England have not given up hope that Ben Stokes could be available for the second Test starting at Lord’s on August 9.Stokes is due in court in Bristol on August 6 – the day after the Edgbaston Test is scheduled to finish – to face a charge of affray with the case scheduled to last somewhere between five and seven days.But the England management are keeping an open mind as to Stokes’ availability, should the case be adjourned for any reason. If that were to happen on the first or second day of the trial, the England camp have confirmed to ESPNcricinfo they would consider his involvement in the Test at Lord’s.Replacing Stokes, as England found during the Ashes, is desperately difficult. While the England management are expecting a drier surface at Lord’s that could well see Moeen Ali drafted back into the side as a second spinner, they would prefer him to play alongside Stokes, rather than instead of him.A case can be adjourned for many reasons including illness, the admission of new evidence or a change in the charge. While it remains likely the case will go ahead as originally envisaged – certainly the Stokes camp has no plans to call for an adjournment – the England camp are keen to find a way to accommodate Stokes if he becomes available.
Despite the emotion of becoming Ireland’s maiden Test centurion, batsman believes his finest hour has already happened
ESPNcricinfo staff14-May-20182:02
‘A great feeling to get there in the end’ – O’Brien
Kevin O’Brien joked that he would take pride in seeing his name put up on the “imaginary honours board” at Malahide after becoming the first Ireland batsman to score a Test century, and only the fourth batsman to do so in his country’s maiden Test match.However, he insisted that the moment, though “very proud and emotional”, still ranked second in his personal annals, behind the blistering 50-ball hundred with which he stunned England at Bangalore in the 2011 World Cup.This was O’Brien’s first hundred for his country since that balmy night seven years ago, in which Ireland hunted down a massive target of 328, having at one stage slumped to 111 for 5.”For me, Bangalore is definitely No.1, for the sheer moment of where it was and who it was against, in the World Cup. If I I can continue [tomorrow] for another hour and a half, to 170-odd, this could top it,” he said.”It was a very proud and emotional moment, to get there is a great honour, and hopefully we’ve put ourselves in a good position to go on and win it,” he added. “There’s no reason why we can’t. We’ve just got to start off well tomorrow.”For the crowd at Malahide, the occasion of the first Irish Test century appeared to happen twice. On 97, O’Brien looked to have tickled a leg glance for four through fine leg, and the celebrations began the moment the ball hopped over the boundary. However, O’Brien himself had known all along that the shot had come off his pads, and a loud groan went round as umpire Nigel Llong signalled leg byes.”I knew it hit my leg, but the crowd were going mad,” said O’Brien. “I was running past Tyrone [Kane] saying ‘bloody leg byes’.”Two more singles took him to 99, whereupon Pakistan turned back to their main man, Mohammad Amir, much to O’Brien’s chagrin.”Then they bring on their strike bowler, I was hoping for one more over from Shadab [Khan] because I was fairly comfortable against him, but yeah, they sniffed an opportunity to get me on 99, but fortunately a thick edge went past the fielder and I got two runs.Kevin O’Brien became the first Irishman to score a Test hundred•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
“It was just relief, and emotion,” he said. “In my first Test as well, it’s a great honour to join a small list of players who have done it.Ireland’s ambitions are unsated now they they’ve got Full Member status, with a new stadium commissioned for the National Sports Campus in nearby Abbotstown. As such, the existing facilities at Malahide are still a touch Spartan.”It’ll be nice to be on the imaginary honours board here in these portacabin changing rooms,” O’Brien joked. “But hopefully when Abbotstown is fully built I can get my name up there.”The O’Brien family was well represented for the historic occasion, with O’Brien joking that he had about “85 whatsapps” to trawl through later that evening. “Mum and dad don’t miss a game,” he said. “And my wife was there, and obviously Niall in the side as well. It’s good to have support from family and friends.”After surviving a tense final few overs, in which he relied on luck more than judgement to keep his wicket intact, O’Brien admitted that he wasn’t used to “these longer forms” and paid tribute to his batting partners, Stuart Thompson, who also made a half-century, and Tyrone Kane, who was unbeaten on 8 at the close.”We’ll have to see how we pull up tomorrow,” O’Brien said. “Batting for five hours takes its toll. But Thompson was brilliant after tea, he took pressure off me, letting me score in singles while we were going at 3.5 an over, and for TK to bat 60-odd balls in tough circumstances against an unbelievably high quality attack, hats off.”It’s a new-ball wicket,” he added. “There’s still a bit of nibble around and if it’s overcast, it’ll certainly swing. If we can get up 180-odd that gives us a chance of hopefully a draw, and if we can get a few to stay low, we’ve a great chance to put them under pressure.”
Six teams will vie for promotion to WCL Division Three in Malaysia over the coming days, another step in the path towards World Cup 2023
Peter Della Penna in Kuala Lumpur28-Apr-2018The qualifying process for next year’s World Cup in England may have just ended last month in Zimbabwe, but for some countries the planning process for the 2023 World Cup is already in full swing. Six teams are in Malaysia this week with their end goal being that event, the first step of which is gaining promotion from World Cricket League Division Four.But staying course for qualification for the 2023 World Cup is not the only dangling carrot on display in Kuala Lumpur. Netherlands’ progression from Division Two into the World Cricket League Championship in 2015 paved the way for a spot in the 13-team ODI League and ODI status. Likewise, the six participants in Malaysia – Uganda, Malaysia, Denmark, Bermuda, Jersey and Vanuatu – are hoping that they can move up and gain a spot in the next edition of WCL Championship, anticipated to start in 2020, which brings with it precious fixtures to grow and develop.This is the fifth time Malaysia has hosted a WCL tournament, two more than any other country. It is ideal not just for its fairly central location in the context of a truly global tournament but also for the quality of the facilities – whether it is fully constructed stands and pavilions or sand-based outfield drainage which neutralises mid-afternoon monsoon rains – that are arguably the best in the Associate world, outside of the UAE.Here’s a look at the six contenders:UgandaFifth at 2017 WCL Division ThreeSince WCL Division Five in Jersey in 2008, the hosts have historically finished in the top two 62% of the time, thereby securing promotion to the next division more often than not. Others put in average performances and stay in their division. But Uganda suffered the rare, shocking indignity of being relegated as hosts 11 months ago in Kampala. The consequences of a reduced fixtures list meant that long-time captain Davis Karashani has had to temporarily step away from the national team due to university and work commitments at age 31.Never a team that blows opponents away, they have always lurked around the higher divisions of the WCL due to their team-first ethos. Uganda remains one of the most intense fielding units on the circuit, regularly defending low totals in spite of a shaky batting unit. Under new leader Roger Mukasa and with the ageless allrounder Frank Nsubuga still contributing, don’t expect that to change too much in Malaysia.Player to watch: Mohammed IrfanThe nephew of Shahid Afridi turns the ball the other way with the arm, but like his uncle he is a monster basher of the ball when the mood calls for it. He was the team’s leading wicket-taker and scorer at last year’s Division Three, which included a blistering 108 not out off 71 balls against Malaysia.MalaysiaSixth at 2017 WCL Division ThreeThe tournament hosts have been hit or miss on home soil in the past: promoted as the runners-up at 2011 Division Six and 2014 Division Five; relegated at 2012 Division Four, and a mid-table finish at 2014 Division Three. A poor performance last year in Uganda followed by the departure from the playing squad of several senior players including Khizar Hayat means they are not considered favorites for promotion.In a squad that is desperate for regeneration, a pair with expectations pinned for leading a revival are the Singh brothers, Virandeep and Pavandeep. The younger of the two, Virandeep is a promising batsman while Pavandeep’s tall and lanky frame makes his left-arm spin awkward to face when released from his height.Player to watch: Muhammad WafiqThe medium pacer’s stats may not look too impressive, but, at 22, he is fairly quick by Associate standards. In a squad with more bowling depth he’d have more freedom as a strike bowler, but he still has the capacity to cause some damage before teams pick on the weaker links in the Malaysia attack.ICC/Peter Lim DenmarkThird at 2016 WCL Division FourLike Malaysia, Denmark is a team in a state of flux and will have to adjust quickly to squad turnover in order to have success over the next week. Gone are former England Test quick Amjad Khan, fellow medium pacer Aftab Ahmed and offspinning ex-captain Michael Pedersen.New captain Hamid Shah has been tasked with the responsibility of shepherding the squad into a new era, but he still can depend on the veteran presence of Freddie Klokker for runs at the top of the order.Player to watch: Bashir ShahOn Malaysian pitches, which traditionally offer plenty of assistance to spinners, the left-armer is expected to be a handful to face. He took 13 in five games at the last Division Four in Los Angeles as well as another 13 the last time Denmark was in Malaysia for Division Four in 2012.BermudaFourth place at 2016 Division FourThe squad has been slowly spiralling toward Associate oblivion ever since their pinnacle moment of going to the 2007 World Cup. However, they temporarily arrested the decline 18 months ago in Los Angeles with a surprisingly resilient performance. After being blown out by the two sides that eventually gained promotion – USA and Oman – on the first two days of the tournament, they bounced back with wins over Denmark and Jersey, the former costing Denmark a promotion spot.Despite the absence of up-and-coming phenom Delray Rawlins – he has represented England Under-19s in the past, and, as a fully contracted Sussex player, could not get permission to play at this tournament – the squad still comprises some promising talent. Among them is Cejay Outerbridge, who took 11 wickets in Los Angeles to lead the attack, and top-order batsman Tre Manders.Player to watch: Kamau LeverockAfter wallowing in the lower-middle order for most of his senior-team career, the allrounder’s coming-of-age occurred in Los Angeles when he was promoted to open two matches into the tournament. He responded with 137 off 111 balls against Jersey and hasn’t budged from the top of the order since. Now he is one of the most explosive hitters on the Associate circuit. That he can contribute handy medium pace is a bonus. And yes, he’s the nephew of man Dwayne.Peter Della PennaJerseyFirst place at 2017 Division FiveJersey seem to have been moving back and forth between Division Four and Five since 2008, when they gained promotion on home soil along with Afghanistan. They’ve been promoted from Division Five thee times – in 2008, 2014 and 2016. Jersey have subsequently gone straight back in each of those seasons. However, one of those three successful seasons, in 2014, came in Malaysia.This is Jersey’s third WCL visit to Malaysia, having stayed put in Division Six in 2011. A team on the rise, their batting continues to be spearheaded by the Sussex-contracted Jonty Jenner. Charles Perchard is also hoping to make it two tournament wins from two in his early captaincy reign since taking over from opening batsman Peter Gough.Player to watch: Ben StevensJersey acutely felt Stevens’ absence in Los Angeles when they were relegated. He was forced to watch from the sidelines while receiving medication for an undisclosed medical condition. Taking the field once again in South Africa for Division Five last September, he turned in another sterling effort, finishing as the team’s second-highest run-scorer with 204 runs. He also ended tied for the tournament lead with 14 wickets.Vanuatu Runner-up at 2017 WCL Division FiveHaving been as low as the now defunct Division Eight in 2012, Vanuatu’s second-place finish in South Africa vaulted them to their highest global ranking. With their backs to the wall after losing their first two matches, they pulled off an incredible chase on the last day of round-robin action against Germany, chasing 228 in just 28.2 overs to overhaul the net run-rate tiebreaker deficit. Vanuatu then followed it up with a stirring six-wicket upset over Italy in the semi-finals.The advancement to Division Four coupled with revised ICC eligibility guidelines was all the motivation Vanuatu head coach Shane Deitz, the former South Australia wicketkeeper, needed to take the field again as he prepares to make his international debut for his adopted homeland. It comes more than 10 years after he played his final first-class match in the Sheffield Shield as he looks to boost a batting line-up, anchored by Jonathan Dunn and Nalin Nipiko.Player to watch: Patrick MatautaavaVanuatu’s rollercoaster ride at the end of Division Five was piloted by allrounder Matautaava, who produced one of the all-time great knocks in the history of the WCL with his 139 not out off 76 balls in the chase against Germany. He then followed that innings with 83 off 60 balls a day later in the win over Italy.
Twelve Tests overseas without a win – equalling their worst run.Five of their last seven defeats have been by an innings.They have taken 20 wickets once in their last 11 away Tests.Slumping to 27 for 9 before registering their sixth-lowest Test total.You could say, at least they haven’t been caught cheating. But England’s travel sickness makes for grim reading. They say things have to get worse before they get better, well England pushed that to the limit with the 58 all out at Eden Park even if their second innings effort restored some respectability. It’s a long way back with such a record.England have one Test left to try and rescue something. There is a limit to what can be done with a touring squad of 16 and there are those that will say kneejerk reactions don’t solve anything. Sometimes, though, you can only continue on one path for so long. Joe Root, himself, said as much before the first Test.Liam Livingstone, Mark Wood and Jack Leach should all come into contention for Christchurch.”I think there’s a lot of emotion knocking around now, and it’s still very raw,” Root said when asked of team changes. “I think it’s very important that we have some rational thinking behind that, and we sit down and make sure we go into that Test match with the XI we think is going to win the game.”Much will depend on the fitness of Ben Stokes. He had problems with his back towards the end of his four-and-a-half hour stay in the middle at Eden Park, which ended when he carved to point in the final over before dinner. He will be assessed over the next couple of days, but it would seem highly unlikely he will be able to bowl in this series.England tried to compensate in Auckland by picking an extra bowler – Craig Overton – but outside of James Anderson the attack again looked toothless, even allowing for the fact they didn’t have any runs to work with. Wood surely has to play to at least try to inject some extra pace, while Moeen Ali is a shadow of the Test cricketer who lit up the previous English season.”It’s not for lack of trying,” Root said. “We’ve got to make sure we continue that work ethic and continue to look to improve. The first opportunity to do that is this next Test. We’re going to have to make sure that, when we get that opportunity, someone stands up – or a couple of guys do – and take it on themselves to put in those match-winning performances, which we do quite frequently in our own conditions.”There were glimmers to take from the second innings in Auckland, led by Stokes’ resistance at No. 5 which could yet become his long-term position, but only that. Three half-centuries by the top-order went unconverted – including by the captain again – while three batsman fell in the final overs of session. The draw – albeit a lucky one that it would have been – was close enough to show how costly those lapses were.”I asked the guys at the start, before we warmed up, ‘Show everyone how much it means to you to play for England, and represent your country’,” Root said.”I thought we got that today from the guys. It’s obviously a massive task, coming back from the start we had in that first innings – which was bitterly disappointing.”We were always fighting our way back into the game. But the character the guys showed today, I think, was a step forward – and we simply need to be better when we get to Christchurch.”Root was naturally asked about the situation with the Australians. “I personally have got plenty on my plate to worry about,” he said in midst of one of his answers. Of that there’s no doubt.
يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، لخوض مباراة صعبة ومرتقبة أمام منافسه الترجي التونسي، مساء اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا.
ويحل الترجي ضيفًا على الأهلي، على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي في مباراة العودة لنهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا، لحسم الفريق الفائز باللقب القاري للعام الحالي 2024.
وكانت مباراة الذهاب بين الأهلي والترجي، التي أقيمت السبت الماضي على ملعب حمادي العقربي برادس انتهت بالتعادل السلبي.
طالع أيضاً.. مسؤول تأمين نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا يعلن موعد فتح الاستاد وممنوعات الجماهير
الأهلي حامل اللقب النسخة الماضية، يدخل المباراة أمام الترجي متسلحًا بعاملي الأرض والجمهور من أجل الدفاع عن لقبه والوصول للتتويج الـ12 له في تاريخه بدوري أبطال إفريقيا. موعد مباراة الأهلي والترجي اليوم في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا
تنطلق المباراة اليوم السبت الموافق 25 مايو 2024، في تمام الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، 6 بتوقيت تونس. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة الأهلي والترجي في نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا
تنقل مباراة الأهلي والترجي، على قناة “بي إن سبورتس 6” بالإضافة إلى قناة “تايم سبورت” على التردد الأرضي. معلقين مباراة الأهلي والترجي اليوم
يتولى مهمة التعليق على أحداث المباراة المصري علي محمد علي، والتونسي عصام الشوالي.
ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا
Leeds United are crying out for a striker, with manager Daniel Farke likely knowing that the acquisition of a key number nine could fix plenty of his current problems.
Who are Leeds United signing this summer?
It has been a profligate start to the season for the Whites, having enjoyed 62.7% possession and averaged 16 shots per game in their first three Championship games, but are yet to win, via Sofascore.
It is clear they are lacking the man up front to simply put the ball in the back of the net.
Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…
Therefore, it will have pleased fans to see their reported interest in Aston Villa’s Cameron Archer, amidst a £10m bid having been submitted by Sheffield United.
The Midlands outfit are holding out for £20m for the 21-year-old, whose presence up front could turn those efforts on goal into tangible opportunities.
How good is Cameron Archer?
One player in particular that could benefit from the presence of such a powerful, pacey partner up front is Daniel James, who has enjoyed a surprisingly impressive start to the campaign despite his faltering start to life at Elland Road.
He currently has just 44 appearances for the club under his belt since his £25m switch from Manchester United, but has scored just four goals.
The Wales international fared no better on loan at Fulham, having scored three in just 23 games there.
However, with a 7.27 average rating in the league in the three opening games, he has provided a potent attacking threat down that left flank amidst the profligacy, averaging 2.3 key passes per game, via Sofascore.
cameron-archer-1
The 25-year-old dynamo only has one assist to his name though, providing chances for unproven forwards and makeshift strikers.
Should those opportunities be falling to Archer instead, these figures would surely skyrocket to incredible levels with someone so proficient there as a focal point.
Just last season saw the England U21 international enjoy a stellar loan spell at Middlesbrough, scoring 11 and assisting a further six across just 20 Championship appearances.
With talent scout Jacek Kulig having lauded him as “incredibly prolific” for this spell, EFL pundit Clinton Morrison supplemented such claims for his performances the year earlier:
“Archer, that’s four games and two goals, he’s been outstanding to be fair, he’s been brilliant. His all-round game today was brilliant. What I like about him, he always shifts it, he wants to have a shot.”
Standing at 6-foot but with a turn of pace to keep most centre-backs honest, his mere presence within Farke’s team would afford additional space to the wealth of attacking options, including James.
This could allow him to truly showcase his starring attributes, that of which have been somewhat missing since his lucrative move to west Yorkshire.
Owen Hargreaves did outline these back in 2021, noting after one fine showing:
“His pace, his willingness to run behind, I think the Sociedad defenders couldn’t believe how quick he was. They probably thought they were going to catch him and in Spain, someone might square this or cross this, but he was too quick.”
Then, should the opposition instead opt to push up to quell the threat of the speedster, he could help thread Archer in behind with the threat he poses in that position.
It is monumental how big of an impact this one acquisition could prove to be, and Farke should spare no expense in ensuring his next signing is one at the very least at the quality of the young marksman.
O Santos terá problemas para enfrentar o Atlético-MG, na próxima quarta-feira (9), na Vila Belmiro, pela nona rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Os dois titulares da zaga, Lucas Veríssimo e Luan Peres, estão suspensos para a partida, que marcará o reencontro de Sampaoli com o Peixe.
Veríssimo estava pendurado e recebeu o terceiro cartão amarelo após uma falta na entrada da área, ainda na primeira etapa. Já Peres recebeu o cartão vermelho direto depois de agredir o zagueiro Luiz Otávio.
Com isso, Alex Nascimento e Jobson podem compor a defesa diante do Galo.
RelacionadasSantosEm jogo com ‘lei do ex’ e expulsões, Santos vence o Ceará fora de casaSantos05/09/2020VaivémDia do Mercado: Suárez perto da Itália, futuro de Pogba, City de olho em zagueiro…Vaivém05/09/2020Núm3ros da bol4No talento! Veja quem são os maiores dribladores do Brasileirão 2020Núm3ros da bol404/09/2020
In a run-laden ODI at Bristol, Liam Plunkett’s figures stood out from the carnage – a career-best haul of 5 for 52 in 8.1 match-sealing overs
Andrew Miller25-Sep-20171:13
‘Happy to be the bad guy if I’m not going out of the park’ – Plunkett
There can’t have been many punters who left the County Ground at Bristol on Sunday night feeling short-changed. With Moeen Ali scorching all before him with his sensational 53-ball hundred, and Chris Gayle responding with ominous intent during his 94 from 78, a grand total of 28 sixes were struck in the course of the two innings – the most ever scored in an international match in England. That’s entertainment, as Gloucestershire’s marketing men would amply agree.And yet, had it not been for a less prominently celebrated performance, England’s eventual 124-run win would have been significantly less comfortable, and perhaps even in doubt altogether. Instead, once the dust had settled on a pulsating afternoon’s strokeplay, there were Liam Plunkett’s figures standing out from the carnage – a career-best haul of 5 for 52 in 8.1 match-sealing overs.It was, as Plunkett readily agreed, something of a killjoy’s performance. This is, after all, a player who has been forging an invaluable niche in England’s one-day plans in recent seasons – that of the mid-innings aggressor, the man whose extra oomph can force a mistake out of even the most well-set batsman, or demand that they shelve some of their intent in a bid to keep their powder dry for the slog overs.And that he did to impressive effect in the course of a run-laden contest. After entering the attack in the tenth over, his first two wickets were classic heavy-ball dismissals, as first Shai Hope and then – controversially – Marlon Samuels were drawn into drives and beaten by extra bounce outside off stump. Then, when he returned in the 34th over, Plunkett’s second-ball bouncer lured Jason Mohammed into a top-edged slap to square leg, before Devendra Bishoo and Jason Holder completed his haul with the contest effectively settled.”Everyone wants to see sixes and fours, so you try to come in in that middle period, and close a team down,” Plunkett said. “That’s why I do like it, because you feel as though you can run the game in that period. I love to be the bad guy for the crowd, it means I’m not getting hit out of the park.”He’s clearly revelling in that villainous role. Plunkett’s Bristol haul propelled him into elite company among England’s one-day cricketers – with two matches remaining of the 2017 season, he has become the joint third-most prolific wicket-taker in a home ODI summer, with 20 scalps – alongside his regular middle-overs partner, Adil Rashid, who himself picked off three wickets to hasten West Indies’ demise in Sunday’s contest.Liam Plunkett struck twice in his first spell•Getty Images”If we can squeeze them in that middle period, it’s invaluable,” said Plunkett. “That’s what me and Rash have done in the last year or two, because people are getting set and looking to knock it around a bit, and not take as many risks. So if you can get a couple of big wickets there, it gets the tail in earlier and hopefully limits the damage at the back end. So I do relish it, trying to take a few wickets, and [at Bristol] I did that.”Plunkett didn’t have everything his own way during his afternoon’s work. In fact, he suffered the indignity of being pounded for the biggest six of the match: his second ball to Gayle was swiped clean out of the ground over midwicket. But he took stock and adjusted his approach accordingly – aided, he said, by the prep he’d been able to do thanks to dressing-room footage of Gayle’s previous performances.”The two bouncers I bowled to him, he flapped at to get out of the way, but the ball he hit for six was chest high, which obviously isn’t a good delivery,” Plunkett said. “I still backed myself to go at his head or mix the pace up, but you’ve got to stick to your plans. The stuff that’s in the dressing room gives you reminders before you go out, but if you don’t bowl well, it’s still your fault. There’s no-one else to blame but yourself.”After a washout in Nottingham, England have now secured an unassailable 2-0 series lead in the five-match series, and Plunkett has few doubts about his team’s ability to wrap up the rubber in Wednesday’s fourth ODI at The Oval. His side, he believes, are simply better than West Indies, the No.9-ranked ODI side, who must now go through the ICC’s qualification tournament if they want to secure one of the two remaining places at the 2019 World Cup.”We feel as though, if we can get an early wicket, we can get on top of them,” he said. “We feel like we do back ourselves, we’re a good team. Obviously you can never take it for granted, but if you can get one [wicket], you can squeeze them because they’re a team that likes boundaries and play out dot balls. We feel we are a better team because we hit boundaries but also run the ones and twos.”That said, the Gayle factor can never be entirely discounted. After all, who needs ones and twos when you can deal exclusively in fours and sixes?”He played nicely, didn’t he?” said Plunkett. “We know he’s dangerous. You look at the stats he’s got, even his bowling – he’s got 160 wickets or something – so he’s a great cricketer, isn’t he? We’ve got a method though, we have to try and squeeze him, although if you miss, he’ll hit it miles. You need to shut him down and try to get him to run the singles he doesn’t want to run – because a couple of run-outs have saved us as well.”Perhaps coincidentally, the Bristol ODI was England’s last international fixture before the announcement of England’s Ashes squad – and while the days have long since passed of players earning themselves winter-tour places on the strength of an outstanding performance in the season-ending NatWest Trophy final (for instance, Ashley Cowan in 1997), the circumstances of this late-September series are not entirely dissimilar.Thus, in the wake of the stress fracture that has scuppered the hopes of Middlesex’s Toby Roland-Jones, could there yet be a vacancy for a tall deck-hitting seamer with the stamina and experience to give Australia’s batsmen the hurry-up on flat pitches?Plunkett, understandably, is refusing to get his hopes up. After all, he hasn’t played a Test match for England since 2014 while, through a combination of injury and England call-ups, he has played just two first-class matches for Yorkshire this season, albeit that included a hard-earned four-wicket haul against Somerset at Scarborough.”I’ve not played that much so, I guess, there’s nothing to go by,” he said. “I guess they know what they’re going to get with me, I’ve been around for plenty of time, so if I got the go-ahead, happy days. But I can’t see it happening.”Obviously I’d love to go in the Ashes squad, but I know it’s far for me. I’ve done well in white-ball cricket and I’ve been successful in that, so maybe they think me as a white-ball bowler. But I am happy where I’m at and I feel good in the one-day team right now.”
Southampton could be about to make a move for former attacker Danny Ings, with Gazzetta dello Sport, via West Ham Zone reporting that he could be allowed to leave West Ham.
How many goals has Danny Ings scored?
The 30-year-old currently plays for West Ham, having only just linked up with the club in January. He was able to play 17 times in the Premier League for the Hammers, albeit only seven of those were starts.
Still, he managed a tidy return of two goals and two assists in those fixtures. Prior to that, he had played for Aston Villa for two campaigns, managing 13 goal contributions during his first season with the Villans in the league. In fact, his rate with the Midlands outfit never dropped below 0.6 goal contributions per 90 during his time there – meaning he was largely good for a goal or assist in every other top flight game he featured in.
His most prolific time though came during when he played in a Southampton shirt. He has more league goals for them than anyone else in his career and his overall goal contribution rate of 0.68 per 90 is also the best he has ever produced. Playing for them for just three seasons, he managed 91 league outings with 41 goals and nine assists. He could never help the Saints to break into the top half of the Premier League, but he has racked up 104 league goals across the divisions in English football.
West Ham's Danny Ings
Are Southampton signing Danny Ings?
Now, according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport, via West Ham Zone, the forward could be set for a return to St Mary's Stadium this summer. That's because West Ham have already decided they may sell the 30-year-old this transfer window, with a need for the Irons to clear out some of their attacking options.
It means that Ings could be shown the door – and if he is, there could be a chance for him to link back up with Southampton according to the report. One word of warning the report for excited Saints fans though, as they believe Ings is the less likely of the Hammers' current strikers to be sold, behind Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antonio.
Ings was praised for his abilities in front of goal not too long ago by former teammate Matty Cash, who hailed how "brilliant" Ings was during his time at Aston Villa. He stated that the Englishman was "one of the smartest players" he had ever lined up alongside and added that any striker needs to watch the player in action.
The 30-year-old has still got the capability to hit the back of the net in his locker and still has plenty of years left to do so – and with Southampton, he could return to the club where he was arguably the most prolific. If the Saints could get him firing as he previously did with them in the Championship, it could be a huge boost in terms of a push for promotion.
Allrounder Hardik Pandya has been selected for the three-Test series in Sri Lanka, which begins on July 26 in Galle
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-20172:55
Kalra: Difficult pill to swallow for Nair
Allrounder Hardik Pandya has been selected for the three-Test series in Sri Lanka, which begins on July 26 in Galle. KL Rahul, who hasn’t played any competitive cricket since India’s Test series against Australia in March because of injury, was back in the squad. M Vijay, too, regained fitness, after wrist and shoulder injuries, and was named in the squad.Rohit Sharma made his Test comeback, too, after being rested for the limited-overs tour of the West Indies. He last played Tests for India during the New Zealand series in October last year, before injuring himself while playing an ODI. His replacement Karun Nair, who scored a triple century against England in December 2016 but made 54 in four innings after that, was left out.Abhinav Mukund, who got one Test in the home season, edged out Shikhar Dhawan as back-up opener, despite the latter’s success in limited-overs formats after his return in the Champions Trophy. Abhinav, however, is also a part of the India A squad for the four-day matches on the tour of South Africa in July – August and his availability for the A tour could be in doubt. The Test series in Sri Lanka is scheduled to end on August 16, while the four-day games in South Africa begin from August 12. Nair will lead the India A side in the four-day matches against South Africa A.Pandya’s maiden call-up to the Test side came in November last year for the home series against England. However, he hurt his right shoulder while training later that month and was withdrawn from the squad. Pandya found himself in the Test squad again for the first two matches against Australia later this year.The bowling chose itself with the two best bowlers in the world – R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – being bolstered by the presence of Kuldeep Yadav. The four specialist quicks were Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav.India also announced a two-day warm-up match to be played in Colombo on July 21 and 22.India squad: Virat Kohli (capt.), M Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund.