كشف لاورينسيو ريجيكامب المدير الفني السابق لنادي الترجي التونسي، حقيقة وجود مفاوضات مع الزمالك، موضحاً أسباب رحيله عن تدريب الفريق التونسي.
وقال رجيكامب في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون سبورت” عن مفاوضات الزمالك: “كنت في القاهرة لمدة يومين، ولم أكن في مفاوضات مع الزمالك، قابلت مالك أحد الأندية من بلد أخرى في القاهرة”.
وتابع: “تحدثت مع أحد الوكلاء عن الزمالك منذ أسبوعين أو ثلاثة، ولم يصدر مني تعلقيات، هذا ليس عدلاً أن أتحدث أولًا، لأن الأفضل أن النادي هو من يتحدث وليس المدير الفني”.
هل الوكيل كان يتحدث بالنيابة عن الزمالك أم مجرد استطلاع رأي؟: “لا أعرف إذا كان يتحدث بالنيابة عن الزمالك أم من خلال نفسه”.
طالع أيضاً.. جراديشار: لم أكن أعرف الأهلي.. وتفاجأت مما شاهدته أمام بيراميدز
وأكد: “لا توجد مفاوضات مع أي نادٍ مصري سواء الأهلي أو الزمالك”.
وعن أسباب رحيله عن الترجي: “لا أعرف السبب، النتائج كانت جيدة، أعتقد أن هناك شيئًا ما حدث داخل النادي، بالنسبة لي الأمر أصبح في طي التاريخ”.
وأتم: “أتابع الكرة المصرية لأنني كنت في تونس، وكنا سنلعب أمام فرق مصرية في بطولة إفريقيا، لذلك كان يجب أن أتابعهم عن قرب”.
أكد جمال عبد الحميد، نجم الزمالك السابق، أن بيراميدز لم يأخذ مكان الزمالك كما يردد البعض، بل يرى أن الفريق السماوي بات ينافس على حساب الأهلي في البطولات الكبرى المحلية والقارية.
وقال عبد الحميد في تصريحات لبرنامج “اللعيب” عبر قناة “MBC مصر”: “بيراميدز لم يأخذ مكان الزمالك، من يلعب نهائي كأس مصر دائمًا؟ الأهلي، لكن الذي يلعب النهائي الآن هو بيراميدز، إذًا الأخير هو من أخذ مكان الفريق الأحمر”.
طالع أيضًا | ثنائي الأهلي السابق على مشارف العودة قبل كأس العالم للأندية.. وتحركات غامضة في الدفاع
وتابع: “من يلعب نهائي إفريقيا كل سنة؟ الأهلي، الآن بيراميدز هو من يلعب نهائي البطولة، إذًا أخذ مكان الأهلي، الآن الزمالك حسم المركز الثالث في الدوري، ودائمًا كان يحسم المركز الثاني، والمرة التي حسم فيها الأهلي المركز الثالث كان بيراميدز قد أخذ منه المركز الثاني.. إذًا بيراميدز أخذ مكان الأهلي وليس الزمالك”.
وتساءل: “الإسماعيلي عندما كان يُنافس، هل كنا نقول إنه أخذ مكان الأهلي أو الزمالك؟ كنا نقول إن المنافسة كانت بين الثلاثة أندية”.
واختتم: “كل العالم يقول إن الزمالك دائمًا يُعاني من أزمات، ورغم ذلك نحصد بطولات، إذًا هل نحن أبطال أم لا؟ هذه أسوأ سنة للقلعة البيضاء لأننا خسرنا معظم البطولات، لكن رغم ذلك وصلنا لنهائي كأس مصر، وحتى آخر 4 أسابيع كنا ننافس على الدوري أيضًا”.
da aposte e ganhe： Depois de mais de dois anos sem atividades presenciais por causa da pandemia da Covid-19, a Taça das Favelas volta com força máxima neste mês de julho. O torneio organizado pela Central Única das Favelas (CUFA) e produzido pela InFavela celebra 10 anos de existência em 2022.
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da dobrowin： Na próxima sexta-feira acontece a cerimônia de lançamento da edição carioca do maior campeonato de futebol entre favelas do mundo, na sede da CUFA, no Viaduto de Madureira, às 10h30.
O evento vai contar com a presença de técnicos e jogadores de todas as favelas que disputam a Taça. Além deles, autoridades, artistas e ex-jogadores estarão na celebração.
– É com muita alegria que a gente está voltando com a Taça das Favelas. É um projeto que impacta a vida de mais de meio milhão de jovens no Brasil inteiro, anualmente. E é de suma importância que o torneio retorne com força total no Rio de Janeiro, onde tudo começou há uma década – celebrou Celso Athayde, idealizador da Taça das Favelas.
Nesta Cerimônia, ainda vai ocorrer a apresentação do MC Menor MR e do Raí BG, que estão relançando a música da Taça das Favelas. O lançamento da canção da dupla foi interrompido em 2020, por conta da pandemia e agora será retomado. Esta produção é fruto de uma parceria entre a CUFA e o canal KondZilla.
Esta fase da Taça das Favelas será disputada por 107 seleções de favelas, com 28 femininas e 79 masculinas. As seleções femininas não tem idade limite, enquanto entre os meninos, são permitidos jovens de 14 a 17 anos.
A bola vai rolar no final de semana dos dias 30 e 31 de julho, no Campo do Realengo, que está sendo reformado e se tornará o Centro Desportivo Taça das Favelas Realengo. As grandes finais estão previstas para acontecer no dia 8 de outubro.
– A gente tem muito orgulho de produzir esta e iniciativa, que é mais que um campeonato de futebol e gera tantas oportunidades. Esse ano vai ser diferente de tudo. Voltamos! E vamos coroar essa volta com uma grande Taça das Favelas Brasil, no fim do ano – comemorou Elaine Caccavo, diretora de produção da CUFA e da InFavela.
A primeira edição da Taça das Favelas Brasil, o Favelão 2022, vai acontecer nos meses de outubro e novembro.
Serviço Cerimônia de Lançamento da Taça das Favelas Rio 2022 Data: 15 de julho de 2022 (Sexta-feira) Local: Espaço CUFA Horário: 10h30 Endereço: Rua Francisco Batista, nº: 1 – Viaduto de Madureira, Rio de Janeiro
Shaheen Shah Afridi is part of the World Cup squad but is absent from the 18-member side for the England series
Umar Farooq15-Sep-2022
Fakhar Zaman was named as one of the reserves•Getty Images
A knee injury has seen Fakhar Zaman miss out on Pakistan’s squad for the 2022 T20 World Cup, while Shan Masood, who is yet to play a T20I, has been called up.Fakhar was named as one of the travelling reserves, though, along with Mohammad Haris and Shahnawaz Dahani.Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is currently sidelined with a knee injury, was named in the main squad as Pakistan look to get him fit in time for the global event. Mohammad Hasnain, meanwhile, edged out Dahani.Related
Mohammad Wasim backs Babar, Rizwan to improve strike rate
Pakistan have problems, and they begin at the top
There were no wholesale changes to the side that played the Asia Cup earlier this month. Usman Qadir kept his place despite playing just one match in the tournament and limited match-time prior to it.Pakistan’s squad for T20 World Cup 2022•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Afridi and Fakhar were also absent from the 18-member roster for the upcoming seven-match T20I series against England.”Fakhar Zaman has also been rested from the England T20Is so that he can recover from the knee injury he sustained when he landed awkwardly while fielding in the final [of the Asia Cup],” chief selector Mohammad Wasim said.A PCB release stated: “Afridi is expected to resume bowling early next month and will join the squad in Brisbane on October 15. Wasim Jr has been included after recovering completely from the side strain he suffered during the Asia Cup.”Changes can be made to the squad till October 15, without needing the approval of the World Cup’s technical committee.Masood is part of the squad for the England series as well, while allrounder Aamer Jamal and legspinner Abrar Ahmed have received maiden international call-ups. Both impressed in the ongoing National T20 Cup. The first match of the series is on September 20 in Karachi, which will host four games in total before the series moves to Lahore for the final three matches.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
After the England series, the team will head to New Zealand, where they play a T20I tri-series against New Zealand and Bangladesh in Christchurch from October 7-14.Pakistan play their first World Cup match against India at the MCG on October 23. They will also play New Zealand, Afghanistan and two qualifiers in the group stage before the top two sides go to the semi-finals.T20 World Cup squad: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir : Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz DahaniEngland series squad: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Haider Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Aamer Jamal, Iftikhar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Haris, Khushdil Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir, Abrar Ahmed
da betway： Potentially splashing the cash in 2025, Celtic are reportedly interested in signing a Premier League winner who will be granted an exit away from his current club when the chance arrives.
Celtic transfer news
da betsson： The Bhoys have enjoyed quite the start to the campaign, sitting top of the Scottish Premiership once again, but will be well aware of just how important it is to continue that run after the international break. Squaring off against Hearts in the league before then playing host to Club Brugge in Europe, it could be quite the week for Brendan Rodgers’ side if they manage to pick up where they left off.
Meanwhile, away from the action, the transfer rumours have been coming thick and fast. The in-form Nicolas Kuhn is already receiving links to the Premier League in what could worry the Scottish champions, but they’re also eyeing up some incomings of their own in the form of talented twins Cole and Dylan Williams.
The young duo are options for the future and could one day join one other target at the heart of Rodgers’ side. According to Caught Offside, Celtic are interested in signing James McAtee, who will be allowed to leave Manchester City when the chance arrives.
The deal won’t be easy and it will not be cheap, however. In fact, if Celtic want to sign McAtee, then they will have to spend a club-record of more than £20m – eclipsing their current record of £14m, which they spent to sign Jota in 2022. (Transfermarkt)
"Superb" 24 y/o Celtic player basically admits he could be sold next summer
He is currently out on loan for the season.
ByHenry Jackson Nov 18, 2024
With West Ham United, Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City all reportedly among the other clubs eyeing a move to sign the Manchester City midfielder, meanwhile, it’s fair to say that Celtic face quite the competition for his signature.
"Talented" McAtee can become next Cole Palmer
Of course, the last big academy graduate to leave Manchester City was none other than Cole Palmer, who has gone on to become one of the best players in the Premier League at Chelsea. He remains City’s biggest regrets but they may not have learned from their mistake, given their willingness to let McAtee depart. Amid a transitional period, the attacking midfielder may well follow in Palmer’s footsteps in what could even benefit Celtic.
If the Bhoys were to land a player set for a similar rise to Palmer then it would be a game-changer on the European stage and only enhance their dominance in the Scottish Premiership. If the praise of Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig is anything to go by too, then the 22-year-old is certainly one to watch.
The reported £20m+ transfer fee could be the big stumbling block for Celtic, but if the likes of Kuhn depart in the summer then they may yet have the chance to pursue a player of McAtee’s calibre.
da realbet： Liverpool are believed to be “monitoring” a 25-year-old who is enjoying a superb start to the season, according to an update from Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg.
Liverpool transfer rumours
da bet nacional： The Reds continue to be linked with new signings, with Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni reportedly wanted, being seen as a similar option to Real Sociedad ace Martin Zubimendi, of whom a summer move failed to materialise.
Further up the pitch, Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has been backed to seal a move to Liverpool, too, with a potential cut-price £50m transfer on the cards. He has a £68m release clause that can be triggered in 2025, but the Eagles may accept a lower offer, as they still look to receive big money for the England international.
Ebere Eze against Manchester United
The Reds are also said to be scouting Borussia Dortmund attacker Karim Adeyemi, as the club possibly look to eye replacements for Mohamed Salah, should the Egyptian superstar fail to sign a new deal before next summer.
When it comes to possible outgoings at Liverpool, Darwin Nunez’s lack of minutes has seen him linked with a switch away, with Barcelona rumoured to be eyeing a switch for him.
Liverpool "monitoring" prolific forward – Sky Sports
According to Plettenberg on X, Liverpool are eyeing Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, with his current club desperate to keep hold of him:
Marmoush stands out as such an eye-catching option for Liverpool, not least because of the sensational start to the season that he has made for Frankfurt. He has averaged a goal every 72 minutes for his club side across all competitions, finding the net nine times in a total of 656 minutes, most of which have come in the Bundesliga.
Omar Marmoush’s Bundesliga stats this season
Total
Appearances
6
Starts
6
Minutes played
503
Goals
8
Assists
4
Shots per game
4.7
Key passes per game
2.3
Dribbles per game
2.0
The 25-year-old has been likened to Salah in the past, perhaps also in part due to him also being Egyptian, and former goalkeeper Ahmed Shobair has waxed lyrical over him, saying:
“What he’s done in the German league since last season deserves even more praise and attention. Marmoush proves every day that he’s a distinguished talent and wonderful player. There’s little doubt that a transfer to one of Europe’s biggest clubs is very close.”
Liverpool struck gold on "superstar" who’s worth more than Alexander-Arnold
He’s a real linchpin for the Anfield side…
1 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 8, 2024
Ideally, Marmoush won’t necessarily be needed because Salah will stay put, but if he does move on, or Liverpool feel like that they could do with him coming as well to steadily usurp him over time, he could be a shrewd addition to Arne Slot’s squad.
da dobrowin： Pela Copa do Brasil, o Ceará recebeu a Tombense-MG e conseguiu avançar no torneio nacional com a vitória por 2 a 0.
– VEJA A TABELA DA COPA DO BRASIL
Após encaminhar a vaga na ida, quando derrotou o adversário por 2 a 0, o time de Dorival Junior pisou no acelerador dentro de casa e não deu chance ao azar.
Com a vitória, o Vozão consegue emplacar a segunda vitória consecutiva dentro da Arena Castelão, algo que não havia ocorrido com Dorival Junior no comando do time.
Agora, fica a missão para elenco e comissão técnica aumentarem os números positivos como mandante, já que no fim de semana, o Vozão mede forças com o Flamengo, em casa.
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جددت اللجنة الأولمبية الدولية طلبها إلى وزارة الشباب والرياضة للحصول على نسخة من مسودة التعديلات المقترحة على قانون الرياضة رقم 71 لسنة 2017، بهدف مناقشتها والتأكد من توافقها مع بنود الميثاق الأولمبي.
وأرسلت اللجنة خطابًا ثانيًا إلى الوزارة قبل أيام، أعربت فيه عن انتظارها للحصول على المسودة خلال أيام قليلة، مشيرة إلى إمكانية عقد اجتماع عبر تقنية الفيديو كونفرانس إذا استدعى الأمر، لمناقشة التعديلات بشكل مباشر.
وأكد الخطاب أن اللجنة الأولمبية الدولية تلقت ردًا رسميًا من وزارة الشباب والرياضة موقعًا باسم الدكتور أشرف صبحي بصفته وزيرًا للشباب والرياضة، وتضمن الرد عبارات شكر وتقدير للجنة على دعمها المتواصل وحرصها على الالتزام بالميثاق الأولمبي، لكنه لم يتضمن المسودة المطلوبة.
وزارة الرياضة تكشف موقف بند الـ8 سنوات في قانون الرياضة بعد مطالب الأهلي
وكانت اللجنة الأولمبية الدولية قد أرسلت خطابًا أوليًا في 10 أبريل الجاري تطلب فيه الحصول على نسخة من تعديلات القانون، قبل أن تعود لتكرار طلبها رسميًا بعد عدم تلقي أي وثائق مرفقة في الرد المصري.
وفي السياق ذاته صرح المتحدث الرسمي لوزارة الشباب والرياضة محمد الشاذلي، بأن الوزارة تلقت ردًا رسميًا من اللجنة الأولمبية الدولية يثمن التواصل البناء مع الشباب والرياضة والرد السريع على خطابات الأولمبية الدولية.
وأشار إلى أن الأولمبية الدولية طالبت الوزارة بإرسال نسخة باللغة الإنجليزية فور الانتهاء من صياغتها شكلًا وموضوعاً وكذلك عقد اجتماع عبر الفيديو كونفرانس للتأكيد على التوافق التام بين تصور المقترحات والتعديلات المزمع الانتهاء منها خلال الفترة المقبلة.
الجدير بالذكر، أن الفترة الماضية شهدت توترًا بين النادي الأهلي ووزارة الشباب والرياضة، إذ طالب مسؤولو القلعة الحمراء رسميًا في أكثر من مناسبة الاطلاع على تعديلات القانون الجديد.
da dobrowin： Over the past few seasons, Wolverhampton Wanderers have had some iconic players represent the club. A few of these stars helped them win promotion back to the Premier League in 2018, including former club captain Ruben Neves, and attacker Diogo Jota, who now plies his trade at top-flight rivals Liverpool.
da gbg bet： Players who joined the club whilst they were in the Premier League include the likes of Pedro Neto, who now plays at Chelsea, and Matheus Nunes, currently at Manchester City.
Former Wolves forward Diogo Jota.
There is one former Wolves player who goes slightly under the radar, and it is not well-known that he played for the Old Gold. However, he is now regarded as one of the best in the world in his position.
Emiliano Martinez’s Wolves career
For a brief period of time back in the 2015/16 campaign, Wolves’ goalkeeper was now World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez. A player who has represented several English clubs, including one game for Oxford United, he has now finally settled at Aston Villa and is widely considered one of the best shot-stoppers in the world.
The Argentine international played 15 times for the Old Gold when they were still in the Championship. He made 13 league appearances and two in the League Cup, keeping five clean sheets in total.
Frustratingly, for the Argentine, his consistent run as the Old Gold’s number-one goalkeeper was curtailed after he was struck down by injury – albeit with the player himself admitting recently that Wolves did actually offer £10m to sign him permanently.
He returned to Arsenal that summer, and eventually left the Emirates Stadium for Villa Park, where he soon made himself a household name.
Looking back on it, the move was frustratingly brief, and Wolves may wish things had turned out differently for Martinez, given the career he has gone on to have.
Martinez’s rise to the top
It has been an astronomical rise to the top since joining the Villans from the Gunners in 2020 for £17m. He has gone from strength to strength, keeping 55 clean sheets in 165 games, and conceding 202 goals in total.
Where the Argentine really kicked on was at the 2022 World Cup. He was their number one goalkeeper throughout the tournament in Qatar, making a crucial save in the final throws of the final to stop Randall Kolo Muani from winning the World Cup for France.
The 32-year-old is a large reason why Lionel Messi has a World Cup to his incredible collection of trophies. The Villa number 23 won the Yashin Trophy, the award for the best goalkeeper on the planet, in October 2023, largely thanks to his heroics in Qatar.
Martinez’s 2022 World Cup stats
Stat
Number
Games
7
Minutes
690
Goals conceded
8
Penalties saved in shootouts
4
Clean sheets
3
Yellow cards
1
Stats from Transfermarkt & Sporting News
The former Arsenal shot-stopper is also known for his theatrics on the pitch. He is not one to shy away from a joke or two with the crowd and lives up to that kind of theatre on the pitch.
It is for this reason that football presenter Dougie Critchley described him as “the Eric Cantona of his generation” because he is a “natural-born entertainer”. It is certainly something the goalkeeper thrives off.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
Nowadays, the 32-year-old goalkeeper is valued at a potential fee of around £50m. That is a value that Villa News reported when speaking to scout Bryan King. He suggested that the World Cup winner, along with Villa’s star striker Ollie Watkins, would “go for big money”, claiming they could land £100m for the pair combined.
Looking back on things, the Old Gold may be disappointed they missed out on any kind of permanent deal for Martinez back in 2015/16.
Whilst he struggled to make the number one spot his own after November due to injury, things could have worked out differently and one of the Premier League’s great entertainers could have been playing at Molienux every week, instead of down the road at their Midlands rivals.
Ramsey 2.0: Emery could soon unleash Aston Villa teen who's like Mbappe
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Former England Test captain posts 147 with Yorkshire still trailing Lancashire by 210 runs
Paul Edwards14-May-2022
Joe Root scored a century•Getty Images
Should it be announced that by some miracle Len Hutton ‘in his prime’ would be playing at Headingley tomorrow, one imagines Yorkshire’s ground would not be anything like big enough to accommodate the spectators wanting to watch him bat. If it was further disclosed that Hutton would be facing the bowling of Brian Statham, the crowds from Sheffield, Bradford and elsewhere in the kingdom would have to compete with even more folk coming across the M62. So what might we make of the fact that in today’s common sunshine we saw Joe Root make 147 against a Lancashire attack that included James Anderson? This afternoon, such a sight was familiar; we may see it again tomorrow as Yorkshire look to avoid defeat. But in three summers’ time…?Let us be cautious. Hutton and Statham epitomised their county’s best qualities and combined to wonderful effect on a famous Ashes tour. On top of which, there was an essential integrity about the two men that ennobles their posthumous reputations. Not for nothing was Malcolm Lorimer’s collection of tributes to Statham entitled . Root, though, is only 31 and may have five years of first-class cricket ahead of him. And while Anderson will be 40 in July, it seems clear he will play on as long as he retains both his fitness and his private fire. We cannot yet definitively assess the career of either of our current champions.And now let us not be cautious at all. Much of what we said about Hutton and Statham applies to Root and Anderson. Most critics would agree that over the past five years the pair have been their country’s best cricketers (although Ben Stokes would also be in that frame.) They are fit to be ranked with their predecessors and the only truly surprising aspect about Root’s century today was that it followed his six other first-class innings against Lancashire, in which he had managed a total of 58 runs with a best of 22.Everything else was fond and familiar. There was the unobtrusive accumulation of runs as though he did not want the bowlers to cotton on they were being milked. He got off the mark with a single squeezed backward of square on the leg side off Anderson. He leg-glanced his England colleague for his first four and later cover-drove him twice to the Long Room boundary.Related
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Vastly more frequent were the Bank of England defensive strokes, the controlled hooks, the wristy cut past gully or the tuck to either side of square leg. There were two edges through the slips but neither went to hand. Root’s scoring rate appeared the work of a conjurer: his fifty came off 73 balls and his century off 150.He vastly outscored Harry Duke, whose 40 runs came off 202 balls and with whom Root put on 154 before the Yorkshire keeper was bowled when trying to ramp a ball from Matt Parkinson. That was a sad end to Duke’s innings and utterly at variance with nearly four hours of self-denial. He had played not so much second fiddle as fourth triangle to Root but his efforts were plainly vital to Yorkshire’s huge effort to draw this match. And those endeavours must continue tomorrow. Root’s dismissal, caught at slip by Luke Wells when trying to work Parkinson to leg six overs before the close, has left Yorkshire 60 runs short of avoiding the follow-on.By comparison with his former England captain, Anderson sometimes looked a little out of sorts. He roughed up George Hill with short balls early in the morning session and dismissed him when Hill dishclothed a pull to Dane Vilas at midwicket. Otherwise, the man often seen as the finest new-ball bowler in England’s history frequently seemed discontented, either with a streaky shot or with the slow pitch or with life itself. And of course, he has something of an issue with Root at present. The ex-England skipper was at least complicit in the decision to leave Anderson and Stuart Broad out of the party for the recent tour to the West Indies, which perhaps explains why the Lancashire bowler was unwilling to engage in much chat with his friend. Then a reluctant smile would play about that world-weary face. After all, this was only Rooty and, my God, had they played some cricket together?Lancashire’s other bowlers looked rather bland on this Headingley pitch. But Tom Bailey’s accuracy earned him two more wickets today and Parkinson’s undimmed willingness to wheel away on an unresponsive surface was ultimately rewarded with the wickets of Duke and Root. And the leg-spinner’s removal of Harry Brook may have had an even greater effect on this game.For it is difficult to imagine that cricket can be made to seem much simpler than Brook contrived to do during his 48-minute innings this morning. George Balderson, a fine young player and a useful fourth seamer, was humbled to impotence by five boundaries in two overs. But perhaps it all became too easy; perhaps Brook needed a reminder that it was earth beneath his feet. Instead, he looked to work a fine leggie from Parkinson through midwicket but did not get to the pitch of the hard-spun ball. It turned past his bat and hit the middle stump. Brook was thus dismissed for 41, his first score below fifty in seven first-class innings this season. He currently averages 135 but such statistics sometimes play us false; not in Brook’s case, however. The neutrals who have watched him bat are certain that no cricketer in England is in better form.