All posts by h716a5.icu

Marnus Labuschagne also ended unbeaten on 69 after fifties from both openers, as Khawaja fell for 97

Tristan Lavalette06-Mar-2022Stumps Usman Khawaja fell agonisingly short of a century in the country of his birth, but an under-pressure Australia mustered a strong batting response on the third day of the first Test against Pakistan. In reply to Pakistan’s massive first innings of 476, Australia were 271 for 2 at stumps in their long road back into the series-opener in Rawalpindi.Marnus Labuschagne, the No.1-ranked Test batter in the world, lived up to top billing and relished the flat pitch to be unbeaten on 69 while Steven Smith also looked untroubled on 24 not out at stumps.Just before the close, Smith, who averaged just 30 in the Ashes at home last summer, was left startled after Shaheen Shah Afridi lost control of a full toss which was deemed a no-ball, with the left-arm quick also receiving a warning.Play ended an hour early due to bad light for the second consecutive day, although 72 overs were bowled on a day three predicted to be impacted by rain.After enduring almost two full days in the field during a tough start to their first overseas tour since mid-2019, Australia’s top-order responded to the challenge with gusto to claw back into the historic contest.They showed an aggressive appetite in a contrast to Pakistan’s top three’s measured batting, as openers Khawaja and David Warner would have been left frustrated not replicating the big tons of Azhar Ali and Imam-ul-Haq.Recalled as opener, Khawaja, who was on the cusp of a third Test century in five innings since his comeback, was dismissed on 97 by left-arm spinner Nauman Ali after bungling a reverse-sweep which hit the glove and popped to short leg.The originally not out decision on the field was overturned after replays showed that the ball had hit high on the glove of Khawaja, who had until then played the risky stroke to good effect throughout his 159-ball innings.Having quickly mustered 70 in the first session, Khawaja was held in check after lunch by tighter Pakistan bowling as the hosts hit back by removing Australia’s openers during a combative second session.Marnus Labuschagne remained unbeaten on 69 at stumps•AFP/Getty ImagesAfter a brisk 156-run opening partnership, where Australia’s aggression rattled an increasingly wayward Pakistan attack, Warner fell for 68 having missed a skidding delivery from offspinner Sajid Khan which smashed his middle stump. Having started slowly, Warner showcased renowned aggression as his innings wore on, but might rue backing away in an error of judgement.But Labuschagne, who has played just seven of his 24 Tests away from Australia, looked in ominous form, mixing gorgeous drives with reverse-sweeps to negate the spinners. He had looked less comfortable at the start of his innings when he was pitted in an intriguing contest with quick Naseem Shah, who hit him with a thunderbolt on the arm during a withering spell in the second session.Labuschagne struggled initially against left-armer Nauman, who had a disastrous spell pre-lunch, but settled and unleashed his reverse-sweep effectively against the offspin of Sajid, who had started to conjure spin off the flat pitch.Labuschagne and Smith, who traditionally bat so well in tandem, will be aiming to build on their blossoming 68-run partnership with Australia still needing work to do to approach Pakistan’s huge total.But it was a patchy performance from Pakistan’s bowlers who created more opportunities than Australia’s pedestrian effort with the ball, as they mostly struggled to rein in the scoring. They will especially rue reprieving Khawaja on 22 when a luckless Afridi set him up perfectly with a full-pitched delivery, only for Fawad Alam to shell a straightforward chance at gully.Pakistan lost their early momentum after Afridi and Naseem conjured pace, bounce and movement in a blistering start. Helped by cool and cloudy conditions, Afridi found away swing and bowled a gem of an opening over to Warner to kick-start a dangerous spell.After a tough initiation where he scored just 11 off 45 balls, Warner cracked Naseem for consecutive boundaries through the off side to get him rolling. The fired-up quick then went around the wicket and struck Warner on the back of the shoulder with a nasty bouncer. Naseem then went down the pitch to give him an earful only for Warner to diffuse the situation with a laugh.The barnstorming morning session yielded 138 runs and contrasted with a dour opening two days, when an unwavering Pakistan had blunted tight bowling and batted for 162 overs.And although Australia were unable to maintain that rapid scoring pace after both openers fell, but should be pleased with their first dominant day of the series on their first tour to Pakistan since 1998.

Love him or loathe him, there is simply no denying that Jose Mourinho is pure cinema.

Whether it’s running down the touchline to celebrate goals, shushing opposition fans, throwing water bottles, or even appearing in one of Stormzy’s music videos, there’s rarely a dull moment when the Portuguese icon is around.

During his glistening career, which has seen him win 26 major honours across spells in England, Spain, Italy and Portugal, Mourinho has also never been shy with words, even if he claims to “prefer not to speak”.

Here, we have listed some of the Special One’s best quotes.

The 10 worst Chelsea transfer signings under Jose Mourinho – ranked

Football FanCast takes a look at Jose Mourinho’s worst signings during his two Chelsea spells.

ByAlex Roberts Dec 15, 2023 1 "I'm a special one."

After arriving at Chelsea in 2004 after leading Porto to an unexpected Champions League triumph, it didn’t take Mourinho long to make an impression on the media.

“Please don’t call me arrogant because what I am saying is true, I’m a European champion. I think I’m a special one,” he said in his first press conference as Blues boss.

While, if you listen closely, Mourinho actually called himself “a special one,” not “the special one” – the latter has been his moniker ever since.

2 "If I speak, I am in big trouble."

In 2014, during his second spell at Chelsea, Mourinho was left seething after his side suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa, in which two of his players were sent off.

Asked about the red cards after the game by Sky Sports, Mourinho responded with what has since become one of modern football’s most ineradicable quotes.

“I prefer really not to speak. If I speak, I am in big trouble, in big trouble, and I don’t want to be in big trouble,” he said. “I prefer not to speak, If I speak I am accused of bringing the game into disrepute, because the referees do what they do, they do and they go home, they do and they don’t go to the press.”

3 "A specialist in failure."

Mourinho enjoyed a fierce rivalry with Arsene Wenger during their time together in the Premier League, with the pair often exchanging verbal blows – and on occasion, pushes – during and after games.

So, in 2014, when Wenger claimed that other Premier League managers were playing down their title chances because they “fear to fail”, Mourinho took it personally.

Responding to the Frenchman, who had not won a major trophy for over eight years, he said: “He is a specialist in failure. I am not. If he is right and I am afraid of failure, it’s because I don’t fail many times. Maybe he’s right. Maybe I’m not used to failing.

“The reality is that he is a specialist because eight years without a piece of silverware – that’s failure.”

​​​​​​​

4 "Omelettes and eggs"

Mourinho was used to having a lot of money to spend during his first spell at Chelsea, so when he was afforded just £17 million to bring in Florent Malouda and Juliano Belletti in the summer of 2007, he was less than happy – especially after his side endured a poor start to the campaign.

Addressing the situation ahead of a visit to Rosenborg in the Champions League, Mourinho told reporters: “It is omelettes and eggs. No eggs – no omelettes!

“It depends on the quality of the eggs. In the supermarket, you have class one, two or class three eggs and some are more expensive than others and some give you better omelettes,” he said. “So when the class one eggs are in Waitrose and you cannot go there, you have a problem.”

Three days later, after Chelsea drew against Rosenborg, Mourinho ended up with egg on his face when he was sacked.

5 "London is safe"

Nobody is safe from Mourinho’s quips, not even the British police. In 2007, police tried to quarantine the Chelsea manager’s Yorkshire Terrier, believing it had entered the country without the proper vaccinations. The dog subsequently went missing.

As a result, Mourinho was arrested and received a caution for obstructing police. Fortunately, he saw the funny side, telling the press: “My wife is in Portugal with the dog. The dog is with my wife, so the city of London is safe, the big threat is away.”

Mourinho later admitted that he put the dog in a backpack, snuck out of a window and took it to a friend’s house.

6 "Melons"

Mourinho may see his senior players as eggs, but his younger players are like… melons.

“Young players are a little bit like melons. Only when you open and taste the melon are you 100 per cent sure that the melon is good,” he said in 2007.

“Sometimes you have beautiful melons but they don’t taste very good and some other melons are a bit ugly and when you open them, the taste is fantastic.” Makes total sense, Jose.

7 "They are not champions."

In 2015, shortly after Mourinho had guided Chelsea to their first Premier League title since 2010, the Blues boss delivered a hilarious speech at the club’s end-of-season awards dinner.

In it, he claimed that his side were not shown the “respect they deserved” for winning the title, and took aim at rivals Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United with what he called a work of “fiction”.

“This is a game with two goals, but there is one team that like to play without the ball,” Mourinho said. “That team plays really well and the ball goes and goes and goes and the quality of the ball possession is good, but they don’t score. No points.”

He went on: “They asked the FIFA committee if they can win like this but they’re told it’s not possible. That the bigger possession is not essential to win matches and they are not champions.”

8 "The story of a donkey"

Mourinho’s first-ever role as head coach was for Benfica way back in 2000, when he was appointed as the replacement for Jupp Heynckes.

At the time, Benfica’s board suggested Mourinho should take on Alverca head coach Jesualdo Ferreira as his assistant, having known each other from their time together at the Lisbon Superior Institute for Physical Education in the 1980s.

Mourinho had other ideas, however, and instead appointed former Benfica player Carlos Mozer.

As if that wasn’t enough, five years later after he had won the Champions League with Porto, Mourinho took aim at Ferreira in a weekly column for Portuguese magazine Record Dez, after his Sporting Braga side had just lost the top spot in the Portuguese league.

“The one with 30 years has never won anything; the one with three years has won a lot,” he wrote. “The one who has coached for 30 years has an enormous career; the one with three years has a small career.”

He added: “The one with a 30-year career will be forgotten when he ends it; the one with three could end it right now and he could never be erased from history. This could be the story of a donkey who worked for 30 years but never became a horse.” The two, understandably, have been bitter rivals since.

9 "He must think I’m a great guy"

If you hadn’t guessed by now, Mourinho has been known to toot his own horn from time to time.

The biggest of those toots came in 2011 during an appearance on Spanish radio when he was asked what he thinks God would think of him.

“He must think I’m a great guy, he must think that because otherwise, he would not have given me so much,” he said. “He must have a very high opinion of me.” You forgot to mention how smart, handsome and charming he made you, too, Jose.

Sri Lanka captain will feature in three four-day fixtures in boost to top-order batting

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2022Dimuth Karunaratne, Sri Lanka’s Test captain, has signed for Yorkshire on a short-term deal, with the first of his three LV= County Championship appearances due to take place against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road on Thursday.Karunaratne, 33, is currently the No.5-ranked Test batter in the world, and has enjoyed a prolific run of form in recent months, with five centuries in his last eight Tests, including a career-best 244 against Bangladesh at Pallekele in April 2021.In all he has scored 5,620 Test runs at 39.57, with a total of 14 hundreds, and looks set to form a left-handed opening partnership with Adam Lyth at the top of Yorkshire’s batting card.”We are delighted that Dimuth will be joining us for the next three Championship games,” Darren Gough, Yorkshire’s interim director of cricket, said. “He has proven himself to be an exceptional leader for Sri Lanka and is a tremendous Test-match batter.Related

India brush aside Sri Lanka despite Dimuth Karunaratne's resistance

Dimuth Karunaratne, a mortal treading into a galaxy of the divine

Test rankings: Bumrah No. 4 in bowlers' list, Karunaratne at career-best No. 5 among batters

Dawid Malan takes charge of successful Yorkshire chase

“It can only benefit the lads in our changing rooms to have a player of his quality and I’m sure they will all get a lot from it. I’m confident he will contribute runs and enjoy his time at Yorkshire.”Karunaratne is the third Asian overseas signing made by Yorkshire this season, following a winter of off-field turmoil in the wake of Azeem Rafiq’s allegations of institutional racism. Haris Rauf, the Pakistani fast bowler, has signed for at least the first six matches of the Championship season, while Shadab Khan, the legspinning allrounder, will join for the Vitality Blast.

Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace managed to grab a point against the struggling Manchester City at Selhurst Park in a thrilling 2-2 draw.

Palace took an early lead, with Daniel Munoz opening the scoring just four minutes in, before Erling Haaland struck back in the 30th minute, making it 1-1 going into half-time.

But it was the Eagles who came out the gates faster again in the second half, making it 2-1 in the 56th minute, with summer signing, Maxence Lacroix, nodding it home from a corner.

But an eventful end to the game for Rico Lewis saw him score an equaliser in the 68th minute, before being sent off in the 84th minute, with the game ending 2-2, and the points behind shared.

Maxence Lacroix's performance in numbers

Scorer of the Eagles’ second goal, Lacroix put in an excellent display on Saturday afternoon.

He left the field having completed 24/29 passes (83% completion), making five out of seven long balls, winning all three of his ground duels (100%), and making two tackles.

Since joining this summer for a fee of around £18m, Lacroix has made 14 appearances, scoring one goal, providing one assist, contributing to three clean sheets, and totalling 1,260 minutes played.

But the 24-year-old wasn’t the top performer for Palace, as another Eagles star had a brilliant display in central midfield, providing the assist for both their goals.

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Will Hughes' performance in numbers

Will Hughes was awarded an 8.8/10 match rating by 90min, after his superb display against Manchester City at Selhurst Park.

The 29-year-old midfielder has made 16 appearances in all competitions this campaign, providing two assists, and totaling 979 minutes.

Both of Hughes’ assists came against Manchester City, as he set up the home side’s goals in their 2-2 draw, playing a huge role both on and off the ball for Glasner’s side.

Minutes

90

Touches

51

Accurate Passes

30/38

Assists

2

Key Passes

3

Long Balls

2/5

Shots

3

Dribble Attempts

1/1

Ground Duels Won

4/5

Tackles

3

Alongside his two assists, Hughes made three key passes, looking to release his side on the break at every opportunity, exploiting the open nature of Manchester City in transition, something they have struggled with immensely this season.

But as well as providing that creation from central midfield, Hughes also put in a top defensive shift, in order to disrupt the Manchester City build-up flow, winning four out of his five ground duels, making three tackles, and one interception.

In recent weeks, Palace have looked very much like they’re missing Adam Wharton in midfield, but the performance of Hughes, alongside Jefferson Lerma in midfield, was exactly what was needed against last campaign’s champions, as the pair provided a lovely blend of quality on-ball and off-ball work rate

With Brighton and Arsenal coming up for the Eagles in their next two Premier League fixtures, Glasner will need to get the same tune out of Hughes, alongside the rest of his side, if they are to dig in and get results in those games, as they look to stay out of the relegation zone through the festive period.

Exciting Crystal Palace academy star could be their next Zaha

This Crystal Palace academy star can finally replace Zaha.

ByConnor Holden Nov 28, 2024

Barcelona were struggling to complete the registrations of Dani Olmo and Pau Victor, but Real Madrid president Florentino Perez lent a helping hand.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

La Liga unregistered Olmo and Victor in JanuaryBarca re-registered them after going to courtLaporta thanked Perez for helping him outFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

A report from (h/t Football Espana) revealed how Real Madrid president Perez aided Barcelona with the registrations of Olmo and Victor earlier this year. The registration saga of Olmo and Victor caused quite an uproar in Spanish football, with Barcelona engaging in a legal war with La Liga and RFEF after the league unregistered the duo at the start of the January transfer window.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Speaking at a press conference in January, Barca president Joan Laporta expressed his gratitude to Real Madrid for taking a neutral stand over the registration issue, after other La Liga clubs such as Sevilla and Atletico Madrid opposed the re-registration of Olmo and Victor.

"I am not going to explain the conversation I had with Florentino and other presidents. Yes, I can tell you that I am grateful to the clubs that have not taken a position against our decision. It was an atmosphere of harmony with Florentino, knowing that we had everything more or less already arranged with the issue of registrations," Laporta said.

DID YOU KNOW?

Catalunya Radio reported that Perez allegedly contacted Jose Manuel Rodriguez Uribes, the President of the High Court for Sport, in an effort to influence the decision on the injunction requested by Barcelona. This version of events is supported by La Liga President Javier Tebas and other league executives, who are convinced that Perez’s intervention was key in enabling Barcelona to re-register Olmo and Victor.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA AND REAL MADRID?

The two Spanish heavyweights secured their passage to the Champions League quarter-finals earlier this week. Barcelona beat Benfica 4-1 on aggregate, while Real Madrid prevailed on penalties against Atletico Madrid (4-2 on penalties, 2-2 after extra time) after the two teams could not be separated.

In the league, Hansi Flick's troops sit atop the league table and will take on Atletico on Sunday. Madrid, meanwhile, find themselves in second place, level on points with Barcelona, albeit having played one more game. They will visit Villarreal on Saturday.

England boss Thomas Tuchel has explained why he did not call up Harry Maguire for this month's World Cup qualifiers.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Maguire left out by TuchelGerman manager concerned with fitnessInsists Man Utd centre-back remains "very important"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Tuchel selected Ezri Konsa, Marc Guehi, and Levi Colwill, along with uncapped duo Dan Burn and Jarell Quansah for this month's fixtures against Albania and Latvia. Maguire did not make the cut, with the head coach now providing an explanation that his decision was a difficult one and primarily influenced by recent injury struggles.

AdvertisementWHAT TUCHEL SAID

"I spoke to all of them who were not on the list to give my direct feedback on my decision," Tuchel told reporters. "It was a close decision. We chose Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa at the moment. I think they are a little bit in a better rhythm and deserve to be with us. Two right-footers in central defence and the rest were left footers in the centre of defence."

Tuchel explained that he was unwilling to take the risk of calling up a player who was not fully fit and added: "He [Maguire] was not fit when we did the nomination. It was presumed that he could play but we didn’t want to nominate a player with whom we had to take a risk, and in the first training or second training and constantly need to assess whether he can do a full training session or half training session. We did the same with Reece James and only because of the feedback that he could do every session full was the reason we brought him into camp."

Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Tuchel also acknowledged that Maguire’s club situation at Manchester United hasn’t been ideal, as he has often been deployed in a back-three system rather than his preferred role in a back-four. However, the England boss remains confident that the defender will continue to be in contention for future squads.

"Harry knows that. It's not so easy for him at the club at the moment," he added. "He plays in a back three on top of it, but he’s a top professional and he’s very important for England. He took it unbelievably well. He wrote me messages to wish us good luck and you see what a person he is. He is a top guy and he will always be in contention."

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR TUCHEL?

With Maguire still in his plans, Tuchel left the door open for the defender’s return in the coming months, provided he regains full fitness and consistent playing time at United. The German has made a strong start to his tenure as England manager, guiding the team to successive wins against Albania and Latvia in World Cup qualifying matches at Wembley. His next challenges will be an away World Cup qualifier against Andorra, followed by a friendly against Senegal at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on June 7 and June 10 respectively.

Celtic are back in action once again in the Scottish Premiership at lunchtime today as they prepare to travel away to Dundee United in the early kick-off.

Despite this being his fifth season in charge of the Hoops, over two spells, this is Brendan Rodgers’s first visit to Tannadice Park, and he will be hoping that it is a successful one.

The Premiership champions come into this match off the back of winning the League Cup at Hampden Park on penalties against Rangers last weekend.

Rodgers could look to make some alterations to the starting XI that lined up at the national stadium, including dropping Reo Hatate from the team.

Why Reo Hatate should be dropped

The Japan international was selected to start the final and lined up in midfield next to captain Callum McGregor and summer signing Paulo Bernardo.

Unfortunately, however, the experienced central midfielder failed to show the best version of himself at Hampden Park, as his performance was rewarded with a 6/10 player rating by the Daily Record, who wrote that he ‘struggled to exert himself’ in the game.

Football FanCast then published an article explaining why the Celtic star should be brutally ditched from the starting XI next time out, as his lacklustre play in the middle of the park has left him open to being dropped.

Hatate, who has only contributed with one goal and zero assists in his last nine appearances for club and country across all competitions, should now be taken out of the team after a disappointing showing in the final.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Removing the Japanese maestro from the starting XI will open the door for another player to step up, and Rodgers must unleash Luke McCowan from the start.

Why Luke McCowan should start for Celtic

The Scottish dynamo was ineligible to feature in the final, as he had played for Dundee in an earlier round, but should now return to the line-up after missing out completely last weekend.

Celtic signed the left-footed whiz, who was described as a “game winner” by Marvin Bartley, from Dundee in the summer transfer window as an experienced Premiership operator, and it has been a terrific piece of business to date.

McCowan has started two of the club’s last three league matches and contributed with one goal and three assists from the middle of the park – more goal contributions than Hatate has managed in his last nine outings for club and country.

Appearances

14

Starts

7

Goals

5

Assists

4

Duel success rate

52%

As you can see in the table above, the Hoops star has been incredibly productive in the final third despite only starting half of his appearances in the division.

This speaks to the quality he can provide in the middle of the park as a plug-and-play star who does not need regular game time to be dropped into the team and expected to deliver.

Therefore, Rodgers must unleash McCowan from the start to provide an injection of attacking quality ahead of Hatate, who has struggled in that regard of late.

Perfect for Maeda: Celtic pushing to seal deal for "super talented" PL star

Celtic are reportedly interested in a swoop to sign the experienced defender.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 20, 2024

Glenn Phillips seals win as Kent succumb to Howell and Smith’s wiles too

Cameron Ponsonby01-Jun-2022Gloucestershire 116 for 4 (Phillips 50*) beat Kent 114 (Cox 48, Payne 4-15) by six wicketsGloucestershire’s Tom Smith, David Payne and Benny Howell are three of the lesser sung heroes of the T20 Blast.Smith, 34, is the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the history of the competition and is just five wickets away from a place on the podium. Meanwhile both Payne and Howell are likely to finish the season in the top ten.And yet, between them, they have zero international appearances. That looks most likely to change for Payne, who was called up to his third England squad this week for the white-ball tour of the Netherlands, but it nevertheless supports the counterintuitive fact that an excellent domestic record often hints as much at a player who hasn’t played internationally than one who has. After all, if you’re always playing here, it means you’re not playing there. The top five English wicket-takers in Blast history share just 28 T20i caps between them. Mastering this level doesn’t always result in becoming an apprentice at the next.Here, Gloucestershire’s three Domesticeers put on a masterclass to set their team, who were without overseas star Naseem Shah, en route to a six-wicket victory over a Kent side who are yet to get off the mark this season. Their combined figures were an impressive 12-1-57-6.Of the three, Payne was without doubt the stand-out of the day as he took 4 for 15, including a wicket maiden to begin with and two wickets in two balls in his third over. But, whilst it was the type of performance that has meant Payne has been on England’s radar for over a year, it is Smith and Howell in particular who are products and masters of their home ground in Bristol.The wicket is slow and it spins. Comfortable for those who know it, but not for those who don’t – a bit like sitting in someone else’s kitchen.And Smith and Howell are anything but accommodating hosts. Smith, with his trademark low arm that seems to only get lower with every year, slid the ball into Kent’s right-handers, cramping them for room and then through a combination of natural variation and honed skill, would on occasion get the ball to grip and turn away. Both his wickets today were the result of a batter being beaten by spin, with only Sam Billings playing him with any real effectiveness as he repeatedly unfurled the reverse sweep.Howell, on the other hand, bowled his one of everythings that either spat from the surface, seamed left, cut right or headed straight on. Howell describes himself as a fast spinner, a pick’n’mix bowler. The problem for Kent, however, was that for them it was more often than not don’t-pick-and-miss.This was an exceptionally difficult wicket to bat on. One where both captains agreed at the close of play that 140 would have been par. Payne, opening the bowling, started with a wicket-maiden that set the tone for both sides as Gloucestershrie went on the charge whilst Kent never got going. Such was the nature of the wicket that Payne conceded that he had all but abandoned the traditional pace-on delivery in favour of a diet of cutters.No one believed that 114 was ever going to be enough, but for a brief period during Gloucestershire’s chase it looked as if Kent could even bowl themselves to an unlikely victory as the hosts slipped to 46 for 4 after eight overs. Nerves for the home side were undoubtedly spreading.Such is the nature of low-scoring games where bowlers dominate, the result itself is often decided by an individual innings where a batter manages to resist the momentum of the match. For Kent, only Jordan Cox and Billings managed to pass 20, but it was New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips for the home side who made the difference as he struck an unbeaten 50 off 31, winning the game with two consecutive sixes off the spin of George Linde. In a game that had been set up by Gloucestesrhire’s domestic talents, it was ultimately their overseas international who got them over the line.The result gives Gloucestershire two wins from their first four matches, whilst Kent, winners of last year’s competition, have now lost their first four games and face an uphill battle to reach the quarter-finals.

Aaron Beard four-for seals victory after Paul Walter’s 49 helps lay foundation

ECB Reporters Network24-Jun-2022Michael Pepper continued his Vitality Blast love affair with the Cloud County Ground before Aaron Beard returned career-best figures as Essex Eagles condemned Surrey to a second straight loss.Pepper took his Chelmsford tally to 304 in six innings – and 386 in total – with a tubthumping 48 as Paul Walter continued his fine form with 49 as the Eagles soured to 198 for 7 before fast bowler Beard, making just his second appearance of the season, removed openers Will Jacks and Jason Roy to eventually pick up 4 for 29 – as Surrey fell 43 runs short.Essex boosted their hopes of securing a home quarter-final to move to seven wins out of 12, while Surrey remain top and will host a home knockout game but having been previously unbeaten in all competitions until Thursday night have lost momentum.On a fixture celebrating Essex Pride, Surrey stuck the Eagles in to bat and had Adam Rossington caught behind in the second over, with the first two overs only going for six before Pepper went ballistic.He struck 30 from the first nine balls he faced, with just a dot and a single punctuating his boundary blitz. The South African-born batter began by scooping a six, something he replicated in the following over between a bullet cut shot and followed by four consecutive boundaries off Dan Moriarty.His hitting paused after a strike to the box, which he never really recovered from as he limped to five more runs before he reversed straight to third – the second wicket in three balls for Sunil Narine.Essex’s rebuild and second 10 overs were a textbook display of accumulation – with only seven dot balls, along with four wickets coming in the second half of the innings for 110 runs.Walter was the chief architect of the scoring with his 49, which included four towering sixes, as he put on 51 with Dan Lawrence and 44 with Simon Harmer.Reece Topley made sure his former county didn’t get to 200 as he chipped away throughout and added Walter, Daniel Sams and Harmer to his earlier Rossington dismissal to end up with 4 for 37.Beard made an electrifying start as he picked up both a yorked Roy and Jacks, brilliantly caught at short fine leg by Tom Westley.Smith and Rory Burns put on 57 with a low-risk approach, while still keeping up with the rate before Dan Lawrence stuck one through Smith. Burns followed by skewing Beard to mid-on and Narine fired back at Harmer as Surrey lost their way.Laurie Evans continued the slump when sub fielder Ben Allison produced a spectacular solo relay catch at wide long-on – Harmer grabbing two wickets in the over to return two for 20. Beard had debutant Tom Lawes skying to mid-on for his fourth.Sams pilfered Chris Jordan and Sam Cook had Conor McKerr as Surrey could only reach 155 for 9.

Wrexham AFC are now ready to pay a £2 million release clause to sign a new goalscorer in January, according to a recent report.

Wrexham transfer news

The Red Dragons suffered their first defeat in nine games in all competitions on New Year’s Day, as they were beaten by promotion rivals Barnsley. Phil Parkinson’s side remain firmly in the race for automatic promotion, and given the transfer window is open, the League One side may look to flash the cash once again.

It emerged at the beginning of last month that Wrexham are interested in signing striker Ethan Wheatley on loan from Manchester United. However, they do face stiff competition, as Stockport County are also keen on signing the young ace. The Welsh side are keen to bolster their forward line and have placed Wheatley on their radar, as he’s not featured as much in the United matchday squad in recent weeks and months.

Wrexham's most expensive signings of all time

Football FanCast takes a look at Wrexham’s record signings.

ByCharlie Smith Dec 30, 2024

As well as looking at Wheatley, Wrexham are also interested in signing Joe Gelhardt from Leeds United in January. The Red Dragons have been mentioned with an interest in Patrick Bamford, but they could turn to Gelhardt instead, who would be a cheaper option. The young forward has found game time hard to come by this season, so a move, whether it be a permanent switch or a temporary one, appears likely this month.

Wrexham ready to pay £2m release clause to sign 27 year-old

Clearly, signing a new striker is a high priority for the League One side, and their targets don’t stop at Wheatley and Gelhardt; according to Football League World, Wrexham are ready to pay Ryan Hardie’s £2 million release clause to get him out of Plymouth Argyle.

The 27 year-old has been with the Green Army since January 2021, but before joining on a permanent basis, he did have two separate loan spells at the club during his time at Blackpool. Hardie first joined the Pilgrims when they were in League Two, and he has been a part of the teams that have won promotion out of League One and remained in the Championship.

Hardie, who is under contract until 2026, is now a wanted man this month as Wrexham and Huddersfield Town are keen on securing his services. Football League World reports that Hardie has a £2 million release clause in his Plymouth contract, and both Wrexham and Huddersfield are willing to trigger it.

Apps

230

Goals

64

Assists

22

Hardie, who has scored 102 goals in his entire career so far, has played over 200 games for Plymouth across various competitions, and he was key in their League One promotion-winning campaign, as he scored 13 goals in 44 games. That, along with his performances in the Championship, have put him on Wrexham’s radar, who would love to add a player with a good record in League One to their side, as they eye what would be another impressive promotion.