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Brendan Rodgers is set to hand young defender Lloyd Jones a new long-term contract, as the teenager looks to break into the first team.

The 17-year-old was brought to Anfield from Plymouth Argyle in 2011 and has impressed the Reds boss since Rodgers arrived at the club from Swansea last summer.

Jones’ recent progress was highlighted by his appearance on the substitute’s bench in Sunday’s 3-1 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage and he may get another chance to feature in the squad for the final game against QPR.

With Daniel Agger, Martin Kelly and Martin Skrtel currently sidelined, the final couple of games has given Rodgers the ideal opportunity to give some younger players the chance to experience being involved in the first team.

Welshman Jones, who is set to pen a three-year deal, has joined the likes of Conor Coady, Andre Wisdom and Raheem Stirling in having some involvement with the senior squad this term.

With Jamie Carragher set to hang up his boots after Sunday’s final game, Rodgers will need more defensive cover for next season.

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“We have been talking about what we want to get better at, and that, for me, is the shining light for the way the boys have bowled”

ESPNcricinfo staff12-May-20244:04

McClenaghan: RCB’s whole bowling unit made contributions

Faf du Plessis was buoyed by the new-found aggression in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s approach that helped them beat Delhi Capitals by 47 runs to stay in the race for the playoffs in IPL 2024.”We want to play that style of cricket – RCB talks about playing bold,” du Plessis said, “and just proud that we can actually do that now, putting our performance together.”RCB came into the game with the knowledge that a loss would knock them out of the tournament. They even lost their du Plessis and Virat Kohli cheaply after being sent in. But that didn’t stop Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar from putting on a counter-attacking 88-run stand for the third wicket. In the end, they finished on 187 for 9.”It’s just confidence, isn’t it?” du Plessis said of the batting performance. “First half of the season, we were really fighting for it, didn’t quite come together for us; you just need a couple of guys to find their form in the tournament, and it’s happened.”From a batting perspective, we’ve been around that 200 mark six-seven games in a row now [five in their last seven], so boys are batting really well. And then the bowling obviously – I think the first five or six games, we almost couldn’t get wickets at all, and now, this is the third time [in a row] we have bowled a team out. So that’s a good effort. Especially today’s game, with the extra guy batting.”RCB took control in the chase by reducing Capitals to 30 for 4 inside four overs. Swapnil Singh, the left-arm fingerspinner, dismissed David Warner in the first over before Mohammed Siraj and Yash Dayal settled in with testing lines and lengths. Lockie Ferguson’s 2 for 23 helped them keep a leash on the scoring in the middle overs even as Axar Patel fought back with a half-century.”A lot of work has gone in behind the scenes,” du Plessis said. “I think that’s for me the most obvious thing where the change has happened. I feel that behind closed doors, we are getting it right in our processes – we have been talking about what we want to achieve and what we want to get better at. And that, for me, is the shining light for the way the boys have bowled.”Also, as a captain, I feel we have a lot of variety in our bowling attack. Six or seven options, all very different. So you assess the conditions on the night and you can just pull the best options almost out. But since Siraj has come back, obviously wanting to prove a point, has bowled beautifully. Yash has been exceptional right through the tournament. And Lockie the last few games has been brilliant.”

Dilara Akter, Disha Biswas, Marufa Akter and Shorna Akter have all made the cut for next month’s tournament

Mohammad Isam21-Jan-2023Bangladesh’s squad for next month’s Women’s T20 World Cup to be held in South Africa includes four players from their ongoing Under-19 Women’s World Cup, also taking place in South Africa.Wicketkeeper-batter Dilara Akter, seam bowling allrounder Disha Biswas, seamer Marufa Akter and legspinner Shorna Akter are part of the Youth team that has progressed into the Super Six stage of the tournament. Their good work has now been rewarded with a senior team call-up, alongside Shamima Sultana and Sobhana Mostary as well.Related

• How Bangladesh women upped their power game to beat Australia at the U-19 World Cup

• U-19 World Cup round-up: An unlikely hat-tricker, a keeper-commentator

Shamima, 34, is a wicketkeeper-batter who has played 47 T20Is. Sobhana is a 20-year old batter with 15 T20Is under her belt. Both were in the Bangladesh side during the Asia Cup last year. There was no place for Sharmin Akter, Fargana Hoque, Sanjida Akter, Fariha Trisna and Rabeya Khatun, who were all part of Bangladesh’s last tour, to New Zealand in December.”While making the squad for the Women’s T20 World Cup, we considered the format and the conditions. We are playing in South Africa. We are already playing in the Under-19 World Cup, so we tried to pick a mix of young and experienced players,” Bangladesh women’s team selector, Manjurul Islam, said.”Shorna, Disha, Marufa and Dilara are playing really well in the (Under-19 World Cup) tournament. They also toured New Zealand in our senior team’s last tour. We also have a number of experienced players like Jahanara [Alam] and Salma [Khatun],” Manjurul said.Bangladesh play their first match of the Women’s T20 World Cup on February 12 against Sri Lanka in Cape Town.Bangladesh Women’s T20 World Cup Squad: Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), Marufa Akter, Dilara Akter, Fahima Khatun, Salma Khatun, Jahanara Alam, Shamima Sultana, Rumana Ahmed, Lata Mondol, Shorna Akter, Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Ritu Moni, Disha Biswas, Sobhana Mostary

Full text of de Villiers’ retirement video

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Nov-20214:53

Vettori: de Villiers is one of the greatest players cricket has seen

Today, I’m going to be making a big announcement, a very emotional announcement: that I’m finished with all formats and all cricket, all around. I do have a smile on my face because I feel I am making the right decision, but obviously deep in my heart I’m incredibly sad.There are lots of emotions and thoughts going through my mind, of all the years of playing cricket. There are lots of mixed emotions. Things happened very quickly in the last month or so. It’s been on my mind for a quite a bit. I finally just made the decision that it’s time for me to really, truthfully priortise family time and to be just really the best version of myself as much as I can at home.To all the people in Bangalore, all the people around the world who have followed me, who have supported my RCB team, and any other team that I represented over the years: thank you very much for that. I mean, it’s difficult to put into words what the fans around the world and supporters of cricket, and of my cricket specifically, have meant to me – it has been life-changing. And to each and every person, whether you have criticised me or just loved everything that I have done throughout my career – thank you very much.AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli have been the bedrock of RCB over the years•BCCI

No, I’m not going to go anywhere and I am going to be an RCB-ian for life. Every single person in the RCB set-up has become family to me. I mean we all have spent a lot of time together, some people come and some go, but that RCB franchise and the spirit and the love that we have for each other will always remain.I have an incredible time over there. I know we haven’t won a trophy, but I truly believe there are plenty more to come in the future. Hopefully I have played my role with Virat and some of the other players who have played a huge role in getting our culture set for the future –  may be that has played its role for us to win many trophies in the future. And hopefully I will be part of some of that, we’ll see what happens.But, yes, RCB has changed my life. I think I have become half Indian over the years and I am very proud of that. I absolutely have loved every single second of my journey and I have fallen in love with India as well. That’s never going to change – the day I’m not here on the earth anymore I will be half-Indian, half-South African.

Club were docked points for ‘poor’ pitch in title decider against Essex

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Jul-2020Somerset’s 12-point deduction for preparing a ‘poor’ pitch for their County Championship decider against Essex last season has been rolled over to 2021, the ECB has confirmed.A Cricket Disciplinary Commission (CDC) panel decided to push the 12-point penalty back a year, with a one-off first-class competition – the Bob Willis Trophy – being staged instead of the Championship this season.ALSO READ: Bob Willis Trophy explainerIn a rain-affected game that Somerset had to win in order to overtake Essex, 21 wickets fell in 148 overs, of which 17 were to spin, as the match ended in a draw. A CDC panel ruled that the pitch demonstrated “excessive unevenness of bounce” after meeting at Lord’s in November, thus giving it a ‘poor’ rating under the ECB’s pitch regulations.Somerset accepted the charge at the time, but contested the suggestion that the pitch was not the best they could have produced. “The club are very disappointed with the panel’s decision but has concluded that it is in the best interest of all parties to move forward,” a club statement said last year.A further 12 points were suspended for two years in the initial decision, which remain in place for the next two Championship seasons.Somerset did not contest the proposal to push the penalty back by 12 months, and did not comment publicly.

The allrounder admitted recent controversy has made him take a long look at himself

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Apr-2019On Wednesday evening Hardik Pandya was his normal self. He was prancing and dancing around Wankhede stadium. And why not. It was Pandya’s thundering cameo at the death that put Mumbai Indians in a winning position, which he sealed with a three-wicket bowling spell that broke Chennai Super Kings’ back.Pandya’s eight-ball 25 was equal to 39 Smart runs, his Smart Strike rate was a whopping 487.50, while his Smart economy was 1.75. The performance allowed Pandya his first Man-of-the-Match award in T20s in 16 matches (including IPL and internationals). Importantly, it gave Pandya a reason to smile. A reason to believe in himself having endured a difficult past seven months.ALSO READ: Superstats – Hardik Pandya aces it with bat and ballPandya aborted the Asia Cup last September after suffering a back injury. That forced him to miss selection for the T20 and Test series in Australia. The selectors did pick him eventually for the fourth Test, but Pandya just carried the drinks. Then on the eve of ODI series in Australia, in January, Pandya, along with friend and team-mate KL Rahul were suspended by the BCCI for their offensive remarks on a television chat show, which were condemned in public as well as the India dressing room.Although the ban was provisionally lifted on January 24, both players are yet to be cleared. Pandya has been asked by the BCCI ombudsman to be present for an in-person hearing on April 9.Evidently, then, Pandya was thrilled at having been the catalyst in Mumbai’s victory. “It feels pretty good to having helped the team to win and contributed. It is a fantastic feeling,” Pandya told Sanjay Manjrekar in the post-match presentation.Even without the gentle prod from Manjrekar, Pandya was willing to pour out his emotions of the most difficult phase of his career so far. “It has been seven months that I have hardly played games. I’ve just batted and batted and batted, and touch wood the game is getting improved. I am someone who wants to improve day by day. That is something I was focusing all that time I was out. Touch wood it is helping me. It is a fantastic feeling when you hit the ball like that and make your team win.”During the suspension period Pandya had opted not to come out of his house. After his match-winning role he disclosed partially his feelings during that time. “I was out for an injury and then some other controversy happened. This Man-of-the-Match I really like to dedicate to my family and my friends who were there for me during my toughest time. Because these seven months have not been easy. I was out and then I didn’t know what to do.”It also allowed Pandya to carry out a “reality check”. And now he has one motive. “That kind of made me feel that I should have a reality check on my life [about] what I am doing and which is helping me. Now my only focus is to play IPL and make sure India wins the World Cup. That is my sole purpose. That’s why I am practising the way I am doing right now.”Kieron Pollard, whose late cameo in tandem with Pandya allowed Mumbai to plunder 45 off the final two overs, was modest enough to admit his team-mate had him “covered”. “He is phenomenal,” Pollard said immediately after the victory. “He is one that goes out and just plays his game. He doesn’t think about much because there is a lot of analysis goes around the way you bat and the striking zones and whatever. But he just has a clear mind and he is hitting the ball pretty far. And that’s what you get with youthful exuberance.”

Sohail Tanvir did his fair share of the damage too, as Multan Sultans skittled Quetta Gladiators for 102 and then chased down the target with ease

The Report by Danyal Rasool03-Mar-2018In stark contrast to Friday’s humdinger, Saturday’s early game was as damp a squib. Multan, the newest franchise, cruised to a nine-wicket victory thanks to an almighty collapse by Quetta Gladiators. They lost their last five wickets for one run. Sohail Tanvir took two wickets in two balls to expose the tail, before Imran Tahir ripped through the last three wickets with the second hat-trick of the season. The target was 103, and there were no twists to be had.Ahmed Shehzad and Kumar Sangakkara, the Multan openers, didn’t need to be explosive, and were experienced enough to know as much. Instead, they took the sting out of the game with a 66-run opening partnership. By that time, they required less than 40. At the end, Sangakkara, who reached yet another half-century, was there with Sohaib Maqsood, who hit the a six to seal the win.Where the match was won
Spectacular as the Quetta collapse was, it didn’t happen in a vacuum. Instead, it was borne of stifling, wily bowling by Mohammad Irfan and Junaid Khan in particular. No bowler allowed themselves to be a release valves, and as a result, even batsmen like Sarfraz Ahmed, who had occupied the crease for a while, never looked set. In the 15th over, with the run rate dropping and Quetta feeling the heat, Mohammad Nawaz, and then Sarfraz, looked to go after Tanvir. Both fell off consecutive deliveries, ripping out the middle order, and a total that looked like stagnating towards 135 was instead shot out for 102.The men that won it
Mohammad Irfan, who is having a good tournament, excelled again with a superb opening spell. Exploiting the bounce and the angle across the right-hander, he kept the batsman on a leash during the Powerplay, conceding a mere 27 runs in his four-over spell. He was also responsible for the wicket of Mahmudullah, who replaced Kevin Pietersen, and instrumental in squeezing the life out of the Quetta innings. The wickets may have ended up going to Tahir and Tanvir, but one would be amiss to discount Irfan’s part in them.The hat-trick
Saturday produced the tournament’s third hat-trick and the second this season, both going to Multan. Tahir, already the leading wicket-taker, stepped up with Quetta seven down. Hasan Khan and John Hastings were clean bowled, before Rahat Ali was trapped plumb in front. He took a review, for no reason other than that it was there, but it merely delayed Tahir’s jaunty celebrations.Where they stand

Multan join Karachi at the top of the table with seven points, while Quetta, having won just two of their five games, drop down to fifth place and are stuck on four points.

Australia have left open the possibility of playing four fast men and leaving out offspinner Nathan Lyon at the Gabba, choosing not to name their XI on the eve of the match

Brydon Coverdale at the Gabba14-Dec-2016Australia have left open the possibility of playing four fast men and leaving out offspinner Nathan Lyon at the Gabba, choosing not to name their XI on the eve of the match.South Australia swing bowler Chadd Sayers would be in line for a Test debut if the selectors went down that path, and he has recent pink-ball form on his side, having claimed eight wickets in his most recent Shield game against New South Wales in Adelaide.”We want to have another look at the wicket today and determine which way we want to go from there,” captain Steven Smith said on Wednesday. Asked if that meant four fast bowlers could be included, Smith replied: “It’s possible, yes.”On Tuesday, Lyon had said he was confident of being part of the XI at the Gabba, which is second only to Adelaide Oval on his list of most productive Test venues.”I’ll tell you one thing, this is my sixth [Gabba] Test and every year you guys seem to write that,” Lyon said on Tuesday. “So I’ll leave you guys to write that, that there’s going to be four quicks and stuff. I’m confident of playing, I’ll put it that way.”Not only has Lyon been successful at the Gabba, he has also had plenty of bowling to do, averaging nearly 19 overs per innings there in his five Tests at the venue. The Gabba was also the ground at which Shane Warne took more Test wickets than any other.But Smith said the preponderance of right-handers in Pakistan’s line-up – opener Sami Aslam is the only left-hander in their top seven – could also play a part in Australia’s selection decision.”I need to have another look at the wicket to determine how much grass there is on the wicket,” Smith said. “It’s obviously a different opposition, Pakistan have a lot of right-hand batters, which might come into the equation. But we’ll wait and see.”However, one thing that does not appear to be on the cards is the inclusion of Sayers in place of Jackson Bird. Bird picked up three wickets against South Africa at Adelaide Oval and looks set to retain his spot for another pink-ball Test.”I daresay Jackson will probably play,” Smith said. “He played the last game and played pretty well, so I daresay he’ll be in.”Gabba curator Kevin Mitchell jnr said on Wednesday that he would be cutting the grass down to a height of two millimetres for this Test, well down on the six millimetres left on for the Adelaide Test but a standard height for the Gabba. He did not expect the pitch to perform especially differently to a day Gabba Test.”I’m expecting there will be some life in it early but in saying that it’s out under the elements till one o’clock so maybe not as lively, maybe it will dry out a touch more before the start of play,” Mitchell said. “But it won’t behave too much differently to our normal Test deck.”

Ronnie Hira and Aiden Blizzard set up Canterbury’s 18-run win over Wellington, thus eliminating Wellington’s chances of defending their Georgie Pie Super Smash title this year.

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2015
ScorecardFile photo – Ronnie Hira led Canterbury with a 40-ball 57 and figures of 2 for 20•Getty Images

Ronnie Hira struck a quick fifty and took two wickets to set up Canterbury’s 18-run win over Wellington, eliminating the latter’s chances of defending their Georgie Pie Super Smash title.Languishing at the bottom of the points table, Wellington needed to win their last three games to keep their tournament alive. They opted to bowl at Basin Reserve and their attack responded by dismissing Canterbury for 145. Aiden Blizzard’s 37-ball 41 and Hira’s 40-ball 57 were the only significant contributions in an otherwise shaky innings. Only three Canterbury batsmen managed to reach double-figures as the side slumped from 89 for 4 in the 13th over and looked in strife. Anurag Verma was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3 for 34.Canterbury’s bowlers, however, kept a grip on Wellington’s chase. Opener Michael Papps was dismissed in the first over but the serious shift in momentum came towards the latter part of the innings. From 45 for 1 in the ninth over, Wellington careened to 94 for 9 by the 17th. Matt Henry, in his first match of the tournament for Canterbury, took 2 for 29. Hira dismissed Luke Woodcock and Jeetan Patel off successive deliveries and Wellington lost another wicket in that 16th over to a run-out as well. Ed Nuttall, Andrew Ellis and Logan van Beek claimed a wicket apiece. For Wellington, Tom Blundell was the top-scorer with 60 off 48 balls.”Those guys at the top of the order – Papps, Blundell and Murdoch, were big wickets for us and then we just tried to strangle them, and got there in the end,” Hira said. “The breeze was a bit difficult, and it was a difficult wicket, but having Matt Henry back for us today really added something for us.”Michael Hussey and Shane Watson are slated to join Canterbury before their must-win game against Central Districts, in Christchurch on Sunday.

The Indian Premier League itinerary could undergo a minor tweak
following the announcement of the dates for Karnataka’s assembly elections

Amol Karhadkar21-Mar-2013The Indian Premier League itinerary could undergo a minor tweak
following the announcement of the dates for Karnataka’s assembly elections.India’s Election Commission announced on Wednesday that polling for
the assembly elections in Karnataka will be held on May 5. This
has put a question mark over the staging of the Royal Challengers
Bangalore’s home game on May 4 and 6, to be played at the M Chinnaswamy
Stadium.ESPNcricinfo understands that the Royal Challengers franchise has been in touch with
security officials and has also indicated to the IPL authorities the
possibility of enforcing a change in the schedule. “We are in touch with
the concerned people and hope that the issue is resolved at the earliest,”
an RCB insider said.IPL chief executive Sundar Raman confirmed that the tournament organisers are touch with the
state government’s security officials. “In case the security officials
convey that it would be difficult for them to provide security, we may
have to make a minor change to the schedule,” Raman said.The RCB are scheduled to host Kings XI Punjab on May 4 and Sunrisers
Hyderabad on May 6.