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Test vice-captain ready for pivotal role on India tour after recovering from shoulder injury

Cameron Ponsonby09-Dec-2023Ollie Pope says he is ready to captain England against India if Ben Stokes’ knee prevents him from playing in the first Test.Stokes underwent surgery on his troublesome left knee immediately after the World Cup where he played as a specialist batter. The hope is that he will be fit to take part against India in the first Test, starting on January 25 in Hyderabad, in a full capacity, but Pope has said it would be “silly” of him not to prepare for the scenario where the reins are handed over to him.”I think naturally when you are vice-captain there is always a risk that the captain can go down,” Pope said ahead of the deciding ODI of England’s tour of the Caribbean. “Of course that is something that I can think about if it needs to happen but the feedback I have had from the physios [regarding Stokes] since the surgery has been really positive. Stokesy is doing good but it would be silly for me not to prepare.”Related

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Pope has been a non-playing member of the ODI squad after getting his first call-up to an England white-ball team and is continuing his own rehab following the dislocated shoulder he suffered in the Ashes.Describing the experience of watching the final three matches of the series against Australia go ahead without him as “painful”, Pope is nevertheless now back to more-or-less 100% full fitness.”It was awesome to watch and I couldn’t leave my sofa some days,” Pope said of the Ashes, which ended 2-2. “It was frustrating not playing but the guys put on a real good show and I felt I was living it with them a little bit from my sofa with my shoulder in a sling”[But] I’m good. The shoulder has been good. It’s a stable joint and it can still be sore when I’m throwing, but that’s something I’m going to have to put up with for a while.”During training in Antigua, Pope threw almost exclusively underarm, but has since started to throw overarm at times, saying that it’s simply a case of saving the majority of his throws for game time. It is the third time that Pope has dislocated his shoulder, after suffering the same injury on his left side in 2019 and 2020, but he said that despite the injury occurring whilst he was diving in the field on all three occasions, he remains confident in his ability to throw himself around.”Not [when] diving,” Pope said of whether the injury remains in the back of his mind. “Because I’ve had the same surgery on my left side. I trust the operation and what has happened to my shoulder. I have had two on my left, the first was a smaller one which didn’t go to plan, but in terms of diving around, no. I know I have a stable joint now and that is the good thing in my mind.”This is the fourth week in a row that Pope has been away from home, after he joined up with the white-ball squad in the Caribbean after being part of the England Lions red-ball training camp in Abu Dhabi.”It is a lot better preparation for India than it would be back in the indoor school at The Oval or in the gym the whole time,” he said.”Each batter has probably started thinking about their gameplan whether that is defence or attack. We are going to go about it in a positive way. The pitches in India can be really flat as well so you never know it could be 600 par score in the first innings or it could be 200 par score. Each batter has clarity in their mind and we have been speaking with Trescothick since summer about honing defence.”It is the first time that Pope has had to split red- and white-ball thought processes having had five years in the England set-up exclusively as a Test cricketer. Having played just three List A matches in the last four years, Pope’s inclusion in the one-day squad was a surprise if not a shocking one, with England long having earmarked the right-hander as a multi-format player.”I think anywhere three, four, five,” Pope said of where he expects to fit into the XI when the time for a debut comes. “I feel like I can play spin quite nicely and rotate quite nicely. I think I have to just keep developing the boundary options.”I knew I had a chance and I feel like my game is well suited to 50-over cricket. I just had a bit of bad luck in 50-over cricket over the last couple of years. I feel I have a lot to offer, but now I want to go and show it.”

Fifth-wicket partnership lifts visitors after Yorkshire seamers utilise damp conditions

ECB Reporters Network26-Sep-2023Kashif Ali picked the perfect time to post a career best 93 as he helped steer Worcestershire towards promotion in the LV= Insurance County Championship during a positive first day against Yorkshire at Headingley.Kashif, 25, had only scored 98 runs in four previous appearances dating back to last summer. Here, he led a recovery from 67 for 4, having been inserted, to 280 for 5 from 80 overs with 15 fours in 131 balls.The start of this season-ending fixture was delayed until 12.40pm because of rain, and Yorkshire made use of a new-ball pitch.Seamers Ben Coad and George Hill struck twice apiece for a Yorkshire side aiming to elevate themselves off the bottom of Division Two following their mid-season points deduction. But the Pears recovered strongly through Kashif and captain Brett D’Oliveira, who shared 155 either side of tea. The latter finished on 90 not out off 192 balls.Worcestershire started the day knowing they would be promoted by reaching 300 inside 110 overs. Surely now, they will play Division One cricket next summer for the first time since 2018.Kashif went beyond 50 for the second time this summer and D’Oliveira for the third time in as many matches, the latter also reaching 5000 first-class career runs in the process.While Yorkshire’s aim of avoiding bottom place is an important one, it is only to boost morale. They need to win to have any chance.Coad struck twice early on, with Fin Bean and Adam Lyth – at third and second slip – taking good low catches to remove Gareth Roderick and Pakistan overseas batter Azhar Ali cheaply, leaving the score at 22 for 2.Hill then trapped Jake Libby lbw for 32 and had Jack Haynes caught at third slip by Bean for 14, the visitors in some peril at 67 for 4 in the 20th over.Kashif promises to be vital for Worcestershire in their bid for success in Division One. He has shown more progress in white-ball cricket since joining the Pears as the first product out of the South Asian Cricket Academy last summer.But with Haynes going to Nottinghamshire this winter as one of a host of departures from New Road, a fair bit will rest on his shoulders against the red-ball next year.Batting was difficult against the new ball but became a lot easier as the day progressed. While both Kashif and D’Oliveira were off-side dominant en route to their respective well-paced fifties, Kashif played one dreamy on-drive down the ground off Hill after tea which stood out from the crowd.Just as Kashif will be important for the Pears going forwards, Yorkshire will hope Matt Milnes spearheads their bid for promotion in 2024. Milnes was Yorkshire’s marquee signing ahead of this season, but this is only his second appearance. Just weeks after announcing his arrival last August, the England Lions quick suffered a back stress fracture in his farewell appearance for Kent.He spent the entire winter rehabbing in the Headingley gym and nets and gained selection for the opening match of this summer, the home Championship defeat against Leicestershire.Unfortunately, having encouraged in that fixture with four wickets and a first-innings 75 as a nightwatchman, he reported more pain and was diagnosed with exactly the same injury.Milnes has recovered once more and has played three second-team Championship matches in the last three weeks. Yorkshire opted to reward the 29-year-old for his hard work with a season-ending return to first-team colours.Milnes bowled three spells en-route to figures of nought for 46 from 14 overs and was at his most threatening in his first of six which cost 15 runs. He could quite easily have had a couple of early wickets like Coad and Hill.But Kashif and D’Oliveira advanced Worcestershire’s cause in eye-catching and confident fashion. They reached tea at 130 for 4 and later recorded their fifties off 62 and 78 balls.Kashif fell when he miscued a return catch to Dom Bess – leaving Worcestershire 222 for 5 in the 64th over. D’Oliveira was dropped on 63 by Lyth at slip off Bess, surviving to share 58 unbroken with Ben Allison, 31 not out.Worcestershire are almost there.

دخل نادي ريال مدريد في مفاوضات لضم صفقة جديدة من أجل تدعيم صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية.

ووفقًا لما كشفته صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية، فإن إيجور جوليو لاعب برايتون كان محورًا لمحادثات مكثفة مع ريال سوسيداد خلال الأسابيع الماضية، لكن المفاوضات لم تُثمر عن اتفاق رسمي حتى الآن.

جوليو أبدى رغبة واضحة في الانتقال إلى الدوري الإسباني هذا الصيف، ويملك بالفعل اتفاقًا مبدئيًا مع ريال سوسيداد.

اقرأ أيضًا.. برشلونة وريال مدريد يراقبان جوهرة هولندية تمهيدًا لضمه

ريال مدريد تحرك مؤخرًا للاستفسار عن موقف اللاعب وإمكانية ضمه، في ظل بحث النادي عن تعزيزات دفاعية قبل انطلاق الموسم الجديد.

ورغم دخول ريال مدريد على الخط، فإن برايتون لا يزال في محادثات مفتوحة مع ريال سوسيداد الذي يسعى لحسم الصفقة سريعًا.

يبقى القرار النهائي مرهونًا باتفاق بين برايتون والنادي الأنسب من الناحية المالية، في وقت تواصل فيه الأطراف الثلاثة مشاوراتها خلال الساعات المقبلة.

Chelsea have now joined the race for a £25m right-back, but they are set to face competition for his signature from Barcelona and Liverpool, according to a report.

Reece James back to his best

There is arguably little reason for the Blues to make a move for a new right-back this summer, given that they are well-stocked in that area of the pitch, with Reece James now showing signs he could be back to his best after several injury setbacks.

James returned to the England team for the first time in two-and-a-half years against Latvia, and the 25-year-old put in a top-quality performance, opening the scoring in the Three Lions’ comprehensive 3-0 victory.

That said, Enzo Maresca may want to err on the side of caution, given that his captain is very susceptible to injuries, and there has also been speculation about Malo Gusto’s future, with Liverpool shortlisting the right-back as a potential replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold.

As such, a new right-back may be required in the summer transfer window, and Chelsea have now entered the race to sign Feyenoord’s Givairo Read, according to a report from Caught Offside.

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Liverpool and Barcelona are said to be in fierce competition for Read’s signature, with the Merseyside club looking set to lose Trent Alexander-Arnold amid interest from Real Madrid.

Manchester United and Atlético Madrid are also named as potential suitors for the defender, but Feyenoord should be in a strong negotiating position, given that he remains contracted until 2028, meaning they could hold out for €25m – €30m (£21m – £25m)

Read impressing in the Champions League

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig lauded the 18-year-old for his performances in both legs of Feyenoord’s Champions League tie against AC Milan earlier this season, while also branding the teenager a “warrior” of a defender.

The youngster was faced with the difficult task of dealing with left-winger Rafael Leao, but he managed to keep the Portugal international quiet across the two legs, helping his side to a clean sheet with a solid performance in the first encounter.

The starlet has also been impressive in an attacking sense this season, picking up six assists in 17 Eredivisie outings, indicating that he is a well-rounded full-back.

Read’s performances for Feyenoord suggest he could be a fantastic long-term addition for the Blues, however, there are question marks over how much game time he would receive, should Gusto stay at Chelsea and James remain injury-free.

Tottenham Hotspur are in for a crucial summer window under Ange Postecoglou and have now set their sights on a prolific scorer to bolster the pedigree of their forward line.

Tottenham Hotspur's summer transfer plans come to light

Upon assessment, Spurs have endured a disappointing campaign littered with inconsistency, yet could still snatch a backdoor route to Champions League qualification via clinching the Europa League title in May.

Ange Postecoglou has needed to weather the storm this season and the Australian’s job security is said to be uncertain amid recent reports that Mauricio Pochettino could succeed the former Celtic boss.

Either way, he remains in position for now, and their transfer strategy this summer could begin with a move to north London for River Plate star Franco Mastantuono. Having made initial contact, the Lilywhites believe they could strike and deliver for a fee under his reported £38m release clause.

On the same token, Tottenham are in pole position for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ full-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, who is under contract in the West Midlands until the summer of 2026.

Sizing up potential targets on expiring deals could be a handy strategy, especially when factoring in the amount of finance left over to strengthen in other areas of the field.

Chelsea (A)

Premier League

Southampton (H)

Premier League

Eintract Frankfurt (H)

Europa League

Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)

Premier League

Eintracht Frankfurt (A)

Europa League

Evaluating areas to bolster, Spurs’ forward line stands out more than most due to Dominic Solanke’s injury frustrations, which have limited the Three Lions international to 33 appearances this term.

Help could be on the way this summer, with Postecoglou now turning his attention to one of Europe’s most prolific goalscorers, as per recent reports.

Tottenham in talks to sign Lille forward Jonathan David

According to a report in France via Sport Witness, Tottenham are in active discussions to sign Lille forward Jonathan David following the Canada international’s excellent return of 23 goals and 10 assists in 41 appearances during 2024/25.

Arsenal and Manchester United are also on the case, while Borussia Dortmund provide further competition for his signature from the continent. Deemed an attractive option on the market due to his impending free agent status, the 25-year-old would favour a move to England over other destinations.

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Labelled ‘magical’ by Alexandre Gangue-Ruzic, he has also been subject to a previous offer from West Ham United, but their interest has since fallen on deaf ears.

Continuing his fine spate of performances across the Channel, David also radiates a desire to bring others into play, with the forward creating 27 chances and completing 14 dribbles on league duty. Over the course of his career, he has struck 144 times in 327 outings.

In the midst of fierce competition, the onus now is on Postecoglou and Daniel Levy to sell him a project that cannot be refused even if Spurs end up heading into next season without the lure of continental football.

The mood around Arsenal heading into last night’s Champions League game was not positive.

A defeat to West Ham United and a draw with Nottingham Forest all but ended the Premier League title race, and there was a concern that it was set to be another disappointing night in Eindhoven.

However, it turns out there was no need to be worried, as the Gunners tore PSV asunder, running out 7-1 winners and being the first team to score seven goals away from home in the competition’s knockout rounds.

However, for all the brilliant performances, and there were plenty, one of Mikel Arteta’s starters had a night to forget and should probably be dropped ahead of the weekend.

Arsenal's best performers vs PSV

The good news for Arteta is that there were plenty of stand-out performers from his starting lineup last night, but as Martin Odegaard and Ethan Nwaneri have since received much of the attention, and justifiably so, it’s worth looking at a couple of others, like Leandro Trossard.

The Belgian international has not had a great season this year, but against PSV, he was superb, both as a dangerous attacking outlet and as someone who helped to control the pace of the game.

With a brilliantly taken goal and two key passes to his name, it would be fair to say that he was more than deserving of the 8/10 match rating he received from the Standard’s Simon Collings at full-time.

Someone who was even more instrumental, though, was Declan Rice, who Collings awarded a 9/10 at full-time, writing that it was a ‘monster performance’ from the Englishman.

It certainly was, as from the first minute to the last, he was marauding up and down the pitch, and it felt like the Dutch giants just couldn’t live with him, and he really should have got a goal to go with his assist and the two big chances he created.

However, it wasn’t quite the perfect night for Arsenal, and there was one player who should probably sit the next game out.

The Arsenal star Arteta must drop after PSV

So, some of you may be thinking about Myles Lewis-Skelly at this point, and while he was reckless in the first half and deserved to be taken off, he’s not the player in question.

Thomas Partey was arguably just as reckless during a key point in the game, so much so that he actually gave the hosts a chance to get back into the game when the Gunners were 3-0 up.

In a “lunatic moment,” as journalist Oli Price Bates described it, the vastly experienced Ghanaian gave away a penalty by wrapping his arm around Luuk de Jong’s neck and pulling him to the ground, and while the Dutchman initiated contact, the former Atlético Madrid star did little to break it.

However, while the foul was the worst part of the 31-year-old’s performance, it wasn’t the only reason he should be dropped from the lineup, as his statistics from the match demonstrate that he struggled to have any real positive influence over proceedings.

In 71 minutes of action, he produced an expected assists figure of 0.04, took 47 touches, didn’t play a single key pass, didn’t have a shot on or off target, lost 50% of his duels, committed two fouls and didn’t make a single tackle.

Minutes

71′

Expected Goals

0.00

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.04

Assists

0

Touches

47

Key Passes

0

Shots on Target

0

Shots off Target

0

Duels (Won)

2 (1)

Fouls

2

Tackles

0

It’s not just us who were left unimpressed by the Odumase Krobo-born star either, as Collings gave him a 5/10 match rating at full-time, which feels about right.

Ultimately, it wasn’t a horror showing from Partey, and he certainly still has a big part to play in Arsenal’s Champions League campaign, but he was subpar yesterday and should be dropped for the game at the weekend.

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“I’ve been guilty of that in my Test career, and that’s something that I’d really like to change”

Firdose Moonda30-Dec-20221:20

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Temba Bavuma has conceded that his own lack of Test centuries has contributed to the bigger batting problems facing the South African line-up.Bavuma, who returned to the Test side for the series against Australia after missing the England tour with an elbow injury, has yet to add to the hundred he scored in his seventh Test in January 2016.Since then, he has played 46 Tests, scored 17 half-centuries and has the highest average among South African batters in 2022. But after they lost a fourth successive match, Bavuma admitted those numbers are not good enough.Related

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“The 60s or 70s or I guess they’re good for that moment, but in the bigger scheme of things they don’t change the outcome of the game. I’ve obviously been guilty of that in my Test career, and that’s something that I’d really like to change not just for myself but also for the team,” he said in Melbourne, in the aftermath of South Africa’s innings and 182-run defeat in the second Test.”That’s something that the team needs – two guys to go out there and score big hundreds, and really give the bowlers something to rally behind.”Bavuma has enjoyed three decent starts in the two Tests in Australia, and scored 38 and 29 at the Gabba, and 65 in the second innings at the MCG. Although he shared in some of South Africa’s highest partnerships in both matches – 98 and 42 with Kyle Verreynne and Khaya Zondo respectively in Brisbane, and 63 with Verryenne in Melbourne – Bavuma was not able to push on, as has been the case in several of his previous innings. He put that down to a combination of being left with the lower order and his own mindset, and has made his aim to rectify that in future.”I’m the common denominator there”, Bavuma said of the run-outs of Keshav Maharaj and Khaya Zondo•Getty Images”If I look at my dismissal today [caught while slog sweeping], it was probably a brain fart,” Bavuma said. “If I was batting with a batter, I probably wouldn’t play the shot to be honest with you, with all due respect to KG [Kagiso Rabada] and the guys who came after them. I guess that’s that. That’s probably my biggest challenge: just to keep batting and see how long I can go out there.”Bavuma also accepted responsibility for his role in the run-outs of Zondo and Keshav Maharaj, who he called through for risky runs, and saw those dismissals as a metaphor for South Africa’s overall batting issues.”I was involved in both of them, so I guess I’m the common denominator there,” he said. “It probably just shows a lack of clarity and a bit of indecision between the guys batting out there. I’ll put it to that indecision, lack of clarity and cohesion between the guys batting.”

“The team that wins is the team that adapts better in those [bowler-friendly] conditions. And we simply haven’t done that.”Bavuma on South Africa’s batting failure

Like his captain Dean Elgar, Bavuma pointed to “inexperience” in the Test line-up as one of the reasons for their struggles, but he did not go as far as questioning the structures of the South African system.”I’ve heard those arguments of people looking at our domestic system back home and asking if it really is equipping guys for this level,” he said. “I’m sure the guys in the room – the inexperienced guys – will understand that it’s a big jump. There’s a big difference between franchise cricket and international cricket.”I can’t really sit here and have a go at our system. I’m part of that system as well, so that’s not something I am going to give a brutal answer towards. But the inexperience within the group, that’s really showing up.”He also did not lay the blame for South Africa’s batting failures on bowler-friendly conditions, as has been the case among others in the set-up who have been asked about their string of low scores. South Africa have played in New Zealand, England and Australia this year, and have strung together seven successive innings under 200, which Bavuma said is simply sub-standard.”The talk around the conditions is a matter of stating the obvious,” he said. “The team that wins is the team that adapts better in those conditions. And we simply haven’t done that. It’s a matter of us just not simply adapting. We need to be brutally honest as a batting group – we just haven’t been good enough.”

Tottenham Hotspur put in a dominant performance away to struggling Ipswich Town to win 4-1 at Portman Road. The Lilywhites were impressive, and took their chances well, with standout performances across the pitch for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

It was a fast start from Spurs, with Brennan Johnson scoring two goals inside the first half an hour of the game. The Welshman was impressive and managed to fire home two passes from captain Son Heung-min.

Ipswich did get themselves a goal back, thanks to former Chelsea and Arsenal academy star Omari Hutchinson. It was poor defending from the Lilywhites, leaving the Tractor Boys’ attacking midfielder unmarked in the box, for a simple finish.

However, with 77 minutes on the clock, the in-form Djed Spence saw his effort deflect home, after some brilliant quick feet from James Maddison. Dejan Kulusevski made it 4-1 with six minutes of the 90 left, with a wonderful strike. After picking up the ball from a flick-on, he went on a marauding run into the Ipswich half, cut inside on his left foot and curled his shot home.

It was an impressive and dominant showing from Postecoglou’s side, with Johnson one of the standout players in East Anglia.

Johnson’s stats vs. Ipswich

23-year-old Johnson has been in excellent form for much of the season in a Spurs shirt. The Nottingham-born winger has nine Premier League goals this season, in 23 games, including his two strikes against Kieran McKenna’s side.

The first goal was a typical poacher’s finish from the winger this season. He got on the end of a low cross from Son at the back post, deflecting the ball into the back of the net. His second was also set up by his captain, but this was a well-directed effort from 12 yards out, into the right-hand corner.

He has now scored more League goals than any other Spurs player this term, an impressive return from the winger. He was given an 8/10 post-match rating from Alasdair Gold, Tottenham Hotspur correspondent for Football.London, who described his first goal as a ‘trademark’ finish.

Johnson’s stats from Sofascore at the end of the game show just how well he played. The winger had 26 crucial touches at Portman Road, completed 15 out of 20 passes and had an expected goals tally of 1.11xG.

As effective as the Spurs winger was against Ipswich, the same cannot be said for a fellow attacker, who struggled to impact the game.

The Spurs player who struggled vs. Ipswich

In a game where so many attacking players in that famous White shirt stood out, it was a disappointing performance from January signing Mathys Tel, who was leading the line today. The Frenchman was substituted with 15 minutes to go.

Performance in Numbers

His performances warranted a 5/10 rating from Gold after full-time, which was the lowest of any Spurs starter. The journalist said it was a ‘tough day at the office’ for Tel, who ‘didn’t do too much’ with the ball when he managed to get possession.

Indeed, Tel did not see much of the ball during the game. The attacker, whose parent club is German side Bayern Munich, had just 17 touches of the ball, fewer even than Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario’s 36. Tel also won one duel out of six and had a pass accuracy of 63%.

Stat

Number

Touches

17

Pass accuracy

63%

Passes completed

5/8

Ground duels won

1/5

Aerial duels won

0/1

Number of times ball lost

7

That will certainly be a performance that might worry Postecoglou. There is no doubting Tel’s quality; he was once described as a “talented player” by former Bayern manager Julian Nagelsmann.

However, perhaps his adaption to the Premier League will take a few games, which is more than understandable. Assuming he joins Spurs permanently, this is an investment for the future as well as the present.

However, for the Lilywhites’ next fixture, a midweek clash with Manchester City in North London, there is every chance Postecoglou takes him out of the starting lineup to give him respite, in what is a must-win game for his side.

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It was fitting that, at the end of Stevo Day, Kent’s Division One status was confirmed for another season. Needing 10 points to stay up on games won in the event of Warwickshire achieving a full 24-point win over Hampshire, Kent achieved eight bonus points within the first two days of their final match at Canterbury, bowling Somerset out for 202 inside 64 overs then responding with 405 for 7 after 88 overs. By the time they walked off on Tuesday for bad light at 5:35pm, news filtered through from Edgbaston that the hosts had declared on 272 for 4 to counter the weather, thus giving up three batting points.There was no real celebration from the Kent dressing room, or those few braving the September chill by the time stumps were eventually called at 5:55pm. Players and fans have been dismayed at just how badly things have gone with the red ball this season. Nevertheless, they have come good when the pressure was on. As things stand, they could still finish fifth.What emotion there was today was saved for Darren Stevens, given a final, rousing farewell at the lunch interval. He, by all accounts, managed to hold back the tears. As expected.Those at Kent County Cricket Club who have known him for all or the majority of his 18 seasons at the club know it takes a lot to draw that kind of emotion from the great man. It has only got harder, perhaps because we get more vulnerable with age, particularly at 46. And rallying against vulnerability of any kind has driven Stevens in these final years at Canterbury.The eyes, however, did fill. Again, as expected. At the lunch interval on Tuesday, Stevens walked through a guard of honour made up of current Kent players and staff. A video showcasing some of Stevens’ highlights – all of them would have taken more than the break’s allotted 40 minutes – including this summer’s Royal London Cup success was shown and was presented with a framed shirt bearing his number three, which will be retired. He then embraced friends and family on the field before greeting as many of the 1,042 supporters in attendance who by now were almost falling over the hoardings along the Pavilion End to get a little bit closer to their man as he said his final goodbyes. This was day two of Kent’s final Championship match of the season against Somerset, with Division One safety on the agenda. But this was Stevo Day.Stevens maintains he could have continued, and though this is the end of an era, at this point, it isn’t quite retirement. And though there remain plenty of fans both at this county and further afield who believe this particular exit premature, it was hard to watch Kent go about their business today and not realise a new generation are building on their promise.Related

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A high-profile win over Hampshire last week to keep survival in their hands has been built on emphatically. Nathan Gilchrist (22 years of age), missed out on a hat-trick with his first ball of the morning but went on to claim the final Somerset wicket – the impressive Lewis Goldsworthy for 94 – for a career-best six to dismiss the visitors for 202. Within 30 overs – up to lunch – Tawanda Muyeye (21) and Zak Crawley (24) had 149 between them (Kent’s third century stand between openers this season). Following further contributions from skipper Jack Leaning (28), a bright half-century from soon-to-be-Durham-bound Ollie Robinson (28), and darts from new signing from Nottinghamshire Joey Evison (20) and Hamidullah Qadri (21), 400 was passed and relegation avoided in style. Just in time for a more private audience with Stevens in the Les Ames stand. “He might have had a couple of beers to loosen him up and give a nice speech,” joked Crawley, before heading over to join his teammates.Crawley’s knock of 79 from 102 deliveries set the tone – particularly the first 50, which took just 59 deliveries thanks to nine fours, five of which came in the space of six deliveries. It felt like an extension of the form he finally found in the last Test match, against South Africa at the Kia Oval, when he finished unbeaten on a match- and series-winning 69.At the other end, Muyeye was showing just why they rave about him in these parts, wedding an eye for length and quick touch for 85 for only his second Championship half-century of the summer in seven innings. An edge behind off Kasey Aldridge, the pick of the Somerset attack with 4 for 83, left the right-hander short of bettering his previous first-class best of 89. Nevertheless, by the time he departed (190 for 2), the visiting attack had already been put through the wringer.That opening stand of 176 – scored at 4.76 an over – was as much down to intent as the desire for these two to score at will. The overall equation of survival assured before a definitive match result was something Kent were aware of Warwickshire did not get 350, even though they assumed 350 would be achieved. But Kent still had plenty to do, and Crawley and Muyeye were keen to set the tone.”‘Intent’ was the word we used a lot with each other,” said Crawley. “We kept their good balls out and put their bad balls away. And T (Muyeye) batted brilliantly. For someone so young to put a good bowling attack to the sword like that was class.”Particularly evident was how Somerset, who used seven bowlers within the first 25 overs, struggled to adjust their lengths. While both Crawley and Muyeye are right-handers, the height difference of about a foot meant the same length required different fields, which was tough to keep on top of as the strike was rotated so often.”I feel like we ran really well and had a lot of singles, so they constantly had to mix up the lengths. Because a good length for me, Tawanda’s pulling. And a good length to him, I can drive. We were quite a good partnership like that. He’s a chilled lad so we took a bit of pressure off each other.”Crawley made a point of mentioning Stevens at this juncture. Part of the great man’s on-field charisma, particularly when he was batting, was seemingly opting for entertainment first: perpetual appointment viewing, whether in the flesh or on a stream. And Crawley, who has always been an engaging batter – hence why Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes are so enamoured with him at Test level, even in a summer of famine – felt a sense of pride that they were able to take a page out of Stevens’ book today.”I was thinking of Stevo before this game, and exactly how he’s always played – try and take the game on, try and give the crowd something to watch. That’s exactly how we want to play our cricket and there was plenty of crowd here loving how we play our cricket.”We’ve got a lot of young players who are really good prospects. The next ten years should be good, hopefully.”It was worth noting the attendance from first to second session dropped considerably. Many had simply turned up to bid Stevens farewell before getting on with the rest of their day. Life moves on, cricket moves on. As will Kent, into another season of Division One cricket.

عزز فريق مانشستر سيتي آماله في إمكانية التأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا، الموسم المقبل، بعد فوزه الثمين على بورنموث مساء الثلاثاء.

ومن المعروف أن أصحاب المراكز الأربعة الأولى في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز يتأهلون إلى منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ولكن الأمر مختلف هذه المرة، حيث تتأهل 6 أندية من الدوري الإنجليزي إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2025/26، فبخلاف أصحاب المراكز الأربعة الأولى، سيتأهل صاحب المركز الخامس حيث تم منح مقعد إضافي لـ الدوري الإنجليزي بفضل نتائج فرقه على الصعيد الأوروبي هذا الموسم.

ويتأهل بطل الدوري الأوروبي إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا في العام المقبل، ومن ثم وبالنظر إلى كون المباراة النهائية ستجمع بين تشيلسي ومانشستر يونايتد، فإن فريق إنجليزي سادس سينضم إلى البطولة الأوروبية النسخة القادمة.

ولم يحسم من الفرق الستة الإنجليزية تأهلها إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا، 2025/26، سوى فريقين وهما ليفربول وآرسنال.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | ماذا قدم عمر مرموش في مباراة مانشستر سيتي وبورنموث بـ الدوري الإنجليزي؟

ويتنافس كل من نيوكاسل يونايتد، تشيلسي، أستون فيلا، مانشستر سيتي ونوتينجهام فورست على البطاقات الثلاث الأخرى.

وخاض مانشستر سيتي مباراته في الجولة السابعة والثلاثين من الدوري الإنجليزي، مساء الثلاثاء، ضد بورنموث على ملعب “الاتحاد”.

وحقق مانشستر سيتي فوزًا غاليًا بثلاثة أهداف لهدف في ليلة وداعية كيفين دي بروين، حيث سجل عمر مرموش هدفًا صاروخيًا، وارتفع رصيد مانشستر سيتي بعد ذلك الفوز إلى 68 نقطة في المركز الثالث.

ويحتاج مانشستر سيتي إلى نقطة إضافية من أجل الحصول على بطاقة التأهل إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا، حيث سيواجه فولهام يوم الأحد المقبل في الجولة الأخيرة من الدوري الإنجليزي.

ويستطيع مانشستر سيتي حسم التأهل حتى لو خسر أمام فولهام، بشرط أن يحقق منافسيه نتائج سلبية، ولكن إذا فاز السكاي بلو أو تعادل مع فولهام، سيتأهل دون النظر إلى نتائج خصومه.

ويحتل نيوكاسل يونايتد المركز الرابع برصيد 66 نقطة، بالتساوي مع تشيلسي وأستون فيلا صاحبي المركز الخامس والسادس، ولكن بفارق الأهداف، في حين ان نوتينجهام فورست لديه 65 نقطة في المركز السابع.