Leeds United will want to get back to winning ways at the weekend immediately, the Whites hosting last season's Championship playoff finalists Coventry City in front of an expectant Elland Road.

Daniel Farke's side weren't anywhere near their free-flowing best away at Sunderland last time out, succumbing to a disappointing 1-0 defeat which put an end to Leeds' seven-game unbeaten streak in the division.

The popular German manager in West Yorkshire could soon not be liked as much by this usually dependable first-team star if he's dropped for the game on Saturday however, Joel Piroe second-rate throughout the away contest at Sunderland with his spot in the team up for grabs consequently.

Joel Piroe's game vs Sunderland in numbers

Piroe's performance at the Stadium of Light was noticeably flat compared to his recent displays, the Dutch striker scoring in Leeds' last home match before this defeat against Sunderland.

He barely troubled Anthony Patterson in the Black Cats' goal all night away from the comforts of Elland Road – the former Swansea City forward registering just one shot on target in the narrow defeat as per Sofascore.

Piroe and the rest of his Leeds teammates just couldn't get into their natural groove up against a staunchly organised Sunderland team, the Whites firing a blank unusually over the 90 minutes.

The 6 foot 1 attacker would only amass 28 touches in total in a quiet showing, with Patterson in the Black Cats net even coming away from the game with more touches at 32.

It would lead to Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth giving Piroe a 5/10 rating for his efforts in a post-match article, stating that the ex-Swans man wasn't 'incisive' enough when bombing forward.

Leeds' number seven wasn't the only player having an off-day for the visitors, Daniel James was in blistering form before this clash but was poor in the 1-0 loss – inaccurate with all three of his crosses into the area with Daniel Ballard barely having to flinch to clear the ball away from danger for the hosts.

Farke could shake up the Leeds personnel in attack therefore for this weekend's encounter with Mark Robins' underperforming Sky Blues, Wilfried Gnonto edging closer to being in line for a start after a promising cameo off the bench on Tuesday night.

Wilfried Gnonto's game vs Sunderland in numbers

The diminutive Italian figure has managed to turn his Leeds career around quickly, with Gnonto at one point refusing to play for the club owing to transfer interest from the Premier League.

He's by no means a consistent first-team presence under Farke now – only starting six games this season – but he's a useful squad member as he proved away versus the Black Cats.

Given a 'second chance' by his manager after a notable falling out behind the scenes, the "pocket rocket" – as he once was dubbed by Tam McManus was fully committed to attempting to help his team pull off a comeback against Sunderland when on the pitch.

The 20-year-old would fail to have a single shot on goal, but the tricky Italian forward was successful with his only dribble attempt of the contest.

In contrast, James didn't attempt a single dribble past his Sunderland marker over 75 minutes in a bid to unlock a dogged Black Cats defence.

Moreover, Gnonto launched himself into numerous ground duels to try and win contentious balls and spring an attack – winning 66% of his ground duels, full of energy and life when introduced into the game.

Farke could start the "dangerous" forward – as he once was referred to by ex-Manchester United striker and current football pundit Michael Owen – ahead of a misfiring James or he could reshuffle the forward line altogether and start the ex-Zurich man in a number ten role.

Piroe could miss out as a result, Farke potentially unafraid to make big judgement calls to try and boost his team to then pull off more vital victories.

Tottenham are said to be eyeing moves for two exciting young players to bolster one area of the squad, with manager Ange Postecoglou keen on more options.

Spurs short in key areas

Ahead of the January transfer window, Spurs are reportedly looking to strengthen certain positions where they're seen as very light in numbers. One of them is at left centre-back, as an injury to star summer signing Micky van de Ven has exposed Tottenham's lack of quality alternatives to the Dutchman.

Postecoglou isn't helped by Cristian Romero's suspension either, with the Argentine and van de Ven's once budding partnership sorely missed during Spurs' recent 2-1 defeat to Wolves at Molineux.

Ben Davies and the previously out-of-favour Eric Dier filled in for the pair but couldn't quite muster their same star quality, with Spurs now targeting a host of central defensive options for the winter window. Uruguay star Sebastian Caceres, Everton's Ben Godfrey, Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah and Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly have all been linked with moves to Spurs as a result.

Elsewhere in the squad, there have been reports that the Lilywhites want to add a left-winger to their ranks. Indeed, this has lead to Tottenham holding a serious interest in signing Jota from Al-Ittihad – a player Postecoglou knows very well from his time at Celtic.

Another exciting winger linked with a move to north London is Juventus ace Samuel Iling-Junior, with journalist Pete O'Rourke sharing an update on the Englishman and another apparent attacking target.

Tottenham eyeing Nusa and Iling-Junior after Ange demand

Writing for Football Insider, the reporter claims Spurs are eyeing Illing-Junior and Antonio Nusa, as Postecoglou is very eager to add more quality on the flanks. This comes after injuries to Manor Solomon and Ivan Perisic, with Dejan Kulusevski, Brennan Johnson and Bryan Gil currently their only fit options right now.

Son Heung-min has thrived in a more central role after the departure of club legend Harry Kane over the summer, so the South Korea international will be staying right where he is. To bolster their attacking options, Spurs have Illing-Junior and Club Brugge sensation Nusa, who will apparently cost around £30 million according to O'Rourke, on their transfer target list for January.

The 18-year-old Nusa has two goals and two assists in nine Jupiler Pro League matches for Brugge this season, while Illing-Junior has been likened to AC Milan star Rafael Leao.

“Iling Junior is a very quick player, who loves to take on opposing full-backs and attack the vertical spaces, in a very direct way,” said journalist Michele Neri to TNT Sports.

“He is a left winger who can also play as a right winger if needed. He has a great sense for dribbling and a speed from a standing start that other Juventus players do not have.

“In these qualities you can absolutely see shades of Rafael Leao when the AC Milan superstar was a bit younger. Of course he is certainly less impactful today than Leao is and has a long way to go to reach the Portuguese’s level."

Kapil Dev, who was part of the three-member ad hoc committee that chose WV Raman as the India women head coach, has said he is “disturbed” by the controversy that has followed the selection process. Without taking her name, he indicated he was unhappy with Diana Edulji, the Committee of Administrators (CoA) member who has questioned the process by which Raman was appointed, calling fellow CoA member Vinod Rai’s decision to appoint an ad hoc committee – rather than have the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) select the coach – an “illegal step”.”I am very disturbed about what all is happening,” Kapil told . “I don’t want to take names but ego of one particular individual shouldn’t be an impediment towards developing the women’s game in the country. Someone might have his or her personal likes or dislikes but that is not above the interest of the national women’s team.”Pointing to the three names shortlisted by the ad hoc committee – which also comprised Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy – Kapil asked why anyone would question their credentials.”Look at the names who applied,” Kapil said. “Gary Kirsten, who coached India to World Cup. Venkatesh Prasad, who was Indian men’s team bowling coach. Raman has earned respect from everyone with his technical knowledge. If anyone has problem with these names, then he/she doesn’t have best interest of Indian cricket in mind.”Kapil said he hadn’t kept track of women’s cricket even a decade ago, and that he had gained a desire to contribute to it thanks to the achievements of players such as Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur.”Just tell me where was women’s cricket at least 10 years back. Who raised the profile? It’s the players like Mithali and Harman. They have raised it to such a level that even someone like me, who didn’t keep a track of what was happening a decade back, wanted to contribute,” Kapil said.”Tell me one thing. Myself, Anshu and Shantha, we all have other commitments also. When we were approached, we agreed because all of us thought that we would be able to make a difference. Is it a fair thing to rake up controversy and derail the development that has happened over the years?”

Arsenal and sporting director Edu are reportedly "positioning themselves" to sign a striker with news of them even submitting a bid behind-the-scenes.

The strikers wanted by Arsenal

Both Edu and manager Mikel Arteta will be working together to upgrade Arsenal's squad in key areas as they chase a first Premier League title in nearly 20 years for the club.

Arsenal could sign a £53m "special talent" instead of Douglas Luiz

The young Spaniard could be a better fit for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 11, 2023

Thomas Partey's injury woes have prompted them to look at signing a midfielder, with Arsenal interested in Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz as one option for the role.

However, another glaring issue which needs to be addressed is their glaring lack of depth up front. The Gunners have just Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus to pick from right now, and it's something which may end up costing Arsenal depending on their availability.

There have been many number nines mentioned as possible candidates to make a switch to the Emirates Stadium. Brentford star Ivan Toney is chief among them, with reports suggest Arsenal are Toney's favoured transfer move at the moment.

Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic and Napoli star Victor Osimhen are other strikers linked with moves to Arsenal, with both impressing at various points in Italy's Serie A this season.

Outside of Europe, attacking options from across the Atlantic could also bear fruit where Arteta and Edu are concerned. Santos striker Marcos Leonardo is one option, with Fabrizio Romano claiming the Brazilian will definitely leave his club upon the beginning of 2024.

In an update, a report has now lifted the lid on a secret bid from the north Londoners.

Edu "positioning" Arsenal to sign Leonardo with bid made

Indeed, according to Spanish media sources, Arsenal have submitted a £17 million offer for Leonardo with Edu "positioning" them to sign him in January. The 20-year-old is apparently viewed as "one of the most outstanding promises in Brazilian football" by club chiefs, which is why Edu and Arsenal are very keen to land him next month.

Leonardo is also a target for Man United and Roma, but it appears Arsenal are the club moving with the most intent to sign him this winter window.

The starlet has a growing reputation after some excellent seasons at Santos, with Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig calling him a "natural goalscorer" and sharing his clinical numbers earlier this season.

Depending on whether Santos view Arsenal's proposal as acceptable, which could be more likely given their historic first ever relegation from the Brazilian Serie A, he could be a fantastic addition to Arteta's forward line.

Reducing a CWI President’s XI with six Test players to 203 for 19 represented a fine effort from an admirably ruthless England

George Dobell at the 3Ws Oval16-Jan-2019

WI President’s XI 203 for 19 (Anderson 4-12, Broad 4-19) drew with England XI 317 for 10 (Root 87)
ScorecardStuart Broad’s hat-trick was the highlight as England claimed 19 wickets in a day against the CWI President’s XI.You could be forgiven for looking at the scorecard of this match and dismissing it as a nonsense. And it is true, in these two-day warm-up games, a certain level of scepticism does have to be applied. The match does not carry first-class status and none of these statistics will be incorporated into any of the players’ career records.But this opposition contained six men with Test experience and one more, in John Campbell, who will make his debut next week. So to reduce them to 203 for 19 – yes, you really do have to be sceptical about these statistics – represents a fine effort from an admirably ruthless England. The sad news about Olly Stone’s stress fracture apart, they will have been delighted by this first match.That odd-looking scorecard is testament to a couple of other things, too. Firstly, this was a poor pitch. Neither the pace nor the bounce were even and no batsman, with the exception of Joe Root, looked comfortable upon it. The original plan was to freshen it up with some water and use it again for the two-day warm-up game that begins on Thursday. It may prove wiser to dig it up and plant potatoes.The other factor, as well as England’s fine bowling and the substandard surface, was some painfully loose batting. To see Jermaine Blackwood – who made an eye-catching maiden Test century against England not so long ago – thrashing around like a drowning man was painful. Twice in the day he was caught in the cordon – he also survived an edged boundary over the slips – as he threw his hands at the ball.This was a chastening experience for Campbell, too. He knows he will make his Test debut against England next week, so to be dismissed twice in the day for a combined total of two runs was hardly the confidence boost he required. If being beaten by a direct hit from Joe Denly at long-off as he attempted to complete a second run was unfortunate, his first dismissal, wafting at one in James Anderson’s second over, was naive.There were periods of resistance. Vishaul Singh, in particular, showed determination in both innings – he batted for more than two hours before charging down the wicket to Moeen Ali – but in general there was an alarming lack of application from the President’s XI. The fact that Root claimed three wickets with his mix of offspin and legspin did not flatter them.On the face of it, Broad was the biggest beneficiary. After a wicketless opening spell, he claimed four in five balls, including dismissing Nos. 9, 10 and 11 for his hat-trick, as the President’s XI tail declined to wag. Three years to the day since he took a six-for in Johannesburg, Broad looked in good rhythm using his new, shorter run-up, and found movement away from the right-handers on a good length.”Those five or six overs in the afternoon were as good as I have felt for a long time,” Broad said. “The important thing was the new run up. I have slightly shorter strides and hit the crease hard. The first spell was just about getting used to it out in the middle.”Anderson was the pick of England’s seamers. Generating decent pace and movement, he claimed 4 for 12 – all four top-order batsmen – in 11 immaculate overs. While he occasionally required treatment on the boundary edge, he remained on the pitch throughout the day and looks in good shape heading into the Test series.How relevant Sam Curran sharing the new ball with him was remains to be seen. But Curran, preferred to Broad as Anderson’s opening partner by virtue of his ability to swing that new ball, also claimed two wickets in his first spell, including a beauty to account for Sunil Ambris.This Dukes ball – slightly different to the UK version – appears to stay harder for longer and swing for most of the day. It may be there is no need for Curran to be used so early.Moeen was probably the pick of the spinners. He finished with two wickets, while Jack Leach managed just one and was the only bowler to concede anywhere near four an over. It may well be revealing that he will not play in the second warm-up match.Adil Rahid, Joe Denly and Jos Buttler all come into the side for that game, with Joe Root – who has a heavy cold – and Anderson also sitting out. England will bat first in that game.Meanwhile, back in London, it emerged that Chris Haynes, the ECB’s director of communications, is to leave the organisation. Suffice it to say that, after a year in which details of the ECB’s new competition, The Hundred, emerged in a series of leaks, spurts and rumours, the divide between the counties and the board sometimes appeared larger than ever, and the ECB chief executive did not give a single in-person press-conference to cricket journalists, the news does not come as a complete surprise.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has explained why Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez are misfiring, with a key area in need of improvement being identified.

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• Reds have seen title dream fade
• Strikers squandering big chances
• Coach has no serious concerns

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Reds have seen their Premier League title dreams begin to fade, while also bowing out of the Europa League, with Klopp’s farewell tour – ahead of his summer departure from Anfield – in danger of finishing on a low note.

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  Salah and Nunez have had chances of late to keep the Liverpool fires burning, but both have surprisingly fluffed their lines on a regular basis. That was the case once again as the Reds drew a blank in a 2-0 Merseyside derby defeat to Everton.

• WHAT KLOPP SAID

  With Nunez without a goal in six and Salah finding the target just twice through his last seven appearances, Klopp has told reporters of why those struggles are being endured and how the tide could turn quickly: “It's tricky. Strikers have to go through these things. That's how it is. That's a striker's life. A goalkeeper's life is make 500 saves, then one howler – and everybody talks about this. A striker's life is you score all the time, then you don't score for a while and then everybody asks why you don't score. It can be the most difficult thing in the world and sometimes it's the easiest thing in the world, depending on what chance you get. We had good chances against Everton but again we were a bit in a rush in finishing them off. So create again, create again and try and get in the right positions to finish the situations off. It will be a really rich man or woman who can write that book [on a striker getting back to their best]. You have to go through it. I try to help them speeding it up. That says nothing about the quality of the boys.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

  Salah still has 24 efforts to his name this season, passing 200 total goals for Liverpool in the process, while enigmatic Uruguayan Nunez is only two away from reaching 20 across all competitions. They will both be hoping to get back into the groove when taking in a trip to West Ham on Saturday.

تأهل فريق بيراميدز إلى دور الـ 32 من منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، للموسم الحالي 2024-2025، بعد تخطي عقبة جي كيه يو الزنجباري.

والتقى بيراميدز مع جي كيه يو، في إطار دور الـ 64 من عمر مواجهات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا، وأقيمت المباراتان في القاهرة على ملعب الدفاع الجوي.

واستطاع بيراميدز تحقيق الفوز على جي كيه يو، بنتيجة 9-1 في مجموع مباراتي الذهاب والإياب.

حيث فاز في لقاء الذهاب 6-0، وفي مواجهة العودة التي أقيمت اليوم السبت انتصر 3-1.

طالع.. فيديو | بيراميدز يفوز بثلاثية على جي كيه يو ويؤكد تأهله لدور الـ32 من دوري أبطال إفريقيا

ومن المقرر أن يلعب بيراميدز مع فريق الجيش الرواندي في دور الـ 32 من عمر منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

فريق الجيش الرواندي تأهل إلى دور الـ 32 بعدما حقق الفوز على منافسه عزام التنزاني بهدفين مقابل هدف، في مجموع مباراتي الذهاب والإياب. موعد مباراة بيراميدز والجيش الرواندي في دوري أبطال إفريقيا

تقام مواجهة الذهاب بين بيراميدز والجيش الرواندي، في رواندا أحد أيام 13 أو 14 أو 15 سبتمبر، بينما تلعب مباراة الإياب في القاهرة، أحد أيام 20 أو 21 أو 22 من الشهر نفسه.

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is an admirer of a fellow manager in the Premier League, according to a fresh report that has emerged.

Steve Cooper's season so far

The Reds have made a disappointing start to the new campaign having won just three, drawn four and lost eight of their opening 15 games, meaning that they currently find themselves 16th in the top-flight table, not far above the relegation zone. Following Wednesday’s 5-0 defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage, Steve Cooper appeared hugely apologetic to his travelling fans, but the support that they gave him after the final whistle despite the result was appreciated as stated in his post-match interview.

"It's embarrassing. I don't deserve it. I'm grateful – they know that – and completely unique, but just wish it wasn't the case because what they showed outwardly, they'd be feeling the opposite, inwardly, and rightly so."

The Welshman has been under increased pressure given the negative run of results, and if the owner does eventually decide to relieve him of his duties, he’s set his sights on a potential replacement who was the man in the opposition dugout in midweek.

Back in July 2021, Marco Silva was appointed by chiefs in the capital and he’s completely transformed his squad’s form over the last two years, and the 46-year-old’s impressive coaching techniques appear to have brought him onto the radar at The City Ground.

Nottingham Forest are fans of Silva

According to The Daily Mail, Nottingham Forest are eyeing a move for Silva, but he's not the only candidate that is expected to be placed under consideration by Marinakis in the Midlands if he is to sack Cooper.

“Steve Cooper is facing the sack after his Nottingham Forest side slid to a dismal fourth consecutive league defeat at Fulham.

"Another is the manager who looks set to have ended the Cooper era — Fulham’s Marco Silva, who worked under Marinakis at Olympiacos.”

Silva's "sensational" record at Fulham

During his time at Fulham, Silva has recorded 55 victories, 20 draws and 37 losses from 112 games in total, averaging 1.65 points per match and taking 185 points out of a possible 336 available to him (Transfermarkt – Silva statistics).

The Portuguese boss, whose preferred formation is a 4-2-3-1, also has a strong record against the current manager having won four from the five encounters where he’s faced Cooper, showing that he would surely be a tactical upgrade on the in-danger coach.

As praised by The Athletic reporter Jack Pitt-Brooke, Silva is a “sensational” boss and it could take a lot for him to leave his promising project at Fulham, which is why it may well be an even bigger coup should he decide to move onto new pastures and start a fresh challenge at Nottingham Forest.

Barcelona’s relationship with Nike almost broke down, with it reported that a bizarre spat involving Robert Lewandowski played a small part in that.

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Liga giants wanted to terminate dealWere prepared to go to courtNew agreement now in the pipelineGetty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?

It is being suggested that the Liga giants are ready to enter into a new deal with their kit suppliers, despite looking to break their current agreement at one stage. That partnership was on the verge of collapse, with Barca looking to take the sportswear giants to court.

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Their argument for terminating a manufacturing agreement involved a number of factors, including Nike’s failure to get new jerseys in stores a couple of years ago – leading to a reduction in sales. That is, however, not the only grievance that the Blaugrana have aired.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

According to , Barca have – during their dealings with Nike – faced the odd situation of being unable to shift as many Lewandowski shirts as they would have liked. That is because, in certain parts of the world the letter W does not exist. With that in mind, Barca have had to find a workaround that involves printing shirts with an upside down M.

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WHAT NEXT?

Issues between Barca and Nike are now said to have been ironed out. Talk of the Catalan heavyweights moving to Puma has died down, with it claimed that a new deal will be struck that is worth €120 million (£103m/$129m) per season and includes a €100m (£86m/$108m) signing bonus – which will significantly aid Barcelona’s much-publicised financial struggles.

The opener scored more than 70% of his team’s runs, setting Dhaka Dynamites a target of 200, which proved too far out of reach despite a blazing start from Rony Talukdar

The Report by Mohammad Isam in Dhaka08-Feb-2019

How the game played outTamim Iqbal hauled Comilla Victorians onto his back and carried them to their second BPL title. His unbeaten 141 off 61 balls, with eleven sixes and ten fours, put the final too far beyond Dhaka Dynamites, who fell to a 17-run defeat, their second final loss in a row.Tamim found the perfect time to post his highest T20 score, and also his first hundred in the BPL. It was also the second-highest score in the BPL behind Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 146 in the 2017-18 final.Tamim’s six hitting really began in the 11th over, when he slog-swept Shuvagata Hom to move from 39 to 45. Before that, he had hit one six in 28 balls. From there on, he hit ten in 33. No matter if it was Shakib Al Hasan’s spin or the pace of Rubel Hossain and Andre Russell, everything pinged off the middle of Tamim’s bat and rained into the Mirpur crowd. There were slog-sweeps, clean straight hits, and the pick of them all was an effortless flick off Rubel that flew over square leg.It was an almost literally single-handed effort from Tamim. Even as he spanked 141 from the 61 balls he faced, the other Victorians who batted today – Evin Lewis, Anamul Haque, Shamsur Rahman and Imrul Kayes – managed 47 off 59 between them. Imrul, who was involved in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 100, contributed an unbeaten 17 off 21 balls.Tamim was particularly devastating against Rubel and Russell, hitting them for 69 off 28 balls, at a strike rate of 246.43.The Dynamites replied spectacularly too, particularly Rony Talukdar who blasted a 38-ball 66 with six fours and four sixes. Upul Tharanga supported him with 48 off 27 balls, but once their 102-run second-wicket stand ended, Victorians roared back, taking the wickets of Shakib, Rony and Russell soon after to all but end the contest.When Kieron Pollard also fell in the 16th over, the Dynamites lost their last big-game player. Wahab Riaz’s 3 for 28 might be lost amid the Tamim headlines, but his bowling was just as crucial, given the way the Dynamites were going at one stage. He sent down the tight overs just when it mattered for the Victorians.BCB

Turning points After Sunil Narine conceded just two runs in the 16th over, Tamim took 22 runs off the 17th bowled by Russell to give the Victorians some much-needed impetus. Rony Talukdar powered Dynamites to 71 for 1 in their Powerplay, setting them up perfectly in their chase of 200. Andre Russell, who has gone at a strike-rate of 156.91 in the BPL this season, fell with the Dynamites needing 68 off 41 balls.Star of the dayTamim scored 70.85% of his side’s 199 runs, the second-highest percentage from one batsman in the BPL behind Gayle’s 70.87 in last season’s final. Tamim took 31 balls to reach his fifty, and only 19 more to get to his hundred. To top it off, his last 38 runs came off just 11 balls. The pacing throughout highlighted the quality of his innings.The big missNurul Hasan put Tamim down off Qazi Onik in the eighth over, when he was batting on 24. It wasn’t a straightforward chance, since Nurul had to dive, but he may have been a little late on it, going with one hand rather than two, and by his standards it seemed a shoddy effort.Where the teams standThe Victorians have claimed their second BPL title while the Dynamites have lost their second final in a row, with their last championship coming in 2016.