All posts by h716a5.icu

An accomplished century by Sean Ervine has given Hampshire a scent of their first victory of the season. The Zimbabwean allrounder struck a near-flawless 102 to first steer his side out of trouble and then turn the pressure on to the home team.

Press Association21-Apr-2015
ScorecardMichael Carberry set up Hampshire’s second innings•Getty ImagesAn accomplished century by Sean Ervine has given Hampshire a scent of their first victory of the season, against Warwickshire at Edgbaston. The Zimbabwean allrounder struck a near-flawless 102, his 17th first-class century, to first steer his side out of trouble and then turn the pressure on to the home team.Hampshire were all out for 339 in their second innings, leaving Warwickshire a target of 379, which would be the biggest score of the match, in a day and 11 overs. The Bears negotiated those 11 overs without loss and will begin the last day with all results remain possible on a pitch which is flattening out, but on which wickets have fallen in flurries.The third day followed the pattern of an enthralling tussle which has ebbed and flowed throughout. In the morning, the home side were well on top after Hampshire slumped to 108 for 5, only 147 ahead. Rikki Clarke removed Liam Dawson and James Vince with successive balls and Jeetan Patel had Will Smith stumped and Adam Wheater brilliantly caught at slip by Clarke when the ball looped up off an inside-edged reverse-sweep.Hampshire were in trouble but Michael Carberry stayed firm and found an equally resilient partner in Ervine. Batting positively against Patel, they each hit the New Zealander for six and added 86 in 29 overs before Carberry, having completed his tenth score of 50-plus against Warwickshire in first-class cricket, played on to Clarke for 81.Ervine continued to play with power and purpose and found further productive partners in Gareth Berg and Danny Briggs with whom he added 60 and 61. Berg struck a forceful 36 before slicing Keith Barker’s first ball after tea to William Porterfield at gully. Briggs added a breezy 33 to his first-innings 48 before skying Chris Wright to mid-off.Ervine perished next ball to a fine tumbling catch by Tim Ambrose, but even then Hampshire’s last pair Andre Adams and James Tomlinson added 24 – a frustrating little stand for Warwickshire which might just have lifted the target out of their reach.Warwickshire’s openers weathered a testing burst from Tomlinson to survive intact and trim the target by 47, Ian Westwood moving sweetly to 37 from 39 balls, and send a fine match into its final day wide open.Rikki Clarke was pleased with his early-season rhythm with the ball as his 3 for 63 pegged Hampshire back at Edgbaston. But the Warwickshire allrounder knows his team will have to bat well tomorrow to win the game.”It’s evenly poised,” he said. “We will have to bat well. It will be a tough chase, but Division One cricket is tough. It is good that we came through unscathed tonight and now we have just got to bat well tomorrow and get the job done.”Batting has been tricky at times but less so at others on a slowish pitch. The new ball has a bit of carry but after about 25 overs it becomes quite a difficult wicket to get people out on. There are a few little cracks there that may produce a bit of a problem but we just have to bat well on it.”Clarke was the pick of the Warwickshire attack, dismissing Hampshire’s top three – Liam Dawson and James Vince with successive balls and then Michael Carberry. “I felt in both innings that I bowled well and on a different day could bowl a lot worse and get more wickets,” he said. “I am happy with how it is coming out at the minute and hopefully that rhythm and consistency will stick with me throughout the season.”

Five-and-a-half years after he last bowled for England, as they regained the Ashes at The Oval in 2009, Andrew Flintoff was running in wearing an England shirt

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2015Five-and-a-half years after he last bowled for England, as they regained the Ashes at The Oval in 2009, Andrew Flintoff was running in wearing an England shirt, albeit a training one, as he joined the squad in Brisbane.He played a full part in the session at the Gabba, getting involved in a boxing session and chatting with various members of the team before marking out his run. He was quick to thank the current set-up for inviting him to take part, and also noted how the standards expected at training continue to grow.After the session Flintoff tweeted: “Great fun bowling in the nets @ECB_cricket lads today!! It’s fair to say they practice harder than “in my day”!”As an ex player It’s the greatest compliment to be welcomed back into the dressing @ECB_cricket! Thank you.”There remain some strong links between this squad and Flintoff, not least with the coach Peter Moores who instigated Flintoff’s time with them in Brisbane. He also played alongside Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, James Anderson and Ravi Bopara with Bell going as far back as the 2005 Ashes.”Any player who’s played for their country, and played brilliantly, it’s great to have them around the squad,” Moores told . “Some things move on and some things stay exactly the same.”He came in and gave his view, he had a bowl, and it was good to have him around. With past players, to make sure we build up those relationships is really important. We’ve had some great players who’ve played for England in the past and a group of players now whose job is to represent their country that way now.”Jos Buttler, who has briefly been a team-mate with Flintoff at Lancashire during his T20 comeback, was thrilled to be able to spend time with him.”It’s always great to talk to guys who played the game and obviously being such a big character and such a great player for England as well, I’m sure everyone will want to chat to him,” Buttler added. “He can talk about his career and we can pick his brains. He’s also been playing in Brisbane so he should have some local knowledge for us as well.”England are preparing for the second match of the tri-series against India on Tuesday. With Australia winning their opening two matches, including one with a bonus point, it is already looked as though the contest is now who will join them in the final at the WACA.Anderson, who missed the opening match against Australia after having problems with his troublesome knee, bowled a lengthy spell during the net session on Sunday. If available to face India he would likely replace either Steven Finn or Chris Jordan, while England will need to consider whether they can fit James Tredwell into the line-up.

Two players each from Manchester City, Everton and Leicester help make up an evenly spread XI

Getty Images1Bernard | Everton

Bernard scored one and created two chances in Everton's away win at West Ham.

AdvertisementGetty Images2Marcus Rashford | Manchester United

Rashford netted with his only shot on target against Watford, opening the scoring for the Red Devils.

Getty Images3Bernardo Silva | Manchester City

Bernardo Silva was directly involved in both of Man City's goals against Fulham, scoring one and assisting another.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images4Abdoulaye Doucoure | Watford

Doucoure made more passes (61) and more passes in the opposition half (45) than any Watford player at Old Trafford.

Jude Bellingham “could be a Real Madrid player for life”, says Chris Waddle, with the England international being likened to Paul Gascoigne.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Midfielder joined Blancos in summer of 2023Working on deal until 2029Setting his sights on major silverware in 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

At just 20 years of age, Bellingham has already starred for Borussia Dortmund and Real – breaking records once posted by Cristiano Ronaldo in Spain – and has seen his No.22 shirt retired at first club Birmingham City. He is a Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy award winner and is proving that he can become another ‘Galactico’ at Santiago Bernabeu.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT WADDLE SAID ABOUT BELLINGHAM

Ex-England star Waddle believes La Liga giants in the Spanish capital will already be planning contract extension talks, telling of Bellingham’s present and future: “Real Madrid, the way he's playing, will want to extend that probably after three years or four years. So he could be a Real Madrid player for life, which is not a bad thing. But the good thing with Jude Bellingham is he went to Germany first and he learned a lot in Germany. You have to grow up, you have to learn the language – it's a different culture, it's different football. He seems a very level-headed guy who always works hard. His goals sometimes, you know, people score goals and that helps your performances and gives you confidence and Bellingham just seems to score nearly every week now for Real Madrid. So that's all great for Real Madrid but it's also great for England. I know he missed the last game through injury for England, but he's going to be key at a young age; he’s still a key figure going into it.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

England have booked their tickets to next summer’s European Championship in Germany, with Waddle expecting Bellingham to make a Gazza-esque impact at that tournament alongside world-class Three Lions captain Harry Kane. Waddle, who made the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup with Gascoigne as a talismanic team-mate, added: “You see where Gazza probably came into the World Cup in 1990 as an unknown type. What would happen, you know, what would happen with Paul? Would he shine in the tournament? Would he not get noticed Gazza took it on, he just went into it and thought I'm meant to be here, look out, and we all saw the results in 1990 when I was there with Gazza, the performances. Jude Bellingham could go into this tournament and come out as the star player. But teams will do their homework and if you actually look at England, if you stop probably Kane and Bellingham from playing and getting chances, there's not many people to score goals. I know [Phil] Foden chips in with the odd one and [Bukayo] Saka, but these two will be under the spotlight and they'll be under scrutiny by other teams. They'll look at how England play and I think Harry Kane will be marked closely as with Jude Bellingham. So this is another step he's got to come through, especially Bellingham. He's got to go to the tournament, expectations are massive for the lad. When Gazza won in the tournament when I played with him there were no expectations. So we'll see what happens there but if they can keep that form up all season, that is a massive incentive going in there and other teams will be looking at that and they'll be a bit scared.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM?

Bellingham has hit 15 goals for Real through 17 appearances in all competitions, but he is nursing a shoulder problem at present – with it possible that he will require surgery at some stage as England count down the days to another shot at continental glory in 2024.

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski and Atletico Madrid hero Antoine Griezmann could be on the way to MLS, according to ex-USA star Taylor Twellman.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

MLS tipped to bring in more big namesBarcelona & Atletico stars could joinTwellman insists they won't go to Inter MiamiWHAT HAPPENED?

The former USMNT forward-turned-analyst expects big names to follow the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez by making the move to the United States next summer. However, he does not expect to see them flood into Florida to join the South American duo at Inter Miami.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT TWELLMAN SAID

He told : "I am as intrigued as I've ever been, because I think 2024 summer after the Euros, after Copa America, I think you're gonna see some names being talked about that a lot of people right now would think I was completely out of my mind [for saying]. And I'm not sure I will be come July 15. Let's say [Robert] Lewandowski and Antoine Griezmann come to Major League Soccer this summer. They're not coming to Miami. What does Atlanta do? If Atlanta transfers Thiago Almada [away] for 25 plus million, you know they're not going to sit on their hands, they're going to bring someone else in."

He added: "You've got some real heavy hitters as owners now in this league. I think they're all kind of surveying the field waiting for this summer. And that's where I think that playing field could absolutely 100% be much more even than it is [now]."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The likes of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba have already followed their former Barcelona team-mate Messi to Florida. The American league will hope to recruit more big names from Europe in the coming years to boost its reputation across the world.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT?

The 2024 season of MLS is set to get underway when Messi and Inter Miami take on Real Salt Lake. A few days after their opening game, the Florida side will then make the journey to California to take on the LA Galaxy.

Duncan Fletcher has been handed a one-year extension to his term as India coach

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Mar-2013Duncan Fletcher has been handed a one-year extension as India coach. He had taken over after India’s World Cup win in April 2011, signing a two-year contract. Trevor Penney, who joined as the fielding coach in May 2011, also gets a new one-year deal.The decision to keep Fletcher in charge was taken at the BCCI’s working committee meeting in Mumbai. India’s engagements over the next year including a challenging tour of current No. 1 South Africa, a tour of New Zealand, the Champions Trophy in England and the 2014 World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.”The board has decided to extend his contract,” BCCI president N Srinivasan told reporters after the meeting. “But we have to discuss the terms. I can’t tell you the deliberations of the board. All I can tell you is what is the decision. We have decided to extend it.”Fletcher’s extension had a lot to do with continuity during the team’s re-building phase, a board insider said: “He knows all the youngsters, including the fringe players, very well by now, so it was important to keep the same bond going for a developing side. The fact that virtually every youngster respects him a lot also played a part.”It hasn’t been a smooth ride with India for Fletcher. When he was appointed India were at the top of the Test rankings, but they quickly slid down the charts after comprehensive defeats on tours of England and Australia. There were home victories against relatively lightweight opposition in West Indies and New Zealand, but the pressure increased in late 2012 after England won their first series in India since 1984-85.India have fared better in the one-day format, winning five bilateral series under Fletcher and are currently ranked No. 1. However, they recently lost a high-profile ODI series against Pakistan at home.

Nic Maddinson hopes that some words of wisdom from his childhood idol Justin Langer can help him star during the Australia A tour of Zimbabwe

Brydon Coverdale23-Jun-2011Nic Maddinson hopes that some words of wisdom from his childhood idol Justin Langer can help him star during the Australia A tour of Zimbabwe. At 19, Maddinson is the youngest member of the squad, which departs on Saturday for a series of one-day and four-day games, but he’s already achieved plenty in his short career.There have been two cricket trips to India and one to New Zealand, where he helped Australia win the Under-19 World Cup, and last summer he became the youngest New South Wales player to make a century on first-class debut. He completed the feat at 18 years and 294 days, and by the end of the season he had a second hundred to his name.His arrival on the scene was reminiscent of Phillip Hughes, who three years ago became the youngest man to make a century in a Sheffield Shield final. But whereas Hughes has an unconventional style, Maddinson plays with a more classical technique, similar to his close friend and housemate Usman Khawaja.Perhaps Maddinson can now add some Langer-style mental toughness to his elegant game – not that he has struggled for concentration at the crease so far in his career. Langer is Australia’s assistant coach and has been working with the Australia A players during their camp in Brisbane, and Maddinson said it was a thrill to pick the brains of one of his heroes.”The partnership that him and Hayden had, as a young left-hander it was something that I looked up to,” Maddinson told ESPNcricinfo. “A few years ago when I got the opportunity to start opening, he was definitely an idol. I’ve had the opportunity the last month to do some work with him up at the Academy. It’s been excellent and something I’ll take in to the tour.”I’ve talked to him about the approach to batting and how he goes about things, a few of his experiences. Talking away from cricket and different tours and what goes on. It was excellent for me to see him because he was my idol. It was great to learn from him about cricket in Australia and how he came through the system and went on in his career.”One characteristic Maddinson shares with Langer is the desire to bat for long periods of time. When he was called into the New South Wales Shield side last season, he jumped at the chance to open with his club team-mate Phil Jaques, and went on to compile 113 during 206 minutes at the crease with Jaques and Khawaja there to support him.”I just love having the ability to bat all day and go at your own pace,” he said. “That was where I got the opportunity to open, which is what I like to do. Having Hughes and Warner and Jaques and Katich and Watson around, when I got the opportunity to open I just wanted to do well and prove that I could do it at that level.”During the past month in Brisbane, Maddinson has also impressed Tim Paine, the Australia A captain. Paine hadn’t met the young opener before, but was immediately struck by Maddinson’s level-headed nature, and what he described as “a quiet, unflappable demeanour”.”He’s your typical left-hander,” Paine said. “He looks pretty elegant when he hits the ball. He hits the ball very late and watches it very closely. I think he’s going to be a pretty handy player to have in our top three. It looks like his position where he’ll be batting on this tour is going to be No.3. He just looks like a quality player already at a young age.”It’s been a rapid rise for Maddinson, who moved to Sydney from Nowra on the south coast of New South Wales, where his father is a plumber and his mother a hairdresser. If he performs well in Zimbabwe, higher honours could await in the near future, but equally he knows that with the glut of openers in New South Wales, simply establishing himself in the state side next summer is enough of a goal.”It was a massive surprise to be picked for Australia A,” he said. “I was really honoured to be named in the 25 and looked around the squad at other guys who have played a lot of state cricket and are doing really well, so I thought I wasn’t going to get the opportunity to play.”My main goal for the year is cementing my spot and contributing and hopefully being able to win the Shield at the end of the year for New South Wales. Simon Katich is going to be back full-time this year. It’s going to be hard work. If I get the opportunity to open I’d love to do that again.”One thing that Maddinson can count on is being given opportunities. And if he grabs them, he’ll be one step closer to following Langer into Test cricket.

Kumar Sangakkara has said that the Sri Lankan board should choose a long-term captain as his successor and not give someone a caretaker role

Sriram Veera12-Apr-2011Kumar Sangakkara has said that the Sri Lankan board should choose a long-term captain as his successor and not give someone a caretaker role. Sangakkara said both Tillakaratne Dilshan and Angelo Mathews were ready for captaincy but said they should be given longer tenures if they are to be successful.”You have to look long term. Not just what is good for now. If you want to go for Dilshan, give him the confidence for a long term,” Sangakkara told ESPNcricinfo. “Don’t give the captaincy to Dilshan and say, ‘You are just going to be captain for a year and half.’ It’s not going to be good for him, for he is going to think, ‘My days are numbered anyway.’ And so it won’t be good for the team.”Both Dilshan and Angie [Angelo] are suitable. If they think Angie is too young then Dilshan will do a good job because he has these little touches for success. Anything he does on the field, he has this little knack. I don’t know whether he will be the long-term candidate with his age, but if he keeps himself fit he can easily play the next World Cup.”Or they can take the plunge with Angelo. That is where the selectors have to really make a call. Pressure will have to be shared, if they make a call and if things don’t go well in the first or second year, they will have to be strong that they made a good decision. They will have to put everything possible in to make sure the captain has everything to do a good job. If it doesn’t go well even after that, maybe you can re-evaluate.”Reflecting on his own decision to resign, Sangakkara admitted that it was partly selfish but said the majority of the decision was based on what he felt was good for Sri Lanka. “No matter how much I try to deny it, there is a lot of ‘me’ in that decision. Having said that a large part of the decision is what I think is the way forward for the team. The way forward is not as difficult as people make it out to be. Players come players go and so do captains. Yet teams progress. That is the natural progression.Sangakkara said the administrators had the good of Sri Lankan cricket at heart but should never do anything that affects the players. “You can have your administrative scuffles but when it comes to playing cricket, players should not get involved with administration unless it’s something that directly affects their performance. And administrators should never cross that line. If they can maintain that familiarity and at the same time the professional distance it would be great. It can go wrong. It has gone wrong at times.”Sangakkara said he took the decision to resign three months before the World Cup and that Mahela Jayawardene supported it. “I am not resigning because I am unhappy. I can do this for longer but I don’t think it’s the right thing for me or for the team. Another World Cup is coming up in four years. We think four years is a long time but suddenly you will realise two years have already gone and the system hasn’t changed. A new guy is appointed with hardly any time to lead the team.”Sangakkara said the decisions to phase out Sanath Jayasuriya and Chaminda Vaas were the most difficult ones he took as captain. “It was a very delicate situation because Sanath and Vaasy are legends. You need to be 100% sure you are making the right decision. Personal likes and dislikes have nothing to do with what’s best for the team. We are a family, but you have arguments, your problems – that’s the way it should be, else nothing constructive is going to work.”Sangakkara said age wasn’t the criterion to drop these players and that it was purely about performance and team combination. “Sanath and Vaasy missed selection [for the World Cup] by a whisker. It was unbiased: it’s not about age. If someone is performing and contributing to the value of the dressing room, nothing else matters. It was a never a case of, oh he is old.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the Champions League Twenty20 qualifier between Trinidad & Tobago and Leicestershire in Hyderabad

The Preview by Siddarth Ravindran19-Sep-2011Match factsLeicestershire v Trinidad & Tobago, September 20
Start time 16.00 (10.30 GMT)
Can Paul Nixon and Leicestershire stop T&T?•PA PhotosBig PictureTrinidad & Tobago are one win away from securing a place in the Champions League main draw and a big financial boost after their victory over Ruhuna on September 19. The track at the Uppal Stadium has plenty to interest the spinners, which suited T&T who played only one genuine quick bowler in the attack, and a raft of slower bowlers. Their captain Daren Ganga will have few complaints about the bowling and fielding, but the top-order batting would have been less satisfactory, with only Darren Bravo showing the judgment necessary to thrive on a difficult pitch.Standing in their way will be Leicestershire, surprise Twenty20 champions of England. A county in financial difficulty, coming off a dreadful first-class season and having few crowd-pulling stars may seem like an easy opposition, but as Paul Nixon and Co. showed in the Friends Life t20, Leicestershire have the ability to upset star-studded teams. With losses of around £400,000 last year, the big money on offer for teams qualifying to the main draw will provide an added incentive for Matthew Hoggard and his team.Team newsT&T will be tempted to go in with the same XI that beat Ruhuna. One problem they have to ponder is that with Sherwin Ganga not at his best with the ball, they had to turn to the gentle medium-pace of Lendl Simmons, who was promptly punished for 30 runs in two overs. There aren’t too many alternatives in case one of the frontline bowlers have an off day.One of the oldest members in the Leicestershire squad, 39-year-old Claude Henderson, will have a big role to play, leading the spin department. One of the youngest, Joshua Cobb, who turned 21 last month, will assist him but Cobb’s major role is providing an electric start with the bat which more restrained batsmen like the talented James Taylor can build on.Watch out for …Abdul Razzaq will hit the headlines not only for being a big-hitting game-changing allrounder but because he will become the second Pakistan player to participate in the Champions League, after Yasir Arafat in 2009. “I am sure after this trip our [Pakistan] players will also be able to play in the IPL again,” he said. “I know if I perform well it is a good thing for Pakistan cricket and players as well.”Ravi Rampaul was the only fast bowler used by T&T and he was spot-on in his four overs. He didn’t concede a single boundary in his spell, removed the dangerous Dinesh Chandimal before delivering an accurate final over in which Ruhuna could only score one run.Stats & trivia Andrew McDonald was the highest run-getter in the Friends Life t20 this season, making 584 runs including seven half-centuries Lendl Simmons hit the highest number of sixes in the 2010-11 Caribbean T20 (15) but his strike-rate was still only a modest 111.65Quotes”This team is the most balanced we have ever had in Twenty20 cricket in my career at Leicestershire, no question.”

Dale Steyn, the South Africa fast bowler, said his side had planned to target Australia’s captain Michael Clarke in bowler-friendly conditions in Cape Town

Firdose Moonda at Newlands09-Nov-2011Dale Steyn, the South Africa fast bowler, said his side had planned to target Australia’s captain Michael Clarke in bowler-friendly conditions in Cape Town. Steyn bowled a particularly aggressive spell to Clarke after lunch in which he repeatedly bowled short deliveries that Clarke played and missed at. There were also a few words between the two.”We want to really come hard at someone like Clarke,” Steyn said. “He is a young skipper. That’s the thing you do with any team if they’ve got a new leader in conditions that are pretty tough. When he came out there, we went at him hard. If you can cut the head off the leader, the rest of the body might fall apart.”This time, though, Clarke kept his head and went on to score a century. Clarke said Steyn was one of the fielders who shook his hand after he reached his century, evidence of the friendship the two teams share off the pitch.The duel between Steyn and Clarke began after Clarke’s predecessor, Ricky Ponting, departed shortly after lunch. At that stage, with Australia 40 for 3, South Africa’s tails were up and Steyn said they wanted to justify Graeme Smith’s decision to field first, especially when his opposite number came in. “When the opposition captain comes out and it’s a tricky situation, you really want to show why you stuck the opposition in.”Smith’s choice had already been vindicated when Steyn and new-ball partner Vernon Philander took a wicket each in the first six overs. Both Shane Watson and Phil Hughes were caught in the slips, after being beaten by swing and seam respectively, cutting short battles that were expected to last longer. Ponting was dismissed lbw by Steyn, after a review, and Steyn said it was an important dismissal because Ponting’s demeanour at the crease looked ominous. “He looks a little bit different. Maybe it is giving up the captaincy. He looks like he’s had a load taken off his shoulders.” Smith decided to review the decision even though Steyn did not appear to appeal initially. “Things happen pretty quickly when you are trying to run in and bowl fast,” Steyn said. “You look down and when you look up again the ball has hit the pads and you’re not sure how close it is.”