Rob Smyth's Blog, page 140

September 22, 2018

Fulham 1-1 Watford: Premier League – as it happened

The impressive Aleksandar Mitrovic’s equaliser earned Fulham a point after they were battered in the first half by Watford

2.38pm BST

I’ll leave you with John Brewin’s match report from Craven Cottage. Thanks for your company, bye!

2.31pm BST

Post-match interviews

Aleksandar Mitrovic “It was a tough game. The first half they were much better and we didn’t play like we wanted. In the second half we pressed them high and created a lot of chances, especially in the last few minutes. The team plays for me and we play attacking football. I’m always close to goal and I’m really enjoying playing here.”

2.22pm BST

The 3pm kick-offs Simon Burnton is in the special Clockwatch Chair of Fun. You can get all the team news here.

2.20pm BST

Peep peep! Watford won the first half, Fulham edged the second - and the upshot is an honourable draw between two resourceful sides. Watford should have been out of sight at half-time but ended up hanging on for a point after Aleksandar Mitrovic’s equaliser.

2.17pm BST

90+1 min Three added minutes.

2.17pm BST

90 min Another Watford change: Ken Sema replaces Roberto Pereyra.

2.17pm BST

90 min The resuling corner is curled by Seri towards the far post, where Mitrovic towers over everyone to thump a header off the bar! That was a brilliant effort. I think Foster got a touch - if he did it’s an outstanding save as he had to change direction at the last minute.

2.16pm BST

89 min Mitrovic almost wins it for Fulham with an explosive left-footed shot from 20 yards that is palmed around by the flying Foster.

2.13pm BST

86 min “Hi Rob,” says Ravi Raman. “This may seem unnecessary, but ... is there an anti-tattoo rule for Premier League referees or are they told to cover them up?”

I have absolutely no idea. You’re welcome!

2.12pm BST

85 min Success turns past Fosu-Mensah and hits a low shot from a tight angle that is kicked behind by Bettinelli.

2.11pm BST

84 min The last defender Chambers is robbed by Deeney, who moves into the area and then, instead of shooting, plays a tame square pass towards Success that is cut out by Odoi. He should have been more selfish.

2.08pm BST

82 min That’s Mitrovic’s fifth goal of the season, which is one more than his old club Newcastle.

2.06pm BST

80 min Watford make a change: Isaac Success replaces the excellent Andre Gray.

2.05pm BST

Schurrle’s shot was blocked and span towards the left of the box. As the ball bounced up, Vietto jumped through a feeble challenge from Janmaat and then fizzed a low cross into the six-yard area, where Mitrovic flicked it neatly into the net.

2.04pm BST

Fulham have equalised!

2.02pm BST

76 min Sessegnon is being treated for a nosebleed, caused by a flailing arm from Kiko Femenia. There wasn’t any malice in it. Fulham have used all three substitutes so he’ll doubtless continue once they’ve stopped the bleeding.

2.00pm BST

73 min Watford will be royally hacked off if they don’t win this game. Although the second half has been fairly even, Fulham haven’t really looked like equalising at any stage. A three-goal lead wouldn’t flatter Watford.

1.56pm BST

70 min Fosu-Mensah makes a storming run into the area and cuts the ball back towards Vietto, who is about to shoot when Hughes comes round the side to make a fine interception. That’s his last touch of the match - he has been replaced by Kiko Femenia.

1.53pm BST

66 min Seri’s outswinging corner from the right is shouldered wide by Mitrovic, who saw it late and mistimed his attempted header.

1.53pm BST

65 min Hughes picks the pocket of Anguissa and finds Deeney, who surges into the area before flicking a shot wide under pressure.

1.50pm BST

64 min Fulham make their final change, with Andre-Frank Anguissa replacing Stefan Johansen.

1.49pm BST

62 min Gray plays the ball to Doucoure, whose tame return pass is intercepted on the edge of the area. Had he played it properly, Gray would have been clear.

1.48pm BST

61 min Fosu-Mensah’s mis-hit low cross comes to Sessegnon, who strangely declines the chance to shoot on the turn from eight yards and instead passes the ball straight to a Watford defender. Moments later, Mitrovic’s header is deflected over for a corner.

1.46pm BST

59 min A superb counter-attack from Watford, involving Holebas, Deeney and Doucoure, ends with Gray drilling a low shot that is smartly saved by Bettinelli.

1.44pm BST

58 min Holebas is booked for a foul on Vietto.

1.44pm BST

57 min This is a much more even contest now. Fulham are playing with more urgency in possession, though Watford still look dangerous going forward.

1.39pm BST

52 min Vietto spanks a selfish shot well wide from the edge of the area. Fulham are looking better though.

1.38pm BST

50 min Fulham have switched to a 4-2-3-1, with Schurrle playing behind Mitrovic. Ayite is on the left and Vietto on the right. I love tactics, don’t I.

1.36pm BST

49 min Fulham look a bit livelier, presumably after a half-time rollocking, and Mitrovic has just missed a fine chance to equalise. Schurrle curled a good cross from the right towards the six-yard line, where Mitrovic towered over Cathcart and planted a header over the bar.

1.34pm BST

47 min Hughes’s clever backflick releases Janmaat, whose cross is headed away. Hughes has been excellent.

1.32pm BST

46 min Watford begin the second half.

1.32pm BST

Fulham have made a double substitution at half-time: Denis Odoi replaces Alfie Mawson, and Floyd Ayite is on for Kevin McDonald.

1.18pm BST

1.17pm BST

Peep peep! Watford lead through Andre Gray’s early goal, but they could conceivably be 5-1 up. They’ve been magnificent: fast, powerful and with enough skill in the right places. Fulham have been overwhelmed.

1.16pm BST

45 min Yet another chance for Watford! Foster’s goalkick founds its way through to Pereyra, who moved into the area from the left and curled a shot this far wide of the far post.

1.15pm BST

45 min Seri’s superb free-kick from an inside-right position is headed behind by Janmaat - but he puts the resulting corner too close to Foster.

1.13pm BST

43 min The relentless Deeney nicks the ball off Chambers, who panics and gives away a free-kick. Holebas’s free-kick, not for the first time, is too close to Bettinelli.

1.10pm BST

39 min A beautiful through pass by Hughes puts Gray clear, only for the flag to go up. He was just offside.

1.08pm BST

38 min Watford have been really brilliant today, and deserve to be at least two goals ahead.

1.07pm BST

36 min Gray plays a cute through pass to Hughes, who pushes the ball past Bettinelli and goes over under challenge from Mawson. Some Watford players wanted a penalty but Hughes didn’t really appeal; I suspect he knew he had overrun the ball and probably wasn’t fouled by Mawson.

1.05pm BST

35 min “Why isn’t Will Hughes playing for England?” asks Felix Wood. “As much as I hope that the likes of Loftus-Cheek come good, it’s a bit much for Southgate to bemoan his players not getting game time when there’s a genuinely two-footed clever creative player who is playing week out and making and scoring goals who is being ignored by the national set up. I can’t work it out.”

If he carries on like this I’m sure he’ll be called up at some stage this season. He hasn’t been a regular for long, has he?

1.03pm BST

32 min Fulham have struggled to get their passing game going in the face of Watford’s relentless harassment. When they lose the ball again, Fosu-Mensah is booked for a desperate, studs-up lunge at Deeney. He’s a bit lucky: that could have been a red card.

1.00pm BST

30 min Mawson is booked for a nasty lunge at Pereyra.

12.59pm BST

29 min Hughes is fouled by Chambers down the Watford right. Holebas’s free-kick is too close to Bettinelli.

12.56pm BST

25 min Fosu-Mensah plays a fine through pass to Mitrovic, who rumbles into the area and has a low shot blocked by Cathcart.

12.54pm BST

24 min Sessegnon’s corner drifts harmlessly across goal.

12.53pm BST

22 min Schurrle, who has been Fulham’s brightest player, lofts a dangerous cross that is headed over his own bar by Cathcart.

12.50pm BST

20 min This has been an enormously impressive start from Watford. They are bullying Fulham but they are also outplaying them.

12.48pm BST

17 min Yet another chance for Watford! Mawson’s dreadful backheader is nicked by Gray, whose fierce volley is brilliantly blocked by the outrushing Bettinelli.

12.46pm BST

16 min “‘Fisticuffs’ would be ‘it’s all kicking off’, or ‘getting a bit tasty’ surely?” says Bruce Jackson. “’Escalation’ is more about moving staircases isn’t it?”

I thought that was former Fulham keeper Jim Stannah?

12.45pm BST

14 min Holebas’s excellent corner lands on the head of the flying Kabasele, who nuts it straight at the body of Sessegnon from six yards. Had it put it either side - and he bloody well should have done - he would have scored.

12.44pm BST

13 min Gray’s driven cross from the right is blocked but comes to Deeney, whose close-range shot is blocked by Bettinelli. This is a cracking game.

12.43pm BST

12 min Vietto has a double chance to equalise. Fulham broke dangerously again, with Schurrle playing a good pass to leave Vietto one on one with Janmaat. He skinned him before forcing a fine save from the outrushing Foster. The rebound came to Vietto, whose curling chip from the left of the box drifted wide. Fulham appealed for a penalty, for an off-the-ball foul on Mitrovic by Kabasele, but I don’t think there was much in it.

12.39pm BST

8 min Fulham break dangerously from a Watford corner. Schurrle drives a pass over the top for Vietto, who chests it into the space behind the defence. Foster comes from his line to claim the ball.

12.37pm BST

7 min Holebas’s dangerous free-kick is headed behind for a corner by Mawson. Watford have started ever so well.

12.36pm BST

6 min “Thank you Rob for not saying, ‘well, that escalated quickly’,” says Charles Antaki. “Unless it does, in which case there might be a case for it.”

What constitutes an escalation? Three first-half goals? A bit of the old fisticuffs?

12.35pm BST

5 min Watford are an unpleasant team to play against, and they have already forced a few errors from Fulham with their aggressive pressing.

12.33pm BST

The goal came from a longish throw on the left, which led to a scramble on the edge of the Fulham box. Eventually the ball came to Hughes, who had the awareness to drag an excellent pass through to Gray. He took the shot first time, sidefooting it past Bettinelli and into the net.

12.32pm BST

That didn’t take long.

12.31pm BST

1 min Association football is upon us. Fulham, in white, kick off from right to left. Watford are in their turqouise away strip.

12.29pm BST

It’s a cold, wet afternoon in west London, and a few of the players look a bit chilly as they walk onto the field.

12.16pm BST

Slavisa Jokanovic speaks “We are a new team and we are still looking for our best combination. We believe our passing style is the best way for us to win games. Watford are a settled Premier League team: solid, strong and competitive. They’re really dangerous.”

11.37am BST

Some pre-match reading

11.37am BST

Previously on Fulham v Watford ...

The last time Watford came to Craven Cottage, in December 2014, they walloped Fulham 5-0. Troy Deeney scored a hat-trick; Watford were managed by current Fulham gaffah Slavisa Jokanovic.

11.33am BST

Fulham (4-3-3) Bettinelli; Fosu-Mensah, Chambers, Mawson, Sessegnon; Seri, McDonald, Johansen; Schurrle, Mitrovic, Vietto.
Substitutes: Rico, Odoi, Le Marchand, Christie, Anguissa, Ayite, Kamara.

Watford (4-2-2-2) Foster; Janmaat, Cathcart, Kabasele, Holebas; Doucoure, Capoue; Hughes, Pereyra; Gray, Deeney.
Substitutes: Gomes, Mariappa, Masina, Kiko Femenia, Sema, Chalobah, Success.

11.06am BST

Hello. This isn’t a must-win game for Fulham. It’s September for heaven’s sake! But it is a could-do-with-winning game. They have 13 home matches against the Small Fourteen, and they probably need to win six or seven of them if they are to achieve their primary target of survival. They’ve already put one on the board, that exhilarating 4-2 win over Burnley last month, and will add hope to another against Watford this afternoon.

Not that it’ll be easy: this is fourth-place Watford we’re talking about. Roberto Pereyra and the bovver boys up front have inspired a great start to the season, though four of their five games have been in the intimidating environs of Vicarage Road.

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Published on September 22, 2018 06:38

September 13, 2018

Who is the greatest England cricketer of all-time?

Alastair Cook hailed Jimmy Anderson the ‘best cricketer England have ever produced’. Our correspondents beg to differ

Young, svelte, pre-injury Botham was great on the numbers alone. In his first 50 Tests Botham scored 2,500 runs at 35 and took 230 wickets at 22, a swing bowler in the Anderson class. For the last eight years of the Botham Supremacy he was something else, toting around his own outlandish celebrity, still conjuring moments of paunchy brilliance, but never looked after in the manner of the current crop. The greatest and, oddly enough, still the most famous modern English cricketer. BR

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Published on September 13, 2018 02:00

September 9, 2018

Denmark 2-0 Wales: Nations League – as it happened

Christian Eriksen scored twice to give Denmark a comfortable victory over Wales in Aarhus

6.52pm BST

Peep peep! Wales have received an intravenous injection of reality after that stirring win over the Republic of Ireland on Thursday. They played well enough for the most part, but Denmark had a bit more nous and class at both ends. And they had Christian Eriksen, who scored both goals and was the best player on the field. Thanks for your company, bye!

6.51pm BST

90+4 min Almost a hat-trick for Eriksen! He curled a superb free-kick towards the top corner, and Hennessey leapt to palm it over.

6.51pm BST

90+3 min Joe Allen is justly booked for a nasty hack at the very impressive Braithwaite.

6.50pm BST

90+3 min Gareth Bale slams a good long-range shot just over the bar. I think Schmeichel had it covered; or, at least, I think he thought had it covered. It dipped quite sharply and could have embarrassed him.

6.48pm BST

90 min Kasper Schmeichel is booked for timewasting. In the 90th minute. With his side 2-0 up. In a Nations League match.

6.46pm BST

88 min Here’s Charles Antaki. “I suppose this means than now Wales can concentrate on the … erm…”

6.43pm BST

86 min A Denmark change: Yussuf Poulsen is replaced by Andreas Cornelius.

6.41pm BST

84 min A Denmark corner breaks for Delaney, whose fierce snapshot is excellently saved by Hennessey. Wales break through Bale, whose cross is headed towards goal by Ramsey. Schmeichel makes an easy save.

6.39pm BST

81 min Bale’s deflected shot spins towards goal and is flapped behind acrobatically by Schmeichel. I think it was going wide anyway.

6.37pm BST

80 min Wales make their final change, with Ben Woodburn replacing Tom Lawrence.

6.36pm BST

79 min Poulsen’s cross lands unexpectedly at the feet of Braithwaite, who sidefoots an early shot this far wide of the post. Hennessey didn’t move.

6.35pm BST

78 min There is one good thing about the Nations League: because the matches are competitive (sic), each side can only make three substitutions.

6.34pm BST

76 min Ben Davies is booked for a late tackle on Kjaer.

6.33pm BST

75 min Wales look like a team who have reluctantly accepted defeat. I won’t insult you by telling you what this result would mean for their Nations League hopes.

6.29pm BST

72 min Ethan Ampadu, who has had a good game despite giving away the penalty, is replaced by Tyler Roberts.

6.28pm BST

71 min Another chance for Denmark, with Fischer’s cross shot on the turn bobbling right across the face of goal.

6.27pm BST

70 min Brooks scoots down the left and cuts the ball back towards Bale. He stabs it up towards Allen, who slaps a volley over the bar from 18 yards.

6.25pm BST

67 min That goal, and especially the manner of it, has deflated a Wales team that started the second half really well. If they’re not careful this could get messy. Eriksen, given far too much space against, drags a deflected shot wide of the far post.

6.21pm BST

64 min I can see both sides of that penalty appeal. Ampadu jumped to block Fischer’s cross and was hit on the hand. He will say it wasn’t deliberate; Denmark will say his arm was away from his body.

6.20pm BST

Eriksen gets his second goal, smashing the penalty to the right of centre as Hennessey went the other way.

6.19pm BST

62 min This looks a bit soft. Ampadu is penalised for handball from Fischer’s cross.

6.17pm BST

60 min Wales make their first change, with David Brooks replacing Connor Roberts on the right wing.

6.16pm BST

59 min Braithwaite nicks the ball off Mepham in the Wales area, wriggles away from two defenders and drags a shot into the side-netting. That was a good effort.

6.15pm BST

58 min Delaney drives an angled pass to Poulsen, whose looping header is comfortably saved by Hennessey.

6.14pm BST

57 min Wales have been better in the second half, playing at a much greater pace. A pace fit for a game of this importance.

6.12pm BST

55 min Ryan Giggs is getting annoyed with the number of niggly, playbreaking fouls from Denmark.

6.10pm BST

53 min Kjaer does continue. I’m not sure whether he’d had a concussion check.

6.10pm BST

51 min Bale’s free-kick hits the wall - specifically Kjaer, who has gone down in a heap. The replays didn’t look great, as if he’d been sparked out when the ball hit his head, but he is on his feet and wants to continue.

6.07pm BST

50 min Lawrence is fouled 25 yards from goal, a perfect distance for Gareth Bale. This has been a purposeful start to the second half from Wales.

6.07pm BST

49 min An early chance for Wales. After an extended game of pinball in the Denmark area, Ramsey’s snapshot is vitally blocked by Kjaer.

6.04pm BST

47 min “From certain cameras angles, Denmark’s coach bears a troubling resemblance to Donald Trump,” says Charles Antaki. “Not a great look, unless the Nations League needs a bit of spritz-up and they run a lookalike compettiion on the side. Blond wig and he’s in.”

6.03pm BST

46 min Denmark begin the second half. They’ve made one change, with Viktor Fischer replacing Sisto.

5.47pm BST

Half-time reading

5.47pm BST

Peep peep! Denmark lead through Christian Eriksen’s accomplished goal. Wales have played pretty well in a low-key match. See you in 10 minutes for more Nations League action.

5.44pm BST

43 min That’s better from Wales. After a patient move, Bale drives an excellent through pass that is just miscontrolled on the run by Davies.

5.41pm BST

39 min Wales started well but Denmark have been much the better team since the Eriksen goal.

5.36pm BST

36 min Hennessey makes a fine save, flying to his left to palm away a sizzling half-volley from Sisto. The resutlting corner is flicked into the side netting at the near post by Kjaer.

5.34pm BST

Christian Eriksen opens his legs and shows his class. The right-back Darsgaard played a sharp square pass to find him in space just inside the area. He controlled the ball and then, before the Wales defenders could get out to him, clipped a precise low shot that went in off the far post. It’s a typically classy finish from Eriksen, though Wales will feel he had far too much space.

5.30pm BST

29 min An excellent effort from Bale. He was found on the left by Ramsey, one against one with Kjaer. He surged past Kjaer with ease and drove a fierce low shot from the left edge of the area which flashed just wide of the far post. I think Schmeichel had it covered.

5.30pm BST

28 min There was a great reaction to that Sisto pass from the Denmark coach Age Hareide, who looked at his watch in disgust as if trying to decide whether it was too early to sub him off.

5.29pm BST

27 min As if to prove Adam’s point, Sisto comes up with an early contender for worst pass of the 2018-19 season, a 10-yard shovel that is so far away from any other Denmark player that he has to try to retrieve it himself. Like Roger Milla against Romania in 1990, only crap.

5.27pm BST

25 min “Hey Rob,” says Adam Kline-Schoder. “Hope you’re enjoying the match! Shoutout to Ampadu, who has made the step up from Perpetual Loanee to international-level brilliantly. I’ve been awfully impressed with him over the last couple games. In addition, is it just me, or are Denmark misplacing an awful lot of passes? Sisto seems to have been particularly guilty today. Perhaps the disagreement with the Danish FA is distracting them? I’m finding it kind of odd.”

I don’t think the pitch is helping. I agree about Ampadu; his positioning and awareness are ridiculous for a 17-year-old. All things being equal, he’ll win 100 caps.

5.25pm BST

22 min A long throw from Dalsgaard is flicked on by Kjaer, playing Steve Bould at the near post, and Chester heads it behind for the first corner of the match. Eriksen drives it deep to Delaney, who swishes a spectacular left-footed-volley just wide of the far post. Bale was on the line and had it covered, though it might have knocked him out if he’d headed it clear. It was a stunning strike.

5.23pm BST

5.21pm BST

19 min An excellent move from Wales. Bale lofts it wide to Gunter, who plays an excellent, sharp pass into Allen on the edge of the box. He eschews the shot and slides the ball outside him to Roberts, whose low cross flashes right across the face of goal.

5.19pm BST

17 min Wales have shown admirable intent so far. They don’t want to steal something on the break; they want to pass the ball and dominate the game.

5.18pm BST

16 min Ampadu’s long-range shot takes a deflection and spins into the Denmark area. Schmeichel, under pressure from Lawrence, spreads himself and gets lucky when the ball hits the inside of his left leg and dribbles along the six-yard line. That allows him to pounce on the ball, but it could easily have deflected towards Lawrence or even straight into the net.

5.16pm BST

14 min Eriksen tees up Delaney, who sprays over from 25 yards.

5.16pm BST

13 min Ramsey’s excellent cross from the right is superbly headed away by Kjaer, under a lot of pressure from Bale at the far post. The referee gives a foul for Bale’s challenge.

5.12pm BST

11 min The pitch is a bit slow, which is not helping either side in their attempts to pass the ball. It’s a pretty scruffy game this far.

5.08pm BST

7 min Ramsey receives a return pass from Roberts, turns and whaps the ball over the bar from 25 yards.

5.07pm BST

6 min It’s been an uneventful start, though both sides are at least trying to pass the ball.

5.04pm BST

3 min The 17-year-old Ethan Ampadu has started well, with two or three interceptions in front of the back four.

5.01pm BST

2 min “Hi Rob,” says Alun Pugh. “Any idea where the 2031 World Cup by FIFA (tm) is going to be held? I reckon Islamic State will have a decent chance of hosting it. The Shackleton Base at the South Pole will fancy their chances too. 24 hours darkness in June will mean moving minor competition dates but it’s been done before and games can be held in any time zone to fit TV schedules.”

I hear they’re planning to stage the whole thing in the cloud.

5.01pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Wales, in their white away strip, kick off. Denmark are in red.

4.58pm BST

There’s a cracking atmosphere in Aarhus. Both anthems were belted out with lust and love by the Denmark and Wales supporters.

4.54pm BST

The players are in the tunnel. I’m looking forward to seeing Ryan Giggs’ ambitious, attacking side in action.

4.49pm BST

An email! “Alastair Cook’s final innings and you have been bundled off to the Nations League!!” says Gordon Pittendrigh. “Who have you upset Rob?”

Mainly myself. Always myself.

4.48pm BST

Kasper Schmeichel has injured himself in the warm-up, though it looks like he’ll start the game. Drama in the Uefa Nations League League B Group 4 Matchday 2.

4.33pm BST

4.29pm BST

Denmark reached the last 16 of the World Cup, where they were beaten on penalties by Croatia. It’s an odd thing to say about a team who only reached the second round, but they will probably never have a better chance to reach a World Cup final.

3.56pm BST

Denmark (4-2-3-1) Schmeichel; Dalsgaard, Jorgensen, Kjaer, Larsen; Delaney, Schone; Poulsen, Eriksen, Sisto; Braithwaite.

Wales (4-2-3-1) Hennessey; Gunter, Chester, Mepham, B Davies; Allen, Ampadu; C Roberts, Ramsey, Lawrence; Bale.

12.08pm BST

Great players are born to play in great tournaments, so there will always be a degree of sadness that Ryan Giggs never appeared in the Uefa Nations League. But at least he gets to manage in it! His Wales team thumped Ireland 4-1 on Thursday, producing some exhilarating football in the process, and today they visit Denmark for their second match of Uefa’s new feast of context.

Denmark have temporarily resolved their financial dispute, which means Wales will play against a proper team rather than a collection of candlestick makers, Futsal stars, YouTube influencers and beard-growers.

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Published on September 09, 2018 10:52

September 3, 2018

Tough runs under pressure: Alastair Cook’s best England Test innings

From a century on debut, via a career-saving innings against Pakistan, to an Ashes series in which Australia became sick of the sight of him: the former captain’s best Test knocks

You just knew. It was not just that Alastair Cook scored a century on debut at the age of 21; it was the way he did it – calmly, methodically and straight after a three-day trip from the England A tour of the Caribbean. It was clear Cook would score many more Test hundreds, not least because he knew his limits - and accepted them – better than most senior batsmen. His cherubic features caught the eye of one local fan, who scrawled a marriage proposal on a banner. Cook grew to love being in Asia, too; he has scored more Test runs on the subcontinent than any other non-Asian batsmen.

Most Test runs for England

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Published on September 03, 2018 07:15

August 31, 2018

England trail India by 21 runs after day two of fourth Test – as it happened

Cheteshwar Pujara struck a century and Moeen Ali took five wickets as the fourth Test stayed on a knife-edge at the Ageas Bowl

9.55pm BST

6.45pm BST

A classic day of Test cricket - if you were there, you lucky things. Ebb. Flow. Tension. Possible hat-trick - it had it all. Pujara played a blinder, and inched India’s nose ahead - despite some terrible shot choices from his late-middle order. England’s newbies, or returnies, plus the old Broad warhorse , kept them in sight. Moeen’s five wickets have ensured his place on the winter tour. Curran got Kohli to put in his pocket of Ageas surprises. And at the end of it all - virtual parity. I’ll give the last word to Dean Kinsella:

“Bloody marvellous! After 2 days of wonderful ebb and flow these two teams have hardly a whisker between them. As much as I am a committed England supporter, a bit of me would love to see a winner-takes-all scenario at the Oval next week. It really seems mad that this great, historic, thrilling game called Test Cricket could be under threat of non-survival.”

6.34pm BST

4th over England 6-0 (Cook 2, Jennings 4) A four, a four, a palpable four! Jennings swivels Bumrah’s first ball behind him and down to the boundary. He and Cook fist-bump. Ooooh, then he’s beaten by the fourth which slices through him, past the outside edge. He smiles, and he survives. What a day.! The players walk off and England trail by 21.

6.29pm BST

3rd over England 2-0 (Cook 2, Jennings 0) Cook plays out a maiden from Ashwin and with the shadows lengthening, India will get one more over.

6.27pm BST

2nd over England 2-0 (Cook 2, Jennings 0) It’s Bumrah, fresh from his triumphant 6. He runs in, clockwork toy action, pink-fleshed grips on both arms. Cook pats him away. The inswinger has him circling awkwardly, but they get a single off the last ball and Cook keeps the strike.

6.22pm BST

1st over England 1-0 (Cook 1, Jennings 0) Cook pushes the first ball to midwicket and they takes the single. Jennings opens his eyes wide and plays a succession of immaculate defensives shots. Breathe.

6.20pm BST

And what can y0u say about Moeen? A table-spoon of confidence and suddenly 5-63 in pocket. Curran got the main man. And Broad was superb.

Ashwin rubs his feet on the crease and prepares to bowl the first ball. Keaton Jennings is on a pair - and in last chance saloon.

6.14pm BST

84.5 overs. India 273. Pujara not out 132. India lead by 27 runs. Ten minutes! Ten minutes! That’s how long England will have to bat this evening. But first of all, all hosannas and palms to Pujara - what an innings full of wristly class and calm farming of the tail at the end.

6.12pm BST

Broad tries a short one, and it bounces hard and quick, Bumrah plays an ugly inside out shot and gets an edge from his glove high to Cook at slip.

6.06pm BST

84th over: India 273-9 (Pujara 132, Bumrah 6) Pujara wristily steers the ball through mid-on for a couple. This is really excellent batting with the tail - though they do fail to grab a single off the last ball. India lead by 27

Elliot Carr-Barnsley is growing frustrated: “How many yorkers have been bowled at Bumrah? Is that even still a thing?”

6.01pm BST

83rd over: India 271-9 (Pujara 130, Bumrah 6) Broad to Pujara, he’s offered some runs, he turns them down, then loses his head to the penultimate ball and willfully heaves, and misses. But they skittle through for a single to backward point off the last. India lead by 25.

5.58pm BST

82nd over: India 270-9 (Pujara 129, Bumrah 6) And Root gives the new ball to Curran. It’s a maiden. India lead by 24.

Dave, Dave - are you listening to TMS? They just mentioned an England transplant cricket team. See here:

5.53pm BST

81st over: India 270-9 (Pujara 129, Bumrah 6) England take the new ball and heave-ho! Pujara dispatches Broad high for four over mid-on. Then an even better shot - it’s gorgeous actually. An extra-cover drive, head perfectly balanced above bat, drilled pointedly to the boundary. But they don’t get the final run ... Bumrah will face. India lead by 24.

5.48pm BST

80th over: India 261-9 (Pujara 121, Bumrah 6) Root now plumps for Rashid Pujara steps out and lifts the ball over mid-off where it beats the chasing fielder to the boundary. Then he gets his single from the last ball of the over. And the lead builds. India lead by 16.

5.44pm BST

79th over: India 257-9 (Pujara 116, Bumrah 6) Ah, but Broad bowls a full-length ball, Bumrah gets an inside edge and they scamper a single. Broad tries a shorter one which Pujara misses, but so does Buttler, and they run two byes. Pujara then rolls his wrists into the shade a classy 2. This partnership now worth 29 unlikely runs.

5.38pm BST

78th over: India 251-9 (Pujara 113, Bumrah 5) And India take the lead, Kohli applauds from the balcony. Curran bowls wide, then wider again - which is belatedly called by the umpire. Oh dear, and now India get their running in a tangle, and Bumrah is left to face an over of Broad. India lead by 5.

Abhijato Sensarma is back.

5.31pm BST

77th over: India 245-9 (Pujara 110, Bumrah 4) Moeen, after a spell of 10 overs 5 wickets for 4, is replaced by Stuart Broad, who gets the chance to bowl at Bumrah. But Bumrah breathes, adjusts his helmet, sleeves, moustache, and shoulders arms. Repeatedly. India trail by 1.

Max Williams is giving you all a kick. Well done Max, and thank you:

5.27pm BST

76th over: India 245-9 (Pujara 110, Bumrah 4) Root reaches into the duffle bag and picks out... Curran. Good call, to try the man with the golden arm/bat/etc. But Pujarah steps on the back foot and with a strong bottom hand drives the ball with piercing accuracy between the fielders for four. India trail by 1.

And a good point here from OBO regular, Tim de Lisle - can Bumrah the batsman see India into the lead?

#ENGvIND, which looked like being a duel between Anderson and Kohli, is now more about the fresh players drafted in on either side – Woakes, Bumrah, Curran & Moeen. Like a football match settled by the subs

5.21pm BST

DRINKS - and this game loses nothing in its fascination as it moves on.

Re the chess - I don’t think it has to be a chess-themed game, just a chess game with cricketers for pieces. Like this Star Wars one.

5.18pm BST

75th over: India 241-9 (Pujara 106, Bumrah 4) Oooh this is getting annoying for England now, They swarm Bumrah with fielders, but he defends. There you go. And India trail only by 5.

John Starbuck - this is genius. Someone do it in time for Christmas - please. My soon-to-be-ten year old would be in heaven.

5.14pm BST

74th over: India 235-9 (Pujara 101, Bumrah 3)

5.13pm BST

73 overs: India 227-9 (Pujara 101, Bumrah 0) The field come in on the fourth ball after Pujara gets a couple to long leg and moves onto 99, then England review an LBW that pitches outside the line - it’s not out - and England lose their last review. Pujara, invigorated, takes a dance down the wicket and lifts the ball over Moeen’s head and that’s his hundred! Well played!. His 15th Test hundred in his 61st match, his fifth against England and his second outside Asia.

5.06pm BST

72 overs: India 228-9 (Pujara 97, Bumrah 0) Pujara plays out Rashid’s over in a state of agitation, what with Bumrah being a batsman in the Devon Malcolm class. But they take a quick single off the last ball of the over and Pujara retains the strike.

5.04pm BST

71 overs: India 227-9 (Pujara 96, Bumrah 0) The ball before that wicket, the Indian batsmen had decided not to take the run. Many a slip between cup and slip (short leg)....? And Moeen has his five-fer - very well bowled.

5.02pm BST

Ishant tries to defend, leg tangles with bat and is caught on the second attempt at short leg.

4.58pm BST

70 overs: India 222-8 (Pujara 95, Sharma 10) Rashid, flighting it nicely, bamboozles Sharma who gets in a complete tangle to a googly - but survives.

4.55pm BST

69 overs: India 220-8 (Pujara 94, Sharma 9) Moeen appeals as Pujara tries to sweep him, but it is well outside the line. Pujara has enough, steps away and whallops Moeen over mid-wicket for four. The sun is lowering and the shadows are long as India creep towards England’s total - 26 behind.

4.51pm BST

68 overs: India 216-8 (Pujara 90, Sharma 9) That’s more like it. Rashid for Anderson. Rashid shouts for lbw as Sharma sweeps, it strikes him on the back pad but outside the line. Then Sharma chops at the googly, perilously close to his stumps.

4.48pm BST

67 overs: India 212-8 (Pujara 88, Sharma 7) Moeen is tight but Pujara plays a wristy late cut, down to third man for four. Sharma shuffles around inexpertly but with a straight bat keeps Moeen out.

And one LAST rhyme from Abhijato Sensarma :

4.43pm BST

66 overs: India 208-8 (Pujara 84, Sharma 7) Root perserveres with Anderson who keeps bowling short, and Pujara keeps turning down the single. Like bad chess.

“Evening Tanya”. Evening Simon. “If it’s doggerel, or possibly genius, you’re after look no further than the incomparable William Topaz McGonagall. The closing verse of his masterpiece The Tay Bridge Disaster contains some of my favourite lines

I must now conclude my lay
By telling the world fearlessly without the least dismay
That your central girders would not have given way,
At least many sensible men do say,
Had they been supported on each side with buttresses,
At least many sensible men confesses,
For the stronger we our houses do build,
The less chance we have of being killed.

Sage advice from a master craftsman, I think you’ll agree. And applicable in all areas, especially Test cricket. ‘The stronger we our forward defensive do build, The less chance of our place by someone else being filled.”

4.40pm BST

65 overs: India 207-8 (Pujara 83, Sharma 7) Moeen strokes his more-luxuriant-than-usual hair and turns... Pujara takes a quick and odd single off the second ball of the over. Maybe he knows something about Sharma that we don’t. Ah, here we are, Sharma has a go, over the top and they take three.

Moeen has inspired more poetry-in -motion. From Mike McCArthy.

4.35pm BST

64 overs: India 202-8 (Pujara 81, Sharma 4) Anderson tries a couple of short ones, Pujara ducks ineffectively into one and is hit on the back of the helmet. Root and Anderson squabble over the field placings for Sharma, but after all that the last ball passes harmlessly by. India trail by 44.

From Jim Procter-Blain:

4.31pm BST

63 overs: India 199-8 (Pujara 78, Sharma 4) The field closes in for the hat-trick ball. Six men round the bat. Moeen licks his lips. But Sharma stretches that lengthy front leg forward and pats it away.

The tension remains for the rest of the over as Sharma sweeps right into Cook’s shin at short leg. And then makes real contact and sweeps him for four. This can’t last long.. .Moeen took six here four years ago against India.

4.27pm BST

62 overs: India 195-8 (Pujara 78, Sharma 0) Pujara now batting with a touch of panic, tries an upper cut at an Anderson bouncer which flies over his head into Buttler’s gloves. And then another, lower, dart, which again doesn’t make contact.

And this from Mike Gooch. Thank you Mike.

4.23pm BST

61 overs: India 195-8 (Pujara 76, Sharma 0) A double-wicket cracker from Moeen who, wicket-to-wicket has now taken 4 for 8 in 16 balls. Not bad for a second spinner. He will start the next over on a hat-trick (he’s got one before).

4.21pm BST

Shami misses a straight one and the ball clocks the top of off-stump

4.19pm BST

Yikes. Ashwin gets down on one knee and plays an agricultural reverse-sweep, the ball hits the toe end of the bat and ricochets onto the stump.

4.16pm BST

60 overs: India 194-6 (Pujara 76, Ashwin 1) Anderson’s radar slightly askew here. Ashwin takes a swing at a bouncer, doesn’t make contact but Buttler fumbles it and India go through for a bye.

A bon-mot from the eagle-eyed Olly Horne: “Handy how we’ve persuaded the opposition to wear clothing with appropriate labelling (i.e. shirts with ‘OPPO’ written on them). Unsure how this helps viewers in India though.

4.11pm BST

59 overs: India 191-6 (Pujara 75, Ashwin 1) Moeen bowling with loop, guile and above all confidence. It’s wonderful to see. India wobbling here, trailing by 55.

4.09pm BST

Moeen hits the rough and Pandaa turns it half-heartedly to midwicket where Root takes it diving catch knee-high to his left.

4.06pm BST

58 overs: India 188-5 (Pujara 73, Pandya 4 ) Pujara flicks Andersonn nicely through gully. Three runs from the over.

A sobering email from Dave Weirdigan - please read it and do register to be a donor if you can. An OBO transplant? I can’t think of a more wonderful thing. Dave, sending you all our OBO love.

4.02pm BST

57 overs: India 185-5 (Pujara 70, Pandya 4 ) Moeen finishes the over truncated before tea and Pandya sweeps, hard, for four to get off the mark. Btw, Pant’s 29-ball nought was the longest duck ever by an Indian in Test cricket.

3.58pm BST

Justin Horton has some more thoughts on Pant:

“Dear Tanya
I am sure readers will recall the character from AG MacDonell’s England Their England (i’m sure they will - ed) who, told to go in and keep it tight, hits a succession of boundaries until he is advised it’s OK to cut loose - at which point he begins to block and scratches only a solitary single until he’s out. I was wondering whether Rishabh Pant might have received similar advice prior to the Third Test and this one.”

3.56pm BST

Gripping stuff. England perhaps slightly more buoyant as they break the tea-time pink wafer. You’ve got to feel for Rishabh Pant - IPL superstar thrown into an atmosphere as different as you could possibly imagine. But what an experience. Superb bowling by England, but .... crucially ....Pujara is still there. The deficit is 65.

And in the grand tradition of cricket ditties, Andrew Benton offers up this:

3.43pm BST

I’ll hand over to Tanya Aldred for the final session of this excellent day’s play. You can email her on tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com. Bye!

3.42pm BST

56.3 overs: India 181-5 (Pujara 70) That’s the last ball before tea. It wouldn’t have been overturned even if India were able to review. It drifted in and straightened sharply to hit the pad as Pant got in a bit of a tangle. England lead by 65 runs.

3.41pm BST

A big wicket on the stroke of tea! Rishabh Pant goes LBW to Moeen Ali - and India have no reviews remaining. Pant falls for an unlikely 29-ball duck.

3.38pm BST

56th over: India 181-4 (Pujara 70, Pant 0) Pant is beaten yet again, driving loosely outside off stump at Anderson. He now has 0 from 26 balls, and something surely has to give.

3.34pm BST

55th over: India 179-4 (Pujara 69, Pant 0) This is Stokes’s seventh over, and it might be time for a break. Two loose deliveries are put away for four by Pujara, a classy extra-cover drive followed by a tuck off the pads. A huge inswinger hits Pujara on the pad, prompting a hopeful LBW appeal from behind the wicket. Stokes did not appeal; he knew it had done too much.

Stokes ends the over with a gorgeous outswinger that beats Pant. Maybe it’s not time for a break; he is still getting the ball to do plenty.

3.30pm BST

54th over: India 170-4 (Pujara 60, Pant 0) It’s a quiet period in the game. Pujara is stockpiling singles, while at the other end Pant is playing his unnatural game with the tea break in mind. He now has 0 from 22 balls.

“I have lived long enough to be told that there is a man who lives and breathes on this earth who goes by the eternal name of Paddy Farhart,” says Robert Wilson. “I have passed beyond bliss and fulfiment. Forget the funeral, bury me wherever you like (any old roundabout will do). I’m ready now.”

3.26pm BST

53rd over: India 169-4 (Pujara 59, Pant 0) At Trent Bridge, Pant hit his second ball in Test cricket for six. This time he is struggling to get off the mark. He plays and misses at Stokes and then considers a dodgy single before being sent back by Pujara. Pant has nought from 20 balls.

3.23pm BST

52nd over: India 168-4 (Pujara 58, Pant 0) Hawkeye is up and running again, it says here. England could with Anderson being in full working order. He hasn’t been at his best today and that’s another unthreatening over.

3.18pm BST

51st over: India 167-4 (Pujara 57, Pant 0) After a few minutes of treatment, Pujara resumes his innings. They jogged a leg bye when he was hit on the helmet, so Pant faces the rest of the over. Nothing happens.

3.15pm BST

50.1 overs: India 167-4 (Pujara 57, Pant 0) Pujara misses an attempted hook off Stokes and is smacked on the helmet. It was a terrific bouncer which beat Pujara for pace. He seems fine, though the physio Paddy Farhart is on to check for concussion. There’s already a bump on the side of his head and he’s going to change his helmet.

3.10pm BST

50th over: India 166-4 (Pujara 57, Pant 0) Apparently Hawkeye is down, which means no DRS at the moment. India are out of reviews anyway so it won’t affect them. Anderson replaces Curran and is worked square for a single by the excellent Pujara.

3.05pm BST

49th over: India 165-4 (Pujara 56, Pant 0) The wickets of Kohli and Rahane have slowed the scoring rate, though Pant won’t die wondering if he gets in. It’s compelling stuff, full of momentum shifts. India are still ahead in the game, but not by much.

“How was that not a no-ball from Stokes to Rahane?” writes Seventh Horcrux. “There was nothing behind the line? Am I missing something?”

3.00pm BST

48th over: India 163-4 (Pujara 55, Pant 0) I said Stokes dismissed Rahane ‘yet again’. In fact that’s only the second time in this series, which is slightly surprising. But he has caused him a lot of problems and was brought into the attack with Rahane in mind.

“If Curran can keep this up,” says Tom Adam, “he’ll be well on track for getting dropped before the final Test!”

2.56pm BST

47th over: India 161-4 (Pujara 55, Pant 0) Rishabh Pant is the new batsman.

2.53pm BST

Ben Stokes gets Ajinkya Rahane yet again. It was beautiful bowling, a booming inswinger that trapped him LBW as he fell over towards the off side. Rahane reviewed but it was hitting the top of leg stump and that means India lose their last review. It was perilously close to being a no-ball, however, and that bit could have gone either way. The third umpire decided it was a legitimate delivery, and from that moment Rahane was in trouble.

2.48pm BST

46th over: India 157-3 (Pujara 55, Rahane 7) Thanks Tanya, hello again. Sam Curran continues around the wicket to Pujara, who is looking increasingly immovable. The wicket of Kohli was a lovely bonus but England still have a lot of work to do to stay in this match.

2.43pm BST

And that’s drinks. England’s demi-session - and I’ll hand you over to Rob Smyth who will take you through the tantalising pre-tea hour.

2.42pm BST

45th over: India 156-3 (Rahane 6, Pujara 55) We didn’t have to wait long. Stokes angles the ball in, Rahane fences and edges to the very fingertips of the outstretched hand of Joe Root at second slip. He can’t hold on. “Should’ve had a third slip,” says Athers.

2.38pm BST

44th over: India 154-3 (Rahane 5, Pujara 55) Curran again. A steer with a horizontal bat from Rahane takes him off the strike. Three off the over. On Sky, Atherton points out that Rahane has struggled this series against Stokes. So we wait and watch.

And this really is the last word on over/around. Over to you Phil Russell:

2.34pm BST

43rd over: India 151-3 (Rahane 3, Pujara 54) Aha! Here we have Ben Stokes, replacing Moeen Ali. He starts with a no ball, then has Rahane edging him between keeper and first slip. Rahane takes a breath and plays out the rest of the over with a straight bat.

2.30pm BST

42nd over: India 146-3 (Rahane 3, Pujara 52) That’s the wicket England so desperately wanted. Kohli didn’t really need to play at that - an inelegant shot from an elegant batsman. And that’s Pujara’s 50 off 100 balls. Curran has magic in his fingers at Southampton.

2.25pm BST

Curran slants the ball across, Kohli edges, and is caught low and well by Cook at slip.

2.23pm BST

41st over: India 142-2 (Pujara 49, Kohli 46) Single. Single. Single. Moeen has not tempted India into any mistakes yet.

2.21pm BST

40th over: India 139-2 (Pujara 48, Kohli 44) Sam Curran replaces Stuart Broad, scuttles in and immediately has a huge lbw shout against Pujara, England consider reviewing but Buttler’s face says hmmmm, and Root decides not to. Which is just as well, as the replay shows bat on ball. Pujara gets down on one knee to the last delivery and drives through the covers for four, with a follow-through so gloriously high he could scratch that itch on his left shoulder.

2.15pm BST

39th over: India 135-2 (Pujara 44, Kohli 44) Moeen getting some nice loop here, prepared to toss it up into the breeze. Pujara winds his bat and late-cuts to third man. Very elegant.

2.11pm BST

38th over: India 131-2 (Pujara 41, Kohli 43) A handful of singles off Broad. Kohli is rapid between the wickets - love to know what his 100m time is. Broad’s fourth ball flies through and is taken by Buttler up by his shoulders.

John Starbuck writes: “Tanya,Does the Southampton ground really have boundary boards (over 34)? It seems like a bit of a throwback, to the days when Derek Randall first introduced a sliding stop to save a boundary and used to clatter into the Australian boards/fence. After which they sensibly brought in ropes instead, which have the benefit of being adjustable to fool spectators that more boundaries were being scored. To continue the confectionary theme, the ropes were covered with Toblerones, or so they say.”

2.07pm BST

37th over: India 128-2 (Pujara 40, Kohli 40) Moeen looks as disappointed as Moeen ever does (which isn’t very) as Kohli pushes at a ball which glides between Jos Buttler and the outstretched hand of Ben Stokes at first slip.

2.03pm BST

36th over: India 118-2 (Pujara 38, Kohli 33) Kohli leaves Broad’s first ball, and then with immaculate timing seemingly just blocks the next, and it speeds past the bowler in his follow through, straight down the ground for four. You know that clopping sound you make when you click your tongue against the bottom of your mouth? That. But then Broad comes back as Kohli is drawn into a ball pitched on a perfect length and it passes the outside the back. And again. Super bowling by Broad.

1.58pm BST

35th over: India 114-2 (Pujara 38, Kohli 29) Three singles from the over as Moeen probes and weaves.

1.56pm BST

34rd over: India 111-2 (Pujara 37, Kohli 27) Broad is cut by Pujara, awkwardly over the slips for four. Then he bends his knees to leave one that nips in. He cuts the last delivery past Keaton Jennings and over and towards the boundary boards. A battle builds.

1.52pm BST

33rd over: India 103-2 (Pujara 29, Kohli 27) There’s a wind ruffling Moeen’s shirt as he turns his arm over. It’s a tight over, just a couple of singles. Pujara drives Moeen straight back into the bowler’s stumps, but Moeen fails to get his fingers to it and Kohli steps back into the crease.

From Graham Pigney

1.47pm BST

32nd over: India 101-2 (Pujara 28, Kohli 26) Stuart Broad takes the ball after lunch. A single not taken, as Pujara displays stone-tablet stoicism at the bowler’s end. They then take a more risky single to Keaton Jennings’ arm and Pujara dives full-length to make the crease.

1.40pm BST

This is the crucial session. There’s turn in the pitch, already, and England have two spinners. They’ve kept India in the cage, but Kohli is still there. With a scratch and and itch, a fumble and a drive, whoever finishes the day with a first-innings lead will be dancing all the way to a hot/ice bath.

Geraint Morgan has more culinary news. “Following on from double deckers, I found out this week that Wham! Bars are suitable for vegetarians too. And it was every bit as good as I remember after 30 years without one.”

1.33pm BST

Some thoughts from Aman Gaur.

“Quick comment about Jennings’ bowling. Cricinfo tells me he has 28 FC victims at 31 (53 strike rate). Given he’s the sixth bowling option in a team that bats down to 10 and has two top keepers - is this current English team the Most All-round Team in Test History? (but still can’t catch in this slips).”

1.29pm BST

Thank you Rob, and do enjoy that lunch - the black olive tapenade is a genius touch. Also on a culinary tip, and particularly for anyone following yesterday’s county blog, I’ve received some good news from Phil “Galactus” Sawyer:

Afternoon, Tanya

1.13pm BST

I’m off for some lunch. Not sure what I’m in the mood for. I might rustle up some tomato confit tart fine, black olive tapenade, crème fraiche and provençal herbs.

Tanya Aldred will be with you for the first hour of the afternoon session - you can email here on tanya.aldred.freelance@theguardian.com. Bye!

1.10pm BST

“Ridiculous suggestion (27th over) for Dame Judi to come on to bowl,” says Gary Naylor. “She’s coaching the England top six.”

1.04pm BST

31st over: India 100-2 (Pujara 28, Kohli 25) Moeen Ali comes on for the last over before lunch. There’s some encouraging turn to Pujara, enough for Joe Root to bring in a leg slip halfway through the over. Still no silly point though. Pujara pushes a couple of deliveries in the air on the leg side, and is very happy to survive the over and do one for lunch. That was an excellent start from Moeen, who may have a bigger influence than expected in the first innings.

1.00pm BST

30th over: India 100-2 (Pujara 28, Kohli 25) Pujara is happy that a grubber from Rashid is well wide of off stump. “How do you play those, Nass?” deadpans Beefy on commentary.

“If Ben Powell’s schoolmaster told him, ‘Right arm over, round the wicket, two to come, Powell’, no wonder he was shaking,” says Rob Harries. “The bowler was bowling both over and round the wicket at the same time. On a related note, one of London Fields CC’s finest (Hi, Parmod!), when asked for his action by the umpire, cheerily replied, ‘I try to bowl it straight and get it to nip off the seam’. The umpire had to ask him not to give too much away, but next time just to say whether he bowled right or left arm, over or round…”

12.56pm BST

29th over: India 98-2 (Pujara 27, Kohli 24) Jennings has a strangled LBW shout against Kohli, who got a thick inside-edge onto the pad. For those of us who grew up watching Dibbly, Dobbly and Wobbly for New Zealand at the 1992 World Cup, this is great fun. Pujara cuts the last ball of the over for a couple.

12.53pm BST

28th over: India 95-2 (Pujara 25, Kohli 23) A double bowling change, with Adil Rashid coming on for Jimmy Anderson. His first ball draws an inside edge from Kohli that hits the pad and loops through the vacant silly point area. Nothing much else to report.

“During an attack of ‘earnestness’ (and, admittedly, ‘tin’), I once sang Round Here by Counting Crows at an open mic night,” weeps Matt Dony. “But I made a point of correcting the chorus to Around Here each time. I refuse to believe that Round Here is acceptable. At a push, I will accept ’round here.”

12.49pm BST

27th over: India 92-2 (Pujara 25, Kohli 20) This is a surprising change from Joe Root. The new bowler is

Dami Judi Dench
Keaton Jennings, who will bowl medium pace with the keeper up to the stumps. He’s an old-fashioned dobber, really, the kind Mark Taylor used to use so effectively back in the day. There’s a bit of swing to Kohli, who plays watchfully and flicks the last ball for a single.

“Rob,” says Brian Withington. “Nasser has just remarked on Kohli getting each of his six batches of thousand runs in fewer and fewer Tests - just 14 innings for the last thousand. At the risk of further tarnishing my maths degree I estimate that at the current exponential rate of acceleration he might reach 11,000 before getting to 10,000. Some sort of cricketing Doppler effect perhaps.”

12.45pm BST

26th over: India 90-2 (Pujara 25, Kohli 18) That’s a much better shot from Kohli, who guides Anderson through extra cover for four. He’s been a little skittish so far, but if he gets in it could be a very long day for England. Anderson looks grumpy already so he might be in a rare old mood by 6pm.

“‘Around’ usually means in a circle, or suggests something scattergun or less definite, e.g. ‘wandering around’,” says Toby Skinner. “Bowling ‘around the wicket’ might suggest the bowler bowls from random places or does a little jig around the wicket before bowling. So Aggers was right to prefer ‘round the wicket’.”

12.41pm BST

25th over: India 86-2 (Pujara 25, Kohli 14) Kohli chases a wide one from Curran and edges through gully at catchable height. It landed just short of Bairstow in that strange deep gully position and ran away for four more. That’s the second time Kohli has snicked one through gully. Curran moves

a
round the wicket later in the over and beats Pujara. Well bowled.

“For me, it’s always been round the wicket,” says Ben Powell. “That’s probably because I can still hear the sound of our cricket master’s voice as I shakily made my way to the crease at No11 for the under-14s: ‘Right arm over, round the wicket, two to come, Powell’. I rarely survived the ‘two to come’.”

12.36pm BST

24th over: India 79-2 (Pujara 23, Kohli 9) A bad delivery from Anderson is cut for four by Pujara, the only runs from an otherwise decent over.

“Dear Rob,” says Simon Horbury. “To be fair, and pedantic, it is actually your good self that has invited OBOers to send in their examples of pedantry.”

12.31pm BST

23rd over: India 73-2 (Pujara 17, Kohli 9) We don’t know for sure whether Ben Stokes is fit to bowl. He’d usually be a very good option in these swinging conditions. On Sky, Ian Ward says he did a bit of bowling in the nets this morning with a heavily strapped knee, but that he was “hardly at full tilt”.

Curran continues for the time being, with Kohli defending a series of inswingers. We might see Jos Buttler go up to the stumps for Curran so that Kohli can’t bat outside his crease. Actually, I’m surprised that hasn’t happened. Curran has been economical but unthreatening: 6-3-9-0.

12.28pm BST

22nd over: India 72-2 (Pujara 16, Kohli 9) Anderson replaces Broad, who bowled a brilliant spell of nevermindthedata. Okay, 8-4-22-2. Kohli chases a wide outswinger and snicks it right through the vacant gully area for four. Ach! The boundary takes Kohli past 6000 Test runs.

12.22pm BST

21st over: India 67-2 (Pujara 15, Kohli 5) A maiden from Curran to Kohli. I’m sure we’ll see Jimmy Anderson again very soon.

“Well, I’m not getting pulverised by you in the County Blog Fantasy League as I was expecting,” says Phil Sawyer. “You currently appear to be beating me by a Joe Denly.”

12.18pm BST

20th over: India 67-2 (Pujara 15, Kohli 5) Kohli gets off the mark with a stunning cover drive for four off Broad. The second ball of his innings, that was. Then Pujara gets away with a dreadful shot, an absent-minded waft at a short ball that flies over the slips for four. That might be it for Broad, who has bowled eight overs on the bounce this morning.

“The theatre surrounding Kohli at the moment is something else,” says Phil Harrison. “It’s exciting just watching him walking down the pavilion steps. Reminds me of prime Viv.”

12.13pm BST

19th over: India 56-2 (Pujara 9, Kohli 0) Curran’s inswinger to the right-handers is working nicely, though Pujara has played it well so far. It’s stalemate between the two - or rather it was, until Pujara scrunched a square drive for four off the final delivery of the over. That’s his first boundary and the first off Curran.

“A year or so ago I was listening to Aggers read out a question on Ask the Umpire,” says Dan Rickard. “The bit that stood out was that Aggers congratulated the writer on being right: ‘It is round the wicket, not around’. He didn’t expand on this, but it has stuck with me. Dictionary seems to suggest they’re interchangeable in usage so... discuss?”

12.08pm BST

18th over: India 50-2 (Pujara 3, Kohli 0) Dhawan will be a bit annoyed with that dismissal, as he didn’t need to play that far outside off stump.

12.06pm BST

Broad gets his second wicket, and it’s fully deserved. He has bowled so well this morning. Dhawan pushed tentatively at a full outswinger and edged it low to the left of Buttler, who took a smart two-handed catch.

11.59am BST

17th over: India 50-1 (Dhawan 23, Pujara 3) “Since when is Jimmy going wicketless, at 4.5 an over, a good spell?” Simon Hoggett. “Was the runs column a typo, or are the ‘Teflon Posse’ manning the slip cordon again?”

Eyes > data.

11.56am BST

16th over: India 48-1 (Dhawan 22, Pujara 2) Broad produces an unbelievable jaffa from around the wicket to Dhawan. It swerves, straightens and somehow misses both the outside edge and the off stump. Dhawan responds by running down the track to the next ball, which is too wide for him to play. Broad’s reaction suggests he doesn’t particularly care for such tactics.

11.51am BST

15th over: India 46-1 (Dhawan 20, Pujara 2) Another good maiden from Curran to Pujara. India have scored just nine runs from the last eight overs. I doubt that will bother them, certainly not Pujara. They know batting should become a lot easier as the day progresses.

11.50am BST

14th over: India 46-1 (Dhawan 20, Pujara 2) Shikhar Dhawan survives an England review for a catch at slip. He tried to flick Broad to leg, and there was a whirl of bat and legs before the ball ended up in the hands of Cook at first slip. It looked like there had been an outside edge but Kumar Dharmasena gave it not out.

England were pretty sure it was out and went for the review. Replays showed it had missed the outside edge and hit the top of the thigh. The third umpire decided it was high enough to the naked eye that he hadn’t bother checking for LBW.

11.42am BST

13th over: India 46-1 (Dhawan 20, Pujara 2) Sam Curran replaces Jimmy Anderson, who bowled a good spell of 4-0-18-0 this morning. He starts with a promising maiden to Pujara, a mixture of inswingers and deliveries angled across the right-hander.

11.37am BST

12th over: India 46-1 (Dhawan 20, Pujara 2) Oof. Dhawan, aiming to leg, gets a leading edge that teases both the bowler Broad and mid off before dropping safely. Broad then angles a full delivery into Dhawan, who pings it sweetly through square leg for four. Lovely shot. a

“Look, man, it’s no use berating people for not seeing what is out there, or has actually physically happened, because that doesn’t matter anymore,” says Ian Copestake. When the Dude threw shade on Jesus with his ‘that’s just like your opinion, man,’ he wasn’t employing bathos, he was being prescient.”

11.32am BST

11th over: India 42-1 (Dhawan 16, Pujara 2) England would love to get Virat (we’re old friends) to the crease while the ball is new. Pujara gets off the mark from his 12th delivery, flicking Anderson off the pads for two. An otherwise unthreatening over ends with a good delivery that Pujara edges short of slip. WHERE’S THE BLOODY POSTMAN?

11.28am BST

10th over: India 39-1 (Dhawan 15, Pujara 0) Bairstow is fielding in a kind of fly slip position for Broad. I don’t know why. What I do know is that Anderson and Broad are bowling beautifully this morning. Pujara gloves a short ball to safety on the leg side and then wears a good delivery in the vicinity of his personal space. An excellent maiden from Broad. A second wicket is in the post, although that isn’t always a guarantee of delivery.

11.23am BST

9th over: India 39-1 (Dhawan 15, Pujara 0) The wicket of Rahul has given England control of the scoreboard, which is when Anderson and Broad are most content. They almost get a second wicket when Dhawan inside edges an Anderson inswinger just past his leg stump. The next ball is an absolute beauty that beats the outside edge. It’s coming...

“While England’s batting has received a lot of flak, the bowling seems to have slipped under the radar,” says Aditi Prabhudesai. “Broad and Anderson seem to be wasting the new ball ever since Adelaide by either bowling short or by bowling way wide outside off stump. Contrast with India who were targeting the stumps from ball 1. Every ball of theirs looked threatening. England need a new opening pair in batting as well as bowling.”

11.19am BST

8th over: India 37-1 (Dhawan 13, Pujara 0) That’s an important early wicket for England, who fancy Rahul as an LBW candidate. He has fallen that way in three of the last four innings.

11.15am BST

Broad nips one back to hit the pads of Rahul, and Kumar Dharmasena deliberates for an age before raising the finger. Rahul takes even longer to decide whether to review - but he does, hoping it might have been bouncing over the stumps. It wasn’t. Replays show it was hitting the top of middle, so India lose both a wicket and a review.

11.13am BST

7th over: India 37-0 (Dhawan 13, Rahul 19) Anderson looks good this morning, but India have started really positively. Rahul plays a beautiful stroke, punching an outswinger through the covers for four off the back foot. We’ve had 18 runs from the first three overs, which will displease England’s control freaks. Anderson’s over ends with an unsuccessful LBW appeal against Dhawan. It pitched outside leg.

11.07am BST

6th over: India 30-0 (Dhawan 13, Rahul 12) Dhawan square drives Broad confidently for four. He represents the improvement of this Indian batting line-up since the start of the series; no longer does he look a walking wicket when there is sideways movement.

“What about Stokes at No3?” says Robin Hobbs. “Could be our Jacques Kallis. Technically one of our best couple of batsmen, and seems to have a new found resolve to bat time. Someone’s got to do it, but it’s becoming increasingly evident that that someone shouldn’t be Root.”

11.03am BST

5th over: India 25-0 (Dhawan 9, Rahul 11) There’s some encouraging early swing for Anderson, whose line is tighter than it was lsat night. Dhawan softens his hands to steer a boundary to third man. I’d love to know why England so rarely have a third man; it feels like a lot of runs have been scored there this summer.

“Bit confused as to why England have gone with two spinners,” says Lewis Rosenberg. “Can’t see them bowling a lot today. I would have dropped Rashid to keep Pope. Do you think the young lad might have made much of a difference yesterday?”

10.59am BST

It’s a beautiful day in Southampton, and the consensus is that it feels like a batting day. As an England fan, that means only one thing.

10.47am BST

Here’s the TMS link for overseas readers

10.46am BST

Broad or Curran? “Surely yesterday was crying out for Sam Curran to take the new ball with Anderson,” says Dave Brown. “Broad still has plenty to offer and losing the new ball might concentrate his mind a bit more. I feel somewhat grubby and unpatriotic suggesting that we split the Anderson/Broad partnership but could it be time?”

There was a case for it because of Curran’s mood, the expectation of swing and to put a rocket up Broad. But I think Broad has bowled very well since the Australia tour: he has 28 wickets at 23 and those figures don’t flatter him. I can see both sides!

10.42am BST

An email! “Getting to bedtime here in NZ, so rather than wait for the actual game, I’ll settle for your prediction for tonight (your time)’s close of play score,” says Paul Cockburn. “My money says that was nowhere near enough from England yesterday, and they’ll be 50 behind at the close. But for how many, hmmm?”

I haven’t a clue what’s going to happen, which is when Test cricket is at its best. So much depends on how much the ball swings, and I ain’t no rocket scientist.

10.40am BST

And here’s today’s county cricket blog

10.39am BST

Pre-play reading

4.18pm BST

Hello. Big day, this. If India are still batting at the close, the theme from Jaws will be blaring around England’s subconscious. But if the ball swings and seams as much as it did yesterday, England will expect to take a first-innings lead.

A lot depends on Virat Kohli, though not as much as in the first two Tests. The other Indian batsmen shared the dirty work at Trent Bridge, and England really need James Anderson at his best to undermine their newfound confidence in these conditions.

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

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Published on August 31, 2018 10:45

August 27, 2018

Women's Super League final: Surrey Stars thrash Loughborough Lightning - as it happened

Lizelle Lee’s devastating century and Nat Sciver’s all-round brilliance helped Surrey Stars win the Super League for the first time

Read Raf Nicholson’s match report from Hove

7.13pm BST

That’s it for our Finals Day blog. It’s been a landmark day for Surrey Stars, who fully deserved their first Super League victory. I’ll leave you with a match report from Hove. Goodnight!

7.01pm BST

Nat Sciver is bathed in champagne as she lifts the Super League trophy. Surrey Stars will celebrate well tonight.

6.58pm BST

The Player of the Tournament is Smriti Mandhana, who batted so beautifully for Western Storm but was unavailable for Finals Day.

6.55pm BST

The Player of the Match is Lizelle Lee “I’m so proud of the girls. Everyone dug in and got us over the line today. We didn’t have a target in mind, we just went with it.”

6.49pm BST

Nat Sciver speaks! “We peaked at the right time as a team. We didn’t play our best cricket at the start but managed to get through to Finals Day, and it’s anyone’s game from there. I’m so pleased for all the girls and all the backroom staff. This tournament is great exposure for everyone and Mady Villiers took her chance today. And I’ve just been told there’s an unlimited card tonight so I’m very happy!”

6.44pm BST

The Surrey Stars team all sport huge smiles as they embrace the backroom staff. They have peaked at the right time, edging past Western Storm in the semis before marmalising Loughborough. Lizelle Lee’s savage century took them to a formidable total of 183 for six, and then Marizanne Kapp’s brilliant opening spell left Loughborough in all kinds of bother.

6.40pm BST

WICKET! Loughborough Lightning 117 all out (Smith st Taylor b Marsh 5) ... SURREY WIN BY 66 RUNS

It’s all over! Smith runs past one from Marsh and Sarah Taylor does the rest. Surrey have hammered Loughborough to win the Super League for the first time!

6.39pm BST

18th over: Loughborough Lightning 116-9 (Gunn 22, Smith 3) The teenager Mady Villiers ends the best spell of her fledgling career with figures of 4-0-22-3. She bowled beautifully and has a big smile all over her face. It was lovely captaincy from Nat Sciver too.

6.36pm BST

17th over: Loughborough Lightning 113-9 (Gunn 20, Smith 2) Gunn blasts van Niekerk back over her head for four. She is playing with plenty of pride in the face of certain defeat and is now the top scorer in the innings.

6.33pm BST

16th over: Loughborough Lightning 104-9 (Gunn 13, Smith 0) That was the last ball of the over. Fact.

6.33pm BST

Mady Villiers takes her third wicket with a flighted delivery that goes straight through Gordon to hit the off stump. Surrey Stars need one wicket to win the Super League for the first time!

6.30pm BST

15th over: Loughborough Lightning 97-8 (Gunn 7, Gordon 5) Gordon gets her first boundary with a classy back cut off Dunkley.

6.27pm BST

14th over: Loughborough Lightning 90-8 (Gunn 5, Gordon 0)

6.26pm BST

Eight down, two to go. Glenn has a hoick across the line at Villiers and is bowled, ending a breezy cameo of 18 from 12 balls.

6.23pm BST

13th over: Loughborough Lightning 83-7 (Gunn 3, Glenn 14) Dane van Niekerk’s hat-trick ball – she took wickets with the last two balls of her previous over – is blocked respectfully by Gunn.

Glenn, who is far too good to be batting at No9, chips perkily over extra cover for four and then lifts another boundary down the ground.

6.20pm BST

12th over: Loughborough Lightning 72-7 (Gunn 2, Glenn 5) Loughborough Lightning needs snookers, a miracle, a time machine and 112 from 48 balls.

6.18pm BST

Mady Villiers strikes with her first ball! Higham missed a sweep and was bowled round her legs. Surrey are three wickets away from a thumping victory.

6.16pm BST

11th over: Loughborough Lightning 66-6 (Gunn 1, Higham 0) This will be so disappointing for Loughborough, who were emphatically the best team in the league phase. You do wonder if the system of playing the semi-final and the final on the same day puts the league leaders at a disadvantage.

6.13pm BST

10th over: Loughborough Lightning 63-6 (Gunn 0, Higham 0) “I know the ‘true cricket fan’ always wants to see a close contest, so I must be a fake fan, but I will be more than happy to see the Stars carry on in this manner and crush it today,” says Ravi Nair. “Just as, if I live another 1000 years, I might see England win the Ashes 5-0. OK, the latter is too unrealistic even for my fantasies...”

6.13pm BST

Two in two balls! Adams clips a low full toss straight to Marsh at mid on, and Loughborough are going down in a heap.

6.12pm BST

Surrey are storming to victory. Elwiss slog sweeps van Niekerk to the deep midwicket boundary, where Sciver takes a beautifully judged catch above her head. With bat and ball, in the field and as captain, Sciver has had a sensational Finals Day.

6.07pm BST

9th over: Loughborough Lightning 56-4 (Elwiss 17, Adams 5) Another thrifty over from the legspinner Dunkley, who is bowling so slowly that the batters are having to put all the pace on the ball.

6.05pm BST

8th over: Loughborough Lightning 51-4 (Elwiss 15, Adams 2) Natalie Sciver comes on. It’s one captain to another, and Elwiss pings a full toss round the corner for four. She will need to play the innings of her life for Loughborough to win this.

6.01pm BST

7th over: Loughborough Lightning 43-4 (Elwiss 9, Adams 0)

5.58pm BST

Surrey Stars are surely going to win the Super League. Rachael Haynes has gone now, slicing the legspinner Sophia Dunkley’s second ball straight to Lee at point.

5.57pm BST

6th over: Loughborough Lightning 36-3 (Haynes 13, Elwiss 5) That’s a classy stroke from Elwiss, who works Kapp wristily through midwicket for four. It’s not enough for Loughborough, however, with only three runs from the other five deliveries. They need 148 from the last 14 overs.

5.52pm BST

5th over: Loughborough Lightning 29-3 (Haynes 12, Elwiss 1) Just four from Laura Marsh’s second over. Loughborough have a near impossible task. They need more than 10 an over, yet they can’t afford to lose another wicket for the next half an hour or so.

5.50pm BST

4th over: Loughborough Lightning 25-3 (Haynes 11, Elwiss 0) That was the ball over the over. Kapp has figures of 2-0-7-2.

5.49pm BST

Marizanne Kapp’s scintillating opening spell continues with the wicket of Elyse Villani, bowled by a superb yorker as she tried to make room. Loughborough are in huge trouble here.

5.45pm BST

3rd over: Loughborough Lightning 23-2 (Haynes 11, Villani 1) Haynes dances down the track to drive van Niekerk sweetly back over her head for four. There’s a death stare coming her way if she gets out in van Niekerk’s next over.

5.43pm BST

Another big wicket for Surrey! Jones played a gorgeous stroke to van Niekerk’s first ball, driving it high down the ground for four, but the next delivery skidded on to hit the stumps as Jones shaped to flash it through the off side. Superb bowling from van Niekerk, who celebrated (sic) by giving Jones a truly magnificent death stare.

5.41pm BST

2nd over: Loughborough Lightning 14-1 (Haynes 7, Jones 1) Kapp completes a quite brilliant first over by beating Haynes with consecutive deliveries before having a huge LBW shout turned down. That looked really close. Haynes played across an inswinger that might just have been going down leg. That’s the only thing that could have saved her.

5.38pm BST

This is a huge wicket! The ball after being dropped at third man, a fiendishly difficult chance to Gray, Devine was trapped LBW by Marizanne Kapp. It kept a bit low and, though she tried to drag her bat across like a curtain rail, it was too late. She was plumb.

5.36pm BST

1st over: Loughborough Lightning 9-0 (Haynes 7, Devine 1) The offspinner Laura Marsh bowls the first over to Rachael Haynes, who steers a boundary to third man and then survives a huge LBW shout. It was just sliding past leg stump.

5.32pm BST

The players are back out. Sophie Devine will open the batting despite that wrist injury.

5.23pm BST

20th over: Surrey Stars 183-6 (van Niekerk 15, Marsh 0) The last ball of the innings goes for four byes, with Marsh missing a unique kind of reverse dab. That means Loughborough Lightning need 184 to win – I believe it’s known in the trade as a stiff ask. Or is it a big ask? Whatever, see you in a few minutes for the run chase.

“Just to let you know I have nothing witty or pertinent to say,” says Ravi Nair, “but am following your every word with bated breath. Oh and yes: LIZELLE LEE!!!!!”

5.20pm BST

van Niekerk starts the final over of the innings with a remarkable stroke, a one-handed six down the ground off Elwiss. Kapp then lifts a full toss straight to Haynes at deep square leg. She goes for one and there are two balls remaining.

5.17pm BST

19th over: Surrey Stars 171-5 (van Niekerk 7, Kapp 1) There was a strange incident earlier in the over. The non-striker Dunkley came back for a second, and was short of her ground when the throw from long on reached the bowler Gunn. But Gunn, for reasons that aren’t entirely clear, had already pulled a stump out of the ground, and that meant Dunkley was not out.

5.16pm BST

Loughborough are having an excellent end to the innings. Dunkley charges Gunn and hammers straight to Adams on the edge of the circle. There are eight balls remaining.

5.12pm BST

18th over: Surrey Stars 165-4 (van Niekerk 3, Dunkley 1) That was a brilliant last over from Smith, with just four singles and the wicket of Sciver.

5.11pm BST

Sciver slams Smith towards mid off, where Adams takes a smart catch. Sciver played an excellent supporting role, hitting 40 from 31 balls.

5.09pm BST

17th over: Surrey Stars 161-3 (Sciver 37, van Niekerk 1) Sciver charges down the track to drive Gordon for four. Surrey defended 162 in the semi-finals; they’ll have even more to play in this match.

5.06pm BST

Lizelle Lee’s masterpiece is over. She clunks Gordon towards long on, where Haynes runs in to take her second excellent catch of the innings. Lee gets a standing ovation for a mighty innings: 104 from 58 balls with 13 fours and six sixes.

5.04pm BST

16th over: Surrey Stars 153-2 (Lee 103, Sciver 33) Devine is back on the field and into the attack. Lee greets her with another emphatic drive over extra cover for four to move into the nineties. A top-edged sweep for four and a suicidal single - she would have been miles out with a direct hit - take Lee to 98, and then she pings a full toss to the long leg boundary to reach an astonishing hundred from only 55 balls! It’s the first ever hundred on Finals Day, and it’s been spectacular throughout. She has belted 13 fours and six sixes!

4.59pm BST

15th over: Surrey Stars 137-2 (Lee 89, Sciver 32) A slower ball from Gunn is timed beautifully to the extra cover boundary by Sciver, who belts the next delivery over short fine leg for four more. Sciver has quietly sped to 32 from 24 balls; Lee has noisily raced to 89 from 52.

4.56pm BST

14th over: Surrey Stars 127-2 (Lee 88, Sciver 23) Loughborough look punchdrunk. Elwiss’s third over disappears for 11, with a boundary apiece for Lee and Sciver. This has been an awesome batting performance from Surrey Stars, who are big favourites to win the match.

4.52pm BST

13th over: Surrey Stars 116-2 (Lee 84, Sciver 17) This is a devastating performance from Lizelle Lee, who has raced to 84 from 46 balls. She splatters Smith over extra cover, the first of three boundaries in four balls. The others came from a ferocious cut stroke and a precise drag round the corner.

4.49pm BST

12th over: Surrey Stars 103-2 (Lee 72, Sciver 16) Sciver gets her second boundary, dancing down the track to crack Glenn through mid off. Sciver has played unobtrusively so far, happy to support of the rampaging Lee. The moment I type that, Lee gets her sixth six with a monstrous slog sweep. That went miles!

4.46pm BST

11th over: Surrey Stars 91-2 (Lee 65, Sciver 11) Devine is leaving the field, presumably for more treatment on that wounded wrist. Gordon tosses the ball up to Lee, who smacks her fifth six of the innings. Technically it’s a dropped catch, as it went through the hands of the leaping Villani at long on, though it was hit flat and very hard. Lee has 65 from 38 balls.

4.43pm BST

10th over: Surrey Stars 81-2 (Lee 57, Sciver 9) Sarah Glenn comes into the attack. A high full toss means a no-ball and a free hit, but Lee can only scrunch it for a single. It’s a good over from Glenn, the first without a boundary since the second over.

4.38pm BST

9th over: Surrey Stars 76-2 (Lee 55, Sciver 7) Lee drags Gunn to fine leg for four to reach a punishing half-century: 30 balls, six fours, four sixes. Loughborough are starting to look a bit frazzled and a rare misfield from Haynes gives Sciver her first boundary. They desperately need a wicket.

“It’s the Stars on 45,” says Chris Drew. “(Sorry!)”

4.35pm BST

8th over: Surrey Stars 64-2 (Lee 48, Sciver 2) Devine has had her wrist strapped and is going to continue. As is Lizelle Lee, who drives Elwiss high over wide mid off for four to move to 48 from 28 balls. That’s another majestic stroke. If she is at the crease for another five overs, Loughborough will be in a lot of trouble.

4.31pm BST

There’s a break in play while Sophie Devine receives treatment. She was hit on the wrist, fielding a drive from Sciver, and looks in a lot of pain.

4.30pm BST

7th over: Surrey Stars 57-2 (Lee 43, Sciver 0) Lee survives a huge shout for LBW after missing a sweep at Kirstie Gordon. That looked extremely close. It’s the start of a very eventful over which includes a high full that Lee clouts for six, and a dropped catch at long off. Lee blasted Gordon down the ground towards Georgia Adams, who seemed to take a wonderful running catch - only to then drop the ball onto the boundary rope. That means another it’s another six for Lee, her fourth of the innings.

4.24pm BST

6th over: Surrey Stars 44-2 (Lee 31, Sciver 0) The new batter is the Surrey captain Natalie Sciver, who played so spectacularly in the semi-final earlier today.

4.23pm BST

Sarah Taylor has gone! She top-edged a sweep off Georgia Elwiss towards deep square leg, where Rachael Haynes charged in from the boundary and dived forward to take a beautiful low catch. That’s a big wicket for Loughborough.

4.20pm BST

5th over: Surrey Stars 40-1 (Lee 31, Taylor 1) Lee blasts Smith down the ground for a huge six. She has raced to 31 from 18 balls, with 22 from the last six.

4.17pm BST

4th over: Surrey Stars 33-1 (Lee 25, Taylor 0) Lizelle Lee is such a key wicket in this game. She moves into double figures with a savage back cut, the first of four consecutive boundaries off Devine. Two were top-edged pulls over the keeper. I doubt those moral victories are of much comfort to Devine.

4.14pm BST

3rd over: Surrey Stars 17-1 (Lee 8, Taylor 0) That was the last ball of the over. Sarah Taylor is the new batter.

4.13pm BST

Bryony Smith stomps off after being needlessly run out. Lee pushed Linsey Smith to point and set off; and Bryony Smith was well short when Amy Jones took Lucy Higham’s throw and sent the stumps flying. It was superb fielding from Higham, though Smith’s body language suggests she is less than enamoured with the decision to take that single.

4.08pm BST

2nd over: Surrey Stars 14-0 (Lee 8, Smith 1) The New Zealander Sophie Devine shares the new ball and decides to go after Lee with some short stuff. One ball hits Lee in the stomach, knocking her off her feet; the next beats an attempted hook stroke. In her keenness to get off strike, Lee takes a dodgy single to backward point. We haven’t seen a replay but Smith might have been struggling with a direct hit. A mixed over from Devine, with three leg-side wides and some dangerous deliveries to Lee.

4.03pm BST

1st over: Surrey Stars 9-0 (Lee 7, Smith 1) This is a bit of a surprise: Jenny Gunn is opening the bowling for Loughborough, perhaps with the dangerous Lizelle Lee in mind. Whatever the plan, it hasn’t worked. After a couple of deliveries to play herself in, Lee drills a stunning six over mid-off. Shot!

3.59pm BST

In the men’s game, Somerset have beaten Nottinghamshire by 19 runs in the last T20 Blast quarter-final.

3.52pm BST

I don’t think that’s a terrible toss to lose for Surrey Stars. They won batting first in the semi-final, and chasing is tricky on what looks a tired wicket. They’ll be aiming for 160 again. But 140 would give them a chance.

3.35pm BST

Loughborough Lightning Haynes, Devine, Jones (wk), Villani, Elwiss (c), Adams, Gunn, Higham, Glenn, Gordon, Smith.

Surrey Stars Lee, Smith, Taylor (wk), Sciver (c), van Niekerk, Dunkley, Kapp, Marsh, Cranstone, Villiers, Gray.

3.34pm BST

Natalie Sciver said she would have bowled, but she doesn’t seem too disappointed. She does, however, look absolutely shattered after her superheroic performance in the semi-final.

3.31pm BST

Thanks Tanya, hello everyone. We’ll have the toss for the final in a few minutes, though it feels like we all need a bit more time to digest that mighty semi-final.

3.25pm BST

So, as time ticks onwards, I’ll hand you over to Rob Smyth for incisive commentary and hot chocolate on the side.

3.19pm BST

Raf Nicholson on the underdogs:

3.17pm BST

Sky showing that profile of Katherine Brunt in between matches so just wiping a few fat tears away. But we all have a quiet blub on OBO sometimes don’t we? Anyway, three quarters of an hour till the climax of the women’s domestic season, Loughborough Lightning v Surrey Stars. Loughborough have the advantage of rest and observation, Stars have the advantage of adrenalin and knowing exactly how the pitch is playing.

2.59pm BST

A cracking match that, and a super little hors-d’oeuvre for the final. Knight and Sciver are eloquent in post-match chat with Nick Knight, whose trousers are so distubingly skin-coloured that it looks as if he’s gone commando for the occasion.

Knight, magnanimous in defeat speaks of Surrey as “our bogey team.” Nat Sciver, player of the match, praises her leg-spinner Dunkley who took the crucial wicket of Knight. “I knew she had it in her.”

2.51pm BST

20th over: Western Storm 153-6 ( Wilson 58, Dattani 2 ) Western Storm win by nine runs!

Sciver grabbed the ball for the final over, and with it the match. When Dattani fell to her first ball, it brought in Macleod who was playing her first game of the KSL season . Barring a miracle, it was all over. Bad luck to Fran Wilson whose 58 kept Western Storm in the race, but bravo to Surrey and their inspirational captain Sciver. Surrey lost to Western Storm in last year’s semi so it will be a different line-up for the final staring at 4pm. Surrey Stars v Loughborough Lightning. A tasty, tasty tea-time bank-holiday treat.

2.44pm BST

A slower ball that Dattani edges onto her own stumps. Quelle horreur!

2.42pm BST

19th over: Western Storm 149-5 ( Wilson 57, Dattani 4) Western Storm need 14 from 6. Marsh bowls the penultimate over... and there are just five off it... and Wilson is stuck at the non-strikers end with one over to go. The captain will bowl it.

2.39pm BST

18th over: Western Storm 144-5 ( Wilson 55, Dattani 2) Western Storm need 19 from 12. Wilson demi-piroettes to ease Dunkley down to the boundary for four, next ball ... Dunkley bowls, Wilson sweeps on one knee, Taylor appeals vigorously for a stumping... but she’s comfortably in. But just six from the over . This is knee-knockingly tight.

2.35pm BST

17th over: Western Storm 138-5 ( Wilson 50, Dattani 1) Western Storm need 25 from 18. Arghghg, a no-ball from van Niekerk just at the wrong time gives a free hit to Dattani, who can only knock one from it. Then a terrible final ball is hoiked to the boundary by Wilson which takes her to her fifty, off just 37 balls, a smashing little knock.

2.31pm BST

A good catch, tanterlisingly close to the ground, by Kapp diving forward at mid-wicket

2.29pm BST

16th over: Western Storm 129-4 ( Wilson 44, Luff 2) Western Storm need 34 from 24. Fran Wilson hits a boundary somewhere when I’m not looking, then to Sarah Taylor’s shrugging disgust nudges the ball between her legs and the stumps, past Taylor and down to the boundary. Eleven from the over.

An email! From Palfreyman. Thank you.

@tjaldred Storm are going to make this easily, aren't they?

What a Surrey bowling performance...

2.24pm BST

15th over: Western Storm 118-4 ( Wilson 36, Luff 1) Western Storm need 45 from 30 So Dunkley, whose elegant leg-spin floats from her right-hand, balletic left arm testing the breeze, takes the key wicket. Game on now. Nine an over needed with a new batter at the crease.

2.23pm BST

Dunkley elegantly wafts a ball in and Knight misses it! Neck, crop and all the rest

2.20pm BST

14th over: Western Storm 114-3 ( Wilson 36, Knight 35) Western Storm need 49 from 36 Sciver, determination etched upon her every footstep, runs in and keeps the pressure on. Just five singles from the over. The Wilson/Knight partnership is now worth 51 off 39 balls.

2.16pm BST

13th over: Western Storm 109-3 ( Wilson 33, Knight 31) Western Storm need 54 from 42 Tighter from van Niekerk, with her slingy action, just five from it. But Western STorm are tightening the screw.

2.14pm BST

12th over: Western Storm 105-3 ( Wilson 31, Knight 29) Fran Wilson is playing a cracking little innings. She is so quick and nimble, following Gray’s every move, finding the gaps. To Gray’s penultimate ball, she pulls in front of square to the boundary. Then a reverse sweep in front of third-man for another. CLick-clack, the scoreboard moves through the hinges.

2.10pm BST

11th over: Western Storm 91-3 ( Wilson 17, Knight 29) Sciver brings Marsh back, who is tighter this time. Just an unfortunate piece of fielding on the boundary to a sweep from Wilson, a mis-reading of the spin, spoils things.

2.04pm BST

9th over: Western Storm 79-3 ( Wilson 6, Knight 28) Wilson, keen to book her place on the plane for the winter tour, hits her first ball, a loosener from Dunkley, for four. Knight watches the last ball of the over land in front of her, short and wide, and square drives it away for four. 12 off the over. Storm need 84 to win off 11.

2.00pm BST

8th over: Western Storm 67-3 ( Wilson 0, Knight 23) A timely wicket. Sciver brings herself on and over-pitches her third ball, Taylor takes one step and powers the ball to the boundary. The next delivery gets Taylor. But Knight powers on, four off the last, down to third man.

1.57pm BST

A slightly mis-timed lofted straight drive that goes high, so high, and straight to Laura Marsh at mid on.

1.55pm BST

7th over: Western Storm 59-2 ( Stefanie Taylor 12, Knight 19) Oooh Heather Knight, that’s tasty. She goes down on one knee and sweeps Marsh for four. Taylor and Knight scuttle between the wickets, Knight considerably more speedy. That’s 12 from the over.

1.51pm BST

6th over: Western Storm 47-2 ( Stefanie Taylor 10, Knight 9) Kapp, a most serious looking bowler, is on top till the final ball when a delicate touch from Taylor, like the grandmother’s stroke of a baby’s cheek, sends the ball scuttling to the boundary.

1.47pm BST

5th over: Western Storm 40-2 ( Stefanie Taylor 5, Knight 7) Taylor clocks van Niekerk square for a boundary and Knight follows suit with a stylish drive for four. At the same point in their innings Surrey were 42-1.

1.44pm BST

4th over: Western Storm 30-2 ( Stefanie Taylor 0, Knight 2) West Indies and England captains at the crease!

1.43pm BST

The big-hitting Priest tries one slog too many and topples the ball into the stretched arms of Marsh at short long-on.

1.39pm BST

3rd over: Western Storm 18-1 ( Priest 11, Knight 0) What a bowling change as Sciver brings van Niekerk into the attack. Shrubsole lasts four balls of her power-hitting brief before hitting out in frustration and finding Kapp comfortably placed just short of the rope at deep mid-wicket.

1.37pm BST

Shrubsole makes the connection... but only as far as Kapp who takes the catch standing just short of the deep-midwicket boundary.

1.34pm BST

2nd over: Western Storm 14-0 ( Priest 11, Shrubsole 2) A careful over from Kapp. Priest follows her opening ball round and Kapp, hair in a bun, and Taylor, appeal for an edge. Not out says the umpire. Priest edges the next past Taylor and down for a boundary. But Storm look nervy.

1.30pm BST

1st over: Western Storm 8-0 ( Priest 7, Shrubsole 1) A tight first over from Marsh, with some nimble Surrey fielding, till Priest gets hold of a loose last delivery and powers it for four.

1.27pm BST

Edwards on Sciver: “as good as T20 innings as I’ve seen from her.”

So Western Storm have to break the KSL Finals day record to defend their title against Loughborough later. But the chasing team have so far have the edge on Final’s Day. Enter Shrubsole and Priest. Surrey Stars have won the two group games, but Western Storm are defending champions....here we go...

1.22pm BST

11th over: Surrey Stars 72-4 (Dunkley 1, Sciver 15) Sciver strikes Nicholas for a back-foot boundary, and then another to the last ball of the over that just beats the desperately diving Heather Knight to the rope.

1.19pm BST

Well, that was cracking. I thought Surrey had blown it when Taylor fell early. All power to the incredible Sciver. Now what can Western Storm do? Shrubsole, promoted to open, has something to prove after bowling four wicketless overs for 42.

1.16pm BST

20th over: Surrey Stars 162-5 (Kapp 32, Sciver 72) Shrubsole’s final over goes for 13. Kapp takes a leaf out out of Sciver’s book, throwing the bat - the best shot a short-arm jab down the hill and over the boundary. A great recovery by Surrey, and a bootiful unbeaten partnership of 90 between Kapp and Sciver. Sciver was drop-dead sensational. Surrey’s 162 is the highest score of Final’s Day - with a hundred runs coming off the last ten overs.

1.10pm BST

19th over: Surrey Stars 149-5 (Kapp 20, Sciver 71) Nicholas keeps it tight till the final ball of the over when Sciver pulls her low just in front of where the fielder was moved to, for a one-bounce-four. This is edge-of-your-seats superb batting.

1.06pm BST

18th over: Surrey Stars 141-5 (Kapp 18, Sciver 65) Davies wobbles, and Sciver stands, waits and glides the ball to the boundary. Two balls later she shimmies and ramps and has another four outside fine leg’s stretch. A rattled Davies bowls a huge wide.

Two overs to go - can they hit 150?

1.02pm BST

17th over: Surrey Stars 129-5 (Kapp 17, Sciver 55) Knight returns and Surrey whallop 13 off her over. Sciver reaches 50 with a sweep - 32 balls, seven fours -her third fifty in KSL matches. And here she goes again with another four! Through the offside, with rhythm!

12.59pm BST

16th over: Surrey Stars 116-5 (Kapp 16, Sciver 43) Surrey fearlessly up the tempo - two boundaries off Taylor’s over, including a stylish drive by Sciver that was rather hopelessly parried by Western Storm.

12.56pm BST

15th over: Surrey Stars 104-5 (Kapp 11, Sciver 37) Shrubsole, soon to open the batting, is brought back and keeps it tight for four balls. Then she drifts wider, and Sciver drives squarely through the off side for a boundary; flicks the next just over the fielder for another four.

12.53pm BST

14th over: Surrey Stars 93-5 (Kapp 8, Sciver 26) Eight from Taylor’s over that includes a juicy full toss that Sciver gets hold of, but hits straight to the sweeper for a single.

12.50pm BST

13th over: Surrey Stars 85-5 (Kapp 6, Sciver 22) Sciver pulls Gibson riskily behind square for four, then off her toes as these two scramble for runs.

Something to think about: the average score in a women’s T20 at Hove is 130.

12.46pm BST

12th over: Surrey Stars 75-5 (Kapp 1, Sciver 15) Good running between the wickets to the last ball of Knight’s over brings a couple more runs, but the Stars are short and the women bowl so quickly that the overs tick by without fanfare.

12.44pm BST

Knight brings herself on and with her first ball, comes around the wicket and bowls Dunkley, who got herself into a dogs-breakfast of a position.

12.39pm BST

10th over: Surrey Stars 62-4 (Dunkley 0, Sciver 6 ) At half way the Stars are struggling, but Sciver, crucially is still there. Still rubbing my eyes at the audacity of that run-out.

12.37pm BST

Wow! An astonishing bit of fielding from Wilson at point, who must have been still buzzing from her catch. The run was there, but the fielding was top- notch.

12.35pm BST

9th over: Surrey Stars 60-3 (van Niekerk 3, Sciver 5 ) A tight over from Gibson - only four from it - as the Stars regroup. Plenty of tickets still available by the way if anyone is looking for something to do on a cloudy bank holiday - £1 for children, £5 (I think) for adults.

12.32pm BST

8th over: Surrey Stars 56-3 (van Niekerk 1, Sciver 3 ) Stafanie Taylor snatches her namesake, who is yet to fire properly with the bat in this tournament. Nervous times for Surrey. They need to take an over to breathe. But the balls tick ever onwards.

12.30pm BST

A fuller ball from Taylor, and Sarah Taylor tries to reverse sweep and is caught! A superb diving catch by Fran Wilson at point.

12.28pm BST

7th over: Surrey Stars 49-2 (Taylor 11, Sciver 1 ) Danielle Gibson enters the fray. An inelegant top-edged pull by Taylor in the gloom. Five runs from the over.

12.25pm BST

6th over: Surrey Stars 44-2 (Taylor 7, Sciver 0 ) So enter Sciver, who has been in magnificent form with both bat and ball for the Stars this season. This will be a partnership to watch.

12.23pm BST

Oooh, unlucky Smith. An inside edge that bounces onto the pads and hits leg stump.

12.21pm BST

5th over: Surrey Stars 42-1 (Taylor 6, Smith 10) Claire Nicholas replaces Shrubsole and has Taylor prodding until the last ball which Taylor, slender as a grass, steps forward and with a glorious lofted drive hits the boundary.

12.16pm BST

4th over: Surrey Stars 30-1 (Taylor 0, Smith 10) Nine runs off Davies’ over as Smith takes over the Lee mantle. Sarah Taylor watches for a couple of careful dots.

12.14pm BST

3rd over: Surrey Stars 21-1 (Lee 19, Smith 1) What a timely wicket. They’d just been saying on the commentary that when Lee goes beyond ten, there is trouble at mill. Lee whalloped two fours in the over before she was dismissed.

12.12pm BST

Just as Lee was about to move into fifth gear, Shrubsole strikes! A regulation catch for the keeper and a game-changer.

12.08pm BST

2nd over: Surrey Stars 8-0 (Lee 7, Smith 1) A big stage for the talented Freya Davies, whose pony-tail hangs long down her back as she runs in to bowl. She beats Smith with her first ball, mixes it up through the over with a bit of late-swing here and an angled seam there. Lee falls ingloriously on to her behind trying to pull a low ball.

12.03pm BST

1st over: Surrey Stars 5-0 (Lee 5, Smith 0) Anya Shrubsole starts with a couple of hooping inswingers, Lizelle Lee helps a wider one on its way down for the first boundary of the match.

12.01pm BST

And the teams walk out to dry ice, which has the fielders coughing, flames and mascots. The Surrey Stars openers are South African Lizelle Lee and England’s Bryony Smith

11.55am BST

Knowledgeable preview from Raf and Syd at CricketHer:

Last shout out for our @crickether preview of #KSL2018 Finals Day, in which Syd plays the recorder... (badly) https://t.co/MXTjAxfJHN

11.53am BST

Going back to Ali Mitchell’s grey anorak - a few year’s ago I don’t think you’d have found a female TV commentator with the confidence to wear a practical item of clothing like that. Things really have changed - it was in coughing memory that when you read an interview with a sportswoman in a paper they were always done alongside a glamorous photoshoot, never with them looking sweaty and strong. All power to the Ali anorak!

11.49am BST

Charlotte Edwards waxing lyrical over Nat Sciver’s increasing “lateral use of the crease. ” Good to hear Edwards on Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, dealing with Rob Bonnet’s trademark probing-questions-with-a-smile.

11.44am BST

Surrey Stars:

In to bat for the #SurreyStars as Western Storm's captain Heather Knight wins the toss, and chooses to field.

An unchanged XI from our last victory over the Storm. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Eq6PDBJdDL

11.42am BST

Western Storm:

Your @WesternStormKSL team for today’s semi-final v @StarsKSL. #StormTroopers pic.twitter.com/CQJfYArR35

11.37am BST

And we go to the toss - Ali Mitchell is wearing an anorak - autumn is on the way. Heather Knight has won, and Western Storm are going to bowl first. Anya Shrubsole will open the batting - expect fire and fury.

Surrey Stars captain Nat Sciver says she would have had a bowl too on what looks like a good track. “Expect lots of runs,” she says. It’s a repeat of last year’s semi-final which the Stars lost. What will they take from that defeat? “We’ve learnt to soak up the pressure a little bit more,” she says.

10.43am BST

Roll-up, roll-up and welcome to Hove for the third, and penultimate (at least in its current form), KSL finals day.

While over the last few months various sub-committees have become embroiled in talk of The Hundred with its multiple mathematical possibilities, the KSL has rolled along in its merry way much as it has in the previous two years, with upsets and sensational performances popping up at every corner. After ten rounds (for details see here):

Final group stage standings for KSL 2018.#KSL2018 https://t.co/LtZu8ms7aO pic.twitter.com/sBJaSyKqFt

View more on Rob Smyth's website »

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Published on August 27, 2018 11:13

August 26, 2018

Newcastle 1-2 Chelsea: Premier League – as it happened

DeAndre Yedlin’s late own goal gave Chelsea victory in a frantic, controversial finish at St James’ Park

6.17pm BST

That’s it for today’s blog. I’ll leave you with our match report from St James’ Park. Thanks for your company, goodnight!

6.03pm BST

Marcos Alonso speaks! “I think it was a penalty. I was about to pass the ball to Giroud when he took me down. I don’t mind if the second goal is taken away from me: 2-1, three points, that’s what matters.”

6.02pm BST

Eden Hazard speaks! “When they equalised I think everyone thought it would be a draw, but we are Chelsea: we never give up. They defended well but we deserved to win. We are tired but happy.”

5.59pm BST

Chelsea’s 913 passes in the match might be a Premier League record, though.

5.55pm BST

According to the official Premier League site, Chelsea had 81.1 per cent of the possession in that match. That’s not quite a record - Manchester City had 82.3 per cent in the Aguerrooooooooooooooooooooo game.

5.51pm BST

Peep peep! Chelsea join Liverpool and Watford on nine points from the first three games.

5.49pm BST

90+3 min A loose ball bounces nicely for Ayoze Perez, who swishes a half volley over the bar from 20 yards.

5.46pm BST

90+1 min There will be five minutes of added time.

5.45pm BST

90 min Azpilicueta fouls Joselu 30 yards from goal - or, at least, is adjudged to have fouled him. Ki clips it straight out of play.

5.43pm BST

Willian’s lofted free-kick from the left was headed back to Alonso, who dragged a low right-footed volley across goal from the edge of the area. It was going wide until it hit the outstretched left foot of Yedlin and dribbled miserably into the net.

5.43pm BST

Chelsea have won it again!

5.42pm BST

86 min Chelsea have won the game once; now they need to win it again.

5.40pm BST

Now it’s Chelsea who are fuming. Giroud was flattened by an elbow from Yedlin, at which point a number of the Chelsea team stopped playing. Yedlin crossed towards the near post, where Joselu came on the blind side of David Luiz and flashed a header past Kepa.

5.39pm BST

Joselu equalises out of nothing with a brilliant header!

5.37pm BST

81 min I wonder what Kepa’s been thinking about during this match.

5.36pm BST

80 min Jorginho’s alert first-time pass releases Willian down the right, but he underhits a low pass towards the unmarked Hazard in the area. Jorginho’s passing is a joy.

5.35pm BST

79 min Newcastle’s final change. The unhappy Fabian Schar is replaced by Yoshinori Muto.

5.34pm BST

79 min Chelsea’s final change: Ross Barkley replaces the lively Mateo Kovacic.

5.33pm BST

77 min Newcastle are fuming about the penalty decision, and you can understandwhy. Schar got a lot on the ball as he challenged from the side before taking Alonso down in his follow through. That looks a really harsh decision.

5.32pm BST

Eden Hazard doesn’t miss penalties, and this one is crashed emphatically into the left corner. Dubravka went the right way but had almost no chance of getting to it.

5.32pm BST

76 min Alonso gets the wrong side of Schar and goes down, and Paul Tierney gives the penalty.

5.29pm BST

73 min Another Newcastle substitution. Ayoze Perez replaces Jacob Murphy.

5.28pm BST

72 min: Rudiger hits the bar! That was a spectacular effort. He pushed the ball forward and hit a ferocious shot from 30 yards that beat Dubravka for pace and slammed off the bar.

5.27pm BST

71 min In the second half - and you’ll like this - Newcastle have had 10 per cent possession.

5.26pm BST

70 min Another yellow card: Ritchie is booked for flattening Hazard. That was a nasty tackle.

5.24pm BST

69 min Another change for Chelsea: Willian replaces Pedro.

5.24pm BST

68 min Fernandez is booked for a late tackle on Kovacic.

5.23pm BST

67 min Newcastle’s tactics will doubtless be criticised, but in the circumstances I can understand their approach. And they have defended admirably, with both brains and brawn.

5.21pm BST

66 min A Chelsea substitution. Former footballer Alvaro Morata is replaced by Olivier Giroud.

5.21pm BST

65 min Schar is rightly booked for taking out Hazard.

5.20pm BST

65 min “Is it just me, or does it seem like Chelsea’s passing is actually very good, just their movement isn’t?” asks Adam Kline-Schoder. “I feel like if they kept up their current rate of passing (if such a thing exists) and just bloody MOVED, they’d create so many opportunities, even against such a strong low block. Could it be that there’s far too strong a dependency on Hazard?”

It feels like their passing has been a bit slow, though of course that’s linked to their movement.

5.18pm BST

62 min A Newcastle substitution: Salomon Rondon is replaced by Joselu.

5.16pm BST

61 min This is comically one-sided. I reckon Newcastle have been out of their half once in the last six or seven minutes.

5.15pm BST

60 min Pedro curls a dangerous cross towards Morata that is crucially headed clear by Schar.

5.14pm BST

58 min BREAKING NEWS: NEWCASTLE CROSS THE HALFWAY LINE.

5.12pm BST

56 min Azpilicueta finds Morata in the area, but his touch is heavy and Schar gets across to clear. Morata has been a bit disappointing, and with Newcastle defending so deep, this might be a day for Olivier Giroud.

5.10pm BST

55 min Hazard has been majestic today. It’s such a bonus for Chelsea that he is staying, as they would be pretty ordinary without him.

5.09pm BST

51 min “As Mitrovic continues to bang them in for Fulham, Andy Hinchcliffe posited that if Newcastle fans had been given the choice between Mitro, Rondon and Joselu, most would go for the Serb,” says Shaun Wilkinson. “I agree that most would think that (and I know I do), but a lot would be hesitant to say it as it would mean indirectly admitting that Rafa is not infallible. What’s your opinion? Mitro or Rondon? I am not going to insult you by entertaining the possibility you would choose Joselu.”

I haven’t seen much of Mitrovic so I don’t really have an opinion. Rondon is limited but at least he knows those limits and sticks to a fairly simple role.

5.06pm BST

50 min Good save from Dubravka. Hazard plays a brilliant pass to find Pedro on the right of the box. He eases it back to the onrushing Azpilicueta, whose first-time shot is too close to Dubravka.

5.05pm BST

49 min Chelsea have picked up where they left off before half-time. It’s almost painfully one-sided, and yet Newcastle are defending admirably.

5.01pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Chelsea begin the second half, yeah?

4.55pm BST

Chelsea had 79 per cent of the possession in that first half, which must be at least seven tenths of the law.

4.47pm BST

A bit of half-time reading

4.47pm BST

Peep peep! Chelsea have been highly dominant, but Newcastle have restricted them to few clear chances. See you in 15 minutes.

4.46pm BST

45 min Kovacic’s cross is only half cleared to Azpilicueta on the edge of the area. He chests the ball up and fizzes a volley that is accidentally blocked by his team-mate Morata in the six-yard box. I’m not sure whether it was going in or just wide of the far post. Moments later, Hazard is slipped through by Kante. He turns away from the keeper Dubravka but can’t make space for a shot.

4.44pm BST

45 min Hazard is fouled for the 412432432nd time in the match, prompting Kovacic - who was booked a few minutes ago - to enquire as to whether there’s any danger of a Newcastle player being similarly punished.

4.43pm BST

44 min Hazard takes the corner, Diame heads it clear. It’s nodded back in towards Rudiger, whose speculative header drifts a few yards wide of the far post. Dubravka had it covered.

4.42pm BST

43 min Now Chelsea win a corner. This is fun.

4.42pm BST

42 min “25-yard howitzers are too passé to be considered goals of the season, but I will always be partial to an outrageous effort from an improbable range,” says Matt Loten. “Not Beckham or Rooney or Adam, where they have time and space to think things through and play the percentages, but goals like Matt Taylor for Portsmouth against Everton a few years back, or Dejan Stankovic against Schalke in the Champions League. Halfway line, fizzing ball, hit on the volley. Sweet as.”

4.42pm BST

41 min Newcastle win three corners in quick succession, the third of which is eventually cleared by Hazard.

4.39pm BST

40 min Kovacic is booked for a foul on the admirable, tireless Yedlin.

4.39pm BST

37 min Hazard’s positioning and awareness are so good. He has found space all day, even though Newcastle have often had nine men within 25 yards of their own goal.

4.37pm BST

36 min Hazard dances beautifully past three defenders in the area before being challenged by Fernandez. The ball breaks to Pedro, whose first-time shot is well held by Dubravka, diving to his right.

4.36pm BST

35 min A good chance at the other end. Ki is robbed by Pedro, who scoots into the area from the right only to curl a left-footed shot high and wide of the far post.

4.35pm BST

34 min The first opportunity for Newcastle. When Ritchie’s corner was only half cleared, the ball was curled back into the area by Fernandez. Rondon had a clear header at the near post but planted it wide. He should probably have done better.

4.32pm BST

31 min Newcastle get some respite in Chelsea’s half. Diame swishes a long-range shot that is blocked on the edge of the area.

4.30pm BST

30 min Hazard clips a left-footed shot wide from 20 yards. Chelsea have completed almost five times as many passes as Newcastle: 320-69. But, as the excellent Andy Hinchcliffe points out on Sky, Dubravka has had little to do.

4.28pm BST

29 min Morata zips infield from the left and hits a 20-yard shot that deflects wide off Schar. Hazard’s lofted corner is headed towards goal by Rudiger and held comfortably Dubravka.

4.26pm BST

27 min “Hearty agreement on long-range goals,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “Most of the time they’re like calling a lotto winner an Expert Gambler. I prefer the quick 1-2-3 passes setting up an open goal, or a Dennis Bergkamp slithering through the penalty area. One exception though - if it’s Le Tissier teeing one up mid-air so he can volley it - that is a goal of the year!”

When it comes to goals, ‘Le Tissier’ is a genre all of its own.

4.25pm BST

24 min A lovely effort from Hazard. He received a short pass from Kovacic, moved menacingly into the D and passed the ball just wide of the far post.

4.22pm BST

23 min To say Newcastle are rationing their attacks would be an understatement. It’s like a training exercise, attack against defence; so far Newcastle are winning.

4.21pm BST

21 min Hazard was challenged by Diame, who won the ball fairly and then accidentally stood on the back of Hazard’s leg in his follow through. Hazard is limping but looks set to continue.

4.20pm BST

20 min There’s a break in play while Hazard, who has been very bright, receives treatment.

4.17pm BST

17 min Hazard’s corner pinballs around the Newcastle area until Rudiger slashes miles wide from the edge of the area. Chelsea are very dominant now.

4.15pm BST

15 min Hazard, nominally the left-sided forward, is wandering wherever he likes and Newcastle are struggling to pick him up. He has a free role really, with Alonso the main left-sided threat.

4.12pm BST

12 min Morata, trying to reach Azpilicueta’s dangerous low cross, goes down in the area after a challenge from Schar. There wasn’t enough contact for a penalty.

4.10pm BST

10 min Chelsea are having a lot of the ball, with Jorginho involved all the time. He’s impressively influential for someone who has only been at the club a few weeks.

4.09pm BST

8 min “Hey Rob,” says J.R. “Wait until you see the goal Seri just scored for Fulham. A 30-yard missile. Goal of the Season material. Also, here in the U.S. our pundits were speculating that Lascelles was dropped for refusing to play on the right of a back three.”

Long-range shots should never be Goal of the Season. Discuss.

4.06pm BST

6 min Newcastle have started to look dangerous in possession. Murphy’s crisp low shot was 25 yards is held by the sprawling Kepa. Murphy should really have played the ball left to Dummett, who was in all kinds of pace.

4.04pm BST

4 min A good attack from Newcastle. Murphy spins cleverly behind David Luiz, beating him without touching the ball, and clips a cross that is confidently claimed by Kepa.

4.03pm BST

3 min I wondered if I was being harsh in putting Newcastle’s formation as 5-4-1 rather than 3-4-3. The early signs are that 5-4-1 was a generous description; thus far it has been more of a 5-4-0-0-0-1.

4.02pm BST

2 min Hazard hops around in pain after feeling Ritchie’s studs in his achilles. I don’t think it was deliberate, unlike the Capoue/Zaha incident earlier. Either way, Hazard seems fine.

4.00pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Newcastle, kicking from right to left, get the match under way.

3.53pm BST

“Hi Rob,” says Shaun Wilkinson. “So, no Shelvey or Lascelles today - any word on why arguably Newcastle’s two best players are missing? The sense of foreboding at seeing those two missing out and Hazard playing is balanced out at least a little by the much more welcome absences of both Joselu and Manquillo from the Newcastle team. After last week, it’s hard to see Kenedy’s absence as much of a blow either, despite his impressive loan spell last season. Can you remember a player having a worse 90 minutes than that?”

Shelvey and Lascelles are injured, apparently. As for a worse performance than Kenedy’s, one springs to mind.

3.51pm BST

Maurizio Sarri speaks “I don’t know if Eden Hazard is able to play for the whole game but I think it’s time for him to start. He has worked for three weeks and now I want to give him minutes on the pitch. It’s the same with Matteo Kovacic, who will be a very important for us this season.”

3.42pm BST

Rafa speaks! “We have some problems with injuries and suspensions, plus Kenedy cannot play against his parent club. We have to manage what we have and hopefully we’ll be fine. Jonjo Shelvey has playing with pain in the last two games and he couldn’t keep doing that.”

3.37pm BST

Watford beat Crystal Palace 2-1 in a controversial match earlier this afternoon. You can follow match reaction with Daniel Harris.

3.19pm BST

Pre-match reading

3.05pm BST

Newcastle United (5-4-1) Dubravka; Yedlin, Fernandez, Schar, Clark, Dummett; Ritchie, Ki, Diame, Murphy; Rondon.
Substitutes: Darlow, Sterry, Atsu, Longstaff, Muto, Perez, Joselu.

Chelsea (4-3-3) Kepa; Azpilicueta, Rudiger, David Luiz, Alonso; Kante, Jorginho, Kovacic; Pedro, Morata, Hazard.
Substitutes: Caballero, Zappacosta, Christensen, Barkley, Loftus-Cheek, Giroud, Willian.

10.11am BST

The fixture computer doesn’t like Rafa Benitez. Fact. His Newcastle team have a burdensome start to the season, with four of the Big Six in their first five games. They’ve already lost at home to Spurs, and play Chelsea today. Next week they go to the Etihad, where they invariably get hammered, and then it’s Arsenal at home. It’s quite feasible they will have only one point after five games.

And yet, and yet. There is a better-case scenario, too. Benitez has turned Newcastle into a solid, resourceful team who can give almost anyone a game at home - and their recent record against Chelsea at St James’ Park is spectacular. They’ve won four and drawn one of the last five, and they plugged Antonio Conte’s side 3-0 in May.

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Published on August 26, 2018 10:17

August 19, 2018

Manchester City 6-1 Huddersfield Town: Premier League – as it happened

The champions thumped Huddersfield at the Etihad, with Sergio Aguero scoring his 13th hat-trick for the club

8.28pm BST

3.41pm BST

Jamie Jackson’s match report has landed, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company and emails. Bye!

3.37pm BST

City don’t play a title rival until they go to Anfield in October. By then they could/should have 21 points from seven games.

3.30pm BST

Sergio Aguero speaks! “I’m very happy. I didn’t realise I was about to be substituted before I got the hat-trick. Mendy’s crossing is so good. I train hard and then the decision is the manager’s as to whether I play.”

3.28pm BST

A bit of post-match reading from Back Page Bazza

3.25pm BST

There’s one other match in the Premier League today: Brighton v Manchester United. Ben Fisher has all the team news. All of it.

3.23pm BST

In the other early kick-off, Watford have beaten Burnley 3-1 at Turf Moor to continue their impressive start to the season.

3.21pm BST

Peep peep! City marmalised poor old Huddersfield, with Sergio Aguero scoring a hat-trick. He could have had six himself, with City creating an absurd number of chances throughout the match.

3.20pm BST

90+2 min City break four on three from a Huddersfield corner, only for Mahrez to selfishly shoot over the bar. He could have given a goal to Sane or Foden. You can understand why he wanted a goal himself.

3.19pm BST

90 min Three minutes.

3.18pm BST

89 min “I want to blame the Guardian for running that ‘Pep is thinking about dropping Aguero for Huddersfield’, which scared me into swapping him for Bernardo Silva in my Fantasy Premier League squad,” says Souradeep Sengupta. “If he was captain, I could have had 30 points or something. This is why I have trust issues.”

Any suggestions that I commissioned the Aguero story so that everyone else would drop him as captain are without foundation.

3.16pm BST

88 min Hamer makes an excellent save from Bernardo Silva, who mishit Foden’s cross towards goal from eight yards.

3.13pm BST

It’s six. Jesus finds Sane, who skins Schindler and bursts through on goal. His stabbed shot is blocked by Hamer but rebounds off Kongolo and into the net.

3.12pm BST

84 min Ramadhan Sobhi replaces Mounie.

3.12pm BST

83 min It’ll be interesting to watch the development of Phil Foden this season, given England’s need for more midfield quality. I think Leicester’s James Maddison is a really interesting player as well, though I’m not sure where he’d fit in England’s current system.

3.09pm BST

82 min The teenager Phil Foden replaces Ilkay Gundogan.

3.09pm BST

81 min “Ah, Fantasy Football regret,” says Matt Dony. “Although you never want to actually wish ill on a player, De Bruyne’s injury should be good news for Liverpool. And yet, all I can think is, ‘He cost me a fortune for my fantasy midfield!’ I hate Fantasy Football. Passionately.”

To coin a phrase, me too. I always swore I’d never become Fantasy Football Moron, and here I am. A moron.

3.07pm BST

80 min Jesus misses a great chance, dragging a shot well wide after wriggling majestically into the area.

3.06pm BST

78 min A good volley from Billing is deflected behind by Kompany.

3.05pm BST

76 min Aguero walks off with a big smile on his face, to be replaced by Leroy Sane. It was Pep Guardiola’s decision, I should stress. Aguero didn’t just swagger off the field after completing his hat-trick.

3.04pm BST

Sergio Aguero gets his hat-trick with a lovely volley from a sensational cross by Bernard Mendy. He curled a fast, first-time ball towards the near post, where Aguero got in front of Kongolo and flicked a deft volley into the far corner. That’s a wonderful goal.

3.01pm BST

72 min Kevin who?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

2.59pm BST

71 min Aguero shapes to pass to the overlapping Mahrez and instead drills a surprise low shot towards the near post that is palmed round by Hamer. That’s a really good save.

2.57pm BST

70 min Schindler is booked for deliberately taking out Jesus. He’s surrounded by City players, who want a red card. A yellow was the right decision.

2.57pm BST

69 min City’s Class of 87 can rest easy: I don’t think this is going to be 10-1. Neil McNab > David Silva.

2.56pm BST

68 min It’s interesting that Leroy Sane hasn’t started either of City’s league games. Is he fully fit? Maybe it’s a hangover from his miserable summer, though it’s also the case that the presence of the marauding Mendy reduces the need for a left-footer on the left. Either way, YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE BLOODY PUT HIM IN MY FANTASY TEAM, SHOULD YOU ROBERT.

2.54pm BST

66 min Jim Brewer writes in with tomorrow’s headline: “Hamer Horror.”

2.53pm BST

65 min After a joyful performance, David Silva is replaced by Riyad Mahrez. He gets a standing ovation from the crowd, which includes his wife and son Mateo, who spent so long in hospital after being born prematurelylast year.

2.51pm BST

64 min “Afternoon Rob,” says Matt Loten. “I got today’s running order mixed up, and went to the local taproom for a lunchtime tipple, thinking that I was only missing out on a prosaic, flavourless offering from Mourinho. As delicious as the raspberry witbier and bacon and maple stout were, I’m slightly upset to find that I’ve sacrificed the chance to watch City turn in a hipster’s favourite of a performance, and will instead have to watch the other half of Manchester offer the footballing equivalent of a warm Tennent’s.”

A bacon and maple stout. Let’s just sit with that for a bit.

2.51pm BST

63 min David Silva karate kicks Kongolo in the thigh while trying to win a high ball. He probably should have been booked for that. Jonjo Shelvey would probably have been given a stretch in Scrubs.

2.49pm BST

61 min A Huddersfield change: Adama Diakhaby replaces Alex Pritchard.

2.48pm BST

Mid-match reading

2.48pm BST

59 min Another great chance for Aguero! He played the ball into Jesus, stormed onto the instant return pass -and then slashed a half-volley wide from 17 yards. He knows he should have scored. But I’ll be telling him on Whatsapp later, just in case.

2.45pm BST

57 min Aguero almost gets his hat-trick, battering a superb low shot from 25 yards that beats Hamer and bounces off the inside of the post.

2.43pm BST

55 min “Admittedly I ask this with an eye on my fantasy team as much as on Huddersfield, but what’s happened with Jonas Lössl?” asks Enna Cooper. “Is the man who sat on the bench behind Kasper Schmeichel at Leicester City deemed to be better than the man who sits on the bench behind Kasper Schmeichel for Denmark, or is Ben Hamer playing because David Wagner might just have a thing about overgrown beards?”

You heard the rumour about Huddersfield trying to sign those fellas from ZZ Top as well?

2.40pm BST

52 min City might struggle to match the 10-1 win over 1987, but they could certainly get six or seven. Aguero plays a nice one-two with Jesus before his shot is blocked.

2.38pm BST

50 min Billing is booked for a foul on Jesus.

2.36pm BST

And it’s perfect from David Silva, too, a beautiful free-kick that was curled over the wall and into the top corner. Hamer didn’t move.

2.35pm BST

47 min Aguero scurries past two defenders before being fouled 25 yards from goal. It’s to the right of centre, so perfect for the left-footed David Silva...

2.33pm BST

46 min City begin the second half. Huddersfield have made a change, with Laurent Depoitre on for Abdelhamid Sabiri.

2.32pm BST

“‘Leaving aside the Gulf millions...’” begins Niall Mullen. “Leaving aside the incident, did you enjoy the play Mrs Lincoln?”

2.24pm BST

“Have to say that City’s second goal might have been a tad offside,” says Kevin Ryan. “But as you and I know only too well, nobody f***s with the Jesus...”

2.20pm BST

Half-time chit chat

“Leaving aside the Gulf trillions, it’s a pleasure see the best team in the top division playing the obviously best football,” says Charles Antaki. “That’s not quite the truism it should be, recent champions having been the most hardworking, the most defensive, or merely the canniest. This is the genuinely good stuff.”

2.19pm BST

Half-time reading (ahem)

2.18pm BST

Peep peep! The champions are cruising to victory, despite the irritation of that Huddersfield goal just before half-time. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.

2.15pm BST

45 min Bernardo Silva’s long-range shot is comfortably saved by Hamer.

2.14pm BST

It’s on*! A long throw is won superbly in the air by Mounie, who backheads it into the six-yard area. John Stones goes to sleep for a split-second, not for the first time this summer, and Stankovic gets in front to score from close range.

* Guardian disclaimer: it may not actually be on.

2.12pm BST

43 min “Poor old Hamer is having a Karius,” says Niall Mullen, adding a new word to the football lexicon. “I expect Huddersfield to go out & spend £90m on a new keeper in the next transfer window.”

2.12pm BST

42 min Smith wins a corner for Huddersfield. It’s a poor one from Lowe which is booted clear at the near post.

2.10pm BST

40 min Poor Ben Hamer has had a bad eye, and has arguably been at fault for all three goals.

2.08pm BST

37 min “Glad you’re giving David Silva his well-earned praise,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “A decade or so from now when we analyse the key decisions that led to this City era (three titles = one era by my book-keeping) to my mind the crucial one was Silva’s signing. He’s been the constant. Vincent Kompany too, but the silk-footed one has really been City’s engine room. Slightly overlooked? Perhaps, but any advanced Spanish midfielder in the time of Iniesta would be; but that does not lower Silva’s own impeccable standard.”

I like how he has evolved as well, from a wide forward to a central playmaker.

2.06pm BST

Oh dear. Mendy’s cross is spilled by Hamer, a really bad error, and Aguero reacts fastest to score from six yards. His reactions were superb, because there were at least two defenders closer to the ball when Hamer lost it.

2.05pm BST

34 min David Silva’s volley is blocked. It came from yet another cross by Mendy, who has been such a threat down the left. He’s such a powerful addition to this City side.

2.03pm BST

The goal shouldn’t have counted, as Jesus was offside in the build-up. He found Mendy, who was challenged on the edge of the area by Smith. But the ball came back to Jesus, who scraped a low shot past Hamer at the near post.

2.02pm BST

I have a funny feeling Manchester City might win this match.

2.01pm BST

30 min Bernardo Silva’s cross is flapped away by the stretching Hamer. Aguero picks up the loose ball, speeds past a defender and smacks the ball into the side netting at the near post.

1.58pm BST

26 min Gabriel Jesus shoots straight at Hamer from the edge of the area.

1.56pm BST

The goal was Route One, Pep-style. It came straight from a brilliant Ederson goalkick, with Aguero - who was lurking in an offside position - making an excellent run from left to right. He collected the ball just outside the Huddersfield area, with Schindler behind him and the keeper Hamer in no man’s land. Aguero moved the ball onto his left foot, away from Schindler, and lifted it gently into the net.

1.55pm BST

Sergio Aguero gives City the lead!

1.55pm BST

24 min A nice break from Huddersfield. Mounie pulls out to the left, moves into the area and plays the ball back to Stankovic, who curls high and wide from 20 yards.

1.53pm BST

23 min Laporte wafts miles over the bar from 30 yards.

1.52pm BST

22 min Bernardo Silva is unhappy with a zesty sliding challenge from Kongolo. He won the ball and then sent Silva up in the air with his trailing leg. Andre Marriner didn’t think it was a free-kick.

1.50pm BST

19 min For much of this game Huddersfield have had all 10 outfield players in their third, never mind their half. But so far it has worked, despite the best efforts of the remarkable David Silva. He clips another perceptive pass over the top for Aguero, who can’t quite get around the ball and heads it into the side netting.

1.48pm BST

18 min David Silva pulls the ball back to Gundogan, whose fierce rising shot hits Billing. City thought there might have been a handball but nothing was given.

1.46pm BST

16 min Stones’ lofted cross is headed towards goal by Gabriel Jesus and comfortably held by Hamer. There was no pace on the ball in. Huddersfield have done pretty well defensively since that torrid start.

1.45pm BST

14 min David Silva plays another beautiful pass to Mendy, who mishits a first-time cross into the side netting. I can’t tell you how well Silva is playing. I remember an Andres Iniesta performance at Euro 2016, against the Czech Republic, which is as close to perfection as I can recall. That lasted 90 minutes; Silva has been as good at the start of this game.

1.42pm BST

12 min It feels like a matter of time before City score. Mind you, Ben Hamer hasn’t had a save to make in the last eight minutes.

1.39pm BST

9 min Mendy’s excellent cross is headed behind by Lowe. The corner is played short to David Silva, who wins another corner after more delicious trickery in the area.

1.38pm BST

8 min Huddersfield have a kick.

1.37pm BST

7 min “Is this the Premier League equivalent of, say Rayo Vallecano, going to the Camp Nou (a few years back)?” says Niall Mullen. “In that the only reason to tune in is to see just how many (and how good) goals the home side can score.”

No. It’s the most unpredictable league in the world, mate!

1.36pm BST

6 min Both teams are playing with a back four: City’s 4-1-3-2 against Huddersfield’s 4-5-1.

1.35pm BST

5 min David Silva, who has started spectacularly, teases a cross into the area that a Huddersfield defender, under pressure from Jesus, thighs into the hands of Hamer.

1.34pm BST

4 min Hamer needs treatment, having injured himself making that save. I think Jesus’s shot hit him straight in the personal space.

1.33pm BST

3 min A City corner pinballs around the Huddersfield area before Mounie shanks an attempted clearance onto his own bar! Moments later, Hamer makes an excellent one-on-one save from Jesus. City could be 3-0 up already!

1.32pm BST

2 min An early chance for City. The Silvas combine nicely down the right before David finds Aguero, whose shot slams into the chest of Stankovic.

1.31pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Huddersfield get the game under way. It looks like City are playing in a 4-1-3-2 formation, with John Stones at right back.

1.28pm BST

The players emerge from the tunnel to the familiar sound of Right Here, Right Now by

Jesus Jones
Fatboy Slim. Let’s watch some football.

1.24pm BST

pic.twitter.com/JWasZvsYxn

1.01pm BST

Tactics watch Apparently Huddersfield will only decide on their formation when they see City’s tactics. John Beck never had this problem.

12.52pm BST

Some pre-match reading for you

12.47pm BST

With Kyle Walker on the bench, it’s not clear which formation City will play. They could play John Stones at right-back in a 4-1-3-2, or Bernardo Silva at right wing-back in a 3-1-4-2. Or they could just play a 0-8-2.

One thing’s for sure: the knees of amateur tactics sleuths are trembling like never before as they try to work out how the Spatial One will set up his team.

12.37pm BST

Manchester City (possible 3-1-4-2) Ederson; Stones, Kompany, Laporte; Fernandinho; B Silva, Gundogan, D Silva, Mendy; Aguero, Jesus.
Substitutes: Bravo, Walker, Otamendi, Mahrez, Foden, Sterling, Sane.

Huddersfield Town (possible 5-4-1) Hamer; Smith, Stankovic, Schindler, Kongolo, Lowe; Hadergjonaj, Pritchard, Billing, Sabiri; Mounie.
Substitutes: Lossl, Sobhi, van La Parra, Mbenza, Williams, Diakhaby, Depoitre.

9.43am BST

Morning! The Premier League title race was fun while it lasted. While you can’t officially win anything in August, the way Manchester City beat Arsenal last weekend suggested that retaining the title, traditionally so tough, could be a doddle.

It’s true that there have been deceptively fast starts in the past. The reigning champions Chelsea started the 2010-11 season with five straight wins and 21 goals before going completely off the rails, and something similar happened to Pep Guardiola in his first season at Maine Road. But this fashion-conscious bald man is relentless once he takes control of a domestic league, and City may well give the other 19 Premier League teams a nine-month course in Futility Studies.

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Published on August 19, 2018 07:41

August 11, 2018

Wolves 2-2 Everton: Premier League – as it happened

Promoted Wolves twice came from behind to earn a point against 10-man Everton, whose two goals came from the impressive debutant Richarlison

7.44pm BST

That’s it for today’s blog. I’ll leave you with our match report from Molineux. Thanks for your company, bye!

7.44pm BST

Nuno Espirito Santo speaks “I am satisfied with the character we showed. We made mistakes for the goals we conceded. We started nervously but we reacted well and started playing with the style and movement that we want.

“We are in a growing process. There is a lot of work to do but plenty of positives for the next game. We haven’t set a target for where we want to finish. We’ll go game by game.”

7.35pm BST

The Wolves goalscorers speak

Ruben Neves “It was a very good Premier League game against a very good team. We fought until the last minute and I think we deserved a little bit more. We have to work to get better results.”

7.23pm BST

Peep peep! Both sides will be happy enough with a point at the end of an eventful game. They both know it could have been worse: Wolves didn’t play well and were behind twice, while Everton were down to 10 men for 50 minutes. Richarlison scored twice, the second a beautiful finish; Wolves’ goals, from Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez, were also really well taken.

7.22pm BST

90+3 min Wolves press for a winner, but Everton’s makeshift back four continue to defend admirably. I think that will be it.

7.19pm BST

90 min There will be four added minutes.

7.17pm BST

87 min A Wolves winner would be harsh on Everton, who have played admirably with 10 men in the second half. Both sides would be happy enough with a draw in the circumstances.

7.16pm BST

85 min Wolves introduce Morgan Gibbs-White for Joao Moutinho.

7.15pm BST

85 min This is sad: Richarlison is limping off through injury. He scored twice on his debut, the second a beautiful finish. Lucas Digne replaces him.

7.14pm BST

84 min What a chance for Everton! Niasse finds Coleman to spark a two-on-one break. Coleman moves into the area and then plays a poor return pass to Niasse. The last man Coady’s positioning was excellent - but even so, Coleman should have done better.

7.13pm BST

83 min Bennett makes a brilliant tackle to deny Richarlison, who was moving dangerously towards the Wolves are on the counter-attack.

7.12pm BST

83 min Everton made a change after that goal, with Oumar Niasse replacing Tosun.

7.12pm BST

82 min Wolves have not been great, in truth - but it’s been a very good day for Ruben Neves, who has shown his class with a goal and an assist.

7.10pm BST

This is a fine goal. Ruben Neves, in an inside-left position, curled a lovely ball over the head of Keane to find Jimenez at the far post. He leapt to slam a downward header that zipped off the turf and into the net. That was a really good finish.

7.08pm BST

79 min Wolves are starting to apply a bit of pressure, particularly through crosses. It could be a cracking last 10 minutes.

7.07pm BST

78 min Tosun, who was quiet in the first half, has worked like a beast up front on his own in the second half.

7.06pm BST

77 min Doherty’s near-post cross finds Jimenez, whose acrobatic volley hits Keane and flies behind for a corner,

7.04pm BST

76 min Wolves make their second substitution, with Ruben Vinagre on for Jonny.

7.04pm BST

75 min Wolves are struggling to get any momentum. They’ve been pretty disappointing in this second half. Everton have defended excellently though, Keane and Coleman in particular.

7.01pm BST

72 min “I’ve always wondered what Richarlison’s first name is, but now I know,” says Gary Naylor. “It’s Thierry.”

Ha, of course, I can’t believe I didn’t spot that - as Gary says, the goal was a Thierry Henry tribute, that gentle out-to-in curling shot from the left side of the box.

7.00pm BST

71 min Wolves make a change, with Helder Costa replacing by Leo Bonatini. This would be a bad defeat for Wolves, especially as their performance has been so unexpectedly tame.

6.57pm BST

Richarlison received a short pass from Tosun and burst into the area from the left. The angle wasn’t great but he used Coady as a screen and placed a lovely low shot into the far corner.

6.56pm BST

Richarlison gives Everton the lead with a beautiful goal, his second of the match!

6.55pm BST

66 min Everton look the likelier scorers at the moment.

6.54pm BST

65 min A chance for Everton. Tosun’s deep cross from the right was headed back by Richarlison to Walcott, who couldn’t get a shot away under pressure from a couple of defenders. At first I thought Richarlison might have gone for goal, but having seen it again he probably took the right option.

6.52pm BST

64 min Everton have done well in the second half, with an even share of possession. Wolves still look slightly tentative.

6.49pm BST

60 min: Vital save by Pickford! Bennett curled a pass behind the defence to put Jimenez clear on goal, with Everton unsuccessfully trying to play offside. Jimenez moved into the area and smashed the ball straight at Pickford, who narrowed the angle and spread himself to great effect.

6.48pm BST

59 min The resulting corner is driven deep towards Keane, whose looping header back across goal is just beyond the leaping Tosun.

6.47pm BST

58 min Tosun almost steals the lead for Everton. He nicked the ball off Boly and used Coady as a screen before shaping a shot towards goal that was pushed away by the diving Rui Patricio. It was a pretty comfortable save, and Tosun should probably have played Walcott through on goal.

6.44pm BST

54 min Wolves break promisingly through Jota and then Doherty, who overhits a cross towards the unmarked Jimenez at the far post. That was a chance.

6.41pm BST

52 min Everton’s 10 men are playing with a lot of determination, exemplified by the admirable full-back pair of Baines and Coleman.

6.39pm BST

51 min “Ah Rob - if it’s DOGSO, then it’s a fair cop Gov,” says Gary Naylor. “I hadn’t thought of that - seems I wasn’t alone though. And Pickford, much as I love him, was at fault.”

I’d like to see it again. Did Jota have it sufficiently under control for it to be a clear opportunity?

6.38pm BST

50 min ... and headed clear by Boly.

6.38pm BST

50 min It’s now pouring down at Molineux. Everton win a corner down the left, which will be taken by Baines...

6.36pm BST

48 min “Hi Rob,” says Peter Oh. “Rui Patricio, Neves, João Moutinho, Helder Costa, Diogo Jota. Is this Nuno Espírito Santo’s way of fulfilling an ambition to coach a Portuguese national team? And there is Ruben Vinagre on the bench. Vinagre is Portuguese for vinegar. I thought Matt Dony and his hummus collection might want to know. “

6.36pm BST

47 min It’s been a snappy start to the second half from Wolves, who have such a great opportunity to start their season with a win.

6.35pm BST

46 min Peep peep!

6.34pm BST

Well this is interesting Apparently the referee sent Jagielka off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity rather than, as we first thought, serious foul play. That means Jagielka will miss one game rather than three.

6.33pm BST

“So you thought Pickford should’ve saved the goal,” says Kevin Turner. “Really? Top corner! He’s England No1 but no chance with it.”

Yep. His positioning was wrong. He put his weight on the wrong foot, his right, which meant he had to spring too far. The free-kick wasn’t in the corner, good though it was.

6.23pm BST

Half-time reading

6.22pm BST

Half time chit chat

“I’m trying to be unbiased here, but I genuinely don’t think that would have been a yellow card in the World Cup - okay, maybe, but 100% definitely not a red,” says Gary Naylor. “So remind me - how many English referees were employed at the world’s leading football tournament?”

6.19pm BST

Peep peep! A largely unhappy half for Wolves ended on a seriously high note when Phil Jagielka’s red card was followed by Ruben Neves’s equaliser. Wolves should now go on to win this game. See you in 15 minutes for the second half.

6.16pm BST

45+1 min “Following on from the Newcastle v Spurs MBM, I’ve taken Gary Naylor’s advice (usually a wise course) and bought a selection of houmouses,” says Matt Dony. “Jalapeño, and lemon and coriander. I look forward to tonight’s test drive. I hope the satisfaction at helping a man in need somewhat balances the disappointment of that red card and goal, Gary.”

6.16pm BST

45 min There will be three minutes of added time. Everton were cruising, and now they are hanging on for a point.

6.14pm BST

It’s a double blow for Everton because Neves has scored from the free-kick! He danced towards the ball and then whipped a curler towards the far corner that went through the left hand of Pickford. It was a good free-kick from a lovely player, though Pickford should have saved it.

6.13pm BST

43 min Everton now have to readjust their team, so Mason Holgate comes on for Sigurdsson. I can see both sides of that red card, though on balance I think it’s a bit harsh.

6.11pm BST

41 min This is pretty controversial, and Marco Silva is fuming. Jagielka miscontrolled the ball on the edge of his own area and tried to retrieve the situation with a desperate lunge at Diogo Jota. It was a slightly reckless tackle, with his studs following through into Jota’s ankle, though you can understand why Everton are aggrieved. I think that should have been a yellow card.

6.10pm BST

38 min Richarlison picks up a loose ball near the halfway line and surges past Coady. It’s a two-on-one break, with Walcott to his right and only the last man Boly to beat, but Richarlison’s pass is woefully underhit and Wolves clear. At the other end, Costa’s well-struck shot from 20 yards is comfortably held by Pickford.

6.06pm BST

36 min A promising run from Jimenez, who twists Schneiderlin inside out on the right of the area before overrunning the ball.

6.04pm BST

34 min Richarlison makes the most of a foul by Neves, diving dramatically to ensure a free-kick is given. Nothing comes of it.

6.03pm BST

33 min The home crowd are starting to take their frustration out on the referee Craig Pawson. He hasn’t made any particularly egregious errors, apart from maybe aspiring to be a referee.

6.02pm BST

31 min “Rob, is Jota any good?” says Peter Crosby. “I’ve never seen him play before but every time the ball comes to him he seems to give it away and the move breaks down. Looks out of his depth.”

I thought he was excellent last season. The whole team look nervous today; they are better than this.

6.00pm BST

29 min Here’s Christine Kelly. “I know both Watford and Wolves play in yellow and that Richarlison played for Watford, but you may want to correct your teams in the report!”

Oh dear, I am less use. Thanks for pointing it out, I’ve amended it now.

5.59pm BST

28 min Although Wolves haven’t played badly, they look slightly inhibited by the reality of playing Premier League football. They need to take the handbrake off.

5.54pm BST

25 min Wolves have had 59 per cent possession so far, though Jordan Pickford hasn’t really had a save to make.

5.52pm BST

22 min Costa’s cross is half cleared to Moutinho, who swishes the bouncing ball over the bar from 20 yards.

5.51pm BST

21 min “The Anti-Kane strikes!” says Gary Naylor, referring to the fact Richarlison scores around half his goals in the month of August.

5.49pm BST

20 min Wolves started well enough in possession but, as the gents on BT Sport have just said, their passing has been a bit slow. You’d expect it to quicken up now they are a goal down.

5.48pm BST

18 min Richarlison started last season brilliantly at Watford and now he’s scored on his Everton debut.

5.47pm BST

Everton take the lead from the resulting free-kick. Baines tossed it in from the left, Keane’s header was blocked, but the ball fell perfectly for Richarlison to push it in from six yards.

5.45pm BST

16 min Richarlison is hacked down by Doherty, who is a bit lucky not to be booked.

5.43pm BST

14 min Richarlison is booked for a lunge at Joao Moutinho.

5.43pm BST

13 min “Nuno’s initials on his jumper makes me nostalgic for the early 90s,” says Leo Addor, “and the good ol’ Nintendo Entertainment System.”

And why not?

5.41pm BST

11 min A mistake from Boly allows Coleman to shoot from 15 yards, but it’s a tame effort with his weaker left foot and Rui Patricio makes an easy save.

5.40pm BST

10 min Richarlison, Baines and Sigurdsson combine nicely on the left, only for Baines to run into an offside position. Those three should combine well as the season develops.

5.37pm BST

7 min Wolves are having most of the ball, though it has been a slightly watchful start from both teams.

5.35pm BST

6 min Helder Costa zips past Walcott, who recovers to concede a corner. Keane heads it clear. The end.

5.33pm BST

4 min There’s a bit of a strut about Wolves in possession. After a patient passing move, Neves’s mishit cross lands on the roof of the net. Pickford jumped a little desperately after it but it looked likely to drop into the goal.

5.31pm BST

2 min An early corner for Everton, to be taken by Sigurdsson. His inswinger is headed away at the near post by Diogo Jota.

5.30pm BST

1 min Everton kick off from left to right. They are in blue; Wolves are wearing gold and black.

5.28pm BST

There’s a proper atmosphere at Molineux, as you’d expect for Wolves’ first Premier League match since 2012. The ground has turned into a bouncy castle for the day.

5.25pm BST

The last time Wolves finished in the top half of the top flight was 1979-80, the days of Kenny Hibbitt, George Berry and Andy Gray. It’s a reasonable ambition this season, especially if they get off to a good start.

5.02pm BST

An email! By my estimation. we’ve had bubbles burst in the Premier League all afternoon, the bigger boys stamping on sandcastles,” says Everton fan Gary Naylor. “Now it’s hardly romantic, but I’m looking for the full set to be completed tonight.”

4.50pm BST

In other news, Andres Iniesta is the sex.

4.44pm BST

The 3pm kick-offs Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Watford are all winning. Get the latest news with John Brewin.

4.43pm BST

Some pre-match reading

4.35pm BST

Wolves (3-4-3) Rui Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Moutinho, Neves, Jonny; Costa, Jimenez, Jota.
Substitutes: Ruddy, Vinagre, Hause, Gibbs-White, Saiss, Enobakhare, Bonatini.

Everton (4-2-3-1) Pickford; Coleman, Jagielka, Keane, Baines; Schneiderlin, Gueye; Walcott, Sigurdsson, Richarlison; Tosun.
Substitutes: Stekelenburg, Holgate, Digne, Davies, Sandro, Calvert-Lewin, Niasse.

3.49pm BST

Hello and welcome to coverage of the top-of-the-table clash between Wolves and Everton at Molineux. The table to which we refer is the Guardian’s imaginary Pre-Season Optimism League. Both teams

windowed well
have had great transfer windows, with imaginative, eye-catching signings, and both have good reason to expect an enjoyable season. (Let’s not dwell on the fact that Everton felt exactly the same a year ago, eh.)

Most promoted sides fix their peepers firmly on 17th place. Wolves’ ambitions should be a bit grander, such is the quality of their squad. I can’t wait to see how Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota get on at a higher level, while the signings of Rui Patricio, Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker were quite a statement of intent.

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Published on August 11, 2018 11:44

Newcastle United 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur: Premier League – as it happened

Early headers from Jan Vertonghen and Dele Alli ensured Spurs started the season with victory in an entertaining game at St James’ Park

2.43pm BST

Louise Taylor’s match report has arrived, which is my cue to do one. Thanks for your company and emails, bye!

2.36pm BST

Post-match interviews

Dele Alli “Everyone knows the first game’s a big one and you want to get off to a good start. As a squad we want to keep improving. It was a great experience in Russia. When you’re there you’re in your own little bubble and you don’t realise how much it means until you get back. We’re disappointed we didn’t win it. Now it’s all about Tottenham and the Premier League.”

2.25pm BST

The team news is in for the 3pm kick-offs

2.23pm BST

Peep peep! Spurs start the season with a good win on a ground where Newcastle don’t lose too often. It was a close game, settled by Dele Alli’s smart header in the first half. We’ll have reaction and a full match report shortly.

2.20pm BST

90+4 min Diame is booked for a foul on Kane.

2.20pm BST

90+3 min Newcastle probably deserve a point, having hit both the post and the bar. I doubt there is anything for them to worry about this season.

2.19pm BST

90+2 min Yedlin is being helped off, so Newcastle will finish the match with 10 men. He doesn’t look in pain but he is struggling to put weight on his right leg.

2.18pm BST

90 min There will be four added minutes. Yedlin is down and looks in a lot of pain. He planted his right foot very awkwardly after stretching for a high ball; this might be ligament damage.

2.16pm BST

88 min Spurs make their final change, with Eric Dier limping off to be replaced by the 21-year-old debutant Luke Amos.

2.14pm BST

85 min: Rondon hits the bar! Newcastle’s new No9 almost equalises on his debut. Shelvey played a crisp pass to the edge of the area, where Rondon ignored the challenge of Davies. That gave him time out of his feet and sweep a shot that hit the stretching Vertonghen, wrongfooted Lloris and looped tantalisingly onto the face of the bar!

2.12pm BST

84 min Spurs are keeping Newcastle at arms length for the time being. The atmosphere is very quiet.

2.10pm BST

82 min Muto wriggles into the box and wins a corner for Newcastle. Shelvey’s inswinger is fisted away by Lloris.

2.08pm BST

81 min Newcastle’s final change: the debutant Yoshinori Muto replaces Ayoze Perez.

2.08pm BST

80 min A Spurs substitution: Son replaces Dele Alli, who scored a fine goal and has probably been the Man of the Match.

2.07pm BST

79 min Davies clips the ball down the left to Eriksen, who races into the box and lifts a cross that flashes past Dubravka and out of play on the far side.

2.06pm BST

78 min “That shot from Dembele makes me ask, why is there not a practice pitch where subs can actually touch the ball and take a shot rather than just stretch some muscles?” asks Daniel Friedman. “Like in baseball pitchers warm up with some pitches in the bullpen — why no footie bullpen?”

I suppose any new stadiums need that space for the Michelin-starred restaurant.

2.05pm BST

77 min Spurs appear to have declared at 2-1, which is a dangerous game away from home. Newcastle are having most of the ball now.

2.04pm BST

75 min “Welcome to a new season,” says Felix Wood. “It’s too early for it, there’s no getting away from that. Not sure I agree with you on referees being reluctant to give cards being a good thing. I may be biased, but Croatia being able to haul down England players whenever it looked like there was a break on without fear of anything worse than giving away a free kick still rankles. Cynicism should always be punished in my book.”

That’s a fair point (though I didn’t notice it in the England game). But I think it’d be good if referees were able to make a distinction between cynical fouls and, for want of a better word, honest ones.

2.01pm BST

73 min After a flurry of chances at the start of the second half, the game and the crowd have gone a bit quiet.

1.58pm BST

71 min Eriksen plays a square pass to Dembele, who blooters high and wide from 25 yards.

1.57pm BST

70 min Ritchie is furious at being substituted. He’s effing at anyone and everyone, grinding his teeth in frustration.

1.56pm BST

69 min A Spurs change: Mousa Dembele replaces the slightly disappointing Lucas Moura. And Newcastle have brought on Christian Atsu for the excellent Matt Ritchie.

1.56pm BST

68 min Kane gives the ball away to Kenedy, fouls him and is booked.

1.54pm BST

67 min Ritchie is lucky not to be booked for a deliberate foul on Davies. It feels like referees are becoming more reluctant to show yellow cards, which is a welcome development.

1.53pm BST

66 min Dier, already booked, fouls Perez. Some referees would have sent him off for that, but I think Martin Atkinson was right not to do so.

1.52pm BST

65 min Here’s Christian Svanes Kolding. “From Brooklyn, where darkened skies have descended to unleash heavy lashings of rain - cue Michael Bay - I can enthusiastically second the endorsement of yeast on the popcorn,” says Christian. “It really brightens up your day and adds a bit of zing to your step. Now, if only Eriksen would score then this Dane would be well pleased.”

1.52pm BST

64 min This is a good spell for Newcastle. If I was Mauricio Pochettino I’d bring on Son for Kane, who is as peripheral as he was at the World Cup. Something isn’t right there.

1.49pm BST

62 min This has been such an open game, surprisingly so given the quality of the two defences.

1.48pm BST

60 min: Fine save by Lloris! That corner was not cleared properly by Spurs, and Perez hit an excellent shot on the turn from the corner of the six-yard box. Lloris had almost no reaction time but plunged to his right to make a brilliant stop.

1.47pm BST

59 min Ritchie plays a fine pass behind the defence for Joselu, but Sanchez scoots back to concede a corner. Good defending. That’s Joselu’s last touch: he is replaced by the new signing Salomon Rondon.

1.46pm BST

58 min Joselu is booked for a lunge at Eric Dier.

1.45pm BST

58 min Spurs are playing some lovely stuff now, with Alli and Eriksen to the fore. If they play like this when Kane is back to his best, they will be some team.

1.45pm BST

57 min Aurier’s cross is half cleared by the flying Dubravka and volleyed over acrobatically by Sanchez. He could have had a hat-trick today.

1.43pm BST

56 min Lucas Moura and Kane work the ball out to Davies, who hammers a cross into the area. It finds Sissoko, who sweeps a first-time shot towards goal that is superbly saved by Dubravka!

1.42pm BST

53 min A brilliant dummy from Alli allows him to nutmeg Yedlin without touching the ball. He is having a fine game. Yes, yes, I know that’s not technically a nutmeg but you know what a mean.

1.40pm BST

51 min: What a chance for Kenedy! Joselu’s superb pass found him in all sorts of space on the left of the box, but Kenedy’s first touch was poor and that allowed Lloris to sprawl at his feet and save. The ball came back to Kenedy, who shovelled it across the face of goal, and Aurier was able to clear desperately.

1.38pm BST

50 min Alli almost makes it 3-1. Eriksen’s cross from the right took a touch off Kane, which affected Alli as he made another brilliant late run into the box. He couldn’t put the brakes on and the ball hit him before looping towards goal, with Dubravka able to make a comfortable save.

1.36pm BST

49 min “Re Matt Dony’s plea (31 min), I’ve cut out dairy (it was killing me and it’s still killing the planet) and I can confirm that nothing really replaces cheese,” says Gary Naylor. “The best alternatives are houmous - especially leavened with pomegranate seeds or something exotic - or guacamole (but watch the fat). A decent red might work better than the whisky too. PS I remain a less than convincing advert for such abstemious diets - though my kids are!”

1.35pm BST

47 min: Diame hits the post! The chance came out of nothing. Shelvey’s towering header sent the ball into the Spurs area, where it dropped nicely for Diame on the left of the box. He took the ball down deftly and thundered a rising left-footed shot that clattered off the outside of the near post. I think Lloris was beaten.

1.33pm BST

47 min “I assume Matt has tried nut-based cheeses (excuse me, cheezes, for EU lawyers’ sake), but they are truly awful,” says James Hupp. “Hummus seems to be the only way to go here. And it doesn’t totally rule out having someone over, whereas asking someone to partake of cashew-derived cheddar alternatives might.”

1.32pm BST

46 min Peep peep! Newcastle get the second half under way.

1.29pm BST

A bit of half-time reading

1.29pm BST

“Ready Salted crisps are the ideal accompaniment to whisky,” says Josse McMahon and nones of others.

1.26pm BST

Half-time chit chat “Afternoon, Rob,” says Ian Copestake. “How was your pre-season? Did the Guardian put you all through your paces at an internet cafe in Marbella? The paint-ball team-building exercise might have been a tad unnecessary though.”

The boot camp was the killer. It was a breeze to go without food or water, but to deprive journalists of Twitter for 72 hours was just barbaric.

1.17pm BST

Peep peep! That was 45 minutes of good, clean fun. Spurs deserve to be ahead, though there isn’t much in it. See you in 15 minutes for the second half.

1.15pm BST

44 min Though they are behind, Newcastle will go into half-time in decent spirits. They have played much better in the last 15 minutes, with the wide attackers Kenedy and Ritchie increasingly influential.

1.13pm BST

43 min “As a vegan for a number of years, I can say popcorn dusted with nutritional yeast is a delightful treat,” says Joshua Reynolds. “No, really.”

1.11pm BST

42 min Dier is booked for a foul on Kenedy.

1.10pm BST

39 min A Newcastle free-kick leads to a game of head tennis in the Spurs area. Eventually an inadequate header from Aurier falls to Clark, who drags a left-footed volley through the crowd and just wide of the far post.

1.08pm BST

37 min Davies’s cross finds Kane in a scandalous amount of space at the near post. He eventually wins a corner, from which Sanchez almost makes it 3-1. It was a wicked inswinger from Eriksen towards the near post, where Sanchez got in front of Shelvey and flashed a header across goal. It was a really good chance, especially as Dubravka was in no man’s land.

1.04pm BST

34 min Eriksen slides a nice through pass to Kane, who inexplicably miscontrols the ball. He would have been clear on goal. I thought he was offside actually, but I don’t think the flag went up. Kane, as at the World Cup, doesn’t look particularly sharp.

1.03pm BST

33 min It’s been a good few minutes for Newcastle, who have spent more time in the Spurs half. Ritchie looks in the mood to make mischief; I’d get the ball to him at every opportunity.

1.02pm BST

31 min “In amongst all the goals and general excitement, can I canvass some advice from the learned and venerable brains-trust that makes up an MBM ‘community’?” sniffs Matt Dony. “I realised that middle-age had truly set in (a few years ahead of schedule) when I had to acknowledge that cheese and crackers and whiskey in front of Match Of The Day wasn’t an occasional treat, but a routine that had become preferable to going out on a Saturday night. (‘What’s that? The pub, you say? Nah, I’m busy...’) Anyway, over the summer, I’ve gone vegan, so cheese is out of the picture. Any suggestions on what I should replace it with?”

A beard?

1.00pm BST

29 min Kane’s cross is punched away desperately by Dubravka. It comes to Aurier, just inside the box. He considers his options - good ones, all of them - and then belts a left-footed shot high and wide. Oh, Serge.

12.58pm BST

27 min Perez pressures Vertonghen into conceding a corner. Ritchie swings it out towards Clark, whose header is blocked by Alli. The loose ball eventually falls for Dummett, who swishes wide from 25 yards.

12.56pm BST

26 min Spurs are so dominant at the moment, with Newcastle really struggling to get and then keep possession.

12.53pm BST

22 min The only slight criticism of Spurs, apart from their defending for Joselu’s goal, is that their build-up play has been a little deliberate at times. When they move the ball quickly they look so dangerous.

12.50pm BST

20 min Spurs are looking really good, with no signs of early-season rust. That’s the big advantage of having no new players, I suppose. Meanwhile, replays confirm that Vertonghen did score the first Spurs goal. The ball was this far over the line. VAR may be a shambles in its current form but goalline technology works perfectly.

12.48pm BST

We’ve had three goals in 11 minutes! This is another nice goal. Aurier, on the right, curls a beautiful first-time cross beyond the far post, where Alli makes a trademark late run and plants an accomplished header back across Dubravka.

12.44pm BST

13 min Spurs are controlling possession, to no great surprise, but Newcastle are well organised defensively and look lively on the break. It’s a good game.

12.42pm BST

12 min I was just about to say that I think Vertonghen scored the Spurs goal. Dummett made a desperate challenge just as Vertonghen was about to head it, so it may have been his touch. But I think it was Vertonghen.

12.41pm BST

That didn’t take long. Ritchie, on the right, whips a brilliant left-footed cross into the area, where Joselu gets away from the negligent Sanchez and kisses a header into the far corner. That’s a really nice goal.

12.39pm BST

Spurs take the lead from the resulting corner. Eriksen’s outswinger from the right was flicked towards the far post by Sanchez, and Vertonghen stooped to head the ball onto the underside of the bar. It bounced down and landed just over the line, with technology confirming the goal.

12.37pm BST

8 min Eriksen drags a low, left-footed shot from 25 yards that is fingertipped behind by Dubravka. It was going wide anyway but the keeper took no chances.

12.37pm BST

6 min Spurs look decent value to win the league at 16-1 but it’s surely essential that they avoid their usual slow start to the season. Lucas Moura threatens to give them the lead here, surging into the box before clipping a shot that is crucially blocked by the sliding Clark.

12.34pm BST

5 min “As a Liverpool fan, I have high expectations and no doubt they’ll provide lots of excitement,” says Mike MacKenzie. “I just hope that they can reduce the number of nail-biting finishes! In any case, I’m looking forward to seeing how many clubs perform this year. I hope all MBMers can enjoy their club despite whatever problems it might have (even Newcastle whose fans I do empathize with; hope Rafa can keep them up). Finally, I must say that ending the transfer window before the start of the season was a great move.”

12.33pm BST

4 min Shelvey and Perez combine nicely to find Joselu, whose shot is blocked by Dier. It’s been a bright start by both sides. Moments later, Ritchie batters a loose ball over the bar from 20 yards.

12.32pm BST

3 min “I once taught in Newcastle,” says Alun Pugh. “One of my colleagues well remembers teaching a young lad who was later to achieve some measure of sporting fame. Professional standards dictate I cannot reveal his name (it will all end in tears otherwise) but she told me ‘That **** ******** was by some measure the daftest lad I ever taught’.”

You wouldn’t forget a brush with someone like that.

12.32pm BST

2 min Ciaran Clark gives away a silly free-kick with a reckless challenge on Sissoko near the byline on the right. Eriksen eschews the cross and clips it back to Davies, whose shot is blocked.

12.30pm BST

1 min Peep peep! Spurs kick off from left to right. Newcastle are in the usual black-and-white stripes; Spurs are wearing their neptune green (sic) third strip.

12.28pm BST

The players of both sides are going through the ritual of pre-match handshakes. Yep, it’s time for some association football.

12.18pm BST

The MBM season does not truly start until we receive the first email from the great Gary Naylor

“Teddy was indeed an outstanding finisher at all levels of the game (as was John Aldridge and other late(ish) bloomers like Kevin Phillips and Ian Wright),” says Gary. “So, to what extent is finishing a knack? If it is (and, you’ve guessed it, I suspect it might be) wouldn’t it be worth a Premier League club taking a punt or two on a prolific lower league er... fox in the box? Play him in the Carabao Cup and see how he goes.”

12.03pm BST

“Welcome back Rob,” says Matt Loten. “Currently sat in traffic outside Preston, heading to Blackpool for Portsmouth’s first away game of the season. Sunshine’s out, inane transfer debate on the radio, stomach full of questionable motorway service station cooked breakfast. Does it get any better than this? I’ll answer that question for you: it does not. Here’s hoping that everyone - fan, footballer and MBM’er alike - is as excited as I am. Football is well and truly back!”

11.53am BST

Remember When department

Now this is how to finish a one-on-one. Teddy Sheringham was such an underrated finisher.

11.48am BST

Pre-match reading

11.34am BST

Newcastle (4-2-3-1) Dubravka; Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Dummett; Shelvey, Diame; Ritchie, Perez, Kenedy; Joselu.
Subs: Darlow, Schar, Manquillo, Ki, Atsu, Rondon, Muto.

Spurs (4-2-3-1) Lloris; Aurier, Sanchez, Vertonghen, Davies; Dier, Alli; Sissoko, Eriksen, Moura; Kane.
Subs: Vorm, Alderweireld, Walker-Peters, Dembele, Amos, Son, Llorente.

8.13am BST

Wotcha. Welcome back. The start of the football season is Christmas Day for football fans. Newcastle’s supporters received a pair of socks; Spurs fans got a new training ground. The inactivity of both sides in the transfer market has compromised the usual opening-day optimism, yet you could argue both sides had a decent summer. Newcastle kept Rafael Benitez, and Spurs are still the employers of Mauricio Pochettino, Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and others.

Novelty trumps stability in the juvenile world of modern football, but the latter is far more conducive to success. That word means different things to different clubs. For Spurs, it’s the traditional definition: they need a trophy, any trophy, this season, because this team will probably break up if they don’t win one.

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Published on August 11, 2018 06:36

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