All posts by h716a5.icu

Jesse Ryder will move from Otago to Central Districts, where he began his career in 2002 as an 18-year old, for the 2015-16 New Zealand domestic season

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jul-2015Jesse Ryder will move from Otago to Central Districts, where he began his career in 2002 as an 18-year old, for the 2015-16 New Zealand domestic season. However, his involvement with the side is expected to be restricted to limited-overs cricket, which means he will not play in the first-class Plunket Shield. Ryder is currently playing first-class and T20 cricket for Essex in England, with the domestic one-day competition there set to begin later this month.Lance Hamilton, the Central Districts general manager, said there were a couple of factors limiting Ryder’s involvement. “There is the question of balancing his workload with Essex, he has got another year to run on that contract,” Hamilton told ESPNcricinfo. “And it is also an attempt to continue the development of our local homegrown players through the longer version of the game.”A release from Central Districts stated that Ryder’s name would appear among the 14 players to be offered a domestic contract by the side next week. Ryder’s inclusion follows the retirement last season of New Zealand and Central Districts batsman Jamie How.”Jesse has tons of ability and vast experience as both a batsman and genuine bowling option,” Heinrich Malan, the Central Districts coach, said. “He offers real value to a group of players who are hungry to improve their game, both individually and as a team.”Ryder was with Central Districts for a couple of seasons until he moved to Wellington, where he spent the bulk of his domestic career, before shifting to Otago in 2013.”CD gave me my first opportunity in cricket so I’m looking forward to returning and playing for the Stags again this summer,” Ryder said.

Liam Livingstone’s penultimate ball heave for six leaving Lancashire requiring three from the final delivery but he was run out off the last delivery

George Dobell26-Jun-2015
ScorecardRecordo Gordon took career-best figures to help Birmingham win a low-scoring contest•PA PhotosIt was the sort of night where it paid to take it slowly.After an accident on M6 stretched Birmingham’s journey time above six hours – this game started half-an-hour late as a result – the teams found themselves playing this match on a dry, used pitch that rewarded spinners, cutters and bowlers who take pace off the ball.Perhaps it rewarded patience, too. A game that, by T20 standards, dragged for long portions – Birmingham hit only five fours after the first 37 balls of their innings – eventually rose to an exciting conclusion with Liam Livingstone’s penultimate ball heave for six leaving Lancashire requiring three from the final delivery. A mis-hit drive straight to mid-off resulted in a run-out as the batsmen attempted an almost impossible second to secure the tie.Victory, their 12th in 14 completed T20 games, takes Birmingham top of the table, though only three points separate the top four. Lancashire have now lost five of their nine T20 games this season. Only Middlesex and Derbyshire have lost more.But it seems a shame that a high-profile game – these sides were last year’s finalists and this game was televised – should be played on a pitch that did so little to encourage attacking strokeplay.Not that there is not a certain value – and charm – to these low-scoring contests. There will be times, in Asia in particular, when England teams play on such surfaces and the next World T20 is in India. Perhaps such matches offer perfect preparation.But was it the sort of surface to attract new spectators to the game? And isn’t that the point of T20 cricket? After an ODI series drenched in boundaries appeared to have revived interest in the sport, it was hard to avoid the conclusion that this was another own-goal by domestic cricket.It is not necessarily the groundsman’s fault. The huge amount of cricket required from their squares renders it almost inevitable that pitches will be reused and reduces the amount of preparation time for each track. Television coverage might also have been relevant here: cameras set-up for the ODI – played on the same pitch – would not have to have been moved by using the same surface. Perhaps there is something to be said for playing more games at out grounds?Bearing in mind the surface, it was particularly impressive that a young fast bowler should scoop his second Man-of-the-Match award in succession. Like all fast bowlers, 23-year-old Recordo Gordon loves to bowl with pace. But here, realising that such a tactic would be self-defeating, he unveiled a range of cutters and slowers balls – including a particularly good slower ball bouncer – that left batsmen struggling to pick up his length or settle against him. A haul of 4 for 20 was reward for an admirably mature, calm and skilful performance.Gordon also hit the only six of the Birmingham innings. Bearing in mind the margin of victory, it proved an important contribution.Winning the toss helped Birmingham. By the time Lancashire realised what sort of surface they were playing on, Birmingham had plundered 49 from the Powerplay with Brendon McCullum, on debut, thumping three successive boundaries and helping contribute to the highest partnership of the match. Varun Chopra’s 40 and Willaim Porterfield’s 36 were the highest individual scores of the game.But once Lancashire’s three spinners came into play, run-scoring became far more difficult. They delivered 12 of the next 14 overs and Birmingham never again scored more than eight from an over and added only 50 in their final eight overs. Stephen Parry, England’s seemingly forgotten left-arm spinner, was particularly impressive in conceding just 19 from his four overs; reward for his control and his excellent variations.While the target appeared modest, Lancashire rarely looked as if they would overhaul it. Paul Horton was run out after a hesitation, Ashwell Prince carved straight to the fielder and Steven Croft slog-swept to deep backward square. Although James Faulkner, who added 39 with Jordan Clark, looked as if he might power Lancashire to victory, his drive to mid-off made life extremely tough.Birmingham, confidence soaring from their run of success, have become expert at applying pressure in the field, with the young legspinner, Josh Poysden, complementing the reliable Jeetan Patel.Lancashire might reflect that their fielding cost them, by comparison to Birmingham, half-a-dozen runs. It was a fault highlighted by their coach, Ashley Giles, early in the tournament and, while it has improved, it remains some way below the current T20 champions. In games decided by such small margins, it is a crucial factor.

Yet again, Rajasthan Royals are doing the early running in a season, with three wins out of three, and are the team to beat

The Preview by Abhishek Purohit15-Apr-2015Match factsThursday, April 16, 2015
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)3:07

Agarkar: Form of top-order batsmen positive for Sunrisers

Big pictureYet again, Rajasthan Royals are doing the early running in a season, with three wins out of three. The challenge for them has been to sustain that momentum towards the end of a long tournament, but for now, they are the team to beat. So far, they’ve won the crunch moments that decide games, something they have often let slip in the past.They also let Kieron Pollard and Corey Anderson counter-punch a century stand after having Mumbai Indians in trouble, but their chase flowed so smoothly that their death bowling did not cost them in the end. With captain Shane Watson expected to play their next game – if not this one – after recovering from a hip injury, Royals’ batting will be further strengthened.Their opponents are Sunrisers Hyderabad, who themselves hit back with a commanding chase against Royal Challengers Bangalore after being outclassed by Brendon McCullum and MS Dhoni in Chennai.Both teams have never played in Visakhapatnam and the side that bats first will have to take a few overs to judge the nature of the pitch. “The pitch will be very good for batting. It has a little bit of grass and there will be good bounce as well,” curator Naga Mallaiah said.Some rain is forecast in the port city around noon but the evening is expected to be clear.Watch out for…World Cup winner Steven Smith has carried his form from the Australian summer to the Indian, and his unbeaten 79 off 53 deliveries carried Royals home against Mumbai Indians. Smith’s taking apart of Lasith Malinga in the decisive 19th over was authoritative. He has been wasted down the order in the past but the Royals stand-in captain is enjoying the responsibility in the top order.KL Rahul’s unbeaten 44 against Royal Challengers was only his second score of 40 or more in the IPL, where his strike-rate is still under 110. This has been his breakthrough season, with a Test hundred in Australia, a triple in the Ranji Trophy followed by a big century in the Ranji final. Confidence from such a run can easily transcend formats, and Rahul showed signs of achieving that against Royal Challengers.Stats and trivia Only two IPL games have been played previously in Visakhapatnam, back in 2012 Royals have a 3-2 head-to-head record against Sunrisers Among active IPL franchises, Sunrisers have the lowest team batting strike-rate – 117Quotes”I think he is on par with AB de Villiers at the moment and Virat Kohli when he is at his best. It is incredible to see him just continue to pile on the runs in every format. It looks like it’s not going to end and let’s hope it doesn’t for quite a while.”
“Trent Boult has been in fantastic form. Look at how he bowled in the World Cup. We feel Trent is just ahead of Dale (Steyn). We will definitely use Dale in the tournament. At the moment Trent is going fantastic so Dale just misses out.”

Harry Maguire has received a new date for his retrial for alleged assault and bribery, but it may never go ahead, per a new report.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Maguire receives fresh trial dateWas set to plead innocence after Mykonos incidentTrial may never actually happen(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Per , Maguire's retrial for alleged assault and bribery in Mykonos was set to be held this week, but it has now been delayed due to legal action and it is not set to take place until March next year. However, the report makes clear that the trial may never happen, following his arrest in 2020.

AdvertisementWHY HAS THE TRIAL BEEN MOVED?

The England defender was set for a hearing on Wednesday but a lawyer's strike in the country has meant that the trial has been delayed. This is the second time that the trial has been delayed, and Maguire must now wait to plead his case.

WHAT IS MAGUIRE ALLEGED TO HAVE DONE?

The defender was arrested whilst on holiday with his wife Fern Hawkins, his sister, Daisy, and his brother, Joe. It has been alleged that Daisy was injected with an unknown substance after being approached by Albanian businessmen. Maguire has claimed that in the aftermath of the event, he was taken to a police station and assaulted by authorities. He attempted to flee, and his defence is that he believed he was being kidnapped.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty WHAT SENTENCE DID MAGUIRE RECEIVE?

Maguire was initially found guilty in 2020 and was handed a 21-month suspended sentence. The United ace appealed that decision and has been awaiting the retrial ever since.

Lyon battered Slavia Prague 9-0 in their first match of the 2023/24 UEFA Women's Champions League season.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Lyon trample Slavia Prague 9-0Lindsey Horan started matchFrench side manage seven different scorersWHAT HAPPENED?

Six first half goals from Lyon told the story as Lindsey Horan and Co pummeled Slavia Prague into the pitch Tuesday evening. Kadidiatou Diani's first-half brace stole the show as the France international shined in her first WUCL game with the club. Horan, meanwhile, ran circles in the midfield while putting on a passing clinic.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Lyon managed seven different goal-scorers, with Diani and Vanessa Giles being the only multi-scorers with two. By the halftime whistle it was already 6-0 to the away side, and come the second half, a plethora of subs were made – with Horan among those being hooked.

The USWNT midfielder left the pitch in the 69th minute, and although she didn't find herself on the scoresheet, Horan played an important role in the match with possession and tempo control in the center of the pitch.

DID YOU KNOW?

This is the second time Lyon have put nine goals past Slavia Prague in recent years, with the French side winning 9-1 in 2015. It's safe to say the 2021-22 European champions well in the hunt for their ninth title!

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LYON?

The French side are back in action on November 17 with a league match against Dijon Foot before returning to UWCL action again the following week against SKN St. Polten on November 24.

Former Tottenham winger Marcus Edwards was reportedly involved in a horror car crash on Wednesday morning as his Ranger Rover flipped on its side.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Edwards and driver unscathed in crash on outskirts of LisbonCar flipped onto its side in horror crashSporting CP take on Atalanta in Europa League on ThursdayWHAT HAPPENED?

The emergency services rushed to the scene of the accident in Atalaia, on the outskirts of Lisbon, where both Edwards and the driver of the other vehicle were found to be miraculously unharmed – as the reports. The Sporting CP winger is thought to have been on his way to join his team-mates, who are set to travel to Italy ahead of their Europa League clash against Atalanta. The former England U20 international is said to be shaky, but unhurt, and will be assessed by the club's medical staff.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite losing a number of star players in the summer, Sporting have made a strong start to the season and know that if they secure victory in Italy, they will qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League. Edwards can be considered a key part of Sporting's success this season, having contributed seven goals and the same number of assists to the collective cause. The Lions will be hopeful that their number 10 will be able to make another contribution in their key game tomorrow evening.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Edwards came through the Spurs academy before moving to Portugal on a free transfer in 2019. Edwards impressed at Vitoria Guimaraes, scoring 20 goals, before earning a €7.7 million move to the capital – becoming the first English player to play for Sporting since Spurs defender Eric Dier.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR EDWARDS AND SPORTING?

Edwards will return his focus back on helping Sporting qualify for the Europa League knockouts and fight for the league title against Benfica. The English winger has long been touted with a return to the Premier League and may well be joined by his Sporting team-mate Ousmane Diomande, who has been the centre of wild transfer speculation.

After breaking their transfer record to sign the Brazil attacker, the Blaugrana are set to offload a number of players, either now or in the summer

Getty Images1Javier Mascherano

As reported by Goal, Javier Mascherano's proposed move to Hebei China Fortune is almost a done deal. All that remains now is for the deal to be finalised, meaning the Argentine's eight-year stay at Camp Nou is coming to a close.

The versatile defender will depart with his head held high and with the gratitude of Blaugrana fans the world over, having helped the Catalan club win 17 trophies, including two Champions Leagues, since arriving from Liverpool in August 2010.

AdvertisementAA2Arda Turan

Arda Turan is another player almost certain to leave Camp Nou before this month. The Turkish attacker has not made anything like the same impact as Mascherano, having failed dismally to justify the €34 million fee Barca paid Atletico Madrid for his services in 2015.

Of course, Arda was not eligible for selection until January of the following year due to the Catalans' transfer ban but even when he has played, the winger has severely underwhelmed.

As a result, Barca are now desperate to remove him from their wage bill and the 30-year-old is set to join Istanbul Basaksehir before the week is out.

Getty Images3Gerard Deulofeu

Gerard Deulofeu revitalised his career during a sensational six-month loan spell at AC Milan, prompting Barcelona to enact the buy-back clause they had inserted in the winger's contract when they sold him to Everton in 2015.

The 23-year-old had hoped that his second spell at Camp Nou would turn out differently to his first but, in spite of the considerable void left by Neymar's move to Paris Saint-German and an early-season injury to Ousmane Dembele, Deulofeu has been unable to convince Ernesto Valverde that he is worthy of a regular starting berth. 

A January return to Italy now sees inevitable, with Napoli and Inter leading the chase to sign a player who is desperate to represent Spain at this summer's World Cup in Russia. Barca, though, will not accept anything less than €10m for Deulofeu.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty4Rafinha

After an injury-plagued year, Rafinha is now looking to revitalise his career and Barcelona believe that the versatile midfielder would be well served by a move away from Camp Nou, given the intense competition for places within the Liga leaders' starting 11.

The Catalans are open to offers for their youth academy product but, given suitors such as Serie A side Inter have understandable doubts over his fitness, a January loan deal with the option of a permanent switch at the end of the season seems the more likely outcome.

Wasim Khan, Leicestershire’s new chief executive, realises that his success – or lack of it – could determine whether the county retains its first-class status

George Dobell28-Jan-2015Wasim Khan has admitted that he could be the last chief executive of Leicestershire unless he is able to reverse the county’s decline.Wasim, who began his new role at the start of the month, has inherited a club fighting for survival. Leicestershire have not won a first-class game since September 2012, did not manage to take 20 wickets in a match throughout the 2014 season and only managed full batting bonus points on three occasions.But the issues off the pitch are arguably even more serious. The number of members has dropped to around a thousand and Leicestershire remains heavily reliant upon the ECB for its meagre turnover: almost two-thirds of the club’s total revenue – barely £3m – comes from the ECB.The struggle to retain players from the lure of relatively affluent Nottinghamshire (who have acquired former Leicestershire players Harry Gurney, James Taylor and Stuart Broad over recent seasons) has long been understood, but at the end of the 2014 season Leicestershire lost a couple of their more talented players – Josh Cobb and Shiv Thakor – to far from wealthy rivals Northants and Derbyshire respectively. Nathan Buck and Greg Smith also chose to leave.With some whispering that a change in the constitution of the ECB could be considered in 2019 – a change that could include a rethink over the viability of an 18-county first-class system – it seems time could be running out for the club.But Wasim has never been one to shy away from a challenge. He is believed to have been the first British-born player of Pakistan origin in county cricket when he made his first-class debut in 1995 and, after a successful spell as chief executive of the Cricket Foundation, has become the first Asian chief executive in county cricket.Less than a month into the job, he has persuaded one senior player – Niall O’Brien – to sign a new contract, brought in a major new sponsor – De Montfort University – and provided some ambitious targets for his period in office. The aim is to see membership rise to 4,000, revenue reach £4m – both within the next five years – and the club to fight for promotion in the coming season.Wasim Khan faces an urgent task to turn Leicestershire around•PA PhotosAnd if he achieves that how does he think the ECB will react?”We’ll make it very hard for them to make a decision against us.””Look, it’s a challenge,” Wasim said. “But we’re not the only first-class club fighting for our survival. We’ve become disconnected from our local communities. Not just the Asian communities, but the other communities, too.”And we’re not in a position where we are financially independent, so it is possible that a decision could be taken out of our hands.”But at least we are not burdened by debt – like so many other clubs – and at least if we’re heading in the right direction, we can make it difficult for anyone to make that decision.”I know people have raised their eyebrows about me taking this job, but I’m excited by it. I’ve been struck by the passion for success from the people who work here. There’s a big job to do, but I see that as an opportunity to make a real difference.”Among his priorities is a need to reengage the local community. With so little success to enjoy on the pitch, spectators have stayed away from Grace Road in their droves.”I want to offer some exclusivity to our membership. At present, we don’t have a membership enclosure, so I want to change that and then provide them with their own bar and the chance to buy a bacon sarnie in the morning. It sounds simple, but it’s stuff we haven’t been doing.”And there are 15,000 homes in the streets adjacent to the ground. I want to attract people from those homes with family days: we’ll give them free tickets and provide entertainment for the kids and things for the mums and dads, too. We want them to get into the habit of seeing the cricket club as a place for them. We want them to think of it as quite a cool way to spend some time.”Meanwhile, he will put together a business plan designed to persuade the ECB to provide further funding – there is a grant of £1m available for each club to spend on “transformation plans” if the ECB feel the business plan is sound – and has mined some of the contacts he made during his period with the Cricket Foundation to encourage further sponsorship.A new ground sponsor is one likely development and, if the local residents can be convinced, floodlights may follow. An earlier scheme to build flats in one parcel of land on the ground is currently being reviewed to see if the area, and the money, might be better used.Most of all, though, Wasim wants to appeal to lapsed members or those supporters who have become so disillusioned by recent failures that they have stopped attending.”I want to issue a rallying cry to them,” he said. “I want to ask them to come back and support us. Yes, we’ve made mistakes. Yes, we’ve had some poor years. But we’re moving in the right direction and we need your help to get this club back where it should be.”In the long-term, it is hoped that the relationship with Crown Hills Community College – a college which includes a million-pound cricket facility funded in part by the ECB – will engage more local people, especially those from the Asian community, and wean the club off its striking reliance on local private schools.In turn, it is hoped that, as the side comes to represent its local community more – and around 36% of the city is of Asian origin – there may be an increase in the support shown by local businesses.In the short-term, Leicestershire will scour the market for a “box office” player – again, probably of Asian descent – to improve their T20 side. The club have already recruited Clint McKay as overseas player and Andrew McDonald as coach, with Mark Cosgrove, who qualifies as a non-overseas player, likely to be confirmed, perhaps as captain, in March.But Wasim remains committed to the club’s youth system. It has been the one defence of the poorly performing club in recent times, with the likes of Broad, Gurney, Taylor and Luke Wright providing a reminder of the value of their role in the wider professional game.”We’ve had a huge problem with retaining players,” Wasim said. “But we also have a good record of producing them. That is something we have to invest in. It’s a massively important part of our role as a county club to produce players for England.”But we can’t put off our improvement. We need to change our mindset now. We need the team to fight for promotion this season and understand that, with all te talent we have at this club and a bit of Aussie grit in our dressing room, we can show people we’re far better than recent results would suggest.”

Captain Varun Chopra guided Warwickshire to a Royal London Cup Group B victory over Glamorgan at Swansea under the Duckworth-Lewis method

Press Association14-Aug-2014
ScorecardVarun Chopra led his side to victory•Getty ImagesCaptain Varun Chopra guided Warwickshire to a Royal London Cup Group B victory over Glamorgan at Swansea under the Duckworth-Lewis method.After being put in to bat, Glamorgan had reached 225 for 7 in 39 overs when heavy rain caused a near three-hour delay. When play restarted after a major mopping-up session the Bears, who are still in the mix to reach the quarter-finals, were required to chase 90 to win from 10 overs.The visitors managed that with nine balls to spare with Chopra (39 from 26 balls) winning the match with a straight six off Michael Hogan in the penultimate over.Will Porterfield struck Hogan and Jim Allenby for sixes as they reached 23 for 0 after two overs, but Porterfield holed out to Dean Cosker on the midwicket boundary. But the loss of Porterfield did not stop Warwickshire from reaching the halfway stage of their total after four overs.Cosker struck again in the sixth over to have Laurie Evans caught at deep extra cover as the Bears reached 54 for two and, though Rikki Clarke took some of the pressure off by striking Cosker for a four first ball, he was run out with a direct throw leaving the Bears needing a further 29 from 21 balls.Glamorgan’s hopes were not helped when Gareth Rees dropped Ateeq Javid and David Lloyd’s over went for 13 and it left the Bears needing 13 from the final two overs.Earlier, the mainstay of Glamorgan’s innings was a pair of half-centuries from Jacques Rudolph and Murray Goodwin. Rudolph’s half-century was his fifth in seven innings and he is the highest run-getter in the competition.Glamorgan suffered four separate rain breaks in their innings, which reduced the overs from 50 to 39. Rudolph put on 47 for the first wicket with Jim Allenby, who played on to Recordo Gordon.Rees, who had been preferred to fellow left-hander Will Bragg, made only 4 before being caught behind trying to leave a ball from Rikki Clarke. Rudolph, whose 50 came up off 71 balls with seven fours, put on 76 in 12 overs with Goodwin. But at 136 for 2, Rudolph was stumped by Tim Ambrose giving offspinner Jeetan Patel the charge on 57.Goodwin, who went to 50 from 40 balls with six fours and a six over long-off, and Chris Cooke continued to accelerate Glamorgan’s innings. The score had reached 163 for 3 when Goodwin was caught at midwicket and he was followed by Graham Wagg who holed out at long-off and Cooke who was stumped.Glamorgan took the Powerplay for the last two overs but lost Lloyd to the first ball skying one to long-off and were only able to have one of the Powerplay overs before rain ended the innings.

A round-up of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Gold League matches that ended on October 22, 2014

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Oct-2014Saad Ali’s 178 runs and Shahzaib Ahmed’s nine wickets in the match set up Karachi Dolphins’ massive 234-run win against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited in Karachi.Dolphins opted to bat and scored 205 led by Saad’s 105, with only four other batsmen reaching double-figures. In reply, SNGPL got a strong start, but Shahzaib didn’t let the top-and middle-order settle down for too long. His 6 for 67 kept them to 203, giving Dolphins a slender two-run lead. Dolphins then built on that with a score of 402 for 7 in the second innings, led by Majid Khan (79), Fazal Subhan (90), Saad (73) and Babar Hussain (54) to set SNGPL a stiff target of 405 on the last day.Some of the SNGPL batsmen got starts but failed to capitalise on them. No one could go beyond 35 and three wickets each from Mir Hamza and Shahzaib dismissed them for 170 , which included three ducks.