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Chief executive spells out players’ union position as negotiations with ECB

George Dobell13-Jun-2018

David Leatherdale with new PCA chairman Daryl Mitchell•PCA

Daryl Mitchell, the chairman of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, has warned that a rise in the salary cap is a “non-negotiable” part of any deal with the ECB.Mitchell, the players’ union boss, is one of the team negotiating a new deal for players for the period from 2020 to 2024, as part of both the Team England Player Partnership (TEPP; which effectively decides the value of central contracts for international players) and the County Partnership Agreement (CPA; which decides how much money each county should receive and guidelines over how it should be spent). The PCA are also negotiating the women’s pay deal, both domestically and internationally.And, with the new broadcast deal injecting more money into the game than ever before, Mitchell expects a “fair share” of that revenue to find its way to the players.So he admits he was “very surprised” to read reports that the ECB had told county chief executives that there would be no rise in the salary cap as part of the CPA.”The salary cap has to rise,” Mitchell told ESPNcricinfo. “That is non-negotiable.”You can’t have a situation where a huge amount more money comes into the game and the players do not benefit from it. We have made thatvery clear to the ECB and we are going to be very strong on this issue. It really is non-negotiable.”The salary cap – currently set at around GBP2million a year – dictates the total amount that counties can pay their players. While it is notrelevant to a majority of counties – some spend less than half that amount and it is understood that only one, Surrey, argued for a riseat the chief executives’ meeting – there is an expectation that salaries will rise as more money comes into the game. The ECB hasalready promised the counties an extra GBP1.3million a year each from 2020.The PCA are also insisting upon a rise in the salary collar (the minimum amount paid by a county in salaries to players; the current figure is GBP750,000 a year), a rise in the minimum wage – and the means to force counties to stick to it – and assurances that all current players will benefit in a tangible way from the new broadcast deal. At present the PCA recommend a minimum wage (it starts at GBP17,897 for 18-year-olds and rises to GBP25,354 for 24-year-olds) but found widespread abuse of the system as part of a recent survey.”Those are the four principles,” Mitchell confirmed. “The salary collar figure is very low at present and must rise. Some counties are only just above it. And we’ll also be looking for the CPA to have some teeth to compel counties to ensure they respect the minimum wages requirements.”We also want to make sure that all our members – and we have 420 current players to consider – benefit from the new broadcast deal. Not just the England players; not just those involved in The 100 and not just those on minimum wage: all our members in the middle of those groups.”In any negotiation process, you have some wins and you make some concessions. But these four principles are very simple and we won’t be budging from our stance on them.”News of the ECB’s comments at the chief executives’ meeting come at an awkward time in their relationship with the PCA. A few weeks ago, the ECB chairman, Colin Graves, appeared to contradict his chief executive, Tom Harrison, in insisting plans for the new 100-ball tournament were “set in stone.” A few days earlier, Harrison had told the PCA the competition was only at the conceptual stage.And, while there has been much talk of late of the ECB’s need to tighten the purse strings, their recently-published accounts show that on top of the salaries of top executives (and the highest paid executive at the ECB earns GBP605,000 a year before pension contributions), an incentive plan has been set up that will see up to GBP3.2million extra paid to those executives by the end of 2022.”Our relationship with the ECB is still good,” Mitchell said, “but there are times I think their communication could be better. All the conversations we’ve had with them should have left them in no doubt over our views and at no stage have they led us to believe that there will be no more money. We’re still confident this can be resolved amicably.”

Afghanistan lost their group games to Scotland, Zimbabwe and Hong Kong and entered the Super Six with no points, but victories over West Indies, UAE and Ireland – as well as helpful results in other games – meant that Friday’s win took them to the 2019 Wo

The Report by Liam Brickhill in Harare23-Mar-2018

Afghanistan celebrate after getting a wicket•International Cricket Council

Afghanistan completed a miraculous revival to secure their passage to the World Cup in England next year with a five-wicket win over Ireland in the final Super Six match of the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe. Afghanistan lost their group games to Scotland, Zimbabwe and Hong Kong and entered the Super Six with no points, but victories over West Indies, UAE and Ireland – as well as helpful results in other games – meant that their World Cup dreams came to rest on their final match against Ireland. Chasing 210 on a slow track, Mohammad Shahzad led the way with a rapid fifty before Asghar Stanikzai, who missed the group stage due to an emergency appendectomy, secured the result with an unbeaten 39.Shahzad, who had been suspended from taking part in Afghanistan’s last two group games after picking up a demerit point in the team’s loss to Zimbabwe, quickly showed what his team had been missing in his absence. Despite the sluggish pitch, he made scoring look easy and his first boundary came from a remarkable pick-up six over long leg off a Barry McCarthy half-volley.In his second match as an opener, Gulbadin Naib was the perfect foil to Shahzad’s more rambunctious style. Having started in Afghanistan’s lower-middle order, Naib has slowly moved upwards and today he wore the responsibility of opener well. Foregoing all but the safest of shots, together with Shahzad he ensured Afghanistan got through the first 15 overs unscathed.At the other end, Shahzad kept the scorecard ticking. Having seen the shine off the ball, he launched the attack on Ireland’s spinners, and moved through the forties with a series of boundaries. Andy McBrine was clubbed to wide long-on, and then onto the roof of the three-storey building at the City End of the ground. Shahzad brought up a 48-ball fifty in the 17th over, but then played one shot too many and was caught in the deep off Simi Singh in the same over.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

That dismissal gave Ireland the opening they needed to start working through the middle order, and by the 30th over Afghanistan had added just 31 runs, losing Rahmat Shah and Gulbadin Naib along the way. Simi had his third wicket when Mohammad Nabi dragged a ball to McBrine at deep midwicket, and at 145 for 4 in the 38th over, Afghanistan were wobbling a little.They had been in a very similar position in their match against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo earlier this month, but this time around there was one crucial difference: their captain, Stanikzai, was at the crease. With the required rate creeping above seven, Stanikzai helped take 15 off an over from McCarthy, and he responded to Samiullah Shenwari’s dismissal with an ice-cool dab to the third man boundary off a slow bouncer from Tim Murtagh. Stanikzai was clearly in pain all the while, clutching his side after every big shot or every hard-run two.Najibullah Zadran narrowed the gap between Afghanistan and World Cup qualification to single figures with an enormous six that landed at the top of the grand stand, but fittingly it was Stanikzai who brought them home in the last over. Jamming his bat down on a McCarthy yorker, an inside edge sent the ball skidding down to the fine-leg boundary, and Afghanistan’s incredible revival was complete.For Ireland, a tospy-turvy campaign ultimately ended in disapppointment. Having decided to bat , they adopted a slow and steady approach in the morning. Openers William Porterfield and Paul Stirling had both scored hundreds in this tournament, but neither was at their most fluent on Friday. Under heavy, grey skies on a slightly tired pitch they managed just 37 from the Powerplay, despite Stirling taking three boundaries off Dawlat Zadran.Mohammad Shahzad leads Afghanistan’s post-match revelry•International Cricket Council

At the other end, Porterfield accumulated his runs with more substance than style, and his dismissal – chipping an attacking stroke in the air to a fielder inside the circle – set the tone as, with the pitch slowing up, catches tended to go to fielders in front of square inside the circle.Stirling brought up a 77-ball fifty in the 28th over while Niall O’Brien, bucking the trend of laboured scoring, raced through the twenties with a flurry of boundaries, including a confident swipe over long-on off Nabi. The pair had put on 44 in under 10 overs when a horrible mix-up resulted in Stirling’s dismissal for 55. Niall O’Brien reverse-swept to backward point, Stirling set off for a stop-start single, but then turned and dived for the crease – but by then the ball had been thrown to Mujeeb, who whipped the bails off with the batsman well short.Three overs later, Niall O’Brien drove Zadran low to Shenwari at extra cover, and Ireland were looking a little rudderless at 130 for 4. Simi struggled to get the ball off the square as Afghanistan’s multi-faceted spin attack circled like sharks, but Kevin O’Brien struck three fours and a six in his 41 to help Ireland take 66 off the last 10 overs. Their total of 209 for 7 was modest on paper, and left Afghanistan with plenty to do in these conditions. But having been living on a prayer throughout the Super Sixes, Afghanistan weren’t about to fall at the final hurdle.

لا جديد يذكر ولا قديم يعاد، لا يزال اللاعب والمهاجم آرون بوبيندزا يفتعل المشاكل في كل فريق يذهب إليه وآخرها رابيد بوخارست المنافس في الدوري الروماني.

وانتقل بوبيندزا إلى رابيد بوخارست في الصيف الماضي بعد أزمة كبيرة للغاية مع الزمالك، حيث أعلن الأخير عن ضم اللاعب ولكن الجابوني لم يحضر إلى القاهرة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. خاص | لاعب الزمالك يجمع متعلقاته ويخطر جروس بالرحيل

ونفى بوبيندزا في تصريحات صحفية في رومانيا أنه قد وقع أي عقود مع الزمالك وأن موقفه صحيح، لكن القلعة البيضاء قررت أن تقدم شكوى ضد اللاعب أمام الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”.

المفاجأة، هي من خلال صحيفة “GSP” الرومانية التي تتابع معسكر رابيد بوخارست في دبي، وأكدت أن اللاعب لم يحضر التدريبات وسيرحل عن الفريق وهناك فريقين يتنافسان على ضمه.

وبحسب التقرير أن اللاعب يتدعي الإصابة في الكاحل في محاولة للضغط على رابيد من أجل الرحيل، حيث أغرته العروض التركية من ناديي سيفاسبور وبودروم.

سقط فريق ليفربول في فخ التعادل الإيجابي مع خصمه فريق نوتينجهام فورست، مساء يوم الثلاثاء، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

واستضاف ملعب “سيتي جراوند” مباراة الفريقين في الجولة الحادية والعشرين من البطولة، حيث تعادلا بهدف لمثله.

وشارك نجم فريق ليفربول محمد صلاح في المباراة بأكملها، ولكنه فشل في تقديم أدائه المعهود عنه، حيث لم يسجل أو يصنع.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقييم محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول ونوتينجهام فورست بـ الدوري الإنجليزي

وكشفت رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز عن هوية رجل مباراة ليفربول ونوتينجهام فورست.

وحسبما نُشر، فإن كريس وود لاعب فريق نوتينجهام فورست، هو رجل مباراة ليفربول في تلك الجولة من الدوري الإنجليزي.

وتمكن كريس وود من تقديم أداء جيد رفقة كتيبة نونو سانتو، وسجل هدف التقدم لصالح نوتينجهام في الدقيقة التاسعة.

Kent seamer claims maiden five-for under the Canterbury lights as Middlesex sufer dramatic collapse to 54 for 9

Matt Roller at Canterbury25-Jun-20181:33

Nash’s ton gives boost for Notts

ScorecardGrant Stewart, Kent’s burly Western Australian seamer, took five top-order wickets under the Canterbury lights as Middlesex collapsed to 54 for 9 in another setback for their promotion push.Stewart, only playing thanks to the absence of Matt Henry (rested ahead of Saturday’s Royal London Cup final) and Darren Stevens (who struggles to pick up the pink ball), had taken four wickets in as many games in his first-class career to date when he took the new pink ball; two hours later, he had his maiden five-wicket haul.The pink Dukes, thought to hold together better than its Kookaburra equivalent, swung late in the fabled ‘twilight period’ after the sun disappeared behind the Frank Woolley Stand. Stewart jagged the ball back into the left-handers, and moved it sharply away from the right-handers’ edges, ripping the heart out of Middlesex’s top six in their response to Kent’s 241 earlier in the day.Malan questions pink ball policy

Dawid Malan, Middlesex captain, questioned the use of pink Kookaburra ball in Division One and a pink Dukes ball in Division Two, contending that Division Two batsmen potentially faced a much tougher challenge against the swinging ball in twilight.
“I can’t quite understand why the two divisions are using different balls.” he said. “It’s still county cricket and we have guys out here with aspirations to play international cricket, so to have different balls seems strange as we don’t do that in red-ball cricket.
“It doesn’t make a lot of sense. It was doing so much at the end there that we actually did quite well to nick a few.”

Middlesex’s batsmen came and went in a hurry. First, Sam Robson’s horror season continued. Four years ago last week, the right-hander made his England debut in the Lord’s Test against Sri Lanka; here, he pushed apologetically at a Stewart away-swinger and he failed to pass 20 for the ninth time in 11 innings this campaign.When the umpires took the players off soon after, with the low sun behind Stewart’s arm rendering the ball impossible to see, it looked as though the Canterbury faithful were set for a floodlit farce: the lights were on, but nobody was in the middle.But after the resumption, with the shadows lengthening, Stewart steamed in with menace and purpose. Next to go was Max Holden, stunned that a ball pitched well outside his off stump had fizzed back in, before Dawid Malan – who struggled against the pink ball in England’s day-night Ashes Test last winter – edged a similar delivery to Sean Dickson at slip for a duck. At 19 for 3, Kent were on the charge.Stewart soon had two more. Stevie Eskinazi, the only man to make double-figures in Middlesex’s effort, prodded at a ball which hit the seam, before debutant George Scott was cleaned up. Harry Podmore’s dismissal of Hilton Cartwright was sandwiched between Stewart’s fourth and fifth, and Ivan Thomas skittled James Harris to leave Middlesex reeling at 54 for 7.Calum Haggett got in on the act in the penultimate over, as John Simpson edged through to the keeper, before bowling Ravi Patel with the day’s final ball: the collapse was six wickets for 10 runs, and Kent were in dreamland.The visitors had hoped that last week’s remarkable turnaround at Leicester would prove the catalyst for change in a season that had promised so much and delivered so little; but with the prospect of another day in the heat looming over them, already it will take a monumental effort to save this game.Grant Stewart celebrates his maiden first-class wicket•Getty Images

For Kent, the final session completely changed their outlook after they had been frustratingly short of their best for the previous two.In his first Championship appearance of the season, following an underwhelming stint with the Chennai Super Kings and some drinks-carrying for England, Sam Billings won the toss and chose to bat. It looked a poor decision: Tim Murtagh and Harris started well with the new ball, the latter trapping Dickson leg before in the first half-hour.But the innings was one of loose shots, with the in-form pair of Heino Kuhn and Joe Denly both failing to kick on after getting in. Billings himself led the way in this department: after a high-elbow, hold-the-pose drive through extra cover for four before lunch and a kiss-the-surface punch down the ground off Murtagh, the runs dried up for him after the interval.”Go on then,” Murtagh’s fourth-stump line said to the captain, “do something stupid.” Billings duly obliged, and chipped to short cover for 17. Dragging himself off the field to the members’ silence, he could not have envisioned the scene four hours later: Billings barely able to conceal his Chesire-cat grin, as Stewart led the sides off with Kent in complete control.

England coach Trevor Bayliss hopes that Alex Hales is brave enough to reverse his decision to pursue a white-ball-only career if it does not work out for him

Andrew McGlashan in Christchurch09-Mar-2018

Alex Hales dropped a chance in the deep off Glenn Maxwell•Getty Images

England coach Trevor Bayliss hopes that Alex Hales is brave enough to reverse his decision to pursue a white-ball-only career if it does not work out for him.Hales and Adil Rashid halted their first-class careers last month in favour of limited-overs contracts with their counties, in the belief it would allow them to improve in those formats both for the benefit of their international careers and also to make them more attractive to T20 leagues around the world.Rashid remains a first-pick for both England’s white-ball sides, but Hales has been sidelined throughout the one-day series in New Zealand following Ben Stokes’ return, with Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy given the opening roles.Bayliss said that he did not have any involvement in the decisions made by Hales and Rashid, saying it was an individual choice, but he believed there could still be an overall benefit to maintaining a red-call career in order to further a players’ limited-overs game.”I said to him [Hales] when it came out, that not playing red-ball cricket, hopefully that doesn’t affect him,” Bayliss said. “If he plays red-ball cricket you get a quantity of balls, and that helps with any form of the game. He had to weigh that up with going away and having the extra time to work on his white-ball skills. Only time will tell. If it doesn’t work, hopefully he is able to make a decision to come back into red-ball cricket.”Bayliss was aware of the possibility of Rashid making his career move from last year, but he was not at the heart of the players’ discussions.”Rash mightn’t have said anything but he might have mentioned it in passing,” Bayliss said. “We didn’t have a long discussion about it if he did. I certainly can’t remember it. But both those guys have their people they speak to at their counties and other coaches here. With Rash we knew it was a possibility from late last season. It’s totally up to them.”Adil Rashid gets a pat on the back from his captain•Getty Images

Although both players indicated they may reassess their decisions after the 2019 World Cup, any realistic chance of resuming a Test career has likely gone. The door had previously not been closed despite Rashid being overlooked for Mason Crane in the Ashes and Hales not featuring since the end of the Pakistan series in 2016. In the last English season, Hales tried to reinvent himself in first-class cricket by moving into Nottinghamshire’s middle and was briefly talked about as a potential option for the Ashes squad.”From that point of view it is a big decision,” Bayliss said. “Basically taking themselves out of the running for Test cricket. That might give us an idea of how they were personally thinking. We can’t do any more – that’s the decision they have to make and we have to move on.”Hales and Rashid will complete their current stint with England with the deciding ODI against New Zealand in Christchurch before the tour switches to Test mode. An important decision needs to made over the vice-captaincy following Stokes’ return. Stokes officially remains the Test vice-captain, having had the role prior to the incident in Bristol last September; when he was forced to miss the Ashes it was handed to James Anderson.Earlier in the tour, Test captain Joe Root said it was a matter that had still to be discussed and those conversations remain on the to-do list once the one-day series is concluded and tour moves to Hamilton for the warm-ups.”To be honest, that hasn’t been discussed as yet. I’m sure it’ll be something Joe and I will speak about very shortly,” Bayliss said. “[Stokes] was vice-captain because of his knowledge of the game and what he means to the team. But I thought Jimmy Anderson did a pretty good job during that Ashes series.”The next stage of Stokes’ legal case takes place on Monday following his plea of not guilty to a charge of affray – with the first hearing at Crown Court which he was given permission to miss because of the ongoing tour.Stokes has made a solid return to the international stage. He took the Player-of-the-Match award in Mount Maunganui, then battled against his natural instincts to score an important 39 off 73 balls on a tough pitch in Wellington, where he also took a super catch to spark New Zealand’s collapse.”We said before, there are always guys around the world who are able to put those things aside and get stuck back into it,” Bayliss said, “and I think we have seen over these games that he has put it aside and got on with it.”In terms of the reception he has received, New Zealand has offered Stokes a soft landing back into the England fold – a boisterous crowd in Dunedin as lively as it has got – but while it has made managing the situation easier, Bayliss believed he would have been able to cope in Australia.”It’s probably been a bit easier for him to sneak back in. With Ben, I don’t think it would have made any difference, it might have encouraged him even more to do well.”

The seamer was part of Zimbabwe’s preparations ahead of the tri-series, playing for the Zimbabwe Select XI against Kenya and Zimbabwe Chairman’s XI

Liam Brickhill in Harare02-Jul-2018

Kyle Jarvis celebrates Anamul Haque’s wicket with his team-mates•AFP

Seamer Donald Tiripano has replaced the injured Kyle Jarvis in Zimbabwe’s squad for the T20I tri-series, involving Australia and Pakistan. Jarvis, Zimbabwe’s senior seamer, injured his bowling hand while attempting a catch during Pakistan’s innings in the tri-series opener in Harare on Sunday.Tiripano, 30, has played eight T20Is for Zimbabwe, as well as six Tests and 15 ODIs. He last played for Zimbabwe during their successful tour of Sri Lanka last year, and was more recently part of Zimbabwe’s preparations ahead of the tri-series, playing for the Zimbabwe Select XI against Kenya and Zimbabwe Chairman’s XI. He took five wickets in six games in that warm-up series, in addition to chipping in with 49 to help set up a 41-run win in the third match against Kenya.Jarvis was ruled out of the remainder of the tri-series due to the severity of his injury. Jarvis was taken immediately to hospital for scans when the injury occurred on Sunday, and X-rays confirmed a broken bone in his right thumb. He is being treated in Harare, with the help of Manchester-based hand and wrist surgeon Zaf Naqui.

أتم مجلس إدارة نادي الاتحاد السكندري، برئاسة محمد مصيلحي، إجراءات التعاقد مع المدافع الدولي محمود علاء، لاعب الزمالك ومنتخب مصر السابق.

ووقع علاء على عقد انضمامه لصفوف الفريق، والذي يمتد لموسم ونصف، بعد جلسة عقدها مع الأستاذ محمد مصيلحي رئيس النادي، بحضور محمد سلامة عضو مجلس الإدارة، وطلعت يوسف المدير الفني، واللواء عبد الجليل إمام مدير الكرة.

طلعت يوسف بعد الخسارة في الظهور الأول: الاتحاد السكندري سيعاني إذا استمر بنفس اللاعبين

وجاء التعاقد مع اللاعب بعد موافقة طلعت يوسف، الذي أشاد بالقدرات الفنية بـ علاء، واصفًا إياه بأنه أحد المدافعين المميزين.

وكان علاء، نجم نادي الزمالك السابق، قد أنهى خلال انتقالات يناير الحالية مشواره مع نادي السويحلي الليبي، مؤكدًا أنه سيعلن عن خطوته القادمة خلال أيام.

وكشف علاء في وقت سابق أن تأخر انطلاق الدوري الليبي كان سببًا في فسخ تعاقده مع السويحلي، كما أن الدوري الليبي أصبح يضم 36 فريقًا، والأمور ليست على أفضل نحو، لذلك قرر إنهاء مشواره معهم.

Worcestershire’s batsmen are heading to the 2nd XI for recuperation after a third successive defeat extended a dismal return to Division One

Paul Bolton at New Road30-Apr-2018
ScorecardIt is only seven months these sides were promoted together from Division Two of the County Championship but the gulf in class between them was startling in a one-sided affair that was completed in just five sessions.Worcestershire, who went up as Second Division champions, were routed twice in the equivalent of just two sessions by a high quality attack who made expert use of a slow seaming pitch.Stuart Broad, playing his first match of the season, played his part, surviving a mid-pitch collision with Luke Fletcher along the way, but he was not Worcestershire’s chief tormentor. Instead it was Jake Ball, another member of England’s Ashes attack, who wrecked their second innings by taking his second five wicket haul of the season.Worcestershire have now lost all three matches since they were promoted for the sixth time and with a trip to the Oval this week followed by the visit of reigning champions Essex, things are unlikely to get any easier.Kevin Sharp, who was installed as head coach following the sacking of Steve Rhodes during the winter, had some difficult times during his time as Yorkshire’s batting coach but preventing Worcestershire from being relegated after just a season in the top flight for the fifth time may yet prove to be his biggest challenge.”We know that there are some really top sides in this division. Division One sides are more experienced and they have strength in depth but there lies the challenge. If we didn’t know before we certainly do now about what is expected,” Sharp said.After a lengthy post-match team Sharp announced that five of his punch drunk top six – Travis Head is the exception – will play in a Second XI Trophy match against Warwickshire at New Road on Tuesday in an attempt to find form and confidence..Brett D’Oliveira and George Rhodes have scraped together just 35 runs in 12 innings between them and Worcestershire’s only half centuries have come from Ben Cox and Ed Barnard at seven and eight in the order.”It hurts and it’s not nice. Someone asked me the other day if I was enjoying myself. I said sometimes because it’s not easy to enjoy yourself in such circumstances,” Sharp said.”I have been at this club for four years, I have seen these lads grow up and they are fine players but they have not performed as yet. But I have every confidence and belief they will come through and by September things will have turned round.”Jake Ball showed England form at New Road•Getty Images

Nottinghamshire have yet to play at Trent Bridge this season because of building work but they will return there to face Hampshire on Friday having won twice on the road.”We started this little block of five matches thinking of it like a Test series of five. We are 2-1 up at the minute and everyone is excited at going back to Trent Bridge,” Ball said.Ball already 21 wickets this season and with a new National Selector in Ed Smith, he remains hopeful of reclaiming his England place after he was dropped for the two Tests in New Zealand.”It’s nice to have had this start having had the winter I had. It’s something I wanted to do. Hopefully I can kick on again and see where we go from there,” he said.Ball was given the opportunity to pitch the ball up and attack here thanks to the early aggression of Tom Moores and Broad who accelerated Nottinghamshire towards their declaration. They pulled out after the last wicket pair of Luke Fletcher and Harry Gurney had scrambled the 12 runs they needed for a third batting point and then set about Worcestershire’s feeble batting.Daryl Mitchell, who has made only five of his 26 championship centuries in the First Division, was bowled by a full length ball for the second time in the match and only Tom Fell, who batted 28 overs for his 37, threatened to delay Nottinghamshire.Fell looked distraught when he was bowled shouldering arms to Gurney and Worcestershire’s version of Kwik Cricket meant it was all over long before a party of 150 schoolchildren arrived hoping to see some cricket before a presentation evening.

da supremo： Tottenham Hotspur’s recent run of bad form was extended in Glasgow last night.

da esoccer bet： Ange Postecoglou returned to the city where he made his name in British football, but instead of facing his old club, Celtic, an intense Europa League clash with Rangers awaited him and his side.

The hosts looked the far better of the two teams, and while Dejan Kulusevski managed to salvage a point for the North Londoners, it was another display that has only cast more doubt on the Australian’s project.

Rangers vs Tottenham Hotspur

Ranger

Statistics

Spurs

41%

Possession

59%

1.49

Expected Goals

0.87

1

Goals

1

2

Big Chances

0

15

Total Shots

12

7

Corners

7

9

Fouls

9

379

Passes

563

All Stats via Sofascore

There were poor performances all over the pitch for the visitors, but there were two that perhaps stood out, with one of them being Timo Werer.

Timo Werner's game vs Rangers

It would probably be fair to say that even going back to when he first arrived at the club midway through last season, Werner has been an underwhelming, boarding-on poor addition to Spurs’ squad, and last night showed that yet again.

The former Chelsea flop started off the left, and aside from a shot he sent miles over the bar early on, he offered pretty much no attacking threat whatsoever, which made life incredibly easy for Rangers’ right-hand side.

Moreover, the RB Leipzig-loanee seemed unable to track back either, so Destiny Udogie was left to deal with the marauding Václav Černý and James Tavernier all alone at times.

It was such a dire display that Postecoglou hooked him at half-time and told the press his performance “wasn’t acceptable” in his post-match comments, which makes the 3/10 match rating he received from the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick look almost too kind.

While this all could sound hyperbolic, it’s entirely backed up by his statistics, as in 46 minutes of action, the Stuttgart-born dud amassed a combined expected goal plus assists figure of 0.09, failed to take a single shot on target, failed in 100% of his crosses and dribbles, lost 100% of his duels, lost the ball 18 times was unable to play a single key pass and only completed 69% of his passes.

Werner’s game in numbers

Minutes

46′

Expected Goals

0.05

Expected Assists

0.04

Shots on Target

0

Dribbles (Complete)

3 (0)

Duels (Won)

5 (0)

Crosses (Accurate)

2 (0)

Lost Possession

16

Key Passes

1

Passing Accuracy

18/26 (69%)

All Stats via Sofascore

In all, it was an abysmal showing from the 28-year-old, although one of his teammates was arguably as poor on the other flank.

Pedro Porro's game vs Rangers

Yes, the player we are talking about is Spanish right-back Pedro Porro, who put in yet another dreadful performance for Spurs last night.

Like his German teammate, the former Sporting CP ace was utterly hopeless going forward, with the only meaningful contribution he made being a shot midway through the second half, which was saved by Jack Butland.

However, the biggest issue with his game last night was the same problem that’s been singled out multiple times this year: his defensive fragility.

For example, he lost Hamza Igamane for the opening goal and was constantly being attacked as Rangers could sense he wasn’t up to the battle, making Kilpatrick’s 4/10 match rating feel more than justified.

Unsurprisingly, his statistics from the game were also poor, as in 93 minutes of action, the defensive “horror”, as dubbed by journalist Mitch Fretton, amassed an expected goal plus assists figure of 0.08, was dribbled past four times, lost six of nine duels, lost the ball 20 times, committed one foul, misplaced seven of eight long balls and two of three crosses.

Porro’s game in numbers

Minutes

93′

Expected Goals

0.04

Expected Assists

0.04

Dribbled Past

4

Duels (Won)

9 (6)

Lost Possession

20

Fouls Committed

1

Long Balls (Accurate)

8 (1)

Crosses (Accurate)

3 (1)

All Stats via Sofascore

Ultimately, it was a night to forget for the entire Spurs team, but Werner and Porro were particularly woeful and must be dropped for some time.

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Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 11, 2024