Management reshuffle continues at Chelmsford following resignation of CEO John Stephenson
ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jul-2024
Anthony McGrath takes charge of a catching drill before play•Getty Images
Anthony McGrath has been appointed as Essex’s new Director of Cricket, as part of a management restructure that was triggered by the resignation of the chief executive, John Stephenson, earlier this month.McGrath, 48, will continue in the role of men’s head coach, a post he has held since 2018, but will now oversee all areas of the club’s professional cricket, including men’s, women’s, Academy, and Player Pathway.With Essex having been named as one of the eight inaugural Tier 1 teams in the new women’s competition from 2025 onwards, he will also work closely with the club’s new women’s head coach, as and when that role is filled.After seven seasons in his Essex role, McGrath had been widely viewed a possible candidate to become the new director of cricket at his former club Yorkshire, with the deadline for applications earlier this week. He could also have been a contender to replace Ottis Gibson as their coach, with Gibson’s contract up at the end of the season.Instead, he has recommitted to the club that he helped to win a County Championship and Vitality Blast double in 2019, as well as the Bob Willis Cup win in the Covid-affected summer of 2020.”I’m honoured to take up this position,” McGrath said. “The club gave me the chance to become a Head Coach for the first time in 2018 and the backing I’ve received has been fundamental to our success.”I’ve got a trusted network of exceptional coaches, who always go above and beyond to deliver elite performance. This is now an opportunity for us to shape the strategic vision of cricket played by men, women, boys and girls in the county.”His promotion follows that of Dan Feist, Essex’s former operations manager who is now in charge of the club’s day-to-day running as general manager. McGrath will continue to work alongside the club’s Cricket Committee, chaired by former Essex and England batter, Jason Gallian.Anu Mohindru, Essex’s chair, said: “The club is delighted to appoint Anthony to the newly-created role of Director of Cricket. We have achieved sustained success during his tenure as Head Coach, including the memorable and as yet unmatched achievement of winning the Championship and the T20 in the same season in 2019.”This will allow the club to create a clear identity and playing style across all our representative teams, and I look forward to seeing every one of those teams continue to flourish under his expanded leadership.”
The transfer window might have only officially opened a few days ago, but Premier League clubs are moving fast, and Arsenal need to keep up.
For example, while the signing of Martin Zubimendi feels imminent, Liverpool have already picked up Jeremie Frimpong and look set to land Florian Wirtz at some point.
Even Manchester United, who endured one of their worst seasons ever, are making moves, with Matheus Cunha already secured and Bryan Mbeumo making it clear he wants to join them.
Brentford's BryanMbeumocelebrates after the match
The Brentford star has previously been linked with the Gunners, but while missing out on him is far from ideal, recent reports suggest the North Londoners are progressing with another attacker who’d be their answer to the Cameroonian.
Arsenal transfer news
Arsenal might not have secured any offensive signings just yet, but it feels more like a matter of when and not if, as over the last few weeks, the club have been linked with more than their fair share of exciting options, like Benjamin Sesko and Joao Pedro.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The former could cost around £68m this summer, and while that might be a lot to pay for a 22-year-old, he has proven himself to be a reliable attacking outlet, scoring 21 goals and providing six assists in 45 games this season.
On the other hand, Pedro might cost up to a staggering £70m, and while he’s undoubtedly a talented player, we aren’t entirely sure his haul of ten goals and seven assists this season quite justifies that price tag.
Brighton & Hove Albion's Joao Pedro tackles Brentford's Bryan Mbuemo.
Fortunately, another free-scoring phenom is high on the Gunners’ shortlist this summer: Viktor Gyokeres.
According to a recent report from Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, Arsenal are among several teams incredibly interested in the Sporting CP star.
The report claims that the Gunners, Manchester United and Napoli are among the frontrunners to land the Swedish international but to do so, they’ll have to pay up to €70m, which is around £59m.
It could be a complicated and costly deal to get over the line, but Gyokeres would certainly be worth pushing the boat out for, especially as he could be the North Londoners’ answer to Mbeumo.
Why Gyokeres could be Arsenal's answer to Mbeumo
Now, while Mbeumo is primarily a winger and Gyokeres is an out-and-out striker, there are several similarities between the pair that could make the latter Arsenal’s answer to United signing the former.
Firstly, both players honed their craft in the EFL, with the Cameroon international joining Brentford from Troyes in the summer of 2019 at just 19 years old and making 86 appearances in the Championship, in which he scored 23 goals and provided 18 assists.
Likewise, following a couple of middling loans, the Sporting star joined Coventry City on a short-term deal in January 2021 and then on a permanent deal that summer.
During his two-and-a-half seasons with the Sky Blues, the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace made 110 second-tier appearances, in which he scored 41 goals and provided 15 assists, which was enough to earn him his move to Portugal.
This brings us to the second reason he’d be the North Londoners’ answer to the Red Devils’ question, which is that, like the Bees ace, the Stockholm-born “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, would be their own game-changing attacking signing.
Gyokeres & Mbeumo’s 24/25
Player
Gyokeres
Mbeumo
Appearances
52
42
Minutes
4248′
3577′
Goals
54
20
Assists
13
9
Goal Involvements per Match
1.28
0.69
Minutes per Goal Involvement
63.40′
123.34′
All Stats via Transfermakrt
For example, there can be no doubt that Reuben Amorim’s side will be more dangerous next season with a player who racked up 29 goal involvements this season.
In the Gunners’ case, the addition of a striker who managed to score 54 goals and provide 13 assists in 52 games this season could be utterly transformational and turn them from an almost side to one who could win it all next year.
Ultimately, while they aren’t exactly the same sort of player, there is no doubt that signing Gyorkeres would be the perfect response from Arsenal to United signing Mbeumo.
Their answer to Wirtz: Arsenal moving to sign "terrifyingly good" £85m star
The international superstar would be an incredible addition to Arsenal’s squad.
The Champions League final is the pinnacle of any football season. With the showpiece finale set to bring the curtain down on another dazzling European campaign, it brings around a chance to look back at some of the best finals from years gone by.
While finals can often be drab affairs – the last four editions have all been decided by a single goal – the Champions League final has been no stranger to some of the most dramatic affairs over the years. Here is Football FanCast’s attempt at ranking the very best finals since the first one in 1956, based on the drama and significance of each match.
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Rank
Final
Year
Milan 3-3 Liverpool
2005
Man Utd 2-1 Bayern Munich
1999
Man Utd 1-1 Chelsea
2008
Benfica 1-4 Man Utd
1968
Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid
2014
Bayern Munich 1-1 Chelsea
2012
Real Madrid 7-3 Frankfurt
1960
Celtic 2-1 Inter
1967
Steaua Bucharest 0-0 Barcelona
1986
Bayern Munich 0-1 Aston Villa
1982
Milan 4-0 Barcelona
1994
Liverpool 1-1 Roma
1984
Bayer Leverkusen 1-2 Real Madrid
2002
Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool
2018
Barcelona 3-1 Man Utd
2011
15 Barcelona 3-1 Man Utd (2011) Guardiola's stars beat United in the final again
Barcelona’s class of 2011 are considered one of the greatest club sides of all time, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta bringing Pep Guardiola’s tiki-taka philosophy to life.
The 2011 final, held at Wembley Stadium, pitted the same finalists as in 2009, when Barca overcame United 2-0 in Rome’s Stadio Olimpico.
First-half goals from Pedro and Wayne Rooney suggested this would be a more even contest, but the second half saw Barcelona’s star men come alive.
Messi put Barcelona back in front shortly after the interval, while David Villa sumptuously curled home to seal the match and the Catalans’ third Champions League triumph in six seasons. The only surprise is that their dominance didn’t exactly endure after this.
14 Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool (2018) Karius clangers and Bale wonder-strike completes Euro hat-trick
While maybe not the most spectacular of matches, this game did provide one of the most spectacular goals in a Champions League final, while also including one of the most bizarre. Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius gifted Karim Benzema the opener in Kyiv by inexplicably rolling the ball into his path before Sadio Mane equalised for the Reds.
Gareth Bale came off the bench to score an incredible overhead kick, before the Welshman finished the job with the help of another Karius mistake. It was a third consecutive Champions League triumph for Real Madrid – a feat that hadn’t been achieved for over 40 years.
Date
26th May 2018
Venue
NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kyiv
Attendance
61,561
Goalscorers
Benzema 51′, Bale 63′, 83′ / Mane 55′
13 Bayer Leverkusen 1-2 Real Madrid (2002) Zidane's worldie wins Los Blancos' ninth CL
Another sensational Champions League final goal; another sensational volley and another Madrid victory. This time it was Zinedine Zidane who scored one of the most iconic goals in the competition’s illustrious history, sending a luscious, looping effort into the top-left corner from just inside Leverkusen’s penalty area at Hampden Park. Zidane’s goal on the stroke of half-time proved the winner, with Lucio having cancelled out Raul’s early opener.
Date
15th May 2002
Venue
Hampden Park, Glasgow
Attendance
50,499
Goalscorers
Lucio 14′ / Raul 8′, Zidane 45′
12 Liverpool 1-1 Roma (1984) Reds win on penalties to upset hosts and favourites Roma
It won’t have been often that Liverpool headed into a European Cup final as underdogs, but Joe Fagan’s Reds were up against it as they prepared to take on Roma in their own backyard, in what was just the hosts’ second European final, having won the Fairs Cup in 1961.
Phil Neal put Liverpool ahead before Roberto Pruzzo levelled things up before half-time. The teams could not be separated, leading to a penalty shootout. It is perhaps best known for Bruce Grobbelaar’s ‘spaghetti legs’ antics in goal, with Francesco Graziani blazing his effort over, handing the Reds match point.
Alan Kennedy netted the winning spot-kick, making Liverpool European champions for a fourth time.
Date
30th May 1984
Venue
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Attendance
69,693
Goalscorers
Neal 13′ / Pruzzo 42′
11 Milan 4-0 Barcelona (1994) Johan Cruyff's Barcelona swept aside by brutal Milan display
Miguel Angel Nadal (l) had a tough night against Milan.
Johan Cruyff’s swashbuckling Barcelona side were expected to wipe the floor with a Milan team shorn of several key players, including Marco van Basten and Franco Baresi, due to injury.
Those expectations could have not ended up being further from the truth, with the Rossoneri delivering one of the finest team performances in a single game in the history of the competition to win 4-0 and claim their fifth European crown. Dejan Savicevic’s exquisite lob over a helpless Andoni Zubizarreta was the pick of the goals as Milan ran riot in Athens.
Date
18th May 1994
Venue
Olympic Stadium, Athens
Attendance
70,000
Goalscorers
Massaro 22′, 45′, Savicevic 47′, Desailly 58′
10 Bayern Munich 0-1 Aston Villa (1982) Peter Withe winner upsets odds as Villans reign in Europe
Not very often does the European Cup final pit a David and Goliath together, but that’s what we got in 1982 when an unfancied Aston Villa set up a grand finale against Bayern Munich.
Bayern were three-time European Cup winners and boasted international stars such as Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Paul Breitner in their starting XI.
In contrast, Villa had somewhat surprisingly won the First Division a year prior, and were forced to substitute their first-choice goalkeeper nine minutes into the final, leaving Nigel Spink – who had one first-team appearance to his name – to make his European debut for a Villa side decidedly lacking in star names.
That did not deter them, and they made the breakthrough midway through the second half through Peter Withe’s strike from Tony Morley’s cross, sparking jubilant scenes on the pitch and in the stands.
Bayern then had a late equaliser ruled out for offside as Tony Barton’s side held on to create history.
9 Steaua Bucharest 0-0 Barcelona (1986) Duckadam saves four in incredible shootout
You’re probably wondering what a goalless draw is doing in a best finals piece. Well, in a great example of not needing goals to have drama and heroics, Steaua Bucharest’s only European Cup triumph can be put down to an unbelievable goalkeeping display from Helmuth Duckadam.
The Romanian saved all four of Barcelona’s spot-kicks to win the European Cup for his team. The shootout itself ended 2-0 in favour of Steaua after a goalless draw, with each of the first four attempts saved before Marius Lacatus finally converted.
Granted, some of the penalties weren’t the best, but there’s no denying the greatness of Duckadam’s exploits.
Date
7th May 1986
Venue
Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, Seville
Attendance
70,000
Goalscorers
None
8 Real Madrid 4-1 Atletico Madrid (2014) Real blitz Atletico in extra time to earn La Decima
Real Madrid hammered Atletico Madrid in 2014.
Madrid had to wait 12 long years to claim ‘La Decima’, their tenth top-level European crown. They got the job done in style in 2014, though, beating city rivals Atletico Madrid 4-1.
Diego Godin put Atletico ahead, but Diego Simeone’s stubborn rearguard was not enough. Sergio Ramos sent the game to extra time with a last-minute equaliser, in which Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo scored to complete the rout for Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
7 Celtic 2-1 Inter (1967) Lisbon Lions come from behind to become first British champs
Members of Celtic's 1966-67 squad parade the European Cup in 1998.
The famous Celtic side of 1967, dubbed ‘The Lisbon Lions’, triumphed over Inter to become the first British side to win the European Cup.
Celtic went behind through an early penalty, but from then on, it was an onslaught of green and white, with goals from Tommy Gemmell and Stevie Chalmers getting the job done. Incredibly, all but two of Celtic’s squad were born within a 10-mile radius of the club’s ground – just one of the reasons that team is still revered today.
Date
25th May 1967
Venue
Estadio Nacional, Lisbon
Attendance
45,000
Goalscorers
Gemmell 63′, Chalmers 84′ / Mazzola 7′ (p)
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ByRobin Mumford May 14, 2025 6 Real Madrid 7-3 Eintracht Frankfurt (1960) Ten-goal final hands Madrid fifth European crown on the spin
We’ll level with you: we didn’t watch the 1960 European Cup final. But its significance remains, as does its status as one of the greatest football matches of all time.
High-scoring games weren’t as rare back in the day, with both Real Madrid and Frankfurt reaching the final having put 12 goals past the likes of Jeunesse Esch and Rangers respectively – the latter coming in two brutal semi-final demolitions.
That theme continued into the final, with four-time winners Madrid – who had won every edition of the competition to this point – responding to Frankfurt’s opener by striking six times, while there was still time for Erwin Stein to bag a consolation double either side of Ferenc Puskas’ fourth goal of the final.
Alfredo Di Stefano also netted a hat-trick for Los Blancos as they stretched their historic run in front of well over 100,000 fans at Hampden Park. As the highest-scoring final, it just had to be on this list.
In an attempt to avoid what would be a frustrating transfer blow this summer, the 49ers are now reportedly set to go all out to keep hold of one of their most talented Rangers stars.
Rangers' important summer looms
Having been forced to watch on as Celtic picked up yet another Scottish Premiership this season, Rangers are set for a crucial summer transfer window. Before any incomings on the pitch, however, the Gers must finally find a permanent replacement for Philippe Clement, who they sacked back in February. And whilst Barry Ferguson has had some moments to remember as interim boss, it looks as though the 49ers are set to look elsewhere.
In the space of three months, several names have been mentioned in relation to the job with a decision needed sooner rather than later at the end of the season. Just who leads the race to enter the technical area between the likes of Steven Gerrard, Marco Rose and Rafael Benitez remains to be seen, however, ahead of a decision that the 49ers must get right.
On the pitch, meanwhile, the show must go on and Rangers must prepare to end their season on a high with just three Scottish Premiership games left to play. Playing host to Aberdeen on Sunday, Ferguson will be undoubtedly keen to see his side take any positives gained in a 1-1 draw against Old Firm rivals Celtic and turn those into all three points.
The interim boss reiterated that he’s ready to take the job on a permanent basis after the Gers earned a point against the champions, telling reporters: “Everybody’s got an opinion, I don’t care about people’s opinion, I know I can do the job.
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“I know I’ve got a real good staff behind me. I’ve been asked this question two or three weeks in a row, I think it’s clear, it doesn’t scare me one single bit. I know there’s a hell of a lot of work to be done, everybody knows that. And that’s a challenge that I would meet head on. And I know I would change it.”
Rangers desperate to keep Nicolas Raskin
It’s not just the technical area that those at Ibrox must worry about this summer, of course. The Gers also need to fend off any interest in their star men in order to hand whoever they hire the best chance possible at success.
With that said, according to TeamTalk, the 49ers are now set to go all out to keep Nicolas Raskin and fend off interest from Premier League sides Aston Villa and Leeds United. The midfielder has been a bright spark in a difficult season at times and is set to be offered a new deal which reiterates his importance.
Nicolas Raskin
Earning plenty of praise as a result of his performances, Belgium manager Rudi Garcia told reporters when asked about Raskin: “I have Youri Tielemans, I have Amadou Onana and who do I have behind? Well of course when you see Raskin’s match in the return leg against Ukraine well you tell yourself that we’ve won a midfielder for the future.
“Because Nico has shown the he’s able to be aggressive, defensive, win duels, he’s able to propose himself because he likes to come search the balls, he played almost 100 balls during the game with more than 90% pass accuracy, while playing forward, because it’s easy to have 90% pass accuracy when you only play backwards.”
Is he an opener out of form, a mystery spinner in disguise, or simply a long bet worth sticking with?
Danyal Rasool20-Sep-20252:05
Chopra on Saim Ayub: ‘No runs so far, but go hell for leather’
Kuldeep Yadav’s place in the Indian T20I side is not under threat, and neither was Junaid Siddique’s while UAE scrambled to keep themselves alive in the Asia Cup. The very idea that these men, so integral to their team, would find their presence in it a matter of contention is bizarre. They are, after all, the two leading wicket-takers in the tournament.They are also the only two players to have dismissed more batters than Saim Ayub, and yet the role he plays, or shouldn’t play, within the Pakistan setup is a matter of recent national obsession. It’s got to do with the powerplay, you assume? And then you look at what he’s done in the powerplay, and you’re left scratching your head again.In those all-important first six overs, Ayub has taken five wickets with his weird interpretation of mystery/carrom bowling; just two bowlers have more across all 20 overs this tournament, let alone the first six. He averages 5.60 for each of those wickets, and while going ever harder with the bat within that period is now firmly in vogue, it hasn’t happened much while Ayub has sent down his overs – his economy rate, too, is just 5.60. That, for context, is 0.23 runs better than Jasprit Bumrah in the powerplay, who has three wickets fewer than Ayub in this phase. Only three men – all fast bowlers – have superior powerplay economy rates to Ayub, and none have been as prolific at making those crucial early breakthroughs.Related
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Yeah, yeah, that’s not what you mean, of course. It’s that other powerplay, when Ayub has bat in hand, that you really want to talk about. What that demonstrates – aside from a clear argument for the notion that taking on more responsibility only means there’s a greater chance you’ll be blamed for something – is how deceptive falling in love with the idea of a player than the reality staring you in the face can be.Ayub made his international debut in 2023, but it was early 2024 when that idea began to take hold in Pakistani minds. It was a game at Eden Park, a minuscule boundary and a flat pitch. An NZC employee walked into the press room and said they were optimistic the attendance would exceed 20,000 for the first time in a cricket game that season, but it was the many orders of magnitude more watching in the small hours in Pakistan upon whom the game would have a more resonant effect.Chasing 227, Pakistan had pushed Babar Azam down the order to give Ayub license to attack, and attack he did. In eight balls, he would smash 27 runs, including his now-signature no look scoop, which he executed off Matt Henry with right leg raised almost parallel to the ground like a figure skater’s finishing routine (Then he got into a mix-up with Mohammad Rizwan, ran himself out and Pakistan lost, of course, because ultimately, we’re still talking about Pakistan cricket).But in Pakistan, introducing an elegant, aggressive, left-handed opener is akin to toying with the emotions of unrequited lovers who have never quite managed to get over Saeed Anwar’s departure. Pakistan poured all their faith into Ayub as their T20 opener and saviour even as he outscored that 8-ball Eden Park effort just twice in the next 14 innings; 44 matches in, that innings still accounts for almost 16% of his first over T20I runs.Saim Ayub has impressed with the ball, especially in the powerplay•Asian Cricket CouncilCricket analyst Jarrod Kimber pointed out the curiosity about Ayub the opener: he doesn’t quite like opening the batting, with eight first-over dismissals in 29 innings. But Ayub’s early jitters do not appear to go away when the ball isn’t hard or swinging. Over a (much smaller) sample size, the only two innings where he came in to bat outside the first five overs both produced ducks. Indeed, while brief peaks in form have been followed by long troughs, Ayub’s T20I career remains stochastic; his last 11 innings have produced four ducks and three of his four career half-centuries.The idea of Ayub, of course, is that one day, on a big occasion, his talent will overwhelm his innate flaws and limitations, and he will win a match for Pakistan that they would otherwise have lost. It is that, and not his recent wizardry with the ball, that has kept Pakistan’s otherwise trigger-happy selectors persisting with him, and fans in that state of flux where frustration is briefly suspended in favour of hope when he comes out to bat.In that sense, he is perhaps not quite so different from Shahid Afridi, who birthed the idea of blind hope despite all evidence to the contrary. Ayub is skipping through Afridi’s career stages on fast forward. In fewer than half of Afridi’s innings, he already has as many T20I ducks (eight) and as many T20I half-centuries (four). His average is only a couple of runs higher than Afridi’s, and just like Afridi began to call himself a bowling allrounder to take pressure off the runs he wasn’t scoring, Ayub’s primary skill in this Asia Cup is what he’s doing with the ball rather than when he has bat in hand.When these two sides played last week, he took all three Indian wickets that fell, his turn off the pitch either side deceiving both Shubman Gill and Tilak Verma. His tally is now six wickets and no runs, but he is the bowler that Salman Agha invariably turns to for a breakthrough in the powerplay, usually as early as the second over. That is the profile of an integral player for any T20I side, not one whose involvement is contingent on the runs Pakistan need but aren’t getting, from Ayub or anyone else.And, as far as blind hope goes, few Pakistan supporters forget that two of Afridi’s four T20I half-centuries came in the semi-final and final of the only T20 World Cup Pakistan ever won.
They have dominated almost all other passages of play, but bowling in the death has been the one aspect of this team that has gone largely untested
Firdose Moonda26-Oct-2023Before you continue, this is a disclaimer: what you’re about to read is not criticism, but observation; the kind of thing someone tells a gifted student who can get better and become exceptional. And that’s one of the qualities the team that ultimately wins the World Cup will have.With that in mind and the knowledge that South Africa have won four out of their five matches and their batting line-up is shaping up as among the best in the tournament, let’s touch on an area of concern for them: death-bowling.South Africa have conceded a significantly higher amount of runs against lower order batters than any other team: 588 runs for wickets seven to 10 in their five group matches so far. It’s worth reiterating that these runs came with games all but won.Related
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Sri Lanka were 233 for 7 chasing 429 when their last three wickets put on 93, England were 84 for 7 chasing 400 and reached 170 and Bangladesh were 81 for 6 in the 22nd over, chasing 383, and ended up batting until the 47th over and made 233.As a result, it is entirely plausible and even understandable that by that stage South Africa’s bowlers had lost some interest and allowed things to drift until the inevitable conclusion was reached. Except that in the Bangladesh game, that’s not what South Africa were doing at all.According to stand-in captain Aiden Markram, his bowlers opted to “go death,” to Mahmudullah who “got in and batted exceptionally well” he said at the post-match presentation afterwards. He indicated they were using that game to experiment with their tactics, “not that you are practicing, because you are never practicing in a match but we thought we would go death to him and there were some good signs. But there were one or two that we missed that went but that is death bowling ultimately. If you get it wrong, it tends to disappear.”ESPNcricinfo LtdSo, what exactly do South Africa consider “going death” and who does it? From what we can see in the first five games, Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee are their primary death bowlers and their intention is to send down a mixture of yorkers and slower balls.Coetzee tried both against Bangladesh, without much success. One came out as a full toss which Mahmudullah pulled to mid-wicket and would have probably been out if it was not a waist-high no-ball. The second one was read out of the hand and driven over long-off for six and the third was simply too full. Rabada also struggled to execute the yorker and ended up delivering juicy full tosses.In total, according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, South Africa have sent down 16 full tosses, which is only half as many as Sri Lanka, who have the most in the tournament, but still puts them in the top five. New Zealand, as a measure of contrast, have bowled only three. On the other side of that fine margin, South Africa have bowled 13 yorkers, which is between two and three a game, while India, widely regarded as the best attack at the tournament, have nailed the delivery 33 times.The other option for many attacks at the death has been to take pace off the ball but the data shows that South Africa have only bowled only 20 slower balls in 43 overs. Even accounting for errors in the capturing system, simply watching them reveals that it isn’t something they go to instinctively. And the coach who stressed the importance of variation, Charl Langeveldt, is no longer part of the support staff, though they do have Eric Simons in the bowling consultant role and he would know better than most what the strategy should be.Lungi Ngidi has bowled just one over in the back end, largely due to his success upfront•Associated PressIt also does not help that South Africa’s death-bowling specialist Sisanda Magala was ruled out of the tournament with a knee niggle before the squad traveled to India. Magala has since played two games for his provincial side, the Lions, albeit none in more than three weeks, which vindicates South Africa’s concerns about his conditioning. What they did not want to risk was bringing him to India and then losing him for some matches, as has clearly been the case for the Lions. But that does not mean they can’t find someone else who can do a similar job.Lungi Ngidi, who missed the Bangladesh game, also with a knee concern, is expected to be back soon and, with an array of slower balls to offer, could be an option. So far, he has only bowled once in the last 10 overs which may be a consequence of using him to open the bowling and the success that South Africa are having early on.No team has been fewer than eight wickets down against South Africa going into the 41st over, which means they haven’t batted a full 50 overs against them. All that said, putting the spotlight on death-bowling can seem hypercritical of a team that is in control for most of the other passages of play so far but, with more challenging opposition on the way and the knockouts in their peripheral version, it’s an area of the game South Africa will want to get right.
ESPNcricinfo staffers cast their minds back to Warne’s most memorable spells
ESPNcricinfo staff05-Mar-20227 for 52 vs West Indies, MCG, 1992 It was Warne’s first Test at the MCG. Also his first Boxing Day Test. His hair dyed platinum blonde, his lower lip white with zinc cream, Warne made the most of a worn-out fifth-day pitch to undo the great work of Phil Simmons and Richie Richardson, who had put on 134 runs on the final morning. A quarter of an hour before lunch, Warne sent Richardson back with one that, in Michael Holding’s words, “pitched off stump, kept low, and hit off stump”. Carl Hooper was done in by big spin as he tried to pull over midwicket. After lunch, a legbreak that curled late sucked Simmons into a false shot. Warne was relentless as West Indies lost their last nine wickets for just 76 runs, of which Warne picked up seven – his last four coming for just three runs. It was his maiden five-for in first-class cricket. Playing only his fifth Test, Warne also won his first Player-of-the-Match award at his favourite venue. 7 for 56 vs South Africa, SCG, 1994 One of the ultimate thrillers in Test cricket, for many South Africa players the match of their lives, especially Fanie de Villiers, who, along with Allan Donald, thwarted Australia as they failed to cross a 117-run target. The Test was memorable also for Warne’s 12 wickets, including a seven-wicket haul in the first innings. He left the South Africa batters in a mess with his fast flippers, topspinners and whipping legbreaks. Most memorably, the wicket of Daryll Cullinan, who played from the crease against a flipper that zipped past and left his off stump swinging like a peg. Even the usually unflappable Richie Benaud was excited enough to say, “You can guarantee that Shane Warne has out-thought him there – shown the obvious flipper, let him pull it for four, and then slipped the other one in.” 4:16
Allan Border: ‘Shane Warne is the Bradman of legspin bowling’
8 for 71 vs England, Gabba, 1994 Back in the day, the follow-on was . So, when, after England had folded for 167 in the first Test of the 1994-95 Ashes, Mark Taylor thumbed his nose at convention and chose to bat again for a lead of 508, the pundits were incredulous. By the close of the fourth day’s play, with England finding new resolve to reach 211 for 2, there was the sniff of a famous escape in the air. Unbeknownst to those new to the art of legspin, however, the longer England endured, the surer their final demise became. Sure enough, as the pitch began to crumble and Warne’s leggies began to bite, there was no place for England to hide. Eighteen months on from his sensational Ashes debut in 1993, his hold over the Poms was already absolute. 7 for 23 vs Pakistan, 1995, Gabba Warne’s hold over England was legendary, of course; his record against Pakistan is not as celebrated, perhaps, but it was no less traumatising from the opponents’ point of view. He had taken 18 wickets in Pakistan in the famous 1994-95 series, the first Tests he had played against them, but Saleem Malik and some others had played him well enough. But back home, a year later, and no chance. He reduced a solid-against-spin middle-order to rubble, on a ground that was hitherto a seam-bowling haven. He took 11 in the Test, marking the true beginning of an era of Australian dominance over Pakistan in which he would remain at the very centre. 4 for 46 vs West Indies, 1996 World Cup semi-final, Mohali West Indies were 165 for 2 chasing 208 to make it to the final. It was a cakewalk. Warne’s great fast-bowling mate Glenn McGrath showed him a slight opening with the wicket of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and Warne burst through by creating panic when there should have been none, chaos when things should have been straightforward, and wickets in the 45th, 47th and 49th overs. That 1999 World Cup semi-final was, in many ways, all about Warne•PA Images via Getty Images4 for 29 vs South Africa, 1999 World Cup semi-final, Edgbaston It had been six years since he had bowled ball to Mike Gatting. The world knew by now what he had done and what he could do. He was himself contemplating retirement, struggling with injuries and being dropped in the West Indies. In this game, Australia had hardly a score to defend, South Africa were off to a great start, and one of the unbelievable runs in a World Cup was about to come to an end. And then Warne bowled a ball as good as the one to Gatting, except with a white ball on a one-day track and when in a personal rut. Then he dragged the team along with him into the final, which they won. 4 for 33 vs Pakistan, 1999 World Cup final, Lord’s It is testament to Warne’s greatness that although he produced almost certainly the best back-to-back knockouts bowling performances in the history of the World Cup, this is some way down in the hierarchy of his achievements. Having bowled Australia to the final with 4 for 29 in an Edgbaston semi-final that was as fiercely contested as a game of cricket could be, Warne ripped through Pakistan in the final. He bowled Ijaz Ahmed with a big legbreak, had Moin Khan caught behind, got a big-sweeping Shahid Afridi lbw, then had Wasim Akram caught off a top edge. Pakistan were 132 all out, paving the way for the first of Australia’s three successive World Cup victories. 5 for 74 vs Pakistan, Sharjah, 2002 The absolute zenith of Warne vs Pakistan. He took 27 wickets in this three-Test series, consigning Pakistan to one of their worst series defeats. The two Tests in Sharjah were played in inhumane heat, but Warne bowled over 50 overs in this last Test. It was an absolute road, and Warne – ever intuitive – didn’t bend the pitch to his will. He just went along with it, a succession of those famed flippers, zooters, straighter ones, toppies, crashing quick and low into the pads. It was, in fact, a very Rashid Khan kind of spell, more than a decade before the Afghan would emerge as another legspinning hero. 5 for 90 vs Sri Lanka, Kandy, 2004 Sri Lanka was, in some ways, the making of Warne. Back in 1992, he had gone wicketless in three of his four bowling innings, until he claimed three wickets in 13 balls to wipe out Sri Lanka’s tail. In that match, they were all out for 164, chasing 181. In 2004, in his comeback series following a year-long suspension for taking a banned diuretic, he broke Sri Lankan hearts again. Sri Lanka were 319 for 7, with only 33 runs required for victory, when Warne dangled one up, tempting Chaminda Vaas to heave across the line. The batter was caught on the leg-side boundary. Soon after this, he trapped Kaushal Lokuarachchi lbw, before Jason Gillespie claimed the last wicket to seal the series 2-0. Where in 1992 Sri Lanka were only still figuring out the format, this five-wicket haul in Asgiriya had come against one of the best top orders Sri Lanka had assembled. 4 for 31 vs England, Trent Bridge, 2005 Warne was unequivocally the greatest match-winner in the history of Ashes cricket, and yet, nothing revealed his greatness quite like his response to impending defeat. By the fourth Test in 2005, Australia were cornered. The series was still level at 1-1, but after surviving at Old Trafford, they had now followed-on at Trent Bridge, whereupon his own innings of 45 from 42 balls had ensured at least a token target of 129. At 32 for 0 after five overs, England were cruising as he entered the attack… but not for long. Marcus Trescothick prodded Warne’s first ball to silly point: 32 for 1. Michael Vaughan nicked a drifting legbreak to fall for a duck: 36 for 2. Andrew Strauss tucked another ripper straight to leg slip: 57 for 3. And when Brett Lee joined the hunt in a pace and spin onslaught, England were suddenly in danger of a shattering, Ashes-ending defeat. Geraint Jones then tried to take Warne on… and holed out to give him his fourth wicket in 12 overs, but on this occasion, the challenge proved just out of his reach. England, however, had once again been Warne-ed. 4 for 49 vs England, Adelaide, 2006 If Test matches were crime scenes, then Interpol’s forensic teams could spend the rest of the century trying to solve the heist of Adelaide 2006, but they would find not a trace of evidence from the most perfect cat-burglary of Warne’s career. There was nothing about the match situation that gave any clue to the mayhem to come, as England resumed the final day on a serene 59 for 1, leading by 97, . A bore-draw was nailed on, but when Strauss and Ian Bell fell in quick succession – to a dodgy decision, and an even dodgier piece of running between the wickets – Warne needed no further invitation to shin his way up the drainpipe. In a monstrous moment of hubris, Kevin Pietersen was bowled around his legs for 2, and thereafter England’s game-plan was catatonic. Ashley Giles and Matthew Hoggard were rounded up meekly, and as the citizens of Adelaide trooped across the river to witness a Tuesday afternoon heist, Australia cantered to a victory target of 168, setting in motion the inevitability of a whitewash.
O Flamengo venceu o Atlético-GO por 2 a 1 neste domingo (14), no Estádio Serra Dourada, na estreia dos times no Brasileirão 2024. Os gols dos cariocas foram marcados por De La Cruz, em cobrança de falta, e Pedro, batendo pênalti; Luiz Fernando balançou as redes para os donos da casa. Assista aos melhores momentos no vídeo acima.
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➡️ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!
➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Flamengo
O Flamengo aproveitou as redes sociais para celebrar a vitória por 2 a 0 sobre o Pyramids, do Egito, na semifinal do Intercontinental de 2025, e ao mesmo tempo brincar com um torcedor antigo. A publicação relembrou um fã que, em 2011, elogiou Danilo no Twitter por seus gols decisivos: um na final da Libertadores daquele ano contra o Peñarol e outro na semifinal do Mundial, quando o Santos venceu o Kashiwa Reysol por 3 a 1.
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Mais de uma década depois, a história se repete. Danilo voltou a brilhar como protagonista, marcando o gol que garantiu o título da Libertadores de 2025 contra o Palmeiras e agora anotando o segundo gol na vitória sobre o Pyramids, que levou o Flamengo à final do Intercontinental.
➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Flamengo
O clube rubro-negro aproveitou o momento para enaltecer o faro de gol do jogador e reforçar a expectativa para o duelo decisivo contra o Paris Saint-Germain, na próxima quarta-feira (17), às 14h, horário de Brasília.
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➡️ Arrascaeta destaca maturidade do Flamengo antes da final do Mundial contra o PSG
قدّم النجم البرتغالي كريستيانو رونالدو، لفتة رائعة لزملائه في المنتخب وأخرى لأسرة الراحل ديوجو جوتا، لاعب ليفربول الذي لقى مصرعه قبل أشهر.
وكان منتخب البرتغال قد حسم التأهل إلى كأس العالم 2026 والذي يقام في شهر يونيو القادم، وتستضيفه الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية وكندا والمكسيك.
وبحسب ما ورد في صحيفة “ذا صن” البريطانية، كشف الصحفي نونو لوز، من قناة SIC، على التلفزيون البرتغالي أن رونالدو، قائد المنتخب البرتغالي، أرسل ساعات من ماركة Jacob and Co الفاخرة، لزملائه في الفريق.
كما أرسل رونالدو ساعة مصممة خصيصًا تحمل اسم جوتا ورقمه وأرسلها إلى عائلة اللاعب البرتغالي الراحل.
وعرض صانعو الساعات على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي شكل التصاميم، ولا يوجد سوى 35 ساعة فقط بإصدار صنع خصيصًا للاعبي البرتغال.
وقالت شركة Jacob & Co: “مينا هيكلي، تصميم مُخصص، وشعار النبالة البرتغالي – ساعة استثنائية كالأبطال أنفسهم”.
وقال لوز: “هذه تفاصيل تُصنع دون ضجة إعلامية، وتُظهر أصالة كريستيانو رونالدو، غالبًا ما تكون لدى الناس صورة عنه لا تتوافق مع الواقع”.
اقرأ أيضًا | فيفا يعلن عقوبة رونالدو بعد واقعة “الكوع”.. وموقفه من أول مباراة في كأس العالم
ولم يعلن عن تكلفة الساعات، لكن أشارت صحيفة “ذا صن” البريطانية إلى أن ساعات Jacob & Co تُباع بعشرات الآلاف من الجنيهات الإسترلينية، والساعات المُخصصة ستكون أعلى سعرًا بالتأكيد.
كان جوتا قد لقى مصرعة هو وشقيقه أندريا سيلفا في حادث سيارة مروع بشهر يوليو الماضي، وأُقيمت جنازته في البرتغال، بحضور العديد من زملائه في ليفربول والمنتخب، ولم يتواجد رونالدو.
وغياب رونالدو عن جنازة جوتا كان محل سخرية كبيرة آنذاك، وصرّح البرتغالي في مقابلة مع بيرس مورجان مؤخرًا: “أمران، ينتقدني الناس كثيرًا، لا يهمني ذلك، عندما يكون ضميرك مرتاحًا وحرًا، لا داعي للقلق بشأن ما يقوله الناس”.
وأوضح: “لكن أحد الأشياء التي لا أفعلها؟ بعد وفاة والدي، لم أزر مقبرةً مرةً أخرى، عندما تعرفني وتعرف سمعتي؟ أينما ذهبت، يكون الأمر أشبه بسيرك، لا أخرج، لأني إن ذهبت، ينصبُّ عليّ الاهتمام. لا أريد هذا النوع من الاهتمام”.
وأكد رونالدو: “لا يعجبني أن تذهب إلى لحظة حساسة لإجراء مقابلات، للحديث عنه، للحديث عن كرة القدم، هذا يُظهر كيف أن السيرك هو الحياة أحيانًا، لستُ جزءًا منها، إذا أردتَ أن تكون جزءًا من هذا العالم، فحظًا سعيدًا، لكنني سأكون جزءًا من جانب آخر، يمكن للناس الاستمرار في انتقادي. شعرتُ بالارتياح لقراري”.