On Thursday during World Series media day, MLB Network's Lauren Shehadi asked the New York Yankees reliever what he would be doing if he wasn't a pitcher. That's when things got weird.
Weaver's initial reaction was "underwater basket weaver" which he then attempted to explain. He said, "And hear me out, play on words. I was definitely a water kid then, you know, ear troubles, tubes that I had to get out of that."
Then he continued by completely changing course. Weaver said, "So now I think, I would love to be a golfer but realistically I would like to combine some type of drawing slash … I don't know."
So, in the end, the answer is "I don't know." But the journey we took to get there might have been worth it.
Weaver had an outstanding 2024 for the Yankees. He finished the season 7-3 with a 2.89 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 103 strikeouts against 26 walks in 84 innings. He has continued that hot streak in the postseason, as in eight appearances he is 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA, a 0.77 WHIP and 12 strikeouts and one walk in 10 1/3 innings.
The 31-year-old doesn't need to know what he'd do if he wasn't a pitcher because he's pretty good at being one.
Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri stands firmly behind Paul Pogba after the Frenchman was handed a four-year sporting ban for doping offences.
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Pogba handed a four-year doping banThe 'B' sample also tested positive Allegri offered support to PogbaGetty WHAT HAPPENED?
The 2018 World Cup winner tested positive for testosterone following Juventus' match against Udinese on August 20, 2023. Pogba's woes deepened when the results of his 'B' sample test also returned positive. Despite the setback, Allegri has voiced unwavering support for the embattled player.
AdvertisementWHAT ALLEGRI SAID
Speaking to reporters ahead of Sunday's clash against Napoli, Allegri said: "I wrote him a message two days ago. On a human level, I'm very sorry, but also from a footballing point of view. This sport is losing an extraordinary and difficult-to-find player who I had the pleasure of coaching. On top of that, Paul is also a very good person."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
In a show of solidarity, Didier Deschamps, manager of the French national team, has also stood by Pogba, asserting his belief in the player's innocence.
"I don't imagine for a single moment that Paul had the intention, the desire, to take drugs. Knowing him well, I know that this is not at all in his state of mind," Deschamps said.
"Just like the judgement announced by the Italian anti-doping tribunal on Thursday, what Paul has experienced these past months has been extremely difficult and I can't be insensitive to his pain, given what he has done with the national team and the relationships that have been formed with the France national team. His situation saddens me and I really hope that things will work out… The presence of an illegal hormone is incontestable."
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DID YOU KNOW?
Pogba and his representatives contested the allegations, presenting their case to Mr. Pierfilippo Laviani, the investigator overseeing the matter. However, they were unsuccessful in demonstrating that the 31-year-old was unaware of the substances he had ingested. This forced the National Anti-Doping Tribunal to slap a four-year ban on the player as recommended by the Anti-Doping Prosecutor’s Office.
England have honed a reputation as one of the most big-hitting ODI sides around, but they are prepared to play a more measured game in Sri Lanka if conditions dictate
ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-2018England have honed a reputation over recent years as one of the most big-hitting ODI sides around, but they are prepared to play a more measured game in Sri Lanka if conditions dictate, according to opener Jonny Bairstow.The five-match ODI series, which pits top-ranked England against No. 8 Sri Lanka, starts next week, with pressure on the hosts after a failed Asia Cup campaign that led to the controversial dropping of captain Angelo Mathews. It is a far cry from four years ago, when England went to Sri Lanka to fine tune for the World Cup, were beaten 5-2 and sacked Alastair Cook.SL XI to play England
Since that 2014 encounter, Sri Lanka have only won two bilateral ODI series – against West Indies and Ireland. Their last outing at home, against South Africa in July, resulted in a 3-2 defeat, although the series was lost by the time Sri Lanka managed to win a game.England, by contrast, have won eight series in a row (excluding a one-off defeat to Scotland), and broke their own record for the highest ODI team score in the summer, racking up 481 for 6 against Australia at Trent Bridge. However, Bairstow said England are ready to “grit it out” against Sri Lanka if the surfaces don’t prove so friendly.”If you look at the pitches for South Africa they looked like good cricket pitches,” Bairstow told reporters in Colombo. “Whether they change their tactics and produce pitches that are slightly different for us… so be it.”We’ve got to prepare like that’s the case. Yes, we’d like to play on good pitches and yes, we’d like to have high-scoring games but we’re prepared to guts it out and grit it out if needed.”Both teams have to bat and bowl on them, whether it’s batting first or bowling first, under lights or through the day. We’ve experienced these challenges before in India and Bangladesh and come out on top, so we’re confident going into the series. We like to think the majority of our players have experienced conditions around the world.”Jonny Bairstow bats in the nets•Getty ImagesWhile England have developed an attacking outlook rivalled by few other one-day sides, they have been prone to occasional spectacular collapses, and Bairstow’s comments reflect a recognition that they must be prepared for a variety of challenges ahead of next year’s World Cup on home soil.They will begin their tour proper on Friday, when they take on a Sri Lankan XI in Colombo with a largely settled side. Bairstow has become a default pick at opener – Jason Roy and Alex Hales are the options to partner him – scoring all six of his ODI hundreds over the last 18 months, but he was not even part of the squad four years ago.”It’s great that it’s gone so well but you want to keep it going in the right direction,” Bairstow said. “I’m happy with my game, but you want to keep improving, moving forward, pushing yourself. This is a great opportunity to do that.”
Everton brought in an abundance of attacking talent in the summer in their attempts to become more deadly in the final third as the likes of Moise Kean, Alex Iwobi, Ellis Simms, and Demarai Gray were all sold.
The Toffees used the funds recouped from that talent to bring in Chermiti, Beto, and Arnaut Danjuma, who may have been signed to make Sean Dyche's side more clinical up top.
With only nine goals scored in the league this season, a third of which came in an emphatic victory over Bournemouth, it is glaringly obvious that Everton are still in need of serious firepower in the final third, or perhaps some guile and creativity to help unlock their attacking potential.
In a bid to rectify this problem, Everton could use the January transfer window as an opportunity to bolster their attack by reigniting their interest in Leeds United's Crysencio Summerville.
Are Everton interested in signing Crysencio Summerville?
Leeds duo Daniel Farke and Crysencio Summerville.
Everton showed a keen interest in luring Crysencio Summerville away from Leeds United this summer, however, the Dutch dynamo reportedly rejected a move to Goodison Park.
Whilst the door was slammed shut on the Toffees in the summer, his performances for the Whites this season have only heightened speculation linking him with an exit, and several Premier League clubs are keeping tabs on the 21-year-old as the January window approaches, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Writing on X, he said: “Crysencio Summerville with a brace today vs Norwich — he rejected several clubs in the summer to stay at LUFC and feel key player there.
"Bournemouth, Everton and Burnley were all interested and more PL clubs are now monitoring Crysencio towards the January window."
Summerville's brace against Norwich City on Saturday completed a dramatic comeback and took his tally to four goals and two assists for the campaign, establishing himself as a key figure under Daniel Farke.
How does Summerville compare to Dwight McNeil?
Everton winger Dwight McNeil.
Summerville's outstanding individual display against the Canaries has only accentuated why several top-flight clubs are interested in prising him away from Elland Road.
Possessing an abundance of guile and creativity combined with his searing pace and exceptional ball-carrying skills, the 21-year-old has become one of the best players in the Championship and this is backed up by his sublime attacking metrics.
When compared against his positional peers in the second tier this season, Summerville ranks in the top 10% for successful take-ons, top 9% for progressive carries, top 6% for touches in the attacking penalty box, and top 1% for non-penalty xG and shot creating actions, as per FBref.
Lauded by Michael Owen as "exceptional" for his individual performances in the Premier League last term, the 5 foot 6 magician could add the pace and quality that Everton desire in the final third, perhaps replacing Dwight McNeil on the left flank.
Although Everton are restricted by the style that Sean Dyche deploys, compromising fluidity in the final third for a strong defensive base, the Englishman has still flattered to deceive when given the opportunity to drive his side up the field.
Whilst Summerville – who had one of his finishes last season lauded as "incredible" by pundit Nedum Onuoha – is known for unleashing his wonderful flair and trickery that can make a difference in a tight contest, McNeil is unable to provide that same level of threat.
He ranks in the bottom 11% across Europe's top five leagues in the past year for touches in the attacking penalty box, bottom 19% for non-penalty xG, and bottom 29% for carries into the final third.
When comparing that to Summerville's performances in the top flight last term, he recorded more progressive carries (3.22/3.16), touches in the attacking penalty box (4.42/2.24), non-penalty goals (0.25/0.19), and progressive passes (2.84/2.20) per 90.
Dyche must, therefore, reignite his interest in the talented whiz as the statistics suggest that he could provide the Toffees with a much-needed attacking boost.
West Indies internationals Kirk Edwards, Sheldon Cottrell and Odean Smith were among the high-profile picks in the 2018-19 Professional Cricket League draft
ESPNcricinfo staff24-May-2018West Indies internationals Kirk Edwards, Sheldon Cottrell and Odean Smith were among the high-profile picks in the 2018-19 Professional Cricket League draft held in the Cricket West Indies headquarters in Antigua.Smith, who made his international debut during West Indies’ tour of Pakistan earlier in the year, was one of two newcomers, along with Joshua Da Silva, to join the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force. Marlon Richards, Isaiah Rajah and Jeremy Solozano completed the five draft picks as T&T built up a squad seeking to put behind their bottom-place finish in the Four-Day Regional Tournament earlier this year.Cottrel, who was released by T&T, was snapped up by Leeward Islands. However, medium-pacer Roshon Primus, who was also released by T&T, found no takers. Primus, who announced his first-class arrival with 6 for 30 on debut, has played 14 first-class games and taken 33 wickets at 25.87. He has also proven to be a handy batsman, with three half-centuries and an average of 23.50. Primus was also signed up by Guyana Amazon Warriors for the 2017 Caribbean Premier League. It’s unclear whether Primus’ name was present in the draft, and if it was why he was not picked. However, he is still eligible for selection, on a play-for-play contract. T&T also retained West Indies middle-order batsman Kyle Hope.Barbados Pride have welcomed the Jamaican fast bowler Marquino Mindley to their 15-man squad to “support the cast of younger bowlers in the team”. Mindley joins a strong pace attack comprising Chemar Holder, Keon Harding and Dominic Drakes, while Justin Greaves and Shamar Springer make up the allrounders list. Barbados also drafted in Kevin Stoute, who captained them in the early stages of the previous season’s first-class tournament. Kenroy Williams, who was released by Barbados, found a new home in Jamaica Scorpions.Windward Volcanoes retained the allrounder Kyle Mayers along with West Indies batsman Kirk Edwards.The assembled squads will take part in the Regional 4 Day Tournament and the Super50, both of which are scheduled to take place later this year. Guyana Jaguars are the current and four-time champions, having won all their titles in successive seasons.Full squads:Guyana Jaguars: Veerasammy Permaul, Leon Johnson, Vishaul Singh, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Gudakesh Motie, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Keon Joseph, Anthony Bramble. Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd. Draft picks – Ramaal Lewis, Christopher Barnwell, Tevin Imlach, Ashaya Persaud, Javier SpencerBarbados Pride: Anthony Alleyne, Shamarh Brooks, Jonathan Carter, Dominic Drakes, Justin Greaves, Keon Harding, Chemar Holder, Shayne Moseley, Shamar Springer, Haydn Walsh Jr. Draft picks – Marquino Mindley, Kevin Stoute, Aaron Jones, Tevyn Walcott, Mario RampersaudLeeward Islands Hurricanes: Rahkeem Cornwall, Montcin Hodge, Jahmar Hamilton, Keacy Carty, Jeremiah Louis, Devon Thomas, Terrance Warde, Sheeno Berridge, Akeem Saunders, Ross Powell. Draft Picks – Damion Jacobs, Sheldon Cotterell, Orlando Peters, Nelson Bolan, Jason PetersJamaica Scorpions: Nikita Miller, Assad Fudadin, Derval Green, Chadwick Walton, John Campbell, Brandon King, Paul Palmer Jr, Aldaine Thomas, Andre McCarthy, Fabian Allen. Draft Picks – Oshane Thomas, Reynard Leveridge, Kenroy Williams, Denis Bulli, Steven TaylorWindward Islands Volcanoes: Devon Smith, Shane Shillingford, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Tyron Theophile, Roland Cato, Audy Alexander, Sherman Lewis, Delorn Johnson, Alick Athanaze. Draft Picks – Kirk Edwards, Ray Jordon, Tarryck Gabriel, Denis Smith, Josh ThomasTrinidad and Tobago Red Force: Kyle Hope, Tion Webster, Yannic Cariah, Amir Jangoo, Denesh Ramdin, Imran Khan, Daniel St Clair, Bryan Charles, Khary Pierre, Jason Mohammed. Draft Picks – Odean Smith, Jeremy Solozano, Marlon Richards, Isaiah Rajah, Joshua Da Silva
Wolverhampton Wanderers became a driving force in England behind signing and developing Portuguese talent under Nuno Espirito Santo, with an influx of players from his home nation welcomed to Molineux during his reign and beyond.
The influence of renowned agent Jorge Mendes made the Old Gold the ideal spot for both upcoming and certified talents from Liga Portugal, in the bid to make themselves known in the Premier League.
Some stars took the route with Nuno from the Championship to the top flight, with the likes of Ruben Neves making his name in the second tier before exerting his quality in the Premier League to eventually become captain and leave for £47m.
Neves’ success story was shared by a host of Portuguese talents at Molineux over the years, although not every talent from the nation had a similar outcome, with one name now playing back in the second tier in England.
Ruben Vinagre was one of the highly promising talents unearthed by Nuno from Portugal, and despite all the signs being there for the defender to thrive at Molineux, things didn’t quite go to plan for the full-back.
When did Wolves sign Ruben Vinagre?
Rewind to 2017 and Wolves had just announced the loan signing of 18-year-old Vinagre from Monaco’s academy, a versatile left-back who had joined the French outfit’s academy from Sporting CP in 2014.
It quickly became apparent how highly regarded the teenager’s talents were in Nuno’s side, as he recorded five consecutive appearances at the start of the Championship campaign playing at both left-back and left-midfield.
After the quick spell, the youngster’s game time became more sporadic as he continued to develop in both the youth and first team, however, he made his mark with his electric performances when called upon in the senior side.
On only his sixth appearance in the Championship, Vinagre registered his first goal for Wolves in fine fashion, highlighting just how dangerous of an element he could be to Nuno’s promotion-pushing squad.
By that summer, the Old Gold had secured promotion back to the big time and sealed the permanent signing of Vinagre from Monaco for a fee of just £2m, a worthy acquisition for a reliable young fringe player.
How did Ruben Vinagre perform at Wolves?
Despite the former Sporting CP starlet only making nine appearances in the second tier during his debut campaign, the manager’s faith in him was rewarded with 17 Premier League appearances in the 2018/19 season.
The versatile defender’s progression was highlighted the following year, as he became a more prominent member of the squad, as suggested by his 33 appearances in all competitions.
That term, the youngster was faced with a host of challenges to maintain his position in the pecking order at both left midfield and left back, finding himself in a duel with the likes of Jonny Otto throughout the campaign.
ruben-vinagre-wolves
Speaking to the media during the season, Nuno was full of praise for the starlet, calling him a “massively important” member of the squad for his versatility, branding him as “special”.
As Wolves’ success began to grow, by reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa League in the 2019/20 campaign, the need for added quality in the squad became a paramount target for Nuno in the transfer window.
The summer of 2020 proved to be pivotal for Vinagre’s future at Wolves, as the club welcomed two players deployable at left-back in Rayan Ait-Nouri and Marcal, automatically pushing the youngster further down the pecking order.
What happened to Ruben Vinagre?
In October 2020, Wolves sent the promising defender on loan to Olympiacos in a bid to continue his development away from Molineux, where the squad had been bolstered without his involvement in mind.
At the time, journalist Josh Bunting admitted he was sad to see the Portuguese leave England, explaining that he had shown “so much potential” during the time he spent discovering the boundaries of his game under Nuno.
Unfortunately for Vinagre, life in Greece did not go to plan, as he struggled for game time at Olympiacos, resulting in him returning to Wolves in December after just four appearances in all competitions.
ruben-vinagre-wolves
The Old Gold sought the sanctuary of home comforts as the next destination for the defender to thrive, as he spent the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign on loan at Portuguese side Famalicao.
The Wolves loanee was handed 20 Liga Portugal appearances during his time at the club, where he recorded three assists, which inspired his next journey in the summer of 2021 as he returned to his boyhood club of Sporting CP.
How much did Wolves sell Ruben Vinagre for?
In July 2022, the end of Vinagre’s critical time at Molineux came to a permanent end, as Sporting paid a fee of €10m (£8.5m) to welcome him back to Lisbon, where he remains as a player today.
Despite being a representative of the Lions, the full-back has played all of his football in England since his permanent transfer, however, the extent of his playing time is rather small.
Last summer, Vinagre returned to the Premier League to join Everton on a season-long loan, however after playing just 24 minutes of league football in the campaign, the Portuguese left Goodison wishing his time could’ve “been different”.
An achilles problem kept the 1999-born ace away from the action in what was a failed loan spell, resulting in him having to take a step backwards in order to push on again in the future.
Where is Ruben Vinagre now?
After returning to Portugal from Merseyside, the 24-year-old was shipped away once more to rediscover his form and fitness, returning to where it all began at senior level in England with the Championship.
Currently, the left-back is playing for Hull City on a season-long loan from Sporting, having made six appearances in the league so far for the Tigers in an encouraging start to the season.
With an average Sofascore rating of 6.53 in the Championship this term, it’s suggested that there is a long way to go for Vinagre to rediscover his level of performance on show at Wolves, but he is finally on the right path.
At times there was hope that Vinagre could be one of the best left-backs in England at Molineux, however, squad competition and failed loan spells have caused the 24-year-old to take a very different path back to the top.
Everyone at Wolves can only look back at the youngster’s time in the Midlands with fond memories, with the hope that he can fulfil the potential he showcased under Nuno’s guidance.
Last season, depth was not a word used when discussing Liverpool's midfield, at least not in a positive light.
Jurgen Klopp's side failed in their seasonal goals and finished fifth in the Premier League, missing out on Champions League, with the sapped and stuttering midfield at the core of the issue.
This season, there is optimism anew with a fresh crop of players restoring the Anfield centre, but the younger stars remain beneath the new additions.
Harvey Elliott is one such player, with his recent performance for England U21s showing that he can perform in the role that £60m summer signing Dominik Szoboszlai plays so astoundingly in the midfield.
How good is Dominik Szoboszlai?
Not has there arguably been a more transformative signing at Liverpool since Virgil van Dijk joined from Southampton for £75m, transcending the defence's past performance.
The Hungary captain arrived from RB Leipzig having earned acclaim for his prowess as a “magician” by the likes of talent scout Jacek Kulig, posting ten goals and 13 assists and winning this second successive DFB Pokal.
Since arriving on Merseyside, the 22-year-old has been sensational, starting all eight of Liverpool's Premier League matches thus far, completing 87% of his passes, making 2.1 key passes, 1.6 tackles and 7.4 ball recoveries per game and, perhaps most importantly, bringing energy and intelligence to turbo-charge the engine.
Described as "a young Steven Gerrard" for his playing style by former England striker Natasha Dowie, the £120k-per-week gem currently ranks among the top 12% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 10% for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for successful carries, the top 7% for successful take-ons and the top 8% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.
He's simply untouchable in the starting squad, but given that he can't be expected to start every match, Klopp will be delighted with Elliott's stunning display against Serbia for his nation this week.
How good is Harvey Elliott?
It's easy to forget that Elliott is still only 20 years old, having been a member of Klopp's squad for several years now after joining from Fulham aged just 16 in 2019.
A Premier League champion, Elliott has already made 75 appearances for the Reds and been hailed as a "special" talent by Fabrizio Romano, and while Liverpool struggled last term, he was entrusted with a prominent role – playing 46 times.
The dynamic midfielder still has strides to make in his defensive game but will continue to improve and boasts the technical prowess to serve as Szoboszlai's understudy.
Indeed, he ranks among the top 8% of midfielders for total shots, the top 15% for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 9% for progressive carries and the top 3% for blocks per 90.
Such metrics evidence his creative skills and energy and enthusiasm on the pitch, and with a little bit more work he really could knock on Klopp's door for a regular starting berth.
The £40k-per-week ace was simply sensational for England U21s as they trounced Serbia 9-1, performing at the very heart of the game and excelling with his all-consuming performance.
Scoring two goals and registering an assist, the 5 foot 6 talent complemented his direct return with an 86% passing accuracy, five key passes, success in five of his eight duels, also taking 94 touches and winning both of his dribbles, as per Sofascore.
Such a display led Paul Dalglish to dub him an “incredible talent”, and while Elliott is undoubtedly not the finished article, his potential is boundless and he is edging closer and closer toward the level Klopp knows he can reach.
If the German coach is looking for a dream understudy to Szoboszlai, then the youngster is arguably that man.
Northamptonshire took just 32 minutes on the third day to wrap up a 10-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Wantage Road
ECB Reporters Network22-Jun-2018 ScorecardNorthamptonshire took just 32 minutes on the third day to wrap up a 10-wicket victory over Gloucestershire at Wantage Road to claim their first win in the Specsavers County Championship this season.Having resisted on the second evening to take the game into day three, Gloucestershire could last only another 17 balls to be bowled out for 250, leaving a target of only 31 that Ben Duckett knocked off himself in just four overs.Brett Hutton removed the final two wickets within three balls to finish with 8 for 57 – the third-best figures for Northants this century.”We’ve played very well this week, we’ve been disappointed in the Championship so far but we showed if we play somewhere near our best cricket we’re capable of winning games.”Ben and Brett will take the headlines but the whole attack did their bit and added to the pressure and they never got away from us,” head coach David Ripley said. “We took the majority of our catches as well, the surface offered a bit more carry which brought the cordon into play so a great effort from the groundsman as well.”We need to back up this performance now at Cardiff and it’s about building the confidence up and we can take that into the T20s too.”Matt Taylor only added a single to his overnight 37 before pushing at a length ball and edging to second slip where Richard Levi dived to his right to take a sharp catch. No. 11 Chris Liddle then lost his off stump for a duck leaving Craig Miles stranded on 38 not out.The chase was over very quickly as Duckett played an emphatic extra-cover drive off Miles, a flick through midwicket and two top-edged pulls over the wicketkeeper’s head. Another pull off Miles took Northants to within one hit of victory before an outside edge found the third man fence to complete the win.Northants, who took 21 points from the match, now head to Glamorgan on Monday while Gloucestershire are left to concentrate on the T20 Blast that begins in two weeks.Gloucestershire head coach said: “We’ve been outplayed, and it’s more to do with the ball – it wasn’t a 280 wicket. We didn’t exert any pressure with the ball, we bowled two sides of the wicket and the wrong length.”We were a bit more up for the fight in the second innings but day one we were behind the eight ball and couldn’t recover from that.”We’ve got the T20 coming up but also the Cheltenham festival and we want to be playing some good cricket in the Championship there so by no means will we just be focussing on T20.”
The impressive young allrounder took six wickets but Worcestershire’s batsmen struggled in turn
David Hopps at New Road04-Sep-20181:56
Burns piles on the runs after England snub
ScorecardIt’s September, the pitches are seaming and Worcestershire are bottom again, in obvious danger of relegation. Not much changes, you might assume. Except it does because this time nobody in county cricket is blithely assuming that it is Worcestershire plus one other for the drop. This time, a talented young side suggests it is as well-equipped as anybody to survive.But Worcestershire’s defeat against Lancashire at Southport last week felt like an opportunity wasted, as well as Dane Vilas and Josh Bohannon must have played to turn the game in Lancashire’s favour. It left Worcestershire and Hampshire in the bottom two, and encouraged the feeling that this is crunch time. With Hampshire dismissed for 191 and Worcestershire subsiding to 68 for 4 in return, both sides suffered some first-day bleeding.A first appearance at T20 Finals Day in the Vitality Blast is also looming and for Worcestershire if the glass half-empty interpretation is that it could be a diversion from the task ahead, the half-full conclusion sees it as a statement of the development of a young side which Kevin Sharp, as head coach, has inherited so calmly since the removal of Steve Rhodes in unfortunate circumstances last winter.Talking T20
Dan Norcross and Matt Roller start the build-up to the Vitality Blast Finals Day Listen on ESPN Radio
When Worcestershire lost their captain Joe Leach to injury in early season, they lost the heartbeat of the side, taker of 193 championship wickets in the past three seasons. It felt like a blow they could not withstand, but on the first day against Hampshire Leach could stroll around the outfield with Winnie, his Mum’s dog, with reason to hope that they can survive without him.By the time of Winnie’s perambulation, Hampshire had just been dismissed and Ed Barnard, an attacking allrounder with bat or ball, had returned the second six-for of his career, his 6 for 50 outdone only by his 6 for 37 against Somerset at Taunton earlier this season. Barnard epitomises the dash of this young Worcestershire side, relishing the fight and increasingly equipped to come out on top.He knew, nevertheless, that it had taken Worcestershire, hmself included, a session to settle to their task. “We probably had the best of the conditions and didn’t quite utilise them as we would have liked,” he said. “But we came back strongly in the second session and have managed not to lose too many wickets tonight because that was a real tough session for the batters to go out and face those 20 odd overs.”Ed Barnard celebrates a wicket•Getty ImagesHampshire were in reasonable order at lunch, at 81 for 2, Barnard having removed Joe Weatherley with one that bounced a bit, but they proceeded to lose their last eight wickets for 110 in the afternoon, grateful for Sam Northeast’s resistance before he was last out, driving at Wayne Parnell, for 48 as the last two wickets added 65, particularly tough for Worcestershire to take as they had coveted his signature so much in the winter.Barnard found movement from an attacking length, Hampshire drove ambitiously and by the end Ben Cox, the wicketkeeper, and Mitchell, at second slip, had seven catches between them and Barnard had a post-lunch spell of 5 for 21 in nine overs.Division One’s leading wicket-takers make interesting reading. Barnard now lies fourth, with 41 at 20.31, trailing the Essex offspinner Simon Harmer, who has 44 and who has sustained his Championship-winning return unlike many of his colleagues. Most eye-catchingly, the top two are Lancashire’s pair of Graham Onions and Tom Bailey.Hampshire’s afternoon collapse began with the loss of their Championship debutant, Oliver Soames, a 22-year-old student at Loughborough, who had grafted through the morning for 23, fancied letting his hair down against Barnard in the afternoon and immediately paid the price .James Vince fell in similar fashion to Barnard, a little refinement fell out of the day and perhaps, over in the cathedral, a chorister dropped a book of psalms as if to reveal God’s disappointment. Tom Alsop and Ian Holland nicked in turn and Liam Dawson, coming in at No 8, drove Barnard to cover. Five wickets in 12 overs, four to Barnard, had changed the complexion of the game.Worcestershire struggled in turn and would have been grateful when bad light cut 13.2 overs from the day – two overs too late, they might have thought, after Daryl Mitchell’s judicious 41 from 66 balls came to grief when he chipped a leading edge back to Fidel Edwards.
Pep Guardiola says everybody "loves" Bernardo Silva and urged him to stay at Manchester City after his brace against Newcastle United in the FA Cup.
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Man City beat Newcastle 2-0Silva scores brace in FA Cup winGuardiola urges him to extend stayGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
FA Cup holders City advanced to the semi-finals of the competition following their 2-0 victory over Newcastle at the Etihad on Saturday. Two deflected goals from Silva secured their passage into the next round and with the 29-year-old likely to be linked with a summer transfer, manager Guardiola has called on the playmaker to stay put.
AdvertisementWHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID
After the match, Guardiola said: "This team, this club, has something special, it's incredible. I know we play to win the finals, but to win it, you have to win the earlier rounds. We won four Carabao Cup finals in a row and now we're in six FA Cup semi-finals in a row. To run and play the way they did is incredible, congratulations to the team, no one has done that before. We played really well, we were so safe with the ball. Mateo (Kovacic), Rodri and Bernardo kept the ball so well. The game was really good. You see us when we come back every three days, three days, three days, three days."
On Silva, he added: "Everybody loves him and we want him. He's really important for him to stay with us."
Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Guardiola's City are aiming for back-to-back trebles after winning the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup last season – and they are in the running to secure that prestigious footballing triumvirate this term, too. If they want to continue to be successful, keeping Silva – whose City contract runs until 2026 – will be key. He has previously been linked with Paris Saint-Germain.
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WHAT NEXT?
Next up for third-placed City is a huge clash with top of the table Arsenal – who are just a point ahead of them – at the Etihad on March 31. They will face their FA Cup semi-final opponent on either April 20 or 21 at Wembley.