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Chris Dent maintained his impressive early season form as Gloucestershire put promotion-fancied Worcestershire under pressure on the third day of the Division Two match in Bristol

ECB Reporters Network26-Apr-2016
ScorecardChris Dent has been the main threat to Worcestershire•Getty ImagesChris Dent maintained his impressive early season form as Gloucestershire put promotion-fancied Worcestershire under pressure on the third day of the Division Two match in Bristol.The 25-year-old left-hander followed up a big hundred against Derbyshire and 59 in the first innings of this game with a rock solid 81 not out off 175 balls to help the hosts to 217 for 6 in their second innings at the close, a lead of 186. Matt Henry claimed 3 for 60.Ian Cockbain (67) gave good support in a second-wicket stand of 108 after Worcestershire had been bowled out for 411, Joe Clarke top-scoring with 135, backed up by Ben Cox (69) and Henry (42 not out).The morning session saw Clarke add 32 to his overnight score after Worcestershire resumed their first innings on 297 for 5. The 19-year-old was dropped on 106 by Cockbain at point off Kieran Noema-Barnett, but otherwise built soundly on his second day hundred.Clarke had hit 17 fours when ninth man out, bowled by Liam Norwell with a good delivery that surprised him by nipping back off the seam.His overnight partner Cox had been equally surprised by the first ball of the day from Noema-Barnett, which somehow split his bat in two as he played defensively.After summoning a replacement Willow, Cox added ten to the 59 he scored on day two before being caught behind by the diving Gareth Roderick off Norwell.Joe Leach was bowled shouldering arms to a David Payne inswinger and when Ed Barnard was well held by Dent at second slip, driving at Norwell, Gloucestershire looked favourites for a first-innings lead.But Henry then contributed to stands of 39 with Clarke and 41 with last man Jack Shantry to ensure his side of maximum batting points and a lead of 31.Gloucestershire overtook the deficit without losing a wicket as Dent and Cameron Bancroft put together and opening stand of 49 before the latter was caught behind off Barnard for 29.Dent was unbeaten on 46 at tea, having added 80 with a confident looking Cockbain, who reached his half-century two balls after the interval by pulling Leach for his tenth boundary.Cockbain was particularly impressive when driving and didn’t play like a batsman who managed only 139 Championship runs last season at an average of 13.9.Dent soon followed him to a more sedate fifty off 102 balls with 8 fours. But, with Gloucestershire getting on top, Leach struck twice in the same over, taking a return catch off a leading edge to dismiss Cockbain and then pinning Gareth Roderick lbw with a full delivery for a third ball duck.First-innings centurion Hamish Marshall had made 17 when bowled by Henry with the lead 159 and the Kiwi paceman followed up by dismissing George Hankins and Noema-Barnett with successive balls in an impressive late burst from the Ashley Down Road End. But Dent stood firm to keep Gloucestershire hopes alive.Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell said: “Matt Henry’s spell at the end of the day has put us in with a great chance. I would be happy to chase any reasonable figure tomorrow because the pitch remains a very good one.”We have a new ball due before too long and it has nipped around more in the morning sessions, so hopefully we can take the last four wickets pretty quickly.”What a prospect Joe Clarke is. He played exceptionally well for his 135 and is a big presence in our changing room for a 19-year-old lad. He has a fantastic future and it was a terrific knock in a difficult situation.”

USMNT stars Yunus Musah and Christian Pulisic were greeted with a surprise Thanksgiving feast from Italian club Milan Thursday.

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Milan surprise USMNT duo Pulisic and MusahDuo gifted a traditional Thanksgiving feast'Taste of home' in ItalyWHAT HAPPENED?

After leaving Thursday's training session ahead of their return to action at the weekend, the American duo were surprised by the Italian club with a traditional holiday feast. Pulisic and Musah were not able to spend the holiday with their family, so the Serie A side went out of their way to bring a taste of home for their players.

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“AC Milan truly knows how to make us feel like family. I am used to spending Thanksgiving away from home and from my friends and family, but yesterday was such a special surprise to walk off the training pitch and be greeted with a Thanksgiving feast. To have a taste of home here in Milan means the world, and it's a testament to the incredible bond we share as a team. Grazie mille to the AC Milan family for making this year’s Thanksgiving day extra special. For moments like these, I'm grateful to call Milan my home away from home.”

WHAT MUSAH SAID

“Feeling the warmth of a Thanksgiving celebration here in Milan is something I'll always remember. AC Milan surprised us with a fantastic meal, making us feel like family. It's moments like these that create a strong bond, and I'm grateful to be part of the AC Milan family. Thanks for bringing a bit of home to us in Italy.”

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Pulisic was ruled out of action during the November international FIFA break after picking up an injury against PSG in the Champions League in early November, with just minutes to spare in the contest. Thankfully, it turned out to be nothing serious, and he's now in contention to make his return to the pitch this weekend. Meanwhile, Musah, has been playing some of his best soccer of late for both club and country, recently being compared to ex-Rossoneri and Barcelona midfielder, Franck Kessie.

The USMNT duo are finding life in Milan incredibly successful, with both getting regular minutes and contributing to the success of the club. In return, seeing the Italian side share the American holiday with them is a brilliant touch; the real question though, is what the spread was actually like! Turkey or ham? Mashed or sweet potatoes? Regardless, it's safe to say they were both pleasantly surprised with the meal from the Italian club.

Lionel Messi “can’t wait” for his ‘Last Dance’ with eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo, as Inter Miami prepare to lock horns with Al-Nassr.

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Old adversaries to meet on February 1Could be final clash between the pairBoth remain in trophy hunt for 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

It has been announced that leading sides from MLS and the Saudi Pro League will face off at the Riyadh Cup. Inter Miami will also tackle Al-Hilal at that friendly tournament, but it is a meeting between Messi and Ronaldo that is generating the most interest.

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Said fixture will take place on February 1 – in what will be Ronaldo’s next outing after a mid-season break in the Middle East – and could represent a final meeting between two all-time greats that boast 13 Ballons d’Or between them. Messi has posted on social media of that contest: “I can’t wait to be part of #RiyadhSeasonCup with my team Inter Miami CF as we face top Saudi clubs in a historic championship.”

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Messi is back in the United States ahead of Inter Miami’s 2024 campaign, with Herons CSO Chris Henderson having said of the club’s targets: “We’re evaluating every department in our front office and performance staff, to support [Tata Martino] and his staff and all the players to make sure we’re performing everywhere in the club. We’re looking at everything to [improve the squad.] We have high hopes for 2024, and we want to show what we can do as a club. Winning trophies and having high ambition is something we’ve had since day one.”

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Inter Miami have already added former Liverpool and Barcelona striker Luis Suarez to their ranks, while USMNT star Julian Gressel has been acquired as a free agent. David Beckham and the club’s board are looking to ensure that Messi has all of the tools around him to make bids for more major silverware possible.

Brad Haddin, the Australia wicketkeeper, has announced his retirement from ODI cricket, a day before leaving for Test tours of the West Indies and England

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2015Brad Haddin, the Australia wicketkeeper, has formally announced his retirement from ODI cricket, a day before leaving for Test tours of the West Indies and England.Amid the Australia team’s celebrations after the World Cup final victory over New Zealand in Melbourne in March, Haddin had revealed that he was not going to play any more one-day games.Haddin played 126 ODIs and scored 3122 runs at an average of 31.53 with two centuries and 16 fifties. He also had 170 catches and 11 stumpings, the third-most dismissals for Australia after Adam Gilchrist and Ian Healy.”I have had a privileged one-day career and I have been fortunate enough to be involved in three World Cups and now is the right time to walk away,” the 37-year old Haddin said.”Not many players get to write a script like mine at the end of their careers and I have been lucky enough to do just that after winning a World Cup on home soil.”I leave the team with Australia ranked No. 1 in the world and I am proud of everything we have achieved.””Australian cricket congratulates Brad on a fine one-day international career,” Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland said. “Throughout the years he well and truly maintained Australia’s proud tradition of outstanding wicketkeeper-batsmen in limited-overs cricket. He leaves big shoes to fill as a talented player and important senior figure within the team.”We thank him for his wonderful contribution to one-day cricket and look forward to his continued performances at Test level as the team works hard to retain the Frank Worrell Trophy and the Ashes.”

Gautam Gambhir has been retained captain of Delhi for the upcoming Ranji season. He was also a part of the 15-member squad picked for the Vijay Hazare trophy to be played in Himachal Pradesh

PTI19-Oct-2014Gautam Gambhir has been retained captain of Delhi for the upcoming Ranji season. He also helms the 15-member squad picked for the Vijay Hazare trophy to be played in Himachal Pradesh.Gambhir’s last ODI was in January 2013, though he had been part of India’s squad for the Tests in England. He will pursue his World Cup hopes along with Virender Sehwag, Rajat Bhatia, Unmukt Chand and Ashish Nehra, who also found a place in the Delhi one-day squad.The teams were picked by a committee comprising chairman Yashpal Sharma, Nikhil Chopra, Rakesh Shukla, Vinay Lamba, Sidhartha Verma, coach Vijay Dahiya, convenor Sunil Dev and the captain himself.Their first match of one-day domestic season will be against Jammu and Kashmir on November 6, but the players are instructed to report to coach Dahiya on Tuesday morning.

Who are the greatest African players to represent the two Spanish giants?

Getty Images10Alex Song

Song transferred, at the height of his powers, to Catalonia to join Barcelona from Arsenal.

The box-to-box midfielder was indispensable for Arsene Wenger's Gunners, but it never quite worked out for Song in La Liga, and he subsequently returned to England on loan at West Ham United.

He's currently playing in Djibouti following spells with Sion and Rubin Kazan, and it's safe to say that his career hasn't lived up to the early promise of his pre-Barca years.

AdvertisementClive Brunskill/ALLSPORT9​Emmanuel Amuneke

During his playing career, the former Tanzania coach was a glittering wideman who enjoyed dismal fortune at Barcelona, where injuries completely shattered his career in Catalonia.

The 1994 African Footballer of the Year scored twice in the Nations Cup final that year as Nigeria defeated Zambia, and also clinched honours in Portugal, Egypt and in his homeland.

Yet despite a clutch of honours won with Barca, it’s tempting to beg the question, what might Amuneke have become had injuries not taken their toll?

Getty8Emmanuel Adebayor

Adebayor has been a fan favourite at almost every club he has played at, but he is also known for his controversial nature and at times it has overshadowed his excellence at some European giants.

He made 143 appearances for Arsenal managing 62 goals, of which 30 came in the 2007/08 season, which remains his finest campaign.

His brilliance flickered at Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, but he never truly looked the part during a brief loan spell with Real in 2011.

He's currently a free agent after leaving Paraguayan giants Olimpia.

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Denis Doyle/Getty Images7Mahamadou Diarra

Diarra doesn’t always get the credit he deserves for the consistent excellence he brought to the table at Real Madrid during his time at the Bernabeu.

Between 2002 and 2008 the Mali international won six consecutive league titles with Olympique Lyonnais and then Real, helping the Spanish giants to end a four-year trophy drought with their championship triumph in 2006.

Finally, largely thanks to Diarra’s positioning, awareness and sharp tackling,  had a long overdue replacement for Claude Makelele.

Goal selects a combined XI of the two Spanish giants as they prepare to battle it out in the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey

La Liga leaders Barcelona will welcome arch-rivals Real Madrid to Camp Nou on Wednesday evening to contest the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final showdown.

The Catalan side have been victorious in the competition in each of the last four years, failing to make the final just once in the last eight seasons.

Real Madrid will be looking to avenge their 5-1 demolition in October that ultimately led to the dismissal of coach Julen Lopetegui.

Both sides are sporting injury issues heading into the match, but it will be no less of an epic display of some of the world's greats facing off with each other at Camp Nou.

Goal has rounded up the best-combined XI of both sides – and there are a fair few surprises in the mix…

GettyGK | Marc-Andre Ter Stegen | Barcelona

Jasper Cillessen would typically have started the match as the Barcelona goalkeeper, but the Netherlands international has been ruled out of the clash with a muscle injury.

Ter Stegen, therefore, will be drafted in for his first Copa del Rey appearance this season and should follow on from his fine La Liga form.

Thibaut Courtois and Keylor Navas have been impressive for Real Madrid, but Ter Stegen has been a different class for the league leaders, and gets a nod in the XI.

AdvertisementGettyDEF | Dani Carvajal | Real MadridHaving to decide on the defence is difficult considering the choices, but Dani Carvajal gets the right-back nod ahead of Barcelona duo Sergi Roberto and Nelson Semedo, who have not been particularly remarkable this season.Getty ImagesDEF | Sergio Ramos | Real Madrid

Ramos has remained a sturdy rock at the heart of the Blancos defence while he has again been a prolific goalscorer this season as well.

He has scored 10 goals this season, equalling his best return in a campaign, and netted a double in the Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg against Girona.

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GettyDEF | Gerard Pique | BarcelonaPique has impressed at the back for Barcelona and gets the nod ahead of Raphael Varane in central defence, who has been solid for Real Madrid, but his lack of consistency has cost him his place.

Darwin Nunez boasts plenty of supporters around the world, with one taking to getting the Liverpool striker’s face shaved into the back of his head.

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Uruguayan striker starring in the Premier LeagueBoasts supporters all over the worldSome take fandom further than othersWHAT HAPPENED?

The Uruguay international has been plying his trade in the Premier League since completing a £64 million ($78m) transfer to Anfield from Benfica in the summer of 2022. He has endeared himself to the Merseyside locals, and is also a popular figure back in his homeland.

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One follower has taken fandom to the extreme, with barber Andres German Fondo asked to deliver a unique trim that involved shaving Nunez’s face onto the back of customer’s head – complete with blue accents to give it a truly Uruguayan flavour.

InstagramDID YOU KNOW?

Nunez is clearly impressed at the lengths that some supporters will go to, with the 24-year-old forward sharing an image of the aforementioned haircut on his Instagram account – alongside clapping hands, folded hands and fire emojis.

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Nunez has registered four goals and three assists for Liverpool this season and will be hoping to add to that tally when the Reds return to Premier League action in a derby date with neighbours Everton on Saturday. The South American heads into that game in good form having found the target in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers for his country against Colombia and Brazil during the October international break.

Playing in the Asia Cup for the first time, Afghanistan not only defeated Bangladesh, the Test-playing hosts, they almost managed to sneak out a bonus point too

The Report by Devashish Fuloria01-Mar-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Asghar Stanikzai set the scene with a blistering 90•AFPThe indomitable spirit that has characterised Afghanistan’s sharp rise in world cricket shone brightly in Fatullah. Playing in the Asia Cup for the first time, Afghanistan not only defeated Bangladesh, the Test-playing hosts, they almost managed to sneak out a bonus point too. Bangladesh, who took 28 matches to register their first-win against a major side, were left embarrassed by a younger cricketing nation playing only its fourth match against a major team.The foundation of the historic win was laid by a stunning 164-run stand for the sixth wicket between Asghar Stanikzai and Samiullah Shenwari that lifted Afghanistan from 90 for 5 in the 27th over to a competitive 254. The Afghanistan bowlers then ensured they maintained the intensity and produced an all-round bowling performance to shock the hosts.Stanikzai and Shenwari had come together at a stage when Bangladesh spinners were busy closing all escape doors, but they went through a careful rebuilding phase till the 40th over, before exploding in the last 10 to amass 107 runs – easily their best performance in the final overs. The stand was broken on the penultimate delivery of the innings when Shenwari was run-out for 81, but Stanikzai stayed unbeaten on 90 off 103 balls. Bangladesh, who had a firm grip on the proceedings for 80% of the innings, fell apart in the last 20%.Rubel Hossain was smashed for 40 in his last four overs, Abdur Razzak and Arafat Sunny were whipped for 25 and 19 in their last two and Ziaur Rahman was taken for 16 as Stanikzai and Shenwari hit 12 fours and four sixes in the last 10 overs, beating the 88 they scored against Scotland in 2009.Bangladesh’s hopes of a quick turnaround through their batting were dashed almost as soon as the chase started. Stanikzai and Shenwari’s energy had spilled over to the their bowling too. Shapoor Zadran generated enough pace in his first over to rattle the openers. He capped it off with a wicket off the fifth ball that cut Shamsur Rahman into half and sent his offstump cartwheeling. Bowling from the other end, Hamid Hassan surprised Anamul Haque with his pace and trapped the opener lbw. The storm that had hit Bangladesh in the first innings was showing no sign of abatement. The hosts were down to 1 for 2, and the control they had on the game after opting to bowl, was all but lost.It was clear at the toss that Bangladesh, who were without three first-choice players, were going to put Afghanistan through a trial by spin as Mushfiqur responded to the slowness in the Fatullah pitch by including an additional spinner. Arafat Sunny, the left-arm orthodox bowler, was brought in to replace the injured Mashrafe and was the second spinner to bowl inside the first 10 overs.Sunny removed the two batsmen who had been busy putting up a resistance since the fall of Mohammad Shahzad in the third over. Karim Sadiq lobbed a leading edge back to Sunny in his second over. In his next over, Sunny dismissed Najibullah Zadran with one that slipped under the massive gap between the batsman’s bat and pad. Afghanistan slipped to 43 for 3 in the 14th over.Afghanistan showed signs of changed intent immediately after the first drinks break but the urgency cost Nawroz Mangal his wicket as he was run-out. The spin ploy seemed to have yielded the desired result as Afghanistan were reduced to 90 for 5.But Shenwari, after a period of careful rebuilding, announced the change in momentum with consecutive boundaries off the last two balls of the 40th over, off Razzak. He reached his half-century, in 54 balls, with a slice to the point boundary and followed it up with a reverse-sweep. The best of his 11 hits to the boundary was the one that cleared it. Razzak, bowling from over the wicket, had seen Shenwari step out and bowled it wide outside off, but the batsman stretched out and connected beautifully to lift the ball to the sightscreen.Then Stanikzai, who had been the quieter of the two – he hit his first boundary off the 74th ball – joined in smashing a six and a four in the 44th over bowled by Rubel. The first of the two shots brought him his half-century. He also provided the perfect finish, hitting another set of a six and a four in the last over. The third delivery of that over was whacked over midwicket and the fourth, a wide full-toss, was carved to deep point. By the time he finished, Stanikzai had hit six fours and three sixes to reach his career-best score.The confidence that had surged in the Afghanistan innings oozed through their shots as what had been a slow pitch hardly made a difference. Length deliveries frequently disappeared into gaps at deep midwicket or covers and spinners’ flight or flatter trajectory made no impact. Bangladesh’s fielding too buckled under pressure as couple of easy catches were dropped while the ground fielding allowed extra runs. The beating that the bowlers’ figures took was sharply in contrast with the way they had started the day. Adding to the hosts’ woes, Sohag Gazi split his right-hand webbing after bowling only three deliveries.Bangladesh’s chances of revival rested on their captain, Mushfiqur, and Mominul Haque. The two set about scripting a recovery in much the same fashion as the protagonists of Afghanistan’s innings: the defensive shots were interspersed with attractive hits to the boundary. Mominul, particularly, made sure any loose delivery didn’t go unpunished, pulling and driving every time an opportunity presented. He reached his half-century in 71 deliveries.Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi broke the 68-run stand when he beat Mushfiqur in flight and had him lbw. Mominul left 19 runs later, yorked by a Shenwari delivery. Bangladesh could have been in further trouble had Afghanistan grabbed the numerous chances Nasir Hossain offered. He was dropped four times – on 1, 4, 14 and 31 – before eventually getting caught for 41 by Shenwari, who had dropped him twice. By that time, he had added 73 for the fifth wicket. Although the required run rate had climbed to over eight an over, the partnership kept the hosts’ hopes alive.That though changed soon as Bangladesh lost four wickets for four runs, three of them in three balls spread across two overs. A hard-hitting cameo from Zia-ur-Rahman, who hit 42 off 22 deliveries, avoided Bangladesh ignominy of handing the opponents a bonus point, but it was to be a mere flutter.

Andrew Strauss, the former England captain, and an increasingly influential voice in cricket administration, has issued dire warnings about the survival of Test cricket

David Hopps02-Oct-2014Andrew Strauss, the former England captain, and an increasingly influential voice in cricket administration, has issued dire warnings about the survival of Test cricket, predicting that Twenty20 could dominate the landscape within 20 years.Strauss, who since his retirement has been appointed to the cricket committees of the ICC and MCC as well as sitting on the Middlesex management board, lays part of the blame for Test cricket’s potential ills on the restructuring of the ICC.The deal, which if TV rights deals come to fruition could bring India a ten-fold increase in income, with England and Australia also benefiting financially, will in Strauss’ view condemn Test cricket to a growing number of mismatches which will quicken its decline.Strauss’ pessimistic view – particularly notable as it comes from one of the game’s avowed traditionalists – comes in an updated paperback edition of his autobiography, which is published today.”India can argue that they bring the most money into the game, and thus deserve more out of the precious ICC broadcasting rights, but skewing the distribution of the three boards that are already the most financially secure can only create a situation in which the rich get richer and the poor poorer,” Strauss writes.”With only ten teams playing Test cricket and four of those already struggling to stay competitive, the risk of the game degenerating to the extent that the result of many Test series is a foregone conclusion is both high and real.”Strauss paints a bleak picture of the Test game in which he built his reputation, leading England in 50 of his 100 Tests and gaining a reputation as one of the finest man managers in England’s history.”I have to admit that I become more and more concerned about the plight of Test cricket every year,” Strauss admits. “Watching a Test match between the West Indies and New Zealand in an empty stadium with no more than a handful of spectators in attendance sends out warning signals. Seeing that the viewing figures for a county Twenty20 game rival those for a Test match adds to the growing perception that Test cricket is in crisis.”Part of the new ICC restructure provides a Test fund so that some of the smaller nations can play each other in Test series even though they aren’t financially viable. While I definitely welcome this news, I can’t help feeling that we have already reached the tipping point as far as Test cricket is concerned.”The teams will keep playing each other over the next eight years, but aside from iconic series like the Ashes or England v India, I fear that the game is slowly going to fizzle out as a mainstream attraction, especially away from the ‘big three’ nations.”It is too late to turn the tide, especially with the glitz and glamour of Twenty20 cricket managing to gain more and more traction every year.”Strauss predicts a future in which the ICC is powerless to prevent control moving towards the T20 franchises. His warning comes in a week when Australia have conceded that their T20 side against Pakistan could be potentially weakened by absentees in the Champions League – another sign of the creeping power shift between club and country.”It is not a huge stretch of the imagination to see a situation in which most players will be contracted to franchises and play the majority of their cricket in the Twenty20 format,” Strauss concludes. “It will not happen for a while , as the international boards will do everything in their power to prevent it, but market forces are likely to win the battle in the long term. In twenty years, the game of cricket will look very different.”Driving Ambition: Andrew Strauss (Hodder & Stoughton) £8.99