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Lee Radford believes Hull FC's knockout rugby experience can provide the edge as they aim to topple Super League leaders Castleford Tigers in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals.

Castleford may be six points clear at the top of the league but Radford feels Hull can fall back on their tremendous experience gained from a famous journey to win the Cup last year.

Daryl Powell's men are heavily favoured to succeed at the KCOM Stadium, with Radford knowing only FC's best will allow them to progress through to the final four.

Hull's taskmaster insists his troops must take their opportunities to keep up with free-scoring Castleford in what he describes as the club's most important match of 2017 to date.

"I'm really looking forward to this game. Castleford have been the most consistent team throughout the season so far but in knockout rugby we are a good side on our day," Radford told the Mail. "We are expecting to be at our best tomorrow.

"You don't need any prods to get up for this match that's for sure. You get one shot at it ultimately and if you get that wrong, you get some free weekends. We don't want that option of time off because we want to be involved in this Cup competition as long as we can.

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"Catalans in the last round was the biggest game of our season and now this is by far. I cannot wait. We must take our opportunities and that's huge. Each knockout game was slightly different last year and it was the same when I played with Bradford and FC.

"The fact that a large contingency of our 17 performed in the knockout games last season was really important in the run to Wembley.

"That's what we are striving for. I'm hoping Castleford bring their best and we bring ours."

Radford, who welcomes back influential trio Mark Minichiello, Danny Houghton and Scott Taylor into his squad, says Hull must be strong in defence when Castleford are coming out of their own end to succeed.

"Castleford are playing good rugby. I've seen a lot of comments saying they are reinventing the game but they're just playing good rugby," Radford added.

"Offensively they are a brilliant side so if we invite them down our end, particularly for sustained periods, it will be a difficult afternoon. The key to playing these blokes is to make them come off their own try-line repetitively.

"To do that you need patience, discipline, and good execution - we've got all that in abundance."

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Lee Radford believes knockout experience can give Hull FC edge ... - Hull Daily Mail

HARRISON, N.J. Was it the appetizer to the main event next Saturday or just a different flavor to the budding rivalry between the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC?

Whatever you want to call it, the first-ever U.S. Open Cup match between the two and by default the first knockout game helped take this derby to another level.

Red Bull Arena wasnt quite packed to the gills,but both supporters sections were boisterous throughout the game. Both teams also put out strong starting lineups, further proof that nothing short of a victory would be acceptable in this midweek tangle.

I think it does [add something to the rivalry]. I dont think theres two ways about it, Red Bulls coach Chris Armas, who led the team with Jesse Marsch suspended, said. Theres no escaping that. Were red, theyre blue. The whole thing is going. Its been tremendous for our league, New York and New Jersey, for any soccer fan in our area. Typically, a [fourth] round Open Cup, you dont see a crowd like that and the energy with our fans and their fans.

The rivalry is still one-sided, with the Red Bulls winning six of the seven all-time meetings and every encounter at Red Bull Arena. But under Patrick Vieiras guidance and with some roster additions, NYCFC is closing the gap.

I think NYCFC has gotten better since years past so it was a very difficult game for us, Red Bulls captain Sacha Kljestan said. They altered a few things about them, maybe its just the personnel on the field, but theyre a good team. We have a lot of respect for them. We know its a big contrast of styles playing against each other.

One defensive mistake on a ball played from Sean Johnson to Frederic Brillant changed the course of this game. Bradley Wright-Phillips forced Johnson off his line, the ball popped up in the air and Daniel Royer clinically finished with a first-time volley for the lone goal.

Johnson said theres positives, and lessons as well, NYCFC can take into the first of three regular season showdowns on June 24 at Red Bull Arena.

Oh yeah, well be ready when we come back, Johnson said. For sure everyone has a sour taste in our mouth now. I can speak to myself, it didnt feel good to walk off that field without a win. I feel we have the talent to get results against this team. We respect them as a team, but I feel confident well definitely work hard to make amends for today.

For Vieira, trying to change the color of this red-dominated rivalry is the ultimate test.

Its a fantastic challenge, a really good challenge for myself, for the players because when you look at our record, we played them seven times and we had six losses and only one win, Vieira said. That will make the next games more exciting and more challenging for us. As a football coach, as a club and as a player, this is the type of challenge that can be really exciting.

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US Open Cup clash deepens NY Derby ahead of MLS regular season showdowns - MLSsoccer.com

London:Champions Trophy in England is set for a thrilling climax as arch rivals India and Pakistan face off for the 3rd time in a decade in a knockout game at an ICC event. However, Indian team is not as confident as they were before the previous two clashes and the reason is the absence of Pakistani legend Misbah ul Haq. Misbah made a vital contribution in Indian victory at both 2007 T20 final and 2011 World Cup semifinal and his absence can really hurt India. Indian players celebrating Misbahs arrival at the crease

During 2007 final, Misbah threw away his wicket with only 6 required off last 4 balls and during the 2011 semifinal, he put the entire crowd to sleep with his batting so we arent really sure how India ended up winning the game but that is what eventually happened. Now that he has retired, India needs someone else to step up and hand the game over to India.

Voicing this concern,a leading cricketing expert said ,More than anything else, Misbahs absence will really hurt India. They will have to win the game on their own and cant expect any help from Pakistani batsmen. There are no Akmals in the side either so there is already no help from the fielders in terms of dropped catches and Pakistani bowling never helps India anyway. With Misbah, India could have expected a run rate of 3 runs per over during the middle overs from Pakistan but now that assurance is gone.

India will need to score 25-30 runs extra to compensate for Misbahs absence and while trying to score those extra runs, they may lose their wickets quickly and hand the initiative to Pakistan. This adds an extra dimension to an already mouthwatering final, the expert added.

Meanwhile, back in India, some TV channels are planning to boycott the coverage of the match and will show the Bollywood films Border and Gadar during the match to depict India-Pakistan contest.

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Beating Pakistan in a knockout game won't be easy for India in Misbah's absence: Experts - Firstpost (satire)

Hasan Ali has truly come of age. He has displayed impeccable control and penetration with the old ball. Getty Images

Now, that is a victory to savour for a long time! Pakistan defied all odds and predictions to pummel tournament favourites England with a commanding performance to book a berth in Sundays Champions Trophy 2017 final at The Oval.

This was as good a performance as could be expected in a knockout game. It was after a long time that Pakistan dominated a strong opposition in all three departments of the game. I am absolutely thrilled by this incredible turnaround by Sarfraz Ahmeds team and really proud of their resilience and commitment after a forgettable defeat to India in their first match.

Pakistans win was set up by a top-class bowling effort, replicating performances against South Africa and Sri Lanka. Even an in-form England team struggled to break the shackles in the middle overs despite a solid start. For the third successive time, Pakistan roared back in contention with the older ball even as the spinners tightened the screws.

Hasan Ali has truly come of age. He has displayed impeccable control and penetration with the old ball. Today, his line to both right and left-handers was perfect. Junaid Khan, Rumman Raees and the spinners complimented Hasan brilliantly as Pakistan didnt miss Mohammad Amir, who had to sit out due to back spasms.

Fielding is often the barometer by which Pakistans performance is judged. The players were charged up and I was hugely impressed by the body language and commitment by the fielders.

Our bowling unit becomes lethal when it gets the support of the fielders and thats exactly what we saw today. Restricting a team of Englands potential to a score of 211 speaks volumes about the ability of the bowlers despite the pressure of a knockout game.

What pleased me further was the almost flawless batting performance that followed the world-class effort with the ball. Fakhar Zaman was once again outstanding. I feel so happy that he hasnt been overawed at all by the occasion and seems to have a great temperament meant for big games.

Azhar and Fakhar can make a great pair if they continue to play with the same style and approach. Getty Images

Fakhar gave Pakistan a tremendous launching pad with his aggressive and purposeful batting at the top of the innings. Fakhars demeanour and approach at the crease is refreshing and he led the charge, which helped Pakistan get close to the target quickly.

I also kept a close eye on Azhar Alis innings. The opener was the perfect foil to Fakhar, and his calmness allowed Fakhar to express himself fully. Azhar and Fakhar can make a great pair if they continue to play with the same style and approach. On the other hand, Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez must have regained confidence with their cameos and their return to form augurs well for the final.

Talking about the final, the game is surely going to be huge regardless of the opposition. Both Bangladesh and India are capable sides and I see a close semifinal match at Edgbaston.

If India make it through, the fans will get to see an Indo-Pak tournament final and nothing comes close to matching the excitement of such a game.

Pakistan players need to take the match as another game and must take India as any other opposition. Records and numbers of matches gone by matter little in the final, hence Pakistan must stay relaxed and enjoy the occasion rather than letting their opponents rattle them.

Pakistan dont need to do anything different now. They have a tremendous game plan in place, which has worked brilliantly in the last few matches. The focus should be on minimising the errors and maximising the talent available in the eleven.

In the meantime, let us all enjoy this unexpected stellar run by Pakistan which has brought great joy to the fans in the country and around the world. A magnificent achievement is now just one game away. Give it your all boys!

This article first appeared onicc-cricket.com

FW SPORTS AND MEDIA INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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Pakistan ticked all the boxes against England - Wisden India

CARDIFF: Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed and tail-ender Mohammad Amir staged a late fightback on Monday to take Pakistan to an incredible three-wicket victory over Sri Lankaat Cardiff.

The win has taken Pakistan to the semifinals of the Champions Trophy for the first time in eight years, and will now face England on Wednesday at Cardiff.

Sarfraz and Amir steadied the ship after the Pakistani middle order collapsed once again in chase of Sri Lanka's 237-run target in the virtual quarterfinal between the two teams.

The openers added 74 runs for the first wicket, with Fakhar scoring 50 and Azhar adding 34. However, the middle order collapsed soon, with Pakistan losing seven wickets by the 30th over with just 162 on board.

However, a 75-run partnership between Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Amir took Pakistan to an incredible win over Sri Lanka and ensured a semifinal berth.

Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka had to win to join already qualified title-holders India from Group B in the knockout stages of a tournament featuring the world's top eight one-day international sides.

Pakistan started their group campaign with a woeful 124-run defeat by arch-rivals India but bounced back to defeat top-ranked South Africa before this success against Sri Lanka.

India will play Bangladesh in Thursdays second semi-final at Edgbaston, with the final at the Oval on Sunday.

Earlier, young batsman Fakhar Zaman departed after scoring his debut ODI fifty, but not before seeing Pakistan off to a confident start.

Fakhar scored quick-fire 50 off 36 balls after getting caught by Asela Gunaratne from the bowling of Nuwan Pradeep.

However, the following batsmen failed to capitalise on the start provided by the young batsman as Babar Azam (10), Mohammad Hafeez (01), Azhar Ali (34), Shoaib Malik (11), Imad Wasim (4), Fahim Ashraf (15) fell one after the another.

Brilliant bowling from Pakistan pacers earlier restricted Sri Lanka to 236 runs.

Hasan Ali ended resistance by tail-enders as he bowled out Lakmal, after Junaid Khan and Mohammad Amir ripped through the opponent's middle-order picking up four wickets in quick succession.

Junaid picked up wickets of Thisara Perera and de Silva for just a single each, hastening the collapse after captain Angelo Mathews was bowled by Mohammad Amir on 39.

Junaid Khan bowled a ripper to get rid ofDhananjaya de Silva. Mohammad Amir again bowled a brilliant ball while captain Sarfraz Ahmed took a sensational catch to get rid of well-settledNiroshan Dickwella.

Hasan Ali struck in a dj vu repeat of Wayne Parnell's wicket to dismiss Mendis, followed by debutant Fahim Ashraf who clean bowled Chandimal for a duck, as Pakistan put brakes on Sri Lankan batting early into the game.

Junaid Khan earlier struck in his second over to dismiss openerGunathilaka cheaply, after Pakistan won the toss and decided to bowl first.

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed, speaking to media ahead of the big game, said: "We had a good bowling meeting. We took wickets. If you take wickets, every good team feels under pressure."

The Green Shirts were also inspired by playing in front of a partisan crowd, something they have rarely enjoyed in the recent past.

"That is a feeling we miss, not playing in Pakistan," said Sarfraz. "Maybe that was a difference, the crowd was supporting us and thats why the players were boosted."

"Its one of the top wins, to beat India," said Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews. "The bowlers did brilliantly to restrict India to 321. It was a very chaseable target.

"Not many people expected us to win and that took a lot of pressure off us."

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Pakistan bowl as Fahim Ashraf debuts in knockout game against Sri Lanka - Geo News, Pakistan