Latest news with #DivisionTwo
Leader Live
6 days ago
- Sport
- Leader Live
Things are going so well for Northop Hall and Chirk sides
Following on from a testing start to the campaign, Chirk have picked up back-to-back triumphs in the Shropshire League. Meanwhile, Northop Hall are targeting promotion from Division Two of the Liverpool Competition and after losing out in their first contest of the summer, Ben Slater's side have triumphed in each of their match-ups since then. Last time out, it was a North Wales derby triumph for Hall in their meeting against Prestatyn. Paul Jenkins was on the money with a four for one return as Prestatyn were skittled for just 69. 'It was just job done in the end,' said captain Ben Slater. 'It was quite humid, so the ball was swinging early. But after 15 overs, that died down.' Northop Hall head to Stockport Trinity seeking to bag their fifth win on the bounce and keep them within sight of the promotion places. Slater is taking nothing for granted and he stressed: 'Southport Trinity will be a decent outfit. 'We have always had good competition when we've gone there. They do know how to win.' Matty Jones, who is enjoying a great season with the bat, returns to Northop Hall's line-up. Northop Hall Seconds will aim to make the most of home comforts as they tackle Spring View Seconds. A more settled side is playing its part in an upturn of fortunes for Chirk, who go to Shifnal Seconds tomorrow in Division One of the Shropshire League. 'It's two out of two and it's been two good games,' said skipper Liam Walker. 'We played really well on Saturday versus Frankton. 'We have bowled and fielded well in the last couple of weeks. Having a full side has certainly made a difference.' Looking to follow up wins over Oswestry and Frankton with another success, Walker added: 'I think Shifnal will be strong. They're always a decent side. They have got some good experience there and we are looking forward to it. We think we will be okay team wise.' Chirk Seconds host Quatt Thirds.
Irish Times
6 days ago
- General
- Irish Times
Rory Beggan is Monaghan's ace card who stops forwards at one end and puts fear in defenders down the other
The Rory Beggan conundrum continues. This weekend, the contestants trying to solve the puzzle are the Clare footballers. During my Dublin career, when it came to taking on Monaghan , the two players we immediately thought of were Beggan and Conor McManus . While the retirement of McManus has robbed Monaghan of their generational forward, the new rules in Gaelic football have armed their goalkeeper - also a generational talent - with a new set of arrows. I'm talking about two-pointers. Beggan was Monaghan's top scorer in the National Football League , finishing their successful Division Two campaign with 0-38. Within that total there were 17 two-pointers, all bar one of which came from a placed ball. READ MORE He was back at it against Louth last week, kicking a pair of two-pointers from placed balls in a game Monaghan won by six points . We'll return to the merits of two-point frees later, but first it's important to understand the dilemma facing teams in relation to Beggan's attributes within the new rules. The Monaghan No1 is among a crop of elite goalkeepers who changed the role and brought the position to a new level. When we were preparing to play Monaghan, there was a lot of emphasis on him, not just on his kickouts but also how best to deal with him when he comes beyond his natural area and roams further up the field. His foot-passing and general game awareness are of a very high quality. We were also conscious of his ability to kick frees from distance, but the arrival of two-pointers to Gaelic football has been a game changer. It has really empowered Beggan and Monaghan in terms of taking on long-range efforts. In short, it's worth the risk now. In a year their greatest ever forward retired, who would have predicted they would put up such high scoring tallies? That realisation challenges defenders and forces them to make split-second decisions that need to be perfect. Players who might normally tackle hard are being forced to reconsider their level of force against Monaghan. If they commit to a tackle against the Farney men, it better be right on the money. The jeopardy has increased. The risk-reward equation is weighted in favour of Monaghan as they have Beggan to attempt long-distance frees. For defending teams, it means the potential punishment for a foul has been doubled. It's almost too risky to tackle at times. All of this creates doubt among defenders. Anxious not to be the reason Monaghan score a two-pointer, they step off. This leads to the kind of defensive uncertainty forwards thrive on. Monaghan's Conor McCarthy in possession during last weekend's victory against Louth. Photograph: Ciaran Culligan /Inpho If you step off a little bit against Monaghan, you are in danger of enabling strong ball-carriers like Conor McCarthy, Micheál Bannigan and Stephen O'Hanlon to break through the lines and punish you in open play. It's a double-edged sword for defenders. Conceding a long-distance free is potentially momentum swinging in a game against Monaghan because you just know Beggan is going to come up and have a swing at it. There are even more elements to it as well. Monaghan will not only bring Beggan up to try bag the prize of two points, but as he prepares to take that kick, it is an ideal opportunity for his teammates to set up for the subsequent kickout. It used to be very hard, at times, to get set on a kickout. With the new rules, where the kickout has to go beyond the arc, it's a lot easier to get pressed up. Free kicks and set plays are perfect situations to target kick-outs and it is something Monaghan do well. Gabriel Bannigan's men were the highest scoring team across all four divisions of the National League this season. They amassed a combined total of 193 points in their seven group games. Kerry were next on that list, with 170. Monaghan's average from those seven league games was 27.5 points per outing. In a year their greatest ever forward retired, who would have predicted they would put up such high scoring tallies? They have put up decent scores in their two championship games so far this summer as well – 0-21 against Donegal and 1-23 against Louth. Their high-scoring return is largely down to the factors I have highlighted: Beggan having the licence to kick from distance without fear of criticism should they not all sail over, plus Monaghan's ball-carriers having the freedom to take on their man knowing if they don't create a scoring opportunity, there's a good chance they'll draw a foul. And when they do draw a foul, that man Beggan will run up to take it. Rory Beggan takes the ball forward for Monaghan during their Division Two match against Meath in March. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho Even if it doesn't yield a score, Monaghan will invariably be in a great position to keep the opposition pinned in and steal the kickout. There were occasions over the years when I questioned Beggan's decision to shoot from certain difficult angles. Purely from a free-taking perspective, his percentages probably weren't fantastic; I'd imagine they were below 50 per cent a lot of the time. But those kicks are worth the risk now because two points are on offer, along with a chance to squeeze the opposition kick-out. The Donegal game in the Ulster championship is the outlier. When Donegal were faced with the Beggan conundrum, they concluded that denying Monaghan frees would be the most effective way of negating their attack. To an extent it worked. That's why I think they shouldn't be worth two points Donegal defenders refused to commit themselves to any borderline tackles within scoreable range – which for Beggan is a considerable distance. Donegal were so disciplined that Beggan wasn't afforded any opportunity of knocking over a placed ball two-pointer. At full-time, all the Monaghan goalkeeper had contributed on the scoreboard was one point, from a 45. Monaghan still ran up a good tally of points in that game, but there were no frees from outside the arc registered. Indeed, only 0-2 of Monaghan's 0-21 total came from frees – Micheál Bannigan kicking over a pair from inside the arc. Donegal's gameplan was built on a logic of taking away the weapon of Beggan's frees. If imposed successfully - and it was - they knew their opponents would be reduced to scoring points from play. You can be sure Peter Keane and his Clare management team have been discussing how to approach the Beggan conundrum this week. It's a key area for any team trying to overcome the Farney County. Monaghan fans will travel to Sunday's match against Clare expecting to see the two-point flag waved. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho As for the two-point rule in general, while I'm not averse to the idea of two-pointers from open play, I think the punishment of conceding two points for what can often be an innocuous foul is very harsh. I don't feel the punishment fits the crime. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have been coming out with a protest against two-point frees if they were introduced during my Dublin career. But I honestly don't think many of those scores from long-range placed balls justify two points. Free takers are operating at such a high level now that many of those opportunities are well within their range. That's why I think they shouldn't be worth two points. Not that Monaghan are likely to be joining any campaign for change. Their victory over Louth has put them in a strong position in Group Three and if they get over Clare in Clones on Sunday, Gabriel Bannigan's side will be in pole position to top the table. It looks very likely that Rory Beggan will still be posing problems for opponents come All-Ireland quarter-final weekend.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
'Marathon' mindset helped transform Notts
Head coach Peter Moores says it has taken some "blind faith" and a "marathon" mindset to get Nottinghamshire to the top of the County Championship just months after they narrowly avoided are 10 points clear at the summit at the midway point of the red-ball four wins from seven games is already double the victories they managed in the competition last term when they escaped the drop on the penultimate day of their final match the former England head coach, who guided Nottinghamshire to promotion from Division Two as title winners in 2022, admits his side has exceeded expectations so far."We said to the group before we started that at the halfway stage the target was to be in the top three so we could have a go at it in the second-half," Moores told BBC Sport."To be top with a 10-point cushion really is a win more than we thought we would get." Moores has won the County Championship title twice as coach, with Sussex in 2003 and Lancashire in 2011, and said that Notts' approach to turning their fortunes around in recent months will be how they now go on to challenge for the trophy this summer."It's a long-haul," he said. "It's like a marathon because it just keeps coming, which is a bit like football's Premier League where you just have to keep playing well. "And you have to have trust, you have to have blind faith in some ways that by doing the work every day, by pitching up when someone else might not, that will pay you back at the end of the season. And it does. "The most committed, the most skilful and the most at-it sides are the ones that win the championship."This year is a chance to try achieve something really special and win a championship."There are some really good teams in the division - Surrey being the one that everyone feels they have to beat - but we have proven to ourselves that we are a really good team and we can take on anyone if we play to the potential we have in the last few weeks." Improving players and team When finishing third from bottom in County Championship and failing to get beyond the the group stage of either the T20 Blast or One-Day Cup competitions last season, those traits were not immediately obvious at Trent Bridge last Notts' top scorers this season - captain Haseeb Hameed and Ben Slater - are again leading the way with the Hutton, the County Championship's leading wicket-taker in 2023, has come back after an injury hit campaign to again lead the bowling attack with 24 scalps so Tongue, the England international that missed his entire first year with Nottinghamshire through injury, has claimed 15 wickets in three games. Teenage off-spinner Farhan Ahmed, who made his first-class debut last season, has also contributed 10 wickets to date."We thought we had a good team and the way we work at our place is something we call the skill factor," Moores said."We try get people better. We believe that getting better as individuals, it collectively makes the team better."The impact of international recruits has also been pivotal. All-rounder Fergus O'Neill was an instant hit during his short stint, taking 21 wickets, while Pakistan seam bowler Mohammad Abbas has replaced the Australian with equal effect, having taken 16 wickets in three pair are among the seven Notts bowlers to have already claimed five-wicket hauls this season - alongside Hutton, Tongue, Dillon Pennington, Liam Patterson-White and Lyndon James."A lot of different people have chipped in and we seem to find a way," Moores said."We have been in some tough situations, there is no doubt about that. But someone has either managed to pull us out of it or if there has been an opportunity to drive home a win, someone has found that extra bit to do it."With the bat, there have been seven century makers, with captain Hameed producing two, including a double is leading the way as the competition's top scorer, but Moores says he has crucially "got the balance right" as skipper after taking the job on last year."He has had a great start to the season but the the biggest credit I would give him is that as well as the batting is how he has captained," Moores said."He has managed to get the group together in a really good way. There is a real comradery with them, and that comes out with the way they play their cricket."
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Head coach Benkenstein leaves struggling Lancashire
Lancashire have parted company with men's head coach Dale Benkenstein after a winless first two months of the County Championship season. The South African, 50, leaves with Lancashire seventh in Division Two, having been relegated from the top flight last season. They are the only club in either division not to have won a Championship game this summer. "Following a difficult start to the season, we feel now is the right time to make a change, as we look to improve our on-field performances," Lancashire's director of cricket performance Mark Chilton said in a club statement. Former Red Rose batter Steven Croft has been named as interim men's head coach, assisted by Will Porterfield, Craig White and Karl Krikken. Croft's first game will be Lancashire's T20 Blast opener at home to Worcestershire Rapids at Emirates Old Trafford on Thursday (18:30 BST). Having finished ninth in Division One last season, nine-time champions Lancashire are playing second-tier cricket for the first time since 2019. But they have had a miserable start which continued on Sunday as they were beaten by an innings and three runs inside three days by Division Two leaders Leicestershire. Defeat left the Red Rose 73 points behind the East Midlands county at the halfway point of the Championship. The loss marked a fifth time that Lancashire have lost by an innings during Benkenstein's near 18-month tenure. And with expectations that the club should be challenging for immediate promotion, as has happened on each occasion they have previously been relegated, the club announced Benkenstein's departure on Wednesday by "mutual consent". "After relegation at the end of last season, results have not improved so far this year and after much consideration, both Dale and I feel the team will benefit from a change in direction," Chilton added.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Arthur 'hellbent' on success with Derbyshire
Mickey Arthur says he is "hellbent" on delivering success at Derbyshire, but admits the County Championship job has proven harder than he first thought. The 57-year-old South African has been head of cricket since 2022 and overseen more wins in the first seven rounds of the Championship this season as he did across the past two campaigns. The East Midlands club finished bottom of Division Two with a solitary victory last term, while they failed to register a win with the red ball in 2023 after managing three for a mid-table finish in his first season at the County Ground. On Monday, all-rounder Luis Reece helped them secure their second win of the season with a comprehensive victory over Kent that kept them second in the table. They are still unbeaten, having drawn the other five games. For former Australia, South Africa and Pakistan coach Arthur, the strong start to the season came after a winter reflecting on the club's struggles of recent years. "I want to win. I'm not failing and I don't fail," Arthur told BBC East Midlands Today. "I have beat myself up a bit because you do constantly re-evaluate your style and where you are as a coach." Arthur signs one-year extension at Derbyshire Arthur becomes director of cricket at Superchargers Arthur says what Derbyshire have demanded of him as a coach has been "fantastic" after years spent in charge of national sides. Before moving to the County Ground, the last time he worked at club level outside of a T20 franchise was at Western Australia in 2011. "I've had to self-reflect and change my style a little bit because coaching internationally and coaching domestically has been a little bit different, which I didn't think it would be," he said. "I've had to change a lot of the ways I handle the squad and different situations. "In a nutshell it has taken a little bit longer, but it is a process of continually improving. And if you continue to self-improve - that's myself, the coaching staff and the players - you will ultimately achieve what you want to." Even while in charge of Derbyshire, Arthur has stayed in touch with the international game, juggling a short second stint with Pakistan in 2023. This season he is combining his role at Derbyshire with that of director of cricket at Hundred side Northern Superchargers. Arthur landed those other roles despite Derbyshire's struggles of recent years, which last season prompted the club's chief executive Ryan Duckett to come out and back the head coach. "I'm here until the club say to me, 'not any more'. That is how hellbent I am on achieving success," Arthur replied, when asked about what his plans for his future at Derbyshire are. "I've had the fortune and opportunity to coach a lot of teams, and a lot of good teams and this is one that I'm very passionate about and one that I'm absolutely adoring because it's like taking the underdog to the top."
