Renshaw misses again as McAndrew five seals SA win

Nathan McAndrew took 5 for 38, including Matt Renshaw for 21, as South Australia claimed a 129-run win over Queensland at Allan Border Field

AAP23-Oct-2024

Nathan McAndrew’s five wickets pushed South Australia towards victory•Getty Images

South Australia 314 (Hunt 136, McInerney 51, Whitney 5-57) and 352 for 9 dec (Carey 123*, McSweeney 72) beat Queensland opener Matt Renshaw did himself no favours in his bid to push for the vacancy at the top of Australia’s Test batting order, dismissed cheaply on the final day of the Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia.Already an outsider for the India series after being overlooked for Australia A, Renshaw had begun the summer with scores of 6, 15 and 2 and needed a big total on the final day of the Shield match at Allan Border Field, won by the visitors by 129 runs after wicketkeeper Alex Carey and Nathan McAndrew starred.There appeared little need for Renshaw to play at McAndrew’s delivery wide of off stump, but he mistimed his cover drive and edged the ball straight to Carey after compiling 21 runs.Bulls skipper Marnus Labuschagne said Renshaw’s failures had not helped his Test cause, but added that all was not lost.”I certainly think it counts against him. If other guys are making runs and it is going to be a tight call, it is always going to work like that,” Labuschagne said.”That doesn’t mean he can’t bat well in the next two [Shield[ games and maybe change people’s opinions or views.”Test opener Usman Khawaja (39) joined Renshaw in the pavilion, also edging to Carey without kicking on as Queensland chased 359 for victory.Labuschagne (10) and Ben McDermott (0) were dismissed either side of lunch as the hosts stumbled to 79 for 4.Jack Clayton fought hard to make 91•Getty Images

Debutant Lachlan Hearne (44) and Jack Clayton (91) got the Bulls back into it with a 106-run stand for the fifth wicket.Wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson (10) was unlucky to be given out caught behind to a lifter from speedster McAndrew as South Australia turned the screws to bundle Queensland out for 229.McAndrew completed a stellar match after taking three wickets in the first innings and making a vital 46 in the second dig.Carey was named player of the match. His first-innings 42 followed by an unbeaten 123 stamped his class, and the Test gloveman snared 10 catches, including seven in the second innings.”He has been excellent for us since coming back from his Test duties,” South Australia captain Nathan McSweeney said.”Last week he scored a 90 and a hundred for us as well. The way he plays and the runs he makes are match-winning.”It is never easy coming up here to Queensland and winning. This game has been good for our team morale. After having a couple of tough years, hopefully it is the start of a good year for us.”

Carey and McSweeney hundreds deny New South Wales after Lyon's inroads

South Australia had stumbled to 23 for 4 early on the final day but twin centuries produced an impressive fightback

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-2024New South Wales 366 (Konstas 152, Philippe 56) and 282 for 6 dec (Konstas 105, Henriques 52) drew with South Australia 260 (Carey 90, Lyon 5-47) and 309 for 5 (McSweeney 127*, Carey 111, Lyon 3-94)Test wicketkeeper Alex Carey has fired a warning shot ahead of this summer’s tour by India, notching a superb century in South Australia’s Sheffield Shield draw with New South Wales.After posting a rapid-fire 90 in the first innings at Cricket Central, Carey pulled South Australia back from the brink with 111 from 158 deliveries in the second on day four. The two knocks combined to mark his most successful start to a Sheffield Shield season since his Test debut in 2021.Related

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Carey’s efforts came after he finished last summer with an unbeaten 98 against New Zealand, and will be reassuring for an Australian side preparing to lose Cameron Green for at least part of the summer through his back injury.On Friday, Carey steadied the ship after Test team-mate Nathan Lyon showed his own form by sparking a collapse of 4 for 9 as the visitors chased 389 for victory.Lyon tickled the off-stump of Travis Head in the most significant of three early wickets, with nightwatchman Nathan McAndrew and Conor McInerney joining the superstar batter in the dugout courtesy of the spinner.Carey came to the crease just as South Australia needed a hero at 23 for 4 and forged a 182-run partnership with captain Nathan McSweeney, who carved out a brilliant century of his own and faced 283 balls throughout the final day.Carey struck a blow in his tit-for-tat with Lyon by sweeping the veteran past deep midwicket for his ninth four of the innings to reach his half-century, which guided South Australia into triple figures and relative stability.Just after lunch, Carey brought up a seventh first-class century with a single to deep cover off Liam Hatcher.Ollie Davies dropped Carey at point on 110 but he fell a run later when he glanced Tanveer Sangha to a deep leg slip.Carey’s ton returned serve to rival gloveman Josh Inglis, who hit a century of his own for Western Australia earlier this week after a white-ball tour of the UK during which the pair shared wicketkeeping duties.McSweeney picked up where Carey left off but with their tail unlikely to wag, South Australia looked reluctant to take the game on late, despite having five wickets in hand.McSweeney is a player on the radar of the national selectors after impressive returns last season and will be a candidate to captain Australia A.Lyon could not repeat his early heroics as Moises Henriques threw batter Nic Maddinson the ball late on when it was clear no result would eventuate.

He'll take Isak to new levels: Newcastle set to launch bid for £60m star

Now it’s time for Eddie Howe and Newcastle United to show their ability to pass through adversity once again. But then they’ve done it before.

Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford should join the St. James’ Park ranks, but there are still glaring openings in central defence, up front and out on the attacking right flank.

Stepping back into the Champions League, the 2024/25 Carabao Cup champions need more depth, especially so in the final third.

Newcastle's hunt for new forwards

Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo rattled suitors when stating he would only jump ship for Manchester United this summer, turning his head at interest from Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur.

And now, Joao Pedro is set to join Chelsea having hitherto been listed as one of Newcastle’s top targets, if not the top target.

This is deeply frustrating, for Newcastle are yet to bolster their attacking ranks whatsoever, having entered the window with this principal priority. It’s not for the want of trying, at least.

West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus has since been earmarked, while an offer for Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga, worth £50m, has already been rejected.

It’s Elanga who is the priority, with Football Insider now reporting that the Magpies are preparing an improved offer for the Sweden international.

Elanga, 23, has been a defining member of a Forest team who will compete in Europe next year, and the Tricky Trees are indeed proving tough negotiators, demanding £60m for the right winger.

He’d bring a lot to the United cause, with a silky skill set that practically demands to be combined with Alexander Isak’s.

What Anthony Elanga would bring to Newcastle

Pace, and plenty of it. Elanga left Manchester United to sign for Nottingham Forest in 2023 for just £15m, and he’s only gone from strength to strength since.

The fastest & slowest players in the Premier League (2024/25)

Over his two terms, he’s helped pull his club away from the relegation fodder and onto the continental stage, so electric and incisive down the right flank.

Nuno Espirito Santo hailed him a “special player” after one blistering counter-attack against Manchester United, bagging the sole goal in a 1-0 win back in March.

Matches (starts)

36 (25)

38 (31)

Goals

5

6

Assists

9

11

Shots (on target)*

1.5 (0.6)

1.2 (0.6)

Big chances missed

10

6

Pass completion

75%

78%

Big chances created

14

9

Key passes*

0.9

1.3

Dribbles*

0.8

0.7

Tackles*

0.9

0.5

Duels won*

2.9

3.0

Having kept a pretty consistent level throughout his time at the City Ground, Elanga has now proven that he’s worth the money, athletic, purposeful and reliable with his output. The stream of assists is certainly something Isak will have his eye on.

He also demonstrated an uptick in shooting accuracy, missing as many big chances as he scored (six) in 2024/25 after squandering ten chances the year prior, bagging only five times.

This must be to the delight of Isak, who is a superstar unto himself but will perhaps raise his game even higher (just pause and imagine that) with such a presence beside him, for Isak is not just a goalscorer, but a creator and an influencer; the perfect focal point.

Forest’s star winger might have only averaged 0.7 dribbles per Premier League match last term, but that’s a tactical quirk.

This is a man who self-proclaims to be “one of the fastest players in the league”, and when you observe him in his barnstorming groove, you wouldn’t argue against it.

Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga

Isak would relish the chance to play with such a pacy winger, reliant on their creativity. We’ve seen the marksman’s prowess with Murphy, now imagine that with his countryman Elanga, faster and just as tenacious.

More important than Elanga: Newcastle close in on signing "world-class" ace

Eddie Howe looks close to making his first summer signing at Newcastle United.

ByRoss Kilvington Jun 30, 2025

Bruno will make him world-class: Man Utd hold talks for "phenomenal" star

Manchester United have been desperately hunting for a new striker throughout this summer transfer window, understandably so, too, given their lack of clinical edge.

Ruben Amorim’s side registered just 44 goals in their 38 Premier League outings this season, with only four sides scoring fewer – three of which were relegated to the Championship.

Their inability to find the back of the net on a consistent basis undoubtedly contributed to their lowly league standing, with no player in the squad managing to hit double figures for goals.

Rasmus Hojlund, who was the Red Devils’ main talisman, only netted four goals, highlighting the need for reinforcements in such a department this window.

Countless players have already been touted with summer moves to Old Trafford, but it remains to be seen which talisman the hierarchy will go after for the manager.

The latest on United’s hunt for a new striker this summer

Viktor Gyokeres is a player who appeared out of reach this window, but it appears United have been handed a lifeline after it was confirmed he would be open to a reunion with Amorim in 2025/26.

He’s not the only talent on their radar, with Juventus star Dušan Vlahović also considered as an option, potentially leading to a swap deal with Jadon Sancho moving to Italy as a result.

However, the aforementioned duo aren’t the only ones being considered, as work is being done over a potential deal to land RB Leipzig talisman Benjamin Sesko, according to TBR Football.

They claim that internal talks have been held behind the scenes at Old Trafford in recent weeks, with the Slovenian popping up as an option after netting 21 goals in 45 appearances this year.

It also states that the staff behind the scenes have been extensively monitoring the 22-year-old in recent times, but confirmed that no deal is yet at an advanced stage.

Why United’s latest target would become world class alongside Bruno

Bruno Fernandes will go down as one of United’s best ever additions, thriving beyond all imagination after his £47m move from Sporting CP back in January 2020.

The Portuguese international rapidly made himself a fan favourite, offering a creative and clinical threat that the side had often been lacking before his arrival.

However, he’s sustained such levels, registering over 20 combined goals and assists in each of his seasons in Manchester, often being the shining light in tricky periods – none more so than this campaign

The 30-year-old accumulated a total of 37 combined goals and assists, with it unimaginable to think where the side would be without his contributions in 2024/25.

He undoubtedly has the creative nature, but has been lacking that lethal striker ahead of him, which could further bolster his tallies should the hierarchy land one in the coming months.

RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskocelebrates their second goal scored by Lukas Klostermann

Sesko could prove to be the beneficiary should he move to Old Trafford, having the chance to thrive alongside Bruno, who managed to create 2.7 chances per 90 this season.

He also registered a pass accuracy of 82%, which aided him, allowing him to notch 18 assists, something which the Slovenian could take his game to the next level with.

The Leipzig star, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by talent scout Antonio Mango, registered 1.2 shots on target per 90 at an accuracy rate of 44% – handing Amorim’s side the talisman they’ve needed.

The youngster has also completed 52% of the take-ons he’s attempted, whilst coming out on top in 59% of aerial battles, with his all-round nature certainly handing the side a new dimension.

Benjamin Sesko’s stats for RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

33

Goals & assists

18

Shots on target per 90

1.2

Shot on target accuracy

44%

Take-ons completed

52%

Aerials won

59%

Progressive carries

1.8

Stats via FBref

He’s also demonstrated his desire to run in behind and play off the shoulder of the defender, a skillset that is extremely rare in today’s game, making himself a real nuisance to the opposition backline.

Such a deal would be a phenomenal one for the Red Devils, allowing them to take a huge step under the guidance of Amorim throughout 2025/26.

RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskobefore taking a penalty

If he can strike up a partnership with Fernandes next season, it would massively help the Red Devils catapult up the table, making the club a force to be reckoned with once again.

He's better than Gyokeres: Wilcox plots Man Utd move for £150m talisman

Manchester United have joined a long list of suitors in the race to sign a new striker.

1 ByEthan Lamb Jun 27, 2025

The truth about £32m Leeds contract offer to Junior Firpo

A Spanish newspaper has shared the truth behind rumours of a Leeds United contract offer to defender Junior Firpo, having spoken directly to the player’s entourage.

Leeds plan busy summer as multiple approaches made

The Whites don’t have to worry about the Championship play-offs this time around; they can sit back and enjoy what unfolds this weekend, knowing they are back in the Premier League. And given Leeds finished their season a couple of weeks ago, the club have already been putting plans in place for where they want to strengthen their side.

Farke's next Tanaka: Leeds lining up move for "unbelievable" £10m star

Leeds United may be about to sign a star who could follow in Ao Tanaka’s footsteps at Elland Road.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

May 21, 2025

It’s been reported that Leeds are plotting a double transfer swoop on Newcastle United duo Callum Wilson and Sean Longstaff. Wilson’s contract at St James’ Park is set to expire at the end of the campaign, and Longstaff is said to be available for around £12 million, meaning both deals are doable for a team coming up from the second tier.

Meanwhile, BBC and Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards believes James McAtee would be a fantastic signing for the Whites, having been linked in the last few weeks.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola reacts withJamesMcAtee

But strengthening their defence may be seen as more of a priority, as West Ham’s Vladimir Coufal has emerged as a potential target, with the 49ers making an approach to West Ham already.

Spanish newspaper makes Firpo contract claim

Signing new full backs may be a top priority given the circumstances surrounding Firpo, whose contract expires at the end of June. His future remains a hot topic of conversation, and according to Spanish newspaper Estadio Deportivo, Leeds have made a ‘juicy’ contract offer to keep Firpo at the club.

The newspaper references rumours of an agreement on a four-year deal worth £155,000-a-week – a total cost of over £32m.

The Spanish outlet claim they have spoken directly to Firpo’s camp, and while there is an offer on the table, nothing has been agreed yet.

That is because Firpo has received offers from other clubs, with Serie A side Lazio in the mix. It also goes on to add that Real Betis, who have been linked with a move for Firpo for a while now, must accelerate their plans if they want him to return to Spain.

As well as Lazio and Real Betis being interested in signing Firpo, it was also claimed earlier this month that Barcelona are plotting a move, as his agents may have already spoken to the La Liga winners.

Junior Firpo’s Leeds United stats

Apps

119

Goals

6

Assists

22

The 28-year-old has been at Elland Road since 2021, but in his four seasons at Leeds, it could be argued that the 2024/25 campaign was his best one yet. The left-back scored four goals and registered an impressive 10 assists in 32 Championship games, making him one of the most attacking defenders in the division. Therefore, it is no surprise that Leeds are trying their best to keep hold of a player who could help them a lot in the Premier League.

Tottenham in position to seal "bargain signing" of "interesting" striker

Tottenham Hotspur are now believed to be in a good position to seal the astute capture of an “interesting” striker this summer, despite him attracting plenty of attention from elsewhere.

Tottenham play Liverpool as Postecoglou looks to avoid 19th Premier League defeat

Ange Postecoglou’s sacking at the end of the season is highly likely as things stand, according to reports, and it could occur regardless of what happens in their Europa League campaign (The Telegraph).

Tottenham talking about appointing "special" manager wanted by Real Madrid

Spurs decision-makers now want to show ambition.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 26, 2025

Spurs have tasted defeat a woeful 18 times in the Premier League this season, and a 19th loss against Liverpool today would equal the Lilywhites’ record for most defeats in a single campaign since the competition was formed in 1992.

Tottenham’s final five Premier League fixtures of the season

Date

Liverpool (away)

Today

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Brighton (home)

May 25th

Postecoglou’s side will come up against a side who could be crowned champions of England, so Tottenham will have to be at their very best to avoid a rout and bring confidence into their all-important Europa League semi-final clash against Bodo/Glimt.

“I think you want to do more than that,” said Postecoglou on whether Tottenham just want to come through Liverpool unscathed.

“You want to go there and compete against, obviously, a very good side, and compete well and its not just about getting through unscathed, you want to get through having played well against the top team. And I think irrespective of what’s on the horizon. That’s the primary importance.

“They have been brilliant in the league this year. They have been really consistent, maintained a really high level. They have had the best players playing all the time and playing at a really high level. That is a credit to Arne, his coaching staff and the players themselves. They have been close in the last few years and the fact they are on the cusp of potentially winning another title is a credit to everyone involved.

“In the cup game first leg, I thought we were really good, we took the game to them even though again we had quite a few absences and. worked really hard to get a win in that game, so we know it’s going to be tough at the weekend, but at the same time I think it’s a great challenge for us.”

Tottenham "well-placed" to sign Feyenoord striker Zepiqueno Redmond

Away from their tough trip to Anfield, news has come to light of the club’s transfer activity ahead of this summer.

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, writing for Football Insider, Tottenham are now “well-placed” to seal a deal for Feyenoord striker Zepiqueno Redmond – who will leave the Eredivisie side on a free when his contract expires and could be a “bargain signing”.

The highly-rated 18-year-old, a Netherlands Under-19 international, has broken into the Feyenoord first team this season, making four senior league appearances, but they now look set to lose him for nothing as Spurs seek to take full advantage.

He is apparently regarded within the game as a real snip, with Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig labelling him among the Netherlands’ “interesting” crop of brand-new talents.

Chelsea player criticised for "horrendous" attitude as Boehly looks to sell

Chelsea and chairman Todd Boehly will be looking to find a new club for one player who’s attracted criticism for his “horrendous” attitude behind-the-scenes, according to a new report this week.

Chelsea set for mass summer sale in transfer overhaul

Enzo Maresca will have many key decisions to make when the transfer window reopens for business, as a host of players are set to return spells out on loan and face uncertain futures at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea chiefs "adamant" they'll sign £60m star after Real Madrid decision

Los Blancos have had a real influence on BlueCo’s transfer plans.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 2, 2025

Kepa Arrizabalaga, Alfie Gilchrist, Armando Broja, Raheem Sterling, David Datro Fofana, Renato Veiga, Carney Chukwuemeka, Ben Chilwell and Axel Disasi all appear very likely to leave Chelsea this summer, either on loan again or permanently, while Trevoh Chalobah is also expected to depart, regardless of the Blues activating their recall clause for him in January.

Tottenham (home)

Today

Brentford (away)

April 6th

Ipswich Town (home)

April 13th

Fulham (away)

April 20th

Everton (home)

April 26th

Mykhailo Mudryk has been linked with a move to Sevilla after his failed drugs test as well, and versatile forward Christopher Nkunku actually agreed personal terms with Bayern Munich in the winter, only for his Bundesliga move to fall through.

In-form goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic, amid Chelsea’s links with Liverpool shot-stopper Caoimhin Kelleher, has also refused to rule out remaining at sister club Strasbourg beyond this season.

“We’ll see after what could happen this summer. It could be a very good option to stay here if Strasbourg qualify for the UEFA Champions League,” said Petrovic on his Chelsea future.

Chelsea's Robert Sanchez andDjordjePetrovicarrive for training

“I always had confidence in my ability to improve. I have progressed more than I thought (at Strasbourg), but I can still improve more between now and the end of the season.”

It is set to be a big summer of transfers again at Chelsea, and they’ll be getting busy early. The Premier League confirmed that the window will be open from June 1st to June 10th, allowing BlueCo to conduct business before the Club World Cup, and there is every reason to believe that outgoings could occur in this period.

Joao Felix attitude slammed as Chelsea look to sell

AC Milan loanee Joao Felix is another who’s set to return to London after his temporary stint in Serie A, which really hasn’t gone according to plan.

Despite a promising start, the Portugal international’s form has seriously tailed off in recent months, and Fabrizio Romano confirms that Milan have no intention of signing Felix on a permanent deal.

Now, reliable journalist Simon Phillips has shared what sources have told him about Felix’s “horrendous” attitude behind-the-scenes – which could be the reason why his career has stunted since a mega-money move to Atlético from Benfica a few years ago.

He adds that Chelsea are looking to sell the attacking midfielder again this summer, with Felix even separately linked to a surprising Galatasaray transfer.

“An SPTC source has been speaking with some Atlético Madrid staff members as well as some current Portuguese internationals, and we have heard that Felix’s talent as a youngster was the best they’d seen at that level from a Portuguese player but according to the source, it is his attitude and arrogance that let’s him down and is ‘horrendous’,” wrote Phillips, via his Substack.

“I guess this could explain a lot and why he floats from club to club trying to find a new home.”

Questions will now really be asked of Boehly and why Chelsea elected to re-sign him on a permanent deal just last summer.

England at breaking point as Ashes dreams dismantled

Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum tried to protect their players, but it has left them exposed when it mattered most

Vithushan Ehantharajah07-Dec-20256:09

‘Australia have sat back, waited for England and pushed them over’

For all the fight shown by Ben Stokes and Will Jacks with the bat, there was an indignity to England coming out to bowl on day four. Somehow, an innings defeat at the Gabba might have been less embarrassing.The sun was setting, the floodlights in play. By virtue of the longest partnership by either side across the first two Tests, Stokes and Jacks had managed the situation in front of them, meaning that witching hour was England’s to exploit. Just as Australia had done on Saturday.They gave it a go, to be fair. Jofra Archer bowled like the wind. Gus Atkinson found his snap off the pitch. And Australia blazed to their target of 65.Related

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  • Bazball is dead (even if England aren't quite yet)

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  • Neser five-for trumps England's belated resistance as Australia take 2-0 lead

“Bowl fast when there’s nothing going on, champion,” was Steven Smith’s retort to Jofra Archer looking to start something. It was a sentiment many shared. Why bring this energy now? Where was this when it mattered? Smith may as well have been talking to England as a group. A pulled six off Archer and another off Atkinson sealed the match.Stokes looked bereft in his press conference. And why wouldn’t he be? Sunday brought us up to six days cricket in this Ashes series. Barely a week and yet a three-and-a-half-year project to make dreams for a lifetime is already being pulled apart before we have even got to the third Test. This was his Everest and they are somehow still at base camp tending to the frozen.It is true that England series in Australia have often gone this way, but this one was supposed to be different. The score at present is 15-0 to the hosts since England’s last successful venture in 2010-11, and somehow these two defeats carry the weight of the previous 13. Because it was from those that Bazball’s free spirit was forged. And it is here, under the Australian sun, that it is being broken down and held up to the baying masses.But the sweating, shame-ridden harshness of cricket in these parts cannot be blamed. England are solely at fault for their own catastrophe.Ben Stokes leads his beaten team from the field•Getty ImagesAt Brisbane, a first-innings collapse of 6 for 88 was followed by one of 5 for 38 two days later, sandwiching a truly woeful bowling performance. If the first Test in Perth could be chalked off as simply a team losing their footing in a downhill sprint race with Australia, this was England choosing to sprint again while the hosts decided to take the winding roads of sensible batting and straightforward bowling plans that were available to both sides.They will wonder how so little cricket can carry so many regrets.They flunked the opener against a Pat Cummins- and Josh Hazlewood-less Australia, and have now done the same in the second with Nathan Lyon thrown out of the mix.Even Australia’s bankers in the schedule had their edge blunted. The Perth Test was a month earlier than usual, taking place in a more amenable climate and at the Optus Stadium, rather than the furnace of the WACA ground, and the English skeletons that lie within, which sat dormant across the way. Likewise for Brisbane, which saw Australia roll their most-statistically dominant venue and format into one while dialling down the heat, given the day-night timings. Worse still, England won both tosses.It is also worth considering the waste. A chastening experience during the 2021-22 tour, blighted by Covid, triggered a more holistic approach: investment in people and roles within the team that now seem so blurry. Perhaps worst of all, Joe Root’s first hundred in Australia reduced to a footnote in the rot.

“Stokes has long taken it upon himself to set fields, believing bowlers should just concentrate on bowling. The result of that is when the team are under pressure in the field, they cannot think off the cuff”

Atkinson has dulled, the sharp metronome anointed as James Anderson replacement already adding 2.59 on the bowling average of 22.01 he arrived with, with just three wickets in 54 overs. Atkinson’s pull shot straight to Smith at midwicket was a shot to rival Harry Brook’s grim drive to the first ball he faced off Mitchell Starc in the first innings. Unbecoming of a Test vice-captain but worryingly in keeping with his recent work.Jamie Smith’s no-nonsense start to Test cricket has given way to a worrying meekness that speaks to the fact that keeping is taking its toll. Scores of 0 and 4 accompanied a drop off Travis Head that saw him the subject of sarcastic cheers for the vast majority of the 117.3 overs spent behind the stumps in Australia’s first innings. This is as tough as it gets and Smith is shrinking.Stokes has blame to take for this. His insulation of the team for their own good has resulted in group seemingly unable to learn from mistakes and consequence. Worst still is a lack of collective nous.The bowling attack is a particularly interesting case study. Stokes has long taken it upon himself to set fields, believing bowlers should just concentrate on bowling. The result of that is when the team are under pressure in the field, they cannot think off the cuff. And this week, with Mark Wood missing, the most inexperienced bowling attack Stokes has had to work with – Archer, the “veteran”, with 17 caps – were unable to correct themselves, particularly when wasting the first 21 overs of the new ball on day two, with Australia racing to 130 for 1 in response to the 334 that England had clawed for.At the same time, it is maddening at this juncture that the likes of Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope have not lightened Stokes’ load. The pair have 124 caps between them but seemingly none of the experience that is supposed to come with that number.Stokes’ rearguard at the Gabba went in vain•PA Photos/Getty ImagesThen again, that’s not all their fault, nor Stokes’. There are coaches who should know better, who should be improving these players but end up hurting them with their public utterances.On Saturday, for instance, assistant coach Marcus Trescothick (charged with priming the batters) said they had not spoken about the perils of driving on the up after being found out in Perth. It was odd for two reasons.The first being that Stokes, ahead of England’s training session at Allan Border Field last Saturday, revealed the team had reflected behind closed doors about how they let that second day at the Optus Stadium slip from their grasp. And they did, as individuals, discuss the best ways to approach Starc. They even workshopped ideas to combat the pink ball under lights – both as batters and fielders in the lead-up to this Test. Stokes had taken it upon himself to disseminate bowling and batting information around the quirks day-night brings to each pack.The second, and more infuriating, part of Trescothick’s sugarcoated dead-batting was that he was actually trying to shield a group already wallowing in misery. Instead, he perpetuated the notion that they do not care. That they are free of consequence and devoid of true ambition.That was compounded on Sunday by Brendon McCullum’s assertion they trained too hard ahead of this match. A passionate English fanbase – many of whom truly believed in this group and what it was about – have never been more riled, now fully of the mind they are being gaslit.It didn’t have to be like this. But now, this group need to wise up and open their eyes to reality. Their walls are falling around them, and life is coming at them quick.This tour, genuinely the best opportunity since 2010-11 to win an overseas Ashes, and the most optimistic since 2013-14 after retaining the urn months earlier, may be the end of this chapter of English Test cricket.On paper, the remaining three Tests are a shot at redemption. But right now, it looks like it could break Stokes and the players he has taken it upon himself to protect.

Travis Head defines another day of Ashes cricket

No batter in the world thrives more against flagging bowlers

Matt Roller28-Jun-2023You might have heard the whispers about Travis Head. He doesn’t like it up at him. India’s fast bowlers worked that out at The Oval, when Head was making a match-defining 163 against them in the World Test Championship final. A few weeks later, on the other side of the River Thames, England’s bowlers tried to prove the same.Just after six o’clock, Ben Stokes set a short-ball field, with catchers back on the leg side, and threw the ball to Josh Tongue. Tongue was the point-of-difference bowler in his otherwise samey attack of right-arm, medium-fast bowlers, and the man tasked with testing out Head’s apparent vulnerability against the quick and nasty stuff.Tongue banged his first ball into the pitch, halfway down and wide outside off stump. Head didn’t flinch. He stood tall, lifting his feet off the ground a touch as he flat-batted through straight mid-on, tantalisingly out of Stuart Broad’s reach as he wearily gave chase.Four balls later, Head anticipated another short ball. He shuffled outside his leg stump to give himself room to free his arms, and took on the men in the deep on the hook. This time, he cracked Tongue away for four over Stokes’ head at deep backward square leg. Head had walked out at No. 5 with Steven Smith unbeaten on 43. Now, both batters were on 71.Related

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Stokes applauded, as if to suggest that it was a matter of time before England’s ploy worked. It never did: instead, he fell to Joe Root’s offspin shortly after. In total, England’s seamers bowled Head a dozen short balls; he scored 21 runs off them, including four boundaries. It was hard graft, for no obvious reward.England only went short to Head in the second half of his innings, after their more orthodox plans hadn’t worked. He thrived on any width, playing his trademark half-punch, half-cut where he combines fast hands and whippy wrists to slap through the off side; when they went straight, he flicked nonchalantly off his pads.They have been dreading the prospect of bowling to him again ever since he finished the reverse series as the leading run-scorer on either side – despite missing the Sydney Test through Covid. At the start of this summer, Stokes described him as “so hard to bowl to” and “really hard to set fields to”.Head is Australia’s werewolf. He is a different beast once evening descends. Since his return to Australia’s Test team ahead of the 2021-22 Ashes, he has scored just under half (46.7%) of his runs in the final session. There is no batter in the world who thrives more against flagging bowlers.That might sound like damning him with faint praise but consider this: there is no batter in the world that has scored more runs in a certain session than Head in the third since his recall 19 months ago. He has averaged 89.37 in the third session, and struck at 93.70.!function(){“use strict”;window.addEventListener(“message”,(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[“datawrapper-height”]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(“iframe”);for(var t in a.data[“datawrapper-height”])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();

“Trav is Trav,” David Warner said at the close. “It’s the way he plays. It’s exciting. He’s going to come out there and to be honest, we’re lucky he’s in our team because he can take it away from you in that half an hour patch. Striking at over 100 on that wicket is exceptional – and that’s what you get from Trav.”Head has been a revelation since coming back into the Australia side, liberated to play like he did in Sheffield Shield cricket for South Australia. In his first 31 innings as a Test batter, Head averaged 39.75 and struck at 49.65; after a year’s gap, he has played another 31 since, averaging 54.71 and striking at 82.45.On the morning of his career-reviving hundred at the Gabba at the start of the last Ashes series, Head bumped into Adam Gilchrist, who was working as a broadcaster. “He said, ‘If you get the chance, fight fire with fire. Play your way,'” Head recounted in a recent interview. There is, undeniably, a shade of Gilchrist in his style.”He applies the pressure back onto the bowling unit,” Warner added. “I felt they bowled pretty good to him first up. The ball was moving a little bit and then he countered. He just manages to hit them through backward point or get on top of the ball that’s rising off the wicket. He just finds a way.”Head was out for 77 off 73 balls while falling on his backside. He charged down the pitch to swing Root back over his head into the Pavilion, and toppled over as Jonny Bairstow whipped the bails off. It was a comedy dismissal – but by that stage, England weren’t laughing.In all probability, Smith will convert his 85 not out into a 32nd Test and 12th Ashes hundred on Thursday morning; in years to come, it will be his innings that stands out on this scorecard. But make no mistake: this was a day of Ashes cricket defined by Travis Head. Another one.

As Joe Root takes the plaudits, Haseeb Hameed begins to reap what he sowed

England have a fantastic chance to level the series after a perfect second day

George Dobell26-Aug-2021There wasn’t any sangria in the park or feeding animals in the zoo, but this was, pretty much, England’s perfect day. By the end you really could have been forgiven for thinking they were someone else, someone good.It goes without saying that this has given England a fantastic opportunity to level the series. Yes, the pitch looks full of runs at present. And yes, England’s bowlers will no doubt have to work far harder in India’s second innings.But this has given England an opportunity beyond that. Not only should England’s batters be able to take great confidence from this performance – the top four all reached 50 for the first time since the 2013 Dunedin Test – but in keeping India in the field for 129 overs, they’ve earned the chance to strike a blow that could be significant later in the series.Joe Root scored his 23rd Test hundred•Getty ImagesThe Tests come pretty thick and fast these days, after all. And long before the end of the day, Mohammad Shami – who bowled better than his figures suggest – had been on and off the pitch for treatment, Jasprit Bumrah had padding on his knee and Ravi Jadeja was limping. Ishant Sharma, meanwhile, has looked a shadow of the fast bowler who came into this match with 311 Test wickets. There were moments, such as when England took singles to him at mid-on and mid-off, when his lack of mobility was almost alarming. Really, if you saw him on a bus, you would offer him your seat.The point? England have an opportunity to break a bowling attack. Or at least put so many miles in their legs their viability is compromised for the days ahead. England have been on the wrong end of such tactics many times. Now is the time to be ruthless. Many will say England should declare overnight – and it’s true, there’s not much point sending out James Anderson to face them on the third day – but you can guarantee India’s bowlers will not relish the prospect of warming-up and pulling on the bowling boots once more.You suspect that most of those present at Headingley on Thursday went home purring in pleasure at the innings they witnessed from Joe Root. For the second day in succession, this old ground had seen an England great produce some of his greatest work. He made his sixth century of the year – already equal to the England record shared by Denis Compton (1947) and Michael Vaughan (2002) – and his third of the series look easy. There were many beautiful strokes – not least a fierce sweep, a gorgeous clip off his legs and a fine reverse-sweep – but one back-foot punch through cover was a thing of such perfection that you could almost imagine a sunset taking a photo of it.Most Tests 100s for England in a year•ESPNcricinfo LtdBut we know Anderson is an incredible bowler and that Root is enjoying a hot summer. What, perhaps, is more encouraging for England in the long-term is the performance of Dawid Malan and Haseeb Hameed.Malan’s second-highest Test score, in his first Test innings in more than three years, was a nicely judged effort which served to demonstrate both his tighter defensive technique – he left with expert judgement – and his range of strokes. A couple of his cover drives would have pleased David Gower. There isn’t higher praise. There’s no reason to think Malan cannot kick-on from this.The entire innings, though, was set up by the opening partnership. And it was telling that it was England’s highest opening stand (135) since Hameed had his first run in the side in November 2016. It lasted 50 overs, drew the sting from the attack and put England ahead in the game.Hameed, in truth, was not as fluent on the second day. He added only eight to his overnight score and went 28 balls without scoring immediately before his dismissal. He still made 68, though. He still looked the part. Don’t worry too much about him not scoring any runs in the V; Malan only made one in the off-side V; Root only made seven there. This hasn’t, to date, been a pitch for driving. Just ask the Indian top-order.Peter Moores knew the exact moment Hameed was ready for a return to international cricket. Moores, the Nottinghamshire coach who signed Hameed at the end of 2019, had spent the previous evening, midway through the strange summer of 2020, working with Root in the nets at Trent Bridge. England were about to reconvene for the lockdown Tests against West Indies and Root had come to work with Moores to find some form. The next morning, Hameed turned up for a bat.”We were in the exact same net,” Moores tells ESPNcricinfo now. “And when there are just two of you there and you’re throwing with the dog-stick, you know how much you’re putting on the ball. So, you get a really clear picture of the way someone is playing.”And he just batted beautifully. He had rediscovered his rhythm. I was using Joe – who is clearly one of the best players in the world as a benchmark – and I just thought, ‘Has is looking very, very good’.”The next few weeks didn’t produce a mountain of runs. But they did produce some. And perhaps as important as the three half-centuries in seven innings and an average of 38.85 was the return of a smile to his face. Freed from what had clearly been an increasingly unhappy relationship at Lancashire, he rediscovered the joy of the game.”There weren’t a million people trying to sign him when he came here,” Moores recalls. “And yes, he needed repairing. There was some technical work to do, but mostly he needed rebuilding as a person.Related

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“He was in a tough place. He had experienced an extreme version of what many young players go through: he had enjoyed early success and then started to struggle.”But I knew him from my time as coach at Lancashire. He was just coming through the system then and I knew he was a great kid. Almost as soon as he walked through the gates, it was a though we’d found a soul-mate. All he wanted to do was learn and talk and get better. As a coach, that really is the dream.”I think he felt released here. And first he started to trust his game again, and then he’s just blossomed.”A little while into the season, a committee man from Notts said to me ‘he fields with joy’ and that’s exactly right. Whether he’s at short-leg or cover, he does it with a smile on his face. He’s brought great energy to our team. It’s been lovely to watch.”So, what was the technical work?”Like a few young players, he had started to take an off-stump guard,” Moores explains. “You can understand the logic: they think they’re lining up the stumps. But actually it draws you into playing at balls you shouldn’t. You don’t really want to be defending balls outside off stump. You want to either be leaving them or attacking them. There’s no benefit in defending them.”Now he takes middle-stump. His trigger movements are smaller and he’s opening up more scoring opportunities.”Hameed’s defence can be a delight. At his best, he really does play the ball right under his nose with bat and pad so tight together you suspect it could keep out the rain. But it was the more aggressive strokes he played on the first day which really pleased Moores.”It was nice to see him play some shots,” he says. “That’s the way he’s moved his game. There was a period, a couple of years ago, when he looked as if he was just trying to survive. He wasn’t thinking about scoring runs. He was battling rather than batting.”He says he knows when he’s playing well as he has soft hands and can cushion the ball. It’s a lovely quality. It means you can edge the ball and still not be out. It’s a quality that Kane Williamson has. But Hameed can play pace and spin well. He sees the ball early. I think he’ll be fine in Australia. His game is designed to play pace.”Haseeb Hameed rocks back and cuts•PA Photos/Getty ImagesIt’s no coincidence that Moores has been involved in Hameed’s rehabilitation. He has played a similar role in many careers going back to Mushtaq Ahmed at Sussex. So it’s probably not surprising that it was Moores he turned to after his failure – a first-ball failure, at that – in his comeback innings at Lord’s.”I did speak to him, yes,” Moores says. “He was fine. Maybe if he hadn’t scored that century against India in a warm-up game a few weeks earlier he might have been a bit more worried, but he was ok. I just gave him verification, really. I reminded him he was a top player and that it was important to control yourself in those moments. I think he just didn’t watch the ball in that innings.”And were there any concerns about getting bogged down on day two?”Not really,” Moores says. “Batting is often tougher in the morning at Leeds and I thought he looked comfortable doing the job he did. He put a lot of overs in the legs of those bowlers. And all the bouncers they bowled to him will have taken something out of them for later in the match or later in the series.”There’s not much doubt that Root will take the plaudits for this innings. And quite right, too. But it felt like a significant innings from Hameed, too. After several years of hard work, he’s starting to reap what he sowed.

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