All posts by h716a5.icu

Pakistan’s best batting performance of the tour helped them end New Zealand’s 13-match winning streak against them

The Report by Danyal Rasool25-Jan-2018
Sorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIt took seven matches, but Sarfraz Ahmed’s men have finally turned up, and finally ended New Zealand’s perfect home record this season. The T20I series will go into a decider at Mount Maunganui on Sunday. Having chosen to bat, Pakistan never let up attacking through their innings, posting 201 in 20 overs. When New Zealand came out to chase, there was no one, despite their well-deserved reputation, to carry the innings through, and Pakistan clinched victory by 48 runs.It was two years and 14 matches since Pakistan last defeated New Zealand in any format, anywhere in the world. As it happened, that also came in a T20I, and at this ground. Something about Eden Park had got Pakistan’s tails up from the very beginning when they came out to bat,intent to put on a display worthy of modern T20 cricket. Fakhar Zaman and Ahmed Shehzad, mysteriously left out for the first game, were aggressive from ball one. It took them a mere 1.5 overs to eclipse the highest opening partnership on tour, which had stood at a wretched 14.Getty ImagesNew Zealand bowled short in the first six overs, aware of their vulnerability against the short straight boundaries at this ground. But Fakhar and Shehzad were brilliant at manipulating the fielders and finding gaps, with 11 boundaries coming off a Powerplay that produced 57 runs.Ish Sodhi’s first over gave up just four runs, but this was no momentum swing. Fakhar unloaded on Mitchell Santner, smashing him for threehuge sixes in an over that cost 22. New Zealand’s bowlers began to get a bit fuller, which allowed Pakistan to exploit the straight boundary, aflat six onto the sightscreen leaving no doubt about Shehzad’s intentions.He was caught at long-on attempting the same shot next ball, but New Zealand never really found a way to check Pakistan’s momentum all innings. It wasn’t just ugly slogging; the innings was replete with gorgeous straight drives. Sarfraz looked in sweet touch, a classy drive overextra cover off Sodhi – who was New Zealand’s best bowler – the pick of the lot.Wickets never appeared to affect the run rate, and even when Ben Wheeler got two wickets in the 19th over, Pakistan continued to press. Even Trent Boult wasn’t spared, and when Babar Azam pulled him for four off the final ball, he brought up the 200 as well as his fifty, bookending Pakistan’s dominance in the first half.If the crowd was hoping for a competitive match at last, they were to be disappointed. New Zealand’s approach from the start wasn’t quite what was needed in a chase of 202, Martin Guptill and Colin Munro unusually cautious. It might have been the pressure of the chase, butPakistan’s bowlers stepped up their game too, both in terms of pace and intensity. Mohammad Amir trapped Munro plumb in front for 1, and in the very next over Kane Williamson got a leading edge, dismissed for a golden duck. The shock of that appeared to puncture New Zealand in a way they never recovered from, and as the asking rate began to climb, wickets started to fall regularly.All of Pakistan’s bowlers registered in the wickets column, but the most encouraging aspect to this performance was the visitors’ notably improved effort in the field. There was a commitment and application that had been missing for the first six games. Several runs were saved, and regular direct hits meant uncertainty crept into New Zealand’s running. It also brought about a sensational run-out, Haris Sohail nailing a throw with just one stump to aim at, catching Tom Bruce well short.Auckland is home to the largest Pakistani diaspora in New Zealand, and that showed with the support for Sarfraz’s side in the stands. If they had to put in one performance this series, this was the place to do it. New Zealand’s lower order offered some resistance, but there was never a question of chasing down that total, and the second half of the innings was simply a celebration of Pakistan opening their account on this tour. New Zealand were bowled out with nine balls still to go, and, against all odds, Pakistan go into this tour’s final game looking to come away with the T20 trophy as well as the number one ranking in the format.

For some supporters, looking good on the pitch is just as important as playing well. And with the hope that iconic memories will be made during international tournaments, it is imperative that England are donned in a classic jersey.

Some of the biggest names in the game have worn the infamous England shirt. With that in mind, Football FanCast has taken a look at England’s 10 greatest kits of all time.

10 2013 Home

There may not be many significant memories to accompany this kit, however, this shirt marks the 150th anniversary of the FA Cup. And Nike commentated the historic anniversary with a shirt styled to look like a classic.

A simple white shirt, paired with navy shorts and white socks, the 2013 kit could be looked back on as one of the most stylish kits England have had over the last decade with the navy and golden trim offering a timeless look.

However, the memories created in this kit on the pitch were simply not there to match the design of the kit with no major tournament taking place in the summer of 2013.

9 1996-98 Home

England hosted the 1996 Euros in a summer which saw one player, in particular, hit the headlines. Indeed, Paul Gascogine’s stunning goal against Scotland at Wembley Stadium which was accompanied by an iconic celebration.

The Umbro kit will always be remembered for this goal and can be seen worn by many during each major tournament.

However, there have to be question marks as to whether this is one of England’s most stylish shirts. Perhaps not England’s finest kit on the eyes, but it is certainly one which will be remembered fondly by many following the Euros 96 tournament – despite the manner in which it ended for the Three Lions.

8 2001-03 Away

In an era when Umbro did not always provide England with the most fashionable of kits, this one proved a hit. The first away shirt to feature on this list, the kit came with some neat design features which included the England flag on the cuffs.

But it was at the 2002 World Cup which many will remember this kit for with David Beckham netting from the spot in this kit against Argentina. The penalty marked a moment of redemption for the midfielder four years on from than infamous red card in the previous World Cup against the same opposition.

7 1984-87 Home

This Umbro kit is one which will certainly go down in the history books, however, for England, it is not a kit which will provide a happy memory. Indeed, Diego Maradona scored two of the World Cup’s most famous goals against England when they were wearing this kit – two goals which are remembered for very different reasons.

But from a stylistic point of view, this is definitely a kit which Umbro can look back on with pride. A simple design was elevated by subtle stripes and a classic navy V-neck collar.

6 1990-92 Third

Now, this is a kit where the memories on the pitch certainly do not match up to the design of the kit. That is because England did not actually wear this kit during Italia ’90. In fact, this kit was only worn once, and it came a year after the tournament.

Yet, this remains one of England’s most iconic kits having featured in that infamous New Order ‘World In Motion’ music video. A song which has become synonymous with the Three Lions during major tournaments, this kit has managed to write itself into English football history – despite only being worn once.

5 2021 Home

Contrary to the last selection on our list, this is a kit where the memories on the pitch were certainly there to match the design.

It was yet another summer of what could have been with the Three Lions reaching the Euros final at Wembley where they came up against Roberto Mancini’s Italy. But once again, it was not to be for the Three Lions. Heartbreak in the final is perhaps the reason this kit cannot feature much higher than fifth.

But it certainly is one that will go own in the history books and had the design to match with a classic look as a result of the navy trim and centred crest.

What could have been…

4 2001-03 Home

Another kit which will bring back many positive memories for England fans, this Umbro number was one Michael Owen will look back on fondly too.

Beating Germany so heavily was one of the bigger results secured in this strip, however, it cannot be forgotten that the infamous David Beckham free-kick came wearing this kit, too.

Although it may be seen as one of the simpler designs on this list, it is one which has proven to be a classic with the memories certainly there to back the clean design.

3 1980-84 Home

The only kit to feature on this list made by Admiral, this is one which was so fondly remembered that it was recreated – as such – by Nike in 2018 as a pre-match shirt for the World Cup in Russia.

And it was a kit which was such a hit that it was kept for a total of four years with the 1982 providing an unbeaten record for the Three Lions – albeit not proving enough for them to get their hands on the trophy.

Indeed, England beat France, Czechoslovakia and Kuwait but were unable to come away with anything more than a draw against West Germany and France which saw them fail to progress though to the second stage.

2 1990-92 Home

Perhaps many people’s champion in terms of design, the Italia ’90 classic is one which will be remembered with fond memories. The likes of Gascogine and Gary Lineker donned this shirt in Italy with some fantastic goals scored in doing so.

And it is a shirt which has become a hit with England fans of today with many choosing this as their shirt of choice during the major tournaments.

Ultimately, England were not quite able to deliver wearing this shirt, but they certainly came close to World Cup glory and they did so in style.

1 1965-74 Away

It almost goes without saying, but the most iconic England kit is the red kit which saw the likes of Bobby Moore lifting the World Cup trophy. Indeed, Moore won 56 of his 108 caps in this shirt, more than any other player.

The kit itself is incredibly simplistic given it is now around 60 years old. No sponsor, no nonsense, just a plain red jersey which is famously known for the long sleeves look.

18 players netted their first England goals in the shirt, with Sir Geoff going on to hit 24 in his international career. Twenty players scored their last England goal in the shirt, including Jimmy Greaves’ 44th, against Spain, in 1967. Also, 49 players were capped for the first time in this shirt, with four going on to win over sixty caps; Peters (with 67), Dave Watson (with 65), Kevin Keegan (with 63) and Emlyn Hughes (with 62).

And, many of you might remember that Geoff Hurst wore a shirt without a number on the back when he appeared as a substitute against Sweden. (All stats from England Football Online).

Perhaps there are more exciting kits to be produced over the years, however, does this deserve the spot at number one purely based on the historic memories? Yes, absolutely.

Defiant ninth-wicket stand between Josh Inglis and Matt helps Western Australia stretch game into the fourth day

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2018BCCIA stunning century from Aaron Finch and a fine display of fast bowling from the quicks has put the Victoria Bushrangers on the brink of a comprehensive victory over Western Australia at the WACA.Victoria began the day 160 runs ahead and started briskly in the morning session with Marcus Harris reaching a half-century.Western Australia fought back briefly by picking four wickets later in the session, but were denied by Finch, who exploded in the afternoon to make 151 not out off just 122 balls. This included 16 fours and seven sixes. Cameron White provided good support adding 41. Finch declared with a lead of 468.Then the bowlers ripped through Western Australia with Chris Tremain taking three wickets to complete his first Sheffield Shield 10-wicket haul. Scott Boland (three) and Peter Siddle (two) also shared in the spoils.As Western Australia slumped to 8 for 99, Victoria took the extra half-hour to try and wrap up the match on the third night. But a defiant 62-run stand between Josh Inglis and Matt Kelly ensured the game would reach the fourth day.

Ross Taylor produced one of the greatest ODI innings – a large part of it on one leg – to help New Zealand level the series 2-2

The Report by Andrew McGlashan in Dunedin06-Mar-20181:57

‘Magnificent’ Taylor levels one-day series

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
New Zealand took a gripping series to a decider as Ross Taylor produced one of the greatest one-day innings in staging a magnificent chase in Dunedin to hunt down an imposing 336. What made Taylor’s career-best unbeaten 181 from 147 balls even more remarkable was that the latter part was played after he injured himself diving to make a second run shortly after reaching three figures.Incredibly, New Zealand got home with three balls to spare when Henry Nicholls swung Tom Curran over the leg side after Colin de Grandhomme hammered 23 off 11 balls to help take the pressure off a limping Taylor. However, in fading light, it was Taylor that did most of the finishing as he took a six and a four in the space of three balls against Chris Woakes in the 47th over, then took him over midwicket again at the start of the 49th to remove any doubt. New Zealand still haven’t lost at this ground. After today, they may feel they never will.It was another wonderfully absorbing contest between these teams, back to the high-scoring variety seen in 2015 in England. Centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root were the centrepiece of England’s innings, but they suffered a middle-order meltdown as they lost 8 for 46 to slump from 267 for 1 to 313 for 9. Still, it was the second-highest total on the ground – it would become England’s second-highest first-innings in defeat.Ross Taylor struggles to stay on his feet•Getty ImagesTaylor combined with Tom Latham – the same pair that did so much to win the opening match of the series – to add 187 in 25.5 overs for the fourth wicket as New Zealand recovered from 2 for 2, and then the loss of Kane Williamson when replays showed he hadn’t edged the ball.Taylor, who gave one chance on 84 when Bairstow couldn’t gather a catch at deep midwicket, brought up his 19th ODI century from 98 balls, but shortly after, on 109, suffered an injury when making his ground for a scampered second. He was patched up by the physio – who made multiple trips to the middle – and hauled himself between the wickets, but largely opted to have a swing. He sent both Ben Stokes and Adil Rashid out of the ground, taking his sixes tally to six, with the fifth of them landing on the roof of a building adjacent to the sightscreen.Latham played superbly in support, having arrived when Williamson was given caught behind pulling at Stokes’ first delivery. Colin Munro had earlier reviewed a stone-dead lbw first ball against Mark Wood, so the New Zealand captain had no recourse. When the asking rate touched nine-an-over, Latham took two sixes in three balls off Wood and Stokes. He might have been lbw twice, once to Moeen Ali and once to Adil Rashid, but was so far down the pitch on both occasions that the umpires were perfectly in their right to say not outLatham fell to Tom Curran’s slower-ball, finding mid-off with 63 needed from 48 balls. De Grandhomme was promoted and struck his first two balls for four, followed by two sixes off Curran in the 44th over to firmly swing things New Zealand’s way. Woakes went for just three off the 45th and Curran then removed de Grandhomme, but there would be no denying Taylor.England will wonder how they have not wrapped up the series. When Bairstow and Root were together adding 190 in 27.2 overs, they were on course to challenge 400. But Bairstow’s dismissal to Munro sparked a horrendous collapse, as Ish Sodhi bagged a career-best 4 for 58. After the top three, the next batsmen to reach double figures were Rashid and Curran at Nos. 9 and 10.England had raced out of the blocks, reaching 77 off the 10-over Powerplay against some inconsistent bowling and fallible fielding. Sodhi broke through with his second ball, Roy top-edging to short fine leg, but that just set the stage for Bairstow and Roy.Bairstow reached his third ODI century – all made as an opener – from 83 deliveries while Root reached his from 99 balls, although that came in the midst of England’s late slump. For Root, it was his first century in 26 international innings – in which time he has passed fifty on 12 occasions – while for Bairstow it broke a sequence against Australia and New Zealand where had missed the chance to convert a few starts.Such was the way Bairstow, given a life on 74 by Mitchell Santner at cover, was progressing, that Roy’s England record 180 – made against Australia in Melbourne – was in danger. Yet things were about to change very quickly. Bairstow skied an off-cutter and Jos Buttler’s promotion to No. 4 lasted two balls when he chipped a catch back to Sodhi.There was no thought of momentary consolidation with Eoin Morgan hoisting Trent Boult into the leg side. New Zealand’s fielding suddenly went up a notch with Munro taking an excellent catch running back. Stokes then picked out deep square leg and Moeen lofted down the ground where Tim Southee made excellent ground running in to take the ball by his bootlaces.When Woakes chipped Munro to long-on, Root was in danger of running out of partners before his century. He, too, fell before the end and it was left to Curran to offer any semblance of a finish as he took 18 off the last over. The days of 336 being virtually unchasable are long gone. Still, this was remarkable.

Now that the transfer window has closed and off-field theatrics have stalled, Aston Villa can focus on the season ahead under Unai Emery.

The Villans had a strong summer to build on their success from the 2022/23 campaign, in which the Spaniard arrived in the Midlands and led the side to a European finish, however, there remains plenty for the squad to build on.

With arrivals come exits, and as the days go by following the climax of deadline day, it looks almost certain that one star will bid farewell to Villa Park before the season progresses.

Philippe Coutinho’s time in claret and blue seems to be over, with Emery confirming that the Brazilian is “close to leaving” his squad for Qatari side Al-Duhail, just a year and a half after his arrival.

What is Coutinho’s salary at Aston Villa?

Signed on an initial half-season loan that was made permanent last summer, Coutinho took a significant wage drop to join the Premier League side, however remains one of the club’s biggest earners.

Picking up an alleged pay packet of £125k-per-week, the 31-year-old is Villa’s fourth-highest earner at present, earning more than the likes of Ollie Watkins and Douglas Luiz.

The former Liverpool sensation picks up a staggering £6.5m a year on his contract in the Midlands, which is an alarmingly high figure considering the lack of impact he’s had since arriving back in England.

Does Coutinho deserve to earn so much?

When revising the impact of Watkins and Luiz, who contributed to 33 goals between them in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, Coutinho’s weekly earnings are unjustified.

There’s no denying the player that Villa thought they could unlock, a talent that was purchased by Barcelona for £146m back in 2018 due to his level of performance in England whilst on Merseyside.

It simply hasn’t happened for the attacker at Villa Park, scoring just once in the league last season, making 20 appearances and battling injury and poor form in between.

Prior to Emery’s arrival, the Brazilian was slammed by club legend Gabriel Agbonlahor for his dreary displays, with the former striker dubbing him as “non-existent” under Steven Gerrard, via talkSPORT.

It’s a shame for both player and club that things didn’t work out as hoped, considering the midfielder's impeccable track record, in which he had a hand in 78 Premier League goals in 152 league appearances for the Reds.

Lauded as having “magical powers” by former Liverpool teammate Roberto Firmino, the calibre of player signed by Gerrard was never questioned, however, the issue remains that he has not translated his form in claret and blue.

£125k-per-week is an extortionate amount of money for an individual not contributing or performing to the level expected, particularly when those excelling at his level are earning considerably less.

Setting injury troubles aside, when in action, the 31-year-old has failed to produce the moments of magic typical of his style when at Anfield.

As per Sofascore, last season the Champions League winner averaged a match rating of 6.66 per game in the Premier League, communicating just how dull his performances have been when involved in the action.

With a departure imminent, Villa will soon be freed of the £125k-per-week expense to fund the Brazilian’s talent, with a chance to look back on the deal and hope to not replicate it in the future.

Tottenham Hotspur, under the frugal chairmanship of Daniel Levy, have often been an outfit ridiculed for failing to secure transfer targets due to their adversity towards spending big.

So often this has held them back, but even when success seemed right around the corner, they proved that huge investments do not guarantee silverware and sustainable progress.

In fact, arguably the darkest years in the club's recent history have come within the last few campaigns, as the end of Mauricio Pochettino's reign saw some questionable signings, before Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte were then handed huge fees to throw around too.

Naturally, to compete at the pinnacle of the modern game such astronomical figures seemingly must be spent. However, there was a time when the £63m they spent to buy Tanguy Ndombele, or the £60m unloaded on Richarlison, would have funded an entire squad overhaul.

For example, as Gareth Bale continued to outgrow north London, with his performances meriting a greater stage with which to showcase his quality, Real Madrid were the willing recipients of his services.

Breaking the world-record fee at the time, offering a mouth-watering £85m, it is ludicrous to view the current market and see that such a figure would be the equivalent of signing someone of Manchester United's Antony, for example.

However, at the time this was a huge sum, which manager Andre Villas-Boas was tasked with reinvesting.

How did Spurs spend the Gareth Bale money?

With those funds, the Portuguese boss clearly felt like bolstering the entire playing squad was a far wiser move than seeking to spend it all as a direct replacement for the unimitable Welshman.

Had he spent with some intelligence, perhaps it might have been a strategy that earned success.

However, as it turned out, this was a disastrous use of precious funds, with arguably only one of the seven employed to offset such a huge absence earning any long-term success.

Immediately, Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Etienne Capoue and Vlad Chiriches were all found out to be far from the required level, although admittedly they were all the cheapest of the bunch aside from the Brazilian.

The peaks of their respective careers were hardly lofty, but they were definitely reached outside of north London.

Paulinho (Corinthians)

£17m

Christian Eriksen (Ajax)

£11m

Roberto Soldado (Valencia)

£26m

Nacer Chadli (FC Twente)

£7m

Etienne Capoue (Toulouse)

£9.3m

Vlad Chiriches (Steaua Bucharest)

£8.5m

Erik Lamela (AS Roma)

£25.8m

Information via GIVEMESPORT

Then came the big acquisitions, with Erik Lamela proving to be the largest investment, seen as a key successor to the Southampton academy graduate. Just 37 goals in a whopping 256 games showcased his failure to live up to such billing, and his exit was sealed when the Lilywhites had to pay Sevilla to take him, receiving the equally disappointing Byran Gil in his place.

Christian Eriksen, many would agree, marked a sole incredible investment given how important he became despite costing just £11.5m – scoring 69 goals and registering 90 assists in 405 games in all competitions.

And then there was Roberto Soldado.

Joining from Valencia, the Spanish striker had scored 17 goals in La Liga the season before moving and offered great promise as the man to reignite their strike force for the foreseeable future. In fact, across all competitions, the clinical marksman had recorded an impressive 33 goal contributions that year.

However, what occurred was nothing short of diabolical, as his profligacy led to him scoring just 13 goals before departing after only two years.

Journalist Keith Andrew would claim after just one year in England: "Soldado has to be one of the worst buys of the season."

If anything, it could actually be argued that the 5 foot 10 flop is still one of the worst pound-for-pound signings in the club's history.

How much did Spurs pay for Roberto Soldado?

Admittedly, at the time of signing the experienced marksman, the fee paid marked a fair price for someone who had proven so prolific in his homeland. It was only once he tried translating his form elsewhere that it became a waste.

After all, he had only cost £26m, and for what his form for Los Ches suggested, that arguably marked a bargain.

However, with his aforementioned goal record simply terrible, and the former Real Madrid dud offering even less in terms of general hold-up play, his departure in 2015 was a welcome one to compound their failure to reinvest the Bale money wisely.

What was Roberto Soldado's salary at Spurs?

Given the faith Villas-Boas had in Soldado to uphold his strike force for the foreseeable future, an equally mouth-watering salary was handed to the failure to go alongside the huge initial outlay used to even tempt his club to sell.

The £106k-per-week he was awarded marked a huge figure at the time, and allowed him to amass a further £5.53m per year.

Therefore, across the two short years he spent in north London, the 12-cap former international would pluck £11.06m in added fees, taking the total sum of his cost to the club up to £37.06m. This meant that for every goal the club paid £2.85m.

Did Roberto Soldado deserve to earn £106k-per-week?

It should come as a surprise to absolutely no one that Soldado was not worth the salary he was graced with, given the high expectations placed upon him that were never imagined.

After all, those beliefs were only intensified when he scored on his league debut to hand them a win over Crystal Palace, leading to more hype from his manager: "Roberto's a real out and out striker. He's not been here a lot because of the Confederations Cup but he'll get fitter and sharper and will be even better."

Everyone is well aware of how the story went after that clash, with it being only downhill from there as these words rang empty.

How much has Roberto Soldado earned in his career?

Despite his torrid tenure in England, Soldado actually remained largely a consistent and threatening striker for the bulk of his career. Perhaps that tough period with Spurs could even be chalked down to homesickness, as seven of the other eight clubs he played for were all based in Spain.

The 38-year-old would score an admirable 82 in 141 Valencia appearances, and later on notched 33 in 66 for Getafe, and 12 in 55 for Villarreal, via Transfermarkt.

Therefore, it is hard to argue that he was not good value for his total career earnings, which reached a mouth-watering £25.1m after his most recent contract with Levante ended.

The August just gone marked the month where the enigmatic Soldado called time on a career buoyed by goals scored wherever he went. However, for fans of English football, he will likely go down as one of the worst signings ever, despite how desperate he was to succeed, and how he still holds an affiliation with the club years after his exit.

Fear grows about emergence of eight ‘Super Counties’ as the row over compensation to Test match grounds intensifies

George Dobell16-Mar-2018Pressure continues to mount on Colin Graves with an emergency chairmen’s meeting called for March 26 amid mounting disquiet within the county game.Graves, the ECB chairman, is under fire after it emerged that ‘compensation’ payments could be paid to some Test-hosting clubs in the years they did not stage a match despite the policy having not been discussed at Board level.That revelation resulted in the resignation from the ECB board of former Somerset chairman Andy Nash citing failures in the governance of the organisation.It has also now resulted in a claim that Graves misled at least one county about discussions on the subject and a warning that such additional rewards for Test-match grounds will result in “dire effects” for the counties that do not host teams in the new T20 competition.Bob Warren, the Sussex chairman, has raised particular concerns. In a letter written to Graves and seen by ESPNcricinfo, Warren complains about a lack of transparency from the ECB and appears to express serious doubts over Graves’ assurances.

‘ECB policies are… going to produce eight super-counties with dire effects for the rest of us’

“You used the word transparency several times,” Warren wrote. “Unfortunately, at the moment, we don’t have this between the ECB and the counties.”The ECB policies are, taking into account the way matches and money are being distributed, going to produce eight super-counties with dire effects for the rest of us.”You mentioned at the start of our conversation that the policy of compensation was discussed and agreed by the ECB board around 15 months ago. I asked if you could send me a copy of the minutes which reflect this. You agreed with my request. I have now looked through those minutes and I can’t find any mention of this policy even being mentioned. Furthermore, a Board member told me he couldn’t recall a conversation about this, let along an agreement.”The resignation of Andy Nash confirms that the issue was not discussed by the board prior to the policy being agreed with the TMGs [Test Match Grounds].”While the ECB insist a payment made to Glamorgan was to help the club deal with creditors, other counties – some of whom have worked hard to ensure they are not burdened by debt – are now asking if they, too, can benefit from such an arrangement. The apparently contrasting treatment of Durham, who were stripped of their right to host Tests in return for an ECB bailout, is also intriguing.Meanwhile at least three of the Test-hosting grounds seem bemused by the furore around the proposed payments as they were under the impression they had been common knowledge for many months.Having already incurred the wrath of several counties who feel commitments made over the ownership of the new-team T20 have not been kept – in December, 10 of them signed a letter calling for assurances and clarification – Graves’ would now appear, for the first time, to be facing the possibility of a full scale revolt from a majority of the first-class counties.Perhaps most serious of all is the legal advice taken by some counties and revealed by ESPNcricinfo on Wednesday which suggests the compensation payments might be considered “unlawful”. It also suggests the money could have to be repaid and any directors responsible for sanctioning them held personally responsible.

Glasgow Rangers laboured to a rather underwhelming 1-0 victory over Motherwell in the Premiership yesterday, with a chorus of boos ringing out at Ibrox once the full-time whistle went.

Michael Beale isn’t the most popular figure at the club right now and the Gers are failing to show any sort of identity on the pitch whatsoever.

With nine new signings arriving in Glasgow this summer, many felt it was a much-needed overhaul, yet Beale has struggled to get a tune out of the majority of his new players.

Jack Butland is perhaps the only shining light with regard to the incomings as he has made the number one spot his own.

How has Jack Butland performed for Rangers this season?

Allan McGregor finally retired at 41 following the expiration of his contract and new blood was required between the sticks.

Butland arrived with an impressive reputation, albeit he had endured a few tough seasons at Crystal Palace, making just 17 appearances since the start of the 2020/21 campaign and a move to Rangers represented a fresh opportunity.

Across six games in the Premiership, the ‘keeper has conceded just 0.3 goals per game while making 2.2 saves per game – a success rate of 87% – and keeping four clean sheets from these ties, letting in just two goals.

It was an area which required strengthening in the summer and Beale has worked wonders with Butland, yet there is another player who has been reinvigorated of late – John Lundstram.

Is John Lundstram back to his best?

The Englishman joined the Light Blues in the summer of 2021 when Steven Gerrard was in charge and it looked like an astute piece of business, as the midfielder had racked up 62 Premier League appearances for Sheffield United in the two seasons prior to arriving in Glasgow.

He endured a tough start to life at the Ibrox side, yet post-Christmas during his first term, Lundstram really started to kick on and came to life during the stunning European run in 2022.

He scored twice, against Borussia Dortmund and the goal which sent the club through to the final against RB Leipzig, while succeeding with 54% of his dribble attempts and making 1.6 tackles per game.

He was even lauded as a “cult hero” by former Gers icon Ally McCoist during that European adventure and the £22k-per-week gem was looking like an impressive signing.

This season, Lundstram has been one of Beale’s few shining lights, starting four league matches and averaging a Sofascore match rating of 7.12.

He ranks sixth in the squad for tackles (1.6) and interceptions (1.4) per game while also ranking fourth for long balls per game (3.8) and his presence in the heart of the midfield has been a rare bright spark amid a sea of darkness this term.

His contract runs out next summer and Lundstram will be hoping these improved displays will send a message to Beale that he wishes to be at Ibrox for the long term and retain his place in the starting XI over the coming months.

With these current performances, a long-term stay in Glasgow is certainly on the cards – as will hopefully also be the case for Butland.

South Asian communities make up more than 30% of the recreational cricketers in England and Wales

ESPNcricinfo staff09-May-2018The ECB has announced it will be implementing the Rooney Rule for all of its future coaching vacancies, meaning that candidates from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds will have to be interviewed for any roles, including that of the England head coach.The measure is one of 11 actions recommended by the South Asian Communities Action Plan, the board’s ambitious initiative to tackle the disconnect between mainstream English cricket and the South Asian communities that make up more than 30% of the recreational cricketers in the country.The plan has been born of a recognition that, for the average British Asian cricket fan, the game as it stands is not sufficiently tailored to their needs or interests.At a recreational level, a lack of facilities has long hampered development among South Asian communities, particularly in urban areas, while the relative lack of Asian cricketers at first-class level points to a scouting and talent pathway system that has consistently failed to bring through the best players to elite competition. ECB research showed that only 4% of professional domestic cricketers have South Asian heritage and the community accounts for only 3% of ticket sales, although that figure rose to 40% for last year’s Champions Trophy.As a consequence, the few Asian players who have broken through to England recognition, including Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid in recent years, have done so in spite of the system, not because of it. The new message from the ECB, however, is that that needs to change for the greater well-being of the sport.”Cricket is a force for good in society and our job is to ensure that it makes a positive impact on as many people’s lives as possible,” said Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive.”Whilst we’ve long acknowledged the passion for the game in South Asian communities in the UK and had the best intentions, we have never fully understood how to engage with South Asian communities. This report gives us a road map to change that.”The plan was drawn up with the help of an advisory group including notable figures such as Wasim Khan, the Leicestershire chief executive who in 1992 became the first British Asian to play county cricket; Isa Guha, the former England women’s cricketer, and the writer and broadcaster, Mark Nicholas.In addition to the Rooney Rule, the recommended measures include the development of 20 cricket centres, as well as 1,000 non-turf and 100 turf pitches by 2024, the proliferation of talent scouts throughout Asian communities, and bursaries to enable talented youngsters to cope with the escalating costs of equipment as they rise through the ranks.These initiatives will be focussed on ten “core cities” – Birmingham, Bradford, Kirklees, Leeds, Leicester, London, Luton, Manchester, Sandwell and Slough – where 61% of the country’s South Asian communities live.”Growing up in inner-city Birmingham, I fully understand some of the challenges and barriers for young South Asian cricketers,” said Moeen. “Many parents are still struggling to afford kit for their kids and the new bursaries will give emerging players the opportunity to continue to improve and develop in the game.”In the next six months, England’s men play against Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka and as well as hoping to play my part on the pitch, I’m looking forward to seeing a new generation of players, fans and coaches coming into the game.”Lord Patel of Bradford, the ECB Senior Independent Director, who has driven the development of the Action Plan, added:”As a British Asian who grew up playing cricket in the streets and on the pitches of Bradford in the 1960s, I have first-hand experience of the enormous benefits of our sport. Cricket gave me the confidence, connections and opportunities to meet new people outside my community, as well as develop life-long friendships.”The passion South Asian communities in the UK have for cricket remains high but, over 50 years later, there is still so much untapped potential. This plan will help to change that – starting today.”

Everton are a club in crisis at the moment, with the fans having very little to feed off, and in turn the team seldom receiving the backing, especially at home, to spur them on to victory.

Whilst many will argue it is a two-way street, and that the players must give the Goodison Park crowd something to cheer about, there are few players really capable of achieving such a feat, whether that be due to a lack of technical quality or just a lack of ingenuity.

In the end, all Evertonians crave is some hard work, with a high press and a few tough tackles often enough to cultivate a fine atmosphere.

David Moyes was one of few managers who truly understood this, and as such built his teams around such an image. The Toffees under the Scotsman were solid and hard to beat, built from a deprived financial backing and turned into an outfit that embodied the club's image.

He would employ midfielders with enough combative steel to overraw opposition, but with a touch of class that could see them sweep them aside too. Wingers would seek to do the same, supplying hulking frontmen who would batter home goalscoring opportunities.

Few exemplify the quintessential hard-working Moyes wideman more than Steven Pienaar, who achieved cult-hero status on Merseyside across two successful spells.

How good was Steven Pienaar?

Having joined from Borussia Dortmund back in 2007, initially on loan but with a pre-agreed permanent fee of just $4m (£3.4m), it took little time for the diminutive trickster to acclimatise to life in a new country.

After all, his tenure in Germany had been tough, with the South African never really feeling accepted at his previous club.

Whilst that would swiftly change under the former Preston North End manager, the 41-year-old was hardly famed for the phenomenal figures he would post throughout each season. Especially given his debut year would see him record just eight Premier League goal contributions, following that up with a further ten the following year.

Instead, what he offered was a near-telepathic connection with his full-back, as he and Leighton Baines struck up a legendary partnership that Moyes would outline: "In the end, this partnership between Steven Pienaar and Leighton Baines will be very hard to improve on. Their ability to find each other with the ball, they wanted to play and combine together, their combination play down the left was exceptional.

"We found that we always wanted Pienaar to lock on and encourage the full back to follow him in. If the full back chose not to come, we were happy for the combination between Baines and Pienaar to get on the ball. Quite often we sucked a full back out, and as I said earlier these two had an incredible ability to get the ball back to each other."

Their presence typified an era that, whilst unsurprisingly devoid of silverware, actually had the fans excited to come to Goodison Park knowing full well that their support would be justified by the relentless performances on the pitch.

To justify just how highly these supporters value hard work, Pienaar even won the 2010 Player of the Year award following a campaign in which he had scored just four league goals.

However, despite how revered the left midfielder remains, he does not even come close to another star who the current West Ham United boss reportedly came close to signing back in the day.

Admittedly, there are few wingers who can compare with a prime Eden Hazard.

Did Everton nearly sign Eden Hazard?

Back in 2012, Moyes would detail exactly how they missed out on the Belgian wizard, who rocketed to stardom after his summer move to Chelsea for a mouth-watering £32m fee.

The 60-year-old simply noted: "We knew all about Hazard because of Marouane Fellaini and the Belgium boys. But it was always going to be biggish cash for us – and we’ve had a few like that, I can tell you!"

For comparison, during the summer in which the current free agent signed, the Toffees would only spend a total of €21.65m (£18.7m), bringing in the likes of John Stones, Kevin Mirallas and Pienaar, who had returned after a failed move to Tottenham Hotspur.

It is fair to say that Hazard would eclipse the latter two with ease.

How good was Eden Hazard?

To emphasise just how much better the former Real Madrid superstar was than Everton's South African ace, his final year in England saw him post 21 goals and assist a further 17 across all competitions.

Meanwhile, Pienaar would only score 22 and assist 40 across his entire career in the Premier League, spanning eight and a half years.

2018/19

37

16

15

2017/18

34

12

4

2016/17

36

16

5

2015/16

31

4

4

2014/15

38

14

10

2013/14

35

14

9

2012/13

34

9

14

All stats via Transfermarkt

This should come as no surprise though, with Hazard naturally bound to have reached the elite levels given the £150m paid to tempt his Stamford Bridge exit. He had reached the pinnacle of world football, and a step up to the biggest club in the game made natural sense after he had nearly won it all with the Blues.

After all, early on in his time there, writer George Sessions had already suggested the future was bright, noting: "Eden Hazard is a bit special. He started this season quite slowly but is turning into a world beater for Chelsea. Huge potential."

Chelsea fan Frank Khalid then sought to remind the masses of a talent that was lost to injuries upon that fateful transfer to Madrid: "Just a reminder to everyone what Eden Hazard could do, I’m really fed up with the constant negative things said about Eden Hazard. He will always be a Chelsea legend".

The 126-cap maestro departed west London having scored 110 goals, assisting a further 92 across 352 appearances in England, and will likely go down as one of the most exciting stars the Premier League has ever seen. Few in history can compete with that, let alone the workmanlike, technically inferior Pienaar.

Whether he would have thrived in Moyes' work ethic-dependant system remains to be seen, but with talents like the 32-year-old, it is always worth making allowances. After all, his managers at Chelsea always did, and they would perennially reap the rewards of his efforts.

Had he moved to Merseyside instead of the English capital, perhaps it could have been them whom he propelled towards the apex of English football, with his ability certainly impressive enough to have done so.