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Captain may believe his role in the side has changed, but Yasir will want to emphasise his importance hasn’t

Danyal Rasool07-Aug-2020

Yasir Shah doesn’t do half-measures; anyone who watched him play in England in 2016 will know that.A match-winning ten-wicket haul at Lord’s was followed by arguably his worst career performance in Manchester, his match figures reading 66-6-263-1. If his numbers in the UAE, where he’s snared 113 wickets in a scarcely believable 17 Test matches, showcase the best of the legspinner, the other side of the coin is equally extreme. In the Southern Hemisphere, Yasir’s nine wickets have come at almost 96 apiece at an economy rate of 4.40.England is the one place where the jury was out on him, and he did himself few favours on Thursday. Brought on to replace Mohammad Abbas and Shaheen Afridi with all the pressure on the England batsmen, the legspinner couldn’t have asked for better circumstances to be asked to bowl. Far from being a stellar support act to the quicks, however, he was perhaps singularly responsible for frittering some of the momentum away, bowling much too short, far too quick, and proving way too expensive.It is one of those intoxicatingly captivating vagaries of cricket that Yasir walked off at the end of the second day having taking the prized wicket of Joe Root, while Mohammad Abbas and Afridi were empty handed after a sensational hour of bowling on the third morning. Even so, there were signs he wasn’t over the loss of form and confidence that had meant he was no longer viewed as an automatic selection. In seven overs, he conceded 38 runs, bowling at least eight long hops along the way.On Friday, however, his entry into the attack elevated the quality of the bowling, and as the wickets began to come, his confidence, so integral to his performances throughout his career, began to grow. He went through Jos Buttler’s defences with one that might be deemed natural variation, but Yasir felt he had outwitted him, and to a confidence cricketer, that made all the difference. The long hops were gone, the delivery stride was measured and deliberate, and the stock delivery nicely flighted.All the variations came out; the classical legspinner which reared up claimed Dom Bess, while Chris Woakes was undone by the slider. These were tricks Yasir wouldn’t have dared try the previous day, and when he holds back, he is a shadow of the cricketer Pakistan have shut their eyes and hung their hopes on for so many years.No one, as the cliché goes, becomes a poor bowler overnight, least of all a man who became the quickest to 200 Test wickets in history. The knowledge he suddenly had to prove his worth to the side may well have played a part in the added pressure on his shoulders; Pakistan’s spin bowling coach spoke about it in the press conference afterwards.”The most important thing is spinners need to have a strong temperament and understand your action,” Mushtaq Ahmed said. “Legspinners need to be mentally strong, and in the right head space.”You need to have repeatable actions to bowl good overs rather than good balls. We’re working with him on how to bowl in different circumstances using various strategies, and to ingrain these into his muscle memory. If you have variations, as Yasir does, and can also bowl good overs, I think you can challenge any batsman.”It’s hard to overstate how worried Yasir might have been for his future overnight. When Pakistan commemorated the first Test to be played in the country for a decade last year, he found there was no place for him in the eleven. He might have served them well in the UAE; indeed, might have been the most significant reason Pakistan went nine years without losing a Test series in the Emirates, but this was Pakistan. And in Pakistan, pace was primary, spin peripheral.He got his chance in the second Test two months later, but if anything, served to only vindicate the decision to leave him out the first time around, conceding 127 runs at four per over, with Haris Sohail outbowling him. After the Test against Bangladesh in February – his skipper, Azhar Ali, spoke pointedly about his “changing role in the side”.”When non-Asian opposition comes to Pakistan, we’ll see if we go a different direction with the surfaces but for now I think the fast bowlers have been given the task of leading,” Azhar said then. “Yasir, who has undoubtedly been a champion bowler for us and has proved how good he is, will begin to get those big wickets whenever the conditions are more favourable for him. This is a change for him, too.”It sounded more like a swansong than an endorsement. There was little Yasir could have done about Pakistan moving back home, but his performances of late outside the country hadn’t quite helped his case, either. In the last six Tests before the ongoing one, Yasir took six wickets at over 70 runs per dismissal; half of those were three Bangladeshi tailenders in a foregone conclusion in the fourth innings of the Test in February. In one three-Test series prior, he had managed 29 wickets. That, of course, was a UAE series.On Friday, Shadab Khan spilling a regulation catch was all that separated him from a first five-for since that productive series in the UAE against New Zealand in 2018. But for a man who no longer has the dustbowls of the UAE to fall back on, it’s unlikely to be any more than a minor irritation. His captain may believe his role in the side has changed, but Yasir will be keen to emphasise his importance to it has not.

The 2023/24 season has been an incredibly tough one for Manchester United. They have had a torrid time in the Premier League so far, currently sitting in sixth in the table on 54 points and now mathematically unable to reach the Champions League next season.

Not only has it been a tough time for Erik ten Hag, but there have been plenty of individuals who have struggled within the team. One of those players is Marcus Rashford, who has not found 2023/24 easy.

The England international has scored just eight goals and has five assists in all competitions for United, a far cry from his stellar 2022/23 campaign, where he scored 30 goals and registered ten assists.

Despite Rashford’s poor form, his record for United speaks for itself. In 399 games for his boyhood club, he has 131 goals and 64 assists. Remarkably, he is 12th on the all-time top goalscorers list, just two behind the legendary Dennis Viollet, who has 133 goals.

With the 26-year-old winger’s form patchy this season, there is talk of United looking to cash in on him. Indeed, a report from The Telegraph’s James Ducker this week explained that INEOS are open to “offers for almost every player”, including Rashford.

He signed a new contract with the club last summer, which could mean a transfer away from United is unlikely. Should a deal for Rashford to leave Old Trafford go through, it would see United save lots of money on his £300k-per-week-wages, as per Capology.

According to a report from The Atheltic’s David Ornstein, the Red Devils want to “keep Marcus Rashford and help bring 26-year-old back to top form”, suggesting a potential transfer this summer is unlikely.

Instead, there are several other players United could well part ways, considering Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are willing to listen to offers for many players in the United squad.

3

Antony

The first of those players INEOS could sell next summer is Brazil international Antony. According to The Mirror, United are ready to “cut their losses on Antony this summer”.

It has certainly not been a successful transfer so far, given the Brazilian cost United £85.4m from Ajax, a record fee received by an Eredivisie club. In 80 games for the Red Devils, Antony has returned just 11 goals and five assists, and has scored one and assisted one all season in the Premier League in 2023/24.

One of the player's biggest issues is the fact that he is a very predictable winger. The 24-year-old is not particularly confident taking the ball on his right foot, meaning his sole move it to cut inside on his left and shoot, looking to bend it into the top left corner. Whilst this has worked at times for him, it is not very effective because it is easy for defenders to predict.

Creatively, Antony has been massively lacking this season. According to Fbref, he averages just 1.52 key passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League, which ranks him in the worst 56% of wingers. Not only that, his 0.14 expected assists per 90 minutes rank him in the worst 60%.

However, where Antony does excel is out of possession. He makes 6.44 ball recoveries per 90 minutes, and 3.62 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes, which both rank him in the top 4%. He works hard off the ball and tracks back well to support his fullback.

With all of these things considered, it does seem like moving the £200k-per-week attacker on could be a smart move for United, because they can reinvest that money and improve their right flank. With that being said, it would be tough to recoup much of the £85.4m fee they spent on him.

2

Victor Lindelof

The second player United could move on this summer is Victor Lindelof. The Sweden captain has been at the club for seven years, but could well be in line to leave Old Trafford.

The Red Devils bought Lindelof from Benfica for £31m back in 2017, and he has since gone on to make 258 appearances for the club, getting on the scoresheet four times and assisting seven in that time. However, he has won just one trophy with United in that time, the Carabao Cup in 2022/23.

One of Lindelof's biggest deficiencies when United are in possession is his progressive passing. He does not possess the ability to consistently play killer long balls like Harry Maguire does, completing just 4.74 per 90 minutes as per Fbref, placing him in the worst 83% of defenders.

Nor does the Swede have the ability to play line-breaking passes in the same vein as Lisandro Martinez, thus struggling with ball progression when playing out from the back. He averages just 2.71 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the worst 67%.

Not only that, the £120k-per-week centre-back struggles in the air, with his 41.7% aerial duel win rate ranking him as low as the bottom 93% of defenders. In fact, he wins just 1.15 aerial duels per 90 minutes, ranking him in among the worst 84%.

United’s number two could well depart from Old Trafford this summer, with Sevilla one side rumoured to be interested in taking him off United’s hands, in a “low-cost” transfer.

1

Casemiro

It has been an incredibly frustrating season for Manchester United midfielder Casemiro, who could leave Old Trafford this summer after just two seasons at the club. The midfielder was described as “awful” by Mark Goldbridge last month, in what has been a torrid few months.

The Red Devils brought Casemiro to the club in the summer of 2022, from Real Madrid for a fee of £70m. Whilst he enjoyed a successful first season in England, his natural decline with age has sped up this season, and he is clearly no longer the player he once was. He has made 79 appearances for United, scoring 12 times and assisting nine.

On the ball, Casemiro can be incredibly frustrating. According to Fbref, the 32-year-old has a pass accuracy of 81.4% in the Premier League, which ranks him with the worst 54% of midfielders.

Considering his role in midfield, his progressive passing numbers could be higher. The Brazilian averages 5.44 progressive passes per 90 minutes, and whilst not the worst, places him in the top 27%.

Off the ball, Casemiro’s stats reflect better. He wins 2.28 tackles per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 6% of midfielders, and makes 3.61 blocks per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 1%. However, he struggles to track runners from midfield, and can’t keep up with opponents when tracking back.

Overall, selling Casemiro could represent good business for United. They could get his astronomical £350k-per-week wage off the club's books, and look to make back some of the £70m they spent on him last summer.

Indeed, there are certainly lots of interesting developments set to occur on the transfer front at Old Trafford. It is a big transfer window ahead for INEOS and Ratcliffe, who could purge the squad and help the club start afresh for next season.

INEOS have 3 perfect transfer targets to replace Rashford at Man Utd

Man United could replace Marcus Rashford with one of three transfer targets.

By
Joe Nuttall

Apr 30, 2024

CSA and CWI still hopeful of arranging South Africa men’s tour for later in the year

Firdose Moonda13-May-2020

South Africa’s women and A-team tours to the West Indies, scheduled to begin at the end of May and in mid-June respectively, have been postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. CSA and CWI agreed to reschedule dates for the two series but will continue to discuss the possibility of the men’s two-Test and five-T20 series set to take place in July-August.This is the second series South Africa’s women have had to forego after their home series against Australia, which was due to take place in March, was among the first international series to be postponed. The team has already qualified for next year’s Women’s World Cup and with the ICC’s announcement that the World Cup Qualifiers – due to take place in Sri Lanka between July 3-19 – will also be postponed, CSA and CWI agreed that the series between the two countries will not take place at the moment.Similarly, the A-team tour, which was due to act as an advance party for the senior men’s tour, has fallen victim to the uncertainty surrounding international travel and potential quarantine requirements. South Africa’s borders remain closed as the country approaches seven weeks under lockdown, with no indication of when airports may be allowed to open to the public yet. However, with the senior men’s tour only scheduled to start in mid-July, the two boards remain hopeful at least some cricket between their countries can be played.”The health and safety of the players and coaching staff is of paramount importance to both CWI and CSA and with the current Covid-19 travel restrictions, it is impossible for us to consider both tours taking place as we had originally planned,” Johnny Grave, CWI CEO, said. “We are continuing our discussions with CSA on the feasibility of hosting the men’s tour later this summer and will have further discussions in due course on new dates for the women’s and A-team tours.”ALSO READ: South Africa allrounder Solo Nqweni tests positive for coronavirusThe feasibility of the men’s tour will depend on several factors including whether the teams have enough time to train for an international series. CSA’s director of cricket Graeme Smith said South Africa would need a minimum of six weeks to prepare, which would mean a decision would have to be taken by the first week in June. At the same time, CWI is also involved in discussions with the ECB about the possibility of playing three Tests in the UK in July which may push back South Africa’s visit to the Caribbean.Although South Africa are keen to get on the park, CSA emphasised that health would come first. “It is a frustrating state of affairs in which cricket finds itself around the world, but there are more important issues that have to be confronted and the wellbeing of our players and support staff must always come first,” Jacques Faul, CSA acting CEO, said.”Both our men’s and women’s national teams are keen to get back on the playing field as soon as possible. They want to build on their recent good results with the men achieving a 3-0 victory over Australia and our women coming so close to reaching the Women’s T20 World Cup final.”South Africa’s players have not been able to train since March 26, when the country went into a strict lockdown, under which outdoor exercise was prohibited. Since May 1, South Africans can exercise outside between 6am and 9am but no group activity is allowed, which has resulted in CSA pushing back its planned winter training camps.

Legspinner sends selectors a message ahead of first Test with four-wicket haul

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2020

Matt Parkinson did his best to make a statement to England selectors ahead of the first Test in Sri Lanka by claiming four wickets as the visitors held command of their opening warm-up match at Katunayake.At stumps on the second day of the three-day tour match between England and a Sri Lanka Cricket XI, England led by 110 runs, having restricted their opposition to 245 in their first innings on the back of 23-year-old legspinner Parkinson’s 4 for 68.As expected, it was the spinners who came into their own, with Dom Bess adding 3 for 54 with his off-breaks to further dent the Sri Lankans’ reply to England’s first-innings 316.In England’s second innings, Dom Sibley fell for a duck, caught by Lahiru Udara Igalagamage off the bowling of medium pacer Kavishka Anjula on the second ball he faced.ALSO READ: ‘Being written off after one game is a bit harsh’ – ParkinsonParkinson has made his international debut in both limited-overs formats during the English winter, playing two T20Is in New Zealand at the end of last year and, more recently, two ODIs in South Africa. In New Zealand, he drew some praise by taking five wickets across his six overs in the series, but in South Africa he bowled just eight overs and went wicketless, reigniting criticism which has centred on his speed through the air and perceived lack of variation.He has had limited exposure to red-ball cricket. having played just 20 first-class matches. He went wicketless during a two-day tour match in New Zealand and, on England’s tour of South Africa, he bowled 20 overs in a three-day warm-up match which cost 112 runs before being overlooked in favour of Dom Bess for the second Test.”Having not played much red-ball cricket I needed to prove I can take wickets and almost get over the nerves of bowling with these lads,” Parkinson told the Press Association.”There were more nerves in the other two tours. I’m still very raw with the red-ball and I think people sometimes forget that spinners develop later. Being picked on three Test tours, the expectations are raised, but I’ve still only played 20 first-class games so I’m still very new to red-ball cricket.”I found it difficult to bowl spin in New Zealand and South Africa but hopefully the wickets in Galle and Colombo will be raggers.”On Sunday, Parkinson’s first two wickets came from successive balls either side of the lunch break when Lahiru Milantha chipped to extra cover and Milinda Siriwardana was caught by Saqib Mahmood on the first delivery of the afternoon session.Parkinson added two more in the evening, his third held by Sam Curran at mid-wicket and his fourth coming thanks to a sharp catch by Ben Foakes, who split wicketkeeping duties with Test regular Jos Buttler.”There haven’t been many days yet in a white shirt but to get four wickets after the way the warm-up games went for me in New Zealand and South Africa was very pleasing,” Parkinson said.”I hope I’m becoming a better bowler and I can use what I’ve learnt. I was in South Africa for two months and a bit, so you’d be wrong not to try to get the most out of the trip. Hopefully I’ve done that.”Chris Woakes claimed two wickets and saw two catches dropped by Joe Root at slip, while Mahmood found some good speed in claiming one wicket.Zak Crawley and Joe Denly resume on 27 and 11 respectively with England 39 for 1 going into the last day. The first Test starts in Galle on March 19.

Hat-trick man Naseem Shah doesn’t take the field on day four after feeling pain near his rib cage

The Report by Varun Shetty10-Feb-2020

Pakistan wrapped up a win and added 60 points to their World Test Championship tally in the morning session of the fourth day.Bangladesh were rocked by a Naseem Shah hat-trick on Sunday evening that left them 126 for 6 at stumps. In the very first over of the day, that collapse of 4 for 2 turned into 5 for 6, as Shaheen Afridi swung a full one in at Mominul Haque to trap him in front of middle and off on the flick shot. Mominul’s review showed a bat-pad situation that couldn’t be conclusively overturned and he became one of five wickets across this Test that fell within the first two overs on a day.With little to lose, the other overnight batsman, Liton Das, dug in and looked elegant as ever as he attempted to forge a long alliance with No. 9 Rubel Hossain. For the most part, the eighth-wicket pair looked solid as they batted close to 12 overs. Rubel survived an lbw decision by umpire Nigel Llong as the review found a big inside edge on his attempted forward block against Mohammad Abbas. But it was Abbas who trapped him, in similar fashion, shortly after.Llong had another lbw decision overturned, this time as Liton was struck in front looking to sweep a full ball. This was much like his dismissal in the first innings, when he tried sweeping part-time spinner Haris Sohail and was given out on a review that confirmed the ball had pitched in line. The bowler was Yasir Shah on this occasion, who then got Abu Jayed to top edge a slog sweep to bring the innings to a close. Yasir finished with four wickets – a much-needed confidence booster following a dry patch of form – just like the other Shah, Naseem, who didn’t take the field after feeling pain on the left side of his rib cage shortly after he had taken his hat-trick.Pakistan’s next Test is in April, and will be the second and final one of this staggered series against Bangladesh. At the very least, that means Naseem will have recovery time. They currently sit fourth on the WTC table with 140 points.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag may have had the final "nail in the coffin" at the club after Sir Jim Ratcliffe's recent antics, according to former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

Ten Hag under pressure at Man Utd

The Dutchman is coming towards the end of his second season at Old Trafford, but after an impressive first season at the club, this has been a really disappointing campaign.

United are currently languishing in seventh place in the Premier League, and while the recent 2-2 draws at home to Liverpool and away to Bournemouth may not have been awful results, the performances in both have been nowhere near good enough.

There is mounting pressure on Ten Hag, with many fans beginning to wonder if he is the right man to lead the club forward under Ratcliffe, ahead of what is hopefully a memorable summer in the transfer market. Graham Potter is just one of numerous candidates reportedly being lined up to replace the former Ajax boss, should he be relieved of his duties.

These remaining weeks of the season feel key for the Dutchman, who continues to flatter to deceive with his all-round management, from his people skills to his tactical nous.

Sky Sports pundit makes big Ten Hag claim

Speaking on Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson feels that Ten Hag is close to being sacked by Manchester United, with Ratcliffe not having plans for him while looking to make many backroom changes since arriving at the club.

"With the football side of things, you can see that Ratcliffe is putting his own stamp on things. You can see things are changing. You can’t change things on the pitch immediately because of the transfer windows and the manager that’s in charge.

"Ten Hag has one big job on his hands before the end of the season – convince the board that he is the right man for the Man United job. At the moment, I don’t see him being there much longer, certainly past the end of the season."

The Bournemouth game was just the latest sign that Ten Hag isn't the right man for the United job, with his side once again giving up at least 20 shots, and generally being outplayed by the Cherries.

The backroom additions that Ratcliffe has made have been exciting ones, but things will only run smoothly if they have the perfect manager in charge to work alongside the new additions seamlessly.

Man Utd make first move to sign "great" new free agent for Ten Hag

The Red Devils aren’t messing around…

ByTom Cunningham Apr 13, 2024

There is enough evidence this season to suggest that Ten Hag can be improved upon, and unless the season ends superbly – an FA Cup win, for example – it would be the right call to move him on and find a more ideal choice.

An in-form Mayank Agarwal has replaced the injured Shikhar Dhawan in the India squad for ODI leg of the home series against West Indies which will follow after the ongoing T20I series. It is understood that Dhawan has not yet completely recovered from the freak knee injury he suffered in November during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which had ruled him out initially from the T20I leg of the West Indies series with Sanju Samson being named as his replacement.Agarwal is currently playing for Karnataka in the first round of Ranji Trophy against Tamil Nadu in Dindigul. He will miss at least the second round of Ranji matches starting on December 17.It will be the second time this year Agarwal has been called as a replacement to join the ODI squad. The first occurrence was during the World Cup when he replaced allrounder Vijay Shankar, who had picked a toe injury. The selectors had then explained the decision as providing top-order back-up, with Dhawan having already been ruled out and KL Rahul having suffered an injury scare.ALSO READ: When you come back and play domestic cricket in India, it challenges you – Mayank AgarwalOverall this year, in terms of numbers alone, Agarwal has been the best Indian batsman across formats across domestic and international cricket. With two double centuries and a century, he was the leading run-maker in India’s Test home season which featured five matches spread across two series involving South Africa (three Tests) and Bangladesh (two Tests).Complimenting Agarwal’s form, Indian captain Virat Kohli said that what made the Karnataka batsman stand out was his positive intent and performing to win. In a recent interview with ESPNcricinfo, Agarwal agreed.Agarwal had also dominated the domestic circuit. Immediately after the South Africa Test series, he rushed to join the Karnataka squad in Bengaluru for the Vijay Hazare Trophy semi-final and final. He scored an unbeaten 47 off 33 deliveries in the semi-final against Chattisgarh and then 69* off 55 balls in the final against Tamil Nadu, thus playing a strong hand Karnataka winning the title. Days later he turned up for India C and scored 120 against India A in the one-day Deodhar Trophy.* 0900GMT The piece was updated after confirmation of Agarwal’s addition

Dani Dyer shed tears at the Euro 2024 final but says she is “used to” the WAG lifestyle that comes with being the partner of England ace Jarrod Bowen.

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• Couple have been together since 2021
• Accustomed to spending time apart
• Support one another as much as they can

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Love Island star first got together with West Ham winger Bowen back in 2021. They are now the proud parents of twin girls and work hard on a relationship that can see them separated for professional reasons on a regular basis.

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  THE GOSSIP

  That has been the case of late, with Bowen forming part of the England squad that made the 2024 European Championship final. Dyer travelled over for games in that tournament, alongside her children, and had to be consoled by father Danny after seeing the Three Lions suffer an agonising 2-1 defeat to Spain in Berlin.

• WHAT DYER SAID

  While emotion got the better of her on that occasion, Dyer has told of adjusting to a lifestyle that can see her left home alone at times: “From the minute I met Jarrod, he was always very busy. So I think it’s just about enjoying those moments when they are home and doing things and trying to have little weekends away with the kids together and really appreciating those times. My dad was always away a lot with my mum, so I don’t know if I’m just used to that lifestyle.”

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  Bowen is also doing his bit to make life as comfortable as possible for Dyer, with the 27-year-old heading back from a match-winning performance in the 2023 Europa Conference League final to take on fatherly duties. Dyer added: “He got home at about midnight and the twins were a few weeks old and he was straight on the bottles. It was the night feed! So yes, when he’s home he is amazing.”

Steve Patterson, Yorkshire’s captain, played forward to the first ball of this morning’s cricket at Taunton but missed it completely. “Bowling, Dom B!” roared “Tractor” from his perch below the scoreboard at the Pavilion End. It is a voice of the ages, a voice of deeply pledged faith; a similarly rich timbre probably greeted the achievements of Sammy Woods and Horace Hazell in the eras of the cattle market and the tweed suits. Every cricket ground is a palimpsest of former glories, former sadness.But one impression not remotely apparent at this richest of grounds is that of Somerset’s supporters saluting their team as county champions. In little more than a fortnight, that may change. These are momentous days in the West Country.In the next over of our cricket that same Dom Bess chased down a ball in front of the Marcus Trescothick Stand and again received rich applause for his effort. Such incidents, tiny in themselves, of course, foreshadowed a wonderful day for Somerset, one that may go far towards determining the destination of the County Championship. For while Warwickshire were spending the first two sessions piling up the runs against Essex at Edgbaston, Somerset’s bowlers dismissed Yorkshire for 103 before lunch and then watched gleefully as their batsmen built up a lead which stood at 365 by the close. It was difficult to see how things could have gone much better for Tom Abell’s side, although “Tractor” might make one or two suggestions.Yorkshire’s first innings crumbled away quicker than fresh Worthy Cheddar on this second morning. Some attributed the decline to the cloudy conditions but the more persuasive argument is that Abell’s seamers stuck to tight lines that demanded strokes and his slow left-armer, Roelof van der Merwe, seized his rare opportunity against a succession of right handers.And so, in little more than half an hour’s cricket Yorkshire collapsed from 86 for 3 to 103 all out. Tom Kohler-Cadmore was the first to go when he failed to cover Lewis Gregory’s movement off the pitch and edged a catch to Jamie Overton at slip. Almost immediately Patterson played on to van der Merwe, who also deceived Jonny Tattersall into nicking a catch to James Hildreth.The tone of the session was set. Ben Coad was absent due to illness and Yorkshire supporters were left to ponder the loss of six wickets in 44 balls. Josh Davey and van der Merwe finished the innings with three apiece. A lead of 96 appeared significant and perhaps it still is but by close of play it had been dwarfed by the enterprise of Somerset’s batsmen, most of whom were barely recognisable from the hesitant bunch bamboozled by Keshav Maharaj on the first afternoon.True, Maharaj had M Vijay leg before wicket for a duck just before lunch but nothing encapsulated Somerset’s sudden domination of the game more clearly than their batsmen’s mastery of the slow left-armer who 24 hours previously had only to mark out his run-up to cause general panic. Patterson tried Maharaj at both ends of the County Ground but he was greeted by sweeps on length from Abell or straight driven for six by Hildreth, a shot which caused billows in the huge white sheet which doubles as a sightscreen at the River End.The wicket of Hildreth, caught at short leg off Lyth for 58, punctuated the afternoon’s cricket; it did not disturb the flow of its prose. The stylish right-hander’s 117-run stand with Abell had charted a course which other batsmen could follow. Tom Banton arrived and began to bat with unnerving confidence, first by driving Duanne Olivier to the cover boundary and then by on-driving Tim Bresnan to the rope which once lay in front of the Stragglers’ Bar and below the old and long-demolished press box. That was where Alan Gibson and David Foot once celebrated the glory days and did as much as they could with the disappointments. Suddenly one wished they could be at their posts over the next two weeks.Abell might have enjoyed chatting with Alan and Footy. Somerset’s captain made his second half-century of the match on this cloudy Wednesday afternoon and in truth it was little different from his first. There was a little more aggression, perhaps – he reached fifty in 23 fewer balls – but the technique remained tight and one realised that here was a senior batsman, one upon whom Somerset cricket can be founded for the next decade. Certainly no one of his age could be more aware of what the title might mean in these parts.Banton, meanwhile, reverse-swept Maharaj for six and was almost immediately caught at slip by Lyth for 43. Abell fell leg before wicket for 62 when playing around a fine ball from Bresnan but by now Yorkshire’s attack was missing the stability invariably provided by the absent Coad. Gregory and George Bartlett helped themselves to some easier runs in the evening session and Somerset ended the day with the prospect of batting again on the third morning before setting Yorkshire a fearsome target.And while all this was happening, Warwickshire batted on and on. They scarcely credited their luck as this news filtered though at Taunton and one understands their reluctance to take even a point for granted. But the neutrals can see that the balance of the battle between Essex and Somerset has changed and it will be odd if it is not Ryan ten Doeschate’s side that needs to make up ground come Friday evening.

حقق الفريق الأول لكرة اليد بنادي الزمالك، الفوز على فريند شيب الكاميروني في المباراة التي جرت مساء اليوم السبت.

والتقى الزمالك مع فريق فريند شيب ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية لبطولة أفريقيا للأندية التي تستضيفها مدينة العيون بالمغرب خلال الفترة من 10 إلى 19 أكتوبر الحالي.

طالع..الزمالك يعلن إصابة لاعبه بمزق من الدرجة الثانية قبل السوبر المصري

وقدم لاعبو الزمالك مستوى متميزًا من بداية المباراة، حيث أنهوا الشوط الأول بنتيجة 15-6، بينما استمر التقدم في الشوط الثاني، لينتهي اللقاء بفوز الزمالك بنتيجة 30-14.

ويشارك الزمالك في البطولة بقائمة مكونة من: “أحمد الأحمر، كريم هنداوي، محمود خليل (فلفل)، يوسف ناجي، أكرم يسري، بلال أحمد، أحمد حسام، عمر الفولي، زياد حشاد، عمر الوكيل (بكار)، أحمد سامح، مازن رضا، شادي خليل، محمد طارق، يوسف عزو، عمر بيبو، يوسف بن معرف”.

يعتبر الزمالك من أكثر الأندية تتويجًا بلقب البطولة الأفريقية برصيد 12 مرة.