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Ricky Ponting insisted he was not let down by Australia’s dramatic near miss after watching an impregnable position turn into a gut-wrenching draw

Peter English at Cardiff12-Jul-2009Ricky Ponting insisted he was not let down by Australia’s dramatic near miss after watching an impregnable position turn into a gut-wrenching draw. The tourists were speeding towards a 1-0 Ashes lead until England’s final pair of James Anderson and Monty Panesar held on for 11.3 overs, sending 11 dispirited fielders to the dressing room.Ponting was disappointed with the failure to take the final wicket but will not mope in the lead-up to the second Test at Lord’s from Thursday. “It depends how you look at it, I’m not looking at this as a let-down,” he said. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t win, but I’m not let down by the way we played. From the time we started batting there was only one team that could have won the game. From an hour left in the day’s play, everyone here thought we would do that.”The result was still in doubt 15 minutes before the scheduled end, with Australia likely to have reached the required 13 runs if only they could have knocked over that last wicket. “We gave ourselves a great opportunity, we got extremely close, but stumbled at the last hurdle,” Ponting said. “But I’m very proud of what the guys achieved. We proved a lot to ourselves.”This was the first Ashes Test for seven of Australia’s men and they dominated their more experienced rivals on a surface offering slow turn and little for the fast bowlers. Nathan Hauritz led the side with 3 for 63 from 37 overs, proving his credentials as an international spinner, and Ben Hilfenhaus also grabbed three victims, although he was the least-used of the specialists.Needing 239 to make Australia bat again, England were in desperate trouble at 159 for 7, but the resistance grew in strength when Graeme Swann joined Paul Collingwood. From there none of the wickets came easily and the visitors started to fluster before the match finished with England 252 for 9.For the final five overs Ponting used a tired Hauritz in combination with the part-time offspinner Marcus North, instead of continuing with Peter Siddle or recalling Hilfenhaus or Mitchell Johnson. The tactic didn’t work and Anderson and Panesar were able to defend or stay out of danger. “When they put North on, I thought we’ve got a good chance,” Anderson said. “Monty was playing very well and we were communicating well.””We were running a bit short of time,” Ponting said of the decisions. “Once they forged that last partnership we needed to get as many balls into their batsmen. A few other minutes were being taken up by other things. With two left-handers being in, and two offspinners being on, I thought we could create some chances.”If Andrew Strauss was in charge he would have waved to Johnson. “I could understand what [Ponting] was doing but personally I thought Mitchell Johnson would have been harder for these two to face,” he said. “Each captain sees things differently, I suppose.”Australia held on by a wicket at Old Trafford on their last visit to England, but by the next Test at Trent Bridge the hosts had re-grouped and won to take the series lead. Ponting hopes this result will galvanise his team for Lord’s.”We’ve got to realise how well we played, it will be hard for the guys to realise that over the next hour,” he said. “That’s what I’ll be saying. We just have to have a good attitude around the ground when we start training again on Tuesday.”He felt England would have the greater problems heading into Lord’s despite the strength of their late rally. “I’m not sure if they look at it like a win, they’re not 1-0 up, and they’ve been outplayed for four days,” Ponting said. “They’ll have more soul-searching and selection issues than we will.”

Following a 2-1 victory over League Two side Mansfield Town in the Papa John’s Trophy in midweek, Sheffield Wednesday are back in League One action this afternoon with a clash against Bolton Wanderers.

Ahead of the match at Hillsborough, Owls manager Darren Moore revealed in his latest press conference that all members of his squad are fit and available to play. 

Taking thar into account, here’s how we feel Wednesday will line up against Bolton, with several changes from the starting XI which faced Mansfield.

Changes ahead

In goal, with Bailey Peacock-Farrell still away on international duty, it seems pretty certain that Joe Wildsmith, who played in midweek, will keep his place in the team.

At centre-back, we think Dominic Iorfa will return to the team in place of Lewis Gibson, who only played 45 minutes in midweek after struggling with his fitness, to partner Chey Dunkley. In the full-back positions, Moore could stick with Marvin Johnson at left-back and restore Liam Palmer to the team at right-back in place of Jack Hunt, who played in midweek.

In midfield, we think Wednesday will start with Lewis Wing, who scored against Mansfield and earned a higher match rating (8.5/10) than any other Owls player on the day according to SofaScore. Next to him, Moore could bring Barry Bannan back into the starting XI to captain the team and replace Oluwafisayo Dele-Bashiru.

For Wednesday’s attack, we think Moore will reward Theo Corbeanu with his first league start of the season after his assist in midweek. On the left wing, Sylla Sow could drop out of the team, with Olamide Shodipo returning to the starting XI.

Finally, we can see Moore going with Lee Gregory and Callum Paterson up top considering that the duo have a combined total of four goals and three assists in the league. They replace Saido Berahino and Florian Kamberi, despite the latter scoring against Mansfield.

All in all, we envisage six changes to the side which started at Field Mill on Tuesday night as the Owls turn their focus back to League One matters.

In other news: Moore must ruthlessly axe “wonderful” Wednesday ace v Bolton, he was shocking on Tuesday

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope has delivered a new update on where things currently stand with Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce.

What’s the story?

Following the completion of the takeover last week, all signs have pointed towards an imminent exit for Bruce, and while that hasn’t happened just yet, Hope has insisted it appears to be a case of when, not if.

He said: “Meanwhile, head coach Steve Bruce remains in post having met with Amanda Staveley at the training ground on Monday. However, it was always understood that it would take until at least the middle of the week before removing Bruce ahead of Sunday’s visit of Spurs.

“The focus of the new owners remains on the managerial situation, with appointments such as sporting director and chief executive to follow in due course.

“Sources have played down the likelihood of Frank Lampard being the man to take charge, although they have also stressed that many options are on the table given the number of voices involved in the process.”

Fans will be excited

Make no mistake about it, Bruce being axed would be the kind of first era-defining move that the club’s new owners could make.

The Magpies boss has been under fire from supporters for a long time now, and getting rid of him before this weekend’s Premier League clash against Tottenham seems like the perfect time to breathe some fresh air into the club.

Hope’s update that the new owners will be removing Bruce from his post is sure to reassure fans who might have been worried about the lack of action on that front up until now.

And, the suggestion that there are a number of voices involved in deciding who the next man at the helm should be is exciting reading, given when you think the kind of small pool of power that existed during Mike Ashley’s regime.

Newcastle fans will surely be excited at the prospect of a new era.

Meanwhile, Newcastle could sign this former Premier League star for free…

Andrew Flintoff appears ever more likely to miss out on selection for tomorrow’s fourth Test at Headingley, after struggling visibly during a 40-minute nets session

Andrew Miller at Headingley06-Aug-2009Andrew Flintoff appears ever more likely to miss out on selection for tomorrow’s fourth Test at Headingley, after struggling visibly during a 40-minute nets session on the eve of the match. Flintoff received two injections in his damaged right knee ahead of the Edgbaston Test last week, and so cannot undergo any more this week on medical advice. He bowled with a heavy knee brace, but was unable to hit the crease with any of his customary pace and power, before returning to the dressing room at 11.10am.The session was the first time that Flintoff had bowled since his lacklustre display on the final day at Edgbaston, in which he bowled just 11 overs, and none at all in the final session. England have insisted they will take the emotion out of the decision over whether Flintoff plays in what could be the Ashes-deciding Test, but on the available evidence his knee is some way short of the requisite fitness to last for five days.When asked if Flintoff was in a better situation fitness-wise than he had been in the lead-up to Edgbaston, England’s captain, Andrew Strauss, was non-committal. “He did a fair amount of bowling today, but with such things it’s not about the pain he experienced while he’s bowling, but the swelling there is afterwards, and how sore it is,” he said. “At this stage it’s hard to know, because I haven’t had a chance to speak to him fully.”He got the ball through but he didn’t look like he was 100%,” Strauss conceded. “Sometimes a bowler doesn’t want to hit 100% in the day before a game, and so it was more about how he was feeling with his knee, but until I’ve spoken to him at length, it’s hard to say. I’m still optimistic he will be fine to play, but we won’t know until later on this evening.”The hosts have a 14-man squad and a 1-0 lead, and are adamant that they will delay their decision as long as necessary, even if that leads to uncertainty among the players on the fringes of selection. “In situations like this you tell people to prepare to play, and if they don’t, then at least they’ve prepared,” said Strauss. “It’s not an ideal situation, but that is the situation we’re in. If he’s fit enough to play a full part we desperately want him to play. If he’s not then it’s wrong of us to pick him.”Either way, Strauss said Flintoff would not be permitted the final say in his own selection. “It will be my decision ultimately,” he said. “You’ve got to take the player’s point of view on board and listen to that very carefully, because he knows his body better than anyone. You’ve got to take the medical opinion on board as well, because they’ve got an idea of what might happen if he plays. But ultimately it’s a decision for myself and the coach. We won’t know that until later today until we see how he reacts to what he did today in the nets.””We’re going to have to [take the emotion out],” Strauss said. “It’s the fourth Test of an Ashes series, we’re close to the finish line and although we’re all desperate for him to play, we need to be realistic enough to realise that if he’s not fit then he shouldn’t play.”When you’re captain, you’re motivated by what’s good for the team, and obviously if him playing has a detrimental effect on the team, then it’s wrong to make that decision on sentimental grounds. Fred would appreciate that. The last thing he wants to happen is to play and not be able to fulfil a role in the game. That’s a pretty bad situation to be in as an individual. I’m sure he’ll be honest with us, and sentimentality is pushed to the back of all our minds really.”Flintoff was England’s main man on the final day at Lord’s when he took five wickets to guide them to victory, but his discomfort seemed to increase as the third Test wore on. He scored a muscular 74 in the side’s only innings at Edgbaston and did not make a breakthrough in 30 overs.England’s inflated outfit includes the batsman Jonathan Trott and bowlers Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Harmison, whose chances of playing improve considerably if Flintoff is ruled out, a fact that he seemed to recognise as he tore in with venom at Ravi Bopara in the nets, in full view of his captain. “We’ve covered all bases with the squad we’ve picked,” Strauss said. “We will have to wait to see how Fred is. In a way there are potentially hard decisions to make.””Harmison is a genuine option to play in this Test match,” said Strauss. “It’s fantastic to have a squad where you’ve got guys of that quality waiting to get in. Ryan Sidebottom bowled magnificently today as well. There’s been a lot of cases in the past where we’ve been struggling to get three decent seamers on the park, and suddenly we’ve got five or six of them queueing up to play. That’s a pretty good situation rather than a bad one.”By early next week Strauss could be an Ashes-winning captain and he told his players they would have to deal with the extra demands at Headingley. They will not be employing a cautious approach even though the pitch at The Oval, the venue for the final match, is likely to favour another stalemate.”Coming here expecting there to be a draw, or hoping to be a draw, is the wrong way to go,” he said. “It’s not the way we’re looking to approach it, we’re looking to win the game and in doing so win the Ashes. It’s a massive Test and, as always is the case in an Ashes series, the closer you get to the finish, it becomes more dramatic and the pressure and expectation rise a level.”

Out of sorts, out of the team and still out of England reckoning. Dele Alli could be feeling a sense of deja vu at Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Had Jose Mourinho remained in charge in north London, then there was always going to be a chance that the 25-year-old had moved onto pastures new but after the Portuguese’s sacking, he was given a new lease of life under new manager Nuno Santo.

And after starting their opening six league games, it certainly looked as if the England midfielder was going to be an influential figure under the 47-year-old.

However, he was a half-time casualty during their embarrassing defeat to arch-rivals Arsenal in the north London derby several weeks ago and has not featured since.

In his absence, Spurs have won back-to-back matches, ending a run of three straight heavy defeats with him in the side.

The £27m-rated star was restricted to only 1,355 minutes across all competitions last season, in which just 617 were in the Premier League as Mourinho did not favour him whatsoever – hardly a surprise after dubbing him “lazy” in more colourful terms during training, as seen in their ‘All or Nothing’ docuseries.

Football Insider even reported in September that Spurs were considering selling him, with sources claiming that he is ‘difficult to manage behind the scenes’ and is an ‘inconsistent trainer.’

Alli was a player known for bringing goals and creativity from midfield and at just 25, he should be continuing to elevate his game heading into the peak years of his career.

Back in 2016/17, the 6 foot 2 dynamo provided 18 goals and seven assists in one Premier League season alone. By comparison, he has delivered only nine goals and five assists since the start of the 2019/20 season, as per WhoScored.

His old form earned serious comparisons to the likes of Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard but after clinching 37 caps, he has not been called up by Gareth Southgate in over two years – his last appearance coming in the UEFA Nations League third-placed playoff in June 2019.

Lilywhites legend Darren Anderton described Alli as a “freak of a talent” who is “a real joy to watch” after that lucrative goalscoring campaign, yet we’ve not seen such returns in a long, long time.

Nuno’s recent decision to axe him from his regular starting XI must be a major cause for concern for Alli, even more so as the side appear to be winning without him and Tanguy Ndombele’s recent form certainly makes his chances of breaking back in even more difficult.

Heading into the winter transfer window and beyond, the 25-year-old star may well be fighting for his future in N17.

AND in other news, Paratici could land Nuno’s next Neves in Spurs swoop for £18.9m-rated “special player”…

Shane Watson believes Australia can deal with the increase in pressure and “argy bargy” as the Ashes reaches its business end

Peter English05-Aug-2009Shane Watson is desperate for Australia to lift their intensity to match England at Headingley from Friday as they battle to stay in the Ashes. The tourists must win the fourth Test to have a chance of taking the series and Watson believes his team can deal with the increase in pressure and “argy bargy” as the contest peaks.”We need to raise the intensity,” Watson said after Australia’s training session on Wednesday. “We’ve been able to do it for a period of time, but we haven’t been able to do it consistently, to keep it going for the whole five days. That’s something we know we need to achieve to win this series.”The sides became engaged in frequent on-field arguments during the third Test when the Australians, who were led by Mitchell Johnson, vowed to get in the faces of the home batsmen. It added a further element to an already gripping campaign while showing the strain from both camps as the players seek to land the winning blow.Watson has predicted more edge at Leeds. “Yeah, definitely,” he said. “It’s getting closer to the end. It’s great to have some competitive banter out there. Everyone’s going hammer and tongs to give yourself the best chance of winning and there’s normally a bit of friction in the crowd as well.”After taking Phillip Hughes’ spot at Edgbaston, Watson stepped up with two half-centuries as an opener and will face more close examinations in his new role this week. If it’s cloudy at Headlingley the ball will move consistently through the air, but if it’s sunny the surface should be excellent for batting.Watson is usually a middle-order player and has had to tone down his style to cope with life at the top of the order in England. “When the ball is swinging around you can’t be as aggressive as you would be batting in the middle order, but it’s something that I really enjoy the challenge of,” he said. “Playing against a brand new ball is great fun.”It wasn’t the start of the innings that troubled Watson in Birmingham, but what happened when he started to think of reaching three figures. He was out for 62 on the second morning, having spent the previous night wondering how far he would get, and survived a torrid period from Andrew Flintoff on the final day before succumbing to James Anderson.He was struck on the arm trying to avoid a Flintoff lifter but seemed convincing when he said he liked the experience of facing England’s hero. “I have felt confident out there once I got going,” he said. “With the short ball that hit me, that is part and parcel of dealing with guys who can bowl fast. It didn’t hurt too much so it was okay.”While Watson’s second match as opener is a subplot to the game, everything comes back to how Australia will cope over the next week as they try to stay in the series. “There’s pressure definitely on us,” he said. “We’ve got to be at our best in the last two Tests for us to be able to achieve the things we want to achieve.”

Leeds United journalist Phil Hay has dropped an update on Raphinha, regarding his availability next weekend…

What’s the latest?

The Athletic journalist has revealed that the winger could have been involved against Southampton at the weekend after returning from international duty with Brazil.

Raphinha ended up watching on from the stands, with Marcelo Bielsa opting to hand him a rest, but it does mean that he should be fine to face Wolves next weekend. His isolation after returning from his own country will not rule him out of any matches after the Premier League reached an agreement with FIFA.

Delight

Leeds fans will surely be delighted by this news as it indicates that Raphinha will be able to line up from the start against Wolves at Elland Road on Saturday. He was a huge miss against Southampton last Saturday as they lost 1-0 to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side and lacked the spark he provides out wide.

The Brazil international has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.10 in the Premier League this season, the highest score within the first-team squad. This highlights his importance to the side and why his absence was felt at St. Mary’s as he watched Jack Harrison and Dan James struggle out wide.

In the 2020/21 campaign, his teammate Patrick Bamford lauded the quality he has by providing a training anecdote. He told Sky Sports:

“I think, to be honest, he has been a steal for Leeds. I am surprised. As soon as he came in, you saw him in training, you know sometimes with players whether they are good or they are top-class, and he really was. He stood out straight away.

“I am surprised that bigger teams, more established Premier League teams I should say, haven’t taken a punt on him because he really is someone special, and he is young.”

The wing wizard enjoyed a sensational first season at Elland Road. He produced six goals and nine assists in 26 starts for the club in the top-flight, showing that he has the quality to score and assist on a regular basis. This suggests that he could have been the difference for Leeds against Southampton at the weekend, which is why they missed him.

However, fans will now be buzzing to read that he is likely to be fit enough to feature against Wolves in the club’s next match. Hopefully, he will be able to provide a timely reminder of the impact he can have on the side with a crucial goal or assist to win the match for the Whites.

AND in other news, 12 duels won: Leeds warrior with six tackles was a shining light vs Southampton…

Following an extensive enquiry into the events that led to the abandonment of the second Twenty20 between England and Australia, the ECB has recommended that a reserve playing surface should be prepared for all future international fixtures

Cricinfo staff11-Sep-2009Following an extensive enquiry into the events that led to the abandonment of the second Twenty20 between England and Australia, the ECB has recommended that a reserve playing surface should be prepared for all future international fixtures, and that – in the event of the sort of exceptional circumstances that forced the cancellation of the September 1 contest – an amendment to the playing conditions should be sought to ensure that the match goes ahead regardless – which, in the case of that particular Twenty20 fixture, might have involved bowling all overs from one end.The ECB launched their enquiry after the on-field umpires, Peter Hartley and Nigel Llong, were forced to abandon the match primarily because of what they considered to be a ‘dangerous’ and ‘unstable’ area on the bowlers’ run up at the Brian Statham End of the ground. It was also deemed that there were other areas of the ground that were ‘marginal’ in terms of their suitability for international cricket.The enquiry determined that the cause of the problem was the fact that the new drainage system, installed at Old Trafford in the winter of 2008-09, did not include parts of what is to become the new square in 2011, when the surface is relayed to face North-South, as opposed to East-West as it does currently. To do so, the ECB said, would have resulted in further extensive works having to take place in 2010.The safety of the players was deemed to have been paramount in making the decision, and although Lancashire were able to start their County Championship match against Sussex the following day, the umpire for that match, Neil Mallender, stated that he would not have declared the ground fit for international cricket. Nevertheless, the ECB report exonerated Lancashire for their part in the abandonment, praising their ground covers as “excellent”, and pointing out that there had been an unusual volume of rain in the days leading up to the match, exposing those parts of the ground without the new drainage.The report made six recommendations in all: That as soon as the square at Old Trafford is relocated in Autumn 2010 the drainage is further reviewed to ensure all areas outside the square benefit from the enhanced drainage system. To recommend to ICC that the abandonment of matches whilst remaining in the sole control of the umpires is only made after consultation with the ground authority. The safety of players must remain an overriding criteria if there is a substantive risk of serious injury. To recommend to ICC that conditions must be safe to preserve the integrity of the match and due care for the players but in marginal conditions play should be maximised. In the case of abandoned T20 matches the Home Board should have the right to reschedule the fixture if a venue be available and is feasible within 24 – 48 hours . All Category A and B venues be required to prepare two playing surfaces which shall be a minimum of 5 metres apart for major matches. That in consultation with the Home Board the ICC Match Referee and the captains should have the power to amend the playing regulations to seek to provide play . David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said: “We thank Gordon Hollins, the ECB’s head of venue partnerships, for his thorough investigation of the events surrounding this abandonment. We are bitterly disappointed for the 17,000 spectators who had spent time and money attending the match and aim to do everything in our powers to ensure play whenever possible.”The Board have received a series of recommendations which they will now progress – including the suggestion that drainage facilities and permanent floodlights for matches awarded from 2011 become a significant part of the balanced scorecard used when the Major Match Group award such matches.”The ECB will also recommend a new match protocol for International Twenty20 to the ICC as a matter of urgency.

Indian skipper MS Dhoni has been named as captain of the Test Team of the Year, as he was for the ODI team of the year.

Cricinfo staff01-Oct-2009Indian skipper MS Dhoni has been named as captain of the Test Team of the Year, as he was for the ODI team of the year. Twelve players from six countries were included in the line-up, chosen by a specially appointed selection panel chaired by former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd. South African fast bowler Dale Steyn was the only player making the cut from the 2008 Test Team of the Year.Lloyd was joined on the panel by former Indian captain Anil Kumble, ex-Pakistan allrounder Mudassar Nazar, former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming and ex-England wicketkeeper Bob Taylor.World Test Team of the Year: Gautam Gambhir (India), Andrew Strauss (England), AB de Villiers (South Africa), Sachin Tendulkar (India), Thilan Samaraweera (Sri Lanka), Michael Clarke (Australia), MS Dhoni (India, capt & wk), Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Mitchell Johnson (Australia), Stuart Broad (England), Dale Steyn (South Africa), Harbhajan Singh (India, 12th man)

Leeds United travel away to The Emirates tonight as they go in search of progress through to the fifth round of the competition.

They face Arsenal after holding Wolves to a 1-1 draw at the weekend in the Premier League, with the Whites sat just above the relegation zone as it stands.

Rodrigo scored a last-minute penalty for Leeds after Hee-Chan Hwang’s opening goal for Wolves and Marcelo Bielsa could make changes to his side to freshen things up for this cup clash.

Get Rid

One player he must ruthlessly axe from the team is left-winger Jack Harrison, as the forward struggled badly at the weekend and is having a difficult season.

Per SofaScore, he lost 100% of his duels against Bruno Lage’s Wolves. He failed in all seven of his individual battles and only completed 67% of his passes, whilst failing to complete either of his two attempted dribbles either.

His statistics over the course of the Premier League campaign do not make for much better reading. The winger is yet to contribute with a goal or assist in eight matches, losing 66% of his duels and giving away possession 15.9 times per match.

This shows that he is currently in poor form and the performance against Wolves was simply the tip of the iceberg, which is why Bielsa must axe him. He should be dropped from the XI for this cup tie with Arsenal to give others a chance to impress.

On the one hand, you can look at it as a ruthless axing from the team in the sense that his performances do not warrant a place in the starting line-up. He has not shown enough consistently this season to prove that he deserves to start and that is one of the reasons why the manager should name him on the substitute’s bench.

On the other hand, it could be a tactic to motivate Harrison to up his game. He may spend his time on the bench wondering what he could do to improve and then put that into place in training in an attempt to impress Bielsa and win his starting berth back for Sunday’s trip to Carrow Road to face 20th-placed Norwich.

Therefore, Bielsa must drop Harrison down to the bench to, firstly, improve the team in the immediate future and, secondly, to motivate him to train harder and get back to his best.

AND in other news, “From what I’ve gauged”: Leeds journo makes key transfer claim that should excite fans…