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While he was disappointed at the heavy defeat in Adelaide, he felt West Indies had had an encouraging year in Test cricket
Andrew McGlashan11-Dec-2022West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite lamented that his team “didn’t show any fight” in Adelaide but believed that overall they had produced a successful year in Test cricket.They crashed to a 419-run defeat within the opening session of the fourth day, their heaviest runs defeat in Test cricket, having shown heart to take the first Test deep into the penultimate session.Related
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In both matches West Indies’ bowling attack was put to the sword by a combination of Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith and Travis Head. A couple of late wickets for Alzarri Joseph in Adelaide made him their the leading bowler with five at 53.00 – highlighting their struggles – amid a string of injuries that left them with a patched-up attack.Brathwaite produced their standout knock of the series with 110 in the second innings in Perth, but no one passed fifty in Adelaide as they could only make 214 and 77.”It was very disappointing. The first game, we fought to day five which was a decent effort. Coming here we didn’t show any fight at all,” Brathwaite said. “Obviously Australia bowled well but we didn’t fight. The pink ball is always different, under lights is always tough. Bad days happen and bad games. This was a bad game for sure, but it’s not the end of the world, we have a lot of Test cricket to play next year so we have to look ahead.”West Indies came into the series unbeaten in five Tests for the year – including three wins a row – and, before the Adelaide match, were above England and New Zealand on the World Test Championship table.Brathwaite was adamant that, viewed as a whole, and given the strength of the opposition they faced in this series, that it had been an encouraging year in the format.”This loss is a little disappointing and how we didn’t show the fight,” he said. “But I still think it was a good year for us – a very good year – losing one series against probably the No. 1 team in the world is not a bad effort.”‘You’ve got Mitchell Starc coming in at 90mph and you see a guy fighting like that, says a lot about his character’ – Brathwaite on Tagenarine Chanderpaul•Getty Images
West Indies’ next Test cricket will come on tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa in early 2023. They are then due back in Australia in a little over 12 months’ time due a quirk of the next World Test Championship cycle, which has seen them paired together again with no other spot on the calendar to try and space out the series a little more. CA had tried to find another window to avoid back-to-back summers with the same opposition but it wasn’t possible.Brathwaite hopes that those players who return can use what they have learned from watching the Australians go about their work with this Test series having been West Indies’ first here since 2015-16.”For a lot of the guys it was their first time to Australia,” he said. “The experience would help, both as batsmen and bowlers. Seeing how Australia play, how their batsmen started their innings, we can learn from that and then how their bowlers bowled throughout a spell. At times in Perth they bowled for the whole day but then you see the areas they bowled. Australia will always be a strong team at home but the key from experiences is learn from them.”One of the encouraging aspects for West Indies was the debut series of Tagenarine Chanderpaul who made 51, 45, 47 and 17 at the top of the order alongside the captain. Such was his occupation of the crease that Australia got very inventive with their fields when they went at him with a short-pitched attack, although Chanderpaul blotted his copybook by running himself out in the first over of the third day.”It showed that he’s tough,” Brathwaite said. “You’ve got Mitchell Starc coming in at 90mph and you see a guy fighting like that, says a lot about his character. I thought he had a good start to his career and can see him really blossoming to have a superb career for West Indies.”Brathwaite, himself, meanwhile said he retained the hunger and desire to lead West Indies.”I love Test cricket and [am] thankful for the job. We’ll see how it goes. I want to lead this team from the front, especially with the bat, that’s my job. As a group we have the talent, we have the ability. It’s for us to believe in ourselves and you learn from all the challenges you go through.”
With a 2-0 lead, Australia only had to play risk-free cricket on the fifth day at the MCG to win the series. They achieved victory, but did they take caution too far?
Jarrod Kimber at the MCG30-Dec-2014″We’re going to play entertaining cricket,” Australia coach Darren Lehmann, on the 0730 report earlier this year.”Get on with it.” “Just declare.” “Play a shot.” “Boring.” The MCG crowd, today.Every single opinion you have on cricket is wrong. Even when it isn’t. No matter how firmly you believe, or have researched, or how often you’ve seen it play out, you’re still probably wrong. So is Ian Chappell. So is Ravi Shastri. So is your uncle. So is your daughter. All of them, wrong. Because rights and wrongs in cricket are never absolutes. It doesn’t work that way.Today Australia declared at lunch, well just after lunch was supposed to begin. There were people who thought Australia batted three hours too many. There were people who thought Australia batted two hours too many. There were people who thought it was only an hour. Each thought the other was wrong.Then there were people who thought there was no need for Australia to declare. They thought the longer they batted, the more chance they’d win the series. Why give India a sniff? Why worry about Virat Kohli when you didn’t need to? Either India play out the draw, and you win the series, or they collapse and you win the Test and the series. The early declarer obviously thought this was as wrong.Even if Australia had bowled out India by tea, some would still have said they had declared too late. Steven Smith would be wrong, and a winner. India end up nine wickets down, Smith would be wrong and a winner. India finish three wickets down with 50 runs to get, Smith would be wrong, and a winner. Instead it was four wickets left for Australia, many would say that’s a session of bowling. Maybe they’re wrong.Under Lehmann, we were promised exciting cricket. When talking about how England play, Lehmann said, “Dour. It’s not the type of cricket I’d play.” In general, he’s not wrong. This morning if you had England on the scoreboard instead of Australia, would anyone have noticed? Big lead, plodding batting, waiting for milestones, ensuring you couldn’t lose – it was dour, dull and defensive. This was Boof’s boys at their most English.There were MCC members in London cheering as the ones in Melbourne were screaming for a declaration.Ryan Harris likes to play his shots, and often pose after them as the crowd cheers his work. Here he scored 13 runs from nearly 20 overs. The only applause was from a few blokes giving him the slow clap. Shaun Marsh made only a few more in the same time. This was the innings of a man trying desperately to show he could play this kind of innings. Gritty and determined. Obdurate rather than obliterate.Australia needed four wickets in four overs when they decided to call off the game•Getty ImagesMarsh was stung into action with Harris’ wicket, and for the only time in the morning session we had anything approaching entertainment as he was dropped and then hit 6,4,2 in the space of four balls. It was so attacking that a woman in the Betty Cuthbert cafe was woken up.The entertainment continued as Marsh played and missed, started unlikely singles and then ran himself out on 99, but it wasn’t really the kind of excitement Lehmann had promised. This was more spoof than action film. It was made funnier by the arrival of a playing and missing Josh Hazlewood, and then Australia forgot that at nine wickets down, sessions get extended. They couldn’t even walk off the ground correctly.Then Uncle Boof called them in. Australia’s dour hours were finally over.It was telling – and maybe this is wrong – that it was Lehmann who could be seen waving them in, not Smith. Of course Smith could have been doing his shoelaces up behind the coach. Some thought that under Michael Clarke, Australia would have declared far earlier, they talked about the Oval Test. But that was a dead rubber, and a gamble for a win, so the comparison was wrong. Clarke was even defending Australia’s actions from the commentary box. Some people still think Clarke would have declared earlier. Maybe they are wrong, maybe Clarke was wrong, maybe Lehmann was wrong.194,481 came to this Test. Plus the two coaching staff, so probably 200,000 all up. All with their own opinions. All wrong.Smith shook hands with MS Dhoni, ending the match with four overs to go and four wickets to take. Maybe Lehmann or Clarke thought that was wrong. On William Barak bridge, the fans thought it was wrong. One bloke said, “bloody, defensive, crap cricket.” His mate said, “They won it the wrong way”.Wrong. Even in glory.
Manchester City made history on Wednesday night, breaking the record for the longest unbeaten run in the Champions League, previously held by cross-city rivals Manchester United.
It was a destructive win that sealed the deal for Pep Guardiola’s side, as they destroyed Czech side Sparta Prague 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium. The record now stands at 26 games.
It was a superb showing from the 2022/23 winners, who had four different goalscorers on the night. Unsurprisingly, it was Erling Haaland who scored twice, with his first a particularly impressive acrobatic effort. The other City players to find the back of the net were Phil Foden, John Stones and Matheus Nunes.
There were several standout performers from the Citizens last night, although Foden was in imperious form against the Czech side.
It has been a curious season for the 2023/24 PFA Player of the Year winner. After a spellbinding campaign last term, in which he helped win another Premier League title, Foden has struggled to break into the starting lineup under Guardiola this term.
He has played nine games in all competitions, with two goals and two assists to his name so far. However, the City number 47 has just 494 minutes, equating to just 5.4 full 90-minute games in total, with injury and illness a contributing factor.
Against the reigning Czech champions, Foden impressed. His goal was a classic finish, dancing between a few defenders before drilling his shot low and hard into the bottom left corner. Outside of that, he was superb, a real creative force for the hosts in the final third.
His Sofascore stats also reflect a superb performance. The England international had 78 touches, completing 92% of his passes and creating two chances. He completed both of his attempted dribbles and won four of seven attempted duels.
Foden’s enterprising performance won him a 7/10 rating from Goal journalist Richard Martin. He explained that the City attacker is finally “approaching his best form” after an indifferent start to the season, and called him a “constant headache” for the opposition.
The 24-year-old starred on Wednesday night, but another of his City teammates, Savinho, arguably outshone him.
Since joining the Premier League champions this summer, Brazilian winger Savinho has shone. He has four assists in 11 games and has shown – notably on Wednesday night – that he could even be City’s answer to talented Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal.
Not only are they both young, left-footed wingers, but the pair are similar statistically on FBref too. Amongst other stats, the City man averages 2.75 key passes per game and 10.5 progressive carries; comparatively, the Barcelona teenager averages 2.39 key passes and 5.57 progressive carries.
|
Savinho vs. Yamal stats compared |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
Savinho |
Yamal |
|
Key passes |
2.75 |
2.39 |
|
Passes into final third |
0.50 |
2.73 |
|
Passes into penalty box |
4.50 |
3.07 |
|
Progressive carries |
10.5 |
5.57 |
|
Carries into final third |
3.0 |
3.18 |
|
Carries into penalty area |
5.5 |
2.73 |
|
Take-ons completed |
2.75 |
3.41 |
|
Stats from FBref |
||
The wingers are two of the most exciting talents in world football, so for City to have a player so similar to Bracelona’s exciting young talent, both stylistically and statistically, is an exciting luxury for Guardiola.
Focussing on the performance against the Czech outfit, former Girona winger Savinho stood out for all the right reasons and received an 8/10 rating from Martin. The journalist was full of praise for the Brazil international, explaining that he “ran the visitors ragged”, praising him for the fact he was “destroying opponents” on the right wing.
The 20-year-old was spellbinding having created five key passes and two big chances, even managing to register an assist for Haaland’s first goal. He completed four of his eight attempted dribbles, and worked hard off the ball, winning six ground duels.
It was a wonderful performance from City’s answer to Yamal, Savinho last night. He will no doubt be hoping to continue this form as the Premier League champions look to push for titles in all competitions.
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The Pakistan fast bowler took the key wickets of Finn Allen and Kane Williamson in Sydney
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Nov-2022Shaheen Shah Afridi had a slow start to the T20 World Cup in Australia but former Pakistan Women captain Urooj Mumtaz says the fast bowler has been improving throughout and was at his best in the semi-final victory against New Zealand.”By far, I think we probably saw him at his best,” Urooj said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time Out show. “He has grown into his element throughout the tournament.”Afridi was returning from a serious knee injury at the start of the World Cup and picked up 2 for 24 in the semi-final in Sydney, striking in his first over by trapping New Zealand opener Finn Allen lbw.”He again didn’t get the ball to swing, but the one to Finn Allen just did enough,” Urooj said. “And I think you set the tone when you pick up wickets early up front. He didn’t give a lot of loose balls and it had to be within the stumps and throughout, I think the bowling attack today did that very well,” she said. “Shaheen in the last two overs as well was again very good with the ball towards the end.”After taking 1-11 in his two overs in the powerplay, Afridi returned to bowl the 15th and the 17th, conceding only 13 runs and dismissing the well-set Kane Williamson for 46. Williamson was bowled moving across his stumps and looking to hit behind square on the leg side.”It’s interesting. When he [Williamson] got out, he realised that he should have gone hard at the square boundary and not gone for the one over fine leg,” former Australia allrounder Tom Moody said. “And he just got outfoxed really. It was a good slower ball from Afridi to get a key wicket. Kane is a player, once he’s established like that, he can find boundaries at the back end of the innings quite easily with those pickup shots.”Afridi’s figures of 2 for 24 helped Pakistan restrict New Zealand to 152 for 4 and took his tally of wickets in this T20 World Cup to ten, making him Pakistan’s joint-highest wicket-taker along with legspinner Shadab Khan. Nine of those wickets have come in his last three games, after Afridi went wicketless against India and Zimbabwe, and took only one wicket against the Netherlands.
With key players out and Hayes seeking to mix and match, GOAL looks at how the USWNT could line up against Australia
The SheBelieves Cup is a sprint, not a marathon and, at this level, sprints require rotation. U.S. women's national team head coach Emma Hayes acknowledged that by calling in an extra outfield player to this camp, with just two goalkeepers. For the USWNT to get through two more games, they'll need just about everyone.
Hayes unleashed a few surprises for the USWNT's opener, a 2-0 win over Colombia headlined by goals from Catarina Macario and Ally Sentnor. The latter, in particular, was one of the more surprising starters in that game and she responded by netting her first USWNT goal. There are plenty of other young players in search of similar breakouts, but Hayes has some difficult decisions to make when balancing this XI.
Changes are coming for Sunday's match against Australia, which kicks off at 5 p.m. ET in Phoenix. The only question is how many? With just a few days in between games, and just a few more before Wednesday's match against Japan, Hayes will certainly mix and match.
It'll be a balancing act of youth and veterans, but also of fitness level as the U.S. travels all over the West to play three tough games against three strong teams. And several stars are not on the roster, including Naomi Girma, Sophia Wilson, Trinity Rodman and Mallory Swanson.
There's no predicting what Hayes, who remains unbeaten in her first 16 matches in charge of the USWNT, will do – she's proven on more than one occasion that she can go any which way with her XI. So what changes could she make from Colombia to Australia? GOAL takes a look.
The pace bowler is aiming to return in the second half of the WBBL
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Sep-2022Pace bowler Hannah Darlington will miss the first part of the WNCL and WBBL tournaments after suffering a knee injury late in pre-season training.She will undergo surgery on the meniscus on her left knee on Monday and is aiming to return in the latter part of the WBBL with Sydney Thunder which runs until late November.Darlington, who has played two ODIs and two T20Is, picked up the injury training in Canberra while attending the National Leadership Forum.Related
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“It was genuinely a freak accident actually,” she told news.com.au. “Just had a little bit of a fall while bowling, didn’t actually hit the ground…in quite a lot of pain straight away. I knew something was wrong – I tried to walk it off and couldn’t walk.”Darlington captained Sydney Thunder last season in the absence of Rachael Haynes. She was initially a reserve in the ODI World Cup squad but withdrew to manage her mental health.The injury means Darlington’s first opportunity in the 50-over WNCL with New South Wales will likely come shortly before Christmas when the competition resumes after the WBBL.New South Wales are currently without three bowlers who would push for the first-choice XI with Stella Campbell and Lauren Cheatle also sidelined.
Arsenal star Kai Havertz and partner Sophia Weber have announced that they are expecting their first child.
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All things considered, Liverpool have passed the pre-season test with flying colours, whatever that actually is. Arne Slot has a herculean task on his hands in succeeding Jurgen Klopp, but his ideology has taken root and there is much promise at his embryonic stage.
Liverpool petered out somewhat at the end of the 2023/24 season but still restored their Champions League status and won the Carabao Cup, with Klopp's 'Liverpool 2.0' up and running.
It's a brand new world, with the club's Dutch boss cherry-picked by FSG given his loose charm, attractive brand of football and track record over in the Netherlands, with AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord, latterly winning the Eredivisie title and the KNVB Cup.
Pre-season results must be taken with a pinch of salt but none can deny that the early signs are promising, despite the Reds having yet to dip their toes into the transfer market.
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Liverpool: Pre-season Results |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Fixture |
Date |
Venue |
|
Liverpool 0-1 Preston |
19/07/2024 |
AXA Training Centre, Kirkby |
|
Liverpool 1-0 Real Betis |
27/07/2024 |
Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh |
|
Liverpool 2-1 Arsenal |
01/08/2024 |
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
|
Liverpool 3-0 Man United |
04/08/2024 |
Brice Stadium, South Carolina |
Indeed the only Premier League club yet to make a signing, supporters are yearning for some added impetus; Slot has inherited a talented squad but it is not without its gaps, with the backline one of the most pressing concerns.
According to reports relayed by Sky Sports, Liverpool have joined the race for Marc Guehi, who has recently been the subject of intense interest from Newcastle United.
The Crystal Palace centre-back, who starred for England at Euro 2024, is valued at £75m after a steep rise over the past year, now regarded as one of the Premier League's finest rising defenders.
FSG have likely baulked at such a hefty price tag, but could use Joe Gomez as a makeweight in any potential transfer, as has been reported to be the case during Liverpool's negotiations with the Magpies for Anthony Gordon, earlier in the summer.
Football FanCast's Team of the Tournament for Euro 2024.
Guehi's composure and inner belief have married into his skilled ability, notable across strength, stamina and technique metrics. His mentality and calming influence could be the perfect fit for Slot's Liverpool, especially when digging deeper into the club's circumstances.
A product of Chelsea's youth academy, Guehi made the decision to move to Selhurst Park after impressing on a string on loan adventures, completing an £18m transfer in 2021 and never looking back.
Palace have ebbed and flowed over the past several years but have always tread water above the dreaded drop zone, with Guehi's steely, commanding defensive displays going a long way toward maintaining such stability.
And of course, the Eagles appear to have hit the jackpot with the appointment of Oliver Glasner back in February, the Austrian coach transforming the side and creating an attack-focused, slick and stylish unit.
Guehi missed much of his football as he nursed a knee injury, but his efforts under Roy Hodgson still earned him a place in Gareth Southgate's Three Lions squad this summer, where he was arguably England's finest performer.
|
Marc Guehi: 2023/24 Statistics |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics (*per game) |
Premier League |
Euro 2024 |
|
Matches (starts) |
25 (23) |
6 (6) |
|
Clean sheets |
4 |
2 |
|
Touches* |
61.6 |
82.8 |
|
Pass completion |
87% |
94% |
|
Total duels won* |
3.6 (60%) |
4.0 (51%) |
|
Tackles |
1.1 |
0.5 |
|
Clearances |
3.5 |
2.0 |
|
Ball recoveries |
4.8 |
4.7 |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
||
Be it club or country, he is sturdy without the ball and elegant with it at his feet. He's been described as a "beast" of a player by talent scout Jacek Kulig and it's clear to see why.
His languid style draws comparisons to that of Virgil van Dijk, with the easy defensive game and underrated ball-playing ability perhaps playing to the strengths of Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Guehi proved at the Euros his faculty for passing, thriving with his crisp, error-free displays from the rear. England lacked fluency in Germany but it was certainly no fault of Guehi.
He scarcely got to play with Liverpool's homegrown sensation, but his nature could ensure that Liverpool's playmaking talisman thrives this season, under new management.
Widely regarded as one of the most talented technicians in football, Alexander-Arnold ranks among the top 12% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 5% for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions and passes attempted and the top 2% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, emphasising that very point.
The 25-year-old has long been criticised for an ostensibly weak defensive game, and while it is untrue that he is a poor defender, it's certainly not his strong suit, winning just 45% of his contested duels in the Premier League last season.
Moreover, since he has started to drive into the middle of the park when Liverpool hold possession and are on the attack, he could benefit immensely from a titan like Guehi to offer protection.
Alexander-Arnold's midfield experiment for his country this summer failed, but that's evidence enough that the right system needs to be implemented to ensure such success – Guehi, in Slot's budding Liverpool set-up, could indeed be the missing piece.
The "absolute tank" – as former England U21 teammate Josef Bursik once dubbed him – would provide Liverpool with the kind of defensive fortitude that is needed for success under Slot's wing.
But perhaps more importantly, he would reinforce Liverpool's backline and allow Alexander-Arnold to foray forward and unleash his creative influence with confidence.
If Liverpool let Newcastle snap this talented player up, they might just live to regret it…
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Aug 3, 2024
Tottenham Hotspur and technical director Johan Lange by extension are ready to green-light an exit for a "key" £60 million player this summer.
A succession of players have already departed N17, either on loan or temporarily, as Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou attempts to rebuild the squad ahead of the Australian's second full season in charge.
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1
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Emilio Galantini
Jul 19, 2024
Ryan Sessegnon, Japhet Tanganga, Eric Dier and Ivan Perisic were first out the door at Tottenham, following the expiry of their contracts at N17, with Spurs also electing to terminate Tanguy Ndombele's contract one year before it was due to expire.
The former club-record signing has since joined OGC Nice in Ligue 1, and Wales international defender Joe Rodon soon followed Ndombele. The centre-back put pen to paper on a £10 million move to Leeds, as English sensation Archie Gray moved in the opposite direction for around £40 million.
|
Tottenham's best-performing players in the Premier League last season |
|
|---|---|
|
Son Heung-min |
7.30 |
|
James Maddison |
7.17 |
|
Pedro Porro |
7.05 |
|
Cristian Romero |
7.04 |
|
Dejan Kulusevski |
7.03 |
|
Ratings via WhoScored |
|
A few more players could be set to join the aforementioned players in seeking pastures new. Indeed, uncertainty currently surrounds the likes of Giovani Lo Celso and Bryan Gil, with both men scarcely getting a chance under Postecoglou last season.
Meanwhile, both Milan and Borussia Dortmund have been chasing a deal for Emerson Royal, who was forced to play second-fiddle to Pedro Porro for the majority of 2023/24 – or fill in for injured first-teamers in makeshift roles.
There is also the matter of striker Richarlison. The Brazilian, who's reportedly attracting interest from Saudi Arabia and PIF, actually finished last campaign as Tottenham's second-highest goalscorer in all competitions.
He chalked up 12 goals and registered another four assists, largely due to an impressive mid-season purple patch, but Tottenham remain in the market for a prolific new striker to replace Harry Kane regardless. The Lilywhites' rumoured hunt for a centre-forward casts doubt on Richarlison's future, with HITC now providing an update on the 27-year-old.
The outlet backs Saudi interest in the former Everton star, and they go one step further by writing that Tottenham are ready to green-light Richarlison's sale this summer.
It's added that they would want £60 million to reach a deal, which is the same price they paid to bring the "key" forward from Goodison Park two years ago. Richarlison has personally told the Saudi Pro League he'd be open to joining one of their clubs as well, so it's a move that could get his approval.
The South American endured a regrettable first full season under Antonio Conte at Spurs, but rediscovered his best form in flashes last season working with Postecoglou.
All in all, Richarlison has racked up 15 goals and eight assists across 66 appearances in all competitions since putting pen to paper on a move from Merseyside.