All posts by h716a5.icu

Worcestershire made it two wins in a row in the Specsavers County Championship and ended Northamptonshire’s 100% start to the season with a victory in two days in a tense, low-scoring contest at New Road

ECB Reporters Network22-Apr-2017
ScorecardJoe Leach was on a hat-trick early in Glamorgan’s innings•Getty ImagesWorcestershire made it two wins in a row in the Specsavers County Championship and ended Northamptonshire’s 100% start to the season with a victory in two days in a tense, low-scoring contest at New Road.After bowling out the home side for 153 in their second innings, Northants were dismissed for 164 and went down by 20 runs after being hi-jacked late in the day by Joe Leach and Josh Tongue.Having survived a tricky start at 45 for 3, the visitors seemed to be inching towards a third consecutive victory when Adam Rossington and Max Holden played responsibly in a stand of 40.But the game tilted back towards Worcestershire with two wickets in 13 balls for Leach. The newly-appointed captain had Rossington caught at cover for 22 and then bowled on-loan Middlesex left hander Holden for 37.Worse followed for Northants when Tongue picked up two in four balls. Richard Levi was lbw for 22, playing back to the 19-year-old paceman, who followed that by yorking Steven Crook.The two seamers chipped out two more wickets but Mohammad Azharullah kept up the fight with an unbeaten 17 until the result was settled at 7.20pm when Andy Carter was lbw for 8, giving Leach match figures of 10 for 122.After 16 wickets had crashed under heavy cloud cover on the first day, it was tempting to assume that batting would become easier in bright sunshine, but it proved to be just as difficult to put partnerships together.In all, 24 fell on a protracted second day.A grassy pitch, probably typical of early season with its seam movement, was a factor which became critical when coupled with a number of rash shots. Patience was not the name of the game.The first job of the day was to deal with Northamptonshire’s last four wickets and they were duly swept aside in under an hour, although they would have been reasonably happy with the 55 runs added.Nathan Buck’s unbeaten 24 included a pick-up for six off Leach and Crook gave John Hastings the first success in his spell of 3 for 27.With Worcestershire holding a lead of 31, their marginal advantage was quickly diluted with the scoreboard showing 3 for 3 after four overs from Buck and Azharullah.Daryl Mitchell nicked Buck’s third delivery behind the wicket, Moeen Ali scythed a catch to Ben Duckett in the slips and Brett D’Oliviera was given out lbw for a second wicket for Azharullah.Worcestershire came up with an innovative response by sending in Hastings and Leach in a fourth-wicket partnership after batting at Nos 9 and 10 in the first innings.The move worked to the extent of 22 for Hastings and 16 for Leach, but half the side went for 56 before regular middle-order batsmen were together at the crease.Joe Clarke did not last long before edging Buck for another slip catch by Duckett, but hopes were raised by Tom Fell (23) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (22).Again, however, it was not as substantial as they would have wanted. Fell was bowled by Buck and Kohler-Cadmore sliced to gully in a short spell by Crook.Carter, having come out of retirement to sign for injury-hit Northants, took his fifth wicket of the match when Ben Cox was caught behind but the last pair put together the biggest stand of 45 until Tongue was bowled by Buck. Ed Barnard was left unbeaten with top score of 26.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale has wasted little time in his attempts to improve his playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The Light Blues boss has already secured six new signings for the upcoming season after the club's failure to win any trophies last term.

They were unable to lift any silverware and the 42-year-old tactician will be hoping that his business this summer will allow them to compete domestically and in Europe in the coming months.

Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Abdallah Sima, Kieran Dowell, Jack Butland, and Dujon Sterling have all arrived at Ibrox over the last couple of months but there could be more to come.

It was reported last month that the Gers are interested in signing Leeds United centre-back Charlie Cresswell and that they have already had one offer turned down for the England U21 international.

Is Charlie Cresswell right-footed?

The 20-year-old is a right-footed central defender who could follow in Connor Goldson's footsteps in Glasgow, as a young English enforcer.

Rangers snapped the now-30-year-old ace up from Brighton for a fee in the region of £3m in 2018 and that deal has turned out to be a masterclass of a move by Steven Gerrard.

Goldson, who was 25 at the time of the switch, has racked up a staggering 261 competitive appearances for the club and started all 38 Scottish Premiership games in the 2020/21 title-winning campaign.

Gerrard invested in the right-footed Englishman back in 2018 and the Light Blues have reaped the benefits of that decision as the towering colossus has been a mainstay for the side over the last five years and played a key role during the aforementioned title success.

Rangers could now repeat that masterclass by swooping for the even-younger Cresswell this summer, as the Leeds starlet could be an exceptional long-term signing for the Glasgow giants.

His form on loan at Millwall whilst competing in the Championship last season suggests that the potential is there for him to be an excellent addition to Beale's squad, whilst his young age means that he has the scope to develop over time with more experience.

Cresswell averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.13 across 28 league appearances for the Lions, whilst Goldson (7.29) was the only Gers centre-back to average a higher score in the Premiership.

The 20-year-old titan, whose heading ability was hailed as "powerful" by journalist Josh Bunting, showcased his dominance at the back with a duel success rate of 60%, which shows that he is able to come out on top in the majority of his physical battles.

The £5.4k-per-week ace also made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per game, in comparison to Goldson's 2.3, to win the ball back for his side on a consistent basis.

Cresswell's impressive statistics for Millwall suggest that the 6 foot 3 colossus has the defensive quality to be a consistent performer at the back for Rangers, in a similar fashion to the way that Goldson, who won 67% of his duels in the league last term, has been for the Light Blues over the years.

Therefore, Beale could repeat Gerrard's masterclass by swooping for another right-footed centre-back with the potential to be a dominant enforcer for the Scottish side for many years to come.

Andrew Ellis, who finished seventh and eighth on the list of leading run-scorers and wicket-takers respectively in the Plunket Shield, won the accolade for the second time in three years

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2017Canterbury captain Andrew Ellis has been named New Zealand Cricket’s Domestic Player of the Year for the second time in three years. The 35-year-old allrounder pipped Todd Astle, Scott Kuggeleijn and George Worker to the accolade, having already bagged two of the three men’s domestic trophies – the Plunket Shield and the Ford Trophy – this season.Ellis’ tally of 652 runs, from ten rounds, at an average of 40.75 earned him a place among the country’s top seven run-scorers in first-class cricket this season. He also finished in the top eight on the list of leading wicket-takers, with 27 wickets at 24.59. His match figures of 8 for 92 helped Canterbury defeat Otago by an innings and 119 runs in what was the biggest margin of victory in New Zealand’s first-class summer.Selector Gavin Larsen said the jury particularly took in account Ellis’ role as a “leader in pressure situations.””In addition to his significant performances with bat and ball, we considered Andrew Ellis’ role as a leader in pressure situations – a season in which he led by example both on and off the field,” Larsen said.”Todd Astle [Canterbury], Scott Kuggeleijn [Northern Districts] and George Worker [Central Stags] would all have been a worthy winner, and the panel would like to acknowledge their excellent individual seasons.”

Michael Beale made two January signings for Glasgow Rangers only a mere six weeks into the job, luring Todd Cantwell, and Nicolas Raskin to Ibrox.

They have both been inspired moves, especially the Englishman, as he has been rejuvenated since arriving in Glasgow.

Across just 20 matches during the second half of last season, Cantwell registered 11 goal contributions – six goals and five assists – showcasing his attacking qualities which looked certain to turn him into an England international during his spell at Norwich City.

It is a great start for the 25-year-old, but the onus will be on him to keep up this momentum next season and with Rangers signing a few attacking players during the transfer window, he could link up with a number of different options.

One striker who could allow Cantwell to flourish even more than he has is Lawrence Shankland, with the Gers seemingly interested in a move for the Hearts' frontman this summer according to TEAMtalk.

Could Rangers sign Lawrence Shankland this summer?

With Sam Lammers joining the Light Blues from Atalanta and Cyriel Dessers edging closer to a move, Beale is going the right way about replacing recently departed players Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos.

Shankland could be another exciting option for the club, especially with his stunning form for the Gorgie outfit last term.

The £3k-per-week Scot netted 28 goals across all competitions during 2023/24, while also grabbing four assists and by creating five big chances and making one key pass per game, it indicates that he can also link up well with others around him.

This could be a big bonus for Cantwell, who instead of creating opportunities for Shankland, the feeling could certainly be reciprocated, thus making him more unplayable than he already has been for the Light Blues.

The 6 foot hitman was lauded by journalist Joel Sked last year, who said: “Lawrence Shankland has been different class for Hearts. So much more to his game than goals. His ability to drop in, act as that focal point and link player, his awareness and the way he creates space for himself. All so good and so vital.”

With just two years left on his current contract, Beale could perhaps test the resolve of Hearts with a bid during the transfer window and if he lures him to Ibrox, him and Cantwell could form a scary duo when played together that’s for sure.

ESPNcricinfo previews the second ODI between West Indies and England in Antigua

The Preview by Alan Gardner04-Mar-2017Match factsMarch 5, 2017
Start time 0930 local (1330 GMT)Big PictureIf the first ODI was a boxing match, England would have scored a TKO in the final round. The result was pretty much as expected, with a few notable displays in England’s largely workaday performance, but West Indies will have been encouraged by pretty much going the distance. A 45-run defeat was certainly not the mismatched mauling some may have feared.Shannon Gabriel’s new-ball spell had England in trouble, while Ashley Nurse did a decent containing job in the middle overs; then with the bat, Jason Mohammed led the resistance after West Indies looked to be in trouble at 39 for 3. Mohammed and Jonathan Carter combined composure with power – particularly in the case of the latter – and perhaps only the difficulty of chasing on a slow surface undermined them towards the end.Stuart Law, West Indies’ new coach, will surely feel he has some ingredients to work with as he tries to marshal a rise from No. 9 in the rankings and secure automatic World Cup qualification. Narrow defeats are not worth any more ranking points than heavy ones, however, and immediate improvement could be required as the tourists warm to the conditions and the task at hand.England may not have blasted away their opponent in the opening rounds but they did show some improved ringcraft. Eoin Morgan’s hundred showed the savvy that has not always been so apparent in the hard-hitting approach favoured by this side; Ben Stokes, too, applied himself to the situation and England were therefore able to grind their way to the brink of 300 without overreaching. A more ruthless performance with the ball will be on Morgan’s tick list for the rematch.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
West Indies: LLLTW
England: WWLLWIn the spotlightJason Mohammed had only played two ODIs for his country – spread over four years and yielding six runs – before making his maiden half-century for West Indies in Antigua. After a strong Regional Super 50 for Trinidad, in which he was fifth on the run-scorers’ charts, Mohammed has been preferred in the middle order to the younger, more dynamic Rovman Powell. He showed the value of his experience in the first match, during partnerships of 69 and 82 with Shai Hope and Carter respectively, and almost single-handedly milked Moeen Ali’s offspin, scoring 30 of the 37 Moeen conceded to keep West Indies in the hunt. At 30, now is his chance to demand a run in the side.It might be counterintuitive to suggest that one of the three men who passed 50 for England on Friday is under pressure – but that is the case for Sam Billings, who is attempting to hold on to his billeting as a makeshift opener while Alex Hales recovers from a hand injury. Billings has two fifties in three ODI outings at the top of the order but the sense here was of an opportunity missed after he had made it through the tricky initial stages against the new ball. Morgan has described Hales as a “very formidable player in our side” and Billings may need to produce something spectacular if he is not to drop straight back into England’s very competitive pack of white-ball reserve batsmen.Team newsThe XI West Indies selected in the first ODI probably did enough to warrant another outing together. Rovman Powell offers another all-round option, while Alzarri Joseph offers extra pace with the ball.West Indies (probable) 1 Kraigg Brathwaite, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Kieran Powell, 4 Shai Hope (wk), 5 Jason Mohammed, 6 Jonathan Carter, 7 Jason Holder (capt), 8 Carlos Brathwaite, 9 Devendra Bishoo, 10 Ashley Nurse, 11 Shannon GabrielEngland are also likely to stick with the same side, although Hales could return at Billings’ expense if passed fit. The teams did not train on Saturday but Jake Ball is not thought ready to play after injuring his knee in a warm-up match.England (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Sam Billings, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Steven Finn.Pitch and conditionsThe same pitch is to be used for the second ODI, which could make run-scoring even more of a struggle. Rainfall on Friday had contributed to a slightly damp surface in the morning but it quickly dried out and is likely to become more and more receptive to spin. There is again a forecast for early showers on Sunday but the day should otherwise be clear.Stats and triviaEngland now lead West Indies 43-42 on head-to-head results in ODIs – the first time they have done so since winning their very first encounter in 1973. England have won ten of the last 11 against West Indies.The team West Indies played in the first ODI had 169 caps between them – fewer than Morgan, who has played 174 times for Ireland and England.Steven Finn needs two more wickets to reach 100; if he gets there in this series, he will be the third-fastest to do so for England.Quotes”We showed that, as a young team, we can compete with England and we can win games.”
“We took early wickets but they managed to rebuild. That’s what experienced sides do, so credit to them for doing it.”

Jake Ball could be forced out of England’s Caribbean tour after suffering an injury to his right knee

George Dobell27-Feb-2017Jake Ball could be forced out of England’s Caribbean tour after suffering an injury to his right knee.Ball, who played all three of the ODIs in the recent series in India, limped off the field after the first delivery of his third over in England’s final warm-up game before the three-match ODI series against Wets Indies. He subsequently broke down when attempting to run in the net area as the England support staff tried to assess the extent of the problem. He will play no further part in the match against a WICB President’s XI.The England management hope to arrange a scan on Ball’s knee in St Kitts today, but may be obliged to wait until the tour party reach Antigua tomorrow. They believe the problem is at the back of the right knee.If Ball is forced home, the tour management may well consider calling up a replacement seamer. Chris Jordan, who has recently been playing in the PSL, would be one obvious option, while one of the Curran brothers might be another. Stuart Broad, who performed well in the BBL and has made no secret of his desire to return to the ODI side, is also a possibility.The England squad is already without Mark Wood, David Willey and Reece Topley due to injury, while Jason Roy was left out of the side for the second warm-up game due to a badly bruised right hand sustained as a result of several recent tough sessions of fielding training.They had better news as regards Alex Hales, though. He will fly out to Antigua on Tuesday and continue his rehab with the rest of the squad following a hand injury. He has not, as yet, been officially added to the squad but that could change in the coming days if the medical team deem his recovery complete.The first ODI takes place in Antigua on Friday.George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo. He will be covering England’s tour of the Caribbean in association with Smile Group Travel, specialists in hosted supporters’ packages.

Arsenal are in "positive" talks to sign Ajax defender Jurrien Timber and he "wants to make that move", according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth.

Who will Arsenal sign this summer?

The Gunners currently have many plates spinning behind-the-scenes as sporting director Edu looks to reinforce their midfield, sign a versatile attacker and bring in more defensive options.

Having missed out on their first league title in nearly 20 years to treble-winners Man City, Arsenal now find themselves in a fierce transfer battle with the blues to sign top target Declan Rice from West Ham.

Both sides have had bids rejected for the England international recently and it will be very interesting to see where he ends up – in Manchester or across London.

Meanwhile, in some better news, Arsenal have sealed the signing of Chelsea forward Kai Havertz in a £65 million deal, with Southampton's Romeo Lavia and Timber from Ajax at the centre of negotiations too.

The latter player has been described as a versatile, inverted full-back option, similar to Oleksandr Zinchenko, and is currently renowed for his composure/passing range (The Telegraph).

Mikel Arteta's side have been attempting to sign Timber over the last fortnight, again seeing bids rejected for the defender in a similar vain to Rice.

However, speaking on Sky Sports, reliable journalist Sheth has dropped a positive update on their pursuit of the 22-year-old.

Sheth believes talks are "positive" between Ajax and Arsenal with Timber firmly setting his sights on a move to the Emirates.

"There is another player that they're interested in as well, and that is the Ajax defender Jurrien Timber," said the Sky reporter during broadcast.

"We are told that talks are ongoing between both clubs, we're told talks are positive as well, personal terms not expected to be a problem.

"And in this case, rather like Declan Rice as well, the understanding is that Timber wants to make that move to Arsenal.

"He's got two years left on his contract, I think, so it's the optimum time for Ajax to maximise that transfer fee."

What's been said about Jurrien Timber?

The Netherlands international was an undroppable for Ajax last season, featuring over more Eredivisie minutes than any other player in their squad over 2022/2023 (WhoScored).

Former Spurs star Rafael van der Vaart has also heaped praise on Timber's athleticism, explaining how he is "so quick" and "sharp" when called upon.

"Timber is so quick, light feet, always sharp, never panicking on the ball. Almost like a great midfielder in defence,” Van der Vaart said (via the MEN).

All the indications are that he could be an exceptional signing for Arteta.

Transfer journalist Dean Jones believes Fabio Silva has lost his confidence since his move to Wolves from Porto back in 2020.

Silva could potentially be on the chopping block as Wolves look to sell players due to Financial Fair Play stipulations.

Wolves transfer news – Fabio Silva

It’s been a struggle for the Portuguese forward since his move to England.

Silva has scored just four goals in 62 appearances for Wolves, per Transfermarkt. And his poor form and lack of confidence has led to two loans spells away from the club at Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven respectively.

Silva’s agent, Carlos Oliveira has stated his client would like to leave the club and start afresh.

Oliveira stated: “The idea will not be to continue at Wolves, we are on the same wavelength to see what the best solution is for Fabio.

“We are working on bringing bid to sell, will depend on Wolves. For our part we want definite exit, let’s see the availability and willingness of Wolves.”

Silva could join multiple players on the chopping block following Ruben Neves’ move to Saudi Arabia and the potential sale of Nathan Collins to Brentford.

What has Dean Jones said about Fabio Silva?

Jones feels sympathy for the £79k-per-week Silva, believing a new environment could benefit his career when looking long term.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: "It's such a shame when a player goes through something like that at such a young age, so I feel for him and I can totally understand why there might be psychological scars. It's very difficult to overcome, and your confidence is rocked by moments like that.

"As a football player, that's the last thing you need. Your mental space is as important as what you're able to do physically when you're a forward for sure.

"I could understand why if he wanted to change environment he might feel that could be beneficial to him."

Will Fabio Silva leave Wolves?

It feels like a formality that the Portugal international will leave Wolves this summer.

The move makes sense for both parties – Silva can have a fresh start at another club and Wolves can recuperate some of the money that paid for the youngster back in 2020.

Having originally signed the youngster for a whopping fee in the region of £35m, it is difficult to see how Wolves would be able to recuperate that sort of money if they are to sell him this summer.

But it is perhaps time to just cut their losses and admit this is a player who may not have a future at the club.

He is receiving interest from abroad which is certainly a promising sign if both parties are keen to secure new paths.

A round-up of WICB Regional Super50 games which happened on February 9, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2017Group BSpin got the better of Barbados in Bridgetown, consigning them to a 74-run loss against Jamaica. Offspinner John Campbell was wrecker-in-chief, taking four top and middle-order wickets as Barbados looked to chase 256. He was ably assisted by fellow offspinner Damani Sewell and left-arm spinner Nikita Miller; in all the three slow men accounted for nine wickets, as Barbados fell to 181 all out in 40.2 overs despite opener Kraigg Brathwaite and No. 3 Shai Hope getting fifties.Jamaica had chosen to bat and were off to a fine start courtesy their openers Chadwick Walton and Steven Taylor. The pair put on 99 in partnership, and though Barbados struck regularly after they were separated, the platform was enough to carry Jamaica past 250. For Barbados, too, spin was the biggest weapon, with offspinner Ashley Nurse claiming top honours with 3 for 38 in his 10.The loss ended Barbados’ six-match winning streak in the tournament, but they still lead the Group B points table with a five-point advantage over Jamaica. The five points Jamaica took from the game clinched a spot for them in the semi-finals, putting them five points clear of Guyana with a game in hand.Guyana romped to an eight-wicket win against ICC Americas, knocking off their target of 171 with eight wickets and 131 balls to spare. ICC Americas chose to bat and lost their openers within the first five overs. Three of their middle order got into the 30s, but none could kick on, as left-arm pacer Raymon Reifer and legspinner Devendra Bishoo picked up three apiece.Guyana’s openers Shimron Hetmyer and Assad Fudadin put the result beyond doubt with a 142-run stand in 22 overs. They fell in quick succession – Hetmyer six short of a maiden List-A ton – but Guyana got home without too much more bother in the 29th over.ICC Americas remain bottom of Group B, with just one win in six games. Guyana needed a Jamaica loss to remain alive for a chance at the semi-finals but instead end their tournament run in third place in Group B.

Half-centuries from opener Himanshu Rana and No. 3 Shubman Gill provided India Under-19s with a total of 273, which they were able to defend successfully thanks a middle-overs squeeze by their spinners Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Chahar

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsFile photo: Himanshu Rana’s 71 off 79 balls was the highest score of the Asia Cup final•PTI Half-centuries from opener Himanshu Rana and No. 3 Shubman Gill provided India Under-19s with a total of 273, which they were able to defend successfully thanks a middle-overs squeeze by their spinners Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Chahar. In the end, hosts Sri Lanka were beaten by 34 runs.At one point though, that result had seemed unlikely. With the momentum of picking up six wickets in the last 11 overs fuelling them, Sri Lanka went after the target with great vigour. Captain Kamindu Mendis and R Kelly struck fifties each to take the score to 158 for 2 in the 31st over. That brought the equation down to 116 off 118 balls with eight wickets in hand.India needed to re-establish control and their 16-year old captain Abhishek helped with that, dismissing Kelly for 63. He finished with figures of 4 for 37 in 10 overs of left-arm spin and claimed the Man-of-the-Match award. Sri Lanka had to deal with Chahar’s miserly legspin from the other end. With him bowling his full quota, giving away only 22 runs, and picking up three wickets as well, the chase unravelled. Sri Lanka lost three wickets in five overs between the 38th and 43rd, then another three wickets with the score on 225 and were finally bowled out for 239.It signalled the importance of first-innings runs in Colombo, and India were able to put up enough thanks to Rana’s 71 off 79 balls and Gill’s 70 off 92 balls. While their partnership of 88 for the second wicket was on, it seemed like India would get to a total of 300 or more, but seamer Nipun Ransika, who took two wickets in the 47th over, and left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama, who dismissed both the half-centurions, ensured that did not happen. Sri Lanka would later realise that the damage had already been done.