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Chelsea have reportedly received multiple enquiries about striker Nicolas Jackson as the Blues consider his future.

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Chelsea consider Jackson's futureReceive enquiries for strikerBlues in market for new number nineFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to journalist, Matteo Moretto, multiple teams have contacted Chelsea about Jackson's availability. He adds that the Blues could consider selling the 23-year-old if they receive a good enough offer.

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This comes at a time when Chelsea have shortlisted five strikers ahead of the summer transfer window. Jackson has scored 29 goals in 77 games for the Blues since signing from Villarreal but many feel if they want to become an elite team again, they need to sign a better number nine.

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The Senegal international still has eight years left on his contract and after signing for £32 million ($42.5m) in 2023, and Chelsea will likely try and get a bigger fee for his services if sold.

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Jackson's Premier League season is over after his red card at Newcastle United but he could feature for Chelsea in their Conference League final against Real Betis later this month.

As his time comes to a close, the opening batter, despite his recent struggles with form, will be remembered for his courage to play his own way

Ian Chappell10-Sep-2023The modern tendency is to favourably recall the last occurrence in a player’s career. Consequently, Australia’s opening master blaster, David Warner, will often be remembered as having a desire to finish his spluttering Test career at the SCG.Barring injury, Warner’s excellent form in Australia should allow him to achieve his ambition.However, it’s a mistake to only recall his overseas struggles. There’s a lot more to him than those recent setbacks.Warner is definitely not a T20 hitter who happened to make it in the Test arena. He is foremost a batter capable of performing well in any format.Related

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I first saw him play against a strong South Africa attack, which he blasted to all parts of the MCG in his debut T20 international. My wife placed dinner on the table and I said, “Sit down and watch this kid, he can really play.””What,” replied Barbara-Ann, “all the fours and sixes?””Not just them,” I answered, “the way he handles all deliveries – the excellent and the hittable ones.”Shortly afterwards Warner carried his bat, making a scintillating Test century against a good New Zealand attack where the other Australian batters struggled on a tricky Bellerive pitch. That cemented his place as a Test opener and it confirmed his all-round batting ability.It also heralded one of Warner’s biggest attributes – the courage to play his own way. He had the guts to take on the pace bowlers with the new ball and that is no mean feat. It’s something that he should be remembered for – not many have the courage to not only do it but to maintain that approach throughout a lengthy career.A look at Warner’s overall career strike rate in all formats confirms he favoured that approach.

There are very few aggressive batters who keep an opposing captain awake at night with their ability to virtually win a match in one session. Warner is one of that rare breed

Not long after the explosive opener blasted an exquisite 165 not out in a 50-over match for NSW, a coach wanted Warner to bat at No. 7. He reasoned Warner could take advantage of the five late-innings powerplay overs that were then available to the fielding side.This was stupidity on two counts. As an opener, Warner had a guaranteed ten powerplay overs, with another five likely. More importantly, it detracted from Warner’s amazing ability to win a match in quick time with his belligerent stroke play against the new ball.There are very few aggressive batters who keep an opposing captain awake at night with their ability to virtually win a match in one session. Warner is one of that rare breed.He is also a smart, aggressive cricketer who would likely have made a tactically good captain. When a broken thumb on the 2015 tour against England forced him to do a short commentary stint for Channel 9 back in Australia, it soon became apparent he knew a lot about batting and what bowlers were doing to try and claim his wicket. He was also well aware of how he could overcome their tactics.It would have been preferable if Warner had avoided the “attack dog” reputation he gained for on-field verbal jousting in his prime. However, I often wonder how much of that reputation was gained at the behest of the hierarchy.Importantly, Warner hasn’t forgotten his early days of stacking supermarket shelves. He’s well aware of what his calling could have been if he hadn’t been a talented opener. When that batting talent earned him good money early in his career, he set about looking after his parents financially.In another admirable example of his ability to learn from life, he has forged a very strong family life, with his helpful wife Candice, and his beloved daughters.Sure, Warner, like us all, has made some mistakes. The important thing is, he has learned from them and is a better person for those experiences.Fans will have their memories of Warner, both good and bad. However, they should always remember that he had the courage to be an aggressor against the new ball and was a rare match-winner for his team.

The heat of the UAE has mirrored the intensity of the teams, who all have one eye on Australia in October-November

Shashank Kishore26-Aug-2022″If anyone asks how you are, the coach suggested we say, ‘well done’, because the weather here is like that.”Speaking ahead of the start of the Asia Cup, Bhanuka Rajapaksa made an entire room laugh by likening the experience of Dubai’s oppressive heat to that of meat on a grill. Daytime temperatures have touched 46 degrees Celsius, leaving teams needing to find a balance between going full-tilt and conserving energy.India have trained in the late evening, Sri Lanka have preferred the afternoon heat to acclimatise better, and Bangladesh have gone on into the middle of the night, while Pakistan and Afghanistan have mixed and matched. Hong Kong have already played a week’s cricket in the qualifiers in similar conditions across the border in Oman.Related

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In the end, nothing can really prepare you for the gust of hot air hitting your face while running in against the wind, as bowlers have found out frequently at training in the open setting of the ICC Academy grounds.India have given their fast bowlers shorter and sharper stints, a luxury Sri Lanka haven’t had since none of their frontline fast bowlers have played T20Is; they have had little choice but to go all-out. Pakistan have held back, seemingly mindful of the injuries that have hit their camp, choosing to instead use local net bowlers to test their batters.The local liaison team have been at their busiest, arranging for kilograms of ice to be made available, sometimes at short notice, to help players recover post-training. The change rooms offer the cushiest seats and the best air conditioning, but it’s the ice bath that the players have tended to make a beeline for.The teams have also been able to mingle among themselves, exchanging banter and laughs – a constant feature over the past three days. Babar Azam and Virat Kohli have exchanged pleasantries, KL Rahul and Shaheen Afridi have enquired about each other’s injuries, and Rajapaksa has caught up with his Punjab Kings team-mate Arshdeep Singh.Bangladesh and Afghanistan are slotted alongside Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup’s Group of Death•AFP/Getty ImagesBut the fun and games have all been restricted to the sidelines. In the middle, the intensity has been cranked up several notches. This is the last chance for some of these teams to test their big-match temperament under pressure before the World Cup in Australia in October-November.India are missing their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who is recovering from injury. This gives Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan an opportunity to vie for spots in the World Cup party. Pakistan will have to make do without Afridi, while Sri Lanka will want each of their uncapped fast bowlers to gain some exposure.Bangladesh’s challenge under a new coach and a returning Shakib Al Hasan, who takes over the captaincy, will be to return to winning ways in their least favourite format – they’ve lost 23 of their 35 T20Is since the start of 2021, and they’re coming off a series loss in Zimbabwe.While India and Pakistan may seemingly have it easy in Group A, with Hong Kong as the third team, they will be wary of taking them lightly. At the previous edition in 2018, Hong Kong came genuinely close to beating India. In Group B, one slip-up could be the difference between having potentially four more games to play and an early flight home for Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.In many ways, the Asia Cup is a microcosm of the elite cricket world. The tournament changes its identity frequently, to suit the needs of the participating teams. It does much for the “smaller” nations of the Asian bloc – in terms of finances – without actually giving them adequate exposure.For example: between the previous edition in 2018 and this one, in 2022, Hong Kong have played a grand sum of zero matches against the Asian Full Members. Hong Kong, mind you, are among the ‘elite’ Associates. Oman, Kuwait, Singapore and even Nepal, who’ve had to grapple with multiple issues including an an ICC suspension, have it much worse. But this, perhaps, is a debate for another day.Will he quieten the debate around his form, or will he raise its volume?•Getty ImagesThe first four days on tour for all the teams have set the scene nicely. Sri Lanka open against Afghanistan on Saturday, and the hubbub will increase noticeably when India and Pakistan square off on Sunday. It could be the prelude to potentially two more meetings. At least the broadcasters and fans will hope so.The A-listers in Kohli and Babar have set tongues wagging without even facing a ball. They’re at opposite ends of the form spectrum, but anything they do – and don’t do – is amplified.For all the criticism over the lack of opportunities it provides the smaller teams, the Asia Cup has established itself as a tournament that gives viewers plenty. Games come thick and fast – perhaps not so ideal in searing August heat in the UAE – and high-octane content is guaranteed.Kohli could put an end to talk of bad form, or raise the volume of the debates. Shakib could make a statement on the field without worrying about who he shouldn’t be endorsing. Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman could boot Sri Lanka out of their own party – technically they’re still hosts, remember.The fringe players are all potentially one big performance away from putting themselves on the radar for World Cup selection. Imagine if Mohammad Hasnain, Afridi’s replacement, dismisses Rohit Sharma. Or if Arshdeep nails five yorkers in the final over to defend 10 runs. Or Rahmanullah Gurbaz brings his T10 magic to the 20-overs format.The cricket promises to be high-quality. Heat or no heat, the interest surrounding the competition has picked up significantly. Without bio-bubbles restricting their movements, the teams have mingled freely with teeming fans who’ve gathered outside their training venues. All of it feels so familiar, yet so different. The next two weeks could just be a teaser for the blockbuster that is to come two months down the line.

Support from coach and captain helped spinner rediscover his enjoyment for the game

Matt Roller21-Oct-2024Jack Leach believes that being dropped by England during their home summer enabled him to fall back in love with cricket, aided by an unexpected phone call from Ben Stokes in the aftermath of a Test win.Leach is the leading wicket-taker in England’s series in Pakistan with 14, but had only played two Tests in the 18 months before the tour and failed to complete either due to back and knee injuries. He had returned to full fitness after knee surgery by the time England picked their first Test of the summer in June, but they selected his Somerset team-mate Shoaib Bashir instead.Bashir earned widespread praise after his match-winning five-wicket haul against West Indies at Trent Bridge, and was preferred throughout the rest of the summer. But when England returned to their Nottingham hotel after that win, Stokes called Leach to tell him that Bashir’s success did not mean he had been forgotten.”I felt really happy and proud,” Leach recalled on Monday, speaking at England’s hotel in Islamabad. “He just wanted to tell me how great I was, basically, in the way that he does, and just recognise how I’ve dealt with the situation. That gave me a chance to say some nice things back to him about what he’d given me, probably going back to 2019 at Headingley.Related

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“There’s just a mutual respect there, so it was a nice conversation to have for sure. It just reminded me that I was going about things in the right way, and gave me confidence I still had something to offer the team and I was a part of it, in a small way. That gave me good motivation for the remainder of the summer… a nice reminder that there was still a chance to play.”Leach admitted that he briefly feared that his England career would be over when he initially learned of his omission. “You always do,” he said. “After a long time out with injury, I maybe felt that might be it… I really understood the situation. If you’re not able to stay fit, then other people come in and do well, and Bash certainly did that.”But he was happy with the level of communication from England’s management throughout, and received a similar call from Brendon McCullum the day after speaking to Stokes in July. “I was really happy with that – and in a way, not surprised, because of what I’d experienced when I was there [in the squad],” he said. “I’m very thankful for that, and my relationship with those guys.”After a slow start to the season which saw him take nine wickets at 50.44 in his first four appearances for Somerset, Leach thrived at the end of the year with 36 at 15.86 in five matches. He said that the secret was as simple as “remembering what I’m about, and being happy with that” rather than worrying too much about making minor technical changes.

“This summer actually provided a really good opportunity to go back to play for Somerset and simplify everything; just do what I was good at, and build the confidence that that was good enough”

“I just felt like I needed to rediscover that kid-like mentality of why you play the game,” Leach said. “You have that on the journey up to playing for England, that nothing-to-lose mentality. Then it’s like, ‘I’m here now, I want to keep that’. That’s tiring, it’s stressful, it’s not enjoyable… You forget what your main strengths are.”This summer actually provided a really good opportunity to go back to play for Somerset – which is what I always wanted to do as a young boy – and to just simplify everything; just do what I was good at, and build the confidence that actually, that was good enough… I’ve discovered that again: just being myself, and actually really enjoying that.”Leach has outbowled Bashir in England’s first two Tests in Pakistan, but said that reclaiming his status as first-choice spinner is “not important” to him. “That’s not really in my thoughts,” he said. “I just want to keep building on what I’ve done in the summer and what I’m doing out here… For me, it’s all about the team. Maybe I’m at an age where that’s all that really matters to me.”The pair have worked closely together in Pakistan. “He’s just done so well,” Leach said of Bashir. “He’ll just be learning so much, so quickly. He’s quality. We have a good relationship, good fun, and try to work together. I try to help where I can. I don’t want to overload him with stuff: I feel like he’s just learning through playing, and it’s all going to come quite naturally.”The series decider starts on Thursday in Rawalpindi, with another turning pitch in prospect after Pakistan’s 152-run win last week. Two years ago, it was the scene of a famous England win: they racked up 657 in 101 overs in their first innings, and Leach applied the finishing touches when trapping Naseem Shah lbw on the final evening to seal the victory.”That’s probably my favourite wicket: just the pictures of the appeal, and then just after of everyone celebrating,” Leach said. “It was just such a good game to be part of.” England will hope for something similar this week, in their bid for a 2-1 series win.

The allrounder revealed she has been nursing an elbow problem after a matchwinning display to start the Ashes

Valkerie Baynes12-Jan-2025Confidence can go a long way, but it can be quickly over-run and Australia are well aware of both dimensions as they carry the first points of the Women’s Ashes into Tuesday’s second ODI in Melbourne.A four-wicket win led by Ash Gardner’s all-round effort and Alyssa Healy’s half-century in the series opener – worth two points – at North Sydney Oval gave the hosts an early upper hand.But, having gone 6-0 up in the 2023 Ashes in England only to draw eight-all, means this year’s hosts will be checking any natural instinct to feel like they’re properly on top. Adding to their caution will be the fact that England threatened – ever so fleetingly – to make what looked like a straightforward run chase for Australia more difficult than they would have liked.Related

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Alice Capsey’s spilled catch off Ellyse Perry on 7 didn’t prove overly costly after Lauren Bell bowled the dangerous Australian allrounder for 14. But what might have been if Sophie Ecclestone hadn’t dropped Garder, having controlled the ball for a time at mid-off before she tumbled to the ground and it popped out of her grasp, will never be known.At the least it would have provided an intriguing twist if Gardner was dismissed on 31 with Australia needing 22 more runs for victory and what would have been three wickets in hand. As it was, Gardner remained unbeaten on 42 as she and Alana King reeled in the deficit with with 11.1 overs to spare.Gardner and King had also combined with the ball, taking 3 for 19 and 2 for 35 respectively after seamers Kim Garth and Megan Schutt had kept a lid on a nervy England start.For Gardner, it was a continuation of her fine form against India and New Zealand last month after a lean run by her standards with the bat. Against India, she scored fifty and took five wickets in the third ODI, her first international half-century in white-ball cricket since July 2023, her 49 for the Sixers against crosstown rivals Thunder her only innings of note in the most recent WBBL season, where she was more damaging with the ball. She went on to score 74 in the third ODI against New Zealand immediately before this series.”I’ve taken a lot of confidence out of what I was able to do in the New Zealand series,” Gardner said. “To contribute with both bat and ball was something that I wanted to do to start the series off well and take some confidence into the back end of this series. We know that there’s a long way to go in this Ashes series.”We realised that pretty quickly in England last time we were six-nil up and then that got chased down pretty quickly. We could be playing amazing cricket, but England is such a good team and they always find a way.1:19

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“They certainly fought really hard in that series and we know that they’re going to look at this game today and look at the things that they didn’t do too well and the things that they did do well. We know that they’re going to come back firing next game.”Gardner revealed that she has been nursing an elbow problem for a couple of months but insisted it wasn’t an issue.Healy, meanwhile, completed her comeback from a knee injury, scoring 78-ball 70 after returning to wicketkeeping duties for the first time since mid-November in England’s innings.”She’s going to take a lot of confidence out of today,” Gardner said. “Even just watching the way that she was batting through that New Zealand series, she was striking the ball really well and got some starts, but then I think today scoring 70-odd in front of her home crowd as well probably spurs you on as captain, she’s leading from the front.”But I know just from a body point of view that she’s going to take a lot of confidence out of keeping for as long as she did and then being able to back that up at the top of the order, so really pleasing for her and hopefully it’s some signs to come that she can score heaps more runs.”Sometimes you can get caught in chasing a low total, just chasing the total rather than actually just trying to bat properly, and we always speak about if you’re chasing small total, sometimes they’re the hardest to actually chase. Today it will just give our team a lot of confidence. People stood up in different moments, whether that was with bat or the ball, and going forward we can take a lot out of today.”Alyssa Healy made a controlled half-century in the chase•Getty Images

Gardner claimed the important wickets of England’s top-scorer Heather Knight and regular match-winner Nat Sciver-Brunt, both sweeping to Perry at deep midwicket, which will give the tourists something to think about ahead of the next game at Melbourne’s Junction Oval.In fact, it was Australia’s bowling combined with a rash of soft dismissals that restricted England to a below-par score and left them with things to work on.A record crowd for a women’s international at North Sydney Oval of 6236 was a fine start to a series with lofty ambitions for attendance, particularly at the day-night Test at the MCG which closes the contest from January 30.”This is my home ground, I’m from Sydney, I’ve played a lot of cricket here and I’ve played a lot of successful games of cricket here for either the Sixers or Australia,” Gardner said. “So I guess to start the series off in front of what that crowd was, hopefully it leads to more crowds like that throughout the rest of the series.”We are playing at some really cool venues, so to hopefully play some entertaining cricket throughout the series will, fingers crossed, draw people in to come and watch us and hopefully lead to some more success.”

أثار فريق ليفربول استياء رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز لكرة القدم بسبب تصرفه في مباراة يوم الأحد الماضي ضد نظيره فريق مانشستر يونايتد، في إطار منافسات البطولة المحلية.

واستضاف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة فريقي ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد في قمة منافسات الجولة الثامنة من الدوري الإنجليزي، 2025/26، حيث خسر الريدز بهدفين لهدف.

وذكرت صحيفة “ميرور” الإنجليزية أن ليفربول يواجه نقاشًا حادًا من رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي بشأن مزاعم انتهاكه بروتوكول الكرات المتعددة عدة مرات خلال هزيمة الأحد أمام مانشستر يونايتد.

وأوضحت أنه من المرجح أن تتخذ رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي إجراءً فوريًا للتذكير بالقواعد التي طُبقت لأول مرة في موسم 2022/23.

اقرأ أيضًا.. محمد صلاح يتلقى رسائل قاسية من جماهير ليفربول

وقام حاملو الكرة بإلقاء الكرة في أرض الملعب، بعدما سجل هاري ماجواير هدف الفوز في الدقيقة 84، في حين من المفترض أن تكون الكرات البديلة على أقماع حول الملعب، ولا يتعين على حامل الكرة إعادتها من جديد إلى الملعب بعد خروجها، وهو ما لم يحدث.

ودخل تغيير القاعدة حيز التنفيذ العام الماضي، حيث يُلزم اللاعبون إما باستلام الكرة بأنفسهم أو التوجه إلى أقرب مخروط، في حين أن حراس المرمى هم الاستثناء الوحيد عند استئناف اللعب بركلة مرمى.

وتنص إرشادات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز أن أي إخفاق في اتباع بروتوكول الكرات المتعددة سيُحال إلى الرابطة لمزيد من التحقيق واتخاذ إجراءات تنظيمية محتملة بموجب قواعد البطولة.

وسبق أن حصل أستون فيلا على غرامة مالية قدرها 125 ألف جنيه إسترليني، في منتصف أغسطس، بعد إقراره بعدم اتباع البروتوكول في خمس مباريات الموسم الماضي.

يرى المدير الفني لفريق ليفربول، آرني سلوت، أنهم لا يستطيعون التتويج بلقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز حال قيامهم بشيء محدد في المباريات التي يلعبونها.

ويستعد ليفربول لخوض مباراة مهمة مساء يوم الأحد ضد نظيره مانشستر يونايتد، في الجولة الثامنة من الدوري الإنجليزي على ملعب “الأنفيلد”.

وقال سلوت، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية: “أعتقد أن أسلوب اللعب القائم على الكرات الطويلة والتمريرات الثانية ليس أسلوب لعب أي فريق فاز بالدوري في السنوات العشر أو الخمس عشرة أو العشرين الماضية”.

وأضاف: “إذا كنت تريد الفوز بالدوري، فلن تتمكن من ذلك بهذا الأسلوب، من وجهة نظري، لكنه حل عادل جدًا للعب ضد مانشستر سيتي، أو ليفربول، أو آرسنال، أو تشيلسي، أو كل هذه الفرق الكبرى بهذا الأسلوب”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | هازارد يختار لاعب تشيلسي كـ مراوغ أفضل من محمد صلاح

وواصل: “ولكنني لا أرى ذلك الأسلوب في أي فريق أوروبي يفوز بالدوري، ليس بايرن ميونخ، ولا برشلونة، ولا ريال مدريد، ولا ليفربول، ولا مانشستر سيتي، لكنه أسلوب لعب تراه يحدث كثيرًا ضد مانشستر سيتي”.

وأردف: “ترى كرات طويلة، تكتل دفاعي، كرات طويلة أخرى ثم تراجع بعد نجاحهم، هذا ما نراه كثيرًا في الوقت الحالي ضدنا”.

واستمر: “طريقة التفوق على تلك الخطة هي لحظة مميزة، كما حدث كثيرًا في النصف الأول من الموسم الماضي، أو من خلال ركلات ثابتة مثلما حدث في النصف الثاني، لم نحقق كلا الأمرين بالقدر الذي تمنيته، ولكن مع ذلك نحن لا زلنا الفريق الذي صنع أكبر عدد من الأهداف من اللعب المفتوح”.

وشدد: “اللعب المفتوح أمر إيجابي، ولكن ما هو غير إيجابي هو أننا استقبلنا تسعة أهداف، أربعة منها من الكرات الثابتة”.

Worcestershire recover from 10 for 4 before capping day with last-ball wicket of Elgar

ECB Reporters Network29-Aug-2024

Jamie Porter blitzed a hole in the Worcestershire upper-order to return his second Vitality County Championship five-wicket haul of the season before Essex let slip their early advantage on day one.Essex had Worcestershire 10 for 4 inside five overs – Porter and Sam Cook sharing the four wickets in a 13-ball spree – then 46 for 5 in 12 overs, before the tail wagged and the visitors reached a more respectable 266 all out shortly after a late tea.Porter, the joint leading wicket-taker in Division One, finished with 5 for 52 from 17 overs of controlled aggression on a flat Chelmsford pitch that later played to the strengths of Simon Harmer. The South Africa off-spinner marked his 100th red-ball appearance for Essex with a trio of lower-order victims for figures of 3 for 103.Captain Brett D’Oliveira sparked the Worcestershire recovery after electing to bat with a patient 136-ball 68, supported in important stands by Ethan Brooks (46) and Tom Taylor (62 not out), the later aided by Amar Virdi in keeping Essex in the field with a last-wicket stand of 64. Essex had knocked off 50 of the deficit for the loss of Dean Elgar in 19 evening overs.Porter struck with his ninth ball when he got one to jag in and take Jack Libby’s off stump. After opening-ball partner Cook removed Gareth Roderick in the next over, lbw to one that thudded into his back foot, Porter claimed two wickets in three deliveries.Both wickets fell to catches behind, Rob Jones playing down the wrong line and taken low down by Michael Pepper, and Adam Hose followed to a tentative push against one that swung away.Two partnerships involving D’Oliveira went some way to repairing the damage as the Kookaburra ball lost its initial hardness. He enjoyed a seven-over interlude between wickets while adding 36 with Kashif Ali. Ali had watched three colleagues depart, but then hit his stride with five boundaries in a run-a-ball 24 before he dragged on when Porter returned after a brief rest.D’Oliveira next found support in a 72-run sixth-wicket stand with Brookes. But the captain was fortunate to survive a sharp chance to Elgar at slip in the over before lunch when Matt Critchley got a second successive ball to jump almost vertically off the pitch.Brookes, meanwhile, was no respecter of reputation and went after Harmer, twice reverse-sweeping the off-spinner to the boundary. He accelerated after lunch, adding three more to his collection of nine fours in a 73-ball 46, before dangling his bat and becoming Porter’s 39th scalp of the season.Harmer finally joined the party in his 14th over when he induced Logan van Beek to drive lazily straight back to him. He followed up four overs later by ending D’Oliveira’s 59-run eighth-wicket stand with Taylor, trapping him lbw, and then accounting for Joe Leach by the same method shortly afterwards.However, from 202-9, the last-wicket pair collected a hitherto unlikely batting point. Virdi played particularly straight, hitting the majority of his 42 runs in the arc between long-on and long-off, including two towering sixes off Harmer. The innings came to an end five overs before the new-ball was due when the Surrey loanee clipped Shane Snater to square leg.Essex lost Elgar lbw to Taylor to the last ball before the close after he and Robin Das had been largely untroubled. They will have Jordan Cox available to bat later after he was released by England once the team had been confirmed following the toss at Lord’s, though Noah Thain had been named in the initial Essex XI in case Cox was retained.

With 10 Tests to be played in 15 weeks, India have “laid out some plans” to manage the workload of fast bowlers

Alagappan Muthu17-Sep-20241:56

Are turning pitches a good idea for India against Bangladesh?

India are coming off a break of more than a month without any cricket – “We are starting after a long time actually”, the captain Rohit Sharma said – but they are also aware of the strain that their schedule over the next few months can place on their players, particularly their fast bowlers.India begin the first of 10 Tests in 15 weeks against Bangladesh on Thursday, and they already have plans in place to protect the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, who might be needed to take on heavy workloads when they travel to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in November through to January.”We have laid out some plans on how we are going to manage these bowlers,” Rohit said. “But again, it all depends on the workload that has been carried by them in these games. So yeah, we will monitor that. I think we have done that pretty well. Even when we played against England [at home, earlier this year], we managed to get Bumrah one Test match off. We managed to give Siraj one Test match off.Related

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“So it all depends on how the body feels at that particular time, what the [strength and conditioning] is, and what the physios feel about them, when is the right time to give them a break from the game, and then take the call.”India wrap up the two-Test series against Bangladesh on October 1 and have a couple of weeks off from red-ball cricket before they face New Zealand over three games that take them into early November. Then they will leave for Australia where they will play five Tests in eight weeks.”You want your best players to play all the games, but that’s not possible because there is so much cricket that happens,” Rohit said. “It is not only Test cricket, there is T20 cricket happening [against Bangladesh and South Africa] in the middle of the Test series as well. So you [have] got to understand everything, and then see what is best for the team and then manage your bowlers around it.”There has also been an effort made to expand the fast-bowling pool, with left-armer Yash Dayal joining the team for the Bangladesh series. There are several others pushing their case to make the national team with performances in domestic cricket. Harshit Rana, Navdeep Saini, Vidwath Kaverappa, Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj were all involved in the season-opening Duleep Trophy earlier this month, and Rohit was pleased with what he saw from those matches.”We have got a lot of bowlers who are there for us,” he said. “We saw some exciting prospects in the Duleep Trophy as well. I am not too worried about the kind of bowlers that are waiting in the wings for us.”On head coach Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma said: “We have a good understanding”•PTI

Gautam Gambhir takes charge of the Test team for the first time since being appointed the new India head coach. He and his assistant Abhishek Nayar were with the limited-overs team in Sri Lanka in August, and they have been overseeing a training camp in Chennai, leading up to the Bangladesh series.”The staff is new, but I know both Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar,” Rohit said. “I have played quite a bit of cricket against [bowling coach] Morne Morkel; we’ve played some tough cricket against each other. I’ve also played, maybe a couple of games, against [assistant coach] Ryan [ten Doeschate], but the two of us haven’t spoken as much before. From what I experienced with him in Sri Lanka, I think he has a sensible and [an] understanding personality, given the way he quickly started to understand things about the team.”As for Gambhir and Nayar, like I said, I know them well. Sri Lanka was the first series [with them in charge], and now they are going to play their second series with the team. Everyone has their own style. Rahul [Dravid] , Vikram Rathour, [and] Paras Mhambrey – they had a different way of running the team, [while] these guys will have a different style.”So it’s important for you to adjust. So far, there have been no problems or issues as a player. Like I said, if there is understanding between both [coaches and players], that’s the most important thing. And we have a good understanding.”India arrived in Chennai a full week before the start of the first Test against Bangladesh•PTI

India are not seeing their home series as preparation for the challenges they will be facing abroad.”Look, at the end of the day, you are playing for your country,” Rohit said. “So there is no dress rehearsal kind of stuff happening here. Every game that we play is important, and every game becomes important because of what is at stake. [In the] World Test Championship, still the table is quite wide open, and you want to win every game. So it doesn’t matter where we play in two months’ time. We want to win here. We want to win this Test match.”That’s why they arrived in Chennai a full week before the start of the game, to have the best preparation possible.”We assembled here on the 12th, and we’ve had a good time spending hours on the field, [and] getting everything together. So yeah, it is tough. But see, now people are so experienced, they managed themselves pretty well. And guys who have not played a lot of Test cricket, obviously went on to play the Duleep Trophy, which was good.”So in terms of preparation, [and] in terms of readiness, I feel we are quite ready for this game and what lies ahead of us. So it was a good little prep that we had before this Test match. It was important to utilise that time, and I thought we utilised this little camp that we had in Chennai pretty well.”

Everton are embarking on a new era under David Moyes and could now land themselves a summer transfer bargain once the window opens for business.

Everton look to make summer window mark

Survival has been achieved with flying colours by Everton and there is only one match now left at Goodison Park before supporters say goodbye to their home ahead of moving to Bramley Moore Dock.

Emotions are running high and there will be plenty of time for sentimental thoughts over the next few weeks, but fans will feel emboldened that the club are headed in the right direction under David Moyes.

Exciting times are on the horizon under The Friedkin Group and plenty of transfer movement is expected on Merseyside, with Inter Milan defender Yann Bisseck cited as an ambitious potential arrival.

Gustavo Hamer could also join the Toffees from Sheffield United if Moyes has his way, as the former Netherlands Under-20 international is viewed as an ideal creative midfield option by the man in charge.

Abdoulaye Doucoure heads up a lengthy list of players that could be set to leave Everton upon the expiry of their contract or loan deals, which could be the signal for a sea change to take place in the dressing room.

Everton make first contact in race to sign "talented" ex-Arsenal defender

He could complete a Premier League return.

ByTom Cunningham May 1, 2025

Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young are among other potential departures on free transfers, leaving Moyes with some tough choices to make when considering the future look of his group.

While money is set to be available this summer, PSR regulations will keep clubs in check, meaning Everton could be forced to look for inexpensive pick-ups in certain positions to boost squad depth.

Spying an opportunity to land a bargain, the Toffees are now said to be in pole position to land one of England’s most trustworthy strikers.

Everton looking to seal move for Jamie Vardy

According to reports, Everton are looking to sign Leicester City forward Jamie Vardy once he becomes a free agent at the end of the season and are believed to be at the front of the race. Evaluating his profile, Moyes and TFG are said to value the former Three Lions international’s work ethic and capacity to deliver in pressure moments, citing him as someone who could be a leader in the short-term.

Jamie Vardy’s Premier League statistics – 2024/25

Shots

52

Shots on target

23

Chances created

19

Touches in opposition box

106

Goals

7

Assists

3

Becoming a shining light in a grim season for Leicester, the 38-year-old has been labelled “brilliant” by Gary Lineker and still retains a desire to offer something at the highest level.

Financially, Everton would be able to land the veteran on a free transfer, allowing room for manouvre to spend on other areas in need of surgery. Nevertheless, plenty of other clubs will also be in the hunt for £140,000 per week earner Vardy’s signature due to his potent nature, creating an intriguing few months ahead to see who will eventually land his services once the window opens.