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Ed Barnard claimed four wickets as Worcestershire held their nerve on the final day to secure a first Championship win of the season

Jon Culley at New Road23-Jun-20182:01

Kent squash Warwickshire’s hopes of record chase

ScorecardIn reality, the chances of Lancashire reaching their monumental target of 602 to win here were always extremely remote. The fact that no one in the history of first-class cricket has scored more than 541 to win a match in the fourth innings is because, even when the best part of two days are at a team’s disposal, scoring so many runs before the opposition takes 10 wickets is extraordinarily difficult.Yet Glenn Chapple, who has no doubt seen a few potential records fail to materialise over his career, confessed that even he, for a short time at least, while Keaton Jennings and Dane Vilas were making relatively untroubled progress on the final morning, and six wickets were still in hand, allowed himself to contemplate the possibility that history might be made.”There is no point at the start in saying you are going to score 602, it is a ridiculous thing to contemplate,” he said.”Faced with a run chase like that it is just a case of concentrate on your performance, assess what your best chance is of staying in and scoring runs, and ultimately see where that can lead. And I think everyone realised that had Keaton and Dane been able to sustain their partnership into the afternoon it might eventually have become a reality.”But the truth is that we lost the match not because they could not do that but because of two passages of play on the first day.”After having Worcester 81 for 5, we let them score nigh-on 250, which was too many on that pitch. Then after being 77 for 0 ourselves with six or seven overs to go, we ended up five down.”And though we played very well to score nearly 400 in the last innings, when Keaton Jennings set such a fine example of discipline and professional approach, we should not have been four down overnight. So there are things we need to look at.”This is not a story, though, about a Lancashire failure, but about a Worcestershire victory, their first of a frustrating season, achieved moreover with their two leading wicket-takers sidelined, but whose stand-ins – the latest of whom, 19-year-old Pat Brown, is still a student at Worcester University – showed character and resilience on a durable pitch to make sure the winning chance was not wasted.Seeing Brown claim the prized scalp of Jennings, for 177, and Ed Barnard add four more wickets to his first-innings five, gave Brett D’Oliveira, making a successful debut as stand-in captain for the injured Joe Leach, as much pleasure as Daryl Mitchell’s two hundreds and Martin Guptill’s century on debut.”The conditions got better to bat on,” D’Oliveira said. “It did start to get a bit lower towards the end and we got a couple of lbws but overall it was a good wicket and they have some very good players, so it took everything to get those 11 wickets.”Pat Brown getting Keaton Jennings out was crucial, a moment that stands out among several outstanding performances. And Ed – it was a real challenge for him in that second innings and he really did work hard and deserved the rewards he got.”I’m proud of the players. We have been in good positions in a couple of games and haven’t quite done it so it feels good to have rammed home our advantage this time.”They have shown resilience and fight. A couple of years ago at 81 for 5 we might have crumbled but this time we showed we could fight back.”Vilas and Jennings both fell before lunch, Vilas bowled off an inside edge by Barnard, Jennings by one from Brown that kept a shade low and came with added zip too. Jordan Clark and Danny Lamb, whose historic appearance here as a concussion substitute is a footnote not to be forgotten, hinted at grinding out a draw but a double bowling change changed the dynamic in a flash.Ross Whiteley, whose left-arm seamers are only occasionally required, claimed his first Championship wicket for three years when Ben Cox, standing up, took a sharp catch to remove Clark, opening up the tail for Barnard to see off, the last four wickets falling for one run in four overs.

Jon Lewis, the former Gloucestershire and England fast bowler, has been named as the head coach of the ECB’s Young Lions programme

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2018Jon Lewis, the former Gloucestershire and England fast bowler, has been named as the head coach of the ECB’s Young Lions programme, following his interim role at the recent Under-19 World Cup.Lewis, who had previously been assistant coach at Sussex, will take up his new position in April, at the start of the English domestic season.He succeeds Andy Hurry, who returned to Somerset in December as Director of Cricket after three years in the U19 role. Lewis’s first engagements will be two youth Tests and three ODIs against South Africa this summer.David Parsons, the ECB’s performance director, said: “After a full and open recruitment process, Jon was an outstanding candidate for the role after his work on our International Pathway over the last couple of years, most recently as head coach at the ICC U19 World Cup in New Zealand. We’ve been impressed by his leadership, his ability to build relationships, and the high standards and expectations he sets.”We should also recognise Sussex’s considerable contribution to English cricket through the development opportunities they have provided to coaches such as Jon, Carl Hopkinson, Mark Robinson and Peter Moores.””I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities given to me by Sussex since I joined in 2013,” said Lewis. “Sussex will always have a special place in heart.”Since taking on the fast-bowling coaching position in 2014, I am very proud of my achievements, from helping grow million-dollar cricketers in [Jofra] Archer and [Tymal] Mills, to developing a youth pathway so our young fast bowlers can see a way to become future Sussex and England cricketers.”Looking ahead, the Young Lions position is a great opportunity for me to lead my own programme and work with the best young cricketers in the country, whilst continuing to develop my fast bowling and head coach skills within the England pathway.”

Bryce Harper has been on TikTok since July, but he didn't start posting regularly until two weeks ago when he popped up with a tutorial on how to make an ice vanilla latte. Since then he's taken his followers on vacation and showed them banana bread, bagels and… more ice coffee drinks.

On Thursday Harper was back with another mixed drink. This time showing everyone who to make what he calls "nature's Gatorade." Harper likes to start every day with a mason jar full of his homemade concoction, which keeps him "hydrated at a different rate."

Many people assumed Harper's strong season in 2024 was thanks to "wooder," but maybe not.

Lemon, coconut water, salt and water. Four simple ingredients in a mason jar. Take it from Harper, who as recently as 2020 endorsed Gatorade. It's unclear whether he's still with the company, but either way he can't be giving out trade secrets like this.

A speculative look at what cricket’s next decade has in store – from floodlit Tests to international teams in the IPL

Simon Wilde06-Feb-2009

Teams like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka could conceivably play more one-off Tests against each other in future as longer series become unviable for them © PA Photos

Just how radical cricket’s future might be is clear from looking at the past. Imagine we are back in early 1999 and ask who would have thought then that an as-yet uncapped 20-year-old batsman from Delhi, Virender Sehwag, would over the next 10 years maintain as an opener a scoring-rate in Tests of almost 80 runs per 100 balls while averaging more than 50 per innings. Who would have imagined, either, that an England batsman (having already gained fame for winning the Ashes while wearing a skunk on his head) would have introduced switch-hitting into five-day cricket? And who on earth would have said that 20-over matches would take the world by storm? Logically we are in for one hell of a ride between now and 2019.The advent of Twenty20 will prove one of the seminal moments in cricket history. Its major effect will be the end of internationals as the primary goal of every professional player. Instead many players will essentially be free agents, more independent and wealthy than they have ever been. They will be granted seats, and an influential voice, on national boards and the ICC.There will be several Twenty20 leagues around the world – in India, England, Australia and possibly South Africa – plus more exhibition events, like the Stanford Super Series, sponsored by super-rich patrons. These will enable 100 players a year to earn million-dollar salaries from this format alone. All major international cricket is suspended when these events take place.The Champions League, however, may take several years to take root and, given the exorbitant prices for TV rights paid at the outset, may even be junked as a victim of the credit crunch.The popularity and wealth of these events will force Test and traditional 50-overs internationals into change. Test matches will be condensed to four days because five days will seem too long, the tempo of the games will inevitably get faster due to Twenty20, and everyone will regard the chance to save a day and open up valuable space in a crowded calendar as too good an opportunity to miss.In every country outside England most Test matches will be played under floodlights once manufacturers provide a coloured ball that does not misbehave too much. At a stroke this will revitalise spectator interest in Australia and South Africa, but problems with dew will influence which venues stage Tests and when these matches are played.In England day-time attendances will remain strong but this means England will find it harder to win Tests overseas because they will have less experience of Test cricket at night. Generally Test matches will see faster scoring, with the best batsmen achieving strike-rates in excess of 100, and teams will not blanch at being asked to chase down 450 in the fourth innings.Another seminal event is the decision taken by ICC members that from 2012 they will play the World Twenty20 and 50-overs World Cup every three years. These tournaments make up two of international cricket’s three “majors”, the other being the world Test Championship.The Test Championship is basically run on the existing rankings system but with a playoffs season every third year, the main attraction being two semi-finals and a final. These are “special” Test matches, played as two-innings limited-overs matches of 180 overs per side so that draws are eliminated. These games originally take place in London as this is regarded as the most cosmopolitan centre, though the security bill eats up most of the revenue.In defiance of predictions Tests will continue to provide some of the most enthralling matches and remain much loved by television companies anxious to fill their airtime. Test cricket is exciting because, thanks to the influence of Twenty20, batting sides think almost no task impossible and are prepared to risk losing in the quest for victory.The speed at which batsmen score will help keep a balance between bat and ball, with runs per wicket staying at around 30-35, as it has for many years. Those appearing for the main Test-playing nations will continue to record striking personal aggregates. Among those to reach 10,000 runs in Tests will be Australia’s Michael Clarke and AB de Villiers of South Africa, while Kevin Pietersen will be followed to this milestone for England by Alastair Cook.

	Many players will essentially be free agents, more independent and wealthy than they have ever been. They will be granted seats, and an influential voice, on national boards and the ICC

But less Test cricket will be played. Outside the big five who play each other regularly – England, Australia, India, South Africa and West Indies (the latter’s cricket rejuvenated by the disciplines and money brought in through the annual Stanford matches, once Allen Stanford gets the modernised West Indies board he wants) – priorities will lie elsewhere.Under the new Future Tours Programme, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Bangladesh are permitted to play one-off Tests rather than the existing minimum of two.After the disastrous example of Zimbabwe no new countries apply for Test status but several new countries start
playing official Twenty20s, including the United States and a well-funded Chinese team.Sri Lanka and New Zealand among others will be relieved not to play so many Tests because TV companies and
sponsors there had less interest in covering matches and the national boards found the games expensive to stage. Most
of their leading players, in any case, will be happy concentrating on Twenty20s and ODIs. These countries will rarely
deny players a No-Objection Certificate for domestic Twenty20s for fear of losing them altogether.The way for the Pakistani players was led by Sohail Tanvir’s decision in December 2008 to sign to play Twenty20 for South Australia. Pakistan will stage what few home Tests they host in Abu Dhabi or London (security permitting),
as Pakistan itself continues to suffer from a boycott on security grounds. The Pakistan board will fulfill foreign tours, but results are poor as they struggle to put out a full-strength XI.Pakistan also have what are effectively national teams in the ICL and IPL, as do Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. This means that their players can make up for their smaller earnings from Test cricket. Even without so many opportunities against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, Ajantha Mendis, the Sri Lankan spinner, will have little trouble passing 500 Test wickets.The experience of playing so much Twenty20 will help the Asian nations, Bangladesh included, dominate the World Twenty20 and World Cup, thanks to their strength in unorthodox spin, inventive fast bowlers, and greater use of the
muscle-building supplements like Creatin.All round, India, their talent base enlarged through the inspirational effect of the short formats, become indisputably the
best team in the world. They have one of the strongest packs of fast bowlers, several of whom are left-armers. The best of them is Ishant Sharma. India’s new breed of batsmen includes Murali Vijay, who blends a solid technique with the strength to smite big sixes.Australia will win fewer trophies. Their Test cricket will suffer from their board allowing so many leading players time to play in the Twenty20 leagues and their sloth in integrating ethnic minorities, who may follow the example of Moises Henriques, a former Under-19 captain born in Madeira, who signed for the IPL in 2008.

Switch-hitting is set to become as big as reverse-sweeping is now, and the likes of David Warner will see their value rise © Getty Images

South Africa remain strong in fast bowling – led by the world’s best new-ball pair, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel – but pay the price for being unable to produce world-class spinners and lacking imagination when it comes to limited-overs cricket. Their team is bolstered by expatriate Zimbabweans with nowhere else to go.West Indies produce several dazzling strokemakers but their most reliable batsman is likely to be Adrian Barath, a low-wicket player from Trinidad in the style of Shivnarine Chanderpaul. England become a strong Test side thanks to a rich seam of Asian-extraction slow bowlers – led by legspinning allrounder Adil Rashid – who can win them day-time matches at home. These spinners will not be as one-dimensional as Monty Panesar, as multi-faceted cricketers
are strictly de rigueur. Because they continue to play more Tests than anyone else, England lag behind in the shorter forms of the game.Spin bowling will generally have a big part to play as it is seen as the best way of slowing down the scoring. In turn the challenge for batsmen will be to find ways to break the shackles. Switch-hitting will become as common as reverse-sweeping is today. The United States team, in particular, is keen on switch-hitters. In the Twenty20 leagues every team will have at least one switch-hitter, a pattern begun by David Warner of New South Wales, who can bat with almost equal facility left-handed or right-handed. To this end it is common for players to use double-sided bats, which are
currently being developed by Gray-Nicolls in Australia.Wristy batsmen will prosper but what will underpin the games of the vast majority of batsmen will be raw muscle. The open-chested stance will be more common, as batsmen look to free their arms for baseball-style swings. The number of six hits will rise to record levels; in Twenty20s more sixes will be hit than fours, as batsmen go aerial to ensure they elude fielding that is more athletic than ever.Yellow and red cards will belatedly be introduced for slow play, indiscipline and physical contact, all of which will rise in response to the greater financial rewards on offer. The ICC will also consent to on-field umpires acting in unison with the third official.

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.

أعلن نادي نيس الفرنسي قائمة الفريق المختارة من المدير الفني فرانك هايس، للمباراة أمام رين بمنافسات بطولة الدوري الفرنسي.

ويلتقي نيس ورين مساء اليوم الجمعة ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري الفرنسي لموسم 2024-2025.

وشهدت قائمة نيس عودة المصري محمد عبد المنعم بعد غياب دام أربعة مباريات بسبب المرض.

وغاب عبد المنعم عن مباريات نيس أمام لوهافر ومونبيليه بالدوري الفرنسي، وسانت جيلواز في الدوري الأوروبي، ويو إس سي كورت في كأس فرنسا.

اقرأ أيضًا | تقارير فرنسية: خطط نيس في يناير تهدد مستقبل محمد عبد المنعم

ويحتل نيس المركز السادس في ترتيب الدوري الفرنسي برصيد 24 نقطة، خلال 15 مباراة حقق خلالها 6 انتصارات، و6 تعادلات، وتعرض لـ 3 هزائم.

وتنطلق مباراة نيس ورين في تمام العاشرة مساء اليوم الجمعة، بتوقيت مصر، الحادية عشر بتوقيت السعودية.

Among the plethora of issues at Manchester United this season for manager Erik ten Hag has been the inability to utilise a settled midfield partnership to date, with the frequent chopping and changing in the centre of the park having likely been both a symptom and cause of the club's woes.

While the former Ajax boss largely relied upon an experienced trio of Christian Eriksen, Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes last term, it is only the latter man who has been a regular pick of the three this time around.

In the case of Eriksen, the playmaking Dane has started just six of the club's 11 league games so far, while Casemiro had become something of an issue even before his recent injury setback, with Gary Neville notably suggesting that the Brazilian was "torn to shreds" against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the opening weekend.

In his place, deadline day signing Sofyan Amrabat has thus far yet to convince – having been dubbed "off the pace" by treble winner Peter Schmeichel following the Manchester Derby defeat – while fellow new recruit Mason Mount has failed to score or register an assist in the top-flight amid an underwhelming start to life at Old Trafford.

With the wait still on to see when young Kobbie Mainoo will make his much-anticipated return from injury, one of the few figures who has been a consistent pick in midfield is Scott McTominay, with the Scotland hero having shone for both club and country of late.

Having netted seven times during his nation's Euro 2024 qualifying run, the United academy graduate has also popped up with three league goals for Ten Hag's side this season, including bagging a brace at the death to clinch a vital 2-1 win over Brentford last month.

After looking destined for an exit over the summer, it has been some revival for the 26-year-old, yet whether this renaissance continues over a long-term basis remains to be seen, with journalist Samuel Luckhurst hinting that his future could still be uncertain heading into next year.

With that in mind, it is no surprise that a 'midfield turnover' has been mooted for 2024 – as per Luckhurst – with Everton's Amadou Onana among those who could usurp McTominay, and others, in the Red Devils' squad.

Man United transfer rumours – Amadou Onana

As per a report from talkSPORT earlier this week, United are believed to be among the clubs who have Onana on their 'radar' at present, with the Toffees potentially set to be forced to sell some of their saleable assets amid their ongoing financial woes.

The former Lille man only made the move to Merseyside on a £33m deal back in the summer of 2022, yet the indication is that the Belgian star could be up for grabs if Sean Dyche's side do have to sell.

The 22-year-old was notably mooted for a switch to the Theatre of Dreams over the summer – with a £50m asking price having been suggested – although it remains to be seen what Ten Hag and co would have to fork out, with CIES Football Observatory valuing him at nearer to €30m (£26m).

Either way, the Premier League giants could potentially get their hands on an exciting young talent either in January or next summer, with such a deal likely to help freshen up an undoubtedly ageing midfield department.

Amadou Onana's style of play

In a similar vein to McTominay, Onana is an interesting option due to his versatility to feature in a variety of roles across the midfield, as he can line up in front of the back four, in a box-to-box number eight berth, or even as an advanced option behind a centre-forward.

While yet to score so far this term, the Senegal-born giant has impressed with his defensive attributes after averaging 2.5 tackles and recovering 6.5 balls per game from his 11 league appearances – far beyond the record of McTominay, who averages just 1.4 and 3.7 for those same two metrics, respectively, from his nine outings.

That dominant presence is also showcased by the fact that the Everton starlet ranks in the top 5% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for aerial duels won per 90, while his United counterpart ranks in just the top 14% in that regard.

For his quality and style in an attacking sense, it is also interesting to note that Onana has earned comparisons to a high profile figure of United's recent past, in the form of Paul Pogba, with former Toffees man Michael Ball having written last season:

'He has got the talent and reminds me a little bit of Pogba in the way he glides around the pitch with a sense of confidence.'

11 games

11 stats

0 goals & assists

4 big chances created

85% pass accuracy rate

2.5 tackles per game

6.5 balls recovered per game

67% total duels won

7.16 average match rating

Stats via Sofascore

A towering figure at 6 foot 4 – similar to the 6 foot 3, Pogba – the Belgian seemingly uses his physical benefits to good effect having been hailed as an "octopus" by teammate Arnaut Danjuma due to his ability to retain possession and keep opponents at bay.

That comparison is one that has long been linked with Pogba, with the current Juventus man having been nicknamed 'Il Polpo' (The Octopus) during his first stint in Turin, while ex-teammate Jesse Lingard also once noted that you "can't get the ball off him" as "he's an octopus".

Paul Pogba's record at Man United

Such a likeness to the World Cup winner may have United supporters sweating regarding the signing of Onana, yet putting aside Pogba's off-field issues – including his frequent desire to depart Old Trafford when at the club – on the pitch he was an undoubted genius when in his pomp.

Be it his remarkable haul of four assists against Leeds United on the opening day of the 2021/22 season, or his breathtaking run under then-interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – which saw him record 13 goals and nine assists in the league in 2018/19 – there were real standout moments in the Frenchman's spell in red.

While both the club and supporters may have expected more from an £89m investment than a mere League Cup and Europa League triumph, there were glimpses of the world-class talent that Pogba could be, even if not shown over a consistent period.

Of course, the sour end to the 30-year-old's time at the club – in which he was notably booed off against Norwich City in April 2022 – epitomises the polarising status that he holds among supporters, yet on a purely playing basis, the elegant ace could truly sparkle – when he wanted to.

As such, if young Onana is brought into the fold he could perhaps look to emulate the silky style of Pogba, while also adding in his own impressive defensive qualities, thus ensuring that Ten Hag could potentially have an all-round package on his hands.

Perhaps a raid on Goodison in 2024 wouldn't be the worst idea for the Red Devils hierarchy…

Arsenal are reportedly "working" on the option of signing a Premier League club's "underrated" star who Paul Merson is a big fan of.

January looming for Arteta

The north Londoners suffered their first league defeat of the new season last Saturday, losing 1-0 to Newcastle in what was a controversial blow for manager Mikel Arteta. Arsenal's boss made no secret of his disdain for Newcastle's winning goal, which could've been ruled out for three separate offences in the build up. However, VAR allowed Anthony Gordon's strike to stand, and now Arteta must swiftly put that result behind him.

The Gunners also have January to consider soon as the winter window reopens in just under two months time, giving Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar an opportunity to strengthen their title challenge.

It's been widely reported that Arsenal want to sign a striker, leading to links with Brentford star Ivan Toney. An injury to Gabriel Jesus means Eddie Nketiah is Arsenal's only natural centre-forward option, and Arteta also reportedly wants a right-wing alternative to Bukayo Saka. Wolves winger Pedro Neto is a rumoured target for Arsenal to provide Saka some competition, while it's also been suggested that Arteta is eyeing a new central midfielder.

Arsenal "working" on Douglas Luiz

Supporters will be familiar with Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz, who Arsenal were plotting to sign in 2022 but ultimately failed.

The Brazilian, according to recent reports, is a name back on Arteta's radar. UOL and journalist Bruno Andrade have an update on the matter, claiming Luiz is an option Arsenal are "working" on signing. This comes as Fulham take pole position for Fluminese star Andre, another target for Arsenal, and they say the club have "have their eyes on another Brazilian" in Luiz as a result. Liverpool are also keen on the 25-year-old who has starred for Villa under Unai Emery this season.

Paul Merson praises Douglas Luiz

The former Man City midfielder has been praised by Arsenal legend and Sky pundit Merson already this season, who called Luiz "one of the most underrated players" in England right now.

Merson isn't the only pundit to heap praise on Luiz, though, with former Villa defender Alan Hutton telling Football Insider that he could fetch Emery's side a marquee fee following an "outstanding" start to the season.

“I think at this moment in time, with some of the market valuations, it would have to be over £50million,” said Hutton on Luiz.

“He’s at a great age, he’s been outstanding. He could probably play for most teams in the Premier League, with Manchester City being the strongest one.

“I think he ticks all the boxes. I think we’re talking record fees here. Obviously, Jack Grealish’s the highest and he’s not going to reach that, but we’re talking record numbers here for a midfielder.

Likes to shoot from distance

Plays the long ball

“Hopefully he doesn’t, he’s a massive part of what Villa do moving forward, but it would have to be a big number."

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly was spotted picking his nose and then eating it as he watched LA Dodgers take on the San Diego Padres.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Boehly spotted at MLB opener
• Cameras spot him picking his nose
• Proceeds to potentially eat it

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In Major League Baseball's season opener, Boehly's Dodgers started their Shohei Ohtani era with a 5-2 win against the Padres in a historical event for the sport. The match was played at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, creating history as the first MLB main-season game played in South Korea. Boehly was also present for the event and his actions disgusted fans as they watched the 50-year-old in the background.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  In 2022, Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over at Chelsea Football Club after the former owner, Roman Abramovich, had his assets in the United Kingdom seized due to his involvement with the Russian government during the Soviet nation's attempted takeover of Ukraine. Since then, Boehly and co. have pumped in a lot of money into the Stamford Bridge side, however, the results have not followed the trail of money for the Blues as they have struggled to compete.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR BOEHLY?

  The American is not only the owner of Chelsea and the Dodgers but he also owns a majority stake in Ligue 1 side, RC Strasbourg. He will likely remain with the Dodgers for some time with Chelsea not in action until March 30 when they take on Burnley at Stamford Bridge.

The Committee of Administrators has ruled that the BCCI can press criminal charges against players found to be indulging in age fraud

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Jul-2018The Committee of Administrators (CoA) has ruled that players submitting false and tampered-with birth certificates as part of the age-verification processes for BCCI tournaments will now be banned for two years and could also face criminal action from the BCCI.At a meeting in Delhi in May, the CoA deliberated on the existing penalties for such an offence and decided that with a due mechanism to identify such fraud, the ban period should be doubled from the existing one-year period. Age-fudging is a prominent feature in India’s domestic system, particularly in age-group cricket, where parents and even coaches encourage the practice despite the risks of being found out. The loss of two years of top-level cricket, along with the danger of legal charges, the CoA hopes, will serve as a deterrent to any such attempts by players.Under the Indian legal system, it is a criminal offence to provide false birth certificates. The BCCI has now decided to adopt the same penalty wherever applicable. “Players who are found [after a proper enquiry] to have submitted false/tampered birth certificates will be banned from all BCCI tournaments for two seasons,” the CoA said as per the minutes of the May 18 meeting. “BCCI may also initiate criminal action against the concerned player and/or any other person responsible for submitting false/tampered birth certificates.”The decision comes almost three years after the current coach of the India Under-19s and A teams, Rahul Dravid, had called for a regulation at the state and academy levels to stop the “scourge of overage players” in his MAK Pataudi lecture, adding that age-fudging was just as bad as fixing.”The truth is that the player who has faked his age might make it at the junior level not necessarily because he is better or more talented, but because he is stronger and bigger. We all know how much of a difference a couple of years can make at that age. That incident will have another ripple effect: an honest player, deprived of his place by an overage player, is disillusioned. We run the risk of losing him forever,” Dravid had said during the lecture.At the time, bone-density tests were the only measure of determining a player’s age. A centralised database of birth certificates, Dravid had said, would be the way to tackle the issue.