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For the tenth time in 11 seasons, Celtic have done it, they are the Scottish Premiership winners and few can argue that the Hoops don’t deserve it.

When Ange Postecoglou arrived in Glasgow, the Bhoys were in disarray. Their fiercest rivals had won the title and it looked as though a number of players would depart.

Indeed, as the likes of Ryan Christie, Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer all headed for pastures new, the future looked rather bleak.

Yet, Postecoglou’s transfer policy and the way he’s crafted and fine-tuned players this season has been nothing short of sensational.

The rebuild had no right to be this quick but it’s a testament to his hard work at Lennoxtown. He is a Premiership title winner in his first campaign in Scotland and even if they could only muster a 1-1 draw with Dundee United on Wednesday evening, the performance of a certain Anthony Ralston typified the graft that some have put in under Postecoglou’s tutelage.

The full-back only played once in the league throughout the entirety of last season but despite the arrival of Josip Juranovic last summer, Ralston has become vital and is now rather surprisingly one of the most consistent figures at Parkhead.

This term, the Scot has featured on 27 occasions in the Premiership, scoring four times and registering eight assists, the last of which came at Tannadice on Wednesday.

It came from one of the defender’s seven crosses throughout the game as he put in a tantalising ball for Giorgos Giakoumakis to fire home and seal yet another league title.

Throughout the encounter, Ralston took a whopping 130 touches of the ball – the most of anyone on the pitch – and also amassed 87 accurate passes, the third most of any player on Wednesday.

The fact he was so involved is a credit to the confidence he’s taken on this term and as a result, he’s gone from a bit-part player to someone who will only become more important to Celtic as the years go on.

Described as a “ballet dancer” and “superman” by Dominik Diamond, he was also compared to one of the greatest passers of a football in modern football by the Celtic Way’s Tony Haggerty.

Writing in his post-match player ratings, the Celtic blogger said: “The right-back produced a sensational 60-yard Andrea Pirloesque diagonal cross-field pass to Forrest before blasting a left-foot shot over the bar in the opening exchanges. He marauded forward at will and had a lot of joy down the flank. It was no surprise when he stood up a brilliant cross from which Giakoumakis buried a header seven minutes after the interval.”

That typifies his all-action nature and also why he’s one of the manager’s greatest successes since penning terms at Paradise.

Ralston has gone from underused and underappreciated to one of the real heroes of their title success in 2022. What a story.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Jota: Ange can form scary Celtic duo by signing “dangerous” £15m machine…

The senior opener’s good form has coincided with Delhi Capitals’ upward move on the points table

Srinath Sripath28-Apr-2019They made the playoffs thrice in the first five seasons. In the first two of them, they had Shikhar Dhawan in their roster. He was released, as were many others, players who have since gone on to hurt Delhi – then Daredevils, now Capitals – along the IPL journey.
Now, under a new management and very different personnel in the ranks, they returned with smart buys at the auction, giving new leader Shreyas Iyer an opportunity to carve a niche. And Dhawan back where he began. And they have broken a six-year itch.For an idea of the scale of the turnaround, since 2012 – when they were last in the playoffs – they have never finished above sixth place, taking the wooden spoon thrice in six seasons along the wayESPNcricinfo LtdDhawan continues stunning resurgenceDhawan has been a consistent performer in the IPL – six times he has crossed the 400-run mark in a career where he has represented multiple teams, returning to Delhi with Capitals this season after turning out for Daredevils, Mumbai Indians, the now-defunct Deccan Chargers and Sunrisers Hyderabad over the years.Even by those high standards, he’s having arguably his best season as an IPL opener this time: his strike rate of 137 is currently his highest ever.ESPNcricinfo LtdOn Sunday, Dhawan cracked another fifty, his fourth in the last six games, to keep alive the purple patch and recover from a poor start to the season. So well has he gone that Dhawan has surpassed the likes of Chris Gayle and David Warner in this period, topping the Powerplay strike-rates chart at 173 runs per 100 balls.Dhawan’s run has coincided with a run of form that has seen Capitals win five of their last six games, despite opening partner Prithvi Shaw struggling to find his range after an epic debut season in 2018.Late surge makes the difference for CapitalsThe pitches at Feroz Shah Kotla have been tricky ones, some of them have come into a fair bit of criticism too. On Sunday, however, it was a good one to score runs on, at least at the start and, thanks to some poor death-overs bowling, at the end too.Capitals put up the biggest total of the season at the ground, their 187 for 5 marginally higher than the 185 both Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders put up back on April 12. Could it have been more, even 200-plus? Perhaps.At the toss, Capitals captain Iyer opted to bat and explained that he was “assuming it will play well in the first half”. It did, and Shikhar Dhawan and Iyer put together 68 runs for the second wicket, both batsmen going on to score half-centuries.But, after Capitals had reached 102 by the end of the 12th over, they added just 12 runs in the next two. Capitals started the 17th over with just 141 on the board. It took some big hitting from Sherfane Rutherford and Axar Patel to take them to 187, perhaps slightly lower than where they could have been.ESPNcricinfo LtdAnother chart-topper Royal Challengers could have done withoutStill, the finish was spectacular. Rutherford and Colin Ingram in the middle and there were only three overs left. Navdeep Saini had the ball. He went for 10 runs, even if he saw the back of Ingram, and the next three overs were smacked around for 10, 16 and 20 as Rutherford and Axar got stuck into the bowling.Capitals added 56 runs in the final four – death – overs, and the last three had all of the don’t-bowl lengths: full toss outside off – check. Short on leg – check. Full outside off – check. The last ball, an attempted yorker that became a full toss outside off, was dispatched for a one-handed six over backward point by Rutherford.The Powerplay starOff-hand, what would your picks be if we asked you: who are the quickest-scoring batsmen in the Powerplay in IPL 2019?Will Parthiv Patel make your list? Unlikely, but he should.Here, look at the batsmen with the best strike rates in the Powerplay this season…ESPNcricinfo LtdThere are many things Royal Challengers haven’t done right this season – sticking with Parthiv at the top of the order is one they have.

ESPNcricinfo previews Somerset’s prospects for the 2017 season

George Dobell03-Apr-2017Last season:

In: Steven Davies (Surrey), George Bartlett, Ben Green
Out: Chris Rogers (retired), Alex Barrow (released)
Overseas: Dean Elgar (SA)2016 in a nutshell
Mixed. They came tantalisingly close to that much-anticipated first Championship title – they eventually fell four points short of Middlesex after what some viewed as a controversial run-chase in the final match against Yorkshire at Lord’s – and enjoyed a good run to the semi-final stage of the Royal London Cup. But they won fewer games than any other side in the NatWest Blast and saw the progress of some of their highly-talented young players – particularly Jamie Overton who, to be fair, was good before a back problem laid him low, and Tom Abell – stall just a little due to injury and loss of form. That they enjoyed such a successful Championship season was, to a large part, a reflection of the ability of their spinners to exploit helpful Taunton surfaces (four of their six of their wins were at home; they also enjoyed a notable one in Leeds) and some heavy run-scoring from two of the finest batsmen the club has ever produced: Marcus Trescothick and James Hildreth. Peter Trego and Chris Rogers also made 1,000 runs in the Championship season. Most of all, though, it was about Jack Leach claiming 65 Division One wickets – only Jeetan Patel took more – and helping Somerset recover from a start in which they won only one of their first nine games (and that by one wicket after the last three batsmen, one of which was Leach, added 64 for victory) to a breathlessly tight finish to the season. There were few, if any, grumbles about his action at the time, so it was quite a shock when it was found to be illegal during ECB testing at the end of the season.2017 prospects
There’s no reason Somerset shouldn’t challenge again. While Chris Rogers has retired, Dean Elgar replaces him at the top of the order and will open with Trescothick. Abell may benefit from a move down to No.3 and Steven Davies, recruited from Surrey, will fill the No. 5 position – a problem in 2016 – and keep wicket at the start of the Championship season, at least. Ryan Davies is likely to gain keeping opportunities at some stage, though. With the Overtons, Lewis Gregory, Leach et al, they have a nicely balanced (and locally developed) attack, with Jim Allenby and Peter Trego adding all-round depth. T20 overseas signings are likely to follow, but there no reason Somerset shouldn’t improve sharply in that format with Steven Davies moving up the order in the white-ball formats. It is anticipated that Taunton’s wickets may well again provide some assistance to spinners but, after years when the county ground was a bowlers’ nightmare (and bearing in mind England’s record in turning conditions) that may well be no bad thing.In charge
The promotion of Tom Abell to captaincy in the Championship is something of a risk. While there’s no doubting his talent, his returns in 2016 – he averaged 25.61 in the Championship, finding some form in the latter part of the season – suggest he is still in the developmental stage of his career. Aged 23, why wouldn’t he be? So the added responsibility may be the making of him, or it could be a burden he could do without. Either way, it was a bold move to give him the leadership at such a young age. Matthew Maynard remains as the coach, with Rogers back in a role as batting coach until the end of June. Allenby continues as limited-overs captain, with Jason Kerr as assistant coach and bowling coach.Key player
When Leach struggled on the Lions tour – he was left out of the first unofficial Test in Sri Lanka and proved expensive in the second – it was feared that he may be having difficulty adjusting to his remodelled action. Evidence since, such as in pre-season games in the UAE, suggests he is growing more comfortable with it, but whether he has fully recovered remains to be seen. As the man who gave Somerset their attacking edge in 2016, his success may go some way to defining their season.Bright young thing
There’s quite a choice in this category for Somerset. Abell, aged 23, is a fine, locally developed player and George Bartlett, just 19 and good enough to score 179 in the recent Under-19 Test in Nagpur, may follow him into the side soon. Dominic Bess, the teenage offspinner who took his 13 Championship wickets at a cost of 10.46 apiece, is promising, while Craig Overton already looks a terrific allround cricketer who, aged 22, is pretty much a senior player. But it remains his brother Jamie who has the higher ceiling as a cricketer. Capable of bowling with the pace required for Test level, he also has ability with the bat and in the field. If he can retain his fitness – and he is understood to have had an encouraging winter on that score – he is really is the sort of player who could make a difference in an away Ashes series.ESPNcricinfo verdict
There’s quite a lot going right at Taunton at present. The club is developing (with significant help from Devon) good young players who promise to support the more experienced spine of Trescothick, Trego and Hildreth (all of whom can again be claimed as local) in competitive campaigns across all formats. Yes, there is support from some South African-born players, but Somerset is proof that a smaller ground can produce players, compete and sustain itself financially. Somerset also host a T20I between England and South Africa (June 23) and expect to sell out their Blast tickets. Many clubs could learn from their example.Bet365 odds: Specsavers Championship: 8-1; NatWest Blast 12-1; Royal London Cup 12-1

The visitors may be out of contention to regain the Trans-Tasman trophy in this series, but by reflecting on their mistakes in Brisbane and Perth, they have the chance to set themselves up for a genuine tilt at victory on home shores next year

Daniel Brettig at the WACA14-Nov-2015Before this Test, Brendon McCullum admitted it was possible that even with improvement, New Zealand may still be beaten by a dominant Australia at the WACA Ground. Typically candid and clear-headed, this observation grew in resonance throughout day two: both the tourists’ best day of the series to date, and more or less irrelevant to the result of the match and series.Irrespective of an unforgiving pitch, in Spartan weather conditions, New Zealand were awful on day one. Their bowlers were shaken far too easily from their moorings by the early morning dynamism of David Warner, consigning McCullum to a kind of defensive recovery mode for the rest of the day. At 2 for 416, the match was effectively done as a contest after the first day, much as the Gabba had been.This has been a difficult tour for New Zealand on a number of levels. Their preparation was hopelessly compromised by the abandonment of the Blacktown tour fixture, having already been adversely affected by the scheduling of warm-ups on a series of dead pitches far removed from the greater bounce afforded in Perth and Brisbane.There was also the fact that bowlers such as Trent Boult and Jimmy Neesham were not 100% in fitness and rhythm at the outset of summer, after suffering various ailments during the winter. This cannot have helped in a period when the attack is also adjusting to a new bowling coach in Dimitri Mascarenhas, a jovial and knowledgeable operator but no substitute for the instant respect commanded by his predecessor Shane Bond.Lastly, the spectre of the Chris Cairns perjury trial kept McCullum away from his team for the week before they actually arrived in Australia, and has hung uncomfortably in the background throughout – a verdict in London’s Southwark Crown Court is expected to fall next week. McCullum said at the tour’s outset that he did not know how much this issue would affect him and others.In many ways, their plight resembles Australia’s after two days of the Lord’s Test in the 2013 Ashes series. Admittedly the defeat in the first match of that series at Trent Bridge was a tight one, but in St John’s Wood the tourists were humiliated and consigned to a 2-0 series ledger in the course of one afternoon’s dire batting, while James Pattinson grimaced out of the series with a torn side. At the time it was difficult to see a way forward, and some at Cricket Australia conceded it might be a matter of years before the Ashes were returned.Of course it is well known what happened next – the team of Michael Clarke and Darren Lehmann steadied in the latter part of the series, not winning a game but showing themselves to be quite capable of stretching England. By the end of the summer they had improved significantly, and when the return series arrived at home a few months later they tore into England with aggression bolstered by relevant knowledge.To seek improvement and remain united in the face of heavy defeats away from home is among the hardest tasks in the game. Australia’s subsequent 5-0 triumph was not as remarkable for happening in Australia than it was for taking place a matter of months after the 3-0 defeat in England. There is a lesson in all this for New Zealand, of the kind that McCullum and the coach Mike Hesson are doubtless aware.This summer features a smaller version of that dual Ashes bout, with Australia due to cross the Tasman in February for two Tests in Wellington and Christchurch, following a trio of ODIs in Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton. Given the right conditions overhead and underfoot, New Zealand will fancy their chances of performing far better against the same Australians who have so battered them thus far in Brisbane and Perth.Kane Williamson has looked majestic, but lacked support from his team-mates•Getty ImagesStrong as a newly-minted top order has looked at the Gabba and the WACA, McCullum knows that on slower, more seam-friendly tracks, the likes of Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Adam Voges and even Steven Smith will not be quite so secure. He knows this due to the ample evidence provided in the chaotic scenes of Birmingham and Nottingham, where English bowlers of similar velocity to Boult and Tim Southee created utter mayhem.Likewise, Hesson will be aware that Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Johnson were nothing like the same force on English pitches not affording them much bounce or pace to augment their natural height and speed. Intimidating as these bowlers can be, they were shown in England to lack the skills to adapt to such circumstances, particularly without runs to defend.So it will be a source of considerable long term succour for the tourists to reflect on what they were able to demonstrate on day two in the face of more febrile Perth heat. Boult and Doug Bracewell produced their best and most sustained spells of the trip, not just ending Warner’s stay earlier than expected but also frustrating Smith into a windy whoosh that drew his own dismissal. Even Mark Craig was able to prosper against batsmen dancing down the wicket to him – a day’s tally of 7 for 130 was something to remember.Likewise, the visiting batsmen were not rumbled when they took their weary legs out to bat. Martin Guptill fell lbw to late swing from Starc, but after that Tom Latham and Ross Taylor looked nicely composed, and most importantly provided steady support for the tremendously calm and organised Kane Williamson, who glided once more into an innings that frustrated Australian bowlers now forced to slog through the same heat New Zealand’s had.What Williamson showed in the final session of the day was already well known, but the other green shoots of hope offered up by his team-mates were new to the Australia players and observers present at the Gabba. New Zealand may be out of contention to regain the Trans-Tasman Trophy in this series, but they have the opportunity to set themselves up for a genuine tilt at victory on home shores a few months from now. Today was a worthy start to that effort.

A preview of the prospects of Jammu & Kashmir, Baroda and Gujarat ahead of the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Dec-2014Jammu & Kashmir
By Nagraj GollapudiAs ever, Parvez Rasool will play a key role for J&K•BCCIWhere they finished last season
For the first time J&K made the knockouts, having qualified from the weaker Group C with four outright victories from eight matches. In the quarter-finals, they lost to Punjab.Big Picture
In our teens, the pretense, the desire, the ambition is to play alongside, and against, the men. An exciting phase, no doubt, but boys quickly find that the degrees of separation can be overwhelming if they are not up to the mark. This season J&K are the boys among men. They will find out whether their amazing run last year, culminating in their maiden entry into the Ranji knockouts, was a one-off or a first step towards progression into the big league.The challenge is immense. In the wake of the devastating floods in September, which also wrecked the state’s cricketing infrastructure, J&K have been forced to play all their eight matches away from home. Last year the home advantage was crucial as J&K won three out of the four home matches. This time they are slotted in Group A, effectively the group of death, where virtually every opponent will fancy making the quarter-finals stage.With such a hard task at hand, J&K will need everyone to contribute. In the last two years at least they have always relied upon the trio of allrounders in Parvez Rasool, Samiullah Beigh and Ram Dayal – the core strength and stability of the team. But J&K need more players, especially in the top and middle order, to stand strong and share the workload.In Sunil Joshi, their new coach, J&K have found the right taskmaster. Joshi, the former Karnataka and India left-arm spinner, is known for his hard-as-nails approach towards work ethic. Joshi is a soft-spoken man, but extremely positive and tough. Having spent just a month with the team, Joshi has already laid out a road map, starting with a 12-day conditioning, fitness and skills camp in Nagpur, which players confessed was strenuous. If they want to play among men, though, J&K must grow up fast.Player to watch

Umar Nazir: Tall and well-built, Nazir, a 21-year-old from Pulwama, can generate a lot of pace. He can move ball both ways, with his stock ball being the outswinger. He showed promise in his previous first-class match, only his third – the Ranji quarter-finals last year where he picked up a four-wicket haul in the first-innings, rattling the Punjab middle order.Mehjoor Ali: Tall like Nazir at 6’2″, Mehjoor’s strength is also raw pace. He has a high-arm action, hits the deck hard, and is able to make the ball bounce from awkward lengths, something the Delhi pair of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir found hard to tackle recently in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.Teamspeak
“Our challenge going to be playing bigger teams. Performing against the big teams will add value not only to J&K cricket, but also highlight a player’s talent. We are here to play well. We are here to compete.” Sunil Joshi, newly installed J&K coach, declares the team’s intent at the outset of the new season.Baroda
By Rachna ShettyDeepak Hooda has had an impressive year with the bat and ball in the Under-19 World Cup and Vijay Hazare Trophy•ICCWhere they finished last season
Mid-table in Group B with three wins and four losses in eight games.Big Picture
Like last season, Baroda will once again start their Ranji Trophy campaign against Bengal. They will, however, hope the similarities end there, because results like last season could leave them stranded towards the bottom of the table, in a group that is probably one of the toughest they have played in recent times.Coach Tushar Arothe has said that one of the first things the team will need to do is find the right home surfaces early on. Arothe hopes that more balanced pitches will help the Baroda batsmen find their groove early, unlike last season in which regular collapses in their initial home games brought the track under scrutiny.A large share of the batting responsibilities will once again rest on the shoulders of openers Saurabh Wakaskar and Aditya Waghmode, who has been named captain.Baroda’s bowling is expected to be led by Munaf Patel, and they have strengthened their spin reserves by recalling left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh, who made his first-class debut for Baroda at the age of 14. Swapnil’s last first-class match was in 2011. Irfan Pathan, who played three games as a batsman last season, is still regaining his fitness and could be a part of the side as the tournament progresses.Player to watch

India Under-19 allrounder Deepak Hooda is an exciting prospect for Baroda this season. He was impressive during the Under-19 World Cup in February this year, finishing second on the list of run-scorers and wicket-takers in the Indian side. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he topped both the runs and the wickets tables for Baroda with 202 runs and 10 wickets in four games.Teamspeak
“We found out our drawbacks from last season. The first games we played on a turning track, which wasn’t very good because the batsmen needed confidence. For Bengal, we have prepared a good track.” Coach Tushar Arothe
Gujarat
By Vishal DikshitWhere they finished last season
Fourth in Group A, behind Karnataka, Punjab and Mumbai. Were fourth in Group A in 2012-13 as well.Big PictureGujarat narrowly missed out on qualifying for the knockouts in the last two seasons. The season before that, 2011-12, they had finished last in Group B of the Elite league. The team has taken massive strides since then without experienced players like Niraj Patel, Bhavik Thaker and Siddharth Trivedi. Parthiv Patel, the Gujarat captain, calls it the “transition phase.”They are driven more by youngsters now, such as Akshar Patel, Manpreet Juneja, Smit Patel, among others. Akshar’s match-winning 64 in the Deodhar Trophy semi-final and regular wickets against Sri Lanka in the ODIs emphasised that his performance in the IPL was not a flash in the pan. Their other promising youngsters are pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Rush Kalaria, opener Priyank Panchal, and Smit, who would want to carry his strong run from Vijay Hazare Trophy to Ranji Trophy.They have bolstered their spin department with Ramesh Powar after losing Rakesh Dhurv to Vidarbha, and their batting will be led by veterans Parthiv and Venugopal Rao, just like last season. Their weakness would be their pace attack which lacks the experience their batsmen possess.Gujarat’s next aim would be to at least make the knockouts this season. They are in the relatively easier Group B.Player to Watch
Twenty-nine wickets in seven matches in last season’s Ranji Trophy, 17 in this year’s IPL, ODI debut in June, and the leading wicket-taker against Sri Lanka in ODIs. Akshar Patel, who called himself a batting allrounder recently, will be Gujarat’s trump card. However, if he is selected for the ODI tri-series in Australia in January, Gujarat will have to make do without him for their last four matches in January and February.Teamspeak
“For me, the past two seasons were about transition. We were rebuilding the team, giving chance to youngsters while phasing out senior players who had failed to deliver. The transition is over now. It is time to deliver.” Vijay Patel, the Gujarat coach.

From Ganguly Fan, India
And so Ganguly’s era comes to an end and for some reason I am sad

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013Ganguly Fan, India
And so Ganguly’s era comes to an end and for some reason I am sad. I was never the greatest of admirers of Ganguly. “He is a decent test batsman but he is the weak link among the Fab Four” I would tell my friends. “His strike rate in ODI’s is only in the seventies”, I would smugly remind my friends when someone said he was a great one day batsman. I would argue with friends for hours that Ganguly is past it now and should be replaced for the forthcoming Test series. But still I am sad to see him go. Is it the sentimentalist in me taking over? I don’t know.But one thing I do know is that no one divides opinion like Ganguly does. If there is a reason to celebrate Ganguly’s career I think it should not be because of the runs he scored or the number of Test matches in which he led India to victory. It should be because he believed in himself when others did not, right from the time he was picked as a 17 year old to tour Australia and jettisoned after a single ODI appearance.He had to wait more than six years to make his golden comeback. Lesser mortals would have fallen by the wayside. Even in his comeback test match there were whisperings that he was only there because of Dalmiya. Contrast this to Tendulkar who made his debut at an age younger than Ganguly but was always treated with care. Contrast this to Dravid who was under less pressure than Ganguly when he made his test debut. And this to me has been the hallmark of Ganguly’s career. He took great pride in proving people wrong.For those who said he was there in 1996 at Lord’s not because of his ability, two centuries and a 90 were the answer. For those who said he could not score against quality bowling, his century in the first Test down under in 2003/04 was the answer. For those who said he was finished after he was stripped of the captaincy, his umpteenth comeback was the answer. And therein lies an inspirational story to budding cricketers. If you have a strong enough mind and will to succeed you will.Pete Sampras once said “For so long people have just taken what I do for granted. It is not easy to do year-in, year-out”. Yes and for so long we have taken Ganguly for granted. There will be questions asked as to whether he had an agreement in place with the selectors for bidding adieu. But I am more interested in watching Ganguly play for one last time. And this time I wont utter a word even if he gets out to a short ball. I will enjoy it one last time.

Reactions from former players, journalists, and family members on Ireland beating England

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Mar-2011″This was Ireland’s day, Ireland’s night and who knows what else beyond. You only hoped the bar of the Royal Gardenia Hotel in Bangalore, where the team are staying, had brought in extra stock.”
Daily Mail”To be frank, it wasn’t clear what the plan was. Perhaps they thought Ireland weren’t good enough to hit length out of the park. If that was the thinking, it was clearly wrong.”
“Some bookmakers had Ireland at 400-1 at one stage. I wish I’d not kept my money in pocket.”
“England have conceded 959 runs in three matches – most of those against the Netherlands and Ireland! “
“With this upset, it proves that whoever plays better cricket on a day will come out as victorious. Obviously it’s a lesson for every team.”
“How the mighty have fallen so quickly. England were national heroes after winning the Ashes. Now they are national chumps after this shocking and embarrassing defeat.”
“England made it easy for them with shoddy cricket. There was a palpable sense of complacency that crept in during the Ireland innings, born undoubtedly of arrogance and a ridiculous belief in their superiority. England were bad but take nothing away from Ireland; they played magnificently and courageously.”
“On the scale of sporting shocks, Ireland broke the sound barrier last night.”
Independent”I’m flying to India, teach them how to bowl yorkers and use your nous. Embarrassing. Sorry I’m so pissed off with that performance, unacceptable.”
“Ireland’s sporting heroes rarely bleach their hair blond with a pink mohawk down the middle. Not until now, that is. Kevin O’Brien stunned the world of cricket by hitting the fastest century in World Cup history….did we mention it was against England?
Irish Times”The biggest dilemma they will face in the next few days is whether or not to get rid of those hideous haircuts. Superstitious it may be but they would be fools to change them now.”
Guardian

A stats preview of the second Test between England and Pakistan at Old Trafford

George Binoy26-Jul-2006

Inzamam-ul-Haq celebrates his hundred at Old Trafford in 2001 © AFP
As the teams head into the second Test at Old Trafford with both casualty wards equally full, England will seek to score their first win against Pakistan at Old Trafford. Three of the four Tests between the two sides have been drawn while Pakistan won by 108 runs in 2001 to draw the series 1-1.Of the 70 Tests staged at Old Trafford, the captain winning the toss has batted on 62 occasions. The decision to field first – in only eight Tests – has resulted in seven draws and one loss. Since 1990, the team that won the toss batted first 12 times and fielded just once. Of those 12, the team winning the toss has won three, lost two and drawn seven.Only 51.4% of the Tests at Old Trafford have produced a decisive result (36 out of 70). Since 1990, Old Trafford has the highest percentage of draws, 53.8%, among all Test venues in England. Trent Bridge is second with 40%. Since 2000, however, the trend has been more encouraging, with three results and two draws, the last of which was the thriller where Australia’s last pair staved off defeat in 2005.After a poor outing at Lord’swhere he scored 16 and 18, Marcus Trescothick will be looking forward to Old Trafford where he averages 56.37, several rungs higher than his career 44.71. He has one hundred and three fifties from ten innings at Manchester with scores of 63 and 41 in the last Test there against Australia in 2005.Old Trafford isn’t Steve Harmison’s happiest hunting ground in England. He’s taken just seven wickets in two Tests at an average of 36 and a strike-rate of 61.4 at the venue. Among grounds in England, Harmison has a worse record only at Edgbaston, where he averages 68.2 and has a strike-rate of 96.6.Inzamam-ul-Haq, on the other hand, will be looking forward to playing at Old Trafford again after he scored 114 and 85in his last Test there in 2001. He averages 75 in two Tests at Manchester.

New Real Madrid signing Trent Alexander-Arnold will not be able to drive his luxury Range Rover into training due to a sponsorship deal.

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Alexander-Arnold has swapped Madrid for Liverpool

Moves in time for Club World CupBut won't be able to use favourite car at training groundFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Alexander-Arnold has joined Madrid from Liverpool and will have to quickly get used to life in a different league and a different country. He will also have to get used to driving a different car as his £130,000 Land Rover will be banned from the club's training ground due to the club's sponsorship deal with BMW, according to El Motor.

AdvertisementGetty Images NewsTHE BIGGER PICTURE

As part of Real Madrid's agreement with BMW all first-team players for Madrid's football and basketball teams are gifted a new car. Alexander-Arnold will also be able to take his pick which should soften the blow of not being able to use his Land Rover for the commute. The England star will also have to choose from BMW's electric range as part of the agreement with the German manufacturer.

DID YOU KNOW?

Alexander-Arnold's England team-mate Jude Bellingham opted for the BMW XM when picking his new car. Kylian Mbappe chose the same model but went for white instead of black.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ALEXANDER-ARNOLD

Real Madrid have also coughed up €10 million (£8m/$11m) to have Alexander-Arnold in the squad for the Club World Cup. Los Blancos kick off their campaign against Al-Hilal on June 18.

Frenkie de Jong leads Barcelona’s captaincy race as Marc-Andre ter Stegen faces internal pressure, but the path is not all that smooth.

Ter Stegen’s role under serious threatGavi trains on the rest dayLeadership vote could reshape Barca hierarchyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Dutch international De Jong has emerged as the leading candidate to replace Marc-Andre ter Stegen as Barca captain for the 2025-26 season, reports. The midfielder is reportedly favoured by both players and staff to take on the armband, as tensions grow between the club and current skipper Ter Stegen, who has refused to sign a key medical report, potentially triggering disciplinary action and a change in leadership. But, there's a twist to this tale as the Spanish midfielder Gavi is also among the frontrunners and is making a case for the leadership role. 

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The club are preparing for a future where internal leadership and dedication outweigh status or past glories. With Ter Stegen’s influence waning amid behind-the-scenes friction, Camp Nou seem intent on ushering in a more collective and culturally grounded leadership model, built around players like De Jong, Ronald Araujo, Pedri and Gavi. Meanwhile, Gavi turned up to training on his rest day alongside six other players, including Ferran Torres, a move widely interpreted as a statement of commitment. He also wore the armband during the club’s recent Asian tour, showcasing the trust Hansi Flick places in him.

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Ter Stegen’s refusal to submit a medical report critical for player registration has fractured his standing at the club. Now, De Jong, who has evolved from a transfer-linked midfielder to a core leader since joining from Ajax in 2019, has steadily climbed the internal hierarchy. While, Araujo and Raphinha are set to become vice-captains, with Pedri and Gavi, or potentially Inigo Martínez, rounding out the leadership group.

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

If the captaincy vote goes ahead and De Jong is officially chosen, it will signal the start of a new leadership chapter at Camp Nou. All eyes will now turn to how this transition affects dressing-room dynamics and Barcelona’s rebuild across the 2025-26 campaign.