It was a delivery that not only claimed Australia’s fifth wicket, but confirmed the sense that England were on their way to the World Cup final. Adil Rashid’s googly to trap Marcus Stoinis lbw was a fine example of England’s legspinner going about his craft as well as an indication that he is getting “back to my best” after a shoulder injury that hampered his performance earlier in the tournament.Rashid has been managing a problem with his right shoulder that required an injection and limited his ability to deliver his variations. The dismissal of Stoinis was his first wicket from a googly at this World Cup, and he followed up later in the innings by also removing Pat Cummins with the delivery on the way to figures of 3 for 54.He admitted afterwards that he had been searching to “find that snap” with his wrong’un again after recovering from the injury.ALSO READ: England ‘won’t listen to favourites chat’ – Bayliss“Probably not bowled them as much,” he said. “The main reason was because of my shoulder because I’ve got a bit of a shoulder problem. But I knew that [the googly] is a big weapon for me, that’s one of my big weapons, my variations, looking to create stuff. My shoulder had that little bit of problem and I know I still had to bowl it even if I was in a bit of a pain. Knowing that’s my strength, that’s why I get wickets. Today and the previous two days of practice I’ve done was for that as well.”It’s been good for a while. But in terms of variations, googlies and stuff, it’s been a bit different to what it was pre-shoulder problem. Before the shoulder [injury], I was confident bowling everything. Once you have a niggle it becomes a bit harder with the rotation – the arm gets a bit lower and you don’t find that snap. The previous two net sessions I’ve done it’s come out well.”While he said he had been forced to deliver his googly differently for a while, Rashid was hopeful that problem had now been resolved and said that the dismissal of Stoinis provided further encouragement.”It has been [different]. But now I can get it back to my best. That would come by maybe having that confidence to do it regardless of whatever happens and knowing that I need to do it because that’s my best strength.”It was nice to make a batsman go for a cut on the back foot and spinning it back in that he doesn’t pick, that’s a nice feeling as any spinner that bowls a variation [knows], that a batsman doesn’t pick and gets a wicket. That just gives me more confidence to make sure I keep sticking to my strengths, don’t go away from that regardless of how I feel, knowing if I stick to that things will happen.”Adil Rashid took two wickets in one over to halt Australia’s recovery•Getty Images

Rashid’s performance also included breaking Australia’s fourth-wicket partnership, having Alex Carey caught on the midwicket boundary, before he struck against Stoinis three balls later. He now has 11 World Cup wickets at 44.27, but those figures could have been better had other chances stuck – notably the drop of Mohammad Hafeez at Trent Bridge and a missed stumping against Usman Khawaja at Lord’s – and Rashid suggested he was happy with his bowling.”I reckon there’s been a few times I’ve bowled better but not got the rewards. But that happens in cricket, sometimes you bowl well and don’t get wickets. You don’t bowl as well, you get wickets. That’s cricket and that happens to everybody. For me personally, I want to keep striving, keep looking to work hard and keeping looking to deliver my skills and be confident in that.”Having become a central figure in the first England team to reach a World Cup final since 1992, Rashid was quick to praise Eoin Morgan as “100%” the best captain he had played under.”100%, Morgs. He knows my game now inside out. Been with him for four years, through good times and not so good times. He knows my strengths, what I’m capable of and vice-versa as well.”Me and him have that communication. We have that trust as well. If he senses a feel, we’ll go by it. If I sense a feel, we’ll go by it – what plans we want or how we should bowl. It’s very easy like that. We’re easygoing like that. I 100% trust him in decisions he makes.”As for their progress to the final against New Zealand at Lord’s on Sunday, Rashid said the realisation was beginning to dawn that they could become the first England team to lift the trophy.”At the beginning of the tournament I couldn’t believe it. It’s been a good journey in the World Cup. The ups, the downs as well. Some interesting times. We’ve played good cricket the past three games and now to be in a position where we can win it, it’s a good feeling.”

Unbeaten Glamorgan miss bonus batting point despite the efforts of Graham Wagg

ECB Reporters Network19-Jun-2019

Rain washed away hopes of a final-day run chase at Radlett as Middlesex and Glamorgan were forced to settle for a draw.Middlesex, who held a 247-run advantage when play was halted with 58 overs scheduled to be bowled, appeared to be toying with the idea of setting their visitors a target.But the bad weather that had already disrupted days one and three returned to dispel any possibility of a positive outcome to the inaugural County Championship fixture at Cobden Hill.The draw leaves Middlesex with just one victory from their first seven Championship games, while Glamorgan remain undefeated this season and will go into the second half of the campaign occupying a promotion spot.The initial target for the Welshmen, resuming at 274 for 9 in the morning, was to try and snatch an additional batting bonus point by hitting the 300 mark.They fell 12 runs short despite the efforts of Graham Wagg, who eventually perished for 48 as he heaved a Tom Helm bouncer into the hands of Nick Gubbins, running in from the boundary.However, Middlesex appeared reluctant to force the pace and build on their 122-run lead at the start of their second innings, with tight bowling by Marchant de Lange and Lukas Carey restricting them to only two boundaries in the first 15 overs.Timm Van der Gugten made the breakthrough for the visitors, with Marnus Labuschagne snapping up Stevie Eskinazi at point, while opening partner Sam Robson hit 36 before he fell to Charlie Hemphrey’s superbly-judged catch in the deep.Gubbins did appear keen to accelerate proceedings, blazing four fours and a six in his breezy knock of 38 before he departed lbw, attempting to reverse-sweep Labuschagne, who took 2 for 25.Dawid Malan followed that up with 18 from as many deliveries, but he was caught behind off de Lange for the second time in the match as the home side struggled to gain traction.Paul Stirling and George Scott advanced the Middlesex total to 125 for 4 from 33 overs before light drizzle developed into heavier rain and the players left the field at 2.15pm.Umpires Graham Lloyd and Neil Bainton eventually abandoned the contest at 4pm, with Middlesex taking 12 points to Glamorgan’s nine.

Rob McElhenney has seen his surname butchered on a British game show, with the contestant in question clearly not a fan of Welcome to Wrexham.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Hollywood stars calling shots in Wales
• Opened up a window to the world
• Not everybody is on the bandwagon

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  As a birthday ‘gift’ for co-chairman McElhenney in April 2023, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds – with the help of some Hollywood song writers – produced a music video explaining how to pronounce the name of his fellow Red Dragons investor.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  A number of famous faces were drafted in to help with that project – including McElhenney’s wife Kaitlin Olson – and it has figured in the award-winning documentary series that lifts the lid on a special sporting project in North Wales.

• WHAT MCELHENNEY SAID

  There are clearly some in the United Kingdom that are not aboard the Wrexham bandwagon, with one game show player making a hash of trying to say “McElhenney” – leading the man himself to post on social media: “Rob McElenineOrWhateverHisNameisRyanReynolds is on my birth certificate, so technically she’s correct.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Reynolds and McElhenney will continue to spread the word of Wrexham far and wide – after overseeing back-to-back promotions in North Wales – and are currently in the process of piecing together more transfer plans with Phil Parkinson ahead of a collective step up into League One.

All the live updates and analyses from the Bangladesh v India game

Karthik Krishnaswamy02-Jul-2019

Whilst Liverpool's focus was on revamping their midfield during the summer transfer window, it seems as though their attention has turned towards elsewhere in Jurgen Klopp's squad this month, as they gear up for a vital Premier League title run in.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds may not have originally planned to endure a busy month of transfer business, but Joel Matip's season-ending injury alongside injuries to Kostas Tsimikas and Andy Robertson, among others, could have forced Liverpool's hand.

That said, according to Football Transfers, Liverpool have held talks over a deal to sign Rayan Ait-Nouri from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a transfer that would provide cover down Klopp's left-hand side. Meanwhile, those at Anfield may not be done when it comes to midfield additions, having reportedly joined the race for Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz.

What's more, according to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have made their first move to sign a centre-back this month, making "calls" to agents. The transfer expert said in his Daily Briefing for Caught Offside: “As mentioned yesterday, Liverpool are exploring the market for potential new signings at centre-back, though it’s not something urgent or guaranteed to happen this January, as we know Liverpool generally prefer to do their business in the summer.

“I don’t have any concrete name yet at this stage, but I was just told that Liverpool have made some calls to some centre-backs’ agents to be informed on situations – it hasn’t become a concrete negotiation as of now. It’s not easy to find top players in the January window, that’s the problem.”

Liverpool looking at signing £100k-p/w PL star to be their own Gvardiol

The Reds are reportedly keen on a deal to sign the versatile Premier League defender.

By
Dan Emery

Jan 17, 2024

Whilst it remains to be seen just who those centre-backs are, reports have linked the Merseyside club with moves for Ousmane Diomande, Goncalo Inacio and Jean-Clair Todibo, who they are reportedly in pole position for over the likes of Manchester United. So, it could yet be an interesting couple of weeks at Anfield.

Matip's injury has forced Liverpool's hand

Matip's ACL injury has left Liverpool with no choice but to pursue a centre-back this month. The former Schalke man, when available, joined Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez on a list of five solid options for Klopp to choose from. With Matip now out and his contract expiring in the summer either way, and Gomez covering the full-back role, Liverpool's list has gone from five to three options all too quickly, raising the need for another central defender.

Like Romano, Klopp spoke about the problem of finding top players in the January transfer window, saying last month via 90Min: "In eight years here, I just never understand this. You always talk about transfers as if they would be the easiest thing in the world. Just bring in a player, find the money for it, as if we have endless money. I really don’t understand it. Everybody, you, the fans, everyone talks about it.

“They all cost money. It has to be the right player. Tell me a club who wants to sell a top, top centre-half who could play for Liverpool? Why should we start that process? We’ve only known for a few days that Joel will be out for a long time, which is really bad for us. We still have four centre-halves which is absolutely alright."

However, the damage done by recent injuries is too great for the boss to ignore if he wants to keep fighting on four fronts.

After welcoming Leo Hjelde from Leeds United already this month, Sunderland are reportedly set to complete their next deal of the January transfer window to sign a former Tottenham Hotspur winger.

Sunderland transfer news

After putting pen to paper on a four-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee, Hjelde said: "I'm a ball-playing centre-back, or left-back. I like to get up and down the pitch.

"I've been at some big clubs previously and this has helped me develop as a player and as a person, but I'm now ready to push on and take the next step. I spoke to my dad, who showed me the size of the club and the support. I knew it was a move I simply couldn't turn down."

Sunderland sporting director Sporting Director Kristjaan Speakman added on the Sunderland website: “We’re really pleased to have acquired Leo on a permanent basis, as he’s a player we’ve admired for some time.

He possesses the ability to play three different positions in our backline, depending on the formation, and he joins us having already experienced the EFL Championship. We hope this will allow him to hit the ground running and help our team throughout the next 16 games, whilst also bringing added strength our squad in the long term.”

Latest Sunderland transfer news: Bellingham latest as SAFC eye Euro starlet

As the manager hunt rumbles on, who could Sunderland be looking to add to their team this summer?

By
Brogan Clasper

Jun 7, 2024

The Black Cats aren't done there, however, with their business taking place at the end of the January transfer window. According to Fabrizio Romano, Sunderland are set to complete a deal to sign Romaine Mundle from Standard Liege. The winger is reportedly in England ahead of a medical and contract signing, as Romano revealed on X.

About to welcome his second signing, Michael Beale will now hope to have Mundle available for Sunderland's next Championship game against fellow play-off chasers Middlesbrough on Sunday, February 4.

"Quality" Mundle set to replace Pritchard

Whilst Mundle arrives, Alex Pritchard is set to sign for Birmingham City, according to Sky Sports in a case of out with the old and in with the new at The Stadium of Light. Mundle's stats certainly show that he'd offer something different on the ball than the less direct Pritchard. Here's how they've compared so far this season:

Ahead of his arrival, Josh Bunting has had nothing but good things to say about the former Tottenham academy player, posting on X: "Romaine Mundle has bags of talent, that is a very good bit of business and as much as Speakman gets criticised the signings have in large been excellent. There’s real quality here and the fact he’s been playing first team football this season is a major positive."

Having said that, though, the New Zealand captain gave credit to Dimuth Karunaratne for a ‘fantastic hundred’ in the fourth innings

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Galle18-Aug-2019Yes, the previous best chase at this venue was only worth 99, and sure, 268 seemed like an excellent total to defend, but this particular surface got slower, not harder to bat on. So, at least, said Kane Williamson after New Zealand’s six-wicket defeat.His analysis was not without strong evidence. New Zealand’s own tailenders had appeared comfortable on the surface during long stints in the middle on days three and four. And although there was significant turn, the majority of spin deliveries that Sri Lanka’s top order faced in the fourth innings did not spit, as they often do on days four and five on Sri Lankan tracks. The target was ultimately achieved with relative ease, thanks largely to Dimuth Karunaratne’s 122 and Lahiru Thirimanne’s 64, the pair putting on 161 for the first wicket.”We thought the wicket would deteriorate more than it did,” Williamson said. “It perhaps got slower. It wasn’t turning a huge amount out of the rough. It didn’t get more difficult to bat on. I think there was a little bit more bounce and the turn was a little bit quicker in the first innings. Though, saying that, it was a good batting surface as well. I thought our bowlers operated patiently for a long period of time. We probably even bowled better in the second innings, but without the edges going to hand, and those sorts of things, which is the nature of the game we play.”Still, I think in a last-innings chase, a lot of credit goes to the way Sri Lanka batted. It was a fantastic hundred by Dimuth.”New Zealand’s two specialist spinners only claimed a wicket apiece in the second innings, having combined for eight wickets in the first innings. Mitchell Santner – the left-arm spinning allrounder – went wicketless through the Test.”I though the bowling was outstanding on day four,” Williamson said. “Perhaps we didn’t have a lot go our way, and maybe we let the odd chance slip. We knew that on that sort of surface, if you are able to get a breakthrough things can happen quickly, as we saw later on today when perhaps the game was already lost. It was a shame not to get early breakthroughs.”Williamson himself did not manage a score of significance, falling for 0 in the first innings and 4 in the second, despite coming into the series with some form, as he almost always does. Both his dismissals in Galle were the result of attacking shots – the second-innings dismissal especially, where he came down the track at Lasith Embuldeniya and holed out.”Personally I was probably looking to be too positive when it wasn’t really required. In hindsight, if you go back in time, that wouldn’t have been the option, because the wicket was pretty much just getting slower rather than deteriorating.”New Zealand, though, will be hopeful that something can still be salvaged from this series. On their last tour of the island, in 2012, they had also lost the first Test in Galle, but levelled the series at the P Sara Oval in Colombo, with both Williamson and Ross Taylor hitting centuries there. The P Sara is the venue for the second Test this time around as well.”That last series here was a long time ago, but it was a brilliant performance from us to equal that series against a very strong Sri Lankan side. We’re up against a strong Sri Lankan side again who know these conditions very well. They’re very clinical at playing the sort of cricket that’s required here. We can take some lessons from the way they played as well. It was fairly evenly poised for a long part of the match. But they were exceptional in their last innings.”For us, I think there were good bits in the game, but perhaps we weren’t good enough for long enough.”

Kylian Mbappe may have to find a new mask if he is to feature for France against the Netherlands at Euro 2024.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Mbappe broke his nose against Austria
• France man wore protective mask in training
• Customised mask may not be allowed in competition

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The new Real Madrid signingbroke his nose late on in France's 1-0 win over Austria on Monday at the Euros. Fears were allayed that he would miss the rest of the tournament, but he will have to wear a protective mask for the time being. However, the 25-year-old could get in trouble for wearing a facemask in blue-white-red colours. Here's why.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE EXPLANATION

  The former Paris Saint-Germain star wore this tricolour mask in training this week ahead of facing the Netherlands on Friday. But, according to article 42 of the UEFA equipment regulations: "Medical equipment worn on the playing field must be of a single colour and must not allow the team or manufacturer to be identified."

  Therefore, he will not be allowed to play with this mask, but can if the mask he chooses is a single colour.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to RMC Sport, Mbappe received other masks, some of which were plain, which he could wear at the Euros. However, during France's training session on Thursday, the French Football Federation hadn't validated the equipment – but that will be sorted on Friday.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Didier Deschamps' France side take on the Netherlands – who also won their Euros opener, by beating Poland 2-1 on Sunday afternoon – in what is likely to be a clash to decide who tops their group on Friday night.

Essex 206 for 3 (Westley 86*, Lawrence 56, Delport 51) beat Gloucestershire 181 for 5 (Higgins 77*, Zampa 2-31) by 25 runsTom Westley scored a brilliant unbeaten half-century as Essex defeated Gloucestershire by 25 runs at the Bristol County Ground to put their Vitality T20 Blast campaign back on track.Westley top-scored with 86 not out and shared in stands of 81 and 105 with Cameron Delport and Dan Lawrence for the first and third wickets respectively as Essex registered their highest score in matches against Gloucestershire, eclipsing the 204 for 4 they made in a winning cause at Chelmsford in 2011.Delport and Lawrence also contributed half-centuries to propel the visitors to an imposing 206 for 3 on a used pitch.Undone by the loss of early wickets, Gloucestershire left themselves with too much to do, their top-order shortcomings rendering a frenetic fifth-wicket stand of 93 in 42 balls between Jack Taylor and Ryan Higgins inconsequential as they came up short at 181 for 5.The decision to restore Westley to the top of the order following a spell at No. 3 paid dividends for Essex as their opening pair staged a boundary-laden stand of 81 inside nine overs.Hard-hitting South African Delport adopted the aerial route and took the eye initially, clubbing five sixes and two fours in harvesting 51 from 31 balls. Dropped at mid-off by Andrew Tye off the bowling of David Payne when on 23, Delport made good his escape as the visitors posted their highest opening partnership of the campaign.Thereafter, Westley took centre stage, striking the ball cleanly, finding the gaps with the aid of adept placement and running furiously between the wickets in raising a 36-ball half-century.Aided and abetted by Lawrence, who proved adept at rotating the strike, Westley launched a violent assault on Tom Smith’s slow left-arm spin as the 14th over yielded 24 runs. But he was denied what would have been a third T20 hundred by Lawrence, who dominated the strike in smashing a 27-ball 50.Promoted up the order for this match, Lawrence raised that landmark in the grand manner, hoisting Tye over long-on for six, one of three maximums in a high-octane innings. The third wicket realised 105 runs from 52 balls and effectively carried the game out of Gloucestershire’s reach.Having set his stall out to carry his bat, Westley finished on 86 not out from 54 balls, having accrued seven fours and three sixes.Under pressure to start fast, Gloucestershire lost Miles Hammond and the talismanic Michael Klinger inside five overs. When James Bracey holed out to long-on two overs later, the hosts were 43 for 3 and up against it.Making his T20 debut, Aaron Beard then accounted for Ian Cockbain, held at mid-off, as Gloucestershire’s top order crumbled under duress. Required to chase down 139 runs from 55 deliveries, Higgins and Taylor traded almost exclusively in boundaries to at least give home supporters something to cheer.Higgins raised a 28-ball 50 with a huge maximum over square leg, but when Taylor holed out in the deep for 42 in the 18th over with 46 stil needed, the game was all but up. Higgins finished on 77 not out from 43 balls, with three sixes and six fours.

The drubbing at the hands of Australia suggests a £20m investment by the ECB cannot come soon enough

Matt Roller30-Jul-2019

The inquest into England women’s thrashing by Australia is on in full swing, and the tone is predictably funereal. It would hardly be an Ashes drubbing without much weeping and gnashing of teeth by the defeated side, and this series has proved no different.The facts are there for all to see. Australia retained the Ashes at the earliest possible opportunity; they lead 12-2 overall with one game to play, and England are only on the board thanks to the quirk of the points system giving the teams two each, rather than none, for a drawn Test.Across the formats, Australia have four of the five leading run-scorers, and four of the six leading wicket-takers. Ellyse Perry has dismissed Amy Jones four times in the 25 balls she has bowled at her; Anya Shrubsole, the star of the 2017 World Cup final, has taken five wickets at 50.60. No matter where you look, the picture is bleak.But perhaps the most surprising thing about this defeat is that it has come as a surprise at all.Yes, England had won 14 white-ball games on the bounce, a record not to be sniffed at. But consider this: since 2018, Australia have lost two games in all formats – one of which was against India in a dead rubber at the World T20 – and won 29. They have five times the number of professional cricketers that England do. In Perry and Meg Lanning, they possess two of the game’s modern greats.Of course, losing five white-ball games in a row is nobody’s idea of fun – this is England’s worst run since 2007 – and the manner of the defeats at Grace Road and Chelmsford bordered on embarrassing.But heavy defeats do not spring about simply through a lack of application or talent: the simple truth is that England’s domestic structure is miles behind Australia’s.Before its first season in 2016, the Kia Super League was sold as a silver bullet, but has hardly produced many stars. The only two English players in last season’s top ten run-scorers were Heather Knight and Nat Sciver, both established internationals already; the best domestic bowlers were Sophie Ecclestone, who has been around the national squad for several years, and Kirstie Gordon, whose struggles in the Test at Taunton were there for all to see.The KSL was sold as a silver bullet, but overseas players like Rachel Priest (left) and Sophie Devine (right) have dominated•Getty Images

Meanwhile, the noise around a mooted domestic restructure has been a source of confusion. Plans to remove funding for county cricket were greeted with predictable dissatisfaction, and after a consultation process, the ECB will now run and fund a county T20 competition in 2020 and 2021.The headline, though, is that around ten regional teams will play 50- and 20-over cricket from next year, in a bid to give 100 or so players the opportunity to make a living from the game, while contracts for The Hundred are expected to be substantially more lucrative than what is currently on offer in the KSL.For now, there is no easy fix. The 21 players currently holding central contracts will continue to form the basis of the side for a few years yet, and England will continue to be dominant against most teams, and struggle against Australia.”We’re investing £20 million in the next two years into transforming the game for women and girls,” Claire Connor, the managing director of women’s cricket at the ECB, told after the second T20I at Hove. “We’ve got six priorities within the new strategy, and transforming the game for women and girls is one of those six.”We had a very important board meeting last week at which the full two-year plan as to how that £20 million of investment will all break down. That was all approved by the board last week so whilst this [Ashes series] was disappointing and there are huge lessons for us all to learn, we must be very optimistic about the opportunity that lies ahead for us.”[Australia’s] system over the last four or five years has put them in a really good position for this Ashes series, and whilst we’ve had the Kia Super League over the last four years, which has undoubtedly helped bridge the gap between our domestic game and the international game, there is a huge amount more we need to do. Australia have capitalised on the investment and the plan that they’ve made over the last four or five years and they’ve played some outstanding cricket this summer.”Tammy Beaumont, one of the few England players to come out of this series with her reputation enhanced, is of the same view. “You see how Australia have gone about their things,” she said. “The number of players that are coming into their squad – they’re 20-year-old superstars.”But it will take time, it’s not a quick fix by any means. At the moment we’ve got a lot of belief in the group we’ve got, we’ve got to change a few things and work really hard and come back stronger, but looking to the future in maybe four years, five years’ time, that’s what’s got to happen.”In the immediate term, the focus is on February’s T20 World Cup in Australia. An international system with such clear disparities between sides means that England can already be confident of reaching the semi-finals. With Australia, India, and New Zealand all drawn in the other group, England’s pool looks much the easier of the two, and a semi-final exit could hardly be considered an awful return.Until that point, the ECB will be keen to ensure that as many of the squad as possible plays in the WBBL this winter, before moving into a tri-series with Australia and India at the start of 2020.And the immediate focus is on winning Wednesday night’s game at Bristol: it is a dead rubber in theory, but England are desperate to register a consolation victory. If they do, the dreary mood about the side might finally start to lift.