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Northern Ireland v Malta: We’re hungry for more success five years after Euros history

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Monday, 13 April marked five years since Northern Ireland qualified for the Euro 2022 finals.

It was a historic night at Seaview as Northern Ireland beat both Ukraine and the odds to qualify for a first major tournament, which would take place the following year in England.

Of the 23 players who went to Southampton, only nine are still involved for the current World Cup campaign.

That number will hit double figures when influential captain and key striker Simone Magill returns after expecting her first child later in the spring, but a lot has changed for Northern Ireland.

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In terms of average age, the squad has dropped from 26.7 to 25.2, while the average caps has also fallen from 42.3 to 28.4.

Not only has Kenny Shiels’ tenure ended, but so has that of his successor, Tanya Oxtoby, and Tuesday’s game with Malta will mark the first game in charge for Michael McArdle as boss.

Rebecca McKenna has been a constant over the past half decade, and at the age of 25 she is on the verge of winning her 60th cap against Malta in 2027 World Cup qualifying.

The Birmingham City defender has seen it all in that time, and she says while she doesn’t think “there’s any real comparisons” between the generations, she feels the current youthful group are as “special” as the Euro 2022 history-makers.

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“Qualifying for the Euros five years ago, I think that’s just made us hungrier,” McKenna, who turned 25 on Monday, told BBC Sport NI.

“That was a special moment and for that group and we deserved to be there.

“I think the group we have now is just as special and I think all the girls who are here, deserve to be here.”

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1, W, 0, W, 0, W: Praful Hinge’s dream IPL debut nurtured by Varun Aaron, Glenn McGrath | Cricket News

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1, W, 0, W, 0, W: Praful Hinge's dream IPL debut nurtured by Varun Aaron, Glenn McGrath
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Praful Hinge, centre, celebrates the wicket of Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the Indian Premier League cricket match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad, India, Monday, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

NEW DELHI: When a career is hanging by a thread, it often takes more than talent to survive. It takes belief from someone who has seen it all. Glenn McGrath, a man who built his legacy on nagging length and pinpoint accuracy, became that pillar of strength for a young Praful Hinge, stepping in when a back injury threatened to end the dream before it truly began.It was a dream debut for Vidarbha and Sunrisers Hyderabad seamer Hinge in the Indian Premier League as he reduced the unbeaten Rajasthan Royals to 1/3 during their 217-run chase at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Hinge dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel and debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius in his first over. In his second over, he sent back Royals captain Riyan Parag. His spell read: 4-0-34-4.

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Krunal Pandya on RCB’s performance and key turning points

Two-and-a-half years ago, Praful suffered a career-threatening back injury. When it looked like his career was over, he found help from Varun Aaron and Australian great Glenn McGrath.Sunrisers Hyderabad bowling coach Varun Aaron pumped his fists in the dugout as Hinge ran through the Rajasthan Royals top order. Aaron has plenty of reasons to celebrate Praful’s success, and so does the Hinge household.Kisne kahaan sapne kabhi sach nahi hote (Who said dreams never come true?),” Prakash Hinge, father of Praful, told TimesofIndia.com from Nagpur.“Varun Aaron came like an angel in Praful’s career. Unhone to bahut injury dekha hai (Varun’s career has been marred by injuries). When Praful had a stress fracture, we all thought his cricket was over, but Varun took him under his wing and helped him recover. He literally hand-held him through that dark phase,” added Hinge senior, who retired a few months ago from the Maharashtra State Electricity Board.After recovering from the injury, McGrath, Director of Coaching at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai, invited him to Australia, where Praful trained for three weeks at Cricket Australia’s National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.“Glenn McGrath, who was impressed by his line and length, took him to Brisbane. All the costs were taken care by the MRF Pace Foundation. We did not have to pay a single penny,” said Prakash Hinge.Former Vidarbha cricketer Ranjit Paradkar, who coached Praful at the U-16 and U-23 levels, said the talent was always there in the youngster.“It was all about the opportunity. After playing age-group cricket for your state, if you have not represented India U-19, you need someone to push you, and in Praful’s case it was Varun. The boy has also worked really hard. The stress fracture has made him a better bowler. I can see Varun has made a few technical tweaks in his run-up, a bit in his action and the follow-through. The beautiful thing is that Harsh Dubey, who was his captain during the U-16 Vijay Merchant Trophy, is playing with him in the same franchise,” said Paradkar.Meanwhile, Prakash Hinge, who is attending calls and guests at his home in Nagpur, also credits his son’s stubbornness.“I was a government employee, and my daughter is a chartered accountant. For us, education was everything, but this boy, right from a young age, was crazy about cricket. Pure din gully cricket khelte rahna, majbur ho ke daalna pad gaya academy mey phir isne ground ko ghar bana liya (He would play gully cricket all day. We were forced to enroll him in an academy, and from then on, he made the ground his home),” said Hinge Sr, who now has no regrets about letting his son pursue cricket.

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IPL 2026: Praful Hinge, Ishan Kishan star as Sunrisers hand Rajasthan Royals heavy defeat in Hyderabad | Cricket News

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IPL 2026: Praful Hinge, Ishan Kishan star as Sunrisers hand Rajasthan Royals heavy defeat in Hyderabad

NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad dominated Rajasthan Royals in a one-sided IPL clash, winning by 57 runs after debutant pacer Praful Hinge produced a sensational spell that completely shattered RR’s top order. SRH first posted a huge total and then bowled RR out comfortably, sealing a strong comeback after earlier losses.

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Krunal Pandya on RCB’s performance and key turning points

Hinge’s record-breaking first over

The match turned on its head in the very first over when Praful Hinge made history by taking three wickets in a single over—the first time this has ever happened in IPL. He removed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for a golden duck, then dismissed Dhruv Jurel and Lhuan-dre Pretorius in quick succession, leaving Rajasthan Royals stunned at the start.RR never recovered despite a fighting 118-run stand between Donovan Ferreira (69) and Ravindra Jadeja (45), which only delayed the inevitable. Hinge finished with 4/34, while fellow debutant Sakib Hussain also impressed with 4/24. Together, they ripped through the batting lineup and bowled RR out for 159 in 19 overs.

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Kishan leads SRH’s batting charge

Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad set the tone with a powerful batting display, reaching 216/6. Skipper Ishan Kishan starred with a brilliant 91 off 44 balls, hitting boundaries freely and dominating the attack. He was well supported by Heinrich Klaasen (40), while Travis Head fell cheaply after a slow start.Late fireworks came from Nitish Reddy (28*) and Salil Arora (24*) to push SRH beyond 210. RR’s bowlers, including Jofra Archer and Riyan Parag, tried to pull things back, but Kishan’s assault ensured a massive total that set up the victory.In the end, SRH’s strong batting and Hinge’s dream debut combined to deliver a commanding all-round performance.

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Bolivar vs Deportivo La Guaira Prediction and Betting Tips

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Club Bolivar host Deportivo La Guaira at the Estadio Hernando Siles on Tuesday for their second game of the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores group stages. El Más Grande began their campaign with a 1-0 loss to Independiente Rivadavia on 8 April as Carlos Lampe’s second-minute own goal was enough to down them.

Adding insult to injury was a red card for Jesus Sagredo in the 72nd minute, as the defender will now be sidelined for matchday two.

Flavio Robatto’s side picked themselves up over the weekend to beat Academia del Balompie Boliviano in the Bolivian Primera Division to make it two wins from two in the new season.

The La Paz outfit will be hoping to carry that momentum into the Copa Libertadores stage to pick up their first win and get their campaign up and running.

Deportivo also failed to win their opening match of the group stages, drawing 0-0 with Fluminense, who endured a frustrating game despite dominating the proceedings. The Brazilian giants had 61% of possession, mustered 14 shots, of which seven were on target, but couldn’t find the back of the net even once.

Their Venezuelan rivals spent much of the time on the back foot and were fortunate due to some wasteful finishing from their mighty hosts.


Bolivar vs Deportivo La Guaira Head-To-Head and Key Numbers

  • This marks the first official meeting between Bolivar and Deportivo La Guaira.
  • Club Bolivar have faced a Venezuelan side on eight occasions, never losing. They’ve won six times and drawn twice (both against Minervae).
  • Meanwhile, Deportivo La Guaira face a Bolivian side for the first time.
  • Bolivar’s Jesus Segredo will be suspended from the clash after getting sent off on matchday one.
  • Since the beginning of Apertura in February 2026, Deportivo La Guaira are unbeaten in 12 games in all competitions, winning six.

Bolivar vs Deportivo La Guaira Prediction

Deportivo have been a tough nut to crack this season, with no side being able to get the better of them.

Their stoic defense has made up for their lack of goals in 2026. Bolivar have the home advantage but may end up with a draw here.

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Prediction: Bolivar 1-1 Deportivo La Guaira


Bolivar vs Deportivo La Guaira Betting Tips

Tip 1 – Result: Draw

Tip 2 – Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5 goals

Tip 3 – Both teams to score: Yes

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