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It is already nigh on impossible to see how England can claim the 20 wickets required to win the match and stay in the series

The Report by Andrew Miller18-Jul-2019

Australia Women 265 for 3 (Perry 84*, Haynes 54*) v England WomenIs it too soon to say that Australia have retained the Ashes? Technically, yes, but such was the ease with which a succession of their batsmen mastered the opening day of the one-off Test in Taunton, it is already nigh on impossible to see how England can claim the 20 wickets required to win the match and stay in the series … unless, of course, the pitch starts ragging like a Ciderabad bad’un, in which case the 265 runs that Australia already have on the board will surely prove decisive.Trailing 6-0 on points after losing all three of the recent ODIs, Heather Knight’s team needed nothing less than the four points available for this Test to keep their hopes alive going into next week’s T20s. And they appeared to have thrown in their lot with Taunton’s reputation as a spinner’s paradise, omitting their Test-specialist seamer Kate Cross for the left-arm debutant Kirstie Gordon, with Sophie Ecclestone and Laura Marsh completing a three-prong spin attack.But then Knight lost the toss, and the chance to bowl last on a used surface, and by the close of a one-sided first day, everything that could go wrong for England had gone wrong. Four of Australia’s top five posted half-centuries, including Ellyse Perry, who picked up the same indomitable form she had shown in her last Test innings – 213 not out at North Sydney Oval in the 2017-18 Ashes – to reach the close on 84 not out, making a new record aggregate of 297 consecutive runs for a women’s Test batsman.Furthermore, England’s focus and threat was fundamentally undermined by two key injuries in the course of the day – first when Ecclestone, their attack-leading left-arm spinner, was forced to leave the field midway through her third over, having bruised her shoulder badly while diving in vain for a catch in the outfield.Though she returned to the attack after lunch, and bowled creditably in picking up the big wicket of Meg Lanning for 57, the moment had already been lost for England, who were pushed emphatically on to the defensive by an impressive morning onslaught from Alyssa Healy, whose 58 from 81 balls included 12 fours, four of which came in the space of nine balls from a lacklustre Anya Shrubsole. Her opening spell offered hooping swing but far too much width, and she was not called upon again until the 60th over, by which time the ‘roos had truly bolted.England’s other big concern centred on the fitness of their one in-form batsman, Tammy Beaumont. Though she had barely flinched at short leg after being cracked a savage blow on the left thumb by a full-blooded Healy pull, she had left the field by the close of play and was due to go for an X-ray. Her absence at the top of the order would be incalculable: in the ODIs, Beaumont’s 114 from 115 balls in the second match at Leicester provided the team’s one moment of batting dominance. Aside from her, only Nat Sciver has so much as passed fifty in three innings.For a side that so desperately needed to set the agenda, it was a passive performance from England throughout the first day. With two fifties in the ODIs, Healy was in the mood to dominate from the outset, and her effortless gap-finding left England with few answers, in spite of the odd hint of dramatic turn, including Ecclestone’s first delivery, which exploded past Healy’s off stump in the 12th over.But having over-stretched at midwicket in a futile attempt to intercept another flicked four from Healy, Ecclestone was left in tears after jarring her shoulder as she hit the turf, and having served up a leg-stump half-tracker that was pulled ruthlessly for four, she left the field mid-over, handing the senior spin duties to Gordon – one of two England Test debutants alongside Amy Jones.Gordon settled quickly in the circumstances – though not before Healy had cashed in on a brace of nervy full-tosses to race to a 61-ball fifty, her first in Tests. And, having found her pace and length for the conditions, Gordon struck a vital blow in the final ten minutes before lunch, sliding one past Healy’s back pad and into her stumps to pick up a notable maiden Test wicket in her sixth over.Gordon’s day could and should have got even better in her very next over. Sensing an opportunity to turn the screw at 95 for 2 with two batsmen playing for the interval, Knight posted herself in Lanning’s eyeline at short cover, but then dropped a dolly of a checked drive, with Australia’s most accomplished cricketer on 26.It was a grim moment for the skipper, and though Lanning did occasionally get bogged down by the spinners, she didn’t offer another sniff in pressing onto her half-century. On 57, however, Ecclestone – patched up in the dressing-room and restored to the attack – served up the ball of the day, a cunning slider that slipped under an attempted cut and into Lanning’s off stump.But Perry by this stage was deep into her innings and utterly serene. Her commitment to the front foot in defence, but ability to rock back deep into her crease to attack, offered England no quarter as they probed in vain for a weakness. Their best hope, in fact, came at the other end, where the left-handed Rachael Haynes initially found the footholes hard to combat, at least until she took the initiative with her own footwork, dancing down the track to Gordon and lofting her with the spin over wide long-on for four.By the close, England had surrendered all pretence of the initiative, as Perry closed in on her second Test century in a fourth-wicket stand of 105. It’s going to take something extraordinary to turn this game around, and England – on today’s subdued evidence – don’t look capable of producing it.

With spin set to play a key role at the World Cup, Maxwell could have a vital part to play in providing Australia the balance they want

Andrew McGlashan in Brisbane05-May-2019

The closest Glenn Maxwell got to the IPL this year was texting David Warner about his outstanding form, but he is hopeful of being proven right in having opted for county cricket before the World Cup after his brief first spell with Lancashire produced an unexpectedly key role with the ball.While some of his Australian team-mates were in India, Maxwell played one County Championship match and six one-day games. Though his top score was just 35, it was his success with the ball, which included a maiden five-wicket haul in the Championship and eight one-day wickets, that has proved timely.Australia captain Aaron Finch has said that he expected spin to play “huge role” in the World Cup, but it would appear tough for Nathan Lyon and Adam Zampa to both find a starting place in the XI in England with Australia likely to want a third frontline quick in the ranks compared to the balance they had in India and in the UAE. That puts the onus back on Maxwell to be the second spinner and after his role with Lancashire over the last few weeks, his confidence is high.Maxwell bowled his full allocation of ten overs in four of his six limited-overs matches and signed off with 3 for 42 against Durham, which included the wicket of Cameron Bancroft.”Certainly the bowling part I didn’t expect,” Maxwell said during Australia’s pre-World Cup camp in Brisbane. “I was able to get a lot of overs and find a rhythm I probably haven’t had for a while. To get some time at the bowling crease and get some real good feel out of that was nice.””I think with myself and Marcus Stoinis able to be a fifth or sixth bowler, depending on what sort of side we go with, to have those extra overs is really important for Aaron to have at his disposal. If we can be relied on to bowl key overs, even if it’s in the Powerplay or at the end, that’s going to be really important.”It was a great month, and I’m looking forward to going there at the back-end of the World Cup as well. Hopefully I have a successful World Cup and then we can give it a big tick.”Glenn Maxwell of Lancashire claimed a career-best 5-40 against Middlesex at Lord’s•Getty Images

However, Maxwell’s role at this year’s tournament is unlikely to be the same as in 2015, when Australia shunned a frontline spinner in favour of hitting the opposition with pace, leaving Maxwell as the only spin option. In the intervening years, spin has played an increasingly important role for all one-day sides, but Australia had lagged behind until quite recently when they threw their weight behind Zampa and Lyon.Still, it’s with the bat that Maxwell could really light up the World Cup. Having slipped to No. 7 during the home summer, as Australia tried to work out how they wanted the one-day side to play, he emerged with the role that many have long thought was right: floating in the middle order, ready to take on the game situation, the way he did in the last World Cup during which his lone ODI hundred came from No. 5: 102 off 53 balls against Sri Lanka. In India and the UAE, he batted from three to six, closing that run of matches with scores of 71, 98 and 70. They were vital innings for a player who has dealt with a host of mixed messages.”It was probably only after the Dubai series where I felt really comfortable with where my game was at,” he said. “I was able to play three really consistent innings, and all completely different – I went about it in different ways in all three of them. So I think that adaptability and consistency is something that Australian cricket and the fans have always really wanted from me. So to do it in three different ways, at different times, was really pleasing for me personally, but it’s something I need to continue to work on to continue being successful.”I generally work with JL [Justin Langer], just keep asking him what he wants from me, and it’ll get to a point where he’ll say ‘go put ’em on’. He’ll send a message out to Aaron, ask him what he thinks, and that’s how we get to that decision. It was something that I did reasonably well in 2015, so we’re sort of trying to emulate that in this World Cup. Hopefully I can do it similar.”English conditions are not foreign to the Australian squad, but Maxwell’s spell with Lancashire, though early season, also gave him the chance to get a taste of what could be on offer. He was involved in an extraordinary game at Trent Bridge, where Lancashire came within a whisker of chasing down Nottinghamshire’s 417. Australia play two of their group matches, against West Indies and Bangladesh, at Trent Bridge and it was also the venue where their under-strength team was plundered for a world-record 481 by England last year.Some of the domestic one-day games were played to the edges of wicket blocks while the main pitches were protected for the marque games to come, but Maxwell still expects some heavy scoring at the World Cup.”There might be a couple of games that are extremely high-scoring. That was the extreme part at Trent Bridge where you’ve got the corner boundary which is quite a cut off. We should’ve basically chased 417, and that’s the sort of conditions we’re going to be exposed to. It didn’t really spin a whole lot. It wasn’t lightning fast, the wickets, and there wasn’t a lot of swing. It should be interesting for the bowlers over there.”

The Catalan coach has tortured Los Merengues and been left traumatised by them in a fascinating odyssey of matches spanning 16 years

“It’s Madrid, it’s special," remarked Pep Guardiola after Manchester City's pulsating 3-3 draw with Los Merengues last week. And he would know. The Catalan has faced Real Madrid 22 times as a coach, with City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona, and many more as a player. He knows what it's like to win against Madrid and to lose to them. His sides have produced scintillating displays against the most glamorous club in European football, and his teams have also been thrashed and humiliated by them.

If it hadn't been for Guardiola, Madrid would have at least three more La Liga titles to their name. and potentially two extra Champion Leagues. And if it hadn't been for Madrid, the Catalan would be the undisputed best coach in the competition's history.

Guardiola grew up despising Madrid as an ardent Barcelona fan and then player, but there is also a deep sense of mutual respect between the coach and the 14-time European champions. "The king of the competition" is how Guardiola referred to Madrid when he learned City would be playing them for the third consecutive season after being drawn together in the quarter-finals. But is his side who currently wear the crown.

Madrid will be looking to dethrone City in Wednesday's second leg at the Etihad Stadium, which will be the latest chapter in an enthralling saga which has thrown up agonising eliminations, era-defining performances, breath-taking goals and someone getting poked in the eye. GOAL relives Guardiola's best ever matches against Real Madrid…

Getty Real Madrid 2-6 Barcelona, May 2009

This was the game when everyone stood up and took notice of Guardiola's powers as a coach. His Barca were already stunning onlookers in his debut season in charge and he had won his first Clasico at the Camp Nou. But Madrid were beginning to reel his side in under Juande Ramos, and a victory for Los Blancos at the Bernabeu would have put them right back in the title race.

Gonzalo Higuain gave Madrid the lead, but Barca came flying back at them, producing an utterly formidable performance. And it was all down to Guardiola's secret plan for Lionel Messi, who he fielded as a 'false nine' for the first time, with devastating consequences.

AdvertisementGetty Barcelona 5-0 Real Madrid, November 2010

Jose Mourinho was seen as the one man who could re-establish Madrid as the dominant force in Spain, especially after his Inter had knocked Barca out of the Champions League the previous season. But in his first Clasico as Blancos boss, the Portuguese's side were annihilated.

Xavi and Pedro got the ball rolling with early goals before David Villa struck twice and Jeffren completed the rout, leading to a gleeful Gerard Pique holding up his five fingers in celebration, one for every goal.

Getty Real Madrid 0-2 Barcelona, April 2011

It was one of the great press conference displays of all-time, followed by one of the greatest goals of all-time. Guardiola had been mocked by Mourinho earlier in the day in the aftermath of a bitter Copa del Rey final defeat just four days previously, and he marched into the press room at Santiago Bernabeu meaning business. He called Mourinho "the f*cking chief, the f*cking boss" when it came to dealing with the media, but said his side would do their talking on the pitch in the Champions League semi-final first leg.

They did exactly that. Mourinho devised an ultra-defensive tactical scheme with Pepe in midfield, which backfired when the Portuguese was sent off. Barca exploited the extra space and Messi broke the deadlock before scoring an extraordinary second, slaloming his way through the Madrid defence from the halfway line before scoring.

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Getty Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid, August 2011

Even considering the long-running history of rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid, tensions between the two clubs were at an all-time high when they met in the Spanish Super Cup just three months after their unforgettable series of four matches within a two-week period.

The first leg at the Bernabeu had ended 2-2, and the return match at Camp Nou was another epic. Cristiano Ronaldo cancelled out Andres Iniesta's opener and then Karim Benzema levelled after Messi had restored Barca's lead. But Messi, typically, had the final say, at least on the pitch.

The Argentine genius scored in the 88th minute to clinch the trophy for Barca, but the game is remembered far more for Mourinho poking Guardiola's assistant Tito Vilanova in the eye in a furious clash between the two benches.

She as been ruled out of the T20I series starting Friday against Sri Lanka after the re-occurrence of a groin injury

Liam Brickhill31-Jan-2019Allrounder Chloe Tryon has been ruled out of the T20I series starting Friday against Sri Lanka after the re-occurrence of a groin injury. It is hoped that Tryon, who is the vice-captain, will recover in time to return for the ODI series starting on 11 February in Potchefstroom.Tryon’s absence has given Suné Luus a lifeline who has been recalled to the team after she was dropped from the original squad. She rejoins a squad that is playing the three-match series as a televised double-header alongside the men’s games against Pakistan starting this Friday at Newlands.Tryon, 25, has played 52 T20Is for South Africa, in which she has struck the ball at 137.86. Captain Dane van Niekerk said that her team would miss Tryon’s big-hitting ability, but she hoped the youngsters being trialled in South Africa’s top order would step in to fill the gap.”It’s a massive blow,” van Niekerk said. “We know how explosive she’s been, and she can hit the ball as far as anyone in the world at the moment. It is a massive blow, but it’s also an opportunity for us, for people within the side to stick up their hands and put some pressure on Chloe as well – to say ‘hey, I can do this job’. We’ve got some powerful hitters – that’s one thing we pride ourselves on, that we’ve got some big hitters, some of the biggest in the world.”Faye Tunnicliffe, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk and Lara Goodall were drafted into the set-up for the three T20Is against Sri Lanka. Saarah Smith also makes a return after recovering from a fractured finger suffered during the World T20.”[Tryon’s absence] doesn’t change things a lot, because we have a lot of batting power within the side, and with the youngsters coming in I’m really excited to see what they do,” van Niekerk said.

Warriors’ all-West Indian top five propelled their side to 140 for 3, and the Shahid Afridi-led Pakhtoons fell decisively short despite Andre Fletcher’s fireworks

The Report by Barny Read in Sharjah02-Dec-2018Northern Warriors sealed T10 League glory in Sharjah on Sunday night, thanks to a 22-run win over Pakhtoons.The Warriors had Rovman Powell (61*) and Andre Russell (38) to thank with the bat while Chris Green (2-11) and Hardus Viljoen (2-24) starred with the ball to deny Shahid Afridi, his thousands of fans, and the Pakhtoons a first T10 title.A public holiday celebrating the UAE’s 47th National Day and free entry to the north stand of the ground made for a packed Sharjah stadium in full party mode.Some Afridi stardust guaranteed a stream of yellow-clad Pakthoons supporters too, the man who has been Sharjah’s main draw for over two decades once again showing his pulling power.The result was a stadium swarming with fans both inside and out as hundreds sprawled across the roads surrounding the ground. And while a roaring crowd welcomed the two protagonists for the showpiece, many more chose the road’s partitions as a vantage point with their eyes fixed on the big screen that broadcasts back out to the stadium’s surrounds.Inside the ground, both teams were more than worthy finalists having topped their respective groups in the opening stage of the tournament and then finished at the top two in the final league table.They had avoided each other until Saturday’s first eliminator, which saw Pakhtoons advance to the final with a 13-run victory that meant the Warriors had to see off Bengal Tigers in the final qualifying match.Darren Sammy’s men duly obliged to set up Sunday’s showdown between the league’s most dominant teams.And having been put into bat by Afridi, the Warriors knew they were up against it considering just seven out of the previous 28 games had been won by the team batting first.But the side’s entirely West Indian top five made a more than competitive 140 for 3 from their ten overs with Powell’s unbeaten 61 from just 25 balls providing the bulk of the ammunition.Powell’s innings included eight fours and four sixes and the right-hander was ably supported by Russell (38 off 12) and Sammy (14* from 9).This year’s tournament has frequently seen individual moments turn games on their head and at the interval, Russell’s destruction of England all-rounder Liam Dawson looked like it could have been the defining over of the game as the Warriors man took Dawson for 27 in the sixth over.It left Pakhtoons with the task of making the highest successful chase ever across T10’s two seasons if they were to lift the trophy.Andre Fletcher – who has been superb throughout the T10 League – got his side off to the perfect start in reply and by the halfway stage, on 62 for 1, Pakhtoons were well on course. Fletcher departed just two balls later with 37 which, despite bringing hero of the hour Afridi to the crease, was a major setback.South African offspinner Green was the man to remove Fletcher and his two-over spell looked just as pivotal as Russell’s demolition of Dawson earlier on. It proved to be the case, despite Afridi (17) briefly threatening to send Sharjah into delirium with a rescue act that was abruptly ended by the tournament’s leading wicket-taker Viljoen.Those same fans that earlier flooded the entrances in their droves in the hope of seeing Afridi lift the trophy, headed for the exits in similar volume with the writing on the wall.Pakhtoons would go on to fall significantly short as Northern Warriors became the second T10 League champions following on from the rebranded Kerala Knights’ inaugural triumph.

Brazil boss Dorival Junior has come in for criticism for praising Robinho after the former forward was jailed for rape.

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Robinho jailed for nine years in Brazil for rapeDorival Junior calls Robinho 'fantastic person'Brazil coach criticised for his commentsWHAT HAPPENED?

Former Real Madrid and Manchester City forward Robinho has been jailed for nine years after being ordered to serve the prison sentence in Brazil, having been found guilty in an Italian court in 2017. Brazil coach Dorival Junior, who is currently in England preparing for a friendly at Wembley, has spoken out about the situation and attracted criticism for his comments about the former forward.

AdvertisementRafael Ribeiro / CBFWHAT DORIVAL JUNIOR SAID

He said: "As the coach of the national team, I have an obligation to speak out. First, I think it's a very delicate situation. Robinho was my player [at Santos in 2010], a fantastic person, such a professional … I didn't have the opportunity to work with Daniel [Alves], but we all know his story within football. It's a difficult time for us to express any and all situations.

"First, I think about the families of the people involved. Especially the victims involved in these episodes, which happen in our country and around the world and which, suddenly, are not addressed. They are hushed up because people don't have a voice. If there was a type of crime that was proven, it must be penalized.

"As much as it hurts my heart to talk about this, about a person with whom I had an exceptional relationship, I care much more for the victims, for the families, as well as for their families too. I know how painful it must have been for each of them to go through a moment like this.

"I don't wish this on anyone, I feel for everything they will go through from then on in their lives, everyone who is involved, what I can do is help them with prayers, nothing more."

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT DORIVAL JUNIOR

Brazil midfielder Ary Borges responds to the coach's words on social media: “This is unbelievable, it really is."

Palmeiras president Leila Pereira has also spoken out about how the media has handled the rape convictions of Robinho and Dani Alves. She told UOL: "Nobody says anything, but I, as a woman here at the head of the delegation, have to take a stand on the cases of Robinho and Daniel Alves. It's a slap in the face for all of us women, especially the case of Daniel Alves, who paid for (his) freedom. It is important for me to position myself. Each case of impunity is the seed of the next crime."

Commentator Natalia Lara applauded Pereira's speech and also criticised Dorival's words in an interview with Sport TV. She said: "Dorival Junior’s speech hurts my heart. Because there is no 'if'. Robinho was sentenced to 9 years in prison. There is no 'if', Dorival. He was convicted. Brazilian football needs to stop being lax and talking about rape. Because it hurts the victim's skin. It doesn't hurt for you, Dorival. It hurts for us, it's a slap in the face, as Leila Pereira so rightly said. Yes, she has the courage to speak, something you didn’t have.”

Brazil midfielder Kerolin also spoke out in a post on X: "How long will women continue to suffer these and other types of crimes and the people who commit them go unharmed?!?!"

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GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Robinho's rape conviction follows that of former Brazil international Dani Alves. The ex-Barcelona star was sentenced to four years and six months in jail in February 2024 after being found guilty of raping a woman in a nightclub. Alves has appealed the conviction and will be released if he can pay bail of €1m (£853,000/$108m) and give up his passports.

INDIANAPOLIS — Your wish has been granted: Gonzaga and Baylor are set to duke it out Monday night for all the marbles. It’s been clear for some time that these are college basketball’s two best men's teams. There have been upsets all across the field of 68, and this has been a memorable tournament, but it may still be defined by the quality of this championship game. Coaches Mark Few and Scott Drew are close friends, who tried to schedule a game here in Indy that was, as you may have heard, canceled in December because of COVID-19.

“They got pros, we got pros,” says Baylor guard Jared Butler. “They win a lot of games, we win a lot of games.” Well, there’s only one left. Here are five keys to watch for as Monday night approaches.

Was the pitch put out for the Johannesburg Test dangerous to the players’ well being? The cricket world has its say

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2018″Two out of 100 [is my rating for the pitch]. It’s a s**t pitch. You can interpret that. They should have called it off when Vijay got hit. This is not a cricket pitch, this is dangerous. Call it off, forget it. You can’t play cricket on that. I have no idea what has gone wrong but I know it’s not a good cricket pitch. The last time I saw something like this, the match was abandoned – in Jamaica 1998, and it didn’t even last this long.”
What the ICC’s regulations say

6.2 Fitness of pitch for play: The umpires shall be the sole judges of the fitness of the pitch for play.

6.4 Changing the pitch: The pitch shall not be changed during the match unless the umpires decide that it is dangerous or unreasonable for play to continue on it and then only with the consent of both captains.

6.4.1 If the on-field umpires decide that it is dangerous or unreasonable for play to continue on the match pitch, they shall stop play and immediately advise the ICC Match Referee.

6.4.2 The on-field umpires and the ICC Match Referee shall then consult with both captains.

6.4.3 If the captains agree to continue, play shall resume.

6.4.4 If the decision is not to resume play, the on-field umpires together with the ICC Match Referee shall consider whether the existing pitch can be repaired and the match resumed from the point it was stopped. In considering whether to authorise such repairs, the ICC Match Referee must consider whether this would place either side at an unfair advantage, given the play that had already taken place on the dangerous pitch.

6.4.5 If the decision is that the existing pitch cannot be repaired, then the match is to be abandoned as a draw.

“The unfortunate thing is that nobody minds movement off the surface, but it’s the uneven bounce that’s the problem and it is quite dangerous from a batting point of view when you have pace attacks bowling around the 140 mark, tall bowlers hitting the deck hard. It is dangerous and it’s not ideal. I have seen pitches like this around the world but, as we keep saying, you want a good contest between bat and ball and this one is not providing that. I’d give it a 3 out of 10.”
“”When you have the physio coming on the field so often to attend to injuries received by batsmen on their hands and chest, we are certainly in the territory of keeping an eye on this pitch and see if it’s dangerous.”
“It’s certainly not a good pitch for Test cricket. It’s the worst Test pitch I’ve seen at the Wanderers. However, I don’t think it’s a pitch worth abandoning the match for. Scoreboard still reads 100 for 3 in the third innings, so there are still runs being scored. Rating: 4.5/10.”
“It’s not the ideal pitch. As a batsman you want the bounce to be consistent. The bounce on this pitch has made it unplayable for batting. [But] I think we should see how it plays for another session [after lunch on day three] before deciding on whether to call it off.
“To play test cricket on this surface is unfair. Saw it in NZ in 2003. Batsman have minimum chance. ICC should look into it.”
“Naughty pitch. Yeah, misbehaving and how. Not good for cricket. Not done, ICC must look into it.”
“Groundsman in SA need to get together and have a bit of a chat. This is a terrible Test wicket. All we want in SA is a little movement and pace and bounce. This is ridiculous!!”
“This pitch at Wanderers is getting dangerous… I am quite happy sitting in my room [rather] than playing on that pile of c**p facing those bowlers! #beentheredonethat #windies”
“It’s quite a spicy wicket. No one can hide from the fact that you can get out every ball. By the same token, it’s challenging as a batsman. Sometimes we get onto wickets that are pretty flat and you can score lots of runs. [Here] it is just quite difficult to bat. Whether its too excessive or not, if you ask a batsman what do you think they will say?”
“Some balls are up and down, so that could be dangerous sometimes for the batsman. But we are not focusing on those things right now. We feel the match is in the balance right now.”

Newcastle United have now turned their attentions to a new forward as they look to move on from Callum Wilson this summer, it has been reported, with Eddie Howe’s side now looking across the Premier League to find their next marksman.

Newcastle set for attacking changes

There is set to be plenty of change for Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side in the summer, with their attack a key area that they are looking to strengthen.

Having sold Miguel Almiron to Atlanta United in January, they are expected to move to sign another winger in the summer amid links to Celtic standout Nicolas Kuhn, while they have also been strongly linked with a move for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo, though they will not be the only side chasing the Cameroonian international.

Centrally, there is also going to be change. Callum Wilson is out of contract at the end of the season and, after another disappointing season with injuries, he is not expected to be offered a new deal on Tyneside, meaning that he will become a free agent amid interest from sides across England.

Newcastle want £50m Champions League ace who they were in talks for in 2024

The Magpies have already scouted him in the past.

ByHenry Jackson Feb 15, 2025

Another player with significant interest is Alexander Isak, though Newcastle will be desperate to keep hold of their talisman, who has scored 17 times already this season. Arsenal and Liverpool have both been linked with the Swede, who is under contract at St James’ Park until 2028, and who Newcastle are hoping to tie to a new contract.

Whether they do or not, it is clear that Howe’s side will be on the hunt for at least one new striker this summer, and now a new target has emerged for the Magpies.

Newcastle eye move for striker

Now, a report in Spain [via Sport Witness] has revealed that Newcastle United have now made Chelsea forward Nicolas Jackson their “priority” to strengthen their attack this summer.

It is claimed that “Newcastle in particular are keen on the Chelsea man as they fear losing Alexander Isak in the summer”, and that he is also wanted by Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Aston Villa.

Currently out injured, Jackson had an excellent start to the 2024/25 campaign, but his form has struggled in recent months,

Appearances

23

Goals

9

Assists

5

Minutes per goal involvement

125

However, he was singled out for high praise by ex-Chelsea man Emmanuel Petit earlier in the campaign, who dubbed his goal against Leicester in November “remarkable”.

“The first touch to avoid the defender is brilliant, the way he won the ball, the first touch is beautiful, just remarkable”, he explained.

Chelsea are believed to be in the market for a new forward this summer and as a result Jackson could be moved on, but should he depart the report adds that the Blues will ask for a fee around €50m (£41.6m).

That could prove too much for Newcastle unless they cash in on Isak, something that few will want to do. However, Jackson would represent an upgrade on Wilson were the Magpies willing to splash the cash.

MRI on April 14 to determine next course of action

Shashank Kishore25-Mar-2023Rajat Patidar, Royal Challengers Bangalore’s breakout star of IPL 2022, is set to miss at least the first half of the upcoming season due to a heel injury. Patidar is currently undergoing rehab at the NCA in Bengaluru.ESPNcricinfo understands Patidar has been advised rest for the next three weeks before an MRI scan will determine his participation in the second half of the competition. He picked up the injury prior to joining the camp, and will need an NCA clearance before linking up with Royal Challengers.Patidar’s absence could force Royal Challengers to rethink their batting combination. With him in the mix, Mike Hesson, the franchise’s director of cricket, had stated after the auction that Virat Kohli would continue to open the batting with Faf du Plessis. The injury now potentially means they could have Kohli slot back at three with one of Finn Allen or Anuj Rawat opening with du Plessis.Related

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Patidar wasn’t picked at last year’s mega auction but came in as a replacement midway through the season following an injury to wicketkeeper Luvnith Sisodia.He announced his arrival in the Eliminator by hitting the fastest hundred by an Indian in the tournament’s history, an innings rated by ESPNcricinfo’s panelists as the best in men’s franchise cricket in 2022.Patidar finished the season as the third-highest run-scorer for Royal Challengers, behind du Plessis and Kohli. He made 333 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 152.75. His IPL exploits along with stellar returns in a title-winning Ranji Trophy campaign with Madhya Pradesh earned him a berth in India’s ODI squad during their home summer last year.Patidar’s unavailability isn’t the only concern for Royal Challengers. There are also doubts over Josh Hazlewood’s participation. The Australian fast bowler is currently recovering from Achilles tendonitis.He flew home midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in February after missing the first two Tests. Hazlewood’s fitness is going to be monitored closely, given Australia have the World Test Championship final and the Ashes coming up immediately after the IPL ends on May 28.