A hugely promising Glasgow Rangers transfer update has now emerged, with a fresh update claiming that they have agreed to sign a Premier League player.
Rangers open talks with Vardy and eye further signings
The Gers have reportedly opened talks to bring Leicester City legend Jamie Vardy to Ibrox, ahead of what could be such an interesting piece of business this summer. 49ers Enterprises are clearly hoping to add some high level experience along with bringing in the likes of Thelo Aasgaard from Luton Town to add some youthful exuberance.
At 38, Vardy certainly isn’t getting any younger, and isn’t the force he was when he inspired the Foxes to a stunning Premier League title win back in 2015/16, but he still has the hunger and quality to be a big success in the Scottish Premiership next season.
Rangers are also said to be closing in on the signing of Conor Coady from Leicester, with the centre-back possessing an enormous amount of experience in his career, representing both Liverpool and Everton.
He isn’t the only central defensive option being looked at by the Gers, however, with that search at both ends of the age spectrum evident again.
Rangers agree deal for Nasser Djiga
According to The Daily Record [via Ibrox News], Rangers and 49ers Enterprises are now also set to complete the signing of Nasser Djiga, bringing him in on a season-long loan deal from Wolves.
There is no buy option come the end of next season, though, with Wanderers manager Vitor Pereira considering him an important part of his future plans.
While signing Djiga on a permanent basis would be even more perfect for Rangers, the idea of him being at Ibrox for the whole of next season is still a big positive.
The 22-year-old is such a gifted young footballer with a bright future in the game, making six appearances for Wolves to date and being hailed as both “aggressive” and “powerful” by journalist Kai Watson.
Hopefully, Djiga will be desperate to prove his worth out on loan, showing Wolves that he can be a key starter for them eventually, which should play into Rangers and Russell Martin’s hands, meaning they have a player who is giving his all every day.
Rangers have now opened talks with England legend with £9m in net worth
What a signing this would be for Russell Martin.
ByHenry Jackson Jul 7, 2025
The centre-back has been loaned out to Nimes and Red Star Belgrade in the past, so he shouldn’t find it too difficult to adjust to new surroundings, and the hope is that he plays a part in the Gers getting their hands back on the Scottish Premiership trophy and is tempted to stay for good.
It wasn’t the visceral roar of an Anglo-Australian crowd fuelled by alcohol; this was joyous, unbridled passion for the teams and the game
Alex Malcolm23-Oct-2022The MCG is a magical place. The roars here are special. But of all the great sporting events this grand stadium has hosted, of all the roars this grand stadium has produced, Sunday evening’s might have been the most extraordinary.When R Ashwin struck the winning run, the noise that the 90,293 people inside the MCG made was heard in the suburbs more than two kilometres away.Related
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The late Shane Warne, who now has the great southern stand named after him at the MCG, had said he had never heard a roar louder than when he took his 700th Test wicket in front of 89,155 adoring fans on Boxing Day in 2006. This was louder.It was louder than when Mitchell Starc rattled Brendon McCullum’s stumps in the opening over of the 2015 ODI World Cup final.It was louder than any of the recent AFL grand finals that were played in front of more than 100,000 people.And it wasn’t just one roar. It was every roar. Dozens of them, in a pulsating match that ebbed and flowed across a riveting, nail-biting 40 overs between India and Pakistan.Even the sights and sounds before the game had a different feel. Hours away from the first ball, there were fans decked in blue and green teeming towards the MCG from all corners of Melbourne. It is rare to see crowds of such size so far out from the start of an event at this venue.When the winning run was scored, the noise was heard in the suburbs more than two kilometres away•Getty ImagesThey were ten deep at the nets outside the Ponsford Stand; they were chanting and singing in droves outside the members’. Inside the ground, as the players warmed up, there were cheers.India and Pakistan had played one another at the MCG before. It was in 1985. They had met twice in ODIs in the Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket then.Ravi Shastri was Player of the Tournament – called Champion of Champions – then, and made 63 not out in India’s win over Pakistan in the final. Now he was presiding over the toss as a commentator and received an almighty roar when he introduced Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam to the crowd. The noise was so loud that Rohit’s decision to bowl first could not be heard over the loudspeaker.The roar went up a notch when Babar’s name was announced on the big screen as the line-ups were confirmed. It was twice as loud when Virat Kohli’s name appeared.Then came the anthems. The Indian and Pakistani national anthems have been sung in stadiums all around the world, but even those that had heard them many times over had never heard them quite like this. It rivalled when 95,446 sang Liverpool’s in unison before the Reds played A-League side Melbourne Victory in a friendly at the MCG in 2013.As India’s anthem ended and the roar rang around the ‘G, Rohit threw his head back, closed his eyes, and exhaled. The emotion of the occasion was writ large all over his face.
In the Shane Warne stand, there was no animosity, no hint of the political situation that threatens to derail the next Asia Cup in Pakistan and the next World Cup in India. The fans were there to soak in the rarest of occasions, as were the players.
Then the noise reached a crescendo. When Arshdeep Singh swerved one back into Babar’s pads and Marais Erasmus’ finger went up, the MCG heard a roar unlike any other. It made the hair on the back of your neck stand up and left goosebumps on your arms.It wasn’t the guttural, visceral roar of an Anglo-Australian crowd fuelled by alcohol and a thirst for blood. This was joyous, unbridled passion for a team and the game.It seemed as though the India fans were in the overwhelming majority as Pakistan slumped to 15 for 2 and could barely lay bat to ball in the powerplay. But the green shirts and Pakistan flags proved otherwise. And Iftikhar Ahmed helped them find their voice with three mammoth sixes to have both sets of fans rocking.In the Shane Warne stand, there was no animosity, no hint of the political situation that threatens to derail the next Asia Cup in Pakistan and the next World Cup in India. The fans were there to soak in the rarest of occasions, as were the players.”It was a very good experience,” Arshdeep said after the match. “A once-in-a-lifetime experience I would say, playing in [front of] such a big crowd and a crowd loving both the teams.”The game seesawed, with the crowd barely able to draw breath. There was an attempt to start a Mexican Wave but there wasn’t a long enough lull.4:14
How did he do it? Kumble and Fleming explain Kohli’s MCG masterclass
Pakistan’s fans took control again as India stumbled in the chase. Haris Rauf, who had earlier heard the MCG roar for his hat-trick in the BBL, caused an even greater eruption when he dismissed Suryakumar Yadav with extreme pace.But then Kohli produced his masterpiece. Every sweet six from his blade nearly raised the roof. The last eight balls were absolute bedlam. Nearly every fan in the stadium was on their feet. Wickets, sixes, no-balls, free hits, byes and wides were met with a cacophony that reverberated around the stadium and into the surrounding areas.There was joy for India, and heartbreak for Pakistan at the end. But those who witnessed it and heard it, no matter which side of the result they were on, felt privileged to be part of it.”It was my first taste of a World Cup game, of a Pakistan-India game, and I couldn’t ask or be grateful for a better event than this,” Shan Masood, who took Pakistan to a strong score in collaboration with Iftikhar, said after the match. “Ninety-thousand people at the MCG. That shows how important Pakistan-India games are to cricket.”If we want to take this game forward, I personally feel that these are games that should happen more regularly and around the world. So it’s important for the development of the game that we see games like these, fiercely contested games that go down to the last ball.”Who knows when we will have another one. But savour this one. Savour the sights. Savour the sounds. There has never been anything like it.
As many as six Karnataka players featured in the XI with Kumble and Srinath delivering victory
Sudhindra Prasad10-May-2020That was my brother’s suggestion as we brainstormed through various options to make a banner in our preparations for yet another big-ticket game at the Chinnaswamy stadium.ALSO READ: An experience of a lifetime at the Chinnaswamy stadiumThis game in Bangalore was supposed to be the penultimate game of cricket, before actor Amitabh Bachchan and the ABCL crew would descend upon the Chinnaswamy stadium, as they prepared the arena for pretty damsels from all over the world to compete for the Miss World 1996 competition. For now, cricketers with a wide variety of facets – studious, elegant, stylish, tenacious, ragged, determined, never-say-die etc – other than pretty – held centre-stage at the Chinnaswamy.After the collapse in the World Cup semi-final and disappointing ODI performances through the year, there were doubts about India’s ability to chase down targets. However, with Rahul Dravid doing well in England and with six Karnataka players in the ODI squad, the local interest was at its peak.Planning and strategies were implemented in an almost identical manner to the World Cup quarter-final. Once again, about 30 of us spent the night in the ticket queue on Cubbon Road. The public’s interest for tickets had multiplied as it was the festive season and the Chinnaswamy stadium had upped its stakes in being a formidable 12th man.After Australa elected to bat, captain Sachin Tendulkar backed the two local players – Sujith Somasunder and Sunil Joshi – at their home ground. Although Australia were not known to be too aggressive at the top, runs came only in a trickle in the early exchanges. The four main Indian bowlers were from Karnataka and they exploited the home conditions well.The stands had plenty of Indian support and also lots of Karnataka flags. Some Aussie backpackers had brought in their flags to show support. A big group of local Bangladeshi students, who had brought in their Bangladesh flags, were also chanting slogans in favor of India.After a slow start, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh revived the innings before Waugh holed out for 41. Michael Bevan came in and tried to deal in hard-run singles and doubles, but Taylor struggled to keep up with him. When Taylor eventually got to his maiden ODI ton, the entire stadium rose in appreciation of one of the most respected captains ever.Just when Australia seemed ready for the late onslaught, they imploded as Taylor, Bevan and Stuart Law all got out trying big shots. As it turned out, the visitors ended with only 215.Since the early 90s, Kiran in our group was crazy about tracking the ‘caught Karnataka bowled Karnataka’ type dismissals. Despite six local players in the team, he did not get a chance to announce that stat until Bevan’s wicket. Caught Kumble bowled Prasad.As the Indian batsmen walked in for the chase, the arena reverberated to rhythmic sounds generated by banging empty water bottles onto seats. Somasunder had a nervy start and Glenn McGrath put him out of his misery with a well-executed yorker. Rahul Dravid didn’t last long either. Soon after, Jason Gillespie trapped Azhar lbw. As the umpire raised his finger, Azhar appeared to be taken aback and visibly showed his disappointment at the decision.Perceiving this as an umpiring error, the crowd went berserk and some spectators threw bottles onto the playing area. I watched on in dismay, as this behaviour was completely out of character for a historically sporting Bangalore crowd. Azhar came out in the direction of the stands and walked along the boundary, gesturing for calm.Once the ground was cleared, play resumed and Sourav Ganguly was run-out. At 47 for 4, the target seemed very distant. Ajay Jadeja joined Tendulkar and there were none of the “Jadeja will thrash you” predictions on display. Both batsmen took their time to weather the storm.Enter again, Steve Waugh. After his lbw appeal was turned down, he argued repeatedly with umpire Shyam Bansal. This added to the tension in the stands as well. Tendulkar then got going and the crowd got behind him. After Jadeja was also run out, it was all down to Tendulkar, as was the case so often in the 90s.Nayan Mongia and Sunil Joshi fell cheaply and then came the killer blow. After having remonstrated all evening, Steve Waugh trapped Tendulkar lbw for 88. Many spectators instinctively headed to the exit. In our vicinity, Natesh and crew had restarted the popular “” (we’ll be successful one day) Hindi song in self-pity.While the crowd’s hopes weren’t too high, Srinath raised those with a brilliant six. This was followed by proper cricketing shots, which left the Aussies stunned . Each run was lustily cheered by the Bangalore crowd.Kumble was constantly in Srinath’s ears. However, Gillespie and McGrath erred and were hit for boundaries. It was a rare lower-order success for an Indian team that regularly botched chases during the 1990s.It was fitting that Srinath hit the winning runs. The jubilation in the crowd held no bounds as firecrackers went off. The post-match street parties that followed were amazing and invoked a sense of deja vu.The popularity of Srinath and Kumble soared further in Bangalore. Few weeks later, Srinath was on a regular visit to a Javagal family home near Shankar Mutt. Word got around and that home was surrounded by students from a neighbouring school, who wanted to get a glimpse of their latest batting hero.Kumble’s family members were regularly shown on TV during this Titan Cup fixture. Just like Sohail-Prasad incident during the World Cup quarter-final, we spectators at the ground had no clue about Kumble’s mother and grandmother being there. Their gleeful expressions after the local boys pulled off the coup was memorable.
Forty-eight hours from the start of the day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide, India know what their batting order is going to look like, particularly who their openers are going to be.”I’ve been told [my position],” KL Rahul, who began the Border-Gavaskar series as opener, said on Wednesday. “But I’ve also been told not to share it. We’ll have to wait for day one or maybe when the captain [Rohit Sharma] comes here tomorrow.”So it seems Rohit, who has been a regular for India at the top of the order for the last five years, has made his decision. He batted at No. 4 in Canberra, where Virat Kohli didn’t take part in the practice game against a Prime Minister’s XI. That was the only opportunity India had to face the pink ball in a match situation and it feels telling that they were happy with Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top.Related
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India have since moved to Adelaide and spent two sessions at the nets, getting used to the rhythms of day-night cricket, and they have found it quite enlightening. Rahul said it hasn’t always been straightforward to see the ball out of the hand. Mohammed Siraj said holding it in the hand can feel a bit weird at the start. Those are steps one and two of batting and bowling and they are almost having to re-learn it. Only eight members of this squad have ever played day-night Test cricket and of those only three – Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin – have experienced the quirks of this format in Australia.These quirks rise out of the pink ball having a few extra layers of lacquer to protect it from wearing and tearing too quickly and that seems to have a significant impact in the way it behaves. “[It] seems a bit harder than the red ball,” Rahul said. “While fielding as well, you can feel it hitting your hand a lot. A lot quicker and a lot harder. Same with batting. It just seems to get to you much quicker than the red ball.”It does seam around a little bit more than the red ball [too]. So that’s the challenge we’re looking forward to. For me it’s exciting because it’s my first pink-ball game. So I’m going in with a clean state. I’ll go there and see what really happens. And try and face up to whatever comes my way.”These few days have only been about understanding how the ball reacts. And how easy or hard it is to play against the pink ball. If you look at all the games that have been played with the pink ball, it hasn’t really lasted a long time.”So that tells you that there will be a lot of help for the fast bowlers. And there will be a lot of seam movement. That’s something that we faced even in the nets. But that happened even in Perth on day one. There was a lot of seam movement. And I’m sure that will be the same [in Adelaide].”There are strategies unique to day-night Test cricket as well. Australia, who have won every day-night match in Adelaide, typically try to bat first, bat big, and set themselves up to bowl at twilight on day two. The 15-20 minutes leading into sunset – which will be around 8pm local time – and the 15-20 minutes after that are the times teams pay particular attention to.”It’s just getting used to seeing the ball off someone’s hand and just getting used to that,” Rahul said. “And I feel like that’s step one of a batter. If you can pick that, then you give yourself the best chance to react and be in good positions. So yeah, that’s been something that all batters have been speaking about and trying to play a lot more balls so that you get used to it.”The curator Damian Hough will be leaving 6mm of grass on the Adelaide pitch – same as the 36 all out game and same as a few nail-biting games in the Sheffield Shield this season. South Australia hung on for a nervy draw against Western Australia in the closing stages of day four, helped a little bit by some rain. There are thundershowers forecast for Friday, the first day of the Test match, but from there on the weather should be clear and conducive for cricket.”Everything seems to stay the same,” Hough said about the pitch he is preparing. “So it’s, of course, matted grass, even grass cover, good, deep moisture, but dry and hard. So, something where quicks will get a bit out of it, spinners will be able to get some height and bounce, but also important for [batters] to get some partnerships in at the most, and be able to play their shots.”Both teams have, like, elite bowlers, world-class bowlers. I mean, we’ve seen enough day-nighters to know that if you get the new rock under lights with two new batters in, that it can be very tricky. So, you know, the teams obviously play that game and adapt and are quite tactical when they do that. If there’s an opportunity to get the new ball under lights, it’ll be tricky. So if they don’t, which the Shield pitch showed, that if you didn’t get the new ball under lights and you had a couple of set batters in, you’re able to see through some night-time cricket.”
When Liverpool renewed Virgil van Dijk’s contract, they did more than just tie their star defender down to a new two-year deal.
Van Dijk is more than a world-class centre-back; he’s more, even, than a peerless skipper. The Netherlands icon has transcended his post as one of Liverpool’s star players, immortalising his name in Liverpool lore, right up there alongside Alan Hansen.
Liverpool legends Alan Hansen and Virgil van Dijk
Yes, yes, he turns 34 next month. And, well, yes, Liverpool will need to be more careful in managing their captain’s minutes as he reaches the autumn days of his illustrious Premier League career.
But Van Dijk leads by example, and that’s on and off the field. He’s more than a defender; he’s a leader and rousing force. Tune in to Liverpool on the television, and you’ll hear the 6 foot 4 star baying at his teammates before heading out of the tunnel, switching them into gear.
Arne Slot and Virgil van Dijk for Liverpool
Let’s enjoy him while we can, because FSG’s transfer chief, Richard Hughes, is already hard at work trying to secure a long-term heir.
Liverpool's efforts to sign the next Van Dijk
Dean Huijsen was written in the stars to succeed Van Dijk at Anfield. After a stunning breakout campaign at Bournemouth last year, the 20-year-old became one of the most sought-after young players in Europe, hailed for his incredible potential.
Van Dijk left Southampton to sign for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, and Huijsen could have followed a similar path, each proving a cut above. Moreover, Huijsen, while a Spanish international, was born and reared in Amsterdam to Dutch parents before relocating to Spain when he was five.
It felt like the perfect move for the player, moving to Liverpool, emulating one of the greatest defenders of his generation – and technically a countryman at that.
Well, Real Madrid clearly turned a blind eye to such a poetic story, for they brushed Premier League competition aside to activate the prodigy’s £50m release clause and bring him home.
Arne Slot still needs a new central defender, and while Huijsen is a one-of-a-kind talent, there might just be an alternative option waiting across the continent, having been of a vested interest to Liverpool in the past.
Liverpool enter race for new centre-back
Huijsen’s off the cards, yada yada, but he’s not the only talented centre-back looking to take the next step in his career.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, Liverpool are interested in Sporting Lisbon’s Goncalo Inacio, 23, once again, having been routinely linked with the dynamic defender across the past couple of years.
The left-footed defender has a €60m (£50m) release clause in his contract, but suitors are optimistic that they can engineer a more agreeable figure.
Sporting Lisbon's Goncalo Inacio
However, with Manchester United and Newcastle United thought to be interested too, FSG will need to up the ante if they wish to find a fitting long-term Van Dijk heir.
What Goncalo Inacio would bring to Liverpool
Inacio has yet to compete away from his Portuguese homeland, but he hasn’t exactly done that badly in Portugal, appearing 213 times for Sporting after graduating from their academy.
Goncalo Inacio in action for Sporting Lisbon
Journalist Antonio Mango has drawn attention to Inacio’s “insane” range of passing, and that’s corroborated by the data, for Inacio has completed an average of 89% of his passes across his senior career, as recorded by WhoScored.
Moreover, Inacio’s aerial ability suggests he could offer a similar level of ability in that regard as Huijsen, whose rangy frame and composure, leading to expert timing, is something that would have seen him exceed expectations when stepping into Van Dijk’s boots at Liverpool.
His modern-tailored style is exactly what Liverpool are looking for, and he’s a left-sided centre-back besides. To add further substance to the argument, this is a player who has been tracked by Liverpool for a number of years, and he’s only got better and better.
Having been an influential member of a two-time Liga Portugal-winning backline in recent years, Inacio has fostered the perfect mentality for a place in Liverpool’s first team, and he’s also blessed with a technical level that most other central defenders across Europe can only dream of.
Most, but not all. Huijsen can certainly throw down with the Portuguese ace on that front, and when racking up the respective players’ skills against each other, you can see that both offer similar qualities.
Goals + assists
0.20
0.19
Touches
91.48
74.94
Pass completion
89.7%
83.4%
Passes attempted
83.61
60.26
Progressive passes
7.34
4.89
Progressive carries
1.28
1.52
Shot-creating actions
1.72
1.59
Ball recoveries
4.67
3.89
Tackles + interceptions
2.75
3.23
Clearances
2.91
7.34
Blocks
1.08
1.48
Aeriel duels won
2.04
2.52
Huijsen is a strong defender, but his range of passing and creativity, his ability to play through the lines, are the facets which define him as a future superstar.
Inacio perhaps outperforms him in that regard, and if placed in Slot’s high-flying Liverpool system, you can only imagine the progress he could make, following the likes of Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch in making remarkable progress under the Dutchman’s wing.
Further to the point, Inacio made only one defensive error across his 28 top-flight appearances last term, whereas Huijsen made four playing for Bournemouth in the Premier League, albeit playing at what is considered a higher level, in more intense and rigorous conditions.
Portugal defender Goncalo Inacio
He’s not perfect, but the Portugal international has the making of an elite-level defender, and he could prove the dream Huijsen alternative if signed this summer, learning from Van Dijk over the next couple of years before breaking away from the Reds legend’s shadow and becoming a sensation in his own right down the line.
The dream XI Liverpool could build: Wirtz signs & "the next Mbappe" arrives
Liverpool are making sweeping changes in the transfer market as Slot prepares to defend his PL title.
England captain says line has been drawn under “blackface” issue ahead of Bangladesh challenge
Andrew Miller04-Oct-2024
Heather Knight will lead England’s World Cup challenge in the UAE•Getty Images
Heather Knight, England’s captain, says that the challenge of leading her team into the Women’s T20 World Cup has her full focus, and insists that “the line has already been drawn” on the disciplinary measures taken against her for a historic “blackface” photograph that appeared on social media recently.Knight, 33, was last week reprimanded and given a suspended £1000 fine by the Cricket Discipline Commission, after a compromising fancy-dress photograph surfaced on Facebook, dating back to a party in 2012, when she was 21. While it was accepted by the Cricket Regulator that there was “no racist intent in her conduct”, Knight said in a statement that she was “truly sorry” and had “long regretted it”.Now, speaking on the eve of England’s T20 World Cup opener, against Bangladesh in Sharjah on Saturday, Knight turned the focus squarely to the task at hand for her team, as they seek to improve on their semi-final finish at the last event in South Africa two years ago, and land their first ICC global title since 2017.Related
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“It was obviously something that has been ongoing the last couple of months and it is something, as far as I am concerned, that has been addressed, and something that was a long time ago, so it hasn’t been in my mind at all,” Knight said.”The line has already been drawn, in my opinion, so I am really excited, obviously, for what is to come. We have got super supportive group, there is no doubt about that, so yeah, I’m pretty happy to get cracking with the cricket.”England came through an unbeaten home summer, winning 13 out of 14 matches against New Zealand and Pakistan, with only a washout at Taunton denying them a clean sweep. In addition to Bangladesh, they will play against Scotland, West Indies and South Africa in the World Cup group stage, with their two likeliest rivals for the title, Australia and India, awaiting them in the other half of the draw.”Australia are going to be favourites, for sure,” Knight said of the defending champions, who have won six of the last seven stagings of the T20 World Cup, dating back to 2010. “Obviously, their success in this event has been huge, but we feel in a really good place. We’ve been playing some brilliant cricket, and while the first goal is to get out of the group stages, we’re pretty confident in what we bring. We believe we can beat anyone on our best day.”Much of England’s summer was spent honing a side that could compete in spinning conditions, with Bangladesh having been the World Cup’s original host country. The event has since moved to the UAE for security reasons, but Knight is confident that England’s spin contingent – led by the ICC’s No.1-ranked bowler in white-ball cricket, Sophie Ecclestone – will thrive at a tournament that, to judge by the tournament’s opening fixtures, already appears to favour slow bowling.”We feel very prepared for what we’ve got to come, and now it’s just about executing it and being really smart about how we do things in-game,” Knight said. “We’ve obviously got the quality spin attack. It’s been our big strength, particularly through those middle overs, how we really squeeze teams and try and rush them in that middle period.”England opted to overlook the extra pace of Lauren Filer for this tournament, instead relying on Lauren Bell as a sole specialist seamer, backed up by a trio of seam-bowling allrounders in Nat Sciver-Brunt, Freya Kemp and Dani Gibson. Charlie Dean and Sarah Glenn also offer batting depth as spinning allrounders, meaning that England – on paper, at least – have an enviably versatile squad.”We’ve got really good options, which is the nice thing,” Knight said. “The depth that we’ve got allows us to play based on the conditions that we face, and the team that we’re playing against.”It’s not going to be easy picking the team, but we’re pretty set on the little tweaks that we might need to make to get the most out of the conditions and teams that we’re playing against.”There are going to be times where we are going to have to graft a little bit, the boundaries are big and there might be times when we get on slow wickets where we are going to have to adapt to what is in front of us and be really smart with how we go about things.”Both Kemp and Sciver-Brunt were managed back to bowling fitness during the summer, after coming through back and knee issues respectively. But Knight was adamant that each was in the right place to deliver a full all-round role for the cause.”The allrounders are the fittest in the team, because of the role they have to do,” she said. “Freya, in particular, she’s super impressive with how she’s come back from that [second] stress fracture, and the work that she’s put in to be in a place to perform, it’s been brilliant.”
Perry hits 65 in chase but can’t prevent Phoenix’s 12th consecutive women’s Hundred defeat
ECB Media27-Jul-2024Meg Lanning won the battle of the Australians at Lord’s, scoring her first half-century in the Hundred as London Spirit overcame Birmingham Phoenix, despite Ellyse Perry’s innings of 65 in reply.The 16,641 crowd – the fifth-highest in the history of the women’s Hundred – were treated to a competitive affair in the sunshine, momentum shifting this way and that as the big names on both sides took it in turns to stand up and be counted.Phoenix – off the back of 11 consecutive defeats in the Hundred – looked set to spring a surprise and take it deep, and perhaps even pull off a memorable upset, but the required run-rate got away from them and three late wickets for Sarah Glenn sealed the deal for Heather Knight’s side, who have now won two from two this season.”It felt like it got a bit more tricky as it went on,” Lanning said. “Birmingham Phoenix took the pace off a little bit, and the wicket was pretty conducive to that, so it felt like it was a bit more difficult than we had thought but it ended up a competitive total.”With the ball it was about bowling pretty straight at the stumps and taking pace off the ball. We thought Phoenix used that really well so we wanted to do that right from the start, and we were able to hold our nerve when Devine and Perry were going. We just had to hold our nerve and we knew a chance would come.”Earlier, Spirit – wearing a special shirt to mark their partnership with Transport for London – set off like a train. Lanning, Georgia Redmayne and Cordelia Griffith all found the boundary with regularity. Griffith’s consecutive sixes off Emily Arlott, one whipped into the Mound Stand with no shortage of flair, a particular highlight.Off the back of her winning half-century at Utilita Bowl on Wednesday, England captain Knight added to her side’s momentum and ultimately Phoenix would have been happy to restrict Spirit to 147 for 9, with a bigger total looking likely earlier in the innings.The smart money would likely have been on Spirit to defend their total with relative ease but Perry and New Zealand captain Sophie Devine jangled a few nerves with their partnership of 89, especially when Devine dispatched Sarah Glenn for two sixes over the leg-side.The equation with 20 balls left was 40 runs required for Phoenix, but the boundaries dried up and Glenn’s last set of five ensured London Spirit ended day five of the Hundred top of the table with a 100% win record.
Bangladesh have Test series against Pakistan, India, South Africa and West Indies left in their 2023-25 WTC cycle
Mohammad Isam23-Jun-2024The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has lined up seven red-ball games for Bangladesh as the focus shifts from T20Is to the World Test Championship for the rest of the year. Bangladesh have Test series against Pakistan, India, South Africa and West Indies left in their 2023-25 WTC cycle.The Test cricketers will play three four-day matches in Chattogram next month. The home matches will be followed by two four-day matches against Pakistan A in Darwin from July 19 to 29. The Bangladesh A team will then travel to Pakistan in August to play two four-day matches against the same opponents. Additionally, New Zealand A are also scheduled to tour Bangladesh in August or September.Bangladesh players have also been involved in training camps since May in Chattogram and Sylhet. BCB’s cricket operations chairman Jalal Yunus said that the Test players are “progressing well” in the camps, adding that the four-day games against strong opponents will help them in the WTC matches.”We can give them the best preparation ahead of the grueling Test schedule in the coming months,” Yunus said. “The rest is up to the players. I have been following the Bangladesh Tigers camp, which is going well.”The Bangladesh’s senior men’s team is likely to travel to Pakistan on August 17 for two Tests, venues and dates for which are yet to be announced. After Pakistan, they will play two Tests against India in Chennai and Kanpur, followed by three T20Is.Bangladesh could tour India twice in three months if the BCB agree with the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s revised schedule for two white-ball series in late July. The ACB have proposed to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Greater Noida in their new itenerary. The tour was initially postponed in March keeping in mind Bangladesh’s workload in 2024, but now with the Champions Trophy also in their agenda, the BCB is considering this tour since they only have three ODIs scheduled between now and next February.ESPNcricinfo understands that the series is still in the “discussion” phase as the BCB is not too keen on playing in Noida during July due to the weather conditions.After the bilateral series in India in September, Bangladesh will host South Africa for two home Tests in October, and then tour West Indies for a full series in November and December.
” [come here and give me a hug], after all we are in the mandatory overs of life,” was the usual greeting of my opening partner Chetan Chauhan whenever we met over the last two or three years. The meetings were invariably at his beloved Feroze Shah Kotla ground, where he was in charge of the pitch preparation. As we hugged, I would say to him, “No, no. We must have another century partnership,” and he would laugh and say, “Arre baba, you are the century maker, not me.” Never in my wildest nightmares could I believe that his words about being in the mandatory overs of life would come true so soon. It’s so hard to believe that his laughter and cheerful banter won’t be there the next time I go to Delhi.Talking of centuries, I firmly believe that I was responsible for him missing out on two occasions, both in Australia in the 1980-81 series down under. In the second Test in Adelaide he was on 97 when my teammates pulled me out of my chair in front of the TV and dragged me to the players balcony, saying I must get there to cheer my partner. I was a bit superstitious about watching from the players enclosure as then the batsman would get out. So I would always watch on the dressing room TV. Once the landmark was reached, then I would rush to the players balcony and join in the cheers.A magazine page about the tenth century stand for the first wicket between Sunil Gavaskar and Chetan Chauhan, achieved against New Zealand in Christchurch during the 1980-81 series•Clayton Murzello Magazine CollectionHowever, here I was in the Adelaide balcony when Dennis Lille came in to bowl and – would you believe – Chetan was caught behind first ball. I was livid and told the players off for having got me to the balcony but that wasn’t going to change what had happened. A few years later, I didn’t make the same mistake when Mohammad Azharuddin was approaching his third consecutive hundred in Kanpur, and as soon as he got to the coveted mark, I was out of the change room and applauding him from next to the sightscreen. Some of my friends in the media, who had the knives out for me then, made a big story of my so-called absence. Amazingly, they had had nothing to say about the absence of some when a year earlier I got my 29th century to be level with Sir Don Bradman in Delhi.The second occasion that I believe I was responsible for Chetan missing a hundred, was when I lost my head after being abused by the Australians as I was leaving the pitch after a terrible decision. Trying to drag Chetan off the field with me must have disrupted his concentration and he was again out short of a century a little later.There’s one thing that few players of my generation and the one immediately after don’t know – his contribution in getting tax exemptions for them. Both of us first met up with the late Shri R Venkataraman, who was the Finance minister of the country then, and requested him to consider a tax exemption for fees received for playing for India. I must add that it wasn’t just for cricket but for all sportspersons who played for India. We explained how, when we were junior cricketers, we had to spend a lot of money on equipment, travel, coaches, etc. when we had no income at all.
“Chetan always said that if we are asked what was our best contribution to Indian cricket, we should say that it was getting [tax] exemptions for the cricketing fraternity”
Shri Venkatramanji was most considerate and in a notification, he passed a ruling that gave us 75% standard deduction for a Test match fee, then an exemption on 50% of the tour fees which we received before leaving for a tour. The cherry on the cake though was the total exemption on the one-day match fees of INR 750 which we received those days. Mind you, we barely played a game or two of one-day internationals then. That notification was in place till about 1998, by which time the number of one-day internationals had increased dramatically as also as the fees which were around INR 1 lakh or so. So around the mid-90s, players were getting about INR 25 lakhs or more free of tax. Even after my retirement, I would give a copy of the notification to the newcomers in the Indian team for them to give to their accountants.Chetan always said that if we are asked what was our best contribution to Indian cricket, we should say that it was getting the exemptions for the cricketing fraternity. His desire to help others manifested in him joining politics, and right till the end he was a giver, not a taker.He had a wicked sense of humour too. His favourite song as we walked out to face some of the most hostile bowlers in the game was [smile little boy, smile]. That was his way of easing the nerves while confronting challenges.Now that my partner is no more how can I ? May your soul have everlasting peace, partner.
Prabhsimran Singh and Atharva Taide put on 97 for the first wicket off 55 balls, Rilee Rossouw hit 49 at a strike rate above 200, and Jitesh Sharma provided the closing fireworks, with 32 not out off 15. They set Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) 215 to win.And still it wasn’t enough for Punjab Kings (PBKS). Not nearly enough to halt the batting juggernaut that SRH have been in IPL 2024. They lost their best batter Travis Head first ball, but raced through the powerplay thanks to Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi, who hit 66 off 28 and 33 off 18 respectively, propelling the team to 84 for 2 at the end of their first six overs.From then, the scoring didn’t really slow until the target was within sight. Heinrich Klaasen led SRH to the brink of victory with 42 off 26. The winning runs were hit with five balls to spare.Dare we say something about the bowlers? Only SRH’s T Natarajan escaped with decent figures, taking 2 for 33.SRH now move into second on the points table. That they would finish their and play the Qualifier 1 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) was confirmed after Rajasthan Royals’ last league match against KKR in Guwahati was washed out.1:55
Should Rahul Tripathi play the playoffs for SRH?
Abhishek lights up Hyderabad one last time in IPL 2024
In what was their last home game this season, Abhishek gave the SRH faithful a show to remember a batting-powered season by. He smashed his first two sixes over fine leg, when bowlers delivered short-of-a-length balls into the body, and went on to hit six sixes in all, in addition to five fours. Most of these relied on excellent timing, but there was luck there too – one of the sixes came off the outside edge.He sped past 50 off 21 balls, but this was only his third-fastest half-century this season – he had hit fifties off 16 and 19 balls in the weeks gone by.Abhishek’s 72-run partnership with Tripathi, which came off 29 balls, was the foundation of SRH’s chase. Even after they were parted, the required rate seemed tame.
Klaasen plays a measured innings
As good as Abhishek’s fireworks were, SRH still needed 86 off the last 59 balls after he was out, and Klaasen delivered one of his more chilled-out innings. He still hit sixes when it felt good, of course, the most spectacular being the back-foot six down the ground off the bowling of Harpreet Brar, who had just delivered a standard length ball outside off stump.But as wickets fell around him, it needed someone to take responsibility and massage the chase home. Klaasen was bowled by Brar with SRH needing seven to win off 11 balls. But he had got them close enough.3:03
‘Punjab should hold on to their Indian players’
Prabhsimran and Taide’s opening mayhem
PBKS had reason to hope they would get a closing win for this season, though, and finish outside the bottom two, mainly because of the start they had in the game. Prabhsimran was outstanding on the leg side, hitting all his four sixes there in his 71 off 45. Taide made 46 off 27.
A match-defining four overs
There was something of a slowdown after Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, the young legspinner from Jaffna, took Prabhsimran’s wicket in the 15th over. Although Jitesh finished strong, perhaps overs 15 to 18 (both inclusive) was when PBKS lost their way. They had been 151 for 1 at the start of that passage, looking poised to push 250. By the end of the 18th over, they were 186 for 5.