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Australia’s leaders held a call on Wednesday night to discuss tensions between the players and the coach

Alex Malcolm20-Aug-2021Australia Test captain Tim Paine has vowed the players will work with embattled coach Justin Langer over the next six months following a “robust” emergency zoom meeting between Cricket Australia’s leaders on Wednesday.CA chairman Earl Eddings and CEO Nick Hockley held a zoom call with Paine, Australia’s limited-overs captain Aaron Finch, and vice-captain Pat Cummins on the same day Hockley issued a public statement supporting Langer.Speaking on his own radio show Paine confirmed he had spoken to Langer personally over the last 48 hours while the coach was in hotel quarantine in Adelaide, following a flurry of media speculation about tensions between the players and the coach.”There’s no hiding from it, it’s been a tough week, certainly for Justin Langer than it has been for anyone else,” Paine said. “We’ve had some really robust conversations among our leaders in the last few days and we’re really looking forward to the next six months with JL.”We’re looking forward to the World Cup, we’re looking forward to the Ashes, it’s an exciting period for any cricketer. If anything, I think we’re heading into that tournament and series even more galvanised and even more together.”It was important that myself, Aaron Finch, Pat Cummins, and the leaders of Australian cricket got around him, discussed things that needed to be discussed, and then got around him and supported him and looked to move forward.”There’s no doubt the week has been difficult for him, but as I said the last few days, we’ve been able to galvanise around him, to have some really robust discussions on where we want to take this cricket team, what we expect of him and what he expects of us. The T20 World Cup and the Ashes are probably two of the biggest things that any Australian cricket and any Australian coach want’s to be a part of and we’re all on the same page and can’t wait to get started on both of those huge projects for us.”Related

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Paine admitted that the issues which had bubbled over this week were not new but was at pains to stress the team’s decline in form over the past 18 months in both Test and T20 cricket should not be blamed entirely on the coach.”The stuff that was reported if we’re totally honest wasn’t anything new, this is stuff that’s been dragged up from an Ashes series two or three years ago, Paine said.”We’ve had ongoing discussions with JL. JL’s had ongoing discussions with me and his players about us always wanting to get better.”It’s just been a bit of shame, I think, in the last week that a lot of the failings around Australian cricket have been pinned on JL. That’s certainly not the case. We haven’t lived up to our own standards on the field. We haven’t won enough games of cricket and that’s pretty much put us all under pressure.””But that’s the world we live in. We’re playing professional sport. You’re judged really harshly when you don’t win. We’ve clearly had a bit of a rough trot with white-ball cricket. The red-ball team hasn’t been playing. So there’s been a lot of sitting around and a lot of chatting.”Australia have played just four Tests since January 2020, which has left a lot of time for the series loss to India last summer to fester. Paine said his next task was to speak to each player individually and in groups over the phone.”I think in the next few days, no doubt with what has gone on, we’ll be looking to get the group together, whether that’s in small groups on a zoom call,” Paine said. “It’s obviously impossible to get face to face at the moment with half of our team in quarantine in Adelaide and the other half in lockdown in New South Wales.”What we’re doing this week is trying to get everyone on a number of calls. Take them along for the journey with what we have discussed and decided on over the last few days and how we want to take this team forward.”

The transfer window finally came to a close on Friday night, and it would be fair to say that Tottenham Hotspur enjoyed a successful summer of business.

Ange Postecoglou's squad has been made much more robust with the additions of Dominic Solanke, Wilson Odobert and Archie Gray, and while some fans may have been hoping for a last-minute deal, there simply wasn't the need for one.

The Lilywhites' fierce rivals Arsenal, on the other hand, were forced to engage in some last-minute panic buying as they secured the services of Raheem Sterling on a season-long loan following a summer of constant links to attacking talent.

The former Manchester City ace is a Premier League veteran at this point and will likely be a useful player for the Gunners, but Spurs fans can rest easy in the knowledge that they already have a winger who's worth substantially more than the Englishman.

Raheem Sterling's valuation in 2024

Sterling completed his season-long loan move to Arsenal on deadline day last week, and while the Gunners didn't pay a fee for the Chelsea ace, we know that his current valuation is around €46m thanks to Football Transfers, which converts to about £39m.

While this is still a reasonably impressive valuation, it's significantly lower than it was just over a year ago, when Football Transfers priced the 29-year-old at around €71m, which is about £60m.

The reason for this collapse in the player's valuation is likely two-fold. The first reason is that, after starring in a brilliant City team for so many years and racking up an incredible haul of 204 goals and assists in just 339 games, the Kingston-born dynamo has struggled to have the same level of impact at Stamford Bridge, where he has racked up 31 goals and assists in 81 appearances.

This brings us to the second potential reason his price has fallen so dramatically: the Blues were clearly trying to get rid of him over the last few weeks. After all, if a team clearly no longer wants their own player, why would said player's valuation increase?

In all, while the 82-capped international will probably be able to contribute at the Emirates, he's not the player he once was, and Spurs already have a winger who is worth millions more than him.

Dejan Kulusevski's valuation in 2024

Yes, the player in question is Swedish superstar Dejan Kulusevski, who joined the North Londoners on an initial 18-month loan deal in January 2022 under former managing director Fabio Paratici.

The talented winger's move was made permanent for around £26m in June 2023, although according to Football Transfers, he is currently worth around €57m, which converts to about £48m, or £9m more than Sterling's new valuation.

Now, that might seem like a lot of money for a player who has been somewhat inconsistent during his time in North London, but when the former Juventus ace is at his best, he is an incredible asset to have in the team.

Appearances

99

Goals

15

Assists

20

Goal Involvements per Match

0.35

For example, in his 99 appearances for the Lilywhites, the "special player", as described by Sky Sports reporter Jamie Weir, has scored 15 goals and provided 20 assists, meaning he's averaged a goal involvement every 2.82 games for the club, which is more impressive when taking into account the football played under former manager Antonio Conte.

That said, this is set to be a big season for the 24-year-old, as he's now at the age in which he needs to nail down a regular starting spot in the team, and given his raw ability, there is no reason why he couldn't do that.

Ultimately, while Sterling is the winger grabbing headlines at the moment, Tottenham have a far more valuable player in Kulusevski in their squad.

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New Zealand captain Sophie Devine has opened up on her decision to take a break from the game at the end of last season, with her fatigue having reached a point where she did not feel able to do herself or her team justice.Devine stepped away after the first T20I against Australia in late March – following a run of seven internationals that brought a top score of 17 – and revealed she did not think about the game for about two months. She is now back with the New Zealand squad as part of their first winter training camp in Christchurch and wants to retain the captaincy ahead of a 12-month period that includes a tour of England, the home one-day World Cup and the Commonwealth Games.”Looking back, and hindsight is a wonderful thing, it had probably been bubbling away for a little while,” Devine said. “For me I just knew I couldn’t do a job. It’s the same thing as if I broke a leg or pulled my hamstring – if I can’t complete the job to 100% then I need to take a serious look if I’m worthy of being in that team. And at that stage, I couldn’t live up to my role, what I expect of myself, as well as what my team-mates expect of me.”I had my own little bubble for probably two months and spent that time going back to simple things, spending time away from cricket first and foremost and spending it with loved ones which was really important. I needed to get back to what makes me feel good. I had fantastic support which made it easier for me, wasn’t having to worry about expectations. I really did switch off from everyone and everything which I needed to do at that time.”Amy Satterthwaite stepped into the captaincy against Australia but Devine said her commitment to the role had never wavered. “I certainly do want to keep with it, that’s something that has stayed throughout.”While not singling out one factor that led her to the point of taking the break, Devine acknowledged the challenges presented by Covid-19. Last year she was part of the New Zealand squad that had two weeks quarantine in Brisbane before facing Australia, was then part of the WBBL hub in Sydney and then did two more weeks of quarantine on returning home.”Covid has certainly thrown a spanner in the works and spending time in numerous different bubbles and quarantine, it’s a bizarre environment,” she said. “Think it was a combination of a lot of different things.”Devine has been working with New Zealand Cricket’s psychologist Natalie Hogg to put in place strategies if she feels she is having difficulties again, and also hopes her situation encourages others to speak out or seek help if they need it.Sophie Devine is crucial to New Zealand with bat and ball•Getty Images

“Hopefully it doesn’t happen again, but it might and hopefully I’m in a better position to deal with it if those things do come up. And I can share my stories with others to know it’s okay to be able to step away. It’s not just athletes, it’s everyone. We need to create that space for people to be able to talk about mental health.”It seems to be quite topical at the moment, the really important thing to keep remembering is we are humans too – humans first and athletes second. We are not shying away from the fact that we know we are going to scrutinised from the public, media, everything and we don’t want to step away from that. It’s just remembering behind the helmet, the bat and the pads there’s a person under there too.”Joining Devine back in the New Zealand set-up at the training camp which has been largely focused on fitness testing has been Suzie Bates, who had shoulder surgery six months ago which ruled her out of the home summer.Bates has picked up a bat again over the last month and is confident that she is on track to return to action. She admitted she found it tough being around the game in the initial part of her recovery which included a commentary role, but by the end of the season was eager to be involved.”It was an interesting experience. The first tour against England I wanted nothing to do with it, but with commentating I couldn’t help it, but then the Aussie series I felt like I wanted to be back around the group just trying to help because I could sense that individuals were struggling a bit.”It was a tough summer but I’m absolutely fizzed that I haven’t missed a World Cup. All going well my shoulder will be fit to play a full part again.”In my White Ferns career this is probably the most exciting 12 months that we’ve got with a home World Cup and a Commonwealth Games. So when I was sat at home feeling a bit sorry for myself, to know those two tournaments were ahead of us was really exciting.”

Potentially rounding off a solid summer transfer window, Nottingham Forest are reportedly weighing up a move to sign a former Serie A winner who's full of top-level experience.

Nottingham Forest transfer news

Those at the City Ground have enjoyed a fairly successful summer window, which started with Elliot Anderson and has since continued with arrivals such as Nikola Milenkovic, Ramon Sosa and Jota Silva, among others. Silva, of course, has already started winning over his new fans, scoring on his home debut to level things up against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup before the Magpies advanced on penalties.

Even after an impressive window so far, however, Forest could look to end with a bang before things slam shut on Friday. Handing Nuno Espirito Santo one last reinforcement may even prove to be the difference between safety and relegation and potentially breaking into the Premier League's mid-table, especially if they add the experience of one particular player.

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According to The Sun's Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Nottingham Forest are now weighing up a move to sign Neto from Bournemouth, with the arrival of Kepa Arrizabalaga likely ending the shot-stopper's time as Andoni Iraola's number one for the Cherries.

Neto, of course, has been there and done it at the very top with two Serie A titles to his name from his time at Juventus, as well as a Spanish Cup at Barcelona. It shouldn't be forgotten, either, that the job that he did as Bournemouth's number one, playing an important part in their progression.

Even at 35 years old, the Brazilian more than earned his reported £50,000-a-week at Bournemouth and could now round off Forest's summer window, adding crucial experience as a result.

"Great" Neto can still become Forest number one

Despite a solid window, there remains question marks over Forest's goalkeeper department. Matz Sels doesn't represent a convincing option and new man Carlos Miguel may lack the top level experience to become a Premier League number one. And that opens the door for Neto to maintain his place as a Premier League starter.

Premier League stats 23/24 (via FBref)

Neto

Matz Sels

Saves per 90

3.44

2.17

Save Percentage

69.7%

60.2%

Pass Accuracy

65.3%

71.7%

Clean Sheets

7

4

Neto's save percentage was particularly impressive compared to Sels' last season and highlights the upgrade that Forest would be getting by signing the Brazilian before the deadline.

The goalkeeper has earned plenty of praise throughout an illustrious career, including from former Bournemouth boss Gary O'Neil, who told the Bournemouth Echo after Neto signed a new deal: “I have a real good relationship with Neto. He's a good goalie firstly, and then he's a great guy, he's a leader.

“The impact he's had on the group since he's arrived, obviously he's only been here a fairly short time, but the impact he's had on the group has been huge. Delighted, obviously, to secure his services for longer."

Gregory plays aggressor during 98-run stand as Middlesex let winning positions slip

Matt Roller11-Apr-2021

A nerveless, unbroken stand of 98 in 19 overs between George Bartlett and Lewis Gregory took Somerset to an improbable win at Lord’s, as they chased down their target of 285 with four wickets to spare.Victory had appeared unthinkable, both when they fell to 89 for 9 in their first innings and when Middlesex had compiled a lead of 254 with seven second-innings wickets in hand, but two spirited fightbacks – with Jack Leach at the centre on both occasions – set up an attainable target under cloud cover and floodlights on the third afternoon. Tom Abell’s fluent half-century laid the foundation before bad light and drizzle brought an early close, and once he had found his rhythm again under blue skies on the final morning, Somerset became favourites for the first time in the match.Cricket to pay respect to Prince Philip

Play in the County Championship next Saturday will pause between 2.50pm and 4.10pm, to coincide with the funeral of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. The ECB has also recommended that play in recreational cricket stops between 3pm and 4pm, enabling players to observe the one minute’s silence at 3pm.

Then, a twist. Ethan Bamber took two wickets in 13 balls – Abell edging behind, Steven Davies trapped lbw by an in-ducker – to peg the chase back, and when Tim Murtagh induced the thinnest of edges from Craig Overton on the stroke of lunch as the clouds began to roll in, it seemed that the chase would prove too steep even for Somerset’s long batting line-up.But Gregory, fresh from a first-innings five-for, strode out after the interval and realised after poking defensively at his second ball, which jagged past his outside edge, that there was nothing to be gained from hanging in while Murtagh was nibbling it around. Instead, he used his considerable limited-overs experience to thrash 62 not out off 72 balls, dominating the seventh-wicket stand alongside the more reserved Bartlett. Gregory crashed Bamber through the covers to level the scores just as the drizzle returned, then clipped him behind square on the leg side to draw a guttural roar from the Somerset balcony.Bartlett has prevailed in tough situations before in his Somerset career, most memorably in another successful chase at Edgbaston two summers ago, but this innings – which spanned nearly four hours – was one of his best. It was not always pretty – plenty of his runs came through third man – but his support role in partnership with Gregory was vital. He was particularly strong cutting and pulling against the change bowlers, and vindicated the decision to pick him ahead of Eddie Byrom.Defeat would have left Somerset stuck in the red, following the rollover of their eight-point pitch penalty into the 2021 season, but instead they will head into their local derby against Gloucestershire on Thursday feeling bullish. “We tried not to read too much into it [the points deduction],” Abell said afterwards, “but this has done our confidence the world of good.”We speak about it quite often: it’s one thing being good as front-runners, but it’s another thing when your backs are against the wall, coming from behind in games and still getting results. The mindset was really positive, with the way we’d got ourselves back into the game. We let ourselves down in the first innings – I don’t think that was a true reflection of the wicket or how good we are as players – and we wanted to put that right.”Related

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Abell’s own innings in the cold had set things up overnight, in a 79-run stand with Tom Banton for the second wicket, and with Gregory finishing things off with his counterpunch after lunch, all three of Somerset’s Covid contingent made significant contributions despite their abbreviated pre-season following three weeks in solitary confinement. “When we were in the field yesterday and it was freezing cold, I said to Lewis, ‘It could be worse – at least we’re not in hotel isolation in Karachi’,” Abell said. “We’re so happy to be back playing for Somerset – it’s very special to be back with the group, and to get the first win is even sweeter.”For Middlesex, this was a chastening loss. Stuart Law had dished out some hard truths in the dressing room on Saturday night, but all five of their bowlers conceded more than three runs an over across the third innings and struggled to keep a lid on the scoring rate. Leach’s success in the holding role served to highlight the lack of a spinner in the Middlesex attack – though Thilan Wallawawita might well have played if he had been fit – and Stevie Eskinazi, the stand-in captain, was not proactive enough on the final day, particular when Gregory was seizing the initiative after lunch. He will be relieved to hear that Peter Handscomb should be out of quarantine in time to lead the side in the Surrey fixture on April 22.Since Law took over at the start of the 2019 season, Middlesex’s five first-class wins have all been relatively comfortable – four by 78 runs or more, and one by five wickets. Their title win in 2016 featured close wins at Taunton and in the decider against Yorkshire at Lord’s, and they prevailed in a number of tight games in the two difficult seasons that followed, but on this week’s evidence, that killer instinct seems to have deserted them.

Not all eight teams have all the players at their disposal ahead of their respective opening games this season

Vishal Dikshit08-Apr-2021The 14th edition of the IPL is set to kick off on Friday in Chennai but not all eight teams have all the players at their disposal. A few tested positive for Covid-19, and some arrived only earlier this week in India after finishing their national duties. With a mandatory seven-day quarantine that players have to serve before joining their team’s bubble, we look at the names each team will be missing for their first game at least.Delhi CapitalsWho will miss the opening game? Fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, who played crucial roles in the Capitals’ march to the IPL final last year with 52 wickets between them, landed in Mumbai on April 6 to join the team. With the IPL SOPs requiring players to quarantine for a week after arrival, they will miss the opening fixture against the Chennai Super Kings on April 10 at Wankhede Stadium. They are, however, likely to play in the Capitals’ next game on April 15 against the Rajasthan Royals.Related

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Allrounder Axar Patel, who had tested positive for Covid-19 after checking into the team hotel on March 28, could also miss the Capitals’ opener if he doesn’t return two negative reports by April 10. Any player who tests positive needs to first isolate for at least 10 days, and then have two negative reports before joining the team. That could be cutting it too close for Patel.Who can replace them in the XI? The absence of two premier overseas fast bowlers means the Capitals can pick three out of Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Chris Woakes and Tom Curran, with R Ashwin as the lead spinner.If Patel isn’t available as well, they can even bat Ashwin at No. 7, Curran at 8, followed by two more quicks and Amit Mishra as the second spinner.Royal Challengers BangaloreWho will miss the opening game? Legspinner Adam Zampa will miss the tournament opener against Mumbai because of his marriage. The Royal Challengers will be hopeful he will be ready for their second game on April 12, against the Rajasthan Royals.New Zealand opener Finn Allen, who recently struck a destructive 29-ball 71 against Bangladesh, is also set to miss the opener against Mumbai because the match he scored that half-century in was played on April 1 in Auckland, and the seven-day quarantine won’t end in time for his team’s first game.The Royal Challengers will also be without Australia allrounder Daniel Sams, who tested positive for Covid-19 on April 7. The IPL’s rule of isolating a player for 10 days after he tests positive means Sams is likely to miss the match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 14 as well.Who can replace them in the XI? The absence of both Allen and Zampa may not hurt the Royal Challengers much for one game because Devdutt Padikkal, who has now joined the squad after recovering from Covid-19, and Virat Kohli are expected to open the batting and they can play Washington Sundar and Yuzvendra Chahal as the two spinners.Chennai Super KingsWho will miss the opening game? Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi won’t be available for the Super Kings’ opening game against the Capitals on April 10 because of the seven-day quarantine. Ngidi, like Rabada and Nortje, had played in the first two ODIs against Pakistan in South Africa until April 4 but he should be available for the Super Kings’ second game, on April 16 against the Punjab Kings.Who can replace him in the XI? Ngidi’s absence for one game is unlikely to upset the Super Kings’ combination. With all their other players expected to be available, they can slot in allrounders Sam Curran and Dwayne Bravo at Nos. 7 and 8, followed by Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Imran Tahir. Moeen Ali or Faf du Plessis can be the fourth overseas player at the top of the order.Quinton de Kock may not have to serve his quarantine and is likely to be available for the first match•BCCIMumbai IndiansWho will miss the opening game? Two overseas players who arrived only this week for the defending champions are going to be unavailable for Friday’s match: Quinton de Kock and Adam Milne. They both will serve the mandatory seven-day quarantine in their hotel rooms, which means Mumbai will mainly have to decide who opens in place of de Kock.Who can replace them in the XI? In the absence of de Kock, Ishan Kishan can keep wicket and Mumbai can either slot in Chris Lynn at the top of the order or play allrounder James Neesham if they want another bowling option.Milne’s absence for one game is unlikely to hurt Mumbai. Nathan Coulter-Nile, whom Mumbai bought again at the recent auction after releasing him a few months ago, will be perfect for the No. 8 spot with his batting advantage, and to bowl with Trent Boult in the powerplay. Rajasthan RoyalsWho will miss the first few games? Fast bowler Jofra Archer’s absence for the Royals’ first four games will be the biggest blow for them. Archer underwent surgery on his finger in the last week of March in England and he would be undergoing two weeks of rehabilitation before he is reviewed by a consultant and can start training again.It means Archer won’t feature in their first four games, to be played on April 12, 15, 19 and 22. The Royals’ fifth match is on April 24 before they move from Mumbai to Delhi but it’s unclear yet if Archer will be available by then or not.Who can replace him in the XI? Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Chris Morris are expected to be the automatic three overseas picks for the Royals. In place of Archer, they can either play Mustafizur Rahman or Andrew Tye.

All the matches – three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests – will be played in Antigua

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2021Sri Lanka’s multi-format tour of West Indies, comprising three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests, will start on March 3, with all fixtures to be played behind closed doors in Antigua, in a biosecure environment.Cricket West Indies (CWI) had initially intended to stage part of the tour in St Lucia, but a delay in Sri Lanka’s arrival after Mickey Arthur and Lahiru Thirimanne tested positive for Covid-19 and the need to finish the series before the start of the IPL in April rendered that impossible.Instead, the Coolidge Cricket Ground – previously known as Allen Stanford’s ‘Sticky Wicket’ ground – will host international cricket for the first time as the venue for the T20I leg of the tour. The ground previously hosted both editions of the regional Stanford T20 tournaments and the infamous Stanford Super Series. It underwent extensive renovations in 2017 and is one of the two venues in operation for the ongoing Regional Super50 Cup.West Indies vs Sri Lanka schedule

T20I series
March 3, 5 and 7 (Coolidge Cricket Ground)

ODI series
March 10, 12 and 14 (Sir Vivian Richards Stadium)

Two-day warm-up match
March 17-18 (Coolidge Cricket Ground)

Test series
March 21-25, March 29-April 2 (Sir Vivian Richards Stadium)

Sri Lanka will be the first team to travel to the Caribbean for a men’s tour since Ireland in January 2020. The ODIs form part of the World Cup Super League, while the Tests are part of the World Test Championship (though neither side can qualify for the final).”We are pleased to be able to finally confirm this tour,” said Ricky Skerritt, CWI’s president. “A number of Covid-19 related logistic hurdles have now been overcome and I want to thank Sri Lankan Cricket President, Shammi Silva and his team, for their co-operation in honouring their obligation to tour under the ICC FTP agreement.”We are also extremely grateful for the support we received from the Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Lucia in planning this tour. But it is regrettable that we are unable to include St Lucia as part of this home series as we had originally hoped to due to the delay in Sri Lanka arriving and the need for the tour to end before the start of the Indian Premier League.”

Kane Williamson has started the new year as the No.1 Test batsman and his New Zealand side could become the new No.1 Test team if they beat Pakistan in the second Test in Christchurch. Williamson, though, downplayed those thoughts, saying such landmarks won’t distract the team in their last Test this home summer.”Every game you play, every test you play, any opportunity to win a Test you want to take, but to get into those positions naturally there is just so much hard work, from the first period of play to perhaps late in the match, so for us that’s the focus,” Williamson said on the eve of the Christchurch Test.

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When asked if he ever wondered if he would become the top-ranked Test batsman captaining a potentially top-ranked team, Williamson credited New Zealand’s core group that has evolved over the years since he made his Test debut in Ahmedabad in 2010.”I suppose when you start out as a young player, you want to find your feet and get an understanding for the group that you’re in,” Williamson said. I guess anybody that gets an opportunity to play one Test for their country or any format perhaps….I think there’s something special about Test [cricket] and wearing that baggy is such an amazing thing and one that you certainly never assume. Whenever that time comes or if that time comes, it’s just a complete surprise and a fantastic moment to perhaps fast-forward to a number of years and the focus changes from first Test to being involved in a group, a fairly consistent group for such a number of years. And trying to be part of moving that team forward is a different focus and really enjoyable challenge to be involved in.New Zealand celebrate a truly hard-earned Test victory in Mount Maunganui•Getty Images

As the captain of the current group, Williamson has overseen New Zealand’s dominance at home. They have been unbeaten in their last 16 home Tests stretching back to 2017, but Williamson refused to look back at that as a “run.” Instead, he lauded the team for their consistency and urged them to not get carried away by the recent success.”Looking back, we were competitive at times, but certainly not all the time,” Williamson said. “And the team has come a long way in terms of bringing an element of consistency mainly to their behaviours, which I think has been really important, simple values which are important to our group and to Kiwis, simple things we want to commit to day-in day-out.”That doesn’t always reflect in the performance being perfect – very rarely is it perfect – but certainly it can help a team grow, and it has contributed to the team moving in that direction. But, here we are now on the eve of another game, where anything can happen. It’s about peeling it back and focus on what’s important to the group and keep looking at the bigger picture and how we can hopefully continue to trend in the right direction, facing the challenges that we continue to face.”About six years ago, Brendon McCullum’s ODI side turned a rugby-mad nation into a cricket-loving country with their barnstorming performances in the 2015 World Cup at home. Now, Williamson’s Test team is on the verge of something special at their own backyard, and he hoped that the Kiwi public would be pleased with their success.”Yeah, I hope they’re enjoying it watching and those sort of things,” Williamson said. “For us, it’s important we play to the best of our ability as much as we can. This game that we play is fickle and doesn’t always happen like that and winning Test matches are very tough. We certainly respect that and we know how challenging it is against any international opposition. So, we want to keep starting again and commit to what’s important to our group and uphold the behaviours that are important to the team. And we do hope that connects with the Kiwi public.”

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has been crowned the winner of the Ballon d'Or at a glitzy ceremony in Paris, beating Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr.

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• Midfielder won Premier League and Euro 2024
• Rodri lifts award in Paris
• Vinicius did not attend ceremony

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Manchester City midfielder won a clutch of trophies last season, lifting the Premier League, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup with City, as well as Euro 2024 with Spain. Vinicius Jr had been touted as Rodri's main competition, but the Real Madrid star did not attend the ceremony after learning he would not win the award. Fellow candidate, and Vinicius' team-mate Jude Bellingham, was also absent.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rodri is the first midfielder to win the prize since 2018, when Luka Modric was honoured. Since then, Lionel Messi has won three of the prizes and Karim Benzema has won one; Robert Lewandowski was denied the chance to win the award in 2020 as it was not given, but the Barcelona striker was the frontrunner for the individual trophy.

• WHAT RODRI SAID

  On stage, Rodri said: "A very special day, for me, my family and my country."

  He added: "I try to improve every day, try to level up my game."

  Asked about his injury recovery, Rodri added: "I am just trying to take care of myself. Rest, enjoy the free time with my family and come back stronger."

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  Rodri is currently injured, and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to an ACL injury. City have struggled somewhat without him; they have only kept two clean sheets this season, and just one without the Spaniard in the team.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na manhã deste domingo, o Grêmio recebeu o Ceará em sua Arena e venceu por 2 a 0. Com o placar, o Tricolor chega aos 19 pontos na 18ª colocação. e respira na tabela de classificação. Com a derrota, o Vozão aparece em 11º, com 24 pontos.

CALENDÁRIO

Na próxima rodada do Brasileirão, o Grêmio mede forças contra o Flamengo, mas antes, encara o mesmo rubro-negro, no meio de semana, pelas quartas da Copa do Brasil. Enquanto isso, o Ceará pega o Santos, na Arena Castelão.

DUELO MORNO

Com receio de errar, Grêmio e Ceará pouco fizeram em grande parte da etapa inicial. Os goleiros apenas assistiam o duelo, que ficou concentrado na intermediária dos clubes.

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GOLS DO GRÊMIO

Nos minutos finais da primeira etapa o Grêmio conseguiu levar um pouco mais de perigo e chegou aos gols que deram tranquilidade ao time. No primeiro, Diego Souza aproveitou o levantamento de Alisson e testou firme. Na sequência, a zaga do Ceará deu espaço e Ferreira bateu firme para ampliar o marcador, 2 a 0.

SEM REAÇÃO

Nos últimos 45 minutos, a expectativa era de um Ceará ambicioso dentro de campo e com sede de reação, mas isso não ocorreu. Pouco inspirado, o time não chegava ao gol do Grêmio e não conseguia trocar passes verticais.

BOLA PARADA

Com clara dificuldade de armar uma jogada com a bola nos pés, o jeito encontrado pelo Ceará foi apostar nos cruzamentos. Em um dos levantamentos na bola parada, Luiz Otávio ganhou da zaga gremista e a sua cabeçada tirou tinta do poste.

FICHA TÉCNICA
GRÊMIO 2 X 0 CEARÁ
Local: Arena Grêmio, Porto Alegre (RS)
Data-Hora: 12/9/2021 – 11h
Árbitro: Flávio Rodrigues de Souza (SP)
Auxiliares: Marcelo Carvalho Van Gasse (SP) e Gustavo Rodrigues de Oliveira (SP)
VAR: Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral (SP)
Público/renda: pagantes/R$
Cartões amarelos: (GRE), (CEA)
Cartões vermelhos: –
Gols: Diego Souza (42’/1ºT) Ferreira (45’/1ºT)

GRÊMIO: Gabriel Chapecó; Vanderson, Ruan, Rodrigues e Rafinha (Cortez aos 34/2ºT); Thiago Santos, Lucas Silva e Alisson (Everton, aos 33/2ºT); Jhonata Robert, Ferreira (Léo Pereira, aos 27/2ºT) e Diego Souza (Borja, aos 27/2ºT). Técnico: Felipão.

CEARÁ: Richard; Gabriel Dias, Messias, Luiz Otávio e Bruno Pacheco; Fernando Sobral (Marlon, aos 16/2ºT), Fabinho e Vina (Yony González, aos 42/2ºT); Lima (Rick, aos 33/2ºT), Jael (Cléber, aos 16/2ºT) e Mendoza (Erik, aos 16/2ºT). Técnico: Tiago Nunes.