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The Blues came back from being 2-0 down at the break to keep their slim hopes of European qualification alive with a point at Villa Park.

After a difficult week, Chelsea showed some fight to earn themselves a point at Aston Villa that could yet prove crucial in their fight for European qualification. Mauricio Pochettino's side came from 2-0 down at half-time to secure a 2-2 draw against Unai Emery's Champions League hopefuls.

The Blues were looking to bounce back from their chastening defeat to Arsenal last time out, but made the worst possible start when Marc Cucurella diverted John McGinn's scuffed shot into his own net inside the opening four minutes.

The visitors looked to battle back, and Nicolas Jackson came closest to equalising when he hit the post with a header, but Chelsea found themselves two goals down before half-time as Morgan Rogers was allowed to cut inside onto his right foot and fire a low shot into the bottom corner.

Chelsea were dominant after the break as Pochettino made a couple of tactical tweaks, and their improved display was rewarded around the hour-mark as Conor Gallagher won the ball back on the edge of the Villa box, and the ball was worked to Noni Madueke to curl home. Gallagher then produced a moment of magic with 10 minutes to play, as he whipped a 20-yard effort into the top corner.

Pochettino's team even thought they'd won it right at the death when substitute Axel Disasi headed home in stoppage-time, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review thanks to a shove from Benoit Badiashile in the build-up, and the Blues were forced to settle for a point.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Villa Park…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Djordje Petrovic (6/10):

Had no chance with the opening goal, but will be disappointed to be beaten at his near post by Rogers. Did make a decent save to deny Watkins in the first half.

Trevoh Chalobah (4/10):

Deployed as a narrow right-back, but didn't seem to fully understand where he was meant to be when Villa attacked. Will feel he could have done better for both goals.

Thiago Silva (6/10):

Beaten for pace on one occasion by Watkins, but an assured presence in defence otherwise. Limped off late on.

Benoit Badiashile (6/10):

Looked much more comfortable next to Thiago Silva having struggled so much at Arsenal. Punished for his slight shove at the death when Chelsea thought they'd won it.

Marc Cucurella (6/10):

Could do little about his own goal, though he wasn't great from a defensive point of view. Did offer a fair bit in attack, both out wide in the first half and in a more inverted role after the break.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Moises Caicedo (7/10):

An encouraging display with the ball, as he looked to play incisive passes and posed something of a threat around the edge of the box. Was caught on the wrong side of the ball when defending a couple of times, but made some crunching challenges to win the ball back.

Conor Gallagher (7/10):

Lacked quality in the first half, even if he worked tirelessly. Managed to put everything together after the break, however, as his excellent pressing led to Madueke's goal before his superb finish levelled the scores.

Cole Palmer (4/10):

Returned from illness but not at his best as Villa largely crowded him out. Set-pieces were disappointing before he missed a huge chance to win it in stoppage-time.

Getty ImagesAttack

Noni Madueke (7/10):

A real game of two halves. Forced to hug the touchline in the first half, and he was guilty of not tracking back for both Villa goals. Moved inside after the break and instantly became Chelsea's most dangerous attacker, with his goal a superb finish.

Nicolas Jackson (6/10):

Ran himself into the ground and unfortunate that a fine finish was ruled out for offside. Should have scored with a free header that hit the post.

Mykhailo Mudryk (3/10):

Struggled to get himself into the game, while his final ball was constantly lacking. A first-half shot that almost hit the corner flag summed up his performance.

Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Cesare Casadei (N/A):

Thrown on in the final minute.

Axel Disasi (N/A):

Almost the hero with his stoppage-time header that was controversially ruled out.

Mauricio Pochettino (7/10):

Didn't get his set up right in the first half, but deserves huge credit for both the tactical tweaks he made and how he was able to encourage his players to battle back.

England captain hopes to exploit Mandhana’s weakness, having seen her closely during the WBBL

Annesha Ghosh in Mumbai21-Feb-20191:22

Opportunity for youngsters to step up and perform – Mithali Raj

England have more depth than India, a point captain Heather Knight touched upon ahead of the ODI series in Mumbai that counts towards the ICC Women’s Championship.They have proved it twice against India in recent times – none more famously than in the Women’s World Cup final at Lord’s in July 2017. England triumphed again, in a different format, in the semi-final of the World T20 in November.”We’ve got a lot of depth,” Knight said on the eve of the first ODI at Wankhede Stadium. “The ODI cricket we’ve played in the last couple of years, including the World Cup in England, has been very good. We have got performances from different players. We have got [some] inexperience [but also] a group that has been around for a while as well.”We’ve got quite a settled batting line-up and each of the batters in the top six or seven are match-winners. Hopefully a lot more players can step up, as they have done in the last two years.”By contrast, India are thin in the middle order, as exposed during the limited-overs series in New Zealand (India won the ODIs 2-1, but were blanked 3-0 in the T20Is). They now have a big void to fill as vice-captain Harmanpreet Kaur has been ruled out of the series with an ankle injury. This is the first time since 2010, after 87 ODIs, that India will be without Harmanpreet in the format.1:22

Opportunity for youngsters to step up and perform – Mithali Raj

While Knight believes “any team in the world would miss” a batsman of her caliber, Mithali Raj, her counterpart, has suggested it is an opportunity for the younger players to step up.”Honestly, they should go about their business as they have been, because Jemimah [Rodrigues] and Smriti [Mandhana] gave us great starts in the last series. Our middle-order wasn’t tested much,” Raj said. “Yes, Harman’s not there in the side because of an injury, but we as a bating unit should be taking the responsibility to play that role of getting the team along.Knight knows India are no pushovers, and is gearing up for a challenge to stifle Mandhana, her WBBL team-mate and India’s most prolific run-scorer in the last 12 months.”I have obviously played With Smriti in Hobart [Hurricanes], very recently. She played in my team, so I know her very well,” she said. “I know she’s a very good player, and having seen a lot of her, obviously, it gives us the chance to look at her weaknesses as well, and try and figure out how we’re going to exploit them in the series.”England will be buoyed by the return of wicketkeeper-batsman Sarah Taylor and fast-bowling allrounder Katherine Brunt, two notable absentees from their World T20 squad. Knight, quite obviously, was delighted to have players of their ability and experience available.”The experience they bring to the side, obviously their skill level to the pitch is invaluable to us,” she said. “We’re really excited to have them back, and see how they go. They are both excited to be here as well. They bring different things to the group. They both really have a positive influence on the team, and the set-up in general.”Getty ImagesLast year, Nagpur offered turning tracks when England toured for three ODIs, which they won 2-1. In Mumbai, the series will be played on two adjacent surfaces – one grassy and the other one on a belter. That said, much of England’s bowling plans will revolve around Sophie Ecclestone, their leading wicket-taker during the ODI series last year. Ecclestone has since been awarded a central contract.”I think Sophie Ecclestone bowled really well last year in India,” Knight said. “She sort of emerged on that trip, and has been the leader of our attack. She’s been outstanding, and she keeps developing all the time. So I’d really like to see how she goes.”A key player missing from England’s squad from their last tour of India is the now-retired offspinner Danielle Hazell. Knight was hopeful that Hazell’s like-for-like replacement, Laura Marsh will be able to plug that hole and, in turn, cement her place in the starting XI.”We miss Danni, but we’ve got a fitting replacement in Laura Marsh,” Knight said. “She’s been around for a long time, experienced in these conditions and how to bowl in these conditions. I’m really excited to see how she goes. She has a good opportunity to be our main offspinner.”With Danni around, Laura and her were constantly competing against each other – a one in, one out sort of thing. Laura’s now got that chance to be our only offspinner and really stamp her mark on it.”

USMNT star Chris Richards has shared that both he and Crystal Palace have scheduled a date for his return to the pitch after a three-game absence.

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Richards sidelined with 'frustrating' injuryUSMNT star missed 3-straight gamesTimeline for return revealedWHAT HAPPENED?

The U.S. international, who had played in 16-straight matches for The Eagles prior to his knee injury, is finally set to return to the pitch. The central defender and Oliver Glasner's side are targeting a return against West Ham United this weekend.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT RICHARDS SAID

“I think frustrating would be a good word for it,” Richards said ahead of their Liverpool match last weekend.

“I feel like I worked hard over the last two seasons that I’ve been here and I think I was finally reaping the benefit of that. It’s always nice playing games.

“I have a knee injury. Hopefully, what we’re aiming for is West Ham. I’m just kind of taking it day by day, hoping that it continues to heal and that’s what I’m aiming for, at least, is the West Ham game.”

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Palace pulled off a shocking 1-0 victory last weekend at Anfield without Richards available, but in the two matches prior, they fell to Bournemouth and Manchester City. During his 16-match run with the Eagles, they pulled off a result in nine of the matches, keeping two clean sheets.

With his potential return at the weekend now on the cards, the Eagles could receive a massive defensive boost.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR PALACE?

The Eagles take on West Ham Saturday in a Premier League clash. The South London club will hope to pull off a result for the second-straight week as they look to end their campaign on a high note.

Watson struck this BBL’s maiden hundred, McCullum registered his first BBL duck but the match came to a premature end under bizarre circumstances

The Report by Ankur Dhawan17-Jan-2019
No result
Sydney Thunder had not beaten Brisbane Heat in their last four matches, the Heat were yet to win at home this season, and the BBL had been parched for an individual hundred. Curiously, the one least likely to change did, as Shane Watson blasted his third T20 hundred in the last 12 months to catapult his team to 186, before Chris Jordan and Gurninder Sandhu snuffed fight out of the chase with the early wickets of Brendon McCullum, out for a maiden BBL duck, and Chris Lynn. However, a bizarre floodlight failure that occurred at the end of the third over of the Heat chase led to the match being called off and the points shared, much to the chagrin of the visitors who looked set to register their fifth win of the season.Hundred just a number for ageless WatsonUnlike the hundred in the IPL final where he took time to find his groove, here, Watson started in top gear. It started with two sixes off Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, who erred in length and Watson rocked back and pulled him flat over deep midwicket, a shot that proved a loyal ally throughout his innings. Next ball, Mujeeb erred in line, drifting down leg, with the fine-leg up, Watson just helped him over, with a surprising amount of power behind the stroke.Watson had recently spoken about working on a few things as his BBL got off to a lukewarm start, clarified by coach Shane Bond as the position of his head and hands, and the work put in was on view as Watson struck the ball cleanly from a stable base, without once leaving his crease. The spinners Mujeeb and Mitchell Swepson suffered as he took 47 off the duo of 26 balls, and all his six sixes came off the pair. It was Mujeeb who eventually had him caught at long-off immediately after reaching a 61-ball century but he’d caused enough carnage by then.Costly missWatson was still 67 runs away from being this BBL’s first centurion when he was put down off the dubutant Jack Prestwidge’s bowling. It was a slower ball, both short and wide, but Watson’s flashing blade did not get all of it and he ended up spooning it to the right of cover point, without much timing. The diving fielder got both hands to it and for a moment it looked like he’d taken it but as is customary with such catches, it popped out of his hands when the elbows made contact with the ground.Devcich steps up in Buttler’s absenceJos Buttler had been Thunder’s best batsman this season but Anton Devcich has proved to be an able replacement. His inclusion has coincided with Watson finding form and the duo have laid a solid foundation for their side in the two matches that they have opened. Against Adelaide Strikers they added 37 in 21 balls, with Devcich playing lead in the partnership. The roles switched this match but the result was equally effective as they added 58 from 40 with Devcich contributing a 24-ball 26.

The possible returns of Steven Smith and David Warner have also raised the Australia captain’s hopes

Daniel Brettig in Canberra04-Feb-2019Australia Test captain Tim Paine has revealed that he has been thinking about this year’s Ashes series for at least six months, and believes that the dominant 2-0 series win over a decidedly modest Sri Lanka side has helped the hosts crystallise a formula that can help them return to the pinnacle of world cricket.The two victories – by an innings in Brisbane and then by 366 runs in Canberra – were achieved against opponents who seemed completely unprepared for the challenge of Australian conditions in general and pace bowling in particular. Paine nonetheless was unequivocal in asserting that the unity central to those displays – bowlers hunting as a pack, batsmen building partnerships and, finally, centuries – provided the blueprint for success against stronger opponents on higher-profile days.ALSO READ: Starc clears his head and goes whang”Honestly, we were quite disappointed with the way we played against India,” Paine said. “I think the differences between the two series were that our ability to bowl as a group against India wasn’t quite there at times. Whether that’s because Virat (Kohli) and (Cheteshwar) Pujara were more patient than us and forced our bowlers out of their plans, but I thought we turned it around in this series with a real focus on bowling for each other and playing cricket as a team.”Obviously you need individual performances to win moments, but overall the stronger our team can be and the more that we play for each other – this series, or Sri Lanka and the way that we played in these last two Test matches – I think we can beat anyone in the world. The focus was on us playing as a team, so we’ve got to keep driving that home.”

I see us going to the Ashes and them having a huge part in us winning the seriesPAINE ON SMITH AND WARNER

There will be no assignment of greater import than the Ashes in England later in 2019 where the Australians, bolstered by the possible returns of the banned Steven Smith and David Warner, will seek to become the first team clad in the baggy green to win the urn in the UK since 2001. Paine, who made his debut in England in 2010, albeit against Pakistan, admitted he had been thinking and dreaming of the series for quite some time, and also had a fair few names in mind for the likely 17-man squad.”About six months ago … I’ve been dreaming about it actually,” Paine said when asked when he would start thinking about the Ashes. “I’m happy now that we’ve got this out of the way, I can put everything into it because every Australian cricketer can’t wait to go and play an Ashes series and particularly in England.”It’s something that I’ve certainly dreamed of as a kid. I didn’t think I’d be going over as the captain, but in the back of my mind I’ve been thinking about it, I’ve been watching England, keeping a really close eye on them, I can’t wait to get over there.David Warner pulls as Steve Smith watches from the slips•Getty Images”I’ve got a fair idea what it (the squad) might look like. But I’m not a selector, so I get asked my input. But I think they would have a pretty good picture of what it would look like. What we’ve seen over this summer is that we’ve now started to build a squad with plenty of depth. So there’s probably anywhere between 16 and 20 players now that we think are in the mix, a really good place to be.”First among these names will undoubtedly be paceman Pat Cummins, who reaped an eye-popping 14 wickets at 7.78 against Sri Lanka despite operating at first change behind Mitchell Starc and Jhye Richardson. “He’s got to be pretty close to it, isn’t he?” Paine said in response to whether Cummins was now among the world’s very best.”The difference with Pat and those guys is he doesn’t take the new ball. So he bowls at times when the ball’s not doing as much and the wicket’s a bit flatter. I think his ability to get it done in all conditions – whether it’s moving around or not – is second to none.”I felt as the summer went on he got better and better the more he bowled, it felt quicker and more accurate. He’d be the fastest Australian bowler to 90 wickets. That probably says he’s right up there.”Two other names clearly in Paine’s squad are Smith and Warner, who he identified as critical parts of an Ashes-winning team. The end of the Sri Lanka series marked the end of a stretch of nine Test matches that the former captain and vice-captain have missed through suspension, and there can be little doubt as to how warmly they will be received when they return to the fold.”I think everyone has to a degree got to earn their stripes, I think those two have plenty of runs in the bank,” Paine said. “I see us going to the Ashes and them having a huge part in us winning the series. That’s how I see how important they are to this team. We know how good they are. Hopefully once their bans are up they’ll be welcomed back and they’ll win Test matches like they did before.”

Erik ten Hag insisted that Alejandro Garancho "has a lot to learn" after burying the hatchet with the Argentine following an apology from the player.

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Garnacho liked social media posts questioning Ten Hag’s decisionsHis actions did not go down well with the managerHad to issue an apology to rest the caseWHAT HAPPENED?

Garnacho's performance in the first half of the match against the Cherries led to his substitution at half-time, with United trailing 2-1. The winger was frustrated with the decision and further found himself in a controversy after the game when he liked two social media posts criticising his substitution.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Earlier in the week, a United spokesperson stated that the incident had been addressed internally. Now, Ten Hag has confirmed that Garnacho has apologised for his actions which has ensured that there is no disciplinary action taken against him.

WHAT TEN HAG SAID

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of United's FA Cup semi-final against Coventry, Ten Hag told reporters: "Alejandro is a young player. He has to learn a lot. He has apologised for it and we move on."

DID YOU KNOW?

This is not the first time Ten Hag has faced disciplinary issues with members of his squad this season. Jadon Sancho faced consequences, including being sent out on loan to Borussia Dortmund, after criticising the manager on social media and refusing to apologise.

Ten Hag had also condemned Marcus Rashford's behaviour as unacceptable after the English forward was photographed attending a nightclub and subsequently missed training.

Harry Kane felt the wrath of Arsenal fans after he caught Gabriel with a swinging elbow during Bayern Munich's Champions League clash.

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Arsenal fans slammed KaneCaught Gabriel on his jaw with his elbowGunners held to a 2-2 draw at homeWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Tottenham Hotspur star narrowly escaped a red card on his return to England after he caught Arsenal defender Gabriel with a swinging elbow. Kane did get a booking for his actions, however, Gooners felt that the forward should have been handed a direct red card.

AdvertisementWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

Arsenal fans at @theshortfuse were not impressed with Kane, posting on X: "Every Arsenal supporter knows that Harry Kane is that kind of player. He looked where Gabriel was and popped him with an elbow in the neck/jaw. Despicable player. Has always been one. Tries to hurt defenders."

Another fan, @eduardohaghn, demanded a red card for the Bayern star as he wrote: "That’s a red card for Kane. Elbow on the throat."

Meanwhile, @SuburbanGooner had some very strong words for the Bayern star: "Kane – a deliberate elbow. Not quite enough for a red but that’s the kind of scum move Kane has made a career of."

Another user @afcjzmes called the England captain a 'nasty' player as he wrote, "Kane is a nasty, nasty footballer. Took a look for where Gabriel was and gave him a straight elbow to the face."

And @afcstuff felt it was a deliberate move by the striker: "Only a yellow card for Harry Kane for what looks like an intentional elbow on Gabriel Magalhães."

WHAT THE PUNDITS ARE SAYING

CSB correspondent James Benge did not seem too surprised by the incident. He wrote on X, "Harry Kane is that sort of player."

Football London journalist Kaya Kaynak added, "Kane booked for an elbow on Gabriel. Naughty that as he checked to see the #AFC defender coming."

And Marca's Chris Winterburn felt the Bayern star got away with one, posting: "Kane is lucky there."

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Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Bukayo Saka handed the hosts the lead in the 12th minute but former Gunners star Serge Gnabry cancelled the English winger's strike six minutes later as he netted the equaliser. Just minutes after the half an hour mark, Leroy Sane was brought down inside the penalty with Kane converted the resulting spot-kick to put his team in front. In the 76th minute, Gabriel Jesus made a brilliant move as he went past a couple of Bayern defenders before finding Leandro Trossard who found the back of the net.

Pakistan fought back after being bowled out for 181, reducing South Africa to 127 for 5 at stumps

The Report by Liam Brickhill26-Dec-2018The Boxing Day Test match moved rapidly forward on a frenetic first day in Centurion, South Africa and Pakistan’s seam attacks trading blows on a surface that offered encouragement for the quicks. After the early celebrations for Dale Steyn’s ascent to the top of South Africa’s Test bowling records, Duanne Olivier starred with a career-best 6 for 37 and Babar Azam’s fluent 71 in his first innings on South African soil was the only innings of substance as the visitors folded for 181.Whatever advantage South Africa had gained with the ball was swiftly put in perspective when Pakistan’s bowlers cut a swathe through the top order. A 69-run stand between Theunis de Bruyn and Temba Bavuma repaired the innings somewhat, but a deficit of 54 remained when stumps were called with the match in the balance.The hype on Wednesday morning had been focused around Steyn’s attempt at surpassing Shaun Pollock’s 421 Test dismissals – one that has been drawn out over the past year as Steyn fought his way back to full fitness. But once the game was under way, the wait wasn’t long and with his 19th delivery Steyn found the outside edge of Fakhar Zaman’s bat to move to 422 and break a record that has stood for a decade.Steyn’s emotion at the milestone was clearly evident. There were no crazy eyes, and no chainsaw celebration, but he was embraced by his team-mates and raised aloft by Kagiso Rabada as Tina Turner’s was belted out over the ground’s PA system. As he had promised, Steyn didn’t waste too much time settling and getting back to his mark to focus on taking the next wicket. He didn’t get another, but Olivier’s efforts rattled Pakistan thereafter.ALSO READ: Duanne Olivier, South Africa’s ‘other bowler’ who stole the showOlivier came on as the change bowler after the first hour and soon struck in consecutive overs to start Pakistan’s wobble. His first dismissal was fortuitous, the ball ricocheting off Shan Masood’s thigh pad and then glove and onto the stumps, but there was nothing lucky about the in-dipper that trapped Asad Shafiq in front of his stumps in Olivier’s next over.After lunch, Olivier dug one in at Azhar Ali to force a skewed edge that de Bruyn snaffled brilliantly, diving to his right from third slip, and half the visiting line-up was back in the change-room with just 86 on the board. Sarfraz Ahmed could not last the first over he faced, poking tentatively at a back-of-a-length delivery from Olivier to send an inside edge onto his stumps, and Mohammad Amir was given a thorough working-over before Olivier slipped a full one through his defences to collect his fifth.Olivier’s speeds matched those of his illustrious team-mates throughout: he operated consistently in the 140s and bowled as fast as 146kph as he vexed the tail, Amir being struck a stinging blow that immediately brought up a purple bruise on the little finger of his right hand before he had his stumps disturbed.Pakistan were seven down before reaching 100 yet on the board when Amir fell, but vitally Babar was still at the crease and he rose to the situation to shepherd what remained of the tail. Babar was the only visiting batsman to play the pull with any authority, and also took Steyn on in thrilling fashion in the afternoon.Babar’s riposte to Steyn’s return to the attack for a third spell in the 39th over was a flurry of attacking strokes that mixed venomous intent with a silken touch. Babar generally kept the ball along the turf with controlled aggression, but there was remarkable freedom in his strokeplay as he spanked Steyn out of the attack with 10 fours in four overs.Mohammad Amir celebrates•AFPInvigorated by the battle with an increasingly wide-eyed Steyn, Babar raced to a 58-ball fifty, surviving a desperate review for caught behind when the ball had only flicked his trouser pocket. After Steyn had been removed from the attack, it was Rabada who finally got the better of Babar, a rare poor shot resulting in an edge to Faf du Plessis at first slip. Hasan Ali swung gamely for his 21 not out, but Shaheen Afridi feathered an edge to give Olivier his sixth wicket and bring the innings to an end.At that point, it was advantage South Africa, but a touch of variable bounce as early as the second session would not have escaped the attention of Pakistan’s bowlers and Hasan and Amir bristled in their new-ball spells. Hasan nipped one off the seam to trap Aiden Markram in front in the sixth over after tea, but it was the combination of Amir and Afridi that pressed the game forward.Amir’s return for a second burst brought immediate reward, the ball flying off the leading edge of Hashim Amla’s bat to be caught by Babar at gully. Afridi then found the edge of Dean Elgar’s bat even as he tried to shoulder arms, and with his very next delivery got one to spit off a length, taking the shoulder of du Plessis’ bat as the South African captain fell for a golden duck.South Africa were in serious strife at 43 for 4, and Bavuma and de Bruyn had to contend with a cauldron of pressure in the middle. They responded in fine style, gritting out the early exchanges before the runs started to come and the pressure eased. Their concentration was unfazed by a short stoppage for a passing shower, and de Bruyn greeted Yasir Shah’s introduction with a pull for six when the legspinner dropped short.Bavuma added back-to-back fours of his own off Yasir, the second of which brought up the fifty stand, and then shimmied down the track, slapping a drive through cover to bring up the team’s 100. Yasir leaked 24 from his first four overs, and Sarfraz once again turned to Amir in fading afternoon light.He broke through once again almost straightaway, catching de Bruyn in two minds at the crease to find the edge, and parity was restored once more with South Africa’s innings in the balance at 112 for 5. The focus returned to Steyn, now with bat in hand after being shunted ahead of Quinton de Kock as nightwatchman. He sliced two streaky boundaries, but survived to fight another day alongside Bavuma, who was unbeaten on 38.

Chris Lynn believes the upcoming T20 matches can help Australia kickstart their season following the ODI series defeat

Daniel Brettig16-Nov-2018Chris Lynn only knows one way, so it was little surprise to hear him declare that the key to the rest of Australia’s summer is to start “throwing the first punch” so as to “drive the game” against South Africa and India, starting with the one-off T20 on the Gold Coast on Saturday night.This is easier said than done, of course, with Australia’s performances so far characterised more by uncertainty and struggle rather than crispness of movement and clarity of thought. When Lynn was promoted to open in the decisive ODI in Hobart on Sunday, his attempt to “throw the first punch” resulted in an edge and a duck at the hands of Dale Steyn.”We didn’t get off to the greatest starts in our batting unit,” Lynn said on the Gold Coast. “Hopefully we can do that tomorrow night and I suppose we were always just chasing the game rather than driving the game, so first and foremost we want to be out there throwing the first punch and putting them on the back foot, because then if you drive the game it makes life so much easier, not only as a batting group but for your captain, for your bowlers.Du Plessis flags 2020 exit from international T20

South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis has signalled that the World T20 in Australia in late 2020 will be his last international assignment in the shortest format, as he pondered the difficulties posed by domestic leagues in terms of having the best players available to play all three forms of the game.
“The T20 World Cup is in Australia and that’s not too far away, so hopefully we’ll be back for that and that will probably be my last international tour I would think,” du Plessis said in Brisbane. “From our perspective, T20 cricket for us over the last two or three years has been a case of bringing in the young guys, giving them an opportunity, so we never really play our strongest XI, which isn’t great for the international game.
“Football [has] a situation where it’s playing for your clubs and then there’s an international tournament. In my opinion that’s a good place for T20 cricket to be in, because you shouldn’t be trying to compete with the leagues because they are so strong at the moment. And I can see the same with other teams – it’s almost never their strongest teams, and fans come to watch the best players play. That’s where I see the game moving forward, but the T20 World Cup in 2020 is something I’m really looking forward to … that will probably be the last tournament for me.”

“If we can start that momentum through this T20 series, I think the Test series will be crucial and quite challenging against India, so if we can build momentum early in the T20 format, build guys’ confidence and belief that we’re still the best in the world, I think it’s going to be huge and hopefully we can start that tomorrow night.”Despite low scores in Perth and Hobart, and a missed opportunity in Adelaide where he was unable to resist the temptation to keep attacking Kagiso Rabada after a quartet of blows to the boundary, Lynn stressed that he would not be changing his approach.”I don’t think I’ll change at all to be honest,” he said. “I feel like I’m hitting the ball quite well, runs haven’t been there, but just because you miss out in a couple of innings you don’t change your whole game plan. To me it’s all about keeping my head still, hitting through the line of the ball and trying to do that to the best of my ability.”In the T20 format of the game, you’re going to come off some nights and other nights you’re going to fail, that’s just the way it goes in the shorter format. Hopefully tomorrow night it goes my way. The first game I was [nervous] just because it was my first game for Australia in a long time, but after the first 10 minutes the nerves were settled for me and it’s just a game no matter what format it is.”It’s a white ball coming down at you, it swings a little bit here and there, but I want to make sure I’m having fun, that’s the main thing. I’m certainly doing that at the moment, even though results haven’t gone our way. Every time you step out on the ground you want to contribute and do as best you can. I still feel I’ve got a lot to offer in international cricket, the dominoes haven’t lined up yet but I think it’s not far off.”As for the challenge posed by South Africa, Lynn said the quality of Steyn, Rabada and Lungi Ngidi in particular meant he was learning a lot in a short space of time. South Africa’s captain Faf du Plessis has been blunt in stating that extra pace provided by Steyn and Rabada was the key to stopping Lynn from causing the sort of havoc he has regularly inflicted on opponents in the BBL.”Two of the best bowlers in the world, Dale Steyn and Rabada, and someone like Ngidi hasn’t given us anything to hit so far and has executed his role to a tee,” Lynn said. “They’ve got a couple of classy spinners as well. That’s why it’s international cricket, there’s no easy overs, no easy games, so I’m really enjoying that challenge.”We haven’t got the results on the board and I haven’t personally, but I’m loving every minute of it. You work out very quickly who you are as a player and where you’ve got to get better. It’s going to take a while to adjust, but the change room’s happy and we’re working our backsides off.”

The Barcelona defender failed to check her shoulder and club-mate Fridolina Rolfo took advantage to ensure the spoils were shared at Wembley

A Lucy Bronze error cost England a perfect start to their European title defence on Friday night as the Lionesses were held to a 1-1 draw by Sweden in a flat start to their 2025 UEFA Women's Euro qualifying campaign. Alessia Russo gave Sarina Wiegman's side the lead in the first half but Fridolina Rolfo levelled things up just past the hour as the spoils were shared.

The Lionesses took some time to get going and it was Rolfo who came closest to opening the scoring after a mis-hit pass by her Barcelona team-mate, Keira Walsh, but Mary Earps was able to watch the Swede's left-footed shot fly wide. It was a chance that seemed to wake England up, as just minutes later Lauren James showcased her magical footwork before delivering a cross right onto the head of Russo, who couldn't miss.

Having started strong, Sweden regained control of the game in the second half and they got their reward when Bronze failed to check her shoulder and Rolfo was there waiting to convert a great cross from Rosa Kafaji, the 20-year-old starlet who had barely been on the pitch a minute when she created the equaliser.

Both teams had chances to win the game, none bigger than when Stina Blackstenius found herself one-on-one with Earps but somehow missed the target. England saved their brightest moments for late on as Lauren Hemp and Beth Mead both tested Jennifer Falk but couldn't beat the Sweden goalkeeper. A draw was probably a fair result in the end, with both sides in need of improvement.

GOAL rates England's players from Wembley Stadium…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Mary Earps (6/10):

Didn't have anything to do except pick the ball out of her own net.

Lucy Bronze (4/10):

Should've been aware of Rolfo behind her for Sweden's equaliser.

Lotte Wubben-Moy (6/10):

Came up with some big defensive interventions in a good first half, though her level dropped in the second.

Alex Greenwood (5/10):

Despite some notable contributions, another who was shaky at times in a vulnerable looking defence.

Niamh Charles (6/10):

Struggled for support and was regularly under pressure. Given those circumstances, she did well.

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Keira Walsh (6/10):

Mis-hit pass gave Rolfo a great chance to open the scoring. Was near-faultless on the ball after that, without doing anything spectacular.

Georgia Stanway (5/10):

Struggled to get involved, really. Her and Clinton were almost too similar in the midfield at times.

Grace Clinton (5/10):

Picked up the ball in some decent areas in the final third but couldn't make the most of those opportunities.

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Lauren Hemp (7/10):

Struggled to get involved on the right but was much brighter down her usual left. Tracked back well more often than not.

Alessia Russo (7/10):

Good movement between the defenders to get on the end of James' ball to put England ahead. Only real chance she had and she took it.

Lauren James (6/10):

Lovely run and cross for Russo to break the deadlock. Should've helped her defence out a lot more than she did.

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GettySubs & Manager

Ella Toone (5/10):

Came on for more than half an hour but did so when Sweden were taking control and struggled to make an impact as a result. Did her defensive duties well.

Beth Mead (5/10):

Had over 20 minutes to make her mark but only notable involvement was a late effort that was saved by Falk.

Chloe Kelly (N/A):

Only on for the final 10 minutes or so and wasn't able to contribute much in that time.

Jess Carter (N/A):

Came on at left-back for the final stages.

Sarina Wiegman (6/10):

Decision to switch James and Hemp around around midway through the first half paid dividends immediately when James teed up Russo to score. Line-up lacked pace, midfield didn't have any real spark and the subs couldn't change the game, either.