The presence of Snoop Dogg at Swansea is expected to help them compete with Ryan Reynolds and Tom Brady for Premier League promotion.
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da blaze casino： Rangers are closing in on another signing alongside a deal for right-back Max Aarons, according to a report.
Rangers agree Max Aarons loan deal
da dobrowin： The Gers already reached an agreement with midfielder Lyall Cameron earlier this year, with his transfer officially unveiled in the week. However, the first target identified by the 49ers Enterprises and Russell Martin who is set to be signed is Aarons.
The Bournemouth right-back spent the second half of the 2024/25 season out on loan at Valencia and looks set for another temporary move away from the Cherries in 25/26.
Rangers have agreed a straight loan deal for Aarons, who looks set to rival James Tavernier for a starting spot under Martin, providing the club captain remains at Ibrox.
Martin previously tried to sign Aarons at Southampton and knows the full-back from his time at Norwich City. Aarons has also praised the Rangers manager in the past.
“When he came and trained with us he had an aura. I always knew he would go on to be a manager. “I think players who played with him always knew that as well. I knew we had to be on it when he was training with us and giving 110 per cent because if not Russ would tell you and I loved that.
“He pushed every single training session. When he was training with us it almost gave me a feel that I was ready to go and make the jump with the senior players.”
Rangers target once worth £38m is now open to Ibrox transfer after contact
This comes as a boost to Russell Martin.
ByCharlie Smith Jun 20, 2025
Attention will be on further signings alongside Aarons, and another heavily linked target also looks to be close to a Rangers move following an update.
Rangers closing in on £350,000 Kwame Poku transfer
Peterborough United winger Kwame Poku is the man who could be next through the door in Glasgow, with The Scottish Sun providing specific financial details over a permanent transfer to Ibrox.
Out of contract at the end of the month, it is claimed Rangers are “homing in” on the signing of Poku and that he “will cost a cross-border fee in the region of £350,000”.
Peterborough’s director of football Barry Fry admitted last month he didn’t think Poku would move to Scotland, but it appears as if a transfer is close. Talking last month, Fry said: “Celtic and Rangers have been at most of our games this season, but I don’t believe Kwame will go to Scotland. He will more likely sign for a top end Championship club.”
Kwame Poku’s 24/25 stats
Games
31
Goals
12
Assists
11
Minuted played
2,364
Turning 24 in August, Poku, dubbed a “huge talent”, had a career best season in 24/25 in regards to goals and assists, so it is no surprise that up to 30 clubs were keen on his services.
Therefore, Rangers winning the race for the Ghana international could be a shrewd piece of business, and by the looks of things, a £350,000 transfer is on the cards.
India have looked far better balanced since she took over the gloves, and her keeping is now matching up to her hitting
Annesha Ghosh09-Mar-2022India teen Richa Ghosh is no stranger to firsts. Especially at World Cups.On March 8, 2020, she became the first-ever concussion substitute in a T20 World Cup final. Two years later, during India’s 2022 ODI World Cup opener against Pakistan, she became the first wicketkeeper to effect five dismissals on debut at a women’s 50-over global event.The feat is commendable for any 18-year-old, let alone one making just her eighth ODI appearance. Ghosh the keeper had till then been known more for her batting pyrotechnics. Her first impact with the gloves has left many impressed. One of them is her India and Bengal team-mate Jhulan Goswami.”Richa has taken responsibility as a wicketkeeper,” says Goswami. “She’s improving day by day, and her batting ability – you know she is even able to hit big sixes, she can score fast… So I think in our team – she will give us a lot of volume [value] because you are getting one more allrounder, a batting allrounder.”That Ghosh, who counts MS Dhoni among her idols, is keeping wicket at this World Cup is itself extraordinary. To understand why, we must go back in time.Playing as a specialist batter in March 2021, Ghosh had a horrid time in the field in the second T20I against South Africa in Lucknow. By the end of the match, she was tongue-tied and in tears, fielding at short fine leg, when the last of her many fielding errors on the night handed South Africa a series-sealing last-ball win. And this wasn’t a one-off. She had let a ball slip through for four, at point, at a critical juncture of South Africa’s chase in the previous match.
In domestic cricket, Ghosh had dabbled in keeping and bowled medium-pace for her state side, Bengal. But, with more established keepers around, Bengal mostly played her as a batting allrounder.
Ghosh had only played four international matches – all T20Is – before that nightmarish evening in Lucknow. But she had done enough already to show why India needed her hitting skills in an otherwise relatively sedate line-up. What to do about her heavy legs in the field, though?That’s where Ghosh’s multi-faceted talents came into play. Smriti Mandhana, the stand-in T20I captain in the series, retained Ghosh for the third T20I, but handed her the gloves.The incumbent in that series, Nuzhat Parween, and longtime first-choice limited-overs keeper Taniya Bhatia, one of the best with the gloves in the women’s game, had both struggled to make a mark with the bat. India’s balance, as a result, had been shaky. Entrusting Ghosh with keeping duties, despite her having no prior experience of it in international cricket, was a risk the team was willing to take to address this.In domestic cricket, Ghosh had dabbled in keeping and also bowled medium-pace for her state side, Bengal. But with more established keepers around, Bengal mostly played her as a batting allrounder.”In the absence of wicketkeeping opportunities, she would do well as a bowler because she is tall and one of the rare hit-the-deck kind of bowlers in women’s cricket in our country,” Bengal head coach Rituparna Roy says. “She has a fairly strong grounding in all three skills, so Bengal’s teams has used her wicketkeeping and bowling based on match-by-match requirements.”In that final T20I against South Africa, Ghosh claimed a straightforward caught-behind of Sinalo Jafta for her first keeping dismissal in India colours.”Once she got that clarity from the Indian team management that she is being looked at as a wicketkeeping choice, Richa started working harder on her keeping in the Bengal set-up, too, and kept wicket more regularly for the Bengal senior team,” Roy says. She adds that Ghosh took up fitness routines to improve her agility and offset some of the disadvantages her height poses.During the bilateral series against New Zealand, right before the World Cup, Ghosh struck the fastest ODI fifty by an India Women – off just 26 balls•Getty ImagesOn the tour of England that followed the South Africa series, Bhatia kept wicket during the one-off Test and the three ODIs. But her lean run with the bat in white-ball cricket opened the door for Ghosh to take over the gloves in the T20Is. Ghosh made an impact almost instantly. In the eighth over of the first T20I, she took the lead in convincing captain Harmanpreet Kaur to use the DRS when an appeal for caught-behind against Danni Wyatt was turned down. The result: a big spike on UltraEdge, and off went Wyatt.Across the three T20Is, Ghosh was involved in seven dismissals and made 28 lower-middle-order runs off 21 balls. A big affirmation of her rapid evolution as keeper came less than two months later, in the 50-over warm-up game on the tour of Australia, when she effected four dismissals, including the wily stumping of Ellyse Perry off pacer Pooja Vastrakar. Bhatia was no longer a sure-shot inclusion in ODIs.India had every reason to try Ghosh out in the 50-over format. If successful, her T20I batting credentials could offer India respite from the dearth of runs down the order, that too with the ODI World Cup just around the corner. And Ghosh wasted no time in taking her chance. An unbeaten 29-ball 32 at No. 7 on ODI debut, followed by a 50-ball 44 at No. 5 that anchored a 76-run stand with Mandhana, effectively shut the door out on Bhatia. By the end of the Australia tour, her selection as first-choice keeper for the tour of New Zealand – where she would go on to hit the fastest ODI fifty by an India Women player – and the ODI World Cup had become a foregone conclusion.According to ODI captain Mithali Raj, Ghosh’s “good game sense” – much like Dhoni’s – is a standout feature of her glovework. “There are many times I’ve seen her involvement on the field. That is also a great quality at such a young age,” Raj told during the New Zealand series. Asked about Ghosh’s future, Goswami puts it simply: “We all are looking forward [to it].”That future, if her start to the World Cup is anything to go by, could be very bright.
The franchise will be banking on the allrounders and Gaikwad to add urgency to their approach
Deivarayan Muthu04-Apr-20212:47
Gambhir: CSK won’t be able to make the playoffs
Second from bottom, with six wins in 14 matches at a net run rate of minus 0.455. It was the first time that the Chennai Super Kings didn’t make it to the playoffs in their 11 seasons in the IPL.
1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Moeen Ali/Faf du Plessis, 3 Suresh Raina/Robin Uthappa, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Imran Tahir
The Super Kings had the second-worst run rate in the powerplay (7.13) as well as in the middle overs (7.37) in the last IPL. They could remedy this go-slow by fitting in their new recruit Moeen Ali at the top. The England allrounder had led the way for Worcestershire Rapids in the powerplay in 2018 and 2019 by regularly and effortlessly hitting over the top. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who finished the 2020 season strongly, with a hat-trick of half-centuries, will likely continue to open.ESPNcricinfo LtdSuresh Raina has returned to the set-up after abruptly pulling out of the last season, but he is past his prime, as is MS Dhoni. Both players – and even Ambati Rayudu – haven’t had much game time since the last IPL. To compound their worries, Ravindra Jadeja, too, hasn’t played competitive cricket since January 2021, having sustained a thumb injury during the Test leg of the Australia tour. The lack of game time for the middle order might prove a thorny issue for the Super Kings again.Faf du Plessis, who carried the Super Kings’ batting and fielding in the UAE, might be relegated to the reserves this season because of the team combination.Related
CSK fast bowler Hazlewood withdraws from IPL 2021
Boost for CSK as Raina and Jadeja enter team bubble
Josh Hazlewood has opted out of the tournament and Lungi Ngidi will only join the squad later after his South Africa commitments, but Dwayne Bravo is fit again, having bowled at the death for West Indies against Sri Lanka at home. Sam Curran, who earned a glowing appraisal from Dhoni in his first season at the Super Kings, and Shardul Thakur, who has been a wicket-glutton in recent times, lend more variety to the seam attack. The presence of a number of Indian batting options this time could allow the team management to seamlessly slot Imran Tahir into the XI.The absence of an offspinner last year left them vulnerable against left-hander-heavy sides, but now they have Ali and K Gowtham to counter them although neither Wankhede nor Chinnaswamy will aid spin. Nevertheless, the attack looks in much healthier shape in comparison to the batting line-up.
. This was coach Stephen Fleming’s quip last year. The Super Kings continue to rely on their over-30s seniors, but if they choose to give Jadeja breaks and manage him more carefully after the recent injury, R Sai Kishore offers them a decent option. The 24-year old is a left-arm version of Washington Sundar who threatens the stumps and hits hard lengths in the powerplay. Sai Kishore had finished the most recent Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament with an economy rate of 4.82 – the second best among bowlers who delivered at least 20 overs. Last season, he had the best economy among bowlers who had sent down at least 20 overs.Then, there’s the 22-year old Harishankar Reddy, the third-youngest member in the squad behind Bhagath Varma and Curran. The Andhra seamer can bowl yorkers from a sling-arm, whippy action and had even knocked over Dhoni during a practice match at Chepauk last month.
Stephen Fleming (head coach), Mike Hussey (batting coach), L Balaji (bowling coach), Eric Simons (bowling consultant), Rajiv Kumar (fielding coach)
Tottenham have expressed a real interest in signing one star from Barcelona ahead of 2026, according to a new report.
Spurs shortlist attacking targets with big-names on the radar
Spurs are preparing significant investment in attackers for January and beyond, with media sources indicating a new forward or two will definitely arrive at the club next year.
Indeed, Thomas Frank’s side have identified multiple targets as they attempt to revive their campaign.
Tottenham have significant funds available for the right acquisition, with the club willing to test the waters for elite talent. The recruitment team, led by co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange, are expected to prioritise signing a wide forward rather than a central striker, though no final decision has been confirmed as they approach the January window.
Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo remains the primary target, with the Lilywhites now intensifying their interest ahead of January.
The Ghana international has seriously impressed this season with his blistering pace and proficiency, which will definitely appeal to Frank as he seeks to add more creative spark.
Semenyo’s new deal also includes a tempting £65 million release clause which will be active early next month, but this has piqued rumoured interest from the likes of Liverpool and Man City as well.
Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye has emerged as another concrete target, viewed alongside Semenyo as possessing the energy and attacking versatility suited to elevating Tottenham’s forward line.
However, sources indicate Ndiaye is considered more likely as a summer acquisition rather than a January signing.
More ambitious names include Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa.
Tottenham tipped to strike Grealish-like deal for player who'd 'jump' at chance to join
Spurs could get him on loan in January.
ByEmilio Galantini 6 days ago
Tottenham are believed to be exploring a potential January deal for Rodrygo, who himself would consider a move to north London as he instructs his representatives to find him a new club.
Aghehowa, who’s been in monstrous form since joining Porto from Atlético Madrid in 2024, also has huge admirers at Spurs, amid reports that they’re also prepared to make a winter move for the Spaniard.
Paratici and Lange appear to be drawing up a shortlist of credible attacking targets as the Lewis family look to kickstart a new era post-Daniel Levy, with Barcelona’s Marcus Rashford now also on their radar.
Tottenham 'determined' to sign Barcelona star Marcus Rashford
Rashford finds himself at a career crossroads following his impressive revival at the Camp Nou, with Tottenham now emerging as serious contenders to lure the forward back to the Premier League.
Despite his outstanding form in Spain, Barcelona remain indecisive about the £30 million purchase option in his loan deal from Man United, creating uncertainty that several English clubs are eager to exploit.
His Barça renaissance has persuaded the Calatans’ hierarchy to at least contemplate activating the permanent deal clause, but their precarious financial situation complicates matters.
While the £30 million fee appears affordable on paper, Rashford’s long-term future hangs in the balance, and Spurs could offer him a route to London.
That is according to Spanish media sources, who report that Tottenham have identified Rashford as the ‘ideal’ profile to rejuvenate their attack.
Spanish newspaper AS, as referenced, claim that Spurs are ‘determined’ to sign the 27-year-old and ready to offer him an ‘immediate leading role’ in the team — though any transfer would have to wait until the summer considering he’s still on loan in La Liga.
Rashford’s wages, reported to be around £325,000-per-week, present a pretty major roadblock for Frank’s side, but his proven Premier League experience and versatility would undoubtedly improve the team.
The United academy graduate, during spells of superstardom at Old Trafford, earmarked himself as an England regular before falling out of favour and impressing on loan at Aston Villa last season.
Barcelona completed the loan move for Marcus Rashford from Manchester United earlier this week, and the England winger has already made his debut for Hansi Flick's side. Rashford came on as a substitute in the Catalan side's 3-1 win over Vissel Kobe in Japan, and the 27-year-old loanee has received loads of love from cules for his strong showing off the ball.
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da cassino online： With Newcastle United still chasing a deal to sign Anthony Elanga, Nottingham Forest have reportedly set their sights on signing a young Premier League gem who could replace the Swede.
Nottingham Forest battling to keep Elanga
da mrbet： Those in the Midlands managed to keep hold of Elanga last summer and that victory quickly paid dividends in an excellent season at the City Ground. The interest in the winger hasn’t gone away, however, and this time Newcastle have money to spend. The Magpies have already reportedly made an enquiry about signing the former Manchester United man and Forest face another fight to keep hold of one of their star players.
Elanga, himself, chose to remain coy when asked about his Nottingham Forest future whilst on international duty with Sweden recently, telling reporters: “There’s a lot of talk. I’m focusing on what I can do and my focus today was on the game. In football there are always rumors. The most important thing is that I focus on what I can control.”
After missing out on the Champions League even after a fantastic campaign, there may be some concern around the City Ground that Nuno Espirito Santo could lose his top players this summer.
Nottingham Forest submit bid to sign "brilliant" £13m ace from Norwich
Nottingham Forest have now made an official bid to sign a player from the Championship.
ByBrett Worthington Jun 12, 2025
As ever, Evangelos Marinakis has already set his sights on incomings of his own, though. The Greek owner and Nottingham Forest have recently been linked with moves for the likes of Igor Jesus and Real Valladolid star Raul Moro. What’s more, the Tricky Trees are also reportedly interested in signing an impressive Premier League gem if Elanga chooses to leave the club in favour of Newcastle this summer.
Nottingham Forest assessing Oscar Bobb move
According to Football Insider’s Mick Brown, Marinakis is now assessing a Nottingham Forest move to sign Oscar Bobb from Manchester City this summer. The young winger returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines towards the end of last season and will be desperate to get up to speed with some much-needed game time.
Brown, a former Premier League scout, told Football Insider: “A Premier League loan move is exactly what Bobb needs. After the injury he had, he has to prove to everybody that he is still capable at this level.
“It’s difficult to come back from something like that, he has some proving to do, but he has to be playing regularly to do it. If you take him out of that Man City side and put him in another Premier League team, a Crystal Palace or a Nottingham Forest, it will show where he’s at. Palace and Forest are both clubs I’ve heard are having a look at the deal.
The 21-year-old is a player who Pep Guardiola believes has “incredible potential”, but his short-term future could lie at the City Ground. It’s there that he could step into Elanga’s role and discover his best form following a frustrating injury setback.
Relive one of the great comeback stories in cricket, lovely cricket, with ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball updates
Sidharth Monga27-Sep-2020A day in the life of TewatiaRahul Tewatia has been promoted to No. 4. He is the only left-hand batsman in this line-up. They want to line up the leggies now. And [KL] Rahul responds by giving the ball to the offie, Glenn Maxwell. Cat and mouse.Tewatia reminds me of the time when Jadeja was promoted by India in the 2009 T20 World Cup. He couldn’t hit, he couldn’t get out. Here is Bishnoi.I feel for Tewatia, I really do, because he will become the villain of the match, and he is an earnest cricketer who loves to do whatever he can for the team, but he has been put in an impossible position by the management who have over-estimated his batting drastically. He is watching the ball well, but he doesn’t seem to have the shots.13.3
Neesham to Tewatia, no run, oh the walls seem to be closing in. He tries the sweep off Neesham and is hit on the pad. Doesn’t get out, doesn’t get off strike. Tewatia 5 off 1413.4
Neesham to Tewatia, 1 run, slower ball, really full, drilled to long-on for one. Tewatia 6 off 15I know you are debating the retire-out. It is a compassionate move, yes, but not a new debate. Let’s focus on the struggle and see what he can do here13.6
Neesham to Tewatia, 1 run, the worst result. he has hit one in air, but there is no power behind it, and long-off is straight enough to keep them to one. Tewatia 7 off 16Oh Rahul, it is a cruel world14.1
Ravi Bishnoi to Tewatia, 1 run, and the poor guy is trying everything. Reverse hit goes to extra cover for one. Tewatia 8 off 17It [the required rate] is getting close to three a ball. Cameras panning to the dugout. Awful awful feeling if you are Tewatia14.5
Ravi Bishnoi to Tewatia, SIX, relief. Sweet relief. But he needs more to feel better. Jumps at him, goes down the ground, and gets a straight six14.6
Ravi Bishnoi to Tewatia, no run, oh why the reverse just after hitting one down the ground? Beaten again15.3
Maxwell to Samson, no run, and now Samson has refused the single. That will make it more awful for Tewatia, but I think he wants to take the toll on Maxwell15.4
Maxwell to Samson, 2 runs, Maxwell goes back of a length, worked behind square for a coupleImportant for Samson to communicate to Tewatia15.5
Maxwell to Samson, SIX runs, his batting is communicating to KXIP all right. Maxwell gets into the slot again, and he smashes it over midwicket for six more. That’s 20 for the over15.6
Maxwell to Samson, 1 run, drilled down the ground for a single to long-off. A good result if it is not a six. At least he has the strike”Hey stop blaming Tewatia! There are more Tewatias in real life than Samsons.”17 an over. You still won’t rule a side out in Sharjah with dew around. Rahul you still have a chance to turn this around. Come on, turn this into a fairytale of redemption17.1
Cottrell to Tewatia, SIX, it is a small six but it is a six nonetheless. Hang in there, Rahul. Keep swinging. Cottrell follows him with a bouncer, but he manages to get inside the line to pull him flat over long leg17.2
Cottrell to Tewatia, SIX, whoa whoa whoa cricket you beauty. You keep fighting, the tide can turn. He gets a short of a length ball, stands his ground and swings to leg. Not off the absolute middle of the bat but enough to clear the short square boundary and onto the road17.3
Cottrell to Tewatia, SIX, make it three times. Sing your redemption songs. Cottrell pitches up, and he goes over wide long-off. Strike rate of 135 now. Game is onAnd now KXIP are having conferences17.4
Cottrell to Tewatia, SIX, well, Rahul, what a player. You are a champion. You have fought through the worst of times. Give yourself something to celebrate. Gees across, shuffles early gets a wide low full toss, and sweeps it over midwicket for another flat sixOh the joy of struggle and redemption. How fortunate to be calling this17.5
Cottrell to Tewatia, no run, goes for the fifth. Slower length ball wide outside off, and he goes across the lines. Beaten17.6
Cottrell to Tewatia, SIX, wow Rahul bloody Tewatia. This is a story for the ages, son. What redemption. Now Uthappa has to give him strike. He has smacked a wide length ball over midwicket for another six. Now only 21 required in two oversCricket, lovely cricket. That is all I can say right nowCome on Rahul Tewatia. You have taken us on a roller-coaster. Now finish it off. Hang on, boys and girls and others. [And with Uthappa out] they have promoted Archer now. Uthappa didn’t even hand over the strike …18.2
Mohammed Shami to Archer, SIX, which is just as well because Archer has hit the first ball for six. Short ball, on pace, and Archer loves him some on-pace short bowling. Over wicket for six18.3
Mohammed Shami to Archer, SIX, golf swing. This is a great day at the cricket. Nine off nine now. Amid this euphoria, this is pretty abysmal death bowling, I am sorry. Length ball, in the slot, on pace, and Archer ain’t no Uthappa to be chipping it sweetly18.4
Mohammed Shami to Archer, 1 run, goes for the yorker, dug out for a single to deep pointCan do it in singles now. Last 10 balls: 43 runs, one wicket. Rahul Tewatia, you beautiful beautiful cricketer18.5
Mohammed Shami to Tewatia, SIX, oh he has reached fifty. Minutes ago, they were all asking for a compassion dismissal for him. This, right here, is the importance of keeping on fighting. Keep kicking. Short ball, outside off, and he has upper-cut it for a six. Well played, RT18.6
Mohammed Shami to Tewatia, OUT, oh man, the greatest 40 minutes of commentary have come to an end. Tewatia has found deep midwicket with the pull, but he has made sure they win the match. Fifty-three off 31 after everybody wanted him thrown into the Gulf. Take a bloody bow, sir. You are a beautiful beautiful player. Storytellers kill for guys like you.Now we can breathe. Tewatia is knocking fists with others here. Don’t tell to me not get carried away. This is among the greatest days of commentary I have been through. If you have ever backed an underdog, if you have ever felt awful for a guy giving it his best and not getting anywhere, if you have ever been in that situation yourself, this day is such sweet joy.Let me tell you a story from a Stephen Fleming interview. I told him you should look to pull guys back if they are unable to hit. He didn’t like the idea. He said the struggle is the beauty of the game. His exact words: “That’s the beauty of it, isn’t it? Not let someone get away with it just because they can tap out. ‘Not my day today, I am out.'” What words. You have to really love this sport to think like that when you are under so much pressure to win. Guess what, Rahul Tewatia didn’t tap out. For all the frustrations of watching Jadeja get stuck in quick sand, and Yuvraj and Vijay Shankar, perhaps it is true that you just don’t tap out.
Offspinner has made steady progress this summer but is a long-term investment
George Dobell at the Ageas Bowl24-Aug-2020In another era, an era before white-ball cricket dominated the middle of England’s domestic season, Dom Bess would probably be playing for his county now.He might even be playing for his county’s second XI. Either way, he would be learning his trade away from the unrelenting scrutiny that goes with the territory of playing international cricket and away from the expectation that comes with being his country’s first-choice spinner.But the world has changed. The production line that once saw a decent pair of spinners required by every county has all but ground to a halt. Young spinners emerging now usually have to learn to contribute in white-ball cricket if they are to entertain realistic hopes of sustaining a career. With first-class games squeezed into spring and autumn, they win few opportunities to learn their red-ball craft. Several talented hopefuls have drifted away from the professional game.So Bess, the talented young man that he is, has been asked to learn on the job. Instead of using all his skills and experience to ensnare batsmen, he’s at the stage of his career – aged 23 and with fewer than 50 first-class appearances – where he is still searching for a reliable stock ball and experimenting with his variations. He is, in short, a promising young cricketer who has been given accelerated promotion to fill the void left by England’s flawed domestic scheduling. It’s exactly the situation Moeen Ali found himself in at the start of the 2014 summer.Bess has bowled perfectly respectably here. On a painfully slow wicket that would have thwarted plenty of more experienced spinners and against admirably determined batsmen who would have done the same, he demanded respect and conceded fewer than two runs per over. Later in the day, when he settled on a line outside off stump, he even troubled the batsmen a few times. He did, by any realistic expectations, just fine.The problem is that at this stage it’s not obvious what Bess’ weapons are. He doesn’t gain the drift of Moeen, or the dip of Graeme Swann. He doesn’t have the pace of Monty Panesar, or the consistency of Jack Leach. As he showed in South Africa, he can provide control and prove dangerous given some assistance, but it is asking a huge amount – an unreasonable amount, really – to expect him to lead his country’s spin attack at this stage of his career.ALSO READ: Spinners thriving in Bob Willis TrophySo, why did England take a punt on Bess? There are two or three young, England-qualified spinners doing nicely in the Bob Willis Trophy this season, after all. But neither Amar Virdi nor Mason Crane has many pretensions with the bat and Matt Critchley goes for more than four an over across his first-class career. That would make it tough for him to play the holding role England are sometimes sure to require.Right now, Leach might well be a better bowler than Bess. He certainly warrants selection for Somerset ahead of him. So if England go to Sri Lanka and India this winter, Leach should play a significant role. On pitches offering assistance to spin, he has the tools to trouble batsmen. He was, you may remember, the equal top wicket-taker (with Moeen) when England won in Sri Lanka in 2018.There is, incidentally, a lesson here. It is clear that both Bess and Leach have – just as Swann and Panesar did at Northants in the early 2000s – enjoyed an accelerated development thanks to the spin-friendly pitches prepared for them at Taunton in recent years. If England are serious about developing more spin bowlers, they have to allow conditions – and a schedule – which encourage them.Either way, England prefer Bess as a long-term investment for a couple of reasons. For a start, he can bat. And brave though Leach was in his memorable one not out at Leeds and incredible though he was in his unlikely 92 against Ireland at Lord’s, those innings are considered somewhat aberrational. A bottom four of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer and Leach would leave England with a dangerously long tail.Equally, England feel that on pitches offering little, Bess may find a way to contribute a bit more – if not with the ball, then with the bat or in the field. And in Australia, where the batsmen are certain to come after him and Leach, they feel he may have more tools to cope.Dom Bess is currently England’s first-choice spinner•Gareth Copley/Getty ImagesNot least among these tools is his positive attitude. Bess’ enthusiasm, his willingness to learn on the job, his apparent resilience in the face of adversity, are seen to render him suitable for the challenges ahead. There will, no doubt, be some long and tough days in India and Australia. England want a man in the side who can shrug those days off, come back for more and keep improving.It is a shame that there is currently no specialist coach with the squad to work with him. England had planned for Jeetan Patel, the former New Zealand offspinner, to join them in the bio-secure bubble, but visa regulations prevent him working as a coach. As a consequence, Bess is, for now, having to find his own way through the challenges ahead of him.You might also wonder how Moeen might have fared had he benefited from the same patience extended to the likes of Jos Buttler or Joe Denly. Moeen was, you may recall, the highest wicket-taker in the world in Test cricket over the previous 12 months at the time he was dropped.And while that decision was perfectly reasonable – it looked as if Moeen needed some time out of the firing line to decompress – the subsequent to decision not to offer him a red-ball central contract seemed to push him away from the squad just when he needed to feel embraced and valued. Again, the thought occurs that England may have coaxed more out of Moeen with better treatment. His best ball is still probably better than the best ball of any other red-ball spinner in England. And he has made five Test centuries.But you can see why England like Bess. And, by most reasonable judgements, he’s progressing nicely. We just have to be realistic in what we expect from him.
Duo share opening stand worth 114 after Abbott’s 4 for 16 keeps hosts in check
ECB Media10-Aug-2024
Ben Duckett and Moeen Ali built a 114-run partnership•ECB via Getty Images
Moeen Ali and Ben Duckett made classy half-centuries as Birmingham Phoenix claimed a five-wicket win at Sophia Gardens to end Welsh Fire’s hopes of reaching The Hundred Eliminator and push themselves up to third in the table.Chasing 147 for victory, the two England left-handers shared an opening stand of 114 in 73 deliveries, Moeen hitting eight fours and a six in his 46-ball 60, his highest ever score in The Hundred, before top-edging Matt Henry to David Payne.Moeen’s departure brought Jamie Smith to the crease and England’s Test keeper looked in sublime touch, making 12 from his first three deliveries, until he was clean bowled by a Haris Rauf inducker.Liam Livingstone, Dan Mousley and Jacob Bethell departed in quick succession as Phoenix looked to finish the game in a hurry and boost their net run-rate but Duckett, with an unbeaten 54 off 31 balls, held his nerve to steer his team to a crucial victory, Benny Howell hitting the winning runs with seven balls to spare.Earlier, Sean Abbott took 4 for 16 to star with the ball for Phoenix, the Australian allrounder collecting his second four-wicket haul of this season’s Hundred as Fire were restricted to 146 for 8.Stephen Eskinazi played nicely for his 21-ball 30 before being clean bowled by Mousley but the rest of Fire’s top-order struggled, with Luke Wells undone by an Adam Milne slower ball and Joe Clarke and Tom Abell falling victim to Abbott.Tom Kohler-Cadmore (54 from 32) injected some energy to the innings, hitting his first delivery for four and then dispatching Howell over the ropes. He hit five more fours in his rapid half-century – including three in succession off Tim Southee – until falling to Abbott, who then picked up his fourth when he had David Payne caught by Southee.Matt Henry struck two boundaries off his compatriot Milne in the final set of the innings but it proved to be in vain as Fire’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage were extinguished.Abbott, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “It was a little bit tricky to sum up the conditions at first, but it was about going back to basics and trying to hit the top of the stumps with change-ups and then going from there.”It’s definitely a very relaxed vibe amongst the group and I feel like we portray that when we go out and play the game. We’re always trying to put pressure on the other team, no matter the situation, and we’ve done that pretty well the last couple of games. It feels like there’s a good balance at the moment and everyone’s playing their roles really well.”