Worcestershire 215 for 7 (Gurney 3-60) trail Nottinghamshire 499 for 9 dec (Wessels 75*, Moores 56) by 284 runs ScorecardNottinghamshire strengthened their overall advantage on the second day of their day-night pink ball Specsavers County Championship match against Worcestershire at Trent Bridge.The home side closed their first innings on 499 for 9 declared and then made steady inroads to leave the visitors on 215 for 7. Joe Clarke top-scored with 40 and the remainder of the top order all reached double figures before falling, with Harry Gurney taking three for 60.Earlier, Riki Wessels scored an undefeated 75 for Notts, joining first day batting heroes Chris Nash, Jake Libby and Samit Patel in registering their highest score of the summer. Steve Magoffin, who bagged his three wickets within the space of five deliveries, late on the first day, ended with figures of three for 70 for the New Road side.Wessels’ runs came from 127 balls faced and contained nine boundaries. Tom Moores made a typically punchy 56 but fell when going in search of the runs needed for a fifth batting point.Resuming from their overnight score of 336 for 5, Notts showed a marked acceleration in their run-rate, with Moores hitting left-arm spinner Ben Twohig away for two huge sixes, the second of which took him to a 60-ball half century. Stuart Broad and Luke Fletcher both fell to Brett D’Oliveira during the early part of the second session, as the tempo increased further but their dismissals, as well as that of Matt Milnes, prompted the declaration.Martin Guptill made a flying start to the Worcestershire reply but then cut Gurney to point for a run-a-ball 28. Either side of the tea break Daryl Mitchell was also removed by Gurney and Tom Fell was athletically caught by ‘keeper Moores off Fletcher’s bowling.With the shadows lengthening – and the floodlights starting to have an effect – Notts then picked up the key wicket of Clarke, pinned lbw by Fletcher for 40.Two more Worcestershire batsmen scraped into the 20s but fell in quick succession; Ben Cox appeared to play down the wrong line and had his off peg snapped by Gurney and a fired-up Broad had captain D’Oliveira smartly pouched by Chris Nash at slip. Broad then put the finishing touches to a fine day for the hosts by removing Twohig to leave the Worcestershire first innings in some disarray and still 135 runs away from saving the follow-on.
أعلنت لجنة الحكام في الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم، عن طاقم تحكيم مباراة الزمالك وفاركو، التي تجمع بين الفريقين، مساء غد الأربعاء، ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري الممتاز.
الزمالك يلاقي فاركو، على ملعب الجيش ببرج العرب، في إطار مواجهات الأسبوع الـ 29 من عمر مباريات بطولة الدوري المصري. موعد مباراة الزمالك وفاركو في الدوري
وتقام مباراة الزمالك وفاركو، الأربعاء 3 يوليو 2024، في تمام الساعة السابعة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.
طالع | الزمالك في مهمة صعبة أمام فاركو لتحسين وضعه بـ الدوري المصري
وخاض فريق الزمالك في بطولة الدوري المصري حتى الآن، 22 مباراة، وحصد من خلالهم 37 نقطة، محتلًا المركز الثامن في جدول ترتيب المسابقة.
وعاد فريق الزمالك إلى خوض منافسات بطولة الدوري في لقاء سيراميكا كليوباترا الماضي، بعدما كان اتخذ قرارًا بعدم لعب المباريات اعتراضًا على جدول المسابقة، ورفض لعب مباراة الأهلي في الجولة 27. حكام مباراة الزمالك وفاركو في الدوري المصري
Everton are a club steeped in rich tradition, and as such are one of England's most historic and successful clubs of all time.
However, things have not been easy for the Toffees of late, who saw the initial promise of Farhad Moshiri's investment swiftly devolve into a Financial Fair Play crisis, with numerous clubs baying for their blood as they seek compensation for the relegation they suffered, and that the Merseyside outfit continue to avoid.
The last two Premier League campaigns have been some of the most painful, anxiety-inducing years in their 144-year history, with a dramatic comeback against Crystal Palace first saving them, before a narrow 1-0 win on the final day of last season seeing them come as close as they ever have been to the drop.
This is something Sean Dyche will be absolutely desperate to avoid in the new term, having admitted that such a period took a true toll on the former Burnley man: "Certainly last season was by the far the hardest in my football life, you can’t tell every story but what we were having to sort out inside, trying to win games, all the speculation, all the noise, going down to the last game of the season, injuries, everything that could go wrong, going wrong.
“Very, very difficult to manage, to bring that all together and still get a team out there and win enough games as it happens which we did do. "
With a number of tricky fixtures coming up, the 52-year-old tactician will be desperate to navigate them carefully to ensure they do not find themselves floundering in the relegation zone before the busy Christmas schedule starts.
Who is Everton's worst-ever signing?
Dyche walked into a poisonous atmosphere at Goodison Park, with Frank Lampard's dismissal coming roughly a year after he had succeeded the doomed tenure of Rafa Benitez.
The Spaniard set the club back years, and it was ultimately his tenure that plunged them into the relegation battlers they remain today. However, the failures within Everton ran much deeper than the former Liverpool man, and stretch back to Moshiri's 2016 acquisition of a 49.9% stake.
Promising to inject his fortune into the club, many thought that the Iranian billionaire would mark the new lease of life they had been craving after years of slugging it out under a financial curtain with David Moyes. However, fans seemingly never knew how good they had it with the Scotsman.
Everton owner Farhad Moshiri.
Although most will rush to lambast Benitez for what he did to the Toffees, it could be argued that it was Ronald Koeman who truly set the parts in motion for a thoroughly unsuccessful few years, marred further by his thoughtless transfers.
Whilst the likes of Yannick Bolasie, Gylfi Sigurðsson, Davy Klaasen and more might stand out as the club's worst piece of recent business, Michael Keane is one flop who perhaps goes under the radar due to his ability to slip into the background, quietly draining the club of huge funds and struggling whenever he is entrusted with game time.
The 30-year-old marked a huge acquisition during the 2017 summer of revolution and has gone on to feature 205 times since that switch. However, it has been far from a profitable venture, with the defender routinely struggling. Last season saw him make just ten league starts, and yet he still managed to concede two penalties and make one error leading to a shot.
The year before then saw him make two errors directly resulting in goals for the opposition.
The quintessential confidence player, he has struggled to cope in the high-pressure environment that their recent relegation troubles have cultivated. As such, he was even lambasted by pundit Trevor Sinclair, who told talkSPORT’s breakfast show [8:25, April 4th 2022] that he was a "liability".
Such a notion has pretty much summed up Keane's time on Merseyside, and yet he remains within the squad, one of the numerous pieces of dead wood they have been unable to shift over the years. However, his persistence to stick around makes him stand out among the other failures, and thus builds a strong case for him being their worst-ever acquisition in recent memory.
How much did Everton pay for Micheal Keane?
Whilst the defender's performances on the pitch alone would make his move a failed one, the money invested only exacerbates what has been a truly terrible deal.
2017 marked a huge summer for Koeman, who had just led his team into Europe in their first season under his leadership. He had earned a spending spree, but few could have predicted that he would waste such vast amounts of money on so many duds.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Watford v Everton – Vicarage Road, Watford, Britain – May 11, 2022 Everton’s Michael Keane reacts Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
The Dutchman would make two club-record fee deals in one window, the first being Keane for a cool £30m sum. That was later blown out of the water by Sigurdsson, who would cost a further £45m. Other key names who joined were Wayne Rooney, Jordan Pickford and Sandro Ramirez, all of whom enjoyed hugely fluctuating success.
How much is Micheal Keane worth now?
To make matters worse, those consistently underwhelming displays have unsurprisingly contributed to a sharp decrease in value, with the miserable figure only set to continue dwindling as his contract lessens and his influence becomes next to nothing.
2022
€16m (£14m)
71% decrease
2021
€28m (£24m)
41% increase
2020
€20m (£17m)
53% decrease
2019
€30m (£26m)
53% increase
2018
€20m (£17m)
N/A
Valuations via Transfermarkt.
As such, CIES Football Observatory offers their findings on such a matter, suggesting the former Burnley dud is now worth a mere €5m (£4m). This suggests that, across the six years spent at Goodison Park, Keane has seen his value drop by £26m and counting.
Such a figure is almost certain to continue tumbling, with just two years left on his current deal.
How much does Micheal Keane earn?
To mirror such a huge price tag, an equally lofty salary was always bound to come alongside it.
As such, however, the combined fee of both transfer and wages that Keane has drained from Everton grows to a truly mouth-watering figure, made even worse given the lack of return his performances have offered.
Soccer Football – Premier League – Everton v Wolverhampton Wanderers – Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain – September 1, 2019 Everton’s Michael Keane reacts to referee Anthony Taylor REUTERS/Andrew Yates EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative fo
After all, sitting on an £80k-per-week salary for those six years was bound to accumulate further debt, even if it only rose from £60k-per-week following his ludicrous 2020 contract extension. To add his £30m fee with the £21.84m wages, and in total, the bumbling defender has snagged £51.84m from the Toffees.
Com a convocação de Weverton para representar mais uma vez a Seleção Brasileira, Jailson, vai receber nova oportunidade de defender o Palmeiras nesta quarta-feira (11), quando o clube recebe o Ceará no Allianz Parque às 16h30 (horário de Brasília), no jogo de ida das quartas da Copa do Brasil.
O goleiro vai em busca da sua primeira vitória em um jogo oficial nesta atual temporada justamente contra o ex-clube. Com cinco jogos, contando com os dois da Florida Cup, o suplente da meta alviverde é peça fundamental para o clube avançar e seguir na disputa pelo quarto título da competição nacional e que Jailson venceu em 2015.
Nos três jogos que atuou neste Brasileirão, o arqueiro levou cinco gols e em nenhum deles o Palmeiras saiu com os três pontos. Um dos grandes nomes do enea brasileiro em 2016, o goleiro estreou oficialmente no ano contra o Fluminense, no empate por 1 a 1, no Maracanã, em agosto.
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Em outubro, o goleiro voltou a receber duas oportunidades de Vanderlei Luxemburgo, mas saiu derrotado em ambas, diante Botafogo e São Paulo, válidas pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.
O goleiro tem apenas 44% de aproveitamento em defesas nos três jogos em que disputou no Brasileirão até o momento, de acordo com dados da SofaScore.
Jailson fará o sexto jogo no ano e alcançará o número de partidas que fez durante todo o ano de 2019, quando, ao lado de Fernando Prass, foi reserva de Weverton na maioria dos compromissos.
Ele também vai reencontrar o Ceará pela segunda vez com a camisa palmeirense. O goleiro que chegou ao Palmeiras em 2014, vindo do time de Fortaleza, encarou o ex-clube no empate em 2 a 2, em jogo válido pelo Brasileirão de 2018, no Castelão.
Mas dessa vez o encontro será mais especial por outro motivo: Jailson vai rever Fernando Prass. Os dois proporcionaram uma das cenas mais emocionantes dos quase seis anos de história do Allianz Parque, quando Prass voltou de lesão e substituiu o companheiro momentos antes da conquista do título de 2016.
A presença de Weverton para o segundo e decisivo jogo no Castelão, na próxima semana, é incerta. Caso o atual dono da posição não consiga voltar a tempo de assumir o gol, Jailson deve ser o responsável por fechar a defesa alviverde, que também está desfalcada de importantes nomes por causa das Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo de 2022.
Palmeiras e Ceará se enfrentam no Allianz Parque, nesta quarta-feira (11), às 16h30 (de Brasília), com transmissão do Sportv para todo o Brasil.
Refrain from attacking too early and await the hittable balls – that’s the South Africa captain’s motto, ahead of the 2nd Test in Colombo
Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Jul-2018Successful teams can make themselves dizzy in Sri Lanka, when after one or two losses they try to devise new plans on how to tackle spin. For years struggling visiting captains have put forth varying ideas. “We need to read the spinners better out of the hand,” some have said. “We have a better chance if we play on the back foot,” swore others. Some teams have tried to dominate the spin bowlers early, others have attempted to defend at first and tire them out – only occasionally have any of these plans come off.Having hurtled to a 278-run victory in Galle, South Africa have come up with their own theories. Soon after the loss, Faf du Plessis spoke about how his team had been too aggressive in the second innings, in which they were all out for 73. Two days later, batting coach Dale Benkenstein said that more practice in between the Tests wasn’t necessarily going to help South Africa, but that a mental shift would most help the batsmen combat spin in Colombo.We can’t go far without Chandimal and coach – Herath
Although coach Chandika Hathurusingha and regular captain Dinesh Chandimal are suspended for two Tests and four ODIs, they are still a vital part of Sri Lanka’s performance, spinner Rangana Herath has said. Chandimala and Hathurusingha are serving a six-match suspension for breaching the spirit of cricket in June, over Sri Lanka’s refusal to take the field in the second Test against West Indies. “It’s true that we don’t have our captain or coach for the game, but if you see during nets, both Hathu and Chandi were there, and preparation was good,” Herath said. “Without them we can’t go very far. Only during the game are they not there. They are behind us.” Under the suspension rules, Chandimal is allowed to be in the dressing room during the games, but is not allowed to enter the playing area. Hathurusingha, meanwhile, can coach as per normal in between matches, but cannot be in the dressing room on game days, though he is allowed to watch the match from elsewhere in the stadium.
Now, on the eve of the second Test, which South Africa must win to draw the series, there is a new batting catchphrase: “trust your defence”. Essentially, the idea will encourage the South Africa batsmen to refrain from attacking too early and await the hittable balls.”The thing that let us down in the first Test was that we didn’t trust our defence well enough,” captain Faf du Plessis said ahead of the Colombo Test. “The important part of playing spin in Test cricket is trusting your defence. We need to try and put pressure back on the spinners as well, with what you are doing. The guys worked really hard on their game plan and trying to be positive against spin – which is an element of playing spinners well. You have to also trust your defence – so that’s two parts.”Since the end of the first Test, South Africa have also spoken repeatedly about emulating Dimuth Karunaratne’s gameplan, after Karunaratne outscored their entire team by 19 runs in Galle. But where Karunaratne attributed his own success to being positive and busy against the spinners, South Africa have chosen to focus on his defensive work.”Trusting their defence was the difference between how Sri Lanka played spin and how we played spin,” du Plessis said. “Especially Dimuth Karunaratne, who didn’t take too many risks. He just played with good defence. As a captain, I wanted him to take risks but he didn’t take risks. He only started hitting the ball on the air when he was something like 80.”South Africa can perhaps take heart from their most-recent match at the SSC, in which they did very much trust their defence, and made scores of 282 and 159 for 8. On that occasion, though, they were defending a 1-0 lead and were clearly playing for the draw throughout – their run rate at an abysmal 1.87 for the match. This time, a draw will not be enough, and may not even be possible given the drier nature of Sri Lankan pitches over the last two years, but South Africa are still hoping their past successes against spin will light their path to a creditable result in the second Test.”I don’t think we are a team that plays spin badly,” du Plessis said. “If you back and make references where we have had good series against spinners. Spin is not something that we mentally struggle with. There was a carelessness about our batting in Galle. We just need a change of mindset as to what we need to do score runs in Test cricket. You don’t get to the subcontinent and try and score 100 in 70 balls or so – you score 100 off 180 balls. That is the only difference that we need to make while still being positive and making sure you make the right decision when good balls are bowled.”
Arsenal booked their place in the next round of the EFL Cup last night, with a battling away victory against Brentford.
Having been shown exactly how to topple the Bees at the Gtech Community Stadium by Everton last weekend, Mikel Arteta decided to tread his own path, dominating possession but retaining that fighting spirit. In the end, it was the quality of Reiss Nelson that rose above the rest.
How did Reiss Nelson play vs Brentford?
Earning the second-highest Sofascore rating of anyone within the clash, the English winger was trusted to make his first start of the campaign in a tough atmosphere.
However, whilst his goal that was fired home with delightful precision proved the difference, it was not that alone which saw him lauded for an outstanding display. The trickster was a constant threat, striking the woodwork with a late chance too as well as seeing another shot fly wide. This then fed into earning success with his sole attempted dribble, as the 23-year-old remained efficient in possession.
This notion was emphasised further by his exceptional pass accuracy, which stayed at a hugely impressive 96% pass accuracy from the 48 attempted passes.
With Bukayo Saka's fitness recently thrown into doubt, such a performance certainly laid down a marker regarding his first-team aspirations. However, in a game where they consistently sought control, the display of Jorginho was integral in maintaining this.
How did Jorginho play vs Brentford?
As the Italy international made his own first start of the season, the inclusion of the experienced midfield maestro always brings calmness – the north London derby error aside – but perhaps slows down the play to a degree where it sometimes hurts their philosophy.
That was far from the case last night, with the 31-year-old ever-present, but integral in keeping play ticking over quietly whilst offering a fine foundation from which the team could build from.
As such, he managed 107 touches in the engine room, maintaining a 90% pass accuracy too, two of which were key passes, via Sofascore.
Everything came through Jorginho, who made the absence of Declan Rice an afterthought as the former Chelsea star ran the show.
However, his work was not limited to just his passing, as the £110k-per-week general also posted a whopping seven tackles, three interceptions and two clearances, winning eight of his nine ground duels too, as per Sofascore.
2023/24
Community Shield
2020/21
Community Shield
2019/20
FA Cup
2017/18
Community Shield
2016/17
FA Cup
It should therefore come as no surprise to see that journalist Aaron Catterson-Reid would rush to Twitter to laud the ace, noting: "Jorginho has been monumental today to be fair to him, wow."
Such a notion would be supported by fellow writer Simon Collings, who handed the steely ace a 7/10 in his post-match player ratings in the Evening Standard: "Had a nightmare game against Tottenham on Sunday when he came off the bench, but recovered well here. Largely unflappable when in possession."
To bounce back from such disappointment, as James Maddison dispossessed him for Tottenham Hotspur's second equaliser, is the mark of a truly top footballer, and explains exactly why Arteta invested in him last January.
Whether he plays a big starting role in the coming weeks or not, Jorginho's influence in and around the squad could prove imperative in any success they might enjoy this term. Last night's display only emphasised that.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have endured a trialling time since the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo in 2021.
Three managers have had the unenviable task of attempting to eclipse the former's achievements but have failed dramatically.
The Portuguese manager took Wolves back to the Premier League and led them on a European journey, reaching the Europa League quarter-finals in the 2019/20 season, but those preceding him have led the Old Gold in the opposite direction.
Looking down the table rather than up, their plight at the bottom of the league table hasn't been helped by the Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions imposed onto the club as Wolves were forced into selling their prized assets before they were able to spend this summer.
While a grey cloud is hanging over Molineux currently, the arrival of Nuno in 2017 and the astute recruitment that followed, proved to be the catalyst for their recent success.
nuno-espirito-santo-wolves
With the backing of super agent Jorge Mendes, the Old Gold were able to attract some of Portugal's brightest young talents as Diogo Jota and Ruben Neves shocked the footballing world when they swapped Champions League football for the Championship.
Those two signings, in particular, demonstrated their ambitious intent, inspiring them to win the title at a canter.
How much did Wolves sign Diogo Jota for?
Signed on a season-long loan spell from Atletico Madrid in 2017, Jota quickly showcased his explosive finishing attributes, notching up an impressive ten goals before January as Wolves exercised the option to make his move a permanent one at the end of the season.
Securing the services of the 21-year-old for around £12m (€14m) would prove to be one of the best pieces of business the club has ever done.
The Portuguese, who possessed boundless amounts of talent, settled in quickly to the physical demands required in the Championship and during his stellar 2017/18 campaign – in which he recorded 23 goal contributions in 44 appearances – Jota admitted that he's adapted to his game to suit the second tier and is coping with the rough treatment.
He said: "I tried to adapt my game. In Portugal we don’t have a physical game like here."
With his ferocious physical attributes and phenomenal technical attributes coming to life in the second tier, Jota would soon translate those performance levels into the Premier League as Wolves qualified for Europe on their top-flight return while Jota chalked up nine goals and five assists in 33 appearances.
In the following campaign, his impact in the final third would slow down with only seven goals in 34, however, that drop in form didn't warn Jurgen Klopp away from his talents.
Prior to his move to Liverpool, the enigmatic German admitted in an interview with BBC Sport: "He's been on my list for two or three years" and Klopp's dream of working with the player would come true.
How much did Wolves sell Diogo Jota for?
Wolves desperately tried to hold on to Jota but when Liverpool came calling with a £41m bid in the summer of 2020, it was impossible for 33-cap international to turn down the opportunity to play with world-class players.
Seeing Jota depart would have been a bitter pill to swallow for Nuno and perhaps a contributing factor to their drop down the table, but the sale of the Portuguese did make them 241% increase on their initial £12m investment.
Now an integral part of the Liverpool side aiming to challenge for the Premier League title, Klopp's admiration for the player has only grown stronger since he made the switch to Merseyside.
How good is Diogo Jota now?
Lauded as "exceptional" and "so valuable" to the Reds by his manager, Jota has used the competition from the likes of Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez as fuel to shine in the face of adversity, exemplifying his talents through his ability to make a decisive impact despite restricted game time.
Diogo-Jota-celebrating
The £140k per-week star is brilliant at combining his movement in the box with explosive finishing to provide a consistent source of attacking output.
Indeed, according to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% against his positional peers across Europe for non-penalty goals, top 4% for assists, top 8% for touches in the attacking penalty box and despite his 5 foot 10 frame, uses his sublime jumping power to place within the top 7% for aerials won, all per 90.
Since Jota departed Wolves, it's no surprise to see their output in the final third take a dramatic tumble, and Liverpool's improve exponentially.
Sunderland may be flying high in the Championship at the moment, but they are at risk of losing an influential figure in 2024, according to a new update.
Sunderland heading for Championship playoffs
The Black Cats equipped themselves impressively on their return to the Championship last season, arguably faring a lot better than many had expected. Tony Mowbray's side only just missed out on a place in the playoff final, which was a great effort after being in League One the previous year, and big things were again expected this time around.
Sunderland haven't disappointed in 2023/24 to date, sitting fourth in the table after 11 matches and picking up some superb victories, including a memorable 5-0 win at home to Southampton. It hasn't been perfect, not least a shock 4-0 defeat against local rivals Middlesbrough at the Stadium of Light earlier this month, but Mowbray's men look in a strong position to finish in the playoffs.
For that to happen, the Black Cats will need to keep all of their most influential players fit and in form for as much of the campaign as possible, and there are key figures everywhere you look, whether it be Dan Neil, Jobe Bellingham or Jack Clarke, to name just a few.
Now, a worrying exit update has emerged regarding one of the first names on Mowbray's team sheet, acting as a possible major setback for Sunderland.
Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray.
Sunderland transfer news: Bellingham linked with Real Madrid
A Bellingham to Real Madrid claim has emerged in a report from Spain, with billionaire owner Florentino Perez keen on bringing Jobe to the club to play with his brother Jude, who has made a stunning start to life at the La Liga giants.
It is stated that Perez "asked Juni Calafat to send his scouts to bring a full report of Mark and Denise Bellingham's second son", who "caught the attention of those present" when watching England's Under-19s in action, not least because of his likeness to his brother in terms of style of play.
There is no doubt that this would be a massive blow for Sunderland, with Bellingham already such an important presence in the team, despite only being 18 years of age. Mowbray himself clearly loves him to won't want to read a single sentence of the rumours, once saying of him:
"He is very mature for his age. He acts like a seasoned pro, and demands standards. Even in small-sided games, he wants to win. You can see he has a very focused, driven thought pattern on where he is going and how he is going to get there.
"And that is to try to be excellent in everything you do. It's a great mentality. He is not in the team because of his name, it is football ability and his competitive edge and athleticism and technique."
The lure of joining his brother at Madrid could obviously be great for Bellingham, however, allowing him to settle in easier, not to mention play for arguably the world's biggest team, and Sunderland will just hope that he stays loyal to them for as long as possible.
Bellingham's stats this season speak for themselves when outlining his importance, with starts coming his way in all 11 Championship matches, not to mention scoring twice and averaging 1.7 clearances per game.
SLC hoping to convince the ICC to allow the three accused of breaching the Spirit of Cricket to play some part in South Africa Tests
Andrew Fidel Fernando30-Jun-2018Sri Lanka hopes to convince the ICC to allow the three men accused of breaching the Spirit of Cricket to play some part in the forthcoming Test series against South Africa. That hearing is due to be held on July 10 – two days before the first Test.On the surface, it appears as if captain Dinesh Chandimal, coach Chandika Hathurusingha and manager Asanka Gurusinha will be suspended for both Tests against South Africa in July; they have pleaded guilty to a Level 3 offence, the minimum punishment for which four suspension points, which in turn corresponds to two Tests. But although team management has accepted that refusing to take the field on the third morning was a disciplinary breach, they will make the case that the mitigating factors are such that even four suspension points is too serious a penalty.”We are hoping that we can convince the ICC to reduce the punishment,” manager Gurusinha said. “But that will come down to what we can present to the ICC in support of that argument. We are hoping we will have a good case. We have accepted the charge as well. It’s not like we are appealing everything. We are hoping that especially these two guys – Chandimal and Hathurusingha – will be there [for the South Africa Tests].”Among the points the Sri Lanka camp is likely to make is that the entire two-hour delay was not exclusively down to their reluctance to play. Sri Lanka’s team management believe that about an hour into the scheduled morning session, they felt they had come to an agreement with the match officials, whereby the officials would refrain from imposing the five-run penalty and changing the ball, but Chandimal would still have to face a tampering charge at the end of the match.In fact, the Sri Lanka side did take the field at 10.50 am, an hour and 20 minutes past the scheduled start, supposedly on the basis that there would be no further penalties. However, to Sri Lanka’s surprise, the umpires changed the ball at this stage. It was at this point that the Sri Lanka team dug in its heels again. They left the field, further delaying the start.It must be stressed, however, that there is strong disagreement about this sequence of events. There is another suggestion that no deal was actually struck; such a deal, it is felt, would effectively mean there was no charge to be laid, and that umpires were not following playing conditions. In this version of events, the false start is blamed on a misunderstanding between the match officials and the Sri Lanka team.There is also a feeling within the Sri Lanka camp that their protest was prompted by the timing of the charge – Sri Lanka were only told that Chandimal would be charged about 10 minutes before the scheduled start of day three’s play. Sri Lanka’s sports minister Faiszer Mustapha has already characterised the “emotional” decision to refuse to play as wrong but understandable given the camaraderie in the team.Sri Lanka’s planning for the South Africa series now becomes difficult. It is likely that they will plan for the worst. If further suspensions are handed out, Chandimal is allowed to be in the dressing room but cannot enter the field of play at any stage. Hathurusingha and Gurusinha, meanwhile, cannot be in the dressing room on match days – though they can still be at the venue. They are not barred from performing their duties as usual in the approach to games, and in between match days, however.The Level 3 charge carries a maximum penalty of eight suspension points. If the ICC chooses to come down as harshly as possible, the three men also stand to be suspended from the first four South Africa ODIs.
Sergio Conceicao claimed that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta insulted his family during Porto's Champions League defeat to the Gunners on Tuesday.
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Arsenal & Porto managers had intense exchangeCoceicao claims Arteta insulted his familyGunners progress after penalty shootout victoryWHAT HAPPENED?
The two managers had to be separated after a brief exchange on the sidelines after the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. The pair were asked about the incident after the game and the Porto boss made strong allegations against Arteta.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesWHAT CONCEICAO AND ARTETA SAID
"What Arteta said, towards the bench in Spanish, he insulted my family," Conceicao said in a press conference. "He should focus on training his team. The result was unjust. The team deserved to go through."
Arteta, meanwhile, simply shrugged off questions about what was said, replying: "No comment. Thank you very much."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
After losing 1-0 in the first leg in Portugal, Arsenal eliminated Porto after winning 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium to take the tie into extra time and penalties. The Gunners emerged triumphant in the penalty shootout, winning 4-2 thanks to two saves from David Raya.
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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?
The Premier League side will learn their quarter-final opponents later this week when the draw for the last-eight takes place on Friday. Arsenal's next game is against Manchester City in the Premier League on March 31, which could go a long way to deciding who lifts the title come May.