Umpires make call before play on day three with no prospect of improved conditions

ECB Reporters Network15-Apr-2023

Gloucestershire’s LV= County Championship Second Division match against Yorkshire at Bristol has been abandoned without a ball bowled.Umpires Billy Taylor and Paul Pollard made the decision after inspecting the outfield on arrival at the Seat Unique Stadium ahead of what would have been day three of the four-day fixture.More heavy rain overnight had fallen on the already saturated ground and it was so wet in some areas that there was no likelihood of conditions becoming playable even on day four.A statement issued by Gloucestershire read: “Due to extremely high amounts of rain in the weeks and days leading up to and during this match, we have an abnormally high water table and had no reasonable prospect of the outfield drying and creating a safe playing surface for players.”The club’s Performance Director Steve Snell said: “It’s extremely disappointing, especially in view of how hard our ground staff have worked in an effort to get the game started. The weather has been so wet that they faced an impossible task.”The result leaves both teams winless after two rounds of the County Championship, following Yorkshire’s opening-week loss to Leicestershire and Gloucestershire’s draw with Glamorgan.

Queensland’s Sheffield Shield final hopes have all but been extinguished in their final-round match after Tasmania captain Jordan Silk posted an unbeaten century to put the game almost beyond reach.The Bulls ended the third day trailing by a near-insurmountable 431 runs as Tasmania eased their way to 5 for 252 against an injury-hit bowling attack at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval.Queensland surrendered a 179-run deficit on the first innings despite some impressive scoring from their tail-enders and some heroics from injured fast bowler Mark Steketee.The lower-order run-scoring became a game within a game with Queensland needing to reach 303 in their first innings to earn more bonus points than fellow Shield final aspirant Victoria. Bonus points would decide who faces Western Australia in the Shield final should Queensland and Victoria secure the same result in their respective matches.Despite resuming at a shaky 180 for 6, Queensland ultimately fell agonisingly short with No.11 Liam Guthrie adjudged lbw to end the innings on 300.The Bulls had looked to have no chance of reaching 303 when Max Bryant fell for an impressive 84, his highest first-class score, with Iain Carlisle picking up his maiden Shield scalp. But the tail rallied with Steketee, who has been ruled out of bowling since day one with a hip injury, scoring 43 not out and Jack Sinfield making 29. Guthrie also contributed 16 but was trapped lbw by Jackson Bird, who finished with 3 for 72.Tasmania stumbled out of the blocks in their second innings, slipping to 29 for 2 with Tim Ward and Jake Doran both falling cheaply.But Silk led the way with an unbeaten 101, sharing in a 111-run stand for the fifth wicket with first-innings centurion Beau Webster. There were also contributions from Caleb Jewell and Mac Wright against the weary Bulls attack.

Poland captain and Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski has drawn the ire of a former Polish international for pulling out of the nation's squad.

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• Lewandowski pulls out of Poland's next two games
• Includes World Cup qualifier against Finland
• Former Poland international not pleased with the veteran striker

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Barcelona striker Lewandowski has been slammed by legendary former Polish international Zbigniew Boniek after the veteran striker announced he would not be taking in part in the nation's upcoming games in June, which also includes a crucial World Cup qualifying group stage game against minnows Finland.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Earlier this week, the 36-year-old revealed that he would not be joining the Poland national team squad for a friendly against Moldova followed by the World Cup qualifier against Finland. Lewandowski took to social media to explain his reasons behind withdrawing his name from the squad, citing that he was physically exhausted.

  “Dear fans! Due to the circumstances and the intensity of the club’s season, the coach and I have jointly decided that I will not participate in the Polish national team’s training camp in June," he wrote. "Playing in red and white has always been a dream come true for me, but sometimes your body gives you a signal that it needs a temporary rest. I support the players with all my heart and believe we have beautiful moments and many goals to achieve. See you soon!”

• WHAT ZBIGNIEW BONIEK SAID

  Speaking on Prawda Futbolu (h/t Barca Universal), the ex-Poland Football Association president said: “I would like to extend his vacation… the captain of the national team. As for me, I wouldn’t have done that. Robert did it and I respect him, but I don’t like the gesture."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI?

  The former Dortmund and Bayern Munich striker had a terrific individual and collective season at Barcelona, scoring 42 goals in all competition to reach a century of goals in Blaugrana colours. He will be entering the final year of his contract, but it remains to be seen if he stays beyond the 2025-26 campaign. He does, however, have an option to extend his stay in Catalunya until June 2027.

The former USMNT striker has called for MLS teams to pursue the Portuguese star with an ownership stake similar to the arrangement Lionel Messi has

Gomez believes Ronaldo-Messi rivalry would create massive worldwide viewership for MLSSuggests ownership stake as crucial component to entice Portuguese starMLS club would need to make bold declaration of intent to attract five-time Ballon d'Or winnerGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAFPWHAT HAPPENED

ESPN analyst Herculez Gomez made a passionate case for bringing Cristiano Ronaldo to Major League Soccer amidst rumors of him leaving Al Nassr. The Portuguese superstar is reportedly set to leave the Saudi Pro League club and is still looking to keep playing football, which has seen him linked to several outfits across the world. However, Gomez argued that an MLS club should offer Ronaldo an ownership stake similar to what Inter Miami provided to Lionel Messi to bring Ronaldo to the U.S.

“Nobody thought Lionel Messi would come, and yet he did. What did it take? It took ownership and I think it’s going to be a similar package [to recruit Ronaldo to MLS],” Gomez said on . “American owner John Textor (owns Botafogo, Crystal Palace and American Eagle Football Group), they want, as per reports, to offer a similar package for Cristiano Ronaldo to join Botafogo, or one of the teams, ahead of the Club World Cup."

He added, “Do I see someone within Major League Soccer with the ability to do that? Maybe. Should they do that? Absolutely. There is no absolute way you have Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi playing in the same league, and you’re not going to pay attention. Whether you’re a hater of what they have become now, or whether you’re a lover of what they’ve done to the game. Two players who have played at the highest of levels for so long, who have competed against one another."

Gomez believes MLS would gain significant global traction if it could sign Ronaldo.

“Everybody in the world will watch the league, will watch this match-up, and I almost feel like you have to make an intent, you have to try to get Cristiano Ronaldo to the MLS," he said.

AdvertisementWHAT HERCULEZ GOMEZ SAID

Gomez further touched on the fact that the former Real Madrid and Manchester United icon is currently sitting on 936 career goals and with his desire to hit that elusive 1000 figure, he’ll be more willing to join the MLS.

“Because 936 goals that Cristiano is at right now, it’s very well documented that he wants a 1000 goals so he’s not going to go to the La Liga, he’s not going to go to the Serie A and he’s not going to go to the Premier League," he said. "But he’s going to go to a Saudi Pro League or a MLS, one of these leagues because he wants his goals. He wants the 64 goals that are left to hit a 1000, and I think it’s doable."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The potential acquisition of Ronaldo would represent another milestone in MLS's evolution from retirement league to legitimate global destination.

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Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

While no MLS club has publicly expressed interest in pursuing Ronaldo, his Al-Nassr contract is set to expire in 2025, when he will be 40 years old. For Gomez's suggestion to materialize, an ambitious MLS owner would need to begin laying groundwork for such a move well in advance, building a comprehensive package to help lure the five-time Champions League winner.

The former West Indies captain’s tenure, which began in January 2017, will end when his contract expires at the end of June

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2023Cricket West Indies (CWI) is on the lookout for a new director of cricket, with Jimmy Adams’ tenure set to end when his contract expires at the end of June. Adams, a former West Indies captain who played 54 Tests and 127 ODIs, has held the role for nearly six-and-a-half years, having taken over from Richard Pybus in January 2017.CWI has set June 14 as the deadline for new applicants.Related

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Business-class flights and single rooms for West Indies women

“We are extremely grateful for the leadership and contribution that Jimmy has made over the past six and half years,” CWI CEO Jonny Grave said. “He has overhauled our High-Performance structure, especially with respect to Coach Education & Development, Sport Science & Medicine and most recently with the launch of our Academy based at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua. I have no doubt that Jimmy will continue to contribute to the game, particularly West Indies Cricket.”Apart from these achievements, Adams’ tenure also coincided with CWI starting the women’s Caribbean Premier League, appointing separate selection panels for women’s and youth teams, and more recently approving a Women’s Cricket Transformation Committee to work towards achieving equality for women’s players.During Adams’ time as director of cricket, the West Indies men’s team endured a difficult time on the field. They haven’t reached the knockout stages of an ICC tournament since winning the T20 World Cup in 2016, and have finished second from bottom in both the 2019-21 and 2021-23 World Test Championships. Based on the recommendations of an independent review panel instituted after the team’s first-round exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup, CWI appointed format-specific coaches for the senior men’s team: Andre Coley for Test cricket and Daren Sammy for white-ball cricket.”It’s been an honor to have been involved in the ongoing evolution of CWI,” Adams said. “I have had the privilege of working with some amazing people across the organisation and am grateful for all the support they gave me over the past six plus years. I wish everyone all the best going forward, especially in light of the various challenges that exist both regionally and globally.”

Mohsin Khan missed the first half of IPL 2023 with a shoulder injury. In fact, Lucknow Super Giants’ head coach Andy Flower had “written him off” for the season. Still, LSG didn’t release him and bring in a replacement player.On Tuesday night, Mohsin repaid that trust. Chasing 178 at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Mumbai Indians needed 11 from the final over with Tim David and Cameron Green in the middle. Mohsin, though, denied Mumbai’s big-hitters. Bowling a mix of hard lengths and wide yorkers, he conceded only five to take LSG closer to the playoffs.Earlier, Marcus Stoinis scored an unbeaten 89 off 47 balls – his highest IPL score – to lift LSG to a competitive total on what looked like a difficult pitch to bat on. After being sent in, LSG lost three early wickets, but Stoinis and Krunal Pandya revived the innings before Stoinis went berserk at the death. He smashed 44 off his last 12 deliveries.Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma started the chase at a rapid pace, adding 90 in 9.4 overs, but Ravi Bishnoi dismissed both to give LSG an opening. With Suryakumar Yadav getting out cheaply – scooping one onto his stumps – and Nehal Wadhera struggling, the home team were suddenly favourites.Mumbai needed 30 from the last two overs. David hit Naveen-ul-Haq for two sixes to reduce it to 11 from six balls, but Mohsin’s excellent over sealed a crucial win for LSG.Marcus Stoinis made his highest score in the IPL•AFP/Getty Images

Behrendorff gives MI early wickets

With LSG bringing in Naveen for Kyle Mayers, it was Deepak Hooda who opened the innings with Quinton de Kock. But the move didn’t work. After being dropped off Chris Jordan in the second over of the innings, Hooda charged Jason Behrendorff in the next over. It turned out to be a slower one and Hooda mis-timed it to David at mid-on. Prerak Mankad then bagged a first-ball duck, edging Behrendorff to Kishan.De Kock and Krunal took the side to 35 for 2 at the end of the powerplay, before Piyush Chawla had de Kock caught behind off a googly. It was the fourth time this IPL that Chawla had picked up a wicket with his first ball of the match.

Stoinis and Krunal revive LSG

Stoinis and Krunal then took control of the innings. The pair used the dimensions of the ground to their advantage: Stoinis targeted the short boundary, and Krunal placed the ball in long pockets to pick up ones and twos. The pair took the side to 100 in 14 overs. But by then, Krunal was feeling discomfort in his leg; he eventually retired hurt for 49 off 42 balls.

Stoinis in Hulk mode

Stoinis was on 45 off 35 balls at the end of the 17th over. After that, he went on a rampage. He hit Jordan for three fours and two sixes to take 24 runs off the 18th over. Behrendorff was next in the firing line. Stoinis hit back-to-back sixes off his slower balls before wrapping up the innings with yet another maximum, off Akash Madhwal.With Mumbai needing 11, Mohsin Khan conceded only five in the final over•BCCI

Kishan, Rohit give Mumbai a great start

At halftime, Stoinis said the pitch was not easy to bat on, but if you gave yourself some time, it got much easier. Kishan didn’t need any sighters, though. He hit three fours and a six in his first 12 balls. Rohit faced just four balls in the first three overs. In the next three, he smashed three sixes to power Mumbai to 58 for no loss. It was the highest powerplay total of the season in Lucknow.

LSG fight back

It started with Bishnoi breaking the opening stand by dismissing Rohit, and then removing Kishan in his next over. Mumbai were still ahead in the game, but a couple of quiet overs pushed the required rate above ten.With 63 needed from six overs, Suryakumar fell to Yash Thakur. Two overs later, Nehal Wadhera’s laboured innings – 16 off 20 balls – came to an end when he pulled Mohsin to deep-backward square leg. Vishnu Vinod didn’t last long either, leaving David and Green to get 33 from 14 balls. David put Mumbai ahead once again with a 19-run penultimate over, only to be denied by Mohsin in the end.

Centuries from Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra at entirely different stages of their careers – and both of varying styles – made South Africa pay for the lack of experience and pace, and the chances they put down of both batters. The duo had put on 219 runs for the unbroken third wicket by the end of the first day to deflate a spirited South Africa line-up that had reduced the hosts to a tricky 39 for 2 in the first session.Williamson was the more patient and circumspect of the two as he put a scratchy start behind him, whereas Ravindra smoked a six on his 11th ball to get going for his best Test score as both batters picked up pace in the last session to just about touch the run rate of three an over.Ravindra and Williamson had to steer New Zealand out of troubled waters after debutant Tshepo Moreki started his Test career with a first-ball wicket by trapping Devon Conway lbw for 1 in the second over of the game. In his accurate first spell of 5-1-10-1, Moreki beat Williamson three times in 15 balls for just five runs.Dane Paterson also tested the batters with his seam movement with wobble seam, and he soon drew Tom Latham’s outside edge for 20. The jitters continued as Williamson was nearly run-out when Ravindra tapped his fifth ball towards cover point for a quick single, only for the throw to be wayward. Had Williamson been dismissed, the hosts would have been 44 for 3 then.Ravindra’s start was much more confident, as he welcomed Moreki back for a second spell with a six over the long-leg boundary. Moreki continued to impress nonetheless, and even drew Ravindra’s edge three balls later, but it fell well short of second slip. Ravindra enjoyed some more luck off Moreki on 23 when his inside edge just missed the stumps which made him a bit more watchful.The duo batted patiently through a wicketless second session of 27 overs for just 60 runs, with plenty of leaves and blocks because of the tight bowling from the four South Africa quicks. South Africa were fielding an all-pace bowling attack and six debutants in Mount Maunganui, including their captain Neil Brand. Since 1995, it was the first instance by a Test nation apart from Ireland and Afghanistan who had their captain on debut when the side wasn’t playing its first Test.1:54

Moreki: We knew it would be difficult against NZ

But the conditions started to get better for batting after the initial swing subsided and once the ball got older. Williamson opened up with imperious boundaries off Moreki in consecutive overs, and Ravindra soon caught up when he broke the shackles against Paterson with a cover drive and a mighty pull for a one-bounce four.While Williamson played the ball very late and used soft hands to ensure his edges weren’t carrying, Ravindra drove, scythed and pulled the loose deliveries with hard hands and a lot more punch. Williamson got a life on 45 just minutes before tea when he uncharacteristically slogged against Ruan de Swardt’s medium pace, but the leading edge was shelled by Edward Moore while running back from extra cover.And Williamson reached his fifty in the next over with a boundary, while Ravindra reached his own in the over after the break. Both scored a lot more freely with boundaries to tick at above four runs an over in the half hour after the tea break as Ravindra closed in on his partner. By then, Duanne Oliver’s pace had started to drop below 125kph, and South Africa’s captain Neil Brand came on to bowl left-arm spin but for no success.Soon after, Ravindra got a life on 80 when his top edge flew to deep backward square leg where Olivier ran in and dived forward, and got both hands to the ball, but couldn’t hold on. As South Africa started bowling shorter consistently before the second new ball was taken, Williamson pulled to reach his 30th Test century – off 241 balls – while Ravindra’s landmark moment came in the next over, off 189 deliveries.South Africa’s fortunes didn’t change even after the second new ball, which was slapped straightaway for a four by both batters. Ravindra continued to collect boundaries off Moreki, whether he pitched it full or short, to overtake Williamson and finish the day unbeaten on 118, ten ahead of the former captain.

The Mumbai Indians fast bowler recorded 132.1 kph in the game against Delhi Capitals

Vishal Dikshit05-Mar-2024South African quick Shabnim Ismail has breached the 130kph barrier for the first time in women’s cricket since speeds have been recorded. Ismail bowled a delivery that the speed-gun on broadcast recorded at 132.1kph in the WPL game between her side Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals on Tuesday in Delhi.It was the second delivery of the third over in the game which Ismail bowled full to Capitals captain Meg Lanning, who missed the delivery and was hit on the front pad. Mumbai appealed for lbw but it was turned down. When asked at the end of the innings if she was aware of the fastest delivery she had bowled, Ismail said she doesn’t “look at the big screen when I am bowling.”Ismail had also recorded a delivery at 128.3kph in the opening game of the tournament, also against Capitals. She, however, missed a couple of games for Mumbai with an injury and returned to action on Tuesday.In international cricket too, the fastest delivery recorded is by Ismail, when she bowled one at 128kph against West Indies in 2016 and had breached the 127kph mark twice in the 2022 ODI World Cup.Ismail was far from her best on Tuesday though. She opened the bowling once Mumbai chose to field and was erratic with her full deliveries and bowled on the pads. After her first two overs went for 14 runs, Shafali Verma smacked her for consecutive sixes at the start of her third before Ismail had her caught behind for 28 and gave her an aggressive send-off. She finished with 1 for 46 from her four overs in the top-of-the-table clash.Ismail, 35, retired from international cricket in May 2023, months after the home T20 World Cup to end a 16-year career. She played 241 international games for 317 wickets across formats, which included 127 ODIs, 113 T20Is and a Test. She is now a regular in T20 leagues around the world.

USWNT returns to the pitch in October, announcing three games against Portugal and yet-to-be-named opponent

USWNT coming off games against Ireland and CanadaWill play Portugal and yet-to-be-announced opponentSet to play first match at CPKC StadiumGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The U.S. women’s national team will return to the field in October to play three matches during the FIFA international window, with games scheduled against both Portugal and a yet-to-be-announced second opponent.

Emma Hayes' side will play Portugal twice – first on Oct. 24 at Subaru Park in Chester, Pennsylvania, and then again on Oct. 26 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut.

A third match will be held in in Kansas City on Oct. 29. The opponent for that game has yet to be announced.

This will be the first time since the final match of group play at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup that the USWNT will take on Portugal. The two teams played to a 0-0 draw, sending the USWNT to the knockout round.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The first match will feature a pregame retirement celebration for USWNT legend, Alex Morgan. She will be honored in the same stadium where she scored her first international goal – she ultimately had 123 in her career.

In the second meeting against Portugal, former USWNT goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher will have her halftime moment. Naeher will be recognized in her home state. The USWNT legend is the only goalkeeper in soccer history to earn a shutout in a World Cup final and an Olympic gold medal match.

Getty ImagesWHAT EMMA HAYES SAID

“Portugal is a growing team that will be highly motivated for these matches, but as always, these three games are more opportunities to work on us," Hayes said in a statement. "I’m very impressed with the progress we’ve made since the Olympics and I want to give a lot of credit to the players for embracing our culture and ideas. But our staff and the players know we still have much work to do before World Cup qualifying next year.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT'S NEXT FOR THE USWNT?

Because soccer never stops, many of the UNSWT players will be returning to their respective clubs ahead of the October camp.

Manchester United outcast Alejandro Garnacho is reportedly keen on signing for a Champions League team rather than joining Aston Villa.

• Garnacho has no Man Utd future
• Not keen on Aston Villa transfer
• Eyes Champions League move

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  states that Villa manager Unai Emery sees Garnacho as a useful player for his style of play, but the Argentine would prefer to sign for a Champions League side. The report adds that the winger would favour staying in the Premier League, with Chelsea monitoring his situation.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Garnacho is among a contingent of United players who are surplus to requirements ahead of the upcoming season. The Red Devils are reportedly willing to drop their asking price to around £40 million ($54m), perhaps highlighting how eager they are to get him off the books. Both parties want to party company but whether that happens is up in the air.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 21-year-old came through United's academy and has since scored 26 goals in 144 games in all competitions. The Argentine has also been attracting interest from Saudi Pro League teams, while Chelsea may have to sell players before pursuing Garnacho.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Garnacho, who has hinted at a move away from United, is in a race against time to find an Old Trafford exit this summer, with the transfer window set to slam shut in just under six weeks. Whether he gets his dream Champions League move is unclear.