Essex pad out their Group One lead as lbws abound in three-day thumping of Durham

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

One of the world’s most boring records takes Essex closer to shot at title defence

David Hopps29-May-2021As far as the County Championship is concerned, the relevance of Essex’s 189-win victory over Durham is that, with time running out, it has energised the defence of their title. But the ramifications go far wider, especially for cricket statisticians, who can be guaranteed to be in a stage of high excitement after the contest set a new record for the number of lbws in a first-class match in England.As many as 19 lbws were awarded by umpires David Millns and James Middlebrook at Chester-le-Street and it should be said in these days of video replays that, for the neutral observer, the overwhelming majority looked bang to rights.That the England (and Wales) record was beaten on a glorious sun-drenched evening in England’s most northerly first-class cricketing outpost when Jack Burnham, a former England U19 batsman suffering hard times, was struck in front by the former Australian international Peter Siddle. Burnham’s meaningful shrug appeared to be somewhat defeatist after Durham had battled grimly for much of the day against the spectre of near-inevitable defeat.To discover a first-class match with more lbws it was necessary, according to the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians, to turn to Guyana v Jamaica last year, which jointly holds the all-time record along with the West Indies v Pakistan Test in Guyana in 2011, both of them played at Providence Stadium. It is hard to suppress the ignoble thought that Guyana and Chester-le-Street are blood brothers, being the Test venues that many in authority would prefer to ignore.Ultimately this contest had to settle, globally, for joint second spot, alongside two India first-class matches – Patiala’s match against Delhi in 1953-54 and a more recent clash between Uttar Pradesh and Railways in Lucknow four years ago.Related

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Quite whether the Maharajah of Patiala, the last of the nine Maharajas, was so full of statistical anticipation after Delhi’s win (a world record at the time) sadly goes unrecorded, but it is likely it passed him by, on accounts of it being Christmas and the World Wide Web not quite being a thing. Interestingly, he did not bat in the first innings, but claimed a half-century batting at No. 11 second time around.Six years ago, the suggested that Gareth Sanders, a cleaning company manager from Bristol, had broken the world’s most boring world record by ironing for more than 80 hours. If you think that’s boring, imagine how the person felt who had to check that he was doing it properly.Statisticians can cavil all they like, but for two sessions this England (and Wales) record moved closer in an atmosphere of unremitting tedium. Durham needed 385 to win, they had never successfully chased more than 318 when they beat Nottinghamshire 20 years ago, and they had never conceded a chase of 335 here. But they had a new captain, new resolve and a relaid square on which Derbyshire had blocked out for a draw in April by losing only five wickets on the final day.It is possible to have sympathy for the groundstaff, who needed strong April grass growth after their winter’s refurbishments but were instead treated to one of the coldest, driest Aprils on record, and also register the fact that Chester-le-Street is not providing entertaining cricket. A meteorological record has helped to bring about a cricketing record: a square bereft of pace and bounce had to start damp (hence excessive seam) before reverting to its natural state: joyless and unresponsive and occasionally given to grubbers.Durham acquitted themselves professionally to the task which was impressive stuff as far as professionalism goes but, as they crawled to 137 for 3 midway through the 64th over, it did not represent Bank Holiday entertainment.Cameron Bancroft’s foot movement and defensive position to a back-of-a-length delivery was classically Australian, which meant he was bowled by the first low delivery of the day. Scott Borthwick, the skipper, was shin before wicket for 29 and walked off as if life was weighing heavily upon him; a man on such a long contract needs to concentrate on the long game. Alex Lees batted soundly for 48 then fell to the old partnership-breaker trick as Ryan ten Doeschate, four overs bowled all season, banged one in short at about 70mph and Lees found mid-off off a leading edge.Play low, however, and survival was possible. Essex attacked the stumps with unrelenting determination, the tone set by the admirable Jamie Porter who began with nine overs for eight runs. It was a dirty job and someone had to do it. Everybody did.Michael Jones averages 10 in 12 Durham innings but he has learnt a thing or two from batting on Scottish pitches and has a career to save. He resisted with great determination for 35 from 126 balls – his Mum may remember the details – then got the worst lbw decision of the match when Sam Cook nipped one back enough to be missing leg stump.Essex then closed the game out as the last seven wickets fell for 52 in 24 overs, Siddle and Porter, in particular, suddenly finding movement where there was little before. Once the key break is made what appears to be difficult suddenly becomes straightforward. Take note that they won this game without their talisman, the offspinner Simon Harmer, taking a wicket.As well as a statistician’s match, it was a coach’s match. Durham’s coach James Franklin, called the pitch “tricky”. Essex’s coach, Anthony McGrath said: “It was a very interesting game because conditions changed so much from day one” and talked about character and skill.Bully for them. They had good reason to be impressed with those under their command but for spectators in need of entertainment after 20 months without live cricket, this was inadequate. Essex go top of Group One, at least for 24 hours, but they have played a game more. Given better pitches, this group can reach an exciting conclusion.

Jude's back: How Bellingham's goalscoring mojo's returned as suffering Real Madrid star finally rediscovers his swagger

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The English midfielder has started finding the net with regularity once again, much to the relief of Los Blancos

So, that crisis lasted about three months. Jude Bellingham was in massive trouble, so we were told. The goalscorer, who was never really a goalscorer, had stopped scoring goals. it took Bellingham until November 9 to find the net for the first time for Real Madrid this season. And after a poor run of results – that had little to do with his individual performances – the "overrated" rhetoric was in full swing. The one-season-wonder badge was thrown around. Jude who?

It was frighteningly easy to explain Bellingham's early-season struggles. He was playing further away from goal, in a revamped side, with more goalscorers in the team. This is not a formula for seeing the net ripple consistently. Either way, Bellingham is back – although he never really left. He has scored five in his last six games, and four in a row. The efficiency is there, as is the crucial swagger to his game. A 20-goal-per-season striker Bellingham is not, but there are echoes of his early days in a Madrid shirt.

And with Los Blancos coming off a crucial Champions League game, and the injuries piling up, his mojo couldn't have come back at a better time. There are many genres of Bellingham. The one that can score plenty is here, and Madrid will be all the better for it.

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    A mad 2023 tails off

    Last year, we were told, Jude Bellingham could score 40 goals. It certainly seemed like it, at least at one point, when he was eclipsing marks set by Cristiano Ronaldo in his early days in Madrid white. A hot start was sure to evolve into an all-time great season for him on an individual level. Of course, things didn't quite work out that way after Bellingham had initially hit double digits in no time, bagging 15 before Christmas.

    Indeed, his numbers soon tailed off, to widespread bemusement. How could this player, who had been so good in front of goal, suddenly stop scoring? Football is, of course, quite a complex thing every now and then. And this all happened for a number of reasons. First, he was assigned to a more withdrawn role, playing deeper, and away from the goal. Secondly, Vinicius Jr started scoring for fun. And perhaps most importantly, his luck went away.

    Expected goal stats can be a bit silly sometimes, but Bellingham was radically overperforming his xG through the first few months of the season. Eventually, he kept the statisticians happy by reverting to the mean. It is worth noting, at this point, that having a converted centre-midfielder score 23 goals in all competitions, at the age of 21, in a new country, for the biggest club in the world, is quite the achievement. We tend to forget these things.

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    Mbappe, Vinicius & Madrid's new attack

    This season was always going to be a bit more complicated. The addition of Kylian Mbappe, form of Vinicius, and conundrum of Rodrygo meant that Bellingham knew he would be pushed into a deeper role. Carlo Ancelotti admitted, in fact, that the Englishman might score less.

    "The surprise isn't this year, the surprise was last year, when he scored lots of goals which nobody expected and helped us a lot," Ancelotti said in late October. "The problem this year isn't that we're lacking Bellingham's goals. We've always scored goals, and we'll always score, because we have talented players up front. For us, in this moment, the work he's doing is more important than the goals he scored last year."

    Not that it was really a problem. Madrid haven't found their best form yet, and at times have looked disjointed in the final third. There are too many nice individual things going, and not enough cohesion. Systems aren't in place, and they are frighteningly vulnerable in defensive transitions – although they have admittedly improved in recent weeks. Either way, Bellingham was forced into a deeper role, away from goal, told to create rather than score.

    It's something he has done rather admirably. Bellingham has bagged six assists for Madrid in all competitions, his understanding with Vinicius bordering on telepathic. And then there are the other bits. It has somehow been neglected by the wider football consciousness that we are talking about a centre-midfielder here, a player more Steven Gerrard than Cristiano Ronaldo. Yes, the goals are nice, but Bellingham is a player built on being very good at pretty much everything, buoyed by an awesome work rate. And centre-midfielder Jude is really quite good at football. In effect, then, the goals were going to dry up. A "drought" was always inevitable.

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    No luck & a whole lot of scrutiny

    Luck is involved here, too. In the earlier part of the 2023-24 season, it felt like every single bounce was going Bellingham's way. He would make those signature late runs into the box, and a deflection would fall to his feet. He took advantage of a few tap-ins, and enjoyed the odd fortunate deflection or two. It is also worth pointing out that he spanked one in from 30 yards to win El Clasico – two things can be true at the same time.

    Early this season, those bounces eluded him. He was still doing all the right things – albeit in a smaller sample size. Five of his first 11 shots were still on target, and he hit the woodwork on a couple of occasions. But all of the little elements that led to a hot start in his debut season weren't quite there this time around.

    Madrid, too, were performing poorly in the earlier days of the season. Mbappe couldn't time a run, and everyone forgot how to defend. It was only moments of individual quality that kept them in the title picture early on. Bellingham, of course, was not above blame. But everything was going wrong. He was just part of a nervy system.

    Rewinding to the Euros and the defeat to Spain in the final – plus the media and fan scrutiny that haunted the Three Lions at every corner – and that clearly affected Bellingham. Billed as the country's saviour and the main man who would finally step up and end the long, agonising wait for a trophy, the Madrid midfielder went as far as claiming he was made the scapegoat when it all fell apart.

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    Jude benefits from injury crisis

    Back to Madrid matters and the opportunities were always going to come. If there has been any silver lining to Los Blancos' wonky start to 2024-25 it's that it has given Ancelotti the freedom to experiment. The 4-3-3 that he tried at first didn't work, while injuries to Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao saw the balance and grit in the side fall away.

    And when Rodrygo suffered a muscle injury, Ancelotti had the perfect excuse to return to the diamond that served him so well last season.

    Just like that, Bellingham was back. Playing behind a duo of Vinicius and Mbappe, the opportunities started to come again. The England international was in forward areas more often, shooting more, and creating more for others. He scored Madrid's third against Leganes on November 25, darting into the box to nod home off a deflected shot. Pretty? Not even remotely. But it was the exact kind of position he occupied last year – a goal brought about by both opportunity and instinct.

Malan, Bairstow, Willey hand Sri Lanka a thrashing as England sweep T20I series 3-0

by csb10.top Uncategorized

England completed a 3-0 clean sweep over Sri Lanka in the T20I series with a crushing 89-run victory at the Ageas Bowl. It was the fourth-largest victory margin in terms of runs England have achieved in the format.Despite the loss of both regular openers to injury, England posted a century stand for the first wicket to grasp a firm hold on the match which they were never to relinquish. Dawid Malan was named Player of the Match for a fluent innings of 76 that belied the slow nature of the pitch. Jonny Bairstow made 51. Nobody in the rest of the match passed 20.England lost their way a little towards the end of their innings. An excellent spell of death bowling from Dushmantha Chameera, a bright spot amid the rubble of a bitterly disappointing Sri Lanka performance, saw England lose five wickets for 19 runs between the 16th and 19th overs. Chameera finished with career-best figures of 4 for 17.Chris Jordan, however, helped England plunder 17 from the final over of the innings to take them to a total that was always likely to prove beyond the reach of a side that had failed to reach 130 in either of the first two games in the series.So it proved as England’s seamers, gaining a degree of lateral movement that is unusual with the white kookaburra ball, combined to bowl Sri Lanka out for just 91. It was the fourth lowest score Sri Lanka have made from a completed T20I innings.Chris Woakes, Sam Curran and Jordan took 4 for 36 from their 12 overs combined, while David Willey picked up three wickets.With Jason Roy suffering from a tight hamstring, Moeen Ali was recalled to the T20I side for the first time since September 2020. But he was consigned to a peripheral role by the dominance of England’s opening batters and the excellence of their seamers.Sri Lanka also made a couple of changes. But Oshada Fernando, who took 27 balls over his 19 runs and seemed preoccupied with trying to hit almost everything through the leg side, underwhelmed and Lakshan Sandakan was unable to make any inroads with his left-arm legspin. Avishka Fernando was absent through injury.Given that England went into this series without two first-choice players (in Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer) and lost Jos Buttler to a calf injury along the way, this result would seem to confirm their place among the favourites for the T20 World Cup in a few months. It is harder to find room for optimism for a Sri Lanka side that succumbed to their first clean-sweep defeat in any limited-overs series (of at least three matches) against England.Top heavy
Malan, who has been batting at No. 3 of late, and Bairstow, who has been at No. 4, put on 105 for the first wicket in 11.4 overs. After taking a couple of overs to size up the bowling and the conditions, they attacked with calm precision to define the rest of the game. Their stand was 14 more than the entire Sri Lanka side managed.It was England’s first century opening stand against Sri Lanka in T20Is and their fifth in total. Underlining that strength in depth is the observation that Alex Hales, another man who is currently deemed surplus to requirements, was involved in three of those five century stands and was busy scoring a century for Nottinghamshire while this game was being played. Realistically, Malan and Bairstow are likely to be shunted back down the order when Buttler and Roy return.Some cheer from Chameera
This has been, in many ways, a chastening series for Sri Lanka. But the performance of Chameera, at least, has been encouraging. With his pace, control and variations, he challenged the batters in each game. Over the series, he had an impressive economy rate of 6.26 per over.Chameera began by conceding just three from the first over of the match, demonstrating an ability to gain a little movement and a sharp short ball. But it was when he returned towards the death that he excelled: mixing his quicker deliveries – he can exceed 140kph – with some well-directed slower balls, he took four wickets for six runs in those two overs and dragged back a runaway England.Malan makes a statement
He batted both beautifully and at an impressive tempo. His first boundary, from his sixth delivery, was a clip for six off his legs that was timed to perfection and it was followed by a succession of reverse-sweeps, drives and slog-sweeps that provided a reminder of his range and class. One lofted drive over extra-cover might have been the stroke of the day. He beat Bairstow to fifty (30 and 41 balls respectively) and demonstrated his ability as a power hitter by heaving Wanindu Hasaranga for two vast sixes in an over.Don’t fret about his having ‘only’ scored 76 by the time he was dismissed in the 19th over: he had been starved of the strike. On another sluggish surface, his strike-rate – 158.33 – was significantly better than anyone else who faced 10 deliveries in the match.Sri Lanka Battered
With scores of 111 for 7, 129 for 7 and now 91 all out, Sri Lanka’s batters have looked strangely impotent. They were never able to register a total that threatened England and only one of them could get up to a score of 40 all series. With time running out ahead of the T20 World Cup, it’s an area that will have to improve if Sri Lanka are to challenge.Woakes’ happy return
It had been almost six years since Woakes had played a T20I before this series. But, in conceding just 3.28 runs per over in the two games he played, he must have earned himself a chance of a longer-term recall. His control, skills, and variations – which seems, on this evidence, to include a new slower ball which is delivered with no change of seam position and appears tough to pick-up – and his ability to contribute with the bat, would appear to render him an attractive option.

Sign the contract, Mohamed Salah! Cody Gakpo sends cryptic message to Liverpool team-mate over uncertain future

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Cody Gakpo sent out a message to Mohamed Salah amid speculation over the Egyptian's uncertain future at Liverpool.

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  • Gakpo's message for Salah revealed
  • Egyptian yet to sign a new contract
  • Liverpool top of Premier League
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Salah is into the final year of his contract at Liverpool, and in a week's time he will be free to negotiate with clubs outside England as he will enter the last six months of his deal. While the Reds will be keen on extending their star player's stay at the club, the Egyptian is yet to commit his future.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Salah has displayed exceptional form this season having already scored 18 goals and provided 15 assists across all competitions. Last Sunday, he grabbed a brace and a couple of assists in a 6-3 thrashing of Tottenham.

  • WHA GAKPO SAID

    Speaking to the club's official website, Gakpo sent out a message to Salah, revealing his hope he will stay at Liverpool in the long term: "It's very special what we are all witnessing. The amount of goals he scores but the assists he gives as well, the way he plays the game, how he puts other attacking players or midfielders like myself in a position to score and to be dangerous is from a high level.

    "I hope for us and for him that he can continue doing that for a long time. We are very lucky to have him and proud that we can be his teammate and try to make him better. And he is trying to make us better as well."

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    WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

    Arne Slot's side, who have a four-point lead over Chelsea with a game in hand at the top of the table, will be next seen in action on Boxing Day as they host Leicester at Anfield.

As it happened – England vs New Zealand, 2nd Test, Edgbaston, 2nd day

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

All the updates, news and stats from day two of the second Test at Edgbaston

Valkerie Baynes11-Jun-2021* Most recent entry will appear at the top, please refresh your page for the latest updates. All times are local6.35pm: Young out last ballNew Zealand boasted an embarrassment of riches for a second day running as Devon Conway and Will Young frustrated England’s bowlers and moved to within 74 runs of the hosts’ first-innings 303 with seven wickets in hand at Edgbaston.Conway, who put his place in the side beyond doubt with 200 on debut in the first Test at Lord’s, produced another valuable, though not chance-less, innings of 80. And, while he would have been disappointed not to press on to triple figures again, a gutsy 82 from Young – in the side as a replacement for injured captain Kane Williamson – mitigated the damage.Stuart Broad bowled superbly for his 2 for 22 from 15 overs, including six maidens, but he was the only England bowler to reap any reward for his considerable efforts – until Young’s dismissal by part-time off-spinner Dan Lawrence on the last ball of the day.Will Young got to his maiden Test fifty•PA Images via Getty Images

6.05pm: NZ bring up 200

5.20pm: Broad works over TaylorBy Matt RollerStuart Broad has just finished an eight-over spell which spread across the tea interval, conceding only 12 runs and taking the wicket of Devon Conway, caught at deep backward square leg. It was his working-over of Ross Taylor – a man he has dismissed ten times in Test cricket – that was particularly impressive, with James Anderson providing support at the other end.Broad’s plan was to set him up with a number of outswingers, dragging him across the crease before angling one back in, and he beat the bat a number of times, putting his hands on his head in frustration after missing the top of off stump by a hair’s breadth. With the crowd urging him on, he hit 87mph/140kph at times and was consistently operating in the mid-80s – according to a Sky Sports graphic, his average speed this summer has been higher than in any of the last three years.Agonisingly, he couldn’t get his man, and while Anderson had him given out lbw shortly after the end of Broad’s spell, the decision was overturned on review with the ball clearly missing leg. Taylor is a notoriously poor starter and has looked out of nick on this tour. With Will Young gritting his way to a half-century, Taylor could do with a score here: Kane Williamson will return to the side in the WTC final next week and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Taylor could be the man to miss out.Stuart Broad appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of Ross Taylor in the first Test•Getty Images

5.00pm: He goes alrightDevon Conway has scored more runs in his first three Test innings than any other NZ batsman•ESPNcricinfo

4.40pm: Have your say

4.20pm: Conway departsStuart Broad finally strikes again with the valuable wicket of Devon Conway, who picks out Zak Crawley at deep square leg for 80. New Zealand are 137 for 2 and Broad is trying to get the crowd more involved as he looks to boost his impressive figures of 2 for 19 from 12 overs.Devon Conway fell on 80•Getty Images

Whipped away with that Conway flourish that we are used to by now, but he has found deep square leg with it. That is that idiosyncratic flair-filled shot. Most people flick this length ball off the pads into the ground, but Conway likes to give it a Humpty. This time he has hit this straight down the throat of deep square leg. Just the break England needed3.50pm: Tea timeOlly Stone rues a dropped catch by Joe Root•Getty Images

England rue a couple of missed opportunities, one they couldn’t do anything about with Zak Crawley not awarded a slips catch to dismiss Devon Conway for 22 when the soft signal was not out (bump ball) and the hosts’ review couldn’t unearth enough evidence to show the ball hadn’t, in fact, touched earth. And then Joe Root shelled a slips catch that would have sent Will Young packing for just 7.As it stands, Conway and Young have put on an unbroken stand of 115 for the second wicket.3.35pm: Tourists ticking alongNew Zealand are ticking along nicely here with England in need of a breakthrough. Conway and Young have pushed their partnership up to an unbroken 111 with Conway 78* and Young 36*. They’ve just changed the ball, Stuart Broad will look to see what he can do with this one. He beats the bat with his first delivery since the change, seaming away from Conway’s attempted defence, and ends with a maiden.Will Young tucks into the off side•Getty Images

2.50pm: Root spins inJoe Root is into the attack as England’s spinner with the home side seeking to break up this partnership between Devon Conway and Will Young, worth 73*.Sampath Bandarupalli, our statstician, pointed out: “Between 2004 and 2020, England played just one home Test without a front-line spinner in the XI (vs SA in 2012 at Leeds).” Now they’ve done it twice in as many matches this summer.Conway is 55 not out and Young is on 21. Root has 0 for 3 heading into his third over.Joe Root is England’s sole spin option – again•PA Images via Getty Images

2.35pm: Fifty up for ConwayDevon Conway flicks one away•Getty Images

Devon Conway, who made such a remarkable debut at Lord’s with 200 in the first innings, brings up his fifty with a drive off a Joe Root half-volley just past deep cover, running two as Stuart Broad fields.Having survived on 22 when Zak Crawley’s slips catch off Broad’s bowling wasn’t given amid doubt over whether the ball touched the ground, Conway is now 51 not out and Will Young unbeaten with 21, their partnership worth 69*.2.00pm: Oh no, Joe!Joe Root, the England skipper has just juggled – and dropped – a catch that would have dismissed Will Young on 7. A lovely ball from Olly Stone found the outside edge and the ball sailed to Root at first slip. He had a couple of goes at grabbing it as he went to ground but couldn’t hold on! It looked a pretty standard chance too. New Zealand were 52 for 1 at the time.Olly Stone coulda, woulda, shoulda had had a wicket•Getty Images

1.50pm: Heart-warmerRegardless of your team loyalties, this celebration of fans returning to the stands at Edgbaston is pretty enjoyable to watch. Yes, he’s understandably biased, but it warmed the cockles of Chris Woakes’ heart.

1.10pm: NZ 260 in arrears at lunchDevon Conway steers New Zealand to lunch at 43 for 1 in the face of an excellent spell from Stuart Broad, which netted him the wicket of Tom Latham for 6 and gave him figures of 1 for 10 so far. Conway is 27 not out and Will Young – in the side for Kane Wiliamson, who has sore elbow – is unbeaten on 6.Stuart Broad bowled a strong opening spell•PA Photos/Getty Images

12.50pm: Another close call for ConwayDevon Conway, the double centurion on debut at Lord’s, has had another escape. Conway edged Stuart Broad to Zak Crawley at third slip and it was one of those where it was difficult to tell whether the ball hit the ground as Crawley was taking the catch. He definitely got his fingers under it but the key was that the soft signal given by the on-field umpire was not-out. Broad was incensed but, on review, there was just enough doubt for the decision to stand. Broad. Not. Happy.Devon Conway is hanging in there•PA Photos/Getty Images

12.30pm: Broad breaks through

12.20pm: That was close!A hearts-in-mouths moment for New Zealand fans there, but Devon Conway keeps his cool. Tom Latham strikes the ball straight back down the pitch and Stuart Broad, in his follow-through, manages to get his fingers to it before it crashes into the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Conway, who was advancing, was watching the ball like a hawk as well though, and managed to turn and stretch his arm out, getting his bat back inside his crease in time.Stuart Broad looks on•AFP/Getty Images

12.00pm: England all out for 303Innings break England 303 (Lawrence 81*, Burns 81, Boult 4-85) vs New ZealandNeil Wagner congratulates Trent Boult after the fall of Stuart Broad’s wicket•Clive Mason/Getty Images

A Dan Lawrence-led recovery has pushed England’s first-innigs total to 303. Lawrence was unbeaten in matching Rory Burns’ top score for England of 81 while Mark Wood produced some entertainment – and valuable runs – with a knock of 41 before he was bowled by Matt Henry.Trent Boult, who took two wickets yesterday, cleaned up the tail, Stuart Broad caught behind for a duck and James Anderson lbw for four. Anderson was initially given not-out by umpire Richard Kettleborough but that decision was overturned on review, which showed Boult had beaten the inside edge with the ball tracking to hit leg stump.Now, with New Zealand getting the ball to swing nicely, home fans will eagerly anticipate seeing Anderson, playing an England-record 162nd Test, do the same.11.25am: Wood gives it some wellyI could tell you how Mark Wood came rollicking out of the blocks this morning, cutting, pulling, driving and dinking like an Ashington Sehwag, but Sid Monga said it better on the ball-by-ball commentary. Matt Henry ended the fun with a full ball, inside-edged onto the timbers, but it’s given England the leg-up they needed, even if Stuart Broad has just nicked off to Trent Boult for a duck. Dan Lawrence has the record-breaking James Anderson for company at 289 for 9, and the onus is on him now to push England past 300.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Here’s Matt Roller with a more considered take on the morning’s tonkings:”Joe Root highlighted the “added responsibility” that England’s bowlers have with the bat on the eve of this series. “If we’re going to grow as a team, if we’re going to become more consistent, we’ll have to add lower-order runs,” he said.While opting to pick Olly Stone – who has batted at No. 10 for most of his first-class career – as a No. 8 might seem to fly in the face of those comments, England’s tail has taken on the additional responsibility.Out of England’s six 50+ partnerships in this series, three have involved lower-order contributions: 52 between James Anderson and Rory Burns and 63 between Burns at Ollie Robinson at Lord’s, plus 66 between Dan Lawrence and Mark Wood here. Stone also added 47 alongside Lawrence last night, helping England towards 300 after they had slipped to 175 for 6.”10.45am: Looking backRory Burns celebrates his half-century•Getty Images

Rory Burns has reflected on his knock of 81 yesterday and he spoke to Sky Sports at the close about his form, which includes a first-innings 132 in the first Test at Lord’s and seven fifties in 10 Championship innings this season. That came after he lost his place in the Test side on England’s recent tour of India. Here’s what he had to say:”It’s been quite a quite a tough day of Test cricket, it’s been pretty even there by the end, I think Dan [Lawrence] has played really well there and in that latter part of the day, probably got us back to scrapping away quite nicely so there’s a there’s something in that surface for everyone.”It’s probably swung a little bit more for them after lunch, and whether that’s conditions over top or on the surface we’ll see.”I felt good, my rhythm’s felt good coming from county cricket and into this environment. I’ve felt in a good place in summer, which is pleasing. It’s nice to be able to get in there and get in amongst it.”10.00am: Dan’s the manDan Lawrence drives down the ground•Getty Images

Welcome back to the our coverage of the second Test at Edgbaston and all eyes will be on Dan Lawrence, England’s No. 7 playing his seventh Test and unbeaten on 67. From a home perspective, England want to see how many more he can add to their score of 258 for for 7 with Mark Wood not out 16 and Stuart Broad and James Anderson to come. Lawrence will be the main wicket New Zealand are focused on prising out on this second morning before getting stuck into the tail.Higher up the order, England have some concerns, as explained by George Dobell while Matt Roller writes that New Zealand showed their impressive strength in depth in making six changes to the side which drew at Lord’s and three of the bowlers who came in – Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Ajaz Patel – claiming two wickets apiece so far.

"Terrible", "Fatal" – Pundits slam £195k-a-week Man Utd star on int’l duty

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

The international break was an opportunity for Manchester United players to turn their form around, and some of them have, although one came in for criticism.

It has been a frustrating start to the new season for the Red Devils and Erik ten Hag, as the club got off to a winning start against Fulham, but since then have suffered two defeats, putting pressure on them on the eve of the league returning.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 11, 2024 Man Utd players on international duty

Like many Premier League clubs, Manchester United have had a lot of players away representing their countries during these last two weeks. It has been an opportunity for them to get away from club football and get back into form with their countries.

The Red Devils have seen four of their five summer signings go away on international duty, with Joshua Zirkzee impressing with the Netherlands as he netted in their 5-2 win over Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Meanwhile, Manuel Ugarte has also impressed once again while playing for Uruguay, as he completed 78 minutes and 90 minutes in the two outings. As well as these two players impressing, Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes also done well while on duty with Portugal, as the pair both got on the scoresheet, as it was two wins from two.

Man United have seen many of their other international players excel while on duty, even seeing academy player James Scanlon, who is yet to make his debut for the club, score for Gibraltar and now is just five goals away from their all-time leading goalscorer. But it wasn’t all plain sailing for United’s international players, as one in particular didn't have a great time.

Pundits slam Man United defender De Ligt after Netherlands error

Netherlands and Manchester United defender Matthijs De Ligt was slammed for his performance on Tuesday night against Germany, with the international making a mistake that cost his country the win.

De Ligt started in the Netherlands’ game against Bosnia & Herzegovina, and despite them winning 5-2, the Dutch centre-back did make an unfortunate mistake to make the game a nervy ending. He retained his place in the starting XI against Germany on Tuesday, but once again he made a mistake and was pulled off at half-time, and now there is speculation that his international career may be in jeopardy for the time being.

Pundit Pierre van Hooijdonk for NOS said on De Ligt’s performance: “He had a similar moment in the beginning, where he actually loses the ball in a simple way by means of a pass. And then it happens a second time. That is terrible for De Ligt.

“Ultimately, top sport is very tough, and then it’s over. We all think De Ligt is a great player, but how often has this happened to the Dutch national team? And at almost all crucial moments. At some point, it stops, especially when you have competitors who are of a high level.”

Apps

46

Goals

2

Assists

0

Meanwhile, Rafael van de Vaart’s three-word response to the analyst was: “This is fatal.”

De Light, who is said to be on a weekly wage of £195,000 at Old Trafford, has been capped 46 times by the Netherlands, and he will be hoping he can come back to United and play as best he can between now and the next international break, so he can retain his place in the squad.

All-round Multan Sultans overpower Islamabad United to secure final berth

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Khawaja’s 70 in vain as Islamabad United fall short by 30 runs

Varun Shetty21-Jun-2021Multan Sultans beat Islamabad United for the first time this season to seal their spot in Thursday’s PSL final. The win in the first qualifier also put aside their dubious record of being the only PSL side without a final appearance so far; league-toppers United head into the second eliminator on Tuesday for another shot at the finals.Sultans were set in motion by Sohaib Maqsood after they elected to bat, gained momentum after a slump though Johnson Charles’ cameo, and finished strong with a blitz from Khushdil Shah who hit four sixes in the 19th over to help them post 180.In chase, United were three down before their powerplay was halfway through and never really recovered. Sohail Tanvir had only one wicket in the season before the game, but this three-for proved timely, and the experience of Imran Tahir – and his two wickets – meant that any potential scares from United’s lower order were safely handled.Tanvir bosses the defense and Khawaja’s lone battleUnited probably aren’t intimidated by most totals given their campaign so far, but Tanvir certainly put the fear in them with the new ball. Colin Munro walked down the pitch to him, first ball, in an effort to negate his inswingers – only to york himself and have middle stump tonked.Tanvir then had Shadab Khan lunging at a slower delivery to be caught at point; in between it all, No. 3 Muhammad Akhlaq was sent back with a direct hit from Imran Khan at short fine leg. United were 14 for 3 in the third over; historically, not a lot of teams have won in this format after losing that many wickets in the powerplay. And that would eventually be the case for United.Khawaja was the only batter – even during the collapse – to have a plan to score, using characteristic touch play to minimise risk and still find boundaries. But the chase did hinge on whether he could take the innings deeper with Iftikhar Ahmed and Asif Ali, the two other experienced batters in the side, and that wasn’t to be. Iftikhar was done by bounce trying to cut Blessing Muzarabani, and Asif walked past Imran Tahir’s legbreak to be stumped.At 61 for 5, the chase was all but done. Khawaja did open up – getting 18 off four Muzarabani deliveries at one point – and the batting depth meant United did throw in a late flourish. But the damage at the top was too much to overcome.Maqsood keeps the rate flowingMohammad Rizwan’s decision to bat first didn’t begin well on a personal front; he was adjudged caught behind off the glove – on review – for a duck. But a tight first two overs from United was only a temporary win as Maqsood stamped himself on the game next over onwards, starting Faheem Ashraf’s over with a dominant slap over extra cover and following it up with two more perfectly timed drives. It was the first indication that this was a pitch that assisted boundary-scoring.The next few also came from Maqsood’s bat, in the form of two sixes over square leg, one off the front and one of the back foot. While Shan Masood was kept quiet at the other end, the scoring rate did stay up – they finished the powerplay on 44 for 1.Shadab punches, Charles and Khushdil punch backAny indications of the pitch being a pure belter were put to doubt when Shadab brought himself on. After being pulled through midwicket off his first two balls – in the first instance, literally through Hasan Ali’s legs – he got one to rip back into Masood and trapped in front. Two balls later, Rilee Rossouw played for the googly on the front foot and was also trapped lbw – on review – when the legbreak caught him in front of middle. Sultans were suddenly 59 for 3 after a budding partnership of 53 had stabilised them.But Johnson Charles was in the mood for attack – and it showed from his first ball, when he brought out a controlled sweep against Shadab for four. From there, he took on the aggressor’s role. A knock of 41 off 21 balls, with a boundary almost every over he was in, and three slogged sixes took Sultans to 122 in the 15th over before he was dismissed.Maqsood eventually holed out in the 17th over, and United seemed to have pulled things back – only eight runs came off the eight balls after his dismissal. But the 19th over went woefully wrong as Khushdil hauled them from 145 to 174, with four sixes in a row against Akif Javed; three of them swung over the leg side, and one ending up at third man as he looked to swing it over the leg side. It was the finish Sultans needed after seemingly falling away on a good pitch.

Chelsea player ratings vs Fulham: Cole Palmer's genius in vain as Cottagers fight back to win dramatic west London derby in injury time

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

A 95th-minute strike from Rodrigo Muniz saw the Blues lose at Stamford Bridge as they failed to close the gap on Liverpool.

Chelsea dropped more points in the Premier League title race after conceding in the final minute of a 2-1 loss to rivals Fulham on Boxing Day.

Enzo Maresca's Blues have now failed to win in back to back matches against sides from outside the traditional 'big six' and now sit four points behind leaders Liverpool, who boast two games in hand.

Marco Silva set his side up with a back-five formation in the hope of spoiling the hosts' Christmas, but those prayers were quickly rejected when Chelsea took the lead inside 16 minutes through none other than Cole Palmer. Picking up possession midway inside the Fulham half, he weaved his way past two hapless defenders before curling in a strike at the near post from the edge of the box, with the ball rolling between the legs of centre-back Issa Diop on the way in for good measure.

Fulham went close to an equaliser soon after when Calvin Bassey burst forward from the centre of defence and all the way into the Chelsea box on a run that mimicked that of a tricky winger. He quickly remembered his actual position with a limp finish which was easily saved by Robert Sanchez.

Down the other end, Chelsea ought to have doubled their lead. Enzo Fernandez's delivery from a wide free-kick picked out Marc Cucurella, whose close-range header was tipped away by Bernd Leno and the visitors were able to clear their lines just in time.

On the other side of the interval, Fernandez brought a great save out of Leno himself with a top corner-bound strike from 20 yards, only for the German to claw his effort up and out. Chelsea had the ball in the net from the second delivery of the resulting corner when Palmer's cross was bundled in by Levi Colwill, only for the offside flag to deny them on this occasion.

Fulham grew into the game in the second half and the Blues had Sanchez to thank for staying ahead after he smothered Antonee Robinson's attempt when the USMNT star was given the freedom of the six-yard box.

With little under 10 minutes remaining, Fulham had their leveller. Alex Iwobi forced his way past Pedro Neto and slipped in Robinson, whose cross was knocked back by Timothy Castagne and in for Harry Wilson to prod over the line.

Chelsea quickly rallied to try and find a late winner but were denied by a top stop from Leno when the ball fell to Sancho inside the 18-yard box. With Maresca pushing everyone forward, Fulham hit the Blues on the break for a last-gasp goal of their own. Sasa Lukic broke down the right and found Rodrigo Muniz steaming in to slam home and send the travelling fans crazy.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Robert Sanchez (7/10):

Saved Chelsea's skin on a few occasions with some fine stops. Was also quick off his line to claim a few teasing crosses. Let down by the defence in front of him.

Malo Gusto (5/10):

Bombed on down the wing and into midfield but to little gain for his side, often used as a dummy runner rather than getting on the ball himself.

Tosin Adarabioyo (6/10):

Booed throughout by the away end after leaving on a free transfer at the end of his contract in June. Didn't let that faze him, at least.

Levi Colwill (5/10):

Drifted across to help Cucurella defend against Traore, who provided one hell of a physical battle for both. Surprisingly, it was the centre-back who struggled a bit more in this department.

Marc Cucurella (6/10):

Never let compatriot Traore outwork him, even if the Fulham winger was easily the quicker player. His energy proved infectious around Stamford Bridge. Caught high up the pitch for Muniz's dagger with Chelsea trying to find a winner themselves.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Moises Caicedo (5/10):

A tale of two performances from Chelsea's deepest midfielders. Caicedo, though industrious and a leader by example off the ball, found himself unable to open the game up with a series of unsuccessful long passes frustrating the home side.

Enzo Fernandez (5/10):

Captain Fernandez, meanwhile, showed all the quality of a top-level central midfielder on the ball, only for his display to be undermined by some strange and ill-advised challenges when trying to win it back, with Fulham exploiting the space he would tend to leave with his over-enthusiasm.

Cole Palmer (7/10):

Palmer marked his final home game of the year in style, with his deadlock-breaker one to watch on repeat for years to come. Broke Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's record for Premier League goals for Chelsea in a calendar year, taking his tally to 26 in 2024.

Getty Images SportAttack

Pedro Neto (4/10):

Spent a lot of time in his own half covering for Gusto. When Neto did find himself in attacking areas, he'd leave you wanting more after beating one man but never two or three. Went down too easily in his duel with Iwobi leading to Wilson's equaliser.

Nicolas Jackson (5/10):

A selfless display from Chelsea's busy centre forward, running the channels though seldom creating opportunities of his own. Brought off for Nkunku for the finall 20 minutes or so.

Jadon Sancho (6/10):

Extremely bright when isolating himself with wing-back Castagne. Didn't get involved a whole deal aside from those instances, however.

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Getty Images SportSubs & Manager

Christopher Nkunku (5/10):

Replaced Jackson for the last act of the afternoon. Didn't provide the same sort of focal point.

Enzo Maresca (5/10):

Chelsea fans surrounding the press box vehemently questioned why the Blues boss used only one sub. His side were outplayed by their local rivals and he did little to stem that tide.

Lost the ball 8x: Arsenal star just dropped a 4/10 display for his country

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

After an unbeaten start to the new Premier League season, Arsenal didn't particularly need an international break to get in the way of things. Nor did many top-flight teams saying that.

The Gunners began their conquest for glory with wins over Wolves and Aston Villa but Brighton halted them in their tracks courtesy of Declan Rice's controversial red card.

Rice will, of course, now miss the big clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon. With Mikel Merino also missing after suffering a shoulder injury during his first training session, it's safe to say Mikel Arteta is going to have to rustle up a cunning plan to defeat Arsenal's fierce rivals.

They will, however, be buoyed by a new option for their attack. Following his deadline day loan move from Chelsea, Raheem Sterling has had nearly two weeks' worth of training to get used to the style of things in the north side of London.

It's unlikely he's given a start straight from the off but we'd all love a derby day debut goal, wouldn't we?

That said, they will have to try and achieve that without skipper Martin Odegaard.

The latest on Martin Odegaard's injury

On Monday evening Arsenal fans across the globe sat there rocking back and forth. The unthinkable had happened; a big injury blow during what has to be described as a rather pointless international break.

We're being a bit petty here, but for Odegaard to pick an injury ahead of a vital week of action for Arteta's side is incredibly frustrating.

They face Spurs on Sunday, then get their Champions League quest underway in midweek before facing Manchester City the weekend after.

So, what's the prognosis on the Norwegian? Well, during his nation's win over Austria early this week he was on the end of a rough challenge that resulted in the midfielder's ankle twisting nastily.

Initially thought to have a 50/50 chance of making the game it's now unlikely he'll play any part with suggestions that he could be absent for the next three to four weeks of action.

That's according to Norway team doctor Ola Sand, who said: "Such ankle injuries often take at least three weeks. Anything other than that is just a bonus and then it can take longer. What we have so far obtained from the MRI examination in London is that there is probably no fracture in the ankle.

"Arsenal are almost certain there is no breach, but this may still take some time. In the event of a fracture, we are talking about being out of action for six weeks plus."

So, it's not great news over the international break, really. Rice may have scored against the Republic of Ireland but with Riccardo Calafiori also nursing a knock, Arteta is unlikely to be too pleased.

There was also a slightly concerning display from Brazil's Gabriel Magalhaes.

Gabriel's 4/10 performance for Brazil

Now a mainstay at the heart of the Brazilian defence, as well as for his club side, the centre-back is slowly but surely making himself a major part of his nation's team.

However, an unconvincing display during the South American country's 1-0 defeat to Paraguay is unlikely to do him too many favours in the battle to impress supporters.

Indeed, he was arguably at fault for the only goal of the game. A ball came into the box from the left channel and truth be told, his headed clearance was weak and not really away from danger.

The Paraguayan's pounced on Gabriel's misfortune with Diego Gomez picking up possession on the edge of the box before bending a luscious finish beyond Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson.

What did the stats say? Well, on that front it wasn't an awful night.

Gabriel vs Paraguay

Minutes played

90

Touches

94

Accurate passes

75/83 (90%)

Ground duels won

2/3

Aerial duels won

2/3

Possession lost

8x

Clearances

4

Interceptions

1

Tackles

1

Long balls

4/9

Stats via Sofascore.

The media didn't really agree with that impressive assessment though with one Brazilian outlet, Zerho Hora, handing him a 4.5/10 match rating. Some people are tough to please, eh?

Arsenal fans will no doubt hope that this was a minor blip and Gabriel will be at the top of his game when he resumes his partnership with William Saliba this weekend.

Arsenal's "elite" star could be unleashed in new role after Odegaard blow

Martin Odegaard was injured on international duty with Norway.

ByMatt Dawson Sep 10, 2024

Gaviões da Fiel volta a pedir saída do técnico Sylvinho do Corinthians: 'Não tem competência para tal função'

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

MatériaMais Notícias

Pela terceira vez em um período de apenas um mês, a Gaviões da Fiel cobrou do Corinthians a demissão do técnico Sylvinho. Por meio de nota oficial divulgada nesta sexta-feira, a principal torcida organizada do clube disse que apoiará o time no clássico contra o Santos, no domingo, às 16h, naNeo Química Arena, pela 34ª rodada do Brasileirão, mas destacou que não abre mão da saída do treinador, que voltou a ser alvo de muitas críticas após a derrota por 1 a 0 para o Flamengo, sofrida na última quarta, no Maracanã.

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Em sua nota oficial, a Gaviões destacou que o treinador “não tem competência para tal função” e também voltou a pedir pelas saídas deRoberto de Andrade e Alessandro Nunes da diretoria de futebol, reivindicação que lembrou já ter sido negada anteriormente pelo presidente do Alvinegro, Duílio Monteiro Alves.

A nota oficial enfatiza que a organizada sempre irá apoiar o Corinthians em todas as partidas que disputar, independentemente do técnico que estiver no comando da equipe, mas destaca que “o planejamento de 2022 deve-se iniciar com outra comissão técnica” e que “essa, a Fiel Torcida não aceita”.

Anteriormente, a Gaviões pediu pela saída de Sylvinho após a derrota por 1 a 0 para o São Paulo, no Morumbi, e na sequência fez o mesmo depois do empate por 2 a 2 com o Inter, no Beira-Rio, em duas rodadas seguidas do Brasileirão.

Confira, na íntegra, a nota oficial divulgada pela Gaviões da Fiel:

Não é de hoje que exigimos a saída da atual diretoria de futebol do Corinthians,
sobretudo dos diretores Roberto de Andrade e Alessandro Nunes. Recentemente, exigimos e seguiremos exigindo a saída do técnico Sylvinho por entendermos que o treinador atual do Timão não tem competência para tal função. No mês de outubro, cobramos novamente o presidente do clube Duílio Monteiro Alves que naquela época rechaçava qualquer mudança no departamento de futebol.

Temos ciência da responsabilidade que a Fiel Torcida nos deposita e a intenção é sempre defender e cobrar o clube quando necessário.

Portanto, no clássico de domingo diante do San7os, iremos apoiar os 90 minutos esse grupo que hoje faz parte do elenco mas seguiremos exigindo a saída do técnico Sylvinho.

Assim como sempre apoiamos o Corinthians, seja onde for. Nesse final de semana temos duas caravanas saindo, sendo uma para a final da Copa Libertadores de Futebol Feminino e outra para a 35ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Dessa forma, manifestamos que o planejamento de 2022 deve-se iniciar com outra comissão técnica. Essa, a Fiel Torcida não aceita.

FORA TODO MUNDO.

GAVIÕES DA FIEL TORCIDA.

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