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Sophie Devine’s blazing half-century helps Wellington make it a double by winning the women’s title

Deivarayan Muthu19-Jan-2020
Wellington did the double at Basin Reserve on Sunday, with both the Firebirds (men’s team) and the Blaze (women’s team) securing the 20-over Super Smash titles. The Firebirds are also the reigning 50-over Ford Trophy champions, having defeated Otago in Dunedin in 2018-19.Fast bowler Hamish Bennett, who had starred in that final, was at it in the Super Smash final, his 3 for 34 thwarting Martin Guptill and helping the Firebirds defend 168. Bennett, who now holds both domestic white-ball titles, could well make his T20I debut against the visiting India side next week.Auckland Aces’ New Zealand internationals Guptill and Colin Munro had given their team a sound start in pursuit of 169 by adding 33 for the opening stand in four overs. But one run and three balls later, Bennett had Munro tickling one behind, and TV umpire Ashley Mehrota ruled the opener out although Munro wasn’t pleased with the decision, suggesting that he hadn’t touched the ball.Then, immediately after the powerplay, Jimmy Neesham marked his return from a quadricep injury when he had Glenn Phillips dragging a catch to deep square-leg for a run-a-ball 7. Neesham combined with left-arm fingerspinner Rachin Ravindra and Netherlands international Logan van Beek to pin down the middle order. All three bowlers conceded just one boundary each, sharing five wickets between them.Guptill, though, stood tall even as the Aces sank to 104 for 5 and then 113 for 6. Guptill, who was on 23 off 22 balls by the end of the powerplay, set his focus towards taking the chase deep. He brought up a 45-ball half-century in the 16th over, when he slapped seamer Ollie Newton behind point four.Auckland now needed 59 off 29 balls, with the in-form Bennett still with one over in his bag. Van Beek, too, did some significant damage, getting three wickets, including two in one over.

MEN’S DREAM11 SUPER SMASH CHAMPIONS! pic.twitter.com/UXAouMrrre

— Wellington Firebirds (@wgtnfirebirds) January 19, 2020

Guptill gave Auckland more hope when he lined up the returning Bennett in the 18th over and thumped him over midwicket for six. However, Bennett responded strongly, getting Guptill to hole out for 60 off 53 balls. Van Beek produced a game-changing moment, pulling off a stunning hokey-pokey catch at the edge of the deep-midwicket boundary. A fierce whip from Guptill seemed destined to fly over the boundary… until van Beek himself took flight and caught the ball at the edge of the rope. He then lost his balance and jumped beyond the rope, but had the presence of mind to toss the ball into play and retrieve it in the end.It was only fitting that Bennett and van Beek closed out the game for the Firebirds. The two men had moved north from Canterbury, playing crucial hands in the Firebirds’ third T20 title victory.Earlier, it was Black Cap-in-waiting Devon Conway who had set up the win, with a 37-ball 49 at the top. Conway lit up the Basin by crunching beanpole quick Kyle Jamieson for three fours in the first over of the game, including a drilled cover-drive. Michael Pollard, the other opener, wasn’t as fluent at the other end, and was dismissed by left-arm quick Mitchell McClenaghan.Conway continued on his merry way and lashed left-arm fingerspinner Mark Chapman for back-to-back boundaries to push the Firebirds to 80 for 2 in ten overs. McClenaghan then returned to the attack and had Conway splicing one to extra cover, where Craig Cachopa pulled off a blinding one-handed catch. Conway capped the season as the top run-getter, with 543 runs in 11 innings at an average of 67.87 and strike rate of 145.18.The South Africa-born top-order batsman will qualify to play for New Zealand soon, just before the T20 World Cup, but coach Gary Stead is already so impressed by him that he called him into New Zealand’s winter camp last year.Jamieson nailed his yorkers and mixed it up his hard lengths at the death while Munro gave little away with his cutters and rollers as the Firebirds’ innings threatened to spiral out of control. However, charming cameos from a fit-again Neesham (22 off 13 balls), captain Michael Bracewell (23 off 17 balls), and van Beek (15* off eight balls) ensured they reached 168. Van Beek, in particular, was the only Firebirds batsman to get the measure of McClenaghan, taking him for 11 off four balls. Bennett and van Beek then made that total look a whole lot bigger with the ball and in the field, thrilling the home crowd.Sophie Devine set up the victory with a quick half-century•Getty ImagesSophie Devine sets up victory in seven-over shootout
Sophie Devine was in complete control after poor weather meant only a seven-overs-a-side contest would be possible in the women’s final.Devine and Rachel Priest dealt in boundaries to start with, the first 20 runs coming in fours, to take Wellington to 20 after two overs. Once Priest fell, Devine switched to smashing sixes, hitting three in the fourth over of the innings, bowled by Anna Peterson, and reached her half-century in just 22 balls. She couldn’t carry on, though, Bella Armstrong sending her back for a 23-ball 54. Though only eight runs came off the final over, Wellington had a strong 81 for 2 on the board thanks to their captain.Devine came back to bowl a fine first over, conceding just five runs, and that set the tone for the Auckland reply, as they struggled to find the boundaries, lost wickets, and could only manage 45 for 5, going down by 36 runs.

Leeds United are in a difficult situation with the players on expiring contracts this year as they do not know what division they will be in next season.

The Whites are currently competing to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, and are sat at the top of the Championship table as it stands.

However, Leicester City, Ipswich Town, and Southampton are all in close proximity and there is still plenty of work to do before Daniel Farke's side can claim to be heading to the top-flight.

Promotion to the Premier League could change the club's thinking when it comes to some of the out-of-contract players, who may not be kept on if they look to recruit several new players to compete at the top level.

The likes of Stuart Dallas, Liam Cooper, Sam Byram, and Jamie Shackleton are all set to be free agents in the summer, and it remains to be seen if they will be offered extensions.

Leeds are, however, reportedly already weighing up whether or not to hand a new deal to one of their young prospects, who is currently out on loan.

Latest Leeds contract news

According to Football Insider, the Yorkshire-based outfit are considering a contract extension for central midfielder Lewis Bate, whose current deal is due to expire in the summer.

The report claims that it was believed that the former Chelsea youngster was expected to depart on a free transfer upon the expiry of that contract.

However, it states that the club are now weighing up whether or not to keep the 5 foot 8 maestro at Elland Road due to his fantastic form on loan with MK Dons so far this season.

Bate, who was signed from the Blues for a reported fee of £1.5m in the summer of 2021, was sent out on loan to the League Two side during the January transfer window.

At that point, Leeds may have thought that they were sending him there to see out the remainder of his contract, per Football Insider's claim that it was expected that he would depart at the end of the season, but his form appears to have changed their minds.

A new deal is now on the cards for the 21-year-old whiz, who has seemingly done enough to catch the eye of those in charge at Thorp Arch, and he could emerge as Ilia Gruev 2.0 for Farke next season, or further in the future.

Ilia Gruev's Championship form for Leeds

Leeds signed the central midfielder from Werder Bremen during last summer's transfer window and he had to bide his time to get a regular run of games in the side.

Gruev is now flying as a regular starter in the middle of the park for the Whites in the Championship, usually partnering Finland international Glen Kamara, with Ethan Ampadu being deployed as a centre-back.

The left-footed dynamo has racked up 14 starts, with 23 appearances in total, and showcased his qualities both in and out of possession in the second tier.

A metronomic passer, Gruev has completed 93% of his attempted passes in the league this season, and 95% of his passes in his own half, which shows that the Bulgarian whiz rarely gives possession away.

The 23-year-old dynamo ranks within the top 39% of midfielders in the Championship for progressive passes (4.80) per 90 this term, which also shows that he is forward-thinking on the ball, rather than constantly playing safe passes backwards and sideways.

Appearances

24

Interceptions per game

0.8

Tackles per game

1.7

Duels won per game

2.9

Duel success rate

56%

As you can see in the table above, the Bulgaria international also offers quality out of possession, as he has won the majority of his physical duels and made more than two tackles and interceptions combined per game on average.

These statistics suggest that Gruev is a well-rounded central midfielder who can be a strong presence off the ball to win possession back for his side on a regular basis, whilst also being composed and progressive in possession to help his team control and dominate matches.

Farke may already have his next version of the talented metronome in the form of Bate, who now has a new deal to remain at Elland Road beyond this summer on the cards.

Lewis Bate's form for MK Dons this year

The 21-year-old ace joined MK Dons in loan in January after he spent the first half of the campaign with the U21s, after a loan spell with Oxford United last term.

Bate, who made three Premier League appearances for Leeds during the 2021/22 campaign, did get one minute on the pitch in the EFL Cup against Shrewsbury under Farke at the start of this season.

The former England U20 international, who recruitment analyst and U18 specialist Connor Rowden once claimed has an "unparalleled" ability to control games, could not force his way into the manager's first-team plans in the league, however, and has had to catch the eye out on loan this year.

He has started 12 of his 15 league appearances for MK Dons in the second half of this season so far and, like Gruev, has showcased quality in and out of possession.

Appearances

15

24

Key passes per game

1.1

0.5

Pass accuracy

90%

93%

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.4

2.5

Duels won per game

3.1

2.9

Ball recoveries per game

5.5

2.9

As you can see in the table above, both players are reliable passers, who rarely give the ball away, and produce a similar number of tackles, interceptions, and duels won per match on average.

However, Bate has offered significantly more creativity to his side, with more than twice as many key passes per game, and this suggests that his passes have been more incisive in the final third.

Of course, the English youngster is playing in the fourth tier and you cannot compare the quality of the two players through these statistics. They do, though, provide an insight into the style of player Leeds have on their hands.

This is why Farke could have his next version of Gruev in the form of Bate, as his statistics suggest that they are both similar players in what they do in and out of possession in midfield.

If Leeds do decide to hand the talented gem a new contract this summer, the German boss could unearth his next left-footed metronome in the middle of the park.

Weston McKennie has a new Premier League suitor, with Everton the latest side from England to “survey” the United States international.

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• Turned down chance to join Villans
• Into final year of Bianconeri contract
• Saudi Pro League sides show interest

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The USMNT star has entered the final year of his contract at Serie A giants Juventus. No fresh terms have been agreed in Turin, with the Bianconeri now open to a sale. McKennie has been linked with clubs around the world.

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  Aston Villa appeared set to agree a deal at one stage, in a part-exchange package involving Douglas Luiz, but McKennie turned down the chance to join the Champions League-bound Villans. Borussia Dortmund have also been credited with interest, while the 25-year-old has been urged to consider a move to MLS.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  are now reporting that Everton are keen on the former Leeds United loanee. They are said to be casting an eye over the versatile American, along with clubs from the Saudi Pro League – who would be able to put a lucrative contract offer on the table.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  McKennie is, however, in rush to make a decision on his future – having only recently finished Copa America duty with his country – and is yet to receive an approach that meets his “wishes”. Juve remain eager to sanction a sale that will free up space and funds in their squad.

MatériaMais Notícias

Questionado por escalar os reservas na semana passada, Marcelo Cabo voltou a utilizar a espinha dorsal do Vasco contra o Madureira, pelo jogo de volta da semifinal da Taça Rio. Na partida decisiva, a equipe titular mostrou repertório ofensivo na criação de jogadas e poderia ter feito um placar mais elástico. Contudo, novamente pecou na desatenção nas jogadas de bola aérea defensiva.

> Confira a tabela do Campeonato Carioca

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No início, o Vasco se impôs com mais posse de bola. Porém, faltou ser mais incisivo no último terço e conseguir furar o bloqueio de um bom sistema defensivo do Tricolor Suburbano. Com uma boa movimentação, Morato em determinados momentos transitou mais no centro tabelando com Marquinhos Gabriel. O camisa 10 teve pelo menos três chances, e tende a crescer com mais ritmo de jogo.

> Confira mais notícias do Vasco da Gama

O ponto alto da atuação foram as laterais. No tempo técnico, Marcelo Cabo fez questão de ressaltar à equipe o estilo de jogo ‘apoiado’. Nele, o Cruz-Maltino necessitava procurar as triangulações, transitar entre as linhas e explorar o corredor em profundidade com Zeca e Léo Matos. O lateral-direito, por exemplo, jogou mais adiantado e apoiou com frequência.

Após boa tabela entre Zeca e Galarza,o lateral deu um ótimo cruzamento na cabeça de Léo Matos, que conseguiu tirar o goleiro da jogada. Marquinhos Gabriel só teve o trabalho estufar a rede e abrir o placar em São Januário. Ao todo, foram 21 finalizações em direção ao gol do arqueiro adversário, um número expressivo somado aos 68% de posse de bola.

O jogo parecia controlado, porém em uma das saídas do Madureira, Juninho fez boa jogada e cruzou na área. Humberto aproveitou o vacilo da defesa e cabeceou sozinho para empatar a partida. Mais uma vez a bola aérea complicou o Vasco por desatenção e falha no posicionamento. Vale lembrar que o time sofreu gol em todos os jogos sob o comando de Cabo.

Mais incisivo, o Gigante da Colina teve que correr atrás do resultado e na etapa final enfileirou chances perdidas. Teve bola no travessão, defensor tirando em cima da linha, e uma forte pressão. O time apresentou repertório criativo, e demonstrou equilíbrio e paciência mesmo com o tempo afunilando.

Em mais uma jogada de Léo Matos, que aproveitou o espaço no corredor, Cano marcou seu trigésimo gol com a camisa do Cruz-Maltino e garantiu a classificação. O adversário sairá do duelo entre Botafogo e Nova Iguaçu, e um confronto com o Glorioso seria interessante para ambas as equipes no momento.

A atuação foi mais um teste para o time, que terá adversários com o mesmo comportamento dentro de São Januário. Obviamente o Madureira é bem inferior as equipes da Série B. No entanto, para um Vasco em construção, o Tricolor foi essencial para mostrar os pontos a serem corrigidos por Cabo a três semanas da estreia.

The last time we saw Colin Munro, he was struggling to keep his place in the New Zealand side, eventually elbowed out as they went into the World Cup final on the back of several hair-raising finishes. The team wanted fast starts. He couldn’t provide them. Someone else took his place. Simple logic. And yet it never applies in T20 cricket because somehow the left-hander just raises his game when it’s shrunk like that.Munro produced another vintage show in Katunayake ahead of the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, hitting 48 off 27 balls and having to retire out so that the others could have a bit of fun. By then, he’d been responsible for nearly 70% of the New Zealanders’ total and had put them comfortably ahead of the game. That luxury eventually proved a necessity because, having opted to bat, the visitors slipped from 69 for 0 to 84 for 3 as legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga gave them a reminder of the kind of problems they will face when the T20I series begins in Kandy on Sunday.Ross Taylor was able to shore up the batting, scoring 43 brisk runs before he too retired, but there may be concern that the rest of the batsmen – notably Martin Guptill who needed 24 balls to make only 22 – had left their work only half done.The bowling, however, was top notch. Four of the six men that the captain Tim Southee used conceded less than six runs an over, including himself. Scott Kuggeleijn did the most damage, picking up three of the first four wickets to fall, by which time the Sri Lankan Board President’s XI had only made 37 runs in 8.1 overs, effectively ending the contest.Ish Sodhi had some fun with the tail, picking up 3 for 43. There was still good news for Sri Lanka despite the loss with Nuwan Pradeep playing his first competitive game since leaving the World Cup with chicken pox. The fast bowler took the new ball and sent down two overs for 18 runs. Other notable performers for the hosts included Kasun Rajitha, who picked up 1 for 23 and Dasun Shanaka who gave a glimpse of his big-hitting ability with an 11-ball 25 that included two fours and two sixes.

Middlesex claim 213-run lead which is then stretched past 400 through Sam Robson, John Simpson fifties

ECB Reporters Network14-Jul-2019

Sam Robson eases one through the covers•Getty Images

Two weeks ago, Middlesex were bottom of Division Two and Toby Roland-Jones had taken only five wickets at an average of almost three figures. But after beating Gloucestershire last week, they are currently well placed to defeat Glamorgan over the next two days move to within touching distance of the leaders.They closed on 189 for 5, a lead of 402, and are likely to bat until shortly before lunch in the third day and leave Glamorgan a mammoth target in the remaining time.Roland-Jones has played a large part in his team’s resurgence, taking ten wickets in the match last week, four in the first innings here and on a lively Sophia Gardens pitch, will hope to add to his tally in Glamorgan’s second innings.The home team, after their disastrous start the previous evening when they resumed on 25 for 4, made a partial recovery as David Lloyd and Billy Root put on 59 for the fifth wicket. But after Lloyd’s dismissal for 67 and Root for 32, Glamorgan lost their last five wickets for only 28 runs.Roland Jones started the collapse when he had Root caught at second slip, bowled Chris Cooke with one that kept low and followed up by having Lloyd caught behind and Graham Wagg also held by Dawid Malan in the slip cordon.Steve Eskinazi was caught at slip in Lukas Carey’s second over before Nick Gubbins was well caught by Lloyd on the third attempt also at slip, and when Malan was run out by half the length of the pitch following a poor call by his partner, Middlesex were 49 for 3.George Scott made a useful 23 before – for the second time in the game – he shouldered arms and had his off stump removed by Dan Douthwaite. From then Sam Robson and John Simpson settled into their productive partnership, although the pitch was not so bowler friendly as it had been earlier in the game.The fifth-wicket pair both posted fifties, with Simpson particularly strong through the on side but in the final over he drove Marchant de Lange to extra cover where Root held on to a low catch.

حقق فريق النصر، الفوز على الاتفاق في المباراة التي أقيمت اليوم الجمعة، ضمن منافسات مسابقة الدوري السعودي للمحترفين بثلاثية مقابل لا شيء.

وحل النصر، ضيفًا على ملعب الاتفاق، على ملعب الأخير، ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من مسابقة الدوري السعودي للمحترفين.

طالع.. فهد المولد يعود إلى السعودية لاستكمال علاجه بعد الحادث المأساوي

وتقدم النصر، في الدقيقة الثالثة والثلاثين من عمر المباراة، عن طريق النجم البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو من ركلة جزاء.

وفي الدقيقة 56 أضاف سالم النجدي، الهدف الثاني بعد وصول الكرة له أمام المرمى ليضعها من فوق الحارس.

وتمكن البرازيلي أندرسون تاليسكا، من تسجيل الهدف الثالث في الدقيقة 70 بعد تمريرة من ساديو ماني في منطقة الجزاء.

ورفع النصر رصيده إلى 8 نقاط في المركز الرابع من جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري السعودي، بينما تجمد رصيد الاتفاق عند 9 نقاط في المركز الثالث. أهداف مباراة النصر والاتفاق اليوم في الدوري السعودي

United States women’s national team star Lindsey Horan is confident Lyon will not go away despite defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League final.

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Lyon beaten by Barca in Champions League finalSome question Lyon's chance of future successUSWNT star Horan confident they'll be backWHAT HAPPENED?

The Catalans emerged 2-0 winners in Bilbao on Saturday to win back-to-back titles, their third overall and complete an historic quadruple, the first for the women's team. It was a disappointment for Lyon, the eight-time European champions, who have been the dominant force for large spells since winning their first crown in 2011.

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Barca's rise has prompted many to ponder whether Lyon's time at the top is over and if the Spanish champions can now become the new team to beat. It's talk that the French giants squashed in the 2022 final, when they beat Barca 3-1, and it is talk that Horan was again keen to dismiss this year, even if the result was in their opponents' favour this time.

WHAT HORAN SAID

"Barca is consistently at the top. It's a lot of credit to what they're doing and how they're playing. But we've been there," she told reporters. "I haven't been a part of this team for that long but they've been at the top of Champions League podiums for years. I'm just proud of us. We'll be back. We go back, we work hard, and hopefully next year we'll be back here."

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DID YOU KNOW?

One of the many reasons for Lyon to be optimistic about what the future holds is Michele Kang, who became the new majority owner in the team last summer and is keen to ensure the club remains one of the best in the world.

"I don't think anything really changes in us," Horan said of Kang's arrival. "I think it's more like we're going to invest more in this club. It's one of the best teams in the world, so we deserve more. Some of the things you see, maybe Barca and all these other clubs, are getting, facilities and investment, I think that's what Michele sees in us.

"Just because we've been at the top and we've won this many trophies, that doesn't mean everything's perfect. I think she sees a lot in us, she sees something special, and she wants to continue to make it grow and continue to make us shine and be at the top of our game. It's incredible what she's doing. Hopefully we can continue doing that."

علق هيثم فاروق لاعب الزمالك الأسبق على أداء منتخب مصر في الشوط الأول أمام بوتسوانا، بالمباراة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025.

وتقدم منتخب مصر بهدفين دون رد في الشوط الأول سجلهما محمود حسن تريزيجيه في الدقيقتين 5 و29 من عمر اللقاء.

وقال هيثم فاروق في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس”: “بداية ممتازة مثلما توقعنا الضغط القوي، صلاح طمع في كرة الهدف الأول، وكان المفترض أن يمررها لـ تريزيجه”.

طالع.. فيديو | تريزيجيه يُسجل هدف منتخب مصر الثاني أمام بوتسوانا

وأكمل: “لكن لأن تريزيجيه نيته صافية الكرة ارتدت له وسددها في المرمى، وحارس بوتسوانا يبدو أن هدفه هو التصدي لفرص محمد صلاح فقط، وتريزيجه قدم شوطا مميزا، من خلال تحركاته والدور الهجومي والدفاعي”.

وأضاف: “رامي ربيعة خاطر وراوغ في نصف الملعب، ولكنه وضع الكرة طولية أمام تريزيجه مواجهًا للمرمى وسيطر عليها بشكل رائع وسددها في الشباك”.

واختتم: “ولو كان الحارس مميزا كان تصدى لها بسهولة، لكن كما قلت يبدو أنه يتصدى لفرص محمد صلاح فقط”.

Conscious of the need to compete with other T20 leagues, Cricket Australia will explore having separate funds to encourage the biggest names to sign up

Daniel Brettig18-Feb-2019

Rashid Khan was among the wickets yet again•Getty Images

A ring-fenced marquee fund to attract overseas players to the Big Bash League is under strong consideration by Cricket Australia as the governing body begins its debrief of a tournament that expanded enormously in 2018-19 while also raising numerous red flags in terms of crowds, broadcast audiences and scheduling.BBL clubs and broadcasters are both adamant that more needs to be done to bring in major names such as AB de Villiers, Eoin Morgan and Andre Russell in an increasingly competitive global T20 marketplace, with each group raising the issue in recent weeks.ESPNcricinfo understands that CA will explore the option of creating a separate marquee fund for overseas players, outside the general BBL salary cap of AUD1.77 million and similar to that used by the A-League in concert with Fox Sports. This would serve to close the yawning gap that has opened up in terms of potential remuneration for players coming to Australia relative to the Bangladesh Premier League and Pakistan Super League, to name but two of the competitions on the circuit.ALSO READ: Big Bash team of the tournamentWhile any such fund is unlikely to be large enough as to compete dollar for dollar with other leagues that are defined by privately-run franchises and the deep pockets of many of their owners, the ability to offer international marquee names a contractual figure somewhat closer to those available elsewhere will bring in other pull factors such as Australia’s weather and lifestyle that had attracted numerous high profile players in the past.The questions of how the marquee fund would work, and how players would be distributed among the clubs – perhaps via the use of a draft based on finishing positions from the previous tournament – remain to be answered. CA’s previous use of extra marketing funds to sweeten deals for the likes of Shane Warne and Kevin Pietersen has been raised by clubs, with the qualification that any new fund must apply more equitably to all.The BBL debrief

How to attract more of the best overseas players
Length of the tournament
The best structure for the finals
Ensure high-quality pitches

Other areas in which the BBL will be the subject of plenty of review discussion will include its 60-day running time, a stretch that many players and coaches thought too long relative to the number of matches, not least the coach of the champion Melbourne Renegades team, Andrew McDonald.”I think I have formed some strong views around it,” McDonald told Radio. “I think it went too long in terms of time frame. We saw it sort of peter out coming to the business end. I think it lifted again for the Grand Final but the semi-finals I think were sort of somehow lost. If you weren’t probably working in the industry you didn’t realise that they were on.”I think the 14 games was magnificent. I think the opportunity that creates for the younger players, we see it in the IPL as well, where younger Indian players get an opportunity throughout a 14-game season, I think we saw that with the younger Australian players coming in, the Sam Harpers, the Mackenzie Harveys for us, and I think that’s great that those guys are getting opportunities and that will accelerate their development and fast track them where they need to get to.ALSO READ: Renegade Boyce atones for unceremonious Hurricanes exit”I think there’s a lot of positives that go with 14 games. We had a couple of seven, eight-day breaks that didn’t make a lot of sense at the back end and made it difficult really to be fair. We sent players home, guys were going back to their home states for three or four days and coming back in. So we would have liked that accelerated a little bit at the back end.”Kim McConnie, the head of the BBL, said ahead of a final watched by 40,816 spectators and a combined average broadcast audience of 1.14 million that the Sydney and Melbourne markets both needed more attention. “The reason we shifted to a full home and away season was to make sure we are a sport for all Australians, and in order to be a sport for all Australians, you need to play in all parts of Australia,” McConnie told .”We also knew that it wasn’t going to be about average attendances. We also knew that it was going to take fans a while to catch up…that we’d end up with smaller crowds at some games. And we’re OK with that. It’s going to take us a couple of seasons to push that back up. Because this is only our eighth year, we’ve got the luxury of time.”The challenges we see are in our two-team markets. As we look at it, there are a couple of isolated areas where in big major cities, we’re just competing against so much more, it’s a little bit harder for us to pick up that momentum. There’s a little bit more work to do in Sydney and Melbourne to build the fan base back up again.”There is also a strong lobby by numerous clubs to change the finals series format from two semis and a final to a system whereby the top two teams get a double chance. “The finals is one of the things that we’re going to review first,” McConnie said. “We’re going to see if this finals structure is the best structure. There’s definitely momentum for the top team getting a second chance.”