Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have suffered a stadium blow at Wrexham, with full clearance yet to be granted for the club’s rebuilt ‘Kop’ stand.
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Eoin Morgan, England’s one-day captain, has reiterated his enthusiasm for the ECB’s new city-based T20 tournament, saying that the sport has to do whatever is necessary to persuade a new generation of fans to fall in love with the game.Morgan, who will link up with his Kings XI Punjab team-mates next week ahead of his seventh season of IPL cricket, knows at first hand the benefits of being involved in franchise-style tournaments, and has long been an outspoken advocate of change within English cricket for that reason.And right at this moment – amid an unprecedented focus on white-ball cricket that will culminate in the Champions Trophy on home soil in June, and with Joe Root, the new Test captain, yet to lead his team on the field – Morgan’s views carry extra weight as the ranking officer among England’s players.Last week, he was invited by Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive, to address the chairmen and chief executives of the 18 counties during a meeting in London, ahead of next month’s vote at which the new tournament is expected to be given the final go-ahead.And, despite the deep-seated reservations that exist among many traditional fans and administrators, as far as Morgan is concerned, the new-look T20 set-up cannot come soon enough.”Change is always difficult but I don’t think this is change,” Morgan said during a Chance to Shine event in Uxbridge. “It probably should have happened a while ago. We’re always going to have the same cricket fans unless we do something differently.”It’s a huge responsibility in growing the game. People are falling out of love with the game because it’s not engaging enough with the public.”There’s an intention to have a lot of games on free-to-air, which is a huge part of it,” he added. “One of the biggest turning points in my generation has been the 2005 Ashes. To have a lot of people, especially in and around London, who aren’t necessarily into cricket talking about cricket is awesome, and to get that back it’s going to have be as big a change as taking cricket to free-to-air.”Morgan admitted that, as a one-day specialist in a previously Test-orientated set-up, he had at times felt somewhat unwatched as an England cricketer during some of the less high-profile bilateral engagements. “You cannot wait four years for an Ashes series or two years for a Champions Trophy to engage with the public,” he said. “It’s got to be continuous. So creating that opportunity is what Tom [Harrison] was talking about.”In the past two years, however, the success of England’s white-ball cricket has, in part, been attributed to a more liberal attitude towards overseas T20 leagues. This year’s IPL will feature an unprecedented eight England players, and with the exception of Tymal Mills – who only plays T20 cricket – all are expected to feature prominently in England’s Champions Trophy plans.England are currently favourites for that tournament, having been losing finalists on home soil four years ago. And Morgan believes that the intensity of the IPL will help no end in preparing those players in particular to deal with the pressure to perform on the biggest stage – not least Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes, two of the players who attracted the biggest bucks at the auction.Eoin Morgan’s success as England’s one-day captain has coincided with a change of attitude towards white-ball cricket•Getty Images
“It’s only pressure for the first two weeks, while you’re there,” he said. “Then, that’s it. You get over it. No big deal. You’re still trying to get the same result out of what you’ve been doing as a kid.”The price tag is there because that’s your market value. Guys are paid a lot of money because they’re worth it. It becomes a shock for everyone at home because we haven’t been exposed enough to it. I think if the exposure to the IPL at home had been the same from the start until now, as opposed to being just over the last two years, people wouldn’t be as shocked about it.”The examples are round the world,” Morgan added. “And I think there will be more – as time goes on, we’ll see other countries produce franchise leagues. The CPL’s a good example – they took it to America. That was a huge hit, and they are going to take more games again next year.”But I don’t think it will damage county cricket at all. It’s not a gamble. It’s proved in other countries that it’s been done. I’m a massive cricket fan regardless of whether T20 goes through the roof. The majority of cricket fans are like that. To people who say it’s a gamble – which it is not – you can always go back to what you had before that.”Eoin Morgan and Charlotte Edwards were attending a Chance to Shine and Yorkshire Tea event to promote the Junior Journalist competition. To find out more and to enter go to www.chancetoshine.org/juniorjourno
Twitter has reacted in brutal fashion to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s penalty miss on Tuesday night against Scotland as he fired the ball well over the bar.
What happened in the game between Scotland and Georgia?
Scotland made it four wins from four in their quest to qualify for the 2024 European Championships on Tuesday, as they beat Georgia 2-0 at Hampden Park.
Goals from Callum McGregor and Manchester United’s Scott McTominay sealed the win for Steve Clarke’s side, but Napoli’s Kvaratskhelia had a glorious opportunity to pull one back for the visitors after they were awarded a penalty in the 93rd minute.
Much had been made about the 22-year-old’s influence on the game and his threat, but after a pretty poor performance, things only got worse for the winger as he fired the spot kick well over the crossbar.
As you can imagine, those on social media had a field day with the miss. After all, the Napoli star – who netted 12 league goals and claimed 13 assists on the way to a Serie A title – was far from his best on the night and fans online made that clear.
Indeed, some of the responses on Twitter to the awful penalty were ruthless. Here are some of the best…
A couple of users compared the miss to Harry Kane’s penalty for England against France in the World Cup last year…
One fan even claimed Kvaratskhelia couldn’t perform away from Napoli teammate Victor Osimhen…
A couple of Scottish fans weren’t impressed with the winger after seeing him in the flesh for the first time…
Leeds United striker Rodrigo's agent is scheduled to hold a meeting regarding his client's imminent exit from Elland Road, according to journalist Beren Cross.
When did Rodrigo join Leeds?
Rodrigo first arrived in Yorkshire back in 2020 from Valencia and he’s since gone on to make 97 senior appearances after becoming a regular feature of the first-team, but there’s a strong chance that he could be set to depart during the ongoing window.
The Spain international will be out of contract next summer meaning that now will be the final big opportunity that the hierarchy have to cash in should they not want to risk losing him for free in 12 months time, and having established himself as their top-performing offensive player last season, he won’t be short of potential suitors.
The Whites will know that they are resigned to losing several of their big names in the coming weeks with stars like Jack Harrison, Tyler Adams and Robin Koch having already been linked with an exit, and if the following update is to be believed, the 32-year-old could be another to follow in their footsteps and seal a move away from the Championship.
Is Rodrigo leaving Leeds?
Taking to Twitter, Cross revealed that Leeds will meet with Rodrigo's representative possibly in the coming days to discuss his departure from LS11 after three years of service. He wrote:
"Rodrigo's agent, his father, set to meet Leeds top brass imminently to get the wheels moving on his exit. United not expected to make it difficult for him to move and get those wages off the books."
Should the 49ers keep or sell Rodrigo?
Leeds obviously won’t want to lose Rodrigo for nothing and the fee that they could potentially bring in for him will be appealing, but the centre-forward is such a standout player at the club so the 49ers should see if he could be tempted to stay by offering him a new contract.
The Nike-sponsored ace, who pockets £100k-per-week, racked up 14 goal contributions (13 goals and one assist) in 31 Premier League outings last season and recorded 66 shots over the course of the campaign, which was higher than any other of his teammates, as per FBRef.
Rodrigo, who has been lauded a “top talent” by CEO Angus Kinnear, also adds wonderful versatility to the squad with his ability to be deployed in seven different positions over the pitch, including all across the frontline and even in the midfield, so retaining his services is something that the board shouldn’t even have to think twice about if possible.
The summer transfer window is well underway and Glasgow Rangers have been incredibly busy ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign.
Dujon Sterling, Jack Butland, Kieran Dowell, Abdallah Sima, and Sam Lammers have all joined the club to bolster the squad from last season, while the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Scott Arfield, and Ryan Kent have moved on from Ibrox.
The Daily Record have also claimed that the club are closing in on the signings of Jose Cifuentes, from LAFC, and Cyriel Dessers, from Cremonese, to take the number of new arrivals to seven.
However, Michael Beale could also add to his first-team options by promoting one of the B-Team stars over to the senior group if they impress during pre-season, with Lewis Mayo, Ben Williamson, Cole McKinnon, Kieran Wright, and Arron Lyall all reportedly joining the manager's squad for training this week.
Who is Arron Lyall?
The 19-year-old, who is part of the group of young players attempting to catch the eye of the boss, is an exciting winger who predominantly plays on the right but is also capable of playing on the left or through the middle.
Rangers have been linked with interest in signing a new wide player, with LAFC's Kwadwo Opoku a reported €4.8m (£4.1m) transfer target, and Beale could now save the club millions by unleashing Lyall as a first-team player, preventing the need for a fresh addition from elsewhere.
The teenage wizard, who was described as "exciting" by ex-boss Neil McCann, enjoyed a prolific 2022/23 campaign as he plundered 15 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions, including 13 in 34 Lowland League outings.
Meanwhile, Antonio Colak (14) and James Tavernier (16) were the only senior stars with more league goals, while Malik Tillman was the highest-scoring midfielder with ten.
This suggests that the speed demon, whose "terrific" burst of pace was hailed by journalist Jordan Campbell, has the potential to be an excellent wide option for Beale if he can translate his impressive B-Team form over to the Premiership.
He did enough to convince the manager to hand him his debut for Rangers off the bench against Hibernian at the end of last season, which suggests that the 42-year-old tactician views the goalscoring winger as a prospect with the quality to play first-team football.
It's an exciting time to be part of the toward line at Ibrox right now, something that will be boosted by Dessers' arrival. He found the net on ten occasions last term and the 28-year-old, who is now in his prime, could be one of the players to immediately take Lyall under his wing and develop him as a footballer.
It is unlikely the teen will get too many minutes immediately but it could be the start of a fresh new partnership at Ibrox.
Beale must start by offering Lyall enough opportunities to impress in pre-season with a view to increasing his role in the senior side next term, if he can handle the step up to playing at that level on a regular basis.
Such an eventuality could subsequently prevent any need for Rangers to sign a new winger.
Arsenal's deal for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is "almost there", with talks progressing on payment terms and the structure of the deal, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Is Declan Rice signing for Arsenal?
With Manchester City dropping out of the race for Rice earlier this week, Arsenal seemingly have a clear run at the West Ham captain, and they have finalised an agreement in principle over a move totalling £105m, including add-ons.
However, the intricacies of the deal still need to be sorted out, with West Ham eager to receive the initial £100m lump sum before 2025, while the Gunners would prefer to stagger the payments over a period of five years.
The same report details that personal terms have already been agreed, meaning the last remaining hurdle is agreeing on a payment structure with the Hammers, and a new update from Romano appears to indicate progress has been made in that regard.
Taking to Twitter, the transfer expert has now claimed the deal is "almost there", with Arsenal and West Ham "progressing in talks" to agree on payment terms and the structure of the move.
"Talks will continue" to get the deal done, however, it is now "close", with a £105m package having already been agreed.
"Declan Rice deal, almost there! Arsenal and West Ham are progressing in talks to agree on payment terms/structure of the deal — it’s really, finally close now. Talks will continue to get it done… and then, here we go. £105m package/fee agreed two days ago."
Is Declan Rice a defensive midfielder?
The 24-year-old has most commonly been deployed in a defensive midfield role throughout his career, but he has also been utilised at centre-back on 52 occasions, displaying his versatility.
It is clear the England international is most comfortable in a deeper role, ranking in the 95th percentile for interceptions per 90, and in the 83rd for clearances over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.
However, the central midfielder, dubbed "fantastic" in the media, does also manage to get on the scoresheet from time to time, netting five goals in all competitions last season, including a brilliant solo goal in the Europa Conference League quarter-final against Gent.
That said, if the Englishman is to fulfill his £105m price tag at Arsenal truly, then he probably does need to add a few more goals to his game, and there are indications he will be able to do so, having previously been hailed as West Ham's "best finisher" by Jack Wilshere.
It is exciting news that Arsenal's deal for Rice is edging closer to completion, as he could play a huge role in helping Mikel Arteta's side bridge the gap to Man City next season.
Mark Boucher had taken over as Titans coach in August last year, with his initial tenure extending until the 2017-18 season
ESPNcricinfo staff20-May-2017Former South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher will remain Titans coach until the end of the 2019-20 domestic season, after signing a two-year extension with the franchise. Boucher, who was recently named CSA Coach of the Year, mentored Titans to both domestic limited-overs titles – CSA T20 Challenge and Momentum One Day Cup – while the team finished a close second in the Sunfoil Series first-class competition.Boucher, who has a Level 2 coaching qualification, had a stint as consultant with the national side ahead of their Test series last year against New Zealand, before joining Titans as a replacement for Rob Walter. His initial contract had extended until the end of the 2017-18 season.Assessing his performance over the past 12 months, Boucher was quoted as saying by : “It’s great to have done well in my first year. The culture in the team is one I’ve always looked up to as a player, and when I stepped into the role as coach, it was one of those ‘wow’ factors.”Titans’ assistant coach Mandla Mashimbyi, who has been in the role since 2013, has also extended his tenure until the end of the 2018-19 season. Mashimbyi is also the assistant coach of the South Africa A side and will tour with the squad for the series against England which begins on June 1.Heading into his second season with the franchise, Boucher acknowledged Mashimbyi’s role in helping him ease into the Titans’ scheme of things.”It’s a very successful set-up. I’ve related to the players really well and, thankfully, they accepted me in a very good way. Working alongside Mandla, with all his experience and knowledge of the franchise, has helped me fit into the structures and processes that were already in place.”Meanwhile, Mark Charlton has stepped down as Northerns Seniors coach, and been roped in as the High Performance Manager for Titans Cricket. In the newly-created position, Charlton has been tasked with the responsibility of coordinating the franchise’s pipeline structures in terms of player development.
Kuldeep Yadav could feel the pressure of bowling to MS Dhoni on Wednesday evening. Despite being a spinner, Kuldeep was picked by Gautam Gambhir to bowl the 18th over of Rising Pune Supergiant’s innings with Dhoni and Steven Smith in a partnership of 35 runs from 21 balls. One batsman had regained his touch of smashing sixes in the end overs and the other has not gone out of form since landing in India for the Test series.”If you are a spinner there’s always pressure on you,” Kuldeep said after the match. “As a spinner, I believe that you can put the opposition under pressure by picking wickets. Like in the last over I took two wickets and they were under pressure. Bowling the 18th over is always tough; the captain needs to believe in you for that.”Kuldeep’s first ball to Dhoni in the match, in the 16th over, had been pulled for a flat six over midwicket. In the 18th over, Kuldeep deceived Dhoni with a googly. Dhoni stepped out to get to the pitch of the ball, but it turned away, beat his bat and was stumped.”Bowling to Dhoni is always challenging and I could feel the pressure,” Kuldeep recalled. “But I wasn’t scared that he would hit me for a six or a four. I flighted the ball and I was focused on getting him out.”Three balls later, Kuldeep had Manoj Tiwary on strike, Rising Pune’s best batsman this season in terms of strike rate (with at least five innings). Kuldeep had conceded only three runs in four balls until then in the over and he had Tiwary stumped even though the batsman did not step out to hit him. Kuldeep bowled another googly, Tiwary leaned forward to tuck the ball to the leg side with the spin but the ball went the other way and Tiwary’s back foot was outside the crease.Kuldeep, however, said the conventional legspinner was still his stock delivery as he used the wrong’un and the flipper mainly to get wickets.”It (googly) is only a variation and you can use it in T20s to confuse a batsman when he is attacking,” he said. “But I really believe in my chinaman bowling rather than the wrong’un and flipper. I back my stock ball more and I’m mainly a chinaman bowler; the wrong’un is a variation you use to pick wickets or stop the runs. But my main delivery is chinaman delivery. Obviously, the wrong’un gets you wickets and the batsmen keep wondering if the ball will come in or go out, they find it difficult to pick, especially the overseas batsmen. So if you dismiss Indian batsmen like that, it’s a big boost for confidence.”Kuldeep has so far gone wicketless in just one match this IPL and has collected eight wickets, joint with team-mates Nathan Coulter-Nile and Umesh Yadav, who have had the advantage of a pacer-friendly relaid pitch at Eden Gardens.Kuldeep has had an impressive run since the beginning of the domestic season. He was the highest wicket-taker and the leading run-scorer for Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy; he topped the wicket-takers charts in the Duleep Trophy too, with 17 wickets in three matches, and he shone on his Test debut with 4 for 68 against Australia in Dharamsala.”If you play the entire season and you’re highest run-getter or the highest wicket-taker, it becomes easier to play on the next level because of the momentum you are carrying,” Kuldeep said. “If you aren’t playing domestic cricket you might lack in some places. I’ve played Duleep Trophy, one-dayers, T20s, India A, so this season has been really helpful for me which is why I have a lot of confidence.”Knight Riders will play their next match against Delhi Daredevils on Friday.
Gotham FC standout Imani Dorsey explains why she stepped back during the 2023 campaign, highlighting a mental health battle.
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Dorsey explains 2023 campaign absence from Gotham FCSays it was due to mental health battleNWSL CBA allowed her to be successful during absenceWHAT HAPPENED?
The 2018 NWSL Rookie of the Year – and one-time USWNT capped player – watched Gotham FC lift the 2023 NWSL championship trophy from the bench last weekend, just as she did all campaign. However, it was her choice, with the support of the club, staff and her teammates.
Dorsey shared via Instagram that during 2023 she stepped back from the game this past Spring due to a mental health battle. Her absence was also supported by the NWSL's collective bargaining agreement that was ratified in 2022; the agreement provides players with up to six months of paid leave to support their mental health.
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The 2022 NWSL CBA was ground-breaking for the league and the respective players who compete in it. For someone like Dorsey, who was in need of mental health support, she was able to rely on both the league and her team over the course of the campaign.
Over the course of the year, her social media post highlights different things she was able to do as a result of her break, describing it as 'unforgettable memories' and as a result of her choice, she walks away a 'CHAMPION.'
WHAT DORSEY SAID:
Her Instagram post reads in full: "My year looked a little different than my teammates. Back in April with the help of my family I made the really hard decision to step back from soccer to focus on my mental health. While I didn’t know where this journey would take me, the time I got to spend with friends and family, exploring aspects of myself I typically had little time or capacity to enjoy, helped me better understand who I am, what I love and what makes me, me – without soccer.
"When I took a step back in April I didn’t know if I would return, but I am grateful to say my time away helped me rediscover what I love about this sport – competing, being active, and being a part of a team – and am now so excited to continue playing. As grateful as I have always been to play as a pro, it often felt like a burden rather than the privilege and opportunity it most definitely is. I may not have known where I would be come November initially, but I am so happy to see where I have ended up – and how far I have come. I am so grateful to our CBA and all the work put in by players and our PA to advocate for mental health.
"Thank you to Gotham for supporting me every step of the way and welcoming me back with open arms. And thank you to my family, friends, and everyone who has shown me love and support this year – it is really hard to be vulnerable and with your help I was able to take care of myself in a way I didn’t know I needed.
"To everyone who is struggling, who doesn’t see an end in sight and doesn’t know what to do – know that it is ok to put yourself first. Lean on the people around you and confide in those you trust. Without my family and my faith, I don’t know where I’d be right now. It is really hard to do, but sometimes it’s ok and it’s the right choice to take a step back. It gave me the perspective and energy and confidence I needed. I would never trade this journey or my decision.
"Because of it, I walk away from this year a CHAMPION, incredibly proud of who I have become along the way, all the unforgettable memories I have made, and excited for what my future holds."
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WHAT NEXT FOR DORSEY AND GOTHAM?
The 27-year-old will now look to prepare for the 2024 campaign with the Bats, where she will hopefully make a return to the pitch. Coming off of their first-ever NWSL Championship, Gotham has high hopes for 2024 and now, they have the biggest offseason the in the history of their organization.
An Argentina supporter was arrested on suspicion of racism during the World Cup qualifying match against Brazil at the Maracana on Tuesday.
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