All posts by h716a5.icu

The batsman was praised as “a gentleman, a leader and a friend” as he called time on his career

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Aug-2018Johann Myburgh, the Somerset batsman, has announced he will retire at the end of the season.He initially joined the club on a one-year deal in 2014 but was then retained. Last week he struck his maiden T20 century, off 42 balls, against Essex.He wrote an open letter to the Somerset team and the supporters thanking them for his time at the club.”What a special place this has been for me and I have felt so at home here in Taunton. My boy Joshua was born at Musgrove Park Hospital and I’m convinced that I now have Somerset blood pumping in my veins,” he said.Talking T20 Podcast: About time Rikki Clarke replaced Stokes?

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“My team-mates have of course played a massive role in my enjoyable time here in the South West. I have made friendships that will last forever, seen young boys turn into men and enjoyed the inner child in the seasoned guys. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for the great times both on and off the field and more importantly, for accepting me into your changing room and making it ours.”Myburgh had been highly rated as a youngster growing up in South Africa. In 1998, as a 17-year-old schoolboy, he broke Graeme Pollock’s record to become the youngest double-centurion in South African first-class cricket and played for South Africa U-19s alongside the likes of Graeme Smith and Jacques Rudolph.However, he then moved to New Zealand with the aim of going through the three-year qualification period to be eligible for them but as he came close to completing it he then opted for a Kolpak move to the county game where he joined Hampshire in 2010. In 2012 he had a T20 contract with Durham then after a year of club cricket joined Somerset.Andy Hurry, Somerset’s director of cricket, said: “During his time with the county, Johann has been a key member of the Somerset family. Not only is he an outstanding cricketer and athlete, he is a gentleman, a leader and a friend to all associated with the Club.”He is an outstanding role model and mentor, and our young players will have taken much from his experience over the years. He has taken the decision to retire whilst he is still enjoying the game, as well as positively influencing matches as he showed last week with his exceptional innings against Essex Eagles.”I feel privileged to have worked with Johann and I am certain that whatever he does next he will approach with the same passion and professionalism that he has demonstrated during his years here. Everyone associated with the Club wishes him and his family the very best for the future.”

A big European club have reportedly held talks with a "crucial" Leeds United player over a possible move, with a transfer potentially now going through next summer.

Leeds transfer news

The Whites continue to battle hard in the Championship promotion race, and while their 2-1 defeat away to Preston on Boxing Day was a disappointing result, they still find themselves in a strong position in fourth place. The January transfer window will give Leeds the opportunity to make more signings, should Daniel Farke feel that fresh faces could make all the difference in the second half of the season.

Larne youngster Jack Hastings is one player who has been linked with a move to Elland Road, but the 17-year-old forward would be viewed as one for the future, rather than a player who is going to come in and make an immediate difference to the first team. Meanwhile, Celtic's Matt O'Riley may also been seen as a possible option again, having seen a bid for him turned down during the summer window.

It is also important that Leeds retain the services of the most influential players at the club, though, especially midway through the season, but a worrying exit rumour has emerged regarding one such hero.

PSG could sign Pascal Struijk

According to a fresh update from L'Equipe, PSG have held talks to sign Leeds ace Pascal Struijk and could yet sign him next summer. The Ligue 1 giants are thought to be keen on the idea of signing a left-footed centre-back and have targeted the Whites man as someone who could be a key addition in that area.

However, Leeds have made it clear that they don't want to part ways with Struijk, seemingly driving up his price tag and holding firm, so PSG certainly won't have it all their own way with negotiations, with the 49ers Enterprises clearly meaning business. PSG have moved on to Sao Paulo's Lucas Beraldo as a more immediate addition in January, the report adds.

The Dutchman has become such an important player for the Whites down the years, and he could be key to his side's chances of earning promotion this season, already making 22 starts in the Championship. The stats also below also outline the influence he has enjoyed:

Appearances

23

Goals

3

Clearances per game

3.1

Aerial duel wins per game

2.0

Tackles per game

1.3

Meanwhile, Farke clearly sees him as a valuable figure moving forward, with the Leeds manager saying of him recently:

"He adapted well to my demands and he’s played a crucial part. We don’t have to talk about his skills with the ball. I’m very pleased with his development."

Leeds could oust Bamford by signing wonderkid who's like Henrik Larsson

Leeds United could finally wave goodbye to a declining Patrick Bamford with this transfer deal in January.

ByKelan Sarson Dec 29, 2023

The lure of playing for a prestigious club in PSG could be something that turns Struijk's head, however, especially if Leeds don't get out of the Championship, but it is good to see the 49ers standing firm and not buckling at the pressure of dealing with a European giant such as PSG.

The former West Indies batsman is not among the 33 players invited to camp to be held from June 21-24 in Texas. Former USA captain Steven Taylor, however, has made the cut

Peter Della Penna20-Jun-2018Xavier Marshall, the former West Indies batsman who made his USA debut in January during the CWI Regional Super50 tournament in Antigua, has been left out of a list of 33 players invited to a senior-team selection camp to be held from June 21-24 in Houston, Texas. Marshall is the only player from the 15-man squad that toured the West Indies to not receive an invite to this weekend’s camp.USA selection camp invitees

Capped players: Camilus Alexander, Alex Amsterdam, Fahad Babar, Adil Bhatti, Elmore Hutchinson, Nosthush Kenjige, Ibrahim Khaleel (capt/wk), Ali Khan, Jaskaran Malhotra (wk), Prashanth Nair, Saurabh Netravalkar, Mrunal Patel, Nisarg Patel, Sagar Patel, Timil Patel, Usman Rafiq, Roy Silva, Jessy Singh, Sunny Sohal, Steven Taylor
Uncapped players: Usman Ashraf, Sachin Asokan, Shaheer Hassan (wk), Akshay Homraj (wk), Jannisar Khan, Keshav Pabisetty, Monank Patel (wk), Tirth Patel, Kyle Phillip, Srinivas Raghavan, Srinivas Salver, Arjun Thyagarajan, David Wakefield
Junior players: Amrut Pore, Ali Sheik, Sanjay Stanley, Yasir Syed, Tejas Vishal, Shashank Vittaladevaram.

Marshall, 32, began his USA career with scores of 40 and 51 in his first two innings of the Super50 against Leeward Islands and Guyana, but only managed 46 runs combined in his last six innings of the tournament. Ahead of the Super50, Marshall had told ESPNcricinfo that one of his goals was to gain a contract in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Even though it is mandatory for each of the six CPL franchises to draft a USA player – or retain a Canada player from 2017 – Marshall was not one of the six USA players taken in the 2018 CPL draft.All 33 players invited to this weekend’s camp took part in one of eight regional combines organised through the spring by USA Cricket. Marshall had attended the New York Combine that took place from May 31 to June 3, top-scoring with a half-century in the T20 trial match that was held on June 1. However, he failed to show up the following two days to participate in two 50-over trial matches.Instead, Marshall chose to play two club matches over that weekend, in New Jersey for Somerset Cavaliers and New York for Villagers Social & Athletic Club. Marshall’s absence on the final day of the New York Combine in particular was a hot-button issue. According to USA Cricket officials who were on site at the regional combine in New York, Marshall called in the morning to say he was on his way to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx where the trial was being held, but allegedly called back later to say he could not get a ride from his home in Long Island. However, he showed up later in the morning at Roy Sweeney Park in Queens to play for Villagers.Gajanand Singh was another noteworthy name to not receive an invite to the final squad trial this weekend in Houston. The 30-year-old former West Indies Under-19 batsman played last season for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL, scoring 151 runs in 11 matches to finish fourth on the team’s run-scorers’ list, and was retained by Warriors for 2018 after being taken in the 13th round. Gajanand is understood to be a US resident and attended the New York trial, top-scoring for his side in the T20 trial match. However, like Marshall, he no-showed on the last two days, choosing instead to play club matches for Somerset Cavaliers in New Jersey on each day.American batsman Steven Taylor drives for a single on his Amazon Warriors debut•Peter Della PennaFormer USA captain Steven Taylor, who is currently contracted with Jamaica in the West Indies first-class franchise system, has been invited to the squad camp in Texas. Taylor, 24, attended the New York Combine but has not played for USA since 2017 WCL Division Three in Uganda, after which he and USA Cricket administrators came to a mutual decision to have him step down from captaincy following his decision to relocate to Jamaica upon taking up a professional contract.Four uncapped players who rose to prominence during the regional combines and received invites to the USA squad camp for the first time are Tirth Patel, Akshay Homraj, Kyle Phillip and David Wakefield.Tirth, 20, was one of the leading wicket-takers at the New York Combine and is a former Ahmedabad Under-19 left-arm spinner currently attending university in Ohio. Tirth played for Ahmedabad Under-19 as recently as June 2016 and, as a result, it is unclear if he will be eligible to qualify under the ICC’s three-year residency rule to play for USA this year at their next two assignments – the 2020 ICC World T20 Regional Qualifier from September 16-23 and WCL Division Three later in the year. Homraj also competed at the New York Combine and formerly represented Guyana Under-19s in 2014.Phillip, 21, is a tall fast bowler currently residing in Florida after migrating from Trinidad & Tobago in 2016. He impressed at the regional combine held at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida from May 3-6. He was recently signed up by Winnipeg Hawks in the Global T20 Canada draft, one of the only three USA-based players to be roped in along with captain Ibrahim Khaleel and fast bowler Ali Khan.Wakefield, 23, was born in North Carolina but raised in New Zealand and played for Canterbury Under-19s. The right-hand batsman is still based in Christchurch but paid his own way to attend the USA Cricket regional trial in Florida this May where he scored a pair of half-centuries in the two 50-over trial matches. He would qualify to play for USA automatically as a US citizen and passport-holder from birth.In addition to the 33 senior men’s players invited to the camp, six junior players have also been given the opportunity to attend the camp in order to immerse them early on into the national team set-up. The players will take part in a series of T20 and 50-over trial matches at Smart Choice Moosa Stadium in the Houston suburb of Pearland. A 14-man squad is expected to be chosen following the camp for USA’s next assignment, the World T20 Regional Qualifier that USA is hosting in September where they will take on Belize, Canada and Panama.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is coming under increased pressure and journalist Dean Jones believes that the Red Devils could look to take a chance on another boss in the Premier League who would "appeal" at Old Trafford.

West Ham 2-0 Man United

On Saturday, Manchester United faltered away to West Ham United at the London Stadium, eventually losing 2-0 thanks to goals from Jarrod Bowen and Mohammed Kudus that extended their winless run to four games across all competitions.

Truth be told, the Red Devils had their fair share of possession and also created a couple of openings which they couldn't take. In the end, they were stung by a more clinical opponent and will now be left to lick their wounds ahead of Aston Villa's visit on Boxing Day.

Man Utd could sign a bigger talent than Mainoo in 2024

Manchester United could strengthen their midfield in the January transfer window.

ByMatt Dawson Dec 24, 2023

Analysing their defeat, Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer took aim at Manchester United's goalscoring record as they have netted the joint second-fewest times in the Premier League this campaign, bettering only Sheffield United over 18 games.

"It is embarrassing for Man Utd. They have scored 18 goals this season, only Sheffield United have scored fewer. Erik Ten Hag says 'we have to stick to the plan' but I haven't got a clue what that plan is. There is something drastically wrong."

Nevertheless, Ten Hag praised his players for certain aspects of their defensive work at the London Stadium, as he said:

"We defended very well for 90 minutes, that has to be always our standard like what we did there. You have to bring that to every game on the pitch."

Despite this, the Dutchman continues to come under pressure and journalist Jones has suggested that he could be replaced by a high-flying Premier League boss.

Man United could "take a chance" on Roberto De Zerbi

Previous reports last month claimed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe plans to sack Ten Hag and replace him with Brighton & Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi, who has already masterminded two wins over the Dutchman in his time on the South Coast.

With Ratcliffe's incoming soon-to-be-announced, Jones has now signalled his belief that Manchester United could look to tempt the 44-year-old to Old Trafford should Ten Hag fall under the axe.

"It might be that if and when ten Hag does go, Manchester United take a chance on De Zerbi because he has shown what he can do in that Brighton set-up. As long as he can work within Manchester United's culture, fine. I think De Zerbi and Julen Lopetegui are the type of managers that will appeal to them.

"I'm not really buying that they'll go for somebody like Zinedine Zidane or anyone down that route because I think you're going to have to be willing to work within certain confinements, particularly in the early days as they start to get to grips with the changes that are going to be going on."

Sure he may not have done full justice to his talent, but it is time now to celebrate his achievement, not missed opportunity

Simon Hattenstone11-Nov-2008

Hick leaves the field after batting in his last home game, in September 2008 © PA Photos
No sportsman has got to me quite like Graeme Hick. It is not just the depth of emotions he has inspired; it is the variety. He is the ultimate enigma wrapped in a riddle wrapped in a whopping great paradox.As a young man – a boy really – Hicky broke pretty much every record that was there for the breaking. Twenty years ago he scored 1000 runs before the end of May, including 405 not out against Somerset. He was the youngest player to score 2000 runs in a season, the youngest to hit 50 centuries, and the second-youngest to reach a hundred hundreds.This broad-shouldered, silent hulk arrived from Zimbabwe a month before his 18th birthday in 1984 with little more than a cricket bat for company. When he finally qualified for England in 1991, he was going to be its saviour.He did not bat with the grace of a Gower or the swashbuckling charisma of a Richards. He simply stood there, straight-backed, stared at the ball, waited for a bad ‘un and smacked it to the boundary. He scored his runs quickly but he was never truly thrilling. What he had in spades was judgment, patience and a pair of mighty arms. Hick was a farmer’s son and there was something appropriately rustic about the way he would raise his bat scythe-like and smite the ball. He was also a decent spin bowler and a brilliant slip fielder.On the eve of Hick’s Test debut (a debut shared by that other great enigma Mark Ramprakash) Brough Scott wrote: “The promise is so fresh and so infinite that there is also a touch of sadness about it.” It was a prescient comment. Hick scored six in each innings. By August he had been dropped, having scored 75 runs at 10.71. He was dropped in virtually every series he played after that. He was dismissed as a softy by those who should have known better. The England coach Ray Illingworth called him a crybaby after he was dropped yet again. Some dismissed him as a flat-track bully, said he couldn’t play the true quicks, and scoffed at his suspect temperament and lack of technique.Me, I just cursed the way such a talent had been destroyed by poor management. I still believe he could have had a Test average in the 50s if only those in authority had put an arm round his shoulder and kept the faith.It was not just Illingworth who mistreated him. During the 1994-95 Ashes tour, when he was 98 not out and battling his way back into form against Australia in Sydney, Mike Atherton (a caring man in every other way) declared, accusing Hick of scoring too slowly. Hick was too good-natured to hold a grudge but the pain and shame of being stopped on 98 stayed with him forever. He once told me: “I regard Athers as a good friend, but I wouldn’t have minded a good thump at him.”After his Test failures he would go home to Worcester, where everybody adored him, put his head down, pile on the centuries, return to the England fold and disappoint again. There were successes. He scored six Test hundreds and averaged 31 – disappointing certainly but not horrendous. He did not bat with the grace of a Gower or the swashbuckling charisma of a Richards. He simply stood there, straight-backed, stared at the ball, waited for a bad ‘un and smacked it to the boundary But ultimately for a man of such immense ability he failed at Test level. And the more he failed, the more devoted I became to him. In 2002 I interviewed him for . What moved me about him most was his honesty. He might be notoriously shy, he might hate interviews, but I have never heard a sportsman speak so openly and eloquently. It soon became obvious how much he had been misunderstood. Despite his reserve he was an emotional man. Just watching his kids at sports day left him in tears.He told me how he had been to a psychologist, who said that to move on he had first to admit to someone close to him that he felt he had failed as a Test cricketer. He smiled sheepishly as he explained how he gathered the strength, gulped out his confession, and his friend continued waffling on as if he had not heard what Hick had told him.He said that he had finally learned to enjoy the successes and stop torturing himself over the things that did not go to plan. His most important innings for England? Scoring 40 in Karachi to help clinch the series against Pakistan in 2000-01.Hick loved scoring runs but he was the polar opposite of Geoffrey Boycott. If anything, he could have done with more ego. This was six years ago. We were in the changing room, a storm was blowing up outside and the day was closing in. So, it seemed, was his career. After all, he was already 36. But he was determined to go on. It was as if he hoped that somehow his astonishing success at county level would eventually erase the disappointments of his Test career. After a couple of fallow years he started hitting centuries for fun again – in his forties.He proved himself an immense Twenty20 player and says he may play on in this format in India. As for the first-class game, he leaves with an average of 52-plus and 136 centuries, which places him eighth on the all-time list of century-makers In all cricket he is the second most prolific run-scorer, behind Graham Gooch, passing 64,000 runs this summer.Rather then focusing on what could have been, it is time to celebrate what has been a truly remarkable career.

After the dramatics of the first game of the World Series, Saturday’s contest was far more straightforward—that is, until the top of the ninth inning (more on that in a bit). Los Angeles Dodgers hitters jumped on New York Yankees starter Carlos Rodón. The lefty gave up three home runs—including back-to-back jacks to Teoscar Hernández and Freddie Freeman—and he was chased out of the game in the fourth inning. Meanwhile, Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto had one of his best outings of the year, and the final score was Los Angeles 4, New York 2. The win puts the Dodgers up 2–0 in the series.

The Yankees did not go out without a fight, though. After Giancarlo Stanton drove in Juan Soto with an RBI single that struck the third base bag, the next two hitters reached to load the bases with one out. Dodgers closer Blake Treinen struck out Anthony Volpe, then Alex Vesia came in and retired Jose Trevino on one pitch to escape the jam and secure the win.

But the Dodgers’ joy was tempered. In the bottom of the seventh, Shohei Ohtani drew a walk to get on base and attempted to steal second. He was thrown out—and was then slow to get up, finally leaving with a trainer, moving his left arm gingerly. He was seen leaving the dugout between innings; Ohtani’s spot in the lineup did not come up again. The broadcast reported that it was a shoulder injury but did not say anything regarding the severity. It leaves a tense situation for the Dodgers: There is no player on either of these rosters whose star power is so bright or whose ability to change a game is so profound. If Ohtani is indeed injured, the rest of this series might look meaningfully different, and that attempted steal may ultimately turn out to be the most important play of this game. 

Here are three other takeaways from the action: 

Carlos Rodón depends on his fastball—and comes up short

Rodón tweaked his pitch mix this year to begin relying on his fastball less. After letting the heater make up roughly 60% of his pitches in each of the last three seasons, Rodón switched to using it less than half of the time in 2024, making up the difference by using his slider and making his changeup into a legitimate offering. But he went back to relying on the heater during Game 2. The Dodgers can be deadly against secondary stuff: They had the highest slugging percentage in baseball both on breaking balls the highest on offspeed pitches. They’re exceptionally patient—they drew more walks this year than any team other than the Yankees—and will lay off anything outside of the zone they do not especially like. So against this lineup in the World Series, Rodón went back to relying on his fastball, which made up 60% of his pitches on Saturday. It was the highest proportion of fastballs that he’d thrown in a game since April. 

The adjustment did not pay off. All three of the home runs that Rodón allowed came on fastballs. Two of the three other hits that he allowed came on fastballs. The Dodgers ultimately had 22 swings on Rodón’s fastball and made contact on 21 of them. Some of these were not particularly bad pitches: The home run to Freeman, in particular, seemed to be located almost perfectly. But such is life against the Dodgers. These hitters are talented enough to make something from whatever you give them. (Keep in mind it’s not just the MVPs: Tommy Edman and Hernández have shown they can hit you just as hard this October.) It can feel all but impossible to game plan for their weaknesses. There are simply too many strengths here. And now Rodón can vouch for that. 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto gives the Dodgers length

Yamamoto had not pitched beyond the fifth inning once since he returned from a shoulder injury in August. But in Game 2 of the World Series, the biggest stage he had ever pitched on in MLB, the righty dug deep and delivered. After struggling with his command in the early going—Yamamoto required 21 pitches to get through the first inning—he was close to pristine for much of the rest of the night. The one blemish on his outing was a home run by Juan Soto. (You simply cannot try to sneak a fastball past one of the greatest young hitters in the game.) But that was the only hit that he gave up all night. He retired the final 11 batters that he saw. Yamamoto pitched into the seventh inning—something he last did in June—and finished with one of his best line scores in months.

The fact that he managed to go so relatively deep into the night may end up being quite important. The Dodgers’ rotation has been so ravaged by injuries that bullpen games have been necessary to get through each of these later playoff rounds. None of their remaining starters are especially known for length. Anything this group can do to save the bullpen could be crucial—both in terms of fatigue and in terms of limiting the looks this lineup gets at them. 

Whither Aaron Judge?

The Yankees slugger and presumptive MVP entered Game 2 hitting 6-for-36 this postseason with 16 strikeouts. (That’s a batting average of .) His performance on Saturday did not help. Judge went 0-for-4. He struck out swinging three times and flew out to right field. 

Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked on Friday night if he would consider dropping Judge below Stanton in the lineup. His answer was simple: “No,” he said. “No.” But that question feels all the more valid now.

Australia’s former World Cup-winning captain will keep an eye on the next generation during the tournament

Peter English07-Mar-2009
Belinda Clark enjoys her prize from 2005 © Getty Images
In her playing days Belinda Clark spent years as the world’s best batsman and the captain of the strongest side, but she had the misfortune of never appearing in a home World Cup. Clark led her side to victory in the 2005 tournament in South Africa, the second time she was in charge of a global triumph, and by the end of that year had retired as one of the most celebrated figures in women’s cricket.The tournament began today in her home state of New South Wales, and though Clark won’t have an on-field role she will be busy. “I remember watching the 1988 World Cup final on the TV, but it’s been a while since then,” she says. “I managed to squeeze my career in between the two home World Cups. On the one hand I will miss not being on the field, but on the other hand I’ll be involved in other ways. This tournament is going to be fantastic.”Clark, who played 15 Tests and 118 ODIs, is the manager of Australia’s Centre of Excellence (formerly the Academy) and runs a close eye over the men’s and women’s squads as part of her administrative duties at the complex in Brisbane. So even though the outfit is no longer her side, she has tracked it since planning began for March 2009 shortly after Australia beat India by 98 runs in Centurion four years ago. She was involved in the early re-setting of goals for the team, then part of the exit of senior players, before watching the regeneration of the side.Over the past 12 months the team has increased its matchplay, including series against New Zealand and India in the Australian summer, and during the off-season five representatives spent extended periods at the Centre of Excellence to fine-tune for the World Cup. Clark was there when Karen Rolton, the captain and experienced batsman, spent 11 weeks at the facility. The stints of Ellyse Perry, Kate Blackwell, Emma Sampson and Shelley Nitschke varied between a fortnight and a month.”Karen’s 11 weeks were to get her physically ready to embark on the season and we did that for a specific reason,” Clark says. “We were really pleased to have had them here.” All of it was geared towards the World Cup, which kicks off an A-list winter that includes the World Twenty20 and the Ashes in England.The entire squad also goes to Brisbane a few times a year under the direction of the head coach, Richard McInnes. While the men’s Centre of Excellence intake gets months to focus on positioning front elbows and back legs, the women don’t have the luxury of a major overhaul in the few days they spend at Allan Border Field.Clark, who played 15 Tests and 118 ODIs, is the manager of Australia’s Centre of Excellence and runs a close eye over the men’s and women’s squads as part of her administrative duties at the complex in Brisbane. Even though the outfit is no longer her side, she has tracked it since planning began for March 2009, four years ago “The work they do here has to be quite specific and it has to be tangible because there’s no point trying to change the world in five minutes when you have them for three or four days,” Clark says. “Then they go back to their states for three or four months, then you have them back for three or four days again. Because of the difference in attendance time, you have to hit the mark pretty quickly, so the girls have been doing a lot of that type of work for the past 12 months.”McInnes, who was the Australian men’s team’s performance analyst until the 2008 tour of the West Indies, has relied heavily on being games-focussed when the squad is together, developing the players’ ability to perform their skills under the highest pressure. That way they know that if they are needed in the final on March 22 to strike a last-ball four over point, or deliver an off-stump yorker, they are ready.During a Centre of Excellence camp the attendees will also undergo series of tests to measure their bodies and performances. There will be medical and physiotherapy examinations along with fitness and skill analysis. Batsmen will learn how many places they can hit the same sort of delivery, while fast bowlers will discover their speed and accuracy. Spinners will see to the centimetre how much they turn the ball.”We get in all the experts from the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra,” Clark says. “All the high-speed cameras come up here and we go from there. It’s part of the picture, not the full picture. We also do psychological profiling. We gather information and find ways to determine whether they are moving forward, as well as identifying strengths and weaknesses.” Those attributes will be tested over the next three weeks.Clark, who will be doing television commentary and radio stints during the World Cup, will remain involved throughout the tournament. “I’ll be working closely with the coach,” she says, “and overseeing the strategies we have in place for high-performance cricket.”

Manchester City have moved three points closer to Champions League qualification.

On Saturday afternoon, late goals from youngster Nico O’Reilly and then substitute Mateo Kovačić saw the Sky Blues snatch a 2-0 victory over Everton, as they visited Goodison Park for the 100th and final time.

This maintains the Citizens’ place in the Champions League positions, above Nottingham Forest, with a key clash against in-form Aston Villa to come on Tuesday.

Despite the victory, two Man City stalwarts did not impress, suggesting they could both be victims of the impending summer rebuild.

Kevin De Bruyne's final matches for Manchester City

Last week, Kevin De Bruyne confirmed that he will be leaving Manchester City when his contract expires at the end of this season, having made over 400 appearances for the club, winning six Premier League titles and the Champions League, amongst many other honours.

In his first appearance since this announcement, Jamie Jackson of the Guardian reported that everyone inside the Etihad got the opportunity to ‘revel in the sublime talent’ that De Bruyne is, with the Belgian putting in a talisman performance as his team fought back from 2-0 down to beat Crystal Palace 5-2 a week ago.

However, this Saturday, the 33-year-old did not impress quite as much, with Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News reporting that the Belgian ‘got worse as the game went on’ having failed ‘to make the decisive breakthrough’ before being replaced by Manuel Akanji with two minutes remaining.

However, De Bruyne may not be the only Man City veteran heading for the exit door come the summer, with another multi-Premier League champion in his thirties suggesting he is also not the player he once was.

After De Bruyne: Man City's next star on his way out

In that previously sighted Simon Bajkowski player rating piece for the MEN, he described Bernardo Silva’s 5/10 display at Goodison as ‘too slow’, adding that he ‘couldn’t make anything happen’.

The Portuguese midfielder’s statistics don’t make for good reading either.

Minutes played

90

=1st

Touches

67

7th

Passing accuracy

89%

12th

Shots

Zero

=10th

Dribbles attempted

1

=10th

% of ground duels won

20%

23rd

Possession lost

9

=11th

As the table outlines, Silva did not impress against Everton, losing possession nine times as well as four of his five ground duels, mustering no shots and attempting just a solitary dribble, which isn’t what Pep Guardiola would want from his winger.

This though, is not a one-off, given that Silva’s powers have certainly started to wane this season, scoring just three goals and registering only four assists across all competitions, having accumulated 11 of both last time round, a big drop-off.

Zak Garner-Purkis of Forbes believes that the 30-year-old ‘has been one of the main malfunctioning components’ as Manchester City have fallen below their own lofty expectations this season, also stating that his ‘aging legs’ have been a key factor behind the team’s ‘sudden decline’.

Meantime, James Holland of TEAMtalk claims that Silva will depart Man City this summer, with Barcelona ‘eyeing’ a move for his services.

Thus, with Manchester City set for a summer rebuild, Kyle Walker and De Bruyne are already on the way out, and Silva could be poised to follow them out the exit door.

Bad news for Rico Lewis: Man City readying offer to sign £41m "engine"

Full-back has been a clear problem for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City this season, but are the Sky Blues preparing to sign an “excellent” youngster?

2 ByBen Gray Apr 18, 2025

New Proteas Women’s head coach sees red-ball game as key

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Dec-2024Firdose Moonda and Valkerie Baynes chat following the long-awaited appointment of a new Proteas Women’s head coach, Mandla Mashimbyi, while recalling their highlights of the last year and looking ahead to 2025