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Johann Myburgh does not represent Somerset’s future but his innings against Yorkshire made good use of the present

Ivo Tennant15-Apr-2014
ScorecardJohann Myburgh made an impact for Somerset•Getty ImagesJohann Myburgh has been around the cricketing houses. He has played in South Africa and in New Zealand, where, with Canterbury, he was coached by Dave Nosworthy, and has had stints with Hampshire and Durham.At the age of 33, he does not represent Somerset’s future. He could also be said to be keeping George Dockrell and Max Waller, the county’s young and promising spinners, out of the side.In fairness, this is not necessarily a like for like selection, in that Myburgh is effectively a batsman who bowls – rather flat off breaks. And it is hard to quibble with his selection – by the aforementioned Nosworthy as well as Marcus Trescothick – for this match.He made 91 on what, even after all the winter rain, is an unmarked and rather lifeless pitch, in addition to having bowled 21 overs and taken a couple of wickets in Yorkshire’s first innings. There was a little turn on this, the third day, so we should see more of him when Yorkshire bat again.Somerset responded to Yorkshire’s total of 450 by taking a first innings lead of 80, which was no mean achievement given that Trescothick and Nick Compton contributed little with the bat. Instead, James Hildreth made 67, Craig Kieswetter 63 and Lewis Gregory, who flung the bat from the first ball he faced, 69, his career-best score. Myburgh, however, came up with the innings of the day.He is a squat man, has a decent first-class average (43.10) and is quick to spot a gap in the field. This being Taunton, he will find the ball comes onto the bat and can disappear speedily off it. While Kieswetter was keen to go for the more expansive shots – a pulled six off Jack Brooks and a lofted drive into the Ian Botham Stand – Myburgh, the elder brother, incidentally, of Stephan Myburgh of Netherlands fame, was more circumspect.It was his highest score in England, made with ten fours. “I am not too much of a stats guy but it is always disappointing not to score a century,” he admitted. “I never felt finished with the game after I left Hampshire and Durham – I had only a short contract with one, predominantly in white ball cricket, and at Southampton things just didn’t work out. But I have always believed in the ability I was given.”Before all that, Alviro Petersen had gone in Kane Williamson’s first over, caught behind off what looked to be an arm ball, and Hildreth had reached 11,000 runs in first-class cricket before he was leg before aiming to swipe Brooks to leg. Kieswetter, who added 112 with Myburgh and who struck seven fours and two sixes, was looking set for a first century of the season – a riposte to those who feel Somerset should have retained Jos Buttler – when he was taken at slip off Williamson.On the boundary, Dickie Bird, now Yorkshire’s president, was attracting as much interest as the cricket. He did not turn down a request for an autograph or an interview even after one had been technologically bungled. Not that Botham would have thanked him for not remembering, standing as he was in the Botham Stand, the identity of England’s leading wicket taker. There is a boyish enthusiasm for the game, and for the people he encounters all day, that remains delightful to observe.

Goal looks at the form for each team in the knockouts for the last 10 games in all competitions…

Getty/Goal composite16. Roma | 12 points

UCL last 16 opponent: Shakhtar Donetsk

dabblebet odds to win UCL: 40/1

Roma's form has tanked in the last couple of months. They are no longer Serie A contenders and arrested a run of six winless league games only last weekend against Verona. 

Edin Dzeko might have stayed but Roma are a long way away from the team who put six past Chelsea in the group stages. 

AdvertisementGetty/Goal composite15. Chelsea | 15 points

UCL last 16 opponent: Barcelona

dabblebet odds to win UCL: 25/1

Time appears to be running out for Antonio Conte as Chelsea coach and the ties that could bring the axe down on his reign are against runaway Liga leaders Barcelona in the Champions League last 16. 

Failure to finish ahead of Roma in the group stage condemned Chelsea to a knockout tie against a top tier team. They got the worst possible outcome. 

Barca are powerful, fluent and in possession of the great Lionel Messi. Chelsea are in disarray. Consecutive three-goal defeats in the Premier League have left Conte on the brink; key players like David Luiz and Alvaro Morata are underperforming and last summer's transfer failures are haunting them at every turn. 

Getty/Goal composite14. Real Madrid | 18 points

UCL last 16 opponent: Paris Saint-Germain

dabblebet odds to win UCL: 8/1

Anything less than a third Champions League title in succession will cost Zinedine Zidane his job, the equation is that simple. Already out of La Liga's title race and the Copa del Rey, Europe is the only domain in which Real Madrid can salvage this wreck of a season.

They have made a habit of defying expectations in this competition in recent years and along the way proven themselves to be the most consistent side at this level in decades. They need to draw upon all of that experience and know-how though as they have neither collective nor individual form to fall back on.

Zidane simply can't get a tune out of his men while poor domestic form bled into their European campaign with a damaging 3-1 loss to Tottenham at Wembley. Cristiano Ronaldo has maintained his regular European output though and his scoring potential could mean the difference between success and failure against PSG. 

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Getty/Goal composite=12. Shakhtar Donetsk | 19 points

UCL last 16 opponent: Roma

dabblebet odds to win UCL: 100/1

Paulo Fonseca's side have proven their mettle with wins against Manchester City and Napoli in a group stage campaign which saw them pip the Italians to a knockout berth. 

A long, inactive winter won't have helped their cause but there is enough quality – and enough of a plan – for them to edge Roma. 

Glamorgan and Leicestershire are locked together after two tough days on a pitch not eager to give rewards to all concerned

ECB/PA23-Jun-2015
ScorecardMatt Boyce struck a cautious half-cejtury [file picture]•Getty ImagesAt the close of an intriguing day’s play, Glamorgan were 64 for 2, a lead of 89, in their second innings on a pitch where the bowlers had to work hard for any reward. Most Leicestershire batsmen contributed but no one went on to reach the close with a substantial score, with Matthew Boyce top scoring with a patient half century.Andrew Salter, the Glamorgan offspinner, bowled a lengthy spell of 30 overs, taking 2 for 64, and although he obtained minimal turn, the pitch is likely to respond to spin as the game progresses.Leicestershire resumed on 37 for 1 and soon lost Ned Eckersley who was bowled by Craig Meschede in the second over of the day. Mark Cosgrove, the Leicestershire captain, was given a rousing reception by the home crowd as a former Glamorgan player and he put on 64 with Boyce before Cosgrove was well taken at short leg off Salter- although the batsman clearly disagreed with the umpire’s decision.Andrea Agathangelou, after a quiet start, played positively, striking Salter for three fours in an over and was nearing his fifty when he had his off stump knocked back by MeschedeNiall O’ Brien was another batsman who became established before he was dismissed, flicking the ball down the leg side to the wicketkeeper. Salter bowled nearly all his overs from the River End, with the seamers rotating from the opposite end, and they all made a contribution with Hogan taking three wickets.Glamorgan gained a slender lead of 25 on first innings, but they were soon in trouble at the start of their second innings when Bragg was caught behind from the fourth ball of the second over, while Ben Wright edged to slip in the following over.At that stage, Glamorgan were 1 for 2, and it required some stability from Jacques Rudolph and Colin Ingram to dig them out of a hole. They had to contend with some quality seam bowling from Clint McKay and Ben Raine, but both remained steadfast until the close with Ingram the more aggressive of the two.

Alejandro Garnacho's brother has hit back at Rio Ferdinand after the former Manchester United defender claimed Lionel Messi unfollowed the winger.

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Ferdinand claimed Messi unfollowed GarnachoBrother disputes pundit's factsSays winger admires Messi & RonaldoGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Alejandro Garnacho hit the headlines all over the world after his wonder-goal against Everton on Sunday. But a curious claim from Ferdinand in the aftermath of the game saw Garnacho's brother, Roberto, rally to defend him. The former-England star asserted that Messi had unfollowed Garnacho on Instagram due to his admiration of Cristiano Ronaldo. But the player's brother was adamant that Messi had never been a follower in the first place.

AdvertisementWHAT ROBERTO GARNACHO SAID

"Fake, Messi never followed him," posted Roberto Garnacho on X (formerly Twitter), quoting a video of Ferdinand. "Stop making stuff up just to create hate, garna [Alejandro Garnacho] loves and admires both of them and you all Trying to creating a rivalry."

Ferdinand replied to the post a few hours later claiming: "Was sarcasm, bro."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Argentinian players are usually unequivocal when it comes to answering the age-old Messi vs Ronaldo question. But Garnacho is a unique case, having only recently broken into the Argentina squad and having shared a field with Messi for just 16 minutes. The young winger was a team-mate of Ronaldo after his ultimately ill-fated return to Old Trafford, training with him daily and playing with him on a number of occasions. Given the circumstances, the 19-year-old understandably has a great deal of respect for both of the modern era's great players.

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Getty/GOALWHAT NEXT FOR ALEJANDRO GARNACHO?

The GOAT debate will be pretty much the last thing on United's flying winger's mind on Wednesday night as his side take on Galatasaray in Istanbul. Erik ten Hag's side are in dire need of a result that will keep their faltering Champions League campaign alive.

Harry Kane wouldn’t get “abuse” if he had “an ‘I’ at the end of his name”, says Paul Lambert, with critics of the Bayern Munich star being questioned.

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England captain closing in on 30 goalsHas broken records on & off the fieldStruggling to secure elusive silverwareWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international striker has enjoyed a productive debut campaign in German football following his 2023 transfer from Tottenham, with 29 goals recorded through 30 appearances. He has, however, been unable to get his hands on an elusive trophy and is in danger of missing out on silverware completely in 2024.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The odd question has been asked of his contribution at the Allianz Arena as a result, with Bayern suffering three successive defeats in all competitions, but Kane has been told that he should be immune from any criticism – as was previously the case for prolific Polish frontman Robert Lewandowski.

WHAT LAMBERT SAID ABOUT KANE

Former Borussia Dortmund star Lambert has, while speaking to who offer the latest Champions League odds, said of Kane’s detractors: “He gets abuse because he doesn't have an 'I' at the end of his name, he is as prolific as the day is long. Some of his goals have been absolutely terrific as well. It is not Harry Kane's fault that Bayern are second in the Bundesliga right now. Bayern were lucky last year to do it. Dortmund should have never lost to Mainz on that final day, even a draw would have been enough but then Jamal Musiala scored in the last second. Bayern had the luck on that day, so maybe this is what happens when they don't perform. Harry Kane is an unbelievable player and it's not his fault. Without him scoring their goals, they could be far worse.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR KANE?

Kane has made history in Munich, on and off the field, and may yet get close to Lewandowski’s all-time single season Bundesliga goal record of 41 efforts. He is, however, desperate to land major silverware and would happily give up his goals in order to land a first major honour of his otherwise distinguished career.

Bangladesh believed they fell 60 runs short due to the slow outfield at the Premadasa

Mohammad Isam at the Premadasa16-Mar-2013Bangladesh believed they fell 60 runs short due to the slow outfield at the R Premadasa Stadium. The visitors were bowled out for 240 on a wicket that did not hold its reputation as seamer-friendly, as was predicted ahead of the second Test.”The outfield is not good, we couldn’t get around 60 runs,” Mominul Haque said at the press conference. “If the outfield was good, our score could have been 300-320. The outfield is not in our control. It was hard work to run a lot in the heat.”We probably didn’t read the wicket correctly. The ball came normally on to the bat. There wasn’t any extra bounce from the fast bowlers.”ESPNcricinfo understands that match referee David Boon has directed the curator to keep the length of the grass identical for the rest of the Test match. There has not been any official complaint from either team so far.Despite the slow outfield, Mominul top scored with 64 off 98 deliveries so perhaps his view on the wicket would vary from the rest of the batting order. They struggled to put together the same effort as they did in Galle, where they racked up 638, lacking in confidence, as it was certain from the first over itself that boundaries would be hard to come by.Bangladesh were 62 for 2 in the first session but as soon as Rangana Herath settled into a good rhythm, they lost three wickets in the middle session to be 155 for 5 at tea. They scored another 85 runs in the final session but lost their last five wickets.The approach at the beginning was cautious but it somehow translated into a poor second session and ultimately the side getting bowled out on the first day. Mominul said the first hour belonged to the bowlers here but conditions eased out.”The first hour is difficult in any conditions,” he said. “Our plan was to survive the first hour so we tried doing it. The wicket eased up in the second session, and it’s still good. I enjoyed batting out there, the ball was coming nicely on to the bat.”

Eoin Morgan says improving England’s performances against spin in one-day cricket is key to them improving their consistency

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Jul-2011Eoin Morgan says improving England’s performances against spin in one-day cricket is key to them finding consistency in the format.England were undone by Sri Lanka’s spinners in their 69-run loss at Headingley, with Suraj Randiv and Jeevan Mendis sharing five wickers in 15 overs between them. It was a familiar pattern for England who have been unable to counter slow bowling in ODI cricket for a number of years.Morgan believes playing positive cricket is imperative to them overcoming the problem.”Spin seems to tie us down, so that is something we have to improve – recognising we have to make that improvement as a unit rather than one or two guys going hell for leather,” he told reporters. “It has always been a problem for England, particularly in major tournaments.”The Indians are masters. They take the positive approach of whacking it out of the ground, between milking it around. We need to have a similar attitude, because we have shown when we have positive attitudes we normally win.”Last year, when England were compiling a run of ODI success by beating Bangladesh, Australia and Pakistan in successive series, they appeared to be making progress as a limited-overs outfit. That came to an abrupt halt after the last Ashes, when England lost the seven-match ODI series against Australia 6-1.That crushing defeat preceded a poor display at the World Cup and Morgan is certain the difference came with how England played the Australian slow bowlers in June-July 2010.”When we went through a spell of playing very good one-day cricket that is the area we capitalised on – particularly against Australia, when we played [Nathan] Hauritz particularly well and then took the same approach when [Steve] Smith came on,” he said. “Our playing of spin dictates how we do – because when we went to Australia this year, we didn’t play their spinners well.”Despite criticism from some quarters on another area – the lack of centuries England batsmen compile in ODI cricket – Morgan doesn’t see it as an issue.”It is not an inability to score hundreds [that is losing England games],” he said. “Over the past year or so, a few of the guys have got hundreds – but 80 off 75 balls will win you games. We have had people playing match-winning knocks, and it is not a major problem. It is not a massive thing in one-day cricket that you go out and score a hundred.”

England’s female cricketers have taken another step towards a fully professional structure after being welcomed as members of the Professional Cricketers’ Association.

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Apr-2011England’s female cricketers have taken another step towards a fully professional structure after being welcomed as members of the Professional Cricketers’ Association.Following on from their Ashes, World Cup and World Twenty20 success in recent seasons, the women’s team has enjoyed increased funding from the ECB, with several of the team combining coaching careers with on-field success.Clare Connor, head of England Women’s cricket for the ECB, said: “Joining the PCA takes the England Women’s game further towards a professional era.”ECB do everything they can to support players to be the best they can on the pitch, and PCA membership will only help that process. Huge credit must go to PCA chief executive Angus Porter, who has been tremendously supportive.”Porter added: “The PCA looks after the interests of all professional cricketers. The England women are highly professional and very successful and it’s absolutely right that we should embrace them into our organisation.”

Simon Jones has returned to Glamorgan on a one-month loan deal after an agreement was reached between his former club and his current team Hampshire.

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jun-2011Simon Jones has returned to Glamorgan on a one-month loan deal after an agreement was reached between his former club and his current team Hampshire.Jones, whose career has been blighted by injury, hasn’t been able to secure a regular spot in the Hampshire team this season despite returning to fitness and recently spoke of his frustration at a lack of cricket. “It’s nice to be back in Wales and always nice to be home. Now I want to do my best for Glamorgan,” he said.There is a thought that Jones’ return could become permanent in the future, but before the loan deal was secured a Glamorgan statement said: ” Hampshire have made it clear that the former Glamorgan and England fast bowler remains a large part of their future plans.”Jones, who played 18 Tests for England, left Glamorgan in 2007 and moved to Worcestershire where he spent two years before joining Hampshire.

Michael Clarke believes Australia will have done well if they can scrape to 250 on the second day in Cape Town

Brydon Coverdale at Newlands09-Nov-2011Michael Clarke believes Australia will have done well if they can scrape to 250 on the second day in Cape Town. When bad light and rain forced an early end to a day that had also started late, the Australians were 214 for 8, with Clarke still at the crease on 107 and Peter Siddle yet to score.Australia had been sent in by Graeme Smith, who expected moisture in the pitch to give his fast men some assistance and despite Clarke’s hundred, the South Africans finished the opening day on top. However, Clarke said he would have batted had he won the toss, so keen was he to stay positive.”I would have batted,” Clarke said. “I think it is good attitude wise. I am a batsman and it would have shown good intent from the team. We knew it would be hard for the first couple of hours to lunch but if the sun came out it would have got easier but unfortunately it didn’t come out for as long as we liked. I thought 300 would have been a good day.”After being sent in I would have liked 300, but the wicket changed. When the sun was out the wicket was better to bat on, when it was overcast there was a little bit of swing and seam all day. It was pretty similar to English conditions today. If we can scratch 250 plus we have done a pretty good job.”Clarke and Shaun Marsh were the only two of Australia’s batsmen who seemed comfortable in the difficult conditions after the top order stumbled to 38 for 3. Marsh was calm and assured until he missed a Dale Steyn inswinger and was lbw for 44 and Clarke played a chanceless innings after some early heat from Steyn, who attacked him with bouncers.But despite Australia’s slightly under-par score, batting is unlikely to get significantly easier as the Test wears on. Clarke said he was confident that Australia were still in the match if his bowlers could extract similar sting from the pitch as the South Africans did.”You can see cracks already on day one,” he said. “I think if the sun comes out you will see more balls shoot along the ground as the game goes on, but if it stays over cast I think it is going to swing and seam for five days.”It is going to be tough to start your batting on while it is overcast. We have got to hit the right areas with the ball and hang on to our catches and I am not too disappointed with how we’ve gone.”