England's 1966 hero Geoff Hurst says he wants Gareth Southgate to remain in charge following Euro 2024.
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Southgate future uncertainLost consecutive Euro finals Hurst keen for him to remain in charge Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Southgate's England contract is set to expire in December, with many fans and pundits split on whether he should remain in charge. The FA have been briefed in case of his departure but 1966 World Cup hero Hurst is keen for him to stay on and lead the Three Lions into the World Cup.
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Speaking to The Guardian, the 82-year-old said: "I’d like to see him stay. Why wouldn’t you want to keep somebody who has done what he has [done] over the last six years in comparison with the past? But I think it will be down to Gareth – it’s an unbelievably stressful job.
"Jurgen Klopp is taking time off because of the gigantic pressure he had to deal with at Liverpool and you could quite understand if Gareth decided to do the same after so many years and all the criticism that you inevitably get in that job. He will have to discuss that with his family, which is far more important than managing a football team."
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Hurst knows what it takes to win. He worked under the legendary Alf Ramsey in 1966 so has seen first-hand the quality a world-class manager has. Southgate's stocks will have risen with the former striker's endorsement, despite the frustrations of other England fans.
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Ultimately, the decision will lay with whether Southgate has the hunger to continue. Reports have suggested the FA are keen to keep the 53-year-old on but after eight years in the role, he may want to forge a new path in his managerial career. England are not back in action until September, so there is plenty of time to let things simmer before an official decision is made.
Gilchrist rated Paine as being “on par with anyone in the world as gloveman”
Srinath Sripath07-Nov-2019Adam Gilchrist believes Tim Paine is still the best available wicketkeeper and captain for Australia’s Test team.Paine’s batting form in the Ashes – one fifty from ten innings at an average of 20 – has led to concerns about whether he merits selection in Australia’s first-choice Test XI, with Alex Carey waiting in the wings. Gilchrist’s comments echoed those of Cricket Australia chief Kevin Roberts, who unequivocally backed Paine to “continue leading from the front the way he has done so far”.Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Gilchrist rated Paine as being “on par with anyone in the world as gloveman”, and said he has done a “wonderful job [as captain]” since he took over from Steven Smith after the events in Newlands.”[If you look at] what he took on, when he took it on, he in partnership with [coach] Justin [Langer] and all the players have done a remarkable job over the past 12 months to just get a nice, stable balance back. I can’t see any rush to push him out, as long as he’s still performing, like we all had to, to stay in the team. Like every other player, he’s got a hold of his spot in the team as being selected as the best available option for that player type. I think he’s doing a wonderful job [as captain].”Gilchrist, who works as a Fox Cricket commentator, is also a notable mentor for Carey, who recently spoke to ESPNcricinfo about their relationship: “I’m fortunate enough to have a good relationship with him now and I guess through the Big Bash it probably started with him as a commentator and myself getting into the Strikers team. It developed from that. The funny thing with Gilly and I, we don’t really talk a lot about cricket when we catch up, which I think is a good thing as well. We have a great relationship away from the game, talking about footy, talking about family, rather than the skill sets on the field.”Australia have had an unbeaten start to their home summer, winning all four of their T20Is so far, as they build up to the first-ever T20 World Cup on Australian soil, the only global tournament the men’s side haven’t won yet. Gilchrist is backing them to “start as one of the favourite teams” playing at home, “even though 12 months is a long time [and things can change]”. Asked to stick his neck out and predict a winner, he named “the usual suspects like India, England, Australia and New Zealand”, the same four sides from this year’s 50-over World Cup to make it to the semi-finals.”I think Australia are really well placed seeing how they’ve started the summer. They love the conditions, they play well in the bigger grounds. We’ve got everyone available now and probably for the first time, Australia are looking to pick their best XI regularly [for bilaterals] rather than just for the World Cups. They’re probably still working out whether they should play two spin bowlers or one spinner with a batting allrounder like Mitch Marsh or [Marcus] Stoinis.”Ashton Agar is doing a really good job, and if you look at all the successful bowlers in T20 around the world, they’re all spinners. Nine out of the top ten I think are spinners”. Australia have one of their own spinners, Adam Zampa, among the top ten, and Gilchrist is optimistic of their chances given “they’ve got a really well balanced squad” and “have time to work out” their ideal combination for the World Cup”.
Ryan Reynolds is auctioning off his gym equipment used to train for the new Deadpool & Wolverine movie to Paul Mullin's 'Your Space' charity.
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Reynolds' new movie has just been releasedHollywood star auctioning off gym equipmentAll proceeds going to Paul Mullin's 'Your Space' charityWHAT HAPPENED?
After wrapping up his new Marvel film alongside Hugh Jackman, Reynolds took to Instagram to announce he was auctioning off the equipment used to train for the intense role of Deadpool. The Wrexham co-owner has signed every machine he used and made sure to thank his friends at Life Fitness for allowing the proceeds to go to Paul Mullin's charity, which supports children with autism.
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On the Charity Buzz website – used to place bids on equipment – Reynolds said: "Not all heroes lift weights, but they sure can pump iron for a good cause! Thanks to our friends at Life Fitness, we're auctioning off the very gym equipment that had me begging for mercy while training for Deadpool & Wolverine under the expert, and slightly sadistic, guidance of Don Saladino. This gear isn't just drenched in my sweat—I've also marked my territory by signing these pain machines.
"Now that I can finally deflate my muscles, all proceeds will go to the phenomenally fit footballer Paul Mullin's Your Space charity. Your Space supports children with Autism by providing positive social environments and community. So flex that bidding muscle ‘til it’s sore, put some ice on it, and know you are bulking up for a good cause. Welcome to the The Life(Pool) Fitness Auction."
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Mullin is exceeding all expectations on and off the pitch. His charity work provides safe spaces for kids with autism to build a community and excel in positive social environments. Reynolds' contributions will ensure they can continue their good work for many more years.
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Now his Hollywood exploits promoting Deadpool & Wolverine have ended, Reynolds can get back to work with Wrexham. They recently drew 2-2 with Chelsea on their pre-season tour of the US and will continue to put in the work ahead of their campaign in League One.
Would it be fair to claim that West Ham United would not have enjoyed the riches of the past few years under David Moyes' tutelage had Declan Rice not emerged from the academy?
Sure, Moyes would have been re-appointed back in December 2019. And yes, progress would have been made transfer-wise, stabilising an outfit equipped for success but failing to make it all work, like trying to place various puzzle pieces into the right positions to form a completed picture.
West Ham manager David Moyes
But Rice closed the door on his Irons journey with successive Player of the Season awards in his locker. Oh yes, and the Player of the Season award in the Europa Conference League, having played a talismanic part in securing silverware for his London outfit.
His departure stung, not least because he decided to join cross-city rivals in Arsenal, but it's hard to bewail too loudly, Rice catalysed a midfield and lifted it to glory.
Why West Ham hit the jackpot with Declan Rice
Even the most sanguine West Ham supporters would have resigned themselves to Rice's sale following the completion of the 2022/23 campaign.
Declan Rice for Arsenal.
No doubt the Hammers bosses canvassed offers of extension at the London Stadium but Rice felt his skill set worthy of a place at the forefront of the European game and thus Arsenal succeeded with a £105m move, making him (briefly) the most expensive footballer in British history.
Such an astronomical recoup makes it hard to argue West Ham didn't succeed with Rice, but his exploits as a United player would have cemented him in the club's hall of modern greats had he left for a pittance, with Jack Wilshere gushing back in 2021 that "physically he's a freak, and technically he can do anything that he wants."
He amassed 245 appearances for West Ham after graduating from the academy and became synonymous with the side's resurgence under Moyes, fuelling the team from the nucleus of the pitch and dazzling with his high-energy, all-embracing midfield approach.
He's the creme-de-la-creme, but West Ham thought they had an even bigger talent on their hands in the early days of Rice's career.
They thought so, but Reece Oxford proved to fall by the wayside on English shores.
Why Reece Oxford failed at West Ham
Oxford was one of the hottest prospects around after making his Premier League debut as a 16-year-old in the 2015/16 Premier League opener against Arsenal, with West Ham securing a stunning victory at the Emirates Stadium.
GK – Adrian
RB – James Tomkins
CB – Winston Reid
CB – Angelo Ogbonna
LB – Aaron Cresswell
DM – Reece Oxford
CM – Mark Noble
CM – Cheikou Kouyate
AM – Dimitri Payet
CF – Mauro Zarate
CF – Diafra Sakho
Speaking of his performance after the match, Irons gaffer Slaven Bilic was bewildered by his young talent, remarking: “The boy has got everything. Everything. Let’s be fair. Ozil, Cazorla, and Ramsey are world-class players. It’s not easy to minimize their game. He’s definitely going to make it if he progresses and keeps his feet on the ground.”
Oxford made six further Premier League appearances that year but has featured only once in the English top-flight since, completing a series of indifferent loan spells with Reading and Borussia Monchengladbach before attracting Augsburg's attention, embarking on a temporary move in 2018/19 before completing a permanent transfer with the German Bundesliga side for around £3m.
Reece Oxford on his West Ham debut
The former England U20 international has now amassed 80 appearances for the Fuggerstädter, which evens out at 13.3 features per campaign.
Reece Oxford's market value in 2024
Sadly, injuries and setbacks relating to long Covid have hindered a once-promising career, and while Oxford has enjoyed comparative success in Germany, notably starting 30 Bundesliga matches in 2021/22 as his outfit swerved the clamp of the drop zone, he's played just three times since the start of last season.
As such, the 25-year-old is currently valued at just £2m – according to Football Transfers' player valuation model, actually marking him with a price tag below Ben Johnson, who is valued at £4m.
West Ham's Ben Johnson
Johnson plays his part in West Ham's system but he's probably one of Moyes' more expendable cogs, with the 24-year-old full-back starting just four Premier League games all season.
While Oxford's market price never shot up exponentially, he was expected to go to big things, having once actually been considered a bigger talent than Rice.
Indeed, according to a pensive Bilic, the chatter surrounding Oxford after his debut propelled him into a position not just as West Ham's brightest prospect but as one of the Premier League's most exciting prodigies in recent years. He had it all, the world at his feet.
“What helped him was that he was a bit under the radar,” Bilic said. “A couple of years before, when I’d come to West Ham, I couldn’t move around the place without hearing that Reece Oxford was going to be the next big thing.
“Reece made his debut at 16 and we beat Arsenal 2-0, you can imagine the hype. He had an entourage, he got injuries, maybe lost a bit of confidence and focus.
“Dec’s was a different story. He was able to come in without the same expectations. I remember being in Germany on pre-season and walking round the hotel and seeing him with his mum and dad. They’d come over to see him, I had a chat and they didn’t seem the type to want a lot of fuss. Things like that don’t do any harm to a young player.”
Declan Rice in action for West Ham.
It's clear that in those early days, there was such a weight of expectation surrounding Oxford that Rice enjoyed the smoother road, plying his trade astutely and working his way toward the fore.
While West Ham's £3m sale looks to have been a decent deal in hindsight, it all could have been so different, with unthinkable success surely on the cards had Oxford linked with prodigious partner Rice in east London.
At least the club enjoyed the riches of one of these players, but for Oxford, the giddy heights envisaged way back when have petered out.
ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2019December 8Time to make South African cricket ‘great again’ – Faf du PlessisDecember 7Jacques Faul appointed acting CEODecember 6 ECB keep ‘watching brief’ as chaos mounts in South AfricaCSA CEO Thabang Moroe suspended for alleged misconductSouth Africa lose title sponsor as freefall continuesDecember 5 ‘The CEO is out of his depth’ – Ali Bacher on CSA issuesDecember 4 CSA loses second independent director as crisis snowballsCSA responds to SACA strike threat over commercial rights issueDecember 3 Former president, major sponsor heap criticism on Cricket South AfricaCricket South Africa calls for ‘special sitting’ to address crisis
The chances of Manchester United now sneaking into the top four and securing a Champions League spot now seems extremely unlikely.
Last weekend’s game against Brentford was the perfect opportunity to build some momentum going into the final stages of the campaign, but a last-minute equaliser spoiled the party.
The pressure is ever-increasing on Erik ten Hag, with his position under intense scrutiny, and the recent injury to arguably his finest centre back, Lisandro Martinez, has most definitely arrived at the wrong time.
The Argentine is set to miss up to a month of action due to a calf injury, just days after returning from a knee injury that had kept him out for nearly two months.
Nonetheless, with that recent news in mind, let’s take a look at three options Ten Hag could replace the World Cup-winning defender with…
1 The Obvious Option Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire
The Dutch boss will have feared the worst when Harry Maguire was forced off early against Brazil for England, but luckily, his injury is already in the past.
United’s former captain was fit enough to feature on the bench against the Bees, and at half-time, he was called upon after Raphael Varane picked up a knock.
Due to the injuries at centre half, it’s all but guaranteed that Maguire will be involved in the starting lineup, which is a huge boost for United.
In the former Leicester City man's most recent start against Fulham, he had one of his best performances of the season, scoring, making two key passes, and making five clearances.
2 The Tactical Tweak Casemiro
Manchester United midfielder Casemiro.
This is arguably the most unlikely option out of the three, but starting Casemiro at centre half is certainly an idea that Ten Hag has toyed with in the past.
Last season, during United’s EFL Cup clash against Burnley, the defensive midfielder by trade was fielded alongside Victor Lindelof at the heart of the back line, where he impressed.
Clearances
4
Blocked Shots
2
Touches
125
Passes completed
90
Duels won
3/4
Although the Red Devils dominated the game and the possession statistics, the one-time Real Madrid man starred both on the ball and off it, as you can see displayed in the table above.
However, the Brazilian has struggled at times this season in midfield – notably being dribbled past 2.2 times per game in the league – and the tactical tweak of putting him at centre-back could see him return to the “monster” he once was, as dubbed by journalist Muhammad Butt.
3 The Wildcard Option Willy Kambwala
The final option that Ten Hag could utilise is the young Willy Kambwala, who has been heavily involved in the first-team squad this campaign.
Although the academy defender is only 19 years old, he’s already been handed four Premier League appearances, even making his first start against West Ham United earlier this season.
Kambwala is a dynamic defender who’s comfortable on the ball, as shown by his 95 touches and 90% accuracy on his debut, but his lack of experience will most likely keep him on the bench.
However, if Ten Hag does decide to trust the talented Frenchman, then he will be surrounded by experience, which would massively help him through the tie.
Either way, all three options are far from ideal considering the crucial nature of this week's meetings with both Chelsea and Liverpool, with Ten Hag left to rue rushing Martinez back into the fold.
Ten Hag must immediately bin Man Utd ace after 2/10 Brentford display
Man Utd failed to build on their victory over Liverpool against Brentford.
Dhawan is reportedly fit for the decider after taking a blow on the ribs, but Rohit is still an uncertain starter
The Preview by Deivarayan Muthu18-Jan-20205:21
Dasgupta: Rahul could play as keeper-batsman in limited-overs cricket
Big pictureAfter losing four successive ODIs at home against Australia, India finally found a way to put up an above-par total and pull one back in Rajkot. As a result, with the ongoing series locked at 1-1, we will have a decider at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which usually rolls out belters.On the Rajkot pitch, an excellent one for batting, India looked like they might end at around 320, but KL Rahul’s middle-order burst ensured that the hosts got closer to 350. Against West Indies in December last year, Rahul had cracked 102 off 104 balls, in Visakhapatnam in a must-win game for India, and led them to an above-par total. On Friday, he was also at it in a similar must-win clash, although from the middle order, against a stronger bowling attack. Rahul also showed off his fast hands behind the stumps, proving a versatile white-ball package. He will now return to his home ground, with the series up for grabs.ALSO READ: Has Rahul solved India’s middle-order muddle?The last time India played a limited-overs game at this venue, Rahul wasn’t part of the action, in a T20I series decider against South Africa. Virat Kohli had challenged India to bat first there and while aiming for a big total, they lost their way and only got an underwhelming 134 for 9.India have become a more potent white-ball outfit since, but count Australia out at your own peril. They out-thought and overpowered India in the ODI series opener in Mumbai and when Steven Smith and his “long-lost brother” Marnus Labuschange were in control in Rajkot, Australia did threaten to overhaul India’s 340 for 6.On the bowling front, they have Adam Zampa, who seems to have Kohli’s number, and although Mitchell Starc travelled for runs in the second match, Australia carry a well-rounded attack that can adapt to easy-paced, hit-through-the line pitches. However, they will face a much stiffer challenge if they are to defend a target in dewy conditions in Bengaluru.Form guide(last five completed matches) India WLWWL Australia LWLLWVirat Kohli and Adam Zampa share a light moment•BCCIIn the spotlightThe Rajkot scorecard will tell you that Jasprit Bumrah managed just one wicket in 9.1 overs. It won’t tell you that he bowled a sublime spell with the new ball, threatening both edges of Aaron Finch, in particular, and then returned to close out the match for India. The quick had a rather rusty return against Sri Lanka, but he showed signs of his best defending a total against Australia.Since 43-ball 84 against India in Mohali last year, Ashton Turner’s form has tailed off and his scores in India since read: 20, 0, 0, 0, 3* and 13. He’s coming off a fairly quiet Big Bash stint too, where both Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis have been in top form. Ashton Agar, who is with the squad in India, and Dan Christian are also in the allrounders’ mix and with a dodgy shoulder limiting his bowling, Turner needs a sizeable contribution with the bat to keep his spot.Team newsShikhar Dhawan, who had been struck on the ribs while batting, is reportedly fit for the decider but there’s still a cloud over Rohit Sharma’s availability. The vice-captain has a shoulder problem, and it remains to be seen if India will risk him on Sunday or preserve him for the New Zealand tour. According to the BCCI, the recovery of both the openers is being “closely monitored” and the team management will take a call on their participation on the day of the match.On flat tracks, India might be better off with Navdeep Saini’s extra pace rather than the batting insurance that Shardul Thakur provides. And with Kuldeep Yadav also playing a crucial hand in the victory in Rajkot, India might be tempted to give him another go ahead of Yuzvendra Chahal.Also, there isn’t enough clarity on whether Rishabh Pant has recovered from the concussion he had suffered in the first ODI.India (possible): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Manish Pandey, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Kuldeep Yadav/Yuzvendra Chahal, 9 Navdeep Saini 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Jasprit BumrahAustralia might consider giving Josh Hazlewood a game in place of Kane Richardson, who gave up 73 runs for two wickets in the second ODI.Australia (possible): 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 David Warner, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Alex Carey (wk), 6 Ashton Turner, 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Kane Richardson/Josh Hazlewood, 11 Adam ZampaPitch and conditionsAnother runathon is on the cards in Bengaluru and dew could hinder the side bowling second. The weather is expected to be fine for the duration of the match.Stats and trivia The last two India-Australia ODIs in Bengaluru produced aggregates of 709 and 647. In three ODIs at this venue, Rohit had reeled off 318 runs in three innings, including a double-century, at a strike rate of nearly 122. Only Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar have scored more runs than Rohit at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Pat Cummins needs two strikes to get to 100 ODI wickets. He will be the sixth-fastest Australian to the mark if he gets there in his 61st match on Sunday.
Man City's Julian Alvarez is nearing a move to Atletico Madrid, though the deal was in jeopardy at one stage.
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Alvarez agree personal terms with AtleticoDeal in place for £82m ($104m) switchArgentinian will sign five-year dealGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
Alvarez will join Atletico Madrid after finally agreeing personal terms with the La Liga side. It was reported by that, despite Atletico and Manchester City agreeing a fee, the deal was in jeopardy over "a disagreement" between the club and player over Alvarez's base salary and contract length. But the parties have now reached an agreement, according to , and the 24-year-old will sign a five-year contract at Metropolitano Stadium.
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reported that there was a difference of around €2m/€3m (£1.7m/£2.6m) between Alvarez and Atleti at one stage of the negotiations. Los Rojiblancos returned with an improved offer and have now satisfied Alvarez, who will become City's record sale when he departs for £82m ($104m/€95m).
GettyDID YOU KNOW?
The hold-up in the Alvarez deal was impacting the transfers involving Chelsea's Conor Gallagher and Atletico's Saul Omorodion. With the Alvarez domino now set to fall, Gallagher is also expected to sign for the Spanish club while Omorodion may join Chelsea.
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WHAT NEXT FOR ALVAREZ?
Alvarez wanted to be the main man and he will now get that opportunity in Spain. The Argentina international is due a holiday following an extended season that also included appearances at the Copa America and Olympics, but he'll first hope to complete the formalities of his move to the Spanish capital.
The New Zealand batsman rues the team losing the series 5-0 to India but hopes they can do better in the ODIs
Deivarayan Muthu02-Feb-20203:38
New Zealand lose from a commanding position once again
Ross Taylor had made his T20I debut in December 2006 in Wellington along with the likes of Peter McGlashan, Chaminda Vaas, and Muttiah Muralitharan. Nearly 14 years later, in Mount Maunganui, Taylor became only the second New Zealander, after Suzie Bates, to feature in 100 T20Is. After receiving a special cap from his good mate Martin Guptill, the 35-year old marked the occasion with a half-century, studded by three successive signature hockey-swiped boundaries in a 34-run over off allrounder Shivam Dube. Some of those blows had his family, who were at the Bay Oval, up on their feet.ALSO READ: New Zealand cricket is in the best hands with Williamson – KohliHowever, Taylor himself was at the heart of a dramatic collapse – 6 for 25 – as New Zealand lost another game from a seemingly winning position. He admitted that the defeat indeed soured the landmark and looked back at how T20 cricket has evolved from being a bit hit-and-giggle to a “pretty serious competition”.”It’s still sinking in,” Taylor said at the post-match press conference. “Disappointing with the series [loss] and the way things have gone, but nice to be the first one [NZ men’s cricketer] to get there [100 T20Is]. Hopefully, in time, Guppy and co. will surpass me and will set the benchmark. When I first played Twenty20 cricket, we used to play one game and think it would be a bit of warm-up for the one-dayers whereas it has turned into a pretty serious competition. But, no, it was evolved greatly and it’s a honour and privilege to be the first one for New Zealand.”Ross Taylor hits powerfully through the off side•Getty ImagesIn 2017, after the T20 World Cup in India, where Taylor had managed just 91 runs in five innings, he had been dropped from the side. The then-coach Mike Hesson explained that the players on the fringe were putting too much pressure on Taylor.Taylor has been largely out of favour in various T20 leagues around the world since the previous T20 World Cup, but is now back in the New Zealand middle order as they search for some stability. While Taylor did hit a brace of fifties against India, he was dismissed in the last over in regulation time before both the Super-Over finishes in Hamilton and Wellington.The trend continued in Mount Maunganui. After New Zealand had lost Guptill and Colin Munro cheaply in pursuit of 164, Taylor and Tim Seifert teed up 99 together off 56 balls. When New Zealand needed 66 off 60 balls, with eight wickets in hand, the game was within their grasp. However, Saini took down both the set batsmen while Jasprit Bumrah yorked Daryl Mitchell and Tim Southee to seal a 5-0 whitewash.”It’s one of those things where we’ve been there to Bangladesh a couple of times and you lose a couple of times… Different players deal with it in different ways and in saying that it’s probably a good thing that this series is over and we move onto a different format,” Taylor said.One of the positives for New Zealand in an otherwise horror series has been Seifert’s form in front of the stumps and also behind it. After struggling to finish the innings in the early half of the series, he moved up the order in the injury-enforced absence of Kane Williamson and struck back-to-back half-centuries.On Sunday, he unveiled a variety of strokes, including the slog-sweep and his favourite scoop over the shoulder. He had also briefly looked good against Bumrah when he took a blameless back-of-a-length ball from middle stump and swatted it away, bisecting wide long-on and deep midwicket in the 12th over of the chase. Taylor was pleased with Seifert’s progress and said that he will have to learn to adapt to batting outside the top three once Williamson returns from injury.Tim Seifert scored a quick half-century•Getty Images”For him, he has taken his opportunity with Kane not going,” Taylor said of Seifert. “When Kane does come back, him batting at No.4 or wherever he ends up batting, he has got to learn that role and put pressure on the incumbents. I thought he batted well and it would’ve been nice if we had held in a little bit longer, but I’ve played 100 games and there have been what-ifs throughout my career. Not only with the bat, but with the gloves, and the way he patrols the outfield with the angles, he’s getting better and better each day.”Since the innings victory in the Mount Maunganui Test against England last November, New Zealand have been winless in nine matches across formats. Taylor, though, hoped that a switch in format to one-day cricket could switch up New Zealand’s fortunes. Taylor himself has been in stellar form in 50-overs, averaging 63.56 since the 2015 World Cup. Only India captain Virat Kohli has better figures among batsmen with more than 1000 runs in this period.New Zealand will also welcome back allrounders Jimmy Neesham and Colin de Grandhomme for the three-match ODI series, which begins in Hamilton on February 5. Neesham, in particular, has been in excellent domestic form, having won the 20-over Super Smash with Wellington Firebirds and bagged career-best List A figures of 5 for 29 in the Ford Trophy.”Even though it’s a different format, it [losing] still does hurt,” Taylor said. “Winning is a habit…and losing all those tight games. We’re going into a format that’s probably one of strengths and when we do come back to play Twenty20 cricket and Test cricket, those wounds would be addressed. Now, one-day cricket, hopefully Kane’s shoulder is alright, new personnel and some world-class to come back and we look forward to have them back in the squad.”
Cristiano Ronaldo picked up where he left off with a goal and assist against Al-Taawoun in the Saudi Super Cup
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Al-Nassr beat Al-Taawoun 2-0Ronaldo scored and assisted in the winWill next face Al-Hilal in the tile deciderGettyTELL ME MORE
After a disappointing finish to his Euro 2024 campaign with Portugal, Ronaldo got back to competitive action on Wednesday evening and lived up to the expectations with a scintillating display. He was in the thick of the action right from the first whistle and set up Ayman Yahya to score in the eighth minute with the faintest of touches after Sadio Mane bulldozed his way from the left flank.
Although Al-Taawoun did get glimpses of Al-Nassr's goal, Brazilian 'keeper Bento produced a couple of fantastic saves in the first half to preserve the lead. The visitors could have increased their advantage before the break after Ronaldo found an unmarked Mane, but the former Liverpool striker was denied by another Brazilian, Mailson Santos, in the Al-Taawoun goal.
Nonetheless, the Knights of Najd did not have to wait long for their insurance goal as Ronaldo resumed regular service with his first goal of the 2024-25 season. Yahya did the hard work on the right wing to find right-back Sultan Al-Ghannam, and the Portuguese completed the move with a neat finish in the 57th minute. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner could have completed his brace on his return to club football but the woodwork denied him the opportunity.
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Who else? After failing to score a single goal at Euro 2024, Ronaldo put in an impressive showing to shut up his critics. He has been gearing up for the new campaign for quite some time and was even spotted working out during his holidays. Now, the 39-year-old is reaping the benefits as he delivered a sharp performance in the attacking third after several dismal outings at the European Championship.
THE BIG LOSER
Marcelo Brozovic got his marching orders deep into added time at the end of the game after he mistimed a challenge. The Croatian went for the ball but got nothing of it and instead caught the knee of his opponent. Initially, the referee did not flash the red but VAR intervened which forced the official to reverse his decision and send him off. It is a massive blow for manager Luis Castro, as the midfield general will be sorely missed in the Super Cup final against bitter rivals Al-Hilal.
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WHAT COMES NEXT?
Ronaldo will look to pick up his second piece of silverware with Al-Nassr, after winning the Arab Club Champions Cup in 2023, when he faces Al-Hilal in the final of the Saudi Super Cup on August 17.