Category Uncategorized

A season’s diary that will challenge anyone who thought county cricket was a stroll in the park

Robin Martin-Jenkins06-Jun-2009

In the foreword to this book Stephen Fleming recounts how delighted he was on being told his county, Nottinghamshire, had signed Mark Waugh. He was a bit surprised, too, as the Australian had retired two years earlier.Fleming had to mask his regret when he found out it was actually the Mark Wagh from Birmingham, the one without the “u”. But while Waugh was one of the most graceful batsmen of his generation I’d be surprised if he could write as elegantly as he bats. Wagh from Birmingham, on the other hand, is one of only a handful of county cricketers to have written an intelligent and informative book about the game without recourse to a ghost writer.The result, on the surface, is a straightforward diary of a batsman’s season during a year in which his county, Nottinghamshire, came within a sliver of winning two trophies. But delve in and you are taken deep into the psyche of the journeyman county cricketer, a place of fear, paranoia, self-loathing, and just occasionally joy. All of which is unsurprising coming from a psychology graduate from Oxford.Wagh intersperses the short accounts of the matches and practice days that make up the body of the season with longer reflections on the psychology of the game. What is mental strength? What makes a good captain? These are interesting enough, if a little studied. There are moments of fun in the dressing room: a banana-eating contest to stave off boredom on a rainy day; coach Mick Newell’s almost schizophrenic strops; any event involving Mark Ealham.But it is the refreshing candour with which Wagh analyses his own performances and his interaction with team-mates that is the real heartbeat of the book. He is a one-man testament to the theory that cricket is played 90% with the mind and only 10% with the body. Time and again the reader is transported into the mind of Wagh as he takes guard with myriad negative thoughts thundering past. Batting is indeed a “mental ordeal”.Wagh takes you on this journey of self-discovery with disarming honesty. Accounts of seemingly innocent events on and off the pitch are laced with self-reproach. A misdirected throw that costs his team a run during a comfortable victory haunts him for days, and a visit to a children’s orphanage on a pre-season tour of Uganda leaves him feeling awkward when he finds he has “virtually no ability to relate to kids”. His humility leaves you rooting for the man as he wades through the mire of a long county season.Fleming eventually enjoyed watching the stylish batting of his new team-mate as well as his company in the dressing room – just as cricketing enthusiasts should enjoy spending time in the mind of one of the county game’s most underrated batsmen of recent times.Pavilion to Crease… and Back
by Mark Wagh
Fairfield Books,hb, 159pp, £15

Shoaib Bashir is England’s best bowler on the day, which ends with India comfortably ahead by 255 runs with two first-innings wickets in hand

Alan Gardner08-Mar-20241:35

Manjrekar: Rohit had an answer to all of Stokes’ plans

Stumps India took the scenic route to a match-dominating position in the Dharamsala Test, batting throughout the second day to amass a lead of 255 over England with two wickets still standing. There were hundreds for Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, fifties for Sarfaraz Khan and the debutant Devdutt Padikkal, as the India top order all contributed to post an imposing total in the shadow of the Dhauladhars.Even some Ben Stokes magic with the ball could not turn the tide of England’s fortunes. Stokes claimed the wicket of Rohit with his first delivery of the series, having not bowled competitively since the second Test of last year’s Ashes. A sharply seaming ball that hit Rohit’s off stump as he resumed his innings after the lunch break not only ended a 171-run stand for the second wicket, but added to the list of what-might-have-beens for England on this tour.With Stokes back to fulfill his allrounder status after a gap of 251 days, England’s attack plugged away manfully in placid conditions. But they were let down by a few scruffy moments in the field, which included Stokes dropping Sarfaraz in his follow through from a delivery that was subsequently called a no-ball.Shoaib Bashir impressed once again, providing both durability and cutting edge despite still suffering the after-effects of a stomach bug that limited his involvement in the build-up. His 44-over stint matched the first innings in Ranchi for his longest in first-class cricket, and had Zak Crawley not missed a sharp chance at leg slip when Rohit was on 68, Bashir might have been able celebrate a second five-for in only his third Test. Then, in Bashir’s final over of the day, Stokes put down Kuldeep Yadav in the slips as India’s ninth-wicket pair successfully navigated a way to the close.2:52

Would England have benefited with Stokes bowling through the series?

After a serene morning session for India in which they had added 129 without loss, Rohit’s dismissal was followed by Gill having his off stump flattened, James Anderson bagging wicket No. 699 in Tests and giving England something to rally around. The lead at that stage was 61, but any sense of an opportunity for England was scotched by another bright partnership between two batters for the future.Padikkal, at No. 4, initially found the boundary with regularity while Sarfaraz bedded in. Having moved watchfully to 9 off 30 balls, Sarfaraz kicked up through the gears with a flurry of attacking shots to raises his third Test half-century. Mark Wood was dispatched into the crowd before Sarfaraz took on Tom Hartley with the second new ball as India extended their lead beyond 150 at tea.England again struck straight after the interval, Bashir having Sarfaraz caught at slip attempting to cut the first ball back. Padikkal nonchalantly lofted the England offspinner for six over long-on to bring up his maiden fifty but he, too, could not go on as Bashir caught him on the crease with one that turned to hit the top of off stump. Dhruv Jurel holed out to give Bashir his fourth and Hartley then struck twice in the following over, Ravindra Jadeja pinned lbw before R Ashwin played around one that went on with the arm.By that stage, the outline of the day was as clear as the hills in the background, India having cruised into the ascendency without breaking much of a sweat. The overnight pair both went on to record their second hundreds of the series – Rohit’s 12th overall, Gill with his fourth in Tests – as the home side tightened their grip on the match.1:10

Manjrekar on Padikkal’s knock: ‘Great start to his career’

Rohit twice lofted Bashir back over his head in the third over of the morning, before Gill charged Anderson to hit him disdainfully for six, as they added 50 to the score within the first ten overs of play. Gill’s fifty came up from 64 balls as he closed the gap on his captain, who batted on unruffled after seeing an inside edge off Bashir evade Crawley. India’s second consecutive hundred partnership was raised when Rohit flat-batted Wood through extra cover and they moved past England’s total of 218 shortly thereafter, Gill swinging Bashir down the ground for another of his five sixes.Rohit was the first to reach his century, flicking Hartley through the leg side with lunch approaching. Two balls later, Gill slog-swept Bashir for four to bring up three figures, too. Stokes had shot down talk in the build-up about whether he might help balance the attack in more seam-friendly conditions but he immediately produced a “who writes your scripts?” moment after bringing himself on in tandem with Anderson at the start of the afternoon session.Anderson had his revenge on Gill with one that came back through the gate and Padikkal twice edged wide of the slips as England briefly rallied. The false shots were replaced by growing sense of authority, however, as a 97-run stand between Padikkal and Sarfaraz once again shut the door on Stokes and Co. Both batters must have contemplated the opportunity for a first Test hundred, only for Bashir to inspire another belated fightback. But England, having tumbled down a ravine with the bat, were already left facing a mountain to climb.

Former Pakistan opener Imran Farhat and fast bowler Naved-ul-Hasan are set to join Afghanistan’s high performance centre in Kabul as batting and bowling coaches respectively. Both were given year-long contracts in which they will also oversee the 2023 domestic season.Since the Taliban took over in the country, Afghanistan cricket has revamped its corporate and domestic cricket structure and invested to upgrade the facilities in Kabul to include a high performance centre. Afghanistan has seven domestic tournaments covering all three formats, that run from February to November and both coaches will also be involved in selecting players for the development programme. The national high performance centre is responsible for picking players from the domestic circuit and setting up a pathway to keep them ready for the national teams.”As part of the ACB’s goals for the players and game development in Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Cricket Board is looking forward to welcoming more renowned individuals to its National High Performance Centre,” the ACB said in a statement.Naved had a prominent career for Pakistan from 2003 to 2010, especially in ODIs. His Test career saw just nine matches for 18 wickets, but his 74 ODIs fetched him 110 wickets and his four T20Is saw him bag five wickets. His domestic career was a lot more prolific, playing 156 first-class, 197 one-dayers and 126 T20s for 1095 wickets combined in all three formats. After his playing days, Naved started his own cricket academy in his native city Sheikhupura, in Punjab, and most recently worked in the Pakistan domestic set-up as an assistant coach with Central Punjab’s second XI and had a short stint as a bowling consultant with UAE as well.Similarly, Farhat had a formidable domestic career with nearly 16,000 first-class runs in 230 games, 7572 in 220 one-day innings, and 1636 runs in 69 T20s. His international career lasted 12 years, from 2001 to 2013, for 40 Tests, 58 ODIs and seven T20I. He has been working as a coach after retiring in 2020 with successful stints with Central Punjab’s second XI to win titles in all formats last season. He has also been working with domestic Under-19 teams and was the batting coach with Bahawalpur Royal – which won the Pakistan Junior League title.This isn’t the first time the ACB has roped in Pakistan coaches. Inzamam-ul-Haq and Rashid Latif had worked with the Afghanistan team as head coaches. Umar Gul recently completed his one-year contract as bowling coach with the national set-up. Kabir Khan had the longest stint with them and played a significant role to uplift Afghanistan cricket in the early days of development in the country, when he helped them qualify for three T20 World Cups in 2010, 2012 and 2014.

واصل نجم وقائد منتخب مصر، محمد صلاح، تألقه في تصفيات قارة إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى بطولة كأس العالم نسخة 2026، بعدما سجل هدفًا ضد نظيره منتخب إثيوبيا.

وواجه منتخب مصر، مساء يوم الجمعة، نظيره إثيوبيا على استاد القاهرة، في إطار منافسات الجولة السابعة من تصفيات كأس العالم، حيث فاز بهدفين دون رد.

وتمكن محمد صلاح من تسجيل هدف أول لصالح منتخب مصر، في الدقيقة 42 من عمر الشوط الأول من ضربة جزاء.

وارتفع رصيد محمد صلاح، على صعيد تصفيات إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026، إلى 7 أهداف، حيث يحتل المركز الثاني خلف لاعب الجابون دينيس بوانجا الذي يتصدر بـ8 أهداف، بعدما سجل هاتريك في الجولة نفسها ضد سيشل. ترتيب هدافي تصفيات كأس العالم 2026

1- دينيس بوانجا، الجابون، 8 أهداف.

2- محمد صلاح، مصر، 7 أهداف.

3- محمد الأمين عمورة، الجزائر، 6 أهداف.

4- جوردان آيو، غانا، 6 أهداف.

5- كاموري دومبيا، مالي، 6 أهداف.

6- لاسينا تراوري، بوركينا فاسو، 5 أهداف.

7- محمود حسن تريزيجيه، مصر، 5 أهداف.

8- موسى بارو، جامبيا، 5 أهداف.

لمتابعة ترتيب هدافي تصفيات قارة إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم محدث بشكل مستمر من هنا.

The former Australia opener has confirmed his brother passed away earlier this year

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2024Former Australia batter Joe Burns has revealed a tribute to his brother who passed away earlier this year as he embarks on a new chapter to his career by playing for Italy.Burns, 34, was dropped by Queensland last season and did not earn a place on their 2024-25 contract list. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Burns went public about the death of his brother, which occurred in February, alongside an image of his Italy shirt bearing the number 85 which was his brother’s in club cricket.”This isn’t just a number and this isn’t just a jersey. This is for the people who I know will be looking down proudly from above,” he wrote.”In February of this year my brother sadly passed away. 85 was his number in the last team he played (and his birth year) for the mighty Northern Federals in sub-districts.”The days, weeks and months since my brother’s death have been the toughest I could ever imagine. I’m not too proud to admit that it’s been a daily battle that I often lose.”While a part of my soul feels like it will always be missing, I know this shirt will carry on his spirit and give me strength.”It’s the hours playing as kids and connection with him that taught me to love this game.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Joe Burns (@joeburns441)

Burns qualifies for Italy through his mother’s heritage and is now set to feature in the sub regional qualifiers as part of the pathway to the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup. Italy are grouped with France, Isle of Man, Luxembourg and Turkey in group one with matches to take place between June 9-16 in Rome.”I often reflect on the bravery and commitment it must have taken my Grandparents when they left Italy to start a new life in Australia,” he wrote. “They found a way to make it work through adversity and this has always given me solace through life’s lessons. I’m so proud to represent Italy on our path to the 2026 World Cup.”Burns was averaging 37.16 in the Sheffield Shield when he was dropped by Queensland – in what overall was a challenging season for batters – but is now without any professional deals in Australia with his Melbourne Stars contract having also expired.In 23 Tests he made four centuries, averaging 36.97, with his last appearance coming against India in late 2020.

MatériaMais Notícias

Além do título e dos 400 jogos atingidos com a camisa do Palmeiras, Dudu comemorou o feito de ter entrado em campo em todas as 38 rodadas do Brasileirão. Na premiação “Bola de Prata”, da ESPN, o camisa 7 falou sobre a história pessoal escrita no clube.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasAbel Ferreira descarta Seleção Brasileira e fala em ‘viver o presente no Palmeiras’Palmeiras14/11/2022PalmeirasLeila Pereira esclarece dívidas do Palmeiras e assegura combate aos cambistas: ‘Honrar compromissos’Palmeiras14/11/2022Futebol NacionalScarpa é eleito melhor jogador, e Palmeiras domina a seleção do Brasileirão no prêmio Bola de PrataFutebol Nacional14/11/2022

>Quais são os maiores hoje? Site antecipa Ranking Nacional de Clubes da CBF 2023

– Acho que estou sempre preparado. Em todos os anos sou o jogador do Palmeiras com mais partidas disputadas. Me preparo muito na academia para jogar o máximo de jogos possíveis e nesta temporada pude atingir esse feito marcante – disse.

> Vem, Copa do Mundo! Clique e confira a tabela completa do torneio

Dudu foi o único jogador do Verdão que não foi suspenso, preservado ou sofreu lesões durante a temporada, sendo titular ou entrando em campo em todas as rodadas do torneio nacional.

– É muito importante ter jogado as 38 rodadas do Brasileirão. Sem lesão, sem suspensão, sem nada… Ainda conquistamos o título, né? Então, para a minha história, isso ficou ainda mais marcante – concluiu.

Segundo coletiva concedida pela presidente Leila Pereira, “falta apenas a própria assinatura” para que o acerto verbal com Dudu seja concretizado em uma renovação de contrato.

O “Baixola” chegou ao Palmeiras em 2015 e o atual vínculo tem duração até o fim de 2023. O atleta é ídolo do clube, com mais de 400 jogos e sete títulos, sendo estes o Brasileirão (2016, 2018 e 2022), a Libertadores (2021), o Paulistão (2022), a Recopa Sul-Americana (2022) e a Copa do Brasil (2015).

continua após a publicidade

Fenerbahce have announced the loan signing of Jhon Duran, just months after the striker departed Aston Villa for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Duran joins Fenerbahce on loan
• Will play under Mourinho
• Saudi Pro League chapter could already be over

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In an announcement on the club website, Fenerbahce have revealed that 21-year-old striker Duran has joined on a season-long loan from Cristiano Ronaldo-captained Al-Nassr, whom he only joined in January. In the short message, Fenerbahce said they hope Duran will have "a season full of success" in their yellow-and-navy striped kit.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Duran is not the first or only player to depart Saudi Arabia after just a few months; current Ajax midfielder Jordan Henderson is another notable example. Duran scored 12 in 18 games for Al-Nassr, reaching 50 career goals in the process, but has decided to begin a new chapter and now has the opportunity to be managed by Jose Mourinho.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Duran broke through at Envigado in his native Colombia at a very young age, making his professional debut aged just 15 years and two months, before scoring his first goal for the club six months later. Since then, he has played in the MLS, the Premier League, Saudi Arabia and now Turkiye, showing early signs of becoming a mercurial journeyman striker.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR DURAN?

  Duran will join up with his new Fenerbahce teammates and may get a chance to return to the Champions League, where he shone with Aston Villa last autumn if he and his new side can manage to get through the qualifying rounds. Duran may return to Europe permanently if the loan move goes well, or this could equally just be a detour before he continues to ply his trade in the Saudi Pro League in 2026.

Como are planning a recruitment drive ahead of the 2025-26 season, with the Italian side eyeing a move for Manchester United outcast Antony.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Como eyeing a move for Antony
• Brazilian keen on a return to Real Betis
• Man Utd desperate to sell ex-Ajax man this summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  It seems Real Betis will have to see off interest from the Como to land the winger, as has reported that the Serie A side have made several attempts to sign the Brazilian in recent days following his successful loan in Seville.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Romano explained in detail on YouTube that Como are serious about their pursuit of Antony, whose preference remains to return to Real Betis. Como are said to be patient, despite Antony's wish to choose Los Verdiblancos. The Italian side have been working hard behind the scenes to land the ex-Ajax man, presenting their project and also wanting to talk to the inner circle of the player regarding a move to Italy.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Red Devils are aware of Antony's wish to return to La Liga, although they are yet to reach any agreement with Betis. The Andalusian outfit are in touch with United to understand their demands and are weighing up whether to sign him permanently for a reported fee of £30 million (€35m/$41m) or get him on another loan.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ANTONY?

  At this stage, Antony remains keen to continue at the Benito Villamarin Stadium, where he rediscovered his best form, scoring nine goals in 26 appearances. However, Como could well tempt the 25-year-old to sign for them, with Cesc Fabregas at the helm of an exciting project. In any case, a departure from Old Trafford seems inevitable.

تحدث فابيان رويز لاعب خط الوسط الإسباني بعد مساهمته في فوز باريس سان جيرمان على ريال مدريد برباعية نظيفة في نصف نهائي كأس العالم للأندية.

وكانت اهداف باريس سان جيرمان قد جاءت عن طريق فابيان رويز الذي سجل هدفين في الشوط الأول وعثمان ديمبلي، وفي الشوط الثاني سجل جونزالو راموس الهدف الرابع.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ألونسو: خسرنا بأخطاء دفاعية.. ومودريتش أسطورة ستخلد في تاريخ ريال مدريد

وسيلتقي باريس سان جيرمان ضد تشيلسي الذي تأهل لنهائي كأس العالم للأندية على حساب فلومينيسي البرازيلي بهدفين نظيفين.

وقال رويز في تصريحات نشرتها “بي بي سي “البريطانية بعد نهاية اللقاء: “كانت مباراة رائعة، أداء مثالي، في ظل الحرارة الساطعة”.

وأضاف: “لقد قدمنا أداءً رائعًا ضد فريق قوي مثل ريال مدريد ونحن سعداء جداً بتأهلنا”.

وواصل عن هدفيه: “أنا سعيد بالهدفين بالطبع، لكن سعادتي الأكبر كانت بالفوز، الآن نحتفل لأننا تأهلنا إلى النهائي”.

وبشأن مواجهة تشيلسي في نهائي كأس العالم للأندية :”ستكون مباراة صعبة ، نعلم أنهم فريق جيد ويقدمون أداءً جيدًا، لكن نأمل أن نفوز وننهي الموسم بأفضل طريقة ممكنة”.

وعن كيليان مبابي الذي لعب اليوم مع ريال مدريد ضد فريقه السابق باريس سان جيرمان، قال رويز: “كل فريق يتمنى أن يكون لديه مبابي”.

Nepal medium pacer Karan KC left a devastated USA top order in his wake with 4 for 11 in a seven-over new-ball burst to set up a six-wicket win at Takashinga Sports Club. For the second match in a row, a maiden ODI century was made in vain for USA as Shayan Jahangir was left unbeaten on an even 100 off 79 balls with his side bowled out for 207 in 49 overs. Coming off a golden duck against Zimbabwe, Bhim Sharki’s unbeaten 77 ensured the total was hauled down with ease as they cantered across the line with seven overs to spare.Nepal captain Rohit Paudel won the toss and didn’t hesitate to send USA in to bat under moist early morning conditions. Karan struck with his fifth ball, trapping Steven Taylor with an inswinging yorker to win an lbw appeal. With USA captain Monank Patel out of the line-up sitting back in his hotel room battling illness, Sai Mukkamalla was bumped up to No. 3 but lasted just a single ball as a nervy prod at an outswinger on the fourth stump line produced an edge that carried low to Aarif Sheikh at first slip to make it 6 for 2.Stand-in captain Aaron Jones survived a missed run-out as well as a drop in his painstaking two off 22 balls before a delivery from Karan climbed off the shoulder of his defensive prod and carried to Kushal Bhurtel at gully in the eighth over. Nosthush Kenjige, who batted at No. 9 against West Indies, was sent up to No. 5 as USA’s batting reshuffle continued without desirable results when he poked well away from his body to send another edge low to Aarif at slip for one to make it 18 for 4 in the 10th. It was a new-ball performance that locked up Player-of-the-Match honors.Coming off a century against West Indies, Gajanand Singh got another start but was unable to convert it on this occasion, edging Dipendra Singh Airee’s offspin to Aarif at slip for 26. Sushant Modani watched all the carnage unfold at the opposite end and did his best to stave off Nepal’s bowling unit. The opener made 42 off 71 balls before he finally gave in, playing an ill-advised sweep shot to left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi and saw his middle stump knocked back.Shayan Jahangir’s maiden ODI hundred went in vain•ICC/Getty Images

Jahangir arrived at No. 7 and did his best to shoulder the load with the tail. Entering the day with a best of 39 in his ODI career, he reached a maiden half-century off 56 balls before taking just another 23 balls to reach three figures as he carted a series of lofted cover drives to and over the off-side boundary. However, the single he took to bring up the three-figure landmark left the tail exposed. Gulshan Jha bowled Saurabh Netravalkar on the very next ball before last man Kyle Phillip was pinned lbw two balls later to end the innings with six balls unused.Nepal were rarely troubled in the chase. Aasif Sheikh fell for 12 to a questionable lbw decision given in favor of Netravalkar that struck the batter high above his pads to end the fifth over at 25 for 1. Bhurtel and Sharki teamed up for a brisk 49-run stand that ended when the former was teased into a slog sweep that produced a top edge back to left-arm spinner Kenjige for 39.Captain Paudel stayed mostly in his shell in making 16 before trying to clear mid-off in the ring against left-arm spinner Nisarg Patel but miscued the shot to Jessy Singh diving forward on the circle. Kushal Malla exited after a hasty run-a-ball 13, slogging Taylor’s offspin flat to long-off to make it 137 for 4 in the 33rd over.But Sharki kept his cool and teamed with Airee for an unbeaten 74-run stand that spanned just 10.4 overs. Sharki took 97 balls to get to his half-century, but spurred on by the arrival of Airee, unfurled a series of sweep shots to accelerate alongside Airee, who pumped a series of straight drives to the boundary in his 39 not out off 32 balls. A straight drive by Airee to the mid-on rope for his fifth boundary clinched Nepal’s first win of the tournament while USA stand winless after two matches.