Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes has accused Chris Kavanagh of "triggering" him before his penalty miss at Fulham and wants the referee to apologise.
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Adrien Rabiot is set for a fresh start in Serie A after sealing a transfer that reunites him with Massimiliano Allegri at AC Milan.
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The Lionesses striker got the nod up top ahead of Catarina Macario and she took her opportunity, kickstarting a big win for the Blues.
Goals from Aggie Beever-Jones and Maika Hamano saw Chelsea start their Women's Super League defence in ruthless fashion on Friday night, the Blues defeating Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in a 2-1 win. Expectations are certainly high in the blue corner of London after Sonia Bompastor's first season in charge, which saw her side go unbeaten in domestic competitions as they won an invincible treble. On their first outing of the new campaign, the champions showed just why they are capable of such remarkable achievements, too, with them clinical in front of goal in a competitive contest between two teams expected to battle for the WSL title.
Chelsea were missing several stars for their season opener, with all of Mayra Ramirez, Lauren James, Naomi Girma and Lucy Bronze watching from the sidelines due to injuries. It was the player in the latter's place, though, who stepped up and really caught the eye, as Ellie Carpenter showed just why she is a world-class player. It was the two-time European champion who delivered the perfect cross for Beever-Jones to break the deadlock and set the Blues on their way to victory. That lead was doubled just past the hour by Hamano, with Wieke Kaptein this time causing havoc down City's left with a ball that somehow found its way all the way through to the lively Japan international, whose display deserved a goal.
City, in their first game under new head coach Andree Jeglertz, had their chances. Alex Greenwood hit the woodwork with a stunning free-kick, Khadija Shaw was twice denied when one-on-one with Hannah Hampton and they would get a goal back to make things interesting, when a free-kick hit the unlucky Niamh Charles and went into the back of her own net. However, the difference between these two was simply that Chelsea didn't waste their opportunities. That's a big reason why they've won all of the last six WSL titles and why they remain the team to beat.
GOAL rates Chelsea's players from Stamford Bridge…
Yuvendra Chahal, meanwhile, claimed the second-best figures by an India bowler against South Africa ever
Bharath Seervi04-Feb-2018118 – South Africa’s total in the second ODI in Centurion – their lowest ever at home. The previous lowest was 119 against England in Port Elizabeth in 2009. South Africa are the only team not to have got all out for less than 100 at home among the top-10 teams. Their total is also the lowest for any team at SuperSport Park in Centurion, falling below the 119 by Zimbabwe against the home team in 2009.1 – Number of smaller totals for South Africa against India than the 118 in this match. They were all out for 117 in Nairobi in 1999. Overall this is their eighth smallest all-out score.5/22 – Yuzvendra Chahal’s figures, the second-best for any spinner in South Africa. Only Nicky Boje’s 5 for 21 against Australia in Cape Town in 2002 is better than Chahal’s. Overall, Chahal’s figures are second-best for India against South Africa, behind only Sunil Joshi’s 5 for 6 in Nairobi in 1999. This was Chahal’s maiden five-for.6.62 – Average of India’s spinners in this match, which is a total of eight wickets for 53 runs – the best for spinners in an ODI innings in South Africa, bowling 10 or more overs. For India, only once have their spinners averaged better bowling 10 or more overs in the first innings, which was against New Zealand in Chennai in 2010-11 when they averaged 5.71.1 – Instance of India’s spinners accumulating more wickets in an ODI outside Asia than the eight wickets in this match. They had picked up nine wickets against the same opposition in Nairobi in 1999.11.61 – Bowling average of India’s spinners in this series – so far the best for them in any series or tournament bowling 25-plus overs. The slow bowlers have combined for 13 wickets at average of 11.61, while the quicks have only four wickets at average of 58.25.
| Bowlers type | Overs | Runs | Wkts | Ave | Eco | SR |
| Pacers | 42 | 233 | 4 | 58.25 | 5.54 | 63.0 |
| Spinners | 40.2 | 151 | 13 | 11.61 | 3.74 | 18.6 |
2009 – The last time South Africa played an ODI without AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis in their playing XI, which was against Australia at the MCG. Du Plessis had scored a century in the first ODI, while de Villiers was their highest run-getter in the Test series.
MLS urged to consider a “longer fix” that will help the league to thrive once Inter Miami “kingpin” Lionel Messi has left the United States
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AC Milan have confirmed that they have parted ways with Sergio Conceicao — set to agree deal with Massimiliano Allegri to takeover this summer.
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It is a gamble considering the tournament takes place in June and both players may be involved with Australia in the T20 World Cup
Matt Roller14-Feb-2024Surrey have taken a calculated gamble on their overseas signings for the T20 Blast, announcing on Wednesday that Australian seamer Sean Abbott will return to the club in May and June alongside compatriot Aaron Hardie.Both Abbott and Hardie are on the fringes of Australia’s squad for the T20 World Cup, which clashes with the first month of Blast group games. Both players made appearances in their recent series win over West Indies, but neither features in Australia’s full-strength squad for their upcoming three-match series in New Zealand, which starts in Wellington next week.Abbott enjoyed success in both the County Championship and the Blast last year, and his contract covers four Championship fixtures and eight T20s from May 10 until June 26. He will miss the end of the Blast’s group stages, and is expected to play Major League Cricket (MLC) instead.”Sean is a highly skilled cricketer, and everyone saw last season what he is capable of in red-ball and white-ball cricket,” Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said. “He had an outstanding impact as a cricketer and as a member of the dressing room… Sean is exactly what we look for in an overseas professional at this club.”With Hardie’s deal announced last week, Surrey have filled both overseas spots for the first half of the Blast’s group stages and it appears increasingly unlikely that Sunil Narine will return to the club for the tournament this year. Narine has spent the last two seasons with Surrey but controversially missed Finals Day last year due to a clash with his commitments at MLC.Their squad is certain to be affected by England’s T20 World Cup plans, with Gus Atkinson, Sam Curran, Will Jacks and Reece Topley highly likely to be involved and Tom Curran, Chris Jordan and Jamie Overton also in contention.
Marcus Rashford's journey to Barcelona was "disrupted" by the Gallagher brothers, as Oasis booked out private travel from Manchester airport.
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As things stand, India will have to play with only ten men in the remainder of the Rajkot Test if Ashwin doesn’t return
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2024India offspinner R Ashwin has withdrawn from India’s Test side in Rajkot, effective immediately, because of a family medical emergency.”The BCCI extends its heartfelt support to the champion cricketer and his family,” the Indian board said in a media release. “The health and well-being of the players and their loved ones are of utmost importance. The Board requests respect for the privacy of Ashwin and his family as they navigate through this challenging time.”The Board and the team will continue to provide any necessary assistance to Ashwin and will keep the lines of communication open to offer support as needed. Team India appreciates the understanding and empathy of the fans and media during this sensitive period.”Related
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The BCCI’s announcement came at 11pm IST, hours after the second day’s play in Rajkot had ended, during which Ashwin had provided India their first wicket of the Test.Ashwin’s withdrawal could leave India with only ten players, with three days of play left in the Rajkot Test. Ordinarily, playing substitutes are only permitted for players ruled out by concussions or Covid-19. In the absence of Ashwin, India are left with Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav as frontline spin options for the rest of this Test.With his wicket on the second day, Ashwin had reached a significant milestone, becoming the ninth bowler to 500 Test wickets.
Peter English looks back on a year to forget for Australia
Peter English03-Jan-2006
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In Chinese astrology 2005 was the year of the rooster, but in Australian cricket it was the year of the cock-up. Since 1989 the Ashes rarely looked like crossing the equator and a ninth consecutive series was considered a formality for Ricky Ponting’s band of aging, confident and rarely challenged veterans. The tour started with a trip to the WWI battlefields of France but nobody, probably not even the England squad, expected the ambush that followed as they experienced playing mortality.Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer could not dominate, Ponting struggled with the demands usually associated with rival captains, the middle-order was befuddled by reverse-swing, Adam Gilchrist was more Clark Kent than Superman, and the back-up bowlers were loose and ineffective. Only Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath performed as expected, but a stray ball that caused McGrath’s ankle injury in the lead-up to the second Test could have cost them the urn.Australia’s one-game lead was removed with the gripping two-run loss at Edgbaston – the tail-end batting was sensational to get them so close – and from there the underdogs ruled despite the narrowness of the following results. A day of rain, a brilliant century from Ponting and more gutsy batting from Brett Lee secured a draw at Old Trafford, but England ruffled Australia again without McGrath at Trent Bridge, where both Ponting and Simon Katich exploded.The series ended at The Oval and while Trafalgar Square celebrated another famous victory the Australians flew home wondering where it all went wrong. The unloseable trophy had disappeared in a flurry of red, white and blue bunting. There was much to analyse and the former lynchpins of Jason Gillespie and Damien Martyn were part of an unfamiliar cull that also included Katich, Mike Kasprowicz and Michael Clarke by the Australian summer’s West Indies series. Trevor Hohns and his selectors had re-found their ruthlessness; it was too late for the Ashes, but it was time for generational change.Nothing Ponting achieved in the nine other months could erase the year’s defining moments in England. Beating the World XI in the Super Test and three one-day matches mattered more to their wallets than the credibility of the concept, although it showed they were capable of a swift recovery. A clear verdict over West Indies before South Africa arrived for the current series proved their damaging performances against mediocre opponents remained, and that new additions such as Michael Hussey and Brad Hodge deserved their appointments. As the winning habit returned – it was slowed by South Africa in the first Test at Perth but the crushing win at Melbourne made adequate amends – it was difficult to believe the Ashes had happened. In some cases it had almost been written out of history.The year started with the final stage of a three-match cleansweep of Pakistan and was followed by the VB Series success against Inzamam-ul-Haq’s outfit. New Zealand suffered a 5-0 one-day demolition, a result they improved on during the Chappell-Hadlee run sprees this month, and only rain prevented a 3-0 Test result as everything looked and felt rosy for the country’s most coveted tour.Things began slowly in the United Kingdom and the stumbling NatWest Series campaign ended in a tied final with England before they hit back to win the similarly named NatWest Challenge, which was equally useless as Test preparation. It would be the only trophy Ponting lifted in England. Australia won eight of 14 Tests until Boxing Day and 21 of 29 ODIs, but a year involving a limited-overs loss to Bangladesh and the Ashes defeat will always be one to forget.New man on the block – Michael Hussey Saying Hussey has arrived with a bang is an understatement. Having waited patiently while piling up first-class runs, Hussey made the next step another prolific one and entered the South Africa Test series averaging 120.33 and 151.00 in limited-overs matches. If his streak continues expect him to be prominent at the Allan Border Medal.Fading stars – Jason Gillespie and Damien Martyn Gillespie became Australia’s fifth-most successful bowler when he passed Richie Benaud’s 248 Test wickets in England, but he was dropped for Trent Bridge and his career is currently as a state player, which is just like Martyn’s. The country’s best batsman in the year before the England tour, Martyn was dumped after averaging 19.77 during the Ashes. A broken finger at the start of the summer ruined his chances of a quick return and ruled him out of the New Zealand one-day tour.High point – The Ashes recovery The gap between the Ashes and the Super Series was barely three weeks but the Australia side that turned up in Melbourne was dramatically different in attitude, intensity and results than in England. It was almost as if the most damaging loss in the players’ careers was a myth and they deserve praise for the sudden revamp.Low point – The Oval The choreographed bail flicks of Billy Bowden and Rudi Koertzen that ended a bad light delay and started England’s Ashes celebrations. Australia’s comeback was left too late, 16 years of dominance had finished and months of English gloating began. It was difficult to know which was worse.What does 2006 hold? More rebuilding. The World Cup will become the one-day emphasis while securing a line-up that can deal with England’s bowling attack and intimidate Vaughan, Pietersen and Flintoff are the Test priorities. Sealing the Ashes in 11 days, which they did in 2002-03, is as unlikely as MCC allowing the urn to stay in Australia.
| Matches | Won | Lost | Drawn/ Tied/ NR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 |
| ODIs | 29 | 21 | 5 | 3 |