Rob Smyth's Blog, page 44
October 27, 2023
Football Daily | Does a Sunday roasting await in the latest Manchester derby?
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Football Daily isn’t in the finest fettle. We were up half the night, reluctantly drinking cans of Good Times with our inconsolable cousin, Cricket Occasionally. On the plus side, at least we’re not Erik ten Hag. The poor bloke has been putting out fires ever since arriving at Old Trafford, but they keep coming. One of these days he’s going to become the first bald person in human history to go even balder due to stress. Ten Hag has two new problems. First there’s Alejandro Garnacho, who got the wrong end of the stick when somebody told him to follow Edinson Cavani’s example. Then there’s a potential Sunday roasting when Manchester City and Erling Haaland visit for the derby.
As massive Chester-based Atleti fans (won’t bore you), me and the lad always take in their UK Big Cup appearances, despite my catching Covid at Anfield in 2020. Anyway, to Celtic Park on Wednesday. I just loved their refusal to pander to Spanish sensibilities at the tea bar, offering a straight choice of macaroni pies, Scotch pies and Tennent’s lager. Buena salud!” – Rob Ford.
Re: David Datro Fofana being suspended for one week, rather than one game, for failing to accept his coach’s decision (yesterday’s News, Bits and Bobs, full email edition). Are we sure his club isn’t actually called Rugby Union Berlin?” – Ed Taylor.
Maybe some of your readers would be entertained to know what a joke Serbian football has become. Nineteen matches played in European competition so far this season, with one win, two draws and 16 (sixteen!) defeats. And to make things even more tragicomical, Cukaricki’s manager, after his team had been beaten 6-0 by Fiorentina in Tin Pot, said: ‘We were very good until they scored the first goal.’ Fiorentina scored that goal in the sixth minute” – Bogdan Kotarlic.
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October 26, 2023
England on brink of World Cup exit after heavy loss to Sri Lanka – as it happened
England lost for the fourth time in five matches as Sri Lanka strolled to an eight-wicket win
Read Simon Burnton’s match report from BengaluruRight, here we go. Madushanka to Bairstow, mind the gap between bat and pad.
In 2019 and 2022, England’s charge to World Cup glory started with a riotous opening partnership. The fit-again Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow added 160 in 22.1 overs against India at Edgbaston; Jos Buttler and Alex Hales belted 81 in 10.2 overs against New Zealand last year.
Continue reading...England v Sri Lanka: Cricket World Cup 2023 – live
In 2019 and 2022, England’s charge to World Cup glory started with a riotous opening partnership. The fit-again Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow added 160 in 22.1 overs against India at Edgbaston; Jos Buttler and Alex Hales belted 81 in 10.2 overs against New Zealand last year.
They’d love a similar start today, though they should be wary the left-arm swing bowler Dilshan Madushanka. He has 11 wickets in the tournament – no fast bowler has taken more – and Jonny Bairstow’s name is screaming MATCH UP.
Continue reading...October 22, 2023
India beat New Zealand by four wickets: Cricket World Cup 2023 – as it happened
Mohammed Shami took five wickets and Virat Kohli made a masterful 95 as India won the battle of the unbeaten teams
2nd over: New Zealand 5-0 (Young 5, Conway 0) Siraj bounces in from the other end, two slips waiting as he shapes the ball away from the right-handed Will Young. The second ball is a touch too wide and short, and Young times the ball nicely behind point for four. Young leaves the next three balls before nabbing a single.
1st over: New Zealand 0-0 (Young 0, Conway 0) Bumrah, from over the wicket, moves a few away from the left-handed Conway before bringing one back in. The opener doesn’t take any risks – a maiden.
Continue reading...India v New Zealand: Cricket World Cup 2023 – live
“If I remember correctly, the last time India and NZ played each other in a world cup match in India was the 2016 T20 World Cup, where India were all out for 79 at the hands of Mitchell Santner,” writes John. “Repeat incoming?”
Sounds about right – a proper turner, that pitch in Nagpur. Santner took 4-11, Ish Sodhi’s leggies nabbed 3-18 and Nathan McCullum got a couple too.
Continue reading...October 20, 2023
Australia beat Pakistan by 62 runs at Cricket World Cup 2023 – as it happened
Shaheen Shah Afridi has the ball, David Warner is taking guard. Let’s get it on.
The players line up for the anthems. The weather in Bengaluru is beautiful; it’s a fine day for a runfest.
Continue reading...Australia v Pakistan: Cricket World Cup 2023 – live
It’s just not cricket. But if you like old football (soccer), you’ll like this.
“Good morning Rob,” says Krishnamoorthy V. I hope you had time after Kohli’s century to work on the elegant XI. Here is mine: David Boon, Mark Waugh, Vinod Kambli, Marlon Samuels, Vijay Manjrekar, Rusi Modi, Jack Russell, Chris Old, Andy Bichel, Iqbal Qasim, Erapalli Prasanna.”
Continue reading...October 19, 2023
India cruise to seven-wicket win over Bangladesh: Cricket World Cup 2023 – as it happened
India cruised to another victory, with Virat Kohli reaching an exhilarating hundred by hitting the last ball of the match for six
2nd over: Bangladesh 5-0 (Tanzid 5, Das 0). Mohammed Siraj starts us off at the other end and almost snaffled a wicket first ball, as Tanzid’s uppish miscued off-drive just beats the man at point and goes for four. It’s a tidy over overall, but Tanzid sees out competently enough.
“I’ve got every bit of vinyl released by indie miserabilists Birdland,” “brags” Matt Kitson, “including a rare bootleg LP (see attached). If anyone wants to make me an offer for the job lot, I’m all ears. They were absolutely massive in Japan, and very briefly in Huddersfield (well, I liked them even if nobody else did).”
Continue reading...India v Bangladesh: Cricket World Cup 2023 – live
Nasser Hussain walks out pointlessly with the trophy as part of the pre-match ceremonials. The ground’s not yet full but expect it to fill up through the course of the afternoon.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj.
Continue reading...October 18, 2023
New Zealand thrash Afghanistan by 149 runs at Cricket World Cup – as it happened
Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips led an impressive New Zealand recovery from 110 for 4 before their bowlers overwhelmed Afghanistan
Devon Conway’s a decent footballer – I didn’t know that – and he chose cricket because the matches last longer. Smart rationale. And Rachin Ravindra’s a big fan of him as a bloke – it’s really sweet seeing what good mates they are.
I’m looking forward to seeing how Lockie Ferguson goes today. If he’s firing, he gives this side a different dimension and, as I type, Simon Doull says there might be enough pace in the track for NZ to go short. He also suggests that batting first is a decent option, and isn’t expecting much dew given the head of the day, which makes me wonder if Hashmatullah’s call to field was the right one; I thought he’d want to get in the match by setting a target, but I guess he trusts his bowlers to get their strangle on.
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