The rift between Joao Felix and Diego Simeone was clear to see on Sunday, after the Barcelona player scored against his parent club, Atletico Madrid.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Michael Carberry closed in on a first Specsavers County Championship of the season with a fine 84 not out on the second day against Middlesex
ECB Reporters Network15-Apr-2017
ScorecardMichael Carberry stood up to the challenge of a strong Middlesex attack•Getty Images
Michael Carberry closed in on a first Specsavers County Championship of the season with a fine 84 not out on the second day against Middlesex.The Hampshire opener is making his first Ageas Bowl appearance in the Championship since he was diagnosed with cancer last June.Carberry pulled his side into a strong position as they replied to Middlesex’s 356 as they ended the day 148 runs in arrears with six wickets remaining.Carberry showed off his attritional side, wearing down Tim Murtagh, Steven Finn and Toby Roland-Jones in his crab-like style he saves for when he knows the pitch has gremlins.His blocking and leaving, especially against the troublesome Roland-Jones in his first spell, helped forge partnerships with Jimmy Adams, Liam Dawson and Sean Ervine.With opening partner Adams he played the role of defender as his long-standing friend could free his arms a little. The duo added 57 for the opening stand before Adams got an edge on Ollie Rayner to give James Franklin a simple catch.The same two Middlesex players reversed their roles to see off James Vince who was tempted too far into the corridor of uncertainty to find a thick edge, kicking the ground on his exit.The hallmarks of a good Carberry innings are his cutting and pulling, and while the former was forthcoming with genius precision, the latter was made to wait.But when the big pull shot came it was the shot of the day, as he swivelled and connected off Murtagh to see his shot slam into the advertising hoardings – never seeming to deviate from about five metres off the ground.Carberry’s fifty came from 154 balls – brought up, fittingly, with a stinging cut to the boundary – one of 12 shots which reached the fence in one form or another.Liam Dawson was not impressed when umpire Jeremy Lloyds lifted his finger to the last ball before tea, with the batsman adjudged to have tickled one behind off Rayner.Carberry’s longest standing partner turned out to be Sean Ervine, with the pair scoring at the quickest rate of a slow-going day. Ervine scored a 70-ball fifty and appeared impenetrable until Finn returned to the attack with six overs left in the day to make him play on.Kyle Abbott, in as nightwatchman, looped a simple chance to Sam Robson at gully but the ball somehow hit the turf.Earlier, Middlesex were bowled out for 356 with Brad Wheal ending up with figures of 4 for 98. Abbott struck first – when he had Franklin feeling a foot outside off-stump – the ball flying to Vince at third slip.After Roland-Jones had hit an exhilarating 38, Wheal accounted for him when he nicked to second slip, Dawson pinned Rayner, then Wheal had Finn leg before.
The German defender bagged a late winner to give his side a three-point lead over surprise package Girona at the summit
Antonio Rudiger came up clutch to head a crucial late winner for Real Madrid as they secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mallorca on Wednesday night, with usual suspect Jude Bellingham going missing for long periods of the game.
This was a frustrating contest for the home side, who seemed unlikely to find the net for long stretches, before a set-piece sealed a vital win.
The returning Vinicius Jr enjoyed the first big chance of the game, latching onto a Luka Modric pass and seeing his shot diverted narrowly around the post. The Brazilian had another effort denied shortly after, encapsulating a largely frustrating opening period for Los Blancos.
Mallorca offered some thrust of their own, with Antonio Sanchez diverting the ball off the underside of the bar and somehow away from goal. Samu Costa also carved out a chance, cannoning a shot off the base of the post.
Still, this seemed to be Real's game to lose. Brahim Diaz hit the post from inches out halfway through the second half, and the introduction of Joselu saw the home side seize control. But it was from a corner that Carlo Ancelotti's side won it. Rudiger grabbed the goal, directing a majestic, arcing header into the far corner – leaving goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic rooted to the spot.
This wasn't pretty, but the importance simply cannot be understated, as Los Blancos now lead second-placed Girona by three points, albeit the Catalans have a game in hand.
GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from the Santiago Bernabeu…
Troy Deeney has been sacked by League Two side Forest Green Rovers after just six games in charge of the club.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
The Gunners spent more than £200 million last summer, but still don't have a squad strong enough to win the Premier League
Mikel Arteta and Declan Rice both said the exact same thing after Sunday's 2-1 loss at Fulham: "Not good enough." And they were right. Arsenal didn't deserve to take any points home from their trip to Craven Cottage, so dire was their display.
The real concern for the Gunners, though, is that same phrase could be applied to their squad. As it stands, Arteta's men don't look remotely good enough to challenge for this season's Premier League title.
Rice added on , "There are a lot of media who talk and say Arsenal are going to win the league this year and we are better this year, but we don’t get involved in that." Which is the right approach, really, because it wouldn't do anyone connected with the club any good to dwell on the fact that the squad is actually weaker now than it was last season – and that's a deeply depressing thought for the fans, given the club spent more than £200 million ($250m) during the summer transfer window.
Rice, to his credit, has proven an excellent acquisition. His goals alone have been worth five points to Arsenal, and that's without getting into what he adds to the midfield. Jurrien Timber was also desperately unfortunate to suffer a serious injury on his debut after impressing in pre-season, but the decision to spend £62m ($78m) on Kai Havertz remains as baffling now as it was last July. The Germany international has enjoyed something resembling a mini-revival in recent weeks, but there's still no shaking the feeling that Arsenal's ambitions would have been far better served by signing a proven goalscorer.
However, it's been made abundantly clear during the first half of the season that Arsenal aren't just short up front. Indeed, a squad that was meant to challenge for the title is alarmingly short in several key areas…
USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter is set to poach another dual-national from England, with Aston Villa youngster Declan Frith in his sights.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Batting strength down the order will be West Indies’ trump card, but they will be coming into the tournament cold. By Andrew McGlashan
Andrew McGlashan04-Sep-2007
|
|
|
The shorter the game the more competitive West Indies are; and by that reckoning they should be real contenders in Twenty20.Ramnaresh Sarwan is back at the helm after injury and the selectors have largely stuck with the players who took the one-day series against England. Pedro Collins – earning a recall not before time – and Narsingh Deonarine are the two new faces but neither has been called up because of particular success in Twenty20.West Indies showed they can adapt to the format, piling up 208 in the first game at The Oval and sharing the series 1-1. There was a new verve about their play during the latter part of the England tour as the team responded to Chris Gayle’s captaincy. However, they are one of the teams coming into the tournament cold, and will have to hit the ground running in a tough group that includes South Africa and Bangladesh.Home truths
There is no Twenty20 competition in the proper domestic season in the West Indies, but the game has taken the Caribbean by storm thanks to Allen Stanford. His multi-million dollar Stanford 20-20 has breathed new life into cricket in the region, although most of the players in the West Indies World Championship squad haven’t participated to any great level. Stanford, though, has big plans to go with his big pockets. He wants to take his game international. Last year he tried to entice South Africa for a big-money showdown with an all-star XI, while Australia have also been approached.Strengths
The depth of their batting means they will be able to go hard throughout the 20 overs. There is no shortage of powerful strikers and the boundaries won’t be big enough for Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels (Twenty20 strike-rate: 190) and Dwayne Smith if they get going.Those three and Dwayne Bravo are all capable of bowling their four-over spells, which allows West Indies to pick a top-heavy team. Potentially they could have Denesh Ramdin down at No. 8 or No. 9, and there is a great flexibility about the order.Even in Twenty20, having wicket-taking bowlers is vital, and Collins will form a potent attack with Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards.
|
Unless Gayle has a monster tournament, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s golden string of scores continues, West Indies will be short of runs to trouble the top sides |
Weaknesses
A couple of poor overs in either innings can lose a side a match. Twenty20 is a game where it is imperative for a team to keep their focus, and West Indian sides have been known to let their minds wander, especially when on tour. If they enter the tournament with an attitude that it is just a hit-about and a bit of fun, they could rapidly come unstuck.Although they ended the England tour in fine spirit under Gayle’s captaincy, now they must readjust to having Sarwan back in charge. Rumours of unrest between players and the coach, David Moore, have the potential to undermine the squad. And though it’s a young side, fielding can also be an issue; the teams that go the furthest will be those that save the most runs.Players to watch
He might be a limpet in Test matches, but stick him in coloured clothing and he finds a new gear. In his one Twenty20 outing against England he went from blocker to basher, hitting 41 off 26 balls. Although 20 overs doesn’t sound very long, there is value in having someone who can anchor the innings at the top. Chanderpaul’s flexibility lends itself perfectly to that role, especially if the ball zips around in early-season South Africa. If West Indies are performing well, Bravo is usually at the centre of it. He provides a constant heartbeat to the team, even when others appear disinterested and distant. In all three areas of the game he can be a match-winner. His fielding is inspirational, he strikes the ball cleanly, and his bowling at the death has won one-day matches.Dark horse
Sammy burst onto the Test scene with 7 for 66 at Old Trafford before picking up an untimely hamstring injury, but he – like Bravo – is another multi-dimensional cricketer who gives his all and always appears to be enjoying the battle. While not express pace, his hit-the-deck seam bowling could be well-suited to South African conditions, and his presence in the side will enhance the fielding.
|
|
|
Ian Chappell’s take
West Indies didn’t perform well in the World Cup, playing at home and
led by Brian Lara, and they’re unlikely to do well in unfamiliar conditions and
without their star batsman as captain.However the West Indies players have an advantage over all but their English counterparts in that they have
performed, under pressure and on a regular basis, in their domestic Twenty20
tournaments. The Stanford competition is a big-money affair, and West
Indies are more used to serious Twenty20 cricket than most other countries
where the game was treated more as entertainment until the announcement of
this high-profile ICC tournament.On paper West Indies have most of the ingredients for a strong Twenty20
side. They have a big-hitting opener to take advantage of the fielding
restrictions in the first six overs; they have a couple of very talented
allrounders in Dwayne Bravo and Marlon Samuels to add depth in batting and
bowling; and they have a pacy new-ball
bowler who can strike early.However Chris Gayle’s poor footwork has made
him highly inconsistent of late, and Samuels has flattered to deceive for a long
time. As for Dwayne Smith, he no longer deceives – he always hits a six over
midwicket and then promptly gets out.Fidel Edwards, on the other hand, seems
to have come of age in England, where he bowled with pace and fire. If
Daren Powell and Pedro Collins give him good support, West Indies might at
last have something resembling a potent attack.However, unless Gayle has a
monster tournament, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s golden string of scores
continues, West Indies will be short of runs to trouble the top
sides.West Indies will need to be at their best to get past Bangladesh in the
preliminary round, but even if they do get past that hurdle, I don’t expect
them to reach the semi-finals. Rating: 6/10
Leah Williamson is back in Arsenal’s starting XI, but the Lionesses star had little to celebrate after seeing the Gunners suffer defeat at West Ham.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Maidstone United fans were left fuming after their side were drawn against Sheffield Wednesday or Coventry City in the fifth round of the FA Cup.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Usman Khawaja’s absence is a significant pointer as the probable inclusion of an allrounder in Australia’s XI means only five specialist batting positions will likely be available
Brydon Coverdale17-Feb-2017Usman Khawaja could be facing the axe from Australia’s team for the first Test against India, after being left out of the XI for the tour match against India A in Mumbai.Shaun Marsh was preferred for the three-day game, which is Australia’s only warm-up match before the first Test in Pune. Although the tour-match XI will not completely correspond to Australia’s Test XI – Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are both being rested – the absence of Khawaja is a more significant pointer.The probable inclusion of an allrounder in Australia’s XI means only five specialist batting positions will likely be available: David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Steven Smith, Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh were all named in the tour match XI.Khawaja’s disappointing record in Asian conditions could leave him on the outer. In four Tests in Asia – all in Sri Lanka – he has scored 115 runs at 19.16, and he was dropped mid-tour during Australia’s series in Sri Lanka last year. His wider first-class record in Asia – including tour games and Australia A matches – is 389 runs at 32.41. In his past 14 first-class innings in Asia, he has not passed 50.Marsh, by comparison, has played three Tests in Asia – like Khawaja, all in Sri Lanka – but has made two centuries and averages 78.60 in those games. Unlike Khawaja, who has played Australia A first-class matches in India, Marsh is yet to make any first-class appearance in India, and the selectors hope that his ability against spin might help strengthen Australia’s batting order in this series.However, despite his struggles in Asia, Khawaja is coming off a productive home summer, in which he scored 581 runs at 58.10 from six Tests against South Africa and Pakistan. Last month, when the Test squad for this tour was announced, national selector Trevor Hohns was asked whether Khawaja’s retention for the first Test would depend on his form in the training camp in Dubai, and the tour game.”We see Usman as one of our best five or six batsmen,” Hohns said at the time. “He’s included because of that. We would expect Usman to do everything he possibly can to improve his play. He wasn’t great in Sri Lanka – and once again, he knows that and understands that. We want to see him improve his play in those conditions against spin bowling. He’s one of our best batsmen, so there’s no reason why he can’t do the job.”Marsh began the home summer as Warner’s opening partner, but after scoring 63 and 15 in the first Test against South Africa in Perth, he missed the remainder of the Tests due to injury. In his previous two Tests – against West Indies in Hobart in December 2015, and against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2016 – Marsh had scored centuries.Writing for ESPNcricinfo this week, former Test wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said if he was choosing the XI for the first Test in Pune, he would pick Marsh ahead of Khawaja.Australia XI for tour game David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Steven Smith (capt), Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Wade (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Steve O’Keefe, Nathan Lyon, Jackson Bird.