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Theirs is a special bond between the pair that has survived many highs, lows and a whole bunch of madness

The history between Mario Balotelli and Roberto Mancini is an erratic story that spans 17 years. It starts at Inter in 2006, intensifies at Manchester City, and fades out with the national team. A father-son love story that delivered success in two countries, turned sour – almost violent – but never truly ended in bitterness or hatred.

Respected coach Mancini thrust the troubled striker into the Inter first-team at the age of 17 and saw the world-class potential beyond the rebellious spirit. He took his beloved youngster to England, after the striker had burned too many bridges at San Siro, and put up with his outrageous behaviour before he was sent back to his homeland.

Still, Mancini never stopped loving Balotelli and refused to shut the door to another chance, even after the striker drifted into obscurity. To many, Balotelli is a meme before memes. The gif that keeps on gif-ing. To others, including Mancini and likely himself, he is a failed promise once capable of greatness. Here, GOAL takes a look at the odd relationship between the two:

GettyPerfect beginning

Born in Sicily to Ghanaian parents who could not meet his healthcare needs, Balotelli was placed into foster care and taken to the north of Italy, where his journey into football began at local team Lumezzane. At the age of 15, he made his professional debut in Italian football's third tier and impressed enough to convince Inter to snap him up.

Before long, Mancini brought Balotelli into the senior team at San Siro, trusting him to make his debut in a friendly against Sheffield United, where he scored two goals. A month later, Balotelli made his Serie A debut for the Nerazzurri, and three days after that, he scored twice to seal a 4-1 Coppa Italia win over Reggina. He truly caught attention in the next round of the competition, though, when he fired two past Juventus in a 3-2 victory that sent his team into the semi-finals.

By scoring three goals and setting up just as many in Serie A as Mancini's side finished top of the table, only three points above Roma, Balotelli truly announced himself as one of the country's most promising young players.

AdvertisementGettyGoodbye, Mancini; hello, Mourinho

Mancini departed at the end of Balotelli's debut season having delivered three straight Serie A titles. Jose Mourinho, clawing his way back into the game after being sacked by Chelsea, replaced the Italian and promised glory.

Balotelli helped deliver on those assurances. After scoring in the Supercoppa Italiana win against Roma, his stock rose even further when he became the team's youngest-ever scorer in the Champions League in what was an excellent display against Anorthosis Famagusta. Partnering Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front, Balotelli connected perfectly with the Swedish striker to fire in an early opening goal. Inter twice fell behind against the Cypriot side, but Balotelli helped rescue them each time, setting up two goals to seal a 3-3 draw that proved crucial in propelling the Italian club into the knockout stages as they finished just a point above Werder Bremen.

Mourinho didn't quite trust Balotelli to start every game in the beginning of the season, but the 18-year-old striker won him over and yet again scored vital goals in the run-in to the end of the season – a late winner against Bologna, two in a 3-3 draw with Roma, and goals in draws against Palermo, Juventus and Chievo – as Inter won another Scudetto.

GettyBad boy

That season wasn't all smooth sailing for Balotelli, though. Mourinho dropped him from the team for a lack of effort in training and he was often criticised for his behaviour on the field, receiving 10 yellow cards in all competitions. His conduct barely improved the following season, and his first sending off sparked a legendary story from Mourinho.

"We went to Kazan in the Champions League. In that match all my strikers were injured. No [Diego] Milito, no [Samuel] Eto'o, I was really in trouble and Mario was the only one," he said. "Mario gets a yellow card in minute 42, 43. So when I go to the dressing room at half-time, I spend 14 minutes of the 15 speaking only for Mario.

"'Mario, I cannot change you. I cannot make a change. I don't have a striker on the bench. Don't touch anybody. Play only with the ball. When we lose the ball, no reaction. If somebody provokes you, no reaction. If the referee makes a mistake, no reaction. Mario, please.' Minute 46, red card!"

It was actually the 60th minute Balotelli received his second yellow, but Mourinho's comedic point still stands. Balotelli, despite his talent, was unreliable and had frequent clashes with opponents, team-mates and his coach.

He helped Inter to three Serie A titles and the Champions League, but he was walking a tightrope due to his gift for creating controversy. When Manchester City came calling, Inter agreed to let him go for almost €30 million. A reunion with Mancini, it was hoped, would get him back on the right path.

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Getty ImagesBack together

After being sacked by Inter in 2008, Mancini spent over a year away from the game before City snapped him up to replace Mark Hughes as manager during the 2009-10 season. The Abu Dhabi-based owners were spending huge sums of money in an attempt to bring the club to the pinnacle of English and European football, and Mancini's success in Italy marked him as the ideal man to deliver on that promise.

After a promising first term, Mancini's side brought Balotelli to the Premier League and he got off to the perfect start when he scored in a 1-0 win against Timisoara in Europa League qualifying. But catastrophe then struck, as he was ruled out until late October with a knee injury.

It didn't take long for the best and worst of Balotelli to appear at City. In just his second Premier League start for the club, he scored two goals as they ran out 2-0 winners against West Brom. The striker did not get to see out the whole game, though, as he was sent off for violent conduct after a clash with Youssouf Mulumbu just an hour into the game. The suspension saw him ruled out of the derby match against Manchester United three days later.

Regardless, he went on to claim the Golden Boy award that year and score his first Premier League hat-trick against Aston Villa.

Everything was going smoothly as City booked a spot in the FA Cup final with a win against Manchester United, leading to Mancini and the City players going wild in their celebrations. But Balotelli just couldn't help himself, sparking a violent reaction from Rio Ferdinand on the field. The United players swarmed around him; they were furious. Balotelli, though, had a smile on his face and winked at Ferdinand, the ultimate wind-up merchant at it again. As always, Mancini was right there trying to keep his favourite boy calm.

In the final against Stoke City, Balotelli played a key role in the winning goal and was even named Man of the Match.

Liverpool have identified a "candidate" to take a big backroom role at the club this summer, according to an update from reliable journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

Klopp announces shock Liverpool exit

The Reds were rocked on Friday when Jurgen Klopp confirmed that he will be leaving Anfield at the end of the season, bringing an end to a legendary spell at the club. It was a piece of news that came from nowhere, even though the German had informed those high up of his decision back in November, and supporters have been left stunned.

The 56-year-old cited an increasing lack of energy as a key reason for deciding to move on this summer, at which point he will be approaching nine years in the role. It has been a period of huge success for Liverpool, including Champions League and Premier League glory, and Klopp will be leaving as one of the most iconic figures in Reds history.

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It isn't only the manager who will depart, however, with his coaching staff moving on as well, including highly rated assistant manager Pep Lijnders. Jorg Schmadtke is also leaving as sporting director as early as next month, with the German always only on a short-term contract.

Liverpool identify potential sporting director

According to Di Marzio on X, Liverpool see Bournemouth technical director Richard Hughes as a potential option to replace Schmadtke as sporting director this summer.

"Richard Hughes is a candidate at @LFC to replace Jorg Schmadtke as Sporting Director at the [start] of next season. He is currently working as Technical Director at @afcbournemouth."

The Klopp news is clearly going to dominate the headlines for some time given the vast influence he has and the fact that he is a huge name in the world of football, but nailing Schmadtke's replacement is also hugely important.

The role of a sporting director in the modern game is so important in terms of working with the manager on new signings – Michael Edwards and Klopp had a wonderful working relationship in the past, signing the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson – so it is vital that Liverpool's next manager has the right person alongside them.

Not a huge amount will be known about Hughes by Reds fans, but if FSG believe he is the ideal figure to come in and even be an upgrade on Schmadtke, they have to be trusted. In fact, the Scot is a former player and once knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup, scoring the only goal of the game for Portsmouth in a fifth-round replay back in 2004.

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For all their faults as owners, FSG still managed to acquire Klopp's signature back in 2015, and other impressive appointments have also been made since then, including that of Edwards. This is a huge period that they must get right, however, or risk setting Liverpool back after making so much headway under their legendary current boss.

Newcastle United are looking to possibly hijack a move for a highly-rated player with a "super strength" in his game, with another Premier League club also keen on snapping him up.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies picked up an impressive 2-0 win away to Fulham in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday evening, but attention may also be on new signings before the end of the January transfer window.

There are certainly a lot of players being linked with moves to St James' Park, with Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher one individual who is seen as a target for Newcastle this month. He could be allowed to leave the Blues, with Eddie Howe potentially seeing him as a key addition.

Manchester United youngster Omari Forson has also been backed to join the Magpies, but bitter rivals Sunderland are believed to be providing competition for his signature. Tottenham stalwart Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has also emerged as something of a surprise option, so there are plenty of options being looked at currently.

It appears as though one exciting talent could be on Newcastle and PIF's radar, too, ahead of a possible switch in 2024.

Newcastle could hijack Adam Wharton move

According to Football Insider, Crystal Palace are wary of Newcastle hijacking a move for Adam Wharton in the summer, with the Blackburn Rovers midfielder a wanted man.

"Crystal Palace are desperate to sign Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton this month as they fear Premier League clubs like Newcastle United could move for him in the summer, sources have told Football Insider. Football Insider revealed on Friday (26 January) that Palace are not giving up on a deal for Wharton, 19, and will return with another bid after seeing a £18.5million offer rejected.

"Roy Hodgson’s side are currently leading the race for the youngster’s signature and are the only Premier League side to have firmed up their interest. But a well-placed source has told Football Insider that Palace want to wrap up a deal “as soon as possible” to ward off strong interest from other clubs."

Wharton appears to be a massive talent who is already making waves at senior level, with the 19-year-old starting 22 Championship matches for Blackburn so far this season. He has chipped in with two goals and three assists in that time, but it is his all-round game in the middle of the park has shone.

Appearances

26

Starts

22

Goals

2

Assists

3

Tackles per game

2.3

Key passes per game

1.3

Pass completion rate

84.6%

He has been lauded by former coach Ryan Kidd, who has singled out something that makes him extra special as a player, saying:

"Adam's super strength is that he can land it on a sixpence to anyone with both feet; He's technically one of the best footballers I've ever worked with at Under-18s level, he really is."

This outlines what a talent Wharton is, whereas Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Tomasson has described him as a "Champions League level" player on the ball. So, if Newcastle could beat Palace to his signature, they may well be bringing in a future star at St James' Park, ensuring they continue to plan for the long term.

The “brutal experience” boasted by Cristiano Ronaldo means that Portugal boss Roberto Martinez is prepared to overlook some defensive deficiencies.

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All-time great ready for 11th international tournamentFresh from hitting 50 goals for Al-NassrCoach has no concerns regarding effort or workloadWHAT HAPPENED?

With Euro 2024 fast approaching, one of the pre-tournament favourites are mulling over what role their talismanic No.7 will play. Ronaldo may be one of the best to have ever graced a football field, but he is now 39 years of age and plying his club trade in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MARTINEZ SAID

He has never been the most committed to defensive work either, despite often being required to press and close from the front, and that has led some to question whether he should be starting for his country at another major competition. Martinez has said of Ronaldo working for the greater good: “It is important for us to attack and defend with 11. Cristiano has brutal experience. There is no other with this experience. He is a player who knows very well how to use space in the area and is a special finisher, a special player. Cristiano's focus, reaction to loss and defensive positions were perfect during the games we played, the last 11 games. So for me, there are no doubts, there are no worries.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Ronaldo is also facing questions of whether he can handle the demands of tournament football, where the games come thick and fast, but Martinez added on an evergreen frontman that hit 50 goals across the 2023-24 campaign: “What happens with European and world tournaments that we need to evaluate every day, all games have different incidences. Cris had 51 games last season and had no problems playing all the games, he played many competitions, but the dates to club level are not the same as at the national team level. I think there is no problem, but we evaluate this in real-time and during the tournament.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Portugal will be in friendly action against the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday, as they complete their European Championship preparations, while competitive action will resume on June 18 when facing Czechia.

Aaron Finch admits his side were simply ‘outplayed’ by England

Osman Samiuddin at Edgbaston11-Jul-2019Australia chose the worst possible time to put in their “worst performance” of the tournament, an eight-wicket thumping not only ending their world title defence but also consigning them to a first semi-final defeat at a World Cup.In days to come the defeat might sting less, especially in light of where Australia’s ODI form has been over the last year, but Aaron Finch could not hide his disappointment.WATCH on Hotstar (India only) – Highlights of England’s win over Australia”In terms of where we were 12 months ago, obviously I think we have made a huge amount of progress,” he said. “Really proud of everyone involved for how much hard work and how far we have come, but at the same time we came here today to win a semi-final and get ourselves into a position to win another World Cup.”So that was really disappointing how it ended, especially to put up probably one of our worst performances overall for the tournament, so that was really disappointing.”There was a brief phase, during a 103-run partnership between Steve Smith and Alex Carey, when Australia were threatening to do what countless Australian sides before them have done at these tournaments. But Australia were otherwise outplayed, as Finch admitted. And it was the very first ten overs of the game in which the semi-final was lost, Australia left dazed, confused and almost down at 27 for 3.”The damage was really done with the ball,” Finch said. “That sets you back. That forced us to rebuild for such a long time and start to drag some momentum back and then, like I said, you lose a couple of quick wickets again, new batters starting, it is always tough against really good leg-spin and good quicks as well.”So, all in all, we were totally outplayed to be honest all throughout the day, so you look back at that and you can analyse each ten overs, but just outplayed.”Aaron Finch looks on during Australia’s semi-final defeat•IDI via Getty ImagesCarey apart, each of the players who had done so much to get Australia to this point – the ones who stand up in big games, said Finch – failed. They’re not at all in the crisis that England found themselves in after the 2015 World Cup – and this tournament, as Finch pointed out, has been part of overall progress – but a longer-term look towards the next World Cup will be a natural outcome. Part of that will take in the new ODI league that leads into qualification for 2023.”I think that after a World Cup you always start looking and you have one eye towards the next one,” Finch said. “I think that as a management, senior players, I’m sure over the next next couple of months or so we will sit down and start talking about that and start planning how we think that we can best plan and prepare and improve over the next four years to get us to go, well two steps further.”I think that every team will do that. You start looking at what you can improve most, areas that you can identify that you need some work to be done and that will happen no doubt – that happens naturally with players when you are talking about the game and trying to find ways to improve.”But as a coaching staff, as a management, that will be really important as well that everyone gets on the same page and everyone pulls in the same direction which is what we have done. We have been really lucky. Everyone has bought into the way we have played and it is unfortunate we have come up short.”

Manchester United are not happy with Erik ten Hag after he revealed the details of their meeting in Ibiza, according to reports.

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United decide to keep Ten HagHe reveals details on TVUnited unhappy WHAT HAPPENED?

According to The Sun, United officials are not pleased that the Dutch manager lifted the lid on the private meeting in Ibiza, where they confirmed Ten Hag would be remaining in the role.

The Red Devils boss was on holiday at the time when club officials appeared on his doorstep to ask him to stay on for the 2024/25 season.

AdvertisementGetty Images/GoalWHAT TEN HAG SAID

Speaking on Dutch TV, Ten Hag revealed the details of the meeting. "Yes, but this week, they really threw a spanner in the works because then, out of nowhere, they suddenly showed up right on our doorstep," he said. "They wanted to continue with me."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

New minority owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, held an end-of-season review at the club where he evaluated the performance of Ten Hag at Old Trafford. United finished eighth in the Premier League but did secure the FA Cup against rivals Manchester City, which was enough for the hierarchy at the club to back Ten Hag for next season.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR TEN HAG?

With his future now decided, Ten Hag's focus will turn to the summer transfer window where he will look to recruit further reinforcements to build on their performances from last season.

A striker, defensive midfielder and centre-back are understood to be the priorities.

Nottingham Forest have now gone four games without a win in the Premier League, with their last victory coming in 2023.

Last weekend, the Tricky Trees were handed a 3-2 defeat by Newcastle United at the City Ground, despite bouncing back from going a goal behind twice in the first half.

It was a promising performance from Nuno Espirito Santo's side, and the boss will take plenty of positives from the tie that he can focus on ahead of their game against West Ham United today.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the starting XI that the Portuguese manager could field to defeat the Hammers.

1 GK – Matz Sels

Matz Sels has started the last two matches for Forest since signing in January, and he is set to continue in between the sticks this weekend.

The aim will be to pick up his first Premier League clean sheet.

2 RB – Neco Williams

Neco Williams will continue at right back, with Nuno Santo confirming that Gonzalo Montiel is unavailable.

Ola Aina is also not ready to take part in the matchday squad despite returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.

3 CB – Moussa Niakhate

Moussa Niakhate will start in the backline after a solid, albeit unspectacular performance last weekend.

Against Newcastle, the left-footed star made three tackles and won all four of his duels.

4 CB – Murillo

Brazilian defender Murillo has started every league game since his debut, and he will partner Niakhate.

5 LB – Nuno Tavares

Nuno Tavares has become the first choice recently, ahead of Harry Toffolo.

The Arsenal loanee will look to provide energy down the left flank.

6 DM – Ryan Yates

Ibrahim Sangare is unavailable this weekend, which means Ryan Yates will captain the side.

The 26-year-old has started the last two since the departure of Orel Mangala.

7 DM – Nicolas Dominguez

The Argentine was excellent last weekend against the Magpies, and he will start in midfield.

Nicolas Dominguez picked up an assist, had 90% pass accuracy, and made three tackles.

8 RW – Giovanni Reyna

Giovanni Reyna is yet to be handed his first start since becoming a Forest player in January, but he could finally start this weekend.

The 21-year-old played 17 minutes against Newcastle, boasting 92% pass accuracy and making one key pass, and his creativity will be needed against the inevitable West Ham low block.

Although Anthony Elanga scored last week, his performance left a lot to be desired, and he will be the one to make way for the USMNT gem, who's been described as a "special" player by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig.

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Forest were unfortunate to pick up a defeat against Newcastle.

ByTom Lever Feb 11, 2024 9 AM – Morgan Gibbs-White

Morgan Gibbs-White set up Elanga's goal last time out, and he is guaranteed to start in the number ten role.

10 LW – Callum Hudson-Odoi

Callum Hudson-Odoi has netted in his last two Premier League games, and he will play off the left once again.

The boss will want the former Chelsea wonderkid to build on his momentum this weekend.

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS' investment at Manchester United now confirmed, there will likely be huge changes this summer. Despite a poor start to the season, one man has already caught the eye of the new owners.

Things on the up at Old Trafford

Whilst sitting in sixth place in the Premier League may be below the levels expected of a club of Man United's stature, things finally appear to have turned a corner after a troubling opening to the season.

The early passages of the campaign saw the Red Devils struggle for consistency in the league and drop out of Europe in embarrassing fashion. This poor start was emblematic of what has been a bleak few years at United. Constant battles between fans and ownership have left the team and management attempting to play both sides, usually with very little success.

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Adding insult to injury has been the failure of high-profile signings to hit the ground running. The combined £158million spent on Antony and Jadon Sancho has yielded virtually no return, with the latter now back in Germany and his Brazilian counterpart yet to register a league goal for the Red Devils this season.

Despite this, the horizon appears bright at Old Trafford with six wins from their last seven games in all competitions and marquee signing Rasmus Hojlund scoring seven goals during this period. With Ratcliffe keeping a close eye on the club during the takeover process, it is reported that one individual has already caught the attention of the man now pulling the strings at United.

Ratcliffe impressed by Erik ten Hag

David Ornstein has shared that sources within the new ownership are already heaping praise upon the Red Devils' manager for his work this season. Ratcliffe, whose £1.25billion purchase saw him buy a 27.7% stake in the north west outfit, is eager to implement change at Old Trafford – not least with a new sporting director – but looks set to continue with Erik ten Hag in the dugout.

Since arriving in England in April 2022, the Dutchman has endured a tough time, working to overcome the negative culture both on and off the pitch that had hampered so many of his predecessors. His first season in charge saw the Red Devils finish third whilst also lifting the EFL Cup, their first silverware in six years.

His tenure at Old Trafford has also seen him scoop three manager of the month honours, racking up just shy of two points per game in the process. With a win percentage of over 60%, the Dutchman boasts a higher figure than any of his predecessors in the post-Ferguson era.

Erik ten Hag

97

59

60.82

Ralf Rangnick

29

11

37.93

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

168

91

54.17

José Mourinho

144

84

58.33

Louis van Gaal

103

54

52.43

David Moyes

51

27

52.94

Despite having a taste of success in England, ten Hag has always felt under immense pressure from both the fans and ownership. Hopefully, this vote of confidence from Ratcliffe and INEOS will be the boost United need to continue their good form and rise up the table.

Manchester United have reportedly offered Jadon Sancho to Barcelona after making a final decision on Erik ten Hag's future.

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Sancho offered to BarcelonaCatalan giants unlikely to pay a transfer feeMan Utd want to offload winger after Ten Hag decisionWHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho was banished from the Manchester United first team for nearly six months after his public fallout with Ten Hag last season. He spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Borussia Dortmund but the winger is now due back at Old Trafford, where he is still under contract until 2026.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Red Devils, however, are all set to offload the English star after deciding to stick with Erik ten Hag as their head coach. The Dutchman is unlikely to work with the attacker until he apologises to him for their fallout. Now reports that United want to sell Sancho outright and have set a €60m (£50m/$64m) asking price, but Barcelona are unwilling to pay a fee, meaning they will have to consider another loan deal.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Premier League giants reportedly held talks with Barcelona two months back over the possibility of Sancho's transfer, however, the Catalan giants rejected the idea after baulking at their valuation. Borussia Dortmund and Juventus have also cooled their interest in Sancho due to his price tag, with a permanent transfer away from United this summer looking unlikely.

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getty imagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

With Hansi Flick on board now after an underwhelming season under Xavi, the Blaugrana are planning to bolster their attack by signing a winger. They have also been linked with a move for Luis Diaz or Nico Williams but to sign one of those players, they would have to sell Raphinha first. In the case of Sancho, if the player is available on loan, they could consider making a move as Flick reportedly admires the 24-year-old.

Carlos Brathwaite’s Patriots suffered their third defeat of the season

The Report by Sreshth Shah12-Sep-2019Barbados Tridents completed their first win of CPL 2019 after youngsters Leniko Boucher and Sandeep Lamichhane contributed with bat and ball respectively to hand the visitors a 18-run win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. In the first innings, Boucher was assisted by JP Duminy’s 18-ball 43 to lift Tridents to 186, while Lamichhane was ably supported by captain Jason Holder and USA’s Hayden Walsh Jr. in the second.Patriots’ Laurie Evans struck a quickfire 64 to keep the hosts in the hunt till the 12th over, but the team fell away after they lost four middle-order wickets in fifteen deliveries. Barring Evans, the Patriots batting performance was so poor that their second-highest run-scorer was their No. 11. Patriots eventually finished well short, for their third defeat of the season.A wicketkeeper-batsman with a familiar surnamePlaying only his second T20 game, right-handed batsman Boucher walked in after opener Alex Hales’ dismissal in the fifth over. Trying to guide a Rayad Emrit delivery to third man, Hales could only find the keeper. Early signs showed that the pitch was similar to the one where 483 runs were scored on Wednesday.The other opener Johnson Charles, however, having a difficult time rotating the strike at that point, and it was the 21-year old Boucher who sunk anchor in the post-Powerplay period. The first signs of Boucher’s dominance came in the seventh over, when he confidently skipped down the ground to lift Emrit over his head. Boucher then made the most of a dropped chance to the keeper in the ninth over by upping the tempo off left-arm spinner Fabian Allen. He began the 13th over with a six and a four off Allen, and in Charles’ company lifted Tridents into triple figures.Charles, sluggish right up that point, moved from 38 off 39 balls to 51 in 41 on the back of two sixes as they got past hundred. It was legspinner Usama Mir who bore the brunt, but he took revenge two balls later when Charles holed out to deep midwicket.That brought in JP Duminy at No. 4, and the South African swiftly found his timing by pulling his second ball over long-on. Two balls later, Boucher moved to 48 with a six over long-on to end the 16th over. Off the next ball, he brought up his fifty in 40 deliveries.Tridents’ triple-over blitzA tidy three-run 17th over from Emrit seemed to have stifled Tridents’ run-scoring, but the last three overs was where the batting team displayed the advantage of having so many wickets in hand. With a license to smash, Duminy and Boucher struck 51 runs in the last 18 balls to take Tridents to 186 for 2. The unbeaten stand of 73 in 36 balls saw Boucher finish on 62 and Duminy on an 18-ball 43.After Tridents finished the first innings with such a flurry, Emrit – standing in as captain while Brathwaite was off the field nursing a knock – called the Patriots in for a huddle before walking off the field, perhaps to instill the same beliefs they had the night before when they chased 243.Evans sizzles, others not so muchThe chase began with Duminy’s spin, and Patriots opener Evin Lewis enjoyed the ball coming into him from around the wicket. He swept Duminy twice for fours in the first over to give the hosts early momentum, but Tridents negated that advantage when the other opener Devon Thomas edged Holder to Boucher next over. Lewis ended the second over with a square cut for four, but Holder dismissed him next over when he sliced an attempted drive to cover.At 28 for 2, Patriots were in trouble, but Evans’ shot-making didn’t make it appear so. He found his footing by driving left-arm seamer Josh Lalor for four and following it up with a punched shot over midwicket two balls later. Entering the game, Evans had gone past thirty in seven of his last eight T20 games, and he proceeded to do the same once more by making full use of a dropped chance on 21. Evans was especially brutal towards the on-side, taking on Walsh Jr. for consecutive fours, before reaching his 21st T20 fifty in the tenth over. By then, No. 4 Jason Mohammad was already out and Evans was building a partnership with No. 5 Shamarh Brooks, and with eight overs to go, Patriots needed 90 off 48 with seven wickets in hand.Lamichhane triggers Patriots’ downward spiralBut the final eight overs began poorly for Patriots. Brooks tried to take Lamichhane on the first ball of the 13th over, but he sliced a catch to Nurse at extra cover, who had to run back and put in a dive to complete a catch. Five balls later came the bigger blow when Evans looked to paddle-sweep the legspinner away, only to top-edge one to short fine leg. Evans fell for a 41-ball 64, but his dismissal meant there were two new batsmen at the crease with the run-rate continuously rising.Walsh Jr. then prised out the dangerous Allen after the batsman failed to pick a slider that was aimed for the stumps, and when Lamichhane returned for his final over of the night, he trapped Brathwaite with a googly to send Patriots reeling at 106 for 7. Two balls later, the skies opened up, and the teams went off for close to 45 minutes with Patriots still needing 80 off 5.1 overs.When the teams returned, Walsh Jr. claimed his second wicket by removing Usama Mir. No. 9 Emrit briefly entertained, but he too fell trying to clear the long-on boundary in the 17th over. No. 11 Dominic Drakes brought some respectability to the Patriots total by striking three sixes and three fours to score the highest-ever T20 score for a No. 11 batsman, a 34 off 14 balls. His last-wicket partnership of 49 with No. 10 Alzarri Joseph ensured Patriots’ net run-rate took a much lesser hit than it could’ve at one point.