Category Uncategorized

From Venkataraghavan Srinivasan, India

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013
.
Dale Steyn crippled India in Nagpur•AFPNo. 10
13/5 in 32 balls
West Indies v South Africa
209/5 in 42.1 overs to 222/10 in 47.3 overs (batting first)
Result: Lost
This was the first real ‘big name’ match of the World Cup. For 42 overs, it was shaping up into a cracker. With Shivnarine Chanderpaul at the crease and Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy still to come, 300 looked possible. However, Imran Tahir, on his debut, and Dale Steyn dismantled the lower order with tight, precise bowling. South Africa cantered home with a century from AB de Villiers.No. 9
27/5 in 51 balls
Ireland v Bangladesh
151/5 in 36.3 overs to 178/10 in 45 overs (chasing 206)
Result: Lost
Bangladesh had lost to Ireland in the 2007 World Cup. They needed to win this one at home for pride and to keep their quarter-final hopes alive. Instead, they struggled against a disciplined Irish bowling attack and an unflappable batting line-up. Shafiul Islam, who had World Cup figures of 9-0-80-1, came back for a fiery second spell of 6-1-10-4. The Irish lower order was mopped up and Bangladesh were on their way.No. 8
7/5 in 30 balls
Bangladesh v West Indies
51/5 in 13.5 overs to 58/10 in 18.5 overs (batting first)
Result: Lost
Bangladesh were ranked higher than West Indies coming into the World Cup, and it seemed to rankle the latter. Electing to bat, Bangladesh were already in a heap of trouble at 51 for 5 in the fourteenth over, and were looking to rebuild. West Indies, however, went for the kill. Kemar Roach, Sammy and Sulieman Benn, who had shared the first five wickets, shared the last five as well, and West Indies had proven a point.No. 7
11/5 in 40 balls
West Indies v India
154/2 in 30.2 overs to 165/7 in 37 overs (chasing 269)
Result: Lost
Zaheer Khan started the slide by castling the well-set Devon Smith. The next over, Harbhajan Singh had the dangerous Pollard caught at long-on. The keeper Devon Thomas was stumped and the captain Sammy was run out. Yuvraj Singh then had Russell caught at point off an uppish cut. West Indies had collapsed against India, South Africa and England.No. 6
3/4 in 21 balls
West Indies v England
222/6 in 41.1 overs to 225/10 in 44.4 overs (chasing 244)
Result: Lost
England and Bangladesh’s place in the quarter-finals hung on the result of this match. Ramnaresh Sarwan and Andre Russell had taken West Indies to within 22 runs of victory. And then, Man of the Match James Tredwell trapped Russell in front and Graeme Swann took Sarwan and Roach. A Benn run-out later, England had lived to see another day.
No. 5
11/5 in 11 balls
India v England
327/5 in 48 overs to 338/10 in 49.5 overs (batting first)
Result: Tied
Tim Bresnan bowled a terrific 49th over. He started with a slower ball that Yusuf Pathan skied to mid-off. Next ball, he yorked and bowled Virat Kohli, who had given himself too much room. Two balls later, he yorked Harbhajan and had him adjudged leg before. The next over, two run-outs followed five no-balls and India had lost half their team in less than two overs.No. 4
8/4 in 17 balls
England v India
281/2 in 42.3 overs to 289/6 in 45.2 overs (chasing 339)
Result: Tied
If Bresnan did it for England, Zaheer did it for India. England were coasting to victory when they took the batting Powerplay in the 43rd over. In the fourth ball, Ian Bell skied Zaheer to mid-off. Next ball, Zaheer bowled an inswinging yorker to Andrew Strauss, batting on 158, and had him leg-before. Two overs later, he knocked back Paul Collingwood’s off-stump. The following over, Harbhajan had Matt Prior holing out to midwicket.No. 3
3/4 in 31 balls
South Africa v England
124/3 in 31.5 overs to 127/7 in 37 overs (chasing 172)
Result: Lost
A lucky wicket started this one. AB de Villiers left a James Anderson delivery outside off alone, but the keeper noticed belatedly that the bails had fallen. Replays showed that the ball had nicked off-stump. Two balls later, the other set batsman, Faf du Plessis was run out. The following over, Anderson returned to bowl JP Duminy and South Africa had lost three wickets on the same score. Three overs and runs later, Michael Yardy had Robin Peterson caught behind.No. 2
14/5 in 53 balls
Bangladesh v England
155/3 in 30.5 overs to 169/8 in 39.4 overs (chasing 226)
Result: Won
The only team on this list to collapse and still win. Bangladesh were cruising to victory until Imrul Kayes ran an impossible second and was found short. Five overs and seven runs later, Shakib Al Hasan played Swann onto his stumps. Two balls later, Ajmal Shahzad had Mushfiqur Rahim caught behind. In his next over, he bowled Naeem Islam. The following over, Bresnan took a diving catch off a high ball at long onto dismiss Abdur Razzak.No. 1
29/9 in 55 balls
India v South Africa
267/1 in 39.3 overs to 296/10 in 48.4 overs (batting first)
Result: Lost
The single largest collapse in the World Cup belongs to the most vaunted batting line-up. After dominating 80% of their innings, India let it go in the last 20%, and it all began with the batting Powerplay. Sachin Tendulkar, after a terrific century, sliced Morne Morkel to point. The next over, Steyn had Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan playing mistimed lofted shots to men in the circle. Yuvraj lifted the last ball of the Powerplay to long-on. Then, Kohli pushed the ball back to Peterson. Steyn crashed Harbhajan’s stumps. Peterson had Zaheer caught at long-on. Steyn returned to get rid of Nos. 10 and 11 off consecutive deliveries.

Alastair Cook and James Anderson were the star performers in an outstanding Ashes campaign, while Australia had few memorable moments

S Rajesh08-Jan-2011In the end, the margin of victory was emphatic – a 3-1 series verdict, with all three wins by an innings, is more than what any England fan would have hoped for when the series began. After the Perth defeat, England were so much better than the hosts that the last two Tests were no-contests. The overall series numbers tell the story of a surprisingly one-sided contest. England averaged 51.14 runs per wicket, which their is highest ever in an Ashes contest. The only other instance when they averaged more than 50 was way back in 1926, in England, when they scored 50.63 runs per wicket. Their previous highest in Australia was 43.18 in 1928. Australia’s average of 29.23 is their lowest in an Ashes home series since 1978, when a second-string Australian team averaged 19.17 during a 5-1 series drubbing. The last time a full-strength Australian team did worse was in 1954. England scored nine hundreds, which is their highest in an Ashes series. Alastair Cook led the way with three, Jonathan Trott made two, while Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Matt Prior and Andrew Strauss contributed one each. Australia, meanwhile, struggled to convert their starts – they managed 16 fifties, but only three centuries, two by Michael Hussey and one by Brad Haddin. The last time they had such poor returns at home in an Ashes encounter was in 1990-91, in a low-scoring series which had only six hundreds in all from both teams. Australia won that one 3-0. England’s run-rate of 3.50 is also their highest in a series in Australia. However, in their home wins in 2005 and 2009, they scored at a better rate. Australia’s strike rate of more than 87 balls per wicket was their worst in a home Ashes series since 1970-71.

The key overall numbers for both teams in the series

TeamRuns scoredWkts lostAverage100s/ 50sScoring rateBowling strike rateEngland28645651.149/ 113.5056.73Australia26319029.233/ 163.0987.57Throughout the series, Australia struggled with their top-order batting. Apart from Shane Watson and Michael Hussey, none of their specialist batsmen had series to remember. The contrast with England’s batsmen is clear from the table below: while five of England’s top seven averaged more than 50, Hussey was the only one to manage it for the hosts. Cook was clearly the standout player: his tally of 766 runs is fifth-highest in an Ashes series, and the second-best for England, while his series average of 127.67 is second only Don Bradman’s 139.14 (among those who scored 500 runs in an Ashes series).The only batting position where Australia completely outdid England was at the No.5 slot, where Paul Collingwood had five miserable Test matches. For Australia, on the other hand, there were no hundreds from the top four – compared to seven for England – while numbers three and four averaged less than 22. The repeated failures of Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke were perhaps the biggest setbacks for Australia. Together, their No.3 and 4 batsmen had an aggregate of 364, which is Australia’s lowest in a five-Test Ashes series since 1902. (Click here for Australia’s batting and bowling averages, and here for England’s.)

Position-wise batting stats for England and Australia

PositionEng – runsAverage100s/ 50sAus – runsAverage100s/ 50sOpeners107382.534/ 562933.100/ 5No.344589.002/ 117119.000/ 1No.436060.001/ 119321.440/ 1No.57712.830/ 057063.332/ 3No.621442.800/ 317219.110/ 0No.725551.001/ 139656.571/ 4It’s more of the same story in the partnership stats too: England’s average partnership for the top three wickets were all more than 70, which means they were seldom under early pressure. Australia’s on the other hand, were all under 40 – with the third-wicket average less than 18 – which meant they were almost always under early pressure and forced to fight rearguard battles. Hussey and Haddin fought back on a few occasions, but when they couldn’t, England were all over the hosts. England had five century partnerships for the first three wickets, compared to only one for Australia.

Average partnerships for each wicket

WicketEng – average100/ 50 standsAus – average100/ 50 standsFirst78.422/ 236.900/ 4Second95.502/ 030.671/ 1Third71.161/ 317.670/ 1Fourth30.331/ 045.552/ 1Fifth40.331/ 130.880/ 2Sixth87.802/ 160.331/ 2Seventh33.201/ 010.550/ 1Eighth36.801/ 024.110/ 2Perhaps the biggest difference between the two sides, though, was the quality of their pace attacks. Four of England’s fast bowlers averaged less than 35, with their main man, James Anderson, conceding only 26.04 runs per wicket. In fact, Anderson’s haul of 24 wickets is the highest by an England bowler in Australia since John Snow took 31 in six Tests in 1970.Australia’s pace attack, on the other hand, was toothless in comparison. Mitchell Johnson was their leading wicket-taker, but he conceded almost 37 runs per wicket. Leave out the Perth Test, in which he was admittedly outstanding, and his bowling average shoots up to 78.67. Similarly, Peter Siddle had 14 wickets for the series, but 12 of them came in two innings via two six-wicket hauls. Ben Hilfenhaus, the other fast bowler who played at least four Tests in the series, was Australia’s most economical bowler, but also their most ineffective, requiring 135 deliveries per wicket.The kind of scores the two teams put up is a good indication of the kind of bowling attack they were up against. Australia’s batsmen were always under pressure, thanks to the ability of the England fast bowlers to find seam and swing even with an old Kookaburra ball. Australia’s bowlers, though, hardly got the old ball to do anything, which made it much easier for England’s batsmen to go on to big scores once they made starts. The only column where Australia lead is in five-fors, but that only means England shared the wickets around and all the bowlers contributed their bits.Also, England had Graeme Swann to block an end up and take a few wickets – he had 15 at an average of less than 40. Australia’s spinners, on the other hand, were an embarrassment.

How the bowlers fared in the Ashes

OversWicketsAverageStrike rate5WI/ 10WMEngland – pace626.57027.6453.72/ 0Australia – pace631.15140.9674.24/ 0Aus pace, excl. Perth531.43158.03102.92/ 0England – spin224.11638.3184.01/ 0Australia – spin186.15135.80223.40/ 0The head-to-head battlesBefore the 2010 Ashes, Anderson had averaged 56.17 against Australia, with 17 wickets from eight Tests; in Australia he averaged 82.60 from three Tests. One of his biggest worries in the past had been Ponting, who’d completely owned him in previous contests, averaging 204 in the duel, and getting out only once in 280 balls. This time, though, the tables turned completely, with Anderson dismissing Ponting three times in 67 balls. Ponting’s average – a miserable 9.67.

Ponting versus Anderson

RunsBallsDismissalsAverageRun rateBefore the 2010 Ashes2042801204.004.37In the 2010 Ashes296739.672.59The two Australian batsmen who handled Anderson well were Hussey and Watson, who averaged more than 40 against him. Clarke, though, had no answers to Anderson and Chris Tremlett, falling to them five times at an average of less than ten.

More head-to-head contests

BatsmanBowler(s)RunsBallsDismissalsAverageMichael HusseyJames Anderson1122151112.00Shane WatsonJames Anderson148298274.00Michael ClarkeAnderson & Tremlett4413058.80Johnson had a largely forgettable series, but the one batsman he continued to dominate was Ian Bell – he dismissed Bell twice at an average of less than 20. In previous encounters, Bell had fallen to Johnson four times at an average of 9.25. Bell had no problems against Siddle, though, not falling to him even once in 126 balls, and scoring at nearly five runs per over.

Australian bowlers v England batsmen

BatsmanBowlerRunsBallsDismissalsAverageAlastair CookMitchell Johnson1391731139.00Ian BellMitchell Johnson39106219.50Ian BellPeter Siddle1041260-Kevin PietersenPeter Siddle51100225.50The final word in this series, though, must belong to Alastair Cook. The table below shows his head-to-head stats against each Australian bowler. His performance, more than any other, captures the English dominance in this Australian summer.

Alastair Cook v Australian bowlers

BowlerRunsBallsDismissalsAverageRun rateMitchell Johnson1391731139.004.82Ben Hilfenhaus1212860-2.53Xavier Doherty1092000-3.27Peter Siddle94242247.002.33Shane Watson86172186.003.00Ryan Harris68124234.003.29

They cannot use a lack of preparation as an excuse because they are perhaps the most prepared at each tournament

Marc Ellison21-Jan-2010Bangladesh have yet again limped out of the ICC Under-19 World Cup after a successful and dominant lead-up to the tournament in which expectations were high and great hopes were expressed. Their failure was reminiscent of the last two World Cups, which they approached in good form and on the back of strong warm-up campaigns only to fall at crucial hurdles.The current tournament should lead to some introspection over their inability to handle the ‘big games’ and perform under pressure. Even though nations tend to talk down their importance, U-internationals are seen as the pathway to international cricket and it must be acknowledged that their penchant for saving their worst performances for the crunch matches doesn’t set a good precedent for those moving into what is a very young men’s team.Placed in Group A, the ‘group of death,’ Bangladesh sailed past Papua New Guinea in their first match by by five wickets, then lost to West Indies by one run and Pakistan by four wickets after holding the edge for long periods. The latter game, especially, is one they will rue losing, having had their noses in front for the majority of the game before losing with one ball to spare. Against West Indies, Bangladesh – chasing 250 – needed just two runs from four balls with two wickets in hand before collapsing.Their 2010 pre-tournament campaign produced some outstanding results which included a 4-1 hammering of Sri Lanka at home, comprehensive victories against England 2-1 (away) and 5-2 (home) – against a side almost identical to the one that beat India on Thursday in the final Group A match – then disposing of Zimbabwe 5-0 (home). They had a slight hiccup in Sri Lanka where they failed to make the final of the Tri Series tournament, losing to both teams once and registering their only win against the hosts. Once they arrived in New Zealand they comfortably beat the hosts by 36 runs (D/L method) and encountered a star-studded Australian outfit which they beat by 20 runs to complete their warm up matches.They had similar warm-up campaigns in 2006 and 2008. In the lead up to the 2008 tournament in Malaysia, Bangladesh beat the world champions Pakistan 3-2 (away), Sri Lanka 3-2 (home), losing a tri- series final to a rampant Indian side in South Africa and beating West Indies 2-1 at home. During the tournament, they went through Group D unbeaten, impressing with wins against Bermuda, Ireland and, most importantly, a 13-run victory against England in the final match of the group stages before succumbing to a very good South African team in the quarter-final by 201 runs.In 2006, Bangladesh narrowly missed out on the final of the Afro-Asia Cup by losing to eventual finalists India and Pakistan but beating Zimbabwe, Pakistan and South Africa. Shortly after that series they demolished Sri Lanka and England in a tri-series at home. They conquered all before them in Group A with wins against New Zealand, eventual champions Pakistan, and Uganda. They actually won five out of six matches in the tournament, beating West Indies and the hosts to finish fifth, but lost the most important match, a quarter-final against a weak England outfit.This shows up a pattern that in turn raises many questions – at that level, and at that age, how equipped are these youngsters to deal with such pressure? Who is on hand to help out? What are the safety nets? I know in my own experience playing in the U-19 World Cup in 2006 that it can be a very lonely tour for a captain in control of an under-performing group of young men and having to face up to the media immediately after losing crunch games. The coaching staff around you see what is going wrong, and can even see these mistakes made before they happen, yet their own heads are on the chopping block and so they themselves struggle to deal with the frustration.The ability to handle pressure can simply be put down to experience by finding your way through the tight situations and coming out on top eventually. Without a doubt, the most important thing to learn from these events is how to handle the pressure better the next time. I know personally, I would’ve liked more preparation for our campaign back in 2006 to get a feel for the pitches we were playing on, to learn more about playing quality finger spin, and also, to get a better understanding of my players and their ability at that level. Unfortunately, Bangladesh cannot use that excuse as they are perhaps the most prepared U-19 team at each tournament.One thing is for sure, if they can find a way to win those ‘big games’ and get through the difficult pressure moments, then their raw unharnessed ability as a cricketing nation could be freed to produce greater success not only at the U-19 level, but also at the highest level.

This week marks Smith’s first return to Lord’s after his concussion in the 2019 Ashes Test

AAP25-Jun-2023

Smith was felled by Jofra Archer’s bouncer at Lord’s four years ago•Getty Images

Steven Smith has detailed how he felt like he’d had “a dozen beers” after being floored by a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord’s on the last Ashes tour.Smith has made his return to the famous English ground this week, training on Saturday for the first time since the first Test. Australia’s players did not enter the centre wicket, but Wednesday’s second Test at Lord’s will mark Smith’s first match back there since the 2019 Ashes.In one of cricket’s more frightening scenes of recent years, Smith was hit by an Archer short ball in the back of the head while on 80 and lay on the ground for some time before retiring hurt.Related

Labuschagne works to overcome technical glitch

Ashes can have worldwide impact on Test cricket – CA chief

Does cricket have a concussion crisis?

Awesome Archer lights up Lord's

Smith blow brings cricket to a standstill

He briefly returned to the field at the fall of the next wicket before being out lbw for 88. He was subsequently ruled out of the match with concussion.”It was a very difficult period to get through,” Smith told the podcast. “I caught one on the arm, got away with a few pull shots that are top edge and a couple in the gaps.”And then I copped one in the back of the head, which hurt a fair bit. At that stage, I didn’t realise I was getting concussed. I went off and did all the tests, passed all the tests.”It wasn’t until I came back out. Half-an-hour after, when the adrenalin sort of went out of my system and I started to feel quite groggy – probably like I’d had a dozen beers, to be honest.”The England players crowd around Smith•Getty Images

Smith also revealed he had difficulty picking up the ball that day in the rain-affected drawn Test. “It was quite a dark, gloomy day. The clouds were rolling in and out,” Smith said.”Lord’s itself can be a little difficult when they are bowling from the members’ end with the members sitting there and the sightscreen not as big as at other grounds.”There were a few distractions there, and it was just a day [when] I wasn’t quite seeing the ball as well as I would have liked from that end.”The fact Archer is missing this series through a recurring elbow injury is one of the great disappointments of the English summer, such was the ferocity of the pair’s battle in 2019.Smith’s exit from that Lord’s match prompted the rebirth of Marnus Labuschagne as a Test batter, brought back into the Australian side and averaging 59.34 since.As a result of the concussion, Smith did not play in Australia’s Headingley demise in the next Test but returned for the final two matches and finished the series with 774 runs at 110.57.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na segunda rodada do Brasileirão Feminino, Santos e Athletico ficaram no 1 a 1. As atletas alvinegras estavam atrás do placar até Bianca Gomes, em sua primeira partida pelo Peixe, estufar as redes e igualar o marcador. Por conta da boa estreia pelas Sereias da Vila, a atacante expressou sua emoção com o primeiro gol marcado pelo novo clube.

– Sempre esperamos fazer uma boa estreia, com segurança, ajudando a equipe, mas estrear fazendo gol é uma sensação incrível. Fiquei fora da primeira partida por lesão, tive que adiar um pouco a expectativa de vestir e defender essa camisa, então ter feito a minha estreia desta maneira e ajudando a equipe foi perfeito – disse Bianca.

RelacionadasSantosMesmo sem jogos no mês, Santos retorna aos treinos após classificação na Copa do BrasilSantos10/03/2023SantosSantos sonda atacante do Ituano que quase acertou com o BotafogoSantos10/03/2023SantosZanocelo fica fora da vitória do Santos na Copa do Brasil e esquenta saída; Vasco tem interesseSantos10/03/2023

+ATUAÇÕES: Meninos da Vila brilham e garantem classificação tranquila do Santos na CDB

Com um empate e uma vitória na competição, o Santos possui quatro pontos, sofreu um gol e marcou quatro. Focada em manter a invencibilidade santista, Bianca ressalta a importância de ter balançado as redes no último compromisso do Peixe.

– Com certeza marcar gols nos dá mais confiança, e melhor ainda sendo no meu primeiro jogo no Santos. É uma premiação do que trabalhamos na semana, no dia a dia, e eu me senti bem ao entrar em campo e estava confiante que iria fazer gol. Agora é utilizar dessa confiança para continuar ajudando minha equipe da melhor maneira possível – finalizou a jogadora.

O próximo compromisso das Sereias da Vila será em casa contra a Ferroviária, no próximo domingo (12), a partir das 11h.

Sophia Smale played a starring role with the ball as Western Storm produced an impressive performance in the field to beat Sunrisers by 28 runs in a low-scoring Charlotte Edwards Cup match at the Cooper Associates Ground in Taunton.The England Under-19 spinner claimed three wickets in a devastating eight-ball burst and took two catches to tip the scales in Storm’s favour. On-loan seamer Ellie Anderson finished with startling figures of 4 for 9 from 2.4 overs and England senior international Lauren Filer took 3 for 19 as Sunrisers, chasing a target of 135, were bowled out for 106 in 17.4 overs.Put into bat, Storm were indebted to skipper Sophie Luff, who top-scored with 41 and shared in a progressive fourth-wicket partnership of 43 with Amanda-Jade Wellington, who contributed a useful 20. Although they lost wickets at regular intervals, Eva Gray, Sophie Munro and Mady Villiers taking two apiece, the home side nevertheless managed to raise 134 for 8 in their 20 overs.It proved enough to secure Storm their first win in five games in the short format and bring Sunrisers back down to earth with a bump just 48 hours after they beaten Southern Vipers to register their first victory in three seasons.yIf the powerplay has proved something of an Achilles heel for Storm this season, Nat Wraith and Emma Corney appeared unconcerned by the fact, mustering five boundaries between them in an opening stand of 25 in 3.4 overs. But Corney then played back to a fullish delivery from Jodi Grewcock and was bowled via an inside edge for 10 to afford Sunrisers a breakthrough.Fully recovered from the concussion she suffered on the same ground a fortnight earlier, the returning Fran Wilson helped Wraith advance the score to 37 for 1 at the end of the powerplay in the face of tight bowling from offspinner Villiers.It was Munro who benefitted from pressure exerted by spin, the seamer striking twice in the space of three balls to reduce the home side to 44 for 3 in the eighth over. Effectively tied down, Wilson chanced her arm and holed out to long-on for 9, while Wraith sent a leading edge to midwicket and departed for 17 to alter the complexion of the contest.Promoted up the order following a series of eye-catching cameos, Wellington was joined by skipper Luff, these two entrusted with the task of rebuilding. When Luff glanced Munro for a leg-side four to take her team to 57 for 3 at halfway, it represented Storm’s first boundary for six overs.Grewcock proved difficult to score against, her four overs costing a mere 18 runs, but acceleration eventually arrived in the twelfth, Wellington plundering successive fours at the expense of Gray in an over that yielded 13 runs. But the burgeoning fourth-wicket alliance was ended by Villiers, Wellington reaching forward in pursuit of a leg-side wide and being comprehensively stumped by Amara Carr, having contributed a 15-ball 20 in a stand of 43 in 5.3 overs.When Alex Griffiths missed a straight delivery and was bowled by Gray for four in the sixteenth, Storm were 99 for 5 and in danger of falling short. Nic Hancock then had Issy Wong held at long-on for 7, at which point Luff represented Storm’s last best hope. Characterised by clever placement and frenetic running, her spirited 34-ball innings at least served to carry the home side to a respectable total before she hoisted Villiers to deep backward square and departed with the score on 122 for 7 in the eighteenth.It quickly became apparent that Storm had scored sufficient runs. Filer struck a crucial early blow, removing Sunrisers skipper Grace Scrivens in the first over, while fellow opener Jo Gardner followed soon afterwards, driving Anderson to mid-on with the score on 9.Filer made further in-roads in the fifth, Alice Macleod top-edging a pull shot to Griffiths in the slips and becoming the third batter to depart for a single-figure score as the visitors lurched to 22 for 3. Griffith continued to carry the fight to Storm though, helping herself to four successive boundaries at the expense of Wong as Sunrisers posted 42 for 3 in the powerplay.But any hope of a concerted recovery was undermined by Smale, who claimed three wickets in eight balls to reduce Sunrisers to 59 for 6 at the halfway point. Villiers skied a catch to cover, Grewcock lost her off stump to the next delivery and Griffith, having raised 26 at a run-a-ball with five boundaries, holed out to deep midwicket as Storm assumed control.Miller and Carr made Storm work for victory, the seventh-wicket pair adding 35 in six overs to keep the contest alive. But the required rate was approaching 10 when Miller was held in the deep off Anderson, having scored 28 from 30 balls. Filer then accounted for Grey and Anderson mopped up the tail, claiming three wickets in seven balls to force a premature conclusion.

Hernández was fined, given warning as Mexican Football Federation launched investigation into sexist social media posts

• Was sanctioned by the FMF for his comments
• Mexican president also criticized the player
• Did not play in Chivas' opener

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• AFP
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Javier 'Chicharito' Hernández took to social media to express regret over recent controversial statements posted on social media. The striker was fined by the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) while both Chivas and sponsor Puma issued statements distancing themselves from his comments.

  Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, labeled his remarks as “sexist.”

  Over the weekend, he had posted: "Don’t be afraid to be women, to allow yourselves to be led by a man. Women, you are failing, you are eradicating masculinity, making society hypersensitive.”

  On Thursday, the 37-year-old issued an apology on Instagram:

  “I wholeheartedly thank everyone who has supported me and those who, with respect, have shared their perspectives and challenged me to be a better person. I deeply regret any confusion or discomfort my recent words may have caused; it was never my intention to limit, hurt, or divide.

  "As a father, a man, and a member of this community, my priority is to act with respect, humility, and responsibility. I am listening, reflecting, and committed to expressing myself with greater clarity and sensitivity – especially on such delicate topics.

  "I believe change starts within. I will use this opportunity to understand, grow, and continue working to become a better version of myself – guided by honesty, love for my family, my values, and my love for all of you. Thank you for your understanding, your expectations, your love, and your companionship on this journey.”

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  WHAT CHICHARITO POSTED ON THURSDAY

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Hernández did not feature in Chivas' Apertura 2025 debut due to an injury, but he's expected to return to action this weekend. His second stint with Chivas has been underwhelming so far, with just three goals in 34 appearances.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR CHICHARITO AND CHIVAS?

  Chivas will host Atlético de San Luis Saturday as part of Week 3 of the Apertura 2025.

Moving house can be a pain. But for Matthew Short it was one of the best life decisions he ever made.The most in-form batter in Australian domestic cricket right now, who made his international T20I and ODI debut recently, and was one negative Travis Head scan result away from being drafted into Australia’s World Cup squad, admits that just 18 months ago he was nearing a cricketing abyss.In the winter of 2022, Short had been a professional cricketer for Victoria for eight years. Aged 26, he had played 62 first-class innings and scored just one hundred. It was against England in a tour game for a Cricket Australia XI in 2017 against an attack featuring Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Moeen Ali, but it was the fourth day of a tame draw where only 24 wickets had fallen in a true warm-up game in Townsville ahead of an Ashes series.Related

• Marsh, Short, Abbott sparkle as Australia seal series

• Sizzling Short century helps Victoria beat Queensland

• Jhye Richardson sidelined after another shoulder dislocation

• New South Wales drop Kurtis Patterson after heavy Sheffield Shield loss

He had zero Sheffield Shield centuries and was averaging just 30.38 in 55 innings. He had zero List A hundreds in 46 innings and zero T20 hundreds and just five fifties in 50 innings.But in 2023, he has scored six centuries across all formats: one in the BBL, two in the Marsh Cup and three in Sheffield Shield cricket. He was the BBL player of the tournament, played in the IPL, the Hundred and for Australia in white-ball cricket, all since moving closer to Victoria’s training facility at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.”I suppose probably 12-18 months ago, I was a little bit nowhere in terms of not putting as much effort into training,” Short said. “So I moved in closer to training and made a few sacrifices over the last few months. Really putting some emphasis on training and doing the extra stuff.”There was a bit more to it than that. But it is incredible that Short, now just shy of turning 28, after being a talented Australia Under-19, playing a youth World Cup, being selected in Cricket Australia development teams and consistently for Victoria, had not had that epiphany sooner.As a tall, powerful ball striker, with wonderful hand-eye coordination, a gifted catcher and very skillful offspin bowler, Short is almost the perfect package for the modern game. It is easy to see why he had so many games invested in him as a younger player without the pressure of having to perform for his place.But natural talent can only take you so far. His Victoria coach Chris Rogers has been a big proponent of asking his talented young players to “take the stairs and not the elevator” to get to the top echelon of Australian cricket. Short has done that through putting in more hours at training, but also coupling that with some better decision-making and mental skills out in the middle with the backing of both Rogers and his Adelaide Strikers coach Jason Gillespie.”Probably a lot of volume [training],” Short said. “Really trying to nail down on my game plan. But it’s more spending the extra time around recovery and stuff in the gym. Just really to get my body okay to play as much as I have over the last six to 12 months.”It’s [also] probably more the mental side of things. Both here at Victoria and the Strikers in Adelaide I’ve been given a lot of freedom from Bucky Rogers and Dizzy Gillespie. Just being able to bat my natural way. It’s pretty aggressive and I seem to be getting away with a bit now.”Extra responsibility has also helped. He has gone from an inconsistent rank-and-file member of both Victoria and Strikers to a senior player who is relied upon in both sides. At Strikers, his runscoring at the top of the order became vital in the absence of Alex Carey and Travis Head while he also had to bowl powerplay overs upfront.For Victoria last summer, Marcus Harris and Peter Handscomb’s absence due to Test duties and Nic Maddinson’s injury meant added responsibility. Short thrived with that on his shoulders. He then experienced the new challenge of being an overseas player at the top of the order for Punjab Kings in the IPL and Northern Superchargers in the Hundred.Matthew Short has been around the Australia camp in the last few months•Associated Press

Stepping back into Victoria colours last week after being away with Australia, including clubbing 66 off 30 balls in just his second T20I against South Africa, with his state side struggling early in the season, he was able to stand tall with back-to-back hundreds in Mackay against Queensland.”I think being an international player, albeit they were replacement player gigs, but to be that kind of player that teams rely on for scores or wickets or whatever it is, to have that kind of extra pressure on you, I think that’s been good to bring back to Victoria,” Short said. “I think the last few years we’ve relied heavily on one or two players, whether it be Marcus Harris or Pete Handscomb, Scotty Boland. It’s nice to be able to think of myself as someone that the team relies on to score runs and help set up some victories.”His bowling too has developed with the help of Victoria spin coach Craig Howard, who has been a vital part of Todd Murphy’s development into becoming a Test offspinner. Short suddenly looms as a triple-threat in all three forms.With Australia’s white-ball teams about to hit a transition phase, he is well aware his purple patch could not have come at a better time. But looking beyond that there are subcontinental Test tours that loom for Australia in Sri Lanka in early 2025 and India in early 2027 where Short’s skillset would make him an asset.”You never know,” Short said. “Based off my last six months I think anything can happen. If you keep putting performances on the board at the right time, this sort of time in Australian cricket, there might be a few changes coming up. I think it’s just all about timing. I’m not really thinking about it too much, whether it’s white-ball or red-ball, but if I can keep performing and trying to win games for Victoria then who knows what’ll happen.”His immediate task is to get past New South Wales and a returning Nathan Lyon at the MCG starting on Thursday as Victoria try to rebound after consecutive innings defeats in the Sheffield Shield to start the year. They look set to welcome back Will Pucovski who rested the trip to Queensland.”He seems in good spirits,” Short said. “I’m looking forward to playing with him.”

يستعد فريق ليفربول، بقيادة المدرب آرني سلوت، لخوض مباراة ودية جديدة هذا الصيف في إطار الاستعدادات للموسم المرتقب، 2025/25، وذلك اليوم السبت.

ويخوض ليفربول مباراة ودية ضد نظيره ميلان على ملعب “كاي تاك” في مدينة هونج كونج الصينية.

كان ليفربول قد خاض مباراته الودية الأولى ضد بريستون حيث فاز بثلاثة أهداف مقابل هدف، قبل أن ينتصر بخماسية نظيفة على ستوك سيتي خلف الأبواب المغلقة.

في حين أن ميلان سقط أمام آرسنال بهدف دون رد، قبل اللجوء إلى ركلات الترجيح (نظام مُتبع في بعض المباريات الودية حتى إذا انتصر أحد الفريقين) حيث فاز الفريق الإيطالي بنتيجة 6/5.

وينتظر ليفربول مباراة أخرى يوم الأربعاء المقبل ضد يوكوهاما مارينوس، قبل مباراتيه ضد أتلتيك بلباو يوم الإثنين في وقتين متلاحقين بتشكيلتين مختلفتين.

ويبدأ ليفربول الموسم الجديد بمباراة الدرع الخيرية ضد كريستال بالاس يوم 10 أغسطس، قبل الجولة الأولى من الدوري الإنجليزي أمام بورنموث يوم 15. موعد مباراة ليفربول وميلان الودية اليوم

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة 2:30 ظهرًا بتوقيت القاهرة والسعودية. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة ليفربول وميلان الودية اليوم

تُذاع المباراة عبر كل من: أون تايم سبورت، أبو ظبي الرياضية، الشارقة الرياضية، عمان الرياضية، الكويت سبورت وSSC News hd.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Arsenal have seemingly fallen short in their title challenge, leaving supporters expecting some statement arrivals this summer to ensure a similar tale doesn’t occur next season at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal's injury problems paint obvious summer transfer picture

Mikel Arteta and the Gunners were optimistic about their chances of inheriting silverware at the start of the campaign. However, injury problems in key areas have allowed Liverpool to sail into an unassailable lead at the Premier League summit.

With only nine games left to play, it would take an extraordinary collapse from Arne Slot’s men to see their prospects of only a second title since 1990 arrive at Anfield collapse due to their 12-point advantage.

In fairness, Arsenal will hope they can pull off some Champions League heroics to claim a first trophy since 2020. If it weren’t for injuries to the likes of Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Jesus this term, Arteta could be looking at a far rosier appraisal than the one he may receive in May.

Frustration has begun to pave the way for transfer action at the Emirates Stadium. Lille’s Jonathan David is now on the Gunners’ radar to address a striker search likely to dominate the headlines in North London.

Arsenal’s forward line this season – G/A across all competitions
Kai Havertz	15 goals (34 appearances)
Gabriel Jesus	7 goals (27 appearances)
Bukayo Saka	9 goals (24 appearances)
Leandro Trossard	6 goals (43 appearances)
Gabriel Martinelli	7 goals (38 appearances)
Raheem Sterling	1 goal (23 appearances)
Ethan Nnaweri	8 goals (29 appearances)

Arsenal have also commenced groundwork on Alexander Isak and Benjamin Sesko, signifying that this year could be the one when they finally enter the market for a premium striker to spearhead their hunt for glory.

Improving the supply line has also emerged as a priority for Arteta, who, in an exciting turn of fate, has turned his attention to one of Europe’s hottest properties.

Arsenal make contact regarding £75m+ Juventus star Kenan Yildiz

According to TEAMtalk, Arsenal have made initial contact with Juventus over a summer deal to sign Kenan Yildiz as the Turkish international is someone the Serie A giants are open to cashing in on once the window opens.

Mooted to retain a £75.7 million price tag, the 19-year-old has registered four goals and six assists in 41 appearances this term. He is also attracting interest from Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Arsenal wonderkid was tipped to be Henry 2.0, but Edu sold him for just £4m

The immense forward would have solved Arsenal’s problems this year.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 20, 2025

Once labelled as a star who will have a “brilliant career” by Massimiliano Allegri, Yildiz has managed to create 36 chances on league duty this season and has shown his capacity to weave past defenders by completing 45 dribbles in total.

Loanee Sterling is almost certain to return to Chelsea this summer, and it remains to be seen if Arteta will sanction exits for any of his other options on either flank. If that occurs, their pursuit of Yildiz may accelerate as a matter of priority if recent reports are anything to go by.