Two heavyweights of the League One scene faced off against each other on Monday night, as the glitz and glamour of the pre-match build-up between Birmingham City and Wrexham wasn’t let down by the drama on the pitch.

The likes of Tom Brady, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney having a stake in both third-tier sides dominated the talk beforehand, with both the Blues and Red Dragons having an American flavour to them now owing to the powers that be at both outfits.

Even David Beckham watched on as Birmingham emphatically beat their Welsh opponents 3-1, with Jay Stansfield standing out for the much-talked-about home side up top.

Stansfield's performance vs Wrexham

Spending obscene amounts of cash to lure Stansfield back to St. Andrew’s after a bright loan spell looks to have been a fine move by the Blues, with Stansfield standing out throughout against Phil Parkinson’s tricky Wrexham side.

The new £20m buy would continue where he last left off in a Blues strip – having fired home 13 goals last season in all competitions for his relegated team – with two goals registered against the might of the Red Dragons during his second league debut.

He was very much a clinical finisher on the night, with only 28 touches of the ball and six accurate passes tallied up, as Stansfield waited for the perfect moment to strike as a poacher for Chris Davies’ men.

With Alfie May also in attack, the Birmingham forward positions are a frightening prospect to get your head around when they’re all on song, as May already has four goals next to his name from five League One games.

But, it was his partner in crime up top that ended up stealing the show against Wrexham.

Yet, Stansfield will be very thankful that his teammate in Alex Cochrane continued to deliver inch-perfect crosses into the danger area – like the one above – to help him in his pursuit to pick up a brace.

Cochrane was terrific throughout for his new employers, having also been a bumper signing during the recently closed transfer window from Heart of Midlothian, who has adjusted to the demands of EFL football swimmingly.

Cochrane's performance vs Wrexham

The 24-year-old full-back has been an ever-present part of Davies’ side in the league since making the switch to England from Scotland, and it’s clear to see why he’s been so trusted to make that left-back spot his own.

The ex-Brighton and Hove Albion youngster was lively throughout bombing down the left, with his sublime cross to pick out Stansfield for his second of the night a major highlight, among many other standout moments.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Touches

124

Accurate passes

88/98 (90%)

Crosses attempted

10

Clearances

2

Interceptions

1

Tackles

2

Total duels won

5/9

Away from that game-clinching assist, Cochrane was always looking for the ball to create more openings, with a ridiculous 124 touches of the ball amassed over the full 90 minutes, leading to 88 accurate passes and ten crosses being tallied up.

The 24-year-old was also rock solid throughout at the back to ensure his side were only breached once in the contest by Jack Marriott’s early opener, by winning five duels along the way on top of completing two tackles and two clearances.

Cochrane would be rewarded for his stellar display against Parkinson’s visitors with an 8/10 post-match rating by Birmingham Live journalist Alex Dicken, who coined the phrase “bend it like Cochrane” for his breathtaking assist that Beckham would have even been in awe of watching on from the stands.

The Blues now find themselves level with their Welsh opponents at the top of the league on points, but with a game in hand, it won’t be long you feel until Davies’ entertaining side reaches the top of the third-tier summit.

Former Birmingham star would be worth more than Stansfield if sold in 2024

Birmingham City struck gold selling on this star when they did.

1 ByKelan Sarson Sep 15, 2024

The new faces on England’s central contracts list reflect the end of a period of great upheaval, as well as the punishing schedule over the next 12 months

Andrew McGlashan11-Sep-2014A year of controversy, upheaval, no little pain and then the shoots of a recovery is reflected in England’s significantly new-look central contracts list. Such is the yearly cycle of the deals that most of the changes could be seen from some way out, but the announcement of the new batch does act as something of a full stop on a period where stability has been in short supply.The six new faces – Gary Ballance, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler, Chris Jordan, Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes – all made their Test debuts in the last months 12 months; their inclusions in the central contracts both highlights the influx of fresh blood that was needed and the fact that, in a difficult year, the selectors have made some shrewd decisions.Purely on results, you could argue that Jordan, Woakes and Stokes – plus the retention of Steven Finn, who has been through a traumatic rebuilding of his game – were borderline decisions, but in deciding who is offered contracts the selectors need to gaze somewhat into their crystal ball or, perhaps more prosaically, look at the daunting Future Tours Programme in front of them.England needed six fast bowlers this season to get through the seven Tests against Sri Lanka and India. The fact James Anderson and Stuart Broad, the latter with a dodgy knee, managed the full set shows the value of looking after your premier bowlers. The nine months of Test cricket they have from April 2015 to January 2016, on the back of a World Cup, could require even greater depth in the pace department. England’s management want to be able to have control over their most precious resources, even if some of them remain rough diamonds.The one of the summer sextet not to make the main contracts list is Liam Plunkett. He can count himself unfortunate after playing the first four Tests of the season before succumbing to an ankle injury. More significance has been placed on Finn, although that is likely to be because he is a bowler who the selectors envisage playing all three formats.The fact that Finn is among the frontline pack is huge credit to the man himself. He was broken, and nearly beaten, when he returned from Australia in early January. His game was stripped back to the bare bones; he was almost learning to bowl again. As was to be expected progress was not always smooth – and the job is not yet complete – but in his last couple of outings against India, the ODI at Headingley and T20 at Edgbaston, the pace he generated suggests all the elements are starting to click.The most obvious ‘situation vacant’ sign – Moeen has suggested he can perform the spin-bowling role adequately and there is still more to come – is a Test opening partner for Alastair Cook. Sam Robson has not found a place in either the central or, perhaps most instructively, incremental contract lists, whereas Alex Hales is included in the second batch (as is Ravi Bopara which indicates he will soon be back in the one-day side).Robson’s return from seven Tests – 336 runs at 30.54 with one hundred – was not enough to end debate about a position which has been a revolving door since Andrew Strauss’ retirement. On Wednesday, Mick Newell, the Nottinghamshire director of cricket and England selector, said that Hales was some way off being a Test cricketer but then, earlier this season, Cook was not convinced that Buttler was ready for promotion before hands were forced by Matt Prior’s injury.Hales could yet change minds with a barnstorming six months in one-day cricket but Robson’s main challenger is shaping to be Yorkshire’s Adam Lyth. The Lions tour to South Africa should be a fascinating audition.The way the changes of personnel have happened means no county is likely to be especially worse off by having to accommodate a high-value player back on their books. Sussex take back Prior but hand over Jordan, Warwickshire swap Woakes for Jonathan Trott and for Yorkshire, Ballance goes to England’s payroll and Tim Bresnan is back on county wages.Worcestershire, Durham and Lancashire, meanwhile, may be able to redistribute the money that previously went towards Moeen, Stokes and Buttler. If England’s selectors have got their judgements right, and these young players become long-term members of the national teams, their counties will not see much of them over the next decade.

Gloucestershire bowlers chip away but left facing sizeable first-innings deficit

David Hopps15-Apr-2022

Harry Brook compiled an excellent innings•Getty Images

News of Joe Root’s resignation as Test captain had caused regret to descend momentarily upon Yorkshire’s band of travelling supporters as they gathered in little clutches around the Bristol ground before start of play, but by the time that stumps were drawn they were able to applaud their latest champion. Root should have many thousands of Test runs in his locker before retirement and the odds are that when all is said and done Harry Brook will be alongside him as an established, battle-hardened member of England’s middle order.Brook averaged 38 in the Championship last season, making more of an impact in the shorter formats, but he remains ambitious to be an all-format cricketer and his hundred against Gloucestershire at the first time of asking, on a magical spring day, indicated that he is a player of growing resilience. “I regard Test cricket as the pinnacle,” he said.Such an assertion will delight many, but maintaining a commitment to all formats is challenging, especially when – as was the case with Brook last winter – it involves T20 stints in both Pakistan and Australia. He was strikingly self-critical when he offered up the thought that he had not taken full advantage of his England Lions opportunity in the winter, consumed by too many thoughts about the impending Big Bash. “Training and things,” he said, and left it there. Perhaps this innings began to put things right.If Root’s resignation had not been viewed as a done deal, Brook suggested that in the Yorkshire dressing room there had been little surprise. “We sort of expected it,” he said. They will now hope that Root’s return to Championship cricket might happen sooner than later as he concentrates on getting his batting in order and, if it does, then Brook will benefit from batting alongside him.Brook’s certainty ultimately dominated the second day, just as the compact figure of Gloucestershire’s opening batter, Marcus Harris, had dominated the first. He saved all his uncertain moments for when he was 99, his touch suddenly deserting him – what’s more against the bower who had met him with the most authority of all. “I was timing it well until I got to 99 – and then I didn’t time one for five overs,” he reflected.A single over from Ben Charlesworth saw Brook dropped low down at second slip by Tom Lace, an excellent delivery this; be dumbfounded by a thigh-high full toss; and then hop around after he was struck on the boot by a yorker. A back-foot steer through point secured his hundred, his second of the year, following a first T20 century for Lahore Qalanders in the Pakistan Super League. He fell in the next over, 101 from 164 balls, dead-batting a delivery from Josh Shaw on to his stumps.Watching Brook was a serious business for many Yorkshire onlookers on the day of Root’s resignation. Broken by the inadequacies of others will be the view from the White Rose. “Morning chaps, how are you doing?” had been the cheery greeting from an unsuspecting Gloucestershire supporter in a Panama hat (not at all Northern apparel) as he collected a couple of foldaway chairs, and organised his partner and dog into approved position. Three pairs of eyes glanced up momentarily and remained determinedly silent. Coming late and chatting like that in the middle of an over, what’s the world coming to? The Man Who Talked Too Much got the message and walked off in search of a coffee.Brook remains a bit of a fidget. There is always a pitch to tap, a glove to fiddle with, a shot to hone. On one occasion, he held up Zafar Gohar in his run-up to clear away an imagined speck of grass. When a stump was broken by a fielder’s throw, he hyperactively helped knock it back in. If you happen to miss a shot, the likelihood is that he will relive it for you seconds later, or at last relive a perfect version of it. But when the ball is bowled, that nervous energy increasingly comes together into certainty of thought and stroke.His blemish on 99 apart, he offered Gloucestershire little hope, although he might have run himself out on 18 when he lackadaisically assumed he could collect a routine single square on the off-side only to find Harry Duke, at the non-striker’s end, wracked with youthful uncertainty. Either might have been run out, neither was.Yorkshire had chipped 37 off Gloucestershire’s 227 on the first evening, but at 135 for 4 the match was in the balance. Adam Lyth and Dawid Malan both promised to go big, but Lyth edged a tempting wide half-volley from Charlesworth to first slip and Malan played on against Ajeet Dale, who tucked him up from slightly back-of-a-length and forced a faint inside edge. The suspicion was that Malan has been vulnerable to this dismissal before, the portcullis not quite falling in time, but it would not be altogether surprising if data analysts were able to pore through hours of footage to prove otherwise.From 135 for 4, with Brook’s innings yet to take shape, the match was in the balance, but Brook found good support from Duke and Dom Bess in stands of 91 and 71; if that continues, a wicketkeeper at No. 6 and a spin-bowling allrounder at No. 7 promises excellent balance. Duke found momentum with three boundaries in an over against Shaw, fortunate perhaps that Charlesworth flinched at backward point as he failed to pick up the flight of the ball.As Brook assumed control, Gohar’s left-arm spin played an important holding role. He made an impact last season with 11 wickets against Durham and was the first signing made under the new head coach, Dale Benkenstein. Brook, having his first sight of him, played him circumspectly, and failed to take a boundary off him. There was a wicket, too, Duke, caught at the wicket trying to dab.Many in the south-west feel that Gloucestershire can finish above Somerset this season, although the way their West Country rivals have started, that assumption may not mean too much. Behind the game here, there is nevertheless a solidity about them that augers well and Gohar can make a vital contribution to that.

ESPNcricinfo understands that the Afghanistan camp had wanted re-tests done as they suspected false positives

Mohammad Isam16-Feb-2022The several members of Afghanistan’s touring party who had tested positive for Covid-19 in Sylhet yesterday, all returned negative results when re-tested today. This was confirmed by an ACB official.ESPNcricinfo understands that the Afghanistan camp had wanted re-tests done as they suspected false positives, and so the re-tests were conducted ahead of the completion of the 48 hours of isolation – which would have ended late today – they were asked to undergo. They will resume training for the limited-overs series against Bangladesh tomorrow in Sylhet.The squad and support staff had arrived in Dhaka on February 12, with everyone testing negative before flying out, and left for Sylhet the following day. They have since been training in Sylhet, as they prepare for three ODIs scheduled to begin in Chattogram on February 23.Having arrived in Bangladesh well before the series to have a training camp and acclimatise, they are currently in the country on their own terms, and will enter the BCB’s bio-bubble only on February 19.The BCB, who had extended its support to the visitors after the news of the positive tests, will heave a huge sigh of relief as the large number of cases would have forced a change in the schedule. The series is an important one for both teams, as it is part of the ICC’s ODI Super League. The games are set for February 23, 25 and 28 in Chattogram, before the teams move to Dhaka for two T20Is in early March.

Everton’s transfer dealings over the years have been questionable to say the least, with their reckless approach undoubtedly contributing to their eight-point deduction last season.

The Toffees were hit with various deductions after breaching the Premier League’s PSR rules, after exceeding the permitted £105m losses over a three-year period.

The combined £47m spent on midfielders Andre Gomes and Jean-Philippe Gbamin proved to be awful dealings, with the pair struggling with injuries during their respective periods at Goodison Park, before both departing the club on free transfers.

Yerry Mina is another example, costing the Toffees £27m back in the summer of 2018, making just under 100 appearances for the club, but also providing no resale value on his big-money transfer.

However, another player in recent times has proven to be a dreadful addition, with his antics off the field tarnishing any relationship he could’ve had with the Everton faithful.

Neal Maupay’s time at Everton

During the summer of 2022, Everton made a surprise move to sign striker Neal Maupay from Brighton, forking out £15m for his services.

At the time, it seemed like a fair price for a player of Maupay’s Premier League experience, but his move to Merseyside proved to be a disaster for both parties.

The Frenchman only registered one goal in his 32 appearances during the 2022/23 campaign – a disappointing return given the fee paid for his signature.

He subsequently spent last season on loan at former side Brentford, scoring six times in the league for Thomas Frank’s side, returning to Goodison for pre-season this summer.

However, he was subject to abuse by supporters after the 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur earlier this season, with the striker speaking out about the incident on social media.

The confrontation would spell the end of his time at the club, moving to Ligue 1 side Marseille during the recent transfer window on loan with an obligation to buy next summer.

On the whole, the move was another example of the club’s poor dealings in the market, but, it gets even worse when the club made the move for the striker over a player who’s taken the Premier League by storm.

The man who Everton missed out on to sign Maupay

Winger Mohammed Kudus joined West Ham United back in the summer of 2023 for a fee in the region of £38m from Eredivisie side Ajax.

Since his move to the Premier League, the Ghanaian has thrived, registering 21 goal contributions in all competitions, helping the Hammers cement a top-half finish last season.

Mohammed Kudus

14

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

10

Abdoulaye Doucoure

8

Beto

6

Dwight McNeil

5

Jack Harrison

4

As a result of his excellent form at the London Stadium, the 24-year-old has seen his valuation skyrocket, with Kudus described as a “£100m player” by former coach Jeremy Seethal, having also been the subject of interest from Liverpool over the summer.

His move to join the Hammers will be a huge kick in the teeth for Everton, especially considering the Toffees were actually close to signing the attacker during the same summer they pursued a move for Maupay, only for the deal to collapse at the eleventh hour.

Speaking with a Dutch outlet whilst still at Ajax, Kudus confirmed that he wanted a move to Merseyside to gain valuable game time in his career, but that a move never materialised in the end, with former boss Frank Lampard missing out on the addition of a now proven player in England’s top flight.

The club will undoubtedly be kicking themselves that they couldn’t secure a deal for the winger’s services – especially considering his rapid development at West Ham – with Football Insider reporting earlier this year that a deal would have been done had the Toffees’ finances been ‘healthy’.

As for Maupay, the move was a disaster with his transfer fee just one reason as to why the club were docked last season, making the right call in allowing him to depart Goodison this season.

Their goalscoring woes of recent times would’ve been non-existent had they won the race for Kudus’ signature, however, he will always remain one that got away for the Toffees.

Everton struck gold on Lampard's free transfer who's now worth £17m

The former manager didn’t inspire the club on the pitch, yet he made some decent signings…

ByRoss Kilvington Sep 16, 2024

At the scene of one of his finest innings, Michael Clarke is about to embark upon perhaps the most pivotal Test match of his career

Daniel Brettig at Lord's17-Jul-2013Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin, captain and deputy, were Australia’s last two men to leave the Lord’s nets on the eve of the second Test.Haddin was jovial as he walked for the pavilion, looking ahead to the chance of reversing the painfully narrow result at Trent Bridge. But Clarke was the personification of pensive. Lost in his own thoughts and staring straight ahead, he appeared to be steeling himself for a match that can be argued to be the most critical of his captaincy and career so far.It was a starkly contrasting image from that portrayed at his pre-match press conference and spoke more truthfully of Australia’s position than any amount of sunny rhetoric. Whatever good feelings emerged from the Nottingham Test, it was still the tourists’ fifth consecutive Test match loss, a sequence of under-performance last witnessed in 1984.And whatever confidence Clarke derived from a team display that showed far greater determination and unity than anything served up in India, it was also a match in which he wrestled unsuccessfully with two old adversaries – the No. 4 position and the patience of England’s bowlers.Australia cannot win this series, nor get close to doing so, if Clarke continues to be corralled in the manner he was at Trent Bridge. While in the first innings he was the victim of James Anderson’s very own fast-medium version of the ball of the century, in the second Clarke struggled for his usual sprightly timing and momentum. Much as they did in 2010-11, England succeeded in reducing Clarke’s scoring areas, forcing him to play straighter and sapping his patience. As Alastair Cook put it: “we were happy with the way we bowled to a lot of their batsmen.”For his part, Clarke said the swift starts that characterised many of his best innings at No. 5 had been largely reactive to the kind of bowling he had received, and indicated that patience was just as important as proactivity. At Trent Bridge he had been kept quiet, and did not wish to force the pace unnecessarily on a surface not amenable to fast scoring. But the sight of Clarke scratching around was a source of as much worry for Australia as Ashton Agar’s fearless first innings had been a tonic.”I think it varies because mainly as a batsman you’re reacting to what the bowler is doing, not the other way around and you’re not always in control so a lot is determined by where they bowl the ball,” Clarke said. “That determines how quickly I score, I guess. It looks to me that England certainly are working on a plan to dry me up because through my career there have been times when I got off to good starts.

Having glimpsed uncertainty in English eyes at times in Nottingham, Clarke and Australia must now go on to establish a foothold in the series.

“To me as a batter it doesn’t make much difference. To make 100 or 200 you’ve got to bat for long periods so whether you’re 10 off 10 balls or 10 off 50 balls, it doesn’t matter. I think it’s just about batting, enjoy batting. The longer you’re out there, the more chance you have of scoring runs. Patience and wait for that bad ball.”Four years ago at Lord’s, Clarke played a hand he still regards as close to his very best. Setting out in pursuit of an impossible 522 for victory, he punched and glided to 136, accompanied for most of the way by Haddin in a bold fourth innings counterattack against high quality bowling by Anderson, Andrew Flintoff and Graeme Swann. That day Clarke motored to 22 for 15 balls before settling in. He recalled the occasion dimly because it concluded in defeat, but noted motivation to make a score in the chase because he had failed first up. So it is again this time.”I remember losing the Test match,” Clarke said. “I remember not making any in the first innings and needing to make a score in the second innings. The reason you play is to have success as a team and we didn’t win that Test. If I can get a start hopefully I’ll go on to a big score.”A substantial tally from Clarke can shape the outcome of the match, which must be won if Australia are to maintain any serious hope of claiming the series. On a pitch not quite so dry as Nottingham but already showing some evidence of cracking, the need for a major first innings tally is critical, particularly after the Australians kicked away a chance to pressure England by slipping to 117 for 9 in response to their hosts’ mediocre 215 on day one of the series.Another such decline would almost certainly lead to a heavy defeat and set Australia on another ruinous path, no matter how much the unity of the team has improved in the days since Darren Lehmann replaced the litigious Mickey Arthur as coach. Having glimpsed uncertainty, if not fear, in English eyes at times in Nottingham, Clarke and Australia must now go on to establish a foothold in the series.Anything else will undo much of the team’s recent progress, damaging the newfound unity that contrasts so visibly to the poisonous atmosphere depicted by Arthur in his leaked compensation claim. Those revelations have not overly affected a team that has largely moved on from the divisions suggested by Arthur, helped in large part by the appointment of Lehmann and the return of Haddin. But no team’s foundations are so solid that they can withstand repeated doses of losing.In addition to “Mickeyleaks”, preparations for Lord’s have also been punctuated by the appearances of a quartet of luminaries from brighter days, as Glenn McGrath, Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne have blessed the team with their presence and the odd snatch of advice. In 1989 and 1997, Waugh and McGrath turned on defining displays at the home of cricket. In 2013, Clarke desires the same. His stony expression said as much.

Newcastle United are believed to have sent scouts to watch a Champions League wonderkid in action in midweek, according to a fresh transfer claim.

Mitchell's transfer plans at Newcastle

The Magpies will need to sign established players in the coming transfer windows, in order to provide Eddie Howe with the additional quality needed in his squad, but planning for the long-term picture is also of the utmost importance. Paul Mitchell replaced Dan Ashworth as Newcastle’s new sporting director in the summer, arriving from Monaco, and it looks as though the Englishman is ready to ensure that some of the best emerging talent around makes it way to St James’ Park.

A new report has stated that Mitchell wants scouts to head to Germany and France and make the Magpies the “best in class” when it comes to developing a huge pool of young talent. The hope is that not only will this ensure Howe has an array of prospects coming through the pipeline, but also gurantee the club can avoid any further PSR threat by selling off youngsters, pointing to Liverpool’s £50m+ profit this summer from Fabio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg as an example.

Not only that, but Newcastle’s new transfer guru also wants to hire a full-time psychologist who can work with young players and the loans team to keep things ticking along. It is an intriguing approach that could prove to be very shrewd in the long term, and the Magpies have now been linked with a gifted ace with a big future ahead of him.

Newcastle sent scouts to watch wonderkid

According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are eyeing a move for Red Star Belgrade attacking midfielder Andrija Maksimovic, even sending scouts to watch him in Champions League action in midweek.

They are far from alone in showing an interest in the 17-year-old, however, with Manchester City, Brighton and Chelsea mentioned as fellow Premier League suitors, while in terms of foreign clubs, Juventus, Napoli, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, and Borussia Dortmund are all mentioned as being in the mix.

It is understandable why Maksimovic won’t be a name known by the majority of Newcastle supporters, but there is a reason why so many huge clubs are keen on snapping him up from Red Star. At just 17, he has already made 29 appearances for loan side Graficar, scoring nine goals in that time and also chipping in with three assists. At international level, he has capped a combined 18 times across four different age groups for Serbia, finding the net five times in the process.

Serbia Under-19s

3

1

Serbia Under-17s

10

4

Serbia Under-16s

3

0

Serbia Under-15s

2

0

Maksimovic played 70 minutes for Red Star away to Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday night, and while his side may have been on the receiving end of a 4-0 defeat, he still caught the eye, completing 93.9% of his passes at San Siro. He even had four shots, showing that he posed an attacking threat, despite the visitors being dominated.

Newcastle wanted to sign £50m ace who's been better than Gordon & Isak since

This has got to be one of the biggest blunders under the PIF ownership…

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 4, 2024

Unearthing hidden gems should always be considered important at Newcastle, ensuring that Howe’s squad doesn’t age together and there is always a fresh face coming through, and Maksimovic could be ideal in that respect.

The cool stroll down the pitch, the relaxed smile, the lackadaisical lift of the bat – Kraigg Brathwaite’s century celebration said it all.After a disciplined display which frustrated England’s bowlers no end and ultimately lasted the entire third day, Brathwaite posted a stubborn 10th Test ton, but he knew that plenty of work lay ahead in West Indies’ pursuit of England’s hefty first-innings total.Jermaine Blackwood, on the other hand, started celebrating his century a third of the way down the pitch while still watching the ball trickling beyond the slips cordon for a single, running with his arms outstretched before turning his face skyward and pumping his fist as a relieved grin appeared briefly then gave way to a determined stare, the task ahead not forgotten.And so it was at stumps, with West Indies still trailing by 219 runs but, thanks to their twin centurions, they had taken the fight to England.The pair put on 183 runs together to grind down an England attack deflated by the denial of Saqib Mahmood’s maiden Test wicket – Blackwood on 65 at the time – because of a front-foot no ball, and with tensions boiling over in a verbal altercation between Ben Stokes and Blackwood.When Blackwood finally fell for 102 late in the day, shouldering arms to a Dan Lawrence ball which struck high on the front pad in line with the top of middle stump, England had their first wicket since the morning session. But Brathwaite endured, still looking calm and collected on 109 not out, alongside nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph.In sharp contrast to the drawn first Test in Antigua, where he raced to his fastest Test fifty – off 62 balls – but failed to press on, Brathwaite had inched to his slowest half-century, off 167 balls, in Barbados, sweeping Jack Leach for four, and faced another 111 deliveries before raising his ton, rocking back to thread Leach behind point for two.In both instances, Brathwaite’s innings had been what his side needed. During the previous match, he and John Campbell set West Indies’ off to a bright start in pursuit of England’s first-innings score before Nkrumah Bonner’s century helped them to a modest lead. This time, Brathwaite took it upon himself to hang around… and hang around… in a bit to steer his side into a competitive position.Having resumed on 71 for 1, West Indies lost two wickets before lunch, before Brathwaite and Blackwood mounted their resistance.Leach had found considerable turn in his first over of the day, beating the outside edge of both Brathwaite and Shamarh Brooks, but Brooks was culpable in his own dismissal inside the first half hour. Leach broke through with a shorter, wider delivery that saw Brooks’ attempted cut sail to backward point where Chris Woakes took a good catch low to his right.Brooks and Brathwaite had put on 69 runs for the second wicket but added just 12 runs in 7.4 overs on the third morning as Leach and Matt Fisher kept them well contained.Stokes entered the attack midway through the morning session and struck in his second over, removing Bonner lbw for just 9 to ensure there would be no reprise of his first-innings century in Antigua. Bonner reviewed umpire Nigel Duguid’s decision, UltraEdge failing to shed definitive light on whether he had hit it first and ball-tracking showing that it was clipping the top of middle stump as Bonner trudged off.If Bonner was hard done by, it was a case of swings and roundabouts a short time later when Stokes pinned Blackwood on the back leg, with England choosing not to call for the DRS, only for replays to show it was hitting leg stump halfway up.Mahmood thought he had his first Test wicket when he struck Blackwood on the boot with a fine reverse-swinging delivery and England reviewed the not-out decision, but replays showed Blackwood had got outside the line of off stump.But there was to be greater heartache for Mahmood in an eventful 93rd over when he first beat Blackwood’s attempted drive, narrowly missing the outside edge then nailed a yorker which clattered into the bottom of middle stump only to have his elation curtailed when the third umpire found he had over-stepped. It would have been little consolation for Mahmood to learn he wasn’t the first England bowler to miss out on his first Test wicket that way. The next ball, Blackwood left, almost to his peril with the ball missing the top of off stump by a whisker.Reverse swing had played a significant part in England’s tactics, but they could not penetrate West Indies’ defences, as Brathwaite and Blackwood saw themselves through to the arrival of the second new ball – and beyond.Brathwaite punched Fisher through extra cover to bring up the fifty partnership and guided Stokes through gully, to the bowler’s chagrin. Blackwood picked off boundaries smartly too, cutting Leach crisply in front of square to bring up his fifty, his sixth of 11 fours for the innings, but for the most part it was a gritty, patient performance by both batters.

Michael Jones sets tone for hosts in comfortable 48-run victory at Riverside

ECB Reporters Network01-Jun-2022Durham 186 for 7 (Jones 44) beat Worcestershire 138 for 9 (Raine 3-23, Tye 3-27) by 48 runsDurham bounced back from successive defeats to get back to winning ways in the Vitality Blast with a comfortable 48-run victory over Worcestershire Rapids at Seat Unique Riverside.Michael Jones set the tone for the home side with a brisk 44 from 25 balls, notching five boundaries and three sixes. Ollie Robinson and Graham Clark provided useful knocks to allow Durham to post a competitive total of 186 for seven from their 20 overs.The Rapids were behind the rate from the off after losing Ed Pollock and Jack Haynes in the first nine balls of the innings. The visitors struggled to find the fence amid tight bowling from the Durham attack led by three wickets apiece from Ben Raine and debutant Andrew Tye, resulting in a dominant victory for the hosts.Worcestershire captain Ben Cox won the toss and elected to field in the bright sunshine at the Riverside. Clark and Jones continued their bright start to the Blast campaign by racing to fifty inside five overs. Jones was particularly destructive for the home side, smashing 15 off Pat Brown’s first over before taking a further 18 off spinner Josh Baker, including two sixes straight down the ground.Jones was pegged back going for one heave too many as Charlie Morris bowled the opener, while the visitors worked their way back into the game as Clark fell victim to a good delivery from Brett D’Oliveira.Robinson used the dimensions of the Riverside to great effect in his innings of 35 from 23 balls, but D’Oliveira turned one through the gate to send the wicket-keeper on his way. D’Oliveira’s fine evening with the ball continued when Paul Coughlin was stumped off a wide, earning revenge after being struck for a maximum from the previous ball. The Rapids skipper finished as pick of the bowlers with impressive figures of three for 24 from his four overs.David Bedingham, Brydon Carse and Ned Eckersley played vital cameos for the hosts in the latter stages of the innings, propelling them towards a competitive total of 186.Pollock scored six runs from the first two balls of Worcestershire’s reply, but Coughlin removed him with the third as Bedingham produced a brilliant diving catch at cover. Carse continued Durham’s strong start with the ball by bowling Jack Haynes for one, reducing the visitors to nine for two in the second over.D’Oliveira and Munro played within themselves after the early wickets, which resulted in the run rate ascending over 10 per over. As a result, the pressure was on the duo to accelerate, but D’Oliveira was pinned lbw by Raine before Munro was caught on the fence from a Scott Borthwick loosener.Tye marked his Durham debut with three late wickets amid a Worcestershire lower-order collapse, removing Ed Barnard, Cox and Matthew Waite, allowing the hosts to ease over the line.

England could not have produced a pitch more suiting India’s needs at Trent Bridge if they had gift wrapped it with a note of welcome

George Dobell at Trent Bridge09-Jul-2014The English can be wonderful hosts.While many nations would attempt to use home advantage to the benefit of their team, England appear to have accepted that home advantage should simply benefit their bank balance.Just like the pitches used for the series against Sri Lanka, the surface at Trent Bridge was low, slow and offered England’s seamers almost nothing. Instead, it offered the Nottinghamshire chief executive a fine opportunity to gain five days of gate receipts.Stuart Broad was not the only bowler to withstand a day of frustration•PA PhotosIn the short term, anyway. While Nottinghamshire, like Leeds and Lord’s, may congratulate themselves on a profitable week now, they may reflect in years to come that it was a catastrophic mistake to take for granted the support of the English public. They may put up with high prices for tickets and refreshments, but they may not be so patient with stultifying cricket. Trent Bridge was not full for the first day of this series.It was not so much that the pitch suited India’s batsmen or their bowlers. The lack of pace in this pitch will suit nobody. Not seamers, not spinners, not batsmen and certainly not spectators. Within a few overs, Matt Prior was taking the ball at ankle height.No, the delight in this pitch, from an Indian perspective, was that it did nothing to exploit their potential weaknesses. With only two of the team having previously played a Test in England, there was an opportunity for England to examine their techniques and temperament.But, whereas during the 2011 series, some India batsmen struggled to cope with lateral movement or bounce, this time they have had to contend with little of either.The disappointment from an England perspective was that there were moments which hinted that India’s old failings remain. Even with a ball 80 overs old, M Vijay was struck by a short ball from Liam Plunkett that suggested that, on a more lively surface, he would have to work harder for his runs. And even on a day when there was so little lateral movement, Virat Kohli was drawn into poking at one that he could have left and fell to a slip catch.But when Ajinkya Rahane attempted a loose drive before he had scored, the ball fell short of the slip cordon.And when, on 32, he was discomfited by a short ball from Plunkett that hit his bat handle, the ball dropped just short of Alastair Cook at silly-point.And when Vijay, on 102, was drawn into poking at one outside off stump from James Anderson, the ball again fell short of the slip cordon.It was hard to avoid the conclusion that, had Nottinghamshire gift wrapped this pitch and tied a bow around it, they could hardly have made it more inviting to India. And in doing so, they have done a disservice to the England team.Groundsman hopes pitch may quicken

The Trent Bridge groundsman, Steve Birks, has admitted he was disappointed with his pitch after the first day of the Investec Test against India.
England took only four wickets on an attritional day as their seam bowlers struggled to gain any movement or bounce from a sluggish surface. But while Birks accepted that he might “have left a bit more grass on” the pitch, he urged spectators to hold off before judging the pitch as he felt it would quicken on the second and third days.
“We wanted to produce a pitch with pace, bounce and carry which hasn’t happened unfortunately,” Birks said. “There’s quite a lot of moisture underneath but it’s a hard surface on top which is why it’s lacking pace. The moisture readings taken earlier in the week were quite high and we haven’t seen enough of the sun to really bake it out.
“Our only instruction [from the ECB] is to produce a good cricket wicket and, with hindsight, we may have left a bit more grass on it but this is the first day of five-day Test and while I don’t expect spin to come into it, we hope it might quicken up a bit.”

In the circumstances, England performed admirably after a first session in which their disappointment for the surface was palpable.Nine of the 14 overs immediately after lunch were maidens and the seamers gained just enough reverse swing to apply some pressure on the batsmen.Cook utilised his bowlers in shorter spells and employed some unusual fields, too. Plunkett bowled with six men on the leg side at one stage, while Anderson picked up the wicket of Cheteshwar Pujara after posting a straight, short mid-on and pursuing a strategy of bowling resolutely full and straight. It was one of the only tactics available to them in conditions offering so littleAnd Prior, moving ever closer to the stumps to combat the low bounce, enjoyed a good day in desperately tough conditions. After taking an excellent catch to dismiss Shikhar Dhawan, diving low to his left to take a chance that probably would not have carried to first slip, he managed to avoid conceding a bye throughout the day despite the ball bouncing in front of him on numerous occasions.It was not perfect, though. Moeen Ali was milked rather too comfortably, conceding 5.55 an over and being replaced in the attack, for a moment, by Joe Root. In mitigation, it might be remembered that Graeme Swann conceded 97 runs in 15 overs without taking a wicket in the corresponding Test here in 2011.In the longer-term, the ECB needs to grasp the pitch issue. The game is not so popular in the UK that it can afford to produce such pitches so often.It matters not if there is an exciting finish on the fourth or fifth day. Erosion may cause a dramatic rock fall, but it does not make the previous 10,000 years entertaining.Such pitches are no longer an occasional variation, they have become the norm. Groundsmen centrally contracted to the ECB might solve the issue of corporate pitches designed to please county chief executives, though they will do little to combat the drainage issues that appear to have dried out squares around the country.You might also wonder at the role of Paul Downton. While England’s new managing director has found time to sack England’s record run-scorer in international cricket, break the confidentiality agreement having done so and decided it is his place to sit-in on selection meetings, it seems he has not been able to intervene on one of the key areas of the game: the pitches.If it is his role to help create a winning England team, it is his role to ensure surfaces that benefit his team. He might do well to focus on such core responsibilities and leave the headline grabbing to the players.