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Injuries should have handed the United captain a way back into the team, but he now faces fresh competition in his position from the left-back

Harry Maguire must have felt under pressure when Manchester United signed Raphael Varane in 2021 and then even more so when Lisandro Martinez arrived last year.

But injuries to United's two first-choice, World Cup-winning centre-backs have not returned Maguire to the frontline of Erik ten Hag's defence.

He faces a new challenge in Luke Shaw that, rather like Erik Lamela chasing him down at the Sanchez Pizjuan, he did not see coming.

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Shaw has been used at centre-back on a number of occasions this season, and while he is still most useful at left-back, he is more than capable at the heart of defence.

And on current form, he is a much better option than Maguire.

(C)Getty ImagesInjuries and suspension lead Ten Hag to Shaw again

Although Shaw excelled when asked to play at centre-back shortly after the World Cup, his latest stint in the position came about by accident.

With Varane and Martinez out for the season and Maguire suspended for the FA Cup semi-final against Brighton, Ten Hag had little choice but to partner Shaw alongside Victor Lindelof.

The partnership worked well, with United managing to keep the normally free-scoring Brighton at bay for 120 minutes before prevailing on penalties.

Maguire then picked up an injury in training the day before the Tottenham game, meaning Shaw had to play there again.

Even though United threw away a two-goal lead to draw with Tottenham, Shaw was again outstanding.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesShaw excels again in unfamiliar role

He anticipated well, defending calmly while also putting his body on the line. And he showed real leadership, stepping in to midfield to put out fires.

Shaw chased down Son Heung-min and cleanly robbed the ball off him and charged down Richarlison to halt a Tottenham counter without even conceding a foul.

His passing was excellent, with United benefitting from that rarest of commodities, a left-footed centre-back.

He also got in good attacking positions, sending in a fine cross on to the head of Casemiro late in the game which the Brazilian glanced just over the bar.

With Shaw in the side, United looked comfortable in possession and were able to play the ball out from the back a lot more smoothly than with Maguire, who badly struggled in his last two appearances, against Nottingham Forest and Sevilla.

As a left-back, Shaw is used to taking on opponents and being pressed, making him far more suited to the style of play United aspire to under Ten Hag than Maguire.

GettyClimbing from League One to a World Cup semi-final

Amid the memes and derision from rival fans in stadiums and on social media, it is easy to forget that Maguire was one of the most coveted defenders in world football only five years ago.

Coming through Sheffield United's youth academy before breaking into the first team aged 18, he climbed his way through the English football pyramid, from League One to the Premier League.

He was even scouted by Man Utd in 2013 when David Moyes was manager, although the club neglected to sign him for only £4 million ($5m).

Maguire signed for Hull in 2014 and proved himself in the Premier League to earn a move to Leicester three years later.

He continued his rapid rise with the Foxes and impressed for England too, becoming one of the most-loved players of the Three Lions' run to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, scoring a header in the quarter-final victory over Sweden.

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United outbid City in record transfer for a defender

His value rocketed after the tournament and Jose Mourinho made a real push to sign him that same summer, but United would not meet Leicester's £60m ($75m) asking price.

The following season Manchester City declared their interest in signing Maguire to replace departing captain Vincent Kompany.

But the Red Devils outbid their neighbours and in August 2019 landed Maguire for £80m ($100m), exceeding the £75m ($94m) Liverpool paid Southampton for Virgil van Dijk in January 2018.

Four years on, Maguire remains the most expensive defender in the world.

But while the Van Dijk helped Liverpool take the final step in their steady rise under Jurgen Klopp, helping them to three Champions League finals and ending their 30-year wait for a league title, Maguire's best achievements have been leading United to two top-four finishes and the 2021 Europa League final, which he ended up missing through injury.

A 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest in August 1992 proved an ominous sign of things to come for Graeme Souness' Liverpool.

Time really does fly, doesn’t it? Especially in top-level football.

Last month marked the 30th anniversary of Liverpool’s first Premier League game, a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest in first ever ‘Super Sunday’ offering. 

Teddy Sheringham’s first-half goal, his last in a Forest shirt as it turned out, settled matters at the City Ground, the game offering a window into the kind of problems that would beset the Reds under Graeme Souness during a season that would see them finish sixth, some 25 points adrift of champions Manchester United.

From a Liverpool perspective, the 'Class of 92' was far from a vintage one, but where are they now, some three decades on?

GOAL reveals all…

GettyDavid James

James was one of two Reds debutants that day at Forest, and by the time he retired from playing in 2014, he had amassed more Premier League appearances (572) than any other goalkeeper in the competition’s history.

Indeed, at the time of writing only four players – Gareth Barry, Ryan Giggs, Frank Lampard and James Milner – have racked up more games. James played more than 250 games for Liverpool before representing Aston Villa, West Ham, Manchester City and Portsmouth with distinction.

He finished his career in India with Kerala Blasters and is now a successful and erudite television pundit.

AdvertisementGettyNick Tanner

One of a number of players signed from lower league clubs during Kenny Dalglish’s final years in charge at Anfield, defender Tanner, who arrived from Bristol Rovers, would go on to make 59 appearances for Liverpool after making his debut in 1989.

Most of those came during that first Premier League campaign, when he played 45 times in all competitions, but a persistent back problem meant he was forced to retire in 1994, aged only 29.

He tried his hand at scouting and in management with non-league clubs such as Almondsbury Town and Mangotsfield, and can often be found summarising Liverpool games for .

His book was released in 2017.

GettyDavid Burrows

A left-back who arrived from West Brom in 1988, Burrows would make nearly 200 appearances for the Reds and is one of only a handful of players to have represented both Liverpool and Everton in the Premier League.

He also played for the likes of West Ham, Coventry, Birmingham and Sheffield Wednesday before retiring in 2003 due to injury.

He now lives in Dordogne, France, where he and his wife rent out holiday properties.

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GettySteve Nicol

One of Liverpool’s all-time greats, the versatile Nicol made more than 450 appearances for the Reds and won eight major honours, as well as being named Footballer of the Year in 1989.

He left for Notts County in 1995 and later played for Sheffield Wednesday, West Brom and Doncaster before moving to the USA in 1999.

There, he would carve out a hugely successful coaching career, spending nine years in MLS with New England Revolution, where he won the North American SuperLiga and US Open Cup. He now works as a television pundit for . 

After a dramatic last 16, who of the remaining eight sides is most likely to go on and lift the European Cup in Paris?

After just over two months away, the Champions League returned in style, with the last 16 throwing up plenty of talking points and surprises as Europe's elite continue to battle for the greatest prize the continent has to offer.

Defending champions Chelsea remain alive and are joined in the quarter-finals by some of the best teams European football has ever seen, though Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Ajax all fell in the first knockout round.

So, who are the favourites to lift the trophy following the draws for the latter stages, and which teams are set for continental disappointment?

GOAL'sChampions League Power Rankings are here to lay it all out…

Getty Images8Benfica | Last time: 8th

Regardless of who Benfica drew, they were always going to be considered as outsiders for the competition, but they could barely have asked for a more difficult tie than facing Liverpool.

In Darwin Nunez, the Portuguese side possess one of Europe's most in-form attackers, but the Uruguay international will have to produce something special if his team are to make it into the final four.

AdvertisementGetty Images7Villarreal | Last time: 7th

After knocking out Juventus in emphatic fashion in the last 16, Villarreal will fear no one going forward, but a quarter-final tie with Bayern Munich will be far from straightforward.

The Europa League champions have shown they have what it takes to win knockout ties in continental competition, but it feels like taking down the Bundesliga giants might be a step too far for Unai Emery's men.

Getty Images6Atletico Madrid | Last time: 6th

Undoubtedly the weakest side in their half of the draw, Atletico Madrid will have to be at their very best to go all the way to the final, knowing they will have to beat Manchester City and either Chelsea or Real Madrid to do so.

That said, if any team can cause an upset in the competition, it is the one managed by Diego Simeone, and they will not make life easy for City in the quarter-finals as they look to complete a Manchester double in this season's competition.

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Getty Images5Chelsea | Last time: 5th

Chelsea will take confidence from the fact that they beat Real Madrid in the semi-finals of last season's tournament when they face off again in this year's quarters, but there is no doubt that the circumstances are different.

Not only are Madrid a much better side now than they were then, they could yet have the advantage of getting to play their home leg in front of fans while Chelsea are forced to play behind closed doors at Stamford Bridge amid their ongoing ownership issues.

Between two closely-matched sides, that could make all the difference.

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has rubbished all talks of rift in his side, and has urged everybody to not let these notions take away from the fact that Pakistan have not been playing good cricket

Sidharth Monga in Mohali 25-Mar-20161:08

‘We need to pick better fielders next time’ – Waqar

Pakistan coach Waqar Younis has rubbished all talks of a rift in his side, and has urged everybody to not let these notions take away from the fact that Pakistan have not been playing good cricket. Waqar’s own future as the Pakistan coach is not certain – his contract comes up for renewal in June – but he had advice, especially for the Pakistan selectors: look at the fielding aspect too before they pick players. Pakistan’s sloppy fielding might have been the difference between against Australia and New Zealand in the last two matches, with too many of them needing hiding.”I think the difference between the teams is very obvious and clear,” Waqar said. “We are not the best fielding side in the tournament. We need to think hard. The selectors need to look at that too. When you pick someone you have to look at the fielding aspect of his game. We have to look at youngsters. These big events bring about change so let’s see.”When asked about reports of rift in the team, Waqar said: “That the boys are not in agreement, not united, these are all made-up things. I was myself disturbed that such rumours have been spread. We are not playing good cricket, and that’s the bottom line. As a result of that we have to face this.”Waqar said losing against New Zealand three nights ago, when they were in charge of the chase after an explosive start from Sharjeel Khan, hurt him more than the loss to Australia. “There is obvious disappointment of getting knocked out of the World Cup,” he said. “We were disappointed more about the New Zealand game than this one because that match was in our control. We made mistakes with our bowling [today]. Not just in the final overs, when we went for a few, but whenever we got wickets we conceded boundaries. Had we bowled well they wouldn’t have scored 193. The boys were off the plan, we made mistakes.”Waqar was asked if Pakistan cricket was in terminal decline, and what the reason behind it was. “Now that we have just been knocked out, if I say something it might sound as an excuse,” Waqar said. “But if you look deeply there has been no cricket in Pakistan for the last six-seven years; its effects are showing. We had match-winners too. Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez, who could bowl. Yes there is indeed a bit of decline, and we need to arrest it. We will have to look at our domestic cricket and our infrastructure.”About the future – his own and Afridi’s – Waqar was less certain. About himself, Waqar said: “About my career we will see what the state of affairs are. Will meet the chairman of the PCB and then decide.”Afridi was supposed to address the press conference after the defeat, but at the last moment Waqar was asked to come. “What I have heard is he [Afridi] is going to go back and do the press conference in Pakistan,” Waqar said. “Then he will decide what his future plans are.” As with Afridi’s two-decade career, his next move is anybody’s guess.

Tom Abell backed up Andy Flower’s warm words about his potential with a Championship century at Edgbaston

Jon Culley at Edgbaston08-May-2016
ScorecardTom Abell’s hundred came after some flattering comments from Andy Flower•Getty ImagesOne factor that has undoubtedly not helped as England continue their search for a long-term replacement for Andrew Strauss at the top of the Test side’s batting order is that some of the qualities required are just not that fashionable.Being solid, dependable and difficult to get out are virtues that are appreciated, without doubt. The trouble is that, in a game which, thank goodness, has grasped the need to be entertaining, the modern young batsman aspires to be something more. He is naturally less patient, too, than his forbears.When Alex Hales, the latest to try to nail down the job as Alastair Cook’s partner, spoke the other day of needing still to learn when to attack and when to rein himself in, he was in a way speaking for his generation. Aggression is a useful quality in an opener, if it can be kept under wraps and unleashed as appropriate. For Hales, though, it is an instinct and effort is required to curb it.It is little wonder, then, that wise old heads such as Marcus Trescothick and Andy Flower, are excited by the potential of Tom Abell. Unlike Hales and so many of his contemporaries, the 22-year-old Somerset opener, who made his maiden first-class century last summer with Trescothick batting at the other end, is building his game around the age-old premise that if you can bat for long enough in support of those around you the runs will probably come anyway, as they did here in a second career century that was vital to Somerset’s cause.Flower, the former England head coach, watched Abell and Trescothick bat together earlier this season and though Abell was out cheaply on that occasion Flower has commented since that he thought both looked like international batsmen, which was quite a compliment to pay a young player in the infancy of his career.Not that the former Taunton School pupil would not like to be Hales – to a degree anyway. “Don’t get me wrong,” he said, acknowledging that his white-ball form has been mixed. “I’d love to expand my game and play across all formats.”But at the moment I have my limitations as a batsman and you have to play around those and play to your strengths, which in my case I suppose is my temperament. I’m clear about my role in the side, which is to bat as long as I can and play the anchor role, with good stroke-players around me in the side.”I saw those comments from Andy Flower and when you hear praise like that it is flattering, but I’m trying to keep my feet firmly on the ground.”I have struggled a bit this season and I rode my luck a bit today against some very disciplined bowling, so it meant a lot to get to a hundred.”He is modest as well as patient. As a stroke-maker, is better than he gives himself credit for, as the crowd at Edgbaston witnessed in an innings that was critical in holding Somerset together after Chris Rogers decided to go for the optional coin toss and was rewarded with the chance to bat first.Rogers fell without scoring, Trescothick for 12 and when James Hildreth, who had looked in good fettle, was brilliantly caught by Sam Hain at short leg, Abell found himself carrying a heavy responsibility to ensure that Warwickshire, for whom Keith Barker bowled particularly well, did not take a potentially decisive grip on the contest within the first couple of sessions.He responded impressively, rarely offering any suggestion that his calm demeanour might desert him, even though he felt he benefited from some streaky runs. Twice last season he carried his bat, for 76 out of 200 against Nottinghamshire at Taunton and for 88 from 170 against Warwickshire here, and he looked of a mind to do something similar this time, although when bad balls asked to be hit, he gave them the treatment. He pulled a short ball from Boyd Rankin for a very early six and passed 50 while striking three fours in a row off Rikki Clarke.His hundred came courtesy of an all-run four to a sweep off Jeetan Patel to add to 11 fours off the bat, as well as that six, in reaching the milestone off 175 balls.Somerset’s total of 295 was not all down to Abell. Three down for 84 at lunch and 117 for 4 soon afterwards when Jim Allenby edged Barker to gully, they owed a good deal too to the experience of Peter Trego, who shared the burden in a partnership of 110 for the fifth wicket and looked on for a hundred of his own before Chris Woakes had him leg before on 94.Abell, who spent his winter playing grade cricket in Perth after passing up the chance to go to France as part of his Exeter University degree course, fell to the medium pace of Jonathan Trott of all people, attempting to work the ball to leg. Trott finished with 2 for 26, the first time he has taken two wickets in a Championship innings since 2010.Trott found himself batting at the close as Warwickshire lost two quick wickets, placing a little more pressure on Ian Bell, who could bat himself back into England contention with some runs on day two, although his absence from the field for the final session, a precautionary rest after tweaking a hamstring in the field, is a slight concern.

Despite India’s 1-2 loss to Bangladesh, Suresh Raina has said that one poor show during an otherwise prosperous season is not grounds to vilify the team

Alagappan Muthu in Mirpur24-Jun-20153:25

‘You can’t disrespect Dhoni’s achievements’ – Raina

Although the 2-1 series defeat to Bangladesh has generated severe critique against India, Suresh Raina, after the 77-run win in the third ODI, has said that one poor show during an otherwise prosperous season is not grounds to vilify the team.”The team’s graph is going upwards definitely,” he said. “These were the last matches of the season. We don’t know when we are next playing one-days. We have done quite well in the format and we are still No.2 in the world. It’s not that you become good or bad in just one series.”India have won 14 out of 20 ODIs in the 2014-15 season, putting them third behind Australia and New Zealand. That also provided reason for Raina to stick to the same argument regarding MS Dhoni’s role as captain.”You can’t disrespect him and what he has achieved,” Raina said. “He has won so many trophies for BCCI. At the same time he’s a good human being, good honest man. One series can’t make him bad. He’s a good leader. Everyone loves him in the dressing room. There’s still a lot of cricket left for him. So just wait for some time.”Having stuck to his role as finisher for a long time, Dhoni has hiked himself up the order to try and lend India’s middle order some backbone. He struck 69 off 77 balls to help India to its only win on this tour.”The way he [Dhoni] has batted in the last two games has showed how important No. 4 is for him,” Raina said. “He has taken a lot of responsibility over the years and he showed it today as well. He set the tone for us today with Shikhar [Dhawan]. Me and Stuey [Binny] had a good partnership after the 40th over, you can execute [big shots] later on. Look at the kind of players we have. Look at Ambati Rayudu, he batted really well with MS also. So If you have a partnership of 70-80, then you can easily accelerate later on.That meant Raina, with his experience, became the designated finisher. He took to the role quite well on a slow pitch in Mirpur, striking 38 off 21 balls, helping India rack up 90 runs in the last 10 overs. While admitting that the chances of success batting lower down the order are up and down, he did say he was better suited to the role now.”No. 6 is not an easy position, you have to accelerate,” he said. “Sometimes you get runs, sometimes you don’t. But still you need to be positive in your mind. I am really happy. I have worked really hard with Ravi [Shastri] and at the same time Sanjay Bangar has really helped me a lot as well. Like I used to bat at leg stump, but Ravi said if you stay at middle you can play your shots over cover, over mid-off, over mid-on [better].”My mindset has improved over the years as well. I have learned how to bat with the tailenders. When you are not scoring runs up front, you need to just look to bat really well with whoever comes in. Whether it is Jadeja, Axar, Ashwin, Stuart or Harbhajan…because you need to get a lot of runs towards the end because getting totals of 260-280 are easier to defend.”Having expressed a desire to bat higher in the line-up and shape an innings, Raina conceded that he was happy to pitch in however he could.”No regrets moving down the order. I just want to win games for India. I can score a quick 40 or a quick 80. But still when we won the World Cup in 2011, I scored 35 not out against Australia and 37 not out against Pakistan. That’s my best innings ever. I would love to bat up the order, but whatever the team needs me to do, I just have to take that responsibility.”A part of that has been to chip in as a part-time bowler, especially on slow pitches like in Mirpur. Raina said, apart from “working hard” on his offspin and tidbits from R Ashwin, his instincts as a batsman comes in handy.”You know that five fielders are in and you have to contain, not let them rotate the strike. It’s pressure on the batsmen too, chasing 300 and they know that five fielders are inside – that gives a chance to bowlers if you bowl a good line and length. I know how a batsman plays in that situation because when I’m batting, my mind also works like that. So I have some experience of bowling in those situations.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the second Test between England and New Zealand at Headingley

The preview by Alex Winter28-May-2015Match factsMay 29-June 2, 2015
Start time 11am local (1000 GMT)4:02

‘England should stay aggressive’

Big PictureEngland’s week couldn’t have gone better at Lord’s. It was was a major surprise to everybody that they turned things around in such dramatic fashion having slipped well behind in the game. It was reckoned to be their greatest victory since the India tour of 2012 and a style of cricket not seen since the great days of Michael Vaughan’s captaincy. Suddenly people are giving the England cricket team a second glance.England have a new man to empty the bars. The new Botham, the new Flintoff, the new Pietersen, whoever you reincarnate in Ben Stokes, his draw was on show to the wider British public for the first time. They may have slept through his hundred in Perth; probably didn’t even realise a match was on when he hammered Notts in last season’s Royal London Cup semi-final; but here was his ability displayed on the grandest stage (and in glorious high-definition in a limited number of living rooms).They have even sat up and taken notice at Headingley. It has been the chilliest of Springs in northern England, hardly weather to encourage a big turnout, but Yorkshire have sold 5,000 tickets since Moeen Ali’s springing catch brought England victory and, with almost 40,000 sold in all, have reason to join the Stokes fan base.The challenge for England now is to keep entertaining. Will they continue to play aggressive cricket? Brendon McCullum wondered. His New Zealanders are committed to taking the game to the opposition, in any situation it would seem following some of the final afternoon dismissals at Lord’s, but England may have stumbled across a strategy that paid off handsomely and largely thanks to one man.McCullum said New Zealand themselves had to decide what brand of cricket they wanted to play when he took charge. His uber-positive style has seen them go undefeated in their last six Test series but now they need victory at Headingley to keep that run going. McCullum regards New Zealand as the “authentic” believers in aggressive cricket and pointedly wondered if England, traditionally more conservative, had just stumbled across such an approach. Under Headingley’s tyrannical skies, there will be times when a spot of conservatism might not go amiss..Form guide(last five matches, most recent first)
England WLWDW
New Zealand LWWWDThings went better for Alastair Cook at Lord’s than he could have expected•Getty ImagesIn the spotlightLord’s can be a difficult place for opening batsmen, particularly on debut, and Adam Lyth made just 7 and 12 in his first Test. He should feel more relaxed on his home ground and it was during this Test last summer that the man he replaced, Sam Robson, made a century. Unfortunately for Robson it could well be his only Test hundred. Lyth, more used to the demands caused by Headingley cloud cover, will hope a solid showing here will lead to bigger things.Questions were asked of how well New Zealand’s IPL contingent would cope with the quick turnaround to Test cricket and Tim Southee did not appear to have made the switch seamlessly, looking a little jaded having sent down 58 overs, taken three wickets, and conceded 266 runs at four-and-a-half an over. Will he have recuperated in time for a better showing at Headingley?Teams newsEngland are likely to be unchanged from Lord’s. James Anderson and Mark Wood were both reported to be a “bit sore” but are both anticipated to be fine.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Adam Lyth, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Joe Root, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Moeen Ali, 9 Mark Wood, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James AndersonNew Zealand have two injury worries. BJ Watling, who missed the second Test on the last tour, is still struggling with his knee that saw him not able to keep wicket for most of the Lord’s Test. His exclusion would rob New Zealand of an influential player in their run of six undefeated Test series. Corey Anderson also has a back problem; if he plays he is likely not to bowl. His injury concerns will be felt at Somerset, where he has signed up for the NatWest Blast. Luke Ronchi, for his Test debut, and Doug Bracewell are in line to replace the injured pair.New Zealand (possible) 1 Tom Latham, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Brendon McCullum (capt), 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 Mark Craig, 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Matt Henry, 10 Tim Southee, 11 Trent BoultPitch and conditionsHeadingley generally comes up with a good Test wicket and the bigger influence on conditions will be the situation overhead. It has been a cold spring in Yorkshire and the weather is forecast to be unsettled throughout the match, particularly on Sunday. “We still scored over 730 runs and took 20 wickets at Lord’s,” McCullum reflected. “On most occasions when you out those sorts of numbers on the board you would probably say you’d win the Test match.” It probably would be at Headingley.Stats and trivia Alastair Cook needs 32 runs to surpass Graham Gooch as England’s leading Test runscorer.James Anderson is just one wicket away from becoming the 12th bowler to take 400 Test wickets Brendon McCullum needs 88 more runs reach 6000 in Tests: he would be just the second New Zealander to reach the mark after Stephen Fleming New Zealand’s first Test victory in England came at Headingley in 1983Quotes”It is a balancing act – maybe there have been times when I have been too conservative in the past.”
“We went down the other day but I thought we played some pretty good cricket during that Test. I make no apologies for how we play. We need to play an aggressive and innovative form of cricket. It gives us our greatest opportunity.”

Anya Shrubsole blew away the New Zealand middle order with four wickets as England Women levelled the ODI series with a remarkably straightforward victory after the tourists set only a modest target

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2015
ScorecardFile photo: Anya Shrubsole ripped through the New Zealand middle order•Getty ImagesAnya Shrubsole blew away the New Zealand middle order with four wickets as England Women levelled the ODI series with a remarkably straightforward victory after the tourists set only a modest target of 195.Shrubsole, the opening bowler from Somerset, took four wickets in 17 balls to shatter New Zealand’s chase, reducing them from 62 for 3 to 82 for 7. Danielle Hazell then mopped up the tail.”We were not up to scratch the other day and were determined to come here and put in a great performance and a win on the board, so it’s a happy dressing room,” Shrubsole said.”I’ve not bowled brilliantly on the trip so owed the girls a bit in terms of wickets. Charlotte threw me the ball and showed faith in me and thankfully it paid off for me.”England again struggled with the bat. Dismissed for 173 in the opening match, they managed only 21 more here, being bowled out in the final over. This time the top order contributed strongly with a patient half-century from Charlotte Edwards (65) and 45 from Sarah Taylor at better than a run-a-ball.But from 129 for 2 they lost 4 for 23 as the innings limped to a conclusion with Anna Peterson taking 4 for 25. Thankfully for the tourists, Shrubsole provided a match-winning display with the ball.

Sri Lanka’s sports minister has expressed his confidence that Sri Lanka Cricket’s current standoff with the ICC will be resolved, while the ICC has agreed to release a small percentage of the sum it is holding in escrow

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Apr-2015Sri Lanka’s sports minister has expressed his confidence that Sri Lanka Cricket’s current standoff with the ICC will be resolved, while the ICC has agreed to release a small percentage of the sum it is holding in escrow. Navin Dissanayake, the sports minister, said SLC would shortly receive USD $300,000 from the ICC, which amounts to about 2.5% of the payment due to the board.The release of this money, which is effectively Sri Lanka’s prize money from the 2015 World Cup, is seen by SLC as a step toward the board’s full reintegration at the ICC. Dissanayake said he had also received a letter from ICC last week, and expects to respond over the next few days. He hopes to outline his reasons for suspending the SLC elections and appointing an interim committee.”I can say that the letter from ICC was very cordial and there was nothing confrontational about it,” Dissanayake said. “So I am certain, we can sort this out with ICC. I am meeting ICC Chief Executive David Richardson and ICC Chairman Srinivasan to negotiate the matters shortly.”The ICC’s constitution does not allow for government interference in cricket administration in full member nations. However, the SLC comes under the sports ministry’s purview, according to Sri Lanka’s sports law. This, Dissanayake said, was the crux of the wrangle.”There is a conflict between Sri Lanka Sports Law and ICC regulations,” he said. “It can be negotiated. ICC has to understand the situation in member countries.”Dissanayake also said Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department would probe the awarding of local broadcasting rights of Sri Lanka matches to Carlton Sports Network as part of a wider investigation.Meanwhile, a collective of Sri Lanka Cricket stakeholders, most from voting clubs and associations, has urged the Sri Lankan government to reinstate elections at Maitland Place. Sixty-eight members of cricket associations had met over the weekend, and expressed concern that SLC had been sidelined by the ICC.The collective issued a release which said “outgoing office bearers” would seek an appointment with the government “to discuss this issue in order to minimize the damage that could cause to Sri Lanka Cricket and the restoration of the democratic rights of the membership.”

Two excellent bowling performances and one brutal six produced the first close finish of this Big Bash League season as the Adelaide Strikers clambered over the line to beat the Perth Scorchers by one wicket at the WACA

Freddie Wilde22-Dec-2014
ScorecardBrad Hodge’s 36-ball 42 set up Adelaide Striker’s chase•Getty ImagesTwo excellent bowling performances and one brutal six produced the first close finish of this Big Bash League season as the Adelaide Strikers clambered over the line to beat the Perth Scorchers by one wicket at the WACA.Chasing 147 and with seven required off three balls with just one wicket in hand, 22-year-old legspinner Adam Zampa struck a six over midwicket off Yasir Arafat before taking a single off the next ball to haul the Strikers to their second consecutive victory and end the Scorchers’ five-match unbeaten run at home. Just two balls before becoming the hero for the Strikers, Zampa was very much the villain having wildly swung and missed at the first two balls of the final over before running out Kane Richardson, desperately trying to bring him on strike.Arafat’s final over was typically accurate with the first four balls being inswinging yorkers, but his accuracy was perhaps his downfall with Zampa confident of the ball’s length, able to swing hard and fast through the line to hit the fourth for the match-winning six.The Scorchers bowled superbly throughout the Strikers chase, taking wickets at regular intervals meaning no partnership managed more than 27 and the run rate never exceeded 7.80 after the first over.The Strikers’ innings pivoted in the 13th over, when after a steady start with just 55 required off 48 balls, seven wickets in hand and Brad Hodge and Kieron Pollard at the crease, Jason Behrendorff punctured the Strikers’ momentum with two wickets in an over, removing Pollard and then Johan Botha. Behrendorff was the standout bowler for the Scorchers finishing with 4 for 22 from his four overs. After the 13th over the required run rate climbed steadily, reaching 8.33 at one point.Hodge marshalled the subsequent tense overs nicely, scoring 42 off 36, but when he was dismissed with just 13 balls remaining, it seemed as if the Strikers would fall just short. However, a huge six off the last ball of the 18th over from Richardson and some energetic running in a brilliant over bowled by Andrew Tye brought the Strikers back into contention.Earlier on, the Scorchers, who elected to bat, gave opportunities to five new signings – Michael Carberry, Marcus Harris, Michael Klinger, James Muirhead and Tye in the absence of Simon Katich (retired), Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh and Brad Hogg (injured). And the Strikers made one change to their side, bringing in Trent Lawford for the injured Shaun Tait.Scorchers’ total of 7 for 147 was defined by the effort of Carberry, who struggled for timing, fluency and rhythm. He scored just 27 from 35 deliveries, eating up plenty of balls and swallowing momentum, casting a long shadow over the overs that preceded his dismissal. He was evidently anxious when once he swung so hard he let go of his bat which traveled further than many of his shots.The Scorchers exited the Powerplay at 0 for 40 and lost their first wicket to the first ball of the seventh over, Marcus Harris falling for a cameo of 26 from 19 balls to a superb low catch taken by Alex Ross at long-off. The Strikers bowled really well, yet again, and kept the Scorchers to just 1 for 65 after 10 overs. Carberry finally got himself out in the 13th over and the Scorchers were stagnating at 2 for 84, with just 45 deliveries remaining.Klinger, who made the move from Adelaide to Perth in the off season, was the lone flag-bearer for the Scorchers. His 33-ball 49 elevated his team’s run rate as wickets fell around him. Outside the top three, no batsman made more than 12 for the Scorchers.Richardson’s figures suggest he was the best bowler for the Strikers with 3 for 33, but their success was more subtle than merely the efforts of one man. Botha shuffled his bowlers cannily, bowling himself in solely one-over spells throughout the innings, taking 1 for 25 in the process. Only Pollard, who bowled just one over, conceded more than eight runs per over. Twice the Strikers have now bowled well and twice they have won.