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أثنى آندي روبرتسون، مدافع فريق ليفربول، على زميله النجم المصري محمد صلاح ودفعه لإظهار تألقه، كعادته في الموسم الحالي 2024/25.

جاءت تصريحات روبرتسون قبل مباراة ليفربول المرتقبة مساء يوم الأحد ضد خصمه مانشستر يونايتد، في الجولة الثالثة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ويُعد مانشستر يونايتد أكثر الفرق التي هز شباكها محمد صلاح في مسيرته رفقة ليفربول، بواقع 14 هدفًا.

ودخل محمد صلاح عامه الأخير في عقده الجاري مع ليفربول، مما يضع تكهنات كبيرة حول مستقبله في “الأنفيلد”.

وقال روبرتسون في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “ميرور” الإنجليزية: “أعتقد أن أهداف محمد وتمريراته الحاسمة ولعبه بشكل عام تتحدث عن نفسها، نأمل أن يستمر ذلك في المستقبل”.

اقرأ أيضًا | موعد والقنوات الناقلة لمباراة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي.. والمعلق

وأضاف: “إنه لاعب كبير، يظهر دائمًا في المباريات الكبرى ويقدم شيئًا ما، لقد فعل ذلك دائمًا ضد منافسينا الكبار ونأمل أن يستمر ذلك هذا الموسم”.

وواصل: “في اللحظة التي يدخل فيها محمد صلاح من الباب، يشعل الأنفيلد، لكنه يشعل كذلك ملاعب أخرى، إنه أسطورة في الدوري الإنجليزي، بالطبع هو كذلك، لكنه لا يزال يريد كتابة المزيد من القصص”.

وأردف: “أنت تعلم متى تكون هناك مباراة كبيرة في الوقت القريب، لكن محمد صلاح يضع المعايير كل يوم، إنه محترف نموذجي، إذا كان أي طفل يبحث عن محترفين ليعتمد عليهم، فإن محمد صلاح ليس شخصًا سيئًا للقيام بذلك”.

واستمر: “محمد صلاح يكرس حياته لكرة القدم يوميًا، يمكنك أن ترى الشكل الذي هو عليه، إنه يتحسن مع تقدمه في السن من حيث شكله وإنتاجه البدني وسماته، يستحق الإشادة جراء ذلك”.

واختتم الأسكتلندي تصريحاته قائلًا: “نأمل أن يستمر ذلك لأنه من الواضح أنه رجلنا الرئيسي”.

New Zealand last lost four matches in a series back in 2012; they need to find a way – quickly – to avoid it this time

The Preview by Sidharth Monga30-Jan-20195:11

Can the Black Caps finally open their account?

Big PictureNever mind the 2007 World Cup, India have been a very good ODI side pretty consistently since the 2003 World Cup. Yet, there is a headiness now that can be compared to the dominant Australians of the 1990s and 2000s, which could pitch an Australia A side in an international tournament and end up making it more competitive. At the moment, former Indian cricketers are asking for another ‘superstar’ to be introduced in place of the resting superstar.Imagine the aura of the side: Virat Kohli, for all intents and purposes an all-time great of the format, believes he was not 10% the player when he was as old as Shubman Gill. This is four months from the World Cup when a conservative side would not even be thinking of newcomers. For India, Gill may or may not be allowed to present his case; back home Rishabh Pant is keeping the pressure up for incumbents. We are talking about incumbents who have seen the team to 12 series wins in their last 13 bilateral contests. In tournament cricket, they have made two finals of two tournaments in this period, winning one of them.Watch New Zealand v India LIVE on ESPN+

Readers from the US can watch the New Zealand v India series LIVE here, on ESPN+

At the other end to this team at the peak of its powers are New Zealand, still holders of the best win-loss record at home since the last World Cup, still serious contenders at the upcoming World Cup, but suddenly unable to respond to a brand of cricket only India seem to be playing in a power-driven sport. Not that New Zealand believe in the philosophy, but what India have can’t be bought in a market. Two wristspinners who win by bowling slow, and getting even slower when under pressure. Three top-order batsmen who have outdone by some distance Sehwag, Tendulkar and Ganguly as a combination.The last time New Zealand lost four matches in a series was back in 2012, but in the West Indies. At home, only Australia (twice) and Sri Lanka have consigned them to the fate. Now they need to find a way to avoid it in the next two games.Form guideNew Zealand (last five completed games, most recent first) LLLWW
India WWWWWIn the spotlightDoes Colin Munro work in ODIs? Some might call him a poor man’s Brendon McCullum, the sharp impact player at the top of the innings as opposed to someone who sets himself up for long innings, a T20 player of sorts to play the first 20 overs as a separate match. In theory, it is a move that tests the limits of the format, but Munro doesn’t have the success rate to inspire confidence that this can work at the World Cup. Not blessed with the same human resource as India are, New Zealand have to make some low-percentage moves to try to even out the field. Munro, though, needs flat conditions with the ball not doing much off the straight – both in terms of line and in pace – to come off. Now is about time for New Zealand to decide whether they want to change their plan for the World Cup.He is known for his double hundreds. He is now playing his 200th ODI. And Rohit Sharma is doing it as India’s captain in Kohli’s absence. On one occasion in this series, he has raised the possibility of a double, on another he has looked good for a hundred; now he will finally want to score his first century in New Zealand.Colin Munro has struggled to get going at the top•Getty Images

Team newsAfter missing the last game with a hamstring strain, MS Dhoni was back in the nets. Tempting as it might be to take a look at future ‘superstar’ Gill, it will be more practical to persist with Dinesh Karthik, who did a good job in Dhoni’s absence. Ambati Rayudu could move up to the No. 3 vacated by Kohli, with Karthik and Dhoni manning the middle order.India (likely) 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Dinesh Karthik, 5 Kedar Jadhav, 6 MS Dhoni (wk), 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalNew Zealand have made two changes to the squad that surrendered the series in the first three matches. James Neesham and Todd Astle have replaced Doug Bracewell and Ish Sodhi, and could be the only changes to the XI. Depending on the conditions, Tim Southee could replace one of the spinners.New Zealand (likely) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Henry Nicholls, 7 James Neesham, 8 Mitchell Santner, 8 Todd Astle, 10 Lockie Ferguson, 11 Trent BoultPitch and conditionsIn the last three ODIs at Seddon Park, scores of over 260 and under 290 have been chased down successfully. Spinners have done well in all three; Mitchell Santner even opened the bowling once. No weather disturbance in expected.Stats and trivia The average ten-over score against India this year – after six matches – has been 41 for 2. In all three matches, the new-ball bowlers have left New Zealand two down at the end of ten overs. India’s spinners have been a problem for New Zealand, but they have been given a head-start by the combination of India’s opening bowlers and New Zealand’s opening batsmen. By comparison, India have been 40 for 1 on an average in the first ten overs. In this series, they have been 43 for 1, 44 for 1 and 56 for 0.Quotes”The thing that stands out for me is the relentless intensity with which the guys have played all these three games, not relaxing after 2-0 up as well, which I think is very, very important. Now they’ve started to realise how to close series and how to capitalise when we have advantage in a series. “
“I hope it’s not a problem in the future. We’ve got a very clear plan of how we want to play – that won’t change. We have to recognise at the moment that the top order aren’t getting as many runs as what we’d like, but also [Mohammed] Shami and [Bhuvneshwar] Kumar have been outstanding with the new ball and really put us under pressure.”

Two days after becoming only the third man batting at No. 8 or lower to score a Test double-hundred, West Indies captain Jason Holder has emulated Sir Garry Sobers in achieving the top spot among allrounders in the ICC Test rankings. Holder broke several records and the England attack, fashioning West Indies’ third-biggest victory in terms of runs, at the Kensington Oval, his home ground. All of this has helped him become the first West Indian to be ranked No. 1 among Test allrounders since Sobers held the top spot in March 1974 in the retrospective rankings.Holder leapfrogged Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan and India’s Ravindra Jadeja and now has 440 points – 25 more than the second-placed Shakib. Holder also made gains on the batting front, jumping from 58th to a career-best 33rd.The top allrounders in Test cricket•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich who put on an unbroken 295-run stand with Holder – the third-highest for the seventh wicket in Test cricket – also moved to a career-best 47th from 61st among batsmen. Fast bowler Kemar Roach and offspin-bowling allrounder Roston Chase, who also played key roles in West Indies’ memorable win over England, rose to 20th and 41st respectively among bowlers.Pat Cummins, who picked up a career-best match haul of 10 for 42 to rout Sri Lanka in the pink-ball Test in Brisbane, leapfrogged South Africa’s Vernon Philander to third place in the Test bowlers’ rankings. His 866 rating points are the best by an Australia bowler since Ryan Harris reached 870 in March 2014. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka seamer Suranga Lakmal, who took 5 for 75 at the Gabba and achieved his dream of a five-wicket haul in Australia, moved up two places to 31st.

The CoA is divided over the inquiry committee’s report, which doesn’t find the BCCI CEO guilty of sexual harrassment

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2018

Rahul Johri is set to continue in his position as chief executive officer of the BCCI with the Committee of Administrators unable to reach a consensus on what action should be taken against him, after the panel investigating allegations of sexual harassment against Johri did not find him guilty of those charges. The day’s developments have evoked strong reactions from several people who testified before the panel, including the BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry.ESPNcricinfo understands that Johri has already resumed charge and even sent a note to the CoA of his rejoining work.The summarised report reveals a sharp difference between those who formed the majority opinion – Justice (retd) Rakesh Sharma of Allahabad High Court and Barkha Singh, a former head of the Delhi Commission for Women – and the third member, women’s rights lawyer Veena Gowda. Sharma called the allegations “false, baseless” and Singh called it “motivated and fabricated”; both recommended Johri continue in his position.Gowda, referring to one of the charges against Johri, relating to an incident in Birmingham, called his conduct “unprofessional and inappropriate, which would adversely affect its [BCCI’s] reputation” and said it was “essential that… [Johri] undergo some form of gender sensitivity counselling/training.”The two members of the CoA – Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji – have also differed sharply over the interpretation of the panel’s findings.Rai, in his note to the report, referred to the opinion of Sharma and Singh that Johri may be permitted to function as the CEO as before. He also wrote that he inferred from Gowda’s opinion that, “going forward, Johri needs to be counselled as aforesaid but there is no recommendation to take any other action against him.”Edulji’s note made it clear that she did not agree with the conclusions of Sharma and Singh. She felt “the fact that Ms. Gowda has recommended that Mr. Johri should undergo gender sensitization counselling/ training is sufficient for her to arrive at the conclusion that he is not fit to be the CEO of BCCI”. She also said it was her view that the report was “actually a split 2:1 verdict” and so Johri should be asked to resign.”Since there is no consensus between the two members of the Committee of Administrators regarding what action should be taken against Mr. Rahul Johri, the Chairman [Vinod Rai] stated that the natural consequence would be that Mr. Johri continues as the CEO of BCCI and is entitled resume office,” a CoA release said. “Ms. Edulji disagreed with this.”However, the Chairman reiterated that Mr. Rahul Johri should continue as the CEO of BCCI and resume his duties, as a natural consequence.”The final verdict did not go down well with the BCCI treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry, who was among those who had deposed before the inquiry committee.”This is clearly not a clean chit as is being propagated by a section of officials,” Chaudhry said in a statement. “Ms. Veena Gowda, a member of the Inquiry Committee has observed that the Conduct of Mr. Rahul Johri at Birmingham, as a CEO of an institution such as BCCI is unprofessional and inappropriate which would adversely affect its reputation and the same has to be looked at by the concerned authorities.”This is extremely shocking to say the least and this cannot be willed away by someone just because one may be in a position of authority. What makes it even more serious is that the time period referred to is one where the Hon’ble Supreme Court was monitoring the administration of the BCCI through the CoA. We cannot lose sight of the fact one member of the CoA i.e. 50% of the CoA appointed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court believes this to be serious enough to make the position of the CEO untenable in an organisation such as the BCCI.”It is understood that one of the two women who levelled the allegations against Johri is a friend of the former Mumbai cricketer Shishir Hattangadi, who testified before the committee. Hattangadi said he could not understand the “dichotomy” of opinions in the report.”One of them is trying to paint Johri as the Pope, the other one is saying he needs counselling. Who am I supposed to believe?” Hattangadi told ESPNcricinfo. “Do we have to now judge the wisdom of these three people (in the committee) because they are completely contrary to each other? …”The person who was asking the most questions was Veena Gowda. She was the most authoritative and the most proactive in the probe, the most pertinent questions were asked by her. And she was the conductor of the whole procedure. So as an observer her word for me would hold weight, because of the way she was so clear… and that is why I came out and made a statement [that] I am happy with the probe.”That is what has surprised me in this whole probe – if they had said not enough evidence, not enough documentation, it is fine, that is your opinion, but here, one is giving a clear indication that something is amiss, and the other two are saying the opposite.”Among others who testified before the committee was Neeraj Kumar, former commissioner of Delhi Police. Asked today for his reaction to the decision, Kumar told ESPNcricinfo: “It’s odd that on one side a member of the committee is advising counselling (for Johri) and on the other side, the person who deserves to be counselled is being asked to resume his duties.”Aditya Verma, the Cricket Association of Bihar chief who also testified before the committee, said he would raise before the Supreme Court “the conduct of Rahul Johri and Vinod Rai when it comes to women employees”. The Supreme Court will next week resume hearing the case of the implementation of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations to the BCCI; Verma is a party to the case.

Liverpool are set to wave goodbye to head of recovery and performance Andreas Schlumberger at the end of the season.

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Klopp in final season at LiverpoolSchlumberger will also move onReds set for major changes in summerWHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool look set for sweeping changes in the summer following Klopp's departure from the club. The German has already announced he will call time on his Anfield career after almost a decade in charge. Klopp will be followed out of Anfield by head of recovery and performance Andreas Schlumberger, according to . Schlumberger has been at Liverpool since 2020 but has reached an agreement to end his contract early and will return to Germany.

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Schlumberger arrived at Liverpool in December 2020 in a newly-created role that saw him work with players as they recovered from injury. He is not the only member of staff set to leave in the summer. Coaches Pep Lijnders, Peter Krawietz and Vitor Matos will also move on when Klopp leaves.

DID YOU KNOW?

Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim has emerged as the favourite to replace Klopp. The Reds have reportedly reached an agreement in principle with the 39-year-old to take charge on a three-year contract.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL

Klopp will be hoping to leave Liverpool on a high and add some more trophies to his collection before he says an emotional farewell. The Reds have already scooped the Carabao Cup this season but remain in contention in both the Premier League and Europa League.

Aston Villa are no longer a side battling it out near the foot of the table or sitting in the stale comforts of mid-table in the Premier League. Instead, under Unai Emery, they are a side capable of competing for a spot among Europe's elite, all whilst building a project likely to attract some of the names plying their trade at those very same teams.

The Villans have simply been transformed under Emery, and after getting off to a good start in the Spaniard's first full season in charge, they look better than ever. Now, their attention could turn towards the January transfer window, where they look set to battle it out to welcome one particular South American star.

Aston Villa transfer news

It's a credit to the work done to improve the club off the pitch, as well as on it, that Villa are in a position to welcome certain players. The likes of Moussa Diaby came through the door at Villa Park in the summer, and he has been a revelation ever since, with five goal involvements in just nine Premier League games. The Midlands club will hope to see future arrivals have the same impact, which could include one particular reported target.

According to Brazilian reporter Diego Firmino, Aston Villa are monitoring Joaquin Piquerez, alongside Marseille, Leeds United, and Tottenham Hotspur, ahead of a potential January move. The Palmeiras defender has impressed in Brazil to earn the interest of clubs around Europe.

At 25-years-old, too, now could be the perfect time for Piquerez to make his move, with his best years potentially on the horizon. When the January transfer window does swing open, it will certainly be interesting to see whether Villa make their move for the full-back.

Piquerez could be the perfect Moreno replacement

Piquerez's stats show exactly why Villa have reportedly been eyeing a move for the defender. In the current Serie A season in Brazil, the left-back has scored eight goals and assisted a further six in an incredibly impressive campaign, especially given the defensive role that Piquerez plays. His offensive talent would suit Emery's system to perfection, with the likes of Matty Cash and Lucas Digne often asked to get forward and create.

The 25-year-old has earned the praise of South American football content creator Nathan Joyes, who posted on X: "Palmeiras’ Joaquin Piquerez linked with a move to LUFC. Would be great business. Tidy left back, likes to press forward and can certainly pick a pass. Great coup for Leeds if it happens."

With that said, if Emery is to welcome Piquerez in January, or indeed in the summer transfer window, then Villa may have to act fast. The left-back has seemingly attracted plenty of interest, and now he must choose whether to stay put in Brazil, or make the move into Europe, and potentially the Premier League.

He could be the perfect replacement for Alex Moreno too, who has suffered an injury setback, with the duo perhaps eventually competing for the shirt after Digne moves on.

Manchester United seemingly need something dramatic to pull them from their miserable run at the moment, but the answer could be much simpler than first thought…

Why are Manchester United struggling so much?

Whilst their biggest issues could be chalked down to the poisonous atmosphere within the dressing room, a lack of technical and tactical quality, or even the Glazers, there are admittedly small tweaks that Erik ten Hag could make that would ease their outstanding failures.

After all, persisting with Bruno Fernandes from the flank is a decision that even the most casual of fan could debate, given both how influential the Portuguese superstar has been through the centre in the past, but also how the wingers he is keeping out of the team could affect the play.

Whilst the former Sporting CP ace is one of the most creative players in the entire Premier League, he is seriously lacking the pace and dynamism needed to thrive from the wing. Especially when considering his first full year in England was spent in attacking midfield, which allowed him to score 28 and assist 17 across all competitions.

Pundit Gary Neville would note: "I was worried the club wasn't going to support him in the transfer market but Bruno Fernandes has made an impact beyond what anyone could have expected. Not just in possession but out of possession – the way he sprints and gets at people. He's hungry and it looks like it's rubbing off on everybody." His former teammate at Old Trafford, Roy Keane would echo such a sentiment: "He's lifted everybody at the club. It's as if he's been there 20 years. He's got pure quality."

Perhaps returning him to that role could allow him to thrive once again, lifting the side in the manner that the Irishman suggested, whilst allowing someone like Alejandro Garnacho to inject some much-needed dynamism to the right flank.

How good is Alejandro Garnacho?

Whilst Antony might mark the obvious choice to return to the starting side, given the £86m invested to bring him from Ajax during the 2022 summer, his performances have been less than inspiring, and his presence is hardly much different from Fernandes given his lack of speed and ability to beat a man.

Last season saw him score just four and assist a further two in the Premier League alone, with pundit Gabby Agbonlahor lambasting his output to talkSPORT: "But when I look at Antony, there’s been a few big transfers in the Premier League, £86million for him… I think he’s a bluffer. I think when he gets the ball, he doesn’t take a player on. He doesn’t have the speed to take players on."

Meanwhile, Paul Scholes praised the Argentinian "animal", as branded by broadcaster Christian Martin, for the physical qualities that could now prove so vital: "This crowd loves entertainment and this lad was really entertaining, almost like a young Cristiano. I was impressed because some wingers can only go one way but he could do both which makes him so unpredictable."

Not only that, but at four years the Brazilian's junior and with far less senior experience, the 19-year-old would still finish last season with 12 goal contributions across all competitions, just one short of Antony's tally.

Garnacho's movement into the starting side would not only add that raw pace and trickery to terrorise defenders, but also allow Fernandes to thrive in his favoured role to get things back on track at Old Trafford.

Australia T20 captain Aaron Finch has jumped three places to vault to the top of ICC T20I rankings for batsmen, while Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman and India’s KL Rahul rose to the No. 2 and No. 3 spots respectively. Finch also became the first player ever to break the 900-point barrier in the T20I rankings but ended the series with a final tally of 891 points.The new top three in the ICC rankings for T20 batsmen•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Babar Azam, Colin Munro and Glenn Maxwell all slipped, occupying the three spots below Finch, Zaman and Rahul.Finch had a prolific run in the tri-series against Pakistan and hosts Zimbabwe, piling on 306 runs in five games at a strike rate of over 200, which included a world record 172 off 76 balls.Zaman moved up 44 places on the table and reached 842 points following his own incredible form in Zimbabwe, which featured a career-best 91 off 46 balls in the final that helped Pakistan seal a record chase against Australia in Harare.Rahul touched a career-high 854 points following the first match of the T20I series in England – which the visitors won 2-1 – where he scored a match-winning 101, but a dip in the next two games saw him finish with 812 points.D’Arcy Short, Finch’s opening partner, entered the top 10 rankings for the first time. He made 165 runs at an average of 41.25 in the tri-series, including a 53-ball 76 in the final. The others who garnered career-best rankings following the two series were Jason Roy (No. 15 with 641 points), Jos Buttler (No. 17 with 614 points) and Zimbabwe’s Solomon Mire, who rose a staggering 202 spots to 25th place on the table.Among the bowlers, legspinners Rashid Khan and Shadab Khan retained the top two positions but there were movements down the table. Andrew Tye rose 41 places to seventh spot and Adil Rashid moved up four places to ninth.

ScorecardSimon Harmer pulled Dwayne Bravo to the boundary from the penultimate ball of their Vitality T20 Blast clash at Chelmsford to give Essex their first victory of the campaign.Essex had made hard work of their three-wicket win after apparently cantering at the halfway stage of their pursuit of 180 to win. They started the final over requiring eight runs, and had whittled that down to four from three balls, and three from two before Harmer became the hero of a dramatic night.Middlesex, who chose to bat, owed much to a 91-run fourth-wicket stand in nine overs between captain Stevie Eskinazi and wicketkeeper John Simpson. The batsmen were dismissed within three balls by Matt Coles, both on 46. Eskinazi faced 31 deliveries with two sixes and four fours, and Simpson’s innings lasted 34 with three sixes and a four.

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Chasing 180, Essex started with confidence. They had 47 on the board after four overs, and 57 when the first wicket went down an over later. Wheater had the majority of them, including sixes off Ravi Patel and James Fuller, in addition to seven fours, but departed going for a third six when he ballooned his shot to midwicket for Eskinazi to pouch the catch. He had blitzed 45 from just 18 balls.Wheater almost lost Chopra just before his own exit when his opening partner gave what should have been a routine catch at deep square leg, but Hilton Cartwright spilled the chance under considerable crowd pressure.Chopra made the most of his reprieve, and when he lofted Fuller over long-off for six, Essex were already more than halfway to their target with only half the overs gone.Tom Westley joined the party with a switch-hit off Patel for four before being caught on the midwicket fence by Eskinazi for a 23-ball 24 to end a partnership of 52 for the second wicket. However two wickets fell in quick succession, Chopra stumped by Simpson off Patel for 38 from 37 balls and Ravi Bopara run out by Fuller’s direct throw from mid-off.When Ryan ten Doeschate was caught in the deep by Fuller, Essex were 31 runs short with three overs to go, and in danger of self-destructing. Dan Lawrence took two thick edges to third man before trying a third and falling to Paul Stirling. Essex needed 17 off the last two overs.The late collapse continued when Coles swung at Helm and was snaffled by Patel at short fine leg, but Harmer hit Helm for six to leave Essex requiring eight off the last over.Middlesex had beaten Surrey in their first game on Thursday night thanks to the efforts of Paul Stirling with bat and ball. But the Irish opener lasted just seven balls this time, one of them thrashed conclusively through midwicket for four, before he was deceived by one from Sam Cook that got up and took his glove on the way through to Adam Wheater.Max Holden, making his Middlesex debut, hit Jamie Porter for three successive boundaries before chipping Harmer to Chopra at point. Nick Gubbins was Harmer’s second victim, having just pulled him for six, he gave himself room to sweep and lost his middle stump.But Harmer went for 22 in his final over, with sixes over long-off by John Simpson and Stevie Eskinazi, to post figures of two for 43. The fourth-wicket stand reached fifty in five overs with the pair trading sixes.Coles bowled a mixed third over, the 15th of the match. Eskinazi hooked a maximum off a full-toss, and then the first free-hit was a wide. But Coles bounced back, having Simpson caught by Dan Lawrence rushing in from the square-leg boundary, and two balls later Eskinazi chipping straight to Bopara at short cover. Coles finished with two for 33.The fall of the brace of wickets put the brakes on the Middlesex scoring, with just 17 runs added in four overs. Dwayne Bravo tried to up the tempo with a mighty heave at Zampa, but only edged to Wheater. However, 21 taken off the last over by Bopara carried Middlesex from 158 to finish on 179. Cartwright hammered a six and three successful fours in that over on the way to an 18-ball 27.

On the same ground where England plundered the previous record England thrashed 21 sixes and 41 fours in becoming the first side to reach 450 in ODI history

The Report by George Dobell19-Jun-20180:42

‘Very proud day for us as a group’ – Morgan

England 481 for 6 (Hales 147, Bairstow 139) beat Australia 239 (Rashid 4-47, Moeen 3-28) by 242 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsEngland thrashed the highest score in the history of ODI cricket to set up the most crushing defeat – in terms of runs – ever inflicted upon Australia.On the same Trent Bridge ground where they plundered the previous record – 444 for 3 against Pakistan in August 2016 in the most recent completed ODI on the ground – England thrashed 21 sixes and 41 fours in becoming the first side to reach 450 in ODI history. Only once in the 56-year history of List A cricket – when Surrey scored 496 for 4 against Gloucestershire at The Oval in 2007 – has any side scored more.The result means England have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Australia have now lost five ODI series in succession and eight of their last nine ODIs against England. Indeed, they have won only two of their last 16 ODIs against all opponents. It is the first time England have won back-to-back ODI series against Australia since 1986-87 and, with two games to go, they now have a chance to complete their first 5-0 whitewash over them. They won 4-0 in 2012 with one game abandoned due to poor weather.The foundation of England’s total was high-class centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Alex Hales and the quickest half-century in their ODI history from Eoin Morgan. For Bairstow, in magnificent form, it was his fourth ODI century in six innings and his sixth in 19 since his recall less than a year ago. He now has the highest batting average – 65.76 – of any man to open in ODI cricket on more than 10 occasions. The fact he is one of only two men in the top 50 of that list with a strike-rate in excess of 100 (his is 114.19) demonstrates how well he is batting. The fact that the other is his opening partner, Jason Roy, demonstrates how the game has developed and how England have been at the vanguard of that change.The pair combined perfectly here. With Roy murderous against the short ball – he played a hook in the opening overs that travelled far enough to require a visa – and Bairstow in the sort of form that makes a length delivery an opportunity to drive or pull, they posted an opening stand of 159 in 19.3 overs; the 10th highest opening partnership against Australia in ODI history.There were a couple of nervous moments. Australia called for a review when they thought they detected an inside edge on one from Stanlake that nipped back at Roy (replays showed the ball brushed his trousers), while Bairstow was dropped on 30 by Marcus Stoinis running back from mid-off and reprieved on review having been given out leg before attempting to sweep Ashton Agar.Those moments apart, this was one-way traffic. On the sort of pitch that most batsmen would like to whisk to Paris for the weekend – and most bowlers would like to never see again – England gorged and feasted on runs until they dripped down their chins.Hales soon dispelled any thought that the wicket of Roy – attempting an unwise second run – would ease Australia’s pain. A day after he had admitted – quite rightly – that he was likely to be the man to make way once Ben Stokes returned, he provided a strong case for his retention with a 62-ball century; the sixth-fastest in England’s history, all of which have come since the 2015 World Cup. Back on his home ground – the ground where he thrashed 171 against Pakistan in 2016 – he showed tremendous power but also nice placement and shot selection. Nearly two-thirds of his runs were heaved through – or over – the leg side.It looked, for a while, as if England might reach 500. Despite losing Bairstow, heaving down the throat of deep midwicket, and Jos Buttler, deceived by a slower ball, Morgan thrashed a 21-ball half-century. Having recovered from the back spasm that kept him out of the Cardiff match, Morgan not only recorded the quickest fifty in England’s ODI history but passed Ian Bell’s record to become England’s most prolific ODI run-scorer in the process.While Australia tried just about everything in the field – going round the wicket, bowling short, bowling full, even trying eight bowlers – none of it made much difference. AJ Tye, who became just the 11th man to concede 100 in an ODI innings and just the fourth to do so in fewer than 10 overs, had the ugliest figures but this was a day all of them will wake up screaming about in years to come.Australia’s reply started well enough. D’Arcy Short carved David Willey’s first ball for six and his second for four, while Travis Head brushed off a painful blow from a Mark Wood bouncer (Wood exceeded 91 mph in that first spell) to help Australia keep up with the rate for the first 12 overs.But that target – that vast target – required endless risk-taking. And after Short chipped one to mid-on, Head poked a return catch to Moeen Ali and Shaun Marsh lofted to long-on. Aaron Finch, attempting to repeat a six clobbered over long-on, was deceived by one nicely held back by Adil Rashid (Finch, moved into the middle-order to combat spin, has been dismissed by it three times in 13 balls this series) and Marcus Stoinis attempted an unwise second to Bairstow’s arm in the deep. By the time Glenn Maxwell was brilliantly caught at long-on by a leaping Liam Plunkett, it was clear this was to be a rout. Never had England won by such a large run margin in ODI cricket. England’s spinners – a key point of difference between the sides in this series – finished with seven wickets between them.Are such conditions – white balls offering little lateral movement and surfaces offering certainty of pace and carry – good for the game? The debate will continue. Certainly there were aspects of this match – mostly some outrageous hitting – that created an entertaining and memorable spectacle. And there is no doubt that the groundstaff at Trent Bridge have produced exactly what was asked of them. We can expect more of this – and not just at Trent Bridge – during next year’s World Cup.There is, though, an inflationary aspect to boundaries. At some stage, they begin to lose just a little of their novelty and, perhaps, appeal. Suffice to say, all pretence of maintaining a balance between bat and ball disappears in such circumstances. Bowlers compete in much the same way a clay pigeon does when someone goes shooting. It was a remarkable day’s cricket, but you wouldn’t want every day to be like this.There are a couple more caveats, too. This Australia attack, missing at least three first-choice seamers as it is, is not the strongest and the relatively short boundaries meant that, a couple of times, top-edges carried for sixes. On Australian grounds they may have gone to hand.But there have been weaker attacks and shorter boundaries. This was still an incredible effort from a remarkable England batting line-up that is playing wonderfully fearless, innovative and powerful cricket. As this series has progressed, it has become hard to fathom how roles have reversed since the 2015 World Cup when one of these sides lifted the trophy and the other was humiliated. It will amount to little until England do it in a global tournament but you can be sure that no side – and certainly no bowling attack – will relish facing them in conditions like this.