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The Gabba continued to be a fortress for Australia in Test cricket, at Pakistan’s expense

Gaurav Sundararaman24-Nov-201931 – Consecutive matches in which Australia have been unbeaten at the Gabba. The last time they lost a Gabba Test was way back in 1988 against West Indies. This is their seventh successive win there. Their last draw at the venue was against South Africa in 2012.ESPNcricinfo Ltd13 – Consecutive losses for Pakistan in Australia – this is the longest streak for any touring team in a country. The previous longest streak was nine by India in Australia between 1948 and 1977, and West Indies in Australia between 2000 and 2009.18 – Wickets for the Australian pacers in this Test – the most in a Gabba Test since 2009. Mitchell Starc took seven wickets, Josh Hazlewood took six and Pat Cummins took five in the match.50.82 – Nathan Lyon’s average against Pakistan – his worst against any country he has played against. Lyon does not have a five-wicket haul against Pakistan and has a strike rate of 92.7. Lyon’s stats are not heavily influenced by his record in the UAE. His record at home against Pakistan is also poor – at home he has taken 13 wickets from eight innings against them, at an average 47.38.3 – Centurions for Pakistan at the Gabba. Babar Azam joined Saeed Anwar and Asad Shafiq on the list. All three centuries were scored in the second innings, but in a losing cause.36.21 – Babar Azam’s average at the end of his 22nd Test; he has 1340 runs at an average of 36.21 with two centuries. That’s up from an average of 25.94 at the end of his first 10 Tests.95 – Highest score made by a Pakistan wicketkeeper in Australia in Tests. Mohammad Rizwan’s 95 went past the unbeaten 72 scored by Sarfaraz Ahmed in Sydney in 2017.

Tom Prest suggested 2024 will be his breakthrough season by scoring an impeccable 85 as Hampshire edged day one of their Vitality County Championship clash with Lancashire.Former England under-19 captain Prest hinted at his first-class talents with his maiden ton towards the end of last season and opened his account this year with a high-quality knock.He was one of four half-century makers for the hosts – with Nick Gubbins, James Vince and Liam Dawson also reaching the milestone as Hampshire totted up 305 for six in front of their highest first-day-of-the-season crowd from over a decade.Nathan Lyon picked up his first two wickets for Lancashire during a mammoth 32-over day which yielded two for 97.Skipper Vince won the toss and chose to bat first, giving debutant Ali Orr an immediate chance to impress the Hampshire supporters after his winter move from Sussex.His collaboration with new opening partner Fletcha Middleton may need some work after the latter was run out in the ninth over by a George Balderson direct hit after a miscommunication.Orr departed four overs later when Tom Bailey cut him in two with a wicked in-jagger to be caught behind, but from there, Hampshire found more fluency and built partnerships in overcast conditions.Vince had come off a winter of seemingly endless white-ball cricket, taking him from Abu Dhabi to Australia, Dubai to Pakistan.He ended last season’s Championship campaign – one where he become Hampshire’s first batter to 1,000 first-class runs since 2016 – with 56 and began the new campaign in identical fettle.It was a look down and you missed it half-century, coming up in 62 balls but with hardly a shot in anger. It included a cover drive but otherwise kept the ball on a string to ease his side from danger in an 84-run stand with Gubbins, taking the score away from the worrying 26 for two.Gubbins, who had scored twin centuries on Lancashire’s previous trip to Utilita Bowl, unfurled his typically aesthetic yet steady knock to provide the foil for Vince before helping Prest lay the foundations for his innings.Australian spinner Lyon had been due to play for Hampshire in 2020 before Covid prevented him from arriving. His maiden first-class outing on what would have been his home ground saw him strike in his seventh over as Vince tamely turned to leg-slip.Lyon was given the lone front-line spinner furrow, with England left-armer Tom Hartley left out having played in the rain-affected draw against Surrey. The 36-year-old also lured Gubbins into a drive to edge behind three balls after reaching a 112-run 50 but the most intriguing passage of the day was Lyon’s battle with 21-year-old Prest.It began with a sharp chance at short-leg, which was followed by a maiden over where every ball landed on the same spot, before Prest replied with a pair of reverse sweeps. The battle would conclude with 33 runs and 34 dots in 51 balls – including the day’s only maximum on the slog sweep.Prest is one to watch this season after his maiden century in the penultimate fixture of last season, where he took down Simon Harmer in style.His 76-ball fifty oozed quality and underlined his tag but fell short of a century when he gloved a sweep to slip, three balls after Lyon had dropped a difficult chance on the dive. It ended a 93-run alliance with Dawson.Ben Brown fell soon after when Will Williams secured an edge to third slip with the second new ball but Dawson made it a quartet of fifty-makers with an unbeaten 61 – although was dropped on 51 before the close.

Everton are believed to have made contact with a “very dangerous” player’s representatives, as they eye a move for him in the summer transfer window.

Everton contact defender and eye further signings

The Blues know the importance of a big summer, as they prepare for life in their new stadium and hopefully an exciting second spell under David Moyes.

Everton have reportedly already made contact with Feyenoord centre-back David Hancko over a switch to the club at the end of the season, amid doubts over Jarrad Branthwaite’s long-term future. The 27-year-old has averaged 3.3 clearances per game for the Dutch side this season, also completing 90.4% of his passes, outlining his all-round quality.

Hancko isn’t the only central defender being looked at by the Blues, however, with Burnley key man Maxime Esteve also seen as an option. He has played a huge role in the Clarets remarkably only conceding 12 goals in the Championship this season, and at 22, he is still early in his career.

Elsewhere, Everton have been backed to sign Liverpool winger Ben Doak this summer, which would cause plenty of controversy. The 19-year-old has been out on loan at Middlesbrough in 2024/25 and there is no guarantee that he has a long-term future at Anfield.

Everton make contact with versatile ace's agents

According to a fresh update from Kicker [via Sport Witness], Everton have contacted Merlin Rohl’s representatives over a move to Merseyside, as they look to get a summer deal over the line.

The SC Freiburg star has been linked with a move to the Blues in the past and Moyes knows him well, having come up against him four times during his spell in charge of West Ham. The 22-year-old only signed a new deal last year, but his current club are aware of the interest in him.

Rohl is a young player with plenty of long-term potential, with Christian Streich calling him a “difference-maker” and Antonio Di Salo saying of him: “He fought his way into [Freiburg’s] team. That’s not easy. He focused on defensive work and also came into his own offensively. He’s very quick and determined. He’s very dangerous.”

In truth, Rohl’s 2024/25 season hasn’t been his most productive, with only 11 starts coming his way in the Bundesliga due to injury problems, and no goals and one assist recorded.

That doesn’t change the fact that he could be a real asset for Everton, however, not least because of the versatility that he possesses in his game. The German is predominantly a central midfielder, but he can also thrive in more of an attacking midfield role, on the right wing and even as a second striker. This would immediately give Moyes more options.

Everton struck gold on “constant threat” who’s worth more than Longstaff

Everton made a good investment with the signing

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 7, 2025

The fact that the Blues manager has seen him up close as many as four times also means he knows his qualities as a footballer well, so the positives easily outweigh the negatives when it comes to Everton signing him.

PCB chairman wants the national cricketers to improve their fitness levels and training standards

Danyal Rasool05-Mar-2024

Pakistan’s cricketers are set to team up with another iconic institution of the country, the Pakistan Army, from March 25 to April 8 in a ten-day training camp. The announcement was made by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Tuesday at a hotel in Islamabad while addressing several players. The camp will start roughly one week after the PSL ends, and Naqvi hopes it will help players get their fitness “up to speed.””When I was watching the matches in Lahore, I don’t think a single one of you hit a six that went into the stands,” Naqvi said. “Whenever a six like that was hit, I used to think a foreign player must have hit that. I have asked the board to make a plan that gets every player’s fitness up to speed. You’ll have to make a proper effort for that.”We have New Zealand coming up, then Ireland, England and the T20 World Cup. I wondered, ‘When will we train?’ but there was no time. However, we’ve found a window, where we’ve organised a camp in Kakul (military academy) from March 25 to April 8. The Pakistan Army will be involved in your training, and hopefully, they’ll help you out.”An intensive training camp in one of the few windows the players would otherwise have rested is likely to be unpopular, especially as it is preceded by six months of virtually non-stop cricket, and followed by several bilateral series leading up to the T20 World Cup.Moreover, the camp coincides with the second half of the holy month of Ramzan, a time when most Pakistanis culturally tend to prioritise family or religious activities over work. The effectiveness of the camp is likelier made tricky by the fact most of the squad players will be fasting, with no food or water from sunrise to sunset unconducive to a rigorous boot camp.There is, though, precedent for Pakistan cricket getting the military involved with training. Misbah-ul-Haq’s Pakistan famously organised a training camp with the military at Kakul academy before a Test series to England.When Misbah scored a hundred in the first Test, he celebrated by doing ten push-ups, followed by a military salute. The series was drawn 2-2, with Pakistan rising to the top of the Test rankings for the only time in their history.’Make Pakistan your first priority’Naqvi also took aim at one of the thornier issues the board is grappling with, telling the players they needed to prioritise national commitments over the lure of T20 leagues. The matter was thrown into the spotlight when Haris Rauf declined to be part of Pakistan’s tour of Australia. Chief selector Wahab Riaz had publicly criticised Rauf, and two months later, the PCB terminated his central contract.To illustrate the point, Naqvi invoked his own time as caretaker chief minister of Punjab, a role he held for over a year, and briefly alongside the PCB chairmanship. He said it was a sacrifice he made because of a desire to serve Pakistan.”I’m not going to say you mustn’t earn money, or ask you to make sacrifices we are also not ready to make. But let me give you one example. One year ago, I was asked to become the chief minister of Punjab, and it caused me a financial loss in my business. I had to leave that aside and incur several extra costs. But I had a desire to represent Pakistan, and so I had to make that sacrifice.”I will support you 100%, but I’ll just ask you to make Pakistan your first priority, and T20 leagues your second priority. It’s unfortunate when money becomes first priority and the country second. If you do that, then we might have a problem. We can even look at central contracts and bolster them further if you desire, but you must be available for Pakistan first and foremost.”Pakistan are currently without a coaching set-up at the national level, and Naqvi briefly mentioned the PCB was in touch with potential options, saying no expense would be spared.”We’ll try to make the best available for you,” Naqvi said. “I have told the PCB our job is not to save money or keep it hoarded away, but to spend it on cricket, from grassroots right through to the national team. The money will be spent on your fitness, training and coaches rather than keeping it locked away.”

ATLANTA — In August of 2019, Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos got an email from his vice president of scouting, Dana Brown, suggesting the team sign a 28-year-old lefty out of independent ball. Also, the guy was recovering from the yips.

This idea made no sense. Even if the kid was any good, there were two weeks left in the minor league season. Why would they sign a dude who would be a free agent in two weeks?

Anthopoulos called Brown. “He pushed and he pushed and he pushed,” said Anthopoulos.

On Aug. 15, Atlanta signed Tyler Matzek to a two-year minor league deal. On Saturday, he got the six most important outs of the season.

“I think it’s paid off,” said Anthopoulos, champagne goggles pushed onto his forehead, NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONS T-shirt stinking of beer. His club had just finished off the Dodgers, 4–2, in Game 6 of the NLCS to capture Atlanta’s first pennant since 1999.  Left fielder Eddie Rosario, who hit .560 in the series, was still clutching the NLCS MVP trophy. But Anthopoulos wanted to talk about someone else.

“Not to take anything away from [Rosario], but Tyler Matzek—unbelievable,” he said. “Both of those guys could have been co-MVP.”

Reliever Luke Jackson had another idea. “He should get a giant backpack award,” he said. “I should be placed in there.”

Indeed, Matzek entered the game to clean up the mess Jackson had made. With a three-run lead, Jackson had allowed a double, a walk and another double. When manager Brian Snitker emerged from the dugout, Jackson felt only relief. “Thank you,” he told the skipper. “I can’t buy an out right now.” Besides, he knew who was on his way: “Tyler Nutsack,” Jackson said. “That’s what everyone calls him, because he’s got to drag those huge balls out to the mound every night.”

He does mean every night. On Wednesday, Matzek tied the record for consecutive games pitched to start a postseason, with eight. He got Thursday off because Los Angeles routed Atlanta in Game 5. But on Saturday, when it seemed the game would slip away, that for a second straight year the team would choke away a 3–1 NLCS lead over the Dodgers, Snitker raised his left arm and called for the most unlikely man on the roster.

The wicketkeeper is set to be confirmed as Australia’s new captain in the coming days

AAP08-Dec-2023Alyssa Healy has declared herself a near-certain starter for Australia’s Test against India in Mumbai.The star wicketkeeper-batter missed all-but one match of the WBBL after badly hurting her finger while trying to break up a fight between her two dogs.Healy has returned to training and is preparing to face India at the famous Wankhede Stadium in the red-ball Test, starting on December 21.Related

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“I assume I’ll be out there [for the Test], they’re going to have to do a lot to stop me walking out there and catching the first delivery,” she said at the Kayo Summer of Cricket launch on Friday. “Everything’s going really, really well.”I started back in the nets the last week-and-a-half so I’m all on track to fly to India on Wednesday for a big series over there.”Healy will be confirmed as Australia’s new captain as early as this weekend after the Cricket Australia board met on Friday.The 33-year-old will step into the role full-time after long-time teammate Meg Lanning’s shock international retirement. Healy has filled in for Lanning as captain for extended spells over the last two years, including this year’s Ashes.”Obviously we leave on Wednesday so having some sort of clarity and assurance for the team before we fly out would be great,” she said. “If it was me, it’d be unbelievably exciting.  I feel like I’ve been warming the seat for 18 months for Meg to come back and obviously with Meg’s news it was a bit of a shock.”To go over to India and captain a multi-format series would be really exciting for whoever does get the job. If it’s me, then you beauty!”The match in Mumbai will be the first Test in India for the Australian women since 1984. The tour of India will also feature three ODIs and T20s, and run over the Christmas and New Year period.

Among fast bowlers, Prasidh Krishna and Vijaykumar Vyshak attract top bids

Shashank Kishore22-Jul-2023Batters were the flavour of the day at the Maharaja Trophy auction in Bengaluru on Saturday, with Mayank Agarwal, Devdutt Padikkal, Manish Pandey all attracting big bids. However, the biggest bid was reserved for middle-order batter Abhinav Manohar, who was signed for INR 15 lakh by Shivamogga Lions, one of the two new franchises along with Mangalore Dragons in the six-team tournament that is to run from August 13 to 29.Agarwal was signed for INR 14 lakh by Bengaluru Blasters, while Padikkal (INR 13.2 lakh) and Pandey (INR 10.6 lakh) attracted the next highest bids, by defending champions Gulbarga Mystics and Hubli Tigers, respectively.In all, over 700 cricketers from across the state were slotted and auctioned across four groups. Category A included India and IPL players, while Category B comprised those who have played in the BCCI tournaments at the senior level. State players from across the BCCI’s age-group tournaments formed Category C. All other players from the state were bracketed in Category D.Among the fast bowlers, Vijaykumar Vyshak, who earned a maiden IPL deal with Royal Challengers Bangalore earlier this year, was signed for INR 8.8 lakh by Mystics, while Prasidh Krishna, who is set to return to competitive cricket after more than a year, went for INR 7.4 lakh to Mysuru Warriors.Abhinav Manohar was picked up by Shivamogga Lions for INR 15 lakhs•BCCISpin-bowling allrounders Shreyas Gopal and K Gowtham went to Lions and Dragons for INR 7.4 lakh and INR 6.6 lakh, respectively. Meanwhile, Karun Nair, currently playing minor county cricket in England, returned to Warriors for INR 6.8 lakh amid the reports of him looking to pursue opportunities outside the state in domestic cricket. Nair hasn’t played any form of cricket for Karnataka for over a year.Among younger players, Nikin Jose, currently playing in the emerging team’s Asia Cup in Sri Lanka, was snapped up for INR 7 lakh by Dragons. Jose had a prolific debut season across formats, and is now considered an all-format regular.This year, the tournament returns to a franchise model following a season in which the KSCA had complete control of all cricketing aspects – right from player drafts to payments to the appointments of coaches and staff. At the time, apart from “restoring credibility” after the tournament had been struck by a series of spot-fixing controversies, the KSCA said the shift had been made keeping in mind the country’s tax laws.At that time, the KSCA’s cricket committee, headed by then president and former India allrounder Roger Binny, had formed a core group of six selectors – picked from across the six zones of the state – to take part in the draft process, and payments were uniform as per the grades to which players belonged.Each team will play the other five twice. The top four will then compete in Qualifiers and Eliminator, just like the IPL playoffs system. All matches will be played at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.Maharaja Trophy squadsGulbarga Mystics: Devdutt Padikkal, KP Appana, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Srinivas Sharath, LR Chethan, Aqib Jawad, R Smaran, KV Aneesh, Macneil Noronha, Sharan Goud, Abhilash Shetty, Hardik Raj, Shimon Luiz, Avinash D, Yashovardhan Parantap, Aadarsh Prajwal, Abul Hasan Khalid, Shaun JosephHubli Tigers: KC Cariappa, Pravin Dubey, Manish Pandey, Luvnith Sisodia, Shrijith KL, Mohammed Taha, Vidhwath Kaverappa, MB Darshan, Shivam MB, Naga Bharath, Santokh Singh, Mohith BA, Manvanth Kumar L, Mitrakant Singh Yadav, Malliksab G, Nathan D’mello, Rakshekar Harikant, Clement RajuShivamogga Lions: Abhinav Manohar, Shreyas Gopal, Nihal Ullal, Koushik V, Sharath HS, Kranthi Kumar, Rohan Kadam, Shreyas Puranik, Pranav Bhatia, Vinay Sagar, Aditya Somanna, Adhoksh Hegde, Pavan Shridi, Rohan Naveen, Shivaraj, Rohit Kumar K, Nischith Rao, Deepak DevadigaMysuru Warriors: Karun Nair, Suchith J, Prasidh Krishna, Shoaib Manager, Samarth R, Karthik CA, Manoj Bhandage, Venkatesh M, Tushar Singh, Kushal Wadhwani, Shashi Kumar K, Rakshith S, Shreesha S Achar, Monish Reddy, Aditya Mani, Gautam Mishra, Rahul Singh Rawat, Bharath DhuriBengaluru Blasters: Mithun A, Mayank Agarwal, Pradeep T, Mohammed Sarfaraz Ashraf, Pavan Deshpande, Shubhang Hegde, Nishchal D, Vidyadhar Patil, Jeshwanth Acharya, Jasper EJ, Kumar LR, Mohsin Khan, Aashish Mahesh, Rishi Bopanna, Suraj Ahuja, Aaron Christie, Abhishek Ahlawat, Aman KhanMangalore Dragons: Ronit More, Krishnappa Gowtham, Krishnamurthy Siddharth, Nikin Jose, BR Sharath, Prateek Jain, Aniruddha Joshi, Rohan Patil, Gaurav Dhiman, BU Shivakumar, Thippa Reddy, Aaditya Nair, Aditya Goyal, Doddamani Anand, Kruthik Krishna, Gneshwar Naveen, Dheeraj Gowda, Aneeshwar Gautam

It wasn’t the prettiest of performances, but then David Moyes and any fan of an Everton persuasion won’t care a jot.

The Toffees extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to five matches with a 2-1 at Selhurst Park, springing above the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United and into 13th place, level with Oliver Glasner’s beaten Crystal Palace.

Sean Dyche’s Everton always produced resilient and determined displays, but something was missing. Now, Everton are playing with more freedom and belief, still rooted in their principles but flourishing under a manager who knows the club and knows it well.

He knew that Charly Alcaraz would be a shrewd signing, and the Argentinian has repaid the faith with the winning goal in south London.

Charly Alcaraz stakes his claim

Alcaraz signed on loan with an obligatory £13m buy option inserted at the end of the January transfer window and he’s started to impress with his cultured feet and combative mindset, claiming his first Everton goal on his first start against the Eagles.

It was a dreamy starting debut for the young buck, 22, who had a big task in replacing the suspended Abdoulaye Doucoure but passed with flying colours.

Not only was he instinctive in firing beyond Dean Henderson to seal the three points, but Alcaraz created three key passes throughout the evening, dynamic and eager.

Everton didn’t play all that well but they have unearthed that winning sense and are thriving under Moyes’ wing. The Scotsman is providing the players with a new lease of life.

Alcaraz was always going to work hard to impress at his new club, but a longer-serving Toffee’s showing shouldn’t go without credit, for he’s starting to look like a real asset.

Everton's real winner at Selhurst Park

The man in question is Jack Harrison, whose 2024/25 campaign has been a frustrating one, all told.

Harrison’s interminable wait for a goal or an assist – he’s yet to get off the mark across 25 games this term – goes on, but he’s beginning to look far more connected in his play.

The 28-year-old was praised by The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland for his “real shift” against Palace, while The Liverpool Echo handed him a 7/10 match rating that perhaps could have been even higher, for he showed plenty of ‘running and endeavour’ in the large and vacant boots of Iliman Ndiaye.

Minutes played

65′

90′

Goals

0

0

Assists

0

0

Touches

55

42

Shots (on target)

2 (0)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

20/24 (83%)

12/17 (71%)

Key passes

1

1

Dribbles (completed)

6 (1)

5 (4)

Total duels (won)

16 (8)

13 (6)

It’s curious that Harrison has still failed to bag a goal or an assist but his overall level has been something to admire over the past week, forging a path back into the good books for himself.

Winning six duels in total, the versatile wideman completed four dribbles and won two more duels, looking complete and tenacious in his work. Moreover, he was even more eye-catching from a defensive standpoint during the thrilling draw with Liverpool, coming off the bench in the first half to replace the forced-off Ndiaye.

So then, the wait for that elusive direct goal involvement rages on. Still, Harrison has proved over the past few games that he is capable of providing effective support across the field.

This might just have been his best performance yet under Moyes, with a season-high four dribbles completed illustrating his effectiveness on the left flank, and an exciting turning point ahead of the business months, perhaps.

With Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil among the sidelined, it was important that the Blues put in a potent collective display, and Moyes is sure to be pleased with his players, Harrison and Alcaraz in particular.

Everton struck gold selling £14m flop who's now worth less than Doucoure

He’s part of a long list of disappointing additions under the Farhad Moshiri umbrella.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 14, 2025

Dan Ashworth has returned to the FA as chief football officer after leaving Manchester United in December.

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Dan Ashworth returns to the FAWill oversee St George's Park regenerationLeft Manchester United in DecemberFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ashworth becomes the first person to take on the role and will lead the FA's high-performance strategy, as well as overseeing the new-look home of the England national teams.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ashworth was previously with the FA between 2013-19, operating as the director of elite development and then the technical director. Having held roles at Brighton, Newcastle United and Manchester United since his departure, he now returns to the governing body.

WHAT THE FA SAID

FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: "Dan is a hugely influential and respected figure in the game, who has a long-standing commitment to England Football. We are very happy to welcome him back in this new role."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ASHWORTH?

Part of Ashworth's role will include supporting men's technical director John McDermott and the successor to women's technical director Kay Cossington. That includes preparation for this summer's women's Euros and next summer's men's World Cup.