Durham agree to host Lancashire’s quarter-final due to clash with Old Trafford Test

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Aug-2019Lancashire have come to an agreement with Durham to host their Vitality Blast quarter-final at Chester-le-Street, due to a clash between the knockout stages and next week’s Old Trafford Ashes Test.Currently top of the North Group, Lancashire are guaranteed to finish in the top two spots and thereby gain the advantage of a home quarter-final. After exploring the possibility of using an outground, or even shifting the fixture to the following week, the club has come to arrangement with Durham, who are all but confirmed as outing the running for the last eight.Lancashire’s head coach, Glen Chapple, director of cricket, Paul Allott, and captain, Dane Vilas, were involved in discussions. Durham are set to make their groundstaff available to assist with pitch preparations – Chester-le-Street has been notoriously slow scoring this season, but that may well assist Lancashire’s spin attack. The club have won each of their last seven T20 visits to Durham.”Once it became clear we could not host a quarter-final, the club, with the input of myself, Dane and Paul, assessed our options and decided this would be the best venue in order for us to attempt to reach another Finals Day,” Chapple said.”With both Emirates Old Trafford and Liverpool Cricket Club unavailable, the next best option is to play at a neutral northern ground that can provide some element of cricketing home advantage. We feel Emirates Riverside is the best place for that and thank Durham for making their ground available to use.”Our recent Vitality Blast record at Durham is very good but that does not mean the team will be taking anything for granted. We will prepare as we would always would, and as with any knock-out fixture, expect it to be a tough game, and would appreciate the Members’ and Lancashire fans’ support.”The Blast quarter-finals are set to take place from September 4-7, with the exact dates and match-ups dependent on the culmination of the group stage later this week.Lancashire’s problems were exacerbated by the need for floodlights as part of TV coverage requirements, ruling out the use of Liverpool CC. Suggestions of moving the game to Monday, September 9 ran aground on the clash with a round of Championship games commencing the following day.”The lads have worked extremely hard to get the team into the top two and though it is disappointing not to be at Emirates Old Trafford, we are determined to get to Finals Day again,” Vilas said.”We had a good win at Durham earlier in the competition and will go up there full of confidence, no matter who the opposition are.”

A century from Derbyshire skipper Billy Godleman ensured his side posted something approaching a competitive score against promotion-chasing Lancashire on day one of this Specsavers County Championship Division Two clash.Godleman’s 20th first class ton was the runaway highlight of a scrappy innings from the visitors who were bowled out for a below par 244, thanks chiefly to Richard Gleeson’s excellent figures of 5 for 64.Despite Godleman’s efforts, Lancashire, who can confirm promotion back to Division One this week if they get one more point than Glamorgan, will feel confident they can push on throughout day two having lost just the wicket of Alex Davies to reach 20 for 1 by the close of play.Having elected to bat, openers Godleman and former Lancashire starlet Luis Reece, attacked from the start, with Godleman in particular determined to throw his bat at anything bowled off line by Tom Bailey and Saqib Mahmood.The partnership had passed the half-century mark before Derbyshire experienced anything like a scare with Reece given a lifeline by Keaton Jennings, who was dropped badly at slip off Glenn Maxwell’s third ball of the match.Reece failed to take advantage however, and in Maxwell’s next over, he edged through to keeper Dane Vilas, who claimed a juggling catch to dismiss the opener for 16 and break an opening stand of 66.Godleman brought up his half-century just before lunch with a square drive through point off Gleeson, but the visitors suffered a blow when Wayne Madsen was trapped in front by Gleeson for 27 just before lunch.Gleeson was soon proving to be Derbyshire’s chief tormentor as he completed a stunning spell of 4 for 15 in six overs either side of the break to decimate the away side’s middle order.South African Leus du Plooy was the first to depart for just two, with Gleeson comprehensively rearranging his stumps, before Alex Hughes edged behind to Dane Vilas for a four ball duck.When Gleeson then trapped Harvet Hosein in front for 0, Derbyshire were 123 for 5 and staring down the barrel with only Godleman’s desire to counter attack keeping Lancashire from further success.Matt Critchley joined Godleman and the pair put on 58 for the sixth wicket, until a fired up Bailey claimed his first victim when the Lancashire-born Critchley was adjudged lbw for 22.Godleman, who took full advantage of a short boundary on the Stretford side of the ground following the recent Ashes Test match, bludgeoned 16 fours and one six to reach 111, but his long vigil finally ended in the ninth over after tea when he was trapped in front by the returning Mahmood, who quickly added the wicket of Anuj Dal who was bowled first ball with a vicious in-swinger.Gleeson claimed his fourth fifth wicket haul of the season with the dismissal of Fynn Hudson-Prentice for 18, before some effective swishing from Ravi Rampaul and Hamidullah Qadri took the total to 244 when Rampaul spooned one to Matt Parkinson to give Mahmood figures of 3 for 45.Lancashire negotiated a tricky 15 overs in the gathering gloom with Davies the man to depart for 4 when he top edged a pull of Rampaul which was caught well running back from slip by Marsden.

Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer approach over the past few seasons has been pretty flawless, particularly in the summer.

This has allowed Ange Postecoglou to instantly install his philosophy into the squad to great effect.

Spurs are currently fifth in the Premier League after 25 matches, and their aim for the rest of the campaign will be to earn Champions League football.

Premier League: Top 5

Team

Played

GD

Points

#1 Liverpool

26

38

60

#2 Man City

26

33

59

#3 Arsenal

26

39

58

#4 Aston Villa

26

21

52

#5 Spurs

25

14

47

A player who could well play a key part in their hopes of qualifying for the illustrious continental competition has seen his value soar since making his debut in 2018.

Oliver Skipp’s start to life at Spurs

Oliver Skipp is Tottenham through and through. The midfielder joined the club at the age of five and progressed through the youth teams to become an “integral member of the squad.”

The 23-year-old made his first Spurs start in the 2018 1-0 home victory over Burnley, where he impressed both in and out of possession. Throughout his 75 minutes on the field, Skipp won seven duels, made two tackles, and had 85% pass accuracy.

Spurs XI on Oliver Skipp's first start

GK – Hugo Lloris

RB – Kieran Trippier

CB – Toby Alderweireld

CB – Ben Davies

LB – Danny Rose

CM – Moussa Sissoko

CM – Oliver Skipp

RW – Erik Lamela

CAM – Dele Alli

LW – Lucas

ST – Harry Kane

For the next two years, the England U21 star barely featured for the Lilywhites, and in the summer of 2020, he was sent on loan to Norwich, where he really began to make a name for himself.

Skipp started 45 matches in the Championship, becoming a key player and displaying great maturity in Norwich’s title-winning campaign. At this point, he was estimated to be valued at £8.6m as per Transfermarkt.

Oliver Skipp’s transfer value in 2024

After that impressive campaign at the Canaries, Skipp returned to Spurs full of confidence, and he was rewarded with 14 Premier League starts between the start of the season and the end of January, before he picked up a season-ending injury.

It’s fair to say that had he not had to deal with this setback, his progress today would be much further along the path to his potential, but he has become a player that can be relied upon frequently, whether that’s in the starting XI or off the bench.

This season, the “future captain,” as dubbed by sports broadcaster Abbi Grace Summers, has found it difficult to break into the first team ahead of the excellent Pape Matar Sarr and Yves Bissouma, but he has still featured 17 times.

His youth and skill set still make him a valuable player in the squad despite only starting four games, and according to CIES’ Football Observatory, Skipp is worth the same amount as Heung-min Son, £26m. Why is Son's valuation so low? Well, it has something to do with the fact his contract expires in 2025.

Spurs' highest valued players

Player

Value

Dejan Kulusevski

£85m

Destiny Udogie

£68m

Romero, Porro, Johnson

£51m

Van de Ven, Sarr, Richarlison, Maddison

£43m

Skipp, Hojberg, Son, Emerson, Werner

£26m

Via CIES' Football Observatory

Spurs' captain has been an immense signing since joining the club for £22m in 2015, and he has been the main focal point for Postecoglou’s side this campaign, netting 12 goals in the top flight while also picking up six assists.

For Skipp to be valued the same as the South Korean, he clearly must be a brilliant player, but his role at Spurs does seem to be that of a backup.

Regardless of what the number four’s future looks like, Tottenham will benefit from providing Skipp with an opportunity, as a sale would see them net 100% profit due to him being an academy star.

Jude Bellingham's brother Jobe led a deluge of heartfelt 21st birthday messages from big footballing names to the England star.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Jude Bellingham celebrates 21st birthday
• Brother Jobe pays tribute to Real Madrid ace
• Deluge of birthday messages for England star

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Real Madrid star Bellingham celebrated his 21st birthday on Saturday (June 29), and wasted no time in responding to a whole host of birthday messages from big-name footballers. One of which was a sweet post from younger brother Jobe, but also Tottenham's James Maddison, Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni, and Romeo Beckham, no less.

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• WHAT THE BIRTHDAY MESSAGES SAID

  Sunderland player Jobe Bellingham posted in an Instagram story some photos of the two growing up together, and wrote: "My only brother, proud always and regardless. Happy 21st birthday big bro."

  Getty Images

  England international James Maddison posted three photos of the duo together and put: "Happy birthday sheriff. One of a kind my mate."

  Instagram

  Los Blancos team-mate and France international Tchouameni wrote: "More life big boy," while Romeo Beckham commented: "Happy birthday brotha."

  InstagramInstagram

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bellingham has, arguably, gone onto become a world-class talent – five years after leaving Birmingham City for Borussia Dortmund. He helped Real Madrid win a La Liga and Champions League double and the midfielder is trying to help England win the Euros and end their international tournament hoodoo. Going by these messages, the 21-year-old is clearly an admired and well-respected individual.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Bellingham will hope to get a belated birthday present when his England side take on Slovakia in the last-16 of the Euros on Sunday evening. The victor will play either Switzerland or defending champions Italy in the quarter-finals.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na estreia da Libertadores, Arrascaeta fez valer o seu talento e decidiu o confronto diante do Vélez Sarsfield, na Argentina, com um golaço na vitória por 3 a 2, de virada. Assim, acentuou o imbróglio vivido entre o uruguaio e o Flamengo pela renovação e valorização contratual. E o atleta falou sobre isso.

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Em entrevista à rádio uruguaia “Sport 890”, Arrascaeta comentou que está em conversas com o Flamengo pela renovação, algo tratado diretamente pelo seu empresário,Daniel Fonseca, e pôs o futebol europeu no horizonte, além de afirmar que jogar no Flamengo “é um privilégio”.

– Com o Flamengo estamos conversando pela renovação. O clube quer muito que eu esteja aqui e estou muito feliz com a vida que tenho. Tenho contrato até dezembro de 2023. Existe uma lacuna de provar a Europa, mas estou muito feliz no Rio de Janeiro e jogar por uma potência como o Flamengo é um privilégio – disse Arrascaeta, completando sobre a estreia na Libertadores:

– É essencial começar vencendo e mais contra um grande rival como o Vélez. Felizmente começamos bem a Copa. Sabemos que somos uma das equipes mais fortes da América e temos a responsabilidade de lutar pelo título novamente… Acredito que Rogério Ceni pode ser um dos melhores treinadores do Brasil pela qualidade de pessoa e treinamento.

Na última quarta, Marcos Braz, vice-presidente de futebol do Fla, respondeu acerca da situação do Arrascaeta ao desembarcar no Rio:

-Não muda nada do que pensamos sobre o Arrascaeta. Fez mais um golaço, como muitos outros. Fez mais um jogo acima da média como sempre fez. Tanto é que quando fomos comprar pagamos uma quantia considerável. Não há nenhuma surpresa. Tenho certeza que na hora certa vamos chegar a um denominador comum. E essa história que é muito mais espuma do que outro tipo de problema, vai acabar.

West Brom are "set" to complete the signing of a "special" player before the end of deadline day, according to a new claim from reliable journalist John Percy.

West Brom transfer news

The Baggies have been linked with a host of different players throughout the January transfer window, but they know that time is now very much running out to bring in new faces. Brahima Diarra has emerged as a late transfer target for West Brom, with the Huddersfield Town midfielder seen as a potentially ideal partner for Alex Mowatt in the middle of the park. Talks are believed to be taking place over a switch to the Hawthorns coming to fruition.

Talented young Birmingham City ace Jordan James has also been backed to join Carlos Corberan's side this month, with the Englishman a midfielder with bags of end product who could have a big future in the game.

Away from those two targets, however, another name could be on his way to Hawthorns before the transfer cutoff on Thursday night, following an exciting update.

Baggies "set to sign" exciting talent

Writing on X on Thursday morning, Percy claimed that West Brom are closing in on the loan signing of Celtic attacker Mikey Johnston, having been linked with a move for him in recent days.

"Wba are set to sign Celtic winger Mikey Johnston today. Republic of Ireland international to undergo medical ahead of a loan move for remainder of the season."

This is fantastic news for West Brom, with Johnston someone with the attacking quality to help add a new dimension to Corberan's attack between now and the end of the season. The 24-year-old is a six-time capped Republic of Ireland international, having switched allegiances from Scotland after youth team age, and he has scored twice for his country for good measure.

Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart has played with some great players down the years, whether it be with England or Manchester City, and he has spoken highly of Johnston in the past, saying:

"Ireland are getting someone who is potentially very special. He has a lot of ability and the kind of qualities that can lift people off their seats. I noticed that the moment I met him, but he’s been very unlucky with injuries. You have to really understand football to understand what he’s been through because they’re not your average injuries.

"People understand when you pull your hamstring and you're out for eight weeks but you come back and you're fine. Or if you break a leg. But Mikey had these little injuries that kept holding him back and stopped any sort of momentum and flow in his career. But he's very professional and is doing his best to get the best out of himself. A fully fit Mikey Johnston can impact games and he’ll get people out of their seats."

West Brom in last ditch chase to sign dream Mowatt partner

West Brom are eyeing up this last-minute swoop to bolster their midfield.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jan 31, 2024

Hart's comments are enough to leave West Brom fans hugely buoyed by what Johnstone could offer their side until the summer, and he could be champing at the bit to get started, having been limited to only three starts and nine appearances in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano says a high-profile Tottenham Hotspur figure is leaving, with an agreement "almost done" for him to join another club.

Spurs still chasing top-four Premier League finish

Since manager Ange Postecoglou's arrival from Celtic in the summer, the feeling around N17 has changed dramatically, with there appearing to be far more cohesion both on and off the field.

Teenager set for Tottenham first team this year with staff very impressed

He’s charmed those at Hotspur Way.

By
Emilio Galantini

Feb 5, 2024

The Lilywhites remain in the hunt for a top-four Premier League finish, and despite failing to win silverware for yet another season, their growing stature helped them beat the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona to the likes of Radu Dragusin and Lucas Bergvall in the January transfer window.

Postecoglou's brand of intense, attack-minded football has won plenty of admirers in north London, including summer signing and midfield superstar James Maddison.

All confirmed Tottenham deals for January	Transfer
Timo Werner	Arrival (loan)
Lucas Bergvall	Arrival (buy-to-loan-back)
Radu Dragusin	Arrival (permanent)
Djed Spence	Exit (loan)
Ashley Phillips	Exit (loan)
Alejo Veliz	Exit (loan)
Japhet Tanganga	Exit (loan)
Sergio Reguilon	Exit (loan)
Eric Dier	Exit (loan)
Ivan Perisic	Exit (loan)

"The way he wants to play suits me perfectly because it’s how I see football. That’s how I would want the game to be played I think if I was manager, so I’m fulfilling that as a player," said Maddison.

"He likes players who can take the ball and be brave and bravery is not always just flying into a tackle or shouting at someone. Bravery is having the balls to take the ball and if you give it away, go and take it again."

Off the field, technical director Johan Lange, Chief Football Officer Scott Munn and the Spurs recruitment team's new transfer policy of data-driven scouting has paid dividends thus far, with Tottenham also surpassing Chelsea as London's richest team recently.

The only area they appear to be faltering in is their failure to land a lucrative Tottenham Hotspur Stadium naming rights deal, something which chairman Daniel Levy and commercial chief Todd Kline have been attempting for years.

Spurs stadium sponsorship talks are rumoured to have been held with the likes of Amazon and other big-name labels in recent years, but to no avail. To add insult to injury in that respect, it appears Kline, who was overseeing the task of landing an agreement, is now on the verge of departing.

Kline exit agreement "almost done" at Spurs

As per Fabrizio Romano, an agreement is "almost done" for Kline to leave Tottenham and join arch-rivals Chelsea.

The former NFL executive's best work perhaps came with the Miami Dolphins, where he spearheaded their agreement for an 18-year stadium naming rights deal worth a reported £180 million.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's regime at Manchester United could begin with a bang as the club are already thought to be eyeing up a key summer transfer, just days after the winter window slammed shut.

United hamstrung by financial fair play

Despite the clear need for reinforcements this January, with Erik ten Hag keen on adding a striker to his ranks to provide competition for the in-form Rasmus Hojlund, United were forced to watch on as other clubs did business thanks to their position with financial fair play.

"I looked but there is no space," Ten Hag explained in the dying days of the transfer window. "No space on FFP to do something about this lack of quantity in the striker position. Of course, [Marcus] Rashford can play as a striker and we have some other creative alternatives. It's clear Anthony [Martial] is out for a couple of months and it's a gap in our squad."

They were not the only side to find themselves in this position, with just nine Premier League clubs making permanent moves in the winter window, and spending falling from a massive £815million last season to just over £100m this time around, less than was spent on deadline day alone 12 months ago.

Summer planning underway

With the January window now slammed shut, attention has turned to the summer. United are thought to be keen on adding another centre-back, central midfielder and winger as well as a striker before the new season, irrespective of who is in charge of the club, and will be bolstered by the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who acquired a 25% stake in the club back in December.

As per Italian outlet Tutto Mercato, the Red Devils have already identified their ideal target in central midfield in the form of OGC Nice midfielder Khéphren Thuram, the son of French Icon Lilian and brother of Marcus Thuram, whom Manchester United have previously been credited with an interest in.

The Italian outlet claims that the French midfielder has a value believed to sit around 40m euros (£34m) and that he is also catching the eye of Serie A pair Juventus and Inter Milan, but that United could 'easily surpass any Italian offers' for the 22-year-old and Ratcliffe specifically is 'more inclined than ever to dip into his wallet'.

Man Utd may have just sold their most exciting young talent since Mainoo

Man United could regret letting go of their exciting prospect.

ByTom Lever Feb 8, 2024

Thuram has over 150 senior appearances for Nice and is a regular starter for the side when fit. His form saw him handed his France debut in March 2023, though he has yet to add to that tally of appearances for Didier Deschamps' side.

Out of contract in 2025, this summer represents the Ligue 1 side's last chance to turn a profit on the Frenchman, and he is expected to leave the club. He has previously been linked with Liverpool as well as Arsenal, though both links have since cooled.

Manchester United's current midfield options

Contract expiry

Casemiro

2026

Mason Mount

2028

Kobbie Mainoo

2027

Christian Eriksen

2025

Scott McTominay

2025

Sofyan Amrabat

2024

Looking at Manchester United's midfield options, it is clear that Thuram would provide a strong option in the Old Trafford engine room. With Scott McTominay perennially linked with a move away, Christian Eriksen and Casemiro both past their best and Kobbie Mainoo still a raw talent (albeit a very good one), an overhaul in the centre of the park is just what the Red Devils require.

Of course, the arrival of Ratcliffe could speed matters up significantly, with his company INEOS also the majority owners of the Ligue 1 side where Thuram plays his football currently. Should they opt for the Frenchman, a deal may materialise very quickly.

Thuram is not the only OGC Nice star that United have previously shown interest in, with centre-back Jean-Clair Todibo also on the club's radar should Harry Maguire depart this summer.

The South Africa women head coach says playing Bangladesh in the emerging series was important because the team will face similar bowlers in India

Liam Brickhill13-Sep-2019After a gruelling few months of preparation, South Africa women’s head coach Hilton Moreeng feels his team has given itself “a good chance” ahead of the trip to India for five T20Is and three ODIs.”The preparation building up to the India tour has been very good,” Moreeng said. “Playing Bangladesh [in the emerging series] was important because we will face similar bowlers in India.”The South Africa emerging side went down 2-1 to Bangladesh Emerging Players in the one-dayers, but won the three-match T20 series 2-0, with the third match tied. Trisha Chetty topped the batting charts with 153 runs at 51.00 in the one-dayers, while medium-pacer Tumi Sekhukhune shone in the T20s, taking seven wickets at just 9 and an economy of 5.25. Both have been included in South Africa’s touring party.Several members of the national squad took part in the emerging series, as well as spending time at the National Academy in Pretoria. More recently, they came together for a ten-day training camp in Pietermaritzburg to firm up plans ahead of the tour.”In Maritzburg, we also practised in slow and low conditions,” Moreeng explained. “The planning has been spot on, now it’s about execution in those tough conditions. But we have given ourselves a good chance.”The trip to India forms an important part of South Africa’s preparations for next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia, while the three ODIs will provide valuable game time ahead of crunch fixtures in the ICC Women’s Championship (IWC), away against New Zealand and at home against Australia.Allrounder Sune Luus will be captaining both ODI and T20I sides during the India tour, with regular captain Dane van Niekerk having suffered a recurrence of the foot injury – that had kept her out of much of the home summer – during a recent stint in the Kia Super League in England.Trisha Chetty looks to drill one off the backfoot•ICC”It will be very exciting to see how things go in India where we are playing against one of the top teams and in their conditions,” Moreeng said. “If we can do well, I think it can set us up nicely for the season ahead, including our IWC series against New Zealand in January.”Maritzburg was very good for us. It was sort of a pre-season for us as a team. A lot of the focus was on skill work, not just at the camp but throughout the pre-season at all the different levels. It’s very important for us to improve. We want to have a better season ahead, thus the camps and all the planning.”The South Africans endured a poor 2018 T20 World Cup in the West Indies, where they failed to progress to the knockouts. This time around, they will be aiming for much better and the trip to India will aid those preparations.”The bigger picture is always the World Cup,” Moreeng said. “Knowing what is coming, how you’re going to test yourself there against a very good team that knows the conditions well. This tour to India will also be about giving youngsters an opportunity knowing that you want to continue growing the team because we know that World Cups are going to come thick and fast now. The IWC is also crucial. It’s two-fold for us.”Moreeng believes his squad is now in a much better space in terms of depth compared to 12 months ago. The touring party was named on Monday with unfamiliar faces like Anneke Bosch – who last played for her country nearly three years ago – and the uncapped Nonkululeko Mlaba included. There was also a return for senior players Ayabonga Khaka and Chetty after injuries.”The youngsters are coming through and I think we can safely say that we have three players per position that are competing,” Moreeng said. “This puts us in a better position compared to where we were 12 months ago.”We also have to look at 2021 when there’s another 50 overs World Cup, so have to be thinking long-term. The youngsters coming through also have a great opportunity to play alongside the experienced girls in the squad. Remember some of these girls are playing in T20 leagues and lining up alongside these players is of huge benefit. It’s a really exciting time for young girls to be involved in cricket.”T20I squad: Sune Luus (capt), Anneke Bosch, Tasmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Ayabonga Khaka, Lara Goodall, Lizelle Lee, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Mignon du Preez, Lara WolvaardtODI squad: Sune Luus (capt), Anneke Bosch, Trisha Chetty, Nadine de Klerk, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Lara Goodall, Marizanne Kapp, Lizelle Lee, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Mignon du Preez, Lara Wolvaardt

Graham Thorpe admitted there was “an enormous amount of disappointment” after England’s performance with the bat on the second day in Leeds, but insisted the side could still win the Test.Having bowled out Australia for 179 on day one, England started day two visualising building a match-defining first-innings lead. Instead they were brushed aside in just 27.5 overs to concede a significant deficit. Their total of 67 was their lowest in the Ashes since 1948.ALSO READ: Roy woes at opener epitomise broken system That left Thorpe, England’s batting coach, accepting the team had missed an opportunity and lamenting some “poor shot selection”. But he also remained confident England could “do something special” over the next couple of days.”We’re disappointed with the way in which we batted,” he said. “It’s tough to take in the dressing room when it happens. There is an enormous amount of disappointment in terms of an opportunity we had today.”I’ll give credit to Australia’s bowlers: they bowled in very good areas. So there were a couple of good balls in our top six, but there was also some poor shot selection. I know some of the batters will be disappointed with some of their shots. They were playing outside their eye-line. Four dismissals in the top six came that way.”Test cricket is tough. You can get exposed if you don’t get things right. If your shot selection isn’t correct, you’re going to get punished. It’s an area where we have to get better if we’re going to compete against the best.”The one man for whom Thorpe made allowances was Joe Root. England’s captain fell for a second successive duck with questions starting to mount up over his future as leader.”He got a very good ball,” Thorpe said. “Sometimes you receive a ball you won’t be able to do that much about. I would say Joe’s delivery was an absolute beauty.”Joe Root recorded successive ducks for the first time in his Test career•Getty Images

Despite England’s grim match position – 283 behind on a surface that continues to provide assistance to seam bowlers – Thorpe suggested England can still pull off the win that they require to keep this Ashes series alive. England chased 315 for the loss of just four wickets here against Australia in 2001, Mark Butcher making an unbeaten 173, and Thorpe hopes they can achieve something similar. A win for Australia would ensure their retention of the Ashes, while a draw looks unlikely with three days remaining and the weather fine.”The game is not over from this position,” Thorpe said. “If we can knock them over in the morning, I’ve seen Test cricket have some strange endings. There’s been scores here chased down in the fourth innings.”If we can keep them to a lead of 320 or 330, a few of our lads can put their hand up and do something special. I always believe that is possible. But we have to try to find generally a bit more consistency with our play going forward in Test cricket.”We’ve got to believe. There’s no point us getting out of bed in the morning if we don’t think we can do something special. But we know we’ve missed an opportunity in our first innings quite badly.”