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Wicketkeeper-batsman has been confirmed as overseas signing for four County Championship matches

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jun-2018

Quinton de Kock lays into a punchy cut•AFP

Quinton de Kock, South Africa’s wicketkeeper-batsman, has been confirmed as Nottinghamshire’s overseas signing for four Specsavers County Championship matches towards the end of the season.De Kock, who is expected to be in Sri Lanka with the South Africa squad next month, will be available for the trips to Hampshire and Surrey in August, as well as two home matches against Yorkshire and Essex in September.He has been signed as a specialist batsman, with Tom Moores now established as the county’s first-choice wicketkeeper since the retirement of Chris Read last season.De Kock, 25, made his Test debut in 2014 against Australia and has since gone on to amass nearly 2,000 runs at an average of 38.20, including a career-best of 129 not out against England.”I’m very excited about joining Nottinghamshire and playing at one of the best grounds in the world at Trent Bridge,” said de Kock.”I enjoyed playing in England during the 2017 tour with South Africa and I am looking forward to coming back over and putting in some good performances for Nottinghamshire.”The team has made a brilliant start to the season in the Championship and hopefully when I come over we can be challenging for the title in the final rounds.”De Kock endured a tricky time with the bat in the 3-1 Test series defeat against England last summer, averaging 23.12 in four matches with a top score of 68. However, his pedigree is not in question as he approaches his prime as an international cricketer.”Quinton is a fantastic player and we can’t wait to welcome him into our squad for the Championship run-in,” said Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket Mick Newell.”He’s one of the best batsmen in the world across all formats and he will add some further firepower to our Championship batting order.”Knowing that we only had Ross Taylor for the first three months of the season we have been working hard to secure world class replacement for the back end and Quinton certainly fits that bill.”He’s in the same mould as Ross in the fact that he likes to score quickly and play in an attacking style and I am sure he will enjoy the late summer pitches in England.”Overall in his first class career, de Kock has scored over 4,000 runs, with nine centuries and 27 fifties, and he is hoping to translate those numbers into further scores during his first county stint.

Kirk Gibson was at a cabin in the woods of Northern Michigan at 11:37 p.m. ET Friday. He and a few friends did not have a television on. They were listening to Game 1 of the World Series on one of their phones.

“Like old times, huddled around a radio,” Gibson says with a laugh.

He heard Fox announcer Joe Davis say the New York Yankees intentionally walked Mookie Betts to load the bases to pitch to Freddie Freeman with two outs in the 10th inning.

“Get ready,” Gibson said aloud. “Here it comes.”

At 8:37:50 PT, New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes threw an inside fastball to Freeman, who had not hit a ball hard for three weeks after spraining his right ankle, causing him to limp through the games he was able to play.

Freeman, the hobbled left-handed hitter, with the Dodgers down to their last out, pulled a home run into the right field pavilion to turn defeat into Game 1 victory. The ball landed at 8:37:55 p.m.

Thirty-six years and 10 nights earlier, Gibson, the hobbled left-handed hitter, with the Dodgers down to their last out, pulled a home run off Oakland A’s closer Dennis Eckersley into the same right field pavilion to turn defeat into a Game 1 victory. The baseball landed at 8:39 p.m.

“What I want to know,” Gibson says, “is did he see all the taillights leaving the parking lot as he rounded the bases?”

It’s one of Gibson’s clearest memories of his historic home run: looking beyond right field as he rounded first base to see the red taillights of those who had lost faith, choosing to put a premium on beating traffic than the hope of history. (The stadium traffic pattern has changed since then.)

“Sparky Anderson taught us a long time ago,” Gibson says of his former Tigers manager. “It’s never over until the last out.”

Kirk Gibson is 67 years old and battling Parkinson’s disease. “I’m doing O.K.,” he says when asked about his health. Thirty-six years after he became the first player to hit a walkoff home run in the World Series when down to his team’s last out, the memories and the physical sensations of that night all came flooding back to him when Freeman became the second hitter to end a World Series game in that manner.

“I just had a premonition,” Gibson says about the Freeman home run. “Is it the Dodgers? Is it Dodger Stadium? What is it? It’s freaky. It’s spooky. I’m not sure I can find the right words to explain it.

“It was down to the last out. I had a feeling it was going to happen. Then I heard it go down. And I heard, ‘Gibby, say hello to Freddie.’ And then all those feelings come back. Going around the bases, seeing those taillights and then the joy of seeing all your teammates there at home plate. That’s the best part. Though I did have to tell them, ‘Take it easy! Don’t jump on me.’ ”

Gibson had injured both legs so badly he was not expected to play and never took another at-bat in the series.

“Bob Costas wanted to talk to me on the field,” Gibson says. “But we had something special going as a team. We savored victories. So, I said, ‘I’ll be right back.’ And we had this routine. I yelled to the guys, ‘What a f—ing team!’ And they would all respond, ‘Oh, how sweet it is! The fruits of victory!’ ”

Gibson says he knows Freeman “a little bit.” He knows Freeman is “a great guy, a great hitter, a great ambassador” for the game and with a swing that Gibson finds unique. He says Freeman should also know that the home run could be life changing. For Gibson, there is “before” and “after” the home run.

“Freddie has no clue yet what it means to the game and the history of the game,” Gibson says. “It’s big. The home run will be shown over and over. It really belongs to the game and a part of its history. It’s really, really cool. Just take care of it. Honor it.

“In a way, it can make you feel like there’s too much attention on you. Because I always think about all the teammates and people on the team it took to get to that point. It doesn’t happen without them. I was back at Dodger Stadium about six weeks ago. And I was on the dais, and they wanted me to speak. I wanted to hear from my teammates.”

The impact of that Freeman home run, Gibson says, is yet to be known. Game 2, he says, will go a long way in determining whether the Yankees can recover.

“Now what?” Gibson says. “How do you respond? Seeing the pictures of [Oakland manager] Tony LaRussa, you knew they had just taken a solid punch in the jaw. I saw the same look in [Yankees manager] Aaron Boone. It’s hard to stop the momentum. It’ll be talked about forever.”

There was one more detail Gibson wanted to share. On the night before Game 1, suddenly he heard the yelps of a pack of coyotes near his cabin. He has heard them before. Sometimes they would even playfully approach his tractor as he worked the fields of his ranch. But there was something about this plaintive call that startled him. It was so loud. It was so close.

He went to a back door and opened it. There was the pack of coyotes, closer to him and the cabin than he had ever seen them. They looked right at him. It was as if they were trying to tell him something.

“It makes you think,” Gibson says, “there is more at work than we know.”

Delhi Daredevils, inspired by AB de Villiers’ superbly-paced century, held their nerve in the field to beat Chennai Super Kings in the first close game of IPL 2

Karna S23-Apr-2009Is there such a thing as the perfectly-paced Twenty20 innings? Does this format even allow for its existence? Well today, at Kingsmead, AB de Villiers came very close to perfection.When he came in to bat there were 119 balls left in the innings. By the end of the second over he had to reckon with the pressure of the fall of the mighty Delhi Daredevils openers, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. Can one really spend time consolidating in Twenty20?”I wanted to give myself the chance to express myself at the end of the innings,” said de Villiers, reflecting back on that moment. “I did very well in my first 30 balls to knock it around, I got the odd boundary. My 50 wasn’t too slow. I did scratch around a little bit.”Of those 30 deliveries, de Villiers faced ten from Muttiah Muralitharan. With the team situation he wasn’t going to take any undue risks against the class spinner. Luckily for de Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan was charging ahead like a runaway train and gave him some breathing space. de Villiers could drop anchor, not in the conventional 50-overs sense, but keep nudging the ball around with the odd big hit. It was a sign of his maturity that he adopted the support role. He was relatively quiet till he crossed 50 when another slice of luck came his way – Albie Morkel dropped a sitter. de Villiers turned violent from then on.When you see de Villiers swinging to the on side, it rarely looks a slog. The bat swings down gracefully and the body position is perfect. When you freeze-frame him in his stance, it reminds one of the sepia-toned pictures of past cricketers from another age. Look at the left foot. It is almost pointing towards mid-off.de Villiers is probably the only top batsman in modern-day cricket with such a technique. He comes closest to mirroring musty photographs of batsmen with their front feet point down the pitch while in stance. That allows for a free swing of the bat and de Villiers rarely gets cramped with an incoming ball. Others waste precious seconds in opening up from a side-on stance. Not de Villiers.In theory, it might cause him trouble with the away-seaming delivery as he would be slightly
playing away from the body. But it’s a perfect position to be in for the off-drives and when you are swinging to the on side. As he showed today, looting 79 runs on the leg side, with 47 coming in the midwicket arc.His best was reserved for Andrew Flintoff, who had another poor day on the field. The 19th over went for two sixes and two fours, with a swept six and a pulled four on bent knee being the highlights. What was de Villiers thinking then? “I respect him [Flintoff] as a bowler. He’s a truly amazing bowler,” he said. “It was my day today and things just happened according to plan. My shots came off and things happened according to plan.”Of late, most of de Villiers’ plans are coming to fruition. At the start of the summer, he said he wanted to be the No. 1 player in the world and by the end of the season, he has walked the talk. If
Perth was the pinnacle of his Test batting, today at Durban fans were treated to the best of him in Twenty20. He has talked about the transformation before and stressed the secret again today.”I have kept it really simple. I just think of couple of things while batting. I spend lot of time with Jacques Kallis in the changing room; he has lots of experience and helped me a lot. Also, I am lot stronger mentally and just playing my game.””Keeping things simple and expressing myself,” translates to an uncluttered mind and a great
confidence and awareness of one own’s game. They are the traits of a top sportsman and de Villiers is hell bent on showing he is one of them. And he is.

Arsenal are once again seeking the ultimate silverware in the form of the Premier League title. The Gunners came ever so close throughout the last campaign, but were eventually denied by the winning machine of Manchester City on their way to picking up an historic treble. This time around, those in North London will hope that their victory over the champions at The Emirates will go a long way in their claim for top spot come May. Meanwhile, the January transfer window could also play a part.

If Arsenal can add some final reinforcements to Mikel Arteta's side, then they may well become a force strong enough to outperform Pep Guardiola's outfit. Arteta is seemingly well aware of that too, having reportedly requested one particular January signing.

Arsenal transfer news

After sealing their return to Champions League action last season, Arsenal could have easily sat back and settled for European qualification once more. Instead, however, they made a statement in the summer by beating City to the signature of Declan Rice, whilst also welcoming Kai Havertz from Chelsea. Rice has particularly slotted straight in and became a vital player under Arteta, who has reportedly requested a repeat of Arsenal's midfield recruitment for the January transfer window.

According to Sport in Spain, Arteta has asked Arsenal to sign Ruben Neves from Al-Hilal in January in a new wish. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder left the Midlands club in favour of a move to Saudi Arabia during the summer, but could now get an instant return to England's top flight. The Gunners could reportedly welcome Neves as a replacement for Thomas Partey, who has struggled with injuries and a lack of game time this season, with Arteta insisting on a move. Arsenal know all about his quality too, given that two of Neves' Premier League goals came against the Gunners.

They will reportedly have to fend off interest from Newcastle United in pursuit of the midfielder's signature, though the Premier League could vote to block players moving between associated clubs on loan, which could rule out a move to the Magpies for Neves in January.

Arteta wants to sign "complete" Neves

It's easy to forget just how talented Neves is after he swapped the Premier League for the Saudi Pro League during the summer, but this is still a player who appears to be able to compete at the highest level. For a side in Arsenal's position, adding the Portugal international to their side could make all the difference in their hunt for silverware. Neves' stats in the Premier League certainly show that he is ready to replace Partey.

Player

Goals

Assists

Tackles Won

Interceptions

Ruben Neves

6

1

43

50

Thomas Partey

3

0

40

28

Former manager Julen Lopetegui was also full of praise for the midfielder last season, saying:

"All of my decisions are difficult for me, but I prefer to always have all the players ready. It’s very good news for us that Ruben is coming. Of course, Ruben is a very important player for us and now he is ready to play. It is good news for us, for sure. He is a very good player, a very complete player and important for the dressing room and on the pitch.”

West Brom are tussling with a host of other Championship clubs for the signing of an "excellent" international midfielder, according to a new transfer update.

West Brom transfer news

The Baggies have made an encouraging start to the season, currently sitting seventh in the Championship table and just outside the playoff positions on goal difference. Granted, Saturday's 2-1 defeat away to Southampton was a disappointing result, but it was certainly no disaster against another team who will be hoping to be back in the Premier League next year.

While Carlos Corberan has built a good squad at West Brom, the manager will no doubt be eyeing new signings once the January transfer window arrives, giving him more depth ahead of a busy run in the New Year. The ongoing takeover saga at the Hawthorns feels key in that respect, however, in terms of whether enough funds will be available under potential new owners by that point.

A new update suggests that the Baggies are intending on doing some key transfer business midway through the season, though, with an international player being eyed up.

West Brom want Callum Styles

According to a new claim from TEAMtalk, West Brom are keen on signing Barnsley and Hungary midfielder Callum Styles, with numerous other clubs also in the mix.

"A host of clubs are chasing Barnsley’s Hungarian international Callum Styles ahead of a possible move in the January window, sources have told TEAMtalk. Styles spent last season on loan at Millwall, which enabled him to stay in the Championship after Barnsley’s relegation, before returning to Oakwell this summer and now he is again attracting attention.

"TEAMtalk has been informed that recently promoted Premier League pair Burnley and Sheffield United, as well as Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion, have all shown an interest in the versatile 23-year-old, who is set to go to the Euros with Hungary next summer."

Styles could be a strong signing by West Brom, and while he may be playing in League One at the moment, there is no reason why he couldn't make the step up in January. That is proven when you look at Styles' statistics throughout his career, with an impressive tally of 124 appearances coming his way in the Championship, not to mention nine goals and six assists from the middle of the park.

There is also the small matter of the 23-year-old being a 16-time capped Hungary international, playing alongside Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai for his country, and he has been hailed as "excellent" by Barnsley head coach Neill Collins.

Styles would bring plenty of experience with him into West Brom's squad, aiding their promotion push in the process, but he is also still only 23 years of age, showing that he would be a long-term addition who should only grow in the coming years. The fact that he will be hoping to play a key role for Hungary at Euro 2024 next summer could be an added bonus for the Baggies, assuming they qualify, with his performances potentially being even more focused between January and then.

Football FanCast updates you with all the latest news surrounding EURO 2032.

As Germany prepares to host next year's European Championships, the focus will quickly turn to the following two tournaments and UEFA have today announced the winning hosts.

FFC will takes a detailed look at the 2032 host and their plans for the showpiece tournament.

Who is hosting EURO 2032?

Italy and Turkey will co-host EURO 2032, ending the Turkish Football Federation's five-time bid failure.

UEFA have rejected Turkey's last five attempts to host the European Championship, but with Italy joining forces, their sixth endeavour will finally bear fruit.

Italy, on the other hand, have hosted the showpiece event in recent times, staging four EURO 2020 fixtures, including the opening game between themselves and Turkey, ironically.

Interestingly, before the two federations teamed up to submit a joint bid, Turkey were thought to be leading the race to land the tournament.

Prior to the announcement, when speaking to Italian-based news outlet Gazzetta, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said: “Türkiye is a big competitor for Euro 2032 and is currently the favourite over Italy."

The reason is unclear as to why both nations ditched their individual attempts, particularly Turkey, who looked in good stead to have their bid accepted. Nevertheless, doing it this way removes any risk of missing out, and allows fans to experience two cultures.

Who was bidding to host EURO 2032?

Initially, Italy and Turkey were two separate bidders hoping to host EURO 2032.

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) was planning to bid for EURO 2028, but decided against doing so, instead opting to submit their dossier for the 2032 edition to allow more time to redevelop facilities.

TFF's bid was planned for either EURO 2028 or 2032, however, UEFA confirmed that the TFF and the FIGC requested for their bids to be merged, leaving the UK and Ireland's 2028 proposal unopposed for the former, with Turkey unable to host both events.

Russia's proposed bid was declared ineligible by UEFA.

Italy: Which stadiums are potential EURO 2032 venues?

As part of the requirements to host EURO 2028 (which presumably are the same as 2032), nations must have a minimum of one stadium with a net seating capacity of at least 60,000, one (preferably two) with at least 50,000, four stadiums with at least 40,000 and three stadiums with at least 30,000.

As such, the potential venues in Italy are:

Stadium

Capacity

San Siro

75,817

Stadio Olimpico

70,634

Stadio San Nicola

58,270

Stadio Diego Armando Maradona

54,726

Stadio Artemio Franchi

43,147

Juventus Stadium

41,507

Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi

39,371

Stadio Renato Dall'Ara

38,371

Stadio Luigi Ferraris

36,205

Unipol Stadium

25,000 expandable to 30,000

The average capacity across the 10 stadiums stands at 44,458.

Turkey: Which stadiums are potential EURO 2032 venues?

The potential venues in Turkey are:

Stadium

Capacity

Atatürk Olympic Stadium

74,753

Nef Stadium

53,611

Ülker Stadium

47,834

19 Mayis Stadium

45,000

Bursa Metropolitan Stadium

43,331

Konya Büyüksehir Arena

42,000

Senol Gunes Sports Complex

40,782

Conerdon Airlines Park

32,537

Kalyon Stadium

33,502

Atatürk Stadium

32,500

The average stadium capacity stands at 44,585, which is almost identical to that of Italy.

UEFA will select 10 stadiums, five per country, to stage EURO 2032. They have confirmed this process will conclude by October 2026.

What are the positives of Italy & Turkey hosting?

As previously mentioned, this was the Turkish Football Federation's (TFF) sixth consecutive attempt to host a European Championship.

That in itself shows the federation's continued hunger and desire to deliver a premier tournament. Additionally, the experience gained from each process will no doubt have been beneficial in their planning, with years of careful due diligence already conducted.

Sports Minister Muharrem Kasapoglu – prior to the announcement – said Turkey's facilities and infrastructure could add value to the tournament.

"The quality of our facilities, infrastructure, accommodation, young population.

"When you put it all together, we can say that our country shines like a star and is one of the most important sports destinations in the world. I think that Türkiye can add important value to Euro 2028 and Euro 2032.

"By becoming a candidate for the fifth time in a row to organize Europe’s biggest tournament at the national team level, our federation has once again shown its determination to the entire world.

"We have always prided ourselves on our modern stadiums and facilities, the passion for football in our country and our high level of organization," Kasapoglu said.

Turkey have also hosted multiple European finals, including last season's Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan.

Whilst there were negative experiences faced by fans at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, it's worth considering that there will be key lessons learned from the organisers, which can be put in place ahead of 2032 to avoid a recurrence of any issues raised.

Meanwhile, FIGC President Gabriele Gravina believes Italy and Turkey's joint bid promotes the values of friendship.

"In addition to bringing two consolidated entities in the European football scene closer together, this project promotes the values of friendship and cooperation, involving two worlds characterised by deep historical roots and two cultures which, over the millennia, have mutually influenced each other, helping to shape the history of Mediterranean Europe in the process.

"Football aims to be a gateway for sharing the passions and emotions related to sport," Gravina said.

Having two host nations also presents fans with the opportunity to experience two different countries, along with their respective cultures and communities, further promoting a diverse tournament.

Both nations are rich in footballing history and have tremendously passionate fans, which will be beneficial in creating a captivating atmosphere.

What are the drawbacks of Italy & Turkey's hosting?

Last month's Champions League final in Istanbul exposed several flaws that will need addressing ahead of the European Championships in 2032.

The NGTC Group, who are experts in crowd management, released a report citing the many problems match goers faced leading up to, during and after the match.

Firstly, some of the supporters were reportedly left waiting for up to three hours in the midday sun for their transport to the stadium. When able to board the shuttle buses, they were overcrowded, with poor air conditioning and no available toilets.

The journey was initially expected to take an hour but stretched up to two and a half hours, to much of the fans' frustration.

Further, there were some complaints regarding the fan park, with issues relating to catering, toilets and seats for the less-able. The stadium also had sharp edges around the rim of the seating, which caused injury for some.

Following the match, many who were returning to the buses discovered unstable rubble walkways, lack of lighting and absent staff members, causing confusion and distress.

The NGTC closed their report with a few areas to focus on, ahead of the next major event held at the stadium:

"Ensuring adequate transport facilities, equipping fan parks with sufficient amenities, and maintaining ethical conduct among all staff members are some of the crucial areas to focus on. Perhaps most importantly, a dedicated and well-qualified security team."

Italy, on the other hand, have a great deal of renovating work to do on their stadia ahead of 2032, as most of their proposed venues fail to meet UEFA's criteria.

The governing bodies President Ceferin claims none of the stadiums are fit for purpose to even host the Champions League final.

Speaking to Italian-based news outlet Gazzetta, Ceferin said: "At the moment, there is not even a stadium in Italy that can host the Champions League final. This is something incredible. The UEFA needs more stadium guarantee."

It shouldn't, however, be an issue by the time the tournament comes around, as the FIGC do intend to redevelop much of the proposed venues. Across the 10 possible stadiums named, six are expected to undergo renovation.

The final drawback of the joint bid is travel. With two countries scheduled to host the event, it will mean fans will need to travel between countries, making it far more costly and inconvenient.

Further, the likely increase in flights between Turkey and Italy isn't exactly promoting an environmentally friendly tournament. The average flight time between the two nations is 3 hours and one minute, which is something worth noting.

Somerset built on Matt Renshaw’s audacious hundred on the opening day to lift hopes of that elusive first title

ECB Reporters Network30-Apr-2018
ScorecardSomerset’s seamers bowled them to a 118-run victory over Yorkshire at Taunton and a second success in as many Specsavers County Championship games this season.Craig Overton, Lewis Gregory, Tim Groenewald and Tom Abell shared the final day wickets as Yorkshire were dismissed for 202, chasing 321 to win. Jack Leaning offered most resistance with 68.It is the first time since 1993 that Somerset have won their opening two Championship fixtures. They took 20 points to Yorkshire’s threeStarting the morning on 49 for 1, needing a further 272 to win, Yorkshire lost Cheteshwar Pujara to the first ball, caught behind off Gregory, and went on to struggle against some accurate seam bowling.

Coaches’ verdict

Andy Hurry (Somerset director of cricket): “The magic wand behind winning our first two games is all the hard work put in by the players and the coaching staff during the winter. It was a tougher game than our first win over Worcestershire and it took a real team effort to come out on top.”
Andrew Gale (Yorkshire coach): “The difference between the teams was our first innings batting. I thought our approach was poor and that we could have put more pressure on the Somerset bowlers. Matt Renshaw has come out and played like it was a T20 game for them. He couldn’t trust his defence on that pitch so he went on the attack. I can’t remember seeing a Championship innings in April like it.”

Adam Lyth, on 34, edged Groenewald to James Hildreth att first slip and Gary Ballance was caught by wicketkeeper Steve Davies pushing forward to Gregory. Matthew Waite could make only six before being caught and bowled by Overton off a leading edge and when Andy Hodd fell lbw to the same bowler for a single Yorkshire were in disarray at 103 for 6.The afternoon session began with a stubborn partnership between Leaning and Tim Bresnan, who put together a stand of 56 without looking troubled.It took Abell bringing himself on from the River End to break the partnership. The Somerset skipper bowled an impressive spell, swinging and seaming the ball.Bresnan fell leg-before for 21 to a delivery that nipped back at him after Leaning had moved to an impressive half-century off 128 balls, showing commendable technique and patience.Jack Brooks counter-attacked to also make 21 off just 16 balls. His entertaining cameo was ended when Groenewald took a sharp return catch, one-handed to his right.Abell struck again when Ben Coad edged a good delivery to Marcus Trescothick at second slip and at 191 for 9 Yorkshire were a beaten side. The second new ball was taken and Somerset completed a comprehensive win when Leaning was caught at square-leg, top-edging a pull shot off Overton.They are dreaming of a title challenge at Taunton•Getty Images

A day of bright sunshine, with a biting wind, ended with home supporters dreaming that this might finally be the year Somerset clinch the Championship title for the first time in their history. There is a long way to go, but it has been a hugely encouraging start for new director of cricket Andy Hurry and head coach Jason Kerr.The one negative for Somerset was that Josh Davey pulled out of his run-up after bowling five balls of an over with the total 103 for five and took no further part.

South Africa’s head coach Ottis Gibson was steadfast in his defence of Quinton de Kock ahead of an ICC code of conduct hearing on Wednesday

Firdose Moonda07-Mar-2018

AFP

South Africa insist Quinton de Kock only acted on provocation in the Durban stairwell dispute, even though he has been found guilty of breaching the ICC’s code of conduct.De Kock did not contest the charge at a hearing on Wednesday evening, though he aimed to lessen the sanction that applies to a Level 1 offence. Although he was unsuccessful in the endeavour and admitted he had said “something” to Warner, the South Africa wicketkeeper maintained he was not the instigator.CCTV footage of the passageway leading to the dressing rooms showed David Warner being physically restrained and shouting at de Kock, who did not respond. Warner was charged with a Level 2 offence on Tuesday evening, and fined 75% of his match fee. Though he has accepted those sanctions, Australia claim Warner was responding to a jibe from de Kock, and they say it was “personal.”South Africa, however, have denied de Kock provoked Warner in any way. “We are appealing Level 1 because we think Quinny didn’t do anything,” the head coach Ottis Gibson said. “Quinny wasn’t aggressive. You saw some footage, and the footage showed Quinny walking up the stairs and somebody else being restrained, and then Quinny gets a Level 1. That doesn’t seem fair.”Gibson would not comment on whether de Kock was entirely silent, and neither would several team sources, only for the man himself to admitt he had answered back.”Quinny would not have said anything had something not been said to him in the first place. But I wasn’t out there. Faf was there. Faf probably knows what was said,” Gibson said. “But there’s one guy walking up the stairs going back to his dressing room, there’s another guy having to be restrained. If I am walking, trying to get back to my dressing room and somebody is being restrained, how can you fine me for something?”Asked if de Kock said anything about Warner’s wife, which is what Australia are alleging, Gibson chose to focus on the undefined line and called for clarity. “I wasn’t there. I can’t categorically speak for another person. There’s this thing and I have seen it recently now about the line. They are saying they didn’t cross the line, but where is the line, who sets the line, where did the line come from? When you are saying you didn’t cross the line but we didn’t cross the line, you went very close to the line… whose line is it?”South Africa would really like the umpires to start answering that question. Du Plessis called for them to step in immediately after the end of the first Test. But Kumar Dharmasena and S Ravi have made no reports of anyone breaking the code of conduct and Australia subsequently used that as part of their defence. Gibson, however, believed that the umpires must have heard something.”The match officials are there to do a job and to govern the game on the field, and off the field I guess,” he said. “If they hear things on the field, they should clamp down on it. It becomes unfortunate when everybody else hears stuff and the match officials say they haven’t heard anything. They are there to do a job and they must do their job.”If things are happening in the game and things are being said, and if it’s within earshot – if the player is standing at point or wherever he is fielding, surely the umpires can hear. Maybe the umpires need to stand up and take control of the game.”Unhappy might not be the right word. We just feel that the umpires are there to do a job and they must do their job. When they hear things, they must take charge and don’t leave it to: ‘oh, we didn’t cross the line.’ Can you say whatever you want, and then when something is said, it’s offensive. You didn’t tell us where the line was. Let’s be clear where the line was.”With tension escalating on both sides, the umpires’ roles will be in sharp focus once again in Port Elizabeth. Dharmasena will be the on-field official again on Friday and he will be joined by New Zealand’s Chris Gaffaney.”I am happy with aggression being shown on the field if it’s coming from the bowler,” Gibson said. “If a fast bowler is bowling bouncers and trying to intimidate batsmen, to me that’s aggression. When everybody else is chirping or sledging the batter as he is trying to bat, that’s not aggression in my book. That’s how I grew up, playing the game in the Caribbean. But, obviously, things change.”Gibson recalled the West Indies greats of the past, who “didn’t have to (say anything) because they were aggressive with the ball and their body language, and that’s what aggression is. When a batsman is trying to take his guard and people are standing around and saying whatever they want to say, I’m not sure that it’s necessary.”If a bowler has tried everything he can to get a batsman out and he can’t get him out because a batsman is playing well, and then they have to revert to that, then is it aggression? I don’t think that it is.”That was the case at Kingsmead, where de Kock scored 83 and partnered Aiden Markram for a sixth-wicket stand of 147 which stalled Australia’s victory push and dragged the match into the fifth day. De Kock had not struck a half-century in 15 Test innings before that, and there were questions over his form. But Gibson believed the Durban knock showed what de Kock is capable of, both with bat and in his conduct.”It takes a strong character to stand up and bat for three hours when everybody on the field is saying whatever they want to say to you. But then, as soon as you respond, then it’s a different thing. The game should be about cricket on the field. I feel like everybody needs to focus on cricket. Calm down and get back to cricket.”

The Arizona Diamondbacks missed out on the postseason despite winning 89 games in 2024. With their fate out of their hands, the D-Backs found themselves on the outside of the playoffs looking in after the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves split their doubleheader on Monday, resulting in both NL East teams reaching the postseason.

Speaking candidly during an appearance on Arizona Sports radio's Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick took responsibility for one of the team's failed offseason signings.

When discussing the acquisition of starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery, Kendrick admitted that he was responsible for the signing, going as far as to call it a "horrible decision."

"Let me say it the best way I can say it. If anyone wants to blame anyone for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, you're talking to the guy that should be blamed. Because, I brought it to their attention. I pushed for it, they agreed to it. It wasn't in our game plan," said Kendrick.

"Looking back, in hindsight, a horrible decision to invest that money in a guy who performed as poorly as he did. It's our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint, and I'm the perpetrator of that," he added.

Montgomery, formerly a client of Scott Boras, signed with Arizona after spring training on a one-year, $25 million deal, which includes an option in 2025. He endured the worst campaign of his career, logging a 6.23 ERA across 25 appearances and eventually getting demoted into a bullpen role.

It certainly wasn't the production the Diamondbacks anticipated when bringing him on board. Rather than shift the blame elsewhere, Kendrick took ownership of what was ultimately a catastrophic acquisition for the franchise.

Sunderland are looking to potentially hijack a move for an attacking star in the summer transfer window, according to a new transfer claim.

Le Bris excited about Sunderland signing Sadiki

The Black Cats have completed the signing of Noah Sadiki, with the midfielder arriving at the Stadium of Light on a five-year deal from Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.

Regis Le Bris is clearly in positive spirits about an exciting piece of business for Sunderland ahead of their imminent return to the Premier League next month, assessing the capture of the 20-year-old.

It’s now a case of Sunderland building on the signing of Sadiki and bringing in more signings before the current window slams shut at the end of August, and a promising new update has now emerged regarding their transfer situation.

Sunderland pushing to hijack £17.2m signing

According to Foot Mercato, Sunderland are in the mix to sign Lens midfielder Neil El Aynaoui this summer, with the 24-year-old valued at more than €20m (£17.2m) by the French club.

Breaking: Sunderland agree quick-fire deal to sign exciting £20m winger

It’s been a statement-making summer from the Black Cats.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jul 5, 2025

The Black Cats are joined by a host of top clubs in the tussle to snap him up, as they look to steal him from under the noses of the likes of Roma, Juventus and AC Milan.

El Aynaoui could immediately improve Sunderland as a team if they managed to get a deal over the line, adding quality in the middle of the park, as highlighted by the calibre of clubs interested in him.

The midfielder is a one-cap Morocco Under-23 international, while journalist Mohamed Toubache-Ter has described him as a “highly-talented” footballer, so he would be a signing of real intent.

It is clearly going to be tricky for Sunderland to sign El Aynaoui, given the level of interest in him from some of the biggest clubs in Italy, but they are now back in the Premier League, which is a major attraction for so many players around the world.

Hopefully, Le Bris can sell him the idea of moving to the Stadium of Light, being a key starter instead of a potential cog in the machine elsewhere, as he looks to give his side the best possible chance of survival next season.