Jurgen Klopp says he went against the advice of Liverpool's medical staff when he sent Diogo Jota on to score in his team's 2-0 win against Burnley.
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Predicting the future of football is never easy, especially when looking at players who could really have legacy-defining eras. With the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, it seemed pretty guaranteed where football's crown was heading for as long as they were playing at the top of European football.
Back in 2019, however, French outlet L'Equipe attempted to predict the stars that would come next, tipping six young players to dominate European football.
Since the prediction four years ago, those players have had incredibly mixed spells, though, and it's fair to say that some have simply failed to live up to their potential.
With that said, we've taken a look at just how their respective careers have gone so far.
6 Karamoko Dembele
Tipped to become the next best thing, Karamoko Dembele was 16 at the time of his inclusion on L'Equipe's 2019 list. Now only 20, it's far too early to completely write off the former Celtic winger.
The pressure at 16 would have been incredibly difficult, and since leaving Scotland, Dembele has struggled to ever kickstart what is still an early career. At Brest last season, though, summing up recent years, the 20-year-old failed to score a single goal.
5 Ansu Fati
Also included on the list was Barcelona's Ansu Fati. And this came as no surprise, considering the winger's emergence as one of the most exciting players at the Nou Camp. Injury issues have halted his rise to the top since, however, with the Spaniard missing 35 games since the 21/22 season.
In the last campaign, he at least started getting things back on track as Barcelona won their first La Liga title under Xavi, and Fati scored seven goals.
4 Sebastiano Esposito
You'd be forgiven for not exactly knowing the name Sebastiano Esposito. Once tipped for great things at Inter Milan, the forward has so far failed to reach his potential.
Still only 21, he has plenty of time to become the player that L'Equipe once tipped him to become back in 2019, but after a failed loan spell at Anderlecht, it's far from looking promising for Esposito.
3 Joelson Fernandes
Once again a name that may not be too familiar with a number of fans, Joelson Fernandes has never really got going at Sporting, despite initially being tipped to become the next best thing.
Making just four appearances for the first team, the winger never looked like reaching his potential in Portugal, and has since spent a season on loan at FC Basel, where he scored four goals, before ending up at Turkish side Hatayspor.
2 Mohamed Amine Ihattaren
Mohamed Amine Ihattaren has had the most difficult journey of these players since being included in L'Equipe's list of young players. There was even a point that the midfielder was reportedly considering retirement due to mental health issues.
The Juventus midfielder didn't feature last season, and it remains to be seen where his future lies in football.
1 Karim Adeyemi
Onto a player that everyone should be familiar with, Karim Adeyemi is well on his way to reaching his potential at Borussia Dortmund. After making the move to the Bundesliga giants back in the summer of last year, and has since enjoyed a promising debut campaign.
Ending the season with nine goals, and six assists, the only way is up for the 21-year-old.
Brendon McCullum stirred and suddenly Middlesex’s NatWest Blast season was alive again as they saw off Kent at Richmond
ECB Reporters Network and ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jul-2017
ScorecardBrendon McCullum revived Middlesex’s fortunes•Getty Images
Middlesex revived their T20 hopes with a 16-run defeat of Kent Spitfires at Richmond as their captain Brendon McCullum provided runs to go with his inspirational qualities to once again fill their season with optimism.McCullum’s captain’s innings of 88 in 51 balls – his first major knock of the season – looked set to be the launchpad for a formidable total but Calum Haggett’s 3-27, and a Matt Coles’ hat-trick, restricted the hosts to 179 for 8. However, Kent started poorly and while half-centuries from Sam Northeast and James Neesham kept them in the hunt the rate climbed steadily. With wickets falling too they fell to their third defeat of the competition.Victory will be a boon, too, for their coach Dan Vettori, one of only two specialist T20 coaches in the competition, after a sluggish start to the season.Steve Finn, Middlesex’s England fast bowler, was bullish about their chances after McCullum had led them to victory. “It was an exceptional innings and great to watch,” he said. “He hit so cleanly. Everyone is happy in the dressing room right now. We have an exceptional top order.”This is the strongest team I have played in since since making the final in 2008. We’ve been found wanting in T20 since so it is important we have put this structure into place, We are still getting to know the coaches and captain anf haven’t fired consistently as a team yet, but we don’t want to peak too early.”Put into bat on a greenish pitch, Middlesex began with alacrity, but also with the benefit of fortune. Matt Coles surprised McCullum when the Kiwi was on six but though the ball popped up temptingly it fell between fielders. McCullum had scored another 11 when he drove the same bowler to Northeast at cover only for his Kent counterpart to drop him. On both occasions, to Coles’ chagrin, the next ball was smacked for four.With McCullum reaching his 50 in the ninth over, and the opening partnership into the 80s, 200-plus beckoned. Even after England call-up Dawid Malan, having pulled Coles for six into the food tents, gloved the next ball to depart for 33 it was 125 for 1 after 13. But James Tredwell (1-22) and Haggett staunched the flow of runs.Frustrated, McCallum played one bold shot too many, bowled trying to ramp, and a clatter of wickets ensued. Morgan followed successive sixes by holing out then Coles took a last-over hat-trick completed by bowling Tim Southee first ball.Southee fared better with ball in hand, having Daniel Bell-Drummond leg before to the opener’s first ball. The in-form Joe Denly, having survived a very sharp chance to McCullum, then edged Finn to leave Kent 2-2. Sam Billings soon followed but Northeast and Neesham, running excellently for a pair only recently acquainted, and finding hitherto unseen gaps in this small outground, added 75 in nine overs. However, boundaries were sporadic and by the time Northeast skied the rate had crept above 11-an-over.Darren Stevens quickly followed but Kent have a long battery of hitters. Blake joined Neesham and it came down to 38 off three overs, then 29 off two, but when that pair perished the game was done.
England Lions captain Keaton Jennings began to put a lean run behind him with 87 in Bristol
ECB Reporters Network22-Apr-2017
ScorecardKeaton Jennings got his season together in Bristol•Getty Images
Keaton Jennings gave the England selectors a timely nudge as Durham enjoyed the upper hand against Gloucestershire on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship Division Two match at Bristol.Although he missed out on a second successive hundred, the left-handed opener top-scored with 87 as Durham, replying to the home side’s first-innings 303, reached the close on 270-4.Gloucestershire’s bowlers staged a mini-revival in the final session, but the visitors trail by 33 runs and, with ? wickets in hand, are still handily-placed to forge a meaningful lead lead and apply pressure on the third day.In need of reassurance in the wake of heavy defeat at the hands of Nottinghamshire, Durham’s top-order batting restored lost pride against a Gloucestershire attack that lacked penetration on an essentially true pitch.Eager to further press his international credentials after registering a hundred on debut for England against India in the fourth Test in Mumbai in December, Jennings took centre stage, sharing in a progressive opening stand of 114 in 32.3 overs with Stephen Cook.South Africa opener Cook appeared supremely secure in raising 50 from 80 balls and a hundred appeared to be his for the taking when he inexplicably lost concentration and, pursuing a delivery outside off stump from Chris Liddle, edged to Cameron Bancroft at first slip.Demonstrating sound temperament and technique, Jennings carried on regardless, ruthlessly exploiting Greame van Buuren’s slow left arm spin and punishing anything short or wide from seam bowlers who lacked consistency.Intent upon earning a place in the England squad for this summer’s Test series against South Africa, the 24-year-old has improved his defensive game, and it came as a surprise when he succumbed 13 runs short of what would have been his second hundred of the season.Last year’s top run-scorer in Championship cricket and the Cricket Writers Club’s player of 2016 was undone by a Liddle delivery that left him and was held by wicketkeeper and former Durham team-mate Phil Mustard via the finest of thin edges. He may have missed out on three figures, but his early-season form will surely not go unnoticed at Lord’s.Losing their momentum thereafter, Durham slipped from the giddy heights of 183-1 to 214-4, Graham Clark and Cameron Steel falling to Craig Miles in quick succession as the home side fought back after tea.Charged with the task of repairing the damage, experienced campaigners Paul Collingwood (28 not out) and Michael Richardson (25 not out) displayed a clear understanding of what was required in staging a restorative unbroken partnership of 57 for the fifth wicket as Gloucestershire’s bowlers sought atonement for their earlier shortcomings by applying belated pressure. Watchful in the extreme, these two safely negotiated 24 overs, eight of them against the new ball, to reach stumps without further mishap.Finally afforded an opportunity after a blank first season on the county staff, former Sussex paceman Liddle adhered to the tenets of line and length without luck, proving the most consistent of Gloucestershire’s front-line bowlers.Durham’s seamers made good use of the new ball to mop up the last three wickets for 38 runs in 15.2 overs after Gloucestershire had resumed their first innings on 265-7.Jack Taylor and David Payne added 36 for the eighth wicket, but once the former edged Rushworth to second slip three runs short of a half century, the innings unraveled rapidly.No sooner had Gloucestershire banked a third batting bonus point, than fellow England bowlers Mark Wood and Graham Onions took care of business, removing Payne and last man Liddle in quick succession
March 4-8, 2017
Start time 0930 local (0400 GMT)4:26
Chappell: Matter of how long Australia can maintain confidence
It was no surprise that a spinner took 12 wickets and was Man of the Match in the first Test in Pune. Nor was it a surprise that the winning captain scored the only hundred of the match. It was not even particularly surprising that the Test was over in two and a half days. What was surprising – flabbergasting, even – was that the spinner was not R Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja but Steve O’Keefe, the captain was not Virat Kohli but Steven Smith, and the team with a 1-0 lead after less than three days of play in this series was not India but Australia.”The pressure was off us, wasn’t it? Everyone wrote us off and expected India to win 4-0. That can’t happen anymore.” Never a truer word was spoken than those from Smith after the Pune Test. But if it was true that the pressure was off Australia in that match, it is no longer the case in Bengaluru, where the expectations on Australia will be high. Not only did they beat India in Pune, they dominated in all aspects of the game. They more than doubled India’s total in each innings, the spinners were more effective, their catching was sharper, even their use of the DRS was more assured.Pressure was on Kohli’s mind after the match, too. “How badly we batted in the first innings is the main reason why we couldn’t get back into the game,” he said. “We put ourselves under a lot of pressure.” The intensity will only increase in Bengaluru, where Australia are in the unexpected position of being able to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by the halfway point of the series. Kohli’s men must find a way to turn around their fortunes quickly, or else an ignominious fate awaits them.So, was Pune an aberration? What surprises will Bengaluru have in store? It is the only venue in this series that has hosted Test cricket before, and it is a ground at which past Australia teams have enjoyed success. Much speculation has surrounded the nature of the pitch at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the lead-up to the match, especially given Australia’s triumph on the dry, spinning surface in the first Test. What will be in it? Sharp spin? Reverse swing? Piles of runs? It should be fun finding out.
India: LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia: WWWWW
1:16
Will India bounce back?
Last time India hosted Australia in a Bengaluru Test, back in 2010, Cheteshwar Pujara made his debut. On Australia’s next Test tour of India, Pujara destroyed the visitors in Hyderabad with 204 and a monstrous triple-century partnership with M Vijay. And he began this home season well, with three straight half-centuries against New Zealand and then hundreds in the next three Tests against New Zealand and England. But since then, Pujara’s season has quietened down a little, and India would desperately love for their No. 3 to return to his best in this match, at the venue where his Test career began against this same opposition.Steve O’Keefe was Man of the Match in Pune for his twin 6 for 35s, but on a very difficult batting pitch Steven Smith stood head and shoulders above any other batsman with his 109. Only two Australians had previously made second-innings hundreds in Tests in India: Mark Taylor and Damien Martyn. Not only that but Smith’s effort lifted him into truly elite company on the ICC’s all-time batting rankings; only five batsmen have ever achieved ratings points higher than Smith’s current level: Don Bradman, Len Hutton, Jack Hobbs, Ricky Ponting and Peter May. He will enter the Bengaluru Test with a batting average of 60.34 – not bad for a bloke who started as a legspinner batting at No.8.
Hardik Pandya has a shoulder niggle and is not in contention, but the remainder of India’s squad is available for this Test. It remains to be seen whether the selectors give the same XI another chance after their disappointing performance in Pune.India (possible) 1 KL Rahul, 2 M Vijay, 3 Cheteshwar Pujara, 4 Virat Kohli (capt), 5 Ajinkya Rahane, 6 Wriddiman Saha (wk), 7 R Ashwin, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Jayant Yadav, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Umesh Yadav.Australia announced an unchanged XI on the eve of the second Test, retaining Mitchell Marsh, whose bowling services were not exploited in Pune.Australia 1 David Warner, 2 Matt Renshaw, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Shaun Marsh, 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Steve O’Keefe, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Josh Hazlewood.
There has been so much discussion and speculation about the pitch that India’s coach, Anil Kumble, got fed up during his press conference in the lead-up to the Test. “Can we move on? It’s only 22 yards, it won’t be different here,” he said. Both teams expect a better batting surface than in Pune, but it will still be dry and should take plenty of turn.
“The way we played last week was such a positive sign. It was a difficult wicket and we showed them we can compete in those conditions. And more importantly, we probably showed ourselves as well.”
Newcastle United have made contact regarding a deal to sign Barcelona forward Raphinha this summer, according to reports.
Is Raphinha leaving Barcelona?
The Brazilian international only swapped the Premier League for La Liga last summer when he arrived at Camp Nou in a big-money move from Leeds United. He’s made 50 appearances in Catalonia to date, but there's a chance he could already be hitting the road once again.
Xavi’s right-sided winger still has another four years remaining on his contract, but after establishing himself as the manager’s joint second top-performing offensive player during his debut season, is attracting interest ahead of the upcoming window, in particular from St. James’ Park.
Speaking on his Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano revealed last month that the Magpies, alongside top-flight rivals Chelsea, both hold an “interest” in the 26-year-old, but it sounds like it’s Eddie Howe who is the first to make an official move.
Are Newcastle signing Raphinha?
According to Spanish outlet Sport (via Sport Witness), Newcastle have “already made a first approach” to enquire about a deal for the man called a "phenomenon" by his international teammates. Barcelona’s attacker is “keen to continue” where he is, but it’s stated that the northeast outfit will “insist” on signing the player regardless of his stance.
The Magpies have “positioned themselves” and “would be willing to pay a fee” to bring him to St. James’ Park. The Blaugrana have made it clear he could “only leave” if they received an offer in excess of €80m (£68m), and the opportunity to play in the Champions League could end up “convincing” him to join.
Should PIF splash the cash on Raphinha?
Newcastle will already know what Raphinha is capable of having played against him several times during his spell at Leeds, where he was dubbed “frightening” by members of the media, and with that impressive form having continued since joining Barcelona, PIF should definitely test the waters by making an offer.
Barca’s left-footed gem, who is represented by D20 Sports, clocked up 14 goal contributions (seven goals and the same number of assists) in 36 La Liga appearances last season, with this high standard of displays seeing him collect six man-of-the-match awards.
The World Cup participant was also a major threat when providing for his fellow teammates having recorded 172 crosses and 117 shot-creating actions, which were both higher than any other member of his squad, as per FBRef, so should he put pen to paper in the near future, he would only improve Howe’s attacking ranks even further.
Manchester United bidders INEOS, who are fronted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are 'cautiously optimistic' over their chances of sealing a deal to take over at Old Trafford, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
What's the latest takeover news involving Manchester United?
As per Sky Sports, Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm INEOS are said to be the 'leading candidate' to assume control of Manchester United from the Glazer family.
The report states that Ratcliffe wants to buy a majority controlling stake in the Premier League giants that would leave Joel and Avram Glazer in minority stakeholding positions and INEOS remain the preferred option despite a new offer from rival bidder Qatari businessman Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani.
Former Manchester United icon Gary Neville has spoken about his frustration surrounding the ownership debacle on Twitter, stating: "Plainly obvious the Glazer family aren’t going to announce anything on the ownership until the season is closed! They’ve been spinning it out unprofessionally for weeks and months now. They know fan protests would have been more significant than they already have if matches were still being played and the end result of the sale process is unpopular."
INEOS want to purchase 69% of the club, whereas Sheikh Jassim and the Nine Two Foundation want to claim 100% of Manchester United and clear debt owed by the club, as per GOAL.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that Ratcliffe and his INEOS team will be quietly confident over their chances of becoming the new owners of the Red Devils.
Jacobs told FFC: "INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have a flexible offer on the table, they're prepared to get in control of the club and allow Joel and Avram Glazer to stay, but they're also prepared to buy 69% of the football club. As a consequence of that and because their valuation is higher than the Nine Two Foundation, at around £6.5 billion, there's less of a negotiation there and more questioning around technical points of that bid and INEOS remain cautiously optimistic."
What next for Manchester United?
Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag will be keen to focus on matters on the field and will be readying his side for another tilt at trophy glory this weekend as they prepare to face Manchester City in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
The Red Devils have already recorded Carabao Cup success this term and Ten Hag will want to add another trophy to his cabinet to complement what has been a commendable season in charge as his side will also have Champions League football to look forward to in 2023/24.
Transfer targets will also be on the agenda for Manchester United and they are reportedly going to make a 'formal approach' to try and acquire Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount, as per Sky Sports.
Mount may be the first of several arrivals at Old Trafford as things get set to hot up on and off the pitch at Manchester United in the next few weeks.
Tim Bresnan made an unbeaten 72 to keep Yorkshire’s Championship hopes alive, as Nick Compton’s dropped catch cost Middlesex
George Dobell at Lord's21-Sep-2016
ScorecardHe may have scored two Test centuries and played a part in England series victories in India and South Africa but, around these parts at least, Nick Compton is in danger of being remembered as the man who dropped the 2016 Specsavers County Championship.Had Compton, in the slips, held on to the relatively straightforward chance offered by Andy Hodd on 22 off Steven Finn, Yorkshire would have been 87 for 5 and in danger of seeing their relatively long tail exposed. One of the runners in this three-horse race may well have fallen away.Instead, the chance went down and Hodd, in partnership with the wonderfully resolute Tim Bresnan, added 116 for Yorkshire’s fifth wicket to keep their side in the game. The extent of the dent put into Middlesex’s Championship aspirations remains to be seen but it may well be that Compton has inadvertently done his former club, Somerset, a huge favour. A future in ‘He should have gone to Specsavers’ adverts is unlikely to provide much consolation.Such a reputation would be harsh, of course. Compton played crucial roles in two recent victories against Durham and Nottinghamshire and may yet have a defining contribution to make here. But when title races become as tight as this – and this one is beautifully, breathlessly tight – the importance of such moments is magnified.The concern for both these teams is that their excellence – and this has been a terrific game of tough, high-quality cricket albeit one marked by some significant dropped catches – is in danger of cancelling each other out. While Somerset do battle with a foe currently boasting the resilience of a butterfly, these two teams are bashing each other into a double knockout.For victory alone is unlikely to be enough for Yorkshire. With Somerset seemingly on course for victory at Taunton, Yorkshire need to not only win but win with a minimum of four batting bonus points. They therefore have to score 350 (or more) within the first 110 overs of their first innings here. With 115 more runs required from 41 more overs and three bowlers with modest batting pretensions to come, much remains required of the two batsmen who will resume in the morning.That Yorkshire remain in the race at all is largely due to Bresnan. Having bowled with skill and persistence to help squeeze the life out of the Middlesex batting, he then produced his highest score of the campaign – and his fifth half-century – to take his side within sight of first-innings parity.It’s hard to imagine Bresnan pulling out of a game like this due to weariness or lack of focus. Indeed, you imagine he may well report for duty with an arm hanging by a thread or nursing a nasty attack of the bubonic plague. While there were some murmurs ahead of the game that he was a little high at No. 5 in the batting line-up, he justified his promotion with a mature innings featuring much patient defence and some fine shot selection.Six of his seven fours came on the off-side – a couple of meaty drives, a couple of beefy cuts and a well-judged reverse sweep the most memorable of them – with one laced through midwicket. Reflecting the improvement in his batting, he took his career average above 30 for the first time during the course of this innings and, if he makes the 100 his side probably requires, it will stay there.He came to the crease with the three batsmen above him in the order having failed to contribute a run. Toby Roland-Jones, comfortably the pick of the Middlesex seamers, had defeated Alex Lees with a full ball and drawn edges from hard-handed prods by Gary Ballance and Andrew Gale. By the time the previously fluent Adam Lyth played on in Steven Finn’s first over, perhaps slightly surprised by the pace of a fuller delivery, Yorkshire were 53 for 4 and in danger of seeing their challenge fall away.Had Compton been able to cling on to the chance offered by Hodd – instead he seemed to go at it with hard hands – Middlesex may have taken an unassailable advantage in this match. But, as the sun came out and the ball softened, so batting started to look a little easier and the teams go into day three with the game all but even.Hodd played Ollie Rayner especially well. Refusing to let him settle, he scored at almost a run-a-ball off him, hitting him off his line with reverse sweeps and punishing him if he dropped short. Even after he departed, beaten by a full one from Roland-Jones that he tried to force, Rayner was unable to gain much purchase from the dry-looking square and was twice thrashed for sixes – one drive, one pulled – by David Willey. Though Willey also departed before the close, Azeem Rafiq gave Bresnan good support to keep Yorkshire’s hopes just about alive. Still, 350 looks some way distant.”We just tried to take the game situation – and the table situation – out of it,” Bresnan said. “We tried to focus on little goals: ten runs at a time. They bowled really well at us for a little spell and made it really tough for us. But cricket is about little battles and we managed to overcome that challenge and kick on.”With the clientele we’ve got in dressing room we never say never. We’ve managed to win from some unbelievable positions this season and if we can get up to 350 we’ll be in a good position. We’ve got 40-odd overs left to get 350, which should be plenty of time. We’ll just take it in tens.”Yorkshire’s bowlers were little short of magnificent in the morning session. While Jack Brooks, as accurate and whole-hearted as ever, finished with career-best figures of 6 for 65, he would be the first to admit he was the beneficiary of a sustained performance by all five seamers that never allowed Middlesex to score at even 2.5 an over. It was relentless in the way Test bowlers tend to be relentless: building pressure; forcing batsmen to earn every run. Even with little help from the pitch or the overhead conditions, they were so disciplined that Middlesex were never able to get away from them. Yorkshire aren’t giving up on their status as champions without a hell of a fight.Eventually that pressure showed. Nick Gubbins, perhaps mindful of Middlesex’s sluggish run-rate and keen to gain at least a third batting bonus point, was drawn into a loose drive that ended his fine innings, before James Franklin edged a good one that demanded a stroke. Unsure whether to go for a third batting point or deny Yorkshire a third bowling point, Middlesex blocked for a while only to then give it away when Tim Murtagh slogged to mid-off with just 20 balls left before the cut-off. It may yet prove to be crucial. In all, Middlesex were able to add only 62 runs for the loss of five wickets in 26.3 overs in the morning session. Without Gubbins’ century – and the dropped catch that allowed him a life on 22 – they would have had no answer to Yorkshire’s fine attack.”We’re in a dogfight, but we’re hanging in there,” Brooks said. “We didn’t let them get away and we’re still in there fighting. Bressy has worked his way up from eight to five with his batting and he’s probably been our best bowler in this game as well after coming in as fifth seamer. It shows what a world-class bowler he is.”The equation for Middlesex is, at least, simple. If they win this match, the Championship is theirs. The winning bit is far from guaranteed, though.”It’s nicely poised,” Roland-Jones said in understated fashion afterwards. “We’re trying to treat it as if it’s any other game when it’s obviously an experience you want to be part of and it’s quite high pressure.”You try not to pay too much attention [to what has been happening at Taunton], but of course you see it there. Our attitude coming into the game was to win it. If you come into the last game and dangle the carrot that if you win it you win the Championship, you take that. It’s not a bad place to be.”It will probably be no consolation to any of the sides that fall short – and truly, all three deserve better than disappointment – but the quality and intensity of this encounter reflects wonderfully well on English cricket. Perhaps familiarity has invited a certain complacency (if not contempt) to England’s first-class competition but if we still value developing Test players we will tinker no further with this great competition. The 9000 or so spectators who have attended over the first two days know this already; it’s a shame not all those inhabiting the ECB offices just beside the Nursery Ground share their enthusiasm.
Craig Meschede completed a fine all-round match with bat and ball with a brief attacking innings to confirm Glamorgan’s victory on the fourth evening at Colwyn Bay
ECB Reporters Network20-Jul-2016
ScorecardCraig Meschede had a fine all-round match•Getty Images
Glamorgan gained their first Championship win of the season as they chased down their target with over 17 overs to spare, in a game that provided splendid entertainment on a good pitch where 1,431 runs were scored and provided a perfect advertisement for four-day championship cricket.Although Glamorgan stuttered in their run chase, losing three wickets in mid innings for 20 runs, skipper Jacques Rudolph patiently guided torwads a victory target of 196 from a minimum of 62 overs, helped by a late flurry by Craig Meschede to complete a fine personal match with bat and ball.Earlier, Derbyshire had taken their second innings score to 536, their highest against Glamorgan, before they were all out at 1.15pm. Billy Godleman and Matthew Critchley put on 113 in 26 overs, with Godleman scoring 106, his sixth century for Derbyshire, before he was well caught by wicketkeeper Mark Wallace down the leg side off Graham Wagg.He was Wallace’s ninth victim in the game, equalling the club record set by Colin Metson in 1995. There was little resistance from the Derbyshire tail, as Glamorgan were left 196 to win from a minimum of 62 overs.Wallace and Nick Selman gave Glamorgan a positive start, scoring at four an over, but Selman was reprieved in Ben Cotton’s second over when he edged him between first and second slip to the third man boundary. Cotton bowled a probing opening spell, but it was Shiv Thakor who made the immediate breakthrough when he trapped Selman leg before with the last ball of his first over with the score on 52.Nine runs later, Glamorgan lost their second wicket when Will Bragg played over a ball from Palladino which hit the top of the off stump. Worse was to follow when Wallace, in the final over before tea, swept Wayne Madsen’s off spin to backward square leg, and in the first over after the interval, Aneurin Donald, the first innings double centurion, chipped Will Davis to midwicket without scoring.Rudolph and Lloyd then settled into a productive partnership, with Rudolph, who has been short of runs this season, playing every ball on its merit, while Lloyd punished the bad ball, once striking Will Davis for three successive boundaries until he was dismissed leg before, sweeping at Madsen.Three runs later, Matthew Critchley dismissed Graham Wagg, and Glamorgan still needed 39 more runs to win, but Rudolph and the rapid intervention of Meschede calmed Welsh nerves – Rudolph scoring an undefeated 51 with Meschede striking 36 from 22 balls, including a six that struck a passing bus. He then struck another maximum to win the game, this time leaving the public transport system unaffected.
A round-up of the Dhaka Premier League games played on May 24, 2016
Mohammad Isam24-May-2016
File photo – Raqibul Hasan scored 66 off 79 in Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club’s 287•Getty Images
Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club beat Kalabagan Cricket Academy (KCA) by 49 runs (D/L method) in Fatullah after rain curtailed proceedings 21 overs into KCA’s run chase. Doleshwar now sit atop the points table with 12 points from eight games.Having been asked to bat, Doleshwar posted 287 for 6, on the back of strong performances from their top three. Imtiaz Hossain and Robiul Islam Robi shared an opening stand of 112, before the latter was stumped for 50 in the 20th over. Imtiaz, who made 86 off 94 with six fours and two sixes, added 62 runs for the second wicket with Raqibul Hasan. Raqibul went on to score 66 off 79 balls.After their strong start, Doleshwar lost their way in the middle order, plodding from 160 for 1 in 30 overs to 224 for 4 in 45 overs. During this period, new Indian recruit Ashok Menaria struggled with a 15-ball 6. But captain Farhad Reza blasted four sixes in his unbeaten 15-ball 34 to take the side close to the 300-run mark.In reply, KCA slumped to 81 for four in the 19th over. Nasir Hossain took two wickets and Al-Amin Hossain picked up one, while the fourth wicket was a run-out. KCA were even worse off than the scoreline suggested, as captain Mahmudul Hasan had retired hurt on 2 after the 13th over.Rain forced a premature end to the match with KCA on 98 for 4 in 21 overs.The other two Dhaka Premier League matches scheduled for May 24 were called off for the day due to rain and will resume on May 25. In Mirpur, Prime Bank Cricket Club were 41 for 1 in 6.2 overs in reply to Mohammedan Sporting Club’s 224 all out. At the BKSP-3 ground, Abahani Limited posted 276 for 6 in their 50 overs, against Gazi Group Cricketers.