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Zimbabwe cricket is facing another poential crisis and it is all of its own making

Steven Price06-Sep-2005

Zimbabwe Cricket’s announcement that it was introducing performance-related contracts seemed, on the face of it, to be a sensible move in an attempt to bring an end to the team’s repeatedly below-par displays in both Tests and ODIs.But, as with so many things concerning cricket inside Zimbabwe, the move has backfired, causing serious unrest among the players and raising suspicions that there is more to it than meets the eye. Rather than acting as a rallying call, it has dumped Zimbabwe, already in seemingly rapid decline, with another unnecessary potential crisis.For almost any other country, getting tough with players would probably work. But Zimbabwe has so few decent cricketers, let alone international-class ones, that it cannot afford to be choosy. There are five first-class sides inside the country and that means only around 70 players. These are funded, either directly or indirectly, centrally, and the side that keeps getting heavily beaten represents the best of them.The board might have got away with its initial move had it not immediately scored a string of own goals. The decision to announce arbitrarily the ending of the careers of four players – Stuart Carlisle, Craig Wishart, Barney Rogers and Neil Ferreira – over the issue of contracts needs to be weighed up against the board’s earlier action against Brendan Taylor. Reportedly slapped with a long ban for disciplinary reasons, that was rapidly overturned or overlooked, depending who you believe, as Zimbabwe’s need for decent players came to the fore. Four other senior players, Trevor Gripper, Doug Marillier, Mark Vermuelen and Mluleki Nkala, did not even make the initial list of 27 players. On purely playing grounds – and the board said that was what had been behind the selections – some of the names left out are perplexing.A side-effect of this latest move is that it will do little to encourage players currently overseas to return. Ray Price, Sean Ervine and Travis Friend are clinging onto their Kolpak deals with English counties because they are not guaranteed a future in Zimbabwe. With more uncertainty, they are even less likely to move back home.The players are also angry at the way the board made assurances about the funding of a players’ representative – Clive Field – which it appears to have reneged on, and some have suggested that some ZC officials have deliberately leaked false information regarding player remuneration and benefits to the media. One explained that he believed this had been done to undermine their position in a country where so many have nothing. “We are the lowest paid players in the world,” he said. “Some of us do not have our own houses and some players still stay with their parents, I do not think that would be the scenario if we were well paid.”And the criteria used by ZC was also queried. One of the players implied that the people making the decisions know nothing about the game. He questioned how Douglas Hondo, with 56 ODIs and nine Tests under his belt, could be rated alongside Chamunorwa Chibhabha, who has only played one ODI.The rebel strike last year divided loyalties among the players. The word on the ground is that almost all the players are united this time round.Behind the scenes, it seems a power struggle is emerging inside ZC. Recent articles in the domestic media have hinted at this, and battle lines appear to have been drawn. Ozias Bvute’s power has been increasing since he was elected as managing director last August – he has been seen for some time by many as being the real power behind the board – and those on the inside believe that sooner or later a move by him to replace Peter Chingoka as chairman is on the cards.Were that to happen then the ramifications could be serious. Whereas Chingoka is well respected overseas and within the ICC, Bvute is an unknown force whose track record will not initially open many doors. Internally, he is not well regarded by many players, and his latest manoeuvre has hardly helped improve his standing.Last month he dismissed Zimbabwe’s two-day Test debacle as a one-off. Yesterday he said that the contract dispute was not a crisis. Sooner or later, if he is to be the new force in Zimbabwe cricket, he needs to accept reality and start addressing the facts and not the picture he prefers to paint.

Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman has explained why Georgia Stanway is back in her England squad, despite being absent for Bayern Munich since December.

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• Stanway included in England squad on Tuesday
• Lionesses star hasn't played since December
• Wiegman explains decision and offers James update

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Stanway's last match was at the end of last year, when she played in Bayern's 3-2 defeat at Arsenal in the Champions League group stage on December 18. That's because, at the end of January, the club announced that she had to undergo knee surgery which would rule her out for 'several months'.

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  However, despite still not returning to action for the German champions, Stanway was included in Wiegman's England squad on Tuesday, for the Nations League games against Portugal and Spain. It offers a big boost to the Lionesses, who have also been able to welcome Lauren Hemp and Alex Greenwood back from injuries this month, especially with the European Championships less than two months away. But there are questions about how much Stanway can be involved and how fit she really is.

• WHAT WIEGMAN SAID

  Asked about the midfielder on Tuesday, Wiegman said: "I'm very happy some players are back. We still need to build. Georgia is in training. She starts full training and what we hope is that she comes into camp and continues building with us and, hopefully, towards the Euros. It's important that she's healthy, that she can handle loads, training loads, and recover from it, and then perform at that level. We have the time to see that.

  "Of course, we don't play that many games and there's no [club] competition anymore, except for the players in the U.S, but there's enough training and we need to figure out if she gets her performances right. Then, of course, you need to be healthy, you need to be able to train and recover from training sessions and then hopefully we can build and see where she's at. She needs to be performing at the highest level, at her highest level, to compete for a position, as with anyone else."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  It's not only Stanway who is facing a race against time to get fit for this summer's Euros. Hemp and Greenwood might have returned but they do not have any club games to play now, leaving England's three matches before the tournament as the only serious competitive action they can take part in, in order to be match fit. Asked if that is a concern, Wiegman conceded that "it is", but added: "We still have almost two months. We have to keep building on that and manage it well, to keep fit."

  Then there is Lauren James, who has missed out on the squad after withdrawing from England duty with a hamstring injury in April. That issue has kept her sidelined ever since and leaves her availability for the Euros in question. Wiegman, however, is hopeful that she can return soon.

  "Where she should be at, she is at," she explained. "She can't join us in the next camp but, again, also with her, we're trying to build together with club. She really wants to go to the Euros and hopefully we can get her fit and ready to go into it. Of course, we know finding balance in your squad, you can't bring in three or four players who are in that stage, but probably one player that has been doing really well, that could be an opportunity."

Legendary English forward Jamie Vardy’s next chapter may unfold in Italy as Cremonese pursue the 39-year-old after his Leicester City departure.

Cremonese in talks with Vardy after his Leicester exitClub optimistic following initial negotiationsStriker open to challenge abroad after 12 years at LeicesterFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Leicester legend is in negotiations over a surprise move to newly-promoted Serie A club Cremonese. According to a report from , initial talks between the parties have been fruitful and there is cautious optimism that a deal can be completed for the 39-year-old free agent.

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Vardy is searching for a final career challenge after his 12-year spell with Leicester, where he won the Premier League and FA Cup, came to an end. Cremonese, who marked their return to the Italian top flight with a shock 2-1 victory over AC Milan on the opening day, are looking to add an experienced goalscorer to their attack. The Lombardy club are already set to sign Faris Moumbagna from Marseille and can call upon Federico Bonazzoli and Antonio Sanabria, meaning Vardy would complete a potent forward line.

Despite his age, Vardy remained productive in his final season in the Premier League, contributing 10 goals and six assists in 36 appearances for Leicester. The striker was also the division's top scorer at the end of the 2019-20 season.

DID YOU KNOW?

He leaves the Foxes with a legacy that includes 230 goals, 90 assists, a Premier League title in 2016, and a Golden Boot in 2019-20. Moreover, Vardy has never played outside England in his professional career. A move to Serie A would represent his first venture abroad at senior level.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR VARDY?

If talks continue positively, Vardy could become Cremonese’s marquee signing before the transfer window closes. The club will next face Sassuolo in Serie A, while Vardy weighs up whether to extend his career with a final challenge in Italy.

تحدى المهدي بن عطية، نجم منتخب المغرب السابق والمدير الرياضي الحالي لـ أوليمبيك مارسيليا، نادي ريال مدريد، بعد وقوع الفريقين معًا في دور المجموعات بدوري أبطال أوروبا.

وأسفرت قرعة دوري أبطال أوروبا اليوم الخميس والمعروفة باسم مرحلة الدوري، عن وقوع مارسيليا في صدام قوي مع ريال مدريد، حيث ستلعب المباراة على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو.

أقرأ أيضًا .. ”نحب مجموعة الموت” .. تعليق مثير من صحيفة آس على قرعة ريال مدريد في دوري أبطال أوروبا

وقال بن عطية في تصريحات نقلتها شبكة ”Rmc Sport” : “نحن هنا، نريد البقاء هنا، هذا هو الأهم، عندما نلعب مباريات كهذه، ضد نيوكاسل وليفربول وريال مدريد وكلوب بروج، من الواضح أنني لا أحتفظ بذكريات طيبة من مواجهة ريال مدريد”.

وأتم بن عطية في حديثه: ”ستكون هناك مباريات صعبة، لكن علينا أن نرغب في الفوز وتقديم أداء جيد، نعلم أننا لن نفوز بسهولة، ولن نفتقر إلى التواضع، لكن لدينا فريقًا قادرًا على المنافسة، إنه لشرف عظيم، ونعلم أن الأمر سيكون صعبًا”.

بن عطية سبق له وأن واجه ريال مدريد عندما كان لاعبًا في صفوف نادي يوفنتوس عام 2018.

ولعب ريال مدريد ضد يوفنتوس في ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا عام 2018، حيث وصل الفريق الملكي إلى الدور قبل النهائي بعد الفوز بثلاثة أهداف دون رد، ثم الخسارة إيابًا على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو 3-1 والصعود بمجمل الأهداف 4-3.

Steven Smith has thrown his hat in the ring to be David Warner’s replacement as Australia’s next Test opener after confirming he is interested in doing the job if the selectors need him after Warner bows out of Test cricket at the end of the Sydney Test against Pakistan.Smith’s name had not been among the contenders to replace Warner as the debate had bubbled away across the summer, with Cameron Green emerging as a left-field option alongside Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw.But it emerged this week that Smith was interested in doing the job and it is understood that he has raised the prospect of filling the position with the selectors.Related

• Smith to open, Green to bat No.4, Renshaw added to squad

• Hazlewood's triple-wicket over leaves Pakistan blue on pink day

• Australia's big decision: a deep dive into who replaces David Warner

• Warner picks Warner's replacement: 'Harris has always been next in line'

• 'Absolutely has the skill': Watson backs Green as Test opener

Speaking to after the third day’s play, Smith confirmed he was keen to do it long-term.”I’m actually happy to go up the top,” Smith said. “I’m pretty keen if that’s what they want to do. I’m sure the selectors and Ron [Andrew McDonald] and Patty [Cummins] will have a chat after this game but yeah, I’m certainly interested for sure.”The selectors were hoping to get Green into the side after Warner’s retirement with McDonald previously stating that there were various options, including Marnus Labuschagne up to open from No. 3.No one, however, had considered that Smith would be keen in the opener’s role given he averages 61.46 with 19 Test centuries at No. 4. He actually has a better Test average of 67.07 at No. 3 in Test cricket with eight centuries but he hasn’t had the chance to bat there since the two tours of India and Bangladesh in 2017 where he made three centuries in nine innings in vicious spinning conditions as captain.Thereafter Usman Khawaja was drafted in to bat at No. 3 ahead of him and then Labuschagne took the role during the 2019 Ashes.Smith is understood to be keen for a fresh challenge to reinvigorate him after a relatively quiet year by his staggering standards in 2023. Although he still averaged 42.22 with three centuries and made nearly a thousand runs, it was his lowest calendar year average since 2014 with the exception of 2018 and 2020 when he played very few Tests due to his ban for the Sandpaper incident and Covid-19.The selectors are set to make a decision on who will replace Warner at the end of the Sydney Test, as the squad will disband for a week before reconvening in Adelaide ahead of the first of two Tests against West Indies starting on January 17.

EXCLUSIVE: A verbal beatdown in South London forced Richards to realize he needed a mindset change to reach his potential, dreams

ST. LOUIS – "I just have a lot to say."

Chris Richards has found his voice. Not that it was ever lost, to be fair, but it was a bit more muted, maybe a bit more timid. Not anymore. Richards is himself, but louder. He's the same player, but more confident. He's Chris Richards, but a different version, one whose goal is no longer to break into teams, but to lead them.

That applies for both club and country. He lifted one trophy this year with Crystal Palace, where he was fueled by the hardest conversation of his career, right on through to an FA Cup. He has a chance to lift another on Sunday with the USMNT, having stepped into the spotlight in the absence of many of the team's stars. Despite several veterans missing this Gold Cup, there has been no leadership void – in large part because Richards has been eager to fill it.

That's by design. All of the interviews, press conferences and media availabilities? That's him taking responsibility. All of those moments on the training pitch? That's him using his experience. And all of the crucial moments that propelled the the USMNT to the Gold Cup final? Well, that's just Richards being Richards, establishing himself as one of the most vital pieces in this USMNT – with a World Cup on the horizon.

"Honestly, I'm just me," Richards tells GOAL. "It's not something where I have to step out of myself and do extra. I'm myself, but just a little bit more vocal. I've also gotten to a point where I can just be a leader and be more vocal rather than letting a captain do it. There can be three or four captains on the field. That's what makes a great team – more than one guy stepping up to the plate.

"I understand I'm a leader and I want to act like it. Regardless of who's on the team at the World Cup next year, I still want to be that person. I came into this summer with the confidence to say, 'Man, I'm doing my own f*cking thing and I’m going to be me'. Like, I'm going to earn my spot, but I'm also going to try and be captain or whatever the case may be. That's been my No. 1 goal this camp."

Richards finding his voice isn't a new development, though. His path towards leadership didn't begin this summer. It began with a verbal beatdown back in South London, one that forced him to reckon with the fact that he hadn't yet become the player he always wanted to be.

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  'What do you want to do?'

  It was in the late fall, Richards recalls, when he was sitting right where he had been for some time: on the fringes. It's where he spent the first two seasons of his Crystal Palace career. Richards was a center-back in the Premier League but, as of this fall, he hadn't really yet proven himself as Premier League quality.

  There's a difference, of course, and Palace assistant Paddy McCarthy knew it. He was a Championship player during his career, save for one solitary appearance in the Premier League. Richards is better than McCarthy ever was at every single facet of the game, but he wasn't the player McCarthy imagined he could be. The American needed a push – and a hefty one.

  "He asked me, 'What do you want to do?'" Richards recalls. "He was like, 'Do you want to captain your country? Do you want to play in the World Cup or do you just want to be a guy on a roster?' No, I want more. But he said that I need to prove it. He fully believed in me. 'Do you just want to be a guy that plays every few games, or do you want to be a captain?' I want to be captain, and he said, 'Well, show me'.

  "It hurt, but it was something I had to learn. I'm glad I had that conversation because I don't think I'd be where I'm at now if we didn't. I don't know where I'd be right now."

  Richards immediately took it to heart. It was an attitude change, yes, but also a hyperfocus on the little things. McCarthy drilled Richards repeatedly on them. For example, the Palace coaching staff saw Richards as a top-level progressive passer. All too often, though, he was getting jammed up, largely because he was playing too high.

  Drop off, McCarthy said, and find those extra five yards. Then, on the defensive end, Richards was told to "be more like a monster." The staff thought he was afraid of throwing his body around, despite his obvious size. Not anymore.

  "With Chris, I think he's finally coming into his own," USMNT teammate Tyler Adams said after Richards' recent goal against Saudi Arabia in the Gold Cup. "I'm just like 'Dude, go and win the ball, you're huge.' He's continuing to find that balance and be a threat for us."

  Richards, meanwhile, puts it more succinctly: "Sometimes you just have to blow someone up and say 'F*ck it'.

  With his mindset changed, he went on to lock down a starting spot at Palace, forming a fearsome back three alongside Frenchman Maxence Lacroix and England international Marc Guehi. Behind that trio, Palace went on to make history, winning an historic FA Cup to bring the club to new heights.

  Now, months later, Richards can admit it: he doesn't know if they would have won that trophy if he hadn't taken McCarthy's criticism to heart. At the very least, he wouldn't have played a part in it. It was a wake-up call and a reminder that there are levels to this – which one did Richards want to find himself on?

  "As men, we have to be able to take on harsh things and apply them," he says. "Especially when you see the best professional athletes, they've been told their sh*t don't stink their whole life and, at some point, someone has to have an honest conversation with them. From there, it's sink or swim. I've seen guys slip at the youth level because they weren't ready or willing for hard conversations."

  Richards didn't sink, though. Instead, he rose to the top.

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  Lifting the FA Cup

  Since winning the FA Cup, Richards has been asked about it almost daily. He doesn't mind. How could he not talk about it? When something means that much to so many people, it's a permanent part of life.

  By defeating mighty Manchester City, 1-0, at Wembley in May, Palace lifted the first major trophy in the club's history. This is a club that was founded in 1905. It took 119 years for Palace to reach these heights and, Richards was a big part of it, going all 90 minutes to preserve a clean sheet against one of Europe's most fearsome attacks.

  "People keep asking me what the best part of winning the cup was," he says. "I think it was what it meant to the generations of Palace fans. I love winning trophies – who doesn't? But I was looking into the crowd and seeing 80-year-old men crying their eyes out because even their parents hadn't seen Palace win a major trophy. That's what meant so much more."

  There was no distance between Richards and those fans in the stands. He lives among them. He's often stopped in South London, partly because of his trademark hairstyle, he admits. He's made friends and, while they may not have been on the field, it's always felt like they've been along for the ride.

  "I have a good friend who works at the store that I love," Richards says. "I've been going there ever since I got to Palace. He said he'd love to take his grandad, who has been a Palace fan since he was a season ticket holder in the '60s, with his dad. He asked me for tickets to the semifinal game because his granddad hadn't been in 40 years. I surprised him with two tickets to the final and said, 'Please bring your grandad because we're going to win this today.'

  "Maybe you're at City or Liverpool and this stuff goes under the radar. Not at Palace. When you do something for the first time, and in the way we did it? It was perfect."

  That momentum has carried right on into USMNT duty. Richards arrived in the U.S. with a smile on his face. It hasn't faded since.

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  No compromising with the USMNT

  Mauricio Pochettino noticed a difference after Richards arrived in Chicago for camp last month. There was something new about him, a new confidence. This was the same Richards, but one who had a bit more to say.

  "He's the type of player that can be a leader and step up with a performance," Pochettino said. "I'm happy for him because he's a great guy. I think it was fantastic for him, winning the FA Cup. And now he's trying to translate all of that experience to this team with his performances. At the same time, though, he's so humble, and that is what I like most. He arrived and is always very open to learn or talk."

  Richards has done plenty of talking this summer, certainly more than usual. With familiar faces such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Antonee Robinson, among others, out of the team, Richards has been front and center.

  He's sat at the podium next to Pochettino at pregame news conferences. He captained the U.S. in the opening friendly against Turkey. Every chance he's gotten, Richards has been front and center, smiling.

  "It's authentic," he says. "That's one thing I don't want to do: switch things up. I don't want to be someone who switches when the cameras or interviews come. What you see is what you get. I'm the same way with my parents, with my girl, with the team. I'm the exact same.

  "I am one of those veteran players in this camp, and I think a lot of guys are looking to me for guidance, leadership, whatever the case may be. I also try to be a breath of fresh air. I try to keep things light around here."

  Not always, though. It isn't always light-hearted. Take, for example, the Costa Rica game. After Malik Tillman missed a penalty, members of Costa Rica were quick to get in his face and taunt him. Richards wouldn't stand for it. He, along with several others, darted across the field to start to stand up for their teammate.

  Richard earned a yellow card for it. Worth it, everyone around the U.S. has said. It was the right thing to do.

  It's something that multiple members of the USMNT have said has been lacking. Richards agrees. Sometimes, you need a good old-fashioned scrap to remind people of certain things. Sometimes, you need your huge center-back to dart across the field looking to send a message.

  "You have to be able to fight," Richards says. "You have to be competitive and be intense in every game. I think, within the last year or so, we may have lost that because of, I guess, how easy CONCACAF games had kind of come to us. It's not to blame anybody, but I think March was the straw that broke the camel's back. I think that was a real chance for us to look in the mirror and ask each other 'What we we doing?'

  "I think maybe we lost our way in the last year and became too friendly and nice to teams. F*ck that. We want to be the guys who, if you want to beat us, you have to earn it. We have to show teams that we're not anyone to mess with, whatever it takes. We stand up for each other. That's something that we should never compromise."

  That unwillingness to compromise is something Richards is bringing to everything he does now. Hindsight tells him there were moments he did in the past and, knowing the consequences those led to, he has a very new perspective on his own journey.

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  Ignorance and what-ifs?

  It's been seven years since Richards was anointed as the USMNT's next great center-back. That title was handed to him when he first started to break through at Bayern Munich in the summer of 2018. His youth coach, Eric Quill, said that Richards was going to be the USMNT's starter at the 2022 World Cup. It didn't happen that way.

  In that 2018 summer, people saw him in that famous Bayern red shirt. They, and Richards himself, didn't know how far away he was from being ready to wear it.

  Before arriving in Munich, Richards had briefly spent time with the FC Dallas academy, having been cut from that very same academy at age 16. Before that, he was just a kid in Alabama, one who had no clue what he was signing up for when he made the move to Germany in 2018.

  "Within two years, I went from playing in Alabama to playing for Bayern Munich," he says. "I almost felt a bit… ignorant? I felt like I was on top of the world at Bayern, but there's so much more that goes into being a full-time pro than just that. It was a lot to take in. Sometimes, looking back, I wish I maybe worked a little bit harder because who knows where I could be? I wouldn't change anything about my journey because it was my journey to take."

  He wouldn't change anything, but he can acknowledge that there are some "what-ifs" in the picture. The biggest one? The 2022 World Cup. He missed out due to injury. Even if he had gone, there's no guarantee what that would have looked like. At the time, he had just eight caps. Could he have done, something, anything, to ensure he could have gotten a few in Qatar that winter?

  "I missed that World Cup due to injury and when I look at it now, I was just a young kid," he says. "You know how your dad tells you you should stretch now so it's a natural habit when you're older? Those were things I could have done, that extra one or two percent more. Maybe I would have made the roster. Maybe I wouldn't have been injured.

  "It sucks because I feel like I deserved the opportunity, but it makes me work even harder now, knowing that I did miss out. God's timing is perfect, and that's my motto. I was devastated, but I've been letting that fuel me to make sure I do everything right now."

Skipper’s 75 leads leads county to highest-ever List A chase against Derbyshire

ECB Reporters Network15-Aug-2023Warwickshire continued their buccaneering progress in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a fifth successive win, by four wickets over Derbyshire at Edgbaston. The Bears completed their highest-ever List A chase against Derbyshire by overhauling the visitors’ decent but far from daunting total of 247 for 9.Half-centuries from David Lloyd (65 off 92 balls) and Brooke Guest (57 off 59) assured the visitors something to bowl at but the innings lacked a late charge. Olly Hannon-Dalby strengthened his place as top wicket-taker in the comp this year with 4 for 49 while Henry Brookes, released from Hundred duty, took 3 for 44.Warwickshire then made measured progress to 248 for 6 – Will Rhodes leading the way with 75 – in 47.4 overs to leave Derbyshire with just one win from five games and only pride to play for in their remaining three matches.After choosing to bat, Derbyshire saw off Hannon-Dalby’s first spell but Harry Came lifted Brookes to point to end an opening stand of 35 in ten overs. Luis Reece and Lloyd added a sedate 48 before the former played across a flighted ball from Jake Lintott and fell lbw.That was Lintott’s 115th victim in county cricket – next came Tazeem Ali’s first. The 17-year-old offspinner, making his debut, showed the bottle and skill to follow a ball which went for five leg-side wides with one that turned to win an lbw decision against Haider Ali.Lloyd reached his eighth List A half-century but then got an attempt to lap Brookes horribly wrong and fell lbw. Guest batted most assertively until he played on from a slog at Hannon-Dalby who prevented a late charge from the batters by twice taking wickets with successive balls. The Yorkshireman will be on a hat-trick when he runs in to deliver his first ball against Northamptonshire at Edgbaston on Friday.Ed Barnard launched Warwickshire’s reply with a crisp 23 then clipped Suranga Lakmal firmly to mid-wicket where Came took a superb diving catch. Reece nipped one through Rob Yates’ gate but Rhodes and Michael Burgess (46 off 43 balls) added 70 in 13 overs to put the pursuit well on target.Burgess was adjudged lbw, sweeping Mark Watt, but Rhodes continued his productive 50-over campaign. The captain moved to 50 in 64 balls and it was a surprise when he chopped on to Reece with 39 needed from 52 balls.Jake Bethell after a sketchy start, settled to play some handsome strokes. He struck the only two sixes of the game and departed, lbw sweeping at Reece, with the Bears were on the threshold of their record List A chase against Derbyshire, displacing the 217 they reeled in at Derby in 1997 to record a one-wicket win to which 12 leg byes were crucial.

Run chase, damaged by Raine and Drissell, is further inconvenienced by rain and drizzle

ECB Reporters Network30-Jun-2023

Worcestershire 112 for 3 (Santner 42) tied with Durham 216 for 4 (Clark 78) on DLS methodWorcestershire Rapids face a last-game decider at Derby on Sunday after their Vitality Blast qualification bid was held up by a tied game with Durham at New Road.Chasing 216 for 4, Durham’s fifth-highest Blast total, the Rapids were 112 for 3 from 11 overs when the umpires took the players off for bad light. As the sky remained slate grey, that was it for the night, so the teams took a point apiece.Despite their tall total, Durham were denied their first T20 win in eight attempts at New Road while the Rapids now face a winner-takes-all visit to Derbyshire Falcons.The visitors piled up their total thanks to Graham Clark, who smashed 78 from 47 balls, supported by Michael Jones, Brydon Carse and Ashton Turner whose violent cameos combined came to 111 from 62.Mitchell Santner’s cleanly-hit 20-ball 42 then ensured that the Rapids stayed in the game and, crucially, up with the D/L rate, on an evening when the weather always threatened to close in.Put in, Durham soon lost skipper Alex Lees, who lifted the fourth ball of the innings to mid on, but recovered to post a solid powerplay and then accelerate spectacularly.Clark added 83 in 51 balls with Jones and 71 in 35 with Carse whose 19-ball 39 included four sixes before he missed a pull at Usama Mir and was bowled.That was a rare moment of joy in an unforgiving night for the Pakistan spinner as Durham charged along, only Santner (4-0-25-1) applying any sort of brake. Clark was superbly caught by Adam Hose, racing in and diving forward at long on, but Turner’s brilliant improvisation with 33 not out off 15 balls brought 28 from the last over and left the Rapids a daunting target.Their run chase started badly when Brett D’Oliviera’s leg stump was sent flying by Ben Raine. Jack Haynes smashed 24 from ten balls but was bowled, sweeping, by George Drissell. Santner landed some long blows to raise hopes among the home crowd but miscued an attempt to lift Nathan Sowter into New Road and was well taken by Turner at long on.The run chase, already damaged by Raine and Drissell, was further inconvenienced by rain and drizzle, before the light closed in. After the players left the field, only the most optimistic spectators remained as the unbroken canopy of grey overhead offered not the slightest hope of brightening. The Rapids’ fluctuating Blast campaign will go right to the wire.

Liverpool star Harvey Elliott has opened the door to leaving the Merseyside club this summer amid his lack of minutes under Arne Slot.

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• Elliott struggling for minutes under Slot at Liverpool
• Midfielder opens the door to a potential departure
• Claims that he doesn't 'want to be wasting years'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Elliott joined Liverpool's youth system in 2019 from Fulham after having come through the Cottagers' ranks. The Reds have seen the London-born midfielder slowly grow into the senior team; however, the 22-year-old has not been a major part of the first team. This season, Elliott only managed 822 minutes under Slot, with players like Wataru Endo and Curtis Jones getting priority. The midfielder has now opened up that he may be considering leaving the Reds, so as not to 'waste years'.

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  WHAT ELLIOTT SAID

  Speaking to the media while on duty with England U-21, Elliott said: "It's just a situation that me and the team have to have a conversation about because I'm coming into an age now where I'm 22, I'm going to be 23 next season. I don't really want to be wasting years on my career because it's a short career. You don't know what's going to happen.

  "I need to reflect. I need to see if I'm content in doing what I'm doing and how can I improve as a player, because that's the most important thing. I just want to improve and be the best possible version of myself. If that's to go somewhere else, then it's a decision that I'm going to have to make, and I just need to see what happens.

  "Nothing makes me want to leave. I love the club, I love the fans, the team. I support them as well. But most importantly, it's just about what's best for my career."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Liverpool are set to sign another midfielder in the form of Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz if they can reach an agreement with Die Werkself. However, the signing will also push Elliott further down the pecking order. As such, it may be likely that the England U-21 star may be headed for the exit doors at Anfield.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ELLIOTT?

  The midfielder has yet to make his way into the England senior squad, and he will also likely be hoping that a fresh start with another side could help him rise into Thomas Tuchel's shortlist of midfielders for the Three Lions, with the World Cup approaching fast.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou has a rebuilding job on his hands this summer and has now thrown his hat in the ring for an exciting star who continues to crop up on the radar of Premier League clubs, per a report.

Tottenham Hotspur look to navigate transitional moment

Daniel Levy has come under scrutiny from sections of the Tottenham support this season, and his rule over the club is never too far away from the headlines. However, there can be no doubt he has financially backed Postecoglou in the last couple of transfer windows.

Spending around £147.6 million on the likes of Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, optimism was fairly high in North London that the Lilywhites would kick on under the Australian’s stewardship. Fast forward to March, they lie 14th in the Premier League table with very little to show for their efforts.

Despite fighting the fire of an injury crisis over the last few months, Postecoglou is under pressure at Tottenham and Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly been lined up to replace the under-fire manager.

Even if that is the case, Spurs have already made a start on summer targets with Viktor Gyokeres high on their wishlist. Given Sporting CP are regulars in Europe’s premier competition, it feels like the only way he would be enticed by the prospect of a move to N17 is if they snatch a backdoor route to Champions League qualification by claiming the Europa League title.

On the same token, Rayan Ait-Nouri could be part of Tottenham’s rebuild for a sum of £40 million, though he is also in the sights of Liverpool and West Ham United.

Tottenham’s next five fixtures – all competitions

Chelsea (A)

Premier League

Southampton (H)

Premier League

Eintracht Frankfurt (H)

Europa League

Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

Premier League

Eintracht Frankfurt (A)

Europa League

One thing is for certain, there are changes on the way that Postecoglou is set to head up. The former Celtic boss has now turned his attention to a talented young star viewed as one of the best talents in his country below the top flight.

Tottenham Hotspur enter the race to sign Hayden Hackney

According to Football Insider, Tottenham want to bring in Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney after approving plans to sell Yves Bissouma this summer.

The England Under-21 cap is widely thought of as one of the best midfielders in England outside of the Premier League and is said to be valued at around £20 million at the Riverside Stadium.

Labelled “an exciting player” by Carlton Palmer, the 22-year-old has registered five goals and two assists in 36 appearances across all competitions in 2024/25.

Aston Villa and Crystal Palace will provide stiff competition for the rising star, who has created 47 chances in the English second-tier from the engine room.

Tottenham now making moves to sign “magical” star with 144 career goals

Ange Postecoglou could make a statement signing in the off-season.

1 BySean Markus Clifford Mar 22, 2025

Making advances ahead of the summer, it remains to be seen whether Tottenham can convince Hackney that enough minutes will be on offer in North London to continue his rapid development.