The ECB are planning to stage a round of Championship matches under lights at the end of June next season as England prepare for their first day-night Test

George Dobell23-Oct-20161:39

ECB announces first day-night Test

The ECB is planning to stage a round of Championship matches under lights at the end of June next season as England prepare for their first day-night Test.England are scheduled to play two Tests under lights in 2017. First they will play West Indies at Edgbaston in August, before playing one of the Ashes Tests in Australia at the end of the year.While details are yet to be confirmed, it is understood that the ECB has identified a round of games starting on June 26 for the floodlit matches in the hope that England players will be available. England play a T20I against South Africa in Cardiff on June 25, with the first Test against South Africa starting at Lord’s on July 6.That scheduling is not ideal. It comes just a few days after the longest evening of the year (sunset time is around 10pm) so the value of using lights will be diminished. But the ECB hopes it will attract more spectators to games and provide more data over the strengths and weaknesses of the pink ball and optimum pitch conditions for its usage.It is also one of few rounds where England’s Test specialists are expected to be available. Plans to stage the games in August were rejected as not all teams are scheduled to play at the same time and, in the ECB’s words, “equitability is deemed important”.The Division One games will be hosted by four of Warwickshire, Yorkshire, Essex, Hampshire or Surrey, while the Division Two games will be staged by five of Durham, Kent, Nottinghamshire, Sussex, Northamptonshire and Glamorgan. The ECB has asked each of the counties to ensure there are no issues – such as permission from the local council – with them hosting such games before they confirm the schedule.

Ravindra Jadeja was penalised 50% of his match fees and slapped with three demerit points by the ICC for “causing avoidable damage to the pitch during an international match.”

Sidharth Monga in Indore09-Oct-2016Ravindra Jadeja was penalised 50% of his match fees by the ICC for “causing avoidable damage to the pitch during an international match.”While making 17 off 27 balls in the Indore Test, he was pulled up by umpire Bruce Oxenford for running down the middle of the pitch repeatedly which led to New Zealand being awarded five penalty runs.The ICC release said “Jadeja, after previously receiving two informal and one official warnings, infringed the protected area for the fourth time and damaged it.” As per a revision of the code of conduct, Jadeja has also been slapped with three demerit points. If he receives one more demerit point, within a two-year time frame, he could be suspended from one Test, or two ODIs, or two T20Is, whichever comes first.This is not the first time Jadeja has been in such trouble in this series. In Kolkata, he was warned twice for cutting across the pitch and the danger area when appealing for a wicket.The umpires don’t need to attach motive to the transgressions of players, they are there to penalise the actions, but for a Test player to run on the middle of pitch even after being warned has rung the alarm bells for New Zealand.Their coach, Mike Hesson, said only a few words but he got the message across. “Surface is still pretty good, I think it’s fair to say footmarks are building as they tend to do, but the body of the surface is still very good. I’m sure the umpires will maintain that.”If a bowler encroaches upon the danger area, he is taken out of the attack for the rest of the innings after due warnings. However, a similar transgression from a batsman costs the team only five runs. In terms of keeping an ongoing match even – and since suspensions affect a totally different match – it is perhaps one of the anomalies of the cricket rules that might need revisiting.When asked about the discrepancy, Hesson said: “In countries where the wickets deteriorate like this, the umpires have to be very decisive around how they look after the middle of the wicket. There are rules in place and the need to stick to those.”For a little while, Indian pitches have come under scrutiny. They have contributed to a change from the old ways when big hundreds and totals above 500 were routine. Virender Sehwag, who used to score a lot of the former, and play a part in the latter, told the host broadcaster before the second day’s play that he used to make his runs on surfaces that began breaking up late in the third day whereas now they are so worn they offer turn from ball one.Perhaps these pitches were a response to improving bats, a more cavalier attitude of the batsmen towards spin and to teams knowing Indian conditions better than they used to. Or maybe it was just the desperation to win.Whatever may be the case, the pitch in Indore didn’t turn from ball one. Yet the footmarks can be seen and there were puffs of dust by the end of day two. New Zealand, who are trailing by 529 runs, might have to get as much as possible in their first innings because batting last might become an ordeal. They were given five bonus runs, though, even before they had walked out to bat.This has been a series played in tough conditions, but it has largely been carried out in good spirit. That doesn’t mean teams won’t look to take any advantage they can get. Hesson had earlier acknowledged that India managed to get reverse swing soon after getting the ball changed, and that that was something they had tried to do as well. Appealing has been a bit of an issue, but Ross Taylor laughed it off saying his side was always going to be out-appealed in India.As India push for a whitewash having put the runs on the board, they will look for every advantage staying within the limits of the laws. The onus will be on the umpires to enforce those laws and playing conditions.

Australia coach Darren Lehmann said that the team did not need any more members added to the support staff, to aid the spinners, saying that they have often used spin consultants for Asian tours

Daniel Brettig28-Nov-2016Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann bristled at suggestions that he or his support staff needed further change or “reinvention” following a drought-breaking victory over South Africa in Adelaide, at the same time revealing how much pressure he has been under in recent weeks.Lehmann did not enjoy being told through the press by team performance manager Pat Howard that he needed to “reinvent” himself as a coach following the recent run of five consecutive defeats, a streak that also coincided with the release of an autobiographical book, , which outlines his philosophies.”I was going to wear a suit to the press conference,” Lehmann quipped when asked about Howard’s words. “I didn’t. I chose not to.”Lehmann was also unhappy to be quizzed on the role of spin coach John Davison, who has a strong working relationship with the team’s No. 1 spin bowler Nathan Lyon but is only seen sporadically on tour with him. Australia is a rare case of an international team not having a full-time spin coach, not only to work with spin bowlers but also to hone the part-time skills of batsmen who bowl spin.After a recent dry spell, Lyon bowled beautifully in Adelaide with the benefit of Davison’s presence, and he has historically tended to perform at his best when his trusted mentor is nearby. However, Lehmann said he did not want to add to the number of support staff already with the team, and argued that other consultants had been used for Asian tours.”So you want another staff member on tour?” Lehmann replied to a question about Davison. “A lot of people say it’s a question of numbers. John’s obviously got other roles as well, so he has been working with Nathan throughout the preparation phase of all Test matches. So he has been around, just Adelaide he stayed around.”I would have thought we’ve had Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan] and had Sri [Sridharan Sriram], so we’ve had a couple around the place. Davo’s come around on tours. When we’re away, we normally take one. I don’t think we haven’t taken one to the subcontinent.”Lehmann admitted that Lyon had responded well to criticism he had faced from both outside the team and within. “I’m just pleased for the players. The players have copped a lot over the last few weeks and they’ve responded really well,” he said. “Obviously, a change of players as well. You feel sad for the blokes who missed out in this Test match, but the guys who came in did a really good job. Steve [Smith] summed it up – a new young group going forward, really pleased for them.”Overall, [Usman] Khawaja was outstanding in the first innings. He put away his cover drive and really summed up conditions well. They all did their job. It was great to see Nathan Lyon, who has copped a lot from everyone – including us, I suppose, as staff and selectors. He really did a great job for us this game as well.”Public pressure on Lehmann and the selectors was underlined by his assertion that Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will play in the ODI series against New Zealand that now takes place before the Pakistan Tests. “We get in trouble if we don’t play them,” he said. “Not sure about that [resting them]. But they’re going to play. At some stage.”We gave them a break, didn’t we? So they should get through the summer. But we got in trouble for that as well. You’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. The simple fact is day-night Test match, day off, helps us in the three one-dayers. So they should be fine there.”Then, it’s a day-night Test match in Brisbane, so they should be right to get through the summer and it’s a pretty important summer as we know, it’s very important. They led our attack really well and stood up for us.”They’ve just got to be really fit and fresh, as much as you possibly can. There’s so much cricket all year round. Do you learn your lesson along the way? You do. But, as long as they’re fresh and going okay, there’s no problems playing them. But the advantage we had in them not going to South Africa as such is that Hazlewood’s fresh as a daisy. He’s going really well. And bowled probably the best he has bowled in the last couple of summers, I thought, in this series.”

Liverpool youngster Fabio Carvalho just doesn't fit the system at Anfield, claims RedMenTV host, Ste Hoare.

The 20-year-old joined the Reds last summer and after initially impressing early on this season, things haven't quite gone to plan.

In fact, he's played just eight Premier League minutes in 2023, and that could be down to Jurgen Klopp's tactics.

What's the latest on Fabio Carvalho's future at Liverpool?

The former Fulham midfielder has been linked with a move away from Anfield, but the club are only prepared to let him go out on loan, recently rejecting a £10m bid from Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig.

With the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister, and reports suggesting Liverpool are pursuing several midfielders, there's going to be plenty of competition in the middle of the park for the club, and it seems Carvalho won't fit into plans this season.

A number of Premier League sides, including his former club Fulham are interested in taking the Portuguese youngster on loan, with several offers currently on the table, but it remains to be seen where he'll end up.

What has Ste Hoare said about Fabio Carvalho and Liverpool?

Despite Carvalho's struggles at Liverpool this season, Hoare believes it's not down to talent, but a lack of fit in Klopp's system that has caused the £16m-rated midfielder problems this year.

Speaking to Football FanCast, the RedMenTV host said:

"It's mad because Liverpool tried so hard to sign Carvalho. They beat so many teams, they paid more than they needed to make sure they got him.

"They really liked what they saw and by all accounts, he is a good player, he just doesn't fit the system."

How did Fabio Carvalho perform this season compared to last year?

While making the move from Fulham and Championship football, to one of the Premier League's biggest sides in Liverpool was always going to be tough, Carvalho's spell in Merseyside has seen his game time and output drop drastically.

Across the board, the 20-year-old's statistical numbers have all decreased this year, which is hardly a surprise given his lack of regular minutes.

Last year, the midfielder completed 1.2 dribbles per game for Fulham, seeing that number drop dramatically to 0.2 per game for Klopp's men this season, whilst his WhoScored average rating dropped from 7.11 at Fulham to 6.37 for the Reds, and he went from completing 1.7 key passes per game at Craven Cottage, to a measly 0.1 this campaign.

At 20 years old, there's still plenty of time for Carvalho, who is sponsored by Nike, to turn his Liverpool career around and a spell out on loan may be the catalyst in that, but if he doesn't fit the system now, who's to say he will when he comes back.

تألق جارود بوين، نجم فريق وست هام، في الجولة السادسة والعشرين من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، بعدما سجل هاتريك ضد برينتفورد.

في حين غاب نجم مانشستر سيتي، إيرلينج هالاند، عن التهديف في تلك الجولة خلال مواجهة بورنموث.

أما محمد صلاح، نجم ليفربول، فلم يشارك خلال مواجهة لوتون تاون في الجولة نفسها بسبب تجدد الإصابة.

بينما سجل أولي واتكينز، لاعب أستون فيلا، هدفًا في الجولة ذاتها خلال مواجهة نوتينجهام فورست. ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي بعد نهاية الجولة السادسة والعشرين

1 إيرلينج هالاند، مانشستر سيتي، 17 هدفًا.

2 محمد صلاح، ليفربول، 15 هدفًا.

3 أولي واتكينز، أستون فيلا، 14 هدفًا.

4 جارود بوين، وست هام، 14 هدفًا.

5 دومينيك سولانكي، بورنموث، 14 هدفًا.

6 بوكايو ساكا، آرسنال، 13 هدفًا.

7 سون هيونج مين، توتنهام، 12 هدفًا.

8 كول بالمر، تشيلسي، 10 أهداف.

9 هوانج هي تشان، ولفرهامبتون، 10 أهداف.

10 ريتشارليسون، توتنهام، 10 أهداف.

11 ألكسندر إيزاك، نيوكاسل يونايتد، 10 أهداف.

12 فيل فودين، مانشستر سيتي، 9 أهداف.

ويمكنك متابعة ترتيب هدافي الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2023/24، محدث بشكل مستمر من هنا.

Ange Postecoglou is on the verge of winning the treble with Celtic this season but continues to be linked with becoming the new Tottenham manager.

The 57-year-old has recently rebuffed interest from Premier League clubs in an interview with Sky Sports but the rumour mill continues to run.

What's the latest on Ange Postecoglou to Spurs?

Sky Sports have now shared a worrying Celtic update regarding Postecoglou on Wednesday, stating that he is "the new preferred candidate to replace Antonio Conte" after Arne Slot refused the role. Sharing the news on Sky Sports, presenter Dharmesh Sheth said:

"We understand Celtic's Ange Postecoglou is emerging as the new preferred candidate to permanently replace Antonio Conte.

"Tottenham are still looking for a new permanent manager after Arne Slot declared he was staying at Feyenoord last week."

Spurs finished 8th in the Premier League, a finish Sheth reports is their worst in over ten years. The last time Tottenham finished lower was in the 2007/08 season when they ended the season in 11th place on 46 points.

Will Ange Postecoglou leave Celtic this summer?

The manager has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in recent weeks. The Daily Mail's Rob Draper reported last week that Postecoglou's "ultimate ambition" is to guide Celtic to the knockouts of the Champions League. This speaks to a desire to remain at the club long enough, although a move to Spurs this summer would make that impossible, of course.

Celtic are set to face Inverness in the final of the Scottish Cup on Saturday evening. A victory will seal a treble for Postecoglou in his second season and you'd expect that his future will likely become clearer following the end of the competitive season.

The Evening Standard reports that Postecoglou has "impressed Spurs chairman Daniel Levy", with the north London side searching for a new manager as well as a director of football and were preparing an approach for the Celtic man last week.

Celtic could find themselves virtually powerless to stop Postecoglou joining a Premier League club this summer. According to The Daily Mail, the 57-year-old is on a one-year rolling contract which does not contain a prohibitive release clause compared to the £17m release clause include in Arne Slot's Feyenoord terms.

The Hoops appear to be identifying possible replacements for Postecoglou as well, with reports suggesting that the club are keeping tabs on Enzo Maresca, and it looks as if Spurs could soon be in for the Australian, not ideal news for those at Parkhead.

Chelsea are keen on signing Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the summer transfer window, with the Argentine on Mauricio Pochettino's "radar".

Is Martinez leaving Villa this summer?

The 30-year-old's reputation has skyrocketed over the past 12 months or so, having always been considered a good 'keeper, but now arguably being seen as an elite one. That's mainly due to Martinez's incredible performances for Argentina at the 2022 World Cup, with his influence perhaps second to only Lionel Messi for his country, as various penalty heroics helped them lift the trophy back in December.

While the £120,000-a-week Villa hero's current deal doesn't expire until the summer of 2027, there is the possibility that he seals an exit from the club before the start of next season. He has been linked with a move away, with a switch to a Champions League club possibly on the cards, and it remains to be seen what will happen in the coming weeks.

With Chelsea looking to sign a new first-choice man between the sticks, following unconvincing displays from Kepa Arrizabalaga and Edouard Mendy, it looks as though Martinez could be an option for them.

Are Chelsea signing Martinez?

According to talkSPORT on Twitter, both Martinez and Inter Milan 'keeper Andre Onana are summer targets for Pochettino personally, with Kepa and Mendy possibly heading out of the club:

"BREAKING: #CFC are open to offers for both Kepa Arrizabalaga & Edouard Mendy. Mauricio Pochettino wants to bring in a new number one with Inter Milan's Andre Onana and #AVFC’s Emi Martinez on his radar. – talkSPORT sources understand."

Martinez could be a magnificent signing by Chelsea this summer, considering he is one of the Premier League's best stoppers and has been described as "world-class" by Gary Neville.

At 30, he is right in his prime as a goalkeeper, with many years still ahead of him at his best, and he could immediately make the Blues a greater defensive force, having won three Man of the Match awards from WhoScored in the league last season.

Martinez is a great combination of being both good with the ball at his feet and an expert shot-stopper (FBRef), while his larger-than-life personality could also make such a positive influence in the dressing room at Stamford Bridge, at a time when spirits are a little low and more leaders are needed within the squad. It is a move that only really has positives to it.

Kaushik Gandhi’s career-best 164 helped Tamil Nadu open up a 70-run lead over Punjab in Nagpur. After Tamil Nadu resumed on 218 for 4 in response to Punjab’s first-innings 284, Gandhi built on his overnight 75 not out for his second century this season, to go along with a half-century in the previous game against Bengal, before Siddarth Kaul (3 for 86) took out the lower order as Tamil Nadu were bowled out for 354. Manpreet Gony finished with 4 for 81. Punjab lost their openers Manan Vohra for 41 and Jiwanjot Singh for a duck before they wiped out the deficit. Uday Kaul (43*) and Mandeep Singh (35*) stitched together an unbroken 62-run third-wicket stand as Punjab ended on 121 for 2, ahead by 51 with one full day remaining.At the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh’s batsmen enjoyed a field day against Railways, scoring 285 runs for the loss of two wickets as they closed in on the first-innings lead. MP had ended the second day on 71 for 3 in response to Railways’ 371 with Naman Ojha batting on 9 and Devendra Bundela, the MP captain, on 13. Ojha struck an even 50, while Bundela raised his 26th first-class century, staying not out on 131 with 19 fours and two sixes, as MP finished the day on 356 for 5, trailing by 15 runs. The duo extended their fourth-wicket partnership to 95, before Ojha was bowled by left-arm spinner Avinash Yadav. Harpreet Singh chipped in with 22, but after his dismissal, Railways had to endure close to 58 wicketless overs as Bundela and Shubham Sharma shared an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 192 runs. Shubham was closing in on his maiden first-class century, finishing not out on 91 with the help of 10 fours and two sixes.Shreyas Iyer’s first century this season, an unbeaten 191, kept Mumbai in the hunt for first-innings points against Gujarat in Hubli. They ended on 328 for 6, still trailing by 109 runs. Resuming on 58 for 3 after having bowled out Gujarat for 437, Iyer and nightwatchman Dhawal Kulkarni, who made 61, frustrated Gujarat with a 187-run stand for the fourth wicket. The pair lasted 62.4 overs before Jasprit Bumrah sent back Kulkarni. Axar Patel, leading Gujarat in the absence of Parthiv Patel, who has joined the Indian Test team in place of the injured Wriddhiman Saha, then dismissed Suryakumar Yadav. Then, shortly before stumps, Bumrah returned to trap Abhishek Nayar lbw for 14. He finished with figures of 4 for 49.

Liverpool will not pursue a summer deal to sign Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

Is Benjamin Pavard leaving Bayern Munich?

The France international will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that this transfer window will provide Thomas Tuchel with his final big opportunity to cash in, should he not want to risk losing him for free in 12 months time, and being his second top-performing defensive player, he won’t be short of suitors.

Whilst FSG and Jurgen Klopp are known to be prioritising the midfield area having already confirmed the arrival of Alexis Mac Allister, the backline is believed to be another position that they are looking to strengthen and the 27-year-old had been mentioned as a target.

Writing in his column for CaughtOffside, SportBILD journalist Christian Falk revealed that the right-back has “informed” the Bundesliga outfit that he wants to leave and name-checked the Reds as a “hot candidate” after his agent held talks with the hierarchy, but an update has now emerged contrary to those reports.

Are Liverpool signing Pavard?

According to Football Insider, Liverpool are “not in the running” to sign Pavard this summer despite multiple outlets stating otherwise. The Premier League side have been the “most strongly linked” with a swoop for the defender, but it’s stated that there is “no truth” to the rumours that they are set to make an approach in the weeks ahead.

The Merseyside outfit are maintaining their “focus” on additions in the midfield, with Khephren Thuram, Manu Kone, Gabri Veiga and Romeo Lavia all on the boss’ shortlist, where he will then turn his attention to increasing numbers in the backline.

Are FSG right not to chase Pavard?

During Liverpool’s final few games of last season, Trent Alexander-Arnold was deployed in the midfield and appeared to flourish in his new role, so Klopp could do with another right-back to take his place should his regular starter be set to change positions, and Pavard could have been the perfect candidate.

The 2022 World Cup runner-up, who pockets £82k-per-week, averaged 2.5 clearances, 2.3 tackles and 2.1 aerial wins per game in the Bundesliga during the previous term, via WhoScored, so was a real rock out wide, but he also got more than involved at the opposite end of the field.

Bayern’s “wonderful character”, as described by one of their club chiefs Uli Hoeness, ranked in the 99th percentile for three different statistics, including progressive passes, and this attacking mindset resulted in him clocking up eight goal contributions (seven goals and one assist) across all competitions. The Reds could be making a big mistake by deciding not to chase Pavard.

Liverpool are mulling over issuing a swoop for Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie, who has found regular minutes hard to come by at Camp Nou.

What's the latest on Franck Kessie to Liverpool?

According to Inter Live (via Sport), Liverpool have reportedly lodged an early opening offer for the Ivorian midfielder after a lacklustre maiden year in Catalonia.

The La Blaugrana ace joined Xavi's side from AC Milan last summer and has won LaLiga, but has failed to reach the same heights that he achieved in Italy, and Reds boss Jurgen Klopp could now offer him a lifeline.

Valued at €35m (£30m), the 26-year-old engine would add a new facet to Anfield's centre after James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all departed upon the expiry of their contracts this summer.

Should Liverpool sign Franck Kessie?

The box-to-box menace played an important role in Milan's Serie A-winning 21/22 campaign, earning an average rating of 7.07 – as per Sofascore – playing 31 league matches, scoring six goals and completing 89% of his passes as he provided a robust presence at the heart of the outfit.

At Barcelona, while he has played 43 times across all competitions, Kessie only started seven times in the Spanish top-flight and will be sweating over the future prominence of his role with his club's vested interest in signing a new midfielder.

The 60-cap international, should he be signed by Liverpool, would add an invaluable sheen of physicality and a progressive presence, hailed as a "beast" by journalist Sacha Pisani, and could be the perfect replacement for departee Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Forgetting the central exodus for a moment, the Reds' centre has already been sapped of energy and vitality this term in a stark decline that has resulted in failure to qualify for the Champions League, and new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke must now implement the optimum strategy to rekindle the former fire.

'Ox' had failed to effectively contribute for the lion's share of this stricken season, playing just 13 times across all competitions and starting on just four occasions in the Premier League, including just 20 minutes in the league across the final 18 matches of the term, missing at least 14 matches due to injury.

Kessie, who did play a peripheral role this year, has missed only seven matches due to unavailability, according to Transfermarkt, across the duration of his career, and boasts the kind of progressive nature that Klopp needs to get the Merseyside machine whirring again.

This is evidenced by his ranking among the top 12% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for progressive passes received and touches in the offensive box per 90, as per FBref, illustrating a knack at driving forward into danger areas.

Described as "sensational" by reporter Carlo Garganese, the £150k-per-week ace would be an excellent addition for Klopp and co, bolstering the ranks, adding some much-needed physicality and resurrecting the steely tenacity that has faded like fallen autumn leaves on the brink of winter.