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Varun Chopra was not the batsman the selectors had come to watch but, with his first Championship century for almost a year, he may have reminded them of his qualities as a potential opening partner to Alastair Cook

George Dobell at Edgbaston26-Apr-2016
ScorecardVarun Chopra helped lead a strong response•Getty ImagesVarun Chopra was not the batsman the selectors had come to watch but, with his first Championship century for almost a year, he may have reminded them of his qualities as a potential opening partner to Alastair Cook.It will take more than one eye-catching innings for Chopra to regain lost ground. He has not represented England Lions since February 2014 and has seen the likes of Sam Robson, Adam Lyth, Nick Compton, Alex Hales and Daniel Bell-Drummond go past him in the competition for an England place.But to score a century of this class against an attack of this quality will have done him no harm. He is a wonderfully stylish player with a range of sweetly-timed drives, a gorgeous late cut and a strong pull. He has all the ingredients required to succeed at the top level and, aged 28, time enough to show it.His fault has, at times, been a tendency to fall over towards the off side and a habit of fencing at the ball off the back foot. But with greater balance and discipline, he helped his side avoid the potential pitfalls here and will have shown Mick Newell, the on-looking selector, that he is back to something approaching his best.Chopra’s career suffered for taking on the burden of captaincy at Warwickshire for two years. After being the only man at the club to record 1,000 Championship runs in each season between 2011 and 2013, he fell back in 2014 (though he was still the club’s top run-scorer in first-class cricket and led the side to one trophy and two runners-up positions) and managed only 658 at an average of 27.41 in 2015.Ian Bell’s greater availability may have been the catalyst to changing the captaincy of the club, but Chopra could see that his own England aspirations were not advancing as he had hoped and does not appear to have resisted.His previous record against Yorkshire was also poor. In nine first-class games against them, he had scored only 151 runs at an average of 8.88 without ever reaching 50. In 2015, he lasted five balls in all in suffering a pair at the hands of Ryan Sidebottom.He will, therefore, have been relieved to see Sidebottom limp out of the attack midway through his sixth over. Sidebottom, who had been gaining some dangerous swing, experienced discomfort in his left ankle as he landed earlier in the over – he let out a yelp of pain that could be heard around the ground – and it seems he is most unlikely to bowl again in this game. A Yorkshire debut for David Willey at Trent Bridge on Sunday appears probable.But Yorkshire still offered strong opposition. Jack Brooks produced a beauty to account for Ian Westwood – swinging in, it pitched and left the batsman a fraction to take the top of off stump – and hardly wasted a ball. He was well supported by Liam Plunkett, who looked slightly quicker than Chris Woakes, but offered less in terms of lateral movement, Steven Patterson and the especially impressive Adil Rashid.It was Rashid who accounted for Bell. After compiling an elegant half-century, Bell, perhaps beaten in the flight, failed to come sufficiently far forward to smother Rashid’s leg spin and edged his forward prod to first slip. Judging by the manner that Newell left before another ball was bowled, it was Bell he had come to see.What he will have learned is unclear. Bell looked in fine form, saw off a really good spell of bowling after lunch, but failed to go on to register the commanding score that would have made him hard to ignore. It may prove relevant that, for the second innings in succession, he paid for failing to get as far forward as he might have done on what remains a decent pitch.Jonathan Trott withstood the inevitable short-balls that greeted his arrival – Plunkett came round the pitch to him for a while – and continues to look in supreme form, while Chopra, on 99 at tea, scored the run he required to register his 19th first-class century from the first ball after the interval. Given a full four days, this match could have been a classic.Sadly, all has been ruined by poor weather. Play was first interrupted and then abandoned due to snow on day three with most agreeing it was the coldest day of first-class cricket they had experienced. At one stage, as the Yorkshire fielders took to wearing woolly hats, it was suggested that, instead of sending a 12th man out with drinks, a St Bernard should run out with a tot of brandy. A final day of bonus point accumulation looms.

Despite Trent Alexander-Arnold's hybrid position still being new to Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk has complimented the diversity it brings to the club.

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Van Dijk talks about new TAA roleSays Liverpool still adapting TAA in a transitional role for the clubWHAT HAPPENED?

Since April, Jurgen Klopp has altered the set-up of the Liverpool side around the strengths of the Englishman. The 25-year-old has been stepping into midfield when the Reds are in possession, while he drops into his old role when defending. He equalised the scoring at the Etihad on Saturday night in a 1-1 draw with Manchester City by shooting into the bottom corner from the outside of the area.

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“It’s about mixing it up," Van Dijk said [via The Athletic]. "We started doing that since April and I think we had a very good run where we did well. We’re still learning, he's still learning, adapting in certain situations. City are very good in that they have that proper plan and we are getting better and better at that as well. It’s a new dimension but still working on it and we can only benefit from it."

“I don’t know that’s for the coaches that work with him," he added. "For the moment he’s playing just fine where he is right now. He has that freedom to mix it up and he has to do that because you see teams are working it out at times so he has to be able to switch from staying on the outside and going on the inside as well."

"It’s a good learning curve for him as well and (on Saturday) he did that well because obviously, he was playing against one of the most in-form wingers (Jeremy Doku) at the moment. So to be important with the goal and also his interceptions is very important."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Alexander-Arnold has played in a more traditional midfield role for England in recent internationals, but Van Dijk has stated that there are no intentions to replicate that at club level for the time being.

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WHAT NEXT FOR ALEXANDER-ARNOLD?

The two defenders will next be in action in the Europa League when Liverpool take on LASK on Thursday, November 30.

Fernando Diniz's side couldn't generate any attacking momentum as a Luis Diaz double saw them drop points yet again

Brazil struggled without the creativity of Neymar, and were lost when Vinicius Jr went off injured, as they let a 1-0 lead slip against Colombia. Gabriel Martinelli's early goal was the Selecao's only real chance of the night, with Luis Diaz bagging twice in four minutes late on to give his side a 2-1 win.

The Arsenal winger opened the scoring inside five minutes, poking an effort into the far corner after a fine piece of interplay with Vinicius. The Selecao's momentum was slowed, though, by Vinicius' exit, after the winger appeared to pick up a thigh issue that forced him off after 26 minutes.

The home side eventually turned things around. Diaz was at the center of it all, nodding home two headers in a four-minute stretch to put his side up 2-1. Brazil, for their part, never carved out a clear chance. Raphinha and Rodrygo put shots narrowly wide, but Fernando Diniz's men struggled to create and they were made to pay, dropping points in Conmebol qualifying for the third-straight contest.

GOAL rates Brazil's players from Estadio Metropolitano…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Alisson (8/10):

Made numerous important saves in Ederson's absence. Couldn't do anything about Diaz's goals. Could have been 4-1 without him.

Emerson (5/10):

Given a rough evening by Diaz, and didn't offer loads on the ball either.

Marquinhos (5/10):

Outlept by Diaz for the Colombia second, and a bit shaky on the ball. Not his best night.

Gabriel (6/10):

Did all of the defensive stuff well, and was the most composed of the Selecao's centre-backs.

Renan Lodi (4/10):

Lacked legs at right-back, and was off the pace for most of proceedings. He's a real weak point.

AdvertisementGettyMidfield

Andre (6/10):

Some of his defensive work was excellent. Made a vital block on Diaz in the first half, and put some timely tackles in.

Bruno Guimaraes (5/10):

A mixed showing. Carried the ball well at times, but didn't cover enough ground in the middle of the park.

Rodrygo (5/10):

Really bright at times. He linked play effectively, and looked to go for goal. But he wasn't clinical or incisive enough. Will have to step up now.

GettyAttack

Vinicius Jr (6/10):

Assisted the opener, and was at his spellbinding best for 25 minutes. Then left the game with a leg injury – a worry for Real Madrid.

Gabriel Martinelli (7/10):

Took his goal well, and was a constant threat on the wing. You'd think there will be many more Brazil goals to come.

Raphinha (4/10):

Fired narrowly wide in the second half. Not really involved, otherwise.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Joao Pedro (5/10):

Offered legs but not much quality up front.

Paulinho (5/10):

Didn't offer much in an attacking sense.

Douglas Luiz (5/10):

Couldn't establish midfield control.

Pepe (N/A):

Not enough time to make an impact.

Endrick (N/A):

Not much time to make an impact. An underwhelming debut.

Fernando Diniz (3/10):

Played four wingers and only two natural centre-mids in a hostile environment. His side never found a foothold, and were too often hit on the break. Brazil shouldn't be this easy to play against.

Northamptonshire claimed their opening win of the Natwest T20 Blast campaign with a comfortable six-wicket win over Derbyshire at Wantage Road

ECB/PA11-Jun-2015
ScorecardDay release: David Willey clubbed 60 off 27 balls and also claimed wickets•Getty ImagesNorthamptonshire claimed their opening win of the Natwest T20 Blast campaign with a comfortable six-wicket win over Derbyshire at Wantage Road.David Willey was the star of the North Group contest after being released from England’s national team’s one-day squad, hitting an impressive 60 off 27 balls and two wickets as the Steelbacks overhauled the visitors’ 166 for seven with 13 balls to spare.After losing the toss and bowling first, the home side were encouraged in Willey’s opening over when Derbyshire’s Sri Lankan star Tillekaratne Dilshan tried his scoop shot – only to see middle and leg stump knocked back. It was the Sri Lankan’s final innings before a stint in the Caribbean Premier League.The next four overs yielded 27 runs, with Wes Durston providing most of the momentum. But Chesney Hughes wafted at Steven Crook’s first ball outside the off stump and edged to Ben Duckett which was immediately followed by Wayne Madsen being trapped lbw first ball.That left Derbyshire 37 for 3 but Scott Elstone helped Durston put on 52 for the fourth wicket, with a slog sweep just over midwicket off Shahid Afridi his highlight.As the Falcons tried to up the tempo, Shiv Thakor was run out for 15 when going for a third, although third umpire Mark Benson had to check whether Willey had touched the rope in preventing a boundary before effecting the dismissal.Tom Poynton bludgeoned two sixes off the final over but Durston was left largely alone to keep the attack going. He carried his bat for 77 off 63 balls, with his half-century coming off 41.Northamptonshire lost Richard Levi in the first over, clipping Thakor to Wayne Madsen inside the circle at backward square leg – and Derbyshire sensed they were in the game.But Willey decided to up the rate in exciting fashion, taking 24 off the fourth over – bowled by Dilshan from the Turner Stand End. Two sixes sailed over long-off, followed by a cover drive for four, with the over completed with another huge six down the ground.Willey – who reached his 50 off 21 balls was caught gleefully by Madsen off Palladino – but Afridi picked up where he left off, continuing the frenetic pace.Surviving a tight stumping appeal off Hughes, the Pakistani globetrotter added 34 off 17 before Billy Godleman’s footwork in front of the boundary rope allowed a stunning catch for Thakor’s second wicket.However, Alex Wakely and Steven Crook saw the hosts home, giving them their first win in 2015 and consigning Derbyshire to a fourth defeat in five.

New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor and fast bowler Adam Milne have been ruled out of the home ODI series against South Africa because of injuries

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-2014New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor and fast bowler Adam Milne have been ruled out of the home ODI series against South Africa because of injuries. Batsman Kane Williamson will miss the first match because of a problem with his left wrist and will be assessed next week for the remaining two games, New Zealand Cricket has said.Taylor has a issue with his left calf while Milne has a elbow injury. Williamson returned from the Champions League T20 in India, where he was playing for Northern Knights, with a sore wrist and had a cortisone injection to alleviate the pain.Fast bowler Tim Southee has a shoulder problem, which excluded him from the New Zealand XI that will play a warm-up game against Ireland in Hamilton on October 18, but he is expected to be fit for the one-day series.The first two ODIs against South Africa are in Mount Maunganui on October 21 and 24, and the third in Hamilton on October 27. These are New Zealand’s first one-day internationals since they played India at home in January.New Zealand XI squad for Ireland game: Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Dean Brownlie, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jimmy Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Daniel Vettori, BJ Watling

Who are the top earning American players in Major League Soccer? Goal breaks down the top 10

The MLS players union released its salary data last week, and the numbers showed some interesting trends. 

Three Americans were in the top 10 in the league in terms of total compensation, while a fourth landed in the top 25. 

Even among Americans Toronto FC dominated the list of high earners, but Sporting Kansas City and Orlando City each placed a pair of players on this list. 

Here's the rundown of the top 10 highest paid Americans in Major League Soccer.

USA Today Sports10Michael Bradley, Toronto FCThe U.S. national team captain and Toronto star is the highest-paid American in the league at $6.5 million per year. AdvertisementGraig Abel9Jozy Altidore, Toronto FCThe former AZ standout returned to MLS to a big payday and will make $5 million in total compensation in 2018. USA Today8Tim Howard, Colorado RapidsThe highest paid goalkeeper in the league is also the Colorado Rapids' highest earner at $2.5 million this season. ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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USA Today7Clint Dempsey, Seattle SoundersDempsey took a cut in pay for the 2018 season but still ranks among the five best-paid American players at $1.7 million this season.

Moeen Ali has admitted he lost confidence in his batting after moving down the order for England

George Dobell13-May-2016Moeen Ali has admitted he lost confidence in his batting after moving down the order for England.Moeen made his name in county cricket as a top-order batsman. He opened the batting in his first international match – an ODI against West Indies in Antigua in 2014 – and then batted at No. 3 in the T20 side and at No. 6 when he first came into the Test side.But, as his international career has developed, so his spin bowling has taken priority over his batting. He fell behind Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler in the Test line-up and, despite making two centuries as an ODI opener – one of them a 72-ball effort against Sri Lanka – he lost his position at the start of the summer of 2015 when the selectors left him out of the ODI team so he could work on his red ball bowling.Alex Hales and Jason Roy subsequently established a dynamic partnership in his place and, since his return to the side in the lower middle-order, he has not passed 21 in ODI cricket. Only once in his last eight T20I innings has he made double-figures; four times in that period he has been dismissed for a duck.He did have a brief spell as Test opener in the UAE, but was left more confused than ever by what was required of him in a team that, in successive Tests, batted him at No. 9, No. 8 and No. 9, before three Tests at opener were followed by a move back down to No. 8.While Moeen understands the reasons for his position in the line-up, he has found it challenging to retain his identity as a batsman.”If you want to be good at something, you have to believe,” Moeen said. “And I went through a phase where I probably didn’t believe I was a top-order batter.”I didn’t practise it as much, because I felt like my bowling was keeping in the team. I definitely haven’t done myself justice with the bat at Test level. I have shown glimpses in all three formats, but I have not done as well as I want. I know I can do better.”Part of the problem comes with being required to bat with the tail. Reasoning that he may not have time to play himself in, Moeen has often felt the need to attack from the start. While that has, at times, had positive results – most notably in the Ashes – it has seen him turn into something of a lower-order slugger rather than the classy player he once threatened to be. It is understandable from the perspective of the team’s needs, but the suspicion remains that England are not getting the best out of him with the bat.Certainly he has, at times, looked a long way below the standards he set in making a high-class century in his second Test. That innings, played against Sri Lanka almost exactly two years ago, took England to the brink of a memorable – and unlikely – draw.”I was more confident then,” he said, “because I’d come back from a couple of years of county cricket where I’d scored well.I just remember telling myself I wasn’t going to get out the night before. I’ve done it for Worcester. I was actually surprised we did it for so long. It was a good effort. But I’ve not been batting that much or that well since.”The hardest thing is obviously batting at No. 8. If you’re batting with Jonny Bairstow, you can play normally, and Stuart Broad is batting quite well at the moment. But then you get lower down…”On your marks: Joe Root, Perri Shakes-Drayton and Moeen Ali at the launch of the NatWest T20 Blast•Getty ImagesMoeen feels that a return to Worcestershire for the start of this season has helped him rediscover his confidence. He has batted at No. 3 in three Championship matches and, in scoring a century and two half-centuries, goes into the Investec Test series against Sri Lanka averaging 91 so far this season.”Going back to Championship cricket, batting at three, I feel like I’m back to how I was,” he said. “I do feel that I’m ready again. I feel like a proper batter again. The batting and the bowling are coming together.”That return to Worcestershire almost didn’t happen. He originally entered the IPL auction only to withdraw after Andrew Strauss, England’s director of cricket, asked him to.”I’m actually glad I didn’t go in the end,” Moeen said. “England just said ‘we’d rather you played red-ball cricket’. It made sense in the end. I had a bit of a break and then played three Championship games. I obviously wanted to get ready for the Test matches.”He is talking to publicise the new NatWest T20 Blast season that beings – ridiculously – on the second day of the first Test next week. Moeen, like the rest of England’s top players, may well be limited to just one or two games in the group stages with the ECB announcing that, fitness permitting, every contracted player will be available for Blast action from June 15 to June 18.While he talks with great passion about the Blast, he is among many of the England players who feel that a city-based competition would improve the standard and spark new interest.”We’d love to be playing the T20 Blast as much as we can,” he said. “I played a bit last year, and I absolutely loved it. We miss a big chunk of it, and that’s a bit disappointing. But it’s the way it is.”It would be sad [if Worcestershire disappeared from a city-based competition], but personally I would love a franchise system. The standard would improve and although not everyone in domestic cricket would play – that’s the biggest shame about it – I think it would be good for the league and good for England.”To find out more information and buy tickets for this season’s NatWest Blast games, please visit: www.ecb.co.uk/natwestt20blast

Bukayo Saka sat out Arsenal’s hard-fought win over Manchester City and will not be available to play for England as a result.

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Winger nursing muscle complaintRarely misses games at club levelWill not figure for the Three LionsWHAT HAPPENED?

The 22-year-old winger rarely misses a game at club level, with a 1-0 victory against City the first time he has failed to figure in a Premier League fixture for the Gunners since May 2021. Saka is nursing a muscle complaint that was picked up in a Champions League meeting with Lens.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Gareth Southgate selected Saka in his latest England squad in spite of that knock, but the Three Lions boss has been informed that the Arsenal talisman will not be available for games against Australia and Italy. Mikel Arteta said when asked for an update on Saka: "He hasn't trained at all in the last two days. He's not available to play football at the moment."

WHAT THEY SAID

While Saka was ruled out against City, Gabriel Martinelli did make a welcome return to action off the bench. Arteta added on having the Brazilian back, with Leandro Trossard picking up a first-half knock: “He’s been saying for a few weeks ‘I’m going be there against City even though everyone said it would be too soon’. Leo after 30 minutes felt something in his hamstring and he was ready with his kit straight away there. He’s a joy of a boy.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Martinelli’s deflected effort ended up settling a heavyweight clash with City, with a three-point haul against the defending champions preserving Arsenal’s unbeaten record in 2023-24 while pulling them level with north London neighbours Tottenham at the top of the Premier League table.

ESPNcricinfo’s blow-by-blow coverage of the 2014 IPL player auction in Bangalore

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2014Catch the auction as the franchises go about building their new squads.

Peter Ingram, the former New Zealand cricketer, has suffered back and knee injuries after being run over by his tractor

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Dec-2014Peter Ingram, the former New Zealand cricketer, has suffered back and knee injuries after being run over by his tractor. According to , Ingram was moving cattle on his farm when his tractor keeled over on a steep bank.”I jumped off the tractor and the bank was so steep I landed about five meters in front of it and then it’s run me over and crushed a couple of vertebrae and dislocated my knee,” Ingram said.Ingram was flown to hospital after he hobbled a kilometer to find help from his neighbours. He spent six days in hospital before being discharged.”The back will heal up 100 per cent, they’ve said, and hopefully I’ll be able to play cricket again sometime, but the knee is a different story,” Ingram said. “I definitely won’t be able to bowl. I’ve busted the MCL [medial collateral ligament] and PCL [posterior cruciate ligament].”Ingram, 36, played two Tests, eight ODIs and three T20 games for New Zealand. He retired from first-class cricket in 2012, but still plays for Taranaki district, and is also a teacher at Waitara High School.