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What the stats have to say about the Australia-West Indies Champions Trophy final

S Rajesh04-Nov-2006

Brian Lara: an average of 26.20 in his last ten ODIs against Australia © Getty Images
Australia have unquestionably been the dominant team over the last few years, but West Indies will fancy their chances in the final of the Champions Trophy. For one, the final will be played at the Brabourne Stadium, the venue of West Indies’ ten-run win in the group stage of the tournament. Also, they have put it across Australia twice in their last three ODIs. In the last three-and-a-half years, though, Australia hold an 8-5 edge. Winning the toss is usually an advantage, but that clearly hasn’t been the case in this tournament – in 20 matches so far, on 14 occasions the team losing the toss has gone on to win. In the four Champions Trophy matches at the Brabourne Stadium, the team winning the toss has won just once. (That, incidentally, was the game in which West Indies beat Australia by ten runs.) West Indies’ batting fortunes will probably depend considerably on how Brian Lara and Chris Gayle perform. Gayle has been sparkling form in this tournament, but his stats against Australia aren’t so impressive – an average of 32.37 from 16 matches. Lara made a crucial 71 in their win against Australia in this tournament, but his recent form against Australia has been disappointing – he averages just 26.20 in his last ten games against them. Ramnaresh Sarwan, too, has struggled against the Australians. Shivnarine Chanderpaul bucks that trend, though – his average of 37.94 against Australia is marginally higher than his career average. If Lara has disappointed against Australia recently, then the same can be said for Ricky Ponting’s last few performances against West Indies – in his last seven completed innings against them, on five occasions Ponting has failed to get into double digits. Adam Gilchrist hasn’t enjoyed much success against West Indies either, but Damien Martyn clearly relishes the Caribbean attack – in 14 matches he averages 53.62. Glenn McGrath has had plenty of success against the West Indians in Tests, but in 28 ODIs against them he has only managed 31 wickets at more than 28 runs per wicket. The bowler who has had their number in ODIs has been Brett Lee, with 32 wickets from 14 games at less than 17 apiece.

After a devastating end to last season that saw them lose out on the Premier League title despite holding down top spot for so long, Arsenal are again right in the middle of a title race.

The Gunners find themselves three points clear of Manchester City in fourth place but one point behind the current leaders, Liverpool.

One of the major differences between Mikel Arteta's team last season and this season is the absence of Swiss international Granit Xhaka.

Kai Havertz has taken the left-eight role vacated by the rehabilitated midfielder but hasn't entirely managed to make it his own despite a recent run of good form.

However, the latest player to be linked with a move to the Emirates could be the perfect fit to carry the mantle Xhaka put down in the summer, Florian Wirtz.

Arsenal transfer news – Florian Wirtz

According to TeamTalk, Arsenal are one of several clubs interested in Bayer Leverkusen's incredibly talented youngster, Wirtz.

The German international has scored four goals and provided five assists in just 13 starts for Xabi Alonso's title chasers this season. He has done even better in the Europa League, scoring two goals and providing four assists, per WhoScored.

This isn't new, however, as the 20-year-old has been influencing games for a few years now, registering ten Bundesliga goal involvements for the first time back in the 2020/21 season.

Unsurprisingly, with consistent performances such as this, the German maestro has a hefty price tag attached to him, with Sky Sports Germany reporting that it would take an offer of €120m – about £103m – to tempt Leverkusen into selling their star performer.

However, for a player described as "pure quality" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, it might just be worth it for Arsenal, especially if he can take up the left-eight role.

How Florian Wirtz compares to Granit Xhaka

Now, as things stand, the 20-year-old "generational talent", as dubbed by Apple Sports executive Cristian Nyari, plays most of his football either as an attacking midfielder, a second striker, or even as a left-winger. Still, some elements of his game suggest he could drop back a bit and help in a defensive manner as well.

This becomes more evident when you compare his current underlying numbers to those of Xhaka's from last season, as that is the man he could replace.

Surprisingly, the young German actually beats his current teammate in several key defensive attributes, such as blocking passes, ball recoveries and tackles in the defensive third.

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Moreover, his tendency to play more through balls and progressive passes could be utilised to turn over the ball and kickstart a counter-attack from deeper in his own half.

Wirtz

Xhaka

8.10

5.89

66.8 (83.5%)

49.0 (84.7%)

0.91

0.18

0.74

0.54

6.86

4.56

0.41

0.33

0.58

0.81

0.33

0.45

That said, there are, of course, still defensive areas in which the former Arsenal man outclasses Wirtz, but that is to be expected when his natural role thus far in his career has been orientated towards attacking.

Ultimately, the Gunners are going to need to find a new number eight at some point, and with Wirtz's age profile and promising numbers, there is every chance that Arteta could mould him into that player.

Pacer snuffs out Indian chase, after Elyse Villani and Beth Mooney’s Australian record third-wicket stand in T20Is fires visiting team to a hefty 186

The Report by Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai26-Mar-2018
ScorecardMegan Schutt can’t believe her luck after dismissing Mithali Raj•BCCIAn Australian record T20I partnership for the third wicket between Elyse Villani and Beth Mooney, followed by a hat-trick from Megan Schutt, who became the first Australian woman to accomplish the feat, consigned India to a 36-run defeat and knocked them out of the triangular series in Mumbai.Schutt dented the Indian chase early by sending back the two openers in her first over. Having begun the over by conceding 10 runs off the first four balls, she bowled Smriti Mandhana, India’s most prolific batsman this series, who backed away to a full ball that deflected off the back boot onto leg stump, and then shattered the base of Mithali Raj’s off stump, when the batsman wafted at an inswinger that ricocheted off the inside edge. Then, returning after a change in ends two overs later, Schutt had Deepti Sharma hole out to mid-off on the first delivery, as India were reduced to 26 for 3.Jemimah Rodrigues, however, pulled India back and kept them fighting. Promoted to open the batting for the first time in the series, the 17-year old crunched eight fours on her way to becoming the youngest Indian to smash a T20I half-century. After being reprieved on 22, Rodrigues whipped Amanda-Jade Wellington past deep midwicket off her 39th delivery to bring up the landmark. It was her maiden international fifty.However, soon after, Rodrigues picked out Schutt at long-off in the 13th over. It ended a 54-run fourth-wicket stand with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who struck two fours and a six before perishing for 33 in the next over, trying to force the pace.With India languishing a 97 for 5 in the steep chase, allrounder Anuja Patil (38 off 26 balls) and Pooja Vastrakar (19 off 14 balls) got together for an unbroken half-century stand that hauled India to 150. But it was well short of the target as India suffered their third straight loss of the series and sixth straight defeat this home season.Like India, Australia lost two early wickets, but Villani and Mooney strung together 114 for the third wicket. The duo rebuilt after medium-pacer Vastrakar had dismissed Alyssa Healy and Ashleigh Gardner inside the fourth over.Mooney’s ingenious scoops, deft strokes square of the wicket and tempered heaves through deep midwicket earned her eight fours en route to a 46-ball 71, while Villani smashed through the cover region at will to wear down India’s six-prong attack.The duo punished an errant India. When Jhulan Goswami returned for her second spell in the 15th over, she was penalised with a no-ball on account of five fielders outside the ring, and was then taken apart for a hat-trick of fours by Villani. The first of those gave Villani her 10th T20I fifty, off 35 deliveries. She followed it up with a slash to third man, and a drive past mid-off. To end the over, Mooney whisked a low full-toss to long-on to bring up her second half-century in the format.Australia amassed 45 runs off the last five overs at the cost of three wickets. Both Villani and Mooney fell to catches by Rodrigues. Their partnership, which lasted 70 balls, was built at 9.77 runs per over.Left-arm spinner Radha Yadav, coming in for the injured Rajeshwari Gayakwad, picked her maiden international wicket when Ellyse Perry holed out to long-on, where Mandhana completed a catch at the edge of the boundary on the second attempt. Cameos from Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes gave Australia a strong finish to the innings.

In a bizarre turn of events, the BCCI website (www.bcci.tv) went blank on a memorable weekend for Indian cricket because someone failed to pay the renewal fee for the domain registration. And that someone happens to be Lalit Modi, who’s been a persona-non-grata for the BCCI for close to five years.The site went down while India’s Under-19 team was winning the junior World Cup on Saturday and the blackout lasted for nearly 24 hours, during which the seniors drubbed South Africa to take a 2-0 lead in the ODI series. And the BCCI officials could do nothing but wait because the domain is owned by Modi, who was banned by the board in 2013 and has been living in London since then as various government agencies pursue cases of financial irregularities against him.The story dates back to 2007 when, in an illustration of how the board operated then, Modi, who was then one of the board’s vice-presidents, registered numerous domains on behalf of the BCCI’s various properties including the IPL under his own name instead of BCCI’s.According to a BCCI official, Modi registered almost 100 domains and got the costs reimbursed by the board.Modi, speaking to ESPNcricinfo, denied that he had been reimbursed for the domains.* The money he got from the BCCI was solely for the third-party content that was hosted on the board’s website a decade ago, he said: “I got reimbursed only for the content that was managed by a third party, which I had paid for.”According to Modi, in 2006 there was an offer made by a third party, which wanted to sell the domain name bcci.com. However the BCCI, Modi said, did not want to buy that domain. “Then they wanted [to] use bcci.tv, which they are using. I pay for the servers. I am not taking their money.”I registered many, many websites under my names. I paid for them, I ran them.” He pointed out that he had been in the business of buying and owning domain names well before he came to the BCCI. In 1997, he had bought the domain name Indian Cricket League, which was eventually used by the unsanctioned T20 league owned and operated by the Zee Group.Modi said the BCCI has since approached him to buy the IPL website (www.iplt20.com) off him, but he refused to sell. “They can’t force me to sell my website.”Following the removal of Modi in 2013, the BCCI had approached the Bombay High Court to reclaim the domains while accusing Modi of breach of trust. The court said that pending a final decision, all the payments for the various domain accounts should be put on auto-renewal on a credit card owned by Modi.According to the BCCI official it was likely that Modi had changed the credit card and hence the payment was rejected. By late Sunday the website was functioning once again, although users continued to face issues outside of India.The BCCI official said that as soon as a red flag was raised late on Saturday, it chased Modi, who assured it that the payment would be done. The board official also said without the court taking a final decision, the BCCI was helpless if any such issue flared up in future. “The court has said that till a final order is given on the ownership [of the BCCI domain names] Lalit Modi will need to provide for the services of the websites,” the official said. “So the onus to renew is on them [Modi].”Modi said this shutdown was merely a case of a clerical error: “It was not my payment. It was going through a sub-agent who had issues with his card.”*

Everton will need to further supplement their attacking ranks this summer to hit the ground running this season, with Sean Dyche setting his sights on Southampton striker Che Adams.

Who are Everton signing this summer?

According to multiple sources – including BBC Sport – the Toffees are closing on a deal for Sporting Lisbon striker Youssef Chermiti, aged 19, who broke into first-team contention last term.

Ashley Young has already been signed on a free transfer while Arnaut Danjuma arrives on a one-year loan transfer, but a recognised and established centre-forward would also be well-received as Everton strive to avoid another season mired in relegation troubles.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

And so, Adams – who was relegated with Saints last season – is also being considered for transfer, with Football Insider revealing the Merseyside outfit have a genuine interest in the Scotland international, with Premier League rivals Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers also in pursuit.

Should Everton sign Che Adams?

Adams penned a deal with the south coast club for £15m from Birmingham City in 2019, and has scored 31 goals and supplied 15 assists from 145 outings across all competitions.

Once quirkily likened to "the ketchup bottle phenomenon" by former manager Ralph Hasenhuttl for maintaining his hunger for goals despite a concerning goal drought, Adams is the tenacious and multi-skilled striker Everton could benefit from.

He suffered an injury-disrupted campaign as Southampton fell into the second tier, but still plundered five goals and three assists from 23 starts, as per Sofascore, forging 1.7 shots and 0.9 key passes per match.

To compare this to Dyche's attacking options last term, Maupay scored once, averaging 1.2 shots and 0.3 key passes per match, while Dominic Calvert-Lewin only scored twice as he fought his own fight against injury, though did average 1.8 shots and 0.5 key passes per outing.

As per FBref, Adams is interestingly considered the most comparable player to Roma striker Tammy Abraham, and given the former Chelsea ace's dynamism and variety in attacking approach, Dyche could certainly benefit from adding a similar player to the ranks.

Abraham was once described as "incredible" by former manager Frank Lampard, and has impressed during his time in Italy, scoring 36 goals and supplying 12 assists from 107 appearances, winning the Conference League in the 21/22 campaign.

The 11-cap England international averaged 1.6 shots and 0.9 key passes per game last season and as such boasts a similar profile to Adams, which would only play in Everton's favour.

There is a cautious optimism that Calvert-Lewin will play a major role in the forthcoming campaign, and has been partaking in a new summer fitness regime to build his resilience.

The 6 foot 2 focal point will be the team's main goal-grabber if he can indeed put his medical issues behind him, and Adams could prove to be the perfect partner, offering a more dynamic, multi-faceted threat.

Abrahams once claimed that Jose Mourinho's tutelage in Rome was turning him into a "monster", and perhaps Dyche can play to Adams' strengths to a similar effect.

An update has emerged on Southampton and their plans to bolster their playing squad ahead of the 2023/24 Championship campaign…

What's the latest Southampton transfer news?

According to talkSPORT, the Saints are the favourites to secure a deal to sign Norwich City right-back Max Aarons before the end of the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the club are 'lining' up a swoop for the England U21 international to potentially replace Tino Livramento at St. Mary's.

This comes amid The Northern Echo stating that Newcastle United are set to make a renewed effort to land the former Chelsea academy prodigy from Southampton. His exit would leave a vacant spot in the squad for Aarons to potentially come in and fill.

How good is Max Aarons?

The Canaries starlet is an experienced defender in spite of the fact that he is only 23.

Aarons has made 213 first-team appearances for Norwich throughout his career to date, which includes 70 Premier League matches, and has been capped a whopping 27 times by England at U21 level.

Bringing the full-back in would be a masterclass of a move by Russell Martin as the Saints head coach could use his connections with his former club to secure a fantastic signing.

Martin, who once played alongside Aarons in a U23 match for Norwich, spent nine years at Carrow Road and Southampton could now benefit from his relationship with the Yellows.

Signing the former Luton Town academy prospect could ease the possible blow of losing Livramento as he has proven himself to be capable of excelling in a promotion-winning team at this level.

Aarons has been promoted as a title-winner in the Championship twice in his career and caught the eye with his displays during their 2020/21 success.

The £29k-per-week full-back averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.97 across 45 appearances as he created 1.4 chances per game, which would have placed him second within the Saints squad last term, as he helped his team to keep 17 clean sheets.

Livramento, who has never played at Championship level, averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.85 across 28 top-flight matches during the 2021/22 campaign and created just 0.7 chances per match from right-back to illuminate just how creative Aarons was in comparison.

This suggests that the potential is there for the young right-back to come in as an upgrade on the 20-year-old talent.

Livramento has also missed 47 competitive matches through injury since January 2022 and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to steer clear of further issues with his knee after a cruciate ligament rupture.

Whereas, Aarons, who was once hailed as "outstanding" by former England U21 boss Aidy Boothroyd, has only been absent for two games throughout his entire professional career with Norwich to date, which came due to an ankle injury in 2019.

The Saints target is an ultra-reliable player who has played in the Premier League and knows how to get out of the Championship, whilst still having room to develop and grow.

Therefore, Martin could pull off a blinder by using his connections to seal a deal for the young defender, who has the ability and pedigree to be a phenomenal signing.

Benny Howell hit back for Gloucestershire after Kiran Carlson fell nine runs short of a notable Glamorgan record

ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2017

Benny Howell proved his worth as an opener [file photo]•PA Photos

Benny Howell, a limited-overs specialist, has not played any championship cricket this season. Opening the innings for Gloucestershire is just as rare, although he fulfilled the role in 2012 when he joined the county from Hampshire.But when play ended early the 29-year-old all-rounder was only four runs away from a second Championship century, the first made against Leicestershire two years ago. Gloucestershire will resume on 161 for 1, still trailing by 281, with Howell on 96 and James Bracey on 45.Howell said: “It was very pleasing to hit the ball well after a frustrating season where I have been out of the side because of various niggles and injuries. I began my career as an opener, and after today hopefully I can push on and refresh my career in that position. I still want to play in all forms of cricket, especially the one- day format, and I could possibly move up the order and bat higher.”Howell adapted well to his new role, and with Chris Dent in fluent form, the opening pair put on 53 in 15 overs, before Dent sparred at one from Ruaidhri Smith to give wicketkeeper Chris Cooke a straightforward catch.Howell was then joined by 20-year-old James Bracey, a local product from the Bristol area, and after playing himself in, the wicketkeeper batsman played some elegant shots through the offside.The second wicket pair have added 108 for the second wicket, and with the slow pitch not offering anything to pace or spin, and with further rain likely to cause interruptions over the final two days, a draw is the likely outcome to this end of season encounter.Earlier Kiran Carlson was dismissed nine runs short of becoming Glamorgan’s youngest double centurion, when he chipped Jack Taylor to mid-on. The 19-year-old from Cardiff scored 191, an innings that lasted 7 hours 23 minutes.After losing two wickets in the final 15 minutes at the end of the first day, Smith helped Carlson add 97 runs for the eighth wicket, before Jack Taylor took two wickets in three balls, Smith edged Taylor’s arm ball to slip and Marchant De Lange was trapped leg before without scoring.

Tottenham Hotspur may "abandon" their pursuit of Micky van de Ven due to issues surrounding the player's price tag at Wolfsburg, according to Ben Jacobs.

Is Van de Ven joining Spurs?

The arrival of Ange Postecoglou in north London has shifted the mood around Hotspur Way.

There is a new and growing optimism around the club and its supporters as Tottenham prepare for a new era under the Australian coach, one which has been buoyed by several summer signings already in James Maddison and Guglielmo Vicario.

Postecoglou's charisma and attitude has endeared him to players and fans wherever he has been, most recently at Celtic, and the 57-year-old will be hoping that the good feeling around Spurs can last well into the new season.

However, if Spurs defend like they did last season, those warm fuzzy feelings will disappear pretty quickly.

Postecoglou's most difficult challenge will be transforming a backline low on confidence and quality and in dire need of reinvigoration. Bringing in a top-quality centre-back would be a great start and a couple of the Bundesliga's finest young prospects have already been linked.

Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen has been considered the priority target, but talks have reportedly advanced for Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven.

According to journalist Jacobs, however, a deal for the latter could yet be abandoned due to the Dutchman's high valuation, with Spurs looking for a potentially more economical solution to their centre-back problem.

Speaking on The Football Terrace, Jacobs said: "I think Tottenham are looking for a centre-back, we've known this for quite some time. Micky van de Ven is one player that they've been considering and exploring, and price has been a little bit of an issue there.

"So, we know this is a key area because Ange Postecoglou is intent effectively on having ball-playing centre-backs and defenders more generally, but Spurs will abandon their pursuit of Micky van de Ven because of the fact that ultimately price is a problem and they're still looking for value in the market.

"So, that leads the towards, perhaps, Edmond Tapsoba, another one that's been on the list for quite some time. And he's a top target, I think it's fair to say, and the valuation there is somehwere in the region of £40m, some would say £45m. So, they're going to be ones to watch over the coming weeks."

Tapsoba's greater experience at senior level may influence Spurs' decision, with Postecoglou perhaps viewing the Burkina Faso international as a more first-team ready addition.

Jacobs didn't rule out the possibility of Van de Ven still making a move to the Lilywhites from Germany, but it certainly contradicts aforementioned claims that a deal is at a very advanced stage.

How good is Van de Ven?

The 22-year-old arrived at Wolfsburg from Volendam in his home country back in 2021, but only made five appearances in his first season with Die Wolfe as he adjusted to life in the Bundesliga.

Last year was the youngster's breakthrough campaign, featuring 36 times in all competitions and helping Wolfsburg to an eighth-placed finish, missing out on European football to Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt on the final day of the season.

Van de Ven is quick, something perfectly exemplified by a recent clip circulating on social media, and stands at 6ft3 – a formidable combination.

The fact that he is left-footed makes him an even more desirable asset due to the scarcity of top-tier centre-backs who thrive on the left-hand side of defence, while he is also comfortable playing at left-back or as one of three centre-backs in a back five.

Boasting an 87.7% pass accuracy in the league last season, he also ranked in the top 11% for successful take-ons and progressive carries per 90 compared to other Bundesliga centre-backs, showcasing his technical strengths.

If Postecoglou wants a ball-playing, modern centre-back, then he need not look much further than Van de Ven.

Watch more of The Football Terrace HERE!

More than A$1 million in fortnightly payments originally intended for out-of-contract players will instead be diverted directly to grassroots funding until an MoU is reached between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association

Daniel Brettig30-Jun-20175:38

Chappell: No deal a PR disaster for players, CA

More than A$1 million (US$768,000 approx) in fortnightly payments originally intended for out-of-contract players will instead be diverted directly to grassroots funding until an MoU is reached between Cricket Australia (CA) and the Australian Cricketers Association (ACA).On the final day before the expiry of the MoU unleashes a whole host of potentially chaotic scenarios – including doubt over forthcoming tours of South Africa, Bangladesh and India, a mess of commercial and sponsorship conflicts, and the possibility of a host of Australian players heading off to play overseas Twenty20 tournaments – CA underlined its hard-line stance in opposition to the players.Players had been informed earlier this week by the CA team performance manager Pat Howard that they would not be eligible for any back pay in the event of an extended dispute, a warning that was issued at the same time as a reminder that any players playing “disapproved cricket” during the dispute would face suspensions of at least six months under ICC regulations – banning them from participation in the Ashes this summer.Dispute leaves ‘bitter taste’ – Hazlewood

Josh Hazlewood, the Australia fast bowler, has said the nation’s cricketers will have a “bitter taste” waking up unemployed on Saturday after the expiry of the current MoU, but were prepared to see out the dispute with Cricket Australia to reach their desired result.
“To be contracted for the best part of 10 years, nearly, for me, it’s going to be a different stage and we’ll see how it pans out,” he said. “It [pay negotiations] never got to this point before in the past. It’s going to leave a bit of a bitter taste come that date [July 1] but we are, obviously, willing to do what we need to.”
Hazlewood took issue with CA’s contention that Sheffield Shield players did not contribute to the game’s financial health. “They always seem to point out the no crowds at Sheffield Shield cricket but they always leave out the Big Bash that draws in massive crowds every game,” he said. “The Australian cricket team isn’t really a part of that to be honest. It’s solely domestic players with a couple of internationals in different teams. But they provide a great spectacle. That six weeks is just thriving with crowds… I think they would feel disrespected, definitely.”

CA announced the tactic on Friday, a matter of hours before the current MoU was due to expire at midnight, without any sign that either side of the dispute was softening in their hardened stances – namely CA’s desire to breakup the fixed revenue percentage model at the heart of all agreements since 1998, and the ACA’s to retain it.”CA has previously confirmed that players without contracts will not be eligible to receive back pay when a new MoU is eventually agreed,” a CA spokesman said. “CA will allocate on a fortnightly basis all of the money it would otherwise be paying to out of contract players to the National Community Facilities Funding Scheme (NCFFS). This is expected to be in the order of AUD 1.2 million per fortnight.”The NCFFS is an existing fund that supports the establishment of new and refurbished playing and training facilities at grassroots level across Australia… established in conjunction with State & Territory Cricket Associations in 2014 to support the establishment of new and refurbished playing and training facilities at grassroots level across Australia.”CA has utilised the NCFFS to partner with local councils, state and territory governments, and local cricket clubs to make a significant impact in the quality and provision of community cricket facilities. Since its establishment, Australian Cricket has invested AUD 4.5 million into 410 projects worth AUD 41.6 million, which have significantly enhanced cricket infrastructure across Australia and supported increased participation in cricket.”The announcement was accompanied by a lengthy argument against the ACA’s position. “A week ago CA offered significant concessions in an effort to reach an agreement by 30 June,” the spokesman said. “These were also rejected out of hand through the media – again without any discussion – by the ACA. Those concessions were a genuine attempt by CA to address key concerns raised by players, including the inclusion of all domestic players alongside internationals in the share of the game’s surplus.”Over the past months CA has repeatedly sought to engage with the ACA in a genuine dialogue and to commence a proper negotiation process. It is regrettable that these efforts have been rebuffed, resulting in the current situation which CA recognises is not in the interests of either the players or the game. CA is concerned that many players will be without a contract from midnight tonight and this may place significant financial and emotional strain on them and their families.”It is unfortunate that the ACA’s hard-line and inflexible position has not been conducive to delivering any positive outcomes or certainty for players. CA has also been dismayed that the ACA’s rhetoric, both publicly and directly to the players, has burdened the current generation of players with an unfair sense of responsibility for defending a decades old pay model that no longer suits the very different needs of the modern game. The existing revenue share model has achieved its purpose and was never intended to be an heirloom passed down over the decades, never to be changed.”The ACA’s executive and a range of players, both domestic and international, are set to meet in Sydney on Sunday to discuss further action. The Australian women’s team is currently in the middle of a World Cup campaign in England.The ACA’s president Greg Dyer said the expiry of the deadline was the result of CA’s obvious intent to avoid negotiations on any terms other than the board’s own. “Refusing offers of flexibility and to attend mediation says a lot,” Dyer said. “As does the refusal of the CA CEO to be involved. It says they weren’t fair dinkum. It has been a case of divide and rule from the start, and when that failed the threats started and haven’t stopped. All of which has failed.”It’s quite incredible. Reasonable young men and women have been set upon by their employer with tactics not seen before in Australian sport. So, given they will be unemployed, the players have to consider how best to respond.”The ACA chief executive Alistair Nicholson said the meeting with players on Sunday would address numerous issues, including the status of those players chosen for the forthcoming Australia A tour to South Africa. Players are meant to convene in Brisbane for a pre-tour camp on Monday.”Given CA’s negotiation strategy from day one of these negotiations, we have made plans for this possibility,” Nicholson said. “We are ready to roll-out support to the players who need it. We have set aside funds to help players who need to pay their bills. And The Cricketers’ Brand will now be sourcing sponsorships as well. The players also have some very important decisions to make. That’s why an emergency executive meeting has been called.”

Lyon boss Fabio Grosso arrived at his side’s Ligue 1 clash with Marseille sporting a facial injury after fans threw rocks at the club’s team bus.

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Ligue 1 fixture at Stade VelodromeWindows smashed on busItalian coach required treatmentWHAT HAPPENED?

Home supporters gave their domestic rivals a raucous welcome to Stade Velodrome, with projectiles launched in the direction of the vehicle carrying players and coaches towards the stadium. Such behaviour was always asking for trouble, and so it proved.

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Lyon’s bus eventually pulled up with windows having been smashed. Those inside were unable to escape the attack being launched on them from outsiders, with it little surprise that injuries were suffered along the way.

DID YOU KNOW?

Grosso was left bleeding from a three centimetre gash to his face after being struck by shards of glass from the windows that were broken by flying rocks.

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Former Italy international Grosso was immediately taken for treatment, which left him with a plaster above his eye and a bandage wrapped around his head. A decision was subsequently taken to call the match off due to the pre-match incidents.