All posts by h716a5.icu

Given Lions’ desperation for stability following a season in which they have lost five players to corruption-related bans, Cook’s all-format appointment comes as an obvious choice

Firdose Moonda07-Aug-2017South Africa’s discarded Test opener Stephen Cook is set for a bumper summer at home. Not only has Cook been included in the South Africa A side to play India A in a bid to reclaim his Test place, but he will also captain his domestic franchise, the Lions, in all three formats.At face value, that may present an immediate contradiction. If Cook is able to get back into the national team, he will leave his franchise without a leader. Considering Aiden Markram is the favourite to take over from Heino Kuhn as Test opener, and the Lions’ desperation for stability following a season in which they lost five players to corruption-related bans, Cook is an obvious choice. He has led the team in first-class cricket before, but had not been a regular member of the white-ball teams. Now though, he has been confirmed as a participant in all three formats.”We have been impressed with the manner in which Stephen has been able to head up the team […] it is aligned to our brand and is themed with discipline, diligence and a fighting spirit,” Dr Oupa Nkagisang, chairman of the Lions’ board said. “We are clear in our goal to improve on the performance of last season and to put the loss of experienced players behind us. On paper, we have a talented squad that can go head-to-head with the best out there and we are relying on Stephen and the coaching squad to ensure that the performance on the field resembles that.”The Lions went without a trophy last season and have struggled for consistency amid a glut of player departures. Apart from those who were involved in the Ram-Slam corruption saga, Lions also lost Quinton de Kock and Chris Morris to the Titans since both live in Pretoria; and Temba Bavuma has returned to his home in the Cape. For the coming season, they have acquired the services of Omphile Ramela and Beuran Hendricks from the Cobras, and Craig Alexander from the Dolphins. Cook hopes Lions’ transition phase is ending.”We have had time to recover from the movement of players and just seeing the incredible players coming through our ranks, the time is right for us to execute our skills and be a formidable opponent,” he said.Still, the Lions have some uncertainty over personnel as they enter the home summer. Their coach Geoffrey Toyana applied for, and was interviewed for the position of South Africa head coach, until Ottis Gibson’s name was mentioned. Up until that point, Toyana was considered to be the favourite for the post. Toyana has been with the squad during the pre-season, but he may still be lost to the Lions given he could become the national assistant coach. The Lions have recently appointed a batting coach, Justin Sammons, and there is talk the national under-19 coach, Lawrence Mahatlane, may be on their radar as well.

Richie Richardson, the former West Indies captain, is currently a part of the ICC’s Elite Panel of match referees

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Aug-2017Former West Indies captain Richie Richardson has been appointed match referee by the ICC for the three-match T20 Independence Cup between Pakistan and the World XI side – the first instance since 2009 of an ICC match official overseeing cricket in Pakistan.Richardson has been a member of the ICC’s Elite Panel of match referees since January 2016 and has officiated in 11 Tests, 19 ODIs and 18 T20Is till date. The Pakistan Cricket Board announced the ICC’s decision in a press release on Tuesday. “The Pakistan Cricket Board today announced that the International Cricket Council has appointed Sir Richie Richardson as match referee for the Independence Cup to be played between the World XI and Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium on 12, 13 and 15 September.”The ICC has thrown its weight behind this series, working closely with the PCB to tackle security which satisfied the standards of the players’ body, the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA).Zimbabwe’s tour in 2015 – the only international tour by a Test-playing team since the terror attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in 2009 – had gone ahead with local umpires and match officials. Prior to Zimbabwe’s tour, several countries had refused to play in Pakistan, in the aftermath of the attack in Lahore. The PCB, however, has been gradually pursuing more matches in the country. Earlier this year, a few international players turned out in Lahore for the final of the Pakistan Super League.

Liverpool could take a huge stride in their midfield rebuild this summer, with rumours of Jurgen Klopp's interest in Benfica's Florentino Luis persisting.

Who are Liverpool signing this summer?

Last season, Liverpool fell by the wayside and failed to qualify for the Champions League after fighting for a historic quadruple the campaign prior; the midfield was chastened for its ropy performances, and James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain departed at the end of their contracts in June.

Long-serving captain Jordan Henderson and veteran holding midfielder Fabinho are also headed for Saudi Arabia, whilst astute purchases for Alexis Mac Allister and Dominick Szoboszlai have been sealed to revitalise the Reds' core.

And now, according to a report from The Athletic, Luis is on Klopp's shortlist ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, with Portugal international – who is believed to hold a €120m (£103m) release clause – deemed a "like-for-like" replacement for his Anfield-based confrère.

Is Florentino Luis a defensive midfielder?

Having been praised as a "top player" by Ruben Dias, Luis was integral to Benfica's exploits across a tremendous 22/23 campaign, making a mammoth 54 appearances and winning the Primeira Liga, also performing admirably in the Champions League and reaching the quarter-finals, avoiding defeat across two fixtures to both Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

As per Sofascore, the 23-year-old machine played 33 times in the Portuguese top-flight and recorded an average rating of 7.10, completing 90% of his passes, averaging 2.5 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game and succeeding with 60% of his duels and 72% of his dribble attempts.

This, statistically, puts him in the top stratosphere of defensive midfielders in the business, certainly capable of transporting his skills to stand as one of the Premier League's undisputed stars; as per FBref, he ranks among the top 4% of midfielders across Men's Next 8 divisions (below the top European five) for pass completion, the top 14% for progressive passes, the top 1% for interceptions and the top 4% for tackles per 90.

He is indeed the perfect fit if Klopp opts to deploy a new No. 6 of the same mould as Fabinho, who similarly keeps things simple and recycles possession for his team before pushing the ball through the thirds, whereas the Merseyside outfit's pursuit of the prodigious Romeo Lavia would provide a different slant to the system, with The Athletic describing the Belgian as a "ball carrier" who is the "opposite of Fabinho".

And while Lavia, aged 19, may well end up at Anfield over the coming weeks, if Luis joined too he would offer an invaluable dimension, a state of defensive duality, an unwavering pillar amid a maelstrom of change, filling Fabinho's boots and providing the tenacious and industrious cog to allow the forward-thinking teammates to flourish.

Given that he plays for the Eagles, Luis could emulate Liverpool's deal to sign Darwin Núñez last summer, who joined from the Portuguese giants in a club-record £85m deal.

Nunez suffered an indifferent first season on English shores but exuded quality in abundance that simply awaits channelling.

Described as an "agent of chaos" by Liverpool Echo's Theo Squires, the Uruguayan is an electric forward who ranks among the top 12% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals and the top 6% for progressive carries per 90, via FBref, though he missed 20 big chances in the league and clearly needs to work on his striking precision.

The £140k-per-week star is a first-rate talent, however, and should Luis arrive at Anfield this summer he would undoubtedly enhance the Liverpool midfield, perhaps even providing the central solidness to form the framework Nunez needs to truly unleash the full scale of his skills under Klopp's tutelage.

Liverpool and Chelsea have registered an interest in Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti this summer according to Kaveh Solhekol.

The 30-year-old could reportedly leave the French side this summer with a number of top European sides interested.

What is Verratti's market value?

Verratti is regarded as one of the best midfielders on the planet.

Following his move from Italian side Pescara in the summer of 2012 for a fee in the region €12m, the diminutive midfielder has become of the greats in PSG's history, making 416 appearances for the side, scoring 11 and assisting 61.

Verratti, who has been hailed as a "top player" by his teammate, has won almost everything there is to win in Paris, boasting nine league titles, six French cups and six French league cups in his 11-year tenure. The Italian hasn't enjoyed the taste of European success in his career, however, with the defeat to Bayern Munich in the 2020 Champions League final being the closest he came to having his hands on that historic trophy.

The player could be calling time on his career in Ligue 1 this summer according to reports, with Atletico Madrid exploring the possibility of bringing the midfielder to the Wanda Metropolitano this summer. The reports also states that the current Atleti boss Diego Simeone is a "huge admirer" of the 30-year-old. However, despite PSG being willing to sell all players this summer in an attempt to move in a new direction under new manager Luis Enrique, Verratti will not be cheap, with the reported asking price being set at €80m (£69.3m) whilst potential suitors believe the player is only worth half that price.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Solhekol revealed that Premier League sides Liverpool and Chelsea hold an interest in the midfielder this summer, however it may have been agent talk in order to try and make money this summer: "We’ve also been told that two Premier League clubs are interested in signing him. We’ve been told that those clubs were Liverpool and Chelsea. We haven’t been able to confirm that, it could just be a case of he’s a player that has been offered to Liverpool and Chelsea by intermediaries, by agents, by representatives who are trying to make some money from the deal and they know that Chelsea and Liverpool are potentially looking for midfielders this summer."

Should Liverpool sign Marco Verratti?

Despite Verratti's quality and reputation, he probably shouldn't be a signing Liverpool make this window.

For one, Liverpool need a different profile of midfielder than Verratti. With Fabinho and Jordan Henderson set to depart for Al Ittihad and Al Ettifaq respectively, the Reds need to replace them with players of a similar profile. According to FBref, the type of Liverpool midfielder that the Italian is most similar to is Spaniard Thiago Alcantara, which isn't the profile Liverpool requires this summer, already having Curtis Jones and adding Alexis Mac Allister as well.

The Italian is also very injury prone, having missed over 100 games due to injury in Paris. Midfield unavailability has been a big issue for the Merseyside club for the past five seasons, with the likes of Henderson, Thiago, Naby Keita, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all struggling with injury problems which at times has hampered the club. The club have moved to address this issue with the additions of Dominik Szoboszlai and Mac Allister, who have very impressive injury records, but the addition of Verratti would be a step back to a more injury-prone and less reliable midfield.

With the position Liverpool need to address in the market, Verratti is not the right buy, and the potential €80m fee could be better used on other, younger targets who are better fits in defensive midfield.

The South Africans enjoyed a productive outing at New Road, with four batsmen registering half-centuries as England Lions managed just three wickets on another shortened day.

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2017
ScorecardHeino Kuhn made 80 before retiring in his warm-up for a Test debut•Getty ImagesThe South Africans enjoyed a productive outing at New Road, with four batsmen registering half-centuries as England Lions managed just three wickets on another shortened day.Heino Kuhn, who is expected to make his Test debut at Lord’s next week, and Hashim Amla retired in sight of hundreds, while Temba Bavuma was unbeaten on 85 when an early close arrived due to bad light. Quinton de Kock added a brisk 51 as the South Africans scored 324 from the 77.3 overs possible.George Garton added a second wicket, after Kuhn’s retirement, when he dismissed JP Duminy for 25 and Liam Plunkett dismissed Theunis de Bruyn – the potential deputy for Faf du Plessis if South Africa’s captain does not make at back in time after the birth of his child.De Kock then added 82 in less than 20 overs with Bavuma during the afternoon before before falling to the back-up seam of hid former U-19s team-mate Keaton Jennings.Kuhn, who won a call-up after making an unbeaten 200 in a pink-ball game against Hampshire and then a century against the Lions for South Africa A, continued his good form by scoring 80 off 126 balls before retiring.Amla was similarly assured, with 91 from 148, while Bavuma batted for more than three hours, putting on an unbroken 68 with Chris Morris to give South Africa a satisfying day ahead of the four-Test series, which starts on Thursday.

Everton will be looking to avoid a repeat of their last two Premier League campaigns as Sean Dyche aims to significantly bolster his squad during the summer transfer window.

Ashley Young is the only arrival at Goodison Park so far, but now the Toffees are plotting a move for Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho.

How much could Kelechi Iheanacho cost Everton?

According to Football Insider, Everton have ‘registered their interest’ in the striker as Dyche looks to add some attacking reinforcements to his squad ahead of next season.

The Foxes find themselves in a precarious situation whereby they may have to sell the majority of their prized assets due to their relegation to the Championship. James Maddison and Youri Tielemans have already left and now it appears as though the Nigerian could be next.

Iheanacho has only 12 months remaining on his current contract and Leicester may have to cash in on him this summer as opposed to losing him for free next year.

With that in mind, they have placed a valuation of between £10m-£15m on the 26-year-old and this could represent a solid investment by Dyche.

How good is Kelechi Iheanacho?

The former Manchester City starlet earns £90k-per-week at the Championship side and although this is nearly double that of Neal Maupay (£49k-per-week) a summer arrival in 2022, there is no doubt he could be a major upgrade on the Frenchman next season.

Having cost the club £15m from fellow Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion, he was expected to take his game to the next level having netted 27 goals for the south coast side in three seasons.

The 26-year-old ended up registering just two goal contributions – one goal and one assist – across 29 matches for Everton in what was an underwhelming campaign to say the least and Iheanacho could offer so much more.

Not only did he offer a greater attacking threat by scoring more league goals (five to one) last term, but he also created more chances (seven to zero), averaged more key passes per game (0.8 to 0.3) and completed more successful dribbles per game (0.7 to 0.3) with this clearly suggesting he would be a much better option for Dyche in 2023/24, adding goals along with the ability to create plenty of opportunities for others in the team.

Iheanacho also impressed when compared to similar players across Europe’s big five leagues, ranking in the top 2% for assists per 90 (0.4), top 9% for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.59) and successful take-ons per 90 (1.6), again, evidence that he offers more than just goals, with a more rounded approach which could benefit the rest of the Everton forward line during matches.

In contrast, Maupay failed to even rank in the top 70% across the big five European leagues in the same attacking metrics, suggesting that there is a massive difference between both his and Iheanacho’s attacking output.

Former professional Tony Cottee lauded the Nigerian striker back in 2021 following a goal against Crystal Palace, saying he was a "special talent."

Considering how poor his forwards performed last season, it certainly appears to be a no-brainer in spending just £15m to lure the player to Merseyside this summer.

Hardik Pandya is a “priceless” player who can provide “a match-winning performance in any game he plays,” according to Virat Kohli

George Dobell at The Oval17-Jun-2017Hardik Pandya is a “priceless” player who can provide “a match-winning performance in any game he plays,” according to Virat Kohli.Kohli, the India captain, said he “would not think” of omitting Pandya from his team for the ICC Champions Trophy final and insisted he was the man to balance the side.While Pandya has enjoyed relatively little opportunity with the bat in the tournament to date – he has twice come in towards the end of the innings and, after making 9 in 5 balls against Sri Lanka, thrashed an unbeaten 20 in 6 balls against Pakistan – he has bowled in all four matches claiming three wickets (at a cost of 60 apiece) and conceding 6.20 runs per over.That makes him the most expensive bowler in the India squad over the four matches and has prompted questions over whether they might recall specialist seamers such as Umesh Yadav or Mohammed Shami for the final in his place.But Kohli was adamant that he valued the all-round balance Pandya offers and suggested that, if India continued to invest in him, they would be rewarded with “a match-winning performance” in a “crisis.””I would back a guy like Hardik who provides you so much balance in conditions that he can be effective as a bowler and his batting is priceless,” Kohli said. “If you’re chasing a total and you need eight an over and you’ve lost wickets, he’s a guy who can still win you the game. He can give you a match-winning performance in any game that he plays. As a fielder, as well. It’s very hard to find a package like that.”That’s the kind of belief he has in his ability and we have that belief in him. You need to back guys like him on a regular basis and you will get those results where the team is in crisis and he stands up and gives a match-winning performance.”So far he’s been really good in the tournament. When he bowls well, it’s a total relief for me as a captain because he can get you seven good overs. He can get you a couple of wickets, as well, and then with the bat and the field we know what he can do.”So I would not think of changing anything at this particular stage.”

Michael Beale hasn’t taken long to move on from losing Alfredo Morelos at Glasgow Rangers, raiding Italy to sign attackers Sam Lammers and Cyriel Dessers ahead of next season and they surely won't be the only two forwards who arrive at the Ibrox side during the transfer window.

The Gers have also been linked with a move for young striker Benie Traore, who is currently playing for BK Hacken in Sweden and although money has been spent to sign both Lammers and Dessers recently, Beale will need to fork out around £4m if he is to add the 20-year-old to his armoury.

Much has been made of a summer overhaul of the squad, and it has perhaps arrived a couple of years too late, with Steven Gerrard failing to improve the first team following the stunning Premiership title-winning season in 2020/21, as they subsequently fell behind Celtic over the next two terms.

With Morelos departing after six years at the club and Antonio Colak attracting interest from MLS sides and Werder Bremen – with the Gers setting a price tag of £2m for anyone who wishes to sign the Croatian this summer – the Ibrox side will start next season with a totally different frontline to how they lined up under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Kemar Roofe could remain the one constant, yet last season was heavily disrupted by injury, as he missed all but six matches and that has unfortunately been the story of his spell at Rangers, missing more matches than he has played and unless he comes back fighting fit at the start of next season, Beale will have to find a heir for the Jamaican international.

What could Benie Traore offer Rangers?

The Ivorian may the perfect player to come in and eventually replace Roofe in the squad, although he tends to be a more out-and-out striker compared to the Gers attacker, who can drop deeper and can also operate on either wing, but the key similarities are that they both score goals.

Roofe has scored 36 in 78 appearances for the Light Blues, while across only 57 senior matches, Traore has already notched 24 goals, suggesting that he is lethal in front of goal and could add some more attacking dynamism to Beale’s attacking options.

That’s not to say that Traore isn’t a team player, as he has registered nine assists during those 57 games, with the 30-year-old managing to grab just six assists during his three seasons at Ibrox, clearly suggesting there is more to the youngster's game than meets the eye.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig lauded him in May, tweeting: “Häcken's jewel. Another highly talented player from the great ASEC Mimosas Academy.”

Despite scoring 93 goals in the league last term, Beale’s side still trailed Celtic by 21 goals and this was perhaps a key factor in the trophy heading to their Old Firm rivals for the second season in a row.

The 42-year-old could take a gamble on the Hacken starlet, similarly to when the club signed Morelos from Finland, and with Roofe having just one year left on his current deal, Traore could be a perfect long-term replacement for him.

Tom Alsop hit an unbeaten century to ensure Kent were outgunned with ball and bat as Hampshire wrapped up an emphatic six-wicket win

ECB Reporters Network27-Apr-2017
ScorecardFile photo – Tom Alsop made his second one-day hundred•Getty ImagesTom Alsop hit an unbeaten century to ensure Kent were outgunned with ball and bat as Hampshire wrapped up an emphatic six-wicket win in their Royal London One-Day Cup South Group opener in Canterbury.Hampshire recovered from a patchy start to their bowling display at a cold, overcast St Lawrence ground and went on to dominate the last two-thirds of the match with opening bat Alsop, on only his 19th List A appearance, seeing his side home with an unbeaten 112 and with 29 balls to spare.In pursuit of 259 for victory at an asking rate of 5.18 an over, Hampshire made a disastrous start in losing Michael Carberry, the former Kent and England opener, lbw to Wayne Parnell’s second delivery of the game. It also proved to be the first and only maiden of the match.Matt Coles offered nothing like the same consistency at the Pavilion End though and conceded 35 from his first four, wicketless overs, as Hampshire’s second-wicket partners James Vince and Alsop bolted, adding 112 in 16 overs. Vince’s 50-ball stay for a majestic 69 ended when he worked across one from Darren Stevens to be sent packing lbw, but Alsop became the game’s fourth half-century maker after facing 61 balls.Mitch Claydon jagged one down the slope and through the gate to clip Liam Dawson’s leg stump, then the same bowler found the leading edge of Jimmy Adams’s bat for a looping catch to mid-off.It proved a false dawn under the floodlights however, as Alsop teamed up with Sean Ervine (33*) to add an unbroken 82 for the fifth wicket and ease their side over the win line. Alsop, who hit his first 50-over century against Surrey last year, reached three figures from 125 balls and with a dozen fours.At the other end of the cricketing age scale, it had been Kent’s veteran allrounder Stevens who top scored with 60 to spare his side’s batting blushes after they had threatened to completely waste a promising start. Stevens, who turns 41 on Sunday, hit three sixes and a brace of fours to ensure the hosts posted 258 after being invited to bat first.Kent laid decent foundations through Joe Denly and Daniel Bell Drummond, whose first-wicket stand of 94 in 15.2 overs ended when Denly miscued to mid-on against left-arm spinner Dawson.On a slightly two-paced pitch, Kent’s innings tailed off meekly thereafter with only Stevens providing any form of prolonged resistance. Sean Dickson cut a short one to cover point then, after reaching a 63-ball fifty, Bell-Drummond followed suit by flat-batting low to a diving Chris Wood at cover.Soon after, Wood left the field with a side strain midway through his sixth over, but Kent wickets continued to fall as Sam Northeast chipped to midwicket and Alex Blake played across the line to depart lbw. Parnell pushed inside the line of a Reece Topley leg-cutter that held its line to trim off stump, then Adam Rouse departed lbw after moving across his stumps to work to leg.Stevens marched to his 46th List A half-century in his 294th appearance in the format, reaching the milestone from 49 balls with two fours and a brace of sixes, both over long-on.Coles smeared across one from Dawson to be bowled before Stevens, after another straight six, miscued to extra cover off a leading edge against Topley to go for 60 off 57 balls. James Tredwell and last man Claydon saw it through to the 50th over before Claydon heaved to midwicket to give Topley figures of 3 for 65. Holland, Dawson and Crane bagged two wickets apiece.

Two days into Gary Ballance’s reign as Yorkshire captain and a sense of bonhomie has pervaded Headingley

David Hopps at Headingley08-Apr-2017
ScorecardTwo days into Gary Ballance’s reign as Yorkshire captain and a sense of bonhomie has pervaded Headingley. Optimism abounds in every conversation. The sun shone so brightly on the second day that from the top of the pavilion you could almost imagine you could see Lancashire. Not that anyone would want to do that.And yet Yorkshire have not entirely killed this game thanks primarily to a sterling contribution from Hampshire’s new South African recruit Kyle Abbott. Abbott took the first five wickets as Yorkshire struggled to make good an advantage of 132 runs on first innings, and had 7 for 41 when their innings closed 319 ahead. If the pitch goes flat, so could Yorkshire. Five absent frontline pace bowlers could be more keenly felt second time around.Abbott, powerful and stately, has a presence in the field that is peculiar to fast bowlers of repute. For him, fast bowling is serious toil. Hampshire know how important he is to their season. You get the impression that they would not merely polish the ball for him, they would polish his shoes. At the end of each over, more energy expended, he walked back into the outfield with the authority of a man who should not be trifled with.Yorkshire supporters showed such respect more reluctantly, unimpressed by the fact that Hampshire have taken the Kolpak route to strengthening their squad. Indeed, when Ben Coad, with five wickets overnight, added Abbott to finish with 6 for 37 in his first Championship appearance at Headingley, he became a perfect example of the advantage of producing your own. Thanks to Abbott, he will be asked to restate his potential a second time.Abbott, who is one of a rush of Kolpak entrants into the county game this season, was not remotely abashed by his new county status. After a brief foray at the Rugby Stand end, he switched downhill to find the edge of Adam Lyth and Peter Handscomb in the same over. Alex Lees, lbw soon afterwards, did so much checking of heights and angles that it would have been no surprise had he pulled a protractor from his back pocket.When Jack Leaning left protesting he had got wood on his own lbw and Bresnan drove to midwicket, Hampshire began to chirrup in the field. Bresnan, who played one of the most herculean innings in Yorkshire’s history on the final day of last season – an unbeaten 142 against Middlesex – in a valiant, if unrewarded, search for a third successive title, has begun the season with a pair.’We’re back in the game’ – Abbott

“I’d like to think we’re back in the game,” said Kyle Abbott after his seven wickets at Headingley6. “History shows it shouldn’t deteriorate too badly, and scoring’s been pretty quick. There’s no reason why we can’t knock those off.
“If it’s not in the right spot and you’re slightly off, it’s pretty easy to bat on and is quite nicely paced. But, if you get it right as a bowler, there’s still something there.
“It’s coming out nicely for me, but it’s still not exactly where I want to be if I’m critical. I’d like to keep the run-rate a bit tighter.”

With half the side out for 115, and the lead 238, Yorkshire’s underperforming top order had begun this season much as they passed through the last. Andrew Hodd’s unbeaten 54 from 53 balls was an enterprising retort in a match where Ballance’s authority has not been matched by his team-mates. Hodd began with six flashing boundaries and brought up his 50 by lofting Liam Dawson’s left-arm slows for six. There is a little turn to be had on this surface as well.Abbott, though, had not been silenced. With successive deliveries, he had Steve Patterson lbw and bowled Josh Shaw, doing his utmost to turn the game on its head.Life had been going so much more swimmingly for Yorkshire in mid-afternoon. In the Trueman Stand, Ballance was observed warmly as he added a confident half-century to the hundred he made on the opening day. A crowd that a generation ago would still admonish anyone who cut before the end of June even applauded a meaty reverse sweep against Dawson that got his innings into gear. Coats and sweaters were flung aside in turn. One woman sat on a throne of discarded garments. Another passed around sweets.With a summer ahead, there were important matters to sort out. Not only were the blackbirds building their nests. So, too, were Yorkshire cricket supporters, equally enlivened by a shot of early sunshine.”Steward, a word. Can I report two broken seats please: numbers 481 and 488. That’s very kind of you.”As the steward departed to do their bidding, the conversation briefly crackled.”Did you see how courteous I were?””It’ll be done by next season.””He’ll have forgotten already.””That’ll teach him to come here looking for a job.”There is a job still to do at Headingley on Sunday. Both sides will still believe they can do it and, if it turns out to be Hampshire, the chat may take on a darker tone.