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Anushka Sharma, the film actor and Virat Kohli's wife, and MSK Prasad, India's chief selector, have both taken strong exception to former India wicketkeeper-batsman Farokh Engineer's statement, where he said he saw one of the selectors "getting Anushka Sharma cups of tea" during a World Cup match earlier this year. Sharma issued a statement against what she called "false & fabricated news and stories", while Prasad said Engineer was "deriving sadistic pleasure out of indulging in petty talk".

"I didn't even know one of the selectors during the World Cup and I asked him who the hell he was, because he was wearing the India blazer and he said he was one of the selectors. All they were doing was getting Anushka Sharma cups of tea," Engineer was quoted as saying by The Times of India on Thursday.

Later in the day, after Sharma's statement in response to Engineer's words in particular and criticism about her presence at official team functions or at India matches in general, the 81-year-old Engineer clarified that the comment had been made in jest. "I just said it in jest and it's being made a mountain out of a molehill," Engineer told Republic TV. "Poor Anushka has been dragged into it, she is a lovely girl. Virat Kohli is a brilliant captain and coach Ravi Shastri is extremely good. The entire matter is being blown up unnecessarily."

In her statement, issued through social media, Sharma listed the instances where she felt she "was being blamed for the performance of my then boyfriend, now husband Virat and continue to take the blame for the most baseless things involving Indian cricket".

She referred to:

  • Stories claiming she was part of close-door team meetings and influenced selection processes

  • Stories saying she had received preferential treatment or had overstayed her authorised time with her husband on foreign tours

  • Stories implying "the board was being bothered for my tickets or security, etc"

  • The story about her presence in an official group photo at the residence of the Indian High Commissioner to the UK in 2018 during India's Test tour. "I was asked to stand in a group photo by the High Commissioner's wife despite my hesitation to be in it, and a huge issue was created over this blaming me for intentionally wanting to be part of it and the said event, even though I was invited for it"

  • Regarding Engineer's statement, she said she had attended one game during the World Cup and sat in the family box, not the selectors' box as Engineer had said

Prasad, the head of the selection panel that also includes Sarandeep Singh, Devang Gandhi, Gagan Khoda and Jatin Paranjape, was equally displeased with Engineer's allegation.

"I feel sad for someone deriving sadistic pleasure out of indulging in petty talk, thereby demeaning and disrespecting the selectors and wife of Indian captain through false and frivolous allegations," Prasad told PTI. "Someone at the age of 82 [81] should reflect maturity and enjoy the progress of Indian cricket from his time to the current day."

India C 366 for 3 (Gill 143, Agarwal 120, Yadav 72*) beat India A 134 (Padikkal 31, Merai 30, Saxena 7-41, Porel 2-12) by 232 runs

Shubman Gill made his List A best of 143, Mayank Agarwal carried his red-ball form to the 50-over format in making 120, Suryakumar Yadav provided belated Diwali fireworks in making a 29-ball 72 not out, and Jalaj Saxena recorded figures of 7 for 41, all of it adding up to India C crushing India A by 232 runs to qualify for the Deodhar Trophy final in Ranchi.

In a batting template very similar to India B's against India A on Thursday, India C started cautiously but picked up pace along the way, with Gill and Agarwal putting together 226 for the first wicket in 38.3 overs. Agarwal was the more aggressive of the two early on, but Gill caught up, hitting ten fours and six sixes to Agarwal's 15 fours and a six.

The opening stand set the tone for more fireworks. Once Agarwal and No. 3 Priyam Garg fell, Yadav walked in and immediately brought in a touch of the unorthdox, scooping, paddling and sweeping his way to a half-century in a jiffy. The last three overs alone went for 61 as he shellacked seven fours and four sixes, including a sequence of 4, 6, 6, 4 off Siddarth Kaul to finish the innings. Left-arm medium pacer Jaydev Unadkat was the most expensive bowler, conceding 82 off ten wicketless overs.

India A needed a win to stay in contention but were rocked early when they lost Vishnu Vinod and Abhishek Raman in the first two overs. After getting his Bengal mate Raman with one that swung away to get a leading edge to point, Ishan Porel had Hanuma Vihari nicking behind a bouncer to leave them tottering at 17 for 3. The only semblance of a partnership came in the form of Devdutt Padikkal and Bhargav Merai's 59-run stand, before the innings unravelled again, with Saxena deceiving Merai in flight to castle him.

That was the start of a joyride for Saxena, in which he exhibited tremendous control and guile even as India A seemed to be in implosion mode, playing one rash shot after another to fold without a fight. Saxena scythed through the lower order in no time as it took India C only 29.5 overs to complete the formalities.

The next game is between India B and India C on Saturday, but with both teams having qualified for the final - on Monday - that will only serve to provide the players a bit more time in the middle and, from their point of view, a chance to rack up good numbers.

Rugby World Cup 2019: Mapping England’s finalists

Published in Rugby
Thursday, 31 October 2019 18:38

The hopes of a nation will be decided on Saturday as England take on South Africa in the Rugby World Cup final.

But what is the background of the players in the so-far successful squad?

Facing the Springboks in Yokohama is a group mostly born in the south but which includes players from five other nations.

England's number eight, Billy Vunipola, and his brother, Mako, were born in New Zealand and Australia respectively. They first moved to the UK in 1998 when their father, Fe'ao, played for Pontypool in Wales. They later moved to England.

Joe Cokanasiga was born in Fiji and moved to England when he was three, while his father served in the British Army.

Other players with overseas birthplaces include Sam Underhill, who was born in Ohio in the USA, Willi Heinz, who is from New Zealand, and Manu Tuilagi, who was born in Samoa and came to England as a child to be with his older brothers who were Samoa internationals playing for club sides in the UK.

To qualify to play in the England squad, team members must have been born in or have a parent or grandparent who was born in the country. They would also qualify if they have lived in England for at least three consecutive years.

Overall, 16 of the English-born team members were from either the South East, South West or London, with the remaining 10 from the East Midlands, North West or east of England.

Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands and the North East were the only unrepresented regions.

John Williams, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Leicester, said the representation of players across the country was a result of the traditional geography of rugby union and rugby league.

"In the south, rugby was shaped by ex-public school boys who valued amateurism," he said. "The north of England is where they have professional rugby league."

Before 1995, rugby union players were not allowed to be paid. Prof Williams said this was a throw-back to when union was considered a middle and upper class game, with players being affluent enough not to need an income from the sport.

"People in the north started to play rugby league and saw no reason why players shouldn't be paid," he added, saying this was influenced by the working class backgrounds of league players at the time.

"There are few union clubs in the north that have been able to establish themselves in the recent elite level of the game but clubs have continued to thrive in some of those original southern heartlands."

Although born in different areas, four of the team members, Owen Farrell, George Ford, Maro Itoje and Jack Singleton all attended the same school in Hertfordshire.

St George's School, in Harpenden, is a comprehensive school for students aged 11 to 18.

Current head of rugby, Neil Harris, said students would be "incredibly proud" of the players "no matter what happens on Saturday".

"The manner in which they've conducted themselves makes them exceptional role models for our current boys," he added.

'They'll give everything'

Mr Harris said St George's plays rugby during two terms of the year while many independent schools only played it for one.

But it was "just one piece of the jigsaw" that allowed Farrell, Ford, Itoje and Singleton to flourish, he added.

"We do Saturday fixtures from September through to Easter," he said. "For a state school to play so many fixtures, it makes us unique".

Wishing the former students luck in the world cup final, Mr Harris said: "We know they'll work exceptionally hard, they'll give everything."

The team in numbers

The average (median) age of the full 32-man England squad is 27-and-a-half.

Willi Heinz and Dan Cole are the joint oldest members, at 32, while Tom Curry and Joe Cokanasiga are the joint youngest, aged 21.

The squad has an average of 36 caps per player, with Dan Cole boasting the most - with 94 appearances.

Unsurprisingly, the team isn't small, with an average height of six feet and one inch (186 cm) and an average weight of about 16 stone (103 kg).

Courtney Lawes is the tallest player, standing about five inches above the average at 6ft 6ins (200 cm), while Billy Vunipola brings nearly 20 stone (127 kg) to the field as the heaviest player.

The final: All you need to know

Venue: Yokohama International Stadium

Date: Saturday, 2 November

Kick-off: 09:00 GMT

Coverage: Live radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app.

England team to play South Africa: Elliot Daly; Anthony Watson, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell, Jonny May, George Ford, Ben Youngs; Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry, Sam Underhill, Billy Vunipola

Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Joe Marler, Dan Cole, George Kruis, Mark Wilson, Ben Spencer, Henry Slade, Jonathan Joseph

In his latest BBC Sport column, Wales centre Hadleigh Parkes reflects on the disappointment of World Cup semi-final defeat and the excitement he is feeling about facing New Zealand where he was born and brought up.

Everybody is still so disappointed about not making the World Cup final after the semi-final defeat against South Africa.

It would have been awesome but unfortunately we could not quite get over the finish line last Sunday.

But we have a final game to concentrate on and it will be exciting to face New Zealand in the bronze match.

Everybody would have preferred to have reached the World Cup final but it is still a great challenge against the All Blacks.

Every Test is important but playing against New Zealand has a little bit more added interest for me.

I know a couple of the boys in the squad, most notably their flanker Matt Todd.

We used to live together for about a year at university in Christchurch and we also played club rugby together.

He was a good housemate but a terrible cook. He has children now so hopefully he has improved!

It will be nice to run into him, maybe tackle him on Friday and have a bit of banter.

My parents will be watching the game in Tokyo. They will be excited and I think they will be stoked if Wales win.

It has been awesome having them here from the first game against Georgia and it was their 40th wedding anniversary on the weekend of the semi-final.

They have loved every minute and all my older brothers Ben, Greg and Scott were also here for the South Africa game.

We don't actually get to see each other and get together very often, so it has been special to be able to do that.

Tough Test

New Zealand are a team we respect hugely and it's going to be a tough challenge.

It has been almost 66 years since Wales have beaten the All Blacks so we are looking forward to trying to finish what has been a fantastic tournament on a high note.

It would be so nice to mark Warren Gatland's final game with a win because he has done so much for Welsh rugby over the last 12 years and gave me my international chance.

You also have to take your hat off to Steve Hansen (New Zealand coach) who has a pretty fantastic record. I know he will want to finish on a high but so will Warren and a few of the other coaching staff members who are leaving.

We will be facing the haka which will be a familiar feeling for me. Every school in New Zealand virtually has a haka and you face it often when you are playing sport in that environment.

It will be a nice challenge to be laid down. It is something special New Zealand teams always do, so it will be enjoyable to face and then hopefully we will get stuck into them.

Semi-final sorrow

It has been a strange build-up following the South Africa defeat.

You put so much time and effort into this journey and there has been so much build-up with almost five months leading up to this occasion.

It makes you realise how small the margins are. If a couple of things were done differently, maybe a couple of decisions had gone differently, maybe we would have been playing on a Saturday in a World Cup final.

You have to give full credit to the Springboks because they are a superb side and I think they will do well this weekend.

So this week has certainly been different but you want to go out there and finish well by putting in a good performance.

Monday and Tuesday were admittedly a bit slow. By Tuesday evening we started to click in because we have a Test match to play.

We can still create something special by being that first Welsh side to beat the All Blacks since 1953. That would be pretty cool to be a part of.

Replacements role

I have a slightly different role this week, being named a replacement after starting the first six games.

There has been a lot of rugby in Japan for me but I have enjoyed it. It would have been nice to have continued the run of starts because you always want to do that but I am happy with whatever role I am given.

Foxy (Jonathan Davies) has been injured and I have had a couple of niggles throughout the tournament, so it's just about making sure we have a fresh line-up out there.

There have been a few changes made and it's exciting for those boys who have not had many starts. Coming off the bench you need to be able to make an impact and it's a role that will hopefully go okay for me.

The match will complete what has been a brilliant couple of months.

Japan is an amazing place. The people have been so hospitable and friendly and great ambassadors for the tournament.

I have not heard anyone say a bad word about the country. The food has been outstanding and everywhere we have gone the support for the Welsh team has been amazing.

Wales did a superb job before the tournament in Kitakyushu with the support we had down there and having 15,000 fans turning out to watch us train. That just set the tone. It has been a dream eight weeks and an amazing experience.

I will be glad to get back though. I am excited for what is coming up with my wife Suzy and I expecting our first child very soon.

We have spent a lot of time talking on Facetime over the last couple of months and luckily the baby has not arrived while I have been out here.

So I am sure the next couple of weeks in Cardiff will be busy.

It is a great time in my life and people have told me having children and becoming a father or mother puts a lot of things in perspective.

I am looking forward to experiencing that after these awesome couple of months in Japan which I will never forget.

Hadleigh Parkes was speaking to BBC Sport Wales' Gareth Griffiths

Watch: McIlroy flings clubs, re-tees, saves bogey at 16th hole

Published in Golf
Thursday, 31 October 2019 20:27

Rory McIlroy made five birdies and an eagle in his second round at the WGC-HSBC Champions, but it was a bogey that was arguably his best score of the day.

Playing a 3-wood at the par-4 16th, McIlroy wildly hooked his tee shot into the left trees, flinging his club during the follow-through.

McIlroy re-teed, hitting his provisional with a 6-iron. He managed to find his original ball, but opted to declare an unplayable lie and went back to the tee for a third time ... and still saved bogey.

That dropped him to 8 under par for the tournament, three strokes off the lead. But McIlroy eagled the par-5 18th to finish one back.

Three shots off the lead, Rory McIlroy struck a brilliant approach shot to 3 feet at the par-5 18th en route to a closing eagle.

That capped a second consecutive 5-under 67 for McIlroy and put him at 10 under par for the tournament, one back of leader Matthew Fitzpatrick entering the weekend.

SHANGHAI – Matthew Fitzpatrick turned a fluffed shot into an unlikely par, closed with two straight birdies for a 5-under 67 and took a one-shot lead over Rory McIlroy going into the weekend of the HSBC Champions.

Fitzpatrick had a nasty lie in the rough just behind the 16th green and tried to stab it with the putter, only for the ball to pop straight up and roll out some 35 feet away. He holed that for a par to keep a clean card Friday.

He was at 11-under 133, leading a pack so diverse that the top eight players were from eight countries.

McIlroy had his own problems on the 16th, having to hit three shots when the first one sailed into the trees. He scraped out a bogey from that mess and finished with a 5-iron to 3 feet at the 18th for eagle and a 67.

Defending champion Xander Schauffele, still struggling with remnants of the flu, rallied for a 69 and was two shots behind along with Adam Scott (69) and Sungjae Im (69).

Haotong Li of China lost ground with a 72, but he remained in the mix at three shots behind.

''It's a big key to hitting fairways around here, and if you can keep doing it, you'll give yourself more chances,'' said Fitzpatrick, who has dropped only one shot through 36 holes at Sheshan International, which could only be attacked from the short grass.

Fitzpatrick hooked his tee shot on the short 16th and did well to hit a lob wedge to the back of the green, just into the thick round. He figured his best option was to jab it with the putter to get it rolling toward the cup.

''The putter had gone through and the ball was still there,'' he said.

It rolled forward enough to get on the green and take a hard turn to the right, but the Englishman poured that in for par, hit 5-iron to 15 feet on the tough par-3 17th, and got up-and-down with a wedge from the 18th fairway for his last birdie.

McIlroy wasn't so fortunate.

He went with 3-wood off the tee, hoping to leave it around the green for an easy birdie. But he let the club fall from his hands when he made contact and watched it sail so far left that he hit a provisional – a 6-iron this time – for a lost ball.

Rory McIlroy made five birdies and an eagle in his second round at the WGC-HSBC Champions, but it was a bogey that was arguably his best score of the day.

And then he found it and realized he would have to take a penalty for an unplayable lie, and it would be easier to get back on the fairway by hitting another tee shot instead of trying to punch it out of the woods.

''I tried to hit the same shot as yesterday, but the wind was more off the left,'' McIlroy said. ''I knew I had to caress one a little bit, and I caressed it dead left. Made a good 5.''

After his third tee shot, he hit lob wedge to 8 feet and made he bogey putt. Two holes later, he caught a 5-iron a little thin and it worked out perfectly.

McIlroy still was in prime position to go for his fourth win of the year, and his second World Golf Championships title.

But it was bunched at the top.

Schauffele is moderately shocked to be in the mix considering how badly he has felt this week, often turning to cough into the crook of his elbow after hitting shots. He couldn't find the fairway and limited the damage with his short game on the front nine, then cleaned it up on the back nine with three birdies.

No one has won back-to-back in the HSBC Champions since it became a World Golf Championship in 2009, and Schauffele might be the best bet extending an American streak of seven victories in this series.

''I was 1 over on the front nine and was not looking like a real golfer – or at least a professional golfer – on that front stretch,'' Schauffele said. ''Happy that my feet got under me on the back nine, and just sort of had a little bit of a better time.''

Im, looking more and more like a pick for the Presidents Cup next week, was around the lead all day until a bogey from the bunker on the 17th and failing to make birdie on the 18th. Scott birdied three straight holes in the middle of his back nine to stay in the hunt.

Li and Victor Perez of France were at 8-under 136, followed by Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, who had a 69.

Phil Mickelson had a 69 and was seven shots behind.

Scott (T-3) rounding into form as Presidents Cup nears

Published in Golf
Thursday, 31 October 2019 21:21

If the International team is going to have any chance to challenge the Americans at this year’s Presidents Cup, it’s going to need a big performance from one of Australia’s greats.

Adam Scott will be competing in his 10th consecutive cup when the matches are contested Dec. 12-15 at Royal Melbourne. He didn’t play when the event was last held in his native country, in 2000, the lone time the International team has won, but captain Ernie Els will need him at his best this go-around.

Perhaps Scott is finding his form at the right time.

Scott made three consecutive birdies on the back nine Friday, en route to a 69 in Round 2 of the WGC-HSBC Champions. At 9 under par, overall, he’s two behind leader Matthew Fitzpatrick.

This is Scott’s fourth start in the new wraparound season, and he’s looking for his first top-15 finish. He did, however, have three top-10s in three playoff starts.

The 13-time PGA Tour winner is looking for his first title since going back-to-back in 2016 at the Honda and WGC-Cadillac Championship.

Everything you need to know about this weekend's Premier League action, all in one place.

Jump to: Will Mesut Ozil get a game for Arsenal? | Was that the start of a recovery or a false dawn for Manchester United? | How will Southampton recover from 9-0 | Fantasy tips | Stats of the weekend | Who replaces Willy Boly? | Match to watch | Norwich need a lot of luck | VAR due for another failure? | Predictions

THE WEEKEND'S BIG QUESTIONS

Will Mesut Ozil get a league game for Arsenal?

Could we detect a little softening of Unai Emery's resolve when he said he would consider including Mesut Ozil in his squad for Arsenal's game against Wolves this weekend? There is a little more clamour for the German to be brought in from the cold after his terrific hour or so against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. One of Arsenal's many problems has been an inability to pick holes in a defence, and for all his other flaws, Ozil reminded everyone at Anfield that he can still do that.

It would represent a climbdown from Emery, so he might view this as exposing a weakness, but given the way some of the Arsenal fanbase seem to have lost patience with him after last weekend's draw with Crystal Palace, it might be worth a try.

Was that the start of a recovery or a false dawn for Manchester United?

On a human level, it was pleasant to see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer smiling after Manchester United's win over Norwich last weekend, but the necessary caveats should not only be made clear, but shouted: this was a Norwich team ravaged by injuries, second-bottom of the league, who had lost three of their previous four and had only kept one clean sheet all season.

So will that 3-1 victory at Carrow Road turn out to be the start of something more tangible, a recovery of sorts for United, or simply a game that even they couldn't fail to win? The form of Marcus Rashford and return of Anthony Martial will help, but this is still a deeply flawed United team who could be exposed by a Bournemouth side who look in good touch.

How will Southampton recover from 9-0?

The basic facts are that Southampton lost a game last weekend, but the reality is that their 9-0 evisceration at the hands of Leicester City could have lasting damage on the rest of their season. There is a theory that relegation might be preferable to the water-treading that has been happening at St Mary's in recent years, but that still feels like an extreme point of view, and of course nobody there wants a demotion to the Championship on their conscience.

They could really have done without two trips to Manchester City after such a loss, but they emerged from the first, on Tuesday in the Carabao Cup, at least with a little dignity, if not a positive result. Ralph Hasenhuttl's primary job this week will have been to piece his squad's morale back together, and we'll see how well he's done that when they step out on Saturday.

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- VAR in the Premier League: Ultimate guide

FANTASY TIPS

Kieran Darcy has some tips for the weekend action. Read his full preview here and set your team lineup!

Must-have player: Sergio Aguero, Tier 1 forward

Despite being benched the past two weeks, Aguero still has eight goals this season -- one fewer than league leader Jamie Vardy, and Aguero has played 325 fewer minutes than the Englishman. Add in a favourable matchup with reeling Southampton and Aguero is a must start.

Worth considering: Neal Maupay, Tier 2 forward

Maupay scored his fourth goal of the season last week, is tied for seventh in the league with 29 shots, and will be at home against Norwich City, who have the worst defensive record in the league in terms of xG (expected goals) conceded.

Avoid at all costs: Harry Kane, Tier 1 forward

Kane scored against Liverpool last week, but it was fluky -- aided by a deflection and subsequent ricochet off the woodwork -- and it came on his only shot of the game, the fifth time in 10 league games he's finished with just one shot.

STATS OF THE WEEKEND

Information provided by ESPN Stats & Information

- Manchester United are seeking back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since defeating Crystal Palace and Southampton in February and March (streak of 19 PL matches). Their opponent this week, Bournemouth, will be a welcomed sight for United, the Red Devils boasting an 11-2-3 (W-L-D) record in the all-time series.

- Aston Villa host Liverpool this weekend looking to snap a long drought. The Villains have lost their last 12 matches against the Big 6 across all competitions and are winless in their last 18 against those foes. Villa's last win vs. a top-six side? April 2015 in the Premier League against Tottenham (1-0).

MAN TO WATCH

Whoever replaces Willy Boly for Wolves

There might be a few individual players more important to their teams than Willy Boly is to Wolves, but there won't be many. Boly had surgery this week on his fractured tibia, sustained before last weekend's game against Newcastle, and will be out for a few months, leaving Nuno Espirito Santo an interesting quandary at the back.

Last weekend at Newcastle he played Matt Doherty in his back three, an imperfect solution but one he apparently deemed preferable to choosing Jesus Vallejo, who has only started one league game this season, when Wolves conceded five against Chelsea. Ryan Bennett is another option, but he has been in and out of the team all season, and then there's Romain Saiss. Conor Coady is really the only certainty, and it will be fascinating to see who Nuno chooses to play either side of him.

THE GAME YOU'RE NOT PLANNING TO WATCH -- BUT SHOULD

Crystal Palace vs. Leicester City

It's a little counterintuitive to think that third vs sixth should be an under-the-radar game, but it still feels odd that those two teams are Leicester and Crystal Palace. Both sides are unexpectedly flying in this season's still nascent Premier League season, albeit in different ways: Leicester are the attacking free-wheelers who scored nine last weekend at Southampton, Palace the steady-Eddies who are in the top six despite having a negative goal difference. The varied styles could make for a terrific game.

THE TEAM THAT NEEDS A BIT OF LUCK

Norwich City

Not just a bit of luck: Norwich City could do with buckets of the stuff, such are the severity of their injury problems. They finished last weekend's game against Manchester United with three players limping around the pitch, who should really have been taken off but for the fact they had already made all three of their substitutions. Add those to the the six first-teamers already out, which includes their two first-choice centre-backs, and in part explains their dreadful defensive record (19th out of 20). Getting through their trip to Brighton intact would mark success this weekend.

ONE THING THAT WILL DEFINITELY HAPPEN

We'll all be talking about VAR again

Unless there's been a sudden re-think over the last few days, following the league-wide shambles of last weekend, then VAR will continue to be a complete mess and will continue to ruin Premier League games up and down the land. Before the bar was too high, then the bar was too low, and who knows where the bar even is now. In reality, they should throw the bar away, scrap VAR (except for maybe -- maybe -- offsides) and write the whole thing off as a bad job. Unfortunately, they won't. VAR is here to stay, and at this stage it's only about damage-limitation: how little can it make a mess of things, rather than how much it can improve the game.

PREDICTIONS

Bournemouth 2-2 Manchester United

Brighton 3-1 Norwich

Arsenal 1-0 Wolves

Aston Villa 2-4 Liverpool

Manchester City 4-0 Southampton

Sheffield United 1-0 Burnley

West Ham 2-2 Newcastle United

Watford 0-4 Chelsea

Crystal Palace 2-3 Leicester City

Everton 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur

New South Wales 7 for 274 (Solway 129*, Nevill 53, Sayers 6-55) v South Australia

Daniel Solway was forced to work harder than most for a Sheffield Shield debut. The habit he has developed for run-making served him well for New South Wales against South Australia as the 24-year old crafted an outstanding century in conditions friendly to seam bowling at Adelaide Oval to be the backbone of the Blues' innings.

There is no better exponent of moving the ball in Adelaide than Chadd Sayers, and figures of 6 for 55 demonstrated that this was a day ideally suited to his art, but Solway stood firm throughout, demonstrating a tight defence balanced with a strong range of shots, pouncing on anything wide of the off stump and also pulling and hooking the short ball with venom.

It was further proof of the ability Solway had shown in piling up runs for the NSW second XI and also Bankstown in club cricket. In his past nine second XI innings, Solway has compiled 751 runs at 83.4, capped with 195 not out against Western Australia's second XI at the start of this season.

Within the prolific scoring lies another tale, of early promotion, failure and then learning, growth and finally success. Having played first grade for Bankstown as far back as 2013-14, Solway hammered 930 runs at 77.5 the following summer to gain a NSW rookie contract for 2015-16. But as bowlers figured him out and he was exposed to the NSW system, Solway struggled for anything like the same returns for the next two years and fell back in the queue.

Not until 2017-18 did Solway find his way back to productivity, churning out 880 runs for Bankstown at 73.33 and duly returning to the Blues' outer fringes. Nonetheless he was compelled to make far more runs for the second chance, and looks to have grown into a top order batsman of substance.

Considerable skill was necessary to survive Sayers and company as Adelaide's drop-in pitch offered generous movement off the seam. Daniel Hughes and Nick Larkin both had a stump sent cartwheeling when Sayers seamed the new ball between bat and pad.

Moises Henriques formed a promising stand with Solway before lunch but was pinned lbw by a Sayers nip-backer in the first over after resumption. Neither Matthew Gilkes nor Nick Bertus could last for long, leaving the NSW captain Peter Nevill to provide Solway with vital assistance.

They were able to add a studied 108 together, making the Redbacks pine for the second new ball, and allowing Solway to get to his century by bunting a quick single wide of midwicket from the bowling of Tom Andrews. Solway celebrated with great relief, but after Nevill was lbw and Trent Copeland bowled by the second new ball in Sayers' hands, he knuckled down for another key stand with Nathan Lyon to take the Blues beyond 250.

Selection had been a talking point for South Australia too prior to the match. Callum Ferguson was recalled at the expense of Jake Lehmann, who despite his own prolific scores in Adelaide grade cricket, has averaged 10.26 in 10 first-class matches since the start of 2019. Lehmann had made made just eight runs in three Shield innings for the Redbacks this season, albeit batting as high as No. 3 when he has customarily been at Nos. 4 or 5.

Soccer

Raya heroics help Arsenal claim draw at Atalanta

Raya heroics help Arsenal claim draw at Atalanta

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya secured his side a hard-earned point with a sensational double save in...

Wirtz nets 2 on UCL debut in big Leverkusen win

Wirtz nets 2 on UCL debut in big Leverkusen win

Germany's 'Invincibles' Bayer Leverkusen opened their Champions League campaign with a resounding 4-...

UCL live blog: Arsenal visit Atalanta, Barcelona go to Monaco

UCL live blog: Arsenal visit Atalanta, Barcelona go to Monaco

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe Champions League is back! Europe's premier club competition ret...

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UEFA

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Basketball

Is continuity enough to get the Bucks back into title contention?

Is continuity enough to get the Bucks back into title contention?

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsA few days after the official start of NBA free agency this summer,...

Philly mayor strikes deal with 76ers for new arena

Philly mayor strikes deal with 76ers for new arena

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPHILADELPHIA -- The 76ers have a new teammate in their bid to build...

Baseball

A DH with 50 stolen bases?! How Shohei Ohtani transformed MLB -- again

A DH with 50 stolen bases?! How Shohei Ohtani transformed MLB -- again

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsShohei Ohtani usually sits at the end of the Los Angeles Dodgers' b...

Guardians clinch playoff spot with walk-off win

Guardians clinch playoff spot with walk-off win

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCLEVELAND -- Andres Gimenez singled home Jose Ramirez from second b...

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