All posts by h716a5.icu

Bad weather ruins prospect of fighting finish as Compton guides Kent to safety

ECB Reporters Network15-May-2022Division One leaders Surrey drew their LV= Insurance County Championship match with Kent after rain ruined the final day at Beckenham.Just 9.2 overs were possible, with Kent moving from their overnight score of 82 for 1 to 114 for one during two mini-sessions, still 327 runs behind Surrey’s first innings score of 671 for nine.Surrey had been favourites after forcing Kent to follow on on day three, but conditions deteriorated throughout the day and play was abandoned at 3.48 pm, Kent taking 10 points and Surrey 16.Ben Compton was unbeaten on 63, while night-watchman Matt Milnes was not out on 16 at stumps.Day four began with a minute’s silence in memory of Andrew Symonds, who played for Kent between 1999 and 2004.A break in the weather meant play started on time and the hosts resumed on 82 for one, still 359 behind. Conditions were overcast and the ball swung almost immediately but Compton reached 50 in the first over when he pulled Daniel Worrall for a single.Light rain began to fall and the players went off after 29 minutes, Kent having moved to 108 without further loss. Lunch was taken early and although play resumed at 1.35pm, by then it was already raining again.After nine increasingly moist minutes, during which Kent advanced to 114, the players came off again, Compton having added six to his score. After two further hours of waiting and with no prospect of improvement, the game was abandoned as a draw.The draw lifts Kent off the bottom of the table ahead of Gloucestershire.

Actor Danny Dyer says he thinks he's "in love" with West Ham star Jarrod Bowen and joked he should marry him rather than his daughter Dani.

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Bowen marrying Dani Dyer in 2025Actor Dyer "in love" with West Ham aceSays he's "marrying the wrong Dyer"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

West Ham super fan Dyer has professed his love for Hammers ace Bowen, as well as saying he is an "incredible" person. His daughter Dani is set to marry the 28-year-old later this year, prompting her dad to say the England international is "marrying the wrong Dyer".

AdvertisementGettyWHAT DANNY DYER SAID

He told Closer: "I think I'm in love with him. He plays for West Ham and he's unbelievable, this guy. He comes in my house, I take his shoes off for him and I give him the remote control, and I say, ‘Mate, this is your house now.’ He's an incredible person. I can't wait to give Dani away, but I still think that he's marrying the wrong Danny Dyer. Honestly, I feel sorry for my other daughter, who's nearly 18, because she could never bring home a man to match what Jarrod’s done for me. She could bring home a heart surgeon or somebody who cures cancer and I’ll go, ‘Well, really? Jarrod's got the winning goal in a European final.’ I couldn't have written a better script. He's just such a beautiful man."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Bowen has carved out a superb career of his own, chalking up multiple England caps, winning West Ham the Europa Conference League, and earning club legend status. And it seems he can do no wrong in the Dyer family going by his future father-in-law's comments.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Bowen will hope to feature for England in their World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia on Friday and Monday respectively.

Antony is set for crunch talks with Manchester United over his future but is keen to stay at Real Betis after an impressive start to his loan.

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Antony impressing in La Liga with Real BetisBrazilian is determined to stay in SevilleTalks set to continue over his futureFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Betis and United are set to meet shortly for crunch talks over Antony's future, according to. The winger's agents will also be present at the meeting as the three parties discuss his next move. Antony wants to stay with Manuel Pellegrini's side, and Betis want to keep him, but there are issues to be resolved. The English giants may be unwilling to sanction another loan, as his current contract expires in 2027, while Betis are currently only paying a fraction of his salary and may struggle to afford the full amount.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After a fairly miserable time in Manchester, Antony is thriving in Seville with Betis in La Liga. The Brazilian has scored four goals and bagged two assists in 11 outings for his new club and is proving to be a big hit after joining on loan in January until the end of the current campaign. Real Betis CEO Ramon Alarcon has already revealed that Antony has told him he wants to stay for another year.

DID YOU KNOW?

Since making his Real Betis debut in February, Antony has created more chances from open play (17) and more big chances (6) than any other player in La Liga.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ANTONY

Antony will hope to continue his impressive form with Betis for the rest of the campaign. Pellegrini's men currently sit in sixth place in the table in Spain but if they can secure Champions League football for next season, it could provide the funds required to keep Antony at the club.

Rangers are keen on completing the signing of a “special” attacking player who is believed to be interested in moving to Ibrox, according to a fresh transfer update.

Latest Rangers news

The Gers won 3-0 away to Ross County on Sunday, in what was a much-needed three points for under-fire manager Philippe Clement.

Rangers have a huge week ahead of them now, taking on Tottenham in the Europa League on Thursday, in an exciting all-British European clash at Ibrox. Then they face rivals Celtic in the Scottish League Cup final on Sunday, allowing Clement a chance of more silverware, taking pressure off his shoulders in the process.

In terms of potential new signings for the Gers, Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka has been linked with a move to the club in the January transfer window, as he struggles for playing time at Stamford Bridge. In fact, Rangers are said to have been offered the chance to snap up the Englishman, with both loan and permanent switches seen as a possibility.

Rangers want to sign "special" ace

According to Football Insider, Rangers are also “keen” on signing Leeds United striker Joe Gelhardt in the January window, as Clement looks to bolster his options. The Ibrox recruitment team are said to love the fact the youngster can play up front, on the wing or as a number ten, allowing them to kill multiple birds with one stone while operating on a low budget.

This comes after former scout Mick Brown claimed last week that the 22-year-old likes the idea of joining the Gers from the Whites, saying: “He’s not been playing regularly for Leeds, and from what I’m told, he’d be interested in a move. As far as Rangers are concerned, that’s the type of player they have to be looking at. If Leeds let him go in January, even if it’s only on loan, they will be ready to swoop.

“They’re not the only club interested, but they’ll back themselves to win that race. They play in Europe as well, whether it’s the Champions League, Europa League, or even the Conference League, which is always a draw for players.”

Geldhardt stands out as an eye-catching option for Rangers, should a transfer materialise, with the youngster such a talented attacking player, bursting onto the scene as a teenager in his career. The Leeds man has only scored three goals in 57 Whites appearances, which is clearly a disappointing return, but his talent is undeniable, with Noel Whelan saying of him in 2022: “He is going to be a huge part of this club for a long time.

“This is why they are being very patient with him. He is being nurtured in the right way. The under-23s has been good for him. Now is the time that we are going to see more of him. He has something special and everybody sees that. He scares defenders and is a great weapon to have.”

Forget about Igamane & Hagi: The Rangers star who is saving Clement's job

The Glasgow Rangers star has returned to provide the team with an injection of quality.

ByDan Emery Dec 9, 2024

Granted, Gelhardt hasn’t kicked on in the way many expected, but it may simply be a case of him needing a fresh challenge, finding his feet in a Rangers shirt and giving them an extra injection of quality in the final third.

A loan switch makes the most sense, should the transfer not work out, but if he does enough to impress the masses, the move could then become permanent.

Durham make inroads on shortened day but experienced South African stands firm

ECB Reporters Network07-Apr-2022Just 47 overs were possible on a day curtailed by weather in the LV=Insurance County Championship match between Glamorgan and Durham in Cardiff. The home side reached 164 for 4 at the close on a day that saw repeated weather delays after lunch.It was the visitors who won the toss and put Glamorgan into bat. Useful contributions of 28 from David Lloyd and 24 from Sam Northeast gave Glamorgan a decent start but two wickets in eight balls just before lunch brought Durham back into the game. Colin Ingram was the star for Glamorgan, finishing on 71 not out before a huge hailstorm took the players off the field for the final time just after tea.Glamorgan experimented with Andrew Salter as an opener, the third time in three different matches that he has been given the job. This one was no more successful than the other attempts with Salter now having made 7 runs from three innings at the top of the order. While there has been some batting success for the offspinner – he has nine fifties in first-class cricket – it will be interesting how long-lasting and how successful this experiment will be. When Eddie Bryrom is back from injury the expectation is that he will be given the job.Lloyd, himself a relative newcomer to opening in first class cricket, looked much more assured with real positive intent from the outset. He played an enterprising innings before edging to David Bedingham off the bowling of Ben Raine.New Glamorgan signing Northeast looked in good touch before he was trapped lbw by Chris Rushworth. When Raine had Kiran Carlson bowled for 1 in the next over Glamorgan found themselves 108 for 4 despite having looked in control for much of the morning session.Ingram, who has played just one other first-class match since 2017, looked in fantastic touch, passing his fifty from 76 balls with one half chance in the gully being his only slip up. Lloyd joked afterwards that Marnus Labuschagne, who has only just arrived in the country, might have a fight to get his place back.”We will have to send Marnus back home I think, and Colin can take his place,” he said. “Obviously, it is a good place to be having that competition and Colin has come in and done a really good job. He has a lot of experience and knows he’s game pretty well so I think it is a bit easier than someone a bit younger coming in to do it. He has fitted in very well and has looked good all pre-season so he has finally showed his form.”Just 17 overs were possible after the lunch break, with short but heavy rain and hail showers taking the players off the field at regular intervals before one almighty downpour forced them off for good.Despite these regular interruptions Ingram and Chris Cooke put on an undefeated partnership of 56 for the fifth wicket. With the ball getting older things looked a little easier for batting although there was still the odd delivery that seamed or swung.Raine was the pick of the Durham bowlers as he got the ball to move often enough to trouble the batters throughout his 11 overs, and he will be disappointed that the weather prevented him from having further opportunities for wickets.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe opened up about his conversation with Sir Alex Ferguson before the legendary manager was removed as Manchester United's ambassador.

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Ferguson's response to axe revealedRatcliffe had a one-on-one conversation with FergusonClub legend left meeting 'grumpy'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

INEOS chairman Ratcliffe, who bought a minority stake in United last year, has overseen a major cost-cutting operation at Old Trafford. Hundreds of employees have been laid off, and legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson has also been removed as the club's global ambassador. In a chat with the , the British billionaire revealed his conversation with Ferguson and how the Scot reacted to losing his job.

AdvertisementWHAT SIR JIM RATCLIFFE SAID

Ratcliffe said: "I take my hat off to Alex. I sat down with Alex, just the two of us in the room. And I said, 'Look, the club isn’t where you may think it is. It is spending more than it’s earning, and we’re going to finish up in some difficulties. Honestly, we can’t really afford to continue to pay you £2 million a year.' I said, 'I’m going to leave it with you, let you have a think about it.' It was very grown up. Maybe a little bit grumpy at the beginning, but he got it. He came back three days later, after talking to his son, and said, 'Fine, I’m going to step away from it. My decision.'"

He added: "I think it reflects really well on Alex because he put the club before himself."

AFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

United have had a nightmare journey in the 2024-25 campaign. Erik ten Hag was sacked in October after a poor start, and things haven't really picked up under his replacement Ruben Amorim as United currently find themselves down in 14th in the Premier League table. After witnessing the club's series of poor performances, Ratcliffe admitted that some players are "overpaid" and "not good enough".

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Amorim's men will be back in action on Thursday as they take on Real Sociedad in the second leg of their Europa League round of 16 fixture at Old Trafford, having drawn the first leg 1-1 in Spain.

Joe Root passes 150, Matt Fisher claims maiden Test wicket with second ball

Valkerie Baynes17-Mar-2022Ben Stokes made a welcome return to the ranks of Test centurion with a belligerent display against West Indies as England set a commanding first-innings total.It had been well over 18 months and 23 Test innings without a ton for Stokes and much has happened in that time – from losing his beloved father, Ged, to a four-and-a-half-month absence from the game during which he had two operations to repair a serious finger injury and took time out to manage his mental health. But once he got going on the second morning in Barbados, it was something to behold.He struck four sixes and 11 fours as he reached 89 off just 92 balls by lunch, having started the day on nought after Dan Lawrence fell on the last ball of the opening day.A quieter period ensued after the interval as Kemar Roach and Jason Holder put the lid on England’s scoring for a time, but Stokes went out swinging once more, for 120, after bringing up his 11th Test hundred with a scampered single and celebrating with his crooked-fingered salute to the heavens in memory of his dad, who died in December 2020. Stokes’ last Test century had come against West Indies at Old Trafford in July of that year.Meanwhile, his captain, Joe Root, was at the other end of the pitch for the most part, during a 129-run partnership for the fourth wicket, having brought up his second consecutive Test century the evening before, his eighth in 19 Tests since the start of 2021.Root ended up with 153 on this occasion, before leaving Stokes to carry on and then seeing a 75-run seventh-wicket stand between Chris Woakes and Ben Foakes, allowing him to on 507 for 9 shortly after tea.Debutant Matthew Fisher, drafted into the squad after the Ashes debacle and handed his chance when Craig Overton fell ill on the eve of this match, struck with just his second ball in international cricket before Kraigg Brathwaite and Shamarh Brooks resisted further damage to steer West Indies to 71 for 1 at the close.Having seen John Campbell thread his first ball to the rope through backward point, Fisher elicited a prod outside off-stump and the ball flew off the toe-end of Campbell’s bat to Foakes behind the stumps. Poignantly, as he celebrated his maiden Test wicket, Fisher raised his finger skyward in tribute to his own father, Phil, who died when Matthew was just 14.Fisher thought he had his second wicket when Brooks jabbed in the direction of second slip, where Zak Crawley stooped very low to grab the ball in his fingertips, although he came up looking uncertain as to whether it had been grounded in the process and replays showed it had, confirming the not-out soft signal.Brathwaite was then given out lbw on 14, Jack Leach skidding one into his back pack – but not before it had grazed the bat, as the DRS confirmed to reprieve West Indies’ captain.Earlier, Stokes and Root had England innings looking like London buses as they carried their side past 300. That mark had evaded them for 12 innings and more than six months, until the first Test in Antigua, when they racked up 311 and 349 for 6 declared.Matt Fisher struck with his second ball in Test cricket•Getty ImagesHaving begun the day on 244 for 3, with Root on 119, Stokes lit up the morning. He twice advanced on left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul to launch him down the ground for six in consecutive overs, bringing up his fifty in the second instance. He later muscled Permaul over the fence at midwicket before clubbing the very next ball over cover for four.Stokes took to Alzarri Joseph in the following over with three consecutive fours, bringing up the 100-partnership with Root via a powerful drive through cover before launching him over long-off and through midwicket. But Stokes wasn’t done, passing 5000 Test runs with a mow down the ground to clear the fence by some distance.Root passed 150 for the 12th time in his career, the most by any England batter, but then Roach, with his first ball back into the attack and the seventh after lunch, ended his stay with one that nipped back from outside off and rapped the front pad. Initially adjudged not out by umpire Nigel Duguid, the hosts reviewed and Hawk-Eye showed the ball crashing into the top of leg stump to move Roach past Sir Garry Sobers and clear into seventh on West Indies’ list of all-time wicket-takers.Jonny Bairstow crashed Jayden Seales down the ground and through the covers before holing out to deep midwicket off Joseph, and with that Stokes threw the bat again. He heaved Brathwaite over the fence at deep midwicket for his first boundary since lunch, some 13.2 overs after the resumption, and was very nearly out on the next ball, lofting Brathwaite to long-on, where Campbell spilled a tough chance while stepping on the rope. Stokes came undone going big again one ball later, this time skying Brathwaite to Brooks at long-off.West Indies took three wickets for eight runs in the space of 14 balls, prompting Root to call his men in six overs into the evening session. Permaul, who had come in for some tough treatment, particularly at the hands of Stokes, had Foakes and Leach stumped by Joshua Da Silva to bookend Woakes’ dismissal, sending Roach high into the air on the leg side to be caught by Seales.

Just as Wolverhampton Wanderers fans must have thought their relegation-threatened side had turned a corner, a 4-2 defeat at the hands of AFC Bournemouth would grimly greet them.

Gary O’Neil would have been doubly upset at the outcome of the Cherries encounter having previously managed the away side before taking up the Old Gold vacancy.

A number of the Wolves first-team failed to spark into life in this action-packed defeat, as relegation concerns overwhelm the West Midlands outfit once more.

Wolves' underperformers vs Bournemouth

It wasn’t a display that was completely devoid of any positivity, however, with Jorgen Strand Larsen impressing again for the Old Gold in attack with two strikes in the high-octane contest.

But, it was the defenders that really struggled to keep tabs on the confident Bournemouth attackers, away from any plus points involving the Nordic forward.

Toti Gomes would, in particular, stand out as a notable underperformer at the back, with the out-of-sorts centre-back gifting Bournemouth their first penalty of the day after he rashly tangled with Justin Kluivert after only three minutes.

Moreover, Jose Sa between the sticks would be at fault for the other two penalties in the frantic clash, as the Portuguese goalkeeper had to fish the ball out of his net a depressing four times.

Away from the defenders, midfielder Joao Gomes would likely have trudged off the Molineux turf frustrated with his performance, which saw the usually forceful number eight only win five of his 13 duels, on top of surrendering possession a costly 13 times.

With their form in mind this term, O’Neil and Co would surely love to turn back time and have this player at their disposal in the centre of the pitch…

Wolves loan flop is now a European sensation

The player in question here is Vitinha, who joined Wolves in the midst of the Portuguese invasion that engulfed the Premier League side in the summer of 2020, with Fabio Silva and Nelson Semedo also joining the Molineux ranks around this time.

Whilst both players remain on the books of the top-flight strugglers to this day, Vitinha walked away from Wolves after an unmemorable loan stint, having only played 22 times for the club with just one goal and one assist registered next to his name.

His only strike for the West Midlands side would amazingly come away at non-league Chorley in the FA Cup, with the slick 5 foot 8 ace now front and centre of Luis Enrique’s new-look Paris St. Germain, away from playing against obscure teams from England.

The PSG number 17 is 109 games down at the Parc Des Princes after a bumper £35m move from Porto took place in 2022, with the 25-time Portugal international stunning last time out in Ligue 1 action versus Nantes, whilst Wolves stumbled to defeat in the Premier League.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Shots

3

Big chances missed

1

Touches

183

Accurate passes

158/169 (93%)

Key passes

6

Staggeringly, Vitinha would end up amassing a ridiculous 183 touches of the ball up against Antoine Kombouaré’s visitors, with 158 accurate passes also managed as a constant livewire attempting to make things happen for his French employers.

Wolves would love to have their former flop back if he could dazzle in the top flight in a similar manner, as opposed to the uninspiring displays he conjured up during his brief spell at Molineux, with the Old Gold even deciding against buying him outright at the end of the loan.

That might well be a decision that they now regret, with Vitinha aiming to keep these stylish displays for PSG coming all the whole O’Neil’s men anxiously battle against relegation back in England.

86 touches: Wolves star has just given O'Neil a big selection headache

Wolves ace has given O’Neil a big selection headache in new position

ByConnor Holden Dec 1, 2024

Victoria routed for 114, with Hardie claiming 4 for 24, before Sam Whiteman’s 63 put WA infront as they seek to host their first Shield final in 24 years

AAP and ESPNCricinfo staff23-Mar-2022Victoria’s push to host next week’s Sheffield Shield final hit a major hurdle as Western Australia’s seam attack, led by career-best figures from Aaron Hardie, made light work of the competition’s in-form batting line-up at the WACA.Victoria could only muster 114 after being asked to bat first, while WA raced to 2-119 by the close of day one.Sam Whiteman led the way with a boundary-laden 63 off just 85 balls, while fellow opener Cameron Bancroft was the second wicket to fall on 30 with the scores level.Shaun Marsh remains unbeaten on 11, with nightwatchman Matthew Kelly on 4.But it wasn’t all bad news for the ladder-leading Vics, with the lack of bonus points earned at the matches in Adelaide and Hobart meaning the Vics are effectively assured of a spot in next week’s decider.Western Australia are already halfway towards the victory they need to both reach and host the Shield final thanks to some high-quality seam bowling.Hardie led the way with a career-best 4-24, knocking over a host of big names in the process.Hardie skittled last week’s centurion Travis Dean (3), Shield top-scorer Peter Handscomb (1), the in-form Nic Maddinson (4) as well as Jake Fraser-McGurk (4) during a dream first session.Opener Will Pucovski looked good in his latest comeback from another high-profile concussion but, having done the hard work, the youngster was caught behind wafting at a loose leg-side delivery from Kelly for 22.Kelly (2-27) returned to end the Vics’ biggest partnership – 47 between Matt Short (43) and Sam Harper (18). But Harper’s dismissal kick-started a tail-end collapse as the Vics lost 5-23 to end their innings after just 43.5 overs.Debutants lined up for each team with Victoria fielding medium-pacer Cam McClure and Western Australia including 17-year-old prodigy Teague Wyllie.

After watching Ruben Amorim lose for the first time as Manchester United manager, INEOS are now reportedly ready to offer a blank cheque in the race to sign a target that the former Sporting boss loves.

Man Utd transfer news

It was the goals show under Amorim until his side faced the trip to title contenders Arsenal in the new manager’s first big test. His side had drawn at Ipswich Town, defeated Bodo/Glimt 3-2 and put four past Everton to reach eight goals in three games.

Any goalscoring problem that the Red Devils had during Erik ten Hag’s tenure at least looks likely to be solved under Amorim, but the Arsenal game was always going to be a step too far for Manchester United this early into his tenure.

Whilst Amorim’s tenure is as young as it is, it’s quickly become clear that those at Old Trafford must turn their attention back towards the transfer market in 2025 if their new manager is to finally end the trend of false dawns in Manchester.

With that said, according to Nacional, INEOS are now ready to offer a blank cheque to sign Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting in 2025. Valued at a reported £65m by the Portuguese club, the Manchester United target would be a transformative striker to end the Red Devils’ woes going forward once and for all.

Man Utd preparing bid for £20m goalkeeper as INEOS eye January reshuffle

He’s one of two targets from the same club.

ByBrett Worthington Dec 5, 2024

A player who’s already enjoyed such impressive success under Amorim too, the deal would make perfect sense for all involved. As one of the only strikers capable of matching Erling Haaland’s goalscoring numbers, there’s no limit to the heights that Gyokeres could drag Manchester United back to.

"Strong" Gyokeres would transform Man Utd

Although Rasmus Hojlund is a player with plenty of potential and Joshua Zirkzee has shown glimpses of what he is capable of in recent weeks, if Manchester United want to make their way back to the top of English football then Gyokeres is the answer. The former Coventry City forward is one of Europe’s best – as 24 goals in 21 games so far this season highlights.

The Swede has received the praise to match his form too, including the iconic Marco Van Basten, who told Ziggo Sport as relayed by Footboom: “He is a true footballer. A forward who can also play football. He is strong, scores easily and remains calm in front of goal. He can also dribble past the goalkeeper; he is a very good forward.”

Some at Old Trafford will have plenty of caution when it comes to big-money signings after seeing a few too many big names reach flop status, but all signs are pointing towards Gyokeres becoming a star wherever he ends up. It feels a fairly safe bet that Amorim – of all managers – would instantly get the best out of the forward once again.