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Leeds United were relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season and some supporters may blame the club's poor work in the transfer market as one of the key factors behind their drop to the Championship.

Who are Leeds' most expensive signings?

The Whites were promoted to the top-flight in 2020 and they used their new-found funds at the top level to bolster their squad with a host of big-money additions.

Most expensive players

Fee paid

Brenden Aaronson

£28.1m

Rodrigo

£25.7m

Dan James

£24.9m

Georginio Rutter

£24m

Rio Ferdinand

£22.3m

Fees via Transfermarkt.

Indeed, four of the club's five most expensive signings in their history have been in the last three years, since their 2020 promotion-winning campaign.

Former sporting director Victor Orta was not afraid to splash the cash but he did not do enough to build a squad that could keep the team up last term.

However, not every signing was a disaster under the Spanish chief, who joined LaLiga outfit Sevilla this summer, as he did strike gold with a number of additions, one of whom was central midfielder Tyler Adams.

How much did Leeds pay for Tyler Adams?

The Whites swooped to sign the USA international from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in the summer of 2022 for a reported transfer fee of £15m.

He was brought to Elland Road in spite of an unimpressive year in the German top flight with his former club. The defensive anchor averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.68 and made 1.7 tackles and interceptions per game across 24 league appearances throughout the 2021/22 campaign.

To put that number into context, 18 other Leipzig players averaged higher Sofascore ratings than Adams. He also ranked 13th for tackles and 12th for interceptions per match among his teammates throughout the season. This shows that the holding midfielder struggled to impose himself on games and was far away from being one of the best performers at the club.

Orta secured his services to reunite him with Jesse Marsch, who had worked with him in Germany, ahead of alternative target Mohamed Camara from Red Bull Salzburg, who had also played under the American head coach.

The Mali international eventually moved to AS Monaco in France for a reported fee of €15m (£12.8m) after it was claimed that Leeds failed in a €25m (£21.4m) swoop for his services earlier in the window.

Their failure to sign Camara turned out to be a blessing in disguise as they were able to acquire Adams for significantly less money with the USMNT star enjoying a more successful season, on a personal level, than the Ligue 1 enforcer.

How well did Adams perform for Leeds?

Leeds seemingly saw the potential for the USA international to be far better than his displays for Leipzig indicated he was and they were spot on as the midfielder produced consistently impressive performances in the Premier League.

Adams hit the ground running in England and was able to showcase his defensive quality on a regular basis in the middle of the park, playing in midfield alongside former Bayern Munich talent Marc Roca.

The 24-year-old patroller averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.98 and completed 82% of his attempted passes across 24 top-flight outings for the Whites throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

No player with at least one start under their belt averaged a higher Sofascore rating than the former Leipzig man, who was able to deliver excellent showings week-in-week-out.

His ability to win possession back for the team was arguably his biggest strength. Adams made an outstanding 5.2 tackles and interceptions per game and won 57% of his duels, as per Sofascore, which shows that he came out on top in the majority of his physical contests.

No Leeds player with more than one appearance made more tackles and interceptions per outing and he made 0.8 more tackles each game than any of those teammates. This shows that he was an outstanding presence in midfield with his fantastic defensive quality.

Unfortunately, the central midfielder ended up missing the finale of the campaign as a hamstring injury ruled him out from the 15th of March onwards. This meant that Sam Allardyce, who was the caretaker boss during the run-in, was without the impressive gem's talents for a number of crucial matches.

Camara, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.82 and made 3.8 tackles and interceptions combined across 29 Ligue 1 outings for Monaco.

Adams happened to rank within the top 3% of his positional peers among the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for tackles and blocks per 90 respectively over the last 365 days. Whereas, Camara ranked in the bottom 36% or lower in both statistics during that time.

These statistics suggest that the Yorkshire-based outfit struck gold by signing the American dynamo instead of the Mali international due to his higher average performance level and his considerably better defensive contributions as a number six.

How much did Leeds sell Adams for?

Leeds cashed in on the "monster" – as he was dubbed by journalist Kevin Koczwara – during the recent summer transfer window after their relegation to the Championship.

Adams' performances were good enough to earn him a transfer back to the Premier League as Bournemouth swooped in to secure his services for a reported fee of £23m plus add-ons.

The move to the south coast came after a switch to Stamford Bridge to link up with Mauricio Pochettino failed to materialise.

This shows that Orta struck gold for the Whites as the defensive midfielder's market value soared by a minimum of £8m, with it remaining to be seen how much the add-ons are worth, in just one year at Elland Road.

He was a standout performer in a poor team last term and should be viewed as a successful signing in spite of the side's fate as Adams did his job on the pitch and was let down by his teammates, whilst he also made the club a significant profit off the field with his move to the Cherries.

Ortad deserves credit for that signing and supporters may wonder why the Spanish sporting director was not able to unearth more gems like him in recent years, as a few more additions like that could have bolstered their chances of avoiding the drop last season.

أعلن راسل مارتن، المدير الفني لفريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي ساوثهامبتون، عن تشكيل اللاعبين لمواجهة ليدز يونايتد في نهائي البلاي أوف لبطولة “تشامبيونشيب”، المؤهل إلى منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ساوثهامبتون تأهل على حساب وست بروميتش ألبيون بنتيجة 3/1، بينما ليدز يونايتد فقد أطاح بـ نوريتش سيتي برباعية نظيفة من دور نصف النهائي.

وقد تأهل كل من ليستر سيتي، إبسويتش تاون إلى منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بالموسم القادم، في انتظار حسم المقعد الثالث بين الفريقين في مواجهة اليوم.

اقرأ ايضاً.. من خارج إنجلترا.. تقارير تكشف عن بديل محمد صلاح في ليفربول

تشكيل ساوثهامبتون بطريقة لعب 4-3-3 المعتادة للمدرب الإنجليزي، يقودها أرمسترونج في الهجوم، مع مشاركة فلين داونز بجانب جو أريبو.

على الجانب الآخر، يدحل ليدز يونايتد، اللقاء بطريقة لعب 4-2-3-1 تحت قيادة مدربه الألماني، دانيل فاركي، حيث يقود الهجوم الهولندي بيرو، ويشارك في خط الوسط إيليا جرويف بجانب جلين كامارا. تشكيل ساوثهامبتون اليوم أمام ليدز يونايتد

حراسة المرمى: أليكس مكارثي.

خط الدفاع: ووكر بيترز – تايلورد بيليس – جان يدناريك – جاك ستيفنس.

خط الوسط: جو أريبو – فلين داونز – سمولبون.

خط الهجوم: رايان فرايزر – أرمسترونج – ديفيد بروكس. تشكيل ليدز يونايتد اليوم ضد ساوثهامبتون

حراسة المرمى: إيلان ميسلير.

خط الدفاع: جراي – جو رودون – أمباديو – جونيور فيربو.

خط الوسط: إيليا جرويف – جلين كامارا – ريتر.

خط الهجوم: كريسينكيو سمرفيل – جنونتو – بيرو.

Arsenal have made an offer to sign forward Ansu Fati from Barcelona this summer, with the Catalans apparently replying in a swift manner.

Who will Arsenal sign?

Mikel Arteta has been backed with major summer signings as sporting director Edu and the Gunners board spend over £200 million on marquee additions thus far.

Germany international Kai Havertz, who scored a Champions League-winning goal against Man City in 2021, has been added to the Arsenal roster alongside versatile defender Jurrien Timber and England star Declan Rice.

Timber joined for a figure in and around £38 million from Ajax, while Havertz's move from Chelsea set Arsenal back £65 million. Their biggest outlay, and by some distance, comes in the form of Rice as the north Londoners signed him for a club-record £105 million fee.

The new boys got off to a flying start on Sunday as well, with all three players featuring as Arsenal beat last season's treble-winners Man City in the Community Shield.

Despite their significant spending already, reliable media sources claim Brentford keeper David Raya could soon join Arsenal as well, as Arteta seeks to provide competition for current number one Aaron Ramsdale.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

New targets, like Dinamo Zagreb defender Josip Sutalo, are also regularly emerging as we enter the final few weeks of this summer window.

Fati, who found consistent starting places hard to come by under Barca boss Xavi last season, is now another player on Arsenal's radar.

That is according to Spanish outlet Sport, who claim they've made a "very tempting offer" to sign the 20-year-old forward this summer.

The exact nature and figures of this bid aren't disclosed, but it couldn't have been enough, as Barca swiftly replied by rejecting Arsenal's approach for Fati.

The Spaniard will apparently continue at Barca as he is deemed untransferable.

Sport and journalist Ivan Saint Anthony wrote:

"Arsenal has been one of the last clubs that have taken a serious interest in the player and they made it known with a very tempting offer to the culé entity. This proposal has been rejected by both the player and the club. There is no case. The youth squad player will continue to play all season at Barça because that is his intention and, from the club, they assure that they will respect it."

How good is Ansu Fati?

The £199,000-per-week starlet still contributed effectively for Barca in La Liga last season, scoring seven goals and assisting three others in 36 total appearances (WhoScored).

Those outings, however, came largely from the bench as Fati struggled to force himself into Xavi's starting eleven – having made just 12 starts (WhoScored).

That isn't to say he isn't highly-rated by the Catalans boss, though, who called Fati a "star" and "dangerous" player just last summer.

"We started him on the left today but we know we can play anywhere,” Xavi said.

“We wanted him to cut inside, but if he has two chances, he scores one, he is dangerous in the box. There are some players who are very good but I think he is just a star.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras se reapresentou na Academia de Futebol depois da primeira vitória no Campeonato Brasileiro, contra o Athletico Paranaense por 1 a 0, na Arena da Baixada.

Os titulares ficaram na parte interna para um trabalho regenerativo, assim como Matías Viña, que se recupera de um problema no quadril, e Felipe Melo, tratando de lesão na coxa esquerda.

Os reservas e aqueles que entraram no segundo tempo do compromisso em Curitiba fizeram atividades técnicas. Os jogadores foram dispostos em um quadrado com quatro quadrantes. Quatro jogadores de coletes tinham de roubar a bola dos outros, posicionados nas extremidades. A permissão era de poucos toques na bola por atleta.

Em seguida, utilizando a metade do gramado, a comissão técnica dividiu o grupo em dois times com sete componentes. O objetivo foi trocar passes rápidos e marcar gols nas metas protegidas pelos goleiros Jailson e Vinicius Silvestre.

O Palmeiras volta a treinar nesta sexta-feira (21) às 15h30. No domingo o Verdão encara o Santos, no Morumbi.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasFinal da Liga dos Campeões tira clássico do Allianz ParquePalmeiras20/08/2020PalmeirasPalmeiras e Puma lançam terceiro uniforme para a temporadaPalmeiras20/08/2020PalmeirasPalmeiras é multado pela Fifa por cláusula imposta na venda de Roger Guedes para clube da ChinaPalmeiras20/08/2020

Administrators of Panadura Sports Club have demanded that Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) rescind the bans handed out to its players, while several players themselves have formally asked the board to reconsider its ruling.On Saturday, SLC had announced that 22 first-class players would be banned from “cricket-related activities” for one year, for their supposed role in manipulating the result of a Tier B first-class match in January. Captains Chamara Silva and Manoj Deshapriya were given two-year bans.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that at least six of these players have retained the services of a lawyer, and that those players have lodged a formal complaint to the board.Those players contend, effectively, that they had not had adequate opportunity to defend themselves at the inquiry that found them guilty of misconduct – a claim the board has already vehemently denied. The players have also raised the possibility of a getting the club to launch a fresh inquiry.Meanwhile, Panadura Sports Club has said that the match in question – in which 605 runs were scored off 60 overs on the final day – did not feature unfair play. They pointed to alleged irregularities in the match referee’s report to support their claim.”What we are saying is that nothing untoward happened in this game,” Panadura SC president Jayantha Silva said. “Our cricketers didn’t do anything untoward, and as a club we didn’t do anything untoward.”If something did happen, the people who have to bear that responsibility are the umpires. The charge sheet was founded on unlawful documents provided by the umpires. There is some unseen conspiracy being carried out against us here. We suspect the umpires and the match referee for that.”The club also asked that the points that were stripped from them on the basis of SLC’s ruling be reinstated, meaning they would secure promotion to Tier A of the Premier League Tournament for next season.It is for promotion-relegation purposes, in fact, that the result of match is suspected to have been manipulated. At no stage is money thought to have changed hands.

Liverpool have increased their offer to sign Torino defender Perr Schuurs this summer, according to Tuttosport, via Sport Witness.

The Reds reportedly offered €30m (£26m) last week, before seeing that bid turned down by the Serie A side, reportedly leading to an increased offer.

The second offer is still shy of Torino's valuation, however, who are holding out for €40m (£34m).

Who is Perr Schuurs?

Starting his career in the Netherlands, Schuurs earned a move to Ajax from Fortuna Sittard, going onto make 95 appearances for the Eredivisie giants. His time at the club came to an end last summer, however, as Torino secured his signature for €7m (£5.98m).

In the space of a season in Serie A, Schuurs has impressed enough to earn links to Liverpool this summer, and perhaps warrant the €40m price-tag placed by his current side.

At just 23-years-old, the Dutchman has plenty of potential to get even better, too, especially considering his experience of featuring for the likes of Ajax so far in his career.

Full of praise for the defender, journalist Josh Bunting took to Twitter to say during a match this season: "Perr Schuurs outstanding for Torino this evening, a dominant performance at the San Siro. When Torino needed to go that bit more direct he was the player to go through, such an accurate passer from the back. Solid in the air winning his duels although Giroud was a huge miss."

Should Liverpool sign Perr Schuurs?

When looking at what Liverpool need this summer, one more midfielder comes to mind, and indeed an extra centre-back.

Jurgen Klopp has already solved part of his side's issues in midfield by welcoming Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister this summer, but the Reds could be left short if Jordan Henderson and Fabinho leave for Saudi Arabia. According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, both players could be on the move.

Meanwhile, another central defender wouldn't go amiss at Anfield, given the fact that Joel Matip's current contract comes to an end next summer. That, on top of Joe Gomez's injury issues means that the Reds only have Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate to consistently rely on. Schuurs then could be an ideal option.

Statistically speaking, the Torino man was better than Matip in a lot of aspects last season. As per FBref, the Dutchman lost fewer duels, won more tackles and made more blocks per 90 when compared with the current Liverpool man.

It could be said that this is because Torino defenders are forced into action more often than those at Anfield, but Schuur also impressed when on the ball in the last campaign, making 2.31 progressive passes per 90.

There's also the added bonus of the fact that the Torino man has the potential to one day play alongside Van Dijk for the Netherlands. If the duo formed a partnership for their country, they'd likely have the ability to replicate that at club level.

The price-tag, as things stand, is reportedly yet to be met by Liverpool, though, who may continue to prioritise midfield reinforcements this summer transfer window.

England closed out a dramatic victory over the No. 1-ranked ODI side to take the three-match series with one to play and hammer home their credentials as Champions Trophy contenders

The Report by Alan Gardner at the Ageas Bowl27-May-2017England 330 for 5 (Stokes 101, Buttler 65*, Morgan 45) beat South Africa 328 for 5 (de Kock 98, Miller 71*, de Villiers 52) by two runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details3:03

‘I thought we had it won’ – de Villiers

England closed out a dramatic victory over the No. 1-ranked ODI side to take the three-match series with one to play and hammer home their credentials as Champions Trophy contenders. Ben Stokes was the catalyst with a 77-ball hundred – as well as a wicket from his fifth ball – and although 98 from Quinton de Kock helped keep South Africa in the chase, England’s bowlers stayed on top of the scoring as the asking-rate rose.David Miller looked to have guided South Africa to the brink of victory with 71 off 51, a six and a four off the first two balls of the penultimate over leaving them needing 10 from 10. But Jake Ball conceded just three from the next four deliveries before Mark Wood defended seven off a nerveless final over to seal a two-run win and extend England’s winning run to eight ODIs in a row.With AB de Villiers also contributing a half-century, South Africa were on course to pull off what would have been comfortably the highest successful chase on the ground. By the time they entered the last ten needing 93 with six wickets standing, Miller had found his groove and, alongside Chris Morris, South Africa’s sixth-wicket pair added 62 in 6.3 overs – only for the boundaries to dry up at the crucial juncture.Stokes’ second ODI hundred had lifted England out of trouble and allowed them to post another impressive total after being put in to bat for the second match running. Dropped twice from his first two balls, Stokes paved the way for England’s recovery, which was capped by Jos Buttler’s explosive, unbeaten 65 from 53. Stokes then took a wicket almost immediately after coming on to bowl but ended up delivering only three overs, as questions about his fitness lingered.South Africa had moved relatively comfortably to 56 without loss when Stokes struck. Having narrowly failed to hold on one-handed to a chance from his first ball given by de Kock, he made the breakthrough when Hashim Amla drove loosely to cover.De Kock had almost fallen in similar fashion to his Headingley dismissal, top-edging a swipe across the line against Ball on 16, but this time it carried over the wicketkeeper and slip and ran away for four. Ball was in the side for Chris Woakes, who had experienced a tight quad after taking a four-wicket haul in England’s victory in the first ODI, and South Africa targeted the least-experienced member of the attack to help keep up with a demanding asking rate of 6.6 an over.Although Liam Plunkett picked up Faf du Plessis via a tickle to the keeper, de Kock was largely untroubled in moving to a run-a-ball half-century. He and de Villiers judiciously milked the bowling during the middle overs, putting on 96 before Plunkett struck again with a well-directed short ball that brushed the South Africa captain’s glove as he tried to limbo underneath.With de Kock closing in on a 13th ODI hundred – and what would have been his third against England from seven innings – he was drawn into a poke at Moeen Ali to be caught behind. Miller showed his power in Moeen’s following over by lofting him casually over long-off and he progressed to a 34-ball fifty, scoring the majority of a 55-run stand with Farhaan Behardien, before Plunkett had the latter taken at mid-off.As at Leeds, South Africa won an apparently useful toss and England were 80 for 3 in the 16th over before a 95-run stand between Stokes and Eoin Morgan helped even up the contest. Morgan was not as fluent as he was during his hundred in the first match, surviving a caught-and-bowled chance on 16 before edging a cut against Kagiso Rabada, but Stokes accelerated after reaching his half-century, adding his second fifty from 29 deliveries to record a first hundred in home ODIs.With the platform constructed, Buttler bent himself upon destruction during the latter stages. Buttler crashed his first ODI fifty since the tour of Bangladesh last year, from 46 balls, during stands of 77 with Stokes and 78 with Moeen. The 46th over, bowled by Andile Phehlukwayo, went for 22 as 111 flowed from the last ten; only Rabada, who picked up 2 for 50, managed to go at less than a run a ball for South Africa.South Africa’s cause was not aided by dropping five catches – three of them off the bowling of Keshav Maharaj, the left-arm spinner playing his maiden ODI. In the penultimate over, Amla failed to even get a hand on a skied top edge from Moeen at fine leg, to cap a poor effort in the field.Stokes, playing with strapping on his knee, was given a couple of early lives but quickly put his scratchy start behind him to turn in the sort of dominating innings that helped win him the IPL’s MVP award earlier this month. Pretorius was swung crisply down the ground for a one-bounce four, then Phehlukwayo mowed over deep midwicket for six; when Morris returned, he was deposited into the Shane Warne Stand off an even more towering blow.After a top-edge off Rabada flew high between keeper and slip, Stokes followed up with a dismissive thump back down the ground and a single to bring up his half-century from 48 balls. Morris was again struck into the crowd before Maharaj did eventually claim his man – and his maiden ODI wicket – when Stokes holed out having reached his hundred.With overhead conditions providing just a touch of assistance for the seamers early on, England had struggled through the initial Powerplay. Jason Roy’s indifferent form continued when he was bowled by Rabada for 8 and although Alex Hales and Joe Root assembled a half-century stand at more than a run a ball, two quick wickets further undermined England’s prospects.Pretorius, one of three changes from the South Africa XI beaten at Headingley, recovered to see Hales smartly held by de Kock, standing up to the wicket, and then had a hand in seeing off Root, who looked in good touch until he was run out backing up: Morgan’s drive deflected on to the non-striker’s stumps by the bowler in his follow-through. It could have been even better, had Pretorius clung on to a tough opportunity off Morgan.By then, Maharaj had confirmed himself in the luckless debutant category. Rabada’s drop of Hales at long-on did not cost South Africa too much (although it added six to Maharaj’s figures) but de Villiers would have been as perturbed as his bowler to see Stokes put down from consecutive balls. Stokes’ first delivery saw Maharaj draw a thick edge, only for Amla to miss it completely at slip; then de Kock could not hold a more difficult opportunity, again off the outside edge of the bat. Two moments of good fortune that Stokes ensured he and England would capitalise on.

Shakib Al Hasan was cagey about what drove him to recklessness on the second evening, but conceded he had done some hard thinking overnight before he resumed his innings where he went on to score a vital hundred on the third day of Bangladesh’s 100th Test against Sri Lanka.Bangladesh had lost two quick wickets and would soon lose a third when he had arrived at the crease yesterday, and though they were in danger of being dismissed well short of Sri Lanka’s 338, Shakib was nevertheless aggressive: he hit 18 off eight balls, and would have been out for 11 had Upul Tharanga held on to a chance at deep square leg.This morning’s session saw a different Shakib, however. He would hit only two further boundaries before lunch, and though he could have been run out on 40, he was largely content to push the ball around for runs into the outfield – relying on the paddle towards fine leg and a back-foot punch through the offside to bring him runs. At lunch he was at 57 off 78 balls, and progressed to his fifth Test century off the 143rd ball he faced.Shakib was unwilling to dwell on why he had been so belligerent on the second day, providing curt answers, or stonewalling the question completely whenever the topic was breached. But he did concede that there certainly had been a change in his mindset.”Yesterday, as I was not out, there was time at night to think about it. And in that time I thought about what approach would be good, especially the way Dinesh Chandimal batted in the first innings,” Shakib said. “I think there was a lot to learn from that knock with respect to how to bat in this innings. That helped. I had to work really hard to get those runs.” Chandimal’s innings had been uncharacteristically measured where he took 300 balls to score 138.Shakib’s century took Bangladesh to a strong position in the Test, as they imposed a lead of 129 at the end of two innings. Bangladesh’s batting saw them move onto unfamiliar territory, having only once earlier taken a first-innings lead after batting second away from home.”If in any situation you can score a hundred, from a personal viewpoint it is a special thing,” Shakib said. “Since there was a big need to score runs here and I could do that, I am very happy. Now the situation is very good, it is in a balanced state.”Sri Lanka cut that lead down to 75 by stumps – their openers combining for 54. In the past, Sri Lanka have overturned two first-innings deficits against Australia last year although they did not have a three-digit deficit in either of those Tests.”I think the first session tomorrow will be the most important session in the whole Test,” Shakib said. “It is very balanced, but if tomorrow if they bat well, the match may get away from us, and if we bowl well and take wickets we will be in the driving seat. A lot depends on that period.”Though there was significant turn on the pitch from the first day itself, there has been less in the surface for the bowlers since. However, Mehedi Hasan and Rangana Herath did get some bite out of the pitch towards the end of day three, which suggests the surface will increasingly begin to favour the slow bowlers as the Test continues.”I think the wicket gives enough assistance, but we have to bowl in very good areas. I won’t say that it is in a very bad state, neither is it in a good state. There is enough help, but for that we have to be patient.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
4:34

Watch – Highlights of Karachi’s rain-disrupted win

In a nutshellKarachi Kings registered their first win of this year’s PSL, beating the defending champions Islamabad United by eight runs (D/L method). In a game severely disrupted by rain at the Sharjah Cricket Ground, Karachi won the toss and elected to bowl. Both teams must have watched the first game, evidenced by XIs replete with spin bowlers to exploit a slow, turning pitch.Barring a couple of sixes that Dwayne Smith muscled over long-on, Islamabad wasted much of the Powerplay and by the time rain returned after 7.1 overs, they were struggling at 34 for 2. With the game reduced to 13 overs a side, Misbah-ul-Haq’s men had no option but to tee off right from the resumption of play. However, they struggled to do so and aside from a poor penultimate over from Mohammad Amir that went for 18, Karachi’s disciplined bowling performance kept Islamabad to 90 for 7.In response, Chris Gayle mistimed the third ball he faced to third man, his early trudge back becoming a familiar sight in the PSL. With no one else in his side getting to double-figures, Babar Azam played a sensational innings, blitzing an unbeaten 47 off 30 balls. Mohammad Sami and Shadab Khan were spanked for 18 and 14 in their solitary overs as the 22-year old opener ensured Karachi were ahead of the D/L par score. When the final, decisive shower mercifully put the day’s cricket out of its misery, Babar had done enough.Where the match was wonIslamabad will consider themselves unlucky to have lost this game. The weather’s unpredictability meant the toss was always going to be important, and it didn’t go Misbah’s way. Put in to bat, they lost the hero of the last match Sam Billings for a golden duck, as an arm ball from Imad Wasim trapped him plumb in front. Brad Haddin’s departure forced Misbah and Smith to consolidate but their work was ruined by another spell of rain. By the time play resumed, they were well behind where they needed to be and a late flurry was exactly that: too late.The men that won itBabar may get most of the plaudits for his sublime innings, but the win was set up by outstanding bowling contributions from Karachi’s spinners Imad and Usama Mir. Imad piled on the early pressure by sending Billings and Haddin back early, while Mir was brave in the later stages of the innings, tossing the ball up and extracting substantial turn with his legbreaks. Combined figures of 6-0-25-4 were a just reward for their efforts.The moment of the matchWith Gayle dismissed cheaply and Karachi’s chase in need of guidance, Kumar Sangakkara was expected to build on the 65 he made against Lahore Qalandars on Thursday. But Mohammad Irfan had other ideas. Lumbering in, he bowled a superb yorker from a release point that must have been close to 10 feet high. It was also close to unplayable, and it snuck under Sangakkara’s bat and crashed into the base of off stump.Where they standIslamabad slip to fourth after their defeat, falling behind Lahore on net run-rate with both teams level on four points. Karachi are at the bottom of the table, with this being their only win in four games so far.