Rob Smyth's Blog, page 52
July 22, 2023
England 1-0 Haiti: Women’s World Cup 2023 – as it happened
Georgia Stanway’s twice-taken penalty and a fine late save from Mary Earps gave England a nervy win in their opening game
Sarina Wiegman speaks
[On picking Alessia Russo] It was really hard because we have three good centre-forwards, but I decided to go with Alessia. Lauren James was also close to starting. There’s huge competition on the wings, and today we’re starting with Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly. It’s really good that [Millie Bright] is back. She’s happy, we’re happy, and of course she brings lots of experience.
Haiti have some things in their game that will threaten us. I hope we dominate the ball, and when we’re on the ball they can’t use that. They have speed and unpredictability in their game, and they’re reelly dangerous in transition so we want to defend that.
I have interviewed a couple of the players and everyone seems excited. The environment seems really good. A young or new player coming into this squad should be thriving because they are part of a winning team with an aura about them and working with a top manager.
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England v Haiti: Women’s World Cup 2023 – live
The 2011 champions Japan are playing their opening game against Zambia as I type. You can follow that one with Sarah Rendell.
Read Sophie Downey’s preview
The return to fitness of Millie Bright provides a strong boost, not only in terms of her presence in central defence but also her leadership. Wiegman’s big dilemmas remain, however, and relate to who Bright’s defensive partner will be and who will play at left-back.
Alex Greenwood, appearing in her third World Cup, would be the more experienced option in the centre. She has enjoyed a strong season, ever-present in that position with Manchester City. But Wiegman has at times preferred to use Chelsea’s Jess Carter in the middle, placing Greenwood to the left in the position where she started her international career.
Continue reading...July 21, 2023
The Ashes 2023: England v Australia, fourth Test, day three – as it happened
Jonny Bairstow smacked a cathartic 99 not out before Mark Wood reduced Australia to 113-4, still 162 runs behind
Test Match Special overseas, you say? The soothing sounds of British voices and the occasional trumpeting Jim Maxwell shipping forecast? Go on then. Click.
The big story of the day, of course, was the big innings of the day. It might well prove be a story much bigger than one day, too. Jonathan Liew on The Zak.
Continue reading...July 20, 2023
The Ashes 2023: England v Australia, fourth Test, day two – as it happened
Zak Crawley blitzed a remarkable 189 as England raced to 384-4, a lead of 67, at a delirious Old Trafford
Jimmy Anderson gets in the book! With a wicket first ball of the day, no less. Regulation sort of delivery, Cummins doesn’t have his timing sorted yet, pushes at it too early and hits it low to cover for a comfortable catch.
On the players come…
Continue reading...July 19, 2023
The Ashes 2023: England v Australia, fourth Test, day one – as it happened
Stuart Broad took his 600th Test wicket as Australia ended a seesaw first day on 299 for eight after being put in by Ben Stokes
And there’s Megan Maurice on the broader significance of this remarkable series.
Meanwhile, in Taunton last night, it was another stunner for England’s women, putting some serious holes in the Australian juggernaut.
Continue reading...July 14, 2023
Football transfer rumours: could Neymar be on his way to Chelsea?
Today’s tittle-tattle has all the earmarks
Neymar to Chelsea, eh? What a coup that would be for the Premier League! There’s more chance of Boris Johnson remembering his mobile-phone passcode before sundown, alas, but it’s our job to report every bit of BIG gossip, however improbable/unashamedly made up to lure a septillion suckers with a delicious bit of clicky bait.
In an unrelated development, there are sensational rumours that Kylian Mbappé will quit football to become a subeditor on the Guardian sports desk. Mbappé, 24, said he was keen on a new chall… oh never mind.
Continue reading...July 11, 2023
‘You broke my heart’: our writers on transfers that spoiled their summer
Everyone loves a summer transfer but here are some that, for different reasons, were less ‘Here we go!’ and more ‘Oh no!’
All my family are Blackburn; my dad went to school there, my grandparents bought a house from Jack Walker overlooking Ewood Park. Born to northern parents in the south I was the only kid in school who supported Rovers, but it was ace – we were promoted to the Premier League when I was four and crowned champions when I was seven. A year later everything changed: Kenny Dalglish was no longer our manager and Alan Shearer was on the verge of joining Newcastle. Aged eight, I scrawled a tear-stained letter pleading for my hero not to leave and handed it to Martin Tyler – I was best mates with his son at school. He promised to hand it to Alan but I’m 99% sure he never did. Can you imagine: Martin in the tunnel before a game, walking up to Shearer and saying, “Oh Alan, before you go, you know your move from this sinking ship of a club to your hometown side for a world-record fee? Well, thing is, my son’s friend has written you this note asking if you’d reconsider.” Shearer didn’t stay. You broke my heart, Alan. MB
Continue reading...Football transfer rumours: PSG enter the race to land Harry Kane?
Today’s hearsay is singing Jerusalem in an empty stadium
Before we turn to the daily bread of transfer rumours, we must address the elephant in the room, a bit of gossip that the entire country is talking about. According to reports this morning, Jonny Bairstow will be retained for England’s last two Ashes Tests against Australia. Bairstow, who [OK, good one, but that’s enough now, people need to hear the latest on Randal Kolo Muani to take the edge off their commute – Rumour Mill Ed] has struggled with bat and gloves since his return from a hideous leg break, has the full support of [you’re testing my patience here – ed] Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.
The England captain and coach will resist calls to replace Bairstow with Surrey’s Ben Foakes, despite Foakes’s [right you little sleveen, I don’t care that it’s not 1973 and physical aggression is no longer encouraged in the workplace, if you don’t start dispensing transfer rumours within the next 10 seconds, I’ll stick the toe of these crocodile leather loafers right up your …] fundamental superiority as a gloveman.
Continue reading...July 9, 2023
Wimbledon day seven: Swiatek survives Bencic scare, Svitolina beats Azarenka – as it happened
The No1 seed Iga Swiatek survived two match points to set up a quarter-final with Elina Svitolina, who won a classic against Victoria Azarenka
Andreeva consolidates with 3-1, and she’s just so solid. In comms, they note that both her serve and groundstrokes lack the extreme power you’d expect, especially for someone doing so well so young, but she does have a superpower: the ability to compete under pressure and, as I type, she breaks again and will shortly serve at 5-1; Bouzkokva and Vondoursova are at deuce as the former seeks to force the latter to serve for a decider. Vondrousova 2-6 5-3 Bouzkova
Potapova nets a backhand and, eventually, after a 10-minute game, Andreeva breaks again for 2-1; neither player has yet held their serve, but Vondrousova does so in short order and is now back serving again with a 4-3 lead in set one.
Continue reading...July 8, 2023
Women’s Ashes: England beat Australia by five wickets in third T20 – as it happened
Alice Capsey’s fearless 23-ball 46 helped England to a T20 series victory over Australia in front of a record crowd at Lord’s
How’s this for the spirit of cricket: Alyssa Healy has walked on an LBW. She whipped across the line at an offbreak from Dean and was hit in front. It was plumb, and Healy was on the move before the umpire’s finger went up. She made a breezy 10-ball 16.
3rd over: Australia 20-0 (Healy 16, Mooney 3) Lauren Bell replaces Charlie Dean. Healy chips her stylishly over mid-on for two, with the ball plugging on the outfield. That aside it’s an excellent first over from Bell, with a top speed of around 73mph; Mooney is beaten by the last delivery.
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