Tag Futebol

Liverpool have bought out their sell-on clause from Kaide Gordon’s transfer from Derby County, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Gordon impressing at Liverpool

The 17-year-old made the move from Pride Park to the Reds in February 2021, with the striker considered one of the most exciting prospects in the country.

Gordon’s first-team playing time at Liverpool has been understandably limited but he has still managed four appearances – including one in the Premier League –  scoring once in that time.

A fresh update has now emerged regarding the youngster’s move to Anfield.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-31/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Liverpool buy out Gordon sell-on clause

Taking to Twitter on Monday, Romano confirmed that Liverpool have paid £500,000 to get rid of the 20% sell-on clause which originally existed in the deal. The journalist revealed:

“Excl. Liverpool have bought out the sell on clause from Kaide Gordon’s transfer from Derby County. #LFC Been told Liverpool & Derby County have agreed £500,000 for the removal of the 20% sell on clause which appeared in the original deal.”

The Verdict: Massive future ahead for Gordon

This is yet more shrewd work from Liverpool in the transfer market, ensuring that they don’t have to pay Derby a substantial amount should they eventually sell Gordon in the future.

However, the hope is that the teenager becomes a superstar at Anfield and that the Reds will never actively want to sell him, with Virgil van Dijk hailing him as a ‘great talent’.

The 17-year-old has looked the part whenever he has been given a chance, possessing a great left foot and an eye for goal, while a tally of seven goals and three assists in 10 appearances for Liverpool’s under-18s further outlines his potential.

In other news, one Liverpool player is likely to leave permanently this summer. Find out who it is here.

Willow monstered leather like never before with five of the eight teams making their highest-ever scores in week one of the 2017-18 WBBL

Geoff Lemon and Adam Collins13-Dec-2017We’ve got everything. The biggest numbers

The first two Women’s Big Bash League were based on a tight balance between ball and bat. More often than not, six per over was competitive. Not so in the explosive opening weekend to season three, where willow monstered leather like never before. The six fixtures totalled a staggering 2023 runs, with five of the eight teams making their highest-ever scores.The party started at North Sydney, when Sydney Thunder plundered 200 for 6. The highest total in the tournament’s history lasted all of three hours.For 12 months, Ashleigh Gardner has threatened to do something ridiculous if given the leash. When Melbourne Stars invited Sydney Sixers to bat first, the leash was off. Combining raw power with a peerless eye, the No. 3 hit 10 sixes on her way to the fastest WBBL century, donging multiple bombs off the corrugated iron of grandstand roofs.Gardner’s 47-ball ton became 114 from 52 by the time she was out in the 14th over. She might have bettered Thunder’s mark on her own had she batted through the innings. Added to Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten 91 in 49 balls, the score was 242 for 4 when the onslaught was over, higher than anything in either the men’s or women’s Big Bash.Adelaide Strikers also tallied their two best scores, at home, taking Hobart Hurricanes for 183 for 3 then 176 for 6. Suzie Bates, their new captain, was up to her neck in it, tallying a 65-ball century that looked sedate compared to the scenes in Sydney. The bowling was equally glittering, with star leg-spinner Amanda Wellington returning figures of 3 for 9 off four overs in one game.Perhaps the South Australian franchise finally have their act together, after finishing last in both campaigns so far. The news is less positive for Stars and Hurricanes, beaten badly in both their games and a long way from sharing in the boom. Don’t be surprised if recession follows.The fastest fifties

When you have teams breaking records willy nilly, it’s logical that individual ones would be part of it. Those fell thick and fast too. Gardner unsurprisingly set the fastest WBBL fifty on her way to her hundred, getting there in 22 balls. But in the chase, South Africa’s Lizelle Lee briefly gave the Stars hope of an impossible result, matching Gardner’s record for fifty before eventually falling for a 36-ball 64.But neither of those would likely have been the record, had Nicola Carey got another ball or two to face. The diminutive seamer, picked in the first two seasons for her bowling, flayed ball after ball to the boundary in Thunder’s opening innings. With two balls left in the innings, she did the team thing to take every run available and lost the strike. The end result? A knock of 47 not out from just 17 balls.Getty ImagesThe biggest crowds

The burst at the batting crease was match by an eruption in onlookers. Close to 9000 people came through the gates at North Sydney Oval for the four games there, comfortably eclipsing the substantial Women’s Ashes attendances at the venue earlier this season.When Gardner was lighting it up, televisions were switched on around the nation. At its peak, the audience reached a massive 629,000 on free-to-air broadcaster Network Ten. Taken as a whole, television audiences over the weekend were 59 per cent up on the average of last year. Proof once again that if you screen it, they will stay at home.The worst mistakes?

Of all the people watching television, it turned out the third umpire was paying least attention. Jess Duffin, who has played 117 games for Australia earlier in her career under her maiden name of Jess Cameron, was on fire for the Renegades against Thunder. But what could have been an all-time classic win was derailed by a shocker of a decision.Chasing 200 set up by Carey, Renegade openers Sophie Molineux and Chamari Atapattu battered 67 between them to get things moving. Enter Duffin: by the time she’d laced the boundaries for 81 from 46 balls, Melbourne needed 28 off 17 balls.At that point, Duffin reverse-swept Bates, and Lisa Griffith at short third man dived forward to catch. The fielder’s appeal was unconvinced, and replays clearly showed that while there may have been a finger under the ball, there was no doubt it touched the ground as the catcher reeled it in.The fielders went back to their marks, the batter prepared to resume, and then the big screen flashed up “OUT!” A mystifying decision, as wrong as one can be, and one that let Thunder close out a game that could have had a grandstand finish. We’re still mad.And we’ve got more to come.

The WBBL carnival hits four capitals cities in the week ahead, starting on Friday December 15 when the Heat host Scorchers in a replay of last year’s semi-final. Back then, Perth bolted it in by nine wickets, so the Brisbane side will require little incentive to turn the tables.In western Sydney, Thunder take on Stars on Saturday before meeting their crosstown rivals for the first time this season on the opening night of the Men’s Big Bash on Tuesday.Over the weekend in Adelaide, the Strikers have a chance to consolidate at home against Renegades, while Hurricanes need to arrest their dreadful start back home in Hobart against the rampaging Sixers on Sunday.

Stats highlights from the first ODI at Trent Bridge where England managed to salvage a tie from the final delivery

Bharath Seervi21-Jun-20163 Number of higher totals in a tied ODI than the 286 runs in this match. England and New Zealand tied with 340 runs apiece in Napier in 2007-08, India and England both made 338 in Bangalore in the 2011 World Cup and New Zealand and India tied at 314 in Auckland in 2013-14. Others to hit a six to tie an ODI, before Liam Plunkett in this ODI, are Asif Mujtaba against Australia in Hobart in 1992-93 and Michael Rippon against Ireland in Amstelveen in 2013.1 Number of quicker half-centuries for Sri Lanka against England in ODIs than Seekkuge Prasanna’s, off 24 balls, in this match. Thissara Perera made fifty in 23 balls at Premadasa Stadium in December 2014. In the last ODI against Ireland, Prasanna had reached his half-century from 23 balls en route to a 46-ball 95. In these two innings, Prasanna has increased his ODI average from 9.19 to 15.08 and his strike rate from 80.75 to 110.86.94.91 The percentage of Prasanna’s runs that came in boundaries – 56 out of 59 – is the joint-fourth highest in an ODI innings of 50 or more runs. The highest in this case is 96.15% by Andre Fletcher (50 out of 52 in boundaries) against Bangladesh at Basseterre in 2009. In fact, Prasanna scored 56 successive runs in boundaries. He took two singles at the start of the innings and then hit eight fours and four sixes before getting another single and then losing his wicket.3 Number of batsmen who have scored two consecutive 50-plus scores at a strike rate of 200-plus in ODIs. Prasanna scored 95 at a strike rate of 206.52 against Ireland in the last ODI and 59 at 210.71 in this ODI. The other two to do so are: Elton Chigumbura against Kenya in 2009 and Brendon McCullum against both England and Australia in the 2015 World Cup. Prasanna is the third Sri Lanka batsman after Sanath Jayasuriya and Thissara Perera to make two 50-plus scores at a strike rate of 200-plus in ODIs. Prasanna is only the third batsman to do it in ODIs against England; all three being non-English players.73 Angelo Mathews’ score in this match – his highest in ODIs against England. This was his fourth half-century in 18 innings against them and his second in England.2009 Last time four of England’s top-five got out for single-digit scores in an ODI innings – against New Zealand at the Wanderers in the Champions Trophy. The nine runs added by England’s top three is also the least added by them against Sri Lanka in ODIs.1 Number of higher seventh-wicket partnerships in ODIs than the 138 added by Jos Buttler and Woakes in this match. Buttler was involved in that stand as well – 177 with Adil Rashid against New Zealand at Edgbaston in 2015.2 Number of times Buttler has been out in the 90s in ODIs. Before his 93 in this match, he was out for 99 against West Indies in Antigua in 2013-14. Alec Stewart is the only other England wicketkeeper to get out in the 90s in ODIs, and he was also out twice.95* Woakes’ score in this match, which is the highest by a player batting at No. 8 or lower in ODIs. The previous highest was 92 not out by Andre Russell against India in Antigua in 2011. Woakes also took 2 for 56 with his bowling and was adjudged the Man of the Match – his second in ODIs.2013 Last time Sri Lanka scored fewer runs in the last ten overs (41st to 50th) of an ODI than the 61 runs in this match (on occasions when they batted all 60 balls) – they made 54 against India at Cardiff in the semi-finals of the 2013 Champions Trophy. Sri Lanka made 49 runs in three overs (31st to 33rd) and then just 98 runs in their next 17 overs (34th to 50th).

To merely give India a good game won’t be enough at this stage – a knockout is sudden death and being ‘valiant losers’ stands for nothing when you are packing your bags as winners are trumpeting their success

Sharda Ugra in Melbourne16-Mar-2015There are, according to 2011 census figures, just over 27,000 Bangladesh-born Australian residents and the entire state of Victoria has a little over 5000. If each and every Bangladesh-born human being in Australia turned up to cheer for their team in the World Cup quarter-final against India on Thursday, they could easily be drowned by the noise generated by expatriate and travelling fans on the other side.Yet, Bangladesh would know that, on the biggest day in their country’s cricket, they would want to generate not merely the noise of the crowd, but a sonic boom that carries home to their millions of fans. To be able to do that, they would have to bring amongst themselves, a certain stillness of being and yet acute presence of mind.It is what Bangladesh are trying to do: the team has shut itself out from individual attention to media demands and they are grateful for their itinerant travels during the group stages which would make MS Dhoni and his Support Staff XI very cross. Bangladesh have gone from Canberra to Brisbane to Melbourne, to Nelson in New Zealand, back to Adelaide and then another time-difference buster back to Hamilton. The travel has also kept the Bangladesh squad away from excessive attention of local fans in the larger centres. It’s not that they are absent.The MCG today had scatterings of families taking photographs and inching close to the field where the Bangladeshis trained, but they were a miniscule presence in the great bulk of the ground. The last time Bangladesh had turned up in the World Cup, they gave hosts New Zealand their most nervy game of the competition. Yet, to merely give the Indians a good game won’t be enough at this stage – a knockout is sudden death and being ‘valiant losers’ stands for nothing when you are packing your bags as winners are trumpeting their success.Yet, at the moment, the main point is that Bangladesh are here. Where they had originally intended to be, in the knockout stage of the competition, their first target through this competition. Collect the points, any which way, get in contention and see what happens on the day. What happens next, though, depends on other factors.Of the least concern to coach Chandika Hathurusingha was the prospect of an afternoon thunderstorm being predicted somewhere or the fact that India’s spinners could have a feast in terms of their options on the vast expanse of the MCG. “See, we can’t plan anything for weather and I don’t think the wicket is going to spin that much, it is too early to say.” Hathurusingha said that the quarter-final would be held on the same strip that hosted Bangladesh’s match against Sri Lanka. That scoresheet read like a vintage Bangladesh dark day, but that was well before they turned England turtle and Rubel Hussain hit 140kph.Hathurusingha, who had earned his stripes as a coach with New South Wales and later the Sydney Thunder, said his team was peaking at the right time and their best chance was being at the top of their game on the big day and “catching the established sides off guard… if they have an ordinary day and if we play to our potential we can beat any side.”Potential can often be used as a euphemism for underperforming sides or to cover game-day efforts; in the case of Bangladesh, though, they have been able to show off their stuff and what they are capable of, at the sharper end of the tournament. The new centrifugal force of their batting has been Mahmudullah, and Soumya Sarkar is a confident gen-next figure. Like all great competitors and skillful athletes, Shakib Al Hasan has no doubt spent years waiting for a day like this.The last India-Bangladesh World Cup match was the opening game of 2011 event in Dhaka, but whenever the sides resume their skirmishes no one forgets Queen’s Park Oval 2007 and the ambush on India. Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib, Tamim Iqbal and Mashrafe Mortaza belong to the class of 2007, and will allow themselves a little giggle. Hathurusingha said that the team did not talk about that match at all. “Because that is in the past and I don’t think we have [talked about it]. Until you reminded me [about the four players], I don’t even know about it.”India have had their revenge for that match in 2007, but this is an ICC event knockout match, and they remain among the strongest teams of the competition. Hathurusingha is not about to make the giant angry: he does not throw down any gauntlets or offer any lip to the Indians. His role is to keep his team’s temperatures down, to ensure decision making in the camp is clear and as free of emotion as it can be. He said the team which on Thursday “enjoys the occasion,” will succeed. He would want the young men under his charge to “enjoy the opportunity that has represented itself” in front of Bangladesh, over and above the fear of instant death and opportunities. “For us it’s the first time but we know we are good enough and that’s why we are here.”An entire nation is on the edge of its sofas.

Amol Karhadkar16-Oct-2013
Ajit Agarkar said he felt it was time to go after Mumbai won the Ranji Trophy in 2012-13•ESPNcricinfo LtdHow do you feel after announcing the decision?
Relieved, now that I have made the decision. It was a tough decision; it wasn’t easy to let go of something that you have been passionately doing all these years.Why retire now?
Why not? I’ve thought about it. It’s not like I decided about it yesterday. You have to be at peak of your fitness and motivated enough to last a full season.But the Mumbai selectors were set to name you as captain for yet another season …
It’s ok. I should be as motivated as others. It was the right time for me. One more season was not going to change much. It could only have meant I would have been around for one more season and one of the youngsters would have been benched for Mumbai. I don’t have a chance to play for India, so I thought it was the right time. Moreover, it’s not a young (Mumbai) team anymore. It’s a well-balanced unit and I feel it was time to let the younger lot carry the mantle.Are you moving away from the trend set by players who continue playing, or move to other states as professionals towards the latter stages of their careers?
I have been primarily playing for last six years only to groom youngsters. How many fast bowlers would have continued to play for six years after playing their last international game? The only purpose to continue playing once I realised I was not going to play for India again was to pass on my experience to youngsters. That is the tradition of Mumbai cricket and I have followed it.Was there a particular moment that made you realise it was time to go?
When we won the final last year. It was a long, hard season. I was mentally and physically drained and thought I should hang up my boots. Then I thought I would give myself the off-season before taking the call. I was still training. I wanted to check if I was ready for yet another hard season. When you come closer to the season, you start getting excited about it. But I knew it was getting harder for me to be right up there. I still gave it a try but when I realised the body wasn’t responding – physically and emotionally – there was no point continuing with it.Weren’t you tempted to reach 300 first-class wickets and play with SachinTendulkar one last time?
What will that do? When I started last year’s final, I knew I was on 295. That was the first time I actually knew about my stats. I still stopped bowling after taking three wickets in the first six overs. If those landmarks were to happen, they would have happened last season. Had it been a landmark in international cricket, maybe I would have thought about it. But Dhawal (Kulkarni) needs a five-for more than me now.The last three-four seasons had been stop-start for you. Has there been too much of wear and tear on the body to continue playing?
I am in my thirties. It’s hard even for a young bowler who is at his peak. The conditions, the travelling, it all takes a lot out of you. It’s a reality that every professional cricketer has to deal with it. When you have to bowl 30 to 40 overs, travel for a day and then take the field again in a couple of days and keep on doing it every week, it’s tough.To continue playing IPL would obviously have been tempting for you?
Not at all. IPL is a fantastic tournament, no doubt. Even for a player like me, it presents an opportunity to play with and against quality international cricketers. Also, financially it’s very rewarding. However, since I haven’t played international cricket for the last five years, I would anyway be an uncapped cricketer. Still, there was no consideration to give it a go only for financial reasons. If I had to continue playing, I would have continued playing all forms of the same.How would you sum up the whole journey?
Fantastic. I have absolutely no complaints. To have collected almost 350 international wickets was an absolute privilege. So was scoring a Test century. I was fortunate to have my name in the list of honours at two of the most special venues in international cricket, Lord’s and Adelaide Oval. Won seven Ranji titles with Mumbai. You always want more but you don’t get it. Very happy. I could actually finish after winning a Ranji title. That is how it had started, so very happy that it culminated in the same way.What next now?
I don’t know. It’s taken a while for the decision to be made. But now that I have done it, I want to enjoy it as much as I can. Obviously it would be good if I can stay connected with the game in some form. But for now, I just need to enjoy myself and spend a lot of quality time with my family and friends.

He’s watched plenty of Boxing Day Tests; now he’ll be looking to make history in one with a good hometown mate

Brydon Coverdale22-Dec-2011Next week, James Pattinson and Peter Siddle could create a slice of Victorian history. It has been nearly 75 years since a pair of the state’s fast bowlers shared the new ball in a Test at the MCG. Last time it happened, in 1937, Ernie McCormick and Laurie Nash helped bowl Australia to an innings victory over Gubby Allen’s England side.If Pattinson and Siddle can manage something similar against India, it will be an achievement neither will ever forget. Simply walking out on to the MCG together in the baggy green will be a big enough thrill, for the two have known each other since their teenage days playing at the Dandenong Cricket Club in Melbourne’s outer east.Back when Pattinson was 13, his older brother Darren, later a one-Test wonder for England, would bowl in tandem with Siddle for Dandenong. They were the young stars in the firsts. James was a constant presence around the club, where he used to hassle Siddle, the man who nearly a decade later would help calm his nerves during Pattinson’s Test debut against New Zealand at the Gabba last month.”I remember him when I first came down to the club and I was the little annoying kid. I used to annoy them all,” Pattinson told ESPNcricinfo. “I used to come over from junior cricket and tell him how many runs I got and all that. Pete was always there to listen to me, even then when I was a little shit. He’s been a great help for me.”I’ve always been a confident sort of bloke without being arrogant. In the first innings [on debut] I was a bit nervous. There were times in that first over that I thought, ‘Geez, this is harder than I thought it was going to be,’ but I just tried to stay as relaxed as I could, just run in and bowl fast.”It’s pretty easy to stay relaxed when you’ve got a close mate there who can talk you through things. He’s been around now for quite a while, he’s played nearly 30 Tests. He’s bowling probably better than he’s ever bowled. He’s swinging the ball at good pace. If we can take that into the Boxing Day Test I think we’ll be a good show of getting a lot of wickets.”Darren Pattinson will be in the crowd during the Test, probably with a group of mates from the Dandenong club. He used to sit in the stands with James and the family; the Boxing Day Test is a tradition for the Pattinsons as it has been for countless Melbourne families over the decades. The younger Pattinson, 21, cannot wait to be part of the action with Siddle, 27.”It’s the best day of cricket in the year,” he said. “It’s the ritual. It’s what everyone does on Boxing Day. It’s an unbelievable atmosphere. It’s the closest you’re going to get to an AFL grand final. It will be an amazing feeling. Being a hometown crowd I’m sure they’ll be behind me and Pete 100%.”I’ve been to the Boxing Day Test quite a number of times, especially early on when I was a bit younger. I remember I went there three or four years ago when Pete was playing and it was an amazing moment for me just to watch him out there playing in a Boxing Day Test. It will be even more special when I get to run out there with him.”Pattinson has been one of the success stories of Australia’s past few Tests. His fast, accurate outswing has made him the go-to man for the captain Michael Clarke, despite his career being only two Tests old. In each of the matches against New Zealand he managed five-wicket hauls. The challenge against India will be vastly different.For one, he will struggle during this series to find conditions as helpful as those Australia encountered at the Gabba and Bellerive Oval. And a line-up including Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman is daunting for even the most experienced bowlers in world cricket, let alone a rookie. Pattinson wasn’t born when Tendulkar played his first Test. And despite being from Melbourne, he has played only two first-class games at the MCG – fewer than Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman, and the same number as Sehwag. Pattinson has an IPL deal and went on Australia’s Test tour of India last year, but he has never bowled to the likes of Tendulkar.”Tendulkar is the pinnacle of batsmen,” he said. “He’s done it for so long and he’s the best. Just to have a duel with him will be quite amazing. You grow up and you watch those people and they’re just like heroes to you. To be able to play against them and hopefully get the wood over them and compete well against them, that’s all you’re looking for. You’ve just got to back your ability.”As a bowling group I think we can take a lot out of the way England bowled to them over in England this year. They got up them and bowled some bouncers to the right people, bowled in good areas. I think the batsmen did struggle over in England. If we can get on top of them and bowl in the right areas and intimidate them a little bit then we’re well on our way. We’ve got a young bowling group and we’re enthusiastic, I think everyone is going to be up for a challenge.”

Despite being from Melbourne, Pattinson has played only two first-class games at the MCG – fewer than Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman, and the same number as Sehwag

Perhaps the most fascinating battle will be between Pattinson and Sehwag. Against New Zealand, Pattinson proved he can curl the ball away viciously from the right-handers. His delivery that got rid of Brendon McCullum in the second innings in Hobart was almost perfect: angled into off stump and swinging away, forcing the batsman to play. It was edged to slip.McCullum had taken to Pattinson in the tour match at Allan Border Field a fortnight earlier. The bowler’s revenge was sweet. Sehwag is the same kind of player as McCullum, albeit in a different league, and Pattinson knows that he faces a major challenge to keep India’s most destructive batsman quiet.”You’re going to bowl good balls to him and they’re going to go for four every now and again,” he said. “He’s going to try and score fast. But I think if you put the ball in the right area against him over and over again, you’re going to get the reward eventually. He’ll give you a chance.”Australia’s attack for Boxing Day has not yet been settled, although Pattinson and Siddle are certain starters. The swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus might win a spot ahead of the young left-armer Mitchell Starc, who showed some promise against New Zealand but struggled to build the pressure for long enough to be as threatening as Pattinson and Siddle.The man the Australians would love to have in the side is Pat Cummins, the 18-year-old fast bowler who was Man of the Match on his Test debut – just as Pattinson was – in Johannesburg last month. The prospect of building an attack around Cummins and Pattinson is exciting for Australian supporters, but a heel injury means they won’t play a Test together until at least the tour of the West Indies in April.”He’s a great talent,” Pattinson said. “It’s unbelievable. At 18 years old, he’s bowling 150kph and swings the ball both ways. He knows what he’s doing with the ball. He’s going to be an absolute phenomenal talent for Australia. It’s definitely exciting. We’ve got some great bowling stocks around. If we can build a great friendship, all of us, and work together, I think it’s going to be great for Australian cricket.”At 21, Pattinson has much to learn, but a fine base on which to build his Test career. The next step for him comes on Boxing Day. And just like all those years ago in Dandenong, he’ll be yapping in Siddle’s ear as he goes.

There is something a little bit different about this West Indies side, a steely quality that has been lacking for years. It was evident in the field and now it has been evident with the bat

Andrew McGlashan in Jamaica07-Feb-2009
West Indies’ strategy was to bat as long as possible, though they weren’t at their flamboyant best © Getty Images
There is something a little bit different about this West Indies side, a steely quality that has been lacking for years. It was evident in the field and now it has been evident with the bat. For the most part it wasn’t flamboyant, but when a side is rebuilding, as West Indies are, cautious steps are often the best way.Five-out, all-out has been a West Indies theme on many occasions in the recent past, in effect batting with half a team. Take last year on this ground, for example, when they slid from 260 for 4 to 312 all out against Australia. That was just one of many comparisons that could be made. Their first innings in this game was threatening to go the same way, albeit in slow motion, as they lost 4 for 34 in 29 overs with England suffocating the top order following the 202-run stand between Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan.”It’s something we have talked about and have said we need to consolidate,” Gayle said. “This first Test is very important, we didn’t want to let England back into the game easily and so we knew we would have to get our heads down and bat as long as possible.”When England toured in 2003-04 the bottoming out of the West Indies order was a feature of the series. In the first innings in Jamaica they lost 5 for 30, in both innings in Trinidad they succumbed rapidly and in Barbados they lost 7 for 47. Two further innings didn’t allow them a chance of a tail-end collapse because they ended for 47 and 94, while the final one went to the other extreme and closed on 751 for 5 thanks to Brian Lara’s 400.Gayle, with a home-town hundred to mark Bob Marley’s birthday, and Sarwan combined superbly in their stand of 202, however both failed to build on their excellent innings as England clawed their way back. It was West Indies’ first double-century partnership against England since Lara and Sarwan added 209 at Edgbaston in 2004. They lost that match as well in another example of a high-quality stand not being put to good use.This was a situation made for Shivnarine Chanderpaul, but he blocked his way to 20 off 86 balls before being extracted by Stuart Broad. The man who has batted for unbroken stints of 1000 minutes on four occasions in recent years was gone in a relative flash, and the importance of his wicket was demonstrated by the fact that he tried to save himself with a referral. The innings was at its tipping point, and a West Indies side of the not-too-distant past could have folded. Instead they did anything but.England are no doubt expecting some long confrontations with Australian batsmen this year, but they probably didn’t expect it to start at Sabina Park. However, they were now faced with Brendan Nash, the stubborn left-hander resembling a more turgid Mike Hussey, who has provided some glue to a previously brittle middle order.”You have to give him a lot of credit, he’s been in good form with two half centuries from the Test matches he has played [in New Zealand] and like I said it is good to see someone stepping up to play against quality bowlers as well,” Gayle said. “Hopefully he can go on now and get the support from [Sulieman] Benn, [Daren] Powell and [Fidel] Edwards.”Nash’s embryonic Test career has already been marked out by his ability to occupy the crease. During the two Tests in New Zealand he made scores of 72 off 164 balls and 65 from 172. Here he has already faced 146 deliveries for his 47. Chanderpaul would be proud of those numbers.He wasn’t alone in providing the middle-order with some ballast as Denesh Ramdin did a fine impression of the local rum by giving the innings a bit of a kick. “It would have been nice to get a few more runs but obviously our objective was to keep wickets in hand,” Gayle said. “Hopefully the guys can capitalise and hopefully Nashy can go and get a big one.”West Indies should take heart, too, from this statistic. In 2004, England battled tooth and nail to reach a lead of 28 and proceeded to bowl West Indies out for 47 on the fourth day. Nothing has suggested such a dramatic turn of events in this game – the pitch is too slow – but already much of the action has confounded expectation.

English counties are pushing for an increase in the payments they receive from the ECB when players they have developed appear in international or representative cricket.Early discussions have started between the 18 first-class counties and the ECB over an updated County Partnership Agreement (CPA) which will replace the existing arrangements and cover the 2025-28 period, and Performance-Related Fee Payments (PRFPs) have been raised as an area for potential change.Under existing arrangements, counties receive payments when men’s players to whose development they have contributed make appearances for England Under-19s, England Lions or the full England side. These are weighted according to a points system, which ranks multi-day cricket above the shorter formats.”It’s a really good system,” Gordon Hollins, Somerset’s chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo. “The principle of the system is that counties that develop players who go on to play for England are rewarded and we are very supportive of that because it rewards clubs who do the right thing by the national game. To my knowledge, it doesn’t happen in any other sport.”What we would like to see is consideration given to a greater level of payment for success: we believe it should be supercharged to provide a real reward for clubs that do the hard yards and develop those players. We’d like it to provide a real incentive to ensure that those rewards are suitable and don’t just cover the cost of a club replacing that player.”Hollins gave the example of Jack Leach, a graduate of Somerset’s academy who has never played for another county but is now rarely available due to his England commitments. “When we lose Jack, we can back-fill his absence with the money we get, but we don’t get any reward for it and we’d like to see that incentive really boosted.”In many cases, PRFPs are split between a player’s current county and the county that they represented at academy or pathway levels. “Take Jos Buttler: we get the lion’s share of Jos’s England performance fees,” Hollins said. “Lancashire get a bit, but we get the most because we’ve had the most influence on his career. It’s a good system.”There are also suggestions that the national counties (formerly minor counties) should be eligible to receive PRFPs, which they are not under the current system. If Shoaib Bashir makes his England debut in India over the coming weeks, Surrey and Somerset will share the relevant PRFPs but Berkshire, whom he represented at Under-18 level, will not receive any payment.Somerset’s stance is likely to find support from other first-class counties, not least those who are heavily reliant on central ECB funding. Leicestershire, for example, have long argued that they should have received higher payments than they did for their role in developing Stuart Broad and a change in the system would give them greater reward for bringing Rehan Ahmed through their academy.An increase in funds for PRFPs was among the recommendations of Andrew Strauss’s High Performance Review in 2022. “Without sufficient incentive to develop professional cricketers, we risk not making the most of the talent pool we have in England,” the report said, while also proposing an increase in the levels of compensation paid when players decide to leave their home counties.

France have been hit with a blow as Paris Saint-Germain star Ousmane Dembele is set to miss their opening World Cup qualifier against Ukraine.

• PSG star skips training with Les Bleus
• Doue and Akliouche are set to cover the right wing
• France begin World Cup qualifiers in Poland

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to the attacker, who suffered a hamstring issue during his club’s 6-3 win over Toulouse, skipped Wednesday’s closed-door training session at Clairefontaine and continued working individually. While he is expected to be back for the following match, France national boss Didier Deschamps is unlikely to risk him from the start in what many regard as the toughest fixture of Les Bleus’ qualifying campaign. With Dembele sidelined, Doue and Maghnes Akliouche are competing for the right-wing role in Wroclaw.

Advertisement

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This is more than just a fitness concern, Dembele’s absence comes at a time when his stock has never been higher. After a treble-winning season with PSG and early whispers of Ballon d’Or contention, his injury knocks the balance of a France side preparing for the long road to 2026. For Deschamps, the immediate challenge is tactical and reshaping his attack without one of his most dynamic wide players, while also managing expectations in a group where Ukraine and Iceland could pose stubborn resistance. More broadly, France enter this campaign under the captaincy of superstar Mbappe, needing to show early authority as they seek to bounce back from their World Cup final defeat in Qatar.

• TELL ME MORE

  Dembele’s injury status has overshadowed an otherwise smooth preparation camp. Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate and Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot both returned to full training, offering Deschamps crucial depth. Tactical drills in Wednesday’s session focused heavily on passing structures and wing rotations, hinting that Deschamps may lean on Doue’s dynamism or Akliouche’s creativity to stretch Ukraine. The match itself will take place in Wroclaw, Poland, a neutral venue chosen due to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine. 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR FRANCE?

  If Dembele recovers quickly, he could return for the second qualifier against Iceland in Paris on September 9, easing concerns about a longer layoff. In the meantime, Deschamps will lean heavily on Kylian Mbappe’s firepower, Aurelien Tchouameni’s midfield authority, and emerging options like Doue and Akliouche. 

Want-away Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma released a fiery statement on Tuesday confirming his impending exit from the French club. The Italian goalkeeper suggested PSG boss Luis Enrique is responsible for his exile from the club. Donnarumma's likely destination is going to be the Premier League with Manchester City.

• Donnarumma confirms PSG exit
• Releases an explosive statement
• Suggests Enrique is to blame

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  It's all but confirmed that PSG's star goalkeeper Donnarumma will leave the European champions this summer, after the 26-year-old released an explosive statement confirming his likely exit. He expressed his desire to meet the PSG fans one last time and also bid farewell to his team-mates.

Advertisement

• WHAT DONNARUMMA SAID

  The official statement from the goalkeeper read: "To the special Paris fans, From the first day I arrived, I gave everything – on and off the pitch – to earn my place and defend the goal of Paris Saint-Germain. Unfortunately, someone has decided that I can no longer be part of the group and contribute to the team’s success. I am disappointed and disheartened. I hope to have the opportunity to look the fans at the Parc des Princes in the eyes one more time and say goodbye as it should be done. If that doesn’t happen, I want you to know that your support and affection mean the world to me, and I will never forget it. I will always carry with me the memory of all the emotions, the magical nights, and of you, who made me feel at home. To my teammates – my second family – thank you for every battle, every laugh, every moment we shared. You will always be my brothers. Playing for this club and living in this city has been an immense honour. Thank you, Paris."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While the Italiy international did not name any individual in his statement, the individual he referred to as "someone" is surely Luis Enrique, as the PSG boss had earlier admitted to removing him from his UEFA Super Cup matchday squad against Spurs. The Spaniard had told reporters, "Donnarumma is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, no doubt about it, and an even better person. But that's the life of top-level footballers. I am 100% responsible for this difficult decision. If it were easy, anyone would do it. These decisions have to do with the profile of the goalkeeper my team needs. It's clear that we're all responsible for achieving what we achieved last season. The players had to make many sacrifices; last year, no one believed in us, while this year represents a huge challenge to prove that we can still win."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR DONNARUMMA?

  While Donnarumma is yet to finalise his next destination, he is closely linked with a move to the Premier League, amid interest from Manchester City. Earlier on Tuesday, several reports emerged that claim that the Cityzens have approached PSG with an offer for the goalkeeper, as they look to offload their current No.1, Ederson.