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The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
Ex Man Utd star explains why he took iconic number at new club
Marcus Rashford has officially joined Barcelona on a loan deal until June 2026, with a non-mandatory purchase option set at approximately €30m. He will wear the iconic number 14 shirt, previously donned by legends like Johan Cruyff and Thierry Henry, acknowledging the significant responsibility. Rashford becomes only the second English player to represent Barcelona, following Gary Lineker, and expressed his ambition to surpass Lineker's goal-scoring record at the club. The forward stated his desire for a fresh start and to win major trophies, including the Champions League, seeing Barcelona as the ideal place to rediscover his best form. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick played a key role in securing Rashford's transfer, with the player expressing gratitude for the faith shown in him.
Telegraph
26 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Lord Botham ‘appalled' by Somerset pitch on which 35 wickets fell in five sessions
Lord Ian Botham has launched an extraordinary tirade against his first county Somerset over an 'appalling' pitch they served up for the Championship match against Durham, which was over in just five sessions. England legend Botham, 69, represented Somerset between 1974 and 1986 but left in acrimonious circumstances after they fired his great friend Viv Richards. Botham moved first to Worcestershire, then Durham, where he was chairman until earlier this year. Despite being replaced in the chair by Phil Collins, Botham is now the club's honorary president and has gone in to bat for Durham over a County Championship match they lost on Wednesday by five wickets before tea on the second of four days. Botham posted pictures of the heavily-used pitch at Taunton (where there is a stand named after him) before the match. It was played using the Kookaburra ball, with which bowlers have struggled to take wickets. There were no such struggles at Taunton, with 22 wickets falling on the first day and 13 more on the second. The last 18 wickets all fell to spin, with jack Leach eventually taking a match-winning six for 63 for Somerset. It is understood that the pitch has been graded 'below average' by the match referee Simon Hinks, with an investigation to follow from the cricket regulator which could lead to a deduction in the 19 points Somerset picked up in the match. Botham said conditions like these were putting the England hierarchy off selecting players based on county form, and criticised Somerset for their desire to stick at 14 Championship matches per season when some clubs – including Durham – are pushing for a reduction to 12 in search of greater quality. Botham said on X: 'Before a ball is bowled… As an ex-Somerset player I find this appalling... at a time when county cricket is under pressure for relevance as a breeding ground for international [cricket]. 'Players and Somerset members have apparently voted for the status quo, the club produces this pitch. These are not first-class cricket conditions in mid-summer... I am not surprised that Rob [Key] and Ben [Stokes] unfortunately have to disregard county performances in assessing players for Test quality appearances. 'Durham raised serious concerns the day before the game started... change is needed... both Somerset and Durham have high quality batsmen... Somerset do not need to do this... reduces the game to a farce.' The Somerset head coach Jason Kerr described the pitch as 'incredible', pointing to the fact that 400 runs were scored on the opening day. The Durham chief executive Tim Bostock disputed this. 'We made our displeasure clear before a ball had been bowled, both to Somerset and the ECB [England and Wales Cricket Board],' Bostock told Telegraph Spor t. 'I've no doubt the pitch will attract the attention of the ECB. 'Somerset are one of the counties who want to keep the Championship at 14 matches, but if they continue to prepare pitches like this then there's little point in that. The wicket was used, and not fit for first-class cricket. Yes, 400 runs were scored on the opening day, but that is only because of batsmen attacking at very aggressive strike-rates before the pitch inevitably got the better of them, confirmed by the fact that 22 wickets fell for those runs. 'In the cold light of day I am sure Somerset will be disappointed with that pitch, irrespective of the result.' Graham Onions, the Durham bowling coach, said 'there was excessive turn', adding: 'The bottom line is that it is day one and a half and the game is over, which is not good for county cricket.'
BBC News
26 minutes ago
- BBC News
Maguire wins 2025 Championship League
Stephen Maguire has won the first ranking event of the season, beating Joe O'Connor 3-1 in the final of the 2025 Championship League in Leicester. It is the 44-year-old Scot's seventh career ranking title from 15 finals and his first since winning the 2020 Tour Championship. The tournament, which takes place over three stages and began at Leicester Arena on 30 June, reached its finale on Wednesday, with just eight of the 128-strong field remaining. Maguire booked his spot in the final after topping Group 2 in a best-of-four frame round-robin. The 15th seed beat Matthew Selt (3-0) and Ben Mertens (3-0) before losing to China's Pang Junxu (3-1). Leicester-born O'Connor, seeded 16th, only dropped two frames to finish first in Group 1, beating Ricky Walden (3-1), Xu Si (3-1), and Tom Ford (3-0). In the best-of-five frame final, Maguire took a 2-0 lead before O'Connor pulled one frame back with a 99-point break. However, Maguire produced a match-winning 89 to secure the title with a frame to spare.
