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Worcestershire have gambled on a win-at-all-costs pitch at Worcester – but Glamorgan’s Will Bragg stood in their way with a sparkling unbeaten half-century on a 15-wicket day

ECB Reporters Network13-Aug-2016
ScorecardSteve Rhodes, seen here alongside former England coach Andy Flower, wants three wins in five [file picture]•Getty Images

A sparkling half-century by Will Bragg steadied Glamorgan as 15 wickets went down on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship meeting with promotion contenders Worcestershire at New Road.The hard-hitting left hander ended a recent run of single-figure scores by making 75 not out as the Welsh county reached 118 for 5 after dismissing the home side for 163 by tea.On a cloudy, sultry morning, Jacques Rudolph backed his seamers by choosing to bowl first and they were soon on a roll as Worcestershire collapsed to 37 for 5. A subsequent partnership of 66 by Ross Whiteley (40) and Joe Leach (43) seemed to be no more than damage limitation but grew in value when Glamorgan began to lose wickets.Worcestershire’s director of cricket, Steve Rhodes, has targeted three wins in the last five matches to put his team in “a really good position” in the promotion race. So far this one has been tougher than may have been anticipated against a side who were propping up the Division Two table.Bragg suggested that swing played a large part. “The pitch is quite slow, slower than normal, but the ball was swinging nicely for our bowlers once the lacquer had gone off it after 10 overs. It was the same when they bowled but we could have been in a stronger position but for a couple of sloppy shots.”Rhodes also played down too many pitch discussions. “At 37 for five we were in all sorts of trouble and it was not necessarily down to the pitch. We played a few shots we’d like to rewind and play again but the way we fought back was good. It was a wholehearted effort by the bowlers.”Kettleborough moves on

Glamorgan have released James Kettleborough, although they have yet to admit it in the hope that it will help him find a new county, .
As for Kettleborough, he has no qualms about telling it how it is. “Formerly of Northants and Glamorgan,” is the message already available – for confirmed followers only – on his Twitter feed.

Swing was Glamorgan’s big asset, as Brett D’Oliveira discovered when he was bowled, playing no shot, in teenager Lukas Carey’s second over. This was a big comedown for the opener after making a career-best 202 not out when the teams met at Cardiff in May.Wicketkeeper Mark Wallace was one who benefited from the movement, whether in the air or off the pitch. He took three catches in the morning and two more later.Graham Wagg bowled an excellent spell with the new ball, taking the outside edge to dismiss Daryl Mitchell in his fifth over, and Michael Hogan started with two wickets without conceding a run in 10 deliveries.Tom Fell (16) drove to cover, where Wagg held a smart catch, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore was quickly added to Wallace’s list of victims.It was five down when Joe Clarke followed a ball from Craig Meschede but Ben Cox held up the Welsh charge for a while until he was caught at first slip off Wagg after lunch.Glamorgan were only checked when Whiteley played responsibly for more than two hours and found buccaneering support from Leach.Whiteley was eventually caught at mid-on when cramped up by a ball from Meschede and Hogan (four for 44) landed a double blow in the space of three balls.Ed Barnard was caught by Wallace and Leach drove hard to Meschede at mid-on. The last pair hung around for half-an-hour before Wallace had the final word when holding Jack Shantry’s edge off Carey.With the sun shining, Glamorgan’s reply began badly with Nick Selman bowled, second ball, by Leach but Bragg got things moving with four boundaries in an over from Barnard.Rudolph helped put on 54 until driving a ball from Charlie Morris to mid-off and Bragg completed 50 from 54 balls before David Lloyd was taken at second slip off Shantry.Further wickets saw Aneurin Donald playing on to Leach and Meschede pulling Barnard to mid-on.

ScorecardJason Roy gave Surrey a flying start with 36 from 25 balls•Getty Images

Surrey kept their hopes of reaching the last eight of the NatWest T20 Blast alive with a comfortable six-wicket win over Sussex Sharks in front of a 22,601 crowd at The Kia Oval.Having restricted Sussex to 153 for 6 on a slow pitch, Surrey paced their response perfectly and won the game with ten balls to spare when Chris Morris swung Mustafizur Rahman over midwicket for six.It was Surrey’s sixth win in the ultra-competitive South Group and they join Sussex on 12 points, but the Sharks only have one game left – at home to second-placed Glamorgan next Wednesday – and their chances of making the quarter-finals appear remote.Surrey had been given a strong start by England opener Jason Roy, who made 36 off 25 balls, hitting six fours and a six.Roy looked in the mood but was becalmed by slow left-armer Danny Briggs who came on in the powerplay and bowled Roy in his second over as the batsman slogged across the line. A clearly frustrated Roy angrily swished his bat at the stumps as he departed, an act which may earn him a rebuke from umpires David Millns and Alex Wharf.Roy’s opening partner Aaron Finch had gone in the third over, caught at backward point off a huge top-edge to give Jofra Archer, the Barbados-born fast bowler playing only his third game in the competition, the first of two wickets.But Dominic Sibley and Rory Burns were determined not to squander Surrey’s good start. The third-wicket pair added 42 in 27 balls and although Burns (13) was superbly caught at long leg by the diving Rahman, Sibley made a composed 40 off 31 deliveries with three sixes and a four to put his side in control.He was athletically caught by Sussex captain Luke Wright at extra cover in the 15th over, but Surrey required just 38 runs at that stage and Morris (20) and Ben Foakes (22) eased them to their sixth win of the group stage.Sussex, who had been put in, were 15-20 runs short in the end. With four overs to go they were 135 for 3 but Jade Dernbach and Tom Curran bowled superbly at the death, taking three wickets as Sussex cobbled together just 18 more runs.Craig Cachopa and Matt Machan had put on 51 in 31 balls for the fourth wicket but they fell off successive Dernbach deliveries in the 19th over. Machan (18) top-edged a pull and Cachopa was held at long on for 45 (34 balls, 7 fours) while Chris Jordan gave Curran a deserved wicket when he holed out to deep mid-wicket in the final over.Sussex were without fast bowler Tymal Mills because of ankle trouble and their leading scorer in this season’s Blast Ross Taylor, who has joined up with New Zealand for their tour of South Africa.In Taylor’s absence they needed experienced openers Chris Nash and Wright to perform and although Nash played well for his 39 from 34 balls, Sussex captain Wright was out for just 7.Surrey’s seamers showed good control with Dernbach taking 2 for 25, Morris 2 for 21 and Tom Curran 1 for 20.

Hamish Marshall remembers last year’s Royal London Cup final at Lord’s, where Gloucestershire nicked a six-run victory against Surrey, as “one of the best days of cricket” he’s experienced but knows that it will be a tall order to defended the title this

Andrew McGlashan03-Jun-2016Hamish Marshall remembers last year’s Royal London Cup final at Lord’s, where Gloucestershire clinched a six-run victory against Surrey, as “one of the best days of cricket” he’s experienced but knows that it will be a tall order to defend the title this season.The title was Gloucestershire’s first piece of silverware since 2004 and was secured in tension-filled scenes after Surrey had started the last over needing seven off six balls with 17-year-old Sam Curran playing a fine hand. But Curran fell to the first ball of the last over and two deliveries later Gareth Batty found deep midwicket.”I remember I could feel my heart beating, thinking we were so close,” Marshall told ESPNcricinfo. “I was very nervous but David Payne had been bowling well for us so confident in him. When that catch went down Benny Howell’s throat I thought we had a really good chance. Then Jack [Taylor] took that catch – I didn’t know what I should do – I just chased the other lads. One of the best days of cricket I’ve experienced.”A man on the opposition that day, Jason Roy, remembered being left astonished as to what had happened after Surrey had subsided from 143 for 2, with Kumar Sangakkara in control before clubbing to mid-on, to being left with the last-over scramble.”Heartache. It was crazy,” Roy said. “It was one of those days when you walked off the pitch and said ‘what the hell has just happened?’ But do you know what, it was great for the game, great for Gloucestershire, they played well and were the better team on the day and that is what sport is all about.”Recalling the team’s progress through the tournament – which was anchored by Michael Klinger’s 531 runs at 106.20 before a duck in the final – Marshall picked out a run chase early in the competition against Derbyshire where the team felt events could be going their way. They needed 20 off the last over from Chesney Hughes, who bowled a no-ball off what should have been the final delivery – for having too many fielders on the leg side – and the next ball was dispatched for the match-winning boundary by Howell.”We needed 60 off four overs, then there was the no-ball. Some things went our way, but guys played good cricket,” Marshall said. “Michael was outstanding and the guys feed off that. Our two spinners, Tom Smith and Jack Taylor, played really well – Jack with the bat as well – guys played good cricket. Although Michael was outstanding others played really important roles.”Marshall knows, though, that Gloucestershire will need to keep improving to have a chance of retaining their title – and have been hit by the blow of the Man of the Match from the final, Taylor, being suspended for a suspect action – but they will trust in the methods that proved successful for them last summer.”As a group we’ll stick to what worked for us last year. Hopefully guys will have improved over the winter, but winning last year will give us a lot of confidence. But we know teams will be after us, and they’ll know us a little bit better. Like last year we’ll need a lot of guys in good nick.”As proud sponsors of the One Day Cup, Royal London is giving away match tickets to see the action live. Visit royallondoncricket.com to enter.

Wolverhampton Wanderers took a massive step towards Premier League survival as they secured a narrow victory over Crystal Palace to move nine points clear of the relegation zone.

It was a tight and scrappy win for the Midlands outfit as a calamitous own goal from Joachim Anderson within the opening five minutes and a late Ruben Neves penalty was enough to decide this encounter.

This means that Julen Lopetegui’s men have now taken ten points from the last 15 available and condemned Roy Hodgson to his first defeat since his return to the Eagles.

The south London club largely dominated periods of the second half, as they had 59% possession and 13 shots, but Wolves held firm to secure their third clean sheet in four games.

One player at the heart of the homes side’s sturdy defence and an orchestrator of their attacks was Neves, who produced a vintage display from central midfield.

How did Ruben Neves play against Crystal Palace?

The captain was unable to feature in the club’s last two games at Molineux when Chelsea and Brentford were the visitors. Many expected the Portuguese to be reinstated for Wolves’ Premier League outing at Leicester, but he surprisingly started on the bench as the Wanderers suffered a damaging defeat at their rivals.

Lopetegui didn’t make the same mistake against Palace last night and the midfielder was at his imperious and devastating best. It was the complete performance from the former Porto man, who was simply everywhere.

The skipper protected his defence impeccably as he won eight duels in total – seven of which were on the ground – made two clearances, four interceptions, and four tackles, as per Sofascore, as Wolves secured their sixth victory in eight home games.

The £50k-per-week man also controlled the tempo and dictated the control of the game as he registered 76 touches, two key passes, two accurate crosses, ten accurate long balls, and a 78% pass completion rate, via Sofascore.

This magnificent showing earned the player a monstrous 8.8 rating, the highest of any player on the pitch.

This has been the tale of Wolves’ season as Neves has the biggest average rating of the squad across the whole campaign (7.02), according to WhoScored.

It was another pivotal reminder that the club need to do their absolute utmost to keep the 39-cap international, whose performance was described as “top class” by Statman Dave.

A last-minute penalty rounded off a fantastic Tuesday evening for the Midlands club as Neves sent the Molineux faithful home rocking.

Arsenal are a club in a fortunate position, where seemingly nothing will go wrong. Everything they touch turns to gold, both on and off the pitch, and they finally have a team they can be proud of fighting for the top honours.

Even if they were to fail in securing the Premier League title, few expected a season like this after the disappointment at the end of last year.

It feels like everything has clicked, with a solid defence backing up a free-flowing front line which arguably could not get much stronger. Even their depth is admirable, with plenty more young prospects fighting alongside their teammates for those first-team spots.

However, in a moment of brief frustration for the north London giants, just yesterday ESPN published their top 39 youngsters aged 21 and under and it made for disappointing reading.

For the two stars they had on it, the inclusion of Yunus Musah outlined one of the Gunners' biggest blunders in recent years; to allow him to leave for free.

Who is Yunus Musah?

With Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka cracking the top ten of the aforementioned list, down in 35 is that lesser-known gem who has been silently starring for Valencia this season.

Beside his name they also wrote a glowing endorsement for his inclusion: "Often a victim of his own versatility, Musah has been assigned a more suitable No. 8 role in the centre of midfield for Valencia.

"His speed of dribbling with the ball and eagerness to press opponents are other attributes that keep Premier League clubs alert to his availability."

The 20-year-old has featured 23 times in La Liga and has shone for an underperforming outfit battling to stay in the division. His 6.66 average rating perhaps belies his influence, as his all-around qualities are outlined through his 1.6 tackles, 0.6 key passes and 0.7 shots per game, via Sofascore.

Such was his pedigree, the youngster was taken with the USMNT to the latest World Cup where he starred. Joey Barton even singled him out for praise as they battled to a draw against England, as he wrote: "Best young prospect at this @FIFAWorldCup is @ussoccer Yunus Musah. He’s going to be a top player. He absolutely dusted Jude Bellingham in England game. 20 years of age. Some player."

To suggest he bested the Borussia Dortmund maestro, who actually topped ESPN's list, is high praise indeed.

Compounding Arsenal's misery, Musah has understandably seen his value soar due to his emergence at the senior level. CIES Football Observatory even rate him as highly as €30m (£26m), only further exacerbating what an error to allow him to depart was.

Although the club have made few blunders of late, the recent interest in this midfield general's displays has made it so they are feeling the heat for an old decision now.

Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita is wanted by Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan during the summer transfer window, according to a fresh rumour.

The Lowdown: Keita expected to leave

The 28-year-old joined the Reds back in the summer of 2018, arriving from RB Leipzig with a huge reputation as one of Europe’s best up-and-coming midfielders.

Keita’s time at Anfield has proven to be extremely hit-and-miss, however, with plenty of silverware coming his way, including the Champions League and Premier League, but also non-stop injuries and unconvincing performances.

The Guinean is out of contract at Liverpool at the end of the season and it looks as though he will almost certainly depart, with Jurgen Klopp no longer seeing him as a key squad player.

Keita has been linked with a number of clubs and now a new update has emerged regarding where he could end up next season.

The Latest: Duo eyeing up move

According to Football Insider, two ‘elite’ clubs in Dortmund and Inter are ‘keen’ on securing a summer move for the midfielder, seeing him as a shrewd addition to their current squads.

It is noted that Liverpool have ‘decided against’ handing Keita a new deal at the club, with Klopp feeling it would be ‘best for all parties’ if he moved on to pastures new rather than staying put.

The Verdict: Such a disappointing signing

It makes complete sense for the 50-cap and 11-goal Guinea international to leave the Reds this summer, in what has ultimately been a hugely disappointing spell overall.

In fairness to Keita, his constant fitness battles have consistently held him back, with only 77 starts coming his way in almost five years on Merseyside.

That isn’t solely down to injuries, with Klopp simply not preferring him to others in plenty of matches, but it does highlight his lack of availability and how much he has struggled to nail down a regular place in the team.

Keita is a good footballer when he is fit and firing –  Virgil van Dijk has even called him a ‘world-class’ talent in the past – but those instances are few and far between, which is why he needs to be moved on and replaced by a younger, more influential individual.

Exactly the same applies Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who has only made four Premier League starts this season, while 37-year-old James Milner also needs to leave in the summer, as Klopp rebuilds his midfield options ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

Everton’s recent struggles haven’t all been on the pitch, despite their narrow escape from relegation last term and the fact they are languishing in the drop zone this season, but their wastefulness in the transfer window resulted in massive amounts of money being squandered.

Between 2018 and 2022, the Toffees splurged out £27.2m on Yerry Mina, £22m on Andre Gomes and £29m for Moise Kean, and the trio hardly impressed on Merseyside.

It was perhaps Sam Allardyce’s move for Arsenal forward Theo Walcott in January 2018 which drained the club the most, with his £20m switch promising so much, yet failing to deliver on the pitch despite the large outlay.

How much did Theo Walcott cost Everton?

Walcott’s time at Arsenal saw him score 108 goals in 397 appearances for the Gunners and when Allardyce brought him to the club, there were high hopes that he could enjoy a new lease of life away from north London.

His best campaign to date had been the 2012/2013 season, where the Englishman scored 14 Premier League goals and registered 12 assists, although prior to his January move to the Toffees, he had featured for just a grand total of 63 minutes in the league, which was perhaps the first hint that he may not live up to the expectations of a £20m player.

Former Gunners legend Lee Dixon had previously lavished praise on Walcott, suggesting he was “unplayable” back in 2016, yet his stint in the North West didn’t exactly go to plan with the winger instead proving to be “awful” – as eluded to by Phil McNulty.

In just over two and a half years, he managed to score only 11 goals and register nine assists in 85 appearances for the club, while also costing them a pretty penny in wages too – £110k-per-week to be precise.

Indeed, during his 141-week spell at Everton, the forward managed to rinse the club for a total of £43.4m (his £20m transfer fee combined with the £23.4m he earned in wages) and it’s no wonder the club are now finally paying for big money mistakes like this now.

Hopefully, Sean Dyche has a better understanding of what players would suit Everton and avoid paying inflated fees for underwhelming performers during his reign.

Leeds United aren’t expected to make a move for Harry Redknapp, according to reporter Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Redknapp speculation

The Whites are yet to bring in Jesse Marsch’s successor, with Michael Skubala still in caretaker charge at Elland Road.

That has resulted in rumours of a move for Redknapp earlier in the week, with the 75-year-old reportedly open to the idea of coming out of retirement to take over in Yorkshire.

Redknapp, who has 374 wins as a manager during his career, has been out of work since 2017, with his last role in management coming at Birmingham City.

The Latest: Jones’ comments

Talking to GiveMeSport regarding Redknapp and Leeds, Jones said he has been told it ‘won’t happen’. However, the reporter claimed that ‘there was some real talk through agents’ about the possibility of a move.

“If Leeds fans are worried about the prospect of Redknapp coming in then I think they should put themselves at ease, I’m told it won’t happen.

“There was some real talk through agents about it in terms of him potentially being considered but, from people I talked to, I don’t think this is going to be a goer.”

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The Verdict: Decision needed

Saturday’s display against relegation rivals Everton was extremely alarming, with Leeds failing to register a shot on target at Goodison Park.

The 1-0 defeat leaves the club in 19th place, and with a gap building between the Whites and the sides above them, you could argue that a managerial decision is needed in the coming days.

Experience could prove crucial in the position Leeds are in, and although Redknapp won’t be the one to come in, someone with proven Premier League experience should be considered. Nuno Espirito Santo and Rafael Benitez are two names who have been mentioned in recent weeks, so their knowledge of the top flight could come in handy and even if Leeds drop down to the Championship, the pair have both led teams out of the second tier with Wolves and Newcastle respectively.

Manchester United have enjoyed a sparkling run of form since December, losing just once in 14 matches and Erik ten Hag looks like he could be bringing back the feel-good factor to Old Trafford.

How long is Christian Eriksen out for?

Despite this good run of form, the recent injury to Christian Eriksen is a blow that could dampen Ten Hag’s otherwise confident mood, with the Dane performing well since joining the club last summer.

The 30-year-old playmaker is set for a three-month stint on the sidelines after suffering a serious ankle injury from Andy Carroll’s reckless lunge on him during the Red Devils’ 3-1 victory over Reading in the FA Cup at the end of January.

Can Kobbie Mainoo replace Eriksen at Man United?

The Red Devils proceeded to sign Marcel Sabitzer on loan from Bayern Munich to cover Eriksen’s absence, however, the Dutchman may well ease the blow by unleashing a young talent from the academy who has the potential to eventually secure a regular first-team slot – Kobbie Mainoo.

The 17-year-old starlet has recently signed a new long-term contract with United, suggesting there is a clear pathway to the first team for the talented youngster, although that may come sooner rather than later.

He joined the club aged nine and has made steady progress through the age levels before getting his big chance under Ten Hag this season.

The young box-to-box midfielder has been named on the bench at various times during the campaign, however, it wasn’t until the League Cup tie against Charlton at the start of the year that he made his debut, before a cameo appearance off the bench against Reading in the FA Cup two weeks ago.

Analyst Statman Dave was “impressed” by his performance in the FA Cup, while journalist Samuel Luckhurst dubbed the youngster as “dominant” last year and he was part of the team that won the FA Youth Cup for the first time since 2011 with a 3-1 victory in the final over Nottingham Forest.

Alejandro Garnacho stole the show by scoring twice, although Mainoo played an integral part in the middle of the United midfield, keeping everything together and dictating the play and this led journalist Rhys Jones to declare the pair as the “future” of Man United.

Six goals and four assists from a midfield berth during his time at U18 and U21 level is certainly encouraging and Eriksen’s injury woes could be a blessing in disguise for the Dutchman, who may have no choice but to turn to youth, especially with the fixture congestion that the Old Trafford side face over the coming months.

From Sir Matt Busby to Sir Alex Ferguson, the staple of Man United has been via the youth system and the future certainly looks bright under Ten Hag, which will give Mainoo a major confidence boost.

Liverpool have been linked with a score of midfielders over the past year, and Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic is the latest star to enter the rumour mill this winter. 

While certain high-profile names such as Jude Bellingham have been at the centre of the debate, it might be that the Reds opt to travel a shrewder route during the January transfer market, and could indeed move for the likes of Brozovic.

That’s according to CalcioMercatoWeb, who claim that the Croatian ace has been distinguished as an option to replace the likely outgoing Naby Keita, who has been riddled with injury issues and is out of contract at the end of the season. 

With Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp having already forked out an initial £35m for prolific forward Cody Gakpo several weeks ago, touting the likes of Bellingham, who has been valued at €150m (£130m), appears implausible, and the industrious Brozovic, who is reportedly available for €35m (£31m), could be the more prudent avenue for the club. 

Partey 2.0

Inter signed Brozovic on an initial two-year loan deal from Dinamo Zagreb in 2015 before cementing the ace on a permanent transfer; he has since made a remarkable 302 appearances, scoring 30 goals and providing 37 assists.

With the substance and significance of his time in the Italian Serie A, serving as a robust central figure and winning several major honours such as the league title and the Coppa Italia, the 30-year-old could indeed be enticed by forging a path for success down another road, and Liverpool are indeed desperate for someone of his ilk.

As per WhoScored, the machine has maintained an average match rating of 7.00 across the entirety of his professional career, which illustrates the assurance and consistency of his performances at the heart of his outfits. 

And with an average passing accuracy of 88%, 1.3 key passes, and 2.1 tackles per outing, the “irreplaceable” nature – as per ex-Inter star Gianfranco Matteoli – of his sweeping presence and the energy that he would instil into the Reds’ fold is crystal-clear.

Liverpool currently languish in tenth place in the Premier League, an alarming ten points off Newcastle United in fourth and having tasted defeat on the past two occasions against Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, but it is the manner of the losses, and the limp and lifeless levels that present the gravest cause for concern.

Something needs to change, and with Brozovic ranking among the top 14% of midfielders for goals and the top 7% for pass completion, as per FBref, he could thread the cohesion and provide an additional dimension in attack. 

When using the sites ‘similar players’ list, Brozovic bears a semblance to table-toppers Arsenal’s Thomas Partey, who has been a revelation this season. 

As per Sofascore, Partey has recorded an impressive average league rating of 7.17 this season, completing 87% of his passes, making 2.3 tackles and 1.3 clearances per display. 

It is this standard of all-encompassing midfield work, recycling possession and anchoring the centre, that has been so integral in the Gunners’ endeavours, and Klopp must indeed look to emulate if he is to stabilise the red ship in Merseyside. 

Bearing this in mind, it would be ludicrous for Liverpool to fail to even attempt in a bid to sign such a distinguished and adroit technician; the club’s season might be smeared in obscurity, but a well-placed signing could bolster the squad and get Anfield rocking once again.