Category Uncategorized

Robin van Persie has not had the best season under his new gaffer, and after only scoring 10 goals he has now also lost of the role as penalty taker.

Manchester United’s manager Louis van Gaal has stripped his compatriot of his penalty duties after his miss against West Bromwich Albion at the weekend, which cost them dearly. The 31-year-old had the opportunity to equalise after referee Anthony Taylor ruled that Saido Berahino had handled it in the box. Van Persie’s shot was saved by the Baggies’ Boaz Myhill and after the game Van Gaal told reporters that he was no longer the first choice penalty taker. He said: “He is now at the end of the road.”

The outburst is just one of many the ex-Holland manager has had about his team, and the miss sums up Van Persie’s season at Old Trafford. Injury and lack of form have curtailed his first-team opportunities this season and with only 14 months left on his contract, he could be on his way out of the door sooner rather than later. The gaffer is not happy with any of his strike force having said: “I miss a striker that scores!” and it is now believed that the Red Devils are set to edge Van Persie towards an exit in the summer transfer window by offering him millions to leave the club.

Van Gaal is known for being a brutal and blunt manager and if you are not performing you are out. It is thought the 63-year-old manager is keen to revamp his first-team squad over the summer and he wants to cut what he classes as the deadwood out of the team. According to the Daily Mail, United officials have agreed to pay the remaining half of a £10million loyalty bonus he agreed to when he joined the club from Arsenal as long as he leaves Old Trafford in the summer.

Inter Milan, Juventus and Lazio have all expressed an interest in the striker so her will not be short of other clubs to go to if it takes the offer Man United are setting out for him. Over the last few months it has become clear that he has not been enjoying his third season at Old Trafford. Compared to his other seasons he has not been having the success he has previously had. He has only scored a third of the goals he has in previous seasons. During his first campaign at the club he scored 30 goals in all competitions but since then he has struggled and generally his performances have weakened.

Van Persie seems to have lost his flair and while he is still a superb footballer the way he’s playing shows he is not happy with his current situation. The expression on his face when his penalty was saved showed fans just how he feels – he is fed up – and it does not seem likely that if he is offered the rest of his loyalty fee he will be still a Manchester United player next season.

It is time to move on for Robin before a great thing turns sour. If he leaves now fans will still love him. If he stays and carries on his slump in performances it will turn a bitter relationship.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod id=’ffc-video’ align=’center’]

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

Michael Owen today announced that he is set to retire from professional football at the end of this season.

In a statement released on his website, the 33-year-old striker said: “It is with an immense amount of pride that I am announcing my intention to retire from Professional Football at the end of this season.”

Owen, who has only appeared in six matches for Stoke City this season, is a far cry from the speedy striker that took the Premier League by storm in the late 1990s.

Owen made his professional debut with Liverpool at 17. Less than a year later, he made his international debut with England, becoming the youngest player to represent his country at the time. His astounding goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup is the most famous of his 40 goals scored during his 89 caps for England.

However, continuous hamstring injuries greatly deteriorated Owen’s effectiveness. After leaving Liverpool in 2004, he spent time with Real Madrid, Newcastle United, and Stoke City.

Owen’s statement expressed the utmost gratitude toward everyone who has helped him on the way. While thanking his family members, he paid special regards to his father Terry Owen: “From those freezing local parks to terrorising the best defenders in the World on the biggest stages of all. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

Some more of his career highlights include: 2-time Premier League Golden Boot winner (1997-98 and 1998-99) and Ballon d’Or winner (2001).

Click on the man himself to see his career in pictures

After his attempts to outfox Liverpool with a 3-1-3-3 formation backfired in the Champions League on Tuesday night, Pep Guardiola looks set to return to the 4-3-3 system that has produced Manchester City’s best football this season when his side travel to Wembley to face Tottenham on Saturday.

But with so many offensive options available to Guardiola, especially now Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero have returned from injury, who starts where isn’t quite as clear as it was a few months ago – and Raheem Sterling’s berth on the right wing may well be under threat.

Indeed, summer signing Bernardo Silva – who Transfermarkt value at £36million – was arguably City’s most effective player in midweek, coming close to putting his side two goals up with a beautiful curler that deflected onto the post from Dejan Lovren’s head.

Sterling, meanwhile, provided an assist in a more central role but it was an otherwise forgettable performance from the former Reds youngster.

So, which attacker would you start on the right wing against Spurs on Saturday – the Portuguese playmaker or the 37-cap Englishman? Let us know by voting below…

Sorry folks, this poll is now closed!

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod ]

With news that Massimo Cellino has had his ban from the Football League extended until the end of the season, Leeds United can start to look forward to a life after their disruptive owner.

Cellino stepped away from the Championship side in order to clear his name and in February it was announced he would not be returning to the club – although this seems to be unconfirmed with different reports saying different things.

Leeds have already started to try and turn their season around after what has been a dire season for all involved in the club and have won their last two games in the Championship.

The club has been constantly in the news because of their controversial owner, Massimo Cellino. He purchased a 75% stake in the club through his company Eleonora Sport in April 2014 after his takeover was initially declined by the Football League.

In December he was disqualified from owning the club after the League obtained documents from an Italian court, which found him guilty of tax evasion. At first it was thought that he would return after his ban had finished but he decided to sell his personal stake in the Yorkshire club.

Despite what has been said about him, the former President has gone about things well in order to make sure that Leeds United don’t get caught up in any sanctions – the least everybody associated with the club deserves after what can only be described as the year from hell.

In Cellino’s absence, the club is being run by the chairman Andrew Umbers and chief operating officer Matt Child and Umbers is enjoying his new role making statements, talking to the press and hosting guests.

[ad_pod id=’football-friends’ align=’center’]

While it might be the (possible) end of one Cellino, the club and it’s fans still have his two sons left to participate in the decisions of the club. Edoardo and Ercole Cellino remain on the club’s board and the identity of the buyer of Massimo’s stake is not yet known. So, will these two be able to bring in their father’s ideas like Cellino had said he wanted?

Hopefully, with the man at the top gone, who many fans despised, surely things can only get better for the side?

The problem is, it is still unclear whether Leeds are over the top of the mountain they’ve  had to climb. There is still a lot of uncertainty around the club, transfers and the head coach, Neil Redfearn.

Umbers has not kept his opinions to himself and there has been confusion issues, particularly when it comes to emergency loan signings.

Redfearn has always been clear that his squad, whilst it is still improving, is unbalanced, and I am sure fans who watch their club on a regular basis agree with that statement.

Both the players and the manager are uncertain of their futures at the club – it has been announced that all contractual issues will be decided in the summer, which is risky when many of the players have attracted other teams around them in the league.

Despite Umbers’ best intentions, no major decisions will be made until the summer when Cellino may or may not return.

The club is one of the most well known in the country and, with all these issues off the pitch still to clear up, let’s hope we won’t see them slip like they did in the 2000s.

Somehow you just can’t quite believe this is the last chapter in the Leeds United and Massimo Cellino book.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

We will just have to wait and see.

//embed.scribblelive.com/Embed/v7.aspx?Id=1122916&ThemeId=22054

[ad_pod id=’ffc-video’ align=’center’]

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

This season has seen a monumental shift in power in North London. Whereas Arsenal have traditionally been considered to always have the edge on local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, this year the decline of the former and rise of the latter has lead to a role reversal, with the Gunners struggling to make it into the top four while Spurs sit pretty in third place in the Premier League table.

But next season, both clubs will be wanting to show their ambition and take the next step towards challenging for the Premiership title. Although Arsene Wenger and Andre Villas-Boas possess decent squads, they’ll still need some new recruits if they are to compete with the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.

We’ve complied a list of ten candidates from all across Europe who could help both North London clubs push on next year and launch a bid to become Champions of England.

Click on Marco Reus to check out the ten players who could soon be making their way to North London in the next transfer window

Robinson was also impressed by the composure showed by Jacobs in his maiden international game

Firdose Moonda16-Jul-2025Tim Robinson has only done it once (maybe twice if you consider this game) but already, he can tell he won’t be able to get enough of being the player that seals the deal for his team.”It’s a great feeling contributing to a win for your country and it’s an addicting feeling and one that I hope to replicate later on,” Robinson said after his career-best 75 not out contributed to New Zealand’s 21-run win in the Zimbabwe T20I tri-series.Related

• Robinson, Duffy, Henry step up as NZ subdue South Africa

Robinson and debutant Bevon Jacobs shared a sixth-wicket stand of 103 – New Zealand’s second highest in that position – and took the innings from a stuttering 70 for 5 for a competitive 173 for 5. While the Harare Sports Club is known for being fairly flat and conducive to run-scoring, Robinson credited South Africa’s four-seam attack with making things difficult for New Zealand upfront.”The Proteas bowling was exceptional,” he said. “Their lengths and the use of the long side was really impressive and they bowled really well with the newer ball. It was hard to find momentum when we were continuing to lose wickets but as we got on and took it deeper and deeper, we could capitalise.”Bevon Jacobs and Tim Robinson gave New Zealand late impetus•Zimbabwe Cricket

It was, in fact, against South Africa’s seamers that Robinson and Jacobs found runs. Robinson took 27 runs off 20 balls he faced from Corbin Bosch, including five fours, and 23 off 15 balls from Gerald Coetzee, off whom he hit both sixes, but that was only once they were together for some time and had worked out their run-scoring strategy.”The way we thought about it was that the longer we spent at the crease, the easier runs would come,” Robinson said, “and we couldn’t quite afford to lose many more wickets. We tried to take it as deep as we possibly could and then run hard to the long side.”New Zealand ran 29 singles and six twos to what Robinson referred to as the longer side, compared to South Africa’s 21 singles and three twos, which was ultimately the difference between the two sides. They both hit 13 fours and six sixes but New Zealand’s fielding kept South Africa quieter than they would have liked when they needed to counterattack with quick singles. New Zealand also managed to finish their innings strongly, with 95 runs from the last nine overs and 43 from the final three.The composure shown by Jacobs, in his first match, was a highlight and Robinson was full of praise for his batting partner. “He’s an amazing guy. You look at him and he’s quite the big guy and you think he should hit a big ball and he sure does,” Robinson said. “It was fantastic batting with him. What stood out for me was when he came out he was very calm and looked to really enjoy it. He looked completely comfortable out there and played a really really good knock. He’s going to play a lot of cricket and it’s very exciting watching him bat.”New Zealand will next play hosts Zimbabwe, who lost to South Africa in the series opener on Monday, in two days’ time and expect they will have to change their approach slightly.”Zimbabwe are going to pose a different challenge on Friday and we pride ourselves on trying to adapt as quick as we possibly can,” Robinson said.

Afghanistan have nine wickets left as they seek to wipe out the 42 runs remaining in their deficit

Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Feb-2024Afghanistan came surging back into the Test on day three, first polishing off the Sri Lanka tail quickly, before Ibrahim Zadran put up big stands with Noor Ali Zadran and Rahmat Shah, as he completed a valiant maiden Test century.Ibrahim and Shah remained unbeaten at the close, which means Afghanistan have nine wickets left as they seek to wipe out the 42 runs remaining in their deficit, and establish a lead that will test Sri Lanka. The surface had not yet begun to take ripping turn, and remained excellent for batting. But Afghanistan do have two spinners in their attack – albeit very inexperienced – who may be able to exploit what assistance there is.Sri Lanka will rue their missed chances. Ibrahim had been on 39 when he came down the pitch to smash a Prabath Jayasuriya delivery straight back to the bowler, who let it burst through his fingers and on to the boundary for four. The easier of the chances came to Nishan Madushka at short mid on when Ibrahim was on 63. This was again struck hard, but at a catchable height near his head. He got his hands up, but couldn’t quite wrap his fingers around the ball.Related

• Karunaratne's next target: 100 Tests, 10,000 runs and Usman Khawaja

• Chamika Gunasekara concussed out on Test debut after blow to the head

Sri Lanka’s bowlers were largely disciplined, even if they could not coax life out of a pitch that had become good for batting. Asitha Fernando was the best of them, delivering some excellent bursts of short-pitched bowling, as well as some outstanding fuller deliveries, one of which yielded the only Afghanistan wicket to fall – that of Noor, for 47.But the day belonged to Ibrahim. He had his outside edge occasionally beaten with the new ball and was scoreless for 14 deliveries, but once he got moving, he kept a steady tempo. His first runs were via a glance to the fine leg boundary, but early in his innings he was mostly strong in the arc between cover and mid off. Between the boundaries, which came principally off full and slightly wide deliveries, there was a substantial diet of singles all around the wicket. Ibrahim took 84 balls to get into his 30s. During his 106-run partnership with Noor, the primary goal seemed to be to bat time.The half-century came off the last over before tea, and in the evening Ibrahim consolidated. He was hitting boundaries through long on and midwicket now. Sri Lanka attempted all sorts of catching men to try and lure a mistake, but aside from that dropped chance on 63, Ibrahim found ways to progress without taking risks. He was mostly only trying to hit fours off the bad deliveries – usually ones that were overpitched. He got to his hundred – the fourth ever for Afghanistan – off the last over of the day.Asitha Fernando removed Noor Ali Zadran•AFP/Getty Images

Noor’s innings, in contrast to Ibrahim’s was troubled, but he nevertheless stuck it out for 136 deliveries and fell only three runs short of what would have been a maiden fifty on debut. He was particularly uncomfortable against Asitha’s burst of bouncers soon after lunch, but he survived it narrowly, and it would only be in the third session that Asitha would get him out, pinging him in front of leg stump with a fast, full delivery. Noor made the majority of his runs behind the wicket – a reflection, partly, of how short Sri Lanka bowled to him.Rahmat, who got to 46 off 98 before stumps, and was part of a 93-run unbeaten partnership with Ibrahim, made all but 11 of his runs on the offside. He was strong down the ground, especially, finding thre of his five boundaries there.Sri Lanka’s attack was upset by a blow to Chamika Gunasekara, who in the morning was hit on the head, seemed to suffer the effects a few overs after he was hit, and was taken off the field and to further tests in hospital. Kasun Rajitha, who replaced him as concussion substitute, was the most expensive of Sri Lanka’s bowlers on Sunday, going at 4.30 across his 10 overs.The others were more disciplined, even if only Asitha seriously threatened to take wickets through much of the day. Jayasuriya will be especially disappointed he has nothing in the wickets column after delivering 32 overs, though nine of those were maidens.Early in the day, Afghanistan had claimed three wickets for 39 to close out Sri Lanka’s first innings at 439. The most important wicket of the morning was the first – that of Sri Lanka’s last recognised batter Sadeera Smarawickrama, who edged Naveed Zadran to gully.The two next wickets were not long in falling. Naveed hit the top of Jayasuriya’s off stump before, next over, Nijat Masood bowled Asitha Fernando first ball, with Asitha having come in after Gunasekara retired hurt.Naveed’s take for the innings was 4 for 83. Masood and Qais Ahmed claimed two wickets apiece.

India crashed to their first defeat in the last 17 chases in T20Is at home

Himanshu Agrawal04-Oct-20221:32

Jaffer: India should have played a full-strength XI and pushed for a 3-0 win

Rilee Rossouw smashed his first T20I century as South Africa put up their fourth-highest total in the format, and India crumbled in their chase of 228. The 49-run reversal was the first defeat in their last 17 chases in T20Is at home.Rossouw cracked 100* – a score he reached off 48 balls – and added 90 free-flowing runs for the second wicket with Quinton de Kock. That partnership came off just eight overs, and included seven fours and six sixes, most of which were hit in the arc between deep midwicket and fine leg. De Kock hit 68 from 43 deliveries, starting off by flicking Mohammed Siraj for four and six in the second over.In their reply, India went hard, too, as they had to looking at the target, despite losing Rohit Sharma for a duck to the second ball of the innings. They lost four wickets after only seven overs, but managed to post 78 with exactly as many fours and sixes as Rossouw and de Kock had. In the end, the target proved far too big.Rilee Rossouw and Quinton de Kock added 90 runs for the second wicket in quick time•Getty Images

Rossouw and de Kock’s redeem themselves
After failing to score a single run in the first two matches of the series, Rossouw started with three dots, before making up rapidly; by the end of the ninth over, he was on 30 off 15 balls, going after each of Siraj, Umesh Yadav and R Ashwin.He flicked, pulled, swiped and hoicked at will, with neither the fuller lengths nor the shorter ones bothering him. A lot of luck went Rossouw’s way, too: first, when on 24, he slog-swept Ashwin, only for the ball to pop out of Siraj’s hands and go for six at fine leg.At the other end, de Kock made up for taking his time in the second T20I in Guwahati, where his 69* from 48 balls hurt South Africa in their chase. He raced to his fifty off 33 balls this time, pulling Umesh over fine leg to get to the landmark. The first ten overs raised 96, as the two raced along.The partnership ended when de Kock was run-out at the beginning of the 13th over.India had held back their left-arm spinner Axar Patel until 13 overs with two left-hand batters going gung-ho at the crease, and Rossouw just proved India’s fears right by slogging Axar’s third ball for six to reach his fifty off 27 balls.Rossouw then pulled Harshal Patel in the 15th over, with the ball just going over a leaping Umesh at fine leg. In the next over, he bisected long-on and deep midwicket as Deepak Chahar attempted a yorker. The last three overs fetched 50 runs for South Africa, including Tristan Stubbs’ cameo of 23 and David Miller’s final-over onslaught.Miller crashed three sixes off Chahar, as South Africa hit 24 off the final over. Their total boosted to 227.1:59

What should be SA’s ideal bowling line-up at the World Cup?

India, thin on batting, fall well short
In the chase, at 4 for 2 after the first ten balls – having lost Rohit and Shreyas Iyer – India promoted Dinesh Karthik, the designated finisher, to No. 4 despite the presence of Suryakumar Yadav [Virat Kohli and KL Rahul had been rested for the game].He declared his intentions first ball by pulling Wayne Parnell for four to deep midwicket. Next over, Rishabh Pant – who had opened alongside Rohit – hit Kagiso Rabada for four. The early boundaries gave India hope, and the full house at the Holkar Stadium something to cheer about after the Indian bowlers had been carted around earlier.With only 25 on the board after four overs, Pant went 4, 6, 4, 6 off Lungi Ngidi, before Stubbs’ brilliant catch at cover-point sent him back for 27 off 14 balls. India were three down after five overs, with another 183 to get at a required run-rate of over 12.That’s when Karthik brought out his full repertoire of strokes, attacking Parnell for 6, 4, 6 in the final over of the powerplay. He then deposited Keshav Maharaj for consecutive sixes next over, but in an attempt to be too creative, he was bowled trying to reverse scoop the spinner.An innings of 46 from 21 deliveries came to an end, and with it India’s hopes too. Their allrounders were slotted in as early as No. 6, with Axar followed by Harshal, Ashwin and Chahar.Harshal, Chahar and Umesh entertained with 17, 31 and 20* respectively, but India folded with nine balls left.

Veteran allrounder contributes 15 sixes and 160 out of 166-run partnership for ninth wicket

David Hopps21-May-2021The oldest swinger in town was at it again in Canterbury, clubbing the ball to all parts, defying age and occasionally defying logic. Darren Stevens played one of the most remarkable attacking innings witnessed in the Championship for many a year as he again underlined his status as one of the most notable servants county cricket has ever known.Stevens’ resounding assault on Glamorgan’s bowling, glorious in its simplicity, brought him 190 from 149 balls. Kent, at one time 128 for 8, made 307 as he walloped 15 sixes and 15 fours. On a day of strong breezes which bent tree branches, removed umpires’ caps and caused advertising boards to take flight, the Stevens whirlwind settled in the middle of the square and caused the most damage of all.At 45 years and 21 days, he became the oldest player to score a first-class century since Chris Balderstone (45 years, 247 days) for Leicestershire in July 1986. (Geoffrey Boycott might remind you that he was a slightly older 45-year-old when he struck two centuries earlier that month, although without Stevens’ shower of sixes.)To put things in perspective, before this round of matches the leading six-hitter in the Championship was Nottinghamshire’s Tom Moores… with seven. To further put things into perspective, Stevens entered this game with six single-figure scores on the bounce. In the past two years he has virtually had to talk his way into squeezing another year’s contract. Kent supporters will hope he again has the gift of the gab in September because they are not yet ready to let go. He is a player who can’t be pinned down, who every so often does wondrous things with bat or ball.How fortunate we feel as we edge gingerly out of this global pandemic, like rabbits out of burrows, to witness cricket so free of guile. How blessed Stevens must feel to still be playing on; he lost his father, who loved watching him play, to a Covid-related illness about a year ago, and lived in a caravan for two weeks on his cousin’s driveway in Leicester so he could talk through the window to his mum, who was self-isolating. Dreadful times, and these are the days that we treasure more strongly as a result.Greedily for the statisticians, the six that mattered most was the one that got away. If only Stevens had made a sweeter connection with a blow down the ground against the legspin of the Australia Test batsman, Marnus Labuschagne, he would have equalled the most sixes in English first-class cricket, jointly held by Graham Napier and Andrew Symonds. As soon as he hit it, he walked away from the crease, pausing momentarily to glance over his shoulder to confirm that Kiran Carlson had held the catch at long-on.

Most sixes in County Championship innings

• 16 – Andrew Symonds, Gloucestershire v Glamorgan, Abergavenny, 1995

• 16 – Graham Napier, Essex v Surrey, Whitgift School, 2011

• 15 – Kevin Pietersen, Surrey v Leicestershire, Kia Oval, 2015

• 15 – Aneurin Donald, Glamorgan v Derbyshire, Colwyn Bay, 2015

• 15 – Darren Stevens, Kent v Glamorgan, Canterbury, 2021

It was by no means certain that Carlson would hang on because in the latter stages of their browbeating, Glamorgan had been run ragged. Stevens was dropped three times, a tough diving chance for Lloyd in the slips when he was 67, on 136 when Labuschagne failed to hold a waist-high, running catch at deep square, and again one run later, this time Billy Root the offender as he pushed the ball over the ropes at deep midwicket.Kent’s ninth-wicket record – 171 by Mark Ealham and Paul Strang – also narrowly survived, and that serves as a reminder of the redoubtable part played by Miguel Cummins, who likes a bit of a tail-end hit, but who loyally committed himself to abstinence. Of their extraordinary stand of 166 in 28 overs, Stevens made 160, Cummins 1 and extras made up the rest; Stevens’ contribution of 96.38% of the partnership runs was a record for 100-plus stands in first-class cricket. Cummins had made 7, from 61 balls, when he dragged on Labuschagne to end Kent’s innings.Stevens majored in leg-side clunks and consummate lofts down the ground. He used the wind intelligently, lofting when it was in his favour, wary when it was not. The most startling six was something different when he dropped to one knee to hit David Lloyd’s medium pace over extra cover. The least impressive was probably his first, a wind-assisted top-edged pull to fine leg against Michael Hogan.Every Glamorgan bowler suffered from Stevens’ assault, although the Australian pair, Labuschagne and Michael Neser suffered less than most. Neser, bearded and strongly built, had sparked Kent’s collapse from their overnight 70 for 2 with inswingers to pick off Jamie Cox, Jack Leaning and Daniel Bell-Drummond, but Stevens treated him to a leg-side pick-up when he lost his line. Labuschagne, the seventh bowler tried, looked spooked as he began with a full toss that was called a wide, but he settled and briefly made Stevens look a little cumbersome.Timm van der Gugten, who had rendered Kent strokeless for much of the morning session, conceded two sixes and still returned 4 for 34 in 19 overs. Andrew Salter’s offspin was the meekest adversary. Stevens cleared the boundary five times two overs; Salter tried to hide one or two, but there was no hiding place; he might as well have been the infant putting his hands over his eyes and hoping that the big, bad man could not see him.Stevens soaks up the applause for his 36th first-class hundred•Getty Images

This was a heartwarming innings, an innings of abandon, one which for all his cricketing nous ultimately reduced to game to the basics of “bat hits ball.” It was apt that this was the week that crowds returned in limited numbers because few players have gained more affection than Stevens has in Kent, and indeed beyond. And as well as the smattering of spectators who braved the cheerless conditions, many more rushed to the ball-by-ball services and the live stream.When named Stevens as one of their Five Cricketers of the Year in April it brought delight to many on the county circuit, and some nonplussed looks beyond. He was the oldest player to be given the honour since Leicestershire’s Ewart Astill in 1933 and his reputation had been built without a single international cap. He did not need to prove himself a worthy recipient, but he did anyway.Later, to prevent stiffness setting in, he bowled a few overs and took a wicket – that of Labuschagne, for the second time this season. Afterwards, his captain, Sam Billings made a dressing room speech in tribute, and a rousing one it would have been. Glamorgan, who must have imagined themselves in a winning position, were 55 for 2 at the close, 252 behind, regathering their poise.

South Africa coach admits the management are still searching for their best XI in T20

Firdose Moonda21-Feb-2020South Africa players who want to be considered for the T20 World Cup have the chance to stake a claim in the next week, with several spots in need of filling, according to coach Mark Boucher. Despite the disappointment of his team’s biggest T20 defeat in the opening match against Australia, Boucher sought to “take the emotion out of the whole scenario” and look at the bigger picture, with seven months to go before a major tournament.”There are certain places up for grabs and with guys getting opportunities, it’s important that they take them now,” Boucher said. “A month or so before the World Cup we want to have our minds on who we want to take as a 15-man squad but it’s difficult for players to make a name for themselves a month before the tournament. Now is the time that players need to put their hands up and stake a claim for positions and there are still position up for grabs. We don’t quite know what our combinations are going to be and we are waiting for guys to step up.”After their performance on Friday night, which included their lowest T20I score, and Boucher’s criticism of the bowling as “poor”, it would appear that South Africa have plenty of positions to fill but the man in charge did not want to be overly dramatic. “It’s not the end of the world – losing one game of T20 cricket,” Boucher said. “Yes, we are going to have to shape up quite a bit in the next week but there is also a plan going through to the next World Cup.”ALSO READ: Jadeja-inspired Agar felt ‘horrible’ in trainingPart of that plan was trialing Temba Bavuma in the opening role, which was a success against England before he got injured, using Heinrich Klaasen – who was also forced out with a niggle – in the middle order and experimenting with Rassie van der Dussen and Jon-Jon Smuts. All those options paid off during the England series and are likely to do so again.A bigger concern is the inconsistency of the attack, who had the experience of Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada but still conceded heavily. Steyn, Lungi Ngidi, Rabada and Andile Phehlulwayo, who have 107 T20 caps between them, gave away 70 runs in the first six overs and failed to pitch the ball up, something bowling coach Charl Langeveldt discussed in the lead-up to the match. Both Boucher and Langeveldt have spoken about the importance of specialised skills training, but stressed that during a series, South Africa don’t have the time to do that.Boucher made the same point after the Wanderers defeat. “It’s not something we can change overnight. We’ve tried to work on things like yorkers but our lines and length were really bad,” Boucher said. “It’s not like they were running down the wicket and taking us on. We were giving them boundary options.”Rabada, South Africa’s “poster boy”, as acting director of cricket Graeme Smith called him, was the most guilty and had six fours and two sixes scored off him to finish as the most expensive bowler on the night. Boucher put Rabada’s showing down to a lack of game time, presenting an interesting conundrum between getting the balance between overbowling and keeping him fresh. “KG has come back from a long rest so it’s no use making an emotional decision and saying we are going to leave him out for the next game,” Boucher said. “We need guys like him and Anrich [Nortje] to come back but we also needed to rest them and that was the right decision because we want them fresh.”But how long does it take players to find their groove again? The answer might come on Sunday, when South Africa face a must-win situation to stay in the series or face further scrutiny over their progress in what has been a lean summer. As he done since he took over in December, Boucher pleaded for patience, even as he admitted that progress needs to come.”We are working really hard off the field. We understand the areas we need to work on. We’ve got to get back on the horse,” he said. “If we rock up and play 40% cricket we are going to get beaten and beaten badly, like we were today.”