A record partnership by Amy Jones and Charlie Dean dragged England out of dire trouble and all the way to victory over New Zealand in their ODI series opener in Wellington.Jones scored an unbeaten 92 and Dean 42 not out as the pair rescued their side from 79 for 6 with an unbroken 130-run stand, the highest for the seventh wicket or lower in women’s ODIs. It came after Kate Cross, Lauren Bell and Dean had combined to bowl New Zealand out for 207 inside 49 overs, despite Suzie Bates’ half-century.Player of the Match Jones was sublime in reaching the joint-second-highest score for a batter at No. 7 or lower in women’s ODIs.Charlie Dean’s record•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

New Zealand’s total looked well below par before the Kerr sisters, Amelia – who was captaining for the injured Sophie Devine – and Jess, joined Lea Tahuhu to run through the England line-up. Jess Kerr bowled Tammy Beaumont for a duck with a full toss on the fifth ball of the run chase and had her second when Heather Knight spooned one straight to Maddy Green at midwicket to make it 37 for 2.Tahuhu removed in-form England opener Maia Bouchier with her seventh ball of the match, caught by Green at square leg and then Amelia Kerr had Alice Capsey lbw for a duck as she tried to reverse-sweep, putting the tourists at 55 for 4.Related

• 'A bit of work around my mental game' – Jones tweaks approach to play long innings

Tahuhu made Danni Wyatt jump with a short, sharp ball to begin with and when Nat Sciver-Brunt was run out for just 12 two balls later, England were five wickets down inside 14 overs. Amelia Kerr’s googly went straight through Wyatt to elicit an elated shout of “come on!” from New Zealand’s stand-in skipper, who sensed a win that had looked unlikely after the home side’s innings.But Jones and Dean built a calm, rock-solid partnership to steady England, Jones bringing up her fifty off 52 balls with a four over deep midwicket off Tahuhu and finishing two runs shy of her best ODI score when Dean struck the winning runs, a four off Fran Jonas.England had bowled with discipline and authority, sending down 169 dot balls as they kept a lid on New Zealand and took wickets at regular intervals. Bell and Dean claimed three wickets apiece but Cross was particularly impressive.Cross hadn’t played for England since the December Test against India and only one white-ball game – for England A at Nelson four days ago – since mid-September, having warmed the bench for RCB throughout the WPL. But she showed no signs of rust during her 2 for 24 with an economy rate of 2.40, and two crucial maidens in a six-over spell during the powerplay.Bates capitalised on a couple of early missed opportunities for England, Sophie Ecclestone appearing to dive over a ball that ultimately dropped just short of her at mid-on from Cross and Sciver-Brunt putting down a more straightforward chance at midwicket off Bell’s first delivery in the next over. Bates dominated a 90-run opening stand with Bernadine Bezuidenhout, having survived another chance on 17 when England failed to review a Bell yorker which replays showed had struck Bates’ toe first and was on track to hit leg stump.Amy Jones made the joint-second-highest score by a batter at No. 7 or lower in women’s ODIs•Getty Images

Bezuidenhout faced 12 balls before getting off the mark and had 4 off 25 as New Zealand crawled to the 10-over mark at 30 without loss. Bates brought up her fifty off 73 balls with a single off Ecclestone and it was offspinner Dean who made the breakthrough, drawing Bates down the pitch with a ball that was turned away slightly and found an edge, gathered by Jones behind the stumps. Bezuidenhout gritted her way to 35 off 62 deliveries before she attempted to sweep Ecclestone and was struck on the back thigh to make it 100 for 2 for New Zealand.Cross bowled exceptional line and length. She struck Georgia Plimmer high on the back pad, New Zealand’s failure to review ensuring she was sent packing for 17, and trapped Amelia Kerr lbw also.Dean conceded 15 runs off her fifth over, which included three wide deliveries, but she claimed her 50th ODI wicket in her 26th match, the fastest woman to reach the milestone, in an excellent reposte to Brooke Halliday’s crisp four through long off, finding an edge which was snaffled by Jones. When Green looped a simple catch off a Bell slower ball straight back to the bowler, New Zealand had lost four wickets for just 20 runs in the space of eight overs and were now six down.Hannah Rowe and Izzy Gaze, the latter fresh off a maiden international half-century in the fifth and final T20I, put on a 32-run partnership for the seventh wicket but Sciver-Brunt had Rowe caught by Knight and Bell yorked Gaze for 18, attempting her favoured lap shot.When Dean claimed her third, Tahuhu holing out to Wyatt running to her right from long-on, the hosts were in danger of being bowled out inside 50 overs and Bell ensured that was the case with another excellent yorker that crashed into Jess Kerr’s middle stump.

Aston Villa have officially rejected the chance to take up their option on Marcus Rashford, who wants to leave Manchester United for an overseas club.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Aston Villa reject Rashford dealForward due to return for Man Utd pre-seasonWants a move abroadFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Villa had the chance to sign Rashford for £40 million as part of the loan agreement that brought the forward to the club in January, but the club have confirmed his departure, thanking him for his "amazing efforts and contributions".

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

It has now been reported that Rashford is seeking a move away from the Premier League this summer. Journalist David Ornstein claims the England international is keen to win titles overseas.

DID YOU KNOW?

The same report states that Rashford is open to another loan move from Old Trafford, with a swap deal also a possibility. It has been claimed that Barcelona is his dream move, with the La Liga champions giving some thought to the idea.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

Rashford may have to wait until late in the summer to seal a transfer to Barca. The club are intent on signing Nico Williams as a first-choice winger but could make a loan move for Rashford once they know their financial situation at the end of the window. For now, he is due to report for pre-season at United on July 7.

Warwickshire declared overnight to set Lancashire 232 in 44 overs before the weather intervened

ECB Reporters Network27-May-2024

Tom Bruce’s sprightly 31 not out highlighted Lancashire’s intent on day four•Getty Images

Any hope of an exciting climax to the last day of the Vitality County Championship encounter between Lancashire and Warwickshire was dashed by the rain after only 75 minutes of play was possible at Emirates Old Trafford as the game finished in a draw.Poor weather had dominated proceedings throughout the encounter. But with the visitors 96 for 3 overnight, leading by 231, all results were still possible in Manchester given Lancashire’s brittle batting order this season and Warwickshire’s desire to chase a first win of the campaign.But as heavy showers swept across the ground throughout the morning both sets of players were thwarted with repeated pitch inspections coming and going without any chance of play.Eventually, a break in the weather saw the game resume at 3:15pm with a generous Warwickshire declaration giving Lancashire the opportunity to embark on a desperate run chase with 44 overs still scheduled.Luke Wells quickly departed in the second over, pulling Michael Rae straight to Jake Lintott on the square leg boundary. But then, for a brief time, the hosts looked as if they could pull off something special.Keaton Jennings slapped three boundaries but was bowled comprehensively by Jacob Bethell when attempting a reverse sweep that ended with the Lancashire skipper lying on his backside and out for 18. Josh Bohannon upper cut Rae for six before he skied the same bowler to Alex Davies at mid on for a ten-ball 15.An almost identical shot saw George Bell hand Rae his third wicket leaving Tom Bruce and Matty Hurst at the crease. The pair put on 43 runs before the rain came for a final decisive time at 4:30pm, leaving the New Zealander unbeaten on 31 and the young wicketkeeper 15 not out as Lancashire closed on 89 for 4 off the 15 overs possible.Lancashire claimed 11 points from the game, taking them off the bottom of Division One, while Warwickshire took 12, leaving them seventh.

da aviator aposta： Tottenham Hotspur slipped to their 17th defeat in the Premier League this season when they were beaten 4-2 by Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.

da 888casino： Ange Postecoglou’s side were well beaten by the Old Gold, who moved to within two points of Spurs, and they remain sat in 15th place in the top-flight.

There was a small positive to come out of the match, though, as Brennan Johnson continued his recent form with an assist for Mathys Tel’s strike.

Why Spurs need more from Brennan Johnson

The Wales international has now produced two goals and one assist in his last two Premier League matches, but that comes off the back of two goals and zero assists in his previous nine games in all competitions.

Inconsistency is the word. Spurs need consistency from their forward players if they want more success as a team moving forward, which is why they need Johnson to improve his output on a week-to-week basis.

The former Nottingham Forest forward, who has provided 11 goals and three assists in the league, has not been reliable on a consistent basis, instead delivering goals and assists in purple patches.

Whilst Postecoglou and his team will look to work with Johnson to improve the consistency of his output on the wing, Spurs could have an upgrade on the Welsh attacker brewing in the form of Min-hyeok Yang.

Why Yang could be a future Johnson upgrade

The 18-year-old winger was sent out on loan to Championship side Queens Park Rangers in January and has already shown glimpses of his quality at that level, despite his age and inexperience.

Yang, who talent scout Jacek Kulig claimed could be “something special”, has started six of his 12 appearances in the second tier for QPR and contributed with two goals and one assist so far.

24/25 Championship

Min-hyeok Yang

Appearances (starts)

12 (6)

xG

1.22

Goals

2

Big chances created

3

Key passes

6

Assists

1

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the teenage wizard is unfortunate to only have one assist to his name because he has created three ‘big chances’ for his teammates, and they have only taken one of them.

Johnson, meanwhile, has only created four ‘big chances’ in 29 appearances in the Premier League this season, which suggests that he has struggled to consistently create high-quality opportunities for his fellow attackers.

This suggests that Yang, who also scored 12 goals and provided five assists in 38 games for Gangwon in K League 1 in 2024, is a forward who has the potential to offer more creativity than Johnson.

His goal return for Gangwon last year, and his two goals in six starts for QPR, also suggest that he could provide a decent goal threat from a wide position as well, just as the Welsh ace does.

Yang is five years younger than Johnson and, therefore, has more time ahead of him to develop and improve as a player before making his breakthrough in the first-team with Spurs.

Tottenham should aim to send the teenage starlet out on loan, whether that is back to the Championship or to a top-flight side in Europe, to continue his development in the 2025/26 campaign.

Related 100% duels lost: Spurs flop is in danger of becoming Jack Clarke 2.0

The Tottenham Hotspur defender is in danger of becoming the new Jack Clarke.

Posts ByDan Emery Apr 14, 2025

Hopefully, Yang will be able to play week-in-week-out to hone his goalscoring and creative talents to eventually emerge as an upgrade on Johnson, based on the potential he has already shown in his short career to date.

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet7： Foi com muito sofrimento, mas o Corinthians está classificado às oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil. Nos pênaltis, o Timão passou pelo Remo na terceira fase da competição nacional após vencer por 2 a 0, na Neo Química Arena – a equipe alvinegra havia perdido o jogo de ida, no Mangueirão, há duas semanas, pelo mesmo placar.

+ATUAÇÕES: Róger Guedes brilha, Cássio pega pênalti e vira herói na classificação do Corinthians

O segundo gol corintiano foi marcado por Róger Guedes já nos acréscimos da partida, no momento em que o Time do Povo já havia partido para o abafa. O camisa 10 também foi o responsável por converter o último pênalti corintiano na disputa – todos os atletas corintianos marcaram. Quem também brilhou foi o goleiro Cássio, que defendeu a segunda cobrança. Ele se tornou o goleiro que mais pegou penalidades com a camisa alvinegra.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCuca pede Lucas Veríssimo e mais dois atletas ao CorinthiansCorinthians26/04/2023CorinthiansTécnico do Corinthians, Cuca contrata escritório na Suíça para se defender de acusações de estuproCorinthians25/04/2023Lance! BizOrganizador do Sports Summit diz que primeiro dia do evento no Brasil ‘vai além do que sonhava’Lance! Biz25/04/2023

da fazobetai：
+Alívio financeiro: como classificação na Copa do Brasil ajuda o caixa do Corinthians

O jogo foi com cara de Corinthians, no sofrimento, mas não foi o que pareceu no começo, isso porque logo no primeiro minuto Adson abriu o placar. Logo na sequência, Róger Guedes acertou uma bola na trave. Porém, depois o Timão caiu de produção e só conseguiu o gol sonhado na reta final.

+ Assine o Star+ por apenas R$32,90 por mês e acompanhe o Timão na Libertadores quando e onde quiser!

TUDO O QUE O CORINTHIANS PRECISAVA

Aquilo que todo torcedor corintiano sonhava para essa partida aconteceu: gol nos primeiro minuto de jogo. Com apenas um minuto de jogo, o Corinthians abriu o placar com Adson, escolha do técnico Cuca para o duelo contra o Remo. Além de marcar, a cria do terrão foi quem iniciou a jogada, tomando a bola no campo de defesa. Ele também contou com um ótimo passe de letra, de primeira, do Yuri Alberto. Adson, então, arrancou pela direita e quando chegou próximo da área abriu para o meio e finalizou com extrema felicidade no canto direito do goleiro Vinicius.

CORINTHIANS AGRIDE MAS NÃO AMPLIA NO PRIMEIRO TEMPO

Logo após abrir o placar, o Corinthians chegou muito próximo de marcar o segundo, com Róger Guedes, mas o atacante acertou a cabeçada na trave, após cruzamento de Gil, pelo lado direito. Parecia que o Timão tiraria a vantagem do Remo rapidamente, mas isso não aconteceu na etapa inicial. O clube alvinegro até teve mais a bola e praticamente não deixou o Leão jogar, mas teve dificuldades em acertar o último passe e definir as jogadas.

Após o início avassalador, a única grande chance foi em uma finalização de fora da área de Fausto Vera que passou próxima ao gol. O Remo, por sua vez, teve o seu momento de perigo, em um contra-ataque em que Muriqui passou com Giuliano com uma bela caneta e aproveitou o buraco pelo lado direito, mas finalizou para fora.

+Jogadores do Corinthians celebram classificação da Copa do Brasil com o técnico Cuca; assista!

CORINTHIANS CAI NO SEGUNDO TEMPO

Notando duas deficiências do Corinthians no primeiro tempo: a ausência de participação ofensiva do lado esquerdo e a má atuação de Giuliano, o técnico Cuca promoveu a entrada de Matheus Bidu e Matheus Araújo. Porém, o time não conseguiu evoluir na criação das jogadas. Na verdade, até piorou. A equipe foi estéril na etapa final e viu os seus atletas, aos poucos, sentirem a parte física.

Fagner, que foi o grande desafogo corintiano no primeiro tempo, apoiando ofensivamente, visivelmente caiu de rendimento por conta do cansaço durante o segundo tempo. Bruno Méndez foi outro que sentiu e precisou ser substituído, fazendo com que uma substituição fosse queimada.Para piorar, algumas alterações feitas pelo treinador corintiano não surtiram efeito. Matheus Araújo ficou escondido na marcação e não auxiliou na armação. Maycon, que entrou no lugar de Roni, parecia fora de sintonia.

SANTO ABAFA CORINTIANO

Sem conseguir marcar na criação, o Corinthians, aos poucos, foi para o abafa. O técnico Cuca colocou o time todo para cima. Primeiro, colocou Paulinho no lugar de Adson, fez de Yuri Alberto ponta direita e Paulinho de centroavante. A alteração pareceu dar certo, quando logo no primeiro momento com essa definição, Yuri foi para cima da marcação, acionou Paulinho, que encontrou bem Matheus Araújo, que invadiu a área, bateu cruzado e por muito pouco Róger Guedes não aproveitou a finalização cruzada do camisa 30.

Depois, o zagueiro Gil virou o homem de referência na área. Foi quando o Timão começou apostar nos chuveiros e assustou o Remo com alguns bates e rebates. No entanto, o gol saiu com assistência de Fagner. Mesmo sem condições físicas, o camisa 23 recebeu livre pela direita e colocou com capricho na área. Róger Guedes subiu mais que todo mundo na grande área e cabeceou no canto direito do goleiro Vinicius. Empurrado pela Fiel, o Time do Povo chegou ao empate agregado e levou a decisão para os pênaltis.

CÁSSIO E RÓGER GUEDES DECIDEM NOS PÊNALTIS

Nenhum jogador do Corinthians perdeu a sua cobrança de pênalti. Yuri Alberto abriu a série, seguido por Maycon, Fausto Vera, Matheus Bidu e fechando com Róger Guedes. No lado do Remo, somente Leonan desperdiçou, parando na defesa do goleiro Cássio. Ícaro, Anderson Uchôa, Muriqui e Claudinei marcaram.

continua após a publicidade

FICHA TÉCNICA
CORINTHIANS 2 (5) X (4) 0 REMO
COPA DO BRASIL – TERCEIRA FASE – JOGO DE VOLTA

Local: Neo Química Arena, São Paulo (SP)
Data e hora: 26 de abril de 2023, às 21h30
Árbitro: Paulo Cesar Zanovelli da Silva
Assistentes: Bruno Raphael Pires e Marcyano da Silva Vicente
Árbitro de vídeo: Rodrigo Carvalhaes de Miranda
Público e renda:39.377 pessoas / R$ 2.412.267,50 de renda bruta
Cartões amarelos: Matheus Bidu,Roni, Crhystian Barletta e Adson (Corinthians); Richard Franco (Remo)
Cartões vermelhos: –
GOLS: 1-0 Adson (1’/1T); 2-0 Róger Guedes (48’/2T)

CORINTHIANS:​Cássio; Fagner, Bruno Méndez (Murillo, 25’/2T), Gil e Fábio Santos (Matheus Bidu, intervalo); Fausto Vera, Roni (Maycon, 17’/2T) e Giuliano (Matheus Araújo, intervalo); Adson (Paulinho, 31’/2T), Yuri Alberto e Róger Guedes. Técnico: Cuca.

REMO:Vinícius; Lucas Mendes (Diego Ivo, 38’/2T), Ícaro, Diego Guerra e Leonan; Richard Franco (Diego Tavares, 25’/2T), Anderson Uchôa, Matheus Galdezani (Claudinei, 16’/2T) e Pablo Roberto (Paulinho Curuá, 38’/2T); Pedro Vitor (Jean Silva, 16’/2T) e Muriqui. Técnico: Marcelo Cabo.

تحدث الإسباني بيب جوارديولا، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر سيتي عن تعادل فريقه أمام آرسنال في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وواجه مانشستر سيتي بقيادة بيب جوارديولا نظيره آرسنال، عصر اليوم، الأحد، في تمام الساعة السادسة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة، وانتهت بالتعادل الإيجابي بهدف لكل منهما.

واستضاف ملعب “الإمارات” معقل الجانرز مباراة مانشستر سيتي وآرسنال ضمن منافسات الجولة الخامسة من البريميرليج.

وقال بيب جوارديولا، في تصريحات لشبكة سكاي سبورتس: “لقد لعبنا مباريات صعبة هذا الأسبوع، مانشستر يونايتد ونابولي في دوري أبطال أوروبا واليوم لعبنا ضد فريق قوي”.

وأكمل: “كل التحية لفريقنا على مرونته، من الصعب جدًا عدم فعالية الضغط العالي كما أن بناء الهجمة يكون صعبًا دائمًا، أجرينا بعض التغييرات، أعتقد أن النتيجة عادلة، بشكل عام كان آرسنال أفضل”.

اقرأ أيضًا | موعد مباراة مانشستر سيتي القادمة بعد التعادل مع آرسنال في الدوري الإنجليزي

وأردف: “هل كان الترابط هو أكثر ما أسعدني؟ منذ انتهاء فترة الانتقالات، أصبح الترابط هو الأهم، كان الأمر صعبًا للغاية اليوم وآرسنال يمتلك كل شيء، دافعنا ببراعة في الركنيات، سنستغل النقطة وعلينا أن نتحسن لكن هذا هو الواقع”.

وأضاف: “كنا متعبين للغاية، كانت مباراة نابولي مؤثرة للغاية، وبعد يوم التعافي، لدينا أربع أو خمس ساعات للسفر إلى لندن، كافح آرسنال في آخر موسمين للفوز بلقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز ووصل إلى نصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، لذا فالأمر صعب للغاية”.

واستكمل: “لقد عانينا من إرهاق شديد مع العديد من اللاعبين، كما عانينا أيضًا من العديد من الإصابات”.

واستطرد: “الانتقال إلى اللعب بخمسة في الدفاع هل هو بسبب الجدول الزمني؟ نحن لا نحاول أن نكون هكذا ولكن عندما يكون الخصم أفضل، ندافع بشكل أعمق ونشن هجمات مرتدة ولكن هذه ليست رغبتنا”.

وأتم: “أفضّل عدم القيام بذلك ولكن في هذا المستوى، لابد من القيام بذلك، أقبل بنقطة وفي بعض المباريات يتعين علينا التكيف مع الوضع”.

وكشف: “أشعر بخيبة أمل من النتيجة، نعم، لكن في الموسم الماضي تعادلنا في اللحظة الأخيرة على ملعب الاتحاد، وتعادلوا هنا، إنها كرة القدم، إنها 97 أو 98 دقيقة”.

عما إذا كان مانشستر سيتي أقوى اليوم من مباراة برايتون: “أريد أن يقدم الفريق أداءً أفضل، وأنا هنا لأستمتع بفريقي، اليوم، أنا فخور جدًا بأدائهم، هناك مباريات ومنافسون يتطلبون منا إظهار لغة الجسد والروح المعنوية العالية والتكاتف، وهذا أمر لا يُصدق”.

عن هدف هالاند: “عندما يتعلق الأمر بالتحولات، نحب القيام بها، ويمكننا استغلالها، هذه ليست طريقتنا المفضلة ولكن في بعض الأحيان يكون الخصم جيدًا، ويجب علينا تقبل ذلك”.

عن رأيه في خوض الفريق لخمس مباريات: “ما زلنا نحاول التطور، لدينا العديد من اللاعبين الجدد، منهم حارس مرمى مهم، العديد من اللاعبين مصابون، هذا فريق شاب جدًا، أصغر فريق لدينا، وسيظل كذلك في المستقبل، خطوة بخطوة، سنرى ما سيحدث، إنها رحلة طويلة، لذلك نتعامل معها مباراة بمباراة”.

New Zealand’s training session, meanwhile, was cut short because of what Stead said were “not really acceptable” practice pitches

Matt Roller12-Jun-20242:19

Powell on what a home World Cup means for West Indies

Rovman Powell believes that his West Indies side are facing an “undercooked” New Zealand at the perfect time after their heavy defeat to Afghanistan.Both teams were forced to cut their preparations short at the Brian Lara Stadium ahead of Wednesday night’s Group C fixture. New Zealand abandoned their afternoon training session an hour before schedule due to “unacceptable” practice strips, while heavy rain wiped West Indies’ floodlit session out altogether.It is the start of the rainy season in Trinidad and the national meteorological service issued a yellow-level adverse weather alert on Tuesday morning, signalling the likelihood of thunderstorms. There was a brief downpour during New Zealand’s session – when the pitch was uncovered – and longer, heavier ones followed after they left. Wednesday night’s forecast is much better.Related

• Rusty New Zealand in danger of early exit at the hands of West Indies

• West Indies call on passionate Caribbean support to usher in new era of success

• Underdone New Zealand already on the brink

“We had that downpour for about five minutes, and the practice wickets got wet out in the middle,” Gary Stead, New Zealand’s coach, said after returning to the team hotel in Port-of-Spain. “I know the priority was obviously for the match wicket to get covered, but when we went back and tried them they were pretty slippery to stand up on.”New Zealand briefly tried to use the practice strips but swiftly gave up. “The balls were going through the top of the surface, so we had a good fielding training instead,” Stead said. “It was deemed not really acceptable to get anything out of the nets… The guys worked out pretty quickly that there wasn’t going to be a lot of point in it”An 84-run defeat to Afghanistan in their opening match on Friday means that a loss against West Indies would effectively – if not quite mathematically – eliminate New Zealand from the World Cup. Powell, West Indies’ captain, believes that his side can exploit New Zealand’s slow start to the tournament.”Definitely, if there’s a good time to play New Zealand, I think it’s now,” Powell said. “As you said, they’re a little bit undercooked. The pressure is really on them, because this game decides whether they go on: yes or no. Having said that, we’re not focusing on New Zealand: we’re focusing on what we have to do.”With New Zealand’s limited preparation for the tournament already under scrutiny, their batters have barely been able to face fast bowling in the nets since arriving in Trinidad. They travelled from Guyana on Saturday and trained on Sunday, but faced similar issues.”Again, the pitches weren’t great,” Stead said. “Balls were rising up around throat height regularly, so it was more facing the slower bowlers and throws. It comes back to making sure that mentally we get in a good frame of mind and ready for this match tomorrow night.”England racked up 267 against West Indies at the Brian Lara Stadium in December but Stead believes that score was an outlier, and expects a much lower-scoring game on Wednesday.James Neesham is in contention to be back in the XI against West Indies•ICC/Getty Images

“If you look at the history of the ground here… it’s certainly not a 200 wicket or anything like that. The pitch looked interesting. For us, it’s about making sure we’ve got our bases covered.”Powell also hinted towards a low-scoring game. “With the rain around, that can play a part in the scores,” he said. “If the groundsmen don’t have sufficient time to produce good wickets, that’s also a problem with the rain around. You don’t get enough time to sun. Hopefully tomorrow is a very good day in terms of the weather.”New Zealand’s management have made clear that they expect all 15 players in their squad to play a role in the World Cup and are set to bring Ish Sodhi into the side on Wednesday night. James Neesham could also come into contention, with Stead suggesting that selection will be heavily influenced by West Indies’ potential weaknesses.”Every game, we try to go in and work out what our best match-ups are,” Stead said. “That comes from the data analysis and videos that we do in our scouting. I would expect there will be some changes.” He also hinted heavily at Sodhi’s inclusion: “When we look at the West Indies team, [he is] a guy that matches up well against a number of their opposition players.”New Zealand’s net run rate took a significant dent against Afghanistan, to the extent that winning their remaining fixtures – against West Indies, Uganda and Papua New Guinea – might not be enough to qualify for the Super 8s, depending on other results in Group C.”We know what’s in front of us: we have to win three games and win them well,” Stead said. “It’s [about] still holding the belief and the confidence within the group that we can go out there and do this. We know things are stacked against us at the moment but that’s the challenge; that’s the cards we’ve been dealt. We now have to go out there and put in a performance that we’re proud of.”

Wayne Morton was dismissed in December 2021 after 38-year association with club

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2024Yorkshire have issued a public apology to Wayne Morton, their long-standing physiotherapist, as part of an out-of-court settlement after he was one of 14 people sacked in December 2021 at the height of the club’s racism crisis.Morton, 62, was dismissed from his role as head of sports science and medicine by the club’s former chair, Lord Kamlesh Patel, after putting his name to a joint letter criticising Yorkshire’s handling of Azeem Rafiq’s revelations about club culture, and accusing Rafiq of being on “a one-man mission to bring down the club”.The case of Morton’s company, Pavilion Physiotherapy Clinic Limited, was settled by Yorkshire for an undisclosed fee earlier this week, ahead of a scheduled High Court hearing on March 8. This brings closure to a chapter of the club’s history that is thought to have cost them close to £3.5 million in legal fees and severance payments.”The club can confirm that it has agreed a settlement agreement in respect of the ongoing civil claim brought against the club by Pavilion Physiotherapy Clinic Limited (‘Pavilion’),” Yorkshire said in a statement. “Pavilion has received a sum in damages and its legal costs. The amount is confidential between the parties and will not be disclosed.”The club apologises to Pavilion, Mr Morton and any other parties that may have suffered distress since and as a result of the termination of the contract with Pavilion by the club. The club acknowledges that Mr Wayne Morton of Pavilion worked with the club for approximately 38 years. The club thanks Mr Morton for his service to the club and wishes him and Pavilion well for the future.”Writing on Facebook in the wake of the settlement, Morton claimed he had been the victim of “horrendous, scurrilous untruths”, and thanked Colin Graves, the returning chair whose takeover of Yorkshire was ratified earlier this month, for overseeing the end of the legal stand-off.”Thankfully, the return of someone with integrity and a genuine love of Yorkshire cricket has seen the end to this monumental waste of money,” Morton wrote.”Sadly, it took over two years and over £400k in legal fees to end this nonsense that should have been sorted within weeks of the ending of my contract and the sacking of the employed staff.”With Graves set to take charge again, Yorkshire have opened nominations for member-nominated directors to join the board, with the club actively seeking to “encourage nominations from members from groups that are currently under-represented at the club or more broadly across the sector”. The process is expected to see two candidates nominated for election to the board at the AGM in April.Yorkshire have also announced the signing of South Africa allrounder Donovan Ferreira as one of their overseas players for 2024. Ferreira, who can bat, bowl and keep wicket, has been capped twice in T20Is and smashed an 18-ball half-century in the recently completed SA20.”I’m pleased to have secured Donovan for the T20 Blast,” Darren Gough, Yorkshire’s managing director of cricket, said. “He is an exciting addition to the team, and his all-round abilities and consistent performances in various international franchise leagues are indicators that he has a significant career ahead in cricket.”We hope he will play a big part in Yorkshire’s T20 campaign, and we are looking forward to welcoming him to Headingley.”

From an expanded tournament to player unavailability, the BBL has dealt with uncertainty by putting fans first, but how will it deal with its issues, such as drop-in pitches and workload management

Daniel Brettig03-Feb-2018For all the innovation, breaking down of barriers and creation of new frontiers that has characterised seven years of the Big Bash League, the final this season will have an intriguingly retro time slot. In a world where the AFL Grand Final is just about the only major Australian sporting decider still held in the afternoon, the meeting between two first-time finalists in the Adelaide Strikers and the Hobart Hurricanes will conclude before the sun has set on Adelaide Oval.The primary reason for this relates to television, of course. In expanding the BBL by 10 games for 2017-18, Cricket Australia pushed the finals out into the first week of February, beyond the start of the official ratings period for which the rights holders at Ten use the tournament as a promotional launching pad. is Ten’s primetime flagship, and in a compromise between broadcaster and tournament, the show was not aired on Thursday night to allow the first semi-final in far-flung Perth, with the makeweight being an afternoon schedule for the women’s and men’s finals on Sunday.Given the BBL’s consistently high television audiences, this feels like something of a reality check. The tournament will duly fade out as viewers enter the jungle at 7.30pm, rather mirroring the fact that the end of this tournament will see it leave the certainties of a five-year rights deal with Ten. After Sunday, CA’s emergent competition will enter the unknowns of negotiations between the governing body and interested parties that have begun to get more serious after a summer of informal chats at cricket grounds around the country.

CA’s many competing agendas also include a strategic objective to “own” a wider portion of the summer months, having over the past two decades faced the creep of other sports, mainly Australian football, into its traditional territory

What’s already known is that the next edition will expand in its number of games, more than likely by 14 matches to mean it is a full home-and-away schedule for the eight competing teams. The finals, meanwhile, will expand further into February, probably to be played over a pair of weekends. Adam Gilchrist, in his role as a BBL commentator, has suggested the playoffs should move to a model where the top two teams get a double chance, which would mean four playoffs games rather than three. Kim McConnie, head of the BBL, said it was vital that any decision put fans at the forefront of CA’s thinking.”This season we really wanted to pilot a few things,” McConnie told ESPNcricinfo. “BBL has been built on innovation and it’s really pushed new territory so this season we had four expansion markets, we went everywhere from Alice Springs to Geelong and they were some of our most successful games.”So firstly we want to understand fans – I think the secret sauce to BBL has always been putting fans first, and this season was about saying if we took BBL to new markets is there an appetite amongst new audiences for BBL and we were really encouraged by the response. Part of the process is how did those games go, what are the opportunities in other markets. Ultimately we’re about putting fans first so that’s what we’ll use to say ‘do fans want more games, if so where, and how do we go about it’.”Opinions on whether the tournament can sustain an extra 14 games, after experiencing a marginal drop-off in audience figures for this summer’s additional 10 matches, are far from uniform. Both CA and the players seem unified on the fact that any such expansion could take place without unduly stretching the tournament window, via the playing of more double and even triple-headers, and also reducing the gaps between games – most teams had at least one break of between eight and 10 days this time around, which felt too leisurely.Hollywood actor Will Smith is presented with a bat by the Stars’ Kevin Pietersen•Getty Images”I still think the competition’s gone really well, from a players’ point of view and speaking to our boys it feels like it’s been a long, drawn out tournament – we had a 10-day break – I agree we don’t want to draw the season out any longer,” Melbourne Renegades captain Cameron White said. “If it is more matches, I think it needs to stay within that timeframe, that’s my opinion and I get that’s the feeling of our group and maybe across the board speaking to other teams as well. We had a 10-day break in this season so I don’t think we need to have that long.”George Bailey, the Hobart Hurricanes’ captain, pointed out that if it was possible for D’Arcy Short and Alex Carey to play for Australia in Sydney on Saturday night then return to Adelaide for the BBL final on Sunday afternoon, then there was plenty of room to manoeuvre the tournament fixture in future. “Showing that some of these guys can play an international game tonight and then step up and play a game tomorrow, that probably says there’s some big gaps,” he said.”I think every team’s had an eight or nine-day gap in this tournament, which is actually pretty hard to get your head around, it’s a game where momentum’s really important, and when you have to be stopping for a week it can be difficult. So no doubt [it can] with a few back to back games, a few double headers. The tournament’s gone from strength to strength over the last couple of years. I think for domestic cricketers it’s one of the great competitions, big crowds, an air of excitement throughout the whole summer.”But with a tighter BBL schedule would come further complications on other levels. The current number of games allows players to jump more or less straight from the BBL into the Sheffield Shield while managing up their training loads to ensure they do not shift from sprint to marathon without adequate preparation. More T20s would make such a process more difficult, not least for the fast bowlers who are so closely managed as it is. As White put it: “If you put more games into a season it’s going to be taxing for players, you’re still playing 10 Shield games and maybe a couple more one day domestic games over the next couple of years leading into a World Cup year, so it’s a lot of cricket.”That’s all without mentioning the likely changes to the international calendar next summer. Australia’s Test series against India will not start until early December, before finishing at the SCG in early January. Two Tests against Sri Lanka, pencilled in for Brisbane and Canberra, may well both be day-night affairs, further squeezing the amount of primetime available. Then there is the fact that with a 50-over World Cup fast approaching, Australia’s international needs will be for the intermediate form rather than the short one.Hurricanes this year welcomed the mentorship of the well-traveled Gary Kirsten, who as the player of 101 Tests for South Africa, then as coach of India, South Africa and Delhi Daredevils, has seen cricket’s global ebbs and flows more broadly than most. He does not profess to know the answers to questions about how the BBL should grow, if at all, but he wonders at the way CA can balance its T20 tournament with one of few nations still able to state honestly that Test match cricket is healthy.”It’s a great tournament as it is. I really enjoyed it, it’s my first one, and I don’t know the answer to that [expansion]. In the IPL there’s 14 games, it’s quite a condensed schedule,” he said. “I’ve heard a lot of people say it’s not a good thing, it’s great as it is, keep it as is. I think it’s about understanding the relevance of T20 in world cricket and where does it fit into the Australian schedule.”Test cricket and one day cricket is dear to Australia, and for some other countries it’s tougher to keep people excited about Test cricket. Here you can still fill the stadiums but in other parts of the world you can’t, so T20 cricket is kind of taking over, taking control. It’s difficult to make those decisions.”Another factor that will influence proceedings is the recent downturn in ratings and audiences for the tournament in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia’s two biggest commercial and television markets. As discussed elsewhere, this can be linked to the recent underperformance of the four teams in these cities, and the advantages enjoyed by single-team states. In contrast to Major League Baseball two decades ago, the injection of twice as many teams in the big markets has helped the smaller market teams operate far more effectively, to the point that those in charge of the Sydney Sixers and Thunder, and the Melbourne Stars and Renegades, have talked about measures to redress the balance. Those big market numbers may well depend on it.Getty ImagesCA’s many competing agendas also include a strategic objective to “own” a wider portion of the summer months, having over the past two decades faced the creep of other sports, mainly Australian football, into its traditional territory. This battle has been underlined by nothing so fundamental as the very turf on which the game is played, as drop-in pitches become the norm in the multi-purpose stadiums that can best cater to the big audiences CA and the state associations seek.The second BBL semi-final competed for television eyeballs not with the Australian Open tennis as in the past, but with the start of the AFLW competition in Melbourne, much as the final will on Sunday. In the same breath, the AFL has unashamedly joined numerous other sports in trying to create its own “short format” variant in the shape of “AFLX”, perhaps the first time the game has actively sought to ape cricket since it was first concocted in the 19th century as a way to keep cricketers fit during the winter.In the brashness of its leadership and willingness to experiment, the BBL has more closely resembled the AFL than any other part of CA, led with pragmatic conservatism by the longtime chief executive James Sutherland. Both the BBL’s inaugural chief Anthony Everard and his successor Kim McConnie have been heavily influenced by American sport and also commercial backgrounds, and are proud to say they have overseen a league doing things that others cannot.”I know before I came into this job, looking at BBL from afar, I was amazed that it’s a sport where we’re miking up players as they’re playing,” McConnie said. “When we first saw that a few years ago when I was working in the US I remember talking about that with the NFL and it’s amazing the access we give to fans. A lot of the stuff we do I know a lot of other sports look at that and go ‘ok we wouldn’t be able to give fans that type of access’.”I think BBL has shown it’s actually quite disruptive and it does that in order to bring new audiences into cricket, and we see that – 25% of our attendance last season was people who’d never been to a cricket game. So that’s very much what we’ll continue to pride ourselves on, understanding how do we put fans first. They’re looking for entertainment, and sport is such a core part of that, so how do we make sure we’re matching what happens out here in the stadium with the amazing games we’re seeing on the pitch as well.”As far as the BBL’s future is concerned, “disruptive” is a word that can be spun in several directions. For broadcasters, it is the ratings period and the rights fee, for players the schedule and the workload, for fans the number of nights out they can afford. For CA, as Kirsten said, it is about balancing the disruption with the very fabric of the game in Australia. Beyond Sunday’s final afternoon, it is indeed a jungle out there.

Can Celtic move three points closer to securing a fourth successive Scottish Premiership title?

If the Hoops beat Kilmarnock on Saturday, and then Rangers are beaten by Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Sunday, the Celts will have rubber-stamped a record-equalling 55th Scottish top division title, as well as their 13th in just 14 seasons.

This is actually despite the fact the Bhoys have lost three of their last six Premiership games, having lost only two of the previous 46, most recently beaten 1-0 at St Johnstone last weekend, their first defeat against the side bottom of the table since November 2005.

So, as Brendan Rodgers’ side seek to get back to winning ways, with one eye on a Scottish Cup semi-final date with the Saints at Hampden on Easter Sunday, the boss should make changes to his starting lineup, unleashing his “on fire” wide-man.

Nicolas Kühn's season of two halves

Nicolas Kühn was absolutely outstanding during the first half of this season, very much on course to be named Celtic’s player of the season, with David Irvine of the National even suggesting he was being considered by Julian Nagelsmann for a call-up to the German national team.

However, he has not been able to sustain this form, as the table below outlines.

Nicolas Kühn 2024/25 season statistics Statistics Kühn in 2024 Kühn in 2025

Appearances 25 19 Minutes 1,713 1,242 Goals 14 4 Minutes per goal 122 311 Assists 11 3

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As shown, Kühn’s statistics have fallen off a cliff since New Year’s Day, scoring only twice in 15 outings since bagging a brace against St Mirren on 5 January.

The German has started each of the Hoops’ last eight fixtures, hooked at half-time at McDiarmid Park last Sunday, and we believe he should begin Saturday’s meeting with Killie on the bench, considering this major downturn in form.

The Celtic star who should replace Kuhn

Yang Hyun-jun was introduced as a substitute at the interval in Perth last weekend, replacing Kühn as part of a double alteration, but the South Korean deserves to be in from the start this time.

Yang joined Celtic from hometown club Gangwon FC for a reported fee of £2m two summers ago, but made very little impact in Glasgow until recently, as the table below outlines.

Appearances

45

16

Minutes

1,753

651

Goals

1

5

Minutes per goal

1,753

130

Assists

4

5

As laid out, since the turn of the year, Yang’s statistics have exponentially improved, scoring five times, most notably bagging a brace at St Mirren Park during a 5-2 victory, with Korean journalist Joel Kim describing his compatriot as “on fire”.

After this win in Paisley, Rodgers credited Yang’s girlfriend for his recent resurgence, telling the BBC that she has been in the country for “a little while”, adding that he’s had a chat with the translator and will do everything in his power to ensure she can stay for a bit longer.

When compared to Kühn, Yang is certainly the man in form, hence why the South Korean deserves to start against Kilmarnock on Saturday to see what he can do at the top end of the pitch in place of the faltering left-footed forward.

Rarely-seen Celtic flop is fast becoming their new James McCarthy

The rarely-seen Celtic flop could end up becoming the new James McCarthy at Parkhead.

ByDan Emery Apr 10, 2025