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Hasaranga counterattacked with a rapid fifty, but Sri Lanka still didn’t get near their target

Andrew Fidel Fernando25-Nov-2022Ibrahim Zadran struck 106 as Afghanistan’s top order set them up for a commanding 294 for 8, before the bowlers – Fazalhaq Farooqi, Yamin Ahmadzai, and Gulbadin Naib – ripped through Sri Lanka’s batting order, sharing nine wickets between them.Sri Lanka provided some resistance, primarily through Pathum Nissanka, who kept the score moving in the early overs while wickets fell around him, and later through Wanindu Hasaranga, who was in scintillating batting form, even as he ran out of partners. But Afghanistan’s seamers had done too much damage. The margin of victory was a gaping 60 runs, Sri Lanka having been thoroughly outplayed on home turf. They never really seemed to have the measure of this big chase.The loss now makes Sri Lanka’s automatic qualification into next year’s ODI World Cup even more unlikely, as they have only 62 points on the Super League table (which leaves them at 10th, with only the top eight qualifying), with just five matches to go. Afghanistan, meanwhile, take a big step towards sealing their World Cup place, with 110 points now (they are seventh), and plenty of games to play.Before the quicks dismantled Sri Lanka’s top order, Afghanistan had laid a mighty platform. On a Pallekele surface that had decent pace and carry, but not a lot of turn, Afghanistan were rarely troubled by Sri Lanka’s seamers, in the first 40 overs at least. In addition to Ibrahim’s century, Afghanistan had half-centuries from Gurbaz, who hit 53 off 55, and Rahmat who made 52 off 64. The opening partnership was worth 84 off 88 balls; the second-wicket stand 118 off 141. After 38 overs, they were 202 for 8.They didn’t quite nail the finish, even after Najibullah Zadran had them flying into the death overs with his 25-ball 42 that featured a six and five fours. But 295 was always going to be a tough target.Where Gurbaz had had a little fortune, having been dropped at slip in the fifth over (by Dhananjaya de Silva, off the bowling of Kasun Rajitha), Ibrahim’s innings was chanceless. His first boundary was a sweetly-struck drive that went wide of mid-off, but he really got into it against Rajitha in the seventh over, crashing him square through the legside off successive deliveries.Gurbaz was more aggressive through the powerplay, but Ibrahim was perhaps better through the middle overs, finding risk-free singles all around the wicket as he worked his way conscientiously to a 62-ball fifty. That milestone came up in the 24th over; he had not added to his boundary tally since the ninth.Gulbadin Naib finished with figures of 8-0-34-3•AFP/Getty ImagesThere was one edge off Lahiru Kumara that flew past the keeper when he was on 55, but otherwise, the progress to triple figures was pretty smooth too. He got there not long after Rahmat – who had also accumulated nicely through the middle overs – departed, getting to the milestone with a swivel-pulled four off Kumara, off the 116th delivery he faced. He holed out against the bowling of Maheesh Theekshana in the 42nd over.Sri Lanka pulled a little back through the death, conceding only 31 runs in the last five overs, in which they also claimed five wickets. This was largely down to Rajitha, whose last three overs cost only 12 runs. But Afghanistan had gained too much ground in the first 45.The response was nervy from the early overs. Nissanka was given lbw but was saved by a review, in the third over. Next over, Kusal Mendis also reviewed an lbw decision against him off the bowling of Ahmadzai, but was unsuccessful. Dinesh Chandimal struck some nice boundaries, but was bowled by Farooqi in the seventh over. De Silva struck some even nicer boundaries, but was bowled by Gulbadin, off the inside edge, in the 11th.Sri Lanka were well ahead of the required rate, but were 75 for 3. Then 90 for 4 when Gulbadin had Asalanka edging to slip. Then 137 for 5 when Dasun Shanaka holed out to deep midwicket off the same bowler.They just kept losing wickets, though the required rate never climbed to unmanageable levels. Nissanka was out for an excellent 85 off 83 balls, edging Farooqi back on to his stumps. Dhananjaya Lakshan was bowled by a Farooqi yorker soon after.This was all a shame, because Hasaranga was starting to go nuts. In the 31st over, bowled by Mohammad Nabi, Hasaranga banged a six over long off first ball, faced a dot, then cracked four consecutive fours through the offside to take 22 off the over. He kept finding the boundary, but Afghanistan kept finding wickets.By the end, Hasaranga was turning down singles to keep the strike, but even what little balls the tailenders had to face, they did not deal with particularly well. Hasaranga was bowled for 66 off 46 at the end of the 38th over, ending Sri Lanka’s innings.By that same stage, Afghanistan had lost only a single wicket.

“I don’t regret [not playing Kuldeep], and that was the right decision. Fast bowlers had a lot of assistance and there was a lot of inconsistent bounce”

Sidharth Monga25-Dec-20227:00

KL Rahul: Leaving Kuldeep out was tough but I don’t regret the decision

India’s stand-in captain KL Rahul admitted they missed Kuldeep Yadav but didn’t regret the decision of leaving him out for an extra fast bowler because a team is selected for all five days and they felt three fast bowlers was the right balance for the conditions in Mirpur.Related

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Of the 36 wickets that bowlers took in the Test (one was a run-out), only 11 went to quick bowlers with spinners taking 25. In the second innings, Bangladesh managed to score more than they did in the first, putting India under extreme pressure with their three spinners in the fourth innings. Leaving out Kuldeep, the Player of the Match in the last Test, was a topic of heated debate in the first innings, and it only raged further in the second.Rahul was asked about the selection post the narrow three-wicket win. “If we had Impact Player rule here like in the IPL, I would have loved to have Kuldeep in the second innings,” he said. “It was a tough call [on the first morning], knowing and understanding that he had just won the Test for us. But seeing the pitch before the game and on the first day, we felt that there will be assistance for both fast bowlers and spinners. Keeping that in mind we wanted to play the best balanced team we can. And that’s the call we made.”I don’t regret that, and that was the right decision. If you see the 20 wickets we took, a lot of wickets [ten] even the fast bowlers took. They had a lot of assistance and there was a lot of inconsistent bounce. All these decisions we took keeping in mind the experience of playing here [Mirpur] in the ODIs. We played two [ODIs] here and we saw that there was assistance for both spin and fast bowlers. Understanding that a Test match goes on for four or five days, you need to have both. You need a balanced attack, and I feel it was the right call.”Kuldeep Yadav was left out of India’s XI after a Player-of-the-Match outing in the first Test•Associated PressThis selection can be debated, but there is no debate – at least in terms of numbers – that India’s top four have been struggling against spin for a while. For the second World Test Championship cycle in a row, India go into the final series needing three out of four wins at home. Having lost just two Tests in the last ten years at home, India should still be the favourites, but even the biggest fans of the team are not so sure of their batting, especially against spin.”Whatever the conditions, whether it’s seaming or turning, at the end of the day, batsmen will get out,” Rahul said when asked about the shakiness against spin. “If the pitch assists spinners, you will get out to spinners. If it assists seamers, you will get out to seamers. We don’t really think so much that we are only getting out to spinners or only to fast bowlers.”If it is a pattern, you will work with your coaches and do the homework to see where things are wrong and correct them. Like you said we have four important Test matches coming up against Australia at home. Pitches, I am guessing, will be very similar to how we have played here. There will be a bit of assistance for spin, and that’s something of a challenge for us batters as to how early we can adapt. Each player is different and has to find his own way. You trust the individual to make that choice.”Australia will come prepared. They will study the conditions, the pitches. You try to give your best and after that whatever happens is in nobody’s control. You accept whatever comes. Preparations and hard work are in our hands. You will never be perfect. Even if we play just spin for the next one month, it doesn’t guarantee that against Australia we will make hundreds in every match. You just prepare with the right mindset, how hungry are you to perform for the team and that’s important. It’s exciting. The mistakes we have done here, the experiences we have had here will be handy. You go back and have that little bit of time to work on them.”Each individual is different, but Rahul and Virat Kohli are under a bit of extra pressure because of their recent form. Rahul was asked how prudent it would be to go straight into a high-stakes Test series and try to turn the tide there.”We obviously don’t go into the game thinking of what we may have done previously or what might happen next,” he said. “We want to give it our best. Every opportunity we are going to get, we will grab with both hands. Obviously after playing a few Tests and after being recognised as one of… when the team is looking at you to perform and get through you have that responsibility. That is what is going on in your mind. You want to give it your best. That never changes, whatever format it is, you want to perform for your team, for your country, play your role and do the best you can.KL Rahul averaged only 14.25 across four Test innings on the tour•AFP/Getty Images”Sometimes it doesn’t happen. I have seen a bit of ups and downs in whatever little cricket I have played and I know that neither of the things lasts too long. You have to keep looking forward and keep trying to get better, improve your skill and just keep looking forward to your next challenge. It is obviously, when you are playing all three formats, a bit tricky to just jump from one to the other.”Personally I haven’t played Test cricket in some time now and it takes a bit of time to get back into the groove and understand and get your mind back to the things you were doing right when you were playing well. That’s the challenge of playing at this level and any format that you play; each format is a challenge on how quickly you can adapt and take your mind back to the right things to do. That’s something that excites me. Yeah, performances in this series haven’t been great. I can accept that. I tried my best and it didn’t work. But I always look forward and see what I can do better next time.”Looking back, though, Rahul looked at the tour of Bangladesh with satisfaction. “Really good series. A lot of good experiences, a lot of learnings, losing the ODI series was not the greatest. But sometimes a series loss does teach you a lot about where you stand as a team and as individuals. That is really important for us going into a 50-over World Cup.”Even the Test series, it was hard fought. Bangladesh really played some very very good cricket. They challenged us a lot, even today. The best way to end the series. They made it really hard and they were in the game for the first 30-32 overs and then [R] Ashwin and Shreyas [Iyer] put their hands up and did the job for us. It has been a brilliant tour. The next time when we come back here, whoever has played here will take the learnings and come better prepared.”

Leeds United have now suffered a fresh injury concern alongside captain Ethan Ampadu, according to a new update from manager Daniel Farke.

Leeds frustratingly held by West Brom

The Whites had another opportunity to pull further clear at the top of the Championship on Saturday afternoon, as they hosted West Brom at Elland Road.

In the end, though, it proved to be a frustrating day for Farke and his players, with Junior Firpo’s opener cancelled out by a Darnell Furlong header before the break, and the scoreline remained 1-1 in the end.

The result was far from a disaster, though, and Leeds are still in a wonderful position, despite the fact that Sheffield United won 2-1 away to Queens Park Rangers. The Whites are three points clear of the Blades, and perhaps more importantly, eight ahead of third-place Burnley, who have one game in hand.

Injuries can have the potential to define any season, so Farke will be keeping his fingers crossed that as many key players stay fit as possible, but a worrying update has emerged regarding one individual.

Leeds suffer fresh injury blow

Speaking after the West Brom game on Saturday, Farke confirmed that Leeds ace Mateo Joseph has now picked up an injury alongside the influential Ampadu: “[We have] a few concerns over Mateo. He rolled his ankle a little bit. Hopefully it’s not so bad.”

Losing Joseph for a sustained period would be an undoubted blow for the Whites, but the manager does at least sound relatively hopeful about his absence not being too lengthy.

The 21-year-old may not always have been a regular this season, but he has still been an important squad player, chipping in with three goals and assists apiece in the Championship. He has made 23 appearances from the substitutes’ bench, adding quality when opposition legs are tiring, while Whites pundit Kris Smith has lauded him, saying:

“I have no doubt in my mind that Mateo Joseph is going to be a Premier League-quality striker in the near future. I don’t think he’s going to take him that long to get there. But the only thing standing in his way right now, for me, is being given the patience to work through his current weaknesses.”

At 21 years of age, there is still an understandable rawness to Joseph’s game, but he has a high ceiling as a player and would hopefully prove to be a hit for Leeds in the Premier League, as Smith alludes to.

There is still plenty of work to be done in the Championship promotion battle this season, however, and the Spaniard can have a big say in ensuring that his side swiftly return to the top flight.

Farke must brutally axe 3/10 Leeds star who won’t cut it in the PL

The Leeds star had fewer touches than Meslier against West Brom on Saturday lunchtime.

1 ByJoe Nuttall Mar 1, 2025

The sooner he returns from his ankle issue the better, and Farke will hope that he is available for next Sunday’s trip to Portsmouth, in another massive game, especially with Patrick Bamord showing no signs of returning.

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have "multi billionaires" lined up at Wrexham that are ready to aid the club's quest to reach the Premier League.

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A-list stars completed takeover in 2021Have guided Red Dragons into the ChampionshipFurther assistance required to reach top tierFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Since completing a stunning takeover in 2021, Reynolds and McElhenney have funded much of a meteoric rise themselves. Commercial deals have bolstered the kitty, with record-breaking revenue figures being posted, but two A-list co-chairmen have also dug deep into their own pockets.

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They have been able to guide Wrexham into the Championship on the back of three successive promotions. Shrewd recruitment, on the field and in the dugout, has allowed the Red Dragons to take flight while building a global fan base.

DID YOU KNOW?

The ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series has brought more eyes to SToK Racecourse. The Allyn family are already on board alongside Reynolds and McElhenney, while further investment will be required in order to achieve the ultimate goal of bringing top-flight football to North Wales.

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Getty/GOALWHAT HUMPHREY KER SAID

Several interested parties are waiting in the wings, with Wrexham director Humphrey Ker telling the of potential changes in the boardroom: "I think it's very possible. But I think that's if we build our training ground, because we don't have a training ground, and we build our stand, and we renovate the stadium, and we get ourselves up to like a 20,000-seat modern-ish stadium that retains the charm, we can make that jump.

"Then what happens is Rob and Ryan go into their Rolodex, and call up one of the dozens and dozens of people that have got in touch over the past four years and been like 'Hi, I'm a multi, multi, multi-billionaire. I want to join in on this with you.'

"They would stay on, remain in their roles, but we would have someone that would help out, because, basically, getting out of the Championship and to the Premier League, you are just lighting money."

Declan Rice’s 2024-25 campaign may have been brought to a premature conclusion, with the severity of the Arsenal star’s injury being revealed.

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Missed trip to AnfieldNursing hamstring complaintGunners will not take risksFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

England international Rice sat out the Gunners’ Premier League clash with newly-crowned champions Liverpool at Anfield. He was a big miss in the middle of the park, but saw Mikel Arteta’s side stage a stirring fightback on Merseyside and claim a 2-2 draw from two goals down.

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Arsenal boss Arteta said when asked to explain Rice’s absence – having seen him play the full 90 minutes in a Champions League semi-final tie with Paris Saint-German a few days earlier: “Declan couldn't even train so he's injured unfortunately and couldn't make the game.”

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Arsenal, who remain second in the Premier League table for now, have two games left to take in this season – at home to fellow top-five hopefuls Newcastle and away at rock-bottom Southampton.

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According to , “Rice is recovering from a hamstring problem and while there is hope the injury is not serious, club medics will not take any unnecessary risks with the England international”.

It has been an interesting first season in red for one of Manchester United’s summer signings, Manuel Ugarte. The Uruguayan has shown just how good he can be in the middle of the park, at times showing off his impressive ability to break up play and win tackles.

However, he took time to adapt to the Premier League, and some United supporters were unsure about his signing initially. One of those was analyst and host of The Overlap: The Breakdown, H, who explained that the Red Devils must “be careful of his rashness”.

Overall, in his first season at Old Trafford, the Uruguayan has not played too badly and has certainly taken over the reins in midfield for Casemiro, who is certainly not the player he once was.

How Casemiro has declined at Man United

The Red Devils signed Brazil international Casemiro back in 2022 from Real Madrid. He cost them an eye-wateringly large fee, with United spending £70m including add-ons to bring the midfielder to the club.

The former Los Blancos superstar was excellent in his first season. In a recent interview, he made an interesting suggestion about his own game, saying “as a player, I think Old Trafford saw the best version of Casemiro in my first year”.

Throughout his time at the 13-time Premier League champions, Casemiro has played 109 games, scoring 15 goals and grabbing nine assists, He was a key member of their Carabao Cup winning side in 2022/23, and played a big role in FA Cup success last season, too.

This season has been tougher for the Brazilian. Casemiro’s involvement at Old Trafford has been less than in previous campaigns, and he has made just 26 appearances.

In total, United’s number 18 has played for 1599 minutes, the equivalent of just 17.7 full 90-minute games.

It seems as though Casemiro is slowly being phased out of the side at Old Trafford. If this is the case, the replacement Ruben Amorim can turn to might be waiting in the wings in United’s famous Carrington academy.

Man United's Casmeiro replacement at Carrington

Few academies in English football are as productive as United’s esteemed Carrington. In recent seasons, they have produced fantastic first-team players including Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho, two players part of their FA Youth Cup winning side of 2022.

Well, perhaps the next player off the excellent conveyor belt of talent at United is midfielder Zach Baumann.

The 18-year-old, who was born in Bolton but qualifies to play for Ukraine, has impressed during his time with the Red Devils academy.

Baumann was described as a “superb” football by Academy Scoop, a United page on X dedicated to covering academy football. He has made 34 appearances collectively for the academy sides, scoring three goals and assisting three in that time.

Under-18s

26

1415

5

Under-19s

1

15

0

Under-21s

7

558

1

Total

34

1988

6

The 18-year-old has impressed for United’s youth teams this season. He has featured 11 times, grabbing one goal and one assist, although he has been out of action for several months.

The Ukraine U19 international impressed for United’s U19s in the UEFA Youth League, in his sole appearance in the competition. Facing FK Zalgiris U19s, the midfielder played 15 minutes and showed quality on the ball, completing 92% of his passes and winning one tackle and one ground duel, as per Sofascore.

Casemiro’s role for United has changed a lot, and, under former boss Erik ten Hag, he was often playing as one of the highest midfielders in the side. Whilst they are different players the Brazilian and Baumann certainly occupy similar zones on the pitch, with the United academy player operating as an advanced number eight or number 10.

With Casemiro’s future up in the air at Old Trafford, perhaps a first-team introduction for Baumann is not too far away, especially if he can show electric form for the academy upon his return and impress Amorim.

Cost £0, now worth 5x more than Casemiro: Man Utd hit gold on amazing star

Man Utd are in safe hands with this player

3 ByJoe Nuttall Feb 12, 2025

Rested seamer reflects on Test success in Pakistan, Ben Stokes’ captaincy and ball to Mohammad Rizwan

Vithushan Ehantharajah16-Dec-2022At 40 years of age and with 177 caps, missing Test matches is not something James Anderson has time for. Yet as he sits in Karachi’s Movenpick hotel on Friday, a day out from the third and final Test against Pakistan, he is at peace with the fact he is sitting this one out.The series is won, with only the scoreline left to sort. Anderson’s eight wickets at 18.50 have ticked off a ninth frontier in the format, 17 years after he accompanied England on their last tour to the region without getting on the park (for the Tests). The career dismissals were 35 then, 675 now as Anderson’s 20th year as an international comes to an end. Nevertheless, his rest has been well-earned.”It’s been brilliant from start to finish really,” Anderson says. “I think we’ve just really gone about things the right way, we’ve worked really hard concentrating on the right things. We wanted to keep that same mentality we had in the summer, the same style of cricket.”We knew it was going to be slightly different out here. Just from one to 11 it’s been outstanding. Everyone’s chipped in, whether it’s with runs or wickets in the field, and we deserve to be two-nil up.”Related

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That Anderson “completely understands” the reasons for being rested is as much personal contentment as it is the environment he is in. He felt he could have played, and said as much to Ben Stokes. The captain, however, was thinking further ahead. “It’s only four or five weeks before we go to New Zealand,” says Anderson of the two-Test series in February. “It’s not a huge amount of time.”What the break does do is give Anderson scope to assess how the last couple of weeks have been on a personal level. It speaks volumes that he regards the job done here as the most satisfying of his career.”I feel proud of the work I’ve put in over here: forty overs [46] in the first Test, 22 I think on the last day of the game. That’s as good as I’ve bowled and as important a role as I’ve played in any team, I think, especially in these conditions.”And I think to be honest, we all feel like that as bowlers. The seamers have put in a lot of work to try and get something out of the wickets.”We’ve managed to find some reverse swing which helps. But I think generally we have just thought outside the box with fields as well. Just trying everything we can to get 20 wickets and thankfully we’ve managed to do it in both games.”More specifically, there is pride at the delivery in Multan that did for Mohammed Rizwan: moving in with that reverse, then nipping away and clipping the top of off stump. The video of that dismissal is still doing laps on social media. Many used it as an excuse to trawl through Anderson’s archives to compare it to other pearlers. The man himself is certain it is one of the best deliveries to have left his hand.”I think it probably is up there, just because of where I’ve done it. I’ve bowled similar deliveries in England where you get that seam movement. And it happens more regularly than it does in Pakistan.”So to get that little bit of reverse swing in and it definitely hit a crack, but it looks great on telly. For me it’s right up there with one of the best balls I’ve bowled.”

“I love thinking about the game, thinking about plans, and Ben is that sort of captain. All he thinks about is taking wickets. He’s not bothered about trying to dry the run rate up or control the game. He wants to take wickets”

“I guess that’s part of the skill out here when you know certainly towards the back end of the game the wicket might break up. The wicket out here looks exactly the same – there are going to be cracks there as the game goes on and it deteriorates. And the skill for the bowlers then is to hit it as often as you possibly can. [It’s] not always that easy just to land it on it. That’s the thing: you’ve got to bowl it with some decent heat on, you can’t just put it there or bowl within yourself. You’ve got to mean every ball. It can take its toll, but it’s really satisfying when you get those rewards.”In many ways, it is remarkable Anderson finishes 2022 with 36 wickets at an average of 19.80, the first time the latter has been under 20 in a calendar year since 2017. The spillover of the Ashes and the end of Chris Silverwood’s tenure as head coach was such that Anderson and Stuart Broad were omitted from the tour of the Caribbean, which was Joe Root’s last engagement as Test captain.But it is clear Anderson is enjoying a new lease of life under his eighth full-time Test captain. He is currently the leading wicket-taker under Stokes, a statistic which has a very clear correlation to the manner in which the captain and new head coach, Brendon McCullum, are approaching things on the field.The batting may grab the headlines, but the bowling has been a model of consistency through relentless pressure, administered through attacking fields with accompanying lines and lengths. England have taken 10 wickets in all 17 innings so far under Stokes and McCullum through this approach, something which aligns with Anderson’s own theories while also opening his eyes to doing this a different way.”I love thinking about the game, thinking about plans, and Ben is that sort of captain. All he thinks about is taking wickets. He’s not bothered about trying to dry the run rate up or control the game. He wants to take wickets. You see that with the fields he sets. That then rubs off on you as a bowler.Ben Stokes and Anderson plot their tactics•AFP/Getty Images”I can’t remember the amount of times I would have bowled in previous years with a leg slip. I had one quite a lot throughout the summer, had one quite a lot in this series. Funnily enough, that Rizwan wicket, I did have a leg slip in at the time and Rooty thinks maybe that position made him stay slightly leg side of the ball. Those little things can actually make a big difference.”When we were successful in 2010, it was a run-rate thing, control the rate, and it worked for that group of players. We did that again in ’17, ’18, ’19, it didn’t quite work for us. This seems to be working for this group of bowlers, and we’ve got a nice mix of bowlers, especially with Woody [Mark Wood] coming back in. So I’ve found it refreshing thinking differently, even though I’ve played a lot of games.”As long as you’re getting hit in the right areas, they don’t care if you go for the odd four, trying to go a bit fuller, so that gives you confidence to bowl, knowing that you don’t have to fret about how many runs you’re going for, or whether you’ve been hit twice down the ground. If that’s the way you’re trying to get people out, with catchers in front of the wicket as they have been out here, then they’re completely fine with it.”As for where things go from here, the spectre of Australia and a home Ashes looms large. Given the constant calls from within the group to play more engaging, more entertaining cricket and push past the previous achievements, predicting where this side will be by next summer is anyone’s guess. “I’m sure over the coming months the messages will be the same,” Anderson says. “With the talent we have got, we should just keep getting better so that by the time the Ashes does come around, we’ll be in a good place.”Given how accustomed he is with Australia ahead of what will be his 10th series against them, there is maybe no better person to ask. Does he think Australia will be intimidated of this free-wheeling juggernaut fuelled by vibes and a relentless approach to positive results?”It’s an interesting one,” he muses. “I texted Tim Southee the other day to congratulate him on the NZ captaincy and he was like ‘I’m not sure I can keep up with you guys’.”Maybe the Aussies might be more brash than him but there might be something deep down, where they’re not sure how they’re going to approach it against us. Having played against them a lot, I’m sure they’ll try to come back just as hard as they can. It seems a long way away at the minute, but hopefully we can keep enjoying ourselves and keep playing the way we are because it’s a lot of fun to be a part of.”

The team said King had surgery Tuesday to address a heart abnormality, and she is now "resting and recovering"

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Angel City's King undergoes heart surgeryDefender collapsed on field in NWSL match FridayPrognosis deemed "excellent"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Angel City defender Savy King underwent a successful surgery Tuesday to address a heart abnormality, the team announced, four days after she collapsed on the field during a match against the Utah Royals.

“She is now resting and recovering surrounded by her family, and her prognosis is excellent,” the team said in a statement.

King's family released a joint statement thanking the team's medical staff, her teammates and the hospital staff: “On behalf of our entire family, along with Savy, we have been so moved by the love and support from Angel City players, staff, fans and community, as well as soccer fans across the country. We are blessed to share Savy is recovering well and we are looking forward to having her home with us soon.”

King, 20, joined Angel City this season following a trade from Bay FC.

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King collapsed on the pitch in the 74th minute of the game Friday night, with players from both matches visibly shaken over the event. She was attended to for around 10 minutes on the field before being transported via EMS to the hospital.

Washington Spirit and U.S. women's national team forward Trinity Rodman offered prayers for King and her Family on social media, posting on her Instagram story adding: “In no world should that game have continued.”

The NWSL said in a statement that it would review its current policies to determine if changes are needed to be made. NWSL rules for 2025 state that the league “recognizes that emergencies may arise which make the start or progression of a Game inadvisable or dangerous for participants and spectators. Certain event categories automatically trigger the League Office into an evaluation of whether delay or postponement is necessary.”

WHAT UTAH ROYALS SAID

Royals manager Jimmy Coenraets suggested that the match should not have continued after King's medical event.

“In those moments, I’m not sure if we should have continued the game,” Coenraets told reporters after the match. “You’re emotionally – not only them but also our players were just scared. That’s not the right situation to be in but in the end, we played on. That’s the decision other people have taken, which is fine. It was a really tough moment.

“It’s the same after the game. Like, what do you want to focus on after the game? Yes, you have the result of the game but you want to make sure people feel safe, healthy and good and I think that was the focus after the game for us.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR ANGEL CITY?

Having won two straight games, Angel City will play Bay City Saturday at 10 p.m. ET at PayPal Park in San Jose, California.

Gabby Logan is one of the best and most well-known broadcasters around and is preparing to present Match of the Day when Gary Lineker steps down at the end of the campaign.

Alongside Kelly Cates and Mark Chapman, Logan will share presenting duties of the iconic Premier League highlights show, starting in the 2025/26 season.

But who is Logan? Football FanCast has compiled a fact file on the presenter.

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ByStephan Georgiou Aug 16, 2024 Who is Gabby Logan?

Logan is a television and radio presenter, but before her broadcasting career, was a gymnast. She represented Wales at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, finishing 11th in rhythmic gymnastics.

Her presenting career began in 1996 working for Sky Sports, before moving to ITV and then BBC, where she has been a regular since 2006. She has also fronted Amazon Prime’s Premier League and Champions League coverage.

How old is Gabby Logan?

Logan was born in Leeds on 24th April 1973, making her 51 at the time of writing.

Who are Gabby Logan's parents?

Logan’s parents are Terry and Christine Yorath, who split up in 2003 and eventually divorced after 36 years together.

Terry Yorath was a professional footballer and represented the likes of Leeds United, Coventry City and Tottenham Hotspur during his career.

He also played for and managed Wales, with his other managerial jobs including Swansea City, Bradford City, Cardiff City and Sheffield Wednesday.

Who is Gabby Logan's husband?

Gabby Logan’s husband is Kenny Logan, a former Scotland international rugby union player.

A year older than Gabby, Kenny is best known at club level for his time with London Wasps and ended up winning 70 caps for Scotland before retiring from international duty after the 2003 World Cup.

The pair got married in 2001 and welcomed twins four years later. Kenny and Gabby took part in the same Strictly Come Dancing Series in 2007.

Gabby Logan's net worth

Logan is reportedly one of the top female earners in her field, with a rumoured net worth of £4m.

In 2024, it was claimed her annual salary was around £210,000.

Gabby Logan's presenting career

After a two-year stint hosting for Sky Sports, Logan moved to ITV where she presented multiple sporting programmes, including the Champions League finals in 2005 and 2006.

She is best known for her BBC roles, fronting up coverage of various live sporting events including the Six Nations, European Championships, World Cups, World Athletics Championships, Olympic Games and the London Marathon.

Logan has also been a regular part of the Sports Personality of the Year awards and presented BBC’s Final Score programme for four years between 2009 and 2013.

It isn’t just sporting events Logan has presented, as she has fronted up The One Show as a stand-in presenter on occasions and hosting reality TV shows such as Splash! and lunchtime game show The Edge.

Alongside her TV roles, Logan has been a host on BBC Radio 5 Live and also has a podcast called The Mid Point, discussing midlife challenges and expectations.

Logan also fronts a podcast alongside future Match of the Day co-host Mark Chapman called The Sports Agents, which covers the talking points across the sporting spectrum.

What shows has Gabby Logan participated in?

Logan hasn’t just been a presenter on TV, as she has also participated in numerous shows over the years such as Strictly Come Dancing in 2007.

She was also a panellist on A League of Their Own and appeared on other well-known shows including Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Celebrity Catchphrase and 8 Out of 10 Cats.

In recent years, Logan has appeared on Would I Lie to You? and Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof.

Gabby Logan’s social media

Logan has more than 440,000 followers on X and over 268,000 followers on Instagram with the handles on both channels being @GabbyLogan.

When was Gabby Logan awarded an MBE?

In 2020, Logan was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list for services to sports broadcasting and promoting women in sport.

Balbirnie, Tector centuries in vain as Burl, Raza star in chase for Zimbabwe

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jan-2023Zimbabwe beat Ireland by three wickets in a thrilling final-ball finish in Harare. Needing four to win off the final ball, Clive Madande swiped Graham Hume for four over midwicket to seal the win at a boisterous Harare Sports Club.Zimbabwe had won the toss with Craig Ervine opting to field first, and Zimbabwe’s bowlers immediately put Ireland under pressure. The visitors struggled in the opening powerplay against Richard Ngarava and Victor Nyauchi, and at that stage, Ireland were 28 for 2.But a 212-run partnership between Andy Balbirnie and Harry Tector put Ireland on course for a strong total. Both men got centuries, before Balbirnie was forced to retire hurt on 121 after he top-edged a ball into the grill of his helmet, and was forced off concussed. But cameos at the death from George Dockerell and Lorcan Tucker took Ireland to 288.Ireland kept Zimbabwe reined in during the powerplay as well, and the loss of the openers saw the asking rate rise. But Zimbabwe’s trusted middle order put the home side back on course. Craig Ervine and Gary Balance got runs, before a 76-run partnership between Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl – who scored 59 – brought Zimbabwe back into the game.Rain arrived in the 34th over, at which stage Zimbabwe were two runs behind the DLS target. After more than an hour, the sides got back on the pitch, with Zimbabwe requiring 39 off 22 balls. The loss of Raza immediately after put Ireland in the driving seat, leaving Burl to fight on almost single-handedly.A few lusty blows from the left-hander brought Zimbabwe close, but when he was run out trying to get back on strike, his side still needed 11 off four balls. Brad Evans hit a six off the first ball before being dismissed the next, and in the end, Zimbabwe needed four off the last delivery. An overpitched ball from Hume was smeared to cow corner by Madande as Zimbabwe sealed a scintillating win.