How England’s tendency to bowl short on the fourth day nearly cost them the match
On the Ball with S Rajesh and Arun Gopalakrishnan07-Aug-2005Throughout the first three days of the Edgbaston Test, Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff bowled with impeccable control on a slow pitch: they realised the futility of bowling short, and instead kept the ball up to the bat. With victory only sniffing distance away, though, they lost the plot completely, reverting to short-pitched bowling. It looked good on television, and occasionally caused the batsmen – particularly Brett Lee – physical discomfort, but it did little for England’s cause. As the graphic shows, the short ball is a great option when used as a surprise weapon, but when overdone, it becomes an excellent run-scoring opportunity for the batsmen – even Australia’s tailenders managed to get those 28 deliveries away for 30 runs, whereas on the third day their top order only eked out five from 15.Meanwhile, England’s win at Edgbaston means that the venue continues to be a lucky one for them – they’ve won 21 Tests and lost just seven here, while Australia’s win-loss record has gone down to 3-5.
Glasgow Rangers bounced back to winning way after two straight defeats in all competitions with a 2-0 win over St. Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday.
Who scored in Rangers' win over St. Johnstone?
Brazilian centre-forward Danilo was given the nod through the middle of the pitch as the starting number nine ahead of Nigeria international Cyriel Dessers and certainly proved his worth in the 16th minute.
James Tavernier produced a perfect cross from the right flank and the summer signing from Feyenoord found the back of the net with a brave header, which resulted in him needing to be substituted due to a fractured cheekbone.
Substitute Rabbi Matondo then sealed the three points in the second half as Tom Lawrence sent him through on goal to slot the ball into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.
How good was Danilo against St. Johnstone?
Whilst Danilo may get the plaudits for his excellent headed goal and the bravery shown to risk an injury in order to find the back of the net, Michael Beale's shining light throughout the match was Belgian central midfielder Nicolas Raskin.
The former Standard Liege star was outstanding in midfield and made his presence felt with important contributions at both ends of the pitch for the Light Blues.
Danilo's game in numbers vs St. Johnstone
7 touches
50% duels won
67% pass accurary
7.3 Sofascore rating
As shown in the table above, Danilo did not have enough time on the pitch to make a major impact outside of his goal, whereas Raskin was a consistently impressive figure during the fixture.
How good was Nicolas Raskin against St. Johnstone?
Defensively, the 5 foot 10 star won ten of his 16 duels (62.5%) and that included nine of his 13 battles on the ground, which resulted in four tackles won for the central midfielder, as per Sofascore.
Evidently, the 22-year-old was a solid force in midfield for the Scottish giants and was able to dominate the opposition from a physical perspective.
Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin.
The £1.7m signing also caught the eye with his play on the ball. As per Sofascore, Raskin, who recorded a rating of 7.7, completed an impressive 94% of his attempted passes and 100% of his dribbles (3/3) to go along with one chance created for his teammates.
His dribbling ability was vital for the second goal as the talented gem skillfully glided past a challenge with his quick feet in the middle of the park in order to tee up Lawrence to thread the ball through for Matondo's goal.
He only gave possession away eight times from 84 touches of the ball, which was once every 10.5 touches on average. Whereas, for example, James Tavernier lost the ball once every 4.96 touches from right-back.
The Belgian talent clearly made an impact at both ends of the pitch and was important to what Rangers did on and off the ball, to help them score twice and keep a clean sheet to secure all three points after the international break.
Hopefully, the central midfielder will be able to carry this performance into the clash with Real Betis in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Having beaten Chelsea in their last outing, Nottingham Forest will be desperate to get back amongst it in the Premier League following an international break.
Anthony Elanga, who joined Forest from Manchester United in the summer, scored the only goal of the game at Stamford Bridge.
Burnley meanwhile fell at home to Tottenham Hotspur despite taking an early lead. The Clarets were ahead thanks to South African international Lyle Foster after just 4 minutes but a Heung-min Son hat-trick made all the difference in a 5-2 win for Ange Postecoglou’s side.
That win for Nottingham Forest takes them into the top half whilst Burnley remain at the foot of the table as one of only two teams, along with Luton Town, yet to pick up a point this term.
Next time out, the pair will face off at the City Ground and we at Football FanCast have peeled the curtain back on the history of this fixture, so you don’t have to.
Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: Who has the better head-to-head record (competitive games only)?
This year’s form doesn’t in any way reflect how these two teams have fared against each other in the past with Burnley having the slight edge. These games have been fairly well spread out between top-tier football and life in the second division too.
Nottingham Forest wins 37 Draws 28 Burnley wins 43 Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: Who has more wins at the City Ground?
Home form prevails for Nottingham Forest with their 55% win rate in this fixture at the City Ground being very respectable indeed.
Forest bounced around a few different stadiums in the area before arriving at The City Ground in 1898, where they’ve been ever since.
Nottingham Forest wins 29 Draws 13 Burnley wins 11 Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: Who has more wins at Turf Moor?
Unlike Nottingham Forest, Burnley have never known anything different than Turf Moor. Similarly though, they have won more often than not on their own patch, at a rate of 58%, slightly higher than that of their upcoming opponents.
The club became one of the first professional teams in all the land in 1883 and they have that one ground since then.
Nottingham Forest wins 08 Draws 15 Burnley wins 32 Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: Who has the better cup record?
Cup meetings between Nottingham Forest and Burnley have been few and far between with the two crossing paths just eight times since their first ever meeting in 1906.
Twice in the FA Cup these two teams have played but both of these outings came in the 1934/1935 season with the first attempt being drawn 0-0, before Burnley won the replayed game 3-0.
Nottingham Forest wins 02 Draws 01 Burnley wins 05 Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: How have the last 5 meetings played out?
Burnley’s recent stints in the Premier League have not coincided with that of Nottingham Forest until now, meaning that this will be the first meeting of the pair since the competition was created three decades ago.
30th August 2023- Nottingham Forest 0-1 Burnley:
Whilst it isn't a league meeting, these two teams will be familiar with each other after they were drawn together in the second round of the League Cup, which was played just a couple of weeks ago.
Some key players were rested but others remained in the XIs for the respective managers and so Steve Cooper wouldn’t have been particularly impressed to be eliminated so early. It was a stalemate for the majority of the game until Swiss substitute Zeki Amdouni sent the away fans into raptures at the City Ground in the 90th minute.
23rd February 2016- Burnley 1-0 Nottingham Forest:
We now travel back several years to the last league matchup between Nottingham Forest and Burnley.
The latter won the title that year in emphatic fashion but this dominance wasn’t necessarily reflected when crossing paths with Forest. Once again, it was decided by a single goal and the scorer this time was Sam Vokes.
20th October 2015- Nottingham Forest 1-1 Burnley:
In the reverse fixture, with Nottingham Forest’s season not yet having been derailed, they were able to hold Sean Dyche’s side to draw in a dreaded EFL midweek game.
The drama came in the last fifteen minutes with Forest shooting themselves in the foot just moments after taking the lead. Eric Lichaj found the back of the net only for Henri Lansbury to be sent off a couple of minutes later. An experienced and versatile Matthew Taylor was on hand to equalize in the dying embers.
22nd February 2014- Burnley 3-1 Nottingham Forest:
We’re again talking about a season that saw Burnley promoted to the Premier League and again, they came out on top against Nottingham Forest at Turf Moor.
Burnley stormed into a 3-0 lead before half-time thanks to a Scott Arfield strike and a Vokes brace. Djamel Abdoun missed from the penalty spot and then proceeded to convert the rebound but it was nothing more than a consolation.
23rd November 2013- Nottingham Forest 1-1 Burnley:
Sam Vokes continued his streak of bothering the Forest backline with his goal in their 1-1 draw in Nottingham coming from twelve yards out.
Who has played for both Nottingham Forest and Burnley?
Chris Wood (Burnley 2017-2022; Nottingham Forest 2023-current)
The first of three players to have played for both Nottingham Forest and Burnley is still currently active for the former.
Chris Wood performed well for Leicester City and Leeds United but he truly made his name as a Burnley player. He enjoyed both Premier League and Championship football with the Clarets before moving on to Newcastle United last summer. That transfer didn’t really work and after being loaned to Forest for the second-half of last season, he has now joined Cooper’s ranks on a permanent basis.
George Boyd (Nottingham Forest 2010; Burnley 2014-2017)
George Boyd is another player who enjoyed the highs of promotion and lows of relegation with Burnley and played some of his best football for them.
His spell with Nottingham Forest was a brief one, joining on loan from Peterborough United before he eventually established himself as a key player with the Posh. The Scottish international most recently played for Salford City before announcing his retirement in late 2021.
All three of these players incidentally played for Burnley in 2017 but Tendayi Darikwa is more closely associated with Nottingham Forest and may even be a sort of cult hero in and around the Trent.
The Zimbabwe international was actually born in Nottingham and yet it was Chesterfield where he played as a youngster. He eventually gravitated towards the City Ground where he played under the likes of Aitor Karanka and Sabri Lamouchi. Darikwa is currently plying his trade in Cyprus having left Wigan Athletic earlier this year.
What is Nottingham Forest’s biggest victory over Burnley?
18th September 1957: Nottingham Forest 7-0 Burnley
Nottingham Forest’s biggest win over Burnley saw them score seven unanswered goals nearly 70 years ago. Stewart Imlach and Tommy Wilson were amongst the scorers as they got two-a-piece.
They finished second in the second division the year prior and so were promoted to the top flight where this 7-0 pasting took place. At the end of the 1957/58 season, Forest ended up, very respectably, in tenth.
What is Burnley’s biggest victory over Nottingham Forest?
Destiny Udogie
21st November 1959: Burnley 8-0 Nottingham Forest
It didn’t take long for Burnley to get their own back and they went one step further in fact.
Their 8-0 drubbing of Forest took place in the 1959/60 season and saw Jimmy Robson notch five goals. Also on the score sheet were Brian Pilkington and Ray Pointer (2).
Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: Key stats This will be the 1st ever league meeting between the two clubs in the Premier League era Burnley haven’t lost to Nottingham Forest in their last 8 meetings Neither team have drawn a single game so far this season Nottingham Forest vs Burnley: Famous fixtures
22nd February 2014- Burnley 3-1 Nottingham Forest:
The first of two famous meetings between these clubs has already been talked about with Burnley’s eventual promotion being the headline.
Sean Dyche’s side enjoyed automatic promotion alongside champions Leicester City whilst Nottingham Forest only ended up six points away from the playoff spots. Had this game gone differently then maybe we would be discussing a very different story.
23rd October 1976- Nottingham Forest 5-2 Burnley:
Our other famous fixture instead favours Nottingham Forest and it took place nearly 50 years ago. They beat Burnley 5-2 at the City Ground on their way to a promotion of their own. It was just the third game of the season and so this victory propelled Brian Clough’s team onto greatness.
The game becomes all the more significant when you consider that after this season, the pair wouldn’t cross paths in a league fixture for another 23 years or so as promotions and relegations continued to keep them apart. All the leagues game that followed were in the Championship because, as previously mentioned, these two teams haven’t clashed in the Premier League (until this weekend).
Jude Bellingham scored twice for Real Madrid against Girona but also went off early after struggling with an ankle problem.
Bellingham bags double in 4-0 win
England star taken off early after taking heavy blow to foot
Confirmed as ankle sprain after full-time
Getty
WHAT HAPPENED?
There were worrying scenes for Real Madrid on Saturday as Bellingham looked distraught as he went off early at the Santiago Bernabeu. The England star had scored twice in the top-of-the-table clash but picked up an ankle problem during the game. Bellingham tried to continue but was eventually taken off, and Madrid now face an anxious wait to determine the severity of the problem.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Nonetheless, Bellingham managed to walk off the pitch on his own but with some apparent discomfort. The cameras continued to focus on him as he settled himself in the dugout – disappointed and with a hand on his face. Minutes later, the physio was seen wrapping an ice pack around his ankle as the midfielder keenly watched the proceedings from the sidelines.
WHAT CARLO ANCELOTTI SAID
Madrid's manager confirmed the injury after the game, but eased fears that Bellingham could be set for a long layoff: "He has a sprained ankle. We are going to evaluate him tomorrow. Hopefully he can recover by Tuesday."
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DID YOU KNOW?
Bellingham has managed to become a fan-favourite at the Santiago Bernabeu as the Real Madrid faithful started singing Beatles classic 'Hey Jude' after he netted his first of the night. It was a well-taken goal as he rounded the goalkeeper to make it 2-0 to the hosts after Vinicous Jr. set him up with a sensational pass from the left flank with the outside of his boot.
Crystal Palace admire Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier, and a new report has made it clear whether they will stand a chance of signing him before the end of the transfer window…
What's the latest Crystal Palace transfer news?
Palace have had a very quiet summer transfer window up to this point, only signing Jefferson Lerma and Matheus Franca, but there have been plenty of outgoings, with star player Wilfried Zaha joining Galatasaray, and Michael Olise could also be off.
Chelsea have activated Olise's £35m release clause, and he is now poised to move to Stamford Bridge, meaning Roy Hodgson may have to strengthen his squad considerably before the transfer window closes in just over two weeks time.
The Eagles have started to identify some new attacking targets, with Sporting CP's Issakau Fatawu recently emerging as an option, and Hodgson is also keen on signing Southampton striker Che Adams, in what could be a £10m deal.
Although the main outgoings this summer have been in attack, Hodgson could also look at bolstering their backline this summer, and his side have now been named as potential suitors for Dier.
According to a report from 90min, Palace are one of several clubs that admire the Tottenham defender alongside Celtic, AS Monaco, a number of unnamed Bundesliga teams and Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.
Sporting CP would also contemplate a reunion with their former player, if they were to sell Goncalo Inacio in the next few weeks, with Benfica also monitoring him, so the 29-year-old is unlikely to have a shortage of offers on the table.
The report makes it clear that Spurs would be open to selling their £85k-per-week defender, given that he has fallen down the pecking order under Ange Postecoglou, indicating that Palace, and all the other potential suitors could stand a good chance of signing him.
Why is Eric Dier not playing for Spurs?
The England international underwent surgery at the end of the season, meaning he was not central to Postecoglou's plans, and he has since been snubbed by the new Tottenham manager, having been overlooked for captaincy duties.
Having been omitted from the squad for Spurs' Premier League opener against Brentford, in what was purely a tactical decision, it appears as though the former Sporting man's time in north London is coming to an end.
A move across the capital may be exactly what he needs to reignite his career, and the centre-back could be a solid addition to Hodgson's squad, having been hailed as a "fantastic player" by former teammate Harry Kane.
Spurs defender Eric Dier.
Gareth Southgate has also hailed the Englishman for the influence he has both on and off the pitch, saying:
"We know what a good character he is. He fits in with the culture and has great international experience and leadership qualities."
Dier has a huge amount of Premier League experience, making 270 top-flight appearances, and he could help shore up the Palace backline. However, Hodgson's main aim currently should be to bring in some new attacking options, given that Zaha has already left, and Olise is set to sign for Chelsea, but a move for Dier looks like one to watch.
The Zonal T20 league and the Syed Mushtaq Ali knockout tournament will be played before the 2018 IPL auction, a move that is bound to help both IPL franchises as well as domestic players
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2017The BCCI has brought forward two domestic tournaments, the Zonal T20 league and the Syed Mushtaq Ali knockout tournament, to ensure the players have a chance to audition ahead of the 2018 auction on January 27 and 28. It is understood that the Zonal T20 league will now be held from January 8 to 16 instead of January 21 to 29. The new schedule also has the Syed Mushtaq Ali knockout tournament being pushed from the February 4-10 window to January 21-27.Consequently, the fixtures for the Vijay Hazare Trophy – the domestic 50-over tournament – have also been reworked. The group-league phase, which was set to be played from February 16 to 25, has been advanced to February 5 to 14. The schedule for the knockout stages has also been tweaked, and it will be now played from February 21 to 26 instead of March 3 to 8. On the other hand, the Irani Cup, which will feature the Ranji Trophy winner against a Rest of India side, has been postponed from January to March.A couple of officials from IPL franchises confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that they hadn’t made specific rescheduling requests to the BCCI, but noted that the changes were not surprising. “It has happened in the last two years as well,” an official said. “It makes sense for both the players and the franchises as we can take a look at the talent on display ahead of the auctions.”In 2015, the BCCI had decided to advance the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the domestic T20 championship, before the IPL auction. The board had also changed the format of both its inter-state limited-overs championships from an intra-zonal-knockout format to a group-knockout league format. While the BCCI at that point did not openly state that the schedule had been planned with the IPL auctions in mind – it instead said the fixtures were drawn keeping in mind the Under-19 World Cup and the World T20 – the move was welcomed by both the franchises and players.Up to that point, there were question marks over the relevance of the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, which was played after the IPL auction. With teams already being assembled, there was little at stake, at least in the short run, for both the players and the franchises. However, with the change in schedule, players, talent scouts and franchise officials have admitted that the tournament now has greater context.
Everton's James Garner could play "a much bigger role in midfield this year" if the club sign a fullback this summer, and should he do that, he could "have a big season", claims journalist Paul Brown.
Everton News – what does the future hold for James Garner?
It was a tough first season at the Toffees for the Birkenhead-born prospect last year.
Having joined from Manchester United in September, he spent his first two Premier League games at the club sitting on the bench before making his debut in a 2-1 loss to his former side on the ninth of October.
He would go on to feature in the next five league games for the club before suffering a back injury that meant he wouldn't play a minute of the following 14 league matches until finally making his return against Tottenham Hotspur on the third of April this year.
The 6 foot 1 midfielder endured yet more disruption in the closing weeks of the season when he was asked to fill in as a makeshift right-back following the injuries to both Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson, something he did better than most would've expected of him, as he even played there during the club's crucial final day victory over Bournemouth – a win that secured safety.
Premier League, Everton, Everton news, Everton latest news, Everton update, Everton team news, Manchester United vs Everton, EFC news, EFC latest news, EFC update, EFC team news, Sean Dyche, James Garner
Being moved around the pitch to a position that is not your own is something that might cause a player to down tools or moan to the press, but in Garner's case, he seems grateful just to be playing, as in May, he said:
"If I am chosen to play there, I will be more than happy. I feel comfortable switching positions. From defence to midfield, midfield to right-back. I feel ready and more than capable of doing it."
While he might be happy to play where he is told to, journalist Paul Brown believes that moving back into midfield in the event of a new fullback joining the club would be best for the youngster.
What did Paul Brown say about James Garner and Everton?
Brown was keen to praise Garner for his performances last season and pointed out that if the club sign any fullbacks over the summer, he could potentially have a big year in the middle of the park next season.
Speaking to Football Fancast, he said: "I actually think he did really well anyway towards the end of last season, but depending where he plays if they get the fullback positions sorted out, I think you could see James Garner playing a much bigger role in midfield this year. And it'd be nice, as injuries kind of hampered his momentum a little bit last year. It'd be nice if he got in and broke through.
"I think there's potential there for him to have a big season as well."
How good was James Garner last season?
As Brown points out, it was a season hampered by injury last year for Garner. The 14 games he missed between November and February made it hard for him to develop any sort of positive momentum through the season.
That said, when he did play, he was able to show glimpses of quality, even if he never quite reached levels higher than his teammates.
According to WhoScored, across the 16 league games he did play, he averaged a rating of 6.43, picking up one assist and maintaining a pass accuracy of 80.9%.
Premier League, Everton, Everton news, Everton latest news, Everton team news, Everton update, Manchester United vs Everton, EFC news, EFC latest news, EFC team news, EFC update, James Garner, Sean Dyche
While those statistics aren't anything to write home about, it's essential to look at them with the added context of a highly dysfunctional Everton side and that he was playing a lot of those final games in an unfamiliar position.
His underlying numbers are, again, fairly average, but within the context of a new position, they're decent enough.
According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the "highly rated" 22-year-old sits in the top 22% for aerial duals won, the top 24% for clearances, the top 26% for interceptions, the top 34% for assists, and the top 37% for non-penalty expected goals, all per 90.
Ultimately, while he did a good job as a temporary fullback for the team, should Everton bring in proper reinforcements in that area, Garner should be doing everything he can to stake a claim back in the midfield, and then we might see him reach the potential he has.
Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho has responded to Andy Murray after the tennis star revealed he was his favourite player growing up.
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Murray reveals admiration for RonaldinhoRonaldinho responds with gratitudeMurray looks ahead to next tennis challenge(C)Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Ronaldinho, 43, responded to Murray on his personal X account, after the tennis star shared a highlight reel of the former AC Milan and Barcelona legend's finest moments throughout his 17-year career.
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Murray took to his own X account to say: "My favourite athlete growing up. When I moved to Barcelona to train at 15 I got the chance to watch him live a bunch of times. Absolute genius. Always smiling. I’d arrive early at the stadium just to watch him warm up as he’d be doing ridiculous skills/tricks like in the video."
To which Ronaldinho replied: "Thank you Sir!"
DID YOU KNOW?
Despite dedicating much of his life to the sport of tennis, Murray is an avid football fan and follows both Arsenal and Hibernian closely, with his grandfather Roy Erskine having played for the latter during the 1950s.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MURRAY?
Despite currently being in the public eye with his interactions with Ronaldinho, it is unclear when Murray will return to the tennis court after pulling out of the recent Davis Cup Finals with Team GB due to a shoulder injury in November.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDane van Niekerk bagged her third four-for in four matches•ICC/Getty
South Africa’s bowlers continued their red-hot form to book a semi-final berth after 17 years in the 50-over World Cup, with a resounding eight-wicket win in Taunton, and were helped by victories from Australia and England, who made it to the knockouts too. Shabnim Ismail’s speedy 3 for 14 and Dane van Niekerk’s 4 for 24 – her third four-for in four matches – bowled out a dispirited Sri Lanka for 101. The win took South Africa’s points tally to nine and since India and New Zealand lost their respective matches, the fixture between them on July 15 will decide the fourth semi-finalist.The match slipped out of Sri Lanka’s hands as soon as their captain Inoka Ranaweera opted to bat on an overcast morning and a pitch with a decent grass cover. Her counterpart, van Niekerk, was happy to bowl and her opening bowlers showed why. Ismail bowled quick in the corridor, beating the outside edge often and built up good rhythm with partner Marizanne Kapp, who swung the ball to trouble the left-handed top order. Kapp struck with her first ball by trapping the big-hitting Chamari Atapattu for 1 with a slow and low full-toss in front of middle and leg stump. Shabnim’s first spell lasted only four overs, but in that time, she beat Hasini Perera for pace, resulting in a mis-timed pull, and created a few chances in the gully region with a probing line and consistent pace.Nearly three chances were created in the seventh over when Prasadini Weerakkody and Chamari Polgampola poked outside off and the ball went wide of or fell short of the gully fielder. Masabata Klaas’ straight and accurate lines meant Sri Lanka had barely any opportunities except when Ayabonga Khaka bowled a few wayward lines. The third-wicket partnership resisted but yielded not more than 43 runs as van Niekerk’s legbreaks accounted for Weerakkody and Polgampola in the 20th over when they top-edged off miscued sweep shots, reducing Sri Lanka to 49 for 4. Polgampola was caught by the keeper, Trisha Chetty, and the dismissal took her to the top of the women’s wicketkeeping charts in ODIs.Even though there were some patches on either side of the pitch to exploit for the spinners, it was van Niekerk’s persistent flight above the eyeline that tied down Sri Lanka’s scoring with three maidens.Sri Lanka produced another brief period of resistance in the form of Dilani Manodara’s 49-ball 25, after Shashikala Siriwardene dispatched the juiciest of full-tosses to deep midwicket for 9. Manodara stretched the score till 86 but South Africa’s disciplined lines and regular bowling changes negated any chance to flourish. Van Niekerk returned to bag two more wickets – of Harshitha Madavi and Sripali Weerakkody – before Ismail’s pace accounted for the last two wickets. Sri Lanka lasted only 40.3 overs.South Africa were troubled only initially in the chase. The hard-hitting Lizelle Lee edged to the wicketkeeper for a duck in the first over and No. 3 Chetty played across the line to Ranaweera’s left-arm spin as the Sri Lanka bowlers tightened their lines after the first four overs. Eighteen-year-old Laura Wolvaardt, the other opener, and the experienced Mignon du Preez saw them through till the lunch break, which was taken after seven overs, making Sri Lanka’s hopes linger for a little longer.Wolvaardt and du Preez were hardly troubled once they returned, barely taking the aerial route but sweeping to good effect to keep the score ticking. While du Preez used her experience and composure, Wolvaardt displayed attractive strokeplay with her high elbow to drive the ball elegantly.Opening bowler Sripali Weerakkody put down a tough return catch from du Preez, who was on 34, and injured her left shoulder. Even if she had taken the catch, it wouldn’t have helped Sri Lanka too much: Sout Africa were only 16 away at the time and took less than three overs after that to bag two more points.
Sean Ervine, with a double century, and Jimmy Adams shared the biggest Champion ship strand of the season before Warwickshire collapsed in the final session at the Ageas Bowl
ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2017 ScorecardThese are worrying times for Warwickshire skipper Ian Bell•Getty ImagesSean Ervine collected a double century and joined Jimmy Adams, another century maker, in the highest stand in the Championship this season before inflicting more misery on Warwickshire as they collapsed in the final session.Ervine moved from 140 overnight to a sublime 200 to hand his side a first innings total of 515.But Hampshire domination on the game didn’t stop there as they left Warwickshire floundering on 49 for 6 – still 316 behind the follow on.With blue skies overhead and on the same dry track as the first day, Warwickshire toiled in their reply.Ian Westwood summed up their frustrating game so far with a running mix-up as he was well short of his ground after good work from Michael Carberry.Matt Salisbury began his Hampshire debut with a pearler to get rid of Sam Hain, as the ball came in and then nicked away to catch his edge behind.Ian Bell followed two balls later when he was lbw to a huge inswinger.Tim Ambrose handed Ian Holland his maiden Championship wicket with a brilliant inducker which fooled the wicket keeper.Mason Crane took a five-for against Somerset last week and followed up with two late-evening scalps.First he had Rikki Clarke leg before with a big turner, before with the last ball of the day a beauty saw Andrew Umeed edge behind.Earlier, Ervine and Adams continued exactly how they left day one as their record fourth wicket stand looked unstoppable.The pair batted through the morning session in serene style, only playing shots when they had to with no mandate to score runs quickly.Their records included the highest fourth wicket stand for Hampshire of all time and the top stand of any wicket in Division One this season.The afternoon session saw the game progress at a decent pace as the epic stand was finally broken and Sunny Singh started to chip away with his left arm spin.Adams was the first to depart for a scrappy yet completely chanceless 166 having batted for 502 minutes and 386 balls.A rare attacking shot from Adams was flicked off his legs to midwicket – the colossal stand ending on 367.Ervine completed his stunning double century, his second for Hampshire and the third of his career, but was out just three runs later.The Zimbabwean attempting a reverse paddle but missed Singh’s low slow bounce.The light for Warwickshire was quickly dimmed again as debutant Ian Holland added 61 for the seventh wicket with Lewis McManus, with the hosts still yet to accelerate.McManus did club a massive six over square leg before Holland was lbw and he was caught at first slip while attempting to slog.Crane was yorked first ball handing Singh his maiden professional five wicket haul.Singh picked up a sixth when Gareth Berg clubbed to the long on boundary, before Andrew Usmeed grabbed his first career scalp to wrap up the innings.But after their evening heroics, Hampshire look in a great position to win back-to-back for the first time this seasons.