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Sam Curran, England spinners star as Will Jacks, Jos Buttler seal 203-run chase

Published

2 years ago

2023/12/7

Priyan

Sam Curran celebrates the DRS dismissal of Shimron Hetmyer (Cricinfo)

Sam Curran and Jos Buttler bounced back to form with ball and bat respectively, while Will Jacks served further notice of his opener’s credentials with a vital half-century on an occasionally capricious pitch, as England squared their three-match series against West Indies with a hard-fought six-wicket win under the floodlights in Antigua.

In the final analysis it was straightforward enough, particularly once England’s senior pairing, Harry Brook and the captain Buttler had overcome a mid-innings wobble to accelerate past a sub-par target of 203 with an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 90 from 78 balls.

Buttler, so crushingly out of form through that abject World Cup campaign, finally felt the scales fall from his eyes as he bombed the legspinner Yannic Cariah for back-to-back sixes over long-on, before rushing through to his first half-century in 14 innings with a trademark wristy drive off Oshane Thomas. He finished unbeaten on 58 from 45 balls as Brook sealed the victory with 103 balls left unused, with the series heading now for Saturday’s decider in Barbados.

It was not, however, the most taxing assignment of England’s recent ODI history. In truth, the result was scarcely in doubt from the moment that West Indies, asked to bat first, had stumbled to 23 for 4 in the first seven overs of the match. Though they staged a partial recovery thanks to a 129-run stand between their captain Shai Hope and their newest recruit Sherfane Rutherford, who made a half-century apiece, they then lost their last six wickets for 50 runs in their next ten overs, with England’s spinners Rehan Ahmed and Liam Livingstone sharing five between them.

And then, once Jacks and Phil Salt had belted out of the blocks to post a 50-run opening stand in the first six overs of their reply, the result was never truly in doubt. With a violent attitude to anything remotely off-line, Jacks hacked six fours and four sixes in his 72-ball stay, the most eye-catching of which was a startling inside-out launch through a wide yorker from Thomas.

The only real seed of doubt came while the left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie was getting the ball to grip and pop from his round-the-wicket approach. After Salt had played around Romario Shepherd’s hard lengths to be bowled for 21, Motie picked off Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in consecutive overs to check their onslaught at 85 for 3, and when Jacks was pinned on the shin by a shooter from Rutherford, England were four-down inside 20 overs, and facing a potential test of their frayed resolve. Brook and Buttler ensured that the jeopardy was only fleeting.

After another correct call at the toss from Buttler, England had been on the front foot from the moment they started their bowling stint. Alick Athanaze, the driving force of West Indies’ first-wicket century stand, was this time prised out for 4 in Gus Atkinson’s second over, and before the next over was done, West Indies were two-down.

Curran had endured a chastening day in the opening contest, disappearing for an England-record 98 in 9.5 overs. But now he found his mojo, probing the bat on that waspish full length that has proven so effective in his T20 career. Keacy Carty chased some width across his bows before Brandon King pressed forward on off stump – both men picked out the bucket hands of Zak Crawley, stationed at a lone wide slip. Curran then pinned Shimron Hetmyer on the pad before he had scored. The inswinger seemed to be sliding down leg. Buttler, however, figured he might as well roll the dice, and was rewarded as Hawkeye showed the ball to be thumping leg stump.

West Indies had lost three wickets for three runs in the space of 14 balls, and it was already a case of damage limitation. Hope, however, in the wake of his superb hundred on Sunday, wasn’t about to let the scoreline cramp his style, and three flowing boundaries in Atkinson’s next over got the scoreboard moving again, each of them eased effortlessly down the ground.

It signalled the start of a doughty 129-run stand between Hope and Rutherford, whose six-and-out innings on debut on Sunday had at least given an inkling of the power at his disposal. Having overlooked the spin of Jacks in that contest, Buttler threw him the ball for an exploratory spell after the first powerplay, but Rutherford picked him off for a brace of off-side boundaries, after Hope had launched Brydon Carse over midwicket for the first six of the match.

Carse, however, kept pounding out his aggressive length, and as Rehan entered the attack for another spell of precociously probing legspin, it was as if Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid had been reunited through England’s middle overs. On this occasion, neither man was able to force the breakthrough, but until Rutherford brought up his half-century with a hoisted six over deep midwicket off Rehan, the pair had been limited to a solitary edged boundary in 56 balls.

That stroke was the signal for Rutherford to up his tempo, with two thrashed boundaries to greet Livingstone’s second over. Before he could consolidate, however, Livingstone bounced back in his subsequent over, inducing a scuffed drive to short cover for 63, and after Cariah played all round a straight one to be bowled for 5, Livingstone made it three wickets in as many overs with the big scalp of Hope.

It took a superb delivery to dislodge West Indies’ captain and linchpin – a big-ripping legbreak, which dipped and gripped to thump the top of off stump and send him on his way for a run-a-ball 68. Hope swished his bat in annoyance as he left, knowing how crucial his endurance had been to his team’s hopes. At 163 for 7 in the 34th over, England sensed a chance to go in for the kill.

Shepherd seemed to have other ideas as he helped himself to four fours in Livingstone’s sixth over, to threaten a similar bout of late acceleration to his matchwinning hand on Sunday. Before he could go big, however, Rehan tempted him into a miscued slog to long-on, and when Motie skewed Rehan’s googly to point, Rehan was able to sign off with another very impressive spell of 10-1-40-2. West Indies’ spinners did their best to match those standards, but the damage had already been done.

Brief scores:
West Indies 202 in 39.4 overs (Shai Hope 68, Sherfane Rutherford 63; Sam Curran 3-33, Gus Atkinson 2-28, Rehan Ahmed 2-40, Liam Livingstone 3-39) lost to England 206/4 in 32.5 overs (Phil Salt 21,Will Jacks 73, Harry Brook 43*, Jos Buttler 58*; Gudakesh Motie 2-34) by six wickets (with 103 balls remaining)

(Cricinfo)

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PSG beat Arsenal to win back-to-back Champions League titles after shootout

Published

4 hours ago

2026/05/31

Priyan

Marquinhos of Paris Saint-Germain lifts the UEFA Champions League trophy after victory in the final [Aljazeera]

Paris Saint-Germain held their nerve in a cagey Champions League ⁠final to retain the title by beating Arsenal 4-3 on penalties as Saturday’s nail-biting showdown ended 1-1 after extra time, cementing the French side’s status among Europe’s modern greats.

Arsenal defender Gabriel blasted his spot kick over Matvey Safonov’s crossbar at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, his miss confirming PSG as the first club to retain the trophy since Real Madrid completed their ⁠three-year reign from 2016 to 2018.

Long dismissed as glamorous underachievers despite vast resources, the Ligue 1 champions have now forged a dynasty under Luis Enrique, marrying attacking brilliance with resilience to establish themselves as the dominant force in European football.

“It’s stronger than last year because we knew before the match just how difficult it would be to play against Arsenal,” said Enrique, whose side had ⁠thrashed Inter Milan 5-0 a year ago to claim Europe’s elite trophy for the first time.

“As a club and a city, it’s incredible to win, and I think we deserved it over the course of the season. The final was a real battle,” added the Spanish coach.

The outcome left Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice devastated but proud as his side finished their European campaign without losing a match, aside from the shootout defeat in the final.

“It’s gutting. It’s devastating to lose a Champions League final on penalties,” he said. “But we try to take a lot of perspective from how far we’ve come as a group.

“An incredible season. ‌Given it absolutely everything up until this point. We took the game to penalties. It’s a lottery.”

Eleven days after celebrating their first Premier League title in 22 years, Arsenal looked set for a maiden triumph on Europe’s biggest stage after Kai Havertz’s sixth-minute opener and a first hour spent smothering PSG’s vaunted attack.

However, the final in the Hungarian capital became chaotic, once PSG’s Ousmane Dembele equalised with a penalty in the 65th minute, the pace turning frantic before exhaustion took the match to a shootout.

Under Enrique, PSG have won the six shootouts they have contested, with the 56-year-old winning 12 of the 13 one-off club finals as coach.

After brushing aside Premier League opposition on their way to the final by eliminating Chelsea and Liverpool, PSG were facing a much sterner test against an Arsenal team playing their second Champions League final after losing to Barcelona in 2006.

Mikel Arteta’s side took the ⁠lead when Marquinhos’ clearance bounced off Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard into the path of Havertz, who raced into the box and fired into the roof of ⁠the net.

He is the fourth player to score in two different European Cup or Champions League finals with two different clubs.

It was the nightmare scenario for PSG – trailing so early against the best defence in the competition.

Arsenal lived up to their reputation as the best team without the ball and looked perfectly content with the script, doubling up on Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and suffocating the usual danger posed by the Georgian magician on the left flank.

PSG’s Fabian Ruiz was ⁠unable to impose his usual rhythm in midfield and, despite monopolising possession for long spells, the French side struggled to carve out clear-cut chances.

By half-time, PSG had attacked 32 times, Arsenal three.

Arsenal, however, were flirting with the boundaries with their challenges and Cristhian Mosquera brought down Kvaratskhelia in ⁠the area, with Dembele converting the penalty to equalise with his eighth goal in the competition.

The momentum had shifted.

Jurrien ⁠Timber and Viktor Gyokeres replaced Mosquera and Martin Odegaard. Arsenal had a more attacking mindset but were exposed to PSG’s counter attacks and at the end of one of them, Kvaratskhelia sped into the box, only for his left-footed effort to crash onto the outside of David Raya’s post.

After controlling the tempo in the first half, Arsenal played into PSG’s hands as the pace increased significantly, giving too much space to Kvaratskhelia or Bradley Barcola, who replaced the Georgian winger with ‌seven minutes remaining.

In the 89th minute, PSG came close to giving the final an abrupt end as Vitinha’s shot grazed the top of the net. Barcola also shot over the bar after a counter attack, with what would have been the last kick of the game.

With both teams having run out of steam, extra time was a cautious affair and when referee Daniel Siebert blew his ‌whistle, ‌Arsenal had only managed one shot on target.

Arsenal’s Eberechi Eze missed his penalty before Raya saved Nuno Mendes’ attempt. Gabriel had to score to keep the Gunners’ hopes alive but, facing PSG’s end, he fired over.

The French side were left to celebrate being European champions once again, with extra-time substitute Lucas Beraldo’s goal in the shootout proving to be the winner.

[Aljazeera]

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What Hegseth’s comments at Shangri-La Dialogue say about US foreign policy

Published

4 hours ago

2026/05/31

Priyan

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during the 23rd IISS Shangri-La Dialogue at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore [File: Aljazeera]

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has been discussing key foreign policy issues for Washington at a defence summit in Singapore.

On Saturday at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Hegseth commented on America’s main rival, China, as well as Iran, NATO and Taiwan — a major point of contention between Washington and Beijing.

The US and Israel launched their war on Iran in late February, rattling global markets, triggering an energy crisis and causing shortages of critical US munitions, including Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors, which cost about $12m each.

In a report published on Wednesday, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said it would take two years — and in some cases more than three — to replenish four critical munitions used heavily during the war.

Here are Hegseth’s most important comments.

Beijing is widely seen as Washington’s greatest geopolitical challenge, and Hegseth expressed alarm about China’s growing military presence in the Asia Pacific.

“There is rightful alarm regarding China’s historic military buildup and the expansion of its military activities in the region and beyond,” Hegseth said.

Washington’s latest National Defense Strategy describes China as the world’s second-most powerful country after the US.

Hegseth used his speech to call on US allies in the region to increase defence spending in an attempt to offset China’s growing power.

The defence secretary, who said relations with Beijing were “better” than they had been in many years, warned that unless action was taken, China would become the regional hegemon.

“A Pacific dominated by any hegemon would unravel the regional balance of power,” Hegseth said.

“No state, including China, can impose its hegemony and hold the security or prosperity of our nation and our allies in question.”

Taiwan has been improving its defence capabilities in response to concerns about a potential Chinese invasion. Taiwan, which has never officially declared independence from China, has de facto functioned as a separate country since 1949, despite Beijing viewing the island as its territory.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump travelled to China to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, who sees Taiwan as the most important issue in China–US relations. Xi told Trump that “clashes and even conflicts” between the two countries could occur if the Taiwan situation is mishandled.

Since then, Trump has cautioned Taipei against formally declaring independence from China, prompting the island to issue a statement saying it was “sovereign and independent” but planned to maintain the status quo.

Following the meeting, Trump said he was not sure whether he would approve an arms sale to Taiwan worth up to $14bn. On Saturday, Hegseth suggested Washington’s commitment to Taiwan remained, but that Trump would ultimately decide whether the weapons deal is finalised.

“Those decisions will depend on the president and the nature of that relationship. There’s been no change in our status,” Hegseth said.

Trump has long pressured allies to increase their military budgets and become less dependent on US firepower under his America First doctrine.

Trump has recently confused European allies after announcing he would deploy a further 5,000 troops to Poland, despite having recently pledged to reduce the number of American soldiers on the continent.

It remains unclear whether the deployment to Poland includes the same troops the Pentagon said would no longer be stationed in Germany.

“The era of the United States subsidising the defence of wealthy nations is over,” Hegseth said.

“We need partners, not protectorates. We don’t have a strong alliance unless everyone has skin in the game. No freeloading.”

Hegseth also discussed Iran — a key issue for much of the world as well as the US. Tehran and Washington are believed to be close to signing a memorandum of understanding to bring the war to a permanent end.

Hegseth, who has played a key role in the US-Israeli war on Iran as defence secretary, warned that the US would resume attacks on Iran if a satisfactory deal isn’t reached.

His comments come as Washington seeks to reassure allies that the Strait of Hormuz — which Iran closed at the start of the war in a bid to deter US and Israeli attacks — will soon be reopened, helping to bring down energy prices. About 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flowed through the crucial waterway prior to the conflict.

[Aljazeera]

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Home comfort vs championship pedigree as Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru collide in IPL 2026 final

Published

4 hours ago

2026/05/31

Priyan

Gujarat Titans (GT) will be thrilled to play the IPL final at their home ground in Ahmedabad. Just that they will not be able to get there till deep into the night on Saturday. Thunderstorms in Chandigarh delayed the team from flying out, meaning they wouldn’t even have spent 24 hours in the place where they’ll have to find a way to win an IPL title.

Speaking of which, once upon a time – and for a very long time – IPL finals used to be held at the home venue of the previous year’s champions. So Royal Challengers (RCB) could have been the ones looking forward to a bit of home advantage. But something, somewhere went wrong. And now it is GT who go in with that ace up their sleeve.

And as much as the old rules do not apply to this RCB – not when their batting line-up dovetails so wonderfully, and their new-ball bowlers have been so devastating – there is some small precedent to consider. They lost to GT in Ahmedabad in the league stage, bowled out for 155. They’ve won only three of their seven away or neutral games in IPL 2026. All of that can be tossed into the wayside if any of their match-winners come off. Five of them did – the entire top five – in Dharamsala just a few days ago to put up the highest score ever seen in the playoffs. From going 18 years without a title, RCB could win two back-to-back. For the last eight straight IPLs, the team winning Qualifier 1 has gone on to become champion.

GT’s campaign has been built on the hard work of Kagiso Rabada and Mohammed Siraj; in particular the unstinting way they attack oppositions in the powerplay. Both quicks have been encouraged to go pace-on. Both quicks have been remarkable at assessing the vulnerabilities of specific batters. Both quicks have the potential to break the game early. GT have a strike rate of 16 this season, the best of all the teams (at an economy of 9.49) and it gets better when they play at home – 13.5 (economy of 8.72). They’ve converted a fourth playoff appearance in five years into a third final in five years. A second title in five years is well within reach.

Three of Tim David’s last five innings have ended in single-digit scores and a strike rate under 100. You wouldn’t qualify that as a slump though, given his innings against Punjab Kings during the same sequence. He was 2 off two at the start of the 17th over and finished 28 off 12. David just needs to connect one ball to send several out of the ground.

Jason Holder has been an impeccable addition to the GT line-up, his bowling enabling them to frontload their Test-quality fast bowlers and retain flexible use of Rashid Khan. On top of that, Holder himself has picked up 17 wickets at an economy rate of just 7.54. The extra bounce that he generates, even on Indian pitches, has been telling.

RCB will likely bring Phil Salt back in if he’s ready to go but even if not, Venkatesh Iyer has filled in very nicely.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): Virat Kohli, Venkatesh Iyer/Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar (capt), Krunal Pandya, Tim David, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Romario Shepherd, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Salam, Jacob Duffy/Suyash Sharma

GT have had the middle-order question thrown at them over and over and it will be done one last time. In Qualifier 1, when Shubman Gill and B Sai Sudharsan failed, they lost. Badly.

Gujarat Titans (probable): Shubman Gill (capt), B Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Nishant Sindhu, Jason Holder, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Kagiso Rabada, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj

[Cricinfo]