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Finn brought into England squad

Posted on December 14, 2015 by sonymobi | Leave a comment

Steven Finn has played in 26 Tests for England

Steven Finn has been brought into England’s Test squad in South Africa following recovering from a foot injury.

The 26-year-old Middlesex rapidly bowler missed the series against Pakistan in October and November since of a bone pressure injury.

But he returned to action this weekend for England Lions in the United Arab Emirates, playing in two Twenty20 matches.

Finn is not anticipated to function in the first Test in Durban on Boxing Day.

“I’ve been genuinely pleased with the way issues have gone with the Lions,” he mentioned.

“I’ve bowled my overs and my foot has come via fine. I am excited by the prospect of linking up with the group out in South Africa.”

England play the 1st of two warm-up matches on Tuesday against a South Africa Invitational XI, starting at 08:30 GMT.

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Tagged Brought, England, Finn, Into, squad

Can Leicester go the distance?

Posted on December 14, 2015 by sonymobi | Leave a comment

By Chris Sutton Former Norwich striker

There has already been talk of a film about Jamie Vardy’s life, but Leicester City’s season is also shaping up to be a story suitable for the silver screen.

The in-kind Foxes have gone from relegation favourites to title contenders in a matter of months, but can their fairytale commence to the 2015-16 campaign really have a Hollywood ending?

History suggests not – the last time a correct outsider went the distance in a title race was in the Premier League’s first season, 1992-93. Norwich City led for longer than anybody else and topped the table as late as April, but finished third.

So, can Claudio Ranieri’s side copy the Canaries, or even out-do them?

Chris Sutton, a teenage centre-half turned striker in that Norwich group, tells BBC Sport how it feels to be unlikely leaders, what Leicester need to have to do subsequent – and what could go incorrect.

Best in December – ‘We did not take it seriously’

Norwich manager Mike Walker and strike duo Chris Sutton and Mark Robins

Norwich manager Mike Walker played a fresh-faced Chris Sutton up front alongside Mark Robins, who scored 14 league ambitions in 1992-93 soon after joining from Manchester United

Leicester can go back to the best of the table if they beat defending champions Chelsea on Monday. No team top following 16 games has finished decrease than fourth in the Premier League. In 18 of the past 23 seasons, the team top at that stage completed second or greater, and on 13 occasions they ended up champions.

Sutton: “We had been eight points clear at the commence of December, but we have been absolutely not thinking about winning the title.

“There was talk of it outside the club but, amongst the players, we did not take it too seriously. Hunting back, that helped a lot.

“All the rhetoric coming out of Leicester in the last handful of weeks is the very same. Whether or not it is the manager or their players, when they are asked queries about the title, they just answer by talking about receiving sufficient points to stay up.

“We were the very same. We had finished 18th the previous season and stayed up by 3 points, so when we got to 30 points in November we just thought, ‘great, we are not going down’.”

Best of the Premier League on 11 December 1992
	P	W	D	L	PTS
1. Norwich	18	12	three	3	39
2. Blackburn	18	8	7	3	31
three. Aston Villa	18	eight	7	three	31

No pressure – ‘It didn’t matter when we lost’

Norwich had Robins scoring their goals – Leicester have Jamie Vardy, who has 14 league targets currently

Norwich lost 7-1 to Blackburn and four-1 to Liverpool in October 1992 but suffered only 1 other defeat in their very first 18 league matches. Leicester’s only league defeat so far is a five-two house defeat by Arsenal on three October. They responded by winning six of their subsequent eight games.

Sutton: “Like Leicester, we had been an attacking group with a purpose threat that was complete of self-confidence right after creating a tremendous start.

“One more similarity was that we did not give up – we came back from 2- down to beat Arsenal 4-two in our opening game and usually had that belief.

“We went from game to game without having worrying about anything, and it looks like they are doing the identical.

“Each and every group has a blip but even when we lost heavily or had a run of games more than Christmas where our final results dropped off, it did not really influence us simply because nobody expected us to be up there anyway.

“There was no stress – in the initial half of the season it was a single of these times exactly where we did not believe about our predicament really considerably.”

Nonetheless prime in April – ‘We started thinking ‘what if?”

Man Utd's Eric Cantona and Norwich's Chris Sutton challenge for the ball in April 1993

Sutton’s Norwich took on Manchester United in April 1993. “If we had won that game then we would have gone on to win the league,” Sutton says now

Norwich led the league for 129 days out of 270 in 1992-93, compared to Manchester United’s 69 days and Aston Villa’s 32. The Canaries have been last prime on 3 April – if they had beaten United on five April, they would have returned to the summit and gone five points clear of the eventual champions, and a point above Villa.

Sutton: “The longer you keep up there, and the closer you get to seeing it via, the tougher it gets.

“We got via March and we had been back on the leading of the table and it hit us. All of a sudden we started thinking about whether or not we could really do it.

Prime of the Premier League table on three April 1993 – ahead of Norwich v Man Utd
	P	W	D	L	PTS
1. Norwich	36	19	8	9	65
2. Aston Villa	35	18	ten	7	64
3. Man Utd	35	17	12	six	63

“Everywhere you went in Norwich, men and women would ask, ‘can we win it?’ We were considering, ‘how are we nevertheless in the race?’. We also started to wonder, ‘what if we do win it?’

“It was a sort of pressure that was new to all of us, the manager Mike Walker and the players, and we faltered at the massive moments.

“We had two crunch games prior to Easter against the two other teams difficult and, though we beat Aston Villa, we lost at house to Manchester United, who had just gone 4 games without having a win.

Best of the Premier League table on 5 April 1993 – following Norwich v Man Utd
	P	W	D	L	PTS
1. Aston Villa	36	19	ten	7	67
2. Man Utd	36	18	12	six	66
3. Norwich	37	19	eight	10	65

“I look back and genuinely think that if we had won that game then we would have gone on to win the league since that would have fully knocked the stuffing out of United at a crucial time.

“Rather we have been the ones who have been left deflated, and we only won two of our final 5 games.”

1992-93 Premier League table – final standings
	P	W	D	L	PTS
1. Man Utd	42	24	12	six	84
2. Aston Villa	42	21	11	10	74
three. Norwich	42	21	9	12	72

What were Norwich missing? ‘A title mentality’

Leicester duo Kasper Schmeichel and Robert Huth

Robert Huth won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2005 and 2006 but only started a total of 13 games

Former Chelsea defender Robert Huth is the only member of the Leicester squad to have won a leading-flight title in any of the massive 5 leagues in Europe (England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain). Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri has also never ever won a prime-flight title in his 29-year managerial career, even though he has had best-four finishes with 4 distinct clubs in Italy and was a runner-up with Chelsea in 2004 and Monaco in 2014.

Sutton: “Norwich came up a small bit quick but at the time we never ever truly talked about it in terms of how we almost won the title, mostly because we could not think what had just occurred.

Seven Englishmen, three Welshmen and a Scot – a standard Norwich group from the 1992-93 season

“When I won the title with Blackburn in 1995, there was a completely diverse mentality around the club all through the whole season.

“I had arrived in the summer time of 1994 at a group that had just finished runners-up and finishing initial was the target from day one – there was far far more expectation, and pressure.

“But there was also a lot more encounter of how to handle it, from the players who had completed second the season just before to the manager, Kenny Dalglish, who had won titles with Liverpool.

“We had some big characters in the dressing space like Alan Shearer and Tim Flowers, and the sort of steely resolve you want. Even then, we practically threw the title away.”

Can Leicester do it? ‘They will never ever get a much better chance’

Focus Forum looking ahead to Leicester v Chelsea

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Leicester v Chelsea: Focus Forum previews Monday’s game

In the 11 seasons ahead of the Premier League started in 1992, 13 different teams completed in the prime 3 of England’s best flight. In the very first 11 seasons of the Premier League, 10 clubs did. Given that 2003, only 5 teams have managed best-three finishes: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United.

Sutton: “Norwich have been a selling club who have been never ever going to chuck massive funds at a mid-season signing to try to win the title.

“But Leicester could be diverse. With the funds there is in the Premier League at the moment, why not splash out in the January transfer window like Sir Alex Ferguson suggested this week? It would be very interesting if they did.

“They have given themselves a wonderful platform and these possibilities don’t come about extremely typically.

“They never require seven or eight players, just 1 or two in case Jamie Vardy or Riyad Mahrez get injured. The wheels could nonetheless come off horribly, but why not have a go?

“It is early days and I still expect 1 of the big clubs to put a run together and come out of the pack to win the title, but even if Leicester do not win the league, a best-four finish now appears a realistic aim for them.

“That would nevertheless be an outstanding feat and making the Champions League could be the next chapter for them, the identical way qualifying for the Uefa Cup was for Norwich with our well-known win more than Bayern Munich the following season.”

Chris Sutton was speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.

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Tagged distance, Leicester

Arsenal face Barca in Champions League

Posted on December 14, 2015 by sonymobi | Leave a comment

Arsenal will face holders Barcelona in the Champions League final 16.

Chelsea have been drawn against Paris St-Germain for the third consecutive season, whilst Manchester City face Dynamo Kiev.

Roma versus Real Madrid and Juventus, last year’s beaten finalists, against Bayern Munich are two of the standout matches in the draw.

1st legs are scheduled to take spot on 16-17 and 23-24 February. Return legs are on 8-9 and 15-16 March.

The winners of each group, which includes Chelsea and Manchester City, are at home in the second legs, even though Arsenal will host their very first leg.

Barcelona v Arsenal is a repeat of the 2006 final, which the Spanish champions won 2-1 thanks to two late targets in Paris.

PSG, who are 17 points clear at the leading of the French league, knocked Chelsea out on away goals at this stage last season, whilst the Blues beat them on the exact same rule in the quarter-finals the earlier year.

Dynamo Kiev beat Manchester City in the 2010-11 Europa League final 16, with striker Mario Balotelli sent off for the English side.

The first leg in Kiev will be played in an empty stadium, as Dynamo Kiev had been punished following racist attacks on fans in the course of a group game against Chelsea.

The draw for the quarter-finals will be held on 18 March with the semi-final line-up drawn on 15 April.

Draw in full

Gent v Wolfsburg

Roma v Actual Madrid

Paris St-Germain v Chelsea

Arsenal v Barcelona

Juventus v Bayern Munich

PSV Eindhoven v Atletico Madrid

Benfica v Zenit St Petersburg

Dynamo Kiev v Manchester City

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Tagged Arsenal, Barca, Champions, face, League

Wasps 23-25 Bath

Posted on December 14, 2015 by sonymobi | Leave a comment

Anthony Watson’s final-gasp attempt was his very first of the competition

European Champions Cup
Wasps (12) 23
Tries: Miller Pens: Jackson four, Daly, Gopperth
Bath (15) 25
Tries: Joseph, Banahan, Watson Cons: Ford two Pens: Ford two

Anthony Watson’s 85th-minute converted attempt secured Bath a dramatic win more than Wasps in the European Champions Cup.

With new England boss Eddie Jones watching, Rob Miller’s attempt looked adequate for Wasps soon after Jonathan Joseph and Matt Banahan crossed for Bath.

But Wasps lost two guys to the sin-bin in the final minutes as they attempted to defend a five-point lead.

Watson’s score in the corner followed by George Ford’s difficult conversion handed Bath victory.

Pool 5 leaders Wasps are now only two points ahead of Bath, who have played one particular game fewer, with reigning champions Toulon a additional 4 points behind right after their 24-9 win more than Leinster.

Match stats
Wasps		Bath
600	Metres	438
145	Carries	one hundred
104	Tackles	162
ten	Penalties conceded	10

Regardless of outscoring the hosts 3 tries to a single, Bath have been not at their cost-free-flowing best, and regularly relied on a belligerent rearguard to hold Wasps only metres away from the try-line.

But it was the Wasps defence which was scrambling in the final minutes and, following losing Lorenzo Cittadini and George Smith to the sin-bin, Bath have been able to take possession from an uncontested scrum and tee up Watson.

Daly’s day coming with England?

New England head coach Eddie Jones watched the all-Premiership clash

Amid the drama, England head coach Jones, who also watched Exeter’s tremendous win more than Clermont Auvergne on Saturday, saw numerous Englishmen make instances to be integrated in his initial squad in January.

Joseph’s try, following collecting a loose ball when Tom Ellis tackled Ruaridh Jackson, was a reminder of the centre’s scintillating pace and expert finishing capacity.

Earlier, Banahan, who won the most recent of his 16 Test caps five years ago, combined tremendously with Nikola Matawalu to score right after James Haskell had relinquished possession.

BBC Sport presenter Gabby Logan argued the England case for Daly and Launchbury, who play for her husband Kenny’s former team

Wasps’ Elliot Daly stood out, enhancing his expanding reputation and pressing his England claims.

With Exeter’s Henry Slade injured, there is an opening at centre for subsequent year’s Six Nations, and Daly’s attacking verve and slick passing will make him a tempting alternative to Joseph in the number 13 shirt.

The 23-year-old’s nicely-timed pass enabled Miller to cross soon after countryman Joe Launchbury – excellent at lock – made ground through a gap down the other side of the pitch.

Jones will also have left the Ricoh Arena with the image of England fly-half Ford showing the nerve to kick a conversion that grasped an unlikely victory for the guests.

Wasps: Miller Tagicakibau, Daly, Jacobs, Piutau Jackson, Simpson Mullan, Johnson, Cooper-Woolley Launchbury, Davies Haskell, G. Smith, N. Hughes.

Replacements: Leiua for Jacobs (68), Gopperth for Jackson (59), Robson for Simpson (71), McIntyre for Mullan (67), Cittadini for Cooper-Woolley (48), Gaskell for Davies (64), Jones for N. Hughes (71).

Not Used: Shervington.

Sin bin: Cittadini (79), G. Smith (80).

Bath: Watson Rokoduguni, Joseph, K. Eastmond, Banahan Ford, Matawalu Lahiff, Batty, Wilson Ellis, Attwood Garvey, Louw, Denton.

Replacements: Priestland for K. Eastmond (71), Homer for Banahan (65), Catt for Lahiff (55), Webber for Batty (55), Thomas for Wilson (41), Houston for Ellis (13), Ewels for Denton (59).

Not Utilized: Cook.

Attendance: 9,500

Referee: Jerome Garces (France).

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Tagged 2325, Bath, Wasps

Tottenham Hotspur 1-two Newcastle United

Posted on December 14, 2015 by sonymobi | Leave a comment

Complete time

Complete Time Match ends, Tottenham Hotspur 1, Newcastle United 2.

90:00 +4:59 Full time

Full Time Second Half ends, Tottenham Hotspur 1, Newcastle United two.

90:00 +2:26 Aim scored

Objective! Aim! Tottenham Hotspur 1, Newcastle United 2. Ayoze Pérez (Newcastle United) proper footed shot from a hard angle on the correct to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Aleksandar Mitrovic with a headed pass.

90:00 +:27 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Newcastle United. Yoan Gouffran replaces Vurnon Anita.

89:02

Try saved. Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur) correct footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the aim. Assisted by Christian Eriksen.

88:04

Corner, Newcastle United. Conceded by Harry Kane.

85:21 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Nacer Chadli replaces Erik Lamela.

82:24

Attempt missed. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is as well high. Assisted by Danny Rose.

82:09

Try blocked. Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur) proper footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Harry Kane.

80:25

Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a totally free kick in the defensive half.

80:25

Foul by Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle United).

79:31 Booking

Booking Ayoze Pérez (Newcastle United) is shown the yellow card for a poor foul.