Somerset pace bowler Richard Johnson has made it clear that if required he would be happy to go on the England Tour to India and New Zealand this winter.With Andy Caddick withdrawing from the original squad there is a vacancy for an opening bowler, and after being called up as cover for several of the summer 2001 Test series against the Aussies Johnson is likely to be in the frame.The former Middlesex quickie who joined the Cidermen during last winter toured India with England “A” in 1994, and was chosen to go on the full England tour to South Africa the following winter but had to withdraw because of injury.He said, “I’m 26 and want to play for England. If I’m offered the chance then I will jump at it.”
Paul Shaw, the head of England Women’s Performance, will step down from his job under a coaching restructuring following this summer’s Ashes defeat which will see a new head coach appointed early next year.The ECB has said they ideally want a coach with first-class or international experience, something Shaw does not possess, ahead of a period that includes the World T20 in India next March and the 2017 World Cup which will be hosted in England.Shaw has worked with England’s women’s set-up for seven years and was appointed to the head of performance role in 2013. He oversaw back-to-back Ashes series victories but England have not found success at a global event since winning both the World T20 and World Cup in 2009 although they have reached the last two World T20 finals – losing to Australia both times.Last month, England relinquished the Ashes 10-6 in the multi-point format having lost the one-day series and one-off Test. They won the T20 series 2-1, but a batting collapse at Hove – a theme of the season – when they fell to 87 all out chasing 108 decided the contest.”The important contribution that Paul has made to the development of England women’s cricket over the last seven years is unquestionable,” Clare Conner, the director of England women’s cricket, said. “When Paul was appointed to the new role of Head of England Women’s Performance in 2013, it was at a stage when professionalism of the England women’s team was imminent. His strategic planning, long term vision and relationship management have been instrumental in guiding the programme through this transition.”The women’s game is now fully professional and is in a different place to when Paul was appointed two and a half years ago. The decision to move back to a more traditional coaching structure, led by one overarching head coach, ideally with first-class or international playing or coaching experience, is what we believe is now needed to take the players to the next level in their development as professional cricketers.Shaw said: “I have very much enjoyed the past two and a half years working with the England women’s team. My personal highlights have been the successful back-to-back Women’s Ashes campaigns, both in England and Australia, as well as leading a young England team to the 2014 ICC Women’s World T20 final in Bangladesh.””The England women’s performance programme has evolved into a world class set-up over the past few years. With this in mind, I believe it is now time to step aside and give someone else the opportunity to take the programme and the team onto the next level, as I look to take on my next challenge.”I wish Charlotte and the team every success in what promises to be a very exciting couple of years ahead.”Interviews for the new head coach will begin next month with the ECB aiming to have the position filled before the tour of South Africa next February. Shaw will continue in his position until the end of the year.
Arsenal moved to within one point of the Premier League’s top four with a last-gasp come-from-behind victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night.
An early mistake from centre-back Gabriel saw Hwang Hee-chan open the scoring after just ten minutes and it looked to have been enough for the visitors.
That was until the inclusion of Nicolas Pepe in the second half.
He equalised from fellow substitute Eddie Nketiah’s pass just eight minutes before time and then the unthinkable happened as a last-minute striker from Alexandre Lacazette was turned into his own net by Jose Sa.
It was the Gunners’ latest goal since January 2017 when Alexis Sanchez scored past Burnley in the 97th minute.
The Ivory Coast international “changed the game off the bench” and nearly earned journalist Simon Collings’ Man of the Match award, that’s how much of an impact he made in just 19 minutes.
But instead, it was Martin Odegaard, who arguably stole the show, just as the Evening Standard reporter also claimed, the Norwegian playmaker is “getting better every week” and was “running the game near the end.”
The 23-year-old dynamo was unlucky to not get on the scoresheet himself as he hit the woodwork, whilst as per SofaScore, he registered three successful dribbles, two key passes and created one big chance.
Whilst he didn’t get an assist to his name, it was his involvement just before both of Arsenal’s late goals that was particularly impressive. “His ability on the half-turn & his weight of pass is vital to unlocking organised defensive blocks like Wolves’,” claimed BBC contributor Premier League Panel.
The rave reviews didn’t stop there for the £58m-rated playmaker.
Gunners blogger Next Generation Arsenal dubbed him “incredible” and a “real leader on the pitch” and former Everton and Crystal Palace star Yannick Bolasie, a well-known Arsenal supporter, even waxed lyrical about Odegaard.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“Odegaard is such a baller…what a player, quality to watch,” he tweeted.
In what was his 45th appearance for the north London giants, it’s clear that it was another impressive outing for the former Real Madrid star. That £30m is now looking more and more like a bargain.
AND in other news, Forget White and Tomiyasu: Arteta’s “genius” has been Arsenal’s signing of the season…
Barisal captain Shahriar Nafees put Khulna in to bat in Bogra and his bowlers Talha Jubair and Sajidul Islam struck immediately, removing the openers with 25 on the board. Six runs later it got dodgier for the hosts when Bashar had to leave the field following a muscle injury. From that point however Shakib-Al-Hasan dictated terms. In a 128-run stand with Tushar Imran, Shakib’s contribution was 81, off 105 balls. Shakib, the leading run scorer in this year’s NCL also went past 400 runs during the course of his innings. When he departed, Imran kept things under control and at stumps was unbeaten on 122 as Khulna ended the day at 312 for 6. Ziaur Rahman compounded the misery for Barisal with 58 and Khulna were finally bowled out for 396 after Imran had fallen for 165. Within five overs, Barisal lost Nafees and Hannan Sarkar, both lbw to Syed Rasel before Imran Ahmed (60) and Raqibul Hasan (38) staged a fightback with a stand of 96. However, they weren’t prepared for Murad Khan who clinically dismantled Barisal with his offbreaks. Grabbing the opportunity to play as Razzak’s replacement, Khan returned figures of 7 for 53 off 31 overs as Barisal were shot out for 206. Following on, their openers Nafees (0) and Sarkar (15) were again sent packing by Rasel. Raqibul (57) was run out and Khan chipped in with two quick wickets in the middle order as Barisal went into the last day on a hopeless 133 for 6. Rasel and Mashrafe Mortaza needed just over an hour in the final morning to wrap up the tail as Khulna won by an innings and three runs.At the Rajshahi Stadium, Dhaka captain Mohammad Ashraful sent the home team in on a lively track that had a distinct shade of grass and some true bounce. Despite that, Dhaka’s three seamers weren’t effective enough, as Rajshahi ended the first day on 257 for 5 on the back of half-centuries from Farhad Hossain (55), captain Khaled Mashud (68*) and allrounder Mushfiqur Rahman (65). Mashud fell early on day two, but Farhad Reza’s unbeaten 32 took to score to 298. Dhaka stumbled to 96 for 4 as seamer Alamgir Kabir took three wickets. Mehrab Hossan Jr. (43) and Shamsur Rahman (55) steadied the innings with an 88-run partnership for the fifth wicket but Dhaka denied the opposition full bonus points by declaring overnight on 205 for 9 on day three. Mahbubul Alam, Dhaka’s main wicket-taker in the NCL, then brought some excitement in the match by taking the wickets of Junaid Siddique, Farhad Hossain and Mushfiqur to reduce the opposition to 66 for 6. Reza single-handedly altered the course of the game, with an unbeaten 98 at stumps as Rajshahi stretched the lead beyond 300. Reza unfortunately fell short of his ton, lbw off the first ball from Alam on the fourth day, finishing with figures of 5 for 47 and a match haul of nine wickets. Dhaka depended on Ashraful (58) to chase the target of 323 but Reza again made a decisive contribution by dismissing him, while left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib did the rest. He cleaned up the lower middle-order and the tail to finish with 5 for 92 as Dhaka were humbled by 70 runs.Opening batsman Gazi Salahuddin’s 136 helped Chittagong to a six-wicket win against Sylhet in Chittagong. Aftab Ahmed’s 46 was the only other innings of note but Salahuddin’s effort enabled Chittagong make 308 after they had opted to bat first. Sylhet then collapsed, quite inexplicably, on a decent batting track as Chittagong’s pacers and spinners shot them out for 127. After following on, defeat loomed for Sylhet when they ended the third day on 76 for 4. Wicketkeeper Golam Mabud made a defiant 110, adding 87 for the sixth wicket with Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim (43) and then the tail wagged to set Chittagong 161. Left-arm spinner Enamul haque Jnr bowled an effective spell on the final day and got rid of Salahuddin, Nafees Iqbal, Nazimuddin and Aftab but captain Ehsanul Haque (34*) and Dhiman Ghosh (47*) steered their side home.
An unbeaten 99 by Imran Ahmed and a half-century by Hannan Sarkar (70) helped Barisal to a comfortable four-wicket win against Khulna in Bogra. Imrul Kayesh made 55 and the other specialist Khulna batsmen all got good starts but failed to push on as they finished on a disappointing 240.An unbeaten 73 by Naeem Islam rescued Rajshahi from 156 for 7 to a match-winning total of 224 against Dhaka at the Rajshahi Stadium. Junaid Siddique made 59, while Dhaka’s left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain kept a check on the scoring rate in the middle overs by taking 3 for 18 from his ten overs. In front of an intimidating local crowd, the Dhaka chase never took off after Shafaq Al Zabir accounted for openers Javed Omar (9) and Al Sahariar (11). Ashraful (55) played a lone hand but the match was effectively over when he was the sixth man out with the total at 150. The 21-run victory enabled Rajshahi to maintain their unbeaten record.An attacking half-century by Tapash Baishya in Chittagong, belting four sixes, rescued Sylhet from 109 for 6 to post a winning score of 210. In reply, Aftab blazed to 32 off 21 balls it looked as if Chittagong were going to run away with the match but the steady fall of wickets at crucial moments led to their undoing. Enamul Haque Jnr took 3 for 23 as Chittagong fell short by 25 runs.Player of the Week – Farhad RezaThough team work has been the main ingredient behind Rajshahi’s success in both forms of the NCL, allrounder Reza has managed to distinguish himself. As a batsman, he has fitted in in all positions in the middle order, and is his captain’s trump card to bowl in pressure situations. His fielding has always been an asset as well. A dasher by nature, Reza’s 98 in the second innings against Dhaka was however a mark of his growing maturity as he left no stones unturned in an effort to occupy the crease. Then with Dhaka just beginning to look threatening chasing 323 he took three wickets including the most crucial one of Ashraful.
Last-placed South Australia are on the verge of taking first-innings points against the competition leaders Tasmania despite a seven-wicket haul from Ben Hilfenhaus. The Tigers lost three batsmen in the last four overs of the day to finish at 7 for 196 in reply to South Australia’s 349.Tasmania’s chase started poorly when Shaun Tait (3 for 41) and Jason Gillespie made two breakthroughs each to leave the home side at 4 for 79. A 112-run partnership between Travis Birt and Daniel Marsh (57 not out) gave the Tigers hope but Dan Cullen trapped Birt lbw for 71 late in the day, sparking a mini-collapse.Cullen had Sean Clingeleffer caught by Daniel Harris for 1 before Tait finished on a high, claiming Brett Geeves lbw for 1 with the last ball of the day.The Redbacks resumed at 5 for 288 and Darren Lehmann (57) quickly brought up his half-century before he became Hilfenhaus’s first victim of the day. Hilfenhaus, who had claimed three wickets on day one, finished with 7 for 79 – the best figures by any bowler in the Pura Cup this season. He and the in-form Andy Bichel now lead the competition with 19 dismissals each.
Marlon Samuels has been forced home from the tour of Australia with a recurrence of his long-standing knee problem. He was hit on his left knee by Brett Lee during the first innings at Hobart and required a runner when he batted a second time.However, on a positive note for Samuels, the West Indian team physio, Stephen Partridge, said the injury did not appear as serious as when he was out of action for more than six months during 2003-04.”His MRI scans were encouraging since it confirmed no new damage,” explained Partridge. “At this stage he would need to rest his knee for at least two weeks and in consultation with Marlon it was decided that the best place to achieve that would be at home in Jamaica.”Samuels, while disappointed to miss the final Test at Adelaide, is aware this decision is for his long-term benefit. “It is disappointing that I am not able to complete the tour but this is an unfortunate situation and I need to heed the medical advice now so that there is no further damage.”After hitting the headlines with a superb 257 in a warm-up match against Queensland, Samuels has failed to fire in the two Tests scoring 5, 17 not out, 5 and 29.With just the one Test and a one-day tour match against the Prime Minister’s XI remaining a replacement won’t be called-up. West Indies will select from a squad of 14 for the remainder of the trip. Wavell Hinds would be the logical replacement for Samuels at Adelaide, who himself was ruled out of the first Test with a broken finger.
ScorecardSuperSport Park in Centurion once again lived up to its reputation as yet another game ended in excitement – the Eagles prevailed in a close fight with the Titans by a margin of three wickets with two balls to go.Set a target of 265, the Eagles got off to a flier with Morne van Wyk and Jonathan Beukus putting on 82 in the first 12 overs. When Beukus was out for 31, Benjamin Hector came to the crease. Though wickets fell around him regularly, he raced away to score 98 not out off 89 balls to secure the win for the Eagles.A maiden hundred from Alviro Petersen (115 not out) and a 50 from Justin Kemp, along with a 53-run partnership in the final five overs from Albie Morkel and Petersen gave the Titans the impetus to post a competitive total of 264 for 4. ScorecardAt Newlands in Cape Town an undefeated 101 from Andrew Puttick could not save Western Province Boland as the Dolphins ran away to a 33-run win.A 92 from Dale Benkenstein averted the Dolphins’s embarrassment as they limped to 225 for 5. Imraan Khan, Doug Watson and Jon Kent could not convert good starts, and it was left to Benkenstein and Lance Klusener (24 not out) to pick up the pieces. They did that adequately, putting on 59 in the last seven overs.On a pitch where 226 was achievable, WPB struggled. The innings never got off the ground as wickets fell around Puttick. Applying himself, he played with ease but could not find a willing partner. Henry Davids, the next best on 24, tried hard but in the end a lack of application cost WPB dearly.
Hampshire made an amazing charge on the fourth day to achieve the task of taking 18 wickets, for an unlikely result after no play was possible on the third day. They achieved 17 – agonisingly close to a much needed victory. Despite taking 12 points from maximum bonus points and the draw, they languish at the bottom of the Frizzell Championship Division Two table, having drawn 5 and losing one. The weather has been unkind to Hampshire Cricket this season.Durham started the last day on 107 for 2 and comfortably advanced to 175 without further loss, until, shortly before lunch the innings was turned on its head by three wickets in one over from Alan Mullally. Mullally removed Gary Pratt lbw, bowled Nicky Peng second ball, and enticed Danny Law to edge to the wicket-keeper. When debutant James Lowe then fell lbw to Wasim Akram for 80, four wickets had tumbled for just 4 runs. 20 year old Lowe had batted patiently for his 80 runs, and proved that this was a young lad with a good future.Phil Mustard then became the second of the Pakistanis victims when he played back only to find his off-stump cart wheeling. Nicky Phillips then met the same fate as Durham were staring having to follow on. Ed Giddins took the last two wickets of the innings as Killeen was well caught by Will Kendall, then Deward Pretorius who had been batting with a runner was bowled.Following on, Durham lost both openers cheaply before tea, Jon Lewis edged Mascarenhas to Simon Katich at first-slip, and Lowe fended off Giddins for the first of Robin Smith’s four catches at forward short leg.Simon Katich then came into the act, his brand of slow left-hand chinamen bamboozled the Durham middle order, and Wasim Akram at the Pavilion end took the wicket of Law lbw, with an swinging yorker he has made his own.The visitors then rallied as the 8th wicket partnership survived 17 overs. Phil Mustard and Liam Plunkett held Hampshire at bay, as John Crawley swapped his batsmen around. Plunkett finally fell to another Wasim lbw. Phillips often a thorn in Hampshire’s side came to the crease, and with Killeen survived until with 9 balls remaining Kileen became Wasim’s 3rd wicket.Phillips was joined by Daward Pretorius who with a runner, battled hard to save the game, and most of the crowd were surprised to find that in the last hour there was time for another over, but despite Wasim at full pace, Phillips survived to end the match as a draw.
The Auckland Cricket Association Premier and First Grade club competitions begin tomorrow with the first round of matches in the Crown Relocations Cup and Crown Relocations Rosebowl respectively.The separate limited overs format competitions will be played out to the end of the seven round robin matches before the teams begin their two-day competitions for the Crown Relocations Trophy (Premier Grade) and Crown Relocations Plate (First Grade) on November 17.The competition is expected to be strong in both grades with all clubs having been training for around eight weeks and each boasting a qualified coach (subsidised by Auckland Cricket in a programme to improve the standard of club play and the training of team coaches) to assist their preparation for the 2001/02 season.Clubs with State Auckland Aces players have been delighted to learn that, due to NZC scheduling the bulk of the National Provincial Competitions on mid-week dates, their star players will be available to them for all but a few of the nearly 30 days of club play this summer.Premier Club details are:Birkenhead City:Promoted from First Grade at the end of last season, Birkenhead will provide stern opposition for most Premier Grade sides this season. Key players are opening batsman and player/coach Michael Clark, NZ test representative Chris Drum, State Auckland Aces all-rounder Terry Crabb, perennial new ball bowler Grant MacPherson and English professional player Ashley Wright.Cornwall:Looking for back-to-back success in the limited overs format and for an improved showing in the two-day version of the game, Cornwall are again expected to present a tough challenge for any opposition this summer. A blend of youth (Rob Nicol [this years New Zealand player to Lords], Avinash Sharma, Rob Lynch, Chris Knight) and experience (Aaron Barnes, Dave Storer, Heath Davis, Richard Morgan, Richard Thompson) will be the foundation on which this club looks to build its season. The depth of the squad will be assisted by the clubs’ 2nd XI competing in the First Grade competition in the coming season.East Coast Bays:An underachiever in 2000/01 but have prepared well over the 2001 winter and should be ready for action from day one. State Auckland Aces players Mark Haslam and Llorne Howell will join forces with Auckland ‘A’ rep Michael Hendry and talented youngsters Mark Badland, Matt Mimmack and David Nash. Former Northern Districts all-rounder Aaron Bradley returns to the club after a one season absence.Grafton United:Probably favourites in both competitions before a ball is bowled, the Victoria Park based/Richard Irving coached and captained side will be very hard to stop, especially if State Auckland Aces players Lou Vincent, Andre Adams and Matt Horne (returning to his home club after five seasons with Otago) are not required by the New Zealand selectors.Top order batsman Blair Bulloch returns to the club after a season in Wellington. These four will be joined by State Aces squad members Richard Pudney (transferred from Waitakere), Tane Topia and top performing club players Guy Coleman, Aron Fuller and Nick Jury. There is no reason to believe they cannot defend their two day title or improve on their runner-up position in the limited overs championship.Howick Pakuranga:A disappointing finish to 2000/01 will have the eastern suburbs club hungry for better performances from its key players.Last season’s captain Rowan Armour was critical of his leading players’ inability to have an impact on the crucial matches played last summer – best documented by the heavy defeat to Grafton in the final match of the season which, if the result had been reversed, would have seen them take the two-day title.New State Aces skipper and NZ player Brooke Walker will join fellow NZ and State Aces team members Kyle Mills and Dion Nash in attempting to set the club back on track toward championship success. Other key players are Richard King, 2000/01 ACA most improved club player Brad Nielsen, NZC Academy player Sam Whiteman, and Sanjeewa Silva, who returns to the club after two seasons with Central Districts. 2000/01 State Aces players John Aiken, Blair Pocock and club stalwart (and current State Aces selector) Armour have retired.North Shore:A tough season is predicted for the Devonport-based club. They are rebuilding a side which has, in previous seasons, performed well thanks to its’ stalwart players. Many of these are expected to be missing this summer and it is now up to the new guard to represent and protect the proud traditions of this long established club.Auckland and New Zealand Under-19 representative Gene Andrews, Chris and David McGuigan and wicket-keeper batsman Michael Hart will be key players at the top of the order and solidity will be provided to the middle order by Jamie Stuart. All rounders Brad Leonard and Hayden Smith will be relied upon for their skills with both bat and ball. Smith will captain the side after the retirement, at the end of last season, of Steve Sharp. Sharp’s wicket taking abilities will be sorely missed this summer unless young opening bowler Peter Lawson, from Minor Counties side Cumberland, produces the goods in his first season with the club. An Englishman will also coach the side, with the club having recently appointed Surrey County Cricket Club’s David Corrod as their coaching director.Parnell:A tremendous performance from this club last year saw them finish as runners-up in their first season back in the top flight. To repeat or improve on this performance, they will look to the bats of State Aces squad members Tim McIntosh and Nick Horsley, Auckland Under 19 captain Akshay Reddy and his Under 19 team-mate Willy Barton.Bowling duties are expected to be shared by the very successful (in 2000/01) Simon Dykes and Roger Henderson, and the wily off-spin of captain Wayne Wheeler. Ex-State Auckland Aces all-rounder Hamish Barton returns to Auckland and will join his brother here after leaving Auckland and the University club for a three year stint in Christchurch where he played some representative cricket for Canterbury. A new home venue for the side, at Shore Road, may be introduced part way through the season.Suburbs New Lynn:The only western suburbs club in the Premier Grade again this summer, Suburbs New Lynn will look to improve on a disappointing 2000/01 season. A nail biting end to that season saw them keep Takapuna out of seventh place by just 1.55 points and consign the North Harbour-based club to First Grade for the coming season.Good performances from State Auckland Aces all-rounder Tama Canning and wicket-keeper/batsman Reece Young (presently resident at the NZC Academy in Christchurch) will be essential if the club is to improve on its lower than expected finish last season.Skipper John Vujnovich and last season’s captain Chris Fawkner, perhaps the toughest player in the entire competition, will provide steel and inspiration to his team who include exciting young quick bowlers Michael Bates (last season’s ACA “Rookie of the Year”) and Dunu Eliaba among their ranks. They will hope that Chris Lee’s departure overseas will be more than covered by the arrival of Dean Blackwood and Russell Hewage from University.First Grade Club details are:Auckland University:After two disappointing seasons this club are injecting some names from the past into their ranks for the coming season in order to turn things around. The addition of Tim Lythe as coach/captain of the side, the return of brother Ben and the introduction of former Eden Roskill players Nick Thompson and Geoff Waterhouse will provide strength to a side which retains all rounder Nick Smeeton and spinner Mathew Lindenburg but will sorely miss the wicket taking ability of former State Auckland Aces player and club stalwart Johnathan Lintott who has retired. Left arm medium pacer Dean Blackwood and middle order batsman Russell Hewage have moved to Suburbs New Lynn and wicket-keeper Scott McNaughton is overseas.Eden Roskill:An improving side which should show the benefits of the dedicated work put in by club administration as well as the coaching and playing personnel over the last two seasons. Key players will be opening bowler Dean Bruce, middle order batsman Sami Lala and wicket-keeper/batsman Izzy Isaia. A top four finish would be a good return for this side.Ellerslie:Bottom half of the league finishes in each of the previous three seasons will have this club hungry for better performances from its’ top side. Skipper Grant Wilcox will look to batsmen Mark Cribbens and Brad Barlow, all rounder Kris Baker and Campbell Marr’s bowling to provide something for Ellerslie supporters and members to cheer about this summer.Papatoetoe:A strong showing last season saw this club go close to promotion to the Premier Grade. Stalwart Neil Ronaldson and new skipper Shane Singe will look to themselves and the performances of returning club professional, Englishman Chris Borroughs, batsmen Nick Edwards and Ashley Clarke as well as their State Auckland Aces squad member – young fast bowler Gareth Shaw – to carry the bulk of the responsibility for the side this summer.Takapuna:A wake up call for this club last year as their top team was relegated from the Premier Grade after a poor season. The way that their key players react to that result will determine their fate this season. Skipper Peter Escott, wicket-keeper batsman Martin Barrell and bowlers Luke Armstrong, Stuart Jensen and Rhys Henderson will need to produce more consistent performances if they are to bounce straight back up into the Premier Grade at the end of the season.Waitakere City:A rapidly improving side which went close to promotion last season and will be very hard to keep away from the top end of the table throughout the summer. Well coached by Randall Todd and well supported by a solid club administration setup, this side will look to key players from last season to reproduce the same sort of form again. Brothers Corey and Keeley Todd, Blair White and the return of Worcestershire professional Matthew Rawnsley will provide the foundation from which the side will look to launch into the top flight for the 2002/03 season.Cornwall and Howick Pakuranga (2nd XI’s):Both are new to the competition this year by virtue of the increase in the size of the league (from six to eight teams). Will very much rely on consistent performances from players on the verge of their respective Premier teams but may struggle to compete on some occasions due to the lack of previous exposure at this level. Will be assisted by the strong administrative and coaching structures in place at their clubs.
Adam Lyth has taken to Facebook to express his disappointment at his Ashes summer and say that the experience has made him hungrier to succeed.It has been widely assumed in the English media that Lyth’s dropping for England’s series against Pakistan in the UAE is inevitable – and the odds are that they will be proved right.But Lyth has spilled out his belief that he still has a Test future in a perhaps unique Facebook statement: bare-the-soul honesty approaching 900 words in which he thanks England’s selectors for sticking with him in a series in which he made only 115 runs in five Tests at 12.77.”I don’t really pay attention to people talking about who will open in the UAE with Alastair Cook, it’s completely out of my hands who the selectors pick. I know exactly what I have to do and that is score big runs for Yorkshire, it’s as simple as that… It really does mean a hell of a lot that the captain, coach and selectors have stuck with me.Failure in international sport can be a lonely place, especially after the emotional highs and lows of a series like the Ashes, and Lyth makes the point of thanking his Facebook followers for “incredible support”.”I have only played seven Tests at the minute and to have achieved that is fantastic,” he writes. “Hopefully there are many more matches and many more series to come but I know I need to go back to Yorkshire and score lots of runs.”This experience has made me hungrier, you don’t become a bad player overnight and you don’t in five games either.”It could have gone better on a personal note but that’s cricket and that can happen when you’re facing one of the best attacks in the world on testing pitches. Going forwards I have learnt a lot in this series and hopefully I can go back to Yorkshire, score some runs and help them with the County Championship.”I can’t really put my low scores down to one thing. The Aussies have bowled well in testing conditions, I have copped some decent balls but I’ve played some bad shots which I’m disappointed about.”