Latest news with #Pears
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rapids 'capable' of deep run in Blast
Worcestershire head coach Alan Richardson says his squad head into this season's T20 Blast with "a lot of belief" they can go deep in the competition. The Pears, who play as the Worcestershire Rapids in white-ball cricket, start their campaign against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford on Thursday (18:30 BST) on the opening night of the revamped competition. The club won the Blast in 2018, beating Sussex in the final, and were runners-up the following year to Essex, narrowly failing to become the first team to successfully defend the trophy. The most recent of their six quarter-final appearances came in 2023 and Richardson is optimistic his squad can be in the mix for the knockout stage again. "I'd like to think so," he told BBC Hereford and Worcester. "Worcestershire, over recent years, have shown that we can. "We've got to a few quarter-finals and obviously we had 2018 and 2019 when we got to Finals Day and the final. "So we should go into the competition with a lot of belief." Revamped T20 Blast ready to ignite Pears sign New Zealand bowler Duffy for part of 2025 Worcestershire re-sign Dwarshuis for T20 Blast The Rapids have re-signed Australian left-arm fast bowler Ben Dwarshuis for this year's competition after he took 15 wickets in his first spell at New Road in 2021. He joins New Zealand quick Jacob Duffy who has been part of the County Championship side so far and will be available for the first eight Blast games. "T20 cricket is the most volatile [format of the game] and you have to roll with the punches," Richardson said. "This rollercoaster tends to be a lot quicker, and scarier at times, but the boys love it and enjoy it for what it is. "It's a long competition, so there will be plenty of opportunity for us to get some momentum together and play an as exciting brand of cricket as we can." This season's Blast is split across two blocks, with eight games being played before the red-ball Championship returns for two rounds in late June. The remaining six group games then take place in July. While Richardson accepts that changing formats is tough, he is embracing the challenge. "I think [the fact that] these competitions keep coming in and out really energises the players and being in their own mini blocks is really good," he said. "We'll have two Championship games in the middle, which brings its own challenges, but the idea that we have 14 T20 games in just under two months is something we really enjoy. "We're practising new skill sets and thinking about the change in mindset and the language about how we go about our cricket. "It's the same game but it feels like a completely different one at times and as a coach you have to see it positively as a challenge. "We've got a squad that's capable of being competitive and get towards those knock-out stages."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Day one of the Pears Bears derby had a bit of everything
It's a glorious day in Worcester, perfect for County Championship cricket. New Road, pleasantly populated, might be the home of the Bears' rivals, but it must be said that it's a wonderful venue to sit and spectate, particularly on days like this where everything is in place. Well, almost everything. This is my first visit back to this ground, on the banks of the River Severn, since our revered and loved colleague John Curtis passed away, just prior to the new cricket season beginning. John, JC, was very much the voice of New Road, as the club have described him, the first face you'd meet in the press box. If there was an issue with the coffee machine, JC would be called upon. When lunch landed, JC was distributor in chief. READ MORE: Jack Grealish agreement reached after transfer statement as Man City star left 'hurt' READ MORE: Unai Emery provides Youri Tielemans update and hits back at 'sneaky' Aston Villa criticism They were just the roles he took upon himself to ensure any visitor was comfortable and welcome, never mind the years of service he gave to the club at every level and the brilliant fashion in which he wrote match reports, stories and interview features on Worcestershire's behalf. The Pears have done wonderfully by JC to commemorate him; before he passed, at the end of last season, the press box here was renamed the Curtis, Oldnall and Beddow Lounge, to recognise the contribution of JC, Chris Oldnall and Mike Beddow as local reporters who had covered the club for decades between them. Even now, the familiar seat which John would take up on each morning there was cricket being played is reserved. There is a plaque at his desk, which reads 'J.C. The scoreboard may stop ticking, but your stories will always live on'. The club's gilet he wore proudly is draped over the back of his seat. You're sorely missed, JC. On the cricket itself, Worcestershire bowled superbly early on after Warwickshire had elected to bat, having won the toss. Tom Taylor removed the out of sorts Rob Yates for just 3, and then Matthew Waite removed captain and Yates' opening partner Alex Davies, trapping him LBW, for 21. Overseas Tom Latham and the reliable Sam Hain - who admittedly has experienced an indifferent start to the County Championship season - rebuilt the innings with patience and punishment. They played with conviction, with small amounts of fortune along the way, to put on 109 - although the Pears did fight back just before the tea interval when they removed both Latham and number five Beau Webster, and former Pear Ed Barnard for a 12-ball duck, to leave the game before the final session in a tantalising place.
Hindustan Times
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
How does it all go so pear-shaped?: Poonam Saxena writes on bonds with mothers
There is a short story about a man and his mother that has stayed with me for almost eight years, ever since I first read it. The story is Bagugoshe (Hindi for Pears) by Swadesh Deepak. I've written about Deepak before. He was the outstanding Hindi novelist, playwright, short-story writer and author of a one-of-its-kind memoir, Maine Mandu Nahin Dekha, on his seven-year battle with mental illness. (His own story had no firm ending: In 2006, at the age of 63, he walked out of his home in Ambala, Haryana, and was never heard from again.) Bagugoshe shines a light on a different side of his story. It is a striking portrait of a talkative, spirited old woman, written by her son with much love, yet with an absence of sentimentality that gives it a strange, uncomfortable edge. The 18-page story, with a distinctive Punjabi flavour, brims with little details, from her trove of Punjabi swear words to her blunt life advice (throw away the dentures if they're bothering you, she tells her husband; 'after all, who are you going to give love bites to now?') I re-read the story again recently and reached out to Deepak's son, Sukant Deepak, who translated Bagugoshe into English as part of the 2024 collection A Bouquet of Dead Flowers. He confirmed that, but for a few small details, the tale is entirely autobiographical. Swadesh Deepak's parents lived in Rawalpindi before Partition. His father was a doctor (in the story, the mother, Shobharani, refers to him as a 'hakim'). Deepak writes that this was a time when women were almost constantly pregnant. His mother lost two babies before he came along. Terrified that something might happen to him, she wouldn't let anyone see him when he was an infant. She didn't want him to fall victim to the evil eye. When people visited, she would cover him up and say 'Kaka soya hai'. The family moved to India after Partition, where Deepak's father contracted tuberculosis, then an almost-incurable disease. He urged his wife to leave him and live with her brothers instead, but she refused. He was admitted to a TB hospital in Patiala. It took him five years to recover. When her husband later died, Shobharani moved into the home of Deepak's younger brother, but she visited her elder son from time to time, usually without letting him know she was coming. Once there, she longed to talk. After all, writes Deepak, 'She was the badshah of talk! But we educated people don't know how to talk. We make do with a Yes or No most of the time… She had seven seas in her heart, but all the water inside us had vanished into the sand.' This is exactly what used to happen, says Sukant. 'My dadi was a motormouth. Our house in Ambala was very quiet, all of us in our rooms, doing our own thing. But when she visited, she wouldn't stop talking! 'Why is everyone so silent,' she'd want to know.' In the story, Swadesh Deepak writes that his mother could talk about anything, because, though she was illiterate, she had for decades listened to the news on the radio twice a day. She knew about the Cold War. She knew about the moon landing before her husband did. The title of the story comes from a time when she was visiting Deepak, and he asked her what she wanted to eat. She said she craved the sweet pears she had eaten in Pindi (Rawalpindi). Could he get her some bagugoshe? He had never heard the word (bagugoshe is the term for a specific breed of Indian pear; generic pears are nashpati in Hindi). He didn't know what she was referring to, so he got her some kulche-chhole instead. Years passed, and her visits became more infrequent. As he entered his own troubled phase, mother and son lost touch. As he was emerging from it, his younger brother wrote to him asking him to visit; their mother didn't have much time left. Deepak found Shobharani shrunken to a small, silent bundle. She was on her deathbed. She asked why he hadn't come to see her. Someone whispered that he had been very ill and had almost died. Why didn't anyone tell me, she asked. She beckoned to Deepak to come closer and when he did, she was alarmed by what she saw. 'Kaka, where is the fire in your eyes? Kaka, who stole the colour from your face?' she said. 'Don't say anything about my illness,' he responded. 'Don't ask anyone anything about it. Do you understand?' She started to cry. Her throat began to rattle. 'Did you bring my bagugoshe, kaka,' she asked. When he didn't answer, she said, 'Never mind. I'll go to Pindi and get some.' Her eyes closed. Perhaps that's what makes Bagugoshe so moving. It is full of Deepak's love for his mother, but full of the distances between them too. (To reach Poonam Saxena with feedback, email poonamsaxena3555@
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Firms pin hopes on new tax regime to revive mass demand after prolonged slump
Companies anticipate increased demand due to income tax relief starting in April. This could boost consumption, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 markets. Hindustan Unilever expects consumers to either spend more or save more. Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India foresees a positive shift in entry-level demand. Joy Personal Care anticipates a more positive demand environment. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads ( Originally published on Apr 29, 2025 ) New Delhi: Companies are hoping the income tax relief under the new regime that kicks in with salaries for April could be a fillip to spark greater demand, especially for the mass priced categories after a five-quarter said they expect this to translate into better demand starting May, particularly in tier-2 and -3 markets, which have been core growth drivers at a time when urban demand has been slowing."The fact is there will be more money in the hands of consumers. With this, they may boost consumption or increase savings - we will have to wait and see how it will eventually trickle down," said Rohit Jawa, chief executive of India's largest consumer goods company Hindustan Unilever , maker of Pears soap and Brooke Bond finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced in her Budget Speech on February 1 that individuals earning up to Rs 12 lakh annually will no longer have to pay any income tax under the new tax selling mass-priced products, especially, say they are hopeful of an uptick in demand. "With increased disposable income, we expect demand in the entry-level segment to see a positive shift," said Yogesh Mathur, director, sales & marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Semi-urban markets, or tier-2 and three markets, have been called out by categories such as packaged food, fashion, e-commerce and diners as core economic growth drivers amid higher aspirational demand and last mile online delivery platforms."As a mass brand with affordable pricing, we foresee a positive shift in buying behaviour," said Sunil Agarwal, chairman of Joy Personal Care (RSH Global), which makes moisturisers, body lotions, sunscreens and face washes."The relief is expected to create a more positive demand environment, especially by putting additional disposable income in the hands of middle-income consumers, which together contribute to nearly 90% of our overall business," Agarwal other executives said they were cautious about whether the tax relief would steer demand or consumers may choose to improve their disposable incomes could translate into spending across services such as essentials, cars, or education of children, executives said."People are not going to put all their income tax savings aside and use it to buy a car. They have other priorities also. These are small households. For most small households, a car isn't the top priority-they have children and many other requirements," said R C Bhargava, chairman of Maruti Suzuki Bhargava added that with the price of cars having gone up by '80,000-90,000, the amount people save through tax exemptions may not be enough, "especially considering their other household expenses."In addition to the tax relief on incomes up to Rs 12 lakh, tax payers in the Rs 12-24 lakh bracket have been given the option to save up to Rs 1.1 lakh annually within the tax slab tweaks. The TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) threshold on rental income has been raised from Rs 2.4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh.
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Loan signing Ball takes five-for against Worcestershire
Rothesay County Championship Division One, Visit Worcestershire New Road (day one)Worcestershire 162: Nicholls 42; Ball 5-47Durham 55-4: McKinney 24; Waite 2-3Worcestershire 1 pt, Durham 3 ptsMatch scorecard Somerset loanee Jake Ball took five wickets on his Durham debut to help his new team take the early honours in their County Championship match at New Road. But Worcestershire struck back before the close on a day when 14 wickets fell in the Division One took 5-47 as the Pears were dismissed for 162, thereby failing to collect a batting bonus point for the fourth successive match this having seen their bowlers make the most of winning the toss on a helpful pitch, Durham's batsmen encountered their own problems in the evening session and the day ended with the visitors on 55-4 and the match evenly morning began poorly for Worcestershire, who slumped to 22-3 inside the first hour. Ball marked the beginning of his two-week loan spell by taking all the wickets in 12 deliveries, each of his victims being caught behind by Ollie Roderick perished for four when cutting, Jake Libby feathered an attempted forward defensive stroke on nine and Rob Jones nicked a drive when on only could have been even worse for Worcestershire had Henry Nicholls' edge off Ball not evaded George Drissell's grasp at third slip when the New Zealander had made seven. As it was, Nicholls and Adam Hose took their side to 75-3 at lunch, only for Hose to be lbw on the front foot to Ben Raine for 23 following the woes continued when another debutant, Codi Yusuf, who will play for Durham until early July, brought one back off the seam to have Nicholls lbw for 42. Matthew Waite then meekly steered a wide delivery from the same bowler to the Lancashire loanee, Jack Blatherwick, at backward point and departed for left the home side on 116-6x just after the midpoint of the day's play and D'Oliveira followed his colleagues to the pavilion half an hour later when he was leg before wicket to Raine for 28. Hopes of a recovery were further dented on the point of tea when Drissell had Tom Taylor lbw for nought with a sharply turning was switched to the Diglis End immediately after tea and had Ethan Brookes caught at long leg by Blatherwick for 23 before he completed his fine return when Jake Duffy nicked him to Drissell at slip. Durham's reply began poorly when Alex Lees chopped on to Jacob Duffy for nought in the third over of the innings and having stroked four lovely boundaries, Ben McKinney was well caught low down at first slip by Hose off Taylor for visitors' problems increased when Colin Ackermann was bowled by Matthew Waite's second delivery of the innings for Robinson was leg before wicket to Waite for a 17-ball duck, but having ridden his luck, Will Rhodes was 17 not out at the close and nightwatchman Blatherwick was unbeaten on two ECB Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay
