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Batsman bounces back from being dropped on 0 to post career-best 229 at Wantage Road

ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2019Billy Root made the highest score by a Glamorgan batsman against Northamptonshire to put his side in complete command at Wantage Road. Root’s career-best 229 helped his side recover from 120 for 5 to close the second day 452 for 9, leading by 243.Badly dropped by Ricardo Vasconcelos at second slip on 0 – a chance that would have left Glamorgan 21 for 4 – Root took full advantage, hitting 30 fours and a six in his third innings over a hundred in the County Championship and second against Northants this season after his 126 in Cardiff back in April.He played a number of eye-catching cuts and drives, the pick of which was crashed through cover point off Nathan Buck, and ran superbly between the wickets with one exception – a sharp single attempted to Buck at mid-on would have seen Root run out for 90 had Buck thrown down the stumps, but the fielder failed to gather.It allowed Root to go through to a fourth first-class hundred in 121 balls with 16 fours and after tea he extended it to a double-century in 230 deliveries with 26 fours and a scooped six over backward-square off Ben Sanderson.He initially battled Glamorgan away from danger in a stand of 83 with Charlie Hemphrey that took up most of the morning session before adding another 87 for the sixth wicket in the afternoon put Glamorgan in the lead.Dan Douthwaite was the second game partner for Root in making 44. He produced a beautiful high elbow to strike three on-drives for four before hoicking Rob Keogh’s off-spin over midwicket and top-edging a hook at Luke Wood for another boundary as 172 runs were added between lunch and tea.Douthwaite flicked Keogh to short-midwicket but was only the second afternoon wicket to fall after Kieran Carlson fell for 7 to the ninth ball of the session, edging a lifting delivery from Buck to second slip. At 120 for 5, Northants had hopes of getting back in the game, only for Root to take it away from them.The home side made the perfect start to the day with three quick wickets for Sanderson. He made the breakthrough with the 13th delivery of the morning with one that nipped away to feather the edge of Nick Selman, who fell to the first ball he’d received on day two.Sanderson then angled balls back into the right-handed Marnus Labuschagne and David Lloyd, who both shouldered arms and both lost their off stumps within 11 balls of each other. Had Root then been caught, Northants would have been right in the match but the miss proved the worst sliding doors moment imaginable for the hosts.

Marcus Rashford has been selected to model England's Euro 2024 clothing range from Marks and Spencer, despite being left out of the squad.

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Southgate did not pick RashfordModels M&S range with Aaron Ramsdale and Conor GallagherTournament begins next monthWHAT HAPPENED?

Rashford has been pictured modelling England's Euro 2024 clothing range along with Ramsdale and Gallagher. While the Arsenal and Chelsea stars have been included in Gareth Southgate's provisional squad for the tournament, Rashford has been left out after a disappointing season for United.

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M&S are long-term sponsors of the England team and Rashford modelled a beige jacket and trousers combination that is worth £150. Per the Daily Mail, the shoot took place before Southgate's squad announcement, with the retailer banking on the forward being included. He has won 60 caps for the Three Lions, scoring 17 goals.

DID YOU KNOW?

Rashford's United season was disappointing, as he only managed to score eight goals and provide five assists in 42 games in all competitions. The Red Devils' season is not over, however, as they face Manchester City in the FA Cup final this weekend.

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Rashford will hope to prove Southgate wrong at Wembley this weekend as United go in search of a trophy to cap an underwhelming campaign. Manager Erik ten Hag has insisted that the forward is fully focussed ahead of the showpiece occasion despite his England snub.

Mauricio Pochettino reportedly had doubts over big-money midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo during his time at the club.

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Fernandez and Caicedo signed for huge feesPochettino had doubts over both playersPreferred Conor Gallagher to duoWHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea have invested heavily in players under Todd Boehly and Co., notably splashing out more than £100 million ($127m) each on Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. However, Pochettino had doubts over the two midfielders while at Chelsea despite their massive transfer fees, according to . The Argentine had question marks over whether Fernadez was "destructive" enough to play as a No.6 or had enough creativity to play further forward. Pochettino also felt Caicedo lacked "positional discipline" and felt both players did not have the "size and power" required to thrive in the English top flight.

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The report adds that Pochettino's favourite midfielder was actually academy graduate Conor Gallagher, who regularly captained the side last season in the absence of Reece James and Ben Chilwell. The Blues are believed to be willing to sell the 24-year-old this summer due to concerns over meeting Profit and Sustainability Rules.

DID YOU KNOW?

Caicedo struck his first goal for Chelsea on the final day of the season with a stunner from the halfway line against Bournemouth, while Enzo missed the end of the campaign having undergone surgery on a hernia.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA AND POCHETTINO

Chelsea will now search for a replacement for Pochettino. Ipswich Town managerKieran McKennaand Leicester City boss Enzo Maresca have emerged as possible options for the Blues. Meanwhile, Pochettino is thought to be interested in taking over the England job from Gareth Southgate or heading to Manchester United to replace Erik ten Hag.

At a ground where England made 481 not too long ago, Pakistan’s task will be cut out against West Indies

The Preview by Danyal Rasool30-May-2019Big PictureWith the World Cup wheels having been well-oiled by a mouth-watering opening match between South Africa and England at the Oval, two rather more distant contenders for the trophy kick off their official campaigns at Trent Bridge. West Indies and Pakistan are few people’s picks for an appearance at Lord’s come the 14th of July, but two teams that have the Cricket World Cup in their blood for very different reasons will look to add sweat and tears to that concoction and brew something special over the coming six weeks.For West Indies, the World Cup is their reference point to glory, so sweetly timed was this competition’s induction to cricket for that magical side which dominated the sport for the best part of 20 years it took them three editions and eight years before they finally let a trophy leave their grasp. It was 40 years ago when they last lay claim to one of these, and after all that time spent wandering in the desert, they may feel destiny has the Promised Land in reach once more.How easy is it to forget, then, that but for a bit of Harare afternoon rain falling just the right side of DLS calculations one March day, this grand side would have been by a Caribbean beach, watching Scotland take the field against Pakistan tomorrow? Much water, if you will excuse the pun, has passed under the bridge since, and West Indies look a completely different side to that one, if only because off-field matters seem more under control than they have for many years.ALSO READ: ESPNcricinfo’s fantasy cricket tips for Pakistan v West IndiesThe squad seems to have unity and togetherness, something they haven’t been famed for, and a much-settled, respected captain in Jason Holder. The side’s balance was evident in their crushing defeat of New Zealand in Tuesday’s warm-up, a destructive batting display laying down a marker of sorts.Pakistan have a strange relationship with the World Cup, particularly since 1992, where an odds-defying win crafted the team’s reputation and gave them their brand of unpredictability. They come into the tournament having lost 10 ODIs on the bounce, in addition to a warm-up loss against Afghanistan – and a record against the top five that reads three wins in 23 since their famous Champions Trophy win in 2017.The fast bowling, Pakistan’s stock trade, has seen one after another lose form and effectiveness, with Mohammad Amir, once the prince of this generation, the heir apparent to Wasim Akram, only barely squeezing into the final 15. Hasan Ali is the obvious leader of the attack, though a bowling average of nearly 60 since the Asia Cup last year is worrying, and Shaheen Afridi is the only one to keep both average and economy rate respectable over this period.The batting looks to have caught up somewhat to modern standards, with Pakistan becoming the first team to reach three consecutive ODI totals of 340 earlier this month against England (though they lost all three matches). In any case, they must be wary of a West Indies side that pummelled New Zealand’s bowling attack for 421, and the batting is a department Pakistan are not about to outgun West Indies in any time soon.The odds may not be in Pakistan’s favour, but that was the case in 2017, too, when, having barely qualified for the Champions Trophy, they caught fire and singed England and India in the semis and final, laughing the face of logic. The squad that defied those odds carried 11 of the players that return to England with that trophy tucked under their arms, and will wonder why they should be rated any inferior to the teams they left in their wake just two years ago.Getty ImagesForm guide West Indies LLWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLLLLIn the spotlightShimron Hetmyer is the second-youngest in the West Indies squad, but is assured of his place in Guyana’s cricketing history at 22. An Under-19 World Cup winning captain, Hetmyer showcased his array of hitting ability which he married with consistency when England came calling earlier this year in a series West Indires squared 2-2. It isn’t just the average and the numbers – four hundreds and two half-centuries in just 24 innings – but the technique and obvious promise the left-hander possesses. The biggest stage of them all is another fine opportunity to showcase his abilities.Fakhar Zaman’s average since the Asia Cup in September 2018 has dropped down to 32; it had been 76 until then. His strike rate has taken a hit too – 91 against a career strike rate of 98, and so has Pakistan’s ODI form in this period. With Fakhar assigned a role of a dasher, one that most others in the side aren’t equipped with, his ability to execute it is likely to be directly proportional to Pakistan’s fortunes at the World Cup.Team newsPakistan have a fully fit squad to choose from, with the team announcing 12 names from which the final eleven will be chosen. That list sees, Shoaib Malik and Shaheen Afridi miss out, with Pakistan now needing to choose between three of Mohammad Hafeez, Imad Waism, Haris Sohail and Asif Ali.Pakistan (possible): 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman 3 Babar Azam, 4 Haris Sohail 5 Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt, wk), 6 Mohammad Hafeez/Imad Wasim 7 Asif Ali, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Mohammad Amir, 10 Hasan Ali 11 Wahab RiazWest Indies line-up is harder to predict, with Shannon Gabriel the only bowler to play no part in the warm-up against New Zealand. With his knee heavily braced as West Indies trained the day before the game, he could be the man to miss out again.West Indies (possible): 1 Chris Gayle 2 Evin Lewis 3 Shai Hope (wk) 4 Shimron Hetmyer 5 Darren Bravo 6 Jason Holder (capt) 7 Andre Russell 8 Ashley Nurse 9 Kemar Roach 10 Sheldon Cottrell 11 Oshane ThomasPitch and conditionsOvercast skies are expected for much of the game at Nottingham, but rain should not play spoilsport. It also gives each side the chance to bowl first and pit their swing bowlers against the opposition to see if overhead conditions can be utilised to their advantage.Stats and trivia Jason Holder is one of only two captains to have also captained his side at the previous World Cup; Eoin Morgan of England is the other one. This is the fourth time in six World Cups that Pakistan begin their campaign against West Indies. The previous three openers saw them win once, while West Indies triumphed twice.

Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel has addressed speculation about his future ahead of his impending exit from the Bundesliga club.

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Tuchel set to leave BayernLinked with Manchester United and ChelseaCoach in no rush to decide next moveWHAT HAPPENED?

Tuchel is set to leave Bayern at the end of the season but his next move is not yet clear. The German has been linked with a move to Manchester United to take over from Erik ten Hag as well as a return to former club Chelsea, where Mauricio Pochettino's future is uncertain. Tuchel has made no secret of the fact that he loved his time in England and has now responded to speculation he could be heading back to the Premier League.

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Asked in a press conference about his next move, Tuchel said: "I've no idea. I'll think about things in peace. Things have been clear since February. I'll take my time. There's been no discussions with other clubs."

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Uncertainty continues to surround the futures of both Ten Hag and Pochettino after difficult seasons for Manchester United and Chelsea. Gareth Southgate has also reportedly emerged as a possible option for United should the Red Devils decide to change manager this summer.

Tuchel won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 just four months after replacing Frank Lampard at the helm. He was sacked in September 2022 after a disappointing start to the season with the Blues.

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR TUCHEL

Tuchel wil say goodbye to Bayern after the team's final games of the season against Wolfsburg and Hoffenheim. The German says he's in no rush to make a decision but may well receive offers in the coming weeks.

Delhi Capitals have to find a way to over-turn their poor record at home, while Kings XI Punjab are still waiting on the fitness of Mujeeb Ur Rahman

The Preview by Sidharth Monga19-Apr-20198:03

Dasgupta: Lamichhane needs to play in place of Paul

Big pictureWhose home is Feroz Shah Kotla anyway? As with the most cosmopolitan city of India, you can’t say for sure for Delhi’s international cricket ground either. Delhi Capitals, who call it home, have struggled not just for home support but also for a pitch conducive to their style of play. As a result, they have won just one of their four home games, the worst success ratio at home this year. It is their four wins in five away games that have kept them in playoffs contention, but they know they need to find a way at home too.Form guide

Delhi Capitals: Lost to Mumbai Indians by 40 runs, beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 39 runs, beat Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets, beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by four wickets
Kings XI Punjab: Beat Rajasthan Royals by 12 runs, lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight wickets, lost to Mumbai Indians by three wickets, beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets

It doesn’t help that the ground staff have only a day’s break to work on a pitch that, in the words of home captain Shreyas Iyer, keeps getting worse. It is a slow and low surface that is aiding spinners, something Capitals’ next opponents should dearly love. Kings XI Punjab have the two Ashwins and Mujeeb Ur Rahman in their ranks to exploit exactly those conditions. They also have a batting line-up that hasn’t been over-shooting, the virtues of which were displayed by Mumbai Indians in their win on Thursday night when they went for 140 and ended up getting 168 because they had played themselves into a good situation.At 10 points each from nine games, both sides have done well enough to dream of the playoffs, but not yet enough to feel confident of making the cut. Matches where they can’t afford to make mistakes await.In the newsChris Morris, left out of the South Africa World Cup squad, will be under pressure to keep his place in the Capitals’ side after he went for 39 in three overs on what was widely acknowledged as a difficult pitch. If Capitals do drop him for legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane, they might need a bit of a rejig somewhere to bolster their batting.Kings XI are waiting on Mujeeb’s fitness, who has made good progress since injuring his shoulder in their last game. A decision on his availability was to be made after the training session on the night before the match. Moises Henriques is out “for a period of time” after injuring himself in the warm-ups ahead of the last game.Previous meetingMembers of the Capitals squad could be forgiven if they still get nightmares about their last match against Kings XI, when they lost seven wickets for eight runs to mess up what looked like a straightforward chase in Mohali.Likely XIsDelhi Capitals: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Prithvi Shaw, 3 Colin Munro, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt.), 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Chris Morris, 7 Keemo Paul, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Amit Mishra, 11 Ishant SharmaKings XI Punjab 1 KL Rahul, 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Sarfaraz Khan, 5 Mandeep Singh, 6 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 7 Sam Curran, 8 Hardus Viljoen/Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 9 R Ashwin (capt.), 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 M AshwinStrategy punt The Powerplay and death overs become all the more important on a tired pitch such as Delhi’s. Mumbai attacked Capitals in the first six and in the last five, getting 121 of their 168 runs in those 11 overs. Expect Kings XI to try to ensure there is one left-hand batsman in the middle at all times. That played havoc with Capitals’ plans of using Amit Mishra, who ended up bowling only three overs against Mumbai. Capitals have extra reasons to bat first in this game because if they do so, Kings XI can’t take as many liberties with substituting Chris Gayle and Sarfaraz Khan as they do when they have already batted first.Stats that matter Kings XI Punjab have won the last four games between these two teams. They lead the head to head 14 games to nine. Mayank Agarwal, who might be batting in the middle overs for Kings XI, doesn’t have a great record against Chris Morris, Amit Mishra and Axar Patel. Ishant Sharma is two short of 100 Twenty20 wickets.

Surrey’s bid for victory in the Champion County fixture in Dubai was thwarted by rain, as the final day was curtailed after just 19 overs

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Mar-2019MCC 265 and 265 for 4 (Sibley 128) drew with Surrey 520 (Pope 251) Surrey’s bid for victory in the Champion County fixture in Dubai was thwarted by rain, as the final day was curtailed after just 19 overs.MCC had resumed on 221 for 1, a deficit of 34, and had inched into a one-run lead when Tom Westley became the first victim of the day, bowled by Scott Borthwick’s legspin for 28.Dom Sibley, who had resumed on 102, moved along to 128 when he too was bowled, this time by Rikki Clarke, who trapped Tom Abell for a first-ball duck one delivery later.That, however, was the end of Surrey’s surge, as the match was called off with MCC leading by 10.Surrey’s next fixture is against Durham MCCU on April 4, before they launch their County Championship defence against the 2017 champions, Essex, at The Oval on April 11.

Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe sent an email to club staff fuming over the state of facilities this past week.

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Ratcliffe fuming over Utd facilitiesBillionaire joined ownership in 2024Message sent to staffWHAT HAPPENED?

The email was sent to club staff earlier this week, and in a memo obtained by the Athletic, Ratcliffe called the untidiness of the facilities 'a disgrace.'

The billionaire and his company INEOS purchased a minority stake in the club earlier this year.

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Ratcliffe drew issue with the club's IT Department, while throwing shade at the state of the club's youth side's tidiness as well saying “frankly the dressing rooms of U18s and U21s” were not better.

The Billionaire said INEOS would not accept that level of uncleanliness, and that they should have higher expectations for themselves.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ratcliffe will have a major role in the recruiting process for the Red Devils this summer, both internally and externally, and is clearly working on improving the staff's standards at the club.

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

The Red Devils are back in action this weekend against Crystal Palace. They'll look to pull off a result as they look to lock in a European competition spot in the EPL standings as the season winds down.

After 37 wickets in two days, South Australia are 81 runs behind with three second-innings wickets in hand

The Report by Daniel Brettig12-Mar-2019South Australia middle-order batsman Jake Lehmann stood between Queensland and outright victory after another frenetic day of wickets against the moving, bouncing Dukes ball in a Sheffield Shield match at the Gabba in Brisbane.As though not content with the 17 wickets that fell on day one, the two sides gave up 20 on day two, 10 for each side, as the quick end of the Redbacks’ first innings and the rapid decline of the Bulls’ second left SA with a victory target of 175.Bowlers on both sides enjoyed themselves, but none more so than SA left-arm spinner Tom Andrews, who finished the match with 9 for 82 after picking up three second innings victims the day after he had opened up the match with a haul of 6 for 40.In stark contrast, Bulls’ wrist spinner Mitch Swepson is yet to bowl a single ball in the match, as their captain Jimmy Peirson stuck with the all-pace attack of Michael Neser, Luke Feldman, Cameron Gannon and Mark Steketee.At 7 for 82 in SA’s chase, it appeared that the Bulls were headed for full points inside two days, but Lehmann found an ally in Nick Winter, as the pair crept to the close to keep the Redbacks in with some chance of a win. Lehmann’s 41 not out is already the highest individual score of the match.

The "Turkish Messi" provided a crucial moment as Carlo Ancelotti's side picked up three valuable points.

From Vinicius Jr to Eduardo Camavinga Real Madrid have an embarrassment of youth talent at their disposal. And on Friday night, another, newer face entered the fold – and made his mark. Arda Guler, making his first La Liga start for the club, scored the only goal of the game to hand his side a 1-0 win and inch closer to regaining the title.

Los Blancos pieced together a largely unspectacular performance. Reserve goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was called into action on a handful of occasions in the first half, while the Madrid attack toiled. Guler provided the crucial moment, though, sneaking in at the far post to meet Dani Carvajal's cross and give his side a 1-0 lead.

La Real thought they had an equaliser when Take Kubo curled one into the far corner, but his goal was harshly ruled out for a foul in the build up. The home side had further chances in the second half, seeing another goal ruled out – this time for offside – and narrowly missing on two other occasions.

By the end of it all, Los Blancos were left holding onto a scrappy win, one of the litany of young talents at their disposal to thank for a moment of quality.

GOAL rates Real Madrid's players from Anoeta…

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Kepa Arrizabalaga (7/10):

Made a nice save or two, kept a clean sheet. Job done.

Dani Carvajal (8/10):

Worked tirelessly on the right, and assisted the winner. He's been excellent this season.

Eder Militao (6/10):

Not bad in his first start in six months – one nutmeg notwithstanding.

Nacho (5/10):

Filled in for Antonio Rudiger. Wasn't his most composed performance, and he was fortunate to end the game still on the pitch.

Fran Garcia (7/10):

An energetic showing on the left flank. Handled Kubo well, and also looked to get forward. He's improved of late.

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Aurelien Tchouameni (7/10):

Not his finest game in midfield. Pushed around a bit, and didn't have a big impact defensively. Played a wonderful pass to set up the winner, though.

Luka Modric (8/10):

As elegant as ever on the ball, and made things happen around the box.

Brahim Diaz (5/10):

Not on the ball as much as Ancelotti would have liked, and didn't do loads when he had it. Far from his best game.

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Arda Guler (8/10):

Impactful throughout, and grabbed the winner. Another talent has arrived.

Joselu (5/10):

Not his best showing. Ran a lot, won a few headers, but could never impact the game.

Dani Ceballos (5/10):

Rather misused coming off the left wing, and he never really settled into the game. Could probably do with going elsewhere for more minutes

GettySubs & Manager

Federico Valverde (7/10):

Added midfield thrust to see the game out.

Vinicius Jr (6/10):

A late burst of energy. Unlucky not to grab an assist.

Antonio Rudiger (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Eduardo Camavinga (N/A):

No time to make an impact.

Carlo Ancelotti (7/10):

Rotated heavily with a Champions League semi-final to worry about. Madrid weren't particularly good, and didn't really deserve the three points on performance alone – not that Ancelotti will care…