Wissa still in exile with Brentford back in London
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
7 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Winning the Ashes would be Stokes' greatest miracle'
Seven runs stood between England and a series victory over really. One sweet connection from Gus Atkinson could have brought the scores level in the final Test. A tie would have been good enough for the margin is so narrow, what can be learned? Take your catches, don't throw your wicket away after you've made a hundred, try not lose one of your bowlers to a dislocated shoulder. Hardly writing a new coaching manual, is it?Above all, the nipper at The Oval reinforced what we knew Ben Stokes in the team, England can beat anyone. Without him, they are teams have to deal with injuries or lack of fitness. India were without Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant. Then again, the tourists won the two Tests Bumrah did not play and comfortably put away England 4-1 last year without Pant in the team."No," was Stokes' simple answer when asked if he had any concerns that England are too reliant on reality, Stokes is England's beating heart. When he isn't there as the all-action all-rounder, England lose their balance. Without him as captain, they lose his tactical nous and sense of focus. Runs, wickets and fielding. He is the personification of his team. It probably should be called Benball, not wonders how Stokes, the arch-competitor, coped with watching Monday's finale go down to the wire. England's patron saint of lost causes was the man to engineer their last one-wicket victory in a England lost. The next time he will be seen on the field, hopefully, will be the first Test against Australia in Perth in November. England can win the Ashes. They have their best chance of success in Australia since they last won a series down under, back in 2010-11. It is a low bar, mind. In the past 14 years, they have played 15 Tests in Australia, lost 13, drawn two and won chance to win begins and ends with Ben Stokes. If that sounds like hyperbole, consider this: Of the England squad that travels to Australia, none will have ever tasted victory in a Test down under and as few as five will have played a Test them, they will have one Test hundred on Australian soil, and that will belong to Stokes. Of the two bowlers to have a five-wicket haul in Australia, one will be Stokes, the other Mark Wood. If Wood is fit for November, he will not have played a Test in 15 task is clear. He needs to recover from a shoulder injury, play like Ian Botham, captain like Mike Brearley, and stay the course. The last part is probably the hardest. He has now not played a full part in any of England's past four Test series because of has history of turning water into wine (or whatever he's drinking these days, after claiming to have cut back on the booze). The 2019 World Cup final, the 2019 Headingley Test. Cape Town, the 2022 T20 World Cup final. The angry hundred at Lord's in 2023, Headingley again the same year. Lord's this he pulls this off, and gets his hands on the urn in Sydney in January, it really would be his greatest miracle. Support will come from Joe Root, Harry Brook and Ben Duckett. It is time for Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope to emphatically deliver on the patience they have been afforded. England's batting looks strong, but they are only an injury from Jacob Bethell, who by November might only have played two first-class matches in 11 months. Jamie Smith will have to show better durability than against India, when he faded badly in his first five-Test series as a knows which bowlers will have seats on the plane when the music stops. The prospect of Wood partnering with Jofra Archer on a spicy Perth pitch is tantalising, the dream of matching Australia's heavy a best-case scenario, they will be supported by Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue, possibly with space for a tearaway bolter. If England really can get their most dangerous weapons to Australia, then they must be managed properly. There is a balance between starting well and making sure there is enough ammunition for the whole the spinner, the Liam Dawson debate looks to have been put to bed. Ricky Ponting reckons Shoaib Bashir is the closest thing England have to Nathan Lyon. Enough will be anxiety about England's preparation, or lack of it. They are due to play only one warm-up game before the first Test, against their own Lions team. It is worth remembering England have a habit of winning the first Test of series, and losing the last. Against India, they won the opener for the sixth consecutive series, and lost a fifth finale in biggest challenge will be shutting out the noise that is already coming from Australia. It will only get louder over the next three months. Lyon, Steve Smith and David Warner have piped up. It's only a matter of time before Kylie Minogue, Ned Kelly and Bluey the dog have their say is something about this England team that particularly irks the Australians. They cannot fathom the Bazball way. They respect Stokes, but do not rate New Zealander Brendon McCullum. He won one of his 16 Tests against the Aussies, and fluffed his lines in the 2015 World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. However, the Australian public can be quick to turn on their own. They did in have questions to answer to over their batting, especially the top three. It currently comprises a fading veteran in Usman Khawaja, a Bazball tribute pick in Sam Konstas and an out-of-position Cameron Green. Beyond that, Smith is the best Ashes batter since Don Bradman, Travis Head is one of the best all-format batters in the world and Alex Carey has recovered from the wobble that followed his 'stumping' of Jonny Bairstow in Aussie super-strength is their bowling, the Four Horsemen of captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and the seamers need back-up, they can call on Scott Boland, with a Test bowling average of 16.53, the best of anyone since 1914. Still, in his two Tests against the Bazballers in England in 2023, he returned short, England have the better batting, Australia the better bowling. Bowlers tend to win series and Australia are at home, so they will start as England have are 108 days until the first Test in Perth on 21 November. 108 days of worrying about Stokes' shoulder and hearing Glenn McGrath's score prediction. 108 days of figuring out how to work when sleep deprived and turning down Christmas with the in-laws because it clashes with the Boxing Day Test. 108 days of checking Sheffield Shield scores and hoping Archer doesn't slip in the shower. 108 days of wondering whether England can do it.108 days. Tick, tock.
BBC News
7 minutes ago
- BBC News
UK's first disabled strongman says lifting helps his cerebral palsy
The UK's first disabled strongman is fundraising to secure the future of a national event for strongmen and Clarke, 48, from Chard, Somerset, is a key organiser for the British Disabled Strongman Competition, which he set up in 2015 - but this year, it lost several major Clarke said weightlifting has improved his cerebral palsy and is keen to support others so they can benefit from the said: "The lifting has helped with my cerebral palsy 100% and I will always lift a barbell of some description. It's ingrained in me… and it just makes sense to me." The annual competition will take place in Uxbridge, London, on the 13-14 September. Mr Clarke was starved of oxygen when he was born three months prematurely. This traumatic birth left him with cerebral after receiving extensive physio through his younger years, he was able to walk with said he "always found a way" to achieve what he wants."When I started doing weights, the gym was up a set of stairs so I found a way to get up on the crutches. It was the warm up I think," he progressed to power lifting and bench pressing for Great Britain then saw there was a Disabled Man Championship in Iceland in 2011."It was unchartered territory," he said. "It was tough. I remember doing the van pull on paving slabs that weren't level and the tyres were let down as well." 'Very proud' Mr Clarke competes in the seated class for people with restricted use of their limbs, which means he is only allowed to use his upper said becoming the first person to represent Great Britain made him very proud."The thing I want to get across is it's not a tokenism thing, it's hard," he training for about 20 years, he said he is more practical now and does not go "hell for leather". "I train specifically for competitions and am more selective," he is urging people to donate to next year's British Disabled Strongman Competition.
Leader Live
9 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Tuesday's briefing: Alexander Isak back in Toon as Liverpool parade new signings
Alexander Isak is facing showdown talks with Newcastle boss Eddie Howe after returning to Tyneside. The 25-year-old Sweden international headed back to Tyneside over the weekend after spending time working on his fitness at former club Real Sociedad. Isak missed the Magpies' pre-season tour of Asia having cited a thigh injury amid fevered speculation over his future. Newcastle swiftly rejected a £110million bid for the player from Liverpool last week. 'You have to earn the right to train with us,' said Howe before the team flew home from Seoul. 'No player can expect to act poorly and train with the group as normal.' Established stars Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo scored the goals as Liverpool showcased £270million-worth of new signings in a 3-2 friendly win over Athletic Bilbao at Anfield on Monday. Record recruit Florian Wirtz hit the bar in an eye-catching display while fellow new faces Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike also featured for the Premier League champions. Ekitike set up the opener for Salah, who also missed a penalty, and Gakpo struck twice. It was the second of two games against the Basque outfit, with a largely second-string Reds side earlier winning 4-1. Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott, two players linked with moves, were on target along with teenagers Rio Ngumoha and Ben Doak. Tributes were paid to forward Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash last month, in both games. Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris has signed a new three-year contract. The 49-year-old Frenchman was appointed in June 2024 and guided the Black Cats back to the Premier League after an eight-year absence in his first season. Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: 'I'm delighted we are announcing this contract extension for Regis. 'It provides clarity going into the Premier League season, but more importantly it recognises his contribution and continued commitment to the club.' Russell Martin claims his criticism of some of the Rangers squad following their deflating 1-1 draw with Motherwell on Saturday came from a position of 'love and care'. The Gers boss hit out following the William Hill Premiership opener at Fir Park, questioning mentality, speaking about 'egos' and accusing some of 'self-preservation'. 'I think if they know us by now as a group of coaches that it all comes from a place of love and care for them,' said the Gers boss. Brighton owner Tony Bloom has set his sights on winning the SPL with Hearts after investing in the Edinburgh club. The English entrepreneur completed a £9.86million deal in June to secure a 29 per cent stake in the Jambos in non-voting shares. Bloom said: 'If we have not won the league title in the next 10 years, I will be very disappointed.' Rangers are in action again as they host Czech side Viktoria Plzen in the first leg of a Champions League third qualifying round tie.
