Latest news with #SportsBoom
The Citizen
12 hours ago
- General
- The Citizen
Rickelton says facing Aussies in Test final is ‘a dream come true'
The World Test Championship final will be contested at Lord's in London next week. Ryan Rickelton in the nets in Arundel, England, ahead of next week's big match. Picture: Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images Proteas top order batter Ryan Rickelton says the opportunity to face one of the world's most dominant Test teams, Australia, in the World Test Championship final at Lord's next week is 'a dream come true'. The South Africans are already in England, playing a warm-up game against Zimbabwe this week, ahead of next week's big final against the Australians. Rickelton will open the batting with either Aiden Markram or Tony de Zorzi. 'I just have a really great opportunity to play against Australia in England in front of my family. They'll all be there, and my friends as well. So, what a cool week that'll be, and if I can contribute with the bat and put in a performance, that'll make it even sweeter,' said the 28-year-old in an interview with SportsBoom. 'I've always watched Australia since I was a young boy, and they've been such a dominant force in world cricket for a long time. So, this is a dream come true for me.' 'New opportunity' Rickelton had been in and out of the Proteas set-up for a few years until recently, and even missed out on facing the Australians three years ago in the Test arena when team doctors said he needed knee surgery. He delayed the operation and while the Proteas were playing Down Under he was scoring truckloads of runs for the Lions in domestic cricket. Fast forward to 2024 and Rickelton was a first-choice man in the Test team and he's now also right up there pushing for a permanent spot in the white-ball sides. His 259 against Pakistan in the New Year's Test earlier this season has ensured he will get an extended run for the Proteas. Looking ahead to the World Test Championship final, Rickelton told SportsBoom: 'Bygones are bygones. It's in the past. This is a new opportunity for me.' He added: 'I'm a bit nervous. It was a new opportunity to open the batting in the New Year's Test, let alone the final against Australia. 'But, in saying that, I just want to bat, so if that's where I need to do my job, then hopefully I can prepare accordingly and try to set the game up for the team and dig in for a period of time.' He continued: 'With a new ball, generally it requires a bit of searching, which offers up some runs, so hopefully I can do myself justice and face a lengthy or a good sum of balls and back myself. If I face a few dozen deliveries, I'll be able to get some runs as well.'
Wales Online
6 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
Nathan Aspinall's private message to wife about darts retirement after Luke Littler claim
Nathan Aspinall's private message to wife about darts retirement after Luke Littler claim Nathan Aspinall has shared exactly when he plans on walking away from darts, after weighing in on Luke Littler's future in the sport ahead of the Premier League Finals Night Nathan Aspinall says he wants to retire at the age of 45 (Image: undefined via Getty Images ) Nathan Aspinall has openly revealed his intentions to bow out from darts at the age of 45. Currently 33, the Stockport-born star, who goes by the moniker 'The Asp', ranks ninth in the PDC Order of Merit with earnings amounting to £496,000 over two years – an amount he looks to significantly enhance before retiring. Speaking with SportsBoom, Aspinall said: "45, and I'm off. "I've said to my partner if that's me, it is 45. If it's earlier than that, and we start making golfers' money and I've got 30 million in the bank – happy days, I'll be off sooner. But I don't think it's going to happen that quick. But yes, 45 is when I'd like to bugger off." With his 34th birthday approaching this July, Aspinall has just over 11 years to pursue financial security and clinch a victorious finish at the PDC World Championship – having narrowly missed out twice. Aspinall reached the semi-finals of the prestigious tournament in both 2019 and 2020, where he faced defeat to Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen respectively. Aspinall's resume also boasts second-place finishes at esteemed events like the Grand Slam of Darts, World Grand Prix, Premier League, and World Series, reflecting his consistent high performance on the darting circuit. Despite not clinching a World Championship, Aspinall has certainly made his mark in other prestigious darts competitions. For instance, he took home the 2019 UK Open with a 11-5 win over Rob Cross and triumphed in the 2023 World Matchplay by beating Jonny Clayton 18-6. Aspinall will go for Premier League glory once again on Thursday (Image: Getty ) With aspirations running high, Aspinall is aiming to bag his first Premier League title on Thursday night as he prepares to take on world No. 1 Luke Humphries in the semi-finals at London's O2 Arena. Should he emerge victorious, Aspinall will go head-to-head with either Luke Littler or Gerwyn Price in the final. His ambitions come amidst recent comments suggesting that young sensation Littler might retire in just five years due to his early dominance – including a historic win against Van Gerwen in January that saw him become the youngest-ever PDC World Champion at just 17. However, Littler has dismissed any talk of retirement, saying (via the Express): "I don't know where he's got that from – don't worry, I'll be here in 10 years. It's crazy to even think about retiring. Luke Littler hopes to retain his Premier League crown (Image: PA ) "If I win 16 world titles like Phil [Taylor], I'll retire, but I'm not even thinking about retirement at the minute – the money is there to be won, especially the World Championship, but not only that. Everything has gone up. "It is all about what you're feeling, and I'm sure I'll be here for a long time." Littler, the reigning champion of the Premier League, is set to defend his title as he returns to the O2 tonight (Thursday). The 18-year-old secured his place at Finals Night after leading the league with a tally of 27 victories and just 10 defeats this season. Article continues below He will be aiming to capitalise on his impressive form to secure the grand prize of £275,000.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Nathan Aspinall's retirement admission after Luke Littler pushed back on claim
Nathan Aspinall has explained the exact age that he believes he will walk away from darts after giving his thoughts on teenage sensation Luke Littler and his future in the sport Nathan Aspinall has revealed his retirement plans after suggesting that he plans to walk away from the oche at 45. The Stockport star, who is currently 33 and sits ninth in the PDC's Order of Merit with a cool £496,000 in earnings over the last two years, still has ample time to add to his trophy cabinet and boost his bank balance before hanging up his darts. Speaking to SportsBoom, Aspinall shared his future plans, saying: "45, and I'm off. I've said to my partner if that's me, it is 45. "If it's earlier than that, and we start making golfers' money and I've got 30 million in the bank - happy days, I'll be off sooner. But I don't think it's going to happen that quick. But yes, 45 is when I'd like to bugger off." With his 34th birthday just around the corner in July, Aspinall has over a decade left to chase his dream of winning the PDC World Championship, having narrowly missed out on the title twice already. Aspinall's track record includes reaching the semi-finals of the prestigious tournament in both 2019 and 2020, where he faced defeat to Michael Smith and Michael van Gerwen respectively. Additionally, he has secured runner-up finishes at the Grand Slam of Darts, World Grand Prix, Premier League and World Series of Darts, proving his mettle as one of darts' top competitors. That's not to mention clinching the 2019 UK Open with a solid 11-5 victory over Rob Cross and bagging the 2023 World Matchplay title with an impressive 18-6 win against Jonny Clayton. He's now gunning for his first Premier League triumph on Thursday night, as he prepares to take on the world's top-ranked player, Luke Humphries, in the semi-finals at the O2 in London, reports the Express. Should he emerge victorious, Aspinall will then go head-to-head with either Luke Littler or Gerwyn Price in the final. It comes after Aspinall suggested that Littler might retire in about five years due to his early success, but the teenage darts sensation has dismissed any talk of hanging up his arrows soon. Littler said: "I don't know where he's got that from - don't worry, I'll be here in 10 years. The Nuke, who etched his name into the history books by becoming the youngest-ever PDC World Championship winner at just 17 earlier this year, added: "It's crazy to even think about retiring. If I win 16 world titles like Phil [Taylor], I'll retire, but I'm not even thinking about retirement at the minute - the money is there to be won, especially the World Championship, but not only that. "Everything has gone up. It is all about what you're feeling, and I'm sure I'll be here for a long time." Littler, the reigning Premier League champion, is set to defend his title when he returns to the O2 on Thursday evening. The 18-year-old has secured his place in the play-offs after topping the league table with a total of 27 victories and 10 defeats this season, and will be aiming to capitalise on his form to secure the grand prize of £275,000.
The Herald
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Bedingham targets time in middle after returning from injury
Proteas middle-order batsman David Bedingham is hoping to spend as much time as possible in the middle in his highly anticipated return to action, having been out due to a broken toe for over a month. He is set to play this week in the County Championship as Durham host Somerset at Chester-le-Street on Friday. Bedingham's injury caused a brief concern for the Proteas Test squad, who are set to take on Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's next month, and his recovery came as relief as the 31-year-old is a key player in the middle-order. In an exclusive interview with SportsBoom, the 31-year-old said he would go into the game against Somerset well prepared with the hopes of getting runs under his belt. 'I don't want to look too far ahead, but I do think I'm going to go into the game well-prepped and try my best to score runs, but obviously in cricket you can't guarantee that,' Bedingham said. 'Whether I score noughts or score hundreds, I'll try my best. 'Going into that WTC final, it doesn't matter how many runs you've scored leading up to it. I think it's just like a once-off game and whoever plays better for those five days will win. 'I'll go into the WTC game thinking the same. Wanting to score runs, training hard and just seeing where I can come out.' In the current Proteas Test squad, Bedingham has the most experience of playing in the United Kingdom with the Duke ball, having played for Durham for many years. With the South African batters set to face an Australian attack including Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, you would imagine that the batting unit would look to Bedingham for the right approach in the often seaming and swinging conditions at Lord's. Despite the pressure that may come with that, Bedingham believes there is no added pressure on him and that he won't be putting pressure on himself. 'I think that personally, that doesn't put any more pressure on me,' he said. 'I think it doesn't matter where you play or what Test match you play, there will always be pressure. 'But I'm not going to put myself under more pressure because I've played here more. Every Test match you play, there's pressure. Hopefully we can all embrace it and do our country proud.' Bedingham emphasised that the only difference between the conditions in the United Kingdom and SA was that there was less bounce in the UK. The 31-year-old believes that the other Proteas Test batters will adapt as they will spend almost two weeks in England before the first ball of the final is bowled. 'I just think you need to identify that maybe in SA, there's a bit more bounce,' Bedingham said. 'But as soon as you start training and as soon as you start speaking about conditions, I think all players adapt well. 'The guys that are picked in the final will have 12 days leading up to the Test of good training. So I think everyone will be well prepared going into that match.' — SportsBoom
Indian Express
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Anrich Nortje on not playing for South Africa regularly: ‘They haven't pressed on my button'
South Africa's Anrich Nortje is one of the quickest bowlers going around in world cricket. Not only is he quick, but he also has the skills to move the ball in both directions at his nasty pace. However, as it always happens with fast bowlers, Nortje has had his fair share of issues with injuries in the last year. In fact, after the 2024 T20 World Cup co-hosted in the West Indies and the USA, he has not been seen in a Proteas jersey. Although he was picked in the squad for the Champions Trophy 2025, he was once again not fit, and for the upcoming World Test Championship, he has not been named in the squad. 'I've been available for the last year, from before the World Cup to December, and only got selected again in December to play,' Nortje said, speaking to Sports Boom. 'There were a few series I wasn't picked for, mostly to give opportunities to others. So, from my side, I've been available to play for the country, but they haven't pressed on my button,' he added. Nortje was picked up for the series against Pakistan in the white-ball leg however, he warmed the bench. Interestingly, Nortje has also backed out of taking a CSA contract. 'It was my decision. It was just to see how my body goes. I hadn't had a stress fracture since 2010 and I just had a little bit of 'nervy' in the back, so I just wanted to take the time to play when I can, play when I know I'm ready, rather than having to play every series or every whatever is coming up,' he said. 'So to make that decision on my own, according to my body, has been good so far. Still happy with the decision, and it's more just for me to have the calmness and to know that, if I need a break for a week, if I need a break for a month, then I can do that,' he added.
