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Whisper it quietly but Zak Crawley is so far nailing this Ashes

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Polarising opener might not have converted the doubters but he could yet help win the Ashes

Vithushan Ehantharajah17-Jul-2023He is playing Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc better than anyone this Ashes series. His strike rate of 79.67 is the highest among those on either side to have played more than one of the three Tests. All while nestling in the run-scorers’ charts ahead of Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne.He is Zak Crawley. No, really. Don’t refresh just yet. He is him. The most-polarising cricketer over the last 15 months is thriving as the one Bazballer truly nailing his brief.Taking the attack to the opposition, quite literally from ball one when his crunched cover drive off Cummins on that first morning of the first Test in Birmingham set this madcap show on the road. Indulging the licence to be streaky handed down by head coach Brendon McCullum with scores of 61, 7, 48, 3, 33 and 44 – the last of which got England to 93 in the 20th over of the fourth innings as they hunted a target of 251 that was eventually reached after 50, with three wickets to spare.Related

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Cummins, boogieman to Joe Root and a few other diners at Test cricket’s top table, has failed to dismiss Crawley in 96 deliveries so far, with 69 runs taken off him in languid fashion. Starc’s devastating left-arm whip has accounted for Crawley once, and even that was a tame flick down the leg side at Lord’s. The other 48 deliveries have been taken for 42.An opening partnership with Ben Duckett that began last winter in Pakistan has now produced 814 runs across 18 first-wicket stands, averaging 47.88. The pair are ideally suited, left-right, short-tall and both with an insatiable appetite to feel bat on ball and get the scoreboard moving. Their relationship has blossomed and as individuals, they are comfortable with where they are and what they are doing.There’s a lot to be said for that, particularly Crawley’s side of it. A dispiriting 2022 summer averaging 23 led into disappointing winter of 29.30 on flatter decks. And when he started this season stating he did not need to work on his defensive technique and dismissing public comments on his form as ill-judged, ill-informed and unwarranted, you wondered if he was leaning too heavily into a villain arc he could not pull off.Thankfully, he hasn’t. He has retained his sense of self, particularly in a dressing room where he remains a vocal member of an upbeat group thriving in each other’s company.The investment made by McCullum and Ben Stokes at the start of all this is beginning to show returns. At stages last summer, coach and captain took it upon themselves to get around Crawley. More often than not a beer, cigar and a willing ear. On one occasion, they manufactured a three-ball group on a golf day to ensure they had 18 holes with their opener to ease his worries, either through airing or forgetting them.

“If you were unconvinced Crawley was the right man to open the batting, this series is unlikely to have changed your view. Since McCullum and Stokes took over to ‘liberate’ Crawley, his career average has increased by 0.05”

Crawley does seem surer of himself this summer. Perhaps less in need of reassurance because, well, he is doing his job. He is certainly more inclined to let his personality out. It’s worth noting his comment ahead of the Lord’s Test that England would win by “I don’t know, 150” – instead they lost by 43 – was one given in jest, while twirling back-and-forth on an office chair in the Times Radio studio. The video shows the jovial nature of the prediction which got lost in print.Perhaps the most visible representation of his comfort has come in the field. Not only has he taken the third-most catches by an outfielder this series (five, with no drops) he regularly chimes from second slip or in the deep with tactical suggestions for Stokes.The journey to this point has been long, at times arduous. But here he is: able to judge himself on how he has executed the role has without worrying about how things used to be done. Basically, that means not measuring his performance by traditional batting metrics.At this point, we should introduce those “traditional metrics” to this conversation. Because for all of the above, they’re still pretty relevant. Crawley is averaging 32.66 from 196 runs this series. To cynical eyes – the majority on this topic – they tell a familiar story of spurned-starts and non-starts.If you arrived into this series unconvinced Crawley was the right man to open the batting, the last six innings are unlikely to have changed your view. Since McCullum and Stokes took over to “liberate” Crawley, his career average has increased by 0.05 to 28.65. Pretty much everyone else, working within the same parameters, has enjoyed a more significant bump.Peer across the divide and you will see Australia’s selectors mulling over David Warner’s position. Though Warner is having a poor series – 141 at 23.50 – his substantial body of work suggests dropping him is riskier than keeping him. Crawley on the other hand, has nothing like the same credit. Indeed, the idea of him is built upon future earnings. Were they in each other’s shoes, Warner would coast through this tour, and the latter probably wouldn’t be on it.Zak Crawley drives through cover•Getty ImagesIn a way, Warner’s predicament highlights the difficulties of opening the batting in England. And Crawley’s management acknowledges the toughness of the role, maybe even the need to be insulated from the discourse and your own numbers.Those two aspects go hand-in-hand when it comes to Crawley. But we are now at the stage where the extremes are so set in stone that even the mother of all purple-patches won’t tailor the conversation.On one side, an England team and management who laud world-class abilities, extrapolating these smaller contributions in the process. On Monday, Moeen Ali became the latest to step up on that front.”I think when you’re on his side, you think he’s an absolutely gun player,” Moeen said. “It’s almost like the faster and the better the bowler, he plays better. In my opinion, he’s one of the best players around. I know his average probably doesn’t say that, but the way he bats, he’s proper. Hopefully, when it clicks for him, he’ll score a lot of runs.”Then there’s the other end of the spectrum, those who see Crawley as the perfect embodiment of elitism and favouritism. A fee-paying school attendee, from a wealthy family – his father, Terry, was at one point the fifth-richest Briton on the Sunday Times rich list – whose mentor, Rob Key, is now ECB managing director of men’s cricket. The picture painted with broad strokes are of a nepo-baby of Brooklyn Beckham proportions, with an inexplicable Greg from permanence as one of three players, along with Stokes and Root, to have played all 16 Tests of the new era.Many within that second camp are not for turning, and you can understand why. Some of the factors at play are beyond Crawley’s control. It has been two weeks since the ICEC published their report which skewered the ring-fencing of the game, particularly how beholden it is to the private school system. Crawley, a product of that system, is no more the cause than he can be the antidote.As always with matters of privilege and fortune, wasting both would be far worse than having them in the first place. Having made it this far and looked at his most comfortable against the best bowlers in the world, Crawley must continue this rise in form. It may not convert the doubters, but it could yet win England the Ashes.

Blog – Manchester Test to be 'rescheduled' following India's Covid-19 issues

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

What’s the latest on the status of the England-India Test series? Live updates here

Andrew Miller10-Sep-2021The message on the scoreboard after the fifth Test was called off•PA Photos/Getty Images11.19am So, that’s broadly speaking the end of today’s dramas. There has been a resolution of the immediate situation, with India committing to reschedule the outstanding Test, probably next summer, but this is by no means the end of the fall-out from this saga.Among the immediate concerns are those at a local level, with Daniel Gidney, Lancashire’s CEO, stating on Sky that the club faces ‘multi-million pound losses’ due to the late cancellation. “We will need ECB help,” he says, with all the hospitality overheads – staff wages, wasted food bills, loss of bar takings etc – all stacking up.There’s also some question about what the status of this rescheduled game will be. For all that England would like to have the chance to square the series at 2-2, the most pressing issue for the ECB is doubtless the bottom line – and the need to get it played to fulfil their broadcasting requirements. Tom Harrison on Sky raised the possibility that it could yet be treated as a “one-off” Test.”I think [it’s] a standalone situation,” Harrison tells Sky. “We’ve also been offered other options. Being a few hours into this, we probably need to take a look.”The glass-half-full version of this is the prospect of us playing a one-off Test match against India as a focal point on this ground, to come back and give fans the thing they’ve missed out on this time, let’s try and work on that and see if we can deliver it. It would be wonderful. It would be the only good news that comes out of a day like today.”More broadly, this scenario underlines once again the absurdity of cricket’s global schedule. There is simply too much cricket. India have been in England since early June, and the build-up to the World Test Championship final. They are due to embark on the IPL in nine days’ time, then the T20 World Cup, then a tour of New Zealand. And England, as we well know from their rest-and-rotation policy, are feeling the strain of constant touring as much as any side. Something has got to give, and the magnitude of this moment brings it all to a head.11.12am Dinesh Karthik, India’s former wicketkeeper and current pundit, who flew home ahead of this Test to prepare for the IPL, has expressed similar fatigue sentiments with Sky.”I spoke to a few of the guys. The general feeling is, after the fourth Test, this is tiring. Almost all of the games have gone down to the wire, they’re tired and they have only one physio right now. They had two but one went down, along with a couple of the coaches.”So they had one physio and they’d done a lot of work with that man and now he tests positive. That is the problem. If it was somebody else, somebody helping with logistics, they wouldn’t be this afraid. But when this person got it, that’s when they got the jitters.”You also have to understand as soon as this finishes they have the IPL, soon after that the World Cup, and soon after that the NZ series. You’re talking about one-week turnarounds, how many bubbles can they do? They assembled in India on May 16, it’s four months almost now.”

11.04am Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, is on the BBC now, and has acknowledged it is a case of mental fatigue for India, rather than a Covid issue per se, and given that England’s own players lobbied to leave their tour of South Africa last December in similar circumstances, he has expressed some sympathy.”It’s been a long night. It’s just really sad,” he says. “You can’t be flippant about issues of mental health, and this is what this is about. India have been wonderful tourists, but they have been here for a long time.”Playing at this level, week after week, is difficult. Even if we feel we are emerging from the pandemic, life is different for the players. When Covid creeps into an environment, it can accelerate very quickly.”Hopefully we can get this Test on some other time, but it won’t be the same as it having the conclusion after four brilliant matches.”The BCCI, this India team and their captain want to make their mark in Test cricket. I don’t think the IPL should worry people who feel there is an agenda is at place here.”I was on the phone all night. Once those fears creep in they can be very hard to shift. There are no winners in this one.”100% the BCCI wanted to get this game on. There is a strong relationship between the ECB and BCCI. We will definitely come through this, probably even stronger than we went in.”10.49am We are ten minutes out from the scheduled start of the Test, and we’ve already had more developments this morning than in many morning sessions. We still await the ECB’s response to the BCCI’s offer of a rescheduling, although Tom Harrison, the chief executive, is due to speak to the media shortly.Here, incidentally, is England’s schedule for 2022, as confirmed by the ECB earlier this week. Three Tests each against New Zealand and South Africa, sandwiching India’s white-ball tour in July.Not a lot of wriggle-room at first glance. The logical gap would be the first fortnight in August, prior to the South Africa Tests, by which stage the India squad would have been in England and acclimatised. Failing that, the second half of September might work … details, details…ESPNcricinfo Ltd10.28am The series is still live! The BCCI says that the two boards will look to reschedule the Test… remarkable scenes…”In lieu of the strong relationship between BCCI and ECB, the BCCI has offered to ECB a rescheduling of the cancelled Test match. Both the Boards will work towards finding a window to reschedule this Test match.”Wow, that’s a development. Quite how and when they will do this remains to be seen. Although India are due to return to the UK in 2022 for three T20Is and three ODIs, so there’s some feasibility there. Apart from anything else, James Anderson will be 40 years by then… but Ben Stokes and maybe even Jofra Archer could be back for the decider…”The BCCI has always maintained that the safety and well-being of the players is of paramount importance and there will be no comprise on that aspect.”The BCCI would like to thank the ECB for their co-operation and understanding in these trying times. We would like to apologise to the fans for not being able to complete an enthralling series.”10.24am Lancashire have issued a statement, with Daniel Gidney, the chief executive, saying the club is “absolutely devastated about the late cancellation” of the Old Trafford Test.”We’d like to unreservedly apologise to ticket holders and all those that have or are due to travel to Emirates Old Trafford. A full refund will be issued, but we appreciate for many supporters, attending this Test match is more than just the monetary worth. After the last 18 months we’ve all experienced through the pandemic, it’s a fixture cricket fans in the North West have looked forward to for the best part of 18 months.”You can’t underestimate the work that goes into preparing for a five-day Test Match and I’d like to thank all our supporters, guests, suppliers, partners and all those involved for their continued support. I’d also like to thank all of the amazing staff who work at Emirates Old Trafford who have worked tirelessly to prepare the ground for the Test. We have an incredibly loyal and talented group of people who have worked very long hours in the run up to this game.”We are working closely with the England and Wales Cricket Board on next steps and the finer detail that will follow as a consequence of this cancellation. The Club will contact ticket and hospitality holders.”The Club would like to once again express it’s sincere apologies for all inconvenience and disruption caused to all involved.”10.10am A reminder that the IPL begins in the UAE in just nine days’ time – which is a medium-sized elephant in the room as this situation reaches its final shake-down. Remember the stories earlier this summer, that the ECB had been requested to rejig the summer schedule to ensure a window for the prompt start of the tournament.It remains to be seen if India will be seeking to fly out of the UK early, but if there are fears of Covid cases within their camp, that would be problematic, you’d imagine…In the United Kingdom, any person who receives a positive PCR test for Covid-19 is obliged to self-isolate for 10 days. Anyone identified as a close contact was also required to self-isolate for 10 days, but an exemption came into law from August 16 for all those who are more than 14 days past their second vaccination, meaning those who are double-jabbed no longer have to self-isolate as close contacts.Close contacts can be those who live in the same household as those who have tested positive for Covid-19, anyone who has had a face-to-face conversation within one metre, someone who has been within one metre for longer than a minute without face-to-face contact, or someone who has been within two metres for a period of 15 minutes or more. Or sharing a dressing-room during emotional matchwinning scenes at The Oval…9.51am It’s a little way down the immediate priorities for the two teams, but the question of “cancelled” versus “forfeited” could have significant implications for the 2021-23 World Test Championship, which came down to the wire for these two teams last time out as well. A Covid outbreak is considered an acceptable reason for non-compliance by the ICC, therefore the series could be simply reclassified as a four-match series, with India taking the rubber 2-1 and a recalculated percentage of the available points.But if the ECB, as seems to be their current stance, decide that this is not acceptable non-compliance from India, the result will go to the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee. As things stand, India will take 26 WTC points and England 14 out of the total available of 48 points.The different messages on the big screen at Old Trafford once the fifth Test was called off•Getty Images9.47am Nagraj Gollapudi has updated our main news story on this drama, with remarkable details about the to-ing and fro-ing within the India team hotel in the past 24 hours. If ever there was any doubt this is a “live situation”…”A sense of confusion had spread among the Indian camp in the last two days even as the BCCI was in discussions with ECB over whether to carry on with the series or cancel the final Test. While the discussion carried on through the middle of Thursday night, the Indian contingent remained unaware of the what decision the BCCI was going to take.”However, it is understood the BCCI did ask the players to keep their bags ready to fly out to the UAE for the IPL well ahead of the scheduled departure date of September 15, when the bulk of the India and England players were to board charter flights to join their franchises.”Then on Friday morning, a few hours before the official toss time, the Indian camp received a message on their team WhatsApp group. The first message said: “The match has been called off. It’s impt that each one of you stay in your room.” About 10 minutes later another message popped up on the group: “We are unable to arrange breakfast in your room so if you want you can go to the restaurant to have your meal.”9.35am The parallels between this scenario and the Oval 2006 Test continue apace, because the behind-the-scenes wrangling at board level are sure to continue for a while yet.It is understood that the ECB are still pushing hard for this match to be considered a “forfeiture” – ie, India declining to play – because they fear that their insurance payments for the match may not apply if it is considered a bilateral “cancellation”, especially given that India’s squad returned a full round of negative tests on Thursday, so it is not – in their view – a straightforward Covid cancellation.The matter is complicated by the suggestion that it was the players themselves who lobbied for the match to be called off, despite the BCCI initially supporting its go-ahead. Privately, there is also a feeling that it was the book launch last week, attended by the India squad and after which Ravi Shastri, the head coach, returned a positive test, that is considered “patient zero” for this outbreak.Groundstaff take a breather following news of the cancellation of the fifth Test•AFP/Getty Images9.23am The capacity of Emirates Old Trafford is approximately 21,500, so that’s going to be a lot of disappointed supporters over the next five days. They will all be reimbursed as per the ECB’s cancellations policy, but it’s a big hole in Lancashire’s finances all the same. And who knows where it sits with the ECB’s broadcasting deal – that will be one of the major issues to be thrashed out between the two boards in the coming hours. Ironic, really, seeing as Old Trafford was one of the bio-secure venues that ensured the 2020 summer schedule went without a hitch.9.12am So many questions about what happens next, but none of them look like being answered in a hurry. The ECB and BCCI are still resolving the immediate fall-out of a situation.Sky Sports News are reporting that ICC match referee, Chris Broad, will determine the result of the series – 2-1 with a cancellation, or 2-2 if India are deemed to have forfeited the match. Shades of The Oval Test against Pakistan in 2006…

8.58am The ECB has confirmed that the “forfeiture” line in their statement was amended after publication, adding that they are “working through details with BCCI right now, so bit of a live situation”.8.45am So that’s it then. The Old Trafford Test has been cancelled without a ball being bowled.A statement has just landed from the ECB: “Following ongoing conversations with the BCCI, the ECB can confirm that the fifth Test between England and India Men due to start today at Emirates Old Trafford, will be cancelled.Due to fears of a further increase in the number of COVID cases inside the camp, India are regrettably unable to field a team.We send our sincere apologies to fans and partners for this news, which we know will cause immense disappointment and inconvenience to many.Further information will be shared in due course.”The initial wording of the statement from the ECB, as per their website, stated that India would be “forfeiting” the match, meaning the series would finish 2-2. That word is missing now, so we await clarification of what this means for the series.8.07am Good morning and welcome to what should be the first morning of the fifth Test between England and India at Emirates Old Trafford. Unfortunately, we’ve just got word that there will be no play today. ESPNcricinfo understands that a number of India players have expressed reservations about taking the field in the wake of India’s assistant physiotherapist Yogesh Parmar testing positive for Covid-19. Although the entire squad returned negative RT-PCR tests on Thursday, they will now undergo a further round, with the hope that the match may be able to start over the weekend.

Red Sox to Call Up Top Pitching Prospect, Place Dustin May on Injured List

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

The Boston Red Sox are expected to place pitcher Dustin May on the 15-day injured list with an undisclosed injury, and No. 6 prospect Connelly Early is being called up from Triple A Worcester to make his major league debut on Tuesday against the Athletics, according to a report from Foul Territory.

The 23-year-old Early was selected by the Red Sox in the fifth-round of the 2023 MLB amateur draft out of the University of Virginia, and has flown through the minor league system.

Early began the 2025 season in Double A Portland, going 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA. He earned a promotion to Triple A Worcester and has continued his stellar season, posting a 3-1 record with a 2.83 ERA in 28.2 innings pitched.

The Red Sox enter Tuesday with an 80-65 record and sit in third-place in a hotly contested American League East. Boston is three games behind the first-place Toronto Blue Jays.

Hat-trick hero Bray wants to stay a two-sport sensation

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Sydney Sixers teen sensation Caoimhe Bray wants to play elite cricket and soccer for as long as possible, still pinching herself she is following Ellyse Perry’s path.Bray, 16, captured headlines again on Saturday night when she became the youngest player to take a hat-trick in any of the main women’s T20 leagues.Still on modified training in cricket given her age, Bray remains in junior Matildas camps and has played as a goalkeeper in the national Under-17 side.Injury restricted her involvement with soccer last winter, while Bray has prioritised the WBBL over the A-League Women competition after signing a three-year deal with Sixers.The NSW product has conceded she will likely need to choose a sport at some point, but believes there is no need to make a decision imminently.”I have to commit myself to the cricket for the summer part of the season. And when winter comes around, that’s when soccer comes back,” Bray said. “So many people are asking the question will you still be playing soccer or still be playing cricket. People have their own opinions, like ‘go into cricket, surely’.”But so much can change. I have the three years signed with the Sixers and so much can change over that period. If you don’t know the future, neither do I. I don’t know what it will be like in a few years. But I am going to try and stick to [doing both] as much as I can.”Bray’s situation is eerily similar to Perry’s, who famously played in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup for Australia while also playing international cricket.She said she was still pinching herself to be sharing a field with Perry, and doing her best not to bug the 35-year-old too much.Perhaps the most impressive thing about Bray is that her rise has come on largely modified programs.The seamer only did two days a week at NSW training in the pre-season, rather than four, and is still kept from bowling 10 overs in a 50-over game.”There were things during the Breakers pre-season I didn’t do compared to others, just because of my age,” Bray said. “It was just like there is no point for you to do it. They said: ‘you are changing so much in terms of height and body’.”You don’t want to overwork too much because that is when you break down. They are trying to look out for that.”

Shamim returns to Bangladesh T20I squad after captain-selector war of words

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Bangladesh have added Shamim Hossain to the squad for the third T20I against Ireland, to be played on Tuesday.The move came after captain Litton Das had criticised the selectors for leaving Shamim out of the squad for the series, saying that neither he nor coach Phil Simmons had been informed about it. Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain said last Friday that Shamim was being dropped to give Mahidul Islam Ankon a run in the middle order.”I think it would have been better if [Shamim] was in the team. But this is not my call, [it is] totally the selectors’ call,” Litton, known to be a mild-mannered man, had said before the first T20I. “I don’t know why, but the selector dropped Shamim without giving us notice. I have known that a captain would know which player would be in the team, and which player would be out of the team. I don’t see any reason behind Shamim getting dropped. It would have been better if he was in the team.”Ashraf countered Litton later the same day, saying that he didn’t need the captain’s permission to select or not select a player, though there has clearly been a change of heart now.The relationship between the two has reportedly been frosty since Ashraf dropped Litton during the ODI series against Sri Lanka last year.For the record, Shamim had recorded scores of 0, 0, 1 and 1 in his last four T20Is.The T20I series is level at 1-1 going into the decider.

Bangladesh squad for third T20I against Ireland

Litton Das (capt, wk), Saif Hassan (vice-capt), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Nurul Hasan, Mahidul Islam, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shamim Hossain

Can Bangladesh spring a surprise on heavyweights Australia?

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Bangladesh have run England and South Africa close in the tournament, but now need to cause an upset if they want to enter the top four

Vishal Dikshit15-Oct-20253:13

Australia waiting for their batting to click as a unit

Big Picture: Can Bangladesh give Australia a scare?After the puffing and panting England and South Africa were forced to do in their modest chases this World Cup, Bangladesh’s next target is the biggest fish of them all – world champions Australia. Playing only their second ODI World Cup, Bangladesh would want to drop the seven-time champions a reminder of how their meeting in the 2022 edition had unfolded, when Bangladesh had given Australia a few stutters while defending 135 in a truncated match in Wellington.Three-and-a-half-years on, Bangladesh have grown by leaps and bounds by running England and South Africa close in this edition, nearly winning on both occasions. Their bowlers had England on the ropes in a modest chase of 178 while their batters set the stage nicely against an experienced South African attack a few days back. However, their fielding let the match slip through with dew around in Visakhapatnam.Three days on, Bangladesh need to ensure they put their best foot forward in all aspects against the defending champions, if they hope to turn their dream of entering the top four on the points table into reality.Australia started their campaign with two collapses before rescue acts saved them against New Zealand and Pakistan. Their top order – primarily driven by Alyssa Healy – then got among the runs in their slightly tense win over India, but a few late wickets also had them break into a sweat. Bangladesh will be keen to punch a few holes early into that batting order, for that’s their best chance.Form guide
Australia WWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)Bangladesh LLLWL1:44

Sutherland: Our bowling attack covers all bases

In the spotlight: Marufa and LitchfieldMarufa Akter will hold the key to Bangladesh’s hopes with the new ball. She has had two poor games after her early wickets against both England and Pakistan in the early stages of the tournament. Her hooping inswingers become unplayable when pitched correctly well outside off, which she was unable to do against South Africa. She didn’t get her rhythm right that day, her captain said, and Marufa will hope her mojo is back on Thursday, and keep the inswinging threat going by taking a leaf out of Fatima Sana’s book from her spell against England on Wednesday.Related

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Top-order turbulences, left-arm spin traps and catching concerns

'It was very difficult' – dew and drops dampen Bangladesh's spirits

Healy: Batting collapses 'not a worry' but it's 'something we'd like to rectify'

For the kind of promise she has shown so early in her career and at such a young age, 22-year-old Phoebe Litchfield is always among the young players to watch out for heading into a big tournament. She got to face only 45 balls in the middle and lower order in the T20 World Cup last year in the UAE, and now her maiden ODI World Cup has had a slightly lukewarm start. Her quick knock against India had all the signs of a big score before she fell for 40. However, the conditions in Visakhapatnam, where runs are on offer and quick bowlers are getting dispatched, might favour her.Team newsAustralia won’t feel the need to tinker with their winning XI that beat India on the same ground, covering all bases with their spin and pace attack. Megan Schutt and Ellyse Perry had walked off against India with cramps in hot and humid conditions, but there was nothing serious with their injury concerns. Only if Sophie Molineux needs a break, since she has returned to international cricket after ten months because of a knee surgery, will Australia make a change by bringing back Georgia Wareham.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (cap & wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Beth Mooney, 5 Annabel Sutherland 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Sophie Molineux/Georgia Wareham, 9 Kim Garth, 10 Alana King, 11 Megan SchuttBangladesh nearly pulled off a victory against South Africa on this ground a few days ago, and they seem to have the right balance – with a swing bowler and plenty of spinners – to suit the conditions, which don’t offer much for pace bowlers.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Fargana Hoque, 2 Rubya Haider, 3 Sharmin Akhter, 4 Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), 5 Shorna Akter, 6 Sobhana Mostary, 7 Rabeya Khan, 8 Ritu Moni, 9 Fahima Khatun, 10 Nahida Akter, Marufa Akter2:01

Mostary: The younger players just try to give their best

Pitch and conditions: Runs aplenty expectedThe pitches used in the three matches in Visakhapatnam so far have all offered runs, some swing early on and purchase for the spin bowlers, when they aren’t bowling too much over 80kmh. There was plenty of dew in the last game when the Bangladesh bowlers struggled to control the ball while trying to defend 232 against South Africa, and similar conditions could be expected for Thursday. There has been intermittent rain in the build up to all the matches here. For a change, Thursday looks completely clear for the heat and humidity to dominate.Stats and trivia Shorna Akter scored the fastest half-century for Bangladesh in ODIs, against South Africa, off just 34 balls Australia and Bangladesh played a three-match ODI series in Bangladesh in March 2024 which Australia won 3-0 Annabel Sutherland’s five-for against India was only the third five-wicket haul for an Australian player in ODI World Cups. The first two were by Tina Macpherson and Lyn Fullston (twice) Alyssa Healy has the joint-most hundreds (three) in ODI World Cups, along with Meg Lanning and Karen Rolton. Nat Sciver-Brunt leads the overall list with five centuries. Fahima Khatun and Marufa Akter are the only Bangladesh players to have won Player-of-the-Match awards in ODI World Cups.Quotes
“I think we had a really good series against them a little bit over a year ago, which sort of gave us some really good insight. Pretty similar team that they’re coming out with in this World Cup so far. So we’ve got some really good intel on that and can obviously look back at the games so far.”
“After the last match (against South Africa) there was no negative talk. Everyone – senior, junior and the team management – spoke only about the positive things.”

Celtic discover extent of Callum Osmand injury that has "never happened to him before"

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

After another difficult evening for Celtic in the Europa League, they’ve now discovered the extent of the injury that Callum Osmand picked up in another frustrating blow.

The Bhoys fell to a 3-1 defeat against Midtjylland and remain with just the one win to their name on the European stage this season – making qualification into the next round a mere fantasy at this stage.

Celtic schedule first interview with 37 y/o manager who dreams of Hoops job

The Bhoys are still on the hunt for their Brendan Rodgers replacement.

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 6, 2025

For all the good work that Martin O’Neill has done so far this season, not even the Northern Irishman could turn his side’s fortunes around outside of domestic action and he once again distanced himself from the permanent job.

What the defeat has certainly done is pile the pressure on Dermot Desmond and the rest of the Celtic board to get their next decision right and get it done sooner rather than later.

Ange Postecoglou pulled out of the race for the job in the early stages and that dealt the Bhoys an undeniable blow. Since then, however, other impressive candidates have emerged such as Club Brugge’s Nicky Hayen and Kieran McKenna.

Reports have even gone as far as to suggest that McKenna is open to the job in what could hand Celtic quite the boost. The Ipswich Town boss has struggled to get the best out of his side in the Championship so far this season, but no one will be forgetting the history that he made at Portman Road anytime soon.

Alas, before any manager can arrive, it’s up to O’Neill to get the Hoops back to winning ways and do so without recent Old Firm hero Osmand.

Celtic discover extent of Callum Osmand injury

As revealed by O’Neill at full-time, Osmand suffered a pulled hamstring against Midtjylland and will now be missing for at least a few weeks. It’s a major blow for the 19-year-old, who just took his place in Celtic’s Europa League squad off the back of putting Celtic out of sight with his effort in the Scottish League Cup semi-final against Rangers.

With Celtic’s attack already coming under fire this season, they now have the task of squaring off against Kilmarnock and others without one of their most promising talents.

Celtic frontrunner McKenna now wants Hoops job

Southampton now "looking to finalise" deal with "underrated" manager after contact

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

Southampton are taking significant steps in their search for a new manager after sacking Will Still last week.

The Saints, after an underwhelming start to the campaign, sit 19th in the Championship, just six points above the relegation zone, having won just three of their 14 league games so far.

Southampton’s turbulent season took another dramatic turn when the club parted ways with Still after just five months in charge. The 33-year-old’s brief tenure at St Mary’s came to an abrupt end following a 2-0 home defeat to Preston North End, their third consecutive loss and fifth straight game without a win at the time.

Still recorded a dismal average of just 0.92 points per game in the Championship, leaving Southampton chiefs with no choice but to pull the plug.

Will Still’s tenure at Southampton

Competition

Matches

Wins

Draws

Losses

Points

Points per match

Championship

13

2

6

5

12

0.92

EFL Cup

3

2

0

1

6

2.00

Total

16

4

6

6

18

1.13

via Transfermarkt

It marked yet another chapter in Sport Republic’s chaotic ownership, with Still becoming the latest in a long line of coaches sacked during their regime.

Still arrived with growing pedigree after a few successful years in France and was once regularly linked with a Premier League move, but struggled to translate that success to English football.

The Belgian native was tasked with securing an immediate return to the Premier League following last season’s relegation, but instead left Southampton perilously close to a second consecutive drop that would represent an unthinkable disaster.

Now, the process to hire his successor has begun, and there are a few noteworthy candidates who are being mentioned by the media.

Under-21s boss Tonda Eckert has been appointed interim manager and immediately guided the team to a 2-1 victory at QPR, temporarily halting the rot. However, Southampton’s hierarchy are actively searching for a permanent replacement.

Reports suggest high-flying Coventry City boss Frank Lampard is an ambitious option for Southampton, with the Saints also weighing up a reunion for Russell Martin.

A number of other candidates are being assessed too, including Stoke City manager Mark Robins (talkSPORT), England Under-21 boss Lee Carsley, and Gary O’Neil.

In terms of the latter, Telegraph reporter Mike McGrath shared news earlier this week that O’Neil is a strong contender for the Southampton job, and there’s now been another update on the Englishman’s potential appointment.

Southampton 'looking to finalise' Gary O'Neil deal after making approach

As per TEAMtalk, O’Neil is emerging as the clear frontrunner to take charge.

The south coast club have now made an approach to O’Neil over their vacant position, with talks expected to intensify in the coming days as both parties “look to finalise an agreement”.

O’Neil is said to be in pole position to become Southampton’s new manager, with the club having admirers of his previous Premier League work.

Southampton’s search has apparently narrowed to three main candidates. Former Manchester United star Michael Carrick, who was most recently manager of Middlesbrough, remains in contention due to his strong reputation, while Martin is also still a candidate and would be open to discussions about returning to St Mary’s after his Rangers dismissal.

O’Neil is said to be “highly respected” in Premier League circles after his work at Bournemouth and Wolves (Miguel Delaney), even if his tenures did end in sour fashion, and he was briefly considered for the West Ham job recently.

The 42-year-old steered a hapless Bournemouth side clear of relegation in his first season with limited resources, and took charge of Wolves in very difficult circumstances after Julen Lopetegui’s sudden exit — briefly steadying the ship at Molineux.

His track record suggests that O’Neil could be an astute appointment by Sport Republic, and given his free agent status, Southampton won’t have to fork out a compensation fee.

O’Neil has also been called an “underrated” tactician.

Celtic and Rangers "monitoring" possible free agent deal for star Tony Mowbray loves

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Celtic are battling Rangers for the services of a “wonderful” free agent signing.

Rodgers delighted after vital Celtic win

The Hoops beat Motherwell 3-2 in stoppage time on Sunday afternoon, ensuring that they remain just two points behind leaders Hearts in the Scottish Premiership table.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was delighted with the victory, realising that his side weren’t at their best, but praising the “heart” that his players showed.

“I think the players deserve a huge amount of credit because it’s not easy to play here, especially when you’re behind in the game. The guys coming into the game made a big impact for us and we won through in the end, and I think deservedly so with the opportunities that we had, but it was still a very tough game.

“When you’re still trying to find the level of performance that we would want, you still have to show a big heart and you have to dig out results, and that’s what we did today. It’s been a tough start for us in a number of ways, on and off the pitch, but the one thing is that it hopefully can galvanise us, and I think the supporters will be proud of the players in terms of the heart they showed, and the spirit to keep going.”

Away from the on-pitch action, Celtic continue to eye potential new signings, with a new update now emerging over one rumoured transfer target for the Scottish champions.

New update on Celtic signing "wonderful" ace

Speaking to Football Insider, O’Rourke shared an update on Celtic’s chances of signing Saint-Etienne midfielder Pierre Ekwah, who is in the process of departing the French club, with the dispute to terminate his contract still ongoing.

“I would be surprised. Obviously you’ve got those added complications of him trying to sort out his contract situation at Saint Etienne. There’s a bit of a standoff going on between Ekwah and obviously the club as well over that one. So I think it’s one that both clubs (Celtic and Rangers) will be monitoring, maybe moving for the former Sunderland man because of that.

Pierre Ekwah in action for Sunderland.

“The player has not taken part in much of Saint Etienne’s pre-season or played any games as well. He’d be lacking fitness. He’d probably be waiting for a while before he could be match ready for either Celtic or Rangers as well. So that’s why I think it’d be a deal that maybe both clubs will be wary of stepping in for Ekwah.

“I don’t think Celtic or Rangers will be pushing to do that. I do think both clubs are probably well stocked in midfield as well. They don’t need to bring in a midfielder as a free agent in the current circumstances. I think both clubs have got enough cover.”

It would be a shame for Celtic not to sign Ekwah, considering the 23-year-old is a versatile player who can shine in midfield and defence, being hailed as “wonderful” by Tony Mowbray, having worked together at Sunderland.

Worse than Saracchi: Rodgers must drop Celtic flop who lost the ball 13x

Celtic must drop this Celtic flop who was even worse than Marcelo Saracchi against Motherwell.

By
Dan Emery

Oct 5, 2025

As O’Rourke alludes to, though, the Hoops do have good depth in the middle of the park currently, and there are more pressing areas to focus on moving forward, like the need for a long-term solution up front despite Kelechi Iheanacho’s positive start in Glasgow.

Carse to take new ball in untried England seam attack

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Brydon Carse will play his first home Test match against India at Headingley and will do so in an unfamiliar role. England spent more than a decade with James Anderson and Stuart Broad as their new-ball bankers but this week opening the bowling alongside Chris Woakes will be Carse, taking on a job he has not done regularly since 2019.Carse was England’s standout bowler across their winter tours to Pakistan and New Zealand, showcasing his pace, bounce, ability to nip the ball in off the seam, and physical robustness to take 27 wickets at 19.85 in his first five Tests. But he only once took the new ball, and that was effectively by default, as one of two fast bowlers in the second Multan Test.England gave him the chance to open the bowling in their recent ODI series win over West Indies, when he took an early wicket in all three matches, and were sufficiently impressed to give him another opportunity this week. He may return to first change when Gus Atkinson returns to fitness, but his performance at Headingley could have long-term implications.Related

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Ben Stokes insisted on Thursday that his players are solely focused on the India series, rather than the away Ashes that follows. But with Woakes’ struggles overseas well established, Carse will have the opportunity to turn himself into a viable opening bowler for England in Australia this winter – potentially sharing the new ball with Atkinson, with Mark Wood at first change.Stokes said that England’s decision to hand Carse the new ball will also help them get the best out of Josh Tongue who, like Carse, has spent most of his first-class career as a change bowler. Tongue had a quiet match for England Lions against India A in Northampton this month, but will win his fourth cap in Leeds after missing the whole of last summer through injuries.”I know it’s a different format and different colour ball, but Brydon looked very threatening with the Kookaburra in the white-ball series leading up to this,” Stokes said. “The skills Tonguey has, I think it suits him better in the role he’s got in this team, being first change. But Brydon looks all the part of a new-ball bowler.”Carse has practised with new balls in training this week to prepare for the role, and believes versatility is one of his strengths. “I’d like to think I can be quite adaptable,” he said. “Over the winter, we saw slightly different conditions and different roles used… Being adaptable and being flexible around my role in the team is something that I know is probably going to happen.”Brydon Carse is set to play his first home Test•Getty Images

He is fully fit after a serious toe injury ruled him out of the IPL and last month’s Test against Zimbabwe, and revealed – half-joking – last month that he had considered an amputation. “It was true, what I said. I’ve had a lot of friends giving me a lot of stick asking if I still have my toe,” Carse said on Tuesday. “It was a little tricky period over the winter.”It was an even trickier period for him last summer. This time last year, Carse had just started serving a three-month ban from all cricket for gambling offences; he did not place bets on any matches that he was involved in, but placed more than 300 on other cricket matches between 2017 and 2019, which violates the ECB’s anti-corruption regulations.The ban ended up working in his favour when he made his Test debut in Pakistan: rather than arriving in Multan at the end of a long season, he was physically fresh after working hard on his fitness while suspended, and was able to endure the challenge of back-to-back Tests on pitches which offered no lateral movement for fast bowlers.He should get more assistance in Leeds this week on a surface that had a healthy grass covering on Thursday afternoon. Carse has played seven Hundred games at Headingley for Northern Superchargers and an ODI for England last year, but believes his first home Test will provide a “different feeling” to anything he has experienced before.”I’m so excited,” he said. “To be at home and to be in familiar surroundings gives me a lot of confidence. It’s a good chance to see where our side is at the moment, with a couple of younger players and slightly less experience. It’s a great opportunity to stamp down our authority throughout the series.”England’s seam-bowling resources are depleted in Leeds, but they hope to bolster them as the series wears on. Atkinson, who has a hamstring strain, has trained at Headingley this week and could be in contention for the second Test in Birmingham, while Jofra Archer is set to make his comeback to first-class cricket this week for Sussex in the County Championship.Stokes revealed on Thursday that Archer had been texting him about the prospect of making his return against Zimbabwe. “I was like, ‘Let’s just hold it there, all right,'” Stokes said. “It’s great that he’s in a position now where we’re looking to build his overs and his loads back up to hopefully be considered at some point for the series, which would be great.”

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