Aussies have a cheek taking cheap shots at Lions over nationality, writes Calum Crowe
In the last Ashes series in England two years ago, he scored the most runs of any player on either team as the Aussies retained the urn.
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Times
10 minutes ago
- Times
Short boundaries scramble India minds but will aid England's Bazballers
Ben Stokes' tenure as England captain has been marked by a restless search for ideas and innovation, and before play had even started at Edgbaston we had evidence of another tactical gambit: the boundary ropes had been brought in well inside the LED perimeter boards, further in than they were here for last year's Test against West Indies or the Ashes Test of 2023. In fact, it was confirmed by match officials that the boundary on no part of the ground was longer than 71 yards (64.9 metres) from the wicket, and in the cases of the straight boundary to the pavilion and the boundary from there round to the adjacent West Stand it was between 66 and 69 yards. These are at the short end of what is deemed acceptable under the playing regulations for the ICC World Test Championship. These state that, 'no boundary shall be longer than 90 yards [or] shorter than 65 yards from the centre of the pitch'; also that, 'the aim shall be to maximise the size of the playing area at each venue'. The regulations also explain that: 'Before the match the umpires shall consult with the home board to determine the boundary of the field of play'. Once the game is under way, the boundary lengths must remain fixed throughout. The clearest evidence of the boundaries being brought in was in two corners in front of the scoreboard and the Hollies Stand, where there was unused playing area beyond the rope, testing the stipulation that 'the boundary rope cannot be set at a distance of more than ten yards from the perimeter fence', not to mention the aim of maximising the playing area. For the safety of boundary fielders there has to be at least a three-yard run-off area beyond the rope. It can be taken as read that the umpires' consultations with the 'home board' actually means a conversation with the head groundsman, who will have taken his instructions from Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum. Asked on the eve of the Test about how England conveyed their wishes regarding the pitch to the Edgbaston groundsman Gary Barwell, Stokes said: 'There's communication throughout … We give as much information as we can to suit what team we want to go for — and how we want to play our cricket as well.' Why did England want short boundaries? It may be because they suspected India would select two spinners — Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar — and that this was a ploy which would help their batsmen take them on. If you are going to attack a spinner, best do so when the boundaries are short. More likely, though, it fitted England's general approach to batting, which is to bury their opponents under sheer weight of runs scored at such a speed that it allows their bowlers time to take 20 wickets. With Stokes winning the toss and opting to bowl first for their tenth time in 11 home Tests since he became captain in 2022, England may well face another run-chase against the clock at the end of this game. They may need everything in their favour. Since Stokes took over, England have scored at a breathtaking 4.66 runs per over in home Tests, with Trent Bridge (4.92) and Edgbaston (4.90) the venues where their muscular batting has tended to find greatest expression. The short boundary did not really come into play until Rishabh Pant decided to target the inviting area in front of the scoreboard when facing Shoaib Bashir. He cleared the rope once for the day's first six but when he tried it again after tea he holed out to Zak Crawley at wide long-on, whose celebration suggested a plan had come to fruition. A short boundary may be easier to clear with a good contact, but it can also mess with a batsman's thinking. Please enable cookies and other technologies to view this content. You can update your cookies preferences any time using privacy manager. England have used these tactics before. In the 2005 Ashes, they deliberately commissioned short boundaries to increase their chances against Shane Warne. There were risks attached though, because Australia's batsmen thrived on hitting boundaries themselves and Michael Vaughan had to work hard to deny them with boundary-sweepers and short-covers. When England plundered 407 runs on the first day of the Edgbaston Test, Australian commentators grumbled about the ground's 'ridiculously short boundaries'. During the series, Kevin Pietersen hit eight sixes off Warne, five off Brett Lee and one off Glenn McGrath into the Lord's pavilion in the opening Test to signal his intent. There was some discussion about England using shorter boundaries to take the attack to Australia during the 2023 Ashes, but in the event they did not do so to any great degree. The outfield at Headingley was so fast for the first Test against India that England did not need any help scoring fast, but they now seem to have taken steps to give their Bazballers a further boost.
The Independent
11 minutes ago
- The Independent
Nick Kyrgios still a regular at pub where he drank the night before Nadal clash
Nick Kyrgios remains a regular at the Wimbledon pub where he was famously spotted drinking the night before his explosive 2019 Centre Court clash with Rafael Nadal. The Australian made headlines six years ago after being seen at the Dog & Fox in Wimbledon Village on the eve of his second-round showdown, which he lost in four volatile sets. Despite the controversy at the time, staff say the 30-year-old keeps returning to the pub – most recently on Friday – and has never caused trouble. Pub manager Alfie Stockwell, 28, said: 'He comes here quite often, especially during Wimbledon. 'He really likes it here. He's been nothing but nice. We let them do their own thing. 'He's friendly enough: I suppose it depends what mood he's in, which is fair enough.' Kyrgios, unseeded at the time, had beaten fellow Australian Jordan Thompson in five sets to set up the blockbuster match with Nadal, which became laced with tension after a war of words between the pair.
The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
TV chef Aldo Zilli tries pepperoni pizzas – his bargain deep pan winner is packed with toppings & great to tear & share
WOMEN'S Euro 2025 is under way and our Lionesses are ready to roar once again. But what to snack on when watching? Seven million pizzas are expected to fly off the shelves during the tournament so if you are planning to tuck into a slice or two while watching, which low-cost dough is the worthy champion? To find out, we asked Italian celebrity chef – and Lioness supporter – Aldo Zilli to try a selection of pepperoni pizzas all costing less than a fiver. Tesco 'The American' Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza 277g, 12% pepperoni, £3.50 8 LOOKS more like a pancake. It is so thin, like it has been run over or perhaps like someone has sat on it. That is not my only issue with this skinny slice. The cheese is another negative, it has a very strange texture – it looks gooey and sticky. Not very appetising. The whole thing appears clammy and a bit sweaty. The ingredients state that it is a proper mozzarella, but it must not be a good example of the cheese as something isn't right. It's not all bad though. The pepperoni is impressive with a nice sheen and good smoked pork flavour with a decent amount of it too. Overall a nice meaty topping but a terrible base and cheese. RATING: 3/5 Domino's unveils state-of-the-art bike designed to cope with potholes and keep pizza fresh Sainsbury's Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza 270g, 11% pepperoni, £3.75 8 SOMETHING about the dough is odd. It's not overly thick but very dense and bready. I can actually peel back layers within the base, so it's more like a piece of white sliced even though it's meant to be stone baked. There is none of the nice puffy, charred textures you expect from a proper Italian style slice. The tomato puree is fine and the mozzarella is OK for the price but it is burned around the edges because it is spread unevenly and the whole thing looks greasy. They've been mean with the pepperoni so it's not great for sharing as you won't get a fair share of toppings. Will soak up a beer or two taste-wise, it's not the best. Asda Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza 317g, 13% pepperoni, £2.58 8 IMPRESSIVE. It is hard to get that proper stonebaked taste in a dough cooked at home, but Asda have given it a decent go. It looks about as authentic as you'll get for a supermarket attempt and it tastes close too. There's enough topping to be satisfying and everything is good quality. Nice bubbling from a decent mozzarella cheese that has been placed with care so it doesn't spill over the edges. It looks and smells like a proper stonebaked pizza with charred patches and unlevelling in the crusts and has an enticing aroma. It is slightly soft and a bit dry but you don't notice too much as the pepperoni is nice and oily. Great value. Morrisons Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza 285g, 10% pepperoni, £3.50 8 IF you want a pizza to share with friends, you will definitely need more than one of these. It's so bare and mean. Where on Earth are the toppings? It looks like someone has forgotten to put them on the dough. In total there are nine pieces of pepperoni, which is stingy, and the tomato puree doesn't taste very nice. It is bitter when it should provide a lovely juicy sweetness. The cheese is OK and the dough is average but, overall, this isn't a great example of something that should be so simple and easy to do well. You'd be better off buying a plain base and adding your own toppings to it. Chef Select Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza, Lidl 313g, 15% smoked pepperoni, £2.49 8 A LIGHT, crisp, spongy and evenly cooked dough can be delicious and this has a very good base. A bit thicker in patches than some of the others but I don't mind that as it has the right taste and feel when you eat it with the toppings, and it won't leave you feeling stuffed. The meat on top however is another story. It looks far too processed and tastes that way too. The pepperoni has dried out and gone very crunchy around the edges which doesn't taste nice. The layer of tomato puree also should be sweeter. The base is good and so is the price, sadly the toppings are letting this pizza down. Carlos Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza, Aldi 313g, 15% pepperoni, £2.49 8 A BIT hit and miss. There are generous amounts of meat and cheese topping but the pepperoni has burned around the edges. The dough isn't unpleasant but texturally it's more like a flatbread with toppings. So, really what you are eating, is like a giant cheese on toast. It's large so there will be lots to share around which is good when watching footie but, appearance-wise, it doesn't make my mouth water. Great price though and you do get plenty. It tastes OK so it will do the job of scoffing in front of the telly especially if you need to buy a few. Stonebaked Double Pepperoni Pizza, Co-op 327g, 12% pepperoni & mini-pepperoni, £2.49 8 INTERESTING pizza with a mix of mini and normal sized pepperoni slices on top. It appears generous, plus gives it a more meaty flavour which I approve of. Overall this is an excellent pizza for the price. It might not be as cheap as some but it was the largest stonebaked style and you get a lot more slices and so much pork which I think makes it good value. It has well made dough which is thin, crispy and done in the Italian style so it is nice, soft and fluffy with airy pockets. Not easy to achieve with a supermarket slice. They've also used very good cheese. A quality pizza made with Italian style ingredients. I'd happily eat this. Trattoria Alfredo Deep Pan Double Pepperoni Pizza, Lidl 377g, 11% pepperoni & mini-pepperoni, £1.35 8 EVEN though I'm Italian, I don't mind a proper deep pan base. A deep pan will always fill you up and if you want a more substantial slice this will certainly do the job. It tastes far better than it looks, even though I was surprised how good it is once cooked from frozen. They've used good mozzarella, amazing at this price, and been very generous as there's two types of pepperoni. This is perfect for watching footie with mates – great to tear and share and delivers exactly what you want with some drinks, soft or boozy.
