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The Guardian
21-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
County cricket: frustrated fans left hanging for T20 Blast quarter-finals
Narrative, character and jeopardy are the great drivers of engagement whether on stage, screen or in sports. I started this column in 2011 (reporting on a Warwickshire's middle order that comprised Ian Bell, Jonathan Trott and Muhammad Yousuf) to retain a grip on those elements of the annual county cricket story, a task made more difficult every year. The Blast, having reached the end of its group stage (there must be a better way of marking that?) now gives way to three different domestic cricket competitions before it returns with the quarter-finals in September. Blasts worthy of the name don't usually peter out for six weeks. How can a narrative, so wilfully vandalised, be expected to survive that? Which characters will be back and which will be gone? And how will the jeopardy, the thrilling sense of facing the next challenge en route to glory, with defeat just a wicket or a boundary away, be revived in the hearts of supporters? Much of the media response to the splendid series between England and India has focused on the canvas five Tests provide for these core elements of drama, so why neglect them so carelessly in county cricket's flagship competition? There might not have been much riding on the match at Trent Bridge between Lancashire and Nottinghamshire – but only if you're looking at it as a dead rubber. With the injury to Shoaib Bashir and the call up of 35-year-old Liam Dawson, the ever-popular parlour game 'who should be England's spinner?' was back in town, with Farhan Ahmed's name gaining mentions. It was good timing for the 17-year-old to nip in with a fivefer and an eye-catching hat-trick to boot, especially as Jos Buttler was looking on from the dugout. Lancashire – who had already qualified for the quarter-finals, where they will join Durham, Birmingham Bears and Northamptonshire from their group – soon had Notts in trouble chasing a mere 127 for the win. Tom Moores walked to the crease at 14 for four, but hammered 75 off 42 balls, dismissed going for the winning run with overs and wickets in hand. Tom and his father Peter (now head coach at Trent Bridge) both have plenty of history with Lancashire so it was not 'just another game' – even if players always claim it is. Timing means a lot in life. Sometimes it's a matter of luck, sometimes it's a seizing of opportunity, sometimes it's good planning. Often it's a bit of all three. In the South Group, Kent – who had failed to win their last seven Championship matches and had won only five of their 12 Blast matches – took on basement dwellers Middlesex and Essex. Despite their poor form, they knew that two wins might help them squeeze past Glamorgan and Sussex, whose seasons hit the buffers just at the wrong time. Middlesex captain Leus du Plooy could not find a partner as his team limped to 160 for five at Canterbury, a target first stalked by opener Tawanda Muyeye then destroyed by Sam Billings, who turned back the clock with a boundary blitz. Next up were Essex, whose season is proving as moribund as Middlesex's, with the exception that they had roused themselves to successive wins once they knew their own hopes of a quarter-final berth were gone. At home again (see what I mean about timing?) Kent were set a slightly stiffer target, but Muyeye got them off to a good start and then hung around for a good middle with Harry Finch, before Billings swanned out like Janet Webb at end of the Morecambe and Wise Show to accept the applause. If only the knockout s started this week, we'd be talking about momentum, but I'm not sure we can. The outstanding batter of the competition is probably Derbyshire's mighty Welshman, the 'sixy and he knows it' Aneurin Donald, but even his efforts were not enough to avoid his county picking up the wooden spoon in the North Group. I recall a popular metric in the early days of T20 cricket that suggested the effectiveness of a batter was best evaluated by adding the average to the strike rate. On that metric, the closest to Donald's absurd 250 is Surrey's Will Jacks' 215, all the more laudable for his scoring 500 runs in just 10 matches. It's 13 months since Jacks played in any format for England, but he holds a one-year central contract and he might play again in preparation for the T20 World Cup next year in India and Sri Lanka. In between, he'll make good money on the franchise circuit and, at 26, has a decade or more to play in lots of countries and for lots of teams. Can't be a bad life can it? Well … That said, I wonder if he feels like he really belongs anywhere. Probably at the Oval, where he grew up. But one wonders if the 'guns for hire' franchise players miss the camaraderie that old players always seemed to value. Jacks has represented 13 teams; I wonder if even he can recall all their names, never mind those of his teammates. But I bet he knows his agent well. Northamptonshire, like Kent, will be outsiders in the quarter-finals. They are stocked with gnarled old pros, a casting director's dream were they tasked with recreating a Lancashire League match played on a windswept field in the lee of a barren fell, set in 1954. There's Luke Procter (37), Ravi Bopara (40), David Willey (35) and Ben Sanderson (36), with the latter three ever-present and Procter playing 12 of 14 matches. Sanderson is alone in that quartet in not being an all-rounder, but he's as crafty a seamer as they come – what you would expect of a Yorkie in his 18th season as a professional. He didn't take a single wicket in the last four matches of the group stage but that's not really what Sanderson is about, despite still finishing third on the wickets table behind Riley Meredith and Hasan Ali. Among seamers who bowled 50 overs, only David Payne did so at a better economy rate. Sanderson is a purveyor of control in the midst of chaos, a bowler who knows what to bowl and when – and he has the temperament to deliver under pressure. There's no long list of franchises scattered across the globe on his profile, but very few captains would not want him in their side come the white-ball season in England. Do you want to work less for the same or more money? Would your life be better if you had more time to yourself and more rest? Who is going to say 'no' to any of these questions? Unsurprisingly, not the Professional Cricketers Association. The word 'welfare' is mentioned seven times in the press release issued by the PCA urging reform of the current domestic calendar. One conjures thoughts of cricketers giving up the game to work on A&E wards for a less stressful life. That's not to say the schedule couldn't be more sympathetic to players. It could certainly be smarter – travelling from a floodlit T20 finish to an immediate afternoon start is plainly ridiculous – but how many crickets play every match, early April to late September? Indeed, with a lighter schedule, squads could be reduced as fewer players would be required. Would less cricket mean lower pay for fewer players? Interest parties – players, counties, franchises, administrators, governing bodies and the media – will act in their own interest, framing debates, driving agendas, levering influence. Who will do that for the fans? This article is from The 99.94 Cricket Blog
NDTV
19-07-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
England Champions vs Australia Champions Live Updates, WCL 2025: England Still In Search Of 1st Win
England Champions vs Australia Champions Live Updates, WCL 2025: Eoin Morgan-led England Champions will aim for a better effort against Australia Champions in their second match at Edgbaston, Birmingham. In their first game, England lost to Pakistan Champions by a narrow margin of 5 runs. Their bowlers performed in unison but the batting department had only Ian Bell and Phil Mustard playing noticeable knocks. As England Champions will aim for improvement, Australia Champions will pose a tougher challenge to them. (Live Scorecard) Here are the Live Score Updates of England Champions vs Australia Champions, World Championship of Legends 2025 game - ! UPDATE - 9.12 pm IST (3.42 pm GMT) - Due to the previous match still in progress, the toss and start for this game have been delayed. You can follow all the action from Match 2 between West Indies Champions and South Africa Champions by simply switching the tabs. ! Given the delayed start to the first game, we could have a slight delay to the start of this clash as well, with the turnaround time between matches being a bit tight. Talking about the weather, it looks like the worst of it has passed, though there is still a chance of rain later in the evening. Fingers crossed for an uninterrupted contest. ! On the other hand, Australia Champions' 2024 campaign ended at the semifinal stage with a loss to India. This season, they have bolstered their batting with the additions of Chris Lynn and D'Arcy Short, and will be banking on them, along with Shaun Marsh and Ben Dunk, to provide the runs. As always, they boast a strong group of all-rounders in Ben Cutting, Dan Christian, Moises Henriques, and Nathan Coulter-Nile. Their pace attack looks formidable too, with Peter Siddle, John Hastings and captain Brett Lee leading the charge. ! England Champions, who finished at the bottom of the standings last season, have begun this year with another defeat. Things were going well for them against Pakistan with the ball until the 20th over, which went for 22 runs and ultimately proved costly, as they fell just short in the chase. Alastair Cook will be looking to shrug off the cobwebs after a tough outing. England were without Ravi Bopara, Moeen Ali, and Samit Patel in the opener due to domestic T20 commitments, and it remains to be seen when they will link up with the squad. ! Hello and welcome to the second game of this Super Saturday, where two of the fiercest rivals, England and Australia, lock horns at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Rain through the early hours meant a delayed start to the first game of the day. Thankfully, a break in the weather has allowed for an 11-over contest, which is currently underway. You can switch tabs to follow all the action from that clash between South Africa and West Indies. ... MATCH DAY ... ! The second edition of the World Championship of Legends 2025 is underway, and we are here at the Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham for the first double header of this season, and it couldn't get any bigger than this, as in match number 3, the England Champions will square off with their arch rivals, the Australia Champions. This highly anticipated T20 clash promises to be a mouthwatering clash, with both sides having an abundance of legendary talents. The England Champions, led by Eoin Morgan, are coming into this game after losing their first game by a narrow margin of 5 runs. Their bowlers did a brilliant job as every bowler chipped in with at least one wicket, while Chris Tremlett and Liam Plunkett took two wickets each. The home side struggled to get a good start in the chase as Alastair Cook looked rusty at the top. While Phil Mustard and Ian Bell scored their respective half-centuries but that went in vain as they failed to chase down the target, so their batting unit will be looking to be more proactive from the word go. Some of the key players of the England Champions, including Moeen Ali, Ravi Bopara, and Samit Patel, are yet to join the squad, so once they join, the team will get more stable and stronger. The home crowd, always passionate, will undoubtedly be a significant factor, roaring their support for their heroes. On the flip side, the Australia Champions are under the leadership of legendary Brett Lee, whose pace and competitive spirit defined an era of dominance, and the Aussies will be looking to make an early statement to kick-start their campaign this season. The squad consists of a mixture of some power hitters at the top and some very well-established all-rounders. The batting lineup features explosive batters like Shaun Marsh and Chris Lynn, who are capable of turning the tide of the game from any situation. The all-round capabilities of Moises Henriques, Dan Christian, and Ben Cutting make the team a well-balanced side. The bowling attack will be led by the lethal speedster Brett Lee, who will be well supported by the likes of Peter Siddle and Nathan Coulter-Nile. While the left-arm spinner Steve O'Keefe will be a vital weapon on any surface. With players who have consistently performed on the biggest stages, Australia Champions possess the mental fortitude and skill to thrive under pressure. When these two sides met in last year's WCL, the Australia Champions registered a dominant victory by 6 wickets. As the second edition of the World Championship of Legends gains some momentum, this contest between the England Champions and Australia Champions is expected to be a cracking one. The contests between England and Australia have delivered some great and unforgettable games of cricket, so the stage is set here at Edgbaston for adding one more chapter to their rivalry. Can the Australia Champions start their campaign on a winning note, or will the home side, the England Champions, resist them from doing so? We will find out soon.
ITV News
12-07-2025
- General
- ITV News
East Anglia's first Disability Pride celebrates 'individuals for who they are'
Hundreds of people gathered in a coastal town for the first Disability Pride event to be held in East Anglia. Organisers of the event, which was held on Friday (11 July) in Felixstowe, said it aimed to celebrate "all individuals for who they are - not their limitations." The march started at the SeaYou cafe on the seafront and went along the promenade, ending at the leisure centre. Led by a samba band, the parade included live performances, a community Disability Roadshow, and a public celebration of inclusion. Co-organiser of the event and founder of Suffolk Mobility Solutions, Ian Bell, says the procession was a "huge success." "Its a day to celebrate disability. Its a day to celebrate me as a person rather than me as a disabled person. Look at me rather than the wheelchair rather than the disability that I've got." Disability Pride month takes place every July and is a "celebration of the creativity, resilience and achievements if disabled people." The charity Scope says: "Disability Pride Month is for anyone who is disabled – or anyone who wishes to show their allyship by celebrating their disabled communities, like businesses. It's a time for embracing disability identity positively. And challenging the negative attitudes that hold disabled people back. "
Telegraph
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
England must temper Bazball to beat India
In recent years the Headingley pitch has changed. With the sun out it used to be a belter for batting and then in overcast conditions it was lovely for swing and seam bowlers as batsmen hunted to find the ball. Now it tends to look good but can be lively on the first day before getting better for batting with hardly any deterioration. If England win the toss do not be surprised if they bowl first hoping to get some first day movement. If that happens it is vital to pitch the ball up to a fuller length so the ball can kiss the top. Don't stray from aiming around the off stump and fourth stump. Width gets punished and Headingley is not a bang it in pitch. If you try that method, the ball sits up and says hit me. Most modern day batsmen are fantastic at scoring quickly on flat, grassless pitches but not great at playing the moving ball as we saw in the first three innings of the World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa. They go hard at the ball because they have been brought up on lots of T20 cricket where they are expected to smash every delivery. T20 is mainly a batting game. Risk is acceptable so long as your striking rate is way above 100. Twenty off ten balls is seen as a success because that means you have a strike rate of 200. But 20 runs won't win a Test match. Centuries do. That is the difference. In the 108 Tests I played, England never lost a Test match when I made a hundred. Ian Bell is the only other player that can say that. When there is movement off the seam or in the air it is more important to get a big stride forward to get as close to the pitch of the ball as possible with the bat coming down close to the pad so that there is no gap. On the front foot the nearer you can get to the pitch, the less distance the ball has to travel to your bat which means less movement. The bat is only four and a quarter inches wide so from the middle of the bat the ball only has to move two inches and you have nicked it. Not much margin for error. Next, the most important thing is not to push hard at the ball. See the ball early but play it late. Not easy to do. But train yourself to let the ball come to you and play it close to your pad and under your eyes. That way your eyes are on the line of the ball and right over it. When the ball swings it is vital to not go early at the line of the ball because by the time it gets to you it has moved and you will nick it. If you can learn to wait then you can go with the swing or 'ride it'. When the ball is short of a length get as far back in the crease as possible and again do not push at it. Wait for it, and play the ball as close to your body as possible. Your footwork has to be right forward or right back, with no half strides, plus waiting and playing it late are priceless when the ball moves around. The mind dictates everything so it is vital when batting in seamer friendly conditions you have a clear plan. Your first thought should be to survive and to do that when you first go in you need a good defence. Trying to immediately attack the moving ball is a recipe for disaster. Once you can stay in it gets easier and you will get balls to hit. That is where Bazball has to be blended with patience otherwise it is a recipe for disaster.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Stream 'rewiggle' restoration project up for award
A wetland restoration project which reintroduced bends and curves to a stream is up for an award. Howgill Beck at RSPB Geltsdale was straightened before the 18th Century but a recent scheme had it "re-wiggled", improving wetland habitats in the area. Birds including snipe, curlew, oystercatcher, lapwing and redshank have been recorded at the site. The project, which has taken three years, was chosen by the River Restoration Centre (RRC) as a finalist in the UK River Prize Awards. The beck flows through part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Beauty and Geltsdale, which is a designated conservation area. The project has reconnected the watercourse to its floodplain which has "re-introduced lost river features," the RSPB said. It said that although nearby Tindale Tarn became "completely frozen" in January, the wetlands at the beck were able to support bird species including snipe, teal and mallard. In 2024, five pairs of Redshank were recorded breeding and two pairs of oystercatchers successfully nested for the first time since 2016. In 2022 and 2023, two common sandpipers nested in the area - a common visitor to UK upland areas - but previously had been "totally absent" from Howgill Beck, the RSPB said. Tenant Farmer Ian Bell, said the difference in wildlife had been "amazing" and he felt proud to work the land. Project leader and RSPB Geltsdale warden, Jen Selvidge, said: "So many of our rivers have been modified and we've been conditioned to think they are natural, when the truth is often far from it. "What we've done here is more than re-wiggling, we've connected floodplains, created new wetlands and blocked ditches, resulting in a truly dynamic river." The project was funded by Northumbrian Water and Defra's farming in protected landscapes programme with support from consultants Dynamic Rivers, the Fellfoot Forward National Landscape Partnership Scheme and Natural England. Winners of the UK River Prize will be announced at a ceremony on Tuesday. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Straightened stream 're-wiggled' to attract wildlife North Pennines National Landscape RSPB
