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Nathan Lyon finally claimed his 400th Test wicket as another calamitous collapse from the visitors handed the hosts a comfortable win

Alex Malcolm11-Dec-2021

The power went down at the Gabba and England went down with it as Nathan Lyon finally claimed his 400th Test wicket and Australia claimed a one-nil series lead after another calamitous collapse from the visitors handed the hosts a comfortable nine-wicket win.Lyon took four wickets on the fourth morning, including that of Dawid Malan’s for his 400th to start the rot prior to the new ball being taken, while Cameron Green claimed the prized scalp of Joe Root for 89 as England lost 8 for 74 to be bowled out for 297 and set Australia just 20 runs to win.Related

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Gabba power failure causes TV broadcast blackout

'I thought I would never play another Test again' – Malan

Australia’s only concern came when David Warner did not come out to bat in the fourth innings. He did not field during England’s second innings after he was hit in the ribs by Ben Stokes during his first-innings 94. Cricket Australia released a statement on day three saying he had bruised ribs and Warner told on the morning of day four that he was sore but would bat with the aid of some pain killers. However, with only 20 runs required to win Warner did not take to the crease raising concerns about his fitness for the second Test in Adelaide, with just four days to recover.Alex Carey opened alongside Marcus Harris. It was just the third time Carey has opened in first-class cricket having opened in just his third first-class match back in 2013. He tried to play positively. He was nearly run out twice before Ollie Robinson found his outside edge with a superb delivery that nipped off the seam. Harris was far from convincing early as the new ball zipped around but played a glorious cut shot and equally good square drive to bring up the winning runs without Marnus Labuschagne having to face a ball.Earlier, England regressed to their mean on the fourth morning after the sublime day three partnership between Root and Malan had sprung hopes of a 2010-style Gabba revival, having erased 220 of the 278-run first-innings deficit just two down.But hope springs eternal as Lyon snuffed out any chance of a miracle removing Malan in the fourth over of the morning. Lyon had been stuck on 399 wickets for 326 days and Malan revealed to ABC radio after play on day three that Lyon should have had him out caught and bowled in the afternoon when a ball ballooned off his pad and brushed the glove on the way back to Lyon but the Australians did not appeal.Lyon finally got him a similar manner for wicket 400 with Malan deceived in flight as he skipped down to the wrong length. He groped in defence only to get a thick inside edge onto pad with Labuschagne claiming the chance at a well-placed silly mid-off. The relief for Lyon and the Australians was palpable as he celebrated becoming the 17th Test bowler to claim 400 wickets, and just the third Australian behind Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.Cameron Green roars in celebration after dismissing Joe Root•CA/Cricket Australia/Getty Images

But the biggest wicket of the morning came from the unlikeliest source. Green bowled a superb spell with a 70-over old ball to fill a hole for his captain Pat Cummins while Australia’s thoroughbred quicks were held back for the new ball. Green banged away at a good length at 140kph/87mph for several overs and finally found a hint of outswing, luring Root into a false prod outside off stump and catching his outside edge. Root fell 11 short of his 7th century of 2021 and is still yet to register three figures in Australia.Lyon then picked up Ollie Pope, whose struggles against spin continue. He tried to cut a ball that bounced and spun back from outside off and succeeded in only gloving it to slip.The game went dark for a period of five overs after Australia took the new ball as a power outage at the Gabba saw the entire television feed go down. Josh Hazlewood returned to the bowling crease after questions were raised about his fitness having only been used for eight overs out of 70 on the third day, but only those at the ground could see it.Television pictures were restored just in time for Cummins to pick up Stokes for the second time in the match. Stokes was squared up again by Cummins, this time from over the wicket, as he closed the bat face to a ball that leapt from a length. Green held the leading edge at gully with ease.Jos Buttler was unable to produce the same counter-attack he offered in the first innings, poking meekly wide of his off stump at Hazlewood to give Carey his seventh catch of the match. Lyon and Green cleaned up the tail handing Lyon a well-deserved four-wicket haul after toiling without reward on day three, while Carey claimed a record-breaking eighth catch to end the innings in a flawless display behind the stumps. It is the most catches on Test debut by a wicketkeeper and the equal-most dismissals alongside fellow Australian Brian Taber and England’s Chris Read.

Mohamed Salah's former team-mate Dejan Lovren believes Liverpool do not "respect him enough" and that he's "closer to leaving than staying".

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• Salah in last months of Liverpool contract
• Told Reds "don't respect him enough"
• Ex-team-mate says he's closer to "leaving than staying"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren played alongside Salah for three seasons and says he still keeps in touch with the Egyptian. He added, "I know a lot of things" when speaking about Salah's ongoing contract situation, that an Anfield transfer exit beckons this summer, and that Liverpool should satisfy his wage demands as he is delivering on the pitch.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT DEJAN LOVREN SAID

  He said, via The Mirror: “We are still in touch. We talk every now and then, yes. I have to be careful what I say now, because I know a lot of things. Honestly, I don’t know the exact numbers, but whatever he’s asking for, I think he deserves it. It’s simple, this guy is doing his job on the pitch.

  “Don’t look at his age, some will say he’ll be 33, but look at Ronaldo, he’s 40 and still playing. Mohamed Salah is still scoring goals, he’s in great physical and mental shape. He’s still playing for the national team, so what’s the problem? He’s seven or eight years younger [than Ronaldo]. So what’s the problem with Salah? Nobody can find an answer, that’s why I find it difficult.

  “I can talk in more detail. Salah believes that there are things missing from the club side, and I hope they’ll be resolved soon. But the current reality is that he’s closer to leaving than staying. Everyone wants him to stay, and I personally want him to stay. I called him one day and said: 'Mo, you have to think about yourself. Look at everything you've given this club and what you can still give.'

  “In the end, I came to the conclusion that the club doesn't respect him enough, or at least not as much as they think they deserve, but that's another side of the story, it's all about what goes on behind the scenes. Everyone can agree when they look at the numbers, there is no player who has the statistics like Mohamed Salah, not only this season, but over the last 5-6 seasons in a row, they are not just amazing numbers, they are crazy.

  “I think he does not get enough attention despite these numbers, because if it was Messi or Ronaldo, we would see talk every day about why his contract was not renewed and why the right offer was not made to him, but unfortunately, I think Mohamed Salah does not get this attention.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Salah said last month that he and Liverpool were "far away" from a contract extension, with the 32-year-old's deal expiring this summer. The ex-Roma star has scored a whopping 26 goals and bagged 18 assists in 34 appearances and is, arguably, playing some of the best football of his career. But there is a real chance this could be his last season at the Reds.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While contract talks between Liverpool and Salah continue, he has a Merseyside derby to look forward to in a Premier League clash at Everton on Wednesday.

Glasgow Rangers made it through to the League Cup final for the third season in a row, although the Ibrox side didn’t do it the easy way.

The Light Blues went into the interval trailing by an Andy Halliday goal to Motherwell, and it was clear Philippe Clement had to make changes.

The likes of Mohamed Diomande and Danilo made all the difference during the second half as the club turned the tie around, with Nedim Bajrami netting with ten minutes to go, which sealed a 2-1 win.

Although the victory offers some respite from the poor results over the previous few weeks, Clement is still a man under pressure.

Why Philippe Clement’s job isn’t safe

This season has been disappointing so far. Not only did the Gers fail to qualify for the Champions League group stages, but they also trail both Celtic and Aberdeen in the Premiership title race by nine points after just ten matches.

Combine these results with the dismal performances on the field, and it is clear that resentment has set in among large sections of the Ibrox support.

The 2-1 defeat to Aberdeen last week appeared to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, with the team looking both lethargic and short of ideas against a well-coached Dons side.

Rangers defeats this season so far

Date

Opponent

Score

13/08/2024

Dynamo Kiev

2-0

01/09/2024

Celtic

3-0

03/10/2024

Lyon

4-1

20/10/2024

Kilmarnock

1-0

30/10/2024

Aberdeen

2-1

Via Transfermarkt

Unless something drastic happens between now and Christmas, Clement will surely be shown his marching orders. The question is, who can the Light Blues turn to as a potential replacement?

An ideal replacement for Clement

The rumour mill is already circling surrounding Clement’s future, with a few replacements being touted.

One name to have been touted with the Ibrox hotseat is Malmo coach Henrik Rydstrom, who coincidentally has faced the Gers this season in the Europa League.

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The Swedish side may have looked poor during the 2-0 loss to Rangers, but praise has been high for the manager, with Sky Sports journalist Adam Bate waxing lyrical about the 48-year-old:

Rydstrom has led Malmo to another league title this season, which means the club have now won four of the previous five Swedish titles. How has he done that? Well, his enterprising 4-2-3-1 formation that’s seen him boast a 2.08 points-per-game record in the Allsvenskan has gone down a treat.

The Swede’s penchant for attacking play could certainly appeal to the Ibrox faithful, who are growing sick and tired of Clement’s team and their laborious nature.

As per Breaking the Lines, one of the most innovative aspects of Rydstrom’s Malmo side are the Brazilian concepts integrated into the team’s playing style with one-twos and short passing triangles/diamonds used to move the ball around quickly and with purpose.

Rydstrom looks to be at the peak of his powers. Might he fancy a new challenge away from Sweden in the near future? Aberdeen have enjoyed plenty of success this season under Jimmy Thelin, who recently managed Elfsborg so there is a pre-made recipe for success there.

Could the 48-year-old have a similar sort of impact if he moved across the North Sea and took charge of the Light Blues?

The next few weeks will be the most important in Clement’s managerial career. Another couple of defeats, and he will be on his way out the door, that’s for sure.

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Posts ByDan Emery Nov 3, 2024

Sunderland fans will be well aware that there’s a long and winding road still ahead for their team this Championship season, but they will be dreaming of a triumphant Premier League return all the same.

Regis Le Bris could be the man in the dug-out that finally steers the Black Cats back to the promised land, with Sunderland having been put through the wringer since their relegation from the top-flight come the end of the 2016/17 campaign.

In the here and now, however, after spending some dire years in the League One wilderness, the Wearside outfit find themselves at the top of the second-tier pile.

If they do return to the Premier League, Le Bris will know he needs to add more experience to his young and hungry side to make that step up not feel too weighty, with the Black Cats striking gold in the past when bringing in an old head who knew the top-flight inside out.

Defoe's time at Sunderland

Jermain Defoe was an instant hit with the Stadium of Light masses when he first arrived in through the door in January of 2015, with his new side staring precariously at the relegation zone in the top division and in need of sharpshooter to raise spirits.

The ex-Tottenham Hotspur poacher would fire home four goals from 17 Premier League games during his debut season, as the Wearside club managed to just about stave off the drop.

One of his finest moments in a Black Cats strip during his first season at the club would be this sensational volley against Sunderland’s arch-rivals in Newcastle United cannoning into the back of Tim Krul’s net, as Sunderland boasted a dramatic 1-0 win over their main nemesis courtesy of their new star-man’s heroics.

The following campaign, Defoe would really spark into life in his new surroundings as an impressive 15 league goals were fired home from 33 games, before the experienced head would then bow out with another 15 league strikes from 37 contests the season after, even as Sunderland finally succumbed to relegation.

Le Bris will hope he can pick up a similar game-changing recruit in January that can aid Sunderland in their mission to return to the league where Defoe – who also returned for a brief second spell in January 2022 – consistently wreaked havoc, with reports suggesting that this surprise move could get off the ground.

Sunderland's biggest deal since Defoe

According to reports that emerged late last week, the wheels could soon come into motion for Jordan Henderson to make a spectacular return to his hometown club, having found game time at Ajax hard to come by.

The former Liverpool man would undoubtedly be a fantastic signing for Le Bris’ men, who is rumoured to be on the agenda of many Championship clubs on loan, as per the report, with his vast experience playing for the Merseysiders in many tight and edgy games in elite competitions coming in handy for a potential promotion push.

Henderson’s major trophy honours at Liverpool

Trophy

Times won

Premier League

1x

FA Cup

1x

League Cup

2x

Champions League

1x

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Just taking a glance at the midfielder’s ridiculous trophy honour list when playing at Anfield, it’s clear that the now 34-year-old would still be able to offer lots to the raw Black Cats group if he does rejoin his boyhood employers in January.

Like in the case of his ex-Three Lions colleague, Defoe – who arrived for his first spell after a stint away from England in Toronto – the Stadium of Light could represent a welcome return to these shores for the ‘lifelong Sunderland fan’, as Henderson has described himself, after two stints abroad in the Middle East and Amsterdam.

His presence would be extremely beneficial to the likes of Chris Rigg, with the 17-year-old able to link up with a talent who has been there and done that across a very successful career after starting out at Sunderland, whilst also being able to strut his stuff more in an attacking capacity with Henderson content at sitting back.

Labelled as “underrated” by Jurgen Klopp when he decided to move to Saudi Arabia last year, in terms of what he offered during Liverpool’s hay-day under the German, Henderson could also be keen for a special reunion owing to his career taking a nosedive ever since walking away from Anfield.

This could be the perfect opportunity for the veteran asset to enjoy his football again, with the possibility of adding a promotion up to the Premier League with his boyhood club to his decorated CV.

As for Sunderland, the prospect of signing an experienced England international – like in the case of Defoe at the time – would represent a sizeable coup, particularly in contrast to some of the club’s recruitment in recent years, amid their struggles in League One and the Championship.

Before January comes into view and transfer talk dominates every conversation, however, Sunderland will just aim to pick up more victories to secure their grip on top spot, starting with a visit to Hull City after the international break.

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Posts 2 ByHenry Jackson Oct 5, 2024