Rob Smyth's Blog, page 59
March 10, 2023
India v Australia: fourth Test, day two – as it happened
The home side closed on 36 for none after Usman Khawaja’s 180 and Cameroon Green’s maiden hundred took Australia to 480 all out
95th over: Australia 266-4 (Khawaja 110, Green 54) Like a suited gent on his way to the office pausing to flick a bug off the footpath with his umbrella, Khawaja strolls down to pick Shami’s full pitched delivery off his toes. The bowler has found his line though and there’s only a quick single to be found. Cam Green gets that elbow up nice and high to drive down the ground but after the carnage he wrought with that shot yesterday, India captain Rohit Sharma has cannily placed a man at mid-off today to stop the stroke.
94th over: Australia 265-4 (Khawaja 109, Green 54) Axar returns. Although he’s still averaging over 90 with the bat, he’s had a dry run with the ball in this series and has none-for from his 14 overs so far albeit with only 18 runs taken from them. Australia keep things ticking over with a couple more singles.
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India v Australia: fourth Test, day two – live
95th over: Australia 266-4 (Khawaja 110, Green 54) Like a suited gent on his way to the office pausing to flick a bug off the footpath with his umbrella, Khawaja strolls down to pick Shami’s full pitched delivery off his toes. The bowler has found his line though and there’s only a quick single to be found. Cam Green gets that elbow up nice and high to drive down the ground but after the carnage he wrought with that shot yesterday, India captain Rohit Sharma has cannily placed a man at mid-off today to stop the stroke.
94th over: Australia 265-4 (Khawaja 109, Green 54) Axar returns. Although he’s still averaging over 90 with the bat, he’s had a dry run with the ball in this series and has none-for from his 14 overs so far albeit with only 18 runs taken from them. Australia keep things ticking over with a couple more singles.
Continue reading...March 9, 2023
Manchester United 4-1 Real Betis: Europa League last 16, first leg – as it happened
Bruno Fernandes and an emotional Wout Weghorst were among the scorers as United got the Anfield humiliation out of their system
“It is a shame,” says Ian Copestake, “that Ten Hag did not get wind of your Departed reference and break into an imitation of Jack Nicholson imitating a sniffing rat.”
I think Ralf Rangnick spent most of last spring doing that.
Continue reading...Football Daily | Antonio Conte and Tottenham: everyone knows it’s over
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Antonio Conte and José Mourinho are not BFFs. They’re not even FFs, although they have been known to effing eff at one another on the touchline. In January 2018, while Manchester City were charging towards the title at record speed, Conte and Mourinho passed the time by slinging thinly-disguised abuse back and forth via the medium of press conferences. The insults included “clown”, “fake” and “demenza senile”, and the whole thing peaked when Mourinho, reaching a heroic level of gratuitous pettiness, referenced Conte’s historical ban for failing to report match-fixing. “Did he? Not me.” In other news, both were sacked before the end of the year. And while they’d never admit it, like many enemies they have plenty in common. They’re winners, for one thing, but heaven help the rest of the world when they realise they’re fighting a losing battle. That’s where another shared quality comes in; when it comes to conscientious, passive-aggressive pursuit of the sack, Conte and Mourinho are world leaders.
This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.
Continue reading...March 6, 2023
Bangladesh beat England by 50 runs: third men’s cricket ODI – as it happened
Shakib Al Hasan starred with bat and ball to give Bangladesh a deserved consolation victory over England in Chattogram
1st over: Bangladesh 2-1 (Tamim 1, Shanto 0) Just the start Bangladesh didn’t want as Sam Curran pockets a wicket in his first over once more. A nice bit of swing from Curran there, not a shot Litton will be collecting for his greatest hits medley.
Litton limply tries to prop up an old stick and guides the ball behind
Continue reading...Bangladesh v England: third men’s cricket one-day international – live
1st over: Bangladesh 2-1 (Tamim 1, Shanto 0) Just the start Bangladesh didn’t want as Sam Curran pockets a wicket in his first over once more. A nice bit of swing from Curran there, not a shot Litton will be collecting for his greatest hits medley.
Litton limply tries to prop up an old stick and guides the ball behind
Continue reading...March 5, 2023
Chelsea 1-3 Arsenal: Continental Cup final – as it happened
Arsenal produced a blistering performance at Selhurst Park, coming from behind to win their first trophy since 2019
And here’s what Emma Hayes had to say
It was an efficient performance last week [with the same XI] and that’ll be our starting point today. I hope it’s a good game, an entertaining game – it’s a final, a sell-out, a record crowd. I’m sure we’ll see goals. Hopefully more of them on the blue side than the red side. It’s the first available trophy that we can win this season. We want to compete on all fronts and this gives us a chance to build towards the end of the season with a trophy under our belt.
It will be important for both teams [to be clinical]. First you have to create chances, then you have to put them away. We’re very hungry – it’s a great opportunity to win a trophy. When you manage a team like this, you always put yourself under pressure because you want to achieve things, but I don’t view that in a bad way. A lot of managers would like to be in my position: we’re in a final, with a great opportunity, so let’s seize the day.
Continue reading...February 28, 2023
Football quiz: identify the Premier League season from the table
Do you know when Aston Villa were top, Manchester United were bottom and Wigan were aiming for the Champions League?
Continue reading...February 26, 2023
Manchester United 2-0 Newcastle United: Carabao Cup final – as it happened
Casemiro’s header and a Sven Botman own goal enabled Man Utd to end their six-year trophy drought with a pragmatic and euphoric victory
In other news, Erik ten Hag had dinner with Sir Alex Ferguson this week.
Marcus Rashford starts for Manchester United. And Loris Karius is in goal for Newcastle.
Continue reading...Tottenham 2-0 Chelsea: Premier League – as it happened
Oliver Skipp and Harry Kane struck in the second half to condemn Graham Potter’s side to yet another dispiriting defeat
2 min Chelsea have a big penalty appeal turned down by Stuart Attwell. Sterling shuffled into the area and went over after a clumsy challenge from Skipp. There was a bit of contact, but VAR decided – rightly I think – that it wasn’t a clear and obvious error.
Sterling is not amused.
Continue reading...Rob Smyth's Blog
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