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The 19-year-old becomes the youngest since Ricky Ponting to score two centuries in a Shield game

AAP10-Oct-2024

Sam Konstas has continued to flag his strong potential as a superstar of the future, writing his name alongside Ricky Ponting in the history books with another Sheffield Shield century.The teenage opener put New South Wales in control of their clash with South Australia at Cricket Central in Sydney, compiling 105 from 225 balls after making 152 in a breakout first innings.The hosts declared at 282 for 6 late on day three, with South Australia 7 for 1 chasing 389 runs for victory on day four after Nathan Lyon struck early to dismiss Conor McInerney without scoring.Earlier, 19-year-old Konstas became the youngest player since Ponting to record two centuries in the same Shield game. Australia’s most successful Test captain achieved the feat as an 18-year-old playing for Tasmania against Western Australia in 1992-93.Konstas is the third youngest to do so in Shield history behind Ponting and Archie Jackson. Konstas beat Sir Donald Bradman who first achieved the feat as a 20-year-old.”Obviously very special,” Konstas said of the feat. “But hopefully we get the job done tomorrow and keep doing our basics well.”Konstas was given an extra life by Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey, who dropped a sitter before the teenager got off the mark on day three.Having also missed a stumping in the first innings, Carey saved face with a diving catch that dismissed Nic Maddinson and continued the opener’s meagre start to his second stint at NSW.But Konstas nevertheless made the visitors pay. He brought up his half-century off Lloyd Pope in the 37th over with a four that rushed past extra cover so fast that Jordan Buckingham needed to jump to avoid the fence as he chased the ball past the boundary.South Australia managed to slow Konstas down after tea as batting partners fell around him.”They had different plans, they were bowling a wider line,” Konstas said. “I had to be a bit ruthless and cop my medicine a bit.”But the teenager finally brought his century up as the final hour of play approached, smacking a six over deep midwicket from Ben Manenti’s bowling.South Australia finally removed him, with McInerney sprinting to long-on to catch him off Pope.Earlier, Lyon continued an impressive lead-in to the Test summer, finishing his first Shield innings of the summer with a five-for.Lyon ripped through the South Australian tail to ensure they were back in the sheds inside the first hour on day three, all out for 260.Nathan McAndrew skied Lyon to deep square leg before Pope nicked off two balls later and set the stage for NSW to extend their lead, which was already 106 runs at the innings break.Lyon expects to play two more matches for NSW ahead of the five-match Test series against India that begins in Perth late next month.

حصل النجم المصري محمد صلاح لاعب ليفربول الإنجليزي، على جائزة جديدة بعد أدائه الاستثنائي الذي قدمه مع فريقه خلال الموسم الماضي.

ويقوم مستخدمو موقع “ترانسفير ماركت” سنوياً بالتصويت للاعب الذي يعتقدون أنه تفوق على جميع اللاعبين الآخرين في الدوريات الأوروبية الكبرى.

وكان محمد صلاح نجم ليفربول هو الفائز بجائزة أفضل لاعب في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز العام الماضي بحصوله على نسبة 70.3 % من الأصوات.

وتفوق النجم المصري على جميع المنافسين بفارق كبير متوجاً مجهوداته بجائزة أفضل لاعب في الدوري الإنجليزي والتي تقدم من ترانسفير ماركت.

أقرأ أيضاً.. محمد صلاح أم هازارد؟.. لاعب برينتفورد يختار أفضل لاعب في الدوري الإنجليزي

وقد تقاسم كول بالمر نجم تشيلسي وألكسندر إيزاك زميل صلاح الجديد ومهاجم ليفربول المركزين الثاني والثالث حيث حصل كل منهما على 4.9 %من الأصوات.

وسجل صلاح 29 هدف وصنع 18 تمريرة حاسمة في الدوري الإنجليزي الموسم الماضي، وقد تفوق النجم المصري كأفضل هداف وأكثر صانع للتمريرات الحاسمة.

وقال ستيفان بينكوفسكي المدير الإقليمي لنادي ليفربول في المملكة المتحدة: “كان ليفربول بلا منازع أفضل فريق في البريميرليج الموسم الماضي وكان صلاح على رأس هذا الهجوم المذهل”.

وأضاف: “لا تقتصر أرقام صلاح على ما يقال بل إن سرعته المذهلة وقدرته على المراوغة تجعله لاعب جذاب للمشاهدة وصانع ألعاب يثير إعجاب حتى جماهير الفرق المنافسة، هناك عدة لاعبين لا يقارنوا بأداء صلاح الموسم الماضي والذي لم يتراجع مستواه بعد بلوغه 33 عاماً فقط”.

The England captain also lauds Adil Rashid, saying he is their “most important player”

S Sudarshanan20-Jun-20243:45

Badree: ‘Adil Rashid is such a skillful bowler’

Jos Buttler has called legspinner Adil Rashid England’s “most important player” and also lauded “class player” Jonny Bairstow for playing a “senior player’s innings”.England registered a commanding eight-wicket win in their Super Eight match against West Indies at T20 World Cup 2024 in Gros Islet. Set a challenging 181 to win, England got home with Phil Salt finishing unbeaten on 87, with Bairstow in tow with a 26-ball 48 not out. The two added 97 off 44 balls to see England home with eight wickets and 2.3 overs to spare.”That was a really good performance from us,” Buttler said at the post-match presentation. “We planned really well, we’ve been practising well and executed both with the bat and ball and deserved to win. I thought we bowled really well to restrict such a powerful batting line-up, such great six-hitters especially. [It was a] decent score, and you had to play well to chase it down.Related

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Salt and Bairstow take West Indies down with ease

“I thought we were very smart with the bat. Guys were very calculated when they took their options on. The Bairstow and Salt partnership was so good. Jonny came in with great intent and took the momentum straight back. Salty tucked in behind him for a bit and when he got that one big over, he broke the back of it.”A lot of people say you learn when you lose, but I truly believe you learn when you win as well. [It is] important to reflect on what we did well today. We had a good performance, put that to bed and focus on the next performance.”Talking about Bairstow, Buttler said: “He is a class player, he has been for a really long time. That’s what we decided to do, you just keep backing class players. He hasn’t had many opportunities but today was an incredibly impressive innings. A really mature, senior player’s innings. With a lot of power, he scored at a great gear when the game was just in the balance.”Adil Rashid dismissed Andre Russell for 1•Getty ImagesEarlier, riding on a fluent start from Brandon King, who retired hurt with a side strain, Johnson Charles and Nicholas Pooran had helped West Indies race to 72 for 0 in eight overs. But the next five overs – bowled by Rashid and Moeen Ali in tandem – saw them score just 34 for the wicket of Charles. Rashid bowled the 17th over too, for just two runs and the wicket of Andre Russell to finish with figures of 4-0-21-1.”We keep saying [Rashid] is our most important player, he really has been for a long time,” Buttler said. “He’s got so much variation and so much threat of taking wickets and also restricting runs.”Powell: We strayed away from our plans to SaltMeanwhile, West Indies captain Rovman Powell felt they were 15 to 20 runs short and strayed away from their plans against Salt.”We left 15-20 runs out there as a batting group,” Powell said. “I will say that we should have put up a better display as a bowling group. We are normally very good in the last five overs, but credit has to be given to the England bowling unit. They had clear plans, and the execution was good.”After their under-par finish with the bat, they offered lives to Salt and Moeen, with wicketkeeper Pooran unable to hold on to thin deflections on both occasions.”Those chances are always difficult,” Powell said. “But credit has to be given to Phil, he seems to like playing against West Indies. Every time he plays against West Indies, he always hurts us. We strayed away a little bit from our plans to Phil. It’s just for us to look back at those plans and re-evaluate.”Our destiny is in our hands. Once we win well, it will bring us back. We are playing good cricket.”

The Premier League season may have finished over a week ago, but it’s been a busy seven days for Manchester United.

The Red Devils embarrassed themselves on their post-season Asia tour, but did at least leave with a win.

Since then, they have confirmed their first arrival of the summer in an attempt to appease the fans after a ridiculous season for all the wrong reasons.

Matheus Cunha has decided he wants a piece of the craziness unfolding at Old Trafford, leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers behind in a £62.5m deal.

The Brazilian was exceptional for Wolves in 2024/25, scoring 17 goals in all competitions and also supplying five assists.

So, what’s next on the agenda?

Man United targeting another Premier League forward

As Ruben Amorim and Co desperately try to distract themselves from the lingering threat of Bruno Fernandes leaving England behind, wanted in Saudi Arabia, United are trying to strengthen their attacking ranks.

Cunha has already arrived but they did have Liam Delap in their crosshairs too before he reportedly agreed a move to Chelsea. Bryan Mbeumo is another Premier League star in line for a possible move to United.

Yet, their shortlist of players at English clubs doesn’t stop there according to TEAMtalk, who shared the latest on the club’s transfer plans on Monday morning.

They have reported that Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is now at the top of their list to reinforce the centre-forward position.

It’s alleged that the Eagles could be willing to sell the Frenchman for a bargain fee of just £29m with the player’s contract set to expire in the summer of 2027.

As a result, United are now expecting to make a ‘concrete move’ for Mateta in the coming days as Sir Jim Ratcliffe aims to beat competition from Serie A clubs, Juventus and AC Milan.

How Mateta could emulate Berbatov at Man United

Cast your mind back to the days of the Sir Alex Ferguson era and there was a certain aura about their transfer business.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

They’d look to the best talents in the top-flight to bolster their squad and they often had great success in doing so.

Think Wayne Rooney, think Rio Ferdinand, think Robin van Persie. Rooney and Rio quickly became modern-day greats after trading Everton and Leeds United for more luxurious pastures under Sir Alex.

Van Persie’s time at United was rather more short-lived but he was still the primary reason for their league title in 2012/13, the last time they won the league.

Another key component of previous title wins was Dimitar Berbatov who signed from Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth £30m back in 2008.

2006/07 (Spurs)

33

12

9

2007/08 (Spurs)

36

15

11

2008/09 (Man Utd)

31

9

11

2009/10 (Man Utd)

33

12

6

2010/11 (Man Utd)

32

20

4

2011/12 (Man Utd)

12

7

0

2012/13 (Fulham)

33

15

3

2013/14 (Fulham)

18

4

1

Already, this is a deal that begins to echo a possible swoop for Mateta. Not only could he potentially arrive for a similar fee, but he’d also be signing from another Premier League club.

In the campaign prior to moving up north, Berbatov was on fire for Spurs, scoring 15 league goals in 36 games and netting 23 in all competitions.

Mateta, funnily enough, found the net at a similarly frequent rate for Oliver Glasner’s side this season, bagging 14 times in 37 matches. He also scored 16 in 35 throughout 2023/24.

Hailed as “one of the best centre forwards in the league over the last two seasons” by the aforementioned Rooney, there’s more than just their goal rate and possible transfer fee that makes this move so similar.

Indeed, while the Palace star is most definitely more direct, pacey and physical in his approach, they do share some similar traits.

Berbatov was known for being a laid-back striker, someone who didn’t really look too bothered. However, he had a touch of class about him. His first touch was immense, coasting through games and coming alive in the key moments.

Mateta certainly has a similar play style in that regard. Off the ball, Mateta might look slightly more cumbersome but when he gets the ball, it all changes.

Thierry Henry, who managed the 27-year-old at the Olympics, outlined that best. Speaking at the Paris games last summer, he said: “He’s an old-fashioned striker, you can play a little more direct. He can keep the ball. He’s a boring striker to play against, he doesn’t lose the ball much, and he goes at the last defender. He uses his physicality, he’s good with his head, and he scores.”

United’s former Bulgarian was certainly cut from a similar cloth. He could hold the ball up exceptionally well and was incredibly difficult to dispossess. He was old-fashioned too.

So, while Mateta would provide more pace and energy than Berbatov ever did at United, their shared deceptive intelligence, clever movement and classy nature are all very similar. You can just imagine the former United forward scoring the goal below, firing home without a care in the world.

He’d be a certain upgrade on the floundering Rasmus Hojlund. The Dane only netted ten goals in 52 matches this season. They cannot rely on that again next term.

Osimhen upgrade: Best "finisher in the world" is now Man Utd's no.1 target

All of Manchester United’s attacking dreams would come true if they landed this Victor Osimhen upgrade.

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In what would be a statement move in his first few months in the job, Arsenal’s new sporting director Andrea Berta has now reportedly made an approach to sign a top Manchester United target.

All eyes on PSG for Arsenal

With the Premier League title race over and Liverpool confirmed as champions, Arsenal have all of their focus on the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain next Wednesday. Heading to France with a 1-0 deficit to overturn courtesy of Ousmane Dembele’s early strike last time out, the Gunners have it all to do.

Bournemouth’s trip to The Emirates this weekend should simply be seen as the chance for Mikel Arteta to rest key men. In a season full of injuries, the Spaniard must take control of the narrative and avoid what would be the most frustrating absences heading into Wednesday.

The Arsenal boss rallied his troops after their disappointing 1-0 defeat against PSG on Tuesday, telling reporters: “It’s half-time. I said exactly the same message after we beat Real Madrid 3-0 [in the quarter-final first leg at the Emirates]. Go to Paris, win the game, and we are through.

“That’s what we have to do. We saw two teams that are very aggressive, intense, not a lot of margins. Their keeper made two saves that normally are goals and those are the margins you have in these games.”

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After frustration in the title race, Arsenal will be desperate to avoid even more heartbreak on the European stage. There’s no doubt that winning the Champions League would have a major impact on Arteta’s project on and off the pitch too, especially when chasing summer transfer targets.

Berta makes Arsenal approach to sign Trincao

Instantly ruffling a few feathers, Berta has reportedly set his sights on a top Manchester United target. According to Record in Portugal, Berta has now made an approach to sign Francisco Trincao from Sporting CP this summer and has already had scouts in place to take note of his impressive campaign.

The winger, who is represented by the same agency as United stars Manuel Ugarte and Leny Yoro, has been reborn in Portugal following a failed spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Now, four years on from leaving the Premier League and failing to make his loan move permanent, Trincao could be back with a vengeance courtesy of Arsenal.

By signing the winger, Arsenal would also solve a major problem of theirs by welcoming an added creative spark and someone who would provide instant backup for Bukayo Saka.

League stats 24/25 (via FBref)

Francisco Trincao

Bukayo Saka

Starts

31

17

Goals

8

6

Assists

14

10

Key Passes per 90

2.42

3.02

Described as “terrific” by U23 scout Antonio Mango in 2022, Trinaco has only reached new levels ever since and his eye for an assist is particularly impressive. As Martin Odegaard’s numbers continue to fall too, it’s the type of passing ability that Arteta arguably needs at his disposal more than ever at Arsenal.

This summer could be make or break in terms of Ruben Amorim’s future as Manchester United manager, needing to make the right decisions in the transfer market if they are to progress next season.

The Red Devils currently sit in 13th position in the Premier League, with their only hope of securing European football next season relying on their success in the Europa League.

Their lowly league standing is huge evidence that the board need to back the 40-year-old in the window, allowing him to make the additions he wants to fit his 3-4-2-1 system.

He’s so far only had one window to implement his own changes, largely having to operate with the players signed under the guidance of former manager Erik ten Hag.

However, he appears to have wasted no time in identifying players to improve his first-team squad, targeting one player who could massively improve the situation at Old Trafford.

Man Utd already in talks to land huge PL talent

According to GIVEMESPORT, United are already in talks with Wolverhampton Wanderers over a summer deal to sign their star man, Matheus Cunha.

The Brazilian only signed a new contract back in February but has stated his desire to depart Molineux this summer, with any club wanting him needing to trigger his £62.5m release clause.

The 25-year-old has registered 13 goals and four assists in the league to date, undoubtedly playing a huge role in maintaining the club’s top-flight status this campaign.

The report claims he’s interested in making a move to Old Trafford this summer, potentially making personal terms a forgone conclusion should the Red Devils trigger his release clause.

Whilst it would be a huge sum to fork out on yet another attacker at the Theatre of Dreams, it would be a worthwhile investment, providing a better option than another player already on their radar.

Why Cunha would be a better signing than Delap for United

Over the last week or so, reports have emerged that United have made Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap their number-one choice to become their new talisman next season.

The 22-year-old is set to be a man in demand this summer, with Chelsea also in the race to land the forward who has a £30m relegation release clause within his current contract.

The former Manchester City youngster has been the Tractor Boys’ key man in 2024/25, registering 12 goals in 30 appearances – scoring 39% of Kieran McKenna’s outfit’s efforts to date.

However, despite the huge difference in fee, Cunha would undoubtedly be the better option for Amorim’s side, having the ability to feature in a centre-forward or attacking midfield role.

When comparing the pair’s respective figures from 2024/25, the Brazilian massively outperformed Delap, showcasing why the hierarchy should pay the added difference between the player’s different clauses.

Games played

26

30

Goals & assists

17

14

Progressive carries

3.9

2.2

Progressive passes

4.7

1.1

Shots on target

1.5

1.1

Pass accuracy

70%

61%

Take-ons completed

2.1

1.4

The Wolves star, who’s been labelled “sensational” by current boss Vitor Pereira, has managed to register more combined goals and assists, whilst also registering more shots on target per 90 – showcasing his clinical nature in attacking areas.

He’s also completed more progressive passes per 90, whilst completing more take-ons per 90, achieving a higher pass completion rate – highlighting his all-round nature with the ball at his feet.

Whilst the club would pay more than double if they were to land Cunha, it’s evident that he would be a better option for the Red Devils based on the stats he’s produced in England’s top flight in 2024/25.

If they are to return to the summit of the Premier League in the next couple of years, it’s pivotal they learn from their mistakes in the market, needing to invest in top-quality talent rather than players who have only impressed over one season.

64 touches, 93% passes: Man Utd's 8/10 star is now as important as Bruno

Manchester United could only secure a 2-2 draw with Lyon in the Europa League last night.

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It wasn’t quite a fairy tale ending for the domestic veteran, but he leaves the game with a rich legacy

Shashank Kishore01-Mar-2024Faiz Fazal woke up at different times this Ranji Trophy season in excruciating pain. Matching up to the rigours of first-class cricket was becoming difficult. When it hampered his pre-match preparation, he decided he couldn’t carry on this way.The thought of retiring after 21 years in the game made him emotional. But being left out midway through the season because he was “rusty” gave him a reality check. He decided then that whenever he’d get an opportunity next, he’d call it quits.That game came two weeks ago in the final Ranji league fixture against Haryana. It wasn’t quite a fairy tale ending – Fazal made 1 and 0 – but he is entirely at peace with his decision two weeks on, even though he could’ve tried and prolonged his journey through the Ranji knockouts.Related

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On Saturday, Vidarbha will begin their quest for a third title when they take on Madhya Pradesh in the semi-finals at home. Fazal won’t be part of the dressing room, but will still be watching with a cup of coffee in hand and plenty of notes and nuggets for his boys to chew on.”I’d been struggling with a [left] knee injury for over a year,” Fazal, 38, tells ESPNcricinfo. “Last season, I took cortisone injections to numb the pain and played through discomfort, but my movements were getting restricted. I still went to the United Kingdom for my league cricket stint in the summer, but when I returned in September, the pain was immense. So I underwent surgery for a meniscal tear and got it repaired with an implant.”During this process, Fazal found out his issue was deeper than just a tear.”We found out there was some extra growth spurts underneath my patella,” he says. “That was removed with some form of radiation therapy. Then there was also a cyst that had developed because of the meniscal tear which was hurting me. So I underwent a bone-narrow augmentation, a new technology, for better joint health and recovery.”These procedures meant he wasn’t in the fray for the white-ball season. It also left him with little time to prepare for the Ranji Trophy.”I felt I was short on preparation,” he says. “No excuses for my bad performances, but I take great pride in preparation. Red-ball preparation has been a massive part of my off-season routines, so when I couldn’t get that in, I felt a bit short-changed. I played just a couple of practice games coming in, but I realised my knee was getting a little stiff.”Every time I used to go into bat after a break, like lunch or tea, I wasn’t able to match the intensity of first-class cricket. This affected my form and the selectors felt I needed to be given a break because I was rusty.”I don’t know if I was rusty or not, but I had to sit out. At that point I decided whichever game I would play next; I’ll call it a day after that. It so happened that that game happened to be our final league fixture of the season.”Faiz Fazal receives a guard of honour in his last Ranji Trophy match•PTI Fazal explains feeling “shattered” waking up the next morning knowing he was no longer a first-class cricketer. But a little bit of introspection helped him realise the volume of his achievements. He led Vidarbha to back-to-back Ranji Trophy wins in 2017-18 and 2018-19, captained Central Zone in the Duleep Trophy, earned an India debut at 31.”I was shattered waking up the next morning, I won’t lie,” he says. “I’m a very emotional guy. Small things hurt me, or small things make me really happy. And earning that India cap was the proudest moment for me and the family. That was the biggest high. You can look back and say, ‘oh it was just one game’, but also, I was the only one in that squad who didn’t play in the IPL.”So, I looked at that opportunity as a reward for my domestic grind. Did I feel disappointed and hurt at not getting another chance? One hundred percent. Did it affect me? It definitely did. But then, you also realise how lucky you are.”Fazal leaves with a rich legacy. He made 9184 first-class runs in 138 matches with 24 hundreds and 39 half-centuries. The Ranji titles gave him immense satisfaction, but beyond that, just seeing his team get the respect of the domestic fraternity makes him happier.”Earlier, we were considered pushovers,” he says. “After the Ranji wins, especially the first title, teams suddenly woke up and realised we’re as good. Until you win a title, no one considers you. I remember sitting out for 10-11 years despite topping the run charts for my zone. When I used to go to the Duleep Trophy, I used to just carry drinks.”UP, Railways, MP – all these sides would have four-five players, Vidarbha hardly one or two. But after we won, I went on to lead. We had to score a lot of runs to barge the door down, knocking was just not enough because we were treated as minors.”Fazal only had a brief brush with the IPL in 2010-11, playing all of seven games for Rajasthan Royals. He was quickly branded a red-ball specialist. It hurt but he channeled the snub by going over to the UK to play club cricket. It’s been a summer ritual for the last decade.”I hated sitting in my AC room at home and watching the IPL on TV, what’s the point?” he says. “I decided I’ll get out and explore and play some cricket. That’s how it started. The game itself has been my biggest motivation. I love it to the core. Even now after all these years, I still play gully cricket in my colony with the boys. I enjoy playing at any level.”These days, Fazal is excited by the opportunity to learn the art of coffee making.”I’ve just ordered a few equipment, it’s coming,” he chuckles. “Learning to perfect the French Press, Latte art, make cappuccinos. I’m also mentoring a kid, doing one-on-one sessions. There are a few other opportunities. I’m absolutely open to playing a few leagues for retired players. But yes, life has slowed down and I’m trying to soak in everything else life has to offer.”

Highly-regarded young batter keen to push Test case three years on from England blackballing

Matt Roller04-Apr-2022When Joe Clarke is unveiled as a top-bracket £125,000 signing by Welsh Fire on Tuesday – the first domestic player picked in this year’s Hundred draft – it will reassert his status as one of the most talented young all-format batters in English cricket.Clarke turns 26 next month and there is a sense at Trent Bridge that this could be his long-awaited breakthrough season. He has become one of the most destructive short-form batters in the world – nobody can match both his run tally and his strike rate of 160 across the last two years – and while his first-class record has dipped since his move from Worcestershire to Nottinghamshire, a phone call in February in which he was told he had been named as a reserve for England’s Test tour to the Caribbean confirmed that he is still considered to be a red-ball player of high potential.But that call, from performance director Mo Bobat, represented his first contact with the ECB in nearly three years. Having been an England Lions regular, Clarke was omitted from their tour of India in early 2019 when it emerged during the trial of his ex-Worcestershire team-mate Alex Hepburn that he had been involved in a WhatsApp group chat later described by a judge as “pathetic sexist game to collect as many sexual encounters as possible”. He was fined and handed a retrospective ban for bringing the game into disrepute, and told he would not be considered for selection for an indefinite period of time.Unsurprisingly, Clarke would rather leave that stage of his life in the past. The judge in Hepburn’s trial clarified that Clarke had done “nothing wrong” on the night and there was no suggestion that he had committed a crime. He addressed his remorse in an interview with ESPNcricinfo two years ago – “if I could take back everything that happened, in terms of the whole situation for all the parties involved, then I would. It runs through my mind every day,” he said at the time – and feels as though he has moved into a new stage in his career and his life.”I hadn’t heard from anyone to do with the ECB for a long time,” he says, looking out on a snowy Trent Bridge at Nottinghamshire’s pre-season press day. “I guess I went from someone who was consistently in touch with people from the ECB to not having any communication for a long time.”It was a nice phone call, just to know that my name is back in the frame. I don’t know whether it was held against me, or for how long. I’m trying not to think too much about that and just try and perform out there for Notts and in the competitions that I have the opportunities in.”Related

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Clarke, Kohler-Cadmore sanctioned for infamous WhatsApps

With a new England managing director and coach due to be appointed before the start of the home summer, Clarke has the opportunity to impress. “When those changes were made and then that phone call came, it’s given me clear guidance on where I sit going into the summer,” he adds. “I’ve always wanted to play Test cricket. That’s always been my main focus. It’s clear guidance: if I score runs for Notts, hopefully I can put my name in the hat.”But the reaction to the news that Clarke had been removed from England’s blacklist was not overwhelmingly positive. The misogynistic messages revealed in court three years ago did not reveal criminal wrongdoing but exposed an attitude that seemed to encapsulate wider problems with dressing-room culture throughout the English game. Has he said enough to prove he has learned from his mistakes?”I don’t know,” Clarke says after a pause. “Maybe that’s for other people to think. I don’t go out there to say stuff on that. I feel like I just want to concentrate on the now and what can happen in the future. I feel like that was a long time ago and I don’t want to keep going back to that. I feel like I’ve moved on from that.”I don’t tend to read or listen to those sorts of comments. Social media is social media. I know that basically, if I score runs then I’ll put myself in the hat and that’s all that I can control. I can’t control what people say on social media.”Peter Moores, his head coach at Notts, is firm in his belief that Clarke has “moved a long way, both as a player and a bloke” in the last three years. “At times, the outside view which gets portrayed isn’t the one you are inside,” Moores says. “You get portrayed in the media through things that happen but you want to see all sides of somebody.”We’ve seen a lot of really top players go through different journeys, even the greats. It doesn’t mean they’re not good people. I do think there’s a maturity coming over him. As you get a little bit older, you look at your life in a slightly different way and think about being a role model to other people and that sort of thing, which I think is great for him to do.”Hopefully, that will make him a good advert for the club and for himself moving forward. I see a bloke who is passionate about cricket and wants to play for his country. It’s an exciting season for him – it’s great to get some recognition by England to say they see him being close, and I think that’s just fuelled him a bit more to keep driving forwards.”Clarke has maintained a 160 strike rate across the last two years in T20 cricket•PA Images/GettyClarke enhanced his on-field reputation over the winter, particularly in Australia. He started the Big Bash season with scores of 1, 13, 0 and 0 for Melbourne Stars but finished it as the leading run-scorer among overseas players, hitting 419 runs at a strike rate of 151.26. His stint at Karachi Kings was less successful and they finished rock-bottom of the PSL, but he hopes to hit the ground running in the Championship after a proper red-ball pre-season.”I was very pleased,” he reflects on the BBL. “I feel like it’s quite a good stage to perform and lads before me who have gone on to push their names for England in the short-format stuff, most of them have performed in that competition. I felt like it was a good competition to go and do well in.”If you didn’t think like that, you’re in the wrong game. Everything that I do is always to push for higher honours. It’s something I haven’t achieved yet and I’m desperate to do so. The opportunities at the moment are in T20 cricket, to play away in the winter and make the most of that opportunity.”His challenge this summer will be to balance his ultra-attacking short-form game with his ambitions to play Test cricket, which he insists is his priority. “I felt like it got to a stage where I was starting to get on this franchise circuit and I didn’t want to get pigeon-holed as a franchise player. That’s the reason why I didn’t put myself in for the IPL auction: because I want to play Test cricket,” he says.”From my personal point of view, my main thing is to play for England. I feel like in white-ball cricket, playing franchise competitions will enhance that. But ultimately, hopefully, ideally, I’d be playing less and less in franchise competitions by playing the longer format of the game and hopefully playing Test cricket.”Last winter, when I spent the whole winter away playing white-ball cricket, it took me longer to get back in and find my rhythm in Championship cricket. I didn’t have much of a pre-season and sort of got thrown out into playing red-ball cricket and I was still in a white-ball T20 mindset, and kept thinking I wanted to hit the bowler back over his head when he was coming in with a red ball. Now, when I’m away playing white-ball competitions, I still do stuff in my training that allows me to make that jump easier.”Clarke has been discussed as a future England player since he was a teenager, growing accustomed to comparisons with Joe Root before those infamous WhatsApps had entered the public domain. If his long-awaited call-up finally arrives this summer, he will feel the full glare of the spotlight on him again.

“I got a couple of on-drives in this innings and as a batsman, you know that you have to be doing a lot of things correct to hit an on-drive,” Agarwal says

Karthik Krishnaswamy in Hamilton16-Feb-2020Sometimes, you can tell a lot about a batsman by how he puts away a half-volley. The bowler was James Neesham, and the batsman was Mayank Agarwal, batting on 34. The ball was full and a little floaty, angling in towards off stump.Agarwal brought his bat down perfectly straight and presented its full face to the ball, which sped away to the straight boundary after bisecting umpire and non-striker. The straight drive to the on, the shot that made Sachin Tendulkar nod in approval whenever he played it, probably involuntarily but possibly not.This was the seventh four of Agarwal’s innings, and he had also hit a six by then. Some of those shots had come off better deliveries than this one, and some – such as an uppercut off Scott Kuggeleijn, played with both feet in the air – had required a greater exercise of his dexterity and hand-eye coordination.This, though, was perhaps the most important shot of his innings. This, and a virtual replica in Neesham’s next over, off a delivery of similar line but better length, not quite as full.”I got a couple of on-drives in this innings and as a batsman, you know that you have to be doing a lot of things correct to hit an on-drive,” Agarwal later said. “When I got a couple of those, it gave me the assurance that was required.”Agarwal was certainly in need of assurance. He had landed in New Zealand in the middle of January and batted 11 times since then, for India A, India, and the Indians. He hadn’t made a single fifty in those 11 innings.More than the scores themselves, the nature of some of his dismissals – particularly in the second and third ODIs – had pointed to a technical issue, wherein his trigger movement was getting him into too much of a closed-off position, with his front shoulder much further to the off side than his back shoulder, forcing him to play around his body and square up to compensate.Agarwal wasn’t too keen on dissecting the technical adjustments he’d had to make but revealed that he had indeed been getting too closed-off, and that he had worked on the issue with Vikram Rathour, India’s batting coach, after his early dismissal on the first day of this warm-up match.The efforts certainly seemed to bear fruit, never more emphatically than when he drove Neesham down the ground. No shot is better at telling batsmen that they are properly balanced, and properly aligned at the crease, than the straight- or on-drive. It tells them that their head isn’t falling over, and their front leg isn’t going too far across and getting in the way of their bat coming down straight. If he was still getting too closed-off, Agarwal might have had to play around his front pad, and work the same balls squarer, through midwicket or even square leg.The effect of being better aligned was apparent through the rest of his innings too – his footwork and weight transfer just looked more precise, whatever shot he played – and he flowed on to 81 before retiring at lunch. This may have been just a warm-up match, and one lacking first-class status, but runs are runs, and, perhaps more importantly in the lead-up to the first Test in Wellington, fluency is fluency.The two candidates to open with Agarwal, meanwhile, were both out to induckers from Daryl Mitchell, Prithvi Shaw bowled and Shubman Gill lbw. Both planted their front foot too firmly and both drove a little too loosely. But while Gill was out for his second low score of the match, Shaw made a shot-a-minute 39 off 31 balls, putting away even marginal errors in line and length, and more or less sealed his spot alongside Agarwal.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora and outfielder Jarren Duran were ejected from Sunday's game against the San Francisco Giants for arguing a controversial ruling made by the umpiring crew.

The incident occurred during the eighth inning when Duran laced a ball into right field and attempted to stretch the hit into a double. Duran beat the throw to second base, but he was unable to keep his hand on the bag when sliding. As his fingertips slipped off the bag, Giants shortstop Willy Adams tried to tag him out, resulting in a replay review.

Despite the replay showing convincing evidence that Duran had gotten his hand back on the bag before the tag was applied, the umpires ruled him out.

Duran appeared to say something while walking past second base umpire Doug Eddings, who proceeded to eject him from the game. Cora then came out to air his grievances and was also ejected.

They weren't the only ones to disagree with the call, however. MLB fans were irate over the decision from the umpires and scathed the league's replay review system for failing to ensure the correct call was made.