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South Australia’s last Sheffield Shield-winning captain, Jamie Siddons, has returned to the state as head coach for the next three seasons

ESPNcricinfo staff27-May-2015South Australia’s last Sheffield Shield-winning captain, Jamie Siddons, has returned to the state as head coach for the next three seasons. Siddons will fill the role vacated by Darren Berry, who parted ways with South Australia in March.The third-leading run scorer of all time in the Sheffield Shield, Siddons captained South Australia in 69 matches and was in charge in 1995-96, when the state last won the Shield. Despite scoring 11,587 first-class runs at an average of 44.91, Siddons played only once for Australia, in an ODI against Pakistan in Lahore in 1988.After his retirement, Siddons started his coaching career with the Redbacks as an assistant for three years, before he became an assistant to John Buchanan in the Australia national setup in 2005. He coached Bangladesh in the lead-up to the 2011 World Cup and has steered Wellington to two titles in the past four seasons in New Zealand’s domestic competitions.”I am so happy to be back home after a long time away,” Siddons said. “I’m excited about the list, especially some of the talented young players, and I can’t wait to get started.”Keith Bradshaw, the SACA chief executive, said: “His coaching record over the past decade speaks for itself and he led South Australia to our last Sheffield Shield title. Jamie adds a freshness and expertise that will help guide South Australia to long term success. We have absolute clarity of where we’re going and 100% commitment to that.”The appointment of Siddons as the coach of the Redbacks comes after the SACA last month confirmed that Jason Gillespie would take on the coaching role with the Adelaide Strikers in the BBL.He will also be one of four new head coaches of the six states for next season, with David Saker in charge at Victoria, Phil Jaques at Queensland, and New South Wales needing a replacement for new England coach Trevor Bayliss.

Having conceded a first-innings lead of four runs and handicapped by the absence of Ryan Sidebottom with a calf injury, Yorkshire’s seamers performed as well as ever they did in their title-winning summer

Paul Edwards at New Road14-Apr-2015
ScorecardJack Brooks collected his best match figures of 9 for 84•Getty ImagesYorkshire’s travelling supporters at Championship matches are a pleasant bunch of people. One might even call them the low-sodium salt of the earth. It is unthinkable that they would ever break into a chant as charmless as: “That’s why we’re champions.” Then again, on the third day of this match at New Road, Alex Lees’s players needed no one to trumpet their merits; they did the job perfectly themselves.Having conceded a first-innings lead of four runs and handicapped by the absence of Ryan Sidebottom with a calf injury, Yorkshire’s seamers performed as well as ever they did in their title-winning summer. On a pitch offering nothing but a pinch of assistance to the quicker bowlers, Jack Brooks and Tim Bresnan wrecked Worcestershire’s top order in just eight Test-class overs to leave Daryl Mitchell’s side languishing on 21 for 4.An hour’s determined resistance from flatmates Tom Fell and Tom Kohler-Cadmore and a few late blows from the tail elicited stoic cheers from home supporters but they did nothing whatever to colour the ultimate outcome. Steven Patterson rumbled in from the New Road End to remove Fell and Ben Cox in the same over just before lunch and then bowled meanly and straight after the resumption.One or two of Worcestershire’s lower-order batsmen may not be too happy with their choice of stroke but Patterson was cheerily content with their selections. The tall medium-pacer claimed career-best figures of 5 for 11, and while Jack Shantry whacked Bresnan for three off-side boundaries late in proceedings, last September’s hero could do nothing to rescue his side.All this took place on an April afternoon when Worcestershire’s demise offered a curious contrast to the almost magical portents of spring on the horse chestnut and copper beech. The many delights girding New Road deserved more than a three-day finish.Needing 105, Yorkshire completed their ten-wicket victory with dreamy ease in 17 overs at 3.42 pm and collected 22 points for their labours. Stand-in skipper Lees made an unbeaten 52 on his 22nd birthday; he may have better days in his career but few prouder ones. His opening partner Will Rhodes contributed a quietly impressive 45 not out on his Championship debut.The lazy-thinking critics of Division Two cricket will probably be quick to point their fingers at the failings of promoted Worcestershire’s batsmen when they study this game’s scorecard. This would be unfair on both sets of players. It is far too early to reach a judgement on the batsmen, one of whom, Tom Fell, scored a fine century in this match. Much more importantly, though, it would belittle the achievement of Brooks, whose second-innings 4 for 28 completed a career-best match return of 9 for 84, with seven of his victims top-six batsmen.Bowling with good pace and the sort of discipline a Calvinist might envy, Brooks first removed Moeen Ali when the England batsman could only edge a fine delivery to Jack Leaning at second slip; he then accounted for Mitchell with a brutal lifter which was fended to Lees at first slip; finally, he made Alex Gidman’s Worcestershire debut a miserable affair when he had the county’s new signing caught behind for 4.All this came on top of Bresnan’s removal of Richard Oliver in the third over when the opener shouldered arms to a ball that dipped in to him. Just after Gidman trooped up the steps of the pavilion, the bells of the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary began to toll for noon. Those who saw a deeper omen in the tintinnabulations were not far wrong. Brooks and Bresnan had barely bowled a bad ball in 13 overs.”There were a couple of little periods in the first innings when we let Worcestershire off the hook but Jack was fantastic today,” Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie said. “Tim was excellent and then Steve Patterson just did his thing. He has that ability to hit that shoebox on a good length and ask questions of the batsman.”They took all our players away and banned our captain and we still came away with a ten-wicket victory,” continued Gillespie, referring to Andrew Gale’s enforced absence. “It’s one of the best wins I’ve been involved with in cricket.”For his part, Worcestershire coach Steve Rhodes paid justified tribute to the quality of the Yorkshire attack. “That first session really cost us but sometimes you just have to take your hat off to the opposition,” he said. “It was world-class Test-match bowling from Bresnan and Brooks and that could have destroyed a lot of batting line-ups. We’ll learn a lot from that, not just our batsmen, but our bowlers, too.”

While the likes of Lionel Messi and Eden Hazard will take most of the headlines, there is a new generation of talent about to burst onto the scene

The new La Liga season is just hours away, and fans are excited to see their club's latest big-money signings in action.

Perhaps even more satisfying for a supporter, though, is seeing a young player flourish when given the opportunity on the biggest stage.

But who should you be looking out for when the teams are named on the opening weekend?  Goal  breaks down some of the top talents the Spanish top flight has to offer in 2019-20…

Getty ImagesAnder Barrenetxea | Real Sociedad

While the likes of Martin Odegaard, Alexander Isak and Mikel Oyarzabal will capture most of the headlines when it comes to wonderkids at La Real, perhaps the most exciting youngster within their squad is Barrenetxea.

Much like Antoine Griezmann a decade ago, the 17-year-old was promoted to the first team squad without having ever played in the club's B team last season, and scored his first goal for the club in a victory over Real Madrid late in the campaign.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesSergio Camello | Atletico Madrid

It took 18-year-old Camello just 35 minutes of his Atletico Madrid debut to score his first goal for the club against Levante towards the back end of last season, and it is likely he will earn more opportunities this time around.

Diego Simeone has bolstered his attacking ranks over the summer, but Camello's talent is such that he should earn more than a few chances to impress within the first-team squad.

Getty ImagesBryan Gil | Sevilla

Though yet to start a match in La Liga, winger Gil was a regular on the Sevilla bench last season, and already has a goal and an assist to his name in the Spanish top-flight.

Still just 18, he will have to fight for further opportunities this time around with Monchi and Julen Lopetegui having overhauled the squad at the Sanchez Pizjuan over the summer.

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Getty ImagesTakefusa Kubo | Real Madrid

Tipped for greatness when part of Barcelona's famed La Masia academy, Kubo was forced to return to his native Japan in the wake of the Blaugrana's transfer ban in 2015.

And while the training he received back home may not have been at the same level as that in Catalunya, it did allow him more opportunities in senior football as he became one of the star names within the J-League.

Now 18 he is back in Spain, although this time with Real Madrid after they beat Barca to his signing. While he is likely to start the campaign playing with Castilla, some impressive performances in pre-season have hinted that he is ready to play a part for Zinedine Zidane.

Lionesses defender Millie Bright shared a positive update on Sam Kerr, videoing the Chelsea forward walking as she recovers from an ACL injury.

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Kerr walking with crutches Albeit slightly limping Bright a constant support for Kerr GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Kerr suffered a devastating blow as she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a Chelsea training camp in Morocco which ruled her out not only for the rest of the season but also for this year’s Paris Olympics. Despite being sidelined for several months due to the debilitating knee injury, the Matildas star has shown remarkable progress in her recovery journey.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

In a heartening update shared on Instagram by her Chelsea teammate Bright, Kerr was seen walking without her crutches. The forward was spotted smiling as she gingerly practised walking, with her crutches resting near the kitchen countertop.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Despite the setback, Kerr's stellar performance earlier in the season cannot be overlooked. The 30-year-old forward made a significant impact, scoring nine goals in 12 appearances across all competitions. Notably, she secured a memorable hat-trick during the Blues' 4-1 victory over Paris FC in a Women's Champions League group stage match in November.

MLS will use replacement referees for the second-straight week due to an ongoing lockout by PRO against the league's officials over a new CBA.

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PSRA officials locked out by PRO refereesMLS' officials negotiating with league over new CBAWeek two to implement replacements againGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

In their latest outing at the negotiation table, MLS and the Professional Referees Organization (PRO) did not come to terms with the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA), over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

PRO, who assign referees across the USA and Canada for MLS matches, locked out the league's referees on February 18. Since, the PSRA have been protesting outside MLS and PRO offices in New York City, while sharing details on social media of what they are asking for in their new CBA – and why MLS and PRO are opting to not agree with them.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT THE PSRA SAID

reported Wednesday that it had obtained a copy of an update on negotiations that was sent to it's members via email.

It read: "In joint session, PRO representatives made a long statement criticizing, among other things, your negotiating committee’s decision to send (the first tentative agreement) through ratification to allow you to vote and have your voice heard on (it.) PRO then stated they needed yet more time to consider PSRA’s proposal and would not be providing a counter-proposal during the session.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Week two of the MLS season is now upon us, and the officials set to be used are from the youth and college levels, different levels of the USL and MLS NEXT Pro. They will be utilized on every level, from on-field referees to individuals running Video Review (VAR) and the fourth-official on the halfway line of the pitch.

The group of referees available are not trained at the highest level, MLS, and as such – the stance that PRO and MLS is taking is starting to be criticized widely across the league.

At Austin FC's home-opener against Minnesota United in matchweek one, the supporters' group of Los Verde held up a banner that read "Austin is a Union Town" while passing out homemade red cards throughout the area with a statement saying 'Bring back the real refs."

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USA Today Sports WHAT NEXT FOR MLS?

The league will have matches across Saturday and Sunday this weekend, with 14 games featuring replacement referees. Thirteen of the weekend's contests will be played on Saturday, with only one on Sunday.

A round-up of Regional Super50 matches played on March 21, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Mar-2013
ScorecardKevon Cooper’s career-best five-wicket haul helped T&T down CCC in their chase•WICB Media/Ashley Allen PhotoKevon Cooper’s five-wicket haul helped Trinidad & Tobago beat Combined Campuses and Colleges by eight wickets in Port of Spain. CCC were put into bat, but couldn’t build substantial partnerships, as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Only four of the eleven batsmen got double-digit scores, as CCC’s batsmen were restricted by the bowling efforts of Kevon Cooper, who picked up a miserly career-best 5 for 17 in his quota of overs. He was ably supported by Yannick Cariah, who picked up 3 for 14. CCC were wrapped up for 97 in the 38th over.T&T were assured in their chase, as the openers put up 40 for the first wicket, followed by another 44 runs when Adrian Barath and Justin Guillen got together. T&T were able to finish off the chase in the 22nd over. Barath would finish for an unbeaten 40. With this win T&T move to second place in the table.
ScorecardJamaica’s combined batting effort ensured they beat Leeward Islands by 57 runs in Kingston. Leeward Islands elected to field, and their decision was backed initially by their bowlers, as they reduced Jamaica to 10 for 2 early on. Danza Hyatt and Andre McCarthy put up a 92-run stand to lend stability to the order. McCarthy was run out, bringing Tamar Lambert to the crease, who struck an unbeaten 77. Hyatt fell one run short of a deserved hundred by getting himself run out while going for the decisive run. Jamaica finished 253 for 4 at the completion of their overs.Leeward Islands required big partnerships early on to steady the chase, but lost wickets regularly. Their captain, Sylvester Joseph, played anchor through the innings, with Tonito Willett (20), Jahmar Hamilton (19), and Lyndel Richardson (19) chipping in. Joseph would eventually fall for 83, as Leeward Islands folded for 196 in the 45th over. Both Nikita Miller and Andrew Richardson picked up three wickets a piece. This win maintains Jamaica’s position on top, but by a slight two-point margin over T&T.
ScorecardA career-best five-wicket haul from fast bowler Jonathan Carter helped Barbados beat Windward Islands by 99 runs at Kensington Oval. Carter ran through the lower half of Windward’s line-up, as they were eventually bowled out for 180 in their chase. The victory gave Barbados five points, and lifted them to third in the table.Batting first, Barbados lost their opener Rashidi Boucher in the seventh over, but thereafter a series of partnerships, led by 88 between Kraigg Brathwaite and Kirk Edwards and a quick 77 between Dwayne Smith and Kenroy Williams, pushed them to a competitive 279. Edwards and Smith scored half-centuries, with Smith scoring a 29-ball 53, smashing three fours and four sixes. Fast bowler Nelon Pascal took three wickets, but was the most expensive Windward bowler, giving away 87 runs in ten overs.Windward’s innings, in contrast to Barbados’, failed to gather any momentum. Seamers Jason Holder and Fidel Edwards had reduced them to 29 for 3 by the sixth over, and although Andre Fletcher (42), Dalton Polius (37) and Liam Sebastien (33) tried to revive the chase, Carter ensured they lost five wickets for 27 runs. Windward eventually folded in 47 overs.

Reece Topley has been rewarded for his sterling start to the season with a one-year contract with Essex

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-2011Reece Topley has been rewarded for his sterling start to the season with a one-year contract with Essex.A product of the Graham Gooch Essex Cricket Academy, the 17-year-old left-arm seamer made his first-class debut in April and took 14 wickets for Essex in his three opening Championship matches – including five-wicket hauls in each of his first two games against Kent and Middlesex.His season was interrupted after a sensational start as he had to return to Royal Hospital School in Suffolk to start revising for the summer exams, and he will make a decision on his academic commitments at the end of the end of the season.”I am really happy and excited to have signed a contract with the club,” said Topley. “This is where I have been playing since the age of nine years old and I’ve grown up watching the players, which I now play alongside. In the future, I look forward to performing for Essex and developing as a player with the club.””Reece is a very exciting prospect and I am delighted for him that he signed his first professional contract with Essex,” added Paul Grayson, Essex’s head coach.”He has already made a big impact in First Class cricket at a young age taking two five-wicket hauls against Kent and also versus Middlesex at Lord’s. He will now look to continue developing and learning all the time as a player.”

Sri Lanka’s batsmen made light work of a tricky chase to give their side a four-wicket win in their World Cup warm-up game against West Indies in Colombo

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Feb-2011
ScorecardChris Gayle was on fire before he was bowled by Muttiah Muralitharan•Manoj RidimahaliyaddaSri Lanka’s batsmen made light work of a tricky chase to give their side a four-wicket win in their World Cup warm-up game against West Indies in Colombo.West Indies had scrapped to 281 on the back of half-centuries from Chris Gayle and Darren Bravo, but Sri Lanka’s batsmen were never rushed as Tillakaratne Dilshan, captain Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera all made half-centuries to guide their team to victory.Co-hosts Sri Lanka are one of the favourites for the World Cup and are looking to repeat the heroics of 1996 when – as a team of outsiders – they went on to win the trophy. Their victory on Tuesday was built on Lasith Malinga’s three wickets and three key scalps for left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.Malinga struck in the first over, removing Devon Smith. The opening position alongside Gayle is already a problem for West Indies, who have also used Adrian Barath in the position. The early wicket brought Darren Bravo to the crease and he combined with Gayle to give West Indies their most productive passage of the match. The pair rushed to 88 by the 12th over, with Gayle cracking eights fours and a six, before he fell to Muttiah Muralitharan for 58 from 38 deliveries.It was Muralitharan’s only wicket of the innings but was probably the most important to fall. Darren Bravo then found useful support from Ramnaresh Sarwan, who is showing good signs of form on his return to the side, but Herath struck twice in two overs to remove both. Some breezy lower-order batting from Darren Sammy (21), Carlton Baugh (29) and Andre Russell (19*) lifted the total to 281.”We should have scored more runs than we did, because we were well placed after 15 overs and then got some key wickets when they chased,” Sammy said. “But we didn’t finish it off, that’s what we should do when we play the main tournament.”What should have been a competitive total was made easy with Upul Tharanga and Dilshan getting Sri Lanka off to a bright start. Dilshan was typically flamboyant, striking three sixes and five fours in his 50-ball 62. With Kemar Roach rested, West Indies’ pacemen suffered – Andre Russell and Dwayne Bravo both coming in for fearful punishment. The spinners fared much better with Sulieman Benn taking the first of three wickets when he had Tharanga out.It brought Sangakkara to the crease and he silkily worked his way to 71 from 89 balls, hitting just four boundaries to lay the foundations for the chase. After he fell Samaraweera took the responsibility and rotated the strike skilfully to make 55 at almost a run a ball before some late-order biffing from Chamara Kapugedera saw Sri Lanka over the line.”It’s good to have won both the warm-up matches,” Sangakkara said after the match. “I think there is still a lot of work to be done, mainly the first 15 overs. I think we should have chased it down with one or two wickets less than we did, but I think mentally we are slightly better chasing under lights now probably than a few years ago.”

ESPNcricinfo’s Plays of the Day from the one-off ODI between Ireland and England in Dublin

Andrew McGlashan in Dublin25-Aug-2011Tough debuts of the day
England gave out three new caps before play as James Taylor, Ben Stokes and Scott Borthwick were named in the XI. Taylor was the first to have a chance to impress, and much is expected of the Leicestershire batsman, but he couldn’t shine on this occasion despite his fine form in county and England Lions cricket. Facing Boyd Rankin, in the ultimate little-and-large duel, he got underneath a pull and top-edged to square leg. Taylor wasn’t alone, though, as none of England’s new faces enjoy a great day. Ben Stokes faced 10 balls for 3 and Scott Borthwick’s first over was taken for 13 courtesy of Kevin O’Brien.Welcome of the day
Much had been made of Eoin Morgan’s return to Dublin as England captain, but he was given a warm reception by the home crowd when he walked in at No. 4. His boundaries, though, weren’t greeted with quite the same affection as he moved to a swift half-century and threatened to take the game away from his former team-mates. However, Paul Stirling found Morgan’s leading edge and made excellent ground to his left to take the return catch and the crowd gave Morgan another warm hand.Team-mate duel of the day
Steven Finn and Stirling both play their county cricket for Middlesex and came face-to-face as Finn shared the new ball at the start of Ireland’s chase. After a first-ball wide Stirling wasted no time in making a mark as he cut a six over deep cover, but two balls later Finn had his revenge when Stirling couldn’t resist playing a huge heave across the line and the top edge looped to cover.Tactical run out of the day
After an afternoon of frustrating rain delays play finally resumed with Ireland needing another 87 off 10 overs. William Porterfield and Niall O’Brien were at the crease, but they really needed a certain Kevin O’Brien there. Off the second ball of Borthwick’s over Porterfield nudged the ball into the leg side and ambled out of his crease. He turned to try and get back as Borthwick fielded quickly off his own bowling but couldn’t quite reach the crease. For Ireland, though, there was no point Kevin O’Brien waiting around to bat and in he strode at No. 4. When he launched his third and fourth balls in the stands Clontarf was rocking with chants of ‘easy, easy’ from boisterous local support.Ball of the day
While Kevin O’Brien was in the middle Ireland were winning this match, but he had no answer to a pinpoint yorker from Jade Dernbach which zoomed in on middle and leg stump as he tried to bring his bat down. Dernbach had just bowled a series of slower deliveries, which are his trademark in one-day cricket, but showed the skill to immediately change up a gear. It was just the latest display of the nerve that has impressed England’s selectors in the early days of Dernbach’s international career. And, vitally for a bowler who is used at key moments, he relishes the challenge.

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, has said Shahid Afridi proved he was a matchwinner in his first match since coming out of a conditional international retirement

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2011Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, has said Shahid Afridi proved he was a matchwinner in his first ODI since coming out of a conditional international retirement. Afridi took 3 for 27 in 9.3 overs in Dubai, helping bowl Sri Lanka out for 130 and set up an easy Pakistan victory.”Shahid Afridi is a matchwinner and he proved that today,” Misbah said. “He came on when we needed wickets and also needed to keep the runs down. He bowled a wicket-to-wicket line, didn’t give away runs and also made key breakthroughs. He’s started his comeback well and I hope he continues to perform.”Afridi’s wickets came after Pakistan’s seamers had got a couple of early breakthroughs. Misbah said it had been the constant pressure his bowlers asserted that had been Sri Lanka’s undoing. “The pitch played well and was the same across both innings. Credit goes to our bowlers. We pressurised them right from the start by being disciplined with the ball. The seamers were disciplined early and then the spinners came on and did really well.”Tillakaratne Dilshan, the Sri Lanka captain, said it was once again poor shot selection that was behind the batting failure. Sri Lanka’s batsmen had struggled in the Test series too, getting dismissed for first-innings totals of 197 in Abu Dhabi and 239 in Dubai. Dilshan said it had nothing to do with any technical faults but was down to making bad choices.”Our mistake again was shot selection,” Dilshan said. “It’s not the technique of the batsmen because they are all getting starts but throwing it away with poor shots. There were one or two good balls today, the rest were all bad shots. We knew this was not a 250-280 pitch but felt that with four seamers we could defend something around 220-230. But 130 was obviously too low.”Dilshan had chosen to bat, as he had in the Test at the same venue. There was a little help for Pakistan’s seamers early but Dilshan said it wasn’t the pitch that got Sri Lanka’s batsmen out. The next ODI is also in Dubai, on November 14, and Dilshan said if the game was played on the same pitch he would not hesitate to bat first again.”The track was not bad. If we are playing on the same track in the next match I think batting first will still be the right option.”Dilshan also said Mahela Jayawardene was a doubt for the next game as he had hurt his knee. He said Jayawardene would have a scan on Saturday after which the team would take a call on whether he would be fit for the second ODI.