All posts by h716a5.icu

Self-belief gained from Rajasthan Royals stint helped England batsman regain his uncomplicated approach

George Dobell04-Jun-20182:59

Jos Buttler shines, but has much really changed for England?

Jos Buttler has credited the confidence gained from his recent spell in the IPL, and the relaxation gained from accepting the inevitability of occasional failure, for his impressive return to England’s Test team.Buttler, who followed his 67 at Lord’s with an unbeaten 80 in Leeds, was something of a surprise selection for the series against Pakistan. He hadn’t played a first-class game this year and hadn’t made a first-class century since January 2014.But he feels the self-belief gained from his time with Rajasthan Royals – where he signed off with five half-centuries and a 39 in his final six innings – has helped him regain the uncomplicated approach – or the ‘F*** It’ attitude, as he might put it – he originally took to Test cricket.Buttler’s innings in Leeds was his highest – and, arguably, his best – in Test cricket since he made 85 on debut against India in July 2014. He followed that with innings of 70, 45, 0 and 59 not out in his next five innings at that level to give the impression he had made the step-up to Test cricket with some ease.But, once the Ashes series started in 2015, his form fell away and he was unable to reach 50 in his next 12, ever more tentative, innings.As a result, he was dropped towards the end of the year after four innings in the UAE had realised just 34 runs. And, while he made a brief and partially successful comeback against India in late 2016 (he made 76 in Mumbai and 43 in Mohali), it looked, for a long time, as if his excellence in the limited-overs formats would prevent him having the time to make the adjustments to his game required to prosper in first-class cricket.It is only now, having found a way to bring the freedom he has in T20 cricket to his Test game, that he has been able to silence the doubts in his own head and gone some way to unleash his obvious talent in the longest format. And it is probably no coincidence that the most eye-catching part of Buttler’s innings in Leeds came when he had only the tail for company and the license and freedom to take the attack to the bowlers.”Those couple of weeks in the IPL gave me huge amounts of confidence,” Buttler said. “To be in those pressure situations in India, playing in front of crowds, the pressure of being an overseas player. That showed me a lot about where I was at and where I can get to, so that gave me a lot of confidence. For me, not trying to worry about the colour of the ball definitely helps. Having put in good performances elsewhere and not putting as much pressure on myself.”In T20 there’s generally another game soon after, so you know you’ve got another opportunity coming up. You probably just move on if you fail. But in Test cricket, if you get out early, you have a long time to think about it.Jos Buttler swings one over the leg side•Getty Images”I started to think too much about how to not get out, as opposed to how to score runs. I got in a really bad rut that I just couldn’t get out of. The only real way to get out of it was to be dropped. And actually, being dropped released a lot of pressure. It wasn’t very long after that that I made an ODI hundred in Dubai, which was a turnaround for me after a long and hard six months.”It was just ahead of that century in Dubai that he first took to writing “F*** It’ in marker pen on the top of his bat handle. It was a phrase that was picked up again by the cameras in Leeds during a break in play on Sunday and, as Buttler explains, provides a reminder not to over-think the game or fret about the outcomes.”It’s just something that reminds me of what my best mindset is,” Buttler says, “when I’m playing cricket and probably in life as well. It puts cricket in perspective. When you nick off, does it really matter? It’s just a good reminder when I’m in the middle or when I’m questioning myself and it brings me back to a good place.”Now my mentality is quite similar to my first few Tests. I’m not worrying about external factors. I’m just trying to play the game and trusting myself.”These are early days, but Buttler has already gone some way to justifying Ed Smith’s faith in him.

Arsenal are once again seeking the ultimate silverware in the form of the Premier League title. The Gunners came ever so close throughout the last campaign, but were eventually denied by the winning machine of Manchester City on their way to picking up an historic treble. This time around, those in North London will hope that their victory over the champions at The Emirates will go a long way in their claim for top spot come May. Meanwhile, the January transfer window could also play a part.

If Arsenal can add some final reinforcements to Mikel Arteta's side, then they may well become a force strong enough to outperform Pep Guardiola's outfit. Arteta is seemingly well aware of that too, having reportedly requested one particular January signing.

Arsenal transfer news

After sealing their return to Champions League action last season, Arsenal could have easily sat back and settled for European qualification once more. Instead, however, they made a statement in the summer by beating City to the signature of Declan Rice, whilst also welcoming Kai Havertz from Chelsea. Rice has particularly slotted straight in and became a vital player under Arteta, who has reportedly requested a repeat of Arsenal's midfield recruitment for the January transfer window.

According to Sport in Spain, Arteta has asked Arsenal to sign Ruben Neves from Al-Hilal in January in a new wish. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder left the Midlands club in favour of a move to Saudi Arabia during the summer, but could now get an instant return to England's top flight. The Gunners could reportedly welcome Neves as a replacement for Thomas Partey, who has struggled with injuries and a lack of game time this season, with Arteta insisting on a move. Arsenal know all about his quality too, given that two of Neves' Premier League goals came against the Gunners.

They will reportedly have to fend off interest from Newcastle United in pursuit of the midfielder's signature, though the Premier League could vote to block players moving between associated clubs on loan, which could rule out a move to the Magpies for Neves in January.

Arteta wants to sign "complete" Neves

It's easy to forget just how talented Neves is after he swapped the Premier League for the Saudi Pro League during the summer, but this is still a player who appears to be able to compete at the highest level. For a side in Arsenal's position, adding the Portugal international to their side could make all the difference in their hunt for silverware. Neves' stats in the Premier League certainly show that he is ready to replace Partey.

Player

Goals

Assists

Tackles Won

Interceptions

Ruben Neves

6

1

43

50

Thomas Partey

3

0

40

28

Former manager Julen Lopetegui was also full of praise for the midfielder last season, saying:

"All of my decisions are difficult for me, but I prefer to always have all the players ready. It’s very good news for us that Ruben is coming. Of course, Ruben is a very important player for us and now he is ready to play. It is good news for us, for sure. He is a very good player, a very complete player and important for the dressing room and on the pitch.”

Everton might well have to offload a fair few players this January to finance any possible incomings through the door, a hefty ten-point deduction handed to the Toffees off the back of alleged FFP breaches has left them languishing in the Premier League drop-zone.

Once aiming for a top-half finish, Sean Dyche's downtrodden side are now just aiming to keep their heads above water with a frantic relegation dog-fight looming.

The Merseysiders will just hope that clubs are equally as desperate in January as the Toffees will be when it comes to bringing in new talents, the Blues keen to gut elements of the squad in order to free up room for fresh blood to come in and help mount a recovery from their current lowly predicament.

Here are three dream potential sales Dyche could sanction to fund a January transfer spree…

1 Andre Gomes

Joining Everton from Barcelona back in 2018 initially on a loan before a permanent deal was secured, Gomes has failed to live up to the early promise he showed in a Toffees shirt over his lengthy current five-year stay.

Riddled with unfortunate injuries throughout his time at Goodison Park – the Portuguese midfielder memorably on the receiving end of a Heung-Min Son tackle which left him with a serious ankle injury in 2019 – Gomes hasn't made a single start for Everton this season even when injury-free.

Everton's number 21 has consistently underwhelmed at full sharpness for his side, Gomes going down as a notable recent Blues flop. Registering one goal and one assist in his first full season with the Toffees, the 30-year-old midfielder has only ever mustered up one more goal and a sub-par six assists since.

Gomes' time at Everton feels as if it should be put out of its misery now, and with the Blues dud earning £112k-per-week, according to Capology, Dyche will want to see the back of the ex-Barcelona midfielder in January to free up space in his squad and to put that money to better use – with Football Insider reporting that a winter exit could be on the cards.

2 Dele Alli

Another player earning a hefty wage at Goodison Park is Dele Alli, the former Tottenham man paid £100k-per-week currently, according to Capology.

This means he's Everton's fourth-highest earner at this point in time, despite not playing a Premier League game since August last year for the club – having spoken candidly and openly about his mental health struggles in recent years.

Alli hasn't contributed to a single goal when on the pitch for Everton during his turbulent stay with the Toffees, 13 forgettable matches for the ex-England international.

It would prove to be a hard sale to move on Alli from Merseyside, but there could be a possible club out there that wants to gamble on the 27-year-old purely for his past exploits at Spurs.

At the peak of his powers, Alli was a top talent in the Premier League from attacking midfield – breathtaking to witness, managing 18 goals during the 2016-17 season at White Hart Lane under Mauricio Pochettino.

Perhaps he can rediscover that undoubted talent with a fresh start elsewhere.

3 Ben Godfrey

Ben Godfrey's time at Everton also looks as if it'll come to an end soon, the ex-Norwich City centre-back falling down the pecking order at Goodison Park with the emergence of Jarrad Branthwaite in the first-team and the experienced James Tarkowski joining the club.

The 25-year-old – who was dubbed "disastrous" last season by talkSPORT's Stuart Pearce for his performance at Old Trafford – has only been afforded eight minutes of game time all season in the Premier League, substituted on in early September away at Sheffield United for a run-out.

He was given a full 90-minute test against Doncaster Rovers in the EFL Cup however, but failed to make an impression on the night – not been seen at all since in action, rooted to the bench in Everton's last ten games.

The Toffees will hope an EFL club comes in for Godfrey in this upcoming January transfer window – although there has also been shock interest from Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United – with the £20m signing potentially sacrificed for a January spree.

Sheffield Wednesday will hope they can round off a promising run of results before Christmas with another win against Cardiff City, Danny Rohl's men potentially making it four wins from five if victory is secured against the Bluebirds.

If another three points was the outcome at Hillsborough come full-time, belief will be sky high in South Yorkshire that the Owls can get out of the relegation mire in the Championship once and for all after a dismal start to the season under former boss Xisco Munoz.

Regardless of his team turning around their fortunes recently, the German boss occupying the Wednesday dug-out could make some changes for this weekend's match versus Cardiff.

Rohl could make two changes for the clash tomorrow, freshening his side up for the task of overcoming Erol Bulut's visitors from Wales…

1 GK – Cameron Dawson

Despite transfer rumours circulating that Wednesday are in the market for a new goalkeeper this January, Cameron Dawson should retain his spot in goal for the game tomorrow.

Sheffield Wednesday must seal move for “immense” talent to improve Famewo

Sheffield Wednesday could go in for this top talent in January to boost the defence at Hillsborough.

ByKelan Sarson Dec 22, 2023

The Sheffield-born shot-stopper was unfortunate not to keep a clean sheet last time out against QPR, Bambo Diaby heading past his own keeper to rid the 28-year-old of a rare clean sheet.

2 RB – Pol Valentin

Signed in the summer from Sporting Gijón, Pol Valentin could be retained by Rohl for this weekend's matchup with Cardiff also.

The Spanish defender did struggle in the contest against QPR, but gave a far more valiant effort than Liam Palmer who came on in his place late on – Valentin winning four ground duels in the game before being substituted off, Palmer only completing two accurate passes, per Sofascore.

3 CB – Michael Ihiewke

The former Rotherham United defender entering the side would be the first change made by Rohl, £15k-per-week – as per Capology – Michael Ihiewke coming in for Bambo Diaby potentially.

Diaby had a torrid afternoon versus QPR minus scoring an own-goal, the 6 foot 2 centre-back hauled off at half-time consequently. Rohl has also revealed that Diaby's fitness is touch and go for the game tomorrow at Hillsborough with the ex-Barnsley man back in training, meaning Ihiewke could be in line for a start.

Described as "absolutely solid" by Wednesday fan and host of the Wednesday Till I Die podcast James Mappin when speaking to Football League World last season, the Owls will hope Ihiekwe's presence can see a clean sheet secured come full-time.

4 CB – Di'Shon Bernard

Partnering Ihiewke in the heart of defence will most likely be Di'Shon Bernard, even in spite of the former Manchester United man equally having an off-day against the Hoops.

Failing to register a single tackle in that 2-1 win, Bernard will hope he can be more authoritative against Cardiff to keep the Bluebirds at bay going forward.

5 LB – Akin Famewo

Akin Famewo is arguably the only defender who can hold his head up high after his efforts against QPR, leaving the field of play having won ten ground duels in total.

Rohl will start the former Norwich City man against Cardiff subsequently, wanting even more energy and aggression from his reliable full-back.

6 RM – Anthony Musaba

Anthony Musaba will retain his spot down the right-hand side for tomorrow's match after a sterling display against QPR, playing the role of hero on the day with a late strike to win the game.

He was also lively away from this heroic strike, Musaba successful with four dribble attempts in the tight contest and further won six ground duels as a thorn in the QPR side all afternoon.

7 CM – Will Vaulks

Will Vaulks was also crucial in the middle of the park for the Owls last match, winning 100% of his ground duels as the more forceful central midfielder partnered alongside creative spark Barry Bannan.

Rohl will want Vaulks to be equally as stern and combative against the Bluebirds, nullifying Bulut's men advancing forward.

8 CM – Barry Bannan

Barry Bannan is a shoo-in for a start at Hillsborough tomorrow, still wearing the captain's armband for the Owls and performing admirably for a player reaching the twilight of his career at 34 years of age.

The Scotsman does only have one goal next to his name for the season, but was still involved in notable passages of play in the recent narrow win – registering three key passes from midfield.

9 LM – Marvin Johnson

Frozen out by previous manager Xisco Munoz, Marvin Johnson's role in the side has taken on a new importance under Rohl after being reintroduced into the first team fold – scoring versus Blackburn Rovers recently in a 3-1 success.

Inaccurate with all nine of his crosses at Hillsborough last time out, Johnson will hope he can get back to his slaloming best down the wing against Cardiff to help his team pick up their fifth win of the season.

10 ST – Ashley Fletcher

It could well be last chance saloon for Ashley Fletcher if Rohl starts the ex-Middlesbrough man up top in this one, drafted in to potentially replace Callum Paterson who exited the field of play with an injury last time out.

Fletcher is also helped by the fact Michael Smith is still not at full sharpness, eager to make the most of a rare start if selected.

Still goalless in Wednesday blue and white after joining on loan from Watford, Fletcher will hope he can break his Owls duck against Cardiff if chosen to start.

Bangladesh’s bowling coach wants the team to have faith in their young fast bowlers and give them a run of matches to gain experience and build their skillsets

Mohammad Isam08-Sep-2018More faith has to be placed on Bangladesh’s young pace bowlers if the best is to be brought out of them, Courtney Walsh has said. Walsh, who last week completed two years as Bangladesh’s fast-bowling coach, said the tendency to drop a pace bowler after one bad performance has hampered the team’s progress in international cricket.Walsh took over after Heath Streak had completed exactly two years as the pace bowling coach in 2016. The one constant across both coach’s reigns has been Mashrafe Mortaza leading the ODI attack superbly. The output of the Test pace attack, however, has deteriorated.During Streak’s tenure, Bangladesh’s fast bowlers averaged 44.73 in Test cricket and took a wicket every 90.8 balls. Under Walsh, their strike rate has been slightly better (87.5) but their average is significantly worse, at 53.66.Walsh has acknowledged that more work needs to be done.”It is still a work in progress,” Walsh said. “There is a lot of youngsters coming through. If they don’t get selected to play, you won’t know what they are. It is one of the things we have to look at a little bit more. We can’t be too afraid to give the youngsters a chance to express themselves a bit more. If they are kept waiting in the wings, they will never get a chance to play.”The more you play the best chance you will get to learn. You will get more experience by playing in the middle. Sometimes you have to throw these youngsters in the deep to see what they are made of. But if you keep protecting them and say they are not ready, they might never get ready. Sometimes you have to expose talent, you have to give them a chance.”Walsh’s first experience of seeing the pace bowlers getting few opportunities came as early as his first Test series in October 2016, when Bangladesh prepared spin-friendly tracks in Chittagong and Dhaka against England. Shafiul Islam and newcomer Kamrul Islam Rabbi only bowled 31 overs between them in the Test series, picking up one wicket, while the debutant offspinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz took 19 wickets.The most wickets any Bangladesh fast bowler has picked up in a series during Walsh’s tenure is Mustafizur Rahman’s eight, at an average of 27.50, in Sri Lanka in early 2017.The fast bowlers have especially struggled outside the subcontinent, where they have had to bear the bulk of the bowling workload. In New Zealand, they returned a combined average of 63.54. In South Africa, Mustafizur, Shafiul, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain and Subashis Roy combined to average 81.11.In helpful conditions in the West Indies, the quicks averaged 36.62, but that figure must be viewed against the host seamers’ average of 11.31. Rabbi, Rubel and newcomer Abu Jayed were no match for Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, Jason Holder and Miguel Cummins, who led West Indies to a 2-0 series win.AFPWalsh said giving the young quicks a longer stretch of matches could give them more confidence and help them build their skillsets.”I don’t think they lack the hunger,” he said. “They haven’t been given that opportunity to play consistently. It is where the difference might come from. Some of the youngsters we have, they need to get a good run. Not just one or two games and then get dropped. You can have good and bad matches.”I have seen that as soon as you have a bad game, everyone wants you to be dropped. It is not going to help a youngster.”All of us can have a bad game, and when that happens, we need to be given a chance to redeem yourself. It is a case of striking the right balance. Youngsters are keen and want to perform at the highest level. They just need to be given a chance.”Walsh praised Mashrafe for continuing to use his experience to lead the ODI attack, having taken 41 wickets at 31.41 in the last two years. Rubel and Mustafizur too have been more comfortable in ODIs. Taskin’s stocks have declined, meanwhile, and Al-Amin Hossain, a fairly frequent limited-overs participant under Streak, has not featured under Walsh.”Mash’s experience and skillset is much different and much better than the other guys,” Walsh said. “Experience has been carrying him through but he was always a very good fast bowler. If he wasn’t injured, he’d be playing Test cricket. The first time I saw him, I told him that he was good enough to play Test matches.”He is a high-class fast bowler for Bangladesh for a number of years. It is up to the youngsters now to have that hunger. Mash takes pride in his performance. It is the big difference. He wants to do well and compete, and that’s what we need.”Bangladesh’s immediate assignment is the Asia Cup, and Walsh hoped the likes of Mashrafe, Mustafizur, Rubel and Abu Hider would be able to adapt quickly to conditions in the UAE.”I don’t think it will be perfect for pacers in the Asia Cup,” he said. “I think the wickets in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are normally pretty flat and docile. Some are expecting the pacers will adapt and be able to use their variations.”Whenever the bowlers do well in one-day cricket, we have to give them the credit because it is not easy to bowl in these good batting wickets.”Bangladesh will depart for Dubai on September 9.

West Ham United could "seal the signing" of a defender for what would be a "bargain fee" in January, according to a report this week.

West Ham transfer plans for January

The Hammers are currently unbeaten over an impressive 17-game streak in Europe, but domestically, their form has been a bit more of a mixed bag. West Ham sealed fantastic results against the likes of high-flying Brighton and big spenders Chelsea earlier this campaign, but a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Aston Villa last weekend perhaps exposed some real issues to resolve.

Uncertainty also surrounds the futures of a fair few squad members as well, with Tomas Soucek, Pablo Fornals, Ben Johnson, Vladimir Coufal, Michail Antonio, Conor Coventry, Aaron Cresswell, Lukasz Fabianski and veteran defender Angelo Ogbonna standing out as the West Ham players out of contract next summer. The likes of Coufal, Antonio and Soucek's deals contain club options to extend, but the latter may still leave West Ham after new deal talks stalled recently (Football Insider).

Meanwhile, Nayef Aguerd and Kurt Zouma could also reportedly depart West Ham amid interest from the Middle East. Manager David Moyes will be eager to replace either one of the defensive duo, while it is believed the likes of Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy (among others) are being targeted to succeed Antonio.

Sebastien Caceres transfer update

Going back to who could potentially come in to reinforce Moyes' defence, there is a suggestion that West Ham could look to an astute option in the winter window. Uruguay defender Sebastien Caceres has been praised for dazzling at international level recently, standing out as a key player in their 2-0 win over Brazil last week.

The 24-year-old, who also been called a "very valuable" player for Club America, may well come as a low-money but quality target. That is according to journalist Pete O'Rourke and Football Insider, who write that West Ham "could seal the signing" of Caceres for a "bargain" fee in January. It is believed that the centre-back could leave for as little as £6-£10 million, despite his growing pedigree.

Caceres' contract is due to expire in 2024 as things stand, a situation which means Club America are very unlikely to demand a marquee fee for one of their star players. However, while West Ham are in the mix, they're by no means the only Premier League club keeping a watchful eye. Indeed, Moyes is joined by Newcastle, Fulham and Tottenham in their admiration of Caceres, and it will be interesting to see which of the English quartet will make a serious move.

Date of birth: August 18, 1999

Hometown: Montevideo, Uruguay

Age: 24

Height: 1.80m

Position: Defender, centre-back

Foot: Right

(via Transfermarkt)

West Ham's chase for a centre-back appeared to have ended with the summer signing of Konstaninos Mavropanos from Stuttgart, but it appears Moyes is eager to add another to his ranks. Man United defender Harry Maguire is another rumoured option for West Ham, with the England international finding life very difficult at Old Trafford right now.

Christian Pulisic has responded to the questions of his character after being accused of being a “bad sport” in AC Milan’s 1-0 win over Lazio.

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American drew two dismissals in RomeAccused of unsporting behaviourAdamant that he did nothing wrongWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States international was heavily involved in that contest, drawing two red cards from opponents that lost their composure in the heat of Serie A battle. The first of those, when Luca Pellegrini was dismissed, saw Pulisic brought down after Lazio thought the ball was being played out so that Taty Castellanos could receive treatment for an injury.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT PULISIC SAID

Pulisic was blasted by those in the Italian capital for a supposed display of “unsporting behaviour”, with Lazio picking up two more dismissals deep into stoppage-time after seeing Noah Okafor snatch an 88th-minute winner – with Pulisic hauled down by Mateo Guendouzi prior to the former Arsenal midfielder being ushered down the tunnel.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Pulisic has told of the criticism that he has attracted: “For me, this was not a question of being a bad sport. I saw nothing behind me, I play to the whistle and I was brought down. I had no intention of doing anything like that, the whole situation got out of control. People who know me will know that, people outside can say whatever they want, but I didn’t mean anything against Lazio.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PULISIC?

Milan had Pulisic to thank again in their latest outing – as he grabbed the winner in a 1-0 victory over Empoli – and the USMNT star admits that he is producing the best form of his career after posting personal bests in 2023-24, while still having the promise of more to come.

A "dangerous" Sheffield Wednesday player could now be on the verge of signing a new deal at the club, according to an update from reliable journalist Joe Crann.

Sheff Wed's relegation fight

The Owls find themselves rock bottom of the Championship currently, but despite a real threat of relegation back to League One this season looming, there is positivity in the air at Hillsborough.

That's because of the impact that new manager Danny Rohl is having at the club, having replaced the disappointing Xisco Munoz as boss earlier in the season. Granted, defeats have continued to arrive at a fairly rapid rate under the 34-year-old, but there have been clear improvements in the playing style, and Wednesday have picked up four points from their last two matches.

Last Saturday, the Owls won 3-1 at home to play-off-chasing Blackburn Rovers, in what was the latest sign that a miraculous escape act this season may not be out of the question from Rohl's side. They are still 10 points adrift of safety at the moment, but there is still such a long way to go in the campaign.

For that to happen, key players are going to have to hit their best form, though, and the squad depth is going to have to shine through. Now, a key update has emerged over the future of one current Hillsborough gem.

Cadamarteri could sign Sheff Wed deal

Taking to X, Crann claimed that Bailey Cadamarteri could sign a new deal with Sheffield Wednesday, following his crucial goal against Blackburn on Saturday, with talks underway.

"Understand that SWFC have opened up talks with Bailey Cadamarteri about an improved contract at Hillsborough. Discussions are ongoing."

In his report for The Sheffield Star, Crann also adds that Wednesday are looking to nail down the youngster's future "in order to try and secure Cadamarteri’s future at S6, planning ahead with regards to a player that has already been on the radar of a number of Premier League outfits."

This is something that needs to be seen as a priority for the Owls in the coming weeks, with Cadamarteri looking like a big young talent who could have a huge future in the game. His aforementioned strike at home to Blackburn was his first-ever goal for Wednesday, but he has shone in the youth teams, including scoring twice in five appearances for the Under-18s.

Sheffield Wednesday sign exciting new youngster on trial at Hillsborough

The Owls are looking to add some fresh faces to their youth ranks over the coming weeks.

ByChloe Chadwick Nov 30, 2023

At just 18 years of age, Cadamarteri is still clearly a work in progress, so it would be unfair to expect consistent fireworks from him this season, but Rohl has heaped praise on his player recently, saying of him:

"He came in and showed good things and this is what we want – it’s what we demand from them. He showed that he can run and he has pace. Also, he was always dangerous in the box and I like this, I like players who are brave to come in and show."

A new contract would be a great moment in a season that is threatening to become more positive, with Cadamarteri representing the future of the club, assuming the Owls can fight off interest from other clubs.

Kent beat Somerset for the 11th successive time in a high-scoring affair at Canterbury – a remarkable sequence which put them alongside Somerset in the knockout stages

ECB Reporters Network16-Aug-2018
ScorecardKent Spitfires downed South Group leaders Somerset by five runs in a high-scoring thriller at Canterbury to book their place in the last eight of this year’s Vitality Blast T20.Kent’s seventh south group win inflicted Somerset’s fourth defeat in their final game of the campaign and extended the West Country county’s woeful, winless T20 run against Kent to 11 matches dating back to 2011.Batting first, Kent posted their highest short-form score against Somerset and equalled their best ever T20 total, matching their 231 for 7 scored against Surrey at The Oval in 2015.Somerset chased manfully throughout, and needed a six off the last ball to tie only for Mitch Claydon to send down a near perfect yorker to seal the triumph.Talking T20 podcast

Dan Norcross is joined by editor of Wisden Cricket Monthly, Phil Walker, to discuss the latest Blast happenings, including Durham’s rise from the ashes and the golden touch of Kieran Noema-Barnett
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Kent captain Sam Billings led the run spree with an unbeaten 57 from 35 balls, but Sean Dickson’s cameo 20 from nine balls and a belligerent 42 from 22 deliveries by Alex Blake after a sloppy display in the field by the south group leaders.With their place in the last eight already assured, Somerset elected to bowl after winning the toss, but Jerome Taylor’s second over conceded a brace of boundaries to Daniel Bell-Drummond and 14 in total.Joe Denly, Kent’s leading T20 run-getter, plundered a straight six in Jamie Overton’s first over that ended with a deft late cut for four, as the hosts, aided by six Somerset wides within five overs, raced to 50 after only 4.3 overs.Taylor had Denly caught at short third man for 26 from the penultimate delivery of the powerplay to make it 67 for one then, with 37 off 21 balls to his name, Bell-Drummond pushed inside the line of a Max Waller legspinner that clipped off stump.Waller and Roelof van der Merwe, the slow left-armer, stemmed the flow of Spitfires’ boundaries until Heino Kuhn broke the stranglehold with a reverse sweep for six against Johann Myburgh as Kent reached the mid-point on 99 for 2.Kuhn perished attempting to repeat the shot against a Waller full toss, picking out Corey Anderson at point, but Blake opened his boundary account with a straight six off Waller and greeted Overton’s return with another maximum into the retirement complex adjacent to the ground.Waller finished his stint with 2 for 29 as Kent reached 150 in their 16th over with Blake and Billings posting a 50 stand in 4.4 overs.Billings unfurled his ramps, paddles and pulls to collect three successive boundaries in a Taylor over that cost 25 in total, but the partnership ended for 82 when Blake was superbly caught overhead by Overton at long-off for 42.Kent’s skipper reached his third 50 of the campaign from 31 balls, Taylor was taken out of the attack for his second beamer and the visitors conceded six penalty runs for failing to bowl their overs in the alloted time.Chasing 232 at 11.55 an over, Somerset lost Myburgh after 15 balls to a stunning over-the-shoulder catch by Imran Qayyum that gave T20 debutant Grant Stewart his maiden wicket.Steve Davies and Peter Trego, the former Kent allrounder, clattered a quickfire 59 in five overs before Trego holed out to deep square leg then Davies blotted his copybook by chipping Qayyum’s second ball of the night straight to extra cover.Qayyum conceded a huge leg-side six to James Hildreth as Somerset reached 102 for 3after 10 overs but, with the required rate rising to almost 13, Corey Anderson heaved against Calum Haggett to see Billings cling onto a skier running back towards third man.With 82 needed from 30 balls, James Hildreth hooked a Mitch Claydon bouncer to long leg and despite late clubbing from Gregory and Tom Abell Somerset just fell short.

The allrounder has picked up a side strain and will be replaced in the squad

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Oct-2018Allrounder Liam Dawson has been ruled out* of the rest of England’s tour of Sri Lanka after suffering a side strain. Joe Denly, who is in the Test squad, has been called up as his replacement.Dawson, who has been in the XI for the opening two matches, sat out training on Monday, ahead of the third one-day international against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. After the injury was assessed by medical staff, the decision was taken to send him home, with PCA Players’ Player of the Year Denly coming out to Sri Lanka early.Denly has been preparing for his return to the England set-up after more than eight years, having been selected for the Test party following two impressive seasons with Kent in which his batting has been rejuvenated and his legspin a surprise success across the formats. He will arrive in Pallekele on Wednesday, hours before the third ODI, and could at some stage win his first one-day cap since the 2009 Champions Trophy.England have fielded three frontline spinners at the start of the series – Dawson joining Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid in the side – so unless Denly steps off the plane and straight into the side, it will likely mean a different balance and the chance for one of the other seamers to come into the team. Joe Root’s offspin could help cover for Dawson’s absence if required.Mark Wood, Tom Curran and Sam Curran have been carrying the drinks so far after England opted for a spin-heavy attack and also preferred Olly Stone to share the new ball with Chris Woakes.Dawson claimed one wicket in England’s victory in Dambulla, hustling through the overs alongside Moeen to ensure the 20-over mark was reached before rain arrived, meaning the result would stand without needing the reserve day. Early wickets for Woakes and Stone, during an impressive first spell at international level, had left Sri Lanka well behind the DLS target.

A surprise visitor to training this morning… pic.twitter.com/ETdHFMuQ2x

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 15, 2018

There was an extra visitor to England’s training session on Tuesday when a cobra was spotted by groundstaff behind the pavilion. It was removed with the help of a drain pipe and a sack. England’s players had spent some of their downtime in Dambulla getting up close with local wildlife around their hotel and on safari – some posted on Instagram holding a python – but it’s unlikely many would be volunteering to get too close on this occasion.It isn’t the first time, however, that England’s cricketers have encountered snakes in Sri Lanka. On the 2007 tour, two were spotted on the boundary’s edge during a warm-up match in Colombo. Matthew Hoggard was among the players keen for a closer look that day.*6PM BST – This story was updated with news of Denly replacing Dawson