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Brad Hogg took four key wickets to flummox the Chennai Super Kings batsmen, following which Robin Uthappa and Andrew Russell motored past the target of 166

The Report by Alagappan Muthu30-Apr-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:59

O’Brien: An unbelievable chase from KKR

Brad Hogg was looping the ball up, spinning it both ways and smothering the batsman in his own uncertainty. The result was 14 dot balls, four wickets, and only 29 runs given away. Chennai Super Kings’ spinners, despite 165 to defend, were flat – both with their lengths and their intent. Their six overs cost 48 runs and a catch off a long hop and the reason for such figures were Robin Uthappa and Andre Russell, who helped themselves to unbeaten half-centuries and a seven-wicket victory.That the winning runs were scored with only a ball remaining should not take anything away from Knight Riders’ dominance. Batting had not been easy on a slow Eden Gardens pitch that was almost nepotistic towards spin. Given those conditions, and a required rate above eight, Uthappa, with 80 off 58, and Russell, with 55 off 32, were excellent.Poking around against the turning ball was not an option. Riding it out wasn’t one either considering Dhoni’s prowess in squeezing a side with his slower bowlers. The best way forward was to deflect the pressure back. The 41 singles that Russell and Uthappa took played into that plan as much as the 15 boundaries they struck.It was apparent that Knight Riders were fueled by the Chennai defeat and did not want a repeat. Gautam Gambhir had admitted too many batsmen had got stuck two days ago when they could not chase down 134. On Thursday, Russell was pushed up to No.5 to beat the spinners off their lengths and it worked like a charm.Not that there weren’t any chances created. Pawan Negi made a sound first appearance of the season – 1 for 23 and could have had another had Dhoni been able to convert a stumping when Uthappa was on 28. As much of a problem was Ravindra Jadeja at the other end, tricked into bowling quicker and flatter than necessary and leaked 25 off his two overs.Ideally, Knight Riders would have preferred a smaller target. But Super Kings’ ample batting resources allowed them to play like a car without brakes careening downhill. Nine fours, three sixes and 64 runs were found in the first five overs. And then came a Hogg-shaped speed bump. Brendon McCullum, who had bashed his way to 32 off 12, was thrown out of the driver’s seat, Faf du Plessis had barely settled in when he was hoodwinked by a googly and Dhoni walked out with the score on 69 for 4 to a slip, silly point, short leg and leg slip.Hogg was liberal with his googly, often packing three in an over, with the Super Kings batsmen failing to pick them. Dwayne Bravo and Jadeja were among them. But they persevered to add 57 runs off 58 balls to fan hopes of a competitive total. The Kolkata crowd’s nerves were stretched further when Negi hammered four fours and a six in a 13-ball 27. But Hogg was around again to restore parity, with a second double-strike in the 19th over.

The fate of the Champions League Twenty20 will be decided in a meeting that will take place on the sidelines of the IPL final in Kolkata on May 24

Nagraj Gollapudi16-May-2015The fate of the Champions League Twenty20 will be decided in a meeting that will take place on the sidelines of the IPL final in Kolkata on May 24. The heads of Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa, the two other founding partners of the tournament, will also attend the meeting, according to BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur.”Yes, we have invited the CEO and chairman of Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa for the IPL final in Kolkata and, on the sidelines of this match, we will discuss the future of Champions League with them,” Thakur said.Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland and chairman Wally Edwards, along with CSA president Chris Nenzani and chief executive officer Haroon Lorgat are expected to attend the meeting, which will also be attended by BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya and Thakur. Sundar Raman, who has been the chief operating officer for both IPL and CLT20, will also be at the meeting.Rajeev Shukla, the IPL chairman, had admitted that the future of the Champions League was in doubt, and said that alternative options including conducting a mini-IPL were being discussed.  “Yes, we are planning to do away with the Champions League T20. In place of that, we are considering an alternative league. But at the moment all this is at the planning stage,” Shukla told on Friday.In April, ESPNcricinfo had reported that the BCCI and the CLT20 broadcaster, Star Sports, was not keen on continuing with a tournament that has failed to garner attention – from fans as well as advertisers – in its six editions.There have been six editions of the CLT20 so far pitting the top teams of various countries against each other. India, Australia and South Africa are the primary stakeholders of the tournament, while teams from West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have been regular competitors.The major fallout for the teams would be the loss of monetary benefits. CLT20 appearances are included in IPL teams’ sponsorship deals and the non-Indian teams receive $200,000.

Durham’s limited-overs captain Mark Stoneman made the county’s second highest Twenty20 score of 89 not out to lead his side to a 38-run NatWest T20 Blast win over Leicestershire

ECB/PA03-Jul-2015
ScorecardMark Stoneman’s unbeaten 89 took his side to a winning score•Getty ImagesDurham’s limited-overs captain Mark Stoneman made the county’s second highest Twenty20 score of 89 not out to lead his side to a 38-run NatWest T20 Blast win over Leicestershire.Defeat was a blow to Leicestershire’s hopes of reaching the last eight as they prepare to lose the O’Brien brothers, Niall and Kevin, to Ireland’s ICC World T20 qualification bid. They were also without skipper Mark Cosgrove, as his wife was about to give birth, and acting captain Grant Elliott left himself with too much to do.Elliott went in at 35 for 3 in the seventh over in reply to 163 for 5 and when Ben Raine was run out three overs later 106 were needed off the last ten. After securing a tie against Yorkshire by conceding only five in the last over, it was an unhappy return to his home county for Raine. He took none for 56 and spent 20 balls over 19 runs when sent in at No. 4.When Elliott fell lbw trying to hit Scott Borthwick to leg in the 11th over the remaining batsmen faced a hopeless cause and they were all out for 125 with one ball unused.Insights

Usman Arshad had an outstanding match. His quickfire 28 – which included just one boundary but plenty of good running between the wickets – in a 65-run partnership with Stoneman saved Durham after a mild middle-overs stumble, then Arshad picked up three wickets with his nagging seam bowling, including in-form Agathangelou and danger man Kevin O’Brien with consecutive deliveries in his first over, and proved very difficult to get away, conceding just one boundary and bowling 12 dots. Arshad’s was an unglamorous but extremely telling contribution.

Stoneman helped Durham recover from 98 for 5 in the 14th over. Only Phil Mustard, with 91 at home to Yorkshire two years ago, has scored more in a T20 innings for Durham. The victory ended a run of three defeats for Durham as they prepare to visit Worcestershire on Sunday.Stoneman survived difficult chances off skied leg-side shots on 27 and 73 and cashed in with two straight sixes in the last three overs off Raine. He also hit seven fours in scoring his runs off 60 balls.Usman Arshad contributed 28 off 19 balls to the unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 65 to make sure Durham reached the sort of total they threatened when racing to 45 after four overs after being put in on a glorious evening.Durham were stifled by the offspin of Rob Sayer, a 20-year-old whose only previous first-team appearance was in a one-day match against New Zealand last month. He wasn’t afraid to pitch the ball up and took both wickets through Gordon Muchall and Ryan Pringle clipping to wide mid-on.Arshad continued his excellent night with two wickets in two balls in the third over of the reply. Andrea Agathangelou was bowled attempting to scoop a straight ball to fine leg then Kevin O’Brien drove at the next ball and got a thick inside edge to midwicket. Tom Wells hit three sixes in his 27, but it was all over when he was brilliantly caught at long-on by Pringle to give Arshad a third wicket.

Rain and gloom delayed the start but Lancashire wasted no time in taking the final five wickets they needed to confirm a resounding innings victory over Glamorgan

Paul Edwards at Colwyn Bay22-Jul-2015
ScorecardSimon Kerrigan picked up 4 for 28 as Glamorgan’s resistance was broken•Getty ImagesWhatever riches this match possessed, it did not, until the final morning, contain much tension. Lancashire’s batsmen had amassed runs like bibliomaniacs collect books and Glamorgan’s had done their best to respond. Glen Chapple had produced the finest spell of seam bowling ever seen on an autobahn but it was Lancashire’s spinners who seemed likely to seal the win that would take their side 68 points clear of third-placed Glamorgan having played one game more. There was lots of interest but little doubt.Then on Wednesday morning the sky was as grey as a deacon’s suit and the rain fell from the Book of Isaiah. Would Lancashire get any chance of press home their Kangchenjunga of an advantage? There was much mooching about and shaking of heads. Websites had predicted everything short of Armageddon, said the wiseacres and the oddballs.Just before noon, the small crowd received deliverance from both the gloom and its mongers. The clouds broke and Lancashire coach Ashley Giles even came out to bowl to some patient young spectators on the outfield. Stewards fielded. It was one of the most heart-warming sights of a season which has been filled with such gentle stuff.Giles’s players had a match to win, though, and five wickets to take. As it turned out, their spinners managed this lickety-spit and a match which might have dragged protesting into its final hour was won before 2.30pm. Within 30 minutes or so the plastic chairs were stacked, the temporary sightscreen was being towed away and the ground was undergoing its curious metamorphosis back into the home of Colwyn Bay CC.By the time all this shifting was under way, Simon Kerrigan and Arron Lilley were on the road home, having helped take their side to their seventh four-day win of the season. They had done so under the interested gaze of Peter Such, the ECB’s lead spin bowling coach, who already knows plenty about Kerrigan but was keen to see a little more of Lilley.Neither bowler will have disappointed Such but both were made to wait on this final day as Glamorgan’s batsmen threatened to reproduce the truculent defiance they had offered in the first innings. Chris Cooke and Andrew Salter dealt very capably with the 11 overs bowled by Chapple and Kyle Jarvis and it was not until James Faukner was given the ball that Glamorgan resistance cracked and crumbled away.First Cooke, who had reached his fifty off 139 balls by driving Chapple easefully through midwicket, shaped to cut the Australia seamer but only edged a catch to slip which Paul Horton held at the second attempt. But now Lancastrian joy was tempered by the sight of the dark clouds rolling in from the mountains. They looked as if they would dump more rain upon Penrhyn Avenue but did not do so. The poor light, however, prompted the umpires to give Croft the hint that the spinners would need to be operating if the game was to continue.Lilley was brought on from the Embankment End and a remarkable match scampered to its conclusion. In Lilley’s first over Craig Meschede was leg before on the back foot and Graham Wagg was bowled by what seemed an arm ball that the Glamorgan man was attempting to cut. In three balls Lancashire had disposed of much of their opponents’ heavy artillery and they could almost taste the post-match lager.Three overs later Kerrigan had Salter lbw for 34 when playing no shot and in his next over he finished the match by accounting for Michael Hogan, who had already deposited Lilley into the tea hut. The Australian skied Kerrigan to Jarvis at cover and Lancashire’s players strolled happily from the field, secure in the knowledge that they now led second-placed Surrey by 32 points. In all, five Glamorgan wickets had fallen for 12 runs in 53 balls.Kerrigan performed well on this final afternoon and looked to have the rhythm and balance which are integral to good spin bowling. But Lilley’s 3 for 38 had given him match figures of 6 for 151 and he now has 23 wickets in five County Championship games. He was selected ahead of Kerrigan in Lancashire’s last game against Essex and it is no wonder that Such is taking an interest. A place on a Lions tour seems a possibility.Not that this will have troubled Lilley too much as he joined in Lancashire’s raucous victory song, although chant might be a more appropriate word for the thing, since it consists of the one word, “Lancashire”, which is yelled at drum-splitting volume. At Colwyn Bay this was done directly above the gentleman’s washroom, turning it into a thunderbox, indeed.Within an hour, though, almost everyone connected with professional cricket had gone their many ways. The ground which had witnessed that Petersen-Prince stand was left to the afternoon sunlight and to the monstrous gulls. The huge birds were stalking on the outfield as if it were they, and not two South African batsmen, who really owned the place.

Jonny Bairstow celebrated his Ashes call-up with a dashing innings that helped propel Yorkshire to a seven-wicket victory over Worcestershire

ECB/PA22-Jul-2015
ScorecardJonny Baistow passed 50 for the ninth time in 12 Championship innings this season•Getty ImagesJonny Bairstow celebrated his Ashes call-up with a dashing innings that helped propel Yorkshire to a seven-wicket victory over Worcestershire on the final day of their Championship match at Scarborough.It was the first time since 1998 that Yorkshire had won five consecutive matches in a season in the competition and it further strengthened the title-holders’ position at the top of the table.Worcestershire made them fight every inch of the way for their success and for a while they were even able to contemplate victory themselves as the home side slumped to 44 for 3 in their chase towards a 157 target. But then Bairstow, in the best form of his career and brimming with confidence, strode to the crease and was soon delighting the 2000 crowd with shots to all parts of the North Marine Road ground.Bairstow battered an unbeaten 74 off 51 balls with nine fours and three sixes during an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 113 in 17 overs with Alex Lees, who finished on 58 not out. The wicketkeeper-batsman has now thrashed 980 runs at an average of 108.88 in his 12 Championship knocks, with one double-century, four centuries and four half-centuries.”It was another great knock today from Jonny Bairstow and we all wish him well and hope he scores lots of runs for England,” Yorkshire’s coach, Jason Gillespie, said. “He is playing good cricket, the ball is in his court and I am delighted he has got his opportunity.”After Worcestershire had been bowled out for 306, the second highest second-innings score against Yorkshire this season, they soon claimed a wicket as Will Rhodes skied Saeed Ajmal’s second ball to deep mid-on where Jack Shantry held on to a well-judged catch.Yorkshire were 34 for 1 at lunch, Lees having driven Joe Leach for an early six, but soon after the interval they suffered a double setback, Jack Leaning being trapped lbw by Charlie Morris and captain Andrew Gale run out when sent back by Lees.With light rain falling for a short while, Bairstow went on the charge, driving Ajmal over long-on for six and being so eager to advance that he chased a delivery which slipped out of Morris’s hand and bounced several times wide on the off side before belting it through the covers for four.Bairstow walloped three fours off consecutive balls from Ajmal and successive boundaries against Shantry, bringing up his half-century from 39 balls with five fours and two sixes. Both Bairstow and Lees cleared the rope again as Lees completed his first 50 in 14 Championship innings, off 79 deliveries, and it was all over at 2.55pm with 47 overs to spare.Resuming on 221 for 6 in the morning, with a 71 lead, Worcestershire continued to take the fight to their opponents and Ross Whiteley moved his overnight 65 on to 101 before falling lbw to Ryan Sidebottom soon after the new ball had been taken. He had faced 139 balls and struck 14 fours and a six on his way to his best score for Worcestershire and his highest since a career-best 130 not out for Derbyshire against Kent in September 2011.Even with his departure to make it 280 for 9, Worcestershire were not entirely finished because Ajmal and Morris put on 26 for the last wicket. It meant that Yorkshire still had some work to do and there were anxious moments ahead until Bairstow and Lees got cracking.”Obviously I am very pleased to come away with full points but this was still not our best performance, I have to acknowledge that,” Gillespie said. “We had one big partnership in the first innings and a century stand in the second but we have still not nailed our partnerships.”I thought we were poor with the ball on the third day before just making our opponents follow-on and we have to focus on the process of how to get it right. We seem to drift sometimes when we take our foot off the gas.”It is a nice position to be in at the top of the table but there is still a lot of cricket to be played and we have six games remaining. We need to make sure we maintain our standards and respect the form we are in even though we are not at our best. The race for the Championship is not over yet and we can only control what we do and not what other teams do.”

Northants suffer from a small squad and dubious management and some talented players deserve better

George Dobell04-Apr-2016Director of cricket: David Ripley
Captain: Alex Wakely
Last season:
In: Richard Levi, Ben Sanderson, Monty Panesar.Out: David Willey (Yorkshire), Stephen Peters (retired), Kyle Coetzer, Maurice Chambers (both released)Overseas: Rory Kleinveldt, Seekkuge Prasanna (T20, possibly more).2015 in a nutshell
To reach T20 Finals Day for the second year in three – and to be the only side not from a Test ground among the four on each occasion – represented a fine achievement. They only lost three times in the Championship, too – only Surrey and Lancashire were beaten less often in Division Two – but a lack of bite with the ball meant they only won three games. Only Leicestershire won fewer. Financial problems led to the departure of several players, including the much-prized David Willey, although after some procrastination, Ben Duckett stayed.2016 prospects
At full strength, Northants still have a relatively strong, well-balanced side. They also have, in Saif Zaib, Duckett and Olly Stone, some talented, young and homegrown cricketers who can enjoy fine careers. The problem is their lack of depth. So desperate are the finances of the club that they have only 15 full-time professionals and the burden on the seam bowlers, in particular Stone, Azharullah and Rory Kleinveldt, is likely to be impossibly onerous. It is therefore understandable that the club have signed Monty Panesar, whatever his erratic behaviour and fitness issues, to shoulder some of the burden. Rob Newton and Duckett may also be pressed into service as opening batsmen. With so little depth, though, this could be a long, tough season on the pitch. Off the pitch, financial troubles threaten to drag the club under.Key player
It doesn’t take long to understand why Alex Wakely is captain. Calm, positive and good natured, he is just the sort of character required to coax this side through a long and no doubt testing season. He times the ball pleasingly, too. But Northants could do with him turning all those qualities into more tangible rewards in the form of runs. A total of four first-class centuries and average of 30 is modest for one so able.Bright young thing
Olly Stone is the sort of bowler every county in the land would want: young, quick and blessed with a good attitude, he is a former captain of the U-19s and once claimed the best figures by an England bowler (11 for 79) in an U-19 Test against South Africa. But he also has a history of back trouble – he withdrew from the EPP this winter because of it – and hardly needs the burden that seems inevitable in a 15-man squad. Saif Zaib, a 17-year-old left-arm spinning allrounder, is worth watching, too.ESPNcricinfo verdict
A decent cricket department – and some fine young players – deserve better than the management from which Northants currently suffers.Bet365 odds: Specsavers Championship, Div 2: 11-1; NatWest Blast n/a; Royal London Cup 33/1.

Rising Pune Supergiants have signed up Australia batsman Usman Khawaja as a replacement player, following injuries to Kevin Pietersen and Faf du Plessis

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Apr-20162:06

Usman Khawaja was the second-highest run-getter in BBL 2015-16

Rising Pune Supergiants have signed Australia batsman Usman Khawaja as a replacement player, following injuries to Kevin Pietersen (calf) and Faf du Plessis (finger).”One of our mainstays du Plessis has injured his finger during the course of the last match and has returned to South Africa for further treatment,” Supergiants coach Stephen Fleming said in a statement. “We are glad to have roped in Usman Khawaja in the team. His presence will definitely be an advantage to the team and could be pivotal in bolstering the position of the side in the tournament.”Khawaja had a highly productive 2015-16, in which he scored 1006 runs in 15 international matches at an average of 62.87. He was the leading run-getter for Australia in the World T20 with 143 runs in four matches at an average and strike rate of 35.75 and 137.50.Despite playing only four matches in the Big Bash League, Khawaja had scored 345 runs for Sydney Thunder, including two centuries, at an average and strike rate of 172.50 and 163.50. Khawaja’s average was the second best by a batsman in any T20 series with a minimum of 300 runs. He also became the second batsman to make more than one century in a BBL season after Craig Simmons of Perth Scorchers (2013-14).”His imperious form for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League victory last season and being the leading run-scorer for Australia, for the recently-concluded World T20, has made us sit up and notice,” Fleming said. “His style of play is perfect for the T20 format.”Given his top form leading into the IPL 2016 auction, he was expected to be one of the big buys there, but went unsold. Khawaja has not played a competitive match since Australia’s World T20 game against India last month but said he was confident of performing immediately for the franchise.”I’m not the kind of guy that needs to hit a lot of balls to feel good,” Khawaja told . “I hit a few balls today, I’ll hit a few balls again and I’ll be ready to go.”Even during the season I don’t hit a lot of balls. At training I’m usually out (of the nets) pretty quick. I do all my bulk training out of season. I didn’t feel too much different. That’s a good thing – I was still whacking them, I still felt good. I’m pretty confident (of performing immediately). At the end of the day you’ve just got to watch the ball.”Supergiants have struggled early in their debut IPL season, winning two games of their first six matches.

Shashank Manohar, who stepped down as BCCI president on Tuesday, has disagreed with the perception that he quit the role to pursue the post of ICC chairman

ESPNcricinfo staff11-May-2016Shashank Manohar, who stepped down as BCCI president on Tuesday, has disagreed with the perception that he quit the role to pursue the post of ICC chairman. In February, the ICC decided to hold elections for the chairman’s seat through a secret ballot with one of the conditions being the nominees had to be independent candidates not holding any position in their national boards.”The whole world knows how powerful the BCCI president’s post is in the global context. Why would I quit a post if I had been angling for it [ICC chairmanship]?,” Manohar told the . “I could have continued to be the BCCI president as well as the ICC chairman, and not pushed for a change in the global body to have an independent head.”Manohar has been ICC chairman since October, by virtue of his being the BCCI’s nominee for the role after he took over as the Indian board’s president. So, the decision to have independent candidates contest for ICC chairman was taken under Mahohar. He was supposed to serve as the ICC chairman till June, but, given he has quit his role in the BCCI, he loses the ICC chairmanship as well now.Under the radical reforms brought in by the Big Three comprising the BCCI, the ECB and Cricket Australia in 2014, the ICC had created the role of chairman with former BCCI president N Srinivasan taking the inaugural seat. Once the controversy-embroiled Srinivasan was replaced by Manohar at the BCCI, Manohar took over as ICC chairman as well. He had promised big changes and reforms within a two-month time frame in the BCCI when he took over, several of which kicked in on schedule. He also adopted a similar strategy at the ICC, shelving the Big Three’s decision to appoint the chairman by rotation from among representatives of the three countries only.According to the rotational plan, it was Cricket Australia’s turn to appoint its representative, who would serve as chairman between 2016-18, followed by a two-year stint by an ECB representative.According to Manohar, under the previous system the chairman was not serving as an independent official. Manohar said it was also “unethical” for him continue as ICC chairman once he had resigned from the BCCI. “There was a conflict of interest in the ICC which needed to be addressed. For example, if I am the ICC chairman and also the BCCI president, can I be expected to adjudicate fairly, or without bias, on any issue pertaining to Indian cricket?”As BCCI’s nominee, am I not duty-bound to fight for our cause? On the other hand, as ICC chairman, I am expected to protect its interests. That’s why I have proposed that the post of the ICC chairman should be made independent and it has been accepted unanimously.”Manohar said he felt no guilt at leaving the BCCI, considering he “delivered on all my promises well within that time frame” of two months of taking over as president. But the timing of Manohar’s resignation comes at a critical juncture for the BCCI, which has been locked in a tug of war with the Supreme Court of India, which has come down hard upon the board to implement the radical recommendations proposed by the Lodha Committee.Incidentally, Manohar did not offer any specific reason for stepping down but vaguely pointed out that he was not comfortable with some of the Lodha Committee’s proposed reforms. “After taking over as the BCCI president for the second time I did my best and brought in major changes in the organisation. I feel certain portions of the Lodha panel’s recommendations are not in the interests of the board. There is very little I can do in the current scenario. My conscience no longer permits me to continue.”Manohar said that even if his decision to step down came as a surprise to the public, he had kept the BCCI hierarchy in the loop about the move. According to Manohar, he had sent in his resignation letter to BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur four days before the news was made public. “I am not disenchanted with the BCCI, but with the overall scenario,” Manohar said. “I shared my thoughts with my colleagues over the past couple of months. I must say there was pressure on me to continue but I have never felt comfortable hanging on to any post without contributing significantly.”

With the January transfer window drawing to a close, Goal picks the best team of players who have switched clubs this month…

Getty ImagesGK: Julio CesarThe veteran Brazil international left Benfica to join boyhood club Flamengo, though he will only remain with the club for three months before hanging up his gloves and retiring.AdvertisementCB: Virgil van DijkNow the world's most expensive defender following his £75 million move from Southampton to Liverpool, the Netherlands international made the perfect start to life on Merseyside by scoring the winner against Everton in front of the Kop.Getty ImagesCB: Javier MascheranoHaving spent seven-and-a-half years at Barcelona, Mascherano completed his long-protracted move to Chinese Super League outfit Hebei China Fortune, sparking emotional scenes at Camp Nou.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Manchester CityCB: Aymeric LaporteA long-term target of Pep Guardiola, Manchester City parted with £57 million to bring the French centre-back to the Etihad Stadium from Athletic Club

Liverpool are aiming to be European champions for a sixth time, but how does their current team compare to their last winners?

GettyGK: Dudek vs Karius

Jerzy Dudek edges out Loris Karius here. Karius has impressed since being installed as Liverpool's No.1 ahead of Simon Mignolet, but he has a long way to go if he wants to match the feats of Dudek.

Even though Dudek conceded three goals in the final against AC Milan, he was the hero in the shootout, channelling his inner Bruce Grobbelaar to save three penalties, including the decisive spot-kick from Andriy Shevchenko. 

Winner: Dudek

AdvertisementGettyRB: Finnan vs Alexander-Arnold

Steve Finnan's greater experience gets him in this team over Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Republic of Ireland international Finnan was one of the most consistent full-backs in England during his time with Fulham and Liverpool, earning himself a spot in the PFA Team of the Year in the 2001-02 season.

Alexander-Arnold has shown all the qualities needed to be a top-class defender but, aged just 19, his inexperience means he must give way to Finnan.

Winner: Finnan

CB: Carragher vs Lovren

Hard to argue with this one. Jamie Carragher is a club legend, making over 700 appearances for Liverpool during his career. 

Lovren has improved this season alongside Virgil van Dijk but it would take something special to keep Carragher out of this team.

Winner: Carragher

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Getty ImagesCB: Hyypia vs Van Dijk

In years to come this selection may change as Van Dijk has been immense for Liverpool so far since joining from Southampton in January but Hyypia is a hero on Merseyside. 

Indeed, the Finn is one of the best defenders in Liverpool history but, if Van Dijk keeps playing the way he is, he could surpass his achievements at Anfield.

Winner: Hyypia