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Two late wickets were reward for New Zealand’s application – particularly that of Chris Martin whose wiry frame belied an extra yard of zip that none of England’s bowlers could replicate (least of all Steve Harmison). But perhaps more significantly, the b

Andrew Miller in Hamilton06-Mar-2008
Alastair Cook fell for 38 – a stark reminder of the frailties of England’s batting lineup © Getty Images
For 85 overs of the second day at Hamilton, the first Test between England and New Zealand was dying a slow death. The application shown by Ross Taylor and Daniel Vettori during their 148-run stand was admirable but foreboding. England’s bowlers found no swing, seam or spin to help them on their way, and when their own batsmen replied in kind with an 84-run opening stand, the worst sort of stalemate was already being envisaged.But then, Alastair Cook went and played a pull shot that had “mug” tattooed all over it, and suddenly there was life in the match once again. Two late wickets were reward for New Zealand’s application – particularly that of Chris Martin whose wiry frame belied an extra yard of zip that none of England’s bowlers could replicate (least of all Steve Harmison). But perhaps more significantly, the breakthroughs were a reminder of the frailties of England’s batting line-up.Daniel Vettori made a point of bigging up England’s top six on the eve of the series, remarking how they all averaged in excess of 40. What he omitted to mention is that they all too frequently reach that score then give their wickets away. In Sri Lanka before Christmas, England were overwhelmed by three totemic innings – 152 from Kumar Sangakkara at Kandy, and then 197 and 213 not out from Mahela Jayawardene at Colombo and Galle respectively. In reply they mustered a solitary hundred in six attempts, and that came from Cook at the last gasp, when the series was already irretrievable.Taylor’s hugely mature 120 wasn’t quite in the class of those three knocks, but it was a performance of great resolve and substance, the like of which England aren’t too keen to replicate these days. As a squad they have mislaid the art of the meaningful innings – and they can’t even manage it in one-day cricket, where their last centurion was Owais Shah at The Oval against India last summer, 11 matches ago.Andrew Strauss used to score centuries for fun, with 10 in his first 30 Tests, but he was dropped after failing to reach three figures in 25 subsequent innings. Now he’s back in the mix, thanks entirely to the shortcomings of others, and he’s out in the middle already – at least a session sooner than he had envisaged. There’s no time like the present for ending his run-drought either. Ian Bell is incapacitated, Tim Ambrose is on debut, and Ryan Sidebottom – for all his merits – is hardly fit to lace Vettori’s boots at No. 8.New Zealand are flushed with unexpected confidence after the success of their batsmen this morning, and they sense that England are beatable.”We think we can win the game,” said Taylor. “If they were none-down or one-down it would be a pretty even game, but to have them two-down when it is starting to slow up and take a bit of turn, I’m sure the first session tomorrow will be big. If we can put some pressure on England early on then you never know.”Pressure was what England’s bowlers singularly failed to apply after resuming on 282 for 6. “We’re disappointed that we didn’t bowl as well as we did yesterday,” said Ryan Sidebottom, who with 4 for 90 was England’s stand-out bowler and, for once, had the figures to prove it. “We were fired up to get the four wickets and we were stupidly searching for wickets this morning, rather than doing what we did yesterday. We were trying to bowl too quick instead of plugging away, and they scored 100 more than we expected.”Apart from watching him on TV, I haven’t had a lot to do with him [Steve Harmison] but he can bowl at 130kph as much as he wants, because it makes it easier for me. He’d be a hell of a bowler to face if he was bowling at 145-150kph, especially on a bouncy deckRoss Taylor gives a damning assessment of Steve Harmison”Bowling too quick.” That may have been true of the two specialist swing bowlers in the line-up, but oh for such an accolade to be uttered in Harmison’s direction. Taylor could hardly believe his luck when reputation finally met with reality, and he faced up for the first time to the bowler who was once the most fearsome in the world. “Apart from watching him on TV, I haven’t had a lot to do with him,” said Taylor, “but he can bowl at 130kph as much as he wants, because it makes it easier for me. He’d be a hell of a bowler to face if he was bowling at 145-150kph, especially on a bouncy deck.”It was a pretty damning yet utterly honest assessment from a man in only his third Test match. Taylor came to the crease with a reputation for big hitting and a career-best score of 17, and yet he bedded in to bat for more than five hours. “I got off to a bit of shaky start in my first four digs in Test cricket, so it was good to silence a few people who doubted me and whether I was good enough to play at this level,” he said. “It was definitely the most circumspect I’ve ever batted.”England are capable of emulating such feats. Strauss was back to his compact self during the warm-up in Dunedin, while Kevin Pietersen is bristling for a big one after failing to reach even fifty in Sri Lanka. But to judge by the verve and aggression showed by Martin and Mills with the new ball, and the steep bounce and not-insignificant turn extracted by the spinners, Vettori and Jeetan Patel, New Zealand’s bowlers are more up for the challenge than their English counterparts proved to be.England were, after all, bundled out for 131 in their warm-up at Dunedin. “That showed us that England can be beaten,” said Taylor. “It was only a three-day game and it did do a lot on the first morning of that game, but it gave the players in that match a bit more belief they could foot it with England. It showed we are still in the game.”

Dale Steyn has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test bowlers’ rankings

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Aug-20161:03

Personal records don’t bother me – Steyn

Dale Steyn has reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the ICC Test bowlers’ rankings after picking up match figures of 8 for 99 in South Africa’s 204-run win over New Zealand in Centurion. Steyn went up two places in the rankings, leapfrogging R Ashwin and James Anderson, to become No. 1 for the first time since December 2015, when he suffered a shoulder injury during the Durban Test against England.Top five Test bowlers

Dale Steyn (South Africa)

James Anderson (England)

R Ashwin (India)

Stuart Broad (England)

Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka)

The other two members of South Africa’s pace attack in Centurion also climbed the rankings, with Vernon Philander going from 13th to 11th, and Kagiso Rabada from 30th to 27th. Faf du Plessis, who scored a century in South Africa’s first innings, jumped from 33rd to 24th in the Test batsmen’s rankings.South Africa’s 1-0 series win, meanwhile, lifted them from seventh to fifth in the team rankings, which meant they swapped places with New Zealand, who now sit a place below sixth-placed Sri Lanka.

Michael Klinger scored 87 off 78 to stud Western Australia’s 6 for 190 in 28 overs, before Andrew Tye took three wickets to ensure that Victoria fell 41 short of their revised target in a rain-affected match at the WACA

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAndrew Tye took 3 for 10 in three overs and also effected a run-out•Getty ImagesMichael Klinger scored 87 off 78 to stud Western Australia’s 6 for 190 in 28 overs, before Andrew Tye took three wickets to ensure that Victoria fell 41 short of their revised target in a rain-affected match at the WACA ground in Perth.Victoria won the toss and started well, dismissing Shaun Marsh for 15 and Adam Voges for a ten-ball duck, leaving the hosts at 2 for 30. But Klinger and D’Arcy Short then put on 92 off 87 for the third wicket, with Short contributing 52 off 43 before falling to Jon Holland. Klinger batted on, though, hitting three fours and three sixes in his knock as Western Australia added 66 in the last eight overs.With more rain disrupting play, Victoria found themselves chasing a D/L-adjusted target of 140 in 18 overs. But at no point were they able to even approach the required run rate. The opening stand added 25 in 5 overs and was ended by Jason Behrendorff, who got Marcus Harris caught behind. Behrendorff then got Glenn Maxwell for 9 in his next over. By the time Tye dismissed Dan Christian in the ninth over, Victoria had only managed 54 runs.That wicket opened the floodgates – a further six wickets fell for 28 runs in 36 balls to leave the visitors at 9 for 82 in the 15th over. They managed to scrape together 16 more runs and avoid being bowled out, but that would have come as scant consolation.Meanwhile, Western Australia, who tied their first match and lost their second, would be relieved to have their first win on the board.

Arsenal could reignite their interest in a familiar figure, according to recent reports…

Arsenal transfer news – Raphinha back on the Gunners' radar

Spanish outlet SPORT have claimed that sporting director Edu Gaspar has regulary been in contact with FC Barcelona over a potential move for Raphinha, having missed out on him prior to his switch to the Nou Camp.

It's thought that the Brazil winger, who made a name for himself at Leeds United, is growing open to the idea of leaving the LaLiga giants this summer transfer window but is yet to decide what club he wishes to join, with Premier League rivals Chelsea and Newcastle United also presenting offers to his agent, Deco.

Barcelona are set to demand a fee in the region of €70m and €80m, meaning he could cost the Gunners in excess of £70m.

Could Raphinha become Mikel Arteta's own Riyad Mahrez?

It seems as if Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has held a long-term admiration for Raphinha, having already impressed in the English top-flight with Leeds, though it would certainly be an interesting move for the club to make, given Bukayo Saka's immense form on the right flank this term.

That said, with the Gunners back in the Champions League next season, a swoop for the 26-year-old dynamo shouldn't be ignored, particularly as he could give the Spaniard a familar presence and one that could elevate the club onto the next level.

In the past, Raphinha has been likened to Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez, a terrific talent that Arteta worked with closely during his time as assistant manager to Pep Guardiola. The Algerian winger even noted how 'sad' it was to see him leave to takeover from Unai Emery back in 2019.

"He’s scored some very, very important goals. The way he drifts and comes in on the inside it reminds me of Riyad Mahrez," said Robbie Keane, who was appointed as Sam Allardyce's first-team coach at Elland Road earlier this week, on Sky Sports (via LeedsLive).

Also having lauded the tricky maestro as a "revelation" with "a real ability", there is no denying that Raphinha is an electric talent and it's not as if things haven't worked out in Spain because he has provided seven goals and six assists in LaLiga this season, despite averaging just 58 minutes per appearance.

FBref liken his statistical profile to that of Saka, as well as another City star in Phil Foden, so he should have no problems in adapting to Arteta's system and ideology.

Indeed, when compared to his positional peers across Europe's 'top five' divisions, the Barca gem ranks inside the top 7% for non-penalty expected goals and expected assists per 90, the top 8% for total shots per 90 and the top 9% for passes attempted per 90, via FBref, making him a creative yet dynamic threat in the final third.

It is perhaps why his former Whites teammate Dan James once hailed him as a "magician" who "can do absolutely anything on the pitch."

These are all attributes that are associated with Mahrez too, an immense wizard who is often capable of cutting in and doing the unthinkable from the right flank and in recent outings, he has emerged as the difference-maker for City as they look set to pip the Gunners to the title.

Across the last three games, the 32-year-old has provided four assists, including two in their 2-1 win over Leeds over the weekend.

In Raphinha, Arteta could be getting his own version of the player he once coached; someone able to turn a game on its head and one that could well get Arsenal a little closer to thwarting City's powerful dominance in English football.

As such, Edu must pay up to land the Brazil sensation this summer.

Weston McKennie and Tim Weah may be heading back to square one at Juventus, with Massimiliano Allegri reportedly ready to quit his post.

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Allegri prepared to end Bianconeri contract earlyCould walk away in the summer of 2024American stars would need to prove themselves againWHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Allegri is mulling over an early end to his contract in Turin. His current deal is due to run through to the summer of 2025, but said agreement could be brought to a close in 2024 if the 56-year-old opts to walk away.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Allegri is said to have attracted interest from Saudi Arabia, with teams in the Middle East ready to “cover him in gold”, while a well-earned break could also be taken in if the Serie A title-winning coach decides to wait on another challenge in Europe.

DID YOU KNOW?

Allegri is said to be growing disillusioned with life at Juve following the departure of former chairman Andre Agnelli – the man who re-hired him in 2021. He reportedly feels that the club are heading in a different direction to the one that he would favour, leading to questions being asked of his future.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Any departure for Allegri could hit USMNT stars McKennie and Weah hard. The former has worked his way back into favour this season – seeing a new contract mooted along the way – but his situation could change were a new boss to be brought in. Weah was snapped up in the summer transfer window by Allegri and the versatile United States international is another that may have to prove himself all over again in 2024-25.

Al-Nassr have put the wheels in motion for a potential bid to sign Kevin De Bruyne from Manchester City, it has been claimed.

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De Bruyne wanted by Saudi sideHave contacted agent about meetingStar's Man City contract ends in 2025WHAT HAPPENED?

The Saudi Arabian side have contacted the Belgium international's agent with the aim of arranging a meeting, according to Rudy Galetti. Al-Nassr's plan is to explain their long-term strategy to convince the attacking midfielder to join.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

De Bruyne, 32, is currently contracted to City until 2025. He remains a key part of Pep Guardiola's team but has featured just once in the Premier League this season, having been ruled out with a muscle injury he sustained in the early stages of their first game against Burnley. As a result of his fitness troubles, City are reported to have put a stop to talks over a new contract until he recovers

DID YOU KNOW?

De Bruyne would be one of many big names to make the move to the Middle East if Al-Nassr are able to convince him. He would reunite with ex-City team-mate Aymeric Laporte as well as the likes of former Premier League rivals Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Alex Telles.

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

De Bruyne will continue his recovery and prepare to return to the City team before he will consider making the switch to the Saudi Pro League.

South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock has been cleared to play the third Test Zealand after being a doubt due to a finger injury

Firdose Moonda in Hamilton24-Mar-2017While New Zealand have been ruling several injured players out of their XI, South Africa have found a way to include one of their wounded. Wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock will play the Hamilton Test after passing a fitness test to determine whether the tendon damage on his right index finger was severe enough to sideline him.De Kock, however, will need at least four weeks to recover from the injury and Cricket South Africa ruled him out of playing the 2017 IPL season for Delhi Daredevils in order to be available for the Champions Trophy and the England Tests that follow.Although in some pain on the eve of the Hamilton Test, de Kock was able to bat and catch with strapping and a finger splint, the brainchild of physiotherapist Brandon Jackson. When asked why South Africa were risking de Kock when they have a reserve gloveman in Heinrich Klaasen, Faf du Plessis explained the occasion was too important to leave de Kock out.”It’s a big game. Quinton is someone who you don’t just replace. From my side, I am trying to have Quinton in my team all the time,” du Plessis said. “He has had problems with his fingers for quite a while. It’s part of being a keeper. It’s never nice to catch balls on the fingertips all the time and it’s been painful for him for a while. Maybe the cold New Zealand conditions make it worse. It’s hurting for him a bit more now but because it’s a big game, resting him for someone else is not an option.”Du Plessis explained that if de Kock was carrying “three or four broken fingers then obviously he won’t play,” but because the issue could be kept at bay for a while, South Africa were willing to take their chances. More so, because three of the top six (Stephen Cook, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy) were out of form and de Kock, who was one half of a match-winning partnership with Temba Bavuma in Wellington, was among the runs.The news that neither Tim Southee nor Trent Boult would be playing for New Zealand also did not influence South Africa’s team composition, as they aimed to assemble the strongest side they could in search for a 2-0 series win.”We are trying to put as much pressure as we can on New Zealand,” du Plessis said.At the start of the series, du Plessis admitted South Africa would target Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor, who they regarded as New Zealand’s keybatsmen, because they sensed vulnerability in the rest of the line-up.”It’s a huge blow (for New Zealand). I always take reference to our own team – if we lose guys like them in our side, it will be a huge loss. Seamers that have got experience and the numbers behind them – you don’t just replace that in Test cricket,” du Plessis said. “But we know whoever comes in can do a job for the day and we have to respect that and play at our best. If we do that, hopefully it will be easier but it’s never a guarantee.”

The 19-year-old centre-back, renowned for his speed and leadership qualities, is the fifth academy graduate to make his debut under Erik ten Hag

Manchester United have had to make a few unorthodox selections this season due to their injury crisis, but none of the surprises Erik ten Hag has pulled this season can rival fielding 19-year-old Willy Kambwala away to West Ham on December 23.

Kambwala was so obscure that his name could not be found on the matchday programme at the London Stadium. He had only once before been named in the matchday squad, the previous week at Anfield, and wasn't part of United's main group on their pre-season tour to the United States, while many other youngsters featured.

So who is the defender that Ten Hag has thrown into the deep end? GOAL has all you need to know…

Where it all began

Kambwala was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo on 25 August 2004 and moved to France with his family at the age of five. He was raised in the town of Les Ulis in the southwestern suburbs of Paris and got his footballing education with French side Sochaux.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe big break

Kambwala made a stir in French youth football and captained the France side at Under-16 level, which attracted the attention of United. Just a few months later, aged 16, he joined the Red Devils for a fee of £3.5 million on transfer deadline day in October 2020 amid reported competition from Liverpool as United moved to sign a host of young stars from abroad, including both Alejandro Garnacho and Alvaro Fernandez as well as Kambwala.

How it's going

After a decent first season in England, Kambwala was forced to sit out the majority of his second campaign after suffering a serious ankle injury in October 2021 that forced him to miss 11 months of action, including United's FA Youth Cup triumph in 2022.

He returned the following season and began to make his mark on the U21s side, with whom he travelled to the U.S. separately from Ten Hag's squad, and he featured for just 17 minutes against Wrexham during the trip.

Then, having trained alongside the first-team squad for a short period, he was included in the matchday squad against Liverpool on December 17. With Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane all ruled out due to injury or illness, he was handed his debut six days later against West Ham as he partnered Jonny Evans at the heart of the United defence.

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Getty ImagesBiggest strengths

Despite his age, Kambwala is very strong physically and is remarkably tall, measuring 6'4. On his debut for the U18s team against Derby County, his speed and intelligence shone through. He is also known for his leadership qualities and has given motivational speeches to younger players, advising them on how to make it as a footballer.

Billy Godleman led by example as Derbyshire hit back strongly on the third day of the Division Two County Championship match against Leicestershire at Derby

ECB Reporters Network27-May-2017
ScorecardBilly Godleman put Derbyshire back in the contest•Getty ImagesBilly Godleman led by example as Derbyshire hit back strongly on the third day of the Division Two County Championship match against Leicestershire at Derby.The Derbyshire captain made 141 from 275 balls and with former Leicestershire allrounder Shiv Thakor scoring 132 and Gary Wilson 97, the home side closed on 532 for 8, 87 behind.Leicestershire’s 20-year-old fast bowler Zak Chappell took wickets and Clint McKay returned the impressive figures of 2 for 78 from 32 overs but the rest of the attack struggled on a lifeless pitch.Derbyshire had a lot of batting to do at the start of the day and Godleman and Thakor took their partnership well into the afternoon to give their side a fighting chance of saving the game.McKay apart, Leicestershire’s bowling lacked the consistency required on a flat pitch to exert pressure and a dropped catch only added to a frustrating morning for the visitors.Godleman had reached his ninth first-class hundred for Derbyshire by driving Zak Chappell for his 17th four but Thakor should have gone on 86 when he clipped Rob Sayer to midwicket where Chappell spilled an easy chance.Thakor took advantage against his former county to reach his first century of the season in the County Championship from 160 balls with 16 fours and the pair established a new Derbyshire second-wicket record against Leicestershire of 236 before they were parted.It was McKay who broke through with a ball that swung away enough to take the outside edge after Thakor had made his highest score for Derbyshire and the Australian struck again in his next over when Wayne Madsen lobbed a catch to short over.Alex Hughes edged Dieter Klein to second slip but Godleman’s occupation lasted just short of seven hours before Chappell speared a yorker through his defence.Derbyshire were still in danger at that stage of falling short of the 470 follow-on target but Wilson, who secured maximum batting points with a six off Sayer, and Daryn Smit added 81 in 18 overs.Smit made his highest championship score for Derbyshire but was caught at second slip trying to run Klein to third man and Jeevan Mendis became Colin Ackermann’s first Leicestershire wicket when he got a leading edge to point.Wilson looked certain to become the sixth player in the game to make a hundred but he fell for the second time in the 90’s this season trying to pull Chappell but he had helped Derbyshire record their highest score against Leicestershire.

The opening partnership, Babar Azam’s form, the middle-order positions and balance of the attack: Mickey Arthur has admitted he has a lengthy list of issues to resolve

Osman Samiuddin09-Oct-2017Before this series began, Pakistan were faced with a few questions. Some were familiar ones, like who should open. Others were new – who replaces Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan in the middle order, and how does that impact the order?Nine days into the series, 1-0 down to a side one place below in the Test rankings, and faced with the very real prospect of losing a long-standing unbeaten home record, coach Mickey Arthur admitted their answers to these questions were wrong.Arthur: It’s a bit of a worry. It is a worry. I’ve got a lot of faith in Babar because I think he is a very good player. But his white-ball form needs to start transforming into Test form. He’s had a very slow start to his Test career, for a player of his ability. I’m still confident that he will come through and that he will be a very good player for Pakistan going forward. We’ve just got to guide him through as best we can.”Arthur: It’s kept me awake at night to be honest. It’s tough. I thought we had it nailed I’ve got to be honest. I was comfortable that we had the right combinations. I was comfortable we had enough left-hand, right-hand combinations. I thought we had the next best batsmen available in Pakistan playing for us. I’ll be honest I’m not 100% sure now.And before we tour again, we’ve got a long break now before we go to England, we’re going to have to sit down and really apply our minds and have a look again as to what we think is our best top six going forward.Arthur: It’s still too early to say. I would’ve loved Asad to be playing the innings he is from No. 4 because that just solves the problem for us. With him going down to five, it throws up another conundrum for us because he’s playing so well at five, is that his right position? I’m not so sure. We’re going to have to really apply our minds going forward with what our right top six is.Arthur: In terms of rationale one of the things always pointed out about Pakistan cricket is that there hasn’t been any continuity. We’ve tried to get continuity with our players, albeit the right decision or the wrong decision. We’ve tried to create continuity – Pakistan cricket is synonymous with dropping players, bringing them back, dropping them again, bringing them back again. We want to give guys an opportunity and then we can make a proper decision on it.Has our opening partnership worked for us in this series? It probably hasn’t but that is something we’ll discuss going forward. The easy option would be Azhar going back up and that then opens another position at no. 3. At the moment we’ve got a lot of soul searching to do to figure out what our best top six is.Arthur: We just thought it was our best possible attack, whether that was right or wrong, it’s something I need to get my head around. I’ve come from and coached in places where pace dominates and wins games. I’ve got to get my thinking round these totally different conditions.Whether we like it or not though our attack has done a job. We should’ve chased down 136 in Abu Dhabi. Without a doubt. And then we would’ve said the attack has done its job.The other thing is, no disrespect to the spinners we’ve got because they’re young, but if it’s Yasir Shah and Saeed Ajmal, it’s a no-brainer. But we don’t have Saeed Ajmal as the second spinner. We’re working with a set of young spinners. Bilal Asif and Mohammad Asghar have worked the house down. Asghar will be good. When we give him that opportunity is something we need to look at. And perhaps the opportunity was here. Maybe tactically I messed up on that.Strategically when we set about looking at how we’d go about this, we asked for wickets that did a little bit more than they have done. We asked for a little bit more grass because that would nullify Sri Lanka’s spinners and give our quick bowlers an opportunity. Whether that can happen in the UAE, I’m not sure. Maybe that was a pipe dream as far as I was concerned. But that was our strategy going into the series.