.

Playing against the now-defunct Pune Warriors India, Gayle treated the delirious Chinnaswamy Stadium crowd to some electrifying strokeplay. He remained unbeaten on 175 off a mere 66 deliveries.

It was power-hitting at its very best as Gayle kept clearing the fence with ease. His innings was studded with 13 fours and as many as 17 sixes.

None of the bowlers were spared as RCB posted 263 in their allotted 20 overs, the highest IPL score to date. They eventually went on to register a massive 130-run victory.

If not for Chris Gayle, ABDs special knock of 133 would have topped the list without an iota of doubt.

The class of the innings was perhaps even better than Gayles as the legendary South African smashed the listless MI bowlers to all corners of the Wankhede Stadium.

Batting first, RCB lost Chris Gayle early but ABD and Virat Kohli turned it around for the Challengers as they batted through the innings, taking the score to 235/1 in 20 overs.

ABD looked in ominous touch right from the word go and accessed every corner of the ground. What was amazing about this knock was the fact that he smashed just four sixes during his innings.

It was more about manoeuvring the field and executing the shots towards regions where the fielders were absent.

Lendl Simmons and Kieron Pollard ignited the hopes of MI with blistering knocks, but the target was way too much as MI went down by 39 runs in the end.

Another ABD masterclass was on display at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in the year 2016. Playing against the now-defunct Gujarat Lions, AB remained unbeaten on 129 off just 52 deliveries, which included 10 fours and 12 sixes.

While the innings at the Wankhede was more about finding the gaps, this particular knock from the original 'Mr. 360' was more about power and clearing the fence.

Yet again, the duo of ABD and Kohli shared a massive stand of 229 runs. This powered them to 248 in 20 overs. Gujarat Lions could never get going and went down by 144 runs in the end.

The former RCB skipper holds the record for the most IPL centuries, but this knock against the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) was a class above the rest. Modifying his natural game, Virat took the attack to the Punjab bowlers right from ball one.

In a match which was reduced to 15-overs-a-side, RCB needed to get off to a flyer to post a commendable score on the board. Sharing a 147-run opening stand with Chris Gayle, Kohli powered RCB to 211/3 in just 15 overs.

His knock was studded with 12 fours and 8 sixes and on a small ground, Kohli took full toll on some loose bowling by the Punjab bowlers. His knock set the platform for the bowling unit, as they eventually won the match comfortably by 82 runs.

Among all the big names, Rajat Patidar finds a place on the list courtesy of his superb knock in the eliminator clash against the Lucknow Supergiants last year.

The Royal Challengers went through to the playoffs as the 4th ranked team, with 8 wins in 14 matches.

In the knockout game against LSG, RCB was put into bat by KL Rahul and it backfired as Rajat played one of the finest T20 knocks under pressure. He was severe on the spinners and it was calculative hitting from the young bloke.

He smashed 12 fours and 7 sixes during his belligerent knock of 112 in just 54 deliveries. Powered by his century, RCB posted 207 on the board.

LSG was in the game for most of the run chase, but some tight bowling towards the death overs eventually gave RCB a 14-run victory.

The rest is here:
Ranking the top 5 centuries by RCB batters in the IPL - Sportskeeda

The Heineken Champions Cup Final is set and it looks familiar.

The finalists from 2022 will return to the Heineken Champions Cup as Leinster, winners of Pool A and the runner-up a year ago, will face La Rochelle, the reigning European champion, in one of rugbys biggest matches of the year.

Leinster, who defeated Toulouse 41-22 to advance to the final on April 29, will have an advantage in the match as Aviva Stadium in Dublin is the host site for the European Challenge Cup and the Heineken Cup this year.

Subscribe To FloRugby And FloSports App To Watch The Heineken Champions Cup Final

La Rochelle Overpower Exeter En-Route To Third Straight Champions Cup Final

Heineken Champions Cup: Clinical Leinster Power Past Toulouse In Style

Aviva Stadium is Leinsters home stadium and the team played every knockout game there this spring.

Meanwhile, La Rochelle bounced back after nearly losing to Gloucester 29-26 in the Round of 16 to advance after a lop-sided win over Exeter, 47-28, on April 30.

Leinster Rugby is seeking its fifth European championship that would tie Toulouse for the most all-time, while La Rochelle is trying to become the first back-to-back champion since Saracens in 2016 and 2017.

Heres what to know about the Heineken Champions Cup

The Heineken Cup final is at 11:45 a.m. EST on May 20.

Aviva Stadium in Dublin is the host for the Heineken Champions Cup Final and the European Challenge Cup this year.

Last season, the final was played in Marseille, France, giving La Rochelle an advantage. Next season the Heineken Champions Cup Final will be at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

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All European Challenge Cup and Heineken Champions Cup games are streaming in the U.S. on FloRugby and the FloSports app.

Relive all the action of this Heineken Champions Cup season on FloRugby by rewatching all the games and checking out highlights of the season.

The Heineken Champions Cup will be on several channels in Europe, including BT Sport, France TV, BeIn Sports and RTE among others.

But the only way to watch the Heineken Champions Cup in the U.S. is on FloRugby and the FloSports app.

There are still tickets available on Ticketmaster for the event, but they are limited.

Prices on Ticketmaster begin at 55, or about $69 dollars in the U.S.

Aviva Stadium has a 51,700 capacity. Tickets went on sale last year.

For more ticket information, visit the EPCRs website.

Aviva Stadium, the home stadium of Leinster, is located in the center of Dublin on Lansdown Road.

This will be the third meeting between the two clubs and so far Leinster has yet to beat La Rochelle.

The two first played in 2021, a 32-23 win for La Rochelle and last year, a 24-21 win.

Leinster was the favorite entering the final and La Rochelle stunned the Dublin team with a late try to win its first European Championship. Arthur Retires try in the final minute gave La Rochelle the championship.

The Birth Of A Dynasty: Leinster Rugby and the 2008/09 Heineken Cup Triumph

Leinster Prop Andrew Porter Fortunate To Avoid Card For Off The Ball Tackle

Here's how La Rochelle got here:

Heres how Leinster got here:

Leinster last won the European Champions Cup in 2018. They have won it four times.

The Heineken Champions Cup is streaming on FloRugby and the FloSports app, including the semifinals and all the way up to the Heineken Cup Final

Read this article:
Heineken Champions Cup Final 2023: What To Know About Rugby ... - FloRugby

LOS ANGELES The first thing that came to Connor McDavids mind when the wonky goal went in on Saturday was Mike Smith, a long-range shot from Rasmus Andersson and how the Oilers pushed through.

The power of positive thinking has its advantages.

Last year in the playoffs, the Oilers overcame a potentially crushing third period when Smith let in Anderssons game-tying goal from inside the Calgary blue line. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins responded less than six minutes later to restore the Oilers Game 4 lead, a goal that stood as the winner.

On Saturday, a puckhandling miscue by Stuart Skinner in the third albeit because he was inadvertently playing with a broken stick allowed the Kings to tie Game 6.

This time it was winger Kailer Yamamoto who was the hero and bailed out a goalie scoring the goal that won the Oilers the series with a 5-4 victory.

I was having flashbacks to Game 4 against Calgary last year, McDavid said. Its good that weve been in that situation before where a weird one goes in when you feel like youre doing a lot of good things.

It feels funny that the games tied when you didnt do anything wrong.

The Oilers had a one-goal lead early in the third period of Game 6 against the Kings when they went on the power play, which had been converting at a near-automatic rate in the series. (It scored on nine of its 15 chances to that point.)

The puck was dumped right to Skinner, the start of what should have been a nothing play, when disaster struck.

As Skinner tried to make a pass to defenceman Evan Bouchard, his broken stick resulted in a weak attempt that dribbled to Kings centre Phillip Danault for a tap-in.

Just like that, the game was tied at 7:46 of the third period.

My first thought is I like it the hard way. I want to win the hard way, Skinner said. Being able to let go of that very quickly, make some saves and let the guys know that we can relax and its all going to be OK.

Yamamotos goal with 3:03 left in the third period made all right with the world for the Oilers.

I was proud of our team, Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft said. We are sure of ourselves and wholly sure of what our opportunity is before us here.

We have an understanding that its not always going to be smooth sailing. Its OK that theres some drama in the story.

Skinner said he realized his stick was broken only when he went to play the puck.

Theres video evidence that a slash by Kings winger Adrian Kempe a couple minutes earlier caused the stick to break.

It was the most unfortunate result at one of the worst times imaginable.

Nobody did anything wrong, defenceman Mattias Ekholm said. Stuff happens. To me, its easier because you just move on. Its nobodys fault. Theres nobody to blame.

Thankfully for Skinner and the Oilers, Yamamoto who played for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings from 12 to 15 came to the rescue.

Yamamoto received the puck in the corner to the right of Kings goalie Joonas Korpisalo, before weaving his way to the top of the circle. There, he turned and fired.

His shot beat Korpisalo high to the blocker side. It was his first goal of the series.

Thank goodness it went in, Yamamoto said.

For his personal self-confidence, its important that he got that goal, Woodcroft said. That goal was a great goal important for our team.

Yamamoto will get a ton of recognition for his pivotal tally. But he made his presence felt in other ways. Demoted to the fourth line for Game 5, Yamamoto stepped up to have what was easily his best game of the series on Saturday.

Not only did the 5-foot-8, 153-pound forward score the winner, but he set up linemate Klim Kostin for a chance in front in the first period and assisted on Kostins second period goal.

Hes the little engine that could, Woodcroft said. You dont play in the National Hockey League at his size without having an unbelievable amount of determination and will.

Yamamoto wasnt the only depth player who excelled on Saturday.

Kostin was a force in the offensive zone and wound up with two goals and an assist on Yamamotos winner. Vincent Desharnais, who struggled mightily the last time these two teams played here in Game 4, had two helpers.

The superstars sure did their thing. McDavid opened the scoring and assisted on a power-play goal from Leon Draisaitl. But the Oilers dont win this knockout game without contributions from so many unheralded players.

Thats what the playoffs calls for, Ekholm said.

I think a lot of people look at the Oilers and think its a two- or three-man team, McDavid said. It couldnt be further from that at all.

It wouldnt be unfair to put Skinner in that mix, too.

Skinner sure didnt have his best game on Saturday. A long shot from Sean Durzi beat him in the first period. Kevin Fialas second-period power-play goal went by him without a screen. And then there was the Danault gift.

Still, he made 40 saves.

Sure, it wasnt exactly a banner series for Skinner. He was pulled in Game 4 after allowing three goals on 11 shots. His job was in question after backup Jack Campbell led the team to victory.

He allowed 19 goals in the series including two in overtime and that last bizarre one and finished it with an .890 save percentage.

Yet Skinner became the first Oilers rookie netminder to win a postseason matchup since Andy Moog helped the Oilers to an upset best-of-five sweep of the Canadiens in the 1981 opening round.

In the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs here and my first time around, I feel like Ive gone through quite a bit here, Skinner said. Thats all part of life. Thats all part of the lessons that I get to learn.

Im very grateful for those lessons.

It sure helps when those lessons influenced a series victory.

McDavid gave Skinner a big hug in the dressing room after the game before jokingly offering a piece of advice.

He told me next time I should check my stick, Skinner said, chuckling.

Its one of those moments that can be laughed about now.

After all, crisis was averted just like a year ago.

To discover is superior to being told, Woodcroft said. Sometimes you have to go through something like this to see what youre made of.

The Oilers won just once in the playoffs after Smiths gaffe and Nugent-Hopkins heroics last May.

That win came in the next game when McDavid scored in overtime in Calgary to close out the Flames. The Oilers were swept by the Avalanche in the Western Conference finals.

This year, they now face the Golden Knights in Round 2, with even less room for error.

The message is that its hard to win, Skinner said. We have a lot more to give. Ive got a lot more to give. Ive got a lot better.

As a team, its going to be hard. Weve got to giddy up here and get excited for this next series.

(Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)

The rest is here:
Oilers move on to Round 2 after Kailer Yamamotos goal rescues them from Stuart Skinners blooper - The Athletic

By: Lance Agcaoili -2 days ago

MANILA, PhilippinesJosh Ybanez made sure to get University of Santo Tomas back on track before the stepladder semifinals as he dropped 26 points to torch University of the Philippines, 24-26, 25-18, 25-20, 25-23, in the UAAP Season 85 mens volleyball tournament on Sunday at Filoil EcoOil Centre.

Ybanez ended his first elimination round stint with 21 attacks, three blocks, and two aces and willed his team back from a 16-20 deficit in the fourth set with an equalizing kill.

UP threatened to force a decider as it regained a 22-21 lead but Ybanez tied it again before Charlee Magpayo and GBoy De Vega scored two consecutive blocks for match point, 24-22. Emman Dedoroys off-the-block spike ended the two-hour match.

UST snapped a two-game skid before finishing the elimination round with an 11-3 record. The Golden Spikers will wait for the winner of the La Salle-FEU knockout game on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

We have to improve because its already the semis. We have to practice more and strengthen our attacking and blocking and polish the teams movement because both FEU and La Salle are strong title contenders, said UST assistant coach Benjamin Mape, who filled in for head coach Odjie Mamon, in Filipino. Mamon joined the Philippine mens volleyball team in Cambodia for the upcoming 32nd Southeast Asian Games.

The league removed the twice-to-beat advantage of the second-seeded team in the stepladder semifinals format, while unbeaten National University is waiting for its opponent in the best-of-three Finals series.

UST also missed Jay Rack de la Noche, who joined Mamon and the national team but De Vega stepped up with 17 points and 21 excellent receptions., while Dedoroy and Rainer Flor chipped in 14 and 12 points, respectively, to overcome the teams 39 errors.

Also-ran UP finished the season with only one win in 14 matches with Louis Gamban leading the way with 16 points and nine digs, while Jaivee Malabanan chipped in 12 points and 19 receptions.

Follow this link:
UAAP: Josh Ybanez, UST regain winning ways ahead of stepladder semis - INQUIRER.net