Rob Smyth's Blog, page 5

Women’s Euro 2025: countdown to France v Germany; England hopeful over Williamson – as it happened

France and Germany prepared to meet in the last quarter-final, while Esme Morgan delivered some positive injury news on Leah Williamson

As always, I want to hear from you today! Be sure to message me with any thoughts on the Euro 2025 quarter-finals so far and predictions for tonight’s match.

I think I’ve only just recovered from the drama of Thursday’s clash between Sweden and England. What a match! Here is how England fans reacted to the outcome…

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Football transfer rumours: Nicolas Jackson to join Manchester United?

Today’s rumours wanna jive tonight

The Villa Park Rehabilitation Centre for Disaffected Souls Who Learned the Hard Way that Old Trafford is No Longer the Theatre of Dreams or Let’s Be Honest Even Hopes could soon have a new arrival. After helping Marcus Rashford discovery his joie de football last season, Unai Emery reportedly wants to do to the same for Alejandro Garnacho, while also injecting him with an eye-watering level of tactical detail and a hitherto unseen desire to do the defensive hard yards.

Chelsea and Tottenham are also listening to Garnacho FM for the latest, which could result in an unlikely swap deal. The word on the street is the Manchester United’s search for a centre-forward has reached Nicolas Jackson, who might as well have a red shirt to go with the red cards he’s started collecting.

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India beat England by four wickets: first women’s cricket ODI – as it happened

India beat England by four wickets in Southampton to take 1-0 lead in the ODI series

India review for LBW against Beaumont!

This looks close.

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The Spin | Why is KL Rahul’s average so low? Here are some explanations

A walking wicket on the 2018 tour of England, stats suggest Rahul’s average of 35 is more impressive than it seems

The Guardian’s over-by-over coverage is built on reader interaction. We probably receive more than 1,000 emails during an average Test, hundreds of which are published. As an epic Lord’s Test unfolded, the same question kept dropping into our inboxes. “This is the second innings of the series that has left me baffled as to how KL Rahul averages only 35 in Tests,” began one such email from Ned Blackburn. “He seems to have the temperament, technique and discipline to be absolutely elite. What am I missing?”

Rahul’s Test average has become the unsolved mystery of the English summer. But after a day in the statistical dirt – and Ben Stokes thought he went to some dark places on Monday – we can offer some potential explanations. The simplest reason is that after a fine start to his career he became a superstar of Indian cricket, a status that is Kryptonite for an overthinker. “I just couldn’t get out of my own head,” he said in late 2023. “I couldn’t leave cricket or my professional life on the field. It was such a heaviness on me.”

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England v India: third men’s cricket Test, day four – as it happened

India finished on 58 for four, needing another 135 to win after a sensational day’s play at Lord’s

Jasprit Bumrah from the Nursery End… sizzling atmosphere here at Lord’s. Duckett continues his perky start by clipping for a single to get off strike. Right, Bumrah vs Crawley take two. Here we go!

Chance! Ouch! Bumrah gets one to spit off a good length and it slams into Crawley’s left hand, that came out of nowhere! The ball flies up off the glove and Bumrah hares after the looping Dukes for the return catch. He doesn’t quite get there, a finger end on it as it drops to the turf. Great drama. Crawley could not do anything about that, no histrionics needed, that would have hurt. This fourth day pitch is starting to offer up some spice too.

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England v India: third men’s cricket Test, day three – as it happened

Updates from the third day’s play at Lord’s

Get in touch! Share your thoughts with James

46th over: India 158-3 (Rahul 54, Pant 31) The first inspection of the ball comes after only 13 deliveries. Archer sniffs when he’s told to continue with the current ball, then sends down a sharp lifter that is fenced through the vacant backward short leg area by Rahul. The resulting single brings up an important fifty partnership inside 13 overs.

There’s an occasional bit of extra bounce but no sideways movement whatsoever. England have another 34 overs of old-ball toil ahead.

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Root on 99 not out as England reach 251-4 against India on day one of third Test – as it happened

Joe Root anchored England’s innings and Ben Stokes suffered an injury scare on a compelling, hard-fought first day at Lord’s

2ndover: England 8-0 (Crawley 0, Duckett 7) Akash Deep opening up from the Nursery End. He was a revelation at Edgbaston. He strays too straight from around the wicket and Duckett flicks away fine for England’s first boundary.

“Plenty of examples of teams being rolled for booger all in this scenario” laments Ben Bernards. “A pitch cultivated at England’s request to be “livelier”, Bumrah’s back, Deep in form …. Bazball going full Baz, or Bazball losing its head under pressure? Promises to be fun! Oh, and stop banging on about the bloody heat. Up here in the Nordics we’re flying the flag for shit summers and usually have the UK as a reliable meteorological bedfellow…”

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India beat England by 336 runs in second men’s cricket Test, day five – as it happened

Akash Deep finished with 10 wickets in the match as India levelled the series with a thumping win at Edgbaston

Nothing is happening so I’m going to grab a coffee. In the meantime, here’s Geoff Lemon with the latest from Australia’s tour of the Caribbean.

The rain has eased so the groundstaff are getting to work. It’s still spitting and there’s been no discussion of a potential start time. Could be at least an hour – the outfield looks sodden.

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England v India: second men’s cricket Test, day four – as it happened

Shubman Gill’s historic 161 and a sizzling new-ball burst from Akash Deep left England facing a huge defeat

18th over: India 81-1 (Nair 13, Rahul 38) Woakes stitches together a maiden. England have bowled well this morning but with no luck so far.

“Morning James. A packed day of sport today, it’s what the OBO/MBM was made for!”

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England v India: second men’s cricket Test, day three – as it happened

Jamie Smith struck a scintillating 184 not out but India took control with a dominant first-innings lead

Mohammad Siraj is on a hat-trick!

Siraj loses his run-up twice before bowling his first delivery. Losing your run-up is bad, losing Joe Root is a whole lot worse. He’s gone to Shami’s third ball, caught down the leg side by the diving Pant! Root can’t believe his luck. He flicked at a poor delivery, on the pads, and got a little tickle that was snaffled gleefully by Pant. That’s a big wicket. Huge. Massive. Massive!

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