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The annual competition kicks-off in Hungary on Wednesday, but who are the top talents you should be looking out for?

International youth tournaments are where football fans tend to get a first glimpse of superstars of the future, and that's no more true than at the Under-17 European Championship, with the 2023 edition set to kick-off in Hungary on Wednesday.

Previous winners of the competition's Player of the Tournament prize include Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fabregas, Toni Kroos and Jadon Sancho, and players from the 16 teams that have qualified for this year's tournament will be hoping of one day replicating the careers of those household names.

The defending champions are France, and their title-winning team of 2022 are a strong example of how this tournament can be a springboard to greater things. Star striker Mathys Tel moved to Bayern Munich for an initial €20 millionin the wake of his heroics in Israel, while Warren Zaire-Emery and El Chadaille Bitshiabu have both played in the Champions League knockout stages for Paris Saint-Germain this term.

So who will be the breakout stars of this year's competition? NXGN has teamed up with GOAL to pick out some potential superstars of the future who will be strutting their stuff over the next few weeks…

Getty ImagesGabriele Biancheri (Wales)

Sixteen-year-old striker Biancheri has already made headlines in 2023 after completing a transfer to Manchester United in February having been a goal machine for Cardiff City's youth sides.

United reportedly beat off competition from three other Premier League sides to sign Biancheri, and he marked his debut for their U18s with a goal.

He will now likely lead the line for Wales as the Euro 2016 semi-finalists begin trying to find stars of the future as much of their 'Golden Generation' of the past decade begin to retire from international football.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesParis Brunner (Germany)

Brunner's name became well known in German football at the start of the 2022-23 season when he scored 16 goals in Borussia Dortmund U17s' first six games of the campaign, with the striker tipped to be the next star to emerge from the club's famed academy.

The 17-year-old has continued to score pretty frequently at U19 level, and Barcelona are reported to be scouting Brunner as they look to add potential superstars of the future to their youth ranks.

Getty ImagesArchie Gray (England)

Gray comes from good footballing stock, with his father, grandfather and great-uncle having all played for Scotland at international level, but it is England who the midfielder currently represents.

Having first appeared on the bench for Leeds United's first team as a 15-year-old, Gray continues to appear in matchday squads for the Premier League strugglers, and might have made his senior debut already were it not for a series of injuries.

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Mathis Lambourde (France)

From Ousmane Dembele to Eduardo Camavinga to Mathys Tel, Rennes' academy has a growing reputation as one of the best in European football, and there is hope that Lambourde can be the next to emerge from the Ligue 1 side's talent factory.

A wide forward who has been compared to Dembele in some quarters, the 17-year-old is already a regular for Rennes' reserve side, and a first-team debut in the next 12 months is not beyond him if he continues on his current trajectory.

The substitutions of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial saved Manchester United from embarrassment against Omonia Nicosia.

Heading into half-time a goal behind thanks to a great finish from Karim Ansarifard, Erik ten Hag needed changes, desperately.

He replaced Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia – who had torrid first halves – with Rashford and Luke Shaw and the rest is history. The former took less than 10 minutes to drag his side level and he would be involved in the other two goals that the Red Devils would score.

Anthony Martial was also brought into the action and he combined with his fellow substitute immediately after coming on to give Manchester United the lead.

As the game opened up, Cristiano Ronaldo continued to hunt a 700th club career goal and it was one of his shots that brought the third goal as Rashford tapped in at the back post with an open goal at his mercy.

After all that, there was time for more panic from the visitors as they allowed the hosts a glimmer of hope. Nikolas Panayiotou found the back of the net in the 85th minute but Manchester United were able to cling on for an important victory.

Below, GOAL runs through the winners and losers from the 3-2 win in Cyprus.

Getty ImagesThe Winners

Marcus Rashford:

The 24-year-old continues to enjoy something of a renaissance for Manchester United this season. Having been rested, he came onto the pitch at half-time for Jadon Sancho and changed the game almost single-handedly.

Less than 10 minutes after being introduced, he dragged his side back on level terms with an excellent finish into the far corner. Another 10 minutes later and he turned provider, supplying a lovely flick to Martial before adding a second goal of the night with a simple tap-in from Ronaldo's cross-cum-shot.

Anthony Martial:

Speaking of the Frenchman, he's another who came out of the game shining. He replaced Fernandes in the 61st minute and scored a brilliant goal in the 63rd minute.

Like Rashford, he has injected some much-needed life into his Manchester United career recently and he extended his run of providing a goal contribution in every game he has played this season. In just over 100 minutes of football in the Premier League and Europa League, he has scored three goals and added one assist.

Cristiano Ronaldo:

The 700th club career goal still eludes the 37-year-old but it was his most complete performance of the season. His link-up play was much improved and his runs helped his teammates, most notably the one he made which gave Rashford space for the equaliser.

Yes, he should have scored at least once but it was a performance from Ronaldo that shows he can still play a key role in a fluid attacking line-up. His combination and relationship with Rashford could also be very important for Ten Hag as the season goes on.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers

Jadon Sancho:

It couldn't have been a much worse evening for him. He struggled to impose himself on the game in the first half, stitched up Malacia for the opener and was replaced by the goalscoring Rashford at half-time.

A couple of goals this season are still failing to mask a really poor start to life at Old Trafford. United supporters are still waiting on the return on the (significant) investment on the 22-year-old from last year.

Tyrell Malacia:

A rare blot on a rather strong copybook for the young left-back this evening. Going forward, he was largely invisible and he made the crucial error that could have brought disaster for Manchester United.

The second-half goals from Rashford and Martial ultimately bailed him out but it is unacceptable to make such a costly mistake against opposition like Omonia. Fortunately, he was taken out of the spotlight at half-time by Ten Hag.

Erik ten Hag's team selection:

While his substitutions changed the game in a positive way, his decision to start a very strong team backfired. The Manchester United boss will have been hoping that the game was wrapped up early on so that he could rest his players for the Premier League clash on Sunday night.

That wasn't the case at all and he actually had to strengthen his side from the bench to ensure they picked up an important victory. The win was important but it will still be worrying just how complex the visitors made it look against their Cypriot opposition.

GettyRatings: Defence

David de Gea (5/10): Only made one save all night but had to pick the ball out of his net twice. Couldn't really do much for either of the goals but such is the business of being a goalkeeper.

Diogo Dalot (6/10): A solid, if unspectacular, performance. Defended well when asked and even created a gilt-edged chance for his compatriot Ronaldo which he somehow missed.

Victor Lindelof (6/10): Similarly to Dalot, did enough when he had to but still part of a defence that conceded two goals against extremely inferior opposition.

Lisandro Martinez (7/10): The stand-out defender for Manchester United, by some way. His passing through the lines was excellent and his defending was typically aggressive and perfectly-timed.

Tyrell Malacia (4/10): After a relatively bright to start to life at United, it was an evening to forget for the youngster. It was his indecision that led to the hosts pinching the ball and scoring the opening goal. He was rightly replaced at half-time.

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Getty ImagesMidfield

Casemiro (6/10): An unsurprisingly solid performance from the five-time Champions League winner. It wasn't quite a stand-out performance but he did the basics with ease.

Christian Eriksen (6/10): Another visiting player who was solid and nothing else. He looked after the ball well every time he had it but didn't do anything extraordinary.

Bruno Fernandes (5/10): These are the kind of games where you'd expect him to stand out and dictate the attacking proceedings but he wasn't good enough. Although, his performance was saved by a pinpoint long-range ball that brought Rashford's equaliser before being substituted for Martial.

With the top-flight campaign nearing its halfway point at the turn of the year, Goal assesses the star men of 2020-21 to this point

Though the delay to the start of the season means that the Premier League campaign is yet to reach its halfway point, the table is starting to take shape.

Defending champions Liverpool are again out in front, but the Reds have not had things their own way and look set for a much tougher challenge when it comes to winning a second successive league title.

Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Leicester City and Everton have all shown flashes of form that suggest they could be in the hunt right until the final weeks, while the likes of Aston Villa and Southampton have also enjoyed periods in the upper echelons of the table.

But which players have been the standouts so far? Goal has selected its Team of the Season through to the end of the calendar year, though everything could change as we enter 2021…

GettyGK: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)

It is fair to suggest that Arsenal fans were split when it was revealed that Bernd Leno had been chosen to be the Gunners' No.1 for the new season given the impressive performances of Emiliano Martinez in the closing weeks of the previous campaign.

Martinez had played a key role in helping turn around the fortunes of Mikel Arteta's side, and with first-team football not forthcoming in north London he jumped at the chance of joining Aston Villa for £20 million ($25m) in mid-September.

His form for the Villans has mirrored that of his final months at Arsenal, with the Argentina international currently leading the race for the Premier League's Golden Glove with eight clean sheets from his first 14 appearances for the club.

Martinez has rarely put a foot wrong for Dean Smith's side, saving 76 per cent of shots faced, which ranks him second among the English top-flight's regular goalkeepers in 2020-21 behind Nick Pope.

AdvertisementGettyRB: Reece James (Chelsea)

With Trent Alexander-Arnold having struggled with injuries, the door has been opened for another young, English right-back to stake his claim to become the league's best player in his position.

Reece James' form for Chelsea has been so strong that club captain Cesar Azpilicueta has been relegated to the substitutes' bench for almost the entire campaign so far, with James also having earned himself a first England call-up during the autumn.

Going forward he is a revelation, with his crossing accuracy of 22.4% the second-best among full-backs in the Premier League so far this season.

He has also proven himself to be adept defensively, winning 27 tackles at a success rate of 63%; the fourth-best ratio among full-backs in 2020-21.

Getty ImagesCB: Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)

Though new signings Thiago Silva and Edouard Mendy have taken most of the plaudits for Chelsea's improved defensive record, there is no getting away from the fact that Kurt Zouma has perhaps been the most consistently impressive of the trio so far in 2020-21.

The France international was tipped to become one of the world's great centre-backs before suffering a serious knee injury in 2016 that threatened to derail his top-level career.

This season, though, he is beginning to deliver on his potential. He has 38 headed clearances – the fourth-most in the Premier League – and has won 75% of his attempted tackles as well as 66% of his duels.

He has also become an attacking weapon from set-pieces, with his four goals the most among the division's defenders.

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Getty ImagesCB: Fabinho (Liverpool)

Liverpool's title odds lengthened significantly when Virgil van Dijk suffered his potentially season-ending knee injury against Everton in October, so seeming irreplaceable is the Netherlands international at Anfield.

And yet, Jurgen Klopp's side have conceded just seven goals in 12 league games since Van Dijk's injury – a record made even more remarkable given that Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson Becker have all also suffered injuries in the meantime.

Holding midfielder Fabinho has been entrusted with filling the Van Dijk-shaped hole in the Liverpool defence, and while he too missed time through injury, the ex-Monaco man has looked very much at home at the heart of the back four.

The 27-year-old ranks as Liverpool's leading tackler and their player with the most headed clearances so far this term as they chase a second successive league title.

Mashrafe Mortaza has rallied around the batsmen who took Bangladesh close, but lost their wickets as a win against India was within their grasp

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Bangalore 23-Mar-20161:23

‘Everything was all right till last three balls’ – Mashrafe

Mashrafe Mortaza has rallied around the batsmen who took Bangladesh close, but lost their wickets as a win against India was within their grasp. Mushfiqur Rahim hit successive fours in the final over to leave his team needing two runs to win, off three balls. But both he and Mahmudullah holed out to midwicket in consecutive deliveries, transforming Bangladesh’s strong position into a weak one.”I am not going to blame anyone,” Mashrafe said. “The whole dressing-room felt disappointed after the loss. We needed two off the last three balls, and we had two set batsmen at the crease and one still in the shed. It becomes very hard for everyone when we end up losing three wickets in that situation.”Mashrafe conceded that Mushfiqur could have batted more sensibly, but refused to cast aspersions on his behaviour. Having brought the equation to two from three balls with a four, Mushfiqur celebrated the shot animatedly as he approached bowler Hardik Pandya – who himself had been animated when he took the catch of Mohammad Mithun earlier in the innings.”If we were calculative at that stage, it wouldn’t have given us much risk. There were no fielders in the circle. If we had taken a single [off the delivery that Mushfiqur got out], it would have set us up in a better position. It would have helped if we thought like that. We just couldn’t do it that way.”Mushfiqur could have been more careful, but at the same time, since he got us close – maybe he celebrated because of that. There’s nothing to be negative about, because any batsman would get boosted up after those two fours.”Mashrafe did describe the loss as something that would be hard to swallow though. Bangladesh have lost all three games in the Super 10s stage of the tournament so far, and have one more match against New Zealand, after which they will head home.”The loss was a shocking thing for all of us. Nobody wants to lose like this. It is hard to explain but it is quite disappointing. And it’s always difficult to take something from it. Being a professional player, we have to play hard cricket in the last match. If we can do something there we can take something back home. We have to fight hard.”Bangladesh had done well until that stage however. India were strong favourites to win the match in front of a baying home crowd, but were outplayed in large sectors of the match.”Leave out the last three balls, we played brilliantly. We did everything to win otherwise. We came back after they had two good overs towards the end. We played well at nearly every moment.”

Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis have joined the Australian exodus from the IPL, departing early from Kings XI Punjab

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-20161:40

‘Losing Maxwell is a big blow’ – Bangar

Allrounders Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis have joined the Australian exodus from the IPL, departing early from Kings XI Punjab. While Maxwell left with an apparent side strain, a source within Kings XI put Stoinis’ departure down to “personal unavoidable circumstances”.*Kings XI are out of contention for the IPL playoffs, and Maxwell told Cricket Australia medical staff that he has been feeling increasingly sore over recent matches. CA’s national team physio David Beakley said Maxwell’s fitness would now need to be assessed ahead of Australia’s departure for the limited-overs triangular series in the Caribbean, also featuring West Indies and South Africa, later this month.”Glenn reported increasing soreness in his left abdomen area following last night’s match and as such a decision was made for him to return home for further assessment and treatment ahead of the West Indies tour,” Beakley said. “From the information we have so far, the injury doesn’t appear to be something that will prevent Glenn from participating in this tour, but we are keen to give him the necessary time to recover before departing to the West Indies at the end of this month.”Steven Smith, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh and John Hastings had also departed the competition before its completion. Maxwell’s tournament failed to live up to expectations, featuring a pair of eye-catching half centuries amid a wider trend of insubstantial scores.Stoinis’ contributions were more weighty. He scored 146 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 135.18, including a match-winning 52 against Delhi Daredevils – a game in which he took three top-order wickets as well. He also had a big impact in the match against Mumbai Indians, when he claimed his best figures in T20 cricket – 4 for 15 – in another Kings XI victory.*15.00 GMT, May 17: This article was updated when the news of Marcus Stoinis going home came in.

After winning the ODI series 3-0, India will target another series sweep, this time in the T20 format, ahead of the second T20 international against Zimbabwe in Harare on Sunday

The Preview by Liam Brickhill18-Jul-2015Match factsSunday July 19, 2015
Start time 1pm (11am, GMT)0:34

‘Focussing on our own strengths’ – Uthappa

Big pictureWhatever rustiness India may have felt in their tour opener last weekend appears to have been well and truly shaken off. Their slick, measured performance in the first Twenty20 suggested they weren’t exactly stretching themselves, and Zimbabwe will need to step up their game enormously if they are to bridge the yawning gulf in experience between the two sides in this format.India charged to 178 on Friday on a pitch that wasn’t entirely conducive to strokeplay, and a slightly less frenetic performance from Zimbabwe’s bowlers could have helped them keep the visitors to a slightly more manageable total. The brevity of this format means that every delivery matters, and for Zimbabwe to gift India 25 extras was unforgivable. After Hamilton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha’s steady start to the chase, the middle order wilted with a string of soft dismissals.Their win on Friday made it 4-0 to India on the tour, and everything has gone to plan for them. In each match, someone has performed with both bat and ball, and they’ve also blooded a number of uncapped players. India are clear favourites and will also not want to blot their copybook with a slip-up in the final match.Zimbabwe’s inexperience in this format was clearly evidenced by their approach to the chase in the first game, in which their dot-ball percentage was 50%. Against tight bowling, on a pitch that didn’t immediately lend itself to aggressive batting, they were found wanting and this will be a key area for them to improve upon.Form guide(Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe: LLLWW
India: WLLWWIn the spotlightIt’s hard to believe now, but there was a time early in Hamilton Masakadza’s career when he was considered too sedentary for limited-overs cricket. He’s yet to make a real impact in this series though, and Zimbabwe need Mount Masakadza to erupt at the top of the order if they are to take the pressure off their middle order and challenge India.Robin Uthappa’s returns on this tour have been increasing with each outing, and though his innings in the first T20 match was less than explosive, it was the adhesive that held India’s lower order together. Given his position at No. 3 and the fact that he seemed to come to terms with the pitch and conditions quickly, he may be the key player to bat through and set up another big total.Team newsZimbabwe’s top six should be settled for the second match, although Craig Ervine is the sort of batsman who would probably be better utilised up the order. Offspinner John Nyumbu is the only man in the squad not to have played a game yet during India’s visit, and given the slowness of the pitch, and his control as a bowler, he could be a good pick.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Chamu Chibhabha, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Elton Chigumbura (captain), 5 Charles Coventry (wk), 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Graeme Cremer, 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Neville Madzia, 10 John Nyumbu, 11 Chris Mpofu.Such was India’s dominance in the first T20 that they will probably feel safe giving a chance to a sixth debutant in Sanju Samson, who came in for the injured Ambati Rayudu.India (probable): 1 Ajinkya Rahane (captain), 2 M Vijay, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Kedar Jadhav/Sanju Samson, 6 Stuart Binny, 7 Harbhajan Singh, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Mohit Sharma, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Sandeep Sharma.Pitch and conditionsThe pitch being used for this game is the same one used in the second ODI, and though it will have had a week to recover from that match, one can expect it to behave sluggishly. While the Dukes ball has offered some movement through the air to the quicks throughout, the pitches have played slow and low in the afternoon, and Sunday should be no different. Expect another bright, sunny day.Stats and trivia Hamilton Masakadza is Zimbabwe’s leading runscorer in T20 internationals, with 943 runs, including seven fifties, in the format. India’s 178 for 5 was the fourth highest T20I total scored at Harare Sports Club. At the top of the pile is Pakistan’s 198 for 4 scored four years ago. Axar Patel is now India’s leading wicket-taker on this tour, with eight scalps at an average of 17.13 in four matches across two formats.Quotes”You’re already basically cooked when you’re coming in here, so you’re ready for it.”
“Not many people will expect us to win, but if we go out there with the attitude that we have everything to gain I think we will come out with a victory.” .

India’s decision to play five bowlers in the subcontinent has generated a lot of buzz, and now more importantly, some tangible results. Enough for Virat Kohli to maintain his faith in it

Alagappan Muthu in Fatullah14-Jun-20153:43

‘Big fan of playing five bowlers’ – Kohli

India’s decision to play five bowlers in the subcontinent has generated a lot of buzz, and now more importantly, some tangible results. Enough for Virat Kohli to maintain his faith in it.Although the only Test in Fatullah ended in a draw, the additional help had proved useful as R Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh combined to take eight wickets to force Bangladesh to follow-on. But with rain usurping a giant chunk of the game, the expected end came to pass. But not before Kohli was able to work out a few more permutations to his strategy.”I would want someone like R Ashwin, who is averaging 40 with the bat in Test matches – you really can’t ask for more from an allrounder – and someone like Harbhajan Singh to step up with the bat, and [Wriddhiman] Saha too,” Kohli said. “If those three start clicking, you literally have eight batsmen, and you can’t really ask for more as a captain. It’s basically up to the first six to take more responsibility and we are confident of doing that.”‘Reserve day in Tests a good suggestion’

Virat Kohli admitted playing against the weather was a futile task, but was intrigued by the possibility of reserve days in Tests matches.
“That’s a debatable question. It could be, I don’t know,” he said. “Say, on the fourth day a team is struggling to save a game, and the next day it rains for two sessions and the game is drawn. The team that deserves to win doesn’t get a win. So yes, there might be a thought there. It’s a good suggestion actually.
“You might want to add another day seeing the situation of the game. If there is a possible result, there is no harm in giving the team that’s winning a fair chance to compete for three sessions. You earn a draw or the deserving team gets a victory. Might not be a bad thing, but I’m not sure how the discussions are going to go.”

Next on India’s docket is a tour to Sri Lanka, before hosting South Africa, who have not lost an away series since July 2006. Naturally, fronting up with a team full of options was a priority for Kohli. Will he retain the present attack with Ashwin and Harbhajan working in tandem?”I would like to have players who can win us games in the bowling unit. And both of them have that ability,” Kohli said. “Especially now that we have a prolonged season in the subcontinent, we need to look at how we can strengthen our team for that as of now. And both of them are good enough to do the same thing when we go away from home as well, it’s just about the mindset I guess. The more confidence we build in this season, we’ll carry it forward to wherever we play in the future as well.”Watching them bowl together in a pair was really exciting as a captain. And I think both of them enjoyed bowling together as well – if one put pressure, the other took a wicket and vice-versa.”Kohli is not known as a man who takes a backward step. And he has a simple reason for playing that way. It’s fun: “We want to play that sort of cricket. When I captained in my first Test in Adelaide too, I had the same thought process, that we should play aggressively and give ourselves a chance to win the game. You enjoy the game when you play like that.”I think, as a team, it’s very important to have that intensity and attitude especially when we are fielding. Because that is the one time when all 11 players are together and you get the true sense of being a team. We have that understanding in the team that we need to maintain intensity in the field at all times, regardless of the conditions, the pitch, or the situation. If your intent is to win, you will always do well in any situation and come out better than the other team more often than not.”That’s my thinking, but the credit goes to the whole team for responding to that. Because I can think something, but if players don’t respond then it’s useless. We are all on one page, and in sync. It’s a good thing and if we keep building that we’ll get even stronger.”Amid India’s push to move onward and upward, there were a few moments to reflect on and Kohli was asked about life after MS Dhoni.”It’s obviously strange,” he said. “The same thing happened when Sachin Tendulkar retired. A few games after that it was a very strange feeling. You suddenly don’t see a very impactful figure in the dressing room. As a cricketer, you always get used to having him around, listening to him, having discussions with him. That voice is always there and it’s a very familiar feeling in the change room.”Now that he’s not there, you sometimes do feel he’s going to pop out of somewhere. Those sort of things happen, it’s a natural process. But now he’s decided to retire from this format and everything moves on. The team wants to continue in the same way, that has done well in the subcontinent in the past as well, so we can take that leaf out of his book. He’s really helped a lot of us youngsters in becoming good international players. He’s given us ample opportunities, so now is the time for us to take up the responsibility and take Indian cricket forward.”

It is perhaps not the catchiest moniker, but New Zealand are back at Fortress Wellington Regional Stadium for their quarter-final against West Indies

Andrew McGlashan17-Mar-2015It is perhaps not the catchiest moniker, but New Zealand are back at Fortress Wellington Regional Stadium – more colloquially known as the ‘Cake Tin’ – for their quarter-final against West Indies and the secret to their impressive record of 15 wins and seven defeats at the ground is the make-up of what’s beneath their feet.Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, talked of an “unusual bounce” which takes opposition teams time to adjust to and makes home advantage even more of a boost. England found that to their cost earlier in the tournament when they were bundled out for 123, although that was as much to do with the swing obtained by Tim Southee than anything odd happening off the 22 yards. Since that match, three innings totals have been in excess of 300, with Sri Lanka chasing down 310 for the loss of one wicket.There is, though, further recent evidence that New Zealand’s attack can exploit the conditions. At the end of January, Pakistan were bowled out for 210 and the previous year they removed India for 216, although between those two matches one was lost to Sri Lanka. There was a period from 2007 to 2011 when New Zealand’s bowlers certainly dominated as they bundled out Australia (148), England (130), West Indies (128) and Pakistan (124).”It’s quite an unusual bounce which takes a little while to get used to and we’ve played enough games there that our guys have adapted to that,” Hesson said. “Sides that haven’t been there in recent times will need to adjust.”I don’t want to give too much away but it’s a different surface, it’s a drop-in and it had a big gap underneath it, now it’s got some rubble or shingle underneath so it bounces a bit differently than it has in the past. We’ve had some recent experience of that.”Tim Southee will return to the scene of his 7 for 33 when he faces West Indies in the quarter-final•Associated PressThe figures of Southee at the ground certainly stand out – after his haul against England, he now has 21 wickets at 12.00 from six ODIs. Although he has not bowled poorly since that heady day, his 2 for 65 against Australia at Eden Park was followed by wicketless outings against Bangladesh and Afghanistan, so it is a timely return to a happy hunting ground.”When you go out on a ground where you’ve performed well you do feel good about it,” Hesson said. “He had great rhythm that day and the ball swung beautifully for him. Let’s hope it’s a nice still day and he can swing it around corners again.”New Zealand returned to training at a blustery Basin Reserve on Tuesday following a short break after finishing the group stage unbeaten. They will have Wednesday off before a rigorous practice day on Thursday. Hesson continued to be positive about the outlook for Adam Milne who missed the Bangladesh match with a shoulder injury.However, Hesson certainly will not be taking a break from cricket on Wednesday with a keen eye on the quarter-final between South Africa and Sri Lanka. If New Zealand progress to the semi-final at Eden Park, they will play the winner of that match.”That’s a massive game on our side of the draw,” he said. “It’ll be interesting in Sydney and winning the toss and batting over there is pretty important if it’s going to turn. Most of the support staff will sit down and watch it, some of the players will and some will want to get away and not think about it. They all deal with it a little bit differently. I pretty much watch every ball.”

The spectre of Saeed Ajmal loomed over Worcestershire’s return to Division One. Last year Essex coach Paul Grayson said that if umpires had been “brave” enough to call Ajmal for an illegal action Worcestershire would not have been promoted.

Tim Wigmore at Hove21-Apr-2015
ScorecardSachithra Senanayake helped set up a manageable target•Getty ImagesThe spectre of Saeed Ajmal loomed over Worcestershire’s return to Division One. Last year Essex coach Paul Grayson said that if umpires had been “brave” enough to call Ajmal for an illegal action Worcestershire would not have been promoted.When he returns, as Ajmal 2.0 after refining an action that extended to an average of 40 degrees, Worcestershire will dream of him evoking the destruction of his 63 wickets at 16.47 last season. But in the meantime they need to make sure that there is not too much for Ajmal to do. On the third day at Hove, Worcestershire looked to have uncovered a solution: two men combined to do what, last season, was the work of one Ajmal.The identity of the first name was not surprising. Sachithra Senanayake, another man to have remodelled his action following the ICC clampdown on throwing last year, was signed expressly to provide his best Ajmal impression. After beginning the match bowling too short, Senanayake located a fuller length, relentlessly probing outside off stump. He snared the last four wickets with a healthy dollop of bounce and turn on a pitch that might have got Monty Panesar longing for a return to the South Coast.But the identity of his offspin twin, who dismissed three of Sussex’s top five, was rather more surprising. Before today Alexei Kervezee had taken two first-class wicket – both for Netherlands – in 88 games. He was even listed as a medium-pace bowler.For the second time in the match, Ed Joyce and Matt Machan added a sparkling century stand for the second wicket after the early loss of Luke Wells. With a sumptuous day to enjoy, it provided the perfect backdrop for locals to enjoy the ground’s generous selection of gelatos; the pistachio comes particularly recommended.While less belligerent than during his 70-ball century in the first innings, Machan counter-punched pugnaciously after a dicey start – surviving a sharp slip chance off Charlie Morris on 4 – and it might have been with a little desperation that Daryl Mitchell asked Kervezee to bowl.”It was a surprise,” Kervezee admitted. But over his 15-over spell either side of lunch, the game was transformed. Machan was trapped lbw playing across the line to a quicker ball and Luke Wright was caught at short leg to a ball with extra bounce. And then, most significantly of all, a deliciously flighted ball tempted Ed Joyce, who had held Sussex together with his typical blend of serenity and panache, into slashing to slip.Despite some pyrotechnics from Ajmal Shazhad, including a slog sweep for six off Senanayake, Sussex were becalmed, and their last five wickets mustered only 57. It was a bowling performance of tenacity and skill from Worcestershire, and not all about spin, either: Morris moved the new ball with menace while Jack Shantry was typically wholehearted. At times only the grunt Shantry emitted in his delivery stride disturbed the tranquility at Hove; clean-bowling Ben Brown after a sprightly 44 was a wicket well earned.For Worcestershire to record their first victory in Division One since July 2012 – when Moeen Ali took 12 wickets at Old Trafford – the 14 overs they had to endure tonight shaped up as crucial. It was certainly enough time for Steve Magoffin, who has 207 first-class wickets for Sussex at 20 apiece, to ravage their top order.Not on this occasion. The rangy Magoffin began with a wide, and Richard Oliver and Daryl Mitchell both exuded calm at the crease, knocking off 47 of the 247 needed. With Tymal Mills very unlikely to bowl due to a back complaint, the onus falls more than ever on Magoffin. As well as their quicks, Sussex also have Ashar Zaidi’s left-arm darts and Luke Wells’ legspin, which claimed two wickets in the first innings, but Hove has become greedy for more venomous twirlymen.”Mushtaq Ahmed would be nice right now,” Luke Wright said after the close. In his absence, as Wright conceded, Worcestershire should be considered slight favourites to chase down an even 200 on the final day.

MS Dhoni has dropped strong hints that in order to strengthen their batting India might play with just the four frontline bowlers in the World Cup, with Stuart Binny having to fill in as the third seam bowler

Sidharth Monga in Perth30-Jan-20152:50

Important for the team to have a break – Dhoni

MS Dhoni has dropped strong hints that in order to strengthen their batting India might play with just the four frontline bowlers in the World Cup, with Stuart Binny having to fill in as the third seam bowler. In India’s last two completed games Binny has opened the bowling, which was being seen as a test run for him to be used as more than just a part-timer. Dhoni confirmed that after India lost their final match of the Australia tour.India have gone winless on the tour. They were expected to do better in the triangular ODI series, but their batting has let them down often. With the current ODI regulations – two balls and only four men outside the circle – dictating that teams play five full-time bowlers, India’s batting has suffered on this tour. Dhoni has repeated in almost every press conference that the specialist batsmen have failed to bat with freedom because the hitting prowess after No. 6 is quite thin. To play Binny is an attempt to add some meat to Nos. 7, 8 and 9.Dhoni said that emergence of this new combination was one of the positives to have come out of whatever the think-tank has tried in this series. “With Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] struggling a bit, it just puts that added pressure on the bowling line-up because frankly we can’t really afford to play with three fast bowlers and two spinners because our batting becomes just too light for it,” Dhoni said. “If you lose the toss and you are batting on a surface that assists the fast bowlers, if you lose a couple of wickets, then you are just doing the catching-up job.”If you see the good sides, they bat quite deep. Even with the kind of batsmen that we have, we know they can bat but how they can bat at the first-class level is not how they will bat at the international level. That’s why we gave [Ravindra] Jadeja ample time and now slowly he has graduated to that level where he can do that job to some extent. Axar [Patel], we know he can bat but with more exposure and more matches, he will get better because international cricket is very different compared to the first-class level. We need to get our batting strong. The lower-order contribution is something that is a key factor. We can’t really have four to five batsmen in the lower order that will get out quickly because you want to make the most of 50 overs.”Apart from this “positive”, there have been quite a few negatives, the biggest of which is not getting into a winning habit. More than two months without a win can bring the confidence of a side down, but Dhoni said he wasn’t too concerned about that. “I think from the confidence point of view we are quite good,” Dhoni said. “Because again we try to give more emphasis on what needs to be done as to proper planning and executing. Also we have been in this situation. We know how exactly it feels and how to overcome that feeling. We were able to overcome that in the England series when we came back strongly. It’s something the boys know how to get out of. It’s a bit of a challenge. Yes it is because it has been a long tour so far, but this break now – six to 10 days – will help us.”Dhoni said that the team will stay as far away from the actual cricket as it can during this break. “Lock the kitbag. Keep it somewhere you don’t even want to see it. Completely switch off from cricket,” he said. “What you are asking [how to lift the team] I can’t tell you in the press conference. It will be handled accordingly. It won’t be handled on the cricket field because I feel a break is more important than coming back and doing some practice. Because we have been here for more than two months so we know the conditions pretty well. What is important right now is a break. Completely switch off from the cricket. Just do a bit of thinking on what needs to be done.”India’s batting order has been a bit of a mess with Virat Kohli batting at No. 3 only if a wicket is lost after 10 overs, and with Dhoni himself preferring to come in to bat with about 15 overs left. Too much theorising can complicate matters, but Dhoni said it was something the team needed to do. “Today, Virat was supposed to bat at 3, irrespective of when the wicket falls because with this batting line up – okay, we didn’t score too many runs – but this batting line-up we can afford to have him at 3 because I am there in the lower order, then Binny is there and Jadeja has also come back. Relatively, the lower order also looks quite strong.”You have to see ultimately the whole strength of the squad. I know individuals love to bat at a certain slot. If you don’t have people who can float around in the batting order, it becomes very difficult. I know a lot of teams are not very flexible. They want their respective players to bat at a certain slot but cricket I feel has evolved. It’s the number of overs that is more relative to the game. For example, if you have a Super Over, you don’t really send your openers. In a normal game, you will send your openers but in the Super Over, you will send somebody who can slog and hit the ball. You have to adapt yourself according to the demands of the game.”Dhoni was asked how Rayudu is taking this situation where he is sent to do the hard job, and when the going is relatively easier the big boys come out to bat. “Rayudu is someone who is willing to do that,” Dhoni said. “Not everyone can do that. But ultimately you find a couple of people who are able to do that. It just adds to the strength of the team. It is just easy to say that I can’t bat at that number but ultimately if the team wants you to bat at that number, you will have to.”Also, a lot of players, when you are grooming them, you have to bat them slightly up in the order because when you are playing in the subcontinent, if you are batting 5 and 6, you won’t score 50-60 or 80 runs. He will score 20 not out or 15 out. He will remain that way. It’s important to give them chance at 3 and 4. Some of the experienced players, they will have to take the responsibility of playing 5 and 6. That’s what it’s all about. Ultimately, you have to see the interests of the team.”