HEADINGLEY, Leeds: Joe Denly insisted England never lost faith in their ability to pull off what would be one of the most astounding wins in Ashes history after collapsing to 67 all out in the third Test against Australia at Headingley.
England’s woeful total — their lowest in Ashes cricket for 71 years — appeared to have ended any hopes they had in this match of squaring the five-Test series at 1-1.
But come stumps on Saturday’s third day they were 156-3 in their second innings, needing a further 203 runs to reach a target of 359.
England captain Joe Root was 75 not out after sharing a stand of 126 in 53 overs with Denly that rescued his team from yet more top-order embarrassment at 15-2.
“I still think we’re in very good position,” said Denly, caught behind after gloving a Josh Hazlewood bouncer.
Denly, the only England batsman to reach double figures in the first innings, with 12, added: “It’s never ideal when you get bowled out for 67, it wasn’t good enough and we had to show a bit of fight and a bit of character in the second innings.”
Denly said England’s resolve had not faltered after their first-innings horror show.
“It was never about a draw or losing, but all about winning — that belief has to be there,” he said.
“We understand there is a tricky period in the morning with the new ball coming up.
“But we have Rooty and Stokesy (Ben Stokes is two not following his unbeaten 115 in the drawn second Test at Lord’s) — two world-class batters in.”
Root’s effort was especially timely given England’s best batsman had been out for nought in his previous two Test innings.
“Any time Joe Root is scoring runs it puts belief in the side,” said Denly. “We feed off that.”
Saturday also saw Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne score 80 — his third successive Test fifty since coming in as world cricket’s inaugural concussion substitute for Steve Smith after the star batsman was hit by a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord’s.
Labuschagne missed out on a maiden Test century by running himself out, but he was still pleased with his recent run of scores which included 74 in the first innings — seven more than England managed between them.
“As a batter you want to score hundreds but it was more about getting as big a lead as we could,” said Labuschagne. “It’s going to be pretty tough ever to fill Steve Smith’s shoes.
“But from a personal perspective I’m just trying to focus on my own game.”
If Australia win this match they will retain the Ashes and Labuschagne said it would not take much to derail England’s bid for victory.
“That’s how it works over here, you always find there’s big partnerships but then there’s one, two, three wickets. It can happen very quickly,” he added.
Unlike players on both sides involved in the World Cup, Labuschagne came into this match with plenty of recent runs in first-class cricket under his belt after playing for Glamorgan in the County Championship.
“Playing for Glamorgan helped a lot,” said Labuschagne.
“Playing against the swinging ball in different conditions — and just learning my game and learning to put big runs on the board — definitely helped me and built my confidence as well.”
Saturday saw Labuschagne hit on the helmet and grille by bouncers from Stuart Broad and Archer, with the latter also having struck his grille at Lord’s.
But Labuschagne insisted Saturday’s strikes were just “glancing blows.”
Meanwhile the sidelined Smith had his third running session in three days on Saturday and his first bat, facing throw-downs for 15 minutes.
He will continue to be assessed with a view to playing in the three-day tour match against Derbyshire starting Thursday.
Joe Denly adamant England can pull off comeback Ashes win against Australia
Joe Denly adamant England can pull off comeback Ashes win against Australia
- England captain Joe Root was 75 not out after sharing a stand of 126 in 53 overs with Denly
- Root’s effort was especially timely given England’s best batsman had been out for nought in his previous two Test innings
President, fan support key in decision to stay: Barca coach Xavi
- This week, after a meeting with president Joan Laporta and the board, Xavi pulled off a dramatic U-turn and decided to stay
- “It was a not a simple decision, in January I said (I would leave) because I thought it was best for the club,” Xavi told a news conference
BARCELONA: Xavi Hernandez said Thursday he has decided to stay on as Barcelona coach for a “cocktail of reasons,” including support from key figures at the club and supporters.
In January, with Barcelona on a miserable run of form, Xavi said he would walk away from his post in the summer despite having a year left on his contract.
However, this week, after a meeting with president Joan Laporta and the board, Xavi pulled off a dramatic U-turn and decided to stay, despite the club poised to end the season trophyless.
Barcelona were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain last week and lost against Real Madrid in the Clasico, trailing their rivals by 11 points in La Liga.
“It was a not a simple decision, in January I said (I would leave) because I thought it was best for the club,” Xavi told a news conference.
“I am full of hope, these three months have made me change, the players believe in it, and wise people are willing to rectify, here I am.
“It’s not about ego, or money, I have energy, I see the fans are happy and proud — it’s a cocktail of reasons, above all the confidence of the president and (sporting director) Deco.”
Xavi said although the team he took to La Liga glory last season have failed to achieve their objectives, they have now proved they can equal Europe’s best sides.
“Above all I said yesterday to Deco, the president... that the team has improved a lot,” explained Xavi.
“Two years ago we went to Bayern (Munich) and I had the feeling that we weren’t up to it. Now I think we’re in shape to compete with the biggest teams in Europe.
“I have the feeling that this year (the Champions League) escaped us by just a couple of small things, we will try again, I’m excited to — now it’s in our hands.”
Xavi said reports he was only staying because of money were designed to “hurt” him.
In January he claimed coaching Barcelona was “unpleasant” and “cruel,” and Xavi said he did not expect that to change.
“Coaching here is very hard, but I see myself with the energy to keep leading the project,” he added.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta said he was glad Xavi was staying and that it was good for the stability of the club.
“It’s great news that Xavi is staying,” said Laporta.
“The team we have, that is (still) consolidating, with very young players, needs that stability.
“Xavi is a reference for young players and we can see that — today I’m especially pleased, and the board have unanimously supported this decision.”
Professional Fighters League confirms debut fight card for Riyadh
- Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al-Qahtani takes on Morocco’s Taha Bendaoud in a featherweight main event
- Season opener scheduled for The Green Halls in Riyadh on Friday, May 10
RIYADH: The Professional Fighters League has announced the matchups for its debut PFL MENA: Riyadh fight card which will feature some of the region’s rising stars.
The season opener at The Green Halls in Riyadh will feature fighters in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, competing in the PFL Playoff win-and-advance format, the company announced on Thursday.
Headlining the card will be Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah “The Reaper” Al-Qahtani taking on Morocco’s Taha Bendaoud in a featherweight bout.
“We’re proud to offer fighters in the MENA region a chance to compete. By bringing top-tier events to the region, we’re not only serving passionate MMA fans but also pushing the sport forward. Our goal is to grow MMA and expand PFL’s reach globally,” Pete Murray, CEO of PFL, said.
All four PFL MENA Season events will be broadcast live on MBC Action and Shahid.
The complete fight card:
Featherweight: Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs Taha Bendaoud
Bantamweight: Ali Taleb vs Nawras Abzakh
Bantamweight: Xavier Alaoui vs Rachid El-Hazoume
Featherweight: Islam Reda vs Adam Meskini
Bantamweight: Tariq Ismail vs Jalal Al-Daaja
Bantamweight: Elias Boudegzdame vs Hassan Mandour
Amateur Female Atomweight: Hattan Alsaif vs Nada Faheem
Featherweight: Maraoune Bellagouit vs Motaz Askar
Featherweight: Ahmed Tarek vs Abdelrahman Alhyasat
Showcase featherweight: Mido Mohamed vs Yazeed Hasanain
Showcase flyweight: Malik Basahel vs Harsh Pandya
Pakistan eye comeback against New Zealand in fourth T20I today
- A second-string New Zealand squad beat Pakistan by seven wickets on Sunday in Rawalpindi
- Skipper Babar Azam says pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah have ability to make comeback
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will be eyeing a comeback today, Thursday, in the fourth match of the T20I series against New Zealand in Lahore after suffering a defeat at the hands of a second-string Kiwi squad last week.
Pakistan will head into today’s match against Michael Bracewell’s squad without star batter and wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan, who has been pulled from the series after he felt discomfort in his right hamstring.
New Zealand are missing key players including Trent Boult and skipper Kane Williamson as they opted to play in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) while pulled out of the Pakistan series due to injuries.
Despite that, the Kiwis managed to beat Pakistan on Sunday by seven wickets in Rawalpindi, shocking the 2009 T20I world champions on their own turf.
“We did not lose because of any two or three players,” Pakistan captain Babar Azam said at a press conference in Lahore on Wednesday night. “We lost as a team. In the batting, bowling and fielding [areas] we did collapse a little.”
Pakistan’s premium fast bowlers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi failed to impress against New Zealand in the third T20I. However, Azam backed both bowlers, describing them as Pakistan’s “best” bowlers.
“They know how to make a comeback, even if it [bad performance] happens in one game. It is part of life,” he said. “It can’t happen that one person performs every single day.”
The series is an important one for both sides as they gear up for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA scheduled to be held in June.
The last match of the Pakistan-New Zealand series will be played in Lahore on May 27. Pakistan and New Zealand have both won one match against each other so far, with the first T20I fixture washed away by rain.
The match begins at 7:30 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time.
UAE jiu-jitsu team eye fourth consecutive Asia title
- Eighth edition of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championships will run from May 3-8 at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI: The adult UAE Jiu-Jitsu national teams are looking to claim a fourth consecutive title at the eighth Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championships set to take place at Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Arena from May 3 to 8.
The championships will have more than 1,500 athletes competing from over 30 countries.
Competitions for adults will run from May 3 to 5, while the Asian Youth Championship — a new addition this year — will be held from May 6 to 8.
The UAE were crowned champions in the last edition held in Bangkok last year.
The youth team are eyeing the inaugural title, building on their success from last year at the 28th Jiu-Jitsu World Championship in Kazakhstan.
Mubarak Al-Menhali, director of the technical department at the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said: “We are providing the team with all the support they need as they prepare to defend the title. We have full faith in their capabilities to deliver valiant performances, as they have done in the past few years, positioning themselves as continental champions.”
“The skills and determination displayed by our heroes is a result of the limitless support of the wise leadership, the continuous efforts of the UAEJJF, their endless passion, and the continuous encouragement from Emirati fans.”
Ramon Lemos, head coach of the national team, said: “Our athletes have consistently been adhering to the technical team’s instructions and plans, translating them into results, bringing in medals and titles. They are fully committed, focused, and more determined than ever, and we are confident that they are capable of clinching the title again.”
Ibrahim Al-Hosani, coach of the youth team, said: “Many of the male and female athletes taking part in the competitions of the Asian Youth Championship are emerging stars who are well-prepared to win titles and take the UAE’s journey of success in jiu-jitsu forward. We have full confidence in their abilities to shine and make history by becoming the first to achieve the title of the Jiu-Jitsu Youth Asian Championship.”
Khaled Al-Baloushi, a member of the national team, said: “This time I am stepping onto the mats as a brown belt holder, which is the result of 13 years of hard work and continuous training. I am fully aware of the responsibility entrusted to me, and I am more determined than ever to perform well and make the nation proud.”
