NZ allrounder is set to undergo surgery in the UK and will be out of action for six to eight months

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jun-2023

Michael Bracewell was named New Zealand’s ODI Player of the Year•ICC via Getty Images

New Zealand spin-bowling allrounder Michael Bracewell is expected to be out of action for six to eight months after rupturing his right achilles while batting for Worcestershire in the T20 Blast. He is set to undergo surgery in the UK on Thursday before starting a lengthy rehab which means he will also miss the 50-over World Cup in India in October-November.Bracewell was batting on 11 against Yorkshire on June 9 when he collapsed mid-pitch clutching his right leg and retired hurt in the 225 chase. His injury leaves New Zealand searching for batting options especially considering their captain Kane Williamson, who underwent surgery for a ruptured ACL, is in a race against time to make the World Cup.”Firstly, you always feel for the player when injury strikes and especially when it means they will have to miss a world event,” New Zealand head coach Gary Stead said. “Michael’s a great team man and has had a fantastic 15 months for the BlackCaps since his international debut. We’ve seen his exceptional skills in all three facets of the game and he was shaping as an important player for us at the world cup in India.”Michael’s naturally pretty disappointed, but also pragmatic in acknowledging that injuries are a part of sport and he’s now turning his focus to his rehabilitation.”Bracewell, 32, is equally handy with bat and ball, and has played eight Tests, 19 ODIs and 16 T20Is for New Zealand since his debut last year. He also played in the IPL this season, coming in as replacement for Will Jacks at Royal Challengers Bangalore, picking up six wickets in five matches. One of four from his family to represent New Zealand, including his uncle John and his cousin Doug, Bracewell shot to prominence during New Zealand’s tour of Europe in 2022. He did even better on a tour of India, smashing 140 off 77 to pull his team up from 131 for 6. New Zealand appreciated his ability to score quick runs in the middle-order and contribute with some handy offspin by naming him their ODI Player of the Year.Bracewell has been away from New Zealand since April after being called up to the IPL and won’t be able to fly home for a couple of weeks following surgery.A New Zealand Cricket release also said that the national team will be part of two winter training camps at Lincoln and Tauranga from July 26 to 28 and August 9 to 11.

He believes the short turnaround is a huge challenge for both sides but particularly Cameron Green

Alex Malcolm05-Jun-2023Rarely before has a group of players faced such a short turnaround from an IPL straight into a Test match in England but that is the challenge facing players from both India and Australia ahead of the World Test Championship final at the Oval with former Australia all-format allrounder Shane Watson describing the transition period as “extreme”.Modern players are used to jumping from format to format without much time but most of India’s team are facing an unprecedented turnaround between the IPL and a Test in England with Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami playing in the IPL final last Monday, leaving them just over a week to prepare for the WTC final starting on Wednesday. It is marginally more time than what New Zealand’s Trent Boult had last English summer when he played the IPL final on May 29 and played in a Test against England at Lord’s just four days later.Australia’s Cameron Green played the IPL Qualifier for Mumbai in Chennai on May 26 and flew home to Perth in Western Australia for the briefest of pitstops to see his partner, having not been home since January, before flying to London ahead of Australia’s first training session in Beckenham last Thursday. He has just five training sessions to acclimatise having never played first-class cricket in England before.David Warner is also facing the shortest turnaround from the IPL into a Test match in England that he has seen in his career having finished in the IPL on May 20. Josh Hazlewood, who played his last IPL match on May 9, has already been ruled out of the WTC final with Australia’s selectors deciding he needs more time to prepare for the first Ashes Test starting next Thursday.Watson is well-versed on switching between formats at short notice having been part of the IPL in 2013 and 2015 before playing in both Ashes series, albeit with longer lead-in times. He urged the players facing the same challenge to push themselves in the nets to get acclimatised to the Dukes ball after two months of T20 cricket in completely different conditions in India.”There’s no doubt that this transition period for the guys I think is going to have to be extreme,” Watson told ESPNcricinfo. “Get as much volume as they possibly can facing new balls, trying to get the nets as spiced up as possible.”That’s the only way you can get your game back into hitting the ball under your eyes. Yes, you need that positive, aggressive intent but still understanding what balls you can score off and what balls are higher risk.”Related

• Cummins happy to be 'underdone than overdone'; 'getting mentally ready' key for Rohit

• India keep their options open as Oval build-up intensifies

• Neser replaces Hazlewood in Australia's WTC final squad

• Warner eyes the perfect exit and a shot at a serious all-format legacy

Gill, Jadeja and Shami along with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and R Ashwin played in the last WTC final in England in June 2021 following the IPL. However, the postponement of the 2021 IPL on May 2 gave them more than a month to prepare, albeit with significant Covid challenges.Many of India’s players also toured England after IPL seasons in 2014, 2018, and 2022 but had significantly more time to prepare on each occasion with the tours starting in July or August.Like Watson, Warner and Steven Smith played in the 2013 and 2015 Ashes after playing in the IPL. But they also had a lot more time to prepare and even played first-class matches in England before the first Test of those series. In 2015 they played a two-Test series in the West Indies between the IPL and the Ashes. Warner and Smith also played in the IPL in 2019 and then had the 50-over World Cup in England prior to the Ashes.Watson believes there can be no wasted moments in the training days the players have.Shane Watson made a Test hundred at the Oval in 2013, the same year he was named player of the IPL•AFP

“I didn’t have that quick a turnaround,” Watson said. “It was always a challenge. Whether it’s going into a winter Ashes series or whether it’s going from a T20 series in Australia, flying and playing a Test match pretty much straight away, it is a big challenge.”The thing you’ve got to understand is what you really need to work on if you’ve only got a couple of days.”For me, the biggest thing came down to most importantly my defence. I ended up having to just work on facing the moving ball, making sure I was batting against bowlers with the moving ball or was getting throws against the moving ball and then just making sure I was locking in with my defence. Also just starting to get your head around leaving the ball again. What are the danger areas, more so the lines that bowlers would bowl and especially. The biggest challenge for all these guys and to Cameron Green is going to be around the Dukes ball because it swings so consistently.”That’s where having a couple of tour matches, in particular, to get used to the ball just consistently swinging and doing something is what you really need to get your head around it. So for these guys having such a quick turnaround and not having a tour match, it’s going to be a huge challenge. Just to be able to get your game plan really locked in and then be able to do it ball after ball for a longer period of time.”Josh Hazlewood has already been ruled out•ICC via Getty Images

Bowling workloads are also a major issue that may challenge India more than Australia. Hazlewood has already been withdrawn given his compromised preparation but Australia’s other four quicks in Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Michael Neser have had long lead times to build up their red-ball bowling loads with Neser playing five first-class games for Glamorgan.Both Green and India’s bowlers do not have the same luxury and face a similar, albeit slightly less farcical challenge to what Boult faced last year.”My body was always a challenge building up workloads at the best of times,” Watson said. “Going from T20 cricket intensity with not a lot of fatigue compared to having to try and get your body up and get used to bowling a bit more with fatigue, that was always a challenge for me anyway. So I was always very careful and tried to map it out as much as I could.”But obviously it’s a really quick turnaround for a few of the bowlers in particular. Again, it’s going to be sink or swim. They’ve got no choice. They’ve just got to throw themselves into it and hope that their bodies can hold up and the captains are able to manage the bowlers who are going into playing this Test without a lot of work under their belt.”

Higher frame rates for cameras and a safeguard to prevent operator error were the key improvements in technology that led to the BCCI agreeing to trial the system

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Oct-2016Despite winning the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy with DRS in place, India had resisted using the system in bilateral series. On Wednesday the ICC general manager Geoff Allardice and a representative from Hawk-Eye, the ball-tracking technology provider, met top BCCI officials along with India coach Anil Kumble in Delhi.Allardice focused on the independent assessment of the technologies used in the DRS, which was carried out by engineers from the field-intelligence unit at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT]. The Hawk-Eye presentation explained how ball-tracking technology has been enhanced over the last couple of years.The upshot of the meeting was that two days later India agreed to use the DRS on a trial basis during the Test series against England. Here’s an explainer of what their concerns were and how they were allayed.Why did the BCCI not want the DRS?
The main reason was a mistrust of the ball-tracking technology used to adjudge lbws. The BCCI said the predicted path after the ball hit the pad was not reliable.How does ball-tracking work?
Three elements go into an lbw decision: where the ball pitched, the point of impact on the pad, and the predicted path towards the stumps. The accuracy of the predicted path of the ball depends on the number of images captured – the frame-rate – between the ball pitching and hitting the pad.What is the most significant change in the technology?
Cameras with a higher frame rate, and the ability to locate the point of impact on the pad more accurately.The Tests against England will be India’s second bilateral series with all aspects of the DRS•Getty ImagesHow fast are the frame rates now?
During the 2011 World Cup, the frame rate of Hawk-Eye’s cameras was 50 to 75 frames per second. Hawk-Eye’s ultra-motion cameras recorded images at a faster rate in 2013, and their current ball-tracking cameras record images at 340 frames per second.How will a higher frame rate help? It provides a lot more data and hence the calculation of the predicted path of the ball is more accurate. “The increased frame rate has allowed the accuracy of the prediction to tighten up significantly,” an official privy to Wednesday’s presentation said. “It means between the ball pitching and the ball hitting the pad there is more information available to go into building a prediction. That was something reinforced by the recent testing of the accuracy of a prediction, when compared to the accuracy of a ball that has not been intercepted.”Why did the BCCI have an issue with the location of the point of impact?
When judging the point where the ball hits the pad, a key factor is to make sure the ball has not changed path. The BCCI had said there was potential for operator error while identifying the point of impact.How was that issue solved?
Hawk-Eye created Ultra Edge to remove that problem. Ultra Edge is a sound based, edge-detection system can identify the point of impact more accurately. When there is a sound of ball hitting pad or bat, it can identify the frame in which the ball hits the pad.What if the operator misses the ball? How will they locate point of impact?
Hawk-Eye has added another safeguard to its system: data from every delivery is recorded and can be retrieved in case it’s needed to build a predicted path of the delivery.

He wasn’t expected to be a main man of South Africa’s bowling attack but Dean Elgar reaped rewards for paying attention to flight and drift on the first day in Mohali

Firdose Moonda in Mohali05-Nov-20152:25

‘We didn’t think wicket would crumble as much’ – Elgar

They said the pitch would turn from day one and they were right. Before lunch, Dean Elgar got a few to jag almost square. Yes, Dean Elgar. They did not say who would turn it.South Africa’s self-confessed ‘pie-chucker’ produced a performance matched in impact only by his century in Galle last July. In his secondary discipline, Elgar proved the value of an added skill and asked questions of conditions, which made day one appear closer to day four.This not Test cricket as South Africa know it: the ball turned substantially from the first session. By the end of the day, puffs of dust smoked out of the surface at every footfall and the match is unlikely to last five days. But it is the kind of Test cricket they were preparing for: “the worst,” as Faf du Plessis put it pre-match. Part of that preparation was having as many slower bowling options as possible without compromising on the length of the batting line-up or the pace pack, although South Africa did go into the match with six instead of their usual seven specialist batsmen to make room for an extra spinner.

Hardest day of Test cricket I’ve had – Elgar

Taking four wickets was an added bonus for Dean Elgar, who now has to get down to doing his primary job of scoring runs. Elgar admitted it’s going to be an uphill battle on a surface that seems tired after just one day of Test cricket.
“Although the outfield is quite fast, It’s difficult to generate pace on the ball when you’re batting. It’s going to be hard graft from here in but we knew that. We’re going to have to knuckle down and sweat it out against them,” Elgar said.
“It wasn’t easy. We sort of expected it to play like that, but we didn’t expect it to crumble as much as what it has already. It was hard graft. It was right up there with the hardest day of test cricket I’ve had.”
Despite the conditions, Elgar has promised as much aggression as he can manage.
“The way forward is always to be positive. Tonight we had to go into our shells and fight. It’s not normally the way we play our cricket.”

That was the reason Elgar formed part of the attack, although he was not expected to be a big part of it. His job was to act as the pause button, to get rid of some overs while the main men thought of their next move. He was not going to be tasked with being a main man himself.Hashim Amla brought Elgar when he switched bowling ends for Kagiso Rabada to ensure there was always some discomfort from one side for the opposition. On debut, Rabada showed the potential to perform in the longest format and hurried the batsmen with pace. Elgar was the exact opposite. He delivered in slow-motion, allowing flight and drift to take the ball to the batsmen, almost at the speed of a carrier pigeon and maybe veering off course along the way too. The waiting and the wondering caused uncertainty. Cheteshwar Pujara played down the wrong line as a result.That dismissal, a fluke perhaps, brought out a caricature celebration from Elgar, complete with chest-bashing. But he saw soon the value of behaving like a serious bowler. He paid attention to the drift and flight and saw that he could draw the batsmen forward and then surprise them with his lack of pace. Ajinkya Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha both went that way to turn Elgar’s throwaway overs into trophies that will hold more pride of place than some his previous scalps.Among Elgar’s Tests scalps are Misbah-ul-Haq and Steven Smith but both were snaffled because of their own slackness. Misbah slogged and edged, Smith bottom-edged a long-hop onto his stumps. The only batsmen Elgar dismissed in fortuitous fashion was Amit Mishra; Rahane and Saha were outskilled, not just by the bowler but South Africa’s tactics too.Amla’s captaincy deserves some of the credit for the squeeze South Africa applied because of the way he rotated the bowlers and manipulated the field. Amla almost always had at least one close catcher to constantly cramp India. The short-leg was mandatory, the short cover was a constant annoyance and the short mid-wicket was there for a mistake from Vernon Philander’s nagging line. It was only fitting that the only close-ish catcher who was called into the action was Elgar himself, who took a good low catch at a cover position that was a little closer than usual to dismiss Virat Kohli.Kohli was one of only three batsmen dismissed from the Pavilion End. The rest, including three of Elgar’s scalps all fell at the City End, where there is substantial rough already.Doubtless Elgar would have been thinking about the batting consequences of that area, even as he was trying to hit it as a bowler. His real job is to open the batting and he would have known that was going to be tough.He seemed to have gotten a close enough look at things to have an idea of how to deal with them, though. For the hour Elgar was at the crease, he batted patiently, not the Faf du Plessis-blockathon patience that South Africa have occasionally been known to employ, but the wait-for-the-ball-until-it-comes-to-you kind of patience that Rahane and Saha had not shown.At first, Elgar seemed to be as anxious as they were. He went forward to R Ashwin, saw a leading edge pop up off one ball and an inside edge off another. Then he remembered to hang back. He could do it against Varun Aaron and continued to stay in his crease most of the time when Ravindra Jadeja was brought on. He did not look comfortable all the time and later called it “the hardest day of Test cricket I’ve had” but he survived. Today, that was enough. Tomorrow it will turn again. That much we know. We don’t yet know for whom.

GOAL US looks at Liverpool's inevitable trophy lift, Fulham's European ambitions, and selection dilemmas ahead of a busy week

And so we get to the obligatory bit. Has a Premier League title ever felt so processional? So unsurprising? Tell a Liverpool fan nine months ago that they were going to win the league, and they might have laughed. Tell them in February that they would have to wait until the end of April, and they might have been slightly peeved. We have, as Jamie Carragher told GOAL earlier this month, been slightly spoiled in recent years.

Title races have brought jeopardy, drama, and expectations. Most leagues are won pretty comfortably by a decent margin. And Liverpool, barring a mad Tottenham result at Anfield, will wrap theirs up on Sunday.

Midweek European clashes ahead for Spurs, Arsenal and Man United have rather distracted from domestic football. Perhaps the most drama is to be found in the sort of mid-table areas that would normally be irrelevant at this point. If results go a certain way, the Premier League could have 10 clubs in Europe next year. That really feels like too many.

That is, unless you're one of the fringe clubs that are now in with a shot. Such is the case of Fulham, who, with a few wins, could find themselves in some sort of European football next year – an undoubtedly massive achievement for the club.

GOAL looks at Liverpool's inevitable title lift, Fulham's European ambitions, and the selection dilemmas plaguing the league in the Premier League Primer, a weekly rundown of what to watch from an American perspective in England's top flight.

AFPLiverpool, and the slow march to the title

This has never been particularly fun. Title races, in recent years, have been dramatic things. Even if Man City's wins have felt both inevitable and cold-blooded, they have usually come with a sense of jeopardy – second halves of the season defined by Pep Guardiola's machines chugging into life. The result may be tiresome, but the content is always enthralling.

By comparison, 2025 has been a bore. Liverpool are the best team by some distance. Arsenal have done a pretty good job of beating themselves at various points over the course of the season. But Arne Slot's men have seldom been emphatic. Everything has been controlled, death by 10,000 Mo Salah-sized papercuts.

And this weekend, they will almost certainly seal the thing for good. Spurs – maddeningly inconsistent and entirely unpredictable – are the opponent. A draw on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET will get them over the line. At this point, it seems more of an obligation.

AdvertisementGOALRuben Amorim's tactical dilemmas get worse

What can Ruben Amorim really do with the remainder of the Prem season? Man United are not going to get relegated. They are not going to make European football without the help of winning the Europa League, either. It leaves Amorim with a difficult decision. He doesn't want to drop points and shred morale. But he also needs to keep legs fresh ahead of a semifinal in which, by most measures, they are thoroughly outmatched against Real Sociedad.

The manager changed things up against Wolves, benching half of his starting XI – leading to an entirely predictable 1-0 loss. They are now on their worst run of form at home in 60 years. The good news, at least, is that they're playing away this weekend. The bad news is a well-drilled and expansive Bournemouth side are their opponent.

It will be an interesting tactical game Sunday at 9 a.m. ET, at least. Odds are, he gives the big guns a brief cameo – but will that be enough to bring the vibes back?

GettyFulham try to stop the slide

There was a time, just a few weeks ago, when it looked as if Fulham could push for a Champions League spot. U.S. international Antonee Robinson was the best left back we had all ever seen. Raul Jimenez was banging in goals for fun. Alex Iwobi was making good on years of promise. The good times were rolling in full.

Funny how soccer changes. Consecutive losses – including a mightily harsh defeat to Chelsea – have them on the outside looking in. They now need to pretty much win out – and hope that either United or Spurs push their way to Europa League glory. It must be admitted that neither of those things look particularly likely for the Cottagers.

All they can do, then, is try to pick up points on their own terms. And in that sense, they have been handed a friendly fixture this weekend. Southampton are officially the worst team in Premier League history after picking up their 11th point earlier this month. But they're a close second. If there ever was a team to play when you need a win, this is it. Saturday morning at 10 a.m .ET. is their chance to get it done.

American ties

+ Antonee Robinson faces a big game for Fulham this week. A win against Southampton would propel the Cottagers back into the European picture.

+ Chris Richards isn't in Premier League action. Instead, he will likely be in the XI as Crystal Palace take on Aston Villa in the FA Cup semifinal. If Palace pull off an upset, he would become one of just a handful of Americans to play in an FA Cup final.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has voiced a personal transfer request to the Stamford Bridge hierarchy, and in an attempt to grant his wish, they’ve made an approach to sign a marquee star.

Chelsea change transfer plans amid potential January exits

Christopher Nkunku is Bayern Munich’s top transfer target, and it is reliably believed that the France international has agreed personal terms on a move to the Allianz Arena before deadline day on February 3 (Florian Plettenberg).

Chelsea make contact with Premier League attacker who's keen to join

The west Londoners are seriously considering a January deal.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 14, 2025

There have also been credible reports that Chelsea have held initial talks over a swap deal involving Nkunku and Mathys Tel, so it looks as if BlueCo could trade in one French attacker for another if all goes to plan in this regard.

However, it is also believed that Liam Delap remains a key transfer target for Chelsea and another approach was made to his agents recently, so it appears Maresca’s side are in the market for a striker in the event Nkunku does depart for Germany.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (home)

January 20

Man City (away)

January 25

West Ham (away)

February 3

Brighton (away)

February 14

Aston Villa (away)

February 22

Chelsea were thought to be prioritising a centre-back this month, but those plans appear to be changing, as Todd Boehly and co look to ensure that Maresca maintains his strength in depth.

As well as Nkunku, the likes of Renato Veiga, Axel Disasi, Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka and Cesare Casadei are all firm contenders to seal exits from the club over these coming weeks.

Maresca has ideas of his own on how to reshape the squad, as Chelsea look to evolve and shift their deadwood.

Chelsea make approach for Mainoo as Maresca makes midfielder demand

As per reliable journalist Simon Phillips, writing via his Substack, Chelsea are still hopeful of potentially tempting Man United star Kobbie Mainoo with a move down south in January.

Despite his status as a Red Devils mainstay and England international, the 19-year-old is on just £20,000-per-week, leading to his camp’s pursuit of fresh terms to better reflect his obvious quality.

However, PSR issues are reportedly complicating United’s efforts to tie him down with a new deal, and this has alerted the likes of Chelsea who could offer him a route out of Old Trafford.

According to Phillips, Chelsea have made an approach to sign Mainoo, opening discussions with the teenager’s agents as Maresca personally asks the club to bring in another midfielder.

That being said, Mainoo’s current stance is a preference to stay at United and there is some optimism on their end that a deal can be agreed – even if a switch to Chelsea isn’t entirely ruled out just yet.

Journalist Miguel Delaney of The Independent has also claimed that Ruben Amorim’s side would want a hefty £100 million sum to let him leave.

Newcastle United have yet to make a January signing and with just over a week before the window closes, time is running out for Eddie Howe.

The Magpies are in contention for a top-four finish in the Premier League amid a decent run of results of late, but a new arrival or two could certainly help this cause.

Plenty of names have been linked with a move to St James’ Park, especially defenders. Ousmane Diomande from Sporting CP is one player who Howe is keen on signing, but he could cost too much this month.

This could see the manager turn elsewhere for a new centre-back…

Newcastle's search for a centre-back

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Newcastle have been offered the chance to sign defender Eric Garcia, who is currently at Barcelona, having also played in the Premier League for Manchester City.

Transfer Focus

The 24-year-old has been scouted previously by the Magpies, according to Bailey, and with their need for another centre-back heightening throughout the transfer window, could they strike a deal this month perhaps?

His contract at the Catalan side expires in 2026, which means Howe will have to pay a decent fee in order to secure his signature before the end of the window.

If so, would they be getting someone who is even better than Diomande?

Why Newcastle should sign Eric Garcia

The Spaniard won a league title during his spell with City, but it is while playing for Barcelona that the centre-back has really come into his own.

The 24-year-old has made nearly 100 appearances for the La Liga side, and he would almost certainly be a vital player for Howe, no doubt about that.

Accurate passes

32.6 (92%)

Tackles

1.2

Key passes

0.1

Interceptions

0.4

Total duels won

3

Possession lost

4x

When compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Garcia currently ranks in the top 3% for shot-creating actions (1.64), the top 2% for progressive carries (1.86), the top 1% for progressive passes (8.05) and in the top 14% for tackles (2.05) per 90 over the previous 365 days.

These statistics prove that he is a forward-thinking defender who loves to play the ball out of the defence as often as possible, starting attacks from his own half.

In comparison, Diomande doesn’t show anywhere near the same level of performance across these metrics.

Indeed, the Sporting CP defender ranks in the bottom 92% for shot-creating actions (0.38), the bottom 85% for progressive carries (0.26) and progressive passes (2.29), along with ranking in the bottom 86% for tackles (1.02) per 90 when compared to his peers in Europe’s top five leagues.

This proves that Garcia may be the better option for Howe, especially as he could cost slightly less than Diomande.

The £96k-per-week star was even hailed as a “monster” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig during his spell with City, indicating how big a talent he was.

On the evidence presented, Garcia would be an excellent signing for Newcastle, especially if they hope to secure qualification for the Champions League.

Will Howe be able to get a deal done this month? Only time will tell.

Imagine him & Isak: Howe chasing £55m talent who’d be “ideal for Newcastle”

Newcastle are gearing up to strengthen their frontline in the transfer market this year.

ByAngus Sinclair Jan 24, 2025

Glamorgan total overhauled with room to spare as opener helps break chase

ECB Reporters Network16-Jun-2023

Feroze Khushi hammered 61 off 37 to fire Essex’s chase•Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Essex 177 for 6 (Khushi 61, McIlroy 4-36) beat Glamorgan 175 for 6 (Carlson 43, Harmer 2-43) by four wicketsFeroze Khushi sent off his audition to be Dan Lawrence’s successor as Essex made it four wins in a row by beating Glamorgan by four wickets in the Vitality Blast.Academy graduate Khushi crashed a 37-ball 61 as Essex comfortably chased down 175, despite losing three early wickets thanks to Jamie McIlroy’s four for 36. Khushi is in prime position to push for a regular first-team spot after Lawrence announced he was to join Surrey from next season and showed his promise with an innings that included four huge sixes.Paul Walter continued his fine form against Glamorgan with 43, before Matt Critchley and Daniel Sams saw off most the remaining runs with 24 balls to spare.Having been stuck in on a fresh pitch, Kiran Carlson got the visitors off to a flyer with 43 off 25 balls, which included a straight six off Sams and a swatted pull maximum off Sam Cook.Sam Northeast, who had earlier been meekly dropped, was the first of three catches for Walter at long-on – with Colin Ingram and Chris Cooke also picking out the tallest man on the field – as Glamorgan reached 55 for 1 in the powerplay.Glamorgan’s good start was dented by Ingram and Carlson falling in successive overs as Essex claimed control of the middle overs to have Glamorgan 122 for 4 after 15 – with Cooke falling to Harmer.Critchley lured Billy Root to swing to wide long-on but Timm van der Gugten smashed Harmer for two sixes in an 18 run over to push Glamorgan closer towards par. Van der Gugten was eventually run out in the final over after a brutal 14-ball 33 as Glamorgan ended up on 175 for 6 – with Sams and Critchley both boasting economical figures of 1 for 20 to keep the total narrowly in the Eagles’ favour.Essex take an aggressive approach to their batting – the results coming in two forms. On one side you have two wickets in the first over and three in the powerplay, leaving them 35 for 3: Robin Das slogged his first ball to deep square leg and Michael Pepper ramped the next ball behind. Jamie McIlroy couldn’t get a hat-trick but Josh Rymell chipped to mid-on in the left-armer’s following over.On the other, you had Khushi pinging three sixes in the first three overs as he moved to 33 off his first 11 balls, although he took fewer risks to reach his third half-century in 29 balls.Walter joined Khushi and the pair found a nice rhythm in a 80-run stand in 47 balls. Walter had scored 58 and 78 in his previous two innings against Glamorgan, he struck 42 before his fourth attempt at a six top-edged to short third.Khushi was sensationally caught and bowled by van der Gugten five balls later to leave 59 needed off 51 balls. But Sams and Critchley made sure the result wasn’t in danger, with the former boshing 41 off 16 – Essex scoring 57 off the last 24 balls they faced.

New Zealand opener Tom Latham talks about batting in India, being unlike his dad, and how he changed his one-day game around

Arun Venugopal02-Nov-2016When Tom Latham was first called up to play for New Zealand, in ODIs against Zimbabwe in 2012, the news came to him as a “massive surprise”. He had made a hundred for Canterbury but had otherwise played only a handful of List A games. Four years on, at the end of New Zealand’s tour of India this season, Latham was the side’s highest run-getter – 244 runs at a strike rate of nearly 90 – in the five-match one-day series.The son of “Rocking Rod” Latham, who is remembered for his attacking batting in the 1992 World Cup, has always been known for his more orthodox style of play.”I’d probably say I’m more of a traditionalist than a flamboyant [batsman],” Latham says. “I’m probably more technically correct than maybe he was, but it’s cool to look back and see what he did in the game and now see what I am doing.”He believes his father is more suited to T20 than him. “During the World Cup he played, in ’92, [Mark] Greatbatch started something off, I guess, and it is pretty cool to look back and see the way he played.”Latham was about 15 when he decided to commit to a future in cricket over rugby, after he made a New Zealand Under-19 side to tour England. He and his older brother Matt used to play rugby and cricket growing up, and being an All Black was a childhood dream, but the cricket call-up changed things. “I suppose when your name is put for New Zealand, that’s where the dream started,” he says. “So I decided to finish rugby and put all my time to cricket. I think that was a good decision.”Rod coached his sons’ teams when they were young, but Latham now relies on his father more for parental-type advice than for coaching. “Hess [Mike Hesson] and Craig McMillan here, and Bob Carter and Paul Wiseman back home are the coaches I have worked with growing up. They are the guys I talk to a lot about batting and have a lot of sessions [with] back home.”I suppose it’s nice to lean on his [Rod Latham’s] advice. When something is going wrong, because he has been at that level, been there done that, he knows the pressures of international cricket.”Unlike his father, who got his first chance at international cricket when he was nearly 30, Latham junior was only 19 when he won his first New Zealand cap. But an earlier start didn’t mean an easier one. Latham batted in every position from one to nine, and was the team’s reserve wicketkeeper, without ever being a certainty in the XI.

“Over the last two to three years, we have played some very good cricket and it’s an amazing culture we’ve got there. What Brendon and Kane have brought to this group is belief”

“It was nice to get that opportunity at an early age and have a taste for it early on and see the standard of where I needed to get there,” Latham says. “I suppose that was a unique situation [batting from one to nine]. I was sort of a utility guy; I wasn’t necessarily first choice in the team, but managed to fill a lot of spots, whether it was at the top of the order or in the middle or with the gloves.”The ride got smoother when he made his Test debut. New Zealand had been struggling to find a consistent opening combination and Latham gave them some relief with three 70-plus scores in his first five Test innings, in the West Indies in 2014. In each of those innings Latham batted for four hours or longer. Later that year he scored his maiden Test hundred, against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, and followed it up with another century in the next Test, in Sharjah.”When you miss out, that makes you hungry to get back in the side, and it’s only in the last couple of years that I have been a full member of the side,” he says. “It’s been really nice I got the opportunity to open, and I certainly feel that position suits my game a lot, and it’s been a good couple of years.”This period has also been marked by Latham’s increasing prowess overseas – four of his five Test hundreds have come outside New Zealand. On the difficult tour of India, not only did Latham do well in the ODIs, he was also easily New Zealand’s best batsman in the Tests. He occupied the crease for 18 hours, nearly six and a half more than the captain, Kane Williamson, second on the list, did.Latham can’t quite explain his success abroad, but says he formulates a game plan and sticks to it.”As soon as I go outside my game plan, that’s when things seem to go wrong. For me, especially at the Test level, it’s about sticking it out there and spending as much time at the crease [as possible].”So what is his game plan?”I don’t want let too much into my secret, but it’s having shots you want to score from certain bowlers.”Obviously, as you’ve seen here [in India] and in the UAE, I love playing the sweep shot. It’s one of my favourite shots and a shot that seems to work really well for me.”I wouldn’t say I’ve put a massive focus on it. It’s just a shot that comes naturally to me. I probably find playing that easier than going down the ground.”Latham places emphasis also on emotional equanimity, especially in conditions where there is either exaggerated swing or turn. The attritional nature of his game, he says, requires both physical and mental fitness. “It’s about sticking to your game plan and believing in that plan to work, [even if] you have faced 30 dots,” he says. “You have to keep calm. What happened the ball before doesn’t matter now. You’ve got to regroup and focus on the next ball. The more times you can do that then it means hopefully you can score a lot of runs.Four of Tom Latham’s five Test hundreds have come overseas•AFP”I’ve done a little bit of work growing up in certain camps and winter-training groups arranged by New Zealand Cricket, a bit of mental stuff.”He says the conditions in India were the toughest he has faced and that it’s difficult to replicate this sort of environment while training back at home.”If you look at the scores I got in the Test matches [three fifties without a hundred], maybe I did run out of steam a little bit. I don’t think you can train for that back home in conditions that are so different. It’s about staying hydrated and being as fit as possible.”When you want to win games of cricket, you need those big scores. I have been in that position a lot this tour, and hopefully whenever I am in that position next time, I can kick on. It’s about doing things for longer over here. If you can keep [the bowlers] out for as long as possible, they are human and they will bowl bad balls. I suppose that’s the biggest learning for me – trying to do things for a little bit longer.”But it’s not that Latham altered his technique to get runs in the ODIs. What he altered was his mindset, while playing county cricket for Kent earlier this year. “I wouldn’t say I have done a huge focus on one-day cricket. It’s been more just groove the technical thing. It’s more of a mindset change than a technical change,” he says. “I was lucky enough to go over and play county cricket this year and found it really good just playing day in and day out and not training too much.”You are itching to play all three formats. For me, that’s been a big thing coming over here and improving my strike rate early on. Not necessarily my strike rate, but just a little more intent at the crease. I feel like I’ve done that recently well.”New Zealand’s journey to the World Cup final last year played an important role as well in kindling Latham’s desire to be a regular in the ODI set-up. Though part of the World Cup squad, he didn’t get a game. But he wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

“It’s been really nice I got the opportunity to open, and I certainly feel that position suits my game a lot, and it’s been a good couple of years”

“We had a hell of a side out there. It was an amazing six weeks for us. When you are in your own tricky situations, you draw experiences from them and believe that things can be done. It’s very motivating to want to play 50-over cricket.”As a young keeper, Latham grew up idolising Adam Gilchrist and Brendon McCullum, and he says it was “surreal” when he first got to share the dressing room with McCullum. More recently, Latham has benefited from his interactions with Williamson and Hesson.”Over the last two to three years, it’s been a nice time for New Zealand cricket. We have played some very good cricket and it’s an amazing culture we’ve got there. There are no rules or anything like that – we are all adults. What Brendon and Kane, and all of those guys, have brought to this group is belief.”With Kane [the conversations are] probably more about batting, and Kane is quite hooked about batting. I suppose we’ve got a similar sort of mindset on things and just to share ideas and see what he’s working on. A lot of things have come in handy – I am not going to say what, but it’s just good to chat about cricket; it’s a game we all love and we are all trying to better.”When it’s pointed out that some of his shots, like the back-foot punch, bear likeness to Kumar Sangakkara’s, Latham smiles and says he has read people say as much on social media. “He’s another one I have looked up to. It’s about trying to take little things they do and have your own spring on things. I’d certainly love to sit down with him, if I ever get a chance, and just talk batting.”Latham says outside of cricket he’s a quiet person who loves to spend time outdoors, mostly playing golf. But he’d also like to be a role model for youngsters in the way former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw was for him. “He has been pretty inspirational for a lot of New Zealanders, winning two World Cups back to back, and what he has done as a player is pretty cool.”If I carry on playing for the Black Caps, hopefully I can inspire people and they can look up to me. And it goes for everyone. We are all trying to do our best for our country and the support we get is amazing. Hopefully that continues.”

da apostebet： West Ham United chiefs are in “ongoing” talks over signing an England player for new manager Graham Potter, with a high-ranking Hammers source telling one news outlet that a move for him is very much on the cards.

West Ham working to back Graham Potter in January

da betway： So far, Potter has suffered two defeats in the West Ham dugout and one thrilling win at home to high-flying Fulham, but the former Chelsea boss has scarcely had any time to implement the philosophy which brought him so much success at Brighton.

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Potter is also working with Julen Lopetegui’s players, and is yet to make his first official new signing as manager. That isn’t for lack of trying, as the 49-year-old is believed to be “very” keen on exploring loan deals for Chelsea duo Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka (ExWHUemployee).

West Ham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Aston Villa (away)

January 26

Chelsea (away)

February 3

Brentford (home)

February 15

Arsenal (away)

February 22

Leicester City (home)

February 27

West Ham have also seen a new £57 million bid for Jhon Duran rejected out of hand, as their search for a new centre-forward to come in for injured duo Niclas Füllkrug and Michail Antonio carries on behind-the-scenes.

In any case, the east Londoners are working to back Potter at the London Stadium, and a new midfielder is believed to remain on their to-do list.

Another one of their reported targets, alongside the likes of Dewsbury-Hall and Chukwuemeka, is Lille midfielder Angel Gomes.

While this would be one for the summer, considering his contract expires at the end of this season, it is believed that West Ham are attempting to agree on a pre-contract with the Three Lions ace who earned his first ever international call-ups in late 2024.

The former Man United gem bagged eight assists across 31 Ligue 1 appearances for Lille last campaign, averaging a very impressive 91.3 per cent passing accuracy in their midfield (WhoScored), leaving little wonder the tidy, composed technician is attracting Premier League interest.

West Ham in "ongoing talks" with Angel Gomes over contract

According to a “senior” club source, speaking to Hammers News, West Ham are in “ongoing talks” with Gomes over signing for them – but they face stiff competition from London rivals Tottenham, who pose a “big” threat.

“Talks are ongoing but nothing is close and there’s competition given his status,” said the inside informant to Hammers News. “Tottenham are a big problem now.”

If Potter’s side can pip Ange Postecoglou to the 24-year-old’s signing, there is little denying he’d be an excellent coup, especially on a free deal.

“He’s the type of quality player you want your club looking at, obviously,” said pundit Paul Robinson to Tottenham News.

“He’s going to get more minutes at international level. He’s a top-quality player. A move back to the Premier League won’t be out of the question. If he’s playing at the top level, you want your club to be involved in the race.”