Despite his poor series, Adam Gilchrist is prepared to move up a place in the order if Glenn McGrath doesn’t play at The Oval. If McGrath is ruled out Australia will probably use a five-man bowling attack, forcing a batsman, almost certainly Simon Katich, to be dropped.”I would be comfortable batting anywhere,” Gilchrist told . “It’s no secret I haven’t had any real long length of time in the middle but that doesn’t affect my mind-set.”Gilchrist has struggled against Andrew Flintoff during the series and coming into the fifth Test has only 158 runs in eight innings. “That wouldn’t make me more nervous, the fact that I haven’t got runs under my belt, to go up the order.”Gilchrist has batted at No. 6 eight times in Tests at an average of 50.00, including the game at Old Trafford where he made 30 and 4 when Michael Clarke was battling a severe back injury.
Speaking with candour a few days before the Champions Trophy, Brian Lara admitted that West Indies had a long way to go even though all the signs of a team in the making were there. While his outlook was cautiously positive, he revealed that the team would not take even Bangladesh lightly; the last time they met, West Indies scraped through with a few close victories.Lara spoke about his team’s chances in the one-day arena: “We are much better at the shorter version of the game. It’s about guys playing good cricket spontaneously,” he said, before turning his attention to the Champions Trophy. “The most important thing is that when we face [South Africa] on the 18th, hopefully having got over Bangladesh, we’ve got to show we’re capable of beating them. It’s a situation we’re not going to be taking lightly.”Lara was positive in his belief that West Indies would be a good team again, and he touched upon the topic of the team’s downfall. He said it was not a trend that had started while he was captain, but that it had begun as early as 1988, when Vivian Richards – a fierce critic of Lara’s captaincy – led the team.”If you put five or six players who are just 20 or 21 years old to play Test cricket without any experience, you will struggle,” Lara said. “India are playing the same team for the last seven or eight years. Watch the difference between their performance then and now. Eight years back, they were just turning up. Maybe that’s the situation we have to face now.”The decline of West Indies cricket started under Sir Vivian Richards. They weren’t winning 5-0 under him in the ’90s. That has come to the percentage it is now after 14 years. I have to put my hand up and say, I’m in charge – but what can I do? It’s a very tough situation.”I say, chop my head off if you want to. But it’s not the solution. We need to get all the astute thinkers in West Indies cricket to sit down together, take proper measures and plan for the future. It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s not happening soon. It will take a long time.”Lara refused to acknowledge that only the players were to blame for the downward trend, and instead named a variety of factors, namely the administration, as well as tour retainers.”Lots of people only focus on the team, on what the team is doing, and on the performance of the players. But it’s quite deep-rooted. It’s a combination of different factors,” he said. “The administration has to be better. If you have to play international sport, these days it can’t be on a retainer basis. We are getting an extension from tour to tour. A lot of things have to be sorted out.”I know there are so many things being said and a lot of things have been pointed at my direction. But I keep saying over and over that I’m a servant of West Indies cricket and will continue to be so in whatever capacity. I’ve played cricket for 15 years. It’s been my life. Nothing belongs to me. Whatever I’ve achieved belongs to my people and my country.”
There was no containing the delight and pleasure that there was on the faces of the Somerset players after they completed a six-wicket victory over Durham early this afternoon.Resuming on their overnight total of 75 for 2, the Cidermen lost Jamie Cox with the score on 82 that brought James Bryant to the wicket to join Peter Bowler.The new signing quickly settled in and in drove the ball with confidence as he first took successive boundaries off Neil Killeen and then off Nick Phillips.Bowler meanwhile was steadily moving the score towards the target of 195, and brought up the Somerset hundred, and then his own half century, that included 7 x 4’x and came from 133 balls.By lunchtime Somerset had reached 162 for 3 wickets, with Bowler not out 62 and Bryant on 44.Following the break Bryant brought up his half century, his first for the county, which included 9×4’s and came from 96 balls, but was out shortly afterwards for 51 when he was caught by wicket-keeper Andrew Pratt off the bowling of Phillips.Richard Johnson came into join the veteran Bowler , and together they saw the Cidermen home to a six wicket victory, by which time the opener had taken his score onto 67 and Johnson had scored 23 runs.After the game Somerset coach Kevin Shine told me: "We are all absolutely delighted and this win has given us the confidence that we needed, but it wasn’t easy out there. They bowled hard at us, but our batsmen saw us through to victory."He continued: "James Bryant gave a real battling performance and showed what he is capable of. We have got to enjoy moments like these."
Tight security will be in place when the Indian cricket team travel toPakistan for an ice breaking Test match in September, Pakistan CricketBoard (PCB) chief Lieutenant General Tauqir Zia said in Karachi onSunday.”We have planned special tight security during the Lahore Test inSeptember this year,” Zia told reporters, adding that he hoped theBoard of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would be given the allclear by the Indian government for the visit.India is scheduled to play their first Test in Pakistan for 12 yearswhen they feature in an Asian Test Championship match from September12-16.When India played their last Test series in Pakistan in 1989-90, areligious party activist attacked then-Indian captain KrishnamachariSrikanth during the Karachi Test. Srikkanth though was unscathed assecurity personnel arrested the attacker.”We know the needs of security and will not slack in our duties,” Ziasaid.After last week’s inconclusive Agra summit between Pakistan and India,there were fears the Test may come under threats from extremists. ButZia said he was hopeful the match was still on.”As far as we know, they will come to Pakistan in the second week ofSeptember and we are gearing up for that.” The BCCI is intent onimproving cricketing relations with PCB, he said.”Both the boards are keen on improving relations and as a gesture wewill send a Pakistan A team to India in October,” he added. “We alsowant to invite India and Sri Lanka to Pakistan for an under-19tournament to prepare for the under-19 World Cup.”New Zealand hosts the biennial under-19 World Cup in January andFebruary next year.Zia said a four-member selection committee will meet next week toselect Pakistan probables for a training camp for the Asian TestChampionship.Defending champions Pakistan will play Bangladesh in the championshipopener in Multan from August 29.
Rarely do Liverpool emerge from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without some scratches and bruises, and while Arne Slot’s side defeated the Londoners in the Premier League, it was a victory tainted by numerous grievances.
But this is not shaping out to be a pretty season for the Premier League champions, whose successive victory in the Premier League have extended their unbeaten run to five matches, with a win in the Champions League against Inter Milan at San Siro besides.
After a fiery and frantic encounter, Liverpool showed that they still lack the requisite control and fluency to challenge for the league title.
Alexander Isak’s goal should have been a relief, a turning point for the struggling talisman. But Isak got injured in the process of scoring off the bench.
Alexander Isak's misery continues
When it rains, it pours. It is typical that Isak entered the fray after half-time and quickly bagged to set Liverpool on their way against Thomas Frank’s Spurs, only to injure himself in the process of striking on goal.
It looked a painful one, with the 26-year-old, who joined Liverpool from Newcastle United for a record-breaking £125m fee on deadline day, swept aside by Micky van de Ven. It has since been insinuated that Isak has damaged his lower leg, which is preferable to a knee injury, if still deeply concerning.
The saving grace comes in the shape of Hugo Ekitike, whose second-half strike marked his fifth goal in three Premier League games. The 23-year-old joined Liverpool for £69m in July, and he looks every bit the world-class superstar Slot needs to spearhead his system.
It wasn’t a fine performance, but Liverpool got the job done, and the win underlined the calibre of attacking talent the Reds have at their disposal.
Now, an anxious wait for fears of a long-term layoff to be allayed – or not – for Isak, who scored only his second Premier League goal of the campaign.
Isak and Ekitike both got their goals, but it was a superstar on the other end of the field who proved himself to be Liverpool’s main man on a crucial evening in the Premier League
8/10 Liverpool star returned to his best
A fierce attack wins you games, but a mean defence wins you titles. Liverpool have got some of the best in both areas, and so must surely kick on now, having won three in a row in all competitions.
If the Reds are to rekindle their most fluent form, Virgil van Dijk will need to maintain the level of performance that he struck against Tottenham, commanding against the home side’s pesky frontline.
In the thick of the action after international teammate Xavi Simons committed a studs-up challenge and got sent off before half-time, the 34-year-old avoided injury as so many of his teammates dropped like flies.
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He was awarded an 8/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo, with praise drawn to his aerial dominance and quality on the ball, notably winning 11 of 13 contested duels and completing 94% of his passes.
Virgil van Dijk vs Tottenham
Match Stats
#
Minutes played
90′
Touches
90
Shots (on target)
1 (1)
Accurate passes
74/79 (94%)
Possession lost
5x
Recoveries
3
Tackles
1/1
Clearances
6
Ground duels won
2/2
Aerial duels won
9/11
Data via Sofascore
Isak and Ekitike both took their chances, but Van Dijk came up trumps as the focal point of a backline that has left so much to be desired this season, simply incapable of mustering the kind of cool control needed to match or even come close to the feats of last year.
There was much to dislike about Liverpool’s performance against the nine-man Lilywhites, but the important thing right now is to get points on the board, and Van Dijk’s steely form is proving instrumental in getting the side back on track.
If Liverpool are to make something of this season, they will need Van Dijk on his A-game, performing as he did down N17, a throwback to his imperious best.
Slot's own Coutinho: Liverpool lodge enquiry over signing £70m “magician”
Liverpool are looking to continue their sweeping rebuild with an ambitious target in 2026.
Canada Under-19s routed Fiji Under-19s by eight wickets in a comfortable win in their 15th place playoff game in Cox’s Bazar, after bowling them out for 83. Canada needed 20 overs to knock off the target of 84.Fiji got off to a solid start after being inserted to bat, with the openers putting on 26 in 34 balls. Things fell apart thereafter, and they were soon bundled out for 83 in 28 overs. Opener Delaimatuku Maraiwai was the top-scorer with 14. Miraj Patel produced figures of 4 for 16, while Shlok Patel returned 3 for 18 from his 10 overs.Canada’s openers put on 58 in 84 balls, with Akash Gill making a patient 38. Fiji used seven bowlers, but only two of them could claim a wicket.Michael van Lingen starred with bat and ball, guiding Namibia Under-19s to a 15-run win against Nepal Under-19s in Fatullah. The victory ensured Namibia finished seventh in the tournament and automatically qualified for the 2018 World Cup. Namibia, after opting to bat, lost Niko Davin off the first ball, but half-centuries from Lohan Louwrens (59) and van Lingen (58) powered the team to 225 for 9 from 45 overs. That total was also built on the back of a 99-run partnership for the sixth wicket between van Lingen and Francois Rautenbach.Nepal began their chase well, courtesy a 97-run, second-wicket partnership between Sunil Dhamala (59) and Yogendra Singh Karki, but quick blows from van Lingen (4 for 24) and Fritz Coetzee (3 for 34) soon reduced them to 113 for 4. Nepal once again led a recovery through Aarif Sheikh and Dipendra Singh Airee, but the dismissal of Aarif in the 36th over thwarted the team’s momentum; as they eventually folded for 210.
A lower-order fightback from Gary Brent and Elton Chigumbura wasn’t enough to prevent South Africa from coasting to a five-wicket victory in the first one-dayer at Bulawayo. Zimbabwe recovered from a disastrous 72 for 7 to post 206 but the target was hardly challenging for the South Africans as Gulam Bodi, Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers helped themselves to half-centuries, polishing off the target with nearly three overs to spare.After losing Loots Bosman in the first over to Christopher Mpofu, Bodi and Smith added 72, ensuring Zimbabwe could take no advantage of the early dismissal. To their credit, the Zimbabwean bowlers didn’t allow the batsmen to blitz away to the modest target, and the fielders too impressed with their commitment, plugging the gaps in the infield.Smith, playing his first match since the World Cup semi-final, got into his groove with boundaries on either side of the pitch. He used his feet against the gentle medium-pace of Elton Chigumbura and brought up his fifty with a boundary, an uppish drive off the same bowler. However, Chigumbura won the battle two balls later when he held on to a one-handed return catch. At this stage, the South Africans upped the tempo and pushed the run-rate above four.Bodi had the most to gain, impressing in his debut game. He fetched his first boundary with an innovative flick across the line from off stump and kept the runs coming. He impressed with his range of strokes, caressing half-volleys past mid-off and then took on the spinners, sweeping and stepping down the track. Zimbabwe used as many as six bowlers by the 25th over but none looked like troubling the batsmen as Bodi and de Villiers milked the attack with minimum fuss.Bodi eventually fell just after reaching his fifty, beaten for turn from the Prosper Utseya and edging to Tatenda Taibu, in his first match since 2005. de Villiers then took charge of the chase, stating his intent with three boundaries in an over off Mpofu, and even the loss of two more wickets – that of Jean-Paul Duminy and de Villiers – couldn’t bring the home side back into the game.Earlier, the Zimbabwe top and middle order were exposed in their inept display, after Utseya chose to bat under sunny skies. Vusi Sibanda set the pace with some confident boundaries off the front and back foot but he was unable to convert his breezy start courtesy a brilliant catch at slip by Smith in the fifth over with the score at 21.Reckless running contributed to five of their dismissals and Hamilton Masakadza was the first victim, following a mix-up with Brendan Taylor. The arrival of Taibu spiced things up and his urgency to get off the blocks was evident as he took on the short stuff from the seamers. Taibu, perhaps the only world-class batsman in the line-up, sized up Makhaya Ntini with a fierce pull over square leg and in the company of Taylor, settled into a good rhythm, flicking anything drifting on the pads from Johan van der Wath and Morne Morkel.
Like Sibanda, Taibu too failed to sustain the momentum, edging to the keeper for 22. The introduction of Vernon Philander left the home side in further disarray, as he picked up two wickets off successive balls. An astounding one-handed pluck by Shaun Pollock at slip sent Sean Williams packing and Stuart Matsikenyeri was all at sea to an offcutter that sent his off stump for a mid-morning jog.Two more run-outs followed; that of Taylor and Utseya, adding to the embarrassment for the home side. With all the regular batsmen back in the pavilion, Brent and Chigumbura set about the repair work with nothing to lose. They buckled down and picked up singles and twos. After nearly ten overs of nudging and grafting, Chigumbura broke the shackles with cover drives off Thandi Tshabalala, while Brent used the long handle to good effect each time the bowlers, especially Ntini, erred in length. The confidence in his strokeplay rubbed off on Chigumbura. A six by Brent brought up the 150 in style and soon after, Chigumbura took control, outscoring Brent.A couple of spanking drives through the off side brought up Chigumbura’s seventh half-century in ODIs and following it, he proceeded to cart the bowlers over midwicket. A run-out, courtesy de Villiers, ended Chigumbura’s knock at 59 but Brent stayed on till the end, reaching his maiden international half-century in 78 balls. Zimbabwe posted a more respectable 206 but it was hardly a match-winning one.
Mushtaq Ahmed, the former Pakistan legspinner, has been named as assistant coach of Pakistan for the Champions Trophy according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).Abbas Zaidi, a PCB director, confirmed to Cricinfo that Mushtaq had been appointed. “Yes, we have hired him for the Champions Trophy as assistant coach. For the moment the appointment is only for that assignment.”Despite playing his last international for Pakistan nearly three years ago, Mushtaq’s high-profile successes with Sussex have ensured that he has never remained far from the Pakistan set-up, or the selectors’ thoughts. Last winter, he was recalled as one of five spinners for the squad against England; he wasn’t eventually used and by the end of the tour he was helping Pakistan out as an unofficial bowling coach. Eventually, Waqar Younis was hired as a full-time bowling coach later in the winter.And though Mushtaq wasn’t selected for the squad to tour England in the summer, speculation was rife that he would be picked once Pakistan arrived, especially after the spate of crippling injuries their bowlers suffered. To many people’s surprise, he wasn’t chosen for any of the Tests, even though Danish Kaneria struggled throughout the summer. Instead, Mushtaq continued in his attempts to land Sussex a second County Championship title.For now, Mushtaq is back in the set-up, if only for the solitary assignment. The PCB is not yet ruling out involvement beyond that and Zaidi added that the decision will be reviewed again after the tournament. “The appointment will be reviewed on a tour-by-tour basis after that.”
ScorecardAn accomplished bowling performance from Railways restricted Rest of India to a disappointing 223 on the opening day of the Irani Trophy match in Delhi. Kulamani Parida, with 4 for 61, ended with the best figures but the significant damage was done by Harvinder Singh and Murali Kartik.The game was very different during the opening exchanges after Rest of India had chosen to bat. Gautam Gambhir and Dheeraj Jadhav laid a solid platform with a stand of 82 before Parida made the first breakthrough.Once Railways had made an opening wickets fell at regular intervals as 117 for 1 became 179 for 7 at tea. Jadhav reached his half-century but fell shortly afterwards, trapped lbw by Harvinder. Kartik removed Suresh Raina and Venugopal Rao while Parthiv Patel also fell to Harvinder.Parida’s offspin wrapped up the tail during the evening session leaving Amit Pagnis and Sanjay Bangar with six overs to play out to end a highly satisfactory day for Railways.
In the latest round of Championship matches, a record-breaking 341 from Craig Spearman set up a 10-wicket win for Gloucestershire over Middlesex, while 13 wickets from Heath Streak for Warwickshire helped his side beat Northants at Edgbaston. Sussex beat Lancashire by eight wickets after making them follow on at Hove, and 103 from Andrew Symonds helped Kent draw at Worcester. In Division Two, Yorkshire wrapped up a comfortable victory against Durham thanks to a century from Darren Lehmann, and there were comfortable wins for Glamorgan and Hampshire. Notts beat Somerset by 7 wickets at Bath after five wickets to Greg Smith.
Frizzell County Championship Division One
Scorecard Day 1 report: Klusener blasts off after top guns self-destruct – The Guardian Day 2 report: Spearman punishes Middlesex – The Times Day 3 report: Spearman surpasses greats – The Telegraph Day 4 report: Unstoppable Spearman finishes off Middlesex – The Independent
Scorecard Day 1 report: Lancashire lacking leading lights as Adams steals show – The Independent Day 2 report: Mahmood thrashes as Lancs topple – The Guardian Day 3 report: Lancashire crumble before champions – The Times
Scorecard Day 1 report: Mean Streak gets record – The Daily Telegraph Day 2 report: Phillips checks march of leaders – The Times Day 3 report: Perfect Streak shows allround abilities – The Times Day 4 report: Streak revels in return to day job – The Independent
Scorecard Day 1 report: Peters hits century to set tone -The Daily Telegraph Day 2 report: Symonds gets stuck on record – The Guardian Day 3 report: Peters steals the show – The Times Day 4 report: Careful calculations required by Worcs – The Telegraph
Frizzell County Championship Division Two
Scorecard Day 1 report: Dawson delivers England hint – The Daily Telegraph Day 2 report: Dawson puts Yorkshire in dominant position – The Times Day 3 report: Yorkshire seal early win – The Telegraph
Scorecard Day 1 report: Kaneria cramps Hampshire’s style – Wisden Cricinfo Day 2 report: Warne turns the tide Hampshire’s way – Wisden Cricinfo Day 3 report: Rampant Hampshire race to victory – Wisden Cricinfo
Scorecard Day 1 report: Mighty Matt’s record glory – The Western Mail Day 2 report: Leicestershire lifted by Maddy – The Times Day 3 report: Hughes and Croft build victory platform – The Times Day 4 report: In-form Glam stroll to victory – The Western Mail
Scorecard Day 1 report: Heavy artillery from Blackwell – The Daily Telegraph Day 2 report: Patience is its own reward for Bicknell – The Independent Day 3 report: Somerset upstaged by Smith’s inspired swing – The Times Day 4 report: Caddick a lone star as Notts steam on – The Independent