The teams split points, which means Sri Lanka moved to third on the table by virtue of a superior run-rate
The Report by Deivarayan Muthu07-Jun-2019 As it happenedGround staff work on the covers as rain delays start of play•Getty ImagesPersistent rain and a damp outfield forced the first washout of the 2019 World Cup as the game between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Although the rain wasn’t heavy, it was enough to force a delay of more than five hours and render several parts of the outfield too wet to play on.Umpire Ian Gould and Nigel Llong made the final call at 3.45pm local time. The teams split points, which ensured Sri Lanka moved to third on the table by virtue of a superior run-rate (-1.517). Pakistan, like Sri Lanka, have three points from as many games, but they only have a net run-rate of -2.412.The (no) result means Sri Lanka will have to wait even longer to break their World Cup duck against Pakistan. The head-to-head reads 7-0.Pakistan will now enjoy a five-day break before facing Australia in Taunton while Sri Lanka will run into Bangladesh on June 11 in Bristol.
Manchester United could sign Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix this summer as part of a deal that would see Mason Greenwood go the other way.
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Atletico want to sign GreenwoodFelix could head to United in exchangeJuve & BVB interested in English forwardWHAT HAPPENED?
Atletico are one of the teams reportedly interested in buying Greenwood from the Red Devils after his impressive performances for Getafe while on loan from the Red Devils. United could opt to offload him to the Spanish side and the reports they would be open to a swap deal that would see Felix head to Old Trafford in exchange.
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Felix has failed to live up to expectation at Atletico since joining from Benfica in a big-money transfer in 2019. He was eventually loaned out to Chelsea before joining Barcelona in a temporary deal last year. With Atletico open to signing Greenwood, they may be willing to let Felix leave on a permanent basis this time around.
DID YOU KNOW?
Greenwood scored eight goals and set up a further six in 33 La Liga appearances for Getafe this season. Getafe are said to be eager to keep him, but the likes of Atletico, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund have also been linked. Portugal star Felix, on the other hand, scored seven times in 30 games in the league and set up a further three.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR UNITED?
The Red Devils hope to strengthen their squad this summer as they look to improve on their eight-placed finish in the Premier League this season. Before they bring in new players, though, they will have to decide whether or not Erik ten Hag stays on as coach.
West Ham are now looking at a possible deadline day deal for one club's "scary" £11 million forward as both Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals near moves away from the London Stadium.
Benrahma and Fornals exits could pave away for signing
Earlier this week, we covered news from ExWHUemployee, with the reliable club insider suggesting that West Ham could finally sign a left-winger if they free up space/funds by offloading certain players.
West Ham eyeing late move for 15-goal forward who could cost just £10m
He’s been in fine form this season.
ByEmilio Galantini Feb 1, 2024
The main way that could be possible, as per Ex's information, is through the departures of both Benrahma and Fornals. The former, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth, is expected in France this afternoon to have a medical – coming after he reached an agreement on personal terms with Ligue 1 side Lyon.
The Algeria international, who has become more of a bit-part player under David Moyes this season, could therefore be on his way to pastures new for the remainder of 2023/2024. Fornals, meanwhile, has reportedly agreed terms with Real Betis – but Manuel Pellegrini's side may need to increase their bid if they wish to complete a deal (Dharmesh Sheth).
These developments could come as a promising bit of news when it comes to potential new signings at West Ham, even if Fornals' deal has some way to go. Indeed, their exits could well pave the way for West Ham to go for a new forward before the transfer cut-off at 11pm tonight.
Technical director Tim Steidten has been widely tipped with interest in a variety of wingers over the window, including Sunderland starlet Jack Clarke, Ajax captain Steven Bergwijn, Plymouth Argyle's Morgan Whittaker, FC Norsjaelland sensation Ibrahim Osman and Al-Ittihad forward Jota.
Now, according to journalist Graeme Bailey on X, another name has emerged late in the day.
West Ham looking into potential Sarr deal
As per the reporter, with both Fornals and Benrahma looking "likely" to go, Marseille forward Ismaila Sarr is now on Steidten's radar.
The former Watford star, who goalkeeper Ben Foster called "scary" for some of his electrifying performances in England, could be available for around £11 million according to reports in France.
Marseille 3-0 Le Havre
7.99
Nantes 1-1 Marseille
7.80
Marseille 2-0 Brest
7.77
FC Metz 2-2 Marseille
7.22
Marseille 2-1 Reims
6.87
West Ham are now looking at a potential deadline day move for Sarr, so it will be interesting to see if they advance and finally hand Moyes his desired left-winger signing.
The 25-year-old Senegal international has scored three goals over 14 appearances for Marseille this season, bagging a further assist to boot.
Opener hands Surrey advantage but Yorkshire bowlers rewarded for chipping away on soporific day
David Hopps01-Jul-2019At Scarborough’s second-hand cricket books and memorabilia stall, at the last time of checking, a £25 Doulton China toby jug of Fred Trueman had still gone unsold. Fred would have not have survived a fairly sedate pitch like this one without a chunter or two. “I’ve seen more life in a tramp’s vest,” was one of his most famous utterings, which admittedly was not very PC in the 1950s and is even less PC now.On a day that promised to be groaning with runs, the Yorkshire loyalists who had made the pilgrimage to Scarborough knew they might have to withstand an earnest day’s cricket. Around the country, the weather had stabilised and so had the scores. It was just a matter of which Surrey batsman would make them pay.That accolade fell to Mark Stoneman, who made exactly 100 before he was unfortunate to be adjudged caught down the leg side of Duanne Olivier, not just a strangle but a strangle that deflected off the sweat band of his right wrist as Olivier browbeat shoulder-high bounce from a slowish surface.Scarborough was first claimed to have restorative properties in the 17th century even though the spring water tasted somewhat bitter and turned the rocks the colour of a new cricket ball. Understandably, by the 1960s, tastes had changed – so, the story goes, had the water – but Stoneman breathed in the enlivening Scarborough air and achieved only his second Championship hundred since he was dropped by England early in the 2018 summer.Despite sharing the satisfaction of Surrey’s Championship win last season, it has been a tough route back. This was another nuggety innings, occasionally lightened as he drove overpitched deliveries, and unlike his colleagues he made his start pay. Long before the end, Stoneman’s strength from backward point to the cover region was shining through – 10 of his 13 boundaries came in that region. His hundred was secured in slightly fortunate fashion, however, two balls before he was dismissed, when he edged Olivier uppishly wide of first slip.He admitted that an injury to his captain, Rory Burns, when Yorkshire visited Guildford last month, had probably spared him from a spell in the Seconds. “I earned a bit of a reprieve when Rory went down with a bad back,” he said. “I think I was going to get a tap on the shoulder then.”A walk around the ground at Scarborough is a fraternal wander down memory lane. So it was a day also lightened by chewing the cud with old friends (“you didn’t get my bowling off the square once in 30 years”) or fielding the occasional quiz question, such as the last batsman with three initials to make a Championship century for Yorkshire before WAR Fraine, who struck his maiden hundred 24 hours earlier. Peter (PSP) Handscomb was the answer to that, although as he was an Australian it was tantamount to cheating.Stoneman was born not too far north from here, up the coast in Newcastle, and spent much of his career at Durham. Enough north-easterners make the trip for that to qualify him for a measure of respect. His century was spritely enough, too, of 167 balls, but it was a soporific summer’s day by Scarborough standards – the seagulls were lolling contentedly in the calm shallows of North Bay – and more than one spectator curled up on the grass on the boundary edge and slumbered through a tightly-contested match.The next eight Surrey batsmen were dismissed between 24 and 43 as Yorkshire were rewarded for their diligence. Surrey must have had designs on 400-plus, and at 182 for 2 looked as if they would achieve it, only to be pegged back to a first-innings lead of 35. Two wickets in each of the first two sessions were followed by six after tea with only Steve Patterson, among the frontline attack, missing out.Before lunch, Ben Coad had Dean Elgar playing on to his stumps as he tried to leave alone before David Willey had Scott Borthwick caught at first slip by Tom Kohler-Cadmore – his 28th catch in all formats for Yorkshire this season. “Best slipper in the country,” said a spectator beneath the Tea Room, at which point Kohler-Cadmore promptly dropped Ryan Patel.Yorkshire struck in successive overs after lunch when Patel was caught behind by Jonny Tattersall off South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj – his first White Rose wicket on debut on the way to 3 for 75 – before Stoneman fell to Olivier. It looked as if Ben Foakes and Sam Curran might put Surrey on top, but three wickets in the first 15 overs of the second new ball restored equilibrium with Foakes and Curran both falling to excellent diving catches by Jack Leaning.Yorkshire’s short-term loan deal for Maharaj, who will bowl last on a wearing surface, might yet serve them well. “He’s no Phil Hart,” somebody said, after watching an over or two. Hart played three matches for Yorkshire, but he’s a good bloke and a proud Scarborian; that counts for a lot round here.
FIFA has been sued by FIFPRO’S European member unions as they aim to block the revamped Club World Cup in 2025.
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FIFA face legal actionFIFPRO's European unions take them to Brussels courtHit out against CWC 2025 and congested match calendarWHAT HAPPENED?
The expanded men’s Club World Cup, set to feature 32 teams, is at the centre of the controversy as players' unions challenge FIFA's crowning club tournament. FIFPRO, the International Federation of Professional Footballers, represents players worldwide and has long been an advocate for their rights. The union’s European member branches, particularly the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) in England and the Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels (UNFP) in France, spearheaded the legal claim submitted to the Brussels Court of Commerce. The claim underscores the unions’ dissatisfaction with FIFA’s unilateral scheduling decisions, which they argue compromise players' rights and well-being.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The dispute stems from FIFA's decision to host the expanded Club World Cup in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025. This decision, announced in May, was met with an immediate backlash from both FIFPRO and the World Leagues Association (WLA), who threatened legal action if FIFA did not reconsider rescheduling the tournament. Despite these warnings, FIFA has remained firm on its stance which has forced the body to pursue legal action.
WHAT FIFPRO SAID
FIFPRO's central argument is that the new tournament schedule imposes excessive demands on players, leaving them with little to no rest between seasons. According to Maheta Molango, PFA's chief executive, “The fixture calendar is broken to the point that it has now become unworkable."
Whereas, David Terrier, President of FIFPRO Europe, said: "Since all attempts at dialogue have failed, it is now up to us to ensure that the fundamental rights of players are fully respected by taking the matter to the European courts and thus to the ECJ. It's not a question of stigmatising a particular competition, but of denouncing both the underlying problem and the straw that broke the camel's back."
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DID YOU KNOW?
The 2024-25 season is expected to merge almost seamlessly into the 2025-26 season, exacerbating the situation. The Premier League is set to conclude on May 25, 2025, followed by the Champions League final on May 31. An international window is then slated for June 2-10, with the Club World Cup commencing just four days later, on June 14. This intense scheduling leaves players with minimal recovery time before the Premier League kicks off again in mid-August. Such a tight turnaround is not unprecedented; similar scheduling pressures were observed this summer – with Euro 2024, Copa America 2024, and the Olympics scheduled – illustrating the persistent problem.
The Manchester City midfielder showed his class as the Chelsea-owned forward was denied a third goal of the tournament by VAR.
Goals in either half from Youri Tielemans and the brilliant Kevin De Bruyne earned Belgium an impressive 2-0 win over Romania.
The Belgians looked like they had a point to prove after their Slovakia loss, and took the lead inside 75 seconds through Tielemans following a flowing team move. Romania were thankful for goalkeeper Florin Nita making a number of good saves as they struggled to live with Belgium's high-octane tempo.
Edward Iordanescu's team rallied in the second half but good chances still fell the way of De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku – who would be top of the Golden Boot standings now if it wasn't for VAR, with a third strike of the tournament having been ruled out here. Dennis Man came closest for Romania but Belgium talisman De Bruyne produced a poacher's finish to seal the win; with all four teams in Group E now locked on three points with one game to go.
GOAL rates Belgium's players from RheinEnergieStadion…
Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence
Koen Casteels (7/10):
Was alert to the danger to push away a fierce strike early doors and was a solid pair of hands throughout the contest. Made a crucial save to keep out Dennis Man's close-range effort.
Timothy Castagne (6/10):
Was sometimes caught out of position and his decision-making was occasionally questionable but was competent enough at the back.
Wout Faes (6/10):
The Leicester City defender was neat and tidy but forward Denis Dragus gave him a few problems on the night.
Jan Vertonghen (8/10):
His hefty experience was on display when the 37-year-old made some important interceptions in and around his own area.
Arthur Theate (7/10):
Looked the more calm and composed of the full-backs, as he put in an assured display against the quick-to-counter Romanians.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield
Youri Tielemans (8/10):
Justified his selection in the starting lineup with a rasping strike for the opening goal. Added a lot of quality in Belgium's midfield.
Amadou Onana (7/10):
On the whole, the Everton man broke up play nicely and looked confident on the ball, while releasing others further up the pitch.
Kevin De Bruyne (9/10):
Looked in the mood. His distribution was on point and on another night would have grabbed a hat-trick. The Belgian talisman put in a captain's performance and grabbed a late goal with a clinical finish.
Getty ImagesAttack
Dodi Lukebakio (6/10):
Arguably should have made it 2-0 inside 20 minutes but took a touch too many when presented with a big chance by De Bruyne. Picked up a yellow card, which means he is suspended for the next game. Solid but not nearly as effective as team-mate Jeremy Doku.
Romelu Lukaku (7/10):
His hold-up play was powerful and impressive but the striker is still, at times, a bit slow to react and his awareness of the game around him could improve. Looked to have broke his Euros duck, only to have a third goal of the competition ruled out.
Jeremy Doku (8/10):
Brought his full box of tricks to the contest as he weaved in and out of Romania's would-be defence with relative ease. A big threat throughout.
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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager
Leandro Trossard (5/10):
Didn't offer a great deal when introduced, and was too slow in delivering passes into the box – arguably justifying Domenico Tedesco's decision to drop him.
Yannick Carrasco (7/10):
Went on a superb solo run that nearly led to a goal for his side.
Orel Mangala (6/10):
Was quiet when he came on.
Zeno Debast (6/10):
Did his defensive duties competently.
Domenico Tedesco (7/10):
Made four changes from the side that lost 1-0 to Slovakia in their previous fixture and one of his changes, Tielemans, had an instant impact. They looked sluggish against Slovakia but were energetic and dynamic here to keep their knockout hopes alive.
Tottenham Hotspur have invested a hefty amount of money since the arrival of boss Ange Postecoglou from Celtic back in June last year.
Owner Daniel Levy has invested around £232m on players over the last eight months, with the signings of players such as Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest and James Maddison from relegated Leicester City.
The spending continued into the January transfer window, with the signing of centre-back Radu Dragusin from Genoa for a fee in the region of £25m – with the Romanian rejecting a move to Bayern Munich for a move to north London.
Despite the big investment in recent times, Spurs could be about to splash more cash in the summer as Postecoglou looks to continue his rebuild of the Tottenham first-team squad.
adam-wharton-james-maddison-tottenham-opinion
Spurs eyeing ambitious summer swoop
Earlier this week, reports from Spain suggested that Postecoglou's side had submitted a sensational bid in the region of £51m for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.
The 26-year-old joined the Spanish side for £73m from Ajax in July 2019, with the midfielder establishing himself as one of the best talents in recent years.
Despite Spurs' recent approach for the Dutchman, it appears it may take a higher fee to tempt Barça into any deal for the midfielder.
Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong
Goal reported this week that despite Spurs' bid for De Jong, it may take an offer of up to £85m before Xavi's side even negotiate a deal with any club interested in signing one of their prized assets.
However, with De Jong only having two years on his contract, the club may want to sell the former Ajax man before his price decreases. Given Barça's recent financial struggles, they may be forced to sell some of their key players whether they want to stay in Spain or not.
How De Jong compares to Christian Eriksen
There aren't many players that have had an impact like Christian Eriksen did during his seven-year stint at Tottenham, with the Danish midfielder scoring 69 times in 305 appearances in north London.
One of his best seasons for the club was during the 2017/18 Premier League campaign, where the former Ajax man achieved double figures for his goals and assists – with his set pieces playing a real part in his success.
Compare that to De Jong's tally so far this campaign, with the Dutchman scoring once and yet to register a single assist in La Liga. This isn't a surprise given the Barça man is often utilised as a box-to-box midfielder in comparison to Eriksen, who was more of a number 10 behind Harry Kane.
Christian Eriksen while playing for Tottenham
Given the role of De Jong, he sees a lot more of the ball and is more accurate with his passes than Eriksen was during the 2017/18 campaign. Although Eriksen achieved an exceptional number of assists, he trails the current Barça midfielder when comparing their respective pass completion rates.
The Dane averaged a 77% pass completion rate during his wonderful season. However, Barça's "incredible" midfielder – as dubbed by his boss Xavi – has averaged 91% blowing the former fan-favourite out of the water – ranking him within the top 3% of midfielders in Europe this year.
Manchester United transfer target Frenkie de Jong in action for Barcelona.
With the Dutch international operating slightly deeper, it allows for him to progress the play – a potential perfect fit to play behind Spurs' magician Maddison. De Jong's averaged 3.3 progressive carries this campaign, one more per game than Eriksen, with the Barça man once again ranking within the top 3% in Europe's top five leagues.
That said, in the last few years the Dane has started playing in a deeper role, similar to De Jong, with plenty of similarities on offer last term when Eriksen moved to Manchester United. They both register a similar number of key passes and shot-creating actions from central areas while their preference to stay back is illuminated by their touches in the offensive third of the play.
Goals + Assists
0.21
0.39
Pass Success
91%
81%
Key Passes
1.60
1.58
Progressive Passes
9.89
7.19
Shot-creating Actions
3.91
3.12
Goal-creating Actions
0.39
0.39
Tackles Won
0.92
0.79
Touches (attacking third)
21.5
20.4
With Tottenham looking to go to the next level under the guidance of Postecoglou, De Jong could well prove to be the final player to complete the Greek-Aussie's midfield transformation.
England allrounder resorts to bowling two overs of medium pace on return to first-class action
ESPNcricinfo staff and ECB Reporters Network19-Aug-2019Moeen Ali resorted to bowling two overs of medium pace as he endured a difficult return to first-class cricket following his omission from England’s Ashes squad.After a torrid Test match at Edgbaston, Moeen took a “short break” from cricket – which lasted all of two Vitality Blast matches – having been left out of England’s squad for Lord’s.He bowled 39.1 overs, but only managed three tail-end wickets against Northamptonshire, and surprised many by bowling two overs of seam-up swing bowling with the wicketkeeper standing back shortly before tea.As Moeen struggled, centuries from Dwaine Pretorius and Alex Wakely and an irresistible new ball spell from Ben Sanderson set Northamptonshire firmly on course for victory.Pretorius made 111 on his Championship debut and Wakely 102 – his first hundred of the summer – to help Northants take a first-innings lead of 190 before Sanderson claimed 4 for 13 in nine overs to leave Worcestershire 42 for 4 at the close, trailing by 148.It was a second dominant day for the home side who ground out 123.1 overs with the bat to make 376 before Sanderson seized his chance with the new ball in 17 overs Worcestershire were left at the end of the day.He drew edges from Daryl Mitchell to second slip for 4 and from Jack Haynes to the wicketkeeper for 19. Another one nipped away to flick the off stump of Callum Ferguson for a four-ball duck before he brought one back to pin Alex Milton lbw for an eight-ball duck.It was a wonderful spell of nine overs, five maidens, 4 for 13 which left Worcestershire with much to do to avoid an innings defeat.Northants’ day was set up in the morning session by Wakely and Pretorius, who arrived at the wicket for the start of play after Nathan Buck was removed from the game after being struck on the head on the first evening.Pretorius got off the mark straight driving Wayne Parnell for four and went back to cut Moeen’s first ball of the day past extra-cover. He slog-swept Moeen over midwicket for six but then should have been held on 25 when he lifted the offspinner to mid-off but Joe Leach spilled a straightforward chance.Moeen then went round the wicket and Pretorius sent him over deep midwicket again and drove him wide of point to put Northants into the lead. A short-arm pull past mid-on for four and a flashing drive through cover point brought him a seventh four an fifty in 67 balls.Resuming after lunch on 70, Pretorius lustily drove Parnell through cover point and next ball flicked him past midwicket for another boundary. Leach bowled short and wide and was cut hard past extra cover to take Pretorius into the 90s.A flick against Parnell past mid-on for four brought him closer to three figures, which he reached with a push into midwicket in 136 balls with 14 fours and those two slog-swept sixes against Moeen. He swung Ed Barnard to point soon after, becoming Worcestershire’s third wicket with the second new ball.The first of those was Wakely but only after a hard-earned ninth first-class century.Wakely resigned the captaincy back in May and has enjoyed some reasonable form since but this was his first major contribution to a Championship match.Returning on 63, he began his work for day two with a crunching back-foot drive for four off Parnell and two clipped threes through midwicket. An on-drive against Parnell took him past his highest score this season before a nudged single wide of mid-off brought him three figures.It was a grinding effort on a slow wicket in 233 balls with nine fours and a six and Wakely’s delight was obvious. But he could only add one to his lunchtime score before shouldering arms to a Parnell inswinger and losing his off stump.Adam Rossington also lost his off stump for 1 from a beauty from Leach and after losing Pretorius, Northants got stuck, failing to reach a fourth batting point despite only needing 26 in 11 overs. It was the only disappointing element to their day.
The most depressing aspect of England’s defeat is that so little of it came as a shock
George Dobell05-Aug-2019You’re not surprised, are you?You’re not surprised that an attack that couldn’t dismiss Steve Smith in the last Ashes can’t dismiss him now. And you’re not surprised that a side that has now failed to make 250 seven times in 11 innings cannot bat through an entire day. You’re not surprised that a man chosen to open in Test cricket on the basis of his aggressive batting in one-day cricket was dismissed trying to hit his way out of trouble. And you’re not surprised that a man who averages 64.65 with the ball against this opposition could not bowl them out.The most depressing aspect of this performance, from an England perspective, is that so little of it was surprising. From their batsmen struggling against spin to their bowlers struggling against Smith, the fact is an Australia side with a flawed top-order defeated them at their ‘fortress’ by a crushing margin. Apart from the noise of Australian supporters crowing at Edgbaston at the end of the match – and why wouldn’t they; they’d been goaded for several days – the other noise, figuratively at least, was the sound of chickens coming home to roost.For England were punished here for their prioritisation of limited-overs cricket, their over-emphasis on aggression as the preferred method with the bat and a long-standing weakness in both bowling and playing spin. And if you don’t produce such bowling at domestic level, you hardly give your developing batsmen a chance to learn to play it. But you know this already. Everyone knows it.England were, to some extent, unfortunate at Edgbaston. Losing James Anderson within the first half-hour of the game was a significant blow. Had he been available it would, at least, have been more difficult for Australia to recover from 122 for 8 on the first day.But Anderson’s injury doesn’t excuse their batsmen. And the fact is England now have a long and grim record of struggling with the bat. This is a team that, this year, has been bowled out for 77 by West Indies, for 85 by Ireland and for 132, 187 and now 146 at other times. There should be nothing surprising in another failure with the bat.ALSO READ: Dobell: Four problems England must fixJason Roy charges Nathan Lyon and is bowled•Getty ImagesIt is a long time since a batsman – a specialist batsman, anyway – has come into the England Test side and shone. Gary Ballance promised to do so for a while but then fell away. Meaning that Joe Root, who made his debut in 2012, is the last to do so. While such a judgement may seem harsh on Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes, the reality is they average 34.56, 35.70 and 33.76 respectively. By the high standards of Test cricket, that is modest. And it doesn’t reflect at all well on the coaching systems or pathways.The mentality and vocabulary of English cricket has been lacking for several years. So while Smith has shown the value of grafting and determination, England continue to talk of “putting the pressure” back on the bowler by hitting them off their lengths or out of the attack. So Jason Roy deserves little criticism for his dismissal, as ugly as it looked, as he was batting in the style for which he was selected. Asking him to fulfil such a specialist position as opening batsman is recklessly optimistic.Consider Joe Denly’s innings here. He was beaten by his first two balls from Nathan Lyon; the first resulting in an appeal for a caught behind down the leg-side and the second seeing the ball squeeze between bat and pad and just miss the stumps.And how did Denly respond? He swept the next two balls for four. They were fine shots, too, and Edgbaston applauded them. But Australia knew they had their man. They knew he was sweeping because he couldn’t defend and, within a few minutes, he was gone. For the grim truth is that England have produced a generation of batsmen that don’t appear to trust their defensive techniques. Think of Ben Duckett struggling against spin or Keaton Jennings reverse-sweeping because he reasoned it was safer than defending. None of this is new; none of it is a surprise.But it’s not just technical. Smith is probably not – at least in terms of hand-eye coordination – any more talented than Buttler or Root. But he seems to value his wicket more dearly. He seems to understand that pressure can be put on the opposition simply by keeping them in the field for session after session. And he seems to find a little more determination as a result. It looked here, as it did in Brisbane, as if Smith wanted it more than anyone else on either side. That, combined with his talent, is a strong combination.England had hoped that the usage of a specific Dukes ball – the 2018 version utilised with such success in last summer’s Test series against India – would act as a leveller. In particular, they hoped it would assist their fast-medium bowlers on easy-paced pitches.The evidence to date suggests it will not do so. While there was seam movement for both attacks, there was little swing. And if England cannot get the ball to swing, their attack – at least the attack that played here – is out-gunned by their Australian counterparts. For the uncomfortable reality of the situation is that on quick, on flat, or on turning surfaces, Australia appear to have the stronger game. Hoping to utilise a specific ball tailored to their strengths was a reasonable ploy from England, but it was only ever going to mask the inherent weaknesses within their game.Joe Denly is caught by Cameron Bancroft off the bowling of Nathan Lyon•Getty ImagesIf they really want to improve, they have to mend the domestic structure that has hindered the development of fast and spin bowlers and, as a consequence, hindered the development of batsmen. It is telling that the two leading wicket-takers in Division One of the County Championship are overseas (or Kolpak) spinners. In all, six of the top 10 leading wicket-takers in that division are overseas (or Kolpak) players; it does not reflect well on a domestic system that has been allowed to suffer for short-term commercial interests.Two changes seem likely ahead of Lord’s. Jofra Archer will, fitness permitting, come into the side for the injured James Anderson and Jack Leach will, almost certainly, come into the side in place of Moeen Ali. If Archer is unfit, Olly Stone may be the replacement instead.But it would be a surprise if England made more than two changes. Not because they shouldn’t, but because they will be concerned it would hint at panic. And panic won’t help anything.But some sense of urgency might. And the selectors need to reflect on Denly’s performance here and ask whether he is really likely to score the weight of runs required to shape a series at No. 4. Equally, they may reflect on Roy’s performance as an opener and ask themselves whether that is the best place for him to bat. And they may ask themselves how they can find a place for Sam Curran in this side.There may also be some concern about Bairstow, who has now scored 30 runs in his last six Test innings, and Buttler, who has one century from 32 Tests. But Bairstow has earned some leeway with previous performances and Buttler scored two half-centuries in the previous Test. Nobody will admit it, either – there is no mileage in looking for excuses – but a few of this team are still coming to terms with the emotional hangover from their World Cup exertions. It may well pay to be patient with them.And there is hope. Archer will add an edge to England’s attack and, in Buttler and Stokes and Root et al., there is enough talent to damage most attacks. But cracks are appearing up and down this England side and it feels, for perhaps the first time, as if instead of building toward something, they are starting to crumble and fall apart. Nothing that happened at Edgbaston was a surprise. And that should worry England.
English referees Anthony Taylor and Stuart Atwell faced online wrath for "taking forever" to deny Xavi Simons' goal for Netherlands against France.
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Simons thought he had put the Dutch aheadVAR denied him the goal Deemed an offside Dumfries to be interfering with the playWHAT HAPPENED?
In a highly anticipated Euro 2024 group stage match between the Netherlands and France, which ended in a 0-0 stalemate, Taylor and Attwell found themselves at the centre of a storm following their decision to disallow a goal by Dutch youngster Simons – which sparked significant controversy and online backlash.
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Many users expressed their frustration over the legitimacy and the time taken to reach the decision. The hashtag #VARcontroversy began trending, highlighting the widespread dissatisfaction with how the situation was handled.
An X user, @ToonPolls, wrote: "English VAR drop the first clanger of the tournament. Shock. Couldn’t make it up man. #Euro2024."
Meanwhile, @AnfieldSector, took a dig at Atwell and his team: "Fully English VAR team, by the way. Took 5 minutes out of the game for a simple VAR check. 😂😂😂."
Whereas, @TikiTokaMate, added: "Longest VAR check being with the English officials, imagine my shock."
Furthermore, @SwissRamble, wrote: "'Stuart Attwell on VAR'" must be among the worst words a football fan can hear."
And @PaddyArsenal seconded him: "Every single decision at the Euros was made accurately and quickly then they got Stuart Attwell on VAR."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The critical moment occurred in the 69th minute of the match when Simons scored what appeared to be a breakthrough goal for the Netherlands. His low, driven shot found the back of the net, seemingly putting his team ahead against one of the tournament favourites, France. The Dutch fans and players erupted in celebration, believing they had secured a crucial lead. However, the celebrations were short-lived. Taylor, after consulting with VAR officials, decided to review the goal for a potential offside infringement. The review process was painstakingly long as the point of contention was the position of Denzel Dumfries, who was judged to be in an offside position and potentially obstructing the view of France's goalkeeper, Mike Maignan.
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GettyWHAT NEXT?
The fallout from the Netherlands-France match highlights the need for continued refinement of the VAR system. Recommendations include clearer guidelines for offside rulings, faster decision-making processes, and better communication with the on-field referee. After being spared the blushes by VAR, France will return to action against Poland on June 25, whereas, the Netherlands will take the pitch at the same time against Austria.